Devil's Horns Zine

  Total Recall-Always Together album review. FFO: chunky riffs and blazing metal influenced hardcore. I love how 1054 records are unearthing great musical gems across the globe. Even though the album cover looks like a vague reference point to a well-known Carcass album, this is tough hardcore dripping in metal. Initially, it strikes you as a clever simple hardcore album, but it not only has a strong power in its delivery but goes off on a few pleasant tangents. The members have been in many bands and this band shows they know what is expected from an act that has intent and purpose. The first four tracks are punchy, hectic and gravelly hardcore ragers. Everything works well, be it intelligent riff work, gang vocals or lead vocal forcefulness. They can change pace with ease and create a definite borderline beatdown vibe to these tracks. Seas of Illusions is my pick of the first half of the album; it just drills into your skull and has a moody balance to it that resonated. The seco...

  The Ramshackle Army-Highflyer EP review. Celtic punk magnificence. FFO: Dropkick Murphys, Melodic Punk and pints of Guinness. The Ramshackle Army perfectly combine Celtic Punk with all the catchiness of the best melodic punk. They are killer live, anthemic as hell and a guaranteed great time, every time. They always put out strong releases with no filler and this latest EP is a cracker. The title track opens proceedings with a memorable riff to draw you in immediately and by the 30-second mark, you realise this will be a live classic. And that is the secret to this band, well-written songs that go for both the heart and feet at the same time. And that is their amazing skill you remember the track and want to move your feet with each track. I also dig how no song is overly long and works its magic in its allocated time. Bend Don't Break is reminiscent of peak-era Living End, but with the trad music trimmings of course. As stated previously, this band are intelligent and very skil...

  Luke Yeoward-Marigold Avenue album review. Pure old school reggae/rocksteady joy!. FFO: Everything with a proper vibe from The Heptones to Toots and the Maytals to the modern flavour of the Slackers and the Aggrolites.  Luke has through various musical incarnations excelled at everything from hardcore punk to Americana to ska and even soul-influenced rock. But reggae/ska and all its side flavours and variations seem to be Luke's prominent foundation and carry all the swagger, and most importantly the skill that deserves all the accolades and merits coming its way. Marigold Avenue isn't a head nod to lightweight reggae and an attempt at fake imitation. This is a solid, beautiful and dynamic album that personifies what real reggae and rocksteady are about: emotive and deep music with a passion. This amazing album was not only self-produced but a fantastic byproduct of Melbourne's many COVID-19 lockdowns and could easily be a Trojan Records or Studio One release it carries ...

  Cosmic Psychos-Mountain of Piss album review. FFO: Beer, loud fuzzy guitars and more beer!. As Ross of this mighty band said on radio recently, this band has been around so long that it probably been forgotten by previous critics as they have either retired or moved on. But these guys are the equivalent of the Aussie Ramones. Short, fast and basic punk with tons of volume and piss-taking. But this ninth slab of aggressively clever pub rock is as classic as their best albums. They have influenced so many bands because 1) there is an authentic no bullshit factor from start to finish on every album 2) the band writes catchy and surprisingly clever songs; be it spot-on social commentary or outright character assassination and 3) the songs are absolute rock-solid headbanging classics that are timeless. Classic tunes are rare now, it's so driven by trends but think of Motorhead, AC/DC etc-it's all about the earworms that last for decades. Mountain of Piss is full of these gems, be ...

Devastating Light-I Have Already Failed You EP review. FFO: Heavy, Hellish and emotive doom/caustic metal. This Nordic, dark and depressive tour de force is not going to cheer you up, but it's epically bleak and glorious. The three tracks serve as a solid document for what is to come of this solo project for Finnish muso Teemu Toikka.   The concept and seems like personal reflections of a first time father struggling with depression and mental health afflictions. And whilst the listener definitely sympathises with these strong and emotive tones forced on our ears, it is the greater audio majesty of the EP that equally holds monumental weight. Also, one person wrote and performed everything. Super impressive. I also loved how the three tracks blend seamlessly into each other. Not in a boring or repetitive way, but rather as an extremely acidic and dark document piece of musical gloom with a dynamic presence. The formula like Amenra or Cult of Luna is about excising demons and exhibi...

  Amenra-De Doorn album review. FFO: Soul destroying and emotive post-metal agony/glory that is original and frankly unparalleled in its intent. Captivating, gruelling, and nightmare-inducing soundscapes that continue to amaze the listener. Hard listens are always the best, and Amenra consistently does this beautifully. Whilst this is the band's first release for Relapse Records, don't expect any dilution of the band's pleasantly grating overall sound. The addition of Oathbreaker's astonishing vocalist Caro (if you aren't familiar you need to listen to all of their wonderful releases) and some slightly atmospheric touches add greater depth and exquisitely complement the biting aggression. De Doorn is a dark and ritualistic cathartic musical document. These five well-constructed tracks serve as an exquisitely grim, haunting, and rewarding soundtrack to emotional unrest. This release serves as an audio bookend to a communal ritual performed in Ghent that symbolizes lo...