Review: Rise To Thunder ‘Black Reflections’

I remember the days well of watching Rise To Thunder on various stages across their home city of Stoke-on-Trent, or when they ventured up the M6 to lay siege to venues in Manchester. You’d always see the same faces, chat to some, nod to others, but one thing that was always guaranteed, it would be a bloody good performance by the lads from The Potteries.

Black Reflections was recorded back in 2013 with Shaune Lowe at Prism Studios and has remained unreleased until now. The emotional side of these recordings are they were the last to feature original bassist Pete Davegun who is now sadly gone but never forgotten.

However, you can hear the creativity flowing from the trio, and it reminds so much of what a talented band they were. The starting number is Hand Grilled Fish feels introspective but is clearly a reflection of where the band stood at that moment in time. You can feel the riffs burning out of the fingers of Al Munger on guitar, they are powerful and emotive, and they take you on a journey, but one with a sense of purpose.

The tripped-out nature of the sound will do that though, and it feels very much like a band in free-flowing jam spirit. This is followed by the wonderfully titled Piss Trigger which sees the band begin in full out psych mode, with noises pinging about all over the place, before Muff slams down on the drums, and they are off again. You can hear the heaviness emanating from the recording but it’s a short piece of music, that ends abruptly.

Don’t let that worry you as the thunder rises again with Bulbous Trichome, where you are once more reminded what made this band hold a special place in many people’s hearts. It’s a slow, brooding composition that cranks up several notches early in the piece. It pulls you along nicely and gives you a kick up the arse when required.

it allows people to not only cherish their music but ultimately, to showcase the talent of their fallen brother. #HAILPETE

Munger once said in an interview with Shaman Lee on this very website back in 2008 about their unique sound that ‘some bits are improvised, some sections are really fast and tight, more like a spaceship coming straight for you’. It’s the groove that impresses most across these songs, so much so that I’ll have to dig out my old copy of Slagnoramus.

The fourth song, Mask Of The Red begins with a thunderous bass line, which serves as a powerful reminder of what Pete added to their heavy doom nature. You are soon lost in their crazy psyched out world, but you never lose sight of that bruising bass pummelling your eardrums.

Things get a bit more ‘out there’, if that was possible, on Shipbreaker with the use of the pedal boards coming into play to create a myriad of sounds. They tease you with heaviness and then bring you back down with a delicious melody that you never want to end, allowing for a space age solo or two to entice you further into their world.

It’s a pleasure to finally hear these songs and with Dying Horse wrapping up the album, it does give you time to reflect on what could have been for the band. They have captured the true essence and soul of what made them so damn good and with this release, it allows people to not only cherish their music but ultimately, to showcase the talent of their fallen brother. #HAILPETE

Label: Future Noise Recordings
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram

Scribed by: Matthew Williams