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Album Review – Speed Limit / Cut a Long Story Short (2023)

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These Salzburg, Austria-based veterans are ready to rock your world with their new album, easily switching between Hard Rock, Melodic Metal, classic Heavy Metal and NWOBHM.

Easily switches between Hard Rock, Melodic Metal and classic Heavy Metal, involving bits and pieces of the so-called New Wave Of British Heavy Metal and using a notebook full of exciting topics and fateful memories, Cut a Long Story Short, the sixth studio album by Salzburg, Austria-based Heavy Metal veterans Speed Limit, can be considered a journey through the entire career of a band that started back in the distant year of 1984 and is still going strong after so many decades on the road. Currently comprised of Hannes Vordermeyer on vocals and drums, Joe Eder and Chris Angerer on the guitars, and Chris Pawlak on bass, those Austrian metallers offer a powerful fusion of styles in Cut a Long Story Short, putting a smile on the faces of anyone who lived the golden years of heavy music during the 80’s, or who at least nurtures a deep passion for such important period in history.

The guitars by Joe and Chris Angerer rev up the band’s rockin’ engines in Shine Brighter than the Sun, before Hannes comes ripping with his classic vocals and rhythmic beats in a solid fusion of old school and modern-day Hard Rock; then bringing elements from Melodic Metal and AOR, New Horizon is another horn-raising rock tune by the quartet spearheaded by Hannes’ soaring vocals supported by his bandmates’ spot-on backing vocals. The quartet keeps distilling their 80’s-inspired hybrid of Melodic Metal and Hard Rock in Eye on You, where once again Joe and Chris Angerer do a great job on the guitars, followed by The Lady Is on Fire, highly inspired by the music by Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Saxon (plus a 70’s touch, and with their own Austrian rock twist), and the final result is a thrilling composition perfect for their live performances. And more of their melodious but always piercing sounds are brought to our ears in Notorious, with Hannes’ beats being nicely complemented by Chris Pawlak’s rumbling bass.

Destiny’s Calling is another NWOBHM-inspired song presenting the trademark riffage by the band’s guitar duo, sounding very pleasant form start to finish, whereas The Wind Blew in a Memory is too long and too mellow, with the band derailing a little bit from their more visceral Hard Rock, being therefore not as exciting as the other songs from the album. Then back to their more electrifying mode the band blasts our minds with the rockin’ tune Hit the Wall, with Hannes taking the lead with both his soaring vocals and pounding drums, not to mention the striking solos by the band’s axe duo. Furthermore, the album comes with a bunch of awesome bonus tracks, those being Sweet Morphine and Retired Hero, both from the 2017 album Anywhere We Dare and recorded live at Seeham in 2021; a 2020 studio outtake of Ways & Means; and a re-recorded version of Head Over Heels, from the 1992 album Perfect Inspiration, with all songs sounding extremely entertaining and melodic.

The guys from Speed Limit are ready to take you on a rock and metal trip way above the speed limit (pun intended) to the sound of Cut a Long Story Short, and in order to show them all your support simply click HERE to purchase your favorite version of the album, and don’t forget to also follow them on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates, and other nice-to-know details about those Austrian veterans. Hannes Vordermeyer, Joe Eder, Chris Angerer and Chris Pawlak are more than ready to rock your world with their newborn opus, and if you consider yourself a true metalhead, simply raise your horns, bang your head nonstop and sing the rockin’ anthems found in Cut a Long Story Short like there’s no tomorrow, fully enjoying such thrilling album by one of the most important names of the Austrian scene.

Best moments of the album: New Horizon, The Lady Is on Fire and Hit the Wall.

Worst moments of the album: The Wind Blew in a Memory.

Released in 2023 NRT-Records

Track listing
1. Shine Brighter than the Sun 4:06
2. New Horizon 5:52
3. Eye on You 4:57
4. The Lady Is on Fire 4:37
5. Notorious 5:19
6. Destiny’s Calling 5:03
7. The Wind Blew in a Memory 7:34
8. Hit the Wall 4:37

Bonus tracks
9. Sweet Morphine (Live at Seeham 2021) 5:16
10. Retired Hero (Live at Seeham 2021) 5:48
11. Ways & Means (Studio Outtake 2020) 6:15
12. Head Over Heels (2023 Edit) 3:42

Band members
Hannes Vordermeyer – lead vocals, drums
Joe Eder – lead & rhythm guitars, backing vocals
Chris Angerer – lead & rhythm guitars, backing vocals
Chris Pawlak – bass, backing vocals

Album Review – Sunterra / Reborn EP (2017)

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Under the sign of the ancient Egypt goddess Isis, one of the most important Industrial Metal bands from the underground Austrian scene is reborn with a new lineup and a reinvigorated attitude.

