Italian power metal band Elettra Storm dropped a video for “Ride the Rainbow,” a track from their new album Evertale, which came out on Scarlet Records this past October. They are a melodic power metal band that I've been scrutinizing in detail.
“Ride the Rainbow” is a mid-tempo number, which stands out since most of their songs are much faster, that brings out the band's anthemic qualities and is sure to get the audience singing along. The chorus and guitar melodies are very easy to join in with. It kicks off with a simple piano intro and builds into a moody verse, eventually hitting a big hook and a solo that’s got some real vibes to it. Lyrically, it’s about a father’s perspective on how life changes after having a son. It covers the fears, the bonding, and that unique experience of watching your kid grow up. It’s a cool, personal touch for the genre.
The band put themselves on the map with their 2024 debut, Powerlords, and they’ve really dialed in their sound on this new release. Some of the tracks have a bit of a proggy edge, while others lean heavily into the speed power metal style. No matter the tempo, the melodies are super catchy!
Also, I’ve been digging into the lyrics to check on their quality, and it’s clear the band loves to tell stories and inspire their listeners. That seems to be their main theme: writing stories, some of which feel inspired by classic literature or traditions. Overall, they make a real effort to keep the lyrics concise while maintaining a certain narrative or poetic flair. They keep everything fan-friendly and smart. I’m definitely enjoying this album.
In case you like the song, I have included two more videos from the same album.
ELETTRA STORM
Evertale
Scarlet Records
24 October 2025
ELETTRA STORM - Ride The Rainbow (Official Video)
ELETTRA STORM - Blue Phoenix (Official Video)
ELETTRA STORM - Hero Among Heroes (Official Video)
https://www.facebook.com/ElettraStorm
Unburier
As Time Awaits (EP)
release date: unknown (2025 or 2026)
1.Continuum 4:00
2.Abyssal Uncertainty 5:29
3.Survive the Vermin 4:59
Man, I don't know this band, so I was not expecting much because I had no reason to. Frankly, I am just getting into their music and just beginning to listen—you know, really listen, like, for real, to hear what it is all about. They are a new band to me, and Metal Archives shows that they formed in 2018 and have a couple of EPs before this one. They have a bunch of thrashy riffs, which is a great decision on their part, and they have technical death metal guitar work, of course, and it sounds good, too.
I'll tell you what I really like: effort! They are working hard to give audiences good guitar work and good songwriting within this genre. They have great melodic-shred solos and are clearly working on putting together good, thoughtful lyrics. Some of it is abstract, which I like. Are they concerned about political matters, environmental matters, or personal matters? Or is this a type of astronomical observation with a bent towards existentialism? Maybe all those things. Anyway, I like the lyrical effort (the lyrics are posted on Bandcamp; thank you, Unburier) to accompany the hard work on the instrumentation. The music is tight and precise, and it is very metal, which I like. I hope that they never forget the shred-melodic aspect as they become more experienced in their technical prowess.
I like the vocals. I feel like I can understand a lot of the vocals; it is pretty clear enunciation. Still, I hope that they keep exploring the details and variations of the vocals. Sometimes there are some crazy, brief vocal moments (for example, I really like the vocal expression at the 2:15 mark on the song "Harmonious Absolutes" from the 2024 EP Nebulous; listen and you'll see what I mean.). It's important to explore different vocal expressions or sounds. There are some cool, crazy screams, which I like. Here and there, I hear tiny moments of metalcore vocals show up for a second or two, and that's cool, too.
I say: keep it up! One of the problems in extreme metal is run-of-the-mill growling: monotonous, boring, pedantic, average growling that often seems to be there simply because the band doesn't want to be an instrumental band. Sometimes the growling seems like an afterthought, and when that happens, I don't like it. For these reasons, I'm liking where this band is heading: the music, the vocals, and the lyrics. I like the skill, the thoughtfulness, and their obsession with details.
