Tag Archives: power metal

Concert Review – Amon Amarth (Sound Academy, Toronto, ON, 10/10/2014)

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The most powerful Swedish Viking horde in the world attacks Toronto once again, setting the city on fire on a chilly night.

OPENING ACTS: Skeletonwitch and Sabaton

Amon-Amarth-PosterAs the fans of Game Of Thrones like to say, “Winter is coming” pretty soon, which means it’s getting colder and colder here in Toronto and, of course, in the entire Canada. So why not turning up the heat with some brutality, Viking music and good beer on a Friday night at the Sound Academy? The bands chosen to make our lives a lot warmer were American Thrash/Death Metal band Skeletonwitch, Swedish Power Metal band Sabaton and the main attraction of the night, Swedish Melodic Death Metal icons Amon Amarth.

Opening the night with the same energy of a stampede of raging bulls and still promoting their latest album, the insane Serpents Unleashed, the ‘Witch were absolutely awesome from start to finish, even with very limited time to deliver all their havoc. Chance Garnette’s unique devilish vocals and Dustin Boltjes killing everything on drums were the highlights of their wicked performance, with songs like I Am of Death (Hell Has Arrived), Serpents Unleashed and Within My Blood being so brutal I’m pretty sure most of the people who were already at the venue during Skeletonwitch might have an “interesting” pain in their necks and bodies until today. Chance said they’re returning to Toronto in the Spring, so I guess we have enough time to recover until we break our fuckin’ necks once again with more of their demonic metal.

Setlist
1. More Cruel Than Weak
2. I Am of Death (Hell Has Arrived)
3. From a Cloudless Sky
4. Burned from Bone
5. Beyond the Permafrost
6. Unending, Everliving
7. Stand Fight and Die
8. Serpents Unleashed
9. Within My Blood

Band members
Chance Garnette – lead vocals
Nate “N8 Feet Under” Garnette – guitars
Scott “Scunty D.” Hedrick – guitars
Evan “Loosh” Linger – bass
Dustin Boltjes – drums

IMG_2975Having recently released their seventh studio album, entitled Heroes, Sabaton had the tough mission of entertaining a crowd extremely avid for Amon Amarth. Well, although I myself consider their music somewhat generic, they did a pretty good job and got a great reaction from the audience, especially during songs such as 40:1, Swedish Pagans and Metal Crüe. Frontman Joakim Brodén has a very limited vocal range if compared to many other Power Metal singers, but his interaction with the fans, in special his jokes about Canada always beating Sweden in ice hockey, were sufficient to avoid any negativity from the crowd and to keep everyone awake and pumped up for the main attraction. The only problem is, as aforementioned, their generic lyrics and musicality: how many other bands, and you can limit your analysis only to Sweden if you prefer, have songs with the words “pagan”, “warrior”, “fight” or “metal” in their names, and those more-than-generic galloping riffs? If they fix that, they can go a lot further in their career.

Setlist
1. Intro (The March To War)
2. Ghost Division
3. To Hell and Back
4. Carolus Rex
5. 40:1
6. Swedish Pagans
7. Resist and Bite
8. The Art of War
9. Primo Victoria
10. Metal Crüe
11. Outro (Dead Soldiers Waltz)

Band members
Joakim Brodén – vocals, keyboards
Pär Sundström – bass, backing vocals
Chris Rörland – guitar, backing vocals
Thobbe Englund – guitar, backing vocals
Hannes van Dahl – drums

AMON AMARTH

IMG_2983Perhaps one of the most stable band formations in the history of heavy music, with the same band members being together since 1998 (and three out of five since their beginnings in 1992), Swedish Viking horde Amon Amarth delivered almost everything their fans were asking for, except for their Viking ship and fireworks, which couldn’t be part of their performance due to venue limitations.

However, the absence of fireworks and other theatrical items was completely forgiven and forgotten when the band started playing their unique epic metal. It was pure brutal headbanging, fists and horns in the air, beer drinking and lots of singing throughout their whole concert, with everything getting even heavier and more fun during classics like Death in Fire, Guardians of Asgaard, Cry of the Black Birds, and of course the highly anticipated Viking hymns Twilight of the Thunder God (where frontman Johan Hegg entered wearing a Viking helmet and holding the Hammer of the Gods as usual) and The Pursuit of Vikings, with all fans screaming as loud as possible its famous epic chorus nonstop, for the band’s total delight. The sincere smile on Johan’s face was priceless.

IMG_2984In addition, their newer songs from their latest albums, Surtur Rising (2011) and Deceiver of the Gods (2013), also worked really well, with highlights to For Victory or Death, Father of the Wolf, Destroyer of the Universe and War of the Gods. I love metal music when it’s played as fast as the band is capable of, which was the case for all those songs. I just thought there were very few mosh pits, maybe because it was getting really late and all fans were exhausted after a long day at school or work, and after so many hours of energetic heavy music. Being a headbanger demands a lot of our bodies, especially when you have such electrifying bands like Skeletonwitch and Amon Amarth playing live in front of you, don’t you agree?

Anyway, during one of his many fun interactions with the crowd (while drinking beer from his horn), Johan Hegg also spoke about ice hockey and the NHL, which makes me wonder if this is the biggest connection between Canada and Sweden, or if Heavy Metal is indeed what makes these two cold but totally amazing countries be so close to each other. Based on the happiness and level of energy spread among all fans that attended the concert at the Sound Academy, and as a true heavy music lover, I have to go with the second option without a shadow of a doubt. And now, all that’s left for us fans is the never-ending wait for another Viking invasion of Canada.

Setlist
1. Deceiver of the Gods
2. Runes to My Memory
3. Death in Fire
4. Free Will Sacrifice
5. As Loke Falls
6. We Shall Destroy
7. For Victory or Death
8. Varyags of Miklagaard
9. The Fate of Norns
10. Father of the Wolf
11. Guardians of Asgaard
12. Warriors of the North
13. Destroyer of the Universe
14. Cry of the Black Birds
15. War of the Gods

Encore:
16. Twilight of the Thunder God
17. The Pursuit of Vikings 

Band members
Johan Hegg – lead vocals
Olavi Mikkonen – guitar
Ted Lundström – bass
Johan Söderberg – guitar
Fredrik Andersson – drums

Album Review – Selene / Paradise Over EP (2014)

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Directly from Northern Ireland, we might be witnessing the future face of Symphonic Power Metal.

