New Releases - 2024 Wrap-up!

Alright, one last chunk of reviews to wrap things up.  After this, it's time to listen to everything again to figure out what my Top 5 of the year is, and there certainly are some contenders in this article!  I've focused on melodic metal much more for this one, but they're all from bands I've enjoyed before, and they're carrying on without too much to slow them down!  Here's what I've decided to check out for the rest of 2024!

Lovebites - Lovebites EP II

So I admit I'm kinda confused by this title, as this is technically their fourth EP (going by Metal Archives, anyway).  Based on the cover art, it might just be a sequel to their first EP, but what that means, I honestly don't know.  I decided to relisten to their entire discography before getting into this, and it really is amazing to hear just how consistent these girls are in the quality of their songs.  While Electric Pentagram remains my favorite of theirs, all of their albums have highlights, and this remains true for this EP.

Things start high with the opener "Unchained," which is some typical (and by that I mean good) power metal from them.  "Soul Defender" follows up well, leaning into some US power metal feeling with the chuggy riffs.  Then next comes "Where's Identity," which is straight up Bay Area Thrash, and probably the best song on the album, wildly enough.  However, the last two tracks aren't quite as good.  "The Bell in the Jail" has this strange groove going through it, and seems to have been inspired by The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and "Someone's Dream" sounds like their attempt at a Helloween style song.  It's not bad, just not as strong as the earlier tracks.  Overall, though, they maintain their high standard by providing another handful of high energy metal, and as a big fan of this band now, I don't think I could ask for anything more (except maybe a full album next time).

DGM - Endless

Well, this was certainly a pleasant surprise!  While I definitely liked Tragic Separation when I heard it, subsequent listens have shown that it might not be as strong as I first thought, and when Life turned out to be mostly fine, if underwhelming, I was concerned that this band was starting to slip in quality.  So I was pleasantly surprised when they decided to dive deeper into prog!

And when I mean prog, I mean full on hammond organs and flute solos from the 70s.  It's like they decided to go back to their roots and influences, making for a very surprising and satisfying album.  Sonically, the album finds itself close to the melodic side of Dream Theater, with some keys from IQ, and an uplifting tone like Neal Morse's solo work.  While the band's lineup remains the same, they clearly made some changes to their approach compared to their last few records (which largely felt like a fusion of modern prog metal with AOR-style choruses).  This time, it's like they decided to throw out their templates and just explore what they felt good about, filling the album with songs full of energy and excitement!  Seriously, I was smiling through most of this album as I was listening to it for the first time!

Things start of very proggy with "Promises," mostly being an instrumental jam, before going full-on prog with the dynamics on "The Great Unknown."  Even when they bring back their usual sound on "Final Call," it's broken up with a rather moody digression that builds quite well.  "The Wake" brings in some darkness to shake things up, and the 14 minute closer "...Of Endless Echoes" is all of this wrapped together in a wonderful musical journey.  However, the highlight for me was "From Ashes," with it's energetic start and cheerful lyrics.  I couldn't help but smile the entire time it was on!  Overall, this was a delightful surprise, as the band seems to find new life by bringing in some classic prog ideas to freshen up their sound.  Top 5 contender for sure!!

Dream Evil - Metal Gods

After reviewing a few of their albums, I've decided to skip ahead to their newest one, squeezing it in between these other new releases.  However, they haven't changed much, drifting into a style that's more traditional metal than power metal, much like how HammerFall have been for the last decade or more.  While listening to it, I thought of both the Saxon and Judas Priest albums I heard early last year.  Still, for those who don't mind a layer of cheese with their metal will find themselves headbanging through the album.

While the band is solid (and there are some interesting guest guitar solos), most of their strength comes from their vocalist Niklas Isfeldt, who belts out these campy lyrics with authority.  I think he's aging well, sounding a lot like Biff Byford in most of these songs, giving them the right amount of drama to be fun without sounding like a parody.  The lyrics are pretty typical "overcome the challenge" stuff, with equal focus on horror and fantasy.  It may feel like they're sticking to their formula, but they execute it well.

