Bad Omen Rock & Indie 18 Items

Arriving directly from a zone between dream and waking, the third album from Spell is here to weave its potent magick. Established as intrepid pathfinders on the journey of classic Heavy Metal into the mystic, ‘Tragic Magic’ sees the Vancouver outfit honing their approach to seductive effect. The songcraft here is steeped in the atmosphere of the arcane, yet the hooks are more razor-sharp than ever as ten occult-tinged anthems marry majestic bombast with otherworldly allure. Fans of Rush, Blue Öyster Cult and the Nwobhm will find much to sink their teeth into, yet more than ever this unearthly brew sounds like no one else but Spell - gnostic rock warriors transposing their dark arts fearlessly and alchemically into the light.

Arriving directly from a zone between dream and waking, the third album from Spell is here to weave its potent magick. Established as intrepid pathfinders on the journey of classic Heavy Metal into the mystic, ‘Tragic Magic’ sees the Vancouver outfit honing their approach to seductive effect. The songcraft here is steeped in the atmosphere of the arcane, yet the hooks are more razor-sharp than ever as ten occult-tinged anthems marry majestic bombast with otherworldly allure. Fans of Rush, Blue Öyster Cult and the Nwobhm will find much to sink their teeth into, yet more than ever this unearthly brew sounds like no one else but Spell - gnostic rock warriors transposing their dark arts fearlessly and alchemically into the light.

Arriving directly from a zone between dream and waking, the third album from Spell is here to weave its potent magick. Established as intrepid pathfinders on the journey of classic Heavy Metal into the mystic, ‘Tragic Magic’ sees the Vancouver outfit honing their approach to seductive effect. The songcraft here is steeped in the atmosphere of the arcane, yet the hooks are more razor-sharp than ever as ten occult-tinged anthems marry majestic bombast with otherworldly allure. Fans of Rush, Blue Öyster Cult and the Nwobhm will find much to sink their teeth into, yet more than ever this unearthly brew sounds like no one else but Spell - gnostic rock warriors transposing their dark arts fearlessly and alchemically into the light.

Arriving directly from a zone between dream and waking, the third album from Spell is here to weave its potent magick. Established as intrepid pathfinders on the journey of classic Heavy Metal into the mystic, ‘Tragic Magic’ sees the Vancouver outfit honing their approach to seductive effect. The songcraft here is steeped in the atmosphere of the arcane, yet the hooks are more razor-sharp than ever as ten occult-tinged anthems marry majestic bombast with otherworldly allure. Fans of Rush, Blue Öyster Cult and the Nwobhm will find much to sink their teeth into, yet more than ever this unearthly brew sounds like no one else but Spell - gnostic rock warriors transposing their dark arts fearlessly and alchemically into the light.

Birth evolved from Astra, whose two albums for Rise Above Records - 2009’s ‘The Weirding’ and 2012’s ‘The Black Chord’ - had already reinvented classic sonic textures and mind-melds in lucid and intoxicating style. Conor Reilly and Brian Ellis nonetheless found themselves seeking out new life and new civilisations. Initially this led to a collaboration with Psicomagia’s Trevor Mast and Paul Marrone, although later Marrone (while he does play on ‘Born’) was replaced by Thomas DiBenedetto (of Sacri Monte, Joy and Monarch) as sparks began to fly in earnest. The result has been a debut which combines a questing spirit with a dystopian take on the here and now. Musically, whilst traces can be discerned of the dark and magisterial King Crimson of ‘Red’ herein, as well as the yearning cadences of early Yes and the delirious contortions of Van Der Graaf Generator, a whole host of influences made their presence felt in these mournful cadences, joyful solo passages and kinetic freakouts, from '70s mainstays like Aphrodites Child, Premiata Formeria Marconi and Area to the primitive folk of Robbie Basho and the symphonic soundtrack work of Osanna. Yet far from the trappings of retro chic and fashion-aligned classicism, these five celestial serenades stake their claim in a different headspace to most other exponents of the form. Certainly, it’s true that many of the audial shapes manifesting themselves here - the exploratory jazz-rock diversions, Mellotron and Hammond-abetted textures and the rich melancholia of the song-writing - may recall moments from progressive rock’s past and the listener may be forgiven for losing themselves in a gatefold-sleeved reverie. Nonetheless, this is a band which was thrown into life via the constrictions and temporal shifts of a global pandemic, as well as one which has largely set about chronicling a reality in which the surrounding world appears to be hurrying its own demise. Alchemical forces have done their considerable work with ‘Born’, in creating an uplifting album for the ages, 42 minutes in which past, present and future are blurred; an album haunted by earthly concerns even whilst its sonics aim for the stars.

