Reviews

Metal Odyssey

Recently, a very cool Hard Rock band from Cape Town, South Africa crossed my Metal path. STONECOLLAR. Whoa. These dudes are for real. Hard Rock seems to be alive and quite well over in Cape Town. This up and coming Hard Rock battalion takes the best from what Old School Hard Rock and Metal has taught them and they combine it with a Modern Hard Rockin’ sound and psyched-out vibes aplenty.

In my Metal opinion, STONECOLLAR has grasped onto what Hard Rock is supposed to sound like… edgy, heavy, hard and simply put, bad-ass. I hear that Hard Rock fire in Stonecollar’s recently released debut album Trial By Fire, a fire of a hungry band that is on a mission to spread their kick ass brand of Heavy Music across the globe. It’s always a grand surprise to stumble upon a band like Stonecollar, reminding me that the glorious flag of Hard Rock truly has been passed down once again.

Trial By Fire was produced, recorded and mastered by the band members themselves. The raw thunder you’ll here is credible, there’s nothing over polished to a chrome sheen heard on Trial By Fire, therefore, no gimmicks, no false pretensions. Stonecollar has made Hard Rock the old fashioned way, fusing their sound with blue-collar craftsmanship. When a band is over produced to well done, that band loses it’s flavor. Not so with this band. Stonecollar has just the right amount of rawness for seasoned Hard Rock fans to digest and beg for more!

Sean Tait on lead guitar and Clinton Jurgens on rhythm guitar bring back those hallowed days of dual guitar domination on album. Léshem Petersen on vocals carries enough Modern Hard Rock harmony and edginess to please the younger generation(s), while still emitting an attitude that stirs up those Old School daze of yesteryear. A very impressive vocalist is Léshem, his ability to diverse vocally only strengthens and heightens the songs on Trial By Fire. Léshem also plays one lean and mean bass, which is a Hard Rockin’ asset.

It’s just a matter of time before Stonecollar becomes a recognizable force in the Hard Rock world. This is a band that has torn away from any leash holding them back… best to either get outta’ their way or sign onto their Hard Rockin’ charge towards success. I’m signing on, I know better.

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Danger Dog

South Africa’s Stonecollar has one foot firmly planted in the past, and one in the present on their full-length debut Trial By Fire. This band has a sense of classic hard rock and metal with melodic lines. Yet, Stonecollar possesses that inherent ‘heaviness’ in their music, against melody, that modern youngsters demand. Bang your head, of course, but you can snap your fingers as well. This is not the suspicious equivalency to Nickelback, Hinder, Disturbed or Staind, but there’s enough current nuances to keep the young, and old, intrigued.

So, Trial By Fire is mostly modern heavy (melodic) rock, quite close to metal. Representative numbers are Trial By Fire, SQT, and Say Your Prayers. But, equally, the old school melodic influence remains: noticeable on the aforementioned, but deliberate on Turn a Blind Eye and Unnatural Selection. Stonecollar easily merges and bridges the best of the old and new school. A singular, and near perfect, example of the former is Loose Cannon; of the latter, As the Crow Flies.

Initially, I was suspicious of the production: it seemed soft or muted at times. After a listen or three, the mix is sound, quite crisp and clear. Additionally, there are some signature performances here: great guitar solos abound and Leshem Petersen’s expressive, emotional, and clean vocals are quite impressive.

Should we expect international acclaim for Stonecollar? Possibly. Trial By Fire, with the right promotion, could find an audience in the States, and Europe as well. Strong talent and good songs propel Stonecollar’s Trial By Fire. Easily recommended!

