Tuesday 17 June 2014

The Quireboys - Black Eyed Son (2014)


Genre - Hard Rock / Classic Rock
Label - Off Yer Rocka

Track listing:

01 - Troublemaker (Black Eyed Son)
02 - What Do You Want From Me?
03 - Julieanne
04 - Double Dealin'
05 - Stubborn Kinda Heart
06 - Lullaby of London Town
07 - The Messenger
08 - You Never Can Tell
09 - Mothers Ruin
10 - Monte Cassino (Lady Lane)

THE QUIREBOYS are celebrating their three decades as band with a brand new record. Following hot on the heels of last year's critically acclaimed 'Beautiful Curse' - the band's biggest-selling record since their early '90s heyday - comes "Black Eyed Sons", an album produced by the legendary Chris Tsangarides that represents yet another career high for the British act.
Now, many an album rushed out quickly after a successful record's release smacks of lesser quality product, almost as if the new material has been resurrected from the studio floor, polished, and passed off as the next big thing. Think Alice Cooper's 'Dragontown' flop after the might of 'Brutal Planet'.
Not so The Quireboys, though: no, this new album staggers to its own two feet and proudly holds its own.
"Troublemaker (Black Eyed Son)" is a very promising start, the band at their feistiest, all needling guitars and crashing beats – the usual bonhomie swapped for something a little more malicious. A surefire future live favourite.
Quality control remains high over the next two tracks, both "What Do You Want From Me" (with fabulous work from Keith Weir on keys) and "Julianne" full of the sort of bittersweet bar room lamentations this band can do so well.
There's a bluesier feel to some of the material too: "Double Dealin", for example, ditching the Roll and simply revelling in seventies Classic Rock. That's not to say that the staples of the band's sound have shifted beyond recognition - this is a swerve, a side-step towards, you'd hope, longevity.
The slower tunes, just made for Spike's voice, and the frontman sounds great here; "Stubborn Kinda Heart", "The Messenger" and "Mothers Ruin", and they come accompanied by ballsier, foot-stomping tunes that you just can't keep still to when listening.
"Lullaby of London Town" is, again, a bluesy workout, but this time with some funky rhythms over the tale of metropolitan glamour and squalor, and is probably the soundtrack to the band's life.
Then "You Never Can Tell", with its recycled riff par excellence, is sure to join the opening cut in the live set.
Messrs Gray and Griffin have penned an impressive set of tunes once again, guitarist Guerin afforded the solitary co-writing credit for closing track, the subtle "Monte Cassino (Lady Lane)".
"Black Eyed Sons" is another strong Classic Rock record from The Quireboys.
Spike's voice will always lend itself to a young Rod Stewart / Faces comparisons, and songs like "Julieanne" are hardly going to be your best defence in any argument against, but there's a subtle shift that, if anything, simply exaggerates the feeling that the band, like a fine wine and a literary cliché, is getting better with age.
Like so much on the previous album, many of these tracks are good enough to be radio hits if someone would only give them airplay. These guys should be huge, simplez!

Highly Recommended.

Rating 9/10




Friday 13 June 2014

KINGDRAGON New Members/Second Videoclip/Tour Dates

After the amazing reviews of their debut album 'HIDE THE SUN' from the worldwide press, Greek Hard Rockers KINGDRAGON are back with a new line up, new videoclip and their 2 first confirmed tour dates for 2014/15!

"With a great pleasure we're happy to announce our new drummer George Joe Papazoglou [Saint n’ Sinners (Tribute Whitesnake band)] and our new bass player Gus Nichoritis (ex-Bound Affairs) ...!!!

We also feel proud to announce our second official Videoclip 'MAN OF YESTERDAY' which has been directed by Bob Katsionis [Progressive Vision Group (PVG)]."




Confirmed Shows:

12th September - Eightball Club, Thessaloniki, Greece
13th September - Polinerooock Festival V, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

More details on their updated official website: http://www.kingdragon.gr

BEERMAGEDDON FESTIVAL release line up details


The metal juggernaut that is BEERMAGEDDON FESTIVAL have released details about even more additions to an already solid line up that includes Onslaught, Lawnmower Deth and Skreamer.

The new additions are as follows:

JALDABOATH:

After a surprise appearance at last years festival, Beermageddon has cranked up the time machine to bring the entire ensemble of Heraldic Templar Metallers

With their unique tongue in cheek style you can be sure to expect the unexpected as they provide a full on spectacle of medieval entertainment as they whisk you back through the ages to a time where Dwarves were called Dex, and Eastenders spawned a bastard hellchild with Enter Sandman.


