Overkill - The Wings of War (2019)

It would easy for me to just end this review right here and state that "The Wings of War" is an Overkill record. Bada bing, bada boom, and we would be home by noon. It would be a disservice though to not acknowledge these white Jersey boys and their relentless thrash metal attack that is now onto its 19th full length album. To do this for so long and keep a consistent level of quality is just astounding, and you guessed it, they did not falter this time either.

The band fires off the cannons instantly, as they always do, with the hard hitting "Last Man Standing", which is just classic "Ironbound"-era Overkill material. The speed is fast, the riffs are great, the chorus is catchy, and all the heads are banging. It is a familiar start that just gets you going, and the tempo is not exactly slowing down with "Believe In The Fight", who has this groovy rhythm that almost makes you giddy. Great metal should always make you smile.

While the intensity is not as overwhelming for the rest of the album, there is still a lot of fun songs in here that makes the album go by pretty fast. For instance, we have a song that is named "Batshitcrazy", and it is certainly insane with its gibberish of a chorus, but there is something primitive about this track that just makes it addicting. Also, it is about time the band had a song with this title. "A Mother's Prayer" is also really fun, but more because of the speedy tempo than straight up weirdness.

Then we have "Welcome To The Garden State", which could be seen as a tribute by the band aimed towards two of their favourite things. Punk rock, and the city of New Jersey. Now, I am not much for punk, but this still has enough thrash in it so I can enjoy it relatively easy, and it is a great homage to Jersey, having small Easter eggs here and there, and also outing the fantastic line "I've been everywhere, but it's never like home". Listening to that song also makes you understand how much these guys enjoy themselves during this whole process in making an album, they are just out there having a ton of fun.

One thing I think "The Wings of War" certainly improved upon against its predecessor "The Grinding Wheel" is to tighten things up. Sure, the band still has some longer songs that some people might think is too much, but I do not mind it as much, especially since there is very little fat in here to work out. It might be a little soft in some songs like "Distortion" and "Where Few Dare To Walk", but they do not take away all too much.

So comparing "The Wings of War" to the rest of the recent Overkill outings, I would put this album neatly in the middle. It does not have the slamming power that both "Ironbound" and "The Electric Age" have, but at least it has enough juice to get past "White Devil Armory" and "The Grinding Wheel". At the end of the day though, I go back to what I said in the beginning of this review, this is an Overkill record, and you are gonna enjoy this one if you have the slightest of interest in the thrash metal genre.

Songs worthy of recognition: Last Man Standing, Batshitcrazy, A Mother's Prayer, Welcome To The Garden State

Rating: 8/10 Holes In My Soul

wreckingcrew.com/Ironbound/
twitter.com/overkillband

More reviews of Overkill:
White Devil Armory
The Grinding Wheel

We Are The Catalyst - Ephemeral (2019)

I discovered the Swedish group We Are The Catalyst a couple of years ago when they released their sophomore effort "Elevation", and I was instantly hooked to the band and their flowing adrenaline fueled style of melodic metal. It was just something with them that got me into the headbanging groove, and even if the album itself was quite uneven, it did leave me longing for more. Three years later, the band is now back to deliver their third album, so let us see if they can make me move again.

So "Ephemeral" is certainly a continuation of "Elevation" and what that band did, but if "Elevation" was a formula 1 car, I guess "Ephemeral" is more of a Mustang. The album has some speed in it, but the adrenaline rush that the predecessor had is missing. Weirdly enough, I do not think it makes "Ephemeral" a worse record, because it still has that flowing style. I think the closest comparison I can make of what We Are The Catalyst is doing is if you take a muted version of Amaranthe's sound, and then mix it with some parts of early Evanescence. At times, singer Catrin Feymark does sound a little like Amy Lee, just not as gothic.

It is the instrumentation though that is the strong suit of this band. While we may not get any memorable riffs or any amazing drum patterns, the band manages to create a soundscape that feels beefy and vibrant, really lifting every track to the skies. Joni Kaartinen's bass is loud and clear, Kenny Boufadene's guitar brings the power, and Håkan Strind's drums commands the tempo with an iron fist. It is an excellent team effort, even if the individual efforts could have been displayed more.

