Blood is the only song that really peaked my interest so far. Such a shame.

That said, I'm two songs into the new Gamma Ray (we've heard here them already) and this is very promising.

Those germans are on fire this year. Only three months in and we've already had new albums from Gamma Ray, Primal Fear, Stormwarrior, Freedom Call and Iron Savior! And every single one is a step up from their respective predecessor (especially GR and FC)

Currently listening to the S/T album by the band Noble Beast. So far it sounds to me like Iron Savior if they stretched EVERY song to 6+ minutes. There's some good stuff going on, but not nearly enough to justify the massive 62 minute run-time.

I'm listening to that album as well, I like it. It has the right balance between riffs, nice leads, energy, catchiness and cheesiness. The songs are indeed too long though, it would been better if it was tighter since their sound doesn't necessitate 7-8 minutes songs.

Quit stalking me, Rambo!

I should probably hear more post-Thundersteel Riot, right? What's a good one to start with? Just chronological?

That Noble Beast has a lot of hit or miss vocal performances/lines for me. Sometimes it seems way too over the top and affected. Some of the lines on the other hand are really cool.

The only post-Thundersteel Riot that I've heard is Immortal Soul, but it's absolutely killer!

I couldn't make it two songs into that Noble Beast. Nice riffs, but the song lengths were too much. Maybe I'll try again when I have more time.

Yeah, it gets a little too cartoony. "Disintegrating Force" is great though. They could either get LEGIT with their next album or stay this pace and end up just ridiculous like Death Dealer or Cage. Ugh.

Just listen to anything an see if you can stomach DiMeo's vocals. I think he's a very bad fit for Riot's music. Way too bluesy and laid back. Great voice, but not in Riot.

Yea those are nice too, though they are in the SGHN style.

No length complaints from me on this album whatsoever. Listened to it about 5 times and it flies through every time, the epic track lengths only add to the experience.

Same here. Noble Beast definitely seems like a name to keep your eye on in upcoming years, because this debut album was goddamn awesome. "Nothing to Repent," in particular, is memorable as hell.

All are good but you also know which one is better..

new zealand tour

Where is the love for Sacred Steel? Been cruising through their entire body of work these last weeks and although it started out rubbing me the wrong way, I left feeling admiration for them. What I didn't like initially was how every song was essentially about "let's kill them all with metal" but by the third album they had entirely abandoned that and were singing about darker more grainy stuff.

They became incredibly occultic and anti Christian with their lyricism and the riffs have bite and character and I like how they don't draw out solos and drench their songs in endless leads. There is a bit of similarity in their style with American power metal but the vocalist's idiosyncrasies are recognizably European. Slaughter Prophecy is a ripping furious album with death metal moments and not novel ones either. The lyrics are not posturing but rather written in the brutal DM style and since the riffing behind them is deathly, it comes off authentic.

Destiny be cruel for thee/I strike with spells malign
I am the nightmare nemesis/Your doom reincarnate
I'll revel in your moaning/Your death will not be fast

Taste the title track;


Hammer of Destruction and last year's The Bloodshed Summoning are other truly great albums from the band that I have enjoyed tremendously. I followed this band because of Gerrit (the vocalist)'s other band Dawn of Winter, an Epic Doom band that I am more than familiar with and I must say I haven't been disappointed.

I'm glad to see someone go to battle for Sacred Steel. I love those guys! An honestly good bunch of people and they are awesome live too. I love all their records but some more than others. The debut is still rather forgettable to me but the three that came next are mighty. They peaked with Slaughter Prophecy and did it again with Hammer of Destruction. Carnage Victory has the mightiest opener of all time if you forget that the world has "Kingdom Of The Fearless" and "Licensed To Kill" for a minute. The Bloodshed Summoning has some of their grandest riffing and I can actually see it as a damn fine starting point for anyone looking to get into the band.

Try "Black Towers";

Hammer of Destruction is pretty lame, but their most recent one is cool. I like the stuff off of Slaughter Prophecy I've heard alright. They're a B grade band, not as good as their influences by a long shot, but they are fun.

Awww come on Emps, they are more than "fun". You make them sound like they belong in the same category as the Dream Evils and Thunderstones. They have more bite than bands like Firewind and their riffs are grand. Of course they are not as epic as Omen, Agent Steel, Manowar, Jag Panzer who they drew from but they do have really weighty material.

They're better than Firewind, sure. Dream Evil I would have said was a really fun band, except for their last two albums which were really weak. Sacred Steel are a good band, yeah - maybe I need to hear their older albums then, haha.

