Helloween - Pumpkins Living Their Best Live

Helloween

Live At Budokan

Reigning Phoenix Music

13 December 2024

The godfathers of power metal have been making albums and touring for more than 40 years since starting out in Hamburg, Germany as a band influenced by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and turning those influences into a faster, leaner form of metal, then making a turn towards adding more melody, both with the guitars and through the addition of perfected air-raid singing to their sound. Throughout their history there have been line-up changes, not-so-friendly splits, and anticipated reunions, as well as exciting albums, landmark works, successful songs, disappointing albums and great comebacks that have achieved much towards restoring their place and shoring up their legacy.

As with any prosperous band with a long discography, it is a daunting task to think how they could do justice to their catalogue. It is impossible, but with their most recent tours, as documented here with this live recording in Japan, they have attempted to cover as many highlights as possible, and for that they deserve credit. In this case, they really do make a serious effort to show their various phases. For example, the band has had three singers. All three are members of the band once again, and took the show on the road like that, with all three. All three eras get represented, including the early days when they were a younger boisterous bunch playing faster than the previous generation of British, American and German bands. Now equipped with three guitarists onstage, they are able pull off rather faithful renditions of their songs.

While it is not possible to please completely all the fans' preferences for this or that particular era, they are to be commended for remembering to honor their most important eras. At this point they have all three of the original surviving members in the band once more, plus the "newer" members that joined later on. What a fun, fun album!

1. Orbit

2. Skyfall

3. Eagle Fly Free

4. Mass Pollution

5. Future World

6. Power

7. Save Us

8. Kai's Medley

9. Forever and One (Neverland)

10. Best Time

11. Dr. Stein

12. How Many Tears

13. Keeper of the Seven Keys

14. Perfect Gentleman

15. I Want Out

total time: 2 hours and 1 minute

Markus Grosskopf - bass (1983-present)

Michael Weikath - guitars (1983-present)

Kai Hansen - guitars, vocals (1983-1989, 2017-present)

Michael Kiske - vocals (1986-1993, 2017-present)

Andi Deris - vocals (1994-present)

Sascha Gerstner - guitars (2002-present)

Dani Löble - drums (2005-present)

https://www.facebook.com/ReigningPhoenixMusicOfficial

https://www.facebook.com/helloweenofficial

HELLOWEEN - Best Time [Live At Budokan] (Official Music Video)

HELLOWEEN - Eagle Fly Free [Live At Budokan] (Official Music Video)

Disillusion - "I guess you guys aren't ready for that yet, but your kids are gonna love it"

Disillusion

Back to Times of Splendor (20th Anniversary Edition)

Metal Blade Records

26 April 2024

Take a look at this gem by the long-running prog melodic extreme metal band Disillusion (1994-present; Saxony, Germany). Earlier in 2024 Metal Blade Records reissued a 20th-anniversary edition remastered version of the 2004 debut album, a highly-regarded work that has continued to impress throughout the previous 20 years. This reissue includes two additional songs from the 2002 single “The Porter” and live renditions of two songs from the album.

1. ...and the Mirror Cracked 08:27

2. Fall 04:54

3. Alone I Stand in Fires 06:53

4. Back to Times of Splendor 14:39

5. A Day by the Lake 04:54

6. The Sleep of Restless Hours 17:03

original album playing time 56:50

Two songs from the single “The Porter” (2002)

7. The Porter 04:17

8. Eternal Duality 05:05

Two live songs from the original album:

9. And the Mirror Cracked (live) 06:24

10. Alone I Stand in Fires (live) 06:27

Of course, the extra material is nice to hear. However, it is the album itself that is the centerpiece of this reissue. As you can see above, there are two songs that are very long. Is this a problem? No, it's not. Why? Well, the album is undoubtedly in the category of melodic death metal, with both growling and singing, and riff-focused thrashy guitar work, and the other side of the coin is that it is not only melodic death metal. There is a prog component to the music giving it a different sound, more personality, if you will. The music bundles melodeath and prog into one smooth sound. If given a couple of proper listens, the album works well overall and the long songs turn out to be indispensable. Given the 20 years that have passed, the album still sounds fun. Plus, today's metal listeners often are much smarter when it comes to understanding albums that blur the lines between genres. If anything, nowadays the album sounds more acceptable, and less a novelty, as perhaps it did for some people in 2004. It's not an instant-gratification album, but over the years it has gained a certain following and it's because the music possesses traits that keeps people coming back for more.

https://www.facebook.com/disillusionBand

Legend Revisited - bringing a 1979 album to the present day

Legend Revisited

From the Lord

Sonic Age Records / Cult Rock Classics

21. June 2024 (CD / LP); 6. Sep. 2024 (Digital)

If you have an interest in the history of metal music, Legend (a trio from New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.) may spark your curiosity due to the 1979 album Fröm the Fjörds. Said work has drawn interest from a small group of devoted listeners searching for more music than just whatever the official media promotes. Over the course of decades, some audiences have learned that there are bands and albums that may never get an abundance of coverage by the popular writers, reviewers or websites. That is certainly the case with Legend. So, what is Legend Revisited and what is the new album then? To put it simply, the 2024 album is a re-recording of the 1979 album by a new line-up and with new lyrics.

The new recording features the original drummer Raymond E. Frigon, without the bass player Fred Melillo and without the vocalist/guitarist Kevin Nugent, who died in 1983. Raymond enlisted Swedish bassist Janne Stark (Constancia, Overdrive, Locomotive Breath, ex-Overheat, ex-Planet Alliance) and Danish guitarist Martin Jepsen Andersen (Anchorite, Chalice of Sin, Meridian, ex-Legend (live), ex-David Reece). According to the information on Metal Archives, Raymond takes care of the drums and also the vocals on this re-recording. The idea of the new recording is to give the old album a better production while following rather closely the music. Another important objective of the new recording is to give the album new lyrics, given that Raymond has been dis-satisfied with the old lyrics for a long time.

