#speedmetal — Public Fediverse posts

Il Segreto del Vero Rock: Perché la Tua Chitarra Ha Bisogno di un Mastro Liutaio (E Dove Trovarlo!)

https://metal-lore.com/2026/07/20/il-segreto-del-vero-rock-perche-la-tua-chitarra-ha-bisogno-di-un-mastro-liutaio-e-dove-trovarlo/

https://www.europesays.com/ie/155321/ Aquilla – Sentinels of New Dawn Review #2025 #3.5 #Aquilla #Éire #Entertainment #GammaRay #HeavyMetal #Helloween #HighRollerRecords #IE #Ireland #IronMaiden #Music #NWOBHM #Oct25 #PolishMetal #PowerMetal #Queensryche #Review #Reviews #Scanner #SentinelsOfNewDawn #SpeedMetal

Aquilla – Sentinels of New Dawn Review

By Baguette of Bodom

The Polish metal scene is much better known around these parts for its bludgeoning death metal than for classic metal worship, and Aquilla is looking to change that. Formed in Warsaw in 2015, their debut Mankind’s Odyssey was unleashed on the masses in 2022, delivering NWoBHM with a dose of ”80s–’90s speed/power metal influence. Sophomore album Sentinels of New Dawn promises a similar but more epic brand of sci-fi thunder. With a couple EPs and a full-length already under their belt, how does Aquilla navigate this set of space war stories?

Aquilla’s authentic sound immediately makes it clear they’re not messing around. Since the last time they heeded the call, they’ve been through some lineup shifts, vocalist Captain Paradox and rhythm guitarist Jaspar de Phaser both joining in 2023. The resulting shift in sound is both obvious and a major positive. Captain Paradox is the star of the show, his vocals thoroughly combining the best of the ’80s and wailing wild and free like Kai Hansen (Helloween debut, Gamma Ray) or Michael Knoblich (Scanner debut). But the speed and power metal elements in Sentinels of New Dawn don’t stop at the vocals, they are firmly present in the dueling guitar work of Jaspar de Phaser and Kris Invader as well (“Creed of Fire,” “Technocrats’ Tyranny”). The bouncy and varied drum patterns, together with an ’80s Helloween-coated bass performance (“Technocrats’ Tyranny”), round out the rock-solid, energetic foundation of the album.

The greatest strength of Sentinels of New Dawn is its potent, to-the-point songwriting. Mankind’s Odyssey was at times charming, but had a fairly narrow scope and often forgot the ‘speed’ half of speed metal. Here, Aquilla dedicate much more of the album’s runtime to an all-gas, no-brakes approach, something sorely missing from many others of its kind. The record has plenty of tricks up its sleeve, with dual-harmonized NWoBHM leads (“Plunder & Steel,” “Mountains of Black Sleep”) and fun classic-sounding gang vocals (“Plunder & Steel”) increasing the anthemic factor further. But the band also shows songwriting maturity and variety by dipping into Queensrÿchean melodic segments (“Mountains of Black Sleep,” “Battalion 31”). While the combination isn’t seamless—the middle of the album unevenly packed with most of the slower bits—it suits Aquilla well and makes for an entertaining and multifaceted album. Furthermore, relying less on Iron Maiden worship and being more German speed/power metal-informed (“Creed of Fire,” “Battalion 31”) has improved their songcraft significantly. As a result, it feels like the band has now found their element and figured out their sound, combining aspects of old and new(er).

Aquilla is having fun, and it translates into a frenetic and inspired album. At just under 50 minutes—45 minutes omitting the intro and outro—Sentinels is a brisk and empowering experience. Even the 10-minute epic “The Prophet” flies by; a great combination of an Iron Maiden and Gamma Ray epic, with the second half having some of the best and most triumphant guitars of the bunch. The dramatic intro and synthy outro fit in oddly well, too, neither one overstaying its welcome. That being said, there are still some quirks to iron out. The harsh vocals at the start of “The Curse of Mercurion” aren’t too damaging, but they are a rough listen and feel unnecessary. “Bound to Be King,” though competent, lacks a hook that the other barn burners feature. Nevertheless, every song here is a good time at least, and many of them show signs of brilliance at best.

Sentinels of New Dawn shows a young band developing into form. Aquilla is here to kick ass and take names, and their mix of old and new is lively and exciting to listen to. The songwriting has made major strides in the span of three years; their speed and energy has only grown, and the Polish metal scene is all the richer and more varied for it. I hope Aquilla fleshes out their craft even further for the next one—with this lineup, they’re on the cusp of greatness.

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: High Roller Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: October 31st, 2025

#2025 #35 #Aquilla #GammaRay #HeavyMetal #Helloween #HighRollerRecords #IronMaiden #NWOBHM #Oct25 #PolishMetal #PowerMetal #Queensryche #Review #Reviews #Scanner #SentinelsOfNewDawn #SpeedMetal

Aquilla – Sentinels of New Dawn Review

By Baguette of Bodom

The Polish metal scene is much better known around these parts for its bludgeoning death metal than for classic metal worship, and Aquilla is looking to change that. Formed in Warsaw in 2015, their debut Mankind’s Odyssey was unleashed on the masses in 2022, delivering NWoBHM with a dose of ”80s–’90s speed/power metal influence. Sophomore album Sentinels of New Dawn promises a similar but more epic brand of sci-fi thunder. With a couple EPs and a full-length already under their belt, how does Aquilla navigate this set of space war stories?

Aquilla’s authentic sound immediately makes it clear they’re not messing around. Since the last time they heeded the call, they’ve been through some lineup shifts, vocalist Captain Paradox and rhythm guitarist Jaspar de Phaser both joining in 2023. The resulting shift in sound is both obvious and a major positive. Captain Paradox is the star of the show, his vocals thoroughly combining the best of the ’80s and wailing wild and free like Kai Hansen (Helloween debut, Gamma Ray) or Michael Knoblich (Scanner debut). But the speed and power metal elements in Sentinels of New Dawn don’t stop at the vocals, they are firmly present in the dueling guitar work of Jaspar de Phaser and Kris Invader as well (“Creed of Fire,” “Technocrats’ Tyranny”). The bouncy and varied drum patterns, together with an ’80s Helloween-coated bass performance (“Technocrats’ Tyranny”), round out the rock-solid, energetic foundation of the album.

The greatest strength of Sentinels of New Dawn is its potent, to-the-point songwriting. Mankind’s Odyssey was at times charming, but had a fairly narrow scope and often forgot the ‘speed’ half of speed metal. Here, Aquilla dedicate much more of the album’s runtime to an all-gas, no-brakes approach, something sorely missing from many others of its kind. The record has plenty of tricks up its sleeve, with dual-harmonized NWoBHM leads (“Plunder & Steel,” “Mountains of Black Sleep”) and fun classic-sounding gang vocals (“Plunder & Steel”) increasing the anthemic factor further. But the band also shows songwriting maturity and variety by dipping into Queensrÿchean melodic segments (“Mountains of Black Sleep,” “Battalion 31”). While the combination isn’t seamless—the middle of the album unevenly packed with most of the slower bits—it suits Aquilla well and makes for an entertaining and multifaceted album. Furthermore, relying less on Iron Maiden worship and being more German speed/power metal-informed (“Creed of Fire,” “Battalion 31”) has improved their songcraft significantly. As a result, it feels like the band has now found their element and figured out their sound, combining aspects of old and new(er).

