INCANTATION - "PROFANE NEXUS" (2017)

INCANTATION - "PROFANE NEXUS"
(Running time: 42:38 minutes; 11 songs)
("Relapse Records"; 2017; CD):

Another day, another post, another record, another record-review, so you could maybe say and so now here we go again: After yesterday the Chicago Death Metal legends BROKEN HOPE and their this year's masterpiece "MUTILATED AND ASSIMILATED" were reviewed up here by me for you I feel like sticking with/into the extreme musick stuff in general and with/into Death Metal in particular. If you know me you know that I fucking love Death Metal and especially the various sorts and kinds and flavours of U.S. Death Metal and beside many others the mighty INCANTATION had been, were, still are, and probably will always be favorites of me, myself, and I, yes, and so now here for you comes my review on their new 2017 album "PROFANE NEXUS" released via the still strong going "RELAPSE RECORDS" still pretty recently this very year. I love this grandmasters of Blasphemic Death Metal or Satanic Death Metal from the States since I first listened to their almighty classick "ONWARD TO GOLGOTHA" some day in middle-school back then in probably around 1994 on my old walkman on a self-recorded tape probably while riding (on) my skateboard to school or back from school and was totally blown away by this absolutely devastating and atomizing power, force, intensity, and just sheer sinister and evil energy, fuck yeah', and if we keep in mind that back then I was sort of 13 years young and today I'm 36 years old you maybe get a clou (of) what this style of musick in general and this very band in particular more or less always meant and still mean to me. That said not all INCANTATION albums were great but the very most of them were great or at least damn good stuff, so in my book. And now in 2017 "PROFANE NEXUS" is/was unleashed and INCANTATION really conquer and they conquer in a mighty and no prisoners taking way. Their very dark and harsh, sinister and very, very brutal and aggressive Death Metal enriched with bonesmashing and skullcracking (Funeral) Doom Metal impressions and cultivated with tons of great guitar riffs, fantastic guitar solos, and 'just' damn dark yet very bright shining symphonic guitar leads totally slashes any resistance away and sounds so damn fresh and alive/lively as well as offers a lot of cool little surprises, yes, this is 'just' nothing but absolutely first class Death Metal from this blasphemous roughnecks from Johnstown, Pennsylvania/USA and this on a very high level of skill and quality and with a strong own identity and character to it all. The songwriting is very fresh and pretty diverse yet first-and-foremost all the time incredible intense and 'woven-through' by a tight and 'just' pure evil and really sinister atmosphere and the outcome are dark, heavy, and very grapping masterpieces of songs of finest Death Metal that offer a great variety of pace-variations and sheer overwhelming intensity and cool twists-and-turns along the ride. The biggest shining trademarks are for sure the marching and hammering guitars, followed by the brutal and still incredible deep guttural vocals, all backed up by a massive and ass-tight, damn precise and everything down-tearing rhythm section. Or in short: Death Metal how it should be, Metal of Death, the real deal. Great lyrics, a fantastic artwork, and very deep-droning and heavy production sound finally enrich and cultivate it all in a great and even more impressive way. Yes, INCANTATION's "PROFANE NEXUS" is so far definitely one of my highlights this year and one of the strongest Death Metal Releases in 2017 so far, so in my book and so I can only recommend it to you, highly recommend it, so gout and get it if you missed out on it so far. This one just damn bloody rules. A blasphemous masterpiece we have here. All hail INCANTATION.

(9 of 10 points)

https://www.incantation.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band, check it out)

INCANTATION - "ANCIENTS ARISE" (2017, "PROFANE NEXUS")

BROKEN HOPE - "MUTILATED AND ASSIMILATED" (2017)

BROKEN HOPE - "MUTILATED AND ASSIMILATED"
(Running time: 40:18 minutes; 12 songs)
("Century Media Records"; 2017; CD + DVD):

