Eclipse – Paradigm
I am totally floored from now on. You would NOT want to miss this if melodic rock is your cup of morning coffee.
Category: Reviews
Helloween – United Alive in Madrid
When it gets near the end, it doesn’t, because this album never seems to end! And I mean that in a good way, of course. Once you first think they’ve finished, you’ll be surprised how many hits still lie ahead! It just keeps going and going and going… And I love every minute of it.
Insomnium – Heart Like a Grave
The ten songs are beautifully composed and delivered with so much emotion and precision, so much Fingerspitzengefühl, that it’s almost overwhelming. It’s like floating into calm and serenity, but with a raw and brutal twist. It’s about… balance.
Steel Panther – Heavy Metal Rules
What started out as funny and provocative has now become boring and predictable. Songtitles like “All I wanna do is fuck (myself tonight)” “Fuck everybody” and “Gods of pussy” just doesn’t do it anymore and you can only laugh so much at all the dick, pussy, ass, cum, drug and heavymetal jokes before you tire.
Opeth – In Cauda Venenum
Om man slutar tänka, då blir man död. True story, but there’s Still Life in Opeth!
Axe – Final Offering
“Final Offering” is not as heavy as the band used to be. There are no fantasy metal tunes such as “Steal Another Fantasy” or fast rockers like “Heat in the Street”. This is more mellow and, well, mature.
Borknagar – True North
Yes there is still some element of their early days, they haven´t gone all Anathema/Opeth yet but are on their way as far as i´m concerned. Listen to “Up North” and look at the cover… And then, just to put up their middle finger to an unprepared reviewer they go full black metal fury again.
Atlantean Kodex – The Course of Empire
Now, the absence of Doom doesn’t necessary mean that Atlantean Kodex isn’t a good band, or that ”The Course of Empire” should be a bad record. I don’t mind my Metal to be Epic at all and when it comes to Heavy Metal I would go as far, stating I crave the music to be Epic to really like it, and one thing’s for sure, ”The Course of Empire” is epic as hell!
Kazjurol – Multi Dead World
I don´t know if it is because of the fact that they´re from my hometown that I find this album really good or if I can pursue others to like it. Don´t think of a band that hasn´t been around since forever and try to revive past glory. This is a completely different band.
Crashdïet – Rust
So what about their new album and new vocalist? Well, I don’t know. From my point of view, this is very “allright”. No songs stick that much out as great songs, but none is really bad either. It’s quite allright all the way through.
Status Quo – Backbone
But the major question about this album is still not so much about the quality of the songs. It’s about how the band is holding up now, making their careers first album without legendary Rick Parfitt (1948-2016). With so many years in the band and such a major role of the bands sound, you’d might think it would never work without him. And then you tune in “Backbone” and it sounds so much like Status Quo you almost burst out laughing!
Korn – The Nothing
It is not what I would use as a fire starter on a Friday. “The Nothing” works better on Sunday afternoon. And you probably want to put it on repeat many times. On high level. Just let it burn you up inside – you will love it.
Sascha Paeth´s Masters Of Ceremony – Signs of Wings
Laying on the floor grasping for some kind of “there must be something bad about this record” feeling I give up totally. If you are into metal as described above, it is a must to buy this one.
Year Of The Goat – Novis Orbis Terrarum Ordinis
While the artwork, titles and lyrics may flirt with the occult, the actual music is often fairly straight forward and has more in common with bands like Horisont and Graveyard rather than Coven, The Devil’s Blood or Jess & The Ancient Ones. At least this was my view before hearing “Novis Orbis Terrarum Ordinis”
Michael Schenker Fest – Revelation
At the center of this project is of course four great vocalists: Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet, Robin McCauley and Doogie White. These are all great singers, so to hear them all together sure is a real fest!
Black Star Riders – Another State of Grace
They have the power, the emotion and the energy and this time they strike all the right notes. “Another State of Grace” proves once and for all that they are one of the best providers of classic hard rock out there today. Don’t miss it for the world!