The Miserable Metal Mind Podcast

Through a forest of red pointy gnome hats, you can just about witness support, and tour organisers Wall take to the stage. A scream of feedback fills the Cathouse before the massive riffs of their two-person attack crush Glasgow. The two Cole brothers from Desert Storm play instrumental music and it’s massive in tone. The audience is large and loving the vibe.  The red hats continue to bob in time with the concrete riffs while the boys power through their set with smiles on their faces. The weighty riffs go down well in the Cathouse, and the audience displays their appreciation loudly. More red hats congregate in front of the stage before Gnome make their entrance. With a pink Flying V named “Pink Dick” Rutger and the boys lay into “Rotten Tonge”, one of the heaviest tracks in their catalogue. The Scottish crowd immediately go wild and it’s not long before a Gnome pit is formed. We go back to the album “King” next with “Bulls of Bravik” while the pit gets bigger. The intensity of t...

  Thrasherwolf The Sub Blackpool. Nestled amongst kebab shops and karaoke bars sits a little yellow music bar/venue. It’s Beatles-themed, mainly around The Yellow Submarine. This is the venue for tonight’s thrash metal party. First impressions of the place are nice, with friendly staff and a clientele ready for some live music. The youngsters of “Parilla” are the first to walk onto stage, and they burst into a cover of Creeping Death. This is enough to get heads bobbing and the juices flowing. Their short set comprises of covers and their own material. They have already amassed a decent following, and many are here to enjoy their starter in this thrash experience.  Blacklist are waiting in the wings, and by the time it’s their turn to shine they seem pumped and ready. Their thrash aggression immediately hits the crowd in the face. They are fast, sharp and incredibly precise. There is always a sense of anger and menace around a Blacklist performance, and tonight is no excep...

It’s not often we stray from the world of heavy metal over here at The Miserable Metal Mind, it’s rare, but not unheard of. The music of The Dead South is certainly different than our normal menu, but with songs about sex, drinking, death, and fighting we are not too far removed. Plus I like them.  This evening's music begins with support from “Corb Lund”. These fellow Canadians have a smoother feel to their country music sound. The audience soaks up the tails of cowboys and cavalry delivered by this four piece. Mixed into these more traditional country tunes we get a rock-a-billie tune named “The Gothest Girl I Can” causing many money-makers to be shaken. A beautifully smooth guitar solo graces Manchester’s Apollo in “Spookin’ The Horses”. With material from ten albums to choose from Corb’s music goes down well tonight.  As the four mic stands appear on the stage awaiting their operators the anticipation begins to build. After what seems like an eternity the Saskatchewan boys...

2009 was the last studio release by this seminal band, whose debut album in 1989 is rightly regarded as a classic and still gets regular airtime in this house. With Chris Goss the only original member, the elusive genius now brings the band back to life once more with their latest album, The Archer .  Masters of Reality has always driven their own course. Rightly credited as a major influence on the desert rock scene, the band’s canvas was spread much wider. The Archer comprises nine tracks that span just under 40-minutes, making it an easily digestible record but not one that diverts from the quality that Goss has always crafted. Here he’s in fine form, the sprawling songs take their own shape and form, nothing rushed and much mellowness as the bluesy vibes cascade across the songs. Barstow , which sits in the middle of the album is a perfect example. A sleepy gentile track that oozes relaxed quality, it’s nonetheless a fine example of the laidback approach which makes this album...

Does the world need a three disc best of compilation from German power metal champions Helloween? Well, whether you like it or not, March of Time is perhaps the most definitive collection of the band’s 40+ year career and it’s coming at you loud and proud. For many of us of a certain vintage, it’s those early albums that stand as the classics with much of the following decades less than exciting. I’m willing to argue that few bands have released a trio like Walls of Jericho and the double Keepers of the Seven Keys records before crashing with the departure of founder Kai Hansen and the commercial rock sound of Pink Bubbles Go Ape .  Still, there are some gems hidden in here. Disc 1 does hark back to those first three albums, and although some of the tracks haven’t aged well, at least we haven’t got the ridiculous Rise and Fall included, a bonus point to the band who have apparently curated this release. Dr Stein , still a fan favourite but ridiculous and throwaway in my mind is ...

Prog rock international supergroup O.R.k. give us their 5th album Firehose Of Falsehoods via progressive rock label K-Scope. The band comprises bassist Colin Edwin (formerly with Porcupine Tree), drummer Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson), guitarist Carmelo Pipitone (indie rock band Marta Sui Tubi), and vocalist Lorenzo Esposito Fornasari aka LEF, who is also a renowned producer and award winning film score composer, with album artwork by acclaimed Marvel/DC comics illustrator Denis Rodier. The previous two albums had their artwork designed by Tool’s Adam Jones, extra kudos there.  On the first two albums, Inflamed Rides and Soul Of An Octopus , it was often more about the ability of the musicians, and LEF’s vocals were somewhat low in the mix. Then from third album Ramagehead onwards, it seems like the band have decided to utilize LEF’s amazing voice to the max.  How best to describe LEF's delivery remains a challenge though. A cross between a modern day Chris Cornell ...