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Album Review – Primal Fear / Domination (2025)

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The Teutonic eagle of Heavy Metal strikes again with a thunderous 13-track opus, a masterclass in sonic warfare offering an unrelenting barrage of soaring vocals, earth-shattering riffs, and battle-hardened anthems forged in fire and steel.

Spanning more than 25 years of pure Heavy and Power Metal, having faced numerous challenges since their formation in 1997, and having repeatedly risen from their lowest points like a phoenix from the ashes, Germany’s own metal commando Primal Fear is finally back into the battlefield with their fifteenth studio opus, simply titled Domination, following up on their successful 2023 album Code Red. After a recent line-up change, which saw the incredible Thalìa Bellazecca join on guitar and André Hilgers on drums, alongside the iconic frontman Ralf Scheepers, the unbreakable bassist Mat Sinner, and the unstoppable guitarist Magnus Karlsson, the band will strike again with a thunderous 13-track opus, a masterclass in sonic warfare offering an unrelenting barrage of soaring vocals, earth-shattering riffs, and battle-hardened anthems forged in fire and steel.

The album kicks off with the striking The Hunter, with Ralf delivering pure adrenaline through the song’s classic words (“Through the labyrinth of fear, you’re lost and alone / A primal force unleashed a river of blood / This is the part / When you will run for your life / And every step you take / Leads closer to my knife / Blood stains the ground / The hunt never ends”); and  Magnus and Thalìa showcase their passion for shredding in the excellent Destroyer, a pure Primal Fear extravaganza with Mat and André keeping the rhythm flowing in great fashion. The band then goes full Melodic Power Metal in Far Away, where Thalìa proves why she was chosen as the new band’s guitarist as her dexterity is impressive, followed by I Am the Primal Fear, and as cheesy as the song title might sound, the music is a great mid-tune party by the band, with Mat kicking some ass on bass. Needless to say, it’s great to have him back in action. Tears of Fire is another song with a classic title following a similar pattern as the previous song, with Ralf’s soaring vocals adding an extra touch of epicness to the overall result; whereas back to a heavier, faster and more dynamic sonority we face Heroes and Gods, with André crushing his drums while Ralf pierce our minds with his undisputed screams.

Hallucinations is a smooth, melodic instrumental piece where Thalìa once again steals the spotlight with her flammable axe, warming us up for Eden, a dark and enfolding power ballad by those Teutonic metallers led by Ralf’s passionate vocal performance. In Scream the name of the song says it all, demanding us to jump up and down with Primal Fear and simply scream together with Ralf. Furthermore, the heaviness flowing from the guitars by Magnus and Thalìa is truly awesome, boosted by Mat’s thunderous bass. The Dead Don’t Die brings forward another blast of razor-edged riffs and blast beats that reek of Rock N’ Roll, perfect for some wild headbanging, and get ready to be caught in a crossfire of pure Heavy Metal to the sound of Crossfire, where André pounds his drums nonstop for our total delight. March Boy March is a song that gradually evolves into a metal attack led by Ralf’s piercing vocals while the band’s guitar duo keeps delivering sheer electricity through their axes, and ending the album we have the melancholic ballad A Tune I Won’t Forget, which is fine for what it is despite taking away some of the power blasted in all previous songs.

Recorded by Dennis Ward at Kangaroo Studios, produced by Mat Sinner and co-produced by Ralf Scheepers and Magnus Karlsson, and mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios, Domination reeks of classic Primal Fear while at the same time sounding fresh and unique, proving why the band has been on the road for so many years against all odds. You can check what the German eagle is up to on Facebook and on Instagram, including their breathtaking live performances, stream their incendiary discography on Spotify, and above all that, put your metallic hands on Domination by clicking HERE. Primal Fear are more than ready to spread their metal wings once again all across the globe and dominate the world of heavy music armed with their new album, a new chapter in the career of this Teutonic eagle that refuses to die, forever fighting in the name of our beloved Heavy Metal.

