#stratovarius — Public Fediverse posts

https://www.wacoca.com/media/618273/ 世界最大級メタル・フェス”Wacken Open Air”全面サポートの”FULL METAL”アジア初上陸！MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP、GUS G. & Ronnie Romero、STRATOVARIUS、ANGRA等出演”FULL METAL JAPAN 2026″10/24-25開催！ #ANGRA #EduFalaschi #GUSG #music #STRATOVARIUS #アングラ #ガスＧ． #ストラトヴァリウス #音楽

https://www.wacoca.com/media/618273/ 世界最大級メタル・フェス”Wacken Open Air”全面サポートの”FULL METAL”アジア初上陸！MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP、GUS G. & Ronnie Romero、STRATOVARIUS、ANGRA等出演”FULL METAL JAPAN 2026″10/24-25開催！ #ANGRA #EduFalaschi #GUSG #music #STRATOVARIUS #アングラ #ガスＧ． #ストラトヴァリウス #音楽

https://www.magmoe.com/2898944/music/2026-04-01/ 世界最大級メタル・フェス”Wacken Open Air”全面サポートの”FULL METAL”アジア初上陸！MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP、GUS G. & Ronnie Romero、STRATOVARIUS、ANGRA等出演”FULL METAL JAPAN 2026″10/24-25開催！ #ANGRA #EduFalaschi #GUSG #MUSIC #Stratovarius #アングラ #ガスＧ． #ストラトヴァリウス #音楽

Suotana – Ounas II [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

Remember the Finnish melodic death and power metal fusion of the late ’90s and early ’00s? Bands like…
#NewsBeep #News #Music #2025 #CA #Canada #Catamenia #ChildrenofBodom #Ensiferum #Entertainment #FinnishMetal #Kalmah #MelodicBlackMetal #MelodicDeathMetal #MoonlightSorcery #Norther #OunasII #PowerMetal #ReaperEntertainment #Stratovarius #Summoning #Suotana #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2025 #TYMHM #Wintersun
https://www.newsbeep.com/ca/356702/

Suotana – Ounas II [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

Remember the Finnish melodic death and power metal fusion of the late ’90s and early ’00s? Ban…
#NewsBeep #News #Music #2025 #Catamenia #ChildrenofBodom #Ensiferum #Entertainment #FinnishMetal #Kalmah #MelodicBlackMetal #MelodicDeathMetal #MoonlightSorcery #Norther #OunasII #PowerMetal #ReaperEntertainment #Stratovarius #Summoning #Suotana #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2025 #TYMHM #UK #UnitedKingdom #Wintersun
https://www.newsbeep.com/uk/325693/

Suotana – Ounas II [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

Remember the Finnish melodic death and power metal fusion of the late ’90s and early ’00s? Bands l…
#NewsBeep #News #Music #2025 #AU #Australia #Catamenia #ChildrenofBodom #Ensiferum #Entertainment #FinnishMetal #Kalmah #MelodicBlackMetal #MelodicDeathMetal #MoonlightSorcery #Norther #OunasII #PowerMetal #ReaperEntertainment #Stratovarius #Summoning #Suotana #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2025 #TYMHM #Wintersun
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/359438/

https://www.europesays.com/ie/241835/ Suotana – Ounas II [Things You Might Have Missed 2025] #2025 #Catamenia #ChildrenOfBodom #Éire #Ensiferum #Entertainment #FinnishMetal #IE #Ireland #Kalmah #MelodicBlackMetal #MelodicDeathMetal #MoonlightSorcery #Music #Norther #OunasII #PowerMetal #ReaperEntertainment #Stratovarius #Summoning #Suotana #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2025 #TYMHM #Wintersun

https://www.europesays.com/uk/643031/ Suotana – Ounas II [Things You Might Have Missed 2025] #2025 #Catamenia #ChildrenOfBodom #Ensiferum #Entertainment #FinnishMetal #Kalmah #MelodicBlackMetal #MelodicDeathMetal #MoonlightSorcery #music #Norther #OunasII #PowerMetal #ReaperEntertainment #Stratovarius #Summoning #Suotana #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2025 #TYMHM #UK #UnitedKingdom #Wintersun

Remember the Finnish melodic death and power metal fusion of the late ’90s and early ’00s? Bands like Children of Bodom,1 Kalmah, and Norther were all the rage for a short while. You even had stuff like Ensiferum for a folkier interpretation, or Catamenia2 for the blackened side of things. The truth is that it never really left.3 Suotana is one of the bands keeping this sound alive and well, and they have more history than one might think. They spawned in the mid-2000s but took until 2014 to start putting out material. Now, over a decade later, they’re on their fourth full-length, and Ounas II continues right where predecessor Ounas I left off two years ago. Judging them back-to-back, it seems the collective is only growing in strength.

Ounas II is chock full of great songwriting. Melodic death metal, power metal, and even bits of black metal collide in this crazy Finnish kitchen, with Children of Bodom remaining the clear number one influence. Founding members Ville Rautio and Pasi Portaankorva utilize the dual guitar attack in classic ’80s ways (“Winter Visions,” “Twilight Stream”), while Stratovarius sensibilities color their frantic touches of melodic power—both always positives in my book. The harsh vocals of Tuomo Marttinen are frosty and vicious, similar to their swamp brethren in Kalmah.4 Tommi Neitola’s keyboards are the cherry on top, adding a Bodomesque symphonic bombast layer that occasionally approaches Wintersun levels without going overboard (“The Crowned King of Ancient Forest,” “1473 Ounas”).

Ounas II by Suotana

Dealing with two-part concepts is always a challenging task, but Suotana came prepared. It feels like they’ve improved on all of Ounas I’s already strong qualities: the production has more breadth, the album’s layers delve deeper, and there’s more energy and variety in its songs (“Foreverland,” “Twilight Stream”). However, the most impressive thing about Ounas II is that it’s even denser than its sibling. The album clocks in at 39 minutes compared to the first part’s 41,5 which has the huge advantage of avoiding a bloated ‘B-sides’ feel so common with other double album concepts.6 And despite its tight runtime, the songwriting has plenty of room to flourish, as exemplified by “1473 Ounas.” Furthermore, to complement the Summoning cover that crowned the first part, Ounas II unleashes a cover of Children of Bodom’s “Hatebreeder” as its encore. Whether you imagine it as a proper track or a bonus, it’s a great way to end the record with a bang while honoring your influences.7

Suotana has had a long journey to get to this point, and it’s been more than worth it. Their songwriting is only getting faster and better, which further reinforces its catchy extremities. In many ways, Suotana feels like the melodeath-forward twin to Moonlight Sorcery’s excellent brand of power/black metal. Both bands dress to impress with big riffs, melodic violence, and keyboard bombast in all the right ways. Though the back-to-back experience is great, Ounas II is a package that works wonders on its lonesome too, and I think that’s another mark of success for the band. I’m excited to see what these self-aware wizards pictured above are going to summon from that lake next, Ounas or not.

Tracks to Check Out: “Winter Visions,” “Twilight Stream,” “The Crowned King of Ancient Forest,” and a special shout out to the excellent cover of “Hatebreeder.”

Remember the Finnish melodic death and power metal fusion of the late ’90s and early ’00s? Bands like Children of Bodom,1 Kalmah, and Norther were all the rage for a short while. You even had stuff like Ensiferum for a folkier interpretation, or Catamenia2 for the blackened side of things. The truth is that it never really left.3 Suotana is one of the bands keeping this sound alive and well, and they have more history than one might think. They spawned in the mid-2000s but took until 2014 to start putting out material. Now, over a decade later, they’re on their fourth full-length, and Ounas II continues right where predecessor Ounas I left off two years ago. Judging them back-to-back, it seems the collective is only growing in strength.

Ounas II is chock full of great songwriting. Melodic death metal, power metal, and even bits of black metal collide in this crazy Finnish kitchen, with Children of Bodom remaining the clear number one influence. Founding members Ville Rautio and Pasi Portaankorva utilize the dual guitar attack in classic ’80s ways (“Winter Visions,” “Twilight Stream”), while Stratovarius sensibilities color their frantic touches of melodic power—both always positives in my book. The harsh vocals of Tuomo Marttinen are frosty and vicious, similar to their swamp brethren in Kalmah.4 Tommi Neitola’s keyboards are the cherry on top, adding a Bodomesque symphonic bombast layer that occasionally approaches Wintersun levels without going overboard (“The Crowned King of Ancient Forest,” “1473 Ounas”).

Ounas II by Suotana

Dealing with two-part concepts is always a challenging task, but Suotana came prepared. It feels like they’ve improved on all of Ounas I’s already strong qualities: the production has more breadth, the album’s layers delve deeper, and there’s more energy and variety in its songs (“Foreverland,” “Twilight Stream”). However, the most impressive thing about Ounas II is that it’s even denser than its sibling. The album clocks in at 39 minutes compared to the first part’s 41,5 which has the huge advantage of avoiding a bloated ‘B-sides’ feel so common with other double album concepts.6 And despite its tight runtime, the songwriting has plenty of room to flourish, as exemplified by “1473 Ounas.” Furthermore, to complement the Summoning cover that crowned the first part, Ounas II unleashes a cover of Children of Bodom’s “Hatebreeder” as its encore. Whether you imagine it as a proper track or a bonus, it’s a great way to end the record with a bang while honoring your influences.7

Suotana has had a long journey to get to this point, and it’s been more than worth it. Their songwriting is only getting faster and better, which further reinforces its catchy extremities. In many ways, Suotana feels like the melodeath-forward twin to Moonlight Sorcery’s excellent brand of power/black metal. Both bands dress to impress with big riffs, melodic violence, and keyboard bombast in all the right ways. Though the back-to-back experience is great, Ounas II is a package that works wonders on its lonesome too, and I think that’s another mark of success for the band. I’m excited to see what these self-aware wizards pictured above are going to summon from that lake next, Ounas or not.

Tracks to Check Out: “Winter Visions,” “Twilight Stream,” “The Crowned King of Ancient Forest,” and a special shout out to the excellent cover of “Hatebreeder.”

Remember the Finnish melodic death and power metal fusion of the late ’90s and early ’00s? Bands like Children of Bodom,1 Kalmah, and Norther were all the rage for a short while. You even had stuff like Ensiferum for a folkier interpretation, or Catamenia2 for the blackened side of things. The truth is that it never really left.3 Suotana is one of the bands keeping this sound alive and well, and they have more history than one might think. They spawned in the mid-2000s but took until 2014 to start putting out material. Now, over a decade later, they’re on their fourth full-length, and Ounas II continues right where predecessor Ounas I left off two years ago. Judging them back-to-back, it seems the collective is only growing in strength.

Ounas II is chock full of great songwriting. Melodic death metal, power metal, and even bits of black metal collide in this crazy Finnish kitchen, with Children of Bodom remaining the clear number one influence. Founding members Ville Rautio and Pasi Portaankorva utilize the dual guitar attack in classic ’80s ways (“Winter Visions,” “Twilight Stream”), while Stratovarius sensibilities color their frantic touches of melodic power—both always positives in my book. The harsh vocals of Tuomo Marttinen are frosty and vicious, similar to their swamp brethren in Kalmah.4 Tommi Neitola’s keyboards are the cherry on top, adding a Bodomesque symphonic bombast layer that occasionally approaches Wintersun levels without going overboard (“The Crowned King of Ancient Forest,” “1473 Ounas”).

