ThunderGod

Since The Wyrd Ways Rock Show focusses on new stuff, it depends on what the record company PRs send out.

Cat Andrews had this to say about the new 5FDP album: Five Finger Death Punch (5fdp) are one of those bands that are like Marmite; you either love them or you hate them. They also happen to be rather successful at the moment, which pretty much guarantees the cries of “mainstream” and “sellout”. The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell is a little unusual in that it is a double album being released in two volumes. Apparently the band approached the record company with the idea of a double album and got refused, so sent them what they have deemed their best material to date and asked the company to choose what to drop. This is a double album. Also worth noting as you scan the track listing is the number of guest vocalists who appear. Lift Me Up starts off with the almost signature Death Punch sound that involves insane drumming and chugging rhythm from Zoltan Bathory, and even though it sounds very similar to some of their previous tracks it is forgivable, particularly when none other than Rob Halford comes in with a stunning guest performance on a song that will quite possibly get stuck in your head for at least a few hours. From this point on, for me at least, things got a little bit strange. The tracks are good, and I enjoy listening to them. It’s all exactly what is expected of one of the most successful metal bands at the moment but there is a sense that I’ve heard them somewhere before, with that somewhere being a dancefloor around 2005. It’s not as if they’ve directly ripped off riffs, but on more than one occasion I found my attention drifting while I tried to figure out just who it was that it sounded like. The influences behind the music are in places blindingly obvious, but it doesn’t come across as a straight rip and manages to maintain their own distinctive sound. Watch You Bleed is a lot more electronic than I would have expected from 5fdp, but once the mild surprise had worn off I found myself singing along, before nodding my head along to You. It is the title track which mellows the tone, a heartfelt, powerful ballad that showcases Ivan Moody’s vocals in a similar way to Crossing Over. Just when things have calmed down Burn MF (you can guess what the MF stands for) blasts out. This song is a three and a half minute non-stop rage that makes up for it’s lack of meaningful lyrics with pure enthusiasm. It’s the type of song that will instantly spark circle pits at a Death Punch gig and have the Knuckleheads going insane. The pattern of two heavy, angry songs followed by a more melodic vocal repeats, this time featuring Maria Brink from In This Moment on Anywhere But Here. There are two versions of this on the album, and the duet works wonderfully. End This Way is another that seems to speak of the writer’s personal flaws and the breakdown of a relationship, and quite possibly the album could have ended there. Unfortunately it continues with the chosen cover version – 5fdp have previously done splendid accounts of Bad Company and From Out Of Nowhere – is a rather disappointing choice in my eyes. LL Cool J’s Mama Said Knock You Out has been made a lot more brutal, and features the guest vocals of Tech N9ne, but in all honesty I just wanted to press the skip button. Diary of a Deadman seems to be Wrong Side of Heaven’s answer to Canto 34, but instead of being merely instrumental it contains spoken word parts, forming something of a showcase for the band members’ talents with lots of changes of style and tempo. Jason Hook’s lead guitar really does come into it’s own here. The rest of the playing time is taken up by repeats of earlier songs including those guest vocalists I was talking about earlier. With names like Max Cavalera (Soulfly) and Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed), it seems a shame that these are tagged on the end almost as an aside as opposed to taking prime position. It might be a sign of the times that this album seems to be a CD of separate tracks with very little flow. The transitions between thundering fight music and lamentation of a tormented soul feel a bit too sharp at times but this is still a very listenable offering. There is a decent mix of heavier, aggressive sounds alongside radio friendly songs that you wouldn’t feel too guilty about playing in front of the non-metalhead family. Overall this is a solid Five Finger Death Punch album. It doesn’t break the mould, and I’m not sure that Volume 1 shows any real maturation or progression from their previous offerings. In some places the solos feel a little forced, as if they’re only there because “we should put a solo in”. If you like 5fdp already, the chances are that you will like this album, if you don’t then I doubt there is anything on here to convince you otherwise. I’m looking forward to what Volume 2 will bring. Rating: ***½ / 5

