Saturday Single: The Fierce And The Dead-"Truck"

Bad Elephant Music
2018

Formed in early 2010, UK instrumental rock band The Fierce And The Dead is currently comprised of Matt Stevens (guitar, synth, loops), Steve Cleaton (guitar), Kevin Feazey (bass), and Stuart Marshall (drums). Available to download for free at the following site, "Truck" is the first single from the band's forthcoming album, "The Euphoric". At just over four minutes in length, "Truck" falls somewhere between progressive rock and (jam band) hard & heavy rock. It is somewhat catchy and has a great vibe going for it. Now, it might just be me, but the track "Truck" also reminded me of vintage video game soundtracks. I realize that is going to sound odd on paper. Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I'd love to hear other people's feelings on the matter. Either way, "Truck" is a fun listen that had me hitting the replay button several time over. I'm looking forward to what the group's next album has to offer.

Winter Calling-As Darkness Falls

Self-Release/Independent
2015

Formed in Florida in 2013 by Wayne Hoefle (drums, piano, keys) and Ian Medhurst (guitar), Winter Calling is a Tampa-based band whose elegant sound combines elements of pop rock, classical rock, progressive rock, hard rock, melodic metal and traditional heavy metal. "As Darkness Falls" is Winter Calling's (exemplary) full-length debut and it is prime example of what can be accomplished when you combine the talents of four exceptional musicians with sophisticated songwriting and a clean production! On the 11-track "As Darkness Falls" all the stars align for this four-piece band and with one exceptional song after another there's simply nothing wrong with this band's first offering. This album is as close to a A+ recording as one can get and for a band that originally started out as nothing more than a side-project for the pair of Wayne and Ian that observation almost suggest some sort of otherworldly intervention! Could there be something magical behind the creation of "As Darkness Falls"? You almost have to wonder! How else do you explain Wayne and Ian striking gold with the addition of Chris Hodges (vocals) and Tim Gilbreath (bass)? I find it hard to believe that this pair just "happened" to stumble upon two fellow musicians/gentlemen of this caliber. A perfect line-up for the perfect debut album? That seems a little fishy right? But whatever the source of this band's power (and I'm not ruling out some kind of government involvement and/or C.I.A. brainwashing experiment either!) one thing remains crystal clear. "As Darkness Falls" should easily put this Floria band on the map and with the right hands helping them out this Tampa band could (and really should) go far. You can't hide this kind of talent for long. It's just not possible. As such I can see this quartet making it big. All signs point that way, but don't just take my word for it. Go out and grab a copy of "As Darkness Falls" for yourself. You can get it at places like Amazon, CD Baby and iTunes. In the meantime you can check out the band's video for their song "The Stand" below. It's just one of the eleven great numbers on this band's first album and it stacks up nicely to moments like "A World I Can Feel" (the album's powerful opening cut!), "Self-Righteous Parade", "A Moment In The Sun", "Leader Of One" and "108". Want more? How about the band's cover of "Wasted Years" then? That's right folks. "As Darkness Falls" also features a Iron Maiden cover and it fits right in with Winter Calling's original material. So you really can't go wrong with this one friends. For more information on Winter Calling be sure to check out the band's Facebook page or their official website.

Grenouer-Unwanted Today

Mausoleum Records
2015

Due to drop on March 20th, "Unwanted Today" is the eighth full-length album from long-standing band Grenouer. That's not even taking into account the various demos, EPs, odd single and splits that this four-piece outfit has released since first forming way back in 1992. How that makes this band a "New breath of modern rock-metal from Saint Petersburg, Russia" then is beyond me! As odd as a opening/rant as that might be those are the exact words that open up Grenouer's promo for album number eight so it does seem a bit strange to toss out a word like "new" in regards to a band that first formed when I was still in high school! Maybe just maybe this Saint Petersburg band, with their Dualized (Mnemic, Voodoo Highway, Travis Cold) -produced new 13-track album here, is talking about their latest style as the Metal Archives has them taking the leap from thrash/death metal early on to industrial metal before finally landing squarely on rock/metal map that stands before us? If so that would make a bit more sense as (frankly-speaking here friends) that seems to be a trend for quite a few of Russia's more long-standing acts. The pogoing from one genre to another that is! Which brings us all the way back around to the latest "styling and profiling" sound that is Grenouer. Let's have more of the promo material if we can as the following statement is actually more telling about this band's latest LP. "The vocals reminiscent of Devin Tonwsend type prog-metal, while the guitars produce radical riffs not unlike Meshuggah" we read from Lukas Hendrik over at Rock Hard Magazine and (true to form) that's as good of a start as any for "Unwanted Today". Lead singer Andrey Ind (ex-C.O.D., ex-Tartharia) does have some Devin Tonwsend going for him, but quite honestly I prefer Grenouer's front-man over his "name that vocalist influence" counterpart! The truth is Andrey has a nice range going on and he breaths life into what can often-times be a difficult form of metal to fully embrace. Modern metal like this has it's own kind of built-in audience (of which I'm admittedly not a regular attendant) and there are plenty of sales figures to back that fact up. But, while I love the emotional vibe of rock/metal like this it always feel a tad artificial to me. That's not necessarily the case with these rockers. Together with Alexander Motor (guitars), Al Bolo (bass) and Danny D (drums) our main man Andrey cuts a nice path across Russia's cold landscape with material that is warmly-inviting. When Grenouer is in deep those ill feelings I have for modern metal lighten up even if I would be hard pressed to point towards any particular stand-out numbers. Even with all the special guests that invited special guests that Grenouer invited to the party it still strikes me that much of "Unwanted Today" blurs together. For the curious those guests would be Eddy Cavazza (John Wetton, Anthony Phillips) on guitar along with vocalists such as Demian Von Dunkelwald (Overunit Machine) and Enrico "Erk" Scutti (Figure Of Six). There is even an opera singer in Dmitriy Yankovskiy (Helicon Opera, NeoClassic Project) which one would think might add a little zing to the mix. Sadly it's still just Grenouer doing their thing. So, what does all of that exactly mean in the end? Well, as an outsider looking in the album "Unwanted Today" made for a pleasant enough listening experience even if it was one which I'm not likely to indulge in ever again. For everyone else it would simply depend on how much you were into the whole rock/modern metal sound. For those who are crazy about the scene a release like "Unwanted Today" might be worth a listen. But even then it's not likely that this will be the album to push over Grenouer over the hump. Just like every other form of metal the one that Grenouer is stepping into is way over-crowded! It's takes a lot for your voice to be heard with thousands of other bands vying for attention especially when you are late to the main event to begin with! That's not to say that Grenouer cannot pick up a few more fans along the way. They likely will especially with a label like Mausoleum Records behind them. But as far as being the next big thing in modern metal? I'd take a pass on that bet friends.....

