Earn 1 Loyalty Point With Every $1 Spent!

Access denied

You are not authorized to access this page.
Laser Pic

customers also bought

SEE ALL
  • "My first introduction to Brazil's Hibria came with last year's DVD/CD live package Blinded By Tokyo. It seems, besides their popularity in South America, they've been a hit in Japan from earlier on in their career. The live set was good showcase for their power metal skills. Now seeking more international recognition, Hibria releases Silent Revenge through AFM Records.I'll admit I was almost put off by Silent Revenge from the start, thanks to the first, and title, cut. Silent Revenge features Andre Meyer of death metal act Distraught offering competing death vocals. I get the addition, but it's still annoying. Later, with Walking to Death, Hibria vocalist Iuri Sanson nears hardcore screamo vocals. All this makes me wonder if, in attempt to be edgier or more commercial, Hibria wants to move more towards modern metal.Alternatively, listening to Silence Will Make You Suffer, Lonely Fight, or the powerful anthem Shall I Keep on Burning (unplugged version is even better), you find both Sanson and Hibria straying little from their traditional heavy power metal roots, with emphasis on heavy. However, sometimes they get a little over ambitious as with The Way It Is. It's decent power metal, just too long. One thing Hibria has always been known for is powerful guitar leads, and there's a truck load of ripping leads all over this album. This simple, but necessary element, puts Silent Revenge beyond a better than average album. Their traditional South American and Japanese fans should enjoy this album, and the band will probably collect more fans in Europe as well. Recommended." - Danger Dog
    $15.00
  • I'm not the biggest fan of speed metal but this one is surprisingly good.  Almah features former Angra lead vocalist Edu Falaschi.  The music has good intensity and movement.  Lots of hooks, staccato crunch and shredding solos.  I'm suprised at how melodic it is.  Falaschi was always a more than able replacement for Andre Matos and he does a great job here fronting his own band."Allow me to begin with a quote: "There comes a moment in a man’s life when it is necessary to make a radical decision in order to move forward with dignity and renewed energy”. This is from the statement that famed Brazilian Metal vocalist and composer, Edu Falaschi, released, upon his departure from home country metal giants, ANGRA. I had been a fan of them for a long time, and also Falaschi's newer solo work. His leaving of one of my favorite bands managed to turn from a disappointment to a renewal of hope for some of my favorite music, for he, if I may say, as one of the musicians I most genuinely admire (that title does not get thrown around) continued on with his solo band, ALMAH. The previous releases with the band, now a permanent act, marked a step away in style from his ANGRA, not only in compositional style, but also in vocals; no longer was he constrained to the high-pitched, soaring melodies 'required' by a power metal band; in ALMAH, as he has already said, he has found his niche.This brings me to the release of the band's latest release, "Unfold". Different again from the modern, progressive and heavy "Motion", this new piece appears to combine the elements most exquisite found in his previous solo work, and even some ANGRA-like hints. As I could have expected, it was a thrilling experience; and yet, not one piece of it was predictable. "In My Sleep" is one hell of an opening track, that is riled up with a technical drum roll by a monster on the battery, Marcelo Moreira, that explodes into a lightning-fast and energetic power metal riffage, that tends to (rightly) dominate most of the song. Falaschi once again proves his vocal abilities are nowhere near restricted, and floats between gruff baritones and soaring melodies; this kind