Category Archives: 2015 New Releases

Album Review – Amanita Virosa / Asystole (2015)

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It’s time to go absolutely mental with the extreme and melodic music by this poisonous Finnish band.

Rating4

amanita-coverImagine one day you’re just wandering aimlessly in the woods when you suddenly spot a harmless and probably edible mushroom, and you think “why not give it a try?” Well, you might be facing one of the deadliest of all known poisonous mushrooms in the world, commonly known as the European destroying angel, which will fatally damage your liver and kidneys, taking you to the Other Side sooner than you expected. The scientific name of that lovely mushroom is Amanita Virosa, thereby chosen to be the name of a demented Finnish band that plays a brutal and melodic mix of different subgenres of metal music, kindly denominated by the band itself as “Hospital Metal”.

Formed in 2008 in the town of Mikkeli, Finland, around 240km from the capital Helsinki, what this talented sextet offers in Asystole, their first full-length album, definitely represents the conjunction of the words “hospital” and “metal” as stated by the band. By the way, in case you don’t know it, in medicine, asystole (colloquially known as flatline) is a state of no cardiac electrical activity, one of the conditions that may be used for a medical practitioner to certify clinical or legal death. And that’s exactly what will happen to you after the ruthless heart-stopping assault of hate, sorrow, mental distress and despair found in the entire album.

The semi-acoustic intro Vita a Mortam (Latin for “life from death”) is a little “tricky”, as it suggests the music will be calm or at most some traditional metal music, but then all hell breaks loose when My Slightest Hope begins, and let me tell you there’s no hope for the faint at heart in this song. It’s dark Symphonic Metal with elements of Black Metal the likes of Dimmu Borgir, with the possessed-like vocals by frontman Clamors together with the keyboards by Cantor Satana standing out amidst the sonic havoc. Even more symphonic and impetuous, I can imagine how fun the band should look on stage playing the awesome …Of Failing, which showcases Cantor Satana and drummer Torsoholocaust as the leaders of a music revolution: they do not stop for a single second at all, making this tune perfect for mosh pits and crowd surfing.

AV_AV_1b_copyIn the bloodthirsty Valuta Vereni Tähän Maahan (Finnish for “drain the blood of this country”), by the way the only track sung in their mother tongue, Amanita Virosa provide us all an ideal soundtrack to a Horror flick mainly due to its rawer and more exotic touch, with Clamors seeming really comfortable growling in Finnish throughout the whole song. Then it’s time for guitarists Kingcohol and Melnik13 (where the fuck did they find those names?) to showcase their skills with powerful riffs and solos in No Life King, an extreme exhibition of violence blended with a beautiful metallic melody where the band shows no mercy for our necks and souls.

Dead Inside is the perfect example of the “Hospital Metal” proffered by Amanita Virosa, where Melodic Death Metal meets Symphonic Black Metal in order to generate a crazy heavy mixture that ends up working pretty well, giving the song a nice desperate vibe and pointing it out as one of the best tracks to be played live. Following that sheer derangement, we have another song focused on keyboards and the deep growls by Clamors, entitled Mental Failure, with highlights to its “psychiatric” intro and its clean but extreme musicality, and the very technical tune Suck The Poison, relatively slower, more melancholic and symphonic than the other tracks, with its keyboards sounding like they’re its spinal cord. And last but not least, Dead Body Love keeps up with the energy found in rest of the album thanks to a powerful performance by the entire band, closing Asystole in a very effective way.

In summary, Asystole is a very good heavy music album that offers something new to the listener even in an era where almost nothing seems original anymore. Therefore, all you have to do now is visit their Facebook and SoundCloud pages, and also buy their music at the Inverse Records webstore, because it’s time to go absolutely mental with the fresh and extreme “Hospital Metal” brought forth by this amazing band from the land of ice and snow. This, my friends, is the only type of poison you should be injecting in your veins.

Best moments of the album: …Of Failing, Valuta Vereni Tähän Maahan and Dead Inside.

Worst moments of the album: Mental Failure.

Released in 2015 Inverse Records

Track listing
1. Vita a Mortam 1:58
2. My Slightest Hope 4:45
3. …Of Failing 4:14
4. Valuta Vereni Tähän Maahan 4:18
5. No Life King 4:38
6. Dead Inside 5:18
7. Mental Failure 4:53
8. Suck The Poison 5:18
9. Dead Body Love 4:06

Band members
Clamors – vocals
Kingcohol – guitar
Melnik13 – guitar
Robustuz – bass
Cantor Satana – keyboards
Torsoholocaust – drums

Album Review – Disgusting Perversion / Morbid Obsessions EP (2015)

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Let the bloodbath begin and spread all over Bavaria and the rest of the world with the debut album by this up-and-coming old school Death Metal band.

Rating5

Disgusting Perversion - Morbid ObsessionsIf there’s a word that can be used to describe the music found in Morbid Obsessions, the debut EP by German Death Metal band Disgusting Perversion, that would definitely be “stampede”. However, instead of a wild rush of ordinary animals, what we have here is a frantic onslaught by a horde of Teutonic death metallers that will crush your body and soul with their raw old school vibration. What else can you ask for in a Death Metal album, right? Well, I guess the old school album art in Morbid Obsessions can already provide you a trustworthy preview of what you’ll find when you start your listen at the album.

Hailing from the city of Kaufbeuren (about 90km from Munich), in the Free State of Bavaria, Germany, this brand new four-piece group will surely please fans of the combination of brutality and melody made famous by names like Death, Obituary, Cannibal Corpse and so on. Not even the fact that the drums are programmed, instead of having a drummer of flesh and blood with them, makes the the album sound less organic or visceral, which in my humble opinion is the most important attribute we should expect from any type of extreme music. In other words, you have to feel the blood dripping from authentic Death Metal, and Disgusting Perversion unquestionably provide the listener that morbid but awesome perception.

