Author: metalvalkyrie2014

Lord of The Lost Announces New Covers Album

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[Photo Credit: Jan Season]

The very first covers album by Germany’s #1 charting LORD OF THE LOST – honoring favorites by Michael Jackson, Judas Priest, Billy Idol & more!

Exactly one year after the release of their game changing #1 charting album, Blood & Glitter (Official German Album Charts), LORD OF THE LOST are coming back with their first ever covers album, Weapons Of Mass Seduction. The new album is a collection of songs that have inspired the band to bend genres. This double album wraps up the busiest and most successful year in the band’s history so far. In addition to storming the charts with their latest studio album, being invited by the legendary Iron Maiden as special guest on their European tour (again!), numerous sold-out headline shows, and opening gigs for Powerwolf and Amon Amarth, the band represented Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest Finals in Liverpool in May of this year. LORD OF THE LOST made it clear once again that they do not limit themselves when it comes to genre norms and influences. They’re wacky and weird and don’t follow any rules when it comes to music.

Today, the band unveils the opening track of their upcoming offering, an electrifying cover of Billy Idol’s “Shock To The System”! The song arrives with a perfectly fitting music video, underlining its attitude the best possible way. It’s a great cover and I was honestly impressed with the vocals as Billy Idol is an incredible singer. I didn’t expect to like it as I haven’t like their latest releases… but this cover is really well done. I wish the guitars were more pronounced and heavier, but it’s a polished 80’s sound that fits with the original.

Chris Harms on “Shock To The System”:             
“I remember exactly when I heard this song for the first time. I was 13 years old, it was summer and I was sitting in the back of the Opel Manta convertible in which I drove to the open-air pool with my older sister and her boyfriend. Rarely has the energy of a single song gripped me so much. We’d like to give a little bit of that energy back with our tribute to Billy Idol and this song through our cover and accompanying video.”

While the album is entirely covers, Weapons Of Mass Seduction confirms LORD OF THE LOST’s creative ability to make even unexpected songs their own, and further confirms their status. The covers album comes in various different formats – some of them containing a second CD with 11 covers that are already released or have been played live. The deluxe boxset includes a third CD with 10 acoustic tracks, exclusively available in this format.

Weapons Of Mass Seduction Tracklist:
CD 1

  1. Shock To The System (Billy Idol Cover)
  2. Unstoppable (Sia Cover)
  3. Smalltown Boy (Bronski Beat Cover)
  4. Turbo Lover (Judas Priest Cover)
  5. Hymn (Ultravox Cover)
  6. Give In To Me (Michael Jackson Cover)
  7. River (Bishop Briggs Cover)
  8. Somewhere Only We Know (Keane Cover)
  9. (I Just) Died In Your Arms (feat. Anica Russo) (Cutting Crew Cover)
  10. High (Zella Day Cover)
  11. House On A Hill (The Pretty Reckless Cover)

CD 2

  1. The Look (feat. Blümchen) (Roxette Cover)
  2. Ordinary Town (Celebrate The Nun Cover)
  3. Cha Cha Cha (Käärijä Cover)
  4. Judas (Lady Gaga Cover)
  5. Children Of The Damned (Iron Maiden Cover)
  6. Wig In A Box (Hedwig and the Angry Inch Cover)
  7. Bad Romance (Lady Gaga Cover)
  8. The Most Radical Thing To Do (The Ark Cover)
  9. This Is The Life (Amy MacDonald Cover)
  10. It’s A Sin (Pet Shop Boys Cover)
  11. Ordinary World (Duran Duran Cover)

CD 3 – Ltd Deluxe Edition only

  1. Starman (David Bowie Cover)
  2. Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon (Neil Diamond Cover)
  3. The Days Of Pearly Spencer (David McWilliams Cover)
  4. Hey You (Pink Floyd Cover)
  5. I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night (The Electric Prunes Cover)
  6. Where Do You Go To My Lovely (Peter Sarstedt Cover)
  7. Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season) (The Byrds Cover)
  8. In The Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus) (Zager & Evans Cover)
  9. All I Have To Do Is Dream (The Everly Brothers Cover)
  10. Perfect Day (Lou Reed Cover)

