Uragh "Maelstrom" Album Review

 

   On the rare ocassion a new band will come to fruition and for some unknown reason you'll think they've being playing for a very long time,this is the effect the absolute force of nature Progressive Metal act Uragh have had on me when i first witnessed them live for the first time almost a year ago at the Grand Final of Metal 2 The Masses 2023,since then they've continued to garner a wider audience with their stellar live shows, a few months ago they entered JSR Audio  to record their absoutely earth shattering debut album Maelstrom, i knew they ahd something special for us all but nothing prepared me for the absolute magnitude of quality within this album.

   Straight from the off they go for the jugular with the full on assualt of  Monarch, the Pounding Bass and Drums drive a barage of  disorientating riffs combined with a visceral vocal delivery,the lyrical theme with this is about a Baroness who rules over a district and rules over them through fear and subjugation,the line "Let The Rats Fight Amongst Themselves" shows the level of disdain she has for them, the rhytnm sections throughout Apparition are unnervingly dark and relentless with the Guitar intertwining and meandering through various time signatures leaving your brain mangled and continously guessing what sort of mind blowing passages are on the horizon, the pace and relentlessness is brought down a bit for the short atmospheric bassline interlude of  Gewissenbiss, this serves as a nice way of splitting proceedings before the next part of the relases.

 

   We're treated to the mid paced groov laden heaviness of the brilliant The Widening Gyre the Guitar passages are taken to another level of abrasiveness the combination of those crushing grooves and screeching guitars are like  a short sharp shock to the senses,the drumming gradually builds an atmosphere,then we're thrown another bit of a curveball with the clean vocal passage this adds a really passionate and awe-inspring element to  the overall product.

  At This stage of the album you think you've heard everything the band are capable of doing,not likely with the absolutely mind blowing Capsize which drags you every which way through plenty of Progressive passages with amazing clean vocal delivery then switching into barages of Death Metal brutality,at times during this you feel like your been tossed through a grinder then floating through dream-like psychedelic passages which ,the way Vocalist Craig Murphy orchestrates the different vocal styles between the clean and aggressive is like some puppet master controlling all your emotions, this next track Ar An Tra Fholamh is really interetsing and feels like some sort of time lapse ,having the spoken word As Gaeilge adds a really eery and dream like sequence as if your lost in some sort of upside down alternate reality

    There's still more superlatives left to explore within this monumental offering especially when were treated to more groove infused heaviness with Regrowth At The Mouth Of Sickness ,the levels of crushingly heavy passages throughout this are mind numbing ,combine that with the trademrk fantastic rhytmn section and the absolutely amaizng lead guitar work of  Marcelo Varge and you have a track of truly epic proportions, another things that needs to be pinted out is the fantastic bassline of Sebastian Sparr and the phenomenal drumming from Jason Hodgkins these become even more prevelent throughout the quality El Cazador which throws up even more disorientating passages, closing track Mo Dhia Mhaith remember i mentioned the clean vocals well they're more to the fore throughout this track, if you're thinking the add a similar feeling to the other times ,not a chance this time they're have a melancholic aura to them which adds extreme levels of vitriol to the aggressive ones,the epic structure throughout this is absolutely phenomenal and is the perfect way to close out this part of the bands stories.

  

Not only is it mind blowing to believe this is the bands debut album but also that thet formed less then 2 years ago,although the members may have previously been in other band before,the levels of how tight and brilliantly structured the whole album is a monstrous testament to how much hard work and attention to detail they put into not just this release but also their live performances,which i may add are a sight to behold is, Maelstrom is possibly up there with one of the best debut albums from an irish Metal act,this is definitely a bonafide contender for album of the year for me and i will add this is only the beginning of what this band will deliver in the future.

