Tag Archives: progressive rock

Metal Chick of the Month – Tina Gunnarsson

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Open your doors to the gates of hell, Tina!

It’s time to start melting the snow that covers a good part of the Northern Hemisphere with endless fire and heat emanating from our metal lady of this month of February, and I’m sure after listening to her incredible voice your heart will be forever warm even during the harshest of the winters. The frontwoman for Swedish Progressive and Symphonic Heavy Metal band Hexed, she’s the owner a powerful voice that will pierce your mind mercilessly, while her undeniable charisma will mesmerize you whenever she hits the stage. Her name is Tina Gunnarsson, and after reading more about such Swedish diva here on The Headbanging Moose I’m sure you’ll become a diehard fan of her music, getting beyond excited to raise your horns together with her whenever Hexed take your city by storm with their amazing live concerts.

Born on January 6, 1974 in Uppsala, a city near Stockholm, in Sweden, Tina started to sing and perform as a child along with her father, who according to Tina herself was an excellent songwriter. She remembers going up on stage and perform two of his songs when she was about six years old, saying that she already knew from that moment that music was going to be her life. By the way, she’s the sister of Teddy Möller, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist for several Swedish underground bands the likes of Loch Vostok, Gauntlet Rule and One Hour Hell, among others, and she’s married to vocalist and guitarist Stellan Gunnarsson, who founded Hexed together with her almost ten years ago, proving that Tina definitely lives and breathes music. In addition, she mentioned that despite being married to Stellan for many years, they only started writing music together after the creation of Hexed, saying that before that they used to focus on their other bands and projects.

Speaking about Hexed, the Swedish Symphonic and Progressive Metal brigade fronted by Tina has been making a lot of noise among metalheads all over the world since their inception back in 2015, with Tina, Stellan and bassist Daniel Håkansson being the three original members who are still part of Hexed, plus guitarist David Nyman and drummer Patrick Wahlberg. Curiously enough, the other original member of the band was Tina’s brother Teddy, who played on all their releases, except for their latest album released in 2022. So far, Hexed released their debut single titled Dreams, in 2016, followed by the three-track EP Exhaling Life, in 2017, and the full-length albums Netherworld, in 2018, and Pagans Rising (which was by the way inspired by Sweden’s witch-hunting hysteria in the late 17th century), in 2022, all available on their own BandCamp page, on YouTube and/or on Spotify (as well as on other streaming platforms).

When asked about how she would describe her music to someone who’d never listened to Hexed before, Tina said that she used to label it as “heavy and melodic with some dark vibes”, and if you visit their official YouTube channel you’ll be able to experience that by listening (and watching) to fantastic songs such as Blasphemy, Pagans Rising, Symphony of Tragedy, Exhaling Life, Stigma Diaboli, Resurrection, Repentance, Oceans, and Obedience. Moreover, when asked to choose a couple of songs with a very special meaning for her, Tina mentioned the title-track of their 2018 album Netherworld, as it really helped her to create a vision and to build something more creative out of all the feelings she had during that time, and Moorfield, from their 2022 album Pagans Rising, because of the feelings she got when she read about the trials and execution while writing about the destiny of the three women that the lyrics are about.

A seasoned veteran in the realm of rock and metal music, Tina was also part of some other very interesting bands prior to forming Hexed back in 2015. For instance, she’s also the vocalist for a Swedish Melodic Heavy Metal band named Detained, formed in 2010 and that released a five-track self-titled EP back in 2011, but that hasn’t done anything (nor even any type of communication) after 2012. I think we can say this project is now defunct, right? Anyway, apart from Detained, she was also the vocalist for an unknown period of time for a Swedish Progressive Metal band named Mellow Poetry (which after a few years changed their name to Mayadome) together with her brother Teddy Möller, but apparently nothing was officially released with her on vocals under that specific name. That’s also the case with a band named Nebraska, which was most probably also from Sweden, but basically nothing can be found online about the band nor about Tina’s involvement with them. On the other hand, back to the now very distant year of 1987, Tina was the lead singer for an Uppsala-based Heavy Metal band named Tradore, also with her brother Teddy, with whom she released a demo that same year titled Beyond the Shadows, still under her birthname of Tina Möller. The band later changed their name to Rue Morgue, but Tina was no longer a member of the band after that.

As a guest vocalist, you can enjoy Tina’s soaring vocals in some amazing bands and projects that surely helped her shape her current vocal style and technique. One of the most interesting of those bands is undoubtedly Uppsala-based Extreme Progressive Metal band Loch Vostok, another band led by her brother Teddy, singing in the song Rebound, from their 2006 album Destruction Time Again!, and doing the female vocals in their entire 2009 album Reveal No Secrets. Apart from Loch Vostok, she also lent her amazing voice to the song (I’ll Never Be) Maria Magdalena, from the 2022 album Trial by Fire, by Norwegian Power Metal duo Mantric Momentum; did all female vocals in the 1996 album Paranormal Activity, and was a guest vocalist in the song Able to Feel, from the 1999 album Near Life Experience, both released by her brother’s old Progressive Rock/Metal band Mayadome (as already mentioned, originally known as Mellow Poetry); did guest vocals in the song Queen of the Sea, from the album In Hoc Signo Vinces, released in 2007 by Swedish Heavy Metal band Wasteland; and also did backing vocals in the 2006 album The Shadow Cabinet, by Danish Progressive/Power/Folk Metal band Wuthering Heights.

As any rock and metal musician, Tina has an array of sensational idols who had a strong influence on how her voice sounds today. Among her music heroes, you’ll find renowned acts the likes of Queensrÿche, Fates Warning, Kamelot and Pagans Mind, also mentioning the 80’s as an amazing source of music, saying she used to listen to ABBA and Supertramp a lot at home, and Queen as her first ever live concert. In one of her interviews, she said that she would love to do a collaboration with Queensrÿche or King Diamond, saying she loves the music by Queensrÿche and of course the voice by Todd La Torre, and that the music by King Diamond and Mercyful Fate has always been with her since the 80’s, nurturing a deep passion for its vibe, stories, theatrical shows, and so on. In addition, she mentioned that if she could go back in time and be part of the recording sessions for any album in history, she would gladly have been a part of Dream Theater’s Images and Words, one of the best records in history in her opinion. “When I listened to When Dream and Day Unite I began to really listen to them with their special sound, later on James LaBrie came in on lead vocals and this album Images and Words really inspired me as a musician.” She also said that she prefers leaving people alone if they’re having a private moment or if they’re outside of a concert or event, but of course she likes to be close to her idols and other talented musicians if that’s not going to disturb their peace. “I really enjoyed being at the same place as anyone must have been to see Sharon den Adel from Within Temptation, having dinner at the table next to us in our special VIP area at Sweden Rock Festival, where our both bands were performing,” Commented Tina.

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Not only passionate about rock and heavy music, Tina also has a great love for nature, saying that she can easily notice a lack of energy of some kind, and where it’s missing based on the four elements. “I often visit the woods when I need to contemplate and understand ongoing things. I often dig the soil when my thoughts become dark and heavy and it helps me to stay grounded,” also saying that “we should use the capacity that our brain has to pick up energies, vibes and to trust our intuition more. That’s where the magic is. My favorite place is viewing a big lake with mountains surrounding it, that’s where I find peace of mind and can feel the real synchronicity with everything. I love the smell of each seasons beginning and how lucky I am to have four seasons in Sweden.” By the away, Tina is not just grateful for having all seasons in her homeland, but she’s also grateful for her family and friends, and to be able to create music, sing, dance and having good times while she’s still alive, and of course for everyone who listens to her music and who attends her live concerts.

According to Tina, the best part of being a musician is to have the ability and possibility to be creative in many ways, from the lyric writing, planning, scheduling, to bringing out all the visions for how she wants her music to be seen and heard, also saying that it would be a dream for her to be independent, but still earning enough money to live a decent life. “Music is the everyday life for us! With that said, we always work hard with all the stuff that has to be done as an active band. We all are employed as well and most of our spare time goes to music related things. No rest for the wicked.” And regarding the life of a musician on the road and travelling in general, apart from playing in major festivals like Wacken Open Air, she would also love to visit the lands where the native people in North America live, something she’s been dreaming about since she was a child. “Nowadays I understand more about all the native populations even in our own country and love Lapland as well. Maybe it is the genes in my blood talking and the lifestyle in harmony with nature.” Furthermore, although she’s not a religious person, she considers herself a spiritual person who believes in synchronicity, the wheel of life and the human mind. “The power of energies are not to be underestimated, things can really move and change with the right persons energies together. The forces we deal with in everyday life is the 4 elements as Earth, Fire, Water & Wind. All these elements create energy. It´s just that simple.”