MONUMENTOMB:

A band who have made a huge impact on the metal scene since their inception in late 2013, and getting a well deserved slot on the festival lineup, Beermageddon brings you Metal from Maidstone!

Already making a big name for themselves throughout the media, and with a list of storming shows under their belts Monumentomb will get heads banging at Beermageddon come the August Bank Holiday.

Beermageddon prides itself in bringing the best talent to our stage, and Monumentomb are definitely destined for great things as you will see for yourself in Stoke Prior this summer!!!


FURYBORN:

Already having a proven pedigree across the board and with an explosive live show Beermageddon welcomes to the ranks FURYBORN.

This is a band who will shake the bedrock of Bromsgrove giving us the perfect balance of brutality and melody with their razor-sharp, angular riffs, Gatling cannon drum style and intense, chorus-driven arrangements, you can be sure Beermageddon will be brutalised!!

Brace yourselves, Furyborn are coming to Beermageddon, and your neck may never be the same again!!!!


LINEUP

Lawnmower Deth

Skreamer

Onslaught

Totengefluster

Diementia

Divine Chaos

Hybris

Designs of Chaos

Godslave

The Starry Wisdom Cult

Kambrium

Stahlsarg

Achren

Engraved In Blood

Razorblade Smile

Jaldaboath

Monumentomb

Furyborn

MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!!
£38 + £2 Booking Fee

Beermageddon is an all ages Family Festival
Kids under 14 go FREE with a paying adult!!!
Please note Beermageddon is loud and small children should have ear defenders.

TICKETS INCLUDE CAMPING, PARKING AND ALL FACILITIES, PROPER TOILETS, HOT SHOWERS!!!!

Venue Stoke Prior Sports & Country Club

Dates 22nd - 24th August 2014

http://www.beermageddon.co.uk/

THE ROYAL BLASPHEMY RELEASE NEW SINGLE AND OFFER DETAILS ABOUT THEIR UPCOMING NEW STUDIO ALBUM


Portuguese rockers THE ROYAL BLASPHEMY are to release a new single titled “NO FUTURE” on the 23rd June as a worldwide digital only release. This new track is a preview to their new album ‘Sanatorium: Freedom’ which is due to hit stores worldwide towards the end of 2014.

‘No Future’ offers the pounding riffs and melodic aggression of their previous offerings and is a glimpse of what is on offer from the new album.  ‘No Future’ ripples with emotion and shifts between clean, spacious melodic rock and chugging, brutal, metal grooves giving it an epic, grandiose feel.

The new album ‘Sanatorium: Freedom’ shows a more mature side to the band and is packed full of memorable riffs, stunning musicianship and is the sound of a band ready for a much bigger stage. The band said this regarding the new album “We buried our history, took it all out, stripped down all the shit and delivered the songs that we love to play. We play for ourselves and this is what we have always done. If you like what you hear feel free to join the cause and help us reach the masses, we appreciate every single one of our fans, old and new and we know you are going to love this new album…we do!”

With a hefty tour schedule on the horizon the band show no signs of taking it easy. They have 25 dates all over Europe as headliners including Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Slovenia, Ukraine, England, Slovakia and Czech Republic, a Scandinavian mini tour with ‘Looks Like Lucy’ and a comeback tour in the UK.

The Royal Blasphemy are a band to watch out for over the coming months. More details about the new album will be released very soon.

A video for ‘No Future’ can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2PuaNvKJ7c&feature=youtu.be

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theroyalblasphemy


Gallows unveil New Single!



The single features brand new b-side track 'Wristslitter'. Pre-orders are now live for the limited edition Chains 7" vinyl and digital download. Links below for the stores: 
7 INCH VINYL - DIGITAL DOWNLOAD 

Exclusive colourways and bundles available in different territories. Pre-orders not available in all territories but the single will be available worldwide digitally on June 30th. 






Friday 6 June 2014

Brand new Torpedohead video unleashed!

