Category Archives: Album Reviews

Album Review – Marduk / Frontschwein (2015)

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The Babylonian gods of Black Metal return with more of their blasphemous and apocalyptic war-themed music.

Rating3

coverWhen Swedish Black Metallers Marduk added interesting topics such as Third Reich history and World War II to their lyrical/conceptual themes, starting with their 1999 album Panzer Division Marduk, I guess many of their diehard fans weren’t really sure what was going to happen to those guys that once stated they wanted to become the most blasphemous band in the world. If you look at their very first demo, the controversial Fuck Me Jesus, which was banned in several countries following its release due to its explicit cover art, and look at their brand new album, Frontschwein, it’s noticeable they’re not as blasphemous as before. But who said that change wasn’t for good?

Following their excellent 2012 release Serpent Sermon, Frontschwein (their thirteenth studio album) is not only a lesson in Black Metal, but also in Military and World War History, and let’s face it: no other music genre can represent the agonies and destruction caused by any war better than Death/Black Metal. Frontschwein is a war-themed concept album with every single song talking about a specific fact related to war, all of course impregnated by Marduk’s obscure musicality. If you love reading and studying about war, and if you’re a metalhead whose blood boils to the sound of nonstop blast beats and harsh growls, this album is perfect for you.

Despite its melodic intro, the opening track Frontschwein (which by the way means “frontline soldier”) quickly turns into badass Black Metal, with the unstoppable drumming by Fredrik Widigs and the truly devilish vocals by Mortuus (especially during the chorus) making sure any candy-asses stay away from this album. On the other hand, I have no idea what the band wanted to do with The Blond Beast: what the hell are those horrible “pop music” drums? I mean, the riffs and vocals are quite decent, but those lame commercial beats ruin the entire song.

bandFortunately, that’s the only mistake the band made in Frontschwein. In the bloodcurdling Afrika, Marduk offer us an extremely dense music carnage, with Morgan and Widigs redefining the word “wicked” with their sick guitar lines and bestial drumming respectively. The slower but completely demonic tune Wartheland, which talks about a Nazi German administrative subdivision formed from Polish territory annexed in 1939, focuses on the desperate screams by Mortuus boosted by a maleficent atmosphere. Following that lesson in vileness,  in Rope of Regret the band returns with their “heavy artillery”, and in spite of all the sonic insanity their music is far from being a mess, as you can perfectly listen to and enjoy each instrument throughout the entire song.

Between the Wolf-Packs couldn’t sound more traditional, displaying all those unique elements that fans enjoy in Black Metal, whereas Nebelwerfer (or “Smoke Mortar”, a World War II German series of weapons) emanates darkness, with an incredible Doom Metal ambience mainly due to its slow-paced grim rhythm. And Falaise: Cauldron of Blood gets back to straightforward Black Metal, with highlights to the interesting addition of some slower breaks amidst the furious blast beats, and to Mortuus sounding even more amazing with his 100% barbaric guttural vocals.

mediabook

Frontschwein Mediabook Limited Edition

The longest track of all, Doomsday Elite, is another “anthem of despair” without a single second of peace, with all band members giving their best and adding a lot of power to the song, while the excellent 503, which I believe talks about German Tiger Tank Battalion 503 in World War II, sounds actually like a tank: it’s slow, extremely heavy and very imposing, with its Doom Metal elements and gruesome bass lines by Devo turning it into an outstanding moment of the album. And finally, the last regular track in Frontschwein, Thousand-Fold Death, makes sure no one survives the band’s brutal assault. It’s a nonstop tune that will put a huge smile on our faces and an even more gigantic pain in our necks, with kudos to Morgan for his awesome guitar riffs.

The mediabook limited edition of Frontschwein comes with a very generic bonus entitled Warschau III: Necropolis (a variation for the city of Warsaw, Poland), an instrumental track with some obscure growls, but nothing that adds any value to that version of the album. Anyway, it doesn’t matter if you’re a huge fan of Black Metal or not, the new album by Marduk is worth a listen. If you don’t know the band that well, you’ll be surprised by how entertaining their apocalyptic dark music can be, and if you’re a longtime fan of the band, I guess I don’t need to say this is a mandatory addition to your evil collection.

Best moments of the album: Frontschwein, Afrika, 503 and Thousand-Fold Death.

Worst moments of the album: The Blond Beast.

Released in 2015 Century Media Records

Track listing
1. Frontschwein 3:12
2. The Blond Beast 4:26
3. Afrika 4:00
4. Wartheland 4:17
5. Rope of Regret 3:52
6. Between the Wolf-Packs 4:28
7. Nebelwerfer 6:17
8. Falaise: Cauldron of Blood 4:58
9. Doomsday Elite 8:11
10. 503 5:12
11. Thousand-Fold Death 3:46

Mediabook Limited Edition Bonus Track
12.Warschau III: Necropolis 2:59

Band members
Daniel “Mortuus” Rostén – vocals
Morgan “Evil” Steinmeyer Håkansson – guitar
Magnus “Devo” Andersson – bass
Fredrik Widigs – drums

Album Review – Monolith / Against The Wall Of Forever (2015)

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A remarkable album of pure heavy music that will take you on a journey back to the glorious early days of Heavy Metal.

Rating3

cover1400x1400There are bands that are born to play more progressive or introspective music, with thoughtful lyrics that will make you reconsider some aspects of your life. Other groups focus on a more theatrical side of business, relying heavily on their outfits, makeup, corpse-painting and/or stage production to differentiate themselves in the market. And there are American Heavy Metal saviors Monolith, which had only one thing in mind while crafting their superb brand new full-length album Against The Wall Of Forever: 100% pure Heavy Metal.