RATING: 9.8/10

FB: https://www.facebook.com/uraghband

IG: https://www.instagram.com/uraghband/

Immaculate Deception "The Beat Of The Craw" Album Review

  

  Crossover Punk/Metal veterans Immaculate Deception are possibly one of the oldest bands within the Irish Punk(& Metal) scene,founded by the legend that is Declan Caffrey way back in 1982/83 under the moniker of Dreamcreeper,he set upon creating some of the filthiest and heaviest form of Punk known in existence,influenced by bands such as Discharge, Motorhead and Slayer with social and political themes part of the subject matter lyrically all delivered with a F**k You attitude, for years "Caff" has written some fantastic tracks but for various reasons never saw the light of day until midway through 2023 with the release of the bands absolutely facemelting debut album The Beat Of The Craw.

  Launching straight into the  rip roaring title track Beat Of The Craw plenty of rawness, an overload of speed and subtle rock n roll hints ala Motorhead,there's also a rebellious element to the track, War On The Streets opens with a beautifully crafted lead that has a lot of feeling and emotion in it before you're hit upside the head with a relentless barage of razor sharp riffing, you can hear the Slayer influence throughout this song with alot of the riffing while the drumming sounds similar to the likes of Discharge, those wailing Guitars on the intro to A Lesson In War are ridiculously vicious and set the tone for an absolute cacophony of filthy heavinesss,the rawness of the vocals add a really gritty and angry element to proceedings like some anti-hero preaching for the disadvantaged and downtrodden and a middle finger to authority,as soon as those sirens hit on Spoils Of War you known there's going to be loads of elements of unrest and civil disobedience, the drumming goes into relentless D-Beat territory and the constant switching between mid paced heavy riffs and the trademark relentless speed is nothing more then perfection, Driven To Hell  while extremely raw has a lot of Melody and Harmonics with the riffing and vocals while still maintaining that aggressiveness and anger throughout.

   the subtle element of groove at the start of No Masters,No Slaves adds another perspective to the overall delivery of the album,as you can guess lyrically the rack is about those in authority are condemned for thinking they're above or better then everyone else and society will teack them a lesson in humility, therefore the rules will be broken, the drum intro on Exiled to Armageddon raises the bar to another level with regard to the absolute relentlessness  throughout this releases,at times it almost feels energy draining to take in the sheer speed of this release and i mean that in the best possible way, once again there's subtle homages to Slayer with the  haunting intro to Profession Of Promiscuity once the trademark speed kicks in you'll be thinking you're listening to similar style riffs and guitar tone to Reign In Blood then things get even more explosive with yet more relentless barage of filthy riffing ,this is possibly one of the nastiest guitar tones i've heard in a long time especially when the lead kicks in, Chemical Warfare is the shortest track on the album and has plenty of Punk elements throughout while still having that filthy guitar tone,this has all the elements for getting a moshpit going, closing track 213(The Gateway To Hell) goes into serial killer territory as some may know this is referncing Jeffrey Dahmer,the song has a really haunting atmosphere with it's slowish riffing and gritty vocals, which gives the overall proceedings something different then previous tracks, amore then suffucient way to close out a phenomenal album.

  Not only was the long wait to hear all these tracks worth it,this body of work is a commendation of years of graft,struggle and to get something truly worthwhile out to the masses, if you're into the likes of Discharge,Slayer or Motorhead this album is a must listen,every track is full of quality and upon numerous listen to this offering you'll find it hard to forget these tracks,they say you can't teach an old dog new tricks but the old dog will teach you a trick or two on how to write truly quality Crossover D-Beat/Thrash Metal songs .Immaculate Deception have unleashed an absolutle unforgettable masterpiece with The Beat Of The Craw.

RATING: 9.5/10

 FB: https://www.facebook.com/caff666

Hero In Error "Hero In Error" EP Review

   Dublin Hardcore/Metal Stalwarts Hero In Error have been tearing it up since 2007 with consistently quality releases and a plethora of live shows supporting luminaries such as Mastodon,Parkway Drive and more,despite a few line up changes and two hiatus's from 2013 to 2016 & 2020 to 2024,the addition of Kaan Tasan(Heart Of A Coward) on vocals gave the band a renewed vigor and another level of quality ,all of this culminates with the release of their absolutely monumental new Self Titled EP, let's dissect the finer details within this release.

