I think the repetitive chorus lyrics work up until a certain point. It was mildly annoying on Dance of Death, AMOLAD was the thing that killed it for me. I still don't really care greatly for that album. Some of the music is pretty good on it, but the repeating lyrics kinda grate. For the Greater Good of God?

Even though it had those elements, I'm biased towards Brave New World as it was my first Maiden album.

Have you guys heard Ced's (Rocka Rollas, Blazon Stone) new project, Breitenhold? Holy fuckballs, this stuff absolutely slays. Obviously a strong RW influence but I hear some USPM touches there as well, and the vocals rip. Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6clfbr4LRT4

Also been listening to the newer band Demon Bitch (thanks for the rec Jonpo), really cool Cauldron Born-esque stuff. I got a copy of the tape and I love it, but maybe you should try to snag some copies for your distro, Howie? I'm sure you'd dig it, pure Born of the Cauldron worship. Review for this tape coming shortly.

In other news, is anyone a fan of Death Militia? The band is obscure as fuck, but I got a hold of the compilation (SKR has it) and it's pretty sweet. A bunch of instrumental tracks, but the tracks with vocals are great, raw and dark power/thrash. Might get a review of these guys out soon as well. Also been digging Taramis' "Queen of Thieves", who else digs that shit? I know failsafeman doesn't, though I'm not really sure why. The follow-up might be better, but QoT definitely has a cool charm to it, gives me Adramelch vibes (esp. the vocalist).

Oi Ed all those guys in the front row are my Cyprus friends. hahaha. theyre in every front row clip from KIT

It's probably my favourite metal video around, those dudes are just ridiculously excitable.

Playing "Ghost from the Battlefield" in honor.

edit: oh shit! New Slough Feg album available for streaming!!!

http://pitchfork.com/advance/347-digital-resistance/

I'm so excited, it's way better than Animal Spirits, which was pretty lackluster overall for me. It really picks up steam around track 3.

Oh shit, Medieval Steel had been talking about a new release for years now. Guess the chances of it ever seeing the light of day are just about nothing now...

RIP

I don't hear any Cauldron Born in it myself, but I'm glad you're digging them. I've been trying to get their name out there a little ever since the tape floored me. I think they have big Brocas Helm overtones on Devil Love, but the other two songs sound fairly singular to me. I've got a feeling they could turn into something very special if they keep putting out music. I adore the vocals. Devil Love is my favorite song off the demo, but I think the best MOMENT goes to that breakdown at the end of Devil Ram Spirit..."CURSED by the yew-wood wand...DAMNED from my graaave!"

I've been getting really into Stronger than Heaven by Stormwitch lately. It's just so damned classy, and that guitar tone is to die for. Kind of bright sounding, but still with a crunch. The only other album I have by them is Tales of Terror and it hasn't grabbed me in nearly the same way but maybe it's just a matter of time.

I've only heard Stormwitch's Walpurgis Night but it's excellent excellent stuff.

Gotta check Demon Bitch out.

i remember liking stormwitch's first two or three. they kinda fell off a cliff after that,

If anybody hasn't heard Stone Dagger, get on that shit. Excellent stuff. Here's the entire 2-song tape:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kzx6Qkb-gaY

Both songs are very good, can't wait for more from them.

Awesome stuff Nahsil. Oh and your sig is 100% pure awesomeness; One of the best primordial songs made

Another old British/NWOBHM band dug up: Medusa Touch.
Sounds like some mix of Thin Lizzy and early Demon, bloody brilliant I'd say!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfa9H_pi1qM
https://www.facebook.com/medusatouch/app_2405167945

Can someone rec me some good riffy PM from Europe? Post-80s stuff, I've got a more or less encyclopedic knowledge of 80s PM. Some examples of bands/albums I like are Blind Guardian, Dark at Dawn's 'Of Decay and Desire,' Wizard's 'Head of the Deceiver,' Final Prophecy, After Forever's 'Decipher,' Falconer's first two albums, Dragonforce's 'Valley of the Damned,' Mephisto (Ger)'s s/t, Kamelot's 'Karma', 'Epica,' and 'The Black Halo'; and Martyr (Nld)'s first two. Nothing too obvious, please.

Bands I know but don't like: Iron Savior, Paragon, Lost Horizon, Highland Glory, Persuader, Savage Circus, Gamma Ray, Tad Morose, Morgana LeFay, Angel Dust, Grave Digger.

That's ANationalAcrobat in the Slayer shirt in that Medusa Touch photo.

Where have you been all my life, One Nation Underground? Incredible guitar tone, Raven-frantic, raw as shit and with a horrid vocalist!

Nah, he's much too good-looking.

Well, what about Thy Majestie's ShiHuangDi? Pretty cool power metal album that takes a lot after Kamelot, in a certain way. Here, check a song out:

Xlxlx knows where it's at...

Adramelch's Irae Melanox is so cool. I go back to this every year or two and it always blows me away again with the bizarre song structures, the weird production and those arcane melodies. It sounds like the kind of thing catapulted through time and space from like the 1400s, if they made metal back then. Like Iron Maiden at a Renaissance fair, high on LSD. Just a tremendous, effective album.

New Iron Savior trailer



Sounds a lot better than their last 2 albums.

