I’ve waxed nostalgic about the 80s many times. I enjoy being able to watch or listen to something from the decade and say “I remember when that happened” like that time when Flotsam and Jetsam‘s original bassist Jason Newstead joined Metallica. I remember when that happened… Anyway, if you know that story (which by now, you should’ve figured it out).

On their fifteenth full-length I Am the Weapon, the Arizona based Thrashers have produced a new album that is a scorcher. I mean, they’ve come a long way since those Doomsday for the Deceiver days, that particular one came out in 1986 and was followed up by the killer No Place for Disgrace (featuring an Elton John cover no less).

When the Storm Comes Down wasn’t bad, but Cuatro wasn’t any better and that’s around the time I sort of lost interest. I literally had no idea that they were still releasing albums still, sorry guys. I am here to say that this new one I Am the Weapon, fucking kills!

Yesterday I was jamming the new Nasty Savage and was thinking about this one, wondering how it would be… well I am incredibly happy to report that this is another amazing 2024 Thrash album from an act conceived in 1985. What a time to be alive.

Beginning with “A New Kind of Hero” and it’s kind of Metallica-ish main riff, the album kicks into overdrive from the get go, and I have to say from start to finish this album shreds. Eric A.K. sounds lethal and the lyrics are clear and understandable, the entire band is on fire and this shows on this album.

Next is “Primal” popping off with a riff that, to my ears could’ve been on Sacred Reich‘s Independent but it doesn’t matter, because it’s still a killer track, but it’s not as good as the title track which is absolutely pummeling, another fist banging mania song with a soaring chorus.

This is one of those uplifting albums, not necessarily in the normal term, but it makes you want to move around. Air drums, guitar; whatever and “I Am the Weapon” is that song, a massive chorus and absolutely pounding drums it’s utterly devastating in the best possible way.

I Am The Weapon was produced and recorded by and at SonicPhish Productions, Gnome Lord Studios, Wayne Manor Studios, and Seventh Spike Studios. That’s a lot of different places, but the album hits hard, it’s a bit more polished than the Nasty Savage album but that’s okay too. Flotsam and Jetsam always had that punchy, in-your-face production in spades so this album sounds fresh and spectacular.

“Burned My Bridges” is a mid-paced thrasher an incredible sing-along chorus (I already know the lyrics) and it’s followed by a killer two-for “The Head of the Snake” and the haunting “Beneath the Shadows” It’s not doomy or anything like that, but it’s sort of a darker track… I guess is a good way to describe it.

The band sounds inflamed, after fifteen albums they have definitely brought the 80s into the mid-2000s. We’re almost into AOTY and year-end list territory and my list of contenders keeps growing, I might have to modify the way I do it; yeah there can be only one, but goddammit there’s so many good albums (this one included) that have turned my head and reminds me everyday of why I love Metal.

“Gates of Hell” and “Cold Steel Lights” rocket along setting the stage for “Kings of the Underworld” a song that just hits hard, lyrics and music coalesced into a larger tapestry of brutality. It’s my second favorite track after the title song and sets up the final two perfectly. “Running Through the Fire” and “Black Wings” are both ragers that end the album on ocean waves of tight as a bullfrog’s ass riffage. Fast and furious as Thrash Metal should be, there are no heartfelt ballads none of that sappy shit will be found here.

So at the end of the day, how does I Am the Weapon stand up against the last fourteen albums, and, more importantly, does it have replay value? Fuck yeah, it does! The End of Chaos and Blood in the Water seemed to me as a comeback, mainly because I’ve rediscovered the band if that makes any sense. Anyway, constant reader, you should get this album and play it loud so your neighbors can enjoy it too.

Unfortunately my only strong recollection of the band, despite being somewhat familiar with their largely ‘Ok to solid’ discography (arguably peaking with 2001s Scourge of Malice – which got them signed to Nuclear Blast and  2005s  (Nu)topia) was 2007s Collateral Defect, their last Nuclear Blast Record, and with good reason- it sucked…..hard. I don’t remember where I reviewed it but as soon as I saw this promo come across my desk, I instantly subconsciously recalled my Collateral Defect review from all those years ago and physically wretched a little bit. Maybe it was just the cover of Bonnie Tyler’s “I Need a Hero?”

So, being older, more mature, and hopefully wiser, I thought I’d give Graveworm another go after the three albums I have missed since Collateral Defect, where the band delivered a super commercial, almost pop metalcore-ish take on their blackened/gothic metal. Face your fears so to speak.

Well, Killing Innocence isn’t terrible, let’s start there. Now, I can’t compare to the last three efforts (2009s Diabolical Figures, 2011s Fragments of Death, and 2015s Ascending Hate), but the Internet tells me those three are better than Collateral Damage and more in line with their early work. And that appears to be what Killing Innocence delivers; classic 90s Nuclear Blast melodic black/death metal with a gothic touch.

The album has a nice big, lush production. The riffs are big and crunchy with the occasional spurts of blacker metal ferocity. The keyboards are front and center (guitarist Steve Unterpertinger has taken over keyboard duty from long-time member Sabine Mair since Ascending Hate). The rasped/growled vocals of Stefan Fiori, (who along with Unterpertinger are the sole remaining original members) are solid. It’s all here in all its classic 90s/00s glory.

And that’s it- it’s here. I don’t hate it. I don’t love it- even with my current symphonic metal addiction. The opener “Escorting the Soul” is pretty much all you need to listen to, to determine if you will like this Graveworm album. It’s such a middling, inoffensive style. It lacks the sensual bite of Cradle of Filth, the full-on theatrics of Dimmu Borgir, or even the symphonic bombast of say…… a Welicoruss.

But the songs are solidly written, sometimes a little more vicious (“Wicked Mind”, “Where Agony Prevails”, “Wrath of God”), sometimes a little more gothic/doom-y ( “If the World” Shut Down”, “End of Time”), sometimes catchy, often settling into a foot-tapping mid-paced plod (i.e. “In Honour of the Fallen”, “Dead Words”, “A Nameless Grave”- the latter two of which could be modern slower Hypocrisy tunes), and I do not dislike any of the songs at all.

Killing Innocence is one of those releases that I’m not rushing out to reorder or even buy when it comes out, but If I saw it for $7 in a used bin a couple of years from now, I’d say “Oh, cool! good find!”, jam it for a bit and add to my CD collection.

When Onslaught reformed in 2004, it was the intent of main man Nige Rockett to make the band a full-time destructive force and a mere three years later they released the outstanding reunion album – Killing Peace.  It was definitely Onslaught tried and true; however with better musical equipment and productions, the band added an extra layer of thrash metal crunch.  To some extent, their updated sound had/still has a modern-day Exodus approach with the super heavy crunchy thrash metal guitar riffing.  The music – was just as evil and even better played then their 80’s output.  Onslaught then went on tours and was and still are prominent in the scene.

Sounds of Violence, in 2011, was their newest album, at the time.  10 songs in 45 minutes (2 were an intro and outro, though) and it was face ripping, but saw Onslaught concentrate a little more on groovier, tank-tread heavy passages.  The thrash speed was still there – however it was scaled back a tinge, than their previous effort.

