…FROM THE TOMB is a weekly feature in the form of a list grouping albums from the current weeks new releases with short reviews for each. These albums were overlooked for full review for any number of reasons with the most common reason being constraint of time. I try to cover as much of everything I receive in some form, be it mini-review or full-feature, so don’t hesitate to send anything and everything my way.

Here I present a grip of new releases from this week [April 1st through April 5th, 2020] with no specific genre focus or theme. This ends up being the most effective way to cover as many releases from 2020 in a timely fashion so things don’t bottleneck at the end of the year. Most of these albums made it here to …FROM THE TOMB due to time constraints for processing long-form reviews or because a paragraph or three’s worth of insight was all that was necessary. If you’re not into the selection this week, relax! This’ll be back every 7 days with more new releases from different styles, genres, etc.

Hey! Don’t dive in thinking this will all be shit just because these records aren’t getting full reviews. Quality control is an important part of this process and the focus of each entry places emphasis on expressive, meaningful, and ‘heavy’ releases that have some potential to hold value. I might not always be the target but you could be. Thank you! I am eternally grateful for the support of readers and appreciate friendly and positive interactions. Think my opinions are trash and that I suck? Want to totally tell me off, bro? Click away and let’s all live more sensible lives full of meaningful interactions.

Artist	FREEWAYS
Title [Type/Year]	True Bearings [LP/2020]
Temple of Mystery Records	BUY/LISTEN on Bandcamp!

Present day heavy rock bands bearing their souls within the comfort of 70’s and early 80’s traditions cannot help but catch the ear of ‘retro’ addicted metalheads by virtue of their origin story retold. Brampton, Ontario quartet Freeways sure have the bluesy bop of late 70’s Budgie, the loose dual guitar sling of classic Thin Lizzy, and a keen ear for what made UFO‘s oft overlooked back catalog special but at no point do they sound like a charmless wink and a nod to retro rockers. Instead the goal is the song and how they serve it comes from an obsession with what I’d call the hard rock ‘creeper’ riff, a huge and often emotionally charged core wrapped in the corduroy and paisley strange of the past. Huh? Think of mid-80’s NWOBHM as hard metal bands began to find softer avenues that moved beyond the trend, some went prog and many went pop rock but a few kept writing heavier songs with a more laid back sound. Something futuristic and a bit stoned from songwriters who were undoubtedly children of the 70’s rock era produced music not far from what Haunt, Cauldron and Freeways are doing today.

‘True Bearings’ is a point of focus for the Canadian troupe, a true showcase of the songwriting talent on hand as they pull away from the very ’76 Lizzy-isms of their ‘Cold Front‘ demo in 2017 toward a much fuller range of influences and well, a stunning hand is played generally speaking. I’d not personally found their first tape interesting but they were a sharp addition to Temple of Mystery‘s ‘Trapped Under Ice Vol. 1 – The New Face of Canadian Heavy Metal’ compilation with “Heavy Rescue”, enough that I’d been greatly anticipating ‘True Bearings’. Side A completely delivers and surpasses those expectations as I was expecting a ‘fun’ heavy rock record with some NWOBHM edges and gotten something heartfelt and charming on top of that. “Eternal Light, Eternal Night” does remind me of that first Haunt record in the best way, anthemic and brilliantly performed with a simple but powerful chorus. “Sorrow (Was Her Name)” has this incredible Quartz-meets-Slough Feg jam to it thanks to their continued use of rollicking Thin Lizzy-isms; This is the sort of song that I’ll leave on repeat for an hour or two and not realize I’ve sat there vibing off of it, staring at nothing in an idiotic meditative state and completely loving it.

