Them-Sweet Hollow

Empire Records
2016

Them is a international heavy metal band that was originally formed in 2008 by singer Troy Norr (Coldsteel) as "Them - The King Diamond Tribute". After three and a half years or so of covering King Diamond and Mercyful Fate songs, Troy decided to put the well-known tribute band to rest so. Placing Them on the back-burner, Troy went out and worked on other projects. Fast forward a couple years to 2014 and the dead suddenly returned to life! Or at least the name "Them" did. Brought back into the world of the living once more by it's skilled front-man, Them suddenly began the long and treacherous journey from being in a tribute band to writing and performing all original material. To that end, Troy envisioned a whole new concept for the resurrected and largely "re-imagined" Them and soon enough he began the slow and meticulous construction of what would turn out to be "Sweet Hollow". With the help of some top-notch musicians from Germany and the U.S. (see below), the 50 minute plus "Sweet Hollow" is not only the bright light at the end of that dark tunnel for Troy Norr, but arguably one of 2016's strongest heavy metal recordings! Mixed and mastered by David Otero (Aberrant, Moth (live), ex-Dethroned, ex-Serberus), "Sweet Hollow" is a cleverly-crafted concept album that tells the "bizarre journey of a man caught between unfortunate circumstance and unspeakable evils". It serves as the follow-up to the independently-released "Fear Them" EP and features eleven songs....well, twelve if you include the all-too brief intro "Rebirth". Clocking in at just a minute and nineteen seconds, "Rebirth" flips the switch from off to on in regards to this ghoulish creature of the night. "And what is this ghastly monster made of" you might be asking? Taking a cue or two from it's namesake, Them first captured the unholy spirits of both King Diamond and Mercyful Fate in order that they might serve as this album's guiding voices. From there they built up the actual body of "Sweet Hollow" with pieces and parts of Grade A power metal. Last, but most certainly not least, lead singer Troy Norr plucked out his own heart and gave it to his new creation! Naturally charged by the thunder of the gods themselves(!), "Sweet Home" is a tribute to all those who too part in it's construction and a real gift for fan's of classic and true heavy metal!! 




Them's full-length debut find's Troy Norr (amazing enough!) backed up by:


Guitarist Markus Johansson  (4Arm, Sylencer)

Guitarist Markus Ullrich (A Cosmic Trail, Lanfear, Septagon)

Bassist Mike LePond (Affector, Elegacy, Fatal Array, Heathen's Rage, Holy Force, Mike LePond's Silent Assassins, Rivera/Bomma, Stygia, Symphony X, Waken Eyes, Distant Thunder, ex-Brute Force, Ango Tasso's Air Force, Mike Bino Project, Universal Mind Project, ex-Ashenveil, ex-MindMaze, ex-Painmuseum, ex-Seven Witches, ex-Sleepy Hollow, ex-Helstar (live), ex-Operatika Element (live), ex-Malakis Reign, ex-Rattlebone)

Keyboardist Richie Seibel  (A Cosmic Trail, Ivanhoe, Lanfear, ex-Charisma, ex-Ivorie)

Drummer Kevin Talley (Castrofate, Feared, Grot, Nothnegal, Sylencer, The Art of Hate, Dååth, ex-Horror of Horrors, ex-Consumned, ex-Decrepit Birth, ex-Dying Fetus, ex-Implore, ex-Misery Index, ex-Six Feet Under, ex-Suffocation, ex-Throes, ex-WretchedPain, ex-Absence of the Sacred (live), ex-Battlecross (live), ex-Cattle Decapitation (live), ex-DevilDriver (live), ex-Hate Eternal (live), ex-M.O.D. (live), ex-The Black Dahlia Murder (live), ex-The Red Chord (live), ex-Chimaira, ex-Worlds Divide, ex-All the Way to the Bank, ex-Throes (live))

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!

Can Of Soul-Hearreality

Atomic Stuff Records
2014

Can Of Soul is the new solo project from Tomas Toffolo (otherwise known here as "Tomrocker"). As one of the resident vocalists of Rock Against Cancer and a founding member of both the doom thrash metal band Stygma and the hard rock band Why Out this well-traveled and extremely seasoned musician has already covered a lot of ground. He performs in a Black Sabbath cover band and was also the co-founder of the hard rock cover band Black And Purple. For Tomas, who incidentally enough also studded classical piano for some 8 years(!), it sure seems as if nothing is out of reach and that includes Can Of Soul's debut release which was produced by Tomrocker himself! A well-thought out and down-right compelling concept album the story behind "Hearreality" is as follows: A world dying because of the solar radiation hosts a civilization that is looking for new habitable planets to preserve its species. Once identified a “Land”, very different compared to our continuum, the aliens get ready for the invasion by extracting and preserving the “souls” from the bodies to accomplish the space leap without damage. On this assaulted planet there are also mystical entities with supernatural powers who will fight alongside the humans to fend off the invaders whose commanders, once defeated, will be imprisoned. As colorful and rich as that story-line is it would be a real disservice if the music at play on "Hearreality" was anything but exceptional. To that end Tomrocker is backed up by mainstream and underground rock and metal musicians including;