Okay folks, I guess it's been again already a while since my last post up here saw the light of the day, hm, two weeks or so I guess, so yes, it's really about time I finally give you some new food up here, okay, and so I will now do, yes, and so here comes the next post what means the next record review and this time you get my review on the new 2017 full length album by/of BROKEN HOPE, the legends of brutal Death Metal blasting out of Chicago, Illinois/USA finally again. I can't really remember how long it's been since I listened to the last new BROKEN HOPE album but it's been a long while since then. Their 2013 'comeback' album "OMEN OF DISEASE"  is still to  this very day unknown to me and so their last album that I listened to when it was released was their 1999 slasher "GROTESQUE BLESSINGS", yes, this was back then when I was 18 years young... damn it... and now in 2017 with being 36 years and already a half year old "MUTILATED AND ASSIMILATED" appeared and this to me pretty much out of nowhere and, you know what... it totally conquered me like way back when I was 18 years young... and even more, because, yes, Old School for sure but damn fresh and alive/lively and without any lame and stale retro bullcrap, oh boy, what a devastating and intense and suprisingly fresh and totally relevant/up-to-date album it is, hell yeahr!!! This is powerful and massive U.S. Death Metal with a very strong own identity varying between totally devastating blast speed 'slaughterfests' and every resistance into the ground smashing fast raging up tempo parts to absolutely no prisoners taking mosh and slam parts and sinister and sick down paced moments, all enriched in a fantastic way by/with weird and sickening, totally mind blowing guitar leads, symphonic-to-'dissymphonic' harmonies (the leads as well as the riffs), and guitar solos, delivered in the form of fantastic and despise all the ultra-heavyness and sheer massive brutality yet still and all the time very diverse and multi-layered songs done by high skilled musicians and delivered via very, very strong songwriting. Prepare yourself for atomizing guitars, deep grunted and harsh growled lead vocals, and a tight and damn brutal hammering rhythm section, as well as totally fresh ideas and surprises and especially the guitars really shine in a bright sinister and sick, aggressive and mean, pissed off, nasty light. The songs are very diverse and multi-layered, it happens really a lot in them, you should really invest some time in BROKEN HOPE's "MUTILATED AND ASSIMILATED" to really get it all, hell yeahr, and trust me when I say that this is time wisely invested and spent. And what really makes this album even better at the end of the day is that it is incredible intense from start to finish, over the complete running time, over the whole distance. Also it breaths a very own stunning brutal and weird sick atmosphere and spirit right from the get-go and also over the whole distance. And with the brilliant guitar outro of the phenomenal "MALICIOUS MEATHOLES" we also get some very strong and cool Jazz impressions. A beautiful sickening artwork, absolutely over the top and great lyrics, and a very heavy and bombing production sound finally make it all round. Ah, and we also get a mind-blowing "SWAMPED IN GORE" and "GOREHOG" medley as the finishing track of the album. Superb!!! Okay, I think I've said so much anything that I had to say about BROKEN HOPE's "MUTILATED AND ASSIMILATED", yes, this is just a damn great release that I can only highly, highly recommend to any fan of good and real Death Metal in general and of brutal U.S. Death Metal in particular and also of really brutal and truly extreme musick in general as well. My personal favorites are currently "THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT SHIT", "MUTILATED AND ASSIMILATED", "OUTBACK INCEST CLAN", "MALICIOUS MEATHOLES", "THE CARRION EATERS", "HELL'S HANDPUPPETS", and the larger than life "SWAMPED IN GOREHOG" medley. But also the not mentioned (anyhow only few) tracks are anyhow damn fucking strong slashers. So, yes, if you still don't know or have it, why the bloody hell ever, you should make sure to finally change this as soon as possible and this best right now. Ah, and btw, the package also comes with a DVD that conatins the 2015 "OBSCENE EXTREME" gig of BROKEN HOPE and that's a really nice 'goody'. This is great, this is the real deal, this is Death fuckin' Metal!!!

(9 of 10 Points)

http://brokenhope.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

BROKEN HOPE - "THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT SHIT" (2017, "MUTILATED AND ASSIMILATED")

BODY COUNT - "BLOODLUST" (2017)

BODY COUNT - "BLOODLUST"
(Running time: 41:04 minutes; 11 songs)
("Century Media Records"; 2017; CD):