War Annihilation, as its own name indicates, kicks off the album sending a clear message from the band: they play brutal Death Metal, spreading nothing but gore and violence through their path of ruination. Moreover, the riffs by guitarists Claus Schubert and Tobias Ruf are tailored for fans of renowned musicians like Chuck Schuldiner and James Murphy, and as both Claus and Tobias simply love Death, I’m pretty sure this was exactly how they wanted their guitars to sound like. In the raging Bloodbath, lead singer Stefan Bauer vociferates the lyrics as if he was possessed by an evil entity, inspired by the demonic voices of bands such as Obituary and Morbid Angel, while bassist Klaus Bergmann and his low-tuned weapon provide the listener some bestial notes. It’s that type of slow but extremely heavy sounding perfect for headbanging, enhanced by the addition of some excerpts of the fastest savagery you can find in music.

Disgusting PerversionSounding as another tribute to old school Extreme Metal, the good Flying Nightmare shows what happens when Disgusting Perversion accelerate the rhythm, turning their music into a true “nightmare” for the faint-hearted. Besides, its traditional guitar solo helps improve the balance between sheer massacre and its strong melodic lines. Then we have the most melodic of all tunes, entitled House Of The Butcher, which is not as barbaric as the previous songs and has a huge focus on the guitar lines by Claus and Tobias. The vocals by Stefan exhale pure evil as expected, and with a name like that you can have a good idea of how gruesome its lyrics are.

The title-track, Morbid Obsessions, is a great display of straightforward Death Metal, fuckin’ heavy and merciless as hell, with highlights to the dark and low growls by Stefan and the crisp guitar solos by Claus and Tobias; followed by Disgusting Perversion, the song that takes the band’s name, and let me tell you that there couldn’t be a more suitable song to carry their flag. The music is disgusting, atrocious and barbaric, reminding me of old school Sepultura with wicked vocals, leaving the listener avid for more of the band’s cruelty.

To sum up, Morbid Obsessions is a very cohesive and full-bodied work for what is “just” an EP by those promising Bavarian death metallers, who are craving for your blood at their Facebook page. And don’t forget to visit the Winterwolf Records page on eBay, where you can purchase the album. Let the bloodbath begin and spread all over Bavaria and the rest of the world with Morbid Obsessions, the debut album by a band that, if they keep working hard and remain loyal to their foundations, has a bright future ahead of them.

Best moments of the album: Bloodbath and Disgusting Perversion.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2015 Winterwolf Records

Track listing
1. War Annihilation 4:05
2. Bloodbath 6:10
3. Flying Nightmare 4:22
4. House Of The Butcher 5:32
5. Morbid Obsessions 5:35
6. Disgusting Perversion 5:45

Band members
Stefan Bauer – vocals
Claus Schubert – guitars
Tobias Ruf – guitars, drums programming
Klaus Bergmann – bass

https://youtu.be/t9y04zLgAdw

Album Review – Somehow Jo! / Satans of Swing (2015)

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Get ready to dance to the interesting mix of Alternative Rock and Heavy Metal by this fresh and groovy Finnish band.

Rating4

SHJ_ISO_KANSI_2When I got the new Somehow Jo! album to write the review and I was told by my friend it was an alternative rock band, I must confess I was a little bit scared or concerned for this is not my kind of music. It turns out that I was surprised when I listened to it, as you “forget” about labeling the music and start paying attention to the quality of the songs, to the lyrics which go from funny to intense, to how they show different kinds of music in a short time and to how well-produced it is.

So, for those who are not familiar with the band yet, Somehow Jo! are a band formed in 2009, in the city of Tampere, Finland, and after releasing two EP’s they are finally ready to show the world their debut full-length album, Satans of Swing. There is an interesting fact about this album: according to their press-release, the “album was recorded live, because the band wanted to avoid triggering and interfering organic audio”. Recorded at Headline Recording Studio in Tampere, produced by Ari Pietilä and mastered by Teemu Kinnunen, you can feel how pure and raw every track sounds.

Still according to their press-release, “the band’s ideology is to tell people about loss, giving, open-mindedness, equality, anger, love, freedom, relaxing, questioning the future, encounter prejudices and facing difficulties”. And you find everything in this album, starting from the opening track, Next King. The first surprise is how well Christian Saurén, the vocalist, mixes moments of clean and screaming vocals – of course, this can be heard throughout the entire album. This song has a really nice rhythm, is groovy and has a heavy guitar solo. You know those songs that are nice to listen at a bar, while sipping a cold beer? This is the case in the next one, Lovesong, with highlights to the awesome work on drums and bass – they lead the song from the most alternative rock music to much heavier moments naturally. Godbye is a calmer song compared to the others, but still heavy at some moments, and it has a pretty cool harmony among the musicians responsible for the backing vocals, giving it a good old vibe.

Hatesong is different from everything else in the album: it is possible to find touches of Hard Rock, Alternative Rock, Heavy Metal and Metalcore in it. It gives you that impression of “I’ve heard something like this before” and yet it is totally new, making it one of the most interesting compositions of the album. Fool has a lot of rhythm and that chorus that will make you hate yourself singing it all day long (“This is what I do, my darling, this is what I do / Baby I still miss you but I won’t be coming back to you / This is what I do, my darling, this is what I do / I’m so sorry that I made you feel like fool”). It would be interesting to see a live video of this song showcasing the interaction between the band and the audience, but in the meantime you can check its official video clip below. Great Sex & Red Wine is one of the heaviest songs of the album, where its guitars are simply amazing and its drums play an important role in the construction of the melody.

SHJ_PROMO_MEDThe strongest attribute in Hellhole Bar are its guitar riffs, which somehow resemble old 60’s rock, but the rest of the elements are kind of confusing, which did not result in good unity as a whole. On the other hand, Beginning still brings old fashioned elements, especially its bass lines and backing vocals, mixing those with new elements like screaming vocals, and the result is pretty interesting.

