Tag Archives: heavy metal

Album Review – The Agonist / Eye of Providence (2015)

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Veni, Vidi, Vicky.

Rating3

the agonist_eye of providenceAfter a really long and disquieting wait, and obviously after one of the most impactful changes in their entire career, Canadian Melodic Death Metal/Metalcore icons The Agonist finally return with a brand new album, the highly anticipated Eye of Providence, their fourth full-length studio album and, more important than that, the first with the stunning Vicky Psarakis on vocals. But were they able to deliver something as remarkable as their previous releases? Well, not only they nailed it, but Vicky also proves why she was the perfect choice to be the new frontwoman of one of the most influential bands in the recent history of Canadian metal.

With songs revolving around technology and how it affects modern society, as well as some other intimate topics, the whole album has a pleasant and smooth flow that allows the listener to thoroughly sense an interesting interconnection between all songs and, even more important than that, focusing less on melodic metal music and more on raw contemporary Heavy Metal and Rock N’ Roll than their previous albums. In addition, maybe due to the release of the album being delayed for a few months (it was originally scheduled to be released mid-2014), the band added a few extra songs to it, resulting in expressive 13 songs and over 58 minutes of music, around ten seconds longer than Prisoners, from 2012.

If you’re a longtime fan of this Montreal-based band and keep updated with everything they do you already know the opening track, Gates of Horn and Ivory, and you also know how awesome Vicky sounds. Besides, this song has extremely catchy lyrics that will stick deep in your mind for a long time (“With fire at my back / I will tame the waters / I will learn to swim / Fear is not my master”). Would that be a message from Vicky to the world, telling how she’s dauntlessly braving the rough waters of The Agonist? In My Witness, Your Victim, which by the way has a really entertaining and kind of disturbing official video, Vicky’s clean vocals are very solid and match perfectly with the music while her growls give it a fair dose of violence, with the final result sounding robust and gripping.

the agonistHow did they manage to blend Swedish Melodic Death Metal with North American Metalcore so beautifully like in the awesome Danse Macabre? Danny Marino and Pascal “Paco” Jobin deliver some thrilling guitar lines while Simon McKay keeps his beats totally in sync with them, and of course, Vicky’s vocals full of passion and feeling are outstanding in this song. I Endeavor reminds me a little of their classic song “Business Suits and Combat Boots”, especially its drumming and vocal lines, with highlights to the soulful guitar solo at the end of it; while Faceless Messenger is maybe one of their most “European” songs in terms of melody, and I would love to see them playing this song live. Vicky does such an amazing job during this track, ranging from light and smooth vocals to the harsh screams of an evil entity, it doesn’t even sound it’s the same person singing.

Although Perpetual Notion has a promising start, where an acoustic intro suddenly turns into melancholic and violent metal, the rest of it is nothing special, lacking more creativity and depth; while A Necessary Evil is an incredible display of “old school” The Agonist (well, not that old) with a very intense and solid sounding. The whole band is on fire during the entire song, with Simon and Vicky being the sergeants leading the squad. Then we have Architects Hallucinate, which sounds like filler compared to the others despite not being a bad song, and the mighty Disconnect Me, one of the fastest and heaviest of all tracks. It’s Metalcore at its finest, boosted by its futuristic lyrics (“Initiate the procedure to transform my body / Into a greater form to serve your gain / Access the brain to eliminate / The source that constrains us to be humane”) and some great riffs provided by Danny and Paco, while Vicky delivers the goods once again with a brilliant vocal performance.

But The Agonist are not finished yet, as there’s a lot more to come in Eye of Providence:  in The Perfect Embodiment we can see how wide Vicky’s vocal range is, convincing me (and probably all listeners) she can sing pretty much anything she wants to. In addition, it’s interesting to notice how the guitar lines seem to mimic Vicky’s vocals and vice-versa so connected they are. If A Gentle Disease gives us all a chance to see the band in an acoustic version, with Vicky using all the finesse in her clean vocals to help it become a true love ballad, the fiery Follow the Crossed Line, a song full of melody, rhythmic breaks and effective guitar solos, showcases some Black Metal-ish growls by Vicky, adding even more obscurity to it. And lastly, we can savour almost eight minutes of pure professionalism and emotion in As Above, So Below, with highlights to the passionate performance by Vicky who relies almost 100% on her clean vocals to give more life to the song.

