adg211288 It seems like only yesterday that the Danish progressive metal band Anubis Gate first came onto my personal radar. But, as it turns out, it was well over a decade ago. I can't rightly remember how I first heard about them, though most likely someone from the little community on YouTube that I frequented back in the day recommended them to me. At that time, Anubis Gate only had four studio albums, the most recent of which was The Detached (2009) and it would have been that album and the prior Andromeda Unchained (2007) - both concept albums – that first took my interest, not knowing just how special this band was going to prove themselves to be, not just then, but in the years to follow.

There have been some changes in Anubis Gate over these years, with the band line-up being reduced to four by the time of their fifth album, the self-titled Anubis Gate (2011) and then seeing line-up changes on Horizons (2014), a move which technically left them with no original members, as Henrik Fevre (vocals, bass) and Kim Olesen (guitars, keyboards), though mainstays of Anubis Gate, were only guest musicians/writers on the debut album Purification (2004). The modern line-up is completed by Michael Bodin (guitars) and Morten Gade Sørensen (drums), who is not to be confused with original drummer Morten Sørensen, who, along with original guitarist Jesper M. Jensen, departed the band in 2012. Jesper M. Jensen sadly passed away in 2020. Interference (2023), the band's ninth studio album, is dedicated to his memory.

Interference is also Anubis Gate's first album of original material since Covered in Black (2017). Between these two albums they did also release Covered in Colours (2020), however, so it's not like they've been idle. Their covers record turned out to be one of the best such albums I'd ever heard, really throwing their own take on a number of songs originally from different genres of music and throwing the Anubis Gate touch at them. It sounded like an Anubis Gate album, as if they'd wrote it themselves. Not the easiest of achievements for any act when dealing with covers. But the real excitement for their fans is what many will feel is the true follow-up to Covered in Black, Interference. The burning question is, was it worth the wait?

Yes.

I actually somewhat want to leave this review at that. Yes. No other words needed. Just yes. But I guess I ought to actually talk about the record itself as well as give a history lesson for newcomers to the band, who perhaps aren't as sold by that simple answer as anyone familiar with their music may be. So let's be clear about something regarding this album: it's the kind of record that is that good it makes me want to reevaluate if Anubis Gate's previous releases were actually as good as they always seemed. They're a band I have consistently had cause to review with high scores and I consider the two concept albums to be among the best progressive metal albums ever made, with several others from their discography hardly lagging behind them. But then they go and release this and it's so next level good that it breaks the rating system. I was floored by how good Anubis Gate were when I first heard then over a decade ago, this little known Danish band whose records were bloody hard to get a hold of due to the apparent bankruptcy of their then record label Locomotive Records, but as with most artists, you don't really get back that first time wow factor. Well, Anubis Gate just managed to make that happen to me once again with Interference. Wow.

Even after only taking the first exploratory spin of the album, I felt like my jaw had hit the floor like a cartoon character's does. Naturally I always expect an Anubis Gate album to be excellent, but I found myself unprepared for this one all the same. Interference is easily the most out and out progressive release Anubis Gate have yet made, yet it also has a slightly less polished production sound, giving the guitars a heavier edge than much of their work, while still of course retaining the melodic sensibility that they are known for. There are ten tracks in all and the songs are a mix between shorter and longer durations. The band have brought back some of the speedy power metal influences that had slacked off on Covered in Black so there's some real fast and aggressive sections in some songs. Henrik Fevre remains in great melodic voice, with some additional harsher vocals provided by Kim Olesen.

I truly find it a difficult album to say really all that much about how it actually sounds. Words written about it never do great music justice. What I can say is that I had listened to it a half dozen times before even contemplating this review and it lost nothing in its impact. I also went through the entire back catalogue of Anubis Gate and there isn't one among them that Interference doesn't stack up against or betters. I have long counted The Detached as their finest work and one of my all time favourite albums, so I have some bias there that's not easy to set aside, but the gut feeling down down is that Anubis Gate may have outdone themselves this time. For 2023 it is without a doubt an Album of the Year contender. It's hard to believe really, after all this time since I first heard them, that they remain relatively unknown, with their back catalogue remaining hard to get physical copies of to this day. Even Interference itself is only being released in a limited quantity of CDs. Get in there and get one already!

UMUR "Acid River" is the 5th full-length studio album by German progressive metal act Dark Millennium. The album was released through Massacre Records in January 2022. It´s the successor to "Where Oceans Collide" from 2018 and features the exact same lineup who recorded the predecessor. Dark Millennium formed in 1989 and initially disbanded in the mid-90s after releasing two demos and two full-length studio albums. They returned to the scene after 23 years and released "Midnight in the Void" in 2016. With the release of "Acid River" they have now released more albums after reuniting than they did during their original run.

Stylistically the material on "Acid River" continues in the rather unique progressive death/doom metal style which Dark Millennium have produced since their comeback. It´s adventurous, progressive, and often darkly melodic death/doom with omnipresent use of atmosphere enhancing keyboards/synths, melancholic guitar leads, heavy riffs, and Christian Mertens expressive and aggressive growling vocals in front. He is probably an aquired taste, but personally I think his voice and singing style are quite brilliant and certainly unique.

The album features seven tracks which are all 7 minutes long (give or take), which is a bit of an oddity really. It´s not something I noticed before I had a closer look at the tracklist, but I´m sure it must be deliberate. I can´t figure out why though, but rest assured that all tracks can easily handle a 7 minutes long playing time. It´s not that the tracks feature complex playing or overtly progressive structures, but they all build and go through various sections, which make them interesting throughout. The sound production is clear and detailed, but still heavy and raw enough for the album not to sound too polished. It´s a sound which suits the atmosphere and heaviness of the material.

Upon conclusion "Acid River" is another quality release by Dark Millennium. It doesn´t quite reach the mysterious and creative peaks of "Ashore the Celestial Burden" (1992), but for a 2022 release by a reunited death/doom metal act from the early 90s, it´s still quite the adventurous and intriguing album release and a 3.5 star (70%) is fully deserved (and that rating is maybe a bit too low).

UMUR "Peace Through Tyranny" is the debut full-length studio album by US death metal/deathgrind act Kill Division. The album was released through Redefining Darkness Records in September 2022. Kill Division formed in 2021 and features quite a few prominent musicians in drummer Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth, Aborted, Soilwork...etc.), guitarist Gus Ríos (Create a Kill, Gruesome...etc.), bassist Jeramie Kling (Ex Deo, Ribspreader, Dritt Skit. etc.), and lead vocalist Kyle Symons (Upon Infliction, HatePlow, Malevolent Creation...etc.). Ríos is predominantly responsible for composing the tracks, and the various instrument and vocal tracks were recorded at different recording studios and put together afterwards. I might be wrong, but I´m guessing the band never met and played together.

Stylistically this is deathgrind in the vein of Terrorizer (they even cover "Barely Alive" by Terrorizer) with the occasional nod toward Misery Index (when the music is most hardcore influenced). It´s audible right away that these guys are seasoned veterans of the scene as the performances are technically flawless and there´s both bite and conviction in the way the parts are delivered. While the material isn´t particularly unique and certainly not groundbreaking, it´s quite powerful and intense. It´s also packed in a sharp, brutal, and raw sounding production, which suits the material well, so while this may come off as a bit of a Terrorizer worship project, it´s still a high quality release and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Eleanor Rigor Mortis / Under the Scalpel Blade" is a two-track single release by UK death metal act Carcass. The single was released on 12" vinyl through Church of Vinyl in Februrary 2023 and is limited to 666 copies. Both tracks are available in the same versions on Carcass seventh full-length studio album "Torn Arteries" (September 2021, Nuclear Blast). So while the material is of a high quality (both tracks are among the more early 90s death metal sounding tracks on "Torn Arteries"), there´s nothing new here if you already own the full-length album. So this is definitely a hardcore fan item. The 12" vinyl is shaped like a heart and features a picture of the vegetable heart which is also featured on the cover of "Torn Arteries". The picure disc format and the unique shape of the vinyl make this quite the rare and exquisite release. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Volatile Forms" is the debut full-length studio album by Danish death/doom metal act Dead Void. The album was released through Me Saco un Ojo Records in September 2022. Dead Void have released three demos before being signed for the release of "Volatile Forms" (two rehearsal demos and one studio demo). While the band was formed and is situated in Copenhagen, Denmark, the three members (who go by the stage names D, A, and K) are actually from the UK and Norway.

The "The Looming Spectre" demo from January 2018 (the band´s only studio demo, although it was actually mostly recorded live in the studio) was a very interesting death/doom metal demo, featuring a brutal, slow, heavy, and raw sounding death/doom metal sound. The songwriting was creative, the performances strong, and the sound production perfect for the material. A high quality demo through and through. The "Cranial Demonstration" rehearsal demo followed in August 2021, and while it´s a much more unpolished, murky, and savage release, that demo also showed some great promise.

That promise has certainly been carried over to "Volatile Forms" which also features a varied, heavy, doomy, raw, and also pretty aggressive death/doom metal style. Sometimes leaning towards the ultra slow pace of funeral doom, but just as often featuring mid-paced and even faster paced old school death metal sections. The growling vocals range from abysmal deep, to slightly higher pitched and aggressive. It´s great to hear heavy music which is this aggressive. Sometimes slow paces and doom metal in general take the aggression out of music, but that´s not the case here, and "Volatile Forms" is overall a pretty mean sounding release (yeah I often get the urge to smash things while listening to it, and that´s always a good indication that a band is doing something right).

The album features 5 relatively long tracks and a total playing time of 43:59 minutes. Some would probably call the songwriting patchy, but it´s exactly this type of unorthodox and adventurous songwriting which makes "Volatile Forms" such an interesting release. You never quite know what´s lurking behind the next break or tempo change. Well...it´s not melody I can tell you that. While some sections are atmospheric the music never becomes melodic or easily accessible. There´s a crushing darkness to the proceedings that few artists are able to deliver as convincing as Dead Void do.

I praised the savage sounding production job of "The Looming Spectre" demo, but Dead Void have upped their game in that department too on "Volatile Forms". This is still an incredibly raw sounding release, but even more details and nuances are now heard in the mix, and it´s a sound production which is perfectly suited for the material. This pretty much blows me away and a 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Hate über alles" is the fifteenth full-length studio album by German thrash metal act Kreator. The album was released through Nuclear Blast in June 2022. It´s the successor to "Gods of Violence" from 2017. There´s been one lineup change since the predecessor as long serving bassist Christian "Speesy" Giesler (his tenure with Kreator was from 1995-2019) has been replaced by Frédéric Leclercq (Sinsaenum, DragonForce, Loudblast...etc.). The COVID-19 pandemic probably had something to do with the long time between album releases, but there was actually also five years between the release of "Phantom Antichrist" (2012) and "Gods of Violence", so maybe Kreator have just slowed down a bit. They´ve been quite active in the live environment though, both before the pandemic and also after it was possible to tour again, so they don´t seem to be slowing down their performance rate.

It´s always interesting to listen to a new Kreator album. Most of their output are of high quality, and they´ve also experimented a bit with their sound through the years. Since "Violent Revolution" (2001), they´ve pretty much kept within the same thrash metal with melodic death metal influences area though with only minor differences between their album releases. Sometimes they´ve added a touch of goth metal or some other element to keep things fresh, but ultimately they had begun to artistically stagnate a little (in my opinion). "Hate über alles" is not an album which changes my view on that, but on the other side it´s one of the more varied post-2000 Kreator releases and the quality is as always high in terms of strong musicianship, solid to excellent songwriting, and a well sounding production job as the icing on the cake.

The sound production is slightly more organic compared to the last couple of releases (courtesy of producer/mixer Arthur Rizk), and I think it suits Kreator´s music well. Some of the other post-2000 Kreator releases feature sound productions which are maybe a little to sterile and polished for comfort.

As mentioned the musicianship is strong on all posts, and Leclercq proves to be a good replacement for Giesler. I read an interview with lead vocalist/guitarist Mille Petrozza, where he said that Leclercq contributed to the arrangement of the tracks, and he was especially involved in the arrangements of the guitar harmonies, which the album are loaded with. It´s not that Kreator haven´t been able to write and execute harmony guitar leads before, but there truly are some really catchy and memorable harmonies featured on "Hate über alles", which Leclercq apparently helped arrange.

Stylistically the album features both fast-paced aggressive thrashers, mid-paced heavy thrash/heavy metal tracks, a couple of more melodic oriented heavy metal tracks, and the rare nod towards goth metal (and even a song featuring female vocals), which as mentioned above makes "Hate über alles" a both varied, entertaining, and intriguing release. This is not an album for the all out thrash metal heads, but instead an album for those who enjoy the more sophisticated and adventurous side of Kreator (although they don´t go overboard here like they sometimes did in the 1990s). It´s a grower but certainly a high quality release on all parameters once it´s properly unboxed. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "The Vale Of Shadows" is the fourth full-length studio album by US thrash metal/melodic detah metal act Hatriot. The album was released through Massacre Records in July 2022. It´s the successor to "From Days unto Darkness" from July 2019. There´s been one lineup change since the predecessor as guitaris Justin Sakogawa has been replaced by Kevin Paterson. Hatriot formed in 2010 and originally featured Exodus lead vocalist Steve Souza in the lineup along with his two sons Cody Souza (bass) and Nick Souza (drums) and guitarist Kosta V. Father Souza left Hatriot after the first two albums to rejoin Exodus, and Cody Souza took over the lead vocal duties in addition to playing bass.

...like father like son though and Cody Souza sounded a lot like his father on "From Days unto Darkness", which features an Exodus influenced thrash metal sound with some more modern twists. "The Vale Of Shadows" sees Hatriot branching out a bit more though, and if I didn´t know any better opening track "Horns & Halos" could have been the marriage between The Black Dahlia Murder and In Flames. There are several other melodic death metal moments throughout the album, but the Exodus influence is also still heard, so this is a combination of Bay Area thrash metal and melodic death metal. It´s not the most groundbreaking or original sounding release, and you wouldn´t instantly guess that it was Hatriot playing if you didn´t know it, but it´s still a high quality release, featuring high level musical performances, a powerful, clear, and heavy sounding production job, and some solid songwriting. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Rise To Power" is the fifth full-length studio album by UK, Birmingham based death metal act Memoriam. The album was released through Reaper Entertainment in February 2023. It´s the successor to "To The End" from March 2021 and the lineup who recorded the predecessor is intact.

Memoriam continue to play an old school death metal style, which is influenced by the heavy and predominantly mid-paced death metal of lead vocalist Karl Willett´s former band Bolt Thrower. Memoriam are little more melodic though and sligthly more varied in their songwriting too. The material is well written and relatively memorable, but the overall quality is nothing spectacular for the genre. The musicianship is strong, but again nothing out of the ordinary for the style. Willetts has a recognisable voice and delivers his mix of growling and hardcore barking as usual.

The album features a well sounding production too (although the drums could have prospered from a more organic tone) so upon conclusion "Rise To Power" is another decent quality death metal release from Memoriam, but it´s not a groundbreaking release in the genre, and there are far more interesting contemporary death metal releases than this one out there. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

Vim Fuego Art is subjective. One person’s Mona Lisa is another person’s 500-year-old moody Italian moaner. And the value of art is what someone is willing to pay for it, whether the cost be tangible like money or trade, or something more abstract, like time and attention. Over the years I, like many other fans, have expended a huge amount on Metallica’s art, because I really enjoyed what they were creating.

On my shelf right now there are 25 Metallica CDs, at least eight of which are replacements for wobbly and worn cassettes. There are also three tribute albums. There is a box set in an imitation road case which contains three VHS video tapes and two CDs, along with some other paraphernalia, and is the single largest album release I have ever bought. I have owned at least four other VHS videos, and also have two DVDs. There is a PlayStation 2 game alongside the DVDs. Also on the shelf there are three volumes of Metallica biographies, or perhaps four if you want to count Dave Mustaine’s book. I have owned at least six Metallica t-shirts, along with assorted other bits and pieces like patches, pendants, coffee mugs, and keyrings. I have dozens upon dozens of metal magazines which feature Metallica. The only time I have ever climbed on a plane to see a band was to see Metallica in 1998, going into debt at a time when I was only partially employed. And these are mostly just the material things. Calculate a guess at the time and attention, and then double your estimation and you might arrive at a more accurate figure.

