#mystic-prophecy — Public Fediverse posts

Gus G. is a busy man. For some odd 25 years and counting, the Greek guitarist has not only been running his own band Firewind but also contributed to many notable heavy/power metal acts’ beginnings, such as early Mystic Prophecy and Dream Evil. And somehow on top of that, he’s even managed to fit in five solo albums during that time! Steel Burner becomes the sixth album under the Gus G. moniker, the first since 2021’s very fun Quantum Leap. I was a big fan of Firewind’s energetic 2020 comeback and enjoyed 2024’s anthemic rock-oriented Stand United plenty as well. How does Steel Burner compare to his other recent works, and were any Steel Druhm’s harmed in the making?1

Gus has proven himself to be a very potent guitarist since the early ’00s, and Steel Burner’s strand of heavy metal offers a good general gist of the instrumental and solo craft he’s known for. The album doesn’t steer too far off Quantum Leap’s core in this regard. Gus’s natural bend towards ’80s rock and metal shows up in full force once again, containing Yngwie and Blackmore-esque guitar hero cheese (“What If,” “Closure”) in terms of both shred and soulful play. A surprising highlight is “Advent” with its interesting djent-ish influences by way of downtuned 2010s rhythm guitar work. It pans out much better than one might think and makes for a refreshing listen in an album full of otherwise expected source material.

The other side of Steel Burner is the record’s confusing flow and identity, the guest vocalist tracks being at odds with the instrumental songs. Whereas Quantum Leap was fully instrumental, Steel Burner contains a theoretically balanced set of five tracks with vocals and five instrumentals. This intentional variety quickly ends up working against itself. Doro (Doro, ex-Warlock) and Matt Barlow (ex-Iced Earth, ex-Pyramaze) are both starting to show their age, delivering some good lines but flat choruses (“Nothing Can Break Me,” “Dancing with Death”). The suddenly enervated instrumentation exacerbates the quality contrast between Steel Burner’s different aspects. Fortunately, the back half fares better. Vocal mercenaries Ronnie Romero (ex-Rainbow) and Dino Jelusić lend stronger performances on better, more AOR-adjacent tracks (“My Premonition,” “No One Has to Know”), and I wouldn’t mind Gus working with Ronnie more often based on “My Premonition.” Aside from the vocal-instrumental clash, the drums are a sticking point. Gus’s drum programming on the aforementioned tracks is solid, but Quantum Leap’s guest drumming proves that more varied and potent percussion would have helped make these songs much more lively.

Much like Jeff Waters (Annihilator), Gus G. is an excellent guitarist who is usually better when sharing vocals-forward songwriting reins with other people. Steel Burner tends to repeat some of his early-career hiccups with Mystic Prophecy, where the rhythm guitar tends to be underdeveloped and the songs oddly stripped-down without the choruses compensating for it. Gus is very good at crafting colorful instrumental compositions (“Advent,” “Confession”) or even standard power metal tracks at higher BPMs (“Kill the Pain” on Firewind’s self-titled, “Escape from Tomorrow” all the way back on Forged by Fire), but making a ‘normal’ mid-paced track with vocals often requires some extra hands alongside him. Firewind’s two most recent records are proof of this, and the positive effect of a consistent powerhouse vocalist like Herbie Langhans is undeniably lacking here.

Steel Burner has its bright spots, but ends up feeling like two EPs in a bar fight. It mashes together parts of Quantum Leap and Stand United, and both halves unfortunately suffer as a result. While nothing on the record is strictly off-putting, the instrumental side is clearly the better and more inspired one, containing the usual guitar goodness you would expect from Gus. Even so, one listen to Quantum Leap’s title track exposes Steel Burner’s general lack of urgency compared to prior works. Grab most of the instrumental tracks and “My Premonition,” and you’ve got a solid EP! Despite the overall experience being hit-and-miss, I still respect Gus’s work ethic, and I’ll be gladly waiting to see what he comes up with next.

