Made my first pass through Portrait's sophomore last night. Not all of it stuck, obviously, but I think it was very promising. I like that they're not afraid to try little things, like the organ solo at the end of the 3rd (I think) track. They definitely nail a Fate-type affinity for changing up riffs and tempos on a dime. And you guys are right this vocalist they picked up for the second album is really talented. He sounds so passionate and knows just when to hit the upper register.

I found it interesting some of the band tie-ins with current/past vocalists. I didn't realize the guy from the first album that you all didn't approve of is now the bassist/backup voice for Helvetets Port. And the NEW vocalist is also the current front man for Overdrive. I love those incestuous scenes.

The new Battleroar, "Blood Of Legends" is a triumphant return to form and is among my favorites for this year. Not a dull moment ever plus Sacred Steel's Gerrit Mutz handling vocals fits like a glove.

I ordered it a couple days ago, hasn't arrived yet. I'm really stoked, as I love Geritt's vocals. I'm really surprised you said a "triumphant return to form" though as I really like To Death and Beyond, and is actually in fact the only Battleroar album prior to Blood of Legends that I really like.

Oh "To Death And Beyond" was awesome although it took a couple of listens for me to absorb. The self titled is still my favorite from them and this will be a close second. I didn't really mean "return to form" to mean "To Death And Beyond" was subpar just that they have been away since 2008 with nothing significant released.

Gerrit rules on this one. I have always appreciated his vocals. Got my copy yesterday!

Oh, ok. Works for me.

To Death and Beyond is so fucking good. Aside from Atlantean Kodex's The White Goddess it's the best example of that greek Hellenic True Metal style.

Hellenic true metal from... Germany?

It's just the general sound is all, you know how it is!

A while ago I read an interview where Kostas Tzortzis explained that they pushed Mutz really hard during the recording of Blood of Legends. Personally, I don't usually enjoy Gerrit Mutz' vocals but on this album, he is delivering his best performance by far.

As for the album itself, I'm glad that others are enjoying it because I was afraid it would go unnoticed. Personally, I think this is Battleroar's best work ever but also, one of the very best epic metal album in years.

If this doesn't get them more recognition at last, nothing will.

I've listened to it. The vocals aren't really that exciting - as I don't like Sacred Steel - and the songs drag. The opening track is a 3 minute instrumental and then track 2 takes forever before a verse starts. The whole thing also sounds kind of thin too. The only song I remember liking was the "Blood of Legends" tune posted above. I don't know...maybe I wanted a bigger sound. Put a spartan helmet on your cover art and I'm going in with hefty expectations.

I still give the nod to Holy Martyr's "Hellenic Warrior Spirit" for the best metal in that style - even if that album is also guilty of needless instrumentals.

Been checking some Atlantean Kodex lately. ''Sol Invictus'' is a masterpiece of a song. Those huge riffs and the soaring vocal lines work so well.

Been revisiting Heretic's Breaking Point again. Sounds better to me now than before and ofcourse Mike Howe delivers a great vocal performance as usual. ''The Search'' is a nice epic album closer.

Vicious Rumors' Welcome to the Ball rules. No idea why I hadn't checked this before. The whole album sounds so consistent with enough variety to keep me excited and Carl Albert sounds really confident and pissed on it.

Anyone here a fan of Ossian? I've recently recovered these, too. They don't sing in English but that's not much of a problem for me. Here's a link:

Welcome to the Ball is the best VR album for sure. So good, love the weird stylistic touches here and there and the greater dose of personality and charisma the band has. Been meaning to listen to those albums again.

Classic VR never clicked with me, something about them just rubs me the wrong way (the atrocious World Church (ugh ugh) being one thing). But, my favourite VR album is Sadistic Symphony. Granted, it should probably have been released under a different moniker, and that might be the reason why it has been passed up by most.
Very 'eavy, very melodic album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q06Aiu0J7SQ

Anything that sounds as much like Mike Howe-era Metal Church as that album does is awesome in my book.

Holy Martyr's the best "Hellenic True Metal" for me. Actually Hellenic too.

Guys anybody of you know Mark Reale the mastermind of Riot? Do you know his discography and his style? I would love to get something similar - the bluesy rock'n'rollish power metal with a brief touch of neoclassicism in soloing! Any recommendations?

There's nothing atrocious about World Church - it's a great, rocking heavy metal track.

Start with Axel Rudi Pell. His band's entire career balances the blues with the classical. Complete with emotive singers.

Jack Starr's Burning Starr also comes to mind for me and maybe W.A.S.P.

Alex Masi also has a lot of solo records running the gamut from bluesy anthemic rocking metal to neoclassical shred and everything in between.