Most of the songs in here are around the 3 and a half minute mark, and most of them have that banging sensation that makes your head go up and down in various degrees. Songs like "Over Pale Waters", "The Code", and "Breathing Black" are fun ones you can easily loose yourselves in, while "Where Mountain Stands" and "Alone Against The World" impress you with a slower tempo. The most interesting track in here though is "Innan Allt Faller" (translation: before everything falls), a full on Swedish track that is more like what the band did in "Elevation", also adding an epic and catchy chorus to boot. It is a track I keep coming back to, and it is not because I am Swedish myself, I just love the flow of this track.

It is a shame that "Ephemeral" does not have the power that its predecessor have, but it still feels like a We Are The Catalyst album through and through (even with the Evanescence vibes). The slower tempo gives the album its own identity, making it stand out and showing that the band does have some versatility, and while the song writing is mostly alright, it does tend to get lost in the shuffle at times, being a little too similar (especially in the second half). While "Ephemeral" does not make me as pumped up as "Elevation" did, it is still a cool little record that is worthy of a look or two, so go check it out.

Songs worthy of recognition: Innan Allt Faller, Over Pale Waters, Where Mountain Stands

Rating: 7/10 Predators

www.wearethecatalystofficial.com/
twitter.com/officialWATC

Avantasia - Moonglow (2019)

Everyone's favourite side project is back again, but after celebrating 20 years of existence and 8 full length releases, it does not really feel right to call Avantasia a side project. In fact, it feels like Tobias Sammet has put more effort into this group than what he does to Edguy as of late, almost trying to find every excuse imaginable to gather his fellow vocalists to continue on his theatrical fairytale. Well, as long as the quality is still there, I am all aboard.

So it should not come as a surprise that "Moonglow" is pretty close to its predecessors in terms of sound, using that copyrighted style of epic symphonic power metal that Tobias has developed close to perfection. The guest list is also pretty familiar, with returning vocalists such as Jørn Lande (Jorn), Ronnie Atkins (Pretty Maids), Bob Catley (Magnum), Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween, Unisonic, Place Vendome), and Geoff Tate (ex-Queensrÿche). We do get a couple of surprises though, but I will get to them later, just rest assured Avantasia fans that Tobias is not going too far from his normal formula.

It all starts with "Ghost In The Moon", a close to 10 minute track that is just typical Avantasia cheese to the core, and it is pure cheese, with no guest artists adding any additional spices to it. It goes on for a bit too long, but it is a fine opening. The album does really take off in the next track "Book of Shallows, in which Jørn, Ronnie, and Hansi Kürsch from Blind Guardian (who makes his first Avantasia appearance, which feels odd) step in together with Tobias to create a nice and meaty masterclass sandwich. It all goes well, then suddenly, around the half way point, the guitars get heavier, the tempo shifts, and in comes Mille Petrozza and turns this track into a brilliant Avantasia/Kreator fusion that should not work, but oh man it does! Talk about making an impact.

After a calm and beautiful title track (featuring Candice Night from Blackmore's Night), we get another mastodon in "The Raven Child", an 11 minute monster that starts off with some nice Blind Guardian acoustics, and then it just picks up the intensity as it goes along, leading to some incredibly epic moments. This might be one of my favourite 10+ minute songs from Avantasia, just for how it keeps the listener on its toes throughout the run time, and then also rewards said listener to a truly epic finish, where Jørn gets to do what he is best at, shriek like Ronnie James Dio, and rock out. Add Tobias who goes back and forth with Jørn for more than a solid minute, and we get some great, headbanging epicness to close out one of the highlights of the record.

And it is easy to think that the album does not get much better from here, and it does not, but it still has a few aces still in its sleeve. "Starlight" is another classic Avantasia tune that we have heard before, but is still just as great, and in "Requiem For A Dream" we get Kiske in good old Helloween form, passing by in blazing fast speeds. Then we have the two Geoff Tate only tracks "Invincible" and "Alchemy" that are pretty different from each other, but they are equally awesome, showing some of the most emotional work we have heard from Tate in years. Who knew it took a German power metal singer to bring back that Tate to our lives.