To finish the album, the title-track, Satans of Swing, brings more Heavy Metal moments and a very special guest: Noora Luohimo, the mighty vocalist of Battle Beast. And they could not have chosen a better female vocalist to this task for she fits perfectly to the heaviness of this melody. Noora herself was very pleased to work with Somehow Jo!, as she declared to the band’s website: “I gotta say that the recording session with Somehow Jo! was one of the highlights of my life and I enjoyed working with them enormously. Above it all, the song ‘Satans of Swing’ kicks ass and so do the guys of the band. Love you Somehow Jo!, keep on rocking!”. Definitely, this is a pretty different song from what we have heard so far from Somehow Jo! and also completely distinct from the work of Noora with Battle Beast.

After nine tracks and a little more than half an hour, this band makes you ask for more and more of their music, as time flies in a very pleasant way while listening to this album. Interested in more information? Check for updates on their official Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram pages. And, of course, you can purchase Satans of Swing on iTunes, Record Shop X, Inverse Store, and at many other locations. Satans of Swing is a really interesting piece of work, and it does not matter what kind of music you like, this is pure Rock N’ Roll for those who want to have a good time.

Best moments of the album: Lovesong, Hatesong, Fool and Satans of Swing.

Worst moments of the album: Godbye and Hellhole Bar.

Released in 2015 Inverse Records

Track listing
1. Next King 3:38
2. Lovesong 3:32
3. Godbye 4:45
4. Hatesong 3:51
5. Fool 4:50
6. Great Sex & Red Wine 3:20
7. Hellhole Bar 3:55
8. Beginning 2:40
9. Satans of Swing (feat. Noora Louhimo) 6:13

Band members
Christian Saurén – vocals, guitars
Sakari Karjalainen – guitars, backing vocals
Eero Aaltonen – bass, backing vocals
Lassi Peiponen – drums

Additional musicians
Noora Louhimo – female vocals on “Satans of Swing”
Cardinal Satan – additional guitars, banjo, tambour

Album Review – Helloween / My God-Given Right (2015)

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It’s our God-given right to keep banging our heads to the music by the happiest and most awesome Power Metal band in the world.

Rating2

My God-Given RightEvery single time Power Metal heroes Helloween release a new album, my metal heart is filled with joy. No other band beats those German metallers when the subject is fast and solid metal music charged with massive amounts of happiness and electricity. And when our beloved war dog guitarist Michael Weikath said My God-Given Right, the fifteenth studio album in their distinguished career, would be “just good old classic Heavy Metal the way it’s supposed to be”, I couldn’t get more excited to have it in my hands. What Mr. Weikath says, Mr. Weikath does, right?

After listening to My God-Given Right for the hundredth time let’s say he was absolutely spot on with his words, for the total delight of millions of Helloween maniacs all over the world, including myself. It’s beautiful and unswerving Heavy Metal, a metallic lecture to any musician on how to focus your energy and skills into crafting first-class music, and more important than that, it’s pure Helloween. In addition, guitarist Sascha Gerstner and drummer Daniel Löble seem to be getting more and more in sync with the rest of the band with each album, becoming an intrinsic part of the music by Helloween now, which of course brings only benefits to the band as a whole.

Thus, it’s when “Happy Happy Helloween” come ripping that you better get ready for an insane Rock N’ Roll party. Mixing elements from all of their albums, including even their iconic debut album Walls of Jericho, the opening track Heroes punches you right in the face with its powerful instrumental and beyond exciting rhythm and chorus (“Everyone can be a hero / We are, we are / Sometimes up then down to zero / We are, we are / Heroes, heroes”), followed by Battle’s Won, which reminds me a little of “Burning Sun” from their previous album, the also excellent Straight Out of Hell. It is Power Metal to the second power with Daniel leading the sonic attack, the type no other band in the world can create, with highlights to the balance between the lead vocals by Andi Deris and the efficient backing vocals. Then we have the title-track, My God-Given Right, which transpires Helloween from the Andi Deris-era, and I can’t wait to hear this tune live. Besides, you’ll be humming its beautiful riffs for weeks in a row, and it’s impossible not to love its “Star Wars meets Helloween” official video.

Right after that Power Metal trinity, why not hitting the dance floor with the entire band in the amazing Hard Rock/Heavy Metal tune Stay Crazy, one of the best tracks to be added to their setlist in my opinion? Those awesome riffs keep coming nonstop from the guitar duo comprised by Michael and Sascha, with kudos to Andi for an outstanding performance yet again. And sounding like a hybrid between “I Want Out” and “I Can”, the also excellent Lost in America is old school Helloween with the fresh touch of their latest works, with highlights to its fun lyrics and an amazing job done on guitars once again, especially in regards to the solos. Concluding this second trinity, the awesomeness goes on and on in Russian Roulé, a song that represents what I would call “badass Rock N’ Helloween”. Not only it has the heaviest riffs of the whole album, but Andi and Daniel are also thrilled while playing this song, with only one single question left to be answered: are you going to come out and play with the band?

Helloween 2015The Swing of a Fallen World is the weakest of all tracks, not actually fitting in with the rest of the album. Despite a desire for it to be epic, it ends up falling flat due to its very basic and repetitive instrumental, with no outstanding moments at all. Fortunatelly, the album quickly regains momentum with the relaxing ballad Like Everybody Else, a good option for soulmates to enjoy together. We know they’ve created better ballads through the years, but this is still a nice song, and of course the most interesting part are Andi’s vocals as they always work pretty well in slow songs. Then we have the superb Creatures in Heaven, a high-end Power Metal feast where Helloween prove why they’re the masters of this type of metal music: it’s exciting from start to finish, where they pay a tribute to themselves traveling back in time and back to the present and future of the band, with the riffs and solos by Michael and Sascha truly touching our hearts so amazing they are.

