MetalHammer free flexi-disc, Mammoth / Slave Raider

An expedition into my attic failed to retrieve what I went looking for, but I did find a stack of not-very-interesting-looking singles and out of curiosity brought them down.

Among them were a couple of gems, a metalhammer 4-track EP and this flexidisc!

Details are: Jive, free with Metal Hammer, 33.3rpm, not to be sold separately, Mammoth: Fatman / Bad Times / Slave Raider: Take the World By Storm, LYN19855, Made in Britain by Lyntone.

Will it play?? It has a couple of little knocks, let's give it a clean and find out....

[update] played beautifully, no skips just a couple of little pops that can be filtered out electronically. The sound is surprisingly good considering it's a thin cheap material. Disappointingly the Mammoth track (which is really good) is half of one song, which fades out and then half of another song. The Slave Raider track isn't so interesting but it is the whole song.

This One Goes to 11 :: Episode 1 :: 29 June 2018

This is episode one of a weekly playlist, which contains proper solid rock and metal new and old. As a child of the 80s it's going to centre around NWOBHM / MWOTHM  extending to thrash, symphonic, hard / heavy rock, southern and possibly tentatively exploring other areas too.  Do make requests in the comments, but if has 'core' in the genre or is too black or doomy or detuned it's unlikely to move me too much.

First is the Spotify playlist (I think you have to click through to the Spotify app to listen to the songs in full) scroll down further for my notes.

- Shirley Knott



Lords of Black - Malevolently Beautiful (intro) and Merciless from II (2016)
Ronnie Romero is the closest thing we have to the great Ronnie James Dio and he makes a powerful sound despite looking like a sweet young thing. Lords of Black is just one of his projects, also see The Ferrymen and Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. Their latest album is Icons of New Days but these tracks are from the previous album, Lords of Black II.

Nightrain - Guns 'n' Roses from Appetite for Destruction (1987)
One of the classic all-time metal albums and one of those rare albums where you can actively enjoy every song. This selection marks the fact that the original members made a historic reunion at Download the other weekend.

Where We Go - Mick's Jaguar from Frame and Fortune (2018)
Their bio says "if Thin Lizzy and The Sex Pistols had a rebellious love child". This track has an early AC/DC vibe, verging into punk crossover territory.

Rats - Ghost from Prequelle (2018)
The commercial sound and pretty vocals seem at odds with the satanic theme but there's something very compelling about the theatricality. The new album makes it clear that commercial is the direction they're determined to travel. I don't recommend the album but this much-anticipated single lives up to the promise and has probably taken the charts by storm.

Ashes of Dawn - The Sea Within from The Sea Within (2018)
A new album from a prog supergroup. Much of the album is quite gentle and reflective. but his track and An Eye For an Eye have a bit of life.

The Mistchild - Whyzdom from As Time Turns To Dust (2018)
For me, the number one symphonic metal band. This is from their most recent album, which doesn't quite eclipse the previous album, Symphony for a Hopeless God but maybe I've not listened to it enough times yet. If you like this, try Echoterra, A Sanguinary Greed.

Lifebringer - A Sound of Thunder from It Was Metal (2018)
Power metal, clean female vocals and excellent songwriting. A Bandcamp discovery. If you like this, try Kobra and the Lotus, Unleash the Archers and Helion Prime

Phantasmagoria - Annihilator from Never, Neverland (1990)
Verging into thrash but in a class of their own. Jeff Waters is a great songwriter and performer who has never really achieved the success that he deserves. Seen on tour recently in a fantastic line-up with Testament who gave them their first support slot. They were supporting the fantastic new album For the Demented, but this track is from their second commercial release.

This Time - Night Flight Orchestra from Sometimes the World Aint Enough (2018)
I love Night Flight Orchestra, sure it's musical and catchy but it's happy-music with balls. If you like this, you must try Graham Bonnet band.

Beware the Train - Trick or Treat from Rabbit's Hill part 2 (2016)
A pair of metal concept albums based on the Watership Down novel? How does that work? Very well! The band are Italian and this album features guest apperances from the likes of  Tim "Ripper" Owens and Tony Kakko, though perversely I've chosen an instrumental.

Reef - Place Your Hands (1996)
PYH is one of the all-time feelgood songs. Reef have just put out a new album but it's hard to live up to a classic like this one from 1996. Hole? Hope? Who cares.

Tankard - Breakfast for Champions from R.I.B (2014)
A very experienced band that crosses over into thrash, and take their drinking as seriously as their music.

