The Guardians

Ben, please add the new DragonForce album Warp Speed Warriors.

I revisited the terrible 1978 self-titled debut album from Los Angeles' Quiet Riot this morning & confirmed to myself it's an early example of the glam metal sound. The presence of a young Randy Rhoads can't help them I'm afraid. It's a shocker. The opening track is close enough to qualify as heavy metal though.

After revisiting a couple Wintersun releases yesterday, today I decided to listen to last year's instrumental single "Warning". I know not a lot of people like this sudden cyber djent twist in symphonic metal, but I do. This totally reminds me of Mechina and Neurotech, and I've listened to enough of those two bands to be used to this. Just be aware that the upcoming Time II is never going to take on that kind of style, since the majority of that album was recorded many years prior.

The brand new sixth album from female-fronted Canadian power metallers Unleash The Archers (entitled "Phantoma") is due to be released next month. Despite finding their first two melodeath-inclined records to be decidedly underwhelming, I loved their 2017 fourth album "Apex" when it was featured here some time ago so I think this could be a rewarding listen too.

Judas Priest - Invincible Shield (2024)

Genres: Heavy Metal

Six years later, right?  Seems a bit long to wait for another Judas Priest album after they've had a SECOND comeback.  But maybe that length was taken for the band to really hone their skills again and try to improve.  If that's the case, they succeeded, because their new album is some purified metal with a nostalgic feel that also acts as a step forward from the overly-80's Firepower, being its own thing and having been seen as the next essential in the Priest catalog.

I was totally taken by surprise with those totally-synthed up Def Leppard drums and guitar sounds for the intro, which eventually becomes a flat-out power metal song on par with the works of Gamma Ray.  Halford's voice and the backing voices work together with a pure and shining harmony that to me is like a metal version of Simon and Garfunkel.  Halford's gotten a stronger hold on his voice, which can be clearly heard on this album, even while the production assaults you with a wild range of metal noises and effects.  Two songs in and this is already a huge improvement over Firepower.  Of course, by the time the title-track came along, I was afraid the album was going to be quite samey, which is something that Firepower largely avoided until the last third, as it was too long of an album not to fall victim to it.  Thankfully, the title track had levels of metal energy that rival the Arrange Edition of the F-Zero X soundtrack.

The entire first half was a bit samey with difference largely just going to the tempos, so whatever weirdness came from the intro wasn't going to be common.  Thankfully, side B starts with a ballad: Crown of Horns, so there change in pace is powerful without damaging the flow, as this song is quite a good ballad that shows that Halford still has vocal range.  And despite its ballad status, this doesn't stop the instrumentation from being thick and featuring a dense metal atmosphere.  Of course, the album goes right back into thrash territory immediately afterwards, but this is still good because nothing on Side A was as heavy lightning-speed-driven as the song As God as My Witness.  So I interpret this as the album doing two new things on Side B to compensate for a samey side A.  This sounds familiar: Hounds of Love? Trial By Fire even experiments with the rhythm some while teetering on the balance between heavy metal and metal ballad.  So By this point I'm fine with another song sounding like something from the first half.  The tunes take a little of a drop in rhythmic quality once they go back to the normality of the first half, but are still enjoyable.

Invincible Shield shows a noticeable improvement over Firepower and is a greater testament to what Judas Priest is capable of.  Through denser metal atmospheres and instrumentation, as well as a willingness to push even further than Painkiller, Invincible Shield overcome the 80's nostalgic vibe that could be interpreted as "being done before," and stands as a modern classic.

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

Here's my submission for the May Guardians playlist:

Ryujin - "Saigo No Hoshi (feat. Matthew K. Heafy) (Single Edit)" (from Ryujin, 2024)

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

Acheron would've been a perfect album if not for a couple pointless stinker interludes like this one that's more suitable as the soundtrack to a video game's main menu:

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

I would probably agree on all but Technical Ecstacy, but I don't think we need to go over that conversation again! 😉

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.

November 2023

1. Iced Earth - "Written on the Walls" from Iced Earth (1990)

2. Venator - "Creatures of the Sea" from Paradiser / Angel Blade (2020)

3. Sumerlands - "Edge of the Knife" from Dreamkiller (2022)

4. Black Sabbath - "Lord of This World" from Master of Reality (2014 Remaster)

5. Primal Fear - "Deep In The Night" from Code Red (2023)

6. Kobra and the Lotus - "Triggerpulse" from Prevail I (2017)

7. Sacred Outcry - "Symphony Of The Night" from Towers of Gold (2023)

8. Xandria - "Call of the Wind" from The Neverworld's End (2013)

9. Marko Hietala - "Stones" from Pyre of the Black Heart (2020)

10. Therion - "Black Sun" from Vovin (1998)

11. Ravenous E.H. - "Space and Time" from Eat the Fallen (2019)

12. Cirith Ungol - "Velocity (S.E.P.)" from Dark Parade (2023)

13. The Ferrymen - "Ferryman" from The Ferrymen (2017)

14. Iron Maiden - "Lost in a Lost World" from Senjutsu (2021)

15. Lost Horizon - "Think Not Forever" from A Flame To The Ground Below (2002)

16. Century - "Master Of Hell" from The Conquest Of Time (2023)

17. Traveler - "Street Machine" from Traveler (2019)

18. Malokarpatan - "Maharal A Golem" from Vertumnus Caesar (2023)

19. Falconer - "Lord of the Blacksmiths" from Falconer (2001)

20. Iron Savior - "Rising from Ashes" from Firestar (2023)

21. Saxon - "Atila the Hun" from The Inner Sanctum (2007)

Nightwish is one of the most popular symphonic/power metal bands today, and was an essential band for me long ago. I could listen to this band while playing RuneScape, which fits well with the fact that one of the first song I've discovered from this band in this album was used in a video for that game. Here are my thoughts:

Once I had a dream of what metal would sound like with lots of TSFH-like orchestration, and this was it when I discovered this nearly a decade ago. Today I feel like I had been too optimistic. As varied as this album is, I'm starting to think the orchestra overpowers the metal. But what else is there from a full orchestra? Despite the orchestral overdose, many songs stay heavy, and founding keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen is able to display his own synth work. But let's get over the whole "selling out" nonsense... There are plenty of heavy anthems, and while I enjoy the orchestration in many of the tracks, it's when they rely too much on the orchestration without balancing it out with the metal, and ends up sounding too draggy. But when the metal and the orchestration have the correct balance, that's what creates the magic. All in all, I would consider this album the weakest in my revisit trip, but I would never consider Once or Nightwish super-bad. However, there are some things I might object to. The production and style is a bit over-the-top, but still mostly enjoyable. I would recommend this album for any fan of gothic-infused symphonic power metal. It is different from their earlier material, yet worth trying this bombastic rollercoaster. Though this is Tarja's last ride...

