New Releases - June 2024!

I'm slowly catching up on some power metal, and looking ahead, there's only going to be more!  There's just a lot of big power metal albums this year, so apologize if it feels like I've become the Power Metal Champion lately.  Still, here are the newest releases that I've been checking out!

Scanner - The Cosmic Race

Like I said when I included their lead single in a New Videos article last year, I vaguely knew of Scanner, but I hadn't listened to them before.  Unsurprisingly, they're another solid blend of heavy and power metal styles that are so typical of their homeland of Germany.  But that just means there's a lot of competition, and based on this album, they seem to fall into the crowd.

Of course, this isn't a bad album, and they do have some decent variety.  The faster stuff seems to channel bands like Gamma Ray and Primal Fear, while their mid-tempo songs feel more like Judas Priest.  Singer Efthimios Ioannidis has a solid grit to his voice that goes well with the songs, though the lyrics can be a little clunky in their delivery.  There aren't really any surprises if you've heard any other band like this, but Scanner knows their way around the style pretty well.  

Based on the songs, I wondered if this was a concept album about people leaving an environmentally ruined Earth, travelling through space until they eventually get to a new planet, promising to take care of it better than their homeworld. "Scanner's Law" is the best track on the album, finding that blend of high energy and mid-tempo epicness, "Space Battalion" was interesting bit of Painkiller inspired metal, especially with that switch to 6/8 in the bridge, and "The Earth Song" sets the tone for the album pretty well.  I don't know if this will rank well at the end of the year, especially with so many other big power metal releases, but it's a solid slab of sci-fi-inspired music.

Hammer King - König und Kaiser

After enjoying their fourth, self-titled album, and feeling that Kingdemonium was a decent, if slightly underwhelming, follow-up, Hammer King carry on their crusade to sing about hammers and kings and the clashes between the two.  In all seriousness, they remain pretty consistent, even if they dip into a bit more silliness than usual.

With pretty much the same lineup as before, they pound on through another stack of heavy/power metal songs with plenty of gusto.  Things start off well with "Hailed by the Hammer," with its stompy riffing.  Their campaign continues with "War Hammer" and "Divided We Shall Fall," providing some crunchy riffs and epic choruses.  "Future King" and "I Want Chaos" turn up the speed and "Gates of Atlantia" is an epic closer to the main album.

If there is a concern, it's that the lyrics are starting to wander into the farcical, like PowerWolf.  The reference to Back to the Future on the time-travel song feels weird, and "The Devil I Will" is based on a scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  While I don't want bands to feel like they have to be locked in to a style or lyrical theme, I admit I take my power metal pretty seriously as a fun style of dramatic and/or epic storytelling, so when these sorts of tongue-in-cheek songs happen, I have a hard time with them.  Still, this is a solid album of entertaining songs, and fit well with everything Hammer King has done before.  

Firewind - Stand United

While I felt a little underwhelmed by their last album, it was by no means bad.  Herbie Langhans was a solid addition, giving the band an extra layer of melodic grit.  Now, four years later, the same lineup is back for more, and I think I'm getting into it now.

Last time, I felt they were channeling traditional metal much like Herman Frank's recent solo output.  However, because I guess I was more prepared for that, I've ended up really liking it!  Sure, there are some power metal flourishes here and there, and Gus G. is still doing what he does best: playing great, melodic, noodly solos, but this is definitely leaning more on the classic heavy metal side.  I think what's working for me here is that the song-writing feels tight, with fun, crunchy riffs and choruses that are easy to sing along with.  If there is one thing I noticed that was different was a greater use of synthesizers.  It wasn't much, just enough to add a little flavor, but it was on most of the songs, giving them a touch of old-school charm.  

Honestly a lot of this is pretty consistent, with songs just trucking along one after the other, but I can't deny I enjoyed it.  Things start off well with "Salvation Day" and the title track.  "The Power Lies Within" is a very uplifting, traditional metal styled anthem, things get a little gritty on "Land of Chaos," and I even liked their cover of "Talking In Your Sleep"!  I admit it's not an amazing album, but there is nothing wrong with keeping things straight-ahead, especially when it's done this well!

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.

New Videos - July 2022!