If I had to make you a compilation album it would read;

1. Black Towers.
2. Ceremonial Magician Of The Left Hand Path.
3. Dethrone The Tyrant King.
4. Lust For Blood.
5. The Night They Came To Kill.
6. Metal Reigns Supreme.
7. Don't Break The Oath.
8. Slaughter Prophecy.
9. Stormhammer.
10. Generally Hostile (Jag Panzer cover).
11. Lay Me to My Grave.
12. Charge Into Overkill.
13. Tonight The Witches Ride.

I listened to 'The Bloodshed Summoning' a few times when it came out, and while it's better than their earlier albums, it's nothing terribly special. Sure it's better than Firewind or Dream Evil or Thunderstone, but that's not really saying a lot. I'd much rather listen to Dark at Dawn or Stormwitch if I'm in the mood for German PM.

Someone somewhere down-here mentioned the band Dark At Dawn. Thank you.

Been revisiting some early Helloween again. Walls of Jericho is one cool album. I used to think Kai Hansen sounded a bit too raw for my taste here but now I like his voice. ''Ride the Sky'' is the finest song on that album for sure. Those gunfire riffs, banshee wails and never-ending guitar solos just make the song the classic helloween tune that is it.

I've been listening to some tunes of the Keepers series too but I think I'll be disappointed in the end when it comes to redvisiting the entire albums again. Michael Kiske isn't that great of a singer but more importantly the riffs just aren't vicious and sharp at all. I might as well revisit Gamma Ray instead.

Walls To Jericho, to me is the best album of Helloween, Ride The Sky is a great song, as is Guardians, Metal Invaders or my favorite How May Tears.

If the Keepers are too slick for you then there's a few other German bands from the same time period who did something similar but with more grit. Most of 'em have better singers than Kiske, too. Take Heavens Gate's Livin' in Hysteria or Scanner's first two albums. Thomas Rettke and SL Coe are much more powerful than Kiske.

Scanner's first two are better than the Keepers for the aggressive side, and Freedom Call's first two for the cheesy melodic side.

I had already heard Scanner's first two albums and while definitely better in the riff/vocal department than the Keeper series, I thought those albums still lacked something. I could revisit those however.

I've never heard of Heavens Gate before. I'll check those at one point. Thanks for that.

Chroming Rose is like Helloween ver.1.2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEeItvbRFIo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qBZDTdu6y4

colin040 just posted this is Now Playing;


which leads me to ask;

I'm Alive by Helloween vs. I'm Alive by Blind Guardian vs. I'm Alive by Anthrax vs. I'm Alive by Cirith Ungol, which would you guys choose?

1. Cirith Ungol 'I shudder when I remember...'.
2. Blind Guardian 'I'm a-life my frwend'
3. Helloween.
4. Anthrax, probably, I can't even remember which album it's from.

I Am Alive by Antiquus?

HELLOWEEN of course. That song is awesome. One of their very best.

Blind Guardian's beats CU's by a hair for me, mainly due to the "Outside they say death is waiting..." bit, which is fucking awesome. Both are cool though. Helloween and Anthrax suck.

Antiquus wins, with Blind Guardian a close second.

Antiquus' "I Am Alive" is a towering giant over the rest of those songs so that's a rather unfair advantage. The Anthrax one actually has a really strong chorus;

I’m alive to be the demon
I’m alive to be the one
Yeah, yeah yeah yeah
Hell it lives in everyone

But those groove riffs always spoil it for me. Nonetheless Joey Belladonna is on top form and I've always been very partial to him.

Helloween's is just too cheery for me and BG's is idiosyncratic but then again what is more idiosyncratic than Cirith Ungol? I'm decided on CU. The opening vocal is delivered in such a morose yet dramatic style and then when the chorus kicks in with both drums and guitars booming, damn, it takes flight like nothing else! Cause I'm alive...

Don't forget Heed's "I Am Alive"! No Lost Horizon but still pretty cool.

I listen to Heed these days more than Lost Horizon, gotta say.

You're right in your review that they're really different. They scratch different itches for me, but I think LH is more timelessly unique and awesome.

I just have a fetish for impossibly heavy down-tuned guitars and wailing clean vocals. Just so awesome sounding to me.

Bands like Pyramaze? Specially the Legend Of The Bone Carver album. Thanks in advance!

Never heard that album before, but it sounds similar to Manticora to me, which is fairly decent metal.