Welcome to the first regularly updated CD review section I've done in ages, outside of the Scottish and selected English (& Australian) independent music scenes.
This section, however, is devoted to bands who are signed to labels, and outside of the Scottish music scene.
Basically, the thinking behind this bit, although inevitably it's my own humble opinion, is that if someone's produced a CD that is so stonkingly good in its field that no fan of that style of music should be able to live without it, then it's reviewed here - all styles, all artists - all thing considered - but only the best included. Now, read on......

(THE) HOLLOW EARTH THEORY – Rise Of Agartha CD
Well, for starters, it's a concept album. Now, before you switch off, it's also a heavy duty, heavy metal, hard rockin' monster that takes thrash into a whole new dimension, that being, one you can and want to listen to, experience and enjoy from start to finish in the comfort of your own home. Produced, played and arranged impeccably, it follows the clever path of having the “sung” and the “extreme” vocalising, often running alongside each other, so that, even though there's only one vocalist, it's been multi-tracked to make it sound like two separate vocalists on occasion, and it's a decision that's totally paid off. Right from the piledriver opening track that is part one of the title track, it's not only a rollercoaster ride through a scything, searing sea of metal twin guitar attack, powered along by a crunching rhythm section that's positively crushing, but it's an example of how to write a song in a thrash setting, provide that with infinite depth and red hot strength, inject it all with passion incarnate and anger that burns, and come up with something that not only holds your jaw-dropping attention but defies you not to want to listen to the rest of it, something you invariably and inexorably do. This is one almighty facemelter of an album but with such strong songs and such electrifying playing, it demands your attention and rewards you tenfold, being a beats that you will want to enjoy and experience as it feeds your needs with as much attention as you reciprocate the favour, the ultimate in symbiotic heavy metal mayhem. From start to finish, this just blows you away with its intensity and yet it's so freakin' listenable!! A new way has begun and it may be Hollow in name, but it's solid as a rock in nature!!

ISOR – The Zebra Theory CD
When you get a hardcore metal album performed by just two guys that features eleven tracks with titles that sound more like they'd come from a comedy scriptwriter's tortured comedic genius of a mind, you could be forgiven for thinking that you might be in the presence of great pretension. In actual fact, you're more like to feel you're in the presence of a minor musical hurricane. With the predominant instrumentation being electric guitars and drums, there's a massive density of guitars and they've also got the drums sounding superbly produced, so that the sound made by this molten metal duo is dense, intense, heavy, powerful strong and dramatic. The eleven tracks have hardly got a hook to show for them, but that's not the point – commercial acceptance is the last thing on this band's mind. Instead, what they want to do is use their musical armaments for the common good – the rifle fire of guitars, the rocket launcher of drums, the napalm vocals and the army on the march that is the whole thing put together, makes this hardcore metal army completely unstoppable. It's full of anger, the guitar production is irresistible, the drums solid and resonant, and while it's not as incendiary as the Dundee band Core (with which it shares most of its common ground), it comes pretty close, and that's praise indeed. Fantastic stuff, for sure. SANCTORUM – Ashes Of Redemption CD
Yeah, OK, so it's huge, it's heavy and it roars with the effervescence of an exploding coca cola factory, but I've heard it all before. It's done well – very well – the production is immense, the guitars blast out at you with riffs that burn, rhythms that drive like rifle-fire, more guitars that sting, sear and surge, electrifying guitar breaks that are more befitting of Classic Rock than hardcore death metal, and vocals that sound like the guy's on 50 a day – and about the same in bottles of JD. But...... there's something there at its heart – although you've heard this monstrous sound of driving hardcore metal a million times, there's something to this that refuses to let you hit that “off” switch as you keep listening and become drawn in to this almost scarily stifling world of hollered vocals, scything riffs, galloping rhythms and evil bass. It's crushingly heavy but it's got you hooked, it's electrifying and it's heavy roaring modern metal that takes you by the throat and refuses to let lose its grip. The guitar work is sensational and, the deeper you wander into the album, the more you're driven to its undoubted strength, passion and sheer intensity. Fast, furious and yet structured metal that takes no prisoners, yet comes out on top. Despite my initial reservations, highly recommended.