I'm not sure what's hotter: the ridiculous temperatures we've been feeling this summer or these new releases!  Okay, that was a silly opening line, but this is a very good list of videos here for July.  Lots of symphonic and power metal this time, and even a few fusions of both.  Turn this stuff up, because it's more epic that way!

Let's start with how the last New Videos article ended: with some new Hammer King!  As expected, it doesn't rewrite the book in any way, but maintains a solid anthemic style, with a catchy chorus, and some nice riffing.  Definitely looking forward to more when the album comes out next month!

This was a bolt out of the blue!  While the first Allen/Olzon album was a lot of fun, one can never tell if these kind of projects will continue or just be a one off, so I'm happy to see these two coming together for another slab of sentimental symphonic metal!  This one has some pretty aggressive riffing to start, but it serves to balance out the orchestral flourishes quite well.

More symphonic metal!  However, these Swiss musicians are certainly more of a prog metal band than anything else.  While it features the expected musicality and shifts in tone, the big thing that stands out to me is Jasmin Baggenstos' alto vocals, which don't often come up in female-fronted bands, but she sounds great!

The second single for Dragonland's new album serves another great course of symphonic power metal!  The high-speed shredding and keyboard solos remain a staple for this band, and I'm here for it.  Here's hoping the rest of the album is this good!

Another second single, this time from SheWolf.  While the first one was more power metal, this one feels more like symphonic metal.  However, it's still pretty epic and uplifting, and her voice really matches the material, making for a solid piece of melodic metal.

Still catching up with yet another second single, Fallen Sanctuary is some pretty classic power metal, which is my favorite kind!  This song makes me think of Freedom Call, actually, with its freeflowing, cheerful vibe.  Very catchy and fun!

New Videos - June 2022!

The end of the month means it's time to catch up on some new videos!  Plenty of power metal with this one, but I got a few rock tracks in there for good measure.  I'm getting pretty excited for a lot of these albums showing up later this year.  Turn these up!

Let's start with something fast and crunchy!  Between this and "Violent Shadows," Blind Guardian have definitely been getting back to their older, speed metal days, but I'm here for it.  This is some epic shredding and once again Kürsch's vocals bring the heft to bring the song alive.

To be honest, I kind of expected The Secret to be Alan Parsons's last album, based on some of the themes there, but I guess he's got more ideas to share.  Tapping into Tommy Shaw is an interesting choice, though it's still a solid performance.  A bit of a hard rock vibe, though, making it a curious listen that might be a sign of whatever the legendary engineer has in mind for the future.

Birth is definitely tapping into that classic psychedelic rock style, providing this 9 minute single that sort of meanders about, but in a good way.  It largely made me think of Pink Floyd's more laidback, folkier songs, like on Obscured By Clouds.  A solid jam, with good atmosphere.

Dragonland are back after ten years!  Instead of continuing their fantasy story, they're doing a sci-fi concept album, but they retain much of their symphonic power metal style, specifically the stuff they did on their album Contact, which had some sci-fi stuff on it as well.  It's like they haven't missed a beat!

Wow!  I had no idea HammerKing would be coming back so quickly!  I guess they had a bunch more HammerFall-flavored power metal to share.  Not that I'm complaining!  Their last album easily made to Top 5 for last year, and if it's going to be more of the same, I'm very much on board!

I saw this group pop up earlier in the year, but I thought they would be more folky or black metal, so when I discovered that they were symphonic power metal, I did a bit of a double take.  I'm not quite sure if I have a solid feel for the band from this song alone, as it veers between Rhapsody of Fire orchestral bombast and Iron Maiden-style hooks, but I can tell this has some interesting potential.

Last Played - April 2022!

I'm finally getting around to listening to some new stuff!  Well, new to me anyway.  Lots of catching up on classic bands this time, but there's a lot of good stuff to go over.  Here's what I've been listening to lately!!

Anvil - Metal On Metal

Last year, I decided to check out Anvil's debut album, only to find it pretty underwhelming and immature.  There were a few decent parts, but otherwise, I was not impressed.  So I was glad to hear how much of an improvement their next album was, as they push further into heavy metal territory.

