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Little Villains - Battle Of Britain - Reviewed By allaroundmetal! Tuesday November 22 2022, 5:10 PM

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Little Villains - Battle Of Britain - Reviewed By allaroundmetal ! Check it out here at this link: https://www.allaroundmetal.com/component/content/article/26-releases/9812-little-villains-un-raid-nel-nome-del-rock-ad-ampio-respiro

If it hadn't been for the chance meeting between James Alexander Childs and Phil Taylor in 2005, the Little Villains wouldn't have existed. After two albums that had posthumously brought to light the material played by the two musicians with the help of bassist Owen Street in "Philthy Lies" (2019) and Alan Davey, ex-Hawkwind, in "Taylor Made" (2020) the training has changed. After "Achtung Minen" of 2020 it is now the turn of "Battle Of Britain". The trio led by Childs sees Christopher Fielden on drums and Owen Childs (James's nephew) on guitar while, as guests, there are Nick Davidge and Simon Edeges of Airbus. Years go by but the essence of the Little Villains remains the same. The tools are placed and the ideas born are given free rein. Ideas poured out with a sanguine spirit without paying too much attention to appearances or subtleties. Ten songs for a total of 35 minutes. This figure speaks volumes about the immediacy of almost all of the pieces. The recording made at the Stujo in Los Angeles seems in many ways to have been made live. While this fact preserves the authenticity of "Battle Of Britain" on the one hand, on the other it denotes some "fragmentation" and makes listening difficult for those who are purists accustomed to precise and modern sound. As usual for Americans, we are faced with an album that offers glimpses that touch different genres. Tell the truth: after I mentioned Phil Taylor you wondered if there is a hint of Motorhead in this work. Rest assured: the initial "Messerschmitt" and the final "Spitfire" (has anyone thought of "Bomber"?) Run at a speed typical of Lemmy's group and, in the second case, it is also possible to find a high Punk component. In the background of James Childs a special place is occupied by the 70s and psychedelia and it is obvious that these musical movements influence some of the compositions of the singer, in this case also bassist, of the Little Villains. To refute what I have said, I propose listening to "Butcher Bird": a "modernized" 70's style piece, I would dare to call it Grunge, decadent and acid. An even more marked influence can be found in the excellent "The Last". Here Hawkwind are related to Monster Magnet and give rise to a legitimate son named Lords Of Altamont (American band born in 2000 in Los Angeles). The combination of Rock and Hard Progressive of "In His Blood" is definitely interesting, as is the heavy and hard pseudo Dark of "Crying Out For More": a piece that enjoys an unexpected speeding up. If I have to suggest another song to listen to, I point to “Watching You”, which is a simple 70's style Hard (you see that everything fits) but with a guitar that enters by force leaving its mark. If to be happy you just need to stamp your foot and be transported by the rhythm of the wide-ranging Rock, “Battle Of Britain” could be to your liking. - allaroundmetal

Release Date: 15th September 2022

FFO: AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Motörhead

Location: Los Angeles USA and Portishead UK

After meeting in a goods return line at Fry’s Electronics in LA in 2005, Philthy Animal Taylor and James Alexander Childs formed Little Villains. Owen Street completed the line-up, playing bass at early recording sessions. The group worked on many recordings at Phil’s place, James’s studio and Unit A studio in Palm Springs. James and Phil worked on and off on their recordings up until 2010. They’d discussed recording more, but Phil became ill and returned to England where he had more of a personal support system. Sadly, Phil died in 2015. Little Villains’ first album, “Philthy Lies”, was released on Heavy Psyche Sounds Records in 2019 with the blessing of Phil’s family. Chris Fielden joined the band, playing drums on tour. Owen Childs, James’s nephew, also joined, playing guitar. “The band features a heavy and hard rock ‘n’ roll sound, with fast-paced beats and riffs with a Motörhead feel. This album has a classic sound to it, with an old school, raw production. If you were or are a fan of Motörhead, I’d totally check Little Villains out.” Metal Temple review by Jared Lacks