AGITATION FREE – Malesch (Remaster + Bonus Tracks) CD
Because they featured Michael Hoenig on keys and synths – who went on to have a brief stint in Tangerine Dream before recording the synth classic that “Departure From The Northern Wasteland”, were the original home of Tangerine Dream's Chris Franke (who's not on this album), and also numbered later-to-be Ash Ra member Lutz Ulbrich, you'd have thought that this band would be hailed in the annals of electronic music – far from it. For this is pure Krautrock at its finest – the sheer combination of invention, innovation, melody and atmosphere that the musicians create on this debut album, is nothing short of amazing, particularly as it sounds every bit as good now as it did 36 years ago when it was first issued. In fact, it sounds better since the whole album has undergone a sonic facelift that makes it sound all of 36 years younger, and all the better for it. With a complete remaster from the original sources, the nearly all instrumental album now sounds crisp, solid, vibrant and alive. A quintet featuring two guitarists, synth/keys, drummer and bassist, they managed to cok up a recipe that featured Man-like guitar jamming, soaring Krautrock compositions allied to touches of Egyptian influences to give parts of the music an exotic feel. The music moves, prety well unbroken, though moods and feelings that range from cosmic to soaring melodic, with the band unafraid to twist and turn from spiraling dual guitar passages to cosmic rock via occasional drones and Moroccan samples, even a guest appearance by early seventies Krautrock keyboard legend Peter Michael Hamel, on organ on the near five minute “Ala Tul”. Another strong point about the band and the arrangements is the way they put the resonant electric bass upfront in almost Can-like fashion, again, as “Ala Tul” exhibits, while the drumming and percussion work of Burghard Rausch, embodies Western and Middle Eastern in healthy doses while still coming out as strong and propulsive. The band aren't afraid to throw in a curve-ball such as the near five minute electronic/organ drone that is “Pulse” and still manage to make it work in the context of the album by building it up with backdrops of rolling drumming, chiming guitars and a a slowly rising melody line, underneath the undulating mainstay of the track. Following this comes “Khan El Khalili”, starting where the previous track left, with a drone and slowly tumbling drums before a chugging rhythm emerges over echoed backdrops, and then that drops back as the main body of the track emerges with this gorgeous guitar melody flying over strong upfront bass, chiming acoustic guitar backdrops and the unmistakeable sound of early seventies ambient Krautrock dripping from the speakers, but all so emotive and spellbinding, despite its easy pace, yet so cohesive at the same time. The title track opens with chanted voice and rattling percussion, the Middle East flavour then dying out to reveal a drone over which a clipped organ riff begins as the subtle strains of the dual electric guitars are heard welling up from below. Then, a slowly chugging rhythm enters as the track starts to build and slowly it all climbs, gradually becoming louder and stronger, as the guitars chime away over the trademark bass and, by now, slightly stronger chugging drums, a sort of Krautrock version of Man only with more ambience, more “studied”, less rock and no vocals, but absolutely superb throughout its eight and a half minutes length. The original album ends with two minutes of “Rucksturz”, again taking off from the previous track with shimmering guitars opening proceedings before the track blossoms into life with a rolling rhythm and sky-high dual guitar melodies that really cut through in the most wondrous of ways, giving a relatively short piece much more substance and enjoyment than you might have thought possible. There the original album ends – but this remaster has a couple of surprises, the first of which is 15 minute, previously unreleased live track from 1972 in the form of “Music Factory Live”, track that's actually excellent sound quality and a perfect example of one of the trademark early seventies guitars-dominated jams for which bands such as Ash Ra Tempel, Man and similar, became legendary. The other bonus is six minutes of video footage, also from 1972 and historically quite amazing. Overall, a fantastic remaster of a criminally unheralded album which, if you don't already own, you'd be well advised to rectify.