Right off the bat, with the opening title track, you can tell they've picked up a lot of heft.  While they did have a bit of the NWOBHM rockin' before, on this album there's much stronger Judas Priest and Accept vibes.  The riffs are chunkier, and the leads are quite noodly, as they find little gaps to fill in here and there.  "Mothra" and "Scenary" continue the heavy metal assault, with Lips sounding a lot like Rob Halford.  "March of the Crabs" stands out as well, as it's a noodly instrumental reminiscent of early Iron Maiden, and there are some more Maiden-y riffs on "Tease Me, Please Me."  Things even get a bit thrashy on the tracks "Jackhammer" and "666."  Everyone just sounds like they really stepped up their game for this album.

Unfortunately, the sleazy lyrics make return on a handful of songs.  However, they aren't quite as amateur as they were on the last album, as they wouldn't be out of place on some glam metal albums that would dominate the decade, so maybe they were ahead of their time.  Still, this album is a major improvement after Hard 'n' Heavy, with the metal riffing and bigger attitude across the board.

Rush - Hold Your Fire

As I said in my review of Power Windows over two years ago, Rush is a band that I think I like, but I haven't really spent a lot of time with them, especially their later material.  Picking this up where I left off, Hold Your Fire shows Rush at their most 80s, for better and worse.

This is definitely an album that dates itself.  The production definitely sounds like 1987 (making me think of Yes's Big Generator from the same year, actually).  However, once you get past this, the music remains some pretty solid, synth-heavy melodic rock.  Geddy Lee gets a lot of layers of lushness out of his keyboards, givng the songs an expansive feel to match their big ideas.  He doesn't overuse any particular sound, often shifting from big symphonic synth pads to small, noddly little pieces.

Of course, we also get Lee's melodic basslines, Lifeson's unique (if jangly) guitar work, and Peart's iconic drum fills.  I don't know if any of the tracks really stand out, as they are all generally pretty solid, though I do feel like the band has definitely taken a deeper step into AOR territory.  However, the occasional proggy bit and Peart's lyrics really help to elevate this album from getting too fluffy and shallow.

I like this album more than Power Windows, as this one feels more optimistic and uplifting, over all.  Once again, I think this album could grow on me if I listened to it more.  It really is impressive how these guys seem to sound so iconic even deep within the 80s rock scene.  While it certainly is a product of its time, Rush remain consistent as ever.

Black Sabbath - Dehumanizer

So after doing Heaven and Hell and The Mob Rules, I wasn't sure if I wanted to do the rest of the 80s for Sabbath.  I had heard that it gets pretty messy and mediocre.  So I thought I'd just jump right ahead to 1992 and the return of the Dio lineup.  While it was a short-lived reunion, the result is some pretty decent heavy metal.

It's interesting comparing this one to the two previous ones, as I feel like the decade difference in time has allowed for some subtle changes.  Not only is the production even shinier, I could start to hear the influences of the last decade seeping in a little as well.  Of course, Dio brings his stamp onto things, with songs sounding like much of the output from his solo career, especially "TV Crims" and "Master of Insanity."  But when they do the darker songs like "Computer God, "After All (The Dead)," and "Buried Alive," it sounds like one of those slower thrash metal songs, like the opening of "South of Heaven" by Slayer.  However, there are a few poppy songs as well, with "Sins of the Father" and "I" making me think of Ozzy's solo stuff, of all things.

Despite all these interesting influences, I can't shake the feeling that it's a bit of a safe album.  While it's certainly not bad, as I did quite like "After All (The Dead), "TV Crimes", and "I," I don't know if it really has any surprises, or any thing that the other two Dio Sabbath albums didn't do better.  It's a solid album, as everyone performs well and Iommi does some decent solos, though, Certainly a big comeback for the band and their fans, but I do wonder if it was a little too focused on trying to recapture some old magic.

Hammer King - Kingdom of the Hammer King

After enjoying their self-titled album last year, I thought I would dig into their back catalog and check out Hammer King's debut album.  While I expected more of their heavy/power metal sound, this album definitely shows a band that hasn't quite matured, but still establishes a decent foundation for them to build on.