“The music is heavy, raw, and showcases the sheer genius playing style that Taylor was known for. There are plenty of catchy rocking tunes. It has an unpolished sound that has not been over produced. The spirit and legend of Phil ‘Philthy Animal’ Taylor lives on in Little Villains. This is surely one that any Motörhead fan will want to have. Honest to goodness rock ‘n roll.” Metal Rules review by John Haseltine! The second album, “Taylor Made”, was released on Cleopatra Records in 2020, again featuring Phil on drums and James on guitar and vocals. Alan Davey of Hawkwind played bass on the album. Chris Fielden and Owen Childs feature on backing vocals and guitar.

“I found the music catchy, energetic, melodic, hard rockin’, vibrant and diverse, with a modern groove. Lots of character within the song structures. There, the musicianship is thrilling. Good solid vibe, great production, excellent song writing and fabulous vocals throughout.” Fireworks Magazine review by Nicky Baldrain.

Early in 2020, Little Villains recorded their third album, “Achtung Minen”, at The Stujo in LA. All the songs were written and recorded by James Childs, Owen Childs and Chris Fielden. The album received positive reviews and radio play throughout the UK, Europe and the US. It was released on Spira Records in November 2020.

“Achtung Minen bludgeons you with riffs, it’s brilliant. It’s my featured album of the month. Highly, highly recommended – it’s just a great album, a great bit of metal, great fun.” The Druids Dozen review by Jon Wisbey, DJ of The Sunday Rock Show on BCFM Radio and The Rock Druid Show on Astro Radio.

“A rebel rousing 15 track rock monster that seems set to conquer the metal universe… it’s rock ‘n’ roll infused metal with a strong focus on groove. Bassist James Childs also sings and his vocals sound uncannily like Frank Turner while guitarist Owen Childs is busy mining his instrument for incendiary riffs and drummer Chris Fielden sets about nailing his kit to the studio floor… the future belongs to the Little Villains.” Pulse-Alternative Magazine review by Alex Novak.

Little Villains had planned to tour the “Taylor Made” album in 2020, but COVID-19 meant all their gigs had to be cancelled. Late in 2021 the band started gigging again.

15th September 2022 sees the release of their fourth studio album titled “Battle of Britain”, a 10-track metal behemoth. The songs are performed by James Childs, Owen Childs and Chris Fielden, with guest appearances by Nick Davidge and Simon Hedges of Airbus.

Little Villains are planning to tour later in 2022 / early in 2023 and are working on new material in the studio.

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https://music.apple.com/us/artist/little-villains/1459970609

BATTLE OF BRITAIN is the fourth studio album from UK rock / metal band LITTLE VILLAINS, released on SPIRA RECORDS. The album features: James Childs on vocals / bass, Owen Childs on guitar and Chris Fielden on drums. The record also features guest appearances from Nick Davidge (guitar / vocals) and Simon Hedges (bass) of AIRBUS.

LITTLE VILLAINS play loud, hard and heavy. The band will be touring at the end of 2022. BATTLE OF BRITAIN was recorded at the Stujo in Los Angeles, California, USA, and comprises 10 songs. Total runtime 35 mins. Villainous videos have been made for the singles from the album: ‘Messerschmitt’, ‘Spitfire’ and ‘Watching You’. They’ll be released via the band’s YouTube channel and Facebook page in September and October 2022. More videos are in the pipeline.

LITTLE VILLAIN’S first two albums, PHILTHY LIES (Heavy Psyche Sounds Records) and TAYLOR MADE (Cleopatra Records), featured the late, great Phil ‘Philthy Animal’ Taylor from the classic MOTÖRHEAD line-up. The band continues to rock in memory of their friend.

Battle of Britain CD Track Listing (total runtime 35 mins, released on Spira Records – SR017):