Aquilla is having fun, and it translates into a frenetic and inspired album. At just under 50 minutes—45 minutes omitting the intro and outro—Sentinels is a brisk and empowering experience. Even the 10-minute epic “The Prophet” flies by; a great combination of an Iron Maiden and Gamma Ray epic, with the second half having some of the best and most triumphant guitars of the bunch. The dramatic intro and synthy outro fit in oddly well, too, neither one overstaying its welcome. That being said, there are still some quirks to iron out. The harsh vocals at the start of “The Curse of Mercurion” aren’t too damaging, but they are a rough listen and feel unnecessary. “Bound to Be King,” though competent, lacks a hook that the other barn burners feature. Nevertheless, every song here is a good time at least, and many of them show signs of brilliance at best.

Sentinels of New Dawn shows a young band developing into form. Aquilla is here to kick ass and take names, and their mix of old and new is lively and exciting to listen to. The songwriting has made major strides in the span of three years; their speed and energy has only grown, and the Polish metal scene is all the richer and more varied for it. I hope Aquilla fleshes out their craft even further for the next one—with this lineup, they’re on the cusp of greatness.

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: High Roller Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: October 31st, 2025

#2025 #35 #Aquilla #GammaRay #HeavyMetal #Helloween #HighRollerRecords #IronMaiden #NWOBHM #Oct25 #PolishMetal #PowerMetal #Queensryche #Review #Reviews #Scanner #SentinelsOfNewDawn #SpeedMetal

Aquilla – Sentinels of New Dawn Review

By Baguette of Bodom

The Polish metal scene is much better known around these parts for its bludgeoning death metal than for classic metal worship, and Aquilla is looking to change that. Formed in Warsaw in 2015, their debut Mankind’s Odyssey was unleashed on the masses in 2022, delivering NWoBHM with a dose of ”80s–’90s speed/power metal influence. Sophomore album Sentinels of New Dawn promises a similar but more epic brand of sci-fi thunder. With a couple EPs and a full-length already under their belt, how does Aquilla navigate this set of space war stories?

Aquilla’s authentic sound immediately makes it clear they’re not messing around. Since the last time they heeded the call, they’ve been through some lineup shifts, vocalist Captain Paradox and rhythm guitarist Jaspar de Phaser both joining in 2023. The resulting shift in sound is both obvious and a major positive. Captain Paradox is the star of the show, his vocals thoroughly combining the best of the ’80s and wailing wild and free like Kai Hansen (Helloween debut, Gamma Ray) or Michael Knoblich (Scanner debut). But the speed and power metal elements in Sentinels of New Dawn don’t stop at the vocals, they are firmly present in the dueling guitar work of Jaspar de Phaser and Kris Invader as well (“Creed of Fire,” “Technocrats’ Tyranny”). The bouncy and varied drum patterns, together with an ’80s Helloween-coated bass performance (“Technocrats’ Tyranny”), round out the rock-solid, energetic foundation of the album.

The greatest strength of Sentinels of New Dawn is its potent, to-the-point songwriting. Mankind’s Odyssey was at times charming, but had a fairly narrow scope and often forgot the ‘speed’ half of speed metal. Here, Aquilla dedicate much more of the album’s runtime to an all-gas, no-brakes approach, something sorely missing from many others of its kind. The record has plenty of tricks up its sleeve, with dual-harmonized NWoBHM leads (“Plunder & Steel,” “Mountains of Black Sleep”) and fun classic-sounding gang vocals (“Plunder & Steel”) increasing the anthemic factor further. But the band also shows songwriting maturity and variety by dipping into Queensrÿchean melodic segments (“Mountains of Black Sleep,” “Battalion 31”). While the combination isn’t seamless—the middle of the album unevenly packed with most of the slower bits—it suits Aquilla well and makes for an entertaining and multifaceted album. Furthermore, relying less on Iron Maiden worship and being more German speed/power metal-informed (“Creed of Fire,” “Battalion 31”) has improved their songcraft significantly. As a result, it feels like the band has now found their element and figured out their sound, combining aspects of old and new(er).

Aquilla is having fun, and it translates into a frenetic and inspired album. At just under 50 minutes—45 minutes omitting the intro and outro—Sentinels is a brisk and empowering experience. Even the 10-minute epic “The Prophet” flies by; a great combination of an Iron Maiden and Gamma Ray epic, with the second half having some of the best and most triumphant guitars of the bunch. The dramatic intro and synthy outro fit in oddly well, too, neither one overstaying its welcome. That being said, there are still some quirks to iron out. The harsh vocals at the start of “The Curse of Mercurion” aren’t too damaging, but they are a rough listen and feel unnecessary. “Bound to Be King,” though competent, lacks a hook that the other barn burners feature. Nevertheless, every song here is a good time at least, and many of them show signs of brilliance at best.

Sentinels of New Dawn shows a young band developing into form. Aquilla is here to kick ass and take names, and their mix of old and new is lively and exciting to listen to. The songwriting has made major strides in the span of three years; their speed and energy has only grown, and the Polish metal scene is all the richer and more varied for it. I hope Aquilla fleshes out their craft even further for the next one—with this lineup, they’re on the cusp of greatness.

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: High Roller Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: October 31st, 2025

#2025 #35 #Aquilla #GammaRay #HeavyMetal #Helloween #HighRollerRecords #IronMaiden #NWOBHM #Oct25 #PolishMetal #PowerMetal #Queensryche #Review #Reviews #Scanner #SentinelsOfNewDawn #SpeedMetal

Aquilla – Sentinels of New Dawn Review

By Baguette of Bodom

The Polish metal scene is much better known around these parts for its bludgeoning death metal than for classic metal worship, and Aquilla is looking to change that. Formed in Warsaw in 2015, their debut Mankind’s Odyssey was unleashed on the masses in 2022, delivering NWoBHM with a dose of ”80s–’90s speed/power metal influence. Sophomore album Sentinels of New Dawn promises a similar but more epic brand of sci-fi thunder. With a couple EPs and a full-length already under their belt, how does Aquilla navigate this set of space war stories?

Aquilla’s authentic sound immediately makes it clear they’re not messing around. Since the last time they heeded the call, they’ve been through some lineup shifts, vocalist Captain Paradox and rhythm guitarist Jaspar de Phaser both joining in 2023. The resulting shift in sound is both obvious and a major positive. Captain Paradox is the star of the show, his vocals thoroughly combining the best of the ’80s and wailing wild and free like Kai Hansen (Helloween debut, Gamma Ray) or Michael Knoblich (Scanner debut). But the speed and power metal elements in Sentinels of New Dawn don’t stop at the vocals, they are firmly present in the dueling guitar work of Jaspar de Phaser and Kris Invader as well (“Creed of Fire,” “Technocrats’ Tyranny”). The bouncy and varied drum patterns, together with an ’80s Helloween-coated bass performance (“Technocrats’ Tyranny”), round out the rock-solid, energetic foundation of the album.