About Unburier: Hailing from the south of England, UNBURIER stormed onto the death metal scene in the summer of 2022 with their debut EP Twisted Existence. The EP showcased the band's undeniable technical abilities, in addition to their raw and harrowing sound. In 2024, UNBURIER returned with their follow-up EP, Nebulous, on which the band refined their songwriting and technical prowess. On this release, the band ventured even deeper into the realms of their death metal influences, among which they count DEATH, NECROPHAGIST, and REVOCATION. Having conquered stages alongside the likes of SANGUISUGABOGG, CRYPTA, and PARTY CANNON, as well as making notable appearances at Bloodstock Open Air and Incineration Festival, UNBURIER continues to carve a path alongside giants of the death metal genre. Their upcoming third EP, As Time Awaits, sees UNBURIER blending old- and new-school death metal styles with technicality, hooks, and razor-sharp songwriting. Carrying the torch of the classic death metal sound into a new age, As Time Awaits is certain to enthrall longtime fans of the genre.
Survive the Vermin
by Unburier
Unburier- Nebulous
https://www.facebook.com/unburierband/
Check out the new song, "Freed from the Curse of the Law," from the January 2nd, 2026, album Pactum Sanguine Novo by the extreme metal entity Dawnbreaker from the United States. This is the sixth album, and the project has been active since 2018. If this is anything to go by, expect intense black/death metal. In the past, the previous albums have been fast, blasting extreme metal. We'll see where things go when the new album arrives.
A Metal Archives review once observed about Dawnbreaker: "We can assume that Dawnbreaker is destined to carry the torch lit by Australia's Mortification and be known as the best in Christian death metal. Deus Vult is reminiscent of all the great debut albums in early thrash, death, and black metal. A must-own for devout metalheads hungry for the magic of metal’s past."
Pactum Sanguine Novo
by Dawnbreaker
https://www.facebook.com/dawnbreakerworship
People were confused!
Or, at least, some people were. It took a few minutes to properly hear what was going on. It was not avant-garde nor experimental, but somehow the particular configuration of elements had not been done quite like that—not from the perspective of the vast majority of metal audiences, anyway. That first Children of Bodom (Finland) album, titled Something Wild (1997), offered a curious and exciting type of sound: a mix of shred and neoclassical extreme power metal with black metal vocals. It certainly was not common to hear all those elements brought together under one umbrella. It sounded fun, skilled, and a bit weird, or if not weird, at least novel. The maverick responsible for such a vision was only 18 years old when that debut album came out: Alexi Laiho on guitars and vocals.
What was it about that debut album?!
Who knows! It sounded confident, new, and familiar at the same time. It wasn't reinventing the wheel; black metal was not new by then, and neoclassical shredding was well-known, too. Yet, it was a fun combination. The young Finnish band worked neoclassical shred into extreme metal, blending high-energy riffs with high-speed, classically inspired segments.
The keyboards! The interplay between Alexi’s guitar and Janne Wirman’s keyboards was cool. The keyboards weren't just providing background atmosphere; they engaged in fast, lead-heavy duels that became a hallmark of their sound.
What genre was it? It had the aesthetic and vocal rasp of black metal, the precision of thrash, and the melodic sensibilities of power metal. Could extreme music be catchy and melodic? Apparently so.
There was a sense of "rock star energy" brought back to a technical subgenre. Along with Gothenburg bands like In Flames, At the Gates, and Dark Tranquillity, all of which had, in certain forms, paved the way for melodic extreme metal, Children of Bodom helped make melodic death metal a popular sound. However, these Finns sounded faster, more keyboard-driven, and more technical, a bit more virtuoso, if you will.
Anyway, after the debut album, the band became much more successful, and subsequent albums cemented their place in metal history. I know some people really like 1999's Hatebreeder, and some feel that everything finally fit into place perfectly with 2003's Hate Crew Deathroll. Speaking for myself, in my own worthless opinion as Metal Bulletin Zine, I think I prefer the third album, Follow the Reaper (2000). Of course, they made a bunch of other albums after those, but I think those first four are the better musical output.