The motorcycle rock stomp of “Dead Air” cannot mask the depths of its lyrics, more than just impressive wordplay but some powerful personal meaning applied to its easy-moving heaviness. For my own taste the record could end on the high point of “Battered & Bruise”, the sharpest heavy metal rock the guys have written to date. Sure that main riff is simple but what a joy it is to return to day after day, and they’ve done a fine job of breaking up the rest of the song into world class heavy rock with pianos and saxophones and a few bluesier moments really pushing out the feeling of the song rather than just deadpanning it. Nothing against the last two tracks on the album they’re just not as demanding of my attention and I’d find myself just waiting for the record to get back to the first five songs and repeat. Slap the teeth out of my face if you will, I’d just had eyes for the gold and stepped over the silver to get back to the gleam of it all. If you’re a fan of High Spirits, Haunt, and Cauldron these guys have the same vibe and honestly a bit more knack for feeling, flow, and impactful chorus despite not being as prolific just yet. With 1-2 more memorable songs on Side B this’d have been a true classic for the ‘past is reborn’ heavy metal/hard rock collective today and almost getting there on your first LP is a huge success. A high recommendation.

Artist	PALE MARE
Title [Type/Year]	II [EP/2020]
Seeing Red Records	BUY/LISTEN on Bandcamp!

No doubt the observations made in the past still hold true for Toronto, Ontario sludge metal band Pale Mare, they’ve sustained their resemblance of early High on Fire (a la ‘Blessed Black Wings’) with some bumps into the more astray sounds of -16-. Where they’ve pushed the limits a bit on their second EP, ‘II’, is in atmospheric density. The ideas are still a bit crammed into their enthusiastic songwriting, to great effect, but now they trail off into the obsidian skies a bit more often. I wouldn’t say they’ve gone post-metal by any stretch of the imagination but they’re weaving bigger and more diverse structures into their songs, each one bearing its own spiritus and ranging from a tight four minutes up to nine or so. This is a strong balance and should indicate some readiness for a full-length though I think the band have only just found the right weave of their sound without divulging the full range they’re capable of.

Despite the feeling that they’re holding back bigger ideas, ‘II’ does end up being a second breakout moment for Pale Mare. The next level beyond, or whatever step forward they’ll take, will have to decide on a balance between their propensity for ‘riff metal’ or songs with deeper hooks. For my own taste they could go full bore ‘Remission’ with their current sound (see: “Zealot”) and win my vote but I’m curious what other influences they’ve got tucked away. The ‘Selfless’-era Godflesh reminiscent thump of “Voidgazer” is almost more compelling than their straight Lair of the Minotaur-esque songs otherwise and the stoner metal whips of “Remains” are compelling for totally different reasons. Main point being that I see great potential for these forms and the very well developed whole of Pale Mare. Otherwise ‘II’ is a fine full listen with a clear aim and influences, some assumptions are subverted and no doubt they’ll push boundaries even more in the future if this EP is any indication.

Artist	NOCTURNAL PRAYER
Title [Type/Year]	Advance on Weakened Foes [Compilation/2020]
Inferna Profundus Records	BUY/LISTEN on Bandcamp!

A deeply raw, epic-attuned and melodic black metal trio that is anonymously presented Nocturnal Prayer are yet an entirely new prospect from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ‘Advance of Weakened Foes’ collects their first two demos, which are relatively recent, onto one glorious 12″ vinyl LP by way of Inferna Profundus Records, who have placed their first demo (‘Grim Sermons of the Nocturnal Prayer‘, 2019) on Side A and their second demo (‘May You Lay Waste to Astral Gods with Star Disintegration‘, 2020) on Side B. Both were previously released on cassette through another label but I personally prefer this style of ‘old school’ leaning black metal on vinyl just for the expansion of an already raw anti-production that the medium provides.

