#angelwitch — Public Fediverse posts

The year was 2008. The place is Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Four brave souls were about to form Iron Kobra. Yearning for an era with less sheen and more grit, the band honed their craft with early demo Cult of the Snake and EP Battlesword. Their debut full-length, Dungeon Masters, wouldn’t descend upon the masses until 2012. While a little rough, it showed promise and ambition; the band clearly understood the fundamentals of hard rock and classic heavy metal. 2015 would see them return with Might & Magic, a higher-octane affair with tighter musicianship. But for a single here and there, Iron Kobra has remained quiet in the 11 years since. The metal snake returns now in 2026, promising louder, faster, and better.

I’m gonna do this review a little backward, starting with my chief complaint. Eternal Dagger feels more like a playlist than an album. There’s awesome musicianship and band cohesion on display here—the call and response antics of “Trembling Dungeons,” the stair-stepped riffs of “Fliehen,” the band’s perfect punctuation of Ela’s lyrics on “Forbidden Fruits,” Matze’s bass carrying the melody through the end of “Silver Strings and Iron Wings”—but nothing really ties these tracks together. It’s all undeniably the work of Iron Kobra, but the band careens—quite competently, at least—from searing speed metal (“Unchained & Untamed”) to Priestly NWoBHM (“Shibuya Nights”) to epic heavy metal (“Mountains of Madness”), making the album feel a bit unfocused. The great part about a criticism like this is that it has absolutely no bearing on how fucking hard these Germans rip.

From the first moments of “Trembling Dungeons”—a trash can opening, a sick divebomb, and soaring cleans—it’s clear Iron Kobra came here to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and they’re all out of bubblegum.1 Eternal Dagger is a rager written for all those who still blast Saxon on the reg. Whether burning barns (“Forbidden Fruits,” “Treacherous Tyrant”) or stomping out anthemic bangers, Iron Kobra plays with wanton abandon. This riotous and free energy never lets up, largely thanks to drummer Bjӧrn, even when the tempo drops a gear. “Silver Strings and Iron Wings” takes me back to Di’Anno-era Maiden, and “Trembling Dungeons” could’ve been an Angel Witch b-side. “Eternal Dagger” ventures into progressive territory, and although it doesn’t quite stick the landing and ends a little awkwardly, it’s intriguing, and I’d like to see them explore this narrative style more on future releases.

Eternal Dagger is a vast improvement over Iron Kobra’s back catalog, most notably stemming from its superior production. Mixed and mastered by Stefan Castevet, Eternal Dagger feels full and fleshed out. Bjӧrn’s kick drum moves some serious air, and Matze’s bass sounds absolutely incredible. It’s lush, vibrant, and responsible for some of my favorite moments on Eternal Dagger (“Shibuya Nights,” “Silver Strings,” “Unchained & Untamed”). The other major improvement of Eternal Dagger is the band’s synergy. While previous efforts felt like four talented musicians playing together, Eternal Dagger feels far more cohesive. This is best shown in the way lead guitarist Steffen dances beautifully around Ela’s rhythm guitars like variations on a theme. His leads and solos always feel like an extension of the rhythm section, rather than a standalone element (“Trembling Dungeons,” “Forbidden Fruits,” “Treacherous Tyrant”). Licks and fills from every member of Iron Kobra decorate the larger compositions, and as a result, Eternal Dagger feels like the work of a band at the top of their game.

Iron Kobra has got the goods. Front to back, Eternal Dagger is infectious and riotously fun. Whether you wanna howl at the sky while driving a bit too fast down the highway or pump your fist and bang your head in a crowd of sweaty, late-middle-aged men, Iron Kobra will get you there. I do wish Eternal Dagger had a more singular identity, but at the end of the day, I still had a blast working with this album over the past couple weeks. Unless you won’t settle for anything less than earth-shattering and paradigm-shifting masterpieces, Eternal Dagger will give you a sore neck and some involuntary stank face just fine.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Dying Victims Productions
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: June 19th, 2026

Hands of Goro – Hands of Goro – Review

By Steel Druhm

On a day when a NASCAR-themed album hits the mean streets, why shouldn’t we cover a kinda-sorta Mortal Kombat-themed throwback metal opus by members of Slough Feg, Spirit Adrift, and Angel Witch. Hands of Goro is a project playing a style that the members refer to as the “Third Wave of British Heavy Metal.” That’s a fancy-pantsy name for what is essentially the classic NWoBHM sound being unearthed anew in 2024, and that basic NWoBHM sound composes the core of what the band delivers on Hands of Goro. It’s a charmingly retro blend of hard rock, punk, and early-days metal combining for some energetic, exuberant fare with a whole lot of old school flair. Will that be enough to earn a flawless victory? Will Lord Goro reign supreme? FIGHT!