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Examiner

South Africa. Yes, South Africa, you read that right – Cape Town to be exact. That’s where Stonecollar calls home, and their hard-hitting debut Trial By Fire is evidence that South Africa knows how to rock. This high-powered debut is testosterone-fueled rock and roll with a gritty lean, highlighted by sharp, piercing guitar work from the talented duo of Sean Tait and Clinton Jurgens and an overwhelming and memorable vocal performance from frontman/bassist Léshem Petersen, who sounds eerily, yet incredibly similar to Systematic’s Tim Narducci. “Turn A Blind Eye” could easily be mistaken for a b-side off Systematic’s excellent 2001 release Somewhere to Burn – hell, it might just be the best song Systematic never wrote.

Trial By Fire is an out-and-out old-school guitar rock revivalist effort, one driven by towering melodies and chugging riffing that harkens back to those that came before (“Trial By Fire,” “SQT,” “Unnatural Selection,” “Dying Breed”). The albums most badass guitar work can be found on the excellent track “Say Your Prayers,” a song rife with swirling guitars, a superb instrumental bridge and a high-arching hook, that has potential single written all over it. The band even showcases their balladeering chops, showing they can still hang with the big boys when they tap the brakes and temper the pace of Trial By Fire (“…As the Crow Flies”).

Trial By Fire is a strong release and perhaps as good as you can get on a debut record. Stonecollar could make an impact in the underground rock game pretty easily if they were to come stateside, but for now, they’ll have to settle for the fact that they’re probably the best hard rock band in South Africa. That’s not too shabby a distinction.

Grade: B+

Go Download: “Turn a Blind Eye”

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Hardrock Haven

When you think of South Africa, the last thing that probably comes to mind is crunchy melodic hard rock. Hailing from Cape Town South Africa, Stone Collar provides just that, a solid dose of old-school melodic hard rock with a modern touch that sounds fresh, albeit way under produced. Trial By Fire is a self produced and mastered, debut release full of catchy riffs, great vocals and a pounding rhythm section that hard rock fans across the globe will enjoy.

With a cool acoustic intro reminiscent of many of Megadeth’s best tracks, Trial by Fire quickly sets the tone on the opening track, “Not For Good,” with a ripping guitar intro and a snappy drum backing that will have you throwing up the devil horns and whipping your hair around. There are plenty of good influences here, with Maidene-esque soloing throughout and a sound that was very prominent back in the early ‘80s during the invasion of British metal bands lumped into the NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) movement. This is a great intro track that will have you harking back to the glory days when you used to have every Tygers of Pan Tang album on vinyl.

Keeping up the tempo, the title track, “Trial By Fire”, is filled with crunchy guitar riffing by guitarists Sean Tait and Clinton Jurgens and a gutty vocal performance by Léshem Petersen. The sound here is so familiar, it will have you digging back through all the vinyl you still have in your parent’s basement to see who these guys compare to.

Heading a bit in the modern direction, “SQT” is a melodic track with a heavy bass line provided by Léshem as he does double duty on every track. The drums throughout this release are very prominent and sound as if they came from the same recording session as Scott Rockenfeld’s drumming on Queenryche’s Operation Mindcrime.

There is a lot to like on Trial By Fire, “Turn a Blind Eye” and “Poison the Well” take you into a modern hard rock direction and “Say Your Prayers” pulls you right back into classic metal. A nice rainy day intro leads into “Unnatural Selection”, a basic track in construction, but a good showcase for Léshem’s vocals. One of the best tracks on Trial By Fire is “As the Crow Flies” with an acoustic driven intro powering a melody that might remind you of Shinedown. With better production, this track could see airplay on American radio.

Rounding out the release are “Loose Cannon” and “Dying Breed”, both tracks filled with plenty of solid riffing and a pounding rhythm section that drives this one home. The music is raw but draws you in all the way to the end and requires you to go back to track one and start all over again.