Comparisons to early Judas Iscariot alongside cover songs from LLN act Black Murder and classic Moonblood should help quite a bit when informing what you can expect from these demos. If you’re a fan of ‘epic’ blends of raw and semi-melodic black metal in general there’ll be a lot to like within. Classic early first wave European influences, a tendency toward ambitious but distanced melodies and a very cold sound make for a very orthodox but compellingly effective listen. My preference thus far has been for the instantaneous feeling of ‘Grim Sermons of the Nocturnal Prayer’ as it all holds together with a certain stoic frigidity that hits like a loosed shower of icicles from above. The second demo is warmer, looser, more grandiose in its melodic devices and though both recordings are attuned to classic Norwegian evil on some level, this one diverges toward uncertainty in an appreciable way.

The two demos work well when played back to back though I wanted more of the “Basking in Corporeal Destruction” type experimentation, moments that stood out as sparks of genius, on the second demo. The finale of “May You Lay Waste To Astral Gods With Star Disintegration” does some work to make up for that, as it is one of the finest pieces on the whole compilation. I’d recommend at least checking out those two songs to get an idea of what these guys are all about.

Artist	HOHENSTEIN
Title [Type/Year]	Weißer Hirsch [LP/2020]
Purity Through Fire	PREVIEW on YouTube

The debut full-length from German black metal duo Hohenstein is as melodic as you’d expect coming from musician Cernunnos, who is probably best known for his more aggressive and melodic project Meuchelmord. This project is far more atmospheric in nature by comparison, leaning towards slow, inoffensive and dramatic pieces. ‘Weißer Hirsch’ is named for the white stag that finds itself a symbol of magic, purity, the never ending chase of the hunt throughout history and a prominent connection with the underworld of the Celts; This symbolism paired with lyrics pertaining to old Germanic paganism enhance the stoic but sensitively delivered black metal within. I wouldn’t say any of it is particularly original or that a unique perspective is communicated within the full listen but that it features a few memorable tracks. “Ahnengrab” is probably my personal favorite piece of the lot, for its menacing riffs and pagan black metal feel otherwise. No fault to the album but I was not in right mood for such a ‘light’ and atmospheric album and didn’t find any great imagination at work within to help it stand out. A well performed and inspired work nonetheless.

Artist	DUIVEL
Title [Type/Year]	Tirades uit de Hel [LP/2020]
Ván Records	PREVIEW on YouTube!

Duivel is an intense, raw and traditional-yet-inventive black metal project out of the Netherlands that features members of Urfaust, Black Anvil, and Fluisterwoud. The guitar work is a clangorous live wire that comes by way of Urfaust‘s drummer who here is simply referred to as N., his work along with fellow bandmates starts off feeling very orthodox and raw but soon bends into modern realms influenced by modern rock as well as the many guest vocalists featured on the album. Barditus (ex-Lugubrum), IX (Urfaust), Vaal, and Gwydion Sagelinge (Galgeras) each feature on their own songs, setting their death poetry to Duivel‘s shape-shifting sound. I suppose that was the confusion when I first fired up ‘Tirades From Hell’ (‘Tirades uit de Hel’) where I was not sure exactly what the unifying theme was beyond the implied title.

The vocal styles expressed by of each contributors are just as worthy as the last but without a singular driver the experience does not unify easily. Fine guitar work help to keep the balance while Paul Delaney‘s (Black Anvil, ex-Kill Your Idols) bass work here is notable for how it hovers and stands apart from the sheet metal guitar sound that screeches across the length of the album. It gives the album a slight Oranssi Pazuzu vibe at times, just for the psych rock bump of certain basslines which help an otherwise belligerent and raucous black metal record maintain some musical direction. The short and fragmentary nature of Duivel‘s debut keeps me from connecting with it but there are no knocks give to its high quality performance, strong black metal sound design, and often inspired songwriting. If the tracks felt more ‘related’, focused, or slightly more complimentary in their presence I’d be fully on board.

Artist	ANDE
Title [Type/Year]	Vossenkuil [LP/2020]
Ande on Facebook	BUY/LISTEN on Bandcamp!