AFM Records decided to reissue this 2011 album late in 2022 in a deluxe 2 cd format.  The first disc includes the original album and the bonus disc contains live songs and the bonus songs from the limited edition Sounds of Violence are incorporated as well.  If you never had that Japanese press of Sounds of Violence, well now dear fan, you have the bonus songs-yeah!  The album has a brief intro before the scorching “Born for War” erupts – having a very Slayer(ish) tone – think “War Ensemble” from Slayer.  “Born for War” is so darn catchy with the chorus:  Life or death or death of life. Death immortal mortal life. Live for dying pure. Death is waiting.  Born for war. Raining hate the blood runs red – Burning hatred only friend.  Born for war. Embryonic death machine.. Born for war.  Pretty brutal lyrics describing the nasty side of fighting in a war.  The music is damn heavy thrash metal.  The groove components are mixed in rather well and makes the speed moments truly shine.  The title track having a monster heavy riff-laden approach – with some mid-paced thrash elements.  The title track is one of the best songs Onslaught has written and I can imagine thrashers headbanging to this song in unison.  The variety of vocals/spoken word vocals really stretched the pipes of Sy Keeler, who I was saddened to see leave the band in 2020 – but the man has a family so he did the honorable thing.

“Godhead” was another standout with its opening thrash part and mid-paced heaviness – simply crushing.  The opening lyrics, as many of their lyrics, are venomous towards religion and the band pulled no punches on this track:  Jesus is religion is religion so pure.  Eternal supplication to the son of a whore.  Evangelizing masses with a vision of war.  Infectious propaganda is the killer of the cure. Children of god they hear no evil. Children of god they see no evil.  Children of god they speak no evil.Children of god pure fucking evil.  The song has some of the fastest thrashy parts the band has done, with that real fast part with the guitar solo is a true eargasm.

The bonus disc includes the well-done “Bomber” –  (Motörhead cover) as well as the band covering and updating original songs from Power from Hell: “Angels of Death” and “Thermo Nuclear Devastation of the Planet Earth”.  All killer renditions.  The 5 live songs span their 80’s era up to and including their last full length – from 2020- Generation Antichrist which was the debut of their new singer David Garnett.  The original album cover has been sharpened with a few minor added elements for enhancement purposes.  If you have the original album this may not be up your alley, but I must say the bonus disc is worth it.  Excellent and respectful reissue of the original.

I won’t lie, while I am a fan of the band I haven’t really kept a running tab on the group’s progress and or discography. Sure, I still have my original vinyl pressing of Doomsday for the Deceiver, and yes, I concur that No Place for Disgrace is grade A, top notch material (hell, I even like the 2014 re-recording of said album), and I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I would rewind the cassette to listen  to “Suffer the Masses” over and over, as I would cruise around in my sweet ass Firebird back in the early ’90’s. Though for the majority of the group’s career, my following has been sporadic at best. I checked in here or there, found some good stuff sometimes, even seen ’em live, but honestly, most of the band’s offerings were not necessarily anything to write home about. Yet the last few releases sees the band climbing metal’s ladder of success quite impressively, culminating in, what is without a  doubt,  their best release in awhile.

Powerful, aggressive, stirring, emotional, epic, catchy, full of finesse, and more than capable. All of these adjectives and more could easily and aptly describe Blood in the Water. Every single one of the album’s twelve tracks are a blistering representation of a band that is firing on all of its cylinders. Is it thrash, speed, progressive, classic and/or traditional? YES! It’s all of those things and so much more…okay, okay, lets be real. It’s obviously a thrash metal album, I don’t think anyone could really deny this, but the album is so much more multifaceted sounding in its presentation. Much like  Nevermore or a band of similar ilk, Flotsam and Jetsam are more than what they appear on the outside, and while they clearly can fit into a certain class or niche genre, they blur the lines subtly and marvelously. In fact, more than a few times, Blood in the Water reminded me of Nevermore in their ways of melding memorability with a darker sense of classic and progressive heaviness within a track’s structure. Plus, much like the late, great Warrel Dane, Flotsam‘s long time vocalist, Eric A.K., has only gotten better over the years. His voice is just as powerful as ever, and if the man has lost anything in range or ability in the past four decades, which I don’t think he has, it clearly doesn’t show. In fact, Blood in the Water sees the man quite possibly sounding the best he ever has. His pitch and his control and command are simply stunning, and those sing-a-long choruses; my God, those choruses are to die for. And what’s doubly awesome is that they’re found in every single track, affording more than a few moments for listeners, like myself, to indulge in plenty of  embarrassing opportunities to sound like a cat being stretched on the rack.

And lets not forget about the actual music taking place within Blood in the Water. If there’s a single highlight that stands over the others I haven’t found it.  Everyone of these tracks are my favorite. Yeah I know, an album with every song being your fave is an oxymoron, but dammit I can’t help it, they’re all just so good. Even with the album being a tad long in the tooth, clocking in at 53 minutes, I found myself consistently engaged and even left craving for more when it was all said and done. For me, the enjoyability of every single song  leaves quite a conundrum of which track(s) to even mention and throw praise at for the sake of this review alone. So much so that I decided to let Fate pick the tracks of discussion, literally. Pulling out my ol’ faithful dodecahedron (okay, it was really just a pair of standard dice), I let possibility take the reins and choose the songs of discourse, matching the die results to Blood in the Water‘s track listing, a bit of a juvenile tactic, but honestly a fun one.

And looky here, good ol’ chance did it right, doling out to us the album’s opener and title track, “Blood in the Water” and its full frontal, massive and furious sounding attack of that aforementioned mix of thrash, power, and traditional that make up Flotsam and Jetsam. The song, pulling you in right from the start, has just the right amount of intrigue and allure mixed with an epic quality and pummeling bite that sounds so natural and flawless. Its sing-a-long chorus enhances the overall memorability factor and the instrumentation is simply striking. Seriously, drummer, Ken Mary, is an absolute beast that drives not only “Blood in the Water” as a single, but drives Blood in the Water as an entire experience. The man is a powerhouse, and his playing ability and stamina rivals those half his age; and lets not forget the guitar work of  both Michael Gilbert and Steve Conely. The pair are pretty much everything you could ask for in metal guitarists. Their riffs are huge and heavy with just the perfect amount of technicality and their melodies and solos are fantastic, never underwhelming and never too much for the sake of too much.

Following up the album opener is “Burn the Sky” and it indeed is a scorcher of a track. A blistering and engaging cacophony of thrashing brilliance that’s taylor made for wrecking your neck. The varying tempos keep things fresh and thrilling, the song never  stalling out, even in its slower moments. A.K.’s verses having a flair that makes me imagine what Avenged Sevenfold could sound like with balls, while the chorus is, at the sake of sounding like a skipping record, a sing-a-long dream of a good time. The lead work? Fantastic. Soaring, emotional, and fucking killer.

I was totally stoked that my magical die chose “A Place to Die”, the song is so damn good, a heart pumping, blood pushing, thrashy ripping riffer with a chorus melody, vocal and instrumental, that knocks my socks right the fuck off. How the hell is this song so good? HOW?!? Nevermore and Testament like in its movements and structure, with a chorus that is as beautiful as it is visceral, the track is a definite winner. Fate threw me a bit of a curve ball with “Undone” though, not that the track is vastly different from the others or is filler, but it does have a slightly different air to it, kind of like if Alex Skolnik (Testament) was in Anthrax. It 100% works though and retains every bit of the band’s own sound and vision. And yeah, I’m going to say it again, the fucking choruses are simply too good to be true.

