Issue # 83
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Setting the pace with the title cut, east coast originating Spider Rockets deliver good stuff almost everywhere on this album. It comes at a time when some say a remergence of 80's style glam type music is about due. I'd say it delivers there too. The heavy, melodic, at times driving, sometimes a bit heavy blues is a primary designation. Galloping chrouses, thematic good loving gone bad everywhere. That comes ripe n ready on numbers like Monster Of Your Dream which rocks hard old LA style. Or the creepin' spooky dookie of Casual Violence. Riffs are hard on the highway song Drive. Leads are tasty & strong throughout the album. They switch gears effortlessly, showing the skill in their craft on flowing pieces such as The Storm. Anyone one with a lead that is just enough burn to make you want more. Which they do on cookers like the perfectly named Rock Your Ass off! The band owes no apologies drawing on the power of rock titans before them as this album further cements their reputation for fine original heavy music. In a career approaching the 30 year mark they've had victories on the charts, opening and touring, doing festivals, and plenty of critical acclaim. That continues, They show no signs of producing anything less that top notch |
| Soaring heavy heights show underneath a rich tapesty of kick ass music. From the cut of the title to the dungeon master themes of Bound By Chains. Roaring basslines, cutting leads and multi layered vocals thicken up the threads into tight yet loose excursions. Closer Pull Me Under stomps right into the bad lands bearing gifts of doom. It definitely leaves you wanting more. |
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I first heard of Uzziel around 10 years ago on Streaming radio via Icecast. I've always been surprised Shoutcast and it's variants never congealed into a more formatable application but it's server setup and mainteance never appealed to me and obviously others. But there the band was. The "station" which I got into for a while played their German stuff a lot. I take it whomever ran the server was a big fan. I knew they had another album or so but I can't remember anything about the band till a couple of months ago they released this single. The latest album is called Captured By Emptiness and Like A God is a great representation of the conglomerate styles throughout. Uzziel build their stuff on technical grooves with big power chords augmenting moving thrash parts to rev the machine. As a single this song really shows you the depth of skill in the band; it has over the top riffs and an athemic style vocal intertwined in jams. Definitely makes you want to check out the full lengths and the shows. |
| One of the best complete albums I've heard this year. While it doesn't wow you over powered by a song or two. It's the complete package which rises above interesting into a near full fledged classic. Definitely for dance heads, there is all kinds of groovin' from slight acid to melodic techno. No slacks or bad songs anywhere. Driving more than coasting. So every song you hear something different. There isn't time to get bogged down in chill downs or pop clowning, for the most part. It's upbeat throughout without too bad of cliched pretenses. Sure, you have heard the riffs no telling how many times. Halfway in you might say ok we are in more experimental part of the album now. Yes, correct. The dance party fragments into sparse arrangements for a song or two, suprising you a bit on what comes next. By the time of Neonherz you hear Germany passing by clearly in the deep night. Well fuck, we ARE in Berlin! It makes sense the album would finish out deep in spaceland with Schuchterne Aliens! A top for 2025! |
| Punk straight out of the garage! Hypocrisy & turmoil are on the menu. 1,000 songs could come from these chords. Reminds me of classic Weasels or Turnbuckle. Not sure it's not the same two doing two personnas. Seems to be an ep of two singles releases. No press release so I am taking the names mean something? So silly of me. As you do with this kinda shit you just put it on and crank it. Maybe fight or dance a bit. It's what it's made for! |
| Another great album of 2025! An ambient industrial work bordering on mastery, that draws you in pretty quickly, flashing possibilities which layer out into soundtrack complexitites. Employing roaring atmospherics using feedback, samples & sustained tensive underlays. Very image producing if you sit and listen closely. Almost like rich orchestra stuff. Symphonic visions clash up to harder edged arrangements, using elements more to switch gears than be impressionable. You'll be up high soairng then a brief pause brings in voiced feedback talking some whatever the fuck. Nice on a workday or out to let the mind play it's tricks on you. |
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JH reminds me of a group made up of former members of Genesis, Marillion, Jethro Tull and Uriah Heep. Any of this album's numbers could turn anywhere on that street. Maybe you got a little Pink Floyd somewhere in the background. Despite the nods you don't get exact copies, which is good however you want to look at it. I generally liked the heavier numbers, like The Boy Who Just Falls Down, definitely more of a preference than saying anything was better constructed than anything else. I was surprised though at the depth of the songwriting and playing on the quieter pieces, probably because you have a tendency to think well this sounds like (aforesaid band) but if you listen, stuff is pretty original. There's not near the number of people making this type of music as there used to be.
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| Smooth mix of a classic R&B sound with a hip hop beat. Asis too has a strong clean delivery. I can see this one being the hit it was with the right pushers. Like to see more of this, a real deal, on a scene still cluttered with come-alongs. |
| Single side A cut is a rolling embrace of melodic speed drone. Racing through the heartlands of the night blaring powerchords & gunpowder. The sound from the garage are the walls shaking down. Heads dancing & all. B/W is for when the acid has kicked in. |
| Single not included, AFAIK, on their self titled album. Great single reminds me of a west coast US band called Capsule back from the 90's. They had great tunes too. The song soars, crashes and howls through the shimmering pain of knowing. I recommend the 37 Houses album as well. The husband and wife team bring you some emotions with the big beats, power chords and pop-punk. They've been out on the road for about a month with one more left to go. Sounds like a fun night out chillin', maybe a bit of dancin' n groovin'. |
| Dru is off his meds again and the band sets up the backbeat for the breakdown and rampaging on the streets naked, stoned, and beautiful. As you gasp for air between wiffs of the tear gas as the riots rage, Dru the Drifter screams like a banshee while his band pogos around the scene spreading punk rock & disease. Big standouts are none, because it's all great shit. I Wanna be a Nascar is fun, while Bummer Bitch may be a fine example of scream sing if those are truly words. We'll probably never known the truth about all this, and there is no point in asking Dru or the band. One gets the impression they don't give a dann. There are highs to be had and motherfuckers to plummet. Now is not the time to be cute or fancy about it |
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Full album of heartfelt reality kickers, Spanning gospel to street, family remains forefront. Minimal numbers like Better Days show off the vocal expressions, while hearbeat skips cross over on Wait For Me. R&B moves to the front of the stage on songs like Back To You. Reminding you things above teenage dreams you may wanna go take care of.
You feel the islands in Fridayy, but its added spice. not always the focus, though it don't take you long to sail on over to the lands of Africa. Setting foot on the homeland. Then you cannot deny it is genuine, above merely authentic. |
| Classic creeper slangin' shit out the sto. Dark hangs mean he got his eye on you, it's but a matter of time. One call is all it takes. |
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