Heavy Metal

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    Clairvoyants – The Shape of Things to Come (2012)

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    Led by Luca Princiotta of Doro fame, today we have Clairvoyants and their excellent Power/Heavy Metal release titled “The Shape of Things to Come”. Delivering eleven tracks of brilliantly crafted old-school Power/Heavy Metal, this is one hell of a catchy and enjoyable release. With 10 our 11 tracks composed by Luca, we have a very solid Power/Heavy Metal foundation that can compare to any big-name band in the scene.

    With a very catchy chorus section, “No Need to Surrender” opens this release showcasing the band’s firepower. The guitars are very solid, the drumming is well crafted, and the singing is pretty ok for a Power/Heavy Metal band. Luca clearly knows how to open and album and with this epic anthem, “The Shape of Things to Come” is off to a great start. “Endure and Survive” is the next super catchy song in this release thanks to some meaty riffs and, again, a very catchy chorus section. This track also reminds us more of older Heavy Metal songs than any Power Metal we have heard in the last few years.

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    Crucified Barbara – The Midnight Chase (2012)

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    Delivering an excellent hard rocking release, today we have Sweden’s Crucified Barbara and their third full-length release “The Midnight Chase”. Featuring eleven songs of Hard Rock with some Metal elements, this release is very well written and extremely catchy. The band’s attitude since the opener “The Crucifier” is very determinate and quite effective in delivering powerful Thrashy riffs with more traditional drum structures.

    Mia Coldheart’s vocals are raspy enough to have that early Motorhead vibe, giving the band’s sound that old-school vibe that other bands would kill for. The melodic aspect of the band’s music is also quite excellent, on tracks like “Shut Your Mouth”, and “Into the Fire” there are very cool melodic passages that add diversity to the band’s sound. The tempo changes like on “Rules and Bones” add depth to the band’s musical arsenal, but ultimately the killer guitars and catchy lyrics are what make the songs an excellent listening experience.

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    Ibridoma – Night Club (2012)

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    Making its way from Italy, today we have Ibridoma and their second full-length release “Night Club”. Playing a very traditional and catchy brand of Heavy Metal with some Power Metal elements, this band delivers eight hard hitting tracks that will have you chanting and headbanging from start to end. If you are a fan of old-school Heavy Metal, this is one of the best releases we have heard this year.

    Opening with the epic “Eagles from the Sky”, the guitars start pounding away while the very charismatic vocals of Christian Bartolacci make their presence felt. His vocals reminded us of a mixture of Geoff Tate and Geddy Lee, very firm and well delivered making them one of the flagship elements of the band’s sound. Not only featuring solid vocals, the riffing on “Cold Light of Moon” is also very well crafted, and the drums are nicely crafted to be always present but never overbearing.

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    Lita Ford – Living Like a Runaway (2012)

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    Delivering the first ‘Lita Ford’ album, as she has claimed, since her return back in 2008, “Living Like a Runaway” is an excellent musical journey to the past of Heavy Metal / Rock. Featuring ten super catchy and well-crafted songs, this release is probably one the few albums that we can say has no filler tracks and only features high-quality music.

    Taking a very ‘back to the basics’ approach, the opener “Branded” delivers high-octane guitar riffing and catchy vocal lines. The structure of the music is very basic, and this makes it work even better by having that nice old-school vibe that traditional Heavy Metal fans like in their music. The guitar work is top notch and nicely enhances the overall sound with some subtle solos. In a more Glam-like approach, “Hate” has a super catchy chorus section that will have you humming it in your head for the rest of the week.

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    Accept – Stalingrad (2012)

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    After their ridiculously awesome “Blood of the Nations” return, Accept set the bar very high for themselves and with “Stalingrad” they actually manage to match it. For over 50 minutes and ten tracks, one of the biggest names in Heavy Metal manages to deliver one powerful song after another one in the same vein as their previous release that introduced Mark Tornillo on vocals.

    Since the opener “Hung Drawn and Quartered” we get to enjoy Wolf Hoffmann’s excellent riffing skills alongside Mark’s impressive vocals. The band keeps the momentum going by crafting super catchy chorus sections and a very strong drumming foundation for the track. The first undisputed anthem of this album is the title track “Stalingrad”. The band fuses their traditional approach with some melodic sections and a catchy chorus section that nicely pace this hard rocking song.

