For more than four decades, Chuck Billy has been the defining voice and powerhouse frontman of Bay Area legends Testament, helping shape the thrash metal genre since its explosive beginnings in the 1980s. His commanding vocal presence has remained a signature element of the band’s identity across its fourteen studio albums. But behind the roar of the music is a far more personal story, one of triumph, cultural identity, mortality, and survival.
That full story takes center stage in Billy’s new memoir, due November 10th, 2026, via Permuted Press. The book divides Billy’s life into two connected chapters: the “Old Testament,” chronicling the birth of Bay Area thrash, Testament’s rise, complete with the wild years that helped define the genre; and the “New Testament,” which turns inward as Billy recounts being diagnosed with cancer at just 38 and the extraordinary fight that followed, making it the book’s emotional centerpiece. What makes Holding My Breath particularly compelling and a page-turner is that it goes well beyond the standard rock-and-roll memoir.
In our interview, Chuck speaks with candor, humility, and hard‑earned perspective as he reflects on his life and career throughout the book. In the interview, he emphasizes that writing the book was never a lifelong ambition. In fact, as he notes, “I am kind of private and reserved… not a big social media guy.” Yet the process became unexpectedly therapeutic, prompting him to document, not simply tell, his story after four decades in music and a life‑altering battle with cancer.
Billy admits he was a “wild child,” but argues that the freedom his parents gave him and the physical presence of “five Native American kids… big, barrel‑chested guys” created a unique environment that forged his identity. Looking back, he sees how every misstep and detour ultimately guided him toward a music career.
The interview explores how Billy transitioned from singing melodic, commercial metal in Guilt to fronting the thrash band Legacy, which soon became Testament. He recalls being impressed by the young band’s songwriting and, after Steve “Zetro” Souza encouraged him to audition, embracing a crash course in thrash musically and aesthetically. The band told him to ditch the spandex, dye his hair one color, buy high‑tops and a denim vest, and learn to sing with rhythmic precision rather than pure melody. Over time, he blended both worlds, bringing hooks and vocal swing into Testament’s sound, especially from The New Order onward.
The conversation turns deeply personal when discussing Billy’s cancer diagnosis. He explains how the illness reshaped his lyrical approach, opening the door to more Native themes and introspective writing. Songs like “Native Blood” and material on Titans of Creation reflect that shift. He also highlights how seemingly unrelated life events like selling his house, his wife’s car accident, and returning to work at Lang Trucking ultimately positioned him to have health insurance at the exact moment when he never thought he would need it. These “connect‑the‑dots” moments, he says, reinforce his belief that “things happen for a reason, even the bad things.”
Billy reflects on Testament’s enduring brotherhood, noting that when the classic lineup reunited, it felt as if no time had passed. The band treats touring as a job but still finds joy and creativity in writing together. After 40 years, he believes they are producing some of their strongest work, citing Parabellum as a high point.
As for what remains to prove, Billy says he has none. With two albums left on their Nuclear Blast contract, he hopes the band’s final chapter, whenever it comes, will show fans the consistency of their integrity: never chasing trends, never copying others, always staying true to who Testament is.
What you get is my honest opinion, so don’t expect every third album to receive 90 out of 100 points. There is simply way too much crap out there, even in the genres I love. Come on, almost every average release out there receive top scores in one or more webzines these days. My task is to help the readers by singling out the releases that deserves some extra attention. If you can’t live with mye critical approach, don’t bother sending me promos! If you are allright with it, hit my mailbox with your stuff (physical promos preferred):
leifkr(at)online.no
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Rage “The Devil Strikes Again” (Nuclear Blast)
I discovered Rage with the album “Perfect Man” back in 1988. I was really high on some Noise Records-bands at the time, Running Wild and Scanner were two others, and the album made a huge impression on me. In the years to come, I followed Rage very closely, waiting in anticipation for their albums, and buying them as soon as they showed up in stores here in Norway. Believe it or not, things got even better after “Perfect Man”, with “Secrets In A Weird World”, “Trapped” and “Black In Mind” all being very strong albums. However, I lost interest in the band completely when Viktor Smolski joined the band, and the last album I bought was the rather weak “XIII” back in 1998.
Enough of my ramblings about the past. Due to some encouraging early reports, I got my hopes up for this “comeback-album” where Mr. Rage, Peavy Wagner, is joined by two new guys, Marcos Rodriguez (guitars) and Vassilios Maniatopoulos (drums). If the talk about a return to the style of “Black In Mind” wasn’t exciting enough, the fact that Smolski is out of the band, is probably reason good enough to check out Rage again, as I never came to terms with this his songwriting.
So is “The Devil Strikes Again” the album we hoped for? Nah, it’s nowhere near the albums I mentioned in quality, not close to works like “Reflections Of A Shadow” or “The Missing Link” either. Even though the album is surprisingly heavy and aggressive, it still maintains one of the central aspects about the band, the strong melodies. The album opens with the title track, which is loud, fast and energetic, lead on by Peavy’s characteristic vocals. Unfortunately, Peavy doesn’t sing as well as he did. He uses his gruff vocals too much, and sounds harsher and less melodic than in the past.
Even if the album both starts fast, and ends fast with “The Dark Side Of The Sun”, one of the better ones on offer, there are also some more midtempo oriented tracks thrown in the mix. The problem is, that whether they are fast or not, most of the songs come and go without leaving much of an impression. It’s all neat and tidy, but come on, how many times have the band done a song like “Spirits Of The Night”? It’s all so predictable, and at times it sounds rather uninspired. And how can they ruin an otherwise good track (pun intended) like “Back On Track” with a third rate Helloween-sounding bridge and a totally terrible chorus? Also, the sound of the album isn’t as natural in the past, the wall of sound leaves me a bit exhausted at the end.
Maybe it’s a bit unfair to judge the band on past merits, and yeah, I would probably have rated this album a bit higher, if it wasn’t a Rage-album, but came from a newcomer act. That being said, I don’ think I ever will play this piece of vinyl again. Why should I when I already have most of the songs, just in better versions from the same band? (65/100)
Ravensire “The Cycle Never Ends” (Cruz Del Sur)
The last album from Portugal’s Ravensire hit me straight between the eyes, and even if I didn’t suspect the band to be a one hit wonder, I wasn’t completely certain that they would be able to replicate it. “The Cycle Never Ends” is not a carbon copy of the debut, but it has many of the same qualities, and the recognizable Ravensire-sound which we got used to last time around.You don’t need many seconds of the opener before you realize that you are listening to the same band that released “We March Forward”. Both the overall sound as well as the songwriting are held in pretty much the same style. That’s fine by me, because the songs are different enough not to be only copies of tracks from the first full length.
Ravensire delivers a brand of powerful and timeless heavy metal that manages to hold the listener in an iron grip from the very first to the last note. You’ll get riffs so crushingly heavy you need to kneel in front of you speakers and at the same time leads so beautiful you will be lost for words. There is not a weak track to be found on the album, and some of the riffs are awesome, to say the least.
The many tempo changes contribute in keeping the album an exciting ride. You’ll find doomy parts, slowly creeping forward, as well as fast and wild passages, sometimes in one and the same track. Rick’s dark, raw and rough vocals are one of the band’s trademarks, and manages to lift the material to an even higher level. Love em or hate em, but this is the type of vocals that will leave an impression on you, no matter what. Personally I love them, and I think they contribute in making things even more raw and barbaric. Besides, they’re adding a bit of ugliness to the sound, probably scaring everyone used to sugar sweet productions and slick vocals away. Don’t be fooled into thinking that the singing is pointless barking though, many of he vocal lines are extremely catchy, simply refusing to leave my head.
“The Cycle Never Ends” has already cemented a place in this year’s top ten list. Only time will tell how high it will end, but it’s by far my fave album of 2016, as we enter the third month of the year. Fave songs? Well, every single one deserves a mention, from the start with “Cromlech Revelations” with its killer riff and slow, creeping chorus to the epic ending with “Temple At The End Of The World”. I would also like to mention the dark “Crosshaven”, the crushingly heavy “Procession Of the Dead” as well as the faster and more aggressive sounding “Trapped In Dreams”. If you look for muscular, chest beating heavy metal with sharp sounding guitars and stellar songwriting (who doesn’t?), look no further! (85/100)
Sacred Steel “Heavy Metal Sacrifice” (Cruz Del Sur)
I’ve covered my love affair with Sacred Steel before, including my relationship to the different phases in the recording history of the Germans. Don’t get me started on that again, as I guess it will bore the hell out of you, let’s just say that I thought the last album, “The Bloodshed Summoning” was the best thing the band has done for quite some time. I guess we need to go back to “Bloodlust” from 2000 to find something of similar quality. Since the release of “The Bloodshed Summoning”, singer Gerrit participated on the excellent Battleroar-album “Blood Of The Legends”, with what was truly one of his best vocal performances ever.
It’s 2016, and time for another effort from the Sacred Steel, their ninth studio album since the debut back in 1997. “Reborn In Steel” was embraced by some parts of the underground scene, I still remember some raving reviews in a few of the best German fanzines of the time, and was a breath of fresh air in a scene that was rather stale. Since then, true metal has been “in” and “out” a couple of times already, and most of the bands that tried to do something similar to what Sacred Steel did back then, are long gone by now. Sacred Steel are still doing their thing of course, not as overenthusiastic and brilliantly unpolished as in the early days, but pretty much in the same style, with a little more maturity and sophistication.
After the funnily titled “(Intro) Glory Ride”, Gerrit’s trademark siren lets loose the title track, a track which celebrates heavy metal both musically as well as in the charming lyrics. Not their best opening track by any chance, and maybe not as fast as expected, but solid stuff, and 100 percent Sacred Steel of course. Next in line is “The Sign Of The Skull”, an epic midtempo track with impressive vocals from Gerrit. “Hail The Gods Of War” is a faster one, with more aggressive and rather typical Sacred Steel -riffs. After three decent tracks, “Vulture Priest” is the first really outstanding song. My fave on the album from the very first listen, and one of the better songs the band has penned in a while. Effective riffs, a strong chorus, and those charismatic vocals, this one has it all. “Children Of The Sky” is one of the better songs as well, showcasing some pretty diverse vocals from Gerrit, including some really good vocal lines coupled with catchy guitars. “Let There Be Steel” track 7, opens the B-side of the vinyl version, and concludes what is clearly the strongest sequence of the album. With lines like: “Stand and kill – Let there be metal. Let there be sacred steel”, this should quickly turn to a live favorite.
The two next songs are more anonymous before the epic “Beyond The Gates Of Nineveh”, the last real song (only the short “Iron Donkey” is left, and it doesn’t add anything other than a bit of fun to the album) ends “Heavy Metal Sacrifice” on a high note. While there is no place for this album in my personal top five list of Sacred Steel-albums, this is clearly another higly enjoyable offering of true and honest heavy metal. Long live Sacred Steel! (70/100)
Savage Master “With Whips And Chains” (High Roller)
While Savage Master seem to be a love/hate affair for most people, I find myself somewhere in between. If I remember right, I awarded the band’s debut, “Mask Of The Devil”, with a decent score here at Metal Squadron, without being blown away by it. I also had the chance to witness the band at this year’s edition of Keep It True, a performance that kind of cemented my opinion on the band further. They do deliver some solid stuff, but the really outstanding moments are few and far between.
For some people, front woman Stacey seem to be the biggest asset of the band, while others people raise questions about her vocals, especially in a live setting. I wasn’t fully convinced live either, but on this album, her powerful vocals are delivered with strength and conviction, matching the effective, heavy mid tempo riffing that most songs rely on. Her barking vocals lead songs like “Path Of The Necromancer” along quite nicely. The sound is very basic, with drums and bass providing a steady, but not very inventive base for the constant salvia of riffs.
Talking about individual songs, the title track, with masculine background vocals providing a nice contrast to Savages vocals during the chorus as well as steady, rock solid main riff, is very enjoyable, and probably the most memorable track of the album. Savage Master delivers no frills heavy metal, but as the album moves along, the lack of real diversity is quite obvious. The tempo, riffs and choruses all sound pretty similar, something that cools my enthusiasm a little. Don’t misunderstand me, “With Whips And Chains” is worth checking out, as it is solid all the way through. In many ways, it’s rather unspectacular though, and instead of the improvement we all hoped for, this is “only” on par with the debut album. (70/100)
Scarblade “The Cosmic Wrath” (No Remorse)
This band was previously called Ruthless Steel, and released an EP called “Die In The Night” back in 2013. I have to admit the record failed to leave a strong impression on me, and soon found its place collecting dust in one of my shelves. The title track from the EP, along with “Power Of Hate” are re-recorded versions of songs that originally were recorded for the band’s first release, and in addition, the band offers six new songs.
The overall package is definitely a bit more modern sounding than the EP, with a smother sound and some keys added to the backround for more depth. It all sounds quite mellow, with melodic and melancholic songs drenched in cool vocal melodies and hooks galore. Singer Aliki Kostopoulous sounds way more pleasant and controlled compared to the rougher and wilder snarling approach she had in Ruthless Steel. She may have had more charm on the EP, but I guess her singing on “The Cosmic Wrath” should appeal to a much wider audience.
Scarblade offers nothing groundbreaking or new of course, but the album makes fun , and that’s the most important thing. Compared to a lot of the new acts coming through, Scarblade have better songs, but the sound is yet again a little too slick for my taste. For musical reference, there is no denying that Alikis voice is putting a strong mark on the sound, which along with the overall catchiness of the material, makes me think a little of former Nuclear Blast-recording act, Sinergy featuring Kimberly Goss. On a quite coherent album, the damn catchy “Escape”, the faster and more aggressive “Evil War” and the heavier “Cursed Legion” are among the highlights. On the other hand, the rocking “Live Wire” is one of the few tracks I simply can’t come to terms with. (70/100)
Septagon “Deadhead Syndicate” (Cruz Del Sur)
Cruz Del Sur has a knack for signing all the right bands, at the right time. Dark Forest, Magister Templi, Sacral Rage and Atlantean Kodex are just four examples. So has Enrico unearthed another gem in Septagon? We’ll get to that, but let’s start by having a closer look at this new act. Septagon features guitarist Markus Ulrich (Lanfear) and behind the microphone none less than Markus Becker from the already mentioned Atlantean Kodex. The other three members are mostly guys that Ulrich has played with, or is playing with, in Lanfear. However, Septagon has just as little in common with the melodic, slightly progressive metal provided by Lanfear as the grandiose epic metal of Atlantean Kodex. The soft and “Henchman Of Darkness” is the only track on the album that makes you think of Atlantean Kodex a little bit, and that is due to Becker’s vocals.
Septagon showcases the main men’s love for things American, as the sound is some sort of combination of melodic US metal coupled with the more sophisticated thrash acts from the early nineties. The biography mentions Exodus, but to be honest I don’t hear much of that here, at least don’t expect a blast in the vein of “Bonded By Blood”, as this is probably closer to “Force Of Habit”-era Exodus, in terms of energy and aggression.
Whether this album is thrash or not, is something I guess is up for debate, and will be discussed, but the most important thing is that Septagon has created a well-played, melodic, catchy and up to date metal album that doesn’t incorporate outside influences, but celebrates an era that is often overlooked in favor of what happened five years or so earlier. Think of the second or third albums from bands likely to throw in an acoustic instrumental just to add some diversity, you known the likes of Heathen, Annihilator, Forbidden, Death Angel or for that matter Artillery, and you are at least in the same region stylewise. The production and songwriting are a bit different though, making sure Septagon is still something different.
There are parts here that are just as progressive as what you expect from Lanfear. Everything also seems to be on pretty high technical level, with plenty of room for finesse. That being said, this is definitely not a tech-thrash release. The songs, with emphasis on exciting riffs, strong hooks and catchy vocal lines are always the focal point, and there is little or no showing off just for the sake of it. Pretty much all the songs are filled with great leads, and most of them must be considered fast or at least up tempo, but you’ll also find the intro “Ignite The Apocalypse”, a bit in the vein of Annihilator’s “Crystal Ann”. The album also contains a pure, heavy midtempo-track like “Ripper” while the “Secret Silver Panorama Mahcine” also is a standout track due the verse being very Megadeth with Becker snarling like Mustaine but with a very melodic, and unfortunately way too cheesy chorus for my taste.
Among many good tracks, the fast, straight ahead, powerful, yet melodic “Unwanted Company”, and the more diverse “Septagon Conspiracy” with a strong vocal performance by Becker, are among the highlights. My one major criticism is probably that it sounds a little to clean, but that has probably more to do with personal preferences than anything else. (75/100)
Seven Sisters “Seven Sisters” (High Roller)
The intention was to feature this band with an interview here at Metal Squadron, but in the end it never materialized. A bit sad really, as I was rather positive towards their previous efforts, the demo tape as well as the 7”. None of the tracks featured on those two releases are awarded with place on the band’s first full length release, instead we are treated to eight brand new tracks, making this debut album “fresher” than what is usually the case in a time when demo material more often thannotare re-recorded for debut albums.
It was not until I sat down and paid real attention to “Seven Sisters”, that the album kind of opened up for me. It’s not that the album is particularly demanding, because as soon as the guitars to the first track work their way through the speakers, it becomes clear that “original” isn’t a word associated with this bunch. So what made the album a little harder to get into then? Well, it might be the fact that the band seem to focus slightly less on choruses compared to some of these other new heavy metal acts. Instead, Seven Sisters are bringing to the table song structures that are often a little different, like for instance in the lenghty, epic title track.