Matty James - Last One To Die (2014)

Genre - Melodic Rock / Punk / Americana / Acoustic / Blues
Label - Pirate Heart Records

Track listing:

01 - Leaving
02 - Up In Smoke
03 - Don’t Turn Your Light Out On Me
04 - Never Learn
05 - Same Old Me (Brand New You)
06 - Last One To Die (feat. Tyla J. Pallas)
07 - By The Cold Light Of Night
08 - Better Days
09 - Another Night
10 - This One’s For

Born in Ireland, MATTY JAMES has a punk background on various bands, but he has never stood still and evolved into a talented multi-instrumentalist, singer songwriter. Since stepping out as a solo artist in 2012, Matty James has released two EPs and toured relentlessly in support of his craft.
"Last One To Die" is his electrifying full length debut album and boasts everything from melodic rock and bluesy rock n' roll to Americana fused ballads.
With the exception of some contributions from friends like Tyla J. Pallas of The Dogs D'amour fame, James wrote every song, played most every instrument and also co-produced.
'm not sure if 'eclectic' is the right word for the songs within as there seems that common theme of James and guitar, whether electric or acoustic. His whiskey soaked voice set against an acoustic strum creates a signature sound that draws listeners in from the off.
Opener "Leavin" is a slow building rip snorter rockin' ride with a spaghetti western vibe, guaranteed to kick any hangover into the middle of next month and a track which very much sets the contextual scene for the rest of the album.
One of my favourites is "Same Old Me (Brand New You)" which definitely would give the Quireboys a run for their money in terms of its middle-finger devil may care attitude. 
The title track sees a typically swaggering appearance from the one and only Tyla J Pallas with a really good vocal arrangement, while we find a touch of English blues on "Don't Turn Your Light Out On Me".
There's an Americana quality to several songs like the delicate acoustic ballad "This Ones For", or "The Cold Light of Night", where the song is definitely driven by the vocal arrangement and acoustic riffs. You get more of an acoustic side to this motif with "Never Learn" with its light harmonica. 
Then, James can get more rambunctious, dosing songs with a rock and roll blood within the jumpin' "Up In Smoke" and the melodic "Better Days".
Right from the off this full length debut solo offering from Matty James is a truly enjoyable record, delivering pile drivers and blindside sucker punches in every single department. "Last One To Die" is pure, honest-to-goodness rawk rock 'n' roll delivered with passion, spirit and a genuine love for the music.

Very, very highly recommended!

Rating 10/10


Official website here

Tuesday 3 June 2014

The Dowling Poole - Bleak Strategies 2014

Genre - Psychedelic Pop / Psychedelic Rock / Power Pop
Label - Pledgemusic

Track listing:

01 - The Sun Is Mine
02 - A Kiss On The Ocean
03 - Hey Stranger
04 - Saving It All For A Saturday
05 - Paper, Scissors, Stone
06 - Empires, Buildings and Acquisitions
07 - Where The Memories Fester
08 - Twilight Subplot
09 - Getting A Licence
10 - Clean
11 - The Straw Man (track exclusive to pledge music pledgers)

"The Dowling Poole is a new band formed by singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Willie Dowling (ex Honeycrack/Jackdaw4) and Jon Poole (ex Cardiacs/The Goddamn Whores/The Wildhearts/Ginger Wildheart Band).
Dowling and Poole first met in 2011 when recording and producing Ginger Wildheart’s award winning, top-ten "555%" album, and it was mutual admiration at first sight.
"I was immediately taken by Jon's remarkable and diverse musical talent", says Dowling, "but it took me an age to pluck up the courage to phone him and ask whether he'd like to do something together."
Fortunately, Poole had been thinking along the same lines and was equally thrilled at the prospect of working with Dowling. They started writing songs and locked themselves away in Dowling's recording studio in France for a few months, writing and recording an album they have titled "Bleak Strategies".
Influenced by pop masters such as XTC, Blur, 10CC, The Kinks, The Beatles and more, The Dowling Poole debut album "Bleak Strategies" is an eclectic and contemporary sounding mix of semi-psychedelic pop, somehow quintessentially British-sounding, laced with harmonies and a multitude of influences from the best of 50 years of rock and popular music.
"It was a very collaborative process", says Poole, "We both brought songs to the table and we performed, sang and produced them together. You'd be hard pressed to guess who wrote what since we both were adding ideas left right and centre to each others work".
"Bleak Strategies" will be out in the summer along with the single "The Sun Is Mine", (the perfect radio song for summer), but it's available to pre-order now from PledgeMusic. You can see videos on the origins of the band, and download a free track - "The Straw Man" - and there are other tracks to listen to in a 'try before you buy' fashion, as well as regular video updates from the PledgeMusic website: http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/thedowlingpoole"