Clocking in at nearly 60 minutes, Stone Collar have put together a 10-song debut that combines old school British metal with a bit of a modern touch at times. There is plenty to like on this release if you are into early ‘80s Maiden or bands like Virgin Steel and Diamond Head. The only negative about this release is the production. While not terrible, you can easily tell there was a shortage of cash when booking studio time. The bass lines and the bottom end are almost non-existent and the overall sound has a “recorded in the basement” feel to it. The production aside, this is a very worthy release and a great debut for this band. These guys have talent and are working hard to spread their music around the world so check them out on their website and give Trial By Fire a listen. Their sophomore release will definitely be on the watch list for 2012.

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.2/10

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Rock And Roll Guru

Hailing from South Africa, Stone Collar recently released their debut album, Trial By Fire. As newcomers to the rock and roll arena, I was interested in seeing what Stone Collar could do and which type of sound they would emulate. After the first song, it was obvious.

A progressive rock vibe is all over this album and it is clear that Stone Collar was influenced by some of the top name progressive acts of the modern era. Blending the classic sounds of our favorite progressive rock bands (think Rush, Iron Maiden) with the modern mix of the new class (think Pop Evil, Breaking Benjamin), Stone Collar does a splendid job with their debut release.

Vocalist (and bassist) Leshem Petersen has a magnificent voice that fits the style of Stone Collar’s music perfectly. His voice is the fine delicate wine paired with the band’s intense cheese. The combination is pure bliss. Throughout the record, Petersen shows off his ability and his range. His vocals are a grand compliment to guitarist Sean Tait’s solos and lead guitar work. Together this tandem weaves a wonderful web of modern music.

The guitar work by Sean Tait on songs such as “Say Your Prayers” stands out in a big way. Tait’s guitar skills are first rate and some of the sounds that he creates with the guitar in his hands are sensational. Tait is a natural on the ax and he is provided plenty of opportunities to show off his chops on this record. Strong, well structured solos pull the songs together beautifully. And when Tait gets the opportunity to unleash his full arsenal on certain songs, look out! The effect the solo has on the listener is intense!

On Trial By Fire, Stone Collar really saved their best for last. The final track, “Dying Breed” is a real treat for the ears. Tait shows off his best work on the album and his solo is one for the ages. All the raw power that the band contains really shines in this last song. Starting with some superb guitar work by Tait and rolling into hardcore drumming, “Dying Breed” takes off immediately. When Petersen comes in on his vocals, it almost sounds like I am listening to a Blaze Baley sung Iron Maiden tune (and I mean that as the highest form of a compliment that can be paid). Why Stone Collar didn’t open the album with this song, well, I’ll never know. As a closer, though, “Dying Breed” definitely leaves us screaming for more.

At times, Trial By Fire can be a little sluggish and repetitive, which takes away from the overall enjoyment of the record. That being stated, this is still a solid album worthy of exploration and dedication. If you are looking for a new band to sink your teeth into, or you want to hear some intense new progressive hard rock, then Stone Collar’s Trial By Fire is an album that you should check out.

Notable Tracks: SQT, …As The Crow Flies, Dying Breed

Ryo’s Rating: 7.5 (out of 10)

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Shakefire

Stonecollar’s “Trial by Fire” is the complete package and is highly recommended for all the rock fans out there. These guys formed in 2004 and are from Cape Town, South Africa. Their sound had a slight blues vibe mixed with 80’s rock, minus the bad hair and glam. All I can say is these guys can rock and they do it well.

Each band member is very talented and hold their own throughout the whole album. Leshem Peterson has awesome vocal range and excels whether the songs are fast paced (“Loose Cannon”) or a slow ballad (“As the crows Fly). He adds so much to the group and takes them to the next level. Sean Tait and Clinton Jurgens, on the guitars, pretty much owned the intros and their solos (“Dying Breed” and “Poison the Well”) were epic. Lastly, Bryan Nicol had me banging my head throughout the whole album with his flawless drum play. These guys are very good on their own, but are even more awesome when they are together.