    Instantly you know you're about to delve into something special when that first chord hits on Enemy Within the vocal delivery is both gut wrenching and full of angst combined with some thought provoking lyrics of self doubt and the struggle to communicate your true feelings, Moths To a Flame delivers some  really fantastic groove laden hooks with relentless drums ,the switching between clean and abrasive vocals adds a really melancholic atmosphere to the overall theme of personal struggle.

  Closing track Left In Your Absence goes into even more emotionally tinged  territory with the delivery of both extremely aggressive and emotiinally charged vocals,it feels like there's a gradual build within each song to the point where the emotions become too difficult to cope with and they eventually explode into an uncontrollable anger.

  Hero In Error may have been absent from the scene for a prolonged period of time but upon listen to this phenomenal EP it feels like they've never been gone ,they've even come back with a renewed purpose and intent all designed to deliver absolutely crushing and thought provoking passages,

RATING: 9.5/10

FB: https://www.facebook.com/HEROINERROR

IG: https://www.instagram.com/heroinerrordublin/

Ren Marabou & The Beserkers "Holy Mountain(Helgafjell)" Album Review

     The incomparable Viking Metal/Norse Gael Heathen Tribe Ren Marabou & The Beserkers  have been unleashing consistently quality releases,originally started as a solo project during the dark days of lockdown, after the release of the excellent Sagas album Ren would recruit Michael Casserly(on Bass Guitar) and Terence McCann(On Drums) and would release their second Opus the magnificent Tales Of Rune,the band even got to do a tour with the legendary Polish Acts Vader and Hate which unfortunately they had to cut short due to a family bereavement,ever since then the band concentrated on writing the highly anticipated follow up to Tales Of Rune,which has now come to fruition with the absolutely phenomenal Helgafjell(Holy Mountain),which is a whole lot darker and heavier then previous offerings,let's dissect the finer details of this stellar opus.

    Launching straight into The Journeys Of Rig the relentless drumming really sets the tone on this song while combining Melodic and heavy riffing while the bass drives the relentless drumming,the vocals varition between clean and aggressive adds alot of passion and controlled anger to the track making a brilliant way to open the album, Ran's Hall is a really heavy mid paced offering full of melody and a really dark atmosphere, we're treted to a really cool intro on The Price Of Glory with tribalistic drumming and some beautifully orchestrated Violin before seamlessly transitioning into a proper Groove laden guitar Riff,it becomes more noticable that the clean vocal delivery has got a slight bit darker then the opening two tracks which only adds more heft and darkness to the overall atmosphere.

    A Dark atmosphere and an absolute riff fest are what's unleashed  with the brilliant Curse Striker while been extremely dark there's also an element of beauty to this track with  the soaring leads which has a really epic atmosphere like you're taking part in some sort of pilgrimage/adventure, Gramr The Bloodstained Beast is possibly the fastest track on the album ,there's an almost Thrashy feel to this track,again this displays some absolutely stellar lead Guitar work, things get that bit more heavier with the crushing In The Hall Of Gimle there's some subtle elements of Sludge which add an extra bit of Heft to proceedings. another quality offering with Live And Die By The Sword were we're treated to some really epic song structures  full of atmosphere and heaviness on top of melodic riffing,this is possibly the darkest track on the album and creates an even more passionate aura,the leads on this are phenomeal and have a really anthemic feel to them.

  The Hefty Riffing on The Duel Of Flint and Steel has some really killer Groove elements and explores the story of Viking Brethren drinking too much Mead and Fighting in Valhalla like some sort of game of one upmanship, Idunn The Ever Young switches between fast paced instrumentaion to soaring and passionate Vocal passages creating yet more epicness to proceedings,closing track the absolutely mind blowing Epic Heaviness of Helgafjell(Holy Mountain)  has some personnel heartfelt story behind it ,as mentioned before this tells the story of a family bereavement and has an extremely dark atmosphere combined with fantastic musicianship making it possibly the best song the band have ever written.