The main thing that stands out is just how generic it all is.  This is about as meat-and-potatoes as a heavy/power metal album can be!  The lyrics in particular are quite short and simple, leaning heavily into their inspirations of Manowar and HammerFall.  However, they end up turning the simplicity into a strength, helping the songs feel more catchy and fun to sing along with.  The songwriting is also pretty straight-forward and formulaic, but there is something to be said for focusing on execution, resulting plenty of mid-tempo chugging, and some very nice melodic solos.

However, it really is the same tone and vibe all the way through.  While "Blood Angels" does get a little darker and heavier, this is some pretty cookie-cutter heavy/power metal.  There isn't much to criticize, though, as it's all done pretty well.  I particularly enjoyed the call-and-response elements on "Aderlass," "We Are the Hammer" kicks it up a notch, and "Figure in the Black" is a curious ode to James Bond, of all things.  While it's not as good as their self-titled album, I can see this album as a good starting point for what they will become.

Top 5 of 2021!!

After listening to so many albums last year, coming up with a Top 5 was pretty difficult.  I got to listen to a lot of really great stuff, and it's been very difficult to determine what really was the best from this year.  I had to cut some solid albums just to get this down to five.

I do want to give a few honorable mentions, namely Eternal Flame by NorthTale and Mojo Skyline by The Dust Coda.  Both had a lot of great material, but didn't quite have the same level of quality that the following five did.  However, it was certainly close, and I had to find some pretty small reasons to justify why the following albums were better.  It just goes to show how good this past year was for rock and metal music!

Anyway, here's my Top 5 for 2021!

5. Brainstorm - Wall of Skulls

This almost didn't make the list, but I decided that it edged out the other albums out of sheer consistency.  While other bands may have had better individual songs, Brainstorm provided a crunchy power metal album that rocks from start to finish.

4. W.E.T. - Retransmission

It was tough deciding where this one should go, and how it measured up to the competition, not only from classic artists like Robin McAuley, but also from this band's guitarist Magnus Henriksson's main project Eclipse.  Once again, I think it came down to simply having the complete package; an album of songs that really nailed that classic 80s sound while still feeling fresh and powerful.

3. Hammer King - Hammer King

The moment I heard their lead single "Hammerschlag," I know I was in for something special.  Even if they wear their influences on their sleeve, this band evoked my love for classic HammerFall like nothing had before, and I loved every minute it.  It's always a good sign if an album makes you smile the whole time you're listening to it.

2. Helloween - Helloween

I don't suppose you could really call this a comeback, as the band had been pretty busy in the last six years, but it's hard to not to feel like this album isn't a culmination of everything the band has been across its entire history.  Between the classic sounding tracks and the great vocal harmonies between Deris, Kiske, and Hansen, this was a power metal fan's dream.  

1. Antti Martikainen - Carmina Gloria

As the year went on, I had a sneaking suspicion that this might end up as my #1.  It may be a bit of sacrilege to put this over Helloween, but I can't deny that what Antti has done is create an incredibly solid and consistent album of symphonic metal.  For all of its bombast and epicness, it doesn't wear out its welcome, containing clever shifts and changes within the songs, as if representing the ebb and flow of massive battles.  After enjoying Northern Steel for the past four years, I'm glad I was able to catch this one as well.  Who knew a Finnish epic trailer music composer could provide such incredible metal?!

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I've got one more videos article I'm putting together to wrap up 2021, so keep an eye out for that, as it should be out pretty soon. 

Once that's finally finished, I can look ahead to 2022.  Already, some interesting things are lining up.  Not only do we get new HammerFall and Sabaton albums here pretty soon, but down the road, there's Megadeth, Alter Bridge, and maybe even a new Metallica.  And who knows what new bands I'll discover in the upcoming year as well.  Even if it's not the most popular music anymore, there doesn't seem to be a shortage of melodic rock and metal bands out there making great music!

Until then, let's get into 2022 and rock on!

Last Played - September 2021!

Time for some album reviews!  I'm finally catching up to some new releases, and this time, it's all power metal!!  There's been some solid stuff released this year, and it's great to hear that this style still has a lot going on in it.  Here's what I've listened to lately!

Paladine - Entering the Abyss

Well, I said was going to get this one, and here we are!  Just as a recap, Paladine are a power metal band that focus their songs on the D&D Dragonlance setting, which is what got my attention in first place.  Right off, there really isn't much that's different than the last album, but the production is definitely better, as things are more balanced between the performers.

