Located in th South East of Ireland Wexford Grunge/Progressive Alt Rock outfit Soverna are a relatively new band although i do think members have a wealth of experience in previous acts throughout the year, recently they released their excellent debut EP What We've Lost let's dissect the finer details of this brilliant offering.
The dream-like sequence at the start of Catacomb creates a nice atmosphere before launching head-on into awe-inspiring vocal delivery combined with progessively tinged riffing all layered on a driving rhythmic passage, the brilliant P15 has a great mix of subtle Nirvana and Stone Temple Pilots homages layered with a taut melancholic vibe.
Things become a bit more progressive on Boundary a quality combo of heartfelt vocal delivery with a huge sounding rhytmn section showing all the true capabilities this band can deliver, we're treated to some Tool-esque meanderings on the phenomenal Sky Parlour at times the vocal delivery sounds similar to Kurt Cobain,closing track Merrow really goes into epic Progressive Rock territory combining a really epic atmosphere combined with brilliantly executed soaring guitar riffs,once again this adds another element to show the stellar musicianship this act are capable of and a fitting way to end this excellent debut.
Definitely going to be keeping a close watch on Soverna in the future,this is a great launching pad for them to deliver even more quality output,if you like 90's Grunge in the vein of Nirvana,Alice In Chains etc also combine it with elements of Tool and Stone Temple Pilots you have a fantastic recipe that will grab your attention from start to finish.
Combining all the classic nuances of Classic Hard Rock with 90's Alt Metal,the brilliant Shadows Calling know how to deliver quality and memorable songs,Fronted by the soaring and passionate vocals of Jen Vaughan,early last year the band released their sought after and hugely popular debut EP Spirit Shifter garnering attention from the publications and radio stations in US,Australia and within the local scene, so not resting on their laurels the band recently delivered their newest offering These Scars, this is an awful lot more darker and heavier then their previous release.
Opening up proceedings with the absolute barn burning Dead Long Enough you can feel the absolute bombastic vocal delivery tinged with a confidence and a touch of class which seems to be a rare thing these days combine this with the classic rock riffing and you have a really solid rock anthem on your hands, delving in a much darker territory with the Riff Heavy These Scars while the vocal delivery is extrmemly smooth almost soulful at times there's another darker more personal element with the lyrics touching on the theme of life struggles and been through the struggles of depression and been hurt but with that comes redemption and the strenght to bounce back.
The Groove laden The Lost delivers an epic structure in it's almost like a classic rock ballad full of passionate and heartfelt vocal delivery ,the music really pushes the boundaries to another level of quality inplementing plenty of stellar lead guitar work,,touching on lyrical themes of loneliness and the fear of being ignored, closing track Ships combines all the elements of previous tracks soaring passionate vocals,the swicthiung between melodic guitar passages and the vocal delivery crete a more than memrable anthem,we get a taste of the full capabilites of the range their vocalist can hit,especially near the end of this quality track.
Shadows Calling have really upped the standard from their debut EP and have ventured into a much Darker and Heavier direction, this really ticks all the right boxes for All Killer No Filler hard rock packed full of Attitude and passion,although a lot of praise can be centred around their Vocalist the musicianship from all invloved is of the highest quality and pulls out all the stops to push the vocals to an exemplary standard,if you like Hard Rock combined with subtle Nuances to early 90's Alt Metal then loom no further then this superb band.
Recently i made a post on Facebook about specific types of bands i would've been extremely reluctant to listen to,growing up in an era were Thrash,Death and Black Metal were the undisputed kings for me,for want of a better word and been somewhat of an edgy jerk in my youth with regard to what i listen to(if it ain't fast or brutal enough forget it),ever since i've started doing my weekly segment on Metal Messiah Radio about two years ago i've discovered numerous bands from array of different genres and one in particular has really changed my opinion of some of the modern acts delivering some absolutely quality tunes and that is the ridiculously brilliant Words That Burn,with the release of their third full length album Cut Throat Culture the band have honed and crafted a really spectacular opus.
Straight from the gates the band launch into the absolutely brilliant Den Of Lions like a pheonix rising from the ashes and unleash a barage of emotions combined with metaculously crafted riffs with electro pop sensibility, Sunshine hits with unrelenting aggression,the switching between harsh and clean vocal delivery gives the track an underlying dark atmosphere, possibly my favourtie track on the album is the sublime Play God which hints at the topic of maipulative relationships,the aggression throughout this adds a really emotional element ,there's also a brilliant anthemic feel to the track.
We're treated to the upbeat nuances of the excellent Sirens ,there's a nice rock element to this track,the vocals have a great anthemic feeling to them, this one really grabs your full undivided attention with the groovy hooks and the continous switching between aggressive and anthemic vocals, the anthemic atmosphere continues with the fantastic The Cavalry Ain't Coming the fills in between the chorus are nothing short of relentless combined with those heartfelt emotional vocals, You're On Your Own really pounds home the underlying mental health issues throughout the album and how horrible society can be, the atmosphere gets that little more darker on the hauntingly eerie Fire At Will this is possibly the heaviest track on the album and delivers a combination of absolutely devastating and emotional vocals. Things begin to delve that little bit darker with To Night the feeling of dread is really prevelant which is pushed to the fore with the haunting atmosphere there's also a bit of pop sensibility to add a different feeling to proceedings, Thicker Skin has a really nice keys intro before it launches into killer groove laden hooks,there's almost a ballad type approach to this albeit with brief aggressive vocals, you also get the full repotoire of what the bands vocalist is capable of, closing track Michael delivers some killer riffs combined with a really dark atmosphere created by the keys/electronic elements,once again the vocal delivery is truly breathtaking switching effortlessly between harsh and clean vocals.