Brand new recordings from two of the heavy rock underground’s most vital acts: "Chain Yourself" sees Wytch Hazel deliver a blistering slice of classic early eighties style heavy metal complete with 16’s on the "disco hats" and hooks that will lodge in your cranium from first hearing, while Spell’s “New World” is a riveting take on Strawbs’ gothic folk masterpiece. Rich mellotron and ghostly harmonies condemn violence in a delicate balance of fragile beauty and disquiet force.

These raw & vibrant demos capture the embryonic spirit of early Wytch Hazel

Over the past near-decade, Lancashire’s medieval metal phenomenon Wytch Hazel have been honing an uncommonly wholesome, rustic and devotional brand of timewarped hard rock that’s all their own, with 2016’s Prelude and 2018’s II: Sojourn summoning to mind fevered images of Robin Hood and his Merry Men grooving to Jethro Tull and Thin Lizzy. Yet within moments of pressing play on their third LP, III: Pentecost, the musty mystical minstrelsy takes a back seat in favour of a rich, sumptuous, anthemic late-night drivetime vibe, passionately embracing the most high-end smash-hit classic rock and metal circa its late 1970s heyday. “I thought I put a lot into the second album, but this album has been an absolute obsession,” stresses the band leader, Colin Hendra. “Every aspect had to be as good as possible. We’ve gone back and forth, Ed was tinkering with it for months on end. There’s quadruple tracking going on with the rhythm parts, then we’ve doubled, tripled and quadrupled all our lead parts to get that richness and fullness of sound, all meticulously planned with pages and pages of organisational notes. It wasn’t just ‘get in the studio and see how it goes!’” he laughs. “One day I did 14 hours of vocal recording. All vocals are double-tracked, I can’t express how much hard work that is. The last album feels like a breeze compared to what we’ve done with this - and I don’t plan on ramping it down!” Musically, there are gorgeous self-professed touches of Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, Ac/dc and early Scorpions—“With the soloing I was trying to go for Michael Schenker” beams Colin—while the scampering headbanger I Will Not initially took a nod from Angel Witch, who Hendra was helping out on second guitar back in 2015 when the track was composed, before studio treatment made it sound “a lot more Wytch Hazelly”. But perhaps the most lateral comparison is to a band from the opposite spiritual realm, with Archangel an explicit homage to Swedish faux-Satanic devil cult Ghost. “I find them fascinating, Ghost; musically great, the songwriting is spot-on,” enthuses the frontman. “We share an intrinsic connection, with [Bad Omen honcho] Will Palmer being the person who discovered us both. “Music is created for all, it’s a common grace for everyone,” he affirms, “which is why the music that shows the glory of God the most, in my opinion, is not music created by Christians. It’s Black Sabbath!”

Born and bred in London, John Hoyles moved to Sweden in his early teens where he became the lead guitarist in the legendary doom metal band Witchcraft in the year 2000 playing on their self-titled debut, 'Firewood' & 'The Alchemist'. Nine years later he founded the band Spiders, and in 2016, he formed the group Big Kizz, together with his friend Axel Sjöberg from Graveyard. Whether creating in tandem with his fellow musicians or flying solo on his own, Hoyles creates music from the heart: some punk, pub rock, a little 70's glitter, heavy psych and a touch of vintage metal. His playing and singing are honest and accomplished while his warm, wicked tone is unmistakable.

Bad Omen Records reissue Hoyles' 2017 solo album, 'Night Flight' (previously issued on the now defunct Swedish label Crusher Records), including the previously unreleased track "Highwire". One of the more interesting rock releases of the past few years, 'Night Flight', is a killer sounding rock and roll album that would sit right at home in the late 1970’s London scene. It's also the first time that the guitarist brought his gruff British-accented snarl to the mic, to alluring result. The eight track album clocks in at just under 22 minutes and includes the punk-flavored opener ‘Talking About You’, the acid folk cut ‘In the Garden’, the psychedelic title track, a killer cover of former Pink Fairies guitarist Larry Wallis’ “Police Car”, and more.