As opener “Prince of Shoka” kicks into life, you get flavors of early Diamond Head, Thin Lizzy and even Foghat. It’s that classic template of hard rock taken up a notch or 3 to transmogrify it into heavy metal and it works well thanks to the major guitar acumen of Tom Draper (Sprit Adrift, ex-Angel Witch, ex-Carcass) and the stellar bass-work of Adrian Maestas (Slough Feg) which feels very vintage, wrapping a punky, rowdy Mötörhead-friendly vibe into the beef salad. This pays rough, slapdash approach pays big dividends on the hyperactive charge of “Dwmonizer” which bears a bit of a Nucleus-era Dawnbringer feel. The frantic riffing and solos make this one tough to resist and Maestas outdoes himself with some wild vocals and wails. “Uncanny” is like a shotgun marriage between Iron Maiden and Thin Lizzy and Focus with Lemmy on vocals, so you know that’s an easy win you need to play at 12.

Elsewhere, “21st Century Plague” injects more Motörhead mania with slight but effective touches of black metal, and the pièce de résistance comes with 6-plus minute closer “Archduke of Fear,” which channels all the rowdy, riffy charm of vintage Raven crossed with the stadium rock sensibilities of Scorpions for a hard-charging good time. At a shockingly fast-moving 36 minutes, there’s not much chaff to sift out and every song has its own charm and moments of “FUCK YEAH!” guitar heroics. I love the charmingly retro production which often sounds warm and organic like the old Black Sabbath or Thin Lizzy albums.

This is a highly talented trio, with tons of road experience under their bullet belts. Tom Draper puts on a crazed clinic on 70s and 80s rock, punk, and metal riffology, crafting many fist-raising, headbanging moments along the way. He has a keen ear for riffs that stick and there are many moments when his playing elicited a smile and unstoppable air guitar noodling. His infectious fretboard romps alone are worth the investment in this thing. Maestas is right there with Draper the whole time, sitting in the bass pocket rumbling and clanging along in fine fashion, giving everything a deep, funky edge. His particular style of playing does make the material sound a bit like Slough Feg, but that’s a bonus. Maestas also hands lead vocals and if there is a weak point, it’s here. His delivery is fine for the rough, rocking style the band plays, but no one will consider him a vocal powerhouse. He reminds me of a less proficient Chris Black (Dawnbringer, High Spirits) and though he certainly hits the mark on the faster tracks, he can seem a bit rough around the edges on the slower cuts. Behind it all we have Avinash Mittur (Nite, Wretched Stench) tearing it up on the kit like a raving maniac. There’s no way to listen to this guy’s gonzo percussive assault and not feel yourself getting amped up and edgy. The trio plays in a loose, punky style which gives everything a live feel and that suits the hard rocking material to its bones. Anything more polished would do this stuff an injustice.

Much like the High Spirits output, Hands of Goro is so damn throwback that you might bust a shoulder joint listening to it, but boy is their style good fun. It’s simple in design but big in entertainment factor and it has an endearingly sincere feeling that comes from how much those involved love this style of music. It may not be the kind of album that people will be talking about come end-of-year lists, but I suspect it will get a nice little following by those who were born after 1960. Regardless of age, take a flyer on it and get your elder rock on. Hail our new many-fisted overlord. WAR GORO.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: BSP Records
Websites: handsofgoro.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/thehandsofgoro
Releases Worldwide: March 1st, 2024

#2024 #35 #AngelWitch #BSPRecords #Dawnbringer #HandsOfGoro #HeavyMetal #InternationalMetal #Mar24 #Motörhead #NeoNWOBHM #Raven #Review #Reviews #SloughFeg #SpiritAdrift

Hands of Goro – Hands of Goro – Review

By Steel Druhm

On a day when a NASCAR-themed album hits the mean streets, why shouldn’t we cover a kinda-sorta Mortal Kombat-themed throwback metal opus by members of Slough Feg, Spirit Adrift, and Angel Witch. Hands of Goro is a project playing a style that the members refer to as the “Third Wave of British Heavy Metal.” That’s a fancy-pantsy name for what is essentially the classic NWoBHM sound being unearthed anew in 2024, and that basic NWoBHM sound composes the core of what the band delivers on Hands of Goro. It’s a charmingly retro blend of hard rock, punk, and early-days metal combining for some energetic, exuberant fare with a whole lot of old school flair. Will that be enough to earn a flawless victory? Will Lord Goro reign supreme? FIGHT!