Founded in 2013 by guitarist Doug Walker (The Hookers, Nixon), with current and former members of MF Ruckus, The Embalmers and Zombie Cartel and having already played with names like The Dwarves, Sepultura and Electric Wizard, Monolith do not want to start any revolution in heavy music. What those talented guys from San Diego, California really want to offer us all headbangers is honest and electrifying heavy music inspired by their idols from the mid-70’s/early-80’s era of Heavy Metal, such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Metallica, and they simply nailed it with their new album, a serious contender for top metal album of 2015.

Against The Wall Of Forever is a huge kick in your face right from the start with the spectacular old school Thrash/Heavy Metal anthem The Emperor (The Suffering Of Fools), especially due to the excellent vocals by Aaron Howell and the exciting guitar duo comprised of Doug Walker and Jared Bliss. Their traditional riffs and solos remind me a lot of some Iron Maiden classics from the 80’s, and I don’t need to say how positive that is. Following that metal music havoc we have the title-track, Against The Wall Of Forever, which showcases more influences from the NWOBHM such as its thrilling galloping rhythm thanks to the great job done by drummer Ben Pincock and bassist David Ortuno.

The next track, Caravan, comes with a very simple question: are you ready for some intense circle pits? It’s amazing how they managed to create such polished music without losing that rawness needed in classic Heavy Metal, and you’ll feel pumped for screaming the name of the song together with Aaron during its chorus. Furthermore, none of the guitar solos sound out of place in this song (nor in the entire album). And can we call the dark ballad Kindly Dr. Jest (The Interrogator) as “Blues Metal”? Well, call it the way you prefer, as long as you acknowledge the incredible job Aaron does by impersonating the character of “Dr. Jest”, which based on my online research is an alchemist and chief interrogator of Melnibone who is a connoisseur of torture, and his life’s work is to elevate the infliction of pain in to an art form. It can’t get any better than this!

Monolith PicDie With Your Master, another of the top moments of the entire album, is a terrific tribute to the good old times of Metallica, inspired by masterpieces like “Whiplash”, “Metal Militia” and so on: it’s as raw and fast as it can be, and more than perfect for some furious mosh pits with your friends. Then a more progressive vein arises in The Prophet, with lots of breaks and variations nicely inserted amidst all the sonic madness.

The heavy music celebration  goes on with another very solid track named The All-Father And The Chaos Lords, which focus heavily on its headbanging riffs blended with the screams by Aaron. If you’re a fan of frantic metal music, the last part of this song is tailored for you. And last but not least, sounding even more Iron Maiden-ish than ever (apparently inspired by the all-time classic “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” or any other track from the flawless album Powerslave), Monolith offer us the excellent Elusive Prey (The Hunter), where Doug and Jared are kicking some serious ass on the guitars with their awesome riffs and solos.

Even the album art, by illustrator Matthew Haas, transpires Heavy Metal and perfectly represents how impactful the music by Monolith is. So go like them on Facebook, visit their YouTube channel, listen to their music on their SoundCloud page, and order your copy of Against The Wall Of Forever at the official Funeral Noise Records webstore (they have some cool bundles available). Although we’re already in 2015, Monolith will take you on a journey back in time, more specifically to the early 80’s when heavy music was beyond glorious and mighty.

Best moments of the album: The Emperor (The Suffering Of Fools), Kindly Dr. Jest (The Interrogator) and Die With Your Master.

Worst moments of the album: Honestly, it’s really hard to find something bad or uninspired in the whole album. Maybe The All-Father And The Chaos Lords?

Released in 2015 Funeral Noise Records

Track listing
1. The Emperor (The Suffering Of Fools) 5:02
2. Against The Wall Of Forever 3:34
3. Caravan 3:11
4. Kindly Dr. Jest (The Interrogator) 4:27
5. Die With Your Master 3:22
6. The Prophet 4:21
7. The All-Father And The Chaos Lords 3:54
8. Elusive Prey (The Hunter) 3:41

Band members
Aaron Howell – vocals
Doug Walker – guitar
Jared Bliss – guitar
David “Gordo” Ortuno – bass
Ben Pincock – drums

Album Review – Midnight Bullet / Lose My Face (2015)

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Add more enjoyment to your life with the catchy and melodic music crafted by this awesome Finnish Heavy Metal band.

Rating4

midnight_bullet-album_coverThe Finnish Metal assault goes on in 2015 with Melodic Heavy Metal band Midnight Bullet and their brand new album, the blustering but at the same time very harmonious Lose My Face, the second in their career after the also interesting Faraday Cage, from 2012. And if there’s one word that can be used to describe the musicality by this Mäntyharju-based 4-piece group, that word has to be “catchy”.

According to Midnight Bullet themselves, Lose My Face talks about the fear of making yourself a fool and how many people try to hide their mistakes and who they really are from the others. That ends up leading us to a life that’s nothing more than fake and shallow, which is nicely represented by the mask on the album art. However, it’s the music itself that stands out in Lose My Face, with a vast collection of energetic riffs, captivating melodies and a precise Punk Rock/Hardcore kick that keeps each and every song from the album a million light years away from tediousness.

The initial riffs and the fast and pleasant beats in the opening track, Memories are Gone, welcome the listener to a nonstop Rock N’ Roll party. It reminds me of the first releases by Chrome Division with some hints of Metalcore, thanks to the great job done by lead singer Tuomas Lahti and guitarist Lauri Ikonen. After that top-notch start, Midnight Bullet offer us Outcast and Alone, which keeps up with the ferocity of the opening track, plus its catchy chorus and more powerful riffs that help elevate the overall quality of the song.

