The Miserable Metal Mind Podcast

Of all the albums that have arrived in the review box in 2024, few piqued the curiosity like this one. The name Dååth was buried back in the late 2000s, with the band’s last release the self-titled fourth album in 2010. A 13-year hiatus is ended with the arrival of The Deceivers , and I’ll wager a five-pound note that this will end up in the top ten at the end of the year. Technical, orchestral, intense, and rich in melody, this is an album that provides an over-the-top delivery that works on every level. Nine songs that feature numerous guest musicians alongside the now established new line-up, The Deceivers is simply astonishing in so many ways. Dååth were founded by guitarist Eyal Levi in 1999, and over a decade, they forged a reputation which saw them join tours with Cattle Decapitation, Dark Funeral, Cynic, Nile, Slayer, Dragonforce, Goatwhore, Chimaira, Dying Fetus, and Devildriver. When the band started its hiatus, Levi threw himself into production before forming Unstoppable...

Mob Rules is a German power classic metal band formed in 1994 but only released their first album Savage Land five years later in 1999. Since then, they have released a further nine albums, with Celebration Day – 30 Years of Mob Rules a retrospective review of their extensive career. Covering singles, a smattering of rerecorded tracks and a few covers by bands that have influenced them, this is quite the body of work. The disc kicks off with the track Way of the World from their 2002's Hallowed Be T hy Name album. A classic power metal opener, the twin guitars of Florian Dyszballs and Sven Ludke ring out a catchy riff for a bar before the driving drums, anthemic keyboards, and bass kick in to produce a classic metal sound. Klaus Dirks vocal is clear, high pitched almost operatic, and perfect for power metal. This is quite representative for the band and the genre of metal they have forged for themselves.  The group of covers are generally respectful and include Iron Maiden’s Run...

The artwork for this album depicts a huge, weighty, monstrous creature, crushing all in its wake. It’s terrifying, destructive but impressive form is on show for all to see. A perfect metaphor for the music contained inside. Ten Ton Slug have already carved out a successful fan base large enough to cause the sell-out of vinyl copies of this album before its release date. This was also long before reviews began to surface, demonstrating the faith and loyalty this band create.   The two singles released have already hinted at the calibre of the album Colossal Oppressor , and I am happy to report the first few minutes of this album will settle any nerves fans may have had revolving round it’s quality. The acoustic sounding guitar leads into the weighty riff of the first track The Ooze . It’s slow, sludgy, and powerful. All the components that invoke The Slug’s earlier work is still here. This is essential as the EPs the band have released, along with their live show...

I knew very little about Six by Six when this album arrived for review. Yes, I knew the band comprised Saxon drummer Nigel Glockler, Ian Crichton of Saga and Robert Berry, roots in the ELP family and singer, bassist, and keyboardist, so are in many ways a supergroup of sorts, but I knew next to nothing about their sound.  Beyond Shadowland is the band’s second release, following on from their eponymous debut album released in August 2022. It’s a glorious combination of progressive rock, rich in melody but with that hard rock edge that provides a sonic menu of songs that will delight those who find solace in this genre. It’s an interesting collective. Glockler, the Saxon powerhouse is restrained, delicate percussion and intricate patterns providing ample evidence of the man’s wider qualities. Berry has a thumping bass tone and the clean, warmth in his singing that gives Six by Six an additional quality. Throw in Crichton’s subtle and oft-understated guitar work, and you can’t go wr...

The spot for tonight’s rock n roll extravaganza is The Ferret in Preston, an enjoyable venue with a good atmosphere and nice staff. It does help when the people running the show seem to enjoy the night and music as much as the punters. The evening kicks off or should I say bounces off with Pulverise . Their blend Of Hip Hop, Hard Core, New Metal, Rap, and Rock feels appropriate on a Friday night. Jojo’s vocal and performance is sharp and entertaining. She skips around the stage with abandon and glee, a feeling that becomes infectious as the crowd begin to sway to the music in front of them. Daz on bass knows his way around a fret board and is not shy to add a death metal growl as backing to his compadre’s singing. Guitars crunch along with Hard Core intent and sit well with the rapping. Vicky Buttfairy sings along to all the words although not mic-ed up. She does have a song called Bitchin dedicated to her though. The Leeds foursome throw in a cover of Cypress Hill and The Ferret goes...

I came to the Deicide party a little bit late. The first album passed me by, and I only heard about them in 1991 through a Channel 4 documentary called Banned: Dancing with the Devil  (this took a lot of digging around the internet to find what it was). I heard extracts of Sacrificial Suicide and bought the 1989 self-titled debut album the next day. I stayed with them for the next two releases, but then forgot about them. I jumped at the chance to give this a listen.  Banished by Sin is the 13th studio album by the Floridian death metallers, and the first in six years since 2018’s Overtures of Blasphemy . Founder members Steve Asheim (Drums) and Glenn Benton (Bass/Vocals) are joined by guitarists Kevin Quirion, who played on the last two releases, and newcomer, Taylor Nordberg. This album does not hang around, the longest track Ritual Defied clocks in at just over the three-and-a-half-minute mark, and the whole album is a total of 39 minutes. However, none of the album seem...

