| CD REVIEW Slough Feg |
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Band : Slough Feg I fell in love with this band, purely on the basis of their old prefix (they came out with their self-titled 1996 debut album as The Lord Weird Slough Feg), and when in later days I actually got to hear some of the band's music (on a rare occasion when I still listened to radio, in the early part of the new millennium), I knew that one day I would buy myself albums by this band. Through circumstances (not in the least part due to the busy life as a music reviewer) that occasion wasn't to come before 2006, and only a year l came across the band's Hardworlderalbum in the “To Do” box at Concrete Web's headquarters, where I'd encrusted myself quite firmly as assistant to our editor-in-chief. Evidently, I ended up taking the jem home and reviewing it (posted 28/07/2007). Which ends my introduction... ...and opens the continued story of Slough Feg. You see, to continue where I left off, Slough Feg managed to get the Hardworlderalbum issued on vinyl by Iron Kodex Records in 2008, albeit on a limited rotation of 525 copies, the first 100 of which became known as the orange “Gully Foyle” edition. Also in 2008, they released the 2-disc compilation album The Slay Stack Grows (featuring old demos and live recordings from the band's early days) through the Shadow Kingdom Records imprint. This fact went by us completely unknown, as did the fact that Cruz Del Sur released the band's 7th studio album Ape Uprising! during last year, and album which saw SF touring the US with The Sword. 2010, the year that Skalzi celebrates his band's 20th anniversary, started off very nice indeed with the band recording their 8th studio album, followed by a short US West Coast alongside Gates Of Slumber in late May/ early June. And earlier in May the band inked a deal with Profound Lore Records for the North-American distribution of their upcoming album. Eventually Cruz Del Sur announced in August that they had been able to convince SF into partaking in next year's Headbangers Open Air (happening the weekend of July 2011), and are trying to get some European dates fixed for a short European tour around the HOA period. Ach...if only some Belgian concert promoter could be convinced into organizing a concert in this country on a day that I happen to be off-duty from work...I'd order my ticket right now! Meanwhile, however, there's the new album for all of us to discover! And as usual it's a veritable festoon for the lovers of True Metal and/or Traditional (Progressive) Heavy Metal! As always Skalzi's signature vocals make the work complete, as do the significant lyrical contents (with a such weird title as The Animal Spirits, I'm sure your fantasy has already been set to move – check the meaning of the Aristotellan theory when looking for the meaning of that title), which are not far from the usual Slough Feg song contents (the first 2 songs are about Medieval Catholic theology, then it switches to basic horror themes, a couple of songs about a nut whom thinks he's a vampire, and then a werewolf, the weirdly titled “Materia Prima” is another “What-if-Dicky-Betts-Of-The-Allman-Brothers-Band-Had-Joined-Iron-Maiden-In-1980?” intrumental, then there's a couple of songs about frustration, misery and madness, and a fast, driving Rock/Metal track titled “Second Coming”, with a vocal guest appearance of Brocas Helm's Bob Wright. Whatever! I mean...as usual the musical standard is high, the tunes are catchy, the vocals exquisite...what more can a die-hard True Metal fan want for? Yet another year-list notation it is, by Jolly! 98?/100 Tony. |