Rise of the Wise Wisdom 2016 NoiseArt Records Wisdom are a Power Metal band from Hungary. Wisdom play a type of Power Metal that is deeply rooted around the classic Power Metal sound revolving around an almost story telling type vibe with fantasy lyrics and can draw parallels to the likes of early-HammerFall and Powerwolf. Rise of the Wise is the 4th full studio album by Wisdom and the follow up the 2013’s Marching for Liberty. Rise of the Wise is also the first studio album to feature new drummer Tamas Toth who replaced long term drummer Balazs Agota in 2015. The rest of Wisdom is made up from Gabor Nagy on vocals, Gabor Kovacs and Mate Bodor on the guitars with Mate Molnar playing the bass. The title track features the one and only Joakim Brodén from Sabaton, who adds his unique vocals giving Rise of the Wise a double edged attack. The production of Rise of the Wise has been handled by guitarist Gabor Kovacs showing that there are no end to the talents that can be found within Wisdom. Kovacs has created a solid sounding Power Metal album that is pure enjoyment to listen to. The mixing of Hero is fantastic, the choir works very well, mixed to the point where it isn’t overpowering, but just behind the vocals giving an almost medieval church feel to it. However, at times, you can get the feeling that the guitars are little high in the mix, but, the more you listen to Rise of the Wise, you don’t care, every instrument does fantastic work and can be heard clearly, even with the cod-reggae beat section in Through the Fire. The track Raven’s Night was chosen to be single from Rise of the Wise. After the build-up of the introductory track of Over the Wall, Raven’s Night kicks in at full throttle with a melody reminiscent of classical movements. If you haven’t heard Wisdom, then Raven’s Night is a perfect example of what Wisdom are all about, big choral choruses and a classic Power Metal sound that would make any fan of the genre stand up and buy every album by Wisdom. Vocally, Nagy does a fantastic job, his vocals are melodic and the big choruses only serve to help you fall in love with his voice. But, Rise of the Wise does not belong to Nagy entirely, the rest of the musicians play their hearts out. Guitarists Kovacs and Bodor work exceptionally well, their twin harmonies on Secret Life are reminiscent of early Helloween. The long standing bass of Molnar is fluid and strong throughout providing a great backbone for the band to work from with Toth showing that he isn’t just a timekeeper with some interesting double bass beats on Welcome to my Story. The title track of Rise to the Wise is easily one of the best tracks on the album. The ravens cawing at the beginning signal the start of a slow brooding battle song that builds up and up, the interplay between Nagy and Brodén could be one of the best duets that you’ll hear this year and the chorus with its choir will have you hooked immediately. Other highlights of Rise to the Wise are Hunting the Night, Hero, Through the Fire and Raven’s Night. Rise of the Wise is a great album, it is well written and exceptionally melodic and catchy. Each song contains a hook that will draw you in, leaving Rise of the Wise as one of the best Power Metal albums that you will hear this year. 8/10 Adam Raven's Night (Kovacs/Molnar)
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Apocalypse Again Thunderstone 2016 AFM Records Thunderstone are a Power Metal band from Finland, founded in 2000 originally as a side project from Antidote guitarist Nino Laurenne. Thunderstone play a strain of Power Metal that is akin to their fellow countrymen in Sonata Arctica and Stratovarius. However, with Thunderstone there is more a classic Power Metal feel to them with a sound harking to the late 80’s/early 90’s. Apocalypse Again is the 6th studio album by Thunderstone. Apocalypse Again is the follow up to 2009’s Dirt Metal and the first to feature original vocalist Pasi Rantanen since 2007’s Evolution 4.0. As well as Rantanen and Laurenne on the vocals and guitar, the rest of Thunderstone is made up by Titus Hjelm on the bass, Atte Palokangas on the drums and lastly Jukka Karinen playing the keyboards. The production for Apocalypse Again has been handled by guitarist Laurenne. Laurenne’s years in the music business show through on Apocalypse Again, giving the album a sleek and well produced record. Laurenne obviously knows what he wants Thunderstone to sound like and portrays this to the world with an execution that is flawless. Apocalypse Again has all the dynamics that you would expect from a Power Metal album that has been well produced. This isn’t all down to Laurenne though, Apocalypse Again is a testament to each band member from the Helloween-esque opener of Veterans of the Apocalypse to the extremely catchy Deep Purple-isms in Higher, especially during the guitar/keyboard runs and the