Original Tracklist: Intro 00:32
Down And Outer 03:36
Trip Down Memory Lane 01:11
Drugged Up Dolls 02:19
Sex Devil 05:50
The Doped Up Devil 04:05
Satanola 03:48
Perversion For Profit 03:28
You Are The Prettiest Pill 04:06
Did You Know? 03:11
Low 05:38
Control 03:19
You Had This Coming 03:49
Outro 01:13
Nothing Song (Bonus Track) 03:30
Re-release Tracklist: Intro 00:33
Down And Outer 03:19
Drugged Up Dolls 04:40
Sex Devil 06:01
Satanola 03:48
Perversion For Profit 03:19
Intermission 01:31
Nothing Song 03:29
You Are The Prettiest Pill 06:53
Low 05:51
Did You Know? 03:08
Devil’s Advocate 03:16
Stoned 05:17
The Doped Up Devil’s with Sexual Grooves (Re-Release)
Review:
I’ll let his Facebook bio explain: “Bad Monster Black is a project formed by King Jeremy The Wicked (Jeremy Vibbert). “Bad Monster Black: The Doped Up Devils With Sexual Grooves” EP was released late 2014 and did not fit the KJTW catalog, it was something different, it had swing, punch, and an undeniable groove that broke away from the thrash metal criteria. So shortly after releasing the EP, it was re-released under the name Bad Monster Black, and eventually taken off of the KJTW Discography. Thus, making Bad Monster Black the new home of the experimentation with swinging riffs, overloaded guitars, and a tongue in cheek attitude that makes the music even more fun to listen to. This isn’t music you’d take home for your family to listen to, and that’s how it’s intended.”
The sound of Bad Monster Black’s music is very 90’s; it is very reminiscent of the music of Puscifer, Marilyn Manson,White Zombie and even Rob Zombie’s solo work. Even though those influences are very prevalent Jeremy found a way to make it not sound too dated. Both releases have different track-listings and have a couple of different songs on each.
That being said I’ll make a somewhat in depth look on the tracks that are same (and what has changed on the remaster.) On the tracks that are different I’ll say what each of them do to make the release different.
Almost all of the tracks stay except; Trip Down Memory Lane, The Doped Up Devil, Control, You Had This Coming, and Outro (on the original release) and on the re-release; Intermission, Devil’s Advocate, and Stoned. These tracks are either new (in the case of the re-release) or taken out (original) the only track is the Intermission which is a shorter version of The Doped Up Devil.
The tracks that stay almost the same; Intro, Drugged Up Dolls, Sex Devil, Satanola, Nothing Song, You Are The Prettiest Pill, Did You Know, Low. What did change was samples and some of the production. Overall there was less use of samples in the remaster and, in a way, that makes sense for the update to fit the Bad Monster Black catalog since the focus changed to more sleazy Rock. Intro, Did You Know and Low did not change at all, or not enough that change the experience. Satanola is a standout that would fit nicely into any Puscifer album.
There are only two original tracks that are different, Down and Outer and Perversion for Profit. For the remaster the guitar solos were replaced by slower guitar parts and dirtier production.
“The Doped Up Devils with Sexual Grooves” – (Original 2014)
The original release is more of a current sounding album than the remaster and is a heavier/more metal than it as well. As I stated before; the main differences between them is that on the remaster the recording is less clean and more fuzzed out for that dirty 90s feel and the guitar solos that are in the original are changed to fit the dirty sound so the sound isn’t as muddy and has less of a touch of Metal. The sleaze is upgraded for a more solid Sleaze Rock feel. If you like music that is dark, sleazy, has hints of blues, lots of fuzz, Rob Zombie-ish (and at times Tonetta-ish in the remaster) this band and its’ albums are for you.
Bad Monster Black (King Jeremy The Wicked) is a prolific writer and pumps out high quality music on a regular basis. To use Mr. Wicked’s own words about this album and his process, “This is a re-release from the 2014 version. The reason? This band is all DIY, Which means about 90% of the time it’s all trial and error.” So Support!!!
Download the original HERE and the Re-release HERE
P.S. to King Jeremy the Wicked, if you would like to do an interview about this album please contact me.
Independent – Released – Mar 23 2018 on MP3, FLAC // CD
LP May 30, 2018 (approx.)
Reviewed by Mike Hackenschmidt
Line Up:
“lonely loners on a lonely road… alone”
Review: Sunnata is a Buddhist term meaning emptiness… sort of. The actual meaning totally depends upon context. Considering this, along with the Middle Eastern style writing on the album cover, it’s a bit of a surprise to me that the band is from Warsaw. Last I checked that’s still in Poland.
