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Album Review – Bloodbound / Field of Swords (2025)

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Raise your swords up high, as these Swedish Power Metal warriors march into a powerful future armed with their new concept album, moving past the year 1066 and into the Middle Ages.

Raise your swords up high, as Swedish Heavy/Power Metal warriors  Bloodbound celebrate 20 years of existence and march into a powerful future with Field Of Swords, the follow-up to their 2023 opus Tales from the North, and the eleventh studio album in their undisputed career. Recorded by the band itself alongside Niklas Johansson of Tungsten, who was also responsible for the mixing and mastering of the album, and displaying a classic artwork by Péter Sallai of Mortpaintgraphics, the new offering by Patrik J. Selleby on vocals, Tomas Olsson and Henrik Olsson on the guitars, Anders Broman on bass, Fredrik Bergh on keyboards, and Daniel Hansfeldt on drums draws once again to the Viking era, turning the page to another chapter in history, moving past the year 1066 and into the Middle Ages. As warfare evolves and the significance of forging iron with carbon leads to superior swordsmen, the bloodstained battlefields show new, grim faces, leaving room for more of Bloodbound’s vivid storytelling that continues to thrill all metalheads worldwide.

The Olson Brothers shred their axes nonstop right from the start in Field Of Swords, a fast and thrilling Power Metal attack where Daniel dictates the pace with his classic beats and fills, followed by As Empires Fall, living up to the legacy of giants of the style such as Rhapsody ov Fire, led by the powerful, striking vocals by Patrik. Then leaning towards the sonority blasted by Hammerfall and Stratovarius it’s time for Defenders Of Jerusalem, perfect for hitting the road on a warm summer day; whereas in The Code Of Warriors special guest Vera Bieber comes armed with her flute to give the song a truly Folk Metal vibe, and the final result is absurdly catchy, with Daniel once again kicking some ass behind his drums. Land Of The Brave is another song with a strong title, and of course the music is just as exciting, with Fredrik and Daniel crafting that galloping rhythm we all love so much in Power Metal; and it’s then time to get heavy with Light The Sky, spearheaded by the soaring vocals by Patrik and the scorching riffs and solos by Tomas and Henrik.

Bloodbound might be Swedish, but they bring that famous German Power Metal electricity to Teutonic Knights, with the band’s guitar duo once again firing an overdose of metallic riffs for our total delight. Let’s all raise or fists in the air together with Bloodbound in Forged In Iron, offering more of their classic fusion of Heavy and Power Metal, followed by Pain And Glory, my type of Power Metal song, one that will inspire you to head into the battlefield (aka the mosh pit) like a true metal warrior while Daniel’s frantic drumming speeds things up in great fashion. The second to last blast of pure energy by those Sweds comes in the form of Born To Be King, presenting again a strong Rhapsody ov Fire vibe, although a bit repetitive; and lastly, featuring guest vocals by Brittney Slayes of powerhouse Canadian band Unleash the Archers, who makes a brilliant duet with Patrik, The Nine Crusades puts a beyond epic ending to the album.

Showcasing eleven captivating battle hymns, Field of Swords is a diverse record with an aggressive and fast sound, illustrating the importance of purpose and perseverance with heroic tales in shining Heavy Metal armor. You can join those relentless Swedish warriors in the battlefield by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, keeping an eye on their breathtaking live shows, stream their vast discography on Spotify, and of course purchase Field of Swords from BandCamp or from Napalm Records. Valiant, vigorous, and ultimately victorious, Field Of Swords has come to expand Bloodbound’s domination, and I’m sure you’ll have an absolute blast yielding your sword in the battlefield while listening to the new album by one of the most important names of the current Power Metal scene worldwide.

Best moments of the album: The Code Of Warriors, Light The Sky and Pain And Glory.

Worst moments of the album: Born To Be King.

Released in 2025 Napalm Records

Track listing
1. Field Of Swords 4:11
2. As Empires Fall 3:54
3. Defenders Of Jerusalem 4:03
4. The Code Of Warriors 3:52
5. Land Of The Brave 4:18
6. Light The Sky 4:13
7. Teutonic Knights 3:57
8. Forged In Iron 3:47
9. Pain And Glory 4:11
10. Born To Be King 4:19
11. The Nine Crusades 4:31

Band members
Patrik J. Selleby – vocals
Tomas Olsson – lead and rhythm guitars
Henrik Olsson – guitars
Anders Broman – bass
Fredrik Bergh – keyboards
Daniel Hansfeldt – drums

Guest musician
Brittney Slayes – vocals on “The Nine Crusades”
Vera Bieber – flute on “The Code Of Warriors”

Album Review – Ambush / Evil In All Dimensions (2025)

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One of Sweden’s most electrifying bands returns with a striking new album, bursting with relentless energy while capturing the classic essence of Heavy Metal.

