If you want to get more information about any of the bands featured at The Metal Moose Show, simply Google the band and/or the song name to find their official website and Facebook page and, more important than that, attend their live concerts and buy their music. Here at The Headbanging Moose you can also find detailed reviews of many other excellent underground bands. Support your local bands… AND FOLLOW THE MOOSE!
On The Metal Moose Show this week (not necessarily in this order):
1. Driven Below – Weight Of Words
2. Vinyl Din – Gravities Equator
3. Black Cross Brotherhood – Hillbilly State Of Mind
4. Poynte – Erase Me
5. Saturate – Keep Digging
6. Saturate – Damage The Memory
7. Helldozer – I Am Your Enemy
8. Blindside Thunder – Human Race
9. Romantic Rebel – Believe
10. Octave Jaw – She Said
11. Barrun / Runes – Naked Eyes
12. Voodoo Dolls – The Book
13. Tether – Shattered
14. Pink Velvet Crush – Ball And Chain
15. Thy Worshiper – Czarny
16. Foreshadow – War Without End
17. Embracing Soul – Sotrias End
18. All Hell – Child Of God
19. Ponies To Kill – Tricks N Treats
Click HERE to listen to this week’s episode on Spreaker.
A sinister parade of heavy music led by the reigning succubus of Black and Doom Metal.
I got to know Black/Gothic Metal band Cadaveria a couple of months ago while listening to The Metal Moose Show, and basically after that I had to go after more of their excellent obscure music. The band is led by the diabolical Italian beauty Cadaveria (aka Raffaella Rivarolo), known for being the former singer of Symphonic Black Metal band Opera IX. Now, after over ten years in action, the band releases their fifth full-length album, Silence, a sinister parade of Black and Doom Metal, with Gothic influences from the 80’s and the unique feminine touch by Cadaveria.
Despite being extremely hard for bands to stay relevant in Heavy Metal doing this type of dark music, more due to their demanding fans rather than to the music itself, Cadaveria somehow manage to reinvent their musicality with each release, avoiding that feeling of “I’ve heard that before a million times” from any person that gets in contact with their music, no matter if it’s a diehard fan or a brand new listener. Of course the music by Cadaveria is not light-hearted or commercial at all, so do not expect to listen to it anywhere, but only where it really matters: in the underground music world.
The opening track, Velo (The Other Side of Hate), which by the way is probably a play on words with “LOVE”, is the perfect representation of Melodic Black Metal with devilish feminine vocals (can I say Cadaveria is like the reigning succubus of Black Metal?), alternating traditional Black Metal with more symphonic parts and with Frank Booth and Dick Laurent doing an awesome job on guitars. Following that great start, as the name of the song says Carnival of Doom has an awesome Doom Metal punch, being brutal but delicate at the same time, with Cadaveria’s clean vocals redefining the meaning of the word “mesmerizing”, while in Free Spirit there’s a slight change in the band’s approach, with its guitar lines and vocals focusing on a more melancholic tune inspired by Gothic/Doom Metal from the 80’s.
The Soul That Doesn’t Sleep emanates despair and darkness, with Cadaveria beautifully switching between harsh and clean vocals while the rest of the band maintains a morbid rhythm, solidifying the overall result, followed by Existence, which gets closer to apocalyptic Black Metal with drummer Marçelo Santos conducting the rhythm. In the modern and amazing Out Loud, the band offers us a heavy and furious tune with hints of Thrash and Death Metal, sounding like an even more wicked version of Arch Enemy and making it a perfect choice for circle pits, while Death, Again, which begins in the darkest and most melancholic way possible, has that type of hypnotizing melody, with Cadaveria making it even more enjoyable.
The last part of Silence brings to the listener an interesting mix of good, bad and, of course, dark tunes, starting with Exercise1, too generic compared to the rest of the album; Almost Ghostly, a feminine version of Paradise Lost blended with Tristania, with highlights to its amazing vocal lines; Loneliness, another excellent technical track with Gothic elements dominating the entire song; and finally Strangled Idols, again a more melodic and dark song, with its raw Rock N’ Roll vein being very beneficial to the overall energy of the song.
