The Tower - Hic abundant leones (2014)

Hic abundant leones is the first album of the finnish band called The Tower, it was released in 2014 by Bad omen records. This is an interesting album, a promising band and I listen to it regularly since two years and enjoy it each time, so even if it's not fresh news I wanted to review this one. We could say they fall in the retro-heavy metal style, but more importantly they do it in a different way (not another Graveyard / Witchcraft / Uncle acid wannabe). Their music reminds proto-heavy metal / heavy blues, with elements from the 60' hard blues psych rock music and elements from the early days of heavy metal. Somewhere between Iron Maiden and Hawkwind, old school epic heavy metal with some 60' trippy flavours. But more important than their influences is their ability at writing good, memorable and enjoyable songs filled with good riffing, good vocals and a nice epic and trippy feel. Really cool stuff! They really deserves more attention than they get.

The Bandcamp page.

Sly and the Family Drone - A fiesta of skin and tears (2015)

Listening to Sly and the Family Drone is a special experience, and from what I read seeing they play live must be completely crazy. No, they are not playing drone covers of Sly and the Family Stone. Not even playing their own songs, because they don't play "songs" and they mostly improvise. They play drone, yes, through synth and tortured samples, and repetitive rhythms, they play a lot of free / chaotic / tribal sounding drums and percussions (and pass some to the public to help them perform their noise assault!). They scream. They raise a lot of noise and hell. A fiesta of skin and tears captures one of they show in 2014. If you're into noise and improvised / free music, or just enjoy some sonic chaos, then this is for you. Truly unique and great stuff!

The Bandcamp page.

Sacridose - Slave world (EP 2016)

Floridian PV / grind trio Sacridose have been a good band from the start (with a guy from Cellgraft on guitar this was no surprise), but with this new EP called Slave world they sound more convincing than ever. the 6 songs (less than 5 minutes for the whole EP) are simple but straight to the point and super intense. An impressive demonstration of PV / grind efficacity.

The BC page.

Major Kong - Galactic cannibalism (EP 2015)

Major Kong is a polish trio playing instrumental stoner / doom at its finest. They have the heaviness, the riffs and the grooves, plus a touch of space rocking and inspired songwriting to hold things together and guarantee an interesting listen. All that makes their new EP Galactic cannibalism a very enjoyable piece (four tracks, around 25 minutes) of heavy trippy rock. I also strongly recommend their latest album Doom machine.  

The Bandcamp page.

Oranssi pazuzu - Värähtelijä (2016)

Värähtelijä is Oranssi pazuzu fourth album (again on Svart records), and is coming after the excellent Valionelu (read HERE my review of it ). Värähtelijä has everything I love about Oranssi pazuzu (kraut-prog rock meets black metal in short) and at the same time it's again a different beast. Darker, more abstract and repetitive, less dynamic maybe, not less rocking but rocking on a more kraut beat, more ambient, less "prog' rock" but more dark psychedelia. It's harder to get into it, but also it's good to have them back to a more weird and nightmarish feel after a more colourful Valionelu. They still are really different and special. I had great expectations for this album (Oranssi pazuzu is one of my favourite band) and it does not disappoint me. Really trippy and powerfull in its unique way.

The Bandcamp page

Manhunt - Self titled LP (2015)

Manhunt is now one of the best hardcore band from Australia. On their self-titled LP released early in 2015 their hardcore punk / powerviolence sounds very fierce, focused and with a high intensity level. And their singer Alix Katala sounds like you won't be able to escape. 14 tracks in about 15. that's the time they need to get you!  Even the instrumental track is good. Also recommended, their split with the aussie grinders Internal rot released in 2014.
Manhunt is Hardcore done right.

Their BC page.

Ramleh - Circular time (2015)

After a few years hiatus Ramleh are back with this double album called Circular time. Double and really excellent. Their noise / power electronics / industrial origins are still felt, but they still largely follow in their more recent noise rock vein (with drums and guitars) and they bring also a big dose of spacey psychedelia with really trippy lead guitar parts. there's also something kraut with the rythms (Godflesh meets Can and Jimmy Hendrix?). And theres some few vocals in the most "rock" parts (maybe somewhere between The Melvins, Hawkwind and Pornography era The Cure?), and those parts are good as well. They sound like no other and their music is powerfull and mesmerising. Since I discovered Circular time I listen to it on a daily basis. strong and addictive stuff, really. try it!

The Bandcamp page.