The German power metal titans are back with their tenth studio album (if we include last year’s compilation album). We’ve covered the band’s last two albums now and are clearly pretty big fans of the band, having given both of them 7.5/10! Will this be the album to finally buck that trend? Let’s take a dive and find out!
Opening the album with the sort of bang that only Powerwolf could, ‘Bless ‘em with the Blade’ is a straight-to-the-point, catchy, quick anthem. From the relentless drums, awesome riffing and powerful vocals, it will be an immediate fan favourite, both live and on track. It’s a damn fun track and the perfect way to start off the album!
‘Sinners of the Seven Seas’ continues on the same energy, adding a touch more of a folk feel to the existing power metal. A fun riff leads to the same infectiously catchy melody being used for the chorus vocals, and it’s honestly one of the best choruses I think the band have ever done. It was the perfect choice for a single track, and is a massive highlight of the album. We even get a great, cheeky little guitar solo tucked away in the middle, and the bridge after it is pretty great too. This album is off to an awesome start!
Tracks like ‘Kyrie Kiltorem’ and the massive single ‘1589’ are more epic, standard Powerwolf tracks, while ‘Heretic Hunters’ once again blends in more of the folk sound and inspiration. All of them have everything you’d expect from the band, from the catchy choruses to the heavy instrumentation.
Honestly, the same could be said for the vast majority of the album. I do love this band, but I still feel like I struggle to get through an album fully in one listen, and this one is much of the same. Every track is amazing, and Attila Dorn has one of the best voices in the genre, as well as an incredible ear for writing catchy hooks and melodies. But fuck man, throw me something different across the last three 40+ minute long albums, please. Even a ballad; I feel like this band would KILL an epic ballad! The closest we get is the closing track, ‘Vargamor’, and even that builds into similar stuff after the first verse.
Overall: There are plenty individual highlight tracks, from both singles to ‘Heretic Hunters’, but as an album as a whole it’s a slog. I completely get that the band are hugely popular and are still growing more by each passing release, but even a slight risk here and there wouldn’t go amiss, especially now that we’re into double digits of similar albums across the last two decades. If you like the band or the genre, you’ll surely love this, as do I, but I just kinda feel like Powerwolf are capable of more at this point, and they are starting to get just a touch stale with their studio work.
A pretty stacked week of new music this week, featuring everything from massive country stars to smaller, heavy bands. Let’s dive in, shall we?
Willie Nelson: The Border
The country legend himself put out yet another album this last Friday, marking his first of the year and whopping seventh in this decade already. Somehow, this is the first we have managed to cover here at Overtone. I’ve always been a fan, it’s WILLIE FUCKING NELSON for Christ stakes, and honestly, this album is another pretty great entry into his extensive discography. It’s traditional country at its very best, and it’s insane that a man in his 90s still has this consistently good an output. Tracks like ‘What if I’m Out of my Mind’, ‘Many a Long and Lonesome Highway’ and ‘How Much does it Cost’ are all big highlights. However, there isn’t a bad song on the album. It’s just a fun, relaxing listen from a true idol in the industry. It doesn’t do anything daring or reinvent the wheel, but it’s a safe album from someone who could have easily hung up their boots over two decades ago. I enjoyed the hell out of it, and it gets an easy 7.5/10 from me!
Shaboozey: Where I’ve Been, Isn’t WhereI’m Going
Bad grammar in the album title aside, this is a pretty highly anticipated album with a lot of hype around it. His rendition of ‘Tipsy’ has been everywhere, and for good reason! It’s the only song I’ve heard off the album though, so I’m excited to hear if the rest is just as good!
It’s certainly a good blend of hip-hop and country, blending the styles together pretty perfectly and sounding pretty fresh and modern. It almost feels like the continuation of ‘Old Town Road’ that we sadly never got from Naz. Tracks like ‘Last of my Kind’ and ‘Highway’ have real epic sound to them, incorporating more Americana to the sound than anything else. The production also does the tracks wonders, sounding as massive (and pretty similar to) some of Imagine Dragons’ hits.
Don’t get me wrong, some of it is a bit too pop for me. It’s a good album overall and to listen through, but there are definitely some songs I wouldn’t listen to on their own. He was the perfect fit for Beyoncé’s ‘country’ album, for sure, and he and Cam were certainly the highlights of that otherwise dire release. This is better than that for sure, but I am slightly worried this is going to be what popular country is going forward. Because it’s certainly pretty loosely associated with the genre in terms of sound. Hopefully it can exist alongside the neo-traditional and more rock influenced stuff and we get it all at the top.
But yeah, overall, it’s a damn good album. It will do extremely well with mainstream audiences, and I think in that regard it lives up to the hype. He’s going to be a massive name sooner rather than later, and this third album of his will be a big factor in it! 7/10
The Hope Conspiracy: Tools of Oppression/Rule by Deception
The hardcore punk band are back with their first full-length release in 14 years. The band filled the gap with a couple of EPs in the middle, but even still, that’s one hell of a stretch between new music. The band still have it too, which makes it even crazier. The hardcore sound isn’t particularly my sort of thing, but the band do it excellently here and it’s hard not to get into some of it. Tracks like ‘The Profits and Doom’ and ‘Of a Dying Nation’ are major highlights for me. However, it’s a well put together album that flows pretty perfectly between the tracks. If you’re into the style, or just generally feel in an angry, break-stuff mood, I’d definitely recommend giving it a spin! 6.5/10
Crowded House: Gravity Stairs
This is a great blend of Bowie and Dire Straits; and the perfect album to throw on to relax to or have on in the background. The Australian pop/alt rock band have been back together since 2019, this being their second release in this stint. It’s an old-school sound that feels pretty nostalgic to the time in the 80s when they were formed. It’s hard to hate it as it’s an album that feels like it’s just written to make you smile and feel better, despite half of the lyrical content. Songs like ‘Teenage Summer’ and ‘Some Greater Plan’ showcase exactly what I’m on about. As seems to be the case this week, it’s not fully my sort of thing, but it’s a great 40-minute collection of soft-rock that doesn’t overstay its welcome and both has highlights as well as working well as a whole. The band have knocked it out of the park with this release, and it makes me just wanna get stoned to it. 7/10
Rhapsody of Fire: Challenge the Wind
The Italian melodic, symphonic metal band returned with their 14th studio album this last Friday. The follow-up to 2021’s epic Glory for Salvation, the four singles released beforehand are already excellent. Therefore, I cannot wait to check out the full release!