Okay so that's the background sorted, now what about the album? Well to be honest its exactly what I think that you would expect from a collaboration between two of the wackiest songwriters in music today!
Imagine Jackdaw4's quirkier tracks such as Jesus Wants My Soul Back, and the poppier Goddamn Whores tracks crossed with a healthy dose of the Beatles at their most eccentric and I would say that you are pretty damn close.
From The mellow laid back opener The Sun Is Mine, to the catchy Hey Stranger, the eighties influenced A Kiss On The Ocean, the bouncy pop of Saving It All For A Saturday, the stomping Getting A Licence,to the laid back Paper Scissors Stone, to the ambient Twilight Subplot and clean,this album really does have it all.
Empires, Buildings and Acquisitions is just as quirky as it gets, pure brilliance. There simply is not a bad track on this album, although for many it is surely going to be an acquired taste!

One song that really does deserve a little more explanation here is The Straw Man, with its controversial subject matter, that being about the entire Jimmy Saville saga. A great song that has been issues as Pledge exclusive, (not on the album) as they believed it didn't fit, its the rockiest of all the songs on offer with probably the fastest tempo too. A great song and worth pledging for alone!

This album is just fantastic, much in the same way as A Night At The Opera and Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club are. Genius really does border on madness!

Rating - 10/10


ALICE COOPER - Billion Dollar Babies [2014 Audio Fidelity SACD AFZ 170]

Genre - Hard Rock / Classic Rock / Glam Rock
Label - IMPORT

Track listing:
01 - Hello Hooray
02 - Raped And Freezin'
03 - Elected
04 - Billion Dollar Babies
05 - Unfinished Sweet
06 - No More Mr. Nice Guy
07 - Generation Landslide
08 - Sick Things
09 - Mary Ann
10 - I Love The Dead

Ok so this was released back in February, but I have only just come across it!
I am impressed the sound quality of this remaster is truly awesome, I'll let the following review explain:

