February Overview

Here is my pick of the best albums you may have missed in February. I realised that for the January post, I neglected to include the genre for each band. I have now edited the post as I think this will make it easier for people to decide what is relevant for them. Also, from this post onwards, I will be writing a short overview for each album as opposed to an intro text. I think this works better, but of course I would prefer YOUR feedback.

Band: Hark
Album: Machinations
Genre: Stoner/Sludge Metal

Welsh Stoner Metal crew, Hark unleash their excellent sophomore album, Machinations and it is a groove-fuelled riff fest from the get go. If there was any justice in this world, then the name Hark would be on the lips of every single Metalhead out there.

Track: Fortune Favours the Insane

Band: Zeal & Ardor
Album: Devil is Fine
Genre: Black Metal (quite literally)

What happens when you take Black Metal and splice it with "slave music"? well, Zeal & Ardor have attempted to find out. Does it work or is it merely a pointless vanity project with no respect for either of the genres it blends together? I'm veering more to the latter personally as, although it might be something interesting and different, it lacks substance and often sounds contrived and forced. Either way, it has certainly become a talking point in the Black Metal scene Decide for yourself.

Track: Come On Down

Band: Crystal Fairy
Album: Crystal Fairy
Genre: Alternative

As always, I am very much loathe to describe such a band as a "supergroup" as it a term loaded with so many negative connotations and expectations. Crystal Fairy could have been hindered by the fact that its members have some serious musical pedigree, formed as it is of members of At The Drive-In / The Mars Volta, The Melvins and The Butcherettes. Of course, this hasn't happened and the band has managed to find that wonderfully rare middle ground between sounding somewhat familiar, while also managing to sound fresh and intriguing. This can be partly attributed to the near-perfect meeting of the hard driving guitar / drum combo of The Melvins, the dynamically twisted vocals of Teri Gender Bender and the mesmerising bass progressions of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. This is an album which rewards repeated listens.

Track: Chiseler

Band: Striker
Album: Striker
Genre: Trad / Power Metal

Let's be very clear about this, Striker are absolutely NOT reinventing the wheel. Influenced as much by Def Leppard and Van Halen as they are by Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Manowar, this is pure, full-on Heavy Metal which has its songwriting (and playing) planted firmly in the "golden era" of the mid-late 80s, albeit with a dynamic and powerful modern production. That's not to say this is bad, in fact it is far from it. Striker is an invigorating album that will make you want to bang your head, sing out loud and even warm up your air guitar fingers.

Track: Former Glory

Band: Overkill
Album: The Grinding Wheel
Genre: Thrash Metal

I don't think anyone will disagree with me when I say that Overkill have released better albums than The Grinding Wheel. That said, it is still light years ahead of the competition and sounds remarkably fresh for a band which formed way back in 1980. Unlike most of their contemporaries, Overkill have rarely strayed far from their trademark sound and in my opinion, are a much stronger band for it. They know what they are doing and they do it bloody well. No, they are not breaking new ground, but when you have a sound as distinctive and instantly recognisable as Overkill, why the hell would you? The sound of a band clearly having a blast, The Grinding Wheel is, hands down, one of the best albums of 2017.

Track: Mean Green Killing Machine