No one else could have written If God Loves Rock ‘n’ Roll but Mr. Andi Deris, as it’s pure Hard Rock with the entire band on fire delivering divine rock music to us mere mortals, enhanced by its witty lyrics (“Leather suits you better / Got to let your hair grow / Take the black and enjoy the new show / Welcome to an army spreading over the world / Wild and proud brothers / Haven’t you heard?”). And following the same rockin’ pattern, Living on the Edge is highly recommended to be part of your soundtrack for a road trip, where Michael, Sascha and one of my favorite bassists of all time, Mr. Markus Grosskopf, give us a lesson on how to flawlessly tame their strings.

Are you tired already? There’s no way you can get bored with Helloween, with more Power Metal at its finest to you in the form of Claws, a good complement to an amazing album, as well as You, Still of War, the longest of all tracks, which has an inner beauty that will turn it into a fan favorite without any doubt. It’s a lot more progressive than usual, showcasing those unique guitar duos we learned to love in their music, closing the regular version of the album the best possible way. And if you grab one of the special editions of My God-Given Right, there are different bonus songs, all pretty good, with Free World being my favorite due to its riffs.

However, as Helloween is not an ordinary band, My God-Given Right comes with the whole package. The artwork, once again created by German international photographer Martin Häusler, comes available as a 3D lenticular print (visible without 3D glasses), and you can also be totally entertained by the Helloween family providing their words of wisdom about each track of the album HERE, HERE and HERE.  Because, in the end, what really matters is that it’s our God-given right to stay crazy and keep banging our heads to the music by the happiest and most awesome Power Metal band in the world.

Best moments of the album: My God-Given Right, Stay Crazy, Russian Roulé, Creatures in Heaven and If God Loves Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Worst moments of the album: The Swing of a Fallen World.

Released in 2015 Nuclear Blast

Track listing
1. Heroes 3:51
2. Battle’s Won 4:53
3. My God-Given Right 3:30
4. Stay Crazy 4:05
5. Lost in America 3:35
6. Russian Roulé 3:53
7. The Swing of a Fallen World 4:53
8. Like Everybody Else 4:04
9. Creatures in Heaven 6:36
10. If God Loves Rock ‘n’ Roll 3:21
11. Living on the Edge 5:19
12. Claws 5:52
13. You, Still of War 7:21

Digital/Limited/Earbook Edition bonus tracks
14. I Wish I Were There 4:12
15. Wicked Game 3:56
16. Free World* 3:34
17. Nightmare** 4:43
18. More Than a Lifetime** 3:58

*Limited Edition Bonus track only
**Earbook Edition Bonus track only

Band members
Andi Deris – lead vocals
Michael Weikath – lead and rhythm guitars
Sascha Gerstner – lead and rhythm guitars
Markus Grosskopf – bass
Daniel Löble – drums

Album Review – Roadless / Keep Rolling (2015)

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Questo è Rock N’ Roll, cazzo!

Rating4

coverBorn in Turin, Italy in the beginning of 2012 from an idea of guitarist Noxy after his musical experience with a band from the city of Genoa called Lethal Poison, what Italian hard rockers Roadless have to offer us in their first full-length album, Keep Rolling, can be clearly summarized as direct and effective Rock N’ Roll. In other words, they’re not aiming at reinventing the wheel nor anything like that, but offering rockers and heavy metallers all over the world straightforward and versatile rock music that will put our bodies in frenzied motion. As simple as that, and it works extremely well.

After releasing their first EP in 2012 entitled Love to Roll, which name by the way was born from the psychedelic attitude of the band, and after sharing the stage with famous bands such as Pompei Nights (Sweden), Dead Vikings (Japan), Dobermann (Italy), and especially with American veterans Faster Pussycat, Roadless look and sound ready to spread their rockin’ wings and conquer new territories with their exciting musicality. In addition to that, the band is truly strengthened by the support from their record label, Carma Musik Records, who, according to their owners, “loves to produce only the music that still manages to excite, remaining one of the few who still believe in the power of emerging music.” That alone says it all.

Enough with the chit-chat, it’s time for Rock N’ Roll, baby! And the opener Scary Face couldn’t be more suitable for that: totally inspired by classic Rock N’ Roll and Hard Rock from the 80’s and 90’s, it’s a great tune where Noxy and frontman Blaze are kicking ass in a display of love for old school rock music. Following that brilliant start, with a similar vibe to Deep Purple’s classic “Perfect Strangers” and with Blaze lowering down his voice a bit for a darker result in a few passages, Back To The Top is pub rock music that could have easily been a song from a renowned Hair Metal band from the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, especially due to its guitar solos and thrilling beats; while we all gotta love the riffs in She’s Gonna Take Me, a song about love, sex and relationships, with a great performance by drummer Cris Crow.

roadlessNot only the lyrics in the fast and furious track Love To Roll are an ode to 90’s rock music, but the song also has a Punk Rock touch that makes it even more exciting. Can you imagine how cool it should be to see them playing it at a sold out pub night? Anyway, Home Sweet Homicide showcases an instrumental full of elements found in the Rock N’ Roll played by Motörhead, with highlights to Cris Crow and bassist Morgan for fueling the music with their outstanding performances, and in order to maintain a high level of energy Roadless deliver Never Say Never, a more rhythmic song where Blaze and Noxy once again make a great sonic duo.

Heavier and slightly more modern, the next song, Voodoo Love, was born to be a radio hit thanks to its amazing riffs, lyrics and the vocal lines by Blaze, followed by Hot Mama, a badass sexist song loaded with the best elements of Stoner Rock, Hard Rock and old school Rock N’ Roll. This is another great composition I consider perfect for a hot and sexy strip-tease, and I can even visualize the strip girl taking off her tiny panty during the guitar solo. Then suddenly the band gets a lot thrashier in the high-speed circle pit-generator You Are Nothing with its lyrics that are definitely not what we can call “polite”, probably a message the band has to a very good friend, before they say goodbye to us all in Believe, where their Stoner Rock side gets even stronger, with its distortion, heavy beats and raspy vocals giving it a rawer taste.