The biggest problem with writing a review is that it means listening to “72 Seasons” again, and it just seems like a chore.

The title track is a good start, but these days there always seems to be something wrong with even the most promising Metallica songs. On this track it feels too clean. It’s like the sharp edges which used to make Metallica such a thrilling band to listen to have been filed off or wrapped in thick over-produced foam rubber.

And then onto “Shadows Follow”. And it sounds exactly the same – same tempo, same “Load/ReLoad” rehashed riffs, same fat, fuzzy, friendly tones. These songs are neutered golden retrievers curled up at your feet wanting a pat, where once they would have been rabid snapping mongrels threatening to rip your throat out.

“Screaming Suicide” brings in Kirk’s famed wah pedal as an attempt at adding some colour, but once again it sounds recycled, and is safe paint-by-numbers metal.

“Sleepwalk My Life Away” and “You Must Burn!” are thoroughly unremarkable, and suffer greatly from sounding too similar. This is utter mediocrity. There is nothing risky or adventurous here at all. There’s no chance of a hurdy gurdy a la “Low Man’s Lyric”. Marianne Faithful isn’t going to pop up to mournfully wail that no one cares about her any more. Fuck, there’s not even any chance of a crusty old man like Lou Reed channelling a teenage girl in the weirdest and creepiest way possible, and not just because Reed is dead. Even an annoying pinging snare drum from 2003 would add a shadow of something interesting here.

“Lux Æterna” has been cited as a return to the thrash metal days of old. Yes, it’s played at a higher tempo than the rest of the album, and is easily the shortest song on the album. It’s got a scream-along refrain which would probably go off in a live situation. However, cast a critical eye over it and see where it would have fitted in Metallica’s back catalogue and you’ll spot the problem. It’s not replacing any song anywhere on the first four albums. The style wouldn’t have suited any of the 90s albums. It might have squeezed in a spot somewhere on “St. Anger”, but it’s not making the cut for “Death Magnetic”, unless it’s a Japan-only bonus track or a B-side. See the problem? It only seems like a late model thrash Ferrari because it’s surrounded by so many characterless Toyota Corollas.

“If Darkness Had A Son” has an interesting enough groove, but being merely interesting means it’s ultimately forgettable and disposable like most of this album. Besides, Rob Halford and Fight were being far more inventive and edgy with this style of groove back in 1993.

The final track “Inamorata” (a female lover, in case you were wondering about the word’s meaning) is a microcosm of the whole album - it’s too long and would have benefitted greatly from some critical editing, it’s all been done better before, and it’s just too safe and lacking in inspiration to remain memorable or vital.

Remember the first time you were struck by the violence of “Battery” followed by the pummelling of “Master of Puppets”. Remember laughing out loud at the audacity of the “Anaesthesia (Pulling Teeth)” bass solo, which then segued into the breakneck “Whiplash”. Remember the tingle up your spine the first time you heard “Creeping Death’s” ‘die, die, die’ chant. Remember the aural assault when “Dyer’s Eve” first blasted in at the end of “To Live Is To Die”. These were the moments which made Metallica such an amazing band, and these moments created lifetime fans. Keep a firm hold of those memories, because there is not even the slightest spark on “72 Seasons” to ignite a life-long flame of fandom.

I’m no longer interested in expending anything on new music from Metallica, either concrete or ethereal. Millions still will, and that’s their choice, but this art no longer holds any value to me.

Kingcrimsonprog I am almost reticent to review Metallica albums. No other band is as singularly important to the genre’s fans, but nor is any so polarising. It is hard to find many honest, thought out and truthful reviews of the band, amidst the tide of “they can do no wrong, they are gods,” “this is the best album since 1990,” “they used to be good but they’ve sucked since they cut their hair” and “they are the worst band ever, so overrated, this is the worst garbage ever.”

Even the most respected and intelligent reviewers, both in print and online, seem to get bogged down in the same Metallica review tropes over and over again - and I don’t know about you, but I am getting very put off by the endless discussion of eyeliner in the '90s, trashcan snare-drum sound and no-solos on St. Anger, dodgy mixing/mastering on Death Magnetic, calling Lou Reed “Grandpa Simpson” on Lulu, jokes about money/wah-wah pedals/Napster, calling Lars and Kirk bad at their instruments and basically all the same repetitive insults being brought up every time Metallica does anything at all. Don’t get me wrong, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I think it is absolutely 100% fair to say that they’ve struggled to have a good production sound over the years, that their albums are usually too long for the relative amount of ideas, and they have made some questionable creative decisions that not all of the core fanbase approve of. But the sheer volume and extensive hyperbole blowing things so far out of proportion is getting so tiring that reading about Metallica has become a rather unpleasant experience over the years.

So that all being said and out of the way… 72 Seasons is the new Metallica album from 2023, their eleventh canonical studio album, third with Rob Trujillo on bass, third with Greg Fidelman involved in the production, and second on Blackened Recordings. It is neither their best album, their worst album, or anything else particular useful for a good soundbite. It has its strengths and its weaknesses. The hardest part about listening to, or trying to appreciate, or be objective about any Metallica album since 1990 is the uncanny valley in your own mind between the album you think they should have made, versus the album they actually chose to make, and all the seemingly wasted potential that this thought process highlights.

There are many positives to this album - lots of great little bits that will make you smile, a few songs many fans would probably like to see in the live set, and some strong guitar solos. Even the lyrics seem a little bit improved. However, it is not without some faults. As stated above, it will be no surprise to learn that the album also features a lot of the same flaws as every Metallica album since St. Anger, in as much as the band seem to be poor at self-editing, and don’t always know how/when to end a song and how much is enough repetition of a particular part. The album is 77 minutes long, just as the previous was, and just like its predecessor – it is quite arguable that not all 77 of those minutes are utterly necessary and the overall experience and quality would have been higher had someone taken a more discerning approach to serving the songs. This is just my personal taste – but I feel like if Metallica were given a 55-minute limit, this would make all of their albums better.

However, it is welcome that after so many years of unpalatable creative decisions and production jobs, this album, like its predecessor is well performed, sounds “normal” and follows the stylistic and creative directions Metallica are best at, rather than diverging too far into territories they aren’t as strong at. In short, with the exception of the length – Metallica appear to have written the exact album that all the magazines and websites have been saying they (and by implication we) wanted. I for one am quite pleased about that (even if very frustratingly, all the contrarians online are now having the gall to complain about that very fact and decry a lack of diversity and progression – you just can’t win with some people!).

Stylistically, as with its predecessors Death Magnetic and Hardwired… To Self Destruct, the musical direction incorporates large sections of ‘80s style Thrash Metal, with bits of the more melodic and groovy material they made in the ‘90s, and some of the bounce and unpolished feel they developed on the critically panned St. Anger album (although that particular bit has lessened with each album since then). For the most part we get similar material to the best parts of the last two Metallica records, opener “72 seasons” is a lengthy Thrasher, just as the opener to Death Magnetic was (and the closer to Hardwired was). There is a short, quick nostalgia Thrash tune (just like the title track to Hardwired was, and album closer to Death Magnetic was). There are some mid paced songs, often with rolling floor toms, that evoke bits of The Black Album (in a similar way to “Now That We’re All Dead” and “Here Comes Revenge” were from the previous record, or “Broken, Beaten, Scarred” from Death Magnetic was). A few songs towards the back half of the record have some slightly Load/Reload era vocals, just like “The Day That Never Comes” did, or several songs on the second disc of Hardwired.

I don’t think it would be too unfair to call this album a continuation and natural evolution of what Hardwired was. Hardwired was flawed in that some songs on it really didn’t fit and probably should have been kept off for B-sides, and there was one track which I genuinely dislike and wish was never included at all (“Murder One”) – however the highs were very high, in that tracks like “Spit Out The Bone,” in particular, but also “Moth Into Flame,” “Atlas Rise” and a few others are genuinely some of my favourite Metallica songs, period, no qualification. 72 Seasons differs slightly in that no individual song is quite as magic, memorable or instantaneously “classic quality” as the very best moments of Hardwired, but neither is any song out of place, boring, or poor quality. A much more even listening experience overall. I am not sure what is better; 77 good minutes? or a mixture of 30 great minutes, some good minutes, some ok and some poor minutes?

Highlights for me so far are "Chasing Light" which sounds like a mixture of all the different styles mentioned above, as well as the catchy "Too Far Gone?" (great chorus!) and "Room Of Mirrors" (great guitars!). I also really like the title track in principal for its style, although it could use a bit of a trim in the editing room if I am being honest.  

It does seem like a bit of a grower, and gets better with each listen, but it doesn’t have any moment I would call absolutely essential. It is another Metallica album. A good one, throughout, but not a truly great one. To summarise the whole review: Its exactly the right style, sound and production – it picks up where the last ones left off and gives more of the same, (only more cohesive and consistent throughout, however with less of the magic of the absolute best tracks from them). I doubt in 20 years time it will be many people’s favourite Metallica album, but it won’t go down in history as a mistake either.

BitterJalapeno Ever present is a plethora of artists attempting to imprint their mark on the diverse world of extreme metal, ensuring that the wide umbrella genre is never short of fresh meat. Naturally, this also means that saturation is unavoidable, resulting in many efforts inevitably slipping under the radar and fading into obscurity. Athenian blackened death-sludge outfit Wothrosch is one such artist launching its first assault on the world with its debut album Odium, released to the unwashed masses two weeks into 2023 showcasing great musicianship, fantastic production and a record which is enjoyable but sadly, not too memorable.

Odium is impressive in many ways. The mix of mid-pace sludge riffs grinding away underneath creepy tremolo-picked leads provides an ominous backdrop and creates a truly ghastly and asphyxiating atmosphere assisted by vocals that switch between brutish sludge roars, guttural death growls and screams that sound like a wild beast being subjected to the most barbaric torture methods imaginable. The musicianship on offer is top notch with a special mention to the drummer who effortlessly swapping between rapid blast-beats and slow doomy passages, proves themselves highly versatile. The production is remarkably grandiose for the debut album of a little-known band and gives the album a nice sheen without being too clinical.

In contrast, Odium is plagued by a shortfall in variety and a surplus of overly lengthy cuts. By the halfway stage, the magnificent vibes projected at the start begin to wane and the album succumbs to stagnation with individual tracks becoming indistinguishable from each other. The ferocious closer “Reign” being an exception, just about managing to bring the album above mediocrity. While Wothrosch may have cooked up a variety of metal influences into a tasty sonic recipe, a distinct lack of deviation from that specific sound is enough of a stumbling block that consuming the full portion in its entirety is a challenge. If the band were to combine the tight performances and fastidious production with a more focused approach to songwriting, they could easily prevent themselves from being one of the countless highly talented outfits who do not cut the proverbial mustard.

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Attribution:

https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/86160/Wothrosch-Odium/

UMUR "Forthcoming Revelation" is the debut full-length studio album by German death/thrash metal act Messticator. The album was independently released in August 2022. Messticator formed in Hamburg, Germany and released the "Unmask the Hypocrisy" teaser single a few weeks before the release of "Forthcoming Revelation". "Unmask the Hypocrisy" is included as track number 4 on "Forthcoming Revelation".

Stylistically Messticator sound decidedly non-German. They play a thrash metal style which is laced with melodic death metal elements. I hear nods toward The Black Dahlia Murder, At the Gates, and assorted US thrash metal artists. To my ears this is predominantly thrash metal, athough some tracks lean more towards melodic death metal. The vocals are raw semi-growling and occasionally higher pitched screaming. The band are well playing and the vocals are performed with both skill and conviction. Some of the lead guitar work on the album is pretty strong and deserves a mention.

The material is generally well written and it´s relatively memorable too. I could have done without the traditional heavy metal track "Leathermilf", which sligthly disrupts the flow and style of the album, but other than that song, "Forthcoming Revelation" is a well composed and arranged release. The album features a well sounding production too. It´s maybe a little too polished, but it´s arguably both powerful and detailed and provides the material with good conditions to shine. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Unmask the Hypocrisy" is a one-track single release by German death/thrash metal act Messticator. The single was independently release in digital format in August 2022, just a few weeks prior to the release of the band´s debut full-length studio album "Forthcoming Revelation", where "Unmask the Hypocrisy" appears as song number 4 on the tracklist. It´s obviously a teaser release to promote the release of "Forthcoming Revelation".

Although Messticator are from Germany, they don´t use many elements which are usually associated with German heavy metal and thrash metal. Instead they are more influenced by US thrash metal and melodic death metal like The Black Dahlia Murder and At the Gates. They are a well playing band and perform the music with both great skill and conviction. The vocals vary between aggressive shouting/semi-growling and higher pitched screaming vocals. "Unmask the Hypocrisy" is a song representing the sound of "Forthcoming Revelation" pretty well. It´s one of the more death metal oriented tracks of the full-length album, but the opening riff is thrash metal oriented while the vers and the chorus lean more towards melodic death metal. It´s a powerful and quite memorable track, which is also very well produced. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

Kev Rowland There are few metal bands who are as instantly recognisable as Meshuggah whose devotion to djent, eclectic and esoteric time signatures and styles are something to be admired. However, they are not exactly the most prolific of outfits and this 2022 album is the first in six years, following on from 2016’s ‘The Violent Sleep of Reason’ while that in itself was the first in four years. It is also somewhat lengthy, at 66 minutes, which is both a blessing and a curse. I really enjoyed the last album, but I have had real issues getting my head around this one, and I am unable to understand exactly why. Possibly I would have liked them to have moved further away from the repeated crunch we have come to expect, or possibly it is just too long, but I did find that after a while I was not getting the overall feeling I would expect from Meshuggah, the drama and intensity which only comes from a metal band pushing the limits.

They have been following this particular style for some time now, and the question must be asked are they now solely going through the motions? Their wall of sound approach has been perfected, they have had remarkable consistency in their line-up (their last change was in 2004 when bassist Dick Lövgren joined), with the result being they are an incredibly tight outfit. However, this also means they can come across as almost mechanical as opposed to being delivered by sweaty humans as there are times when it feels quite metronomical and artificial. Certainly, this album has not had nearly the same impact on me as their last one, and by the end I was looking for something with more heart and soul.

Kev Rowland Released at the beginning of 2022, this is the final album to feature singer Reverend Jeyzus, who has since been replaced by Chronic Procrastinator , with the rest of the line-up being guitarist Piton, drummer Melissa Rable and bassist Kaptain. I have known Piton for some years now, and have always enjoyed his different bands, and there is something about Ygodeh which is uncompromising, metallic, brutal, electronic, industrial and steampunk, all at the same time. This is music which is twisted, dark and uncompromising, belonging only in the dark places and the shadows and never out in the light. That it is also strangely commercial at times only adds to the feeling of not belonging, and why “Scapegoat” reminds me of Geoff Mann and Twelfth Night is possibly due more to my warped synapses than any intention on the band’s part.

They may have come from a death metal background, and there are still some elements of that in what they are performing, this album has much more of a synth background, with melodies being twisted out of the keyboards, the rhythm section keeping it tight and the guitars coming in and out for effect. Reverend Jeyzus switches between speaking, singing melodically and growling manically as the band perform music for the post-apocalyptic age. Harsh but perfectly in tune with the times, Ygodeh have produced yet another album which is truly worthy of close investigation. With a female singer now onboard it is going to be interesting to see what the future is going to be like for this band, but there is no doubt it will be interesting and uncompromising.

Kev Rowland When I was 16, Scorpions released the album ‘Lovedrive’ and I immediately fell in love with their music, and not only sought out both ‘Animal Magnetism’ and ‘Blackout’ when they were released but went back to some of their earlier material and was especially a fan of the ‘Tokyo Tapes’ live release. However, “Winds of Change” left me decidedly cold and I have missed all their studio albums since ‘Love At First Sting’ until this one turned up in my in box. I must admit, I nearly filed the email but instead decided I owed it to myself to see what they were doing now, even though it wasn’t going to be any good. How wrong I was.