3.5/5

And that's it for the bands I have in mind for this thread. If I have any more in my mind, I'll continue this thread, but that's all for now, metal folks!

What if Mercyful Fate were Brazillian and Christian? Its uncanny hearing Dark Night because of how exactly it nails that sound, right down to vocalist Roberto Castro's perfect imitation of King Diamond falsetto and clean vocals. It comes off as the good version of the band from some mirror universe or another.
While there are those obvious Mercyful Fate influences, it's not quite as strong as the rest of the music. Dark Night tries to maintain some of the dynamicism, they lack the prog influences. They try to make up for this with sheer aggression. It does work, but between the noticeably different songwriting and the cheap-sounding midi keyboard, it's an odd effect. As three members of the band are also in a few death and black metal bands, this explains the vast change.
There's this Doom-esque usage of lyrics, which seems unintentional, where the lyrics are repeated like some kind of strange pattern, less like conveying something to the listener and more surrealistic insanity. So called because the Japanese band Doom used this almost constantly in their songs. I'm not so sure that's intentional here as much as accidental. More like they took 9's overuse of choruses to it's logical extent, add in songs with lyrics that often sound similar to one from King Diamond, and they accidentally created some fever dream of music.
Despite their problems, I found myself enjoying the album. Most of it, anyway. Gotta say the last track, In the Dark Side so strange and questionable on so many levels it boggles belief. It starts with a bizarre intro reminding me of Scarborough Fair, before alternating between out of place blast beats and then a musical cover of Temple of Love by Sisters of Mercy. No part of which is done competently. It'd be a demo track if it weren't as high quality a production as everything else.
This is very much just an album for people who feel disappointed in the lack of new material from King Diamond or just want such an album that isn't childishly edgy. If you're satisfied with what exists or didn't care for their inspiration, you'll hardly find much worth listening to here. Unless you always felt sheer aggression was what was lacking.

3.5/5

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks in this playlist I've made in Xephyr's absence:

DragonForce - "Doomsday Party" from Doomsday Party (2023)

5/5. LET'S F***ING GO!!! The UK speedy power metal heroes are back with a brand-new catchy singalong single! With the one-two-punch of Reaching Into Infinity and Extreme Power Metal, could they continue that streak with their next album?!? I certainly hope so...

Volbeat - "Lola Montez" from Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies (2013)

4.5/5. My brother likes a couple songs from this band, this song being one of them. When he plays this song during one of our car rides, it's like a sunny day has become much brighter and happier! Even in rush-hour traffic, I'm in a superb mood.

Ozzy Osbourne - "Dead and Gone" from Patient Number 9 (2022)

4/5. Depression is a battle some people out there are facing. I'm not one of those people, but I'm someone who can help. Ozzy's lyric-writing has really paid off. I can imagine this song being great for a funeral.

Iron Maiden - "Days of Future Past" from Senjutsu (2021)

4.5/5. Wow, this song can give listeners more pure energy than Red Bull! It's short but it full displays the vocal strength of Bruce Dickinson, the guitar wizardry of Adrian Smith, and the songwriting abilities of both. Bruce is still so Bruce since starting his second era with the band in Brave New World. They might just rock this song out live! Some might be reminded of Cain and Stephen King's The Dark Tower in the lyrics. The band is still as hard-working as ever throughout nearly half a century.

Queensryche - "Realms" from Digital Noise Alliance (2022)

4/5. Another heavy metal track with lots of energy! Queensryche is still pretty strong with a different lead vocalist.

Judas Priest - "Turbo Love" from Turbo (1986)

3.5/5. Now let's head back to the 80s when songs like this can easily end up in action movies or shows. I can hear how lively this song is, but it's from their most glam album Turbo and sounds a bit cheesy.

Scorpions - "The Zoo" from Animal Magnetism (1980)

4/5. Same thing with this song. However, the "Roots of Metal" project has made me realize its appeal. The chorus is melodic while having aggressive metal fury in the leads, hard to match in most of the band's other tracks with its bouncy groove.

W.A.S.P. - "Wild Child" from The Last Command (1985)

3.5/5. More glam, but better lyrics. This song sounds quite cool despite coming out 14 years before I was born. Some oldies don't have a lot of perfect glory but can still be good. And sh*t, this is so mesmerizing! Children of Bodom frontman Alexi Laiho adopted his nickname "Wild Child" from this song. RIP... Also, the part at the 3 and a half minute mark with what sounds like cat meowing kind of threw me off.

Warrior - "Fighting for the Earth" from Fighting for the Earth (1985)

4/5. Great mastering on this track for an 80s song. Warrior have done their motivational fantasy lyrics that are popularized by Manowar. Somehow this reminds me of the first two Stratovarius albums, specifically the mid-paced tracks like "Break the Ice". 80s greatness is hard to find nowadays...

Motley Crue - "Too Young to Fall in Love" from Shout at the Devil (1983)

3.5/5. Although I'm still not getting the glam appeal, I have to admit, Mick Mars is an underrated guitarist.

Vicious Rumors - "Digital Dictator" from Digital Dictator (1988)

4/5. RIP Carl Albert. His golden voice is what made tunes like this quite killer. And that guitar solo is the most brilliant part of the song here. Believe in the Digital Dictator!

Dio - "Wild One" from Lock Up the Wolves (1990)

4.5/5. Another great song for the classic heavy metal crowd. RIP Dio

Trivium - "Blind Leading the Blind" from Silence in the Snow (2015)

5/5. One of many favorite Trivium songs of mine, casting a great surge of immediacy and riffing.

Rhapsody - "Land of Immortals" from Legendary Tales (1997)

4.5/5. This was one of my favorite Rhapsody (of Fire) songs when I was still listening to that band. I thought it was an epic classic. Even though the tremendous Fabio Lione is out of the band (one reason for my initial move out of power metal), the sound of his albums with Rhapsody will live on.