While I’ve said that all of Blood in the Water‘s tracks hit home with me, I particularly dig “Too Many Lives”. The song has a stellar brutal beginning that is sure to please the most ardent headbanger. Pulling shades of Ripper-era Judas Priest with some current day Death Angel while sounding every bit Flotsam is no simple feat, and the lead work is once again excellent. Ya know, the funny thing about letting chance dictate the course of song discussion for this review is that some of the album’s best moments/tracks I didn’t even mention, thus if you’re reading this and haven’t given Blood in the Water a spin then you’ll find plenty of metal meat still on the bone. I really have to hand it to the capabilities, and overt  creepiness, of today’s social networking and streaming algorithms. They definitely know what kind of stuff I like, for it was the constant bombardment of tracks from Blood in the Water being thrown at me during my workout sessions that ultimately lead to me taking notice and picking up a copy of the album.

Yeah, Blood in the Water has been out for a little while now, but so what. A lot of you out there, myself included, whether by deliberate choice or not, let this one go by you and I am telling you we were wrong in doing so. Dead wrong. Trust me friends, rectify this situation if you still fall in the category of  the uninitiated for Blood in the Water. Get up now and procure your copy, for this is what metal is all about. Holy shit, it is that damn good.

If you didn’t know, Mors Principium Est deal in death. Melodic death, to be precise. This is their seventh album and is appropriately titled… Seven. It comes out of the corner swinging like any good boxer (I suppose as I know nothing about boxing). There’s a short symphonic intro to the first track, “A Day for Redemption,” then you’re hit with those galloping melodic death riffs. I could probably end the review right here…

BUT I WON’T!

Track 3, “In Frozen Fields” is exactly for what you are looking in a melodic death metal track. It’s mostly mid-paced, but the weeping guitar melody which weaves its way through the chorus compliments the vocals, or the other way around, perfectly. It’s the best chorus so far, too. I’m not sure why, but I get a little bit of an Insomnium vibe. Maybe it’s the vocals or the content of them.

If there’s anything that differentiates Mors Principium Est from the rest of the melodic death metal pack, it’s this. While they certainly don’t jump fully into the death doom pool, they definitely dip their toe in once in a while. Maybe they should jump in. Call it death doom bathing suit weather. Don’t picture it.

Buttoning it up nicely at the end is the closer “My Heart My Grave.” I could have used a comma there, but that’s fine, guys… Anyway, it has a suitable piano intro and outro bookending the grooving, melodic death metal monster in between.

So, in conclusion, and to steal a phrase from a fellow writer, does the world need more Mors Principium Est.? In short, the answer is “yes.” Does Seven reinvent the wheel? Of course not, but for those of you who like melodic death metal, you weren’t looking for, nor expecting such a proposition anyway. In this bag full of soggy dicks, year of our dark lord 2020, it’s nice to have some consistency, especially something as consistently bad ass like Seven in your rotation.

Obviously, the pandemic has had influences on bands and band members leaving the scene due to the music scene uncertainty.  Long time vocalist, Sy Keeler departed Onslaught before the recording of Generation Antichrist.  Because I love his vocals so much I was skeptical if the band would regroup, but new vocalist David Garnett does a fine job. Actually, since the last album other than bassist Jeff Williams and founder, guitarist, Nige Rockett the rest of the band are new members.  James Perry on drums and Wayne Dorman on guitar – both joining 2 years ago.

The slow burn instrumental “Rise to Power” gets things underway in this brisk 9 song 38 minute thrashing madness of an album.  There are some vocals and I can hear newcomer David Garnett attempting to emulate Sy Keeler’s snarling thrash vocals and he sounds decent.  Then “Strike Fast Strike Hard” comes in with monstrous double bass and amazing bass guitar work.  The ripping riffs of Nige are on full display.  I always looked at him as what Gary Holt is to Exodus.  The man with the riffs.  Really coming up with some of the best thrash metal right alongside Exodus.   Excellent chorus and some vicious venomous vocals spewing forth from the new guy – sounding really good.  Mid-way into the song we get a nice slow down beat down riff with some awesome guitar melodies over the brutality and then right into a ripping guitar solo over the fast part – on fucking point!!

“Bow Down to the Clowns” has a monstrous mid-paced opening sequence where I just want to see people swinging from here to Jupiter – insanely heavy.  More awesome chorus moments, where a tight little blast beat erupts right before the chorus comes in.   The mid-paced rumbling heaviness is so fucking heavy it has a Bolt Thrower slight influence to it.  After the solo at the 2.55 part the repeated words over the drums and guitars is killer and David letting out a little death metal growl and right into an awesome rhythm section.  The title track is the longest song at close to 6 minutes and some news media spoken words in the beginning – I was thinking this is sounding like Ministry.  The minute mark starts the true nature of the song with the Holy Shit guitar riff right before the fast thrash speed and the song brings it back into the monster mid-paced rumbling heaviness.  The song alternates between mid-paced heaviness and faster passages as David throws in some death metal grunts as well.

“Religiousuicide” is a goddamned ferocious song with killer anti-religious lyrics with some catchy passages with the well placed chorus and words:  “Hanging on the Holy Cross judicious parasite, Religion takes it up the Ass is Jesus Fucking Christ”.  This is my favorite lyrical passage for 2020.  It’s brutal, catchy and really one of the most ferociously angry songs Onslaught has ever written.  Where this chorus is placed then right into the fast moment is genius. The rest of the songs are also outstanding and Onslaught – no surprise have released the best thrash metal album for 2020.  There are lots of great thrash metal albums this year but

Generation Antichrist is truly next level shit, mofos.  Also I’ve always loved that Onslaught has always flirted with death metal, slightly, on a bunch of their releases.   Their songs have that extra oomph and evilness that trad thrash metal bands do not have.  It’s why ever since The Force they have continued to remain in my top tier of bands.  The production is top notch.  The guitars are incredibly heavy, the bass guitar is audible, the drums and double bass hit hard and welcome to the fold Mr. Garnett – he does a phenomenal job.  It really seems the band have tried to craft him into a singer emulating Sy’s vocals – because he sounds very similar and even throws in some death metal vocal snarls, something Sy would do now and again too.  David does them a little more often – so you know this guy appreciates it very much.  The album cover I am not sure about though.  Onslaught going for a safe cover where I kind of wanted the album cover to depict more of the album name and lyrical themes of the music.  But the colors are nice and having their classic logo adorning the album certainly stands out.

Generation Antichrist is fantastic through and through, with outstanding songs, musicianship and severe head banging catchiness.  Onslaught continues to be at the forefront of the thrash metal scene and are head and shoulders above bands who outsell them.  This is the best thrash metal album for 2020 – phenomenal!!

But fuck it, I’m lazy , so…..they are an Amon Amarth rip off. The stomping, epic riffs, the hulking front-man with gruff bellows, the viking themes? Yeah, they aren’t even subtle about it. I said it.

That said, they are a  really good one, and the comparison is fair. And to be honest, some of the material on Die Wilde Jagd (‘The Wild Hunt’) is often better than Amon Amarth‘s lazier efforts. I mean one listen to some of the tracks like the opening title track,  “Seite an Seite” (with a chorus that shares more than a little with Amon Amarth‘s “Raise Your Horns”, and has an extended version tacked on the end of the album), “Irminsul” or moodier “Drachentöterand” it’s hard not to think of Once Sent From the Golden Hall.

There are a few more black metal blasts here and there such as personal favorite “Codex Gigas”, “Penumbra” and “Wolfshunger” but they still generally reek heavily of their Swedish peers.  Truly, only the more traditional heavy metal stylings of “Weder Gott, noch Könige” or “300” do not have that full on, instantly familiar tone., though its still a little present.

