New Videos - October 2020!

I feel like these last few months are gonna be nuts for me.  So much material to cover, so little time!  Hopefully, I'll be able to cover all that I want to before the year ends.  In the meantime, here's some new stuff I liked.

Starting off with something a little different, Lunatic Soul is a side project for the singer of Riverside, and it seems he's got some interesting vibes for this one.  It starts off kinda folky and moody, but it ends up building to this rather energetic ending that still feels moody and cinematic.  Fascinating piece of music for sure.

Of course, I'm not going to ignore the new AC/DC.  It sounds pretty standard, much like their material on Rock or Bust or Black Ice.  Solid, mid-tempo blues rock like the boys have been playing for over 40 years.

Here's Spirit Adrift again, and it's still kinda different from the other two I've featured.  This one starts off with more of a rockin', NWOBHM vibe before hitting the halfway mark and going for classic Black Sabbath for the second half.  Already, this album seems to quite the variety.

Pyramaze is another band I've seen around, but never heard.  This seems to be more on the melodic prog side, with a heavy dash of melodrama, like Evergrey or Darkwater.  Supported by some symphonic elements, it's a pretty solid, slow-paced piece of epic metal.

I can't believe Vanden Plas is back with another album.  I never did get around to their last one!  VP has always walked on the melodic side of prog metal, and this is no different, though they do throw in some mixed meter for good measure.  I'm rarely disappointed by these guys.

Let's close this one out with some nice AOR.  I guess Michael Palace has been bouncing around the Frontiers Records catalog for a while, and it shows.  This is 80s-tastic and anthemic as anything else that label has released.  Nothing new, but it's a nice, crunchy track of a style that definitely doesn't get enough attention these days.

New Videos - July 2020 Part Three!

How about that?  I was able to pull together another article before the end of the month!  I wasn't sure if I was going to make it.  This time, expect a lot of metal!  \m/

So this is a pretty neat little song.  Blind Guardian is a decent reference point, with the epic scope and crunchy guitars, but staying grounded.  It's also a touch on the long side, but I think it works for what they're going for here.

More Primal Fear is always a good thing!  Their Judas Priest inspired style of power metal is such a thrill, and you get the impression they love playing it as well!  As expected, this is full of big, crunchy guitars and Ralf Scheepers huge voice!

Orden Ogan is a name I've seen around and heard many good things about, but never got to them until just now.  Power metal, with some proggy touches, is the nature of this one, with some great riffs and a neat solo (once you get to it).  Not sure if I like all the lens flares, though.

I know I usually don't do live videos for these articles, but I had never heard of this band before.  Redemption is very much prog metal, in the vein of Dream Theater or Symphony X.  In fact, that's Tom Englund from Evergrey on the vocals!  Technical, but not too dense, with some nice solos.

Well, this is a blast of metal if I've ever heard one!  Palace play a very classic style of 80s metal that would make their German countrymen proud, full of crunchy riffs and a driving tempo often heard in the likes of Accept and Rage, and the shout-along chorus is the cherry on top!

After all that metal, let's finish with something mellow.  Pattern-Seeking Animals already has their second album out (I don't think I ever got around to listening to their first one completely!).  Nice, melodic, mood-driven prog rock that's refreshing and pleasant.