You can check the official album trailer HERE, visit the band’s official Facebook page, and of course buy their music and merchandise at their webshop or on iTunes. If there was a parade of Black and Doom Metal, Silence would definitely be its sinful and delectable soundtrack.
Best moments of the album:Carnival of Doom, The Soul That Doesn’t Sleep and Out Loud.
Worst moments of the album:Existence and Exercise1.
Released in 2014 Scarlet Records
Track listing 1. Velo (The Other Side of Hate) 4:14
2. Carnival of Doom 3:28
3. Free Spirit 4:44
4. The Soul That Doesn’t Sleep 3:34
5. Existence 4:56
6. Out Loud 3:16
7. Death, Again 5:04
8. Exercise1 3:54
9. Almost Ghostly 4:22
10. Loneliness 4:42
11. Strangled Idols 5:00
Band members Cadaveria – vocals
Frank Booth – guitar
Dick Laurent – guitar
Killer Bob – bass
Marçelo Santos – drums
An exciting music journey to a “different world” created by this talented Heavy Metal band from the UK.
Formed in 2009 from the ashes of several local bands in Bedfordshire, UK, comes a Heavy/Power Metal band that offers fans of the genre a very professional and entertaining music feast, with all the traditional and melodic elements found in the music by giants such as Judas Priest, Deep Purple, Helloween, Gamma Ray and Savatage. After the release of an EP entitled Welcome To…, in 2010, British band Neverworld is back with their first full-length album, the interesting and solid Visions Of Another World.
According to the band members themselves, “Neverworld is a place of dreams, a world we all visit in our sleep and the band explore this magical realm in their lyrics and artwork.” They also say it’s a place where metal dreams come true, inspiring all of us to use our imagination while listening to their music, and let me tell you this is the best thing you can do while taking a listen at Visions Of Another World: not only this is a very technical album, but it’s just a matter of closing your eyes and following the story told in each and every song for a unique experience that will stimulate all your senses.
In order to properly kick off the “journey” proposed above we have Tempus, an intro that blends the sound of a clock ticking together with some smooth piano and keyboard notes, as if the band wanted to musically hypnotize and transport the listener to another world, before the title-track, the amazing Visions Of Another World, fills our ears and souls with that Symphonic Power Metal vibe, speed and energy the likes of Helloween and Judas Priest, with highlights to its guitar solos blended with some background keyboard notes. Simply raise your fists and sing the chorus along with vocalist Ben Colton, you’re going to love it.
They Live focuses on more old school heavy music, like a mix of Deep Purple and Gamma Ray, with its ending showcasing a very harmonious and progressive side, creating an intense and fun atmosphere for the listener, while Blood And Romance, invigorated by the stunning vocals by guest musician Christina Gajny, is so delightful I would like to see more of that Ben/Christina duo in their future releases. It’s such a beautiful Power Metal ballad, with almost 10 minutes of powerful melodies and atmospheric passages transpiring pure emotion, it’s hard not to listen to it several times before moving on to the next song, Ghosts, with its “angrier” and more rhythmic musicality. Even the vocal lines by Ben are more aggressive here, providing a good balance with all its nice breaks and variations before culminating in a 100% Power Metal ending.
The band “spins the wheel” in the next track, The Wheel Of Misfortune, which has in its powerful keyboards and the amazing guitar solo “battle” during its last part its greatest strengths, followed by the more serious and introspective Eminent Reprisal, where Neverworld slow down things a bit and let the guitar lines guide the music. Each of the band members’ skills are truly noticeable here, with so many good solos and riffs it’s difficult to pick just one or two. Finally, we have Salt Water Bandits, which starts in a very mighty way, enhanced by an atmospheric break halfway through it and all the great sounding the band has to offer us, including many creative riffs, soulful solos, accelerated beats, high-pitched vocals and so on; and the very progressive This Fire, which sounds like a hybrid of Dream Theater and Gamma Ray with the band’s own touch, ending with the same clock from the intro to wrap things up in a very consistent way.
Visions Of Another World is available on CD Baby, iTunes, Amazon and other locations, and it’s a more than welcome addition to your list of metal albums. Let the energy and atmosphere generated by those British guys invade your mind and soul, and you’ll be more than happy to follow them to this new world of heavy music.