Be that as it may, the origin of these “lonely loners” being a bit different from the “lonely road” they’ve chosen to walk is not the most interesting contrast of “Outlands”. Instead, it’s the clash of styles Sunnata has merged together, which works!! If you’ve perhaps started the stream then let’s address the 350lb rooster in the room… and that’s the fact that “Outlands” has an undeniable vibe resembling a certain well-known 90’s band.
In fact the first time I listened to this I was struggling to remember who they sound like and I found myself getting off track…
“Into some-thing again
Yadda yadda, blah, blah, blah
So I made big mistake
Something, something was my way”
So, turns out I’m not a huge Alice in Chains fan and ‘Would?’ is almost the only song I know by them. Actually, I don’t really know it. I can just kind of catch the tune and mumble a few correct and otherwise mostly incorrect words to absolutely murder it. But hey, it’s a good tune. I mean… when they do it. The only other AIC song I remember is the god-awful ‘Man In the Box’ that’s probably not as bad as I remember, just that I got thru the 90’s having heard it too many times involuntarily and I’m a bit burnt out on it.
Thankfully Sunnata keeps things fresh and creates a very cool sound by blending the AIC vibe with Eastern folk and doom – I want to say stoner doom but actually, I’m not sure if that’s really accurate. There is a psychedelic feel but the mind bending might be inspired more by meditation and a fascination with the metaphysics. Obviously, sometimes these go hand-in-hand so it might be difficult to differentiate between the two without some understanding of the lyrical content. Unfortunately, I don’t have that.
For the most part, the vocals are distorted and somewhat mumbled, much like my above rendition of ‘Would?’. Maybe if I were a bit more present and relaxed, I could slip into a state of elevated consciousness and be able to decipher what’s being said. Perhaps some other enhancements would help. Unfortunately, I’m sober and watching hockey so I’m otherwise clueless.
Considering the meaning of Sunnata, the album title and the wicked album art, I’m quite disappointed that I can’t dig a little deeper to understand the lyrics. I feel like they would be fascinating, possibly with some ideas I’ve not yet encountered invoking thought and furthering my understanding of the world.
Check it out and experience your own interpretation of this well crafted release. Highly Recommend!!
Previous Releases: Goliath (2015)
Combat Ready (2014)
The Dirt Road To Inspiration (2013)
White Lies Black Heart (2012)
Dopamine Avenue (2011)
The Soundtrack To The End (2009)
11:11 (2007)
Starving For Salvation (2006)
Hell Inside (2005)
Dirty Minds and Smiling Faces (2004)
Looking Like A Devil (1998)
Review:
For the unknowing, this record is the 12th release from the dark recesses of HELLROCK HQ and is to date, THE best yet!! Eight tracks and 31+ minutes bringing forth further permeation of “Burnt Offerings” that are ever present in all things Lockjaw.
Featuring quite the pedigree of slots, ranging everywhere from stints with the likes of Mudvayne, Type O Negative, Damageplan, Wednesday 13, Hell Yeah, Prong, KMFDM, Powerman 5000 and Mindless Self Indulgence as well as Lords of Acid and Marilyn Manson. Using their self described weapons that include and are not limited to abrasive vocals, dark chord progressions and machine-gun electronics, Lockjaw is indeed stronger than ever in bringing the HELLROCK revolution into the minds of the masses.
The mind-behind, Medavon De Raj’e, is front and center and ready to take this to another level. The result is this collection of what could easily be listened to, in order, as a tale of ‘trails’ as the title suggests, that are crossed individually, one leading to the next. Coincidental or not, the effect of following along with each as they flow into the next ‘trail’.is that you naturally keep listening until the very end… almost like binge-watching an eight part series and it takes less than an hour to experience it all. And then you push play again, almost as if by an unconscious natural reflex, to take it in again…
Opening with “Blood Suckers”, three hits of a drumhead and we’re off with power chording and searing high notes layered over Medavon‘s signature sneer, saturated in that ‘knowing’ telling that allows easy comprehension, delivered with a clarity of enunciation that is missing from so many. ‘Make your move, and they suck your blood.’ Abso-fucking-lutely…
“Paralyzed” enters in a staggered electro tempo as you are reminded that ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ as the flow starts, Medavon describes ‘Just like a sting, that hits you so hard… right in the back, I can hear it break… wave goodbye to your hopes and dreams, at least for today… sacrificed, I’m paralyzed…’ and another ‘trail’ is engaged.