Overall Cut Throat Culture shows a band not only progressing from previous releases but showing a confidence and maturity that's going to push them to another level of brilliance,we treated to plenty of memorable anthemic type songs,one of the main elements that won me over with this band is the ease with which they can switch between full on aggression and soaring and passionate vocal delivery, if you're sitting on the fence(like i once was) about this band do yourself a favour and listen to this album,you will find something that you enjoy about.
Great no frills no bullshit Hard Rock bands have been a rare commodity these days be it down to chnages in society,the over abundance of the "quick fix" has become too common place with todays generation were many faucets in todays society being just repitive,bland and mundane, the brilliant Shadows Calling are here to reminds us all what great Rock tunes are all about with their debut EP Spirit Shifter.
Straight from the get go the band launch into the adrenalin fueled nuances of the rip roaring Eraser .there's some great mid tempo riffing combined with the soaring & passionate vocal delivery, Spirit Shifter has a nice constant groove and plenty of killer riffs and once again the vocals are constantly on point and compliment the all arrangements perfectly.
Midnight's Eye unleshes memorable hooks and a mix of smooth groove laden riffs and a varying array of vocal styles,the guitar leads are soaring with an absolutely gorgeous tone, closing track Our Own Escape has something different to offer from the previous tracks in that it goes to an almost ballad like structure,the rocking riffs and soaring passionate vocals are still there added with a somewhat epic structure,this offers the full capability of what the band are looking to capture.
Spirit Shifter is a really solid debut offering from the brilliant Shadows Calling,the musicianship is stellar and full of memorable riffs and hooks,the production is absolutely quality and captures an essence of the band that you won't forget too quickly, would highly advise to keep a close eye on these as i can see room fro improvement and a really bright future.
Little did i know about Vendetta Love seven to eight months ago since i've became aware of them i've grown accustomed to their sound and the more i listen to them the more i enjoy them, combining 80's Hard Rock with 90's Grunge,the band have a sound similar to the likes Guns N Roses,Alice In Chains and Stone Temple Pilots, with the release of their new EP I Am the band have hit a level were the emotions,energy and stripped down rawness flow seamlessly and blend magnificiently.
Hush Hush opens with a beautifully executed intro full of feeling and emotion before a barrage of heavy laden riffs and soaring vocals take us on a rollercoaster of emotions, Ode hits with full on stripped down rock n fucking roll with subtle hints of early Guns N roses thrown in for good measure,a track with a real middle finger attitude, Chains N' All is another track full of attitude and has a really smooth and rocky pace showing the versatilty of the bands overall musicianship.
Walk Alone is an absolutely heartfelt and emotional ballad with real life elements touching on addiction issues and personal struggles,this is were the band really show their prowess and the level of intricacies they are capable of as musicians, closing track I Am is possibly the heaviest track on the EP that soaring lead guitar intro is absolutely fantastic,the slowish pace of the track adds a really nostalgic vibe similar to Alice In Chains,that soaring lead continues to appear intermittently throughout the track with the EP ending in a somewhat nostalgic feeling.
Vendetta Love have created a really good release in I Am,yes it does have all the nuances of peak 80's Hard Rock and the best bits from 90's Grunge, the band know how to write strong worthwhile anthems full of passion,emotion, a middle finger attitude, you will notice that they're influenced by the likes of Guns N Roses,Alice In Chains, Stone Temple Pilots etc but they do it combined with a very modern sound giving them a sound all their own.
Ever get the feeling the world seems to be descending into a self destructive mode and all around you seem to be showing no ounce of self control,Well the absolutely brilliant Strangers With Guns appear to be doing all the right things with their excellent new album All Pleasure is Just Relief. The band have been rooted in Grunge with their previous releases but have pushed the boundaries this time by adding a bit more heaviness to the mix,rest assured the humour still remains and all the semblances of homage to the 90's are still evident.
Things get off to a flying start with the brilliant Phuque as soon as you hear that drum intro creeping into the mix you know full well you're about to get something really heavy and fast,it briefly slows down until you're hit with a very Thrash Metal inspired lead, as soon as you hear the opening riff on the second track you're thinking this sounds like Rollins Band,well this is further verified by the song title I Am Henry Rollins with it's tongue in cheek sarcasm and wicked sense of humour, Dial It Black treats us to some really heavy riffs which sound slightly similar to the Sepultura track Territory with an added "rapping" style vocals with a Dublin accent,which is usually synonymous with the bands sound courtesy of frontman Jeff Crosdale, So How Are You Feeling? has an extremely dark and eerie atmosphere with an agressive vocal delivery and a riff so haunting you could resurrect the dead.
Halfway through the album and it continues to maintain the heaviness with the short but brilliant Positive Vibes which even has a subtle hint to the Coolio track Gangsters Paradise, time for some riffs galore with the absolutely killer Stick It To The Man there's also a very upbeat tempo prevelant throughout the track which implements a more uplifting tone to proceedings, the mood is toned down with the short instrumental track That's Kinda Nice before we're treated to something less heavy with the excellent Perception we also get the brief taste of Jeff dropping the dublin accent vocals in place of a vocal harmony giving the track a nice mellow atmosphere, closing track Why starts off with a very sombre atmosphere until the chorus explodes into life with rocking riffs and aggressive vocals then switches back to the sombre mood this pattern is repeated until the last minute of the track we get a layered acoustic riffs over some stoner riffs.
Strangers With Guns may not be to everyones liking but what they do they do it really well and there's many facets to them musically and lyrically, they're willing to take risks which most bands are fearful of doing which leaves the door open for them to add different elements to future releases, with All Pleasure Is Just Relief we treated to material in the vein of Rollins Band, Faith No More,Butthole Surfers,Melvins, Mudhoney and various other,adding elements of Grunge,Metal,Punk with such aplomb make this a very interesting listen which keeps getting better with each listen.
