Tag Archives: salzburg

Album Review – Harakiri For The Sky / Scorched Earth (2025)

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Austria’s own Post-Black Metal duo returns with another brilliant album, a snapshot of the world we are living, a world that’s tragically broken.

Despair, loss, love, and existential struggles have always been the foundation of the distinctive sound by Austrian Post-Black Metal duo Harakiri For The Sky since their inception back in 2011, with multi-instrumentalist M.S. and vocalist J.J. having gained recognition for pushing musical boundaries with their emotionally charged blend of Atmospheric Extreme Metal and Melodic Post-Rock, Grunge and modern Hardcore, carving out a genre of their own. Now in 2025 the duo attacks again with their new tour-de-force titled Scorched Earth, following up on their critically acclaimed 2021 opus Maere. Mixed and Mastered by Kristian Kohle at Kohlekeller Studio, with cover artwork and illustrations by Brvno Gonzalez, and featuring session drummer Kerim “Krimh” Lechner, the new album by J.J. and M.S. is their way of showing how rotten and decaying our world has become. “Our society is divided to its core and peace seems further away than ever in the last decades. This is what inspired the title of the new album: ‘Scorched Earth’ is a snapshot of the world we are living, a world that’s tragically broken.”

Heal Me, featuring Tim Yatras of Austere on guest vocals, offers a classic Harakiri For The Sky sound right from the start, with its atmospheric, gentle background clashing with the harshness flowing from M.S.’s riffs and Kerim’s beats. Keep Me Longing is an eleven-minute masterpiece by the duo where once again their heavy and soothing sounds collide in a brilliant manner, with M.S.’s riffs and bass being perfectly supported by the massive beats by Kerim; and the duo keeps delivering sheer brilliance in Without You I’m Just A Sad Song, another lengthy song that doesn’t feel long at all so dynamic, vibrant and thrilling it is, with J.J. roaring in great fashion until the end. Then letting their Post-Black Metal vein pulse stronger than ever we face No Graves But The Sea, where the electrifying riffs by M.S. will inspire you to bang your head like a maniac while Kerim dictates the song’s frantic yet dark pace.

Classy, charming piano notes will penetrate deep inside your mind in With Autumn I’ll Surrender, growing into a diverse, classic Post-Metal wall of sounds with J.J. once again bursting his lungs screaming, followed by I Was Just Another Promise You Couldn’t Keep, a lovely title for a passionate display of Post-Black Metal by the duo, also bringing hints of 80’s Gothic Rock in its core essence. Then featuring guest vocalist Serena Cherry of Svalbarduk we have Too Late For Goodbyes, alternating between sheer violence and pure ethereal moments, and if you go for any of the special editions of the album you’ll be treated to two bonus tracks, their rendition for Radiohead’s Street Spirit (Fade Out), featuring guest vocalist P.G. of Groza (check out the original version from the 1995 album The Bends); and Elysian Fields (featuring guest vocals by Daniel Lang of Backwards Charm), both excellent songs leaning towards a more introspective side of the band that are definitely worth the extra investment.

“Scorched Earth is like the conclusion of all the albums we’ve done in the past, all that Harakiri For The Sky stands and stood for, musically and lyrically. This is what we stand for, this is what made us, this is our story,” commented such an extraordinary duo of heavy music about their new work of art, and you can get to know more about them on Facebook and on Instagram, stream more of their music on Spotify, and grab a copy of the majestic Scorched Earth from the AOP Records’ BandCamp or webstore, or simply click HERE for all things Harakiri For The Sky. There’s endless darkness and beauty in Scorched Earth just like in real life, not only making the album truly special and already positioning it as a strong contender for album of the year, but also working as the perfect soundtrack for the toughest moments of our lives.

Best moments of the album: Keep Me Longing, No Graves But The Sea and With Autumn I’ll Surrender.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 AOP Records

Track listing
1. Heal Me 7:37
2. Keep Me Longing 10:40
3. Without You I’m Just A Sad Song 10:03
4. No Graves But The Sea 8:01
5. With Autumn I’ll Surrender 8:39
6. I Was Just Another Promise You Couldn’t Keep 9:01
7. Too Late For Goodbyes 7:53

Bonus tracks
8. Street Spirit (Fade Out) (Radiohead Cover) 5:35
9. Elysian Fields 5:10

Band members
J.J. – vocals
M.S. – guitar, bass

Guest musicians
Kerim “Krimh” Lechner – drums (session)
Tim Yatras – vocals on “Heal Me”
Serena Cherry – vocals on “Too Late For Goodbyes”
P.G. – vocals on “Street Spirit (Fade Out)”
Daniel Lang – vocals on “Elysian Fields”
Jorge Cisternas & Sunvher – backing vocals

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Released in 2023 NRT-Records

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

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

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

Album Review – Proll Guns / Horseflesh BBQ (2016)

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

Rating5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Worst moments of the album: Southern Slavery.

Released in 2016 NRT-Records

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

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

Saloon girls
Miss Candy Rose
Miss Sherly Colt