Best moments of the album: Destroyer, Heroes and Gods, Scream and Crossfire.

Worst moments of the album: A Tune I Won’t Forget.

Released in 2025 Reigning Phoenix Music

Track listing
1. The Hunter 4:21
2. Destroyer 4:31
3. Far Away 4:19
4. I Am the Primal Fear 5:41
5. Tears of Fire 5:14
6. Heroes and Gods 4:10
7. Hallucinations 2:37
8. Eden 7:25
9. Scream 4:27
10. The Dead Don’t Die 4:27
11. Crossfire 4:12
12. March Boy March 5:01
13. A Tune I Won’t Forget 3:32

Band members
Ralf Scheepers – vocals
Mat Sinner – bass, vocals
Magnus Karlsson – guitars
Thalìa Bellazecca – guitars
André Hilgers – drums

Album Review – Various Artists / Surrender to Death: A History of the Atlanta Metal Underground Vol. 1 (2024)

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Get ready for a night of fierce metallic sounds born in sweaty nightclubs, packed house parties, and DIY warehouse shows, a retrospective of the Atlanta metal underground from 1982 to 1999.

Deep from the vaults, Boris Records and Deanwell Global Music are unleashing the vinyl and digital versions of Surrender to Death: A History of the Atlanta Metal Underground Vol. 1, a retrospective of the Atlanta metal underground from 1982 to 1999. Spanning two decades of local bands, studio projects, and touring heavyweights, Surrender to Death showcases over 20 bands, ranging from the early days of traditional Heavy Metal to gory basement Death Metal to second-wave Black Metal, far from the better-known scenes in the Bay Area and New York and Florida. Over half a decade in the making, featuring original recordings sourced directly from the bands  (with all tracks remastered from various sources by Jessica Thompson Audio), and displaying a sick artwork by Brian Warner (aka Esayde or Total Weirdoh), this ass-kicking compilation will give you a glimpse of the Atlanta metal scene’s depth and its awesome and sometimes truly bizarre takes on the genre and all of its sub-genres.

Side A of the first vinyl starts way back in 1982 with Strangers, the opening track of the self-titled album by Messendger, presenting a great fusion of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock where the trio delivers fierce riffs and beats, and with their vocal lines also sounding electrifying; followed by Lucifers Eyes, by Fortnox, another beast from 1982 offering us all a powerful blast of old school Hard Rock. Fast forward a few years to 1990 and we face the Power/Thrash Metal by Atlanta’s own Ghost Story, with the song What Few Even Dare, from their 1990 demo The Image and the Reality, also presenting hints of Death and Speed Metal in its riffs and drums, whereas in 1988 a Thrash Metal band form Georgia called Necropolis released the album Contemplating Slaughter, and from that album we have the song Waters of Lathe, showcasing the amazing raspy vocals by Keith Charron.

It’s time to kick off side B of vinyl number one with Rock You, by MX, another old Heavy Metal/Hard Rock outfit from Georgia from the early 80’s, delivering sheer adrenaline and electricity through their fiery riffs and unrelenting attitude, and let’s continue our journey though the 80’s with Sinister Angel and the song Street Light Glamour, from their 1984 self-titled EP, where you can sense elements from early Judas Priest in their sound as well as harsher thrash and death nuances. Then in 1991 the Augusta, Georgia-based Heavy/Power Metal band Legion released the album Darkness, and from that album comes Evil Mind, with a sensational vocal performance by Loy Mitcham, followed by Reflected Fear, by Kinetic Dissent, more inclined to classic Thrash Metal, a song from their 1987 demo The Fall of Individualism, bringing forward an amazing guitar work by Stephen Danyo. In the song Til Death Do Us Part, from the 1989 demo Overloaded, by Dark Overlord, the music exhales the same rebelliousness from the early days of Exodus, or in other words, it’s a fantastic option to slam into the pit like a true metalhead, while Metal Merchants, from the 1985 cult album Tales of Terror, by Hallows Eve, is an explosion of Thrash and Speed Metal led by frontman Stacy Andersen, also perfect for some sick mosh pits.