keyboard solo itself. As with most power metal, the musicianship with Thunderstone is exquisite. Rantanen shows himself to be a fantastic vocalist, easily able to soar high, but when singing low, his voice has true passion and warmth, coupled with a worn in feeling that is very easy to listen to. Laurenne’s guitar has the tone and sound of someone who was raised listening to Ritchie Blackmore and Yngwie Malmsteen with Laurenne’s playing style being not only exceptionally talented, but very fluid and melodic. The rhythm section of Palokangas and Hjelm helps to anchor Thunderstone by being the glue that holds the band together. The bass of Hjelm has great melodic runs, especially during Days of our Lives and Wounds. Palokangas has a great way of playing and once more, Palokangas shows off that he is not just there for keeping in the time with the beats played on Veterans of the Apocalypse showing the drumming of someone who not only was raised on a diet of Power Metal, but also through earlier bands such as Rainbow. However, it is the keyboards that make Apocalypse Again, Karinen not only manages to fill the sound out, but some of his playing alone is something to behold. From the beginning of The Path and Through the Pain to his superb interplay with Laurenne on the epic album closer of Barren Land. It would be easy to overlook Karinen’s playing, however, through the production and mixing by Laurenne, Karinen’s parts are not lost in the mix, they are at the forefront, showing off what their keyboardist is capable of. Apocalypse Again is a great album, full of Power Metal anthems showing that Thunderstone are a bright gem in the Power Metal world. Not only is Apocalypse Again a decent Power Metal album, but it is melodic enough to appeal to fans of Hard Rock, who might not necessarily listen to Power Metal. 7/10 Adam The Path (Thunderstone)
Surgical Meth Machine Surgical Meth Machine 2016 Nuclear Blast Records Surgical Meth Machine is the side project of Ministry frontman Al Jourgensen and follows in the footsteps of the more extreme songs in Ministry’s repertoire, most songs push over the 200bpm broken repetitively by samples before kicking back in again. As an album, Surgical Meth Machine draws many comparisons with the track Side F/X Include Mikey’s Middle (TV4) from 2013’s Ministry album; From Beer to Eternity, with Jourgensen citing the death of Ministry and Rigor Mortis guitarist Mike Scaccia as the influence for Surgical Meth Machine and that the album is a tribute to Scaccia. Surgical Meth Machine is the brainchild of Jourgensen and producer/engineer Sammy D’Ambruoso who between them play every instrument on the album, including the production of Surgical Meth Machine. Surgical Meth Machine itself sounds just like a Ministry album, there is no other band which sounds like it has had Jourgensen at the controls with his extreme, heavy industrial sound. Surgical Meth Machine has a heavy programmed drum machine sound that at times is ear-splittingly loud, but you would expect nothing else from the Ministry madman. The programmed drums, heavily distorted guitar and shouted vocals are in your face all interspersed with broken, repeating samples. Al Jourgensen given his lifestyle, is a wonder how Jourgensen gets anything done. However, Jourgensen is an exceptionally talented musician. Jourgensen, along with his distinctive vocals, plays the guitars and bass on Surgical Meth Machine with his studio counterpart D’Ambruoso programming the drums, whilst also adding some guitars and vocals. Both Jourgensen and D’Ambruoso show that they are both masters of their style, Jourgensen in particular has a very distinctive sound that is head and shoulders above his peers. Not all the songs on Surgical Meth Machine blast forward at 200bpm, Jourgensen shows a more psychedelic side with the album closer, much slower and extremely trippy I’m Invisible. But generally, Surgical Meth Machine is full of the nihilistic and bleak observations of the world through the eyes of Jourgensen. This shows through on the albums opener I’m Sensitive, where Jourgensen attacks the narcissism, vanity and insecurity that runs through social media. Jourgensen’s lyrics of nihilism continue through Tragic Alert and Rich People Problems to the amusing Side F/X Include Mikey’s Middle (TV4) –esque Unlistenable where Jourgensen and D’Ambruoso discuss their views on music through the Beavis and Butthead style of ‘they suck’ both eventually agreeing that DEVO rock before launching into a brilliant cover of DEVO’s Gates of Steel. Jello Biafra of ex-Dead Kennedy’s fame guests on the song I Don’t Wanna with his unique voice melding very well with Jourgensen’s to create an excellent Industrial song with Hardcore Punk overtones giving a huge middle finger to the music industry. Surgical Meth Machine is a decent Industrial album and a fantastic tribute to Jourgensen’s late friend and ex-Ministry member, Mike Scaccia. You get the feeling that with Surgical Meth Machine, Jourgensen and D’Ambruoso are having fun, no constraints, just doing exactly what they want and because of this Surgical Meth Machine sounds great. If you’re a fan of Ministry, then Surgical Meth Machine will fit perfectly in with your record collection. 7/10 Adam Tragic Alert (Jourgensen/D'Ambruoso)