Hailing from Bilzen in the Limburg region of Belgium atmospheric black metal band Ande comes by way of musician Jim Christiaens who holds steadfast to his ideal sound on ‘Vossenkuil’, the third album from his project. I wouldn’t say that I was impressed with any part of Side A (or, the first half) for the sake of none of it really matching the energy of tracks like “De Hutten”, which kicks off the far more compelling second half. A strong cover of Lugubrum‘s “Mijn Koninkrijk Van Groen”, the dramatic spoken/synth closer for their massive ’97 album ‘Gedachte & geheugen’ made into a dramatic black metal song. I think this cover helps to put into context the vision that Ande intends but also highlights the lack of effective melody in many of the songs surrounding it. With that said, Side B redeems this album quite a bit as it feels less sleepy by comparison and retains a mystic feeling on the last two songs. “Sneeuw Op Het Meer” is one of the better pieces overall though I didn’t fully understand the imbalanced nature of the synths on instrumental closer “Afsluiting”. I surely came away from the experience knowing Ande better though I am not sure the guitar work on the first half of the record and the instrumental nature of several songs will stick in my memory at all. No doubt the atmospheric and folkish black metal diehards among us will understand its graces better than I.

Artist	FORNDOM
Title [Type/Year]	Faþir [LP/2020]
Nordvis Produktion	BUY/LISTEN on Bandcamp!

Setting and spirituality create more than mere theme for Scandinavian folk artist Forndom, the young Ludvig Swärd, whose music is intensely tied with his worldview and interactions with community and contemporary. All manner of research can’t necessarily divine any extra description of his latest album, ‘Faþir’, but a closer look reveals a very serious and deliberate goal of direct communication with the listener well, granted that they have some grasp of Swedish. The music itself is a set of haunting folk spirituals that use a base of ritualistic and dramatic percussion to pace largely vocally driven pieces, slow and haunting but never ominous. Forndom‘s debut full-length (‘Dauðra Dura‘, 2016) was similarly effective yet ‘Faþir’ advances the general fidelity of the experience, gaining an dramatic sense of atmosphere thanks to use of string arrangements and fine synth work. There are moments where I’m reminded of Wardruna as much as Dead Can Dance but the main component to focus upon is the subtle and insistent voice of Swärd, who communicates with consistency a theme of death and creation, life and dissolution. Cinematic and often verging on ‘new age’ sized movements there is the sense that Forndom go ‘too far’ at some point on the full listen and yet the fact that he has leaned so far into this idea makes it all the more compelling. That this album manages to be immersive and meaningfully conveyed even when I don’t understand most of the lyrics speaks to the charisma of the artist and the ‘going for it’ vision behind it.

Artist	SKAM
Title [Type/Year]	The Sound of Disease [LP/2020]
Redefining Darkness Records	BUY & LISTEN on Bandcamp!

As much as you might want to see ‘Sounds of a Disease’ as a timely premonition of the current state of confinement and fear across the globe by way of viral plague the disease that Swedish project Skam refers to is actually mental illness and the lack of true resources being devoted to it throughout the world. It is something worth stewing over, eh? That so many civilizations would argue psychology away from public health concerns so vehemently speaks to a deep distrust held among people who view thier experience as singular, unique and entirely private. Sonically extreme as ‘The Sound of Disease’ is, sounding a bit like early 2000’s Nasum if they were a black/death metal band leaning into a bit of Lindberg-era Skitsystem, the main propulsion behind the music is an empathy for the suicidal affected. It is a reaction to the chaotic and unreal nature of the human experience today. Or, is that perception a distortion of reality caused by isolation?

At any rate this band is generally anonymous but spearheaded by one musician M., who is almost definitely Mats Andersson of Wretched Fate if we are to triangulate the other staff on the album. He offers a very sharp 30 minute blast with a few off-the-cuff bursts along the way, the neoclassical shred on “Shit Out of Luck” being the most prominently divergent moment on the first half of the album. Most of the record is fairly similar otherwise, blasting hard through 2-3 minute songs that make a fine grind between black/death and crust punk influenced arenas. The ferocity and fidelity of the experience is what sticks though the songs blur together quickly on the second half of the record.