Unblessed, one of the first Death Metal bands from Georgia, kicks off side A of the second vinyl with When it Bleeds it Pours, from their 1998 demo, already blasting that harsh, vicious sound that became a staple in today’s Death Metal scene, whereas Sixteenth Chamber, released in the 1995 demo Oh Come All Ye Faithful… Tonight We Feast, by Lestregus Nosferatus, presents those truly evil vocals we love in extreme music, not to mention the heaviness of their riffs. We’re then treated to Pray to Death, by ROT, from the 1990 demo Diabolus (The Unholy Rot), offering our putrid ears more of Atlanta’s own blend of classic Death Metal to inspire us all for some vigorous headbanging, followed by Avulsion with the song Inexorable Suffering, from their 1994 demo of the same name, enhancing the city’s ferocity in the scene, sounding slow, evil and, therefore, definitely not recommended for the lighthearted. Gates Of Emptiness, from the 1997 demo Twilight Eternal, by Dawn of Orion, is an overdose of classic Death Metal, with the harsh vociferations by Myke Jamison sounding insane, and things get even darker in Metaphorical Ithaca, by Haborym (a Hebrew synonym for Satan), mixing Black and Death Metal in an utterly demonic chant from their only demo released in 1995.

Finally, side B of the second vinyl brings to us all The Righteous Shall Fall, by Tragic Demise, displaying one of the most primeval sounds of the entire compilation, sounding like creatures arising form the pits of the underworld while again showcasing classic Death Metal beats for our total delight. Then the band Demoncy blasts a more Black Metal-inspired sound in Winter Bliss, from their 1999 album Joined in Darkness, with their Stygian, cryptic harsh vocals and a beyond raw sound quality giving it a more-than-infernal vibe. Necroflesh then offers a brutal slab of old school Death Metal in Scream, from their 1997 demo, where their guitars sound as caustic and sharp as possible; followed by the song Synthesis of Rebirth, taken from the 1996 demo of the same name by Procostimus, another band blending Death and Black Metal in their music where Greg King shows no mercy for our souls with his grim vocals and drums. Darkened Skies, the second band deeply rooted in old school Black Metal, delivers their share of obscurity and evil to the masses like a creature lurking in the dark in Reign of Radulescu, before Vastion, one of the first Technical Death Metal bands from Atlanta, crushes us all like insects in Ensuring Your Death, from their 2000 album Closed Eyes to Nothing, sounding absolutely wild and bestial until the very last second.

Part of “Georgia Historical Metal Archive Series” by Deanwell Global Music and volume 2 of “Atlanta Metal Underground Archive Series” by Boris Records, Surrender to Death can be described as a night of fierce metallic sounds born in sweaty nightclubs, packed house parties, and DIY warehouse shows, and you can experience all those decades of first-class music made in Atlanta by purchasing a copy of the album from the Boris Records’ BandCamp page, from Deanwell Global Music’s BandCamp page, or by clicking HERE, and let me tell you the package that those guys put together is brilliant, including the double-vinyl (available in four different color options) with a gatefold jacket, an 11×17 double-sided insert containing bios and photos of each band, a sticker, random repro band flyers, and an 18×24 full color poster. This is heavy music, this is Atlanta, and I honestly can’t wait for the next volume in this beautiful tribute to one of the most prolific scenes of the North American underground.