Bogefod Sarke 2016 Indie Recordings Sarke are a Black Metal band hailing from Norway. The sound of Sarke has huge Black Metal overtones, but underneath Sarke has a tones of Death Metal and Thrash Metal making Sarke feel that they have so much more to offer than just Black Metal. Bogefod is the 4th studio album from Sarke and the follow up the 2013’s Aruagint. Bogefod follows in the footsteps of Aruagint with a similar sound and their 3rd release from a two piece to a full band featuring Sarke on bass, Nocturno Culto on vocals, Steinar Gundersen and Stian Kråbøl on the guitars and the drumming position filled by Terje Kråbøl. The production duties for Bogefod are once more handled by long time Sarke producer and friend of the band Lars Erik Westby who fully understands what Sarke is about and how to get the best sound out of a band who are on their 4th full release. Westby’s production is great and he has made Bogefod sound exceptionally well, sticking to the sound of Sarke without trying to make it anything else. The production that Westby gives the track Dawning is flawless, the way the guest female vocals of Beate Amundsen are beautiful and haunting, making Dawning easily one of the best tracks on Bogefod. As musicians, Sarke are exceptionally talented. The vocals of Nocturno Culto are as you would expect from Black Metal and Death Metal, his growl suits the music of Sarke well, being much more melodic than your standard growl. Sarke himself, even though he began drumming for the band, sticks exclusively to the bass, commanding the music like a gloomy conductor with long elongated bass notes at times feeling like Sarke are venturing into Doom Metal, such as on the Barrow of Torolv. The guitars of Gundersen and Kråbøl work very well together and their melodic passages played in The Wicked’s Transient Sleep help transform what could be classed as album filler into the forefront of Bogefod, the same can also be said of Burn and the beautiful acoustic picking of Dawning. Kråbøl keeps the drums sounding fresh, adding fills and time changes that keep Bogefod sounding fresh, it would be easy for Kråbøl to just blast beat his way through, yet it is the relative absence of Kråbøl doing this which helps Bogefod become a decent album. However, it is the keyboards on Bogefod which add an ambient and eerie feeling to many of the songs that makes Bogefod sound so good. The keyboards are not generally noticeable at first, but after a few listens, you can begin to appreciate what the keyboards are capable of bringing, not just to Bogefod, but to the overall sound of Sarke. Clocking in at just a mere 35 minutes, Bogefod feels that it is over before it has begun and that isn’t a bad thing. In a time where albums can be full to the brim or even worse, the double album, Bogefod offers an intricate slice of Black Metal that shows that it doesn’t need to push the time to over an hour. Bogefod is a decent album and if you’re a fan of Black Metal, it is definitely worth picking up. 7/10 Adam Alternation (Bergli/Gundersen/Kråbøl/Nymoen)
X-No Absolutes Prong 2016 SPV/Steamhammer Records Prong are a Heavy Metal band from the USA with a sound that encompasses Thrash Metal with a sound of Crossover and Hardcore Punk. Prong are led by the ever present Tommy Victor who, through his lyrics and blend of musical style, manage to make Prong so appealing. X-No Absolutes is the 11th studio album by Prong and is the follow up to 2015’s album of covers, Songs from the Black Hole. X-No Absolutes follows on from Songs from the Black Hole by having the same line-up of Victor taking on guitar and vocals, Jason Christopher on the bass and Art Cruz taking the place of the drummer. The production of X-No Absolutes was once more handled by dependable metal producer, Chris Collier, who along with X-No Absolutes, has also produced this year, the latest albums by Flotsam And Jetsam and Metal Church. Once more, Collier sprinkles his magic onto X-No Absolutes making a great sounding album that not only sticks to the roots of Prong, but also at times, is sleek enough to be played on the radio, such as Do Nothing open up Prong to a fan base who may not have heard what Prong are about. The musicianship on X-No Absolutes is as you have come to expect from Prong. Victor does what he needs to do with his voice, proving that Victor’s voice not only suits Punk, but can easily lend itself to Thrash Metal and unlike many of his peers who have mellowed as they’ve got