Musically, it is pretty much the same but with a better sound quality. The music sounds like 1970s heavy and prog rock. The original album was released in 1979, but the music in a way looked towards the early and mid 1970s, and not so much to the fashions at the end of the 1970s like low-skill, low-IQ punk rock or the influence of disco. Thus, the music has the general heaviness of Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath while also incorporating the influence of prog rock from the 1970s, making the album seem to be in the same family as Rush or Uriah Heep in some ways. The singing is not super loud, like, say Led Zeppelin or Deep Purple, but rather a bit more like earlier heavy rock, perhaps closer to Cream, Blue Cheer or Iron Butterfly: it’s not wailing, air-raid siren, full-on Led Zeppelin singing-screaming. The rhythm section is very important because the music is not totally controlled by the guitar. The guitar does its job, but it is not trying to steal the thunder from the songs. Interestingly, the album is a drumming tour de force. There is no doubt that the drummer is overplaying, including segments that seem like mini solos on drums and an actual drum solo in the middle of the song.

It is an excellent re-recording that gives new life to an old recording and a new chance for audiences to hear the music of Legend. Lyrically, the old album referenced Norse mythology in various ways, whereas the new version features Biblical themes and stories. The drummer Raymond has explained in various interviews that he was a vehement atheist by the age of 13, but by the time the album came out he was 24 years old and he was no longer attracted to the atheist, hippy, drug-addict and alcoholic way of life that he saw around the band. The atheist way of life seemed empty to him, so by time the album came out he had one foot out the door and he wanted to live his life in a more meaningful, purposeful way, and for him, it meant living life as a practicing Christian. Below is a list of the songs from the original album and the new version. The music is mostly the same, although there are some changes, like for the old song “R.A.R.Z.,” and the song in its place (“Gideon”) sounds nothing like the old song. Whereas there used to be two instrumentals, there are now no instrumentals. Anyway, take a look at this list below to get a glimpse of the lyrical changes.

1.The Destroyer 05:15 1.The Creator 05:04

2.The Wizard's Vengeance 03:21 2.The Lord's Vengeance 03:25

3.The Golden Bell 07:10 3.The Golden Crown 07:15

4.The Confrontation 03:23 instrumental 4.Confrontation 03:31

5.R.A.R.Z. 05:12 5.Gideon 04:42

6.Against the Gods 03:43 6.Against the Beast 03:46

7.The Iron Horse 06:29 instrumental 7.The Gospel Train 06:16

8.From the Fjords 08:01 8.Armageddon 08:01

total time 42:34 total time 42:00

By the way, in 2019 there was a 40th anniversary edition of the original album released, a project that the drummer Raymond supported, approved and collaborated with. That version is the original album, the original recording (plus some demo songs), whereas the re-recording represents a new, updated version of the music with lyrics that are not a glorification of pagan and heathen themes. Raymond has stated that they did not think of themselves as a “heavy metal band” because they were too much into jazz, fusion and prog, even though the album did come out sounding pretty heavy. Raymond has been surprised that it is metal fans that have taken an interest in Legend. At the same time, Raymond has explained in interviews that he is not a fan of what he sees as metal music’s promotion of drugs, alcoholism, promiscuity, violence, sexual assault, murder, war and all the things that he sees as metal music’s repertoire and toolbox of lyrical topics. Regardless of how a person may feel about the lyrics, at this point, audiences can listen to the original album and/or the new version! Legend clearly is an interesting story for students of metal music history that are curious about bands that seem to have been forgotten. Legend is one of the those that is almost to-tally forgotten, but certain audiences simply refuse to let the name die. Maybe there is a good reason for the interest in the band decades after they released their one and only album.

LEGEND REVISITED "Gideon" taken from "From the Lord" LP/CD

Legend - From The Fjords 1979 (FULL ALBUM)

https://www.facebook.com/cultmetalclassics

Vision Divine - Italian prog power band is streaming two new songs

Long-running prog power band Vision Divine (Italy) is now streaming two songs from their upcoming album Blood And Angels' Tears, scheduled to be released on the 20th of September, 2024. Active since 1997, the new album will be their ninth full-length. I have been listening to the new work, and it sounds like an album that emphasizes quality in the songwriting, balancing the prog while keeping the music melodic heavy metal, very often uptempo and catchy. The singing is on the higher end of the spectrum, but it's smooth and it's not banshee screaming for its own sake. The album is a good combination of intelligent musicianship and rocking songs. In addition, this is riff-based music, and it's not lazy, groove-based string plucking relying on chugging to be "prog." The guitar soloing is exquisite and memorable, with a bit of that shredding legacy, too. Credit to the band for not forgetting to balance all the various elements, despite the fact that this is a concept album. Apparently the band will be continuing the story on the next album, too. A summary of the idea of the lyrics is the following from the Book of Revelation: “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:7-9). The album feels like the soundtrack of an opera or an epic movie, if such work used melodic metal. It sounds like a pretty big production. If you like trivia, you may like to know that they have some guests on vocals: Ray Alder (Fates Warning), Alle Conti (Twilight Force, Trick Or Treat) and AC Wild (Bulldozer). At any rate, the album should be a delight for fans of melodic singing and melodic prog metal.

https://www.facebook.com/visiondivineofficial

Blighted Eye - Washington State prog extreme band streaming three songs from upcoming album

The Washington State, U.S. prog extreme band Blighted Eye is already streaming three songs from the upcoming album Agony's Bespoke, scheduled to be released on the 20th of September, 2024. Metal Archives shows that they began in 2019 and in 2020 released an EP. The album will be eight full songs, ranging from about six minutes to some eight minutes or more, and one track goes over the 11-minute mark. Fans of Opeth and Dark Tranquillity may want to hear this particular sound, as the music embraces those influences. Of course, keep in mind that this album will be the band's debut full-length. It is, by any stretch of the imagination, an album has been put together very well and with a professional sound quality. In that sense, the level of the album is tremendous. I do not have access to the lyrics, so I am unable to say as to how intelligent or skilled the lyrics are. I hope that a song like "A Feast for Worms" is not as moronic as a band like Cannibal Corpse or Deicide, although the album artwork does seem to be a brutal album cover fulfilling all the stereotypes of metal music as being music for imbeciles with a penchant for celebrating violence, murder and torture. Fortunately, the music does not sound like a typical brutal band. Despite these reservations, fans of prog extreme metal should give the band a chance because the musicianship is top notch. They sound way better than a song title like "A Feast for Worms" and that awful artwork would suggest.