Elvenking - "Your Heroes Are Dead" from Red Silent Tides (2010)

4/5. This Elvenking song is still like because rather than having the heavy emphasis on folk from as early as Heathenreel, the strength lies in the metal instrumentation. A bad-a** evolution! Well this isn't the heaviest the band has gone, there's also the dark melodeath elements blended with their usual power/folk metal in The Scythe. This folky power metal sound might work well while playing World of Warcraft and RuneScape. Of course, if a band decides to go a different path, it's their decision, not the audience's. The track has some beautiful moments, like the violin solo at the one and a half minute mark that shows creativity and variety in just a small serene melody, probably more so than Nightwish. If anyone prefers the band's earlier material over this killer song, that's all right. Also I heard that the name of this band comes from Schubert's "Der Erlkönig". The music video for this Elvenking song is pretty cool too, having some Metalocalypse-esque animation. And don't forget those interesting poetic lyrics. It's power metal bands like Elvenking that really made my teen days. But this song kind of foreshadows my metalcore era that I would subsequently dump my folk/power metal taste for. H*ll, this actually reminds me of Bullet for My Valentine's Scream Aim Fire album. And even though I'm tired of folk/power metal, that song still works pretty well for me.

Lost Horizon - "World Through My Fateless Eyes" from Awakening the World (2001)

4.5/5. F***ing mighty vocals by Daniel Heiman, singing lyrics written by guitarist Wojtek Lisicki. So I'm not too tired of power metal in some cases.

Blind Guardian - "Violent Shadows" from The God Machine (2022)

4/5. The God Machine has been hailed as a prime example of the power metal sound the band is known for. However, this song is filled with the violent thrashy speed metal sound from their late-80s era. "I will not surrender, let it be"

Epica - "Code of Life" from Omega (2021)

4.5/5. This song shows that Epica still have what it takes with enjoyable vocal technique, both the operatic singing and demonic growling, the former shining the most in the sublime final chorus close to the last minute. The f***ing kick-A riffing helps balance things out. I say this should end up in a soundtrack for a Prince of Persia/The Mummy movie. Of course, this album also has some ballads to make sure things don't have too much heavy power. The Arabic lyrics are a godly touch, sung by Zaher Zorgati of Myrath. So everyone keep calm and listen to Epica!

Xandria - "The Wonders Still Awaiting" from The Wonders Still Awaiting (2023)

4/5. Beautiful choirs and unpredictable melodies give the track cinematic freshness. During the bridge that starts the last third of the track, Ambre Vourvahis' vocals rise into sounding as operatic as Simone Simons of Epica. Gorgeous!

Within Temptation - "Forsaken - The Aftermath" from Forsaken (The Aftermath) (2022)

4.5/5. Excellent re-recording with great lyrics. Enough said!

Amberian Dawn - "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" from Take a Chance - a Metal Tribute to ABBA (2022)

4/5. Amberian Dawn have recently released an entire tribute cover album to ABBA. Capri Virkkunen can perform such phenomenal vocals. I guess you can call this band "ABBArian Dawn", am I right?

Helloween - "Halloween" from Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 1 (1987)

3.5/5. It's October, so you know there's gotta be a Halloween song in this playlist. Somehow I was never really interested in Helloween, not even my European power metal-loving teen years, despite this band having pioneered that genre. This 13-minute epic has some good potential. IT'S HALLOWEEN!!!

Cacophony - "Speed Metal Symphony" from Speed Metal Symphony (1987)

4/5. Now here's one more epic to end this playlist, and it's a neoclassical metal instrumental. This dense energy would've also been better for me in my teenage years, but it's out of this universe! Those notes are meant to be nicely absorbed into your mind. Jason Becker was 17 at that time, and he's still a musical genius, even with his crippling ALS. This heavily guitar-focused composition can be considered quite an achievement for Jason and Marty Friedman. Geniuses like those two guys can be a sheer rarity.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite a bit of bumpiness... Anyway, I would recommend this to heavy/power/symphonic/neoclassical metal fans and anyone who isn't into those genres but is up to getting into a great start in enjoying them. Thanks Daniel for letting me take over on the Guardians playlist for this month, and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

I wanted to like this album, there's basically no reason for me to not like this album. I like NWOTHM bands, and I like the sort of epic concept they've got going here. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it...but there's nothing I actually like about it. Nothing that I could call in any way, bad. It just found a way not to appeal to me.

I did notice a funny comparison though. The mystical and dark lyrics along with the heavily electronic voice effects on the lead singer made me think of Idle Hands/Unto Others. But whereas Idle Hands has some very cringey lows and some very amazing highs, this just sort of didn't make that same mark that Idle Hands did.

3/5

Playlist updated here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3w8wz5HBOoks78mYzldAMq?si=cab03c23cb364eea

A couple Spotify playlists I've made based on those two lists, including a few extra songs in the Kamelot playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3j2j83nXjsAlGq1N9X9FcF

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7cYVwrx7OMe78YLj9BjYSL

Here's my review:

You have to admire the balls of a band to straight up just go for what kind of music they're going to go, no build-up of any possible confusion. Deep breath, then out comes the J-pop-esque singress of which I'm sure many reviews would describe as nails on a blackboard and full power metal sound. Sort of Nightwish, but with the keyboardist as the unquestionably second most important part of the sound.
It honestly should be something I hate, because this kind of saccharine power metal isn't my speed. Maybe it's the combination of overtly cutsy vocals and happy nostalgic, ethereal synths that work where a normal combo wouldn't. At least that's how I interpret it. I've heard some synth lines used here that I suspect it's some kind of Japanese folk song that landed outside of the Land of the Rising Sun with all the meaningful impact of a jelly donut.
The drums sound quite strange, not in a good way. For some reason it sounds like a real drum kit somehow altered to sound like something out of an Adlib sound card. It doesn't always sound like that. and there is an actual drummer here, but I just have to wonder if the keyboard player didn't do some of these. A lot of the synths sound straight off a PSX, which is funny because I'm pretty sure that's a real piano.
Which does get away from how the band is pretty good at constructing a song. There are bands who wish they could do as much in one album that these guys do in one song. Just not necessarily in a metal way, singer guitarist and keyboardist in perfect harmony.
If I were to nitpick, Rain, which is a genuinely nice song except for the parts she's trying to be Tarja Turunen. She's genuinely trying, but she just can't do it right. Far too high for her voice. There are also a lot of songs with weird-sounding backing singers. It's a bit too varied at times practically half the songs are some kind of ballad.
Unlike the band's hairstyles, Tales of Almanac is and timeless and unique piece of power metal, and well worth a listen.