It’s another fantastic release from the insanely talented band. Right from the epic opener/title track, through other highlights ‘The Bloody Pariah’, ‘Vanquished by Shadows’ and ‘Black Wizard’, to the closing notes of the amazing ‘Mastered by the Dark’, this is a fantastic journey through and through. Every member of the band is so insanely talented, and have produced such a well rounded, enjoyable collection of epic tracks that there really isn’t a bad one on it. It really feels like the apex of the power/heavy metal crossover sound, and a real career highlight release for sure. Everything about this is awesome, and if you’re into metal at all I cannot recommend it enough! I’mma be jamming this a lot moving forward, and I can’t pick a single fault. I’m already had it on three times over the weekend and it just keeps getting better and better. I can’t not, it has to get a 10/10 from me. Wow!
Swamp Dogg: Bluegrass: from West Virginia to 125th St
This was just big, dumb Bluegrass/country-soul fun, and I loved it. It’s rare I get the chance to check any of the genre out here, and though I tend to prefer it a lot more live, this was a great listen. Don’t get me wrong, there is some good more serious/emotional stuff too, like ‘Have a Good Time’ or ‘Song to Sing’. But then you have stuff like the awesome, Margo Price-featuring ‘To The Other Woman’ or ‘Ugly Man’s Wife’ or ‘Your Best Friend’ are light-hearted fun, and huge highlights.
It’s easy to discount his skill and talent with it being an old-fashioned style, but Swamp Dogg is an amazing player, vocalist and writer. His lyrics are captivating, no matter the topic, his playing is amazing and his vocals still hold up five plus decades into his career. I love the 50s-doowop-style call-and-response vocals throughout too, making it even more fun. This went by in a flash and didn’t at all feel like over 40-minutes of music. I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to, and will definitely be listening again in the coming weeks and months. He has such incredible talent, and for all of that, it’s an easy 7.5/10 from me!
Saving Vice: Good Days, Dead Eyes
This is very much a tale of two halves, for me. And, while it’s not a complete half-and-half split, I did find the second half of the album far superior. The band draw a lot of different sounds together, building on their baseline of metalcore with both Ice Nine Kills’ death leanings and Bad Omens’ baddiecore, with a healthy dose of Skillet and Linkin Park mixed in too. I much prefer the former. The heavier tracks like ‘Haec Est Ars Moriendi’, ‘Blood or Wine?’, ‘The Cabel’ and ‘Trauma Sousa’ are all amazing. The screams, heavy riffs and breakdowns are incredible, and they still add some catchy clean vocal hooks in too. And it’s not even just the heavy tracks I like, as the closer and title track are also great.
However, the other half of the album didn’t quite grip me as much as this. It’s not bad, don’t get me wrong, but songs like the opener and ‘Cry, Wolf’ felt decidedly meh, and like a completely different band to the other aforementioned tracks. I don’t think they ruin the other songs all that much, but damn, if they were all like ‘Trauma’ or ‘Haec’, it may have ended up with top marks. It’s a solid metalcore album that I’m sure will have massive wide-scale appeal, and deserves to push the band to massive heights. But for me personally, there are a handful of tracks that I can take or leave. Still it’s an easy 8/10
Wormwood: The Star
The Swedish black metal-ish band are back with their first album in three years. It’s got some great production on it, which is always a nice surprise with black metal. The melodic side of the band shines through heavily in the album too, making it all sound and feel even more epic. The dynamics of tracks like the opener and ‘Thousand Doorless Rooms’ are awesome too, being proggy awesomeness of both heavy and dropped-down, more atmospheric parts. They also go back to their black’n’roll roots on tracks like ‘Liminal’, which was pretty awesome. However, y’all know my feelings on black metal by now. For black metal it’s pretty great, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to it. However, if it came on again I certainly wouldn’t turn it off. If you’re into black metal, I would certainly recommend it. It gets an easy 6.5/10 from me!
East of Reno: Self-Titled
This seemed to start out its life as an EP, but the band have since changed their minds, bumped it up to eight tracks and made it a full debut album. However, regardless, the UK based Americana band have knocked it out of the park with their debut full-length release. It’s a chilled out, well written, and surprisingly heavily emotional eight tracks. And it’s also so interesting hearing a British take on the genre, it feeling like a combination of Americana with Dire Straits. Tracks like ‘Break the Pattern’ also have a certain great Bowie edge to them. Said track is a big highlight of the EP, as are ‘Brothers’ and the beautiful ‘Night of Nothing’.
The band’s PR team really put it perfectly. “It’s a record that gives a voice to the loneliness of any of us sat solo at the bar, or walking through the wilderness, not sure of what we’ll find when we get to wherever the hell it is we’re going to”. It’s a really good listen from front to back, regardless of whether it’s 100% your sort of thing or not. I really enjoyed it, and will certainly be listening to at least a couple of the tracks again a fair bit in the near future. It’s an easy 7.5/10 from us!
Kameron Marlowe: Keepin’ The Lights On
The sophomore album of the country-rock superstar picks up right where his debut left off a couple of years ago. ‘911’ is the perfect opener; a high energy, foot stomping track that’s a big highlight. Other rocking tracks include ‘Lock Me Up’. Then you have slightly slower, darker, epic songs like ‘Nothin’ Slowin’ us Down’ and ‘Tennessee Don’t Mind’ that are all also major highlights. And damn, the duet track with the amazing Ella Langley, ‘Strangers’, is phenomenal. And there’s the odd ballad track to break up all of those too. It’s a really well put together album that keeps things interesting and almost doesn’t feel nearly an hour long. In terms of country albums, it deals with its bloating a lot better than most.