Rating5

coverUnder the sign of the ancient Egypt goddess Isis, Austrian Gothic/Industrial Metal act Sunterra are celebrating their reunion after a 10-year hiatus from the music scene with their brand new EP titled Reborn, which as you can imagine by its name marks the resurrection of the band, presenting a musical progression without forgetting their own roots. Combining Industrial and Gothic Metal with hints of Electro and Dubstep, Sunterra aim at creating their own, distinctive sound, oferring the listener fresh and thrilling music that will put you on a trance and certainly sharpen your senses while listening to it.

Formed in 1998 in the charming city of Vienna, Austria after the split of a band named Virgin Seed, and having chosen their new name Sunterra as a game of words standing for the gathering of fire and earth, the band led by bassist and lyricist Chris enjoyed almost a decade of considerable success in the independent Austrian scene, releasing the demo In Diebus Illis in 1999 and the full-length albums Lost Time, in 2002, and Graceful Tunes, in 2005, before calling it a day in 2006. In 2015, with a brand new lineup and a reinvigorated attitude, Sunterra were reborn from the ashes like a phoenix and are more than ready to rock again, with their brand new EP being the first and exciting installment in this second incarnation of the band.

Electronic and futuristic elements set the tone in the solid Industrial Metal composition Reign Supreme, with the harsh growls by Carlos and the clean, gentle voice of Slovakian singer Lilly reaching a great balance, complementing each other’s lines effectively. In addition, the song’s chorus is quite catchy and should work really well live. In Shadow in the Dark, the band “abandons” their heavy industrialized musicality a bit, focusing on their Gothic Metal vein, with gentle piano notes and the delicate vocals by Lilly guiding the listener in this eccentric voyage. This is a melancholic, alternative ballad that ends with Carlos and Ivan delivering some heavy gnarls and riffs respectively, generating an interesting contrast with the song’s initial smoothness. Then in Lord of Lies we face some obscure guitar and bass lines by Ivan and Chris, which together with the potent programmed beats will break your neck while Lilly keeps delivering her angelical vocals. Put differently, this is a high-end professional fusion of Industrial and Gothic Metal, with its background effects helping make the overall sonority truly menacing.

sunterra-1This is W.A.R. brings forward an eerie futuristic ambience with elements from electronic music, feeling like a dance hit from the 80’s or 90’s with a metallic approach and gentle breaks being thoroughly inserted amidst the fury emanating from Carlos’ guttural growls; whereas Ministry of Thoughts presents a strong Marilyn Manson-inspired atmosphere, sounding extremely alternative and mechanized. In this song highly recommended for lovers of the darkest side of Industrial Metal, Ivan showcases an excellent performance on both guitar and all programmed elements, turning it into one of the best tracks of the album. And concluding the EP, Shut Up!!! begins in an ominous way with a whimsical dialogue between Carlos and Lilly before becoming a feast of electronic Industrial Metal perfect for hitting the dance floor, a creepy track by Sunterra to end Reborn on a high note.

As one of the most important Industrial Metal bands from the underground Austrian scene is finally back in action, why not feed their newly reborn fire  with your passion for heavy music? You can watch a preview of the entire EP on YouTube to get a better sense of what the music by Sunterra is all about, or stream it in its entirety to be enchanted by their modern metal music, as well as follow them on Facebook to know more about the band and their future projects and live concerts. And if you want to show your true support for these Austrian industrialists of darkness, you can get your copy of Reborn at their BandCamp page, on iTunes, on Amazon, at Discogs and several other online retailers.

Best moments of the album: Lord of Lies and Ministry of Thoughts.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2017 NRT-Records

Track listing
1. Reign Supreme 4:28
2. Shadow in the Dark 5:15
3. Lord of Lies 5:05
4. This is W.A.R. 4:49
5. Ministry of Thoughts 4:47
6. Shut Up!!! 3:51

Band members
Carlos – male lead vocals
Lilly – female lead vocals
Ivan – lead guitars, programming
Chris – bass

https://youtu.be/V-3KuEQlIzU

Album Review – Proll Guns / Horseflesh BBQ (2016)

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Groovy riffs, inebriate growls and a humongous amount of bloody horse meat. This is what you’ll find in this entertaining Western Thrash N’ Roll album heartily crafted by three talented cowboys from Austria.

Rating5

Proll Guns - Horseflesh BBQ CoverartworkWho could imagine that the lovely city of Salzburg, the birthplace of the legendary Mozart in Austria, would also be the hometown of three villainous buckaroos who, despite have nothing to do with the state of Texas (the undisputed land of cowboys in the United States), are capable of producing high-octane Western Thrash N’ Roll? Singing about essential themes for any real man such as women, drinking and barbeque, here comes the dynamic power trio Proll Guns, pointing their sonic guns directly to our faces. YEE-HAW!