Haha, yes indeed, not an album that I go back to often, but it's always fucking splendid when I do.

I'm digging Heavens Gate, at the moment. Livin' in Hysteria is a sweet album; it occupies some nice middle ground between, say, 1980s Priest, Riot and Helloween. It takes away the sweeter side of Keepers... era Helloween and replaces it with a sterner, metallic style. The vocalist is fantastic, too, he really sells the whole thing. It's not the most consistent album around (the ballad's boring and the Priest-style arena rocker has a dull chorus) but other than that, I strongly recommend it.

Xlxlx: Pretty sweet song, man. I heard Thy Majestie's 'Hastings 1066' about 6 years ago when I first started getting into power metal, but didn't think much of it and wrote them off. Apparently, their newest album has ACTUAL RIFFS! Count me in.

Glad you liked that, Joph. To be honest with you, ShiHuangDi is the only album by TM that I have listened to in full I've only heard a few others songs from the rest of their discography, and I don't feel the need to explore their backlog any further, but if their next album is anything like SHD, then I'll make sure to give it a go.

I used to own a bunch of Thy Majestie's old stuff, but sold it off (don't miss it one bit). Considering your stance on their discography, I may have to give ShiHuangDi a go sometime. Its concept and album cover I always found intriguing.

Anyone here like Heimdall at all? They're one of the rare Italian pm bands I actually like. Their first 2 albums sucked ass (bad vocals), but their last 3 I found to be pretty decent (esp. "The Almighty").

I thought to myself hey, I haven't really listened to last year's Stratovarius album much, I'll give it a spin.

First sound's chorus sounds exactly like Jack Sparrow by The Lonely Island.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYkvHMy5__E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI6CfKcMhjY

*turns album off*

When you are talking about riffs this is coming to my mind however the band is from US:
http://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Ri ... steel/3432

Been listening to Tad Morose's Matters of the Dark, It's up to par with Modus Vivendi from what I'm hearing, maybe a little catchier.

This is among the best demos I've ever heard, period. The quality is simply unreal. Black Clad Rider is a strong track, but the Siege of Jerusalem is something else entirely. It's been a very long time since I've been so excited after listening to a song. With Graven Rite and Eternal Champion, there's some solid Epic Metal coming our way.

I ask this question every so often, but I just can't help it. Does anyone know anything that compares to Tyrant's Too Late to Pray? It's an album that I haven't gotten sick of, no matter how much I play it. Czar(US)'s demo is very similar to their style as are Enforcer (US), but both fall clearly short.

You heard Undead? That's easily the best of em.

No I haven't, I will now, thanks.

Forgot to add, anybody here heard Slough Feg's latest? I've seen some pretty good reviews on other sites, just nothing much here.

Some people commented here: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=103643&p=2381175#p2381175

Yep, there's a thread about it in metal discussion with some mixed reviews as Tony indicated.

I think Laser Enforcer was a misleading first track to release as the majority of the rest of the album has much more folk influence than the upbeat stuff ala LE and much less of the 70's rock vibe that was so prevalent on The Animal Spirits. It still rules, I like it a lot actually, it just wasn't really what I was expecting based on LE and the title track that they released in advance.

I don't get that opinion; it sounds a lot like Down Among the Deadmen in terms of its guitar work and riffing. They always had folk influence - this is the closest we've had to a "comeback" to Slough Feg's old sound in years.

Compared to DATD it's not heavy and it's way proggier, I don't think it works much. I'm revisiting it right now, maybe it will grow on me. I'll try to be less judgemental and maybe my expectations were too high.

Yeah it's more complex, but aside from "The Luddite" and "Habeas Corpsus" I hear a lot of similarity to DATD. Some of these tunes like "The Price is Nice" or "Ghastly Appendage" even reference old tracks like "Troll Pack" or "Walls of Shame." The faster tunes have echoes of "Death Machine" and some of their other old tunes. It's not an exact return, but it's clear they were harkening back to that style and it's way closer than anything else since Atavism or so.

Skullview's debut? Has the same thick, apocalyptic atmosphere I'd say.

Riffy Europower:

White Skull - Public Glory, Secret Agony

Wow. I'm honestly surprised that I've never heard Skullview before. I listened to the entire album and I was pleasantly surprised by its overall quality. I loved the darker, traditional feel to it. It's not exactly similar to Too Late to Pray, but I see why you'd compare them. I got a tiny bit of a Cauldron Born vibe. This is a band I'll definitely look into and visit again. Thanks for the rec!


Do you go by the name Ensi in other places? I had these guys recced to me last month by a friend, but otherwise I've never seen anyone else mention them.

I absolutely fucking love the songs Asgard and Tales From The North but I have not heard another song I've liked
Also I have no albums on CD, I've only heard them on Youtube really... So I have not really gave them a real chance either. I will probably buy Tales From The North some day, just for those two songs, and the others might grow.
Federica is truly one of the most unique vocalists around ever! That point I'll give them.

There's not much to compare to Too Late To Pray nonetheless, I suggest you check out these records;

Fatal Violence - Ashes Tell No Tales
Deadly Blessing - Ascend from the Cauldron
Ruthless - Discipline of Steel
Militia - Strength and Honor