Walking Down the Line, which has a touch of the more contemporary Metallica, is slightly heavier than the previous songs but with a more melodic chorus and truly strong and resonant bass lines by Timo Nokelainen; while the awesome furious track Six Feet Under represents old school Thrash Metal blended with pure Rock N’ Roll, with highlights to the great performance by drummer Mikko Nokelainen. Burn, another excellent song with a strong chorus and fun lyrics, flirts with Punk Rock and does not let the ball drop in Lose My Face.

MB_promo_picThe second half of the album starts with the high-speed Hard Rock of Last Man Standing: the intensity all band members play their instruments is really outstanding in this song, with highlights to the neck-breaking riff halfway through it followed by an interesting guitar solo at the end. The next track, Save Me, has a Blues-ish intro and a more commercial approach than the previous tracks, without losing that necessary heaviness thanks to its riffs, followed by the title-track, Lose My Face, which showcases a strong influence from bands like Metallica and Megadeth. It could easily be played on any Rock N’ Roll station so consistent it sounds.

And there’s a lot more Rock N’ Roll before the album is over, as you’ll notice in Sculpture of Broken Eternity and its extremely professional guitar lines, and in the Hard Rock ballad Hope with its smoother vocals. By the way, this is another song that would sound perfect in any Rock N’ Roll station, once again proving how ready Midnight Bullet is for stardom.

If you’re in Finland, visit the band’s official Facebook page to check when and where they’re playing live because they’re definitely worth a shot. And if you live anywhere else, at least go to the official Inverse Records store or to Amazon to grab your copy of Lose My Face. Do not miss the opportunity to support this amazing band from Finland, and believe me, you won’t make yourself a fool for doing that. Quite the contrary, this is the type of catchy music that makes our lives a lot more pleasant.

Best moments of the album: Memories are Gone, Six Feet Under and Last Man Standing.

Worst moments of the album: Walking Down the Line.

Released in 2015 Inverse Records

Track listing
1. Memories are Gone 4:23
2. Outcast and Alone 3:59
3. Walking Down the Line 4:13
4. Six Feet Under 4:08
5. Burn 3:37
6. Last Man Standing 4:04
7. Save Me 4:58
8. Lose My Face 3:55
9. Sculpture of Broken Eternity 3:26
10. Hope 4:21

Band members
Tuomas Lahti – vocals, guitars
Lauri Ikonen – lead guitars
Timo Nokelainen – bass
Mikko Nokelainen – drums

Album Review – Sata Kaskelottia / Sata Kaskelottia (2015)

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One hundred sperm whales playing heavy music? Not only that’s real, but the final result is also pretty good.

Rating5

SK_album_coverAlthough English is considered the universal language of music, especially if a band or artist wants to be heard and recognized overseas, sometimes singing in their mother tongue becomes not only an essential part of the music, but what differentiates the band from the others. That’s what makes such amazing bands like Eths, Teräsbetoni and Rammstein so entertaining, and now the same can be said about Finnish Stoner/Progressive Metal band Sata Kaskelottia and their self-titled debut album Sata Kaskelottia.

If translated to English, “sata kaskelottia” curiously means “one hundred sperm whales”, but obviously do not expect to listen to that amount of cachalots singing in Finnish like one of those nature compilations with the sounds of whales and dolphins. What we have here is pure heavy music crafted by a very talented Helsinki-based quartet who mixes elements of Stoner Rock, Sludge Metal and Progressive Metal in their music, without limiting themselves only to these genres. The final result is very solid, legit and, who knows, might even inspire you to learn some Finnish.

You will truly enjoy the raw and direct musicality found in the opening track, Huuto (“Scream”), with the very aggressive vocals and riffs by both Eetu Kauppinen and Matti Kangaskoski adding a lot of energy to the song, which by the way should sound amazing when played live. The following track, Yö On Ohi (“The Night Is Over”), showcases a stronger Stoner Rock/Metal vein, with its riffs and drums the likes of Down and Crowbar. Moreover, in my opinion this song would be an excellent choice for introducing a badass character in a movie, don’t you agree?

Sata_kaskelottia_2Based on what I could find online, Ikuturso means “The Eternal Turso”, a malevolent sea monster in Finnish mythology, which perfectly fits the sonority found in this track. It’s interesting how vocals and riffs complement each other throughout the entire song, with bassist Jukka-Pekka Kupi and drummer Ville Salonen helping elevate the overall progressiveness of it. Then we have Veden Alle (“Under Water”), a song full of progressive elements similar to what Dream Theater do, with of course a heavier approach thanks to its guitar solo totally inspired by Stoner Rock, and the longest track of the album, Kyntö (“Plowing”), which despite starting with a smooth and progressive intro, suddenly turns into somber  Stoner Metal. Not only that, the intense screams used during the song are very effective in making it even darker and more interesting.

Suljetun Huoneen Samurai (which should mean “Samurai In A Closed Room”) is a faster and more direct tune, with highlights to the excellent job done by all band members, especially to drummer Ville for maintaining such a high level of aggressiveness during the entire song; while Jumalan Ääni (“The Voice Of God”) is the perfect example of what happens when Stoner Rock and Progressive Metal walk hand in hand. Even if you don’t understand a word in Finnish you can enjoy the vocal lines so fun they are, plus a soulful guitar solo to end this song on a high note. Finally we have the excellent headbanging tune Kansalainen Zombie (“Citizen Zombie”) and its fuckin’ heavy riffs commanding the rhythm, with its last part being a delight to fans of good old rock music jamming, and the more introspective Merimies (“Seamen”), which despite having some melancholic passages also offers us that fierce and technical Stoner Metal we all enjoy so much.