 

   Not only has Helgafjell(Holy Mountain) shown the true capabilities of this band it's a massive progression from the excellent Tales Of Rune,this is not me blowing air this album is more then worth it's weight in gold,the band have reached a pinnacle were hard work and passion get justly rewarded,i will add WormHoleDeath  knew what they were doing when they announced the signing of Ren Marabou & The Beserkers to the label,always had a feeling something special was going to be unleashed and to my delight the band have delivered a monumental opus full of fantatsic story telling ,musicianship and fantasticly created atmosphere throughout.

RATING: 9/10

FB: https://www.facebook.com/renmarabou

IG: https://www.instagram.com/renmarabouandtheberserkers/

Keith McCoy "Dawn Of The Machine" EP Review

 Those who've been following some of the quality output from the multi talented Keith McCoy will be aware and know about the various projects/bands he's being invloved with for a number of years including Hedfuzy,Symbiotic Tomorrow,Soylent Chiba and numerous homages/tributes to the legendary John Carpenter,you can also include a plethroa of stellar Instrumental synthwave and Progressive Metal EP's/Albums which leads us to his upcoming EP Dawn Of The Machine which will be his first to have vocals included,this was something myself and other fans were always curious to see what it would sound like and suffice to say the results are absolutely phenomenal,let's get into the finer details of what to expect.

  Instantly with the opening intro The Tuning Test you know you're about to be taken on a journey with the sublime 80's Synthwave instrumental which feels like it from a John Carpenter movie score,a brilliant way to commence this superb offering, thise soaring  vocals from Jason Guile at the start of  H.U.M.A.N. officially conform was i was suspecting with the addition of vocals to all those instrumental releases and it's done with magnificient aplomb,also the atmosphere created by the synths is absolutely breathtaking and creates a really 80's vibe to proceedings.

  

    Hear Me has a really upbeat vibe with extremely inspiritional lyrical output touching on themes of hope the struggles that come with it and the will to strive and succeed, the Guitar work throughout this is absolutely awe inspiring and  when you combine it with the synths the conclusion is truly superb, the time signatures in Dawn Of The Machine are seriously intense with slow paced riffing and a pulsating heavy bassline which adds  a fantastic feeling to those relentless drum fills,there's also a subtle dystopian feel to the lyrics like it's part of some post apocalyptic film were the machines are about to take control of humanity, the closing outro track Imitation Game helps to add a very eery atmosphere to the overall feeling within this offering while also feeling like the story within is going to be continued.

  Dawn Of The Machine further confirms the true capabilities of what McCoy is capable as a musician and producer,as mentioned before i was always curious to see what his music would sound like with vocals added and i can now confirm this is beyond what i was expecting and Jason Guile has delivered an absolute masterclass full of emotion, soaring vocals and unbridled passion; There's also something really unique with this release beneath all the awe inspiring,hope and very emotional passages throughout there's also a really subtle underlying dystopian atmosphere which becomes more apparent with repeat listens,this is an absolute must for fans of 80's inspired Synthwave mixed with plemty of Progressive elements of Rock and Metal.

RATING: 8.5/10

  FB: https://www.facebook.com/keithmccoymusic

  IG: https://www.instagram.com/keithmccoymusic/

Puresonic Outcasts "Sacrifice" Single Review

  The Finest Purveyors of Groove Laden Stoner/Doom/Punk Fusion Hallions Puresonic Outcasts have returned with killer new material for the first time in almost two years with their brilliant new single Sacrifice this is possibly their heaviest and most aggressive output to date, lets dissect the finer details of this brilliant offering.

  Straight away it's noticable that the production is better than on previous material, you get some absolutely stellar drumming courtesy of Graham Murray who has settled into the role perfectly after joing the band for the brilliant Endless Contemplation,his presence behind the kit really drives and pushes the groove laden heaviness to the fore with razor sharp precision, the basslines have a really punchy groovy feel to them throughout this and gives this track an extra element of groove and rhytmn, the tandem between the Lead and Rhytmn guitars are absolutely fantastic mixing crushingly heavy passages with soaring riff heavy leads full of passion and fuzzed out psychedelica,the final ingredients of the vocals are really gritty and are even more aggressive then on previous material at times it sounds like they're verging on Death Metal,suffice to say this is possibly the best overall track from the band.

