reviews ADIA VICTORIA
A Southern Gothic (Canvasback/Parlophone) AAAA
With gigs and release schedules having being disrupted and delayed for artists because of the pandemic, Deep South blues rebel Adia Victoria spent many of her days slogging away in a Nashville-based mail order warehouse to keep herself afloat. This repetitive daily grind gave her time to reflect, shape and create what would become her third album. As a young Black woman, Victoria’s relationship with the American South is very much like a double-edged sword, which is evident in the gritty outsider blues vibe spread over the 14 songs on A Southern Gothic, with T Bone Burnett in the production seat and contributions from Matt Beringer from The National, Margo Price and Jason Isbell. Howlin’ Wolf, Skip James and Muddy Waters might have penned many angry, bourbon-soaked ditties about how they had been unjustly wronged by women, but Victoria turns the table to explain exactly why on Mean Hearted Woman. A Southern Gothic is an authentic, story-rich piece of modern blues brilliance. DAVID NOBAKHT
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE
Bullet For My Valentine (Spinefarm/Search & Destroy) AAAA
“This is the beginning of Bullet 2.0,” promises Bullet For My Valentine main man Matt Tuck as they prepare to unleash their self-titled new album. They set out their stall with the ferocious Parasite, which suggests that this is a meaner, more forceful BFMV than we are used to. Tuck channels classic Dave Mustaine with some dazzling riffing on the likes of Can’t Escape The Waves, and even tracks like My Reverie, which begin with a softer approach, eventually break down into shredding chunks of thrash metal. They still produce their signature clean singing parts, but even those are delivered with an extra dose of venom. The Bridgend boys have delivered an album that’s savage in its approach and a throwdown of the gauntlet to any pretenders of the throne, signalling that they are ready to retake their place at the head of the UK metal table. They mean business and Bullet For My Valentine is the proof. CHRIS ANDREWS
CARCASS
Torn Arteries (Nuclear Blast) AAAAA
Released within weeks of the new Iron Maiden album, Torn Arteries marks a similar high-point in the resurgent second phase of a true originator in British metal. Carcass’s second life, since their reformation in 2007, has seen them hit an exceedingly rich vein of form, arguably outstripping their earlier work and certainly leaving well behind them the gore-grind with which they made their name. Impeccably produced and presented (the album is worth investing in for Zbigniew Bielak’s extraordinary artwork alone), Torn Arteries is the metal album of the year so far. Bill Steer’s wailing leads and 10-ton riffs drive forth a genuinely diverse, yet consistently well-written, body of work, kept fresh by Daniel Wilding’s surgically precise beats. From the slow, malevolent groove of Dance Of Ixtab to the Behemoth-beating Satanic anthem of The Devil Rides Out, this is a near-flawless modern metal album. HUGH RUSSELL
DON LETTS
Late Night Tales: Version Excursion (Late Night Tales) AAA
Don Letts, the man who introduced the punks to dub reggae at the Roxy, manned the sampler in Mick Jones’ Big Audio Dynamite, and takes listeners on a cross-genre journey every Sunday night on 6 Music, steps up to take on the latest Late Night Tales release. And what sonic adventures await? A mix of 21 reggae covers of the likes of the Beach Boys, Jefferson Airplane, and Joy Division, that swings from ropey to alright. Rude Boy’s version of Groove Armada’s Superstylin’ melding into Love Will Tear Us Apart is a highlight, as is the ever-excellent Wrongtom twisting The Clash around on Dub In The Supermarket. What’s absolutely not is a bloodless version of Uptown Top Ranking from arch indie-poppers Black Box Recorder. And yes, inevitably, there’s an Easy Star All-Stars track. But while it can veer into novelty, the mix is immaculate and is packed with exclusives. Bit of a shame it didn’t come out at the start of the summer really. SAM EASTERBROOK
EMPLOYED TO SERVE
Conquering (Spinefarm) AAA
Employed To Serve have perfected a form of metalcore tinged with industrial that brilliantly conveys a visceral anger at – as they observe – the exploitative, corrupt nature of our modern political and economic institutions. On Conquering they have honed their sound to be more direct, memorable and gigantic. At times, including the harrowing Mark Of The Grave or the splicing Exist, those experiments are perfected in exquisite fashion. However, on moments such as The Mistake, the bands attempt to win more mainstream appeal often results in performances that are passionless or lacking in authenticity. The brutal-yet-socially aware band of the first two albums still shines through, and at times the extra gloss lent by the production can accentuate their vast technical prowess. However, fans looking for that raw, primal quality which came to define Employed To Serve in their early years will be sorely disappointed. ALEX SWIFT
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