Go support this promising band by checking them on Facebook and SoundCloud, and by purchasing their music on iTunes or Amazon. If you want to take a listen at the potent sound that one hundred sperm whales can generate, Sata Kaskelottia is by far your best option.

Best moments of the album: Huuto, Suljetun Huoneen Samurai and Kansalainen Zombie.

Worst moments of the album: Veden Alle.

Released in 2015 Inverse Records

Track listing
1. Huuto 2:51
2. Yö On Ohi 4:34
3. Ikuturso 4:04
4. Veden Alle 4:46
5. Kyntö 6:31
6. Suljetun Huoneen Samurai 2:26
7. Jumalan Ääni 3:15
8. Kansalainen Zombie 3:43
9. Merimies 5:43

Band members
Eetu Kauppinen – vocals, guitars
Matti Kangaskoski – guitars, vocals
Jukka-Pekka Kupi – bass
Ville Salonen – drums, percussion

Album Review – Battle Beast / Unholy Savior (2015)

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Battle Beast want the world and everything in it, and they’re definitely on their way to conquer it all with their brilliant brand new album.

Rating2

battle beast_unholy saviorIf what Finnish Heavy Metal warriors Battle Beast wanted with their 2013 album, the self-titled masterpiece Battle Beast (which was left out of our 2013 top 10 list by a huge and inexcusable mistake), and their brand new album, the mighty Unholy Savior, was conquering the world of heavy music, I must say they are on the right path to reach their goal. Their third full-length album sounds even more professional and polished, always with that magic aura from the 80’s supporting their musicality.

Just like its predecessor, Unholy Savior is an endless feast of heavy riffs, catchy melodies and straightforward Heavy Metal boosted by the inspired performances from all band members, led by guitarist Anton Kabanen and especially the stunning bombshell Noora Louhimo, the “Janis Joplin of Heavy Metal”. Honestly, I cannot think of a band that’s been playing such captivating heavy music nowadays, and things get even more exciting as Battle Beast have the whole package, from their music to their looks. In other words, what else do you need in a Heavy Metal band that those “unholy saviors” from Finland are not offering us?

Unholy Savior has a very simple rule: hitting “play” and banging your fuckin’ head until the end, which becomes obvious from the very first notes in the opening track, Lionheart. This “fight song” focuses on a solid and traditional instrumental with a strong Stratovarius vibe, with Noora’s amazing voice and its inspiring lyrics (especially its chorus) making it one of the best of all songs without a shadow of a doubt. The title-track, Unholy Savior, has that 80’s intro similar to what was done in some songs from their previous album, with its drumming by Pyry Vikki and keyboards by Janne Björkroth dictating the rhythm. Moreover, pay good attention to its backing vocals as they add a lot of electricity to the chorus.

The following track, I Want The World… And Everything In It, is beyond spectacular and the best of the whole album, with its powerful riffs and solos working flawlessly. Besides, it’s quite impossible not to raise your fists and scream the chorus with Noora, whose potent voice perfectly flows through the song’s harsher lines. But before you listen to it again and again, take a listen to the rest of the album starting by the next song, the Power Metal tune Madness, certainly one of the best choices for their live performances with highlights to the nonstop Pyry on drums and, once again, to the gorgeous Noora. As she screams during the song, her name is madness!

battle beastIn order to slow things down a little and let us recover our energy, the band provides us a beautiful “medieval” ballad entitled Sea Of Dreams which focuses 100% on Noora’s voice, and let me tell you her performance and the song lyrics will surely warm up our hearts during the coldest nights of winter so pleasant this song is. After that short break, it’s time to break our necks again with Speed And Danger: with a name like that I don’t need to say it’s as fast and heavy as it can be, right? I would love to get into some circle pits while the band plays this song, with highlights to its great lyrics paying a tribute to several of the band’s Heavy Metal idols.

Touch In The Night, with its 80’s keyboard notes and its lyrics talking about love and passion (“I’m gonna feel the wrath of the king / ‘Cause touching you was a sin / I’m a victim of my own desire”), might not be a bad track, but it gets so pop sometimes (including Noora’s vocals) to the point it’s annoying. The next two tracks are a bit “weird”, but that doesn’t mean they’re not good at all: The Black Swordsman is a nice and short ballad that works as a bridge to Hero’s Quest, an instrumental track tailored for playing video game or drinking beer with your friends, with its guitars and keyboards in total sync.

The last part of this awesome album begins with Far Far Away, a very consistent song about the journey of each and every Heavy Metal fan in the world, with its riffs inspired by classics such as Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, especially by the unique riff from “Two Minutes to Midnight”; followed by the touching ballad Angel Cry, with kudos to Noora for another outstanding performance. To be fair, if anyone still thinks our Metal diva shouldn’t have become the frontwoman of Battle Beast, this song will easily prove why she was indeed the chosen one. And finally, as a more-than-welcome bonus track, we have Push It To The Limit, a Metal version for Paul Engemann’s classic from the 1983’s masterpiece Scarface that will put you to dance.

In short, while Battle Beast keep roaring and spreading their thrilling heavy music all around the world with albums like Battle Beast and now the incredible Unholy Savior, we can rest assured Heavy Metal will stand strong and relevant for many years to come. Those Finnish metallers are getting closer and closer to dominating the entire world of music, and when they finally do so I’m sure everyone will just love it. Who doesn’t want to be ruled by a screaming queen like Noora, right? All hail to Battle Beast!

Best moments of the album: Lionheart, I Want The World… And Everything In It, Sea Of Dreams, Far Far Away and Angel Cry.

Worst moments of the album: Touch In The Night.

