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Review: Burning Sermons – Liv Sin

Despotz Records (September 6th 2019)

Reviewer: Grant Foster

I thought I’d review something way out of my comfort zone – which is AC/DC or bands that sound like them!

What I knew about this band you could have tried to have written on the top of a pin head. I really haven’t a clue how you’d describe them. Nu Metal? New rock? Church rock? Metal metal?!

How about we settle on Heavy Metal. Their Facebook page actually describes them as, ‘Metal for Sinners!’ These guys (and gal!) are from Sweden and came together in 2016. The singer is Liv Jagrell, a visually striking woman and possessor of a fine pair of lungs to boot.

What’s apparent is that they know how to weave pretty good melodies into their choruses, which means you end up humming them for a few days after. Which is always a good sign.

Opener, ‘Blood Moon Fever’, leads in with an Evanescence style keyboard intro, before it all kicks off. Liv’s voice propels the verse into a seriously catchy chorus. The guitars underpin everything in a time honoured chugging style.

Liv Sin definitely have their own style and I can see it going down really well with our Euro metal cousins.

Second tune, ‘Chapter Of The Witch’, means business, very menacing, fast riffs, but with another catchy chorus.

Its about now you realise how much the keyboards also contribute. They weave in and out, underneath the guitars, without ever overpowering or detracting from them.

‘Hope Begins To Fade, ‘could almost be a modern Europe track at the beginning, but what Liv Sin do well, is to move it slightly far enough into their own style to change the track.

Not every track works though. ‘War Antidote’ strays into pastiche. Maybe it’s just because of the higher standard of the other tracks here?!

‘At The Gates Of The Abyss’, sees Liv ease off of the power and her voice is impressive in this softer delivery.

‘Slave To The Machine’, has a thumping bass and drum during the verse, allowing the space for the rest of the band.

The heaviest tune on offer could well be ‘Death Gives Life Meaning’, as Liv spits out the line, ‘Take your fucking ways, burn them to the ground!’ I wouldn’t try and steal this lady’s Prosecco!!

To balance this, next up is ‘Ghost In the Dark’. Picked guitars and swirling keyboards provide an atmospheric background to an impassioned vocal. Impressive.

There’s probably people better qualified to review this style of music, but I tried to keep an open mind and I honestly enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. The production is punchy, clear and concise. The playing is of a high order too.

I bet Liv Sin would go down a storm at a festival in Germany.

 

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Liv Sin have released ‘Chapter of the Witch‘, the new single from their upcoming ‘Burning Sermons‘ album.

Following on from the acclaimed ‘Follow Me’ album, Swedish quintet Liv Sin, led by the unmistakeable vocals of Liv Jagrell (Sister Sin), the band return with the powerful and hard-hitting album ‘Burning Sermons’.

Channelling their love of classic heavy metal with a bruising modern edge, ‘Burning Sermons’ is a riff-heavy collection; showcasing the band’s innate ability to match melody with aggressive metal with ease. Liv is in particularly fine form throughout, with a voice equally capable of capturing your heart as it is knocking buildings to the ground!

Produced by Emil Nödtveidt (Deathstars) in Black Syndicate studio, Liv comments on their decision to work with Emil; ‘We wanted to explore a more modern sound with some synthesizers on this album. I think that this album might surprise a lot of our fans. I have known Emil for many years, so it was really fun to reconnect. The first moment he sent us his ideas of our demos I was delirious!’

‘Burning Sermons‘ will be released September 6th, 2019. ‘Chapter of the Witch‘ is the third single and will be released August 9th.

The band comments about the single;
“‘Chapter of the Witch‘ symbolize the hopefully soon to be entering into a new era which will be powered by female forces, and give more balance to the world”  – Liv Sin

Sweden’s Liv Sin was founded in 2016 and is led by the charismatic singer Liv Jagrell. After thirteen years leading her former band Sister Sin through countless shows across the world, including dates with Slayer, King Diamond, Motörhead, Doro, W.A.S.P. and U.D.O., the band decided to call it quits in 2015. Not one to sit around, Liv soon got the desire to get back behind the microphone and set about finding a new band of brothers. Their acclaimed debut, ‘Follow Me’, was released in 2017 (Despotz Records) and was co-produced by legendary German metal musicians Stefan Kaufmann (ex. U.D.O. & ex. Accept) and Fitty Wienhold (ex. U.D.O.). Showing a leaner, heavier sound, propelled by in-your-face guitar riffs combined with classic heavy metal power. Reviewers likened their sound as a mix of Judas Priest, Arch Enemy and modern American metal such as Five Finger Death Punch. “Follow Me” received a strong reception and the band hit the road across Europe as both headliner and support to industrial metal machine American Head Charge.

Changing tack slightly, the band released a critically acclaimed acoustic EP ‘Inverted‘ in 2018. Produced by Martin Sandvik (Hardcore Superstar), one of the highlights of the EP being the band’s cover of the Danzig classic ‘Devil’s Plaything‘.

Liv Sin venture into a new chapter with ‘Burning Sermons’. An album that might surprise their fans initially as the quintet dive deeper into darker riffs with the addition of electronics, but they will definitely love the unforgettable hooks and the more pronounced melodic edge of Liv Sin, 2019!

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Following on from the acclaimed ‘Follow Me’ album, Swedish quintet Liv Sin, led by the unmistakeable vocals of Liv Jagrell (Sister Sin), the band return with the powerful and hard-hitting new single ‘Slave to the Machine, taken from their upcoming new album, ‘Burning Sermons’. A hard-hitting but melodic statement of intent, ‘Slave to the Machine’ ably demonstrates Liv Sin’s bite hasn’t diminished!

Channelling their love of classic heavy metal with a bruising modern edge, ‘Burning Sermons’ is a riff-heavy collection; showcasing the band’s innate ability to match melody with aggressive metal with ease. Jagrell is in particularly fine form throughout, with a voice equally capable of capturing your heart as it is knocking buildings to the ground!

Produced by Emil Nontheist (Deathstars) in Black Syndicate studio, Liv comments on their decision to work with Emil; ‘We wanted to explore a more modern sound with some synthesizers on this album. I think that this album might surprise a lot of our fans. I have known Emil for many years, so it was really fun to reconnect. The first moment he sent us his ideas of our demos I was delirious!’

‘Burning Sermons’ will be released September 6, 2019.

Sweden’s Liv Sin was founded in 2016 and is led by the charismatic singer Liv Jagrell. After thirteen years leading her former band Sister Sin through countless shows across the world, including dates with Slayer, King Diamond, Motörhead, Doro, W.A.S.P. and U.D.O., the band decided to call it quits in 2015. Not one to sit around, Liv soon got the desire to get back behind the microphone and set about finding a new band of brothers. Their acclaimed debut ‘Follow Me’ was released in 2017 (Despotz Records) and was co-produced by legendary German metal musicians Stefan Kaufmann (ex. U.D.O. & ex. Accept) and Fitty Wienhold (ex. U.D.O.). Showing a leaner, heavier sound, propelled by in-your-face guitar riffs combined with classic heavy metal power. Reviewers likened their sound as a mix of Judas Priest, Arch Enemy and modern American metal such as Five Finger Death Punch. ‘Follow Me‘ received a strong reception and the band hit the road across Europe as both headliner and support to industrial metal machine American Head Charge.

Changing tack slightly, the band released a critically-praised acoustic EP ‘Inverted‘ in 2018.