Musically, this is what I would call “pretty typical British stuff”. There are roots back to the NWOBHM of course, while the guitar work, as in another relatively new British band like Dark Forest, is clearly the strongest aspect. This album is packed with solid riffs and solos and lots of classy twin guitar harmonies.The vocals on the other hand, I am talking about both the technique as well as the voice itself, aren’t that impressive, but somehow they fit quite well with the music. Kyle McNeill has the type of clean vocals that could have come straight out of the NWOBHM, and his style is not too far from Angel Witch’s Kevin Heybourne.
What about the songs then? They are pretty nice, but without any real spectacular moments. The album gets a flying start with two of the faster paced tracks: “Destiny’s Calling” and “Higways Of The Night . Apart from these, and a few additional moments, I feel that the material could have been a tad faster and a bit more aggressive. That being said, there is a certain charm about quite a few of the more midtempo oriented songs as well.
“Seven Sisters” might take more than the usual ccouple of listens to get into, but the album is definitely solid, and worth checking out if you enjoy NWOBHM or the Americans in Riot, which in turn was heavily inspired by the British movement. (70/100)
Sin Starlett “Digital Overload” (Emanes Metal)
“Digital Overload” is the third full length from Sin Starlett out of Luzern in Switzerland. The debut flew under the radar of even the most underground minded of us, but the follow up, “Throat Attack” was a fine affair of down to earth heavy metal, a tradition the band continues with the release of “Digital Overload”. There are absolutely no surprises here, and thank God for that, as the world is always in need for solid, working man’s heavy metal in its purest form.
Elias Felbers’ vocals are reminiscent of a more nasal Biff Byford at times, and the Saxon-influence goes even further in “Tear Down the Walls”, a track that strongly recalls Barnsleys baddest. Speaking about British heavy metal, there is also a bit of early eighties Judas Priest to be found here, maybe not as much in individual tracks, as in the general approach and songwriting. If you bought the vinyl single Metalworld put out last year, you should know what to expect from this album, and the two songs that featured on this release, the title track as well as “Electric Expander” are both among the strongest songs on offer here.
Sin Starlett deserves praise for delivering straight to the point, no frills heavy metal, and nothing else. I would go as far as saying this is one of the better pure metal albums released so far this year. I am writing this review based on the LP-version, and have to say it’s pretty obvious that the A-side contains the best material. Most of the songs are good to great though, with only the mid tempo oriented “The Last Straw” being a bit of a letdown, simply because it’s boring and because the chorus is repeated way too many times. Other than that, this is a well written and performed album with a crisp and natural production. A recommended listening well worth a piece of your time! (75/100)
Stone Magnum “Holy Blessings To None” (RIP Records)
I kind of discovered this band with their last album, the truly excellent “From Time…To Eternity” from 2013, and then went back and checked their good debut album as well, which I missed out on when it was released in 2012. It feels great to be able to write that “Holy Blessings To None” is just as impressive, if not even better than its predecessor, which I gave a very favorable review. I certainly had high hopes for this album when the guitarist Dean Tavernier sent me the files a month or so ago, but I have to say this album is totally awesome. One thing is for certain, Stone Magnum is not your standard doom metal band anymore (if they ever were). The album is damn heavy, but the overall tempo is higher than expected, even though the band always had some killer up temo stuff on their previous albums as well.
Since he joined the band, one of the main strengths of the Stone Magnum, along with the sheer heaviness and the diverse songwriting, is the vocals of Nick Hernandez. On this album, his second with the band, he sounds even more impressive than before. The opener “As I Burn Your World To Ash” is kind of a slow starter, but when Nick puts power behind his words in this track, I at least, feel the hairs on your arms raise. Although his voice is powerful and towering, he is also capable of adding a little aggressive snarl to it like in ”Stone Magnum”, the fastest track on the album, thundering along in frenetic up tempo. In “The Illusion of Faith”, he does a very good Bruce Dickinson-impression and overall his vocals strike me as very powerful and generally impressive.
There is some really sinister and heavy, almost death metallish riffing instance in “Condemn Thy Flesh To Dust, one of quite a few songs that highlights the diversity on offer here. “Signum Crucis” is another one carrying hints of extreme metal, shown in the second part of the song as it build and builds from a doomy start. With the addition of Justin Henry, who has stepped in after Brad Toth left the bands in 2014, the foundation for these parts are created through genereally faster and more aggressive drumming.
Overall, Stone Magnum has something that many doom metal-based acts severly lack. Overall, the songs are very catchy, with strong choruses, memorable riffs and vocal lines. “Holy Blessings To None” is simply put a great album from a band that has proved now, that they without doubt should be a lot bigger than they actually are. (85/100)
Vultures Vengeance “Where The Time Dwelt In” (Cruz Del Sur)
The Italians in Vultures Vengeance seemingly came out of nowhere last year, and released a mighty fine demo tape (later also released as a 7”) with raw and uncompromising heavy metal, sounding a lot like some of the heavier US metal acts from the eighties. Metal Squadron was one of the first online medias to take an interest in the band, and this pretty interesting interview was conducted.
The band seems to have spent the time since that release very well, apart from securing a deal with Cruz Del Sur’s sublabel Gates Of Hell, they have also recorded this EP containing an intro and four new tracks that didn’t feature on the demo. The closing title track is a nearly six minutes long instrumental, while the three other songs are real obscure underground bangers with powerful and commanding vocals and a rather thin sound that reeks of cult metal demos or the Metal Massacre-samplers from the eighties. The production, or maybe the lack of production, might put some potential listeners off, but turn up the sound a little extra, and it should be possible to enjoy the inspired songwriting of these guys.
This EP is full of (hairy)) chest beating US power metal sounding like the genre was supposed to sound at the time when bands like Liege Lord (“Freedom’s Rise”), Omen (“Battle Cry”) or even Jag Panzer (“Ample Destruction”) were at their peak. The songs certainly got a bit of the same dark vibe about them, while the sound, it has to be said is more akin to a demo band threading the same waters as these, or other early to mid eighties US acts.
The EP definitely works best when it’s listened to in its entirety, so it doesn’t really feel necessary to single out particular tracks, but if I face no other choice than to cough up a title or else I will be forced to listen to the new Freedom Call-album, I would surely mention the opener “A Curse From Obsidian Realm”, a no-nonsense, uptempo killer track full of energy, performed with real conviction. That being said, the song writing is inspired and to the point all the way through, and the world definitely needs more material from Vultures Vengeance, as soon as possible! (75/100)
White Magician “The Pledge” (Dystopian Dogs)
Most of the musicians in White Magician are also involved in the truly brilliant Demon Bitch, which just had their first full length released through Skol Recods. Even though White Magician has existed for some years already, “The Pledge” is the first sign of life from the band. We’re talking about an EP, a format that is growing ever more popular among newer acts, with a playing time of around 24 minutes. The musical content is four self penned tracks as well as a cover of Blue Öyster Cult’s “Nosferatu”.
The EP, for now only available on CD-format, but supposed to be released on vinyl as well later in the year, through Germany’s Underground Power, is well worth investigating. If you haven’t yet heard Demon Bitch, you should check it, and if you already know the guys’ main band, you should give it a try nevertheless. The vocals of The Great Kaiser (aka Solon Saton in Demon Bitch) are more controlled compared to those of Logon Saton (bass in White Magician, vocals in Demon Bitch), but watch out for some pretty wild shrieks in the strong opener“The Devil’s City”. The music itself, while always dark, is a bit more melodic compared to Demon Bitch, a tad easier to follow and at times with a stronger hard rock touch.
As for the other songs, “The Pledge: Mad Magic” carries traces of King Diamond, and is slightly faster and more aggressive compared to the opener. It’s a short and strong song with a strange and very intense end section. “The Turn: The Magician’s Last Act” is the only track on this release that I struggle to come to terms with. It lacks a clear direction, and also the power of the other songs. “The Fall: Sad Magic” on the other hand, is a highlight, carrying the most memorable riff on the EP along with a pretty strong melody and some damn catchy vocal lines. Rounding things off is the cover of “Nosferatu”, which is nicely done and fits in quite well with the rest of the songs, even though the volume seems to be a bit lower. A different session perhaps? Also worth mentioning is the great guitar solos which are present in more or less every track. The sound of White Magician might be a bit more conventional compared to Demon Bitch, but this still sounds fresh compared to most of the stuff coming out these days. Personally I can’t wait for the next release (75/100)
Wytch Hazel “Prelude” (Bad Omen)
This, I have to say, is something of a surprise! I thought the first demo showed some promise, but I didn’t think the follow up-EP “The Truth” represented the improvement I hoped for, mostly due to the production, or should I say, the lack of production? Even though the songwriting has showed qualities through all their releases, listening to “Prelude” is a different experience altogether.
On this, the band’s first full length release, the songs flow so much better than before. Also, the crisp production brings forth details that simply wasn’t there before, and really helps in painting those huge melodies even clearer . If you have followed the band since the beginning, there are a couple of tracks here that will be known to you already. “Wytch Hazel” was already on the band’s first demo, while “Fight” is a rerecorded version of the track originally found on the EP “The Truth”. As you probably have understood, these interpretations are way superior to the original versions.
One other thing that I really like, is that fact that even though it’s natural to draw lines to the likes of Jethro Tull, Wishbone Ash and Thin Lizzy, with some early heavy metal thrown in of course, Wytch Hazel sounds incredibly fresh and exciting compared to most contemporary acts. The folk and medieval influence is pretty strong, and really adds to the bands identity, as there really aren’t that many bands doing this kind of stuff. It really makes listening to this album is special, and somewhat of a different experience altogether.
Colin Hendra is the main man in Wytch Hazel. Not only is he doing the songwriting, more or less on his own, he also plays guitar and sings. I simply love the warmth of Colins voice and all the delicious guitar harmonies scattered around on the album. If you need proof, just listen to “More Than Conquerors”, a beautiful and mesmerizing tune that got me completely hooked from the first spin. In fact, it’s probably the song I have listened most to the last few months.
“We Will Be Strong” is another of my favorites, while a slower, more stripped down track like “Dark Ages”, doesn’t really do it for me, and a long with a couple of other rather anonymous tracks, is proof that the band can still improve. If you want it straight in the face and prefer your metal with capital letters all the time, this probably isn’t for you, but if you can enjoy a more laidback sound, and a release that is a little bit sophisticated with grandiose, slightly folky melodies and great vocals, this album is one you need to check out! (75/100)
The new Ice Nine Kills album is officially happening. The band used their own horror convention over the weekend to confirm The Silver Scream 3: Every Flick In The Book for 2027, the record fans have been asking about since Welcome To Horrorwood five years ago.
And before that, a stocking stuffer: A Very Vicious Christmas, an EP of horror-movie Christmas carols out digitally November 9, built from the music the band wrote for the Terrifier Terror Tram at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. Joy To The World is the first title confirmed. No tracklist, no label, no single, and no release date for the album yet. But for a band that treats every record like a film franchise, the sequel has a title, and that’s the part that matters.
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Metallica dig up Devil’s Dance for the first time in 18 years, Ice Nine Kills confirm Silver Scream 3 and announce a Christmas EP, and Voivod cancel their US tour. Scott Penfold has all three on today’s Metal Breakdown Daily. Download the free Loaded Radio App on Apple iOS and Google Play and stream the show now.
What Was Announced At Silver Scream Con
Silver Scream Con is the band’s own event: a horror convention in Worcester, Massachusetts, that Ice Nine Kills host and headline. It’s where the band talks to its audience without a label or a press release in between, and this year it’s where they made two announcements in one breath.
First, the EP. A Very Vicious Christmas arrives digitally on November 9. The songs are what the band calls INKed-up versions of festive classics, and they already exist in the world: they’re the soundtrack to the Art The Clown Terror Tram at Halloween Horror Nights, the Terrifier attraction Universal built for this year’s event. Joy To The World is confirmed. The rest of the tracklist isn’t, and the band hasn’t said how many songs are on it.
Second, the album. The Silver Scream 3: Every Flick In The Book, coming in 2027. That’s the whole announcement: a title and a year. Nothing on singles, producers, guests or a release month.
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Why A Christmas EP Makes Perfect Sense For This Band
If Ice Nine Kills doing Christmas carols sounds like a joke, you haven’t been paying attention. Terrifier 3, the film that put Art The Clown in multiplexes, is set at Christmas, and Ice Nine Kills wrote A Work Of Art for it two years ago. Universal’s Terror Tram is that movie turned into a theme-park ride. The band writing its soundtrack, and that soundtrack being Christmas songs, is the same partnership running one more lap. The title is a Terrifier reference and a Christmas reference at the same time, which is about as on-brand as this band gets.
They’ve also done this before in a smaller way. The Walking On Sunshine cover proved they can take something cheerful and make it sound like a crime scene. An EP of carols is that trick at album length, and it lands in time to be the only metal Christmas record anyone plays this year.
Silver Scream 3: What Five Years Of Waiting Looks Like
The Silver Scream came out in October 2018: a song for every horror film, a video for every song, and Spencer Charnas as the showman holding it together. The Silver Scream 2: Welcome To Horrorwood followed in October 2021 and did the thing sequels rarely do, which is get bigger. Those two records are why Ice Nine Kills can fill arenas and run their own convention.
Since then the band has kept the universe alive with one-offs rather than a full record: Meat & Greet, A Work Of Art for Terrifier 3, Twisting The Knife for Scream 7, and a short film of their own. Every one of them has been a reminder that the engine still runs. Every Flick In The Book is the first confirmation that the engine is going back into a full album.
The title tells you the format hasn’t changed. Every Flick In The Book means another round of one song per movie, and if you want a preview of the taste behind it, Charnas has already named his five favourite horror films. Expect some of them to show up.
Ice Nine Kills announced a new EP and album at Silver Scream Con.
A Very Vicious Christmas drops on November 9, followed by The Silver Scream 3: Every Flick in the Book in 2027. https://t.co/33IHs7sDcC
Nearly everything. No release date beyond 2027, no label confirmation, no lead single, no guest list, and no word on which films get a song. The EP has a date and one title; the album has a title and a year. Ice Nine Kills have never announced a Silver Scream record without a long rollout of videos behind it, so expect the first single to arrive with a short film attached and the campaign to run most of next year.
A Very Vicious Christmas is out November 9. The Silver Scream 3: Every Flick In The Book is out in 2027. We’ll update this piece the moment either gets more specific.
Ice Nine Kills confirmed The Silver Scream 3: Every Flick In The Book for 2027 at Silver Scream Con in Worcester, Massachusetts.
A Very Vicious Christmas, an EP of horror-movie Christmas carols, is out digitally November 9. Joy To The World is confirmed.
The EP is the music the band wrote for the Terrifier / Art The Clown Terror Tram at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights.
No release date, label, single or tracklist for the album yet. The Silver Scream was 2018; Welcome To Horrorwood was 2021.
FAQ
When is Silver Scream 3 coming out?
Ice Nine Kills have confirmed The Silver Scream 3: Every Flick In The Book for 2027. No specific release date, single or tracklist has been announced.
What is A Very Vicious Christmas?
A Christmas EP from Ice Nine Kills, out digitally November 9, 2026. It collects the horror-style versions of Christmas classics the band wrote for the Terrifier Terror Tram at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. Joy To The World is the first confirmed track.
What is Silver Scream Con?
Ice Nine Kills’ own horror convention, held in Worcester, Massachusetts, where the band announced both the EP and the album.
How many Silver Scream albums are there?
Two so far: The Silver Scream (2018) and The Silver Scream 2: Welcome To Horrorwood (2021). Every Flick In The Book will be the third.
Is the Christmas EP connected to Terrifier?
Yes. The songs were written for the Art The Clown Terror Tram at Halloween Horror Nights, and Ice Nine Kills previously released A Work Of Art in connection with Terrifier 3, which is set at Christmas.
Which horror movie needs a song on Silver Scream 3? Tell us in the comments. Follow Loaded Radio for every Ice Nine Kills update.
Jason Isbell was 22 years old when he joined the Drive-By Truckers in 2001. Over the next few years, he did some great work with that band, writing and singing lead on some of the best songs from their classic 2003 album Decoration Day. Isbell left the band to go solo in 2007, and after struggling for a while, he found his way to roots-rock stardom. This past Saturday, Isbell rejoined the Drive-By Truckers for an entire set — his first with the band in 19 years.
What you get is my honest opinion, so don’t expect every third album to receive 90 out of 100 points. There is simply way too much crap out there, even in the genres I love. Come on, almost every average release out there receive top scores in one or more webzines these days. My task is to help the readers by singling out the releases that deserves some extra attention. If you can’t live with mye critical approach, don’t bother sending me promos! If you are allright with it, hit my mailbox with your stuff (physical promos preferred):
leifkr(at)online.no
Mail address: Leif Kringen, Melbystien 3, N-2818 Gjovik, Norway
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Ancient Empire “Other World” (Stormspell)
Following up their 2014-release “When Empires Fall”, this is the second album from San Fransisco-based, modern power metal-outfit Ancient Empire. The band features the rhythm section of the Pelletier-brothers (Steve, drums and Rich, bass) who both have a long career, with acts like Forgotten Disciple, Hellhound and Rapid Fire on their CV. All bands by the way, have had their material released by Stormspell, who are also releasing this new Ancient Empire-album, as they were with the debut. A rhythm section alone doesn’t make an album for the average heavy metal-fan I guess, and the last cog in the wheel is Joe Liszt who is also in Shadowkiller and used to sing for Rocka Rollas.