“The Scavengers” is the big standout on this one for me with the punch-in-the-face jump to full throttle with churning riffs to push you forward and even as ‘The flies think that I’m already dead, inside of this shell, sometimes, I am…’ and you can feel the breath on your flesh as you are enveloped by the tale of another even darker ‘trail’. And even as this one ends, “They Follow” is truly the next bend we have just gone around in this half-point and is filled with an ominous texture that swirls of shadows and mist as you follow closer to keep pace of the direction heading to reach the next turn.
“Burnt Offerings” greets you with an instrumental morsel that is exactly the kind that delivers with a plushness that lets you hear every word that is never spoken. Quick fade power-chord and “Absolution” enters with a slow progression with those synth loops and clear guitar notes, lightly salted with reverb to give that ghostly haunting lilt underneath those machine-gun, electro-tempo segments that only accent the post-punk grin that lives within ‘this psychosis’ described.
“In The Weeds” is another stand-out from this album for me in that I hear a touch of each previous Lockjaw album as these four minutes flow past with a perfect cadence and gave me a feeling of familiarity with each brushstroke of Medavon’s painting that is his mastery of composition, arrangement and mix that he has honed to razor sharp edges.
Closer “Rescue” could seem like a departure from the rest of the record with it’s soft almost spaghetti western guitar line and slower paced tempo, even as the synths float up from underneath. As soon as that voice delivers the diatribe that is this final ‘trail’, it ties itself to each of the previous seven tracks and is the absolute perfect book-end to what could be described in spots as ‘stripped-down’ and in other spots as ‘thicker than ever’, but is FULL-ON Lockjaw in all it’s glory…
Having witnessed them onstage multiple times, as well as having seen the rotating legion of members that deliver it live, from Jose and his solo’s to Baldii and his rhythm lines to Lowviolet‘s bass assault, all I can tell you is you simply MUST see them for the completion of your immersion into the world of HELLROCK, whether this is your first experience or the most recent of many!! Medavon and his compatriots deliver 200%… EVERY TIME…
Share this album with every set of ears around you, support them live and as always, keep it LOUD!!
Lineup:
Drums: Daniel Sax
Bass & Vocals: Klaus Friedrich
Guitar: Marcin Morawski
Hello all, today I am feeling nice and mellow a feeling I enjoy, though it often evades me. But that’s okay. Good mellows are often fleeting things and should be enjoyed in the moment without worrying about getting back to the grind. For me the moment came on my morning commute to work as I tuned the world around me out with the music on my iPhone and took a 43 minute interstellar jaunt into the cosmos as I road the city bus with all the bleary eyed early morning commuters.
Playing in my headphones was the music of a trio of Heavy Psyche rockers from Berlin, Germany called Cosmic Fall. Some of you may recall me reviewing their split album with APHODYL called “Starsplit” last year that left me wanting to hear more of their music. Well seems I got my wish for more Cosmic Fall. On March 30th the Cosmic Fall released its 3rd album ‘In Search Of Outer Space’ that is currently available as a digital download or CD, and soon to follow is The Vinyl which will be released May 30th and available for Preorder April 30th. Whew, now that I got all that out I can tell you you are in for amazing Heavy Psych music with this new release.
Filled with swinging bass grooves, and jazzy drumming done by bassist Klaus Friedrich and drummer Danial Sax Jabberwocky wows the listener as the new Cosmic Fall guitarist Marcin Morawski begins lay down the space fuzz while Klaus surprises the listeners with some mellow vocals.
Though I ain’t into Narcotics the album’s 2nd track Narcotic Vortex feels like a good replacement for them. The guitar and bass have a real dirty feel that becomes real mellow before Dan begins his drum solo creating a bridge for Klaus and Martin to bring the music to its peak. Track 3 and 4 Purification and Lumberjam seem to be aptly named and are quite possibly my favorites from this album. Dan’s soft taping on the cymbals while Klaus gently noodles his bass and Martin does some soothing pick work that feels like a refreshing rain storm that cleans the city streets. Next is Lumberjam. Dan and Klaus set a rhythm as Martin saws out the leads like a buzz saw. Feeling like a musical version of the Voyager Satellite traveling through deep space, Dan and Klaus set a nice smooth rollin tempo while Martin picks and uses what I believe are effects peddles and the volume knobs to create the spaced out feeling to this song. Closing “In Search Of Outer Space” is Cosmic Fall’s retelling of the Greek tale of Icarus. Klaus really doesn’t have to sing a word. You can feel the tale with its lofty soaring guitar that finally comes crashing down.
“In Search Of Outer Space” is definitely worth owning on vinyl. Full of mind blowing Heavy Psych rock. The album artwork is by Klaus Friedrich and layout by Daniel Sax. The album was Mixed and Produced by Marcin Morawski & Co-produced Sax and Friedrich; making this a self produced gem!! Highly recommend!