Ounas II by Suotana

Dealing with two-part concepts is always a challenging task, but Suotana came prepared. It feels like they’ve improved on all of Ounas I’s already strong qualities: the production has more breadth, the album’s layers delve deeper, and there’s more energy and variety in its songs (“Foreverland,” “Twilight Stream”). However, the most impressive thing about Ounas II is that it’s even denser than its sibling. The album clocks in at 39 minutes compared to the first part’s 41,5 which has the huge advantage of avoiding a bloated ‘B-sides’ feel so common with other double album concepts.6 And despite its tight runtime, the songwriting has plenty of room to flourish, as exemplified by “1473 Ounas.” Furthermore, to complement the Summoning cover that crowned the first part, Ounas II unleashes a cover of Children of Bodom’s “Hatebreeder” as its encore. Whether you imagine it as a proper track or a bonus, it’s a great way to end the record with a bang while honoring your influences.7

Suotana has had a long journey to get to this point, and it’s been more than worth it. Their songwriting is only getting faster and better, which further reinforces its catchy extremities. In many ways, Suotana feels like the melodeath-forward twin to Moonlight Sorcery’s excellent brand of power/black metal. Both bands dress to impress with big riffs, melodic violence, and keyboard bombast in all the right ways. Though the back-to-back experience is great, Ounas II is a package that works wonders on its lonesome too, and I think that’s another mark of success for the band. I’m excited to see what these self-aware wizards pictured above are going to summon from that lake next, Ounas or not.

Tracks to Check Out: “Winter Visions,” “Twilight Stream,” “The Crowned King of Ancient Forest,” and a special shout out to the excellent cover of “Hatebreeder.”

Remember the Finnish melodic death and power metal fusion of the late ’90s and early ’00s? Bands like Children of Bodom,1 Kalmah, and Norther were all the rage for a short while. You even had stuff like Ensiferum for a folkier interpretation, or Catamenia2 for the blackened side of things. The truth is that it never really left.3 Suotana is one of the bands keeping this sound alive and well, and they have more history than one might think. They spawned in the mid-2000s but took until 2014 to start putting out material. Now, over a decade later, they’re on their fourth full-length, and Ounas II continues right where predecessor Ounas I left off two years ago. Judging them back-to-back, it seems the collective is only growing in strength.

Ounas II is chock full of great songwriting. Melodic death metal, power metal, and even bits of black metal collide in this crazy Finnish kitchen, with Children of Bodom remaining the clear number one influence. Founding members Ville Rautio and Pasi Portaankorva utilize the dual guitar attack in classic ’80s ways (“Winter Visions,” “Twilight Stream”), while Stratovarius sensibilities color their frantic touches of melodic power—both always positives in my book. The harsh vocals of Tuomo Marttinen are frosty and vicious, similar to their swamp brethren in Kalmah.4 Tommi Neitola’s keyboards are the cherry on top, adding a Bodomesque symphonic bombast layer that occasionally approaches Wintersun levels without going overboard (“The Crowned King of Ancient Forest,” “1473 Ounas”).

Ounas II by Suotana

Dealing with two-part concepts is always a challenging task, but Suotana came prepared. It feels like they’ve improved on all of Ounas I’s already strong qualities: the production has more breadth, the album’s layers delve deeper, and there’s more energy and variety in its songs (“Foreverland,” “Twilight Stream”). However, the most impressive thing about Ounas II is that it’s even denser than its sibling. The album clocks in at 39 minutes compared to the first part’s 41,5 which has the huge advantage of avoiding a bloated ‘B-sides’ feel so common with other double album concepts.6 And despite its tight runtime, the songwriting has plenty of room to flourish, as exemplified by “1473 Ounas.” Furthermore, to complement the Summoning cover that crowned the first part, Ounas II unleashes a cover of Children of Bodom’s “Hatebreeder” as its encore. Whether you imagine it as a proper track or a bonus, it’s a great way to end the record with a bang while honoring your influences.7

Suotana has had a long journey to get to this point, and it’s been more than worth it. Their songwriting is only getting faster and better, which further reinforces its catchy extremities. In many ways, Suotana feels like the melodeath-forward twin to Moonlight Sorcery’s excellent brand of power/black metal. Both bands dress to impress with big riffs, melodic violence, and keyboard bombast in all the right ways. Though the back-to-back experience is great, Ounas II is a package that works wonders on its lonesome too, and I think that’s another mark of success for the band. I’m excited to see what these self-aware wizards pictured above are going to summon from that lake next, Ounas or not.

Tracks to Check Out: “Winter Visions,” “Twilight Stream,” “The Crowned King of Ancient Forest,” and a special shout out to the excellent cover of “Hatebreeder.”

Remember the Finnish melodic death and power metal fusion of the late ’90s and early ’00s? Bands like Children of Bodom,1 Kalmah, and Norther were all the rage for a short while. You even had stuff like Ensiferum for a folkier interpretation, or Catamenia2 for the blackened side of things. The truth is that it never really left.3 Suotana is one of the bands keeping this sound alive and well, and they have more history than one might think. They spawned in the mid-2000s but took until 2014 to start putting out material. Now, over a decade later, they’re on their fourth full-length, and Ounas II continues right where predecessor Ounas I left off two years ago. Judging them back-to-back, it seems the collective is only growing in strength.

Ounas II is chock full of great songwriting. Melodic death metal, power metal, and even bits of black metal collide in this crazy Finnish kitchen, with Children of Bodom remaining the clear number one influence. Founding members Ville Rautio and Pasi Portaankorva utilize the dual guitar attack in classic ’80s ways (“Winter Visions,” “Twilight Stream”), while Stratovarius sensibilities color their frantic touches of melodic power—both always positives in my book. The harsh vocals of Tuomo Marttinen are frosty and vicious, similar to their swamp brethren in Kalmah.4 Tommi Neitola’s keyboards are the cherry on top, adding a Bodomesque symphonic bombast layer that occasionally approaches Wintersun levels without going overboard (“The Crowned King of Ancient Forest,” “1473 Ounas”).

Ounas II by Suotana

Dealing with two-part concepts is always a challenging task, but Suotana came prepared. It feels like they’ve improved on all of Ounas I’s already strong qualities: the production has more breadth, the album’s layers delve deeper, and there’s more energy and variety in its songs (“Foreverland,” “Twilight Stream”). However, the most impressive thing about Ounas II is that it’s even denser than its sibling. The album clocks in at 39 minutes compared to the first part’s 41,5 which has the huge advantage of avoiding a bloated ‘B-sides’ feel so common with other double album concepts.6 And despite its tight runtime, the songwriting has plenty of room to flourish, as exemplified by “1473 Ounas.” Furthermore, to complement the Summoning cover that crowned the first part, Ounas II unleashes a cover of Children of Bodom’s “Hatebreeder” as its encore. Whether you imagine it as a proper track or a bonus, it’s a great way to end the record with a bang while honoring your influences.7

Suotana has had a long journey to get to this point, and it’s been more than worth it. Their songwriting is only getting faster and better, which further reinforces its catchy extremities. In many ways, Suotana feels like the melodeath-forward twin to Moonlight Sorcery’s excellent brand of power/black metal. Both bands dress to impress with big riffs, melodic violence, and keyboard bombast in all the right ways. Though the back-to-back experience is great, Ounas II is a package that works wonders on its lonesome too, and I think that’s another mark of success for the band. I’m excited to see what these self-aware wizards pictured above are going to summon from that lake next, Ounas or not.

Tracks to Check Out: “Winter Visions,” “Twilight Stream,” “The Crowned King of Ancient Forest,” and a special shout out to the excellent cover of “Hatebreeder.”

Frozen Land – Icemelter Review

By Twelve

I have such a soft spot in my heart for Frozen Land. After writing my first-ever review for Angry Metal Guy, I remember feeling shaky. It went through quite a few revisions. My second, Frozen Land’s eponymous debut, was, comparatively, simple. Their 1999 Euro power metal meets 2001 Euro power metal vision made for a catchy, delightfully fun album, and my enjoyment for it showed in my writing—still my favorite intro to any review I’ve written. So it is to my great astonishment that these Finns are now on album number three with Icemelter. Time, it just keeps going, but has it changed anything for these vivacious Vikings?

Of course not! Frozen Land is just as I remember them, or at least they are for the most part—Icemelter has a more aggressive edge to it, but is easily and recognizably the same Frozen Land I met in 2018. Opener “The Carrier,” for example, features a riff that could easily be found on a Tarot album, a notable sign of a heavier direction. But the rapid-fire vocals bridging their way to a bombastic, catchy chorus? That’s familiar Frozen Land, borrowing from the ancient playbook of Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica (who were themselves borrowing from the aforementioned playbook at the time). Their unique personality emerges in Thomas Hirvonen’s sardonic riffing in “Dream Away,” in Lauri Nylund’s subtle but effective keyboards in “Losing My Mind,” in the infectious energy of bassist Eero Pakkanen and drummer Matias Rokio throughout, but especially in “Chosen, Corrupt, and Cancerous,” and in Tony Meloni’s singing all the time.

As is typical in power metal, it’s the vocalist who takes up most of the spotlight, and Meloni’s unique style is little exception. I could see his higher register feeling awkward or out of place with the wrong group, but Frozen Land’s songs are very much written for his voice. The bombastic choruses commonly pair him with Nylund’s keys—barely noticeable, but lending him that extra bit of presence to make them shine. He also adds an important element of dynamism to Icemelter, on songs like “Haunted,” which take him from aggressive cleans to a smoother, impassioned chorus that gets stuck in the head, and wouldn’t work nearly so well with a less invested delivery.

The reason I highlight Meloni’s performance isn’t to take away from the rest of Frozen Land at all—as I’ve mentioned, the five work extremely well together to form their modern-yet-nostalgic sound. But if there’s one weakness to Icemelter, it’s that, musically at least, it’s a touch formulaic, due in part to the dated (seeming) inspiration for their material and the style with which they take to it. And, to be clear, none of their material is boring or even the slightest bit un-fun. Hirvonen’s and leads are electric, and “Black Domina” is a great example, but by the time we get there, it’s just starting to feel a bit tired. The good news is that Icemelter is only thirty-six minutes long and so never has a chance to overstay its welcome. On the other hand, when I do dislike a song, as is only the case for the title track (which comes across disjointed in its songwriting and doesn’t quite land for me), it feels like a disproportionately big deal.

Icemelter is a very fun listen. If it’s only flaw is that all the energetic, fun power metal blurs together a bit, I can live with it. Frozen Land being a quintessentially Finnish touch to a classic style, modernizes both it and themselves enough to make a strong impression. As I look back on this review, it occurs to me that it’s a bit short compared to my usual writing here, but that’s kind of the point—Frozen Land’s straightforward, easy approach to a classic style is exactly what makes them so endearing to listen to.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Massacre Records
Websites: facebook.com/frozenlandband
Releases Worldwide: November 21st, 2025

#2025 #35 #finnishMetal #frozenLand #icemelter #massacreRecords #nov25 #powerMetal #review #reviews #sonataArctica #stratovarius #tarot

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

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

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

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

Bloodbound – Field of Swords Review

By Baguette of Bodom

Bloodbound has always been a band with a confusing identity. These Swedes lit up a storm with debut Nosferatu in 2006, an underappreciated heavy/power gem fusing the best of Iron Maiden’s gallops with the hooks of Helloween and HammerFall. The golden pipes of Urban Breed (ex-Tad Morose) were the cherry on top. However, the curse of unstable lineups would strike. Urban Breed would leave for one album, rejoin for the odd-but-good, progpower-meets-Kalmah melodeath sound of Tabula Rasa, and promptly leave again. A decade of struggles followed, ranging from watered-down HammerFall to withered Sabaton to simply tepid heavy metal. 2021’s Creatures of the Dark Realm was a surprising resurgence, drifting Bloodbound more towards saccharine Europower. This brings us to newcomer Field of Swords. Where does it fit into this unconventional discography?