Ancient Empire performs decent heavy/power metal, avoiding the worst clichés. The material on “Other World” is not overly exciting by any means, but solid enough and well performed. “Fight Another Day” is a powerful and midtempo oriented opener, clearly one of the better tracks here, but in a broader context, a little unspectacular. Some cuts, like the following “Dark Before Dawn” inject a bit more tempo, but most of the songs strike me a little ordinary again when it comes to the melodies. More hooks would have been great, as there are some fine guitar shredding going on. Liszt is without doubt a solid singer, but the vocal melodies lacks in creativity and sound a little too similar from song to song.
The recording feels a little clinical, I wished it hit me more straight in my face, with some additional aggression and bite. Maybe it would have helped if the guitars were a bit beefier and further forward in the mix? The drums could have sounded a bit more natural as well. Another point worth mentioning, is the fact that as the album moves along, I have a pretty hard time distinguishing the songs from each other. To sum up, Ancient Empire delivers decent, power metal with a dark aura surrounding, but, mostly due to the lack of hooks and catchy melodies, there isn’t really a single standout track on offer here (55/100)
Angel Sword “Rebels Beyond The Pale” (Underground Power)
With the likes of Ranger and Speedtrap coming through, we were reminded that Finland has more to offer than sugar sweet, so called power metal. With Tyfon’s Doom, Satan’s Fall and Angel Sword releasing stuff pretty much at the same time, it suddenly feels like Finnish heavy metal stands stronger than for quite a while. Out of the three acts mentioned in the same sentence here, Angel Sword is probably the least interesting. Their mix of seventies hard rock, naïve NWOBHM/punk and mid eighties, melancholic Scandinavian metal, is certainly not bad, but there are few factors that prevent me from using the really big superlatives.
This album, the band’s first full length release, consists of the four tracks from the band’s demo “Midwinter Tapes”, remixed with some parts also being rerecorded as well as five brand new tracks. One of the main strengths of the band is the nice melodies and hummable choruses that turn up here and there, most notably in tracks like “Devastator”, “Lords Of Thunder” and “Lightning Runner”. On the other hand, this album also contains songs like “Heavy Metal Night” and “Break The Chains”, the latter sporting a pretty strong Accept-influence, that are really unspectacular and cheesy.
The main problem with this album is the really shabby vocals, and that comes from someone who usually tolerates a lot when we talk about vocals in traditional heavy metal. In fact, it should be clear to everyone listening to this album that the vocals simply aren’t good enough. When the tempo slows down in songs like the spooky and heavy “Witches Never Die” or in the dark and heavy “Sign Of The Ravens”, the vocals are really a painful experience.
Apart from the inconsistent songwriting and the subpar vocals, the band has managed to create a crisp and natural, varm sound, where we don’t get the usual wall of distorted guitars. It all sounds neat and tidy with the clean guitars bringing forth the many guitar harmonies. The instrumental parts are mostly a pleasure to listen to, although the lack of aggression and bite becomes very clear after a while. I already see this band being celebrated by some people as the new metal sensation. In my opinion they still have a lot of homework to do! (65/100)
Anvil “Anvil Is Anvil” (Steamhammer)
Anvil keeps pumping out albums in the wake of their rise to (almost) stardom with the documentary you all have probably seen. I read a very good review of this album in one of the respected European metal magazines, but come on, this is some of the weakest stuff the band has ever released! Compare “Anvil Is Anvil” to a world class album like “Forged In Fire”, or an excellent, but somewhat overlooked album like “Worth The Weight”, and you will have trouble believing it’s the same band. Hell, “Anvil Is Anvil” is even weaker than the rather mediocre last releases like “Juggernaut Of Justice” and “Hope In Hell”.
In many ways I am tempted to say that the music sounds just as uninspired as the album title. Having said that, “Anvil Is Anvil” is a fitting title in many ways, as this album also has the trademark Anvil-sound. What it doesn’t have, is the songs. The songwriting on this album is really lackluster. Since I am in a pretty good mood, I can name three songs that I sort of like. “Run Like Hell”, “Runaway Train” and “Fire On The Highway” are all okay, but even these tracks are extremely predictable and not even close to some of the best songs the band has done during the past ten years.
Quite a few of the songs are too much rock’n roll for my taste, but the production is quite good, heavy and natural with Robb Reiners massive drums very much upfront. Lipps is also his usual self, with his characteristic vocals and guitar riffs. As you have probably understood by now, the main problem with this album is the totally uninspired song writing. The opening track “Daggers And Rum” is simply awful, showing a side of the band I have never heard before with its pirate-inspired lyrics and “yo-ho-ho’s” Other than that there are a bunch of mid tempo stompers like “Gun Control” and “Zombie Apocalypse” where the the band is only running through the routines. Really boring stuff, in my opinion.
Some songs have decent parts, like “Forgive Not Forget” with its classic Anvil-verse, but in return they have some really shitty choruses. The band has gone for gang vocals during a few of the choruses this time, but these are also extremely predictable to the point where they almost feel calculated. Also, many of the choruses, as weak as they are, are repeated to the point that you get down on your knees begging for mercy. The band might still deliver from the stage (I haven’t seen them for a few years), but they should really consider if it’s worth doing more albums if they can’t find some spark or inspiration. (40/100)
Axevyper “Into The Serpent’s Den” (Iron Shield)
I kind of miss the Italian label My Graveyard Records. Along with the usual subpar stuff, they also released some pretty fine albums (with mostly terrible covers), among them some releases by Assedium and Axevyper. The former featured a couple of members that are in Axevyper to this day. The guitarist Guido Tiberi is one of them, and he is also the guy behind Hyborian Steel, which is probably my favourite among the three mentioned here. While Hyborian Steel deals in dark and obscure metal with rough vocals, mainly inspired by American underground masters, it’s a lot easier to hear that Axevyper is more influenced by European metal. Already the opening track, “Brothers Of The Black Sword” showcases a pretty strong “Powerslave/Piece Of Mind”- influence. The crunchy and loud bass as well as some of the classic harmonies are just two factors that point in this direction.
Even though the tracks sound like they were forged on British soil, Axevyper doesn’t sound like your your usual NWOBHM-retro band, in fact they’re more similar to a British band being away for a while, then doing a pretty decent comeback brushing off some dust and returning with a sound that is a bit more modern. While they have the style as well as the ability to perform it well, Axevyper don’t really have the songwriting skills to lift this album up in the elite division. Don’t misunderstand me, this is an enjoyable piece of work, but its not one I see myself returning to in a year’s time.
Overall, the album isn’t particularly heavy, it’s more like solid melodic metal, with a rather smooth sound, but not compeletely without punch or aggression. However, a bit rougher edges would have helped the band, as everything sounds a bit to crisp and clean. The material is strongly lacking idenitity. I don’t think there is a single track on here that sticks out, but if I have to choose, “Soliders Of The Underground” and “Spirit Of The Wild” are probably the ones I enjoy the most. “Metal Tyrant”, an hommage to Harry Conklin and Jag Panzer also deserves a mention, along with “Under The Pyramid” which has a darker overall expression. There are a few longer tracks here as well, but they’re not interesting enough to hold the listener’s attention throughout. (65/100)
Blackslash “Sinister Lightning” (Iron Shield)
I enjoy listening to and discovering new acts. It’s nothing new really, as it dates back to the time when I really got into the more obscure underground heavy metal in the second half of the nineties. Of course it was more fun back then, when you sat back browsing through the paper lists you got in the mail and decided whether or whether not to order something from Germany or the US, simply based on the description, not of a reviewer trying to be objective, but one done by the guy behind the distro trying to push their stuff on you. No problem really, as people back then seemed to be both honest and also quite accurate in their descriptions.
Why am I mentioning this in the review of Blackslash and their new album? Well, for once, Blackslash is a rather new band. While the cover art might suggest that the German quintet deals in more aggressive sounds, their second full length turns out to be nothing but pleasant, melodic metal. The vocals of Clemens Haas is laidback and pleasant (though a bit flat) and the songs are performed without too many rough edges and with emphasis on nice melodies and strong hooks. Even though the album doesn’t sound as heavy or aggressive as expected, it’s still quite enjoyable stuff. The band sounds a bit different from other German newcomers like Blizzen or Stallion and in “Made Of Steel” they have something that, at least in parts, sounds a little like an American power ballad.
Even though the band has a knack of penning strong choruses, showcased in for instance “Empire Rising”, I feel that they are repeated a little too much for their own good. A problem is also that the material seems to be lacking a little bite and energy. A song like “Lucifer’s Reign” sounds a little sharper, has a bit more energy, and because of this, it’s one of the highlights on the album.
Overall, this debut album is nothing to be overly excited about, but still an album that you could play and enjoy, if you are into “easy listening” melodic metal that is. What it definitely does show, is some potential for the future. (65/100)
Blizzen “Genesis Reversed” (High Roller)
Okay, I admit it, I am underwhelmed by a lot of the bands that are part of what people love to call NWOTHM. Lets, see, the first few albums by Enforcer were brilliant, and the darker approach they have chosen for their later albums has worked well too, but a lot of these newer acts following in pretty similar footsteps, are not impressing me at all. Look to Canada for example and bands like Cauldron, Axxion or Skull Fist. Apart from the first Cauldron-EP (hey, that’s a long time ago), these acts do nothing at all for me. Too many hair metal-sounding riffs, sugar sweet vocals and soft melodies are among my main concerns. The same can, at least to a certain extent, be said about acts like Hitten, Stallion and…Blizzen.
Although there were some signs that weren’t too positive already on the first EP released last year, I wanted to wait for Blizzen’s first full length before I passed the judgement on the guys. Like on the EP ,the vocals sound way too flat and at the same time, come across totally without grit or power. To add to this, the music is way too lightweight and slick. I could have mentioned the lack of originality as well, but since this is clearly not a criteria for making interesting music, I will limit myself to saying that the band should work on elements that sets them apart from the bands I have mentioned and all other acts exploring the waters where hard rocking sounds meet heavy metal.
Even though I don’t really curse myself for missing the band’s appearance when I attended the “Revenge Of True Heavy Metal “ in Finland earlier this year, the music of Blizzen probably works better in a live format, where the band should be able to add some energy and sound a bit heavier. On record they simply haven’t enough to offer. The songs are way too similar when it comes to tempo, melodies and atmosphere too. None of them is worth singling out, as all of them fail to impress me. Yes, I can listen to “Genesis Reversed” without turning the album off, but I am listening to it only to review it, not because I enjoy it. (50/100)
Cauldron “In Ruin” (High Roller)
Okay, I admit it: I own a Cauldron t-shirt. I even wear it sometimes, but only underneath a jumper or a shirt. I never take off the jumper, I never unbutton the shirt. Why not? Well, I am not particularly proud of owning it, although it has to be said I bought it around the release of their first EP, “Into The Cauldron” back in 2007. You see, I loved the stuff singer and bass player Jason Decay did in Goat Horn prior to Cauldron, but since the EP, I’ve been lukewarm at best, sometimes frustrated when listening to their newer material.
“In Ruin” is Cauldron’s first full length since 2012, and taking the time they have used to get this album done into consideration, I guess it’s allowed to raise the expectations compared to what we got last time we heard from the Canadian trio. And yeah, this album might be a little better than “Burning Fortune” and “Tomorrows Lost”, but it’s just marginal, and “In Ruin” is definitely not an album that will change the way I look at the band. While it all sounds neat and tidy, with some pretty nice vocal melodies here and there from Mr. Decay, it’s all way too safe. I have nothing against melodic stuff, but when you pretend to play heavy metal, it should sound raw, it should have energy and it should sound that little bit dangerous. Cauldron doesn’t meet any of the criteria.
The last albums have been severely lacking when it comes to grit and energy, and unfortunately “In Ruin” does as well. Also, Decay’s vocals, while very prominent in the mix, sound as uncomitted and laidback as ever, failing to add bite to the overall picture. I am sure this type of mellow expression, severely lacking in power, with hints of a more hardrocking style is what the band is aiming for, but it doesn’t appeal to me at all.
Even though the album as a whole sounds rather dull and one dimensional both when it comes to tempo and arrangements, the opening track “No Return/In Ruin” featuring some nice guitar details, some pretty decent vocal harmonies and a surprisingly energy filled mid section, as well as the catchy “Burning At Both Ends” are both quite enjoyable. (55/100)
Dark Forest “Beyond The Veil” (Cruz Del Sur)
This is the album that should catapult Dark Forest into the elite division of heavy metal. Don’t misunderstand me, I was a big fan of their two latest albums as well, but this new one is clearly the best and most coherent work yet.
When you listen to «Beyond The Veil», you get a strong sense of spending time with not only a collection of songs, but an album, in the real meaning of the word. People will always have favourite tracks, I have a couple myself («Autumn’s Crown» which is the undisputed hit of the album, with a strong melody, the overall excellent «Blackthorn» with some awesome harmonies going on in the chorus and the long, epic album closer «The Lore Of The Land»), but the album itself should definitely be the main focus here. There is a thick, red thread running through all the songs of the album. At 71 minutes, I guess you can argue that the album is too long. However, the boring parts are very few and far between and the melodies, while clearly being written to complement each other, are not too similar.
The twin guitar work, full of wonderful harmonies has always been the best part about Dark Forest, and here it is shaped to perferction. It’s difficult to understand how you can do it better, as each solo or riff works perfectly. The album is very melodic, in the same manner that a band like Twisted Tower Dire is melodic, but with different kind melodies of course .Melodic heavy metal with folk influences should be a pretty accurate description, for as Christian Horton says in the interview, this is not a folk metal album with alternative instruments. Guitars, bass, drums and vocals that’s it. The classic set up for a heavy metal band.
While some might argue that the band lacks a top class singer, the vocals of Josh Winnard are improved compared to last time. While it felt like he was only just getting used to singing on «The Awakening», he seems much more secure now. His voice is not spectacular in any way, but it’s very pleasant, and fits well with the crisp sound and the melodic base of the songs. Also, some of the vocal melodies are simply irresistible. Coupled with the lyrics, they draw you into another, magical world.
In a year that has been a bit underwhelming when it comes to new releases, «Beyond The Veil» is a bright, shining light and clearly one of the strongest offerings put out by a heavy metal band. It takes a great band to create such grand and majestic compositions without turning cheesy. Dark Forest is definitely a great band! (85/100)
Dark Nightmare “Tortured Souls” (Eat Metal)
I believe I own both the previous albums released by Greece’s Dark Nightmare, but to be honest, I don’t play them a lot. To be perfectly honest, I don’t think I have listened to “The Human Liberty” or “Beneath The Veils Of Winter” since they were both brand new. That doesn’t make the band irrelevant of course, and I remember both previous releases as decent. The problem is, that there is a lot of stuff coming out that deserves to be described with bigger superlatives than that.
The stuff the band present on “Tortured Souls” is not very immediate, and it took a handful of listens before I started enjoying the album. The singer has a pretty heavy accent, but if you’re ears are fed regularly with metal from the southern parts of Europe, it shouldn’t ruin your listening experience. I have to say it draws my attention a little though, both when I am just lending the music an ear, but especially when I listening more actively with the lyrics in front of me.
In a few of the songs there are traces of extreme metal to be found, but also some interesting keyboard parts that definitely add something extra to the songs and make them more interesting. There is a bit of a progressive touch on the material, which contributes strongly in keeping things interesting. The opener of the album, “I-Life” doesn’t really cut it with me, but already the following, “Crown Of Innocence”, is better. This song has a mystical aura and a really tasteful guitar solo. With the third track, ”Eternal Forest” things really gets interesting. The track is close to 8 minutes long and reeks of extreme metal in the guitars as well as the drumming. It’s a really diverse number, with the main part being very emotional and powerful, containing passages with deeper, dramatic vocals a little similar to the mighty Eric Clayton from Saviour Machine. Simply excellent stuff!
Speaking of the singer, I have to admit he gets a little on my nerves when he uses the upper register of his voice, like in ”Waiting For The Light” for instance. Most of the time though, his performance is steady and powerful. Clocking in at almost 55 minutes, “Tortured Souls” seems a little too long, but it’s not really a big problem as thing are kept rather interesting and also surprisingly fresh throughout the album. It might be due to the fact that I don’t listen to nowhere near as much progressive tinted metal as I used to, but to me, Dark Nightmare has a bit of their own thing going, which is never a bad thing. Both the music as well a the vocals and lyrics, carry this strong melancholic feeling, something which you can hear in for instance “Slaughter”. While the band never reaches the heights of the aforementioned “Eternal Forest”, most of the songs are quite decent. “Borders Of Pain” where the band sound faster and more aggressive, is one that doesn’t work as good for me, as it feels a little too hectic with a vocal style that doesn’t seem to fit the singer’s voice that well. (70/100)
Demon “Cemetery Junction” (Spaced Out Music)
Apart from the obvious first two albums that everyone seem to love, I am a huge fan of the albums that Demon did in the late eighties and early nineties. “Breakout” and “Blow-out” are fine records, while “Taking The World By Storm” and “Hold On To The Dream” are two of my favorite albums ever, and simply so awesome I can’t picture myself surviving more than a month without listening to one or both of them.