While there are a good bunch of quality in this record, it does still have some questionable decisions. Like was it really a good idea to cram in Tobias, Ronnie, Jørn, Eric Martin (Mr. Big), Bob, and Tate into "The Piper At The Gates of Dawn"? No, it was not, it is way too many chefs for this soup. Also, was it really necessary to add in a cover of the classic "Flashdance" song "Maniac"? The cover is perfectly fine, adding some cool guitar work to an already groovy song, but it does not add anything to the record. Besides, I think Firewind did a stronger and more personal effort on their cover, so go check out that one instead.

Despite that, there is still no question that Tobias Sammet is still the co-king of multi vocalists projects (together with Arjen Lucassen of course), delivering another excellent Avantasia record to the people. It might not push the boundaries on what the band can be, but it does deliver on what it wants to do, displaying some epic theatrical music with some of the best vocalists around. "Moonglow" is certainly shining bright, both at night and at day.

Songs worthy of recognition: The Raven Child, Book of Shallows, Invincible, Alchemy

Rating: 8/10 Ghosts In The Moon

www.tobiassammet.com/
twitter.com/_avantasia

More reviews of Avantasia
The Mystery of Time
Ghostlights

Rapid Fire Reviews: Episode 1

More often than not, there are albums out there that I listen to that may not warrant a full on essay out of me, but that does not mean I do not have an opinion of them, and Rapid Fire reviews gives me the opportunity to express those feelings to them. It is a good spot to speak my mind on more records, and also showing to what I am listening to. So let us go, here are a bunch of albums I have listened to lately.

Beast In Black - From Hell With Love

Battle Beast... I mean Beast In Black is back with their sophomore effort, and it is another overdose of bombastic power metal that looks back at the 80's with nostalgic eyes. It is for sure a fun record that forces you to move with its disco beats, but the real bite on the tracks are missing. With over 50 minutes of music, you get surprisingly few highlights, one of them being a cover of Motörhead's "Killed By Death". It is enjoyable in small amounts, but it can easily become too much of the (sort of) good stuff.




Rating: 6/10 Unlimited Sins


Lahmia - Resilience

Imagine if Johan Hegg from Amon Amarth just left one day, and instead went on to front Omnium Gatherum. Well, then you would more or less get what Lahmia is offering on their sophomore effort. It is a gothic melodic death metal record that sways around through the musical spectrum like a pendulum. It is one of those albums where the songs might not be strong enough to stand on their own, but together they make an album where you can easily lose yourself in it, and take in the entire experience with ease. May not be a grand slam, but "Resilience" still does its work nicely.



Rating: 7,5/10 Voids of Humiliation


Soen - Lotus

Soen is a band I have gradually gotten in to, and with the release of "Lotus", I finally feel ready to fully embrace them. "Lotus" is mixing the mysterious vastness of Tool with the exquisite melodies of Opeth, creating a fusion that is mesmerizing to behold. It is a record you wanna get back to as soon as possible every time it ends, and it is sure to be one of the best progressive releases of this year. A blooming album that is as beautiful as the flower it is named after.




Rating: 9/10 Martyrs


Steve Dadaian - Follow The Light

There are tons of skilled guitarists out there, but not all of them can write an instrumental album that captivates your attention without over excessive wanking. Well, Steve Dadaian certainly made  an impressive effort in his first full length effort "Follow The Light", a concept record that has everything I want from this type of album. It captures emotions, it is able to tell a story, and Steve mixes styles and techniques to make an impressively diverse record that you will not be tired of. An early front runner of the best instrumental record of the year for sure.



Rating: 8/10 Red Rivers


Trollfest - Norwegian Fairytales

I have always enjoyed the company of Trollfest, and "Norwegian Fairytales is certainly another fascinating effort of trolls executing Balkan metal, while shouting a mixed gibberish of Norwegian and German. It is still a fun record that fans of the band should be happy with, but it just does not have the memorably wacky moments that made some of their other albums so good. You know what I think could have made it better and wackier? A cover of the Eurovision winner "Fairytale" by the Norwegian lad Alexander Rybak. It just makes too much sense to not be made, especially in an album with this title.


Rating: 7/10 Deildegastar

Helloween - The Dark Ride (2000)

In our little stroll through the theme park that is Helloween's discography, we have now come to "The Dark Ride", the first attraction that was instated during the 21st Century. Just as the name suggest, it is closer to a haunted mansion than a horse carousel, being a little darker and a little rougher than the previous rides that we have gone through. But do not be afraid, it only looks tough, it still has that childish joy that this whole park is well known for. Let's ride.

