The Guardians

November 2024

01. Iron Maiden – “Remember Tomorrow” (from “Iron Maiden”, 1980)

02. Iron Maiden – “Killers” (from “Killers”, 1981)

03. Black Sabbath – “The Sabbath Stones" (from “Tyr”, 1990) [Suggested by Karl]

04. Cirith Ungol – “Heaven Help Us” (from “Paradise Lost”, 1991) [Suggested by Karl]

05. Crimson Glory – “Lady of Winter” (from “Transcendence”, 1988)

06. Vulture – “Realm of the Impaler" (from "Sentinels", 2024)

07. Xandria – “No Time To Live Forever” (from “No Time To Live Forever”, 2024)

08. Nightwish – “Spider Silk” (from “Yesterwynde”, 2024)

09. Eternal Champion – “Cowards Keep” (from “Ravening Iron”, 2020)

10. Rata Blanca – “Los Ojos Del Dragon” (from “Guerrero Del Arco Iris”, 1991) [Suggested by Karl]

11. Tierra Santa – “Dracula” (from “Legendario”, 1999) [Suggested by Karl]

12. Crystal Viper – “Heading Kadath" (from “The Silver Key”, 2024)

13. Riot City – “Beyond the Stars" (from “Electric Elite”, 2022) [Suggested by Karl]

14. Traveler – “Take the Wheel” (from “Prequel to Madness”, 2024)

15. Edge Of Sanity – “Blood of My Enemies” (from “The Spectral Sorrows", 1993) [Suggested by Daniel]

16. Blazon Rite – “Troubadours of the Final Quartering” (from “Wild Rites And Ancient Songs”, 2023) [Suggested by Karl]

17. Judas Priest – “Bloodstone” (from “Screaming For Vengeance", 1982)

18. Pertness – “Lost in Time” (from “Frozen Time", 2012)

19. Loded Diper – “Can You Smell Us Now” (from “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules”, 2022) [Suggested by Andi]

20. Manowar– “Ride the Dragon" (from "The Triumph of Steel”, 1992)

21. Maule – “Bring the Hammer Down” (from “Kill 'em MAULE”, 2024)

22. Blazon Stone - "Watery Graves" (from "Down in the Dark", 2017)

23. Lost Horizon - "Again Will The Fire Burn" (from "A Flame To The Ground Beneath", 2002)

24. Edenbridge - "Hall of Shame" (from "Shangri-La", 2024)

25. Manilla Road - "Return Of The Old Ones" (from "Out Of The Abyss", 2024)

Oh fair enough, didn't realize it was a thing. 

When I was first getting back into metal, around the turn of the millenium, I had a very good friend who wasn't much of a metal fan, but was heavily into the female-fronted symphonic metal scene and through them I became interested in the Finns with the striking, classically-trained lead singer who, along with Italy's Lacuna Coil, seemed like the only ones in this style who seemed worth the attention. My first exposure to them was through their debut "Angels Fall First" album which had a number of tracks that impressed, particularly "Elvenpath" and "Astral Romance". Subsequent albums "Oceanborn" and especially "Wishmaster" always had a track or two that I enjoyed, "The Pharaoh Sails to Orion" on the former and the title track and "The Kinslayer" on the latter. By the early 2000s I was bathing in the dubious glories of more extreme metal genres like black and doom metal, yet I was still interested enough in new Nightwish material to take note, but unfortunately I thought 2002's Century Child was a dip in quality, so by the time of the release of 2004's "Once" I was not really that interested. However, videos for "Nemo" and "Wish I Had an Angel" saw me being dragged back in by Tarja's charismatic presence, to the degree that I actually bought the album on CD while I was in town one weekend.

Now, I would be lying if I said that this was high on my list of all-time great metal releases, but I would be lying just as much if I claimed to dislike it completely. I have a natural aversion to overblown metal genres in general and symphonic metal in particular, but no one has ever rivalled Tarja-fronted Nightwish in the genre and every other band in this field so obviously wants to be them that they must have been doing something right. The operatic orchestration and synths may well be what draws people to this style of metal, but for me, it is the surprisingly heavy, yet melodic riffs, Tarja's vocals and their ability to write memorable tunes that are the beating heart of Nightwish and which none of their rivals can remotely match. There is a nice variation in pacing and atmosphere on "Once", from heavy and bombastic to reflective and wistful which manages to keep me engaged for the total runtime. The band are obviously well-versed in their instruments and the clarity of the production allows them all their space to impress and in Tarja Turunen they have probably the singularly most accomplished and physically striking frontwoman in the history of metal. 

It may do my metal street-cred no good whatsoever (as if I could give a shit), but I happily chuck "Once" into the CD player now and then when I just want to hear some entertaining metal solely for enjoyment and to feel uplifted and not to think about too deeply. And that's as high a recommendation as I can give to an album in this style and, in fact, I'm listening to it right now and it sounds better than ever!

4/5

I finished listening to this month's The Guardians playlist while cleaning one of our bathrooms this morning & enjoyed it noticeably more than last month's list. The extended Paul Dianno tribute that makes up the introduction was a nice touch with both tracks sitting amongst my favourites from their respective albums. I don't mind Black Sabbath's "The Sabbath Stones" or Crimson Glory's "Lady of Winter either" which makes the first section of the tracklisting a very solid way to begin proceedings. Eternal Champion's "Cowards Keep" is an excellent piece of US power metal & I've a traditionally had a bit of time for Lost Horizon's "Again Will the Fire Burn" (What a voice!) & Judas Priest's "Bloodstone", despite feeling that the "Screaming for Vengeance" album is a touch overrated. Even though I nominated it for inclusion, I struggle a bit with Edge of Sanity's cover version of Manowar's "Blood of My Enemies", particularly within the context of the "The Spectral Sorrows" album where it sounds a little out of place. It doesn't sound as bad here but I still wouldn't say that it does a lot for me personally. This is a pretty strong representation of the clan overall though.

A truly dark ethereal collision of symphonic/cyber metal:

Grand Magus - Sunraven (2024)

Grand Magus are one of my favourite bands, a go-to act when I long for some epic norse heavy metal and a consistent provider of fist-pumping and horns-raising battle hymns. Sunraven is the trio's tenth album and comes a full five years after the very solid, if not exactly earth-shattering, Wolf God. Well, was it worth the wait? I would give an unequivocal "hell yeah!" To my ears this is the band's best since 2012's stellar The Hunt.

Metal has become a very diverse scene over the years. There are bands who push the envelope of what it is to be metal, there are bands that strive to be ever more extreme in brutality or heaviness, there are yet others who seek to elicit deep emotions and those who create gorgeous, sweeping and epic soundscapes. All those are great and deserve every respect, but one of the most maligned types of metal bands that exist today are those that know what their fanbase expect and enjoy and who deliver that in the form of expertly crafted songs that tap into the days when fans listened to metal for enjoyment and to pump their fists in the air whilst banging their heads out of sheer exuberance for the glorious sounds leaping at them from out of their speakers. Grand Magus are one such band and, in my opinion, one of the best. This is metal that is meant to be experienced and enjoyed, not dissected by chin-stroking pseudo-intellectuals who would shit themselves at the mere thought of diving into a moshpit.

Sunraven is a very tight album, it's nine tracks run for a total of only thirty-five minutes, so there is no self-indulgent wankery here, this is to-the-point and succinct metal that encapsulates the very essence of the genre. The production is great, with superb clarity and a nice depth to the sound, especially in it's vinyl format. Grand Magus have few contemporary rivals in heavy metal when it comes to writing sing-along choruses and memorable riffs that swirl around your head for days. I for one find it almost impossible to get through a GM album without bawling out at least one chorus, much to the consternation of all the other dog walkers in the woods that day, I dare say!

The rhythm section of bassist Fox and drummer Ludwig are terrific, the drums here sound excellent in fact, and the basslines are economical and powerful, the two operating as a tight and efficient unit, but, let's be honest, Grand Magus are defined by guitarist and vocalist, JB and he is on fine form throughout Sunraven's runtime. He has a strong and fairly powerful, yet unstrained voice with a clear delivery which enables the listener to discern all the lyrics easily. His guitar work is impressive, without being even remotely showy, with well-written, memorable riffs and some of his finest solos to date, sounding natural and efficient but also epic and vital at the same time, which is not always an easy feat to achieve.

There really isn't much more to say, Sunraven is unapologetically business as usual for Grand Magus, but when your business is just so fucking metal then who's going to complain. They take great delight in the tropes of heavy metal and celebrate their own scandinavian heritage and epic myths with pride and affection it seems. I, for one, am glad that a band like Grand Magus, who possess an instinctive feel for metal, still exist and have carved out a dedicated following of nuts who are still able to celebrate the genre for the escapist, life-affirming wonder that it is capable of being. If tracks like !Skyborne", "Wheel of Pain", "Hour of the Wolf" and the title track aren't capable of getting your head nodding and your fingers twitching of their own accord in an attempt to throw the horns, then you probably need to check your pulse... or at least your metal credibility!