But still, armed with a really powerful, beefy production (arguably netter than some of Amon Amarth‘s recent releases) from Jörg Uken (Aposento, Dew Scented, Sinister, God Dethroned, Weak Aside) and plenty of rousing, mead swilling, sword swinging tunes, Die Wilde Jagd  is a damn good album that I’m giving lots of listening time to. And they do say mimicry is the highest form of flattery, so Amon Amarth should be well and truly flattered by Asenblut and Die Wilde Jagd.

With a bit of Amon Amarth thrown in to their power metal sound, they are a bit heavier than most power metal (I’d use Italy’s Wind Rose mixed with Battle Beast as a comparison). Especially with the gruff vocals in a vocal trio that also includes female vocals and expected clean male vocals, though the lone sister in the Brother  act, Ylva Eriksson, clearly gets a lions share of the work.

As with Prophecies of Ragnarok, Brothers of Metal‘s themes are Viking/Nordic (another Amon Amarth similarity) with this album dealing with Embla, the first female (sort of a loose version of a Viking ‘Eve’). It covers all the heavy metal/power metal territory from catchy uptempo opener “Powersnake” mid paced stern march of “Hel”, typical power metal gallop of “Chainbreaker”, and “Theft of the Hammer” and rousing “Kaunaz Dagaz” to ballad “Weaver of Fate” and uplifting closer “To the Skies and Beyond”.

A few of the later tracks really stand out like the powerful stomp of “Njord”, anthemic Manowar-ishly (another tangible influence) cheesy, lighter waving “One”, sing along “Brothers Unite”, the epic title track, where Eriksson really lets her Nordic voice out for the song’s gorgeous intro and soaring gallop of “Ride of the Valkyries” and the aforementioned feel goof closer “To the Skies and Beyond”. In fact, the album’s whole last half is downright awesome.

In all, about what I expected from the follow up to Prophecies of Ragnarok, and with a last half that exceeds expectations, Brothers of Metal look to be a rising star in power metal in 2020.

Comparisons to country mates Powerwolf are abound, with the same sense of big, rousing choruses and powerful riffs, but these guys are a little less cheesy and ‘churchy’. They also seem to stray away from usual power metal tropes; there is nary an elf or dragon to be seen here, as Gunmen is 10 Cowboy/Western yarns of love, death, vengeance, the afterlife, the supernatural, and well…. gunmen. The Western theme brings a nice, refreshing change to power metal’s usual themes, and the story is conveyed perfectly both thematically and musically.

The opening duo (and first two singles from the album) of “Gunman” and “Fields of Sorrow” is about as good as two opening tracks you will hear in 2017, with “Gunmen”being a perfect, rousing, opener with a super catchy, big, rousing  chorus. “Fields of Sorrow”  is a more somber but epic number with a chorus you will be singing at the top of your lungs in your car, maybe with a tear rolling down your cheek.

“Forlorn and Forsaken” has a tough act to follow, but does OK with a nice crunchy presence , thought lacking the catchy and emotional gravitas of the first two tracks. “A Vampire in Ghost Town”, is every bit as goofy as the title but a nice western take on the riffage keeps the song interesting.  Liv Kristine  (Leaves Eyes, Theatre of Tragedy, etc) then lulls you into a false sense of security to start “Come With Me to the Other Side”, as you think the albums first ballad has come, but it ends up being a big , rangy, uptempo thrashing number, even as she graces the songs midsection with a gorgeous vocal bridge.

“The Face of Silence” is one of the album’s other standouts, with a steady mid paced march and yet another killer chorus, showing frontman and founder Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann is an absolute, underrated master of penning catchy, powerful choruses.  More of them show as the album takes a more uplifting turn for “Ashen Rain”, galloping romp of “Down Here” and anthemic “One Last Chance” which has one of the album’s strongest riffs before the somber 9 minute closer “Finis Coronat Opus” wraps up the Gunman’s story with appropriate, lighter waving closure.

Gunmen is  strong, catchy, powerful album from start to finish, and where Ravenhead  and To the End had a couple of great songs each  (“Til the Stars Cry Out”, “The Things We Believe In”, “FEVER”, “Here at the End of the World), every track on Gunmen is a winner that demands you sing along. Just be careful at stop lights.

Right off the bat the tone of the riff on opener “Modern Roman Circus” told me that Somewhere in the Circle had an edge, rather than a polish so bright you’d be seeing those uncatchable black spots. That particular song turned out to be a leading indicator of the more than respectable songwriting involved. Straddling the line between the newer school power metal of later years and the classic metal of golden-era Judas Priest and Dio what Helker offers on Somewhere in the Circle is an album that should in fact appeal to fans of the aforementioned heavyweights. It appeals to me, doesn’t it?

The upsides are several. That includes a vocalist in Diego Valder who pays respectful tribute (intentional or otherwise) to the late Ronnie James Dio or in what is probably a more apt modern-era comparison, Nils Patrik Johansson (Lions Share, Wuthering Heights, Astral Doors). That Helker relies first and foremost on a stout rhythmic backbone and thick/crunchy riffs, a sizeable hook delivered with power by Valder as the collective basis for the music speaks to the quality of the songwriting. Let’s face it; anything else is accent and window dressing. The band does however have a firm grasp of the compositional “little things,” whether it is a certain melodic guitar flourish or a splash of electronics (e.g. “At the End of the Journey”).

The quintet also manages to keep one’s attention pretty much the entire way thanks to some well-placed changeups. Take the appearance of Scheepers and Owens on the classy “Begging to be Reborn” and a chorus melody on “Ghosts from the Past” that is a pinch different from the norm for the album. In fact, the brief up-tempo shift on “Begging…” during which Scheepers takes the mic is a real attention-grabber. The ballad-esque “Flying” with its acoustic guitar, harmony vocals, and keys is well done, even if it didn’t result in an audible ringing of my personal bell.

What most of the above really means is that on Somewhere in the Circle Helker succeeds in striking the right balance between balls and beauty. That’s never as easy as it seems, folks. Hey, it’s not like you’ll find any future classics here nor be bowled over by originality, but you’ll not come across any outright duds either. Well, “Dreams” does come off a tad ill-fitting, but that’s probably why it’s included as a bonus track on this limited edition version, which also comes with videos for “Wake Up” and “Flying.” Bang for the buck, right? In short, it’s hard to go too wrong with this one unless you’re a trad-metal punter of overbearing pickiness. You can check out the video for “Wake Up” here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cY4ndVUUAFI&feature=player_embedded

Machine like drumming, relentless double bass, clean folk vocals and gang vocals (I don’t think of it as a chorus because they are not singing). Harsh blackened vocals. ‘Folkish’ triumphant melodies, heavily from the keys. ‘Epic’ fiddle playing and rhythm guitar with enough meat to it to be called metal. Add in extended instrumental breaks that are key ingredients to the sound pared with repetitive riffing and sharp quick vocal cadences.

This is mostly a showcase for melodic leads and solos and is at heart happy bouncy folk music (I know, I said stop reading) which is a far cry from their early albums, the ones that brought me on board, but their evolution makes sense, not just a we’re not making it as a black viking band, lets go mainstream, it seems more like this is where their heart is, and was, and they genuinely want to play this way. They keep just enough harshness to turn off most folk metal fans (remember I told you to stop reading) and to keep the contingent of loyal fans they have carried along.

