After releasing 3 highly touted solo albums, vocalist Bob Catley reunited with guitarist Tony Clarkin and revived British AOR Rock gods Magnum, ending a a 7 year hiatus for the band. This produced the acclaimed 2002 release "Breath Of Life". Now, while fans await the next Magnum opus [sorry, couldn`t resist!], Bob has teamed with TEN keyboardist Paul Hodson [as well as guitarist Vince O`Regan, bassist Al Borrow and drummer John Little] and the result is "When Empires Burn", undoubtly the HEAVIEST album of Bob`s career! Hodson wears many hats on this one, having written ALL the tracks AND producing them, as well. As expected, there are elements of Magnum [circa "On A Storyteller`s Night"], but much of this 11 track album [13 on the limited release] has a traditional seventies/eighties Metal feel to it, which is DEFINITELY not a bad thing! The whole thing kicks off with the symphonic flourish of "The Torment", then rolls right in to "Children Of The Circle", an all out cruncher if I ever heard one. Next up is "Gonna Live Forever", with it`s stirring chorus and infectious melody. Another track sure to please the melodic Power Metal mavens is one of MY fave cuts, the DIO-esque "The Prophecy". "I'll Be Your Fool" and "Every Beat Of My Heart" are pure AOR heaven. The title track is a crunchy, melodic rockin` affair replete with a killer chorus & hooks a`plenty! "Someday Utopia" is yet ANOTHER stand-out again on an album of stand-outs. The last cut, for me, is the winner; the Irish-themed "My America", an enchanting, majestic semi-ballad dealing with the Irish famine and subsequent immigration to America which brings to mind Lizzy`s "Black Rose" or perhaps Gary Moore's "Wild Frontier" and "Blood Of Emeralds". Bob`s vocals are, as always, superb; any doubts about his ability to compliment the heavier material here are quickly cast aside! Hodson`s production here is flawless, and the band is machine oiled percision and power. One of THE highest quality Hard Rock releases so far this year, and one you DON`T want to miss! GOD, if only these guys would come to the states! We`re STARVED for this kind of music here in Limp Bizkit heaven!! I`ll keep my fingers crossed....
The King is BACK!! After a debilitating illness that kept him on the sidelines for a few months, King Fowley and crew are back with the band`s first official live album! Now nobody is going to confuse this with "Live And Dangerous", but who cares? If you want technical perfection, go listen to Mudvayne or some other crap! TRUE Metal AIN`T perfect, it`s all about POWER, and this album has plenty of THAT! Warts `n` all, this is an honest representation of what this band is all about. In addition to King, the band features lead guitarist Brian "Hellstorm" Williams, guitarist Jason Tedder, bassist Jim Hunter, and drummer Dave Castillo. "Stagefright" was recorded at the 2nd annual Classic Metal Fest in Ohio in July of 2002, and is a brutally accurate documentation of what October 31 do to a live audience. And all the band`s classics are here; among the killer cuts are "Visions Of The End", "The Warlock", my personal favorite, "Salem's Curse" and an ASS kickin` version of Saxon's "Power And The Glory"! If there`s anyone out there more dedicated to the Metal cause than King Fowley, I don`t know `em. King`s heartfelt passion for Metal is TRULY inspiring, and a beacon of hope for US Metal! We CAN bring it back to it`s former glory, ALL of us! And with King and October 31 leading the way, we WILL!! Thanks King, for being THE Metalhead by which all others should be judged!! Go to the band`s website for more info on purchasing this, and all other October 31 albums....
Lepus was formed by ex-Atrocity members Rich (bass) and Jeff (drums), Frank (guitar) and Phil (vocals, formerly of the REAL hardcore punk band Blastmat). Only together for a short time, these guys have just released a 6 song EP titled "The Myths of Man". Recorded live in the studio with NO overdubs [!], "The Myths of Man" cuts the nuts off all the major label Nu Metal slop currently vomiting forth from the radio of late. The band deliver the tunes with all the tact and subtley of a fleet of bulldozers, displaying a raw power and ferocity few in the genre can ever HOPE to match. Want proof? Check out "Intro / The One Thing", "Dream Machine", the AWESOME riffage of "In My Wake", "Circles", "The Beast", and a GREAT cover of the oft-overlooked Witchfinder General`s "Burning A Sinner"! Nothing wrong with THIS band`s tastes! And this is only the EP! Imagine what this bunch can do with a full length and a slightly bigger budget! Check out the band`s site below and prepare yerself for a TRUE Hardcore experience! [Huge, HUGE thanks to Phil for the disc; thanks a million, brother!]
