alternative rock

(9/10) Two years ago,German alternative rocker Black Space Riders released the critically acclaimed  „Refugeeum“ longplayer, followed by an EP, „Beyond Refugeeum“, where the band used a more electronic approach which fit the guys very well.

This EP was meant to bridge the waiting time till the new album will hit the record stores. Here it is - „Amoretum Vol. 1“. The longplayer features eight songs, all in the typical Black Space Riders way. As the predecessor, also the newest disc offers tunes that are excellent. Pigeonhole thinking doesn’t work with Black Space Riders. This sextet adds so many twists and influences to their music that it‘s a mission impossible to say what it is. A glimpse on the label info sheet offers at least a try. There you can read ‚New Wave of Heavy Psychedelic Space Rock‘. I think it gets close to what Black Space Riders sound is about and I assume that these six Germans are the only band in this niche.

Album number six starts hard and surprisingly heavy. „Lovely Lovelie“ gives the idea of being a lovely ouverture but it‘s a dirty riff monster that includes some growls half way down the road. After such a great beginning the sound takes a turn with „Another Sort of Homecoming“. It‘s an funky rock beginning followed by some fuzz guitars along the way. Also some New Wave influences are embedded in this track which makes the range of sounds even wider.

„Soul Shelter“ instead is kept gloomy and wistful. I had to think about Fields Of Nephilim when I heard the song for the first time. But Black Space Riders would‘t be Black Space Riders when they would stick to this pattern. The tune evolves to a rhythm-based alternative rocker per excellence that gets real loud in the chorus.

And just to establish a counterpart to all you‘ve heard before it‘s „Movement“ that stands for the soulful side of JE, SEB, C.RIP, SLI, SAQ and MEI - at least in the first half. Around halftime the track turns into a progressive post-rocker with a wow factor.

To show the width of sounds also means to mention „“Come and Follow“ which is a grooving tune reminding of the 90‘s in general and Tool in specific.

This exciting alternative rock adventure finds an end with „Fellow Peacemaker“ which shows again the musical finesse and creative mind of this sextett. It‘s a sphereful closer with fragile piano sounds, big soundscapes, a noisy middle section and a calm finish.

But Black Space Riders is not solely about music. The band also pays a lot of attention to lyrics. These are far more than just a ‚must‘ and words that goes with the music. Again things start with the title of the album. ‚Amoretum‘ is a combination of two word - ‚Amor‘ and ‚Arboretum‘. In a world of fear, rage and hate also love needs to have place and needs to be protected. The album addresses the constant conflict between the dark side and the moments of light, filled with love and empathy.

„Amoretum Vol.1“ is a complete package. Music, lyrics and artwork represent a Gesamtkunstwerk. This longplayer is more than only a carrier for eight songs. This album is a creative cornerstone in rock that gives pleasure from beginning to end. Impressive work that makes it hard to wait for „Vol.2“ which is announced for later this year. 

(9/10)

Tracklist:

1. Lovely lovelie
2. Another Sort of Homecoming
3. Soul Shelter
4. Movements
5. Come and Follow
6. Friends are Falling
7. Fire! Fire! (Death of a Giant)
8. Fellow Peacemaker

Label: Black Space Records / Cargo Records

Genre: New Wave of Heavy Psychedelic Space Rock

Release Date EU: January 26th, 2018

(8/10) It was few years ago when a mail reached my mailbox, talking about a band with a very unusual name - Shit The Cow. That such a name creates attention is no-brainer but do these guys have more in the offer than a crazy name? They do.

Before we go deeper into the new longplayer we need to stand still for a few more seconds with the band's name. The origin of this moniker is based on one of the first songs the band wrote. It was a track about a character that was half man and half cow, called 'Shit' by everyone. And since it was such an absurd story and such an unconventional name, the guys decided to use it for their band. Shit The Cow was born.

After having released some EP's, of which "Rissna" is still the best one, it's "Cavelord" that acts as the debut album of the guys from Mid-Sweden. I was curiously looking forward to this album and after having given the album some loops I must say that it easily lives up to expectations. 