We all know that Heavy Metal is the law, and Växjö, Sweden-based brigade Ambush is more than ready to reinforce that armed with their breathtaking new album, titled Evil In All Dimensions, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2020 offering Infidel. Recorded, mixed, mastered and produced by Mankan Sedenberg, and displaying a killer artwork by Péter Sallai of Mortpaintgraphics, the new album by Oskar Jakobsson on vocals, Olof Engqvist and Karl Dotzek on the guitars, Oskar Andersson on bass, and Linus Fritzson on drums draws inspiration from the likes of Judas Priest, Accept, and Iron Maiden, bursting with relentless energy while capturing the classic essence of Heavy Metal, an undeniable proof of the band’s unwavering passion and talent for the genre.

Olof and Karl embellish the airwaves with their striking riffs from the very first second in the title-track Evil In All Dimensions, kicking off the album on a high and incendiary mode, followed by Maskirovka, a metal hymn that exhales of 80’s Hard Rock, with Oskar Jakobsson delivering a passionate, powerful vocal performance that matches perfectly with the song’s headbanging mid-tempo pace. It’s then pedal to the Heavy Metal to the hammering drums by Linus and the rumbling bass by Oskar Andersson in Iron Sign, again sending us back to the glory days of heavy music, and it’s impressive how the band flawlessly blends Heavy Metal with Hard Rock like in The Night I Took Your Life, with their riffs and beats transpiring epicness.

As like in countless other Heavy Metal albums, there’s a power ballad for us to enjoy with our loved ones titled I Fear The Blood, although I prefer a billion times their fast and heavy creations; whereas Oskar Jakobsson’s vocals live up to the legacy of legends like Bruce Dickinson and Rob Halford in Come Angel Of Night, accompanied by the striking, electrifying sounds blasted by his bandmates. The Reaper then showcases the band back to a more cadenced yet still headbanging sound, feeling like it was taken from one of those afternoon movies from the 80’s, while Bending The Steel is another metal hymn with a powerful name, reminding me of some old school tunes by the mighty Judas Priest and Grave Digger, not to mention their dual guitar attack will pierce your brain mercilessly. And lastly, Heavy Metal Breathren brings forward one final onrush of pure metal magic by Ambush, led by the flammable, classy riffs and solos by Olof and Karl.

Get your denim and leather jackets ready, as Evil in All Dimensions marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in Ambush’s relentless quest for speed. Hence, as the band is ready to rise to even greater heights with their new opus, you can get to know more about their music, tour dates and everything else surrounding such an amazing crew on Facebook and Instagram, stream all of their incendiary discography on Spotify, and grab a copy of Evil in All Dimensions from Big Cartel or from Napalm Records (or simply click HERE for all things Ambush). Because Heavy Metal is their business, and business is good. Or maybe I should say that business is metal.

Best moments of the album: Iron Sign, Come Angel Of Night and Bending The Steel.

Worst moments of the album: I Fear The Blood.

Released in 2025 Napalm Records

Track listing
1. Evil In All Dimensions 4:38
2. Maskirovka 4:33
3. Iron Sign 4:08
4. The Night I Took Your Life 4:57
5. I Fear The Blood 4:44
6. Come Angel Of Night 4:18
7. The Reaper 4:01
8. Bending The Steel 4:19
9. Heavy Metal Breathren 5:12

Band members
Oskar Jakobsson – vocals
Olof Engqvist – guitars, backing vocals
Karl Dotzek – guitars, backing vocals
Oskar Andersson – bass, vocals, backing vocals
Linus Fritzson – drums, backing vocals

Guest musicians
Elias Jakobsson – harmony vocals on “Maskirovka” and “I Fear The Blood”,  piano on “The Reaper”
Jakob Janson – shout vocals on “Bending The Steel” and “Heavy Metal Breathren”
Johan Janson – shout vocals on “Heavy Metal Breathren”
Adam Hagelin – backing vocals on “Heavy Metal Breathren”
Mankan Sedenberg – guitar solo on “The Reaper”

Album Review – Crimson Shadows / Whispers of War (2025)

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Bringing fast and thrilling songs of battle and victory to our metal hearts since 2006, Toronto’s own metal warriors are finally back into the battlefield with their breathtaking third studio album.