4.5/5

Dolmen Gate - "Rest in Flames" (from "Gateways of Eternity", 2024)

Satan - "Sacramental Rites" (from "Songs in Crimson", 2024)

Sacral Night - "L'archange aux yeux de feu" (from "Le diadème d'argent", 2022)

Venom - "Possessed" (from "Possessed", 1985)

Challenger - "Victims of War" (from "Force of Nature", 2024)

Forgotten Tales - "Keepers of the Field" (from "We Shall See the Light", 2010)

Jon Schaffer breaks his silence and expresses regret for his actions during the Jan 6th insurrection:

https://metaladdicts.com/jon-schaffer-i-profoundly-regret-my-actions-on-january-6th-2021

I've been hammering these three early maiden classics all day and raising the horns to mark the passing of Paul di'Anno. RIP.

Just listened through to the remainder of the list while cleaning up this morning. It's one seriously power metal-heavy list this month so if that's your bag then you're in for a treat. If not, then you may struggle a bit.

Pagan Altar - Mythical & Magical (2006)

I am fairly familiar with Pagan Altar's earlier material, specifically the debut which dates from 1982, their Time Lord EP which dates from '78/'79 and also their 2004 album Lords of Hypocrisy. The first two are interesting early examples of the metamorphisis from heavy metal to traditional doom metal that was beginning to take place in the late seventies and early eighties, similar to Bedemon/Pentagram or Witchfinder General material from the same era. I wasn't so much taken with the later album however and found it quite lacklustre and disappointing.

So, my first impressions of 2006's Mythical & Magical are far more positive, I must say. It is a much more interesting release with it's quite wide range of influences, whilst still sounding consistent. The biggest issue for a lot of fans is likely to be Terry Jones' nasal and fairly high-pitched vocal delivery which may not be to everyone's taste, but if you are OK with King Diamond and Cirith Ungol you should be fine. Talking of Cirith Ungol, there are certainly elements employed by the Californian epic metallers to be found here on Mythical & Magical, albeit a little more restrained. Just to be clear though, there is very little to no doom metal present on M&M, other than in the very loosest sense. This is predominantly (epic) trad metal with plenty of seventies hard rock influence. There is even some folk-prog featured with the enjoyable, The Crowman, which wouldn't sound at all out of place on Jethro Tull's fantastic 1977 Songs from the Wood album. Make no mistake though, this is principally a traditional heavy metal album and Pagan Altar's emergence during the early NWOBHM is apparent both in the songwriting and the production of M&M with it's relatively raw and reedy sound.

For me the album is at it's strongest when they go all-in on the more epic side of things and allow Alan Jones to indulge his soaring solos, such as the Comfortably Numb-esque closing solo to The Sorcerer. I would suggest it is Alan's guitar work that raises this album to whatever heights it occupies as it is his riffing and soloing that completely dominates the album's standout moments.

I find it fascinating that Terry and Alan are father and son. I don't know of any other band with such a relationship - I really can't imagine being in a band with my old man and I certainly can't imagine it would have lasted long if I was!

4/5

How's it going, fellas? As we welcome the first days of October, the noble Guardian Knights are eager to hear about a new stronghold worthy of their graceful protection. This time, it is my honor to be their knight captain, so I've striven to select an aptly grand mission in this year's debut full-length from US old-school heavy metallers Savage Oath, "Divine Battle".

Heavy metal stands strong, fellas! I find it properly heartwarming that, despite its more than fifty-year existence, the subgenre is still capable of spawning genuinely delightful records. The album boasts a proper, gritty, old-school sound, catchy, triumphant choruses, and even a slight hint of doom, mostly due to the vocal performance that, to me, sounds a lot like how Ozzy would sound if he could actually sing :]. Lately, I simply can't stop listening to this beauty. If all that sounds good to you, dive right in!

https://metal.academy/releases/50773

Thanks Daniel, I should really start checking out Jag Panzer a bit more as they've eluded me despite putting them on the playlist for that kick of classic US Heavy Metal that seems so hard to find. I've really started to dive into US Power Metal more and have found some solid stuff, despite me bouncing off the genre initially apart from standout acts like Eternal Champion. The Twisted Tower Dire inclusion was one of those finds that obviously isn't for everyone but I've been enjoying their discography as some deep cuts of a genre that I'm looking to get more familiar with. 

Probably gotta be "Powerslave" for me, even though it's a very tough pick between most of the tracks on the album, honestly. As someone who didn't necessarily grow up with Iron Maiden, I had myself do a complete marathon of their discography back when the only full album I had listened to was The Number of the Beast. To this day, Powerslave remains my favorite Iron Maiden album through and through, even though Somewhere In Time and Seventh Son come closest. I'll admit that I'd probably have to go back and spend some more time with their entire 1980's catalogue to get a fully updated opinion since their output for an entire decade was extremely dense, but for now I'll keep with my opinion that Powerslave stands out amongst a legendary discography and is stellar from start to finish. 

Here's my review:

My experience with prolific German metal stalwarts Rage has been fairly limited up until now with my only dedicated investigation of their music being capped at the band’s 1986 debut album “Reign of Fear”, a release that didn’t impress me much if I’m being honest. I struggled with the inconsistencies in quality & particularly with the vocals of bass-playing front man Peter “Peavy” Wagner so I’ve never felt too much encouragement to explore the ridiculously extensive Rage back catalogue further. I’ve recently noticed a fair bit of fanfare around Rage’s 1995 ninth full-length “Black in Mind” though so I decided to give the Germans another chance. It’d been almost a decade since their first-up effort after all so one could only imagine that they’d matured somewhat in that time. Time would tell though.

The production job is pretty good & presents the songs with a metal-as-fuck aesthetic that affords the material every chance of winning me over, even if power metal releases often face an up-hill battle with me. “Black in Mind” is quite an ambitious & diverse example of the German power metal model though. It’s 69-minute run time can be fairly daunting, particularly for someone like myself that’s not usually all that fond of the European strand of the genre, but there are plenty of stylistic changes throughout the fourteen-song tracklisting to keep one from getting bored. Despite the tendency to genre-hop a bit, I think the power metal genre is still the only primary tag required to describe “Black in Mind”. There are notable heavy metal & thrash metal components included & both are significant enough to mention but I don’t think either are a true representation of the overall sound you can expect to here from this record.

Although not as overt as I found on “Reign of Fear”, “Black in Mind” still suffers from largely the same flaws. The consistency of the song-writing isn’t great with four or five obvious filler tracks tainting my holistic impression of the album. While Wagner’s vocals may have improved over the previous decade, I still wouldn’t say that they’re amazing & find that they actually work to the detriment of some of these pieces. It's interesting that the back half of the album tends to be much heavier on the power metal than the A side which is a mixture of heavy metal, thrash metal & speed metal apart from the epic ten minutes of “In A Nameless Time”. I tend to favour the heavy metal material here with “The Icecold Hand of Destiny” being my clear favourite track followed by “The Crawling Chaos” & speed metal burner “Sent by the Devil”. I find “Shadow Out of Time”, “Until I Rage” & the popular opening title track to be pretty flat though while cheesy power metal number “Forever” falls a long way from my taste profile. Let’s not even mention “Alive But Dead” as it’s just fucking awful so you can see that a good third of the tracklisting doesn’t offer me much in the way of appeal.

“Black in Mind” certainly isn’t horrible & I did get some enjoyment out of the majority of its lengthy run time to tell you the truth but there’s no doubt that it's too long & I feel that even a small amount of culling might have seen me awarding it a more acceptable score. As it is though, I can’t say that I found the experience all that rewarding. I'd definitely take “Black in Mind” over “Reign of Fear” but not by as much as most fans would probably think & it surprises me that this is thought to be Rage’s best release as that doesn’t exactly say a lot about their gazillion & one other albums. Perhaps Rage (& European power metal in general) simply aren’t for me but I feel good about the fact that I’ve given “Black in Mind” a good Aussie crack as it has definitely ticked a box that had remained empty for far too long.

For fans of Grave Digger, Running Wild & Avenger.

3/5

Hey there, Rex. If you're up for any ideas for your possible "powercore" (power metal/melodic metalcore) band, the new Jeris Johnson album Dragonborn is for you. Particularly the first half in which most of the songs from that section genuinely exemplify this rare epic modern combo.

One of my NWOBHM favourites and a band I always loved seeing live:

My Top 20 Angel Witch tracks:

1. Angel of Death (Angel Witch)
2. Baphomet (Metal for Muthas)
3. Gorgon (Angel Witch)
4. Don't Turn Your Back (Angel of Light)
5. Atlantis (Angel Witch)
6. Confused (Angel Witch)
7. White Witch (Angel Witch)
8. Free Man (Angel Witch)
9. Angel Witch (Angel Witch)
10. Sorcerers (Angel Witch)

11. Geburah (As Above, So Below)
12. Condemned (Angel of Light)
13. Evil Games (Screamin' n' Bleedin')
14. Death From Andromeda (Angel of Light)
15. Sweet Danger (Angel Witch)
16. Angel of Light (Angel of Light)
17. Flight Nineteen (Sweet Danger / Flight Nineteen)
18. Devil's Tower (Angel Witch)
19. Dead Sea Scrolls (As Above, So Below)
20. Witching Hour (As Above, So Below)

Heavily dominated by their superb debut LP.

What you gonna do when a band issues an album so much better than the rest of their discography?

