#manowar — Public Fediverse posts

This seems a bit off, but no - listen and think of it

It works for some neurodiverse as well

#men #manosphere #manowar

https://infosec.exchange/@littlealex/116481830359291818

Ross the boss tribute. Just some fun pentatonics improv over Manowar: Bridge of death #umbersound #rosstheboss #manowar #metal #music

Ross the boss tribute. Just some fun pentatonics improv over Manowar: Bridge of death #umbersound #rosstheboss #manowar #metal #music

Ross the boss tribute. Just some fun pentatonics improv over Manowar: Bridge of death #umbersound #rosstheboss #manowar #metal #music

Due to recent events. Ross, RIP! All brothers and sisters will miss you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM4gmHEvHFo

#Manowar #RossFriedman #ALS

https://www.europesays.com/it/419570/ Il rock e l’heavy metal perdono Ross “The Boss” Friedman: addio ad un chitarrista leggendario #BattleHymns #bronx #Entertainment #Intrattenimento #IT #Italia #Italy #JoeyDeMaio #KingsOfMetal #Manowar #Music #Musica #NanowarOfSteel #NewYork #Ross“TheBoss”Friedman #TheDictators #TheHellacopters

https://www.europesays.com/it/415944/ Manowar: si è spento Ross The Boss #Celebrità #Celebrities #Entertainment #Intrattenimento #IT #Italia #Italy #Manowar #Ross“TheBoss”Friedman #RossFriedman #RossTheBossBand #TheDictators

Picture it. Asheville, North Carolina, 2024. A devastating hurricane had just ripped through my region, wiping out entire sections of our richest cultural centers and critical economic staples, not to mention forever impacting the lives and homes of hundreds of thousands of residents (myself included). But, as the absorbent and resilient sponge I know myself to be—and with the help of hordes of kind and loving friends and family—I persisted. Not even a full month after disaster struck, I resumed my writership by covering Greek heavy metal quintet Triumpher’s sophomore epic Spirit Invictus. An eternity spans between then and now, but like myself, Triumpher persists, Piercing the Heart of the World in 2026.

Those who heed Triumpher’s call as I do will be happy to know that the MegatonManowarsword righteousness these Greeks wield like Olympians remains as stalwart as ever. In fact, Piercing the Heart of the World marks the high-water mark of the Triumpher troupe’s songwriting skill and performative prowess. Mars Triumph puts down a vocal showcase of a singular passion, his wild and animalistic delivery reminiscent of Riot City’s early work. That invigorating spirit finds loyal and unflinching support from stellar guitar leads, galloping riffs, and scorching tremolo waves courtesy of guitarists Christopher Tsakiropoulos and Mario Ñ Peters. Meanwhile, Stelios Zoumis rumbles like a thunderous storm, throwing hefty bass bolts through every measure to anchor every one of Piercing’s 45 minutes in righteous metal. Driving the march toward inevitable WICTORY, Agis Tzoukopoulos tumbles, pounds, and stomps his way through every technique known to metalkind in the pursuit of maximum awesomeness, and finds it with alarming regularity here.

Piercing The Heart Of The World by TRIUMPHER

Piercing the Heart of the World proves that Triumpher achieved the next stage of evolution in their still-young career. With the massive one-two punch of “Black Blood” and “Destroyer,” Piercing launches with a ferocity that would intimidate the finest specimen of any apex predator family. The former song recalls the vampiric darkness that inked Storming the Walls, which is a welcome introduction, but fails in the most exhilarating way to prepare me for the sword-raising spirit of the latter. That, in turn, fails to prepare me for the epic beauty that is “The Mountain Throne.” The first of two Song o’ the Year contenders, this sub-seven-minute odyssey traverses a calming plucking melody to dive right into blackened speed and a thrashy gallop, all while Mars croons and wails atop a storm of double bass runs and blasts. Yet, the whole is smoother than chrome and sharper than scalpels, resulting in an utterly astounding listening experience. However, even it feels understated when faced with the late-album highlight “Erinyes.” Punky and thrashy in a way I never thought traditional heavy metal could be, but still possessed of that chest-thumping, fist-pumping flame that lights hearts and souls ablaze, “Erinyes” is an unqualified success of excess, exuberance, and excitement.

In the past, Triumpher’s greatest weakness was always that the highlights far outstripped the supporting cast. Not so with Piercing. Even the slow and metered “Ithaca (Return of the Eternal King),” ballad interlude “Vault of the Immortals,” and two-act closer “Naus Apidalia” find ways to make memories and stand with distinction in Triumpher’s catalog. In all cases, those memories are founded in storytelling, either by establishing new characters (as is the case with “Ithaca”), shifting the tone (“Vault”), or by resolving arcs and tying up loose ends (“Naus Apidalia”). This strategy, in turn, makes more traditional heavy metal crowd pleasers like “The Flaming Sword”—which boasts a sleeper chorus that will get stuck in your head—feel more impactful than they might’ve otherwise.

With this in mind, I found very little to complain about. If it weren’t for his sheer charisma, I would say that Mars’ vocal performance teases the “Too Much” button far more often than I prefer. Were it not for the presence of endless barnstormer solos and affecting melodies, I would bemoan the protracted runtime of the closer. The meaty bass presence foils my bubbling rant against the more aggressive compression and increased loudness of this master. The caveats persist, leaving behind a wake of hobbled criticisms that would conspire to chip away at Triumpher’s final score. The damage they perpetrated amounts to mere flesh wounds in the end. Put simply, Piercing the Heart of the World is Triumpher’s greatest triumph yet, and you’d do well to hear it!

Rating: Great!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: No Remorse Records
Websites: triumpher.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/Triumpher.official
Releases Worldwide: March 6th, 2026

Steel Druhm

I was unaware of Greek mega-trve metal warriors Triumpher until Kenstrosity tackled their Storming the Walls debut back in 2023. I was immediately intrigued by the Manowar-meets-Megaton Sword-meets-Primordial sound they brought to the battlefield, and though there were some trials, tribulations, and rough spots to their presentation, the core of something bigger was there. Things improved on 2024s Spirit Invictus, as the Triumpher sound became more potent and consistently enthralling, and they seemed poised to usurp the throne of trve metal through sheer might and mayhem. Fast-forward to 2026, and their third crusade is set to kick off with Piercing the Heart of the World. I came into this hoping and expecting to be shocked and awed by sword, shield, and steroidal masculinity. Could Triumpher be the Manowar for this new age? That’s a mighty big loincloth to fill, but hope hung thickly in the air.

My anticipation of excessive glory overload was slaked by ginormous opener “Black Blood,” and woe to those who don’t bend the knee. It’s a volatile mash-up of Manowar, Primordial, and Doomsword, with a structure that starts out larger-than-life and tries to stack vainglorious and titanic moments upon one another like a grand memorial to the Elder Gods. Vocalist Mars Triumph channels Manowar’s legendary Eric Adams while also referencing Primordial’s A.A. Nemtheanga. This makes the song a total barn burner and exactly what I was hoping for. They follow this up with the uber-beefy, badass “Destroyer,” which reeks of Manowar’s The Triumph of Steel era. Grandiose choral segments and black metal influences elbow their way in, but this is a trve metal chariot ride through the Nine Worlds. Keeping the sword between the ribs, “The Mountain Throne” finds Triumpher pushing every lever to MAX GLORY as the false and weak flee for the safety of their fortifications. This one brings a lot of the same energy as the recent Fer De Lance, and there are touches of Lost Horizon, too. Mars stretches his vocals to the very edge of madness, and the chorus is as mighty as a barrel full of Wotans. Those who make it through this will be gifted a lifetime supply of wisdom, power, and back hair.

What could stop such a mighty and righteous host after such a rousing start? A soft and flabby middle, that’s what. “Ithaca (Return of the Eternal King)” is a slow-burning epical ballad that keeps building toward a massive release of rage and wiolence, but the release never arrives, and you’re kept on the edge of something for nearly 7 minutes with no somethings in sight. This results in the condition known as Blue Baldur. “Ithaca” is immediately followed by the 2-minute interlude “Vaults of Immortals,” which is equally restrained and subdued, making for 9 minutes stuck in emo-fied low-gear. This blunts the album’s momentum, taking you out of battle rage and into resource management. Steel cares not for resource herding when they are enemies left to be smottened! While things pick up with “The Flaming Sword,” and especially the trve-meets-semi-black-thrash of “Erinyes,” it feels like the album never fully regains its war footing, and 9-minute plus closer “Naus Apidalia” is merely good, not great, and suffers from some very Virgin Steele-esque compositional sinkholes and ego bloat. At a reasonable 44:44, Piercing the Heart of the World feels much longer than that, and though the first 16 or so minutes are massive, the rest of the album can’t sustain the prolonged siege.

I’m impressed with Mars Triumph’s performance. He’s gotten more proficient from album to album, and he has a crazy broad range. Anyone who can approximate Eric Adams is talented, and his black and death vocals are good as well. That said, he can and does overdo things at times, pushing his tonsils beyond human control. I can’t even suggest he dial things back, since that is not what Triumpher is all about. You just take the good with the weird and ride on. The guitar work from Christopher Tsakiropoulos and Mario Ñ Peters brings the thunder to the tundra, borrowing from a raft of trve and heavy influences while injecting enough blackened edges to make things extra deadly and dangerous. As the riffs roar and soar, Agis Tzoukopoulos delivers Scott Columbus-approved war drumming that embiggens the sword and spirit. This is a talented horde, and it’s the songwriting missteps that ultimately derail their relentless advance.

Triumpher have all the tools to forge a world-beating heavy metal monsterpiece, but Piercing the Heart of the World fails to penetrate my armor and score a critical hit. I heartily enjoy the opening trilogy, and there’s solid stuff later on, but this isn’t an album that captivates me from start to finish, despite my fervent wishes that it did. Piercing loses some of the ground won by Spirit Invictus, but I haven’t lost heart. The warrior spirit will endure and rise again if Crom wills it. Onward to great deeds!

Rating: 3.0/5.0

https://www.europesays.com/ie/280123/ St. Unholyness – Through High Holy Haze Review #1.5 #2025 #BlackMetal #Dec25 #DoomMetal #Éire #Entertainment #FreedomCall #GermanMetal #IE #Ireland #Manowar #Music #Pantera #Review #Reviews #SelfReleased #St.Unholyness #StonerMetal #ThroughHighHolyHaze

As a non-musician, writing music and playing an instrument is always impressive to me, but I am in awe of the successful solo artist. The knowledge and skill required must be staggering. St. Unholyness, hailing from Pfarrkirchen, Germany, is essentially one such project. Aside from conscripting Mac Carrigan to play bass, debut Through High Holy Haze is the singular vision of guitarist/vocalist Christina Earlymorn.1 Does Earlymorn come through with some truly holy loud, or is Through High Holy Haze all stems and seeds?

As far back as 2008, Earlymorn has been playing in various black metal projects, mostly solo, but Through High Holy Haze is a much wider-ranging affair. St. Unholyness does incorporate blackened components in its sound, like the riffing and blast beats in “Hate Response” or the full-fledged black metal passages of the title track and “Alchemist Blues,” but Through High Holy Haze is a stoner record at its core. Injecting a novel grittiness via HM-2 buzzsaw, Earlymorn creates a dirty but pliable foundation to decorate with a myriad of other styles. “Black Tooth Brothers (Abbott Brothers Tribute)” incorporates some groove sensibility, much like a stoned-out Cowboys from Hell, while the macho, brotherhood-centered antics of Manowar or Freedom Call find a place on “Loud and Proud.” “Hate Response” might be the most varied track on the album, oscillating between heavy metal, death metal, and black metal. Through High Holy Haze has a lot going on, and although not all of it fits together well, it speaks to the ambition and raw vision Earlymorn has for St. Unholyness.

Blacktooth Brothers (Abbott Brothers Tribute) by St. Unholyness

Unfortunately, raw drive and interesting ideas don’t make a good record. While Earlymorn is obviously a proficient guitarist—I was particularly impressed by the bluesy hooks and licks on “Through High Holy Haze” as well as the swedeath-influenced riffage on “Hate Response”—but she’s not as talented vocally. Her cleans are stiff and monotone, and her blackened rasps sound weak and half-hearted. From the promo material, I understand the lyrics are deeply personal to Earlymorn, but to do them justice, they needed to be passed off to someone with more range and experience. The same can be said of the programmed drums. A live musician could have breathed life and emotion into an element that, as is, feels like little more than a beefed-up metronome. There are very interesting ideas on Through High Holy Haze, like the way St. Unholyness mixes black metal and stoner metal together or uses a swedeath tone to play stony, bluesy riffs, but they needed more input than Earlymorn’s alone to come to life truly.