Which brings me to “Into the Unfathomed Tower,” one of my all time favorite Candlemass songs. The most triumphant doom song ever is a pleasure to listen to here. Their cover is loyal to the original and passionately crafted into the current Black Messiah sound. It is this song on the track listing that caught my eye when I first got the promo. What is great is that it does not feel like a tacked on bonus track. Equilibrium would have loved to have done this. Next comes the much more somber re-recorded “Feld Der Ehre” from Oath of a Warrior, one of their best, with harsh singing throughout this time. I prefer the hauntingly epic clean of the original, otherwise a fine update. I generally like to hear a band update their older songs into their current style, but the original was / is quite wonderfully done, leave it be.

“Lindisfarne” is a brief holding pattern until we transition into The Nagelfar Saga, this album’s epic concept story in four movements. It is a much less ambitious attempt at what they did last album with First War of the World. I will not get into the accuracy of their tale because just like First War, they are telling their own story inspired by the Eddas, not a literal narration of the poems.

Movement one, three and a half minutes. It starts off with narration setting up the story accompanied by a lengthy tranquil guitar and violin piece that makes me visualize Peter Jackson’s Hobbiton. Movement two, five and a half minutes. Then the story starts with “Mother Hel,” baritone operatic singing quickly departs for harsher pastures and blackened shrieks and growls accompany blastbeats, totally appropriate for a discussion of Hel, and the baritone voice provides the main storyline along with clean female vocals. Movement three, six and three quarters minutes. “On Board” the more intense side with an extended melodic break as well. Movement four, six and a half minutes, has us “Sailing Into Eternity.” The ship of nails is under way and the crew is fulfilling their destiny. “Now the time has come I’m on the ship, sad and full of grief.” Guitars shine on this part, bringing back to your mind that Unfathomed Tower, flashy and fast. And of course it can’t end without creaking boards and wind. Twenty two minutes meant to be listened to as one string of music, these are not stand alone singles.

Overall a fine album that will appeal to most all of their fans that offers nothing new to their style and no great improvement in musicianship, just another solid album from an under recognized band. I do not know how available it is but I recommend anyone that enjoys the current albums go back and listen to Spectre of Black Knowledge so you can hear how much they have progressed. I still remember listening to that album for the first time when it came out, and most every part of their current style could in some fashion on that release, demonstrating why I’m still on board as a fan, history is important to them. They predate Ensiferum and should get at least as much attention as their Finnish kissing cousins. Visit the website for the official video.

With the next track, “Parting,” my meh turned into something a little more interested. It opens with a djentish guitar riff, then a violin rises up over that and gets things kicked into a rollicking folk metal tune. It pulled me deeper into the record to “Voices in My Head” and its driving main riff. There’s a little bit of folk in the song, and the pre-chorus is interesting, but the key to it is that tough, thrashing riff that kicks it off and comes back after the choruses with some dark whispers and an occasional growl over it. It’s a powerful bit that’s sure to have you banging your head along.

The following ballad, “The Road Not Taken,” is a stark contrast to “Voices in My Head,” just a soft guitar and a melancholy vocal from Jessica Thierjung. “White Lily” brings in some symphonic elements, but the chorus brings back the Lacuna Coil comparisons. Or maybe it’s just Thierjung’s voice, which is in some ways similar to Cristina Scabbia on a few of these choruses – but that’s not a bad thing at all.

The symphonic elements come out more on “Aus der Tiefe,” and the soft, dark “Wenn die Engel Fallen,” while the folk and symphonic get blended on “Side by Side,” which brings back some of the more interesting melodies, at least on the verses. Sadly, the album closes where it began, with one of the more pedestrian numbers in “Repentance.”

Thierjung has a great voice, and the band is solid, but they have a tendency, especially on the choruses, to fall back into some pretty standard goth/power metal melodies. I’d like to see them be as creative on there as they are in other parts of the songs. They should also drop the straight songs and mix in more of the folk elements. That’s where they’re at their best. Though I’m unfamiliar with the band’s earlier work, it’s my understanding that it’s much heavier on the folk metal. I may have to explore those records, because I like what I hear of it here.

I walked away from Leverage loving a few of the songs, but with an overall sense that there’s a lot of untapped potential in Lyriel. At times, they seemed to be reining the songs in a little and pulling them back toward a more standard sound. They shouldn’t. Just cut loose with the folk stuff and let it go where it goes.

It’s both gawdammit! Even though we live in an era of ever-increasing instances of tiresome genre-crossovers and peculiar-sounding ‘electronization’ of traditional metal sub-genres (ahem, The Browning), the sound of an enduring sub-genre such as neo-classical power metal can be very invigorating and nostalgic, possibly giving rise to more listening pleasure than the newer and innovative forms of modern metal (if done skillfully).

Even with that said, who is to say that bands playing in this style can’t be experimenting a little? Take that mean-sounding introduction with medium-speed blast beats and harsh vocals from the track “Nosferatu” for example; it is a passage that wouldn’t sound out of place in an ‘80s death/thrash record! When was the last time you heard such a thing from a traditional neo-classical power metal band in our current day and age? It’s always either be too faithful and come off as too boring, or be too “creative” and come off as a sonic disaster. To go slightly off topic, long-time Iron Mask fans should recognize the opening riffs of this track. They are recycled from the track “Holy War” off of 2005’s Hordes Of The Brave.

While this is ultimately an excellent record, Iron Mask’s experimentation did have a slight hiccup. Their very brief flirt with the Asian oriental sound on the track “Genghis Khan”, achieved through usage of the Chinese violin (called an erhu) and the Chinese pentatonic scale on a plucked Asian string instrument, sounds a little too cautious. It’s almost as if the band was expecting a backlash from fans if they overdid this musical idea. While the oriental sound fits the theme of this particular song (which is about the 13th Century ruler of the Mongol Empire), it sounds oddly out-of-place within the larger context of the album, which mostly sounds like traditional neo-classical power metal. This idea could have been better planned and executed.

Other than that, another interesting musical idea to keep an ear out for would be the Gregorian chanting heard in the introduction of the track, “God Punishes, I Kill”. Its creeping build-up to the explosion of power metal goodness at the 1:09 mark is simply ravishing.

Thanks to my classical piano background, the catchiest track has got to be “The Absence”. The Romantic-inspired motif sung out by the lead guitar at the start, and its eventual doubling of the melodically similar vocal hook in the song’s choruses is nothing short of infectious. The guitar wailing just makes you want to bounce happily on the spot.

Whether you’re in need of traditional metal therapy after having slogged through dozens of too-modern-for-your-own-old-fashioned-good metal, or you’re a long-time fan of this metal sub-genre, Iron Mask will certainly entertain you well on this record. Cue the upper register group vocals and high-pitched guitar shredding!

Though glossed with a little thrash and a little, dare I say some form of modern nu-ish metal and some rather odd vocals, Pathogen is all about some pretty nifty little melo-death riffs and solos. Guitarist Michal Kostrzynski is clearly the centerpiece of the band and the album. The guy pretty much fills each of the nine tracks with plenty of chunky but melodic riffs and shreddage that reminded me of Omnium Gatherum‘s early stuff.

From opener “Friend” (3:30 in), the catchy main riff of “Russian Roulette”, more somber “I Can’t Believe”, dancing opening riff of “Lock n Load”, nice little arpeggio bridge surface about 43 seconds into “False Flag”, chord progressions and galloping mid-section of “Questions”, the album is just a dang likable display of melodeath that works as a welcomed break from deathcore, brutal death metal and dissonant black metal. I’d almost forgotten what a simple, hooky riff actually sounded like!