It’s been obvious for quite some time now, that the band is not capable of delivering that kind of quality anymore, but “Unbroken”, only the band’s third album in the 20 years that have passed since the release of “Blow-out”, showed that Dave Hill and his ever changing compatriots are still capable of coming up with some pretty solid stuff. “Cemetery Junction”, hitting the streets “only” four years later, is more or less in the same league. It’s a long way to the standards of the already mentioned world class albums, but still there are songs here better than most of the stuff coming out these days. As always, there is something damn honest and workman like about the way the band operates.
The opening track “Are You Just Like Me”, really raised my quite moderate expectations, as it is clearly one of the best, if not the best Demon-track since the days of “Blow-Out”. A rocking and direct opener with an infectious chorus and some tasteful keyboards added. “Life In Berlin” is slower and more on the melancholic side of things, with Mr. Hill contributing to the melancholy with his performance. A very different track to the opener, but still a strong one.
Speaking about the vocals, you should have no problem recognizing the voice of Mr. Hill, the only remaining original member of the band, especially if you have a relationship to Demon that involves more than having heard songs like “Don’t Break The Circle” or “Night Of The Demon”. While he is clearly not the singer he once was, his signature hoarse and rough voice is still intact, and come on, Demon has never been about perfect vocal performances. Hill has always been able to carry huge emotions with his voice, and he still is, just listen to the track “Queen Of Hollywood”.
Sadly, after the two first tracks, things go downhill, at times rather steep. While there are some good moments in the aformentioned “Queen Of Hollywood”, the title track and a couple of others, the general impression is that that there are too many soft moments and generally the songwriting seems too conservative, with quite a few of the songs recalling tracks the band already wrote in the past. Also the performance seems to miss the necessary spark and energy to make mediocre songs that little bit more interesting, at times the band, including Hill himself, sounds almost uninspired. (60/100)
Demon Bitch “Hellfriends” (Skol)
I fell completely in love with Demon Bitch with the release of their EP “Death Is Hanging”. Just like another (now sadly defunct) act from the area, Borrowed Time, Demon Bitch is capturing the true heavy metal spirit from the eighties. And just like Borrowed Time did, Demon Bitch also shows willingness to think outside of the box and experiment with the song writing without straying one inch from the power/speed/heavy-metal-path. “Hellfriends” is a weird album, at times downright mad, but without turning into nonsense or something that isn’t heavy metal. Quite an achievement, I would say.
The performance might not be tightest you have heard this year, but what the hell, it has a lot of charm, and you can really hear the guys having fun and enjoying themselves when they recorded the album. It’s certainly not an album for everyone, but my readers, and everyone else with a bit of experience from underground and under produced eighties heavy should find a lot of joy in this album. Personally, I think Logon Saton’s theatrical and totally over the top vocals are one of the coolest aspects about Demon Bitch. Wild and whining, they seem to be all over the place and are totally fascinating.
I was a bit shocked to say the least, when I made a compilation with one song from this release and some tracks from a few random new metal releases a while ago. The volume on “Hellfriends” is very low compared to most other recordings put out this year, but listening to it now, it’s not that much a concern, as the volume of course is steady from song to song. Also, you can always turn up the volume to 11 if you want!
Let’s round of this review by saying a little about some of the individual tracks. There are only seven of them, and one of those, “A Passage To The Other Side”, is a short instrumental. Among the six others, you’ll find “Devil Love” which is a rerecording of a song that originally featured on the band’s 2012 Demo. The opening tune, “Warning From The Skies” is great, so melodic, so intense and so fresh sounding, it leaves you on your knees begging for more. The title track is another fave, totally over the top, both when it comes to the tempo as well as the singing. “Fortunes Told” also deserves to be mentioned, and especially the intense and energy packed ending which works as a climax to a great track.
The album clocks in at 36 minutes, which feels about right, since it’s not the most diverse album. That being said, listening to “Hellfriends” is a different experience than listening to 90 percent of the metal stuff coming out these days. It sounds so genuine and so right! If you like your metal dark, fast and catchy, this is the album to buy. I love it! (80/100)
Dexter Ward “Rendezvous With Destiny” (No Remorse)
I did an in depth interview with Mark from Dexter Ward a while ago. He is a lovely guy and very good heavy metal singer, and possesses a voice with a lot of identity. Simply put, he is a singer you can easily recognize among hordes of others, and also one of the main strengths of Dexter Ward, both on album as well as in a live setting. He not only carries the songs on this album, he is also able to lift them to a higher level.
With the catchy and extremely easy to like title track, the album gets off to a solid start. The following “Stone Age Warrior”, taking on a heavier and more epic approach, is the best song on offer here, an opinion that seems to be shared by many who have heard the album. A real hymn! The third track is “These Metal Wings” where a Jag Panzer-like chorus is paired with some Iron Maiden-like guitar work, and the end result is another hymn. After these three killer songs, which were also the ones the band performed when I had the joy of watching them at KIT, things get a little less exciting. Not boring or bad, I must stress, but a little less entertaining.
The material is rather melodic, easy to remember and with lots of hooks. It’s all nice and tidy stuff, and I am listening to this album and enjoying it, but that being said, there is something missing for “Rendezvous With Destiny” to be a real top class album. I am not sure what it is, but some of the riffs could surely have been a bit more interesting. Maybe I would have liked the album even more if they had added more of the heaviness they have incorporated in “Stone Age Warrior”? Or perhaps if the sound was a bit rawer, or one or two songs (“Knights Of Jerusalem” springs to mind) had a bit more energy? Don’t let my objections avoid you from checking out “Rendezvous With Destiny” though, as it is a mighty fine piece of melodic heavy metal with some hard rock influences, most notable in “We Are Dexter Ward”. (75/100)
Eternal Champion “The Armor Of Ire” (No Remorse)
Since I am not the fastest when it comes to finishing reviews, I have been able to watch from the sidelines as the praise for this one has been coming from both left and right. As those of you who have followed Metal Squadron from the start should know, we were pretty much the first to feature Eternal Champion, so no – we are not surprised!
So what about “The Armor Of Ire”, the band’s first full length then? Is it the highlight “everyone” seems to think? I would definitely say so, it’s clearly a stand out release, and destined to feature in a very prominent position on my top ten-list, come the end of 2017. I guess you can say, the album is already a winner, as there is no other record released this year that I have listened to the same number of times as “The Armor Of Ire”. Partly because it’s a short album of course, clocking in at only 34 minutes, but also because it’s damn good one. The “Armor Of Ire” is also surprisingly diverse, without straying far off from what is expected from a pure heavy metal album with an epic element of course.
The first track “I Am The Hammer” has some Jon Oliva-like shrieks at the start, and soon turns into a monster of a midtempo…eh…hammer with some damn heavy riffs. The title track I loved straight away too, it’s a lot more melodic, nowhere near as dark and heavy as the opener, it even has some tasteful synth incorporated, but with awesome melodies going on throughout the song. These two tracks are both among the very best heavy metal numbers released in 2017, no doubt about it. “The Last Kingdom Of Pictdom” most of you probably know from the demo, although this is a newly recorded version. Another great song, and even though I have heard it countless times already on the tape and later on the 7″, I am nowhere near tired of it.
Alongside the six real tracks, of which five are new ones, there are also two intros which I don’t really get the point with. I would clearly have preferred another full length song, but one of the strengths about “The Amor Of Ire” is, that apart from these short pieces, there is hardly a dull moment on offer. “Invoker”, originally planned for the 12” inch split with Gatekeeper, containing another killer bunch of riffs and a nice mix of atmospheric and heavier parts, is another highlight, and should be pure joy to witness live, while the melodic “Sing A Last Song Of Valdese” is an example of how the guitars and the vocal melodies and distinct voice of Jason Tarpey are able to create moments of pure epic metal magic. “The Armor Of Ire” is an album every fan of heavy metal should know…and of course buy! (90/100)
Fates Warning “Theories Of Flight” (InsideOut)
I haven’t done too many reviews of progressive metal-releases here at Metal Squadron, but Fates Warning is…Fates Warning, and also an act, or should we perhaps say “institution”, that has many fans in heavy, doom and epic metal-circles. If we focus on Fates Warning with Ray Alder as a singer, the band hasn’t been able to recreate the intricate songwriting and stellar melodies that made albums like “Perfect Symmetry” and “Parallels” so great, and Alder himself hasn’t sounded at his best since “A Pleasant Shade Of Gray”. This time, both factors are taken care of, and the result, “Theories Of Flight” is nothing less than a future classic and one of the better albums Fates Warning have released. It might sound like a hasty conclusion, but with some albums, you just know it. I guess it’s something about you wanting to play it again, only a couple of hours after it last was on the turntable.
Those who know Fates Warning and the trademarks of the Alder-era, should know what to expect. The musicians involved are all experienced and ranked among the elite performers on their respective instruments, all incorporating a lot of details in their work, making the album well equipped to stand the test of time. Main song writer and guitarist Jim Matheos has a style that it’s easy to recognize, and the rhythm section with Joey Vera and Bobby Jarzombek is solid, with the latter supplying a more metallic fundament for the songs than Mark Zonder most probably would have done. Calmer passages are blended with slightly modern sounding and groovier metal parts seemingly without any effort at all, and Alder’s vocals sounds really smooth, like in his prime, and it also carries a world full of emotions.
The first half of this album is nothing short of excellent. You got the opener “From The Rooftops”, which after a slow start with emotional vocals and beautiful leads, gets harder and more aggressive-progressive. Next up is “Seven Stars” which is the hit of the album, almost like the most commercial tracks from “Perfect Symmetry” or “Parallels”, although the structure of the song is a bit more complicated than most of the tracks on those albums. “SOS” follows in the same tradition, also a melodic and very catchy tune, with some more progressive parts as well. “ The Light And Shade Of Things”, one of two tracks that surpasses the ten minute mark, is the real gem of the album. An extremely beautiful and powerful song that during the calmer parts reminds me a bit of something from Marillion’s masterful 1994-release “Brave”. The way I started this paragraph might suggest that the second half of the album is a bit weaker. But it really isn’t. Slightly less memorable, or a bit less instant maybe, but the the quality is still there, and I am sure some people will argue the at a song like “”Like Stars Our Eyes Have Seen” is among the definitive highlights of the album along with the epic “The Ghost Of Home”, showcasing some of the best lyrics on offer here.
This is, simply put, a brilliant, modern progressive metal album, rich on melodies, emotions and well crafted songs performed by excellent musicians. “Theories Of Flight” is clearly an album that deserves something more than just being consumed, you need to listen and digest to get the best out of this piece of work. An album that will stand the test of time! (85/100)
Frenzy “Lethal Protector” (Underground Power)
It’s always nice when bands take the time to contact me and ask for a review. It’s even nicer when they a) don’t play black metal, b) offer to send me a physical copy of their product and c) actually get their asses of to send me the stuff. I still get lots of mail from (mostly) one man projects performing either black metal or some kind of modern bullshit that doesn’t deserve any promotion at all. I also, and this is one thing that I don’t understand, get mails from bands offering me to send their stuff for review, but never actually do it.
So why am I mentioning this here? Well, Frenzy seems like a professional outfit. They contacted me via mail, offering to send me their EP “Lethal Protector”, and actually kept their word. The band is pretty new, formed in Madrid only in 2014 and three of the members were formerly in Steel Horse which released two full length releases before they broke up. Singer Anthony Stephen was part of Steel Horse towards the end, but didn’t sing on their albums. I was really surprised when I heard him sing, as he didn’t sound like your average Spanish singer at all. It appears he was born in the US, and without the typical accent this sounds very much like something that could have come out of the US in the late eighties.
This is simply a great little EP, it makes fun listening to it, and it’s so damn easy to hear that the guys had fun making it. All five songs, including a very well executed version of Racer X’s ripper “Loud And Clear” from their debut “Street Lethal” ( I guess Frenzy probably took their name from the intro to this album carrying the same name), are enjoyable in the way they mix feelgood heavy metal with hard rock and either turns it into a catchy, mid tempo stomper like “Change To Green” or goes for a more out and out aggressive, yet still melodic attack in the faster titletrack or in “Ride To Be Free”. In both cases, the excellent, piercing vocals of Stephen as well as the tasty guitar work are the main focal points. Please, don’t have us waiting too long for the full length, guys! (75/100)
Grey Wolf “Glorious Death” (Arthorium)
Greywolf is a Brazilian band which had their previous effort, “We Are Metal Heads” rereleased by one of the finest labels aound, Stormspell. I can’t remember being very impressed by that release, but this new one, their first for Arthorium, who deserves a mention for bothering to send me a physical copy of this album, shows pretty clear signs of improvement. As the cover art suggest, this is clearly not for wimps, “Glorious Death” is completely free of commercial ambitions, vocal perfection and slick, sugar sweet choruses. Instead, this is epic battle metal with references to a couple of my favourite, newer metal bands, Ironsword and Ravensire, both due to the rough vocals as well as the the no frills, ballsy epic metal the guys deliver.
To be honest, Grey Wolf isn’t as good as the mentioned act yet, but the no compromise-style coupled with some really good attempts at writing real metal hymns, make this album rather interesting. The main man Fabio “Grey Wolf” Paulinelli, is the man behind the rough and hoarse vocals as well as the bass, and has made sure his instrument is very audible in the mix. Most songs contain some really cool bass lines, a bit out of the ordinary.
“Glorious Death doesn’t offer a lot of diversity. There are a lot of midtempo oriented songs full of heavy riffs, coming out very dark and at times almost doomy. Of course there are exceptions, but more parts than full songs, for instance the end of the “The Are Will Rule The Kingdom (King Kull pt. 2)” or the calmer “Cimmeria” complete with acoustic guitars in the vein of Manilla Road and vocal lines a little similar to Martin Walkyier in Skydclad. The material is a little up and down, with “Metal Avenger”, a real hymn in the vein of Ironsword and Ravensire, the defintive highlight of the album. (70/100)
Hammer King “King Is Rising” (Cruz Del Sur)
Cruz Del Sur has an impressive rooster with many great acts. Unfortunately, Hammer King isn’t one of them. Their debut, released one and a half year ago, was a pretty lackluster affair, and I honestly cant’ say that “King Is Rising”, is any better. Musically we’re talking melodic heavy metal, or power metal which is the expression I guess some people would use. To give you a rough idea about how this sounds, Hammerfall should work as a reference, or perhaps even more fitting, Hammer King’s fellow Germans, Majesty. The latter mostly due to the way they mix up some light Manowar-influences with more European sounding melodic metal. Like in Majesty, cliches are pretty much everywere, trying to keep up with all the musical pathos.
Say what you will about Hammerfall or Majesty, their albums are pretty much hit or miss, but at their peak, both bands certainly knew how pen a catchy tune, something that is really essential when you are dealing in this type of metal. The same can’t be said about Hammer King, as the songwriting feels really uninspired while the musicians are just doing what is expected of them, seemingly without putting no extra effort or no real heart into it. The whole album feels so damn safe, almost calculated.
Okay, so you might get the expression that I am not the right guy to review this album, but the truth is that I am usually a sucker for strong melodies and hooks galore, which you normally would expect in a band like Hammer King, but sadly I can’t find any of that here. The songs just plod along, and the wailing vocals of singer Titan Fox, known also for his work with Ross The Boss, is simply awful when he goes for the falsetto during the choruses of tracks like “Warrior’s Reign” or “Eternal Tower Of Woe”. (40/100)
High Spirits “Motivator” (High Roller)
It’s time for the third effort from Chris Black and his High Spirits, which at least in studio format, means he is doing pretty much everything himself. While I enjoyed both the previous albums, there is no denying that High Spirits is definitely at their best when they’re on stage performing their catchy material.
Black’s feelgood, toe tapping heavy metal/hard rock, has always been enjoyable in studio versions as well, hell I even bough the two demos and then the self financed vinyl version when they was first released, but the added energy and power makes the stage Version more impressive. The formula is pretty much the same as it was back when he did the demos, and why change a concept that has worked so well for him, gaining them new fans for each album? However, without the really stand out songs the band has built a reputation around, there isn’t enough substance here to keep the listener interested, as the structures and the arrangements are almost similar to that of pop music designed for mass consumption.
I might have enjoyed “”Motivator” more if I wasn’t very familiar with the band from before, so if you haven’t heard the previous High Spirits-stuff, this might be the album that gets you hooked, even though most songs feel like weaker takes on some of Black’s earlier tracks. The best song is probably “Down The Endless Road” with both pace and energy. In the other end of the scale, you got a track like “Thank You”, where both the lyrica as well as the music feel very banal, even when were talking about High Spirits. Some of the songs sound a bit forced, and generally the material isn’t as fluent as in the past, as some vocal melodies and melodies in general, feel a bit “constructed”. The song writing is basic and predictable and quite a few times during the course of the album I catch myself thinking that Chris is just going through the routines. I guess this is the first High Spirits-album that won’t find a way into my collection. (60/100)
Hitten “State Of Shock” (No Remorse)
I kind of liked Hitten’s debut album, but even if it was a decent affair, it wasn’t good enough to give the band the big breakthrough in underground circles. But hey, bands from Spain rarely get breakthroughs. And not many bands, regardless of where they are from, get it with their debut album.