older, Victor sounds as angry as he did back in the late 80’s. The sound and tone of Victor’s guitar perfectly compliments the feeling of rage that bleeds through X-No Absolutes. The bass of Christopher more than suits to be played behind Victor’s guitar. Christopher’s bass is fluid and groovy, especially on the title track itself. The drums of Cruz are a brilliant mix of metal and punk, showing that Cruz is capable of blast beating, but also capable of going hell for leather in the style accustomed to Hardcore Punk. The beauty of X-No Absolutes is that none of the members of Prong overplay, but does exactly what it is necessary and many a band should take a leaf out of Prong’s book. Looking back at the covers album, Songs from the Black Hole that was released last year, Prong needed that to bed in this line-up rather than blasting straight into the studio. From the way Victor has conducted this business, Prong have managed to come up with a decent album full of good songs. The opening track Ultimate Authority is a big slab of classic Prong with other highlights on the album being Soul Sickness, Without Words, the title track and the Killing Joke sounding Ice Runs Through My Veins. X-No Absolutes clocks in at just over 41 minutes and is the perfect length, every single track on the album flows very nicely without X-No Absolutes losing your attention or becoming a chore to listen to. X-No Absolutes is a good album from Prong, who once more show they are masters of what they do. There are better albums that have been released this year, but they are many, many worse. At 41 minutes, X-No Absolutes is a pleasure to listen to and thoroughly enjoyable. 7/10 Adam No Absolutes (Victor)
Rituals Rotting Christ 2016 Season of Mist Records Rotting Christ are a Black Metal band from Greece and pioneer a sound that separates itself from their Norwegian counterparts to a sound that has become easily identifiable as a Black Metal sound unique to this region. Rituals is the 12th studio album by Rotting Christ and is the follow up 2013’s Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού. Rituals features the long standing members and brothers, Sakis and Themis Tolis as well as a host of guest musicians such as Vorph from Samael, Nick Holmes from Paradise Lost, Magus from Necromantia and Kathir from Rudra. These members lend their voices to an album that is exceptionally orchestrated and has a real grandiose feel to it, this shines through on Rotting Christ’s take on English composer William Blake’s piece from King Edward the IV’s, For A Voice like Thunder. As usual, Rituals is produced by Sakis Tolis and incorporates a host of different instruments that you wouldn’t normally expect. Rituals features the standard instruments that you would find in a small orchestra, plus the addition of bagpipes into the mix, gives Rituals a fantastic sound. These bagpipes can be heard very clearly on Tou Thanatou and manages to give the sound of Rituals something else. Tolis has done a stellar job with the production and has created an album which manages to be a very interesting and easy listen. Like stated above, Rituals has an extremely grandiose feel to it, it isn’t just your typical down-tuned guitars, growling vocals and constant blast beats on the double bass. Rituals features a sound that, as the name of the album would imply, the sound of a summoning ritual. From the chanting of the opening track, In Nomine Dei Nostri, to the spoken interlude of Konx Om Pax, only serves to enhance the sound that you’re listening to a necromantic ritual or some pursuit of the dark arts. At times Rituals manages to diverge into what can only be described as a pagan prayer to a forgotten deity from the Near East. Kathir from the Singaporean Black Metal band Rudra, does a fantastic traditional voice melody that only adds to the ambient feel of the song. The best thing about Rituals is that the dynamics of the album constantly change. Rituals doesn’t make you feel as if you are listening to the same songs over and over again, as can be the case with some Black Metal. However, Rituals will keep your attention, the musicianship of the Tolis brothers is second to none. Themis Tolis has a drum style that allows Sakis Tolis to expand on his ideas placed down in the writing process. Sakis Tolis’ instrumentation is precise and well thought out. Tolis isn’t content to just thrash away on the guitar. The guitar and bass parts are sublime throughout Rituals. Tolis knows that his song-writing is key to Rotting Christ’s success and it is there that Tolis does the talking. The lyrics are dark, brooding and foreboding, but by the same token, the lyrics are not over-bearing with Tolis allowing his guest vocals to take centre stage above Tolis’ growls. However, it is Rotting Christ’s cover of The Four Horsemen, originally by fellow Greek band Aphrodite’s Child, is absolutely fantastic. Rotting Christ make The Four Horsemen their own, it is a genius way to close Rituals and debatably one of the best songs on the album. Rituals is a great album, easily standing head and shoulders above other Black Metal released so far this year. Once more, Rotting Christ have proved themselves to be a master of their craft and if you’re a fan of Black Metal, Rituals is definitely worth buying. 8/10 Adam Apage Satana (Tolis)