Unfortunately some of this very enjoyable guitar work comes at a price; vocalist Radek Polrolniczak. His vocals are this sort of winded gruff half shout (with the odd spoken word or clean shout as heard in “You, Departed”) that simply sucks the life out from much of the otherwise quality material. This vocal buzz kill is a crying shame as most of the actual music is rather enjoyable, confidently played and well written — an example of a genre long thought dead, dying or simply absorbed by metalcore. If these guys change the vocalist (or Polrolniczak gets his act together) it’s going to be smooth sailing as there’s some really evident promise here — on the merit of the guitar work alone.

Thankfully, there’s a bonus track that is an instrumental reprise of “Russian Roulette”. Now, if only there would have been another seven like minded bonus tracks…

Like its predecessor, 2008’s The King of Hell, this record leans more on thrash influences than the band’s earlier power/speed metal tendencies, but it’s a more potent recipe than that record. Glory of Chaos goes for the jugular immediately with album opener “Angels Fall to Hell,” a ripping number that finds vocalist James Rivera exploring some Painkiller-era Rob Halford screams on the chorus. The album never lets up from there. It’s a relentless onslaught of great thrash riffs from guitarists Larry Barragan and Rob Trevino, overlaid with alternately snarling and soaring vocals from Rivera. The pieces range from nice, thrashy gallops like “Bone Crusher” to full-on speed assaults like “Alma Negra,” which bashes the listener with a barrage of speed drumming from Mikey Lewis and shrieks from Rivera.

Helstar does offer up a rare slower number here and there. “Summer of Hate” opens with a dark, clean guitar piece laid over sound bytes of Charles Manson. Sure, the Manson bit is cliché, but the song is one of the better tunes on the record, giving Rivera a chance to expand his vocal range a little with some more foreboding and a few growls of rage. There’s also a really nice acoustic interlude in “Trinity of Heresy” where Rivera offers up a more vulnerable vocal style, which of course builds shortly back to full-on thrash and the angry snarl he practices throughout most of the record. One of the more unusual pieces here is also a slower number, “Zero One,” a short interlude which features a folky, almost medieval guitar lick and a quick vocal closure to the record.

Helstar also offers a couple of bonus tracks following “Zero One,” which closes the “official” part of the record. The first is a cover of Saxon’s “Heavy Metal Thunder,” and the second is a cover of The Scorpions’ “Animal Magnetism.” The first is a fairly faithful old-school rock ‘n’ roll party tune that’s the most fun song on the album. It might have been a better closer than the heavier, dark and plodding Scorpions cover. I like the version, but it’s kind of a draggy song to end an otherwise very energetic record.

Basically having been the driving force behind Helstar during all of its incarnations, it’s no surprise that one of the primary strengths of this record is Rivera. His vocals here are in fine form and fall in line with some of the best voices the genre has had to offer over the years, from Halford to Warrel Dane to Geoff Tate. But just as big a factor in the success of Glory of Chaos is the guitar work of Barragan and Trevino. It’s not the flashy leads, though there are some good ones that will turn your head, but rather the fast and precise riffing, reminiscent at times of both the best work of James Hetfield and Slayer’s Kerry King/Jeff Hanneman combo. As I said at the start, it’s a potent blend, and after nearly 30 years, Helstar is thrashing stronger than most of the young bands in the genre.

From start to finish, Glory of Chaos just plain rocks, and it’s definitely a contender for the old end of the year list.

In the band’s heavier moments, they sound a lot like Lamb of God, particularly on second track “Emperor of Ruins.” There’s the chunky down-tuned riffing, and vocalist Carsten Frank doing his best Randy Blythe impression. But in the more majestic moments, there’s much that will win over the power and melodic metal crowd. “Humanize the Demon” is possibly the best example of that side of the band, with Frank showing a commanding presence behind the mic and proving that he’s a multitalented vocalist with a nice range. At his more melodic, he can hang with the likes of Warrel Dane, but he’s got a nice roar, too. The song also has one of the more memorable choruses on the record.

Typically with bands like this, I prefer one style over the other, but I can’t figure out which side of Athorn I like best. The more dark and melodic Iced Earth influenced sounds of the title track impress me, as do the harsher tunes like “Emperor of Ruins” or album closer “Schizophrenia.” I like the more blended numbers, too, like “After the End,” which opens with some interesting tapped guitar work and moves into a heavier mode, reminiscent again of Kiuas, or “A Matter of Time,” which reminds me a bit of Soilwork. Honestly, I pretty much like the whole record.

Frank is really the centerpiece of the band, as he impresses throughout with the power of his voice and his ability to run effortlessly through various styles and moods. He’s very adaptive, and can deliver exactly what the song needs in just about any situation. Guitarist Stefan Schonebeck does occasionally steal the show from Frank though as he shreds with gleeful abandon on solos that would make Jeff Loomis proud. The production is great, and Phobia is, overall, a very tight and seasoned sounding project for a debut record.

This record won’t likely quite make my top 10 for the year since there are a lot of really good records in front of it, but it puts Athorn firmly on my radar as a band to watch. If you like band that meld heavy and melodic seamlessly, they should be on yours as well.

Musically, though, there’s a nice mix here. Naturally, with Stevens’ vocals out front and in your face, there will be comparisons to Savatage, and as with past Circle II Circle efforts, there’s much of his old band. But he offers up some variety, too. One of the better examples being the third track, the 1970s hard rock inspired “Out of Nowhere,” that features some crunchy riffing from Andy Lee and a nice driving bass groove from Paul Michael Stewart. It also has one of the most balanced mixes on the record. In fact, Stewart turns in some pretty impressive performances on this record, but they’re often kind of buried in the background, along with drummer Johnny Osborn. A good example is “Remember,” which puts a killer riff by Lee and Stevens’ vocals out front, but there’s a nice pounding performance by Osborn and Stewart on the verse that doesn’t have quite the impact that it should. That aside, the track is still one of the best cuts on the record.

“Symptoms of Fate” is another interesting track with an almost funky riff by Lee leading the song off before it settles into a verse more reminiscent of Savatage. “Mirage” brings in a thrashing guitar riff from Lee and brings a new kind of energy to the band and the record. Savatage comparisons will certainly be made with “Episodes of Mania,” which delivers a guitar riff reminiscent of some of that band’s early work, prior to Stevens’ arrival. It’s one of my favorite songs here for that very reason, though. I also like the down and dirty grooving riffs of “Take Back Yesterday.”

Despite the loss of guitarist Evan Christopher, the guitars on this record are among the best on any Circle II Circle effort. Lee, who has been with the band since 2003, picks up the slack from the loss of a second guitarist and proves himself a master of the riff. Stevens’ vocals are spot-on, as usual, and the rhythm section is tight with long-time member Stewart and new drummer Osborn, even if they are often a little too quiet.

Consequence of Power is probably Circle II Circle’s best effort from a musical standpoint since their debut, but I really wish they could get the production together. Every record they’ve put out seems to be plagued by some weakness in that area, and this one is no different. While better than Delusions of Grandeur, the mix is still a little flat and makes the music seem disconnected in places. A more dynamic and powerful mix would have made this record easily one of my top 10 for the year. Instead, it’s still a really good record, but leaves me wishing it reached the level that it could have.

Album opener “The Eternal” gives us a dark piano intro that sounds promising, but quickly moves into a groove-driven traditional metal/hard rock guitar riff. I like it, since I happen to be a fan of groove-driven hard rock, but those looking for the band’s old sound will likely be disappointed. “Whatever Hurts” takes the shift a step further, opening with a very 1980s hard rock influenced guitar riff. Vocalist Andy Franck also uses a more restrained vocal style on much of the record, particularly on this track. There’s a Nevermore-ish bent to “Whatever Hurts,” and his vocals sound a bit like a cross between Warrel Dane and Dave Mustaine. A huge memorable chorus on the song should win over just about any fan of melodic metal, though.