"Cavelord" comprises nine new songs, all with a kick-ass attitude. What I like with this longplayer is the liveliness that comes with it. "Cavelord" is build on passion for music that's authentic and real. Shit The Cow isn't about music that's written for commercial success or a wide fanbase. These four guys follow their dedication for heavy rocking music in their own niche of rock, stoner, garage and alternative. 

The band describes the album as being" heavier, noisier and more melodic at the same time", a statement I can agree with a 100%.

The starting point is called "Resolve / Resist", a song that reminds during the first seconds of Metallica. After such a start it's a roaring bass that pushes this noisy tune to its limits. "Twist and Shout" follows, representing the stoner aspect of Shit The Cow's sound. The fact that the vocals are shared, with Alexandra Lindqvist supporting the guys, gives the number some new nuances before the title songs unveils the band's furious side. Talking about furious songs means also to mention "You Bought a Knife". This is the hardest tune I've heard of the band up-to-date. A hardcore vibe characterises this merciless number which is almost a counterpart to the calmer "Shelter" which is the final track on the album. Acoustic guitars kick off the tune before some noise outbursts break the silence. The two things that are fascinating with the closer are the simple but effective groove of "Shelter" and the saxophone part which adds another dimension to Shit The Cow's sound. 

"Cavelord" became an excellent full-length debut. Shit The Cow is a damn cool rock outfit from Sweden. These guys celebrate rock music which each tone played. "Cavelord" feels like an album they did for themselves and if there are more people out there, appreciating the effort it's more an extra win than the original aim. Cool stuff.

(8/10) 

Tracklist:

1. Resolve / Resist
2. Twist and Shout
3. Cavelord
4. Burning Man
5. The Gathering
6. Changing of the Gods
7. You Bought a Knife
8. Gamma Sunrise
9. Shelter

Label: Self-released

Genre: Stoner / Alternative Rock

Release Date EU: December 7th, 2017

German Riffonauts Black Space Riders are proud to announce the January 26th release of new album Amoretum Vol. 1.

The internationally acclaimed predecessor Refugeeum brought the band renown with its mixture of thoughtful, sensitive themes and hard, atmospheric rock. Two years have passed since then, two years in which the world has not necessarily become a better place in the eyes of most people.

War, terror, displacement, destruction, rejection and nationalism dominate the headlines. Or, as a wise little green fellow once said: "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."

"All you need is love", countered the Beatles in 1967. The response of Black Space Riders in 2018 is Amoretum, a made-up word comprising "amor" and "arboretum" to symbolize a protective garden and a germ seed of love. And so the new song cycle of Black Space Riders is all about the conflict between fear-hate-rejection-darkness on the one hand, and love-empathy-care-light on the other.  For, how else should we overcome hate, if not with love?

Musically, this conflict is consistently put into practice by a band that beats its own path and is constantly developing. The electronic experiments of the Beyond Regugeeum EP of 2016 have been reduced sonically and cleverly integrated into the powerfully sounding songs. Between fat, dirty riffs and trippy delays, everything that sounds good is allowed; the album is interspersed with a flowing groove throughout and an ever-present atmosphere that embraces the listener. Heavy, sometimes proggy, often psychedelic, always engaging and almost catchy and danceable, Amoretum Vol. 1 takes us by the hand, shows us the dark side, and then wants to give us the hope back that we so often painfully miss.

The album flows from song to song as if from a single cast. The listener wonders after 45 minutes whether everything is really already over, and wants to go back to the beginning again immediately. 

But of course everything is not over after 45 minutes in the world of Black Space Riders. The band also announces a second chapter for 2018 ... Amoretum Vol. 2 is waiting for us, while we are looking forward to Amoretum Vol 1.

(4/10) The gap between Warrior Soul‘s phenomenal first two longplayers and the newest record „Back on the Lash“ couldn‘t be bigger.