Another one from The Wyrd Ways Rock Show Review column (of which I am the curator), this is from Ben... With a sound that’s firmly placed in the category of “progressive metal,” Haken are a band that is often dismissed as just another Dream Theater clone. While that band and their peers have certainly influenced Haken’s music, these young Brits have always had a quirky element to their sound that separates them from the pack. With The Mountain, these Londoners have an album with which to step out of their forbear’s shadows. 2010’s Aquarius was an impressive debut, and The Mountain follows it up perfectly. Building on everything that was good about that album (and 2011’s Visions), Haken still have the guts to try something new. Taking a more emotional route than previous albums, particularly on tracks such as As Death Embraces and the closer, Somebody, the band are unafraid to tread a more melancholic path. That’s not to say they can’t rock as well, and Falling Back to Earth and Pareidolia have riffs that would make Pantera proud. However, for the most part it’s the softer moments that catch the attention, and the band often seem to have more in common with the likes of Anathema, rather than Dream Theater and Symphony X to who they are more often compared. Haken have their own sound however, and nowhere is that more obvious than on the third track, Cockroach King. Featuring an incredible swing-influenced hook layered over the jumpy keyboard sounds that are fast becoming a Haken trademark, this song is a standout track, with a tune that gets stuck in the head for days. Lyrically, The Mountain is an incredibly personal affair, with the band ditching the over the top concepts that bound together their previous albums. While taking themes from the stories of Atlas and Icarus, amongst others, for the most part the album is much more down to earth, with themes of hardship, suffering and overcoming one’s own personal mountains, and as a whole hangs together very well. Singer Ross Jennings delivers an incredible performance, making every word believable. With the laidback tone restricting the virtuosity the band undoubtedly possess, Jennings takes centre stage for much of the album, and does not disappoint. The album is not perfect however. Opener The Path is entirely forgettable, and Somebody, while a good track in its own right, fails to close the album with the necessary weight, leaving the listener feeling a bit short-changed. The album also suffers from an issue faced by many prog metal band -with the focus on the longer tracks it’s the shorter songs that suffer, with Because It’s There in particular feeling like little more than an interlude. On the whole however, The Mountain is a phenomenal achievement by a band just getting into their stride. With some incredibly proficient musicians and, in Ross Jennings, one of the best vocalists in Britain today, Haken are a band well on their way to achieving some incredible success in the prog metal genre. In future years, The Mountain may well be seen in the same light as the likes of Images and Words or Operation: Mindcrime. Rating: ****½/5

Don't sit on the fence, Relentless! Tell us what you REALLY think! A7x are certainly a band that divides opinion. Kind of in a Marmite sort of way.

Also a member of the 40 club. Been a member since July.

My friend, Suzi, reviewed this album for my review column... Where to start with this one? I think its worth saying I love Avenged Sevenfold and the news of a new album and me jumping with excitement. They promised us something new and different with this album and I want to tell you that I loved it, and that you should listen to it immediately. I really want to tell you that it capitalises on the sheer excellence that M.Shadows and the boys have previously demonstrated with Waking the Fallen and City of Evil…. But I can’t. I honestly can’t. Hail to the King sounds like a re-make of Metallica’s self-titled album with entire riffs seemingly lifted from Guns N’ Roses‘ Use Your Illusion II album with the odd detectable hint of Megadeth. It is, in fairness, a reasonably solid album- there’s nothing actually *wrong* with it, and if it were their first album I’d instantly recommend it for fans of the aforementioned heavyweights of the genre as a band to watch. It starts with shades of Metallica and Shepherd of Fire. It’s not a bad track but it definitely lacks the punch I was expecting and hoping for. Lyrically it’s interesting and continues on the same dark themes we’ve come to expect from the band. Moving onto the title track Hail to the King and things look up – the riffs sound reasonably original, and it’s got a headbanging, fist-pumping chorus, with a fantastic guitar solo in the middle. Things look up some more from there, though as you move onto Doing Time and hear M.Shadows do some traditional screaming… and then he moves onto doing his best Axl Rose impression and you’re left feeling slightly robbed. The album progresses through This Means War which I actually sang Sad but True too under my breath all the way though when I first listened to it, and then into Reqiem, an interesting number, with orchestral backing and the odd bit of a ranty choir. The riffs are unusual, and it swoops up and down painting a picture of desolate misery. Requiem is a great track which demonstrates the best that Hail to the King has to offer. It all comes crashing back down again with Crimson Day, which is a bizarre cross between GN’R’s Don’t Cry and Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters with some traditional A7X riffs thrown in. Heretic is the second track from the album that I like and manages to demonstrate all of the great things A7X have done over the years with some interesting new elements. It’s fast paced and punchy with catchy lyrics and a good stompy guitar line and hints and the potential for great things to follow. Great things do then follow with Coming Home, another track that rescues the album from being “terrible” into “mediocre, wouldn’t see a live tour”. Planets, the penultimate track, is one I found myself itching to skip through on my first listen through of the album, and the finale Acid Rain is an irritatingly cheesy-sounding power ballad-esque song as sickly as jellied sweets on a dream topping trifle. Overall, this is an album that feels unfinished, and badly experimental. Bands change over time and their sound develops- but for many A7X fans this album won’t be a happy listening experience, especially not if you’re also a fan of 80’s Metallica and Gun’s N Roses. Rating: **/5

Powerslave. Not one single weak track on it. Aces High, 2 Minutes To Midnight, Back In The Village, Flash Of The Blade, The Duellists, the title track itself...and rounding it off with the awesome Rime Of The Ancient Mariner. Pretty much perfect. Certainly the archetypal Maiden album.