Guitarist Rudolf Schenker must be one of the longest-running members of any hard rock band, having been there since he formed the group in 1965 while singer Klaus Meine has performed on every album even though he joined four years later. Lead guitarist Matthias Jabs has been there since 1978, filling the shoes of the legends Michael Schenker and Uli Jon Roth, while bassist Paweł Mąciwoda has been there since 2003 and even drummer Mikkey Dee has been there since 2016 (joining after the end of Motörhead). This is not what I expected Scorpions to sound like whatsoever, as while there are some slower numbers, such as “When You Know” they still have plenty of balls and power, while there are also quicker songs such as the belting “When I Lay My Bones To Rest” which has something about it which reminds me of “Speedy’s Coming” which they released all the way back in 1976. Both Klaus and Rudolf were born in 1948, so at the time of release they were both 74, but this does not sound like the work of septuagenarians but instead of a group of guys who are hungry for life. That song stands up against anything they have ever recorded, and the album as a whole is causing me to have a rethink of the band and their legacy.

Forget you ever heard them whistling, and instead discover a hard rock band who are being true to their roots and combining that with polish and experience to produce something which is very special indeed.

Kev Rowland Angel, the band who burned hot and fast in the Seventies, before a new version tried again at the turn of the century, are back with their second album since they reformed in 2018 with original singer Frank DiMino and original guitarist Punky Meadows. The rest of the band is still Danny Farrow (rhythm guitars), Charlie Calv (keyboards), Steve Ojane (bass) and Billy Orrico (drums) and there is no doubt whatsoever that they are continuing the Angel legacy with style and aplomb. As soon as I saw the artwork I was intrigued as this has much more in common with the style I expect, far more glamorous than the last one where although the band were again on the cover in white, it felt way more hard-edged. The logo is at the top, the band here have fantastical imagery behind, and the whole impression is much more of a Seventies feel.

I wish there were a few more keyboards throughout, but tracks such as “Psyclone” find the band blasting as if it were the old days once again, and while neither Punky or Frank are in the first flushes of youth anymore (they must be in their Seventies now), this is a real blast from the past. Frank still gets up into the high ranges with seeming ease, while Punky shows he is far more than just someone to be sung about by Frank Zappa, and has a powerful control of riffs and licks. The first time I played this album I enjoyed it but was not too sure, but the more I have listened to it the more I have come to realise this is probably their best album since the mighty ‘Helluva Band’ all the way back in 1976. Here we have hard rock pomp from a band who refuse to give up and are still out there pounding the boards and creating great music, from ballads through to powering rockers which show others there is no need to sit back and rest but to keep pushing through to the end. I would love to hear these guys invite Gregg Giuffria back into the fold for one last time to bring back their truly classic sound, but there is no doubt they are doing well without him, as this is classic Angel from beginning to end.

siLLy puPPy NE OBLIVISCARIS has been one of the most revered progressive death metal bands of the last decade and although the band and i started out on a bad note, i have completely had a turn around moment in recent months after revisiting the band’s phenomenal debut “Portal of I” which upon first listening about a decade ago seemed to leave me cold and unappreciative of the subtle intricacies that constituted its woven musical tapestry. Progressive death metal is a fragile beast that more often falls flat on its face than gracefully construct the proper kingdom where bombastic death metal excesses commingle with progressive rock pomp. When it’s done well though, nothing is better. Once i discovered the error of my ways i have gained a much deeper appreciation for this group of Aussies on the cutting edge of modern day prog metal.

Little did i realize a few months ago that NE OBLIVISCARIS was close to releasing the newest installment of their canon in the form of the fourth album EXUL arriving six years after the band’s last full-length “Urn” which seemed to find the band waning in its creative mojo and dipping in fan appreciation. Well EXUL seems to be rocketing the band back into the spotlight as prog metal’s most creative modern day band and it’s not really difficult to understand why this is the case. After all this extreme metal band that started out somewhere between black and death metal with progressive excursions has slowly shapeshfited itself into a tighter unit and while the black metal aspects have been primarily extinguished, these Aussies have veered into the world of classical to craft some mighty symphonic backings for their aggressive rampages bathed in thematic prose.

One of the key elements that has always allowed NE OBLIVISCARIS to stand out in the world of extreme metal is the use of the violin provided by Tim Charles and although strings have also helped carve out careers for doom metal bands such as My Dying Bride and Evoken, violins have not become a common staple in death metal but then again NE OBLIVISCARIS can hardly be considered a death metal band with its genre bending antics that have resulted in a sound that is unlike any other. With lush pastoral backings and excursions into true symphonic splendor, NE OBLIVISCARIS has tamed things down considerably since its raucous debut and steered things into a more focused easier-on-the-ears endeavor. A boon for those not acclimated to the extremes of harsh metal brashness and a bane to those who thrive on the most of extreme music of all.

One of the main differences between EXUL and the first two albums (somehow i missed “Urn”) is a much more pronounced addition of clean vocals that often act as the sole lyrical delivery as well as providing an all male beauty and beast effect of clean vs guttural growls. This is particularly dominant on the two part “Misericorde” which adds up to over 17 minutes of the album’s near 52-minute playing time. Unlike the debut the music is much more streamlined and less chaotic that meaning fewer hairpin turns and the experimental unorthodoxies have been tamped down big time. The focus on extended composiitons in the sense of classic symphonic prog is more the modus operandi. In many ways EXUL is a more polished and sanitized stylistic approach with a clear aim for some crossover success but hardcore metalheads need not worry. Although tamped down a few notches, the extreme metal effect is still rife with ferocious guitar riffs and growly growls as fertile as an alley cat in heat.

While personally i prefer the band’s first two releases i cannot say that this newest shift in stylistic approach is an unpleasant one at all. Sure it seems there are more clean vocals than anyone thought possible but lead vocalist Xenoyr proves to be quite competent as a metal crooner as he is hacking his lungs out. Overall not a bad update to the NE OBLIVISCARIS even if EXUL fails to match the wow factor of the band’s unbeatable classic debut “Portal Of I.” The best part about EXUL is that it excels on the progressive side of the band’s equation with thoughtful compositional fortitude trumping the lack of extreme metal dominance. Looks like this is going to be another huge hit for the band.

lukretion Hanging Garden, the melodic doomsters hailing from Finland, have been on a creative roll lately, releasing three new records in less than 24 months. Following their 2021 full-length Skeleton Lake, the band released the EP Neither Moth nor Rust in early 2022. Now, they are back with their eight full-length record titled The Garden. As the album’s near self-title suggests, the band envisioned it as a sort of magnum opus encapsulating the quintessence of their musicality, constantly balanced between light and darkness, melody and heaviness. Without further delay, let’s then enter The Garden and discover the treasures that lie within.

Right from the start, the title-track sets the perfect ambience for the record that we have come to expect from Hanging Garden. The tempo is slow-paced, with the drums locked in a barren pattern of kick/snare and open/closed hi-hat notes that remains mostly constant throughout the track, emphasizing its plumbeous atmosphere. A slowly downpicked rhythm guitar adds to the gloomy vibe, while the lead guitar and keyboards provide contrast by weaving in slow, melancholic melodies and dreamy textures. The same interplay of light and dark is achieved through the layered vocal arrangements. Riikka Hatakka provides soothing, ethereal vocals, while her brother Toni Hatakka alternates between languid cleans and cavernous growls. The song structure is fluid, loosely based on recurring themes but without the predictable alternation between rigidly-defined verses and chorus. It’s a complex, dynamic, multi-layered composition that envelopes the listener with a thick blanket of melancholy, while offering lingering rays of light and hope. This evokes the same type of mellow, soul-piercing atmosphere we may find in the music of bands like Swallow the Sun or (for those who remember them) early EverEve.

Hanging Garden maintain this delicate balance throughout the album, gradually incorporating additional influences into their artistic palette. Songs such as “The Construct” and “The Nightfall” pay homage to Type O Negative, with clean vocals reminiscent of Peter Steele, while “The Song of Spring” and “The Fire at First Dawn” delve further into gothic atmospheres with a touch of Paradise Lost and Anathema. In other tracks, the extreme metal influences become more prominent, nudging the music towards the territory of melodic death metal (Insomnium and Dark Tranquillity, in particular). Overall, compared to their previous record Skeleton Lake, Hanging Garden seem to have shed some of the catchy gothic gimmicks in favor of a sound that is both heavier and more atmospheric.

Although The Garden’s 11 songs create pleasant soundscapes, the album still falls short of escaping the same pitfalls found in the band’s previous work. At 48 minutes of length, the lack of variation in pace, structure and ambience can be a drag. This is particularly noticeable in the mellower mid-section of the LP, where tracks between “The Fire at First Dawn” and “The Journey” tend to blur together, lacking strongly distinctive elements that differentiate them. Partly, this also reflects the band’s tendency to frontload their albums, which was also the case with the previous LP. The opening four songs contain the most inspired material, and listeners have to wait until the closing track “The Resolute” to experience the same strong response triggered in the first 20 minutes of the LP. However, even at its best, it’s hard to ignore the feeling that The Garden stays always too close to its influences, particularly Swallow the Sun. With around 50/60 new metal albums released each week, creative personality and originality are crucial to stand out from the crowd, and Hanging Garden fall somewhat short in this respect.

Overall, The Garden is an album that simmers rather than erupts, relying on its overall cinematic atmosphere to convey its beauty instead of catchy tunes that immediately grab you. While it may not reach the magnum opus status the band intended, it remains a strong example of melodic gothic doom/death metal that will no doubt please fans of Hanging Garden as well as other bands mentioned in this review.

[Originally written for The Metal Observer]

lukretion As a huge Evergrey fan, I was very intrigued by the announcement made in 2017 by US progressive metal band Redemption that they would be replacing their longstanding vocalist Ray Alder (Fates Warning) with the mastermind behind Swedish power/prog titans Evergrey, Tom Englund. However, when their first album together, Long Night's Journey into Day, was released in 2018, it didn't quite meet my (admittedly high) expectations. I felt that the band played it too safe and didn't fully take advantage of Englund's incredible voice. Now, fast forward to 2023, and Redemption has returned with a new album, once again featuring Englund on vocals. I Am the Storm, the band's eighth studio album, is released on March 17th via AFM Records, and it has completely pulverized all of my previous concerns and reservations about their previous LP.

I Am the Storm is one of the best “traditional progressive metal” albums I have listened in quite a while. When I say “traditional progressive metal”, I mean that Redemption’s sound has remained largely unaffected by the post-metal/pop/djent contaminations that many contemporary prog metal acts have embraced in recent years. Instead, this album stays true to the US prog metal sound that was established in the late 90s and early 00s by bands such as Dream Theater, Fates Warning and Symphony X. The guitars play a central role in the sound design, with an onslaught of riffs and melodic leads. The busy rhythm section is powerful, with thunderous beats, while the keyboards are used in moderation to add color and texture to the dense metallic soundscape. Meanwhile, Englund's vocals are skillfully woven in and out of these textures, allowing ample space for lengthy instrumental sections.

This is not to say, however, that there aren’t modern contaminations and exciting sonic experiments present. In fact, Redemption incorporate a diverse set of influences into their sound, including ferocious thrash metal, classic progressive rock (as evidenced by the Genesis/Peter Gabriel covers included on the LP), and more modern, post-rock-influenced atmospheric soundscapes (“The Emotional Depiction Of Light”). The end result is an album that manages to feel fresh and varied, while at the same time retaining a clear and distinctive sonic identity.

With I Am the Storm there is a clear sense that Redemption took risks in their songwriting that ultimately paid off in a big way. The different influences that have shaped Redemption’s sound over the years have been taken to new extremes on this album. The heavy tracks (“I Am the Storm”, “Resilience”) hit unashamedly hard and approach a degree of metallic ferocity that would not be out of place on a Nevermore album. On the other hand, “The Emotional Depiction Of Light” lies at the opposite end of the spectrum, with its delicate interplay between Englund’s voice and Vikram Shankar’s piano, building to a beautiful cathartic crescendo that tugs at the heartstrings in a way reminiscent of Anathema or Silent Skies (Englund and Shankar's recent atmospheric metal project). Between these extremes, I Am the Storm offers a plethora of sublime progressive pieces. “Remember the Dawn”, “Action At A Distance” and “All This Time (And Not Enough)” are longer pieces with complex structures, plenty of virtuoso playing, and subtle references to the classic progressive rock sound, reminding me of a slightly heavier version of bands like Spock’s Beard or Enchant.

The names mentioned in the previous paragraphs indicate that the album covers a lot of ground. Yet, it does so with finesse and sophistication, allowing for smooth and natural transitions between the different styles. I also feel that with the new material, Redemption have finally discovered how to unlock Englund's full potential. His performance on I Am the Storm is undoubtedly his best in a while. Although I adore Englund's distinctive and poignant voice, it's difficult to ignore the fact that in his recent work with Evergrey he has stuck to a pattern of similar melodies and cadences that may comfortably suit his voice, but can also make the songs feel monotonous. On I Am the Storm Nick Van Dyk’s diverse songwriting challenges Englund to step out of his comfort zone and experiment with his voice, sometimes with more aggression and other times with more melody. This is similar to the approach taken on Evergrey's early and highly progressive LPs, where Englund first established himself as one of the finest singers in the genre. It’s a joy to rediscover his versatility and tremendous class on this new record.

The rest of the band also delivers incredible performances, with Van Dyk’s showcasing his terrific guitar skills, ranging from heavy and aggressive to sublimely melodic. Shankar adds beautiful synth textures, while Chris Quirarte on drums and Sean Andrews on bass provide a solid and ultra-heavy rhythmic backbone. Special recognition also goes to Simone Mularoni (DGM) for his jaw-dropping and exquisitely well-constructed solos. His mixing and mastering jobs are also commendable, although the guitars may be slightly too prominent in the mix and the drums may be too busy, taking away some nuance from the other instruments.

In the end, however, the standout feature of I Am the Storm is the incredible quality of its songwriting. In contrast to Redemption’s previous LP Long Night's Journey into Day, there are no filler tracks on this album. Each song delivers some of the finest progressive metal you're likely to hear this year: technically intricate and fiercely heavy, but always exquisitely melodic. Prog metal fans should not overlook this album: I Am the Storm is Album of the Year material, and Redemption’s greatest artistic achievement yet.

[Originally written for The Metal Observer]

Negoba A Very Uneven Endeavor with a Few Bright Spots Riverside has been creating a unique take on progressive metal for over 20 years now based in part on Mariusz Duda's amazing voice and heavy use of Floyd-ian atmospherics. ID.Entity still has these elements, and some very solid riffage. But the band has also decided to slide in the pop / 80's direction to mixed effect. Though I don't usually review song by song, this album almost demands it as there is so much variation in approach and quality.

1. Friend or Foe - maybe it was Stranger Things. Pulling in early 80's keys is trendy and Riverside goes full in on the opening track and promo single. The song reminds a bit of the similarly intention retro 80's synthpop of the Weeknd's 2019 hit "Blinding Lights." Luckily, I think the move works here. It's a great melodic hard rock song. Hard to call it prog, besides the fact that it's (too) long.

2. Landmine Blast - my favorite song on the album. The band takes a great riff (yes a throwback to their own previous work) and trades it through different instruments and permutations almost like a classical piece. Some of the guitar solos also intentionally point back to early work (even though it's not the same player).

3. Big Tech Brother - after a clumsy, dumb spoken word intro, we get another very strong song. It opens with a great riff in odd time that almost has an R&B feel (a horn like keyboard patch is used and I can definitely hear a Tower of Power horn section taking it on). Duda uses a staccato delivery in the verses a la Haken to great effect. It has a strong aggressive rhythm, and plenty of layering. So far so good.

4. Post-Truth - here things start to slow. The lyrics, meant to be political criticism, start to sound obvious and whiney. The songs itself it pretty straight forward. Nothing wrong here but no surprises.

5. The Place Where I Belong - and we go off the rails. This epic length song has almost nothing progressive, or even interesting. The first half is quite boring. The second half is PF/PT moody and does carry some emotion, but there is absolutely no excuse for a song of this kind to be this long. There just isn't enough happening, too repetitive.

6. I'm Done with You - another relatively straightfoward rock song with bad lyrics. The main riff and intertwining parts are pretty driving and form a good groove, but the verses are boring and the chorus is bad. The "Fire Away!" section is pretty cool. The instrumental breaks toward the end are good. But like the album as a whole, really uneven.

7. Self Aware - starts with a riff straight out of the 80's that Ghost has already used with more menace and I consider them a tongue-in-cheek parody / novelty act. Not as tightly constructed as Friend or Foe, but seems to have a similar intention or inspiration. Harmless.