Hey folks, back on track again. A little bit 'exhausted' after today again new ink was 'integrated' into my body, yes, but all is (more than) fine. And look, we are also finally back in 2017, review-wise, like promised/announced. So, okay, here we now have the current 2017 release of/by the legendary BODY COUNT titled "BLOODLUST" and released via (the german based) "CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS". My last encounter with them... whoooaaa... it's decades ago and was and still is named "BORN DEAD", a true classick. The first two BODY COUNT albums were and are absolutely killer records in my book and of pretty huge importance for/to me and my personal 'development'. Don't ask me why I lost them then out of sight, and even the precursor album, hm, I think titled "MANSLAUGHTER" or so and released one or two or so years ago, sort of, totally flew under my radar. And then 2017 hit the scene and I listened to almighty "THIS IS WHY WE RIDE" and "NO LIVES MATTER" via YouTube for the first time and then... fuck it... then it was damn fucking clear that I definitely would need to call this Album finally my own again. And so I did. And fuck this damn bloody world but how great BODY COUNT's "BLOODLUST" is, what a monster of an album, yes, absolutely a masterpiece, and this lyric- and musicwise. This is one hell of a great and fantastic Crossover fusion out of Hardcore, (Thrash) Metal, Hardcore Punk, and Rap, melted together in a total devastating and in every sense and way more than "just" relevant Crossover Metal cocktail that takes no prisoners and knows no regrets. ICE-T and 'his crew' are back, and perhaps sort of better than ever. Crushing and smashing and yet still very diverse and soul- and playful guitars really shine on the whole album, no matter if in (pretty organic) grooving and catchy anthems like the larger-than-life "THIS IS WHY WE RIDE" or in incredible shredding and sawing purest through and through SLAYER-esque sledgehammer Thrash Metal slashers like the breathtaking "RAINING IN BLOOD/POSTMORTEM 2017" or in fantastic harsh yet hymnal as fuck and often Beatdown fueled beasts of songs like "THE SKI MASK WAY", "NO LIVES MATTER", "BLOODLUST", or "BLACK HOODIE" or in an sort of epic killer song like the mighty opener "CIVIL WAR" featuring MEGADETH mastermind Dave Mustaine, all is done high skilled, incredible intense, very diverse and multi-layered as hell, soul- and playful, yes, and still it's all the time beefy and bulky, bonesmashing and headcracking on one hell of a demolishing level.  Beside the totally blasting guitars the fantastic and so incredible unique and charismatic lead (Rap) vocals delivered by ICE-T and nicely backed up by very strong co-vocal(ist)s and broad and fat widescreen gang back up chants are the next biggest marking trademark of BODY COUNT's "BLOODLUST", and for all the right reasons. The totally precise, versatile, and massive to the point played and delivering rhythm section then is the final puzzle-piece rounding "BLOODLUST" in an impressive way up. The songwriting is not only incredible intense and done in a high skilled way, but also very fresh and just damn strong, and that this fine gentlemen know how to play should be clear anyway anyhow. The lyrics are very strong and outspoken, political, critical, and socially aware, yes, and all on a very high level of quality, I love it. ICE-T and BODY COUNT in best form, in absolute best form, and this lyricwise and musicwise, point and fact. A very sinister artwork, that's a perfect match to/for/with the very tight dark, angry, pissed off, militant, gladiatorial, and intense atmosphere of "BLOODLUST", and a full and heavy first class production sound then round the complete package finally up. My personal favorites are "THIS IS WHY WE RIDE" (my absolute favorite), "NO LIVES MATTER", "BLOODLUST", "BLACK HOODIE", "CIVIL WAR" (featuring MEGADETH's Dave Mustaine), "THE SKI MASK WAY", "ALL LOVE IS LOST" (featuring SOULFLY's & the CAVALERA CONSPIRACY's very own Max Cavalera himself), and "RAINING IN BLOOD/POSTMORTEM 2017", so maybe check out this songs first - but in all honesty, nearly every song is a total killer, and only "GOD. PLEASE BELIEVE ME" isn't really kicking me, hm, but maybe that's just me. So, yes, any fan of Hardcore (Punk), (Thrash) Metal, Rap (Metal), and Crossover (Hardcore/Metal) should get his/her/their hands on BODYCOUNT's "BLOODLUST" because this is for sure one of this year's highlights for all of you, and with saying this I mean for all of us. And so, yes, enough words had been spent, for sure, so go out and (finally) get it as soon as possible. Damn fucking great!!!

(9,5 of 10 points)

http://www.bodycountband.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band, do and check it out)

BODY COUNT - "THIS IS WHY WE RIDE" (2017, "BLOODLUST")

BODY COUNT - "BLACK HOODIE" (2017, "BLOODLUST")

DISCHARGE - "END OF DAYS" (2016)

DISCHARGE - "END OF DAYS"
(Running time: 33:47 minutes; 15 songs)
("Nuclear Blast Records"; 2016; CD):