Alexi, to me, never seemed like a real man, a mature adult, but more like an immature man-child. Sometimes he seemed to be trying too hard to prove he was cool or rebellious. His nihilistic, atheistic, and pseudo-satanic views were clearly dangerous. His substance abuse, specifically his extreme alcoholism, and his depression accompanied him in the hedonistic, godless way of life that a rock star leads. This led him down dangerous paths and, eventually, to his death from tremendously excessive drinking. Many of these issues can be found in his lyrics, too. In terms of the music, the lyrics are some of the weakest elements of Children of Bodom. Frankly, a lot of the lyrics are mind-numbingly stupid.
However, overall, the music of Children of Bodom brought interesting combinations to the table, and much of that music still sounds fun to listen to today.
Children of Bodom - Deadnight Warrior
Children of Bodom - In The Shadows
Children of Bodom - Children Of Decadence
Here in the United States, Americans often hear the music of John Sykes without knowing that they are listening to the music that he wrote. His music might show up in a movie you are watching at the theater or at home, or you might find yourself at a stadium or arena for a sports event playing John Sykes’ music at a baseball, football, basketball, hockey, or soccer game. If you find yourself at a professional wrestling event, John Sykes' music might come on the speakers. It is probably pretty accurate to say that here in the United States, the name John Sykes is mostly associated with the massively popular, culture-shifting 1987 self-titled Whitesnake album.
However, there is a lot more to the music of John Sykes before that era, and there is a lot more music that came after 1987, too.
John James Sykes was born July 29, 1959, in Reading, Berkshire, England. For dedicated heavy metal fans in England in the early 1980s, he first came to prominence with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) band Tygers of Pan Tang, though his involvement in bands goes even further back to a group called Streetfighter. Sykes recorded two albums with the Tygers, Spellbound and Crazy Nights, both released in 1981. In 1982, Sykes joined Thin Lizzy and played on the 1983 album Thunder and Lightning. On this record, Thin Lizzy moved in the direction of tighter, faster songwriting, more in line with the prevalence of early 1980s heavy metal.
As noted by historians, the supporting tour for Thunder and Lightning was billed as Thin Lizzy's farewell tour, though Sykes and Phil Lynott were eager to continue. During the tour, the band recorded the live album Life. Sykes also accompanied Lynott on a European solo tour. Thin Lizzy played their final UK concert at the Reading Festival in August 1983, before finally disbanding after a show at Nuremberg's Monsters of Rock festival on September 4, 1983.
After Thin Lizzy broke up, Sykes joined Whitesnake for the 1984 album Slide It In, giving the band a more current heavy metal sound and moving away from the bluesier hard rock of their previous albums. If you have not seen it, I recommend the 1985 live performance at Rock in Rio available on YouTube. Sure, the footage is old, but there are several important reasons to watch it. First, Rock in Rio was massively important in the development of heavy metal in Brazil. Brazil was coming out of a period of dictatorship, and it was captivating for Brazilians to see major acts like Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, AC/DC, and Scorpions. While it was not strictly a heavy metal festival, the metal bands clearly captured the imagination of the fans. The second reason to watch is that it shows Whitesnake with John Sykes performing in front of a massive crowd of hundreds of thousands. The band also featured the legendary rhythm section of Cozy Powell (Rainbow, Black Sabbath) on drums and Neil Murray (Black Sabbath) on bass.
Of course, Sykes was essential to the 1987 album. What can be said about that record that has not been said already? Great singing, excellent guitar tone, tremendous playing, a wonderful rhythm section, and just about every song sounds like a hit. Unfortunately, due to tensions, John Sykes was kicked out of the band by the time of the album's release, missing out on the famous music videos and tours. Understandably, Sykes was very bitter about not being recognized and not being able to enjoy the fruits of his labor while other musicians received acclaim for the music he wrote. From Sykes' point of view, it was a bitter betrayal to be erased from Whitesnake.
After Whitesnake, Sykes formed Blue Murder. Their self-titled debut was released in April 1989, reaching number 69 on the Billboard 200. The band toured America and Japan, and while the debut sold an estimated 500,000 copies, its success fell short of the label's expectations. Sykes felt Geffen Records did not promote the group properly, stating: "I think they were trying to get me and David [Coverdale] back together... In hindsight, I would have done better with a different label."
