legends

It has been a hell of a month for me personally. Life has its ups and downs and endless battles, but music is always my shield wall or barrier for all the trials in life. Music is what drives me to rise above it all and continue to fight for a better life. I dread to think what the darkest times would be like without it. While I usually go to my comfort bands during these times, I also like to keep up to date on the world of Metal. And, it’s been a whirlwind of impactful releases and fresh takes in the music industry. Below, I have compiled some of my favorite releases these past two weeks. After I finish this, I will be working on the next installation of my favorite Heavy Metal albums to try to finish up the series. From there, I will go on to discuss my favorite Heavy Metal and Rock songs of all time.

Symphonic Progressive Metal Band Epica Stuns With “Aspiral”

“Aspiral” is a Progressive Symphonic Journey for the ages. It is bold, loud, and tastefully produced. Finally, it’s an Epica album you can hear each member shine on. Each member of Epica has different influences and techniques that attribute to the band’s signature sound. But those individuality qualities have been quite foreshadowed by fifty layers of orchestra and choir that sometimes make me forget they have one of the greatest lead singers in Metal. “Aspiral” is a peak of Epica and Simone Simons’ career. You can finally hear her beautiful Soprano vocals with perfect timbre and intonation. Her Prog writing style also gets to shine on this record. It is one of my top five Favorite Epica records and will be on regular rotation. This is definitely an album of the year contender.

Check out the latest single from “Aspiral”

Order Aspiral: https://epica.indiemerch.com/

Classic Melodeath Band Arch Enemy Freshens the Genre with “Blood Dynasty”

International Melodeath trailblazers Arch Enemy are back with the bombastic “Blood Dynasty”. This album is a surprising fresh take on classic Arch Enemy sounds without delving into thew commercialism. It’s gritty, dark, and moody as ever. My hopes for this album based on the first two singles were low, but Blood Dynasty grabbed me instantly. This is such a departure from Deceivers, which continued the more formulaic sound of War Eternal. While I loved those albums still, I desperately wanted a Classic Arch Enemy album with Amott’s more Thrash style riffs. Blood Dynasty delivers on all fronts, and really pulled me in upon first listen. This is one of AE’s most encapsulating releases of the diverse and long catalog. It is a complete thrill to experience.

One of my favorite songs from Arch Enemy’s career.