Review by Chris Pratl on December 29, 2017.

Along with Girlschool, London's Rock Goddess was the female side of the coveted NWOBHM movement of the early 80's. Managing to put out three solid full-lengths in a scene wholly populated by testosterone-jacked alpha males, the trio held its own with some really classic and resonating tunes. After a nearly-30-year hiatus from the Rock Goddess template, the ladies are back with a new EP, It's More Than Rock and Roll, proving that time away doesn't necessarily kill either the spirit or the talent.

There's a discernible magic to this sound that bands like Diamond Head, Atomkraft, Chateux, Saxon, Angel Witch, Witchfynde and Aragorn created in the late 70's. Every modern metal band owes a small, yet undeniable debt to this sound, and Rock Goddess was instrumental in making sure that the women in the fold were just as noticeable and heavy as their male counterparts. Sisters Jody and Julie Turner are back with Tracey Lamb to offer up three songs that not only fit perfectly in the band's discography but will no doubt prove to naysayers that there's plenty of luster left on some forgotten, valuable artifacts.

This EP is just as blistering as the bands early 1983 efforts, Rock Goddess, Hell Hath No Fury, and the 1987 opus Young and Free, all three stellar examples of that much-heralded British wave that swept over the region like a tsunami. Eventually that music storm made its way across the pond and into the States, influencing more than a few U.S. powerhouse bands over the years. With the current rage being nostalgia and all that it entails, it's nice to see the NWOBHM resurrecting in both older bands reclaiming their spots and newer bands capitulating on that classic sound. While many classic bands are vying for a reclaimed spot in the current wave of this NWOBHM resurgence, very few manage to either recapture or keep up with their former glories. Rock Goddess manages to effortlessly wave a collective hand over the masses and nestle back into their familiar spot with all of the ease of a runaway diesel truck. Jody Turner's voice still commands a formidable presence, echoing hard through the room and passionately espousing her love or rock 'n roll to a more than willing audience.

The tunes themselves are very “old school” sounding, providing for us older folks a sharp glance back in time. Those of us who remember well going into select record stores in the city and hearing this beautiful British sound wafting out over the aisles will appreciate this nod back to the ever-distant past. The opening chords are so reminiscent of that long-lost period that it takes me back to the early 80's so evenly. All three songs herein are really “fist pumping” anthems for heavy metal, and while some of those similarly themed efforts by other bands fall criminally flat in the current climate of overused and outdated nuance, these tracks find the perfect niche still carved in granite. It's really a flawless “metal-for-life” dialogue that can't be denied or dismissed.

Tightly knit and polished to a solid state of familiar antiquity (all the while retaining some modern technological devices), there's no denying that Rock Goddess is still out sitting high among the dead men. I truly hope this is just one short stepping stone back in to the main fray of metal music, and by all of the underground rumblings a new full-length is supposedly in the works. I, for one, really hope this is true because these bad ass ladies have been missed!

Rating: 10 out of 10

Review by Chris Pratl on December 29, 2017.

Along with Girlschool, London's Rock Goddess was the female side of the coveted NWOBHM movement of the early 80's. Managing to put out three solid full-lengths in a scene wholly populated by testosterone-jacked alpha males, the trio held its own with some really classic and resonating tunes. After a nearly-30-year hiatus from the Rock Goddess template, the ladies are back with a new EP, It's More Than Rock and Roll, proving that time away doesn't necessarily kill either the spirit or the talent.

There's a discernible magic to this sound that bands like Diamond Head, Atomkraft, Chateux, Saxon, Angel Witch, Witchfynde and Aragorn created in the late 70's. Every modern metal band owes a small, yet undeniable debt to this sound, and Rock Goddess was instrumental in making sure that the women in the fold were just as noticeable and heavy as their male counterparts. Sisters Jody and Julie Turner are back with Tracey Lamb to offer up three songs that not only fit perfectly in the band's discography but will no doubt prove to naysayers that there's plenty of luster left on some forgotten, valuable artifacts.