The greatest strength of Sentinels of New Dawn is its potent, to-the-point songwriting. Mankind’s Odyssey was at times charming, but had a fairly narrow scope and often forgot the ‘speed’ half of speed metal. Here, Aquilla dedicate much more of the album’s runtime to an all-gas, no-brakes approach, something sorely missing from many others of its kind. The record has plenty of tricks up its sleeve, with dual-harmonized NWoBHM leads (“Plunder & Steel,” “Mountains of Black Sleep”) and fun classic-sounding gang vocals (“Plunder & Steel”) increasing the anthemic factor further. But the band also shows songwriting maturity and variety by dipping into Queensrÿchean melodic segments (“Mountains of Black Sleep,” “Battalion 31”). While the combination isn’t seamless—the middle of the album unevenly packed with most of the slower bits—it suits Aquilla well and makes for an entertaining and multifaceted album. Furthermore, relying less on Iron Maiden worship and being more German speed/power metal-informed (“Creed of Fire,” “Battalion 31”) has improved their songcraft significantly. As a result, it feels like the band has now found their element and figured out their sound, combining aspects of old and new(er).

Aquilla is having fun, and it translates into a frenetic and inspired album. At just under 50 minutes—45 minutes omitting the intro and outro—Sentinels is a brisk and empowering experience. Even the 10-minute epic “The Prophet” flies by; a great combination of an Iron Maiden and Gamma Ray epic, with the second half having some of the best and most triumphant guitars of the bunch. The dramatic intro and synthy outro fit in oddly well, too, neither one overstaying its welcome. That being said, there are still some quirks to iron out. The harsh vocals at the start of “The Curse of Mercurion” aren’t too damaging, but they are a rough listen and feel unnecessary. “Bound to Be King,” though competent, lacks a hook that the other barn burners feature. Nevertheless, every song here is a good time at least, and many of them show signs of brilliance at best.

Sentinels of New Dawn shows a young band developing into form. Aquilla is here to kick ass and take names, and their mix of old and new is lively and exciting to listen to. The songwriting has made major strides in the span of three years; their speed and energy has only grown, and the Polish metal scene is all the richer and more varied for it. I hope Aquilla fleshes out their craft even further for the next one—with this lineup, they’re on the cusp of greatness.

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: High Roller Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: October 31st, 2025

#2025 #35 #Aquilla #GammaRay #HeavyMetal #Helloween #HighRollerRecords #IronMaiden #NWOBHM #Oct25 #PolishMetal #PowerMetal #Queensryche #Review #Reviews #Scanner #SentinelsOfNewDawn #SpeedMetal

Aquilla – Sentinels of New Dawn Review

By Baguette of Bodom

The Polish metal scene is much better known around these parts for its bludgeoning death metal than for classic metal worship, and Aquilla is looking to change that. Formed in Warsaw in 2015, their debut Mankind’s Odyssey was unleashed on the masses in 2022, delivering NWoBHM with a dose of ”80s–’90s speed/power metal influence. Sophomore album Sentinels of New Dawn promises a similar but more epic brand of sci-fi thunder. With a couple EPs and a full-length already under their belt, how does Aquilla navigate this set of space war stories?

Aquilla’s authentic sound immediately makes it clear they’re not messing around. Since the last time they heeded the call, they’ve been through some lineup shifts, vocalist Captain Paradox and rhythm guitarist Jaspar de Phaser both joining in 2023. The resulting shift in sound is both obvious and a major positive. Captain Paradox is the star of the show, his vocals thoroughly combining the best of the ’80s and wailing wild and free like Kai Hansen (Helloween debut, Gamma Ray) or Michael Knoblich (Scanner debut). But the speed and power metal elements in Sentinels of New Dawn don’t stop at the vocals, they are firmly present in the dueling guitar work of Jaspar de Phaser and Kris Invader as well (“Creed of Fire,” “Technocrats’ Tyranny”). The bouncy and varied drum patterns, together with an ’80s Helloween-coated bass performance (“Technocrats’ Tyranny”), round out the rock-solid, energetic foundation of the album.

The greatest strength of Sentinels of New Dawn is its potent, to-the-point songwriting. Mankind’s Odyssey was at times charming, but had a fairly narrow scope and often forgot the ‘speed’ half of speed metal. Here, Aquilla dedicate much more of the album’s runtime to an all-gas, no-brakes approach, something sorely missing from many others of its kind. The record has plenty of tricks up its sleeve, with dual-harmonized NWoBHM leads (“Plunder & Steel,” “Mountains of Black Sleep”) and fun classic-sounding gang vocals (“Plunder & Steel”) increasing the anthemic factor further. But the band also shows songwriting maturity and variety by dipping into Queensrÿchean melodic segments (“Mountains of Black Sleep,” “Battalion 31”). While the combination isn’t seamless—the middle of the album unevenly packed with most of the slower bits—it suits Aquilla well and makes for an entertaining and multifaceted album. Furthermore, relying less on Iron Maiden worship and being more German speed/power metal-informed (“Creed of Fire,” “Battalion 31”) has improved their songcraft significantly. As a result, it feels like the band has now found their element and figured out their sound, combining aspects of old and new(er).

Aquilla is having fun, and it translates into a frenetic and inspired album. At just under 50 minutes—45 minutes omitting the intro and outro—Sentinels is a brisk and empowering experience. Even the 10-minute epic “The Prophet” flies by; a great combination of an Iron Maiden and Gamma Ray epic, with the second half having some of the best and most triumphant guitars of the bunch. The dramatic intro and synthy outro fit in oddly well, too, neither one overstaying its welcome. That being said, there are still some quirks to iron out. The harsh vocals at the start of “The Curse of Mercurion” aren’t too damaging, but they are a rough listen and feel unnecessary. “Bound to Be King,” though competent, lacks a hook that the other barn burners feature. Nevertheless, every song here is a good time at least, and many of them show signs of brilliance at best.

Sentinels of New Dawn shows a young band developing into form. Aquilla is here to kick ass and take names, and their mix of old and new is lively and exciting to listen to. The songwriting has made major strides in the span of three years; their speed and energy has only grown, and the Polish metal scene is all the richer and more varied for it. I hope Aquilla fleshes out their craft even further for the next one—with this lineup, they’re on the cusp of greatness.

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: High Roller Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: October 31st, 2025

#2025 #35 #Aquilla #GammaRay #HeavyMetal #Helloween #HighRollerRecords #IronMaiden #NWOBHM #Oct25 #PolishMetal #PowerMetal #Queensryche #Review #Reviews #Scanner #SentinelsOfNewDawn #SpeedMetal

IRON SAVIOR (Alemanya) presenta nou single: "Fame" #IronSavior #SpeedMetal #PowerMetal #Octubre2025 #Alemanya #NouSingle #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

Stuck in the Filter: August 2025’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity

The heat persists, but now the humidity comes in full force as storm systems wreak havoc upon the coasts. I hide in my cramped closet of an office, lest I be washed out once again by an unsuspecting deluge. However, I still send my minions out into the facility, bound by duty to search for those metallic scraps on which we feast.

Fortuitously, most all of those imps I sent out came back alive, and with wares! BEHOLD!

