Weaponlord-Hail the Victorious

Self-Release/Independent
2018

Formed in late-2014, Weaponlord is a heavy/power metal band that hails from Seattle, Washington and is currently fronted by vocalist/guitarist Bison Longshot (ex-Arsenal). Just released on March 9th, "Hail the Victorious" is the full-length debut from this U.S. metal band that also includes guitarist Cody J. Brumlow (ex-Arsenal), bassist/backing vocalist Leona Hayward (Northern Crown, ex-Faethom, ex-Impurity, ex-Antitheist), and drummer Chris Craven (Oxygen Destroyer, Perception, ex-Arsenal). The 10-track album runs close to 44 minutes and it joins a back-catalog that includes a demo, one split, and two singles. Having gone through the obligatory line-up changes getting from point A to point B, Weaponlord has developed their own brand of (simply-killer!) heavy/power metal. With screaming vocals torn straight out of the pages of the vintage U.S. power metal scene(!), this Seattle outfit seems to take it's cue from old-school U.S. power metal (up to and including (early) Metal Church and fellow Washington natives, Sanctuary), traditional metal (the heavier the better), and (nineties-era) Judas Priest. Thanks to a lot of hard work and dedication to their craft, Weaponlord takes these different elements and makes something all their own. In this day and age you couldn't ask for a better example of (top of the self brand) American heavy/power metal than this band. Based solely on the strength of this well-recorded debut album, Weaponlord should be scooped up and signed to a label in no time flat!

Open Burn-Open Burn

Independent/Self-Release
2017

Formed in 2016 and featuring lead vocals courtesy of Eric Johns (ex-First Born, ex-Simple Aggression), Open Burn is a really cool moniker for this Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati-based heavy/power metal band! I am honestly surprised that these four guys were the first outfit to utilize such a name. It's perfectly suited for the metal scene as a whole. Does it reflect this band's style? Eh, probably not. Influenced by traditional heavy metal and the U.S. power scene of old, Open Burn is not quite as hostile or aggressive as the name would suggest. What they might lack in extremism they more than make up for in other areas. With the Dio-like vocals of Eric John up front and center, Open Burn plays with finesse and extreme prowess. The group's technical ability is never in question and neither is their professionalism. This five-track EP could probably be described as a cross between (solo) Dio and Metal Church's first two albums. For Open Burn this is the best way to introduce themselves as it is all hits and no misfires. "Open Burn" serves as the debut release for this up-and-coming band that just so happens to includes a couple of members with ties to the progressive power metal group Lethal*. Those three individuals would be Dell Hull (guitars), Glen Cook (bass), and Jerry Hartman (drums). Apparently Open Burn is as a side project for the guys in Lethal. Based upon what we have here on this EP, Lethal might want to consider taking a back seat to this hot new project! If the group's full-length debut (which is supposedly in the works as I type) is as good as this EP is then it could be a legitimate contender for "2017's Best Metal Debut Album"!  Ultimately only time will tell if that actually happens, but thanks to "Open Burn" all the signs are there!!



*As in the same Lethal that gave us 1990's "Programed".

Ascalon- Ascalon

Self-Release/Independent
2015

Differing sources have this three-track either coming out in 2013 or 2015. Either way Paul Rote (who I enthusiastically follow on bandcamp) had it right when he wrote of this Manchester, UK band's self-titled demo:"...I had every record that sounded like this. Metal Church , Savatage ,Omen , Axewitch , Oz , Killer and on and on and on". This is traditional/power metal four-piece is yet again another up and coming band looking at the past for inspiration. What sets them apart from the rest of the pact though would be their thrash leanings and the fact that they already have a bit of credibility to their name thanks to a 2012 split that they did with Asomvel, Eliminator and Wytch Hazel. As the demo is less than a cup of crappy coffee at Starbucks this three-track EP seems like a real no-brainer for fans of N.W.O.T.H.M. and the like...