Perhaps that word is the best description of the album. Harmless. The first time I listened to this album I actively disliked it, probably because the last 3 tracks are the weakest. But on repeat listens, I can appreciate it. It has it spots. But overall - harmless. Not compelling. Mostly solid. A little better than meh. Not sure I would ever put this on just for enjoyment (I listen to alot just to see what's new in the world) when there is so much better music out there (even from Riverside). I may steal track 2 for a 2023 prog playlist. That's about it.

Good but really non-essential

Kev Rowland I enjoyed Behemoth’s last studio album, 2018’s ‘I Loved You At Your Darkest’, but did not exactly warrant it as essential, while I was also not exactly gushing about their more recent live ‘In Absentia Dei’, so what would I think of the latest effort? With a Latin title (Work Against Nature), an inverted crucifix on a starkly white cover, it certainly appeared that we were off to a good start, and it is great to be able to report that it continued through to the music with the result being one of the most complete Behemoth albums one is likely to find. Bassist Orion is still the newbie of the trio as he has only been there 20 years, while drummer Inferno has been there for 25 and of course the mighty Nergal has now been there for more than 30, and in many ways they have managed to combine that history and legacy into something which is both commercial and Black Metal at the same time.

The production has smoothed over the rough edges while never truly removing the menace, and there is much more of a wall of sound than one would normally associate a with a trio as there has been multi layering of guitars. There is also a good use of dark and light (or at least dark and less dark), and while some people may view this style of BM as buzzsaw guitars without end there is a great deal going on, with the three musicians fully locked together in a way which only comes from playing together for so very long. We get some nice atmospheric touches here and there, all of which provides more emphasis when they really kick off. Nergal’s vocals still contain the grit and menace one has come to expect, and even when the arrangement is more symphonic that never wavers in its approach. I can understand some people saying the production has somewhat sanitised the overall impact, and that they are not the band who hit the ground running with the mighty ‘Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic)’ all those years back, but are any of us the same as we were back in 1995? This release is one which will appear to long-time fans of the band such as myself, but will also entice many others who have yet to investigate Behemoth and their back catalogue. Inferno is playing out of his skin on this one, with incredible fills and rolls, while Orion and Nergal play as one and the result is something quite special indeed.

Kev Rowland Nazareth are one of the longest-running and most important rock bands to ever come out of Scotland, and even if we discount the years that most of the founders were playing together as The Shadettes, here is a band who has celebrated more than 50 years together. ‘Surviving The Law’ is their 25th studio album, released last year, by which time bassist Pete Agnew was 75 years old, and his son Lew had been drummer in the band for more than 29 years. Jimmy Murrison has been there since 1994, which makes him the longest serving guitarist the band has ever had, while singer Carl Sentence has been there since 2015.

Between 1971 and 1977 nine (yes, nine) studio albums, and quite a few of them are classics, although in honest none of them stand up against ‘It'sNaz’ (known by many as ‘Snaz). It was one of the most epic live albums of all time, absolutely essential, featuring the classic line-up of Dan McCafferty (vocals), Manny Charlton (guitar), Pete Agnew (bass, backing vocals) alongside Billy Rankin (guitar) and John Locke (keyboards) which allowed them to have an immense sound, but they were a quartet for the first ten years of their existence, and after bringing in a few other people, it was back to the core four in 1983 and they stayed that way until 1990 (when Manny left, Billy came back, and they stayed that way until 1994).

Carl has a great voice, but to be honest I can’t think of Nazareth without the gravel of Dan, and they have never been the same since Manny left. The original proud boys of Dunfermline were special, and while this is a pleasant old school British hard rock album with hints of metal, there is nothing here to make it stand out from anyone else. I am sure they are still a blast on the live circuit, but while there may be a few songs from this album included, most people will be holding out for the classics. For any band to be in existence for more than 50 years is sensational, and in many ways they have been at it for more than 60, but this album is fairly standard hard rock with nice vocals and little in the way of memorable songs, which is pretty much what I said about the last one, ‘Tattooed On My Brain’ as well. I think I may just put on ‘Razamanaz’, as there is the real Nazareth.

Kingcrimsonprog January 2023 saw the magnificent Polish Progressive Rock band Riverside release their eight full-length studio album on InsideOut records, ID Entity. It is their second album since the passing of late guitarist Piotr Grudziński and first with Maciej Meller as an official band member.

Sonically, the album is a delight. The production is superb. Crystal clear, brilliantly balanced, perfectly recorded.

Lyrically, the album seems to either be a concept album or at least heavily themed about modern society in the age of questionable truth in the media, social media enraging the public, and a divided society. The lyrics are very blunt, direct and barbed compared to most previous Riverside albums (not to dissimilar to Pain Of Salvation’s Scarsick album). They could come across as a too bit on the nose if you just read the lyrics, but when you hear it with the vocal delivery and over the excellent music it seems almost profound (eg. “unsubscribe the ones who make us hostile” doesn’t seem particularly epic when written down here, but the part of that song when this lyric gets repeated is absolutely massive!).

Stylistically, the album is varied. There are moments that remind me of the more note dense 70’s prog influenced parts of the previous album Wasteland, mixed with the more ‘80s influenced parts of Love Fear And The Time Machine but it is also in many ways unlike any of the band’s previous material most of the time.

Therein lies the charm. Riverside are the most consistent band in music, and yet never make the same album twice. Constant evolution and change, but unshakable quality-control. A few days ago I tried to make a “Riverside Albums Ranked” list, and I really couldn’t do it, all albums were equal, all joined first… and I don’t mean that hyperbolically. I mean that stone cold literally. In terms of full-length studio albums at least, the band have a perfect discography to date, including this new record).

I usually make a list of standout songs in my reviews, but this album is such a brilliant journey from start to finish, and such a great album experience, that I almost don’t want to mention individual tracks. There is also absolutely no filler. Even the songs themselves have no weak parts. There is nothing skippable on the whole album.

In summary; as if you can’t tell already from all this gushing praise, I wholeheartedly recommend this album (and band if you aren’t into the band yet).

voila_la_scorie This album was a pleasant surprise. Ever since my disappointment with Savage Amusement (which was also partly due to my changing musical preferences in the late eighties), I never bought a new Scorpions album. It was only after listening to a review of Rock Believer and a review of the Scorpions post eighties output on YouTube that I thought I should just get this one and hear if it's as good as the reviewer said it was.

And it is!

For this album, I think the Scorpions did what a lot of the old bands have been doing recently, and that is go back to their classic period and try to recreate what the were doing back then. Rock Believer is like listening to Love Drive, Animal Magnetism, and Blackout recorded in 2022. The album is exactly as though the band never missed a beat after Love at First Sting. I haven't heard anything after Crazy World, which my friend had, but reviews online of the nineties albums especially have not been particularly favourable. But here is an album worthy of the Scorpions name!

In fact, whether it's meant to be a deliberate nod to the old albums or simply a wink, there are lyrical references to the classic years. The album title and title track harken back to 1977's Taken by Force album and the song Steamrock Fever. The chorus of that old song goes, "Steamrock fever / Screaming rock believer", while Rock Believer's chorus goes, "Scream for me screamer / I'm a rock believer / Just like you". You'll also notice in the opening track, "Gas in the Tank" the line, "Black me in and black me out," which seems to direct our attention quite intentionally to 1982's Blackout album.

While there are surely more Easter eggs in the lyrics, at least two of the songs also derive from those older albums. Shining of Your Soul has a reggae-like riff that sounds like Is There Anybody There? from Lovedrive. And the slow, ominous bass and drum pounding of Seventh Sun sound like China White.

Thankfully, the entire album isn't totally a walk down memory lane. Some of these new songs have a driving energy and heaviness that wouldn't have been found back in the 1979-1984 period. There are also a couple of tracks that remind me of Van Halen, at least for the guitar sound and riffs.

Basically, fans of the classic, Matthias Jabs era Scorpions should really dig this album. This is also a great album for anyone who likes energetic hard rock. Are there are ballads? Actually, not really. When You Know (Where You Come From) is the closest, but it's no Still Loving You or Holiday. If you get the acoustic version as a bonus track, it's a little closer. However, I think the Scorpions were just really ready to rock it out for this album.

My version includes six bonus tracks, so the album does feel rather long. Had this been released in the early eighties, we'd likely have gotten the best eight or nine tracks. It could be fun to make a playlist trimming the running time down to 38 minutes or so for that album feel.

Highly recommended if you enjoy that classic Scorpions sound!

UMUR "Let the World Burn" is an EP release by US, California based thrash metal act Vio-Lence. The album was released through Metal Blade Records in March 2022. Vio-Lence originally formed in 1985 and released three full-length studio albums before calling it quits in 1993. By the time "Nothing to Gain" (1993) came out guitarist Robb Flynn had already moved on and formed Machine Head, and second guitarist Phil Demmel would join Machine Head in 2003, after his post-Vio-Lence act Torque failed to take off (a band which also featured other late lineup Vio-Lence members). Demmel however chose to leave Machine Head in 2018 as he and Flynn no longer agreed on the musical direction or general business of the band, and he subsequently asked former Vio-Lence lead vocalist Sean Killian and drummer Perry Strickland to join him in a new version of Vio-Lence. Former Overkill guitarist Bobby Gustafson was brought in as well as former Fear Factory bassist Christian Olde Wolbers to complete the new quintet lineup.

Stylistically the material on this comeback EP is hard edged, punchy, and aggressive thrash metal done the Bay Area Vio-Lence way. Killian was always a "water divider" type vocalist, and while his voice and vocal style are a little less unique (to some less grating on the ears would probably be a more valid description) on the five tracks on the 24:47 minutes long EP, they are still probably an aquired taste. The riffs are sharp, thrashy, and raw, and the rhythm section are tight and deliver a powerful attack. It´s audible that these guys are seasoned veterans of the scene. Not in the sense that this sounds like grandpa playing, but because everything is delivered with thight precision and an understanding for the right balance between catchiness and rawness. It´s Exodus I think about first, when I listen to Vio-Lence (artists like Forbidden and the related Demonica could also be mentioned as valid references), but the latter are generally faster, more aggressive, and intense.

"Let the World Burn" features a powerful, clear, and sharp sounding production, which suits the material perfectly. The bass is audible, the drums sound sharp, and the guitars are aggressive and punchy. Overall this EP is a good quality comeback for Vio-Lence and for fans of late 80s/early 90s Bay Area thrash metal it´s mandatory listening material. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

Pekka ...or Lost Not Forgotten Archives: Distance Over Time INSTRUMENTAL Demos (2018) as it would be called if InsideOut put just a little more effort into maintaining continuity within the series. At least they finally seem to have settled on parentheses as the manner in which to display the years where each recording originates from after messing with three different styles earlier on in the series. Yes, I'm somewhat pedantic and yes, this has bothered me way more than I wish to admit.

This offering documents the fruits of the early sessions in a highly secret location which later turned out to be Yonderbarn Studios in Monticello, New York. As Train of Thought before, and unlike any other demo issues in the series, this is indeed an entirely instrumental recording since James LaBrie, who resides on the other side of the continent in Canada, was present not in person but via the magic of internet and thus apparently not able or required to lay down any demo takes for his vocals.

Distance Over Time might be my favorite Mangini era DT work and while it's a welcome change of viewpoint to hear the tracks entirely bare of vocals, it's also a bit of a letdown since it would've been interesting to hear a bit more natural voice on these songs instead of the sometimes heavily processed one like on the finished album. On the plus side though, at least my listening habit is often so lead-line focused that I find lots of riffs and layers I've never noticed before while focusing on the vocal lines on top of them.

It's a small thing, but might be my favorite thing on the entire album: Mike Mangini's snare sounds pretty damn good and lively in this unproduced state instead of the very triggered sounding hefty thump that he usually employs - or might just be that instead of triggers his superhuman skill results in each stroke sounding exactly the same when the red light is on for real.

Anyhow, all that this release is in the end is all the same songs pretty much exactly as they would be recorded later on, just in the chronological order as they were written and minus the vocals and the polish of the finished product. The very definition of a "collectors/fans only" release, but as such a very nice one, yet still one that will stay on the shelf for most of the time and deserve just the occasional spin every few years. Or whenever you're in need of some good old DT karaoke.

siLLy puPPy ENCENATHRAKTH dropped its self-titled debut bombshell on to an unsuspecting world in 2015 and basically treated the extreme metal world to its very own supergroup that featured Colin Marston (Gorguts, Dysrhythmia, Krallice, Behold… The Arctopus, etc), Mick Barr (Krallice, Orthrelm, Ocrilim, etc), Weasel Walter (Behold… The Arctopus, The Flying Luttenbachers) and Paulo Henri (Copremesis). The main gist of this band was to create the ugliest freeform brutal death metal possible with all disregard to melody, established compositional structures or everything that popular metal features.

While sounding like a one-off, this team of seasoned veterans has continued releasing what i have designated extreme noise metal with ITHATE THNGTH OCEATE serving as the third release. There have been a few name changes since 2020’s “Thraakethraaeate Thraithaake” with Paulo Henri Paguntalan shortening his name to Vito, Mick Barr becoming Rick, Colin Marston adopting the name Nigel and Weasel Walter calling himself Coward. There’s also a couple more musicians on board. Sesh and Session play bass. Well not much changes with this band in seven years and what this album dishes out is another delivery of dissonant brutal death metal that is as chaotic as a traditional war on a battlefield.

Eight tracks crank out the most down-tuned dreadful menagerie of loose canons in the metal world. Of course anything with Mick Barr, Colin Marston and Weasel Walter is going to be weird and extreme and put them all together in the same room and it’s literally like raising hell to the Earthly plane. The pyramid and so-called theme of this release focuses on Egyptian and Sumerian texts but that’s really just a triviality since the only thing detectable through this 27 1/2 minute run is adrenaline fueled angsty death metal that’s as formless as a plume of smoke drifting about. Somehow these guys engage in the virtuosity of tech death metal, the bleakness of disso-death and the explosiveness of brutal death metal simultaneously.

This one actually has a bit better production since the debut but basically this is ENCENATHRAKH by the books. Erratic jittery guitar riffs and squeals, freeform bass grooves that sound like hard bop jazz from hell, incessant blastbeat drumming that sounds like Weasel Walter is playing on the kitchen cooking pan set and unintelligible grunts, guttural groans and pig squeals. Occasional excursions into higher register guitar licks sound like tortured demons trying to escape the incessant swarm of cacophonous din. There seems to be absolutely no point in this other than making as much extreme noise as humanly possible. And these guys succeed in doing just that!

The exception to this is the closing “Outro: Chronology Rejection Conjecture” which is a freaky two minute noise collage with no metal instrumentation. Yeah this is not for the feint of heart. I love myself some good brutal death metal, dissonance, break-neck speeds and even freeform avant-garde madness but this band doesn’t really scratch any itches except to experience the occasional complete breakdown of musical systems. It’s like the soundtrack to a planet that has just been destroyed by the Death Star and the simultaneous torment of souls set to sounds detectable in the physical plane. It’s a fun spin but i never listen to these guys’ albums a second time.

siLLy puPPy The avant-garde metal band ASHENSPIRE first hit the scene in the Scottish capital city Glasgow in 2013 and five years later released its debut “Speak Not Of The Laudanum Quandary” in 2017. The band stuck out like a sore thumb in the world of extreme metal with a bizarre mix of black metal guitar gallops, a lugubrious string-quartet violin presence, some sizzling saxophone squeaking and the most uncharacteristic attribute of all, an unhinged vocal narration that sounded more like a madman on a rant rather than any proper singer in the world of metal. As much anarcho-punk as jazz-metal, the debut tackled the multi-century exploitation and brutality of the British Empire across the planet and with a less than subtle declarative decree, ASHENSPIRE was on the scene.


Skip ahead five years and the band is back with its second offering of hostility titled HOSTILE ARCHITECTURE all dressed for a riot in its favorite chimeric mix of black metal, gypsy / chamber swing, soul jazz and madman poetry only this time the band has been getting more than its share of attention for its acrid societal critique of the collapsing social order. Basically HOSTILE ARCHITECTURE is a manic report of the failures of the New World Order and the elite power structures that have crafted the pyramid system of control that propels them to the lap of luxury at the expense of the masses which now find themselves in utter decay as they increasingly live in squalor with fetid infrastructure and inequality ubiquitous.