https://www.facebook.com/BlightedEye/

Wolfheart - melodic extreme metal from Finland

Wolfheart

Draconian Darkness

September 6th, 2024

Reigning Phoenix Music

Although this particular entity Wolfheart has been active for over ten years, the head honcho, multi-instrumentalist Tuomas Saukkonen, who was born in 1980, has been making music for a long time with bands active, officially, if we go by the information on Metal Archives, since 1996, and who knows how many years before that. The seventh album (nine songs in 39 minutes) is a type of coherent pastiche of melodic death, but given the extensive experience in music the various components do not come across as disparate or haphazard. A likely explanation for the smooth sound of variety, besides the studio magic, could be that the band utilizes eclecticism but never fully commits ten-toes-down to any particular genre, thereby allowing transitioning in and out adjacent turns. The songs tend to have the expected parts of melodeath, like the semi-thrashy riffs, melodies and the growling. However, there are also surprises along the way to make things more interesting: some neosymphonic elements, a clean guitar here and there, a proggy segment, some melodic singing, some djent rhythms, some metalcore vibes, some black metal bits, so on and so forth, but without making it sound like a crazy salad of styles.

https://www.facebook.com/WolfheartRealm

Nocturna - melodic power pop from Italy

Nocturna

Of Sorcery And Darkness

Scarlet Records

19 April 2024

The central premise of Nocturna is to take the elements of Europower metal and pair it all up with gothic-pop sensibilitis and let's see what happens! The sound is very upbeat, danceable, very melodic, catchy and with operatic singing. On paper, the idea may seem crazy or perhaps even unworkable, but when you hear the music there is no doubt that power metal is the driving force. The singing is a duo of one high voice, which perhaps sounds like it fits power metal in a way that fans would expect: melodic, clear and pleasant on the ears. Then, there is a higher voice that sounds like it comes from opera. The combination, the contrast, the unity, the duality, it's all very easy to get into, in particular for fans of power metal. The lyrics are warnings of what happens when people choose a life of deceit, manipulation and greed for power. Those actions will cause a reaction and when it comes back around it's not a pretty sight.

https://www.facebook.com/officialnocturna/

Oxygen Destroyer - relentless underground volcanic metal of monstrous aberrations for seismic fractures

Oxygen Destroyer

Guardian of the Universe

August 9th, 2024

Redefining Darkness Records

For ten years Oxygen Destroyer has been churning out unrelenting intensity in the form of death/thrash/black obsessed with the Godzilla movies. Come and enter the realm of no-nonsense headbanging underground metal. Song after song is an exposition in the art of fast and blasting metal, something like a virulent combination of Kreator-Vader exercises in making the human move into a frenzy of energy. For about 33 minutes Oxygen Destroyer seeks to awaken the metal fanatic to get up and join the mosh pit. The riffs launch from the left and from the right, the solos jump out from all sorts of angles, the drumming speeds up and then speeds up some more, all the while the vocals go into black and death tales of all things related to the monster movies that occupy the imagination and fanaticism of this band. If you want 100% headbanging metal that takes the best elements of thrash, death and black metal, then play this album until the cows come home. Just make sure that you have a neck brace handy, just in case that you get out of control and you feel some pain in the morning. Take your medica-tion. You’ll be fine. Your medicine is called Oxygen Destroyer.

https://www.facebook.com/KaijuConjuringDeathMetal

RivetSkull - when the going gets tough, the tough get going

RivetSkull

Abscence of Time

June 14th, 2024

I dropped the ball on this one. Recently I missed a chance see to this band live. I also totally missed the boat on the new album. Next thing I know the album is out and the band is out and about playing shows. I enjoyed the 2022 album Trail of Souls: Samsara. I thought I knew what the new music would sound like, but the new songs, to my ears, are more muscular than I expected. I sense more crunch on the guitars and a heavier sound, while still keeping their traditional metal featuring singing, catchy choruses, melodic guitar solos and a groovy rhythm section. Having seen them live before, I can tell you that they do a good job of representing live renditions of their music. In fact, the time I saw them they had some technical difficulties, and they kept on like champs with the motto "the show must go on" and it did go on. I liked them even more for find-ing a way to tough it out. Anyway, if you enjoy melodic metal, you might like to know that here in the Seattle region, we have this band delivering some memorable melodic songs with the sound of classic rock and heavy metal.

https://www.facebook.com/RivetSkull/

Grendel's Sÿster - descending into the dream chamber of heavy metal

Grendel’s Sÿster

Katabasis into the Abaton/Abstieg in die Traumkammer

Cruz Del Sur Music

6 September 2024

If you listen to this band’s album, you will notice what type of statement they are making. Essentially, they sound like a band that wants you to hear music made by human beings, and not computers. By 2018 they released an EP called Orphic Gold Leaves/Orphische Goldblättchen in two versions, one in English and one in German, the latter being their native language. In 2019 did another EP called Myrtle Wreath/Myrtenkranz. Now in 2024 they make a strong comeback with a new album, which in plain English comes out to something like "descend into the dream chamber."

They sound like a metal band from the 1970s, with emphasis on the heavier side of Thin Lizzy or Led Zeppelin. Big melodies through the guitars in a sound of classic-rock heavy metal are an important feature of their sound. The singing works well with the music, whether in English or German. The singing sounds genuine, which is also the case with the drums, with the band making a serious effort to demonstrate music played by people, to show all the details of the drumming. It's pretty easy to hear what is happening with the drumming. It’s a fun listen, too.

Would you be interested in hearing musicians that want you to experience the sound of their musicianship and instrumentation? There are lots of bands that want to show their technological prowess or their studio magic. There are lots of bands that want to trick you, but what about a band that lays the cards on the table and shows you what they have, and simply asks, "Do you want to hear real rock?," with emphasis on the word real?