Best moments of the album:Visions Of Another World, Blood And Romance and Eminent Reprisal.
Worst moments of the album:This Fire.
Released in 2014 Dreamdemon Recordings
Track listing 1. Tempus 2:27
2. Visions Of Another World 5:53
3. They Live 4:44
4. Blood And Romance 9:13
5. Ghosts 6:40
6. The Wheel Of Misfortune 5:37
7. Eminent Reprisal 7:24
8. Salt Water Bandits 8:16
9. This Fire 8:33
Band members Ben Colton – guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals
Jack Foster – guitar
Gary Payne – bass
Daniel Potter – keyboards
Mike Vaughan – drums
Guest musician Christina Gajny – female vocals on “Blood and Romance”
If you don’t have the new Iron Maiden calendar embellishing your wall and your house yet, run to the hills!
As another year comes to an end, it’s time to get ready for 2015 in style with the brand new Iron Maiden 2015 Calendar, by Heavy Metal titans Iron Maiden. Do not even think about purchasing one of those mellow calendar full of puppies, or that one with boring flowers from who knows where. You don’t want to let “Uncle Eddie” down with that meaningless sensitive attitude not suitable for a true Maidenmaniac, do you?
Once again published by Danilo Promotions Limited, the material, dimensions (42.3 x 29.7 x 1 cm) and weight (322 g) are very similar to all previous editions, but I’m pretty sure you don’t care that much about those minor details, right? What you really want to know is: which Eddies and/or images were selected to make all your months in 2015 a lot more beastly and fun?
First of all, the layout is a slightly different from the superb 2014 edition of the calendar, with Iron Maiden “abandoning” their traditional typography for a more generic style. Although I understand they wanted to freshen up the final product with this move, I believe all Maidenmaniacs around the world will be a little disappointed with that. I mean, this was one of the most unique characteristics of their calendar, so why changing it to something so bland?
In regards to the images chosen for each month, Iron Maiden applied the same idea as for their 2013 edition, which means they mixed some Eddies from their event T-shirts with live pictures taken during their terrific Maiden England Tour 2014. I don’t know if their plan is to do the same stuff every two years, intercalating a calendar with only event T-shirts/images with a calendar with a mix of images and pictures of the band, but for me the ones without those live shots are a lot more interesting. Besides, they can always add their live photos as an extra smaller item to each month if they want to, which is something they already did in the past.
From the 12 months of 2015, my favorite ones are by far July and September, which represent their event T-shirts from their 2014 Nordic events and their epic performances at Hellfest and Main Square Festival in France, respectively. From their live shots, I would say March, April and October are the best ones.
One suggestion I would make to the band regarding the content of the calendar would be very easy to do and something awesome for all their fans: why not adding a simple note (it can be just a couple of words) to the days where Maiden has a song about? For instance, the song The Longest Day is about the D-Day, the Allied invasion of France during World War II that commenced on June 6, 1944, so there could be something like “D-DAY (The Longest Day)” on June 6, as straightforward as that. Or maybe October 25 for The Trooper, July 31 for Paschendale, and so on.
In summary, despite not being a boring calendar, it’s not brilliant either. It’s still worth the investment, especially because it’s cheap compared to many other calendar types available in the market, but it could have been a lot better and not just one more calendar. You can purchase it at the Iron Maiden official webshop, at Amazon, and many other online or physical stores. If you don’t have it hanging on your wall yet, what are you waiting for to run to the closest store or buy it online? The Iron Maiden 2015 Calendar is gonna get ya, no matter how far. As long as it’s before 2015 actually starts, of course.
The new album by this outstanding indie Power Metal band from Calgary has everything we love in progressive metal music and more.
There was a time when my playlist was pretty much composed in its entirety by the anthem-like songs and sing-along choruses of many Power Metal bands such as Gamma Ray, Stratovarius, Blind Guardian and Angra. Although years have gone by and my taste for heavy music has expanded considerably, listening to some thrilling Power Metal tunes always touches my heart no matter what, and seeing this genre of heavy music is alive and well in the hands of awesome indie groups, such as Progressive Power Metal band Viathyn, truly makes me hapy. By the way, the name of the band has no real definition in English, it’s just something the band members came up while playing off the word “Leviathan”.