Silvio Masanotti www.silviomasanotti.com
Alex "Dynamitale" Motta www.facebook.com/dynamitale
Alessandro "Ajeje" Petrone www.ajeje.it 

And yes, I snagged that bit off of the band's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/canofsoul ) as the actual list of guest musicians that is included with this CD's promo pamphlet is quite long and varied all but ensuring the expansive nature of this large-scale project! As referenced above our main man Tomas Toffolo has seen and done it all which is an important thing to point out given the various genres at play here. On the debut release from the Italian band Can Of Soul it's hard not to feel a little overwhelmed when it comes time to describe the sounds at work on "Hearreality". Though listed as a hard rock band or even as a alternative hard rock act the fact is Can Of Souls is so much more. Everything about Tomas Toffolo's past comes into play with individual tracks offering pieces and parts of doom metal, classic rock and hard rock. That is just the tip of the iceberg though as electronic elements creep in the mix as well as the aforementioned alternative rock and hard rock additions! To be sure it is a crazy thing to try to decipher everything going on here as more than one number had me envisioning a bizarre mash-up of Last Crack, Voivod, Deep Purple and the primitive origins of  both rock and roll and black metal! Minus the black metal shrieks that is! It all sounds offensive I realize, but Tomrocker and his guests pull the rabbit out the magician's hat and in the process have ended up making a fantastic and fully adventures LP that all metal fans with an eye set towards creative innovations should grab hold of! Released back at the end of November, "Hearreality" is a real winner on all fronts except for perhaps it's rather dull album art. Actually, "Hearreality" might very well suffer indifference as a result of this Italian band's name. In no way whatsoever does Can Of Soul hint at what's in store when it comes time to play this phenomenal recording! Thankfully the label's YouTube channel allows interested parties the chance to listen to the samples of "Bette Davis Eyes" (http://youtu.be/PYpRlU6tsjI) and "Mystic' (http://youtu.be/X3e6lfVrv_Q). What? You say I didn't mention the cover track? Well, the choice to cover "Bette Davis Eyes" might seem a tad weird at first, but it REALLY works in this context. And it simply is fantastic! For the record here is the official track listing of this inspired debut album from the soon to be legendary Can Of Soul:
01. We Hate the Sun
02. This Order #5
03. Mystic
04. Solid Conviction
05. My Queen
06. Bette Davis Eyes
07. Demon Eater
08. Peaceful Snake
09. Dealing
10. Beyond My Wayward Zen Garden
11. Outro
12. DGRZ (bonus track)

When you add all of these songs together the result is a near masterpiece for the ages! Both dark and moody, "Hearreality" is a Sci-Fi story with the perfect soundtrack being provided from a band that pays homage (musically at least) to artists as diverse as Black Sabbath is to Goblin! This is one album that needs a bigger audience especially one outside of the group's native country! Be sure to head over to the group's Facebook page for more information or head to Atomic Stuff's online page here: www.atomicstuff.com/canofsoul.html As a wrap-up to this report I'd just like to point out that "Hearreality" is (digitally) available on both Amazon and iTunes.

