The Murder Of My Sweet-Beth Out Of Hell

Frontiers Music srl
2015

Formed in 2006 by drummer, keyboardist and producer Daniel Flore, The Murder of My Sweet is a charismatic metal band that is based in Stockholm, Sweden and well known for the stunning voice of front-woman Angelica Rylin. Back in 2012 I covered this band's wonderful sophomore album, "Bye Bye Lullaby", and now this sensational group is back with a new concept album and a new band-member in bass player Patrik Janson (Platitude). Self-described by band founder (and all-out rocker!) Daniel Flores as "an apocalyptic love story between good and evil", "Beth Out Of Hell" is both a expected return (in terms of this band's high-class cinematic heavy style and their overall top-notch ability as songwriters and performers) and an unexpected return (not only has The Murder Of My Sweet grown as a band in the songwriting department, but album number ends up being a slightly heavier and more dynamic experience!!!!). In addition to the already mentioned players, "Beth Out Of Hell" (which incidentally is a title that I flat out dig!) features the key work of guitarist Christopher Vetter (a highly-underrated musician is you ask me!) as well as voice actors and a children's choir! It works well with the band's rather distinct cinematic nature (everything from the band's name to their sound is heavily inspired by movie scores) and the (by now familiar) symphonic metal and heavy rock elements that The Murder Of My Sweet has become known for. Granted this is also a band that likes to sprinkle classic heavy metal and melodic hard rock into the mix so there is never a dull moment to be had when it comes to sitting down with this exquisite lot! With all of that in the mind here's the final score. Album number three is the album that should make people stand up and take notice of this Swedish metal band. Somehow The Murder Of My Sweet has improved upon what was already perfection and in the process they have given their fans a classic album in the making. Because of the obvious care that went into the making of this new album it is a release that is grand in scope and vision. It is all at once a thoroughly complex and technically amazing release and one that shows off this group's ability to write enchanting music. In a nutshell "Beth Out Of Hell" is a album that is chock full of style and substance and it's one of those great metal releases that should appeal to a wide range of tastes. To the band I say welcome back and congrats on this sweeping release! And to all our readers I suggest not only getting this album when it drops in August, but if you get a chance to experience this band live then by all means DO IT!

Nubian Rose-Metal Revolution

Limewire/Cargo Records
2014

It's a well-known secret that I harbor a deep love of female-fronted rock, hard rock and heavy metal. That much should be said before I submit to you, the regular readers of my numerous rants and ramblings (otherwise known as reviews!) my coverage of  Nubian Rose's "Metal Revolution". But least you think that statement gives any band with a female vocalist an easy pass you would be mistaken. Like their male counterparts, female vocalists can range from great to ghastly. They can reach new heights of excellent or establish new lows for the genre. And obviously they can fall anywhere in-between those extremes. Women can do anything on the mic that men can and we are well past the point of that idea even being a subject that should be discussed. All of that brings me around to the struggle I had with this album. Or if you will the coverage of this album. Some wonderful people that I highly respect have brought up the point as to whether or not there should be "female-fronted" metal and "regular metal as opposed to simply "metal"? Should we as fans and critics alike really be making the distinction or is there still something to be gained by way of the classification "female fronted"? This is in no way a cop out on my part, but I can see the benefits and flaws of both arguments. For example take Stockholm's Nubian Rose. By dubbing the band "female-fronted" we are all at once painting them into a corner while also highlighting what makes them so special to begin with and that would be Sofia Lilja's amazing voice! It's a catch 22 as you don't want to take anything away from the fact that Sofia Lilja is absolutely brilliant on the mic (thus making "Metal Revolution" a hell of a radio-friendly melodic hard rock masterpiece!), but you also don't want to bypass the solid-rock standing that is Nubian Rose as a group. And make no mistaken about it friends. When it comes to the music on "Metal Revolution" this Swedish rock band is smoking hot! Guitarist Christer Åkerlund leads a smoldering line-up of talented musicians including Thomas LIndgren (guitar), Henrik Uhrbom (bass), David Algesten (drums) and Fredrik Åkerlund (keyboards) and with 80's bands such as Whitesnake, Dio, Scorpions and Michael Schenker (their listed influences) mixing it up with the likes of Van Halen, Kiss, Def Leppard and Guns 'N Roses (other influences not mentioned, but nonetheless there) the one feeling that you take away from an album like "Metal Revolution" is joy! Collectively Nubian Rose is a fresh, young and upcoming band that is chock full of yesterday's hard rock and heavy metal's attitude. But then again, Nubian Rose is remarkably a band that isn't afraid to let melody and the fundamental elements of rock and roll flow unrestricted through the course of their music. Taking all of that into account then does it really matter how we label acts like this? In the end isn't it more important how a band actually sounds then whether we call them "female-fronted" or not? Or is it all an argument better saved for another day? I'm leaning towards the latter as it simply doesn't get any better then a band like Nubian Rose and that goes for Sofia Lilja's enchanting voice and the first-rate Swedish musician's who surround her! For more information on Nubian Rose and their can't miss sophomore album "Metal Revolution" be sure to check out the band's official website here: http://www.nubianrose.com/Nubian_ROse/NUBIAN_ROSE_FRAM.html  Meanwhile the band's Facebook page can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/NubianRoseTheBand