Field of Swords doubles down on Bloodbound’s recent melodic adventures. The double bass drumming of ’90s power metal is immediately recognizable, following in the steps of Stratovarius and HammerFall. The guitar work, too, has rejuvenated. Gone are almost all of the Sabatonisms that marred some of the band’s lowest points; here, the Olsson brothers’ rhythmic assault is simple but effective (“As Empires Fall,” “Born to Be King”), and its attitude carries the medieval fantasy spirit of [Luca Turilli(‘s) / Lione] Rhapsody [of Fire] minus the wank. The vocals of Patrik J. Selleby fit this style like a glove, his adapted performance being one of the strongest of his tenure thus far.

Bloodbound’s newfound breakneck pace and consistency are their greatest assets. The decision to go borderline sparkly on Field of Swords could have backfired, marking yet another sudden left turn in a discography full of them. Instead, it feels like a natural development from the past three albums. While the album on the surface is written like standard ’90s–’00s melodic power metal (“Field of Swords”), the execution of classic power chord choruses leading into blazing solos (“The Code of Warriors,” “Forged in Iron”) is surprisingly fiery and fun. Most importantly, Field of Swords forgoes balladry and prioritizes speed for a lion’s share of its 45-minute runtime. The record has a unified image unusual of Bloodbound. It’s not infallible—the unnecessary Sabaton sing-along stomp rears its head on the second half of “Pain and Glory”—but it is tightly-knit in a way I greatly appreciate.

As catchy as Field of Swords is, there are a few things preventing it from being a resounding success. For one, Bloodbound rely too much on one-note Battle Beastian disco synths. While Fredrik Bergh contributes plenty of pleasant backing bombast to the album as well, his main weapon of choice is sharp and high up in the mix, leading to fatigue on some otherwise strong choruses (“Defenders of Jerusalem,” “Light the Sky”). The band is still not immune to odd songwriting shifts either. In addition to the aforementioned “Pain and Glory” stumble, closing track “The Nine Crusades” features Unleash the Archers’ talented Brittney Slayes, only for her voice to drown under sappiness unfit for the record. Even so, the concoction here is potent. Cuts like “Land of the Brave” and “Light the Sky” are some of Bloodbound’s fastest and most energetic to date, and this sudden burst of frenzy is admirable of a veteran band.

For the first time in a while, Bloodbound’s sound has a true sense of direction. Field of Swords’ all-gas, no-brakes approach gives the record more urgency than they’ve had in forever, and both the songwriting and album flow greatly benefit in return. Despite some lingering issues, Field of Swords ends up being one of the better albums in the band’s catalog. Both Creatures of the Dark Realm and this album indicate the Europower-forward realignment continues to work in their favor. I can’t say I don’t still long for the days of Nosferatu, and Bloodbound could place a bit more faith in their strong guitar work and vocal lines, but whatever they’re doing is paying off once more. I can only hope this progress continues.

Rating: Good!
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream o’ Piss
Label: Napalm Records | Bandcamp
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: November 21st, 2025

#lucaTurillisLioneRhapsodyOfFire #2025 #30 #battleBeast #bloodbound #fieldOfSwords #hammerfall #helloween #ironMaiden #kalmah #napalmRecords #nov25 #powerMetal #review #reviews #sabaton #stratovarius #swedishMetal #tadMorose #unleashTheArchers

Bloodbound – Field of Swords Review

By Baguette of Bodom

Bloodbound has always been a band with a confusing identity. These Swedes lit up a storm with debut Nosferatu in 2006, an underappreciated heavy/power gem fusing the best of Iron Maiden’s gallops with the hooks of Helloween and HammerFall. The golden pipes of Urban Breed (ex-Tad Morose) were the cherry on top. However, the curse of unstable lineups would strike. Urban Breed would leave for one album, rejoin for the odd-but-good, progpower-meets-Kalmah melodeath sound of Tabula Rasa, and promptly leave again. A decade of struggles followed, ranging from watered-down HammerFall to withered Sabaton to simply tepid heavy metal. 2021’s Creatures of the Dark Realm was a surprising resurgence, drifting Bloodbound more towards saccharine Europower. This brings us to newcomer Field of Swords. Where does it fit into this unconventional discography?

Field of Swords doubles down on Bloodbound’s recent melodic adventures. The double bass drumming of ’90s power metal is immediately recognizable, following in the steps of Stratovarius and HammerFall. The guitar work, too, has rejuvenated. Gone are almost all of the Sabatonisms that marred some of the band’s lowest points; here, the Olsson brothers’ rhythmic assault is simple but effective (“As Empires Fall,” “Born to Be King”), and its attitude carries the medieval fantasy spirit of [Luca Turilli(‘s) / Lione] Rhapsody [of Fire] minus the wank. The vocals of Patrik J. Selleby fit this style like a glove, his adapted performance being one of the strongest of his tenure thus far.

Bloodbound’s newfound breakneck pace and consistency are their greatest assets. The decision to go borderline sparkly on Field of Swords could have backfired, marking yet another sudden left turn in a discography full of them. Instead, it feels like a natural development from the past three albums. While the album on the surface is written like standard ’90s–’00s melodic power metal (“Field of Swords”), the execution of classic power chord choruses leading into blazing solos (“The Code of Warriors,” “Forged in Iron”) is surprisingly fiery and fun. Most importantly, Field of Swords forgoes balladry and prioritizes speed for a lion’s share of its 45-minute runtime. The record has a unified image unusual of Bloodbound. It’s not infallible—the unnecessary Sabaton sing-along stomp rears its head on the second half of “Pain and Glory”—but it is tightly-knit in a way I greatly appreciate.

As catchy as Field of Swords is, there are a few things preventing it from being a resounding success. For one, Bloodbound rely too much on one-note Battle Beastian disco synths. While Fredrik Bergh contributes plenty of pleasant backing bombast to the album as well, his main weapon of choice is sharp and high up in the mix, leading to fatigue on some otherwise strong choruses (“Defenders of Jerusalem,” “Light the Sky”). The band is still not immune to odd songwriting shifts either. In addition to the aforementioned “Pain and Glory” stumble, closing track “The Nine Crusades” features Unleash the Archers’ talented Brittney Slayes, only for her voice to drown under sappiness unfit for the record. Even so, the concoction here is potent. Cuts like “Land of the Brave” and “Light the Sky” are some of Bloodbound’s fastest and most energetic to date, and this sudden burst of frenzy is admirable of a veteran band.

For the first time in a while, Bloodbound’s sound has a true sense of direction. Field of Swords’ all-gas, no-brakes approach gives the record more urgency than they’ve had in forever, and both the songwriting and album flow greatly benefit in return. Despite some lingering issues, Field of Swords ends up being one of the better albums in the band’s catalog. Both Creatures of the Dark Realm and this album indicate the Europower-forward realignment continues to work in their favor. I can’t say I don’t still long for the days of Nosferatu, and Bloodbound could place a bit more faith in their strong guitar work and vocal lines, but whatever they’re doing is paying off once more. I can only hope this progress continues.

Rating: Good!
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream o’ Piss
Label: Napalm Records | Bandcamp
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: November 21st, 2025

#lucaTurillisLioneRhapsodyOfFire #2025 #30 #battleBeast #bloodbound #fieldOfSwords #hammerfall #helloween #ironMaiden #kalmah #napalmRecords #nov25 #powerMetal #review #reviews #sabaton #stratovarius #swedishMetal #tadMorose #unleashTheArchers

Bloodbound – Field of Swords Review

By Baguette of Bodom

Bloodbound has always been a band with a confusing identity. These Swedes lit up a storm with debut Nosferatu in 2006, an underappreciated heavy/power gem fusing the best of Iron Maiden’s gallops with the hooks of Helloween and HammerFall. The golden pipes of Urban Breed (ex-Tad Morose) were the cherry on top. However, the curse of unstable lineups would strike. Urban Breed would leave for one album, rejoin for the odd-but-good, progpower-meets-Kalmah melodeath sound of Tabula Rasa, and promptly leave again. A decade of struggles followed, ranging from watered-down HammerFall to withered Sabaton to simply tepid heavy metal. 2021’s Creatures of the Dark Realm was a surprising resurgence, drifting Bloodbound more towards saccharine Europower. This brings us to newcomer Field of Swords. Where does it fit into this unconventional discography?

Field of Swords doubles down on Bloodbound’s recent melodic adventures. The double bass drumming of ’90s power metal is immediately recognizable, following in the steps of Stratovarius and HammerFall. The guitar work, too, has rejuvenated. Gone are almost all of the Sabatonisms that marred some of the band’s lowest points; here, the Olsson brothers’ rhythmic assault is simple but effective (“As Empires Fall,” “Born to Be King”), and its attitude carries the medieval fantasy spirit of [Luca Turilli(‘s) / Lione] Rhapsody [of Fire] minus the wank. The vocals of Patrik J. Selleby fit this style like a glove, his adapted performance being one of the strongest of his tenure thus far.

Bloodbound’s newfound breakneck pace and consistency are their greatest assets. The decision to go borderline sparkly on Field of Swords could have backfired, marking yet another sudden left turn in a discography full of them. Instead, it feels like a natural development from the past three albums. While the album on the surface is written like standard ’90s–’00s melodic power metal (“Field of Swords”), the execution of classic power chord choruses leading into blazing solos (“The Code of Warriors,” “Forged in Iron”) is surprisingly fiery and fun. Most importantly, Field of Swords forgoes balladry and prioritizes speed for a lion’s share of its 45-minute runtime. The record has a unified image unusual of Bloodbound. It’s not infallible—the unnecessary Sabaton sing-along stomp rears its head on the second half of “Pain and Glory”—but it is tightly-knit in a way I greatly appreciate.

As catchy as Field of Swords is, there are a few things preventing it from being a resounding success. For one, Bloodbound rely too much on one-note Battle Beastian disco synths. While Fredrik Bergh contributes plenty of pleasant backing bombast to the album as well, his main weapon of choice is sharp and high up in the mix, leading to fatigue on some otherwise strong choruses (“Defenders of Jerusalem,” “Light the Sky”). The band is still not immune to odd songwriting shifts either. In addition to the aforementioned “Pain and Glory” stumble, closing track “The Nine Crusades” features Unleash the Archers’ talented Brittney Slayes, only for her voice to drown under sappiness unfit for the record. Even so, the concoction here is potent. Cuts like “Land of the Brave” and “Light the Sky” are some of Bloodbound’s fastest and most energetic to date, and this sudden burst of frenzy is admirable of a veteran band.

For the first time in a while, Bloodbound’s sound has a true sense of direction. Field of Swords’ all-gas, no-brakes approach gives the record more urgency than they’ve had in forever, and both the songwriting and album flow greatly benefit in return. Despite some lingering issues, Field of Swords ends up being one of the better albums in the band’s catalog. Both Creatures of the Dark Realm and this album indicate the Europower-forward realignment continues to work in their favor. I can’t say I don’t still long for the days of Nosferatu, and Bloodbound could place a bit more faith in their strong guitar work and vocal lines, but whatever they’re doing is paying off once more. I can only hope this progress continues.

Rating: Good!
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream o’ Piss
Label: Napalm Records | Bandcamp
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: November 21st, 2025

#lucaTurillisLioneRhapsodyOfFire #2025 #30 #battleBeast #bloodbound #fieldOfSwords #hammerfall #helloween #ironMaiden #kalmah #napalmRecords #nov25 #powerMetal #review #reviews #sabaton #stratovarius #swedishMetal #tadMorose #unleashTheArchers

Bloodbound – Field of Swords Review

By Baguette of Bodom

Bloodbound has always been a band with a confusing identity. These Swedes lit up a storm with debut Nosferatu in 2006, an underappreciated heavy/power gem fusing the best of Iron Maiden’s gallops with the hooks of Helloween and HammerFall. The golden pipes of Urban Breed (ex-Tad Morose) were the cherry on top. However, the curse of unstable lineups would strike. Urban Breed would leave for one album, rejoin for the odd-but-good, progpower-meets-Kalmah melodeath sound of Tabula Rasa, and promptly leave again. A decade of struggles followed, ranging from watered-down HammerFall to withered Sabaton to simply tepid heavy metal. 2021’s Creatures of the Dark Realm was a surprising resurgence, drifting Bloodbound more towards saccharine Europower. This brings us to newcomer Field of Swords. Where does it fit into this unconventional discography?