Awesome, awesome, AWESOME! If the ancient Norse balladeers possessed electric guitars, amps and drums, they would sound A LOT like Tır! "Eric The Red" is the follow-up to last years "How Far To Asgaard", and like that album, the songs on "Eric The Red" are based on traditional Norse mythology and ballads. There are some difference between the two releases, the most significant being that they are down to a 4-piece, with guitarist Heri Joensen taking over on lead vocals. The rest of the band [Terji Skibenæs -Guitar, Gunnar H. Thomsen - Bass, and Kári Streymoy - Drums] remains intact. [Joensen played all rhythms guitars on the album, as well] "Eric The Red" is a gigantic leap forward for a band who were already ahead of the game to begin with, in terms of song-writing, musicianship, and production. And for those who felt that the last album needed to add a bit more Power to their unique brand of Metal, you`re in for a treat! Tır has injected some of the stylings of their contemporaries, avoiding the cliches of the Helloween clones and at the same time giving their music additional power. Every track here is GREAT, so there`s no point in me singling out a specific track, although stand out tunes among an album FULL of them include the opening track "The Edge", the old Faroese ballads "Regin Smiğur" and "Ólavur Riddararós" [translated to English, it`s "Regin Blacksmith" and "Olaf Knightrose" respectively; many of the tracks that are sung in Danish and Faroese are translated to English in the CD booklet] have been arranged for Metal. Another killer track is, "Ramund Hin Unge" ["The Young Raymond"] which is an old Danish ballad, and, proving their influences are not limited to their homeland, Tır have included a kick ass version of the traditional Irish ballad "The Wild Rover", which would have done the late, great Phllip Lynott [Thin Lizzy] proud! [I must have heard this a million times during my visits to Eire, and this is the BEST version I`ve ever heard!] I could go on and on [don`t I always?!], but I`ll let you decide for yourself. Tır are without a doubt one of THE great new Metal bands to emerge in recent years; heavy, powerful, majestic, those are only SOME of the words that can best describe this band. Incredible things are in store for these guys, mark my words! And if Tır isn`t a worldwide phenomena within the next 5 years, my faith in the human race will be sorely diminished! So by all means, journey with "Eric The Red"; it will take you places you never knew existed! [Many, MANY thanks to the band, and special thanks to Sigrid for the disc!!:-)]
Rising from the ashes of German Metallers Stormwitch, The Armada features ex-Stormwitch members Peter Langer [drums] and Damir Uzunovic [guitar], as well as Matthias Mailänder (bass), Mathias Nagl (keyboards) and vocalist Dirk Schäffner. Bearing little resemblence to Stormwitch, The Armada can be be described as a mixture of "Marching Out"-era Yngwie, Blind Guardian and perhaps a bit of Maiden. Not to worry though, as the band manages to avoid mst of the cookie-cutter mentality that plagues many of their fellow Euro Metal meisters! As is expected, "Rage Of The Armada" displays a high degree of musicianship, and while a few "Prog Metal" elements can be found, the emphasis is on songs. This is evident in such tracks as "Guiding Star", the awesome title cut, and my personal favorite "Endless Crusade". The production on the album is somewht raw and unpolished, unusual for this genre, but compliments the music to a "T"; hey, this IS supposed to be Heavy Metal, right? Who wants things all pretty and perfect? The whole band is first rate, each cutting through the mix loud `n` clear, with Schäffner sounding at times like Jeff Scott Soto, or perhaps Bruce Dickinson. No high pitched squealing HERE! An impressive debut by an equally impressive band. Highly, HIGHLY recommended!!!
Ya say you want yer Metal hard, loud, fast `n` MEAN? Looking for crunchy, high speed riffs, gut-wrenching vocals, soaring solos, throbbing bass lines, pounding drums? Well, look no further! Dungeon is a Sydney, Australia based 4 piece [Lord Tim - Lead & Backing Vocals, Guitars and Keyboards, Stevo - Drums & Backing Vocals , Dakk - Bass & Backing Vocals, Stu - Guitars & Backing Vocals] power/thrash band whose existence dates back to 1989, and though they have several releases under their bullet belts, this is MY first introduction to them; and WHAT an intro! "A Rise To Power" kicks off with a brief intro titled "The Prophecy", then dives right in to the ass kickin` title track. No "Mother-may-I`s" just straight up, in-yer-face POWER! "Netherlife (Black Roses Die)" continues the mayhem, as does "Insanity's Fall", and there ain`t no let up! "Traumatised" finds the band veering slightly into death metal territory, staying melodic AND brutal at the same time. And also featured as a "hidden" track is a faithful version of Queensryche's "Queen Of The Reich". [Apparently, earlier versions of this album also include a cover of Iron Maiden's "Wasted Years"] And while Dungeon`s version won`t make you forget the original, it`s STILL a damn good rendition just the same! VERY loud and clear production gives the album [AND the listener] an extra kick up the arse. Hopefully, this album will do the same to the Australian metal scene, as from what I hear, it`s in pretty much the same sorry state as the US, as far as the mainstream Metal scene is concerned; but then, who cares about the mainstream? The Underground is what matters, and Dungeon is turning it on it`s ear! A "crank-it-up-and-piss-off-the neighbors" album if I ever heard one! Buy or DIE!!!!
