The Lancasters are hailing from mighty Italian underground scene and this is their new full length opus with Retro Vox Records. This one contains thirteen songs and is it a concept album? Well, yes and no! Songs are arranged like a presentation of wild and strange family with thirteen members from more normal, depending on the eye of the beholder to more weird and eerie members. So, it is basically a concept album, but also it’s not. Music is basically heavy rock with some prog elements, garage punk even in some songs, desert rock and not toname all those subgenres right now, I will say, it is only rock n roll but I like it! Some songs sound to me like The Hellacopters with Black Sabbath in same blender with garage rock. I like more melodic songs like for example ‘Little Suzie’ which I listened two or three times over and over. There are tempo changes and songs vary from mid tempo to more faster, straightforward stuff, but the energy is touchable throughout the whole album. I also love song called ‘Pancho, the Brave’ which was cleverly chosen as a single. Vocals have that effect on it, so I would like more if there were more clean, but hey that is only me, for this type of music they fit perfectly. Between others, I also choose ‘Liza’ and ‘Odessa’ as my personal favorite family members. Go listen if you like your rock.
Unfelled are relatively new band in the scene but its members are in no way new and strangers to the scene. This band consists of D.(Woods Of Desolation) on guitars and bass, Vlad(Drudkh) on drums and Mitch(Austere, Dearthe) on vocals. This debut full length opus contains seven songs of pure raw pagan black metal with lots of blast beats, old school nineties black metal influenced guitar work and screaming black vocals. But, there are couple of epic parts and melodies which make this one an interesting listen between aggression, anguish, pride and pagan beliefs to melancholy, sadness and melody. Songs like heavy hitters ‘The Opposer’ or ‘Veil of Perdition’ or my personal favorite ‘Transcendent Legacy’ are sure to win you over with tempo changes, darkness that is almost touchable in its thickness created through music. I must also commend vocals which are screamed black vocals but also harsh, yet you are able to understand most of being sung, so that is another plus in my opinion. There are couple of longer songs on this one but the opus doesn’t get boring for one single second. This is a strong black metal record with conviction and steel delivered through music. Go get this one.
Split Tongue are hailing from Malaysia and this is an EP containing intro and five songs of angry old school hardcore punk, meaning these guys are still leaning more in punk roots and side of things than in more modern metallic hardcore waters like it is popular today in the scene. This means fast drumming, cutting edge guitars and angry barked vocals with heavy hitters like ‘Think’, ‘Classwar’ or ‘Spirit’ you just can’t go wrong. Makes you pump your fist in the air and hug the sweaty kid in the pit next to you and sing along to gang backing vocals and join the band in delivering tons of hardcore energy and feeling it. Too bad this is just such short record, but it is sweet. Go and listen. Hardcore lives!
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 