4.5/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3w8wz5HBOoks78mYzldAMq?si=645ecf541ba44898

Tracklisting:

01. Jorn – “Below” (from “Spirit Black”, 2009) 

02. Black Sabbath – “Hand of Doom” (from “Paranoid”, 1970)

03. Stallion – “Time to Reload” (from “Slaves of Time”, 2020)

04. Volbeat – “Heaven Nor Hell" (from “Beyond Hell / Above Heaven”, 2010) [Submitted by Andi]

05. Iron Maiden – “Run to the Hills” (from “The Number of the Beast”, 1982)

06. Gatekeeper – “Twisted Towers” (from “From Western Shores”, 2023)

07. ANGUS McSIX – “Eternal Warrior” (from “Angus McSix and the Sword of Power”, 2023)

08. Blazon Stone – “High Treason” (from “Return to Port Royal: Definitive Edition”, 2020)

09. Ensiferum – “The Defence of the Sampo” (from “Thalassic”, 2020)

10. Lords of Black – “Sacrifice” (from “Alchemy of Souls, Pt. I”, 2020) 

11. Bloodbound – “The Raven's Cry" (from “Tales from the North”, 2023)

12. Todd La Torre – “Rejoice in the Suffering” (from “Rejoice in the Suffering”, 2021)

13. Blind Guardian – “Deliver Us From Evil” (from “The God Machine”, 2022)

14. Kryptos – “Mach Speed Running“ (from “Afterburner", 2019)

15. Yngwie Malmsteen – “Heaven Tonight” (from “Odyssey”, 1988) [Submitted by Daniel]

16. Rage – “Shadow Out Of Time” (from “Black In Mind”, 1995)

17. Avantasia – “Avantasia” (from “The Metal Opera, Pt. 1”, 2001)

18. Amberian Dawn – “Cold Kiss” (from “Re-Evolution”, 2013)

19. Tygers Of Pan Tang – “Never Give In” (from “Tygers of Pan Tang”, 2016)

20. Numenor – “Numenor” (from “Draconian Age”, 2021)

21. Possessed Steel – “Spellblade” (from “Aedris” E.P., 2020)

22. Solicitor – “Night Vision” (from “Spectral Devastation”, 2020)

23. Sacred Outcry – “Towers of Gold” (from “Towers of Gold”, 2023)

Following up the first of many Scottish albums, Knights of the Cross is about the Crusades. Kind of, because Grave Digger manages to sneak in a reference to Scotland again. It's not the most accurate portrayal of the conflicts, but that's not surprising. It's rather heavy towards the post-war inquisition stuff which suggests to me they originally thought they would make something about that.
Knights is a broadly typical Grave Digger album. Aggressive power metal. Definitely not like your Sonata Arcticas and Rhapsodys, but still distinctly within the realm of power metal. On the whole not quite typical. There are riffs under the vocal lines and sometimes you can hear the bassist! While there are your typical power metal material lying around, Grave Digger primarily does either very heavy stuff or very moody, not really ballad type of stuff.
Chris Boltendahl has a very distinct, hard to get used to vocal style. At first you have a very gruff, 10 pack a day vocal style, which aren't really growls, and sort of defy comparisons. On the other, you have a very clean, very melodic style which one would be surprised came from the same person. Boltendahl doesn't really do much of the latter here, at best doing a quiet version of his usual shtick. Choruses are often done in a very thrashy shout style.
The problem with how Knights of the Cross does this is that it kind of flows awkwardly. Grave Digger has this really unfortunate habit of having two songs on an album that sound very samey, here, Monks of War is that to the title track, and they're the first two tracks. Followed by Heroes of this Time, which isn't a great song to begin with, it has a very awkward transition between the verses and the chorus, but worst of all, Monks of War uses "Heroes of this Time" as one of it's lyrics. Could we not have had, instead, say, a song about some minor Muslim commander whom even the Christians respected instead of one of these two? After all he was one of the few people everyone respected at the time. While Fanatic Assassins is a fantastic song, it does feel somewhat strange as the only Arab-centered song.
Like all Grave Digger albums, it takes a while to get used to, and despite the awkward flow, has more than enough good material on the album to make up for it.

4/5

Placeholder for when I have time to list all the songs tomorrow, playlist link here: 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3w8wz5HBOoks78mYzldAMq?si=c565b00787c34037

I want to say that I gave this one a fair shake but in all honesty I didn't get too far. 

Darkmoon Blade are just not my thing as I don't really have any nostalgia for this kind of thing and the way that the vocal melodies fit in with the rest of what the band was trying to do made my skin crawl. I guess I can say that the instrumental portion of Darkmoon Rising does okay for what it is, but there wasn't a single riff that really caught my ear the entire time. Couple that with some rough songwriting in how they incorporate the riffs with the vocals and this one was an absolute disaster for me, sadly. I'm sure there are albums in this style that I'd enjoy, like that one Nite album from last year Voices of the Kronian Moon, but that's more aligned with Black Metal whereas this is definitely trying to be Heavy Metal.