Field of Swords doubles down on Bloodbound’s recent melodic adventures. The double bass drumming of ’90s power metal is immediately recognizable, following in the steps of Stratovarius and HammerFall. The guitar work, too, has rejuvenated. Gone are almost all of the Sabatonisms that marred some of the band’s lowest points; here, the Olsson brothers’ rhythmic assault is simple but effective (“As Empires Fall,” “Born to Be King”), and its attitude carries the medieval fantasy spirit of [Luca Turilli(‘s) / Lione] Rhapsody [of Fire] minus the wank. The vocals of Patrik J. Selleby fit this style like a glove, his adapted performance being one of the strongest of his tenure thus far.

Bloodbound’s newfound breakneck pace and consistency are their greatest assets. The decision to go borderline sparkly on Field of Swords could have backfired, marking yet another sudden left turn in a discography full of them. Instead, it feels like a natural development from the past three albums. While the album on the surface is written like standard ’90s–’00s melodic power metal (“Field of Swords”), the execution of classic power chord choruses leading into blazing solos (“The Code of Warriors,” “Forged in Iron”) is surprisingly fiery and fun. Most importantly, Field of Swords forgoes balladry and prioritizes speed for a lion’s share of its 45-minute runtime. The record has a unified image unusual of Bloodbound. It’s not infallible—the unnecessary Sabaton sing-along stomp rears its head on the second half of “Pain and Glory”—but it is tightly-knit in a way I greatly appreciate.

As catchy as Field of Swords is, there are a few things preventing it from being a resounding success. For one, Bloodbound rely too much on one-note Battle Beastian disco synths. While Fredrik Bergh contributes plenty of pleasant backing bombast to the album as well, his main weapon of choice is sharp and high up in the mix, leading to fatigue on some otherwise strong choruses (“Defenders of Jerusalem,” “Light the Sky”). The band is still not immune to odd songwriting shifts either. In addition to the aforementioned “Pain and Glory” stumble, closing track “The Nine Crusades” features Unleash the Archers’ talented Brittney Slayes, only for her voice to drown under sappiness unfit for the record. Even so, the concoction here is potent. Cuts like “Land of the Brave” and “Light the Sky” are some of Bloodbound’s fastest and most energetic to date, and this sudden burst of frenzy is admirable of a veteran band.

For the first time in a while, Bloodbound’s sound has a true sense of direction. Field of Swords’ all-gas, no-brakes approach gives the record more urgency than they’ve had in forever, and both the songwriting and album flow greatly benefit in return. Despite some lingering issues, Field of Swords ends up being one of the better albums in the band’s catalog. Both Creatures of the Dark Realm and this album indicate the Europower-forward realignment continues to work in their favor. I can’t say I don’t still long for the days of Nosferatu, and Bloodbound could place a bit more faith in their strong guitar work and vocal lines, but whatever they’re doing is paying off once more. I can only hope this progress continues.

Rating: Good!
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream o’ Piss
Label: Napalm Records | Bandcamp
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: November 21st, 2025

#lucaTurillisLioneRhapsodyOfFire #2025 #30 #battleBeast #bloodbound #fieldOfSwords #hammerfall #helloween #ironMaiden #kalmah #napalmRecords #nov25 #powerMetal #review #reviews #sabaton #stratovarius #swedishMetal #tadMorose #unleashTheArchers

Bloodbound – Field of Swords Review

By Baguette of Bodom

Bloodbound has always been a band with a confusing identity. These Swedes lit up a storm with debut Nosferatu in 2006, an underappreciated heavy/power gem fusing the best of Iron Maiden’s gallops with the hooks of Helloween and HammerFall. The golden pipes of Urban Breed (ex-Tad Morose) were the cherry on top. However, the curse of unstable lineups would strike. Urban Breed would leave for one album, rejoin for the odd-but-good, progpower-meets-Kalmah melodeath sound of Tabula Rasa, and promptly leave again. A decade of struggles followed, ranging from watered-down HammerFall to withered Sabaton to simply tepid heavy metal. 2021’s Creatures of the Dark Realm was a surprising resurgence, drifting Bloodbound more towards saccharine Europower. This brings us to newcomer Field of Swords. Where does it fit into this unconventional discography?

Field of Swords doubles down on Bloodbound’s recent melodic adventures. The double bass drumming of ’90s power metal is immediately recognizable, following in the steps of Stratovarius and HammerFall. The guitar work, too, has rejuvenated. Gone are almost all of the Sabatonisms that marred some of the band’s lowest points; here, the Olsson brothers’ rhythmic assault is simple but effective (“As Empires Fall,” “Born to Be King”), and its attitude carries the medieval fantasy spirit of [Luca Turilli(‘s) / Lione] Rhapsody [of Fire] minus the wank. The vocals of Patrik J. Selleby fit this style like a glove, his adapted performance being one of the strongest of his tenure thus far.

Bloodbound’s newfound breakneck pace and consistency are their greatest assets. The decision to go borderline sparkly on Field of Swords could have backfired, marking yet another sudden left turn in a discography full of them. Instead, it feels like a natural development from the past three albums. While the album on the surface is written like standard ’90s–’00s melodic power metal (“Field of Swords”), the execution of classic power chord choruses leading into blazing solos (“The Code of Warriors,” “Forged in Iron”) is surprisingly fiery and fun. Most importantly, Field of Swords forgoes balladry and prioritizes speed for a lion’s share of its 45-minute runtime. The record has a unified image unusual of Bloodbound. It’s not infallible—the unnecessary Sabaton sing-along stomp rears its head on the second half of “Pain and Glory”—but it is tightly-knit in a way I greatly appreciate.

As catchy as Field of Swords is, there are a few things preventing it from being a resounding success. For one, Bloodbound rely too much on one-note Battle Beastian disco synths. While Fredrik Bergh contributes plenty of pleasant backing bombast to the album as well, his main weapon of choice is sharp and high up in the mix, leading to fatigue on some otherwise strong choruses (“Defenders of Jerusalem,” “Light the Sky”). The band is still not immune to odd songwriting shifts either. In addition to the aforementioned “Pain and Glory” stumble, closing track “The Nine Crusades” features Unleash the Archers’ talented Brittney Slayes, only for her voice to drown under sappiness unfit for the record. Even so, the concoction here is potent. Cuts like “Land of the Brave” and “Light the Sky” are some of Bloodbound’s fastest and most energetic to date, and this sudden burst of frenzy is admirable of a veteran band.

For the first time in a while, Bloodbound’s sound has a true sense of direction. Field of Swords’ all-gas, no-brakes approach gives the record more urgency than they’ve had in forever, and both the songwriting and album flow greatly benefit in return. Despite some lingering issues, Field of Swords ends up being one of the better albums in the band’s catalog. Both Creatures of the Dark Realm and this album indicate the Europower-forward realignment continues to work in their favor. I can’t say I don’t still long for the days of Nosferatu, and Bloodbound could place a bit more faith in their strong guitar work and vocal lines, but whatever they’re doing is paying off once more. I can only hope this progress continues.

Rating: Good!
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream o’ Piss
Label: Napalm Records | Bandcamp
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: November 21st, 2025

#lucaTurillisLioneRhapsodyOfFire #2025 #30 #battleBeast #bloodbound #fieldOfSwords #hammerfall #helloween #ironMaiden #kalmah #napalmRecords #nov25 #powerMetal #review #reviews #sabaton #stratovarius #swedishMetal #tadMorose #unleashTheArchers

Insania – The Great Apocalypse Review

By Angry Metal Guy

On the surface, The Great Apocalypse is exactly what you’d expect from Insania,1 Sweden’s long-running Europower mongers. Their sixth album—four years after their comeback record V (Praeparatus Supervivet) was praised for its commitment to the bit—brings back all the trappings of the genre: soaring choruses, galloping triplets, righteous lyrics about light and liberty, and the guitar and keyboard gymnastics that make the beskulleted power metal fan grin and throw horns. This plays into Insania’s reputation as a charmingly derivative Stratovarius knockoff, a reputation earned during their first run between 1999 and 2003.2 Reputations like that are tough to shake. And despite having produced two of the most underrated Europower albums of the 2000s (2001’s Sunrise in Riverland and 2003’s Fantasy), this has been Insania’s fate.

One could be forgiven for thinking The Great Apocalypse was another nostalgia ride—a lovingly executed Stratovarius/Helloween tribute made by scene veterans committed to the bit.3 The base of the sound is familiar: founding drummer Mikko Korsbäck’s double-kick sprints and backbeat snare hits (“The Trinity”) and gallops both traditional (“The Great Apocalypse”) and half-time (“Fire from Above”); returning guitarist Niklas Dahlin, now mantling axe duties solo, layers in neoclassical flourishes and trem-picked glory (“The Prophesier,” “Afterlife”) with a fluidity that borders on smug. The new bassist—Erik Arkö—holds down the low end unobtrusively, working well in tandem with the others, while being sacrificed on the Altar of Newsted to make space for moar kick drum in the mix.4 And above it all, Ola Halén’s crystal-clear voice floats somewhere between Kai Hansen and Timo Koltipelto, belting out messages of diaphanous positivity with just enough grit to sell the drama. But the familiarity is a trap. Underneath the Europower surface is something more ambitious.

The more you listen, the more you realize The Great Apocalypse isn’t the typical power metal it seems at first blush. Rather than relying on obvious resolution and recycled hooks, these songs lean into variation, twisting and stretching ideas in ways that subtly derail expectations. Songs mutate, growing with each repetition (“Revolution” or “The Great Apocalypse”). Choruses evolve in phrasing, harmony, or arrangement instead of simply looping back in place (“No One’s Hero,” “Underneath the Eye,” “Indestructible”). Even the final choruses of otherwise straightforward tracks will shift gears, changing key, feel, or introducing elements that reshape something familiar into something better (“Fire from Above,” “Afterlife”). A major part of this dynamism comes from the guitars, where Niklas Dahlin shows off chops that help to drive the compositions. In diametric opposition to my criticism of Jari’s performance on Wintersun’s most recent album, Dahlin often crafts solos that seem to facilitate dynamic songs, undermining predictability by following his lead. This isn’t showy for its own sake. Insania has developed a newfound compositional discipline that’s nestled comfortably inside genre convention.

Insania treats motifs and melodies in the same way: not as loops, but as clay to reshape. Rather than reiterate, they recast phrases with harmonic or rhythmic tweaks that breathe new life into already-hooky material (“The Prophesier” has the best example,5 shifting from a major to harmonic minor after the solo, and it’s fantastic). Tonal centers shift underneath you without warning, nudging songs toward unease when the melodies remain sweet (“Underneath the Eye,” “Fire from Above”). Extended tracks stretch these ideas even further: rotating riffs, slowing tempos, delaying resolution until the final moments, or never offering it at all—like the title track, which ends the album on a slightly dissonant chord. Even in the vocal phrasing, Ola frequently dodges the expected A-B-A-B symmetry in favor of through-composed or extended-line approaches. I wouldn’t say that Insania has morphed into prog, but their choices are far too deliberate to be accidental, placing them a lot closer to Angra, Star One, Almanac,6 or Symphony X than Stratovarius. And it’s a welcome evolution.