You can take a listen at the full album at Spotify and SoundCloud, connect to the band at their Facebook page and YouTube channel, and buy Keep Rolling at the Carma Musik Records webstore or at Amazon. In English, we would say something like “This is fuckin’ Rock N’ Roll!” to describe the awesomeness in Keep Rolling. However, as we’re talking about an Italian band, I think it sounds a lot more genuine and rousing if we all pay homage to that beautiful country and scream together QUESTO È ROCK N’ ROLL, CAZZO!

Best moments of the album: Scary Face, Love To Roll and Hot Mama.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2015 Carma Musik Records

Track listing
1. Scary Face 3:18
2. Back To The Top 4:40
3. She’s Gonna Take Me 2:35
4. Love To Roll 2:23
5. Home Sweet Homicide 3:44
6. Never Say Never 3:06
7. Voodoo Love 3:07
8. Hot Mama 4:08
9. You Are Nothing 2:09
10. Believe 3:56

Band members
Blaze – The Voice Of Fuckin’ Revolution
Noxy – Reckless Jungle Guitar
Morgan – Thunder Bird
Cris Crow – Drums Killer

Album Review – Omega Diatribe / Abstract Ritual EP (2015)

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Open your mind to the groovy and heavy music by this Hungarian act and you might survive the transmission.

Rating4

cover_HDThere’s a secret ancient writing stem from an unknown alien civilization, a contract between Humans and Aliens about the use of the planet Earth that states Humans could only use the Earth in a limited time, and when our time is over they’ll come back and take us to a higher level planet. However, only the open-minded people could survive the transmission. The government calls it Omega Diatribe, which is also the name of an amazing Hungarian Extreme Groove Metal band formed in Budapest in 2008 by guitarist Gergő Hájer and bassist Ákos Szathmáry.

After the release of their first promo track Forty Minutes, in 2012, and their debut full-length album entitled IAPETVS, in 2013, those Hungarian metallers return stronger than ever with a brand new EP called Abstract Ritual, where they not only keep delivering groovy polyrhythmic metal music, but they also continue their persevering trek through the limitless potential of the human mind. In other words, it’s another auspicious case of elaborate Heavy Metal permeated by an enthralling concept, and if you are a habitual reader of The Headbanging Moose you know how much we value that type of work.

That futuristic view of the world, as well as the power of the human psyche, are already explicit in the modern Thrash/Groove Metal of the opening track Subsequent Phase, with the resonant bass lines by Ákos adding a lot of power to the music. In addition, lead singer Gergely Komáromi translates the message of the lyrics into sheer aggression with his growls, enhanced by the clean and professional production of the album. Right after that promising start, it’s time to get even more barbaric and bang your fuckin’ head to the dark throbbing tune Extrinsic, which offers the listener very thoughtful lyrics despite all the violence found in it (“Don’t push me / Let me decide the fate of body / Questions remain unanswered / Leave vigor for my time / That included doubts / And eternal uncertainty”). Moreover, guitarists Gergő Hájer and Attila Császár deliver those eerie riffs perfect for this type of contemporary metal music, building a much stronger atmosphere that ends up elevating the overall quality of the song.

In Hydrozoan Periods, the band continues the upbuilding of their high-end metal music, with progressiveness and heaviness walking hand in hand. The last part of the song showcases all the anger and skills of the musicians, with highlights to Ákos and drummer Kevin Talley for the cohesive sonority they put up together. The title-track Abstract Ritual is another groovy and heavy feast, showcasing once again the aptitude those guys have for delivering an interesting concept through their lyrics (“How could it be absorbed in the mind when I’d concealed my senses? / And it returns. / It’s me sitting around the sun with these beings / I’d sunk the key for my projections into a cube and swallowed / To attach the new molecules / To be the eye”), not to mention the great performance by Gergely, who puts his heart and soul into singing and screaming those beautiful lyrics.

omega diatribeAnd in order to provide the EP a fresh ending, Omega Diatribe present the instrumental track The Quantum, where the main ingredient is a very interesting speech by the illustrious American esoteric philosopher Terence McKenna, and an alternate version for Unshadowed Days, from their 2013 debut album IAPETVS, which sounds like a completely brand new song to my ears. I personally prefer this new version especially in terms of sound quality and the extra layers of complexity added to it, but you can listen to the original one HERE and take your own conclusions.

There are countless ways to know more about Omega Diatribe and keep in touch with the band, either through their Facebook page, YouTube channel, SoundCloud and, of course, by buying their music at their BandCamp page or at the 515 Studio website. Open your mind to the music in Abstract Ritual, listen and absorb, and you might become part of the selected ones who survive the transmission.

Best moments of the album: Extrinsic and Abstract Ritual.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2015 Independent

Track listing
1. Subsequent Phase 4:48
2. Extrinsic 4:16
3. Hydrozoan Periods 3:17
4. Abstract Ritual 4:46
5. The Quantum 3:27
6. Unshadowed Days (Perception Remix) 6:44

Band members
Gergely Komáromi – vocals
Gergő Hájer – lead guitar
Attila Császár – guitar
Ákos Szathmáry – bass
Tommy Kiss* – drums

Additional musician
Kevin Talley – drums (studio recording)

* Drummer Tommy Kiss joined Omega Diatribe at the beginning of 2015.

Album Review – Sirenia / The Seventh Life Path (2015)

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If dark and symphonic music is what you want, Mr. Morten Veland and his crew are always there to help satisfy your craving.

Rating4

sirenia_the seventh life pathDeliberately entitled The Seventh Life Path, the seventh (got it?) full-length album by Norwegian Gothic/Symphonic Metal band Sirenia has everything it takes to please diehard fans of the band and newcomers to the world of symphonic music: melodic instrumentals, wicked synthesizers, a powerful choir, the charming female vocals by Spanish diva Ailyn Giménez and, of course, the iconic Morten Veland.