Physical CD available on March 5th, 2018 on Blackseed Records
Limited & Standard 180gr Vinyl available April 20th, 2018 through Cursed Tongue Records
Reviewed by Eric Layhe
Tracklist:
Blackbirds Call (5:41)
Aegaeon (5:16)
Sword of my Father (3:55)
White Mountain (4:31)
Frost Lord (4:18)
The Huntress (6:06)
Forged in Fire (6:14)
Season of the Witch (6:07)
Review: Stoner Metal has a very storied history. Debatably beginning with Black Sabbath and Hawkwind and surviving through Monster Magnet, the bandcamp era has created something of a golden era of Stoner Metal and one of the beneficiaries of this golden age is Indiana’s Wolftooth.
Wolftooth is a classic Stoner Metal band through and through, albeit one with a little extra heft added for good taste. Their self-titled album is chock-full of great riffs and much better vocals than the genre usually calls for and even features a few twists and turns as well – album opener “Blackbirds Call” opens with an atmospheric intro that is almost symphonic in nature. “Sword of my Father” is (fittingly) extremely reminiscent of the Apocryphon-era of The Sword, with Kentucky-fried grooves and lots of southern twang. Through its raw production, Wolftooth’s “Self-titled” album does a great job of emulating a live show. If you close your eyes, you can almost imagine that Wolftooth is right there playing for you.
It’s not a perfect album, though. In terms of the genre of Stoner Metal, Wolftooth doesn’t bring a whole lot of new material to the table. If you’re a member of the fairly sizable group that feels as though Stoner Metal is a tad tired and needs a major mix-up in order to be truly rejuvenated, then you probably won’t find a whole lot to enjoy here. It really is a faithful recreation of the genre and therefore won’t be much of a treat if you’re not a fan of that particular style.
With their self-titled album, Wolftooth has created a very faithful recreation of Stoner Rock with a modern edge. Fans of the genre will love it, whereas those that aren’t simply won’t. While it really is as simple as that, I cannot emphasize how good of a job Wolftooth has done. If you enjoy Stoner Metal, I absolutely recommend you check out this excellent release.
Legend of the Seagullmen are Danny Carey – drums (Tool) Brent Hinds – guitars (Mastodon) Jimmy Hayward – guitar (Director – Jonah Hex) David ‘The Doctor’ Dreyer – vocals Zappa Meets Zappa’s Peter Griffin – bass Chris DiGiovanni – synth // keys
Hello friends this is the Ancient One and recently I found myself having a flashback to some of the crappy music that MTV tried to force feed music fans in the 1980’s. Specifically the music of A Flock of Seagulls. Yes I hated that band. So when my friend “Matthew Thomas” Messaged me and said “Hey Ancient One you gotta listen to these guys called Legend of the Seagullmen.” I had a name association flashback and like a punch drunk boxer that hears a distant bell, I flew off the handle and responded with a stream of profanity in all caps about how I despised that band. Thankfully I kept my cool and looked up their website…
When I eyeballed the Legend of the Seagullmen’s website I was still a little hesitant but the Ancient One isn’t one to knock any music till he hears it first. While some may automatically look into who a band is before listening I try not to do that so I can keep any personal bias out of my listening experience so I skipped looking up the press release that was used to hype the band to the audience, and instead followed the link I was given by “Matthew” to the album. From the moment I hit play to the end of the album I found myself entertained by the Legend of the Seagullmen’s with some amazing, eclectic rock.
Hooked like a fish, I had to know more about this band that calls themselves Legend of the Seagullmen. In their description on Bandcamp and their band page Legend of the Seagullmen states “ Legend of the Seagullmen is a genre destroying super-group crafting conceptual rock ‘n’ roll hymns of epic proportions.” What I managed to learn from their Bandcamp page is the band is made up of Tool’s Danny Carey on drums, Mastodon’s Brent Hinds on guitar, the director of films such as Jonah Hex Jimmy Hayward on guitar, Zappa Meets Zappa’s Peter Griffin on bass, Chris DiGiovanni on synth/keys & David ‘The Doctor’ Dreyer on vocals. Seeking more info about the front man I searched the web until I came across an article in the The mighty Rolling Stone Magazine that said “The Seagullmen concept is the brainchild of three brothers, Frank, Chris and David Dreyer, who have put on appropriately theatrical concerts and made movies about the band’s long-running legend in recent years” Which is as far as I could seem to get with details about him. Well no matter I loved the music.