By playing to form and yet resisting predictability, The Great Apocalypse breaks the mold and shows what 25 years of experience can get you. Insania sounds like a band that knows the rules so well that they don’t have to break them; they write in ways that subvert them. While earlier albums felt like excellent—but predictable—additions to the scene, The Great Apocalypse differentiates Insania’s personality within familiar bounds. They haven’t changed their sound—I’m sure that critics will pop it on and dismiss it for being a Europower record—but the added nuance and increasing sophistication have propelled Insania into a different tier than they previously inhabited. And while no album is free from flaws—Ola strains in his upper range in a way he surely didn’t in 2003, the bass gets swallowed by an Industry Standard Production™, and the record isn’t free from subgenre obligatory moments of cringe—it is tough not to see this evolution as ambitious, confident, and, at times, even profound.

Rating: Great!
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream
Label: Frontiers Music
Websites: facebook.com/insaniastockholmofficial
Release Date: June 13th, 2025

#2025 #40 #Almanac #Angra #Europower #Fantasy #FrontiersMusic #Helloween #Insania #InsaniaStockholm #Jun25 #PowerMetal #StarOne #Stratovarius #SunriseInRiverland #SwedishMetal #SymphonyX #TheGreatApocalypse

Insania – The Great Apocalypse Review

By Angry Metal Guy

On the surface, The Great Apocalypse is exactly what you’d expect from Insania,1 Sweden’s long-running Europower mongers. Their sixth album—four years after their comeback record V (Praeparatus Supervivet) was praised for its commitment to the bit—brings back all the trappings of the genre: soaring choruses, galloping triplets, righteous lyrics about light and liberty, and the guitar and keyboard gymnastics that make the beskulleted power metal fan grin and throw horns. This plays into Insania’s reputation as a charmingly derivative Stratovarius knockoff, a reputation earned during their first run between 1999 and 2003.2 Reputations like that are tough to shake. And despite having produced two of the most underrated Europower albums of the 2000s (2001’s Sunrise in Riverland and 2003’s Fantasy), this has been Insania’s fate.

One could be forgiven for thinking The Great Apocalypse was another nostalgia ride—a lovingly executed Stratovarius/Helloween tribute made by scene veterans committed to the bit.3 The base of the sound is familiar: founding drummer Mikko Korsbäck’s double-kick sprints and backbeat snare hits (“The Trinity”) and gallops both traditional (“The Great Apocalypse”) and half-time (“Fire from Above”); returning guitarist Niklas Dahlin, now mantling axe duties solo, layers in neoclassical flourishes and trem-picked glory (“The Prophesier,” “Afterlife”) with a fluidity that borders on smug. The new bassist—Erik Arkö—holds down the low end unobtrusively, working well in tandem with the others, while being sacrificed on the Altar of Newsted to make space for moar kick drum in the mix.4 And above it all, Ola Halén’s crystal-clear voice floats somewhere between Kai Hansen and Timo Koltipelto, belting out messages of diaphanous positivity with just enough grit to sell the drama. But the familiarity is a trap. Underneath the Europower surface is something more ambitious.

The more you listen, the more you realize The Great Apocalypse isn’t the typical power metal it seems at first blush. Rather than relying on obvious resolution and recycled hooks, these songs lean into variation, twisting and stretching ideas in ways that subtly derail expectations. Songs mutate, growing with each repetition (“Revolution” or “The Great Apocalypse”). Choruses evolve in phrasing, harmony, or arrangement instead of simply looping back in place (“No One’s Hero,” “Underneath the Eye,” “Indestructible”). Even the final choruses of otherwise straightforward tracks will shift gears, changing key, feel, or introducing elements that reshape something familiar into something better (“Fire from Above,” “Afterlife”). A major part of this dynamism comes from the guitars, where Niklas Dahlin shows off chops that help to drive the compositions. In diametric opposition to my criticism of Jari’s performance on Wintersun’s most recent album, Dahlin often crafts solos that seem to facilitate dynamic songs, undermining predictability by following his lead. This isn’t showy for its own sake. Insania has developed a newfound compositional discipline that’s nestled comfortably inside genre convention.

Insania treats motifs and melodies in the same way: not as loops, but as clay to reshape. Rather than reiterate, they recast phrases with harmonic or rhythmic tweaks that breathe new life into already-hooky material (“The Prophesier” has the best example,5 shifting from a major to harmonic minor after the solo, and it’s fantastic). Tonal centers shift underneath you without warning, nudging songs toward unease when the melodies remain sweet (“Underneath the Eye,” “Fire from Above”). Extended tracks stretch these ideas even further: rotating riffs, slowing tempos, delaying resolution until the final moments, or never offering it at all—like the title track, which ends the album on a slightly dissonant chord. Even in the vocal phrasing, Ola frequently dodges the expected A-B-A-B symmetry in favor of through-composed or extended-line approaches. I wouldn’t say that Insania has morphed into prog, but their choices are far too deliberate to be accidental, placing them a lot closer to Angra, Star One, Almanac,6 or Symphony X than Stratovarius. And it’s a welcome evolution.

By playing to form and yet resisting predictability, The Great Apocalypse breaks the mold and shows what 25 years of experience can get you. Insania sounds like a band that knows the rules so well that they don’t have to break them; they write in ways that subvert them. While earlier albums felt like excellent—but predictable—additions to the scene, The Great Apocalypse differentiates Insania’s personality within familiar bounds. They haven’t changed their sound—I’m sure that critics will pop it on and dismiss it for being a Europower record—but the added nuance and increasing sophistication have propelled Insania into a different tier than they previously inhabited. And while no album is free from flaws—Ola strains in his upper range in a way he surely didn’t in 2003, the bass gets swallowed by an Industry Standard Production™, and the record isn’t free from subgenre obligatory moments of cringe—it is tough not to see this evolution as ambitious, confident, and, at times, even profound.

Rating: Great!
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream
Label: Frontiers Music
Websites: facebook.com/insaniastockholmofficial
Release Date: June 13th, 2025

#2025 #40 #Almanac #Angra #Europower #Fantasy #FrontiersMusic #Helloween #Insania #InsaniaStockholm #Jun25 #PowerMetal #StarOne #Stratovarius #SunriseInRiverland #SwedishMetal #SymphonyX #TheGreatApocalypse

Insania – The Great Apocalypse Review

By Angry Metal Guy

On the surface, The Great Apocalypse is exactly what you’d expect from Insania,1 Sweden’s long-running Europower mongers. Their sixth album—four years after their comeback record V (Praeparatus Supervivet) was praised for its commitment to the bit—brings back all the trappings of the genre: soaring choruses, galloping triplets, righteous lyrics about light and liberty, and the guitar and keyboard gymnastics that make the beskulleted power metal fan grin and throw horns. This plays into Insania’s reputation as a charmingly derivative Stratovarius knockoff, a reputation earned during their first run between 1999 and 2003.2 Reputations like that are tough to shake. And despite having produced two of the most underrated Europower albums of the 2000s (2001’s Sunrise in Riverland and 2003’s Fantasy), this has been Insania’s fate.

One could be forgiven for thinking The Great Apocalypse was another nostalgia ride—a lovingly executed Stratovarius/Helloween tribute made by scene veterans committed to the bit.3 The base of the sound is familiar: founding drummer Mikko Korsbäck’s double-kick sprints and backbeat snare hits (“The Trinity”) and gallops both traditional (“The Great Apocalypse”) and half-time (“Fire from Above”); returning guitarist Niklas Dahlin, now mantling axe duties solo, layers in neoclassical flourishes and trem-picked glory (“The Prophesier,” “Afterlife”) with a fluidity that borders on smug. The new bassist—Erik Arkö—holds down the low end unobtrusively, working well in tandem with the others, while being sacrificed on the Altar of Newsted to make space for moar kick drum in the mix.4 And above it all, Ola Halén’s crystal-clear voice floats somewhere between Kai Hansen and Timo Koltipelto, belting out messages of diaphanous positivity with just enough grit to sell the drama. But the familiarity is a trap. Underneath the Europower surface is something more ambitious.

The more you listen, the more you realize The Great Apocalypse isn’t the typical power metal it seems at first blush. Rather than relying on obvious resolution and recycled hooks, these songs lean into variation, twisting and stretching ideas in ways that subtly derail expectations. Songs mutate, growing with each repetition (“Revolution” or “The Great Apocalypse”). Choruses evolve in phrasing, harmony, or arrangement instead of simply looping back in place (“No One’s Hero,” “Underneath the Eye,” “Indestructible”). Even the final choruses of otherwise straightforward tracks will shift gears, changing key, feel, or introducing elements that reshape something familiar into something better (“Fire from Above,” “Afterlife”). A major part of this dynamism comes from the guitars, where Niklas Dahlin shows off chops that help to drive the compositions. In diametric opposition to my criticism of Jari’s performance on Wintersun’s most recent album, Dahlin often crafts solos that seem to facilitate dynamic songs, undermining predictability by following his lead. This isn’t showy for its own sake. Insania has developed a newfound compositional discipline that’s nestled comfortably inside genre convention.

Insania treats motifs and melodies in the same way: not as loops, but as clay to reshape. Rather than reiterate, they recast phrases with harmonic or rhythmic tweaks that breathe new life into already-hooky material (“The Prophesier” has the best example,5 shifting from a major to harmonic minor after the solo, and it’s fantastic). Tonal centers shift underneath you without warning, nudging songs toward unease when the melodies remain sweet (“Underneath the Eye,” “Fire from Above”). Extended tracks stretch these ideas even further: rotating riffs, slowing tempos, delaying resolution until the final moments, or never offering it at all—like the title track, which ends the album on a slightly dissonant chord. Even in the vocal phrasing, Ola frequently dodges the expected A-B-A-B symmetry in favor of through-composed or extended-line approaches. I wouldn’t say that Insania has morphed into prog, but their choices are far too deliberate to be accidental, placing them a lot closer to Angra, Star One, Almanac,6 or Symphony X than Stratovarius. And it’s a welcome evolution.

By playing to form and yet resisting predictability, The Great Apocalypse breaks the mold and shows what 25 years of experience can get you. Insania sounds like a band that knows the rules so well that they don’t have to break them; they write in ways that subvert them. While earlier albums felt like excellent—but predictable—additions to the scene, The Great Apocalypse differentiates Insania’s personality within familiar bounds. They haven’t changed their sound—I’m sure that critics will pop it on and dismiss it for being a Europower record—but the added nuance and increasing sophistication have propelled Insania into a different tier than they previously inhabited. And while no album is free from flaws—Ola strains in his upper range in a way he surely didn’t in 2003, the bass gets swallowed by an Industry Standard Production™, and the record isn’t free from subgenre obligatory moments of cringe—it is tough not to see this evolution as ambitious, confident, and, at times, even profound.

Rating: Great!
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream
Label: Frontiers Music
Websites: facebook.com/insaniastockholmofficial
Release Date: June 13th, 2025

#2025 #40 #Almanac #Angra #Europower #Fantasy #FrontiersMusic #Helloween #Insania #InsaniaStockholm #Jun25 #PowerMetal #StarOne #Stratovarius #SunriseInRiverland #SwedishMetal #SymphonyX #TheGreatApocalypse

Queen of Dreams – Subnivium Review

By Twelve

Here’s a fun fact for you: a subnivium is an ecosystem that thrives in the space between snow and ground. It’s a surprisingly dense topic, and my initial goal of summarizing it here was fully thwarted by just a few minutes of research. Suffice it to say, it’s surprisingly complex, and unexpectedly interesting, which makes it a great metaphor for this album of the same name, the second full-length release from the U.S.’s Queen of Dreams. Subnivium purports to be a work of progressive power metal inspired by European acts in similar genres—but like the system it’s named for, it is full of welcome surprises.