Seth-Seth (2CD Complete Discography)

Minotauro Records
2014

Straight up front class I've just got to say that this review is long overdue. And the reasoning behind that early morning admission reads a little something like this. As deep and expansive as this career retrospective is for Boston's Seth the actual music in question here is twice as explosive and captivating! Frankly-speaking there is far too much (top-of-the-shelf) hard rock and heavy metal here to cover in one sitting! Or if you will, "Seth" is one of those rare treats where you could write a full-pledged article on the band and still not even scratch the service as far as just what it is about these rockers that made them so great! And yet the band name Seth remains largely unheard of which is absolutely criminal! I was only a year old in 1974 and yet there was Boston's Seth, lead by the incredible voice of guitarist (occasional bassist/keyboardist) Gerald "Gerry" Stafford, starting out of the gate on a pathway towards personal glory. Yes, there were covers likely to be found in the band's initial start, but cover tracks merged with original compositions and over time a band like Seth covered an unreal amount of territory. Seventies hard rock mixed with progressive rock and the blues plowed headlong into the emerging N.W.O.B.H.M. sound. There was commercial rock and even folk with every new avenue bearing the fruits of their labors! For Seth it was seemingly all too easy as the strong songwriting and catchy melodies found on this 2CD set suggest. Covering everything the band did from the seventies to modern day, with the 2014 recording of "The Abbey of Thelema" posting proof-positive that a band like Seth never runs dry when it comes to top-tier material(!), "Seth" is jam-packed with material with each CD here filled to maximum capacity! With their self-titled LP from 1980 opening up this wonderful set I was hooked from the very start and left wondering out loud who it was that a group like this wasn't a bigger threat to eighties rock radio? Along with unreleased singles, demos, live material, home recordings and rehearsal tapes it's all here on this expansive set with Minotauro offering these Boston rockers the royal treatment! You'll find the band's history covered in the booklet as you find out more about not just band founder/chief songwriter Gerry Stafford, but fellow bandmates (and talented musicians in their own right!) Rich Santapaga (bass, synthesizer, and vocals) and Dom Marrtignetti (drums, percussion, and vocals). The mini LP gatefold Japanese-style paper-sleeve packaging holds a nice poster featuring colorful live shots of the band in action and thanks to the extra polishing that fantastic album received "Seth" rolls out of your speakers in grand fashion! I've provided a link below with the full track listing, but suffice to say  there's very little about this 2CD career-spanning collection not to like! For this sadly-forgotten band this double CD release is a start, but really Seth deserves all the high-praise and recognition that they can get! For fans of 70's hard rock, (light) metal and prog I simply cannot recommend this package enough! This Boston band ruled the local scene in the late 70s and early 80s and this magnificent 2 CD set helps show you exactly why that was and why you should not only care about Seth, but be vocally loud about their contributions to hard rock and progressive rock! On sale now for the incredible low price of only $16.90 (it's worth it's weight in gold if you ask me!!!!) you can now hold a piece of history in your own hands by heading here: http://www.minotaurorecords.com/#!cds/cnec And (as promised) for those who might want to check out this sweet set's full track listing in advance (and why not as it packs a real punch!) I suggest going right here: http://www.minotaurorecords.com/#!product/prd2/3279545621/seth-2-cd-complete-discography

PS: While there really is too much in the way of material here to cover in advance I would like to add the following note. Musically-speaking there is strong material here that would appeal to fans of Rush as well as fans of Kiss, Judas Priest and even Diamond Head! Seth were nothing short of masters when it came time to crafting heavy rocking songs and they covered so much ground that this 2CD set should easily appeal to just about everyone who values real rock and guitar-oriented hard rock. Any band that can move this easily between clean hard rock and complex progressive rock is worth investing time in and in a day and age where everything retro is suddenly hip a trio like Seth should be on the tip of every one's tongues!