Artist	ENDLESS FORMS MOST GRUESOME
Title [Type/Year]	Endless Forms Most Gruesome [LP/2020]
Inverse Records	BUY & LISTEN on Bandcamp!

As both of their main projects enter some quiet dormancy it is the perfect time for this Finnish duo of multi-instrumentalist Juuso Raatikainen (Swallow the Sun, Hedonihil) and Ghost Brigade vocalist Manne Ikonen to release their joint vision of sludge and death metal influenced alternative metal in the form of Endless Forms Most Gruesome.  The name is interesting, turning a Darwin quote on its head in a simple way, though I am not particularly impressed by the music within.  Raatikainen intended to write an album with reverence for 90’s influences, citing Korn and Deftones as well as the bands he had grown up loving, including the one he now plays drums in. Of course I am not going to like an album influenced by the nu metal I grew up with, nor am I the biggest fan of the sort of Meshuggah styled flatness of the vocals on this album. It reads a bit like a slow-motion ‘Destroy. Erase. Improve.’ which, I suppose sounds more interesting than ‘Endless Forms Most Gruesome’ is. There are a couple of redeeming qualities for my own taste, though. The compositions are well-linked and sharply presented, the tone of the album is consistent and thoughtful, the idea of the album is meaningful and well constructed. Where I fall off comes with the guitar sound, it sounds a bit like a stock ‘epic metal’ digital plug-in and the mixture of groove metal and almost doom metal influenced sounds do not gel together on tracks like “Goat” where it becomes clear they’d thrive much more leaving behind the awkward love for 90’s angst and put out a ‘modern’ doom record. But anyhow, take my opinion with a grain of salt as I am not the right person to react to anything this ‘accessible’ or, with nostalgia for music I’d like to forget.

Artist	BEGGAR
Title [Type/Year]	Compelled to Repeat [LP/2020]
APF Records	BUY & LISTEN Bandcamp!

I figure my approach of the album art from London-based sludge metal band Beggar‘s debut album as a mildly successful analogue for the experience as a whole. The first impression was something along the lines of “Eh, plain and cheap” if I can be so frank with my cynical thought process, that’d be my reaction to a good bulk of present day sludge. When I’d take a closer look at the art, the feathered strands of sky and the industrial atmosphere thick and low enough to hide the peaks of pollution spewing towers… the impact of the image revealed itself. I mean to suggest that ‘Compelled to Repeat’ makes a similar first impression at a glance when flicked on but, it wasn’t long before I’d begun to see the layers of meaning and the greater journey toward self-realization that the album represents for Beggar.

Well, what do you love about sludge metal? If you lean towards the maniac extreme punk of Iron Monkey and the nasty, nastier hiss of Eyehategod then no doubt Beggar have a bit of that snarl and southern-rocked punkishness in their spheres. If you’re prone to something even a bit more extreme, such as Grief or something a bit more stark such as Toadliquor then you’ve gone too far in the wrong direction. ‘Compelled to Repeat’ has a bit of the blues, those early Soundgarden-esque inner workings informing their hissing sludge guitar weave and “Black Cloud” does a fine job easing the listener into that headspace, loosening the vitriol and letting the groove set a hand on the shoulder of the anxietous. Extreme metal surely influences their roll, and you’ll hear deep growls (“Tenantless the Graves”) cropping up to extend the emotional range of the album but I couldn’t help but feel the sense of devastation always outweighed the rage expressed, a profound empathy overpowering any nihilistic feelings expressed; This should appeal to doom metal fans despite the angular swing of the riffs Beggar sport and the distorted gnarl of the vocals the often turns to guttural bellows. In fact an open mind is a prerequisite no matter which direction you lean as the second half of the album finds ‘Compelled to Repeat’ nigh suffocating beneath the growling reproach put forth.