A while ago, award winning film producer Bruce Moore released a documentary about women in metal, titled “Crushing Stereotypes One Riff At A Time”, where Bruce was able to catch up with a number of musicians, including our diva Tina, to find out what attracted them to the hard and heavy music world and if they had a story of how they took the plunge, what challenges they faced, and how things have changed, or if they have at all. Unfortunately, it looks like the movie is not available for streaming online anymore, but I would keep searching for it if I were you because all reviews of the movie are awesome and say it is a must-watch production for any type of metalhead.

When not in the studio or not on tour, Tina said that she likes to spend her time in her garden, in a forest, or going fishing. “This makes me unwind and it gets me some new energy. I’m also enjoying tarot and that kind of stuff,” she complemented, also saying that when she’s together with the other members of Hexed, she loves to cook and prepare dinner for her bandmates, while the others are responsible for the drinks, the music and the jokes. On a more serious note, Tina fears mankind hasn’t fully learned with all mistakes done during the Middle Ages, a time when religion (in that case Christianity) was responsible for the persecution and murder of people who thought differently and believed differently. “With all the power religion has over humanity I am afraid it will repeat itself if we don’t speak of it or fight against it. The children must learn from our own history and I really dislike when new generations are indoctrinated in a certain religion, let them choose when they are mature enough to have own thoughts and opinions.” Having said all that, it’s time to join Tina in her quest for heavy music, for freedom of speech, for freedom of religion, and so on, blasting her music to all four corners of the earth, until all pagans rise together with our multi-talented metal lady.

Tina Gunnarsson’s Official Facebook page
Hexed’s Official Facebook page
Hexed’s Official Instagram
Hexed’s Official YouTube channel
Hexed’s Official X

Concert Review – Katatonia (The Axis Club, Toronto, ON, 11/15/2023)

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And the void in the skies of Toronto was filled with the progressive and atmospheric sounds by one of the most important names of the Swedish rock and metal scene.

***Review by Kevin Ibbitson, with photos by Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography***

OPENING ACTS: SOM and GOST

Good weather and great music was on tap this past Wednesday the 15th of November in the Little Italy section of Toronto. In the good company of my older brother Keith (myself on review duty and Keith on photography duty), we travelled to the Brass Taps Pizza Pub on College St. to have a bite to eat and meet up with friends and fellow Katatonia Fans Jason and Kim before the show. We timed it perfectly, finishing our meals and drinks at 7p.m., giving us enough time to stroll down the block enjoying the night air. The weather was pretty nice that evening.

Arriving at The Axis Club (formerly known as The Mod Club) located at 722 College St.W, it was time to check in and get set up. No complaints about the security at the front door, everybody seemed pretty chill and relaxed, letting us in with no hassle. My number one priority as soon as I get inside venues is to visit the merch tables and much to my disappointment there were no shirts in my size (3XL) but I’m used to that by now, it’s not the end of the world.  At least I was able to kop a patch and cd so I was happy. Ran into some Familiar faces as soon as I was inside and chatted with them until the first act got on. SOM, a band cobbled together from current and former members of such bands as Caspian, Junius and Constants. A band which I have never heard before. What can I say but that they were the very definition of shoegaze. I think everybody was in their own little worlds while SOM played. They went on at 7:30 to a 1/3 full venue with their brand of introspective shoegazing music. The crowd was a little subdued at first but as the venue started to fill up, the crowd started to come to life. Maybe it’s just me but shoegaze is not the most enlivening music to start a show with so it was slow going but eventually the audience got into it.

Band members
Will Benoit – vocals, guitar, synths
Joel Reynolds – guitar
Mike Repasch-Nieves – guitar
Justin Forrest – bass
Duncan Rich – drums

By the time the Darksynth band GOST got on stage I was at the back of the venue (the venue now about 2/3 full), having a nice conversation with the security guard at the entrance to the upstairs balcony and asked permission to go upstairs which he kindly let me and my brother do because we had credentials, otherwise it was off limits. The balcony sported some great views of the stage and crowd. All in all I’d have to say that The Axis Club is a decent little venue. The club has a good sound to it and a great low end.  As Gost was blasting out their dark horror themed electro dance grooves I could feel the bass in my chest at the back of the venue. As catchy as some of Gost’s music is, I’m not a dancer (can’t dance, won’t dance kind of guy) and I was not drinking enough to truly enjoy the buzz but Gost certainly does exude a fair amount of stage presence and charisma. Gost is a 2-man act of just a head-banging bass player and a multi-talented synth/drum machine player with a skull face mask. While listening to Gost’s set all I could think of was playing my Cyberpunk 2077 video game. Gost certainly livened up the mood. Funny story, during the Intermission my brother Keith (@lowereastsidephotography) got a selfie with the skull faced man himself James Lollar (aka Baalberith) outside the club inadvertently saving him from the clutches of an over excited fan, much to James’ appreciation.

Band members
James Lollar – synths, drums
Unknown – bass

KATATONIA

Finally the Band we all came to see, Stockholm Sweden’s own KATATONIA, on tour promoting their latest album Sky Void Of Stars. The crowd erupted as soon as the band took the stage, as if we were saving our energy just for them. What a great band Katatonia is. Even being a man down was no challenge for them as Anders Nyström was absent for some reason I could not discover. However, it didn’t affect their sound as they were as tight as ever and Jonas Renske had us eating from the palm of his hands. The crowd was loving it. Roger Öjersson’s leads were fantastic and were as crisp as a cloudless full moon winter night. The banter between Jonas and the crowd was great and he frequently aimed the mic towards the crowd for our response, which we did with gusto. Katatonia put on a stellar performance (no pun intended) even though Jonas’ mic started to act up a bit towards the end. No complaints from myself or anybody else there. This was my first time seeing Katatonia live but it damn sure won’t be my last. Toronto loves you, Katatonia.

Setlist
No Beacon To Illuminate Our Fall
Colossal Shade
Lethean
Flicker
Dead Letters
Opaline
Forsaker
Buildings
Decima
The Racing Heart
Nephilim
Birds
Atrium
July
Old Heart Falls
Journey Through Pressure

Encore:
Behind The Blood
My Twin
Evidence

Band members
Jonas Renkse – vocals
Roger Öjersson – guitars
Niklas Sandin – bass
Daniel Moilanen – drums

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Concert Review – Gojira & Mastodon (Budweiser Stage, Toronto, ON, 08/16/2023)

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The two biggest monsters of the current metal scene worldwide crushed Toronto to pieces in another night of first-class, breathtaking heavy music.

OPENING ACT: Lorna Shore

What a perfect night of progressiveness, heaviness, electricity and rage in Toronto yesterday at the Budweiser Stage, courtesy of LORNA SHORE, GOJIRA and MASTODON and their breathtaking The Mega Monsters Tour 2023. The whole event was absolutely brilliant from start to finish thanks to the energy and focus all three bands put on their performances, making it one of the best concerts in the city this year hands down. Almost all attendees didn’t seem to care about the huge lines formed around 4pm outside the venue to try to get a place in the pit, because after Live Nation moved the concert from the Echo Beach to the Budweiser Stage it became a “first come, first serve” adventure, where you would basically test your luck and see if you got a place on the floor section, or a seat in the 200 level. Fortunately I was able to get to the pit (as I told my friends, I need a T-shirt saying “I HATE SEATS”), which quickly lightened up my mood and made the whole thing even more enjoyable for me.

Before the actual concert started, more precisely right after the gates opened at 6pm, I had a chance to watch the pre-show at the “Corona Tropical Oasis” (which was basically some sort of a small ravine with a gazebo, where the drums where placed, right beside the merch stands) with an Iron Maiden cover band named Piece of Maiden, and I gotta say they did a solid job playing several classic the likes of Revelations, The Trooper, Hallowed Be Thy Name and Phantom of the Opera. My only advice to those guys is that they desperately need to get better attires or costumes for their performances to look more professional, because they just looked like a bunch of friends jamming some Maiden songs together. In the end, I personally think that was a nice add-on to the entire event, allowing whoever was already inside the venue to headbang to some classics while having a beer, a hot dog, or waiting in line to buy some merch.

