Heavy Load - Riders Of The Ancient Storm

Great band, great album. The first 2 tracks took a little while to dig, which they can do with Heavy Load but it really gets going from 3rd track Walhalla Warrior onwards.

Noor - Flaming Rage

So far my AOTY keeps spinning, I love it more everyday. Properly hooked, almost obessed. This is my 5th or 6th favorite song on the album and it's amazing. The way that dude keeps switching gears along with the riffs with his vocals works wonders.

Prodigy - As Darkness Reigns

Fuck this album/demo kicks ass. Wicked meaty riffage, killer vocals and a pretty bloody decent production for a demo. USPM fans or anyone who digs the likes of Matthias Steele, Slauter Xstroyes, iced Earth, Cauldron Born etc should definitely check this out.

Grip Inc - Rusty Nail

Really cool song, you should listen to it now:

https://youtu.be/BPLdnlm6gAI

Summoning - With Doom We Come
Classic atmospheric black metal, I love this kind of stuff when I'm reading.

I am the Intimidator is up next for me.
Uh, yeah this is way better than it has any right to be. The music videos are...interesting though

Ιndeed! Colossal groove and attitude.
I don't know if this is true but I always thought Rusty Nail must have come from the alternate version of Hostage to Heaven that was released in 2015 (don't know if the alternate version happened before Nemesis but the similarity is too tempting), with that farewell EP. Which is FANTASTIC and very underrated ( ) by the way and you should also listen to it now. Dragging me Down is what punk with Lombardo sounds like and hints at the brilliance Undisputed Attitude would reach if the proper drummer had played. Besides, it was Jeff and Lombardo who had Pap Smear, they were the most vocal fans of hardcore punk and Dave, fuck, it's him really that gave them that extreme edge in '86. IMO of course.

NP: Third repeat of Dragging me Down

Ecclesia - Ecclesia Militans
Killer vocals. Killer riffs. And...killer...organs I guess.

The 2nd track is called "If She Floats" so you know it's going to be good.

Grip Inc was a excellent band.

NP - Tool - Fear Inoculum

A good album with good rhythmic interplay but honestly not all that compelling.

Human Fortress - Defenders of the Crown

This really has a lot of cool ideas... could maybe be heavier, but the light style gives it room for the really unique medieval key sounds and shit, which surprisingly wasn't an avenue many PM bands took. Some of these songs are pretty awesome - and then the last half just goes into a total tear of completely ripping, catchy tunes.

Like all of the best PM from that time, it's got a really earnest, sincere quality... even bands I don't like, like Rhapsody, at least had that. These new meme bands or whatever, I don't buy that it's a natural evolution of the genre - a lot of that stuff just sucks in general.

They probably had an even better album in them - shame they seemed to really go off course. I haven't heard much at all about their newer ones.

I've listened to those two in the meantime and I think your description is (almost) spot-on. "The Third Secret" is like a latter-day Dio album mixed with some random modern, non-symphonic power metal, while "When Angels Kill" leans more towards the modern pm side of things. I enjoyed both (for two hours) but I also noticed that I'm still not a fan of modern metal: too polished for me and always seemingly composed and performed by one and the same guy. I really miss individuality these days.

Now: Tension – Breaking Point

Technical, thrashy and slightly bonkers power metal with a great rhythm section from 1986. First listen. Not sure what to make of it yet. (Aargh, to hell with individuality! )

After that: lots of Siren. I think I can't get around them. When you see the broom you know what Doug Lee is about.

Wings of Steel - Gates of Twilight

Been trying to work out what I actually think of it... on the one hand, exemplary musicianship and great vocals, on the other, it seems to get too lost in trying to sound different at times, with some odd riffing patterns and structures that seem to obfuscate the catchiness on a few songs. But they're exciting since they do actually seem to like trying shit. Looking forward to more. It's nice to see a new band nailing this sort of complex melodic stuff without going into prog or extreme sounds.

Count me in as a fan too.