I could easily heap praise upon Legend of the Seagullmen’s Danny Carey, Brent Hinds, and Peter Griffin because they are the three most well known musicians but would be unfair to the band as a whole. They also have a guitar playing film director Jimmy Hayward, a keyboard playing Production Manager from Blue Sky Animation Studios Chris DiGiovanni and a mysterious vocalist David ‘The Doctor’ Dreyer are able to take their place on stage and in the studio with them and not embarrass themselves is quite a feat in itself.
If I were to describe the music I’d say it’s a wonderfully cheesy Rock ‘N’ Roll meets, Spaghetti Western meets, Nautical Adventure movie. Some of my favorite tunes on this are…all of them!! I recommend listening to this gem straight through like being at a Drive-In Movie Theater watching a double feature of kick ass B movie re-runs. This is definitely an album I’d recommend.
Tracklist: “Oh Baby” 5:49
“Other Voices” 6:43
“I Used To” 5:32
“Change Yr Mind” 4:57
“How Do You Sleep?” 9:12
“Tonite” 5:47
“Call the Police” 6:58
“American Dream” 6:06
“Emotional Haircut” 5:29
“Black Screen” 12:05
Japanese edition and digital re-release bonus track
“Pulse (v.1)” 13:42
History: “American Dream” is LCD’s first studio album in seven years. (The last was 2010’s This is Happening.) This is also a reunion album after the split in April of 2011 after their farewell concert at Madison Square Garden.
LCD Soundsystem Live at Madison Square Garden, NYC in 2011
American Dream is the second longest studio album by the band. It is also the most polished sounding of the band’s releases. “The album’s lyrics deal with depression, social issues, fear, and ending of friendship and love.” The sound is also is a mix of Dance, Disco, New Wave, Punk, Synthpop, and Rock. (Like a mix of their past albums with a refinement of the sound mixture that James has since made his own)
Track-by-track:
“Oh Baby” – Starts off with a constant metallic clang and layers are slowly added in, like drums and a bass synth, after a minute we get the first words. “Oh Baby” despite up tempo beats the song becomes melancholy. He asked to be awakened by his lover.
“Other Voices” – This track is very Talking Heads-y; the bass line is very funky. “Your still a pushover for passionate people” is one of the phrases that is repeated throughout the track
“I Used To” – Is another Talking heads sounding song.
“Change Yr Mind” – A strange mix of some industrial sounding beats a dance bass, the bellowing of an out-of-tune guitar tones and post-punk vocal delivery.
“How Do You Sleep?” – A drum pattern and arpeggiated synth make this song a dreamscape with the vocals a little more drawn out with an almost loud howling from the distance. This track has a different vocal cadence and that is varied from James Murphy’s normal flow. As the track progresses so do the layers build to another dance freak-out.
“Tonite” (My favorite song) – Now for the Grammy winning song… We get an 80s bass synth. The song has a very Giorgio Moroder sound.
“Call the Police” – This has a dream pop feel to it and it was also the first single.
“American Dream” – This also has a dream pop feel to it.
“Emotional Haircut” – Has a post-punk feel to it.
“Black Screen” – Is a mostly ambient track with vocoded vocals.
“Pulse (v.1)” – Is an instrumental that wouldn’t sound out of place on 45:33
Final Thoughts:
This album is my favorite from the band. It is a mixture of everything James has done in past albums and polished it to what I feel is the perfect example of what LCD Soundsystem is… Everything is here, the rhythms, the hits, the experimentation, heartfelt lyrics. So if this is your first exposure to the band this album is a great place to start.
Black Heaven – Vinyl // CD // DD // Bundle Packages
Nuclear Blast Records – Released March 16th, 2018
Terry “The Ancient One” Cuyler
A Journey into Black Heaven
Line Up:
Mario Rubalcaba (drums)
Isaiah Mitchell (guitars & VOX)
Mike Eginton (bass)
Review:
Greetings music heads this is that old sonic wave rider The Ancient One and I want to tell all of you about San Diego’s heavy psyche rock trio Earthless and their upcoming album Black Heaven. Originally signed to the independent record labels Gravity Records and then Tee Pee Records, Earthlesshas been Blowing minds since 2001 with their own brand of almost entirely instrumental heavy-psych rock that many of other great musicians/bands credit as inspiration in their own music. To date they have released a slew of split albums with the likes of Witch, Danava, Lecherous Gaze, Premonitions 13, Radio Moscow, and Harsh Toke. This is accompanied by2 live albums and 3 studio albums with their 4th“Black Heaven”, the subject of this review.
Released on March 16th, 2018 on the Nuclear Blast record label with songs that have more vocals than all their previous releases combined, Black Heaven is a leaner meaner Earthless album . Though I cannot be certain because I don’t have any contacts in Nuclear BlastRecords or Earthless I suspect the band’s association with the Rock Giant is why the bands latest album have significantly shorter songs. Is this a bad thing, absolutely not!! Isaiah has a fantastic bluesy voice that is also on display with his other band Golden Void.