My Doppelgänger-God is a lie

Self-Release/Independent
2014

"I'm Alex, guitar player with the heavy metal band Lonewolf (https://www.facebook.com/lonewolfdivision). Here is the other project I've joined and I'm playing in: My Doppelgänger". Thus began the e-mail from Alex Hilbert inquiring as to whether or not Heavy Metal Time Machine took submissions from unsigned acts. Of course the answer to that question has been and will always be a resounding "Yes!" with any and all small print as to the matter (if there actually was any!) simply stating "All submissions (from pop rock to black metal!) are welcome whether you are signed or unsigned"! With that, Alex went on to say that the band's sound (unlike the more traditional, power metal leanings of Lonewolf)  is like "Guns N' Roses meeting Metallica with a touch of Lynyrd Skynyrd and with a kind of Hellhamer on the drums ! No musical boundaries , but still very metal...". And from that point on I was off and running, downloading the album and plugging myself into the (D.I.Y.) concept album that is "God is a lie" (http://mydoppelganger.bandcamp.com/album/god-is-a-lie). What's it all about you might ask? Well, straight from their mouth to this page: "The album is meant to describe the degeneracy of a being, lost in a world he can only feel through its violence and its perversion. The unequal fight between the conscious man and his baleful double will bring him to the end of a life that was eventually sauntering on the sinuous road of insanity". Not to far-fetched if you ask me as one only need look out his window to see the truth in it all. But, heavy-message aside, this French is more then words. For this newish (as in 2012 or so from the sounds of things) French band has planted it's roots down deep into rich soil from where their various influences and inspirations* can sprout up and fully blossom! With "God is a lie" the band, gracefully lead by singer Will (or a French James Hetfield disguised in "rock and roll" sheep's clothing!), takes nothing for granted as the whole project, from "the recordings the mix and mastering (with Powerwolf's guitar player in "Studio Greywolf" Germany) to the 16 pages booklet", might look and sound professional, but it is indeed a 100%  D.I.Y. affair. And it's that same sense of self-assured passion that moves these musicians involved and has resulted in a genuine rock record! Sure as the air we breath there's a metal essence to this French collective and there's a real blues mindset to be found within some of the song-construction that appears on "God is a lie". Even so, as you slowly pull away from this album and reflect on the overall riches that it possesses, it's rock, real rock and roll (even classic rock friends) that you end up taking with you. But, don't take my word for it as each and everyone of you is certainly sensible enough to stream this album and take from it what you will. Just remember though that it's not enough to just have ears. No, you have to learn to really listen. And an album like this deserves one's full listening ability so that all of it's riches can be yours! For more on My Doppelgänger be sure to head over to the group's Facebbok page here: https://www.facebook.com/my.doppleganger.official


*For My Doppelgänger it's not just about the obligatory "metal" role models (Metallica, Iron Maiden, Guns N' Roses, etc.) as the likes of Uriah Heep, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Mark Knopfler, The Rolling Stones and Blackfoot are referenced as well! And yes, it does show in the band's blues-based, hard rock/heavy metal approach to riff-happy rock!

French Metal Friday: E-Force-The Curse...

Mausoleum Records
2014

Due for release next month, "The Curse...", which is E-Force's follow-up to 2008's "Modified Poison", will mark album number three for the French thrash metal act. First formed in 2001, and originally hailing from Montreal, Quebec, E-Force features within it's line-up ex-Voivod member Eric Forrest (Project: Failing Flesh, ex-Liquid Indian, ex-Lust, ex-Thunder Circus) and, much like Eric's previous band, the boundaries of thrash metal are often stretched well beyond their expected boundaries into interesting forms. Along with guitarist XAV (Jérôme Point) and the returning Krof (drums) Eric, handling bass duties and vocal duties with equal effectiveness, makes this concept album* sound interesting and inventive by allowing the material to take on a life of it's own. With guest appearances from the likes of Glen Drover (Megadeth, King Diamond and Eidolon), Kristian Niemann (Therion) and Vincent Agar (Yotangor) as well as (all-around excellent) performances from his actual band-mates, Eric, who really deserves a band of his own like E-Force, crafts a formidable concept album that is fairly strong as far as technical thrash goes and more than a little captivating thanks in no small part to the intellectual essence that it is empowered with. Is it fair to paint comparisons to Eric's former band though? That might actually be a tougher call to make as their are certainly similarities between E-Force and Voivod up to and including the lyrical nature of "The Curse..." and it's technical delivery. Still, E-Force offers it's own take on the genre and from someone who had previously never heard this talented act before I will say (or even admit honestly to the fact) that if Eric's name wasn't prominently attached to this project then I'm not so sure the Voivod tag would apply as much. Either way though "The Curse..." is a strong album through and through and anytime a band comes along and (creatively) expands upon the notion of what we think we know about technical thrash it should be a moment of celebration. 

