2023 has been a new Renaissance of music with new innovations and genre bending iconoclasts. I have been speechless one album after another this year. It’s been one of the best years for me for new releases that I absolutely love, and I know a lot of people are feeling the same way. I have my favorites and will definitely do a list later this month as the discovery of new music is ongoing.
BUT first, I want to hear from my fellow metal fans and connoisseurs of music! What do you think is the best album of 2023? Vote below or comment! I will do a separate review of the winner and post your responses! Just follow the link, no sign in required!
HIRAES (feat. Former Members of Dawn of Disease & Critical Mess) Strike Back with Sophomore Melodic Death Metal Assault
New Album, Dormant, out January 26, 2024 via Napalm Records Pre-Order HERE
Watch the Music Video for First Single, “Through The Storm”, HERE
photo by Lisa Ulferts
German-based melodic death metal formation HIRAES – featuring former members of Dawn of Disease and Critical Mess – will furiously kick off the new year with the release of their sophomore studio album, entitled Dormant, due out January 26, 2024 via Napalm Records!
Wasting no time, HIRAES have just unveiled the first single from Dormant – thunderous album opener “Through The Storm”. The track offers a glimpse into the variety of elements on the album, including powerful and varied drumming, poignant and melancholic melodies, infectious choruses, and breathtaking soundscapes – all complimented by Britta’s versatile vocals. The band comments about the track and video: “In a way, the video is a continuation of our first single, ‘Under Fire’, from the last album. It’s dedicated to a storm and its indomitable energy. Experience this debut single and join us as we navigate ‘Through The Storm’ together!“
The band adds: “We are far beyond proud to present our second album Dormant to you! The album will grab you with its intensity from the first second on and won’t let you go. We invested a lot of energy, dedication and passion to create this monumental and melancholic piece of melodic death metal. Having played countless shows over the last two years, Dormant captures the energy of HIRAES’ live performances and places the songs right between heart and gut.
Once again, none other than the talented staff of Fascination Street Studios under the direction of Jens Bogren are responsible for the refinement of our sound. We are so much looking forward to unleashing Dormant upon all those metalheads out there!“
Watch the official video for “Through The Storm”HERE:
Compared to their lauded 2021 debut, Solitary, it’s immediately evident that HIRAES did not only grow within their sound due to countless live appearances, but have invested more time and energy into developing their sophisticated songwriting and production, leaning further into their own unique sound profile. Due to the use of varying keys and sonic elements, Dormant is undoubtedly fresh without sacrificing the nuances that caused their first album to connect so successfully with fans. With their very first offering, HIRAES already created an exciting new melodic death metal emergence, built upon a brutalized vocal attack, intense melodies and aggressive guitars. On Dormant, HIRAES flexes their own trademarks in an intensified way, ranging from versatile drumming, catchy riffs and hymn-like melodies to enthralling soundscapes and the impressive vocal onslaught of singer Britta Görtz. Dormant is a stirring, intense and dynamic death metal affair that is both heavily brutal and dark, yet full of melodic melancholy.
Dormant track listing: 1. Through The Storm 2. We Owe No One 3. Undercurrent 4. Chance To Fail 5. About Lies 6. Come Alive 7. Ocean Child 8. Nightflight 9. Red Soil 10. Dormant
Set to be released on January 26, 2024, Dormant will be available in the following formats:
– 1 CD Digisleeve (6page) – 1 LP Gatefold solid royal blue – Digital Album
Releases November 17th via Music Theories / Mascot Label Group
Experimental Progressive Metal thinkers, Earthside defied every boundary you could imagine within music with breakout release “A Dream In Static” in 2015 and highly acclaimed singles like “All We Ever Knew and Loved”. It is a record that fused philosophy, metaphysics, Prog, Ambient, and instrumentals into a long sonic journey and was highly well received by the Metal community. Anything new and profound, whether it be emotionally or mentally significant seems to hit the Metal community’s ears just right. “Let the Truth Speak” is another genre breaking mind bending record that I know will be another critically acclaimed hit. Was this record worth nearly breaking up the original base lineup? Earthside answered that question upon completing this hugely ambitious undertaking and finding themselves as inspired as 16 year olds finding their path for the first time.
Anytime an album is rooted in deep thinking, self reflection, or claims to be a mirror to the existential self, I am eager to delve into it. This is an album I didn’t expect to like, as I really didn’t know many of the guest musicians and I expected something quite self-important and pretentious. I thought it might be overtly composed and too chaotic, and it proved me wrong immediately. This album is a lot to take in, yes. It is as complex as you may expect, but not overwhelming. It is supremely balanced with ambience and detailed with melodic guitar parts and passionate rhythms and weird time signatures. It gives you breaks and room to sit in the feelings their trying to convey, before it mesmerizes you with technicality. You can tell it took a ton of mind power to craft this album, because there are so many bits and pieces that almost don’t fit together, but it works. “Who We Lament (featuring Keturah)” reminds me of Devin Townsend’s album Ki that featured Chee Aimee Dorval in the best way possible. It starts atmospheric and then absolutely explodes and the vocals reflect this inner heaviness of self loathing with a bit of a surprise fry vocal. “Tyranny (featuring Pritam Adhikary of Aarlon)” is a huge standout for me and is one of the heavier songs on the album with pounding technical rhythms and chesty voicing reminding me of the band Klone. “Pattern of Rebirth (featuring AJ Channer of Fire From the Gods)” is a great single track that brings a familiar more Metalcore sound, with some nicely melodic spoken word and long sung choruses.