A lack of refinement isn’t the only problem plaguing Through High Holy Haze. Artifacts and clipping are pervasive throughout the album, and the mix often fumbles potential high points. “Dampflok des Todes” and “Alchemist Blues” both feature vocals that seem pitched to soar, but in such a flat mix, come across unremarkable at best, weak and poorly written at worst. Carrigan’s bass sounds excellent when it gets some time in the spotlight (“Black Tooth Brothers,” “St. Unholyness”), but otherwise it’s all but buried. The songwriting on Through High Holy Haze is challenging, as well. Mismatches between intros and the meat of songs are frequent, as are mismatches between leads/solos and rhythm sections, creating a dischordant listening experience (“Dampflok des Todes,” “Black Tooth Brothers,” “Alchemist Blues,” “Hate Response”). Bloat is also an issue. “Black Tooth Brothers” and “Alchemist Blues” both feature aimless interludes, and “St. Unholyness” employs a great deal of repetition to fill its six minutes and change.

St. Unholyness’ debut is, start to finish, the product of a single mind. As a result, Through High Holy Haze feels more like a rough draft than a final, polished product. An unfocused approach, poor mixing, and jarring, disjointed songwriting conspire together to utterly hamstring some decent potential. There are compelling ideas here, of that I am sure, but without the support of other skilled artists to workshop, refine, temper, and realize them, ideas are all they’ll ever be.

Rating: 1.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: ~190kbps VBR mp3
Label: Self-released
Websites: Official | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: December 25th, 2025

As a non-musician, writing music and playing an instrument is always impressive to me, but I am in awe of the successful solo artist. The knowledge and skill required must be staggering. St. Unholyness, hailing from Pfarrkirchen, Germany, is essentially one such project. Aside from conscripting Mac Carrigan to play bass, debut Through High Holy Haze is the singular vision of guitarist/vocalist Christina Earlymorn.1 Does Earlymorn come through with some truly holy loud, or is Through High Holy Haze all stems and seeds?

As far back as 2008, Earlymorn has been playing in various black metal projects, mostly solo, but Through High Holy Haze is a much wider-ranging affair. St. Unholyness does incorporate blackened components in its sound, like the riffing and blast beats in “Hate Response” or the full-fledged black metal passages of the title track and “Alchemist Blues,” but Through High Holy Haze is a stoner record at its core. Injecting a novel grittiness via HM-2 buzzsaw, Earlymorn creates a dirty but pliable foundation to decorate with a myriad of other styles. “Black Tooth Brothers (Abbott Brothers Tribute)” incorporates some groove sensibility, much like a stoned-out Cowboys from Hell, while the macho, brotherhood-centered antics of Manowar or Freedom Call find a place on “Loud and Proud.” “Hate Response” might be the most varied track on the album, oscillating between heavy metal, death metal, and black metal. Through High Holy Haze has a lot going on, and although not all of it fits together well, it speaks to the ambition and raw vision Earlymorn has for St. Unholyness.

Blacktooth Brothers (Abbott Brothers Tribute) by St. Unholyness

Unfortunately, raw drive and interesting ideas don’t make a good record. While Earlymorn is obviously a proficient guitarist—I was particularly impressed by the bluesy hooks and licks on “Through High Holy Haze” as well as the swedeath-influenced riffage on “Hate Response”—but she’s not as talented vocally. Her cleans are stiff and monotone, and her blackened rasps sound weak and half-hearted. From the promo material, I understand the lyrics are deeply personal to Earlymorn, but to do them justice, they needed to be passed off to someone with more range and experience. The same can be said of the programmed drums. A live musician could have breathed life and emotion into an element that, as is, feels like little more than a beefed-up metronome. There are very interesting ideas on Through High Holy Haze, like the way St. Unholyness mixes black metal and stoner metal together or uses a swedeath tone to play stony, bluesy riffs, but they needed more input than Earlymorn’s alone to come to life truly.

A lack of refinement isn’t the only problem plaguing Through High Holy Haze. Artifacts and clipping are pervasive throughout the album, and the mix often fumbles potential high points. “Dampflok des Todes” and “Alchemist Blues” both feature vocals that seem pitched to soar, but in such a flat mix, come across unremarkable at best, weak and poorly written at worst. Carrigan’s bass sounds excellent when it gets some time in the spotlight (“Black Tooth Brothers,” “St. Unholyness”), but otherwise it’s all but buried. The songwriting on Through High Holy Haze is challenging, as well. Mismatches between intros and the meat of songs are frequent, as are mismatches between leads/solos and rhythm sections, creating a dischordant listening experience (“Dampflok des Todes,” “Black Tooth Brothers,” “Alchemist Blues,” “Hate Response”). Bloat is also an issue. “Black Tooth Brothers” and “Alchemist Blues” both feature aimless interludes, and “St. Unholyness” employs a great deal of repetition to fill its six minutes and change.

St. Unholyness’ debut is, start to finish, the product of a single mind. As a result, Through High Holy Haze feels more like a rough draft than a final, polished product. An unfocused approach, poor mixing, and jarring, disjointed songwriting conspire together to utterly hamstring some decent potential. There are compelling ideas here, of that I am sure, but without the support of other skilled artists to workshop, refine, temper, and realize them, ideas are all they’ll ever be.

Rating: 1.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: ~190kbps VBR mp3
Label: Self-released
Websites: Official | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: December 25th, 2025

As a non-musician, writing music and playing an instrument is always impressive to me, but I am in awe of the successful solo artist. The knowledge and skill required must be staggering. St. Unholyness, hailing from Pfarrkirchen, Germany, is essentially one such project. Aside from conscripting Mac Carrigan to play bass, debut Through High Holy Haze is the singular vision of guitarist/vocalist Christina Earlymorn.1 Does Earlymorn come through with some truly holy loud, or is Through High Holy Haze all stems and seeds?

As far back as 2008, Earlymorn has been playing in various black metal projects, mostly solo, but Through High Holy Haze is a much wider-ranging affair. St. Unholyness does incorporate blackened components in its sound, like the riffing and blast beats in “Hate Response” or the full-fledged black metal passages of the title track and “Alchemist Blues,” but Through High Holy Haze is a stoner record at its core. Injecting a novel grittiness via HM-2 buzzsaw, Earlymorn creates a dirty but pliable foundation to decorate with a myriad of other styles. “Black Tooth Brothers (Abbott Brothers Tribute)” incorporates some groove sensibility, much like a stoned-out Cowboys from Hell, while the macho, brotherhood-centered antics of Manowar or Freedom Call find a place on “Loud and Proud.” “Hate Response” might be the most varied track on the album, oscillating between heavy metal, death metal, and black metal. Through High Holy Haze has a lot going on, and although not all of it fits together well, it speaks to the ambition and raw vision Earlymorn has for St. Unholyness.

Blacktooth Brothers (Abbott Brothers Tribute) by St. Unholyness

Unfortunately, raw drive and interesting ideas don’t make a good record. While Earlymorn is obviously a proficient guitarist—I was particularly impressed by the bluesy hooks and licks on “Through High Holy Haze” as well as the swedeath-influenced riffage on “Hate Response”—but she’s not as talented vocally. Her cleans are stiff and monotone, and her blackened rasps sound weak and half-hearted. From the promo material, I understand the lyrics are deeply personal to Earlymorn, but to do them justice, they needed to be passed off to someone with more range and experience. The same can be said of the programmed drums. A live musician could have breathed life and emotion into an element that, as is, feels like little more than a beefed-up metronome. There are very interesting ideas on Through High Holy Haze, like the way St. Unholyness mixes black metal and stoner metal together or uses a swedeath tone to play stony, bluesy riffs, but they needed more input than Earlymorn’s alone to come to life truly.

A lack of refinement isn’t the only problem plaguing Through High Holy Haze. Artifacts and clipping are pervasive throughout the album, and the mix often fumbles potential high points. “Dampflok des Todes” and “Alchemist Blues” both feature vocals that seem pitched to soar, but in such a flat mix, come across unremarkable at best, weak and poorly written at worst. Carrigan’s bass sounds excellent when it gets some time in the spotlight (“Black Tooth Brothers,” “St. Unholyness”), but otherwise it’s all but buried. The songwriting on Through High Holy Haze is challenging, as well. Mismatches between intros and the meat of songs are frequent, as are mismatches between leads/solos and rhythm sections, creating a dischordant listening experience (“Dampflok des Todes,” “Black Tooth Brothers,” “Alchemist Blues,” “Hate Response”). Bloat is also an issue. “Black Tooth Brothers” and “Alchemist Blues” both feature aimless interludes, and “St. Unholyness” employs a great deal of repetition to fill its six minutes and change.

St. Unholyness’ debut is, start to finish, the product of a single mind. As a result, Through High Holy Haze feels more like a rough draft than a final, polished product. An unfocused approach, poor mixing, and jarring, disjointed songwriting conspire together to utterly hamstring some decent potential. There are compelling ideas here, of that I am sure, but without the support of other skilled artists to workshop, refine, temper, and realize them, ideas are all they’ll ever be.

Rating: 1.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: ~190kbps VBR mp3
Label: Self-released
Websites: Official | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: December 25th, 2025

As a non-musician, writing music and playing an instrument is always impressive to me, but I am in awe of the successful solo artist. The knowledge and skill required must be staggering. St. Unholyness, hailing from Pfarrkirchen, Germany, is essentially one such project. Aside from conscripting Mac Carrigan to play bass, debut Through High Holy Haze is the singular vision of guitarist/vocalist Christina Earlymorn.1 Does Earlymorn come through with some truly holy loud, or is Through High Holy Haze all stems and seeds?

As far back as 2008, Earlymorn has been playing in various black metal projects, mostly solo, but Through High Holy Haze is a much wider-ranging affair. St. Unholyness does incorporate blackened components in its sound, like the riffing and blast beats in “Hate Response” or the full-fledged black metal passages of the title track and “Alchemist Blues,” but Through High Holy Haze is a stoner record at its core. Injecting a novel grittiness via HM-2 buzzsaw, Earlymorn creates a dirty but pliable foundation to decorate with a myriad of other styles. “Black Tooth Brothers (Abbott Brothers Tribute)” incorporates some groove sensibility, much like a stoned-out Cowboys from Hell, while the macho, brotherhood-centered antics of Manowar or Freedom Call find a place on “Loud and Proud.” “Hate Response” might be the most varied track on the album, oscillating between heavy metal, death metal, and black metal. Through High Holy Haze has a lot going on, and although not all of it fits together well, it speaks to the ambition and raw vision Earlymorn has for St. Unholyness.

Blacktooth Brothers (Abbott Brothers Tribute) by St. Unholyness

Unfortunately, raw drive and interesting ideas don’t make a good record. While Earlymorn is obviously a proficient guitarist—I was particularly impressed by the bluesy hooks and licks on “Through High Holy Haze” as well as the swedeath-influenced riffage on “Hate Response”—but she’s not as talented vocally. Her cleans are stiff and monotone, and her blackened rasps sound weak and half-hearted. From the promo material, I understand the lyrics are deeply personal to Earlymorn, but to do them justice, they needed to be passed off to someone with more range and experience. The same can be said of the programmed drums. A live musician could have breathed life and emotion into an element that, as is, feels like little more than a beefed-up metronome. There are very interesting ideas on Through High Holy Haze, like the way St. Unholyness mixes black metal and stoner metal together or uses a swedeath tone to play stony, bluesy riffs, but they needed more input than Earlymorn’s alone to come to life truly.

A lack of refinement isn’t the only problem plaguing Through High Holy Haze. Artifacts and clipping are pervasive throughout the album, and the mix often fumbles potential high points. “Dampflok des Todes” and “Alchemist Blues” both feature vocals that seem pitched to soar, but in such a flat mix, come across unremarkable at best, weak and poorly written at worst. Carrigan’s bass sounds excellent when it gets some time in the spotlight (“Black Tooth Brothers,” “St. Unholyness”), but otherwise it’s all but buried. The songwriting on Through High Holy Haze is challenging, as well. Mismatches between intros and the meat of songs are frequent, as are mismatches between leads/solos and rhythm sections, creating a dischordant listening experience (“Dampflok des Todes,” “Black Tooth Brothers,” “Alchemist Blues,” “Hate Response”). Bloat is also an issue. “Black Tooth Brothers” and “Alchemist Blues” both feature aimless interludes, and “St. Unholyness” employs a great deal of repetition to fill its six minutes and change.

St. Unholyness’ debut is, start to finish, the product of a single mind. As a result, Through High Holy Haze feels more like a rough draft than a final, polished product. An unfocused approach, poor mixing, and jarring, disjointed songwriting conspire together to utterly hamstring some decent potential. There are compelling ideas here, of that I am sure, but without the support of other skilled artists to workshop, refine, temper, and realize them, ideas are all they’ll ever be.

