Time Signature Born free...

Genre: power-thrash / heavy metal

CroMagnum are back with another release in the form of the EP "Born Free" which contains five tracks. While a bit difficult to pinpoint in terms of genre, it is fair to say that the EP probably falls somewhere in the neighborhood of power-thrash.

The EP opens with a short sweet doom-laden instrumental in the form of 'End Your Slavery', which is followed up by the power-thrashing title track. 'Born Free' treats the listener to uptempo thrashy parts combined with guitar melodies and a couple of tempo changes as well. 'Waterval Boven' is more or a heavy affair. The following track 'Tunguska' is more of a thrasher as is the closing track 'Congregation' although the latter is way more melodic and complex than the former.

The songs are well-written. They are straightforward without being simplistic or boring. The musicianship and the production are impeccable as well. The only thing that might be grating to some ears are Maximus Rex's rough vocals which, interestingly, do manage to integrate angry and harsh yelling with melody. Personally, I don't mind his singing style, and I think it actually works really well in 'Tunguska' and 'Congregation', but some listeners might find it an acquired taste.

Overall, this is a short and sweet release which should definitely appeal to fans of thrash metal, US power metal and perhaps even traditional heavy metal.

Time Signature The road goes on...

Genre: hard rock / modern heavy metal

Thy Row is a Finnish band whose style combines hard rock and heavy metal. Their brand of hard rock is on display on their full-length effor "Unchained". And, boy, this is not bad stuff at all.

The album features ten hard rockers including a three parter in the form of the three 'The Downfall' tracks towards the end of the album. After three mid-tempo tracks in the form of 'The Road Goes On', 'The Round' (this one complete with epic guitar melodies) and 'Unchained', the listener is treated to the heavier 'Horizons' and 'Just Fine' as well as the the groovy 'Hidebound'. While also heavy, 'Down on my Knees' has a hint of AOR to it which also applies to 'The Downfall, Part 3', while the two other 'Downfall' songs are more hard-hitting. The Japanese version of this release features a bonus track in the form of a cover version of X Japan's 'Blue Blood'. The is actually a very good cover version and, in my opinion, the track on the album that appeals the most to me. Overall, the album might lack diversity (I have no problem with it though), but this more power-metal-ish track adds some variation to at least the Japanese version.

The production is crisp and modern sounding - some might say it's polished, but I wouldn't go that far. It definitely fits the music which in itself has a modern rock and modern edge to it. The musicianship is top notch as well, and Thy Row are clearly skilled songsmiths as well who understand the power of combining melody and chugging heavy metal riffs.

Overall, Thy Row's "Unchained" is a very strong album which combines hard rock and heavy metal, taking it in a modern direction. In any case, this is a quite enjoyable listen; if you like hard rock and modern metal, definitely pick this one up when it comes out in September.

Time Signature The show...

Genre: hard rock / modern metal / etc.

Sometimes you get shades of grey in metal, and sometimes you get a full palette of colors. I like both approaches, but, with this, album you defintely get the full palette, as Triton Devs explore many different metal genres on this album ranging from hard rock and traditional metal over power metal and gothic metal to extreme metal. SO, yeah, we're embarking on a musical journey of sorts.

After a dark instrumental in the form of 'Black Angel', 'Another Round' which combines musical Gothicism with uplifting hard rock catchiness kicks in. I like this track, but I have some problems with the following one. While 'This Summer Day' has a lot of qualities to it (I like the funky feel it has), I don't like the electronica elements that pop up - it's just a bit too cheesy for my taste. They remind me a bit too much of some of that god-awful music some of those dumb metalcore bands made in the 00s. 'The Light of Your Skin' is more of an AOR ballad with modern metal elements scattered throughout and it's actually pretty good. 'The Show' moves more in a hard rock direction, while 'Summer Day' and 'Magic Rainbow' are Satriani-esque instrumentals (I prefer the latter, but the former rocks too), and 'Higher' is a heavy groove-fest (unfortunetaly, it also features some electronica elements that don't sit well with me). 'Hell's Fest' and 'Metallus' are both enjoyable all out metal attacks.

In terms of musicianship and production, there really is nothing to complain about. The production is also very solid and more on the polished side of things but that is probably the best choice for an album like this. While I really like Eric Castiglia's clean vocals, which remind me a bit of Rob Moratti, I have to admit that I am not a fan of the more extreme metal oriented vocals that also occur on this album - probably because they are more on the metalcore side of things (I'm just too much of an old asshole to appreciate the contributions of metalcore and deathcore to the overall metal scene, I think).

Overall, Triton Devs' debut album is somewhat of a musical journey with a lot of diversity and variation. This means that, while there is a risk that there is the rist of there being elements on the album that might not appeal to you, there is an equal chance of there being elements that you will absolutely love.

Time Signature CoVinyl Part 7

In my review of Axe's "Offering", I wrote that I picked it up becuase the band name and the cover artwork intrigued me. That also goes for this one. In fact, this one was part of the same haul as "Offering", and I was fortunate enough that the copy I got was a 1983 ATCO pressing. I expected 80s metal, but that's not quite what I got.

That also applies to this record, as it falls more under the rubric of hard rock with a couple of 80s metal elements thrown in than outright 80s heavy metal. And this is, in my opinion, quality 80s hard rock. While the previous record had Bobby Barth as the sole songwriter on most songs, there is more variation here as more of the other members of the band were involved in the songwriting. I think that might be a factor in this album being much better than "Offering" (that is not to say that Barth is not a good songsmith though or that "Offering" is not good - because it is). Pretty much all of the songs are good - with the exception of the ballad 'I Think You'll Remember Tonight' which is just plain silly. Fortunately, that song is easily forgotten in the midts of great tunes like 'Heat in the Street', 'All Through the Night', 'She's Had the Power', 'Eagle Flies Alone' and 'Girls, Girls, Girls' (no relation to the Mötley Crüe hit). Even the more ambient 'Masquerade' is actually a pretty good piece of music.

Now, one thing you can expect from this album is loads of 80s cheese, and some listeners might not appreciate that (in particular in the cover version of Edgar Winter's 'Keep Playing that Rock 'n' Roll'). In my opinion as someone who grew up in the 80s, there's good 80s cheese and there's bad 80s cheese, and - with the exception of 'I Think You'll Remember Tonight' - there's only good 80s cheese on this album.

As you might have guessed, 'I think You'll Remember Tonight' is the one major weakness of Axe's "Nemesis", but I will also point to the lyrics as a weak point. They're just fucking stupid. They're pretty much all about "manly" things like breaking the law, being a lone wolf, fucking lots of girls, and standing up to previous generations (so you can fuck more girls). In a way, the lyrics seem almost like an incel's dream before incels were even a thing. Interestingly enough, 'Girls, Girls, Girls' ends with women laughing at a man... so maybe the album really captures an incel's nightmare? Anyway, the two only songs with somewhat more mature lyrics are 'Let the Music Come Back' and 'Masquerade' - the latter of which is a more mature take on the generational gap than 'Foolin' Your Mama' is.

So, the lyrics are dumb, but the music is very good. The cover artwork is also awesome, depicting some kind of alien-looking figure wielding the bands guitar-axe logo with blood dripping from it. It screams metal, but it isn't... whatever, it's an awesome piece of cover artwork if you ask me which looks amazing on a vinyl record release. The copy I have also came with the original inner sleeve, which actually looks awesome too in its simplicity: on one side you have the lyric sheet (for better or worse) and the other side is just all black with the bands logo in white. It looks really great!

If you like 80s hard rock and don't mind 80s cheese (and can live with pretty stupid lyrics), you might as well pick up a copy of this album if you happen to come across a reasonably priced one. I'd say, at the end of the day, this album is just plain old good fun.

Time Signature CoVinyl Part 6

So, I came across a 1982 ATCO pressing of this album, and - I have to admit - I was intrigued by the name and the cover artwork both of which just screamed 80s metal at me.

That's not quite what I got. Axe were more of a hard rock act who emphasized melody, but injected elements of heavy rock and heavy metal into their music as well.

This definitely applies to "Offering", which opens with the uplifting party track 'Rock n' Roll Party in the Streets'. This song pretty much sets the tone for the entire album, as most of the tunes are indeed uplifting hard rockers which are definitely for the most part very enjoyable to listen to. The one thing is that there is a very good cover version of Montrose's 'I Got the Fire', and this song is leagues above Axe's own material in kick-assery, thus perhaps highlighting some of the flaws in Axe's own songs and obscuring some of the good things. That's a bit of a shame, because, as mentioned most of the songs on this album are definitely enjoyable.

"Offering" is a solid hard rock effort which, at times, draws on more melodic AOR along the lines of Boston and Toto. The songwriting is very good, and Bobby Barth, the main songwriter, is definitely a skilled songsmith who understands hooks, balance, and melody. The musicianship is impeccable as well and the production is quite good for an early 80s hard rock release.

The cover artwork is simple but brilliant. It draws on the guitar-axe metaphor and simply reeks of metal. I also like how, by having the character hold the guitar-axe up above his head, the artwork also captures the 'offering' notion. Of course, some might argue that the artwork kinda is false advertising, but, hey, there's no denying that it looks really good in alls its simplicity and epicness on a vinyl front cover.

Overall, this is a solid and uplifting hard rock release. If you come a across a reasonably priced copy of it, and you are into hard rock, just grab it.

Time Signature It was not death...

Genre: progressive metal

A supergroup of sorts, Terra Odium is a Norwegian progressive metal band whose members are or have been involved mainly in Spiral Architect and Manitou; in addition, prog metal fans will be happy to know that Steve DiGiorgio is also part of the project as the bass player.

We are dealing with progressive metal of the heavier type here more akin to Dream Theater at their heaviest than, say, Queensrÿche or something like that. Thus, the songs are based on very heavy riffage and aggressive, but dynamic, drumbeats to the point that we occasionally enter into US power metal or perhaps even contemporary thrash metal territory. There is also a distinct Cynic feel to many sections on the album which have a similar drive (just check out the opening track). The songs are not too long with the longest being "The Thorn" almost 12 minutes long. The rest of the songs on the album have an average length of 6-7 minutes. While embracing heaviness first and foremost, Terra Odium are not afraid to draw on other elements; for instance, there are symphonic elements on the album along with some djenty bits, a pretty good and epic ballad in the form of 'It Was Not Death', and of course some jazzy-sounding bass sections, and the album opens with a bit of throat singing. The singing is clean and melodic, and the guitar solos are advanced but never too wanky.