Mausoleum Gate-Mausoleum Gate

Cruz del Sur Music
2014

Tuesday, October 7th, 2014. Be sure to mark that date down on your calenders. In fact highlight that date and then circle it! For you see friends that is when the self-titled debut from Finland’s own Mausoleum Gate will be released and yes, you are going to want to procure a copy of it for your own collection! Trust me on that. Heavily-inspired by 70's progressive rock and hard rock as well as early 80's metal and the N.W.O.B.H.M. scene as a whole, Mausoleum Gates are destined to be the next hot ticket item when it comes to vintage-sounding heavy metal and you will want to be the lucky few who are able to lay claim to having known about this five-piece act before they blew up and became HUGE! Despite outward appearances though Mausoleum Gate didn't exactly come from out of nowhere (even if their mystical and downright spooky personal suggest otherwise!). Formed in 2008 by Count L.F. (Acoustic and Electric Guitars) and Wicked Ischanius (Bass, Hammond C3 Organ, Mellotron M400 and MiniMoog) the band first hit the scene (studio-wise) some two years with the release of  "Gateways for the Wicked". Touring behind the demo EP, Mausoleum Gate beefed up it's portfolio thanks to a live appearance at Germany's Metal Warning Festival. There the group played alongside such legendary bands as Sarcofagus and Cloven Hoof making 2010 one for the books!  In 2013 Mausoleum Gate added the 7" single "Obsessed by Metal"* to their ever-expanding catalog before re-releasing "Gateways for the Wicked" on cassette. In the midst of all of that metal madness Mausoleum Gate had it's fair-share of line-up change to boots, but as of right now all signs point straight-ahead for this mysterious Finnish heavy metal band. Now signed to Cruz Del Sur Music, with V.-P Varpula (Lead Vocals), Kasperi Puranen (Electric Guitars) and Oscar Razanez (Drums, Percussion and Gongs) rounding out the current line-up in a generally sensational fashion (extra kudos to vocalist Varpula whose stylistic voice cements everything quite nicely!), very effective way(!), the group has released one of the most compelling debut albums of recent memory. Up front it must be noted how mystical and eerie it all feels, but really that is all for the better! Bass-heavy and fuzzed over in a glorious, somewhat 70's kind of way, "Mausoleum Gate" is propelled forward not only by the raw and honest voice of V.-P Varpula, but by the use of clever guitar lines and versatile keys (Mellotron and Organ).  Mausoleum Gate is as much about the sound of Uriah Heep, B.O.C., Rainbow, Deep Purple, (mid-seventies) Scorpions and Hawkwind as it is Black Sabbath, King Diamond/Merciful Fate and OZ. Add in some (early) Iron Maiden, Angel Witch, Daimondhead and (to a lesser extent) Witchfinder General, Demon and Satan and the frightening sound that echos through your eardrums is all at once hauntingly familiar and brazenly discomforting! With the added benefit that comes from Timo Raita's creepy artwork this Finnish band has a stud of a debut in their hands when it comes to "Mausoleum Gate". I couldn't love this album (and sure enough this one has all the hallmarks of an actual ALBUM and is not just a bunch of misc. tracks all crammed together!) anymore if I tried and quite frankly I am just as excited for the heavy metal community at large to hear this album as I am the prospect of Mausoleum Gate releasing dozens more similarly great albums in the years to come!  


https://www.facebook.com/MausoleumGate

 
 
*Earlier this year the band released a compilation CD, "Gateways For The Wicked and Obsessed By Metal Sessions", which includes all of the previous releases from Mausoleum Gate on one handy CD!

ArrJam-Session One

ArrJam.Atomic Stuff Promotion
2014

Ladies and gentlemen may I please have your attention. It's that time again in our program when we lay it all down and kick out the jams motherf**kers! And here to give us a helping hand with that assessment is Italy's ArrJam. Formed by bassist Il Daz and guitarist Mauroman and first begging life as a cover band of sorts, with Red Hot Chili Peppers, Primus, Robben Ford and Living Color not only getting the royal treatment, but further serving as one set of influences (the other being drummer Moretti Butcher's previous progressive metal roots), this four piece band is rounded out by lead singer Got. As the only singer who could use his voice as an instrument and improvise with bassist Il Daz (with improvisation and jam being key words to focus on when it comes to the fresh sound of these Italian rockers!) Got adds a lot when it comes to the essence of the apt-titled "Session One". Self-produced and featuring a total of twelve- tracks (several of which are instrumental cuts!) ArrJam's debut album was released this past April and just as their name implies this is the sound of one rock band which knows how to let down their hair and just jam! But, even as ArrJam cuts loose and gets knee-deep in the funk they keep everything pretty much in check making "Session One" a fun debut album! The group's early cover choices make up one aspect of the sound here as does the prog. metal roots of drummer Moretti Butcher. That said, "Session One" goes a long way towards making sure that rock and rollers are catered to as there are cherry picked elements of seventies classic rock and good old fashioned hard rock. Besides the singing of Got, which is a keen part of this album's more traditional-styled rock numbers, it's bassist Il Daz that drew me back. His playing is tight and with guitarist Mauroman and drummer Moretti Butcher joining in on the good times this largely-improvised album is impressive and worthy of repeated plays! These Italian's rockers are off to a hot start with "Session One" and from here on out the skies the limits if you ask me!

Wild Throne-"Blood Maker" Single

Brutal Panda Records
2014

Dig that crazy album art!!! Certainly the music inside this (3-track) single can't be anywhere near as colorful as that album art would suggest. Right? Nope! Wrong! When it comes to Bellingham, WA-based trio Wild Throne (formerly known as Dog Shredder) and their Ross Robinson (At The Drive In, Machine Head, The Cure) produced debut EP it's all about the "COLOR"! Featuring members Josh Holland (guitar/vocals), Jeff Johnson (bass) and Noah Burns (drums) the band Wild Throne is loosely described as progressive rock/metal hence their inclusion here. In reality though Wild Throne, who have been justifiably compared to The Mars Volta and These Arms are Snakes (other points of reference would have to be Deer Hunter, At The Drive-In and Dillinger Escape Plan), would be better suited to the pages of Alternative Press magazine then Metal Hammer, but that takes absolutely NOTHING away from how amazing this 3-track release is! On the group's bandcamp page they self-describe their sound as a "dynamic mix of elements of Judas Priest, Mastodon, Queen, the Mars Volta, classic metal, thrash and progressive rock" and man alive if that doesn't make your musical taste-buds salivate then my friends you might just want to check your pluses to make sure that you're still alive and kicking! "Blood Maker", which can also be picked up in vinyl form, was a release that I stumbled across but sometimes those are the best kind of discoveries! Experience this one for yourself right here: http://wildthrone.bandcamp.com/

Reese-Under The Carpet

Self-Release/Independent
2013

Reese, which was formed in 2006 in Vicenza (northeastern Italy) and has thus far released 3 EPs (this being the third of three with the other two being 2008's "Just Human Words" and 2012's "View From The Tree"), is a five-piece band who play "energetic, modern and melodic alternative rock, with some progressive influences". Or at least that's the way it's supposed to go. On paper the band, which lists it's (wide-range) of influences as being Soundgarden, Faith No More, Rush, Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Yes, Foo Fighters, Alter Bridge, Bad Religion, Incubus, Tool, Queen and King Crimson, sounds promising enough. Lead by vocalist/guitarist Carlo Sturati, whose voice seems oddly muffled on this, the band's latest recording, this Italian band (and this 3-track EP) peaked my interest ahead of time with the promise of such a "interesting mix". Unfortunately everything gets lost in translation. As a band Reese (full-line up info below for all who might be interested) makes a (no doubt) heartfelt attempt to plug progressive rock elements into (what could best be described as) mediocre 90's alternative rock. The problem is that it doesn't come across as being a smooth combination. Far from it in fact. It's more like these guys try to cram one element into the other and/or just randomly switch back and forth. You can imagine what happens next. Everything just sounds jumbled and confusing as if Reese had some solid enough ideas but just didn't know how to execute them. As this is already the group's 3rd EP that doesn't bold well for their natural evolution. Seeing as I can't predict the future though (if I could there would be that whole me winning the lottery over and over again scenario!) there is always that slim possible that Reese might figured it out in the end. For now though this sure seems to be one band that has bitten off more then they can chew. 