Some elements are familiar, some combinations are known, and surely all things have been ‘done’ but at any rate Beggar do not ever express as followers or hangers-on within this fine debut album. There is something gorgeously 90’s about how they’ve taken a soulful warp of heavy blues and a horrifying twinge of death metal under the woeful static charge of sludge metal’s broad-reaching umbrella and not made any of it feel forced or self-conscious. I think the only thing missing is a bit of extra texture here and there, a different bout of guitar sound or an unexpected guest is probably best experimented with on a second LP but I’d found myself eager for the shake-up that “Trepanned Head Stares at the Sun” brings, maybe a song or two earlier in the tracklist. I’d normally say Beggar are a band “to watch” and surely they’re on a brilliant trajectory but I’d rather suggest they’re a band “to listen” to, like right now, especially you’re a fan of classic sludge metal with a grand pool of modern but never glossy updates abound. Filth, outrage, and catharsis, exactly as sludge metal should express.

Artist	GRIEVE
Title [Type/Year]	Grieve [12″ EP/2020]
Werewolf Records	BUY/LISTEN on Bandcamp!

This 12 minute debut EP from Finnish atmospheric black metal band Grieve first self-released back in 2019 and today releases on 12″ vinyl through Werewolf Records with their usual fine attention to detail. I’ve no information to go on beyond they’ve correctly identified themselves as ‘true Finnish black metal’ but perhaps with the breeze of the atmospheric type on display. Two dramatic and emotionally driven songs provide a sweeping motion, perfectly expressed withing the watery half-dried and dark brushstrokes of the cover art. Each is about six minutes, played at a jogging pace and with a melodic wanderlust offering worthy guidance. The first song “Spiteful Scourge” is fairly standard as it begins but some ambient keyboards and lead work highlight the conclusion similar to what they’ve done to end the more silken movements of “Lohduton”. The construction of these pieces is immaculate, well balanced, and the songwriting is evocative enough but I wasn’t too inspired by the content so much as the effective ‘feeling’ they’ve landed upon. A decent enough introduction but I’d hope there are more shades to work within their sound than these.

Artist	LUCIFER STAR MACHINE
Title [Type/Year]	Devil’s Breath [LP/2020]
The Sign Records	BUY & LISTEN on Bandcamp!

German “hardcore rock n’ roll” band Lucifer Star Machine kicked their career off in the mid-2000’s sandwiching themselves in between fully sparked garage rock revivalists and the tail end of Turbonegro‘s influential late 90’s era. All of their stuff has been massively catchy, informed by the sing-alongs of classic Misfits as much as they are the burly poke of Zeke, and all of the melodic punk rock in between. Plenty of bands phone this type of stuff in but these guys always give the impression they’ve put a lot of thought and some perfectionist tendencies into their songwriting. Everything is tightly performed, buttoned up, and although their lyrics are not entirely anti-religion the sentiment that religion has no value to humanity is there and very important! Not much else to really elaborate on, this stuff isn’t for everyone and not all the songs work (“El Camino Real” is a stretch for me) but if you’re inclined towards heavily stylized garage punk n’ roll these guys are worth checking out.

Artist	WEED DEMON
Title [Type/Year]	Crater Maker [LP/2020]
Electric Valley Records	BUY & LISTEN on Bandcamp!