AGITATION FREE - 2nd (Remaster + Bonus Track) CD
A year later and guitarist Jorg Schwenke is replaced by Stefan Diez, the result being a much more vibrant dual guitar lead section with more edge, more bite and more power, but just as much emotional melody in there too, as the tracks become more Western and largely drop the Middle Eastern influences in favour of something that's more an instrumental missing link between Ash Ra Tempel, Grateful Dead and Wishbone Ash. Right from the beautiful but strong eight minute opener, “First Communication”, you just know that this is a step up from what came before, as those guitars just fly over some gorgeous backdrops and thoroughly crisp, crunchy and meaty mid-paced rhythms from the drums and bass, the guitars complementing each other to perfection, and the subtlest of organ undercurrent lending the air of Teutonic to the proceedings, before the track accelerates about two thirds the way through and flies heavenwards to great depth, strength and effect. Following a couple of minutes of fx-laden atmospherics, the band then climb even higher in terms of melody and structure with the timeless classic that is the soaring two-part instrumental gem of “Laila”, eight and a half minutes that move from opening crashing piano chord into the most fantastic of chiming guitars over that upfront bass, solid drums, crisp percussion and the most high-flying dual guitar leads around – quite superb, the second part inparticular containing this cyclical melody that you just want to play and play. The six and a half minute “In The Silence Of The Morning Sunrise”, starts as you might expect with silent nature sounds before a dreamy bass and melodic guitars slowly rise, organ swells up from below and drums begin a deliberately understated but slowly solid beat, the guitars weaving a web that provides bite and passion while the keyboards provide the depth. Gradually, it all unfolds as the guitars work their melodic magic, but in a strong early seventies manner, again another gem of a track. The nine minute “A Quiet Walk” starts out equally ethereal only this time instrumentally, shimmering as it goes before the guitars emerge in beautifully reflective mode, all very quiet and subtle, occasional bass hear as organ backdrop becomes even subtler. Then the percussion starts to shake, the sound wells up and becomes stronger as waves of electronics emerge, the organ resonates, the sound of angels is heard and then the sound of a gently strummed bouzouki ushers in the main body of the composition, a lone lead guitar emulating and complementing the bouzouki melody, rising above it in sharp and then treated context as the flavours all provide an expansive territory of sound, melody still firmly at the heart of things, as the two lead instruments play alongside each other over slowly rumbling drums and deep bass. The original album ends on 7 minutes of “Haunted Island”, an initial recitation of cosmic proprotions giving way to slowly chugging rhythms and waves of mellotron as the treated vocal provides the atmosphere over the majestic mellotron chording and backdrop rhythm section. About halfway through, the lead guitar soars into view and the track drives slowly forward on another sea of lead guitar melody, distant guitar undercurrent, rumbling electric bass and cliped drumming, once more, an absolute treat. For this edition, the bonus track is a previously unreleased live version of “Laila” from 1972, lasting just under 8 minutes. If anything, a more reflective album than the first with more “traditional” use of guitar, but still strong with flowing instrumental compositions which command your attention every time you play it.

ATTACK ATTACK – Attack Attack CD
You would not believe, from the sound of this debut album, that this bunch of Welsh rockers had only been in existence for a year and a half. I mean, you only have to hear the opening track to be absolutely electrified and blown away by a band that manages to combine the anthemic power of emo with the furious rock of Funeral For A Friend, and come up with an end result that has “power anthem” written all over it, something that'll not only have you leaping around the room singing your ass off but leave you with just one thought – play it again – now!! The vocalist has that kind of fiercely emotive nasally angst to his vocals as the song just charges from the speakers in a hail of guitars and driving rhythms. As if to reinforce this, they let “You And Me” swing from the rafters in a slightly more funky brew of smouldering guitars, driving intensity, massive harmonies, hooks the size of Wales and chunky depth that's got strength and aggression al wraped up in another massive “pop-punk gone emo” anthem that simply lights up your life. The first single from the album, out a month before the album, is “This Is A Test” and this one rockets along as football terrace meets rockin' emo in a blitz of roaring fire that can't fail to have you dancing madly with arms flailing in a firepower of raging guitar density. Yet, through all of this, the songs are lyrically excellent, full of passion, full of strength, with the arrangements equally full of dynamics, variation and controlled aggression. So it goes – every track on the album is an on-fire slice of contemporary power pop that, after one listen, will not only have you coming back for more, but opening the windows wide, turning the thing up to “11” and singing along with every line as the entire neighbourhood races down the road doing air guitar. This is the sound of grungy pop produced with clarity, played with conviction, sung with emotion and delivered absolutely faultlessly on an album that is quite simply stunning.