The line-up of Reese as posted on their Facebook page:

CARLO STURATI - vocals/guitar
ETTORE DULIMAN - keyboards
MATTEO CASTEGNARO - bass
MATTEO BOSCHETTI - guitar
ENRICO GREGORI - drums

http://www.reesetheband.com/ 

Cris Kailer (Skies Are Illusionists)-Replicating The Sun

Contorted Records
2013

For whatever reason it seems as if I've been listening to a lot of progressive rock and progressive metal releases as of late. Both in my free time and in regards to potential review material. The latest release to peak my interest comes courtesy of Skies Are Illusionists (aka: Cris Kailer). Essentially a one-man project from multi-instrumentalist and West Chester, Pennsylvania native Cris Kailer (one extremely talented individual who is said to be influenced by the likes of Yes, Cynic and Cloudkicker) the EP "Replicating The Sun" is two tracks spread over the length of some sixteen minutes! Heavy on the improve (this one just screams free-form, prog rock jam band!) Skies Are Illusionists is (so far?) a (solo) instrumental project, but hopefully that could change down the road as this kind of "anything goes" progressive rock begs to be experienced in a live setting! Hopefully that will transpire and hopefully we'll be hearing more from this talented musician real soon!

https://skiesareillusionists.bandcamp.com/

Mire-Inward/Outward

Self-Release
2014

 
Two years in the making, and serving as the follow-up to the band's self-titled 2010 EP, Wire's ten-track debut album "Inward/Outward" had me hooked by it's second track, the heavenly heavy "Tyrannicide"! Produced by Mire, who self-describe their sound as "Hi-Energy Prog Rock" (with influences such as Tool, Deftones, A Perfect Circle, Pink Floyd, Isis, Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam, Porcupine Tree, Stone Temple Pilots, Soen, Rage Against The Machine, Soundgarden and Audioslave listed as source material), and one J.P. Nault "Inward/Outward" is a remarkable debut album for a band which has archived recognition as "Band of the Month" from the Quebec Punk Scene! Having shared the stage with the likes of Radio Radio, Courage My Love, Frozen Death, Shatters, Dogbus, Mordicus, Mak, Tiny Danza, Dead Citizen, Volume Collective, Far From Reality, Steinbock, Another Fallen Hero and Dance Over All this Montreal-based five-piece is fronted by J.P. Lachapelle and rounded out by guitarist/vocalist Dave Massicotte, guitarist/keyboardist Bruno Chouinard, bassist Robbie O'Brien and drummer Stephane Boileau. Besides the above-mentioned influences (especially the likes of Tool, Deftones, A Perfect Circle, Pink Floyd, Isis and Porcupine Tree) one can't help but pick up on bits and pieces of acts as diverse as Coldplay, Radiohead and even (later-day) Linkin Park! All of which should be looked at as a compliment as, despite the unassuming nature of their band name and album-cover, this progressive rock/heavy metal outfit has more then enough attitude to make a track like "Tyrannicide" sound legit while a more "commercial" number "Open Circle" could easily capture the attention modern rock radio listeners and catapult Wire all the way to the top! Helped out greatly by the powerful voice of lead singer J.P. Lachapelle, who, as far as rock front-man go, has the near-perfect blend of soulful-seduction, sexual charisma and street grit to cross the aisle between male and female listeners (something we've seen from Mick Jagger to Axl Rose!), Wire would benefit from a huge push and, if I was more a man of means and connections, this would be one outfit that I would invest in as (mark my words on this one friends) this act is going to be huge one day!

Cadent Slaves-Cadent Slaves (Single)

ArtistAloud
2013

You'll have to pardon the (somewhat) grainy photo as there doesn't seem to be all that many online pictures posted of this particular 2013 (possibly digital-only?) "single". Featuring three tracks with the titles "Cadence Theme", "Narcissistic Crime" and "A Blissful Spirit", with both "Cadence Theme" and "A Blissful Spirit" taking the form of instrumental numbers, this self-titled affair from this Hyderabad, India outfit showcases a band that has gone through a bit of identity crisis since first forming in 2008. Reportedly they started off as an experimental rock band before embracing heavy metal in 2009. After a break of sorts the three members of Cadent Slaves (vocalist/guitarist Santosh, bassist Chris Sagar and drummer Gaurav) resumed their activities in November of 2011. Listing the likes of Opeth, Katatonia, Anathema, Gojira, Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, Tool, Porcupine Tree and Riverside (among others apparently) as influences, and with not only these three cuts but a few others are their disposal, Cadent Slaves are an "interesting" prospect. Or at least judging by the variety (music-wise) of these three demo-quality tracks. Of the three cuts presented to me by a friend/fellow colleague it's the four minute-plus "Narcissistic Crime" that ends up serving as the heaviest number of the lot. With guitarist Santosh channeling his own inner "cookie monster" in order to lay down some near death metal-like vocals on top of (standard) heavy/power metal it's a bit of a surprise move given that the other two numbers are (more or less) prog-flavored heavy rock. Quite honestly there's not a whole lot here to get excited over although "Narcissistic Crime" does (at the very least) offer a glimmer of hope that, should this India-based outfit ever decide to enlist a hot-shot lead guitarist down the road (and therefore devote themselves to playing strictly heavy/power metal), Cadent Slaves could (maybe) evolve into a project with a shred of potential. That's a big maybe though, but I wouldn't hold my breath or anything...... 