While the 40 minute album is broken into six tracks, to me it all seem to blend together into two parts with interlude track “Voit Rush” acting as sort of a road sign telling me were I am at in the journey. What catches my attention most about Black Heaven is that more than half of the songs have guitarist Isaiah Mitchell also taking up the microphone as vocalist. Which I think he does a bang up job at. Yet for all that has changed Earthless has remained true to their original mind-bending blend of krautrock and Japanese heavy-blues rock with still some of the freshest and finest Riffs, meanest basslines and Cosmic Drumming on this great Universe!!
Line Up: JE (VOX, Guitars)
SLI (Guitars)
MEI (Bass)
C.RIP (Drums)
SEB (VOX)
Previous Releases:
2010 – S/T Black Space Riders,
2012 – Lights In the New Black,
2014 – D:REI,
2015 – Refugeeum
2016 – Beyond Refugeem
Musical Influences: Black Sabbath, Motörhead, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Thin Lizzy, The Chameleons, David Bowie, Bauhaus, Tom Waits, Slayer, Motorpsycho
Hello once again friends, this is The Ancient One and today I’d like to tell you about some out of this world music by a Quintet of space rockers from Münster, Germany called the Black Space Riders. In 2008 founding members JE, SLI, SAQ and C.RIP sought to give the music world music that could truly be called PSYCHEDELIC SPACE ROCK and created what they call a “NEW WAVE of HEAVY PSYCHEDELIC SPACE ROCK”. After listening to their current Album AMORETUM Vol. 1 released January 26th, 2018 and with their past releases I gotta say the band and their style of rock are aptly named.
What I enjoy most about the music is the detached far away sound. To create their take on the psychedelic space rock sound Black Space Riders seems to have combined desert rock, electronic music, a bit of 80’s new wave and some Post Punk with powerful vocals with anthem-like lyrics on the 2 most recent albums. If I were to compare them to anyone I’d say that I’m often reminded of Pink Floyd, and David Bowie with a harder edge.
When I first gave AMORETUM Vol. 1 a spin I was really not impressed with the first song however what followed changed my mind as I quickly realized Lovely Lovelie was a cornerstone for the rest of the album to be built on to give the listener a good starting point. It’s also a play on words. Lovely Lovelie – Lovely Love Lie get it. I didn’t because maybe I am a Doofus. Also its not a single song in a collection of songs that are put together simply because the sound fits with the occasional filler song to make the album longer. Rather its part of an album with a theme created by Black Space Riders. Although theme albums are nothing new to me, Black Space Riders may quite possibly have delivered a Magnum Opus with this one!
Refusing to be swallowed by the darkness AMORETUM Vol. 1 is the follow up to their July 2015 album “REFUGEEUM”that came out when it seemed the world had gone mad with fear and hate in Europe. Continuing to rage against that darkness with in us all Black Space Riders have mounted up and released AMORETUM Vol. 1 which is about conflict and seeks to inspire us to overcome our dark side. Specifically the conflicts between fear, hate, and rejection, darkness on the one hand, and love, empathy, and care light on the other. This album and band seem to be very relevant with acute razor-like lyrics that seek for positivity and rejecting hate…universally!! The superb musicianship by these veteran rockers shine with each new release and is again evident with Amoretum Vol. 1
Rather than bore you all to death with a track by track description of all the songs I am going to provide you links to my favorites on YouTube and Bandcamp and let you decide for yourselves.
Track Listing with Lyrics
LOVELY LOVELIE
Get back to your beds, hide in your hole
You lovers collapse while facing your fall
A paradise will no longer exist,
peace and love can no longer resist
Erupting fear breaking the wall
Lovely lovelie
Our garden, destroyed, taken by storm
We‘re bringing the harm, the hideous swarm
A love so deep, now determined to die,
wrapped and muffled by hate
Get back to your beds, here comes the storm
Lovely lovelie
Get back to your beds, hide in your hole
A love so deep, now determined to fall
Get back to your beds, facing your fall
Erupting fear tearing down every wall
Get back to your beds, hide in your …
Lovely lovelie
Lovely, lovely lie …
Another Sort of Homecoming
The times were terrifying
and coldness wrapped me up
I‘d been sent to see, to seek, to save
A long way to the top
How they turned their lives
into a mellow mass:
how they shed their feelings and their souls
forgot about the past
So, day by day
I denied my moaning heart
and repelled temptation, brave and strong,
to join and fall apart
Now it‘s time to change
My longing growing strong
Leave this place and coming home again
is what I really want
GO! Time to return to my ground
GO! I have to leave these souls I found
GO! Time to rest under the shield
GO! Energy!
