Lyzzard-Savage

Fighter
2017

When I'm deciding what to review some times it's a band I've heard of or a label I know that has done a number of good releases. In this case I see the cover art looks like a 1980's t-shirt design and the band has a reptile name so I know that I have to check it out. Lyzzard hail from Portugual and before spinning this one I figured it was going to transport me back about three decades or more. The results? Yes, indeed this is very much mid to late 80's style metal. Much of the music reminds me of Running Wild before they were full blown pirates and Grave Digger before they got all semi-historical and perhaps toss in a few pinches of Grim Reaper and Judas Priest guitars bursts. The music just keeps punching away with each track. I kept expecting one or two more mellow tracks, but that never came about. Instead the album seemed to pick up the intensity as it went along. The vocals are slightly high pitched, but clean and they certainly compliment the hard-driving music. A number of bands today that play 80's style traditional metal tend to fall into the trap having a number of songs that sound very much the same. It pleases me very much does not fall into that trap at all. In fact each song has it's own personality and for most of the songs the band sets each song apart the next rather early into each track. While anyone can sound a certain way, but what really matters in the excitement for what you and that's something that shines through on every track of this album. Lyzzard are excited about the music they have created and they should because this a very impressive album.

https://www.facebook.com/lyzzardofficial

Deathless Creation-Thrash 'N' Roll

Timezone Records
2015

Formed on New Year's Day, 2012, Deathless Creation is a German metal band whose current line-up features vocalist/guitarist Benne Rommel, guitarist Vlad Nikolov (Slartibartfass, ex-The Witches Sabbath, ex-Daargesin, ex-Encryption, ex-Total Hate), bassist Eric Arikan, and drummer Stefan Schaubele. The aptly-titled "Thrash 'N' Roll" is the full-length debut album from Deathless Creation and it was preceded in life by the independently-released "Endless Source of Power". Prior to that (worthwhile) 4-cut EP this Günzburg, Bavaria-based quartet released a 2012 demo by the name of "Insanity". You can find both the "Endless Source of Power" EP and the 12-track "Thrash 'N' Roll" over on this group's bandcamp page. Up front my personal advice would be to snag both up on CD, but that recommendation would probably make a hell of a lot more sense to you once I've actually covered this well-sculpted slab of rock! And "rock" it does! It also thrashes along merrily, but with this disc's title and all what more would you expect out of it? How about some eighties metal and N.W.O.B.H.M. love? That sounds good right? Well, I'll tell you want. It sounds even better "live" than it does on paper! With their mash-up of thrash, traditional heavy metal, eighties metal, N.W.O.B.H.M., and heavy rock a band like Deathless Creation has a lot going for it right out of the gate. After all we are talking about a lot of my favorite things here and chances are (taste-wise) the same can be said of a lot of our readers. Really all that is missing is some old-school punk and this would be the perfect cocktail! Could you even imagine that greatness? Wow! Regardless, "Thrash 'N' Roll" is fun ride with plenty of interesting twists and turns along the route. To be fair this four-piece is a tad raw around the edges. For me it's all part of the charm, but it's still best to point it out so that no one complains about this being more garage metal than grand metal. Especially because you know someone would! 

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!