There are at least two reasons why this album is worthy of your time and money. First, it's difficult to imagine how a band could be more honest with the listener. This album sounds like real music and it's refreshing to hear something like this because we are all so used to the fraud of studio magic. Second, the songs are good: they range from hard-rocking tunes to anthems and a bit of folk in some segments. I have enjoyed the singing both in English and in German. Sometimes I feel like I prefer the German version, but then I hear the English version again, and it's just as good. The lyrics seem like stories from mythology or ancient times, told about a different time in the past, whether the Middle Ages or the Roman or Greek worlds.

I have liked the idea of this band's music. It's definitely interesting to hear their approach to making music. Their music by itself does the talking by showing how they feel about state of metal and rock music. How do they feel about it?! Listen to this album and it will all be clear. Very clear.

https://www.facebook.com/systerofgrendel

Officium Triste - melodic death doom from Holland

Officium Triste

Hortus Venenum

Transcending Obscurity Records

6 September 2024

Officium Triste (1994-present) has a justifiably proud discography in the field of melodic death doom. Really, you can't go wrong with the 1997 debut Ne Vivam or 2004's Reason or 2019's The Death of Gaia, all of which represent as outstanding examples of graceful interpretations of melodic death doom as you are likely to find anywhere. Actually, any of the six previous full-lengths are good examples of the type of melancholic songwriting for which the Dutchmen are standard-bearers. I also like the various EPs and singles that they have done over the years. With such a good discography, it is fair to say that the new album has to meet a certain level of expectations. Well, I am glad to report that Hortus Venenum (six songs in 41 minutes) is already one of my favorite albums from the band. As is generally the case with this band, the music is melodic death doom that is midtempo (not super duper slow) with some passages moving in a slower direction and some other segments picking up the pace here and there. While it is a given that heaviness is abundant, what is more interesting is their skillful use of melody, of extended, melancholic guitar melodies (not too radically different from the slow, bluesy melodies that characterize Pink Floyd’s songwriting in classic rock) that make it seem like the guitar is singing and the melodies stay in the listener's memory. This idea of making guitar melodies that the listener remembers unfolds rather well with repeated listens, given the playability of the album. The growling is a low, graceful, friendly monstrous voice. The rhythm section provides the heaviness, with the synths assisting with the melodies, which are fundamentally guitar-driven.

The band often bases lyrics on disappointment, disillusion and uncertainty. Per-haps the negativity of the lyrics may turn off some listeners who may not enjoy the constant pessimism, although the lyrics are not any more negative than Paradise Lost or Katatonia, for example. Personally, I think the lyrics are acceptable, though I think it would have been better to find a smarter word to rhyme with “forevermore” in the song “Anna’s Woe.” Thankfully, the lyrics are better than their album The Pathway (2001), which seemed way too angry. In addition, the artwork is good, and they have not repeated the awful artwork of their 2007 album Giving Yourself Away, which is way too clichéd, cheap and stereotypical for depressive doom. Interestingly about the new album, you may find yourself plenty happy with the uptempo moments of “Forcefield,” a song with some nice, upbeat moods. It’s not all downtempo doom!

Overall, the boys from Rotterdam have outdone themselves once again. There is very little to complain about and lots to celebrate. As they get older, the boys seem to take about five years to put out a new album. So, it’s going to be a while before we hear from them again; all the more reason to dive into the new album and see what it has to offer to fans of doom. Then, come back to it later. You are bound to find that the album gets better when you return to it for subsequent listens.

https://www.facebook.com/officiumtriste/

Carmeria - melodic-gothic metal from Australia

Carmeria

Tragédie D’amour

23 August 2024

The second full-length by the Australian melodic band catches the listener’s attention more quickly and more efficiently than their 2021 debut album, which I enjoyed and still enjoy. I was not ready for how much they have improved on all fronts. While I do like the band’s very first EP from 2013 (when they had a different singer) and the 2021 album, they are now operating at higher levels. Even though they a have a certain aspect of power metal, after hearing the album a few times, it should become obvious that they are not really a power metal band. Instead, they have a very melodic, ear-friendly romanticist ethos with gothic elements. Sure, the first song sounds like power metal in some ways, but said track is just a show starter to get the audience warmed up. Once the album gets going, songs like “Leading the Lyre,” “Whispers of Forgiveness,” “Immortal,” or “Burning Ships,” their elegant form of melodic-gothic metal becomes clearer. Therefore, expect keyboards to carry melancholy and an interplay between melodies, but with a tristesse that never seems to disappear fully even though the music is substantially upbeat and uptempo. Vocally, expect romanticist-gothic melodic singing, with very few moments of growling, which I can do without, as this music is perfect without any growling. The lyrics, I'm happy to report, are done well, focusing on love, love lost, loneliness, the joys and sorrows of searching for a soulmate. The lyrics are appropriate for all audiences. Secondly, give credit to the band for keeping everything, from the music and vibes to the lyrics intelligent and mature, avoiding low-IQ clichés, for a very, very good album that hopefully will put the band's name on the map for melodic metal fans.

Tragédie D'amour by Carmeria

https://www.facebook.com/CarmeriaMusic

Vanquishment - black metal debut from Washington State, U.S.

Vanquishment

Dogfights

May 15th, 2024

1. Dogfights (On the Horizon) 03:55

2. Alpine Trenches 03:52

3. Fusional Bombardment 04:17

total time 12:04

C. Barthels - drums (ex-Abject Offering, ex-Empyrean)

J. Bowens - guitars, bass (Open Grave, ex-Minas Tirith, ex-Helcaraxë, ex-Humanicide, ex-Kult ov Azazel)

J. Knowlton - guitars, vocals (ex-Dioghaltas, ex-Sacrament ov Impurity, ex-Weary, Entrails, ex-Kömmand [live])

Even though it is accurate that while there are only three songs that comprise the debut by this Washington State, U.S. black metal band, the recording is much better than you would otherwise surmise. The first trait that caught my attention was the overall sound quality. The traditional black metal style of the vocals, the ripping tone of the guitars, and the liveliness of the rhythm section. In addition, the war-themed lyrics read like a documentary on modern warfare strategies, techniques and terrains. Supporters of traditional black metal—the genre that focuses on headbanging music, on riffs and melodies—may be more than well pleased by the sense that the musicians are using their combined, considerable experience to make no-nonsense, intense, headbanging music, but that also avoids rock music’s low IQ elements, such as dumb lyrics or the fake-persona gimmickry or the glorification of stupidity. In other words, the music is enjoyable and there is no need to warn listeners that they must lower their expectations because the vocals may be subpar, the guitar work may lack skill or that there may not be much in the way of the rhythm section or that the lyrics may be total garbage. Lastly, I have also enjoyed the sound and personality of the drumming. There are quite a few details to be heard when one listens closely to the drumming. Of course, I do not know how much tinkering they have done to the drumming, but fortunately it does not sound like computer software clinical plastic perfection. In addition, it is very nice to hear a full rhythm section on this recording, with both the bass and drums.