  Everytime a band releases something new it's becomes common place to look for some sort of improvement or progreesion on their sound,Puresonic Outcats have not only done all this in spades they've not only hit that glass ceiling they've smashed through it ,everything from the production ,the musicianship has porgressed to another level,it's like the band have finally found their sound and are even more heaier and agressive then ever before, Sacrifice truly is a quality offering that shows the bands true capabilities.

RATING: 8.5/10

FB: https://www.facebook.com/puresonicoutcasts

IG: https://www.instagram.com/puresonicoutcasts/

Nebularis "Exodus: Shattered Earth Saga Pt.1" Album Review

   The absolutely fantastic Progressive Metal act Nebularis set out to create a sci-fi legacy that comes from another galaxy in time and space,what founding member and the bands Guitarist/Synth player Mo Sheerin set out to do started coming to fruition just over a year ago were the band slowly treated us to something new.fresh and interesting,peoples interested was peaked when the band played their first live shows during Metal 2 The Masses Ireland were they would eventually make it to the final,late last year they would deliver a stellar set at the hugely popular Siege Of Limerick,the culmination and results of all this would see the release of their mind blowing debut album Exodus:Shattered Earth Saga Pt.1 just last week let's dissect the finer details of this magnificent opus.

  Straight away the tone and atmosphere is set for what's to come with the beautifully crafted synth/keyboard intro  Tellurian this feels like something from a movie score and gives the atmosphere if soemthing tragic/disastrous is about to take place, laucnhing into the sublime Cataclysm judging by the song title and lyrics you know something tragic has happened and a group of people have to leave their world behind and find some new habitat,the vocal delivery from Hytham Martin is awe-inspiring and soars beyond out planetary existence.

  Aurelia is another short interlude/passage that has an eerily oceanic feeling like your submerged beneath the surface which leads us into the mind blowing offering of Subnautica the question of making the same mistakes as before are permeating throughout this track,the guitar work on this is outworldly and the vocals reach another level of quality,the drumming by Damian Dziennik is truly amazing and adds another dimension to the overall story within this release.

  We're treated to the absolutely brilliant ballad-like Voyager the combo of  Keys/Synth with the guitar and bass are seamless and create a really beautiful galactic atmosphere, we also treated to some samples of Carl Sagan another part of the storyboard becomes prevelent when the people think they've found new place within the universe, Exodus is another one of these short interludes that are used to create an eery atmosphere and create another part of the storyboard,this one sound like some lost sattelite signal maybe yet another place for the people to explore.

   Time to delve into something that bit more darker with Holocene the aggression that unfolds in this track is another dimension to this bands overall sound,while still maintaining the awe-inspiring vocal delivery and outworldly guitar work the added heaviness creates a darker atmosphere to proceedings, if you think you've heard every element of this band thus far wait til you get to the closing track Critias prepare to have another curveball with the added element of the beautiful backing vocals courtesy of Mo Sheerin,also this track has possibly one of the most awe-inspiring lead guitar outros i've heard in a really long time,have to mention this is the part of the story where the people seem to have found their way,maybe we'll find out in Pt.2 of this magnificent opus.

 

If Shattered Earth Saga is the beginning of some epic story/adventure we're definitely going to be getting something truly amamzing from band who have constructed a story full of hope,struggle,despair within another planetary dimension,it's like the took little sections from War Of The Worlds, Aliens,The Abyss and other sci-fi masterpieces and combined it with Carl Sagan's evolutionary thoughts thus making a universe full of mystery, it likes they've sucked us into some story were we want to know what happens,the potential within this part of the opus is too good not to ignore and a whole new standard has been set and it's truly sublime.

RATING: 9.5/10

 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/nebularisofficial

 IG: https://www.instagram.com/nebularisofficial/

Gravity Well "Negative Space" Album Review

   Psychedelic tinged Stoner Rock/Doom outfit Gravity Well have something sort of mysterous and strangely captivating about them in that they're not your average type of fuzzed out stoner rock entity could it be the haunting and ethereal vocals of  Fionnuala McGlinchey or the spaced out  psychedelic Guitar and Basslines that at time feel if they're laced with some sort of hulucinogens that bring you on a never-ending trip through the stratosphere or the tribalistic drumming that hints at subtle homages to the legendary Black Sabbath, if you think their debut album Earthbound was were they nailed their sound you're in for a pleasant surprise with their new brilliant opus Negative Space.