Dead Flesh, the Hertfordshire Death Core band (not to be confused with the Jacksonville, Florida band of the same name, who disbanded in 2012) are about to release their debut EP – Dehumanise , and it’s a bit of a bruiser. They state in their biog that their mission statement is to “Showcase the horror of society and mental struggle through disgusting music” something I think they achieve with aplomb.  Over the five tracks featured, the pace changes frequently but never detract from the brutality of the tunes on offer. The vocals of Richard Stevenson are raspy and quite often sound like two different people, similar in my view to the likes of Carcass. The drums courtesy of Michael O’Neill is pounding, but are not just blasters, though there are plenty of those on offer here; sometimes it’s like being pummelled by Mike Tyson. Starting with Born into the Meat Grinder, the riffs come like a maelstrom of noise, thanks to guitarists Michael Worsley, Chris Everett and bassist Adam McGu...

It’s been a long time since I listened to Praying Mantis. As an 11-year-old, Time Tells No Lies was an iconic album cover, created by artist Rodney Matthews whose magnificent artwork captured the imagination on albums such as Chase the Dragon by Magnum, Tygers of Pan Tang’s Crazy Nights , and Diamond Head’s Borrowed Time. Now, if I’m honest, that’s about all I can remember about T ime Tells No Lies , but I did review their 10th record Legacy in 2015, and recall it was a solid slab of melodic hard rock. It was the first album to feature vocalist Jaycee Cuijpers, drummer Hans in’t Zandt, who both remain integral to the band alongside founder members and brothers Chris and Tino Troy and guitarist Andy Burgess. Almost a decade after Legacy , we see Praying Mantis become another band reaching the half-century milestone with new release Defiance . Chris Troy says of the album, "It sets the tone for what's to come on the album—a perfect blend of classic Praying Mantis with a c...

There’s a storm brewing in South Wales and it’s coming your way. The combination of experience and excellence has manifested into a powerful outfit that goes by the name of Greyfox Conspiracy. Five seasoned musicians now pulling in the same direction, and rightly receiving rave reviews every time they get up on stage. They write about life and love, and like a good whiskey, they are improving over time. Their latest single is called Crazy Horse and it’s a five-minute tribute to the legendary Tasunke Witco, Lakota warrior and leader of the Oglala Lakota in the 19th century. Leading the fight against the US federal government’s encroachment on Native American territory, he put the needs of his people above everything else. In history, he stands as a figure of respect and inspiration. Greyfox Conspiracy capture the essence of Crazy Horse in their own unique way. A stomping, swampy groove to the song sees singer Greyfox Growl chart the legend, whilst the band lock in tight to provide an ...

Blending furious black metal with classical, opera, and baroque, the international collective known as Folterkammer (Torture Chamber) presents as one of the most unique and interesting releases of 2024. On first listen, it’s almost too wild a ride, but a deeper into the band’s history and composition explains much. This is group who contain Zachary Ezrin of black metal avant-garde metallers Imperial Triumphant, and vocalist Andromeda Anarchia, who has contributed guest vocals on their recent albums. Folterkammer first emerged around five years ago and released debut album Die Lederpredigt in 2020. The band currently comprises Anarchia, Ezrin on guitars, Darren Hanson on guitars, Laurent David on bass, and Brendan McGowan on drums. Anarchia, born in Switzerland and Parisian David split their time between Europe and Brooklyn, giving the band a truly international flavour. It’s evident from listening to Weibermacht that this isn’t an outfit that has come together for their first recordi...

I first became aware of the Edinburgh band Dvne with the release of their second album Etemen Ænka . They had me by the conclusion of the first track. It was not long before I dived into their earlier releases, and I was hooked. So, it is with a reasonable amount of glee I sit here with this review copy. Now a five-piece, Voidkind looks to build on the deserved success that the band have so far achieved.  If you are familiar with their music, you will immediately recognise their style and sound. There is no sudden switch to metalcore or pop rock. The death metal growl menacingly tears into your soul while the beautiful clean vocals sooth any wounds caused by this pounding. All the tracks that Dvne craft contain a high level of skill and storytelling. The band state “if something is very heavy, that doesn’t mean it can’t be melodic as well”. A point they prove well, and often. Dvne has forged a reputation for blending the brutal with the delicate, and they have not strayed from ...