Edoardo Napoli-Eternal Bleeding

Tunecore
2013

Edoardo Napoli's "Eternal Bleeding" is a huge undertaking. Let me just get that point out of the way first and foremost. At close to two hours in length(!) and with twenty-three total tracks this release, which is the debut solo album from this Italian muti-instrumentalist, is grand in it's undertaking if nothing else! Here on "Eternal Bleeding", with it's one (simply) sinister cover artwork, Edoardo Napoli (ex-Honourblast) handles everything and, style-wise, this a case where everything gets sampled into the mix. Other then a scant few numbers where there are lead vocals (which incidentally come across as a grittier Tom Araya)  the bulk material of this expansive collection is instrumental in nature. Either way though Edoardo Napoli shows that he's more then capable of taking charge of it all (vocals, guitar, bass, keys, drums, etc.) and then presenting it in such a manor as to offer a lot of bang for your buck! After two (highly effective) tracks that tackle the subject of thrash metal (or even progressive thrash metal) head on ("A.A.D. Cosa Nostra" and "Against the Cross") we find ourselves treated to a combination of classic Judas Priest and "Back In Black"-era AC/DC in the instrumental "Beyond the Shades of Fear". And yes, a number like that has quite a bit to offer in the appeal department! From there we move on to "Darkness Descends", which is progressive hard rock/heavy metal in all of it's (catchy) glory, and then such numbers as the Steve Vai-infused "Fly in the Space" and the heavy, Accept meets Dio cut "Fog". And that's only the first part of this album! Those couple of numbers put you at about 1/4 of way through and there is so much more to go! But, when you've got the album that's this good and (damn-right and damn-straight) interesting it's not as if you are going to complain! Whether it's piano-driven hard rock you're looking for ("I need to understand"), cool bluesy-hard rock ("Nexxus") or balls-out Metallica-like thrash ("Get the hell out of here") this album has you covered! There's more Dream Theater/Rush-like progressive material to be found (for sure) on "Eternal Bleeding" besides "Darkness Descends". Within cuts like "Let yourself fly away" and "Steal of your Dreams" Edoardo Napoli shows how he could easily step-right into a band like Dream Theater and contribute from day one if needed! The same could be said about any progressive/melodic power metal band that might need a helping hand on guitar as evident by "My Immortality". But then those Tom Araya vocals come into play on the Slayer-like "How did we come to this?" and the evil-incarnate, Deicide-influenced "Violence is my life"! The somewhat gothic thrasher (Metallica meets Type O Negative) "Living Nightmares" comes from out of left field, but again, so does a lot of the material on an album like this! The longest number here is the eight minute-plus "The Fight of the Unholy One" (epic instrumental heavy/power metal anyone?) while "When Spirits shook my Hands", which is technologically-advanced heavy & hard rock, falls in at just a hair over three minutes! Finding a favorite number would be nothing short of impossible as Edoardo Napoli is just so insanely talented at everything he does! Whether he's chilling out on a number like "I'll never let you flow away" or letting his hair down somewhat on a number like "Turbo!" all of the material here works in it's own way! It will be interesting (to say the least!) to see where Napoli goes from here as he has (apparently) assembled a full-fledged band and will (soon enough) be releasing a new album in the form of  "Roads to Nowhere". In the meantime though you can check out most of this album's (very cool and highly recommended!) 23 tracks at the bandcamp link below.  

http://edoardonapoli.bandcamp.com/album/eternal-bleeding

Forgotten Gems: Force-Set Me Free...From This Pain Inside My Head

I really toyed with the idea of covering this one and done release by the UK's Force as part of my "N.W.O.B.H.M. Wednesday" series. Especially as the oddly-name Force (formerly know as Cryer) were (technically) a part of the movement and the nine-track "Set Ne Free..." was released on Heavy Metal Records*. But, strip away the totally misleading cover art (which likely mislead more then a few lost souls into thinking that this was some sort of wicked heavy metal) and the uninspiring and grotesquely overused moniker and at the heart of it all was a band that (seemingly) aspired to play a 70's progressive rock/melodic hard rock version of American AOR! Given all of that one would imagine that "Set Me Free..." proved to be a major source of disappointment for N.W.O.B.H.M. fans back in the day. Even when you look at this band as a continuation of  the UK's Cryer** (who were more in line with the likes of Deep Purple then Deep Machine!) an album like "Set Me Free..." seems to be more pomp then stomp! And yet (and I'm sure you could see this one coming from a mile away since I've choose to cover this gem and all) there is just something about this early eighties rock album that just does it for me. Lead vocals on "Set Me Free..." were provided by Graham Careless (who still looks to be in the business of rocking out!) and there's something comfortable and familiar about his delivery that puts the listener at ease. He proves equally capable of delivering hard rock numbers like opener "King's Fury" as he does a ballad like "Hesitate" (reportedly a leftover Cryer number). How (or for that matter why) he wasn't tapped for bigger and better things after the demise of Force is one of life's great mysteries. But anyway, backing this superb vocalist up on strings was guitarist Gary Chapman, guitarist Stu Clarke and bass player "Fez" Ferriday. Music-wise these three gentlemen did wonders on cuts like the aforementioned "King's Fury", "Time Is Right", "Footsteps" and "Don't Throw My Love Away". Prior to actually hearing this 1984 release I had read various points of reference ranging from the likes of Dream Theater, Rainbow and Deep Purple to bands like Styx, REO Speedwagon and Supertramp! Even fellow N.W.O.B.H.M. bands like Saracen, Limelight, Solider and Legend have been mentioned in passing when it comes to this UK act. The truth falls somewhere in between I'm afraid so warnings must be issued on the part of this one and done LP. Unless you are willing to expand your mind to the possibilities that a 70's hard rock-leaning, keyboard-heavy (courtesy of one Mr. Pete Wayne with drummer/percussionist Roger Whitehouse rounding out this six piece UK act) progressive rock band with AOR on their mind can work within the confines of a (slightly) N.W.O.B.H.M.-like atmosphere then this one is going to crash and burn right after takeoff. However, if your taste in music is rather colorful and varied (thus leaving you with an open mind and a love, like yours truly and in relation to this article, for everything from Styx to Shiva) then an album like this should leave you with a happy heart! Admittedly the album can be a bit jarring as Force did choose to move all over the map on "Set Me Free..." and that was sometimes just during the course of one song! Take the cut "I Want To See You" for example. The keys suggest an almost Kansas-like band, but then the guitar solos kick in and you find yourself on the receiving end of some gritty, N.W.O.B.H.M-infused 70's heavy metal! Crazy stuff right? Still, it does kind of work so who am I to argue with the direction of Force on said song? And really, other then the album's closing number, "Hold On To Your Love" (which seemed to be Force's attempt to write a radio rock standard, but is instead directionless & commercialized fodder), "Set Me Free..." is track after track of highly versatile rock/hard rock/heavy metal which is (damn right!) enjoyable! This is an album to be heard in it's entirety and one in which it's best to put on the headphones and just slip away. While it's never been released on CD*** you can get a nice digital download off of iTunes which, while not as good as a CD copy (or for that matter a mint LP copy of this gem!), is still a solid investment and one I'd encourage all 70's hard rock, prog rock, (early) AOR and yes, even N.W.O.B.H.M. fans(!), enthusiasts to consider! 