Kory Clarke and his gang surprised the scene in 1990 with the debut “Last Decade Dead Century”. The energetic combination of rock, metal and punk led to two jaw-dropping good longplayers that still belong to my personal faves, followed by the equally good “Drugs, God and the New Republic”.

Unfortunately a downwards spiral started with another low-light in 2017. The newest album under the moniker of Warrior Soul, is entitled „Back on the Lash“. The record comprises nine songs with a running time of appr. 32 minutes. That‘s the first downer with the album. The lack of quantity could be balanced by awesome quality, a hope that‘s blown away by the first tune. This album contains trivial and boring hardrock with Clarke‘s hoarse voice being in the forefront. Furthermore there are rattling drums in the background, a bass that‘s, with some exeptions, simply not present and riffs that are uninspired.

It‘s hard to listen to this album knowing from where Warrior Soul comes from. This album is final farewell for Warrior Soul, a band that‘s nowadays only a legend in their own minds. The only colourful thing with this longplayer is the artwork.

(4/10)

Tracklist:

1. American Idol
2. I Get Fucked Up
3. Back on the Lash
4. Further Decay
5. Thrill Seeker
6. Going Broke
7. Black Out
8. I Got the Rock
9. That’s How We Roll

Label: Livewire

Genre: Hardrock

Release Date EU: December 1^st,,2017

(8/10) Most of you might know Jen Majura as being a member of Evanescence. It was two years ago when the guitarist from Stuttgart, Germany was announced being a member of the highly successful dark metal outfit. Looking into the musical history of Jen Majura brings a lot of exciting projects to surface in which the singer/guitarist contributed. Majura was part of Knorkator as well as she was bass player in Equilibrium. And last but not least she contributed to Rage’s “Lord of the Flies” with a guest appearance and went on tour with Peavy Wagner and Co.

Next to all this exciting moments Jen never lost solo ambitions with the newest album being in the starting blocks. “inZENity” is the name of Jen Majura’s solo record that will be released on November 24^th. The longplayer comprises 11 songs that fall under the header of ‘hardrock’. This gives you first idea about what to expect.

Hardrock music can cover a wide spectrum and in this case it’s much wider than solely straight-on songs. Those are on the album too, but due to creativity and talent this record features songs that are wild, furious and sometimes crazy. It’s mainly the unexpected twists that adds a diversity to it. Sometimes you listen to the opener of an album and you know how the rest will sound like. It’s different with “InZENity”. As soon as you think of having found a pattern things take another direction, leading to songs like the title track and "Sick Brain". What, on top of all this, enriches the album is a contribution of no less than Alex Skolnik (Testament), Jeff Waters (Annihilator), Mattias Eklundh (Freak Kitchen) and more.

“InZENity” became a really good longplayer that shows how widely the frames of hardrock can be interpreted. Jen Majura is an all-rounder when it comes to music and that’s what she embedded in each of the 11 songs. Good music for fans that want to be a bit challenged here and there.

(8/10)

Tracklist:

1. All the other ones
2. InZENity
3. Leave me
4. Drama Queen
5. Bully lies
6. Lied ohne Namen
7. Sick brain
8. Stupid piece of wood
9. Tobi didn’t show up for breakfast
10. Like Chuck Norris
11. Far away

Label: SAOL

Genre: Hardrock

Release Date EU: November 24th, 2017

(8/10) ‘Sometimes chicken, sometimes feathers’ – that’s life in general and also the daily experience of a reviewer. Not all releases are a pure delight and receiving an album of a band I haven’t heard before didn't lead to any expectations, neither it inflamed endless euphoria.

Before pressing the ‘Play’-button there’s always the packaging that leads to some first thought and the same goes for the name of a band. OK, I received a CD of a band that calls themselves The Erkonauts which is a rather unusual moniker for a metal band, if they are one. Also the artwork didn’t really fit into the context of Indie Recordings' portfolio which normally contains a lot of real heavy stuff.