Finally, at 7pm sharp, I was able to witness for the first time ever the pulverizing Progressive and Symphonic Deathcore by New Jersey’s own LORNA SHORE, and they didn’t disappoint at all; quite the contrary, I’m now an even bigger fan of the band, as they brought all the energy from their 2022 masterpiece Pain Remains to the stage in great fashion. The first three songs, those being Sun//Eater, Cursed to Die and Into the Earth, were already superb, with Will Ramos sounding inhumane with his roars and screeches for our total delight. There was a guest vocalist in one of the songs that looked like their own stage photographer, but I have zero idea of who that guy really was. Any thoughts? Anyway, it was when they played their unparalleled Pain Remains Trilogy comprised of Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames, Pain Remains II: After All I’ve Done, I’ll Disappear and Pain Remains III: In a Sea of Fire, that they crushed everyone’s souls mercilessly, putting a beyond climatic ending to their flawless performance. If you have never listened to such dark and melancholic trilogy, I highly recommend you go search for it on any streaming platform, and please listen to it while at the same time you follow the lyrics. Hopefully, the mighty Lorna Shore will return to Toronto for another demolishing concert in the near future, and based on the smiles on the faces of all band members I’m sure they’ll take the city by storm again with their amazing music sooner than we can imagine.

Setlist
Sun//Eater
Cursed to Die
Into the Earth
Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames
Pain Remains II: After All I’ve Done, I’ll Disappear
Pain Remains III: In a Sea of Fire

Band members
Will Ramos – vocals
Adam De Micco – guitar
Andrew O’Connor – guitar
Michael Yager – bass
Austin Archey – drums

GOJIRA

Shortly after 8pm, when the skies were already a lot darker than during Lorna Shore, New York-based French Progressive/Groove Metal institution GOJIRA hit the stage for another electrifying concert, as expected from one of the most technical, hard working and professional bands out there. Joe Duplantier, Christian Andreu, Jean-Michel Labadie and Mario Duplantier put on a jaw-dropping performance, playing songs from all of their amazing albums such as the demolishing Ocean Planet, Backbone, Stranded, Flying Whales (with of course some inflatable whales flying around the floor section, as usual) and Silvera, this one inspiring every single person at the venue to bang their heads nonstop like maniacs. Not only that, the songs from their latest album Fortitude also worked really well live, in special Amazonia, which is now for me one of the most amazing songs to witness live, and The Chant, where Joe got some help from the over 10,000 fans at the Budweiser Stage to sing along with him the song’s beautiful “Aaaaah ah ah ah ahhhhh… ah ah ah ahhhhh…” in one of the coolest moments of their entire set. He even mentioned Toronto was a lot better than Detroit during that song, which made us fans all very proud of our pipes.

Speaking about Joe, the man was on fire throughout the entire show, building a strong and honest connection with the crowd, and even acknowledging a fan at the front row that was already on her seventh concert this tour, I guess, showing how much the band cares about their fans. His brother Mario was also bestial during the entire show, smashing his drums with so much passion, precision and strength that it’s extremely easy to be mesmerized by his performance and “forget” about the rest of the band. During his awesome drum solo he even raised some funny signs that said “I CAN’T HEAR YOU” and “FUCK YEAH” to play with the crowd, showing how a drum solo should be done to avoid becoming the popular “bathroom break”. He’s one of the best drummers in the world right now, no doubt about that, but he’s so humble and down to earth that sometimes I think he’s underrated for not being more vocal like many other drummers who are not even close to him in terms of heaviness, dexterity and energy. As expected from Gojira, their stage was also a brilliant add-on to their music, with all the lights, fire, background videos and so on adding an extra touch of epicness to their concert. Other bands like Iron Maiden, who only rely on backdrop banners or flags, should be inspired by Gojira and modernize their stage with videos like that, as those helped to tell the story from each song majestically. Every single time I see Gojira live I get stunned, and it couldn’t have been any different last night for me and for all 10,000 people at the venue. Put differently, Gojira are perfect live, offering a unique visual and sonic experience for anyone who loves good music.

Setlist
Ocean Planet
Backbone
Stranded
Flying Whales
The Cell
The Art of Dying
Drum Solo
Grind
Another World
Silvera
Amazonia
The Chant
The Gift of Guilt

Band members
Joe Duplantier – vocals, guitar
Christian Andreu – guitar
Jean-Michel Labadie – bass
Mario Duplantier – drums

MASTODON

After another quick break, where everyone had a chance to go to the bathroom, grab another beer, smoke a cigarette or simply chat with friends that were seated in different levels or sections of the venue, Atlanta, Georgia-based Progressive Metal/Rock titans MASTODON began their monstrous concert at around 9:45pm, and maybe due to that late start (as a lot of people still had to wake up early to work today) the floor section was a lot less busy than during Lorna Shore and Gojira. That doesn’t mean the fans didn’t have a good time and that the mosh pits didn’t keep moving frantically; it’s just that there was a little more room to breathe (which for me was a good thing in the end). Due to their longer setlist, Troy Sanders, Brent Hinds, Bill Kelliher and Brann Dailor (plus guest keyboardist João Nogueira, of bands like Dol Guldur, Stone Giant and The Claypool Lennon Delirium) didn’t spend too much time talking. It was crushing song after crushing song, demanding a lot of headbanging, horns in the air and nonstop screaming from their fans. In other words, their show required a lot of cardio, I might say.

As mentioned, their setlist was long and comprehensive, including several classics, newer songs and some surprises from all their discography, such as the high-octane opener The Wolf Is Loose, the pounding Crystal Skull and Megalodon, and more contemporary songs from their 2017 album Emperor of Sand and their 2021 opus Hushed and Grim, those being Andromeda, Sultan’s Curse, Pushing the Tides, More Than I Could Chew, and my favorite of their set, the groovy and fun Steambreather. Brent and Bill were insane armed with their axes during this song, as well as Brann on drums, another one of the best drummers in the world right now who’s also a very nice guy off stage. The pyro and the videos also enhanced their performance, like what happened with Gojira, and as you can see in the awesome photos taken by my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography, those extra features once again showed how modernizing your stage can bring tons of benefits to your band.

The last batch of songs from their setlist was beyond thunderous, starting with Circle of Cysquatch, where a giant and very colourful “whatever-monster-that-is” entered the stage just like Eddie with Iron Maiden or Vic Rattlehead with Megadeth, captivatign the eyes of the entire crowd, followed by Crusher Destroyer and their biggest hit of all, Blood and Thunder, generating a nice circle pit with a small “island” in the middle. Brann even took some time after their concert was over to thank the fans in Toronto for being amazing as usual, to throw some drumsticks to the crowd, and to say how much he loves the circle pits in the city, saying we have the craziest mosh pits of all (and I fully agree with him). I don’t know about you, but I’m already waiting for those two mega-monsters Gojira and Mastodon to kick some serious ass in Toronto again, and based on the reactions from both bands we’ll certainly see them smashing us all like insects really soon with their incendiary music.

Setlist
The Wolf Is Loose
Crystal Skull
Megalodon
Andromeda
Divinations
Sultan’s Curse
Fallen Torches
Pushing the Tides
More Than I Could Chew
Aqua Dementia
Steambreather
Iron Tusk
March of the Fire Ants
Mother Puncher
Circle of Cysquatch
Crusher Destroyer
Blood and Thunder

Band members
Troy Sanders – vocals, bass
Brent Hinds – vocals, guitars
Bill Kelliher – guitars, backing vocals
Brann Dailor – vocals, drums

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Album Review – Majesty Of Revival / Pinnacle (2022)

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One of Ukraine’s most prominent bands returns with their fifth full-length opus, continuing with their sonic experimentations while still loyal to their metal roots.

Following up on the successful releases of their 2016 album Dualism and their 2019 album Timeless, Uzhhorod, Ukraine-based Symphonic Power Metal explorers Majesty Of Revival are back in action with their fifth full-length installment, entitled Pinnacle, continuing with their eccentric experimentations while at the same time remaining loyal to their metal roots. Recorded, engineered, mixed and mastered by the band’s mastermind Dimitriy Pavlovskiy at Beast Sound Studios and displaying a stylish artwork by Ursula Tabaka, Pinnacle is about the experience of our thoughts, about casual situations that happen around us or with ourselves, problems that surround us daily like domestic violence, blind idolizing, struggles in front of big challenges, leadership, money issues and so on, consisting of 13 cross-genre and progressive compositions filled with subjective visual descriptions and tactile audio figures carefully brought into being by the aforementioned Dimitriy Pavlovskiy on vocals and guitars, Myroslav Danko also on the guitars, Vitalii Popfalushi on bass, Maestone on keyboards and Marvin on drums. In other words, you’re in for a ride with those Ukrainian metallers who will take you on a journey through the vast lands of progressiveness in the name of good music with their newborn opus.

