Jamie Lenman, the iconic frontman of riff-rockers Reuben is back with a solo double-album called Muscle Memory which is split into 2 discs; 1 heavy and 1 not so heavy.
The album will be released on the 4th of November through Xtra Mile Recordings and is available to pre-order now.
You can also check out the music video to both Fizzy Blood and Pretty Please below:
[Source: Thrash Hits]
‘Tool’ is the sophomore EP from Bournemouth hard rockers MG & The Juggernaut and it showcases a musical style that can only be described as Breed77 and One Minute Silence meets Metallica. It’s an interesting blend of riff-based rock music and it allows vocalist and guitarist Simon Miller a chance to let loose with some brilliant guitar licks.
The guitar work is the biggest draw on ‘Tool’ and opener ‘Battlefield’ showcases this perfectly with its thrash metal riffing. The song instantly grabs your attention and pulls you in but sadly the EP has a hard time bolstering Miller’s guitar work with decent rhythms and song structures.
Miller’s vocals also play a part in this and the man’s delivery is very uninspiring to listen to. All the vocals on the EP stay in the mid-range and don’t have an awful lot of power behind them. If Miller flexed his pipes a little bit or even added some screaming to beef up the aggression of some of his riffs these songs could have really shone. The only time things change in the vocal department (for better or for worse) is during ‘Crushed to Pieces’ where Miller starts putting those James Hetfield-esque inflections onto his lyrics. It certainly helps diversify the vocals but I’m not sure we should be celebrating a vocalist for simply aping the style of another vocalist.
As we’ve already mentioned, some of the riffs on ‘Tool’ (like the one that opens ‘Crushed to Pieces’) really impress and this is where MG & The Juggernaut should have focussed their efforts. If the band continued to fill this EP full of memorable guitar melodies they would have created a record which would have satisfied the many fans of arena rock, but sadly the song writing just isn’t up to scratch. Most of the songs on ‘Tool’ lack a big chorus and without these focal points it can become a bit of a drag listening to the record.
MG & The Juggernaut definitely have talent and Simon Miller can occasionally conjure up some brilliant thrash riffs. Unfortunately the band suffer from lacklustre vocals and generally can’t pull together songs that really stick in your head. The band really need to focus on structuring their songs to be more catchy so their audience has a decent hook or chorus to latch onto. At the moment MG & The Juggernaut definitely show potential but it hasn’t been realised. Yet.
5/10
MG & The Juggernaut’s ‘Tool’ EP is out now and available to buy on CD direct from the band.
UK Scumscene 