Anyhow, who dares wins, meaning in this case ‘press Play’. I did it and to my surprise things sounded actually quite good. The Erkonauts is a band, hailing from Switzerland. Neither being rooted in the Gotthard-like hardrock scene nor celebrating a Celtic Frost-like riff gloominess, The Erkonauts found their own interesting mixture of styles. Metal, punk and rock are all present on the band’s newest album “I Shall Forgive”. Actually there is nothing to forgive since things get out of the boxes very well. The guys hopefully forgive me that I missed the debut “I Did Something Bad”, which was published in 2014.

The Geneva-based band has an innovative approach without re-inventing the wheel. Their songs have an alternative touch that is the common ingredient throughout. They combine this foundation with an immense groove (“The Groove of the Sorry” and “Little Mary”), a dirty street vibe (“Seven Macaw”) and even growls are part of this musical kaleidoscope (“Sappy”). What could lead to a scattered picture is kept together in a good fashion and in a wider sense I was reminded of German Pyogenesis while listening to “I Shall Forgive”. This album is definitely a positive surprise – chicken today.

(8/10)

Tracklist:

1. Little Mary
2. Seven Macaw
3. Globlebl
4. The Snick
5. Chaos Never Fails to Appeal
6. The Groove of the Sorry
7. Cacoit
8. Tales of a Thousand Lives
9. Sappy (feat Tom Mumagrinder)

Label: Indie Recordings

Genre: Alternative Metal

Release Date EU: November 11^th, 2017

(8/10) “Blood” is a rather unusual album when it comes to Nuclear Blast. The Swabian label signed Swedish dark rock outfit Then Comes Silence and “Blood” is the first countable result of this cooperation. But instead of razorblade sharp riffs and deep growls it’s a dark rock sound that finds its way to your ears and mind.

Then Comes Silence started in 2012 in Stockholm and managed to publish three longplayer up to date. I must admit that I missed these releases and I could imagine that the same goes for some of you. But now, with the support of Nuclear Blast, the Swedes have an excellent opportunity to increase awareness on a more global level with a new longplayer.

“Blood” is the fourth record of this indie rock outfit. Then Comes Silence is no metal. The four-piece band describes their sound as a mixture of Darkwave/ Gothic and Post-Punk, which I brings it pretty much to the point. The quartet reminds of bands such as Bauhaus, but also Joy Division and Fields Of The Nephilim can be seen as references for what the guys from Stockholm release on their newest strike.

The beauty with each of the songs is the intensity that come with it. Then Comes Silence create a dense sound that is equally build on guitar and synthesizer. Supported by a grooving beat and excellent vocals the longplayer is a ‘must have’ for gothic fans as well as for supporters of the earlier mentioned groups.

Songs you should listen to are the speedy “Flashing Pangs of Love” which, I think, shows the entire fascination of Then Comes Silence. But also the slow and gloomy “Good Friday” belongs to the outstanding tracks on the album. These two songs stand for the entire album that comes with a rich variety of sounds, all kept together by a melancholic vibe. The slow paced “Magnetic” is another example, showing the width of “Blood”, an album that lives by the beauty of darkness. 

Then Comes Silence is an interesting album that adds something new to Nuclear Blast’s portfolio. These Swedes prove that ‘silence’ can be loud’ too.

(8/10)

Tracklist:

1. The Dead Cry for No One
2. Flashing Pangs of Love
3. Strange Kicks
4. My Bones
5. In Leash
6. Choose Your Poison
7. Good Friday
8. The Rest Will Follow
9. Magnetic
10. Warm Like Blood
11. Mercury

Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Genre: Darkwave/Gothic

Release Date EU: October 20th, 2017

Hamburg-based rock outfit Brett shows that intensity is not a perfume - it's about sweat and adrenaline. The guys are on a short tour which they put under the header of 'JägerMusic Kneipentour'. Here are the dates:

It was a year ago when Zodiac, Raveneye and Honeymoon Disease brought some warm and powerful rock to Leiden, Netherlands. By the way, don't miss Honeymoon Disease's upcoming release. Stay tuned for the review.