Dimitriy and Myroslav begin their DragonForce-inspired riff attack in the opening tune Open, blending Progressive and Symphonic Metal to the pounding beats by Marvin, while You Have A Message (Welcome to GULAG) reminds me of some of the best creations by Mastodon with their own Ukrainian touch, presenting an amazing job done by Vitalii on bass by generating a venomous paradox with the stylish keys by Maestone. In Rebellion we have powerful lyrics declaimed by Myroslav (“Fear has been born among us / Tied our hands with hardest chains / Cowardice grows like mushrooms under autumn rain / Left no word unspoken / Though desecration will touch all of you said / Let this silence to be banned / Let this silence be broken”) amidst a melodic, Hard Rock-ish sonority, followed by Mindcrime, featuring vocalist David Readman of Pink Cream 69, bringing forward another round of the band’s whimsical sounds with Maestone kicking some ass on keyboards supported by the Stratovarius-inspired beats by Marvin. Then featuring vocalist Kärtsy Hatakka (Waltari), trumpetist Volodymyr Shchobak and guitarist Vasil Dovganych, the band offers us all Fool, an imposing tune also presenting elements from rap music in its vocals, and Deliverance, featuring violinist Veronika Shestakova, where the band keeps embellishing the airwaves with their Progressive and Symphonic Power Metal.

In At All Costs a change in pace fills our ears with Dimitriy’s melancholic vocals embraced by a serene musicality led by Maestone’s keys and piano, resulting in a stunning ballad by those Ukrainian metallers, and it’s then time to hit the dance floor to the sound of the groovy Bury Me Part II: Dig Me Up, where Vitalii is once again on fire with his metallic bass punches. The band shows no sign of slowing down in Citylights; quite the contrary, they keep firing their Melodic Power Metal riffs, solos and keys for our total delight, which is also the case in the hard-hitting extravaganza Stone, with Dimitriy also delivering his demonic side through his deep, enraged roars. Things Are Not What They Seem, featuring guest vocals by Anzhelika Zyzych, brings forward more of their whimsical lyrics (“Sweet misguidance crucified us / Funeral bells won’t stop your yearning / Now its time for tables turning / Demolition in progress / But nothing will force you to confess / Desolation, commotion / Curtain call your emotions”) supported by a huge dosage of Progressive Rock and Metal, whereas their second to last explosion of melodious sounds, progressiveness and insanity comes in the form of Guardians, with Vitalii, Maestone and Marvin generating a stunning wall of sounds in the background. Lastly, the acoustic guitars by Dimitriy and Myroslav will soothe your soul in Overcome?, putting a melancholic, delicate ending to such multi-layered and detailed album, and if you go for the BandCamp edition you’ll also receive two bonus tracks, one being the instrumental version for Stone while the other, named Вартові, is “Guardians” but with Ukrainian lyrics.

Dimitriy and the boys are waiting to hear from you on Facebook and on Instagram, where you can find news about the band, their tour dates and so on, and don’t forget to also subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their intricate and melodic creations. The excellent Pinnacle, which is available in full on YouTube and on Spotify, and on sale from the band’s own BandCamp page (or simply click HERE for all locations where you ca buy or stream the album, including a very interesting USB wooden flash drive version), will not only please all longtime fans of the band, but it will also attract the attention of newcomers to the world of Majesty Of Revival, proving once again this Ukrainian outfit is undoubtedly going places thanks to their undeniable creativity and feeling. If the album will become the pinnacle of their career no one knows for sure, but we must admit it’s becoming more and more difficult for them to top their own creations with each album released.

Best moments of the album: You Have A Message (Welcome to GULAG), Mindcrime, Stone and Guardians.

Worst moments of the album: Fool.

Released in 2022 Massive Sound Recordings

Track listing
1. Open 4:04
2. You Have A Message (Welcome to GULAG) 4:38
3. Rebellion 3:46
4. Mindcrime 5:01
5. Fool 4:37
6. Deliverance 4:17
7. At All Costs 3:11
8. Bury Me Part II: Dig Me Up 3:24
9. Citylights 4:02
10. Stone 6:12
11. Things Are Not What They Seem 4:17
12. Guardians 4:54
13. Overcome? 3:35

BandCamp bonus tracks
14.Stone (Instrumental version) 6:12
15.Вартові 4:54

Band members
Dimitriy Pavlovskiy – vocals, guitars, choirs
Myroslav Danko – guitars, vocals, choirs
Vitalii Popfalushi – bass, vocals, choirs
Maestone – keyboards, backing vocals, choirs
Marvin – drums

Guest musicians
Kärtsy Hatakka – vocals on “Fool”
Vasil Dovganych – guitars on “Fool”
Volodymyr Shchobak – trumpet on “Fool”
David Readman – vocals on “Mindcrime”
Veronika Shestakova – violin on “Deliverance”
Anzhelika Zyzych – female voice on “Things Are Not What They Seem”, choirs
Rostik Groshick, Andy Brok & Yriy – choirs

Album Review – Unwanted Guest / Grave Metallum (2022)

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Influenced by the rock and metal bands he grew up with in the 80’s and 90’s, a British vocalist and multi-instrumentalist invites us all to listen to his first solo album.

Influenced by the rock and metal bands he grew up with in the 80’s and 90’s, coupled with his unique melodic writing style, England-based NWOBHM band Seventh Son guitarist Dave Fox takes on his solo project under the name Unwanted Guest, a dream come true for Dave himself that was only possible due to the timeout taken by Seventh Son during the Covid-19 pandemic (like what happened with most bands). After the release of the project’s 2021 four-track self-titled debut EP (with all proceeds going to UK’s biggest mental health charity Mind), Dave and his Unwanted Guest are back this year with a full-length opus titled Grave Metallum, offering us all 12 amazing tracks of retro-modernist metal music all written, sung, played and produced by Dave himself, and I’m sure you’ll have a very good time enjoying the full album it doesn’t matter if you’re familiar with Dave’s work with Seventh Son or not.

As you hit play the Hard Rock riffs by Dave will kick off the opening tune Autopsy, a solid tune where his Myles Kennedy-like vocals add an extra dosage of electricity to the overall result, and keeping the energy level high it’s time for Dave to slash his guitar in great fashion in Birth Machine Baby, showcasing not only a pleasant pace but also a catchy and exciting chorus (“One hundred years from now none of us will be around / We’re singing ‘welcome to the nation’ / Birth machine baby coming at you maybe / Save all your dying for me”). The song that carries the name of the project, Unwanted Guest, reminds me a lot of some of the best creations by Velvet Revolver and Stone Temple Pilots spiced up by its 70’s-inspired background keys, whereas the title-track Grave Metallum is a song in honor of all of our deceased rock and metal heroes with Dave being on fire with both his riffs and beats while at the same time he explains why rock is hanging by a thread (but will never actually die). Future Not Fear presents another round of his fusion of Progressive Rock and Metal with more straightforward Rock N’ Roll sounds, with Dave once again hypnotizing us all with his Deep Purple-inspired keys, and there’s no sign of slowing down as he keeps fueling our inner rockin’ fire with Blood on the Saw, bringing forward heavy, dirty riffs combined with more of his classic vocals.

Our lone wolf keeps embellishing the airwaves with his piercing riffs and solos in the Rock N’ Roll party Load Shift, also drinking from his beloved 90’s rock and metal fountain, resulting in an awesome option to add to your road trip playlist. Waterfall not only has a chorus that is as catchy as it can be (“Down the waterfall / One last breath to call / Down the waterfall / Into the darkness”), but it could also be played at any radio station anywhere in the world with Dave doing an amazing job armed with his guitar and bass, whereas Only One Chance sounds a bit generic compared to the rest of the album, albeit Dave still showcases his trademark riffs and melodic vocals during the whole song, of course. Back to a more metallic, thrilling mode it’s time for Takin’ All the Money, where it’s impressive how he is capable of sounding like the dynamic duo Scott Weiland and Slash all by himself in a thrilling hybrid of classic Rock N’ Roll with modern-day Hard Rock; and Dave’s rockin’ feast has no time to end, so grab a cold beer and hit the dance floor to the sound of the awesome Brain Shadow, presenting an amazing pace full of groove and feeling with his sharp riffs walking hand in hand with his old school keys. And finally, let’s all bang our freakin’ heads one last time with Dave in Every Part of Me, also blending progressiveness with more modern sounds while also displaying interesting vocal effects.