The album starts well with the title track, a tribute to the classic metal that inspires them.  "Chosen Force" is a solid follow up, and things get more power metal with songs like "The Tyrant Dies at Dawn" and "Born in Hell," the latter of which neat riffing that makes me think of classic HammerFall.  The rest of the album is solid, but it's easy to let each track slip by as the album goes on.  As much as I like this band and their brand of fun, this year has some tough competition, so I don't know if will stand out enough to get into my upcoming Top 5 article at the end of the month.

Paragon - Metalation

Good grief, has it really been five years since their last album?  Where does the time go?  Controlled Demolition ended up being a sleeper hit for me back in 2019, and while I doubt they've been resting on their laurels since then, I have had to be patient in waiting to see what Paragon would do to follow up that massive, crushing slab of heavy/power metal.  They've got a new drummer on board, but they've clearly picked up right where they left off.

Because I haven't been doing the Videos articles anymore, I haven't taken the chance to check out any singles, so I went into this pretty blind.  Happily, I found plenty that reminded me of their previous album, but I admit I was looking forward to that.  As usual, the band is full of chunky riffs and rhythms, the solos by Christian and Bertram range all over the place from melodic to shreddy (and include a few from Piet Sielck of Iron Savior, who I guess has been working with this band for a very long time), and vocalist Andreas Babuschkin brings his gritty charm to the songs.  They continue their unique blend of styles, taking the grit and energy from Accept and giving it a bit of a power metal boost in epicness.

The songs themselves are pretty consistent, though "MarioNET" goes by in a blink, and the later songs "My Asylum" and the title track drop the energy for the sake of more anthemic songs.  They're not bad, aren't as strong as where they began, starting with the high energy "Fighting the Fire," which carries on with "Batallions."  Meanwhile, "Beyond the Horizon" goes for more of an epic doom approach, making me think of Sorcerer's work.  Overall, it's another decent chunk of metal, and while I don't know how much this one will grow on me, I know I'll be giving it more listens to see if it lands on my Top 5.

New Releases - December 2024 Part Two!

Yup, I'm still catching up on stuff, this time in the realms of AOR and melodic rock.  This is a genre I should be better at covering, but when this stuff is good, it occupies a fun, uplifting vibe in the rock space that isn't easily found elsewhere.  What I've got here are four albums that provide some interesting variety within the genre, but they all are worth listening to, for one reason or another.

Find Me - Nightbound

When I reviewed their third album, I felt that they had leaned pretty hard into the synths, and while I skipped their fourth album (an act of negligence I will likely fix in the future), here on their fifth, the guitars are very much forward this time around.  Otherwise, this is more solid melodic rock that catches the right balance between big and sentimental.

Once again, we're very much in Journey territory, with synthesizers on loan from Asia, and if there's a touch of Survivor in there, it's because they got Jim Peterik to help write some of the songs.  Robbie LaBlanc soars over the songs with confidence, Andi Kravljaca gives the songs plenty of classic shreddy solos, Daniel Flores provides the right ambience with his sythesizers, and the rest of the band is on point in giving them that classic 80s tone that makes these songs sound so big.  Things start well with the opener "Never Be Alone," which has some good energy, and that uplifting charge carries on with "Can't Wait Here Anymore," "Love Always Finds A Way," "Speechless," and the closer "The Time Has Come."  The title track takes things a little darker, and "I See You in Everyone" and "Distant Lovers" are full of cinematic sentimentality.

There is one problem, and it's the production.  While everything is pretty clear and easy to follow, something about it makes the songs feel narrow, like they're confined or compressed in a way that doesn't quite match the epicness I was expecting.  Once you're into the album, it's not a deal breaker, but part of me thinks the album would have been better if they could expand the soundscape of the songs.  Still, there is plenty of classic, energetic rocking, I enjoyed a lot of this album, and it's likely to be one of the best of the year for AOR.

FM - Old Habits Die Hard

Now that I've been becoming more aware of what's in the AOR space, this is definitely a band that comes up a lot.  Starting in the 80s, they had a few minor hits before breaking up in the mid 90s.  Then, starting back up in 2007, they've apparently been pretty consistent with releasing albums of melodic rock.  I don't know if this was a good place to start with them, but based on this, they rock like it's 1981.

