EDDY MALM BAND – Northern Lights (CD)

I heard the Eddy Malm Band demo several years ago and liked it so much I wanted to include a demo track on the compilation for my latest encyclopedia. According to the liner notes on the CD this track was what made No Remorse pick up the band, which makes me happy and proud! So, yes, I am happy the album is finally out! It’s funny, I was expecting Heavy Load, but what I hear is more of Eddy’s band prior to Heavy Load – Highbrow, and that makes me even more happy. To be honest, I was a bigger fan of Highbrow than of Heavy Load. It’s not really raw, raunchy and brutal, but quite clean and melodic, and I really like that! I’ve also always been a fan of guitarist Per Hesselrud’s guitar playing, even though it has mostly been displayed in his quirky bands Bosse and IFK Doom (a hilarious band where they do Sabbath songs in Swedish). The rhythm section featuring drummer Mike Kerslow and bass player Tomas Malmfors is tight as a rat’s ass. I Had Enough is a straight ahead classic rocker, closer to AC/DC than Heavy Load, while Turn It Down sounds like it was written for Highbrow. Nasty Woman slides in closer to the classic NWoBHM era. Heavy Load fans will most likely recognize track #6 – a new rendition of Dark Nights from the Heavy Load Metal Conquest MLP. It always tough to record a new version of an old and well-known track, but I like the heavier punch to the new version (and, did I mention I like Per’s guitar playing?). The boogie-oriented Get Out Of Here again takes us back to the NWoBHM era and bands like Saxon, Maiden, Chevy and Dedringer. Danger is a cool stomper where Eddy shows he hasn’t lost his vocal power from the 80s. Next is yet another re-make, this time the A-side of the first Highbrow single from 1978, A Loser. A really great version, actually, except for the weird clicking sound (echo??) in the chorus, which I don’t really get. The album finished with the heavy rocking title track. A really good album indeed!

Janne Stark

Label: No Remorse

Year: 2016

Country: Sweden

THE DEEP – Premonition (CD)

With their roots in bands such as Deep Machine and Airrace, new UK melodic metal rockers The Deep take their first step with the debut Premonition. I was truly blown away by their down to earth, classic melodic hard rock, with the roots in the 80s NWOBHM era. By coincidence, just recently purchased the High Roller release of the old Deep Machine demos. They kicked ass back then and I love that stuff, but I have to say, I actually like The Deep even better. Maybe it’s the maturity of Tony Coldham’s beautiful voice, the years of honing their musical craftsmanship or simply the songs that sits better today. They actually featured a re-recording of the old 1982 demo track Saga. In that case it’s not the latter, but probably the better recording and the band that has become better. Great version! When I learned The Deep was ex-Deep Machine I was actually a bit worried since I saw a recent video of the band with quite horrible vocals, but I guess there are two camps out there (not that uncommon these days). This camp clearly takes the prize in my book. Anywayz… Premonition kicks off with classic NWoBHM style rocker The Rider, a bit reminiscent of early Samson meets Raven. Timeless metal! You Take My Breath Away kicks off as a classic metal number, but goes into a Praying Mantis style melodic rocker with nice harmony vocals. Ok, I’ve mentioned some other bands here, but The Deep definitely have their own sound. I’m totally blown away by Tony Coldham’s fantastic vocals, strong, powerful and clear! Night-Stalker is another track that could have been (was?) written in the early 80s with it’s classic plodding guitar riff. I love it! Cold-Hearted shows a slightly different side, with its almost Lillian Axe style heavy power balladry. A really cool song indeed! I won’t go into each track, but there’s not one single weak track! 10 tracks, you don’t need more. 10 great tracks makes you long for the next album already! Highly recommended!

Janne Stark

Label: private

Country: UK

Year: 2015

Link: http://www.thedeepuk.band/