After listening to Grave Metallum in its entirety, which by the way you can do on Spotify, you’ll feel extremely energized and ready to rock with the multi-talented Dave Fox, who’s waiting for you on Facebook and on Twitter to provide you with news about Unwanted Guest and other nice-to-know details about his career. Furthermore, in order to show him all your support, go grab your copy of Grave Metallum from the project’s BandCamp page, or click HERE for all locations where you can buy or stream his music. As opposed to the name of the project, I’m sure Dave and his Unwanted Guest will be a very welcome guest to your collection of rock and metal albums, inspiring this multi-talented British musician to keep kicking some ass armed with his vocals and all instruments in the project’s future releases.

Best moments of the album: Birth Machine Baby, Unwanted Guest, Future Not Fear and Brain Shadow.

Worst moments of the album: Only One Chance.

Released in 2022 Independent

Track listing
1. Autopsy 3:12
2. Birth Machine Baby 4:24
3. Unwanted Guest 4:39
4. Grave Metallum 4:45
5. Future Not Fear 3:38
6. Blood on the Saw 3:25
7. Load Shift 3:13
8. Waterfall 3:53
9. Only One Chance 3:52
10. Takin’ All the Money 2:51
11. Brain Shadow 4:23
12. Every Part of Me 3:56

Band members
Dave Fox – vocals, all instruments

Concert Review – Opeth & Mastodon (Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, ON, 04/22/2022)

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And Toronto was finally able to enjoy a night of absolute heaviness and progressiveness by two of the most important bands of the current rock and metal scene worldwide.

OPENING ACT: Khemmis

It looks like everything is back to normal as metal concerts in Toronto (and in the entire Canada) are happening everyday now, and after my return to action on April 13 with Judas Priest it was time to keep the ball rolling and head to the cozy Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto on Friday night for a very special night of Progressive Rock and Metal with the co-headlining tour of OPETH and MASTODON, two bands that definitely know how to put on a wonderful show wherever they go. And besides, the weather was absolutely perfect, with a bright, sunny day and temperatures ranging between 5 and 14 degrees Celsius inspiring us to get out of our homes to bang our heads together with those impressive bands.

Before Mastodon hit the stage, precisely at 7pm it was time for the opening act, American Doom Metal outfit KHEMMIS, to warm us up with their short but very entertaining performance. Named after an ancient Egyptian city, Khemmis showcased all their talent playing songs from their growing discography, including their latest album Deceiver, released in 2021, with songs such as Three Gates and Conversation with Death receiving a very positive return from the crowd that was already present at the venue. All band members were in absolute sync from start to finish, resulting in a solid performance that proved why they were chosen to be the opening act for those two behemoths of intricacy.

Setlist
Avernal Gate
Three Gates
Living Pyre
Isolation
Conversation with Death

Band members
Ben – vocals, guitars
Phil – vocals, guitars
David Small – bass
Zach – drums

MASTODON

Finally, after years of waiting, American Progressive Metal/Rock titans MASTODON finally returned to Toronto to kick some ass with their undisputed, electrifying music. It was around 8pm if I’m not mistaken when Brent Hinds, Bill Kelliher, Troy Sanders and Brann Dailor hit the stage with the excellent Pain With an Anchor, from their 2021 album Hushed and Grim, setting fire to the audience eager for their concert, including of course myself, and let me tell you that the wait was absolutely worth it.

Unfortunately, like what happened in the first part of the tour last year, there were no songs from their superb 2017 album Emperor of Sand in their setlist, but that doesn’t mean the show wasn’t awesome, with classics such as Crystal Skull, Megalodon and Black Tongue, intertwined with new songs the likes of Teardrinker and Pushing the Tides, captivating our senses mercilessly and urging us to raise our horns to one of the best bands from the current rock and metal scene. Not only that, the background titantron was simply mesmerizing, especially in beautiful songs like the aforementioned Megalodon and the impressive The Czar, adding an extra kick to the music played to perfection by the quartet.

Of course, their closing song was their biggest hit, the fantastic Blood and Thunder, and let me tell you that since watching the Netflix movie Metal Lords I immediately think of the two boys form the movie escaping from the psychiatric ward when the music starts. Although there were no kids running on stage, the band could witness a lot of crazy metalheads slamming into the circle pit, which inspired them to play even louder, heavier and better than ever. Troy was on fire throughout the entire set, becoming the band’s “frontman”, while Brann was not only flawless behind his drums, but at the end of the concert when he took the mic to say a lot of good things about Toronto, about how the band missed us fans, he also proved to be a very nice and humble guy (who also got worried about someone from the audience who apparently passed out during their concert). Thank you, Mastodon! and please come back to Toronto soon for another amazing night of first-class metal music!

Setlist
Pain With an Anchor
Crystal Skull
Megalodon
The Crux
Teardrinker
Bladecatcher
Black Tongue
The Czar
Pushing the Tides
More Than I Could Chew
Mother Puncher
Gobblers of Dregs
Blood and Thunder

Band members
Troy Sanders – vocals, bass
Brent Hinds – vocals, guitars
Bill Kelliher – guitars, backing vocals
Brann Dailor – vocals, drums

OPETH

After a short break, Sweden’s own Progressive Rock/Death Metal institution OPETH took the stage to distill their unique sound for the delight of their Torontonian fans, and although their most recent album, In Cauda Venenum, is from the already distant year of 2019, nobody seemed to care about that and had a great time enjoying the music played (to perfection) by the band’s frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt and his henchmen. I must confess I’m not a big fan of Opeth as I think their music is sometimes too progressive and their songs too long for playing live, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy what I saw on stage.

My favorite songs from their setlist were by far Hjärtat vet vad handen gör, Ghost of Perdition and Deliverance, mainly due to the additional heaviness and obscurity found in them, but of course their entire show was great, entertaining all of their diehard fans who took over the venue. In addition, I need to say that Joakim Svalberg and Sami Karppinen are two beasts behind their instruments, enhancing the band’s punch considerably. Mikael also enjoyed interacting a lot with the crowd, exchanging a few words with a fan who could speak their mother tongue Swedish, repeating countless times he doesn’t do drugs (except for a few of them), and saying how much he missed playing to his Canadian fans. How long will their Toronto fans need to wait for another round of Opeth’s progressiveness no one knows, but based on the reaction from the crowd I bet everyone would have loved to see that happen again the next day.

Setlist
Livets Trädgård
Hjärtat vet vad handen gör
Ghost of Perdition
Cusp of Eternity
The Devil’s Orchard
The Drapery Falls
In My Time of Need
Sorceress
Deliverance

Band members
Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals, guitars
Fredrik Åkesson – guitars, backing vocals
Martín Méndez – bass
Joakim Svalberg – keyboards, piano, mellotron, backing vocals
Sami Karppinen – drums

Album Review – VOLDT / Vandalism (2022)

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A trio of German rockers will attack your senses with their debut album, offering us all 42 minutes of an amalgamation of rock and metal styles that will please all metal enthusiasts with a taste for innovative songwriting.

Raw and sinister, yet diverse and melodic, Hamburg, Germany-based Progressive Metal/Rock band VOLDT has risen from the ashes of several projects to conquer the stage with their bold interpretation of modern metal with an old school vibe. Formed of Al Shirazi on vocals and guitars, Johannes Horas on bass and Wanja Gröger on drums, the trio is ready to rock our world with their first ever full-length album, entitled Vandalism, the follow-up to their 2019 debut EP Voken. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Fabian Großberg, and displaying a Punk Rock-inspired artwork by the band’s own Johannes Horas and Al Shirazi, Vandalism brings to our ears 42 minutes of an amalgamation of rock and metal styles that will please all metal enthusiasts with a taste for innovative songwriting, proving how versatile and dynamic those three German rockers can be.

A wicked laugh by Al kicks off the rocking tune The Great Command, where Johannes fires Primus-inspired bass punches for our total delight while Wanja dictates the pace with his rhythmic and at the same time demolishing beats; and Al continues to slash his stringed axe in Headless Haunting Hound while he declaims the song’s poetic lyrics, blending the melody of Progressive Rock and Metal with the insanity found in Groove Metal. Then enhancing their rage and heaviness it’s time for Killing At the Speed of Light, where Wanja crushes his drums nonstop in the name of Heavy Metal, not to mention Al’s classic riffs, whereas we’re treated to over six minutes of progressiveness in the form of music in Symphony of Suicide, with Al and Johannes hammering their respective guitar and bass from start to finish and with Al once again delivering his Doom Metal-inspired vocal lines.