I find it hard to believe that this is Stonecollar’s debut album. Where have they been all these years? They sound and play like bands that have been around for a long time. There were so many songs that I would recommend on this album. My favorites were “Not for Good,” “Trial by Fire,” “SQT,” and “Poison the Well.” The pacing was just right, the lyrics were well-written and very strong, and the songs were catchy and memorable. The only issue I could find with this album was that I wanted more songs because 10 songs were not enough for me. I loved the album that much and they had me hooked the whole time. For being well rounded and totally rocking, I am giving this album an “A-.”

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The Metal Observer

Hailing from South Africa, STONECOLLAR are a bunch of hard-workin’ dudes with a fairly simple goal: they wanna rock. Their debut, “Trial By Fire,” is an edgy, sharp collection of modern Hard Rock with several throwbacks to the classic Rock and Metal of yesterday. With “Trial By Fire,” the band has crafted an earnest and enjoyable debut album that strikes a good balance between the raw and the refined.

The album opens strongly with “Not For Good,” a solid song that combines Modern Metal riffing with classic IRON MAIDEN-style dual leads. The title track hits just as hard, and the simple riffing and sharp guitar tone are reminiscent of late ‘70s JUDAS PRIEST. Thankfully, these songs are saved from being simple retro Metal knockoffs by singer Léshem Petersen, whose vocals very clearly pull the sound toward Hard Rock territory. While some of the songs, such as “SQT” and “Turn A Blind Eye,” don’t measure up to some of the better songs, the majority of the material on “Trial By Fire” is quite fine indeed.

Nearly every song has at least one pretty neat riff. “Poison The Well” begins with an almost Doom-ish riff, and the ludicrously-titled “Unnatural Selection,” though relatively mid-paced throughout its five-minute running time, features a number of quick little fills help to propel the song along. “…As The Crow Flies” proves that STONECOLLAR can also do ballads fairly well.

STONECOLLAR have already begun to gain attention across the pond, and for good reason. “Trial By Fire” is a solid Hard Rock album that will easily please fans of the genre, and the occasional throwbacks to classic Metal will allow even NWOBHM fans to find something appealing in this album. The band has stated that they’re fully in control of all aspects of band management, production, and the like, and they’re proud of it, but if there was ever a band that deserves to be signed, it’d be STONECOLLAR.

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The Urbanist

“Trial By Fire” is the debut album from CT band Stonecollar. Drawing inspiration from late 80’s hard-rock and metal bands such as Iron Maiden, Guns n Roses and Scorpion, Stonecollar’s sound consists of driving distorted guitar riffs, powerful vocals and thumping drums. The band took on the task of recording, producing and mastering this album themselves, and have done a pretty good job of capturing the feel of their sound as well as the energy of their live performances. The band have already started garnering a small international following with this album by using social media and online music sharing portals such as Last.FM. It’s great to see local acts leveraging the new tools at their disposal and getting results.

After a revolutionary appeal reminiscent of Zack de la Rocha, the first track “Say Your Prayers” launches into overdriven metal power chords and soaring vocals. A mini guitar-dual during the lead completes the track. The intro to track two slows things down momentarily with acoustic guitar and delayed vocals. The interlude is brief, and that classic metal sound bleeds through the speakers again.

“..As the Crow Flies” has an intro channelling “Civil War” by Guns n Roses, and a far more melodic chorus. I love the mood of this track, standing in total contrast to the previous two. Although the lead guitar riff is epic, it is Léshem Petersen’s vocals that shine through.

Other notable tracks on the album include, the title track “Trial By Fire” which captures the overall feel of the album with amping guitars and a super catchy chorus melody. “SQT” also stands out, with an in-your-face intro and more brilliantly catchy vocal melodies.

Although Stonecollar seem to borrow extensively from their influences and the cleanly distorted guitar gets a bit tired for those of us that aren’t Iron Maiden fans, the bands ability to write epic and original melodic choruses plus interesting intro’s brings enough variation to capture your attention and had me head-banging at my desk whilst writing this review for some time!