This February, the Audio Fidelity label continues to grow its collection of stereo hybrid SACDs with one of the best rock 'n' roll records of all time; ALICE COOPER's classic album "Billion Dollar Babies".
With "Billion Dollar Babies", the Shock-Rock King Alice Cooper refined the raw grit of his earlier work in favour of a slightly more polished sound resulting in a mega-hit album that reached the top of the US and UK album charts.
The platinum-selling LP produced by Bob Ezrin yielded four Billboard Hot 100 hits including “Elected”, “Hello Hooray”, “Billion Dollar Babies” and “No More Mr. Nice Guy”.
After the album was released, the band embarked on a tour which reportedly broke U.S. box office records previously held by the Rolling Stones despite not meeting revenue projections. Magician James Randi designed special effects for the spectacularly horrific production.
"Billion Dollar Babies", with its songs about everything from dentistry to necrophilia, was the perfect vehicle for Cooper’s hard rock theatre to come alive – or dead.
The "Billion Dollar Babies" Audio Fidelity’s SACD edition has been remastered two months ago by boss desk-man Steve Hoffman at Stephen Marsh Mastering. Here it is Hoffman's step by step description for audiophile fanatics:
Great sounding album, maybe the best Alice?
Today at Stephen Marsh Mastering in the Hollywood Hills we nailed this one. It was a tense session because the tapes were pretty typically messy due to age but messy is my middle name... At any rate, Stephen, second engineer Fernando Lee and I were patiently mastering the Alice Cooper for Audio Fidelity. We did our usual split feed, DSD take and CD take, both at the same time.
he tapes were the original mix compilation reels that were done at the Record Plant back in the day. Each reel had the dates of the original mixes and what mix 'take' was pulled to this album comp. There was also a big note on each reel saying: DO NOT USE FOR ANY PRODUCTION WORK, USE EQ DUB CUTTING MASTER.
And for good reason. The master songs had many edits in each song, many level changes and, wacky as it seems, some of the songs required different level setups and Dolby A adjusting due to differing balance levels, no big deal.
Some of the songs were mixed in 1972, some in 1973 and each side of the album masters had a different set of tones to go with it. Yikes. No way a phonograph record in the old days could be cut from these complicated master reels, so a 'mastered' copy with EQ and compression was generated and all lacquers, parts, etc. were cut from that, bypassing this original set so sides could be cut without stopping.
However, us brave dudes decided to plug ahead and use these two original reels since we were not cutting phonograph records and could start and stop after each song. First, Stephen Marsh went in and fixed each and every edit (the glue on the splice tape had bled over the years and it was a sticky mess at each of the many edit points). No baking of the tape was required as the tape stock was from the good year of 1972. Tape still played fine, no shedding whatsoever. Good news.
Once the splices were scrubbed and fixed, Stephen's Dolby expertise went into effect and he aligned the ATR analog playback deck with his custom Dolby A box until it was perfect (at least for the first few songs). On side two for whatever reason the levels were off by 2 db on most songs, throwing the Dolby alignment off so we just realigned, same as they did back in the day and for the Greatest Hits CD.
Then, we transferred, one at a time, using our special brand of mastering knowledge and dumb luck. None of the songs sounded tone-wise like any other songs on there, each had a different and nicely subtle but unique sound. obvious on our top notch modern gear, probably not so obvious on monitors back in the day...
Now on the old LP they made all of them sound similar by filtering and compressing but that was not our goal. I personally don't care what the old LP sounded like unless it had amazing sound (and this one didn't compared to the actual master mixes, the vinyl was too compressed and compromised, a long album on two vinyl sides).
I want YOU to hear what the band and producer got to hear back at the Record Plant in 1973 so I left the tonal changes intact for the most part from song to song but at the same time I made sure each one sounded the best it could in the context of "what they were obviously going for" back then, same as I've done on almost every project I've worked on since 1982. The intent of the original artist/producer/engineer is always the main goal.
At any rate, it took a long time today, high-priced designer pizza was delivered and we took a break but mainly we worked on this, one song at a time, having to fix levels, Dolby levels, EQ (usually the tape box notes were pretty right on) and other 'tricks' for each and every song while having to 'MRL' the machine back to neutral / normal after each one so we could carry on and on.
On track 6 ("No More Mr Nice Guy") there's a minimal glitch, a bleeding broken repaired splice which is less than a second of a decades old 45 minute master tape. We chose not to dump to Pro Tools and fix digitally. We also chose not to resort to using a second generation tape dub. We wanted the signal to the DSD recorder, etc. to remain pure even if it had a minor imperfection or two.
The album holds up nicely. I had a retro-type girlfriend in the 1980's who LOVED this album (she thought she was so cool to like something from an earlier era, I thought 'eh, big deal') but I was reminded of her throughout the day. A weird feeling but I'm sure she will dig this new version.
As always, it's very important to me that the ORIGINAL VINTAGE mixes were used. A bunch of extra crossfades, solo guitar strums and other goofy stuff was still on the reels after the leader and I'm glad they wisely decided to not use any of them in the final release.
This is the first Audiophile release of this album from the true Ezrin mixes and we're proud of the way it came out.
Hope you all like this one.
As usual, the Audio Fidelity remaster is excellent, pressed on gold CD, with a SACD layer, in limited numbered edition and in the case of Alice Cooper's "Billion Dollar Babies", not only reproduces the original artwork, also features a genuine famous 'billion dollar bill' inside the package.
At $30 American ($22.70 on Amazon), it's a steal. What's not to like? And it's a classic to boot!
Crank it to eleven and enjoy the sound of the first release of the true mixes in 41 years of Alice Cooper's "Billion Dollar Babies"
A Must Have.


Rating 10/10



Ginger Wildheart - G.A.S.S. Month 2 EP (2014)

Genre - Hard Rock / Alternative
Label - Self Released

Track listing:

01- El Mundo (Slow Fatigue)
02 - Hellbound
03 - King Rat
Bonus Demos
04 - You Are The Light
05 - How I Survived The Punk Wars (Original Demo)