It might be slightly more accurate to describe Subnivium as being a power metal album with progressive and European influences. “Radiant,” the album opener gives this impression the moment you hit play—the album kicks off with energy and aplomb, keys and guitars (Ally and Caleb Scott respectively, with Tom Brown contributing even more guitars) competing for your heart as fast as they can go1. It reminds a bit of Stratovarius, and a touch of Symphony X, and the modern sound and progressive approach are refreshing. Even when Queen of Dreams slow down, as on “Call to Shadow” and “The Shape of Our Lives,” they keep up the energy, with drummer Dan Love and bassist Sky Talbott-Settle playing superb supporting roles. At any given moment, Subnivium is energetic, heavy, and a lot of fun to listen to.

I do feel bad dedicating so much of this next paragraph to one band member, but Lnz Praznak’s singing is a powerhouse that aligns exceptionally well with the songwriting. The chorus in “When Iron Chariots Prevail” is made by her delivery, with infectiously catchy vocal lines. She has a similar effect in the breakneck “Untethered,” the heaviest song on the album, where she duets with Caleb Scott’s raspy screams to elevate an already great power metal tune. The power in her delivery, alongside the way Scott’s snarls are pushed back in the mix, makes Unleash the Archers the best comparison I can give for what Queen of Dreams is doing here2, except that they also have a keyboard and use it to fantastic effect.

There are notes of experimentation throughout Subnivium that help to keep proceedings fresh, though a few moments work better than others. “Shield Anvil” opens with an AOR-style riff and keys duo that sets it apart without needing to stray too much from the core sound. The epic touches that adorn “Beneath the Ice and Snow” make it an effective slow burn and album highlight. The only one I’m not sure works is the closer, “End of the Road.” Written as a duo based on Tolkien’s Túrin and Glaurung, it features rough cleans from Caleb Scott in a “beauty and the beast” style duet over eight minutes (three longer than the next-longest on the 45-minute album). The sudden shift in style alongside the length disrupts the album’s flow somewhat, especially since Scott’s vocals have, to this point, been focused on rasps that have been much quieter in the mix. With that said, the end of the song is a gorgeous way to close out Subnivium, as Scott and Praznak herald beautiful keys and lead guitar at a genuinely touching climax.

Like the seasonal microhabitat itself, Subnivium is an unexpected delight of an album. It is energetic, confident, fun, and very well-written. Queen of Dreams take a familiar sound and apply an exciting and effective formula, the kind of ideas that refresh and revitalize a genre that is so prone to the same old thing. I really can’t wait to see what they do next, and I suspect I’ll be happily listening to Subnivium until that time comes.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self-release
Websites: queenofdreams.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/QueenofDreamsBand
Releases Worldwide: January 31st, 2025

#2025 #35 #AmericanMetal #BrotherFiretribe #Jan25 #PowerMetal #ProgressiveMetal #QueenOfDreams #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #Stratovarius #Subnivium #SymphonyX #UnleashTheArchers

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BraveWords
Today In Metal History 🤘 April 22nd, 2024 🤘ANVIL, VENOM, MORBID ANGEL, VICIOUS RUMORS, STRATOVARIUS, FATES WARNING, OPETH
TALENT WE LOST R.I.P. Carl Spencer Albert (VICIOUS RUMORS): 1962 - 1995 (aged 32) HEAVY BIRTHDAYS 74th PETER FRAMPTON - 1950 63rd Jeff "Mantas" Dunn (VENOM / VENOM INC.) - 1961 66(6)th Robb Reiner (ANVIL) - 1958...

https://bravewords.com/news/today-in-metal-history-april-22nd-2024-anvil-venom-morbid-angel-vicious-rumors-stratovarius-fates-warning-opeth

#Anvil #Venom #MorbidAngel #ViciousRumors #Stratovarius #FatesWarning #Opeth

Keyboardist #JensJohannson 's bio page on #Stratovarius site: archive from #Year2000 :

https://web.archive.org/web/20001013121241fw_/http://www.stratovarius.com/band/johanssonbio.html

Hobbies include drinking, pisswalking, vandalism and needlework. Hair color "Rat". Equipment: Yes.

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BraveWords
Today In Metal History 🤘 April 22nd, 2023 🤘ANVIL, VENOM, MORBID ANGEL, VICIOUS RUMORS, STRATOVARIUS, FATES WARNING, OPETH
TALENT WE LOST R.I.P. Carl Spencer Albert (VICIOUS RUMORS): May 13th, 1962 - April 22nd, 1995 (32) HEAVY BIRTHDAYS Happy 73rd PETER FRAMPTON - April 22nd, 1950 Happy 62nd...

https://bravewords.com/news/today-in-metal-history-april-22nd-2023-anvil-venom-morbid-angel-vicious-rumors-stratovarius-fates-warning-opeth

#Anvil #Venom #MorbidAngel #ViciousRumors #Stratovarius #FatesWarning #Opeth #BrotherCane #Paramore #TodayInMetalHistory #April22nd2023

Stuck in the Filter – September’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity

September’s Filter is extra late. It’s extra late for a wide array of reasons, not the least of which involved this sponge working long hours several weeks on end, the looming threat of list season, and a flu scare. But I refuse to let my “colleagues” sit idly by and skimp out on getting my Filter cleaned out. So, I chased them all over the AMG campus until they submitted—or suffered. Luckily for my compatriots, September’s Filter wasn’t so jam-packed with gunk that there was much to find in the first place, but we still dug up a few good chunks of mutton from the grates.

Eat up!1

TheKenWord’s Charred Choices

Rotborn – On the Perspective of an Imminent Downfall

Brazilian newcomers Rotborn came to my attention thanks to someone on the Discord server, and Jørn knows I don’t remember who anymore. It doesn’t matter, because I’m taking all of the credit for this find. Debut slab of brutal deathgrind On the Perspective of an Imminent Downfall should immediately recall the vicious venom of Skam with the skin-flaying relentlessness of Depravity. With extra-potent hits like “Moral Grudge,” “F.U.B.A.R.,” “The Stench of a New Era to Come,” and immense closer “The Void Eater,” Rotborn deliver crushing tunes determined to level cities across the world. The biggest problem is the album’s brevity—an issue exacerbated by the band’s somewhat generic riff-craft in the less grindy songs. Its extra-tight twenty-seven minutes is about five to seven minutes too short for me, making this record feel somewhat incomplete. Regardless, this is a promising debut and I’m excited to hear how Rotborn progress from here.

Dark Divinity – Unholy Rapture

Hailing from Wellington, New Zealand, Dark Divinity have toiled in deep obscurity since 2017. I have heard literally nobody speak of this chunky bit of melodic death metal, save for the dozen people who bought their debut record, Unholy Rapture, on Bandcamp. This is weird to me, seeing as how Dark Divinity kind of kick ass, with standout tracks “Subterfuge,” “Blood on the Altar,” “Left for Dead,” and “The Nothing” gnashing against my brain with rows upon rows of sharp teeth. There are some moments that feel decidedly weaker than others (“The Seer,” “Cadavers”), but even accounting for that, Unholy Rapture is chock full of cool riffs, infectious grooves, and a wide variety of approaches to the style. With some tightening up of, and just a touch more depth in, their mid-paced songs, I see a bright future ahead for Dark Divinity.

Crispy Hooligan’s Hooch

Labyrinth of Stars – Spectrum Xenomorph

Spectrum Xenomorph’s entire package serves to evoke the cosmic horror of Alien, from the HR Giger inspired album cover to subtext laden song titles (“Star Pervertor”) and lyrics (“Dissolving into the Eternal Nothingness”). The Blood Incantation-but deathcore sound crams layers of Starspawn horror into concise 3 minute structures. Unfortunately the Blood Incantation-but deathcore comparison has its own Timewave Zero analogue. Spectrum Xenomorph‘s closer, “Transmission Delta – Exile,” is a 12:40 ambient track that constitutes nearly 40% of the entire album runtime and adds absolutely nothing. When you strip it out, are the seven remaining tracks still an LP? I want to lean yes, but the nigh-EP ness of Spectrum Xenomorph kicked it down my promo queue this month. Nonetheless, Labyrinth of Stars’ vibe is so of the season that Spectrum Xenomorph has been in daily rotation. The Germans’ distress signals from deep space have been received. Contact has been made. A follow-up transmission has been requested.

Steel Druhm’s Infected Incisors

Freedom Hawk – Take All You Can

Back in 2018, I was knocked over by the uber-cool stoner doom rock stylings of Virginia’s Freedom Hawk and their Beast Remains album. Its smart, slick combination of classic Sabbath groove and swagger and Kyuss-esque desert rock was too easy to love, and love it I did and still do. In fact, I underrated that opus and feel some shame. Fast forward 4 years, and we get the follow-up, Take All You Can. I wanted to give it a proper review, but time worked against me in a particular nutty month, so here it is. It’s much the same as Beast Remains stylistically, but perhaps a bit more open and mushroom-fueled. The tasty stoner rock anthems are there like “Age of the Idiot” and the groovy, spacey title track, and both hit the doom rock sweet spot with big staying power. The Sabbathian grooves are present on “We Need Rock N’ Roll,” and the laid-back, lava lampy Kyuss vibe is found on “Seize the Day.” Then there are the straight-up ragers like the Queens of the Stone Age by way of Fireball Ministry “Never to Return” and the infectious, Thin Lizzy-meets Led Zeppelin guitar rock mania of “From the Inside Out” These guys know how to craft hooks that get deep in the skin and grow scar tissue and this is stoner rock at its most propulsive and catchy. Special note should be given to the righteous dream-rock of “Coming Home” and the wonderfully odd and hypnotic carnival weirdness on closer “Desert Song.” There’s so much great throwback 70s guitar work here, and this thing is great for road trips and easy summer brew-sipping sessions. Get yourself a Freedom Hawk!

Stratovarius – Survive

After a 7-year hiatus, I had pretty much moved Stratovarius into the “Dead” category in my brain files. I was very wrong, as they’ve come roaring back with a swirling maelstrom of classic Euro-power called Survive, and I’m quite impressed by it. The band sounds vital and reenergized, essentially picking up where they left off on 2015s Eternal but with the intensity dialed up a few clicks. The opening title track is a powerbomb and the classic Strato track. It could have appeared on golden-age platters like Destiny or Visions and it will rustle your jimmies with anthemic bombast and crunchy riffage. “Demand” and Frozen in Time” are more hammers for the power anvil, offering the classic Strato recipe full of hooks and guitar heroics. Even the relatively cheese-stuffed entries like “Firefly” and “Breakaway” work because the band is so adept at juggling the power and the puffery. Over their career, Stratovarius toyed with long-form compositions with mixed results, and mammoth closer “Voice of Thunder” is one of the bigger successes they’ve had, managing to keep you strapped in and engaged over its 11-plus minute voyage. Throughout it all, Timo Kotipelto’s voice sounds ageless, and Matias Kupiainen carpet-bombs the listener with big, driving riffs and stunning solos. Rumors of Stratovarius’ demise have been greatly exaggerated, and they show once more that they know how to Survive.

Inhuman Depravity – The Experimendead

Open a brutal death metal album with a sample from Re-Animator and you have me in your corner. Proceed to beat me into jelly for the following 34 minutes and you may never get rid of me. Istanbul-based Inhuman Depravity do both these things and much more over the course of their sophomore platter, The Experimendead. This is take-no-prisoners, done-fucking-around death metal with both fists in your teeth and it’s refreshing in its one-note brutality. With a sound akin to Cerebral Bore mixed with the nastiest of Cannibal Corpse, these folks come at you hard and offer no mercy. Songs like “Obsessed with the Mummified” and “Mescannibalismus” sound dopey as fook, but they’ll cut a bitch. This is the kind of album that feels like a relentless beatdown done by an industrial smashing machine. The tempo stays more or less the same and every shot hurts equally. No nuance, no experimentation, just the choice of violence over and over again. The guitar work isn’t flashy by the riffs have real hostility. The vocals by Lucy Ferra are impressively brutal and ugly. They lack variation but you won’t care much because of all the gloriously dumb pain. The Experimendead is not the best death album of the year but it is a brutal boot party worthy of attending. BYOB.