of versatility is found on each of the album's exquisite tracks. Upon listening to the balladic "Warm Wind", I am pleasantly reminded of ANGRA's "Wishing Well", one of my favorite ANGRA tracks of all time. In part, this new piece is stylistically similar, but retains that slightly heavier, slightly more unpredictable, "ALMAH" touch, and is smoothed over by one of my favorite Falaschi vocal performances of all time."Raise the Sun" rightly chosen as the single to showcase "Unfold" in all its glory. It begins mid-tempo and graceful, but quickly ascends to a progressive grove rife with riff mastery that pops up from time to time, and contains some beautiful bass lines. Raphael is certainly an expert at his instrument, which is saying something, since ALMAH's former (and current ANGRA) bassist, Felipe Andreoli, is a bassist most influential to me. "Believer" once again pushes the musical envelop within this album, and is a brutally intricate and furious track, full of powerful, thrashy riffage, yet also infectiously catchy vocal melodies; one of my two most favorite track on the album. Finally, I cannot finish writing this up without touching on "Treasure Of The Gods", a meaty, nine-and-a-half-minute composition, made up of many passages that, while are stylistically different, amalgamate to create my other favorite piece. On this track, I hear some of the most complicated and intricate drum, bass and guitar interplay, and beautiful guitar solos, and stellar vocal belt-outs. This song is metal personified."Unfold" is one of the albums I have ever had the most pleasure writing about and listening to. It is a reminder to myself and other fans why Brazil is ultimately a metal powerhouse; after leaving ANGRA, continuing ALMAH was the best thing Falaschi could have done, and I hope 'that, with them, he continues to belt out more masterpieces in the future." - Metal Temple
    $15.00
  • Raise The Curtain is the latest effort from the former Savatage mastermind.  Its quite different from the Jon Oliva's Pain project and in a surprising way.  The music has a strong 70s vibe blending elements of progressive rock, AOR, and metal.  Oliva plays all the instruments but he collaborated on the songwriting with Dan Fasciano.  From the opening roaring organ sounds you know you are in for something a bit different.  You can tell this is Jon Oliva - there are parts that will remind you a bit of Savatage but you will also think in terms of Kansas, ELP, Alice Cooper.  A mash up of styles for sure but quite well done.  A friend who heard an advance copy summed it up perfectly: "A fun album".  This is the first pressing that has one bonus track.  Grab it while we got 'em.
    $15.00
  • The German band Avalon's fourth album is a conceptual work that deals with the different historical personalities and countries of the largest continent of the Earth - Eurasia. It is a unique mixture of European melodic power metal and traditional Asian sounds. Buddhist chants, traditional percussions and indian sitars blend together with powerful metal riffs and progressive minded arrangements. Famous Indian and Asian guest musicians perform on their native instruments and choir arrangements.Avalon's lineup reflects their global viewpoint: charismatic lead singer Chitral Somapala hails from a famous family of musicians in Sri Lanka. On Eurasia he is also featured on Chapman Stick. A newcomer to Avalon is the powerful French drummer Jacques Voutay. German guitarist Sebastian Eder and keyboardist Jens Kuckelkorn are once again accompanied by female bassist Petra H. Delorian. This is a unique and exotic lineup!Eurasia was produced by Sascha Paeth who is responsible for the epic sounds of Rhapsody, Angra, Luca Turilli, and Kamelot. Touring in Europe, Canada, and the USA, Avalon has gained an international reputation supporting bands like Metallica, Hammerfall, Savatage, Angra, Royal Hunt and Motorhead.