Hopefully have a copy in my hands on Friday.

NP: Morbid Angel - Altars Of Madness

Incredible album, just has this atmosphere of pure fuckin evil. AOM and BATS are timeless classics and essential.

I love this album, the one song that I think is a bit out of place is Garden of Eden.

The debut ep is pretty cool too but I see this is a step up.

Symphony X - The Damnation Game

A good one but their next album is their masterpiece.

That Wings of Steel album mostly just seems like it's right on the cusp of an even better follow up album, so here's hoping... but I like a lot of it quite well... "Cry of the Damned" is great and the final two songs are really wonderful, more proggy exercises.

I AM THE INTIMIDATOR - s/t

Ever since I heard Sturgill Simpson's Sound and Fury I wondered what a metal version would be like, and this really is all of it. Wonderful.

Briton Rites - For Mircalla. (AWESOME! I was surprised to see this was a 2010 release, it sounds very NWOBHM, like an even doomier Witchfinder General).

Never forget when listening first time Immortal Rites

I can’t believe are passed 35 years

Septicflesh - Anubis

Surely, the most stand out track of this band, punchy and strong with emphasis on great vocal performances.

Mercyful Fate Egypt

How can’t like that voice????

Crypt Sermon - The Ruins of Fading Light

That riff in Christ is Dead...

I've been a fan of the King for nearly 40 years...but I can easily see how folks wouldn't like the voice.
That said, the riffs brought forth by Mercyful Fate make them a mandatory listen.

I never really get what people want instead of King's voice on those albums. It seems like anything else would just make it more generic and less unique.

Anubis - Dark Paradise

Really impressive for a debut... finally got the full thing. This just comes shrieking out like a bat out of hell. Lots of caffeinated, charging riffs, vocals are a manic snarl. Somewhere between Iced Earth and Metal Church with a bit of the darker PM sound - but not really the sense of groove or atmosphere of that, more of a thrashing, wild sound. I think they got a lot of cool stuff on this. Interested to see where they go.

Tad Morose - Undead
Nice album, everyone puts on a great performance here. The excitement flags a bit with the title track, but there are a lot of good choruses and highlights to keep things engaging. "Corporate Masters" has some strong Titan Force flavor, and I love the way it barrels straight into the chorus. Those sorts of momentum-enhancing compositional touches are always awesome.

Metallica - Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding

I may be a fanboy, but this is a fantastic version. I want Garage Inc. Part Two.

That's such a great song, the original is fantastic and Dream Theater did a nice cover too. I haven't heard the Metallica version, I'll check it out now.

Morgana Lefay - Grand Materia

There's really only two reviews for this on here... going to have to finally do a writeup. What a unique piece of work - not really power metal anymore, but what else do you call it. Just a unique beast. Heavy and strange and evocative. Everything is done so confidently.

Wolf - I am the Devil

Can't seem to find the full album of this anywhere. Weird. Good, strong old school metal. The vocals and riffs got better on The Black Flame but this one sounds killer too.

Jag Panzer - Thane to the Throne
Never bothered digging into JP outside of Ample Destruction. This is pretty cool, sounds very King Diamond-inspired. Not sure it needed to be 17 tracks long, though, and it drags a bit in parts.

EDIT: Yeesh, it just self-destructed with the choral group on "Three Voice of Fate."

Mortuous - Upon Desolation

Getting ready to see them for a second time tonight. They are playing with Cemetery Filth who I also am a big fan of and will be seeing for the first time. Looking forward to it very much.

Slayer - Show No Mercy
Hey, I got through a whole Slayer album for once. This one was pretty fun, Araya's voice and the generally dirty production/mixing works better for me on this one. Good beer-swilling metal I guess. Swill for Satan.