  Opening tack As Above is like some sort of introduction or start of a hallucingenic/lucid dream that's equally hypnotic as it is eery and serves as the perfect precursor of what is about to unfold, time to enter some quality riffage with The Abstract ,the fuzzed out Guitar combined with those ethereal vocals give a whole new meaning to the word trippy and it feels like you're being lured into some sort of  trip/journey into the unknown, things get all the more psychedelic with the brilliant Delirium if the opening two tracks were an attempt to lure you into some sort of trip then this leaves you in a whirlwind feeling of "Will I Won't I" like some sort of apprenhensiveness before you're about to let go of yourself,

  

  The dread and doom of Burning Gaze begins to grip you in a trance and it feels like you can't escape this lucid dreamscape,there's some subtle odes to the track Black Sabbath running though this, something that's pretty hard to avoid when playing heavy music,this is possibly my favourite track on the album, the atmosphere get's a bit more chilled out with the ultra dreamy The Forest the vocal delivery had an extremely lo-fi dreamy effect that feels like your drfting throught some place laced with hallucingens. closing track So Below drags you further into the dreamlike sequences and that reaccuring voice that was present in the opening track has surfaced again and makes the atmosphere feel that slight bit Eery before eventually some sort of release comes over you and your left drifting for eternity.

  What Negative Space has to offer is worth your time,it's feels like you're going through some psychedleic rollercoaster that keeps bringing you up and down through some sort of dream-like sequence which makes you feel all sort of emotions,dread,euphoria,paranoia etc encapsulate your body and you're not really sure if this is a dream or is it reality, Gravity Well have really upped their game on this one and created a spectacular opus that will leave you wanting more.

RATING: 8.5/10

FB: https://www.facebook.com/GravityWellBelfast

IG: https://www.instagram.com/gravitywellni/

12 Gauge Outrage "About Time(Remastered)" EP Review

 

  Wexford Heavy Metal Veterans 12 Gauge Outrage have been circulatiing for the better part of a decade and gradually improve with each release,one of the founding members Richard Harpur  has always wanted to do a re-recording/remastering of their sublime debut EP About Time, 10 years to the day this has come to fruition and even though the band were happy with the original sound of the release this new improved version of the classic offering sounds so much more polished and punchier.

  Once that first chord hits with Shock Machine you can hear the obvious improvement with the sound ,there's also that element were the band have improved as musicians, this is possibly been said before about them but they blend early and mid era Metallica  extrmely proficiently, the absolutely fantastic anthem 12 Guage is one of their most popular tracks and is a proper riff fest, for some reason this reminds me (not musically) the Pantera classic Cowboys From Hell albeit it best decribes the band and what they're about.

 Too Sudden is another stellar offering full of riffs and melody all complimented with relentless efficiency and a steady flow in pace and quality vocal delivery,this one really packs a punch.closing track Dysfunctional Insanity is another insanely great track full of intricate guitar passages with added element of vocal harmonies which display some really stellar vocal trade-offs. the original mix of this release showed the massive potential of this ridiculously underrated band, 10 years later and we bear witness to some absolutely qaulity musicianship and the production this band deserves.

  12 Gauge Outrage have established the right to be a force to be reckoned with,a decade of quality music,memorable live performances, taking elements from from classic 80's metal,90's Metal tinged with a modern twist full of riffs,melody ,throw in subtle little refernces to Futurama and The Simpsons which adds a nice bit of humour to the mix,this remastered edition of About Time is absolutely fantastic and should not be ignored.