Weapons Of Mass Seduction will be available in the following formats:             

  • 3 CD Boxset, incl 2 CD 6 pages Digisleeve (Ltd Deluxe Edition) and CD 3 incl 10 acoustic songs, exclusively available in the Deluxe Box + pink Sweatband with black logo, sharped patch and sticker – Napalm Records Mailorder and LORDSHOP exclusive – strictly limited to 1000 copies worldwide
  • 2 LP RECYCLED COLOR Vinyl – Die Hard Edition incl Slipmat, record butler and 12 inch booklet – Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive – strictly limited to 300 copies worldwide
  • 2 LP RECYCLED COLOR Vinyl incl 12 inch booklet – LORDSHOP exclusive – strictly limited to 300 copies worldwide
  • 2LP Gatefold RECYCLED BLACK Vinyl
  • 2 CD 6 pages Digisleeve (Ltd Deluxe Edition), 12p booklet
  • 1 CD 6 pages Digisleeve, 12p booklet
  • Cassette (PINK w/ Black print) – Napalm Records Mailorder and LORDSHOP exclusive – strictly limited to 300 copies worldwide
  • Digital Album

Weapons Of Mass Seduction features a wide range of songs from different eras and genres performed in true LORD OF THE LOST style, all surprisingly fitting for the band and hence forming a cohesive collection of covers. Classic heavy metal track “Turbo Lover”, originally by Judas Priest, meets modern pop hits in songs such as Sia’s “Unstoppable”, Bishop Briggs’ “River” and Zella Day’s “High”. Ultravox’ “Hymn”, followed by Michael Jackson’s legendary “Give In To Me” and Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know”, expand the multifaceted selection even further. With added rougher elements such as heavier vocals, Bronski Beat’s captivating 80s electro pop hit “Smalltown Boy” gets a dark makeover in the hands of LORD OF THE LOST. The unit’s cover of another legendary 80s song, “(I Just) Died In Your Arms“, features a guest appearance from rising singer-songwriter Anica Russo, who also took part in Germany’s ESC 2023 preliminary round Unser Lied für Liverpool (EN: Our Song for Liverpool). An emotional version of The Pretty Reckless’ “House On A Hill” closes Weapons Of Mass Seduction impactful.

A special 2CD edition of the new covers album provides a cross-cut of covers previously released or already covered live over the course of LORD OF THE LOST’s career. Among them are the Roxette cover “The Look” feat. Blümchen – already known from Blood & Glitter – “Children Of The Damned”, a homage to Iron Maiden, with whom LORD OF THE LOST experienced intense times during the last two years, and the cover of the Finnish ESC song “Cha Cha Cha” by Käärijä – sung by Chris Harms completely in Finnish.
 

Get Your Copy of Weapons Of Mass Seduction NOW!

Modern Metal Band Infected Rain Announce New Album

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INFECTED RAIN are:
Lena Scissorhands – Vocals    
Vidick – Guitar    
Alice Lane – Bass    
Eugeniu Voluta – Drums

Industrial Modern Metal Act Infected Rain are coming back with a new album in February 2024 with “TIME”. Insight to TIME offers a bombastic trip-hop Metal blended journey into the ever flowing sands of time. It’s going to be heavy, moody, and trippy. The Moldovian band want to bring new flavors in their follow-up to ECDYSIS (2022) and continue to evolve their sound with a new member, Alice Lane on Bass. The band’s most successful album yet will be undoubtedly difficult to follow up on, but Infected Rain has not let us down yet and I don’t suspect they ever will. They’re one of the most intensely heavy bands I have ever heard in my life. New single NEVER TO RETURN is a shoe-in for their usual ball busting material, but it has a new cerebral sound that is truly mesmerizing with Eastern instruments flirting with a low end rhythmic feel. It’s identifiable as Infected Rain, but certainly matured and evolved.