Perhaps one of the most interesting components in The Seventh Life Path is its artwork, designed by renowned artist Gyula Havancsák of Hjules Illustration and Design, whose latest works can be seen in the new albums by Ensiferum and Grave Digger, for example. It’s a very detailed illustration, where the artist and the band clearly wanted to augment the importance and meaning of the number seven to the album. “The 7 number appears as 7 ravens, 7 snakes, 7 roses on the dried out wreath…”, said Gyula about this peculiarity in an interview.

However, it’s not just the artwork that makes The Seventh Life Path a good album, but the music itself. As soon as the symphonic and imposing intro Seti begins, it already embraces the listener and sets the tone for the next track, the (at the same time) creepy and captivating Serpent.  Ailyn and Morten provide a beautiful balance of clean female vocals and harsh growls, and even with the presence of some Gothic passages the song ends up sounding truly metallic and symphonic. Once My Light is a lot more “commercial” due to the focus on the smooth vocal lines by Ailyn and the less imposing instrumental, also providing us all a lovely atmosphere and eerie passages with a Gothic touch that only Morten is capable of crafting.

In Elixir, featuring Joakim Næss on clean vocals (who by the way already worked with the band in Perils of the Deep Blue), modernity and tradition are put together, while just the intro in Sons Of The North already kicks ass by itself even before the main portion of the music takes shape. It’s a motherfuckin’ epic ode to Scandinavia, almost a Norse hymn, where the deep growls by Morten, all the orchestrations and especially the choir are flawless. Besides, the lyrics are far from being original (“Here the thunder and lightning / Are both enforced by the mighty Thor / We are the sons of legends / We are sons of myths and lore / Our legacy is forever / Behold its radiance forevermore”), but they didn’t really need to be to sound amazing. They kept it simple, and it worked pretty well. However, once again embraced by symphonic elements, Earendel (or Aurvandil) doesn’t live up to its predecessor, getting too generic after a while even with all the breaks and variations.

sireniaWith a denser sonority and a faster pace, where drummer Jonathan A. Perez showcases his more ferocious skills, Concealed Disdain has one significant issue in my opinion: I find Ailyn’s voice too low during the whole song, preventing it from being a lot more pleasant. On the other hand, sounding like old school Tristania enhanced by the more contemporary musicality by Sirenia, the excellent Insania shows beyond doubt that Morten is a terrific musician, with highlights to its synths and drums for adding so much power to the final result. I also love when Morten goes back in time and revives his darkest side in lyrics like the ones found in Contemptuous Quitus (“You’re the torn in my heart / You will tear me apart / You’re a plague and a curse / Contemptuous quietus”), and besides, I must say I was eager for some heavier riffs, which are finally delivered in this song.

The last two tracks of the regular version of The Seventh Life Path are also well-engendered and contribute to the overall quality of the album. Firstly, The Silver Eye, which could have been just a little shorter, sounds like Symphonic Black Metal in many of its moments, with Ailyn and Morten making a good vocal duo once again. And secondly, we have the Gothic ballad Tragedienne, with Ailyn’s voice and the piano notes being its centre pieces. Of course what I’m going to say is not a universal truth, but I believe fans of Tristania will enjoy it more than fans of Sirenia. In addition, there’s also a Spanish version for this song as a bonus track depending on the version of the album you acquire.

In short, if what Sirenia wanted to achieve with The Seventh Life Path was a well-balanced and energizing continuation to their entertaining career, keeping the names of Morten and Ailyn alive in the minds of Gothic and Symphonic Metal partisans, they more than succeeded in their quest. And if you are one of those dark music supporters, you should thank Morten and his crew for always bringing forth your favorite type of music, just like what is presented in The Seventh Life Path.

Best moments of the album: Serpent, Sons Of The North and Insania.

Worst moments of the album: Earendel and Concealed Disdain.

Released in 2015 Napalm Records

Track listing
1. Seti 2:05
2. Serpent 6:31
3. Once My Light 7:21
4. Elixir (featuring Joakim Næss) 5:45
5. Sons Of The North 8:16
6. Earendel 6:14
7. Concealed Disdain 6:11
8. Insania 6:39
9. Contemptuous Quitus 6:29
10. The Silver Eye 7:29
11. Tragedienne 4:54

Bonus track
12. Tragica (Spanish version of Tragedienne) 4:55

Band members
Morten Veland – guitars, vocals, bass, piano, synth, mandolin, programming
Ailyn – female vocals
Jan Erik Soltvedt – guitars
Jonathan A. Perez – drums

Guest musicians
Joakim Næss – clean male vocals on “Elixir”
Damien Surian – choir
Emilie Bernou – choir
Emmanuelle Zoldan – choir
Mathieu Landry – choir

Album Review – Grenouer / Unwanted Today (2015)

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If alternative heavy music is your cup of tea, the new album by this talented and experienced Russian band might be exactly what you are looking for.

Rating4

5.Unwanted_Today.Album_coverUnwanted Today is more than just the eighth studio album by Russian Alternative Metal/Rock band Grenouer. Blending elements of traditional Heavy Metal and Alternative Rock and always evolving in a very similar way to what can be found in the music by renowned bands such as Sevendust, Velvet Revolver and Linkin Park, among others, the entire album is a very interesting expedition through the realms of alternative music and, according to the band members themselves, can be considered “a soundtrack to an epic story of loss, struggle, and resurgence.”

In case you have no idea of what that actually means, I suggest you take a good listen at Unwanted Today in its entirety, and not just at one or two songs, otherwise you won’t be able to absorb the full message delivered by this talented four-piece group from Saint Petersburg, Russia. Not only that, the music in the album is nicely complemented by guest contributions from Eddy Cavazza (John Wetton, Anthony Phillips), Demian Von Dunkelwald (Overunit Machine), Enrico ‘Erk’ Scutti (Figure Of Six) and Dmitriy Yankovskiy (Helicaon Opera), adding extra layers of vibrancy to the overall result.

