New Videos - September 2022

Dang, September is over already!  This year is going quick, and there are still plenty of new albums coming up that I'm very excited for!  I've got a good chunk of riffy, heavy metal for you this time, with a few proggy groups for good measure.  Check these out!

After enjoying their last album Let There Be Nothing, I'm certainly interested in what power/prog band Judicator doing next.  This track is definitely out there, though, with some horns, some old hammond organs, and a strange reference to a mid-2000s romance film.  Still, it wasn't boring!  

While there are a few other metal bands with the name Whirlwind, this one is so new, it doesn't even have a page on Metal Archives yet!  US Power Metal is the style here, with its gritty riffing and epic vocals.  It's not doing anything new, but it's doing it well, with some interesting tempo shifts for good measure.  Given the artwork and the album title of "1714," I wonder if this will be a concept album.

Sword are back!  Note that this isn't The Sword, but a different Canadian band that played traditional metal back in the 80s.  I stumbled across them somehow about 10 years ago, and I loved their first album, but I never got to their second one.  However, now that they've got a third one coming out, I suppose it's time to catch up!  Anyways, this single feels like they haven't lost a step, continuing that classic metal sound that made them such a gem.

I wasn't sure if I would hear from this group again, as the first album was kind of a mess, but I guess they had some more ideas they wanted to work out.  At least, right off, the production seems much clearer, while still retaining Sherwood's iconic warmth.  I don't know if I love it, but I'm more optimistic about a follow up than I thought I would be.  It will be interesting to see how it shapes up.

As if his own project and Victory weren't enough, Herman Frank has started another project called Iron Allies.  Bringing over a few folks from Victory, he teams up with vocalist David Reese, who among other things was a singer for Accept for a little while (though not at the same time as Frank was in the band).  In any case, it's another straight-forward dose of mid-tempo metal, with some solid riffing.  Coming in just a few weeks, I know this album is high on my priority list.

After their last album was just okay, Disturbed has come right back to the heaviness for their new album.  Of course, there is no change in their style, but I like their anthemic groove metal sound, and this track shows there is still some gas in the tank for it.

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Anniversary Series - 2007!

Once again, it is time to celebrate the releases of a given year with the next Anniversary Series article.  For 2007, I pretty much just had a few power metal albums, so I thought I'd try and diversify my playlist with the albums reviewed below.  However, one highlight I do want to mention is the debut of Northern Kings called Reborn, a kind of symphonic metal passion project by the singers from Charon, Dreamtale, Sonata Arctica, and Nightwish of doing covers of 80s songs.  They only ever did one other album, but both are a blast and worth checking out.  Now, on to the reviews!

Airbourne - Runnin' Wild

Let's kick things off with some straight-ahead rock and roll!  Airbourne is that name I'd seen around here and there, but it wasn't until I seriously listened to one of their albums that I began to understand that there was more to them than their blues-rock style indicated.  For this anniversary article, I figured I'd go back to the beginning and check out their debut album.

Unsurprisingly, it's full of anthemic bluesy rockers.  Sure, some are faster than others, but they're all very much designed to be fist-pumping, chest-pounding, hedonistic hard rock, with enough saucy lyrics and triumphant choruses to cover at least 3 or 4 AC/DC albums.  I've always felt Airbourne was a more distilled version of their Ozzie mates, and this album makes it clear they started that way from the beginning.  The riffs are tight, the rhythms are driving, and the lyrics easy to follow, making for a set of songs that demand some headbanging.

If you've had your fill of AC/DC, this certainly won't change your mind, but for those who don't mind another dose of classic party rock, it's pretty consistent and solid across the board.  I find that I like the faster songs here, such as "Stand Up for Rock 'n' Roll," "Blackjack," "Girls in Black," and "Hellfire."  Overall, the album is a decent start for the band, and doesn't overstay its welcome by keeping to a tight length, though I do think they've created better later on.

Cauldron - Into the Cauldron (EP)

I think I came across this band from watching the Thralls of Metal YouTube Channel.  While they mostly focus on extreme metal, they do cover a few other bands as well, and this one was recommended for its classic style.  After checking out a few tracks, I decided this was a band I should keep on my radar.  As their debut EP came out in 2007, I thought I would include them for this anniversary article.