    $13.00
  • "The Roaring Wolves are back… On a strong wake of a surprising and a triumphal album in 2011, that was much simply called “Wolfpakk”, the turbulent duo of vocalists comprised of Mark Sweeney (ex-CRYSTAL BALL) and Michael Voss (MAD MAX/MSG / ex-CASANOVA) unleash the successor, named "Cry Wolf" , and again the choral all-star project shift is the trick to give a marketing format for this burning platter, by gathering a pack of many high-class guest musicians and a few full blooded terrific barking voices to produce another raving record in the same musical vein as the great and self-titled debut.Running and undaunted Guests on "Cry Wolf" are :Vocals: Amanda Somerville (AVANTASIA), Ralf Scheepers (PRIMAL FEAR / ex-GAMMA RAY), Göran Edman (ex-RISING FORCE / ex-GLORY), Johnny Gioeli (A.R.P. / HARDLINE), Tony Mills (ex-SHY/ ex-SIAM / ex-TNT), Doogie White (ex-RAINBOW / ex-RISING FORCE / ex-CORNERSTONE / MSG), Blaze Baley (ex-IRON MAIDEN / WOLFSBANE), Piet Sielck (IRON SAVIOR / ex-SAVAGE CIRCUS).Guitars: Kee Marcello (ex-EUROPE / ex-EASY ACTION), Mandy Meyer (UNISONIC / KROKUS / ex-GOTTHARD / ex-COBRA), Roland Grapow (MASTERPLAN / ex-HELLOWEEN).Keys: Don Airey (ex-OZZY / DEEP PURPLE), Tony Carey (ex-RAINBOW).Drums: Brian Tichy (SUN / ex-WHITESNAKE), Hermann Rarebell (ex-SCORPIONS), Roland Jahoda (ex-PARADOX / F.U.C.K.)Under the leitmotiv of “if isn’t broken don’t fix it”, the Duet of Alpha Wolves and the fantastic AFM Records are teamed again in order to reedit the successful experience in giving the full and wild creative responsibility to the werewolf duet: the champions of Melodic Metal -Mister Sweeney and Doctor Voss.They wrote all the songs together (minus one surprise cover version from RAINBOW “Run With The Wolf” featuring the participation of the iconic keyboard player Tony Carey) and they were also in charge once again, for production and mixing duty, and of course they performed some ferocious vocals. This is a work of art tremendously and carefully polished that put some lights in a brilliant manner to the songwriting talent of the savage binomial Voss / Sweeney.The highlights of the albums are , the beginning track "Moonlight” with Ralf Scheepers who provide a very typical high flux of screaming and yelling, embellished by a fast pace and an epic dimension somewhere between HEAVENS GATE and MIND ODYSSEY with a little something from GAMMA RAY.In the same melodic power frenzy, the solid "A Matter of Time" that sounds like VICTORY meets BONFIRE, boosted by a share of battling vocals between Sweeney and Johnny Gioeli with an uplifting performance, courtesy of Mr. Brian Tichy beating his drum kit."Palace of Gold" reveals a new heaviness and a dark density before transforming in a more pompous style than usual with the participation to the voice of Tony Mills and a massive multi-layer backing vocal section choir, like a symphonic version of DIO merged with a delicate and fragile Prog Rock melody.Another fast double kick power number is "Beast In Me" with the always classy singing of Goran Edman, recalling that he was the singer for RISING FORCE / SPACE ODYSSEY / STRATOSPHERE and for 1999’s third album “The Last Viking” by The JOHANSSON BROTHERS and a true Neoclassical expertise demonstration in the lead spot provided by Roland Grapow.Then it's time for a real entertaining Teutonic Metal with an Hard Rock touch cut named "Pressure Down" with the very distinctive voice of Doogie White which is highlighted in a mid tempo heavy rhythm , and a strong sing along headbanging refrain with a great gang backing vocal unit, like ACCEPT meets SINNER with an extensive ad lib howling final.The rest of the tracklisting is also enjoyable mixing a few gimmick True Metal tracks as a simple sing along hymn as "Wakken" in the HAMMERFALL / IRON  SAVIOR / RUNNIG WILD and obliviously ACCEPT's fashion (…"bang your head…Metal attack"…)  or the less catchy but energetic, epic, tortuous and poignant title track "Cry Wolf" that extend to ten minutes with atmospheric sequence, special FX surreal sounds like wind and rain plus a few narrative parts in with a very surprising vocal interpretation of Blaze Bayley and a ultra-fast shredding piece of lead guitar signed by the one and the only, the other Swedish maestro Mr. Kee Marcello himself for a big fat guitar lesson and a serious beating .Before that we had a ballad with Mrs. Somerville but I think it's just a flat and ordinary number, very caricaturish, in a not really inspired style, before that it was the moment for the