INFECTED RAIN says about TIME:
“TIME is not just an album, it’s a journey, a testament to our evolution as INFECTED RAIN. 
Time isn’t just a measure; it’s an ever-flowing river, a constant reminder of our fleeting moments and enduring legacies. 
This subject resonates deeply throughout the record, offering to you a chance to reflect on the past, embrace the present, and dream of the future. 
With TIME, we invite you to experience the phenomena of time with us, in all its haunting beauty and raw power.”

INFECTED RAIN says about “NEVER TO RETURN”:

“‘NEVER TO RETURN’ is our deep dive into the unstoppable flow of time, reminiscent of the shifting sands in an ancient desert.
Like smoke that slips through fingers, moments pass us by, leaving behind traces of memories.
In this song, amidst the backdrop of the vast, timeless desert, we transform into ethereal creatures, exploring the mysteries of time. It’s a reflection on life’s journey, with all its fleeting moments, and a reminder that every second counts.”

TIME is out February 9th, 2024 via Napalm Records

Listen to NEVER TO RETURN now!

INFECTED RAIN are on tour in the USA right now, supporting the duke of spook himself, WEDNESDAY 13! See below for all remaining tour dates:
WEDNESDAY 13 w/ INFECTED RAIN, Gemini Syndrome and Black Satellite:
11/07/23: Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck
11/09/23: Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway Theater
11/10/23: Madison, WI @ The Annex
11/11/23: Joliet, IL @ The Forge
11/12/23: Bloomington, IL @ Castle Theater
11/14/23: Belvedere, IL @ Apollo Theatre
11/15/23: Flint, MI @ Machine Shop
11/16/23: Cleveland, OH @ The Foundry
11/17/23: Pittsburgh, PA @ Crafthouse
11/18/23: Lititz, PA @ Mickey’s Black Box
11/19/23: Clifton, NJ @ Dingbatz
11/22/23: Spartanburg, SC @ Ground Zero
11/24/23: Winston-Salem, NC @ Millenium Center
11/25/23: Richmond, VA @ Canal Club
11/26/23: Leesburg, VA @ Tally Ho
11/28/23: Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
11/30/23: Knoxville, TN @ The Concourse
12/01/23: Louisville, KY @ Headliners Music Hall
12/02/23: Columbus, OH @ The King Of Clubs
12/03/23: Indianapolis, IN @ Hi Fi Annex
12/05/23: Des Moines, IA @ Lefty’s Live Music
12/06/23: Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theater
12/08/23: Denver, CO @ Oriental Theater
12/09/23: Colorado Springs, CO @ Black Sheep

The Fear of Fear Spiritbox Review

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The Fear of Fear Spiritbox album 2023

Spiritbox are one of the most talked about bands of the 2020s with breakout hit “Holy Roller” dominating the charts and looping on the radio into a dizzily huge successful album “Eternal Blue”. Love them or hate them, this band is a force of nature in Progressive Metalcore. Guitarist/Composer/Produce Mike Stringer stands out in a crowd of copy/paste guitarists of the genre. To say he is brilliant would be a vast understatement. His counterpart and huge ranged powerhouse, Courtney LaPlante has also been a unique diamond in the rough of radio saturated Metalcore. She is one of my most favorite vocalists, and also the most surprising dichotomous voices. Her ability to switch voicings is rare, because you’re hard pressed to find anyone smoother and more emotive. Spiritbox is a brutal barreling train derailment of sound with a massive wall of sound, Mike occasionally maxing out the stored memory in Pro Tools. If you came to Spiritbox with Eternal Blue, you know the complexity and ginormous layers they can produce. But, don’t expect The Fear of Fear to be a follow-up to Eternal Blue… This band is set on busting expectations, genres, and complacency.