Right off, the guitar work stands out.  Not only do you get some chunky riffs, but plenty of shreddy solos as well.  Ian K. Childron really works his fingers across all four songs.  As for the songs, they feel like a blend of US power metal and NWOBHM, with a dash of speed metal here and there.  The singer Jason Decay is a little rough on the ears, sometimes trying for a low gritty voice that doesn't quite work, but when he sings high he's not too bad.  The title track "Into the Cauldorn" is probably the best song of the four, but all of them are worth checking out if you like this style of retro metal.

Allen/Lande - The Revenge

Before Russell Allen teamed up with Anette Olzon, Frontiers Records first paired him with Jorn Lande.  While I enjoyed their first album The Battle quite a bit, it can come across as being pretty generic, with its AOR-styled approach to symphonic metal, written and orchestrated by guitarist Magnus Karlsson (who has done all kinds of work for Frontiers over the years).  The Revenge stands to carry on where they left off, without any deviation at all.

Right off, the opener "The Revenge" makes it clear that these songs are going to be bombastic and melodramatic.  You can tell Jorn is having fun with his ad-libbed croons.  Allen doesn't do too bad, but I think he tries to force it too much sometimes, especially on the song "Obsessed."  Karlsson gets plenty of opportunities to show his skills, often going back and forth between melodic segments and shredding.  There isn't much variety, but the goal was to give these iconic vocalists a platform to go big and let loose, and it does that pretty well.

While the album is pretty consistent, there were some standouts.  The title track is fun, while "Just a Dream," "Her Spell," and "Gone Too Far" have good energy.  I also quite liked Jorn's ballad "Master of Sorrow," which is unique, as I'm usually not a fan of ballads.  I do feel like Jorn is more comfortable, as Allen doesn't seem quite on the same level.  He's good, but fans will probably prefer his work in Symphony X and his other projects.  The quality is probably on par with the project's first album; it would probably take several listens to decide which is better.  On its own, it's a solid chunk of symphonic metal that doesn't try too hard, but sticks with what works.

Last Played - September 2022!

Well, the heat hasn't quite faded off yet, so I still have plenty of reasons to stay indoors and jam to some new albums (among the several other reasons/excuses I use).  In any case, got a trio of some pretty solid stuff here: two power metal epics sandwiching a really fascinating collection of psychedelic rock.  Here's what I've been listening to lately!

Blind Guardian - The God Machine

While I've been working my way through Blind Guardian's discography, I admit I'm pretty ignorant of what the band has been doing lately.  However, based on remarks around the web, this album seems to be a return to the 90s albums, so maybe I'm listening to this at the right time!

Once again, the bards are here to tells a bunch of stories, drawing inspiration from the Witcher and Stormlight Archives to Battlestar Galactica and the origins of the universe.  As for the music, they retain much of the foundation the band has established, focusing on interesting riffs, quirky song structures, layered arrangements, and Kürsch's iconic vocals.  However, I will say that much of this album definitely feels darker than most of what I've heard from the band.  There doesn't seem to be any of the folksy whimsy that gave their sound that extra dash of fantasy, instead focusing on darker, heavier themes and moods.

That's not to say the album is bad by any means.  There's plenty of great guitar work here, especially with the aggressive riffing on "Violent Secrets," "Architects of Doom," and "Blood of the Elves."  However, I was quite surprised by the atmospheric "Life Beyond the Spheres" and how dynamic it was.  Overall, it's a solid album from Blind Guardian, but I do think I need to listen to it some more to really dig into everything that's here.

Birth - Born

I admit that my knowledge of psychedelic rock is pretty limited, outside of classic Pink Floyd or bands that sound like them, of course.  So reviewing this might be a little out of my expertise, but I won't grow if I don't try, right?  In any case, this band is something of a successor to another band called Astra, which I admit I haven't gotten to either.  However, when Birth's debut album started popping up in my circles, and I heard some of it, I knew I had to make it a priority to listen to it!