This album seems darker and moodier than previous releases. There’s melancholy and even anger in instrumentals “Watching the Earth Sink” and “Vespers (feat. Gennady Tkachenko-Papizh & VikKe)”. This emotional arc seems to be fitting and reminds me of the heaviness of Russian Circles at times. The drums stand out instrumentally to me and really carry this album to be something special, besides all the unique guest vocalists. Ben Shabrom is a brilliant drummer, but there are parts on this album that exceed even his usual flair and heavy hitting. The addition of Baard Kolstad on “All We Ever Knew and Loved” is a smart decision as he is incomparable and the hardest hitting Prog drummer I have ever seen. Kolstad was possibly an influence throughout the album, because many parts mirror his bombastic crazy rhythms and airy cymbals. Overall, the diverse instrumentation is great and interesting throughout, but I find myself complaining what everyone complains about in Modern Music: It needs more bass. For the most part, Ryan Griffin is inaudible and under utilized. Without bass, the tone of the music is completely lost and always lacks dynamic range. The only song he shines on is the Jazzy-Djent breakdown “The Lesser Evil (feat. Larry Braggs & Sam Gendel)”, and while it is a brilliant Seal and Skinny Puppy crossover, it’s sad that’s the only time we get chunky and crazy bass lines.
This album is a lot and is certainly not accessible to the average listener, but Prog nearly never aims for accessibility, but emotional diction in technicality. Earthside have created something very complex, once again rising to their self proclaimed crazy ambitions. I like this album and a lot of tracks on it. It flows extremely well without getting repetitive or stale. It’s unlike anything I have ever heard, but definitely has familiar aspects the more diverse listener can appreciate it. I don’t know if I’ll ever listen to the album in full again, however. It seems to be one to appreciate a couple times, but doesn’t have anything that sticks with me. It’s a great album technically and has profound meaning, but it lacks a recurring theme or something to keep me engaged.
Lyrically, I found it boring and without distinctive messages to pull from so it stays in your head. It just leaves you once you’re done listening. Maybe, that’s the point. Maybe it’s about enjoying the moments while you have them and then moving on from the past. Either way, it is worth a listen and maybe true Earthside fans will consider it a classic. I don’t necessarily love it, but I understand and appreciate what they were trying to do with “Let the Truth Speak”. I like it, but I expect way more content with the next release and an arcing theme that resonates longer than a play through.
Back with new music Friday on the blog! Here are my top ten picks of the day/week you might’ve missed. It’s short and sweet, which is rare for me as I can be quite the windbag on here.
What are you listening to today?
Favorite album and singles post of the year coming soon! Stay tuned and don’t forget to sign up for updates below this post.
Plini, atmospheric Metal guitarist, and legendary Animals as Leaders’ Tosin Abasi shred it out
German Symphonic Melodic heavyweights Beyond the Black release new live video
Italian Power Metal legends Secret Sphere are back with brand new speedy single.
German 90’s band HELMET return with new album and single
Ex-Three Days Grace singer Adam Gontier and Skillet’s John Cooper groove on this catchy modern rock guitar heavy track.
A new discovery for me in the realm of Progressive Metalcore. Kinda like ERRA, Volumes, and Periphery. Great lyrics and drums as well as super technical guitars.
Portland Metalcore band Dying Wish drops heavy new ballad single. BIG surprise to me how good this is. This is the kind of music I wanted fifteen years ago.
Legendary German Power Metallers are back after 11 years with edgy Neoclassicism, and you guessed it, DRAGONS
Italian Melodic Metal powerhouses return with gorgeous power ballad that will undoubtedly make a big impact on listeners
Canadian Juno Award winning band debuts new intense speed single with a horror theme
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
Shock To The System (Billy Idol Cover)
Unstoppable (Sia Cover)
Smalltown Boy (Bronski Beat Cover)
Turbo Lover (Judas Priest Cover)
Hymn (Ultravox Cover)
Give In To Me (Michael Jackson Cover)
River (Bishop Briggs Cover)
Somewhere Only We Know (Keane Cover)
(I Just) Died In Your Arms (feat. Anica Russo) (Cutting Crew Cover)
High (Zella Day Cover)
House On A Hill (The Pretty Reckless Cover)
CD 2
The Look (feat. Blümchen) (Roxette Cover)
Ordinary Town (Celebrate The Nun Cover)
Cha Cha Cha (Käärijä Cover)
Judas (Lady Gaga Cover)
Children Of The Damned (Iron Maiden Cover)
Wig In A Box (Hedwig and the Angry Inch Cover)
Bad Romance (Lady Gaga Cover)
The Most Radical Thing To Do (The Ark Cover)
This Is The Life (Amy MacDonald Cover)
It’s A Sin (Pet Shop Boys Cover)
Ordinary World (Duran Duran Cover)
CD 3 – Ltd Deluxe Edition only
Starman (David Bowie Cover)
Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon (Neil Diamond Cover)
The Days Of Pearly Spencer (David McWilliams Cover)
Hey You (Pink Floyd Cover)
I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night (The Electric Prunes Cover)
Where Do You Go To My Lovely (Peter Sarstedt Cover)
Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season) (The Byrds Cover)
In The Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus) (Zager & Evans Cover)
All I Have To Do Is Dream (The Everly Brothers Cover)
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.
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
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.
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.
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?
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.
Metal Valkyrie 