#whitewizzard — Public Fediverse posts

Unfortunately for this review, I have not been ravaged by the Yeti before. But if it’s anything like what happens when you make one too many White Wizzard jokes around Steel Druhm, then it must be a ruthless and altogether ungraceful experience. If so, then Sweden’s Ravaged by the Yeti do the experience justice. Yet another project of guitarist/vocalist Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Ribspreader, among many, many others), Ravaged by the Yeti first unleashed their Yeti-themed grind-infused death metal on 2023’s Apex Predator. In 2026, they return with a fresh lineup of Johansson, bassist Mike Borders (ex-Massacre), and drummer Jon Rudin (Monstrous). Snowbound Horror promises savagery, plain and simple. Can Ravaged by the Yeti’s simulacrum of their namesake act prove as memorable as the real deal?

Ravaged by the Yeti do one thing on Snowbound Horror, and that’s spill guts out over the snow. Not their guts, mind you; there’s nothing confessional about this. Through Johansson’s gore-slathered growls, Ravaged by the Yeti treat their listeners to one blood-soaked scene to the next. Himalayan explorers are ripped to pieces (“By the Hand of the Beast”), reduced to slurry (“Human Spoil”), and stuffed in the Abominable Snowman’s freezer (“Frozen Stiff”) before all’s said and done on Snowbound Horror. These savage snippets are captured through Ravaged by the Yeti’s commitment to icy, no-frills death metal. Songs like “Vengeance in Fur” and “Death by Icicle” flex big riffs and punchy kicks while never letting up on the bludgeonings. If you only want a heaping helping of violence out of your death metal, or if Frozen Soul’s latest has you hankering for more cold, Ravaged by the Yeti have you covered with Snowbound Horror.

Snowbound Horror lives off meat-headed riffcraft. Raiding Bolt Thrower’s arsenal of heavy groove ordnance, songs like “As Fangs Go Deep,” “Beast Prey,” and “Snowbound Horror” bash and rumble with bestial, straightforward aggression. Apex Predator’s grind influence largely takes a backseat to this death-groove on Snowbound Horror, but songs like “By the Hand of the Beast” and “Tusk of the Yeti” maintain grind’s speed and serrated assault. It helps that Ravaged by the Yeti sport drums with adequate thump and snap to them, a surprisingly dynamic mix, and a guitar tone thick and wet as carrion. Between the riffs and growls, rudimentary guitar leads spring up from time to time (“Human Spoil,” “They Came through the Cold”) along with the occasional slick drum fill (“Tusk of the Yeti”). By now, Johansson can probably write respectable death riffs in his sleep, and Ravaged by the Yeti doesn’t disappoint in this regard.

What does disappoint about Snowbound Horror, however, is its one-note quality. Obviously, Ravaged by the Yeti’s explicit theming limits their creative scope, but Snowbound Horror utilizes too few basic riff shapes and compositions to stay fresh. “Beast Prey” opens with a riff far too similar to the preceding “As Fangs Go Deep”‘s opening riff, and the few solo-esque leads across Snowbound Horror all sit too closely on the same part of the neck. Only “They Came through the Cold” sticks out upon repeat listens, as Ravaged by the Yeti employ a smidge more melody and storytelling focus on this particular tale of terror. For the most part, what could be said about any one song on Snowbound Horror could be just as applicable to any other song. What Ravaged by the Yeti do is fun, but with a very limited set of tools stretched across thirty-five minutes, Snowbound Horror’s grizzly cheek runs cold by the time “Land of Ice and Snow” closes out.

Ravaged by the Yeti’s Snowbound Horror is more enjoyable than an actual ravaging by the Yeti, but not quite as memorable. It’s a lot more fun than the rating below might suggest, but it would be dishonest of me to say it hasn’t run thin after several listens. If you value gore and grit above all in your death metal, Ravaged by the Yeti might be your picnic. But as a whole artistic package, Snowbound Horror goes by in a blur, hitting hard during its time but leaving little impact in its wake. When I get mangled and masticated by a cryptid, that’s not the story I want to share afterwards.

Rating: Mixed
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps MP3
Label: Testimony Records
Websites: facebook.com/RavagedbytheYeti | ravagedbytheyeti.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: July 10th, 2026

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

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#BraveWords
Today In Metal History 🤘 June 3rd, 2024 🤘DORO, SLAYER, BATHORY, HYPOCRISY, DEEP PURPLE, BRUCE DICKINSON
Talent We Lost R.I.P. Thomas "Ace" Börje Forsberg (Quorthon from BATHORY): 1966 – 2004 R.I.P. Billy Powell (LYNYRD SKYNYRD) - 1952 - 2009 The keyboardist died of a heart attack at the age of 56 at his home in Orange Park...

https://bravewords.com/news/today-in-metal-history-june-3rd-2024-doro-slayer-bathory-hypocrisy-deep-purple-bruce-dickinson

#Slayer #Bathory #Doro #Hypocrisy #DeepPurple #BruceDickinson #KerryKing #FaithNoMore #WhiteWizzard #Loudness

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METAL ALLEGIANCE To Reassemble For 10th Anniversary Show
Happening in January.

https://metalinjection.net/tour-dates/metal-allegiance-to-reassemble-for-10th-anniversary-show

#MetalAllegiance
#10thAnniversary
#Reassemble
#Overkill
#Testament
#DeathAngel
#FatesWarning
#Annihilator
#Warbringer
#WhiteWizzard
#PhilDemmel
#ChrisBroderick