While most AOR bands borrow from Journey, these guys glean quite a bit from Foreigner instead, sitting in a spot between cool and uplifting.  Despite not knowing this band before, I can tell that Steve Overland's voice has aged well, and Jim Kirkpatrick's solos have this ease to them that make me think of guitarists like Ian Bairnson or Steve Lukather.  Overall, it's a pretty laidback affair, with most songs settling into a mid-tempo groove, with the subtle use of acoustic guitars and 80s synths establishing a cozy, yacht-rock tone.

I admit I'm not completely sold on the band, as I prefer my rock to have more energy than this, but I could see this growing on me as it does capture a pleasant mood that few bands are able to do.  At the very least, I'm curious to go listen to their earlier albums to see what (if anything) has changed over the years.  The album doesn't blow me away but sits well with the rest of the stuff in the article.

Lionville - Supernatural

Looking at my previous reviews of this band's works, it's hard to say if this band has really done anything great, but rather maintained a strong consistency in their style.  Once again, they offer typical 80s rocking, with some appropriate synth ambience here and there. It's all written and performed competently, and fans of AOR will find plenty to like.  Compared to the others on this article, it's like they've found a comfort zone between Find Me's energy and FM's soft rock groove.

So is there anything that really stands out?  The title track, "Breakaway," and "The Storm" have some good energy, powered by some well-arranged synth choices.  However, much like FM, this is very much about capturing a very nostalgic and sentimental atmosphere.  Lionville's strength lies mostly in their production and soundscape, making each song feel like a melodramatic movie scene.  In the end, there aren't any surprises, but it's another solid collection of melodic rock from a band with a good track record for it.

Eclipse - Megalomanium II

While I thought their last album had some decent stuff, it was still a bit clunky, especially at the start, so making a sequel seemed like a weird decision to me.  Still, they insist on pushing through with another chunk of uptempo rockers.  This is another band I should probably dig into their earlier records to really get a feel for how they've evolved over the years.

As for this one, they're still crossing over into alternative rock, with "All I Want" sounding like pop punk, but in all honesty, it feels like they're taking anything that rocks and making it work for them.  The album starts well with "Apocalypse Blues," and much of the album is about grappling with desperation of all kinds.  "Divide & Conquer" is another stand out with its stomping drive, "One in a Million" has some darker vibes that make me think of 90's Metallica (in a good way), and "The Spark" probably has the best chorus for singing along with the band.  I think the biggest improvement though is that they added much more heft on the guitars, making them really chug.  While there's still plenty of energetic songwriting and playing on display, it's not quite as strong as Paradigm, but I do think it's better than the first Megalomanium.  For now, it's a solid entry, with a lot of momentum that pushes it above the pack.

New Releases - December 2024!

While this came a bit later than I wanted, I gotta just keep plowing ahead with what I can.  Catching up on the year has been kinda tough, as there's so much to choose from.  This one features a lot of heavy and doom metal, but I promise to get to other genres in the next few articles.  For now, here's what I've been checking out lately!

Stygian Crown - Funeral for a King

So as part of this catch-up period, I figured I should get back into some epic doom metal, after enjoying Smoulder's album last month.  As for this band, I think they were recommended by someone on YouTube (though I don't remember who), and they seemed solid when I sampled them, but then forgot I had this on my list until now.  Like Smoulder, they feature and excellent woman vocalist in Melissa Pinion, and bring the doom as well as anybody.

Understandably, they sound like Candlemass, with the big, slow riffing, the wailing, melodramatic vocals, and songs about the occult and mythology.  However, there is a more significant push into this haunted, ominous atmosphere that drenches the album from start to finish.  They also bring in some strings and pianos here and there, and sometimes some choirs in the back, making me think this album was a soundtrack from some classic gothic horror film.  "Blood Red Eyes" in particular has no guitars or drums, leaning hard into this haunted cinematic tone.  Another interesting twist this band uses is to have riffs and drumming similar to the death metal band Bolt Thrower, of all things.  (Though I guess it's not a stretch, as their fourth album was pretty doomy as well.)  At the very least, it livens up the songs with some double-kicking bass drumming, and gives the riffing some variation.