You could also get some airplay. I can give you that on my own show, The Wyrd Ways Rock Show as well as the stations it gets syndicated on. So that's Planet Mosh, Radio Metal ON - The Heavy, Rock Stars Glued and Red Eye Network. Like a lot of DJs, if you send me a CD (PM me to find out how) that shows commitment. I'm more likely to give it a fairer hearing, even if the production isn't great because you've put your money where your mouth is. A proper, well programmed website is also a good promotional tool, too. Again, it shows you're serious, as does a band e-mail address, with a band domain name being even better. As a few people on this thread have already said, a strong online presence is essential these days, as well as quality of interaction and music. Let's not forget the most important thing. The music. That has to be readily available. One thing that really pisses me off is having to "Like" a band on Facebook before I can hear any of their stuff. That just shows you how worthless "Likes" on Facebook actually are.

Cast your minds back to August this year and to a field in Derbyshire. In the media tent at Bloodstock 2013, Ebony B interviewed Mike Spreitzer from DevilDriver. Going back even further to Hard Rock Hell Prog at Magna in Rotherham and your humble host interviewed Mikko from The Von Hertzen Brothers. You'll be hearing both of those interviews in this week's show. You'll also be hearing brand new tracks from Death Angel, Kataklysm and Ashes Of Ares. Head over to www.wyrdwaysrs.com for the full experience, or check the show out on Planet Mosh, Rock Stars Glued, Radio Metal ON - The Heavy or Red Eye Network.

Well, that's obviously correct for your part of Oz and BAN's part of the world, but not for mine. Over the past 20-odd years, I've found tastes in Metal can be very regional and are definitely age-related.

I used to do some DJing at a local Rock and Metal pub on a Friday and Saturday nights. Most of the younger patrons (usually in their mid-20's) asked for the likes of Slipknot, Pantera, System Of A Down, Nirvana and tracks from Californication and Stadium Arcadium (or whatever that one was called). I really am not a fan of any of those bands/eras. Therefore I didn't like bands I was "supposed to" like.

Slipknot Pantera (the only reason Dimebag is so lauded is because he was murdered) Nirvana (Zakk Wylde is right - no guitar solos because Cobain wasn't a good player) Mayhem Burzum (Varg Virkenes - nuff said) Any Red Hot Chili Peppers album after One Hot Minute System Of A Down

We took our (then) two year old to Bloodstock 2012. He loved it. Unfortunately I was working there (doing interviews etc) so he did get a little upset when I was busy and he wanted to drag me off to the SOPHIE Tent to go watch a band. One thing, though. Make sure your little one wears ear defenders. They're not expensive, and it really boils my blood when I see kids at gigs not wearing them. As an adult, not wearing ear protection is a choice. When it comes to our kids, it's our responsibility to look after them and keep them healthy and happy. That means ear protection at a gig. We didn't take him this year because, as a 3 year old, he's much harder to keep entertained, especially as he doesn't nap in the afternoon anymore. I will warn you that you'll probably miss the headliners, though. Your little one will be asleep by the end of each special guest slot. By the way... good luck finding mini band shirts. My little guy loves Iced Earth, Rob Zombie and Sanctuary... but kids' sizes do not exist. I've even asked record label people about that, and not had an answer. Although both Paul and Adam Gregory did say they'd look into it for the website.

This week's show is shaping up rather nicely. So far, we've got interviews with The Von Hertzen Brothers and DevilDriver as well as new music from Death Angel, Kataklysm and Ashes Of Ares. If that floats your boat, keep an eye on this very thread...

Iron Maiden's Somewhere In Time. The first one I bought was also a Maiden album: Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son.

What have we got for you this week in show CCLIV, then? How about interviews with The More I See and Avenged Sevenfold? How about brand new material from Running Wild, Turisas and Onslaught? Talking of The More I See, make sure you pay special attention to the interview. There's a competition in there to win a copy of their new album, Disappearing Humans. Get yourself over to http://www.wyrdwaysrs.com to give it a listen. The Wyrd Ways Rock Show also appears as part of The Cast Iron Ring and internet radio stations such as Planet Mosh, Rock Stars Glued and Radio Metal On – The Heavy. See their listings for details. If you want me to mention your gigs or play your music on the show, get in touch.