WOLFPAKK's leaders to be left alone in the vocal department at least, Voss / Sweeney are dueling in the single, a quite regular Euro Metal cut under the moniker of "Dark Revelation"…Not my favorite.The cover version of a legendary classic rock track, is as always, a double edged sword but secured with the approval and the additional playing of the early RAINBOW's keyboardist Tony Carey, to keep it in the right path, in this case "Run With The Wolf" is a good revision lightened in its rhythmic cadence structure as a result we have a more pompous rendition, with obviously the Hammond keyboards quite upfront.Finally, the album is the perfect sequel of the highly acclaimed debut; this sophomore episode fulfilled the dangerous task, with maybe a less impressive guest list but with a real focus on bringing back, proudly and under one united flag, the old nature of the pure roaring Euro-Metal mania." - Metal Temple
    $15.00
  • Limited edition embossed digipak with one bonus track."It was the friendly split heard round the world: two bands – same logo, same history….huh? Two Rhapsody’s? Would they sound the same? What does Rhapsody even sound like without Luca? All those questions are now about to be answered as Rhapsody of Fire (RoF) will finally present the response album to the overwhelmingly cinematic masterpiece spewed by Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody (LTR) in 2012. In the interim, there is a new record company (AFM), the first North American Tour and a Hess in….a Hess out. The split with the former HolyHell guitarist has left Roberto De Micheli as the lone guitarist, which turns out to be the best move of all. Meanwhile, Fabio Lione has been the busiest and a singer for hire – guest starring on a multitude of releases, including a long stint with Brazil giants Angra – and permanently joining Hollow Haze on top of Vision Divine. Fans wondered, when would that long awaited response album from Alex Staropoli be heard? The time is now and “Dark Wings of Eternity” is upon us. Right, right….you want the verdict! Well this album will definitely distinguish the band from LTR, but at the same time all of the key RoF qualities remain.Is it a win? Absolutely! Alex Staropoli takes RoF in a more organic and metallic direction, which on the first listen may come across sounding “under produced” when compared to the grandiose “overly produced” previous albums. Successive listens unveil the beauty of “Dark Wings of Steel,” an album that favors drama over theatric, proving there really is room for two Rhapsodys without picking sides.Luca’s vision of Rhapsody is the cinematic grandiose direction – a grand production of sight and sound, dazzling and spectacular. Alex Staropoli has side stepped and stripped down Rhapsody of Fire just a bit towards a purer “heavy metal” direction. Fans might take that statement as a step backward, but keep in mind, having two bands that are exactly the same would be silly and certainly wouldn’t help either. The guitar sound is more prominent, darker, and little less speedy as in the past (save for two of the album’s tracks). The choirs and choruses that fans have come to expect remain intact, as well as those building and sweeping melodies, written to perfectly balance the strengths of Fabio’s voice. Clearly, this is Staropoli’s band and he makes his presence known in a huge way (more on that later), and Roberto’s work is absolutely brilliant and cannot go unnoticed! His riffs are engaging and his solos are masterful, in many ways exceeding Luca’s own (which Turilli would freely admit). Many people do not realize that Roberto was actually in Thundercross in 1993, the band that would change its name to the famous Rhapsody in 1995 (though he did not play on the “Land of Immortals” demo of 1994).For any true fan of the band, approaching “Dark Wings” brings a certain level of both excitement and concern, especially considering Luca’s absence, the band’s back catalog and history, and LTR's post-split opening salvo that only raised the bar. It is nearly impossible for any fan of these bands to simply turn off the past and not instantly begin with comparisons. By giving “Dark Wings of Eternity” room to fly and breathe, I guarantee with each successive spin any concerns will quickly fade. In the end, you will find that RoF really isn’t all that far from where it already was! As soon as "Vis Divina" (intro) and opening track “Rising From Tragic Flames” begin you will notice the hallmarks – choirs, speedy riffs, Fabio – are all