Another sort of coming home
SOUL SHELTER (Inside Of Me)
Bringing back the sunshine
Remembering the light
A place attacked from outside
I keep this place inside
Inside of me, inside of me
Garden of completeness
A warm and tender light
A place attacked by darkness
Don‘t hide this place inside
Soul Shelter – Inside of me, inside of me
Soul Shelter – Inside of me, inside of you
Silent is the inside
All quiet now and clear
Knocking from the outside:
denial, hate and fear
Soul Shelter – Inside of me, inside of me
Soul Shelter – Inside of me, inside of you
MOVEMENTS
Just a glimpse of something lost,
flickering in my mind
Like a memory from the past, echoing
Ground control, lost control, no control
In a place where I belonged:
echoes from the past
In a time I called my home, wandering
Ground control, lost control, no control
How I missed the ones I loved,
moments passing by
Still I‘m waiting for the call, remembering
Ground control, lost control, no control
Movements
Comes a time, comes a time of reunion
Comes a place, comes a place of communion
Comes a time, comes a time of affection
Comes a place, comes a place of attraction
Comes a time, comes a time when we meet again
Comes a place, comes a place where we meet again
Comes a time, comes a time when we love again
Comes a place, comes a place where we live again
Stop and rest – consider and remember
Stop the quest – rethink and now remember
Rest, remain – and realize amazing
grace, retain – the echoes of your living
Go and see – now realize the beauty
Go and turn – now realize the grace
Go, return – get hold of all the beauty
Go and feel – compassion to embrace
Movements
Comes a time, comes a time when we meet again
Comes a time of reunion
Comes a place, comes a place where we meet again
Comes a place of communion
Comes a time, comes a time when we love again
Comes a time of affection
Comes a place, comes a place where we live again
Comes a place of attraction
Realize the grace
Realize the beauty now
Echoes from the past
Passion to embrace
Movements
COME AND FOLLOW
Follow me, take my hand
Don‘t look back, just trust my way
Follow me, leave this place
I will take you far away
Watch my shades: familiar shape
with sweetest taste of the unknown
Bite into tender doom
Worship and adore my throne
Beautiful but treacherous
Rotten to the bone
Serpentine but sensual
A queen of hearts dethroned
Now you love, now you know:
adoration brings the light
Idolize, now you‘re lost
I take you to the other side
Beautiful but treacherous
Rotten to the bone
Serpentine but sensual
A queen of hearts dethroned
Come on follow me into the darkness
Come and follow me, follow my love
Come on follow me, beauty is transforming
Come on follow me into the dark
FRIENDS ARE FALLING
Open your arms after closing your thinking for ages
Missing the trust that you lost on your way to the stars
Fighting the hating has taught you to hate for ages
Remind you your mission was based on a vision of love
Open your mind to the memory of love and affection
Missing your friends who vanished while you‘ve been
away
Yearning for turning to someone so close and familiar
Remind you your mission was based on a vision of faith
Falling, friends are falling
Falling and lost in a vision of trust
Falling but lost in my vision of trust
Open your heart to some gratitude,
kindness and friendship
Empathy melting the ice that‘s enclosing your soul
Yearning for turning to someone so close and devoted
Remind you your mission was based on a vision of trust
Falling, friends are falling
Falling and lost in a vision of trust
A vision of love and a vision of trust
Open your heart after closing your spirit for ages
Missing the feelings you lost on your way to the stars
Fighting the hating has taught you to hate for ages
Remind you your mission was based on a vision of love
Falling, friends are falling
Falling but lost in a vision of trust
My vision of faith and my vision of trust
Falling but lost in my vision of trust
Falling for ages, falling from the stars
FIRE! FIRE! (Death Of A Giant)
Facing the past, deeply crooked for ages
Annual rings of a life, witnessing hope
Murder and death, lovers and birth, closely entwined
The battle of darkness and light, observer of life
Here on the hill, bound in hostile surroundings
Cracks in the bleeding wood: scars and remains
Here all alone, shelter and symbol of freedom:
a giant, so massive and old: gentle but strong
Tearing down to the ground
Burning heat, smoking coal
Fire! Fire!
Burning down to the ground
Timber heart, holy wood
Fire! Fire!