I believe you’ll agree with me when I say the album art expresses everything the music in Eye of Providence is: futuristic, aggressive, organic and distressing, which is exactly what we all want to hear from a band so captivating as The Agonist. In regards to the length of the album, I’m more than happy with the fact there’s a lot of The Agonist in all shapes and sizes for us to absorb and enjoy in the following months and years in Eye of Providence until they release a new album again. And at long last, Danny might still be the one to lead the band’s musicality with his passionate guitar lines, but as already mentioned we must admit Vicky is the breath of fresh air the band needed so much. If I was asked to summarize her overall performance in just a couple of words, I would adapt the famous phrase used by Roman general Julius Caesar to inform the Senate of his victory in his war against Pharnaces II of Pontus at the Battle of Zela around 46 BC: “Veni, Vidi, Vicky”.

Best moments of the album: Gates of Horn and Ivory, Danse Macabre, A Necessary Evil and Disconnect Me.

Worst moments of the album: Perpetual Notion and Architects Hallucinate.

Released in 2015 Century Media Records

Track listing
1. Gates of Horn and Ivory 3:25
2. My Witness, Your Victim 4:47
3. Danse Macabre 4:01
4. I Endeavor 4:08
5. Faceless Messenger 5:00
6. Perpetual Notion 4:34
7. A Necessary Evil 3:44
8. Architects Hallucinate 4:30
9. Disconnect Me 3:32
10. The Perfect Embodiment 5:13
11. A Gentle Disease 3:45
12. Follow the Crossed Line 4:11
13. As Above, So Below 7:57

Band members
Vicky Psarakis – vocals
Danny Marino – guitar
Pascal “Paco” Jobin – guitar
Chris Kells – bass
Simon McKay – drums

Album Review – Them County Bastardz / Sick Daze (2015)

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These Canadian rednecks show us all what happens when the words “fun” and “metal” are put together in a very enjoyable way.

Rating5

TCB Cover - Sick DazeIt’s always a pleasure to see a new metal band that, above all things, enjoys having fun while composing and playing their music. Several renowned bands have already been like that at a given period of their careers, and almost always those are considered their true golden years. Influenced by the heavy and acid music by metal icons like Pantera, Godsmack and Hellyeah, here comes Canadian Heavy Metal band Them County Bastardz, offering us all their debut album entitled Sick Daze, an old school metal party that will invite you to have fun with the band, as simple as that. Well, metal music doesn’t need anything else to be good as long as it’s heavy and fun, don’t you agree?

Formed in 2013 and based in Leamington, Essex County, Ontario, Them County Bastardz like to keep it simple, focusing on straight-to-the-point riffs and explicit lyrics to provide the listener a good idea of how it is to live in their county. The whole album is inspired by their true stories and experiences, and by that you can imagine the crazy amount of fun they had creating the album. For instance, the name of the album is already connected to their lifestyle: according to the band members themselves, “sick daze” is when you take a Monday off work because you are still feeling the weekend fun.

After mentioning the word “fun” a hundred times in just a few lines, let’s get the party started and feel the real fun proposed by Them County Bastardz, beginning with the raw and direct awesomeness of the opening track, Drive By. It’s an old school rock/metal song about overspeeding, drinking and consequently breaking the law, with not a single second of boredom, and kudos to Andrew Watson for his excellent vocals à la Rob Zombie and to guitarist Brien Alexander for his exciting guitar riffs and solo. In The County continues with the “drinking and having trouble with the police” theme, showcasing strong influences from White Zombie and Godsmack, plus its Body Count-ish riffs supporting the rap-like vocal lines. And c’mon guys, MORE COWBELL!

TCB Press PhotoThe sludgy and heavy rhythm and the headbanging riffs in Buzz Kill go along really well with its simple but effective lyrics about real relationships (“And my girl was mad she said maybe you should leave / This happened once before she kicked me out the door / And I don’t even know why we are fighting anymore / This could of happened it should of happened”), while It’s Not Metal is just a short “tribute” (or whatever that is) to American Hard Rock veterans Extreme, more specifically to their biggest hit “More Than Words”, that works as an intro to the rude Metal For Mark (whoever Mark is). Their Thrash/Stoner Metal vein arises in this song, with its Pantera-inspired riffs by guitarists by Brien Alexander and Mike Rennie and violent harsh vocals by Andrew, all led by the beats by drummer Jim Kay, making it an awesome soundtrack for a pub fight scene.