Lizzy Borden's Menace To Society, Virgin Steele's Life Among The Ruins, Widow's Nightlife and Savatage's Hall Of The Mountain King are also good albums to look into.

Vicious Rumors was always a band that I wanted to like but never could really get into much, but I've been spinning the Howe Metal Church albums a lot lately so I decided to give 'Welcome to the Ball' another listen and fuck is it awesome. Dunno why but it finally clicked. The s/t seems pretty cool. Not sure if I'll ever warm up to the first two, though.

Anyway, what do you guys think of 'The Human Factor'? BiD and HitB are often lauded as great/masterpieces (especially the latter), and I agree, but I think The Human Factor is a bit overlooked sometimes. Sure, it doesn't have the sheer power of BiD or the versatility of HitB but it's still a very solid album without a bad track on it. Thoughts?

Ross the Boss' band Death Dealer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd9KBwgfoHM

The band Ross the Boss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY747fDNqLo

Thank you a lot! Jack Starr's Burning Starr I came across already - love it. Axel Rudi Pell I know as well but never really paid attention to him and cosider his band as a ballad factory only .
I will give a shot to all you mentioned. Thanks again!

Death Dealer I know very well - I dislike their sound for some reason (being it too speedy beats or stupidly layered vocal lines)

the other one sounds pretty kick ass, will have to check the album

I have been listening all the time to spotify and here is what I have got:
I must say I like Lizzy Borden's Visual Lies album, Axel Rudi Pell's Magic album. The other stuff you gave me seemed to me too neoclassical or punky or I simply didn't like it... Anyway thank you!

thanks to that Ross the Boss band I remembered of Striker band and they have made a new album since I was checking them last time - Armed to the Teeth. I must say I like it much more than your two recommendations however thank you for them because they pointed me to the right direction.

General sentiments on U.D.O.?

Timebomb is pretty damn good. Don't know much beyond that though, I'm afraid.

He's nothing without Wolf Hoffman. His music has got all the ingredients for me to like it, but I don't.

U.D.O. is fucking awesome. Don't go for Timebomb, though. For some reason everyone compares it to Painkiller. It's not. I probably to that one and his first couple the least.

You can find 5-6 awesome songs from No Limit onwards. I'd say "Dominator" and "Mastercutor" are the best. That dry, cold, mechanical guitar tone is vicious. Also check out his appearance on "Hammer Down" from Channeling the Infinite. That's the kind of shit I live for.

So, I gave Alienigma more spins than I ever thought I would and more than it ever deserves, and I can definitively say that I still think it sucks.

The first track is good, there are good parts sprinkled throughout (there are a bunch of really cool bits during Liberty Lying Bleeding that hint at Ten Fists of Nations-esque epicness), but the vast majority of it is boring, groovy crap with awful vocals (seriously, those harsh shrieks are embarrassing). It's not even the production that's the problem - I could live with that production if the entire album were like the good parts, but they're just too few and far-between for the whole to be worth anything.

This new band Perseus seems promising. They sound kinda youthful and inexperienced (as to be expected from a new band anyway...), but the riffs are solid and Maidenish and the vocals are some serious classic-styled wailing - even with the Italian accent. I like it.

Is it just me or that guy from your video sings off tune?

That Perseus tune has potential, but the production is terrible. The drums are very loud in the mix, and the guitars were barely given enough punch to be heard over them!

New Cauldron Born EP. June 7.

Oh shit, new Cauldron Born! Can't wait!!

What's a good starting point to get into Raven (UK)? For now, I'm gonna check out 'Rock Until You Drop' solely because of Gutterscream's review. What else would be worth my time? Thanks.

The debut as well as Wiped Out are mandatory. I still think All For One is pretty cool but they slowed down and cleaned up a bit. I constantly waver back and forth on whether Rock Until You Drop or Wiped Out is better. They are both nigh on perfect nwobhm/speed metal. I haven't explored their discography any outside of that. It seems like their trajectory took them very commercial/poppy and then they came back to the hard shit around the late 80s/early 90s but I haven't had the heart to find out for myself. I'm happy as a lark with those first three.

Midnight Priest's album rules, Portrait's second album fucking RULES (those lyrics!). It's been a real Satanic kind of week in my little cubby hole.

Pretty much agreed with Jonpo on Raven. First two albums are excellent, don't bother with anything else. (Well, I guess he likes the third album more than I do.) And hellz yeah, new Cauldron Born! Can't wait! Any word on Briton Rites, Howie?

The first two it is then. Thanks guys!

I'm familiar with the first three Raven albums, but the debut is just a barn-storming, rip-roaring, phrasal-verbing head-smasher. Total classic!

Thanks for the enthusiasm, Jophelerx! We will start recording the second Briton Rites album as soon as I buy all of the odds and ends to finish hooking up the studio. This thing has been a money pit.