The Fear of Fear is a lyrical journey through battles with mental health, isolation, and dissociation. It is not like Eternal Blue as it doesn’t flow or necessarily fit together. There is no two tracks that sound alike, but it is reminiscent of very early Spiritbox demos and Singles. There are melodic tones that seem so familiar and imperative to the identity of Spiritbox, but very new and fresh. If you’re not familiar with pre-Eternal Blue singles, this may be a complete surprise to you. “Cellar Door” may be their heaviest track yet, an absolute sonic assault on the senses that hits you wave after wave. Courtney’s range on this is unbelievably low and sure to impress the most brutal of Death Metal fans. “Jaded” is a rhythmic complex track with catchy vocal and bass lines with a very Metalcore feel to it. It is so nice to hear bass in Progressive Metalcore again. “Too Close/ Too Late” is extremely atmospheric and haunting with basic structure and even pacing, a breath of fresh air after two pummeling tracks. “Angel Eyes” is such an interesting track that reminds me of the intensity of “The Beauty of Suffering” from the self titled. “Ultraviolet” is a electronic undertones, groovy drum back beats, and high pitched sweet vocals, and it is unlike anything the band has done before. “The Void” is one of my favorite tracks of the year with an extremely catchy chorus and difficult long held notes. They really used the whole band’s collective range on these six tracks and I feel like they challenged themselves as well as the fans’ ideas of the band.

The Fear of Fear is as if they went back to the beginning of the band, took what they liked from the Singles and Self Titled and remixed them fit their current mental state and then threw in new out-of-the-box ideas to reinvent themselves. It’s a pretty large contrast from Eternal Blue, which I like that they didn’t just recycle those feelings and sounds. I like the throwback to the original haunting sounds we got in the Self-Titled. People who didn’t like Eternal Blue but like Spiritbox are going to love this record. I love most of the tracks and it’ll definitely take more listens to take it all in. I think a couple tracks might be a little weak on their own and also don’t fit together, but there are standouts that you could repeat for days on end. The band certainly didn’t lose the addictive quality to their sound and have really rooted themselves in the aspects you expect; Atmosphere, layers, and airy vocals on top of brutality. Overall, it’s a great release and I think a very smart progression for them to draw in so many kinds of fans. I wish it was as long as Eternal Blue, so I had something to really sink in to. It feels like another Singles Collection rather than an album, but it definitely won’t get stale after many listens due to the variety of styles and familiar sounds. Spiritbox continue to surprise, amaze, and captivate me with every release, and this might be their most advantageous release yet.

Spiritbox group photo 2023

Links:

The Fear of Fear Merch

https://spiritbox.com/

Spiritbox are a Progressive Metalcore band from Victoria, BC, Canada formed in 2016

The band is:

Courtney LaPlante: Vocals

Mike Stringer: Producer, Guitarist, Programmer, Backing Vocals, Writer

Zev Rose: Drums

Josh Gilbert: Bass, Backing vocals

Serenity Nemesis AD Review 2023

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Releases November 3rd via Napalm Records

Austrian Symphonic Metal band Serenity have been an underrated cornerstone of their genre for nearly two decades. They’ve crafted beautiful melodies, catchy battle tunes, bombastic rhythmic sections, and historical Metal and reached new heights with previous album “The Last Knight” which hit #25 on German album charts. I have loved every release since, but the expectations for this album are extremely high with the addition of Marco Pastorino of Temperance, Fallen Sanctuary, and his solo work, it seems like this guy is everywhere right now. Pastorino is known for elevating music to its maximum potential and Serenity working with him and Ancient Bards’ orchestral composer, Daniele Mazza, this album can’t be anything but incredible.