The album opens up in classic Helloween fashion, with high flying power metal. Both "Mr. Torture" and "All Over The Nation" are pretty much standard procedure, with the double bass going red hot, the higher register of Andi Deris' repertoire being used frequently, and the guitars are going wild as well. It is a fun start, but knowing what the rest of the record is offering, it does trick the listener quite good into thinking that this is gonna be another happy Helloween effort.

Well, the third song "Escalation 666" changes the mood quickly with its dark atmosphere and tough as nails riffs. It is strange at first, but thanks to some nice structuring and the ominous, yet catchy, whispering of the title, it managed to persuade me, and also prepare me for the rest of the album. "Mirror, Mirror" continues on the same track, with Andi using some haunting aggression to accentuate this heavy tone. It definitely has influences from classic horror movies in its sound, which certainly gives the song a nice touch.

And so it goes back and forth throughout the record, mixing the brightness and darkness in a very dynamic way that makes the experience really fun, but it is the pure quality of the tracks that makes me come back to this record. There are several tracks in here that are just catchy bangers, from the adrenaline fueling title track and the high soaring "If I Could Fly", to the brilliantly groovy choir piece "The Departed". Helloween is just firing on all cylinders here, pulling off all of their tricks that they have garnered over the years.

There is one thing though that I think is the greatest achievement of "The Dark Ride" though, and that is that it laid the foundation of what the band would become in the future. With some of their 90's records, they have still held tight to their 80's identity, but "The Dark Ride" unleashes the band into the new millennium in the best way possible. The sound in this record set the standard for the upcoming ones with crisp production and versatile song writing, and it is a style the band still uses to this day, a nice and healthy mix of power and darkness that speaks to their old fans, while bringing in some new ones as well. I might as well get my ass to the back of the line again, because I am going for another ride.

Songs worthy of recognition: The Departed, Mr. Torture, Escalation 666, The Dark Ride

Rating: 8,5/10 Immortals

www.helloween.org/
twitter.com/helloweenorg

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Within Temptation - Resist (2019)

I am right now waiting for the newest installment in the gaming franchise Trials, a game series that mixes silly fun with Finnish pin point precision. The upcoming Trials Rising looks incredible, and adding this fun to the Switch is gonna be great. So, why am I talking about a game where you ride a motorcycle from point A to point B in a review of the latest Within Temptation record? Well, that is because the new album "Resist" actually reminds me of a previous Trials game, the futuristic Trials Fusion.

So yes, "Resist" has a futuristic style to it, but the band continues onwards from their predecessor "Hydra", which puts less emphasis on the symphonic part, and more on making catchy choruses. It is a strategy that might not suit everybody, but when it works, it is damn effective, and I am glad to say that the band is much more consistent this time around, having few missed steps and more home run hitter. Songs like "In Vain", "Mad World", and many more are easy to sing along to after just a few listens, certainly making "Resist" memorable.

Another thing that the band continues doing is collaborating with other artists. Opening track "The Reckoning" has a solid appearance from Jacoby Shaddix from Papa Roach. The song itself is okay, but not a highlight. Then we have Anders Fridén from In Flames in "Raise Your Banners", and while he just screams "Blood for freedom" over and over again, the song is epic as hell, making me want to make a sign and complain about something outside city hall. It is a grand track where I am just thankful that Anders does not have to do any clean duties. Jasper Steverlinck ends the guest line up with an appearance in "Firelights".

All the glory to the guests, but the driving force of Within Temptation is still Sharon Den Adel and her fantastic vocals. She has a flow to her vocals that is just magnificent to behold, enhancing the melodies to its maximum potential. There are several examples of this throughout the record, but "Holy Ground" probably shows it best with its free flowing chorus that somehow becomes memorable just by how Sharon express herself. She is just wonderful, and the band would be lost without her.

While there are a lot of enjoyable moments in here, I do think there are a couple of blanks being shot as well. Both "Firelights" and "Mercy Mirror" tries to change up the album, but instead of giving "Resist" more diversity, they just stand out as an odd couple that does not fit in at all, breaking the complete picture of the album. Also, mostly thanks to the futuristic sound, the production is a little too perfect, not having the warmth that probably would have helped the slower and more emotional songs in this record. Just small complaints, but they do affect the album significantly.