Needless to say, we are dealing with top notch musicianship across the board, and prog metal fans will also appreciate the songwriting. The production is dark and crisp and has a very modern feel to it.

Overall, this is a very solid progressive metal album, and fans of Cynic, Atheist, Dream Theater and Pestilence's "Spheres" are bound to really enjoy it. I think, if you're into Symphony X, there might also be something for you on this album as well.

Time Signature Stronger than before...

Style: traditional heavy metal / hard rock / doom metal

Sunbomb is a project featuring Tracii Guns of L.A. Guns fame and Michael Sweet from Stryper. With such names involved, you might expect their music to be more on the cheesy and glammy side. But that's actually not the case.

Their debut album "Evil and Divine" is actually pretty heavy and also quite diverse stylistically. It probably fits best in the traditional heavy metal bracket, but there are also a number of hard rock elements as well as, perhaps unexpectedly, doom metal and even a tiny bit of power-thrash. While tracks like 'Life', 'No Tomorrows', 'Story of the Blind' and 'They Fought' are straight up heavy metal songs that might as well have been written in the 80s, songs like 'World Gone Wrong', 'Take Me Away' and to some extent 'Stronger Than Before' are straight up doom metal songs clearly inspired by Black Sabbath. And almost out of left field, 'Better End' contains some power-thrash sections.

The production is crisp but not too polished, and there's really nothing to criticize about the musicianship either. Some listeners might find Michael Sweet's belting style a bit much, but I like it. The songwriting is also pretty good but, while there is a lot of emphasis on diversity, a number of the tracks on the album do have a very similar drive. This is not really a detractor in my opinion though.

Overall, this is a very good heavy metal album which almost seamlessly combines hard rock and traditional heavy metal. Personally, though, the doom metal elements are my favorite part. An album that can bring fans of hard rock, doom metal and traditional metal together, Sunbomb's "Evil and Divine" is recommended to fans of old school heavy metal genres who still appreciate a more modern approach.

Time Signature CoVinyl Part 4

So I came across an 1987 Music for Nations pressing of the classic album that is Agent Steel's "Unstoppable Force". I figured I might as well pick it up and I'm glad I did.

"Unstoppable Force" is the band's scond full-length effort following up on the debut "Skeptics Apocalypse" and the EP "Mad Locust Rising". While definitely similar in style and sound to the preceding releases in blending traditional metal and speed metal and combining more conventional song structures with more innovative ones, it seems to me that "Unstoppable Force" leans more towards traditional heavy metal than speed metal. Moreover, the song structures also strike me as a tad less innovative.

That said, this is still a magnificent album showcasing great musicianship - in particular on the part of the guitarists Juan Garcia and Bernie Versailles who treat the listener to both great riffing and awesome guitar solos as well as the occasional twin lead melody. In comparison to the debut album, the solos strike me as a bit more melodic with less focus on speed. The drums are also a bit more varied than on the debut. All of this probably owes to the fact that there are more midtempo songs than speed metal songs on this album. John Cyriis' vocals are still in the vein of Geoff Tate on this album, and the lyrics are still in the realm of sci-fi, UFOs and conspiracy theories, so there's not much new here. While all the songs are great on this album, the highlight to me is the instrumental "The Day at Guyana" (which is also found on "Mad Locust Rising"). With its dynamic borderline progressive structure, it's a real musical journey.

The production is very similar to that on the debut and on the preceding EP. So it's very 80s but there is less reverb than on your standard 80s metal release and a bit more richness. Thus, it should appeal to both old school 80s metal fans and younger fans of more contemporary metal.

The cover artwork is kind of weird, depicting what seems to be a bunch of laser beams blasting through rocks. It looks like something out of a sci-fi B-movie, so I suppose it does fit the overall lyrical themes of the album. So, yeah, a bit cheesy looking, but I also kind of like it. The logo still looks awesome in all its 80s glory. I can't decide whether I prefer this gold version or the silver version on the debut album.

In any case, if you are a fan of old school heavy metal and don't mind high-pitched pseudo-operatic vocals, then you should grab this album if you come across a version of it.

Time Signature CoVinyl Part 3

I was lucky enough to find a reasonably priced 1985 Roadrunner pressing of this album in fairly good condition so I figured I might as well grab it.

And I'm glad I did, because - despite all the UFO and conspiracy theory cheese associated with Agent Steel - this is actually a very good speed metal release which offers a mix of high tempo speed metal bangers and mid-tempo traditional metal tunes. After a theatrical spoken intro in the form of 'The Calling', 'Agents of Steel' kicks in. This track was a bit of a hit back in the day, and it's easy to hear why. It's short, simple, aggressive and catchy. It's probably the most conventional track on the album which progresses from more traditionally structured tracks towards more innovative ones with a track like 'Children of the Sun' having an almost Mercyful Fate quality to it and 'Back to Reign' blending Maiden-style metal with a more aggressive approach.

The production is fairly typical of a mid 80s release, which means that you will have to live with the reverb that people overused back then. Fortunately, some restraint has been shown, so the reverb - while there - is not really too bad. Overall, the album actually has a quite rich production. The wongwriting is not quite consistent with some tracks being simplistic and others being more complex, but that just makes for some welcome variation overall. John Cyriis' vocals fall somewhere between a young Geoff Tate and King Diamond; some listeners might find his style too cheesy, but I quite like it. The listener is treated to some pretty good dual guitar lead sections as well as blistering fast thrash metal style guitar solos, and there are actually a lot of pretty cool riffs on this album too, in particular in the midtempo tracks.

I quite like the cover artwork which, with its picture of part of Earth's surface seen from space, combines simplicity with a sense of almost Lovecraftian dread. You know, what could be out there watching... waiting... that sort of stuff. It's not the kind of artwork that you can spend hours looking at of course (unlike, say, "Somewhere in Time" or "Powerslave"), but it fits the lyrical themes of the album pretty well. Also, I mean, the Agent Steel logo is fucking awesome in all its 80s glory, and placing the album title smack in the middle is a bold move as well.

Overall, this is a great speed metal release which should appeal to fans of not only speed metal but also traditional heavy metal and thrash metal as well as early power metal. Younger fans of contemporary retro speed metal should definitely go back and check this one out to. If you find a copy - be it an original one or one of the rereleases (or even a digital copy) - do yourself a favor and grab it.

Time Signature CoVinyl Part 2

So, when I found a 1990 Under One Flag pressing of this album in near mint condition, I had to buy it simply because of the hilarious cover artwork. The cartoonish front cover and the overly 90s back cover just screamed crossover at me.

Crossover it is, but it leans much more towards metal than towards punk. And it's actually pretty good stuff for the most part. The tracks on this album are musically much better than I expected. They are well-performed and well-composed. At times, some of the melodies sound intentionally silly, while at other times the guitarists almost venture into neo-classical virtuosic territory. Apart from the mock ballad 'Woman With The Dirty Feet' (obviously a jab at pretty much every late 80s glam metal ballad ever), all the songs are fast-paced thrashers with a couple if midtempo songs every now and then. There are a couple of punky elements too such as the chorus of 'I Fuck the Violence (And I'm Sure I'm right)' and this balance works very well.

In terms of musicianship and songwriting as such, this is all good stuff. Everything is super tight, and Litza and Popcorn (WFT?!?) are excellent at what they do for sure. The songs are also well-written and much more care has been taken to make the this sound good than one might expect. Production-wise, the album also sounds very good. The guitars have a slight Acid Reign feel to them, and the overall sound packs quite a punch. The vocals aren't great to be honest; they're not terrible either, but I think they might be grating to some listeners. The vocals are delivered with such a thick accent that, without the lyrics sheet, it's pretty much impossible to understand what the hell the guy is saying. And, you know what, the lyrics sheet doesn't help much because the lyrics are for the most part nonsensical (unintentionally, I think), and it doesn't make things better that half of the lyrics are missing for a couple of the songs. While this will probably annoy some listeners, I find it all a bit charming to be honest.

Overall, this is a fun and interesting listen. If you check it out, I think you'll find that it's much better than you might expect, but you may be taken aback by the odd vocals and the chaotic nightmare that is the lyrics (or you might love it to pieces). Still, overall, this is a very good album and it's definitely worth grabbing a copy of it if you come across one - especially if you like early 90s crossover thrash.

Time Signature CoVinyl Part 1

Okay, so I'm one of those people who took up a bunch of new hobbies dirung the covid lockdowns. These include things as diverse as weight lifting, kombucha brewing, and vinyl collecting. One of the first vinyls I bought was Agent Steel's 1986 EP "Mad Locust rising", and I was lucky enough to get an original Music For Nations pressing from 1986 in pretty good condition (that's the European version; in the States, the EP was released on Combat Records). I figured that it would be fun to write a series of reviews of some the albums I amassed during the lockdowns, and this is going to be the first one.

So, this is a short and sweet 12-minute EP containing four tracks, one of which is a cover version of Judas Priest's classic 'The Ripper'; the remaining four are Agent Steel compositions. The opening track 'The Swarm Is Upon Us" is just a very short atmospheric introduction to set the mood for the title track 'Mad Locust Rising', and I gotta say this song is a speed metal banger. It's fast-paced throughout and features some fierce riffing and pretty good vocals by John Cyriis which are reminiscent of a young Geoff Tate. Agent Steel's version of 'The Ripper' is pretty cool too. It's very faithful to the original, but there are Agent Steel elements sprinkled on top. The closing track 'Let It Be Done/The Day At Guyana' is another fierce speed metal attack which, in my opinion, is even better than the title track.

The production is typical of an 80s metal release - in other words, it's pretty well produced, but there is the obligatory reverb on pretty much all instruments and the vocals that haunted many releases back in the day. Fortunately, it's not as bad as with some other 80s releases so it definitely doesnt detract from the overall listening experience. I think the production will spark nostalgia in people who were around in the 80s and curiosity in younger folk who might be more used to more polished releases. The musicianship and the songwriting are both top notch with great riffing and a solid rhythm section, and I particularly like the dynamic structure and the variation that characterizes the closing track.

Overall, this is a pretty sweet EP. Fans of speed metal and old school thrash metal should definitely check it out. This is good stuff.

Time Signature Get ready to get galvanized...

