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
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