Bringing fast and thrilling songs of battle and victory to our metal hearts since the already distant year of 2006, Toronto, Canada’s own Epic/Melodic Death/Power Metal warriors Crimson Shadows are finally back into the battlefield with their fusion of the guttural screams and blast beats of Death Metal with the epic up-tempo guitar harmonies and choruses of Power Metal in their brand new album, the magnificent Whispers of War. Mixed and mastered by Christian Donaldson, and displaying a classy artwork by Péter Sallai of Mortpaintgraphics, showcasing a brave, dauntless warrior that perfectly depicts the sound of the band, the new album by frontman Jimi Maltais, guitarists Greg Rounding and Ryan Hofing, bassist Alex Snape, and drummer Cory Hofing is a worthy follow-up to their 2014 beast Kings Among Men, offering our avid ears an overdose of the band’s characteristic sound while also pointing to an even brighter future ahead of them.

Those Toronto warriors waste no time and kick off their metal music played at the speed of light party in Dawn of an Age, with Cory taking the lead with his crushing beats, and Jimi and Greg make a phenomenal vocal duo in Guardians, with it’s catchy-as-hell lyrics (“Guardians / We stand in a time of blood and fire / Ancient tales become our legacy / Skies ablaze, spirits of evil surrounding me / The prophecy remains our destiny”) inspiring us all to raise our fists and join them in a lecture in Melodic Death and Power Metal. Defenders of the Crown offers our avid ears more of their epic lyrics (“Here we stand to hold our ground / We defenders of the crown / Hold your steel and clench it tight / Or we all will die tonight”) in another classic battle hymn; and featuring the unparalleled Canadian growler Matt McGachy of Cryptopsy, Whispers of War is a fulminating metal attack by the boys sounding as fast as it is epic and aggressive, with Greg and Ryan firing truly piercing riffs nonstop, followed by Embrace the Fire, a little bit below the rest of the album but still fast, furious and presenting the band’s trademark sonority.

Then a smooth piano-driven intro quickly evolves into another shredding extravaganza by Greg and Ryan titled Battle Hard II: Battle Harder (the sequel to their 2012 song “Battle Hard”), while Jimi roars and growls with all of his strength and passion for heavy music. And featuring the indomitable Brittney Slayes (frontwoman for Canadian metal masters Unleash The Archers), who brings balance to the vocals together with Greg, we have Secrets of Our Time, not to mention Cory demolishes his drums in great fashion until the very last second. Jimi then sounds out of control, roaring manically in The Legacy of Steel, another headbanging beast where their riffs and solos exhale pure Heavy Metal magic, whereas lastly, the band will head into their final battle entitled Rise of the Fallen Soul, with Greg stealing the show with his awesome clean vocals while their Dragonforce-like guitar solos bring an extra onrush of electricity to their sound.

Crimson Shadows might have competed in and won the 2013 edition of Wacken Metal Battle Canada, and they absolutely deserved it, but in my humble opinion it’s now with Whispers of War that their trademark metallic, roaring sounds are ready to spread all over the world, positioning them as one of the forces to be reckoned with in the current Heavy Metal scene. Furthermore, those brave metallers are ready to take on the stages of the world by storm, and you can keep an eye on their tour dates by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, as well as by clicking HERE. Don’t forget to also stream their striking creations on YouTube and on Spotify, and of course to grab a copy of the incendiary Whispers of War from BandCamp or from Big Cartel. War is upon us, and it’s time to fight side by side with Crimson Shadows to the sound of their superb new album, one of the best of the year, and a lecture in Canadian metal.

Best moments of the album: Guardians, Whispers of War, Battle Hard II: Battle Harder and The Legacy of Steel.

Worst moments of the album: Embrace the Fire.

Released in 2025 Independent

Track listing
1. Dawn of an Age 4:46
2. Guardians 4:20
3. Defenders of the Crown 5:09
4. Whispers of War 5:18
5. Embrace the Fire 4:07
6. Battle Hard II: Battle Harder 5:57
7. Secrets of Our Time 4:48
8. The Legacy of Steel 5:39
9. Rise of the Fallen Soul 5:51

Band members
Jimi Maltais – vocals
Greg Rounding – guitars, clean vocals
Ryan Hofing – guitars
Alex Snape – bass
Cory Hofing – drums

Guest musicians
Matt McGachy – vocals on “Whispers of War”
Brittney Slayes – vocals on “Secrets of Our Time”

Album Review – From The Depth / Moments (2020)

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Enjoy the new chapter in the career of this electrifying Italian Power Metal unity, celebrating relevant memories and episodes of everyday life while time passes by.

