Audrey Horne - Pure Heavy

OK, so there has been one band on my playlist for some time now, and I cannot seem to bring myself to deleting it.  Despite the fact that band members had previously played in black metal bands such as Gorgoroth and Enslaved, Bergen, Norway's Audrey Horne has been honing in their classic rock band sound since 2002.

Their latest album, Pure Heavy, has been a staple on my playlist for well over a year.  I think the overall groove of the album has made it rather fun, even after multiple plays.  For those that find the name familiar, the band was named after famous fictional character Audrey Horne from the ABC show Twin Peaks.  I have not watched the show to find the reason why they did so.  haha



I was rather surprised to find out the group was from Norway after hearing the first couple of tracks, but who knows, maybe their is a huge underground market I have yet to discover?  Pure Heavy is one of those albums you can spin from start to finish, as the tracks all tend to flow together quite well.  The band currently consists of:

Torkjell Rød/Toschie - Vocals | Arve Isdal/Ice Dale - Guitar | Thomas Tofthagen - Guitar

Kjetil Greve - Drums | Espen Lien - Bass

"Audrey Horne are a band that have very much sailed their own vessel since launching and ‘Pure Heavy’ is another strong album on this remarkable voyage." -Planet Mosh

(Album artwork courtesy of Audrey Horne and Napalm Records)

1. Wolf In My Heart
2. Holy Roller
3. Out Of The City
4. Volcano Girl
5. Tales From The Crypt
6. Diamond
7. Into The Wild
8. Gravity
9. High And Dry
10. Waiting For The Night
11. Boy Wonder

Pure Heavy is the fifth LP from AH, and was released on September 29th, 2014 via Napalm Records.  I think any rocker that appreciates a good melody, and a solid riff can appreciate these guys.  They're my go-to group when I need a morning pick me up, or my after work cruise home.



So if there was one album you can get antiquated to this coming spring/summer, it has to be Pure Heavy.  Cheers!

"Pure Heavy is pure joy and if I have a complaint, it’s that it didn’t drop three months ago so it could have been the soundtrack to the summer. Music this much fun almost had to be conceived and recorded by guys half in the bag, and it’ll make you feel like you need to catch up toot sweet." -Angry Metal Guy

Full Album Stream: Parkway Drive - Ire

So one of the new(er) sections I created was "Full Album Streams".  Not only did this gave folks something to listen to when they are cruising the site (being that the original intention of this site was to acts as a hub to explore), but also a chance for people to explore new artists, new genres, and new albums before deciding to purchase them (also from links on AFGM's site).

Full album streams seem to be a new fad that a lot of internet savvy people are jumping on.  It can be in the form of a Soundcloud widget, a YouTube playlist, or even a single YouTube video.  This often gives record labels a chance to promote new artists and for people to subscribe to their social media pages.  So hopefully this provides you access to some new music, bands, and/or artists.  Cheers!

PS - Feel free to send us an email if you have any albums you think you should be on this list or a new one coming out we missed.  We're always listening!

(Artwork by AFGM.  Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Hailing from Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia, the five piece group Parkway Drive have undeniably made a name for themselves in the heavy metal world.  Since the band's inception in 2003, the group has released five LPs, one EP, two DVDs, and has toured countless times across the globe for millions of fans.

The group has seen great success with the release of their latest album, Ire, which was released on September 25th, 2015 via Resist/Epitaph Records.  It's nice to note that the recording of this album was done primarily in Mississauga, ON (Metalworks Studio), and Ottawa, ON (All Buttons In Studio).

The group members have remained consistent since 2006 (with a replacement of bass duties), so the lineup for most of their albums has been:

Ben "Gaz" Gordon – Drums | Luke "Pig" Kilpatrick – Guitar | Jeff Ling – Guitar

Winston McCall – Vocals | Jia "Pie" O'Connor – Bass

(Album artwork is courtesy of Parkway Drive and Epitaph Records)

1. Destroyer

2. Dying To Believe

3. Vice Grip*

4. Crushed*

5. Fractures

6. Writings on the Wall

7. Bottom Feeder*

8. The Sound of Violence

9. Vicious*

10. Dedicated

11. A Deathless Song

(* = AFGM Recommendations)

"The Sound of Violence" and "Destroyer" lay Jeff Ling and Luke Kilpatrick's shredding on thicker than helicopter memes on disgraced parliamentary speakers – with McCall's vocals dialled up to strip-paint level – and there's also the now-almost obligatory hardcore 'fuck the haters, this one's for you' cut in the breakdown-laden "Dedicated". As a result, Ire is Parkway Drive in their natural state: uncompromising and brutal. -Rolling Stone Australia

Ire, the fifth album in the band’s growing catalog, is exactly the release Parkway Drive needed at this point in their career. It’s a bold and brash reinvention that finds the band taking every element of their sound to a new level, including the vocals of McCall. Epitaph reportedly invested in a talent coach to help the frontman better his talent, and the results are present on every minute of Ire. The music has matured further as well, bringing together elements of rock, metal, punk and just a dash of everything in between to create a tough, yet inviting sound. “Bottom Feeder,” for example, offers both the heaviest and catchiest song on the record. -Under The Gun Review

American Wake (Nova Scotia)

I have to admit that I have watched this video a few times now, and still cannot get enough of the versatility between AFGM favourite Angel Vivaldi, and YouTube music lover Ben Eller.

Largely known for a track in Riverdance, American Wake (Nova Scotia) is a much different choice of song than what I am used to for these two gentlemen, but I guess that explains my fascination for it.  Not to mention the amazing equipment they are playing, the precision of the song requires quite the finger work when in sync, and these two make it seem easily accomplished.

Anyways, I just thought to throw this video on AFGM for you all to enjoy, as I have.  Cheers!