The groovy bass jabs by Johannes will hit you hard in the head in Monsters Of the Sea while Wanja keeps pounding his drums; it loses its grip after a while though, despite being a good composition. Back to a more visceral and frantic mode the trio offers us all Teachings, a song that exhales madness and groove with Al kicking ass with both his sharp riffage and obscure vocalizations, or in other words, it will surely ignite some fun mosh pits if played live by the band. Their second to last blast of Progressive Rock and Metal is entitled Servant, a song that will inspire you to bang your head together with the band or simply close your eyes and enjoy Al’s vocal performance, and lastly, let’s raise our horns one final time to Shame or Glory, presenting hints of 80’s Heavy and Power Metal and an amazing job done by Wanja with his intricate beats and fills.

The talented VOLDT crew is waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram, where you can get more details about their career, their music, tour dates and so on, as well as on YouTube and on Spotify where you can stream all of their wicked creations. In addition, don’t forget to show them your utmost support by purchasing their new album from their BandCamp page sooner than you can scream “VOLDT!” In  nutshell, Vandalism is not only a very entertaining album of rock and metal music, but a statement by those three unstoppable musicians from Germany telling us all that they’re among us to stay, always ready to vandalize our ears with their incendiary and innovative music.

Best moments of the album: Headless Haunting Hound, Symphony of Suicide and Teachings.

Worst moments of the album: Monsters Of the Sea.

Released in 2022 Blood Blast Distribution

Track listing
1. The Great Command 4:36
2. Headless Haunting Hound 5:33
3. Killing At the Speed of Light 4:09
4. Symphony of Suicide 6:33
5. Monsters Of the Sea 5:25
6. Teachings 5:18
7. Servant 5:37
8. Shame or Glory 5:14

Band members
Al Shirazi – vocals, guitars
Johannes Horas – bass, backing vocals
Wanja Gröger – drums

Album Review – Lordi / Lordiversity (2021)

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Over four hours of Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Thrash Metal, Progressive Rock, Disco, Industrial Rock and so on, masterfully brought into being by the most beloved horde of monsters in the world of music.

Four hours and 43 minutes of music. That’s what you’re going to get in Lordiversity, the brand new (and awesome) boxset by Finnish Heavy Metal and Hard Rock monsters Lordi, containing the band’s eleventh to seventeenth studio albums, those being Skelectric Dinosaur, SuperFlyTrap, The Masterbeast from the Moon, Abusement Park, Humanimals, Abracadaver and Spooky Sextravaganza Spectacular. Recorded right after the COVID-19 pandemic hit as the band had to postpone their tour in support of Killection, Mr. Lordi and his crew decided to use the extra time to start working on more material to release a week after the postponement, and the final result in Lordiversity is simply monumental.

Lordi Lordiversity Limited 7 CD Boxset

Mr. Lordi stated that “It was clear that it is the time to start planning the new album, even though Killection was released not even two months before. I was thinking that the most boring thing we could do after Killection, is to do another basic Lordi album. And I was very much enjoying the different styles of song writing, recording and production on Killection, but another boring idea would have been to do a part two.” With the release years of 1975, 1979, 1981, 1984, 1989, 1991 and 1995 from the fictional eras in the Killection timeline, and with each album presenting its own style and its own killer album art, Lordiversity is a fantastic musical voyage led by Mr. Lordi on vocals and his loyal bandmates Amen on the guitars, Hiisi on bass, Hella on keyboards, and Mana on drums, being not only one of the boldest releases in the history of rock and metal music, but setting the bar absurdly high for the band itself with all of their upcoming albums.

Disc 1 – Skelectric Dinosaur

For Skelectric Dinosaur, the band used the influences of early Kiss and Alice Cooper. The first album offers us all old school Rock N’ Roll and Hard Rock flowing majestically form start to finish. For instance, the very first song Day Off Of The Devil is pure Kiss from their early days as already mentioned. There’s not a single second of boredom; quite the contraty, it’s a rockin’ feast for admirers of rock and metal music from the 70’s, with songs like Carnivore inspiring you to dance in the name of Rock N’ Roll. Amen steals the spotlight in pretty much all songs with his classic riffage, supported of course by the rhythmic beats by Mana.

Best moments of the album: Starsign Spitfire, Carnivore and Phantom Lady.

Worst moments of the album: The King On The Head Staker’s Mountain.

Track listing
1. SCG Minus 7: The Arrival 1:09
2. Day Off Of The Devil 3:33
3. Starsign Spitfire 3:03
4. Maximum-O-Lovin’ 2:23
5. The King On The Head Staker’s Mountain 5:21
6. Carnivore 3:30
7. Phantom Lady 3:16
8. The Tragedy Of Annie Mae 3:45
9. Blow My Fuse 3:35
10. …And Beyond The Isle Was Mary 2:15

Disc 2 – SuperFlyTrap

It’s time to hit the dance floor together with Lordi and his crew in SuperFlyTrap, inspired by the bands Earth, Wind & Fire, Boney M. and Bee Gees. As expected, it’s Hella who shines in each and every song of the album thanks obviously to her stunning keys, as for example in the melodic and fun Believe Me. In addition, the female vocals add a touch of finesse to the overall results, with catchy tunes like Macho Freak and Spooky Jive paying a beautiful and exciting tribute to the Disco years. Put differently, I bet you’ll start doing that classic move with your arm and finger up and down during the entire album without even noticing.

Best moments of the album: Macho Freak, Spooky Jive and City Of The Broken Hearted.

Worst moments of the album: Cinder Ghost Choir.

Track listing
1. SCG Minus 6: Delightful Pop-Ins 1:08
2. Macho Freak 3:42
3. Believe Me 4:27
4. Spooky Jive 3:55
5. City Of The Broken Hearted 4:02
6. Bella From Hell 3:26
7. Cast Out From Heaven 3:51
8. Gonna Do It (Or Do It And Cry) 2:51
9. Zombimbo 4:52
10. Cinder Ghost Choir 6:06

Disc 3 – The Masterbeast from the Moon

      

On The Masterbeast from the Moon, the band was influenced by Rush and Pink Floyd, which is why you can expect long and sinister passages, endless progressiveness, and Hella’s phantasmagorical keys. Songs like Celestial Serpents and Church Of Succubus have a very pleasant pace and vibe, while others such as Moonbeast and Bells Of The Netherworld lack an extra kick and make the album drag for a little longer than it should. If Progressive Rock is your cup of tea you’ll have a very good time listening to the entire album; otherwise, you can take one listen at it just because it’s part of the boxset and then go for the heavier albums.

Best moments of the album: Celestial Serpents and Church Of Succubus.

Worst moments of the album: Moonbeast and Bells Of The Netherworld.

Track listing
1. SCG Minus 5: Transmission Request 1:35
2. Moonbeast 6:29
3. Celestial Serpents 6:07
4. Hurricane Of The Slain 3:00
5. Spear Of The Romans 5:46
6. Bells Of The Netherworld 3:01
7. Transmission Reply 0:20
8. Church Of Succubus 11:58
9. Soliloquy 1:51
10. Robots Alive! 4:09
11. Yoh-Haee-Von 1:17
12. Transmission On Repeat 1:04

Disc 4 – Abusement Park

Set on a fictional timeline of 1983 and 1984, Abusement Park has a classic Heavy Metal sound influenced by W.A.S.P., Twisted Sister, Kiss and Scorpions, and includes a Christmas-themed single, entitled Merry Blah Blah Blah. The band wastes no time and begin slashing their sonic weapons already in the title-track Abusement Park, with Mr. Lordi kicking ass on vocals. And that’s the formula followed throughout the album, with Amen delivering his trademark solos nonstop in a lecture in 80’s classic Heavy Metal. In other words, if they had launched only this album, that would have already been awesome.

Best moments of the album: Abusement Park, House Of Mirrors, Pinball Machine and Rollercoaster.

Worst moments of the album: Ghost Train.

Track listing
1. SCG Minus 4: The Carnival Barker 0:54
2. Abusement Park 3:33
3. Grrr! 3:48
4. Ghost Train 3:18
5. Carousel 4:24
6. House Of Mirrors 3:51
7. Pinball Machine 3:34
8. Nasty, Wild & Naughty 3:10
9. Rollercoaster 4:45
10. Up To No Good 4:02
11. Merry Blah Blah Blah 4:05

Disc 5 – Humanimals     

The AOR influenced sound in Humanimals is influenced by Bon Jovi, Desmond Child and Alice Cooper, and Mr. Lordi and his band of monsters make sure that’s crystal clear in all of the songs form the album, such as in Borderline. Mana and Hiisi are the stars here always generating an upbeat vibe with their respective beats and bass lines, turning songs like Heart Of A Lion and Like A Bee To The Honey into dancing feasts, always spiced up by Hella’s whimsical keys.

