Falconer's Armod is pretty cool. Sounds like some of the more genuine folky metal I've heard - melodic, varied and passionate stuff. I'm trying to get more of a reference point before I check the new one soon.

I got a chance to see Slough Feg yesterday, they were awesome and the rest of the bands playing weren't to bad either. The one that surprised me was Valkyrie, based on a description I had read of the band I wasn't expecting much but I really liked them. To me they sound like NWOBHM & doom metal.

Personally, The Fourth Legacy is my favourite record of theirs, but I'd also recommend Karma over TBH. Epica is indeed terrific, but it's a bit too diluted by unnecessary interludes, while Karma is probably the most underrated Kamelot album. I honestly don't know why people overlook it so much.

New find: Hellish War
Sometimes they sound like if Jag Panzer would have been British, playing NWOBHM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4-fNEV ... Z7UxKs51lQ

And sometimes they just sound like Jag Panzer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n38Zvv3 ... lQ&index=9

...oh, you mean later Jag Panzer.

Definitely

Karma and The Fourth Legacy are great PM albums, but Epica and TBH are masterpieces of music in general. They transcend the genre.

I think Epica's a bit overblown to my ears. Ghost Opera is more concise and straightforward but I enjoy it a whole level more than Epica. Fourth Legacy is also pretty good and I liked it a lot more on recent listens. There's maybe one song off that which isn't up to par with the rest of the album ("Nights of Arabia").

I like Nights of Avalon. There is a dead spot in the middle though with songs like "Glory" and "Inquisitor" or whatever...but only Poetry for the Poisoned really hasn't aged well. I liked that one a lot when it came out, but I barely listen to it now.

Love me some Iron Kingdom.

If Maiden released an album like this tomorrow everyone'd be shitting themselves with joy.

I dunno. "If Tomorrow Came," "Hunter's Season," and the title tetralogy are still extremely solid tunes.

Well yeah, I really like those too, but compared to the full albums of greatness they also have?

I liked Poetry for the Poisoned a lot when it came out and still do. That album is probably their darkest, and I'm a sucker for very dark-sounding albums. If I remember correctly, there's less focus on riffs and more attention to atmosphere and melodies on that one. At least, I recall fewer riffs from Poetry than I do from their other albums, but that's not to say it's not memorable. Silverthorn is the one I never got into, despite liking Tommy's voice. I haven't listened to any Kamelot for some time, though.

I just got a box of the Cauldron Born CDs. If you are interested you can contact me by email:
[email protected]

If you want me to sign it,please let me know whose name I should address it to. I won't be listing these on the Echoes of Crom site, and once they are gone, I probably won't be able to get any more of them. Thanks!

Howie

Already sent you a message on facebook Howie, can't wait to get my copy! \m/ Killer cover art, by the way.

Jophelerx, you are on top of it! Thanks! I like the cover a lot too. That is a good look at Thorn (Cauldron Born mascot). I enjoy writing stories about him. Dave Ritzlin at DMR Books is going to be publishing one of my Thorn stories in his up-coming anthology of sword & sorcery stories written by heavy metal musicians.

Definitely digging the original Spell of Iron by Tarot. Such a great band!

First two Rocka Rollas tracks with me singing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygt1RpYE38g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12GEPAcDT8E
The new album should be released in late summer/fall this year!

We also got an honorable guest appearance by Janne Stark from Overdrive

Haha, I was just listening to Blazon Stone, man, you fucking rock. Your vocals are pretty good, I wonder why you used other singers! So you're the lead vocalist for the whole album? I'll update the MA page accordingly.

Thanks a lot! It's because I had no idea I could sing until just a few months ago... Of course I've singed some shit (like shouted my ass off in various punk/crust bands) but I never actually tried singing like this because I just thought I couldn't do it. Well, I'm just happy my earlier shouting hasn't ruined my voice completely, even tho it was close sometimes hahaha!

What Metantoine said, your vocals rock! I would definitely not be disappointed if you chose to sing all the songs on your next album. Only listened to the first song you linked but it sounds great! By the way, I picked up your Blazon Stone and latest Rocka Rollas albums a few weeks ago and have spun them both a few times at work. I like them a lot. More of these retro bands should take a hint from you: you have your obvious nods to the past, but the music sounds modern and fresh.