DISARM GOLIATH – Man, Machine and Murder Mini-CD
The Midlands have always been at the forefront of things when it comes to good old heavy metal and this mini-album from a relatively new band, comes as no exception. Across seven tracks, the whole thing rocks with the vigour of an Iron Maiden or a Megadeth. Initially, you think the vocals are too upfront, but once the band really light the blue touchpaper and catch fire, when the dual guitars burn into action and the rhythm section starts to thunder, you just know that it's going to be one driving rollercoaster of an album. Like Maiden before them, they've certainly got the songs and the arrangements down to a tee and, while the vocalist doesn't quite have the brain-blastingly powerful lungs of someone such as Laura Donnelly (from the equally up and coming explosive metal band Firebrand Superrock), he does spark into action with vigour and strength, really delivering the songs with all he's worth. The muscular guitars, the solid rhythms and the unrelenting sound of Classic Heavy Metal as it should be, all combine to make this something highly special indeed. The songs could do with something that makes them a bit more memorable and the harmony vocals could do with being as upfront as the lead vocals, but, quibbles aside, this is one roar of an album that any heavy metal fan would do well to check out.

THE DROWNING – The Bleak Descent CD
Couldn't have put it better myself. This really is bleak!! Above slowly moving ice packs of flagrantly on fire guitars, pounding slow-motion drumming and bass so deep it's threatening to find oil, you have this vocalist who sounds like he's descending into the bowels of hell as you're listening. It's intense, it's metal, it's huge and it's slow for the first 3 tracks. Then, all of a sudden, they realise they've left the brakes on and roar into life – the singer still sounds like he's made a pact with the devil and a few gallons of firewater, but now it's really cookin'!! After this you get a mix of slow, massive, intense, driving and downright ugly – it's not pretty and it's not clever – but it might just solve your constipation problem.

