CD Reviews
Dunsmuir – Dunsmuir (review)
Dunsmuir – Dunsmuir
Review by JJ Ulizio
New rock super-group Dunsmuir are set to release their debut self-titled album on 07/22/16. A heavy hitting lineup in this group, with Neil Fallon (Clutch & The Company Band) on vocals, Vinnie Appice (Black Sabbath, Dio, Kill Devil Hill) on drums, Dave Bone (The Company Band) on guitar, and Brad Davis from Fu Manchu on bass. When I say the stellar line-up I jumped on the opportunity to review this album.
This album is a perfect amalgam of all musicians involved. You can hear flavors from each of the member’s full time bands seeping into the songs. There are sounds and songwriting that at times are reminiscent of Black Sabbath, Clutch, and I even heard some Motörhead influence lingering in there. This album did not disappoint. From start to finish it’s just a hard hitting rock album with obvious throwbacks to classic metal and the stoner metal that the sum of its members other bands participate in.
My favorite song and the first track on the album, “Hung on the Rocks”, grabbed me right away with a catchy guitar lead before Neil Fallon’s unmistakable voice and vocal attack comes in with his signature unique lyricism. Vinnie Appice’s drums pound and slam the song along till the hook at the chorus comes in “When you’re hung on the rocks do you stand by your captain or do you run ashore with the natives”. A well-crafted rock/metal song that will have the listener head banging whether or not they want to!
The second song, “Our Only Master” is where I hear the Motörhead influences. Not so much in Neil’s vocals, he and the late Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead have very different voices and vocal styles. The similarities come from the fast paced drive of the drums and the running guitar riff for the verse. If you’ve read any of my reviews before then I am sure you can figure out that I do most of my music listening while in my car driving, and “Our Only Master” actually had me feeling like a dumbass when I was rocking out so hard I actually hit my head on my rear view mirror.
“Church of the Truth” shows off the Black Sabbath influence by opening with a slow and hard drum beat with just the bass line. Then guitar comes in with a blazing “creepy” styled lead that mutes itself down for the verse, right out of the Tony Iommi guitar playbook. You can tell these guys love playing & writing music as it shows in every song on this amazing album.
Thick riffs, running bass lines, catchy guitar leads and solos, and impeccable drumming, come together with distinctive style of Neil Fallon’s vocals to make one hell of a record. Whether you want to call it rock, metal, stoner metal, or what have you, fans of all four musicians or their other bands will feel right at home with this record with a sound that’s familiar but still sounds fresh.
This music nerd hopes that they throw together a tour whenever their busy schedules will allow it. Once the album is out make sure to go pick it up at your preferred music retailer. Album drops on 07/22 via Hall of Records (according to their Facebook). Check them out online at www.dunsmuirband.com
About Author
CD Reviews
Phasers Engage: A deep dive into the debut album of inter-dimensional travelers and the music they make.
“Departure Initiated” is the debut album of Phasers Engage. It’s a fun instrumental jam from outer space .
I’ve never been a huge fan of instrumental bands. There are a few I enjoy, like John 5 and the Creatures and Apocalyptica, and even with those bands, I can only listen to a little at a time or see them live. I feel like Phasers Engage would be a great band to see live.
There are parts of the album that I super dug, the heavier, darker, and spookier parts and the lighthearted, fun, and whimsical parts as well. This album reminds me a lot of Mr. Bungle, minus the vocals. The album has seven songs and feels like it conveys an interesting story via sounds and codes. I feel like if they would have added some vocals, even silly, nonsensical lyrics, it would have heightened the album much more, in my opinion.
The band is very good, and the instruments are played with precision, and you could tell the band was having fun making the album. It’s for sure an album to check out. If you’re into instrumental inter-dimensional sound waves and jams, then this album is right up your alley.
Check the band out on Facebook :https://www.facebook.com/PhasersEngage?mibextid=eQY6cl
About Author
CD Reviews
SCAREFIELD DEBUT ALBUM “A QUIET COUNTRY”.
Newcomers SCAREFIELD just released their debut album, “A Quiet Country.” Inspired by 80s horror movies, I thought that this sounded right up my alley, also combining the love of thrash and heavy metal.
Opening up the album with “Ancient Evil,” this track sets the tone for the album. Thrashy guitars, killer drums, and power metal vocals.
The album has 11 tracks. Each track is delightfully titled with a horroresque feel. Songs like “Altar of Fear,” “Child of the Corn,” “Primitive Shadows,” and “Shiver”.
I really dug the album as a whole; I loved the concept, the artwork, and the guitars shred on this album. The shreds remind me of old-school metal, and in a good way. My favorite tracks would be “Altar of Fear,” “God of Terror,” “Always,” and I also loved their version of “House of the Rising Sun.”.
My only criticism of the album is that at times the vocals are too clean for me as a thrash/horror themed album, which is understandable since the singer, MARKUS KRISTOFFERSSON is from Sweden, and you know the Swedes love their power metal, but they also love to have their vocals a lot cleaner. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy the vocals; I actually love his voice, and at times throughout the album, it gets heavy and gnarly, which was amazing.
Overall, I think it’s a very successful album and is worthy of being in anybody’s collection who is a fan of this type of metal. I look forward to seeing what SCAREFIELD does in the future. Hopefully we can get an American tour, with the resurgence of the youth getting into this style of metal, I feel that American mosh pits will be going crazy for those fast guitars and drums. I would love to see them play with The Burning Witches.