After the EP Demagogue in 2008 and their first full-length album The Peregrine Way in 2010, this Calgary-based band returns with more of their powerful and progressive music in Cynosure, which according to guitarist Jacob Wright means “a focal point or an object that serves to guide”. Also, when explaining the meaning of the songs, which by the way are full of virtuosity and emotion, he mentioned each track focuses upon a character that is either affected by or acts as an agent of chaos, in order to express how small and insignificant our actions are within the grand scale of the universe and to show that we as humans should be humble and respectful to each other. In other words, Cynosure also has a good storyline to add even more value to its music, which is already excellent by itself.
Get ready for a metal journey with the opening track Ageless Stranger, which right after its “Hobbit-ish” intro turns into nonstop Power Metal with lots of progressiveness, riffs and drums à la Gamma Ray, and awesome guitar solos by Jacob Wright, followed by The Coachman, which sounds like a heavier version of Jethro Tull and Sonata Arctica, especially the vocal lines by Tomislav Crnkovic and the harmony found in the lyrics, with highlights to its great chorus (“And in the shades of nightfall, riding swift, he steers to your call / Step into the coach and find your broken oaths are inside / By sleight of hand and wake of fate, speak his name, he’ll be your guide”). I might be wrong, but is it some kind of tribute to Helloween on one of the last guitar solos and at the end of the song, sounding like a live version of “Future World”?
Edward Mordrake gets back to that breathtaking traditional Power Metal with its flawless instrumental, awesome guitar riffs and all rhythmic breaks. It’s definitely one of the best songs of the whole album, especially its second half which would put a big smile on Mr. Kai Hansen’s face. The heavy and symphonic Shadows In Our Wake has a more badass attitude and it’s impossible not to get excited with the energy this track emanates, with highlights to its nice guitar duos and speed similar to Gamma Ray (but a little more progressive), followed by the superb Countess of Discordia: it has that Power Metal vibe we all love, with “Brothers Crnkovic” absolutely on fire and in total sync. Moreover, not only it has best lyrics of all songs (“Eris, the Countess of Discordia / Behold her kingdom of strife and chaos at your door / Mother to false oaths and daughter to the void / Her fortress stretches high up to the weeping moon”), but it’s impressive how despite being lengthy it’s not tiring at all (and I’m sure you’ll start tapping together with its double bass wherever you are).
Cynosure goes on with Time Will Take Us All, which has a more serene intro and slower rhythm, with part of its musicality inspired by British Progressive Rock and the addition of some guttural vocals in the background being its special element, and Three Sheets To The Wind, a song that takes Folk and Power Metal to the next level, making me want to start dancing and prancing with a mug of beer in my hand. The last two tracks of the album are Albedo, a psychedelic music voyage with interesting lyrics (“Panacea, cure all that ails me and fill my veins with life / Aqua Vitae, draw clarity to my eyes and post colour through my mind”), with highlights to the excellent job done on guitars, and finally the title-track Cynosure, as symphonic and metallic as possible in its almost 10 minutes of fast and complex riffs, guitar solos and drums. Some passages even remind me of Dragonforce, with Tomislav Crnkovic once again showcasing an excellent vocal performance boosted by the enjoyable song lyrics.
There are many places where you can listen to and purchase Viathyn’s Cynosure (SoundCloud, CD Baby, BandCamp, Big Cartel, iTunes, among others), an awesome album tailored for fans of progressive and powerful metal music. There’s no way you won’t feel really good listening to it, I can assure you.
Best moments of the album:The Coachman, Edward Mordrake and Countess of Discordia.
Worst moments of the album:Time Will Take Us All.
Released in 2014 Independent
Track listing 1. Ageless Stranger 7:13
2. The Coachman 5:41
3. Edward Mordrake 6:24
4. Shadows In Our Wake 7:02
5. Countess of Discordia 7:12
6. Time Will Take Us All 7:01
7. Three Sheets To The Wind 7:21
8. Albedo 6:48
9. Cynosure 9:35
Band members Tomislav Crnkovic – vocals, guitar
Jacob Wright – guitar
Alex Kot – bass
Dave Crnkovic – drums
If you want to get more information about any of the bands featured at The Metal Moose Show, simply Google the band and/or the song name to find their official website and Facebook page and, more important than that, attend their live concerts and buy their music. Here at The Headbanging Moose you can also find detailed reviews of many other excellent underground bands. Support your local bands… AND FOLLOW THE MOOSE!