Genre: Death metal

Saddle up because you're in for a ride on the death metal carousel from hell!

After a dark introduction in the form of 'The Sanguine Legacy', the first song proper kicks in, and - oh boy - the listener is immediately treated to death metal mayhem as the song morphs through several different riffs and tempos before the vocals even begin. This emphasis on variation and riffage galore characterizes the entire album which means that things never get boring. The Finnish trio is particularly good at coming up with riffage that combines death metal brutality and punky catchiness. The guitar sound is similar to 90s Carcass while, musically, there is a considerable element of Suffocation inspiration. You can't go wrong with that. There are even bursts of more rock and heavy metal inspired stuff as heard towards the end of 'The Inexorable' and in 'Chthonic Profanation'; not surprisingly, this also works very well.

As already hinted at, the production is rich and brutal and the songwriting is top notch with a nice emphasis on variation. Not surprisingly, we are also dealing with super solid musicianship across the board.

This is a great death metal release. If you like death metal, don't ignore this release. Seriously!

Time Signature Den of the dark metaller...

Genre: thrash metal

A short, sharp shock, this EP contains four tracks all of which fall under the thrash metal umbrella. The EP opens with a super fast thrasher, aptly titled 'Debauchery Over Vatican' which will leave you battered and bruised for the next attack - namely, the midtempo song 'Den of the Dark Sorcerer', probably my favorite on the EP. The heavy 'Onward into...' is a bit of a breather which prepares you for another high speed ramming attack in the form of '... the Abyss'.

The production has a warm and slightly rich tone to it, which suits the aggressive music very well. The instrumentalists Axemaniac, Black Vomit and Evil Eye are masters of speed and manage to stay super tight despite the breakneck tempos. The vocals are on the hysterical side, full of screams and screeches, and suit the music very well. The vocals might be grating to some ears, but I think that fans of blackened thrash will like Lord Violator's singing style.

I gotta say, I had a lot of fun listening to this EP. I'm not sure it's the response intended in listeners, but - heck - this kind of music is good fun to me. I enjoy it a lot. Fast, obnoxious, agressive, Satanic, offensive - Black Hosts' EP "Onward into the Abyss" is a thrash metal gem that any fan of the genre should check out.

Time Signature Chains of metal...

Genre: death metal

Good things come in small packages. That's certainly true of this mini-album by death metallers Hell Strike. The band's four members are death metal veterans and that shows in all six tracks on the mini-album.

The release explodes into the uptempo tremolo-picked madness that is 'Cadaveric Requiem' which eventually slows down and takes on a more Death-like character. This track is followed up by the heavy and doom-laden 'Chains of Frost' and the equally heavy and slightly dissonant 'First Born of Fire' which morphs into a super fast black metal affair towards the end. 'Morbid Abnormality of the Ages' reeks of old school death metal chaos and heaviness while 'Re-Abortion' is another instance of uptempo aggressive tremolo madness. The mini-album concludes with a dark and melancholic doomy instrumental in the form of the truly haunting 'Transylvanian Funeral'.

We are dealing with strong musicianship here and very solid songwriting. The tracks are relatively short, but there are still enough changes and details that the listener gets that musical-journey feeling. The production is unpolished but not completely raw and suits the aggressive music very well. One thing that is a bit grating to my ears, but I totally get why they do it, is the reverbiness of the vocals which generates an atmosphere slightly reminiscent of black metal, thus adding a blackened element to the style as well. So, while it doesn't necessarily appeal to me, it still works in the service of the mini-album as such.

Overall, this is a damn good death metal release. Fans of death metal, in particular old school death metal and blackened death metal, are bound to enjoy Hell Strike's "Hellstrike".

Time Signature The loneliness...

Genre: melodic black metal

I think I've said this a couple of times before, but I am not really an expert in black metal. I acknowledge it as a genre of artistic expression, but I am not able to appreciate all its different subgenres as I lack insight into all the little details and conventions that a true aficionado has. However, every now and then, I happen across a black metal band or maybe just a black metal release that clicks with me.

Wormwood's "Arkivet" is one such release.

While it is rich in many of the tropes that make black metal what it is, such as tremolo-picking, harsh and screetchy vocals, and blastbeats galore, the album has another feature that hits it home with me: melody. That is not to say that I don't like the black metal figures that I just mentioned, because I do, and they work really well on this album. They work so well because they are not just juxtaposed with the melodic elements; the harsh intensity and the melody are intertwined in an unholy union of melancholy.

The melodic element consists in guitar melodies, which are often but not always tremolo-picked, along with the chord progressions themselves. Adding a slightly epic feel are atmospheric keyboards, and in a track like "Ensamheten" there is even some traditional Scandinavian folk instrumentation. In addition, there is the occasional breakdown into mellow clean-guitared sections.

"Ensamheten" is Swedish for "the loneliness", and, if there is one emotion that captures the atmosphere on this album, it's gotta be loneliness. There is a pervasive sense of melancholy on this album, and I guess that, with covid and lock-downs and all that, this sense of loneliness and desparation makes this album even more relevant. I'd say that we are not dealing with the typical type of self-pitying attitude that characterizes much melancholic black metal. This is bigger than that. This is about humanity itself. No, seriously, it is; just check out the lyrics. While personal suffering is tragic, the suffering of humanity does raise the stakes just a bit.

I think the songwriting is really good as is the musicianship. We are dealing with a band of musicians who are not afraid of letting melodic sensibilities not just shine through but be the fundament of a black metal release. We are even treated to some pretty good almost rock-like guitar solos every now and then which go well together with the melancholic in-built harmonies that characterize the entire album. The compositions are dynamic with changes and shifts where necessary and lack thereof where necessary. This means that there is a nice blend of black metal hypnoticity and interesting dynamicity.

Not surprisingly, I think this is a great black metal album. It immediately made it into my top ten of black metal albums (for what it's worth, of course, seeing that I'm not a trve kvlt gvy). Fans of melodic, melancholic, folky, and maybe even epic and symphonic black metal should find this a very intriguing listen. It is also likely to appeal tp people who are looking for a gateway into black metal.

Time Signature Keep the metal alive...

Genre: traditional heavy metal with power metal elements

Take the best of two eras of traditional heavy metal (i.e. the 80s and the 2010s) and throw in some power metal epicness, and the result is very likely to be Sonic Haven's "Vagabond". The album is a masterclass i strong songwriting and how to use melody in a metal context.

The albums opens with a bang in the form of the uptempo title track which combines power metal sensibilities with a 'Kill the King'-vibe. The following track 'Back to Mad' is a midtempo melodic metal track with modern metal elements and some neat Priest-esque riffage. 'Nightmares' similarly draws on solid riffage and brings in a slight atmospheric orientation in the verses neatly juxtaposed with a super catchy chorus. 'Keep the Flame Alive' is a midtempo ballad which takes on a symphonico-epic nature; rich in guitar harmonies, the song also exploits the dynamics of rising and falling intensity. 'End of the World' is another epic song with power metal undercurrents and a catchy chorus. The next track, 'The Darker Side' is a more brooding and heavy affair which contrasts nicely with the more uplifting nature of the overall feel of the album. 'I Believe', a super melodic power metal track, is pretty much the polar opposite of 'The Darker Side'. 'Save the Best for Last' is another epic ballad. Unlike 'Keep the Flame Alive', this one is a bit too cheesy for my taste, and I much prefer the following track, 'Blind the Enemy' which is an uptempo power metal track which even contains elements that are slightly reminiscent of the very early days of Metallica. Along with 'The Darker Side', this is probably my favorite track on the album. The two last tracks are enjoyable, cathcy and slightly epic too.

The songwriting on the album is characterized by a melodic sensibility and a deep understanding of the magic of hooks. Overall, there is a slight sense of epicness to the album, but it rarely goes overboard into cheeseland. The musiciansip is also top notch, as listeners are treated to tasty guitar solos, captivating twin guitar melodies, and rock solid drumming. Herbie Langhans' vocals are slightly raspy and more oriented towards rock 'n' roll than epic power metal, but it actually works quite well as it is in line with the more old scholl heavy metal components of the album.

Sonic Haven's "Vagabond" seamlessly balances the melodic and epic feel of power metal with the magic of 80s metal riffage. Overall, we are dealing with a very catchy album which should appeal to fans of old school heavy metal along with contemporary melodic power metal enthusiasts.

Time Signature Nothing to lose...

Genre: thrash metal

Remember when thrash metal was political? Well, those days are not gone? Enter Crawling Manifest's "Radical Absolution".

We are dealing with pretty old school thrash metal with roots back to the more aggressive side of the scene in the 1980s. Thus, the listener is treated to fast beats and bobbing midtempo sections, razor sharp riffage and harsh vocals. The opener is an ominous instrumental, which is followed by the aggressive thrasher 'World War III' and the even more aggressive 'Nothing to Lose'. 'Right to Refrain Silence' is a midtempo, mosh-friendly affair, and 'Radical Absolution' is slightly reminiscent of pre-"Rust In Peace" Megadeth. 'Blood Born' is a heavier affair which draws considerably on hardcore influences along the lines of Agnostic Front. This might also be the most modern-sounding track on the album as the remaining two tracks take us back to more 80s-inspired material again. Lyrically, Crawling Manifest take us back to the day when thrash metal lyrics were political and, while addressing contemporary issues, there isn't far between this album and the lyrical themes found on 80s thrash metal classics. We have 'World War III' criticizing "politicians covered in green", 'Right to Refrain Silence' which decries how "justice for all is now in atrophy", and 'Revolution'. In a way, the lyrics capture the insane political landscape of the world these days pretty well, and wrapt it all in thrashy anger.

The songs are well composed and dynamic enough not to get boring. The production is a bit rough and reminds me of a well-produced 90s demo-tape (and that's definitely charming). This fits the aggressive music pretty well actually although I can imagine that the first couple of tracks might be grating to listeners who are accustomed to the more polished sound of much contemporary metal. Personally, I do like the production though. As mentioned it fits the music quite well.

Fans of old school thrash metal are bound to enjoy this album.

Time Signature First world problems...

Genre: power-thrash

Among the pioneers of the power-thrash genre, Nothing Sacred have had an on-off career since the early 80s. After a hiatus of a couple of years, the band reactivated in 2015 and have been in an on-phase since. This has culminated in their second full-length album "No Gods" which is to be released in July 2021.

