This is THE BAND OF SPICE, which is quite literally that, spice's band.  This is the latest solo project from the former SPIRITUAL BEGGARDS main man Spice.  "By The Corner Of Tomorrow" is 9 tracks of sublimely crafted Heavy as all fuck 70s, early 80s Metal, with many an influence on display here pummeled together to make something all of their own.   The man has an amazing distinctive voice, which is put to great use here, as is his astounding guitar playing.  But lets not forget Alexander's expressive bass and the engine room of Bob, pounding out a metronomic and powerful back beat.  The pair make a rhythm section to die for.

So lets get down to the songs.  "The Fading  Spot" kicks things off fast and loud.  The charge and gusto is straight out of the MAIDEN playbook, but with a voice like no one who ever sang for that band.  The vocals are raw and dirty, neither Paul's punk attitude, Bruce's Air raid siren power and Blaze's operatic delivery.  But hot damn! It is tasty good listenin.  "Call out Your Name" is built along similar stylings, 80's metal sound with a 70s style Rock vocal, the riff is a cross-breed of the IRON'S again but with a little funk and groove built in there, before transmuting into a sludgy stoner grungy delivery which reminds me of BALEFUL CREED, and that ain't no bad thing, before again turning back into a NWOBHM rocker.

"Tehom" ma be nothing more than a instrumental interlude, a simple repetive moody guitar refrain, that you will hear in other songs, before exploding in a wall of wailing guitar. In its wake "The Sharp Edge" comes at you faster than the speed of sound. The riffs are laden heavy.  This is the closest of the sound of SABBATH so far, the structure, the riffs, the basslines, the power of the drumming remind us all of the early days, but the vocals and the solos are different gravy. Vocally the closest I can think of is MONSTER TRUCK, with the heavy turned up to 11.

Then we get to the title track "By The Corner Of Tomorrow" a brooding, melonconic masterpiece, built on some stellar Bass work from Mr. Sekulovski, simple but effective repetitive tune, made all the more excellent for its simplicity.  Before things get loud and heavy in equal doses.  The riffs come thick and fast soaked "In Midnight Blood".  The vocals are clear, but nasty (in a very good way), before things get really strange in a PINK FLOYD meets THE DOORS and HAWKWIND and make sweet weird trippy, music together, possibly the strangest thing you will hear this year, but boy it works!  And then as if it was never there we're back to the song it was before, all riffs and rhythm.

Then were back with a variation of that refrain from "Tehom" at the start of the sludgy grunge of "Reglutina", one moment heavy riffs and growled vocals, to a lighter refrain of guitar and voice, with a superb eastern flavored solo in the middle. Like with a lot of the album there is a real feel of the Desert bands, like KYUSS or QUEENS OF THE STONEAGE (early on) meets the Riffing monster that is SABBATH.

I would say the SABS influence was mainly the OZZY era, but "Cold Flames" starts off like a DIO era belter combined with a sensibility and cowbell workout that BOC would feel right at home with.  Finally "Rewind The Wind" touches on that common refrain again for a slow burner of a song that has pure 70s stoner writ large on it.  Broody magnificence.  I've not heard guitar playing like this for many a year, the bluesy picking of the solo is a thing to behold on its own.  This last song is worth the price of admission on its own. The fact there isn't anything approaching a duff track on the album is a bonus.  And then its gone.  No fade out, no lasting refrain slowly decaying. Nope off done, gone!  Leaving the listener wanting more.  I would go as far as to say this album is perfect.  It deserves at least a 12 not 10's.