Kameron has such a fantastic voice, it’s fits every style he plays and it’s easy to see why he’s gotten so big so quick. I hadn’t heard of him until I checked out the song he did with Megan Moroney on her album last year. Since then, I fell in love with his debut album, and this one is easily up there with that one, too. Sure, it gets a touch slow by the last few tracks and does drag just a little, but if you’re a country fan I’d highly recommend it! It’s an easy 8.5/10 from me!
A pretty stacked week of music to check out this week, from hardcore to country. Let’s dive in!
Knocked Loose: You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To
Knocked Loose are one of the most ‘in’ bands in metal currently. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, though, I just don’t get it. Hardcore punk has never been much of my sort of thing to begin with, and this is no exception. It’s wall of low, heavy noise throughout with very little outside of that aside a couple of dropped-down parts here and there, mainly designed to make the heavier bits even heavier. Don’t get me wrong, the riffing is great for its mainly unga-bunga style, and the real highlight is the breakdowns. Any time a riff comes back but slower, it almost convinces me that I like this band, it’s that good. Then Bryan’s vocals come in over the top and ruin it again. He has a very iconic style of scream that isn’t for me. It’s like nails on a chalkboard for the most part, especially when it’s over more ambient parts.
The big single off the album currently is ‘Suffocate’, featuring the amazing Poppy. It was certainly one of the better songs on the album, aside for Poppy trying the same scream style, but that breakdown… DAMN. I also found myself really enjoying the closing track, ‘Sit & Mourn’. It had more of an atmospheric black metal feel to it which I loved, it surprisingly fitting well with hardcore and arguably meshing with their sound perfectly. The biggest disappointment for me was ‘Slaughterhouse 2′. The original was one of my favourite tracks from Motionless’ last album, and was one of my favourite Bryan performances, almost winning me over to his vocals. This pales in comparison, and doesn’t feel similar in any way aside that it features both singers and that now-iconic breakdown callout again at the end.
Overall, it’s not a bad album. I can see the appeal to people, for sure. It’s heavy, angry music, and I’d imagine it’s AMAZING live. But, on track at least, it’s not for me. Outside of the couple of songs I’ve mentioned already, I’m in no hurry to listen to this album again. Then again, if it was on, I also wouldn’t turn it off, a lot of the time. It gets a solid 5/10 from us, not bad but not my thing.
Powerman 5000: Abandon Ship
The oft overlooked industrial/nu metal band returned with their first album since 2020 on Friday. It’s pretty much exactly what you’d expect from the band, be that good or bad. For some reason I was never the biggest fan of the band. This record didn’t change my mind, either. It’s a lot more industrial than nu metal this time round, almost having a gothic edge to it. But it’s still Powerman, and it all sounded pretty similar throughout. Plus, some of the lyrics were kinda Charlie Kelly, and not especially in a good way. Stuff like the opener or ‘Bloodsuckers’ are lyrically kinda cringy. At least the instruments are good though, if basic! There wasn’t much that stood out as ‘good’ on this album, just a lot of slightly-below-average. If you’re a fan of the band, you might like this, but it isn’t for me. 4/10
Kings of Leon: Can we Please Have Fun
The kings of US indie are back with a follow-up to 2021’s fun When You See Yourself. If you’re a fan of the band’s later work, you’ll like this, as it’s very much more of the same. I didn’t mind the last album, I remember reviewing it at my old place. It’s a good chill-out/background album. This is the same. It’s actually crazy that they are such a massive band, because they are objectively kinda boring. Gone are the days of them writing songs like ‘Sex on Fire’ or ‘Use Somebody’, their music these days being a lot more understated, stripped-back and less radio-friendly. They’ll sadly never seemingly write another Only by the Night. However, songs like ‘Nowhere to Run’ and ‘Don’t Stop the Bleeding’ are great, and would pop off even more on a more interesting album. Again, it’s not bad, it’s a fun listen, but to sit down and analyse instead of having on in the background, it was hard. Still, it’s an easy 5.5/10!
Scotty McCreery: Rise & Fall
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our review here!
Six Feet Under: Killing for Revenge
Now, I have been a pretty outspoken during my time at Overtone in my opinion that I did not like the Chris Barnes era of Cannibal Corpse. I’m of the opinion that the band massively improved when Corpsegrinder joined, and as such have never really gotten on with Chris’ band after CC, Six Feet Under. However, I am very much in the business here of being proven wrong, and am going into this album with a completely open mind, as always.
The riffing and drumming throughout the whole album is awesome, I’ll certainly give it that much. It’s traditional death metal done to perfection. And honestly, I’ve heard Chris’ vocals be a lot worse. At least the mixing on this was better than on some of their releases. But I still find it so hard to get too invested when I not only cannot tell what the hell he’s trying to say, but also feel very little emotion from the monotone wall of sound that is his growls. The album isn’t one I’d turn off if it came on again, but I also certainly wouldn’t go out of my way to find it out again. Old-school CC fans will probably find a lot to love here, and it’s probably the best Six Feet Under album I’ve checked out; I could actually make it through this one in one sitting. It’s still not really my sort of thing, though ‘Ascension’ was probably my favourite track. From a purely personal standpoint, 3.5/10
Sebastian Bach: Child Within the Man
So, outside of being in the running for one of the worst album artworks of the year, this is actually a pretty banging album. Given that it’s been a decade since the former Skid Row’s last solo album, and the fact that he’s become someone who loves to argue with other artists over Twitter in recent years, I was ready to write this album off pretty handily. However, I’ll be damned if it didn’t win me over in a pretty big way. The more I listened, the more I kept putting songs on my own playlist, finding it very hard to pick just a couple of highlight tracks.