Another favourite band of mine, Sweden's Grand Magus:

1. Hammer of the North (Hammer of the North)
2. Valhalla Rising (The Hunt)
3. Son of the Last Breath (The Hunt)
4. Mountains Be My Throne (Hammer of the North)
5. Iron Hand (The Hunt)
6. At Midnight They'll Get Wise (Hammer of the North)
7. Starlight Slaughter (The Hunt)
8. I, The Jury (Hammer of the North)
9. Legion (Grand Magus)
10. Sword of the Ocean (The Hunt)

11. The Hunt (The Hunt)
12. Black Sails (Hammer of the North)
13. Storm King (The Hunt)
14. Northern Star (Hammer of the North)
15. Like the Oar Strikes the Water (Iron Will)
16. Silver Moon (The Hunt)
17. Ravens Guide Our Way (Hammer of the North)
18. Draksådd (The Hunt)
19. Spear Thrower (Wolf God)
20. The Naked and the Dead (Triumph and Power)

A band who are incredibly consistent and deserve more acclaim.

Here's my take:

California's Commander ended up being a relatively brief affair. Gathered in 1985, the US power metallers decided to pull the plug just four years later, leaving behind a single full-length labeled “The High n' Mighty.” Failing to achieve any semblance of commercial success whatsoever in the thrash-dominated landscape of the late 80s, the album spearheaded the band's descent into obscurity and remains the only concrete outcome of its activity, save for a spot on the “Metal Massacre VII” compilation. “The High n' Mighty” happens to be quite a significant record for me personally. I stumbled upon it as a single-digit-year-old whelp after purchasing one of the “mp3 metal collection” discs (anybody remember those?). Since it was one of the earlier “lesser-known” bands I discovered, Commander was partly responsible for introducing me to the idea of looking beyond the big names—a thought that sparked a lifelong passion for the metal underground.

The neuronal machinery of the young, impressionable brain of mine was utterly reorganized upon hearing the guitar solo of the opening number, “Knights of the Round Table”. I would not have discovered the feats of Maestro Malmsteen until years later, and a strong allergic reaction to the more straightforward hard rock style I contracted at birth made it impossible for me to appreciate most of the classic shredders. Thus, the hyper-melodic, classical-hinted style of Commander's axeman Dave Macias was a complete novelty for me back then. Around the same time, I found out about a great guitar hero of mine, Andy LaRocque, and they both ended up playing a big part in my exposure to a whole new array of possibilities when it comes to what can be achieved with the instrument. Obviously, over the years, it turned out that Dave's way of playing wasn't all that uncommon or innovative. Nonetheless, it remains fucking delightful to listen to and stands out as the strongest asset of the record at hand, with moments of lead guitar brilliance aplenty throughout the runtime. The opener's qualities don't end here for me, however. I find the track to possess a rare and highly sought-after trait in the particularly high load of uplifting energy, with the potential to help you power through some really tough chores. For example, I would reach for “Knights” regularly on the long study nights in college, and it proved itself to be both more effective and a healthier stimulant than the trusty Jägermeister mit Red Bull. Admittedly, the track is quite heavy on the cheese department as far as the album goes, and I would even go so far as to suggest that at times it approaches straight-up europower territory. That said, it finds itself sitting reasonably well within the outskirts of my acceptable glucose concentration regions.

“Knights” might be a sweet little darling of mine, but the main course on offering here is, without a doubt, the absolute behemoth of USPM glory in “Die by the Sword”. The song is a masterclass in tension-building, with the cyclic nature of the composition playing very well into the lyrical theme of fighting an inescapable fate. While Dave Macias has been the undeniable star of the show so far, I have a feeling that, recognizing where their most fruitful effort was, the other members decided to really up their game for this one. In effect, we get to experience no less than a few instances of truly cathartic musical beauty throughout the track's runtime, with the culminating point of the story featuring a particularly moving performance by the frontman, Jon Natisch. From that moment on, the gears are set for the last buildup and the gloriously satisfying finale. Introducing some needed variety and enhancing the song's character are the pleasantly clacky bass lines, courtesy of Ron Avila. The drummer Richard Mejia retains the thematically appropriate, steady pulse throughout most of the runtime, reaching out for his more advanced skills in the moments of increased intensity, thus contributing greatly to the emotional contrasts within the piece. My personal highlight, however, has to be the performance of the guest synth player, Mark Benson, with both the intro and the passage starting at around the five and a half minute mark having a very profound impact on me. That is due to the evocation of the retro-futuristic sound of the early digital age—a time when we as mankind were looking bravely forward in anticipation of the bright future to come, and a time I find myself deeply nostalgic for. The hints and motifs of this type are present throughout the album, amplified by the production job that graces Dave's leads with an unmistakable tone evoking the images of molten, industrial steel.

I believe at this point it is quite evident that I find the high points of “The High n' Mighty” to be much more than enjoyable, and on their basis alone, I would be quick to reach out for an award in the highest range of 4 to 5 stars. However, we obviously have to touch on the rest of the material and judge the album as a whole. Of note is the speedy number “Return of the Goths”, featuring a particularly beautiful solo by Dave. We also get a convincing package of tracks spawned by the band's admiration for the great Ronnie James Dio. “Kill the King” is a tightly executed cover that manages to manifest its relevancy by upping the heaviness of the well-regarded original. Furthermore, the inspirations are so evident in “Wizard”, that one could be forgiven for mistaking it for another Rainbow / Dio cover track, with especially Jon Natisch displaying tricks taken straight from his idol's playbook. The closer, “The Blade Shines On” is a good song as well, in a similar vein to “Return of the Goths”, though never quite reaching its heights. Unfortunately, I have to say that the record features a block of pretty unexciting material from the title track through “Terror”, where the songwriting takes a noticeable dip in quality. Furthermore, it is clear that Jon Natisch wasn't an experienced vocalist at the time of the recording. His lines are weirdly laid out at times, and occasionally he struggles to stay on-key. His passion and talent cannot be denied, but the lesser quality of the aforementioned three tracks makes it a bit harder to ignore the odd inadequacy. All in all, they do tempt me to reach for the skip button and represent an obstacle to enjoying the record in its full running time.

I find it regretful, that Commander ended up dissolving so early into their career, never fully realizing their vision of bombastic heavy metal. I believe they had the potential to spawn at least a few more beautiful spells and develop a minor cult following they deserved. Over the years, I would scan the Internet from time to time in anticipation of a proper re-release on CD (that it still hasn't manifested itself is but a travesty) or an unlikely reunion. Thus, I was deeply saddened to hear about Jon Natisch's untimely passing in 2012. “The High n' Mighty” might not be an eternal classic when looked at as the whole package, but nonetheless, its high points remain among my all-time favorites within the subgenre. If you are attracted to USPM style in any capacity whatsoever, and especially if you consider yourself a connoisseur of flashy, melodic guitar leads, I would highly recommend you check out at least the highlight tracks outlined below.

For fans of: Dio, King Diamond & Y.J. Malmsteen's Rising Force

Highlight tracks: Knights of the Round Table, Return of the Goths & Die by the Sword

3.5/5

I started listening to this playlist while playing with my one year old daughter last night. The Eternal Champion song is a great way to kick off the list. I fucking love the Anthem track. It's one of my most played heavy metal songs this year. I'm very familiar with the Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force & Blind Guardian inclusions & quite like both of them too.

Riot City really redeemed themselves with Electric Elite for me, since I couldn't get into their debut despite my best efforts and other Heavy Metal fans lauding it as a great addition to the plethora of modern bands playing a very classic style. A lot of it comes down to the vocalist, which I'm sure is already a contentious point as the high pitched wails of their lead guitarist on the first album was a massive selling point for people. The new guy, Jordan Jacobs, still has the high pitched pipes but he uses them in a way more reserved way that it much more effective to my ears. Electric Elite is spearheaded by these vocals with drastically better writing and flow compared to their debut, which felt very sporadic and tacked on sometimes even though they got their point across well enough. The gang vocals in tracks like “Return of the Force” and “Tyrant” also got a major upgrade, feeling way more forceful compared to the debut. These small but impactful changes completely flipped my opinions on this band from being yet another fast but dull classic Heavy Metal revival attempt to a batch of 8 songs that I can’t help but keep coming back to.

Electric Elite is admittedly a bit one-note in what it does and lacks a bit of variety at the end of the day, but I think I’d rather take that than a throwaway ballad or some other failed experiment. The introductions of “Ghost of Reality” and “Severed Ties” give the listener a bit of a break with some US Power Metal ballad shlock, but quickly get back to the riffing as both songs pick up after some well written buildups. That being said, the instrumentals are why I keep coming back to Electric Elite as it has some of the most addicting dual-guitar and driving bass riffing I’ve heard since Eternal Champion. Riot City are much more Speed Metal influenced as they push the tempos on ripping tracks like the opening “Eye of the Jaguar” or “Return of the Force”, but still know how to create a compelling riff when they decide to slow it down on “Tyrant”, which has ended up being my favorite track on the album. Even though I never skip them, the album does grind to a halt with “Paris Nights” and “Lucky Diamond” as you’ve heard it all before at this point and neither of these songs do anything particularly spectacular compared to what came before them. Having a full-fledged guitar solo on pretty much every track is a nice surprise nowadays as well, although only a few are somewhat memorable. Overall I’m glad I gave this band a second chance and I hope they can continue to build on this sound with a bit more variety to smooth out some of the songs that sound like lesser versions of tracks on the exact same album.