With those big Hammond organs, comparisons to Pink Floyd are pretty easy to make, but I feel like they have dashes of early Yes (circa The Yes Album), Emerson Lake & Palmer, and even Deep Purple in here.  "Descending Us" made me think of "Child of Time" in particular.  However, I don't think the band leans on their influences too much, instead seeing them as an inspiration for the layering, songwriting, and production of their songs.  "Born" starts things well, with lively organ and guitar playing.  "For Yesterday," the longest track on the album, is definitely a fascinating journey through all kinds of layers and musicality.  The bassist Trevor Mast is also on point with some very catchy, jazzy grooves, notably on "Born" and "Cosmic Tears."  This is a very nice, rich set of jams that don't feel any need to rush things. 

This style of retro rock is definitely aiming for a specific audience, and there's a good chance that most of that crowd has already heard this and written their own reviews.  I think what sets this album apart from some of the others (like, say, Seven Planets or Monkey3) is a greater emphasis on lush prog rock orchestrations, and they work very well, taking the listener on a wild but familiar journey.  I can definitely imagine this music would be great to hear live as the band and the audience just kind of vibe together.  If those Astra albums are anything like this, I've clearly been missing out!

Hammer King - Kingdemonium

I'm quickly realizing that Hammer King is a band that, like Sabaton or their weapon compatriots HammerFall, you know what you're getting when you start a new album.  Once again we are in the realm of hammers and kings and the combination thereof, and while I really enjoyed their self-titled last album, I was hoping their next offering would be just as good.  Unfortunately, despite some solid songs, Kingdemonium doesn't have quite same level of energy.

There's still plenty here to recommend, though.  The lyrics are completely cheesy, but they're delivered with gusto by Titan Fox V, as always.  The guitar tone is pretty solid, with plenty of leads and riffs, though I do think the solos are a little less interesting.  However, the bass playing of Günt von Schratenau really comes out on this album, which is nice to hear.  I quite liked "Pariah Is My Name," "Kingdemonium," and "Guardians of the Realm,' as I felt they retained much of what worked last time.  Most of the other songs generally stay at a mid-tempo pace.  They're not bad, but don't quite retain my attention as much.  The closing epic "Age of Urizen" with its 12/8 gallop ends the album pretty well, though.

Saying "It's more of the same" often comes across as a criticism, but sometimes it can be a good thing, and Hammer King clearly have something worked out, as their style still feels very fun and fresh.  It's also pretty consistent in quality, so fans of the band and of power metal in general will find plenty to like.  However, Kingdemonium doesn't have the same momentum as last year's album, so I do feel a little bit let down, overall.

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Despite having heard more than a handful of albums for 2022, I don't know if I've got a clear #1 contender yet.  There's been a bunch of solid stuff though, so I expect my Top 5 is going to be tough again, this year.  I suppose that's not a bad thing, though.

Coming up, I've got another Anniversary Series article for 2007, which will mainly be reviewing another group of albums, as I haven't listened to much from that year, and the 2012 article will be the same, I'm afraid.  Still, plenty to look forward to.  Until then, rock on! \m/

New Videos - August 2022!

Man, it really feels like there is just too much good music to check out, and not enough time to listen to it all!  Once again, I've got a bunch of videos from bands with new albums that I haven't gotten to yet, but they sound great.  Lots of epic stuff this time, so check them out!

Let's kick things off with some more SheWolf.  This one has a folkier vibe, lilting around with its melodies.  Along with Angel Wolf-Black's vocals and the orchestrations backing them all, it's a pretty fun piece of symphonic metal.

It's actually impressive to see Peavy chugging along, now with an EP coming out soon, just after their album last year.  Once again, we get some pretty gritty traditional metal that plows through you like an oncoming train!  Why slow down when it sounds this good?

Another band I know very little about, Borealis is going for that kind of epic, melodic progressive metal, much in the same vein as Vanden Plas and DGM.  At first, it hits you with all the notes, then it goes into a very melodic chorus, but then the song builds into this epic, symphonic part before the guitar solo.  A blast to listen to!

Yup, more Hammer King.  Based on the singles so far, this next album is looking to simply carry on what they accomplished with their self-titled one, and I am ready for it!  I know it's out, and I'm planning on getting to it right away.  Maybe next month.

"So Quiet Here" is another one from the Allen/Olzon project, and it's definitely more in the vein of the first album, with some solid melodies and orchestrations.  What stands out on this one is how well the two vocalists sound when they sing together.  I'm definitely looking forward to listening to this album as well.