This is an album that’s gotten a lot of coverage in 2022 for its unorthodox mix of black metal savagery pacified by a melodic sax and violin dueling stabilizing force. Sounding like he escaped the insane asylum and forgot his meds, drummer / lead vocalist Alasdair Dunn delivers all his scathing societal reviews like an adrenalized protester with steadfast supplications of remedy while the thundering force of a black metal freight train finds the rampaging post-metal processions decorated by sultry cyclical sax squawking and ear-piercing ostinato violin grooves haunting the depressive anxious dissonant protest.

Musically, this band reminds me a lot of Norway’s Shining with its depressive disso-black metal joined by a jazzified form of brutal prog only with the extra touches of a chamber rock violin performance. All in all the music is quite impressive with with lyrics that evoke the pungent explosive pluckiness not heard since Crass haunted the UK with its angsty art punk in the early 1980s. While the musical procession is quite unique to ASHENSPIRE, the album tends to run on the same high octane fuel for its duration with the exception of the intermezzo interstitial interrupting “How The Mighty Have Vision” which recalls the bizarre style of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum which also made ample use of violins in an avant-metal context.

This is an album i really want to love because it has everything that i love about a creative passionate modern day metal band that is setting the world on fire however as flexibie and far-reaching as my musical insatiability is, there are still a few stylistic approaches that totally rub me the wrong way and therefore i find myself on an opposite spin from my music loving contemporaries in the world. Musically this is spot on in about every way from the frenetic syncopation of the guitar, bass and drums to the lenifying efficacy of the violin and sax combo and the morbid mix of it all. What really keeps me from hella lovin’ ASHENSPIRE simply boils down to the vocal style. I just can’t get into spoken word musical performances with the exception of some sort of frantic weirdness in the vein of Captain Beefheart who recited his beat poetry like a mutant reject of the Montauk Project.

On the one hand the half-spoken, half-sung lyrics do allow the lyrics to be understood which is not the case in the vast majority of growly voiced extreme metal these days however for a lead vocalist to pull this off convincingly, the said singer must shave some sort of above average charisma or stylistic approach that adds to the one / two punch of the musical performances. That is how i find this album completely lopsided. For those who can tolerate the vocals, you will absolutely love this one. Excellent lyrical content, outstanding musical content. For me it’s like eating a delicious cinnamon roll with raisins in it. I hate raisins :(

siLLy puPPy RETROSPECTIVE is one of the many Polish bands that have emerged in the 21st century that straddles the line between neo-prog / symphonic prog and progressive metal in the vein of the nation’s most popular export of this ilk, Riverside. Founded in 2005, this band almost goes as far back as Riverside itself. Amazingly enough despite almost 20 years on the scene and six albums under its belt, RETROSPECTIVE has featured the same lineup all this time with the sole exception of guitarist Darek Kaźmierczak joining ranks to make this band a six-piece instead of a mere quintet.

So what is this band exactly? Hard neo-prog or wimpy prog metal. I don’t know. Labels and boxes don’t interest me except to get a general gist of what to expect but what one can clearly state about INTROVERT (sorry this is my first experience with this band so the only reference i have thus far) is that this band is clearly focused on instantly catchy melodies in the vein of neo-prog while casting a wider net of including a pseudo-metallic guitar heft that eschews the excesses of Riverside’s aerie fairy atmospheric ambience and rather steers the band’s approach more into a Pink Floyd style of space rock that meets an 80s new wave demeanor not unlike The Psychedelic Furs in the beginning.

Yeah there’s a very 80s new wave style of crafting the melodic touches here. Is that a bad thing? Well only if you hate poppy easy-listening musical compositions. What’s cool about this one is it doesn’t try to pretend it’s something its not (like Riverside). It’s not trying to be another band (like Riverside) but rather just delivering some great music that has obvious influences that happen to be from an era where unadulterated melodic performances weren’t frowned upon. This album BTW features six tracks at almost 45 minutes. What sets this apart from other similar bands is the male / female vocal tradeoffs of Jakub Roszak and Beata Łagoda who share equal billing on the opening track “Log Out” (should be “Log In’’ no? :/ )

In comparisons to Riverside, this band doesn’t try to craft ambitious excesses in the vein of Porcupine Tree which obfuscate the pop hooks but rather just lets it all hang out so to speak. Yeah one could consider this a pop metal band that embellishes its charm with ample atmospheres and other personal touches but what’s wrong with that? Basically these types of bands are highly idiosyncratic. Does it work for you or not? Well, for me this band works incredibly well. Although i have not experienced another RETROSPECTIVE release i can say that i have enjoyed this one thoroughly from beginning to end. Warning though. For metalheads this is barely metal and for prog rock lovers this may be too metallic. Oh limbo here we go.

Yeah this isn’t a perfect album or the next level of quantum metal mechanics. Oh well. This one has an emotional pull unlike many albums even remotely metal these days and on the prog side of the equation likewise. Basically this is crossover prog of the 21st century really. It’s catchy as hell. The vocals, instrumentation and compositions are stellar for what they are and the band sounds somewhat unique really. Not a masterpiece of all ages but i really enjoyed this much more than i could’ve imagined. This is one of the few examples where a foreign accent singing in English actually works amazingly well. I know this music has nothing to do with the 80s post-punk / new wave band The Psychedelic Furs but vocalist Jakub Roszak really sounds like Richard Butler at times!

siLLy puPPy Hard to believe that once upon a time metal music, then simply existing as heavy metal was considered immature and deemed just an adolescent phase that gullible minds fell victim to. Of course it was a plot by ole Satan himself to lead us away from a good Christian ethos. Fast forward some four decades and there is no denying that metal music has conquered the world and like a sordid slut with rampaging hormones has spread its libertine legs open wide for virtually every other musical genre to impregnate its contemptible corruption of the rock music paradigm. And here we are in the early 2020’s where it seems there is no end in sight with new strains of avant-garde metal usurping the world of prog, jazz, ethnic folk and just about every other musical expression throughout history.

As metal has become more extreme it has also become more confident with the knowing that no musical expression must go unconquered and on the top of the list for unfathomable musical colonization strategies is the New York City based IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT which has declared with a thundering decree that metal music is your master now so bow down and smell the glove! Formed as far back as 2005 by mastermind lead vocalist / guitarist and avant-garde connoisseur Zachary Ezrin, IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT started out as a somewhat typical black metal act albeit with a propensity for adding technical death metal chops and unhealthy doses of dissonance. The 2012 debut album “Abominamentvm” showcased a restless unsettling mix of the technically adept in the midst of swarming angsty chaos and ominous dissonance.

The following “Abyssal Gods” followed suit only the creative pangs were churning and the addition of piano, cello, trumpet and choir seeped into the mix. The floodgates were opened but with 2018’s “Vile Luxury” the dam truly burst and the true IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT reared its ugly head as a bizarre brutal chimera of blackened dissonant death metal with New York City jazz club sophistication. The world would never be the same. Fast forward to the following year in 2019 and Colin Marston of Behold…The Arctopus / Dysrhythmia / Krallice / Gorguts fame entered the scene. And then so too did Trey Spruance of Mr Bungle / Secret Chiefs 3 / Faxed Head prestige. Yep, things were about to get weird and i when i say weird i mean sky’s the limit weird where fertile creative bat shit crazy weird meets the world of technical complexity. The real IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT was born!

Back for the attack in 2022, IT releases its fifth installment of musical terror SPIRIT OF ECSTASY with a star-studded cast of musical freaks. While still very much the baby of Zachary Ezrin who handles guitars, vocals and orchestrations along with partners in crime drummer Kenny Grohowski better known for jazz-fusion bands like Abraxas as well as bassist Steve Blanco, this one features an impressive guest roster of Colin Marston on drums, guest lead guitarists Max Gorelick, Testament’s Alex Skolnick and Trey Spruance. Add a few guest vocalists, a choir, trombone and trumpet and we’re ready for a riot in the Big Apple. If that’s not weird enough the album also finds a cameo appearance by, um, are you ready for this?…. Kenny G! Yeah, for those not familiar with smooth jazz from the 80s, this guy was the heartthrob of post-menopausal housewives all across the USA with his smooth inoffensive elevator jazz musical style. Told ya this was a weird one!

OK get to the friggin music already! SPIRIT OF ECSTASY is a brutal bestial affair of disso-death metal cranked up to the max but set to the compositional flair of avant-garde jazz. Add some spoken word samples and unorthodox, well everything and you are guaranteed to experience something that could only find avant-garde masters like Marston and Spruance on board! With a total of eight tracks that just miss 55 minutes, this one is a wild ride and a grand declaration that screams disdain for any pesky conventional labeling systems and while jazz-infused extreme metal is hardly anything new under the sun, this chimeric hybridization has never really been carried out to its logical conclusion with such finesse and equanimity.

As this thundering stampede of blackened disso-death ferociously delivers an avant-exodus from the status quo, IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT delivers a veritable bizarre pendulum swing from the darkest and most inaccessible extremes of modern metal to the unexpected swanky club action of jazz-fusion savoir-faire. What sounds like a train wreck in Grand Central Station in reality unleashes some of the most competent musicianship forging new unifying forces between hitherto totally separate opposing musical forces. Through the album’s run we experience not only unrestrained metal mayhem but also superb excursions into jazz-fusion plenteousness but also eerie off road journeys into dark ambient episodes of mind-fuc.kery that would sit well in the golden years of Krautrock but metalheads don’t fret!… the cacophonous din of distortion and adrenaline fueled percussive outbursts are never too far in the distance.

In many ways SPIRIT OF ECSTASY sums up the world we find ourselves in at this point of the 21st century. Cacophonous din from every direction laced with tangible moments of short-attention span motifs that fluctuate like a kaleidoscope for the ears as angsty riffs and metal bombast pummel the senses. Metal dressing for an otherwise atmospheric avant-jazz album is what SPIRTY OF ECSTASY inculcates and the spirt of valiant vanguard is in full display here. I mean where else in the universe could you truly find the crazed intractability of Colin Marston sitting side by side with the mainstream as it gets 80s vanilla smooth jazz king Kenny G? This is a true work of art on so many levels showcasing the fact that extreme metal truly is the new prog of the modern era. Definitely not for the feint at heart. This is difficult listening music at its finest as it will take many years to wrap their head around this one. All i can say is this one is quite TRIUMPHANT in its unorthodox approach and doesn’t hold back one iota.

siLLy puPPy Pakistan is a geographical spot on the map that many of us Westerners are woefully ignorant of except for the occasional news blurbs casting this ancient region in a negative spin. This region of the world is actually quite fascinating not only for its multi-millennial history but as it turns out, for its modern contributions to the world as well. Musically speaking when one thinks of Pakistan (if one thinks of it at all), the immediate musical genre that comes to mind would be the qawwali with perhaps Pakistan's most famous musical export Nusrat Ali Khan as the nation's ambassador in the musical sense. While ethnic music is pretty much celebrated in every culture of the world, i have to admit that i wasn't aware of the fact that progressive metal has been a thing there for quite some time now.

Guitarist FARAZ ANWAR has been on the scene for quite a while as a member of the Karachi based Dusk and also his other band Mizraab. Both bands have been dabbling in the world of progressive metal since the mid-1990s and as a solo artist ANWAR released his debut "Abstract Point Of View" as far back as 2001. Although it took sixteen years between the last two albums, ANWAR returns only two years later with a followup. TALES OF THE LUNATICS is a concept album that tells the tale of a fictional angel named Afaiel who was sent to this 3D Earth by his master to be a human being. The album is an interesting mix of spoken word narration (in English) with ANWAR's stellar guitar works that range from a sensual Eric Johnson tone-rich blues oriented style to more aggressive shredding.

While primarily a guitar oriented release, TALE OF THE LUNATICS also features some excellent precision, divine choirs and chorus as well as some orchestration that is placed in the right places. While the term progressive metal can mean different things, in this case the album is very much a mix of slower symphonic prog moments with heavier prog metal alternating between intricate passages that allow ANWAR to showcase his guitar playing skills. Basically narrated vocals introduce an overarching theme and the instrumental interpretation ensues. Well i should say mostly instrumental because a few vocal tracks do occur such as on "Throw Your Swords." I should mention this this album is solely performed by ANWAR who handles not only guitars but bass, keys, drums as well as vocals.

Well i'm simultaneously impressed and underwhelmed at the same time with this one. While the concept is an interesting one and the narrative is pretty intriguing, i can't say the musical accompaniments match the magnanimity of the intent. No doubt that ANWAR is a gifted musician who can master all instruments set in front of him. My main problem is that the music doesn't convey the message of the storyline. Musically speaking this is a mix of Dream Theater, Kansas, other prog metal acts and a bit of Middle Eastern and local Pakistani flavors. There's even a few neo-prog moments however nothing really seems like it fits the narrative and therefore it seems like the whole concept was an afterthought than rather being the impetus for the entire album experience.

This is a fun album but i guess i expected more from the whole thing. It's really just an average prog metal experience with a better than average concept that doesn't quite gel with the musical performances. The most impressive track is the closing "Lap Lost" which features a more diverse roster of ideas and musical mojo. I'm torn between this album as i like a lot of what it represents and the musical skills showcased but i can't quite gel with the vocal performances nor can i get over the fact that i've heard this type of prog metal a million times prior. Overall this is a pleasant enough experience but not one that invites me to return time and time again. There is much room for improvement and i hope ANWAR continues to pursue a more sophisticated compositional development protocol. Good but not essential.

siLLy puPPy Tech death metal is one thing and progressive death metal is another but sometimes the two trajectories cross paths like a supply stop on the silk road so many centuries ago. ARTIFICIAL BRAIN has the perfect moniker for the modern world where A.I. threatens to become self-aware and take over the planet as we carbon-based lifeforms become expendable commodities but i digress. This Long Island, NY band has been around for just over a decade now and has tackled the dilemma of how to evolve death metal into the next phase like many a band struggling to take its compositional fortitude beyond the beefy machismo of incessant physicality.

Ever since Gorguts upped the ante there’s been a sort of arms race to seamlessly merge the world of progressive rock with the technical brutality of death metal and while many have failed in this daunting task, some like ARTIFICIAL BRAIN seem to have been born for this task. This quintet of deathly noise makers is unusual in that it features six members which includes the occasional use of a saxophone :o No worries death metal stalwarts, this is pummel your friggin’ brains out central with no signs of jazzy interludes interfering with the mission of unleashing blackened death metal riffage from the depths of Hades through sonic portals via modern technology.

I must say that this set of ten tracks successfully employs all the benefits of brutal death metal characteristic well with the progressive underbelly of a rock in opposition convention without sacrificing the lamb of death metal standards. Tough tightrope act i know but ARTIFICIAL BRAIN on its third and eponymously titled album seem to pull it off remarkably well after a tech death focused debut and a blackened atmospheric sophomore release. On this third installment of the ARTIFICIAL BRAIN universe everything comes together very well with a bizarre merging of the savagery of extreme metal bombast with a keen sense of rhythmic turbulence that is as unrelenting as a prostitute in the red light district of Amsterdam (OMG have you been there?)

This album really nails the holy trilogy of melding black metal, death metal and progressive rock into a holy union. Whether animals were sacrificed to achieve that remains a mystery but somehow this group of Long Islanders found the stabilizing elixir of sound to make this disco-death mess work so well. Everything is balanced perfectly with the tones, timbres and extremes of death metal in the sonority perfectly blending with the progressive compositional doughtiness. This album packs a punch for sure and is that really a tree emerging from the forest and giving the middle finger? Oh how my imagination gets out of control sometimes. Just listen to the track “Embalmed With Magma” and then you’ll get the gist of how this band has totally created a prog / death metal chimera of unthinkableness.

While a lot of death metal can sound the same to those not indoctrinated into its stealth bombing of the senses, close attentive listens can be quite rewarding since the genre demands a careful inspection of its mechanical underpinnings to differentiate it from a multitude of similarly hyperactive speed freaks. To perform such antics at these breakneck speeds is impressive indeed and ARTIFICIAL BRAIN has either sold out to A.I. to make this album possible or is indeed a very talented posse of carbon-based human lifeforms that has done its homework in constructed a chimera of utmost beauty blackened by the harshness of aural ugliness. Well, any way you slice it i’m in. What really works about this is a) the growly vocals are low in the mix b) the production is stellar and c) the musicianship is above average. Not a masterpiece of the ages but an excellent proggy death metal experience for sure.

siLLy puPPy When it comes to strange and twisted experimental metal, few have been as weird and long lasting as Japan’s SIGH that started out over 30 years ago as a symphonic black metal band when it was propelled into the limelight with the help of Mayhem’s Euronymous. Through the decades this band has increasingly added more elements to its sound with each album unexpectedly taking you into a completely different and oft uncharted territory within the overarching metal paradigm. Having existed in a weird twilight zone where black metal, progressive metal, symphonic prog, jazz-fusion and psychedelia meet, the band had always looked abroad for inspiring musical forces but beginning with 2018’s “Heir To Despair” at long last realized there have been some interesting sounds to mine from the homeland all along and thus Japanese folk music was fair game. Something about that album didn’t quite gel for me though so i wrote it off as a fluke.