My first impression, without remembering the debut in details, was that “State Of Shock” showed a slightly more melodic side of the band. For instance, I can’t remember the choruses on the first album being this memorable. In addition, it seems like a few of the rough edges have been smoothed out a little. “Eternal Force”, from what I understand a tribute to the late Mark Reale, featuring current Riot V-singer Todd Michael Hall is an example of a song that, mainly due to the guitars, turns out a little too cheerful and cheesy for me. When I think of it, some of the songs from the latest Riot-album are as well, so that might be the idea behind it. In the other end of the scale we have a song like “Chained To Insanity” starting with darker and rougher vocals, in slower tempo, before it picks up speed and aggression, almost adopting a thrash-light approach in parts. A good song, although the main thing might just as well be that the structure isn’t as predictable as in many of the other tracks. “Don’t Be Late”, already released as a single last year, with some classic US metal riffs and “Can’t Bring Me Down” containing nice guitarwork and cool backing vocals, are other solid tunes here.
Something that applies for Hitten like it does for a lot of other newer, heavy metal-acts, is the fact that the band really needs to work hard on their identity. Listening to “State Of Shock”, is for most parts, just like listening to one of the countless other heavy metal-albums released during the past years. The band knows their stuff, both when it comes to songwriting and performing, but they should definitely try to explore some new ideas within the borders of their style. In my opinion, they should also search for those small, but at the same time, very important details which will make a metal music mass consumer, like pretty much everyone of us reading these pages are, recognize the band from the steadily growing bunch of new acts exploring the same waters.
The vocals of Aitor Navarro are, just like the rest here, rather unspectacular. Again, I could have wished for a more original voice, but more important is probably the lack of power in parts of his delivery. At times he sounds a bit uninterested, which is simply not the way to try to lift these compositions. There are a lot of flashing guitar solos scattered around on the album, but again, we’ve heard it all before, and even if the solos in themselves are executed in fine manner. (65/100)
Iron Spell “Electric Conjuring” (Eat Metal)
This album, the first one for Iron Spell, starts with a short intro, “Ave Zulbah” leading us into the real opening track “Torches In The Woods”. The song has some catchy riffing going on as well as a bit of tempo, but nothing more than you should expect from an opening tune. The chorus however, seems a little on the soft side, a critiscm I also had towards the latest Hitten-album, a band Iron Spell surely has a bit in common with musically. “The Night of The Mothman” is roughly in the same vein, but fortunately a bit stronger. The vocal lines are more engaging and the chorus is better. “The Witch” shows a heavier side of the band, and the vocalist shows a lot of enthusiasm, but his voice comes out a bit on the ordinary side. There is little or no identity to be heard, and he also seems a little strained in parts.
Its probably not a sign of quality song writing, when the instrumental track, “Under The Iron Spell” is the strongest compostition on this album. It offers nothing that you haven’t heard before of course, but is a really cool hymn in the tradition of catchy NWOBHM-instrumetnals. “Stormrider”, one of the songs where the chorus isn’t overly melodic, is also one of the tracks that works rather well, and it raises the question if the band would profit from toning down some of the choruses a bit. Towards the end of the album, there are some pretty mediocre songs popping up. “We Are Legion”, a more midtempo oriented track, fails to impress as the main idea isn’t strong enough. There are also some work to be done in other areas, as the prechorus to “Evil Gypsy” doesn’t quite sound right, a shame really as both the verse an the chorus are better. Finally I have to mention the simple and forced “Moonlight Maniac” which is close to a disaster, with the vocalist at his absolutely worst, some lame lyrics and a totally horrible chorus. Other than that, this is not the most diverse album around, so 43 minutes is more than enough. (65/100)
Lethal Steel “Legion Of The Night” (High Roller)
We’re off to…Sweden. Not for the first time this year, I predict. The stream of new, up and coming acts from our neighbors in the East, is pretty astonishing. I won’t name them all here, you just need to check the review section to see that I really enjoy most of these bands releasing their albums on Metal Blade or in the case of Lethal Steel (and countless others) High Roller. Lethal Steel performs what you could call Muskelrock-compatible heavy metal, I guess it’s no coincidence that the band was just booked to perform at this festival for the second time, and that it’s not just connected to the fact that their label sponsors the event.
While the band members share a passion for the godfathers of Swedish heavy metal Heavy Load and Gotham City, there is a love for more obscure acts, both Swedish and international to be found here. The album contains eight tracks ranging from the three minute short “Into The Void Of Lucifer” to the six and a half minute journey of “Night Of The Witch”. As in quite a few heavy metal acts recently, the vocals of Viktor borrows a bit from King Diamond, not as much as in Attic or even fellow Swedish bands like old Portrait or Trial, but still you can’t help but think of the Danish master here and there. Viktor has a few nuances in his voice, and his performance is quite diverse. The slightly melancholic feel to his voice fits the general mood of most of the songs.
The album starts on a high note, with the two best tracks fired off at the very beginning. “Sirius” and especially “Nattsvart” with lyrics in Swedish are just great tracks, Together with the fast and to the point rifforama that is “Into The Void Of Lucifer”, these tracks are, maybe not heads and shoulders above the rest, but at least in a somewhat different league. The rest is decent, but nothing spectacular, and definitely not as a original as the band themselves want to be when they claim they’re the only Swedish metal band playing genuine heavy metal at the moment. “Legion Of The Night” is a solid start, and if the band can produce more material as convincing as the best songs here, there is no reason why Lethal Steel can’t be the next big traditional metal-thing from Sweden. (70/100)
Lizzies “Good Luck” (The Sign)
Since Metal Squadron generates nothing but expenses, I’ve said a few times that albums that I receive physically (although I never ask a band to send me anything), will jump forward in the queue. “Good Luck”, from the Madrid-based, all female-band Lizzies is one of these albums. After a demo, an EP and an single, I guess it was about time to explore the last common format, the full length album.
With the help of producer Ola Ersfjord, along with fellow Swede Magnus Lindberg handling the mastering of the album, the quartet has recorded nine, mostly short and compact songs, something which is reflected in the playing time, with “Good Luck” clocking in at a rather meager 31 minutes and 40 seconds. The album is a very even affair, with the majority of the songs being on the same level. I personally, struggle to find a really outstanding tune here, but I can listen to and enjoy the album in its entirety without getting too bored. The material, is really easy to get into, hell even the song titles on this album are damn catchy! Also, the sound shouldn’t be able to scare anyone off, as everything sound very pleasant, with a lot of warmth and authenticity.
“Good Luck” is packed with r0cking, feelgood music that should fit the summer quite well, but I suspect it’s the kind of album that will only last for one summer. Maximum. There isn’t any real depth in the songwriting, but still you can enjoy the album for what it is. The choruses seems a tad to commercial and smooth for my taste, but will probably work fine for singing along to during concerts. There is a couple of tracks that are a bit more aggressive and attacking, and these are the ones I enjoy most. “Speed On The Road” for instance, is the fastest song on the album, and one of that has made a real impression even after having listened to the album close to fifteen times. (60/100)
Lucifer’s Hammer “Beyond The Omens” (Shadow Kingdom)
We’re heading for Santiago, Chile and the madmen in Lucifer’s Hammer. I enjoyed the demo from a few years back to the extent that I set up an interview with the guys, and had some pretty high expectations for the first full length release. So am I satisfied with what the trio has to offer? Well, “Beyond The Omens” is an enjoyable affair of armor plated heavy metal, but like most releases this year, it struggles to reach the level above “good”.
“Beyond The Omens” is dressed in a solid production. Crisp, but not too slick, and it contributes strongly in bringing forth the power in the band’s performance. Unfortunately, the song material fails to convince beyond what you expect from a talented newcomer band. While some of the songs are above average, I am struggling to find a really top class composition here. A shame really, as there is nothing wrong with the style the band is playing, some sort of combination between US and European sounds.
I guess it’s pretty safe to say that some people will struggle a bit with the vocals of Hades. His voice is unspectacular and could have used more power. Even though I can’t call his performance fully convincing, it kinda works in a strange way. At least for me. “The Hammer Of The Gods” is a pretty good opener, and for sure one of the best tracks on the entire album. The riffs are decent, there is a cool, instrumental mid section which sounds quite Maiden-inspired before it suddenly changes to something similar to Running Wild. The following instrumental “Lucifers Hammer” is another highlight, sounding like something Savage Grace could have done, or logically, a bit like Iron Maiden.
One of the best things about “Beyond The Omens”, is the fact that it is a pretty diverse album, at least for traditional metal standards. “Dying” for instance, is a slower and more melodic tune with a melancholic touch, while “Shinning Blade” is a heavier hymn. “Black Mysteries” is faster again with some really good guitar work. None of these tracks are mindblowing, but they’re all pretty enjoyable, at least in this context.
“Nightmares”, on the other hand, is clearly one of the weaker tracks on offer here, a pretty lame and uninspired hard rocker. “Warriors” starts out with some quite NWOBHM-sounding guitars and a certain Saxon- vibe, before the closing title track showcases a riff that is pretty similar to Pretty Maids’ awesome “Back To Back”. Nevertheless, it’s a powerful song, and along with the two opening tracks, one of the better ones on the album. (65/100)
Maze Of Terror “Ready To Kill”(Empire)
Even though we’re in South America, in Lima, Peru, to be more precise, don’t expect some kind of raw, filthy and untight thrash metal here. In fact, Maze Of Terror deals in well produced, brutal and dark thrash, with drummer Hammer pounding those drums like there is no tomorrow. This is some really powerful shit, and at times, I guess you could you use the term death thrash to descreibe what you hear on the album.
“Ready To Kill” is the band’s first full length after an EP, “Skullcrusher” was released back in 2012. I never heard that one, but this new offering should definitely get their name around. I have no problem picturing these songs in a live setting, were I think they should be even more effective. The opener, “Rotting Force” has a really cool main riff, and the bass and drums contribute to making this track one where the whole band sounds really pissed off. The vocalist too of course, with his snarling and angry approach.
It’s a little refreshing to hear a band that doesn’t only sound like a rehash of old Destruction and Kreator-songs. The band has a lot of other ideas, as seen in the 10 minute long album closer “Giles De Rais”. That being said, this is still thrash made for headbanging with screaming solos and some bad ass riffs. The second track “Lycanthropes” is a real killer, but the album is not fast, wild and furious all the time, as the guys have the ability to throw some heavier and more controlled parts into the mix. The album also showcases a couple of darker and more groove oriented songs like for instance “Executio Bestialis”.
While not groundbreaking or particularly diverse, “Ready To Kill” is still one of the better thrash metal albums I have heard during the last six months. (70/100)
Metal Church “XI” (Nuclear Blast)
While I was working on a review on the new Rage-album, I came to think of this one, and the fact that I hadn’t gotten around to review Mike Howe’s return to Metal Church. The main reason why Rage made me think of Metal Church, is because both albums have been spoken about as a return to something that once was, in the case of Metal Church, the three albums the band did with Mike Howe in the late eighties/early nineties. Listening to both albums also thaught me one important thing, a lesson I should have learnt several years ago: With a few execptions, there really is no need to buy albums from old favourites anymore. Neither Rage nor Metal Church have produced bad albums, but what they deliver with their latest offerings is so damn average it should be prohibited.
Musically, Metal Church has done a couple of things right with this album. They have taken the style that they have used for the past few albums and mashed it with the particular Howe-era that I referred to earlier. You can even hear them using some of the old tricks that worked so well in the past, like the acoustic middle part in “Signal Path”, which sends us straight back to “Hanging In The Balance”.
When the first small snippets from the album were spread, most people seemed very impressed by Mike Howe’s voice. I was one of those, and I still am damned impressed. It’s not his fault that the album is so mediocre. His voice is in top shape, and he sings just as good as on the aforementioned recordings. However his vocal lines are not as strong as they used to be. I am pretty sure I can hum a line here or there from all the past Howe-recordings, but here everything is very anonymous. The same goes for the choruses. Where are the fist-raising, anthemic ones the band used to be famous for? There is not a single good chorus on “XI”, and in quite a few of the songs, the verse or the bridge is the catchiest part. The choruses in general sound uninspired and like a band on auto pilot. Apart from “Signal Path”, there are a few songs that have something going for them, like the decent opener “Reset”, the first video track from the album, “No Tomorrow”, which was the first song I listened to, and still is my fave from the album, as well as “Sky Falls In”, which again is good, apart from the chorus. However, there is not a single song here I would rate above average. (60/100)
Moros Nyx “Revolution Street” (Underground Power)
I did a review of “Rite Of Rebellion, the demo tape from these guys (later also released as a 7”) a while back. The demo contained an intro as well as three regular tracks, but only the really good opening track from the tape, “Child Of The Dream” has been found worthy a place on the Chicago based quartet’s first full length. While the kind of often fast and always highly melodic “happy metal” for many years was associated with Europe, it’s nice and kind of refreshing to hear American bands trying to replicate this style, or doing it with their own twist. Moros Nyx belongs to the latter category. Even though they have some of the big, singalong choruses that you will be humming in your sleep, and they know when to add some fine guitar harmonies, they are not as fast paced as their European counterparts and the songwriting also offers a lot more diversity than expected.
While the songmaterial is rather coherent and interesting all the way through, there are a couple of highlights that deserves to be singled out for some extra praise. “Child In A Dream” has already been mentioned. It’s one of the faster songs on the album, featuring also a bit more aggressive vocals from singer MP Papai. A really high quality, melodic underground metal-hymn with lots of charm. The adventurous, 7 and a half minute long title track is also really good, somewhere in the terrain of Iron Maiden meets Keeper-era Helloween meets Gamma Ray, while “Fear Monger” has a chorus that you will be humming for weeks to come, while Kai Hansen will probably curse himself for not coming up with it. I could go on adding more tracks to the list, as both “A Time For Heroes” and “What Happens This Night” deserve to be mentioned.
To be honest, I don’t like the ballad “We Are The Damned”. It’s something about MP Papai’s vocals and his lines that doesn’t work for me. Actually I think the female singer, Satan’s Hallow’s Mandy Martillo, suits this track a lot better, something which becomes quite clear when you hear the two trade lines back and forth before they join forces. That being said, this track, along with the likes of “Captured” which has a very different structure and “Deformed In the Mind” which is more intense and has a darker approach, add quite a lot of diversity to the album. Diversity that makes this record more interesting than most new melodic heavy metal releases out there. Also, the crisp and not too massive sound, where the songs are allowed to breathe, adds to the experience. Clearly one of the finest debut albums of 2016 so far! (75/100)
To bands/labels/managements submitting material:
What you get is my honest opinion, so don’t expect every third album to receive 90 out of 100 points. There is simply way too much crap out there, even in the genres I love. Come on, almost every average release out there receive top scores in one or more webzines these days. My task is to help the readers by singling out the releases that deserves some extra attention. If you can’t live with mye critical approach, don’t bother sending me promos! If you are allright with it, hit my mailbox with your stuff (physical promos preferred):
leifkr(at)online.no
Mail address: Leif Kringen, Melbystien 3, N-2818 Gjovik, Norway
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Ancient Empire “Other World” (Stormspell)
Following up their 2014-release “When Empires Fall”, this is the second album from San Fransisco-based, modern power metal-outfit Ancient Empire. The band features the rhythm section of the Pelletier-brothers (Steve, drums and Rich, bass) who both have a long career, with acts like Forgotten Disciple, Hellhound and Rapid Fire on their CV. All bands by the way, have had their material released by Stormspell, who are also releasing this new Ancient Empire-album, as they were with the debut. A rhythm section alone doesn’t make an album for the average heavy metal-fan I guess, and the last cog in the wheel is Joe Liszt who is also in Shadowkiller and used to sing for Rocka Rollas.
Ancient Empire performs decent heavy/power metal, avoiding the worst clichés. The material on “Other World” is not overly exciting by any means, but solid enough and well performed. “Fight Another Day” is a powerful and midtempo oriented opener, clearly one of the better tracks here, but in a broader context, a little unspectacular. Some cuts, like the following “Dark Before Dawn” inject a bit more tempo, but most of the songs strike me a little ordinary again when it comes to the melodies. More hooks would have been great, as there are some fine guitar shredding going on. Liszt is without doubt a solid singer, but the vocal melodies lacks in creativity and sound a little too similar from song to song.
The recording feels a little clinical, I wished it hit me more straight in my face, with some additional aggression and bite. Maybe it would have helped if the guitars were a bit beefier and further forward in the mix? The drums could have sounded a bit more natural as well. Another point worth mentioning, is the fact that as the album moves along, I have a pretty hard time distinguishing the songs from each other. To sum up, Ancient Empire delivers decent, power metal with a dark aura surrounding, but, mostly due to the lack of hooks and catchy melodies, there isn’t really a single standout track on offer here (55/100)
Angel Sword “Rebels Beyond The Pale” (Underground Power)
With the likes of Ranger and Speedtrap coming through, we were reminded that Finland has more to offer than sugar sweet, so called power metal. With Tyfon’s Doom, Satan’s Fall and Angel Sword releasing stuff pretty much at the same time, it suddenly feels like Finnish heavy metal stands stronger than for quite a while. Out of the three acts mentioned in the same sentence here, Angel Sword is probably the least interesting. Their mix of seventies hard rock, naïve NWOBHM/punk and mid eighties, melancholic Scandinavian metal, is certainly not bad, but there are few factors that prevent me from using the really big superlatives.