there, but the sound, especially the drums, is more natural. Staropoli’s keyboard play is much more modern and flamboyant juxtaposed to De Micheli’s neoclassical style. When that choir bridges you to Fabio’s first verse, you quickly realize this is classic RoF.For purposes of keeping this review from becoming more like a novel, lets group the tracks into “quicker” and “slower.” History has proven that Rhapsody of Fire is more often than not associated with quicker tunes, which are the ones that tend to be prominent among the fans. “Rising From Tragic Flames” is akin to classics like “Unholy Warcry” as the choir and speed is strikingly similar. “Silver Lake of Tears” presents a fierce and angry Fabio on the verses, which will be just what many fans have been hoping for (and no…we aren’t talking “Reign of Terror” angry). The title track is slightly more mid-paced with a De Micheli riff that is just as lethal as the speed. The song has one of the coolest guitar vs. keyboard solo battles, something that happens in multiple tracks on the album. “A Tale Of Magic” is an up-tempo half-speed with one of the most memorable choruses on the release. It’s a challenge to pick and outright favorite, but for now the pendulum swings in favor of “Tears of Pain,” with its simple, though highly fetching, riff that just draws more anger from Fabio’s voice.As for the “slower” side, which encompasses ballads and mid-paced tracks, the crop includes the building layers of “Fly to Crystal Skies” - galloping into the chorus along the bass pedals of Alex Holzwarth and the stunning ballad “Custode Di Pace”- a song like so many other greats from RoF and another pedestal for Fabio. “Angel of Light” showcases Fabio’s current strengths - the upper mid vibrato – matched in perfection only by Alessandro Conti. The song sports another one of the best choruses, as well as a slow Manowar type gallop as the song progresses. One of the real standouts in this category is “My Sacrifice,” which rises like a mountain, each level progressively heavier, ranging from near ballad from the onset, to mid-paced bass centric while pausing on the bridge with a uniquely Italian acoustic flair before cascading into the chorus.As mentioned earlier, a word about Alex Staropoli. For starters, I’ll admit that I had my concerns about his “flying solo” as a writer and those concerns were dispelled by “Dark Wings.” His play is much more flamboyant and modern than on previous releases, including a number of keyboard solos that battle back and forth with Roberto’s guitar. It’s an exciting element that really enhances the album. If I had one stylistic gripe, it would be that the keyboards are so prominent in the mix that they suffocate the guitar riffs at times (examples include the opening riff to the title track and “A Tale Of Magic.”). In those heavier tunes, the riffs could easily drive the melody alone.In summary, “Dark Wings of Steel” is a well written and fantastic effort. It demands attentive and successive listens before its true beauty is revealed. Changes are both bold and subtle, especially the more organic sound. The mix meter tilts with Staropoli, which throttles the riffs at times, but the quality of play is superb. The song writing is top notch, leaning more dramatic and less theatrical to distinguish the band from LTR, and Fabio shines not only with his voice, but also in his role as lyric writer. Enough cannot be said about Roberto, who has taken over and stepped up in the absence of Luca. For me, this album is a testament to his play. “Dark Wings of Steel” will not replace the classics, but it will find its place among them. The future is bright for one of heavy metal’s veteran acts." - Metal Underground
    $16.00
  • Cynthesis is a new band that reunites three of the original members of Zero Hour (Jasun and Troy Tipton, and Erik Rosvold) along with Enchant drummer Sean Flanagan.ReEvolution is the middle part of a dystopian trilogy begun with 2011’s DeEvolution. The central character, a shaman, is sent out to gather more slaves. He comes across a tribe and senses a light within them that triggers a distant memory of his past.  He realizes this is the original tribe he was taken from.  He brings them back to the city and encounters what was done to the population and sets them free.While Cynthesis maintains much of the Zero Hour tech metal influence, it also demonstrates the more melodic and atmospheric side of Jasun Tipton’s songwriting.  ReEvolution will appeal to fans of both progressive rock and metal.