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Rocktopia

Stonecollar is a hard rock/heavy metal outfit from Cape Town in South Africa, consisting of Leshem Peterson (bass/vocals), Sean Tait (lead guitar), Clinton Jurgens (rhythm guitar) and Bryan Nicol (drums), and have been receiving acclaim for their live shows and built a solid reputation around SA. Their debut album has been written, produced, recorded, mastered and paid for by the band, and they recently signed a management deal with Headline Artists but have yet to sign a record deal. Trial By Fire was released through their own website on 21st March 2011.

This is very much a mix of old school heavy metal and modern twists. There is the frenetic Maidenesque pace and style of ‘Not For Good’ and ‘Loose Cannon’. The group can crunch and grind as well with the early Metallica sound of ‘Unnatural Selection’. But it is not all old metal and the band give a huge nod to fellow South Africa metal group Creed with the crushing rocker ‘Turn A Blind Eye’. Even the only power ballad, ‘As The Crow Flies’, is as heavy as it is emotional. The band decided to release a single and picked ‘SQT’ which is a good choice and displays the band at their heavier level with both guitars working on full throttle. It is not the best track on the album but it is a good showcase of style and sound. However the best track on the album is the closer, ‘Dying Breed’. This is a very varied track and borders on progressive metal with its complexity. Both of these two have potential to be with you for a few days after listening.

Huge credit and applause should be given to Stonecollar for achieving what they have. To be able to raise the money to finance your own album, then actual record and produce it takes courage, determination and serious work. For that alone they deserves interest and praise. Musically this is a competent debut with a style and sound best described as early Maiden or Metallica meets Creed. There is the foundation from the older style metal, but with some modern twists and influence to give it a fresher feel, with songs that are competently written and show a variety of pace and sound. It is just a shame the production does not show their power at its best, although It is hard to be overly critical about a self-financed debut. Technically this is very unpolished and tinny, very much as Metallica’s first couple of albums were. The sound lacks depth and bite especially on the drums and bass. It also takes some of the sting out of the guitars. If this was intentional to try keep the sound at the hard rock level and to stop it crashing into serious heavy metal, then it’s overdone. There will be those who will be turned off just by this, but hopefully enough others will be willing to give it a shot. If you’re someone who has a good graphic equalizer, eager to give new bands a try or doesn’t find unpolished production a problem then you could do worse than take the plunge with this. A Lesser finish didn’t stop the likes of Megadeth or Metallica and it hopefully should not damage Stonecollar too much. This group can clearly rock and there is a lot to admire and enjoy here.

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Geek Cast Radio

To begin I must say that I loved this album. Truth be told without the band contacting me, I would never have heard of them. But they are great. Being this good on their debut album bodes well for them in future releases as well.

In listening to them I got vibes from various bands I have listened to in the past. I hear little hints of Drowning Pool, Tool, Alter Bridge, and much more. Suffice it to say that if you like those bands you’ll hear something you’ll like in Stonecollar. The tracks are very well set.

The fact the audio was edited by the band members themselves and their awesomely diverse sounds tells me they’re some greatly talented musicians. I love the influences they have in here. As I stated above they jump between familiar sounding groups essence’s and keep your attention span very very easily. I have actually been listening to this album all week.

The artwork for the album is great as well. Nice coloration and easy to read. The entire visual presentation has the great look and feel a Rock band would have. I must say that this cd is a must have for Hard Rock music fans.

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We Love Metal

Under normal circumstanced I would bore you with tons of details about the origin of the band Stonecollar. They hail from Cape Town South Africa and I consider that very cool, but I couldn’t get by their old school guitar driven rock to be bothered looking up metal bands from South Africa. The fact is sometimes the back story doesn’t matter if the music is this damn good.

For those of you who are interested in the band you can check out www.stonecollar.co.za and find information on their recent online successes and their reputation for putting on one hell of a live performance. Stonecollar is a very professional band with a new management deal that has done a fine job of promoting the virtues of the band, but all they really need for promotion is for people to hear the new album, “Trial by Fire.”