Resurrection Kings Resurrection Kings 2016 Frontiers Records Resurrection Kings are a Hard Rock band from the USA with Resurrection Kings being their eponymous debut album. One half of Resurrection Kings contains ex-members of Dio, Craig Goldy on the guitar and Vinny Appice on the drums, whilst the other half features Sean McNabb an ex-member of Quiet Riot and Dokken and Tribe of ex-Gypsies/Thrust vocalist Chas West. As you expect from a band containing these members, the sound of Resurrection Kings is very classic Hard Rock, melodic enough to appeal to those who prefer the more Melodic Hard Rock side of the spectrum and heavy enough to be appreciated by those who prefer the classic Heavy Metal sound. The production duties of Resurrection Kings is handled by Alessandro Del Vecchio. Del Vecchio has created a sound that feels warm and worn in. Resurrection Kings has the sound of a band that has been together for years and sounds like this could easily be their 5th or 6th release. Every instrument and be clearly heard in the mix, without one instrument overpowering another. De Vecchio also plays the keyboards and lends his voice to the backing vocals and it is his mixing of the backing vocals which has made them sound perfect and at times, it is these backing vocals which give the song the hook and the catch which make Resurrection Kings very appealing. Music videos were made for the tracks Livin’ Out Loud and Who Did You Run To. It is no wonder that these tracks were chosen to the singles, both of the tracks are catchy and full of hooks, a theme which runs throughout the album. Resurrection Kings at first can have the sound of a run of the mill, standard Hard Rock release. However, Resurrection Kings is much better than that, Resurrection Kings will grow on you with its infectious, catchy and extremely well crafted songs by musicians who have been in the business for the best part of 40 years. Other highlights of Resurrection Kings are the Fallin’ For You, Path of Love and Had Enough, these songs are just the tip of the iceberg and will pull you in to what Resurrection Kings are all about. As is mentioned above, the songs are extremely well crafted and that is down to the musicians who have honed their craft over many years. Craig Goldy is an exceptionally underrated guitarist, never just content to just be an on-call guitarist when somebody needs one, Goldy shows once more on Resurrection Kings that he is a master of his craft. Vinnie Appice has been a stalwart drummer of the Metal scene for an exceptionally long time now and just like Goldy, Appice is often overlooked as a drummer, his drumming on Resurrection Kings will not set the world on fire, but Appice does exactly what is needed. Appice manages to help make a song interesting with little fills or odd beats without overplaying or taking away from the song. As a bassist, Sean McNabb has been around the block a few times, however, playing with the likes of Dokken, Quiet Riot and Great White, he is no stranger to the big arena sounding songs and his presence on Resurrection Kings has been more than a bonus to the line-up. This wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the melodic and warm sounding tones that is the voice of Chas West and just like McNabb, West has been around a lot and his experience shines through with Resurrection Kings. Resurrection Kings will grow on you, its Hard Rock tones are irresistible at times. Don’t be alarmed if Resurrection Kings does not grab you instantly, because it will subconsciously pull you in, the songs are well crafted and the album has a full on 80’s arena sound that will appeal to any fan of that genre. Resurrection Kings is a really good album and here’s to hoping that this isn’t their only release. 7/10 Adam Who Did You Run To (Del Vecchio)