I'm back for monthly Feature Releases and I wanted to shine some light on a modern band attempting a done-to-death retro sound that has stood the test of time for me at this point. Canadian Heavy Metal band Riot City screamed onto the scene with their 2019 debut Burn the Night, complete with a strong, classic high-pitched vocalist and a nice amount of energy from the rest of the band. Despite that, it wasn't until a vocalist shift for 2022's Electric Elite that this band started getting some serious playtime for me, since I personally find this album to be a strict upgrade over their debut. 

If you're looking for a classic Heavy Metal fix this month, feel free to check this one out and let us know what you think below. 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3w8wz5HBOoks78mYzldAMq?si=ab1c7b44940d420c

Tracklisting:

01. Striker – “Stand in the Fire” (from “Stand in the Fire”, 2016)

02. Motorhead – “Death or Glory” (from “Bastards”, 1993)

03. Mogul Blade – “Beneath The Black Sails” )from “Heavy Metal Wraiths”, 2024)

04. Stratovarius – “Götterdämmerung (Zenith of Power)” (from “Stratovarius”, 2005)

05. Anthem – “Night Stalker” (from “Gypsy Ways”, 1988) [Submitted by Daniel]

06. Flower Travellin’ Band – “Kamikaze” (from “Kamikaze” single, 1971)

07. Bang – “Lions, Christians” (from “Bang”, 1971)

08. Traitors Gate – “Love After Midnight” (from “Devil Takes The High Road” E.P., 1985)

09. Buffalo – “Sunrise (Come My Way)” (from “Volcanic Rock”, 1973)

10. Sacred Reich – “I Never Said Goodbye” (from “Independent”, 1993)

11. Gaskin – “Handful of Reasons” (from “End of the World”, 1981)

12. Deep Purple – “Fireball” (from “Fireball”, 1971)

13. Van Canto – “Take To The Sky” (from “Hero”, 2008)

14. Powerwolf – “Demons Are A Girl’s Best Friend” (from “The Sacrament of Sin”, 2018) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

15. Girlschool – “Bomber” (from “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” E.P., 1981)

16. Blood Star – “No One Wins” (from “First Sighting”, 2023)

17. Stormtrooper – “Steamroller” (from “Armies of the Night” E.P., 1985)

18. The Sword – “Acheron/Unearthing the Orb” (from “Warp Riders”, 2010)

19. TOWER – “Lay Down The Law” (from “Shock To The System”, 2021)

20. HammerFall – “Natural High” (from Threshold”, 2006)

21. Rhapsody of Fire – “Holy Downfall” (from “Challenge The Wind”, 2024)

22. Triumpher – “I Wake The Dragon (Promachos)” (from “Storming the Walls”, 2023)

23. Solitude Aeturnus – “Seeds of the Desolate” (from “Beyond The Crimson Horizon”, 1992)

24. Unleash The Archers – “Seeking Vengeance” (from “Phantoma”, 2024)

25. Attic – “Synodus horrenda” (from “Return of the Witchfinder”, 2024)

O nifty I will Migrate this.

"Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" also included "Killing Yourself to Live", an expansive & creative piece that combines heavy metal, hard rock & stoner rock in engaging fashion. Despite the general consensus, it's actually more rock than it is metal but the chorus is metal as fuck which ensures it qualifies for metal status.

This came up on facebook, and I decided to take a gander. I don't usually go for this... I usually hate this, but I found one that I would actually call a great album. You get symphony, operatic soprano-but I like her voice much more than most, and a guitarist doing his best Yngwie Malmsteen impersonation. It has some kind of X-Factor I can't put my finger on. Check it out: THey only have a little over 1,000 monthly listeners so this is still under the radar.

Here's my review:

Earlier this year I conducted an exercise whereby I made a dedicated attempt to identify the first five metal releases that converted me to the ways of darkness & the results (surprisingly) seemed to indicate that London legends Motorhead may well have been band #1 for me through their 1984 “No Remorse” compilation. Needless to say then that we’ve had as long a relationship as I can boast in metal terms. Interestingly though, I’d never heard any of Motorhead’s studio albums past 1987’s eighth full-length “Rock ‘n’ Roll” until this week when I investigated this month’s The Guardians feature release in 1993’s “Bastards” which is their eleventh full-length. Motorhead have never been a band that’s gonna make too many of my best-of lists but they are one that I hold an enormous amount of respect for & generally enjoy too with only their early self-titled & “On Parole” records not offering me some level of appeal along with 1980’s throw-away “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers” E.P. & the disappointing 1983 live album “What’s Words Worth?”. Everything else is at least worthy a few listens so, when a well-educated mate of mine recently mentioned that “Bastards” might be the release to finally convince me of Motorhead’s metal credentials, my ears pricked up & I made a conscious note to investigate it at some stage.

Upon first listen it became immediately obvious that “Bastards” is a very different sounding record to the other Motorhead albums I’ve partaken in over the years. The production job is much cleaner & more metallic with Phil Campbell & Wurzel’s guitar tones being thick & heavy & Mikkey Dee’s drum kit sounding sharp & precise. I have to admit that this caught me off guard a little at first because Lemmy’s bass guitar seems like much less of a protagonist in this environment & his vocals don’t seem as comfortable without the dirty grit that Motorhead made their calling card over the years. Repeat listens saw me overcoming this obstacle though & predominantly off the back of some quality hooks & song-writing.

My mate was 100% correct on “Bastards”. It’s by far the most metal release I’ve heard from Motorhead & a dual tagging is more than justified here. The album kicks off with the two most obviously metal tracks too with opener “On Your Feet Or On Your Knees” & speed metal stomper “Burner” both tearing shreds off the unsuspecting listener. The rest of the tracklisting sees Lemmy & co. consistently playing in that grey area between heavy metal & hard rock which often makes it hard to make a call one way or the other. That’s not to say that "Bastards" is a drastic stylistic departure for Motorhead though as you can still identify their bluesy roots easily enough during many songs & I never feel like I’m listening to anyone else.

“Bastards” is an extremely consistent album in many ways. The four-piece band sound like a well-oiled machine & it’s hard to imagine that they were capable of creating anything that was noticeably subpar at this stage in their evolution. The record is at its peak during the three-track run that contains “Burner” (my personal favourite), “Death or Glory” & “I Am The Sword” but “On Your Feet or On Your Knees”, “Bad Woman”, “Liar” & closer “Devils” are really solid too. In saying that though, I’ve always struggled to see Motorhead challenging for my higher scores & nothing has changed in that regard. I just don’t think they appeal to me enough from a purely stylistic point of view & that limitation sees me unable to claim any of the twelve songs as genuine classics, despite all of them offering me a level of enjoyment.

Nonetheless, “Bastards” has really surprised me this week. I wasn’t expecting it to challenge some of Motorhead’s more famous releases for top honours but that would seem to be the case here with only “Overkill” & “Ace of Spades” sitting above it on my Motorhead pecking order now. Don’t be afraid kiddies. This is a high-quality metal release in its own right & is one that’s deserving of essential status in the context of Motorhead’s illustrious career too.

For fans of Venom, Tank & Girlschool.

4/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3w8wz5HBOoks78mYzldAMq?si=f89f5c5392284776

Tracklisting:

01. Bonfire – “Temple of Lies” (from “Temple of Lies”, 2018)

02. Running Wild – “Sinister Eyes” (from “Pile of Skulls”, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

03. Paul Di’Anno’s Battlezone – “Rip It Up” (from “Children of Madness”, 1987)

04. Axel Rudi Pell – “Too Late” (from “The Crest”, 2010)

05. I Am The Intimidator – “Eat My Smoke” (from “I Am The Intimidator” E.P., 2024)

06. Sir Lord Baltimore – “Caesar LXXI” (from “Sir Lord Baltimore”, 1971)

07. Danzig – “Heart of the Devil” (from “Danzig III: How The Gods Kill”, 1992)

08. Dust – “Love Me Hard” (from “Dust”, 1971)

09. Black Sabbath – “Paranoid” (from “Paranoid”, 1970)

10. Stryper – “Co’mon Rock” (from “The Yellow & Black Attack” E.P., 1984)

11. Blaze Bayley – “Absence” (from “Circle of Stone”, 2024)

12. Venom – “Countess Bathory” (from “Black Metal”, 1982)

13. Myrath – “The Empire” (from “Karma”, 2024)

14. Alestorm – “Voyage of the Dead Marauder” (from “Voyage of the Dead Marauder” E.P., 2024)

15. Scanner – “Space Battalion” (from “The Cosmic Race”, 2024)

16. Avantasia – “Scary Eyes” (from “Lost in Space Part 2” E.P., 2007)

17. Cage – “Spectre of War/Science of Annihilation/At the Edge of Infinity” (from “Science of Annihilation”, 2009)

18. Frozen Crown – “Crown Eternal” (from “Winterbane”, 2021)

19. Týr – “Hammered” (from “Battle Ballads”, 2024)

20. Dreamtale – “Silent Scream” (from “Everlasting Flame”, 2024)

21. Dragonforce – “Pixel Prison” (from “Warp Speed Warriors”, 2024) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

22. Rage – “Cold Desire” (from “Afterlifelines”, 2024)

23. Firewind – “Land of Chaos” (from “Stand United”, 2024)

24. Manticora – “Demonday” (from “Mycelium”, 2024)

25. Sodom – “One Step Over The Line” (from “Tapping The Vein”, 1992)

A poor unnecessary attempt at a political attack that's hard for me to listen to:

I listened to this playlist in full today & really enjoyed it. I truly think "Leviathan" might be the pinnacle of Yngwie Malmsteen's career & the neoclassical metal subgenre in general. It's so dark & majestic. Fucking love those Sodom & Ozzy Osbourne tracks too, not to mention the belting new Judas Priest song which reenacts the "Painkiller" record. I thought the curve balls I threw in all worked really well alongside the more obvious The Guardians artists too. There was obviously some material that didn't hit the spot (Dragonforce, Moonlight Sorcery, Ryujin, Anthrax, Sonata Arctica) but I knew that going in of course. Everything else was really solid.