Rating5

CoverAre you a fan of symphonic heavy music full of operatic vocals, Power Metal elements and a dense Gothic atmosphere the likes of Nightwish, Sonata Arctica and Avantasia? If this is your type of “party”, you should take a listen at Paradise Over, the new EP by Symphonic Power Metal band Selene. Selene was founded in 2013 by guitarist/keyboardist John Connor (sorry, not the one from the Terminator franchise) and singer Shonagh Lyons, with the band name being inspired by Sonata Arctica’s “My Selene”, one of John Connor’s all-time favourite songs, becoming his personal tribute to his Finnish Power Metal heroes.

This new band from Northern Ireland released their first EP called Among the Frozen in 2013, which already received a lot of positive feedback from heavy music fans and reviewers all over the world. However, now with the addition of Cameron Ashlund-Glass (Darkest Era) on drums and Thomas Alford (Sandstone) on bass, their music became a lot more consistent and organic, strengthening the final result in Paradise Over.

From the very first minute of the opening track Facing the Mirror, with its smooth piano intro and guitar riffs the likes of Nightwish, the whole band and the overall production of the EP sound very solid and professional, inviting the listener to keep relishing every track in Paradise Over. In addition, the song is augmented by its emotional lyrics (“If I can’t love my-self, /how can I need some-one else?”), tailored for fans of the genre, and a beautiful performance by singer Shonagh Lyons.

band promoNot Enough starts with a vibrant intro and offers us a very symphonic and dense atmosphere throughout its entirety, making me wonder how interesting it would be if it was used as part of the soundtrack for any epic or fantasy movie such as The Hobbit, followed by the even more symphonic Still Dreaming, which could easily be played in any radio station in the world due to its pleasant instrumental and melancholic lyrics (“The darkness growing deep within my mind / Feels so real to me but I’m still dreaming”).

Then come the awesome title-track, Paradise Over, with drummer Cameron Ashlund-Glass dictating the rhythm and its strong keyboards and vocals reminding me of some Symphonic Metal classics by Nightwish, Epica and other female-fronted bands; and the very epic and powerful tune Fade Away, where drums and keyboards are in total synergy, together with another great performance by the gorgeous Shonagh. Lastly, the band brings forth the sorrowful ballad Hourglass Fading, which will please the hearts of all music lovers, closing the EP in a very beautiful way.

What does the future hold for Selene? Well, give them just a few more years and I bet their music will sound so much more powerful they might even become the face of Symphonic Power Metal, because if they were capable of producing such enthralling music independently we can have a very good idea of what they could do with proper support. So go to the band’s official BandCamp page to purchase their new EP Paradise Over, visit the official Selene Web Store for some other cool stuff such as their previous EP Among the Frozen and other bundles (which include keyrings and necklaces), and appreciate the music by this promising band from the “The 6 Counties”.

Best moments of the album: Not Enough and Paradise Over.

Worst moments of the album: Let’s wait for a full-length album to choose some bad moments (if there are any, of course).

Released in 2014 Independent

Track listing
1. Facing the Mirror 5:08
2. Not Enough 5:03
3. Still Dreaming 4:34
4. Paradise Over 3:29
5. Fade Away 5:03
6. Hourglass Fading 3:16

Band members
Shonagh Lyons – vocals
John Connor – guitar, keyboard
Thomas Alford – bass
Cameron Ashlund-Glass – drums

Album Review – Kilmara / Love Songs and Other Nightmares (2014)

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An exciting Power Metal “gemstone”, full of heavy riffs, melody and all other elements we love in this type of music, nicely carved by this very competent band from Barcelona.

Rating4

kilmara_coverFor most of us, the word “kilmara” might mean only a semi-precious green stone (also known as jade) used for jewelry, but it has also become a synonym of high-quality Heavy Metal, especially in the past decade. After over 10 years of existence, Melodic Power Metallers from Spain and Germany Kilmara are releasing their third full-length album, Love Songs and Other Nightmares, another “gemstone” carefully polished and ready to shine in their discography.

Let me start by saying that the new album by this Barcelona-based band was produced by none other than the exceptional Roland Grapow (Helloween, Masterplan) at Grapow Studios in Slovakia and published by Sony Music, and by that you can already have an idea of the professionalism you’ll find in each and every track from Love Songs and Other Nightmares. Only talent itself doesn’t bring any good results if not accompanied by a huge amount of dedication and hard work, and Kilmara are a great example of how putting those elements together translates into amusing and captivating music.

From the very first heavier-than-usual riffs of the opening track, Fantasy, Kilmara showcase a modern Power Metal, focusing on smoother and clearer vocal lines (very well done by singer Christian Wolfgang Kohl) instead of traditional high-pitched screams from other bands of the same genre. Not only this song has an awesome chorus, but the addition of some harsh vocals makes everything even more entertaining. Quick question: would Fantasy (or maybe Fantasy’s) be a gentlemen’s club in Spain or somewhere else? At least that’s what the lyrics seem to be talking about.

The galloping rhythm, conducted mainly by Javi Morillo’s excellent work on drums, and the soulful guitar solos keep the energy level up in The Devil’s Eye, followed by the soaring intro and thrilling riffs of The Break Up, another top moment of the album, with lyrics about ending a relationship. By the way, this song would be an awesome way to do so (or at least the break up would happen with an exciting soundtrack). Cold Rain sounds like a sequence to the previous track in terms of lyrics, with highlights to the way the band “prepares” the listener for the catchy chorus.

kilmaraThen Kilmara slow things down with Believe, a semi-ballad with nice instrumental, but not as exciting as the previous tracks, before accelerating everything again with Nothing to Me, a heavy tune with hints of Thrash Metal the likes of Anthrax, with its riffs and double bass dictating the rhythm plus some great lyrics to sing along (“There’s nothing you can say / There’s nothing you can do / There’s nothing that can take away / The damage that you do”). A more traditional Power Metal can be found in Usual Strangers, especially due to its good guitar duo and solos, while Alpha is more melodic, flirting with Symphonic Power Metal. And pay attention to its funny/sexist lyrics, you might see yourself in that situation one day (or maybe many times a week).