https://www.facebook.com/vanquishmentband/

Rendell Gary

U.S. guitarist Rendell Gary (Newport News, Virginia) so far has two solo instrumental recordings. The first one is called And the Gods Cried Guitar from 2017, comprised of seven songs in 22 minutes. The second recording is called The Seven String Theory from 2022 and it is also seven songs in 24 minutes. Metal Archives states that Mr. Gary takes care of all the instruments. (Apparently there was a demo in 2006 (!), although I have not heard it. Amazon Music and Metal Archives show only the two recordings mentioned here.

Both are instrumental works recommended for audiences interested in serious and multifaceted guitar. The songs go beyond a particular subgenre or style, reflecting Mr. Gary's love of variety of different musical traditions channeled through a wide interpretation based on heavy metal guitar foundations, which is to say that it is not a single-genre songwriting method. It is not shred, for example. There is shredding in which the fast-finger action comes out of the woodwork, but there is also lots of melody. In addition, there is acoustic or clean guitar. The 2017 recording ends with an acoustic rendition of Beethoven's famous piece "Für Elise." Of course, there is a certain heaviness to balance out the variety, and it does not sound like a super crazy mix of eclecticism. There is variety, but to my ears it all sounds coherent, and not simply a compilation of different styles.

The 2017 recording feels like it is half and half: classical, clean, acoustic or Spanish guitar, on one hand, and heavy metal on the other. The 2022 recording leans more towards electric guitar/metal music, while still celebrating the classical guitar elements. Both recordings are similar but they feel a bit different due to the song sequence. Either way, it does not matter: both are enjoyable and fun if you like instrumental guitar music.

KING FOR A DAY

https://www.instagram.com/757sixstringkiller/

Veriteras - melodic death/black from Washington State, USA

Veriteras

The Dark Horizon

11 April 2024

It's a nice surprise to find a good recording by musicians who take pride in their craft in all aspects: a strong focus on making quality music, in all components, from the melodies to sound quality, and from the solos to the lyrics, and everything else, while at the same time keeping things intelligent, and avoiding low-IQ or clichéd elements. It certainly looks like this U.S. band has been working on precisely that, on making melodic death/black metal that is memorable, good quality and thoughtful.

For example, let's begin in an area that listeners and bands consider unimportant: lyrics. So many otherwise skilled metal musicians ruin their music with imbecilic lyrics about ridiculous nonsense for the sake of tired gimmicks or some sense of following the rules of the scene/tradition/friendship. Some bands do not even bother thinking about it and make the most stereotypical lyrics for their specific subgenre without asking themselves, after spending time and money on writing guitar parts, songs and going through the trouble of making a recording, “Why do I ruin my work and effort with stupid lyrics?”. Why? To please whom? the “rules”? the “fans”? my “friends”? Of course, rectification is always possible if the musician is brave enough, as in the case of the U.S. band Death's change from feebleminded lyrics to smarter lyrics. In the case of Veriteras, lyrics may read like astronomy, psychology, war, history, relationships and matters of confidence, and other such general topics, in a way that is reasoned or earnest. In addition, the lyrics are for all audiences, not only for a specific sectarian fan base or a particular age group or a “scene.”

I have been impressed by Veriteras (Washington State) since their 2022 album Shadow of Death, which I have listened to repeatedly. Their history goes back further to their 2019 single, and then an EP in 2020 and another EP in 2021. Attention, if you are interested in a really efficient, no-filler recording aiming for perfection: no useless intros, interludes nor outros; no show-off long segments, meandering tracks that are a poor excuse to noodle around with things that have nothing to do with the song. This band brings to you songs for headbanging. The new album is nine songs in 31 minutes. Perfect! The songs run from about three minutes to four minutes and 25 seconds. The band is considered classic-style melodic death metal, but to me, the 2022 album was just as much melodic black metal as melodic death metal and this assertion has never been truer than on the latest album. The vocals and lots of the guitar work comes from black metal, and taken into account with the fast drumming, which often launches into blasting or speedier segments, it all underlines the black metal elements. However, the smooth production, the plethora of melodies, and the background keyboards make this album very, very likable for wider audiences.

So far in 2024 this is the album that I have heard and enjoyed the most. I have tried to explain above that I think everything (except the drums, I prefer real drums, which at this point are practically extinct in music) about it makes it as close to perfection as possible in 2024 for my insufferable, fastidious, intolerant standards.

The Dark Horizon by Veriteras

https://www.facebook.com/VeriterasMetal

Plush - Find the Beautiful

Plush

Find the Beautiful

Pavement Entertainment

19 January 2024

Some years before the formation of Plush as a band, singer/guitarist Moriah Formica, with Brooke Colucci on drums, caught the attention of fans with the cover of Heart's "Barracuda" in 2018. Then, after continuing to work on covers published online and original songs, Plush as a band was up and running with a self-titled debut album in 2021. Now they return with a six-song EP featuring a classic-contemporary mix of heavy rock anthems and catchy songs. It's so listenable, very melodic and pleasant on the ears, and with such a listener-friendly format of just six songs, it's nice to go back and hear it on repeat. After the 2021 album the band has been touring in the United States, working hard to bring their music to the fans, and the reception has been very positive amongst the fans of classic rock and metal. While we wait for a new album, this EP is a good way to maintain the name of the band going, especially among fans that have not a gotten a chance to see them live yet. In terms of songs, the EP gives a good impression of some newer elements, like more keyboards in the first couple of songs "Run" and "Kill the Noise", giving the EP a smoother, more ear-friendly feel, which, personally, I prefer to the somewhat drier feel of the 2021 debut. "Kill the Noise" has a wonderful part of some tremolo picking, adding a cool, different vibe. The Heart cover, now by Plush as a band, is done very well. A nice addition to the band’s discography.