Okay, after August turned out to be sort of an un-official Rock/Hard Rock/Heavy Metal/Metal month up here and in September only came one post/review up here, also Blues/Rock, and the two posts/reviews of this current month, October, so far were also Rock and Metal I really felt like it's time to bring some violence back up here, finally again, and before finally more Oi!, Punkrock, Hardcore, and Streetpunk albums (beside also some great Death Metal and Death Core stuff + also a big bunch of reviews on current releases that I so far used to hold back... because last month was anyhow planned to be at least a bit more active up here then... anyway...) will come up here, review-wise, we will now have a close look on and some even closer listens in(to) the so far still current album of the godfathers of Crust/Crustcore/D-Beat and I am talking 'bout DISCHARGE's "END OF DAYS" from 2016 released via the german "NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS" label. I love Crust/Crustcore/D-Beat, once it was sort of one of my most favorite music styles outta there (and I still simply "just" love it), after I grew into it through my (strong-ongoing) love-love-relationship with (especially british) Hardcore Punk like for example THE EXPLOITED, G.B.H., CHAOS U.K. or THE VARUKERS; and from this heroes and legends the step to DISCHARGE, as my first Crust/Crustcore/D-Beat band ever, was (and still is) a very close and short one. So when last year "END OF DAYS" was (finally) released it was pretty clear for me that I definitely would need to have DISCHARGE newest offspring in my collection. Yes, and so I did. And now we have 2017 and finally we sit here, yes, right now I am writing this review, a bit later or sort of you will (finally be able to) read it; so, yes, now more than enough of the introducing smalltalk and now finally straight into the action, yes, and so here we go: DISCHARGE are back and they fire out of all barrels, "END OF DAYS" kicks off with the über-hit "NEW WORLD ORDER" followed by the evil slasher "RAPED AND PILLAGED" and the two harsh Crust/Crustcore/D-Beat sledgehammers "END OF DAYS" (a.k.a. the title-track) and "THE BROKEN LAW" and both tracks conquer in a supreme and total way  with stunning energy and pissed off honest aggression as well as catchy lead guitars and huge sing-a-long potential. A great start for the "END OF DAYS". DISCHARGE surely don't invent anything new with "END OF DAYS" but who could or would or should have expected this, come on, because I mean Crust/Crustcore/D-Beat is sort of a pretty strict defined sub-genre of Hardcore and Punk and DISCHARGE pretty much sort of invented it all, so yes, but we all could expect that DISCHARGE deliver and deliver the goods and that they succeed in breathing "ongoingly" new life, fresh air, and pure energy into this beloved intense kind of musick - and so they do/did with "END OF DAYS". Dustdry shredding and bonecracking heavy guitars push the songs "mercylessly" forward, pure energy and harsh raging dynamics, all the time delivering skullsmashing riffs and grooves and all sort of without end but also shine with great "up-freshing" leads and very strong solos, hell yeah', the guitars really hammer the songs into our heads and are definitely a very strong trademark of DISCHARGE's "END OF DAYS"; and this for all the right reasons. The pissed off and powerful shouted and yet surprisingly and "refreshingly" very clear and clean delivered vokillz then are the next strong trademark of this slashing album, very charismatic and forceful and delivering also great sing-a-long parts that really shine in this brutal musick cocktail. The ass-tight rhythm section, damn precise and incredible to the point played, then adds the mighty punch that's definitely needed to really push this kind of musick forward and trust me, oh hell yeahr, when I say that there are no prisoners being taken. Any fan of THE EXPLOITED, TOTAL CHAOS, DISCHARGE, DISGUST, SKIT SYSTEM, GENOCIDE SS, etc. pp. definitely will love "END OF DAYS", point and fact, and MOTÖRHEAD and THE HOOKERS fans who are also into very heavy Punk should also give it a good round. The songwriting is very strong, offering nice little-big twists and turns along the ride and shining with some cool fesh ideas like for example a pretty strong focus on melodic song arrangements (like for example in the riffing department) and very catchy, melodic solos, and a strong dirty Rock & Roll approach to it all, and not to forget the very anthemic/hymnal character of the very most of the songs on "END OF DAYS". And all is delivered by skilled musicians with a lot of heart, soul, and passion, and with so much fresh energy and an authentic attitude so that DISCHARGE's "END OF DAYS" is a totally relevant and up-to-date record and in no way a lame, stale, "retroish" album that's trying to recatch some old glory done by old farts, hell no, this is a brutal sledgehammer straight smashing into your damn face leaving it a bloody mess, a wake up call, an alarm bell ringing, in short: This is CRUSTCORE, period. Surely not all songs shine in gold, but also surely the most of them. Militant and pissed off, critical and aggressive, left-winged and mostly very strong'n'good lyrics, a cool sinister artwork, and a hard and heavy yet very clear and transparent production sound then finally round it all up in an all positive way. So all in all this is clearly recommended by me to/for you, yes, and so if you really still don't have or know it you should definitely finally change this and get your damn hands on it and then play it damn fucking loud. Because you know, I don't always listen to Crustcore, but when I do so do my neighbours.

