Demo Review - Purple Dino - 'Demosaurus'

Location:Xanithi,  Greece

Label:Unsigned

Over the last couple of years there's been an upsurge in great stoner/desert bands from Greece, from the trippy,burnt out sonic voyages of 1,000 mods to the bombastic all out rawk of Nightstalker, it seems that someone in the small Mediterranean has some especially potent and powerful green for sale.Now add to that list the adorably named Purple Dino, a low  slung desert rock four-piece from the town of Xanithi in Thrace.

Obviously drawing influence from the usual  likes of Fu  Manchu and Nebula, as well as some of their aforementioned countrymen, the amusingly titled 'Demosaurus' comprises three tracks of enjoyably lo-fi, driving desert rock. The usual imagery of freewheeling drives along empty desert highways and doing inordinate amounts of drugs in the sun is evoked, while the band's sound tends not to stray too far from the traditional desert/stoner blueprint.Not that this is ever a bad thing, music like this is all about paying tribute to what's come before and of course, the execution, and Purple Dino do it better than a  lot of their peers . There is a loose, jammy feel to 'Demosaurus'  that keeps you coming back for more, even if the production at times can be a little bit rough around the edges, but hey, it's a demo(saurus) , so some of that can be forgiven.The main criticism, as is often the case with music like this, is singer Pavlos' vocals, which seem at times to be an after thought in the mix, and are either too high or too low in the mix.The band seem to be searching for their sound as well , which results in some parts of songs meandering a little.

However, overall, this is a strong first effort from an obviously talented bunch of dudes.Good smoking music, and one that bodes well for a proper EP/Album.It's also refreshing to find a band that doesn't put a naked chick draped over a car on their demo cover.Just saying,dinosaurs are fucking awesome . . .

Rating: 7/10

For fans of: 1,000 Mods, Nebula, Fu Manchu, Karma To Burn, Castero.

Listen/Get it here: http://purpledinoband.bandcamp.com/

You Should Be Listening To...Zodiac N Black!

Introducing London hard rock outfit Zodiac N Black. This 4 piece bring the old-school heavy from the current hotbed of hard rock in Britain. Fans of fellow Brits Ashes of Iron, and even a few Tool fans will dig this!

Stream the whole record through the link or check out the new video for "Bad Pills".

Edward Gerard Brophy, bornagainnihilist@gmail(dot)com.

You Should Be Listening To . . .Cast Iron Crow!

Hailing from Bay Area, San Fran, Cast Iron Crow are a four piece grunge/alt metal band that channel the spirit of  nineties grunge and alternative rock in all it's glory ,from the twisted  rhythmic trickery early Tool to the soulful streetwise sound of Alice In Chains circa 'Facelift' , the band were born after singer Jake Navarra shattered his collar bone twice and was forced to quit guitar and take up crooning instead. Considering most folk might give up altogether  after such a trauma, it's a testament to the band's testicular fortitude and belief in their music that Navarra simply picked up a mic and kept going, and this  hard working  is ethos reflected in the band's no bullshit ,straight up,  hard rock sound.Oh, and it just so happens that Tim Sult, bassist for rock gods Clutch, is a fan.If all that hasn't swayed you, then perhaps you're reading the wrong blog.Play Loud.

For fans of :Alice In Chains, Tool,  Soundgarden, Life Of Agony, Speedking
Listen here: http://www.myspace.com/castironcrow
Stephen O ' Connor
bornagainnihilist@gmail.com

Album Review - Triggerman, Brand New Day

"Go Fuck Yourself Goliath!"

Triggerman, a heavy rock band with bluesy leanings from Belfast that are making as deep a dent as they possibly can in the current Irish rock scene. Here Nihilist takes a gander at their latest effort, 'Brand New Day'.


A total rock 'n' roll anthem is what we're faced with starting up this record, the aptly named 'The Riff Holds Sway'. No doubt this one will end up being a fan favourite as time goes on, and why wouldn't it? Look at what its got going on: a title and theme that all heavy music heads can get on board with, riffs galore perfectly captured with a luscious distorted tone and frontman Bap's voice is in the early Clutch realms, think more Neil Fallon's malicious growl from the first Clutch album rather than the southern tinged bellow he's known for today.


Next up, 'I Got the Lurgy', opens with pig-nosed dirty bass from four-stringer Dixie and makes its way into a simple stomping riff that sways on and off kilter like a drunken man walking home suitably refreshed. However, if that's the case then next track, 'The Road to Damascus', is where the same sozzled man falls down a hill. This is all hard, up tempo riffing in the vein of good aule Orange Goblin, fuck yeah! Lead guitarist Niall is clearly in love with his wah, peppering the riffs with quaky harmonies when he can.