And at long last, Kilmara saved for the final part of Love Songs and Other Nightmares three completely different tracks for all types of fans: Insomnia is another good Power Metal track with some interesting lyrics; Play to Win focuses on a more Hard Rock sonority, with its excellent instrumental parts mixed with another good vocal performance by Christian; and finally we have the beautiful ballad Time Flies, with  its powerful chorus as the “main ingredient”. There’s also a German/Spanish version of this song as a bonus track that sounds even more emotive than the regular one, especially the awesome Spanish parts. I myself speak Spanish and, in my humble opinion, I would love to see more Spanish songs by Kilmara: they sound so amazingly powerful when singing in this language.

I guess I could not finish this review without mentioning how gorgeous the “cover girl”, created by Montreal’s own Jessica Allain, in Love Songs and Other Nightmares is. Is she even real? Anyway, this excellent Power Metal album is available at Amazon and iTunes, among other places online and at physical stores, so if you’re a true fan of Power Metal don’t waste your time and go grab this “gemstone” by Kilmara for your collection.

Best moments of the album: Fantasy, The Break Up and Nothing to Me.

Worst moments of the album: Believe and Alpha.

Released in 2014 Sony Music

Track listing
1. Fantasy 4:41
2. The Devil’s Eye 4:20
3. The Break Up 3:59
4. Cold Rain 6:01
5. Believe 4:31
6. Nothing to Me 4:01
7. Usual Strangers 4:51
8. Alpha 4:04
9. Insomnia 4:47
10. Play to Win 5:59
11. Time Flies 6:19

Bonus track
12. Time Flies (German/Spanish version) 6:19

Band members
Christian Wolfgang Kohl – vocals
Jonathan Portilo – guitar
Kike Torres – guitar
Raúl Ruiz – bass
Javi Morillo – drums

Album Review – Accept / Blind Rage (2014)

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And we salute Accept for another wonderful metal album.

Rating3

accept-blind rageI’m pretty sure a lot of people will disagree with me, but in my opinion Teutonic Heavy Metal icons Accept sound a lot more powerful today than in their early days. Of course I enjoy their old material and acknowledge their undeniable value to the history of traditional Heavy Metal, but the music those restless warriors from Germany have been generating in the past 5 years is beyond  incredible. Who doesn’t love such metal anthems like “Teutonic Terror”, “Stalingrad” or “Kill the Pain”?

With their “six string sabers” and “breeding metal from within”, their battle for heavy music rages on with the excellent Blind Rage, the fourteenth studio album in their extensive career and an album that can also be considered the third installment in this new amazing Accept-era. Although it might not be as brilliant as the masterpiece Blood of the Nations (2010), it’s undoubtedly as great as or even better than Stalingrad (2012) and, more important than that, it keeps the band 100% alive and on fire for our purest joy.

Blind Rage kicks off with the furious Stampede, which literally means “a sudden panicked rush of a number of horses, cattle, or other animals”, and that pretty much summarizes not only this song but the whole album: it is pure traditional Heavy Metal music, full of fast and heavy riffs straight to your face. Add to that a catchy and ass-kicking chorus and an awesome performance by Mark Tornillo, and you’ll get addicted to this song without even noticing. Things get even better in Dying Breed, one of those memorable headbanging songs with great riffs and solos, absolutely perfect for enjoying with your metal friends. In regards to the lyrics, they are a beautiful ode to many Heavy Metal icons such as Judas Priest and Motörhead (“And we salute you / The last of a dying breed”), with so much feeling it’s impossible not to fall in love for this song.

acceptDark Side of My Heart, a song that emanates the same energy the band had in the 80’s, showcases another beautiful performance by Mark on vocals, reminding us one more time why he was chosen to be their new frontman, while Fall of the Empire is a much heavier tune, with melancholic lyrics and strong bass lines. The whole band sounds very cohesive and inspired in another one of the top moments of the album, the awesome Trail of Tears, a song that flirts with Power Metal and reminds me a little of “Fast as a Shark” (especially its speedy rhythm), followed by Wanna Be Free, a Heavy Metal anthem about the fight for freedom and all the horrible issues in our world. It’s almost a ballad, but with that heavy punch only Accept can provide us.

The next few tracks were also born to be classics: was the song 200 Years, with its interesting lyrics about the end of civilization, part of one of their albums from the 80’s and they just re-recorded it by any chance? What about Bloodbath Mastermind, with its 6 minutes of pure Heavy Metal? The bass lines sound awesome here, enhanced by some superb guitar solos and a high-end chorus. And we also have the semi-ballad From the Ashes We Rise, a highly recommended Hard Rock tune for hitting the road with the people you love. Finally, Accept offer us The Curse, the longest track of the album with lots of melody in the guitars and vocal lines, which kind of continues where the previous song ended but could have been a little shorter to avoid losing momentum, and Final Journey, another tune tailored for anyone who loves banging their heads, with kudos to drummer Stefan Schwarzmann for an outstanding job done in this song. In addition, the impetuous album art by Dan Goldsworthy, displaying a monstrous enraged blood red bull, ends up being the icing on the amazing cake of heavy music found in Blind Rage.

Last but not least, I honestly believe nothing Accept have done since their latest comeback would have been possible without frontman Mark Tornillo. Not only the three albums with him on vocals are 100% addictive and much better than a great part of the old material by Accept, but the “American blood” of the band proves once again he’s here to stay, with an outstanding performance during the entire album and singing even better at their live concerts as you can see HERE. With that said, let’s raise our fists and bang our heads in salutation to those Heavy Metal soldiers, certain that they will keep on rockin’ and delivering us more masterful albums like Blind Rage for many years to come.

Best moments of the album: Stampede, Dying Breed, Trail of Tears and Bloodbath Mastermind.

Worst moments of the album: Fall of the Empire and The Curse.

Released in 2014 Nuclear Blast

Track listing
1. Stampede 5:14
2. Dying Breed 5:21
3. Dark Side of My Heart 4:37
4. Fall of the Empire 5:45
5. Trail of Tears 4:08
6. Wanna Be Free 5:37
7. 200 Years 4:30
8. Bloodbath Mastermind 5:59
9. From the Ashes We Rise 5:43
10. The Curse 6:28
11. Final Journey 5:02

Japanese Edition Bonus Track
12. Thrown to the Wolves 3:51

Band members
Mark Tornillo – lead vocals
Wolf Hoffmann – guitar
Herman Frank – guitar
Peter Baltes – bass guitar
Stefan Schwarzmann – drums

Album Review – Derdian / Human Reset (2014)

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Do you think contemporary Symphonic Power Metal is outdated? Just listen to the excellent new album by this Italian squad and you’ll see how biased you are.