Rating: Mixed
DR: Nope! | Format Reviewed: Alas, poor Stream!
Label: Metal Department
Websites: gusgofficial.com | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: April 24th, 2026

Straddling the line between power metal and thrash, Anubis returns two years removed from their debut to unveil full-length follow-up Anthromorphicide. According to the promo materials,1 this translates to ‘the death of the human form,’ with Anubis mastermind Devin Reiche (Hatchet) clarifying that Anthromorphicide captures a band in flux as they ‘evolve in real time.’ Anubis formed back in 2018, and between then and now, they’ve released six EPs as well as 2024 LP Dark Paradise. The band maintains a steady course with Anthromorphicide, yet power thrash is niche enough that newer bands struggle to escape comparisons to its cornerstones (namely, Iced Earth). Given Anubis’ claim of continuously maturing their sound, how far do they extend past the limits imposed by themselves and the genre?

Anthromorphicide brims with influences and inspirations, yet Anubis transcends mere mimicry. Instead, they call upon dozens of bands to inform a love letter to the fusion of power and thrash. Most immediately, Anubis’ theatrics remind me of Helloween, with Reiche’s vocals sidling comfortably between Kiske and Mystic Prophecy’s R.D. Liapakis. Musically, Anthromorphicide traverses a varied landscape, covering the likes of Kreator’s rabid power thrash attack (“Anthromorphicide,” “Reptile Eyes”), Persuader’s sprightly riffing (“Nuclear Dawn”), and DragonForce’s knack for hooky choruses and histrionics (“Celestial,” “Battalion”). And going back to Iced Earth, “Ancient at Birth” could slot nicely into one of the Something Wicked installments. Even with all these reference points, though, Anubis manages to craft an engaging affair that injects the familiar into an original and diverse collection of songs.

Considering the lineup turbulence Anubis has weathered, Anthromorphicide evinces a natural progression. Each of their releases combines power metal’s anthemic songwriting with thrash’s chugs and aggressive riffing, and while Anthromorphicide is no different, it feels more vibrant and deliberate. Fun abounds when songs strong-arm listeners into singing along, such as the “Moonchild”like opening to “Ancient at Birth” or the candy-coated, synth-driven bop “My Favorite Cage,” elevated by Zhariah’s guest vocals. Anthromorphicide isn’t chintzy, singalong cheese, though, and Anubis adds plenty of heart and grit into the formula. “Celestial” conjures Follow the Blind-era Blind Guardian with kinetic drumming and furious riffing, while longtime bassist Will Buckley buffets with his buttery bottom-end. “The Arcanist” in particular highlights Buckley’s fluid grooves, recalling D.D. Verni’s (Overkill) in-your-face aesthetic. Through it all, Ulises Hernandez (Judicator) flits and wails in tandem with returning guitarist Justin Escamilla, ensuring a dual-axe flurry that rarely misses.

Anubis shimmers during Anthromorphicide’s best moments, yet small snags hold it back. The first and final thirds of the album bristle with energy and deft execution, but the middle third sags compared to the bookends. The opening triad purrs with engrossing riffs and memorable melodies, but “The Fire Inside” slows proceedings with a seven-minute ballad that stalls Anthromorphicide’s momentum. Slow, contemplative numbers have their place, but just because it’s slow doesn’t mean it should be long. Paces accelerate from there, but it’s not until “My Favorite Cage” that I’m properly back in the groove. And that’s not to suggest that the intervening songs aren’t good, mind—just that they lack the show-stopping moments needed to reignite the flames left smoldering after “The Arcanist.” On the production front, Anthromorphicide sounds a bit thin and glossy. The bass drum and toms, contributed by David Velez, work well, but the cymbals get buried in the mix while the snare sounds flat and lifeless. Anubis commits no glaring sins, but the sum total of the minor gripes inhibits the album’s staying power.

A single listen through Anthromorphicide exposes Anubis’ sturdy songwriting and technical chops, and my appreciation grows with each spin. Anthromorphicide presents a crisp forty-two minutes of power thrash drama that’s easy to get lost within, and despite its flaws, rewards return visits. Although Anubis weaves scads of references together, each track possesses a core identity, and while some are more memorable than others, it gives Anubis a secure foundation to build upon. If they can preserve what works, with a few small tweaks, Anubis could tip the scales and unload an undeniable power thrash triumph with their next outing.