There seems to be a very heavy Nevermore influence coming through all over this record that I don’t recall from the band’s earlier efforts, though I will admit that it’s been a while since I listened to them. It’s particularly noticeable on tracks like “Visions” and “The Last Decision,” though the latter features an interesting vocal from Franck that has more than a little Bruce Dickinson in it.

The record shifts back more toward the expected sound with “The Waking Hour,” the first true power metal number here. Franck’s vocals soar back into their normal range for one of the best tracks on the record.

Toward the end of the record, the songs start to weaken. “The Mindless” is a fairly boring track that uses sound bytes from Sept. 11 and finds Franck doing more of a spoken vocal delivery on the verses. It’s also one of the least interesting choruses on the record, and it just doesn’t work over all. “Do You Ever Wonder” and “Until It’s Over,” just don’t seem to have the impact of the earlier tracks, and they’re certainly not nearly as memorable. “Sorrow in Our Hearts” has kind of an alternative feel on the chorus that’s not quite as cool as it could be.

Regardless of what you may think of the sound shift, guitarists Cedric “Cede” Dupont and Markus Pohl certainly haven’t lost anything as they deliver huge riff after huge riff. Unrestricted should be a bit of a hit with fans of big guitars with crunching grooves, and, at least the first half, has something to offer for hard rock fans. Sadly, though, many Symphorce fans will probably be left listening to “The Waking Hour” and not much else.

The band’s 2007 outing, MKII, without Lande at the helm, was an OK effort, but he was definitely missed. This record makes the absence obvious. With Lande on the mic, they’re a much more powerful outfit.

The record gets off to an upbeat, energetic power metal start on “Fiddle of Time.” Things slow down a bit with “Blow Your Winds,” a mid-paced number with a memorable guitar melody from band founder and ex-Helloween axeman Roland Grapow. Axel Mackenrott also provides some nice atmospheric keys on the number. It’s a very traditional-metal flavored tune and one of my favorites from this record. The title track keeps things going in the right direction, opening with some Gregorian chanting and a majestic guitar piece before accelerating to a slightly faster power metal gallop with some nice tempo shifts and a powerful dramatic chorus.

“Lonely Winds of War” opens with some medieval balladry, and if you’ve read my reviews before you’ll know I’m a sucker for medieval balladry. From there it moves to a midtempo number that puts Lande’s voice out front, but also features some of the grittiest guitar work from Grapow. “The Black One” gives bassist Jan S. Eckert his chance to star on the record, and is a solid piece in an otherwise lackluster late part of the record.

Perhaps the centerpiece of Time to Be King is “The Dark Road,” which brings together the best that the band has to offer in one tune. It opens with an uptempo power metal piece, but then drops the pace and lets Lande work that bluesy tone in his voice that he does so well. The song blends soaring parts with soulful pieces and very dramatic bits. It’s not my favorite track, but it’s one of the more impressive.

As with any power/melodic metal recording, you’ll find some stock pieces here and there, but Masterplan always seems to have the ability to elevate even a typical power metal number like “Far From the End of the World,” even if it’s only by the sheer power of Lande’s voice.

Not every song on Time to Be King is a winner, and toward the end of the record things get a little less impressive. Lande has his only miss on “The Sun is in Your Hands,” which fails despite a solid traditional metal riff from Grapow. Songs like “Blue Europa” and “Under the Moon” just don’t have a whole lot to recommend them at all.

That said, Lande’s voice – as if I need to say it again – is outstanding, and the musicianship is great in all phases. If you enjoy melodic metal, it’s tough to beat Masterplan.

The presence of Älvestam’s Miseration and The Few Against Many cohorts (guitarists Patrik Gardberg and Tom Gardiner, bassist Anders Edlund and drummer Rolf Pilve) might indicate (the cover would be a dead giveaway) this is more furious melo-death. But Solution .45’s affiliation with AFM Records (Masterplan, Sinner , Heavenly, etc), as well as the heavy presence of guest keyboardist Mikko Härkin  (Kenziner, Kotipelto, Sonata Arctica), means For Aeons Past isn’t an underground metal exercise, but something else entirely.

Arguably the most commercial and mainstream of Älvestam’s projects, Solution .45 is more of a diet melo-death record, with the emphasis on soaring vocals, lots of synths and a pace that’s reminiscent of female-fronted gothic metal acts like Delain, Epica, After Forever, Theatre of Tragedy, etc. Granted, Älvestam delivers some of his patented deep growls here and there (i.e., “For Aeons Past”), but much like gothic metal, they are secondary to the lead vocals.

“Through Night Kingdomed Gates”, “For Aeons Past”, “Bladed Vaults”, “Wirethrone” and opener “The Close Beyond” are Solution .45‘s manliest ― even aggressive ― tracks, whereas “Gravitational Lensing”, “Clandestinity Now”, and “On Embered Fields Adjust” play off predictable rock-based verse-chorus themes; safe and sugary sounding. For Aeons Past tempers a bit on semi-ballads “Leathean Tears” and “Into Shadow”, but, if anything, the performances are top notch. While Solution .45 is songwriting-cautious, production-wise For Aeons Past slacks nowhere. It’s robust and powerful.

Even though For Aeons Past is an entertaining and very polished effort, Solution .45 still manages to underwhelm. But then again, with Älvestam’s voice front and center, fans are certain to believe the frontman can do no wrong. And he’s been a Dan Swanö rip-off for years.

Even still, the transition that he’s made with his new outfit Jon Oliva’s Pain has been fascinating to me. After starting life as an attempt to recreate the early sounds of Savatage on 2005’s ‘Tage Mahal, the band has put out four albums with an ever-increasing progressive feel, creating a sound that at once sounds like Savatage, yet completely different.

I thought Oliva’s last outing, Global Warning, was a work of pure genius. I’m not quite as blown away initially by Festival, but it’s grown on me with each listen. The music here gets a bit more progressive, but not in the Dream Theater-influenced vein that most people think of as prog metal these days. This is an earthier variety of progressive with heavy flavors of the 1970s acts that influenced Oliva. Jon Oliva’s Pain reminds me in a lot of ways of Queen, not necessarily in sound, but in the overall approach to the music – nothing is really out of bounds, be it raging metal, soft introspective pieces or even show tune theatrics. That, of course, has been a hallmark of Oliva’s work over the years.

Certainly there are songs here that will please Savatage fans. “Death Rides a Black Horse,” with its military march opening, dramatic classical keys and Gutter Ballet feel on the verse is a good example. “Living on the Edge” is a straight-up metal tune with the feel of some of Savatage’s earliest work. “Evil Within” provides another moment of heaviness with one of Oliva’s cleanest vocals here, and one of my personal favorites is “I Fear You,” a dramatic rocker with a Streets feel and a great groove. Even in some of those songs, though, you’ll hear a touch of that ‘70s style, as on the lasery synths on “Death Rides a Black Horse.”

