Back catalogue: Rock (All)

Review: Originally released in 1982 via Earache Records (who're also handling this long overdue reissue), The Ultimate Incantation marked the debut full-length from Polish death metal pioneers Vader. Originally recorded at Sunlight Studio in Stockholm, Sweden with Thomas Skogsberg, both the band and label were ultimately unhappy with the final mixes due to their admitted lack of studio equipment, especially the studio's in-house electronic drumkit which simply could not handle the barrage of blastbeats, leading them to relocate and re-record the album in its entirety at London's Rhythm Studios with producer Paul Johnson. Whilst commended upon release for the band's technical proficiency that helped guide the extreme metal movement, some critics found the desired raw recording quality as too abrasive to truly enjoy, but those critiques have become somewhat redundant over the decades with any extreme metal act worthy of the term and the scene as a whole prioritising raw intensity over studio gloss.

Review: In 2019, a conversation between Norman Gervais and Mario Gharios (Pocket Of Light) sparked the idea of using compilations to impress a feeling, rather than focusing on a specific decade, genre, or style. And ho, on a warm July day on the Riviera, so began a for-the-ages discussion as to how music could paint vivid pictures, from kitschy seaside resorts to tranquil sailboats in Caribbean coves. Gervais' taste guided the process; he would decalre tracks "100% Blue Wave," referring to Balearic and new wave fusions, perfect for blasting from the baleinaire. Despite personal setbacks, such as the Beirut Port Explosion and COVID, they continued the collab together with Charles Bals, and a few years later, the result is Transcoastal, a trusty, storm-weathering voyager of a comp, replete with invincible sails. These are Balearic favourites for the bluest of skies, our favourites on which have to be Richard Bowen's 'Sorcery', Neil Davis' 'Jealous Sea' and Ricardo Bomba's 'So Sentindo O Momento'. We hear a predilection for guitar, varied plucks suggesting multi-pelagic moods.

Review: In the latter half of the 1990s, the lines between indie-rock, Britpop and dance music became increasingly blurred, indie club DJs being blessed with all manner of heady, high-octane treats to enjoy - including notable big beat, trip-hop and techno reworks. This four-disc set from Cherry Red does an excellent job in celebrating this fertile musical period via a mix of chart-bothering faves (Norman Cook remixing Pierre Henry and Cornershop), heavy club revisions (the Chemical Brothers taking on Bomb The Bass and the Charlatans), bona-fide dance classics (Leftfield, Orbital, Basement Jaxx), quirky rock-rave (Black Grape, the Prodigy), big beat workouts (Indian Ropeman, Death In Vegas, Bentley Rhythm Ace, Lo Fidelity Allstars), and eccentricities (the All Seeing I, Jimi Tenor, Future Sound of London).

Review: Venom’s arrival in the early 80s marked a seismic shift in the UK metal scene, grabbing the gourmand attention of both metalheads and punks alike for their sludge-mired shreds and vocal catharses. Asmodeic shapeshifters and crimson fiends are heard terrorising London on this latest, greatest hits compilation from the band, reaffirming their rather tense relationship with the big smoke following their comeup in Newcastle upon Tyne. Most of Venom’s early material was penned by bassist and frontman Conrad Lant (aka Cronos) and guitarist Jeffrey Dunn (aka Mantas), with a distinctive focus on satanic imagery. Get ready for a ravelling, blackened English metal catabasis, perfect for those listeners who need it raw.