Once again, we're back into tracks that are kinda crunchy, kinda melodic, kinda epic.  Blind Guardian and classic Dream Evil feel like the main reference points, especially with Protonotarios's grittier vocal delivery.  However, these songs are pretty straight-forward power metal, providing a lot of the same vibes multiple times, I feel.

Overall, it's not bad, as it is all generally solid, but the only real stand-out tracks for me are "Entering the Abyss" and the speedy "Hourglass in the Sky."  Still, fans of the D&D franchise will find plenty to enjoy, and I'm sure power metal fans will dig the solid atmosphere and slick guitar leads.

Helloween - Helloween

I've been a fan of Helloween for a while, but I haven't really caught up with their more recent releases (I've listened to everything up through Better Than Raw).  Combined with the fact that they've brought back both Kai Hansen and Michael Kiske, after touring so successfully together, I wasn't sure quite what to expect.  I should have figured that it would feel a lot of classic Helloween, which made me pretty happy.

Sure, some of the songs are on the longer side, due to some intros and prog-lite shifts, but otherwise, anything that one could expect from a Helloween album is all here.  The riffs are catchy and melodic, the solos are absolutely spot on, and the double-kicking makes me think it's late-90s power metal all over again.  As for the vocals, everyone is on point, though Kai doesn't take too many leads, focusing more on his guitar work.  However, they do this one section together on "Fear of the Fallen" where they trade words, and it's amazing!

The album is pretty solid power metal from top to bottom.  "Fear of the Fallen" is an incredible track that goes back and forth between high-tempo shredding and more mellow parts.  "Mass Pollution" is very anthemic.  "Indestructible" has a solid, traditional metal vibe.  And "Skyfall" is a great epic like "Halloween" all over again, with a dash of Bowie's "Space Oddity" for good measure.  The rest of the tracks are decent as well, without ever getting tedious or monotonous.  This might be the best album I've heard this year, so far!

Antti Martikainen - Carmina Gloria

I'm not quite sure when it happened, but I discovered Antti when I came across a track or two of his Northern Steel album on YouTube, I instantly loved it.  Epic folk metal that really felt like it was made for his homeland of Finland.  Nearly 2 hours of solid awesome.  So when I discovered he was busting out his guitars again for another album, I knew I had to give it a listen.

Much of what made Northern Steel so great is here as well, though the folky elements are mostly gone, replaced for a more straight-forward symphonic metal approach, with a few dashes of power metal.  However, given the theme of crusaders, there are a few middle-eastern style sections with exotic ouds to expand the soundscape, allowing for a bit of variety as well giving the music even more lush layers to work with.  Meanwhile, the guitars are on point, with some huge riffs and leads that are very melodic and tasty.  And its hard to go wrong with track names like "Metal Crusade" and "Claymore in the Face"!

If there is a problem is that it insists a certainly level of intensity throughout.  While it does have dynamics from section to section, it maintains its epic tone from beginning to end, so it might be a bit much for some folks, especially with the longer tracks.  However, I enjoy it quite a bit.  I don't know if this will hit my Top 5, but it's a lot of fun to listen to and have on in the background.

Hammer King - Hammer King

When I first heard "Hammerschlag," I knew this would be an album I couldn't ignore.  Featuring solid mix of heavy and power metal, this album actually has more going on than one might assume from the album art and power metal name.

First off, I'm just going to say it: they sound like HammerFall, and I mean that in a good way.  However, it's definitely an older HammerFall style, making me think of albums like Glory to the Brave and Legacy of Kings, where the leads were more noodly and the songwriting more expansive.  Fortunately, these guys are not just a clone, as they bring in a few other influences, like the Iron Maiden-like leads on "Into the Storm," the Manowar-esque epicness on "King of Kings," and the Savatage/TSO vocal rounds at the end "Atlantis (Epilogue)."  There's also a good variety in tempo and tone, helping to break things up.