Best moments of the album: Kinetic Dissent – Reflected Fear, Dark Overlord – Til Death Do Us Part, Dawn of Orion – Gates Of Emptiness, Procostimus – Synthesis of Rebirth and Vastion – Ensuring Your Death.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Boris Records/Deanwell Global Music

Track listing
1. Messendger – Strangers 5:44
2. Fortnox – Lucifers Eyes 3:44
3. Ghost Story – What Few Even Dare 4:28
4. Necropolis – Waters of Lathe 5:23
5. MX – Rock You 3:48
6. Sinister Angel – Street Light Glamour 4:16
7. Legion – Evil Mind 3:25
8. Kinetic Dissent – Reflected Fear 3:26
9. Dark Overlord – Til Death Do Us Part 2:56
10. Hallows Eve – Metal Merchants 3:21
11. Unblessed – When it Bleeds it Pours 4:34
12. Lestregus Nosferatus – Sixteenth Chamber 3:47
13. ROT – Pray to Death 3:40
14. Avulsion – Inexorable Suffering 3:41
15. Dawn of Orion – Gates Of Emptiness 2:58
16. Haborym – Metaphorical Ithaca 3:39
17. Tragic Demise – The Righteous Shall Fall 3:33
18. Demoncy – Winter Bliss 3:47
19. Necroflesh – Scream 3:56
20. Procostimus – Synthesis of Rebirth 4:44
21. Darkened Skies – Reign of Radulescu 3:15
22. Vastion – Ensuring Your Death 2:19

Album Review – Chaoseum / Second Life (2020)

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After taking their first step to hell, it’s time for those Swiss metallers to stun us all with their sophomore album, showcasing a thrilling fusion of Metalcore and Nu Metal with a theatrical twist.

Founded in 2018 by Loïc Duruz and Valery Veings, both former guitarists of Symphonic Metal band Elferya, the up-and-coming Lausanne, Switzerland-based Metalcore act Chaoseum is back in action in 2020 with their sophomore album entitled Second Life, presenting the band’s trademark amalgamation of styles including Metalcore, Power Crossover and Nu Metal, among others. Recorded at both Chaos Studio and Conatus Studios, mixed by Gwen Kerjan from Slab Sound Studio, and featuring a beautiful artwork by Brazilian artist Gustavo Sazes, Second Life brings forward a new (and more theatrical) era in the career of Chaoseum, with its 11 original compositions thoroughly crafted by Loïc and Valery together with fontman CK Smile and drummer Greg Turini appealing to all fans of the modern metal music played by bands such as Lacuna Coil, Korn, Trivium, Killswitch Engage and Slipknot, among others.

The creepy, cinematic intro XXV-IX-MMXX (or September 15, 2020, the official release date of the album) will send shivers down your spine before the quartet comes crushing with their vicious Metalcore in Hell Has No Way Out, with Greg sounding like a machine gun on drums while Loïc and Valery fire melodious riffs for our total delight and CK roars and sings with tons of anguish. The melodic and aggressive title-track Second Life starts in an atmospheric way before exploding into a visceral fusion of Metalcore and Melodic Death Metal, with the rumbling sounds of the bass by Loïc punching us hard in the head, followed by Into My Split, a fulminating Alternative Metal tune tailored for banging our heads nonstop or simply enjoying the gentle guitars and beats by the band, all spiced up by CK’s introspective performance. Then we have the excellent Smile Again, clearly inspired by Nu Metal masters Korn, with CK doing his best Jonathan Davis impersonation while Loïc and Valery keep delivering pure metallic lines through their riffs and bass punches; whereas it’s time to speed things up and offer the listener the sinister and alternative Scream, with Loïc, Valery and Greg bringing tons of progressiveness to their wicked sonority, and with its futuristic and modern vibe being all CK needs to shine on vocals.

Stick Under My Skin is another song with a cryptic, mesmerizing intro, evolving into a feast of Alternative, Groove and Progressive Metal where CK’s clean and harsh vocals are nicely supported by his bandmates’ backing vocals, while Burn My Eyes is a solid rock and metal creation by Chaoseum, albeit a bit generic if compared to the rest of the album, with both Loïc and Valery doing a great job with their flammable guitars. And you better get ready as there’s still a lot more of the music by Chaoseum, starting with Feel, a modern, industrialized party perfect for their live performances where the quartet enhances their rage, punch and insanity. Put differently, this is a heavier version of traditional Alternative Metal led by the classic beats by Greg, while things can’t get more alternative nor groovier than in Sex In Hell, a suggestive song name that matches perfectly with the heavy but sexy music played by the band, resulting in a dark ballad where CK steals the spotlight with his devilish vocals. Lastly, there’s more of their groovy bass punches and rhythmic beats intertwined with futuristic background elements and the raspy vocals by CK in Frozen, a song which fans of Korn, Lacuna Coil and other modern metal bands will surely love.