*While not as prolific as Neat Records this N.W.O.B.H.M. label did release material from bands such as Dragster, Handsome Beast, Twisted Ace, Shiva, Bitches Sin, Jaguar, Quartz, Satanic Rites and even Witchfinder General! Not to mention they released the two Heavy Metal Heroes compilations.

**In 1980, when they were still known as Cryer, the band members released a 7" which was called "The Single" (I know, really adventurous title there right? Although my friend Strappado's site does makes mention of it also being known as "The Visionary"). Also, Cryer appeared on 1980 "Brute Force" compilation with the track "Day To Day" which also appears on "Set Me Free...".

*** Who knows who has the rights to all of this, but wouldn't a re-mastered/expanded CD offering of this album be a good idea? If you added all of the Cryer material and had a nice booklet filled with pictures, lyrics, expanded liner notes and even a brief bio you'd be looking at a sure-fire collectors item!

As Gods-"The Chase" Single

Sometimes words can do more damage to a young band's career aspects then their actually could. Case in point: This new single by UK's As Gods which came with this description attached (in regards to the band's take on rock) "Somewhere between the heavier side of Incubus and early Pearl Jam". As far as sale pitches go this one didn't exactly grab me hook, line and sinker. Especially as I've made my feelings about Pearl Jam rather clear ( and they aren't good feelings) and when it comes to Incubus the only Incubus that I actively engage in the N.W.O.B.H.M. one (look it up kids). Thankfully I trust the individual who sent me this promo and I know that his tastes in music are really pretty solid. So I entered at my own risk, but did so willing to give this single/band a chance. I'll admit when I'm wrong and in this case I was BIG TIME wrong! First of all the description is actually just about spot on. But, it's more like this young UK band takes the BETTER side of both Incubus and Pearl Jam and conforms them both into something new and refreshing. And that brings me to my second point about As Gods. I loved this single and I love their sound! Their sound is that of hunger. These guys are hungry and it shows in their heavy rock delivery.  Partly progressive and partly modern, this is rock that's strong-willed, relevant and, dare I say, sexy? Yes, there's the raw sex appeal of a bunch of Brits with way more years ahead of them then behind them. With only one other EP to their name, 2012's "Crystalline", this young band, which was formed in 2008, has tons of tread left on their tires (musically speaking) and if this single is any indication at all then the EP that it will come with will be massive! As Gods is a band with all the dynamics of modern rock and all the muscle of modern metal. The only difference being that, while modern rock and modern metal can be too self-absorbed for it's own good, As Gods doesn't have to sell their own hype as their music, which functions as both underground rock and mainstream rock, speaks volumes as to their more then natural ability. If there were more bands like this, playing with passion and purity, it wouldn't be such a hard job of finding real rock with heavy metal potential. Here's hoping these guys just keep on doing what their as the world and rock radio needs more honest music like this!

Thunder Tribe-War Chant

Nightmare / Sony / R.E.D.
2013

Am I the only one who just loves that album art? How could I even try to resist "War Chant" with a cover like that! It more or less has a 80's heavy metal air to it so when I saw it I had to know if the music tucked away inside would compliment that choice cover. For the most part it actually does. When it comes to the five piece act Thunder Tribe, who are said to hail from Metalville USA! (otherwise known as Kentucky), here we find a band that isn't content to just knock out the same old same old heavy metal. This group has a lot to offer on "War Chant" which may or may not be their debut album. It's hard to tell when it comes to this 11 track release as they don't spell it out as such (being their debut album), but then again they don't list any other albums online. While I can't be sure of what album this is I can at least be confident in the knowledge that Thunder Tribe has a different take on rock/heavy metal that really works. Their Facebook page mentions how Thunder Tribe has covered everyone from Boston to Pantera live (crazy cool!) and their influences seem to run from Black Sabbath to The Beatles. Classic rock by way of melodic heavy metal and progressive/power metal is the best way to describe this bunch that features the near operatic vocals of Michael Duncan. Of course vocals like that give way to a sound not at all unlike bands like Savatage, Queensrÿche and Crimson Glory, but when you have guitarists like Ronnie Duncan and Rick Sargent on hand anything can happen! Listen closely and you'll pick up on so many other bands/influences in Thunder Tribe's sound like Alice In Chains Kiss, Triumph, Sweet, Led Zeppelin, Scorpions, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Genesis, Metallica, Pink Floyd, Tesla, Dokken, Extreme, Journey, B.O.C., Jimi Hendrix, Dio, Black Sabbath and even Kansas! Sure it sounds crazy and that's because it is! A band like this shouldn't work out. It should be a royal mess right? And yet it isn't. The group, which also features Tom Dawson (bass) and Chad Osborne (drums), has essentially perfected a new take on modern rock and modern metal. They've done this by burying their heads deep into the history books of rock and metal and applying everything they learned on these 11 tracks! Guitar rock solos hang around while melodic metal dances in the moonlight! You get near Metallica like riffs doing the tango with 70's prog rock! The heavy appeal of early grunge meets up with 60's pop and they share a cold pitcher of beer! It's all of that and more and you know what? It's moments like this that make me appreciate this gig of mine all the more. For someone like me, who loves all things rock (incl. pop rock) and heavy metal (incl. pop metal), this is just epic awesomeness. An album like this really picks me up and pulls me through those moments when everything and everyone (music-wise) just starts to blur together. While it might not be a brilliant piece of work, "War Chant" is still one album that I'd like to add to my personal CD collection as it's just such a fun and classy release!

