Here are another four reviews for your pleasure. They are a varied bunch but not one is a stinker. One of the album even offers a free legal download!

CD Reviews

Slow Motion Reign (S/T)

This lot sounds a bit like Damon Albarn fronting Coldplay or a bit more like a Billy Joel/Pink Floyd hybrid with serious prog overtones. It's an album of two halves as well; the first is a tad boring and never gets going really. The second half contains two absolutely corker songs in the form of wonderful "Silent Movie" and the very old Joel-like "Space" with its piano and violin touches. I found this CD to be a rather slow starter and it took quite a few listens to really get to me.

It does smack of Coldplay-clones on the first few listens but then develops into something rather special upon multiple listens. There is far more to this than the dreary monotony of Chris Martin and his mob. I wonder if they were being ironic saving their best two songs until last. Either one would make a cracking single. This is definitely a CD for the patient amongst you.

Viking Skull: Born in Hell

Viking Skull uses Motorhead as their starting point and takes it from there. Much in the vein of Monster Magnet this lot does not do subtle in any way, shape, or form. Whether it be the cracking title track and opener or tracks like the tenderly named "Beers, Drugs and Bitches." Viking Skull delivers unsubtle knuckle-dragging bong-head metal at pace with a sleazy class all their own.

You really can't help but smirk like a school boy when this sucker is in the CD player. Their tattoos are done by a bloke called Wurzel and the last track is called "You Can't Kill Rock & Roll." What the hell else do you need to know? I bet they are cracking live as well. Great stuff!

Divided by Zero: The Black Sea

Reggae metal has arrived and it's quite a good concept indeed. In fact, it is rather fun and quirky. There are several tracks on here that do truly stand out; one being the excellent "Chemical" with its clever merging of the two genres. "Drowning not Waving" is a wonderful melodic metal outing that probably goes down a storm live. On some tracks there are elements of melodic death prog with the varied vocal styles so common in the genre. There is enough here to make both the new metal and old school types like this lot. The jazzy reggae ala the Police popping up every so often adds an excellent extra layer to this talented band's output. The band has played with a variety of groups; most of whom probably had no idea what the hell they were about. It's quite an interesting collection and especially impressive for a debut from a little-known band. Sik World could not have done better with their first ever release.