Approaching a full forty years on from 1980 - arguably the greatest year in its history - it can be vanishingly difficult in there here and now to find bands who can summon up the true elixir of traditional heavy metal in all its gory glory. Certainly, there have been manifold variants of this supernatural force in the last four decades, yet for all the power-metal diversions and Pro-Tooled machinations that have crossed our transum, the blood-simple formula of steel-plated grandeur and street-level grit remains mystifyingly elusive for even its most long-standing proponents. Lucky for everyone therefore, that the Cypriot denizens of darkness Mirror have returned. The brainchild of former Electric Wizard and Satan’s Wrath bassist Tas Danazoglou, Mirror’s second album sees them building on the heroic vibrations of their self-titled 2015 debut, summoning forth nine triumphant anthems that are equal parts lethal and life-affirming. Deftly avoiding the lure of pastiche and parody, ‘Pyramid Of Terror’ arrives once again at the cusp of an audial era in which the widescreen sweep of late-‘70s rock, a la the cinematic splendour of Dio-era Rainbow, crosses swords with the stripped-down panache of the NWOBHM - somewhere akin to a danger zone between first-two-albums Iron Maiden and the occultist allure of debut Angel Witch - to set passions dramatically ablaze.

Upon recovering from being steamrolled over by the onslaught of Satan’s Satyrs’ new album, The Lucky Ones, one’s likely to wonder just what exactly it was that just hit them. A punky, sleaze rock groove (perhaps even a whiff of ’70s glam) meets NWOBHM melodic fury, Blue Cheer mass and volume, and Ozzy’s dramatic charisma condensed into a sound all its own, perhaps. At its core is an unstoppable, unpretentious exorcism of rock ’n’ roll exuberance.

A significant difference on this album from the band’s previous releases is the addition of second guitarist Nate Towle, which expands the band’s steamrolling capacity tenfold. Bassist / vocalist Clayton Burgess (Electric Wizard), Towle, guitarist Jarrett Nettnin and drummer Stephen Fairfield convened at the Richmond, VA studio of Windhand guitarist Garrett Morris, working in fits and starts over several months, first quickly capturing the raw energy of a band firing on all cylinders, then fine-tuning the sounds and experimenting to get everything massive. Likewise, Burgess’ lyrics show new levels of achievement.

The twin guitar assault begins from the very first beat of the album and never relents until the last second of the nine track, thirty-five minute album. Opener “Thrill of the City” wastes no time launching into soaring harmonized riffs and swaggering rhythms setting the scene for a debauched good time. The title track, perhaps the most personal song on the album, is also the most unabashedly melodic. “Trampled By Angels” pits a swinging T Rex-vibe against dizzy, noisy guitars and lyrics about a pioneer of fetish photography using his medium to express forbidden desires to the world. Likewise, the whole album is a vibrant, brash and loud expression of defiance against convention that refuses to be ignored.

Wytch Hazel’s stellar 2016 debut Prelude confirmed these Lancastrian apprentice wizards to be Britain’s most promising new hard rock band. Two years on, that promise comes to abundant fruition on II: Sojourn, an album that moves Wytch Hazel on from the innocence and exuberance of the debut to a darker, more profound and complex place, carefully wrought into optimum shape by the band’s singer, guitarist, songwriter and mastermind Colin Hendra. The most crucial influence fully expresses itself via Les Paul guitars in sweet twin harmony through cranked Super Lead Marshalls. In the parallel universe where the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal happened 600 years early, Wytch Hazel are the band of choice for the discerning Plantagenet headbanger.

Fresh from the overwhelming success of their latest album ‘IV: Sacrament’ Lancaster's heavy bards and spiritual hard rock titans Wytch Hazel have gone all in on delivering a fully-fledged, tubular-bell-ringing Christmas single. Transposing the hymnal classical influences of Handel's Messiah and the spirit of carols the like of "The First Noël” via the earthy heraldry of Steeleye Span and Wishbone Ash, the band deliver something for which perhaps only they would have the skill, sensitivity and spiritual charge. Replete with Wytch Hazel's trademark twin-guitar harmonies and finely honed arrangements, "King Of Israel" is both a stirring devotional tribute and a heartfelt message of unity, peace and goodwill to all on Earth.

The 7” red marble vinyl edition is backed by Colin Hendra’s minor key arrangement of “Auld Lang Syne” which was misspelled on the first pressing as “Old Lang Syne” by the Bad Omen elves.