Rating: Good
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 192 kbps mp3
Label: M-Theory Audio
Website: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: April 24th, 2026

After removing my clothes, I wade into the promo sump. Yes, nakedness is advised for such a foray, as any loose material can get you ensnared by the bog’s filtration and disposal machinery or by the foul denizens that reside within the sludge. I enter herein with a single purpose in mind: to find a promo that will restore my credibility as a reviewer, if I ever had any to begin with. Since my return to the hall, I’ve written 3.5 after 3.5, and I am in search of something that will bring my average down before I am made to “non-suspiciously” disappear again. I reach down and grasp a promising prospect. Pieces of congealed n00b meat and 16-year-old promo remains fall from the cover, revealing a band name that sounds like some guy’s last name and a photo of several dudes in various tough-guy poses. I smile, allowing myself to hope that I’ve found what I’m looking for. Further investigation reveals Rozario’s Northern Crusaders to be a 50-minute-long heavy/power metal album, and I tell myself that this has 2.5 written all over it. Yep, this’ll do.

My confidence grows when I see that these Norwegians have picked the album’s first two songs as singles. “Fire and Ice” starts things off with some energetic power metal-infused heavy metal that brings Dream Evil immediately to mind. After a huge earworm chorus and some killer riffing and leads, the song winds down, and I’m horrified to realize that I’ve been involuntarily smiling and headbanging the whole time. Fear not, I say to myself. The next single can’t be as good. “We are One” takes the momentum of the opener and runs with it. I hear Brainstorm. I hear Dio. I hear more Dream Evil. I hear an even bigger chorus. Shit.

Not to worry! I’m sure they’ve simply stacked the singles at the front because they’re the best tunes. A qualitative drop-off is sure to come! Just as those foolish words finish leaving my mind-lips, “Down Low” slaps me across the face with a down-tuned chug that I didn’t see coming. This PED-enhanced version of Rozario, also seen on “Sleepless” and “Betrayed,” fits the Brainstorm mold alluded to above, and even ventures towards Mystic Prophecy levels of heaviness. “Crusader” and “Die Like Warriors” both see the band putting their Saxon pants on, their quality daring me to add them both to my “SWOARDS” playlist of battle-ready metal.

I finish Northern Crusaders for the first time and am surprised at just how fast the album’s 50 minutes flew by. I play it again. I like it even more. I am totally fucked. Sure, I can look across the album’s track list and pick out two songs that I don’t absolutely love (“Coming Home” and “The Warning”), but they’re still good songs whose place in the runtime almost totally mitigates any potential impact they could have had on the overall flow. I’m rather pissed that singer David Rosario puts in a journeyman performance with his weathered voice, and I’m even more upset that he’s filled his near-eponymous band with so much talent, particularly on guitar. The duo of Stein Hjertholm and Taran Lister has filled these tracks with muscular riffs, beautiful leads, and face-melting solos, and this is a huge reason that Northern Crusader feels so effortless and easily replayable. Even the production is fantastic. Gah! What a catastrophe!

It’s now been several weeks since I plucked this from the sump. As I put the finishing touches on the review and prepare to enter the final rating, I am suddenly aware of a presence in the room with me. I look up from my laptop screen to see 3.5 glaring at me with a sinister smile on its face. “You couldn’t live with your own failure,” it says. “Where did that bring you? Back to me.” I type the score, realizing it is futile to resist, fully aware that I’ve made the mistake of judging Rozario’s Northern Crusaders by its cover. I slam my computer screen down, stand up, and walk away, naked and full of shame.1

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Pride & Joy Music
Websites: rozarioofficial.com | facebook.com/rozarioband
Releases Worldwide: February 20th, 2026

Primal Fear – Domination Review

By Steel Druhm

Ever since Ralph Scheepers left Gamma Ray for greener pastures and an ill-fated tryout for the vacant vocal spot in Judas Priest, he’s thrown his all into Primal Fear, and so, every two years or so, like clockwork, we get a new gleaming chrome platter from them. At first, it felt like he was doing Painkiller-esque album after album to show Priest what a huge fuck up they made by choosing Ripper over him.1 Over time, though, the Primal Fear sound morphed into a more power metal-centric style with Judas Priest no longer the primary influence. They’ve more or less occupied the same space as bands like Brainstorm and Mystic Prophecy for the last decade, and every release is a familiar buffet of macho riffs and Scheepers’ high-flying Halfordisms. 15th album Domination sees long-time guitarists Tom Naumann and Alexander Beyrodt depart, and Angus McSix axe-mistress Thalìa Bellazecca stepping in to replace them. Well-traveled drummer André Hilgers also comes aboard, replacing Michael Ehré. Will all this new blood shake up the Primal Fear sound and give us something different and unusual? Yes and no.