This is a pretty solid effort that combines the uptempo-based aggression of old-school thrash metal with the melodic sensibilities of traditional 80s metal. The opening track is a good example of the style that represents the album, starting out with a crushing midtempo riff and then exploding into a fast thrasher whose chorus is considerably melodic vocals-wise and whose bridge is groovy as fuck. You see, there is a considerable element of groove on this album as well without it veering into 90s groove metal territory of boredom (some examples of more groove-oriented elements are the bridge of 'Cult', the drive of 'Virus', part of the verse of 'First World Problems' and - of course - the slightly sludgy 'Stoner'). There are plenty of strong guitar riffs and rock solid drum beats as well as some pretty sweet melodic guitar solos. While looking back at the 80s and the 90s, the album does also have a slightly modern edge to it, and listeners might detect a slight melodeath feel to some of the riffage (this can arguably be heard in a long like 'Ice', for instance).

The production is pretty well defined without being overly polished. It suits the musical style quite well with its balance between retro tropes and more modern elements. The album is characterized by songwriting which, while not super innovative, reveals a strong ability to balance the main components of the band's style (i.e. the groove, the melody, and the aggression). Likewise, the musicianship is admirable across the board. I particularly enjoy the drumming and the guitar solos which are facemelters, but not wanky in any way. Singer James Davies' has more of a rock-oriented singing style than onay might expect from a thrash album; actually, he sounds a lot like Eric Wagner from Trouble and my dad (that's actually true!). It might take some getting used to (in particular for me, because it sounds like my dad fronting a thrash metal band), but it actually works quite well. Thumbs up from me.

The blend of new and old on this album reminds me of the two Judal Priest albums that featured Ripper Owens on vocals. This is not a diss. I actually really like those two albums, so take it as a complement. Fans of more recent releases by Artillery, Helstar, Judas Priest, Death Angel, Overkill and Sacred Reich should find this album to be to their liking, I think. Overall, if you are a fan of US power metal, more melodic thrash metal and, of course, power-thrash, you should check this album out.

Time Signature In the eye of the metal storm...

Genre: Old school heavy metal

Among the pioneers of the Danish metal scene, Witch Cross sadly never rose to the same level of fame as their contemporaries Mercyful Fate, and the band's history has been an on-off one. Regardless, they are a pretty damn good band, and their most recent offering "Angel of Death" (released today!) is the living proof of that.

Combining melodicism with 80s metal tropes and an overall rock-n-rollness (and even a slight pinch of power metal), the album is an enjoyable listen from beginning to end. From the dark and ominous, yet hauntingly beautiful, instrumental 'Tempus Mori Est' to the closing Saxonesque 'Warrior', the listener is treated to a cornucopia of straight up heavy metal. Among my favorite tracks are 'Phoenix Fire' with its twin guitars and epic chorus, the heavy 'Marauders', the doomy 'Siren's Song' and the epic 'Eye of the Storm'. Hell, I even like the ballad 'The Chosen One'.

The songwriting is impeccable as these guys understand how to write old school 80s metal and utilize the tropes of the genre in an authentic way, from Maidenesque twin guitars over Priest-like motorcycle riffage to bursts of AC/DC-inspired sections here and there. The musicianship is also top notch (and one of the guys even knows how to play the glockenspiel - so why not use it in a song, right?) with solid wankery-less instrumental work across the board. I also quite like Kev Moore's voice which falls somewhere in between Ozzy and "Down Fall the Good Guys"-era Blaze Bayley (and that's a compliment, because I really like Blaze Bayley's work on that album).

Fans of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Saxon, Accept, Running Wild and other classic 80s metal bands should find the latest full-length effort by Witch Cross a very enjoyable listen for sure. Also, yeah, makes me feel a bit of national pride. Not gonna lie about that.

Time Signature Traversing...

Genre: Progressive death metal

Okay, so this is death metal for sure, but it's not your old school dirty and primitive death metal. This is progressive death metal. Now, before you start thinking Atheist or Obscura or maybe artists from the more tech death metal side of things, I'm going to have to stop you. While there are definitely influences from Atheist and early Cynic on this album, that's still not the type of progressivity we're referring to here. It's more along the lines of pre-melodeath At The Gates - you know, weird shit.

Now, don't get me wrong. Weird shit is good.

This album is a tour de force in avant-garde and artistic death metal, reminding us that this genre can also appeal to the proverbial thinking man. The compositions are complex and justapose insane blastbeat sections with melancholic and, at times, almost psychedelic sections. Oscillating back and forth between introverted shoegazing sections and explosive aggression, the album takes the listener on a challenging musical journey through Cynic-like athmospheric sections over Deathspell Omega-ish dissonance to near-chaotic noise rock landscapes.

More of a challenging listen than a kick-ass album, "Lost on void's Horizon" is a clinic in death metal artistry and fans of progressive and avant-garde extreme metal should find it very appealing.

Time Signature Satan is a traditionalist...

Genre: Traditional heavy metal

Yeah, okay, I have a weakness for old school 80s metal! And that's exactly the style that the guys in Lucifer's Hammer have adopted, so obviously I was an instant fan upon first listen.

The opening track 'The Oppression' starts out with what can best be described as an homage to Maiden's 'Where Eagles Dare' and then we're off to a good start in the form of a well-composed and well-performed old school metal song which quickly changes from a midtempo gallop song into an uptempo affair. The album is actually fairly well balanced in terms of tempo with tracks like 'The Oprression', 'The Forest of Tar Tac' and 'Winds of Destiny' being faster peices while 'Illusion' and 'Land of Fire' are midtempo rockers, and 'All Stories Come to an End' and 'I Believe in You' are slower and heavier. All songs are very well composed and there is a clear emphasis on melody, and the tropes of 80s heavy metal are clearly treated with love and respect.

The production is very good. It does have a retrospective feel to it, but is happily free of the reverb that otherwise cheracterized a lot of 80s metal releases. The production actually reminds me a bit of Brats' "1980" album. Lucifer's Hammer are not only good songwriters. They are also good musicians showcasing great musicianship without ever getting wanky or anything like that (I will say that there is a bridge in 'I Believe in You' that for some reason reminds me of Rush - maybe because the bass is given a prominent place in the overall production of the album). There are some really great guitar solos in the vein of Dave Murray on the album as well as twin harmony lead guitar melodies. The vocals might take some getting used to though, but once they get under your skin, it's hard to imagine another singer fronting this band.

In my opinion, this is a near-masterpiece of retro metal, but remember that I'm generally biased when it comes to this genre. Fans of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, King Diamond, Stormwitch, Accept and Running Wild shouuld find this album a very enjoyable listen.

Time Signature What the metal may tell...

Genre: Blackened thrash metal

Mongrel's Cross have always been good at balancing black metal and thrash metal in a way that highlights elements from both genres. This was true of their previous releases, and it's also true of this release.

The album basically has a cold opening, as the opening track 'Suffer the Witch to Live' starts bang on (actually, all the songs have cold openings). Starting out as a midtempo affair, the song explodes right into a blastbeat-centric black metal section. Throughout it running time, the song changes back and forth in tempo and in style, oscillating between black metal and thrash metal. This dynamic characterizes the entire album and is one of the things that make it a particularly enjoyable listen to me. Another thing that I appreciate is that, while dark and aggressive, the compositions are also inherently very melodic in that many of the black metal sections will have built-in harmonies or tremolo-picked lead melodies on top of the riffs. The guitar solos are also mostly melodic although there are some elements of shredding in there as well. 'Fate of the Grail PT I' is a very good example of this melodicism although it is pretty much a characteristic of all the songs.

The production is crisp and actually quite bottom-heavy for a black metal-adjacent release, and the musicianship and songwriting also come across favorably. I can imagine that some listeners might find the screechy vocals a tad grating or cartoony, but maybe black metal fans will appreciate it. I personally don't have a problem with it although I admit that it does take some getting used to.

Overall, this is another solid effort by Mongrel's Cross and it's recommended to fans of thrash metal and melodic black metal alike.

Time Signature Emerging from the depths of death...

Genre: death metal

You know, sometimes you just want some punch-you-in-the-face and no-questions-asked death metal. And, when you feel like that, Skelethal are the guys to see.

Their 2020-release "Unveiling the Threshold" is a lesson in the power of old school death metal. Rich in brutal riffage and awesome thrash-derived drumbeats, the album kicks your butt from beginning to end. The bottom-heavy production that seems to fall somewhere between the Stockhold sound and the Florida sound, both of which were prominent on the scene in the 1990s, only only makes things even better. The compositions are not overly complex but not simplistic either. Each track contains several riffs and sections, and high-tempo sections are effectively juxtaposed with midtempo moshing-friendly passages. In addition to the thrashy drumbeats, blastbeats are also incorporated, some of which seem inspired by Mike Smith of Suffocation fame, while others are your more standard type of blastbeat popularized by Napalm Death ex-drummer Mick Harris. On top of that, there is even some very cool ride bell work (as heard in 'Repulsive Recollections'). While I really like all tracks, I would say that 'Cave Dwellers' is my favorite, as it explodes into a chaotic sounding blastbeat section and then morphs into an almost crusty-punky affair with grindcore overtones. Nice!

Fans of old school death metal must not miss out on this release. It's perhaps not particularly innovative, but it's still fucking awesome!

Time Signature Welcome back to the wasteland...

Genre: "crustover" thrash

Last year, in the middle of a pandemic wreaking havoc on the world, Children of Technology released their third album "Written Destiny". Their entire spiel has always been a road warrior-like post-apocalyptic concept, so I guess the timing couldn't be better.

The album is a short sharp shock featuring eight tracks, the song lengths falling between 2:41 and 5:39. In other words, they are not too long and not too short, and that's just perfect for Children of Technology's crust-punk infused style of crossover thrash metal. Pretty much all of the tracks are fast-paced and combine thrash-style fast picking with punky chord ripping, and this works really well, I think. Whether deliberate or not, there are even some elements on this album that are reminiscent of very early thrash metal along the lines of "Kill 'Em All" (think 'Motorbreath', 'Whiplash' or 'Phantom Lord'). Fans of old school punk and hardcore style breakdowns will also enjoy this album as there are plenty of those (but none of that metalcore breakdown stuff that was so popular a couple of years ago).