The riffing is awesome throughout, and Seb’s vocals sound back on point for the first time in years. I know that may be some studio magic too, but it’s almost made me want to try and see him live again to see if he holds up to the track these days! It all feels like the perfect combination of Skid Row and Sixx A.M.. It’s heavy rock at its best and, like Mick Mars’ solo debut, fits really well among the new crop of awesome rock bands. Anyone who’s a fan of rock music should check this out, especially if you’re a fan of the 80s sleazy style he played back then. I love it, and will certainly be listening to it a bunch going forward. 8.5/10
Thank god, I feel like I’ve been real negative this week…
Unleash the Archers: Phantoma
The Canadian power metallers are back with their sixth album this week, and first since the end-times. I’ve been a fan of the band for years at this point, but this album kept going under my radar until it’s release. Safe to say, however, I’m excited to be checking it out!
It’s certainly in keeping with the band’s previous style they’ve developed, fitting in well with their back catalogue and feeling like the natural progression from Abyss. However, part of me kinda wished it was a touch heavier, like their older stuff. Don’t get me wrong, songs like ‘ph4/NT0mA’, the melodeath, scream-featuring ‘The Collective’ and the epic ‘Give it Up or Give it All’ are all awesome. And honestly, the more this album went on, the more I loved it. However, in this sort of style of power metal, I do think bands like Metalite and even, to a lesser extent, Dominum, have done it better over the last six months. It’s not a bad album at all, and if you’re a fan of the band or the genre there’s an awful lot to love here. I just think my power metal fatigue has hit me hard suddenly. Still, it’s a solid 8/10, I just hoped for slightly more heaviness at times!
Vhäldemar: Sanctuary of Death
The viking metallers returned with their seventh studio album last Thursday. The Nordic-themed power metal/NWOBHM is always a fun listen, as vaguely outdated as the style is these days. Everyone is clearly talented and has worked their ass off throughout the album to make it a great release. However, in a year and musical scene that is really pushing the boundaries (we just had ‘Ronald’ released, for example), it’s hard to get too into this. Still, songs like ‘Dreambreaker’, the title track and ‘Forevermore’ are awesome and massive highlights of the album. It will certainly appeal to people who love the genre, but I don’t know, maybe I’m finally starting to get burnt out by power metal. Still, it’s an objectively great album that I certainly would happily listen to again. It’s the perfect blend of Powerwolf and Saxon, and is a very fun listen. 7.5/10
Alex Key: Outdated
The modern country star returned with his third studio album this last week. It’s a very neo-traditional sound, and he’s fantastic at it. It’s easy to see why he’s a top 40 artist already, even at only 26 years old. His low, powerful vocals are incredible, and make him easily comparable to the likes of Drake Milligan and Randall King. There’s a real resurgence of this sort of style, especially from the younger lot in the genre, that it’s fantastic to see that country should be in great hands for years to come! Songs like the opener, ‘Heart-Tender’ and the silly ‘What do Honky Tonkers do in Heaven?’ are all personal highlights. If you’re into country, however, the whole album is well worth a listen. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a touch slow, there’s maybe one or two too many ballads on it. However, it’s only 12-tracks (thank god), and I wouldn’t know which to cut, honestly! It’s certainly going to be listened to by me a lot going forward, and Alex has a new big fan in me! It’s an easy 8.5/10!
Another entry into our new series sees three awesome, widely different EPs all being released on Friday. From death metal to country, join us as we check out some awesome new music!
Renegade Angel: Jokesters
The Finnish heavy/power metal band are set to follow up 2022’s Dawn of Justice with the release of their second EP on Friday. Samuli Federley once again leads the charge with his insane guitar talents, and is again fronted by Tailgunner vocalist Craig Cairns. At just two original tracks and a cover (as well as two alt versions), it is simply not enough new music from the awesome band! However, there is no denying how good of a release it is. Single ‘Jokesters’ is a fantastic track that feels like the perfect combination of modern technical power metal powerhouse like Dragonforce and Beast in Black. And that chorus, damn, it’s massive and is going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the day, guaranteed. Meanwhile ‘Soldiers of Misfortune’ gives off more of an early Iron Maiden vibe, which I also love just as much! And of course we get an awesome, heavier rendition of Meat Loaf’s anthemic ‘Razor’s Edge’. The duelling vocals on it sound awesome and while covers of Loaf always sound fantastic, the heaviness and epicness added to this one is amazing!
This is essential listening for any fans of metal, power or otherwise. I am desperate to hear more music from the band, and I truly think they’d jump up a few levels if they were to release an album soon. For now though, this EP is great, and has prompted me to go back and check out their older stuff. The band certainly have a new fan in me! 8/10
Some melodeath next from Paris, a city that for some reason I don’t typically associate with heavier metal. However, I certainly will after listening to this; it’s an awesome release! It’s lighter than a lot of it’s counterparts in the genre, but that’s certainly not a bad thing. It shares riff-stylings with metalcore, yet also has plenty of parts where Children of Bodom or In Flames inspiration shines through. Heck, it even has clean vocals, something I wasn’t expecting heading into this but loved; it fit perfectly. Having said that there, there is still plenty of heaviness throughout the EP, and some truly awesome screams.