Rating: 1.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: ~190kbps VBR mp3
Label: Self-released
Websites: Official | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: December 25th, 2025

As a non-musician, writing music and playing an instrument is always impressive to me, but I am in awe of the successful solo artist. The knowledge and skill required must be staggering. St. Unholyness, hailing from Pfarrkirchen, Germany, is essentially one such project. Aside from conscripting Mac Carrigan to play bass, debut Through High Holy Haze is the singular vision of guitarist/vocalist Christina Earlymorn.1 Does Earlymorn come through with some truly holy loud, or is Through High Holy Haze all stems and seeds?

As far back as 2008, Earlymorn has been playing in various black metal projects, mostly solo, but Through High Holy Haze is a much wider-ranging affair. St. Unholyness does incorporate blackened components in its sound, like the riffing and blast beats in “Hate Response” or the full-fledged black metal passages of the title track and “Alchemist Blues,” but Through High Holy Haze is a stoner record at its core. Injecting a novel grittiness via HM-2 buzzsaw, Earlymorn creates a dirty but pliable foundation to decorate with a myriad of other styles. “Black Tooth Brothers (Abbott Brothers Tribute)” incorporates some groove sensibility, much like a stoned-out Cowboys from Hell, while the macho, brotherhood-centered antics of Manowar or Freedom Call find a place on “Loud and Proud.” “Hate Response” might be the most varied track on the album, oscillating between heavy metal, death metal, and black metal. Through High Holy Haze has a lot going on, and although not all of it fits together well, it speaks to the ambition and raw vision Earlymorn has for St. Unholyness.

Blacktooth Brothers (Abbott Brothers Tribute) by St. Unholyness

Unfortunately, raw drive and interesting ideas don’t make a good record. While Earlymorn is obviously a proficient guitarist—I was particularly impressed by the bluesy hooks and licks on “Through High Holy Haze” as well as the swedeath-influenced riffage on “Hate Response”—but she’s not as talented vocally. Her cleans are stiff and monotone, and her blackened rasps sound weak and half-hearted. From the promo material, I understand the lyrics are deeply personal to Earlymorn, but to do them justice, they needed to be passed off to someone with more range and experience. The same can be said of the programmed drums. A live musician could have breathed life and emotion into an element that, as is, feels like little more than a beefed-up metronome. There are very interesting ideas on Through High Holy Haze, like the way St. Unholyness mixes black metal and stoner metal together or uses a swedeath tone to play stony, bluesy riffs, but they needed more input than Earlymorn’s alone to come to life truly.

A lack of refinement isn’t the only problem plaguing Through High Holy Haze. Artifacts and clipping are pervasive throughout the album, and the mix often fumbles potential high points. “Dampflok des Todes” and “Alchemist Blues” both feature vocals that seem pitched to soar, but in such a flat mix, come across unremarkable at best, weak and poorly written at worst. Carrigan’s bass sounds excellent when it gets some time in the spotlight (“Black Tooth Brothers,” “St. Unholyness”), but otherwise it’s all but buried. The songwriting on Through High Holy Haze is challenging, as well. Mismatches between intros and the meat of songs are frequent, as are mismatches between leads/solos and rhythm sections, creating a dischordant listening experience (“Dampflok des Todes,” “Black Tooth Brothers,” “Alchemist Blues,” “Hate Response”). Bloat is also an issue. “Black Tooth Brothers” and “Alchemist Blues” both feature aimless interludes, and “St. Unholyness” employs a great deal of repetition to fill its six minutes and change.

St. Unholyness’ debut is, start to finish, the product of a single mind. As a result, Through High Holy Haze feels more like a rough draft than a final, polished product. An unfocused approach, poor mixing, and jarring, disjointed songwriting conspire together to utterly hamstring some decent potential. There are compelling ideas here, of that I am sure, but without the support of other skilled artists to workshop, refine, temper, and realize them, ideas are all they’ll ever be.

Rating: 1.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: ~190kbps VBR mp3
Label: Self-released
Websites: Official | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: December 25th, 2025

Sneaking in at the end of a crowded 2025, Memories of Old released their sophomore record, Never Stop Believing, hoping to fill a Fellowship-sized hole in your heart. Last we saw them in 2020, Emya gave their debut a glowing review, praising vocalist Tommy Johansson and saying the band sounded as if they’d “been playing together for decades.” As you might say in the sports world, Emya may have jinxed them. Since releasing The Zeramin Game, three of the five band members have departed, including Johansson, and it’s taken five years to put together a follow-up. Such high turnover usually spells disaster, and it might also explain the quiet release and lack of a promo. However, both new and remaining members took Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” to heart and want to remind their fans to Never Stop Believing.

It’s clear this new iteration of Memories of Old takes their inspiration from the cheerful style of Fellowship. The record just oozes positivity, from the album title to the lyrical content to the uplifting guitars and synths. Further, new vocalist Noah Simmons sounds a lot like Matthew Corry, with a higher register than your typical power metal vocalist. He just sounds so cheerful every time he sings, and these good vibes are infectious. Songs thrum with energy thanks to the galloping blast beats and the frequent, and often dynamic, solos that invigorate each tune. It’s pure bliss from start to the final track, “Journey to the Stars,” where the band takes us to a place where “angels fly through the sky.” If you’re allergic to this level of optimism, steer clear of Never Stop Believing. For the rest of you, adventure on!

Never Stop Believing by Memories Of Old

Memories of Old excel at not just the good cheer, but also the songwriting and storytelling. Anchored by its catchy chorus “Guardians of the Kingdom” displays these strengths as it methodically builds up from a slower pace to something that has you primed and pumped for battle. There’s a variety on Never Stop Believing that keeps it fresh without sacrificing the character of the band. The muscular, heavy “Memories of Old” takes a page out of the Manowar playbook with an adrenaline-fueled bass drum beat and the second catchiest chorus on the record. Meanwhile, “After the Storm” has a synth that could fit right in with a Trans-Siberian Orchestra holiday hit, followed by a chorus that mixes disco with ABBA pop beats. “Life Begins Again,” the lone ballad, begins with an intro reminiscent of a Mötley Crüe ballad before diving into the tears-of-joy weepies. Memories of Old delivers 55 minutes of symphonic power metal that’s sure to bring out the innocent, joyful child in you.1

In a year that had mid to really good cheesy power metal, with few outstanding acts, Memories of Old stands apart. The vision of the remaining founding members, Billy Jeffs and Anthony Thompson, held together during a period of immense change for the band. I imagine that these guys can put out another set of bangers with some extra time together. Maybe next time they’ll send us the promo so I don’t have to wait to stumble upon this by mistake again.2

Tracks to Check Out: “Never Stop Believing,” “Guardians of the Kingdom,” “Fly Away Together,” “After the Storm”

Dragon Skull – Chaos Fire Vengeance [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Baguette of Bodom

Greece is a surprising hotbed for power metal-adjacent sounds, providing recent gems such as Sunburst last year and Sacred Outcry’s 2023 masterpiece.1 Dragon Skull is a newcomer to these fields of glory, introducing their burly heavy/power style on their promising self-titled EP as recently as 2022. Now, three years later, they were finally ready to unleash their debut Chaos Fire Vengeance on the world. And oh my, what an entrance it is.

Dragon Skull know how to riff like hell and craft anthemic, cataclysmically heavy tunes. In addition to the fist-pumping Manowar feel the band is going for (“Brethren,” “Skull Crusher”), the songwriting is further guided by the spirit of German power metal, something like Brainstorm further reinforced with later Blind Guardian bombast (“Nampat,” “Blood and Souls”). But what makes the instrumentation incendiary is how guitarists Panos Wallach and Chris Brintzikis take influence from several directions at once. This guarantees plenty of variety through the album’s eight tracks, ranging from the dual-harmonized NWoBHM of “Brethren” to the melodeath/meloblack-informed tremolos on “Shield Maiden.” To top it all off, the pummeling war drums of Teo Stamatiadis and gargantuan vocals of Aris Labos lend maximum grit to an already muscular record.

Chaos Fire Vengeance offers a refreshing mixture of ’80s heavy metal and ’00s power metal. Slower, anthemic annihilation is counterpointed by thunderous fury, often during the same song (“Dragon Riders,” Shield Maiden”). The extra melodic death metal DNA brings with it a welcome burst of harsh vocals as well (“War Drums,” “Skeleton Hand”), and the way it all gels effortlessly is impressive. Despite the amount of various elements and influences in the album, the end result is deceivingly simple and effective. It makes Dragon Skull’s style stand out in a similar way Triumpher’s shtick does, but the increased mass and grit of Chaos Fire Vengeance improves the formula from good to face-melting. Though the first half of the album is already potent, the second half is where the band’s ambitions are fully realized. The hooks in “Nampat” and “Skeleton Hand” are immense, and the gargantuan epic “Blood and Souls” is a serious Song o’ the Year contender. I mean, how can you not love a song with Elric and Tanelorn-themed lyrical homages to Cirith Ungol and Blind Guardian?2

Dragon Skull is single-handedly carrying the power metal torch this year. Sure, it might be more heavy/power, but who’s counting? The songwriting is superbly anthemic, and the band knocked it out of the park on their first try in 42 brief minutes. I’ve had some trouble getting all my writing done late in the year for countless reasons, and this album in particular felt difficult to write deeper analysis for. But maybe it’s not necessary. After all, what is a TYMHM but a long-winded way to say “this album rocks, go check it out?” Sometimes it’s just better to keep things short and simple, and all Chaos Fire Vengeance needs is a damn strong barrage of eight massive tunes. Better yet, it’s a brilliant blueprint Dragon Skull can use to further refine their songcraft.

Tracks to Check Out: “Nampat,” “Skeleton Hand,” and “Blood and Souls.”

#2025 #BlindGuardian #Brainstorm #ChaosFireVengeance #CirithUngol #DragonSkull #EpicHeavyMetal #GreekMetal #HeavyMetal #Manowar #PowerMetal #SacredOutcry #SelfReleased #Sunburst #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2025 #Triumpher #TYMHM

Dolmen Gate – Echoes of Ancient Tales [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Baguette of Bodom

You can never have too many swords. This has always been the truth, and Portugal’s Ravensire was well aware of it, following in the triumphant heavy metal footsteps of fellow countrymen Ironsword for three albums. Even when fate would strike down Ravensire in 2020, drummer Alex and guitarist Nuno1 remained undeterred. They formed a new lineup under the Dolmen Gate banner and got to work immediately. Debut EP Finis Imperii released in 2023, debut album Gateways of Eternity followed last year, and now they are already up to second album Echoes of Ancient Tales merely another year later. While this could seem like rushing things to some, it’s clear to me Dolmen Gate is striking while the iron is hot, and they’re just getting warmed up.

Echoes of Ancient Tales is a direct upgrade over an already strong debut. The core of their sound still channels the epic, riff-forward demeanor of Manilla Road and early Manowar. If you’re familiar with other swordy revival acts like Gatekeeper and the aforementioned Ironsword, you’ll have a good idea of what you’re in for. NWoBHM gallops (“The Maze,” “The Prophecy”) in the vein of Satan further refine the album, increasing its variety and olde cred. Alex furiously pounds the drums while Kiko and Artur duel out riffs for days, utilizing both speedy (“Carthage Eternal”) and stompy (“A Tale of Time’s End”) songwriting philosophies in Cirith Ungol fashion. Ana’s vocals deliver the same smoky, subdued tone that enhances the music and gives the band even more of a standout personality. Better yet, Echoes of Ancient Tales fixes the only real problem I had with the debut: buried vocals. Not only does Ana sing with more confidence and power, her role is also more central and upfront—justifiably so.

Dolmen Gate’s songwriting is growing in strength, and the band is only getting heavier. The early one-two punch of “Souls to Sea” transitioning into “The Maze” alone makes their direction loud and clear, and it shows the band isn’t satisfied just sitting in one corner musically. As always, authenticity is the key factor in revival-style music, and Dolmen Gate passes the test with flying colors. They sound like they have the same influences as their favorite bands but are also aware of their musical surroundings in less olde times. The almighty riff is the most important building block here, and the band knows this well. Guitar and drum patterns from many varieties of heavy metal—and some of its heavier offshoots too—help to craft both catchy anthems (“The Maze,” “Carthage Eternal”) and epic long-form tunes (“Souls to Sea,” “Afore the Storm” into “We Are the Storm”) without missing a beat.

Echoes of Ancient Tales is, without questio,n the best pure heavy metal record of the year. A lot of newer epic heavy metal bands have popped up during the past decade, and many of them have the right idea. But it feels like the change of bands and lineups was the kick the ex-Ravensire folk needed to take that next step. Dolmen Gate is one of the best and most authentic so far, both songwriting and production-wise, while also doing something that’s uniquely theirs. Raise your swords and enter the gate!