This album, the band’s first full length release, consists of the four tracks from the band’s demo “Midwinter Tapes”, remixed with some parts also being rerecorded as well as five brand new tracks. One of the main strengths of the band is the nice melodies and hummable choruses that turn up here and there, most notably in tracks like “Devastator”, “Lords Of Thunder” and “Lightning Runner”. On the other hand, this album also contains songs like “Heavy Metal Night” and “Break The Chains”, the latter sporting a pretty strong Accept-influence, that are really unspectacular and cheesy.
The main problem with this album is the really shabby vocals, and that comes from someone who usually tolerates a lot when we talk about vocals in traditional heavy metal. In fact, it should be clear to everyone listening to this album that the vocals simply aren’t good enough. When the tempo slows down in songs like the spooky and heavy “Witches Never Die” or in the dark and heavy “Sign Of The Ravens”, the vocals are really a painful experience.
Apart from the inconsistent songwriting and the subpar vocals, the band has managed to create a crisp and natural, varm sound, where we don’t get the usual wall of distorted guitars. It all sounds neat and tidy with the clean guitars bringing forth the many guitar harmonies. The instrumental parts are mostly a pleasure to listen to, although the lack of aggression and bite becomes very clear after a while. I already see this band being celebrated by some people as the new metal sensation. In my opinion they still have a lot of homework to do! (65/100)
Anvil “Anvil Is Anvil” (Steamhammer)
Anvil keeps pumping out albums in the wake of their rise to (almost) stardom with the documentary you all have probably seen. I read a very good review of this album in one of the respected European metal magazines, but come on, this is some of the weakest stuff the band has ever released! Compare “Anvil Is Anvil” to a world class album like “Forged In Fire”, or an excellent, but somewhat overlooked album like “Worth The Weight”, and you will have trouble believing it’s the same band. Hell, “Anvil Is Anvil” is even weaker than the rather mediocre last releases like “Juggernaut Of Justice” and “Hope In Hell”.
In many ways I am tempted to say that the music sounds just as uninspired as the album title. Having said that, “Anvil Is Anvil” is a fitting title in many ways, as this album also has the trademark Anvil-sound. What it doesn’t have, is the songs. The songwriting on this album is really lackluster. Since I am in a pretty good mood, I can name three songs that I sort of like. “Run Like Hell”, “Runaway Train” and “Fire On The Highway” are all okay, but even these tracks are extremely predictable and not even close to some of the best songs the band has done during the past ten years.
Quite a few of the songs are too much rock’n roll for my taste, but the production is quite good, heavy and natural with Robb Reiners massive drums very much upfront. Lipps is also his usual self, with his characteristic vocals and guitar riffs. As you have probably understood by now, the main problem with this album is the totally uninspired song writing. The opening track “Daggers And Rum” is simply awful, showing a side of the band I have never heard before with its pirate-inspired lyrics and “yo-ho-ho’s” Other than that there are a bunch of mid tempo stompers like “Gun Control” and “Zombie Apocalypse” where the the band is only running through the routines. Really boring stuff, in my opinion.
Some songs have decent parts, like “Forgive Not Forget” with its classic Anvil-verse, but in return they have some really shitty choruses. The band has gone for gang vocals during a few of the choruses this time, but these are also extremely predictable to the point where they almost feel calculated. Also, many of the choruses, as weak as they are, are repeated to the point that you get down on your knees begging for mercy. The band might still deliver from the stage (I haven’t seen them for a few years), but they should really consider if it’s worth doing more albums if they can’t find some spark or inspiration. (40/100)
Axevyper “Into The Serpent’s Den” (Iron Shield)
I kind of miss the Italian label My Graveyard Records. Along with the usual subpar stuff, they also released some pretty fine albums (with mostly terrible covers), among them some releases by Assedium and Axevyper. The former featured a couple of members that are in Axevyper to this day. The guitarist Guido Tiberi is one of them, and he is also the guy behind Hyborian Steel, which is probably my favourite among the three mentioned here. While Hyborian Steel deals in dark and obscure metal with rough vocals, mainly inspired by American underground masters, it’s a lot easier to hear that Axevyper is more influenced by European metal. Already the opening track, “Brothers Of The Black Sword” showcases a pretty strong “Powerslave/Piece Of Mind”- influence. The crunchy and loud bass as well as some of the classic harmonies are just two factors that point in this direction.
Even though the tracks sound like they were forged on British soil, Axevyper doesn’t sound like your your usual NWOBHM-retro band, in fact they’re more similar to a British band being away for a while, then doing a pretty decent comeback brushing off some dust and returning with a sound that is a bit more modern. While they have the style as well as the ability to perform it well, Axevyper don’t really have the songwriting skills to lift this album up in the elite division. Don’t misunderstand me, this is an enjoyable piece of work, but its not one I see myself returning to in a year’s time.
Overall, the album isn’t particularly heavy, it’s more like solid melodic metal, with a rather smooth sound, but not compeletely without punch or aggression. However, a bit rougher edges would have helped the band, as everything sounds a bit to crisp and clean. The material is strongly lacking idenitity. I don’t think there is a single track on here that sticks out, but if I have to choose, “Soliders Of The Underground” and “Spirit Of The Wild” are probably the ones I enjoy the most. “Metal Tyrant”, an hommage to Harry Conklin and Jag Panzer also deserves a mention, along with “Under The Pyramid” which has a darker overall expression. There are a few longer tracks here as well, but they’re not interesting enough to hold the listener’s attention throughout. (65/100)
Blackslash “Sinister Lightning” (Iron Shield)
I enjoy listening to and discovering new acts. It’s nothing new really, as it dates back to the time when I really got into the more obscure underground heavy metal in the second half of the nineties. Of course it was more fun back then, when you sat back browsing through the paper lists you got in the mail and decided whether or whether not to order something from Germany or the US, simply based on the description, not of a reviewer trying to be objective, but one done by the guy behind the distro trying to push their stuff on you. No problem really, as people back then seemed to be both honest and also quite accurate in their descriptions.
Why am I mentioning this in the review of Blackslash and their new album? Well, for once, Blackslash is a rather new band. While the cover art might suggest that the German quintet deals in more aggressive sounds, their second full length turns out to be nothing but pleasant, melodic metal. The vocals of Clemens Haas is laidback and pleasant (though a bit flat) and the songs are performed without too many rough edges and with emphasis on nice melodies and strong hooks. Even though the album doesn’t sound as heavy or aggressive as expected, it’s still quite enjoyable stuff. The band sounds a bit different from other German newcomers like Blizzen or Stallion and in “Made Of Steel” they have something that, at least in parts, sounds a little like an American power ballad.
Even though the band has a knack of penning strong choruses, showcased in for instance “Empire Rising”, I feel that they are repeated a little too much for their own good. A problem is also that the material seems to be lacking a little bite and energy. A song like “Lucifer’s Reign” sounds a little sharper, has a bit more energy, and because of this, it’s one of the highlights on the album.
Overall, this debut album is nothing to be overly excited about, but still an album that you could play and enjoy, if you are into “easy listening” melodic metal that is. What it definitely does show, is some potential for the future. (65/100)
Blizzen “Genesis Reversed” (High Roller)
Okay, I admit it, I am underwhelmed by a lot of the bands that are part of what people love to call NWOTHM. Lets, see, the first few albums by Enforcer were brilliant, and the darker approach they have chosen for their later albums has worked well too, but a lot of these newer acts following in pretty similar footsteps, are not impressing me at all. Look to Canada for example and bands like Cauldron, Axxion or Skull Fist. Apart from the first Cauldron-EP (hey, that’s a long time ago), these acts do nothing at all for me. Too many hair metal-sounding riffs, sugar sweet vocals and soft melodies are among my main concerns. The same can, at least to a certain extent, be said about acts like Hitten, Stallion and…Blizzen.
Although there were some signs that weren’t too positive already on the first EP released last year, I wanted to wait for Blizzen’s first full length before I passed the judgement on the guys. Like on the EP ,the vocals sound way too flat and at the same time, come across totally without grit or power. To add to this, the music is way too lightweight and slick. I could have mentioned the lack of originality as well, but since this is clearly not a criteria for making interesting music, I will limit myself to saying that the band should work on elements that sets them apart from the bands I have mentioned and all other acts exploring the waters where hard rocking sounds meet heavy metal.
Even though I don’t really curse myself for missing the band’s appearance when I attended the “Revenge Of True Heavy Metal “ in Finland earlier this year, the music of Blizzen probably works better in a live format, where the band should be able to add some energy and sound a bit heavier. On record they simply haven’t enough to offer. The songs are way too similar when it comes to tempo, melodies and atmosphere too. None of them is worth singling out, as all of them fail to impress me. Yes, I can listen to “Genesis Reversed” without turning the album off, but I am listening to it only to review it, not because I enjoy it. (50/100)
Cauldron “In Ruin” (High Roller)
Okay, I admit it: I own a Cauldron t-shirt. I even wear it sometimes, but only underneath a jumper or a shirt. I never take off the jumper, I never unbutton the shirt. Why not? Well, I am not particularly proud of owning it, although it has to be said I bought it around the release of their first EP, “Into The Cauldron” back in 2007. You see, I loved the stuff singer and bass player Jason Decay did in Goat Horn prior to Cauldron, but since the EP, I’ve been lukewarm at best, sometimes frustrated when listening to their newer material.
“In Ruin” is Cauldron’s first full length since 2012, and taking the time they have used to get this album done into consideration, I guess it’s allowed to raise the expectations compared to what we got last time we heard from the Canadian trio. And yeah, this album might be a little better than “Burning Fortune” and “Tomorrows Lost”, but it’s just marginal, and “In Ruin” is definitely not an album that will change the way I look at the band. While it all sounds neat and tidy, with some pretty nice vocal melodies here and there from Mr. Decay, it’s all way too safe. I have nothing against melodic stuff, but when you pretend to play heavy metal, it should sound raw, it should have energy and it should sound that little bit dangerous. Cauldron doesn’t meet any of the criteria.
The last albums have been severely lacking when it comes to grit and energy, and unfortunately “In Ruin” does as well. Also, Decay’s vocals, while very prominent in the mix, sound as uncomitted and laidback as ever, failing to add bite to the overall picture. I am sure this type of mellow expression, severely lacking in power, with hints of a more hardrocking style is what the band is aiming for, but it doesn’t appeal to me at all.
Even though the album as a whole sounds rather dull and one dimensional both when it comes to tempo and arrangements, the opening track “No Return/In Ruin” featuring some nice guitar details, some pretty decent vocal harmonies and a surprisingly energy filled mid section, as well as the catchy “Burning At Both Ends” are both quite enjoyable. (55/100)
Dark Forest “Beyond The Veil” (Cruz Del Sur)
This is the album that should catapult Dark Forest into the elite division of heavy metal. Don’t misunderstand me, I was a big fan of their two latest albums as well, but this new one is clearly the best and most coherent work yet.
When you listen to «Beyond The Veil», you get a strong sense of spending time with not only a collection of songs, but an album, in the real meaning of the word. People will always have favourite tracks, I have a couple myself («Autumn’s Crown» which is the undisputed hit of the album, with a strong melody, the overall excellent «Blackthorn» with some awesome harmonies going on in the chorus and the long, epic album closer «The Lore Of The Land»), but the album itself should definitely be the main focus here. There is a thick, red thread running through all the songs of the album. At 71 minutes, I guess you can argue that the album is too long. However, the boring parts are very few and far between and the melodies, while clearly being written to complement each other, are not too similar.
The twin guitar work, full of wonderful harmonies has always been the best part about Dark Forest, and here it is shaped to perferction. It’s difficult to understand how you can do it better, as each solo or riff works perfectly. The album is very melodic, in the same manner that a band like Twisted Tower Dire is melodic, but with different kind melodies of course .Melodic heavy metal with folk influences should be a pretty accurate description, for as Christian Horton says in the interview, this is not a folk metal album with alternative instruments. Guitars, bass, drums and vocals that’s it. The classic set up for a heavy metal band.
While some might argue that the band lacks a top class singer, the vocals of Josh Winnard are improved compared to last time. While it felt like he was only just getting used to singing on «The Awakening», he seems much more secure now. His voice is not spectacular in any way, but it’s very pleasant, and fits well with the crisp sound and the melodic base of the songs. Also, some of the vocal melodies are simply irresistible. Coupled with the lyrics, they draw you into another, magical world.
In a year that has been a bit underwhelming when it comes to new releases, «Beyond The Veil» is a bright, shining light and clearly one of the strongest offerings put out by a heavy metal band. It takes a great band to create such grand and majestic compositions without turning cheesy. Dark Forest is definitely a great band! (85/100)
Dark Nightmare “Tortured Souls” (Eat Metal)
I believe I own both the previous albums released by Greece’s Dark Nightmare, but to be honest, I don’t play them a lot. To be perfectly honest, I don’t think I have listened to “The Human Liberty” or “Beneath The Veils Of Winter” since they were both brand new. That doesn’t make the band irrelevant of course, and I remember both previous releases as decent. The problem is, that there is a lot of stuff coming out that deserves to be described with bigger superlatives than that.
The stuff the band present on “Tortured Souls” is not very immediate, and it took a handful of listens before I started enjoying the album. The singer has a pretty heavy accent, but if you’re ears are fed regularly with metal from the southern parts of Europe, it shouldn’t ruin your listening experience. I have to say it draws my attention a little though, both when I am just lending the music an ear, but especially when I listening more actively with the lyrics in front of me.
In a few of the songs there are traces of extreme metal to be found, but also some interesting keyboard parts that definitely add something extra to the songs and make them more interesting. There is a bit of a progressive touch on the material, which contributes strongly in keeping things interesting. The opener of the album, “I-Life” doesn’t really cut it with me, but already the following, “Crown Of Innocence”, is better. This song has a mystical aura and a really tasteful guitar solo. With the third track, ”Eternal Forest” things really gets interesting. The track is close to 8 minutes long and reeks of extreme metal in the guitars as well as the drumming. It’s a really diverse number, with the main part being very emotional and powerful, containing passages with deeper, dramatic vocals a little similar to the mighty Eric Clayton from Saviour Machine. Simply excellent stuff!
Speaking of the singer, I have to admit he gets a little on my nerves when he uses the upper register of his voice, like in ”Waiting For The Light” for instance. Most of the time though, his performance is steady and powerful. Clocking in at almost 55 minutes, “Tortured Souls” seems a little too long, but it’s not really a big problem as thing are kept rather interesting and also surprisingly fresh throughout the album. It might be due to the fact that I don’t listen to nowhere near as much progressive tinted metal as I used to, but to me, Dark Nightmare has a bit of their own thing going, which is never a bad thing. Both the music as well a the vocals and lyrics, carry this strong melancholic feeling, something which you can hear in for instance “Slaughter”. While the band never reaches the heights of the aforementioned “Eternal Forest”, most of the songs are quite decent. “Borders Of Pain” where the band sound faster and more aggressive, is one that doesn’t work as good for me, as it feels a little too hectic with a vocal style that doesn’t seem to fit the singer’s voice that well. (70/100)
Demon “Cemetery Junction” (Spaced Out Music)
Apart from the obvious first two albums that everyone seem to love, I am a huge fan of the albums that Demon did in the late eighties and early nineties. “Breakout” and “Blow-out” are fine records, while “Taking The World By Storm” and “Hold On To The Dream” are two of my favorite albums ever, and simply so awesome I can’t picture myself surviving more than a month without listening to one or both of them.
It’s been obvious for quite some time now, that the band is not capable of delivering that kind of quality anymore, but “Unbroken”, only the band’s third album in the 20 years that have passed since the release of “Blow-out”, showed that Dave Hill and his ever changing compatriots are still capable of coming up with some pretty solid stuff. “Cemetery Junction”, hitting the streets “only” four years later, is more or less in the same league. It’s a long way to the standards of the already mentioned world class albums, but still there are songs here better than most of the stuff coming out these days. As always, there is something damn honest and workman like about the way the band operates.
The opening track “Are You Just Like Me”, really raised my quite moderate expectations, as it is clearly one of the best, if not the best Demon-track since the days of “Blow-Out”. A rocking and direct opener with an infectious chorus and some tasteful keyboards added. “Life In Berlin” is slower and more on the melancholic side of things, with Mr. Hill contributing to the melancholy with his performance. A very different track to the opener, but still a strong one.
Speaking about the vocals, you should have no problem recognizing the voice of Mr. Hill, the only remaining original member of the band, especially if you have a relationship to Demon that involves more than having heard songs like “Don’t Break The Circle” or “Night Of The Demon”. While he is clearly not the singer he once was, his signature hoarse and rough voice is still intact, and come on, Demon has never been about perfect vocal performances. Hill has always been able to carry huge emotions with his voice, and he still is, just listen to the track “Queen Of Hollywood”.
