JUSTIN’S ROCK REVIEWS W/C 28/507

 

ACKERCOCKE / ANTICHRIST

 

These guys are fast becoming Britain’s premier Black Metal band and continue to push the envelope of what can be a very restrictive genre, Black Metal and this CD finds them expanding on what they have achieved before.

 

The band have come in for a lot of stick in America particularly, because of what is perceived as an anti Christian stance but lets put the controversy and hype aside, its the music that counts not a religious standpoint and I have to say the music speaks for itself, Dark, brooding and aggressive at times but also possessing a warm, charm and beauty.  The band have always tried to bring to the fore the pagan side of the music and this includes using some very old and unusual instruments and bringing a unique, almost folkish aspect to some of their songs as “Distant Fires Recollecting In The Eyes Of Satan” aptly demonstrates.  The track “Axiom” has some very nice acoustic work interlaced with some more traditional Black Metal and at times the band remind me of Opeth and Bathory and a better compliment than that you cant get.  There is also a very beautiful, totally acoustic song called “Epode” which has some very effective symphonic work on it and it’s only the lyrics that are of a dark nature as they are homage to Satan but that doesn’t distract from the fact that musically it is a very beautiful song.

 

This is another very good album from Akercoke and proves that they are a force to be reckoned with, just judge them on their musical merit and not anything else they are associated with, listen out for; “The Dark Inside”, “The Promise”, “Axiom” and their cover of the Death song “Leprosy” on my HFM and Pipeline shows.

 

WEBSITE      http://www.ackercocke.com/ & http://www.earache.com/

 

TOTAL PLAYING TIME = 52 mins + 12 TRACKS

 

DEVIN TOWNSEND / ZILTOID, THE OMNICIENT

 

This latest solo CD from Canadian guitarist is the started off as a children’s project, Ziltoid is a rat like alien and these are his exploits set to music and lyrics that give Devin a fantastic opportunity to let his very active imagination run totally riot and it does, to great effect, this is without doubt his best solo album hes done so far.

 

The music is hard, heavy, riff filled with lyrics that well out of the ordinary and having melodies that other bands could only dream of, the fact that all this is tied together with a story just gives it another dimension and all this is done with a keen sense of humour.  The guitar playing is as always creative, imaginative flawless, take “Hyperspace” and “The Greys” boht fairly straight Metal songs with beautiful, haunting melodies as does “Solar Winds” which is such a fine song, listening to it should be made compulsory.  If you like SYL and Punky Bruster you will love this, I cant stress how so damn good this is and that’s why it is album of the week on my HFM show and you can be sure I will be playing this to Death, you have been warned, there is not a duff nanosecond on here and if you don’t buy this CD there is something seriously wrong with you or your ears. 

 

Will Ziltoid win the day? Will he get his ultimate cup of Coffee, Will Captain Spectacular stop him from destroying the Earth to find out buy the CD,

 

WEBSITE      http://www.hevydevy.com/

 

TOTAL PLAYING TIME = 54 mins + 11 Mind blowing TRACKS