1.5/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3w8wz5HBOoks78mYzldAMq?si=2ced766398be4793

1. Unleash The Archers - "Awakening" from Apex (2017)

2. Liege Lord - "Master Control" from Master Control (1988) 

3. Trivium - "Endless Night" from The Sin and the Sentence (2017)

4. Tanith - "Seven Moons (Galantia Pt. 2)" from Voyage (2023)

5. Air Raid - "Lionheart" from Fatal Encounter (2023)

6. Crossfire - "Atomic War" from Second Attack (1985)

7. Grave Digger - "The Final War" from Excalibur (1999)

8. Killer - "Bodies and Bones" from Wall of Sound (1982)

9. Elvenking - "The Hanging Tree" from Reader of the Runes - Rapture (2023)

10. Xandria - "Asteria" from The Wonders Still Awaiting (2023)

11. Shield of Wings - "Frozen Harbor" from Unfinished (2022)

12. Angus McSix - "Master of the Universe" from Master of the Universe (2023)

13. Fellowship - "Avalon" from The Saberlight Chronicles (2022) 

14. Lacrimosa - "Alleine zu zweit" from Elodia (1999)

15. Kamelot - "New Babylon" from The Awakening (2023)

16. Allen Lande - "Lady of Winter" from The Great Divide (2014)

17. Beast In Black - "Beast In Black" from Berserker (2017)

18. Cacophany - "Savage" from Speed Metal Symphony (1987)

19. Stormwitch - "Priest of Evil" from Walpurgis Night (1984)

20. Dionysus - "Eyes of the World" from Anima Mundi (2004)

Didn't really have enough time this month to this to this more than a couple of times, but Persuader is definitely a great band. One of the better ones once you get into that "regular PM isn't so great, but having a twisted edge" phase. In retrospect I think there's just enough on this album dragging it away from the sort of perfection I feel Evolution Purgatory once embodied to me. The last two songs on the album in particular kind of just feel like they're there, but the rest is killer.

So as some of you might know, I volunteered to help set up a couple of the monthly Guardians playlists while Xephyr was on break to prepare for his professional engineering exam. He just finished that exam and made his return to the site, so he already submitted his feature release submissions and his Guardians playlist for May, the latter can be found here: https://metal.academy/forum/9/thread/1746

However, I already created my own Guardians playlist for May before Daniel told me that Xephyr already had his covered, and I enjoy what I made so much that I still felt like sharing it. It's like the "epic conclusion" finale of a trilogy, similar to Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. Please feel free to give my playlist a listen, but make sure you prioritize Xephyr's playlist because he's the official creator of The Guardians playlists and a true professional of that clan. I can probably write a 3-part saga based on the Guardians playlists I've made including this unofficial one. Well, Xephyr, in the words of that demon from the beginning of Slayer's Hell Awaits, WELCOME BACK!!!

(I'm not gonna do the graphics or track thoughts for this playlist, since it's unofficial)

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6jXfN9fLgvoiuOomvAfqGL

Tracklisting:

1. Queensryche - "Queen of the Reich" from Queensryche (1983)

2. Freedom Call - "Freedom Call" from Crystal Empire (2001) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

3. Skid Row - "Slave to the Grind" from Slave to the Grind (1991)

4. Judas Priest - "A Touch of Evil" from Painkiller (1988)

5. Dio - "Stand Up and Shout" from Holy Diver (1983)

6. Motorhead - "Overkill" from Overkill (1979)

7. Quiet Riot - "Party All Night" from Condition Critical (1984)

8. Dokken - "Burning Like a Flame" from Back for the Attack (1987)

9. Keel - "The Right to Rock" from The Right to Rock (1985)

10. Twisted Sister - "We're Not Gonna Take It" from Stay Hungry (1984)

11. W.A.S.P. - "Scream Until You Like It" from Live... In the Raw (1987)

12. Vinnie Moore - "Mind's Eye" from Mind's Eye (1986)

13. Yngwie J. Malmsteen - "You Don't Remember, I'll Never Forget" from Trilogy (1986) [submitted by Daniel]

14. Time Requiem - "Brutal Mentor" from Time Requiem (2002)

15. Savatage - "Morphine Child" from Poets and Madmen (2001)

16. Black Veil Brides - "Saviour II" from The Mourning (2022)

17. Trivium - "Endless Night" from The Sin and the Sentence (2017)

18. Powerwolf - "Army of the Night" from Blessed & Possessed (2015)

19. Sabaton - "Dreadnought" from The War to End All Wars (2022)

20. Rhapsody of Fire - "Glory for Salvation" from Glory for Salvation (2021)

21. Kamelot - "Eventide" from The Awakening (2023)

22. Nightwish - "Bye Bye Beautiful" from Dark Passion Play (2007)

23. Edenbridge - "The Call of Eden" from Shangri-La (2022)

24. Xandria - "Eversleeping" from Ravenheart (2004)

25. Within Temptation - "The Truth Beneath the Rose" from The Heart of Everything (2007)

26. Dragonland - "Oblivion" from The Power of the Nightstar (2022)

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3w8wz5HBOoks78mYzldAMq?si=533eaf36b98042ad

Tracklisting:

01. Liege Lord - "Eye Of The Storm" (from "Master Control", 1988)

02. Ария [Aria] - "Не хочешь, не верь мне" (from "Кровь за кровь", 1991)

03. Helloween - "Rise Without Chains" (from "Helloween", 2021)

04. New Horizon - "Call Of The Underground" (from "Gate Of The Gods", 2022)

05. Gatekeeper - "Shadow & Stone" (from "From Western Shores", 2023)

06. Satan - "The Blood Ran Deep" (from "Earth Infernal", 2022)

07. Herzel - "La flamme" (from "Le dernier rempart", 2021)

08. Air Raid - "Edge Of A Dream" (from "Fatal Encounter", 2023)

09. Avantasia - "Draconian Love" (from "Ghostlights", 2016)

10. Powerwolf - "Sainted By The Storm" (from "Interludium", 2023)

11. Iron Maiden - "The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner" (from "Somewhere In Time", 1986)

12. Manilla Road - "Return Of The Old Ones" (from "Out Of The Abyss", 1988)

13. Ravenous E.H. - "Astral Elixir" (from "Hubris", 2021)

14. Frozen Crown - "In A Moment" (from "Call of the North", 2023)

15. Galneryus - "Let Us Shine" (from "Between Dread & Valor", 2023)

16. Mercyful Fate - "At The Sound Of The Demon Bell" (from "Melissa", 1983)

17. Dio - "One Night In The City" (from "The Last In Line", 1984)

18. Hammer King - "Battlegorse" (from "King Is Rising", 2016)

19. Scanner - "Retaliation Positive" (from "Hypertrace", 1988)

20. Nightfear - "Breakout" (from "Drums of War", 2015)

21. Dream Evil - "The Chosen Ones" (from "Dragonslayer", 2002)

22. Smoulder - "Dragonslayer's Doom" (from "Violent Creed of Vengeance", 2023)

Here's my review:

Underground US power metal five-piece Fifth Angel have been on my radar for many years however, despite being well across most of the other major contributors to the movement, I've somehow managed to let them slip past me to date. But given the generally positive reports on the Seattle band’s self-titled Shrapnel Records debut album, I thought I’d take the opportunity to nominate it for The Guardians feature status so as to bring it to everyone’s attention & give it a chance to prove to me that Fifth Angel’s reputation is based on merit.