It’s a collection of four incredible original tracks that seem to draw from all corners of the European metal sound. From the more radio-friendly, NWOBHM inspired opener through the almost black metal-infused ‘We are the Dead’ and to the doom-esque ‘The Old Ones’. All four songs are amazing, and it’s so hard to pick highlights as they are all so different. It’s the band’s first new music in two-and-a-half years since their debut album, and it follows on from that release brilliantly. Spinning the tale of humanities last days, it’s almost a concept EP, and one that I shall be listening to a whole lot moving forwards. It was over far too soon and I cannot wait for another longer release, but damn, this seems certain to push the band as pretty major players in the death metal scene moving forward! 9/10
Blanco Brown: Heartache & Lemonade
Last but certainly not least, we have some country from Grammy nominated vocalist and producer Blanco Brown. I have to admit his was not a name I was familiar with before now but damn, he’s certainly gained at least one new fan from this release. It’s chilled-out, stripped-back country/Americana with enough of a pop hook in the vocals to make it all hugely catchy and will do very well with a wide audience. Speaking of the vocals, Blanco’s impressive range and emotional delivery was certainly the highlight of the whole EP. whether it’s the more simple opener to the more blues rock-oriented ‘Good as it Gets’, his versatility and writing is amazing. And, much like every EP on this article, there really a bad track on it. Each track had enough variation to keep me interested through the short release, and will certainly have me coming back for further listens in the future. Hopefully this is the year we get a new album from him after half a decade, but if not, this is still an incredible listen, and a must for any country fan! 8.5/10
The legends of power metal, Rage, are back with their whopping 26th studio release. Rarely, if ever,have a band been this consistent with musical output over the course of four decades. And, it’s even rarer that a band stay this consistently high quality throughout almost that entire time, too! I’m a big fan of the band, and we haven’t had any new music from them for three years at this point, so I’m excited to dive in! And strap yourselves in guys, it’s a double album, so this one’s gonna be long!
After a suitable epic intro track, the guitars ring true immediately with a sick opening to ‘End of Illusions’. I know old-school fans will hate me for this, but it really did remind me of ‘Hail to the King’. Especially with the rest of the instruments building in. It builds into a massive, lightening quick riff, almost thrash at the pace it sets. Both the drumming and guitaring is off the charts immediately, not at all making me jealous of their talent. The vocals fit perfectly over the top, adding an almost NWOBHM vibe to the proceedings. And the chorus is big, open and pretty damn catchy. The few screams fit perfectly too, and the one after the second chorus leads into the heavy breakdown amazingly. What a breakdown riff too, damn! It also had a sick guitar solo over it, because why not, and then the final chorus takes us home in style. This was an awesome way to open the album, and an easy choice for our playlist!
The epic, heavy riffs continue immediately with ‘Under a Black Crown’. The guitars almost have a black metal feel to them, which was awesome. A speedy pre leads to another awesome, infectiously catchy chorus. I prefer this to the previous one, and the vocals are very much giving off Paul Di’Anno vibes. It’s certainly a good thing, as it’s like a heavier early-Maiden style. We get another incredible breakdown in the middle of this too, them definitely being a massive highlight of the album so far. I love that the power metal just takes a sharp turn into deathcore for a few seconds, more genres need to adopt the tactic! It’s another great song, as the chorus is going to be stuck in my head for hours to come, I’m sure!
One half of the title track, ‘Afterlife’ is up next. It opens on a really awesome riff, giving off heavy metalcore vibes. The vocals fit perfectly over the top of it, all building to a bigger, more power metal chorus. However, the lead guitar lines through it are so very early BFMV/Killswitch Engage that it very much retains that metalcore edge. I love it; the two styles blend together rather perfectly and I’m shocked we haven’t had more of it before now. The now typical breakdown and shredding guitar solo ring true to fill the gap between choruses, showing off the insanely high musicianship in the band. The harmonies in the solo were also incredible. It’s another song that I just have to put on our playlist!
Tracks like ‘Dead Man’s Eyes’, ‘Mortal’ and ‘Toxic Ways’ are all great, but it was at this point that I was starting to feel the length of the album a little. Honestly, the whole rest of the first ‘disc’ is all pretty similar. I completely get that after 40 years as a band, the trio have a very refined sound, and it’s a fucking awesome one at that, so of course that’s what they’re going to write. As I said, none are bad by any stretch; in fact, all are awesome, to put it lightly. Heck, ‘Justice Will be Mine’ is one of my favourite tracks on the album and another easy highlight. Clearly, the concept of the album is too much for my impatient brain!
Speaking of the concept, it all changes with ‘disc’ two and ‘Cold Desire’. Opening on a beautiful piano and string arrangement instead of a crushing riff, it’s more like orchestral folk than power metal. Having said that, it still has a dark, almost Nightmare Before Christmas vibe to it. The metal soon comes in to accompany it, a massive riff and drumbeat filling out the sound. It still has all the prototypical big choruses and heavy riffs of the first half of the album, but the symphonic parts add a hell of a lot more to the sound, filling it out and making it suddenly a lot more power metal-y.
Also, check out our review of the band’s previous album here.
Much of the rest of the album has a similar feeling, too. As I said, that isn’t a bad thing, I just run out of things to talk about when an album is a lot of the same!
The two tracks that buck that trend are ‘Dying to Live’ and the proggy epic, ‘Lifelines’. The former is the ballad of the album, a beautiful acoustic track enhanced no end by the orchestral arrangement behind it. It still builds in the distorted guitars and drums around the halfway point, but the slower pace and more emotional delivery and feel keeps it a ballad. It’s amazing, and another huge highlight of the album!
Meanwhile, ‘Lifelines’ feels like it combines every sound that has come before and after it into an incredible near-10 minutes of music. Want huge riffs and heavy breakdowns? Check. Want epic, arena-filling choruses and bridges? You got it. Want beautiful orchestral pieces and stripped-back, cleaner rock parts? Sure, it’s here too. It’s a truly fantastic song and one of the most impressive prog-power metal songs I’ve heard. If you can stand the length, check this out!
Overall: This was amazing. Though I have been slightly critical of the In Your Honor-style structure of it, it’s a fantastic idea for the band to do, and they pull it off masterfully. I truly think there isn’t a bad song on the album; it’s 90+ minutes of pure metal awesomeness. It is certainly a tall task to get through it all at once, and one I will probably not attempt again in all honesty. However, I’ll be listening to a lot of these tracks a lot in the coming months. If you are a fan of the band or genre in any way, you’ll love this!
The awesome HAMMER KING are set to release their brand new album on Friday. We checked out the previous one and loved it (check it out here), so knew we had to check this one out too! Without further ado, let’s dive right in!