Two demo compilations with music from '90 and '89, respectively:

Enchanter – Defenders of the Realm

Early Fates Warning worship, early Queensryche worship. I love the style. But. Well. Enchanter's interpretation comes across as unfocussed, disjointed and vocally unwelcoming. It's a shame but I don't enjoy one minute of it. The singer can be even more unnerving than the singer in Kingsbane / In the Name, who are in a different league due to their memorable songs. ?/10

Apollo Ra – Ra Pariah

Crimson Glory worship. Less sophisticated than their gods but on the other hand more hard-hitting (harder-hitting?). Unfortunately, most tracks are too short, and the band rely too much on their vocalist, who not only does a good impression of Midnight but also adds some anger of his own. The instrumentalists just don't have much to offer. But I think there's so much potential. More complex (tastefully complex!) arrangements and some rewrites could turn the album into the lost classic some people seem to see in it. 7/10

Dimmu Borgir - Ætheric

I'm generally not a fan of Eonian, but they really show their strengths when they go ham with the symphonic stuff. Some of these passages genuinely sound like movie soundtracks.

Amorphis - “Queen Of Time”
I’ve been a fan since discovering “Tales” 30 years ago after being prompted to by an album review in “Metal Maniacs” magazine.
But with each passing year I seem to appreciate them more and more. The Joutsen era has been nearly flawless to these ears. As songwriters they’re without peer.

Riot V - Armour of Light

Killer stuff, getting warmed up for the new album.

Diviner - Avaton

A great album from last year. This is the best of their 3 albums.

U.D.O. - Never Cross My Way

Great song! The band plays this live on this tour.

Riot V - Unleash the Fire

I love Riot V. This album took me more time to appreciate than Armor of Light but it is every bit as good. This [primarily makes me think of Thundersteel with Brethren/Inishmore qualities. I think the material from the DiMeo years would have really shined if Todd Michael Hall was the vocalist.

Hell - On Earth as it is in Hell (1980s demo version)

These guys were obviously complete fucking maniacs and visionaries.

I remember being so blown away by the new version of this stuff and I still love it, but time and wisdom has shown me how cool these demos are too...

Production's insanely raw, but it works for a certain mood, it sounds real and exciting and cool. Dave Halliday - this guy is so shrill and childlike that it shouldn't work at all, but the whole sound gels. I really like it all.

Fear Factory - Acres Of Skin

No matter what, I unconditionally love Bell's vocals.

Wolf - Black Wings

Wolf had caught my attention big time with their very cool S/T debut, an album that wore it's influences from Maiden, Priest and Mercyful Fate proudly on it's sleeves and I was eager for more but I would have to wait 2 long years for it's follow up, with only a rather useless stopgap EP to satiate the hunger. But the wait was worth it, by hell it was worth it, coz holy fuck Black Wings was a beast, a rabid, savage beast. The cubs were now young wolves full of energy and out to make their mark.
Right from the get go Night Stalker storms out the gates with a ferocious intensity and the intent to rip faces off and eat them. It had killer riffs, killer lyrics, killer vocal lines and a killer chorus, a standard they would keep up for the rest of the album and they would keep that bloody paw on the throat for the following two awesome songs Demon Bell and I Am The Devil.
The paw would however briefly come off the throat for track four Venom, a sweet little slower number to let ya catch your breath before A World Bewitched kicks in with a wicked riff that Jake E. Lee would be proud of, such a cool song.
The Curse then boosts up the speed and intensity levels again and before ya know it we're into the amazing Unholy Night and then whammy
Genocide grabs ya throat in its jaws, going in for the speed kill with a chorus to die for...
"Violate, Dominate, Slaughter and Exterminate!"
If you're still wriggling after that they bust out a killer cover of A Dangerous Meeting to finish ya off in style.
With Black Wings, Wolf had made one of the best albums of the past 25 years but in doing so had set the bar so fuckin high, that anything coming after it was always gonna be in trouble.

Running Wild - Branded and Exiled

Basically "Gates of Purgatory part 2", but thats still a good thing, they were just speed metal gods.

Jethro Tull - Aqualung

This has been getting better every spin. A really marvelously constructed work of art.