Album Review: War Cloud- Earhammer Sessions

War Cloud have been slowly rising as a very versatile band in the traditional metal community. Their last two releases had some very catchy stuff on them with sound that seem to combine Thin Lizzy with  mid 80s Tank in glorious hard rockin' fashion. Their newest album "The Earhammer Sessions" definitely has an interesting take to it. It was recorded live at Earhammer studios in Oakland and effectively is the band taking some of their best tunes and putting a more in your face spin on them.

Right away, I can say this album for being live in studio is recorded fantastically, for the most part. The guitars are super in your face and both equally audible. I also have to note the vocals are way more raw and full of grit than on the albums giving a more motorhead-ish vibe to them. The only issue is that the bass seems just ever so slightly low which definitely could be boosted a bit more in the mix .The band opens with the hard rockin "Vulture City" and heads into one of my favorite tunes with "Give'r". This might be the definitive version of that song as well because the extra raw feeling of the band playing it right then and there with little to no polish. "Chopper Wired" definitely has some bluesier hard rock riffing to it and again this version is just as in your face as it gets. The version of "White Lightning" here is pretty damn great as well with the band just going for the throat. It sounds very distinct from the "State of Shock" version which is exactly what this album achieves in making these songs sound even heavier. "Divide and Conquer" has a good balance of heaviness and melody and is done very well in this live setting. "Tomahawk" is pure speed metal excellence as the album ends with the explosions of "Speed Demon" and "Striker" ending a very fun in your face live album.

Overall, War cloud have essentially created a greatest hits sort to speak of their first two albums in a live setting. It works very well as these are essential versions of these songs that really show off the raw and tight nature of this band. These guys are really a hidden gem from Oakland and this album is definitely a good place to start to ease you back into discovering their full lengths.

8/10

Album Review: Cirith Ungol- Forever Black

If someone told me in 2015 that Cirith Ungol would return, stronger than they have ever been, I think I would have laughed in their face. Truth be told this is one of the bands that I figured would never make a return. However, in 2016, they reunited for the first Frost and Fire fest. Next they slowly were headlining fests all around the world, released a new strong single and finally, after 29 years, we have "Forever Black". With this album, the almighty Ungol brings back their weird yet unique style of proto epic doom and it is glorious.

Opening with the quick "The Call" the band launches into the barnstorming "Legions Arise" which just begs to be played live. Tim Baker shows that he is one of the most underrated vocalists in Heavy metal period. His screeching banshee howl is here in spades and shows literally no age. This is one of the best openers I have heard this year as well. The production on the album really fits in their discography especially with how much the bass cuts through. The only minor complain I have is the drums feel a bit too soft but it hardly deters the album for me. Up next is my favorite track: the trudging "Frost Monstreme" which has so many great riffs and has a bit of that early prog/doom mash up feeling on their first album but fully realized here. "The Fire Divine" also calls back to early songs on their debut with a more up beat hard rock feel to it which I dig. One worry I had was this album becoming "King of the Dead II" and that it is not. They effectively take a lot of bits and pieces from their discography and make an album that is just fucking worthy of being one of the best discs they have released. "Stormbringer" opens with some soft interludes and nice clean vocals before going into a full crushing onslaught. Up next is "Fractus Promissum" which hangs on that really vintage 70s proto metal kind of vibe. It has some of the best groove based riffs on the album by far. "Nightmare" has a lot of really good melody along with the mid paced "Before Tomorrow" which could have totally been on Paradise Lost which is my favorite release from the band. Finally we have the title track and it is a really strong way to go out with a nice fist pumping rhythm and crushing riffs. This is definitely the most doom track on the album with the chorus being so insanely heavy and dark. Honestly a perfect album to come out into the world now.

The band has done the impossible with this record. They managed to not only recreate their sound near perfectly in the modern age, but to create new fresh songs with vibes from their previously releases. However these feel like new songs and not just rehashed ideas which creates an album that definitely sits high in their discography which I haven't felt since Diamond Head's come back in 2016. This is Cirith Ungol fully reborn now ready to face a whole new generation of rock and music fans in general. So come on and Join the Legion and become forever black because the kings of the dead are fucking back.

