The RPM Challenge is over and so we re-cap all of the heavier, punker, and experimentaler releases that came out for Record Production Month 2024.
Released March 30, 2024
All songs belong to the original artists. Podcast recorded by Greg “Akhenaten” Ravengrave.
Tracklist:
01. Elder Caius – “Super Destroyer” 02. Personal Space Invaders – “In Flesh and Blood” 03. Qloi – “Meeting” 04. The Ram Has Touched the Wall – “In the Arms of Death” 05. Corsica – “Waves” 06. Monroe – “Not Working” 07. bodydouble – “Deep Water Ocean” 08. Count Cromulent – “A Brief History of Urban Planning and Civics” 09. Killer 9000 – “My Least Favourite Things” 10. Securitron – “War Never Changes”
Albums Archived – 6000apez – The Consequential Mudhole [Demo / Hardcore Punk] – The Beer Patrice – Dead on the Ship [Live LP / Punk] – Blender – D03s 1t Bl3nd? [Demo / Cybergrind] – Clocked In – Clocked In / Year of the Rat Split [Split / Hardcore] – Coward – King Rat [Demo / Pop Punk] – Coward – Split [Split / Pop Punk] – Evan Watton – RPM 2021 [LP / Progressive Metal] – Kick Gut – Kick Gut / Don’t Split [Split / Garage Punk] – Kick Gut – The Peter Album [LP / Garage Punk] – Kristopher Crane – Piss Drunx Theme [Single / Hard Rock] – Make Mean Everything – Gamma Rays [EP / Progressive Rock] – Make Mean Everything – Make Mean Everything [EP / Progressive Rock] – Moss Heather – Summer Flu [Single / Garage Punk] – Of Wilds – A Ghost at the Strid [EP / Progressive Rock] – Personal Space Invaders – Eat Your Meat [LP / Experimental Rock] – Ratpiss – Four Humors [EP / Powerviolence] – Sarra Cenia – Good News [Single / Stoner Rock] – Solar Tongue – Consideration [EP / Drone Metal] – Sons of an Eastern Moon – Borealis [EP / Folk Metal] – The Strangled – Never Forget [LP / Skate Punk]
Like clockwork, St. John’s singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Brian Downton is back with another effort for Record Production Month. This year’s effort from Downton’s solo project Personal Space Invaders is a full length album entitled Random Noises, A.I. Choices, an album that was written through Downton asking friends on social media for song topics and then feeding those suggestions into a free online A.I. software to generate lyrics.
Random Noises, A.I. Choices was released on Thursday, February 29th, 2024 through Bandcamp. You can listen to it through our Bandcamp embed below.
Category VI – Firecry March 24th, 2023 Power Metal Moribund Records St. John’s, Newfoundland
One of Newfoundland’s longest running metal outfits, Category VI has been involved in the local metal community since at least the release of their very first demo, Vinland, way back in 2011. Over 10 years later the band has since dropped three full length records, 2013’s Fireborn, followed by 2017’s War is Hell, and now their third full length effort, Firecry. This is also the first album to be released from the band since they’ve joined the Moribund Records family.
Once again, the band provides to listeners what their longtime fans have come to expect: powerful vocals, soaring riffs, thunderous bass, and pulse pounding drumming. The band is as good as they ever have been on this album, offering up eight tracks of revivalist power metal that fit them nicely in with the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal. The songs on here deliver the goods in a way that will no doubt please fans of groups like Judas Priest, Dio, Mercyful Fate, and other heavy metal alumni of that ilk. That said, I think there are a few too many moments on here where a riff will end, there will be a moment of silence, and then the next riff will start. It happens enough times that it feels a bit distracting when listening to this record from front to back. The songwriting, while good, sometimes leaves me feeling a bit underwhelmed.
The riffs on here, provided by guitarist Geoff Waye (also of Triskelyon and Artach), as well as bassist Keith Jackman, draw upon a pastiche of 80’s metal atmosphere to conjure a sound that is both intense and uplifting while simultaneously soulful and mournful. It’s not all cold stainless steel though. Some tracks, like the heavy gut punch that is “Valkyrie” draw more upon the doomy sounds of old school Black Sabbath or Pentagram for their hammer-striking-anvil approach. The solo work, as well, is outstanding. Waye has no doubt proven himself to be an exceptional guitarist across his various projects, and that’s no different here on Firecry.
The vocals are indeed powerful, and it’s clear that singer Amanda Jackman is a very capable vocalist who is ideally at her best at the head of a group creating this kind of emotive and heart-racing music. I’m reminded of one of my favourite modern power metal bands in the world right now, Tower, while listening to this record. That said, I think some of the vocal melodies aren’t all that compelling, and could have perhaps used a bit more workshopping in order to really hit the notes that would have made certain moments like the “too loud, too proud” bit on “Valkyrie” work better.
Lyrically the themes on this album span the gamut of subject matter that you’d expect from a group in this genre. The track “Firecry” deals with the persecution of witches, the tracks “Valkyrie” and “Heavy is the Crown” are both about personal pride and triumph, the song “She Runs with Wolves” is about the strength of women, and “Coven” is an ode to the band’s own live performances and the feeling that comes from being on stage. The lyrics aren’t available online anywhere so I can’t really criticize them properly, but from what I can make out they seem well written and exactly what I want from a power metal record.
Jason Williams, who is behind the kit, is a great drummer on this record. His beat choices are perfectly suited to the exact kind of riff work that Waye and Jackman provide to him. His double bass patterns are tight and thunderous, and he holds his own with some heavy and pulverizing beats that ride on the crash cymbal excessively. He’s also great at tempo and time signature changes, of which there are several that happen throughout this record’s runtime. That said I think some of the drum sections could have benefited from more creative work with some of the fills and rolls.