Energetic and aggressive, the compositions are not chaotic though but come across as rather meticulously structured. The production is not really lo-fi either, meaning that fans of more tech and polished thrash metal might find this album to be a gateway into the dirtier and punkier subworld of the genre. The vocals are more like a mix of yells and screams than singing or growling, and the lead guitars range from archetypical thrash metal histrionics to being quite melodic at time, which is nice.

Fans of dirty crossover thrash and hardcore punk (and Mad Max!) should find this album very enjoyable.

Time Signature Round and round and round

Genre: New Wave of Heavy Rock 'n' Roll

There's retro and then there's retro. Deadwolff are all out retro - so much so that, if I didn't know better, I might think that I was listening to a demo tape by some underground metal band from 1983 or something like that. Even their image, with their mullets and moustaches, has early 80s rock written all over it.

Musically, we are dealing with a blend of early 80s traditional heavy metal and hard rock. The band have dubbed this style New Wave of Heavy Rock 'n' Roll, and I guess that is a fitting label. The songs are pretty simple hard rockers for sure, and definitely very enjoyable. They are reminiscent of a lot of the obscure releases that came out of the UK in the late 70s and early 80s as part of NWoBHM. While all the tracks are pretty good, I think my favorite is "Pedal to the Metal" which combines a slightly punky edge with a catchy guitar melody (it reminds me a bit of some of the tracks from Brats' "1980").

The production is rough and unpolished, emulating the sonic appearance of a demo tape. As someone who was involved in the Danish underground extreme metal music scene in the 1990s when we still did make demo tapes, I really do appreciate this. Also, we're not talking black metal style lo-fi production, but rather a late 70s or early 80s style production, so it shouldn't be too harsh to listeners who grew up with the more pristine production style of 2000s metal. The musicianship comes across unpolished but full of potential. That might be a conscious choice by the band, as it fits the concept of Deadwolff very well.

This eponymous EP by Deadwolff is a very enjoyable listen in my opinion. Yes, it's overly retro. Yes, it has a deliberately unpolished production. Yes, it revisits a path trodden in the late 70s and early 80s. Yes, it picks up on all the tropes. But it's not the Sharknado of metal music, because Sharknado is so bad it's good. Deadwolff is so good it's good.

Time Signature The heart of a lion beats in this chest...

Genre: traditional heavy metal

Okay, so the band is called Bloodsport, and their previous release "Kumite Attack" was based on the classic eponymous martial arts movie starring none other than JCVD himself. On this release, "Lethal Tender", Bloodsport stick to the JCVD theme, but, this time, the tracks are inspired by another JVC classic - namely, "Lionheart".

The two tracks on the EP are perhaps best described as retro heavy metal with a power metal edge and even some speed metal thrown in. The title track is actually pretty cool, starting out as more of a power metal track, then morphing into an old school heavy metal affair. After some rounds of solid heavy metal riffage, there is a very cool breakdown in the style of late 80s and early 90s Running Wild; this is followed by a speed metal section akin to "Kill 'Em All" era Metallica with a blistering guitar solo on top. Then it's back to a verse and a chorus. Seriously, I think this is a really well composed track. "Lion's Den" is more of an uptempo track. While the main feel is more uptempo 80s metal, I'd say that it is really a combination of North American power metal and early 80s speed/thrash metal (there's even a punky bridge which took me by surprise but which I bought hook, line, and sinker).

The production is tight and, while the band seem to have applied a bit of the reverby production that characterized late 80s metal, the production is mostly modern. The musicianship is impeccable (including the vocals which are rich in 80s metal screams and things like that), and the songwriting is a tour de force of 80s metal genre tropes done right.

While devoting and entire band to JCVD might seem a bit silly (not to me though - I gew up with his movies!), the music is actually pretty awesome. Fans of 80s metal, speed metal, and North American power metal alike should find this an enjoyable listen. Here's hoping that Bloodsport's next release will be based on JCVD's role as the evil Ivan Kraschinsky in "No Retreat, No Surrender".

Time Signature Brace for impact...

Genre: power thrash

Thrash metal veterans Flotsam and Jetsam have always explored the more melodic end of thrash metal, which has resulted in several revered and classic releases.

This trend is continued on the band's 2021 effort "Blood In The Water" which stylistically falls somewhere between thrash metal and North American power metal. Tracks like 'Blood in the Water', 'Brace for Impact', 'The Wicked Hour', and 'Grey Dragon' contain fast and aggressive thrashy parts while others, like 'The Walls' and the ballady 'Cry for the Dead', are solid midtempo power metal tracks with plenty of catchy vocal hooks. What unifies the album is the use of quite melodic vocals and guitar leads as well as a crushingly tight production.

The musicianship and songwriting are both top notch, treating the listener to compositions that combine reakneck thrash metal riffage with power metal melodicism spiced up with twin guitar leads and some absolutely amazing guitar solos.

Fans of both melodic thrash metal and more hard-hitting North American power metal are bound to enjoy this release.

Time Signature The future of metal?

Genre: modern metal / power metal / thrash metal

Japanese rock band Nemophila pretty much kicked Youtube's metal community's ass when they released a reheasal version of the track 'Oiran' whose heaviness and sheer brutality caused thousands of jaws to hit the floor all over the world. Eventually, the band released the three-track EP "Oiran" which, in addition to the title track, features 'Monsters' and 'Life'.

'Oiran' is a modern metal track that combines thrash metal with incluences from metalcore such as breakdowns and down-tuned guitars - and don't worry, we're not talking lame-ass trite breakdowns. Right from the get-go, we're treated to aggressive riffage, a superb rhythm section, excellent lead guitars, and absolutely magnificent vocals that combine aggressive screams with melodic rock belting. Seriously, this is probably one of the best - if not the best - metal track to emerge from the Jrock scene (a scene which seems to generally be thriving very well). The song is well-performed and well-produced. It's aggressive as hell and catchy as fuck.

'Monster's is more of a power metal track with modern synth elements. It's definitely a great track, while not as ass-kicking as the title track. It's well -composed and features some great guitar solos as well as what I interpret as direct influences from 80s Helloween.

'Life' is more of a ballad with considerable pop-leanings and a very epic feel. It's my least favorite track on the album, but I still enjoy it. There's just no denying that it's a well-crafted song, and, if pop leanings are to be inserted into metal, I think this is the way to do it.

Nemophila's great level of musicianshop shines through with Saki and Hazuki's rhythm and lead guitar work being very impressive, while Muratamu is one of the best drummers out there. Haraguchi-san's solid bass work binds everything together, and vocalist Mayu has an absolutely amazing voice: she can scream, belt and sing clean, and it all sounds great. Just check her out on 'Oiran'. The song owes 50% of its greatness to her voice. These ladies know their way around their instruments!

If you're up for a lesson in the versatility of metal, check out this release.

[review originally posted at ProgFreak]

Time Signature Re-inventing boredom...

Okay, so I figured I'd give Tate's band Operation: Mindcrime a chance.

I shouldn't have done that.

This album is really boring, and, whenever things seem to actually get interesting, everything quickly collapses back into utter blandness. The problem is that the band's style comes across as a pale imitation of 90s alternative rock - injected with a dose of pretentiousness in a failed attempt at invoking a sense of sophistication. There seems to be a lot of looking back to Queensrÿche's subdued and dark classic "The Promised Land" without really managing to replicate the genius of that release.

Most tracks do absolutely nothing for me other than make me thankful for Tate's split with Queensrÿche and the way that it reinvigorated Queensrÿche.

"The Key" has some redeeming features though.

'Re-Inventing the Future' has its moments. I like the use of twin guitars as a vehicle of delivering the main theme, and there are glimpses of a more glorious past every now and then in Tate's singing. 'Ready to Fly' starts out promising with a catchy groovy riff, but quickly devolves into a sub-par attempt at emulating the atmosphere of "The Promised Land". I like the keyboard solo though. Another groovy track 'The Stranger' goes through a very similar journey: a strong groovy opening riff and then a descent into utter boredom. Here, however, rather than emulating a previous Queensrÿche album, it sounds like Tate & co try to sound a bit like a nu metal band. The highlights are 'Hearing Voices', 'An Ambush of Sadness', and 'The Fall' all of which are pretty decent songs. Oh yeah, and while a boring dark ballad, 'On Queue' at least has a nice saxophone solo in it.

There's nothing really interesting about the compositions on the album, although there are some decent moments as mentioned above. The musicianship is solid to be sure. Tate can still sing, but he's merely a shadow of his former self. It's hard to imaging that this is the same vocalist whose voice soared like an eagle on the first four Queensrÿche releases. It's really kinda sad to be honest.

Overall, this is an incredibly boring album. It sounds like run-of-the-mill alternative rock from the 90s and really just reminds me of "Hear in the Now Frontier" which I find to be an incredibly sad and boring album too - but at least that's a 90s album trying to sound like mainstream 90s music. If you like alternative rock, then maybe you'll enjoy this album. I certainly don't enjoy it. It bores me. It makes me sad.

Time Signature They still rock...

Shakra's latest album "Mad World" marks their 25th anniversary and, if anything, this album show that they still rock.

Roaming the transition region between hard rock and traditional heavy metal, Shakra offers up solid rockers, rich in melody, groove, power, and catchiness. It may be old-man rock, but it's tasty old-man rock with crispy guitar riffs, powerful drumming and rocking guitar solos that hit the spot. Overall, the music on the album is uplifting and full of energy and extremely enjoyable. Just check out the catchy title track 'Mad World', the high energy opener 'Fireline', or groovy 'When He Comes Around'.

The production is crisp, and neither the musicianship nor the production has any flaws. I can imagine that some people might find Mark Fox' slightly raspy vocals a bit annoying, but I really can't imagine any other singing style being a better fit for the music on this album (also, his voice reminds me of my dad's rock 'n' roll singing voice, because - yes - my old man is a rock singer, how cool is that?). Of course, that means that Mark Fox scores a couple of extra points from me.

To be honest, I was on the fence about giving this album 4 stars, but, heck, I enjoy listenening to it so much that I think that 3.5 is just too cheap! Listening to this album equals a mighty good time.

Time Signature Metal house...

Canadian metal legends Anvil have another album for you in the form of the weed-celebrating "Legal at Last".