So it's a familiar doom metal recipe with some different spices, making it just unique enough to feel like it's own experience.  Things start off well with the doom-laden instrumental title track, with last songs "Scourge of the Seven Hills" and "Strait of Messina" as more sludgy, chuggy highlights.  The rest of the album is solid (though "Bushido" doesn't quite click with me), largely thanks to the production letting the band really lay out their thick, atmospheric sound.  It's not a perfect album, but it certainly has some interesting ideas that help it stand out.

Crypt Sermon - The Stygian Rose

Yup, more doom!  Though this time the reference to the river Styx is in the album title instead of the band name.  Pedantic silliness aside, this is another solid slab of doom metal, though with its own twists and turns.

While Candlemass (again) and Sorcerer are obvious reference points, this band leans into some NWOBHM elements, mostly in the riffing and Maiden-like guitar solos.  The songs are also much longer, going for the epic side of the genre, and the lyrics focus on more of an angels-and-devils style of dark fantasy.  The rough singing of Brooks Wilson works well for these haunted themes, Matt Knox, Steve Jansson, and Frank Chin plow their riffs or shredding solos through your ears in ways that match the songs' need, Tanner Anderson adds a lot of good atmosphere with his pianos and synths, and Enrique Sagarnaga puts in quite the performance in the drums, his fills adding to the tension and urgency of these songs.  Putting all the pieces together, this makes for some very theatrical songs, tapping into the grandiose scale of the horrors of hell.  The lyrics also made me wonder if this wasn't a concept album about someone trying to find their lover by making deals with demons, but I wasn't sure.

While it may be unfair, as I can tell Stygian Crown is doing their own thing, but I think I like what Crypt Sermon is doing here just a little more.  Stygian Crown probably has the more interesting atmosphere, but the classic metal riffing makes Crypt Sermon's album flow better for me.  I really liked "Thunder (Perfect Mind)" and "Heavy is the Crown of Bone" quite a bit for this, and the title track is an epic closer that really settles into some excellent epic doom metal.  I need to listen to it a few more times, but this just might squeak into my Top 5 for this year.

Victory - Circle of Life

Shifting away from doom metal and getting into some classic metal, Victory is about as classic as it gets.  I enjoyed their last album, as it was a nice, fun 80s metal romp, though perhaps a little long.  Their new album keeps things shorter with just 45 minutes of music, but otherwise they stick to the guns.

The lineup remains the same, which means Herman Frank is still the only long-time member.  However, his work is solid as usual, as his riffs are chunky and his solos are old-school guitar hero wizardry, and the rest of the band nail that 80s sound.  While it may be more of the same, there is something to be said for consistency, and those looking for traditional metal that leans more on the rock side will find plenty to like.    They do shake things up with the mystical "Unbelievable World," but otherwise, fans of Frank will be in very familiar territory.  The stand outs for me were the energetic "Count on Me" and "Money," and the sentimental rockin' of "Surrender My Heart."  Still, I don't think this was better than Gods of Tomorrow, as I enjoyed more songs on that one.  This isn't Top 5 of the Year material, but bands like this are more like comfort food, providing some decent headbanging fun.

Accept - Humanoid

After enjoying some of their more modern releases, I figured it was due time for me to give the latest one a shot as part of this end-of-year catch-up.  While the lineup has changed a bit since then, Mark Tornillo and Wolf Hoffmann keep it classic, as anyone would expect by now.

In all honesty, it's a pretty solid and consistent album of straight-ahead traditional metal.  Things do start a little weird with some reverby guitars and sitars for the opening track "Diving Into Sin," but the song soon shifts into a decent metal song, but it was definitely a curious place to start.  As for the rest, there it stays in pretty safe territory, not shifting much from mid-tempo stomping tracks.  "Man Up" and "Straight Up Jack" lean more into AC/DC territory with their bluesy rock riffs, while "Frankenstein" and "The Reckoning" are solid anthems.  The closer "Southside of Hell" jacks up the energy for a closer that's almost power metal with that neo-classical guitar playing.

However, this is pretty much business as usual.  It's fine while it's on, but not something I haven't heard better from them on previous albums.  And given that there's some pretty solid competition in the traditional metal department this year, I don't know if this has enough to get into my Top 5.  That being said, there is nothing wrong with being consistent, and Accept has yet to disappoint.