This EP is just as blistering as the bands early 1983 efforts, Rock Goddess, Hell Hath No Fury, and the 1987 opus Young and Free, all three stellar examples of that much-heralded British wave that swept over the region like a tsunami. Eventually that music storm made its way across the pond and into the States, influencing more than a few U.S. powerhouse bands over the years. With the current rage being nostalgia and all that it entails, it's nice to see the NWOBHM resurrecting in both older bands reclaiming their spots and newer bands capitulating on that classic sound. While many classic bands are vying for a reclaimed spot in the current wave of this NWOBHM resurgence, very few manage to either recapture or keep up with their former glories. Rock Goddess manages to effortlessly wave a collective hand over the masses and nestle back into their familiar spot with all of the ease of a runaway diesel truck. Jody Turner's voice still commands a formidable presence, echoing hard through the room and passionately espousing her love or rock 'n roll to a more than willing audience.

The tunes themselves are very “old school” sounding, providing for us older folks a sharp glance back in time. Those of us who remember well going into select record stores in the city and hearing this beautiful British sound wafting out over the aisles will appreciate this nod back to the ever-distant past. The opening chords are so reminiscent of that long-lost period that it takes me back to the early 80's so evenly. All three songs herein are really “fist pumping” anthems for heavy metal, and while some of those similarly themed efforts by other bands fall criminally flat in the current climate of overused and outdated nuance, these tracks find the perfect niche still carved in granite. It's really a flawless “metal-for-life” dialogue that can't be denied or dismissed.

Tightly knit and polished to a solid state of familiar antiquity (all the while retaining some modern technological devices), there's no denying that Rock Goddess is still out sitting high among the dead men. I truly hope this is just one short stepping stone back in to the main fray of metal music, and by all of the underground rumblings a new full-length is supposedly in the works. I, for one, really hope this is true because these bad ass ladies have been missed!

Rating: 10 out of 10

Review by Alex on November 26, 2018.

The second phase in summoning the beast dawns in the form of קדוש and does precisely what was necessary to keep the momentum flowing strongly through the cracks of existence. The path is still drenched in the fluids of the last blasphemy, but this new dusk brings a tribal evolution, one that aims to add depth and a darker, more nefarious layer of ceremonial hawking, drumming and riffing. 

Spectrum Mortis’ second Ep קדוש is a continuation of what was birthed for the masses to consume, one noticeable difference here (among others) is the production which has taken on a deeper sound thus impacting the ritual positively. More work has been put into the compositions which have adopted a slightly more melodic sound and there seems to be a clearer more prominent effect of the guitars on the record. The vocals are the same as on the previous but the drumming seems to have undergone some changes since Blasphemare Nomen Eius, a change that would see Spectrum Mortis’ music adapt more death metal oriented techniques with more differentiating time signatures that ride on the buzz-saw guitar leads. As much as I love the 1st album they released in 2016 because of the primitiveness it displayed, קדוש shows sprinkles of early maturity in the music with the incorporation of more flexible drumming and guitar playing. These changes are easily heard throughout the record, they appear from the beginning of the 2nd entry on the track following the intro. “II. Fiat Nox (Hymn to The Master of Death)” is the first song that brings to front the newer, more polished, multi layered style of Spectrum Mortis’ song writing and production on קדוש . This album sounds much more hateful than the previous, vocals are enunciated with more conviction and depth, the echoing reverb also feels more fitting and necessary than before and the drum work is more diverse, but it is also more meaty. The best song on קדוש would have to be "III.Et Filius Aurorae (Hymn to The Son of Dawn)"; it has everything I was hoping the band would evolve into. The death metal riffing borders black metal trance like tremolo picking occasionally that gives the album a dense, misanthropic, ominous feeling. Everything about the music this time around is stepped-up and enforced with complimenting factors to the band’s style of death metal. 

קדוש is superior to Blasphemare Nomen Eius in ever way; the value of this record seems to shoot higher with every listen. Spectrum Mortis has shown within a short period of time they are beyond capable of making death metal that adheres to the ritualistic feeling many bands have started adopting with only so much success. If a full length comes after this it will be very difficult to top what was offered on קדוש. This is the kind of performance in which you can feel the energy being expelled through each instrumental note being played, it is at times simplistic and simultaneously exhausting, yet whole-fully engaging. What will be next from Spectrum Mortis? Only the veiled altar knows. 

Exercises in Blasphemy:

• “II. Fiat Nox (Hymn to The Master of Death” 
• “III.Et Filius Aurorae (Hymn to The Son of Dawn)”

Rating: 9 out of 10