Reviews January 2008 Reviews Page 1 Mos Generator - Songs for Future Gods Greenleaf - Agents of Ahriman (Both Small Stone) After all these years there are still those who, immersed in a misguided quest for continual innovation, completely miss the point about Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple et al. Nonetheless, it remains fact that post-Apocalypse the only things left intact will be rats, cockroaches and metal bands. I’m not clear what will protect the first two, but without doubt heavy rock has developed a unique survival mechanism which has sustained it through the ups and downs of over forty years of changing musical fashions and which would likely be more than adequate protection against nuclear (or even sonic) attack. Put simply, it knows when enough is enough and its time to get back to basics and rediscover those primal strengths that make it so irrepressible. When its current trends turn stagnant or stale, rock has a proven capacity to reach back inside itself, reassert the rhythms and riffs that it learnt from its forebears, and throw up a whole new generation to carry the baton. The first half decade of the new century restored much of the confidence in metal that nu-metal had dispelled, and a dazzling array of fresh sounds and ideas poured forth from the likes of In Flames, Killswitch Engage, System of A Down, Slipknot, God Forbid, Trivium and more. The last two years however have seen the scene flounder, once more flooded with imitators and pretenders, with many former contenders becoming artistically bankrupt as they explore new ways of cracking the lucrative early teen market. It should come as no surprise to seasoned observers therefore that the smart money (led by the authoritative Metal Hammer) is confidently predicting the rise of a new generation of Southern Gothic, drawing its inspiration from a range of influences which include both Lynyrd Skynyrd and Pantera alongside the aforementioned old masters. Emergent names including Black Stone Cherry, Scissorfight, Artemis Pyledriver and He Is Legend are coming forward to stand alongside older hands such as Clutch, Black Label Society, Nashville Pussy and, of course, Phil Anselmo’s revitalised Down. Overall these bands cover a huge area sound-wise, but what unites them is their commitment to the timeless power of tight rhythm, dirty sludgy guitars, strong purposeful vocals and an outlaw mentality, all turned up to 11 or more. They’re not necessarily singing to the same hymn sheet, but they are bound by a conviction that rock’s past has very much a living stake in its future. In this context Detroit’s Small Stone label, currently flying under the mainstream radar here in the UK could become a genuinely important player. Not only does it specialise in a genre gently nosing its way back into the spotlight, but it also has the quality catalogue to back its claims. Several months ago this site gave a glowing thumbs-up to new releases from Sasquatch and The Glasspack, and made mention of several of their stablemates including Five Horse Johnson and Sons of Otis who have been making waves on the club circuit over here. These bands are bereft of frills and pretensions, and ally themselves unashamedly with the oft-despised 70’s breed of early metal giants, but play with a sturm und drang which sets them apart. This month’s catch from Small Stone certainly doesn’t disappoint either. Seattle veterans Mos Generator are stripped down heavy rock and roll, a three piece who owe no small debt to Mountain and whose affection for mid-period Sabbath is present throughout. Vocalist / guitarist Tony Reed veers so close to Ozzy’s upper range that it seems to call for a scream of ‘you bastards’ at every refrain. Like the Sabs they temper the onslaught with psychedelic flourishes (on Acapulco Gold, for instance), but they never stray far from the essential groove, and nor do they need to. The playing on ‘Songs for Future Gods’ is lean and disciplined throughout and the songs are well constructed. The band succeed, like their peers, in making ‘old’ music sound vital to new ears. Greenleaf’s ‘Agents of Ahriman’ is heavier still. Built around the nucleus of guitarist Tommi Holopa and bassist / engineer Bengt Backe this stoner supergroup is further made up of a cast of guest musicians including Tommi’s former Dozer bandmate Erik Backwall on drums and Oskar Cedermalm (Truckfighters) on the bulk of singing duties. The album is nine tracks of full-on, uncompromising, riff-orientated metal with a massive and brutal wall of sound hammering it home. ‘Black Tar’, four tracks in, is little short of a masterclass in how to do this stuff properly. Having been around since 1999 Greenleaf have concentrated less on polishing their sound and more on adding layers of extra coating to toughen and preserve it. There’s no mystery where the influences and inspirations come from but here they’ve produced a collection of some distinction. Small Stone may or may not be the next Vertigo, Capricorn, Roadrunner or whatever, but for now they have a stable of particularly interesting acts, all proudly displaying their metal collective consciousness while bringing to it an edge which is very much of the moment and positively roars out for attention. www.smallstone.com Neil B. Next Past Reviews: March 07, April 07, May 07, June/July 07, Sept/Oct 07, Dec07