While he never reached that 1987 level of commercial success again, he never stopped playing. There are great songs on the Blue Murder albums—where you’ll discover he can really sing!—and he released several solo albums. He also helped keep the music of Thin Lizzy alive after Phil Lynott's death by performing lead vocals and guitar with the band from 1996 until 2009.
There is a lot more to John Sykes than just one world-famous album. He is the type of guitarist that other guitarists study because of his tone, style, and skill. There are many fans fascinated by his equipment and technique, but as Metal Bulletin Zine, I am not a musician and cannot speak technically on that. At any rate, John Sykes is a legendary songwriter. So remember, next time you are at a hockey game and a heavy riff starts playing, you and the crowd might be singing along to a John Sykes song without even knowing it!
TYGERS OF PANTANG - live with John Sykes 1982
Thin Lizzy - Cold Sweat (Live, 1983)
WHITESNAKE - Live Rock In Rio 1985 (Full)
Whitesnake - Bad Boys (1987)
Blue Murder - Valley Of The Kings
John Sykes - "Bad Boys" (Live 2004) | John Sykes - Bad Boy Live!
Ian Fraser Kilmister, better known as Lemmy, was a former roadie for Jimi Hendrix before joining the space-rock band Hawkwind. After being fired in 1975, he formed a new band named after the last song he wrote for them: Motörhead. His objective was simple: basic and loud rock n’ roll.
The original lineup featured Larry Wallis and Lucas Fox, but the "classic" trio was solidified with "Fast" Eddie Clarke on guitar and Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor on drums. Though they were once voted "the best worst band in the world" by NME, they became icons of the scene. Their self-titled debut came out in 1977, though it was preceded by the (initially) unreleased 1975 album On Parole.
In the late '70s, the band gained great recognition for a string of legendary albums:
Overkill (1979)
Bomber (1979)
Ace of Spades (1980)
The successful live album No Sleep 'til Hammersmith (1981) celebrates this era. It debuted at No. 1 on the UK charts—a surprising accomplishment for the so-called "worst band in the world."
The classic lineup fell apart in 1982 when Fast Eddie Clarke departed. He was briefly replaced by Brian Robertson (formerly of Thin Lizzy) for the melodic and underrated Another Perfect Day (1983), but the pairing was short-lived. In 1984, the band expanded to a four-piece with guitarists Phil Campbell and Würzel. After Würzel’s departure in 1995, Motörhead returned to the trio format with Lemmy, Phil Campbell, and drummer Mikkey Dee. This lineup became the band's longest-running and most stable incarnation, lasting 23 years.
Motörhead’s influence on extreme metal is impossible to measure; their sheer tempo and volume provided the blueprint for thrash metal and beyond. By 2013, Lemmy’s health was faltering, yet he remained dedicated to the stage, performing his final show in Berlin on December 11, 2015.
On December 28, 2015—just four days after his 70th birthday and two days after a terminal cancer diagnosis—Lemmy Kilmister passed away at home. Philthy Animal Taylor had passed just a month prior; Fast Eddie Clarke followed in 2018. As Mikkey Dee stated the day after Lemmy’s death: "Motörhead is over, of course. Lemmy was Motörhead."
To me (Metal Bulletin Zine), there are great Motörhead songs in all the eras. The two-guitar era in the 1980s specifically has songs that benefit from that extra "crunch." You can really hear that shift on the No Remorse (1984) tracks and the Orgasmatron (1986) album. Campbell and Würzel brought a great energy to the band, pushing them into heavier, at times almost thrashy, territory. For example, I like songs like "Snaggletooth," "Locomotive," and "Just 'Cos You've Got the Power" (such a great bluesy 1987 track) from this particular era.