Musically, we are dealing with old school heavy metal falling somewhere between Motörhead and Black Sabbath, with tracks like 'Legal at Last' and 'Chemtrails' being reminiscent of the former and 'Plastic in Paradise' and 'Said and Done' leaning towards the latter. Shying away from any type of sophistication, Anvil's main contribution on this album to the universe of rock lies in simple, but not simplistic (because there are a couple of tempo shifts and things like that), hard rocking metal songs revolving around solid and dynamic drumming coupled with balls-out rocking riffs. Oh, and there's a bass too.

This is not an album where Anvil reinvent themselves, and some might criticize their lyrics for being banal, but these old boys have something to say, and so - let them say it. Personally, I don't really care about weed and things like that, but if that's important to Anvil, let them write songs about it. In terms of the music on the release, the album is pretty good, I think: booming metal by boomers, I guess.

In sum, there's not much new under the sun on this album, but if you enjoy old school rock 'n' rolling heavy metak, you're bound to have a good time listening to Anvil's "Legal at Last".

Time Signature Healthy viking cheese...

Tapping into the mythology of their Scandinavian heritage, Swedish Brothers of Metal recently released their second full-length in the form of "Emblas Saga". The album is a tour de force of epic folk-power metal.

The opening track is more of a spoken word introduction, setting the scene for the rest of the album. Fans of Manowar's 'The Warrior's Prayer' will probably like this introduction, because it has a similar atmosphere to it. It's too cheesy for my taste, and when I first heard this track, I expected the album to be your typical Euro-trash cheesy power metal.

Thankfully, my expectations were subverted, because there is almost nothing wrong with the music on this album.

It is larger than life, to be sure, and has that European power metal feel to it. However, Brothers of Metal never o overboard and manage to strike an almost perfect balance between the powerful metal sensibility of older power metal (think Running Wild and Helloween) and the over-the-top approach of contemporary European power metal. Personally, I particularly like how Brothers of Metal inject old school traditional metal into their style. I mean 'Chain Breaker' might as well have been a Judas Priest song, and 'Powersnake' vaguely reminds me of Maiden's 'Blood Brothers'.

There is an underlying folk metal feel to this album, but rather than throwing everything and a million kitchen sinks in here, Brothers of Metal mostly distil their folksy side to essential melodies, many of which - while super catchy - also inherit the melancholy of traditional Scandinavian folk music. There are occasional bursts of folk instrumentation that are both in a dynamic contrast to and a relation of coherence with the power metal side of the album.

It's not the case that the album is totally cheese-free. You can't have European power metal without some cheese. I mean that's like ordering a double cheese burger without cheese. There's plenty of cheese, but it's good cheese with healthy fats and all that. Many of the song openings take on a slightly-over-the-top epic and folky nature but it's not ridiculously indulgent. If you want an example of good cheese, just listen to 'Theft of the Hammer' which is the musical version of a quality burger with a grass-fed beef paddy, double cheedar, extra goat's cheese, and lots of relish. It has several vocal layers, a sympbonic feel, and is overly epic, but it works. For another quality cheeseburger, check out the closing track 'To the Skies and Beyond' which is in may ways the perfect conclusion to this album. Most of the songs on this album feature epic elements, but it never goes awry.

One thing that doesn't work for me is the gruff viking-style semi-spoken vocal style that one of the male vocalists utilize; in fact, I would be perfectly satisfied if Ylva Eriksson took care of all the lead singing. But that's just me. I can see how the male vocals do fit into a viken-esque style of metal. In terms of musicianship, there's nothing wrong with the album. There are some pretty amazing guitar solos to enjoy, and plenty of kick-ass metal riffage. Ylva Eriksson has a voice that suits this style of music perfectly, and delivers some outright beatiful singing in the opening of the title track. The production is crisp, professional and epic.

I was surprised at how much I actually enjoyed listening to this album, given that I normally find folk metal, viking metal, and contemporary European power metal in general to be a tad silly. Maybe it's the songwriting displayed on this album, or maybe it's the musicianship. Could be the catchy choruses and compelling vocal melodies. Perhaps the production. Or maybe Brothers of Metal simply appeal to my own Scandinavian heritage in a way that connects with my inner viking. Who know? I just know that I like this album... which I totally didn't expect.

I tip my viking helmet to you, Brothers of Metal. Well played, brothers and sisters, well played.

Time Signature MMA Reviewer's Challenge: September 2016

Black metal has come a long way, and today's black metal landscape ranges from the raw and filthy end (e.g. Bahimiron and Nadiwrath) over the brutal variety (e.g. Svarttjern and Tsjuder) and the melodic variety (e.g. Darkenhöld and Denial of God) to the more elaborate and artsy end, where we find symphonic acts, such as Dimmu Borgir and Carach Angren, progressive acts, such as Enslaved, and avant-garde acts, such as Total Negation and Chryst. Oblomov's debut album "Mighty Cosmic Dance" belongs to the more artsy end of the black metal spectrum without being either avant-garde or weird.

The album opens with a spacey synth-based instrumental intro which explodes into 'Mentality Failure', and for a second, one might think that this is just going to be another black metal blastbeat-fest, but the song quickly goes down a path of variation and melody and culminates in an almost epic keyboard-enhanced final passage. The following track, 'Redefinition of the Past' opens with an extremely melodic section, which has more in common with traditional metal than black metal, but takes on a slightly more doom metal character for a while, before the tempo increases, as the song morphs into a blend of black metal and melodic thrash metal. By now, it is clear to the listener that Oblomov are not one of those black metal bands who only use two or three riffs, but a band who embraces variation.

The two first tracks are not bad at all, but it is only with 'Lost Between Emotions' that things get really interesting. In addition to the already varied and melodic style of Oblomov, this song features a really cool saxophone lead and even concludes with a very original combination of aggressive metal guitars and a folksy flute. At times bordering on the symphonic, the next track 'Starsend' also features a really cool saxophone lead and an epic choir. While less experimental, 'The Plague' is nonetheless also quite a musical experience.

After the sublime experience that is the triumvirate of 'Lost Between Emotions', 'Starsend', and 'The Blague', the heavier 'Nostalgic Idealization' feels a bit like a slowly deflating balloon, and 'Dreamworks' continues this trend. In all fairness, however, the latter features a very nice breakdown and subsequent instrumental section which together do blow a bit of air back into the balloon before the album is concluded by an outro which, like the intro, is a spacey synth-based instrumental.

The primary generator of melody is the band's use of melodic leads, be it guitar leads, saxophone leads or keyboard leads, but there are several instances where the riffs themselves seem to be inherently melodic. This is definitely something a person like me, who admittedly has never learned to appreciate the more barren and raw genres of black metal, can get behind. Moreover, I really like how much variation there is on this album, and it is clear that the band had a real artistic vision when they made this album. However, the things that I appreciate about "Mighty Cosmic Dances" are likely, I think, to be features that many black metal fans will reject. The variation might be seen as unfocused and the melodic orientation as poppy, and, overall, the album is probably as non-kvlt as can be. Thant again, who gives a fuck about that? But, even though I have a lot of appreciation for the album, it is not an album that I love without reservation. The high point is definitely the sublime triumvirate of 'Lost Between Emotions'/'Starsend'/'The Plague', but after that, the album quickly loses its energy and, sadly, limps out the backdoor.

Still, it's not a bad album, and I can see myself listening to some of the songs repeatedly in the future, but it is probably not an album I will listen to from beginning to end very many times.

Time Signature Enter the "medevil" times

Genre: traditional metal / US power metal

Enter Medevil from Chilliwack in Canada. Their debut album "Conductor of Storms" is to be released on August 2016 by the band themselves.

Stylistically, "Conductor of Storms" combines traditional metal with US power metal, peppering it with a bit of thrash metal. The listener is treated to classic-sounding heavy metal riffs packaged into compositions that slightly update the traditional metal sound and add the oomph of US power metal, which is especially present in 'Nightwalk' and 'Machination Factory' as well as in 'Escape'. 'A Sacrifice' is more of traditional metal track, rich in guitar harmonies and galloping rhythms. A very good example of the thrashier side of the album is 'An Empty Glass' which falls is more of a power-thrash affair. 'In the Distance' is an instrumental which strikes me as being almost cautious compared to the rest of the album. In a way, that does create an interesting sense of dynamics. The ballad 'The Angel of Rain' deviates even more, as it appears to be considerably inspired by 90s alternative rock. That's not a bad thing. It's just different. The magnum opus on the album is the epic 12-minute track 'The Fabled Uxoricide' in which Medevil venture unscathed deep into progressive territory, treating us to twists and turns as well as complex layers of harmonies and melodies.

The production is pretty good, and the sound is round and warm rather than sharp and cold. The guys in the band display solid songwriting skills and an admirable level of musicianship across the board. Liam Collingwood's vocals might be an acquired taste, but, seeing that his voice sounds like a blend of Udo Dirkschneider, Mark "The Shark" Shelton, and Biff Byford, there's no doubt that hi singing style suits this kind of music very well.

Overall, "Conductor of Storms" is a pretty strong debut album indicating that this band has great talent and great potential. Fans of traditional metal as well as US power metal should definitely invest in this album. It is definitely an album I will listen to again.

Time Signature Where groove meets melody...

Genre: melodic modern metal

Dead Earth Politics have chosen to release their material in small packages, this being the most recent in a string of EPs and just one full-length effort. Well, I guess the principle that good things come in small packages applies here.

The listener is treated to five tracks which, true to Dead Earth Politics' style, combine melodic elements from traditional metal with groove metal and a tad of thrash metal. All five tracks are considerably melodic and, rather than just churning out one pentatonic riff after another, Dead Earth Politics deploy melodic twin guitars and somewhat sophisticated song structures. Just check out 'Balancing the Broken Scales' or 'Wretched Things'. The choruses are also very melodic and have a certain sing-along appeal. In fact, while there are groovy elements, this EP has much more in common with both traditional metal and melodic modern metal than your stereotypical groove metal.

For a self-released EP, the production is very good, and professionalism emanates from the release. The songwriting displayed on the album is top notch, and the band's affinity for melody is particularly attractive. The vocals have a dark feel to them and are perhaps best described as falling somewhere between black album era James Hetfield and "Draconian Times" Nick Holmes peppered with a couple of growls and screams.

I was very positively surprised with this EP. Fans of melodic modern metal should definitely check this one out.

Time Signature Carnivorous forest...

Genre: death-thrash / power-thrash / groove metal

Sludgehammer are not, despite what their name might indicate, a sludge metal band. They are a thrash metal band, and "The Fallen Sun" is their debut full-length album.