Wytch Hazel’s stellar 2016 debut Prelude confirmed these Lancastrian apprentice wizards to be Britain’s most promising new hard rock band. Two years on, that promise comes to abundant fruition on II: Sojourn, an album that moves Wytch Hazel on from the innocence and exuberance of the debut to a darker, more profound and complex place, carefully wrought into optimum shape by the band’s singer, guitarist, songwriter and mastermind Colin Hendra. “I’m really into the idea of an album,” notes Colin. “I don’t do mix-tapes, I don’t listen to singles, I’m interested in albums. I want to make a good, listenable, cohesive work, that is the whole thing.” Asked what inspirations were brought to bear this time, Colin has good news, and even better taste: “I was listening to plenty of Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy and Wishbone Ash last year,” remarks the frontman. “This seems to be more of a hard rock album, where the last one was more rock-folk. It’s definitely more rock than folk!” The most crucial influence fully expresses itself via Les Paul guitars in sweet twin harmony through cranked Super Lead Marshalls - “Exactly the same type of amp that Thin Lizzy would have used,” beams Colin - a benefit of working in James Atkinson’s Hand Of Law Studio, a converted gaolhouse in Leeds. “We knew there would be a lot more great gear, more amps, more options,” enthuses Colin of this productive new work environment. “We were more prepared, we planned better. I had a lot more vocals to record on this album, pretty much every song has at least three harmonies, but James is a really chilled out guy, he made it easy for us. I had a very clear idea of how I wanted each song to sound, I thought about every single aspect. I probably over-prepared for this album, and it paid off!” Wytch Hazel’s proud, avowed Protestant Christianity continues to set them apart from the occult hocus-pocus of their peers, and the very title Sojourn has a Biblical inspiration: “It’s used a lot in the Old Testament, people would travel somewhere to stay for a short period of time,” explains Colin, comparing the idea to Wytch Hazel’s development since Prelude. “We’re going to reside here with this sound for a while, and the next album might not sound the same. Come and have a listen to this aspect of Wytch Hazel - it’s a temporary stay. We’ll be here for a while, then there will be something else. I’m always writing, it’s a constant stream, but I’m always trying to raise the bar, because I don’t want the next album to be not as good as the other ones!”

Over the past near-decade, Lancashire’s medieval metal phenomenon Wytch Hazel have been honing an uncommonly wholesome, rustic and devotional brand of timewarped hard rock that’s all their own, with 2016’s Prelude and 2018’s II: Sojourn summoning to mind fevered images of Robin Hood and his Merry Men grooving to Jethro Tull and Thin Lizzy. Yet within moments of pressing play on their third LP, III: Pentecost, the musty mystical minstrelsy takes a back seat in favour of a rich, sumptuous, anthemic late-night drivetime vibe, passionately embracing the most high-end smash-hit classic rock and metal circa its late 1970s heyday. “I thought I put a lot into the second album, but this album has been an absolute obsession,” stresses the band leader, Colin Hendra. “Every aspect had to be as good as possible. We’ve gone back and forth, Ed was tinkering with it for months on end. There’s quadruple tracking going on with the rhythm parts, then we’ve doubled, tripled and quadrupled all our lead parts to get that richness and fullness of sound, all meticulously planned with pages and pages of organisational notes. It wasn’t just ‘get in the studio and see how it goes!’” he laughs. “One day I did 14 hours of vocal recording. All vocals are double-tracked, I can’t express how much hard work that is. The last album feels like a breeze compared to what we’ve done with this - and I don’t plan on ramping it down!” Musically, there are gorgeous self-professed touches of Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, Ac/dc and early Scorpions—“With the soloing I was trying to go for Michael Schenker” beams Colin—while the scampering headbanger I Will Not initially took a nod from Angel Witch, who Hendra was helping out on second guitar back in 2015 when the track was composed, before studio treatment made it sound “a lot more Wytch Hazelly”. But perhaps the most lateral comparison is to a band from the opposite spiritual realm, with Archangel an explicit homage to Swedish faux-Satanic devil cult Ghost. “I find them fascinating, Ghost; musically great, the songwriting is spot-on,” enthuses the frontman. “We share an intrinsic connection, with [Bad Omen honcho] Will Palmer being the person who discovered us both. “Music is created for all, it’s a common grace for everyone,” he affirms, “which is why the music that shows the glory of God the most, in my opinion, is not music created by Christians. It’s Black Sabbath!”