Plush - Barracuda

https://www.facebook.com/PLUSHOFFICIAL

Meadows - Barabbas (Silence of Innocence)

Here is the video for the song "Barabbas" from the upcoming second album Familiar with Pain by the metalcore band Meadows (U.S.) on Facedown Records. The album comes out on March 29th, 2024. The band's sound focuses on heavy riffs but also making the music in a way that the listener remembers it. Lyrically, this particular song is the biblical story of a notorious criminal favored by a crowd full of rage, and they choose the criminal to be set free, instead of Jesus. Regarding the album itself, the band says that "Familiar with Pain explores the thoughts and themes chronologically from Palm Sunday through the flogging of Christ that took place on that fateful Good Friday. The album considers each moment woven into the story of how Jesus knew what was ahead of Him, and chose to endure it for us."

Meadows - Barabbas (Silence of Innocence)

https://www.facebook.com/facedownrecords

Lutharo - blazing across the Ontario skies

Lutharo

Chasing Euphoria

Atomic Fire Records

15 March 2024

Make your way to Lutharo if you seek a fun roller coaster ride to the mosh pit. Put away that math book, no calculations nor equations are necessary to enjoy this music. Lutharo understands metal as music for energy for the mind and body. After a minute of a mellow introduction, the rubber meets the road, and it’s off to the races. The riffs to make you move, the shredding, the drumming, it looks like they want the listener to find euphoria. Chase no more, friend. It’s here. It’s Lutharo. The speed and melody, the melodic singing and the harsher screaming, the melodic thrashing riffs, it’s all a good time. The band likes to play a spicy style with a bit of variety, kind of coloring outside the lines a bit; it works for them. Sometimes their material has a bit of a neosymphonic vibe, sometimes the drumming goes into blasting speeds for brief segments, at other times the melodies manifest themselves more, while sometimes the riffs take over or the shredding goes to the front. Through it all, traditional heavy metal pulls on the rope that contemporary metal is holding, and the push and pull of the two, instead of seeming like a conflict, results in a beautiful dance of elements complementing each other. This band, I tell you, just continues to deliver the headbanging metal. The Canadians are striking while the iron is hot and getting while the getting is good.

LUTHARO - Chasing Euphoria (Official Music Video)

LUTHARO - Time To Rise (Official Music Video)

https://www.facebook.com/LutharoOfficial

Sovereign - will the real Sovereign stand up?

Sovereign

Altered Realities

Dark Descent Records

19 January 2024

There are many bands with this name, and just looking at Metal Archives one finds close to 20 bands with the same name. This particular band is said to be from Oslo, Norway, with a handful of songs so far: Iron Cast (single, 2018), Sovereign (demo, 2019), and Neurotic (EP, 2020), and now Altered Realities (seven songs in 41 minutes). The band is Gravskjender (Simen Grong) (ex-Stormbeist) on bass and vocals (2018-present); two former members of black thrashers Nocturnal Breed: "Tommy Jacobsen" and V. Fineideath (Vidar Fineidet) on guitars; with Cato Syversrud on drums (2021-present). If your band has two guitarists from Noctural Breed, then it's no surprise that thrash is a foundation. In this case, Sovereign is frenetic, technical, headbanging death thrash. The music is jam-packed with riffs, shredding and skilled guitar action, and a rhythm section that, after you hear the album, will have you icing up your neck. The technical aspect of the music means that it does not sound like some form of punk metal, but rather well-played, well-written songs with precise execution, all while holding the intensity as an important part of the music. It's not super proggy nor excessively technical, and certainly not tech/prog. The vocals are in the style of death metal, but it is not a deep growl but more like intelligible, enunciated vocals. The explanation for the good quality is that they have experience in other bands, and that they also have been building towards the album with the demo and EP. Good quality and musicianship. Impressive.

Altered Realities by Sovereign

https://www.facebook.com/sovereignnorway/

Hyloxalus - operatic metal boldly going to the firmament

Hyloxalus

Make Me the Heart of the Black Hole

January 26th, 2024

Hyloxalus puts operatic singing to the sounds of power metal, a type of fast-paced neosymphonic power metal with some gothic elements. Sometimes it sounds like extreme metal, at that speed and energy, but with very high vocals. You can try to sing along if you dare, but you better clear your pipes and do some breathing exercises, because you might hurt yourself singing along. Actually, forget that! Do try this! You might have fun figuring out if you can sing along. Maybe you can hit those high notes and find out that you, too, have a great voice. Then, form a band! Hyloxalus is a very different type of listening experience, in a good way. After all, how many bands like this one are you going to discover for your collection this year?!

Make Me The Heart Of The Black Hole by Hyloxalus

https://www.facebook.com/hyloxalusmakesloud/

Dreams of Gray - new melodic death metal out of Chicago, USA

Dreams of Gray

A Beginning

1 March 2024

The anatomy of Dreams of Gray (Chicago, U.S.) has been contextualized as "melodic thrash, death, and doom as well as traditional heavy metal," which is fine, but you could just as easily bang your head to the music and be good to go. The 2023 debut EP was a fine work of melodic death metal, but now this new song features a stronger balance between the death growling and melodic singing. This track shows quite a range: the somber melodies, the headbanging extreme metal moments, the various vocal elements. Actually, when you read it on paper, it seems like there might be too much going on, but when you hear it for yourself you will understand how smoothly the composition flows, and not like a forced mixture of incoherent elements. For example, you might be surprised that there are black metal guitar elements showing up or that there is a certain doom vibe in some parts, but those labels "doom" or "black metal" do not really explain the song at all nor the quality of the songwriting. More importantly, the sense of melody is something that the listener will detect without much difficulty! The new song, a precursor to an upcoming 2024 EP, is type of somber, melodic, but also headbanging melodic death metal. Better yet, given that the song is already out, check it out for yourself, and that's a much better way to understand Dreams of Gray's anatomy.