SIGH has been the brainchild of Mirai Kawashima (vocals, keyboards) and his wife Dr. Mikannibal (vocals, saxophone) and has featured a rotating cast of supporting musicians over the decades. With 2022’s SHIKI Kawashima has not only adopted more homegrown folk sounds but for the first time in the SIGH playbook has employed the Japanese language to narrate a concept album based on an ancient Japanese poem that along with the album cover art represents Kawashima’s inward perspectives on his native Japanese culture. Along for the ride in this episode of the SIGH show is guitarist / bassist Frédéric Leclercq who has played with DragonForce, Kreator, Denied and many other bands. Also on board is percussionist Mike Heller who has also been a tour de force in the metal world having played with Fear Factory, Raven, Malignancy and a host of others. The band is topped off a bassist simply presented a 藤並聡.

In many ways SHIKI is the aggregate achievement of SIGH’s long and varied musical palette. Starting off with a psychedelic ambience the track “Kuroi Kage” ushers in a doom metal stomp before the track typifies SIGH’s black n roll musical heft with Kawashima finally joining as Japan’s answer to Captain Beefheart with his schizoid raspy vocal style undecipherable to all but those fortunate enough to speak Japan’s native tongue. The album progresses by quickening the pace with “Shoujahitsumetsu” revisiting past black metal frenzy territory allowing Kawashima to find himself uttering lyrics like a Japanese mad rapper. In the album’s 46 minute run the tracks are beautifully forged to reflect SIGH’s long established commitment to Western song structures but this time augmented with Japanese folk musical textures ranging from backing vocal chants to beautiful sounds effects from instruments such as the hichiriki, taishogoto and shamisen.

While one could very well compare SHIKI to album’s like “Imaginary Sonicscape” for their bold incorporation of a multitude of musical influences, the focus has completely shifted with SHIKI making it a more streamlined and showcases a musical procession with a purpose beyond the shock value of being weird for weird’s sake (don’t get me wrong, i do love that too!) The album almost comes off as a dramatic musical with Kawashima’s vocals conveying the anguish and grief of some tragedy that due to linguistic alienation is conveyed through his vocal tirades that sound like the Japanese equivalent of Captain Beefheart having a temper tantrum at times. Add to that a stellar production, engineering and mixing job that allows the metal heft to perfectly coincide with the nuances of electronic, ambience and psychedelia all neatly sewn together. Through this tightrope act, SHIKI manages to maintain a thunderous energetic uproar with various strains of metal ranging from doom, black and thrash along with quieter moments of transcendence that result in satisfying polarized mood swings.

Unlike any of SIGH’s previous albums, SHIKI sounds epic in scope and perfect in execution. This is an album that is paced perfectly to allow heavy metal bombast to coincide perfectly with trippy psych-fueled electronic intros, outros and midterm breathing spaces. The influence of Japanese folk musical motifs is also incorporated into the very chord progressions that comprise the compositional flow and the use of the Japanese language gives the album a completely different rhythmic drive than any previous album. I’m very happy that bands from around the world are choosing to use their native tongue in lieu of the ubiquitous English for that very reason. Just when it seemed like SIGH was ready to go stale on us, this unique act has found a new lease on life and with the newly incorporated sounds and themes of the vast world of Japanese culture could very well be around for another 30-some years. This one was a true surprise and is one of my top album picks for the calendar year of 2022. What an amazing comeback from this legendary band. SHIKI is without a doubt this band’s best album yet.

UMUR "Övergivenheten" is the twelfth full-length studio album by Swedish melodic death metal act Soilwork. The album was released through Nuclear Blast in August 2022. It´s the successor to "Verkligheten" from 2019 although the two full-length studio albums are bridged by the 2020 "A Whisp of the Atlantic" EP. There´s been one lineup change since "Verkligheten" (2019) as bassist Taylor Nordberg has been replaced by Rasmus Ehrnborn (guitarist David Andersson recorded the bass on "A Whisp of the Atlantic" (2020).

If anyone had hopes that the progressive songwriting of "A Whisp of the Atlantic" (2020) would be continued on "Övergivenheten", they will be left disappointed (although closing track "On the Wings of a Goddess Through Flaming Sheets of Rain" does feature a slightly more adventurous songwriting approach than the remaining tracks on the album). Instead Soilwork have opted for the most melodic, accessible, and at times even mainstream oritented songwriting of their career. Of course there are still elements of death metal here and there, and lead vocalist Björn "Speed" Strid can still scream out his lungs and occassionally deliver a death metal growl, but he sings a lot of clean vocals here, and arguably a few more than usual. It´s not so much the vocal part of the music which has changed though, but more the overall songwriting approach. Sometimes to a point where it sounds like Soilwork are in the process of preparing to enter the Eurovision contest. That´s how catchy, melodic, and polished some of these tracks are. It´s sometimes to a point where it´s sounds like it´s leftover material written for Strid and Andersson´s AOR rock band The Night Flight Orchestra, put through the melodic death metal grinder.

Any Soilwork album deserves to be listened to and only judged after several listens, because they are usually deceivingly accessible and polished, but underneath that polish there are layers of sophisticated harmonies, melodies, choir arrangements, and just a generally high level songwriting approach. "Övergivenheten" is no different from it´s direct predecessors in that respect. Soilwork have maybe gone a little too much overboard with the glitter and polish on this one, considering that two of them already have The Night Flight Orchestra to explore more accessible and melodic musical territories, and I do miss a little more raw power and aggression, but on the other hand it´s impossible not to be floored by how catchy these songs are.

"Övergivenheten" features a well sounding production job, although my ears don´t always agree with the drum production. It´s a purely subjective observation though, and nothing which affects my rating too much. The musicianship is on a high level on all posts and if you think you can enjoy and album´s worth of the most accessible and mainstream oriented version of Soilwork, "Övergivenheten" will give you just that in a high quality fashion. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

lukretion Katatonia are a bona fide metal institution. With 12 full-length albums under their belt, the Stockholm-based trailblazers have been leaders in redefining the sound of the genre, building from their death/doom origins in the 1990s to gradually incorporate post-rock, dark rock, and progressive metal elements into their music. On January, 20th, 2023 the band will release their latest effort Sky Void of Stars via Napalm Records. Comprised of 10 songs (plus 1 bonus-track), once again all penned by vocalist and founding member Jonas Renkse, the anticipation for the follow-up to 2020’s City Burials is sky high. Can the dark metal icons pull off yet another masterpiece? Or are the years taking a toll on their creativity?

These were some of the questions going through my head as I pressed “PLAY” to stream the promo provided by Napalm Records. My trepidation was further enhanced by the fact that I wasn’t overly impressed with the band’s previous LP City Burials - an album that walked a fine line between understated mellowness and plodding torpor, but did not always manage to stay on the right side of it. Fortunately, Sky Void of Stars blew all my concerns out of the water, and stands magnificently as one of the best albums Katatonia ever made.

With the new LP, the Swedes have attempted something very bold. They have taken the most distinctive aspects of their sound over the last 20 years, and pushed each separate element to a further extreme, all in the space of the same record. If you have been following the release of the three album singles, you will know exactly what I mean. The first single “Atrium” was a gloriously catchy, deceptively simple goth tune that could by all means be a new “Teargas” or “My Twin” for the band. Next, Katatonia dropped “Austerity”, an incredible tour-de-force that manages to distillate in just under 4 minutes the essence of modern progressive metal, from angular riffing to complex polyrhythms, all without losing sight of melody. The final single “Birds” took us yet on another stylistic turn: it’s a more straightforward, heavier piece that harks back to the sound Katatonia pioneered in the early 2000s, on their Viva Emptiness album in particular, with its austere atmosphere, sinister melodies and urgent pacing.

Taken together, the three singles capture exactly what you can expect to find on Sky Void of Stars: catchy, electronic-laden gothic anthems, punishing progressive beasts, and heavy-hitting slabs of sinister dark metal. “Hang on a second”, you ask, “how can these disparate styles coexist on the same LP?”. While the three singles may point to a scattershot album that does not quite know which direction to take, the real beauty of Sky Void of Stars lies in how naturally and elegantly Katatonia managed to weave together these different sonic niches to form a strikingly coherent whole.

A lot of it has to do with the sequencing of the tracklist. The way it keeps building and releasing tension - alternating driving uptempos with mellower songs, heavy demanding pieces with sudden bursts of melodic accessibility - is absolutely pitch-perfect. The shifts are gradual and natural. Take the first three tracks on the LP. Opener “Austerity” takes no prisoners. Drummer Daniel Moilanen is on fire: his urgent, tentacular performance is astonishing, making it almost impossible to count the time signatures. Niklas Sandin’s pulsating bass is no less impressive both in the faster, more technically demanding parts and in the mellower jazzy bridge. Meanwhile, Anders Nyström and Roger Öjersson churn out some beautifully complex riffs, before Öjersson unleashes a shimmering solo halfway through the song (the first of many he performs on this record). Renkse’s voice is warm and inviting as usual, but his melodies are oblique and unpredictable, making for a rather claustrophobic start to the album. How do you come down from such a high-pressure, high-impact track? “Colossal Shade” dials things down gradually with its catchier melodies, bouncy mid-tempo and poppy electronic undertones, but there is a darkness lurking beneath the surface, in the heavy chug of the guitars and the dissonant bridge, which ushers in those Viva Emptiness vibes I was mentioning earlier. With “Opaline”, the comedown is complete. Together with “Atrium”, the song is probably the most accessible of the whole album, with its infectious electro-goth undercurrents and mellow keyboard lines, all converging into a majestic, melancholy-infused chorus that brings to mind the band’s best work on The Great Cold Distance.

The rest of the album ebbs and flows in a similar fashion. “Birds” and “Author” dial up the tension again - the latter packing a lugubrious chorus that takes me way back to those early Katatonia albums where Renkse had just started experimenting with clean-vocal (but pitch-black) melodies (Tonight’s Decision; Discouraged Ones). The mellow, vaguely psychedelic “Drab Moon” softens the blows, while “Impermanence” is a spellbinding heavy ballad that features co-vocals by Joel Ekelöf (Soen) as well as some beautifully mournful guitar leads that hark back to the band’s early doom days. “Sclera” is a masterpiece in understatement, with its barely hinted melodies, scattered drumming and evocative electronic effects. The crescendo from verse to pre-chorus to chorus is mesmerizing, and builds the perfect tension for the subsequent track “Atrium”, which is the other melodic centrepiece of the album after “Opaline”. Sky Void of Stars closes as it started, with another crushingly progressive piece. This time extending to over 6 minutes in length, “No Beacon To Illuminate Our Fall” is an ever-changing beast that builds on twisted riffs and bleak vocal lines that keep mutating and evolving, leaving the listener with little to latch on and no clear sense of what may come next.

The record is further graced by a masterful production by Danish wizard Jacob Hansen: warm and natural, yet clinically clean, it achieves a beautiful separation between frequencies in the mix, ensuring that each instrument is clearly heard at all times, from Sandin’s bass, to the two guitars, to the keyboard effects, to Moilanen’s various drum components. The end result is particularly admirable when one considers how richly textured the music is. The keyboards and electronic effects are omnipresent, but so are the drums and the guitars - the latter playing a much more prominent role than on City Burials. As a consequence, Sky Void of Stars feels heavier and fuller than its predecessor, but this is accomplished without sacrificing nuance or clarity.

With of Sky Void of Stars Katatonia have tried something bold and ambitious: to condense in the space a single LP the vast universe of styles and influences they have taken on board in the course of their three-decade career - from doom, to gothic metal, to electronica, to progressive rock. What’s more - instead of attempting to find a compromise between the different styles within each song, they pushed each different style to the fore across a different set of songs, merging them then into a coherent narrative by means of gradual shifts in tension and expressivity. In many ways, this is reminiscent of what Katatonia tried to do on City Burials, but with much better results, as the new album sounds crisper and more dynamic, and it achieves a better balance between mellow and upbeat moments as well as between guitar-driven music and futuristic electronic elements.

The flip side of this ambitious endeavour is that Sky Void of Stars is not an easy record to take in: there is a lot going on and the album requires a dedicated investment in time and active listening on the part of the audience. It is, however, worthy of every second of your time, because Sky Void of Stars is absolutely brilliant, and perhaps even the pinnacle of the Katatonia’s entire discography.

[Originally written for The Metal Observer]

lukretion Polish prog metallers Riverside are back with their new full-length album ID.Entity released worldwide via InsideOut on January, 20. The new LP is the first with Maciej Meller as a permanent member on guitar, after the tragic death of the band’s original guitar player Piotr Grudziński in 2016. The rest of the line-up is completed by Mariusz Duda (bass, vocals), Piotr Kozieradzki (drums) and Michał Łapaj (keyboards), who have now been playing together in Riverside for over twenty years.

Despite the remarkable stability in the band’s line-up, ID.Entity shakes things up considerably as far as its sound is concerned, and it is probably one of the most unique and diverse albums in Riverside’s discography so far. Fear not, though: the band’s sound is still firmly rooted in that special hybrid of prog rock and metal that Riverside have been perfecting for more than two decades now. The songs strike a great balance between accessibility and technical complexity. The structure is rich, with multiple interconnected sections and returning motifs, but there are always prominent melodic lines to guide the listener through the ebbs and flows of each of composition. There are also plenty of staccato riffs and intricate polyrhythms that prog fans can sink their teeth into, and a very prominent bass sound for the pleasure of 4-string enthusiasts. The playing is sublime as always by all musicians involved, with Michał Łapaj’s keyboards striking me as particularly inspired on the new songs.

So far things may feel familiar. However, there are also some clear departures from the sound Riverside developed in previous records. The new songs are much more upbeat and uptempo than usual, shaking off that dense sense of melancholy that had almost become a hallmark of Riverside’s albums, especially the last few ones. The sound is also slightly more metallic and heavier, throwing us back to the early, hard-hitting Riverside’s LPs. At the same time, the band here experiments with a vaster array of non-metal influences than in any of their previous albums. There are 80s synthpop references surfacing at various places through the LP, more obviously on opening track “Friend or Foe?”. In a few tracks, I also hear neoprog influences - Marillion in particular (“The Place Where I Belong”, “I’m Done With You”), while “Self-Aware” even digresses in reggae territory, if you can believe it.

Dazzling technical playing, a broad set of influences, and lots of proggy adventurousness to placate our nerdiness are definitely among the many strengths that ID.Entity has to offer. However, if I have to be honest, the new record does not come without weaknesses. Two are bothering me particularly. First, the album sounds a bit like its cover image looks: fragmented. There are lots of great moments here and there that do perk my ears, but somehow I can’t seem to find the glue that holds all these little pieces together. Sometimes, it is just a matter of the band cramming too much in too little time: this is especially the case in the shorter tracks where often one does not have even the time to get to know a riff or melody, that Riverside have already moved on to the next one (“Post-Truth”). But things do not always feel smooth even in the longer tracks. The 13-minute “The Place Where I Belong” sounds a lot like 3 separate songs stitched together into one for the sake of it, and it fails to carry momentum from start to finish. I gave quite a lot of thought to what I might be missing, and it seems to me that the new songs do not always manage to create a consistent emotional red thread that can connect the various themes together and ultimately engage and engross the listener. The music does ebb and flow, but the emotional tension remains disappointingly flat for a lot of the album’s duration.

The album’s concept may be partly the culprit here. ID.Entity focuses on social criticism asking important questions about identity and technology in a post-truth world riddled with fake-news that spread on social media like the plague. It’s a controversial and difficult concept, and Duda’s intelligent lyrics make for an interesting and at times thought-provoking read. However, I feel that the concept may have somehow hijacked the creative process here, ultimately stealing the poetry out of it. It is almost as Duda’s need to clearly convey the message took priority over the musicality and poetry of what he is singing. There are moments in the album where his lines simply have too many prosaic words to make for compelling song lyrics or even for decent lines to sing. Snippets such as “Everyone’s divided/extreme right or extreme left/that’s the only choice”, “And this goddamn anger/coming from every corner/I am not surprised/not happy either/because how much can you bear being fucking lied to”, or “You are not my own CEO” should give you an idea of what I mean. I find myself constantly snapping out of the album’s flow and mood because of it, which contributes to my struggle to get emotionally involved with the music.