Rating: 9/10

FB: https://www.facebook.com/12GaugeOutrage

IG: https://www.instagram.com/12gaugeoutrage/

Death Can Wait " Slowly Sinking" EP Review

 

  After a 4 year Hiatus and a few line up changes the excellent Death Can Wait have returned with an absolutely amazing new EP Slowly Sinking , original members David Moorehouse(Guitars) & Patryk Hadrys(Drums) still remain and in come Thea Moylan(Vocals) & Sam Darlington(Bass) to round off the new line-up, also they've went in a slightly different direction musicially from their excellent debut EP Self Portrait but it's still unique and original sounding as they've become known for,let's dissect the finer details to this phenomenal release.

  

  The insane and deranged vocal delivery unleashed on Obscurity really sets the tone for what madness is about to be unravelled, there's a really sick and nasty guitar tone which adds another quality element to the track, the relentless drumming at the beginning of Empty shows the  levels of variation this band display ,then combine that with the intrciate complexities with the Guitar and Vocals and you have a truly memorable track.

  The Only Way Forward is Through(Me) is an absolute riff fest and a proper mid paced headbanger,this also displays plenty of melodic passages combined with sick gutturals that really pack a punch, Slowly Sinking is a more then fitting way to close out this brilliant release,this is full of emotion and plenty of groove laden hooks that will get stuck in your mind, it's also a nice touch to have their previous vocalist Brian Colfer  of Scrawb doing the clean vocals on this track, it feels like a department from the old into the new and rounds off an absolutely brilliant release.

  Slowly Sinking is an absolutely brillaint offering and is a monstrous progession for a band  going though line up changes and various personal issues, also for those not aware this is the first time their new Vocalist Thea Moylan has been in a band and was in a recording studio further evidence this band are going to get even better,in ending this is a strong potential early contender for EP of the year from a truly unique band not afraid to push the boundaries to new extremes.

RATING:8.5/10

FB: https://www.facebook.com/deathcanwaitband

IG: https://www.instagram.com/deathcanwaitband/

Bands To Watch for 2024(Part 2: The 90's Grunge/Alt Metal/Rock Revival)

  

Not only is there a plethora of quality acts geared towards the more extreme intracies of Metal within the underground Irish Scene,it's become apparent to me that there is also absolutely fantastic acts delving into 90's inspired Hard Rock,Alternative Metal,Grunge and Psychedelic Rock/Grunge,most of our burgeoning bands are aware of quality established acts like Vendetta Love, Ritual Effect and Skypilot, some of the bands i'm going to be mentioning in this piece do have members who have previous long term experience in bands so they'll be no strangers to working in a recording capacity as well as playing live shows

SOLOTHURN

 

  During the later half of 2023 i became aware of this band when i was doing my usual searching for bands to play on my weekly segment on Metal Messiah Radio and noticed a couple of demo tracks (works in progress) on their bandcamp,at first  i wasn't aware of the fact that these were not officially released,anyway a couple of weeks later they would release a killer music video for the track Sentience Fades around this time i was sent an advance on their three track EP Servitude and was absolutely blown away by the difference from the demos to the finished mix and mastering release, usually when a release comes out in the later stages of the year it tends to get lost in the mix and people are unaware of it, when i was compiling my end of years list this was really unlucky to miss out on my top 10 EP's of The Year within the Irish Scene; Their first ever live performance would take place in Limerick in Pharmacia with War Of Attrition,Cell Games and Goblin and Shark Tooth which was organised by the brilliant A.L.M Promotions(there may be a future piece about them),Two weeks into the new year they would release another Video/Visualizer for the track Servitude,this came out just before their first gig on their home turf Belfast at Metal 2 The Masses NI Heat 1 along with Astralnaut,Devilsome and Delusional Silence, along with Astralnaut theythankfully made it through the heat and onto to the Semi Final a brilliant achievement considring it was only their second live show, the future looks promising for these and i'm sure they've been working on some more quality new material.