Rating4

Derdian-Human_Reset_front_coverRhapsody Of Fire, Stratovarius, Symphony X and Angra are just a few of many excellent Symphonic Power Metal bands from different parts of the world, and among them there’s another name that also deserves to be recognized as one of the biggest contemporary exponents of this genre of heavy music due to the quality of their work. I’m talking about Italian Symphonic Power Metal band Derdian and their brand new album Human Reset, a highly recommended option for anyone that loves seeing the words “symphonic” and “metal” together.

Born in 1998 in Milan, Italy, Derdian have always offered us lots of heavy and fast riffs from traditional Power Metal and beautiful symphonic orchestrations, without sounding repetitive as even some well-established bands sound nowadays. They somehow managed to keep their sound unique, and add to that the fact that their lyric themes moved from only fantasy, a constant in their “New Era” albums, to more direct (not to mention more important) issues our society has always faced. I’m not saying fantasy is boring, it’s just that being able to write and sing about a wider variety of topics helps any type of band in their creative process, which in the case of Derdian worked really well.

Right after the video game-ish symphonic intro Eclipse, the energetic and vibrant title-track Human Reset makes us think we’re listening to an “Italian Angra” from the Angels Cry-era, with its very traditional drums and keyboards perfect for fans of fast-tempo songs blended with symphonic elements. The symphonic extravaganza goes on with the awesome In Everything, with highlights to its guitar solos, fast drumming and a chorus that should put a smile on the faces of the fans while they sing it together with the band. Moreover, it’s easy to notice all the melody present in most European bands, and the part of the lyrics sung in Italian complements the song in a very pleasant way.

The following track, Mafia, has a totally different approach with a more modern sonority and truly melodic and enjoyable vocals, and its music variations kind of interestingly “break” the traditional metal from previous tracks; while These Rails Will Bleed, the shortest song of the album, has that “Symphonic Power Metal” formula with nothing really new to offer, albeit it’s far from being boring. In Absolute Power, the band focus on stronger Power Metal riffs similar to what Manowar used to do in the past (maybe due to the name of the song), and the band’s talented musicians were able to add some hints of progressive music to it to make the song even better. This is the type of song you’ll start headbanging and beating your feet nonstop without even noticing.

derdian_01Human Reset continues with a song that is mandatory in your playlist if you’re hitting the road soon: Write Your Epitaph is an outstanding symphony full of awesome Hard Rock riffs and another thrilling vocal performance by Ivan Giannini, turning it into the best song of the whole album without a shadow of a doubt. Then we have the good Music is Life (I couldn’t agree more with the name of this song), with its intro that seems to be inspired by Helloween’s all-time classic “Future World” and all its beautiful Power Metal moments, especially the keyboards and piano passages by Marco Garau; Gods Don’t Give A Damn, where the bass guitar, guitars, drums and everything else sound somewhat like Dream Theater, keeping the energy level really high and the song truly interesting; and After The Storm, a symphonic and emotive ballad that is excellent for the listener to breathe for a while after so many powerful tracks.

Finally, it’s time to speed things up again with the powerful Alone, with great synergy among all instruments, the quick and fun instrumental track Delirium, which sounds a lot like many songs by Stratovarius, and My Life Back, a song that starts as a semi-acoustic piano ballad that turns into another very symphonic tune to close the album as traditionally as possible. In addition, the less fanciful and more distressful album art for Human Reset, which in my opinion is by far the most beautiful in their career, also supports this more serious path Derdian decided to take and perfectly summarizes what to expect from the album and, of course, from the band.

And last but not least, remember to support Derdian by purchasing their music at their official website or in other places such as iTunes or Amazon, because this band is here to prove us all once again our good old Symphonic Power Metal is not obsolete at all and can be as exciting as any new genre of heavy music.

Best moments of the album: In Everything, Mafia and Write Your Epitaph.

Worst moments of the album: These Rails Will Bleed and My Life Back.

Released in 2014 Independent

Track listing
1. Eclipse 1:14
2. Human Reset 5:53
3. In Everything 6:16
4. Mafia 6:41
5. These Rails Will Bleed 2:49
6. Absolute Power 5:26
7. Write Your Epitaph 4:08
8. Music is Life 6:25
9. Gods Don’t Give A Damn 5:44
10. After The Storm 4:58
11. Alone 7:24
12. Delirium 1:15
13. My Life Back 6:34

Band members
Ivan Giannini – vocals
Enrico Pistolese – guitars
Dario Radaelli – guitars
Marco Banfi – bass
Marco Garau – keyboards
Salvatore Giordano – drums

Album Review – Grave Digger / Return of the Reaper (2014)

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One of the most traditional and respected Power Metal titans from Germany return with another good album, although not as memorable or inspired as it could have been.

Rating5

coverAs a tribute to the newly crowned World Cup champions Germany, who won the final match yesterday against Argentina, a team that truly put their hearts and souls into the match and deserve our most pure respect for almost beating an unbeatable machine such as the Teutonic squad, here’s the review for the new album by one of the most influential German bands of all time. I remember back in the 90’s when German Power Metal icons Grave Digger redefined their style to a more epic and powerful musicality, releasing some high-end classic albums such as Heart of Darkness (1995), Excalibur (1999), and especially the masterpiece Tunes of War (1996), increasing their legion of fans significantly, reaching a main-eventer status and headlining important tours and festivals worldwide. That was exactly when I became a huge fan of their unique Power Metal, and until today I feel really excited whenever Chris Boltendahl and his clan announce that a new Grave Digger album is about to rock the world.

Unfortunately, this time I’m a little sad to say that their new album, Return of the Reaper, is not as good as I was expecting. Despite having some very traditional and powerful moments with those characteristic elements we learned to love in the music by Grave Digger, most songs of the album sound way too generic and uninspired. They seem to be suffering from the same “sickness” as Arch Enemy with their latest release: the album is far from being a disaster, but we all know they’re capable of delivering something a lot more creative and thrilling than that. Where are those Heavy Metal anthems such as “The Grave Dancer”, “Rebellion (The Clans Are Marching)” or “Excalibur”?