On The Metal Moose Show this week (not necessarily in this order):
1. Kismet – Quit
2.. Blackline – Choke
3. Pendulums – Reclaim And Destroy
4. Haster – Crutch
5. Haster – Within These Walls
6. Lucid Decree – Minds Of Liberty
7. Nick Caster – Drive All Night
8. Martyr – Afterlife
9. Matrekis – Possibilities
10. August Red Moon – Bring Down The House
11. Ensilenced – Two Faces
12. Methane – Scars And Bars
13. Aterra Tale – Against The World
14. Robotface – Planet Xanex
15. Alsatia – The Devil And The Charoletain
16. Implode – Cursed Dead Son
17. From Earth – Dark Waves
18. Dark Ring – Glory Of The Warrior
19. Bloid – Pandemic
20. Glimpse Of Utopia – Misinterpretation
21. Mindshade – Planet Icarus
Click HERE to listen to this week’s episode on Spreaker.
When you think about the Netherlands, the first (if not the only) things that come to your mind are probably prostitution, drugs and those famous wooden shoes. However, you should forget about all that touristic bullshit and start admiring the true wonders of that picturesque European country: their female Heavy Metal singers. It’s amazing how many talented girls can be found in such a small country, as for example Anneke van Giersbergen (Agua de Anneke, The Gathering), Sharon den Adel (Within Tempation), Charlotte Wessels (Delain), and our last Metal Chick of the year, the stunning soprano Dianne van Giersbergen, frontwoman of Dutch Progressive Metal band Ex Libris and German Symphonic Metal band Xandria.
Dianne was born on June 3, 1985 in the village of Liempde in the Netherlands, about 100km from the capital Amsterdam, but currently resides in the city of Dordrecht, close to Rotterdam, the second-largest city in the country. Her beautiful and potent voice started to be defined and polished really early in her life: when she was a kid, Dianne used to listen to many pop female singers such as Whitney Houston (R.I.P.), which developed in her a true fascination for the human voice and, at the age of four, her parents gave her as a birthday gift her first singing lessons. In the following years, she had several other music teachers and sang in different choirs.
In the year of 2005, this long dark-haired beauty began her studies in Classical Music at the ArtEZ School of Music with singer Elena Vink, and also became a trainee at the Nationale Reisopera. Besides her classical Music studies, in her free time our gorgeous soprano also braved the worlds of popular music and musical theatre. Finally, in May 2009, Dianne graduated from her studies with distinction, and her newly acquired Bachelor’s also worked as the admission for her Master studies, when she improved her technique to have classical and metal music mixed together. Not only that, this nonstop diva also attended composition courses, wrote poems on behalf of composers, and was the chairman of the New Artez Student Association group of master students. We have to admit this is a very respectable resume, which makes me wonder if she somehow has part of the DNA from Iron Maiden’s “multi-man”, Mr. Bruce Dickinson.
Moving on to her career as a Heavy Metal singer, Dianne has been with Ex Libris since their beginning in 2003, and has already recorded the demos Drawn (2005) and Medea (2011), and the full-length albums Amygdala, in 2008, and Medea, now in 2014. In one of her interviews, she explained the reason for the name of the band. “An Ex Libris is used to indicate ownership of products of a craft-guild and can come in different forms like a seal, stamp or a brand. You could say that by naming the band Ex Libris we would like to brand our products as our own.”, she said. In case you have never heard the voice of Dianne with Ex Libris, here are a few songs to make your day a lot more pleasant: From Birth to Bloodshed, A Mother’s Lament, Love Is Thy Sin, and Dawn Of Sugars.
In October 2013, Dianne was chosen as the new frontwoman for Xandria, replacing German singer Manuela Kraller. She made her live debut with Xandria in November 2013 during a Spanish tour, and has recently recorded her first album with the band, entitled Sacrificium. You can for example check her astonishing voice beautifying Xandria’s music in the very enjoyable song Dreamkeeper, from Sacrificium.