In a nutshell, it doesn’t matter if you’re a longtime fan of Alternative and Nu Metal or if you’re taking your first steps in this more modern side of heavy music, you should definitely add Second Life to your daily playlist (and you can do so by streaming the album in full on Spotify). Chaoseum put their hearts and souls into the making of their new opus, and you can sense that passion and hard work in each and every track of the album, proving those Swiss metallers are o the right path to stardom. Hence, don’t forget to show them your support by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by subscribing to their YouTube channel and, above all that, by purchasing their new album from their own BandCamp page or webstore (where you can by the way find tons of ass-kicking merch as well), from Apple Music or from Amazon. Chaoseum’s “first step to hell” was already solid and vibrant, but it’s under this new era, or maybe I should call it their “second life”, that the band is ready to show the world what their music is all about.

Best moments of the album: Hell Has No Way Out, Scream and Stick Under My Skin.

Worst moments of the album: Burn My Eyes.

Released in 2020 Independent

Track listing
1. XXV-IX-MMXX 0:58
2. Hell Has No Way Out 4:07
3. Second Life 4:18
4. Into My Split 4:18
5. Smile Again 4:27
6. Scream 3:38
7. Stick Under My Skin 4:51
8. Burn My Eyes 3:31
9. Feel 4:39
10. Sex In Hell 5:41
11. Frozen 4:41

Band members
CK Smile – vocals
Loïc Duruz – guitars, bass
Valery Veings – guitars
Greg Turini – drums

Album Review – Helligators / Road Roller Machine (2015)

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A high-end primeval nitro-rock music album, with the sole purpose of smashing every living creature that stands on its way just like an enraged road roller machine would do.

Rating4

copertina_road_roller_machineSometimes the Rock N’ Roll played by a band is so loud, filthy and ruthless that the band surpasses the invisible boundaries established by the music industry, becoming respected and loved by the always-demanding diehard Heavy Metal fans. This is what happens with icons such as Motörhead, Volbeat, Crucified Barbara and many other badass bands in the world, and since 2009 we can also include Italian Rock N’ Roll band Helligators on this list so vicious their music is. With that said, if you want to give them a try I suggest you take a listen at their brand new album, entitled Road Roller Machine, and you’ll be able to feel all that Rock N’ Roll electricity flowing through your veins.

Merging elements from different genres and subgenres of rock and metal music, and relying heavily on their deep-rooted Rock N’ Roll/Stoner Rock attitude night and day, this excellent band formed in Rome, Italy returns with more of their immoral music after releasing their debut album Against All Odds, from 2011. It’s interesting to see an Italian band playing what is considered pure American music, but they do it so well you’ll start asking yourself if they’re indeed from Italy or if they’re American guys who left their homeland and are now just living in “il bel paese”. Either way, by the time you find an answer to those questions, you’ll be already addicted to their top-notch heavy music.

The opening track Nomad sounds clearly inspired by the musicality from Motörhead and the badass attitude from Chrome Division, with its nonstop dirty riffs and groovy drumming supporting the rockin’ raspy vocals by Emanuele “Hellvis” and, of course, all embellished by an exciting guitar solo, exactly what is needed in visceral Rock N’ Roll. Not only the initial riff in the next track, The Doomstroyer, a killer Stoner Rock tune with no shenanigans, is 100% kick-ass, but also the atmosphere generated by the guitar lines by Kamo and Mik “El Santo” takes you to some sort of desolated and pungent desert where the music by Helligators reverberates like thunder. And if you’re taking the road anytime soon don’t forget to add Scream to your playlist, a song perfect for enjoying a cold one, banging your head and screaming as loud as you can together with Hellvis and the rest of the crew. Two lessons that can be taken from this track are first that, when they stick to the basics the result is absolutely awesome, and secondly, Kamo is an awesome guitarist who truly knows how to craft the perfect guitar solo the music is asking for.