Tracks to Check Out: “The Maze,” “A Tale of Time’s End,” and “We Are the Storm.”

#2025 #CirithUngol #DolmenGate #EchoesOfAncientTales #EpicHeavyMetal #Gatekeeper #HeavyMetal #Ironsword #ManillaRoad #Manowar #NoRemorseRecords #PortugueseMetal #Ravensire #Satan #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2025

Steel Arctus – Dreamruler Review

By Andy-War-Hall

Brothers, you need power metal in your life. No, you do. You need authentic positivity shot straight into your cynic-rotten hearts, now. Most fortunate for you, Greek power metallers Steel Arctus have graced this year of 2025 with their third album Dreamruler, marking the third entry into the chronicles of their titular hero Steel Arctus. 2020’s Fire and Blood detailed the origins of Steel Arctus and his girlfriend Red Sonja the Arcadian Lady, 2022’s Master of War saw him delve into the fires of Hades and now Dreamruler sees him challenge the titular Dreamruler in his evil world of dreams to rescue his bodacious muse. Though the first two albums were good, Steel Arctus only grazed greatness a few times in their young career. Is Dreamruler the one that’ll bring them there? Hold your hammers high.

Steel Arctus are sworn to the flame of metal glory, and Dreamruler carries that fire by way of anthemic power metal. Dreamruler is imbued with the fantasy-minded songwriting of Dio, the epic vocal acrobatics of Lost Horizon and the fist-balling machismo of Judas Priest and Visigoth. “Riding through the Night” sees Steel Arctus fuse Judas Priest grit and Nocturnal Rites hookiness, “Fate of the Beast” marries Stratovarius neoclassical-isms with Paladin riffing and “Will to Power” embodies so much Manowar that I’m surprised Manowar never wrote it. Steel Arctus harness these influences into lean, catchy tunes that—while never feeling totally original, obviously—feel deeply energized and alive. Just hearing the Lost Horizon bloopy synths and grandeur of “Defender of Steel,” the Iced Earth thrash-power of “Cry for Revenge,” and the Savatage class and nastiness of “Dreamruler” evoked that sense of first getting into metal again. Listening to Dreamruler is listening to everything Steel Arctus love distilled into forty-seven minutes of heavy metal bliss.

This mimicry of established styles wouldn’t work so well if Steel Arctus weren’t incredible musicians. Thankfully, guitarist Nash G. churns out quality riffs like it’s nothing, bringing beefy grooves to “Will to Power” and nimble plucking on “Fires of Death”. While extremely technical and wah-heavy (“Fires of Death”), G.’s solos avoid hollowness through a melody-first approach; just hear those twins on “Dreamruler” or how “Wicked Lies” plays with the riff beneath it. Drummer Minas Chatziminas crushes his kicks (“Defender of Steel”) while fitting in cool tom and cymbal work (“Riding through the Night”) and just enough kick variation for some rhythmic interest (“Dreamruler”), while bassist Strutter (Wardrum) lays down thick-toned bass runs throughout Dreamruler and even leads on “Wicked Lies.” But vocalist Tasos Lazaris (Fortress Under Siege, White Wizzard) is the leader of this quest called Dreamruler, as his incredible range (“Legend of the Warrior”,) power (“Cry for Revenge”) and charisma (“Glory of the Hero”) sharpen the hooks of Dreamruler and give Steel Arctus a commanding presence. Put together, and Dreamruler’s an outstandingly fun romp worthy of Steel Arctus’ many influences.

The only blemish on Dreamruler is that the ending isn’t a smash success. The penultimate “Legend of the Warrior” opens in dramatic fashion, replete with swirling synths, plucked clean guitar and spoken narration à la Lost Horizon that really sounds like Steel Arctus are building towards a true epic conclusion akin to “Highlander (The One).” Instead, it and the closing instrumental “Onar (όναρ),”1 move through mid-paced crawls that leave Dreamruler with a minor case of anticlimax. They’re not bad songs— “Legend of the Warrior” features Lazaris’ most dynamic performance and “Onar (όναρ)” sounds genuinely restorative in its pleasantness—but with how much pathos Steel Arctus weave into their music I think Dreamruler would’ve benefited from a bigger, grander finale. Steel Arctus can tell a story: I have no idea what happens in Dreamruler narrative-wise, but when Lazaris commands “Hammer Highyaaa!” on “Defender of Steel,” who needs a plot? I’m right there anyway.

Steel Arctus have leveled up tremendously on Dreamruler, and anyone with even a smidgen of appreciation for power metal should give this a spin. They don’t do anything new or novel whatsoever on Dreamruler, and, yeah, these are the most generic power metal song titles imaginable, but Steel Arctus hammered their way into greatness by sheer force of will anyway—along with amazing performances and adept songcraft, of course. Everything about Dreamruler is wholehearted, from Steel Arctus’ celebration of heavy metal’s past to their overwhelming showmanship. This is music of gigantic melancholy and gigantic mirth and easily one of, if not the year’s best power metal albums.

Rating: Great
DR: 72 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: No Remorse Records
Websites: steelarctus.com | steelarctus.bandcamp | facebook.com/steelarctus
Releases Worldwide: November 28th, 2025

#2025 #40 #dio #dreamruler #epicMetal #fortressUnderSiege #greekMetal #heavyMetal #icedEarth #judasPriest #lostHorizon #manowar #noRemorseRecords #nocturnalRites #nov25 #paladin #powerMetal #review #reviews #savatage #steelArctus #stratovarius #visigoth #wardrum #whiteWizzard

Starlight Ritual – Rogue Angels Review

By Steel Druhm

Deep in the protozoic slime that sits at the center of Steel Druhm’s rusted metal heart, there’s a discreet region that craves early-to-mid 80s classic heavy metal. It’s an undying hunger that can never be slaked, and it drives me to look for turbo love in all the wrong places. Thus did I come to Starlight Ritual’s Sealed in Starlight debut back in 2021, dragging Kenword R. Spongewell along for moral support. What I found was an energetic young group of ne’er-do-wells who love the olden ways as much as I do. They delivered a punchy platter of nostalgia-core as they sought after the perfect blend of Mötörhead, Rainbow, Judas Priest, and lesser-known 80s metal fiends like Cities and Jag Panzer. It was rough around the edges, but the core elements were there, and the writing was catchy with ample metallic sack.1 Now they’re back with sophomore opus Rogue Angels, endeavoring to stuff more “epic” in their brawny compositions. MOAR epic is always better, so will Rogue Angels smite the wimps and posers with trve fucking metal? Let’s measure the heavenly mass.

Reduced to a power trio this time out, Starlight Ritual bring the heavy metal thunder on grandiose opener “Lost Among the Fold.” It opens like epic doom with thundering drums and mammoth, mourning doom riffs lurching before it explodes into a gloriously 80s metal gallop that splits the difference between NWoBHM and the meaner American sounds of 82-84. Frontman Damien Ritual’s booming baritone bellows are perfect for these tales of war and heroism, and he sounds like the love child of Grim Reaper’s sadly departed Steve Grimmett, Paul Di’Anno, and Visigoth’s Jake Rogers. The guitar work by Dan Toupin is so perfectly 80s it causes a time rupture that allowed me to heist several cases of Night Train and Tango from the past (for scientific purposes only). This is the kind of retro metal gem that makes my back hair long and luxurious. And they keep this high quality going with the big, bold title track, which is so goddamn trve that it makes even me feel false by comparison. There’s even a bit of Crypt Sermon in here, but with things sped up for more aggression and urgency. “Crusaders” is another stiff blow to the neck and nutal regions with a raucous, headlong charge into the enemy that’s so damn metal it leaves an unpleasant iron taste in your mouth. If this doesn’t go on your gym playlist, you must be doing pool noodle pilates with the assisted living set.

With such a completely crushing triarch opening the album up, you want the goods to keep coming hot and heavy. There are some bumps as the album unfolds, however, but none of them derail the march on Valhalla. “Far Beyond the Storm” is a meaty metal tidbit but less inspired than its predecessors, and “Omenkillers” is the longest, most aggressive track, but it’s a notch or 2 below the better stuff. Slow burn grinder “Exodus” is moody as fuck and reminds me of the Dio-era Sabbath chesnuts, but it never quite attains that next level. Things are redeemed by killer back-half high notes like “The Law” (which I cannot stop replaying) and “On the Run” (which I also cannot stop replaying), and the overall package is more hunter-killer than filler. The production screams 1982, with the guitar tone perfectly aged and moldy. It sounds and feels olde and elder me values that muchly.

I love Damien Ritual’s vocals. He isn’t blessed with a vast range but makes the most of his raw, rough bellows/rasps, and he can actually sing when he opts to do so. He sounds like a wild barbarian bastard much of the time, and on the faster moments, he channels Paul Di’Anno to the point of creepiness. As or even more essential to the Starlight Ritual sound is the heavily dated guitar phrasing from Dan Toupin. The man knows exactly how to recreate the sounds of the golden age of metal, from the riffs to the harmonies and the way little accents were used as hooks. His playing is the crystal key that unlocks all the nostalgia, and that’s the band’s secret weapon.

Starlight Ritual have their targeted sound and style down cold, and while Rogue Angels isn’t a huge progression from their debut, it shows growth in the writing department. That said, it’s definitely front-loaded, and a few cuts just can’t tow the line with the best moments. This is one of those albums where the good stuff is so good, it carries the weaker bits to end up enjoyable as a whole (see The Number of the Beast for comparison, and yes, you know it’s true). If you hanker for a hunka, a sliver, slab, or chunka 80s metal, Rogue Angels brings the Flaming Sword of Smoting. Get smitten.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: High Roller
Websites: facebook.com/starlightritual | instagram.com/starlightritual
Releases Worldwide: October 31st, 2025

#2025 #35 #CanadianMetal #GrimReaper #HeavyMetal #HighRollerRecords #Manowar #Oct25 #Rainbow #Review #Reviews #RogueAngels #SealedInStarlight #StarlightRitual #TrueMetal #Visigoth

Starlight Ritual – Rogue Angels Review

By Steel Druhm

Deep in the protozoic slime that sits at the center of Steel Druhm’s rusted metal heart, there’s a discreet region that craves early-to-mid 80s classic heavy metal. It’s an undying hunger that can never be slaked, and it drives me to look for turbo love in all the wrong places. Thus did I come to Starlight Ritual’s Sealed in Starlight debut back in 2021, dragging Kenword R. Spongewell along for moral support. What I found was an energetic young group of ne’er-do-wells who love the olden ways as much as I do. They delivered a punchy platter of nostalgia-core as they sought after the perfect blend of Mötörhead, Rainbow, Judas Priest, and lesser-known 80s metal fiends like Cities and Jag Panzer. It was rough around the edges, but the core elements were there, and the writing was catchy with ample metallic sack.1 Now they’re back with sophomore opus Rogue Angels, endeavoring to stuff more “epic” in their brawny compositions. MOAR epic is always better, so will Rogue Angels smite the wimps and posers with trve fucking metal? Let’s measure the heavenly mass.

Reduced to a power trio this time out, Starlight Ritual bring the heavy metal thunder on grandiose opener “Lost Among the Fold.” It opens like epic doom with thundering drums and mammoth, mourning doom riffs lurching before it explodes into a gloriously 80s metal gallop that splits the difference between NWoBHM and the meaner American sounds of 82-84. Frontman Damien Ritual’s booming baritone bellows are perfect for these tales of war and heroism, and he sounds like the love child of Grim Reaper’s sadly departed Steve Grimmett, Paul Di’Anno, and Visigoth’s Jake Rogers. The guitar work by Dan Toupin is so perfectly 80s it causes a time rupture that allowed me to heist several cases of Night Train and Tango from the past (for scientific purposes only). This is the kind of retro metal gem that makes my back hair long and luxurious. And they keep this high quality going with the big, bold title track, which is so goddamn trve that it makes even me feel false by comparison. There’s even a bit of Crypt Sermon in here, but with things sped up for more aggression and urgency. “Crusaders” is another stiff blow to the neck and nutal regions with a raucous, headlong charge into the enemy that’s so damn metal it leaves an unpleasant iron taste in your mouth. If this doesn’t go on your gym playlist, you must be doing pool noodle pilates with the assisted living set.

With such a completely crushing triarch opening the album up, you want the goods to keep coming hot and heavy. There are some bumps as the album unfolds, however, but none of them derail the march on Valhalla. “Far Beyond the Storm” is a meaty metal tidbit but less inspired than its predecessors, and “Omenkillers” is the longest, most aggressive track, but it’s a notch or 2 below the better stuff. Slow burn grinder “Exodus” is moody as fuck and reminds me of the Dio-era Sabbath chesnuts, but it never quite attains that next level. Things are redeemed by killer back-half high notes like “The Law” (which I cannot stop replaying) and “On the Run” (which I also cannot stop replaying), and the overall package is more hunter-killer than filler. The production screams 1982, with the guitar tone perfectly aged and moldy. It sounds and feels olde and elder me values that muchly.