An interesting, almost hip hop influenced approach is taken on the record's namesake, 'Brand New Day', Bap half speaking his verses, the Belfast accent, seldom heard in music, plain to hear. Up next, 'Horns', establishes this as a definite drinking album. A dead simple riff complimented by an Eric Bell's Thin Lizzy style lead line, bound to go down well with Irish audiences.


Things take a decidedly heavier route with the mammoth opening of 'There Strides Goliath'. The trend continues with 'Voices' where drummer Rory brings out some nu-metal flavoured grooves to great affect. This also marks at least the third or fourth instance of direct biblical references in Bap's lyrics. Sadly, this is also the end of the record.


You can tell you're enjoying a record when it comes to and end and you're left feeling it was over too soon. I got that very feeling from this listening so I'm taking it as a good omen. Triggerman are just one of a hefty handful of quality bands operating out of Northern Ireland at the moment, no doubt the buzz will soon turn into talk and B.A.N's talk on the matter begins here.


If you're in one of those moods to just enjoy some proper fuckin' rock and 'Ace of Spades' has been too overplayed to satisfy, lash this one on, you won't regret it. The riffing, the grooving, the snarling all adds up to a heady brew to quench the heavy thirsts. If there's only one bone I had to pick with it was that I would have loved to see greater variety, it'd be awesome to see the band branch out a little more and they do show signs of doing so on certain tracks here, so I'd be keen to see what they come out with next.


All in all: bleedin' rocks!


Triggerman, 'Brand New Day'
Rating: 8/10
Listen to: There Strides Goliath, The Riff Holds Sway, Voices.
For Fans of: Clutch, Grifter, Orange Goblin.
Listen here: http://www.reverbnation.com/triggermanrocks


Edward Gerard Brophy
bornagainnihilist@gmail(DOT)com

Album Review -Kodiak Jack ' Your Death My Glory'(Angry Badger Records)

It seems in recent months, what with the upsurge in popularity of Djent/tech metal and the rapid increase in artists recording either through modelling/line  technology and the general popularity of poly rhythms and drier tones, that there's been a sort of reaction from certain parts of the rock and metal fraternity to this tendency towards futurism and synthetic sounds, with several bands looking back towards hard rock's warmer, rougher roots for inspiration for their latest releases.First I Decline updated Thin Lizzy's gentleman rock to thrilling effect with their fantastic 'Time To Shine' opus  , then sludge heavyweights Mastodon went all Rush and made an album of  stunningly melodic classic rock anthems in 'The Hunter',all seemingly without a Pod or muted fifth in ear shot.Now here to give their own spin on this mini  old school rock revival are Brit rockers Kodiak Jack, with an album of heartfelt grunge anthems in 'Your Death My Glory' that relies on good old fashioned balls out choruses and chunky riffing  to get their musical message across.

Although admittedly, first impressions aren't great.Opener ' Crossfire'  starts out pleasingly enough with a thick  , mid tempo heavy riff , but seems a little too mired in the hideously overwrought grunge of Nickelback and Theory Of A Deadman for comfort for this reviewer, and is somewhat of a weak start to the album.Thankfully, things pick up on second track 'Wasted Youth', a snarling COC style bluesy riff underpinning singer Bryn's  throaty , heartfelt roar.'Your City To Burn' is a propulsive headbanger with some nifty guitar work , while 'Prettier When She Smiles'  is a slice of sleazy shit kicking fun reminiscent of AC/DC.

Throughout this record, the one thing that stands out most is singer Bryn's fantastic vocals, equally at home with the soaring stadium rock of 'Anthem For An Underclass' as he is with the delicate balladry of 'My Condition' , a song which in a lesser singer's hands could have strayed horribly into drive time , Dad rock territory, but is actually oddly moving, with some nice use of strings and  a brevity that makes it an album highlight.

'Waves' and 'My Fake Jesus ' follow , the former a bizarre but again strangely effective mash up of Pantera-esque riffing  and hooky pop rock, the latter brilliantly recalling the stark  grunge of 'Undertow' era Tool  , and showing what this band is capable of musically.The final two tracks , the epic , eight minute 'We Are Your Saviours' and the closing salvo of the title track, are fine melodic rock tunes, with 'Your Death My Glory' containing some excellent soloing work from lead guitarist Jeff,  , but don't really wow in the same way as what's come before , and one feels at times that the band seem to be reining in their  more progressive instincts in favour of trying to appeal to a larger audience, not a crime by any means , and not one that they'd be solely guilty of if it was, but you can't help but feel at times that there's something about 'Your Death My Glory'  as  a whole that seems somewhat polished, too polite, when , going  on the evidence here, the band are more than capable of kicking ass and taking names in a far more brutal fashion.