Markus’ Heavy Music Blog: Hello everybody and thanks for spending some time for Markus’ Heavy Music Blog. My first question is actually related to the current situation in Texas. You guys are from San Antonio and I hope that the city wasn’t that much hit by ‘Harvey’.

Mark: Hey Markus!  I’m Mark too so it’s good to be chatting with a fellow awesome dude named Mark haha!

Fortunately, San Antonio was not heavily affected by 'Harvey'. We live far enough inland that the storm just brought us heavy wind and rain. We avoided all the floods. Obviously, we all know how bad it demolished Houston, Rockport and the surrounding areas though. Jonny and I both have family and lots of friends that were directly affected and went through the worst of it. But I feel that our country learned something from the past when 'Katrina' hit and this time people came together more quickly in this time of need. People like JJ Watt & Jimmy Fallon from the tonight show raised and donated millions and millions of dollars to help out. It’s really amazing to see that kind of outreach. Nothing More donated to JJ’s fund.

MHMB: That's good news in such an extreme situation. So, let’s have a look on some even more positive things - the new album. “The Stories We Tell Ourselves” got to the record stores mid-September. The album addresses the topic of a disconnection between reality and the stories we tell ourselves. How did you came up with this theme for the album?

Jonny: The title was on the back of my mind since the beginning of the writing process, and I can't recall exactly what put it there. But in the midst of going through some challenging changes in my life I found a lot of solace and strength by listening to lectures done by Les Brown, Tony Robbins, Owen Cook and Jordan Peterson. A common theme I find in those lectures, as well as my personal experiences, was realizing how extremely powerful self-narrative and self-identity are when it comes to determining where you end up in life. The stories we tell ourselves every day, every week, every month and every year are the stories we become. If something doesn't work out how you planned is it a *lesson or a *failure? If something inconvenient comes our way is it a *challenge or a *curse? At its heart it's basically glass half full of glass half empty thinking... but the life implications are HUGE. It's a mistake to underestimate it. 

MHMB: Since the topic is present through-out the entire album, would you say that “The Stories We Tell Ourselves” is a concept album? And if ‘No’, why not?

Jonny: Yes, totally a concept album. 

MHMB: “Nothing More” included with “Jenny” a song that has a very personal link. How much own experiences and personal stories are connected to the new songs?

Mark: We’ve always been huge fans of Ben Folds. He wrote songs about specific stories and events; Songs like Zakk & Sara, Annie Waits, Fred Jones Part II, & Steven’s Last Night in Town are some of our favorite tracks of his.  The fact that he included these names and details made us fall in love with these tracks. He gave the song a personal feel and really made you want to know them and wonder if they were real people!  We always like to include personal stories and events as well and the new album The Stories We Tell Ourselves is no exception.  The album stretches from personal stories of divorce, to addiction, and to fatherhood. We’re all very connected to these songs and we’re so stoked for people to really dive into these songs.

MHMB: “Go to War”, a song that can reach a wider group of rock fans, was the first single from the album. Why did you decided to go for this track?

Jonny: We wrote "Go to War" very fast, having most of it done within thirty minutes.  That’s usually a good sign that you are connected deeply with the emotions driving writing the process and that it has a good chance to make a listener really feel something.  It was actually the first song from the album we shared with our label and we thought it would make a great first single from the start.

MHMB: The tracklist also features some interludes. What was the thinking behind this interesting addition?

Mark: Nothing More has always been an advocate of instrumental tracks.  One of the biggest problems in our band is that we always have too much material. We typically snag bits and pieces of music that didn’t make turn into full songs and make instrumentals out of them. I personally love doing this because it lets us be more artistic with our instruments and gives us a break from thinking about melody and lyrics. The instrumentals spliced throughout a record can give your ear a bit of a break and let you meditate on a thought or idea before transitioning into the next song. If you haven’t listened to Dredg’s el Cielo do so now. It’s probably our collective favorite album and is part of the inspiration for the band creating on this level.