Domination kicks off in typical Primal Fear style with the anthemic and fist-pumping “The Hunter.” It’s a great example of their “Judas Priest doing power metal” sound, and it hits the chorus and makes you remember it after one spin. It’s what you expect at this point from Primal Fear, and it’s easy to enjoy. They follow that up with a run of equally catchy nuggets from “Destroyer” on through lead single “Tears of Fire.” All featuring their tried-and-true blueprint of meaty riffs and commanding vocals with a big(ish) chorus to screw your memory to the sticking point. Five songs in, you’re experiencing a very solid album that checks all the primal cuts.

Unfortunately, things start to get wobbly after that, with hits and misses appearing in random order. “Heroes and Gods” is decent and has some intensity, but the chorus falls flat and grows annoying. “Eden” is a 7-minute epic power ballad that’s okay but not epic or interesting enough to justify its length despite some decent guest vocals from Melissa Løwe Bonny (Ad Infinitum). Both “Scream” and “The Dead Don’t Die” feel generic and underwhelming, and this makes for a very soft and doughy middle for Domination. Late album track “Crossfire” brings things back around with a muscular, testosterone-heavy trip that plays to the band’s strength, but things then immediately crash again on the weird and awkward “March Boy March.” This one kicks off with weird EMD/club music before eventually launching into a speedy assault, but it feels flat and forced. I do give the band props for the odd closing ballad “A Tune I Won’t Forget” that starts out like a Leonard Cohen tune with Ralph adopting a smoky, world-weary baritone before exploding into his usual power and fury. It doesn’t amount to much, but it’s an interesting new shade nonetheless. At just over an hour, Domination is definitely too long, and since it has several lesser inclusions, it should have been pared down for a tighter, meaner release.

As ever, Ralph Scheepers is in fine form. He relies less and less on his upper-register screams and shrieks as the albums pile up, but he’s still the working man’s Rob Halford, and he knows how to push a metal anthem over the top. I’ve been a fan since his Gamma Ray days, and he always hits the mark. Long-time guitarist/songwriter Magnus Karlsson and new addition Thalìa Bellazecca do a respectable job providing the riff backdrop for Ralph, and on about half the tracks, they work some degree of magic. On the lesser tracks, things bog down into simplistic 80s-centric riffing and leads that just kind of disappear into the background. They do, however, come together for a rousing shred-fest on instrumental “Halluctions,” which is an interesting and moody addition.

Primal Fear has had a long run of good to very good albums, and Domination is the first miss in my book since 2009s 16.6 outing. Even when they miss, you still get over half an album’s worth of entertaining and replayable gym fodder. I suspect they will right the ship and come back in two years with something more memorable, and until that day, this will have to tide the faithful over. Hold fast for the Fear!

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Reigning Phoenix
Websites: primalfear.de | facebook.com/primalfearofficial | instagram.com/primalfearofficial
Releases Worldwide: September 5th, 2025

#2025 #AngusMcSix #Domination #GermanMetal #HeavyMetal #JudasPriest #MysticProphecy #PowerMetal #PrimalFear #ReigningPhoenixMusic #Review #Reviews #Sep25

Black Knight – The Tower Review

By Steel Druhm

It’s always an interesting experience to seize a promo by a band that’s been around for decades, yet you’ve never heard of them. Thus did I come to discover Dutch traditional metallers, Black Knight. Formed way back in the 80s, they didn’t release an album until 1998, and since then, they’ve only managed 2 other releases, the last being in 2020. Badly delayed by COVID lockdowns and lineup changes, it’s only now that we get 4th album, The Tower. With a sound that borrows mightily from Accept, Primal Fear, and Brainstorm, they bring exuberantly old school antics to the table with slight traces of power metal decorating the edges. It’s not fancy, it’s not new or innovative, but these chaps know what they are doing and how to push a metal song into your ears through brute force. But is there a reason why Black Knight is so little known after so many years in the game?