Kenstrosity’s Galactic Gremlin

Silent Millenia // Celestial Twilight: Beyond the Crimson Veil [August 26th, 2025 – Self-Release]

Have you ever seen such a delightfully cheesy cover? Probably, but it’s been a while for me. I bought Celestial Twilight: Beyond the Crimson Veil, the second raw symphonic black metal opus from Finnish one-man act Silent Millenia, on the strength of the artwork alone. Little did I know that what lay beyond this crimson veil was some of the most fun melodic black metal this side of Moonlight Sorcery. The same low-fi roughness that personifies Old Nick’s work grounds Silent Millenia’s starbound songwriting as it traverses the universe with an energetic punch reminiscent of Emperor or Stormkeep (“Awaken the Celestial Spell,” “Daemonic Mastery”). To help differentiate Silent Millenia’s sound from that of their peers, a gothic atmosphere ensorcells much of this material to great effect, merging eerie Victorian melodies with galactic adventurism in an unlikely pair (“Enthrone the Spectral”). Swirling synths and sparkling twinkles abound as well, creating blissful moments of interest as frosty tremolos and piercing blasts take full advantage of the false sense of security those entrancing clouds of synthetic instrumentation create (“Benighted Path to Darkness Mysterium,” “Reign in Cosmic Majesty”). Simply put, Celestial Twilight is an unexpected gem of a symphonic black metal record, bursting with killer ideas and infinite levels of raw, unabashed fun. You should hear it!

Kronos’ Unexpected Unearthments

Street Sects // Dry Drunk [August 15th, 2025 – Self Release]

Dry Drunk sticks to your inner surfaces, draining down like cigarette tar along paralyzed cilia to pool in your lungs until the cells themselves foment rebellion. Once it’s in you, you feel paranoid, wretched, and alone. So it’s the proper follow-up to Street Sects’ visionary debut, End Position. Like that record, Dry Drunk plumbs the most mundane and unsavory gutters of America for a cast of protagonists that it dwells in or dispatches with a mixture of pity and disgust, with vocalist Leo Ashline narrating their violent crimes and self-hatred in a mixture of croons, shrieks, and snarls that cook the air before the speakers into the scent of booze and rotten teeth. And like that record, Shaun Ringsmuth (Glassing) dresses the sets with a fractal litter of snaps, squeals, crashes, gunshots, and grinding electronics, caked in tar and collapsing just as soon as it is swept into a structure. And like End Position, Dry Drunk is a masterpiece. The impeccable six-song stretch from “Love Makes You Fat” through “Riding the Clock” ties you to the bumper and drags you along some of the duo’s most creative side-roads, through the simmering, straightjacketed sludge of “Baker Act” to the chopped-up, smirking electronica of “Eject Button.” Swerving between addled, unintelligible agony and unforgettable anthems, Dry Drunk, like End Position before it is nothing less than the life of a junkie scraped together, heated on a spoon, and injected into your head. Once you’ve taken a hit, you will never be quite the same.

Thus Spoke’s Frightening Fragments

Defacement // Doomed [August 22nd, 2025 – Self Release]

There’s music for every vibe.1 The one Defacement fits is an exclusively extreme metal flavor of moody that is only appreciable by genre fans, made tangibly more eerie by their persistent idiosyncratic use of dark ambient interludes amidst the viciously distorted blackened death. Audiences—and reviewers—tend to disparage these electronic segments, but I’ve always felt their crackling presence increases the analog horror of it all, and rather than being a breather from the intensity, they prolong the nausea, the sense of emptiness, and the abject fearfulness of head-based trauma. This latter concept grows more metaphorical still on Doomed, where the violence is inside the mind, purpose-erasing, and emotionally-detaching. The ambience might be the most sadly beautiful so far (“Mournful,” and “Clouded” especially), and the transitions into nightmarish heaviness arguably the most fluid. And the metal is undoubtedly the most ambitious, dynamic, and magnificent of Defacement’s career, combining their most gruesome dissonance (“Portrait”) with their most bizarrely exuberant guitar melodies (“Unexplainable,” “Unrecognised”). Solos drip tangibly with (emotional) resonance (“Unexplainable,” “Absent”) and there’s not a breath or a moment of wasted space. Yes, the band’s heavier side can suffer from a nagging sense of homogeneous mass, but it remains transporting. While I can appreciate why others do not appreciate Defacement, this is the first of their outings I can truthfully say mesmerised me on first listen.

ClarkKent’s Heated Hymns

Phantom Fire // Phantom Fire [August 8th, 2025 – Edged Circle Productions]

While I waded through the murky depths of the August promo sump, Steel implored me to take the eponymous third album from Phantom Fire. “The AMG commentariat love blackened heavy metal,” he said. I disregarded his advice at my peril, and while I ended up enjoying what I grabbed, it turns out this would have been solid too. Featuring members from Enslaved, Kraków. Hellbutcher, and Aeternus, Phantom Fire play old school speed metal that harks back to the likes of Motörhead and Iron Maiden’s Killers. Thanks to healthy doses of bass and production values that allow the instruments to shine, each song is infused with energetic grooves. The music sounds fresh, crisp, and clear, from the booming drums to Eld’s “blackened” snarls. Early tracks “Eternal Void” and “All For None” show off the catchy blend of simple guitar riffs and a hoppin’ bass accompanied by energetic kit work. While placing a somewhat lengthy instrumental track in the middle of a record usually slows it down, “Fatal Attraction” turns out to be a highlight. It tells a tragic love story involving a motorcycle with nothing but instruments, an engine revving, and some police sirens. The second half of Phantom Fire gets a bit on the weirder side, turning to some stoner and psychedelia. There’s a push and pull between the stoner and Motörhead speed stuff on songs like “Malphas” and “Submersible Pt. 2,” and this blend actually works pretty well. It turns out that they aren’t phantom after all—these guys are truly fire.

Burning Witches // Inquisition [August 22nd, 2025 – Napalm Records]

With six albums in eight years, Swiss quintet Burning Witches has really been burning rubber. While such prolific output in such a short time frame generally spells trouble, Inquisition is a solid piece of heavy/power metal. Burning Witches dabbles in a mix of speedy power metal and mid-tempo heavy metal, often sounding like ’80s stalwarts Judas Priest and Def Leppard. With Laura Guldemond’s gruff voice, they produce a more weighty, less happy version of power metal than the likes of Fellowship or Frozen Crown. While the songs stick to formulaic structures, tempo shifts from song to song help keep things from growing stale. We see this variety right from the get-go, where “Soul Eater” takes a high-energy approach before moving into the more mellow “Shame.” There’s even a pretty solid ballad, “Release Me,” that grounds the back half of the record. Songs of the sort that Burning Witches write need catchy choruses, and fortunately, they deliver. “High Priestess of the Night” is a particular standout, delivering a knock-out punch in its delivery. It helps that the instrumental parts are well-executed, from crunchy riffs to subdued solos to booming blast beats. Anyone looking for a solid bit of power metal that’s not too heavy on the cheese will find this worth a listen.

Deathhammer // Crimson Dawn [August 29th, 2025 – Hells Headbangers Records]

Celebrating 20 years of blackened speed, Deathhammer drop LP number six with the kind of energy that exhausted parents dread to see in their children at bedtime. This is my first foray with the band, and I am in awe of the relentless level of manic energy they keep throughout Crimson Dawn’s 39 minutes. If science could learn how to harness their energy, we’d have an endless source of renewables. The two-piece out of Norway channels classic Slayer on crack and even has moments reminiscent of Painkiller-era Judas Priest. They play non-stop thrash cranked to 11, with persistent blast beats and some dual guitar parts that leave your head spinning from the rapid-fire directions the riffs fire off in. The heart of the mania is singer Sergeant Salsten. His crazed vocals are amazing—snarling, shouting, and shrieking in a way that took me back to the manic pitch Judge Doom could reach in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? He sings so fast that on the chorus of “Crimson Dawn,” it sounds like he says “Griffindor,” which had me searching confusedly for the Harry Potter tag. This was probably my favorite song, not just because of the Griffindor thing, but because that chorus is so catchy. Either way, it’s tough to pick a standout track because they all grip you by the throat and don’t let go. Crimson Dawn is a ton of fun and a must listen if you like your music fast.

