Bringing together four unreleased tunes by The Rizzos and Top Nachos, this split release from King Pizza Records is a fine DIY recording. Split releases are a good way of introducing people to new bands and for Top Nachos the opportunity to appear alongside The Rizzos is definitely a chance for the Queens-based, self-proclaimed “silly-core” band to build upon their following. For extant fans of The Rizzos, of course, a purchase of this release will be a no-brainer. It has something a bittersweet feel, too, presenting both an end and a beginning: the Rizzos’ tracks are the last to feature drummer and founding member Bettina Warshaw while, for most listeners, the release will provide a first time exposure to the rather juvenile world of Top Nachos and their occasional cardboard headgear, fascination with junk food and unfashionable facial hair.
FISH HEAD – Ain’t Dead Yet
The unfortunately named Fish Head, a metal obsessed band from Royal Tunbridge Wells, care not for fashion. Like another Kent based band, Sacrilege, they seem perfectly happy to exist in a little bubble where metal stopped evolving somewhere around the late 80s. Unlike Sacrilege, though, their 2021 release ‘Ain’t Dead Yet’ actually includes a few decent songs and a lot of energy.
Devin Townsend announces a new album and confirms a string of Euro tour dates
Having only just announced the second release in his archive live series of releases, the ever busy Devin Townsend has announced he’ll be releasing a brand new album in 2022 and embarking on a lengthy European tour.
Very little is known about the new album at present, except that recording is underway with producer GGGarth Richardson (Rage Against The Machine / Man Will Surrender) and has the working title of lightwork.
In the meantime, the following live dates have been confirmed, with more to follow later:
DENNIS DEYOUNG – 96 East: Volume 2
When Dennis DeYoung decided to retire, he hit upon the idea of one final, grand release that would recount his fifty years in the business with an autobiographical slant. Since Dennis rarely thought on a small scale and had always been blessed with a very theatrical voice, the idea of him taking his last curtain call with something resembling a musical about his life didn’t seem that silly. In fact, a big idea got even bigger with Jim Peterik’s help, and the planned final album had to be split into two volumes.
TERRA ODIUM – Ne Plus Ultra
Formed from the ashes of Spiral Architect, Terra Odium is a prog metal band from Norway. Their debut album features some strong technical playing displayed across seven lengthy arrangements. For the more forgiving fans of the style, this will be enough for ‘Ne Plus Ultra’ to be reasonably entertaining. For other listeners who expect flashy solos and other indulgences to be balanced out by memorable songs and important things like actual melodies, the near-hour of relentless riffing will wear thin rather quickly.
Unfortunately, despite very obviously being able to play, Terra Odium also seem painfully unaware of most of the genre’s developments in the twenty first century. This album shows no obvious knowledge of the dark riffs of Awooga, the technical mechanics of Tool or even the complexities of a newer breed such as TesseracT. There are a few fantastically heavy moments that show a modicum of bravery – especially for a band signed to a melodic rock label – but approximately half of the material merely beavers away relentlessly, as if played by men with beards and leather trousers who still consider Symphony X’s ‘The Odyssey’ – at this point almost twenty years old – to be ground breaking.