After the requisite intro that adds nothing at all to the album, things get extra spicy on “Tower,” where they throw all their traditional/classic metal bona fides at you like pocket sand, leaving you vulnerable to the brutal stun. It’s a burly, baddass, fist-pumping gem not far from what Primal Fear churn out on a good day, and it has that big, anthemic sizzle that makes you want to throw cars at disfavored locals. “Survive” comes out with a heavy battering ram riff before shifting gears to a more Brainstorm-esque macho metal style that suits them well. Black Knight have a real gift for crafting classic metal hooks that dig deep and get you on board. Shockingly, they deliver 7 ball-busting metal chestnuts in a row with nary a dip in quality. You get a grinding, moody power ballad like “Misery,” and then they just as easily bludgeon you with an Accept-meets-Mystic Prophecy steamroller like “Die.” This stuff puts you between the hammer and the anvil and irons your shit out good and proper.

Considering I never heard of these guys, I was quite shocked by how consistently good to great these songs are as they kept piling up like an epic car wreck in the consciousness of Steel. The slick songwriting heard on a heavy metal cut like “Deceivers” doesn’t grow on trees, and damn is it sticky like hot tar on a cold day. Not many bands can string together seven sick bangers like these on any given album. So what are the downsides? Well, as impressive as things are for the bulk of The Tower’s runtime, the last few songs seriously undermine their run of luck. “Fire” is a standard, stadium-ready rocker that doesn’t do a lot for me, but the real problem is how things end bizarrely with a German language soft rock ballad called “Im Dunkein.” This thing fits with the rest of the album about as well as steamy rhino shit does on a pricey porterhouse steak. It’s not a good song regardless of genre, and it has no business being the conclusion to a balls-to-the-walls metal album. It’s the kind of song you promptly delete and forget it ever existed, and it’s greatly perplexing why the band thought it fit here. Once this thing is removed, repudiated, and scorned, The Tower makes a Hell of a lot more sense!

GertJan Vis and Ruben Raadschelders are able axe slingers and deliver an effective collection of jackhammering riffs and earwormy harmonies as they crunch and crack along. There’s a definite Accept-on-roids vibe to much of what they do, along with flashes of salad days Annihilator. This blend works well with the kind of songs they serve up. New frontman Henk Overbosch delivers classic metal vocals with poise, power, and enough versatility to move from mood to mood without sounding forced or out of place. He has the right amount of grit and hoarsepower to convince, and the guy has legit pipes too. This is a seasoned, talented crew, and they have serious songwriting chops, which makes it even more completely baffling why they opted to end The Tower with such an ill-advised whimper.

The Tower is a very good traditional metal album with enough piss, vinegar, and pruno to make you even more of a beefbrained barbarian than you already are. It’s entertaining enough to have me sorting through their back catalog, and even with a disaster of a closer, it’s still got serious legs. If you need a classic metal fix with raw power and hooks, Black Knight will be your huckleberry. Sometimes the obscure side is the fun side.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: NA | Format Reviewed: Fucking Stream!! Stop with the streams!!
Label: Pure Steel Records
Websites: blackknight.nl | facebook.com/blackknightNL/# | instagram.com/black_knight_band
Releases Worldwide: July 4th, 2025

#2025 #35 #Accept #BlackKnight #Brainstorm #HeavyMetal #Jul25 #MysticProphecy #PrimalFear #PureSteelRecords #Review #Reviews #TheTower

Charting the course to 2025: reflecting on 70000tons of Metal 2024 Artist Spotlight: Mystic Prophecy:

#MysticProphecy #70000tons #70000tonsOfMetal #ArtistSpotlight

https://metalinsider.net/columns/artist-spotlight/charting-the-course-to-2025-reflecting-on-70000tons-of-metal-2024-artist-spotlight-mystic-prophecy