Released in 2015 Nuclear Blast

Track listing
1. Lionheart 4:53
2. Unholy Savior 5:37
3. I Want The World… And Everything In It 4:37
4. Madness 4:02
5. Sea Of Dreams 5:01
6. Speed And Danger 4:39
7. Touch In The Night 4:32
8. The Black Swordsman 1:15
9. Hero’s Quest 2:31
10. Far Far Away 3:47
11. Angel Cry 3:34

Bonus Track
12. Push It To The Limit (Paul Engemann cover) 3:20

Band members
Noora Louhimo – vocals
Anton Kabanen – guitar, vocals
Juuso Soinio – guitar
Eero Sipilä – bass, vocals
Janne Björkroth – keyboards
Pyry Vikki – drums

The Year In Review – Top 10 Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Albums of 2014

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“May the New Year bring you courage to break your resolutions early! My own plan is to swear off every kind of virtue, so that I triumph even when I fall!” – Aleister Crowley, Moonchild

It’s with these inspiring words found in the occult novel Moonchild, written by British occultist, poet and novelist Aleister Crowley in 1917, that The Headbanging Moose reaches another year end. Well, not before celebrating heavy music, which is the essence of this webzine, right? In order to honour all metal bands and musicians who made our year a lot more fun, here is The Headbanging Moose’s Top 10 Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Albums of 2014, excluding of course EP’s, best of and live albums. Party on, dudes!

Redeemer-of-souls-album-cover-art-12801. Judas Priest – Redeemer of Souls (REVIEW)
The Metal Gods are finally back with another marvellous sonic storm forged in the fires of pure Heavy Metal.
Best song of the album: Halls Of Valhalla

Primalfeardeliveringtheblack20142. Primal Fear – Delivering the Black (REVIEW)
Primal Fear once again deliver the awesome with their tenth studio album, their best since Seven Seals.
Best song of the album: King For A Day

Triptykon-Melana-Chasmata3. Triptykon – Melana Chasmata (REVIEW)
One of the most expected albums of 2014 is a beautiful mix of Gothic, Black and especially Doom Metal as grandiose as they can be.
Best song of the album: Boleskine House

ExodusBloodInBloodOut4. Exodus – Blood In, Blood Out (REVIEW)
American Thrash Metal masters deliver us another great lesson in Thrash Metal. Welcome back to the family, Zetro!
Best song of the album: Blood In, Blood Out

Cover5. Axel Rudi Pell – Into the Storm (REVIEW)
A fantastic “storm” of heavy riffs and solos by one of the best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal guitar players from Germany.
Best song of the album: Burning Chains

accept-blind rage6. Accept – Blind Rage (REVIEW)
And we salute Accept for another wonderful metal album, the third installment in this new amazing Accept-era.
Best song of the album: Dying Breed

ESCAPETOR - Fear cover art7. Escapetor – Fear (REVIEW)
A serious contender for “Thrash Metal Album of the Year”, as heavy, invigorating and awesome as it can be.
Best song of the album: The Queen

vandenplas_chronicles8. Vanden Plas – Chronicles of the Immortals – Netherworld (REVIEW)
Get ready for an amazing journey in this new Rock Opera Album.
Best song of the album: The King and the Children of Lost World

godsmack_1000hp9. Godsmack – 1000hp (REVIEW)
Lots of horsepower, groove, great riffs and strong vocal lines are just some of the things you’ll find in this amazing rock album.
Best song of the album: 1000hp

10. Phantom – …Of Gods and Men (REVIEW)
With huge doses of blood, iron, sweat, steel and fire, this Canadian power trio delivers an indie Heavy Metal masterpiece for our total delight.
Best song of the album: Blood & Iron

And here we have the runner-ups completing the top 20:

11. Behemoth – The Satanist (REVIEW)
12. Cannibal Corpse – A Skeletal Domain (REVIEW)
13. Humbucker – King of the World (REVIEW)
14. Insomnium – Shadows Of The Dying Sun (REVIEW)
15. Crucified Barbara – In The Red (REVIEW)
16. Gamma Ray – Empire of the Undead (REVIEW)
17. Motorjesus – Electric Revelation (REVIEW)
18. Lordi – Scare Force One (REVIEW)
19. Dimenzion:Psychosphere – Collapse (REVIEW)
20. Anti-Mortem – New Southern (REVIEW)

One of our recent reviews mentioned the law of conservation of mass by French chemist Antoine Lavoisier, which states that “Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed.”  With that said, why not innovating a little and listing the Top 10 Cover Songs of 2014? Because in the end it’s metal bands working towards the conservation of heavy music. Let me tell you all those cover versions are amazing, but the first two go beyond that, they’re just perfect.

1. Axel Rudi Pell – Hey Hey My My (Neil Young cover)
2. Escapetor – Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash cover)
3. Iron Savior – Dance With Somebody (Mando Diao cover)
4. Van Canto – The Final Countdown (Europe cover)
5. Ektomorf – I Hate You (Verbal Abuse cover)
6. Anti-Mortem – A Little Too Loose (Mr. Big Cover)
7. Endzeit – The Dawn No More Rises (Dark Funeral cover)
8. Axel Rudi Pell – Way to Mandalay (Blackmore’s Night cover)
9. Humbucker – Wine, Women An’ Song (Whitesnake cover)
10. Exodus – Angel Of Death (Angel Witch cover)

Also, in 2014 we were able to witness so many impressive releases from new and not so new independent bands (or at least not signed to major record labels) such as Orisonata, SouLost, Goatchrist, Valknacht, Ann My Guard, Septekh, Way Of Changes, Henriette B, Misanthrope Monarch, Witches Of Doom, Phobiatic, Prayed and Betrayed, Temple Of Void, Maahlas, Laugh At The Fakes, Lelahell, Diablery, Humbucker, Phantom, No Sin Evades His Gaze, Endzeit, among tons of other awesome bands and artists, it’s hard to name just a few. They’re indeed a huge slap to the face of those idiots who keep saying heavy music is dead and gone. Just Google those bands or search for them here at The Headbanging Moose and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Some of them even made it to the top10/20 list, as you can see.