  

*Per the promo "The Curse..." is a concept album that is "based on a powerful collection of songs describing the power and temptation of, and obsession with the female race."

www.facebook.com/eforceoffical

Darkyra Black-Dragon Tears

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Prior to clicking on this promo I had no idea what to expect. Who or what is Darkyra Black? If I was to simply go by the artwork then I'd probably be guessing something akin to a gothic Duran Duran! As it turns out the gothic part is correct, but the Duran Duran part for like a thousand miles off! For it seems that Darkyra Black, an absolutely stunning beauty(!), is an Australian symphonic metal singer and "Dragon Tears" is the debut offering of Darkyra Black. Make sense so far? Besides the lovely Darkyra Black, whose voice is every bit as sultry and seductive as it is powerful and engaging, the band features drummer Garry King (Jeff Beck, Joe Lynn Turner, Ian Parry) of power metal outfit Achillea, guitarists Betovani Denelli and Paul Jupe (Achillea), bassist Colin Haynes (Achillea) and keyboardest Fab Jablonski (Achillea). As Darkyra Black has provided backing vocals for Achillea it makes sense that all of these members of said symphonic metal/power metal act lend a helping hand on her debut album. Oh, and not only is it a debut album, but It's also a concept album based on a "Gothic interpretation of a geisha like tale that ends in tragedy. Love, loss, lust, betrayal and revenge." Naturally anytime a young act attempts to tackle a concept album there are numerous risks involved. But for a new act to tackle one on their debut recording? That's pretty bold right? To Darkyra Black's credit "Dragon Tears" is a pretty solid undertaking. I've never heard Achillea myself, but I would imagine that some of that band's same symphonic metal and power metal elements show up on this debut album along with generous helpings of  gothic rock, traditional heavy metal, melodic hard rock, epic metal and even progressive rock! In their words the music is "dark, passionate and edgy" and I'd say that that about covers "Dragon Tears"! No, but really this music is dark and a bit mysterious and thanks to some solid guest musicians (George Boussounis-additional keyboards/samples/arrangement, Michael Porfyris -cello, Ilias Sdoukos -viola, Laertis Kokolanis - violin) "Dragon Tears" is different...in a good way! Along with Achillea influences are listed on her Facebook as being Tarja, Edenbridge, Dio, Kate Bush and Nightwish although I'd add in Amy Lee of Evanescence fame as well when it comes to Darkyra Black. If goth-tinged symphonic/melodic power metal with strong female vocals and heavy rock guitars sounds promising to you then "Dragon Tears" is worth checking out. I'll admit I wasn't expecting to like this one as much as I did, but between the skilled musicians involved and Darkyra's enticing vocals this one was easy enough to get caught up in! Solid as a rock for a debut recording, and a concept album to boot(!), "Dragon Tears" is a good start for this Australian vocalist who, with time and some luck, should evolve into a more recognizable name.

Album-Zephaniah

High Roller Records 

2012

Right off the bat I just want to say that you'll have to excuse me if this review is too short or, God forbid, a bloody mess as this is my first post-surgery output. While I could have waited until I was actually able to type with two hands (wraps come off on the 27th) I have found myself in a state of withdraw from reviews so, carpal tunnel/fistula removal surgery or not, here I am typing with one hand. Yes, it is every bit as difficult as it sounds. Anyway, I was all set to hate this band from their name alone. "Album"? Really? Come on. Could you possibly have tried just a little harder to come up with a real name? What makes it worse is the fact that this is an Ohio band! Not representing our state too well there guys. Lame name aside this 4-track MLP rather slays. Formed in 2007, the band hails from Rogers, Ohio and "Zephaniah" is the band's sophomore output. Album previous released a self-tilted album through a small label called Nice Life (from Columbus, Ohio). Album (man alive I hate that name!) is made up of/features guitarist/vocalist Winfield Dray,  two brothers who handle the rhythm section (bassist/vocalist Jason Hopkins/drummer Josh Hopkin) and synthesizer player Jason Conrad. This 4-track mini LP is a concept album that "goes along with the book of Zephaniah". "Prologue", which perfectly sets the stage for what is to come, opens things up and from that point forward we are treated to some fantastic material that is said to be several years old and not even a fair representation of the band's current ability. If that is the case then killer things are in order for Album. So, I hear you asking "what is this cool sound you are alluding to Andy?" Well, close your eyes and imagine a band that mixes the dark side of Merciful Fate, Black Sabbath and Danzig with thrash (early Metallica) and, believe it or not, everything from classic rock (Cream, Grand Funk Railroad) to Soundgarden! Yeah, it is that "unique" and yet, if you can imagine a world in which all that normally would morph together, it makes perfect sense and just flat out rocks! All of that makes more sense if you read through the band's bio where they talk about constantly adjusting their sound: "We always try to stay out of any sort of genre. People started calling us 'Stoner Rock' so we started playing Thrash Metal. Then we noticed our live sets were mostly heavy and thrashy songs, so we started to slow down and play more mid-tempo sounding songs. We always try to play something new, always trying to surprise the audience." Indeed this is a surprising release and one that points toward bigger and better things. Simply put this is a cool 4-track release. If only they would do away with that stupid moniker though....