Besides that, she was a guest soprano for Polish Symphonic Power Metal band Pathfinder during their Blood Aliance Tour in 2011, and in December 2013 she was a guest vocalist during one of the concerts from Dutch Symphonic Gothic Metal band Stream Of Passion, when together with lead singer Marcela Bovio they performed the duettino Sull’aria, from Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro”, and one of Stream of Passion’s own songs. And, of course, you can always check all her other projects and videos on her official website and also on her official YouTube channel.
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A woman so talented like that could never have a bad taste for music, and this can be easily seen on her awesome list of favorite bands and artists, which includes music icons such as Nightwish, Dream Theater, Tarja Turunen, Devin Townsend Project, Anneke van Giersbergen, Anathema, System of a Down, Dire Straits, and many more. And before you ask about it, despite having the same last name as Anneke, those two divas are not related at all. “We share the same surname but are very different in voice type and vocal techniques. I like her style though.”, Dianne said during an interview. Not only that, she also listens to a lot of classical music (mostly choir pieces, songs and opera), with Wagner, Rachmaninoff, Zemlinsky, Berg and Verdi being among her favorite composers.
In terms of cinema and literature, Dianne once again showcases a splendid cultural background by mentioning among her favorite movies masterpieces such as Braveheart and Lord of the Rings (and anything from masters Quentin Tarantino and Tim Burton), great TV series like Breaking Bad and Lost, and everything from one of the greatest and most mysterious writers of all time, the unparalleled American poet Edgar Allan Poe. Add to that the fact that she loves French food and red wine, and there you have a perfect European “milady”!
Last but not least, Dianne even said once that she would love to have an alto (or contralto) voice for a day. If that doesn’t mean anything to you, just for your reference the female voice can be divided into three categories: alto, mezzo-soprano and soprano, with the alto being the lowest standard female voice type (you can see a very good explanation of all types of voices HERE, including a perfect example of how an alto sounds like). But even after reading all that information about voice types you didn’t really get it, don’t worry: I’m pretty sure that, as long as our Dutch princess Dianne keeps singing Heavy Metal, your metal heart will keep beating delightfully.
With huge doses of blood, iron, sweat, steel and fire, this Canadian power trio delivers an indie Heavy Metal masterpiece for our total delight.
Do you really love Heavy Metal? Do you not only listen to it, but feel it and live it every single day of your life? If your answer is “YES!”, screaming with your horns in the air, you MUST listen to …Of Gods and Men, the brand new album by Canadian Heavy Metal band Phantom, by far one of the best new metal bands I can think of. D.D. Murley, Necro Hippie and J.J. Blade (who unfortunately has left the band to pursue other career goals) are true Heavy Metal warriors, and they more than deliver it in this indie masterpiece.
Formed in January of 2012 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, this Heavy Metal/Power Metal trio simply masters the art of crafting catchy, dynamic and nostalgic music, inspired by the musicality of the 80’s with huge doses of energy and passion for Heavy Metal. After releasing their 2013 EP The Powers That Be, and after playing the Newblood Stage at the famous Bloodstock Festival in the UK in 2014, this promising and electrifying band sounds even more mature and more than ready to conquer the world with their first full-length album. …Of Gods and Men is a Heavy Metal extravaganza, with each and every song definitely worth our time, money, screams and horns.
A megalith is not only a large stone that has been used to construct a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones, like Stonehenge in the UK or the Easter Island’s Moai, but also the album art in …Of Gods and Men and the album’s imposing intro, Megalith, setting the tone for the superb Children of the Stars to kick some serious ass: the name is 80’s metal, the music is 80’s metal, and it’s totally awesome from start to finish. Vocalist/guitarist D.D. Murley has an amazing voice, he is a great riffmaker, and he will surely get you pumped to scream with him the simple but excellent chorus “Pray for us / Children of the stars”. In other words, he knows how to deliver Heavy Metal to us all.