I love Damien Ritual’s vocals. He isn’t blessed with a vast range but makes the most of his raw, rough bellows/rasps, and he can actually sing when he opts to do so. He sounds like a wild barbarian bastard much of the time, and on the faster moments, he channels Paul Di’Anno to the point of creepiness. As or even more essential to the Starlight Ritual sound is the heavily dated guitar phrasing from Dan Toupin. The man knows exactly how to recreate the sounds of the golden age of metal, from the riffs to the harmonies and the way little accents were used as hooks. His playing is the crystal key that unlocks all the nostalgia, and that’s the band’s secret weapon.

Starlight Ritual have their targeted sound and style down cold, and while Rogue Angels isn’t a huge progression from their debut, it shows growth in the writing department. That said, it’s definitely front-loaded, and a few cuts just can’t tow the line with the best moments. This is one of those albums where the good stuff is so good, it carries the weaker bits to end up enjoyable as a whole (see The Number of the Beast for comparison, and yes, you know it’s true). If you hanker for a hunka, a sliver, slab, or chunka 80s metal, Rogue Angels brings the Flaming Sword of Smoting. Get smitten.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: High Roller
Websites: facebook.com/starlightritual | instagram.com/starlightritual
Releases Worldwide: October 31st, 2025

#2025 #35 #CanadianMetal #GrimReaper #HeavyMetal #HighRollerRecords #Manowar #Oct25 #Rainbow #Review #Reviews #RogueAngels #SealedInStarlight #StarlightRitual #TrueMetal #Visigoth

Starlight Ritual – Rogue Angels Review

By Steel Druhm

Deep in the protozoic slime that sits at the center of Steel Druhm’s rusted metal heart, there’s a discreet region that craves early-to-mid 80s classic heavy metal. It’s an undying hunger that can never be slaked, and it drives me to look for turbo love in all the wrong places. Thus did I come to Starlight Ritual’s Sealed in Starlight debut back in 2021, dragging Kenword R. Spongewell along for moral support. What I found was an energetic young group of ne’er-do-wells who love the olden ways as much as I do. They delivered a punchy platter of nostalgia-core as they sought after the perfect blend of Mötörhead, Rainbow, Judas Priest, and lesser-known 80s metal fiends like Cities and Jag Panzer. It was rough around the edges, but the core elements were there, and the writing was catchy with ample metallic sack.1 Now they’re back with sophomore opus Rogue Angels, endeavoring to stuff more “epic” in their brawny compositions. MOAR epic is always better, so will Rogue Angels smite the wimps and posers with trve fucking metal? Let’s measure the heavenly mass.

Reduced to a power trio this time out, Starlight Ritual bring the heavy metal thunder on grandiose opener “Lost Among the Fold.” It opens like epic doom with thundering drums and mammoth, mourning doom riffs lurching before it explodes into a gloriously 80s metal gallop that splits the difference between NWoBHM and the meaner American sounds of 82-84. Frontman Damien Ritual’s booming baritone bellows are perfect for these tales of war and heroism, and he sounds like the love child of Grim Reaper’s sadly departed Steve Grimmett, Paul Di’Anno, and Visigoth’s Jake Rogers. The guitar work by Dan Toupin is so perfectly 80s it causes a time rupture that allowed me to heist several cases of Night Train and Tango from the past (for scientific purposes only). This is the kind of retro metal gem that makes my back hair long and luxurious. And they keep this high quality going with the big, bold title track, which is so goddamn trve that it makes even me feel false by comparison. There’s even a bit of Crypt Sermon in here, but with things sped up for more aggression and urgency. “Crusaders” is another stiff blow to the neck and nutal regions with a raucous, headlong charge into the enemy that’s so damn metal it leaves an unpleasant iron taste in your mouth. If this doesn’t go on your gym playlist, you must be doing pool noodle pilates with the assisted living set.

With such a completely crushing triarch opening the album up, you want the goods to keep coming hot and heavy. There are some bumps as the album unfolds, however, but none of them derail the march on Valhalla. “Far Beyond the Storm” is a meaty metal tidbit but less inspired than its predecessors, and “Omenkillers” is the longest, most aggressive track, but it’s a notch or 2 below the better stuff. Slow burn grinder “Exodus” is moody as fuck and reminds me of the Dio-era Sabbath chesnuts, but it never quite attains that next level. Things are redeemed by killer back-half high notes like “The Law” (which I cannot stop replaying) and “On the Run” (which I also cannot stop replaying), and the overall package is more hunter-killer than filler. The production screams 1982, with the guitar tone perfectly aged and moldy. It sounds and feels olde and elder me values that muchly.

I love Damien Ritual’s vocals. He isn’t blessed with a vast range but makes the most of his raw, rough bellows/rasps, and he can actually sing when he opts to do so. He sounds like a wild barbarian bastard much of the time, and on the faster moments, he channels Paul Di’Anno to the point of creepiness. As or even more essential to the Starlight Ritual sound is the heavily dated guitar phrasing from Dan Toupin. The man knows exactly how to recreate the sounds of the golden age of metal, from the riffs to the harmonies and the way little accents were used as hooks. His playing is the crystal key that unlocks all the nostalgia, and that’s the band’s secret weapon.

Starlight Ritual have their targeted sound and style down cold, and while Rogue Angels isn’t a huge progression from their debut, it shows growth in the writing department. That said, it’s definitely front-loaded, and a few cuts just can’t tow the line with the best moments. This is one of those albums where the good stuff is so good, it carries the weaker bits to end up enjoyable as a whole (see The Number of the Beast for comparison, and yes, you know it’s true). If you hanker for a hunka, a sliver, slab, or chunka 80s metal, Rogue Angels brings the Flaming Sword of Smoting. Get smitten.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: High Roller
Websites: facebook.com/starlightritual | instagram.com/starlightritual
Releases Worldwide: October 31st, 2025

#2025 #35 #CanadianMetal #GrimReaper #HeavyMetal #HighRollerRecords #Manowar #Oct25 #Rainbow #Review #Reviews #RogueAngels #SealedInStarlight #StarlightRitual #TrueMetal #Visigoth

Starlight Ritual – Rogue Angels Review

By Steel Druhm

Deep in the protozoic slime that sits at the center of Steel Druhm’s rusted metal heart, there’s a discreet region that craves early-to-mid 80s classic heavy metal. It’s an undying hunger that can never be slaked, and it drives me to look for turbo love in all the wrong places. Thus did I come to Starlight Ritual’s Sealed in Starlight debut back in 2021, dragging Kenword R. Spongewell along for moral support. What I found was an energetic young group of ne’er-do-wells who love the olden ways as much as I do. They delivered a punchy platter of nostalgia-core as they sought after the perfect blend of Mötörhead, Rainbow, Judas Priest, and lesser-known 80s metal fiends like Cities and Jag Panzer. It was rough around the edges, but the core elements were there, and the writing was catchy with ample metallic sack.1 Now they’re back with sophomore opus Rogue Angels, endeavoring to stuff more “epic” in their brawny compositions. MOAR epic is always better, so will Rogue Angels smite the wimps and posers with trve fucking metal? Let’s measure the heavenly mass.

Reduced to a power trio this time out, Starlight Ritual bring the heavy metal thunder on grandiose opener “Lost Among the Fold.” It opens like epic doom with thundering drums and mammoth, mourning doom riffs lurching before it explodes into a gloriously 80s metal gallop that splits the difference between NWoBHM and the meaner American sounds of 82-84. Frontman Damien Ritual’s booming baritone bellows are perfect for these tales of war and heroism, and he sounds like the love child of Grim Reaper’s sadly departed Steve Grimmett, Paul Di’Anno, and Visigoth’s Jake Rogers. The guitar work by Dan Toupin is so perfectly 80s it causes a time rupture that allowed me to heist several cases of Night Train and Tango from the past (for scientific purposes only). This is the kind of retro metal gem that makes my back hair long and luxurious. And they keep this high quality going with the big, bold title track, which is so goddamn trve that it makes even me feel false by comparison. There’s even a bit of Crypt Sermon in here, but with things sped up for more aggression and urgency. “Crusaders” is another stiff blow to the neck and nutal regions with a raucous, headlong charge into the enemy that’s so damn metal it leaves an unpleasant iron taste in your mouth. If this doesn’t go on your gym playlist, you must be doing pool noodle pilates with the assisted living set.

With such a completely crushing triarch opening the album up, you want the goods to keep coming hot and heavy. There are some bumps as the album unfolds, however, but none of them derail the march on Valhalla. “Far Beyond the Storm” is a meaty metal tidbit but less inspired than its predecessors, and “Omenkillers” is the longest, most aggressive track, but it’s a notch or 2 below the better stuff. Slow burn grinder “Exodus” is moody as fuck and reminds me of the Dio-era Sabbath chesnuts, but it never quite attains that next level. Things are redeemed by killer back-half high notes like “The Law” (which I cannot stop replaying) and “On the Run” (which I also cannot stop replaying), and the overall package is more hunter-killer than filler. The production screams 1982, with the guitar tone perfectly aged and moldy. It sounds and feels olde and elder me values that muchly.

I love Damien Ritual’s vocals. He isn’t blessed with a vast range but makes the most of his raw, rough bellows/rasps, and he can actually sing when he opts to do so. He sounds like a wild barbarian bastard much of the time, and on the faster moments, he channels Paul Di’Anno to the point of creepiness. As or even more essential to the Starlight Ritual sound is the heavily dated guitar phrasing from Dan Toupin. The man knows exactly how to recreate the sounds of the golden age of metal, from the riffs to the harmonies and the way little accents were used as hooks. His playing is the crystal key that unlocks all the nostalgia, and that’s the band’s secret weapon.

Starlight Ritual have their targeted sound and style down cold, and while Rogue Angels isn’t a huge progression from their debut, it shows growth in the writing department. That said, it’s definitely front-loaded, and a few cuts just can’t tow the line with the best moments. This is one of those albums where the good stuff is so good, it carries the weaker bits to end up enjoyable as a whole (see The Number of the Beast for comparison, and yes, you know it’s true). If you hanker for a hunka, a sliver, slab, or chunka 80s metal, Rogue Angels brings the Flaming Sword of Smoting. Get smitten.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: High Roller
Websites: facebook.com/starlightritual | instagram.com/starlightritual
Releases Worldwide: October 31st, 2025

#2025 #35 #CanadianMetal #GrimReaper #HeavyMetal #HighRollerRecords #Manowar #Oct25 #Rainbow #Review #Reviews #RogueAngels #SealedInStarlight #StarlightRitual #TrueMetal #Visigoth

Starlight Ritual – Rogue Angels Review

By Steel Druhm

Deep in the protozoic slime that sits at the center of Steel Druhm’s rusted metal heart, there’s a discreet region that craves early-to-mid 80s classic heavy metal. It’s an undying hunger that can never be slaked, and it drives me to look for turbo love in all the wrong places. Thus did I come to Starlight Ritual’s Sealed in Starlight debut back in 2021, dragging Kenword R. Spongewell along for moral support. What I found was an energetic young group of ne’er-do-wells who love the olden ways as much as I do. They delivered a punchy platter of nostalgia-core as they sought after the perfect blend of Mötörhead, Rainbow, Judas Priest, and lesser-known 80s metal fiends like Cities and Jag Panzer. It was rough around the edges, but the core elements were there, and the writing was catchy with ample metallic sack.1 Now they’re back with sophomore opus Rogue Angels, endeavoring to stuff more “epic” in their brawny compositions. MOAR epic is always better, so will Rogue Angels smite the wimps and posers with trve fucking metal? Let’s measure the heavenly mass.

Reduced to a power trio this time out, Starlight Ritual bring the heavy metal thunder on grandiose opener “Lost Among the Fold.” It opens like epic doom with thundering drums and mammoth, mourning doom riffs lurching before it explodes into a gloriously 80s metal gallop that splits the difference between NWoBHM and the meaner American sounds of 82-84. Frontman Damien Ritual’s booming baritone bellows are perfect for these tales of war and heroism, and he sounds like the love child of Grim Reaper’s sadly departed Steve Grimmett, Paul Di’Anno, and Visigoth’s Jake Rogers. The guitar work by Dan Toupin is so perfectly 80s it causes a time rupture that allowed me to heist several cases of Night Train and Tango from the past (for scientific purposes only). This is the kind of retro metal gem that makes my back hair long and luxurious. And they keep this high quality going with the big, bold title track, which is so goddamn trve that it makes even me feel false by comparison. There’s even a bit of Crypt Sermon in here, but with things sped up for more aggression and urgency. “Crusaders” is another stiff blow to the neck and nutal regions with a raucous, headlong charge into the enemy that’s so damn metal it leaves an unpleasant iron taste in your mouth. If this doesn’t go on your gym playlist, you must be doing pool noodle pilates with the assisted living set.