Here's my review:

While I was certainly well aware of former Misfits & Samhain front man Glenn Danzig's early solo works, I never felt the need to give them any dedicated attention until more recent times when I investigated his first two records in 1988's self-titled & 1990's "Danzig II - Lucifuge". I found both of them to be pretty decent & quite enjoyable hard rock albums too although I wouldn't consider either to be essential & I'd suggest that neither were metal enough to qualify as genuine metal releases either. 1992's "Danzig III: How the Gods Kill" has always been talked about as the final piece in Danzig's trio of great records though so I've always felt that I owed it to myself to give it some consideration too, if only in the interest of satisfying the obsessive completist in me. The fact that it's often referred to as being Danzig's most metal record to the time was certainly a drawcard for it given my personal taste profile too so I didn't hesitate in selecting it as this month's The Guardians feature release.

My earliest observation was that "Danzig III: How the Gods Kill" is most certainly a Danzig record. It's got that lovely, warm & organic production job with a bluesy feel & an atmosphere that verges on the gothic quite often, perhaps more so than either of Glenn's previous records. But this is also a heavier & more metallic record than "Danzig" & "Danzig II: Lucifuge" were. In fact, it's easily metal enough to qualify for heavy metal status on this occasion with the metal being even more prominent than the hard rock, although the combination of the two is very important in the holistic outcome that "Danzig III: How the Gods Kill" achieves. While I've struggled with Glenn's vocal style at times in the past, it seems much better suited to this sound & I never found myself struggling at all. I'd actually go so far as to say that I really enjoyed his contribution here, particularly during the deeper & more atmospheric moments. You see, despite being a noticeably heavier record than Danzig's first two albums, this is also a deeper & more gothic sounding release. It's like everything that was hinted at on Danzig's earlier records has been amplified which has resulted in a release with a stronger purpose & a well-defined personality.

The tracklisting is generally very solid & consistent with almost all of the ten tracks being impressive in their scope & execution. The clear exception is the disappointing art rock piece "Sistinas" which draws upon ethereal wave/dream pop ideas & presents them in a way that seems much too poppy for Danzig but the rest of this material shows a clear level of class that can only be developed from many years of live performance & recording experience. Rick Rubin has done a splendid job as executive producing the album too as the material has been granted every opportunity to impress the listener. I particularly enjoy the guitar tones which have had the distortion backed off a bit in the interest of dynamics. The only thing that prevents "Danzig III: How the Gods Kill" from getting to the extreme upper echilons of my esteem is that there's not more genuine classics included. The brilliant "Heart of the Devil" is the only inclusion that I'd suggest will go down as a long-term favourite of mine with it's slow buildup to a magnificent crescendo while the rest of the album is simply of a rock-solid quality. Some of that is due to the limitations in Danzig's vocal style of course but I'd also suggest that there are very few heavy metal albums that can achieve that level of affection from me anyway.

If I had to describe "Danzig III: How the Gods Kill" to an uninitiated observer I'd probably say that you should imagine a combination of Zakk Wylde-era Ozzy Osbourne, the gothic-tinged hard rock of The Cult & the bluesy doom atmospherics of some of Pentagram's (well... Macabre's if we're being pedantic) early 1970's hard rock singles like "Be Forewarned". It's an intriguing & predominantly rewarding record that has taken Danzig to the next level with me after his first two albums failed to achieve essential listening status. I can't see any reason to continue to explore Glenn's later solo records at this point given that none of them are as highly regarded as his first three but I will most certainly be returning to "Danzig III: How the Gods Kill" from time to time as my new go-to Danzig record.

4/5

Here's my review:

German heavy/power metal establishment Running Wild & I have certainly maintained a rocky relationship over the years. I've been aware of them for many decades now but only really explored them properly for the first time during my work on the Metal Academy podcast during the mid-2010's when I investigated their first couple of mid-80's albums, neither of which did much for me to be honest. Since that time I've given five of Running Wild's next six albums a chance to win me over with only 1991's "Blazon Stone" sixth album offering me anything of interest. 1990's "Wild Animal" E.P. earnt a few spins too but was probably the furthest from the mark so you're probably wondering what led me to going down the path of reviewing the only remaining release from Running Wild supposedly classic period then, aren't you? Well, I guess I'm just a busy-body essentially. I just need to know everything there is to know about metal & after getting some pleasure out of "Blazon Stone" I was left with a single unexplored gap where its follow-up sat so I thought to myself "What can it hurt?". Well, perhaps it can't "hurt" as such but, as I've found out, it can still be a fairly uninteresting experience in much the same way as the vast majority of Running Wild's other major releases have been for me.

Much like the albums either side of it, 1992's "Pile of Skulls" seventh full-length sees Running Wild tip-toing along the boundary line between heavy metal & power metal with an occasional foray into genuine speed metal territory. They don't sound all that much like your classic German power metal model though & are a little more in line with the US version of the genre as they lack the vocal histrionics & aren't as focused on cheesy pop melodies (even though there are some examples to be found here). Front man Rock 'n' Rolf's production job is very good & highlights some chunky (if quite simple) metal riffage from both himself & Axel Morgan (current Savage Circus & former X-Wild guitarist). As I've said many times in the past though, a lot of Running Wild's instrumentation is quite engaging but the limiting factor here is definitely Rolf's vocals which come across as weak & clearly don't serve this style of music anywhere near as well as your classic higher-register Teutonic power metal front man would have been capable of. Rolf simply fumbles his way through the tracklisting & fails to ever see me fully engaged, even during the stronger material.

The tracklisting on "Pile of Skulls" certainly has its moments. It begins with a pretty awful folk metal intro piece but then launches into a trio of the best tracks on the record & after just experiencing those I was feeling pretty good about the potential for "Pile of Skulls" to emulate the successes of "Blazon Stone". Things take a downward turn at that point though which correlates with the band putting their power metal queue back in the rack for a couple of songs & focusing more on traditional heavy metal ("Fistful of Dynamite") & even hard rock ("Roaring Thunder") for a bit. My interest is revived during the middle of the B side through a duo of decent heavy metal inclusions in "Lead or Gold" & "White Buffalo" but the fifteen minutes of power metal that closes out the tracklisting sees me once again struggling & the record tends to peter out a bit, particularly given that the final song "Treasure Island" is in excess of ten minutes & flaunts the band's cringe-worthy pirate themes more strongly than anything else on the album.

So, once again we have a hit-&-miss Running Wild album here. The stronger songs never reach a particularly solid standard, each one struggling to overcome the vocal deficiencies of the band's loyal protagonist, but the weaker tracks are never all that horrible either. It just comes down to engagement really & I simply can't say that I remain engaged for a little over half of the album's run time. Even the inclusion of a more than decent speed metal opener (i.e. "Whirlpool") wasn't enough to see me getting terribly excited so I guess that Running Wild still reside primarily in the unfortunate bracket of being none of my fucking business for the most part. Diehard fans of similar German bands like Grave Digger, Blazon Stone & Rage will no doubt disagree with me but that's what makes this wonderful metal scene so interesting now, isn't it? For me personally though, I think my ongoing experiments with Running Wild are finally over & I plan to move on with my life.

3/5

My updated Top Ten Neoclassical Metal Releases of All Time after revisiting this month's The Guardians feature release this week:

01. Yngwie Malmsteen – “Trial By Fire: Live In Leningrad” (1989)

02. Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s Rising Force – “Odyssey” (1988)

03. Vinnie Moore – “Mind’s Eye” (1986)

04. Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s Rising Force – “Marching Out” (1985)

05. Jason Becker – “Perpetual Burn” (1988)

06. Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s Rising Force – “Rising Force” (1984)

07. Yngwie Malmsteen - "Fire & Ice" (1992)

08. Yngwie J. Malmsteen – “Trilogy” (1986)

09. Cacophony – “Speed Metal Symphony” (1987)

10. Tony MacAlpine - "Maximum Security" (1987)

https://metal.academy/lists/single/141

I just wrote a full review of this album & then accidently deleted it so I'm not gonna go through the lengthy process again. Let's just say that "Fire & Ice" is an underrated release that saw Yngwie returning to some level of form after 1990's disappointing "Eclipse" album. The clear highlights are the two wonderful neoclassical metal instrumentals "Perpetual" & "Leviathan" which manage to balance out the three or four duds amongst the fourteen song tracklisting very well. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that Yngwie well & truly puts competitors like Cacophony, Jason Becker & Michael Angelo Batio back in their boxes with those because no one can touch him when he decides to get his dark & exotic leather pants on & these two tracks are the absolute peak of the niche genre for mine.