The Art of Loss Redemption 2016 Metal Blade Records Redemption are a Progressive Metal band from the USA. Redemption’s music is very technical and pushes more towards the more Neo-Classical side of Progressive Metal than the heavy side. Redemption are melodic enough to be appreciated by Metal fans who dip in and out of the genre and for die-hard fans who are well versed in Progressive Metal. The Art of Loss is the 6th studio album by Redemption and is the long awaited follow up to 2011’s This Mortal Coil. The Art of Loss sadly doesn’t feature long time guitarist Bernie Versailles, who unfortunately suffered an aneurysm and has been replaced, although only hopefully temporarily by Simone Mularoni from Italian Progressive Metal band, DGM. As well as Mularoni, guitar duties are also helped by a host of Megadeth alumni in the shape of Chris Poland, Marty Friedman and Chris Broderick. The production of The Art of Loss was handled by Tommy Hansen along with guitarist/keyboardist Nicholas van Dyk and they have managed to create a Progressive Metal record that sounds clinical and clear, whilst also being warm and welcoming. The Art of Loss is very precise, each instrument is clear in the mix, allowing Redemption to show off their complex patterns, time changes and virtuoso style. It should be noted that the keyboards, an instrument which can get overlooked and at times lost in the mix, can be heard perfectly which is great considering how much they are used in the creation of Redemption’s sound. The opening title track on The Art of Loss, was also chosen to be the single and it features Chris Poland on the guitar. Poland’s tone during the closing guitar solo is identifiable instantly and was no wonder why The Art of Loss was chosen as the single. The Art of Loss is melodic and catchy even with its rather ambiguous lyrics questioning the availability of a happy ending. Even without Versailles, Redemption still manage to come up with the goods. As mentioned above, The Art of Loss is an album of complex time changes, mastered easily by drummer Chris Quirarte. Quirarte has a very interesting way of drumming and behind the lyrics and guitar playing is someone who is holding everything together, putting his own stamp on each song, almost as if he won’t be overshadowed. As sublime as the drumming is by Quirarte, The Art of Loss belongs to the stringed instruments, the playing of bassist, Sean Andrews, guitarists, Nicholas van Dyk along with Mularoni, Poland, Friedman and Broderick are phenomenal throughout, swinging form acoustic finger-picking melodies to full-on metal assault of tapping and sweeping. The Art of Loss would have made a decent instrumental album alone, but the vocals of Ray Alder are extremely good, they’re not exactly ground breaking, but they are melodic and it is the parts of The Art of Loss with Alder singing that are most memorable. Redemption have dedicated The Art of Loss to Versailles and have wished him all the best and a speedy recovery. You get the feeling that Redemption have played their souls out with The Art of Loss. The songs are well crafted and the lyrics fit very well, even with the overly religious overtones of Slouching Towards Bethlehem, That Golden Light and Thirty Silver aside, The Art of Loss still sounds great. The cover of The Who’s Love Reign O’er Me is great and features Armored Saint vocalist John Bush lending is voice to do more than a passable impression of Roger Daltrey. However, it is the longer songs on The Art of Loss which at times fail to hold your attention, especially the 20 minute At Day’s End which begins with an acoustic fingerpicking pattern reminiscent of A Farewell to Kings by Rush. All in all, The Art of Loss is a great album with a good sound to it. If you’re a fan of Progressive Metal, don’t bother with Dream Theater’s The Astonishing, save yourself some time and buy The Art of Loss instead. 8/10 Adam The Art of Loss (Redemption)
Rulebreaker Primal Fear 2016 Frontiers Records Primal Fear are a Heavy Metal band from Germany, who’s fast and heavy riffs are reminiscent of Painkiller era Judas Priest. But, Primal Fear are not a straight up imitation of Judas Priest, they a have their own sound, that has been honed over their 18-year career. Rulebreaker is Primal Fear’s 11th studio album and the follow up the 2014’s Delivering the Black and what Primal Fear has delivered with Rulebreaker is a top drawer Heavy Metal album. The production on Rulebreaker has been done by bassist Mat Sinner and he has had a deft final touch. Sinner has sonically produced a masterpiece, it’s heavy and fast, harking back to good decent European Metal albums of the 90’s and early 2000’s. But this isn’t saying that the production is dated, Rulebreaker has a clean, modern polishing without losing any of its Metal integrity. The sound on Rulebreaker is a testament to the work that Sinner has put in. From the opening groan of Angels of Mercy, Rulebreaker has you. The twin guitars of Tom Naumann and Alex Beyrodt make an assault attack on your ears, their riffs are breath-taking throughout, technically brilliant, fast, heavy and would be irresistible to any fans of Judas Priest and their German peers, Accept. The use of pinch harmonics by Naumann and Beyrodt isn’t overdone, they only serve to fit and emphasise a point in the riff. The guitar playing throughout is not just fast, but it is exceptionally melodic, the guitar runs that both Naumann and Beyrodt conduct are fluid and precise and their harmony work is