That said, this is definitely an accomplished debut, and the band are clearly tight as a unit and solid musicians, singer Bryn being especially impressive, and the band have a bucket load of potential, and a sound which is tried and tested.A definite one to watch for fans of good old fashioned hard rock.

Rating:6/10
For fans of: Alter Bridge, Brand New Sin, Saliva
Buy The album here: http://www.iconic-culture.com/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=8410&idCategory=673
Stephen O ' Connor
bornagainnihilist@gmail.com

Album Review - I Decline ' Time To Shine' ( Horns Raised Records)

Much as we love our underground metal that's been recorded on a karaoke mic for 2 euro and sounds like a serious mushroom binge gone wrong and the aftermath being caught on tape, and is wrapped in a black metaller's funeral shroud , it's nice to hear a band who aren't afraid to go  balls out on their release, and create a release that has clearly no reservations about aiming for the mainstream, and this is clearly the case for Chicago metallers I Decline.It may also be one of the most  surprisingly  excellent   underground rock releases of the year.

The first thing that you might notice when you pop this CD into your drive/stereo/car if you're luckier and richer than me, is the production.It's , and not to put too light of a spin on it, fucking MASSIVE.Guitars roar around, drums thump you in gut and bass tickles your nether regions, and , to be quite frank, it puts a fair majority of certain mainstream metal/rock releases out this year to shame in this respect.This , my friends, is what Phil Spector was going for  when he forged his  legendary 'wall of sound'.

But of course, as Simon Cowell and his dick sucking minions won't tell you is that whopper production does not a good record make, and so it's a good thing that 'Time To Shine' is packed to the gills with big hearted, bombastic and at times unashamedly OTT rock anthems.The band's sound is a slightly bizarre blend of  tar thick stoner rock riffing, old school heavy metal lead work and fists aloft, stadium swagger, mostly contained in the lung bursting vocal pairing of main vocalist Dustin Hamish, and bassist/vocalist Patrick Mc Laughlin. It's the sort of rock album that bands like The Darkness and Avenged Sevenfold would give their collective left testicles to make ,putting in mind influences from everything from the dark glam rumblings of WASP and Skid Row to Mob Rules-era Sabbath to  Thin Lizzy at their heaviest(  fans of'Thunder and Lightning' era Lizzy won't be disappointed).

Opener 'Time To Shine' sets out the band's stall pretty fucking quickly, exploding out of the traps with kick drums ablaze and rousing gang vocals that you can guarantee sets pits ablaze when the band play it live.'The Administration' is all Lizzy-esque harmonies and chest pounding rabble rousing, while  'A New Nation' drips in the kind of sleaze that Velvet Revolver did so well intermittently on their debut album.

'Grand Ruin' is another highlight, a mid paced stomper that recalls , and this is only ever a compliment , Judas Priest's 'Touch Of Evil', while 'Your Name In Blood'  swings around a riff that Iommi would surely gladly shed a tear for  and claim as his own bastard child.In truth , with the exception of the slightly bland  'Her Darkness' , and the ballad 'Jericho', which does little else than  highlight  the band's admittedly solid musicianship but sounds slightly out of place on such a gleefully balls out record, there is not a song on here which could be described as less than quality.Closer 'Rejoice Lament' ends the album on high note, blitzing the listener with Maiden- esque galloping twin guitar riffery and blasts of guitar noise, and is sure to leave the listener a sweaty , grinning mess at it's climax.

To be honest, this album won't be for everyone.It is , at it's heart, an album with one eye firmly on the mainstream, and a sound and songwriting style which reflect this, which may alienate some regular visitors to this blog.But to be honest, when an album is this addictive, well made, and well,fun(and let's be honest, at the end of the day , that is something we need in these gloomy times) , it's hard to not get behind it.And for this reviewer, it's been a reminder of the glorious joy of sometimes just rocking the fuck out.Nude.With the curtains open.Sober.I for one hope they get fucking massive.