Sadly, after the two first tracks, things go downhill, at times rather steep. While there are some good moments in the aformentioned “Queen Of Hollywood”, the title track and a couple of others, the general impression is that that there are too many soft moments and generally the songwriting seems too conservative, with quite a few of the songs recalling tracks the band already wrote in the past. Also the performance seems to miss the necessary spark and energy to make mediocre songs that little bit more interesting, at times the band, including Hill himself, sounds almost uninspired. (60/100)
Demon Bitch “Hellfriends” (Skol)
I fell completely in love with Demon Bitch with the release of their EP “Death Is Hanging”. Just like another (now sadly defunct) act from the area, Borrowed Time, Demon Bitch is capturing the true heavy metal spirit from the eighties. And just like Borrowed Time did, Demon Bitch also shows willingness to think outside of the box and experiment with the song writing without straying one inch from the power/speed/heavy-metal-path. “Hellfriends” is a weird album, at times downright mad, but without turning into nonsense or something that isn’t heavy metal. Quite an achievement, I would say.
The performance might not be tightest you have heard this year, but what the hell, it has a lot of charm, and you can really hear the guys having fun and enjoying themselves when they recorded the album. It’s certainly not an album for everyone, but my readers, and everyone else with a bit of experience from underground and under produced eighties heavy should find a lot of joy in this album. Personally, I think Logon Saton’s theatrical and totally over the top vocals are one of the coolest aspects about Demon Bitch. Wild and whining, they seem to be all over the place and are totally fascinating.
I was a bit shocked to say the least, when I made a compilation with one song from this release and some tracks from a few random new metal releases a while ago. The volume on “Hellfriends” is very low compared to most other recordings put out this year, but listening to it now, it’s not that much a concern, as the volume of course is steady from song to song. Also, you can always turn up the volume to 11 if you want!
Let’s round of this review by saying a little about some of the individual tracks. There are only seven of them, and one of those, “A Passage To The Other Side”, is a short instrumental. Among the six others, you’ll find “Devil Love” which is a rerecording of a song that originally featured on the band’s 2012 Demo. The opening tune, “Warning From The Skies” is great, so melodic, so intense and so fresh sounding, it leaves you on your knees begging for more. The title track is another fave, totally over the top, both when it comes to the tempo as well as the singing. “Fortunes Told” also deserves to be mentioned, and especially the intense and energy packed ending which works as a climax to a great track.
The album clocks in at 36 minutes, which feels about right, since it’s not the most diverse album. That being said, listening to “Hellfriends” is a different experience than listening to 90 percent of the metal stuff coming out these days. It sounds so genuine and so right! If you like your metal dark, fast and catchy, this is the album to buy. I love it! (80/100)
Dexter Ward “Rendezvous With Destiny” (No Remorse)
I did an in depth interview with Mark from Dexter Ward a while ago. He is a lovely guy and very good heavy metal singer, and possesses a voice with a lot of identity. Simply put, he is a singer you can easily recognize among hordes of others, and also one of the main strengths of Dexter Ward, both on album as well as in a live setting. He not only carries the songs on this album, he is also able to lift them to a higher level.
With the catchy and extremely easy to like title track, the album gets off to a solid start. The following “Stone Age Warrior”, taking on a heavier and more epic approach, is the best song on offer here, an opinion that seems to be shared by many who have heard the album. A real hymn! The third track is “These Metal Wings” where a Jag Panzer-like chorus is paired with some Iron Maiden-like guitar work, and the end result is another hymn. After these three killer songs, which were also the ones the band performed when I had the joy of watching them at KIT, things get a little less exciting. Not boring or bad, I must stress, but a little less entertaining.
The material is rather melodic, easy to remember and with lots of hooks. It’s all nice and tidy stuff, and I am listening to this album and enjoying it, but that being said, there is something missing for “Rendezvous With Destiny” to be a real top class album. I am not sure what it is, but some of the riffs could surely have been a bit more interesting. Maybe I would have liked the album even more if they had added more of the heaviness they have incorporated in “Stone Age Warrior”? Or perhaps if the sound was a bit rawer, or one or two songs (“Knights Of Jerusalem” springs to mind) had a bit more energy? Don’t let my objections avoid you from checking out “Rendezvous With Destiny” though, as it is a mighty fine piece of melodic heavy metal with some hard rock influences, most notable in “We Are Dexter Ward”. (75/100)
Eternal Champion “The Armor Of Ire” (No Remorse)
Since I am not the fastest when it comes to finishing reviews, I have been able to watch from the sidelines as the praise for this one has been coming from both left and right. As those of you who have followed Metal Squadron from the start should know, we were pretty much the first to feature Eternal Champion, so no – we are not surprised!
So what about “The Armor Of Ire”, the band’s first full length then? Is it the highlight “everyone” seems to think? I would definitely say so, it’s clearly a stand out release, and destined to feature in a very prominent position on my top ten-list, come the end of 2017. I guess you can say, the album is already a winner, as there is no other record released this year that I have listened to the same number of times as “The Armor Of Ire”. Partly because it’s a short album of course, clocking in at only 34 minutes, but also because it’s damn good one. The “Armor Of Ire” is also surprisingly diverse, without straying far off from what is expected from a pure heavy metal album with an epic element of course.
The first track “I Am The Hammer” has some Jon Oliva-like shrieks at the start, and soon turns into a monster of a midtempo…eh…hammer with some damn heavy riffs. The title track I loved straight away too, it’s a lot more melodic, nowhere near as dark and heavy as the opener, it even has some tasteful synth incorporated, but with awesome melodies going on throughout the song. These two tracks are both among the very best heavy metal numbers released in 2017, no doubt about it. “The Last Kingdom Of Pictdom” most of you probably know from the demo, although this is a newly recorded version. Another great song, and even though I have heard it countless times already on the tape and later on the 7″, I am nowhere near tired of it.
Alongside the six real tracks, of which five are new ones, there are also two intros which I don’t really get the point with. I would clearly have preferred another full length song, but one of the strengths about “The Amor Of Ire” is, that apart from these short pieces, there is hardly a dull moment on offer. “Invoker”, originally planned for the 12” inch split with Gatekeeper, containing another killer bunch of riffs and a nice mix of atmospheric and heavier parts, is another highlight, and should be pure joy to witness live, while the melodic “Sing A Last Song Of Valdese” is an example of how the guitars and the vocal melodies and distinct voice of Jason Tarpey are able to create moments of pure epic metal magic. “The Armor Of Ire” is an album every fan of heavy metal should know…and of course buy! (90/100)
Fates Warning “Theories Of Flight” (InsideOut)
I haven’t done too many reviews of progressive metal-releases here at Metal Squadron, but Fates Warning is…Fates Warning, and also an act, or should we perhaps say “institution”, that has many fans in heavy, doom and epic metal-circles. If we focus on Fates Warning with Ray Alder as a singer, the band hasn’t been able to recreate the intricate songwriting and stellar melodies that made albums like “Perfect Symmetry” and “Parallels” so great, and Alder himself hasn’t sounded at his best since “A Pleasant Shade Of Gray”. This time, both factors are taken care of, and the result, “Theories Of Flight” is nothing less than a future classic and one of the better albums Fates Warning have released. It might sound like a hasty conclusion, but with some albums, you just know it. I guess it’s something about you wanting to play it again, only a couple of hours after it last was on the turntable.
Those who know Fates Warning and the trademarks of the Alder-era, should know what to expect. The musicians involved are all experienced and ranked among the elite performers on their respective instruments, all incorporating a lot of details in their work, making the album well equipped to stand the test of time. Main song writer and guitarist Jim Matheos has a style that it’s easy to recognize, and the rhythm section with Joey Vera and Bobby Jarzombek is solid, with the latter supplying a more metallic fundament for the songs than Mark Zonder most probably would have done. Calmer passages are blended with slightly modern sounding and groovier metal parts seemingly without any effort at all, and Alder’s vocals sounds really smooth, like in his prime, and it also carries a world full of emotions.
The first half of this album is nothing short of excellent. You got the opener “From The Rooftops”, which after a slow start with emotional vocals and beautiful leads, gets harder and more aggressive-progressive. Next up is “Seven Stars” which is the hit of the album, almost like the most commercial tracks from “Perfect Symmetry” or “Parallels”, although the structure of the song is a bit more complicated than most of the tracks on those albums. “SOS” follows in the same tradition, also a melodic and very catchy tune, with some more progressive parts as well. “ The Light And Shade Of Things”, one of two tracks that surpasses the ten minute mark, is the real gem of the album. An extremely beautiful and powerful song that during the calmer parts reminds me a bit of something from Marillion’s masterful 1994-release “Brave”. The way I started this paragraph might suggest that the second half of the album is a bit weaker. But it really isn’t. Slightly less memorable, or a bit less instant maybe, but the the quality is still there, and I am sure some people will argue the at a song like “”Like Stars Our Eyes Have Seen” is among the definitive highlights of the album along with the epic “The Ghost Of Home”, showcasing some of the best lyrics on offer here.
This is, simply put, a brilliant, modern progressive metal album, rich on melodies, emotions and well crafted songs performed by excellent musicians. “Theories Of Flight” is clearly an album that deserves something more than just being consumed, you need to listen and digest to get the best out of this piece of work. An album that will stand the test of time! (85/100)
Frenzy “Lethal Protector” (Underground Power)
It’s always nice when bands take the time to contact me and ask for a review. It’s even nicer when they a) don’t play black metal, b) offer to send me a physical copy of their product and c) actually get their asses of to send me the stuff. I still get lots of mail from (mostly) one man projects performing either black metal or some kind of modern bullshit that doesn’t deserve any promotion at all. I also, and this is one thing that I don’t understand, get mails from bands offering me to send their stuff for review, but never actually do it.
So why am I mentioning this here? Well, Frenzy seems like a professional outfit. They contacted me via mail, offering to send me their EP “Lethal Protector”, and actually kept their word. The band is pretty new, formed in Madrid only in 2014 and three of the members were formerly in Steel Horse which released two full length releases before they broke up. Singer Anthony Stephen was part of Steel Horse towards the end, but didn’t sing on their albums. I was really surprised when I heard him sing, as he didn’t sound like your average Spanish singer at all. It appears he was born in the US, and without the typical accent this sounds very much like something that could have come out of the US in the late eighties.
This is simply a great little EP, it makes fun listening to it, and it’s so damn easy to hear that the guys had fun making it. All five songs, including a very well executed version of Racer X’s ripper “Loud And Clear” from their debut “Street Lethal” ( I guess Frenzy probably took their name from the intro to this album carrying the same name), are enjoyable in the way they mix feelgood heavy metal with hard rock and either turns it into a catchy, mid tempo stomper like “Change To Green” or goes for a more out and out aggressive, yet still melodic attack in the faster titletrack or in “Ride To Be Free”. In both cases, the excellent, piercing vocals of Stephen as well as the tasty guitar work are the main focal points. Please, don’t have us waiting too long for the full length, guys! (75/100)
Grey Wolf “Glorious Death” (Arthorium)
Greywolf is a Brazilian band which had their previous effort, “We Are Metal Heads” rereleased by one of the finest labels aound, Stormspell. I can’t remember being very impressed by that release, but this new one, their first for Arthorium, who deserves a mention for bothering to send me a physical copy of this album, shows pretty clear signs of improvement. As the cover art suggest, this is clearly not for wimps, “Glorious Death” is completely free of commercial ambitions, vocal perfection and slick, sugar sweet choruses. Instead, this is epic battle metal with references to a couple of my favourite, newer metal bands, Ironsword and Ravensire, both due to the rough vocals as well as the the no frills, ballsy epic metal the guys deliver.
To be honest, Grey Wolf isn’t as good as the mentioned act yet, but the no compromise-style coupled with some really good attempts at writing real metal hymns, make this album rather interesting. The main man Fabio “Grey Wolf” Paulinelli, is the man behind the rough and hoarse vocals as well as the bass, and has made sure his instrument is very audible in the mix. Most songs contain some really cool bass lines, a bit out of the ordinary.
“Glorious Death doesn’t offer a lot of diversity. There are a lot of midtempo oriented songs full of heavy riffs, coming out very dark and at times almost doomy. Of course there are exceptions, but more parts than full songs, for instance the end of the “The Are Will Rule The Kingdom (King Kull pt. 2)” or the calmer “Cimmeria” complete with acoustic guitars in the vein of Manilla Road and vocal lines a little similar to Martin Walkyier in Skydclad. The material is a little up and down, with “Metal Avenger”, a real hymn in the vein of Ironsword and Ravensire, the defintive highlight of the album. (70/100)
Hammer King “King Is Rising” (Cruz Del Sur)
Cruz Del Sur has an impressive rooster with many great acts. Unfortunately, Hammer King isn’t one of them. Their debut, released one and a half year ago, was a pretty lackluster affair, and I honestly cant’ say that “King Is Rising”, is any better. Musically we’re talking melodic heavy metal, or power metal which is the expression I guess some people would use. To give you a rough idea about how this sounds, Hammerfall should work as a reference, or perhaps even more fitting, Hammer King’s fellow Germans, Majesty. The latter mostly due to the way they mix up some light Manowar-influences with more European sounding melodic metal. Like in Majesty, cliches are pretty much everywere, trying to keep up with all the musical pathos.
Say what you will about Hammerfall or Majesty, their albums are pretty much hit or miss, but at their peak, both bands certainly knew how pen a catchy tune, something that is really essential when you are dealing in this type of metal. The same can’t be said about Hammer King, as the songwriting feels really uninspired while the musicians are just doing what is expected of them, seemingly without putting no extra effort or no real heart into it. The whole album feels so damn safe, almost calculated.
Okay, so you might get the expression that I am not the right guy to review this album, but the truth is that I am usually a sucker for strong melodies and hooks galore, which you normally would expect in a band like Hammer King, but sadly I can’t find any of that here. The songs just plod along, and the wailing vocals of singer Titan Fox, known also for his work with Ross The Boss, is simply awful when he goes for the falsetto during the choruses of tracks like “Warrior’s Reign” or “Eternal Tower Of Woe”. (40/100)
High Spirits “Motivator” (High Roller)
It’s time for the third effort from Chris Black and his High Spirits, which at least in studio format, means he is doing pretty much everything himself. While I enjoyed both the previous albums, there is no denying that High Spirits is definitely at their best when they’re on stage performing their catchy material.
Black’s feelgood, toe tapping heavy metal/hard rock, has always been enjoyable in studio versions as well, hell I even bough the two demos and then the self financed vinyl version when they was first released, but the added energy and power makes the stage Version more impressive. The formula is pretty much the same as it was back when he did the demos, and why change a concept that has worked so well for him, gaining them new fans for each album? However, without the really stand out songs the band has built a reputation around, there isn’t enough substance here to keep the listener interested, as the structures and the arrangements are almost similar to that of pop music designed for mass consumption.
I might have enjoyed “”Motivator” more if I wasn’t very familiar with the band from before, so if you haven’t heard the previous High Spirits-stuff, this might be the album that gets you hooked, even though most songs feel like weaker takes on some of Black’s earlier tracks. The best song is probably “Down The Endless Road” with both pace and energy. In the other end of the scale, you got a track like “Thank You”, where both the lyrica as well as the music feel very banal, even when were talking about High Spirits. Some of the songs sound a bit forced, and generally the material isn’t as fluent as in the past, as some vocal melodies and melodies in general, feel a bit “constructed”. The song writing is basic and predictable and quite a few times during the course of the album I catch myself thinking that Chris is just going through the routines. I guess this is the first High Spirits-album that won’t find a way into my collection. (60/100)
Hitten “State Of Shock” (No Remorse)
I kind of liked Hitten’s debut album, but even if it was a decent affair, it wasn’t good enough to give the band the big breakthrough in underground circles. But hey, bands from Spain rarely get breakthroughs. And not many bands, regardless of where they are from, get it with their debut album.
My first impression, without remembering the debut in details, was that “State Of Shock” showed a slightly more melodic side of the band. For instance, I can’t remember the choruses on the first album being this memorable. In addition, it seems like a few of the rough edges have been smoothed out a little. “Eternal Force”, from what I understand a tribute to the late Mark Reale, featuring current Riot V-singer Todd Michael Hall is an example of a song that, mainly due to the guitars, turns out a little too cheerful and cheesy for me. When I think of it, some of the songs from the latest Riot-album are as well, so that might be the idea behind it. In the other end of the scale we have a song like “Chained To Insanity” starting with darker and rougher vocals, in slower tempo, before it picks up speed and aggression, almost adopting a thrash-light approach in parts. A good song, although the main thing might just as well be that the structure isn’t as predictable as in many of the other tracks. “Don’t Be Late”, already released as a single last year, with some classic US metal riffs and “Can’t Bring Me Down” containing nice guitarwork and cool backing vocals, are other solid tunes here.
Something that applies for Hitten like it does for a lot of other newer, heavy metal-acts, is the fact that the band really needs to work hard on their identity. Listening to “State Of Shock”, is for most parts, just like listening to one of the countless other heavy metal-albums released during the past years. The band knows their stuff, both when it comes to songwriting and performing, but they should definitely try to explore some new ideas within the borders of their style. In my opinion, they should also search for those small, but at the same time, very important details which will make a metal music mass consumer, like pretty much everyone of us reading these pages are, recognize the band from the steadily growing bunch of new acts exploring the same waters.