A Beginning by Dreams of Gray

The World After by Dreams of Gray

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090219272895

Ember Belladonna - Canadian flautist brings something different to metal

Ember Belladonna

The Grove

9 February 2024

Canadian flautist Ember Belladonna recruited a bunch of ne'er-do-wells and their street talents to make an eclectic album of folk metal that will delight the layabouts, loafers and goldbricks circling the frozen caves of Saskatchewan and beyond. While Oktoberfest is not here yet, the music for it already is. Dance if you want, prance if you must, for Ember Belladonna seeks to take the flute to the hearts of the people, whether sober or less than. Lift up your glass or put on your glasses and join the gentle and congenial flute teamed up with electric guitars, sometimes in instrumentals, sometimes with pleasant singing and sometimes even with gremlin growling in some spots. Given that it is not every day that you will hear a flautist venture out and take the flute into the world of metal, you probably won't hear another album like this for a long, long while, maybe not until the next Ember Belladonna album.

The Grove by Ember Belladonna

https://www.facebook.com/EmberBelladonnaMusic/

Opprobrium - turning back the clock to the time of the serpents

Opprobrium

Serpent Temptation (reissue)

High Roller Records

13.10.2023

High Roller Records reissues here the 1988 debut album and the 1996 rerecording of the same album by Incubus, which later changed its name to Opprobrium. Thus, this is two versions of the same album. The band was named Incubus (Louisiana, U.S.) from 1986-1999 and as Opprobrium from 1999 to the present. Their first album was Serpent Temptation (1988) with the Brazilian brothers Francis M. Howard (guitars) and Moyses M. Howard (drums) and U.S.-born Scott Latour (bass, vocals). Their second album is called Beyond the Unknown (1990), at the time it was available through Nuclear Blast and was part of the rising wave of death metal. Compared to the 1988 debut, the 1990 album was an improvement in the quality of the recording and the more muscular, heavier growl now done by guitarist, bassist Francis M. Howard, given that the previous bassist/vocalist Scott Latour was out of the band by 1989.

Then, in 1996 the two brothers recorded their debut album again. The Incubus/Opprobrium sound on both versions of the album is relentless, shredding, unmelodic headbanging metal. There are two main differences between the old and later versions: The first version features Kreator-style vocals and music, raging metal like the Ger-mans' Pleasure to Kill (1986) while the second one has death metal vocals and heaviness. That means that the 1988 recording has those death/thrash/black metal vocals that are furious, but not as deep, guttural and brutal as 90s growls. Perhaps the band felt that their sound was more in line with the newer style of extreme vocals, compared to 80s extreme vocals. In particular, their 1990 sophomore album was recorded at Morrisound Studios in Florida, a studio with brothers Tom and Jim Morris and engineer/producer Scott Burns taking the quality of death metal recordings to professional-level, first-rate recordings, especially with landmark recordings like Death's Leprosy (1988), which showed a clear, professional sound, and in 1989 with very important recordings: Morbid Angel's Altars of Madness, Obituary's Slowly We Rot, Sepultura's Beneath the Remains (recorded in Brazil, but mixed at Morrisound in Florida), and also 1989 with Terrorizer's World Downfall, playing as fast as humanly possible and sounding so clear and professional while doing so, especially for the blasting speeds of Pete Sandoval (Morbid Angel/Terrorizer).

Anyway, in 1990 Incubus released their second album with that Morrisound production. In 1996, with more experience and knowledge, they recorded the 1988 album again, including changing some lyrics/song titles, giving it a 1990s sound. Both are solid recordings, but the 1988 album would be more interesting to die-hard fans of extreme thrash, while the 1996 version should be more impressive to the death metal fanatics.

Serpent Temptation (Deluxe Reissue) [High Roller Records] SALE! 40% OFF OF EVERYTHING! MARCH 1 - 31. USE PROMO CODE FM40 AT CHECKOUT by Opprobrium

https://opprobriumband.bandcamp.com/album/serpent-temptation-deluxe-reissue-high-roller-records-sale-40-off-of-everything-march-1-31-use-promo-code-fm40-at-checkout

https://www.facebook.com/opprobriumofficial

Master - give you that old time death metal don't try to take you to a disco

Master

Saints Dispelled

Hammerheart Records

19.01.2024

As death metal becomes more outlandish, with bands sounding like jazz from Mars solving equations in trigonometry, Master continues undeterred in the opposite direction: No one needs a calculator to understand it and easily comprehensible from the first listen. Master was a 1980s demo band in the Chicago area, U.S. and in 1990 the debut album was issued by Nuclear Blast. Since then there are some 15 official studio albums, and Master has been based in the Czech Republic for the last 20 years or so. As a cult band in the genre, Master is known for consistent albums with sociopolitical lyrics, growled but comprehensible vocals, a Motörhead-and-Venom vinegar energy muscled up into death metal groovy heaviness. Master comes across as headbanging, no-nonsense, mosh pit tunes. The new album provides an entertaining listen in oldie death metal. While it may be amazing to see a show featuring three-neck guitars played by spider-fingered guitarists dazzling audiences with neobaroque freeform new age postdjent jazzgestalt hautecouture vanmalmsteenianvaisms, Master speaks the universal language of the mosh pit. Sometimes caviar and cuisses de grenouille will not satisfy. Sometimes we need meat and potatoes, and a couple of beers, and that's the bottom line about Master because Stone Cold said so.

Saints Dispelled by Master

https://www.facebook.com/TheRealMasterofficial/

Tonight in Everett: Potential Threat/Rivetskull/Pain Field/Verispul

Tonight (Friday night) at Tony V's in Everett, Washington State.