Best moments of the album: Borderline, Heart Of A Lion and Like A Bee To The Honey.

Worst moments of the album: Humanimal.

Track listing
1. SCG Minus 3: Scarctic Circle Telethon 1:20
2. Borderline 4:12
3. Victims Of The Romance 3:47
4. Heart Of A Lion 4:33
5. The Bullet Bites Back 4:07
6. Be My Maniac 3:40
7. Rucking Up The Party 4:07
8. Girl In A Suitcase 4:07
9. Supernatural 3:49
10. Like A Bee To The Honey 4:15
11. Humanimal 3:53

Disc 6 – Abracadaver     

Now this is the real deal. Set on a fictional timeline for 1991, Abracadaver is inspired by Anthrax, Metallica and Pantera, which makes it by far the heaviest, fastest and most demonic of all seven albums. It’s impossible to stand still to the sonic devastation blasted by the most awesome monsters hailing from Scandinavia, with the title-track Abracadaver sounding not only heavy and piercing, but also spooky, which is always a good thing. You’ll bang your head, raise your horns and scream together with Mr. Lordi in songs like Rejected, Raging At Tomorrow and Beast Of Both Worlds, just the way we all like it in heavy-as-hell music.

Best moments of the album: Devilium, Abracadaver, Beast Of Both Worlds and Bent Outta Shape.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Track listing
1. SCG Minus 2: Horricone 1:18
2. Devilium 3:46
3. Abracadaver 3:41
4. Rejected 3:44
5. Acid Bleeding Eyes 3:28
6. Raging At Tomorrow 5:01
7. Beast Of Both Worlds 4:59
8. I’m Sorry I’m Not Sorry 3:34
9. Bent Outta Shape 5:05
10. Evil 4:35
11. Vulture Of Fire 3:47
12. Beastwood 0:56

Disc 7 – Spooky Sextravaganza Spectacular       

The last record, from 1995, is a machine-made beast titled Spooky Sextravaganza Spectacular. That means the band added electronic elements to their music, flirting with Industrial Metal and Rock the likes of Ministry and Nine Inch Nails. It’s quite impressive how a Hard Rock band like Lordi was capable of sounding so industrial in all songs of the album, with Demon Supreme, Skull And Bones (The Danger Zone) and Shake The Baby Silent being strong candidates to spice up any Rock N’ Roll party, including yours. Needless to say, Mana’s classic beats and Hella’s electrifying keys are the main ingredients throughout the album, adding a welcome industrialized touch of insanity to the overall result.

Best moments of the album: Demon Supreme, Skull And Bones (The Danger Zone) and Shake The Baby Silent.

Worst moments of the album: Goliath.

Track listing
1. SCG Minus 1: The Ruiz Ranch Massacre 3:26
2. Demon Supreme 3:31
3. Re-Animate 4:13
4. Lizzard Of Oz 4:08
5. Killusion 3:09
6. Skull And Bones (The Danger Zone) 3:16
7. Goliath 4:41
8. Drekavac 3:28
9. Terror Extra-Terrestrial 4:30
10. Shake The Baby Silent 3:36
11. If It Ain’t Broken (Must Break It) 3:24
12. Anticlimax 0:18

After listening to each and every track from the seven albums from Lordiversity, I personally found it truly impressive how Lordi managed to keep the whole project fresh and exciting from start to finish, avoiding repeating themselves or sounding basic or bland depending on the style chosen. That, my friends, undoubtedly required a lot of creativity, hard work and passion for what they do, and if you want to show your admiration for those unstoppable Finnish monsters you can give them a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel, stream more of their amazing creations on Spotify, and of course purchase the ass-kicking Lordiversity from several locations such as Napalm Records, AFM Records and Record Shop X. And as soon as you put your hands on Lordiversity, simply block your agenda for the rest of the day (or even the entire week or month) because a massive, breathtaking Rock N’ Roll party is about to start and has no time to end.

Released in 2021 AFM Records

Band members
Mr. Lordi – lead and backing vocals, guitars, programming, whistle, orchestration
Amen – guitars
Hiisi – bass guitar
Hella – keyboards, backing vocals
Mana – drums, backing vocals, programming

Guest musicians
Ralph Ruiz – vocals
Dylan Broda – vocals
Tracy Lipp – vocals, backing vocals
Michael Monroe – saxophone on “Like a Bee to the Honey”
Annariina Rautanen – flute on “Moonbeast” and “Yoh-Haee-Von”
Tony Kakko – backing vocals on “Rollercoaster”
Joonas Suotamo – Chewbacca voice on “Grrr!”
Kari A. Kilgast – vocals on “Like a Bee to the Honey”
Hulk the Bulldog – voice on “Beastwood”
Maki Kolehmainen – cowbell, backing vocals
John Bartolome – vocals
Lara Anastasia Mertanen – intro lead on “Drekavac”
Jessica Love, Maria Jyrkäs, Kaarle Westlie, Ville Virtanen, Olli Virtanen, Isabella Larsson, Noora Kosmina, Katja Auvinen, Riitta Hyyppä, Josefin Silén, Minna Virtanen, Antton Ruusunen, Niki Westerback, Marja Kortelainen, Tom Roine, Netta Laurenne – backing vocals
Lumen Broda, Leia Broda, Lili Wasenius, Aviana Westerback, Roxana Westerback – children vocals

Album Review – Iron Maiden / Senjutsu (2021)

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Behold another masterpiece by the one and only Iron Maiden with its 82 minutes of tactics, strategy, war, resilience and determination in the form of majestic Heavy Metal.

5.0rating

iron-maiden-senjutsu-2021“Have you seen the writing on the wall?”

The wait is finally over. After nearly six years, Senjutsu (or 戦術 in Japanese, loosely translated as “tactics and strategy”), the seventeenth studio album by British Heavy Metal legends Iron Maiden, has finally seen the light of day, and let me tell you each second waiting for such masterpiece was absolutely worth it. Marking the longest gap between two Iron Maiden studio albums following The Book of Souls from 2015, Senjutsu is also the band’s second double album, again using their original logotype (with the extended letters R, M and N) like in The Book of Souls, their first studio album since their 1984 cult album Powerslave to have no songwriting contributions from Dave Murray in any way, and the first since their 1998 opus Virtual XI to feature multiple songs written by Steve Harris alone. Once again recorded at Studios Guillaume Tell in Paris, produced by Kevin Shirley, co-produced by Steve Harris, and displaying a formidable samurai version of our beloved Eddie on the artwork designed by Mark Wilkinson (with the name of the album rendered on the right side of the cover art by the actual vertical Japanese spelling of “senjutsu” and on the left side by a font reminiscent of Japanese characters), Senjutsu takes the band back to the darker and edgier sound from albums the likes of The X-Factor, A Matter of Life and Death, The Final Frontier and The Book of Souls, showcasing another brilliant work done by the unstoppable Bruce Dickinson, Steve Harris, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Janick Gers and Nicko McBrain.

Traditional Japanese drums ignite the obscure and introspective title-track Senjutsu, offering us Maidenmaniacs over eight minutes of epicness to properly kick things off with Bruce already mesmerizing us all with his unique voice. Moreover, I love how his vocals walk hand in hand with the guitars by Dave, Adrian and Janick, not to mention the song’s ritualistic vibe (similar to what they did in their previous album with “If Eternity Should Fail”), followed by the already known tune Stratego with its lyrics full of metaphors about how hard it is for anyone to face their own lives (“How do you read a madman’s mind / Teach me the art of war / For I shall bring more / Than you bargained for”), while Nicko and Steve take care of that amazing galloping sound that became the band’s trademark, not to mention the song’s stunning guitar solos. Then we have The Writing on the Wall, the first single of the album which you might have probably listened to countless times already, where a country and southern vibe together with its catchy-as-hell chorus declaimed by Bruce (“Have you seen the writing on the wall / Have you seen that writing / Can you see the riders on the storm / Can you see them riding / Can you see them riding… Riding next to you”) turn it into the perfect option for hitting the road with your loved ones.