Let’s put it out there right from the beginning that “Fifth Angel” sounds unapologetically of its time with all of the common traits of any mid-80’s heavy metal album being present & accounted for but I don’t think that should be taken as a negative. The record is well produced with the song-writing being given every chance to impress while the musicianship is of a high standard too. Lead guitarist James Byrd is of particular note as his solos represent some of the high points of the release & it doesn’t surprise me that he’s since gone on to a solo career as a neoclassical shredder because his chops are clear for all to see. Front man Ted Pilot possesses a pure & melodic tone that’s pleasant enough but doesn’t ever threaten to compete with the elite heavy metal vocalists while I also noticed the presence of drummer Ken Mary who is somewhat of a rock/metal journeyman given that he’s spent time with everyone from Accept, Alice Cooper, Chastain, House of Lords & Impellitteri. In fact, he’s the current drummer for popular Phoenix thrash metallers Flotsam & Jetsam which is a little surprising. Ken doesn’t try to pull off anything terribly special here but he certainly lays down a solid basis for the other band members to build on.

Fifth Angel tackle their melodic metal sound from a few different angles across the nine tracks. Their sound is rooted in classic heavy metal with some songs being comparable to the hard rock-driven crunch of Dio (see “Shout It Out” for example) & others taking a more modern & aggressive US power metal direction similar to Crimson Glory, early Queensryche (perhaps not surprisingly given they both hail from the same town) or Lizzy Borden. There are a few tracks that verge on the European variety of power metal too with “Call Out The Warning” being the most fully realised but I feel that this is much more of a traditional heavy metal record than it is a power metal one with my preferences unsurprisingly being angled towards the heavy metal material over the power metal-ish stuff.

As with all heavy metal releases, it’s the vocal hooks & song-writing that play the biggest part in deciding on how much you buy into the artist’s vision & that’s a key point to discuss as I think it’s an issue here. While all of the bands I referenced above consistently create engaging, memorable songs that have you singing along with them in your head for days afterwards, I don’t think I can say that same for Fifth Angel. “Shout It Out”, “The Night” (my personal favourite) & closer “Fade To Flames” are all pretty cool tracks but I can’t say that any of them are anything more than pleasant while the remainder of the album just sounds pretty flat to my ears, even despite the band’s obvious metal credentials. I can see why people enjoy a record like this one but I think I need a little more to keep me entertained so I can’t see myself returning to “Fifth Angel” in the future.

3/5

Xephyr won't be back in Metal Academy until next month due to his professional engineering exam, so once again I helped assemble the Guardians playlist, and I might do the same one last time in May, unless Xephyr already has his playlist planned out by then. A great way to throw back to my Guardians past and discovering music from different genres and eras of the clan (with a lot of 80s classics)! So here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Within Temptation, Annisokay - "Shed My Skin" from Shed My Skin (2021)

4.5/5. From the serene vocals of Sharon den Adel, this is already an amazing start of this playlist of great symphonic fire, featuring German metalcore band Annisokay.

Avantasia - "The Scarecrow" from The Scarecrow (2008)

4/5. This was one of my favorite power metal epics when I was still heavily into the power metal genre nearly 10 years ago. While it doesn't touch my heart now as much as it did back then, I still enjoy it, especially the lyrics.

Scorpions - "Blackout" from Blackout (1982) (re-recorded version from Comeblack (2011))

3.5/5. Good power, though not quite frantic. This re-recording of a classic would've sounded heavier if it wasn't too modernized. Not too much of a disappointment, but has some faults. I would've chosen the original instead if it was available on Spotify, but never mind.

LOUDNESS - "Crazy Night" from Thunder in the East (1985) (re-recorded version from ROCK SHOCKS (2004))

3/5. Same with this re-recording, but again that's the only studio version available on Spotify.

Iron Maiden - "Stratego" from Senjutsu (2021)

3.5/5. Iron up! The legendary Iron Maiden continue their usual sound in this song from their new album without sounding too much of the same.

Lizzy Borden - "Me Against the World" from Visual Lies (1987)

4/5. I can dig this bad-a** song from this h*ll of a killer classic heavy metal sound.

Dokken - "It's Not Love" from Under Lock and Key (1985)

3.5/5. This song has a f***ing amazing intro, but the rest of it doesn't reach that glory while still being a decent headbanger.

Warlock - "All We Are" from Triumph and Agony (1987)

4/5. A f***ing kick-A track with a hot female vocalist. There's some good stuff to love about this song by the ex-band of metal queen Doro. Play it loud and proud, and hear those thundering drums! A lot of the heaviness and melody comes from the European North.

Quiet Riot - "Cum on Feel the Noize" from Metal Health (1983)

3.5/5. This one's pretty good, particularly in the lyrics, but a bit too glam for my palate. RIP drummer Frankie Banali and vocalist Kevin DuBrow...

Dio - "Rainbow in the Dark" from Holy Diver (1983)

4/5. Many more people know this song today because of Eddie Munson from Stranger Things. I can't comment much about that because I haven't watched that show. I can, however, mention Dio's cool godly vocals. They're what really level up this song and others from his band. RIP... The mid-paced tempo and occasional keyboard synths give the song far more in common with Europe's sound than Metallica.

Motorhead - "Hellraiser" from March or Die (1992)

3.5/5. RIP Lemmy, another fallen metal idol. His motivational vocals add to the anthemic loudness. The original version by Ozzy Osbourne can be heard in one of the soundtracks for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. And both vocal tracks are used for a 30th anniversary re-recording complete with a kick-A animated music video. Stone Dead Forever!

Ozzy Osbourne - "Lightning Strikes" from The Ultimate Sin (1986)

3/5. Killer riffing by Jake E. Lee and beastly drumming by Randy Castillo (RIP). However, I'm sorry, Ozzy and his fans, but the vocals kind of ruin the song.

Motley Crue - "Live Wire" from Too Fast for Love (1981)

3.5/5. I'm not a fan of Motley Crue and old-school 80s glam/heavy metal, but this one slaps. Pretty good song for a Summer road trip! The vocals are a bit strained though, and I wouldn't recommend singing along if you're like me and can never hit those tenor highs.