Torturerama-It Begins At Birth

Dolorem Records
2014

As I sit here typing away in the early morning hours (frittering my life away somewhere in-between the lost and the lonely) it is dark, cold and foggy on the other side of my bedroom window. Plainly-speaking, one simply could not ask for a better environment than this when it comes to streaming the ominous music of Torturerama for the first time! Formed in 2008 and made up of members who have spent time with the likes of Solipsist, Viggen, Predatoria, Ex-Inferis, Death Penalty, Culpable Homicide, Body of Christ, Mothra and Gorath, Torturerama are a dark and foreboding modern day death metal band obsessed with the past. Or to narrow it down some (and bearing in mind that this might only pertain to this four-track release and not the band's 2010 debut, the EP "Left as Remains") the Stockholm death metal scene of the nineties! And seeing as the Stockholm death metal scene of the nineties delivered killer material from the likes of , Grave, Carnage/Dismember and Unleashed (with the first three groups in particular (or rather Entombed, Dismember and Grave) serving as inspiration for this rock-solid EP!) it's all good as gold when it comes to this Belgian death metal band! While Torturerama's "It Begins At Birth" (which was originally released as a limited-edition cassette) isn't necessarily breaking new ground that does not mean it should be overlooked either. No, they are not a carbon-cony of the original source of inspiration, but still Entombed fans in particular (especially those who love the material of the early years) would do well to sit up and pay attention to this EP as it strikes all the same cords and will move through you in much the same way as the Swedish band used to. If you count yourself a member of that club then every minute that passes of this second EP from Torturerama will break your heart in all the right ways. At it's best "It Begins At Birth" is a spiritual successor of  Stockholm scene. At it's worst it's still heads and shoulders above a lot of what passes for modern death metal these days. So really there is not much of a risk factor at all when it comes to this Belgian death metal band's latest is there? 

http://doloremrecords.bandcamp.com/album/it-begins-at-birth-ep

Captain Black Beard-Before Plastic

Dead End Exist Records
2014

Classic rock and roll from Sweden? And good rock and roll at that? I mean, what are the odds? For Captain Black Beard it's another case of "there's got to be something in the drinking water over there!" as this Stockholm bunch make sweet love to rock and roll on their sophomore release and from the sounds of things it comes as a natural reaction to their environment/hometown. Whether you want to talk about the AOR moments here or the touches of hard rock there (or for that matter the guest appearance of guitarist Bruce Kulick on opening track, "Please Come Home") it all adds up to the same score-Sweden knows how to shape and mold the kind of rock bands that tunnel right in to your heart (you know, down there where good, old fashioned rock and roll still brings a smile to your face and makes you glad that the guitar was finally made electric!) and stay there for times when you just want to let it all go. Captain Black Beard's 2011 self-titled debut album was well-loved by the press and fans alike and this one should follow the same path. So, if it's rock you're after then don't be afraid to give this one a spin as it's the real thing friends!
http://www.captainblackbeard.net/