Buy the album here: https://hypeddit.com/scarefield/aquietcountry
Check them out here: https://www.scarefield.com
About Author
CD Reviews
Alestorm – Voyage of the Dead Marauder
Another solid (most likely plundered) offering from the pirate metal scalawags known in these parts as Alestorm. The five-song EP Voyage of the Dead Marauder washes up on these shore on March 22, 2024, via Napalm Records. This new effort is produced by Lasse Lammert of LSD-Studios, who has worked alongside genre mates Gloryhammer and Wind Rose.
With the new release, ALESTORM is “Scraping the (bottomless) Barrel” for the fifth time for what is their eighth album , following the international success of the previous Seventh Run of a Seventh Rum album that was released in June 2022.
If you’re an existing fan of their trademark pirate-style metal, then Voyage of the Dead Marauder is a batch of good new stuff. If you’re not a fan, well, maybe you should listen until you are. (This is how I learned to like country music, by the way.)
The first track is the title track and features German hurdy-gurdy musician Patty Gurty sharing vocal duties with vocalist and keytar player Christopher Bowes. The song is in the same vein as “Captain Morgan’s Revenge” from the previously mentioned Seventh Run of a Seventh Rum album. Patty sounds great, but I’m willing to bet she was the only sober one.
Apparently, you can be a pirate anywhere, including the desert and the Great White North. Alestorm proves this with the song “Uzbekistan” as they reminisce about the time they invaded the lands of shifting sands and ultimately turn the President of said land against them. Next up is the tale of a simple farmer who was forced to become a pirate due to governmental tyranny in “The Last Saskachewan Pirate.”
“Sea Shanty 2” is an instrumental offering and would fare well with a watering can full of tequila at one of Alestorm’s live shows (see the lengthy list below if you the need to fulfill this desire).
“Cock” is the last track, and I can hear all of you snickering jut from the title, but wait until you listen to it you immature bastards. The second time you hear it, you’ll be singing along to the tale of an enchanted dream about a Leprechaun who pulls out his schlong.
ALESTORM are:
Christopher Bowes – vocals, keytar
Gareth Murdock – bass
Mate Bodor – guitar
Peter Alcorn – drums
Elliot Vernon – keyboard
ALESTORM Live 2024:
UK & Ireland Tour 2024
w/ Korpiklaani & Heidevolk
21.02.24 UK – London / O2 Forum Kentish Town
22.02.24 UK – Norwich / LCR UEA
23.02.24 UK – Nottingham / Rock City
24.02.24 UK – Bournemouth / O2 Academy
25.02.24 UK – Bristol / O2 Academy
27.02.24 UK – Belfast / Limelight
28.02.24 UK – Dublin / Academy
29.02.24 UK – Cardiff / SU
01.03.24 UK – Birmingham / O2 Academy
02.03.24 UK – Oxford / O2 Academy
03.03.24 UK – Glasgow / O2 Academy
05.03.24 UK – Manchester / O2 Victoria Warehouse
06.03.24 UK – Liverpool / O2 Academy
07.03.24 UK – Leeds / O2 Academy
08.03.24 UK – Newcastle / NX
09.03.24 UK – London / O2 Forum Kentish Town
“Tour Of The Dead Marauder”
w/ Elvenking & Glyph
19.03.24 US – Cincinnati, OH / Bogart’s
20.03.24 US – Grand Rapids, MI / Elevation
22.03.24 CA – Toronto, ON / The Concert Hall
23.03.24 CA – Montreal, QC / MTELUS
24.03.24 US – New Haven, CT / Toad’s Place
26.03.24 US – Pittsburgh, PA / Stage AE
27.03.24 US – Detroit, MI / The Majestic
29.03.24 US – Milwaukee, WI / The Rave
30.03.24 US – Omaha, NE / The Admiral
02.04.24 CA – Winnipeg, MB / Park Theatre
03.04.24 CA – Saskatoon, SK / Coors Event Centre
05.04.24 CA – Edmonton, AB / Midway Music Hall
06.04.24 CA – Calgary, AB / The Palace Theatre
08.04.24 CA – Vancouver, BC / Commodore
09.04.23 US – Spokane, WA / Knitting Factory
10.04.24 US – Boise, ID / Knitting Factory
12.04.24 US – Sacramento, CA / Ace of Spades
13.04.24 US – Santa Ana, CA / The Observatory
15.04.24 US – Tucson, AZ / Rialto Theatre
16.04.24 US – Albuquerque, NM / Sunshine Theater
18.04.24 US – Oklahoma City, OK / Diamond
19.04.24 US – St. Louis, MO / Red Flag
20.04.24 US – Indianapolis, IN / Old National
21.04.24 US – Nashville, TN / Marathon
Festivals 2024
28.06.24 FI – Sulvilahti / Tuska
05.07.24 DE – Rock Harz / Ballenstedt
11.07.24 HU – Dunaújváros / Rockmaraton
12.07.24 CZ – Vizovice / Masters of Rock
13.07.24 AT – Area 53 / Leoben
14.07.24 NL – Pirate Metal Party / Helmond
About Author
-
Interviews8 years ago
Interview with Alex Terrible of Slaughter to Prevail
-
Interviews7 years ago
Interview with Alex Terrible of Slaughter to Prevail
-
Reviews2 years ago
Chaos and Carnage Tour 2022: Pittsburgh Review
-
Empire Interviews3 years ago
Interview with Tawny Kitaen
-
Reviews2 years ago
John 5 and the Creatures/The Haxans MD Show Review
-
Music News3 years ago
BlueRidge Rock Festival 2021 Preview
-
Interviews3 years ago
Interview with Little Miss Nasty
-
CD Reviews4 years ago
Black Crown Initiate- Violent Portraits of Doomed Escape Album Review
You must be logged in to post a comment Login