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 - August 2021 Part Two!

Sorry for the delay on this one, but I wasn't sure what I wanted to do for the last article of August.  Eventually, this one won out, mostly by the fact that it got done first.  In any case, there's plenty to check out, mostly power metal.  Turn it up!

I'm always surprised by how many new bands just keep coming out with new stuff, but I guess these guys have been kicking around Sweden for more than a few years, now.  I don't know if having those pulsing bass synths is normal, but it does push this metal track to the next level of epic, sitting next to the likes of Beast in Black and Primal Fear in style.

While the band is doing some more cross-promotion with a video game, I can't deny Sabaton can still put out fun stuff.  Going back to their well-tread ground of tanks (get it?), they offer another catchy, upbeat stomper.  I kinda wish the music wasn't drowned out by the explosions and tankfire, though.

Speaking of reliable bands, Eclipse keeps bringing the rock!  They seem to have really mastered writing these massive, anthemic, upbeat rockers (this time with a little Beethoven).  Their last album had a bunch of them, and it seems this next one won't be any different.  Incredible stuff.

Rage is another band that's a gap for me.  These German metallers have been going since the 80s, and are often cited for being a part of the early shift into power metal.  However, here, we have something that's more like melodic thrash, making me think of bands like Metal Church and Savage Messiah.  Huge, crunchy riffs, and plenty of energy prove that the band leader Peavy hasn't slowed down.

Hey, remember these guys?  I still never got around to their debut album, but this new video they threw together serves as a good reminder for me to get back to them.  Full of neo-classical energy a la Stratovarius, these guys had some great power metal chops.

Metalium has actually been broken up for nearly 10 years now, but when their founded and bassist Lars Ratz passed away, the remaining members got together to write this song in tribute to him.  To be expected, it's a pretty solid power metal track that balances the crunch with the epic.  I know I'd like to hear them come back, but for now, this is a nice tribute to one of the underdogs of metal.

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!