With such a completely crushing triarch opening the album up, you want the goods to keep coming hot and heavy. There are some bumps as the album unfolds, however, but none of them derail the march on Valhalla. “Far Beyond the Storm” is a meaty metal tidbit but less inspired than its predecessors, and “Omenkillers” is the longest, most aggressive track, but it’s a notch or 2 below the better stuff. Slow burn grinder “Exodus” is moody as fuck and reminds me of the Dio-era Sabbath chesnuts, but it never quite attains that next level. Things are redeemed by killer back-half high notes like “The Law” (which I cannot stop replaying) and “On the Run” (which I also cannot stop replaying), and the overall package is more hunter-killer than filler. The production screams 1982, with the guitar tone perfectly aged and moldy. It sounds and feels olde and elder me values that muchly.

I love Damien Ritual’s vocals. He isn’t blessed with a vast range but makes the most of his raw, rough bellows/rasps, and he can actually sing when he opts to do so. He sounds like a wild barbarian bastard much of the time, and on the faster moments, he channels Paul Di’Anno to the point of creepiness. As or even more essential to the Starlight Ritual sound is the heavily dated guitar phrasing from Dan Toupin. The man knows exactly how to recreate the sounds of the golden age of metal, from the riffs to the harmonies and the way little accents were used as hooks. His playing is the crystal key that unlocks all the nostalgia, and that’s the band’s secret weapon.

Starlight Ritual have their targeted sound and style down cold, and while Rogue Angels isn’t a huge progression from their debut, it shows growth in the writing department. That said, it’s definitely front-loaded, and a few cuts just can’t tow the line with the best moments. This is one of those albums where the good stuff is so good, it carries the weaker bits to end up enjoyable as a whole (see The Number of the Beast for comparison, and yes, you know it’s true). If you hanker for a hunka, a sliver, slab, or chunka 80s metal, Rogue Angels brings the Flaming Sword of Smoting. Get smitten.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: High Roller
Websites: facebook.com/starlightritual | instagram.com/starlightritual
Releases Worldwide: October 31st, 2025

#2025 #35 #CanadianMetal #GrimReaper #HeavyMetal #HighRollerRecords #Manowar #Oct25 #Rainbow #Review #Reviews #RogueAngels #SealedInStarlight #StarlightRitual #TrueMetal #Visigoth

Feanor – Hellhammer Review

By Samguineous Maximus

Within the sprawling cosmos of heavy metal, there are those who shy away from “cheese.” The self-serious arbiters of credibility who cannot fathom the spectacle of a Jørnlike figure, clad in frills, golden mane cascading, arms outstretched as soliloquies of passion pour forth in gloriously ESL-stained accents. Yet for those of us who have dared sail the seas of cheese, who have cast aside the brittle armor of irony, such bombast is not an embarrassment but a revelation, a childlike ecstasy born from grown men shrieking about dragons or Tolkien over galloping power chords as though their lives depended on it. It is precisely for this rapturous abandon, this embrace of the sublime absurd, that we turn to a band like Feanor. These Argentinians have been cultivating their own brand of curd since the ‘90s, and across 5 albums, have basked in the glorious light of Teutonic heavy metal. Their last album, Power of the Chosen One, fermented for perhaps just a tad too long. Still, with some lineup changes, a new label, and an impressive cast of guest musicians, Hellhammer seems poised to deliver them into the gilded halls of heavy metal greatness. Will Feanor at last unveil a wheel aged with patience and depth, or will these hapless cheesemongers find themselves choking on the very aroma they hoped would entice?

The most immediate difference between Hellhammer and Feanor’s previous efforts is the sheer Euro-chad aura emanating from new vocalist Micke Stark. This is a man forged in the fjords, his Swedish accent as thick as a tankard of mead, his tenor piercing the heavens like Odin’s own warhorn. Stark doesn’t just sing; he commands the ship, steering us through Feanor’s cocktail of Manowar’s loincloth bravado, Running Wild’s salt-crusted bombast, and enough ‘90s power metal clichés to fill a longship. He makes even Thomas Winkler sound reserved, and every syllable he chews becomes a weapon in the band’s arsenal. Whether belting absurd tales of brotherly love (“The Epic of Gilgamesh Pt2 (The Quest For Immortality)”), forbidden Elvish/human romance (“The Ballad of Beren and Luthien”) or vague Scandinavian mythology (“Flight of the Valkyries”), Stark sells every line with enough charm where you can almost feel the pyrotechnics. Nowhere is the ESL charm more apparent, though, than “H.M.J,” a folk metal-flavored ripper about miscellaneous pirate stuff, where in between shredtastic solos and cannonball sound effects synched to gang vocals of “Fire! Guns! Cannons!,” its chorus boldly intones: “Heavy metal Jesus, heavy metal is the law” before ending with a tongue-in-cheek reference to “Stay forever Running Wild.” Stark elevates ridiculous moments like this to memorable highs that feel built for drunken sing-alongs at European festivals and almost make row pits seem like a good idea.

None of this vocal cheese would work without a proper boarding party, and Hellhammer boasts an impressive cast of scallywags for maximum HEAVY METAL POWER. 1 Axemen E.V. Martel and Thilio Hermann (appropriately ex-Manowar and ex-Running Wild, respectively) deliver exactly what one would expect of this style, nailing the distinct blend of galloping verse riffs, tasty lead melodies, and acrobatic solos. Their work is bolstered by newcomer Diana Boncheva on violin, injecting an orchestral feel to Feanor’s core sound by harmonizing with guitar lines, augmenting choruses, and rounding out ballads with some dynamic contrast. Of course, Hellhammer also features no fewer than 9 guest musicians, ranging from more ex-Manowar guitarists Ross the Boss and David Shankle, who throw even more lead guitar layers in the pot, to Piet Sielck of Iron Savior, embellishing arrangements with keyboards and choirs, to Camilla Star,k who delivers female vocals on several cuts. The added cast members lends the album an epic heft, like a band of grizzled adventurers converging for one last quest. When everything comes together, like on adrenaline-filled opener “Sirens of Death” or mid-tempo singalong “Remember the Fallen,” Feanor reach the majestic heights that only cheese this pungent can produce. Unfortunately, not every track is equally alluring.The problem is, Hellhammer just doesn’t know when to quit. At nearly 70 minutes, even the most heroic momentum falters. Feanor try to mix things up with interludes and slower songs, and while some work, they can’t prevent fatigue from setting in. With most tracks running 5–7 minutes, songs start to blur, and by the time track eight (“Maglor the Singer”) rolls around, the weight of the remaining 20+ minutes feels daunting. The album’s final stretch doesn’t help, ending with a ballad (“The Ballad of Beren and Luthien”) and a slower number (“This One’s for You”) that fizzle out instead of finishing strong. The length doesn’t erase the album’s brightest moments, but it does make front-to-back listens a heavy lift.

With Hellhammer, Feanor have produced an impressive collection of fist-pumping tunes that are destined to make seasoned cheese heads grin. Despite its intimidating size, I still find myself reaching for another serving of the band’s exquisite platter. The best songs here are going right into my cheese-maxing playlist alongside Dream Evil and ANGUS McSIX, destined to cheer me up on the darkest of days. This record isn’t perfect, but sometimes it’s nice to rock out alongside metal that’s so unabashedly fun. Even bloated and overstuffed, this album is a banquet worth raiding, a wheel of cheese worth gnawing until your stomach protests, a voyage you’ll happily set sail on again and again.

Rating: Good!
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: No Remorse Records
Websites: facebook.com/feanorband
Releases Worldwide: September 19th, 2025

Show 1 footnote

1. Belted in your best implacable Euro accent. ↩

#2025 #30 #AngusMcSix #ArgentinianMetal #DreamEvil #Feanor #GraveDigger #HeavyMetal #Hellhammer #IronSavior #Manowar #NoRemorseRecords #PowerMetal #Review #Reviews #RunningWild #Sep25 #Stormburner

Judicator – Concord Review

By Iceberg

Seven albums into their career, Utah’s Judicator are back with another platter of American power metal designed to raise both your horns and your calorie load. Originally the epitome of Blind Guardian worship, Judicator began moving away from their Hansi-centric style with the departure of founding guitarist Alicia Cordisco in 2022. This coincided with the release of The Majesty of Decay, an album that saw Judicator adding prog to their power core, a move that satisfied the Eye of Holden but didn’t sit so well with resident power metal maven Eldritch. Their latest LP, Concord, has Judicator tackling the American West, a mythos that’s rightfully earned its reputation as good, bad, and ugly. With this timely subject matter in tow, can Judicator and sole remaining founder John Yellend find their new voice in power metal, or will they leave us looking over our shoulders at better days and greener shores?

Judicator remain a reliable band for fans of quality, USDA Choice Power, while managing to streamline their songwriting approach. The orchestral grandiosity of Blind Guardians meets the rabid thrashing of Iced Earth, but this time around there’s a more straightforward, heavy metal sensibility not unlike genre titans Judas Priest or Iron Maiden. Gone are the long, experimental windings of The Majesty of Decay, and in their place are truncated song structures, sharpened riffcraft, and a renewed focus on powerful, hooky choruses. Yellend’s bright tenor carries the brunt of the workload here, shining in the barreling, traditional power metal moments (“Call Us Out Of Slumber,” “Concord”) but sounding slightly out of place in the slower, quieter passages (“Johannah’s Song,” “Hold Your Smile”). Yellend’s lyrics seem genuine, though, relating tales of lost valor (“Call Us Out Of Slumber”), the call of the wilderness (“Sawtooth”), the massacre at Wounded Knee (“Imperial”), and Cormac McCarthy’s harrowing epic Blood Meridian, an apt epilogue for an album about the scarring legacy of Manifest Destiny.

For all their pushing and rearranging of the genre envelope, Judicator are still a power metal band at the end of the day, and they shall be judged on the memorability of their hooks. I’m happy to report that after shying away from the magic of the chorus on The Majesty of Decay, the earworms have made a triumphant return. Singalong anthems pepper the album, less cheesy than the Italian variety and more like the unabashed brawniness of Manowar or last year’s Nemedian Chronicles (“Sawtooth,” “Hold Your Smile,” “Concord”). The riffs on Concord eschew the lightning-fast runs one might expect from Dragonforce-core and opt for a grounded, foot-stomping aesthetic that fits neatly into the album’s concept (“Imperial,” “A Miracle of Life”). Replayability is also helped by the album’s editing, running 51 minutes across 9 tracks, with a closing epic whose structure is well executed, justifying its runtime (“Blood Meridian”).

Concord feels like a turn in the right direction for Judicator, but it hasn’t fully avoided the pitfalls of its core genre. While the album is stuffed with some real crowd-pleasers, some songs don’t quite make the same impression as their brethren. The relentless major key optimism of “Johannah’s Song” feels like a musical idea that hasn’t been fully formed, and the narrative-dependent “Weeping Willow” never seems to find its footing. Tracks set up in a storytelling format often have clunky lyrics, a little too on-the-nose, and fall prey to power metal’s reputation for cringe (“Johannah’s Song,” “Weeping Willow,” “Hold Your Smile”). But Judicator succeed in channeling a genuine love for their genre on the lion’s share of Concord, and its hard to be untouched by their infectious enthusiasm.

Concord represents a laudatory return to form for Judicator. Cuts like “Call Us Out Of Slumber,” “Sawtooth,” and the embedded title track have monster choruses that threaten to secure slots on my SOTY playlist, and the album as a whole has the gift of memorability. While not breaking any new ground, it feels as if Judicator have finally found the feet to stand on since losing Cordisco, and not a moment too soon. Some may find the closing scene of “Blood Meridian”–ripped straight from the epilogue of the book–a bit hokey, but I think it sums up Judicator’s current state nicely. As the din of fiddles and revelry thickens, Judge Holden whips the bar patrons into an inebriated frenzy and repeats, endlessly, with a menacing snarl, “I will never die.”

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: WAV
Label: Self-Release
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: March 28th, 2024

#2024 #35 #BlindGuardian #Concord #HeavyMetal #IcedEarth #JudasPriest #Judicator #Manowar #Mar24 #NemedianChronicles #PowerMetal #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #USMetal

Judicator – Concord Review

By Iceberg

Seven albums into their career, Utah’s Judicator are back with another platter of American power metal designed to raise both your horns and your calorie load. Originally the epitome of Blind Guardian worship, Judicator began moving away from their Hansi-centric style with the departure of founding guitarist Alicia Cordisco in 2022. This coincided with the release of The Majesty of Decay, an album that saw Judicator adding prog to their power core, a move that satisfied the Eye of Holden but didn’t sit so well with resident power metal maven Eldritch. Their latest LP, Concord, has Judicator tackling the American West, a mythos that’s rightfully earned its reputation as good, bad, and ugly. With this timely subject matter in tow, can Judicator and sole remaining founder John Yellend find their new voice in power metal, or will they leave us looking over our shoulders at better days and greener shores?