Nemesis AD is a history lesson once again, this time heavily focusing on Albrecht Durer, the great German Painter and Theologian. This topic seems to bring the most passion out of this band, as Nemesis AD is emotionally and musically profound throughout each track. Don’t let the soft choirs and chamber orchestration on opener “Memoriae Alberti Dureri” fool you, this album is huge in sound and heavy as ever. “The Fall of Man” features ex-Kamelot Tenor extraordinaire, Roy Khan, and the harmonies with the piercing voice of Georg Neuhauser is sure to send chills up your spine. A lot of songs stand out as well with “Ritter, Tod, and Teufel” based on the Durer painting, “Sun of Justice” which is fast and heart-pounding as well as catchy, and “The End of Babylon” which is a lyrical and chorus triumph. Overall, the album has a lot of gems and the usual Serenity feel and it’s a very good record, but one track stands out far above the rest for me. “Reflections (of AD)” is a masterpiece, maybe the greatest song the band has ever produced. This song is a grand, orchestral, and airy tribute to Durer and his legacy. This song is one of the most beautiful compositions I have ever heard, lyrically, emotionally, orchestral, and vocally. The ability to emote from Neuhauser and Pastorino is a diamond in today’s music. The grand level of emotions and yet so much space in the music does not appear in most modern music. This space occurs in the symphonic sound and the breakdown part that works so well with the video. This is a track that may stay with me the rest of my life and certainly the rest of the year.

Nemesis AD is a more melodious and symphonic album than past albums, but it has heavy guitars from Pastorino and Hermsdoerfer and excellent solos. It definitely strays from the path of being formulaic or too Pop sounding. It may not be their best overall album, but it will cater to the older Serenity fans as well as original Kamelot fans. If you’re not a fan of recent Kamelot offerings, Serenity could be a classic stand in. All the songs have a Khan era feel, especially “Nemesis”, which has some Eastern influence that adds a completely different feel and breaks up the soaring-Symphonic sound from being repetitive. The whole album is worth a listen all the way through and a couple of the tracks will stick in your head.

Rating 7/10 Overall, a good Symphonic Metal Album but lacked some power and awe factor that previous albums had. Reflections (of AD) is one of my tracks of the year, however, and is a modern classic of the genre.

Links:

SERENITY

Serenity 2023 by Matthias Schwaighofer
Photo by Matthias Schwaighofer

The Templars Are Back! Serenity Lives On

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Serenity Small group photo 2023

One of my all time favorite bands is coming back in 2023 with more historical excellence and a new writer/guitarist/vocalist to round out this Power Metal band. Serenity is lesser known than its brother band Warkings, but still as bombastic and catchy. The band began in 2004 with Georg Neuhauser leading the charge and honestly they’ve had a rocky road for nearly two decades. There’s something about this band’s melodies and unique storytelling that just engraves in your heart, and now more than even with this new lineup. The talent in this band exceeds its previous renditions and the songwriting is as haunting as ever. Everything Marco Pastorino touches turns into something profoundly greater than gold. Based on the singles, this album is a fresh start for the band and may ignite the forge fires once again. Review coming in November! What do you think of the new singles?

Temperance Hermitage: Daruma’s Eyes Hermitage Part 2 Review 2023

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Release date 10/20/2023

A band I have been listening to for a decade is back in 2023 with half a new lineup and new sound that has utterly stunned me. With the departure of two key components of the band in early 2023, I thought Temperance were doomed. This Italian Symphonic Power Metal outfit that has been a dark horse for too long has pulled through the trials and reinvented themselves with the most powerful lineup I’ve heard in a long time. I am a huge Power Metal fan, and no stranger to the majority of the new characters in the band, and I can say this record will bring them to the top of the game. Original founder and bassist Luca Negro has leveled up with clinical powerful drummer Marco Sacchetto and the smooth vocals of Michele Guaitoli since 2018 (Visions of Atlantis) and guitarist and epic vocalist Marco Pastorino (Serenity). Though, the newest member was a complete surprise to me. Kristin Starkey, an American Professional Opera and Metal dual vocalist has redefined the female vocal role of the band. Her vocals have brought a smokey darkness and smooth contralto vocals with staggering Power Metal screams. Based upon the singles, I knew this might be my album of the year. Temperance has delivered amazing music over the years, but Daruma’s Eyes PT 2 is just exalted beyond all expectations. I am a sucker for concept albums, and this storytelling delight delivers. It is also narrated and features chuggy punching rhythm guitars by the Dutch Wizard of Prog, Arjen Lucassen of Ayreon and Star One.