9.5/10

E.P Review: Night Demon- Empires Fall

Anyone who has followed my blog for the past six years knows how big of a Night Demon fan I am. I have been championing these guys since I heard their self titled e.p back in 2014 and especially once their first release "Curse Of The Damned" came out the following year. After quite a few years of touring on their second album "Darkness Remains" and the creation of the stellar live album "Live Darkness", we finally get some new music from the boys. 

Right away, I am already floored by the main single here with stellar production once again. The song is typically high energy, galloping riffs and catchy lyrics. Jarvis' voice right away feels like it has a bit more gruff to it( all that touring I would figure) which I like. The slow mid section works very well especially on a first listen as it kicks literally right into the solo and plays really well on the element of surprise. Having Lars and Matt from Rancid and James from Holy Grail doing gang vocals is a super cool inclusion as well and adds more weight to a straight forward yet stellar and fun track.

The B side is equally awesome as it is a cover of the song "Fast Bikes" by the super obscure band Le Griffe. Basically, pure NWOBHM here done right with some nice double tracked vocals and solo breaks.

Overall, Night Demon have risen once again with a taste of what is to come. While yes, these guys are doing the straight forward melodic speed metal they have been doing for almost a decade, the fact is that they are still putting tons of heart into making catchy massive songs that hopefully continues for a long long time!

Split Review: Hitter/Midnight Dice- Midnight Hits

Splits and eps are always exciting and this year we are getting slew of them! We've seen Road Rash release theirs and Night Demon have their new single "Empire's Fall" being released (I'll get to that one). However, today we have yet another coming from Chicago groups Hitter and Midnight Dice entitled "Midnight Hits". If you aren't familiar with these two bands I highly suggest you check out each bands demo as both are very confident. Each band here puts one song out on each side and they are bangers.

Midnight Dice's track "Precious Metal" goes straight for what their demo showed us with some epic galloping street level heavy metal. The soaring vocals on the chorus definitely are a major highlight. Up next is Hitters "29 Levi Slim" which is a complete different beast as it holds onto a heavier punk vibe these guys are known for. The vocals are jagged as hell and the riffs are simple yet cut through your speakers. 

Overall, this is a fun split that is quick and to the point. It features two awesome up and comers in my city doing what they do best. Also it is nice that both bands play complete different styles which makes for interesting listens for those unfamiliar with both bands. I definitely will pick this one up as you should too if you want a nice slice of Chicago metal in your collection.

4/5

Album Review: Freeways- True Bearings

I remember seeing Freeways at Legions of Metal 2018 and lead vocalist Jacob Montgomery said "We are gonna make this the Legions of Rock n Roll for a bit." and he wasn't lying. Freeways embodies the spirit and soul of 70's hard rock down to its more creative liberties inspired by a time when Blue Oyster Cult. Lucifer's Friend and Uriah Heep ruled the landscapes. After their mind blowing set I picked up their "Cold Front" e.p and was floored by the sound these guys had. Finally a few years later and a whole lotta work, we have their first official album "True Bearings".

Opening fiercely with "Eternal Light, Eternal Night" with a nice melodic yet ominous feeling riff and a real power to it. The guitars really punch you in the gut with that vintage crunch yet almost a psychedelic feel in some parts as well. The chorus is really powerful as well with a nice simple hook to it. The solo's on the album in general feel really smooth and organic with again that nice warm vintage feel. "Sorrow(Love In Vain)" features some nice twin axe attack and is pretty straight forward but the mid section of the song has some really nice almost trippy atmospheric playing that feels definitely like this song came out of the early seventies. The title track is next and is one of the major highlights here with a good streamlined hook yet some really nice twists and turns with a bit of a prog edge in parts especially the verse riff. The guitar playing is top notch on this track with some nice bluesy bits as well as the next track "Dead Air". The dual lead guitar melodies are extremely present here and its really balanced on a nice catchy groove. The chorus also has this nice ominous vintage BOC feel to it that I really dig. "Battered & Bruised" brings almost a ZZ Top feel that I love so much. It is definitely one of the hardest rocking tunes on the album. I also like the acoustic guitar inclusion toward the end it adds a nice layering. "Time Is No Excuse" is total pure Blues Rock with a nice hazy atmosphere layered over it. The playing here is excellent with a lot of feeling in it. Rocker "Just Survival" completes this 37 minute trip with a nice straight ahead killer tune. There are a lot more interesting riffs thrown in here as well that keep the signature sound these guys carved out for them self. 