The album jumps around quite a bit stylistically which keeps you on your toes with hard rock, heavy metal, power metal & even glam metal, classical music & symphonic metal getting the odd airing. The semi-regular use of bridges that go full-throttle down a cheesy classical music hole is something I could do without but the more sporadic use of keyboard solos & the wonderfully capable vocals of Göran Edman (Madison/Time Requiem/Vinnie Vincent Invasion) certainly do no harm whatsoever. Was Yngwie simply repeating himself by this stage? Yeah, there's no doubt that he was but I'd actually take "Fire & Ice" over 1986's much more popular "Trilogy" album if I'm being honest so it's far from the misfire people seem to claim it to be these days. 

3.5/5

Well this next album is gonna cause some divisive discussion...

The most essential part of the history of Rainbow involves two members. First off, there's the band's main founder, ex-Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. He and Deep Purple were touring with support from blues/hard rock band Elf. That band was known as an early one for the legendary Dio (RIP). Impressive by Dio's mighty magical voice, Blackmore invited him for a different project, one that would become a great success, resulting in Blackmore leaving Deep Purple and Dio disbanding Elf.

As you can hear in Rainbow's 1975 debut, their hard rock sound combines the blues of Elf with the early metal of Deep Purple. Yeah, I'm saying it, this album is metal! Though their metal side would be more pronounced in their second album. But with a large amount of blues/hard rock in the album as well, I say the rock/metal ratio is 50:50.

"Man on the Silver Mountain" is a classic opener, right from that memorable riff. It's the most metallic sound here while combining their heavy metal side with hard rock. And that's just the start of the variation that would occur in the rest of the album. What makes that track the fresh classic highlight is how guitar-driven it is, as Blackmore slides through his riffing and soloing. Dio's vocals help give that guitarwork more atmosphere. More of that top-notch guitar playing appears in "Self Portrait" which, I suppose you can consider a power ballad, but to me, it has more of a hard rock/proto-doom metal (doom rock?) song of early Black Sabbath. The bass can be heard greatly, and the lyrics have poetic appeal. "Black Sheep of the Family" has the nice prog-ish hard rock speed of the band whose song they were covering, Quatermass. Good, but not spectacular.

Then we have a more obscure yet underrated track in "Catch the Rainbow". This can work greatly live with the clean guitar and vocals of Ritchie and Dio, respectively. It's more effectively that way for a slow blues rock ballad. Would the band's later vocalists like Joe Lynn Turner and Ronnie Romero be able to master singing that song as greatly as Dio? Didn't think so... The more exotic hard rock/metal sound comes back in "Snake Charmer", with a serene guitar solo. "The Temple of the King" has cleaner mid-tempo blues rock that continues to have the torch carried by Dio's vocals and Blackmore's guitars.

"If You Don’t Like Rock ‘N Roll" is OK, but their attempt to push their usual hard rock back a couple decades into the rock 'n roll era just doesn't sound right for me, especially that annoying piano. They assumed right, I don't like early rock 'n roll. "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" is a mid-tempo hard rock/heavy metal march. One more highlight is an upbeat instrumental cover of "Still I'm Sad" by The Yardbirds. They take that band's blues/hard rock sound and give it a more metallic edge.

Other than that "Rock 'N Roll" track detracted a half-star from what would've been a perfect 5-star rating for the album, the music for Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow is all in amazing performance and mood. Although it is a rock/metal album, the more metal fans might find the songs laid back. Despite that, the heavy energy is what keeps things rolling. I must admit, I wasn't expecting that kind of approach, so consider me surprised. I never usually enjoy 70s music, but the "Roots of Metal" project is going mostly smoothly for me so far. If you enjoy Dio and Deep Purple, you might get a great kick out of this as much as their second more solidifying album. Catch that rainbow!

Favorites: "Man on the Silver Mountain", "Self Portrait", "Catch the Rainbow", "Snake Charmer", "Still I'm Sad"

4.5/5

Metal enough in my opinion: yes

It's been 5 months since I last listened to Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, so I decided to give it a little more listening today. Now back then I was in the zone of checking out albums from the 70s in this project, and many of the albums I was listening to at the time sounded metal enough for my ears, and my thoughts carried over to this Rainbow album that made me think similarly to what those other bands/albums have done. Then in this recent revisit after listening to and reviewing a lot of modern metal albums, I've realized that this Rainbow album sounds nothing like any release I would consider metal. I guess listening to an album at a different time can trick my mind, huh? So I now consider Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow more of a blues/hard rock record, and my rating has massively dropped down to 2.5/5. How sad... Metal enough in my opinion: no

Heavens Gate - "Livin' in Hysteria" (1991)

I've been meaning to get around to Germany's Heavens Gate for some time now as they seem to have built up a pretty reasonable following over the years, particularly off the back of their 1991 sophomore album "Livin' In Hysteria" which is widely known as their finest work. I think the links to power metal & the God-awful cover artwork have put me off a bit but given my recent re-exploration of so many of my musical passions from the period I thought it might be as good a time as any to see what Heavens Gate are all about.

I didn't have any expectations going into my first listen as I hadn't done much prior research but my first impressions would tell me everything I needed to know with Heavens Gate sitting on the cheesier & more cliche-ridden end of metal. Heavens Gate's sound sits right at the mid-point between heavy metal & power metal with "Livin' In Hysteria" including a number of tracks from each genre without opting to blend the two all that often. "The Neverending Fire" is probably the only track that represents a hybrid of the two & is also one of the better tracks on the album. The inclusion of the progressive/neoclassical instrumental piece "Fredless" was most welcome while the other highlights strangely coming in the form of a couple of the cheesier & more chiche-filled heavy metal numbers in "Can't Stop Rockin'" & "Best Days Of My Life". I don't think it'll shock too many people to discover that none of the pure German power metal numbers appeal to me much but neither does the one-off speed metal track "Flashes". Front man Thomas Rettke's vocal histrionics can be grating at times but I feel that he's probably one the main drawcards for fans of the band so it really comes down to your musical preferences. I struggle with him a bit to be honest but he's not a deal breaker as such. The power metal material has clearly been influenced by Helloween which was never gonna be a positive thing for someone like me. I greatly prefer the Judas Priest-inspired heavy metal numbers, even when they take the "arena anthem" format that saw so many fans fall off the Priest train during the 1980's.

Overall, I'd suggest that "Livin' In Hysteria" will offer the most appeal to those with a penchant for bands like Scanner, Rage or Artch that play somewhat of an each-way bet between the heavy metal & power metal sounds but I can't say that it does much for me personally. Records like this one often baffle me as to why people would want to rate them so highly when they're so clearly a representation of the band's influences only not executed with the class of their idols. I guess I'll just have to accept that a record like "Livin' In Hysteria" is simply none of my business as I'm clearly not the target audience.

3/5

Iced Earth - "Storm of the Nightrider" (1991)

I had a great deal of time for the 1990 self-titled debut album from Florida outfit Iced Earth after discovering them through a video compilation shortly after its release. The five-piece band more than made up for the vocal deficiencies of front man Gene Adam with a splendid blend of US power metal & thrash metal that ticked a great many of my metal boxes. Rhythm guitarist Jon Schaffer's impeccable right-hand technique was of particular interest for the budding young axeslinger that I was at the time & I quickly committed to checking out Iced Earth's subsequent releases as well as their earlier "Enter the Realm" demo. 1991's "Night Of The Stormrider" sophomore album was a little bit different though with John Greely replacing Adam behind the microphone stand & Richey Secchiari filling Mike McGill's empty drum stool. The resulting recordings would see Iced Earth presenting just as strong a "Master of Puppets"-era thrash metal influence as "Iced Earth" did but the greater emphasis on creating an epic atmosphere through soaring melodic content saw the album sitting a little less comfortably next to your average thrash record & feeling much better suited to the power metal scene (both the US & the European ones). I have to admit that my struggles with power metal were very real at the time &, if anything, I'm actually a little more open the genre now so it's fair to say that I found "Night Of The Stormrider" to be pretty tough going which would see me distancing myself from Iced Earth until 1997's "Days of Purgatory" re-recording album would entice me into checking out what their early works might sound like with a more suitable production job & front man. Sadly, I wouldn't explore Iced Earth's more accomplished 1990's studio albums until 2014 when I was preparing to see them play live at Sydney's Manning Bar at which time I discovered that they had a lot more to offer than "Storm of the Nightrider" had delivered to me back in the day. Fast-forwarding to the modern day & it's been decades since my perceptions around the merits of Iced Earth's sophomore record were first developed. The unanimous praise that seems to be heaped on it have not gone unnoticed by me either so it's about time I gave the album a reassessment.