#2022 #DarkDivinity #FreedomHawk #InhumanDepravity #LabyrinthOfStars #Rotborn #Stratovarius #StuckInTheFilter

Stuck in the Filter – September’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity

September’s Filter is extra late. It’s extra late for a wide array of reasons, not the least of which involved this sponge working long hours several weeks on end, the looming threat of list season, and a flu scare. But I refuse to let my “colleagues” sit idly by and skimp out on getting my Filter cleaned out. So, I chased them all over the AMG campus until they submitted—or suffered. Luckily for my compatriots, September’s Filter wasn’t so jam-packed with gunk that there was much to find in the first place, but we still dug up a few good chunks of mutton from the grates.

Eat up!1

TheKenWord’s Charred Choices

Rotborn – On the Perspective of an Imminent Downfall

Brazilian newcomers Rotborn came to my attention thanks to someone on the Discord server, and Jørn knows I don’t remember who anymore. It doesn’t matter, because I’m taking all of the credit for this find. Debut slab of brutal deathgrind On the Perspective of an Imminent Downfall should immediately recall the vicious venom of Skam with the skin-flaying relentlessness of Depravity. With extra-potent hits like “Moral Grudge,” “F.U.B.A.R.,” “The Stench of a New Era to Come,” and immense closer “The Void Eater,” Rotborn deliver crushing tunes determined to level cities across the world. The biggest problem is the album’s brevity—an issue exacerbated by the band’s somewhat generic riff-craft in the less grindy songs. Its extra-tight twenty-seven minutes is about five to seven minutes too short for me, making this record feel somewhat incomplete. Regardless, this is a promising debut and I’m excited to hear how Rotborn progress from here.

Dark Divinity – Unholy Rapture

Hailing from Wellington, New Zealand, Dark Divinity have toiled in deep obscurity since 2017. I have heard literally nobody speak of this chunky bit of melodic death metal, save for the dozen people who bought their debut record, Unholy Rapture, on Bandcamp. This is weird to me, seeing as how Dark Divinity kind of kick ass, with standout tracks “Subterfuge,” “Blood on the Altar,” “Left for Dead,” and “The Nothing” gnashing against my brain with rows upon rows of sharp teeth. There are some moments that feel decidedly weaker than others (“The Seer,” “Cadavers”), but even accounting for that, Unholy Rapture is chock full of cool riffs, infectious grooves, and a wide variety of approaches to the style. With some tightening up of, and just a touch more depth in, their mid-paced songs, I see a bright future ahead for Dark Divinity.

Crispy Hooligan’s Hooch

Labyrinth of Stars – Spectrum Xenomorph

Spectrum Xenomorph’s entire package serves to evoke the cosmic horror of Alien, from the HR Giger inspired album cover to subtext laden song titles (“Star Pervertor”) and lyrics (“Dissolving into the Eternal Nothingness”). The Blood Incantation-but deathcore sound crams layers of Starspawn horror into concise 3 minute structures. Unfortunately the Blood Incantation-but deathcore comparison has its own Timewave Zero analogue. Spectrum Xenomorph‘s closer, “Transmission Delta – Exile,” is a 12:40 ambient track that constitutes nearly 40% of the entire album runtime and adds absolutely nothing. When you strip it out, are the seven remaining tracks still an LP? I want to lean yes, but the nigh-EP ness of Spectrum Xenomorph kicked it down my promo queue this month. Nonetheless, Labyrinth of Stars’ vibe is so of the season that Spectrum Xenomorph has been in daily rotation. The Germans’ distress signals from deep space have been received. Contact has been made. A follow-up transmission has been requested.

Steel Druhm’s Infected Incisors

Freedom Hawk – Take All You Can

Back in 2018, I was knocked over by the uber-cool stoner doom rock stylings of Virginia’s Freedom Hawk and their Beast Remains album. Its smart, slick combination of classic Sabbath groove and swagger and Kyuss-esque desert rock was too easy to love, and love it I did and still do. In fact, I underrated that opus and feel some shame. Fast forward 4 years, and we get the follow-up, Take All You Can. I wanted to give it a proper review, but time worked against me in a particular nutty month, so here it is. It’s much the same as Beast Remains stylistically, but perhaps a bit more open and mushroom-fueled. The tasty stoner rock anthems are there like “Age of the Idiot” and the groovy, spacey title track, and both hit the doom rock sweet spot with big staying power. The Sabbathian grooves are present on “We Need Rock N’ Roll,” and the laid-back, lava lampy Kyuss vibe is found on “Seize the Day.” Then there are the straight-up ragers like the Queens of the Stone Age by way of Fireball Ministry “Never to Return” and the infectious, Thin Lizzy-meets Led Zeppelin guitar rock mania of “From the Inside Out” These guys know how to craft hooks that get deep in the skin and grow scar tissue and this is stoner rock at its most propulsive and catchy. Special note should be given to the righteous dream-rock of “Coming Home” and the wonderfully odd and hypnotic carnival weirdness on closer “Desert Song.” There’s so much great throwback 70s guitar work here, and this thing is great for road trips and easy summer brew-sipping sessions. Get yourself a Freedom Hawk!

Stratovarius – Survive

After a 7-year hiatus, I had pretty much moved Stratovarius into the “Dead” category in my brain files. I was very wrong, as they’ve come roaring back with a swirling maelstrom of classic Euro-power called Survive, and I’m quite impressed by it. The band sounds vital and reenergized, essentially picking up where they left off on 2015s Eternal but with the intensity dialed up a few clicks. The opening title track is a powerbomb and the classic Strato track. It could have appeared on golden-age platters like Destiny or Visions and it will rustle your jimmies with anthemic bombast and crunchy riffage. “Demand” and Frozen in Time” are more hammers for the power anvil, offering the classic Strato recipe full of hooks and guitar heroics. Even the relatively cheese-stuffed entries like “Firefly” and “Breakaway” work because the band is so adept at juggling the power and the puffery. Over their career, Stratovarius toyed with long-form compositions with mixed results, and mammoth closer “Voice of Thunder” is one of the bigger successes they’ve had, managing to keep you strapped in and engaged over its 11-plus minute voyage. Throughout it all, Timo Kotipelto’s voice sounds ageless, and Matias Kupiainen carpet-bombs the listener with big, driving riffs and stunning solos. Rumors of Stratovarius’ demise have been greatly exaggerated, and they show once more that they know how to Survive.

Inhuman Depravity – The Experimendead

Open a brutal death metal album with a sample from Re-Animator and you have me in your corner. Proceed to beat me into jelly for the following 34 minutes and you may never get rid of me. Istanbul-based Inhuman Depravity do both these things and much more over the course of their sophomore platter, The Experimendead. This is take-no-prisoners, done-fucking-around death metal with both fists in your teeth and it’s refreshing in its one-note brutality. With a sound akin to Cerebral Bore mixed with the nastiest of Cannibal Corpse, these folks come at you hard and offer no mercy. Songs like “Obsessed with the Mummified” and “Mescannibalismus” sound dopey as fook, but they’ll cut a bitch. This is the kind of album that feels like a relentless beatdown done by an industrial smashing machine. The tempo stays more or less the same and every shot hurts equally. No nuance, no experimentation, just the choice of violence over and over again. The guitar work isn’t flashy by the riffs have real hostility. The vocals by Lucy Ferra are impressively brutal and ugly. They lack variation but you won’t care much because of all the gloriously dumb pain. The Experimendead is not the best death album of the year but it is a brutal boot party worthy of attending. BYOB.

#2022 #DarkDivinity #FreedomHawk #InhumanDepravity #LabyrinthOfStars #Rotborn #Stratovarius #StuckInTheFilter

Stuck in the Filter – September’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity

September’s Filter is extra late. It’s extra late for a wide array of reasons, not the least of which involved this sponge working long hours several weeks on end, the looming threat of list season, and a flu scare. But I refuse to let my “colleagues” sit idly by and skimp out on getting my Filter cleaned out. So, I chased them all over the AMG campus until they submitted—or suffered. Luckily for my compatriots, September’s Filter wasn’t so jam-packed with gunk that there was much to find in the first place, but we still dug up a few good chunks of mutton from the grates.

Eat up!1

TheKenWord’s Charred Choices

Rotborn – On the Perspective of an Imminent Downfall

Brazilian newcomers Rotborn came to my attention thanks to someone on the Discord server, and Jørn knows I don’t remember who anymore. It doesn’t matter, because I’m taking all of the credit for this find. Debut slab of brutal deathgrind On the Perspective of an Imminent Downfall should immediately recall the vicious venom of Skam with the skin-flaying relentlessness of Depravity. With extra-potent hits like “Moral Grudge,” “F.U.B.A.R.,” “The Stench of a New Era to Come,” and immense closer “The Void Eater,” Rotborn deliver crushing tunes determined to level cities across the world. The biggest problem is the album’s brevity—an issue exacerbated by the band’s somewhat generic riff-craft in the less grindy songs. Its extra-tight twenty-seven minutes is about five to seven minutes too short for me, making this record feel somewhat incomplete. Regardless, this is a promising debut and I’m excited to hear how Rotborn progress from here.

Dark Divinity – Unholy Rapture

Hailing from Wellington, New Zealand, Dark Divinity have toiled in deep obscurity since 2017. I have heard literally nobody speak of this chunky bit of melodic death metal, save for the dozen people who bought their debut record, Unholy Rapture, on Bandcamp. This is weird to me, seeing as how Dark Divinity kind of kick ass, with standout tracks “Subterfuge,” “Blood on the Altar,” “Left for Dead,” and “The Nothing” gnashing against my brain with rows upon rows of sharp teeth. There are some moments that feel decidedly weaker than others (“The Seer,” “Cadavers”), but even accounting for that, Unholy Rapture is chock full of cool riffs, infectious grooves, and a wide variety of approaches to the style. With some tightening up of, and just a touch more depth in, their mid-paced songs, I see a bright future ahead for Dark Divinity.

Crispy Hooligan’s Hooch

Labyrinth of Stars – Spectrum Xenomorph

Spectrum Xenomorph’s entire package serves to evoke the cosmic horror of Alien, from the HR Giger inspired album cover to subtext laden song titles (“Star Pervertor”) and lyrics (“Dissolving into the Eternal Nothingness”). The Blood Incantation-but deathcore sound crams layers of Starspawn horror into concise 3 minute structures. Unfortunately the Blood Incantation-but deathcore comparison has its own Timewave Zero analogue. Spectrum Xenomorph‘s closer, “Transmission Delta – Exile,” is a 12:40 ambient track that constitutes nearly 40% of the entire album runtime and adds absolutely nothing. When you strip it out, are the seven remaining tracks still an LP? I want to lean yes, but the nigh-EP ness of Spectrum Xenomorph kicked it down my promo queue this month. Nonetheless, Labyrinth of Stars’ vibe is so of the season that Spectrum Xenomorph has been in daily rotation. The Germans’ distress signals from deep space have been received. Contact has been made. A follow-up transmission has been requested.