This album flat out fucking rocks. Freeways definitely put a ton of love to not only make this album sound genuine for the era of music it bases its core sound in, but also for the creativity they put forth. It deserves multiple listens not by just metal heads but also loves of classic rock and blues rock. Freeways new album simply put is a straight jam you need on your playlist immediately, you'll thank me later. 

9/10

E.P Review: Road Rash- S/T

Road Rash are a Canadian speed metal band that have definitely made a name for themselves the past few years with an energetic sound and a great image. There first album "Thunder In Paradise" was a fun time, a pure party metal album to break your neck to. Now with their self titled e.p coming this year, we get a taste what these crazy Canadians are up to next. 

Opening with the punk laced "666 MPH" we see Road Rash come storming back with a simple yet great tune. Hammer's signature Tank like snarl is in full sleazy form here as well. Track two is "Street Guerreiros" opening with an intro that pretty much sums this band up. Chaotic and fun as hell. This song goes straight for the jugular as well and is a fun tune that ends almost as quickly as it begins.

While this E.P is nothing mind blowing, it is a fun time that is also a good way for anyone to get into Road Rash. This is also a smart way for the band to keep their momentum going while we wait for their next full length onslaught. Overall, this is definitely a fun slice of sleazy speed metal!

3/5

Movie Review: Phantom Of The Opera(1989)

Phantom Of The Opera from 1925 is considered not only a classic horror film, but a classic film in general. The ambitious cinematography, memorable scenes and the eternal Lon Chaney as the Phantom will always be the definitive way this tale is presented. However! Today we are looking at possibly the strangest adaptation of the 1910's tale released in 1989, featuring time travel, more blood than before and the man that "was Freddy".

"Phantom Of The Opera" was released in 1989 and was directed by Dwight H. Little who was fresh off of Halloween 4(one of the best in that series). It stars Jill Schoelen as Christine Day and horror royalty Robert Englund as Erik Destler(the Phantom). Now the plot of this film is definitely one of the most intriguing differences as it takes place both in the past and present. In modern day Manhattan, we see Christine discovering this old piece of music written by a composer named Erik Destler which she decides to sing for an audition. Now at her audition, as she sings,she is knocked out after being hit in the head. Now she is teleported back to London in 1885 where the basic plot of the Phantom story we know occurs. So one of the issues I have with this plot is while it definitely is original, it feels a tad disjointed as Christine almost doesn't question why she is here or anything like that. I suppose it is a past life? I don't know it just feels like a whole different movie has started and can confuse people watching. This is also where we get to finally see the Phantom in action and we see Englund play him with ferocity. While he may be compared to his Freddy Krueger parts, this definitely feels different enough besides giving him some one liners and his burned face. This portrayal also definitely is born out of 80's slashers with the phantoms "mask" being made out of human flesh which he must replace as it continuously rots ( a classical leatherface perhaps?). He is also a superficial serial killer who decapitates and skins his victims which really steps up the more slasher aspects of this version. While this sounds awesome for a gore hound, unfortunately the execution isn't quite as good with a lot of the kills off camera. However, the scenes where we see the phantom changing pieces of his face, the makeup is very well done. Another problem with the film is that a lot  lot of the cast also seems extremely underdeveloped as well with a lot of the plot following Christine but more for her interaction with Destler, which also doesn't develop as naturally as it should. The ball scene which is one of the most iconic scenes from any Phantom film is pretty enjoyable though. I really like that the phantoms final scenes are done with the red death costume on because I love how it looks in this film. I also really like how La Carlotta who is the diva singer is killed and her head is thrown in the soup which causes panic throughout. This leads to the final scene where Destler is banished and Christine wakes back up in modern times on stage by Mr Foster, the producer. This part of course is also played by Englund who invites Christine back to his apartment for dinner. This is one of my favorite scenes as his piece Don Juan Triumphant" begins to play over synthesizers revealing he has been alive this whole time which is all kinds of confusing. Christine destroys his music which is the only way to truly kill him and the film ends. 

So overall, while the plot is definitely original and there are some memorable scenes peppered throughout, the whole film doesn't feel like it gives all its got. The kills could have really been spectacular and the characters could have been fleshed out more. Obviously Englund as the psychotic Eric Destler is the highlight of the film and it is a fun watch but definitely one that could have been much better.

6/10