The vocals of Aitor Navarro are, just like the rest here, rather unspectacular. Again, I could have wished for a more original voice, but more important is probably the lack of power in parts of his delivery. At times he sounds a bit uninterested, which is simply not the way to try to lift these compositions. There are a lot of flashing guitar solos scattered around on the album, but again, we’ve heard it all before, and even if the solos in themselves are executed in fine manner. (65/100)
Iron Spell “Electric Conjuring” (Eat Metal)
This album, the first one for Iron Spell, starts with a short intro, “Ave Zulbah” leading us into the real opening track “Torches In The Woods”. The song has some catchy riffing going on as well as a bit of tempo, but nothing more than you should expect from an opening tune. The chorus however, seems a little on the soft side, a critiscm I also had towards the latest Hitten-album, a band Iron Spell surely has a bit in common with musically. “The Night of The Mothman” is roughly in the same vein, but fortunately a bit stronger. The vocal lines are more engaging and the chorus is better. “The Witch” shows a heavier side of the band, and the vocalist shows a lot of enthusiasm, but his voice comes out a bit on the ordinary side. There is little or no identity to be heard, and he also seems a little strained in parts.
Its probably not a sign of quality song writing, when the instrumental track, “Under The Iron Spell” is the strongest compostition on this album. It offers nothing that you haven’t heard before of course, but is a really cool hymn in the tradition of catchy NWOBHM-instrumetnals. “Stormrider”, one of the songs where the chorus isn’t overly melodic, is also one of the tracks that works rather well, and it raises the question if the band would profit from toning down some of the choruses a bit. Towards the end of the album, there are some pretty mediocre songs popping up. “We Are Legion”, a more midtempo oriented track, fails to impress as the main idea isn’t strong enough. There are also some work to be done in other areas, as the prechorus to “Evil Gypsy” doesn’t quite sound right, a shame really as both the verse an the chorus are better. Finally I have to mention the simple and forced “Moonlight Maniac” which is close to a disaster, with the vocalist at his absolutely worst, some lame lyrics and a totally horrible chorus. Other than that, this is not the most diverse album around, so 43 minutes is more than enough. (65/100)
Lethal Steel “Legion Of The Night” (High Roller)
We’re off to…Sweden. Not for the first time this year, I predict. The stream of new, up and coming acts from our neighbors in the East, is pretty astonishing. I won’t name them all here, you just need to check the review section to see that I really enjoy most of these bands releasing their albums on Metal Blade or in the case of Lethal Steel (and countless others) High Roller. Lethal Steel performs what you could call Muskelrock-compatible heavy metal, I guess it’s no coincidence that the band was just booked to perform at this festival for the second time, and that it’s not just connected to the fact that their label sponsors the event.
While the band members share a passion for the godfathers of Swedish heavy metal Heavy Load and Gotham City, there is a love for more obscure acts, both Swedish and international to be found here. The album contains eight tracks ranging from the three minute short “Into The Void Of Lucifer” to the six and a half minute journey of “Night Of The Witch”. As in quite a few heavy metal acts recently, the vocals of Viktor borrows a bit from King Diamond, not as much as in Attic or even fellow Swedish bands like old Portrait or Trial, but still you can’t help but think of the Danish master here and there. Viktor has a few nuances in his voice, and his performance is quite diverse. The slightly melancholic feel to his voice fits the general mood of most of the songs.
The album starts on a high note, with the two best tracks fired off at the very beginning. “Sirius” and especially “Nattsvart” with lyrics in Swedish are just great tracks, Together with the fast and to the point rifforama that is “Into The Void Of Lucifer”, these tracks are, maybe not heads and shoulders above the rest, but at least in a somewhat different league. The rest is decent, but nothing spectacular, and definitely not as a original as the band themselves want to be when they claim they’re the only Swedish metal band playing genuine heavy metal at the moment. “Legion Of The Night” is a solid start, and if the band can produce more material as convincing as the best songs here, there is no reason why Lethal Steel can’t be the next big traditional metal-thing from Sweden. (70/100)
Lizzies “Good Luck” (The Sign)
Since Metal Squadron generates nothing but expenses, I’ve said a few times that albums that I receive physically (although I never ask a band to send me anything), will jump forward in the queue. “Good Luck”, from the Madrid-based, all female-band Lizzies is one of these albums. After a demo, an EP and an single, I guess it was about time to explore the last common format, the full length album.
With the help of producer Ola Ersfjord, along with fellow Swede Magnus Lindberg handling the mastering of the album, the quartet has recorded nine, mostly short and compact songs, something which is reflected in the playing time, with “Good Luck” clocking in at a rather meager 31 minutes and 40 seconds. The album is a very even affair, with the majority of the songs being on the same level. I personally, struggle to find a really outstanding tune here, but I can listen to and enjoy the album in its entirety without getting too bored. The material, is really easy to get into, hell even the song titles on this album are damn catchy! Also, the sound shouldn’t be able to scare anyone off, as everything sound very pleasant, with a lot of warmth and authenticity.
“Good Luck” is packed with r0cking, feelgood music that should fit the summer quite well, but I suspect it’s the kind of album that will only last for one summer. Maximum. There isn’t any real depth in the songwriting, but still you can enjoy the album for what it is. The choruses seems a tad to commercial and smooth for my taste, but will probably work fine for singing along to during concerts. There is a couple of tracks that are a bit more aggressive and attacking, and these are the ones I enjoy most. “Speed On The Road” for instance, is the fastest song on the album, and one of that has made a real impression even after having listened to the album close to fifteen times. (60/100)
Lucifer’s Hammer “Beyond The Omens” (Shadow Kingdom)
We’re heading for Santiago, Chile and the madmen in Lucifer’s Hammer. I enjoyed the demo from a few years back to the extent that I set up an interview with the guys, and had some pretty high expectations for the first full length release. So am I satisfied with what the trio has to offer? Well, “Beyond The Omens” is an enjoyable affair of armor plated heavy metal, but like most releases this year, it struggles to reach the level above “good”.
“Beyond The Omens” is dressed in a solid production. Crisp, but not too slick, and it contributes strongly in bringing forth the power in the band’s performance. Unfortunately, the song material fails to convince beyond what you expect from a talented newcomer band. While some of the songs are above average, I am struggling to find a really top class composition here. A shame really, as there is nothing wrong with the style the band is playing, some sort of combination between US and European sounds.
I guess it’s pretty safe to say that some people will struggle a bit with the vocals of Hades. His voice is unspectacular and could have used more power. Even though I can’t call his performance fully convincing, it kinda works in a strange way. At least for me. “The Hammer Of The Gods” is a pretty good opener, and for sure one of the best tracks on the entire album. The riffs are decent, there is a cool, instrumental mid section which sounds quite Maiden-inspired before it suddenly changes to something similar to Running Wild. The following instrumental “Lucifers Hammer” is another highlight, sounding like something Savage Grace could have done, or logically, a bit like Iron Maiden.
One of the best things about “Beyond The Omens”, is the fact that it is a pretty diverse album, at least for traditional metal standards. “Dying” for instance, is a slower and more melodic tune with a melancholic touch, while “Shinning Blade” is a heavier hymn. “Black Mysteries” is faster again with some really good guitar work. None of these tracks are mindblowing, but they’re all pretty enjoyable, at least in this context.
“Nightmares”, on the other hand, is clearly one of the weaker tracks on offer here, a pretty lame and uninspired hard rocker. “Warriors” starts out with some quite NWOBHM-sounding guitars and a certain Saxon- vibe, before the closing title track showcases a riff that is pretty similar to Pretty Maids’ awesome “Back To Back”. Nevertheless, it’s a powerful song, and along with the two opening tracks, one of the better ones on the album. (65/100)
Maze Of Terror “Ready To Kill”(Empire)
Even though we’re in South America, in Lima, Peru, to be more precise, don’t expect some kind of raw, filthy and untight thrash metal here. In fact, Maze Of Terror deals in well produced, brutal and dark thrash, with drummer Hammer pounding those drums like there is no tomorrow. This is some really powerful shit, and at times, I guess you could you use the term death thrash to descreibe what you hear on the album.
“Ready To Kill” is the band’s first full length after an EP, “Skullcrusher” was released back in 2012. I never heard that one, but this new offering should definitely get their name around. I have no problem picturing these songs in a live setting, were I think they should be even more effective. The opener, “Rotting Force” has a really cool main riff, and the bass and drums contribute to making this track one where the whole band sounds really pissed off. The vocalist too of course, with his snarling and angry approach.
It’s a little refreshing to hear a band that doesn’t only sound like a rehash of old Destruction and Kreator-songs. The band has a lot of other ideas, as seen in the 10 minute long album closer “Giles De Rais”. That being said, this is still thrash made for headbanging with screaming solos and some bad ass riffs. The second track “Lycanthropes” is a real killer, but the album is not fast, wild and furious all the time, as the guys have the ability to throw some heavier and more controlled parts into the mix. The album also showcases a couple of darker and more groove oriented songs like for instance “Executio Bestialis”.
While not groundbreaking or particularly diverse, “Ready To Kill” is still one of the better thrash metal albums I have heard during the last six months. (70/100)
Metal Church “XI” (Nuclear Blast)
While I was working on a review on the new Rage-album, I came to think of this one, and the fact that I hadn’t gotten around to review Mike Howe’s return to Metal Church. The main reason why Rage made me think of Metal Church, is because both albums have been spoken about as a return to something that once was, in the case of Metal Church, the three albums the band did with Mike Howe in the late eighties/early nineties. Listening to both albums also thaught me one important thing, a lesson I should have learnt several years ago: With a few execptions, there really is no need to buy albums from old favourites anymore. Neither Rage nor Metal Church have produced bad albums, but what they deliver with their latest offerings is so damn average it should be prohibited.
Musically, Metal Church has done a couple of things right with this album. They have taken the style that they have used for the past few albums and mashed it with the particular Howe-era that I referred to earlier. You can even hear them using some of the old tricks that worked so well in the past, like the acoustic middle part in “Signal Path”, which sends us straight back to “Hanging In The Balance”.
When the first small snippets from the album were spread, most people seemed very impressed by Mike Howe’s voice. I was one of those, and I still am damned impressed. It’s not his fault that the album is so mediocre. His voice is in top shape, and he sings just as good as on the aforementioned recordings. However his vocal lines are not as strong as they used to be. I am pretty sure I can hum a line here or there from all the past Howe-recordings, but here everything is very anonymous. The same goes for the choruses. Where are the fist-raising, anthemic ones the band used to be famous for? There is not a single good chorus on “XI”, and in quite a few of the songs, the verse or the bridge is the catchiest part. The choruses in general sound uninspired and like a band on auto pilot. Apart from “Signal Path”, there are a few songs that have something going for them, like the decent opener “Reset”, the first video track from the album, “No Tomorrow”, which was the first song I listened to, and still is my fave from the album, as well as “Sky Falls In”, which again is good, apart from the chorus. However, there is not a single song here I would rate above average. (60/100)
Moros Nyx “Revolution Street” (Underground Power)
I did a review of “Rite Of Rebellion, the demo tape from these guys (later also released as a 7”) a while back. The demo contained an intro as well as three regular tracks, but only the really good opening track from the tape, “Child Of The Dream” has been found worthy a place on the Chicago based quartet’s first full length. While the kind of often fast and always highly melodic “happy metal” for many years was associated with Europe, it’s nice and kind of refreshing to hear American bands trying to replicate this style, or doing it with their own twist. Moros Nyx belongs to the latter category. Even though they have some of the big, singalong choruses that you will be humming in your sleep, and they know when to add some fine guitar harmonies, they are not as fast paced as their European counterparts and the songwriting also offers a lot more diversity than expected.
While the songmaterial is rather coherent and interesting all the way through, there are a couple of highlights that deserves to be singled out for some extra praise. “Child In A Dream” has already been mentioned. It’s one of the faster songs on the album, featuring also a bit more aggressive vocals from singer MP Papai. A really high quality, melodic underground metal-hymn with lots of charm. The adventurous, 7 and a half minute long title track is also really good, somewhere in the terrain of Iron Maiden meets Keeper-era Helloween meets Gamma Ray, while “Fear Monger” has a chorus that you will be humming for weeks to come, while Kai Hansen will probably curse himself for not coming up with it. I could go on adding more tracks to the list, as both “A Time For Heroes” and “What Happens This Night” deserve to be mentioned.
To be honest, I don’t like the ballad “We Are The Damned”. It’s something about MP Papai’s vocals and his lines that doesn’t work for me. Actually I think the female singer, Satan’s Hallow’s Mandy Martillo, suits this track a lot better, something which becomes quite clear when you hear the two trade lines back and forth before they join forces. That being said, this track, along with the likes of “Captured” which has a very different structure and “Deformed In the Mind” which is more intense and has a darker approach, add quite a lot of diversity to the album. Diversity that makes this record more interesting than most new melodic heavy metal releases out there. Also, the crisp and not too massive sound, where the songs are allowed to breathe, adds to the experience. Clearly one of the finest debut albums of 2016 so far! (75/100)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ANOTHER DEMON BRINGS OLD-SCHOOL THRASH FURY AND DEATH-METAL WEIGHT WITH “REDUCED TO ASH”
New York City Thrash Attackers Spotlight Fan-Favorite Track From As Above So Below Following Massive Battle of the Bands Victories and October 2026 Band of the Month Honors
NEW YORK CITY, NY — New York City thrash metal force Another Demon is turning up the heat with “Reduced to Ash,” a crushing focus track from the band’s As Above So Below EP, originally released in 2023 and re-released worldwide in 2026 through Bloodrite Covenant Records with Earache Digital Distribution .
Blending the speed and aggression of classic thrash with death-metal weight, hardcore influence and a darker modern edge, “Reduced to Ash” delivers the kind of unapologetic, riff-driven attack that has defined heavy metal for generations.
For fans of Slayer, Testament and Overkill , Another Demon brings together veteran musicians from the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut heavy-music scene for a sound that is both rooted in the old school and built for the present.
The current lineup features Max Capshaw on vocals, Frank Tosi and Jun Takeshita on lead guitars, Fred Romer on bass and Dave English on drums.
Originally released September 22, 2023 as part of As Above So Below , the EP has found new life through its 2026 worldwide re-release. The record also features a guest appearance from legendary guitarist James Murphy , known for his work with Death, Testament, Obituary and Cancer.
“Reduced to Ash” is a particularly strong introduction to the band’s sound.
“‘Reduced to Ash’ is probably one of the best introductions to what Another Demon is about. It’s fast, aggressive and rooted in the thrash metal we grew up on, but there’s also that darker death-metal and New York edge underneath it. We wanted something immediate that hits hard without overcomplicating what a great metal song is supposed to do.”
— Frank Tosi, Another Demon
The track has also received serious praise from some respected names in the metal world.
“Another Demon is some of the best new Thrash Death out there. Glad to be a part of it. The music shreds and crushes!”
— James Murphy Death / Testament / Obituary / Cancer
“Frank writes great metal. Full of shredding evil guitars and catchy songwriting. I could listen to this all day!”
— Karl Sanders Nile
FROM BATTLE OF THE BANDS CHAMPIONS TO MDR BAND OF THE MONTH
Another Demon has also been building an increasingly vocal following through Metal Devastation Radio’s Battle of the Bands , where the band has proven its ability to command an enormous audience.
Earlier in 2026, Another Demon captured a massive victory in the Battle of the Bands before being named Metal Devastation Radio’s Band of the Month for July 2026 , winning with an astonishing 78,786,044 votes .
And they weren’t finished.
After another dominant Battle of the Bands performance in September, Another Demon has once again taken the crown and has been named Metal Devastation Radio’s Band of the Month for October 2026 , this time with an insane 27,455,987 votes .
That kind of fan response has made Another Demon one of the standout acts in the MDR community and adds another chapter to the band’s growing momentum.
A NEW CHAPTER IS ALREADY UNDERWAY
While “Reduced to Ash” puts the spotlight on As Above So Below , Another Demon is already looking toward what comes next.
The band has completed production on 10 new songs , with Jason Bittner of Shadows Fall, formerly of Overkill, handling drum recording and Richie Kennon of Subzero and Barking Dog Studios producing.
The next chapter promises to push Another Demon’s aggressive combination of thrash, death metal and New York hardcore influence even further.
As Above So Below was produced by Frank Tosi, Max Capshaw and Richie Kennon , with Kennon also handling engineering, mixing and mastering. The EP was recorded at Barking Dog Studios in New York .
With a reissued EP, a massive and growing fanbase, two Battle of the Bands victories, consecutive MDR Band of the Month honors and an entirely new body of music on the horizon, Another Demon is proving that the New York metal tradition is still very much alive.
“Reduced to Ash” is available now.
LISTEN / WATCH
Official “Reduced to Ash” Video:
Bandcamp: https://anotherdemon.bandcamp.com/album/as-above-so-below
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3kNaNyl0Lcp2NffXJUwjT6
All Streaming, Purchase, Video and Social Links: https://linktr.ee/another_demon_official
ANOTHER DEMON
Max Capshaw — Vocals Frank Tosi — Lead Guitar Jun Takeshita — Lead Guitar Fred Romer — Bass Dave English — Drums
Label: Bloodrite Covenant Records Distribution: Earache Digital Distribution Management: James Roach / Tour de Thrash Productions Production: Frank Tosi, Max Capshaw & Richie Kennon Engineering / Mixing / Mastering: Richie Kennon Recorded at: Barking Dog Studios, New York
For Fans Of: Slayer, Testament, Overkill
Band Contact: Frank Tosi anotherdemonofficial@gmail.com
Official Hub: https://linktr.ee/another_demon_official
'To Catch a Predator' host Chris Hansen teased the upcoming Bad Omens dates while revealing their support acts and the tour name as well. Continue reading…
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