That Cauldron Born cover does look good! I'll have to order that soon.

Edit: Your performance on the second song is sounding even better than the first! Good thing you discovered you had this voice! Haha

What in the blue holy fucking hamburgers?!? Why did you bother with other vocalists before?

This is awesome. A bit sing alongy, but the flavor is definitely more badass 80's German and Running Wild to me, which is totally cool.

Anyone want to recommend me some stuff in the vein of Blind Guardian (the multi-tracked vocals more than anything else)?

Haha, if you don't like sing-a-longy choruses, I think you would have a heart attack from some of the other songs on the album, because I personally freaking love big choruses with adventureus vocal lines; something I never did with earlier Rollas albums, but now I feel I have found the perfect sound for the band.



Yeah, but as you might have noticed the first two Rocka Rollas albums were written with a completely other thing in mind; the first was mostly just a fun and crazy speed metal tribute, the second was kind-of a continuation from that, but this is what I really want Rocka Rollas to sound like. Very old school sound and writing, but still the feeling of looking forward.

Nothing really quite like Blind Guardian's multi-tracking style, except maybe the clone band Savage Circus, which I assume you've heard but if not you might want to check out, their two albums aren't really great but they mirror IFTOS-era BG. Otherwise, not really similar to BG's style but Michael Grant (RIP) did some cool-ass multi-tracking, check out Onward's debut and both of Crescent Shield's albums.

Awesome thanks man! I enjoy those Savage Circus albums to an extent, but I haven't heard anything from Onwards or Crescent Shield, gonna check into that ASAP!!

Yeah, I like the other parts man, good energy in the verses, but I gotta say I'm really not digging your hard-on for sing-along choruses this time around. It's the single thing I hate most about German power metal, especially when they drop the riffs underneath and just play single sustained chords. If the rest of the album is even more extreme in that regard, I'm gonna have to pass.

Checked out the new Hammerfall single, just for giggles. I should never be saying "This song is still going?!" during a 4 and a half minute song.

Hey, sing-along choruses rock!

Congrats Rocka Rollas, those two songs sound amazing

Good shit Rocka!

Is this really the guy who sang on Queensryche and wailed like boss back in the day?!

If it weren't for the intro and the title, I would've never guessed that was him. Such a weak performance, everything else going on onstage notwithstanding.

Yeah definitely dig the new songs Rockas, sounds like you're getting better with each subsequent release. The choruses are a tad singalongy for my taste as well, but they're not enough for me to not dig this stuff. Sounds like you're starting to find your own sound to an extent, although there's still a huge RW influence obviously. I'd like to hear you depart even more from the RW worship and find your own sound completely, but yeah this is cool.

Hi,
Someone knows this band? They called Qaudriga, but i didn't find any information, unless a little bit in the label page (http://opos-records.com/product_info.ph ... ts_id=2524) but is all in german.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvJDHgvmHxc

thanks

Sorry, I misunderstood you the first time.

My list would be:
ALTERED STATE - demo
CAULDRON BORN - all
DEADLY BLESSING - Ascend from the Cauldron
pretty much anything with John Arch
WINTERS BANE - Heart of a Killer
CRIMSON GLORY - first two albums
SCREAMER - Target: Earth

Way to toot your own horn there, Jim! The new Cauldron Born EP is really cool though, the two new tracks are on par with 'Born of the Cauldron' I'd say and the remastered demo actually sounds really really good, the guitar tone fucking rules. Good job with this most recent endeavor, both of you (you and Howie).

Glad you liked it! I didn't mean to toot my own horn, but I didn't want to put down my contribution either.

You got your copy before I did! I still haven't heard the whole thing.

I have been really enjoying this Swedish band, Ambush.

Ambush sound great! Thanks for the tip.
Ordering now.

Has anyone here listened to Charn? Just wondered what you guys thought of their only album. It's certainly a weird one. I've been listened to it the past week and it has certainly grown on me a lot in its own weird way.