Grin Reaper’s Bountiful Blight

Kallias // Digital Plague [August 14th, 2025 – Self Release]

Machine gun drumming, spacey synths, Morbid Angel-meets-Meshuggah riffing, Turian-esque barking and Voyager-reminiscent vocal melodies…what the fuck is going on here? The only thing more surprising than someone having the moxie to blend all these things together is how well they work in concert. Kallias doesn’t hold back on sophomore album Digital Plague, and the result is a rocket-fueled blast through forty-four minutes of eclectic, addictive prog. The mishmash of styles keeps the album fresh and unpredictable while never dipping its toes in inconsistent waters, and staccato rhythms propel listeners through eight tracks without losing steam. As with any prog metal worth its salt, Kallias brandishes technical prowess, and their cohesion belies the relatively short time they’ve been putting out music.2 The mix is well-suited to spotlight whoever needs it at a given time, whether the bass is purring (“Exogíini Kyriarchía”), the drums are being annihilated (“Pyrrhic Victory”), or a guitar solo nears Pettrucian wankery (“Phenomenal in Theory”). The end result is three-quarters of an hour filled with myriad influences that fuse into a sound all Kallias’s own, and it’s one I’ve returned to several times since discovering (also, credit to MontDoom for his stunning artwork, which helped initially draw my attention). Check it out—you’ll be sick if you avoid this one like the Plague.

Luke’s Kaleidoscopic Kicks

Giant Haze // Cosmic Mother [August 22nd, 2025 – Tonzonen Records]

Whereas many of my colleagues are bracing themselves for cooler conditions and harsh winters to come, in my neck of the woods, things are warming up. While my own wintry August filter proved scarce, there was one particular summery gem to lift moods with burly riffs and fat stoner grooves. Unheralded German act Giant Haze seemingly emerged out of nowhere during a random Bandcamp deep dive. Debut LP Cosmic Mother channels the good old days of ’90s-inspired desert rock, featuring grungy, doomy vibes via a groovy batch of riff-centric, hard-rocking and uplifting jams, evoking the nostalgic spirit of Kyuss, Fu Manchu, Clutch and perhaps even a dash of Danzig. Punching out raucous, groove-soaked hard rockers with skyscraping hooks (“Geographic Gardens Suck,” “King of Tomorrow,” “Panic to Ride”), summery, funk–psych jams (“Sunrise”), and bluesy, punk-infused fireballs (“Crank in Public,” “Shrink Age”) Giant Haze get a lot of things right on this assured debut. The songwriting is deceptively diverse and punchy, bolstered by solid production, tight musicianship, and the swaggering, ever so slightly goofy vocal charms and powerful hooks of frontman Christoph Wollmann. Inevitably, a few rough spots appear, but overall Cosmic Mother showcases oodles of budding potential, an impactful delivery, cheeky sense of humor, and infectious, feel-good songcraft.

Spicie Forrest’s Foraged Fruit

Bask // The Turning [August 22nd, 2025 – Season of Mist]

Last seen in 2019, Bask returns with fourth LP, The Turning, a concept album following The Rider as she and The Traveler traverse the stars. They still peddle the unique blend of stoner rock and Americana Kenstrosity reviewed favorably in 2019, but 2025 sees them looking up for inspiration. The Turning incorporates a distinct cosmic bent (“The Traveler,” “The Turning”) and post-rock structures (“Dig My Heels,” “Unwound”). These augmentations to Bask’s core sound are enhanced by the masterful pedal steel of new official member Jed Willis. Whether floating through the firmament or tilling earthly pastures, Willis creates textures both fresh and intensely nostalgic. The infinite shifting vistas of The Turning’s front half coalesce into singular timeless visions on the back half, supporting its conceptual nature in both content and form. Like a combination of Huntsmen and Somali Yacht Club, Bask weaves riffs and melodies heard across the plains and through the void above with an unguarded authenticity felt in your soul.

Dolphin Whisperer’s Disseminating Discharge

Plasmodulated // An Ocean ov Putrid, Stinky, Vile, Disgusting Hell [August 1st, 2025 – Personal Records]

Stinky, sticky, slimy—all adjectives that define the ideal death metal platter. Myk Colby has been trying to chase this perfect balance in a reverb-wonky package with projects like the d-beaten Hot Graves and extra hazy Wharflurch, but vile death metal balance is hard to achieve. However, An Ocean ov Putrid, Stinky, Vile, Disgusting Hell contains a recklessly pinched Demilichian riffage, classic piercing whammy bombs, and spook-minded synth ambience that places Plasmodulated with an odor more pungent than its peers. With an infected ear that festers equally with doom-loaded, Incantation-indebted drags (“Gelatinous Mutation ov Brewed Origin,” “Trapped in the Plasmovoid”) and Voivod-on-jenkem cutaways to foul-throated extravagence (“The Final Fuckening”). An air of intelligent tempo design keeps An Ocean from never feeling trapped in a maze of its own fumes, with Colby’s lush and bubbling synth design seguing tumbles into hammering deathly tremolo runs (“Such Rapid Sphacelation”) and Celtic Frosted riff tumbles (“Drowning in Sputum”) alike, all before swirling about his own tattered, trailing vocal sputters. Steady but slippery, elegant yet effluvial, An Ocean ov Putrid, Stinky, Vile, Disgusting Hell provides the necessary noxious pressure to corrode death metal-loving denizens into pure gloops of stained-denim pit worship. Delivered as labeled, Plasmodulated earns its hazardous declaration. We here at AMG are not liable for any OSHA violations that occur as a result of Plasmodulated consumption on the job, though.

#2025 #Aeternus #AmericanMetal #Americana #AnOceanOvPutridStinkyVileDisgustingHell #Aug25 #Bask #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #BurningWitches #CelestialTwilightBeyondTheCrimsonVeil #CelticFrost #Clutch #CosmicMother #CrimsonDawn #Danzig #DarkAmbient #DeathMetal #Deathhammer #DefLeppard #Defacement #Demilich #DigitalPlague #Doomed #DryDrunk #DutchMetal #EdgedCircleProductions #Emperor #Enslaved #Fellship #FinnishMetal #FrozenCrown #FuManchu #GermanMetal #GiantHaze #Glassing #Hardcore #HeavyMetal #Hellbutcher #HellsHeadbangersRecords #HotGraves #Huntsmen #Incantation #Inquisition #IronMaiden #JudasPriest #Kallias #Kraków #Kyuss #MelodicBlackMetal #Meshuggah #MoonlightSorcery #MorbidAngel #Motörhead #NapalmRecords #NorwegianMetal #OldNick #PersonalRecords #PhantomFire #Plasmodulated #PowerMetal #ProgressiveDeathMetal #RawBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #SilentMillenia #Slayer #Sludge #SludgeMetal #SomaliYachtClub #SpeedMetal #StonerRock #Stormkeep #StreetSects #StuckInTheFilter #StuckInTheFilter2025 #SwissMetal #SymphonicBlackMetal #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheTurning #TonzonenRecords #Turian #Voivod #Voyager #Wharflurch