    $13.00
  • "Power metal. A genre overpopulated by a tonne of bands that all sound the same as one another, with no real substance to their music and thin, weedy vocals that have no power – which is kind of ironic, given the name of the genre. But then there’s Persuader, who have smashed all boundaries and have brought life to this tired genre with their brand new album The Fiction Maze.It begins strongly enough with some good melodic guitar-work but it’s only when the vocals kick in that it becomes apparent that this is no ordinary album. The amount of sheer power and energy behind them just blow you away and it truly is a standout performance from frontman Jens, right from opener One Lifetime to closer Falling Faster.The album just has so much substance and it really does deliver from start to finish because you won’t find any filler tracks or songs that are simply ‘okay’. Particularly strong offerings are the striking opener One Lifetime which will be stuck in your head before you know it and the fast-paced Heathen that slowly builds up into a wildly catchy tune before you even know what’s hit you. Then there’s the title track The Fiction Maze (arguably one of the best on the entire album) which lulls you into believing it’s a slower, more laid-back track with its acoustic intro before smacking you in the face with heavy guitars and hammering drums. Absolutely amazing stuff!Persuader are onto a winner here with The Fiction Maze and it’s a perfect example of how to do power metal RIGHT. It stands out from the crowd in the best possible way and if you haven’t got this band in your life yet, then what on earth are you waiting for?" - Soundscape Magazine
    $10.00
  • Reissue of classic Bay Area thrash.
    $13.00
  • "The phrase, "A New Dawn" has become one widely used these days with the ascension of the Obama presidency in the United States, and certainly, that is a breath of fresh air for most of us. However, it’s also a good time for a metal band, with that phrase as a name, to make a serious arrival on the international music scene.A New Dawn isn’t really new. They’ve actually been around since 1998 in one form or another, although they began as a side project. Several demos and one semi serious EP and DVD later, the band has released the title under review here and is primed for a run at the big time.The band is a 6 member group headed up by a duel female lead. That lead, Sanne Kluiters and Jamila Ifzaren do something of an operatic front end. The guitars are provided by Elbert de Hoog, bass by Michel van Beekum and drums are compliments of Rik Bruineman. The final member is Michiel Glas whose responsibilities include vocals and grunting. Poor Michiel has the unenviable task of replacing the lovely Monica Janssen who played bass and was clearly the most impressive female grunter in metal. She was always, for me, a significant interest in this band and will be missed, but, as they say, the show must go on.It should be noted, however, that this CD was actually produced with a different lineup, and Monica is the grunter and bass player here. The additional clean vocals are done by a friend of the band, David van Santen. Willem Cremer performed on guitar and Peter van Toren did drums on this recording. With the completion of the CD, the changes came about, so this is the swan song for Monica. And that’s unfortunate but certainly not devastating. Lineup changes in European bands, unlike many American bands, are like changing your clothes in the morning.Doesn’t matter really who does the grunting, this is a B & B Gothic metal band. That Beauty and the Beast approach serves as the focus of A New Dawn and carries through much of the music presented here. And, as B and B bands go, this one is pretty good. They’re Dutch of course, and utilize a style found in numerous western European bands, even if the composition is a little unique. The sound, however, is pretty much mainstream metal, with a few twists.Falling from Grace opens with a beautiful little piece called Black Lotus, the two female leads doing an operatic harmony over a lovely symphonic background. You get the feeling we’re in for a lovely bit of harmonic Gothic, heavily orchestrated. Something like what we’d hear for a movie about life in the Middle Ages. David van Santen even joins in with a lovely male vocal component to augment this direction. The tome lasts some 1:22. . .. and then things change.As mentioned previously, A New Dawn is Gothic Metal, fairly hard Gothic Metal over a solid guitar base. The vocals, the female vocals anyway, are operatic, but they ride a cushion of heavy guitars to get where they’re going. Living Lie begins this journey, and pretty much introduces the real A New Dawn. And Monica’s grunting provides a highlight to the composition.Arguably, the most interesting song might be the following title, Veil of Charity. It made the Sonic Cathedral release A World of Sirens and gets significant airplay on the radio outlet. The song opens with an interesting guitar line over a metal core. Things heat up fast and flow to the duel female lead, which is