Judicator remain a reliable band for fans of quality, USDA Choice Power, while managing to streamline their songwriting approach. The orchestral grandiosity of Blind Guardians meets the rabid thrashing of Iced Earth, but this time around there’s a more straightforward, heavy metal sensibility not unlike genre titans Judas Priest or Iron Maiden. Gone are the long, experimental windings of The Majesty of Decay, and in their place are truncated song structures, sharpened riffcraft, and a renewed focus on powerful, hooky choruses. Yellend’s bright tenor carries the brunt of the workload here, shining in the barreling, traditional power metal moments (“Call Us Out Of Slumber,” “Concord”) but sounding slightly out of place in the slower, quieter passages (“Johannah’s Song,” “Hold Your Smile”). Yellend’s lyrics seem genuine, though, relating tales of lost valor (“Call Us Out Of Slumber”), the call of the wilderness (“Sawtooth”), the massacre at Wounded Knee (“Imperial”), and Cormac McCarthy’s harrowing epic Blood Meridian, an apt epilogue for an album about the scarring legacy of Manifest Destiny.

For all their pushing and rearranging of the genre envelope, Judicator are still a power metal band at the end of the day, and they shall be judged on the memorability of their hooks. I’m happy to report that after shying away from the magic of the chorus on The Majesty of Decay, the earworms have made a triumphant return. Singalong anthems pepper the album, less cheesy than the Italian variety and more like the unabashed brawniness of Manowar or last year’s Nemedian Chronicles (“Sawtooth,” “Hold Your Smile,” “Concord”). The riffs on Concord eschew the lightning-fast runs one might expect from Dragonforce-core and opt for a grounded, foot-stomping aesthetic that fits neatly into the album’s concept (“Imperial,” “A Miracle of Life”). Replayability is also helped by the album’s editing, running 51 minutes across 9 tracks, with a closing epic whose structure is well executed, justifying its runtime (“Blood Meridian”).

Concord feels like a turn in the right direction for Judicator, but it hasn’t fully avoided the pitfalls of its core genre. While the album is stuffed with some real crowd-pleasers, some songs don’t quite make the same impression as their brethren. The relentless major key optimism of “Johannah’s Song” feels like a musical idea that hasn’t been fully formed, and the narrative-dependent “Weeping Willow” never seems to find its footing. Tracks set up in a storytelling format often have clunky lyrics, a little too on-the-nose, and fall prey to power metal’s reputation for cringe (“Johannah’s Song,” “Weeping Willow,” “Hold Your Smile”). But Judicator succeed in channeling a genuine love for their genre on the lion’s share of Concord, and its hard to be untouched by their infectious enthusiasm.

Concord represents a laudatory return to form for Judicator. Cuts like “Call Us Out Of Slumber,” “Sawtooth,” and the embedded title track have monster choruses that threaten to secure slots on my SOTY playlist, and the album as a whole has the gift of memorability. While not breaking any new ground, it feels as if Judicator have finally found the feet to stand on since losing Cordisco, and not a moment too soon. Some may find the closing scene of “Blood Meridian”–ripped straight from the epilogue of the book–a bit hokey, but I think it sums up Judicator’s current state nicely. As the din of fiddles and revelry thickens, Judge Holden whips the bar patrons into an inebriated frenzy and repeats, endlessly, with a menacing snarl, “I will never die.”

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: WAV
Label: Self-Release
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: March 28th, 2024

#2024 #35 #BlindGuardian #Concord #HeavyMetal #IcedEarth #JudasPriest #Judicator #Manowar #Mar24 #NemedianChronicles #PowerMetal #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #USMetal

Judicator – Concord Review

By Iceberg

Seven albums into their career, Utah’s Judicator are back with another platter of American power metal designed to raise both your horns and your calorie load. Originally the epitome of Blind Guardian worship, Judicator began moving away from their Hansi-centric style with the departure of founding guitarist Alicia Cordisco in 2022. This coincided with the release of The Majesty of Decay, an album that saw Judicator adding prog to their power core, a move that satisfied the Eye of Holden but didn’t sit so well with resident power metal maven Eldritch. Their latest LP, Concord, has Judicator tackling the American West, a mythos that’s rightfully earned its reputation as good, bad, and ugly. With this timely subject matter in tow, can Judicator and sole remaining founder John Yellend find their new voice in power metal, or will they leave us looking over our shoulders at better days and greener shores?

Judicator remain a reliable band for fans of quality, USDA Choice Power, while managing to streamline their songwriting approach. The orchestral grandiosity of Blind Guardians meets the rabid thrashing of Iced Earth, but this time around there’s a more straightforward, heavy metal sensibility not unlike genre titans Judas Priest or Iron Maiden. Gone are the long, experimental windings of The Majesty of Decay, and in their place are truncated song structures, sharpened riffcraft, and a renewed focus on powerful, hooky choruses. Yellend’s bright tenor carries the brunt of the workload here, shining in the barreling, traditional power metal moments (“Call Us Out Of Slumber,” “Concord”) but sounding slightly out of place in the slower, quieter passages (“Johannah’s Song,” “Hold Your Smile”). Yellend’s lyrics seem genuine, though, relating tales of lost valor (“Call Us Out Of Slumber”), the call of the wilderness (“Sawtooth”), the massacre at Wounded Knee (“Imperial”), and Cormac McCarthy’s harrowing epic Blood Meridian, an apt epilogue for an album about the scarring legacy of Manifest Destiny.

For all their pushing and rearranging of the genre envelope, Judicator are still a power metal band at the end of the day, and they shall be judged on the memorability of their hooks. I’m happy to report that after shying away from the magic of the chorus on The Majesty of Decay, the earworms have made a triumphant return. Singalong anthems pepper the album, less cheesy than the Italian variety and more like the unabashed brawniness of Manowar or last year’s Nemedian Chronicles (“Sawtooth,” “Hold Your Smile,” “Concord”). The riffs on Concord eschew the lightning-fast runs one might expect from Dragonforce-core and opt for a grounded, foot-stomping aesthetic that fits neatly into the album’s concept (“Imperial,” “A Miracle of Life”). Replayability is also helped by the album’s editing, running 51 minutes across 9 tracks, with a closing epic whose structure is well executed, justifying its runtime (“Blood Meridian”).

Concord feels like a turn in the right direction for Judicator, but it hasn’t fully avoided the pitfalls of its core genre. While the album is stuffed with some real crowd-pleasers, some songs don’t quite make the same impression as their brethren. The relentless major key optimism of “Johannah’s Song” feels like a musical idea that hasn’t been fully formed, and the narrative-dependent “Weeping Willow” never seems to find its footing. Tracks set up in a storytelling format often have clunky lyrics, a little too on-the-nose, and fall prey to power metal’s reputation for cringe (“Johannah’s Song,” “Weeping Willow,” “Hold Your Smile”). But Judicator succeed in channeling a genuine love for their genre on the lion’s share of Concord, and its hard to be untouched by their infectious enthusiasm.

Concord represents a laudatory return to form for Judicator. Cuts like “Call Us Out Of Slumber,” “Sawtooth,” and the embedded title track have monster choruses that threaten to secure slots on my SOTY playlist, and the album as a whole has the gift of memorability. While not breaking any new ground, it feels as if Judicator have finally found the feet to stand on since losing Cordisco, and not a moment too soon. Some may find the closing scene of “Blood Meridian”–ripped straight from the epilogue of the book–a bit hokey, but I think it sums up Judicator’s current state nicely. As the din of fiddles and revelry thickens, Judge Holden whips the bar patrons into an inebriated frenzy and repeats, endlessly, with a menacing snarl, “I will never die.”

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: WAV
Label: Self-Release
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: March 28th, 2024

#2024 #35 #BlindGuardian #Concord #HeavyMetal #IcedEarth #JudasPriest #Judicator #Manowar #Mar24 #NemedianChronicles #PowerMetal #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #USMetal

Judicator – Concord Review

By Iceberg

Seven albums into their career, Utah’s Judicator are back with another platter of American power metal designed to raise both your horns and your calorie load. Originally the epitome of Blind Guardian worship, Judicator began moving away from their Hansi-centric style with the departure of founding guitarist Alicia Cordisco in 2022. This coincided with the release of The Majesty of Decay, an album that saw Judicator adding prog to their power core, a move that satisfied the Eye of Holden but didn’t sit so well with resident power metal maven Eldritch. Their latest LP, Concord, has Judicator tackling the American West, a mythos that’s rightfully earned its reputation as good, bad, and ugly. With this timely subject matter in tow, can Judicator and sole remaining founder John Yellend find their new voice in power metal, or will they leave us looking over our shoulders at better days and greener shores?

Judicator remain a reliable band for fans of quality, USDA Choice Power, while managing to streamline their songwriting approach. The orchestral grandiosity of Blind Guardians meets the rabid thrashing of Iced Earth, but this time around there’s a more straightforward, heavy metal sensibility not unlike genre titans Judas Priest or Iron Maiden. Gone are the long, experimental windings of The Majesty of Decay, and in their place are truncated song structures, sharpened riffcraft, and a renewed focus on powerful, hooky choruses. Yellend’s bright tenor carries the brunt of the workload here, shining in the barreling, traditional power metal moments (“Call Us Out Of Slumber,” “Concord”) but sounding slightly out of place in the slower, quieter passages (“Johannah’s Song,” “Hold Your Smile”). Yellend’s lyrics seem genuine, though, relating tales of lost valor (“Call Us Out Of Slumber”), the call of the wilderness (“Sawtooth”), the massacre at Wounded Knee (“Imperial”), and Cormac McCarthy’s harrowing epic Blood Meridian, an apt epilogue for an album about the scarring legacy of Manifest Destiny.

For all their pushing and rearranging of the genre envelope, Judicator are still a power metal band at the end of the day, and they shall be judged on the memorability of their hooks. I’m happy to report that after shying away from the magic of the chorus on The Majesty of Decay, the earworms have made a triumphant return. Singalong anthems pepper the album, less cheesy than the Italian variety and more like the unabashed brawniness of Manowar or last year’s Nemedian Chronicles (“Sawtooth,” “Hold Your Smile,” “Concord”). The riffs on Concord eschew the lightning-fast runs one might expect from Dragonforce-core and opt for a grounded, foot-stomping aesthetic that fits neatly into the album’s concept (“Imperial,” “A Miracle of Life”). Replayability is also helped by the album’s editing, running 51 minutes across 9 tracks, with a closing epic whose structure is well executed, justifying its runtime (“Blood Meridian”).

Concord feels like a turn in the right direction for Judicator, but it hasn’t fully avoided the pitfalls of its core genre. While the album is stuffed with some real crowd-pleasers, some songs don’t quite make the same impression as their brethren. The relentless major key optimism of “Johannah’s Song” feels like a musical idea that hasn’t been fully formed, and the narrative-dependent “Weeping Willow” never seems to find its footing. Tracks set up in a storytelling format often have clunky lyrics, a little too on-the-nose, and fall prey to power metal’s reputation for cringe (“Johannah’s Song,” “Weeping Willow,” “Hold Your Smile”). But Judicator succeed in channeling a genuine love for their genre on the lion’s share of Concord, and its hard to be untouched by their infectious enthusiasm.

Concord represents a laudatory return to form for Judicator. Cuts like “Call Us Out Of Slumber,” “Sawtooth,” and the embedded title track have monster choruses that threaten to secure slots on my SOTY playlist, and the album as a whole has the gift of memorability. While not breaking any new ground, it feels as if Judicator have finally found the feet to stand on since losing Cordisco, and not a moment too soon. Some may find the closing scene of “Blood Meridian”–ripped straight from the epilogue of the book–a bit hokey, but I think it sums up Judicator’s current state nicely. As the din of fiddles and revelry thickens, Judge Holden whips the bar patrons into an inebriated frenzy and repeats, endlessly, with a menacing snarl, “I will never die.”