However, there’s no need to panic: Return of the Reaper might not be a memorable album, but it is quite enjoyable and sufficient enough to keep Grave Digger relevant in the world of heavy music. The intro Return Of The Reaper, which is a heavy version of Frederic Chopin’s Funeral March enhanced by some desperate screams, followed by the most traditional Grave Digger musicality you can find in this album (and by far the best song of all), the violent Hell Funeral, are together an excellent way to kick things off with lots of  Power Metal riffs, a catchy chorus and Chris Boltendahl’s voice sounding as awesome as usual even after so many years on the road. War God is another fast tune most fans will enjoy, with Stefan Arnold always precise on drums, but the chorus could have been a little more powerful and less repetitive (which by the way is a constant during the rest of the album); while Tattooed Rider has a name that simply asked for a more Hard Rock sonority, and albeit being a good song it’s kind of generic, especially in regards to the lyrics.

Grave-DiggerThen we have two of the worst tracks of the album: Resurrection Day, despite some good riffs and drumming, has horrible lyrics that don’t mean anything and a really bad chorus; while Season Of The Witch sounds like a rip-off of “The Last Supper” (especially the riff), getting really tiring after a while. At least the following track, the boisterous Road Rage Killer, speed things up with its really awesome heavy riffs, sounding similar to some of their old classics and, consequently, becoming one of the top moments of the album.

The following tracks will probably create mixed feelings among all fans of the band, alternating really good moments with lots of cheesiness and lack of creativity. Although Grave Desecrator offers us a good mix of Hard Rock and Power Metal, its horrible lyrics hamper it from becoming an excellent song; on the other hand, Satan’s Host is another good song with a very traditional approach and direct lyrics, and I’m pretty sure it will be one of the chosen songs by the band to be played live due to its intensity. Dia De Los Muertos slows things down a little with its simple but effective 80’s Hard Rock, even with its “creative” Spanish name that doesn’t add anything to the song (“Day Of The Dead” would have been a much better choice); while Death Smiles At All Of Us has an interesting keyboard intro that turns into a nice Power Metal tune, complemented by the best guitar solo of the whole album. And finally, for a band with so many outstanding ballads such as “Dolphin’s Cry”, “The Ballad Of Mary (Queen Of Scots)” and “Emerald Eyes”, closing the album we have the boring Nothing To Believe, which sounds truly uninspired and too generic compared to what Grave Digger are capable of doing.

At least the album art, once again created by Gyula Havancsák of Hjules Illustration and Design, who has been responsible for all of the band’s artworks since The Last Supper (2005), lives up to Grave Digger’s name, even if it’s not as majestic as The Last Supper or Heart of Darkness. In conclusion, if you’re a long-time fan of Grave Digger you can go ahead and buy their new album, you’re probably going to enjoy it. But if you are not fond of their most recent releases, Return of the Reaper will just be another reason for you to keep complaining about what the band is currently doing and keep going back to their old classics for some truly inspired Power Metal music.

Best moments of the album: Hell Funeral, Road Rage Killer and Satan’s Host.

Worst moments of the album: Resurrection Day, Season Of The Witch and Nothing To Believe.

Released in 2014 Napalm Records

Track listing
1. Return Of The Reaper (Intro) 1:16
2. Hell Funeral 3:02
3. War God 3:47
4. Tattooed Rider 4:04
5. Resurrection Day 2:59
6. Season Of The Witch 5:05
7. Road Rage Killer 3:19
8. Grave Desecrator 4:23
9. Satan’s Host 2:56
10. Dia De Los Muertos 4:16
11. Death Smiles At All Of Us 3:52
12. Nothing To Believe 4:34

Band members
Chris Boltendahl – vocals
Axel Ritt – guitars
Jens Becker – bass
Stefan Arnold – drums
H.P. Katzenburg – keyboards

Album Review – Terratomorf / Я – легенда EP (2014)

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This independent Russian Power Metal band goes straight to the point with 20 minutes of professional, honest and traditional heavy music, just the way we like it.

Rating5

Ya LegendaI must admit “Mother Russia” has been positively surprising me in terms of heavy music in the past few years. It seems that those dark days when Heavy Metal or even the most simple form of Rock N’ Roll were non-existent in the biggest country in the world are long gone and now day after day many high-quality metal bands are born there, which is the case with Russian Power Metal band Terratomorf.

Founded in 2013 in Moscow, and after a few lineup changes, this promising band has recently released their first EP entitled Я – легенда (Ya – Legenda), or “I am Legend” in English, which can be easily summarized as 20 minutes of pure “straight to the point” Power Metal. And by that I mean Terratomorf play a nice and vigorous Power Metal without exaggerating on vocals, guitar solos or on anything else, sounding so professional (especially for an independent band) and honest that it makes the listener eager for a full-length album.

The opening track of the EP, the title-track Я – легенда (Ya – Legenda), begins with a excellent Megadeth-ish intro that flows smoothly into strong and melodic vocals, which by the way remind me sometimes  of the powerful voice of J. Ahola (Teräsbetoni, Ahola), complemented by clean heavy riffs and a catchy chorus even for non-Russian speakers. Not only that, this song already showcases an above-average quality in the production of the EP. The following song, Судьба (Sudba), or “Fate” in English, follows more traditional Power Metal lines the likes of Teräsbetoni and Manowar and keeps the overall quality of the EP really high, with highlights to its galloping drums, a pleasant guitar solo, and Artur Berkut, who was the lead singer for traditional Russian Heavy Metal band Aria from 2002 to 2011, as a guest vocalist.

TerratomorfThe nice rhythm in Призрачный мир (Prizrachniy Mir), or “Haunted World” in English, gains an extra dose of energy with a more modern American riff and its melodic drumming, while the headbanging tune В небеса (V Nebesa), or “In Heaven” in English, is perfect for some air guitar due to its very traditional riffs, and the Thrash Metal elements the band added to the song to give it a special “kick” especially during the second half of it. Last but not least, we have Город души (Gorod Dushi), or “Soul City” in English, where you can notice a huge influence of German Power Metal in their musicality, and once again it’s very enjoyable to follow the vocal lines by Nikita Salischev (mainly during the chorus) and the excellent job done by drummer Alexandr Dmitriev.

One might ask where Terratomorf will go with their music. Well, that’s something only time will tell, but based on the quality of their first EP and the talent of the musicians involved, I wouldn’t be surprised if we start seeing those Russian guys touring around different countries and reaching even some markets overseas where the Russian language is not present at all. For now, we can at least rest assured Heavy Metal is getting stronger and stronger thanks to many independent bands all over the world, with Terratomorf being a very welcome addition to the increasing list of excellent bands representing the Russian Federation.