CLAIRE HAMILL – Touchpaper / Voices / Love In The Afternoon
All three albums have been remixed, remastered and generally lovingly been reassembled from the safe and reliable hands of maestro remaster man Mark Powell, so you already know they're going to be the definitive reissues from a sonic point of view. Musically, well.......... “Touchpaper” emanates from 1983 and you get the feeling that this was an album that she had to get out of her system. In many ways similar to an artist such as Kate Bush, you've only got to listen to a track such as the dramatic “Denmark” to extol its virtues in the same breath as something like Kate Bush's “Army Dreamers”, only this is way more powerful with some searing guitar work and it only makes you scratch your head as to how the music industry in its infinite wisdom, managed to miss it in the first place. Then you move to the sax-led atmosphere that is “2 Fools In A Storm” full of twangy bass, hi-flying sax, soaring angelic vocal harmonies and that soft yet forceful vocal of Ms Hamill, all expressive and full of feeling, as the song once more conjures images of Kate Bush duetting with Michael McDonald, and simply sublime. Yet over and above that, she comes up with a whole host of original songs which stretch from horizon to horizon with that familiar eighties sound to the instrumentation, only now brought out to sound simply huge as the songs really hit home. The variation, consistency of enjoyment and quality of performance must surely make this as one of the most criminally ignored albums from a UK female singer in the last 25 years – anyone into the likes of Kate Bush, Maddy Prior, Fleetwood Mac and similar eighties electronic-rock would do well to get an earful of this – I think you might just be amazed. “Voices”, from 1985, was originally on a label called “New Age”, which may just give you a clue into which directions she'd moved. In many ways a UK answer to Enya, this used the techniques of multiple vocal overlays allied to electronics, from wordless harmonies to actual songs, and the result is something that any Enya fan would be absolutely over the moon about. You only have to listen to the track “Tides” to discover just how true this is, as the lurching electronic drums drive forward and above this, the deep booming bass and expansive electronics allow the endless, angelic multi-tracked vocals to weave their spells, only instead of the syrup that Enya poured on hers, this is served with a certain sense of darkness giving it all an extra depth and presence not felt in Enya's work and more akin to something that Mike Oldfield came up with on many occasions in terms of its strength and atmosphere. Either way, it's one absolute belter of a track and worth the price of the album on its own. Throughout the album, it's way more than the “New Age” tag with which it got labelled and, in hindsight, this possibly did it more harm than good in terms of its stature in modern times. But now's your chance to address this and with a remaster that is nothing short of jaw-droping, go out and grab this album to find that you can mix strength and cohesion with beauty and angelic to come up with something that's a pure mix of Enya and Cocteau Twins and all the better for it. The 11 tracks which form 1988's “Love In The Afternoon” show that the singer has lost none of her desire to be at the cutting edge and, if anything, the album amalgamates the styles of both of the previous albums to present a set of tracks that mixed the songwriting with the arranging, the playing with the producing, to provide a sizzling set of compositions that, once again, can't fail to win you over as a mix of Kate Bush, Cocteau Twins with hint of Cathy LeSurf and Pink Floyd are in there too. As an album of atmospheric songs, rich arrangements, variation and strong enjoyment, it's yet another “lost gem” that everyone into this so oft underrated singer and writer should correct with immediate and long-lasting results.

HAND – Deadrom Journal CD
Oooo – now this is good. A trio from the South of England with the remarkable voice and bass/piano work of female singer Kat Ward at the heart of things, while the red hot and on fire electric guitar of Kieran Johnstone provides the cutting edge, leaving the varied, dynamic and powerful drumming of Chris Nelson to drive it all forward. But this is no Within Temptation or Nightwish – it's far more atmospheric, dare I say almost “Cosmic Gothic”, but the metal elements are never far away. There's a real sense of arrangement going on as the compositions are as much about the twisting, turning and unexpected deviations of the instrumental work, as much as the actual songs themselves, the result being something totally groundbreaking in such a genre. On the amazingly long title track, it moves through more scenarios than Meatloaf or Queen could ever have dreamt of composing, with that high register, soaring vocal flying high, while the musical pictures are painted with everything from piano playing with cement-lined gloves to sizzling lead guitar breaks and more. From there, it's a consistent, cohesive and addictive treat on the ears. Sometimes the mod is melancholy with vocals pushed upfront and funereal percussion underneath but even here things build rapidly and the burning flame of Goth Metal is always something that you know will explode into view, albeit in a great and many varied disguises. Breaking the mould of the genre, this is actually one absolute gem of an album and if you've been craving something way more intellectual but no less iconoclastic than the aforementioned bands and more, then this is an album you simply have to check out.

JMC – Gatecrash The Hate Campaign CD
This band doesn't believe in introductions – a no-holds barred heavy metal band who can not only whip up a fine and muscular instrumental storm, but whose vocalist can deliver the songs with astonishingly excellent results, while the songs themselves are immediate and long-lasting. It's like a mix of Saxon, Thunder, Dokken and Funeral For A Friend complete with added dynamics. There isn't a wasted second on the album, there are plenty of scorching guitar breaks, while the dynamics only succeed in adding to the sheer power that the band exudes from every pore. The songs capture your imagination from the start, lyrically rewarding and ideal home listening, sung superbly and with band arrangements that really bring out the best in what the band can do. From ballads to all-out incendiary rockers, this is one sublimely stunning album – it's not Classic Rock, but it is classic stuff.

Continued....

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