I’m not sure if it was the best way to flow into their second full-length but the duo of instrumentals that kick off Ohio sludge/doom metal band Weed Demon‘s ‘Crater Maker’ definitely make a loud and monstrous first impression. When I reviewed the vinyl issue of the bands debut (‘Astrological Passages‘, 2017) no doubt I wasn’t jumping out of my chair for ’em but it was a solid and pretty extreme take on the usual stoner doom/sludge metal meshing. ‘Crater Maker’ is heavier, certainly more extreme, but far more clean in its presentation. A proper mix goes a long way to balance some of the raw edges of their psychedelic brutality although the material doesn’t evolve the bands sound too much. They’re a bit more bold with their choices, there are some straight up death metal sections (“Crater Maker”) and the album as a whole tosses away some of the stoner music tropes for the sake of something uglier, more readable as extreme sludge/doom. Think along the lines of Coffin Torture at their most intense. With that said my favorite moment on the record might’ve actually been the easy-flowing sludge rock bump of instrumental “Elder Tree Pyre”, though it serves as setup for the impressive closer “Sporelord” which clocks in around nine or so minutes if clipping away the 3-4 minutes of silence and minor reprisal at the very end. A great second step for the band as they reach for something heavier and divergent from the greater norms of sludge/doom hybridization.

Artist	SATYRUS
Title [Type/Year]	Rites [LP/2020]
Satyrus on Facebook	BUY & LISTEN on Bandcamp

Sicilian occult doom metal band Satyrus arrive with some notable confidence and some ambition toward atmospheric impact that they’re not quite ready to deliver just yet. ‘Rites’ is a fine first album with plenty of strong slow-motion riffs and some expressive vocal performances but the parts do not always align into a whole record. The 11+ minute opener “Black Satyrus” gets the mood right but the performances are slightly off, where the vocals aren’t exactly in step with the rest of the band and the timing is slightly off with the guitars. This works in a lot of doom metal styles but not on a ‘live in studio’ feeling first record, a sort of ‘off kilter’ feeling works quite well for many bands but not when that style leans towards Candlemass a bit. Fellow Italians Black Oath had a similar issue with some of their early material, wanting the ancient ‘amateur’ feeling of the old ways but stumbling a bit too much. I haven’t passed on the record yet, though and most of ‘Rites’ is a trip through ritualistic pieces of sluggish but somewhat wild doom metal. There is some great potential for trance-like induction into Satyrus‘ world but they really need to rethink the guitar tone, or the extra distortion applied to the bass tone (? I think) as the cheap and broken distortion sound lends nothing more than static cling to the album’s otherwise powerful movements. “Stigma” is the song I’d recommend in preview, it has a nice Sabbath groove early on that should hold the average doom metal fans interest long enough to check out a few more songs.

Artist	NIGHT
Title [Type/Year]	Night [7″ EP/2020]
The Sign Records	BUY & LISTEN on Bandcamp!

It’s been too long! Three years have passed since Linköping, Sweden based heavy rockers Night released their third album (‘Raft of the World‘) and what a breath of fresh air their latest 7″ single is. ‘Night’ features two songs that are both in the style of revivalist 70’s heavy rock/metal with some pronounced influences from pre-’78 Judas Priest and that era of classic rock/heavy metal in general. The roots of their music are firmly planted in traditional heavy metal of the early NWOBHM period but the stuff from bands that refused to leave the 70’s behind. The key point of discussion surrounding what makes Night special should begin with the fact that they are fantastic songwriters. A few of these guys have some involvement with Ambush so you know they’ve got the right energy and sound but none of that’d matter if they were not so brilliant at delivering the goods in terms of memorable vocal patterns, actual choruses, and some evocative guitar work. No doubt this is a brief experience but man, do they hit hard with these two songs. There is this wild Roky Erickson-meets-Priest feeling to the expressive arms-swinging-open verses of “Feeling it Everywhere” and the sharp, more traditional heavy metal punch of “Kings of the Night” is a real anthemic moment recalling that ‘Diamonds’ record from Enforcer I’m always talking about. Great couple of songs and highly recommend them for a quick smack of catchy heavy rock.

 

If I missed your favorite album from 2020 already, whoa! E-mail me or hit me up on twitter if you want me to review it. If you’re in a band and you want a review of your latest, hit the Contact page and send me a copy, I’ll consider it.