Too Young to Die, with its awesome bass lines and drums, introduces to us the refined skills of the other band members, bassist Necro Hippie and drummer J.J. Blade. Besides, its great energy and the message in the lyrics are a delight to fans of old school metal music, making it almost impossible not to start banging our heads nonstop. However, it’s the next song that can be considered the icing on the cake in …Of Gods and Men: Blood & Iron, a song heavily inspired by behemoths like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Saxon, is the epitome of Heavy Metal, and there isn’t a single detail here that’s not 100% pure fuckin’ metal. I saw Phantom playing it live once opening for Blaze Bayley here in Toronto, and it got stuck inside my mind instantly. With its perfect galloping rhythm, Manowar-ish lyrics and also the “Oh-oh-oh-oh!” halfway through it, this is already a classic no matter if it’s a brand new song by an indie band. Why these guys are not signed yet to a strong record label is a question beyond my comprehension.
Anyway, the longest song of the album, The Kings Road, is more melodic than its predecessors, reminding me of old school Iron Maiden from Piece Of Mind and Powerslave with elements from 70’s Psychedelic Rock. It’s indeed a bold 8-minute instrumental track where all band members showcase their outstanding techniques as musicians. Right after that metal feast we have another intro, this time called Trinity, which invites us to enjoy the title-track, Of Gods and Men, with its beginning being a good indicator that pure metal is about to come. It’s another lesson in heavy music, with highlights to its great chorus and to the incredible synergy among all band members.
How not to headbang like a motherfuckin’ bastard to something that sounds even like old school Anthrax due to its heavier approach? Well, that’s the case in The Devil In Me, with its ressonating bass lines guiding the music while J.J. Blade pounds his drum kit. And lastly, the band offers us Beyond the Sun, a song that will leave us eager for more of Phantom’s heavy music without a shadow of a doubt. This is like Iron Maiden with Paul Di’Anno on vocals, with all its shredding, solos and insane speed making it truly outstanding.
The band will release …Of Gods and Men on December 6 at Toronto’s own legendary rock bar, the Bovine Sex Club, and if you live in Toronto or will be around the city on that day or weekend, do not miss the chance to witness one of the most powerful and exciting indie bands in Canada. There will be plenty of blood, iron, sweat, steel and fire for all fans that attend their concert, and even more to tame the entire world with the release of such an epic album. This is Heavy Metal, period.
Best moments of the album:Children of the Stars, Blood & Iron and Beyond the Sun.
Worst moments of the album: Nothing in …Of Gods and Men is bad or boring at all.
Released in 2014 Independent
Track listing 1. Megalith 2:24
2. Children of the Stars 4:18
3. Too Young to Die 3:57
4. Blood & Iron 4:04
5. The Kings Road 8:20
6. Trinity 1:11
7. Of Gods and Men 5:28
8. The Devil In Me 5:08
9. Beyond the Sun 5:38
Band members D.D. Murley – lead vocals and guitar
Necro Hippie – bass guitar
J.J. Blade – drums*
* Currently J.J. Blade has left the band to pursue other career goals.
Get ready for this Progressive Doom Metal band with a strong theatrical vein directly from the beautiful Norway.
Afters years in the making, the music journey named Anomic Nation, the debut album by Norwegian Progressive Doom Metal band Sarpedon, is finally among us. For those of you who don’t know Sarpedon, this very technical band is led by brothers Torgeir and Eirik P. Krokfjord, who have been working together on this project for several years, influenced by distinctive bands such as Savatage, Emperor and Queen, and adding their own experiences and emotions into their music to give it a fresh taste.
Despite its Black Metal-ish album art, Anomic Nation is a lot more melodic and less violent than pretty much all Black Metal bands you might think of, thanks a lot to the “theatrical” vocals by Eirik P. Krokfjord. The guy, who has two singing degrees from the Norwegian Academy of Music, doesn’t limit himself by only singing the songs, he basically declaims the lyrics in all of them, as if the the Phantom of the Opera decided to form a heavy music group. That might be one of the greatest strengths of Sarpedon, and definitely what will hold your attention throughout the entire album.
