Nite Songs

  It always seems to be the way at the end of the year that you end up discovering a bunch of albums that you missed at the time and so it proves again in 2022. This comeback album from Newport metallers Dub War actually hit the shelves in May but flew under our radar at the time. Anyway, Dub War are probably best remembered for being Benji Webbe's band before he put Skindred together around the turn of the millennium and on this first album for over two decades, it's safe to say that they sound much the same as they ever did ie a righteous mix of dub and metal with vicious political invective snarled over the top by Benji. For the most part it works pretty well (I mean it's better than Skindred's disappointing most recent album Big Tings  which is definitely a start) with the vicious likes of Mary Shelley  and the cover of Max Romeo's War Inna Babylon  packing the requisite punch to get your attention. Westgate Under Fire  is more of a solid album than a specta...

Now obviously Phil Campbell deserves eternal respect for the riffs he contributed to Motorhead for thirty plus years but his debut album with his new band the Bastard Sons last year ( The Age Of Absurdity ) was a nondescript mainstream-metal-by-numbers effort and really made me think that without Lemmy he was destined to sink. However, I’m pleased to report that Old Lions Still Roar , a collaborative effort between the Bastard Sons and various guest vocalists is a definite step up and arguably what they should have aimed for in the first place. Apart from a couple of dull acoustic-led numbers which you can safely skip ( Rocking Chair and Left For Dead ) plus a number featuring Benji from Skindred which could've been awesome but just drags ( Dead Roses - what is it with Benj at the mo, the last Skindred album was bobbins as well! C'mon dude, sort it out, we're relying on ya!), this is generally pretty solid and enjoyable stuff. With tracks featuring vocal contributions f...