Hightailing it back from Derby to my home in South Wales, it was impossible not to reflect on the performance of Imperium at their headlining show at The Hairy Dog for the MTROFEST 24. A band I've followed since day one, they are now showing all the signs of an act that could lead the UK metal scene for the next two decades. Tonight, Imperium head for Fuel Rock Club in the Welsh Capital for their debut Welsh show. It's about time, and despite the small turnout, those that make the effort are rewarding with a headline show worthy of venues ten times the size. Before the Londoners show us how it's done, two Welsh bands get the venue warmed up in fine style.  First up, it's the groove thrash of Haverfordwest boys In Which it Burns. They've been through multiple line-up changes over the years, but frontman Wayne 'Stretch' Mayhew and lead guitarist Steve Flynn know what they are doing (despite Stretch's protestations). They play a fast and furious set, throw...

The sixth full length album by the Polish black metallers Blaze of Perdition is by their own admission a return to the more orthodox style of black metal after the 2020 album The Harrowing of Hearts . Like a tick list of black metal traits, it has them all covered, the growled harsh vocals of S (they only go by initials on the blurb, but a quick check of Encyclopaedia Metallum says his name is Sonnelion), the blast beats of drummer VZN, the sometimes atonal and other times melancholic guitars of XCII and M.R. (Marcin Rybichi), and the solid bass of session man Wyrd, the only thing they have missed is an unreadable logo!  The five songs on offer here are not short, the briefest being Przel Rany (Through the Wounds) at 07:17, but they rarely become boring as the riffs intertwine, keeping you fully engaged in the music, although the lyrics sung in Polish make the vocals hard or almost impossible to understand (to a non-Polish speaker). The Album starts with W Kwiecie Rozłamu (in Rupt...

There’s an old saying that goes something like, ‘Alcohol. Because no great story ever started with someone eating a salad’. Now, put aside your personal views on the fantastic tale-inducing capabilities of both salad and the demon drink, and for a moment put yourself in the position of our heroes of this tale, Halberd. Nearing the end of finishing their new album, the Southeast London thrash metal band found themselves in the unfortunate position of having their computer crash on them. Yes, you’ve guessed it, losing everything! Sorrows were to be drowned, and suitably submerged they were. Thankfully with a table of empties afore them and under the influence of much beer, the story of Drinks All Round began.  Halberd decided to create an EP until they could get back to focusing on the album. With a sound very much in groove and thrash metal waters, although flirting with death metal flavours at times, how will a hastily created EP born out of necessity compared to the infectious,...

Tyr are not a band that I am familiar with so when I was given this to review I did not know what to expect. So when I saw the title I was expecting generic Viking metal. But that is not what came out of the speakers. With a little research I discovered that Tyr a from the Faroe Islands and this is their ninth album. The opener Hammered starts with a very catchy riff a big synth style guitars (maybe a keytar in there as well) driving drums and the clear jovial vocals of Heri Joensen follow the rhythm of the song as it drives merrily along. This repeated throughout the album, sort of a less angry Amon Amoth. Unwandered Ways starts with a  well used jolly folk hook and bounces along nicely, and the scene is set this theme is used throughout the album, Row and Hangman are my favourite tracks here, the classic rock vocals and fast drums, almost symphonic guitarsare a joy. The Viking imagery and big sing along choruses will be fantastic in a live setting . A few slower songs in the...

There’s no doubting that The Lunar Effect keep one foot firmly in the seventies. Their style is distinctly fuzzed up stoner riffage but there is more to consider in this sophomore release. A debut EP was followed by the first album Calm Before the Storm in 2019, and now they present nine tracks which vary in style and tempo, but all grab you in different ways. There’s a definite Sabbath wandering on opener Ocean Queen , which smoulders before exploding in a crunching cloud of big riffs, a stoner / psychedelic collision which results in a fat, thick sound. Instantly wooed by John Gosling’s enchanting vocals, it’s a drifting yet compelling start to an album that should appeal to all who worship the riff. I’ve read comparisons with Ozzy, but for me Gosling has a much wider range. There are hints of Rival Sons frontman Jay Buchannan and Andrew Stockdale (Wolfmother) amongst a myriad of influences.  It’s evident that the London outfit are honing their sound with hard work and gigging. ...

My love for the extreme vocal, blast beats, and Satanic riff has in no way diminished my love for the more clean old school heavy metal style I grew up with. As with all styles, it must be done well though. Fortunately, War Grave do the latter well.  Recorded at London’s Monolith Studios, producer Charlie Wilson Jnr. has managed to capture five metal tracks to pump the blood and shake your world. The clean powerful vocal talents of Roman Kantoch (ex-More) shine on this release. He is a singer forged from vocalists of former times. Perfectly sitting with the musical styles of guitarists Trent Powell and Stuart Layne (ex-Virus), while the talents of the foundation laying Steve Brill on drums and bass player Charlie Gossett hold everything together. The opening track War Graves has the style and swagger of denim-clad metal with more than a hint of old-school thrash at its heart. Fast and precise Brill’s drumming is commanding. A sudden time shift shows the musical skill and song wri...