 
www.facebook.com/thundertribe
www.reverbnation.com/thundertribe
 

---

Six Minute Century-Wasting Time

Nightmare / Sony / R.E.D.
2013

Six Minute Century are a Houston, Texas-based power metal/progressive rock/metal band. The group's roots trace back to 1993 when they were originally going by the name Mystic Cross. As Mystic Cross a pair of albums were released before the group ended up switching to their current moniker in 2004. Now, as Six Minute Century, the band is all set to release this, their sophomore output, later on in mid-October. The driving point of this band (And Mystic Force before the name change?) seems to be Don LaFon (Also of Krucible and Logan) who, in addition to (one would assume) writing all of the music on "Wasting Time", provides the kind of virtuoso guitar playing that elevates a band like this past mere progressive metal and into the same realm that a musician like Steve Vai would inhabit. Meanwhile the lyrical content on "Wasting Time", which seems to be written mostly by vocalist like Chuck Williams, covers historic events. To that end the group added samples/sound clips to this album to give it a touch more impact. Now, speaking of vocalist Chuck Williams, you've got a guy that can certainly sing even if he is too often overshadowed by the playing of Don LaFon. While the promo material doesn't provide any further line-up information other then LaFon and Williams, which seems a bit short-sighted to me, the other two musicians who look to be involved on "Wasting Time" are Michael "Dr. Froth" Millsap (Well Of Souls, live-Helstar and guest musician with Eumeria) and Mike Lewis (Helstar). Both Millsap (Bass/NS Stick) and Lewis (Drums) provide WAY above average performances here, as they are both quite skilled-musicians, so why they were not also highlighted on the promo material I have no idea. Anyway, this is one of those releases that will obviously appeal to fans of bands like Fates Warning and Dream Theater as well as those who love groups like Savatage. But, while they keep things, musically, very close to progressive metal, there are two extremes to Six Minute Century worth pointing out. On the one end the band dips into heavy rock/progressive rock and they do it in such a way that it sounds almost evenly matched with their power metal side. Meanwhile on the other end, which admittedly doesn't get as many visits as one would like to see from a band like Six Minute Century, you have a group that flirts with "...And Justice for All"-era Metallica. But it's just too little to get all worked up about. It would have been really cool if they would done more then just flirt with the sound (Like maybe get to second base at least?), but they don't so, while it's worth mentioning, I wouldn't run out to get "Wasting Time" if you're looking for that sort of "thrash" sound. Despite that little fact being a downer we are still talking about a album that sounds like it would almost be right at home next to some of the "bigger" names in the progressive rock/progressive power metal field. I say "almost" because it's a good album, but it never gets to be one of those albums where you say "Now that is one righteous song!" or "Wow, I should spin that again right now!". But it is a good album and, if you're into progressive rock/progressive metal then this might be worth checking out. is the drummer for Six Minute Century.

https://www.facebook.com/sixminutecentury
 

Orne-The Conjuration by the Fire (Reissue)

Svart Records
2013


It sure seems as if a lot of Finnish bands have been finding their way to my inbox. The latest was Orne who, having first came about back in 1997 (initially as Mesmer before changing their name in 2001 to it's current moniker), is a side-project assembled by guitarist Kimi Kärki ( Reverend Bizarre & Lord Vicar). Originally released in 2006 on Black Widow Records, "The Conjuration by the Fire" was Orne's debut album and it's now getting a deluxe double LP reissue. It's been re-mastered for vinyl, which sounds great if the promo I received is to be believed, and features the 3-tracks from the group's 2000 demo, "A Beginning", as a special bonus. In addition to Kimi Kärki  (who the chief songwriter for this album) on guitar and mellotron player the album featured countless other band-mates and guests. Chiefly interesting is the vocal department where onetime Lohja SS (a hardcore punk band from the 90's) lead singer Sami Albert Hynninen pops in as a guest. This veteran singer, who is also known as Magister Albert and Albert Witchfinder, has had quite the career, what with stints in Reverend Bizarre, The Puritan, Opium Warlords, Armanenschaft, KLV and many more! On this debut recording his vocal delivery is subtle with an earthly air about it. Given the music at hand, which has a real vintage sound to it anyway, Sami's everyman delivery pulls the listener in and makes one feel rather relaxed and carefree. That says something as the music presented here, in a decidedly older fashion, lives within the dark corners of progressive rock. With talented musicians like Pirkka Leino (organ, Rhodes Piano) and Jussi Lisko (soprano saxophone, flute) added in the album is somewhat dream like. It's as if the listener is in a walking dream where Orne has been transported to another time where groups like Pink Floyd, King Crimson and Genesis were just starting out. On this (soon to be a classic) LP lead guitar was handled by Pekka Pitkälä (who, besides Kimi is the only original member of Orne) while bass duties belonged to Antti Fredriksson.  And finally Jari Pohjonen, also known as Void and Jay Lovely, of  Reverend Bizarre, Specie’s Traitor, Confirmed Kill, Vyöhyke and KLV, took care of the drumming. With some guest musicians also added into the mix this soon to be released double LP is one I can't help but enthusiastically recommend! Progressive rock fans likely already knew about Orne, but for the rest of us (and naturally I include myself in this category) the band was once unknown and sadly unheralded. As an album that sounds remarkably classic, with images of 70's progressive rock bands like those mentioned above spiraling through out my head, there's always an audience waiting to soak in and soak up what could best be called a magical album. Defiantly one of those recordings that I hope to enjoy for years to come now that it's discovery is at hand!