So here we are with the second instalment of Gingers G.A.S.S. project, god has it been a month already?
Once again we are treated to three brand new tracks (specifically recorded for this project) and two unreleased demos, again, one of a completely unheard song and one an original demo of a familiar track.
So what do we have, well first up is El Mundo (Slow Fatigue), recorded and mixed by Jase Edwards and
featuring the talents of  Ash Sheehan on horns & vocals and  Tammy King on vocals. A quirky track that kind of reminds me the Singles club era Ginger, a slow plodding track with the horns giving it a curious twist. Another song that showcases just how eclectic Gingers song writing can be. A good start.
Next up we have Hellbound, once again recorded by Jase Edwards and this time mixed by Jason Sanderson. This track features the talents of Tammy King on vocals and Jase Edwards on guitar. Hellbound is a great melodic rock track that would have fitted nicely amongst the famous 555% set of tracks. A great song with a truly great sentiment! Hellbound is quickly becoming one of my current favourite tracks!
Closing out this months new tracks is King Rat.this time recorded by Jase Edwards and mixed by Kevin Vanbergen. This song also features the awesome talents of a certain Chris Catalyst (Eureka Machines / Sisters Of Mercy / Catalyst) on keyboards, guitar & vocals. This song is destined to become one of my all time Ginger favourites, a great homage to some of his heroes (a little like 29 x the Pain only a completely different feel and sound)) From its opening keyboard pad and haunting vocal to its great melodic rock drive. A really great song.


Next up we have the two bonus demo tracks for June, the first, You Are The Light, is a unreleased song that, well I'll let Ginger explain,
"This song was written for a Finnish band who had considered taking a more melodic and mainstream approach to their next album. Turns out that they changed their mind anyway and stuck with metal, which this song most definitely is not.
I wrote three songs for them, one of which I redesigned as Lover, It’ll All Work Out on the 555% album, and recorded them with Jason Sanderson, who is mixing some of the G·A·S·S· songs you are hopefully enjoying."
No matter what Ginger says, You Are The Light is a great song, almost a big ballad type of track, it has a great feel to it, and once again deserves to see the light of day!
Finally we have the original demo of How I Survived The Punk Wars, a popular track that was written for Hey! Hello!, again I'll let Ginger explain.
"The original demo for How I Survived The Punk Wars, recorded with Jase Edwards and featuring Givvi Flynn on backing vocals. You can hear that the arrangement didn’t stray too much from the original formula but the absence of Victoria is glaringly apparent. Truth is getting Lady Vic involved was a move made when my voice packed up in the studio and I made a panic decision to record the new songs as duets. People had been saying how much they liked her voice on 555% so it made sense to get her involved and give me a break in the vocal dept. As soon as she took the job my confidence in the project grew and my voice came back."
It great to see this song in such an early embryonic stage.

Another great installment of G.A.S.S.

Rating - 10/10

NB - G.A.S.S. membership is available at any point over the next twelve months, with all releases being made available in due course, so there is plenty of time to save those penny's if you cant subscribe straight away. For more details please look here

Fire Red Empress - Paint Me The Devil EP (2014)

Genre -  Hard Rock / Heavy Metal / Alternative
Label - Independently Released.

Track listing:

01 - Left Unspoken
02 - Paint Me The Devil
03 - Behind The Veil

Fire Red Empress are a Midlands based band born from the ashes of the awesomely talented Voodoo Johnson, and are now releasing their debut EP in the form of Paint Me The Devil.
Now Voodoo Johnson were a very popular and promising band who never really got the breaks that they deserved. They released their debut album, 10,000 Horses to much critical acclaim only to have their lead
vocalist, the extremely talented Kevin Bayliss, call it a day and announce that he was leaving the band part way through their tour. Un-perturbed the band re-group and recruit the services of new lead vocalist Nick Taylor-Stoakes and set to writing and recording a new Ep, 2011's Black Powder Mother Loader, which saw the band head in a heavier direction musically, and again to much critical acclaim. After a whole bunch of tour dates the band locked themselves away to record their new album. But after personal tragedies, such as the passing of close family members the band opt to change their name and effectively start all over again in the guise of Fire Red Empress.  With a string of successful gigs up and down the UK, FIRE RED EMPRESS quickly garnered the attention of über-producer Jacob Hansen, whose work with Danish rock giants Volbeat speaks for itself. The songs transcended the miles and were recorded and mixed at Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark, where Jacob captured the intense energy of the band’s live performance and masterfully harnessed the massive riffs and epic soundscapes.
The three tacks on offer here continue to see the band moving in the heavier direction of 2011's Black Powder Mother Loader, whist showcasing the guys song writing abilities with the songs going through lots of twists and turns, but in arrangements and tempo.
My pick of the bunch here is Behind The Veil, which has a real epic feel to it, although titles track, Pain Me The Devil is a bloody close second!
Its really good to see one of the counties best bands back in action!

Very Highly Recommended
Check these guys out, you wont be disappointed!

Rating 10/10

Get the EP here