Facing the day, changing the soul of perception
Father of life, father of fire and death
Cold is the night , warm is the shine of the torch
Review: In a world filled with an overload of bands out of nowhere, most as forgettable as their music, it is always amazing to me when a gathering of forces manages to coalesce into a force to be reckoned with and have the means combined to put their vision forth with a barrage of what has been described by this band themselves as “a genre defying mix of hard-hitting metal riffs, off-beat ska rhythms, melancholic piano, accordion, catchy female vocals, with a hint of electro” enquote. They further describe their influences as ranging all the way from Alice Cooper to Alter Bridge, from Diablo Swing Orchestra to Living Colour and even as far as Jason Becker to Lordi. Quite the range of sources to pull inspiration from and with this first full length release, they have it all and THEN SOME in the mix. Quite the build-up before I heard note one and as I was researching Ward XVI, I came across this descriptor of what I was just getting ready to devour. And it read…
“The gates of Whittingham Asylum have been struck open and for the first time in history the high security Ward XVI invites members of the public to meet face to face with the UK’s most violent serial killers. The ward’s longest-standing resident Psychoberrie, listed as the UK’S most dangerous criminal, will give an insight into her life prior to her incarceration. With assistance from medical staff Lex Whittingham and Dr. Von Stottenstein and fellow inmates Min and Jake she will tell the story of the reckless life led by herself and former partner Beardy McStumble and the narcotic induced murders that took place prior to his own decapitation. This is a sordid tale of deceit and manipulation…”
Needless to say, I was intrigued beyond description by this point and I pushed play and cranked it up, ready for what the next 63 minutes held in store and 16 tracks later…
Complete with interludes interspersed between to give further info into the tales spun as Psychoberrie regales us with a clear carry that is her weapon of vocal delivery, each song is the chapter of another as we follow Psychoberry on her road of darkness, told as only she could tell it. Opening with the sound of an old cassette recorder loaded, tape rewound, and it starts with a discussion where in we find out she has been in ‘treatment’ for two years states clearly, she is not insane with a laugh and the story begins with a progression sounding dreamlike as she tells us to ‘take her hand’ as she reminds you that she is more than you can dream along this medium tempo walk and then exactly 1 minute 10 seconds in, pace doubles as the twin guitars punch in over a twisting bass line and key flow that melts perfectly into the hyper-speed drumline as Psychoberrie bids us ‘Welcome to the show!!’ As a fast fade leads right into an almost spacey sound with cymbal washes and that ever present bass rumble gives the body underneath as the keys come up during this build-up before the pick-slide brings in the might behind ‘The Art Of Manipulation” that is an even quicker tempo than the previous and gives the perfect example of what is to be expected from this gathering of six that has created something beyond merely ‘spectacular’ here. “The Flight” is a fast-track that took me immediately to Lords Of Acid with the key-line between verses and this is done in such a manner that Praga Khan himself would be smiling ear-to-ear as Psychoberrie describes being ‘So high, so high’.
“Crystal Ball” carries an almost circus feel with the accordion progression that flows in unity with the tale that seems to be a warning from a fortuneteller, letting us know of Psychoberrie’s tactics that will take you down if you don’t pay attention. Another hyper-speed time shift just past halfway and it is seamless in execution, where ‘Hold Me’ open with a melancholy straight piano jag that let’s the soaring guitar notes and cymbal taps draw you even deeper within to catch her every word as she will ‘suffocate your soul’ and asks to hold her, because she can’t hold herself and the last minute and a half is where the rest of the band get to shine bright with the complexity and intricate weaving in and out and back and forth of each solidifies the way they fit exactly together as a band, even as the song fades out. “Blackened Heart”, “Run For Your Lives” and “Adrenochromania” further showcase the virtuosity of each band member and utilize even further their penchant of mixing as many musical ingredients together to deliver the utmost with each track, and even ‘Inner Demon’ that starts off with sole bass notes quickly coalesces into another instant classic that can stand alone apart from the story of the album, much like each track can and DOES!!
Stand-out tracks for me from this opus would have to be “Toy Box” with the accordion intro and carnival-feel and when the bridge of the songs hits with keys, guitar and vocal harmonizing, it gave me chills of the best kind. “Cry Of The Siren” is another with a touch of electro that is thick and brutal in progressions and time shift and is easily the MOST intricate composition here. And then there is the final track, seemingly the descriptor of where the name of this powerhouse configuration of souls came from and is as haunting as anything I have heard and is the absolute book-end to wrap what is a prelude of what is yet to come. Remember, this is the tale that brought us to the point of ‘two years later when Psychoberry began this diatribe. Whittingham has corroded remember??
From the gauge of this record, there is nothing but amazing things ahead for WARD XVI and I demand you help get the word out, play it for ALL around you and support them if you are granted the chance to witness this live…. Another one of those rare moments when I get to use the ‘I-X’ scale and this is one that blows off the chart with a……what else, XVI!!