The futuristic intro Awake already presents to the listener the avant-garde side of the band, but it’s when the heavy riffs and keyboards from Alternative Metal from the title-track Unwanted Today kick in that you’ll get a much better taste of what Grenouer have to offer. In addition, lead singer Andrey Ind has a smooth and melancholic voice that matches perfectly with the band’s musicality. It’s a very good song for driving on an endless road, just like A Little Too Obsessed, which presents a stronger Hard Rock vibe the likes of Velvet Revolver thanks to the job done by guitarist Alexander Motor. In my opinion, this is what Linkin Park could have been doing if they hadn’t chosen the more “commercial” path of the music industry.

The following track, Something Really Bad, is another radio-ready tune where the band delivers a pleasant and very cohesive sonority with its Rock N’ Roll riffs enhanced by its Alternative Rock drums and vocals, while the slower and more introspective On A Rainy Day sounds tailored for a relaxing moment alone. Blossoms In The Dust, a semi-ballad where the low-tuned bass lines by Al Bolo keep it away from being commercial due to their strength, follows a similar pattern as the previous track, with highlights to Andrey and Alexander for being in total sync. And “closing” the first half of the album we have I Can’t Stand It, where Grenouer travel back to an Alternative Metal musicality, in special its heavier riffs and atmospheric passages with the vocals by Andrey being boosted by the background effects. Besides, its straightforward lyrics truly help the song become more enjoyable.

3.Grenouer.Photo.AIn Daily Miracles, which even has a headbanging feeling despite not being pure metal music, they combine elements from bands like Korn, Linkin Park and Sevendust, with Al Bolo once again kicks ass on bass, whereas Going To Stay is even heavier and therefore more inclined to Heavy Metal. It’s my favorite song of the entire album, with guest guitarist Eddy Cavazza enhancing its energy level and its chorus being extremely effective and catchy. Point Of No Return, another introspective song totally focused on its vocals lines, kind of disappoints a little not for being a bad song ( it delivers what it proposes), but for coming right after the most exciting tune of all. Maybe if it had been placed before “Going To Stay” it would have sounded a lot better, who knows, at least to my ears.

The electricity is back in Artificial Tears, a great display of Alternative Rock with a metallic energy flowing and the constant beats by Danny D leading the song, before Don’t Let Them (Get You Down) shows us all Grenouer know how to go from low and heavy music to gentler passages, displaying a high level of professionalism that proves why they’ve been in action since the 90’s. And to properly wrap up this alternative “soundtrack” they offer us the outro Clearway, which showcases an impeccable connection with how everything started in “Awake”.

You can get more information on Grenouer at their Facebook page and YouTube channel, and also get your copy of Unwanted Today at the Mausoleum Records webstore or at the band’s BandCamp page. If you’re a fan of well-crafted alternative heavy music, this entertaining album by this skillful band from Russia might be exactly what you’re looking for to add to your playlist.

Best moments of the album: Unwanted Today, A Little Too Obsessed and Going To Stay.

Worst moments of the album: Point Of No Return.

Released in 2015 Mausoleum Records

Track listing
1. Awake 1:01
2. Unwanted Today 3:17
3. A Little Too Obsessed 3:37
4. Something Really Bad 3:25
5. On A Rainy Day 2:46
6. Blossoms In The Dust 3:27
7. I Can’t Stand It 3:14
8. Daily Miracles 3:27
9. Going To Stay 2:57
10. Point Of No Return 3:25
11. Artificial Tears 3:10
12. Don’t Let Them (Get You Down) 3:44
13. Clearway 1:47

Band members
Andrey Ind – vocals
Alexander Motor – guitars
Al Bolo – bass
Danny D – drums 

Guest musicians
Eddy Cavazza – lead guitar on “Going To Stay” and keyboards on “Clearway”
Demian Von Dunkelwald – guest vocals
Enrico ‘Erk’ Scutti – guest vocals
Dmitriy Yankovskiy – guest vocals

Album Review – Kafirun / Glorification Of Holy Death EP (2015)

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Welcome to the darkest side of metal music, put forward by a very promising Canadian Black Metal act.

Rating5

KAFIRUN Glorification of Holy Death EPIt’s always a pleasure to review the release by a Canadian band, especially when the band in question is capable of delivering such creative and venomous music to the point it contaminates our deranged minds and souls in the best way possible. That’s what Black Metal band Kafirun has to offer with their brand new EP, the deadly ravage entitled Glorification Of Holy Death.

Brought into being in 2014 and hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, this new breed of Canadian black metallers is releasing their second installment after their debut demo/EP Death Worship, which if you haven’t taken a listen to yet I suggest you do it now by clicking HERE. More than just a sequel to Death Worship, the new EP aims at reaching new levels of perversity and complexity, and Kafirun end up conquering their objectives by stepping up their technique, wrath and malice.

The psychedelic intro, the doom-ish drumming by Corpus Vile and the demonic and desperate vocals by Luzifaust in the opening track, Wings of Malevolence, evoke darkness and welcome all of us to the kingdom of Kafirun. Far from being raw old school Black Metal, this song has a more melancholic and somber sounding with a sustained rhythm perfect for some slow but intense headbanging, while in Salvation Through Sin they speed things up and also blacken their music, delivering some sick riffs, growls and blast beats in a very crude way. This is indeed a very obscure type of Black Metal that fans of the genre will enjoy, with the devilish break halfway through it making the song more interesting to the listener.

kafirun photoThe third track of the EP, Destruction of the Divine Self, showcases more modern and thrashier riffs by guitarist Hanephi before suddenly turning into brutal Black Metal, with vociferations and drums at the speed of evil, followed by another bestial song named Chaos Magnum Opus. The initial scream by Luzifaust says it all: it’s going to be a disturbingly blackened tune, where Corpus Vile violently pounds his drums while Hanephi and Hypnocrotizer brutalize their strings with some wicked lines. You will definitely feel distraught with this malevolent song, no doubt about that.

Last but not least, in Open Veins the band gets back to Blackened Doom, with even the vocal lines getting deeper and more grievous. Its funereal sonority is beyond perfect to close the EP and emphasizes all the disorientation and addiction to the darkest side of metal music put forward by this promising Canadian quartet. With that said, what are you waiting for to succumb to all unholy sins and let the right one in by visiting Kafirun’s official Facebook page and by purchasing their music at their BandCamp page?