Ultimately, and it pains me to say this, ID.Entity is a record that was interesting to spin for the purpose of this review, but that I did not feel attracted to return to for more after each spin. There are only a couple of songs that I genuinely enjoy listening to repeatedly: “Friend or Foe?” (perhaps the best track here), “Big Tech Brother” (but I really have to ignore the annoying fake-robot voice at the start of the song) and “Self-Aware” (though the reggaeton part is a tad jarring). This does not mean that ID.Entity is a bad album, and in fact I suspect that if you are not too bothered by its emotional dryness or the lyrics as I am, you may enjoy this quite a bit as the LP contains a lot of strong music and great playing across its 53 minutes. Overall, while I predict that ID.Entity will divide opinions and is not likely to end up at the top of many people’s favorite Riverside LP list, it is certainly yet another high-quality release from the Polish band, and the start of a new chapter that I will eagerly continue to follow.

[Originally written for The Metal Observer]

lukretion Norwegian prog-rockers Motorpsycho are an unstoppable force, churning out nearly one album per year throughout their entire career. Not even the worldwide shutdown of 2020/2021 halted their creative drive, although it did channel it on a slightly different course than anticipated. Unable to tour and not fully enthusiastic about the idea of “live stream shows”, the Norse trio started toying with the idea of a video/audio package that could combine their music, a dance performance by Homan Sharifi and the Impure Dance Company, and cinematography.

That ambitious project is still ongoing, or to put it more accurately, on the backburner according to interviews released by the band. Motorpsycho felt however that it would be a pity not to record and release the music that was envisaged for that larger-scale art performance, which is in fact the material included on Ancient Astronauts. On the vinyl, the four songs that comprise the album are divded between side A (“The Ladder”, “The Flowers of Awareness”, “Mona Lisa / Azrael”) and side B (“Chariots of the Sun - To Phaeton on the Occasion of the Sunrise”), making for a balanced 20 minutes of music on each side. The division also makes a lot of sense stylistically: although all four songs embrace the glorious progressive rock sound of the 1970s, the first three seem to have been influenced by early King Crimson, while the epic “Chariots of the Sun” brings to mind the symphonic mystique of bands like Yes.

While the sound of the LP is closer to retro-prog than the modernist, metallic outbursts of Motropsycho’s more recent records, the Norwegians interpret it with an urgency and vigor that makes it feel fresh and contemporary. “The Ladder” is particularly electrifying, with its driving pace, aggressive vocals and gloriously rock guitars. The song transmits a sense of violent unease that reminded me of the iconic “21st Century Schizoid Man” from King Crimson’s debut. “The Flowers of Awareness” is a short semi-ambient interlude, while “Mona Lisa / Azrael” is another throwback to King Crimson’s debut LP, this time reminding me of “Moonchild”, especially at the beginning and end, while the sudden surge of electric jazz power in the mid-section takes us in a completely different direction.

At 22 minutes of length, “Chariots of the Sun” is the bona fide prog epic of the LP. The surprise, perhaps, is that it is entirely instrumental. Normally, I am not a great fan of instrumental music, but the song’s slow-burning crescendo – from delicate chimes and nimble guitars to full-bodied rock explosions - is captivating and makes for a perfect backdrop to inner traveling and meditations. Here is where the Yes influences strike me as relevant, as I can almost imagine how Jon Anderson’s mystic wordless chanting would perfectly complement the song’s instrumental explorations.

“Chariots of the Sun” is also the song where it becomes most apparent that the music included on Ancient Astronauts was devised as a part of a larger-scale and more ambitious project, as the song literally begs for some cinematic visuals to accompany it. This is perhaps also where Ancient Astronauts reveals its main limitation: while it is always a pleasure to listen to Motorpsycho’s musical musings, there is a sense of incompleteness hovering over this release, almost as if it were missing some essential ingredient to satisfyingly tie the four pieces of music together in a completed whole. Ultimately, this is what weighs the album down somewhat, especially in the larger scheme of the band’s impressive discography, as it is hard not to see it as a parentheses between bigger endeavours.

[Originally written for The Metal Observer]

Pekka The ongoing Lost Not Forgotten Archives series has gotten a good few brand new Mangini era releases in addition to the Official Bootleg reissues, and Live at Madison Square Garden (2010) carries the distinction of being the very first previously unheard Portnoy era recording issued under the new header. This was most likely slated for release around 2010/2011 but scrapped along with the entire project when the drummer split. After the recent mending of fences between all parties it comes as no big surprise, but indeed a very welcome one, that it is dug out from the bin and finally put out.

Recorded during a run supporting Iron Maiden on their Final Frontier tour, the recording finds the band doing a rare short set clocking in at just under 50 minutes with only six songs with no true epics mixed in. Home is the longest track of the bunch at eleven minutes, and the band launches right into the heavier riffs skipping the moody intro of the original recording. The entire set consists of heavier songs from six different albums ranging from the classic Pull Me Under to the then-recent single A Rite of Passage from the at the time latest album Black Clouds and Silver Linings.

After some recent rather well produced entries the MSG show - which carries the credit "produced by John Petrucci and Mike Portnoy for JaM Progductions" further lending credence to the theory that the release was ready to go all those years ago - is a bit more bootleggy affair. The sound is fairly ok in quality, but wildly uneven in volume levels. The vocals are particularly loud and the echo of the arena is gigantic, and amusingly during the Petrucci solo in A Rite of Passage the loudest instrument is the one note backing line of Jordan Rudess' keyboards. Speaking of Rudess, listeners that find his Continuum freakouts offputting should approach with caution, as his solo in the same song is also very very much at the forefront.

Less than slick production aside, the performance is very fine from all members. LaBrie is in good form and, in contrast to the stiffer live habits of the Mangini era, the presence of Portnoy brings some nice looseness in drum arrangements, but also some pretty annoying and pointless mid-song hollers. But it's understandable if he was a bit over-excited as after the set closer he thanks the audience mentioning that the band was formed 25 years ago across the city dreaming of playing this perhaps the most iconic indoor venue in the world.

Live at Madison Square Garden is a very welcome addition to the Dream Theater live canon, and hopefully just the first foray into the Portnoy era recordings that were left in the vaults when the original series went cold.

lukretion UK neo-proggers Arena have been around for nearly three decades now, guided by founding members Clive Nolan (keyboards) and ex-Marillion Mick Pointer (drums). The line-up soon coalesced around the two musicians as well as guitarist John Mitchell, and the trio together wrote and recorded most of the 10 full-length albums that currently form the band’s discography. The line-up on their latest LP, The Theory of Molecular Inheritance, is completed by bassist Kylan Amos (now at his third album with the band) and singer Damian Wilson (ex-Threshold, Headspace, Ayreon), who joins Arena for the first time here.

The curiosity for Damian’s debut was high among fans of the band as well as the broader progressive rock/metal community, who recognizes in Damian Wilson one of the most significant voices in the genre. Unsurprisingly, the singer steals the scene here with a stellar performance that is worthy of all the accolades he has received over the years. Switching with ease between powerful, high-pitch belting and mellow singing, Damian is a perfect fit for Arena’s eclectic sound. The Brits have always balanced their neo-prog roots with a penchant for heavier and more metallic atmospheres, at time even close to the classic Iron Maiden sound. The new album is no exception, as it alternates softer melodic moments with heavier sections, which at times even approach the stylings of modern prog metal acts like Haken (“Twenty-One Grams”). Elsewhere, Arena usher in subtle hard-rock/AOR influences, like on the chorus of “Pure of Heart” or in the gloriously melodic coda of “Life Goes On”. The end result is a satisfyingly varied collection of songs that navigates a vast universe of prog-adjacent styles with taste and class.

Surprisingly given their considerable duration, the 11 songs of this LP are fairly compact and chorus-centric, favouring a streamlined form with repeated verse/chorus sequences rather than more elaborated and extravagant structures. The arrangements tend to vary over the duration of a song, although many tracks share a common template in the alternation between soft, sparsely arranged verses and heavier, fuller choruses. After a while, this approach becomes slightly repetitive, which is why a song like “Field of Sinners”, with its upbeat tempo and weird James Bond movie soundtrack vibes, feels so fresh and welcome. Arguably, more injections of diversity in the songwriting and arrangements would have done good to this record, which at over 60 minutes of length tends to plod ever so slightly as it enters the second half.

Despite these misgivings, I’d lie if I said that I have not been spinning The Theory of Molecular Inheritance madly since I got hold of the CD. With its utterly addictive melodies, this is one of those albums that naturally call for repeated listens, not only as a way to fully appreciate its content, but also for the pure pleasure of listening over and over again to a great set of tunes, performed excellently and sung by a phenomenal frontman.

[Originally written for The Metal Observer]

siLLy puPPy A true San Francisco original, HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE you never know what you’re gonna get with a new album as musical steelworkers forest molten metal into various shapes and forms. One thing is for sure and that is that each album sounds a bit familiar yet rather distinct and the party never seems to end as this musical project has been around for more than a quarter of a century if you count the days as Unholy Cadaver that is. Essentially the brainchild of guitarist / vocalist John Cobbett of Slough Feg, Ludicra and VHOL, this band has been hammering out exquisitely original metal since it’s blackened folk metal debut “The Bastard: A Tale Told In Three Acts” all the way back in 2001.

A true juggling act of eclecticism, HAMMERS has sallied forth onto the metal battlefield with an arsenal of sound effects and stylistic creativity. Ranging from trad NWOBHM and psych fueled hard rock of the 70s to blackened folk metal and technical thrash, this band and its rotating cast of characters never ceases to amaze with a new spin on its rather distinctly brash yet melodic ambit of colorful cleverness. Just when fans thought the band was down and out and devoid of any life, along comes OVERTAKER, the seventh release a mere six years after “Dead Revolution” took the band into a more energetic direction with technical thrash metal bombast as the canvass to paint upon.

Always one to take the path least tread, Cobbett continues down he path of “Dead Revolution” into the hybridizing orgy of technical thrash metal with an unholy threesome of progressive rock and psychedelia. Gone are the airy folk elements of yore and in are damaging stampedes of decibelage and uncompromising speed metal leanings bringing a bit of 80s excess to the world of creative complexity. Psychedelic thrash metal hasn’t exactly been a huge thing but that’s exactly where HAMMERS takes the deep plunge with OVERTAKER. Wasting no time getting to the point, the title track openings with a thunderous roar with galloping guitar riffs pummeling the senses like a war of the gods replete with chariots of fire lambasting the serene placidity of contentment leaving all but the adventurous listener along for the wild ride.

In many ways this album is like a family reunion of sort. Ex-bassist / vocalist Jamie Myers (now of Sabbath Assembly) is back and sounding like a she-demon exhaling flames of passion as she shreds her vox box as if she’s exorcising demonic forces. So too does former guitarist Mike Scalzi also of Slough Feg join in for a couple vocal performances. Other than keyboard wizard Sigrid Sheie, this rendition of HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE is a completely new beast with none other than drummer Blake Anderson and bassist Frank Chin from the tech thrash powerhouse band Vektor. No wonder this album is an Earth-scorcher. Ironically the keys point to classic Deep Purple which makes this sound like Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord have had their consciousness downloaded into more youthful thrash metal devotees. A strange yet satisfying mix indeed.

This album proceeds at a breakneck pace thrashing and flailing about like a wounded dragon spitting fire storms. There are fleeting moments of psychedelic dominance however. You know, nice little rest stops during a dreaded battle between forces. “Don’t Follow The Lights” offers an intro and outro of downtime as well as some trippy key action in the middle. Since prog rock is a key element into the entire HAMMERS playbook, of course off-kilter time signature freakouts punctuate the thrashy insouciance that only unrelents for the occasional neoclassical gymnastics or metal exit stage-lefting. Add some mellotrons and Hammond B3 and you have a recipe for the most bizarrely performed thrash metal album since well, i guess ever! Almost like a clash of the titans moment here. Thrash metal, prog rock, psychedelia, female vocal classic rock. Better than i was hoping for! HAMMER on, people!

siLLy puPPy While it may have been assumed that PORCUPINE TREE called it quits after the lackluster response to their 2009 album “The Incident” and the robust solo career of Steven Wilson (and other projects) that launched soon thereafter, it was indeed the case that Wilson, Gavin Harrison and Richard Barbieri had been planning the next chapter of PORCUPINE TREE all along only kept the project under lock and key leaving the fans to wonder if such a thing would ever materialize. Everyone had to wait until 2022 some 13 years later but finally it has become a reality that PT has indeed decided to carry on by releasing the band’s 11th studio album with the rather clumsy title CLOSURE / CONTINUATION.

Unfortunately bassist Colin Edwin didn’t participate in this reunion so the band carried on as a trio with Wilson picking up the bass part as well as handing guitars, vocals, mixing and role as band leader. Despite Wilson projecting his new dedication to his solo career, Blackfield, No-Man, Bass Communion, God and Storm Corrosion (does the guy ever sleep?), PORCUPINE TREE had been working behind the scenes on this album for the last decade whenever everyone had a free moment. The results of all this behind the scenes resulted in a rather standard PORCUPINE TREE affair that sounds as if the band never went away and that the ensuing 13 years were a mere two or three.

The band launched the single “Harridan” early as far back as December 2021 and whetted the appetite for rapid PT fans in hopes of another “In Absentia,” “Deadwing” or “Fear of a Blank Planet.” The hype was heavy but when the album finally was released in June 2022 the enthusiasm sort of fizzled out with complaints about the lack of growth that was deemed necessary to launch PT into the next chapter and well let’s face it, the fact CLOSURE / CONTINUATION sounds more like the solo material of Wilson than PT at their peak. The album features the typical rockers and ballads all in atmospheric space prog form however the crossover metal aspects of the band’s early 2000’s have been tamped down considerably and replaced by some of the electronic wizardry of Wilson’s solo efforts.

“Harridan” was an excellent teaser single with jittery firm bass groove that offers everything a PORCUPINE TREE fan could hope for. Lengthy prog workouts that revolve around Wilson’s subdued vocal style accompanied by just enough rock heft to craft the proper contrast, the song featured strong hooks and was instantly likable with only the occasional complaints of overtly too complex for its own good keeping it from greatness. Actually it was those very complexities that made it more attractive as PT has been decidedly and often too accessible for its own good at least for the tastes of true prog stalwarts who love the entire arsenal of proggy tricks and trinkets to be implemented. The fans would have to sample a series of singles before the actual release with “Of The New Day” and “Herd Culling” pacifying the fans before the actual album hit the scene.

CLOSURE / CONTINUATION features seven tracks with the deluxe edition featuring three extra. In all honesty i can see why many feel let down by this album as it sounds like business as usual without any significant developments in the band’s overall sound. The extra layers of complexity make it a bit more alienating and more difficult to get into upon first listen unlike past glories. The hype raised expectations and the album sort of hums along just like any old PT album of the 21st century. The usual suspects of mopey ambient drenched slow parts followed by heavier rocking upbeat moments is by now the PT playbook. There just aren’t enough surprises or magic moments to be found on this one but at the same time this one is much more engaging than the nadir of the band’s career “The Incident.”

I think it’s agreed that CLOSURE / CONTINUATION will probably not go down as anyone’s favorite PT album but after several attentive listens i’m actually quite enthralled with this album and its subtle intricacies. Perhaps it’s the sappiness of the second track “Of The New Day” that derails the momentum early on for many (as it did me at first) but beginning with “Rat’s Return” this album is successful in delivering ample doses of everything PT is known for and in good form. Certainly no instantly sing-along songs here with repetitive motifs but this is by no means as inaccessible as anything in the rock in opposition camp. This is simply PT stretching its boundaries and putting its feelers out as to ascertain a new path to forge in the 2020’s. Personally i’m loving this album even if i agree that it doesn’t live up to the hype or compare with the greatest albums of the past. After all even a weaker PT album is light years ahead of what many lesser bands can conjure up. BTW the three bonus tracks are excellent and actually better than some of the material on the official album.

siLLy puPPy Celebrating almost four decades as a band, BLIND GUARDIAN has been one of the metal universe’s most celebrated progressively tinged power metal bands with an amazing consistency of top notch innovation. The band has been quiet for quite a few years however with 2015’s “Beyond The Red Mirror” serving as the last metal based album. The band surprised its fanbase in 2019 with the non-metal cinematic orchestral classical release “Legacy of the Dark Lands” leaving fans to ponder the next step in the band’s ever-increasing move into the world of classical music.