Motörhead - Snaggletooth (Album Version)
MOTORHEAD: "LOCOMOTIVE" 1984
Motorhead - Just ‘Cos You Got the Power
Strangely named after the Vietnamese region characterized by flat flood plains and vast water networks—also the site of extremely brutal battles during the Vietnam War—the German band Mekong Delta (1985–present) evoked a sense of complex, turbulent intensity. They pioneered a technical form of thrash metal that maneuvered through blistering speeds and avant-garde classical arrangements. They carved out a niche, reflecting the peculiarity of their namesake through intellectual compositions and shifting time signatures, resulting in a more intricate form of technical and progressive thrash than had ever been heard before.
According to Metal Archives, mastermind Ralf Hubert (using the pseudonym Björn Eklund)—a sound engineer and owner of the label Aaarrg Records—assembled the band in 1985 as an anonymous studio project. By 1987, they hit the ground running with their self-titled debut. This was not the sound of a band finding their way; it was the sound of a well-oiled technical machine functioning at high speeds and turning at sharp angles. It was a combination of progressive songwriting and a passion for classical music expressed through metal instrumentation. The percussion was expertly crafted by the legendary Jörg Michael ("Gordon Perkins"), a prolific drummer for many bands like Stratovarius, Rage, and Grave Digger, Saxon, and many, many more. The guitars on the early albums were handled by Frank Fricke ("Rolf Stein") and Reiner Kelch ("Vincent St. Johns"), both of the German thrash band Living Death.
Navigating these hazardous compositions required a vocalist with versatility and a spirit of adventure, and the man for the job was Wolfgang "Keil" Borgmann. As the voice of the 1987–1990 era, he tackled songwriting that often seemed to defy vocal accompaniment—which explains why there is a nice bunch of instrumentals during his tenure. On these releases, one finds his peculiar style: melodies intentionally in a different key or rhythm than the guitar riffs; an almost operatic delivery that shifted between dramatic storytelling and theatricality; and a schizoid vocal approach that matched the H.P. Lovecraft-inspired themes. He shifted between clean tones, manic shouts, and eerie, hushed passages to establish the Mekong Delta style. Furthermore, his use of 70s rock-inspired inflections provided a soulfulness that was highly unusual for the rigid, mechanistic nature of thrash. Simply put, Keil did what he had to do to survive Mekong Delta’s songs.
After Keil’s departure, Mekong Delta delivered the 1990 masterpiece Dances of Death (And Other Walking Shadows) with a different vocalist, Doug Lee. On subsequent albums, the band eventually took their foot off the gas, moving in a more progressive, less intense, less technical direction. While the quality has remained top-tier, the Keil era remains a singular moment in heavy metal history.
To this writer (Metal Bulletin Zine), these early albums offer a vital lesson for today’s technical metal. Technical metal has come a long way since the 1980s, and levels of complexity have undoubtedly increased. However, one aspect has suffered from a lack of creativity: the vocals. Today, it is almost automatically expected that technical metal will feature growled or screamed vocals; technical metal vocalists don't even bother to ask themselves if they can do something else besides the basic, monotone, dull growling. The result is often captivating, technically amazing music paired with mentally lazy vocals and vocalists. While instrumentalists work tirelessly to deliver complex arrangements, the vocalist often seems content to growl along in a pedantic manner. Oftentimes these vocals ruin otherwise interesting music.
Many modern technical metal bands would do well to encourage their vocalists to use their imagination and escape the dead-end corner that technical metal has painted itself into. We should not have such low expectations for vocals in complex music. Keil, even with his own limitations, proved nearly 40 years ago that vocalists can and should be as daring as the musicians behind them.
The following songs are tracks 1 and 2 from the three Mekong Delta full-lengths (1987, 1988, 1989) with Keil on vocals: Mekong Delta, The Music of Erich Zann, and The Principle of Doubt.
Mekong Delta - Without Honour
Mekong Delta - The Cure
Mekong Delta - Age of Agony
Mekong Delta - True Lies
Mekong Delta - A Question of Trust (Cyberpunk 1)
Mekong Delta - The Principle of Doubt - Chapter 3 Taken From 'The Chronicle of Doubt'