(8,5 of 10 Points)

http://thenightmarecontinues.yolasite.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band, check it out)

DISCHARGE - "NEW WORLD ORDER" (2016, "END OF DAYS")

TWILIGHT FORCE - "HEROES OF MIGHTY MAGIC" (2016)

TWILIGHT FORCE - "HEROES OF MIGHTY MAGIC"
(Running time: 70:27 minutes; 12 songs)
("Nuclear Blast Records"; 2016; CD):

Okay, f**k it, now you got me, I'm not proud of this here and now, nah, really not, but... god damn it, what shall I say... you got me, now comes a little secret (okay, after I am finally doing this review I think we can cross out this 'secret' anyhow) guilty pleasure of me, myself, and I. This is TWILIGHT FORCE's (for all what I know) second album (their first one on "NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS") titled "HEROES OF MIGHTY MAGIC" and it was released last year in 2016 at the 26. of August and it even entered the german media control charts. Normally you can take stuff like this and stick it into your bodywhole where the sun never shines on (normally) but here with this album... damn it... TWILIGHT FORCE somehow really managed to grab me. They remind me of mid-to-late-1990's/early-to-mid-2000's European (Power) Metal bands like for example RHAPSODY and maybe also some STRATOVARIUS like stuff and some (especially Kiske-era) HELLOWEEN and especially the first two mentioned bands were and still are in ongoing strong pure hate-hate-relations with me, hm, I think Symphonic Metal was and perhaps still is the right name for this kind of (Heavy) Metal music. Very playful and cheerfully done melodic and symphonic songs with a rampantly epic approach to it all and all is heavily and I mean HEAVILY marked by in all honesty incredible corny and saccharine bombast-fueled orchestra-, keyboards-, choir-, and soundtrack/sample-parts, and this parts are (sadly) very often so strong that the Metal in the music of TWILIGHT FORCE totally gets pushed back in a strong way, nah, I mean in a very strong way. That's really sad. I mean, okay, you may can say so "HEROES OF MIGHTY MAGIC" earns a lot of characteristica that would fit the epic bombast soundtracks to blockbuster fantasy epos' like for example the "THE LORD OF THE RINGS" or the "THE HOBBIT" movies perfectly, for sure, but this is still a Metal album anyhow anyway (or at least I think/thought so) and so that's just sort of sad, especially after the "real and normal" Metal "stuff" on TWILIGHT FORCE's "HEROES OF MIGHTY MAGIC" is in most parts really, really strong. Fantastic lead vocals, strong and powerful, expressive and pretty chracteristic, covering a wide distance of different moods and facets; very strong and diverse guitars, symphonic singing and "melodicly" bright shining, yet still heavy and powerful as well as swift as an arrow and sharp cutting all the time; a very versatile and diverse, yet incredible tight and precise rhythm section; and loud melodic band back up singings as well as (mostly) first class guest vocals; yes, here you find really a lot if you work yourself through all the saccharine-corny melodies and the soundtrack dingle-dangle, really a lot of pretty high quality and with an already special unique flavor to it all, if you just take the time and work yourself into this album and allow it to grow on you. So, from my point of view, I think it's really sad that the Metal often gets too strongly pushed back - but maybe that's just me, who knows. Anyhow, I allowed TWILIGHT FORCE's "HEROES OF MIGHTY MAGIC" to grow on me and, yes, it suddenly became a guilty pleasure for/to me. Live with it, take it like a man, so I do, hahahaha. ;-) Btw, that from my point of view I here and there think that the songs are just too epic or "epic", too forced, too wanted, hm, should maybe be mentioned here and now as well. Check. Lyricwise this is through and through Fantasy Metal or Adventure Metal or (for you Real Life Roleplaying folks outta there) Roleplaying Metal and it's full of mysterious, fantastic creatures, dragons, heroes, warriors, knights, magicians, castles, and "BATTLE(s) OF ARCANE MIGHT". And the absolutely outstanding artwork is a perfect match to this Fantasy Metal concept and just totally great. Btw, that the album title is sort of a nice little play with the old and mighty PC games series "HEROES OF MIGHT AND MAGIC" I really like a lot. :-) The production sound is (for my personal taste) much too soft and clean and only takes away more "room" from the (Heavy) Metal spirit here and there. Anyhow, this album really has a lot to offer and every fan of Fantasy and Metal and Bombast should and can calmly risk one or two ears - really calmly. Surely not an album for every or any day or moment, but (personally for me) a nice little guitly pleasure. Put some "DRAGON'S DOGMA" into your Playstation, put on TWILIGHT FORCE's "HEROES OF MIGHTY MAGIC" and just sink for 70 minutes into a brighter and more colourful world full of mighty magic, honorable heroes, and proud dragons. Some escapism from my time to time never hurts, so, yes, I really like this one from this swedish Symphonic Metal folks; and there are times where some little escapism is all you need and may it be just for a little bit more then one hour. My personal favorites are "BATTLE OF ARCANE MIGHT", "FLIGHT OF THE SAPPHIRE DRAGON", "THERE AND BACK AGAIN", "RIDERS OF THE DAWN", and "HEROES OF MIGHTY MAGIC", so, yes, maybe start your listening session(s) with this ones. Anyhow, a good album, so give it a fair try.