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    Burning Point – The Ignitor (2012)

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    Hailing from Finland, today we have Burning Point and their super catchy Melodic Power Metal released titled “The Ignitor”. With a very exciting mixture of modern Melodic Power Metal elements and a traditional Heavy Metal, Burning Point delivers a very well-crafted release full of powerful guitar sections, catchy chorus parts, and an overall epic feeling that only a handful of bands can pull off.

    Taking the listener back to the time when Power Metal was epic and felt like an adrenaline shock, “Eternal Flame” delivers a very apt opening for such a fun and engaging release. The band does a great job in establishing a basic core of guitar driven melodies where the keyboards and virtuoso-passages take a back seat and let the rest of the elements shine. Pete Ahonen vocals are spot on and have a powerful range, on tracks like “In The Fire’s of My Self” and “In the Night”, they carry the songs magically and seemingly effortless. “In the Night” has also that classic Heavy Metal vibe thanks to the chorus section that many newer bands seem to be forgetting about.

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    Superchrist – Holy Shit (2012)

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    Promoted under the moniker of ‘Beer Metal’, Superchrist’s latest released titled “Holy Shit” falls a bit under the expectations generated, but still delivers 10 hard-hitting rock and roll tracks. The party atmosphere is definitely present in this release and while most of the songs are quite catchy, the band fails to deliver beyond their one punch approach.

    Delivering punches since the opener “Run to the Night”, this release starts with a very upbeat tempo and a nice atmosphere of debauchery. The riffing is pretty solid and the drumming nicely follows, however the best thing is the raspy vocals that reminded us of a younger Lemmy from Motörhead at some points. As the tracks: “Take me To The Graveyard”, “Hot Tonight”, “Get Lost”, and “Burn Again” follow, it is quite evident that the band does only one thing, but they do a hell of a job at it. While this takes away from the band a bit, it will surely not bother other people.

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    Legion Warcry – The Way to Escape (2012)

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    Digitally making its way from Italy, today we have Legion Warcry’s debut full-length release “The Way to Escape”. With a very traditional combination of old-school Heavy Metal and Power Metal elements, this release is quite entertaining to hear. On the downside, the production is a bit funky sometimes it sounds a bit hollow and lacks some flair that other Power Metal releases have these days.

    The opener “God of Thunder” begins with powerful guitar work, but some very odd vocals that sound a bit distant from everything else. The vocals are not bad, but they just sound a bit weird in this track. Combining the catchiness of Heavy Metal with some of the guitar wizardry of Power Metal, “Across the Space” and “As You Preach” nicely set the mood for this solid release. The combination of subtle guitar/keyboard wizardry on “Across the Space” makes this track very entertaining.

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    Shattered Destiny – Fragments (2012)

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    With a very diverse and interesting sound, today we have newcomers Shattered Destiny and their very professional debut EP “Fragments”. In the time when almost every band is trying to sound like somebody else, it is very refreshing to see bands like this carving their own musical history with a fresh and interesting proposal.

    Recorded around the world in places like California, Moscow and Sweden, this release is a very good integration of several musicians into a cohesive and dynamic sounding band. Brought together by mastermind JJ, Shattered Destiny breaks musical barriers and combines a Progressive Metal foundation with some more traditional Heavy and Thrash Metal influences.

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    Lonewolf – Army of the Damned (2012)

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    Hailing from France, today we have the Heavy/Power Metal outfit named Lonewolf and their surprisingly very engaging release “Army of the Damned”. While not having anything original about their sound, Lonewolf does an excellent job in crafting 11 super-catchy headbanging inducing tracks that will stick to your head for days to come.

    Opening with the track titled “Lonewolf”, the band delivers commanding guitar riffs and solos, powerful keyboards in a very traditional sounding track that is super catchy in nature. The vocals are your typical late 90’s raspy Heavy Metal style, but they actually feel very well fitted for the more modern and richer sound of the band. Things continue to get even catchier with the excellent “Crawling to Hell”, a track that has a slight Manowar vibe. The chorus section is pretty solid, allowing this track to have all the makings of a true Metal anthem.

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