Best moments of the album: Я – легенда (Ya – Legenda) and В небеса (V Nebesa).

Worst moments of the album: As I’ve mentioned a couple of times in this website, it’s not fair to select a bad moment from a relatively short EP like this one (the same reason why it didn’t get more than a 3.0). Let’s wait for a full-length Terratomorf album to do that.

Released in 2014 Independent

Track listing
1. Я – легенда (Ya – Legenda) 3:21
2. Судьба (Sudba) 4:22
3. Призрачный мир (Prizrachniy Mir) 4:15
4. В небеса (V Nebesa) 4:18
5. Город души (Gorod Dushi) 4:56

Band members
Nikita Salischev – vocals
Sergey Gviniashvili – guitar
Vladislav Balashov – guitar
Alexandr Dmitriev – drums

Guest musician
Artur Berkut – additional vocals on Судьба (Sudba)

Album Review – Xandria / Sacrificium (2014)

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Listening to this album is far from being a sacrifice. Quite the opposite, it’s a true pleasure.

Rating4

CoverChanging the lead singer of any band has always been considered a very a bold move, and when the music genre in question is Heavy Metal the impact of that change is even more significant due to the loyalty and connection all diehard fans usually have with the most “traditional” members of the band. In other words, this change can be a very welcome breath of fresh air to the band’s musicality in some cases, or a complete disaster in others depending on how much the voice influences their music direction. Fortunately for German Symphonic Metal band Xandria their choice for the band’s new lead singer, the very talented Dutch soprano Dianne van Giersbergen, ended up being better than anyone could have imagined, which can be verified in their excellent brand new album Sacrificium, the sixth in their career.

Dianne, who is also the frontwoman for Dutch Smyphonic Metal band Ex Libris,  replaced German singer Manuela Kraller (who was with the band from 2010 to 2013) just before the recording of Sacrificium began, which made fans really apprehensive of what would happen with the band then. It’s also the first with bassist Steven Wussow, and add to that “the choir of the sacrificed” by the PA’dam choir (from the Netherlands) and some narration by American singer Amanda Somerville and Mark Burnash, and the amount of changes and new elements compared to their previous records is even higher. However, as aforementioned, it’s all for a very good purpose.

To begin with, if Sacrificium, the 10-minute epic track that opens the album, is not the most awesome “business card” Dianne could offer us, then I have no idea what could be. Xandria seems to be in very good hands (or voice) now based on what we can see in this song: after a symphonic intro, it turns into great and fast Power Metal, with Dianne’s voice sounding gorgeous when blended with more modern riffs. Moreover, the good rhythm variations and breaks, the “movie soundtrack” chorus halfway through the song and all solos make it easy to follow the “story” being told, turning it into an instant fan favorite. Nightfall, the second track of the album, keeps the energy level up. It is definitely another top moment of the album with its choir intro, heavy riffs, beautiful vocals and chorus giving the song an epic touch, and it will sound amazing live without any doubt.

Then we have the semi-ballad Dreamkeeper, which despite its more melodic riffs and delicate lyrics (“I will send a dying rose / For you all to be close / To its scent that has never been”) is not really an exciting song, and Stardust, where Dianne’s voice is nicely complemented by some Progressive Metal elements; but it’s the next song, The Undiscovered Land, which really helps elevate the overall quality of the album: this “medieval” ballad has some sort of “Lord of the Rings” intro that works pretty well, an awesome instrumental, and of course another brilliant vocal performance by Dianne. Sacrificium goes on with the pure Symphonic Power Metal song Betrayer, which takes the album back to a stronger and faster sonority, and Until the End, a “video-game” track that albeit not bad, sounds too generic compared to the rest of the album.

xandriaThe last part of Sacrificium is composed by a sequence of shorter songs with a very traditional approach, where the goal seems to be showcasing Dianne’s skills as a soprano. Come With Me is a very rhythmic Symphonic Metal tune with a chorus full of emotion, which can also be said about the next song, Little Red Relish, and Our Neverworld, a smooth ballad with heavier passages. Finally, we have the totally boring Temple of Hate, the worst song of all, and closing the album we have one last ballad, the melancholic and captivating Sweet Atonement, another lesson in singing by Dianne, who puts so much passion in her voice it’s hard not to get thrilled with her performance.

In summary, Sacrificium is a highly recommended album for all types of female singers (not only Heavy Metal), or for lovers of bands with female vocals, but it might be too much sometimes for more traditional metal fans. I myself was going to give it a 3.0 mainly because it’s not the most creative album in the world, but the choir, all the narrative, and especially the addition of the stunning Dianne to the band were so amazing it actually deserved a 3.5 in the end. Only time will tell if Dianne will be able to balance her career between Ex Libris and Xandria, but for now I’m impressed with her abilities as a musician. And what can I say about the album art? It’s not only beautiful, but would it also be a message to their oldest fans saying the band’s music has been reborn like a phoenix from the ashes? At least one thing we know for sure: listening to Sacrificium is not a sacrifice at all, but a very delightful experience.

Best moments of the album: Sacrificium, Nightfall, The Undiscovered Land and Sweet Atonement.

Worst moments of the album: Dreamkeeper, Until the End and Temple of Hate.

Released in 2014 Napalm Records

Track listing
1. Sacrificium 10:21
2. Nightfall 4:02
3. Dreamkeeper 4:36
4. Stardust 4:00
5. The Undiscovered Land 7:34
6. Betrayer 6:15
7. Until the End 5:47
8. Come With Me 3:46
9. Little Red Relish 4:39
10. Our Neverworld 3:51
11. Temple of Hate 5:59
12. Sweet Atonement 4:20

Band members
Dianne van Giersbergen – vocals
Marco Heubaum – vocals, guitar, keyboard
Philip Restemeier – guitar
Steven Wussow – bass
Gerit Lamm – drums

Album Review – Epica / The Quantum Enigma (2014)

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The new album from Epica just corroborates how good Symphonic Metal from the Netherlands has been in recent years.