Stylistically, Sludgehammer's music combines power-thrash and death-thrash, sprinkling it with groove metal influences every now and then. On paper, this might sound like a blend that doesn't work, but in practice, it works very well. Sludgehammer seamlessly combine fast and aggressive thrash metal riffage with more melodic guitar figures (some of which even venture into traditional metal territory - 'Carrion Eater' even has sequences that sound like Slough Feg), and this blend is reflected in the vocals, which are a combination of guttural growls and a more melodic rock or traditional metal singing style. It may take a couple of listens for this to sink in, but the two singing styles actually complement each other very well. Drawing on influences from the likes of Lamb of God, Sludgehammer's brand of thrash metal is riff-centric, and their riffs work to great effect.

The guys in Sludgehammer are very proficient musicians and skilled songsmiths. The guitar solos in particular are very good without being show-offy. The production is pretty crisp and well defined which suits the music itself very well.

This is a very strong debut album and it should appeal to most fans of thrash metal who don't mind a bit of melody, a bit of groove, and a lot of brutality.

Time Signature Brotherhood of the midnight sun...

Genre: crossover

"Snake Church" is the latest offering from the crossover band Ringworm. This being their seventh full-length effort (in addition to countless underground releases) from a band that was formed in 1991, one might expect to hear inklings of fatigue on the album.

Well, if that's what you expect, you're wrong. From beginning to end "Snake Curch" is an onslaught of aggressive and angry crossover thrash which - to my ears - leans a bit more to the hardcore side than to the thrash side. The listener is bombarded with uptempo simple, but effective, guitar riffs accompanied by fast drums and a crunchy bass. The barrages of aggressive speed are punctuated by well-timed heavy hardcore-style breakdowns which re as moshing-inviting as anything can be.

The production is pretty good, with the guitars being crunchy, yet well-defined, and the drums packing a wallop (in particular the bass drum is like a kick in the guts). The songs themselves are relatively short but still long enough that the listener can get into the groove. Admittedly, there is not too much variation on the album, and the angrily yelled vocals do not add much melody either (the guitar solos are very melodic though). Then again, that's not the point of this album. This album is all about aggression and energy. And, in that department, it delivers.

While probably not something that appeals to all metalheads, those of you who like hardcore and crossover thrash should find this a very enjoyable listen.

Time Signature Land of the midnight sun...

Genre: some kind hybrid of power metal and modern metal

"Ravengod" is the second full-length release by the Swedish metal band The Embodied, whose debut full-length was released back in 2011.

Style-wise, this albu is hard to pin down. The Embodied has been classified as a melodic metal band, a power metal band, and even a melodeath band. In a way - at least on this release - they are all of the above and neither of the above. There are melodeath elements in the riffage and the overall energy which are particularly prevalent in passages of tracks like 'Praetor Sorrow', 'I Suffocate of Anger', 'Battle of the Mind', and in particular 'Death By Fire'. Still, this is way too "undeath" to be melodic death metal (apart from a couple of screams every now and then, the vocals are clean and more rock-oriented). Maybe, it's post-melodeath, which can be applied to those bands who have taken the Gothenburg sound and extrapolated it into other metal genres, removing the death elements but retaining the other elements (other bands who have done this are Amaranthe and Evergrey among several others); this is essentially, in my opinion at least, what characterized modern metal. In this case, the Gothenburg sound has been combined with power metal elements, and it mostly works quite well without being overwhelmingly original or mindblowing.

The production is crisp and well-defined, as it should be with this particular type of music, and The Embodied are definitely good songsmiths who understand the power of melody.

Overall, fans of more modern metal, including melodeath and melodic metalcore, as well as power metal fans should find this album a satisfying listen.

Time Signature Glory to the demons...

Genre: traditional metal with power metal elements

The second full-length effort by the Portuguese metal outfit Attick Demons, "Let's Raise Hell" is released on Pure Steel Records in august.

Musically, the album is probably best described as traditional metal with power metal elements. While some classify Attick Demons primarily as a power metal band, I think they operate more at the traditional metal end of the gamut than at the power metal end. Anyway, that the end of the day, what matters is whether or not the music is good. And it's pretty good. Obviously inspired by Iron Maiden, Attick Demons utilize several traditional metal tropes to great effect, including 80s style classic metal screams and twin guitar leads. As mentioned, there are elements of power metal in their style, so the energy level is taken up a notch, and an slightly epic scope is added.

The songwriting and musicianship showcased on the album are both solid. The most striking aspect of the album is probably how much Artur Almeida's vocals sound like post-2000 Bruce Dickinson. At times, he sounds frighteningly identical to Dickinson. Some might find it lame that the vocalist seems to imitate another singer rather than finding his own voice. I must admit that I don't find it lame. I find it fascinating. Production-wise, I think the album sounds pretty good. It's not polished, but in no way rough or lo-fi.

Fans of traditional metal and US power metal should find this album a pretty good listen, and Maiden fans should also check it out. Personally, I find it an enjoyable listen.

Time Signature An ever-expanding metal...

Genre: prog-tech death metal

Featuring members who have been involved in the likes of Animosity, The Faceless, Animals As Leaders, and Inferi, Entheos is not a wet-behind-the-ears affair although "The Infinite Nothing" is the band's debut album.

The cumulation of the individual members' experiences definitely makes itself felt on the album. From beginning to end, the listener is treated to impressively complex and sophisticated, yet heavy-as-fuck death metal. From crunchy riffs and heavy breakdowns (that kick the ass of any deathcore out there) through odd time signatures, crushing drumbeats, syncopations and growls/screams to melodic and at times jazzy guitar solos, the listener is taken on a mind-boggling musical journey. To top it off, there are hints of electronica every now and then which actually fit very well into the overall picture.

While probably not everyone's cup of tea, Entheos' "The Infinite Nothing" is definitely a very good tech death metal album which should appeal to any fan of the genre.

Time Signature Theatre of metal...

Genre: death-thrash

After five critically acclaimed albums, the masters of tech death-thrash are back with their sixth full-length effort in the form of "Great Is Our Sin".

Once again, the album is a lesson in how to make tech thrash which never becomes too high-brow to retain the primal aggression that characterizes the thrash metal genre. At the same time, as on the previous albums, the compositions on "Great Is Our Sin" is sophisticated and varied enough that it should keep most listeners interested through the entirety of the album. While undoubtedly a death-thrash release, "Great Is Our Sin" features influences from several different subgenres of extreme metal, and a certain melodicism also pervades the album without it ever becoming poppy like much melodic metalcore has become.

The production is crisp and well defined. Needless to say, the musicianship and songwriting skills showcased on the album are impeccable.

Like pretty much all other output by this band, "Great Is Our Sin" is a well-wrought thrash metal album, and fans of the band should definitely check it out. Fans of thrash metal more broadly, and tech thrash as well as death-thrash more specifically are also likely to enjoy "Great Is Our Sin".

Time Signature Masters of thrash...

Genre: thrash metal

"Mass Confusion" is the third outing by the German thrash band Dust Bolt and the follow-up to the critically acclaimed "Awake the Riot" from 2014.

So, does this third album hold up? Yes, it does. From the crossover-inspired opening track 'Sick X Brain' to 'Masters of War' which concludes the album, the album is one barrage of awesome thrash riffage after another. As with the previous two albums, this album has a retro feel to it without being hopelessly old-fashioned, and there is plenty of variation in terms of thrash subgenre influences, ranging from crossover over tech-thrash and death-thrash to traditional thrash metal. While there ae a few breathers in the form of melodic intros, the album is mostly a merciless thrash metal attack.

The musicianship is impeccable and the production is crisp without being polished. The band yet again show that they are accomplished songwriters who really understand thrash metal. All the thrash metal tropes are there without the album seeming like a rehash of what thrash bands before Dust Bolt did.

If you really consider yourself a thrash metal fan, you will be doing yourself a favor by buying this album.

Time Signature Total wreckage...

Genre: crusty speed metal

Following up on the 2013 EP 'Primitive Age', the crusty speed metal outfit released their debut full-length effort "Wings of Chains" earlier this summer.

They pretty much continue in the same vein as "Primitive Age". That is, the listener is treated to raw speed metal with a good dose of influence from crust punk and crossover thrash as well as elements from traditional metal and a very slight hint of melody every now and then. Most songs evolve around primitive riffs most of which fall under the rubrics of crust punk and speed metal. This combination works pretty well, and the uptempo drumming - rich in d-beats and primal energy - and rough vocals fit very well into the overall picture. By the way, no less than four tracks from the 2013 EP "Primitive Age" appear on this album too - namely 'Code Rude', 'Primitive Age', 'Rule of the Beast', and 'Rule of the Beast'. Now, four tracks are ordinarily quite a lot to recycle from one release to the next, ut they're actually pretty good songs, so what the hell? If you didn't buy 'Primitive Age', then here's your chance to hear them.

The production is deliberately retrospective without being too lo-fi, so both old timers and younger metal fans who were introduced to the crisp and pristine production value of much mainstream post-2000 metal might enjoy the production.

Rough-edged speed metal with crust and old school metal influences, this album is decidedly retrospective and should appeal to fans of the likes of Iron Dogs, Nuke, Explorer, Children of Technology and other bands who embrace the more primitive side of speed metal.

Time Signature Nuke me baby...

Genre: speed metal/thrash metal/crossover

A Detroit band, it is perhaps fitting that Nuke's eponymous debut is full of references to Robocop 2 (which is an underrated film in my opinion). Just like the gritty universe of the two first Robocop films, Nuke's style of music is raw and dangerous. Just like the Nuke-crazed Cain, Nuke's eponymous debut album is a destructive force of nature.

The listener is treated to considerably raw speed-thrash metal which nonetheless has melodic leanings. The opening track 'Nuke Me Baby' is a fast, furious and pretty straightforward onslaught of speed-thrash metal with a slight punky edge. The second track 'Meta Inferno' is more in the vein of traditional metal, featuring influences from NWoBHM in the form of twin guitar leads and old school metal riffage. The fast-paced 'Marching Undead' goes back into speed-thrash territory, while 'Hellrider' is another outing into traditional heavy metal. 'Dead Space' takes its starting point in NWoBHM and offers plenty of melody and twin guitars, and slightly reminds me of a combination of early Iron Maiden and early Helloween.