The band explode straight into a HUGE song with ‘Hailed by the Hammer’. A massive riff opens it up, leading us into a heavy verse and pre before the massive chorus rings through, catchy and arena-filling. The band do their jobs exceptionally well, with Titan Fox V’s vocals being awesome while both his and Gino’s guitar riffing and soloing is a huge highlight of the track. The harmonies on the vocals through the choruses make it all sound huge, and it’s all going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the evening, guaranteed. It’s a great way to open the album and an easily playlisted song!
The pace and heaviness continues through another big personal favourite of mine, ‘The Devil Will I Do’. The riffing almost feels like thrash, or at least a heavy NWOBHM style. Meanwhile the powerful vocals keep it firmly grounded in… well… power metal. The chorus is another epic sounding one, filled with more huge backing vocals to help it fill out the sound. And it has another technically awesome guitar solo tucked in the middle of it, something the band do so damn well. It’s another song that I can’t pick fault with, and the second out of two so far to make it onto our Spotify!
The title track, and the subsequent four tracks, are all similar to the previous ones. None of them are bad at all, but they all kinda blended into a big noise of generally good power metal. Nothing stood out across the entire half an hour enough to write about, sadly. I certainly didn’t hate listening to them, but none are highlights.
‘Kings of Arabia’ was my next standout track. Y’all know how much of a sucker for an Egyptian riff. It almost has an Iron Maiden feel to it than anything else, with the riffing and vocal melody all being awesome and being very Dickinson and Harris. Everything about this track is amazing too, and very much reminded me why I love this band after a few average tracks. The guitaring, drumming and vocals were all sick. It’s definitely another playlisted track!
‘I want Chaos’ returns to the similar tropes mentioned before. However, the closer, ‘Gates of Atlantia’, is proggy awesomeness. While most of it maintains the Maiden-esque power metal, the drop down into acoustic stuff in he middle was nice, as was the extended, epic outro. It’s an incredible way to close an album, especially one of this stature and magnitude. And it’s another awesome song, and the perfect way to close things out!
Overall: This was kinda a mixed bag. None of it we bad, don’t get me wrong. But it definitely feels like a good portion of it are album tracks. There are some incredible songs that I’ll be listening to a lot going forward, while a few fade into the background pretty quick. Still, it’s a good album, and if you’re into power metal I’m sure you’ll love this! It’s not quite as good as their previous album though, sadly. Still…
Sweden’s own genre-blending power/symohonic/eletronic/heavy metal band Amaranthe are back with their first album in nearly four years. Anticipation is pretty high after some fantastic singles, two of which I have become addicted to, so I cannot wait to check out the rest of the album! Let’s get straight into it!
The opener/title track kicks things off in grandiose fashion with an extended synth intro. It’s very Stranger Things. The heaviness soon explodes in with the massive guitars and heavy scream, Amaranthe ‘s signature sound being immediately present. Elize’s powerful clean vocals soon come in for the verse, duelling with the other two vocalists just as masterfully as ever. The dynamics between the three of them really sets the band apart from others and adds a constantly interesting element to their music. It all builds to a HUGE, powerful chorus, the harmonies between the vocals being perfect. We get a short but pretty great solo tucked in the middle too, alongside a heavy bridge part. It’s a fantastic opening track that gives a little bit of everything Amaranthe is about, sound wise!
Single ‘Insatiable’ keeps things rolling perfectly with an incredible, industrial-style riff. I’ve had this track on a lot since it was first released and honestly haven’t gotten bored of it yet! Again, the dynamic between all the vocals are so fun, while when they all come together for the choruses it makes it infectiously catchy. And between the huge chorus, the main focus on clean vocals and the three minute-length, it may be their most accessible, radio-friendly track yet. Having said that, it still has time for a fantastic, impressive solo and some awesome screams from newcomer Mikael. It was one of my favourite singles of last year, and easily makes our playlist!
Next up is another single. ‘Damnation Flame’. The opening immediately gave me Castlevania vibes, which I am fine with. The riff comes in over the top, the melody of that and the subsequent vocals keeping the almost halloween-like vibe. It all builds to yet another fantastically written chorus, catchy and built for arenas or huge festivals. The Nightmare Before Christmas vibes return for the bridge, almost having a folky element to it all too. And then the heaviness slowly builds back up over the top. Man, I can’t wait to see this live! A second track in a row to make our playlist!
‘Liberated’ is another great track, though after a run of three fantastic ones it does feel like the first time you can breath a little. Still, I LOVED all the screams throughout, them feeling like more of a focus than the other tracks. And it’s a typically great chorus by this point, too. Meanwhile most recent single ‘Re-Vision’, is another fantastic track with a heavy leaning towards their more synth/electro sounds. It’s still a metal track for sure, the heavy guitars and fantastic screams make sure of that. But there’s a lot of synth too. I’m loving this new evolution of the power metal sound that these and Metalite are doing recently, like a sci-fi power metal. It’s another good song and a really interesting choice for a single!
The album tracks between ‘Interference’ and ‘Breaking the Waves’ are all good. However, for the most part, they all follow a pretty standard formula that the band have for this album. It’s not a bad thing at all that a band have a signature sound and stick to it, and Amaranthe are fantastic at said style. However, when listening to a full album, the whole duelling-vocalled verses, massive choruses and guitar solo/heavy screamed bridge in the standard rock song structure can get a little old by the 8ish tracks in.
The exception to this is the beautiful piano-led ballad ‘Stay a Little While’ and, to a lesser extent, ‘Breaking the Waves’. The former is fantastic; slow and emotional and full of some incredible vocals from Elize and Nils. The two’s vocals somehow fit even better with this track, too, feeling more like a romantic duet this time. And of course, the chorus is phenomenal. It honestly gave me Goosebumps and easily makes the playlist, what an incredible song! Meanwhile the latter, while heavier than the former, also doesn’t feature any of Mikael’s screams untilt he bridge, having much more of a power/symphonic metal lean to it. Also the drop-down parts in it are nice.
Back to the singles with ‘Outer Dimensions’, it’s another one I am very familiar with by now. THAT vocal hook from the opening/choruses has been routinely stuck in my head on and off for months. The song is all about that chorus and I don’t even care, it’s fantastic. And it very much reinforces my point from earlier about it being a modern, sci-fi spin on the symphonic/power metal sound. I love it!