The Bastard, a recommended song for enjoying a beer, smoothes things a little with its more melodic and lighter Stoner Rock approach, especially in terms of vocals, before Rise Up, a song about taking some action in your life (“Living your life inside that chair / Taking no chance because you’re scared / Saying those lies inside that prayer / Hoping you can just sit right there”), closes the album in a very decent and groovy way. In my opinion, this song could easily be re-recorded in a partnership with a Rap Metal act, and don’t forget to appreciate the strong bass lines by Tyler Wickham, they dictate the rhythm of the song together with the guitar riffs.

Sick Daze is available at the Them County Bastardz’s official BandCamp page, and you can also check their Facebook page for more information and news about the band. If you love when the words “fun” and “metal” go together, in special when there are talented and enthusiastic musicians behind that mix, this album will certainly put a smile upon your face while you’re having a beer and banging your head with your metal buddies.

Best moments of the album: Drive By and Metal For Mark.

Worst moments of the album: In The County.

Released in 2015 Smokehouse Records

Track listing
1. Drive By 4:48
2. In The County 4:33
3. Buzz Kill 4:03
4. It’s Not Metal 0:25
5. Metal For Mark 5:25
6. The Bastard 4:23
7. Rise Up 3:58

Band members
Andrew Watson – vocals
Brien Alexander – lead guitar
Mike Rennie – rhythm guitar
Tyler Wickham – bass
Jim Kay – drums

Album Review – U.D.O. / Decadent (2015)

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“Decadent” is a word that definitely doesn’t fit for the German Tank Udo Dirkschneider when it comes down to Heavy Metal.

Rating5

UDO-DecadentAfter over 40 years on the road, either with his former band Accept, his solo career with U.D.O. or lending his one-of-a-kind voice as a special guest to bands like Lordi and Raven, one thing must be said about the iconic Udo Dirkschneider: the German Tank is indeed an unstoppable Heavy Metal machine. And now with Decadent, the fifteenth studio album by his solo band, despite the endless feeling of “been there, done that” found in the entire album, he proves once again that he’s far from being a decadent artist.

And how has this Teutonic metaller managed to stay relevant in the world of heavy music until today? Well, you might not be a fan of his raspy and screechy voice or the way he looks, but you have to admit he surely knows how to craft good metal music no matter what, just like other veterans such as Motörhead and AC/DC, always loyal to his roots and beliefs. Decadent might not be a masterpiece or something that will be an essential part of your playlist in a not so distant future, but it’s a decent display of old school Heavy Metal and, especially if you’re a diehard fan of his solo career, an album that will keep your faith in the German Tank.

However, it’s when Udo and his crew get down to business that everything makes a lot more sense, starting with the opening track, Speeder, a more-than-pure traditional Heavy Metal tune with no shenanigans, nothing new, just good old straightforward heavy music. Udo’s voice might not be as potent as before and the lyrics are as “generic metal” as possible (“It’s faster than the light / You better step aside / The speeder of the night”), but the song is very enjoyable anyway and one of the top moments of the album. The title-track, Decadent, talks about old issues that are still among us like greed, politics and violence (which by the way are themes many bands sadly forgot they existed, or simply ignored them in their most recent albums), and its extremely catchy riff and rhythm will please all fans of both U.D.O. and Accept.

Udo_PainThe following track, House Of Fake, has a very promising start with fast and thrilling riffs, and its chorus is a lot fun. Unfortunately, the rest of the song doesn’t vary much from that, which hampers it from being a lot more interesting. Then we have what’s probably going to be the worst metal song of 2015 in my opinion, a horrible attempt of sounding “different” entitled Mystery: despite being a heavy track, it’s annoying as hell, with its bridge, chorus and everything else being such a joke it makes me wonder what Udo and the rest of the band really wanted to do in this song. They failed miserably, unless of course they purposely wanted it to sound so bad, and I dare you can listen to this song more than once like I had to. At least the excellent Pain erases that nasty impression left in the air with a journey back to the 80’s, where inspired by old school metal music each element found in this song works extremely well. Besides, Udo smoothly declaiming the beautiful words “Try eating some of your own shit – for once / Cos’ I’m not taking it – anymore” is one of the top moments of the song for sure, deserving to become one of those memes with famous quotes from celebrities. Well, why not doing that myself as a tribute to Mr. Dirkschneider?