Daruma’s Eyes PT 2 is a massive wall of sound with melodies swirling through and emotively telling the story. I’m honestly in disbelief of how much they have tastefully crammed into one record. Each vocalist plays a different part, but comes together perfectly and expertly. Daruma opener is an assault of range and operatic vocals the band is known for delivering, but this is just explosive on a whole other level. On slow song, In “Search of Gold”, the range of these vocalists really shines and delivers emotionally profound music. “Welcome to Hermitage” contains many vocalists with Celtic and glaringly high vocalist Fabienne Erni (Eluveitie, Illumishade) and Laura Fella of Faun who brings elvish smooth vocals and a classic folk sound. Fabienne fits the explosive talent so well and brings another octave of vocals that balances everything out so well. The ladies of Switzerland also feature on Join Me, which is just a beautiful melodic track with heavy instrumentation. Epic track after track continues with No Return, Into the Void, and Darkness is Just a Drawing. No Return brings a sea-shanty sing along beat that is excellently catchy and just solid group vocals on the choruses. “Where We Belong” is a piano, vocal, string ballad that has a Meatloaf Rock Opera sound of tear-jerk nature, and it’s simply brilliant. The orchestration on this record is flawless, expertly highlighting each theme of every track and easy on the ears providing melody and a epic vibe throughout. The attention to detail on this record is virtuoso quality. I just can’t find anything wrong with it. I put Power Metal under high scrutiny, and Daruma PT 2 is at the highest level you can go in the genre.

Daruma PT 2 album is one of those Power Metal albums that make you want to get up off your ass and get you working out or just achieving your goals. Temperance have always been about empowerment and self fulfillment, but following Viktor’s journey is a whole other level of beauty and awestruck emotion. I don’t want to spoil too much about the story for those who ordered the book, but it’s incredibly well done. This record is absolutely clinical from start to finish. Each instrument reflects that Italian Classical refinement and the talent is truly unbelievable. I think their sound has bloomed overall into something huge and incomparably. I think the addition of Starkey is a huge attribute to what makes this record a new cornerstone in Power Metal. Her gorgeous tone, her perfect delivery, and style is so unique and stand out through the entire album. I’m hard pressed to find a vocalist at this level and caliber of raw talent. She has brought this band new life and profoundness that it has so long deserved. She works so well with Michel and Marco, every singer really compliments each other and there’s not a single gap or weakness. 2023 is not over, but this is a huge contender for album of the year for me. I seriously cannot wait to see this band continue with Kristin and Marco, because if they continue on like this, Temperance will no longer be a dark horse and become legendary to the likes of Unleash the Archers, Nightwish, and Helloween.

Rating 10/10

https://www.temperanceband.com/

https://temperanceofficial.bigcartel.com/

https://www.instagram.com/temperanceofficial

Crypta Shades of Sorrow 2023 Review

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Crypta Full Band 2023

Brazillian Death Metal band Crypta has been a hot topic of 2023 with their unbelievably good festival sets and playthroughs for the new album “Shades of Sorrow”. Crypta is a happy accident, formed by two ex members of famed Nervosa, Fernanda Lira (bass, vocals) and bombastic drummer Luana Dametto. The two parted from Nervosa due to creative differences, and I think it was ultimately for the best. Fernanda really deserved more creative license, and she has proved it in their new album tenfold. As you may know, I am not a Death Metal or Thrash Metal fan, so I normally steer clear of anything that combines the two. However, Crypta goes beyond the ideologies of elitism and have forged their own deeper, darker, more interesting sound that really converted me to be a fan. I am late to the party on reviewing it, because at first, I had no idea where to start. This is way out of my wheelhouse music-wise and I didn’t think there would be a point to me reviewing it, but the lack of coverage of this album has absolutely stunned me. I have not seen this album get half the recognition it deserves, Whether it is Elitism, Sexism, our just bad promotion, this album has fallen in the background in Metal press.