FB: https://www.facebook.com/solothurnmusic

IG: https://www.instagram.com/solothurnband/

TRIGGERTONE

 Fusing Rock and Grunge with  Psychedelic elements Northern Irish Trio TriggerTone create a pretty unique sound, tinged with a rawness not far removed from early 90's Grunge in the vein of Stone Temple Pilots,Alice In Chains and Mother Love Bone ,during the earlier part of 2023 the band were working on material and were releasing singles on a staggered basis which would culminate with the release of their excellent debut EP Infrared:Ultraviolet, the band have been gigging pretty regularly ever since the release of their EP, they have taken a short break from gigging to enter Manor Park Studio  to record EP  #2 ,i've been lucky eneough to hear some of this material and for all intense purpoises they're sounding even better then the material on their debut release,they even been kind enough to drop a new single  Machine which is exceptionally good,who knows they may drop this EP before the take part in Metal 2 The Masses NI alongside Teras,The Boat Sank and Saffron Gorman on March 22nd in Voodoo, the future is bright for this Trio and hopefully they get more traction this year.

 FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087345019623

 IG: https://www.instagram.com/triggertonebelfastband/

SHADOWS CALLING

  Cork Natives Shadows Calling are a fantatstic Hard Rock act full of rawness and fueled with an unquenchable passion and energy,taking all the good parts from 80's Hard Rock and 90's Alt Metal this creates a lethal combo grabbing the listeners attention, the band was formed by Darren O'Keefe and fronted by his sister jen Vaughan ,they released their fantastic debut EP Spirit Shifter almost a year ago and it has recieved huge praise from alot of media and radio stations throughout the world,it's a testatment to how good and far reaching it is,at time Jen's vocal style reminds me of Skin from the English Alt Metal/Rock act Skunk Anasie,then you add to that the raw stripped down 80's style riffing you're treated to something relatable and nostalgic at the same time,this band are a real force to be reckoned with,i believe EP #2 is been worked on at the moment ,really look forwrd to hearing that ,also should mention tomorrow they're playing at In The Pit Festival  with other quality local acts.

FB: https://www.facebook.com/shadowscalling13

IG: https://www.instagram.com/shadowscalling/

BARMP

Raw,Bombastic and adrenalin fueled armed with riffs and ready to unleash a barage of quality Wexford Trio Barmp are extremely good,this is not me blowing smoke or just spewing out meaningless superlatives they really are that good,members have a wealth of experience playing in other bands throughout the years(i'm not familair with any of them unfortunately) anyway the band dropped their absolutely phenomenal Self Titled debut EP at the start of June last year ,if you haven't heard it you really are missing out,it's like they took elements 90's Grunge in the vein of  Nirvana and Alice In Chains and combined it with elements of Queens Of The Stone Age and Helmet with seamless efficiency, a band with undoubted takent and definitely worth checking out.

FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091524931834

IG: https://www.instagram.com/barmp_the_band/

MOTIONSICKNESS

the fantastic Female Fronted Alt Rock/Punk Outfit MotionSickness are based within the midlands town of Portlaoise and are part of a strong collective of bands from that area whi are creating a somewhat stellar alternative scene outside of the capital,In Bonnie Lalor they have a truly emotive and brilliant vocalist also backed the bands Guitarist Kara Moore they wirte quality lyrical/musical content touching on themes of social struggle and personal issues and do so with passion and stripped down raw aggression,although they've recently had a few line up changes this hasn't detterred them one bit and they continue to write stellar music,in a live enviroment is where they really shine you get to witness the full force of how good they are ,they have a brand new single coming out the 29th February entitled Agora, they also due to take part in Metal 2 The Masses Ireland Showcase 8 on 9th March.

FB: https://www.facebook.com/MotionSicknessIreland

IG: https://www.instagram.com/motionsicknessband/

ARES REDEMPTION

Another band from the Midlands is the Alt Rock/Grunge outfit Ares Redemption,founding memeber and main songwirter  Jack Eakin worte alot of the  bands material over a period of years and would eventually assemble a full band,unlike all the other bands within the alt rock/grunge scene Ares Redemption have a more atmospheric and emotional feel to their sound,this is very prevelent in their live shows  and grabs your attention from start to finish,it's more of an experience then an actual show,they just released a quality new single Black Spider just last week and i hear there's an EP in the works. you can also catch them at Metal 2 The Masses Ireland Showcase 7 on March 2nd.

FB: https://www.facebook.com/aresredemption555

IG: https://www.instagram.com/ares_redemeption/