an absolute pleasure to listen to, especially on Rulebreaker’s 10 minute epic, We Walk Without Fear. To concentrate on the guitars so much would be taking away from the other members. The drumming of Francesco Jovino isn’t just there for keeping time. Jovino, just like the guitars plays very fluid and he doesn’t just bash a 4/4 beat with double bass. Every bar has been thought out meticulously and Jovino’s drumming alone would be enough to hold your attention. The bass of Sinner is a true rock, it doesn’t really deviate away from providing a backing for the riff, but it does what is needed like so many good, decent bass players. Sinner holds the fort for the rest of the guys to do their thing. Primal Fear also have a multi-intrumentalist in Magnus Karlsson, who not only adds to the guitars, but his keyboard playing provides so much emphasis with his stabbing notes. However, it is the vocals of Ralf Scheepers which make Primal Fear so appealing. Scheepers voice is easily able to float between melodic and low to screaming high Rob Halford-esque screams that are something to behold and could give the master himself a run for his money! As mentioned above, Rulebreaker is a top draw metal album, the songs are well crafted, with memorable catchy hooks and melodic choruses. The title track is a perfect example of this, however other highlights of Rulebreaker are The End is Near, In Metal We Trust, Bullets & Tears, The Devil in Me and The Sky is Burning. Rulebreaker clocks in at 52 minutes and certainly does feel anywhere near that long. Each song is enjoyable and a pleasure to listen to and come the year end, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Rulebreaker was sat very near the top. 9/10 Adam The End is Near (Sinner/Karlsson/Scheepers)
War Brigade Mystic Prophecy 2016 Massacre Records Mystic Prophecy are a Power Metal band from Germany who play a blend of Power Metal leaning towards Iced Earth type musicianship with melodies that are akin to the likes of Iron Maiden, Helloween and Gamma Ray. This blend works really well and Mystic Prophecy have pulled this off flawlessly over their 16 year career. War Brigade is Mystic Prophecy’s 9th studio album and after a few back to back albums of personal changes, War Brigade features the same line-up as the previous album, 2013’s Killhammer and the stability of this line-up shines through. The production on War Brigade is handled by vocalist R.D. Liapakis who has done stellar work. War Brigade sonically sounds like it has had the touch of Kevin Shirley, who has had the Midas touch with Iron Maiden’s albums since 2000. This is high praise for Liapakis work, but credit where credit is due as Liapakis manages to make War Brigade sound excellent without managing sounding overproduced and over-polished. War Brigade has the sound of a classic album, it’s worn in and familiar without the cold technical and calculated feeling that you can get from a lot of Power Metal albums. War Brigade has a sound that it could easily have been released in the late 80’s/early 90’s. The opening track on War Brigade is Follow the Blind and contains the very American sounding meaty riffs which can make American Power Metal so appealing, however, it just doesn’t stop there. War Brigade is a sonic assault of Heavy Metal riffs, the guitars of Markus Pohl and Laki Ragazas are phenomenal throughout, not only are they in your face, they can also be at times melodic and soaring, fully complimented by the powerhouse drumming of Tristan Maiwurm and the anchor of Joey Roxx on the bass. The vocals of Liapakis are what manages to make War Brigade, Liapakis’ voice is reminiscent of Bruce Dickinson, not the Dickinson of yore, but the one that returned to Maiden for Brave New World. Liapakis manages to have the sound of someone familiar whilst having that little twist that makes you appreciate his voice for not being a straight up imitation, a great example of this is his vocal work on The Crucifix. As an album, it is difficult for a metal fan to not to like War Brigade. The songs are well crafted, full of melodic hooks and memorable choruses. The subject matter of War Brigade swings from full on odes to metal such as Metal Brigade to borderline clichéd, but massively catchy and possibly the best on the album, The Crucifix, to themes of war from the ancient Greek themes of Good Day to Die, Fight for One Nation to the more modern War Panzer. War Brigade is the perfect length for an album. Its 45 minutes of fantastic, well played Power Metal from a band with a decent back catalogue that if you haven’t looked into, you definitely should. Mystic Prophecy have released an album that not only adds itself in amongst the best albums released this year, but it definitely sits towards the top end of the list so far. 8/10 Adam The Crucifix (Liapakis/Ragazas)
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