A ballad with Udo on vocals is always a mystery, with the final result being either amazing or a more-than-epic disaster. Luckily, Secrets In Paradise doesn’t fail to deliver, mainly due to its decent solos and a chorus that suits Udo’s raspy vocals pretty well. The band speeds up things again in Meaning Of Life, which is nothing more than an average metal song that is far from being memorable, but that doesn’t do any harm to the album either; and in Breathless, which despite not being very creative, it’s a very good metal song, with highlights to the nice work on drums by Francesco Jovino, the adequate blend of Udo’s voice and the guitar riffs in the background, and its sing-along chorus (“We are so breathless all the time / So breathless / Cos’ we are restless in the mind”). The digipak version of the album has two bonus tracks inserted randomly amidst the other tracks, with the first one being Let Me Out, and let me tell you this song is a lot better than almost everything in the entire album. It’s a song for hitting the road with your bike, with those basic drumming, lyrics and riffs that together sound powerful and exciting.

UDOAnother great moment in Decadent is Under Your Skin, where the music flows nicely and enhances the overall quality of the album. It should be one of the chosen songs for live performances, especially due to its “Fast as a Shark” accelerated rhythm. Regrettably, the rest of the album is a collection of uninspired songs, starting with the tasteless Untouchable, which is so generic it could have had any other name and lyrics and it would have sounded exactly the same still, and the other bonus track, Shadow Eyes, completely opposite to “Let Me Out” so boring it is. Rebels Of The Night, despite its fast rhythm, is another average song where even Udo doesn’t have a good performance, and lastly we have Words In Flame, a huge “orchestral” failure that will make you beg for it to be over just a few seconds after it actually starts. Why such a tiring and shallow song had to go over 7 minutes is beyond my comprehension.

Anyway, as previously mentioned, do not expect the birth of a new metal classic with Decadent, but do not expect to be disappointed with it either. U.D.O. are still good in what they do, of course led by the one and only Udo Dirkschneider, and while they release decent and honest material like in Decadent, we can rest assured old school Heavy Metal will keep pleasantly piercing through our ears for many years to come.

Best moments of the album: Speeder, Under Your Skin and Let Me Out.

Worst moments of the album: Mystery, Shadow Eyes and Words In Flame.

Released in 2015 AFM Records

Track listing
1. Speeder 3:45
2. Decadent 4:49
3. House Of Fake 4:26
4. Mystery 4:36
5. Pain 5:10
6. Secrets In Paradise 5:00
7. Meaning Of Life 4:34
8. Breathless 5:21
10. Under Your Skin 4:22
11. Untouchable 5:09
13. Rebels Of The Night 4:41
14. Words In Flame 7:36

Limited edition digipak bonus tracks
9. Let Me Out 3:56
12. Shadow Eyes 4:21

Band members
Udo Dirkschneider – vocals
Andrey Smirnov – guitar
Kasperi Heikkinen – guitar
Fitty Wienhold – bass
Francesco Jovino – drums

Album Review – Lykaion / Heavy Lullabies (2015)

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Hailing from Italy, this band takes you into a pleasant musical journey from Hard Rock to Gothic in the same album.

Rating4

Lykaion-Album_cover640When I first saw Lykaion‘s video clip for the song “For Love”, before even listening to their full album, my first thought was “Wow, what a cool Hard Rock band from Italy!” With powerful riffs, sticky chorus, Alessandro Sforza’s sweet and full-of-attitude voice, amazing backing vocals and their Guns ‘n’ Roses and Crashdïet’s t-shirts, what else would you think? But I was wrong – and in this case, being wrong is not even close to being a bad thing.

Founded in 2000 in Rome, Lykaion mixes in their sound a lot of Gothic Rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal and even Love Metal – that style well-known by Finnish bands such as HIM and To/Die/For. They are about to release their second album, Heavy Lullabies, via Finnish label Inverse Records. Along its 11 tracks, you can feel the influences of each one of these genres and be surprised with how the band can go from the deepest melancholic feelings to  Hard Rock happiness and the rage of Thrash Metal.

Heavy Lullaby opens the album and here comes the first surprise: it is a calm and smooth instrumental song! I am not quite sure if this was an interesting way to introduce the album, but it is a beautiful and deep song though. For Love comes next with a completely different atmosphere as said before, being a pure hard rock song that could be played at the iconic Rainbow, in Los Angeles, while you enjoy a cold beer, dance and sing along. The same Hard Rock feeling continues in the next track, Anthem, with great riffs and guitar solos. I would dare to say that Alessandro’s voice, in a different way and with a pinch of aggressiveness, sometimes sounds like Def Leppard’s iconic lead singer Joe Elliott.