Revenge – Night Danger Review

By Creeping Ivy

Like all subgenres, speed metal exists at the nexus of other genres: namely, classic heavy metal and thrash. Whether a band leans towards a classic or thrashy version of the sound becomes the primary distinguisher. Night Danger, the latest LP from longstanding Colombian band Revenge, is a speed metal record in the vein of Running Wild and Razor. But Revenge leans in a classic direction, claiming Judas Priest and Helloween as inspirations. Indeed, that Helloween-inspired artwork, coupled with the band’s longevity, should be enough to convince speed freaks to give Night Danger a spin. Those who observe the speed limit, however, will probably need more than the orange glow of a horse’s face to be convinced.1

Speed metal fans will be happy to hear that Night Danger consistently fulfills the promise of the genre’s adjective, with quality performances across the board. All but one of its songs gallop at the pace of the steed adorning its cover. To the list of Revenge’s self-professed classic influences, I would add the contemporary heavy metal band Century as a sonic touchstone, insofar as Night Danger tends to keep things up-tempo and, production-wise, traditional. The first half of the album races through songs that veer more in the classic direction, offering harmonized guitar melodies (“Black Sight”), fist-pumping choruses from Esteban ‘Hellfire’ Mejía (“Night Danger”), and impressive solos from lead guitarist Night Crawler (“Soldier’s Heart”). On the back half, Revenge delves into thrashier terrain, building songs around more menacing riffs (“Desire from Pain”) and stompier bridges (“The Devil Race”) that allow drummer Hell Avenger to show off his double bass skills. Despite really having only one speed, Night Danger doesn’t overstay its welcome; no song feels overlong, and the album sensibly clocks in at just under 40 minutes.

Even for speed metal aficionados, though, Night Danger will read less like a holistic album and more like a collection of similar songs. The title track, for example, follows up opener “Black Sight” with a similar kind of introduction: a riff punctuated by drum accents before blastoff. From there, “Night Danger” also mirrors the opener’s pre-solo, half-time bridge. By the time the intro riff to “Soldier’s Heart” rolls around at the midpoint, the listener feels as if they’ve already heard a version of it as the intro to “Night Danger.” Closer “Crushing Death” is one of the stronger cuts on the album, morphing its righteously thrashin’ riff into a jaunty verse and a chorus with uber melodic guitar tags. Nothing about it, however, makes it feel like a closer; it could just as easily live somewhere in the middle of Night Danger.

This is not to say, however, that there’s no songwriting variation to be found here. As the only mid-tempo track on Night Danger, “Misty Night” first comes to mind. Beyond its tempo, the song’s solo also contains a minute variation, picking up on the melody of the main riff before shredding the listener’s face off. Speaking of solos, “The Devil Race” refreshingly opens with one (and, yes, has one during the bridge). On the low end, bassist Camilo Hernandez is periodically noticeable, adding countermelodies that would make Steve Harris proud (“Night Danger,” “Desire from Pain”). Switching from strings to voices: Hellfire is a solid vocalist, but the gang vocals on “The Hammers Fall” add a refreshing flavor to the mix. All of these variations, however, are infrequent and virtually imperceptible.

Speed metal is gonna speed metal, but the lack of variety on Night Danger will likely pose issues for devotees and neophytes alike. Fans of the genre should dig this, but they’ll also crave a few more mid-tempo tracks to keep things interesting. Those less familiar with Revenge’s influences won’t easily forgive the album’s mono-temporality. Night Danger probably won’t turn you into a speed freak, but if you already are one, it’ll satisfy your need.

Rating: Mixed
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Dying Victims Productions
Websites: revenge666.bandcamp.com/album/night-danger | facebook.com/revengespeed
Releases Worldwide: October 17th, 2025

#25 #2025 #Century #ColumbianMetal #DyingVictimsProductions #HeavyMetal #Helloween #JudasPriest #NightDanger #Oct25 #Razor #Revenge #Review #Reviews #RunningWild #SpeedMetal

Savage Master, Nite, Meurtrier, Mistwalker @ Piranha Bar - June 21st, 2025

Piranha Bar, Saturday, June 21 at 07:00 PM EDT

American traditional heavy metal revivalists Savage Master and blackened heavy metal wizards Nite take the stage at Piranha Bar joined by Quebec City speed metallers Meurtrier and local support from black n' roll warriors Mistwalker.

Savage Master:
https://savagemasterofficial.bandcamp.com/album/dark-dangerous

Nite:
https://nitemetal.bandcamp.com/album/cult-of-the-serpent-sun

Meurtrier:
https://meurtrier.bandcamp.com/track/maligne-pr-tresse

Mistwalker:
https://mistwalker.bandcamp.com/album/oceanic-heritage

https://montreal.askapunk.net/event/savage-master-nite-meurtrier-mistwalker-piranha-bar-june-21st-2025

Phantom – Tyrants of Wrath Review

By Tyme

Vampires and castles and axes, oh my! In addition to a love for the video game Castlevania, these are some of the favorite things for Guadalajara, Mexico’s Phantom, reflected in the cool Meagan Lemay cover art. I had a fair amount of fun with Phantom‘s 2023 debut album, Handed to Execution. It’s a tasty little slab of thrashy speed metal that took me back to the halcyon days of Kill ‘Em All Metallica and Show No Mercy Slayer. When I saw Phantom‘s follow-up, Tyrants of Wrath, floating around in the sump pit, I waded into Castle de AMG’s mucky moat, battling tentacled meanies and dodging Grier‘s skid mark-ruined speedos to retrieve it. I was eager to find out if Tyrants of Wrath would fill me with war lust and have me storming the gates or leave me non-plussed and in my cups, lazily slumped next to a fire.

Tyrants of Wrath sounds straight out of 1985 and finds Phantom tweaking the more straightforward formula used on Handed to Execution. Carryover traces of early Metallica and Slayer, with some Kreator and Razor bits thrown in for good measure, remain intact as forays into trad-metal, second-wave black metal, and atmospheric organ/piano interludes attempt to expand Phantom‘s overall sonicscape. JC Necrohex and Harel Mortem fly across fretboards in flurries of furious riffs and chaotic lead work, imbuing early tracks like “The Tower of Seth” and “Violent Invasion” with raw, thrashy, speed metal intensity that lands just this side of completely unhinged. The chorus to the Midnight-fueled banger “Thunderbeast” will have you pounding your chest, eager to make war, not love. JC’s vocals remain on point for the style, pairing blackened growls ala Kreator‘s Endless Pain-era Ventor mixed with high-pitched screams that would put a smile on Tom Araya’s face. Rair Tavizon provides pounding bass lines, and JP Alatorre rounds out the rhythm section, turning in a serviceable drum performance that mostly corrals Phantom‘s chaotic acrobatics, but not always. With more expansive songwriting and experimentation, Tyrants of Wrath is the product of a young band broadening its musical horizons.