Punchy and aggressive, fans who have been waiting since the 2014 EP Perseverance are now rewarded with Moments, the sophomore full-length opus by Italian Power Metal unity From The Depth, presenting a series of personal occasions in the band members’ lives that they are reliving through their music, from hard times to the anniversary of the group forming back in 2008 in Parma, a city in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. Recorded at Domination Studio and Angle Room Studio, mixed and mastered at Domination Studio, and featuring a classic artwork by Hungarian artist Péter Sallai (MORTPAINTGRAPHICS), Moments showcases all the maturity and refinement in this new chapter of a band currently comprised of Raffaele “Raffo” Albanese on vocals, Gianpiero Milione and Simone Martinelli on the guitars, Santo Clemenzi on bass and Cristiano Battini on drums. In the band’s own words, “Moments is a way to celebrate relevant memories and episodes of everyday life while time passes by. Each aspect of the production has been taken care of with extreme attention to detail from song structure to the final master; nothing has been left to chance and we did our best to get out the most from each session during songwriting.”

Futuristic and electrifying form the very first second, Immortal is a kick-ass hybrid of the music by Stratovarius, Nightwish and Gamma Ray with the band’s own Italian twist, with Gianpiero and Simone being utterly insane with their riffs, providing Raffo all he needs to shine on vocals. Then we have the faster and more ferocious Spread your Fire, a lesson in Power Metal by this Italian squad led by Cristiano’s pounding drums and the always melodious and sharp vocals by Raffo, also presenting some atmospheric passages, followed by Ten Years, another high-octane, melodic composition featuring their trademark riffs and solos and crisp background keys intertwined with the rumbling bass by Santo, with endless stamina flowing from all band members. After such high level of adrenaline, it’s time for a stunning semi-ballad by From The Depth titled Streets of Memory, where Raffo’s introspective vocal lines are nicely boosted by the smooth sound of the guitars and the groove from bass, sounding epic and imposing from start to finish. And the cinematic bridge Hypnos warms up our senses for the Symphonic Metal tune Forget and Survive, where the band brings a good amount of progressiveness to their sharp sonority with both Gianpiero and Simone embellishing the airwaves with their refined riffage and strident solos, being therefore tailored for admirers of the genre.

A medieval overture explodes into another symphonic and epic feast of Power Metal entitled Just Ice, with Santo and Cristiano making the earth shake with their thunderous kitchen, and showcasing a pleasant pace where Raffo gives another lecture with his soaring vocals during the song’s almost eight minutes of awesomeness. The band continues to crush our senses in Missed, a galloping, Stratovarius-inspired metal hymn perfect for headbanging together with the band where Cristiano is on fire with his beats, supported by all incendiary riffs, guitar and keyboard solos and rumbling bass punches. In other words,  you’ll certainly feel energized after listening to it, while endless groove and an enfolding atmosphere are the main ingredients in the modernized A Matter of Time, uniting the classic sound of Symphonic and Power Metal with nuances from more contemporary styles. And lastly, the band offers us all Somewhere, a delicate piano ballad where Raffo steals the spotlight with his deep vocals. Although I love ballads, I personally think they should have ended the album with a more gripping tune, but of course this one has its good moments such as the embracing ambience crafted by the sound of keys and bass.

In a nutshell, From The Depth have truly mastered the art of Symphonic and Power Metal in their newborn spawn, positioning them as one of the driving forces of the genre not only in their homeland, but all over our Heavy Metal world. Hence, if you want to show your support to those unstoppable Italian metallers, go check what they’re up to on Facebook and on Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel and search for them on Spotify to listen to more of their thrilling creations, and above all that, grab your copy of Moments from the Rockshots Records webstore or from Apple Music, letting the magical sounds and epic passages crafted by Raffo, Gianpiero, Simone, Santo and Cristiano penetrate deep inside your mind and soul in the name of Heavy Metal, providing you some amazing musical moments in your everyday life.

Best moments of the album: Immortal, Spread your Fire and Missed.

Worst moments of the album: Somewhere.

Released in 2020 Rockshots Records

Track listing
1. Immortal 4:55
2. Spread your Fire 4:55
3. Ten Years 5:09
4. Streets of Memory 4:20
5. Hypnos 1:51
6. Forget and Survive 4:48
7. Just Ice 7:46
8. Missed 4:51
9. A Matter of Time 5:47
10. Somewhere 4:22

Band members
Raffaele “Raffo” Albanese – vocals, choir vocals, guitars on “Streets of Memory”
Gianpiero Milione – guitars
Simone Martinelli – guitars
Santo Clemenzi – bass, choir vocals
Cristiano Battini – drums

Guest musicians
Davide Castro – keyboards on “Immortal”, “Spread your Fire”, “Ten Years”, “Streets of Memory”, “A Matter of Time” and “Somewhere”
Andrea De Paoli – keyboards on “Ten Years”, “Forget and Survive”, “Missed” and “A Matter of Time”
Oreste Giacomini – keyboards on “Immortal”
Roberto Tiranti, Giacomo Voli, Angelo Guidetti, Marco Spitale, Stefano Nusperli, Marco Olmedi, Ros Crash, Jennifer Ferretti – choir vocals