Lykaion_Picture2Love is a theme widely explored in this album and in the fourth track, I Don’t Love You Anymore, as its own title suggests, they sing about the love that no longer exists. It is a beautiful ballad, full of mixed feelings, and to make it even more intense there are two amazing guitar solos by Fabio Valentini that can make any broken-hearted girl cry. From this point on, Hard Rock is left behind and the band dives into heavier sounds, like in Waitin’, where the band explores bass and drums in a wonderful way. Smile, although being a ballad, is still heavy, dark and deep, more like a Love Metal song. End of Time keeps the speed and the heavy feeling alive, with great backing vocals on the chorus. Out of my Heart and Animals are not exactly ballads, but they are good examples of how Love Metal songs, such as the greatest classics by HIM, should sound like.

The following track, Accept Yourself, starts with a lovely guitar solo – again, that kind of solo that makes girls cry – and you may think that here comes a love ballad, but then everything changes and what you listen is a powerful anthem, full of attitude and strong lyrics. I can imagine this music played live as one of the highlights of their concerts, with a huge interaction between the band and the audience, especially in the chorus (“Raise your hands / Up into the air / Accept yourself / Accept the mess”). What a song! After this travel through different genres, Till the End closes the album in great style, bringing some Gothic notes and feelings.

What makes Lykaion’s sound very unique is how easy they take the best features of each musical style, each band, each theme that inspired them, and turn it all into great songs that cannot be categorized in a single genre. These Italian guys genuinely know how to take their listeners into an intense and exciting musical trip. Do not miss the chance to listen to this album and show your support to this promising band on Facebook. Also, do not forget to check their YouTube channel, there are a lot of cool high quality live videos of the songs of their debut full-length album, Nothin’ But Death (2012).

Best moments of the album: For Love, End of Time and Accept Yourself.

Worst moments of the album: Smile.

Released in 2015 Inverse Records

Track listing
1. Heavy Lullaby 3:55
2. For Love 4:27
3. Anthem 4:10
4. I Don’t Love you Anymore 5:10
5. Waitin’ 3:55
6. Smile 4:04
7. End of Time 3:54
8. Out of my Heart 4:20
9. Animals 3:41
10. Accept Yourself 4:46
11. Till the End 5:06

Band members
Alessandro Sforza – vocals, guitar
Fabio Valentini – guitar
Valerio Lippera – bass
Andrea Alberati – drums

Collectibles Review – Iron Maiden Clothed 8” Action Figures

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This time, Eddie decided to dress up for the party.

Rating1

Maiden-figuresAlthough the new Iron Maiden Clothed 8” Action Figures by NECA (National Entertainment Collectibles Association) were launched in 2014 and the official NECA website states those are now discontinued, I believe they’re worth a review anyway so awesome they are. There are only two versions available, The Trooper and The Mummy, each with their own unique characteristics and accessories and, more important than that, as the description says they’re both clothed, becoming some sort of tribute to the traditional action figures from the 70’s featuring cloth costumes.

650x-14903_Trooper_8inch_Doll

Iron Maiden – 8″ Clothed Action Figure – The Trooper

The first of the two action figures to be launched was The Trooper, back in July 2014, featuring a tattered Union Jack flag and saber accessories. This Eddie is so cool and so well-crafted you will feel like one of those collectors who refuse to take the action figure out of its original box to avoid any type of damage to it. There are other versions of “The Trooper” Eddie available in the market, like the head knocker bobble head, but the fact Eddie now comes with actual clothes turns it into a must-have item for your personal collection of Eddies. This action figure might be discontinued on the official NECA website, but that doesn’t mean you cannot find it on other websites such as Amazon, or even at some physical toy/games stores.

Iron Maiden – 8″ Clothed Action Figure – The Mummy

Iron Maiden – 8″ Clothed Action Figure – The Mummy

It might have taken a few extra months for The Mummy to be released (it was launched only in September 2014), but it was totally worth the wait. Pretty much the same that was said about The Trooper is applied to The Mummy, with the additional fact that it was launched in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of Iron Maiden’s unparalleled masterpiece Powerslave,  and of course its corresponding World Slavery Tour 1984-1985. This version of the action figure is just as superb as The Trooper, featuring chains that can be connected to Eddie’s mouth, as well as an alternate head that reveals more of his face. Its clothes are so detailed I wonder if each unit produced wasn’t manually sewn and assembled. Moreover, just like The Trooper, you can find The Mummy at Amazon and maybe at other physical stores in your city.

