Roger That - Flashback Fever

 

This is a fun one. Roger That's new album, Flashback Fever is a hard rocking album full of attitude. With big guitars, punchy songwriting and some big fat riffs, it's hard not to enjoy what Roger That bring to the table here. Clearly enamored with their influences, Roger That seamlessly drift from musically referencing everything from Bob Dylan to Thin Lizzy by way of James Brown. I'm not sure if I ever understood the phrase 'With gusto' before listening to this record, because if nothing else, Roger That has a LOT of gusto.

The melange is tried and true, and Roger That deliver on this classic mix with aplomb. It's funny, heavy and bizarrely addictive. Song topics range from pants to sex museums with a little bit of everything in between. This is by no means a comedy record, but Flashback Fever is certainly a record that will make you feel good. Roger That get the swagger that rock and roll needs to have, and while it may be over the top at times, it makes the record that much more delightful.

The guitar playing on this record particularly strikes me as special. The tasteful melodic lines cut nicely between vocal passages. The punchy riffing and arpeggiated rhythms draws you into a unique soundworld that is wholly their own. It makes the whole record feel like classic rock, even if some of the production roots the record firmly in 2024. Roger That are a blast to really get stuck in with, if you're looking for a rock band who understand the magic of the seventies without completely aping the decade, this is for you. And after all, how many rock songs are about pants? 

Get the album! 

https://teepeerecords.com/collections/frontpage/products/roger-that-flashback-fever-lp-yellow-vinyl-out-10-25-24

Aara - Eiger

Aara are an interesting band emerging from Switzerland. Their brand of crippling black metal is wonderfully bleak, unapologetic and leans into some of the darkest visions of the genre. Their new record, Eiger is executed with aplomb. It's a record that understands the core of the genre, which blazes forward consistently and which seems to effortlessly understand some of the darkest and most potent visions that this genre can conjure up. It's hard not to be enamored with the vision they present here - in many ways a very familiar one for black metallers across the globe.

But it's not just the tremolo picking and blast beats that allow this Markus Stock produced masterpiece to shine. Aara is a remarkable record for how it shows the evolution and development of the band over the last 6 records. Averaging a record a year since 2018, Aara continue to tell dark stories and unveil bitter visions. It's hard not to lose yourself in the darkness of these visions and the elegance of the execution. This is black metal done with aplomb, haunting, gnarled and teeth gnashing precision. Let yourself get lost in the gorgeous production and well rounded songwriting when this thing drops next month. 

Pre-order the album! 

https://aara.bandcamp.com/music

Zombina And The Skeletones - The Call Of Zombina

 

I don't write nearly enough about horror punk on this blog even though it is a truly great and storied genre. Which is why I was so stoked when I got the promo for the new album from Zombina And The Skeletones, The Call Of Zombina. This is a record that perfectly encapsulates so much of the fun of the genre. This is a record that seems to consistently go above and beyond. It's a record that is fun, creepy and a little bit over the top. The best part is though you can hear exactly how much fun the band members are having as they play. It's all we have grown to love about Zombina And the Skeletones over the years distilled into a cutting new album.

There is a wonderful and persistent charisma to the music of Zombina And The Skeletones. The songs sit nicely in the 80s horror punk idiom, never trying to be extreme or alienating. Instead this record is the perfect soundtrack to your next Halloween party. These songs are spooky and delivered with verve. Anthemic and delivered with a ghoulish smile, The Call Of Zombina is a record that will delight for spin after spin. The musical performances are tight too - overshadowing some of the stripped back production. This isn't a fancy album, but rather one that is a blast and which nicely calls back to the very DIY roots of the genre. 

Let yourself get lost in Zombina And The Skeletones haunted mansion. The ringing organs, punchy guitars and addictive vocals will keep your Halloween party going through the night. If you were looking for a scarily good time this spooky season then The Call Of Zombina is the perfect album for you. Get lost in the magic. The band has found a way to build on one of the most legendary catalogs in horror punk and this latest offering only moves the needle forward.

Pre-order the album: 

https://zombinaandtheskeletones.bandcamp.com/

Old Forest - Graveside

 

Old Forest have become one of the UK's longest running black metal projects. 26 years and eight albums into their career they are still delivering some of their best material to date. This new record Graveside is some of their best work to date. It's a record that embraces the more rough and ready old school magic of the early 90s black metal scene and which doesn't worry about perfectly produced offerings. Instead there is a sense here that the band is trying to get back to the youthful core of the genre, with songs that are burgeoning with life and new possibility. This record sees the band executing at a whole new level and thrilling with a vision that is triumphantly atavistic. 

This is the best sort of tribute to the old days of the genre. The group clearly draws from acts like Emperor and Enslaved in order to create something that is deeply engaging and anthemic, that feels like it could have come out in 1992. Old Forest haven't gotten lost in the modern trappings of the genre, instead they have gone back, dug deeper and tried to unveil a layer of madness that few of the bands peers can really lean into. This is a record that perfectly nails the old school side of the genre and it's hard not to be enamored with the larger than life war cries, melodic guitars and buzzing guitars. 

Pre-order your copy: 

https://soulsellerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/graveside

Destruktor - Indomitable

 

Destruktor are one of Australia's longest running underground metal projects. The bands output is understated to say the least, with only 3 albums across a nearly thirty year career. Yet for those of us who are dedicated to the scene, each record, compilation, demo or split from the band is like a rare treasure. Indomitable is no different, this is muscular, exciting and triumphantly executed blackened death metal that speaks to the talents that Destruktor have honed over their many years of black metal bitterness and unadulterated misery. 

This is a deeply personal record, digging into the concept of death and forcing us to stare it in the face. There is something strangely thrilling about such a personal record and Indomitable forces us to come to terms with our mortality again and again. Indomitable is a terrifying and strange offering, one leaning heavily on blast beats and tremolo picked guitars to unveil layers of chaos and misery. This isn't a record for the faint of heart, but if blackened death metal is your thing - then this is going to drag you deep into the abyss.

Pre-order the album! 

https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/item.asp?PID=124257