Path of the War Machine Winter Tour

Potential Threat

Rivetskull

Pain Field

Verispul

perform at Tony V's Garage 7pm door $10

Threat to Society by Potential Threat SF

Trail of Souls : Samsara by RivetSkull

Whitechapel - Live in the Valley

While the band is looking towards making a new album, they have "Live in the Valley" comprised of their 2019 and 2021 albums: "The Valley" and "Kin." On December 22, 2022 they played their 7th annual Christmas Benefit show in their hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. It's a good compilation of their most recent sound of brutal deathcore, fast extreme metal and some important slower, melodic moments or songs. Active since 2006 and with eight studio albums under their belt, the band is at this phase of their career capable of going from one mood to a different one altogether, showing a range beyond one category or subgenre. Having said that, this collection of songs lacks no heaviness or headbanging moments. It's good for physical movement or for doing some form of exercise.

Live in the Valley by Whitechapel

https://www.facebook.com/whitechapelband/

Skiltron - Celtic folk heavy metal

Skiltron

Bruadarach

Trollzorn Records

1. Dec. 2023

This is the sixth album by Skiltron (1997-2001 [as Century], 2004 [as Century], 2004-present), a band that originally started out in Argentina, but nowadays is based in var-ious countries in Europe. Skiltron plays melodic, midtempo songs while integrating "Celtic," "folk" or "bag pipe music" elements. On paper, if a listener has not heard it, it may seem like a weird or experimental idea. Or, to the more adventurous listener, it might seem intriguing, depending on one's personality. Whatever the case may be, it is necessary to point out that the music is remarkably good, and surprisingly not strange and certainly not experimental. It's rather catchy, melodic and done with elegance, not foolishness nor is it gimmicky. Recommendation: In fact, do not worry about the categorizations like "folk metal" or "Celtic metal," and just expect melodic, midtempo, ear-friendly heavy metal characterized by flute/bag pipe-like music, in a good, interesting way, not in a joker, drunk, clowning way. Perhaps this makes it the most interesting: It sounds like they are real musicians, not charlatans, respectfully incorporating elements that are not usually associated with heavy metal.

Bruadarach by Skiltron

https://www.facebook.com/skiltron

Eldritch - adult contemporary melodic metal from Italy

Eldritch

Innervoid

Scarlet Records

17 November 2023

The long-running band (1988-1991[as Zeus], 1991-present) returned in 2023 with a new singer, Alex Jarusso (2023-present), replacing the longtime singer Terence Holler [Mario Tarantola] (1991-2022) whose voice was synonymous with Eldritch, given that he sang on every single album before this new one Innervoid, their 13th. The name of the band goes hand in hand with quality, mature heavy metal music for grown-ups: personal or introspective lyrics, skilled musicianship, good singing, and good, melodic, prog songwriting. The album (eight songs in 49 minutes) keeps all the songs between 5:00 and 5:30, and with most of them closer to the five-minute mark, except for one song that lasts 6:48, and a short intro of 1:15. The reasonable song durations match the balanced approach between melody and prog, keeping the songs as the main focus. The Italian band should be of interest to fans of heavy and power metal, of classic prog metal, and of memorable songwriting and singing. While sometimes the band shows that they like headbanging metal, including some smooth thrash riffing in a few spots, they do not really attempt to do much in the way of extreme sounds, like growling, which they avoid. Lyrically, the songs are introspective, existential, personal or make general observations about life, relations and people, and avoid posturing, immature potty-mouth jackassery. It is adult contemporary melodic metal, if you will. Therefore, if you enjoy melodic metal, based on traditional genres, from classic to power prog, then it is very likely that this album is more than worth your time. One last thing: I did, in fact, have a bit of a difficult time accepting the new singer because I had never imagined the band with a different voice, especially since I, like other fans of the band, enjoy the personal, particular singing voice and stylings of Terence Holler. However, setting aside the possible reasons (I do not know) for the departure of Mr. Holler, the new voice of Mr. Jarusso (Shining Fury 2010-2014; Silver Pugnale 2017-present) is really competent, melodic and professional and fits the album very well and smoothly. I have enjoyed the album a lot.

Innervoid by Eldritch

https://www.facebook.com/Eldritchband/

read online #225 of Metal Bulletin Zine

Here is the link to the PDF of issue number 225 of Metal Bulletin Zine. Number 225 features: In The Woods, HolyName, Tone Glass, Air Raid, Lawrence Wallace, The Temple, Contrarian, Downfall of Gaia, Ardent Nova, Devangelic

https://issuu.com/metalbulletinzine/docs/mb225

Winterhorde - progressive, melodic extreme metal from Israel

Winterhorde

Neptunian

Noble Demon

December 8th, 2023

Winterhorde (1999-2001 [as Autumn Palace], 2001-present) caught my interest with the quality of the music, a certain elocution that stands out, but that does not mean that I fully understood what I was hearing, given the sophistication of the Israeli band’s fourth album. Actually, it was a just a feeling; a sense that there was more to be heard with additional listens. Thus, repeated listens did, in fact, confirm intuition. As it turns, there is quite a range of musical expression to be experienced, including the blaring sounds of the [sampled?] trumpet on the first song! That's a nice way of introducing the listener to the amorphous blend of black, progressive and neosymphonic extreme metal comprising the personality of the album.

The work, a contemporary recording showcasing a refined form of extreme metal, provides various layers for discerning audiences. In general, fans of progressive, intelligent, skilled extreme/black metal should find that the music meets rather high standards in terms of songwriting. An abundance of exquisite melodies also help the listener to navigate the complexities of the progressive strain in the songwriting, which does require an attentive approach on the part of the audience; however, the wise use of melodies assists tremendously in the enjoyment, in particular on the first several listens, given that without such melodies, the music might veer too much into the überprog field, which would make things more difficult for listeners that are not musicians nor devoted fans of prog in general.

The listener should expect segments in which the black metal heritage is mani-fest. Personally, I do enjoy that, as I would not want that element to be discarded. Expect extreme vocals, but also lots of melodic singing, and tons of riffs and some virtuoso guitar playing. The progressive components are indispensable for the music, but fortunately the prog is engaged in an interplay, an interaction with the melodies and black metal. To end, the album is not experimental, it is not weird. It is heavy metal music, of the black, melodic and progressive variety, with an emphasis on delivering a memorable, balanced, quality recording that is worthwhile not just now but for years to come.

Neptunian by WINTERHORDE

https://www.facebook.com/winterhorde/wall/