This stuff is really up my alley, as HammerFall is the band that got me into metal.  I'm not sure of the acoustic outro "Holy" was really necessary, though, as "King of Kings" was a solid closer.  My favorites from this album are the solid opener in "Awaken the Thunder" and of course the memorable, anthemic "Hammerschlag," and the rest of the album keeps it pretty classic.  It's a solid effort, one that makes me think I should dig into their back catalog.  If I do, you'll be sure I'll review it!

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Well, that gets a few off my plate, but there are certainly others, including a few still to come out this year, like Dream Theater and Yes.  Hopefully, I can get caught up on all the ones that I want to hear before the end.  However, that will make the Top 5 for this year harder to choose!  A good problem to have, I suppose.  Well, until then, rock on!  \m/

New Videos - June 2021!

Still dealing with the heat, but I'm catching up on the latest videos.  This one is a bit back and forth between rock and metal, but it's all great, I promise!  These songs really demand to be turned up all the way!

Starting off with another great rocker from Big City.  This one is a little darker, a little more dramatic, and features some slide-guitar for one of the bridges (and the other solo is pretty tasty, as well).  While it's still within the pop metal wheelhouse, this one shows that the band has more than just good anthemic songs.

Another band I've heard a lot about, but never gotten around to.  Galneryus has been doing neo-classical power metal for quite a while now, and it sounds like they haven't slowed down in the slightest!  The song does bounce back-and-forth between Japanese and English, but the Malmsteen style solos are universal as far as I'm concerned!

I know I've called The Treatment a more melodic AC/DC, but this song seems to wander into more Def Leppard or Dokken territory, with a distinct pop metal vibe.  Still, it's quite enjoyable, and has some interesting little guitar licks.  Kinda wish the solo was a little longer, though.

Another awesome track from Hammer King!  Very much sitting between the sounds of HammerFall and Gamma Ray, this is some epic, chest-pounding metal.  I need to make their new album a higher priority for me!!

This new Styx album is sounding more and more peculiar.  While I recognize Tommy's voice, the song has this acoustic 6/8 groove, with some 70s synths laid on top.  It's a decent song, but I don't know if it really sounds like Styx.  I suppose I'll find out when I listen to the new album.

Finishing this article off with some gritty German power metal, Brainstorm has a great, double-kicking speed fest here.  Along with a catchy chorus and those crunchy guitars, it's one of the better songs in this style I've heard in a while!

New Videos - April 2021!

I'm starting to catch up on newer releases again, and it's definitely thanks in part to these video articles.  I love finding out new bands or classic bands putting out new material.  This one is a little heavy on the power metal, but I found some great stuff and had to share it!

Let's start with something nice and crunchy!!  Warrior Path straddle the line between traditional heavy metal and power metal, making for something that's epic, but still very grounded.  This song also features a lot of catchy little riffs, kinda making me think of early HammerFall or Dream Evil.

I'll admit my feelings about Greta Van Fleet are complicated (in fact, I'm working on an article dedicated to my thoughts on their music), but I want to wait to the new album first before publish that.  In the meantime, while other singles have left me lukewarm, this one builds quite nicely, actually.  Here's hoping their new album has more solid material like this.

More epic power metal, again like old Dream Evil or Edguy.  However, the fact that all their songs are based on the D&D setting of Dragonlance is what stood out to me, as I remember enjoying those books when I was in high school.  Melodic and crunchy, with great vocals from Nick "The Metalizer" Protonotarios.

Another single from this upcoming Robin McAuley solo album.  This one is more at ease, going for a middling tempo, but still has a decent crunch on top of the acoustic guitars.  It's pretty standard AOR, but Robin's vocals really kick it up a notch, I think.

This just kinda popped up on my YouTube subscriptions, and I didn't know what to expect at first.  However, as I put it on, I was surprised to hear power metal in the vein of classic HammerFall.  Chunky, with a foot in traditional metal, and gang vocals on the chorus, this is some epic stuff!  Hammerschlag indeed!

After touring with their 3 vocalists/3 guitarists lineup for a few years, we finally get to hear some of the new stuff they've been cooking up, and it's pretty classic Helloween.  A bit odd to have a 7 minute "single edit" of a 12 minute epic, but it's fun and a bit proggy, with the calmer, "Space Oddity" moments between all the blast beats.  I'm definitely excited for this album, and this song only makes the wait harder!