Rating4

coverIt definitely looks like whenever a Heavy Metal band from the Netherlands releases a new album, especially if it has female vocals, we can purchase their new material without even listening to it. All releases from bands from the “Land of Windmills” in the past few years have been simply amazing, with no exception, and that’s also valid for the excellent The Quantum Enigma, the sixth studio album by Dutch Symphonic Metal band Epica.

Although it’s the first with new bassist Rob van der Loo, who replaced Yves Huts in 2012, that didn’t hurt the overall quality of the album. Quite the contrary, the other members of the band have been together for some good years, which translates into cohesiveness and an outstanding flow of the music. Not only that, the addition of a chamber choir and some strings (violins, viola and celli), along with the excellent guest musicians Marcela Bovio (Stream of Passion) on backing vocals and Daniël de Jongh (Textures) as additional male vocals were extremely positive from a quality standpoint.

The Quantum Enigma starts with the beautiful symphonic intro Originem, tailored to create a special atmosphere for everything else to come and already introducing to us the choir, which will be a constant throughout the whole album. Also, I don’t need to say this track will be used as an intro to their upcoming live concerts, right? But it’s when the first actual song begins that we’re able to notice how grandiose the band wants its music to be in this album: The Second Stone is a great song with lots of Power Metal elements, Simone Simons’ unique voice sounding superb as usual, and the fast solos and harsh vocals complementing what might be considered the best track of the album by many fans.

The next track, The Essence of Silence, has that characteristic sonority from some old Epica songs without sounding repetitive, a beautiful chorus (“Retrieve your balance / Use your senses to observe / The essence of silence / Search for essence / Find the silence within you / The essence is…”), and all the extra strings fit perfectly with the musicality not only of this track but of the whole album. It’s a very good track but not really awesome, though, which is the case for the amazing Victims of Contingency, where its heavy riffs balance really well with the keyboards and orchestral parts. Moreover, the Death Metal punch found in this song blended with Simone’s lyrical voice is above the average, and add to that Mark Jansen and Isaac Delahaye doing an excellent job with their guitars and you have another memorable track in the album.

Perhaps the weakest track of all is the next one, Sense Without Sanity (The Impervious Code), which despite having a nice and smooth vocal intro, strong keyboard notes and a good balance of harsh and female vocals, ends up being a bit tiring, especially after the 4th minute,  losing all momentum gained. Unchain Utopia might not be a brilliant song, but it’s indeed better than the previous track and Simone’s performance once again gives it some extra energy; while The Fifth Guardian (Interlude), despite being just an instrumental bridge, is really well-crafted and perfect for energizing the listener for the following track, the excellent Chemical Insomnia. What an awesome Symphonic Metal tune! The music keeps growing and growing until it reaches a truly climatic ending, with all band members playing their parts beautifully, and also proving to us all a song doesn’t need to be absurdly long to be epic.

epicaReverence (Living in the Heart) seems to be the song chosen by Ariën van Weesenbeek to mercilessly smash his drums, with some excellent riffs, choir, and especially the quick but awesome keyboard solo adding a special touch to this sonic massacre. On the other hand, Omen (The Ghoulish Malady), with its piano intro and all orchestral parts, sounds too bland for an album so full of intense music and do not keep up with the other tracks.

The final part of The Quantum Enigma starts with the beautiful ballad Canvas of Life, where we can savor a great performance by Simone one more time. She simply steals the show here, mainly due to all the poetry in the lyrics (“The stains come alive where the paint has gone dry / You float above looking down reaching out to me / Depicting a beautiful scene that shapes divinity”) enhancing the emotion in her voice. Then comes Natural Corruption, another good track with all those Epica elements fans learned to enjoy, and The Quantum Enigma (Kingdom of Heaven Part II), an epic song with over 11 minutes with the orchestra and choir dominating the first part of the song. However, it then becomes a bit generic and, although it maintains a good rhythm, unfortunately it’s not enough for such a long song, making it a little tiresome in the end. The bottom line is, if you’re going to compose a long song make sure it has different “songs” inside of it, as for example the classics “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, from Iron Maiden, and “Halloween”, from Helloween, otherwise just keep it simple. As previously mentioned, a band can be epic without extending the length of a song too much, which Epica themselves did in this same album. It’s not that the song is not good, let’s say it’s exaggeratedly ambitious.

Anyway, add to this very good album some interesting bonus tracks (each version of the album has a different one) and its beautiful album art done by visual artist Stefan Heilemann, who has already worked with Epica in other opportunities and with many other famous artists and bands, and you have another high quality album worth buying and, of course, worth listening to many times. Because as I said, if it’s Symphonic Metal from the Netherlands, especially if it’s an album from Epica, just go for it without thinking twice.

Best moments of the album: The Second Stone, Victims of Contingency, Chemical Insomnia and Canvas of Life.

Worst moments of the album: Sense Without Sanity (The Impervious Code), Omen (The Ghoulish Malady) and The Quantum Enigma (Kingdom of Heaven Part II).

Released in 2014 Nuclear Blast

Track listing
1. Originem 2:11
2. The Second Stone 5:00
3. The Essence of Silence 4:47
4. Victims of Contingency 3:31
5. Sense Without Sanity (The Impervious Code) 7:42
6. Unchain Utopia 4:45
7. The Fifth Guardian (Interlude) 3:04
8. Chemical Insomnia 5:12
9. Reverence (Living in the Heart) 5:02
10. Omen (The Ghoulish Malady) 5:28
11. Canvas of Life 5:28
12. Natural Corruption 5:24
13. The Quantum Enigma (Kingdom of Heaven Part II) 11:53

Bonus tracks
14. In All Conscience (Digipack additional track) 5:04
15. Dreamscape (Earbook additional track) 4:59
16. Memento (Vinyl additional track)
17. Banish Your Illusion (iTunes additional track) 6:11
18. Mirage of Verity (Japanese additional track) 5:59

Band members
Simone Simons – lead vocals
Mark Jansen – rhythm guitar, harsh vocals
Isaac Delahaye – lead guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Rob van der Loo – bass guitar
Coen Janssen – keyboards, piano
Ariën van Weesenbeek – drums, harsh vocals

Guest musicians
Marcela Bovio – backing vocals
Daniël de Jongh – additional male vocals

Concert Review – Primal Fear (Virgin Mobile Mod Club,Toronto, ON, 05/03/2014)

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Teutonic Power Metal icons take over Toronto to “deliver the black” in the city.