You can check The Headbanging Moose’s playlist Top 10 Hard Rock & Heavy Metal Albums of 2014 @ Songza, with the best songs from each band of the list above, as well as amazing songs from lots of independent bands who rocked the world in 2014. And, of course, do not forget to listen to the weekly episodes of The Metal Moose Show by the Metal Moose Radio. Support you local bands… AND FOLLOW THE MOOSE!

And last but not least, before the Headbanging Moose goes into “hibernation” until the beginning of 2015, I’ll leave you guys with a song that’s way better than any of that Christmas garbage shoved down our throats every fuckin’ year. This song says it all.

Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year! See you in 2015!

Album Review – Way Of Changes / Honesty EP (2014)

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A truly honest and professional release by a brand new Metalcore band from Switzerland.

Rating5

digipak4Panel-DW.aiAs the last review for 2014, the Headbanging Moose offers you a really nice EP entitled Honesty, by Swiss Metalcore band Way Of Changes. The band started to take shape in June 2013, when drummer Quentin Gobalet, who was searching for musicians to play Metalcore, found guitarists Théo Dikötter and Eliot Colomb. Then in the beginning of 2014, already with bassist Maxime Dessauges, they finally found a singer for the band, Simon Phildius, releasing their first song “In & Out” in September 2014 before finally releasing the Honesty EP in November 2014.

Inspired by bands such as August Burns Red, Parkway Drive and Bury Tomorrow, this five-piece Metalcore group from Switzerland has as their main goal crafting catchy and powerful heavy music, and based on what can be seen in this EP they succeeded in their first attempt. In addition, perhaps the most unique detail amidst all the traditional and polished Metalcore riffs and beats found in the music by Way Of Changes are the vocals by Simon, deeper and more devilish than usual, getting even closer to traditional Death or Black Metal, and that adds a lot of potency to their music.

The EP “takes off” with an atmospheric intro named (guess what?) Take Off, followed by the heavy Mistakes and its 100% Metalcore instrumental, very melodic and modern as expected, with riffs and drums synced to provide harmony to the music and, as aforementioned, the eerie voice by Simon adding to it a fresh and dark taste. Counting Seconds sounds inspired by Swedish Melodic Death Metal blended with the sonority of American Metalcore, turning it into an interesting headbanging song with highlights to the excellent job done by Théo Dikötter and Eliot Colomb on the guitars.

way of changesAnd Way Of Changes keep delivering good and dense music in Dream Awake: by the time you reach this song, you’ll realize those guys prefer focusing on heavier tunes rather than faster songs, no doubt about that. Then we have the band’s “first-born child”, In & Out, a little faster than the other tracks with an interesting riff in the background while drummer Quentin keeps guiding the song, with the vocal lines by Simon being once again as deep as possible.

Closing the EP we have Cuckoo, which right after a smooth intro turns into into pure heaviness with harsh and clean vocals working pretty well together. Its heavy riffs after two and a half minutes are tailored for some brutal headbanging, and if you’re a longtime fan of Metalcore this part of the song will definitely catch your attention.

While this promising band is working on new material, you can visit their Facebook page to like their music, check where in Switzerland they’re playing live, and of course purchase their music at their official webstore or at CD Baby. As the name of the EP says, Way Of Changes are a very honest and professional band, and they have what it takes to be successful in the years to come in the world of Metalcore.

Best moments of the album: Counting Seconds and In & Out.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2014 Independent

Track listing
1. Take Off 1:23
2. Mistakes 4:19
3. Counting Seconds 4:11
4. Dream Awake 4:41
5. In & Out 3:39
6. Cuckoo 4:53

Band members
Simon Phildius – vocals
Théo Dikötter – guitar, vocals
Eliot Colomb – guitar, vocals
Maxime Dessauges – bass
Quentin Gobalet – drums

Album Review – In Torment / Sphere Of Metaphysical Incarnations (2014)

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Surrender to the power of the “sphere” of extreme metal by one of the best Death Metal bands from Brazil.

Rating4

1 - coverDon’t you just love when behind massive amounts of savagery there’s a very solid and appealing storyline? That makes the whole experience of listening to an extreme metal band even better, which is exactly the case with Brazilian Technical/Brutal Death Metal band In Torment and their brand new concept album, the sonic carnage entitled Sphere Of Metaphysical Incarnations. Talking about the birth of a new god and a conscious sphere of energy becoming a living organism, this album simply kicks ass.

Forged in 1997 under the name of Torment in the city of São Leopoldo, in the south of Brasil, In Torment’s musicality can be compared to Death Metal icons such as Brazilian countrymen Krisiun or American behemoths Cannibal Corpse, mainly due to the refined technique of each band member. Not only that, lead singer Alex Zuchi is also a writer, having already released a romance entitled “A Transcedência da Carne”, or “The Transcendence of the Flesh” in English. In addition, take a look at the very detailed album booklet and you’ll also find very interesting quotes by Henry Bergson, Carl Jung and Oscar Wilde. Do I need to say more?