“Shades of Sorrow” is my pick for most surprising album of the year. This album is absolutely fantastic, maybe one of the greatest of the Death Thrash genre in years. Crypta have insane technicality and unique progression in their flavor of this genre. The depth of talent knows no bounds in each member, and they come together and blend different influences to create something truly like nothing else on the planet. The depth of their music and darkness throws me back to Death’s Chuck Shuldiner, which is one of the highest compliments you can receive in Death Metal. The sinking darkness, the despair, the overall ambience to this record just envelopes you entirely. When you listen to it, you can’t think about anything else, and that is a great thing. “Shades of Sorrow” is catharsis at the ultimate heaviest and aggressive level. It is laden with aggression and reflection, completely anger personified. This album will get you up and arm you with mauls of thorns. There’s nothing hooky, cheesy, or over produced about this album. It is a true Death Metal record with riffs and vocals that will sink into you for months. It is chest-pounding and addictive song after song.

“The Other Side of Anger” is just absolutely fantastic and searing. Luana is at the top of her game with blast beats, groove, and ride rhythms for days that highlight every single note on the guitar. Her aggression and rhythmic savvy remind me of a young Gene Hoglan. This is clinical Death Metal drumming with just the best snare sound on “Trial of Traitors”. Luana kills it on this album and might be my drummer of the year. Fernanda is a powerhouse of ranged growls and screams with diction and clarity. It’s somehow catchy, without too much repetitiveness. It’s Progressive, but Thrashy. It encompasses so many influences and new sounds I have never heard before, even almost a tribal rhythm on some tracks. It is truly hard to explain the depth of this record. But, to get a scope of it, the track “Stronghold” is sure to blow you away. This track is one of the best to come this year, in my opinion. It is just a bull through a crowd of people that pummels and wrecks everything in its wake. You have to listen to this song, even if this music isn’t your thing.

Another aspect of the album I massively appreciate is the guitar solos. For a while now, guitar solos are few and far between in Modern Metal, but good god these guitarists have brought solos back to Thrash. They are blistering tapping melodic solos that sound so sinister. The guitars capture the mood so well and blend with the vocals expertly. They’re clean but not processed. This is just raw blistering talent that I rarely ever hear in this genre. Taina and Jessica play so well off of each other, intertwining solos and melodic lines of dual guitars that hit you right in the gut. They play fast, but you can hear every single note in the chord. It’s as if everyone in the band has been playing together for twenty years. No amount of production can create that level of audible chemistry.

“Shades of Sorrow” is a 10/10 album for me, and I don’t typically love this kind of music, but I LOVE this record and everything about it. This band is immensely talented and you’re truly not going to believe how good they are live. This album deserves way more credit than it has received and I hope overtime people will find the brilliance of Crypta.

Shades of Sorrow by Crypta 2023

https://www.instagram.com/cryptadeath/

https://www.cryptaofficial.com/

Melodeath Supergroup BERZERKER LEGION Review 2023

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Berzerker Legion 2023

The Swedish Melodeath Supergroup presents to be a new force to be reckoned with in 2023 with new hard hitting record “Chaos Will Reign”. This may be the heaviest album I’ve reviewed so far this year and vastly impressed me. I hadn’t listened to these guys but a couple times so I came in to this review pretty much blind. The lead songwriter sent comments and an introduction to the album that intrigued me.

BERZERKER LEGION was founded in 2016 by guitarists Tomas Elofsson (Hypocrisy) and Alwin Zuur (Asphyx) with a vision to create death metal of the most belligerent quality, they recruited a line-up of solid well-known musicians consisting of James Stewart (Vader) on drums, Jonny Pettersson (Wombbath) on vocals and Fredrik Isaksson (Dark Funeral) on bass to complete the Legion.

Alwin Zuur (guitars/songwriter) comments: “During the recent years Tomas and I met each other at shows and festivals regularly. Much of our conversations were about music and styles. During these meetings we found out that we really had a lot of common musical interests.”