Best moments of the album: Destruction of the Divine Self and Chaos Magnum Opus.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2015 Independent

Track listing
1. Wings of Malevolence 4:07
2. Salvation Through Sin 4:18
3. Destruction of the Divine Self 3:32
4. Chaos Magnum Opus 3:28
5. Open Veins 6:14

Band members
Luzifaust – vocals
Hanephi – guitars
Hypnocrotizer – bass
Corpus Vile – drums

Album Review – Broken Rain / Here Comes The Pain (2015)

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Here come Broken Rain and their feast of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock.

Rating4

here comes the painWhat originally started as a cover band in 2006, playing classics from behemoths such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, has finally evolved into a much more compelling and original act who, above all things, remained loyal and true to the roots of Heavy Metal, their strongest passion in life and the essence of their powerful music. I’m talking about Slovakian Heavy Metal band Broken Rain and their debut full-length album, the ass-kicking metal extravaganza Here Comes The Pain.

After releasing a demo in 2009, which included some cover songs and three original tunes, and after sharing the stage with several metal bands in Europe in the past few years, including opening for British legends Uriah Heep in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia in October 2011, the band formed by Martin Rybár (lead vocals), Filip Prašovský (guitars, backing vocals), Vladislav Gális (bass, backing vocals), Imrich Šimig (keyboards, guitars) and Branislav Končír (drums) is more than ready to rock with their debut album. Combining the foundations of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal with elements of modern metal genres, Here Comes The Pain will guide you on a pleasant heavy music journey that will remind you why you became a metalhead many years ago, making you bang your head, raise the horns and sing together with the band.

With its spooky intro with wolves, wind, screams and so on, the opening track Burn The Witch takes the listener to the amazing kingdom of heavy music from the 70’s and 80’s, sounding like a tribute to Helloween, Deep Purple, Axel Rudi Pell and many other metal giants, especially due to the awesome riffs by Filip. It’s a very exciting tune with a simple and catchy chorus, and I don’t need to say the lyrics talk about how witches are mesmerizing and drag us to the dark side, right? In Seize The Fire, Martin delivers some solid Power Metal vocal lines inspired by the unique voice of Michael Kiske while Imrich enhances the overall musicality with his keyboards, followed by Forgotten Heroes and its true fighting vibe and rhythm. The lyrics are an ode to all our heroes in life (“In the night dark and cold / It was a sight to behold / When the final battle came / They were covered in blood / Lost in the enemy flood / But they still felt no pain”), with the final guitar solo by Filip truly representing what those words are saying.

There’s no way you will not enjoy Wanna Love My Girl, an awesome 70’s rock ballad with resonant keyboard notes, where Martin puts his heart and soul into singing it and deserves our recognition for such a good performance, as well as the Hard Rock party Burning Eyes, where once again the combination of riffs, keyboards and beats works really well. In addition, you will love how the music “rises” until its sing-along chorus (“Burning eyes / When you look in the mirror / And feel like you’re gonna cry / Just set the light / As it comes through the window / The chance is zero / But it may happen tonight”). Not only the title-track Here Comes The Pain focuses on traditional Heavy Metal with more modern elements such as harsher backing vocals, but it’s also time for drummer Branislav to have a whole lot of fun due to its faster rhythm, followed by the pure Heavy Metal found in So Far Away: inspired by the unparalleled music by Iron Maiden and Helloween, this song showcases great performances by Martin and Branislav, with highlights to the thunderous bass lines by Vladislav. Every single time I listen to a song like this I remember why I love metal music so much.

Broken Rain_Photo by Marius Sachtikus PhotographyWhen Broken Rain blend the metallic sounding by Judas Priest with the groovy music by Deep Purple in some sort of tribute to the power of Rock N’ Roll music, the result is I Want To Play Rock, where although the whole band seems very cohesive and energized, it’s Imrich who ends up stealing the show with his keyboards. The following track, Tonight, is a semi-ballad that sounds like it was recorded for a cigarette TV commercial, reminding me of the best tunes by Van Halen with Sammy Haggar on vocals, while Prisoners In The Wasteland is another fun and direct song full of energy, keeping the album at a high level even after “so many” songs.

Finally, Martin relies on some high-pitched screams to kick off Strong, an average song which is a little below the rest of the album in terms of quality (but that should sound better if played in front of a live audience), before the album closes with the self-titled bonus Broken Rain, and let me tell you this is an incredible Rock N’ Roll tune with a killer performance by Imrich. This song can be played on any rock n’ roll radio station in the world without a shadow of a doubt, and people will just love it.

In order to feel more of the high-quality sonic “pain” inflicted by Broken Rain, go check their Twitter account and their Bandzone.cz page, listen to a nice preview of Here Comes The Pain at their SoundCloud page, and obviously purchase the album  (available as a CD or a digital download) at their official webstore. If you are a heavy music lover, make yourself ready because here come Broken Rain and their feast of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock.

Best moments of the album: Burn The Witch, Wanna Love My Girl, So Far Away and Broken Rain.

Worst moments of the album: Seize The Fire and Strong.

Released in 2015 Independent

Track listing
1. Burn The Witch 5:24
2. Seize The Fire 5:14
3. Forgotten Heroes 5:51
4. Wanna Love My Girl 5:18
5. Burning Eyes 5:48
6. Here Comes The Pain 5:29
7. So Far Away 4:33
8. I Want To Play Rock 3:48
9. Tonight 4:50
10. Prisoners In The Wasteland 5:05
11. Strong 4:22

Bonus track
12.Broken Rain 3:34

Band members
Martin Rybár – lead vocals
Filip Prašovský – guitars, backing vocals
Vladislav Gális – bass, backing vocals
Imrich Šimig – keyboards, guitars
Branislav Končír – drums