Bits, Bobs, Odds & Sods - February 2014

Attic –  The Invocation

Van Records - 2012

Do you like King Diamond and Mercyful Fate? Well, you probably don’t like them as much as the guys in Attic.  Hailing from Germany, the band is probably the best Fate/KD doppelgänger in the history of Metal.  No, they are not helmed by a King, but rather a Meister – Meister Cagliostro.  Guess what?  Cagliostro sports ye old face paint and is a dead ringer for King Diamond!  The songs are about witches, covens, Satan, ghosts, etc… and the only thing that really separates Attic from Mercyful Fate/King Diamond is the guitars, which aren’t as lethally sharp and razor-etched as those of Sherman, Denner or LaRocque.  This is a minor quibble really, and the songs will make you think that you are listening to some long lost King Diamond demos.  If you need a fix of that sound while you wait for some new material from the King, then you could do worse than Attic. Check it out:

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3 Inches of Blood – Warriors of the Great White North

Self Financed - 2014

Tireless road dogs 3 Inches of Blood have just dropped an excellent documentary of a recent tour of their Canadian homeland.  It’s a fifty minute journey with the band through the various stops and shows as they blast ripping Metal to the masses.  It’s a nice insight in to the life of a true touring act that is still accessible to the average fan.  You get to see firsthand that the band works their collective asses off for everything they’ve achieved, and that they certainly aren’t living any kind of rockstar lifestyle. In fact, this documentary is self-financed and you can purchase it from Vimeo for a mere $4.99.  Go buy the damn thing here!  Check it out:

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Blues Pills – Devil Man EP

Nuclear Blast Records - 2014

Have you had enough of the “Occult Rock” albums that have glutted the market recently?  You know, those albums with a female lead singer, occult lyrics and proto-Metal riffs? Thankfully, Blues Pills from Sweden doesn’t have anything to do with that trend, rather they sound like Adele fronting Sabbath or Zeppelin.  Holy shit Elin Larsson (the lead singer) has some of the most amazing pipes I have ever heard!  Her voice is tremendously powerful, and the band plays bluesy, heavy, 70s rock of the best kind.  If you like Zep, Bad Company, Scorpion Child, Black Sabbath etc… then you should definitely pick this four track EP up.  It’s available on CD as well as on a really sweet gatefold 10”.  Check it out:    

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That's it for this month my friends. 

As Always, MAKE MINE METAL!