LILLIAN AXE – Waters Rising

I guess you can say this is a comeback album as it was released eight years after their 1999 album Fields Of Yesterday, which was released on the small UK independent label Z Records.

A very heavy opening with the title track, it has a dark sounding riff and groove. Antarctica sounds even heavier with a nice low end groove and riff that sounds evil. Nice to hear the melody and harmonies are still there with the vocals. Become A Monster carries on that evil vibe with another d-tuned riff. Quarantine is my favourite track. A superb psych-style riff and melody, I just love the whole groove of the thing. It’s ballad time with I Have To Die Goodbye, although I do like that little folk vibe they have going on, I’m glad that the heavy does kick in towards the end. Fear Of Time has a weird heavy Queen vibe going on, in a good way. The more melodic side of Steve Blaze comes out on Until The End Of The World, a tune to get all the melodic fans drooling.

Fields Of Yesterday is next and that melodic/aor vibe continues with a mainly acoustic driven tune. Thirst has a very odd sounding riff and sees the band channeling their inner King Crimson. The 2nd Of May has almost a progressive vibe going, and Lillian Axe sound like no one else on tunes like this. Deep In The Black has a killer intro, with both with guitar and vocals possessing a very dark vibe. A very epic piece! The album close out with 5, an instrumental with a killer evil groove and some serious over the top guitar. Great album closer.

Lillian Axe are a metal band, but that term doesn’t do them justice as there so many different vibes going on in their music.

9/10  from The Grooveman.