Lost in a Lost World brings forward another sinister intro to the sound of acoustic guitars that feels like it was taken from one of Bruce’s solo albums, exploding into a fusion of The X-Factor, Brave New World and A Matter of Life and Death with a lot of elements from Progressive Rock and Metal added to their core sonority, and with Steve’s bass lines being superb as usual, punching you right in your face, whereas back to a heavier sound we’re treated to the mid-tempo, rockin’ feast titled Days of Future Past, again blending classic Iron Maiden with Bruce’s solo material and displaying an amazing job done by the band’s guitar triumvirate accompanied by the pounding drums by an inspired Nicko. Needless to say, it will sound amazing if added to their live performances. Then beginning in a similar way as The Final Frontier’s “The Talisman”, The Time Machine presents a more cadenced pace with the background keys by Steve complementing the sharp work by the guitar boys, evolving into a sick galloping and diverse extravaganza halfway through it; and the sound of the ocean brings comfort to our hearts before Iron Maiden once again hypnotize us all in Darkest Hour, a somber ballad in the vein of A Matter of Life and Death’s “Out of the Shadows” but with a stronger vibe, all spiced up by their undisputed, soulful guitar solos.

iron-maiden-senjutsu-super-deluxe-boxset

Iron Maiden Senjutsu Super Deluxe Boxset

The last batch of songs from Senjutsu was entirely written by Steve Harris, and let me tell you it’s a flawless lesson in rock and metal music, starting with his undisputed bass lines in Death of the Celts, being gradually joined by Nicko and the rest of the crew. What a bold, multi-layered metal voyage by the band, overflowing epicness, progressiveness and electricity nonstop, spearheaded by the rumbling kitchen by Steve and Nicko, of course. And you better get ready for over 12 minutes of majestic Heavy Metal in the form of The Parchment, once again beginning in a serene, cryptic manner and evolving into a very progressive mid-tempo sound. Bruce’s vocals are utterly imposing and epic from start to finish, with Dave, Janick and Adrian being on total fire with their stringed axes. And lastly, Hell on Earth is a song that gave me goosebumps from the very first second, as soon as I started listening to it, feeling like “The Aftermath” from The X-Factor but at the same time a lot more intricate and powerful, with Steve and Nicko taking the lead while Dave, Adrian and Janick deliver sheer melody through their incendiary riffs, providing Bruce all he needs to flawlessly tell the story proposed in the song until all fades into the unknown in a somber and climatic manner. In other words, thank you, Mr. Steve Harris, for being so awesome.

iron-maiden-2021To be fair, there are no actual words I can choose to describe all the darkness, the energy, the details and the intricacy found in Senjutsu. It’s simply incredible how Iron Maiden managed to deliver such masterpiece without sounding outdated, repetitive or bland after so many decades on the road, leaving us all eager for another studio album, for their next tour, for more Eddies and so on, even knowing all members are in their 60’s already (as a matter of fact, Nicko is almost 70). Not only that, the way they promoted the new album on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube from day one, including the fun ride that was “Belshazzar’s Feast” (a story from the Book of Daniel in the Bible, also known as ​“the story of the writing on the wall”, with the initials WOTW cropping up in a lot of Iron Maiden-related places), was beyond entertaining, proving the band trespassed the barriers of music with Senjutsu. Furthermore, this is also one of those situations where buying the physical album, despite the fact we live in a digital world, is almost mandatory, especially if you go for the Super Deluxe Boxset, or even better, for the FC Exclusive Limited Edition Collectors Box, which will deserve its own review as soon as I receive it next week. And now please excuse me, as I need to get back to Senjutsu and listen to it another billion times on a loop for the foreseeable future, just the way it’s supposed to be when the band in question is the almighty Iron Maiden.

Best moments of the album: Senjutsu, Days of Future Past, Death of the Celts, The Parchment and Hell on Earth.

Worst moments of the album: I’m still trying to find one.

Released in 2021 Parlophone/Sanctuary Copyrights/BMG

Track listing 
1. Senjutsu 8:20
2. Stratego 4:59
3. The Writing on the Wall 6:13
4. Lost in a Lost World 9:31
5. Days of Future Past 4:03
6. The Time Machine 7:09
7. Darkest Hour 7:20
8. Death of the Celts 10:20
9. The Parchment 12:39
10. Hell on Earth 11:19

FC Exclusive Limited Edition Collectors Box/Super Deluxe Boxset Bonus Disc (Blu-ray)
1.The Writing on the Wall documentary

Band members
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass, keyboards
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums

Album Review – Stone Cadaver / Memento Mori, Motherfucker (2021)

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This amazing Danish trio is back in action with a riff-laden Stoner Rock and Metal journey in the form of their crushing new album, reminding us all of the inevitability of death.

3.5rating

stone-cadaver-memento-mori-motherfucker-2021Having stewed for some time in the darkest and most evil of witch cauldrons, Memento Mori, Motherfucker, the brand new album by Aarhus, Denmark-based Stoner Rock/Metal power trio Stone Cadaver is ready to be let loose upon humanity, following up on their highly acclaimed 2017 release Reject Remove Replace. Just like its predecessor, Memento Mori, Motherfucker is a riff-laden journey through a dynamic soundscape that forms an organic whole, showcasing all the talent of Anders Bech Nielsen on vocals and guitar, Andreas Slocinski on bass and Stevie Dalla-Zuanna on drums. Produced, mixed and mastered by legendary Danish producer Tue Madsen and recorded live in his Antfarm Studio north of the band’s hometown, the album is a strong feast of heavy, down-tuned Stoner Metal with elements of 70’s Progressive and Hard Rock, crushing Doom Metal and classic Heavy Metal that will certainly please all fans of the mighty riff.

The low-tuned, menacing bass by Andreas set the tone in the heavy intro The Reckoning, warming up our senses for the visceral Realm Of Darkness, the perfect choice for cracking your neck headbanging to the classic riffs by Anders accompanied by the slow and steady beast by Stevie in a solid and entertaining feast of old school Doom and Sludge Metal. Then dark clouds of pure doom are above us all in the massive Doom Christ, offering the listener a Stygian wall of sounds crafted by the trio, sounding like a hybrid of the original Black Sabbath sound with their own Dio years, and with the guitar lines by Anders sounding truly infuriated and raw. And it’s time for Stoner Cadaver to bring forward their “tribute” to the catholic church in Whip The Sinners, a straightforward creation inspired by 70’s Doom Metal with Anders once again being on fire with his wicked vocals.

After such intense tune, we’re treated to an instrumental, ethereal interlude entitled Paean, soothing our souls and working as “the calm before the storm” as the band comes hammering our damned souls once again with Diseased Deceased, a flammable Stoner Rock and Metal extravaganza led by the pounding drums by Stevie while Andreas continues to extract devilish, metallic sounds from his bass, flowing into another whimsical bridge titled Fare Thee Well before all hell breaks loose one last time to the sound of the nine-minute Doom Metal aria Murder Mountain, starting with the eerie bass lines by Andreas amidst a background storm. It’s an infernal composition by Stoner Cadaver that will put you in a trance without a shadow of a doubt while Stevie keeps smashing his drums nonstop, also presenting tons of breaks and variations, exhaling groove and thunder and, of course, always praising the riff, with its final acoustic passage putting a climatic ending to the album.

stone-cadaver-2021If you want to know more about Stoner Cadaver, their music, tour dates and so on, you can find those Danish rockers on Facebook, on Instagram, on Spotify and on YouTube, but of course if you want to show your love for underground doom you should definitely purchase Memento Mori, Motherfucker sooner than you can say “motherfucker” by clicking HERE, as well as from imusic.dk in CD or LP format, or from gatewaymusicshop.dk. As you all know, memento mori is an artistic or symbolic reminder of the inevitability of death, which makes me wonder if Stone Cadaver’s goal with their new album was to actually remind us that we’re all going to die one day. If that’s the case, let’s say that not only they did it in great fashion with Memento Mori, Motherfucker, but they also provided us a great option for enjoying our last moments on earth before our inevitable end.

Best moments of the album: Doom Christ and Murder Mountain.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2021 Yog-Sothoth Records/Gateway Music

Track listing 
1. The Reckoning 1:26
2. Realm Of Darkness 6:50
3. Doom Christ 6:00
4. Whip The Sinners 3:36
5. Paean 1:13
6. Diseased Deceased 6:26
7. Fare Thee Well 1:08
8. Murder Mountain 9:11

Band members
Anders Bech Nielsen – vocals, guitar
Andreas Slocinski – bass
Stevie Dalla-Zuanna – drums