Judas Priest - "Hell Bent for Leather" from Killing Machine (1978)

4/5. The drums, guitar, and vocals were so unique back in the 70s, considering how much of a game-changer Judas Priest was in developing classic heavy metal. They'll get you greatly hooked as f***!

Skid Row - "Not Dead Yet" from The Gang's All Here (2022)

3.5/5. The best era for Skid Row for many fans is when they had vocalist Sebastian Bach (not to be confused with the classical composer). Personally I find some greatness in this track with vocalist Erik Grönwall. Still I'm disappointed that the United World Rebellion EP that would've featured ex-DragonForce vocalist ZP Theart isn't happening.

Narnia - "Heavenly Love" from Awakening (1998)

4/5. A beautiful jewel of a neoclassical power metal ballad. This should've been in the soundtrack for the Chronicles of Narnia films.

Time Requiem - "Creator in Time" from Optical Illusion (2006)

4.5/5. Somehow on Spotify, this song's title got mixed up with another one from the same album. This one is actually titled "Ocean Wings". The vocals by Goran Edman are some of the greatest in neoclassical/power metal that I've only recently discovered.

Queensryche - "Spreading the Disease" from Operation: Mindcrime (1988)

4/5. Queensryche has been known as one of the champions of heavy/progressive metal, solidified by their Operation Mindcrime album. Still I would've liked this perfectly if I discovered them like 8 years ago instead of within a couple years before today.

Sabaton - "The Lion From the North" from Carolus Rex (2012)

4.5/5. An amazing part of a concept album about King Charles XII and the Swedish Empire, this song tells the part of that tale about Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden who helped developed modern warfare. There's also a Swedish-sung version of the album, but the language doesn't matter as long as the music brings you joy.

Kamelot - "Ghost Opera" from Ghost Opera (2007)

5/5. I'm still grateful for Kamelot kick-starting different parts of my earlier more melodic epic metal interest, alongside DragonForce. Lots of splendorous surprises!

Nightwish - "Over the Hills and Far Away" from Over the Hills and Far Away (2001)

4.5/5. I also love this great song, though not as perfect for me as it would've been all those years ago.

Xandria, Ralf Scheepers - "You Will Never Be Our God" from The Wonders Still Awaiting (2023)

4/5. This one's quite killer. I'm amazed by how well Ralf Scheepers (ex-Gamma Ray, Primal Fear) can do those guttural growls.

Epica - "Freedom - The Wolves Within" from Omega (2021)

4.5/5. Epica is slowly building back up the epicness of the late 2000s, with motivational lyrics to fit well with the symphonic metal.

DragonForce - "Heart of the Storm" from The Power Within (2012)

5/5. This one focuses much less on the screaming side of the vocals, and more towards the cleanliness and aggression of Marc's vocals, specifically in the verses. This shows that his massive vocal range is closer to Kiske than Theart.

RichaadEB, Cristina Vee - "Bad Apple!!" from Bullet Hell (2018)

4.5/5. To wrap up the April Guardians playlist, this YouTube guitarist made a kick-A trance-power metal cover of a song from the Touhou Project video game series popularized by Alstroemeria Records, featuring the beautiful vocals of Miraculous Ladybug actress Cristina Vee. Personally, the Zagtoon cartoon I prefer is the underrated Zak Storm. Anyway, my brother enjoys this one, and I guess I do too.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite a few slight bumps throughout... Anyway, I would recommend this to heavy/power/symphonic/neoclassical metal fans and anyone who isn't into those genres but is up to getting into a great start in enjoying them. Thanks Daniel for letting me take over on the Guardians playlists, accepting this one, and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Try Solstice's New Dark Age if you've never heard it Morpheus as that is guitarist Rich Walker's main band and, although more epic doom than Isen Torr, they have a lot in common.

With Xephyr taking a break from Metal Academy to prepare for his professional engineering exam, I was given the opportunity to take over assembling Guardians playlists for the time being. A great way to throw back to my Guardians past and discovering music from different genres and eras of the clan (with a lot of 80s classics)! So here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Blind Guardian - "Majesty" from Battalions of Fear (1988)

4.5/5. Odd carnival intro aside, the opening track of this album and playlist is a majestic anthem with a melodic chorus of vocal layers.

Helloween - "Guardians" from Walls of Jericho (1985)

4/5. This one has solid higher speed and nice melodic guitar riffing. There's slightly less power in the vocal notes Hansen tries to hit. However, it's made up for by the strong catchy chorus, along with nice bass. An anthem for power metal and the Guardians clan!

Motley Crue - "Looks That Kill" from Shout at the Devil (1983)

3.5/5. A bit too glam for most metalheads including myself, but Mick Mars' guitar talent is underrated and bad-a**.

Scorpions - "Rock You Like a Hurricane" from Love at First Sting (1984)

3/5. The late 20th Century was when rock and metal were really rising, and it can be good to look back at that time today in the 2020s. However, this one rocks much more like a glam/hard rock hurricane.

Ozzy Osbourne - "God Only Knows" from Patient Number 9 (2022)

3.5/5. This one's slightly better, with Ozzy borrowing a lyric from Neil Young and singing his own variation, "It’s better to burn in Hell than fade away".

Black Sabbath - "Heaven and Hell" from Heaven and Hell (1980)

4/5. And now we head to a classic from Ozzy's former band Black Sabbath, though this is from the Dio era. His vocals are so heart-tearing along with the guitar soloing. The music and lyrics are a lot to love for many metalheads. Dio was quite a metal legend. RIP

Judas Priest - "Breaking the Law" from British Steel (1980)

3.5/5. This band is quite brave to keep going from this classic onward, remaining active over 53 years after formation. Quite catchy!

Accept - "How Do We Sleep" from Too Mean to Die (2021)

4/5. "The thoughts have all been written down, the pen is laid aside. Do you feel your mind at peace, or do you feel as though you've died?" It's lines like those that can stay in your head. The harmonic structure fits well for this bad-a** composition in Accept's latest album. Don't let the evil beast of karma catch up to you!