The first thing I noticed about "Night of the Stormrider" upon this revisit is the production job which isn't amazing to be fair. Jon Schaffer's rhythm guitar sound is a bit dry which I don't feel provides his skill sets with the best platform. The lack of bass guitar in the mix doesn't help either while the use of synthesizers is often a little over the top. Still... I found that I was able to get used to the sound over a few listens to the point where it definitely made less of an impact by my third spin. New front man Greely's vocals are like chalk & cheese with Gene Adams' delivery with Greely opting for a theatrical, operatic approach that reeks of power metal indulgence. I do really enjoy the moments where he pushes up into Rob Halford style falsetto territory though as he reminds me very much of Judas Priest's classic "Painkiller" album at times. Sanctuary/Nevermore front man Warrel Dane sometimes comes to mind too actually.

The stylistic approach of "Storm of the Nightrider" is very much what I remembered with the band keeping one foot in Iron Maiden/Judas Priest territory while galloping forwards with some of the most precise right-hand thrash riffage this side of James Hetfield with the other. Unlike the self-titled debut though, this record simply doesn't "feel" like thrash metal even though it's so clearly dominated by the consistent use of fast thrash guitar work. The added melodicism, consciously epic atmosphere & over the top vocal style are all at odds with the mentality of your average thrash band & I feel that the US power metal tag covers a wide enough area to encapsulate the sounds heard on this record. The fluency of the song-writing is still a work in progress though as there are many examples of disparate parts simply being pasted together & the art of the segway would be an area that Iced Earth would get much better at by the end of the decade.

I have to admit that I've been a bit hard on Iced Earth in regard to the quality of the material though as there aren't really any genuinely weak tracks included so I do find myself enjoying the album as a whole these days. It certainly helps that the tracklisting kicks off with one of the best inclusions in the excellent "Angels Holocaust" with its symphonic flourishes & face-tearing vocals. The excellent "Pure Evil" is the other clear highlight in my opinion & is probably my favourite track on the record to be honest. The rest of the songs are all pretty good without ever pushing me to consider awarding my higher scores. All of the material sits at a very consistent level of quality but I'm not sure that I ever feel that I'm listening to a tier one metal band because "Night of the Stormrider" is just a little too consciously extravagant for my taste &, as a result, I hold a preference for the darker records either side of it. I can definitely see why it appeals to some people so much these days though, particularly those with a penchant for thrashy US power metal like Metal Church & early Nevermore or Jon Schaffer's side project Demons & Wizards.

3.5/5

Ozzy Osbourne - "Just Say Ozzy" E.P. (1990)

While listening to this month's The Guardians feature release "No More Tears" I was reminded that I spontaneously picked up this largely overlooked live E.P. from the local record store some time shortly after it was released. I think it might have been the first of Ozzy's solo work that I laid down my hard-earned cash for actually & it was driven by my enthusiasm for Black Label Society & Pride & Glory guitar virtuoso Zakk Wylde's work on Ozzy's previous studio album "No Rest For The Wicked" which I believe might have been my introduction to Ozzy's solo material in general. And if I was looking for a showcase for Zakk's chops then I probably couldn't have asked for more than I got with this half hour of high-quality heavy metal to tell you the truth.

The E.P. features four of Ozzy's solo tracks (three taken from "No Rest For The Wicked" & one from his previous album "The Ultimate Sin") as well as two classic Black Sabbath tunes ("Sweet Leaf" & "War Pigs") & all of them are worth hearing. Ozzy's vocals aren't at their best & he sounds a little bit like he's running on auto-pilot at times (particularly during "Bloodbath In Paradise" where he's noticeably pitchy) but his voice certainly suits the Sabbath material far better than it does his solo material which is a long-term bug-bear of mine. Wylde's guitar playing is the real drawcard here though & it doesn't disappoint for a single second of this record. In fact, I'd suggest that he's a tighter musician than Randy Rhoads was in all honesty. He just sounds like he's in complete control of his instrument at all times as he nails every single nuance of the material which makes his performance worth whatever it was that I paid for this otherwise fairly inessential release. Opener "Miracle Man" is comfortably the best of the solo work but it's unsurprisingly the Sabbath material that stands out as the best inclusions here with "War Pigs" being the clear highlight. If you can't get enough Ozzy-era Black Sabbath or 80's Dio in your life then I'd recommend that you check this E.P. out & Black Label Society fans will probably wanna get in on the action too just for the Wylde-card.

4/5

...but I still haven't read anything that tells me why we NEED to differentiate them in the database.

I believe the discussion boils down to this at the moment. It seems like we all agree that "Symphonic Power Metal" is a valid term that gets thrown around in discussions, but I think that the way that we have it currently with a "Symphonic Metal" tag and a "Power Metal" tag is a pretty catch-all setup. Examples that were brought up: 

• Therion - Theli, Vovin, and Secret of the Runes are all labeled Symphonic Metal primary with currently no subgenres, but probably could gain a Progressive or Death Metal one if people voted. No Power Metal, checks out. 
• Rhapsody - Dual Symphonic Metal and Power Metal primary genres. Checks out. 
• Nightwish - Early Nightwish has dual Symphonic/Power Metal primaries. Checks out. Starting at Imaginaerum it changes to a Symphonic primary and loses the Power Metal, checks out due to the even higher emphasis on orchestration. 
• Lacrimosa - I'm not familiar with this band but after putting on Echos for a bit it has a Symphonic primary and no Power Metal. Checks out. 
• Tristania - I'm not familiar with this band either but after listening to a little bit of Beyond the Veil I could see adding a Symphonic Metal primary alongside the Gothic Metal primary and maybe a Black Metal secondary? So it would be tagged as Symphonic Metal with no Power Metal, checks out.
• All of the bands listed as "Traditional Power Metal Bands" do not have the Symphonic Metal tag on them. Checks out. 

The point I'm trying to make is that apart from a few very niche exceptions, albums that are currently labeled as having Symphonic Metal and Power Metal primaries are what you are describing as Symphonic Power Metal. If the Symphonic Power Metal change were implemented, each album with both Symphonic and Power Metal primaries would gain this primary instead and lose the other two primaries. I could see this being an advantageous change for chart reasons so that Twilight Force wouldn't go toe-to-toe with Therion for Symphonic Metal, but they're still different forms of Symphonic Metal. While it might be nice to compare all your high-fantasy Rhapsody rip-offs under one tag, I think tagging that use of Symphonic Metal with a more traditional Tristania approach is still valid and has merit. Plus, the MA charts are only filterable by Clan at the moment, not genre.

I can agree with the point to want to differentiate old Nightwish (Once, Oceanborn) from Rhapsody, but I'm in the camp of people using their own reasoning from two broader primary genres rather than differentiating further. 

As with all of the Ozzy Osbourne studio material I've heard over the years, "No More Tears" is a pretty enjoyable listen. Also in line with those releases though, I can't see myself ever finding it to be an essential heavy metal release. You see, despite Ozzy's records sporting some of the most beloved guitar work in my life, I simply can't look past the fact that there's also a fair dose of cheese & commercialism about them & Ozzy's vocals have never quite seemed to fit perfectly with that musical direction to be honest, even on his super-popular early releases. "Diary of a Madman" has always been my favourite Ozzy album, perhaps because it's a touch darker & less poppy than the others but I still wouldn't call it a genuinely great record. "No More Tears" sits very much in the same camp as the tracklisting is a real mixed bag. On the one hand we receive a couple of the best tracks of Ozzy's solo career in the dark & brooding title track & the energetic, metal-as-fuck "I Don't Want to Change the World" with chunky heavy metal number "Desire" being another particularly solid inclusion. On the other hand, the cheesy ballads "Mama, I'm Coming Home" & "Road to Nowhere" & glam metal inspired "Mr. Tinkertrain" & "S.I.N." leave a lot to be desired. Black Label Society/Pride & Glory axemaster Zakk Wylde is quite clearly the primary reason to listen to "No More Tears" with his ultra-shredding guitar tone & signature artificial harmonic squeals showing him to be at the very peak of his powers. The riffs & slide guitar work on the title track command the price of this album alone actually. Ozzy's vocals are pretty pedestrian throughout though it has to be said which takes a bit of the gloss of Zakk's handy work.

Despite these mixed comments, I'd suggest that the highlights (& perhaps a little bit of nostalgia) have seen me moving "No More Tears" ahead of "Blizzard of Ozz" & into second place behind "Diary of a Madman" these days. There's probably a touch more hard rock included here than there is heavy metal if you look at it closely but Wylde's exciting guitar work never allows the record to drift too far out of your average metalhead's reach. Sadly, I don't think "No More Tears" will ever be the release to see me moving Ozzy out of Best-Of playlist territory & into the realms reserved for consistently high-quality heavy metal recordings alongside his much stronger live releases such as "Speak of the Devil" & "Tribute" though & it's perhaps telling that I've never ventured any further into Osbourne's solo career than this either.

3.5/5

Guardians Playlist for February 2024 is live!