As mentioned above, the music on the album is considerably raw, which makes itself felt - not only in the music itself - but also in the production. The guitars are crunchy, and the guttural vocals are not polished. While the guitars have a sharp treble edge to them, they are counter-balanced by a rather robust bass which prevents the entire production from drowning in reverb and treble. This type of production might not appeal to fans of post-2000 metal, but fans of 1980s extreme metal might enjoy it, if for no other reason than nostalgia. 'Rip Ride' is more uptempo and has a feel of old school thrash metal to it, and 'The Queen' is a speed metal attack that occasionally borders on hardcore punk and crusty d-beating. Slowing down, 'Flame of Desire' treats the listener to galloping guitars, and the album closes with 'Murder Troops' which combines a Motörhead influence with traditional heavy metal.

Nuke's "Nuke" is not for everyone, but if you like raw heavy metal with a punky edge and a deliberately retrospective production, it should be right up your alley. Personally, I find it an enjoyable listen.

Time Signature Dizzified in Paradise...

Genre: alternative rock / hard rock

One of the biggest hard rock names in Denmark in the 1990s, Dizzy Mizz Lizzy broke up in 1998 after only two albums in the form of the critically acclaimed "Dizzy Mizz Lizzy" and "Rotator". While rich in talent, the band members were too young to handle the fame and pressure that came along with the success and, while main songwriter Tim Christensen continued in the music business as a solo artist, the drummer Søren Friis and the bassist Martin Nielsen went on to more mundane jobs. The band briefly reformed in 2010 to play a major string of shows. Fast forward four years, and the band is reformed yet again, but this time in a more permanent form: this time they were working on new material which amounted to a full-length album "Forward in Reverse" which was released earlier this year.

So, is it any good or is it just a rehash of their golden age albums?

Well, in a way it is a rehash in the sense that Dizzy Mizz Lizzy return to the style for which they were known in the 1990s - that is melodic hard rock that combines influences from the alternative rock/metal of the 1990s and from The Beatles. The album title 'Forward in Reverse' is likely to be a reference to the album's retrospective outlook. But is this looking back to the past a bad thing? Fuck no! This album is awesome! To be honest, I found Tim Christensen's solo output a tad too boring for my taste, so hearing new material from Dizzy Mizz Lizzy which has the same energy and finesse as the two albums they released in the 1990s is great. Also, in all fairness, which the style on the album is decidedly retrospective, the trio does bring new things to the table.

The opening track is an instrumental in the form of the considerably heavy 'Phlying Pharao' which, not surprisingly, has a slight Middle Eastern feel to it and which, in my opinion is a bona fide heavy metal track. This is followed by the title track, which is an uptempo yet melodic hard rocker that emanates hard rock energy wrapped in Dizzy-esque sophistication. The next track 'Terrified in Paradise' combines a heavy, almost punky verse with a groovy and catchy - and memorable - chorus and features a very Dizzy-esque bridge accompanied by a groovy short instrumental section. 'Brainless' stays in groovy territory, as it evolves around a heavy main riff (reportedly originally written as a parody on death metal before the trio softened it up considerably) and a very melodic chorus. A ballad more in the vein of Christensen's solo material, 'Something so Familiar' is a softie, but it's pretty good and makes for a nice breather between the heavy rockers 'Brainless' and 'Love at Second Sight'. As with the other tracks on the album, 'Love at Second Sight' features a catchy sing-along chorus. Combining a melodic verse with a heavier chorus, 'Made to Believe' is yet another track that zeroes right in on what made the two first Dizzy albums so great. 'Frey' is a mellow acoustic instrumental, which gives the listener a chance to rest before the boogie-inspired groove-fest that is 'Mindgasm' - antoher instrumental - kicks in. 'Mindgasm' is followed by another uptempo rocker in the form of 'Fly bove the Radar'. The penultimate track is 'I Would If I Could But I Can't' and, while it is characterized by the trio's trademark melodic sensibilities, it is perhaps the band's heaviest track, as it builds on a groovy 90s alternative metal-inspired riff. The album concludes with another fine ballad entitled 'Say It To Me Anyway'.

The songwriting and musicianship are both top notch and, while Tim Christensen has definitely matured as a songwriter, the songs on this album have the same youthful character to them as the songs on "Dizzy Mizz Lizzy" and "Rotator". Of interest to metalheads is the fact that legendary metal producer and mastermind behind Invocator, Jacob Hansen, has worked on the production of this album and has been very successful in capturing the same twangy sound and overall production value that characterized the band's two 90s albums.

While there are metal elements on the album, "Forward in Reverse" is not a metal album. It is a bona fide hard rock album, though, that homes right in on the unique style of rock music with which Dizzy Mizz Lizzy laid Denmark, Japan, and parts of Germany to waste in the 1990s. To be honest, listening to this album, it's hard to believe that there's a 20-year gap between it and 1996's "Rotator". Fans of Dizzy Mizz Lizzy's first two albums are bound to enjoy this one, and - if you are into melodic hard rock generally - you should definitely give this album a listen.

Time Signature Surrounded by serpents...

Genre: thrash metal

Holy shit! I just had my ass kicked so hard I won't be able to sit down for a week! Nervosa is a Brazilian thrash metal band, whose debut album "Victim of Yourself" was released in 2014 and received much praise from critics. "Agony" is their sophomore album and, well, it kicks ass.

All tracks are fierce and aggressive, at times even bordering on pure brutality. While definitely describable as no-nonsense thrash metal, Nervosa still manage to incorporate ingredients from neighboring genres. Thus, the listener is treated to a pure speed metal attack in the form of 'CyberWar', while 'Arrogance' and 'Theory of Conspiracy' draw on death metal. There are even nods to traditional metal in the chorus of 'Wayfarer'. There is no weak track on the album, and the listener can expect to be left completely exhausted by the end of the last track 'Wayfarer'.

The three women in the band are highly skilled thrash metal musicians whose performance is tight as fuck. The production is brutally crunchy and complements the compositions very well.

Nervosa's "Agony" is a brilliant thrash metal album and should appeal to anyone who likes super aggressive thrash metal.

Time Signature Age of metal...

Genre: thrash metal

I really liked Mortillery's debut album "Murder Death Kill", and their sophomore effort "Origin of Extinction" is also magnificent. So, does their third album "Shapeshifter" hold up?

The answer is: "Duh! Of course it does".

Like its predecessors, "Shapeshifter" is a lesson in how to do thrash metal right. Every track on the album exudes aggression while at the same time showcasing the musicianship of the band. Every song features strong riffage and, while not exactly overly technical, there are enough things going on to keep the listener interested. Compared to "Murder Death Kill", which I am more familiar with than "Origin of Extinction", this album features just a tiny tad more crossover elements. For instance, 'Age of Stone' is quite oriented towards hardcore, and there are also some quite punky passages in 'Radiation Sickness', and 'Bullet'. While the emphasis is on aggression ('Mantis' even features a couple of blastbeats) a couple of tracks are surprisingly melodic, such as 'At the Gates' and the title track.

Mortillery are very skilled songwriters, and the level of musicianship displayed on this album is impeccable. The performance is tight, and the guitar solos, while not flashy, are full of gusto. Cara McCutchen's insane vocals suit the music perfectly and are a major contributor to the aggressive feel that characterizes the album.

"Shapeshifter" is a brilliant thrash metal album which should appeal to anyone who likes solid old school thrash metal.

Time Signature After the fire....

Genre: progressive metal

Carcus Maximus is one of Norway's premier progressive metal bands, and "Havoc" is the follow-up to the critically acclaimed "Nine" from 2012.

Further exploring the vistas of melodic metal, Circus Maximus treat the listener to a collection of melodic tracks. The album has a distinctively modern sound, drawing on influences from as diverse sources as alternative rock/metal, pop rock, power metal, hard rock and new age rock a la U2. That is not to say that Circus Maximus have abandoned progressive metal. All tracks are dynamic in structure and feature impressive instrumental work, and the music is challenging in places without ever being inaccessible.

Fans of melodic metal and more emotional progressive metal should find this album quite appealing.

Time Signature I want more...

Genre: traditional metal / power metal / speed metal

You may not have heard about Zarpa before if you are not a Spanish speaker. However, these guys have been around since the late 1970s are are bona fide metal veterans. They are insanely productive, and are known to release several albums within the same year (they released no less than four albums and an EP in 2012). "Dispuestos Para Atacar" is the first Zarpa-album I have heard, and, if this album is an indicator of the overall quality of their music, I definitely have to check out the rest of their discography.

Genre-wise "Despuestos Para Atacar" belongs to the traditional heavy metal genre. Still, the Spanish band reach out beyond this genre, as they integrate speed and power metal elements into their music. The songs on the album are generally very well composed, and rich in layers of guitars which generate an epic sound. The vocal melodies are very catchy, and, although, I am not exactly proficient in Spanish, I find myself singing along to most of the choruses. The production is extremely good as is the performance and songwriting displayed on this album.

Fans of traditional metal and power metal should find this album a very enjoyable listen.

Time Signature The demented force of metal...

Genre: traditional heavy metal

Featuring members who are or have been involved in the likes of Exciter, Portrait, Cult of the Fox, Void Moon, and Goatess, Assassin's Blade is a band of seasoned metal veterans. Their debut album "Agents of Mystification" was released earlier this year on Pure Steel.

While definitely traditional heavy metal, the songs on the album have a darker feel than what you might normally expect from this genre. For instance, the title track even features very slight inklings of black metal influence, while the darkly epic 'Dreadnought' could be the satanic kid brother of Priest's 'Metal Gods'. The uptempo 'Transgression' is punky and aggressive. Despite the dark feel, traditional metal fans will be happy to know that there are galloping riffs and twin guitars as well as heavy metal screams and a lot of melody on the album (just check out a song like 'Autumn Serenade').

Given how experienced the musicians involved are, it should be no surprise that the level of musicianship and songwriting is quite high. These guys know their metal, and, while obviously masters at their craft, they understand the power of restraint and simplicity. No solos go overboard and no song gets too technical. Much like the incredibly underrated Tim Owens, Bélanger's vocals combine sneering with heavy metal screams and complement the dark music very well.

"Agents of Mystification" should appeal to fans of traditional heavy metal, speed metal, and perhaps even dark metal. It is a very solid effort and a strong debut by a band consisting of very experienced musicians.