XIII Doors "Into The Unknown" Album Review

   The quality within the underground Irish Rock & Scene just continually gets better and better with each year,one band that have the potential to be huge internationally is the absolutely sublime XIII Doors who delve into elements of Alt Metal,Progressive Metal ,Groove Metal with ruthless efficiency, when they released their debut single over a year ago it was no surprise when the feedback they got from that was phenomenal, fast forward to 2025 and their sublime debut album Into The Unknown has being unleashed upon the world.

  

  Launching straight into the absolute riff fest that is Unleash The Beast,this is full on groove laden passages with soaring vocals and a rhytmn section that flows with a killer mid paced tempo, the lead guitar work here is absolutely sublime, we're treated to some really heavy progressive elements on the absolutely awe-inspiring Sorceress Of Lies, this is possibly my favourite track on the album, those double bass drums give this that aforementioned progressive element while still maintaining those tasty grooves, the beautiful Middle-Eastern intro at the start of Make a Life Again sets a really dark atmosphere and has very socially conscious lyrical output,touching on topics of war,life struggles all layered over thaty trademark groove.

  

  

  When this band first became known was with their brilliant debut single Lead The Way, the vast majority who heard it knew full well that we were going to be in for something special with these,suffice to say this track is only a small layer of what this band are truly capable of,this is a relentless non-stop riff fest backed by a brilliant vocal delivery,also lyrically this is really inspiring and shows plenty of passion, the pummelling drums on Face The Truth really hit hard and pushes every other element from the vocals,guitars to the limits making for yet another anthemic number, leading us onto the excellent title track Into The Unknown,there's a real old school Hard Rock vibe to this while also maintaining that trademark groove and anthemic feel,you can literally feel the positivity as you go through each track with this one possibly hitting another level.

 

  Time to bring in the sublime awe-inspiring rock ballad that is the brilliant See How You've Come So Far this is yet another one that has that 90's Rock anthem vibe with the beautiful acoustic guitars layered with those soaring vocals and catchy hooks that will get inbedded in your mind, closing out this magnificent opus is the rip roaring Inside this flows along with a killer tempo and groove, the leads throughout this track are sublime and add plenty of depth to the overall product and the best way to close out this excellent offering.

 Many positive things can be said about this album, you can be sure that this will be on many end of year lists come the tail end of 2025, this has everything from amazing production,stellar musicianship, plenty of bonafide anthems ,soaring and passionate vocals that are filled with awe-inspiring lyrics and  passages throughout this truly is worth it's weight in gold and will defintely remembered in years to come as a bonafide masterpiece.

RATING: 9.5/10

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Gozer The Traveller "The Space Between" Album Review

 

  Armagh heftmongers Gozer The Traveller are a seriously overlooked/underrated band who've being churning out some quality material for almost a decade,their excellent mix of Stoner Rock laced with heavy sludgy grooves,Southern rock all layered over subtle hints of Blues based rock n roll, although it's being almost 9 years since they released their self titled EP it's like they've returned even better then they were before and have delivered an excellent album in the guise of The Space Between.

  As soon as that first chords hits on opening track Todash one thing that's noticable staright away is the quality in musicianship and overall production, in that every instrument sounds massive,the slow groove laden riffs have a slightly creepy atmosphere,while the vocal delivery has a rawness that is both filthy and fueled with passion, moving onto to the brilliant salvo that is The Great Betrayal, this is stock full of groove laden heavy riffs and  bombastic pace which are driven by those excellent soaring vocals.

  Things get a bit chilled and atmospheric with that beautiful  intro on Gunslinger backed by those raw vocals ,this really ticks all the right boxes for an absolute banger of a track,the guitar work on this is nothing short of phenomenal,this has anthem written all over it and may well be a popular one for live shows,the crushing heaviness of Hinterlands adds another element to the bands overall sound, once again the lead guitar delivers brilliantly executed passages that will get inbedded in your mind, the pace is upped a bit with the excellent Succubus you really get to hear those subtle blues elements with the vocal delivery on this while that excellent rhytnm section pushes those beautiful lead guitars to the fore making for a truly brilliant track.

 

The absolutely riff fest that is Fungus Emotis hits hard and sounds like a homage to Down, although some of the guitar harmonies sound a bit like Thin Lizzy,yet again those raw vocals really reach soaring heights,this is possibly the most catchiest track on the album and has a really bombastic element to it, the dark atmopshere throughout 10 Minutes From Hell is really errie and that bassline hits like a sledgehammer, this shows another side to the band in that they can switch between upbeat passages and a more dark and foreboding elements, closing track Quiet Rain  is a proper blues tinged rocker full of  fat basslines, rhytnmic drumming, Riffs for days and those trademark soaring vocals, this is the best way to close out this brilliant album and is a huge step up from a superb band.

  This a must listen if you're into groove laden stoner rock tinged with plenty of elements of rock n roll,blues,southern rock and metal,the passion shown on this is through the roof and the musicianship is absolutely stellar, although i previously didn't mention the lyrical content has a really killer storytelling element to it that's full of temptations,realistic scenarios that are both surreal and at times drowned in liquor and alcohol giving off that southern vibe so brilliantly,do not overlook this brilliant album.

RATING: 8/10

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If It Bleeds "We Can Kill It" EP Review

 

  One band causing waves in the Northern Ireland Hardcore & Metal scene is the excellent If It Bleeds combining groove laden crushing riffs with an extremely visceral vocal attack, a seamless blend of old school and modern fusion of Hardcore and metal make these a force to be reckoned with which can be heard on their phenomenal debut EP  We Can Kill It.

  Going staright for the jugular with the ferocious opening track If It Bleeds relentless short and to the point best describe this crushing track, Vs 1  hits like a ten tonne sledgehammer and wastes no time in delivering crushing drums and razor sharp riffing,the vocals are full of vitriol and an unrelenting aggression.

   Things slow down a sliught bit with the crushingly heavy and anthemic Revenge ,we're treated to some sick  Death Metal type gutturals which adds an unnervingly crushing slab of heaviness,there's also a killer groove running throughout,  that crushing groove is also prevelent on the sublime  Detachment which keeps the overall output flowing nicely,the dual guitars give this a bludgeoning assualt on the senses that at times is like a wall of sound designed to make eardrums bleed and shattering that proverbial glass ceiling, closing things out is the fantastic title track  We Can Kill It , upon numerous listen to this track(and EP) i always get the feeling that if you set foot into the pit prepare for absolute fucking mayhem,this one has plenty of groove with that trademark crushing heaviness, this is possibly yhte best way to conclude this absolutely crushing opus and leave no cross unturned.

   Needless to say for a debut release this ticks all the right boxes,production is stellar,music hits so fucking hard with a crushing heaviness, an unstoppable relentlessness that will leave you begging for more, a lethal injection of adrenalin fueled vitriol,a band hell bent on delivering possibly the most devastating metallic hardcore with a real take no prisoners attitude,this is a no nonsense tour de force of a release that will most likely will be making my end of year shortlist.

RATING: 9.5/10

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