OPENING ACTS: Sovereign Council and Answer With Metal

primal fear_toronto_2014Just two days after the amazing Paganfest America Part V at The Opera House, it was already time for more PURE FUCKIN’ METAL at the small but cozy Virgin Mobile Mod Club, located in the Torontonian neighborhood known as Little Italy. This time, instead of Vikings and warriors, Toronto had the great pleasure to witness a lesson in POWER METAL by German Heavy Metal masters PRIMAL FEAR.

Before savoring the cream of heavy music by the Teutonic metalheads, the fans were surprised by two excellent opening acts “made in Canada”. The first band to hit the Virgin Mobile Mod Club stage was Kingston-based Symphonic Metal band SOVEREIGN COUNCIL, who presented an interesting and very professional mix of Symphonic and Alternative Metal which reminded me of bands such as Lacuna Coil, Within Temptation and Epica. All band members were noticeably excited with the opportunity of opening for Primal Fear and were all smiles during their whole concert, with highlights to lead singer Alexander MacWilliam and female singer Lisa Thompson, who did an amazing job “telling a story” together in each song of their setlist. Of course I have no idea of the names of their songs, but I remember enjoying a really nice one called Bring It Down, and the only issue in my opinion was that their music would be more suited if they were the opening act for a Symphonic Metal band, as some people present at the venue didn’t quite understand their message. Maybe if they are called to open for Within Tempation or Delain, who will be in Toronto soon, their music will be a lot more appreciated.

Band members
Alexander MacWilliam – vocals
Lisa Thompson – female vocals
Chris Thompson – guitars
Patrick Buczynski – guitars
Shaun Vanhoose – bass guitar
Jessica Marsden – keyboards
Brandon Schneider – drums

If someone asks you what you love the most in life, you simply ANSWER WITH METAL! This Stouffville-based Power Metal band delivered a very competent concert, with lots of shredding, guitar solos, fast drumming and everything else that makes traditional Heavy Metal so addictive. Straight-forward songs like Gates Of Hell and Two Wrongs (Don’t Make A Right), with their very traditional approach, were excellent for some headbanging while enjoying a beer, which is probably what the band actually aims with their music, right? Lead singer Dan Nielsen, who by the way is the owner of an amazing voice, seemed so happy for opening to Primal Fear that he “forgot” to look to the crowd in the eye during the concert. Well, we cannot blame him for that, as we can imagine how important yesterday night was for him and the rest of his band. What really matters is that they kicked ass, and just like Sovereign Council they’re a very welcome fresh new addition to the Canadian heavy music scene. Moreover, if they keep being so hard-working and honest in what they do, we can rest assured they will go places with their music.

Band members
Dan Nielsen – vocals
Andrew Jarvis – lead guitar
Matt Hadaway – rhythm guitar
Jon Stallan – bass guitar
Alejandro Gonzalez – drums

PRIMAL FEAR

pf2014_primal fear02Finally, when the clock precisely struck 11pm, Ralf, Mat & Co. hit Toronto again after a long wait of over 4 years, delivering the most powerful and awesome Heavy Metal one can imagine. After playing two intros in a row (Countdown To Insanity and Jaws Of Death), the Heavy Metal extravaganza began with the classic tune Final Embrace, from their second album, the perfect Jaws Of Death (1999). Although the gig wasn’t sold out, the good crowd went crazy with the band from the very first second, with lots of headbanging and fists and horns in the air. And that was only the beginning!

How can Primal Fear be so fuckin’ awesome? First of all, if there’s one thing that I love in Primal Fear is their undeniable ability to ALWAYS release excellent albums, no matter what happens to the band, which was the case again this year with Delivering The Black. It was clear last night the fans love their new material, as songs such as Alive & On Fire, Delivering The Black, One Night In December and When Death Comes Knocking were sung at full force by all fans at the Mod Club.

pf2014_ralf02Secondly, all of their ballads are truly beautiful, and more important than that, a million light-years away from being cheesy. Last night the band perfectly played two of their best ones, the thrilling Seven Seals and the epic Fighting The Darkness, “spreading the love” among the couples who attended the concert. I wish they had played another one such as “Diabolus” or “Under your Spell”, but I was more than happy with last night’s setlist anyway.

However, it’s when the band plays that raw, fast and heavy Power Metal that things get even better, and the reaction of the fans to that type of music is priceless. Nuclear Fire, Chainbreaker, and especially Angel In Black (my favorite of the night), Bad Guys Wear Black and the Heavy Metal anthem Metal Is Forever were responsible for so much headbanging yesterday I’m pretty sure the Rub A-535 sales will go up today. That was an easy task for Primal Fear: they sent us a simple message (“Bang your head / And never turn it down / Bang your head / Bad guys wear black”), we promptly responded without any mercy to our necks and bodies.

It was already past midnight and the concert was almost over, but there was still time for two more strong songs, the electrifying Unbreakable (Part 2) and the superb Running In The Dust, showcasing one more time how great all band members are. The instrumental played by Mat, Alex, Tom and Randy, all really happy and excited for playing in Toronto after so many years, was totally flawless, and during pretty much the entire setlist I thought I was listening to the studio albums or even to an improved version of that. The guitar solos were impressive, the rumbling sound of Mat’s bass was reaching the hearts of the fans, and Edmontonian “stone crusher” Randy Black gave hope to all Canadian metalheads at the venue that have to suffer everyday with nasty things such as Justin Bieber and Avril Lavigne.  However, it was the unique voice by Mr. Ralf Scheepers what really captivated the attention of everyone at the concert. Ralf is like a good wine: the older he gets, the more awesome his voice gets. His performance in all songs was stellar, with no exception, and lest we forget he has to perform at that level almost every single day, which makes things even more amazing.

pf2014_primal fear04To sum up, a memorable night for fans of traditional Heavy Metal, and once again Primal Fear made our lives a lot more enjoyable with their mighty metal music. Because although they came to Toronto just to “deliver the black”, they ended up delivering the awesome, and now let’s just hope the Metal Commando does not take so long to come back to the city for another round of impeccable Heavy Metal.

Primal Fear Setlist Virgin Mobile Mod Club, Toronto, ON, Canada, North American Tour 2014

Band members
Ralf Scheepers – lead vocals
Mat Sinner – bass guitar, vocals
Alex Beyrodt – guitars
Tom Naumann – guitars*
Randy Black – drums

* Replacing guitarist Magnus Karlsson on this tour.

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