KISS - "I Love It Loud" from Creatures of the Night (1982)

3.5/5. Surprised to find a KISS song in this playlist? I'm personally surprised to recognize this as the theme song for that South American soccer show of Disney XD, O11CE (pronounced like the Spanish word for "11"). The drums are killer and add to the song's arena vibe.

Dio - "Holy Diver" from Holy Diver (1983)

4/5. Another classic from Dio, and a more famous one. You just can't resist his powerful voice. Once again, RIP...

Bitch - "Riding In Thunder" from Be My Slave (1983)

3.5/5. Interesting choice, Daniel! There are catchy riffs to party along to. You can almost think of this band, specifically their frontwoman Betsy, as the metal Madonna.

Krokus - "Screaming in the Night" from Head Hunter (1983)

3/5. Here's another 40-year-old classic song, though it's too much like Scorpions and Def Leppard for me to truly like. Krokus is kind of a cool name for heavy metal/hard rock band. While it's not really the best song for me, it's one any metalhead won't regret.

Dokken - "Dream Warriors" from Back for the Attack (1987)

3.5/5. I probably would've rocked out to this song more about 9 years before this comment when my metal interest was more melodic. Still the lyrics are pretty good. The drums and guitars rock quite a bit. It's a dream that can wake you up despite not being a nightmare. Sounds good, right?

Symphony X - "Smoke and Mirrors" from Twilight in Olympus (1998)

4/5. The neoclassical madness of this band Symphony X may be hard for simple guitar listeners to understand. But there are great guitar solos to learn such as the one surround the 4-minute mark.

Queensryche - "Chapters" from Digital Noise Alliance (2022)

4.5/5. This is quite an excellent song filled with unique magic. Cheers to this band! Hope to keep up the revisiting.

Within Temptation - "Mother Earth" from Mother Earth (2000)

4/5. For those wondering what the band who made that "Shed My Skin" song with Annisokay sounds like in their earlier material, look no further to this beautiful piece of symphonic metal. It was a memorable highlight in my epic metal teens, but now not so perfect due to my taste changing to become heavier and less bombastic.

Epica - "Victims of Contingency" from The Quantum Enigma (2014)

4.5/5. Epica is another symphonic metal band I used to love, and recently they became one of my Audiomachine-loving friend's favorite bands. She and I both sang this song in karaoke the other day. I performed the death growling while she performed the operatic singing. Pretty killer, right?

Kamelot - "Opus of the Night (Ghost Requiem)" from Opus of the Night (Ghost Requiem) (2023)

5/5. Kamelot is yet another band I used to enjoy and what got me into the symphonic metal part of my epic metal taste nearly 10 years ago. The guitar harmonies and orchestra make a fantastic combo. The song itself is like a sequel to the title track of Ghost Opera! Tina Guo performs beautiful cello soloing. This unbelievable single definitely makes me up to revisiting Kamelot with their new album The Awakening!

Stratovarius - "Frozen in Time" from Survive (2022)

4.5/5. Stratovarius made a wonderous return from a 7-year gap between albums with the new Survive. This kind of composition can make classical and metal composers dead or alive proud. Don't know if I would be up to checking out the rest of the album, but maybe one day...

Sabaton - "Christmas Truce" from The War to End All Wars (2022)

4/5. A couple months late for Christmas, but never mind. I enjoy the lyrics, along with the music throwing back to "Carol of the Bells".

Nick Z Marino - "Freedom Has No Price" from Freedom Has No Price (2010)

4/5. This is quite tremendous neoclassical guitar soloing inspired by Yngwie Malmsteen, who helped produce the album. However, the vocals bring down the score a bit.

Warfare - "Metal Anarchy" from Metal Anarchy (1985)

4.5/5. A grand anthem of punky metal! It really does show the band raising their fists in anarchy, along with the music video of being metaphorically caged in.

DragonForce - "Chemical Interference" from Maximum Overload (2014)

5/5. One of the best DragonForce bonus tracks, hinting at what they were aiming for in the next two albums.

Nightwish - "Endlessness" from HUMAN. :II: NATURE. (2020)

4.5/5. Now this is quite a way to end this playlist, with the ending of the full-band part of this album, detailing the expanding universe/multiverse that we all live in. The album is Nightwish's final one with bassist/male vocalist Marko Hietala before he left the band and took a break from the public. The song features Marko's bass performing and vocals for the final time with the band. So poetic! Let's wish the best of luck for their dear friend Marko...

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite a few slight bumps throughout... Anyway, I would recommend this to heavy/power/symphonic/neoclassical metal fans and anyone who isn't into those genres but is up to getting into a great start in enjoying them. Thanks Daniel for letting me take over on the Guardians playlists, accepting this one, and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

OK, so I really tried with this one. I genuinely wanted to like it (particularly as the guitar solos are so spectacular) but I just couldn't quite get it over the line in the end & it wasn't because it's a power metal record as the reality is that it's actually not. I challenge anyone to identify more than two or three of the thirteen tracks that are genuine power metal here. The two obvious ones ("Spread Your Wings" & "The Temple of Hate") fall into that Helloween/Rhapsody space & are pretty intolerable to me though so I guess the genre has still had an impact on my overall enjoyment factor. If you examine the tracklisting closely though you'll find that most of the album is actually made up of a fairly ambitious brand of Dream Theater-inspired progressive metal which sounds good on paper but in practice ends up being too laden with cheese for my taste. It was a bit frustrating to find that I enjoy just over half of the individual tracks but that the inclusions that I can't get into are so wide of the mark that it taints the whole experience for me.

As I said, those solos try their very best to salvage things for me as they're as good as you'll hear (Better than Dream Theater though Andi? That hurts! Petrucci is my guitar idol!). Front man Edu Falaschi tries really hard to sound like James LaBrie for the majority of the album & pulls it off pretty well for the most part while the orchestration is really well done but it's the usual concept album tropes that drag things down with numerous filler tracks being included purely for the sake of a storyline that I have next to no interest in. The symphonic element is predominantly used as an accompaniment rather than a focal point which was a relief but Angra simply lose me too often to warrant me returning to "Temple of Shadows". Instead I find the record to be a good source of playlist tracks with songs like "Winds of Destination" & "Morning Star" being high quality examples of the progressive metal genre.

3/5

I think the Fellowship record was the only The Guardians release I checked out for the entire year which is a pretty clear indication that it's the clan that offers me the least appeal these days. I didn't enjoy the experience either.