The ambition of Phantom‘s vision exceeds the resources available to execute it successfully. While the front edge of Tyrants‘ sword does positive damage, holes in the castle’s defenses start to show when “Nimbus” rolls around. Meant as a traditional nod toward old-school influences like Manilla Road and Heavy Load, the track suffers from weak instrumentation—its strongest pulse some Maiden-esque dual guitar leads—and clean vocals that never stretch from their narrow baritone range, hobbling with broken wings, a track meant to soar like an eagle. Add in the amateurish, Egyptian-tinged “Lost in the Sands,” where the guitars and drums fall entirely out of sync and distract rather than charm, to the very awkwardly performed, ill-flowing piano interlude “Nocturnal Opus 666,” and it’s clear Phantom is unable to stretch far enough to fulfill Tyrants of Wrath‘s intended goal.

With a runtime of just over forty-eight minutes, Tyrants of Wrath is far from the brevity of Handed to Execution, which is disappointing because the unrealized gains of Phantom‘s experimentation lead to this bloat. That’s not to say every experiment fails, as the spooky intro, spunky-punk bass, and tremolo strumming of “Dance of the Spiders” works in a mostly non-Phantom way, and closer “Dark Wings of Death,” an excellent amalgamation of speed-thrashy chugs and trad-heavy, war horse galloping riffs make for a trver representation of what an evolved Phantom is capable of. I’m happy my active listening of “Dark Wings of Death” allowed me to reach that conclusion since, sadly, the fatigue I felt during my initial, traditionally linear listening sessions left me apathetic to this last song’s successful charms.

Phantom is a fun and very young band, which works in their favor as they continue to evolve and find their footing. Handed to Execution was a nostalgically compelling and raucously promising debut. While I think Tyrants of Wrath, despite its expansive intentions, sees Phantom take a step back, there’s a lot to look forward to as well. I commend these youngsters for having the courage to look beyond the relative success of their previous effort to do something exactly as they want. There are glimpses on Tyrants of Wrath of what a more mature third Phantom outing could sound like, and you can bet I’ll be there to listen to it.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: High Roller Records
Website: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: April 25th, 2025

#25 #2025 #Apr25 #HighRollerRecords #Kreator #Metallica #MexicanMetal #Phantom #Razor #Review #Reviews #Slayer #SpeedMetal #ThrashMetal #TyrantsOfWrath

Phantom – Tyrants of Wrath Review

By Tyme

Vampires and castles and axes, oh my! In addition to a love for the video game Castlevania, these are some of the favorite things for Guadalajara, Mexico’s Phantom, reflected in the cool Meagan Lemay cover art. I had a fair amount of fun with Phantom‘s 2023 debut album, Handed to Execution. It’s a tasty little slab of thrashy speed metal that took me back to the halcyon days of Kill ‘Em All Metallica and Show No Mercy Slayer. When I saw Phantom‘s follow-up, Tyrants of Wrath, floating around in the sump pit, I waded into Castle de AMG’s mucky moat, battling tentacled meanies and dodging Grier‘s skid mark-ruined speedos to retrieve it. I was eager to find out if Tyrants of Wrath would fill me with war lust and have me storming the gates or leave me non-plussed and in my cups, lazily slumped next to a fire.

Tyrants of Wrath sounds straight out of 1985 and finds Phantom tweaking the more straightforward formula used on Handed to Execution. Carryover traces of early Metallica and Slayer, with some Kreator and Razor bits thrown in for good measure, remain intact as forays into trad-metal, second-wave black metal, and atmospheric organ/piano interludes attempt to expand Phantom‘s overall sonicscape. JC Necrohex and Harel Mortem fly across fretboards in flurries of furious riffs and chaotic lead work, imbuing early tracks like “The Tower of Seth” and “Violent Invasion” with raw, thrashy, speed metal intensity that lands just this side of completely unhinged. The chorus to the Midnight-fueled banger “Thunderbeast” will have you pounding your chest, eager to make war, not love. JC’s vocals remain on point for the style, pairing blackened growls ala Kreator‘s Endless Pain-era Ventor mixed with high-pitched screams that would put a smile on Tom Araya’s face. Rair Tavizon provides pounding bass lines, and JP Alatorre rounds out the rhythm section, turning in a serviceable drum performance that mostly corrals Phantom‘s chaotic acrobatics, but not always. With more expansive songwriting and experimentation, Tyrants of Wrath is the product of a young band broadening its musical horizons.

The ambition of Phantom‘s vision exceeds the resources available to execute it successfully. While the front edge of Tyrants‘ sword does positive damage, holes in the castle’s defenses start to show when “Nimbus” rolls around. Meant as a traditional nod toward old-school influences like Manilla Road and Heavy Load, the track suffers from weak instrumentation—its strongest pulse some Maiden-esque dual guitar leads—and clean vocals that never stretch from their narrow baritone range, hobbling with broken wings, a track meant to soar like an eagle. Add in the amateurish, Egyptian-tinged “Lost in the Sands,” where the guitars and drums fall entirely out of sync and distract rather than charm, to the very awkwardly performed, ill-flowing piano interlude “Nocturnal Opus 666,” and it’s clear Phantom is unable to stretch far enough to fulfill Tyrants of Wrath‘s intended goal.

With a runtime of just over forty-eight minutes, Tyrants of Wrath is far from the brevity of Handed to Execution, which is disappointing because the unrealized gains of Phantom‘s experimentation lead to this bloat. That’s not to say every experiment fails, as the spooky intro, spunky-punk bass, and tremolo strumming of “Dance of the Spiders” works in a mostly non-Phantom way, and closer “Dark Wings of Death,” an excellent amalgamation of speed-thrashy chugs and trad-heavy, war horse galloping riffs make for a trver representation of what an evolved Phantom is capable of. I’m happy my active listening of “Dark Wings of Death” allowed me to reach that conclusion since, sadly, the fatigue I felt during my initial, traditionally linear listening sessions left me apathetic to this last song’s successful charms.

Phantom is a fun and very young band, which works in their favor as they continue to evolve and find their footing. Handed to Execution was a nostalgically compelling and raucously promising debut. While I think Tyrants of Wrath, despite its expansive intentions, sees Phantom take a step back, there’s a lot to look forward to as well. I commend these youngsters for having the courage to look beyond the relative success of their previous effort to do something exactly as they want. There are glimpses on Tyrants of Wrath of what a more mature third Phantom outing could sound like, and you can bet I’ll be there to listen to it.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: High Roller Records
Website: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: April 25th, 2025

#25 #2025 #Apr25 #HighRollerRecords #Kreator #Metallica #MexicanMetal #Phantom #Razor #Review #Reviews #Slayer #SpeedMetal #ThrashMetal #TyrantsOfWrath

Phantom – Tyrants of Wrath Review

By Tyme

Vampires and castles and axes, oh my! In addition to a love for the video game Castlevania, these are some of the favorite things for Guadalajara, Mexico’s Phantom, reflected in the cool Meagan Lemay cover art. I had a fair amount of fun with Phantom‘s 2023 debut album, Handed to Execution. It’s a tasty little slab of thrashy speed metal that took me back to the halcyon days of Kill ‘Em All Metallica and Show No Mercy Slayer. When I saw Phantom‘s follow-up, Tyrants of Wrath, floating around in the sump pit, I waded into Castle de AMG’s mucky moat, battling tentacled meanies and dodging Grier‘s skid mark-ruined speedos to retrieve it. I was eager to find out if Tyrants of Wrath would fill me with war lust and have me storming the gates or leave me non-plussed and in my cups, lazily slumped next to a fire.