1. "Metal Warriors" from The Triumph of Steel (1992) by Manowar
2. "Street Machine" from Traveler (2019) by Traveler
3. "Vertumnus Caesar" from Vertumnus Caesar (2023) by Malokarpatan [Submitted By Daniel]
4. "Dragons Dance" from Empire of Sins (2021) by Silent Winter
5. "Somewhere Else But Here" from Shangri-La (2022) by Edenbridge
6. "Hell, Fire And Damnation" from Hell, Fire And Damnation (2024) by Saxon
7. "Lust For Freedom" from Best Of Grim Reaper (1999) by Grim Reaper
8. "Dead Reckoning" from The Deep & The Dark (2018) by Visions of Atlantis
9. "Wings of Light" from Eldorado (2023) by Edu Falaschi
10. "Pandemic" from Blood of the Nations (2010) by Accept
11. "Space and Time" from Eat the Fallen (2019) by Ravenous E.H.
12. "The Courage to Die" from ...Unto the Breach (2019) by Sellsword
13. "Final Spell" from Final Spell (2012-06-05) by Visigoth
14. "Gardens of the Sinner" from Power Plant (1999) by Gamma Ray
15. "Power of the Saber Blade" from Power of the Saber Blade (2023) by DragonForce [Submitted by Andi]
16. "Mrs. Artisson - Extended Version" from Witches' Domain (Extended Version) (2021) by Witchtower
17. "Invoker" from The Armor of Ire (2016) by Eternal Champion
18. "Faster Than Light" from Abyss (2020) by Unleash The Archers
19. "Trial by Fire" from Court in the Act (1983) by Satan
20. "Spirits of the Dead" from The Grave Digger (2001) by Grave Digger
21. "Consequences" from Something Wicked This Way Comes (1998) by Iced Earth
22. "March or Die" from Soldiers of the Night (1985) by Vicious Rumors
23. "Harder Than Steel" from Ample Destruction (1984) by Jag Panzer

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3w8wz5HBOoks78mYzldAMq?si=8eab58e301c14c0e

My old Iron Maiden "World Slavery Tour 1984-85" baseball shirt has finally packed it in which has left me feeling quite emotional.

Cirith Ungol's "Dark Parade" album is the frontrunner to win The Guardians Release of 2023 Award with less than a week to go with Malokarpatan's "Vertumnus Caesar" & Kamelot's "The Awakening" being the main competition. Get those ratings in guys.

So with the start of a new year it's once again time to have a look at the covers for all the releases for each clan. I personally like to rate a whole stack of covers all at once, rather than doing them one at a time throughout the year, as it allows me to get a better feel for where each cover sits in comparison to others. With that in mind, I've just rated every cover for releases in The Guardians for 2023.

Below are the releases that are currently competing for the prestigious 2023 The Guardians Cover of the Year Award (i.e. they rate at least 3.7 and have 3 or more ratings). The winner will be announced on the 1st of February, so there's still time to get your ratings in.

Elvenking - Reader of the Runes – Rapture

Jag Panzer - The Hallowed

Kamelot - The Awakening

Sorcerer - Reign of the Reaper

Delain - Dark Waters

Sabaton - Heroes of the Great War

Bloodbound - Tales From the North

Gatekeeper - From Western Shores

Smoulder - Violent Creed of Vengeance

Burning Witches - The Dark Tower

If you want to contribute and rate some covers, the easiest way is to go to The Gallery and select The Guardians and 2023.

https://metal.academy/gallery?cid=3&type=overall_cover_rating&myRating=&fromYear=2023&toYear=2023&exclude=0

I look forward to seeing which release gets up for the win!

First Guardians Playlist of 2024 is up, track listing soon to come tomorrow. 

1. Eternal Champion - "Skullseeker" from Ravening Iron (2020) 
2. W.A.S.P. - "Mean Man" from The Headless Children (1989)
3. Judicator - "From the Belly of the Whale" from The Majesty of Decay (2022)
4. Marty Friedman - "Evil Thrill" from Dragon's Kiss (1988)
5. Sacred Outcry - "Symphony Of The Night" from Towers of Gold (2023)
6. Avantasia - "Promised Land" from Angel of Babylon (2010)
7. Black Sabbath - "Symptom of the Universe" from Sabotage (2014 Remaster) (1975)
8. Saxon - "Black is the Night"  from Carpe Diem (2022)
9. Tygers Of Pan Tang - "Hellbound" from Spellbound (1981)
10. Heavy Load - "Traveller" from Death Or Glory (1982)
11. HammerFall - "The Champion" from Renegade (2000)
12. Damnation Angels - "No Leaf Clover" from Bringer of Light (2013)
13. Sonic Haven - "Nightmares" from Vagabond (2021)
14. Tyrant - "Beginning of the End" from Too Late to Pray (2018) [Submitted by Daniel]
15. Brainstorm - "Descendants of the Fire" from Firesoul (2014)
16. Iron Savior - "Demise of the Tyrant" from Firestar (2023)
17. Stallion - "Canadian Steele" from Rise and Ride (2014)
18. Tank - "Heavy Artillery" from Filth Hounds of Hades (1982)
19. Crimson Glory - "Azrael" from Crimson Glory (1986)
20. Warmen - "The Race (feat. Pasi Rantanen)" from First Of The Five Elements (2015)
21. Rhapsody - "Unholy Warcry" from Symphony of Enchanted Lands II (The Dark Secret) (2004)
22. Omen - "Die By The Blade" from Battle Cry (1984)
23. Liege Lord - "Kill The King" from Master Control (1988)
24. Cirith Ungol - "Sailor on the Seas of Fate" from Dark Parade (2023)

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3w8wz5HBOoks78mYzldAMq?si=8eab58e301c14c0e

I'm late, December was a busy month for me, but I have to put my quick thoughts here on this blast of a Japanese Power Metal EP. It's only 21 minutes so give it a chance if you have not heard these all women band before. They are super talented and this EP really shows off what they can do with each track doing something different but doing it so well. First song is truly power metal, then they go thrash, then a symphonic almost folk vibe, and finish with a more heavy metal style song. Yet they're all truly power and heavy and awesome.

It's a new year and a time for a new feature release. This month's is one of Jag Panzer's 2004 albums, Chain of Command, which was another of the band's ill-fated attempts at making an album without Henry Conklin. Unlike other attempts,  Bob Parduba has his fans, even if it doesn't quite sound like Jag Panzer.

Album's page.

I heard something about that Megadeth controversy, never delved into it too much though. Bonus tracks are always a plus, even if most of the time they're not good. More incentive to but the album again I guess instead of looking through the bargain bins. Also understandable when at least for a time it was a good idea to re-record onto the new media like cassette or CD's but the records are showing that Vinyl is the big thing again. I don't want to keep a working cd player, cassette, 8-track, or phonograph player around to listen to my music. I like having everything on my hard drive or even phone at this point to listen everywhere I go. Let us know if those re-recordings are actually good though, I've always been interested in Paradise Lost and other gothic metal but I haven't really given it a listen. Wonder if that darker style is actually better remastered with the better technology now. 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3w8wz5HBOoks78mYzldAMq

1. Sabaton- "Sparta" from The Last Stand (2016)

2. Eternal Champion - "Invoker" from The Armor Of Ire (2016)

3. Cirith Ungol - "Dark Parade" from Dark Parade (2023)

4. King Diamond - "Blue Eyes" from The Puppet Master (2003)

5. ANGRA - "Gods Of The World" from Cycles of Pain (2023)

6. LOVEBITES - "When Destinies Align" from Electric Pentagram (2020)

7. Epica - "Quietus" from Consign To Oblivion (2005)

8. Sacred Outcry - "Legion of the Fallen" from Damned for All Time (2020)

9. Diamond Head - "Am I Evil" from Borrowed Time (1982)

10. Helloween - "The Saints" from Gambling With the Devil (2007)

11. Eternity's End - "Twilight Warrior" from The Fire Within (2016)

12. Mercyful Fate - "Curse of the Pharaohs" from The Beginning (1987) [Submitted by Daniel]

13. Chateaux - "White Steel" from FirePower (1984)

14. Queensryche - "Resistance" from Empire (1990)

15. Lunar Shadow - "Hawk of the Hills" from The Smokeless Fires (2019)

16. Powerwolf - "Secrets of the Sacristy" from Preachers of the Night (2013)

17. Twilight Force - "Sunlight Knight" from At the Heart of Wintervale (2023)

18. Domination Black - "The Final Sigh" from Dimension: Death (2012)

19. Aquaria - "Time Won't Wait" from Alethea (2020)

20. Timo Tolkki's Avalon - "Design the Century" from Angels of the Apocalypse (2014)

21. Majestica - "Ghost of Christmas Present" from A Christmas Carol (2020)

22. Winterborn - "On the Edge of Eternity" from Cold Reality (2006)

I've kind of grown tired of melodic death/black metal and such sounds. Often, it feels like an excuse for a bunch of people who can't sing and some guitarists whose only virtue is their speed. How I long for more bands to style themselves after Satan's Host, but alas, I seem to be the only person on the planet to like them. Malkarpatan falls into the former category, but honestly, they aren't half bad.
I can't quite put my finger on what their melodic parts sound like. I wanna say Iron Maiden, but I can't think of a single Iron Maiden song which sounds like something off this. It almost feels like a glam metal inspired riff style. To complicate matters, this is mixed in with at least a dozen instruments and synths. I had my answer on Panstvo Salamandrov, it's black metal ELP. Everything makes sense now.
This isn't necessarily to pin the band into one specific thing, because this album does so many things yet feels very cohesive. They possess the unique talent to do something like play rigid black metal and then follow it up with something that wouldn't fit on 90% of albums that try it. Yet, they make it sound as natural as the calm before the storm.
They're an interesting band, and I look forward to hearing more of them.
4.5/5

My fault, I'll add to the Playlist tonight. Getting back into the swing of things.