However, as we’re here to talk about Death Metal, it’s when the music starts that things reach another level, with the violent blast beats, riffs and solos found in the opening track, The Unnatural Conception, being boosted by the demonic vocals by Alex Zuchi. This is one hundred percent what Death Metal music needs to be good, don’t you agree? In the following track, Divine Universal Awareness, In Torment continue with their feast of violence accompanied by a truly interesting storyline as you can notice in the lyrics (“Exploring the mysteries of the universe / The mutual hatred keeps feeding me / As the conversion riddle is exposed”). Moreover, despite being so barbaric, the instrumental is so technical it gets even progressive sometimes.

Drummer Dio (who has just left the band, being replaced by Cássio Canto) dictates the devastation in Into Abyssal Landscapes with his nonstop drumming and sick breaks, with the guitars by Alexandre Graessler and Rafael Giovanoli offering the listener some polished but very aggressive riffs, followed by The Threshold (Transcending the Matter), with its interesting narration as an intro and Alex Zuchi showcasing a wider vocal range in this song, “abandoning” his characteristic deep guttural for some harsher screams in parts of it. And let’s not forget the beautiful solo by Rafael Giovanoli, which makes the whole song even more exciting.

6-7The title-track, Sphere of Metaphysical Incarnations, slows things down a little, albeit it’s heavier than all previous tracks due to the nice job done on guitars again. Also, the most interesting detail in this song is that it tells us what or who the sphere really is, keeping us all avid for more of the “sphere”. The next track, Far Beyond Mortality, is a very exciting tune with lots of variations thanks to its intense drumming, with highlights to its always-evolving lyrics (“The sphere grows as a living entity / Guided by a single mind”).

Mechanisms of Domination, a little more modern than all previous tracks (especially its riffs), is pure headbanging and slamming until the end with the band showing no mercy for our necks and bodies, followed by one of the shortest songs of the album, the awesome The Extinction Process. The name of the song says it all: it’s everything a hardcore Death Metal fan wants, with sheer brutality converted into music by outstanding musicians. And finally, closing the album we have the very technical instrumental track Beholding the Everlasting, another good example of how those guys master their instruments.

What are you waiting for to surrender to the power of the “sphere”? Show all your support to this incredible band by visiting their official Facebook page, buying their music and attending their concerts. While the sphere becomes a living organism, In Torment become one of the best extreme bands in the history of Brazilian metal and are ready to conquer the entire world of heavy music.

Best moments of the album: The Unnatural Conception, Far Beyond Mortality and The Extinction Process.

Worst moments of the album: Mechanisms of Domination.

Released in 2014 Rapture Records

Track listing
1. The Unnatural Conception 3:51
2. Divine Universal Awareness 3:14
3. Into Abyssal Landscapes 4:14
4. The Threshold (Transcending the Matter) 3:47
5. Sphere of Metaphysical Incarnations 5:44
6. Far Beyond Mortality 4:00
7. Mechanisms of Domination 3:38
8. The Extinction Process 2:48
9. Beholding the Everlasting 2:40

Band members
Alex Zuchi – vocals
Alexandre Graessler – guitars
Rafael Giovanoli – guitars
Bruno Fogaça – bass
Dio – drums*

*Dio has recently left the band to focus on his personal projects, being replaced by Cássio Canto. 

Album Review – Autere / Amal’l (2014)

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Melodic and professional metal music directly from Finland to inspire you for some good headbanging and mosh pits.

Rating5

Autere_-_Amall_coverAfter 12 years of existence, including a few demos, one EP, some significant lineup changes and about 100 live performances, Finnish Melodic Death/Groove Metal band Autere is finally releasing their first full-length album, entitled Amal’l, a very modern metal album that was definitely worth the entire wait, especially if you are a fan of the heavy riffs and huge doses of melody and energy found in Melodic Death Metal.

As you will notice while listening to this album, this five-piece metal band from Turku, Finland already has some considerable experience in the world of heavy music, with each member being part of other bands such as Trespassenger, Damnesty, Black Sleep and Jacks Over Kings. Add to this strong music background a very professional production and you’ll see why Amal’l sounds so solid compared to the debut albums from many other metal bands.

With vocals à la Pantera (“BUUURRRN!”), the headbanging tune Burn opens the album as the band’s “business card”, being so heavy even its melodic but not too mellow clean vocals keep up with the song’s ferocity, while in the more rhythmic and intense Circle Of Kinetic Damage, with its technical riffs and strong chorus, the influence by Arch Enemy and other Swedish Melodic Death Metal bands is noticeable. Besides, songs like this one show us why the band has been playing live concerts together for so long, as it has a great level of energy to entertain most types of metalheads.

autere_promo1The more modern Redeemers gets closer to American Metalcore, with its harsh and clean vocals making an interesting combination full of harmony, while Lines visibly focuses on its riffs as the base of the entire song, with its harsh vocals and nice guitar solo at the end intensifying the overall result. In the following track, Horizon, Autere get back to a Pantera-ish sonority, with highlights to its breaks and melody and to drummer Tatu Turunen for being so precise with his drum set.

Carbon showcases a faster and more violent side of the band, sounding even more “Americanized” but without losing that harmonious European punch, with its chorus being really catchy and entertaining, while in Bloodlands the band’s headbanging machine keeps working at full power, with guitarists Joona Alamäki and Petri Huhtala kicking ass with their riffs. And there are still two more songs to go: Veils Of Faith keeps the momentum going with its nice flow accompanied by the vocal lines by Anssi Rissa, ending in a very strong way; and Allies, slower than all other songs and with a heavy focus on its main riff, gets a little tiring after two minutes, albeit not being a boring song at all.

In summary, Amal’l, which can be purchased at the online Inverse Store, is a straightforward album directly from the land of ice and snow that will satisfy your craving for melodic metal music, and will surely inspire you for some good headbanging and mosh pits.