Tyrants of Wrath sounds straight out of 1985 and finds Phantom tweaking the more straightforward formula used on Handed to Execution. Carryover traces of early Metallica and Slayer, with some Kreator and Razor bits thrown in for good measure, remain intact as forays into trad-metal, second-wave black metal, and atmospheric organ/piano interludes attempt to expand Phantom‘s overall sonicscape. JC Necrohex and Harel Mortem fly across fretboards in flurries of furious riffs and chaotic lead work, imbuing early tracks like “The Tower of Seth” and “Violent Invasion” with raw, thrashy, speed metal intensity that lands just this side of completely unhinged. The chorus to the Midnight-fueled banger “Thunderbeast” will have you pounding your chest, eager to make war, not love. JC’s vocals remain on point for the style, pairing blackened growls ala Kreator‘s Endless Pain-era Ventor mixed with high-pitched screams that would put a smile on Tom Araya’s face. Rair Tavizon provides pounding bass lines, and JP Alatorre rounds out the rhythm section, turning in a serviceable drum performance that mostly corrals Phantom‘s chaotic acrobatics, but not always. With more expansive songwriting and experimentation, Tyrants of Wrath is the product of a young band broadening its musical horizons.

The ambition of Phantom‘s vision exceeds the resources available to execute it successfully. While the front edge of Tyrants‘ sword does positive damage, holes in the castle’s defenses start to show when “Nimbus” rolls around. Meant as a traditional nod toward old-school influences like Manilla Road and Heavy Load, the track suffers from weak instrumentation—its strongest pulse some Maiden-esque dual guitar leads—and clean vocals that never stretch from their narrow baritone range, hobbling with broken wings, a track meant to soar like an eagle. Add in the amateurish, Egyptian-tinged “Lost in the Sands,” where the guitars and drums fall entirely out of sync and distract rather than charm, to the very awkwardly performed, ill-flowing piano interlude “Nocturnal Opus 666,” and it’s clear Phantom is unable to stretch far enough to fulfill Tyrants of Wrath‘s intended goal.

With a runtime of just over forty-eight minutes, Tyrants of Wrath is far from the brevity of Handed to Execution, which is disappointing because the unrealized gains of Phantom‘s experimentation lead to this bloat. That’s not to say every experiment fails, as the spooky intro, spunky-punk bass, and tremolo strumming of “Dance of the Spiders” works in a mostly non-Phantom way, and closer “Dark Wings of Death,” an excellent amalgamation of speed-thrashy chugs and trad-heavy, war horse galloping riffs make for a trver representation of what an evolved Phantom is capable of. I’m happy my active listening of “Dark Wings of Death” allowed me to reach that conclusion since, sadly, the fatigue I felt during my initial, traditionally linear listening sessions left me apathetic to this last song’s successful charms.

Phantom is a fun and very young band, which works in their favor as they continue to evolve and find their footing. Handed to Execution was a nostalgically compelling and raucously promising debut. While I think Tyrants of Wrath, despite its expansive intentions, sees Phantom take a step back, there’s a lot to look forward to as well. I commend these youngsters for having the courage to look beyond the relative success of their previous effort to do something exactly as they want. There are glimpses on Tyrants of Wrath of what a more mature third Phantom outing could sound like, and you can bet I’ll be there to listen to it.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: High Roller Records
Website: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: April 25th, 2025

#25 #2025 #Apr25 #HighRollerRecords #Kreator #Metallica #MexicanMetal #Phantom #Razor #Review #Reviews #Slayer #SpeedMetal #ThrashMetal #TyrantsOfWrath

VASTATOR (Xile) presenta nou Boxed set: "Cronicas" #Vastator #SpeedMetal #Abril2025 #Xile #NouBoxedSet #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

SPEEDTRAP Vol. I

Batiment 7, Saturday, April 12 at 04:00 PM EDT

Viridian Cult Productions presents:

SPEEDTRAP Vol. I

Prepare for a night of unholy and ripping speed metal punk at Bâtiment 7 for the inaugural edition of SPEEDTRAP, a new (hopefully) annual festial in Montreal dedicated to unrelenting tempos and old school sounds.

On the afternoon of Saturday, April 12th, 2025, 11 bands will take the stage at Bâtiment 7 with one purpose: rockin' the fvck out. Join us for this frenzied ritual of razor-sharp sonic terror!

The lineup for this year's event from first to last:

- Leash Aggression
- Mistwalker
- Anti-Criss (Rimouski)
- Motorwolf
- Feed
- Street Panther
- Tonnerre
- The Watcher (Boston)
- Barrow Wight (Ottawa)
- Occult Burial
- Metalian

Tickets are $30 ($33.28 with Eventbrite's fees) in advance, $40 at the door.

@ Bâtiment 7
1900 Rue le Ber, Montreal
Doors / Portes 16:00h
Show / Spectacle 16:30h
NO PUNK TIME
18+ (ID Required)

Tickets available through Eventbrite at this link:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/.../speedtrap-vol-i-tickets...

Poster by the ever-talented Ghastly McNasty.

https://montreal.askapunk.net/event/speedtrap-vol-i

Saturday soundtrack !!!

HELLBASTARD - Heading For Internal Darkness 2 x LP (Red)
MESSIAH - Extreme Cold Weather 2 x LP (Dark Blue)

#punk #crustcore #stenchcore#thrashmetal #speedmetal #hellbastardband #messiahband #vinyl #listeningtomusic #weirdmusic #ListeningToVinyl #boringsaturdayafternoon #weirdsoundtrackofmylife #noiseforthemasses #neighbourhoodnightmare #giveemhellmailorder

#deathmetal #thrashmetal #blackmetal #powermetal #doommetal #stonermetal #progmetal
#groovemetal #heavymetal #vikingmetal #warmetal #blackeneddeathmetal #deathnroll #melodicdeathmetal #symphonicmetal #deathdoommetal
#funeraldoommetal
#sludgemetal #folkmetal #paganmetal #glammetal
#gothicmetal #grindcore #deathcore
#deathgrind #goregrind #industrialmetal #postmetal #mathcore #dissonantdeathmetal #dissonantblackmetal #neoclassicalmetal
#speedmetal #crossovermetal #nwothm #nwobhm #djent #metalcore

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BLABBERMOUTH
DAVE MUSTAINE On Future Of Metal: 'As Long As People Make Good Records, There's Nothing To Worry About'

https://blabbermouth.net/news/dave-mustaine-on-future-of-metal-as-long-as-people-make-good-records-theres-nothing-to-worry-about

#DaveMustaine #FutureOfMetal #ThrashMetal #MEGADETH #HeavyMetal #NewWaveOfBritishHeavyMetal #PowerMetal #SpeedMetal #BlackMetal #WhiteMetal #DeathMetal #CoreMetal #TrueMetal

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BLABBERMOUTH
SADUS Announces First Album In 16 Years, 'The Shadow Inside'

https://blabbermouth.net/news/sadus-announces-first-album-in-16-years-the-shadow-inside

#Sadus
#TheShadowInside
#NewAlbum
#Metal
#Thrash
#16Years
#SpeedMetal
#NorthernCalifornia
#SteveDiGiorgio
#JonAllen
#DennisButkus
#SpecialGuest