In short, there’s no reason for you not to buy both The Trooper and The Mummy. I cannot tell which one is my favorite, as both are incredible and look really awesome among my other action figures and bobble heads. And besides, you’ll spend only between 45 and 75 US Dollars with each one, which is not a huge investment if you think of how valuable those items will be in a couple of years. Our good friend Eddie decided to really dress up for the party this time, so do not disappoint him and send him an “invitation” to join you at your own Heavy Metal celebration at your place.

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

Concert Review – Pop Goes Metal (Willi Willie Bar e Arqueria, São Paulo, Brazil, 12/27/2014)

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When pop music goes metal, everything gets a lot better.

INTRODUCTION: Willi Willie Bar e Arqueria

pop goes metal 20141227If you’re planning on visiting São Paulo, Brazil anytime soon and need some advice on what to do and where to go to spend your nights in the city, especially if you’re a Rock N’ Roll person, an awesome option is a pub called Willi Willie Bar e Arqueria, the first Rock Bar with an archery in Brazil.

Located in a very nice neighborhood full of good hotels and restaurants, and close to one of the biggest shopping malls in Brazil, this neat and cozy two-floor pub has been providing their guests the best of rock and heavy music since 1978 with live performances from all types of bands, from purely cover/tribute bands to new indie groups with 100% fresh and original material. You can take a look at their monthly schedule by clicking HERE and decide which day is the most suitable for your music taste.

However, it’s not only the music that stands out at Willi Willie: the quality of the service, the excellent food, their variety of drinks and beers (including the already renowned Trooper Beer), the decoration full of pictures and posters of several Rock N’ Roll and Heavy Metal icons, and of course their archery will make you feel so welcome you’ll be back there every single night if possible. The pub also offers stand-up comedy nights on Sundays in case you’re up to this kind of entertainment. They’re closed only on Mondays and Tuesdays, but that’s not an issue as you can use those days to recover for more Willi Willie on the following nights.

POP GOES METAL

pop goes metalFounded in January 2013 in São Paulo, Brazil, Pop Goes Metal play hard and heavy versions of lots of 80’s and 90’s pop music classics at least once a month at Willi Willie. Do you want to know how Michael Jackson’s all-time classic Smooth Criminal would sound with an extra touch of heaviness? Pop Goes Metal will give you that.

The band was formed by the famous Brazilian guitarist Silas Fernandes, who during his career has already played with Andreas Kisser (Sepultura) and more recently with Brazilian Alternative/Industrial Metal band S.T.A.B., which unfortunately doesn’t exist anymore. Also, if you’re a guitar player do not miss the chance to check out his official YouTube page, there are lots of interesting videos from his series named Rig On Fire.

2014-12-28 00.29.57The other members of the band are as professional and competent as Silas, making the whole experience even better: Pedro Henrique Cordeiro is the voice of the band, Carol Monteiro is the “chick that rawk” on the bass guitar, MV Silva is the man behind the keyboards, and Marcelo Camarero keeps pounding his drums like a maniac during their entire performance. By the way, Maniac by Michael Sembello (that famous song from the 1983 cult movie Flashdance) is also part of their setlist.

From all the songs played by the band, I would say my favorites are Footlose, Smooth Criminal, Rebel Yell, Maneater and Don’t You (Forget About Me), all boosted by some heavy riffs by Silas and crazy beats by Marcelo. And if you’re lucky and they have some extra time, you can even enjoy PGM playing some other classics like Rock N’ Roll by Led Zeppelin.

2014-12-28 00.29.37Unfortunately, Silas is leaving the band pretty soon due to personal reasons (he’s moving with his family to the United States), which means you have just one last chance to see him with the band this Friday, January 16, 2015, at Willi Willie. But don’t worry, after that the band will have a new guitar player and will keep playing pop classics louder and heavier than anyone else.

Setlist (not necessarily in this order)
Footlose (Kenny Loggins)
Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) (Backstreet Boys)
Maniac (Michael Sembello)
Smooth Criminal (Michael Jackson)
Poker Face (Lady Gaga)
Shout (Tears For Fears)
Kiss from a Rose (Seal)
Rolling In The Deep (Adele)
Rebel Yell (Billy Idol)
Maneater (Hall & Oates)
You Oughta Know (Alanis Morissette)
Come Undone (Duran Duran)
Don’t You (Forget About Me) (Simple Minds)
Eleanor Rigby (The Beatles)
Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting (Elton John)
Lanterna dos Afogados (Paralamas do Sucesso)

Band members
Pedro Henrique Cordeiro – vocals
Silas Fernandes – guitars
Carol Monteiro – bass
MV Silva – keyboards
Marcelo Camarero – drums

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.

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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!