Ball "Like You Are - I Once was - Like I am - You Will Never Be"

Ball

Like You Are - I Once was - Like I am - You Will Never Be

Horny Records

Ball is a Swedish power trio choosing to take their surname as their brand.  Whilst the artwork, lyrics and beliefs may not be blessed by bishops, the free-flowing heavy metal music leaves a greater impression.

Vocally, band leader Syrek Ball presents a similar gravelly resonance and rebelliousness as Lee Brilleaux, Lemmy and Steve Gibbons, and musically the hypnotic bass lines reinforce that it's not only The Stone Roses or Red Hot Chili Peppers that can make people move against their will. In fact, Ball pull their inspiration from an earlier era.  Satan's Wish is just as compulsive listening as Sabbath's Paranoid but with keyboard textures and even Hendrix-like wah-guitar added to the mix. 

Black Magic sustains the riff-laden pace and it's the string-bending and the beat  throughout this eight track , 33 minutes-long album without any fillers, that delights with its self-assured frenetic energy.   It's an album I can recommend to any rock fan - with parental advise for those under 18.

Sacred Snow with its haunting, seventies sounding lead guitar will be the single from the forthcoming album due for release in August / September 2020 and if like me, you have been spending too much during this worldwide lockdown especially online, then make sure you save enough currency to get your hands on this year's jaw-dropping rock album of a rare originality.

NE

COVID-19

COVID-19

We are dealing with a pandemic.  Our thoughts are with those who have lost loved ones.  I admire any person who is facing the daily threat of infection to help others in need and there are many others too who are playing their own part well, such as delivery drivers, rubbish collectors, and supermarket workers. 

Whilst this government has provided stability during the initial stages, daily platitudes are simply not enough.  Action was taken too late despite the warnings from other nations. There has been a failure to provide adequate PPE for front line staff.  There has been a failure to set up a testing and tracing regime that has been established successfully in other countries.

We need an emergency government that contains the best people for the task.  It should be at the least, a coalition government. However, I think we can go further and say we should be employing the very people who are trained to deliver in emergencies.  We are overlooking our best assets - our Armed Forces, Our Emergency Services and our Charities, who would bring a healthy dose of reality and can articulate an organised mobilisation to this crisis especially in terms of procuring PPE (there are many British businesses who are anxious to help) and in the distribution of food to ensure any sector of our population does not go without.

This country is not alone and a worldwide response is necessary to stabilise, and eradicate this pandemic and regrow the global economy.  Nations need assistance in their time of need and a worldwide fund must be established.

A suitable percentage of GDP from every country would be the fairest beginning but every commercial venture above a threshold, including major football clubs and major sports such as motor racing should also pay the same percentage.  Stocks and Shares transactions, and transfer fees should also attract the levy.

If, after an unbiased investigation, China is proved to have hidden the truth from the rest of the world, then they too can pay their reparation into the fund.  Only then can we all be in this together.