MHMB: 2014 was a turning point for the band, signing with Eleven Seven Music. How did things change since then compared to the earlier days?

Jonny: The biggest difference is that we now have a team of people working around us helping us reach a wider audience. We work harder now than we ever have, but that support team allows us to be more focused on writing, recording and performing.

MHMB: Is there anything more you want to share with the readers of Markus’ Heavy Music Blog?

Mark: We just want to say thank you to everyone that has supported us along the way.  We’re just happy and blessed we get to play, write and record music for a living that people seem to appreciate so much. I know what it’s like to fall in love with bands and songs and it’s one of the best things about being alive. Cheers!

(7/10) The first time I heard of Klogr was a few years back in time when the guys supported the mighty Prong on one of their European tour. The guys did a very good job, meaning their performance was very much appreciated by the crowd that actually came for the headliner. Since I guess that the show in Haarlem wasn’t an exception the guys could make some new friends on the entire tour.

After some touring Klogr went back to the studio for recording their newest album “Keystone”.  It’s the third longplayer of this Italian-American rock outfit and it shows the band more mature and powerful. The new record feature twelve songs, all standing for well-done alternative metal that’s inspired by bands such as Alter Bridge and some post-grunge bands. But also some thrash roots are part of Klogr’s sound.

The quartet can play hard and heavy which they prove with songs like “Technocracy” and also “Enigmatic Smile” fires on all cylinders. I must say the more often I hear these songs I have to thing of German Undertow. However, this goes more for the harder ones while the album also comes with calmer tones, at least partly. “Dark Tides” is an intense song that has some silent notes embedded before the song shifts gears in the chorus, all of this introduced by a short interlude called “Sirens Song”.

“Keystone” is definitely a strong pillar for Klogr, which will hopefully help the quartet to enlarge their fan base. The album is worth it to spend some time with.

(7/10)

Tracklist:

1. Sleeping Through the Seasons
2. Prison of Light
3. Technocracy
4. The Echoes of Sin
5. Pride before the Fall
6. Something’s in the Air
7. Drag You Back
8. Sirens’ Song
9. Dark Tides
10. Silent Witness
11. Enigmatic Smile
12. The Wall of Illusion

Label: Zeta Factory

Genre: Alternative Metal

Release Date EU: October 6^th, 2017

(8/10) After having released the highly successful “Emperor of Sand” album some month ago, Atlanta-based powerhouse Mastodon returns with a new EP, providing four more songs which weren’t released earlier. The tunes are the result of work done in sessions for the 2014 release “Once More Round the Sun” as well as for the latest longplayer.

The EP begins with two tracks which have their roots in 2014. “North Side Star” is the opener and represents the atmospheric and calmer side of this heavy rocking quartet. The song is very soulful and the same goes for the following “Blue Walsh”. Mastodon doesn’t put the heavy guitar riffs into the forefront. Instead they focus on a gentle soundscape that includes an emotional depth, creating the intensity needed.

Also "Toe to Toes” starts more silent before a rocking guitar takes over after a few chords played. The song is heavier than the first two ones without really ending up in a metallic blast. However, it’s a terrific anthem that also would have deserved a spot on the original album tracklist.

With “Cold Dark Place”, the title track, we get already to the end of this EP that shows again the width and musical craftsmanship of this four-piece band. An acoustic guitar is dominating the song. Five minutes in length provide you with an almost fragile song that proves the fact that ‘silent’ doesn’t mean ‘boring’ or ‘cliché’.

What else to say. The artwork is done by Richey Beckett and the EP comes prior to some European tour dates. By the way, it’s Scott Kelly, known from Neurosis, who will be part of this tour which creates some extra curiosity and excitement.

(8/10)

Tracklist:

1. North Side Star
2. Blue Walsh
3. Toe to Toes
4. Cold Dark Place

Label: Reprise Records

Genre: Alternative Metal

Release Date EU: September 22^nd, 2017