As opener “Prince of Shoka” kicks into life, you get flavors of early Diamond Head, Thin Lizzy and even Foghat. It’s that classic template of hard rock taken up a notch or 3 to transmogrify it into heavy metal and it works well thanks to the major guitar acumen of Tom Draper (Sprit Adrift, ex-Angel Witch, ex-Carcass) and the stellar bass-work of Adrian Maestas (Slough Feg) which feels very vintage, wrapping a punky, rowdy Mötörhead-friendly vibe into the beef salad. This pays rough, slapdash approach pays big dividends on the hyperactive charge of “Dwmonizer” which bears a bit of a Nucleus-era Dawnbringer feel. The frantic riffing and solos make this one tough to resist and Maestas outdoes himself with some wild vocals and wails. “Uncanny” is like a shotgun marriage between Iron Maiden and Thin Lizzy and Focus with Lemmy on vocals, so you know that’s an easy win you need to play at 12.

Elsewhere, “21st Century Plague” injects more Motörhead mania with slight but effective touches of black metal, and the pièce de résistance comes with 6-plus minute closer “Archduke of Fear,” which channels all the rowdy, riffy charm of vintage Raven crossed with the stadium rock sensibilities of Scorpions for a hard-charging good time. At a shockingly fast-moving 36 minutes, there’s not much chaff to sift out and every song has its own charm and moments of “FUCK YEAH!” guitar heroics. I love the charmingly retro production which often sounds warm and organic like the old Black Sabbath or Thin Lizzy albums.

This is a highly talented trio, with tons of road experience under their bullet belts. Tom Draper puts on a crazed clinic on 70s and 80s rock, punk, and metal riffology, crafting many fist-raising, headbanging moments along the way. He has a keen ear for riffs that stick and there are many moments when his playing elicited a smile and unstoppable air guitar noodling. His infectious fretboard romps alone are worth the investment in this thing. Maestas is right there with Draper the whole time, sitting in the bass pocket rumbling and clanging along in fine fashion, giving everything a deep, funky edge. His particular style of playing does make the material sound a bit like Slough Feg, but that’s a bonus. Maestas also hands lead vocals and if there is a weak point, it’s here. His delivery is fine for the rough, rocking style the band plays, but no one will consider him a vocal powerhouse. He reminds me of a less proficient Chris Black (Dawnbringer, High Spirits) and though he certainly hits the mark on the faster tracks, he can seem a bit rough around the edges on the slower cuts. Behind it all we have Avinash Mittur (Nite, Wretched Stench) tearing it up on the kit like a raving maniac. There’s no way to listen to this guy’s gonzo percussive assault and not feel yourself getting amped up and edgy. The trio plays in a loose, punky style which gives everything a live feel and that suits the hard rocking material to its bones. Anything more polished would do this stuff an injustice.

Much like the High Spirits output, Hands of Goro is so damn throwback that you might bust a shoulder joint listening to it, but boy is their style good fun. It’s simple in design but big in entertainment factor and it has an endearingly sincere feeling that comes from how much those involved love this style of music. It may not be the kind of album that people will be talking about come end-of-year lists, but I suspect it will get a nice little following by those who were born after 1960. Regardless of age, take a flyer on it and get your elder rock on. Hail our new many-fisted overlord. WAR GORO.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: BSP Records
Websites: handsofgoro.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/thehandsofgoro
Releases Worldwide: March 1st, 2024

#2024 #35 #AngelWitch #BSPRecords #Dawnbringer #HandsOfGoro #HeavyMetal #InternationalMetal #Mar24 #Motörhead #NeoNWOBHM #Raven #Review #Reviews #SloughFeg #SpiritAdrift