Dr Stein - Helloween from Keeper of the Seven Keys pt II (1988)
A jolly track from a real classic album. If you like this, try Unisonic, a recent project that re-unites Michael Kiske and Kai Hansen

Hallowed Be Thy Name - Iron Maiden from Number of the Beast (1982)
Up there with Appetite for Destruction in the list of most classic albums of all time. Every track a winner.  Bruce had brought a new sound to Maiden, very different to Di'Anno on the first two albums. Apparently Maiden nicked some lyrics for 'Hallowed' from 'Life's Shadow' by Beckett  and have settled up for that. This track is an epic concert finisher and great bookend for this week's playlist.


Further listening - I put all of the new Rock and Metal releases each week (that I like) into this New Rock and Metal albums playlist where they remain for about a month before rolling over into 2018 Rock and Metal album releases.

And finally - talking of Donington (which will always be 'Monsters of Rock' to me)

This week's unsigned discovery - Defiatory - Hades Rising

Why is so much of the excellent stuff I'm finding coming from Sweden? My guess is that it's all the Surströmming.

This is classic thrash. If anything on the heavier side of that, ie Slayer. Quality songs, playing, vocals and production.

Hades Rising is just out, there's an earlier album, Extinct which just as good. Both albums are remarkably available on Bandcamp  as 'name your price'  which is a no-brainer.

This week's unsigned discovery

I'm not sure how the most recent album from Night Viper remained under my radar, But fortunately a track turned up today while Spotify was doing its recommendation thing, and grabbed me by the ears.

It's fast, classic metal from Sweden with clean female vocals. In places, where the tempo is slower, it does sound a little stoner, but it's never long before things liven up again.

On listening again, that last album, Exterminator (2017), is excellent. It's not an 'unsigned' release, because unsurprisingly Night Viper appear to have a deal (Listenable Records).

An even nicer surprise was that they have an earlier album (2015) which does appear to be independent. It's as good as the 2017 album and the best news of all is that it's available on Bandcamp for a mere 3 Euro (or more), which is almost a steal. Go buy both albums and support this excellent band.

I'm not sure why female-fronted bands have been floating my boat recently (Spiders, Amorettes, Substratum). I can't say that I prefer male or female, but it's just what's been coming out and sounding fantastic.

We've got this covered

I'm not sure why the current vogue for rock covers of classic songs but I like it.

Released around the same time are Prisma from The Poodles and Monuments Uncovered by Mystic Prophesy. Between them featuring pumped-up versions of Shadow on the Wall, I'm Still Standing, because the Night, Get it On, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Sir Elton doing well out of all this), Go Your Own Way and plenty more.

 

Unsigned discovery of the week - Metalert, Decay part 1

Metalert are a young band from Poland playing classic metal and making a great job of it.

The album is Decay part 1, you can buy a CD package containing both parts on two discs, but only part 1 seems to be available to listen and buy digitally. Part one has seven tracks but they're not short. They're asking a meagre amount and it may be the first time I've doubled the asking price because I felt it was worth more.

They're playing (and dressing) classic heavy metal and doing it very well. They remind me of Walpyrgus; melodic, but powerful and no-nonsense, with plenty of tempo and style changes within tracks to add interest. Musically the sound is well-layerd, professional and polished and the songwriting is top.

The only criticism I can make is that the inexperience shows a little in the vocals, particularly on the power ballad Broken Cage. That's not to say that they're difficult to listen to, just that in a couple of albums' time they'll be even better.

Five stars, Looking forward to part 2.

★★★★★

Great new releases and indie discovery of the week

The first round of releases of the year has been a fabulous one (there isn't much released between mid-Dec and mid-Jan). There are eagerly-awaited releases from Tankard, Avatar and Leaves' Eyes and some nice surprises from new-to-me names.

The outstanding discovery and favourite album of the year so far is Infernal Overdrive by White Wizzard.

The first couple of tracks remind me of one of my favourite thrash bands, Flotsam and Jetsam. As the album plays through, they slip into their more traditional heavy metal style with some variation; the mystical-sounding Metamorphosis, bouncy Pretty May and mellow (at first) finisher The Illusion's Tears. The variation makes the album very listenable, and enjoyable throughout.

A definite purchase which makes it 5-star. They are attached to a small label and so not really 'indie' or unsigned but it does feel like a small and reasonably independent affair. I'm waiting for the album to appear on my favourite purchase place, BandCamp, alongside their earlier albums.

★★★★★
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