The closing two tracks, ‘Resistance’ and single ‘Find Life’ are two more awesome Amaranthe tracks. I LOVE the heaviness of the former, again focusing on more of the screams, and some of the riffs behind them are brutal. It doesn’t overstay its welcome too, being a high pace and in-and-out in under three minutes. Elize almost does some Poppy-style rapped delivery at times too which was sick. It honestly makes our playlist, it’s that good. That breakdown/bridge is amazing. Meanwhile the closer and lead single is the perfect representation of an Amaranthe track. The vocals are fantastic, the riffs and drums are heavy and the chorus is massive. It’s a very good way to close an amazing album!
Overall: This is an incredible album. As I said, a couple of the tracks in the middle did get a tad repetitive, but they were also broken up perfectly by ‘Stay a Little While’. And there isn’t a bad track on the album, while some of the tracks are some of my favourite the band have ever produced, and some of the top in their genre. It’s my favourite album the band have put out, for sure, and any fan of the band or the genre as a whole will love it!
Japanese ‘Samurai metal’ band Ryujin have been going for over a decade now, self-releasing four studio albums before now. They signed to Napalm Records a little while back and are set to release their debut, self-titled album with them next week. Produced by the one and only Matthew K Heafy, it is set to be a huge release for the start of the year. I’m not too familiar with the band so am excited to dive in and see what they’re about!
After a brief intro track, heavy thrash/death metal riff opens ‘Gekokujo’. It’s lighting fast, the guitars and drummer working insanely hard right from the get go. And the added extra horns and strings make the whole song sound massive, giving it an instant epic feel. The samurai feeling is very much there right from the get-go. The screams are almost extreme metal in nature, reminding me a little of Dani Filth at times. It fits over the top of the instrumentation rather perfectly, though! We also get plenty of insanely good lead guitar in the middle, not at all making me jealous of my mediocre playing. The strings and riffing in the bridge almost have a folky edge to them too, giving off power/Viking metal vibes. It’s kinda Lovebites-y in the best ways. A fantastic way to open an album!
‘Dragon, Fly Free’ opens on the same balls-to-the-wall, wonderful chaotic energy as the previous track. Honestly, with the vocals and all of the combined symphonic elements going on, it may very well class as extreme metal. However, this track not only has some great, catchy choir-like ‘woh’s in the pre, but has a clean vocalled chorus. It’s amazing! The cleans are so powerful, despite being lost in the mix a tad, and are surprisingly catchy. The bridge riff is VERY metalcore in the best way. And of course we get another kick-ass solo. This was incredible, and easily makes our playlist. What a fantastic song!
Next up are a selection of tracks that I’ve been waiting to make the obvious comparison for until now. There are four tracks on this album that feature guest slots from album producer and all-round modern metal legend Matthew K Heafy. Of course, it’s a match made in heaven, given Ryugin ‘s similarities to Trivium. He’s on the tracks a lot and, honestly, it’s a perfect fit.
I do, however, find it interesting that the tracks Heafy is on are maybe the lightest songs he’s done in a while. Heck, ‘The Rainbow Song’ is essentially a power metal ballad. Not that I’m complaining, it’s awesome! And he still get some screams in on ‘Guren No Yumiya’ and ‘Raijin and Fujin’. I feel bad grouping these multiple tracks together. However, Ryujin and Heafy reach such an interesting blend and sound that they sound incredibly cohesive to each other. He almost just feels like another member of the band, and I really hope we get more of this collaboration in the future! Special shoutout to album closer ‘Saigo No Hoshi’, Matt’s vocals are insane over the slower verses, and it’s honestly a beautiful, epic conclusion.
Heading back a bit, there is another collab on this album. Musical mastermind Wataru Mukai lends his talents for ‘Kunnecup’. It again has that heavy, intricate power metal feel to it, and almost blends some X Japan into it all too. The screams in the back of the chorus are a nice touch, keeping it heavy amid the stadium-filling catchiness. The guitaring in the middle is honestly mindblowing, a technical masterclass being equal parts ‘Devil Went Down to Georgia’ and ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’. The talent of the entire band is off the charts. It’s another really great track!
‘Scream of the Dragon’ brings the album welcomly back to the heaviness. As much as I love the Heafy and Mukai tracks, it had been a while since we’d had a balls-to-the-wall, crushing track filled with quick riffs and screams. And yet it still has a huge, uplifting, cleaner chorus that the band have become so known for. Surprisingly it slows down into the solo, a nice touch and adds more feel and emotion to it. It was very ‘The Four Horsemen’. And of course it builds up perfectly heading into the final chorus of the song. What an amazing track, and another to leap onto our playlist!
‘Gekirin’ is the closest thing to typical extreme metal on the album. It’s very Dimu Borgira in the best ways. The cleaner, almost pirate-y chorus was awesome, too. Then we reach the final, epic song on the album, the title track. Sitting at close to eight minutes, surprisingly it goes pretty all out throughout. Some insanely technical playing reminds me of some of the more interesting djent like Anima Tempo, and it has possibly the best chorus on the whole album! The soloing is epic and fantastic, and honestly it feels like something that should be in a movie. It gave me chills. Another insanely good song, and another that I just have to put on our playlist!
Overall: Holy crap, what an album! Every track on it is insane. It’s put together perfectly too, spreading out the heavier and more epic tracks to keep the album interesting throughout. I never once got bored and it felt like it was over far too fast. I can’t believe this is the first time I’m properly hearing them, but it certainly won’t be the last. They have a huge new fan in me!
The last week of 2023 and we still have some awesome new music being released, aren’t we lucky?! Three awesome albums to check out, although one is cheating a little. Let’s dive right in!