Well fears of Hansi Kürsch steering the band into the world of musical soundtracks have been put to rest with the band’s 13th album THE GOD MACHINE which finds the band once again releasing its inner beast and cranking out the symphonic power metal that made the band famous in the 1990s. This fine return to form also finds newbie bassist Johan van Stratum joining the team for a satisfying assault of the senses in pure adrenaline fueled top of the line power metal. Comparisons to the band’s 90s albums ranging from “Tales From The Twilight World” to “Imaginations From The Other Side” are fairly accurate as the band has jettisoned the overly progressive complexities for a more straight forward head banging approach.

In other words it’s back to the basics for BLIND GUARDIAN but with top notch songwriting and stellar vocal and musical performances, it has been easy to forget what amazing power metal powerhouses the guys in this band have been and with all excesses trimmed down to more hard-hitting directness, BLIND GUARDIAN has delivered an excellent set of nine tracks reminiscent of the 90s run only improved upon in many ways including a stellar modern production job and a reminder that these guys haven’t lost all that music magic that made them the superstars they are.

THE GOD MACHINE basically delivers two styles. First there are the thrash fueled power metal tracks that blow the roof off the house including the opening “Deliver Us From Evil,” “Violent Shadows” and the soul-crushing “Blood Of The Elves.” Of course BLIND GUARDIAN has also been adept at crafting slower harmony led track and in this case excels with the mid-tempo rocker “Life Beyond The Spheres” and “Let It Be No More.” The pacing of the album is well balanced and the dramatic intros that lead up to the power metal fury is all crafted into a perfect blend of modern vs old school power metal splendor.

Like many such retreats into past glories, THE GOD MACHINE certainly garners the criticism that the band is simply retreading that which it has done before and in that regard all is certainly true but when a band is fueling all its fiery passion and delivers the goods so compellingly well then it is indeed a welcome return to the no frills approach that has been adapted to the modern world. While not the pinnacle of BLIND GUARDIAN’s discography in terms of originality, the quality of this album is absolutely astounding and for that reason i’m finding this to be quite a welcome return to form indeed although i must say that i have also been a fan of the band’s more experimental moments of the last decade.

All in all these metal veterans play with the zeal of their youth of several decades ago and do so without missing a beat. True that this style of power metal is predictable and by the books in pretty much every way but when performed so well by seasoned veterans sometimes it’s much preferable to eschew the progressive orchestral excesses for the sake of just rocking out. The band spent many years crafting the intricate melodies and the time spent paying attention to the details has more than paid off.

siLLy puPPy Proof that experimental extreme metal is the new prog of the 21st century, the London based QRIXKUOR has taken the underworld by storm in recent years with a series of innovative monstrous releases that continue to push the bar in terms of both complexity and innovation. Following last year’s “Poison Palinopsia,” this mere duo of S (vocals, guitars, bass) and D (drums) is back with a larger than life single track experience titled ZOETROPE.

While the EP is titled ZOETROPE, the single track features a lengthier syllabic soup of “Zoetrope (Psychospiritual Sparagmos)” and clocks in at just under 25 minutes. This vicious beast of a musical experience was released by both Invictus Productions and Dark Descent Records. The word ZOETROPE refers to a Victorian mechanical device that produces the illusion of animation by peeking through a hole of a cylindrical version of a phenakistiscope while various images rush by.

While tagged as technical death metal, black metal or progressive metal, QRIXKUOR is what i have come to refer to as astral abyss metal as band lead S seems to have the power to summon sonic demons from parallel dimensions and despite the pummeling military drumming assaults and droning guitar feedback fuzz utilizes symphonic 20th century classical ambience in order to craft a hypnotic effect that allows the listener to simply go along for the ride in a pacified pummeled state if you will.

QRIXKUOR is part of a new metal world where the extremes of worlds of death metal, black metal and doom metal have been alchemized into a new uglier Frankenstein of sonic terror that features an underpinning of divine beauty behind the decibel swarms of dissonant distortion. While only a mere track, ZOETROPE delivers a full album experience with a tone setting opening that slowly morphs droning guitars and swirling ambience into a ferocious assault of blackened death metal orotundity.

The track evolves into a complex array of extreme metal pummeling over 20th century avant-garde classical music compositional fortitude and at times when the symphonic elements are firing on all pistons does remind a bit of symphonic death metal bands such as Fleshgod Apocalypse or even Septicflesh. The difference is that QRIXKUOR doesn’t deliver short and catchy melodic compositions but rather glacial movements of ever-changing musical motifs that subtly ratchet up the tortuous tale like the animated device of the release’s namesake.

The metal angst completely drops out half way through and the classical elements are allowed to dominate the show for a while. This allows some palette cleansing and offers an insight into the true underpinnings of QRIXKUOR’s overarching plan of action which would be to display a classical music score completely decorated with extreme metal clothing. More modern metal bands have adopted this same approach with bands like Ad Nauseam, Abyssal, Coma Cluster Void and Ulcerate upping the complexity and inaccessibility factor of the metal universe with each subsequent release.

All in all ZOETROPE is a masterpiece of modern metal with an organic flow of violent noise channeled into patterns of sound that somehow emulate an episode of astral attacks from the demonic realm. Horror metal in the metaphysical world, the stuff that would give sorcerer’s psychological scars with never-ending nightmares for eternity. QRIXKUOR proves with ZOETROPE that his is no flash in the pan sort of musical act. The consistent growth and maturity continues to propel metal into the realms of the most sophisticated world of classical and progressive arenas of the musical world. To my ears, ZOETROPE is sheer perfection on multiple levels. QRIXKUOR has quickly become one of my favorite extreme bands of recent years.

siLLy puPPy After a tidal wave of live Pikes, BUCKETHEAD has finally returned releasing a torrent of substandard studio Pikes with the occasional gem to be found. One problem these days is that the gems seem to have ceased while the lame crap continues to flow like a broken spigot.

Just in time for Christmas, BUCKETHEAD has released a nauseating coal-in-the-stocking crapbomb of a Pike for its 400th edition titled DECORATING. Just when you think this guy can’t deliver something more nauseating than before, he continuously surprises.

DECORATING is basically a continuous 30-minute recycled loop of clean guitar. It’s like a torture device for interrogation purposes during war time P.O.W. intelligence extraction. There have been many awful Pikes but i do believe this is the most awful of all.

I’ve grown tired of BH’s never-ending stream of mediocrity and downright rubbish as even the more adventurous cool prog metal Pikes have become nothing more than recycled been-there, done-that affairs.

This one is so bad i would truly consider this to be on the playlist of hell. I would give this ZERO stars if possible so i’ll have to give it as few as possible in zero’s stead. The only thing worth DECORATING with this lump of caca is the trash can.

BH seems to think this is amusing? Seems like his legend is being replaced by an image of irrelevance since even the cream of the crop lately is rather ho hum compared to the legion of new music on the scene. No wonder that few if any have bothered even giving a single rating to the wasteland of live Pikes but these newer studio Pikes are even worse.

ZERO stars but i guess 1/2 will have to do

UMUR "Corpsegrinder" is the eponymously titled debut full-length studio album by US death metal artist Corpsegrinder. The album was released through Perseverance Media Group in February 2022. Corpsegrinder is the solo project of Cannibal Corpse frontman George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher. Fisher was actually involved in a death metal act called Corpsegrinder while he was living in Baltimore, Maryland. The band dissolved after Fisher moved to Florida in 1990 to join Monstrosity.

It happens that death metal musicians participate in various side-projects and supergroups, but it´s not that often they release solo albums. Fisher is of course in a league of his own, being the frontman of the most successful death metal band in the last 27 years, and it makes sense that he would be the one to release a solo album. He is helped here by the Bellmore brothers (Charlie and Nick) on guitars/bass and drums respectively. Both are associated with artists like Dee Snider, Phantoms, and Kingdom of Sorrow. Nick Bellmore and Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed, Kingdom of Sorrow) are credited for producing and helping out with the songwriting. In the case of Bellmore he is also credited for recording, mixing, and mastering the album.

Stylistically Fisher doesn´t stray too far from the path of Cannibal Corpse in terms of the material on this debut album being US death metal. Technically well played, brutal, and delivered with a punch. The tracks are maybe a bit more straight forward and not nearly as technical as some of the output of his main act, but other than that, this is pretty much what you´d expect to hear, after learning that Fisher made a death metal solo album. The 10 tracks on the 31:03 minutes long album are all well written effective death metal tunes and Fisher´s voice and vocal style are unmistakable (predominantly deep growling spiced up with the occasional high pitched scream). This is the work of a true professional.

What you don´t get here are any surprises. Sure this doesn´t sound 1 to 1 like Cannibal Corpse, and that´s always something, but if you ask me, it would have been nice to hear Fisher venture into more unknown territories, to challenge himself and his audience. But if you want another well produced, well written, and well performed US death metal release to add to your collection, you could do far worse than invest in this album. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

voila_la_scorie I hadn't bought any Anvil albums since Metal on Metal and Forged in Fire, and aside from these two, I had no idea of what the band had been doing all these years until that movie about them came out. I thought about buying a newer Anvil album at the time, but it never became a priority until this year when I heard there was another new album coming out. After a few months, I finally got it.

After ordering it, I checked a review on Angry Metal Guy that said it was a bit better than their last few albums. Anvil are known for being one of those bands that stick with one formula and every album adheres to it. Anvil are a core old school metal band, and all of their albums don't deviate except where some albums might feature more speed metal and others might have more connection to metal's hard rock and blues-based roots. As one reviewer on Rate Your Music said, all the albums are pretty much the same, so comparisons will mostly be about production value and song-writing.

I was pleasantly surprised. No, there was nothing unexpected, but right from the get go I noticed the excellent sound quality. Metal albums can suffer various production problems such as dense or muddy sound quality, lackluster drum or vocal recording quality, tinny guitar sounds, or overly compressed sound. This album is very rich and clean with all instruments clear in the mix. The bass might seem in the background a bit, but if you listen for it, it's right in there providing the weight for the guitar riffs and adding some accent points here and there.

The songs are mostly quite fun (the "Lockdown" song about COVID-19 runs dry because of the theme, I find), and there are a few tracks that perk up my ears with each listen such as "Ghost Shadow" and "Gunfight". Lips sounds very gruff and tough. His vocals aren't a winner for everyone, and I've read a few criticisms about them on older albums. But for me, he does a fine job for the music on this album. Actually, I find it impressive knowing the age of both Lips and Rob because this album is full of energy!

I have since picked up a few older albums and I can say that Impact Is Imminent is not as intense as some, e.g. Plugged In Permanent. But as an album with which to become reacquainted with Anvil, I think it's certainly good enough. Rather than a tepid response, I am inspired to hear more, so that's a plus sign.

Reviews of this album generally fall between the Angry Metal Guy view of not a great album, no reinventing of the wheel, but at least somewhat interesting to a rather impressive piece of work for a band's 19th studio release.

I watched a podcast interview with Lips and Rob and Sacha Gervasi, who made the Anvil movie, and I learned that the two instrumental tracks on the album, "Teabag" and "Gomez" are both nicknames for Sacha. When he was fifteen, Sacha got himself invited to work as a drum tech for Anvil for three weeks during his summer holiday, and being English, he was given the nickname. Later on he earned the nickname "Gomez" when he announced that he had the best train set in Hollywood, and Lips and Rob said he was like Gomez Adams.

Impact Is Imminent might not exactly be a must have album for everyone, but Anvil fans shouldn't miss it and for those who has a casual acquaintance with the band's music should at least check it out.

Pekka As a somewhat serious Dream Theater fan who lacked the funds to buy the original Official Bootlegs back when they came out and subsequently got burned by UNofficial versions multiple times when trying to hunt them down at Discogs.com, I greeted the news of the re-issue program Lost Not Forgotten Archives with glee. In addition to the Portnoy-issued releases the new series was to include brand new recordings from the Mangini era as well.

Recorded during Dream Theater's first visit to the iconic Wacken Open Air festival at the tail end of their 30th Anniversary Tour, the band does a chronological set starting from their first album and ending with the then-last one. As this is indeed a festival show with a shorter time slot than their usual headline events some songs have been dropped from the list, but what is left is a reasonably solid mix ranging from early deep cut Afterlife to some of their most enduring tracks like Metropolis pt. 1 and The Spirit Carries on.

Dream Theater being Dream Theater you know what you're getting from the instrumentalists, and thus any live album lives and dies by James LaBrie's vocal performance. What I really appreciate with these official bootlegs is that while the recent "properly" released Distant Memories live box set was noticeably auto-tuned, this series has always presented an honest picture of what went on any particular night. And in Wacken LaBrie was not having his strongest performance, to put it nicely. As has been the habit for many a show the last decade or so, he does fine when the going is mellow, but when in need of power and range it goes sideways. Bellowing somewhere around the correct notes his pronunciation of the lyrics is often cursory at best.

In addition to the general air of Inside Out half-assing the whole project compared to the lovingly put together originals, there have been a couple of inexplicable decisions made, and on this particular release I can't for the life of me think of a good reason why they left out the final track Behind the Veil. It's not space constraints since it would have fit just fine on any of the formats and it's not a LaBrie issue since there are some way more brutal moments on earlier songs. This would have been the first official live recording of that song, but for some reason they just didn't want to do it.

I'm hoping they have in their vaults a headline show from earlier on the tour with the complete setlist and a less strained vocalist. As it stands Live at Wacken is a nice addition to the series but nothing worth returning to very often.

Tupan Few metal styles captures the zeitgeist like the "punkish" ones. It's way more common to hear thrash metal, crossover and grindcore talking about about social and political issues than, let's say, power metal or death metal; a punk rock legacy that survives not only the music but in the lyrics too.

This is the case in the most recent album of Ratos de Porão. The legendary brazilian band blends the aforementioned genres to protest against the chaos created by the neo-fascism inspired government of Jair Bolsonaro. Every song deals about an aspect of Bolsonaro's administration: the scientific negationism, the corruption, the economic crisis, the environment destruction (which increased abnormally during these last four years) and the monstrous health crisis, that made the pandemic kill way more people than expected in such scenario under any other president.

So, as expected, this is a furious album, even more violent than the most recent releases of the Ratos. And it's glorious, recommendded to any grind/thrash fan out there. I only lament that the lyrical content feels so close to home for me... Anyways, I hope anyone has fun with this short but fierce release!

UMUR "Nightmare Frontier" is an EP release by US, Los Angeles, California based death metal act Abysmal Dawn. The EP was released through Season of Mist in February 2022. It´s the successor to the band´s fifth full-length studio album "Phylogenesis" from April 2020. The quartet lineup who recorded "Phylogenesis" (2020) is intact on "Nightmare Frontier".

"Nightmare Frontier" features four tracks and a total playing time of 19:18 minutes. "A Nightmare Slain" is a new original composition, "Blacken the Sky" is a re-recording of the track which initially appeared on the band´s 2004 demo and subsequently on their 2006 debut full-length studio album "From Ashes". The two remaining tracks are cover songs of In Flames and Candlemass. The two original compositions are in the trademark Abysmal Dawn technically well played US death metal style, so there´s little new there. "Behind Space" (the In Flames cover) is decent but nothing special, but "Bewitched" (the Candlemass cover) is a bit more remarkable. Not that it gives the original a run for the money...but because lead vocalist/guitarist Charles Elliott, who normally only performs death metal growling, has suddenly turned into Messiah Marcolin, and sings clean vocals which is an almost one to one imitation of the Swedish singer. Abysmal Dawn´s cover of "Bewitched" was previously released as a flexi disc single in June 2020 and came free with the New Noise Issue 52 magazine.

So upon conclusion "Nightmare Frontier" features two familiar sounding death metal tracks, one decent but not remarkable In Flames cover, and an interesting but not exceptional Candlemass cover. The whole thing is packed in a powerful, detailed and well sounding production, so a 3.5 star (70%) rating isn´t all wrong.