Best moments of the album: Circle Of Kinetic Damage, Horizon and Carbon.

Worst moments of the album: Lines and Allies.

Released in 2014 Inverse Records

Track listing
1. Burn 3:26
2. Circle Of Kinetic Damage 4:15
3. Redeemers 3:41
4. Lines 3:44
5. Horizon 4:20
6. Carbon 3:43
7. Bloodlands 3:24
8. Veils Of Faith 3:03
9. Allies 4:18

Band members
Anssi Rissa – vocals
Joona Alamäki – guitars
Petri Huhtala – guitars
Markus Virtanen – bass
Tatu Turunen – drums

Album Review – AC/DC / Rock or Bust (2014)

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The shortest and one of the least inspired albums by the greatest Hard Rock band of all time.

Rating6

acdc-rock-or-bust-artworkFinally, here we are with the brand new studio album by Australian Hard Rock icons AC/DC, entitled Rock or Bust, the first since the superb Black Ice (2008) and the shortest studio album ever released by the band, even shorter than Flick of the Switch (1983). Not only that, it is their first release without founding member and rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young, who left the band in 2014 for health reasons (he was officially diagnosed with dementia), being replaced by his nephew Stevie Young, and there are also the issues drummer Phil Rudd is still facing with the law accused for procuring the murder of two men and possession of illegal drugs.

However, if there’s a clear surplus of non-music material in Rock or Bust, unfortunately there’s a significant shortfall of Rock N’ Roll itself. I’m not saying Rock or Bust is garbage, but it’s a billion light-years away from what this incredible band is capable of doing. When the other members of AC/DC said all their issues with Malcolm and Phil wouldn’t prevent them from releasing this album and going on a world tour, it makes me wonder if Rock or Bust was just released as an excuse to make tons of money playing their same old classics in sold-out arenas worldwide. I hope not, but that’s the impression I got after listening to this middling album.

When the opening song of the album begins, the title-track Rock or Bust, you need just one note to recognize it’s AC/DC. Moreover, albeit being less inspired than most of their songs from their latest records, its 100% AC/DC chorus (“In rock we trust / It’s rock or bust”) and of course the “magic” crafted by Angus Young help making it an enjoyable track. Pretty much the same can be said about the good Play Ball and its catchy and traditional rhythm, and it would have been so much more fun if AC/DC were selected to play this song during the  halftime show on the next Super Bowl instead of the beautiful but extremely tedious Katy Perry.

Rock the Blues Away is a very generic song, especially its riffs: we’ve listened to the same stuff a billion times before, but at least there was more inspiration and energy in older songs. Anyway, I believe hardcore fans will love it mainly due to its lyrics. Miss Adventure sounds a little different than usual, with its bass lines being a lot more audible (it looks like this is a worldwide trend in music), and despite its lyrics being too repetitive that doesn’t affect the song negatively. In the average Dogs of War, the intro is one of those things fans will truly love to see live, but unfortunately after that the song gets back to the same “I’ve seen it before” level from the previous tracks.

acdcGot Some Rock & Roll Thunder is another very traditional track, but this time a lot more consistent and exciting, and again the riffs and solos by Angus are always so good and soulful it’s impossible not to get thrilled with his performance. On the other hand, I really don’t know what to say about Hard Times except that it is very repetitive and tiring, with even Brian Johnson’s voice sounding totally flavorless. At least the faster and more melodic Baptism by Fire lives up to the band’s tradition in Hard Rock. It’s not a classic, but a lot better than almost all songs in this album, with highlights to its sing-along lyrics and a great performance by the duo Brian/Angus.

The last part of the album is so flat and mediocre you will probably skip all those songs and get back to the start: Rock the House intends to be a Rock N’ Roll pub song, but it’s again too generic and its chorus lacks that amazing punch AC/DC usually provide us, while Sweet Candy (what a boring name for an AC/DC song, by the way) is totally disposable in its 3 minutes of pure repetitiousness. Not even Angus was capable of saving this song from being a total disaster. Lastly, I got really excited with the first five seconds of Emission Control, but then one more time it all went back to boredom with really lazy riffs, drums, vocals and everything else. And when this song is over, you feel there’s something missing in Rock or Bust, and that’s real Rock N’ Roll.

Before you come screaming at me things like “Hey, but that’s AC/DC! They don’t need to change to be awesome!”, let me tell you that I agree 100% with that. More of the same can be amazing, just take a listen at Motörhead’s Aftershock, one of the most badass and incredible albums of 2013, or even to AC/DC’s previous installment, Black Ice, where there isn’t a single song that is not worth listening to so epic that album is. The main issue in Rock or Bust is the total lack of electricity, that special element which makes AC/DC so fuckin’ awesome even playing the exact same type of music for over 40 years. They still rock, especially live, but this album is definitely a “bust”.

Best moments of the album: Play Ball, Got Some Rock & Roll Thunder and Baptism by Fire.

Worst moments of the album: Hard Times, Rock the House and Sweet Candy.

Released in 2014 Albert/Columbia

Track listing
1. Rock or Bust 3:04
2. Play Ball 2:47
3. Rock the Blues Away 3:24
4. Miss Adventure 2:57
5. Dogs of War 3:35
6. Got Some Rock & Roll Thunder 3:22
7. Hard Times 2:44
8. Baptism by Fire 3:30
9. Rock the House 2:42
10. Sweet Candy 3:09
11. Emission Control 3:41

Band members
Brian Johnson – lead vocals
Angus Young – lead guitar, backing vocals on “Dogs of War”
Stevie Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals
Phil Rudd – drums, percussion