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: WAV
Label: Self-Release
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: March 28th, 2024

#2024 #35 #BlindGuardian #Concord #HeavyMetal #IcedEarth #JudasPriest #Judicator #Manowar #Mar24 #NemedianChronicles #PowerMetal #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #USMetal

η Μελίσσα μας βγήκε die hard μανογουορού ​:hammer:​

#sonja #unplugged after party at #rising_heavy_metal_bar
#manowar #heart_of_steel

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BraveWords
Today In Metal History 🤘 July 1st, 2023🤘NAPALM DEATH, EXODUS, WHITE LION, CANNIBAL CORPSE, MANOWAR, WOLF HOFFMANN

https://bravewords.com/news/today-in-metal-history-july-1st-2023napalm-death-exodus-white-lion-cannibal-corpse-manowar-wolf-hoffmann

#WhiteLion #CannibalCorpse #Manowar #NapalmDeath #WillieDixon #MelGalley #RickHunolt #RoddyBottum #VitoBratta

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BLABBERMOUTH
MANOWAR's ERIC ADAMS: 'If You Believe In What You're Going To Do, Nothing Will Be In Your Way'

https://blabbermouth.net/news/manowars-eric-adams-if-you-believe-in-what-youre-going-to-do-nothing-will-be-in-your-way

#EricAdams #MANOWAR #Brotherhood #RoughTouring #BelieveInYourCalling #SucceedInWhatYoureDoing #OvercomingChallenges

Drungi – Hamfarir Hugans Review

By GardensTale

I love ‘for fans of’ or ‘related artists’ shorthands. In lieu of the endless genre discussions, it’s a great shortcut to match potential fans with new music. It has its shortcomings, of course; for one, you need to actually know the bands to get a feeling for whether it might be up your alley. Furthermore, bands can abuse it by referencing a bunch of popular bands, even when their style is only tangentially related. Case in point: the promo sheet for Drungi’s self-released debut Hamfarir Hugans included such a baffling spread in their FFO, I was immediately skeptical. Sólstafir, Skálmöld, Black Sabbath, Gojira and Manowar. What on Earth could possibly sound like all of those at the same time?

Against all odds, Hamfarir Hugans actually manages to tick most of those boxes in one way or another, without losing any cohesion. The first reference is the nearest kin: Sólstafir’s bleak mood and post-folk-metal textures are recognizable right away. But instead of despondent icy landscapes, Drungi uses that palette to draw crude cave paintings of primitive war and dark rituals. The coarse vocals recall their countrymen’s typical style of black metal, but the staccato delivery, occasional cleans and female backing vocals give a more tribal, primal vibe. As do the riffs, which are relatively simple and straightforward, but contain a marching, warlike spirit that fit perfectly with the band’s sonic aesthetics. The band doesn’t neatly fall into one genre or another, containing elements of traditional-, epic doom-, folk- and black metal, conglomerating into a sound that might appeal to Hangman’s Chair fans in addition to all the above.1

Of course, the most important is whether Hamfarir Hugans is any good, and I can happily confirm that once more! Opener “Alda” serves as a kind of microcosm for the album at large, serving a somewhat repetitious riff with enough verve and spirit to stave off the threat of repetitiveness, including whispers and female chants for atmosphere, and a more traditional-hewing solo that breaks up the track nicely. This kind of simple but mature songwriting is key across the record, along with a consistency in the performances that implies the band members have much more experience making music than their empty Metal Archives histories account for. A hazard of a young band with a very particular sound is over-reliance on the sound without accounting for variation between tracks, but Drungi know to compensate for that. Mid-paced stompers like the opener contrast with higher charges like “Skjálfti” or “Ófærð,” and the melodic solos provide a nice change of pace.

Even so, the band never dips into either outright doom- or speed metal pacing, keeping a tight grip on the reins. Perhaps a bit too tight, as my sole nit to pick with Hamfarir Hugans would be an unadventurous spirit. That may sound odd when I’ve spent so much time building up the band’s unique sound, but my gripe is less with the album as a whole as it is with the progression of each track individually. It’s a consequence of the focus on that primal sound, where each track is primarily centered around one central riff that varies little as the song goes on, keeping the pacing, energy and atmosphere largely stagnant from the beginning of the track to the end. That’s part of what makes the solos so effective a break, too. There’s evidence Drungi is aware of this flaw; “Kvika” introduces a nice break in the middle and builds toward the solo from there, but then returns to its main riff unnecessarily at the end.

Still, it’s a petty complaint, especially for a band who have managed to dig out a niche of their own with a unique yet cohesive sound and solid performances for their first and unsigned album. It speaks of a combination of lethal talent, inspiration, and a hell of a working ethic. I hope Drungi is willing to dig deep and mine the most out of its style, because this outfit has the potential to go very far indeed. Hamfarir Hugans is just the first step.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-released
Websites: drungi.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/drungiiceland
Releases Worldwide: April 5th, 2024

#2024 #35 #BlackSabbath #DoomMetal #Drungi #FolkMetal #Gojira #HamfarirHugans #HangmanSChair #HeavyMetal #IcelandicMetal #Manowar #Mar24 #Review #Reviews #SelfReleased #Skálmöld #Solstafir

Drungi – Hamfarir Hugans Review

By GardensTale

I love ‘for fans of’ or ‘related artists’ shorthands. In lieu of the endless genre discussions, it’s a great shortcut to match potential fans with new music. It has its shortcomings, of course; for one, you need to actually know the bands to get a feeling for whether it might be up your alley. Furthermore, bands can abuse it by referencing a bunch of popular bands, even when their style is only tangentially related. Case in point: the promo sheet for Drungi’s self-released debut Hamfarir Hugans included such a baffling spread in their FFO, I was immediately skeptical. Sólstafir, Skálmöld, Black Sabbath, Gojira and Manowar. What on Earth could possibly sound like all of those at the same time?

Against all odds, Hamfarir Hugans actually manages to tick most of those boxes in one way or another, without losing any cohesion. The first reference is the nearest kin: Sólstafir’s bleak mood and post-folk-metal textures are recognizable right away. But instead of despondent icy landscapes, Drungi uses that palette to draw crude cave paintings of primitive war and dark rituals. The coarse vocals recall their countrymen’s typical style of black metal, but the staccato delivery, occasional cleans and female backing vocals give a more tribal, primal vibe. As do the riffs, which are relatively simple and straightforward, but contain a marching, warlike spirit that fit perfectly with the band’s sonic aesthetics. The band doesn’t neatly fall into one genre or another, containing elements of traditional-, epic doom-, folk- and black metal, conglomerating into a sound that might appeal to Hangman’s Chair fans in addition to all the above.1

Of course, the most important is whether Hamfarir Hugans is any good, and I can happily confirm that once more! Opener “Alda” serves as a kind of microcosm for the album at large, serving a somewhat repetitious riff with enough verve and spirit to stave off the threat of repetitiveness, including whispers and female chants for atmosphere, and a more traditional-hewing solo that breaks up the track nicely. This kind of simple but mature songwriting is key across the record, along with a consistency in the performances that implies the band members have much more experience making music than their empty Metal Archives histories account for. A hazard of a young band with a very particular sound is over-reliance on the sound without accounting for variation between tracks, but Drungi know to compensate for that. Mid-paced stompers like the opener contrast with higher charges like “Skjálfti” or “Ófærð,” and the melodic solos provide a nice change of pace.

Even so, the band never dips into either outright doom- or speed metal pacing, keeping a tight grip on the reins. Perhaps a bit too tight, as my sole nit to pick with Hamfarir Hugans would be an unadventurous spirit. That may sound odd when I’ve spent so much time building up the band’s unique sound, but my gripe is less with the album as a whole as it is with the progression of each track individually. It’s a consequence of the focus on that primal sound, where each track is primarily centered around one central riff that varies little as the song goes on, keeping the pacing, energy and atmosphere largely stagnant from the beginning of the track to the end. That’s part of what makes the solos so effective a break, too. There’s evidence Drungi is aware of this flaw; “Kvika” introduces a nice break in the middle and builds toward the solo from there, but then returns to its main riff unnecessarily at the end.

Still, it’s a petty complaint, especially for a band who have managed to dig out a niche of their own with a unique yet cohesive sound and solid performances for their first and unsigned album. It speaks of a combination of lethal talent, inspiration, and a hell of a working ethic. I hope Drungi is willing to dig deep and mine the most out of its style, because this outfit has the potential to go very far indeed. Hamfarir Hugans is just the first step.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-released
Websites: drungi.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/drungiiceland
Releases Worldwide: April 5th, 2024

#2024 #35 #BlackSabbath #DoomMetal #Drungi #FolkMetal #Gojira #HamfarirHugans #HangmanSChair #HeavyMetal #IcelandicMetal #Manowar #Mar24 #Review #Reviews #SelfReleased #Skálmöld #Solstafir

Drungi – Hamfarir Hugans Review

By GardensTale

I love ‘for fans of’ or ‘related artists’ shorthands. In lieu of the endless genre discussions, it’s a great shortcut to match potential fans with new music. It has its shortcomings, of course; for one, you need to actually know the bands to get a feeling for whether it might be up your alley. Furthermore, bands can abuse it by referencing a bunch of popular bands, even when their style is only tangentially related. Case in point: the promo sheet for Drungi’s self-released debut Hamfarir Hugans included such a baffling spread in their FFO, I was immediately skeptical. Sólstafir, Skálmöld, Black Sabbath, Gojira and Manowar. What on Earth could possibly sound like all of those at the same time?

Against all odds, Hamfarir Hugans actually manages to tick most of those boxes in one way or another, without losing any cohesion. The first reference is the nearest kin: Sólstafir’s bleak mood and post-folk-metal textures are recognizable right away. But instead of despondent icy landscapes, Drungi uses that palette to draw crude cave paintings of primitive war and dark rituals. The coarse vocals recall their countrymen’s typical style of black metal, but the staccato delivery, occasional cleans and female backing vocals give a more tribal, primal vibe. As do the riffs, which are relatively simple and straightforward, but contain a marching, warlike spirit that fit perfectly with the band’s sonic aesthetics. The band doesn’t neatly fall into one genre or another, containing elements of traditional-, epic doom-, folk- and black metal, conglomerating into a sound that might appeal to Hangman’s Chair fans in addition to all the above.1

Of course, the most important is whether Hamfarir Hugans is any good, and I can happily confirm that once more! Opener “Alda” serves as a kind of microcosm for the album at large, serving a somewhat repetitious riff with enough verve and spirit to stave off the threat of repetitiveness, including whispers and female chants for atmosphere, and a more traditional-hewing solo that breaks up the track nicely. This kind of simple but mature songwriting is key across the record, along with a consistency in the performances that implies the band members have much more experience making music than their empty Metal Archives histories account for. A hazard of a young band with a very particular sound is over-reliance on the sound without accounting for variation between tracks, but Drungi know to compensate for that. Mid-paced stompers like the opener contrast with higher charges like “Skjálfti” or “Ófærð,” and the melodic solos provide a nice change of pace.

Even so, the band never dips into either outright doom- or speed metal pacing, keeping a tight grip on the reins. Perhaps a bit too tight, as my sole nit to pick with Hamfarir Hugans would be an unadventurous spirit. That may sound odd when I’ve spent so much time building up the band’s unique sound, but my gripe is less with the album as a whole as it is with the progression of each track individually. It’s a consequence of the focus on that primal sound, where each track is primarily centered around one central riff that varies little as the song goes on, keeping the pacing, energy and atmosphere largely stagnant from the beginning of the track to the end. That’s part of what makes the solos so effective a break, too. There’s evidence Drungi is aware of this flaw; “Kvika” introduces a nice break in the middle and builds toward the solo from there, but then returns to its main riff unnecessarily at the end.

Still, it’s a petty complaint, especially for a band who have managed to dig out a niche of their own with a unique yet cohesive sound and solid performances for their first and unsigned album. It speaks of a combination of lethal talent, inspiration, and a hell of a working ethic. I hope Drungi is willing to dig deep and mine the most out of its style, because this outfit has the potential to go very far indeed. Hamfarir Hugans is just the first step.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-released
Websites: drungi.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/drungiiceland
Releases Worldwide: April 5th, 2024

#2024 #35 #BlackSabbath #DoomMetal #Drungi #FolkMetal #Gojira #HamfarirHugans #HangmanSChair #HeavyMetal #IcelandicMetal #Manowar #Mar24 #Review #Reviews #SelfReleased #Skálmöld #Solstafir

#30daysongchallenge day 15: a song you like that is a cover by another artist

I think I'm opting here for one of the best ensemble metal recordings in years.

I'm going for #Feuerschwanz's fantastic cover of #manowar's "Warrior's of the world" featuring #MelissaBonny, #SaltatioMortis and #gloryhammer's #AngusMcfife

https://youtu.be/-rKOoM7S6mw

PREVIEW: X-O MANOWAR UNCONQUERED #1
Warrior. Slave. Liberator. King. Aric of Dacia has lived many lives. Now his past, present, and future collide as Valiant’s X-O MANOWAR returns in an unforgettable new series.

• Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad, and Liam Sharp bring X-O Manowar to new planets, old villains, and brutal destinies.

• X-O Manowar is alone in space and stranded on a distant...
https://www.comiccrusaders.com/preview-x-o-manowar-unconquered-1/
#aric #comics #manowar #valiant #xo