EDVIAN-2012

Total Metal Records
2012

One of the advantages of reviewing music for a hobby/living (or whatever you want to call this particular aspect of existence) is the (seemingly) non-stop influx of new music at ones fingertips. Hardly a day goes by anymore in which new albums show up in either my digital or physical mailbox. As a fan/collector myself it's cool to know that with every new day somewhere a new band is potentially either in the process of forming or releasing debut material. Such is the case with this particular album that was released at the tail end of 2012 by the Russian band EDVIAN.  Formed in 2009, and featuring two brothers – musicians: Andrew and Victor Plitkinyh in it's ranks, this particularly act focuses their attention/talent on the field on progressive music.Their full-length, 8-track debut-album, as noted, was issued at the tail end of 2012 and, theme-wise, deals with the oncoming end of the world as predicted by the Mayan calendar! Interesting to say the least. Thankfully that didn't happen (the end of the world and all) as we wouldn't all be sitting here today talking about cool progressive music like this! My guess is EDVIAN is probably pretty stoked that the world didn't end as well since they would probably like to see the fruits of their labor. With all of that said, and seeing as the world hasn't imploded (yet), onward we march to this debut-recording. As stated, this is progressive music at it's core.While we could just call it "progressive metal" I think that "progressive music" is a better tag. Sure, it does have all the hallmarks of progressive metal as evident by usual progressive metal influences (Dream Theater and Symphony-X are mentioned in the promo material and it's a fair enough statement) there's all sorts of other things present, add-ons if you, such as electronic music and progressive rock. Add all of that together, mixing gently as you go, and, after you toss in the emotion theme of a world wrapped in chaos (by way of metal that's much more extreme then the Dream Theater and Symphony-X comparisons would suggest), you end up with "2012". With only a 4-track demo to their name otherwise, this 8-track LP shows a level of maturity and experience that's normally not associated with such progressive-minded groups this early in the game.With interesting time-changes, and musicians focused more on creative metal then mass-appeal metal, these 8 tracks add up to a stellar listening experience and a suggested pick-up for the fans of all thing progressive rock, metal and beyond.

Aeon Zen-Enigma

Nightmare/Sony/RED
2013

As I tackle my first post-Christmas promo I am enjoying my afternoon coffee and the return of my children (they spent the holidays with my ex-wife). What I am not enjoying is the first few inches of the 6-10 inches of snow that we are expected to get dumped on us over the next day or two. Thankfully, the past few days have seen plenty of new albums come my way both physical and digital. As I type this album I'm well aware that I keep looking over at the list of albums I hope to review over the next couple of days. Something tells me I'm not going to get to all of them so I'll just do the best I can. The first album on my list was Aeon Zen. This progressive metal band formed in 2008 and have released three albums now. The first album by Aeon Zen was 2009's "A Mind’s Portrait" followed by their second album, "The Face of the Unknown", in 2010. "Enigma" makes album number three for the band and features guests such as Nate Loosemore (Lost In Thought), Atle Pettersen (Above Symmetry) and Jonny Tatum (Eumeria). Produced by the band's own Rich Hinks (Guitar, Bass, Vocals) it's also the first Aeon Zen album which I had ever had the pleasure of hearing. Being a progressive metal band some of the influences should sound familiar. Dream Theater, Symphony X and Genesis were all listed in the promo, but some Rush could be added on too. If that sounds a bit on the lighter end of things that was my first thought before I first went to listen to "Enigma". Had I paid a bit more attention before hand I might have noticed the other influences listed such as Opeth and Megadeth. I'm glad I didn't as it allowed me to be surprised. More often then not I will only briefly look at any promo material. When listening to promos (especially from bands I'm unfamiliar with) it's more interesting to go in blind with very little knowledge so you can form your own opinion. Too often then not (when I first started off) I would read over any promo material and then I'd listen to the album. The more you expect to hear any/all bands listed as either influences or reference points the more often you'll find yourself let down in this business. It's better to just hit play and let the dice fall where they may. Aeon Zen are one of those bands when you can hear the old (Genesis, Symphony X) mixing in with the new (the band's recent influences are said to be bands such as Between The Buried And Me, Cynic, Periphery, Jørn Lande and Scar Symmetry). While some of those secondary/new influences might not be new it's kind of obvious that the band's take on it is. Since this is a band that is trying to branch out and try new ideas most of the music worked really well while other times you could sort of tell this was a band trying to find a firm footing on some of new influences. Had those influences been spelled out to me ahead of time I would have been justly let down. While Aeon Zen's pulls in some of those influences effectively their sound is still more progressive rock/progressive metal then   anything else. Even so, Aeon Zeus still have their own unique sound and, for the most part, as they go off in pursuit of  a new identity they seem as if their heading in the right direction. 

Sammal-Sammal

Svart Records
2013



Is it to early to be talking about "Best Of" lists for the year 2013? It probably is as I haven't even posted this year's list yet. Even so, please people, someone needs to remind about the exquisite nature of this self-titled release next December. This captivating album is a thing of beauty. While Sammal's eponymous debut album will be issued on both CD and LP this release begs to be experienced on a turn table. This is the kind of album where you want to turn the lights off, light some candles and just sink down low into a state of spiritual relaxation. Sammal's debut album might be sung entirely in Finnish, but the bands smooth blend of classic rock, southern rock and progressive rock is a universal language. Especially when you have a vocalist who sings in such an authentic fashion. Sammal are another band that not only looked to the past for inspiration, as retro-rock is all the rage these days just as retro-metal is, but found a way to bring the past into a modern setting. It's amazing how such simple elements (classic rock riff-age, prog keyboards and a little southern twang) can translate into this beautiful and complex sound. It looks as if I'll be adding another LP to my collection soon enough!