So as I said, "Resist" is just like the video game Trials Fusion. It sounds futuristic, has a lot of memorable content that is easy to enjoy, and it has some new ideas as well, while still holding on to the previously working formula. The cons are the same as well though, with it being a little too slick for its own good, having a couple of bugs, and not including online multiplayer at launch. With that said, I still think "Resist" is a strong effort that fans of the band will not be disappointed by. You could also say that they will not be able to resist "Resist"...

I will take my leave, good bye.

Songs worthy of recognition: Raise Your Banner, Endless War, Holy Ground, In Vain

Rating: 8/10 Mad Worlds

https://www.resist-temptation.com/
https://twitter.com/WTofficial

More reviews of Within Temptation
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Astronoid - S/T (2019)

It has been three years since the Americans in Astronoid graced us with what I still consider to be one of the best records of this decade, their 2016 debut "Air". It is an album that gave us a whole new angle on what metal can be, an album that simply cannot be described under a single genre or style. Yes, "Air" is truly special, so the expectations for the follow up are obviously high. I mean, how can you continue from an album that is close to flawless? Can you catch lightning in a bottle again? And most importantly, why the hell did you go the lazy route and let your sophomore effort be self titled? A lot of questions that will hopefully be answered.

From the get go, the band continues on what they did in "Air" and implements it into "Astronoid", not showing any real steps forward in their own evolution progress, which I am totally fine with. This is after all only their second album, and I both expected and wanted more of that sweet and light sound that only they could make. Brett Boland brings out all of the emotions with his soft vocals, Casey Aylward and Mike DeMellia twists and turns around the melodies with their guitars, and Matt St. Jean goes bananas behind the drum kit, creating a mish mash of sound waves that weirdly enough go together, kind of like mac and cheese. The band feels like they are in their right elements, and enjoyment is at its highest levels.

That continues on throughout the first half, and just when you think if the band even bothered to change anything from their winning formula, the band actually makes some changes around half time, like they are Bill Belichick or something. It starts off easy with "Water", a song that is not too far off from what we are used to with the band, but the guitars are a little louder and heavier, and the drums have more impact on every hit as well. It is a striking song that sets off a second half that converts "Astronoid" from being a safe repeat, to a pure statement.

The heavy attitudes continues in "I Wish I Was There While The Sun Set", but while the instruments have gotten slightly more aggressive, the light tone of the band is still there, mostly thanks to Brett and his humble vocals. Without those, I could absolutely see the middle part of this song fitting right in with what Strapping Young Lad was doing (that double bass is infectious as hell). The album ends with another heavy hitter in "Ideal World", and just like with "I Wish...", the juiciest bit is in the middle, a great instrumental bit that will send heads flying everywhere.

Despite these heavier tracks, "Astronoid" could still be seen as a mere continuation of "Air" because there are so many familiar elements in here, and while that assumption is not wrong, it is kind of twisting the truth just slightly. To me, I feel like Astronoid do not need to change all that much, they just have to change enough to keep people's interest. They have a clarified sound, so it is up to them to just execute it as good as possible, and add some tweaks here and there. There is no doubt though that they have all the tools to keep succeeding. One thing they should change though is whoever is in charge of their album covers. "Air" was nice, but this one is just flat out boring. Besides, it looks like the band is called Ast Ron Oid here. Come on man, step it up.

So yeah, "Astronoid" might not be that much different from "Air", but it is still a heavenly effort that just makes you happy. In a world were bad news is common, we simply need these light albums that can bring anyone's spirit up, just to get that feeling of serenity. This band is unique as hell, and it does not matter what you call this band, whether it is black metal, shoegaze, blackgaze, or enlightenment metal, they just cannot be described by a single genre, they are simply Astronoid, a band everyone should experience in some way or form, and if you have not already, I highly suggest you do it right now.

Songs worthy of recognition: I Wish I Was There While The Sun Set, I Dream In Lines, Fault, Water

Rating: 9/10 Ideal Worlds

http://www.astronoidband.com/
https://twitter.com/Astronoid_Band

More reviews of Astronoid
Air