I like the way this album is produced because it sounds very raw and has an analog vibe to it. You can almost feel like you’re there in the room with the band as they’re rehearsing these songs. I do, however, wish that there was a bit more reverb and that the instruments packed a bit more oomph. The guitars feel like they could use just a slight bit more bite and the vocals have an odd quality where they sit in the mix rather than soaring over the instrumentals like this genre demands.
This isn’t my favourite album of the year to come out of Newfoundland and Labrador, but it’s still a decent record from a band who haven’t ever put out a bad one. I have my issues with it, and it never really clicked with me, but I’m sure that plenty of other people out there who are as invested in the NWOTHM movement and the revivalism of old school 80’s heavy metal will find a lot to like about this record. As far as modern power metal goes, you could do better, but you could also do significantly worse. I’m hoping that Category VI doesn’t take as long between this record and their last one (6 years) to put out something else new, and I have confidence that they’ll continue making quality traditional heavy metal for years to come.
Final Verdict: 7/10 Good
Favourite Tracks: “Firecry” “The Vultures Never Came” “Heavy is the Crown” “The Cradle Will Fall”
Welcome to the 52nd episode of the Heavy NFLD Official Podcast. On this episode we re-cap all the heavy music released for the RPM Challenge in the year of 2023!
All songs belong to the original artists. Podcast recorded by Greg “Akhenaten” Ravengrave.
Tracklist:
01. The Crevice – “Valley of Flies” 02. Pouch Dweller – “Laserblast’s Last Stand” 03. Chris McGee – “Sudden Shock” 04. Cemetery Hill – “Doomed Generation” 05. Ninth Quarter – “Crustborne” ~News Break~ 06. Elder Caius – “Kailash, When It Rises” 07. Count Cromulent – “Thunder Reigns” 08. Wannabe Erudite – “Pester” 09. Canvas – “Permanent Holiday” 10. Personal Space Invaders – “Solid Ground”
Things sure have picked up this year huh? I remember back when the pandemic first started the news was so slow on this blog that I’d sometimes go weeks with only one or two posts. Now, I have a hard time keeping up with you guys. Let’s take a look at everything that happened in November 2022 as we head into the start of winter!
We also released the 48th episode of our monthly podcast. In this episode we focus in on the younger bands in the local scene. You can listen to it on our Bandcamp page and soon on our YouTube channel.
Albums Archived – 6000apez – Pissing Everywhere [EP / Hardcore Punk] – Acorn to Great Oak – A Tribute to Beherit [Single / Atmospheric Black Metal] – Carnage – More Carnage [EP / Hardcore Punk] – Chimp Apparatus – AAAA (Quad A) [Single / Hardcore Punk] – Chimp Apparatus – Argument Then Divorce [Single / Hardcore Punk] – Chimp Apparatus – I Eat Batteries [Single / Hardcore Punk] – Chimp Apparatus – Pizza Man [EP / Hardcore Punk] – Devastator – Fight or Die [LP / Groove Metal] – Firmalino – Dovetailing [LP / Alternative Rock] – Havoc Protocol – Havoc Protocol [Demo / Crust Punk] – Last Soul Down – In Hindsight [LP / Stoner Rock] – Matrioshka Brain – Cabal [LP / Harsh Noise] – Nocturnal Prayer – Advance on Weakened Foes [LP / Black Metal] – Nocturnal Prayer – Mutilation on the Bed of Winter [LP / Black Metal] – Personal Space Invaders – Without a Voice [LP / Experimental Rock] – Ratpiss – Vermin Urine [EP / Powerviolence] – Rick Massie – Need [Single / Progressive Metal] – Rick Massie – Wind-Up Toy [Single / Hard Rock] – Viscen – Death Symmetry [EP / Speed Metal]
St. John’s power metal quatro Category VI have had a few lineup changes over the years, including losing previously drummer Patrick Tarrant. However, since COVID restrictions have lifted the band has been going full steam ahead working on their forthcoming third full length record, and have recruited drummer Brian Downton into their lineup. Downton is perhaps best known for Personal Space Invaders, his genre-crossing, experimental RPM project.
We’ll keep you updated as more news about the new Category VI record filters down.
We slipped up again! Where has the time gone? February got away from us pretty quickly what with all the RPM stuff going on, as well as all the projects coming out of hibernation in March thanks to COVID restrictions lifting once again. Let’s take a look back at what happened during February shall we?
We also released the February 2022 edition of our monthly podcast. This episode was entitled Hardcore NFLD on it we delved into some of the hardcore punk history of Newfoundland and Labrador.
You can listen to this episode of the podcast through our Bandcamp embed below.
Albums Archived Anal Christ – Obscure Sounds [Novelty / LP]
St. John’s alt rock band Firmalino, featuring local scene mainstay Ritche Perez on vocals and guitars, Category VI bassist Keith Jackman on guitars and bass, and RPM heavyweight Brian Downton of Personal Space Invaders on drums and vocals, have released their debut LP. Entitled Dovetailing, the album was released on Sunday, February 27th, 2022, and was recorded as part of the 2022 RPM Challenge.
Dovetailing features a variety of sounds from heavier alt rock moments to emotional and melancholy grunge, pop punk and post punk at parts. You can listen to the LP through our Bandcamp embed below.
Personal Space Invaders, the annual RPM project of multi-instrumentalist Brian Downton, has once again dropped a new record for Record Production Month. The first heavier offering to pop up from this year’s crop of new records, Without a Voice was released on Wednesday, February 16th, 2022 exclusively through Bandcamp.
You can listen to the experimental rock and post hardcore tunes of Without a Voice through our Bandcamp embed below.
HeavyNFLD 