When the music kicks off with the very atmospheric and eerie title-track Anomic Nation, it’s impossible not to think of bands like Swedish Epic Doom Metal Candlemass or Danish Heavy Metal icons Merciful Fate, as all of their characteristic elements are present in Sarpedon’s music boosted by some traditional Black Metal blast beats. If you don’t understand what I’m saying, take a listen at this powerful song by Candlemass and everything will make sense. This great Doom Metal track is followed by The Lusk Letter, where the band showcases an even more progressive musicality, guiding the listener through a theatre of virtuosity and darkness, and The Claustrophober, which gets even more obscure thanks to its church organ keyboard notes, moving towards more traditional Doom Metal. And pay close attention to the beautiful lyrics in this song, it’s totally worth it.
Sarpedon speed things up a little in Dead Birds, with its lyrics being even more freakish and drummer Carl Engstrøm kicking fuckin’ ass: it’s impressive how he can go from raw Black Metal to smooth progressive music in a matter of seconds, without sounding robotic or generic. Then we have the beautiful A Seed of Evil, an inspiring work of art that could be summarized like a “forbidden tenderness” (if that expression even exists), and The Carnival, where what seemed to be a melancholic tune suddenly turns into fast and raw metal, getting back later in the song to pure progressiveness with some interesting rhythmic breaks, somber guitar riffs and a nice theatrical chorus (“Look behind the mask / Before it is too late”).
The band saved for last the duo comprised of My Mysteries Unwind, Part I, a smooth but sinister “intro” to its second part, focusing heavily on its intense keyboard notes, and My Mysteries Unwind, Part II, the boldest and most symphonic of all tracks. It’s indeed a mysterious journey that transpires Doom Metal, varying between heavier riffs and more melancholic passages, with its precise drumming keeping it energized and all elements of the last part of it showcasing how crazy and progressive Sarpedon can be.
If you’re a fan of Candlemass, Mercyful Fate, Queen and all other rock and metal bands with a ravishing theatrical side, don’t wait any longer and go grab your copy of Anomic Nation at the official Inverse Store. It’s good music that will satisfy your craving for a good story while you bang your head, do some air guitar or keep tapping on your desk, and if you let yourself go with each song you will probably find yourself doing that for hours, completely enthralled by Sarpedon’s full-bodied music.
Best moments of the album:Anomic Nation and A Seed of Evil.
Worst moments of the album:The Carnival.
Released in 2014 Inverse Records
Track listing 1. Anomic Nation 6:02
2. The Lusk Letter 5:08
3. The Claustrophober 6:19
4. Dead Birds 4:23
5. A Seed of Evil 5:01
6. The Carnival 6:43
7. My Mysteries Unwind, Part I 3:14
8. My Mysteries Unwind, Part II 9:45
Band members Eirik P. Krokfjord – lead & backing vocals, keys
Torgeir P. Krokfjord – all guitars & bass
Andreas Wærholm – keys
Carl Engstrøm – drums
If you want to get more information about any of the bands featured at The Metal Moose Show, simply Google the band and/or the song name to find their official website and Facebook page and, more important than that, attend their live concerts and buy their music. Here at The Headbanging Moose you can also find detailed reviews of many other excellent underground bands. Support your local bands… AND FOLLOW THE MOOSE!
On The Metal Moose Show this week (not necessarily in this order):
1. Crows Cage – American Monster
2. Crimson Veil – Embers Before Ashes
3. Born N Raised – King Hate
4. The Muted Pitch – Plummet
5. Gravel Hitch – Transformed
6. Ancestral – Trust
7. Steel Gypsy – Direction
8. Bofo Kwo – The Smell Of Burning Flesh
9. For The Broken – From Here
10. For The Broken – Ain’t Nobody Innocent
11. Empire Falling – Guilty
12. Between Falls – Why
13. Memory Of A Melody – Phantoms And Shadows
14. Alex Cole – Sweet Little Dynamite
15. Woodhawk – Moonstone
16. Melephomene – Howl
17. Never Buried – The Illusionist
18. Greenfire – Veronica Green
19. Scream Arena – Forever
20. No Love For Aphrodite – Troublesome Soldier
Click HERE to listen to this week’s episode on Spreaker.
If you want to get more information about any of the bands featured at The Metal Moose Show, simply Google the band and/or the song name to find their official website and Facebook page and, more important than that, attend their live concerts and buy their music. Here at The Headbanging Moose you can also find detailed reviews of many other excellent underground bands. Support your local bands… AND FOLLOW THE MOOSE!
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