“Music wise our debut album ‘Obliterate the Weak’ displays the perfect balance between brutality, melody and harmony. Being a fan of the early 90’s Swedish Gothenburg style, with bands like At The Gates, Eucharist, A Canorous Quintet, as well as being a die-hard fan of brutal old school death metal style with bands like Bolt Thrower, Obituary, I have always wanted to write songs showing a mix of such different death metal genres.

With our new album “Chaos Will Reign” we have further developed ourselves in our typical musical mix of melody and brutality. “Chaos Will Reign” sounds more professional, complete, massive and powerful thanks to Jonas Kjellgren’s production . It has become the logical successor, a huge step forward compared to our debut album “Obliterate the Weak”.”

“Chaos Will Reign” is a sonic blast of 90’s Death Metal and Extreme elements that settle into a speedy groove. This album is an assault on the senses and delivers pounding tracks time after time with clinical beats and extended range Death Growls. This album vastly foreshadows the last album in production quality and modernity that falls in line with more popular sounds in Death Metal today. It is as if Amon Amarth, At the Gates, and Devildriver had a speedy baby. The riffs are chuggy, fast, and groovy switching it up from track to track to add flair and variation. The aggression and desperation of battle drip through this record. My favorite track “Choirs of Anguish” is 90’s Metal to the T with modern speed and pummeling instrumentation. There is a great at least 8 second vocal fry scream on this that stunned me. Pettersson’s range is staggeringly good and can go toe to toe with the young guns in Extreme vocals. The solo is surprisingly melodic and just tasty. There’s also Fleshgod-like orchestration underneath that I absolutely love. Any music that makes me feel like the Gates of Hell are opening for celestial war is going to stick with me, and this whole album just has that feel. The whole album is just really well composed and flows expertly. These guys know what they are doing with this genre. As a drummer, I find the drums to be absolute perfection to the highest level of technicality and speed without losing the raw sound of Death Metal drums. They just do not stop and are a force of nature on “Chaos Will Reign”. There is something so nostalgic throughout this record. Some of the songs have groovier parts in the guitars while keeping complete aggression that reminds me of Pantera. It’s just a great sound that keeps you coming back for more.

This is one of my favorite Death Metal albums of the year by far, and I can’t wait for everyone to positively experience this album as I have. I am not the biggest Death Metal fan, but this album has inspired me to seek out more bands like Berzerker Legion. I am super impressed by this band and would love to experience this music live. I highly recommend this album for fans of Cattle Decapitation, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Dimmu Borgir, and Melodeath in general.

Rating: 9/10

Comes out October 27., 2023 via Listenable Records

SONATA ARCTICA ARE BACK! New Single “First In Line”

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Sonata Arctica 2023 group photo

It has been four years since Finnish Symphonic Power Metal band Sonata Arctica have graced our ears with Metal. They’d been on an acoustic tear for awhile, but are coming back with a “Power Metal laden album” in early 2024. I will have that review of the album ASAP, but for now here’s a promising new single to whet your appetite. Listen down below and let me know what you think in the comments!

Frontman Tony Kakko explains: “This is the first power metal song I wrote for the forthcoming album which is laden with them. Its demo title was ‘First In Line’ and I managed to stick with it. The song handles the worry about raising a new generation of people with or rather letting an electronic screen – namely tv, pad or some such – do a big part of raising this generation of human beings. We think that we buy ourselves time with these gadgets, but are these devices the right “nanny” for our kids or should we maybe slow down a bit, read books, teach that happiness can be and often is something we reach by stopping and letting go of constant stimulation of all our audiovisual senses? In ways, we are flying blindly with these things. Things are advancing too fast in many ways…”

I love this concept and totally reflect the sentiment of needing to slow down time in this modern world. I love this band and this song just cements everything I love about them.

Information provided by friends at https://bravewords.com/news/sonata-arctica-return-with-new-single-first-in-line-european-tour-kicks-off-this-week