Rating : 9/10

For fans of: Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, Red Fang ,Skid Row

Listen Here:

http://www.i-decline.com

Stephen O ' Connor

bornagainnihilist@gmail.com 

Lost Classics - Clutch 'The Elephant Riders' (1998 , Columbia Records)

                                                    
What comes to mind when one thinks of elephants?
SIZE, that’s right!
And what comes to mind when one thinks of Clutch?
Also Size! Very good!
Let’s talk a bit about that wonderful occasion in 1998 when the two had a chance to meet.

Unlike their earlier hardcore orientated outings, this was the pivotal third album that saw Clutch, now enjoying major label backing from Columbia Records, indulge their southern rock influences to the fullest extent yet. Add to this, a fascinating chilled-but-heavy record production and we begin to see the Clutch that we know and love ever-so-much today. That’s not to say they abandoned what they knew and at which they were good; third track, ‘Eight Times Over Miss October’ is constructed with a selection of riffs that Greg Ginn in the later days of Black Flag wouldn’t say no to.

Neil Fallon, our favourite lyrical mad-scientist, is in absolute top form throughout this sonic adventure. As if challenging some sort of punk rock taboo, Mr. Fallon decides to take us through a labyrinth of oddly mundane and earthy lyrical content. Songs about such down-to-earth topics as recycling and being a model neighbour such as that of track seven ‘Green Buckets’ for example: “I would like to love ya, I sure would treat you right, we could take the trash out every Thursday night.” Listening to which I can picture in my mind’s eye, Fallon sitting at a kitchen table in the late morning, with a cup of tea and a writing pad, calmly penning out a few lines.

Vocally Fallon takes his already powerhouse voice to the limit of its range on this record. Want proof? Take a few minutes to listen to the record’s opening track up until its ten ton chorus! A man shouting “EL-A-PHANT riders to the North” hasn’t sounded quite as menacing since Hannibal was spotted by some luckless Italian chap in 218 BCE.

Similar to Fallon’s choice of lyrics, Guitarist Tim Sult lathers the sound of this record with guitar tones that fool the ear and brain into thinking they are heavier than they really are. Think early Sabbath records, or any heavy records of that era on which the guitars are surprisingly low gain by today’s standards but still come across weighty as swollen bollix (‘balls’, for our non Ireland and Britain readers). That potent mix of Les Paul guitars (tomatoes!) with P-90 pickups (bacon!), for good mix throw in an old school Wah sound (toast!) and give the audience all manner of Hendrixesque tricks and tones (marmalade!), send the whole lot through some vacuum tube driven amplifiers flooded with electricity (THE GRILL!!!), the result is a Full Irish Breakfast of Moorish Rock ‘n’ Roll nutrition that keeps the belly full and the spirits high for the rest of the day! Sound tasty or wha’? Sult proclaims his love for the Wah effect all over this record and uses it in all the right places, on rhythm as well as lead parts. The verse of ‘The Yeti’ would not be the same without it.

A much more traditional aspect to the sound of this record is the bass sound courtesy of Dan Maines. It is low and thumpy and nicely high in the mix, often times equaling or occasionally overtaking the guitar in the mix. It makes me think of the tones used by Motown bass players in the mid 60’s who knew that they were the steam behind the Soul train. Muchos Veses features a cool overdriven bass sound, complimented by tongue-in-cheek lyrics and a horn interlude much in the style of The Melvins in their funnier moods.

Drummer Jean Paul Gaster takes a curious backseat on this outing. Keep things nice and chilled and forever funky, only letting rip with the heaviness when the situation demands. Perhaps he was stoned? Who knows? That’s not for me to speculate. But make no mistake; his playing is as inventive and impressive as it is on any other Clutch record. An interesting amount of playing around with time signatures is going on here, I am not certain if I should attribute this to Gaster but he is the drummer after all. The verse of the aforementioned ‘Eight Times Over Miss October’ being in 5/4 time by my humble count.

Despite this laidback approach taken throughout the bulk of the record, Clutch maintain their unpredictable edge with closing track ‘Dragonfly’, a thorough bruiser weighing in at the very end of the record (I understand some versions contain hidden tracks but for the sake of simplicity I’ll call Dragonfly the last track of the album). It’s lighthearted, wah wahing intro on a single, non-threatening guitar is instantly blown away by the entire band bursting out with a signature riff followed by the unnerving chorus, and itself followed by some brief but ghostly slide guitar. The whole lot together becomes one gargantuan voice and says; “Yeah, it has all been pretty chilled but don’t get to comfortable mate…”

And my favourite word of this review has been: chilled. Oh, and don’t forget to listen to Elephant Riders too, that’s kinda been the point of this thing.

Edward Gerard Brophy
For Bornagainnihilist 2011