Steel Druhm’s Infected Incisors

Freedom Hawk – Take All You Can

Back in 2018, I was knocked over by the uber-cool stoner doom rock stylings of Virginia’s Freedom Hawk and their Beast Remains album. Its smart, slick combination of classic Sabbath groove and swagger and Kyuss-esque desert rock was too easy to love, and love it I did and still do. In fact, I underrated that opus and feel some shame. Fast forward 4 years, and we get the follow-up, Take All You Can. I wanted to give it a proper review, but time worked against me in a particular nutty month, so here it is. It’s much the same as Beast Remains stylistically, but perhaps a bit more open and mushroom-fueled. The tasty stoner rock anthems are there like “Age of the Idiot” and the groovy, spacey title track, and both hit the doom rock sweet spot with big staying power. The Sabbathian grooves are present on “We Need Rock N’ Roll,” and the laid-back, lava lampy Kyuss vibe is found on “Seize the Day.” Then there are the straight-up ragers like the Queens of the Stone Age by way of Fireball Ministry “Never to Return” and the infectious, Thin Lizzy-meets Led Zeppelin guitar rock mania of “From the Inside Out” These guys know how to craft hooks that get deep in the skin and grow scar tissue and this is stoner rock at its most propulsive and catchy. Special note should be given to the righteous dream-rock of “Coming Home” and the wonderfully odd and hypnotic carnival weirdness on closer “Desert Song.” There’s so much great throwback 70s guitar work here, and this thing is great for road trips and easy summer brew-sipping sessions. Get yourself a Freedom Hawk!

Stratovarius – Survive

After a 7-year hiatus, I had pretty much moved Stratovarius into the “Dead” category in my brain files. I was very wrong, as they’ve come roaring back with a swirling maelstrom of classic Euro-power called Survive, and I’m quite impressed by it. The band sounds vital and reenergized, essentially picking up where they left off on 2015s Eternal but with the intensity dialed up a few clicks. The opening title track is a powerbomb and the classic Strato track. It could have appeared on golden-age platters like Destiny or Visions and it will rustle your jimmies with anthemic bombast and crunchy riffage. “Demand” and Frozen in Time” are more hammers for the power anvil, offering the classic Strato recipe full of hooks and guitar heroics. Even the relatively cheese-stuffed entries like “Firefly” and “Breakaway” work because the band is so adept at juggling the power and the puffery. Over their career, Stratovarius toyed with long-form compositions with mixed results, and mammoth closer “Voice of Thunder” is one of the bigger successes they’ve had, managing to keep you strapped in and engaged over its 11-plus minute voyage. Throughout it all, Timo Kotipelto’s voice sounds ageless, and Matias Kupiainen carpet-bombs the listener with big, driving riffs and stunning solos. Rumors of Stratovarius’ demise have been greatly exaggerated, and they show once more that they know how to Survive.

Inhuman Depravity – The Experimendead

Open a brutal death metal album with a sample from Re-Animator and you have me in your corner. Proceed to beat me into jelly for the following 34 minutes and you may never get rid of me. Istanbul-based Inhuman Depravity do both these things and much more over the course of their sophomore platter, The Experimendead. This is take-no-prisoners, done-fucking-around death metal with both fists in your teeth and it’s refreshing in its one-note brutality. With a sound akin to Cerebral Bore mixed with the nastiest of Cannibal Corpse, these folks come at you hard and offer no mercy. Songs like “Obsessed with the Mummified” and “Mescannibalismus” sound dopey as fook, but they’ll cut a bitch. This is the kind of album that feels like a relentless beatdown done by an industrial smashing machine. The tempo stays more or less the same and every shot hurts equally. No nuance, no experimentation, just the choice of violence over and over again. The guitar work isn’t flashy by the riffs have real hostility. The vocals by Lucy Ferra are impressively brutal and ugly. They lack variation but you won’t care much because of all the gloriously dumb pain. The Experimendead is not the best death album of the year but it is a brutal boot party worthy of attending. BYOB.

#2022 #DarkDivinity #FreedomHawk #InhumanDepravity #LabyrinthOfStars #Rotborn #Stratovarius #StuckInTheFilter

Stuck in the Filter – September’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity

September’s Filter is extra late. It’s extra late for a wide array of reasons, not the least of which involved this sponge working long hours several weeks on end, the looming threat of list season, and a flu scare. But I refuse to let my “colleagues” sit idly by and skimp out on getting my Filter cleaned out. So, I chased them all over the AMG campus until they submitted—or suffered. Luckily for my compatriots, September’s Filter wasn’t so jam-packed with gunk that there was much to find in the first place, but we still dug up a few good chunks of mutton from the grates.

Eat up!1

TheKenWord’s Charred Choices

Rotborn – On the Perspective of an Imminent Downfall

Brazilian newcomers Rotborn came to my attention thanks to someone on the Discord server, and Jørn knows I don’t remember who anymore. It doesn’t matter, because I’m taking all of the credit for this find. Debut slab of brutal deathgrind On the Perspective of an Imminent Downfall should immediately recall the vicious venom of Skam with the skin-flaying relentlessness of Depravity. With extra-potent hits like “Moral Grudge,” “F.U.B.A.R.,” “The Stench of a New Era to Come,” and immense closer “The Void Eater,” Rotborn deliver crushing tunes determined to level cities across the world. The biggest problem is the album’s brevity—an issue exacerbated by the band’s somewhat generic riff-craft in the less grindy songs. Its extra-tight twenty-seven minutes is about five to seven minutes too short for me, making this record feel somewhat incomplete. Regardless, this is a promising debut and I’m excited to hear how Rotborn progress from here.

Dark Divinity – Unholy Rapture

Hailing from Wellington, New Zealand, Dark Divinity have toiled in deep obscurity since 2017. I have heard literally nobody speak of this chunky bit of melodic death metal, save for the dozen people who bought their debut record, Unholy Rapture, on Bandcamp. This is weird to me, seeing as how Dark Divinity kind of kick ass, with standout tracks “Subterfuge,” “Blood on the Altar,” “Left for Dead,” and “The Nothing” gnashing against my brain with rows upon rows of sharp teeth. There are some moments that feel decidedly weaker than others (“The Seer,” “Cadavers”), but even accounting for that, Unholy Rapture is chock full of cool riffs, infectious grooves, and a wide variety of approaches to the style. With some tightening up of, and just a touch more depth in, their mid-paced songs, I see a bright future ahead for Dark Divinity.

Crispy Hooligan’s Hooch

Labyrinth of Stars – Spectrum Xenomorph

Spectrum Xenomorph’s entire package serves to evoke the cosmic horror of Alien, from the HR Giger inspired album cover to subtext laden song titles (“Star Pervertor”) and lyrics (“Dissolving into the Eternal Nothingness”). The Blood Incantation-but deathcore sound crams layers of Starspawn horror into concise 3 minute structures. Unfortunately the Blood Incantation-but deathcore comparison has its own Timewave Zero analogue. Spectrum Xenomorph‘s closer, “Transmission Delta – Exile,” is a 12:40 ambient track that constitutes nearly 40% of the entire album runtime and adds absolutely nothing. When you strip it out, are the seven remaining tracks still an LP? I want to lean yes, but the nigh-EP ness of Spectrum Xenomorph kicked it down my promo queue this month. Nonetheless, Labyrinth of Stars’ vibe is so of the season that Spectrum Xenomorph has been in daily rotation. The Germans’ distress signals from deep space have been received. Contact has been made. A follow-up transmission has been requested.

Steel Druhm’s Infected Incisors

Freedom Hawk – Take All You Can

Back in 2018, I was knocked over by the uber-cool stoner doom rock stylings of Virginia’s Freedom Hawk and their Beast Remains album. Its smart, slick combination of classic Sabbath groove and swagger and Kyuss-esque desert rock was too easy to love, and love it I did and still do. In fact, I underrated that opus and feel some shame. Fast forward 4 years, and we get the follow-up, Take All You Can. I wanted to give it a proper review, but time worked against me in a particular nutty month, so here it is. It’s much the same as Beast Remains stylistically, but perhaps a bit more open and mushroom-fueled. The tasty stoner rock anthems are there like “Age of the Idiot” and the groovy, spacey title track, and both hit the doom rock sweet spot with big staying power. The Sabbathian grooves are present on “We Need Rock N’ Roll,” and the laid-back, lava lampy Kyuss vibe is found on “Seize the Day.” Then there are the straight-up ragers like the Queens of the Stone Age by way of Fireball Ministry “Never to Return” and the infectious, Thin Lizzy-meets Led Zeppelin guitar rock mania of “From the Inside Out” These guys know how to craft hooks that get deep in the skin and grow scar tissue and this is stoner rock at its most propulsive and catchy. Special note should be given to the righteous dream-rock of “Coming Home” and the wonderfully odd and hypnotic carnival weirdness on closer “Desert Song.” There’s so much great throwback 70s guitar work here, and this thing is great for road trips and easy summer brew-sipping sessions. Get yourself a Freedom Hawk!

Stratovarius – Survive

After a 7-year hiatus, I had pretty much moved Stratovarius into the “Dead” category in my brain files. I was very wrong, as they’ve come roaring back with a swirling maelstrom of classic Euro-power called Survive, and I’m quite impressed by it. The band sounds vital and reenergized, essentially picking up where they left off on 2015s Eternal but with the intensity dialed up a few clicks. The opening title track is a powerbomb and the classic Strato track. It could have appeared on golden-age platters like Destiny or Visions and it will rustle your jimmies with anthemic bombast and crunchy riffage. “Demand” and Frozen in Time” are more hammers for the power anvil, offering the classic Strato recipe full of hooks and guitar heroics. Even the relatively cheese-stuffed entries like “Firefly” and “Breakaway” work because the band is so adept at juggling the power and the puffery. Over their career, Stratovarius toyed with long-form compositions with mixed results, and mammoth closer “Voice of Thunder” is one of the bigger successes they’ve had, managing to keep you strapped in and engaged over its 11-plus minute voyage. Throughout it all, Timo Kotipelto’s voice sounds ageless, and Matias Kupiainen carpet-bombs the listener with big, driving riffs and stunning solos. Rumors of Stratovarius’ demise have been greatly exaggerated, and they show once more that they know how to Survive.

Inhuman Depravity – The Experimendead

Open a brutal death metal album with a sample from Re-Animator and you have me in your corner. Proceed to beat me into jelly for the following 34 minutes and you may never get rid of me. Istanbul-based Inhuman Depravity do both these things and much more over the course of their sophomore platter, The Experimendead. This is take-no-prisoners, done-fucking-around death metal with both fists in your teeth and it’s refreshing in its one-note brutality. With a sound akin to Cerebral Bore mixed with the nastiest of Cannibal Corpse, these folks come at you hard and offer no mercy. Songs like “Obsessed with the Mummified” and “Mescannibalismus” sound dopey as fook, but they’ll cut a bitch. This is the kind of album that feels like a relentless beatdown done by an industrial smashing machine. The tempo stays more or less the same and every shot hurts equally. No nuance, no experimentation, just the choice of violence over and over again. The guitar work isn’t flashy by the riffs have real hostility. The vocals by Lucy Ferra are impressively brutal and ugly. They lack variation but you won’t care much because of all the gloriously dumb pain. The Experimendead is not the best death album of the year but it is a brutal boot party worthy of attending. BYOB.

#2022 #DarkDivinity #FreedomHawk #InhumanDepravity #LabyrinthOfStars #Rotborn #Stratovarius #StuckInTheFilter

#RockTheCastleGreen has an interesting line-up for #2020 so far: https://www.rockthecastle.it/en/line-up/
Especially Saturday #June27 with #JudasPriest, #BeastInBlack and #Saxon, and Saturday #July4 with #TobiasSammet's #Avantasia, #Epica, #Stratovarius, #RhapsodyOfFire and #Alestorm, all performing in a #castle, sound awesome.

Very unlikely we'll be able to go there, but one can dream of winning a big prize. ;)

#musicFestival #event #metalFestival #metal #heavyMetal #concert #Rock #music