For those of you that don't know, The Wyrd Ways Rock Show is a weekly Hard Rock and Metal podcast that I’ve been doing since 2008. It began as an attempt to channel the spirit of The Friday Rock Show, a late, very much lamented radio show here in the UK. It was presented by the late, great Tommy Vance and produced by Tony Wilson, who now runs Bloodstock Radio.com. It was The Friday Rock Show that brought me into listening to Metal back when I was a 14 year old boy back in the late 80′s. As Ginger (The Wildhearts) once told me during an interview “It was your education”. He’s right. It was. It was through Tommy Vance and those nights tucked under the covers listening to the radio that introduced me to Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Van Halen, Guns N’ Roses, Bang Tango, Kiss, Alice Cooper and many others. Not long after, legendary DJ Alan “Fluff” Freeman added a Saturday Night Rock Show to Radio 1′s line-up, delving deep into the BBC archives and filling the request show niche that the listeners obviously wanted. Unfortunately the management at Radio 1 didn’t agree. After Tommy and Fluff left the BBC, the Friday Rock Show limped on as the bands lost confidence in it. It went through another couple of presenters before it finally died. It’s my hope that through the podcast (which can be found at http://www.wyrdwaysrs.com), news page and the review column, I can do the same thing for some of my listeners that Tommy did for me. I’ve spoken to Tony Wilson recently. He told me that Tommy (or “TV” as he referred to him) would have been amazed at the number of people he inspired to follow in his footsteps. If it's OK with the mods, I'll be posting details about each week's show right here on this thread. If you want to get in touch to enter competitions or suggest bands (including your own, if you're in one!) for airplay, post here, DM me or or head over to the website or Faceache page.

From the title, it is somewhat unsurprising that this is the boys from Bristol’s sixth album. What is surprising however is how good this album is. No, before you get on your high horse, I’m not saying Onslaught release poor albums. What I’m trying to say is that this is a fabulous slab of Thrash, showing the young upstarts how it’s done. Gama Bomb, Municipal Waste, Bonded By Blood take note. This is how it’s done. The first thing that strikes is that it’s a more immediate album than their previous effort, Sounds Of Violence. The band seem tighter and more focussed this time around. “We are the chaos legions, we fight with an iron fist. We play the devil’s music, we are the union of the six”, Sy Keeler snarls in the chorus of 66Fuckin’6. That right there sums up the album perfectly. There’s absolutely no question that this is Thrash done right. Old School and defiantly (and quite rightly) proud of that. There is not one single song that doesn’t at least get your head nodding. There is a measured level of fury within these grooves that showcases the strength of the partnership between Nige Rocket and Andy Rosser-Davies. The riffage and soloing are at times highly reminiscent of Messrs King and Hanneman at their finest and most savage. The partnership of Jeff Williams and new boy Mic Hourihan sounds like it’s been going for decades. Hourihan’s drumming is recognizably different to his predecessor, Steve Grice. He’s more aggressive behind the kit. Not at all surprising when you consider that he is a founder-member of Desecration and ex-member of Extreme Noise Terror… and Tigertailz. I really wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this album to any Slayer fans who need a fix whilst waiting to find out what’s going to happen to the Thrash titans. After a gentle introduction in the shape of A New World Order, the pummelling commences with a true statement of intent in the shape of Chaos Is King and barely lets up from there. The heads-down charge doesn’t let up as the band roll into Fuel For My Fire. It’s majestic opening giving way to a brutal riff and a venomous vocal delivery from Keeler and very interesting Iced Earth-like harmonies evident in the chorus. Children Of The Sand sees the band changing the formula a little, throwing a Middle Eastern flavour into the mix. The Arabian motif continues through the song, with a wailing female backing vocal and Middle Eastern-influenced melody lines and lyrics, making it one of the highlights of the album. From there, the quality doesn’t let up until Enemy Of My Enemy fades from your speakers. Trying to pick another highlight is difficult, but the one that springs to mind most readily is the aforementioned 66Fuckin’6. The musical box opening slides into a crushing riff that just will not let go. You’ll be singing along to the chorus the second time you hear it. That one’s going to be a live favourite. Onslaught are on top form with this one. The quality level doesn’t drop right the way through. If you like your Thrash, you need this one. That’s right. Need.

Extreme - III Sides To Every Story Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication Manowar - Warriors Of The World (except for Fight Until We Die) Anything by Slipknot

I thought I'd better start by introducing myself. I live in Huddersfield in the UK. I've been into Metal since I was 14, back in 1988 (yes, I can date it that accurately!). Type of Metal? It really depends on the bands, rather than the subgenre. My favourite bands include Metallica (who were the first band I ever went to see), Maiden, Hell, Amon Amarth, Sabbath, Dimmu... the list is huge. So huge, in fact, that I started my own podcast when I realized that my tastes in music were being largely ignored. I'll start a thread about it in the relevant forum. I'm from an era where the older, more experienced Metal fans actually HELPED the younger ones, rather than just slagging them off and laughing at them. Gave them some guidance and recommended bands to them. I've been doing that for ages. That's one of the things I set up my podcast for.