(7 of 10 points)

https://www.facebook.com/twilightforce/ (-the link to the facebook page of the band, check it out)

TWILIGHT FORCE - "BATTLE OF ARCANE MIGHT" /live, 2017\ (2016, "HEROES OF MIGHTY MAGIC")

BLUES PILLS - "LADY IN GOLD" (2016)

BLUES PILLS - "LADY IN GOLD"
(Running time: 40:08 minutes; 10 songs)
("Nuclear Blast Records"; 2016; CD):

God damn it, July and August were very good months up here and then in September only one post saw the light of day up here. No, this blog wasn't already dead again and it's still very well and alive it was just a very busy month - very, very busy. But okay, enough of the whining and now back into the action and so back on track again with a new record-review up here and this time on the 2016 full-length-album "LADY IN GOLD" of/by the mighty BLUES PILLS. The 'highflyers' of the last years and pretty much sort of one of the 'kickstarters' of the whole current Classic Rock hype. After I am totally into this whole Rock/Hard Rock/Heavy Rock/Classic Rock thing then and now that's all more than fine with me. This is the follow up release to/of their (I think so) self-titled 2014 album (back then also released via "NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS"), and so here we have "LADY IN GOLD" and it finally made its way up here on this very blog. Okay, enough of the small-talking-stuff and so now finally to some precise looks on and listens to the "LADY IN GOLD". The BLUES PILLS deliver us here ten (back then) new songs of their heavily by Blues fueled and strongly by 1970's (Hard) Rock influenced Classic Rock or maybe better Vintage Rock that (this time) also offers a lot of Soul, some Psychedelic (Rock) notes, and even some few Gospel marks and impressions in it and all done very, very fresh and alive-lively, denying every and any lame and stale retro crap bullshit any chance of taking any ground; and that's damn fucking good. The BLUES PILLS bring fantastic and heartfelt, soulful and playful, very sensitive (yet in the right moments ass kicking) and melodic/symphonic, multi-layered, and diverse guitars to the table, backed up by a breath-taking tight, precise, yet 'airy' and versatile rhythm section, and a bunch of 'other instruments' (xylophone, piano, organ, mellotron) to cultivate and enrich and round it all up in a very nice and delicious way. And above all there thrown the larger than life and stand alone lead vocals by/of the in every sense and way stunning Elin Larson, here and there supported by 'goosepimples-giving' (Gospel) choirs. Add to this a high skilled and very rich and diverse songwriting full of several emotions, moods, fresh and surprising moments, and just great twists and turns and an intense tension-building and you'll pretty much know what a great album is coming here for/at you. Okay, any favorite songs to list here makes no sense, because the whole album is just purest Gold if not platinum. A fantastic artwork, cool lyrics, and a first class earthy and dirty yet transparent and especially full and warm production sound we get on top of it all. Okay, this is, I think so, a pretty short review, especially for 'my usual standards', anyway, I've said all what there is or was to say, I can only highest recommend BLUES PILLS' "LADY IN GOLD" to any fan of fresh, sympathic, authentic. honest, real, and just damn-close-to-brilliant and just bright and golden shining (Classic/Vintage) Rock music. So, in case you really should have missed out so far on this masterpiece, why the bloody hell ever, you should really change this, finally, as damn fucking soon as fucking bloody possible, yes, because this is an outstanding masterpiece pretty close to perfect. So go out and get it, and now cheers and good night.

(9 of 10 points)

http://www.bluespills.eu/ (-the link to the homepage of the band, so check it out)

BLUES PILLS - "LITTLE BOY PREACHER" /live\ (2016, "LADY IN GOLD")