DOMINUM: Hey Living People
The debut album of Felix Heldt’s brainchild released the other day. And honestly, it’s really fucking good. Combining the theatrical synthy feel of Lordi and AOR with his other power metal projects like Visions of Atlantis, it’s a really interesting sound. It’s very European in the best possible way. Dr Dead fronts the band perfectly while his masked, undead band play their parts incredibly well. It’s something that I’m going to have to see live, as I can see it popping off with an amazing stageshow. Their zombie/horror asthetic and themes are really interesting and very well written.
The album is packed full of highlight tracks, too. The opener, ‘Danger Danger’ and the epic, piano-lead ‘We All Taste the Same’ are all fantastic tracks that stood out to me. And another good cover of ‘You Spin Me Round’ is never a bad thing! However, there really isn’t a bad song on the whole album, honestly. What a fantastic way to debut as a band and close out the year! 9/10
Spider God: The Killing Room
A band that I hadn’t even heard of before looking for bands for this list, I was super curious to jump in and see what they were like. It turns out they’re melodic black metal (didn’t even know that was a thing) and clearly very good at doing it. While it’s not exactly my sort of thing, they are clearly very good at what they do, as this sophomore album is objectively great. And tracks like ‘s.p.i.d.e.r.g.o.d.’ and the 10 minute epic title song are definitely worth a listen. The synths add an interesting element that I wouldn’t typically expect from black metal, almost pushing it into post-hardcore territory. If you’re into the heavy stuff it’s well worth checking out, and I definitely wouldn’t turn it off if any of it came on again! 6.5/10
Lord of the Lost: Weapons of Mass Seduction
So, as I said in my Anastacia review a few months back, we typically wouldn’t cover cover albums on this series. However, with this week being pretty light on the ground and this album being packed to the brim with awesome covers, we just had to talk about it.
Whether it’s classic rock anthems like ‘Turbo Lover’ or an absolutely beautiful rendition of ‘Children of the Damned’ (my favourite Maiden track and fuck, they did this justice), pop tracks like ‘Bad Romance’ or Bishop Briggs’ ‘River’, or even their fellow Eurovision competitor’s track ‘Cha Cha Cha’, it’s a massively varied selection of music. And all of it is performed to perfection. Chris’ vocals seem to fit everything amazingly well, and they put their own spin on each track, staying faithful yet still sounding incredibly LotL. I hate to say this as an original artist and attempted songwriter myself, but I think I actually prefer it to their last album this time last year. I simply had more fun listening to it, and am already more likely to gravitate towards it again.
It’s a fantastic double album packed full of enjoyable tracks. Whether they are written by Chris and co. or not, they are performed to perfection and really made their own. It’s an easy 9.5/10 from me!
Now, just to put the obvious out there into the world, I don’t speak or understand German. And, without the lyrics in front of me to translate, I cannot really talk about them. However, I’d never heard of Varg before being sent this album through, so at least a completely fresh reaction to the sound and an honest review is what you’re going to get! If it’s anything like what I’m expecting, we’re in for a treat!
Opener ‘Immer Treu’ starts out in suitably epically; with a big piratey/power metal/Iron Maiden riff. It soon explodes into a massive, heavy riff with an amazing scream over the top. It feels very Amon Amarth, that kinda medieval death/power metal blend. The cleaner vocals throughout are also awesome, powerful and still filled with emotion and attitude. There’s also a higher, operatic vocal that comes in later on that is an amazing harmony to the others. It’s a HUGE track with some awesome catchiness in the chorus, packed out with massive riffs.
‘Schildmaid’ continues the same feeling with a similarly epic riff as the opener. The scream comes in over the top, sounding amazing, and it all builds into a huge first chorus. It’s catchy as anything and would go down so well live! Though the vocals are still screamed and heavy, the track as a whole feels lighter. The riffs aren’t as crushing, and feels more like 3 Inches of Blood than Amon Amarth. It’s not an issue at all as it’s a phenomenal track. The vocals and lead guitar in the choruses more than see to that. The female spoken word bit in the bridge was cool, especially as it builds into singing. This is an amazing track and easily makes our playlist!
‘Weltenfeind’ has more of an extreme metal vibe to it as the screams come in quickly over a quick, epic riff. It almost gives Dimmu Borgir vibes. I love that all three tracks so far are undoubtably the same band, yet all sound and feel pretty different. It’s refreshing and mighty impressive! Another great track!
‘Fylgja’ takes a sharp turn into somehow symphonic doom territory, with a slow, moody riff and feel but the soaring female vocal taking center stage. The harsh male vocals are also included still, but the chorus is clean and reminds me a lot of a Nightwish kinda sound. We also get a guitar solo in this which was amazing! It’s an interesting track with a lot of fun dynamics.
Tracks like ‘Tyr’ and ‘Hammer’ heavy the album back up again perfectly, again giving off that extreme, epic metal vibe. Both are full of huge riffs, massive screams and growls and plenty of awesomeness from their choruses. The band do the death metal thing pretty perfectly at this point, and again, while the tracks are similar in structure, they still feel different.
Meanwhile tracks like ‘Eisenseite’ and ‘Morgenrot’ again focus heavily on the female vocals. The former is awesome after being lead in by a brief intro track, setting it up perfectly. Meanwhile, the latter is one of my favourite tracks on the album as the vocals make it sound ripped right out The Witcher 3. The medieval feel to it won me over immediately and it’s another one that easily makes our playlist!
The final tracks, ‘Siegreiches Heer’ and the title track, are more of the same. Both are fantastic tracks for sure, but it’s hard to talk about how good the riffs and vocals are without repeating myself. It makes for a boring review and makes me come across very fanboy-like. The later is a more than fitting end to the epicness of the album, though. The duet poem to open was amazing, and the whole track utilises the duel vocals perfectly.
Overall: Given that I had no idea what to expect, I loved this. Every instrument, vocal and part fit perfectly together with each other and made for a very memorable sound. The whole album is full of amazing tracks that piece together to make an incredibly solid album. And it all sounds like it would translate into something truly special in a love setting. The band have a pretty big new fan in me and I can’t wait to go away and check out the rest of their back catalogue!