This libertine Thrash Metal posse was formed back in 2013, when they released their debut full-length album entitled And the Western Blood Runs, mixed and mastered by Danish producer Tue Madsen (who also worked with renowned bands like Ektomorf and Sick Of It All). Mounting their metallic horses once again, armed with their rowdy instruments and totally soaked up in whisky, they are ready to rock your town with their second album, the sonorous Horseflesh BBQ, a solid and fun fusion of traditional Thrash Metal with the dirty and drunken music from the Wild West. In addition, if you have the pleasure to see them playing live you’ll also be treated to their gorgeous “saloon girls”, Miss Candy Rose and Miss Sherly Colt.

Just as if a bloody western movie is about to start, the instrumental intro Texas Banjo Massacre sets the tone for the title-track Horseflesh BBQ to come kicking everyone in the head with its blend of Thrash and Sludge Metal. The inebriate growls by lead singer and bassist Evil Ed not only sound very thrashy, but also at the same time displaying a huge Rock N’ Roll influence, and needless to say how “carnivore” his embodiment of the song’s lyrics are. Then we have the darker and heavier anthem From Texas To Hell, a good song to enjoy while drinking a bottle of Jack Daniel’s where drummer Cra-“Y”-Maker will put you to bang your head nonstop. I wonder how Candy Rose and Sherly Colt would dance to this electrifying tune, but that’s something we can only witness if we go check the band kicking ass live.

0002Do you want some devilish Blues Metal in your life? Well, in Bloodgun Blues guitarist The Burner “scorches” our ears with his fiery riffs while the level of alcohol in Evil Ed’s blood just keeps rising; whereas Fucking Troublemaker brings forward a bad-tempered sonority with The Burner leading this excellent Rock N’ Roll anthem. Moreover, all the elements from the music by Volbeat found in the music, together with the intoxicating punch of Chrome Division, turn this into one of the top moments of the album in my opinion. And Reno Gang is yet another anthem tailored for bikers and heavy drinkers, slightly more melodic than the other tunes thanks to the crispier riffs and solos by The Burner, maintaining the alcohol content of the album way above 100 proof.

Lookin’ Out my Backdoor, a short and sweet Thrash N’ Roll chant, will generate some “friendly” circle pits during their gigs, and when the banjo hits the music things get even more fun; followed by the longest of all tracks, entitled The Revolver, a brutal Rock N’ Roll song where the screams and growls by the “cowboy from hell” Evil Ed enhance the song’s ferocity, with highlights to the nice work done on guitars and drums as well. Their western sounding keeps reverberating in the thrilling Execution, a more violent version of Hard Rock where The Burner offers some nice guitar effects and Cra-“Y”-Maker keeps kicking ass on drums. Also, its rhythm is what we can call the perfect soundtrack for a “drunk badass Rock N’ Roll party”, which translates into awesomeness. Lastly, Southern Slavery, the acoustic tune that aims at concluding the album in a pensive way, goes on for too long and doesn’t really provide anything fresh to the album, or in other words, it’s the only song that doesn’t make sense to be in Horseflesh BBQ in the end.

To sum up, Horseflesh BBQ is a highly recommended choice for fans of groovy riffs, inebriate growls and a humongous amount of bloody horse meat, and if you see yourself as one of those western metallers go check the Proll Guns’ Facebook page and YouTube channel to know more about their music. You can purchase the album at different locations such as the band’s BandCamp page, at the Grooves Inc. webstore, on iTunes or on Amazon, among others. You can either show your support and appreciation for these talented cowboys from Austria, or I believe Proll Guns will have to challenge you for a pistol (or drinking) duel to introduce you to the world of good old Thrash N’ Roll.

Best moments of the album: From Texas To Hell, Fucking Troublemaker and Execution.

Worst moments of the album: Southern Slavery.

Released in 2016 NRT-Records

Track listing
1. Texas Banjo Massacre 2:12
2. Horseflesh BBQ 4:35
3. From Texas To Hell 5:40
4. Bloodgun Blues 5:08
5. Fucking Troublemaker 3:43
6. Reno Gang 3:59
7. Lookin’ Out My Backdoor 2:09
8. The Revolver 7:35
9. Execution 4:16
10. Southern Slavery 3:18

Band members
Evil Ed – lead vocals, bass guitar
The Burner – vocals, guitar
Cra-“Y”-Maker – drums

Saloon girls
Miss Candy Rose
Miss Sherly Colt