Listen to She Laughs and you’ll see how much they love Stoner Rock/Metal the likes of Down so heavy and soulful it is, not to mention the song’s lyrics about a sultry demon-like woman, which turn it into another interesting option for a fiery strip-tease at any gentlemen’s club in the world. Then we have the outstanding razin’ tune Snake Oil Jesus, previously released in 2012 as a single, where the band puts the pedal to the metal offering the listener some fuming guitar riffs and solos while drummer Alex fuels the rhythm with his strong beats. In addition, try not to get addicted to its chorus, it’s as catchy as hell (“If you feel so sad and lonely / Pray and give me all your money / I just wanna be your friend / Come Holy Ghost and feed us / I will treat you good I swear / I am the Snake Oil Jesus”).

helligatorsRev up your engines because there’s still a lot more awesomeness to come, starting with Truckdriver, a great Rock N’ Roll song where Hellvis lives up to his nickname and its accelerated rhythm and excellent guitar duo will surely please all fans of old school rock music, followed by Swamp Man Voodoo, with elements of the eerie music by Groove Metal icons White Zombie fittting perfectly to the theme of this song. Moreover, it’s a good option for a psychological horror flick soundtrack, with the only letdown being its backing vocals, not as effective as in previous tracks. And when a song is called Bad Ass you know it’s going to be heavy and fun, with Helligators getting back to that low-tuned sonority from Stoner Rock blended with faster Rock N’ Roll and the vocals by Hellvis reminding me of the amazing Eddie Guz, the harsh and inebriate voice of The Carburetors and ex-Chrome Division.

Last but not least, the pub song Stone Crusher is perhaps the most extreme version of their Stoner Rock side, and how about that awesome guitar solo halfway through the song? Although the second half of the song loses part of its electricity, it’s nothing that would make it less entertaining, before the Country Rock semi-acoustic ballad Black Sun closes the album enhanced by huge dosages of feeling and passion by the band members, with highlights to the cool bass lines by Pinna “Yeti”, the song’s doomsday vibe and its melancholic ending. You can listen to a preview of each and every song of Road Roller Machine HERE, where Helligators present the album on the European Metal Channel.

To sum up, Road Roller Machine might not be the most innovative and complex album in the world, but who said it should be so? Helligators do a superb job delivering high-end primeval nitro-rock music, with the sole purpose of smashing every living creature that stands on their way just like an enraged road roller machine would do. If you want to connect with this talented rockin’ machine and know more about their music and tour dates, go check their official Facebook page, and if you’re one of those crazy rockers who salivates whenever you listen to a dirty riff, you can find Road Roller Machine on Amazon or Google Play, among other locations. I honestly doubt you’ll regret purchasing such an incredible feast of Rock N’ Roll like the one offered by Helligators.

Best moments of the album: The Doomstroyer, Scream, Snake Oil Jesus and Truckdriver.

Worst moments of the album: Swamp Man Voodoo and Stone Crusher.

Released in 2015 Sliptrick Records

Track listing
1. Nomad 5:17
2. The Doomstroyer 5:26
3. Scream 4:29
4. She Laughs 4:55
5. Snake Oil Jesus 3:57
6. Truckdriver 4:10
7. Swamp Man Voodoo 6:21
8. Bad Ass 6:20
9. Stone Crusher 6:14
10. Black Sun 5:02

Band members
Emanuele “Hellvis” – lead vocals
Kamo – lead guitar, backing vocals
Mik “El Santo” – guitar, backing vocals
Pinna “Yeti” – bass
Alex – drums