In case you can’t tell by now I really enjoyed “Trial by Fire.” All tracks spoke to me and brought on the summer feel of having a beer and chatting with friends while the tunes are pumping. With infectious rhythms, strong vocals, and killer solo work Stonecollar has a true winner in “Trial by Fire,” but let’s take a closer look.

We start off with “Not for Good” and its calming acoustical opening. This leads us into some heavy guitar and drum work. Surprisingly when the vocals come into the song the drums stay at the same heavy feeling, letting you know Stone Collar is blending their hard rock with metal. The vocal range soars at times, but not so much that you can’t sing along by chorus number two.

The title track “Trial by Fire” is a great jamming song and gives you the feeling the boys enjoy what they are doing each and every time they pick up an instrument. We see a strong rhythm once again that goes to an almost Nu-metal aggressiveness.

“SQI” has seen success online and I had actually heard this track before listening to the album. The combination of big voice and big guitars pretty much tell the story of this track. For me personally the song has some alternative feel to it, but the guitar solo around the 2:40 mark steals the show. Awesome song.

“Turn a Blind Eye” displays some amazing bass work that opens into a cool jam spot. The drums and bass are awesome all the way through and created an almost grunge feel to me. We also see some huge percussion work on “Poison the Well.” We hear what sounds like sirens in the background over yet another amazing rhythm. This song made me think how incredible these guys must be live.

“Unnatural Selection” is a very haunting sound that shows Stonecollar can mix it up when they need to. The song features some distortion effects on the vocals and a great hook. The song created a storytelling effect for me that showed the range of the band.

Stonecollar displays a little funk with the hard driving rhythm of “Loose Cannon.” The song moves at a very rapid pace and shows the drums working very hard to keep the song pace moving this quickly. This track is a total band effort with many different intricacies.

The above songs are just some of my favorites of “Trial by Fire.” I encourage you to head over to the above website and purchase this album. If you need a day of drinking, partying, and good music than Stonecollars “Trial by Fire” is the album for you.

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EGL Magazine

Trial By Fire is the debut album from South African rockers Stonecollar, but the band have already accumulated an impressive fanbase and a number of equally impressive accolades including taking the top spot in the Western Cape leg of Authentic Ideas’ The Ultimate Battle, knocking out strong competition from bands such as The Sleepers and The Plastics.

The band was formed by rhythm guitarist Clinton Jurgens and drummer Bryan Nicol, adding Sean Tait on lead guitar and Léshem Petersen on vocals and bass to complete the line-up.

Although Cape Town is primarily known as a jazz city, musical influences from all over the world have sailed into the city’s port and the alternative scene is well established with a number of rock festivals on the calendar.

Stonecollar bring something reminiscent of previous decades, and something that is often missing from today’s Western counterparts; powerful rock music truly driven by melody and damn good songwriting. In the over-saturated UK and American market, so many bands find the need to show off just how clever they can be in an effort to stand out, or they spend more time working on marketing gimicks or piecing together outlandish costumes, often to the detriment of the music. Stonecollar are a band to remind us that all we really want is some bloody good music.

Every track on Trial By Fire is powerful, catchy and expertly pieced together. It’s music that will guarantee to get you up on your feet with a smile on your face. It’s pure pleasure designed to rock your socks off. The album opens with ‘Not for Good’, gently easing in with a beautiful guitar riff before Petersen’s clear vocals kick in with a song that will stick in your head all day. Throughout the album, Stonecollar make it seem so easy, so effortless despite the fast-paced guitar riffs packed in under the vocals.

The band have grabbed the term epic and thrown it into everything; this is stadium-grade rock at its very best; the riffs are huge, the vocals and lyrics equally sized. Everything about this band lets you know that true rock is back, and it’s better than ever.

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