The Unholy-Demo

Self-Release/Independent
2014


Formed in 2011 by lead vocalist Sara Steel and guitarist Nuno Nightmare (ex-Midnight Priest), The Unholy are a female-fronted traditional/classic heavy metal that  lists the U.S. power metal scene of the eighties as it's primary source of inspiration. More specifically we're talking about Savatage, Riot, (early) Queensrÿche and Vicious Rumors with band front-lady Sara Steel (a class act whose voice has already been compared to the likes of Leather Leone, Ann Boleyn and Barbara Malteze) personally citing the late great Carl Albert (Ruffians, Scratch, Vicious Rumors and Villain) as her greatest influence. Recorded at BPM Studios in late 2013 by Paulo "Paulão" Vieira (Ironsword, Midnight Priest, Ravensire, Perpetrator, etc.) and featuring the three following cuts, "Open The Gates", "She Comes From The Grave" and "Queen Of Thunder", this eleven minute plus demo has become the talk of the town (or if you will the heavy metal community at large and especially amongst critics who already recognize the explosive potential of this Portugal four-piece!) thanks in no small part to the tremendous talent of this Coimbra-based band! Initially released on CD with a limited-run of only 300 copies (with one CD now going for nearly 27 dollars on eBay!) the demo quickly sold out as did the extended-edition vinyl re-release by Underground Power! That particular vinyl version tacked on two rather fitting cover songs in the form of Scratch's "Dying To Live" and Liege Lord's "Rage of Angels" and if it is ever possibly to do so then I hope to add to my own personal LP collection! The thing is that's neither here nor there as once again we have a review where I seem to be getting ahead of myself! So, back to the demo at hand. As it is sold out I found myself turning directly to the band members themselves and they were kind enough to send me the mp3s of "Open the Gates", "She Comes From The Grave" and "Queen of Thunder". On the band's demo the line-up features not only Sara Steel and Nuno Nightmare but bassist Joe "The Lion" Dalton (Midnight Priest) and drummer Alex Animal (also of Midnight Priest). These days it's Dangerous Dave on the drums, but on this three-track demo it's worth pointing out the whole Midnight Priest connection. I actually have Midnight Priest's 2011 self-titled album and I can honestly tell you that the same rhythmic chemistry found on that release is alive and well on this demo! There's nothing wrong with the bass and drums on this 2014 demo and the same thing goes for Nightmare's guitar playing. Musically-speaking The Unholy are right up there with classic acts like Savatage (a huge influence!), Crimson Glory, Taist of Iron, Warlock, Villain, Leatherwolf, Hellion, Chastain and Helstar as well as newer acts like Lady Beast, Sign Of The Jackal, Huntress, Mandrágora and Satan's Hallow. In other words The Unholy are are the best of both worlds (the well-loved and forever-valued old metal scene of the eighties and today's revitalized and hungry like a beast new scene that hell bent for leather at all costs!) while having one not-so- secret tool in it's arsenal that is going to aide them in their hunt for global conquest! And that is the one and only Sara Steel and man alive does she ever have a seriously sick weapon of mass destruction in those raging pipes of hers! The fittingly-named "Open the Gates" finds Sara Steel rushing the stage and from that point forward it's all but "Game over man!" as her voice flat-out kills! As in "Kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out!" with the wicked guitar work of Nuno Nightmare simply picking off any stragglers! It is little wonder then that this band has already sold out it's physical stock of this metalized demo and has taken to playing some of the biggest gigs of their short band life including the upcoming Keep It True festival! Thankfully there is talk of a full-length album in this band's future especially seeing as this demo left me craving more material from this delightfully dark and deadly-serious four-piece band! The Unholy took me by force with this short but sweet demo and while I can't help but feel as if this Portugal metal band has possessed me internally I'm all but a willing slave now to their terrific take on classic and U.S. power metal!

Thomsen-Unbroken

Artist Station- eOne
2014

 
Thomsen is a German heavy/power metal band that is named after guitarist, composer and bandleader René Thomsen. Formed in 2006, with the band's debut album, "Let´s Get Ruthless", appearing in 2009, Thomsen is essentially René Thomsen and an assembled cast of heavy metal veterans. That's how it was with "Let's Get Ruthless" and that's how it is here on "Unbroken". This time around guests include the likes of Udo Dirkschneider, Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath, Dio, Heaven & Hell), Bobby Jarzombek (Halford, Fates Warning, Sebastian Bach, Riot), David Vincent (Morbid Angel), Mathias Don Dieth (U.D.O.), Andre Hilgers (Rage, Sinner) and Helge Engelke (Fair Warning, Dreamtide). On top of all that heavy metal goodness guitarist René Thomsen has enlisted a studio band featuring Iron Fate's Denis "Iron Ivan" Brosowski and Robert Soeterboek (Van EE, Wicked Sensation, ex-Erik Norlander, ex-Highway Chile, ex-Star One (live), ex-Tempter, ex-Vulture) on vocals, guitarist Michael Pesin (Magistarium), bassist Ingo Lühring and drummer Max Dietzmann. That is a lot of star power/potential egos gathered together in one place and to René Thomsen credit he is able to get everyone of the same page when it comes to the overall feel of "Unbroken". And "Unbroken" feels like a solid heavy power metal album with some of the band's past N.W.O.B.H.M. influences (Saxon, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden just to name a few) still present and accounted for, but less apparent than they were on "Let´s Get Ruthless". While the Udo Dirkschneider number "We Made It" unsurprisingly sounds like U.D.O and later day Accept the rest of  "Unbroken" is fairly consistent with René Thomsen's vision of creating flawless power metal closer than ever before! Thomsen's latest album is just like the title suggests-unbroken. It's competitive power metal for a scene which has quite obviously exploded in the past 20 or so years. "Unbroken" is René Thomsen and guests offering their answer to the question of whether or not power metal as a whole can still offer something moving and worthwhile. If you're a fan of  the U.S. power metal scene with it's meatier riffs and more straight-forward/guitar-friendly approach to creating moody metal (ie: killing it without the use of keyboards!) then  this one is definitely going to be a keeper!

 
www.thomsen-unbroken.de