Fans of Oliva’s work will also expect a few ballads and shouldn’t be disappointed by the ones here. I’m not a big fan of ballads, but Oliva always has a deft touch with them. The soft songs are more guitar driven than the piano ballads that he usually delivers. “Looking for Nothing” has a bit of an odd sound that’s a blend of Southern rock attitude and Pink Floyd-style art rock. It’s a strange brew, but I like it. “Winter Haven” is a bit of a faux ballad, opening with an acoustic piece that builds through alternately soft and soaring moments before moving into a more symphonic rock mode about halfway through and bringing in some proggy synth runs toward the end. Album closer “Now,” puts the focus back on Oliva’s piano with a nice string arrangement and almost a Beatles flavor in places.

For me, though, the centerpiece of the record is one of those songs that falls in between rock and ballad, “Afterglow.” It has a great opening groove and some tasty lead work by Matt LaPorte, who really shined on the last album and continues to make an impact here. From there, the song drops to a soft acoustic number with piano and strings that remind me of some of the better moments on Global Warning. It builds back to a dramatic bridge with a Streets feel and a catchy chorus harmony that’s nice, though not quite as tight as the harmonies that Savatage fans may expect.

There’s no denying that Oliva’s voice isn’t quite what it was back in his prime. It’s lost a bit of its clarity and seems a bit more haggard and weary at times. That said, it’s still quite powerful and distinctive. The wizened tone seems to fit the direction of Jon Oliva’s Pain just as smoothly as his shrieking, maniacal vocals of old fit the style of early Savatage. I’ll still take a 50-year-old Oliva over any of the young guns on the power metal scene.

In short, Festival is another solid entry in Oliva’s impressive catalog of recordings, delivering everything his fans expect and then some.

Their latest effort, Memorial Roots, which came out last year overseas and makes its way to the U.S. this year, doesn’t quite hit me as hard as Downburst did, but it’s still a solid and enjoyable effort.

It starts at a bit of slower pace with “Forsake What I Believed,” which features a solid traditional guitar riff and uses some more progressive leanings than I’m used to from the band. It’s a trend that will run through many of the songs, showing up on the verse of “Shiver,” the opening and chorus of “Nailed Down Dreams” and much of “The Final Stages of Decay.” Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a full-on progressive attack, just a little touch here and there that brings something a little fresh to the sound. There’s also a nice folky acoustic opening that I enjoy on “The Conjunction of Seven Planets.”

While I like all of those songs, it’s no surprise that I find myself drawn to the heavier songs on Memorial Roots, which are mostly toward the latter half of the record. Guitarists Torsten Ihelenfeld and Milan Loncaric show off with some huge traditional metal riffs. One of my favorites is “Blood Still Stains.” It’s one of the more aggressive tunes on the record, and a little Bruce Dickinson creeps into Andy Franck’s vocals on the track. It’s probably my favorite song on the record. Close behind, though, is “Victim,” which opens with another great traditional riff. In my mind it’s on songs like these, “Ahimsa,” with its fast riffing and atmospheric keys, and “Would You” where the band is truly in its element.

Franck, who is always impressive, takes on a grittier tone on some of these songs. He doesn’t quite show off his voice as much as usual, often singing in a more quiet subdued fashion, but it gives more impact when he does bring the power.

While Memorial Roots isn’t as memorable in my mind as Downburst was, it’s still what fans expect from Brainstorm – solid dependable songs without a lot of fancy trappings and no wimpy power ballads. It’s what a traditional metal record should be.

For the most part, the music packs more of a punch than your average power metal act. The riffs of guitarists Jake Freden and Lennart Specht often have just as much thrash and traditional metal as power metal. Vocalist Freddy Persson has a little grit in his voice and doesn’t go for the ridiculously high note often. There aren’t many over-the-top flourishes. It’s straight-forward, melodic and often fairly heavy for the genre.

I particularly like the second track, “The Art of Deception,” which brings the most aggressive feel on the record with more of a thrash style in the guitars and some growly vocals from Persson. “Eclipse ov the Suncult,” likewise, has a heavier feel, and if all of the songs were in the vein of these two, I think I’d be singing the praises of this record. Often, though, the songs don’t really distinguish themselves, like “Nothing.” There’s nothing really bad about the tune, but there’s nothing really that great about it either. It’s just kind of a flat moment.

The band goes for the big epic number on “Broken Soul (Virgin Mary)” which opens with some smooth moody guitar work that impresses, but the next portion of the song that tries to build the dramatics drags on for a little too long before getting to another one of those flat verses that sounds like something I’ve heard hundreds of times before. There are bits and pieces of the song that are pleasing, but they’re lost in what’s largely uninteresting fare.

There are a couple of other solid moments on the record. The Blind Guardian-flavored “The Mariner” is not bad, and “Armageddon Forever” returns to that heavier sound that set the earlier songs apart. In places, the latter almost shows an In Flames influence.

Fans of the more aggressive brand of power metal will want to give this a listen for “The Art of Deception” and “Eclipse ov the Suncult” at least. In a year with fewer records in this style, I might like Illusion’s Parade better, but when a new Brainstorm record came in the same envelope, it didn’t have much of a chance.

After draggy album opener, “Children of the Flames,” which feels like it goes on forever despite the fact that the running time is only about seven and a half minutes, I thought I was in for more of the same with their latest, Radical Peace. Things picked up with second track “Trial by Fire,” though, a more uptempo galloping piece with a big chorus. “Warchild” brings a darker mood to the record with some ominous slab guitar riffs from Matthias Mineur and Sven Ludge and very well-used keys from Sascha Onnen. Even vocalist Klaus Dirks takes the dramatics down just a notch or two on the track, making it one of the better tunes here. The folky touches on the opening of “Astral Hand” are a nice addition to a song that has a bit of a classic hard rock feel on the verse.

So, first song aside, I’m liking this record when we get to the big 20-minute centerpiece “The Oswald File.” It’s a six-part concept piece centered on Lee Harvey Oswald and the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The piece blends sound clips from the era of the assassination with instrumental pieces and a couple of full songs. The set features some big metal riffing (“A Dead Man’s Face”), soft piano ballads (“Desperate Son”) and dramatic instrumental interludes (“11:30 a.m.,” “Unnecessary Doubt”). The strongest pieces are “A Dead Man’s Face,” which features a memorable hook, and the closing piece “Did You Reach the Sun?” which opens with a plaintive acoustic moment then moves through expressions of anger and back to a more reflective mood. I’m a sucker for a concept that’s done well, and while I won’t say this one is the greatest I’ve heard, it certainly gets my attention.

Two more songs follow the Oswald concept piece, and both of them are pleasers. “Waiting for the Sun” takes a more typical European power metal melody, but the faster pace is needed after the somber note the previous portion of the record hit. “The Glance of Flame” returns to the mid-tempo pace but packs a catchy vocal melody.

Radical Peace doesn’t radically change my view of Mob Rules, but it does give me a new perspective on the band. It’s a good record and worth a listen for melodic metal fans.

There are moments scattered throughout the record. Olaf Lenk’s main riff on “Torn – Burning Like Fire” is nice, and he offers up some tasty neoclassical noodling here and there, particularly on the opening of “End of Days.” I also like the Celtic-influenced riff of “Salvation Day” which brings an almost folk metal sound to the band. Even in the better moments, though, singer Rick Altzi’s seeming desire to be David Coverdale often weakens the tunes.

For me, one of the most interesting moments on the record is their cover of Free’s “Wishing Well.” Granted Altzi’s vocals on the track are rough, but at least the bluesy ‘70s hard rock sound offers something a little different in an album of sameness.

Ultimately, there’s not much I can say about Ride the Sky, other than, for the most part, it sounds like dozens of other melodic/power metal records you’ve heard before. It’s not a horrible record, but it’s completely forgettable.