juxtaposed against the grunting female vocals. This is, of course, the core of the A New Dawn sound and is probably the best implementation of that sound on the CD. Guitars are always secondary to the vocals with A New Dawn but they cannot be ignored, especially on this title. They are solid and get significant solo time, as well they should.The CD being somewhat new I haven’t been able to get lyrics online. However, the English of singers Kluiters, Ifzaren, Janssen and David van Santen is excellent so you can pretty much understand everything they’re singing. That’s not always the case with European bands, especially as they move further to the east. When you get to the Russians, they quit trying.A New Dawn does most of its work in heavy mode. However, there are exceptions. Wisdom of Hindsight is actually something of an acoustic number, at least at first. Vocals are different as well. The band does a sound like a Medieval Folk song on occasion, and this is one of those numbers. However, even here, the metal comes back at some point, but the movement back and forth is really interesting. There are almost three or four distinct styles here in one song.The acoustic sound carries through on other numbers as well, especially as an intro. A short number, Prelude to a Farwell, uses this technique to serve as a mid point on the CD, almost like an intermission, very beautiful and moving.That midpoint takes us to the second part of the CD, introduced by Kissed Goodbye. Again, the song starts slowly with a moving guitar that takes us to the lead female vocals. It should be pointed out that these vocals are not all that similar and are used differently, even when done at the same time. One is more operatic, the other less so, and they work in different ranges. Very different in the style and effect. Anyway, the slow stuff doesn’t last long, the guitars crank up and the metal goes full tilt.Much of the second part of the CD follows this format, slow and dreamy intros that lead to a crunching guitar guiding the female vocals to their face offs with Monica’s grunting.The final number, Ascension, Part III, is worth mentioning. It’s been a favorite of mine for some time and has video clips on YouTube where you get to see Monica (and the rest of the lineup at that time) in performance. This is one of the songs where the grunting is more up front, the guitars are a bit harder and we get the image of A New Dawn on stage. Of course, the two female vocalists are a delight and the band performs this number in much the same style as they would on stage, there is an electricity to their sound that transcends the recording.I’m sure that, in all respects, the band is every bit as good as ever, but I’m sure going to miss that little brunette bass player with the killer voice. Fortunately, we still have the strong contributions from the two female leads who carry the majority of the load.Oh well, progress is inevitable, and, in this case, we move with the tides. A strong offering from a band we will, no doubt, hear much more from in the future." - Sonic Cathedral
    $17.00
  • "Every band has to start somewhere and for HAMMERED this is quite literally “The Beginning”. After this, I got to be more appreciative of Italians. Their music is undoubtedly unique and even the genuinely bad ones have an interesting aspect to them. On the contrary, I’m apt to dislike their food or maybe I haven’t had real Italian food but I sure love their music. Now let me begin by describing this quintet’s debut from Gorizia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia.“No Time For Us” begins with a lot of melody, guitars on both sides building up the song into who knows what. Then it hits you with a Thrash upstart rhythm as a basic guitar riff raises your adrenaline. The drummer, Alfredo Macuz, perfectly catalysts the song’s rhythm into maximum momentum. Tactical and simple strikes capturing the aurora majesty. Then, a technique common with IRON MAIDEN as triplet guitars reaches your ears, a beautiful style of power-charging melodic Thrash. In continuation, “Space Invaders”, has a very soothing group vocal hymn. The riffs are simple but very fitting and Andrea Csàszàr has a nice accent to his singing. This song excellently incorporates a drum solo/interlude accompanied by a catatonic guitar addition.“See You in Hell” starts with an off-beat drum arrangement but as soon as the initial riff engages, the drums escapes its detrimental episode. As guitar melodies leak further, the drum varies in semblance changing like a chameleon out in the scorching hot sun. Then, a new melody enters as the guitar thrives on its uppity embodiment. Suddenly, there’s a second of silence, followed by the guitars going into its finest and fiercest display of thrash riffs yet. As the song progressed, Csàszàr says “hell” in almost a feminine voice. After its termination, the group decides to dispel the notion in unison by saying “In Hell!”. A bit after, the guitars and drums go into a descending pattern. The tone of the drums layered over the guitar riff is exquisite and as the solo approaches it goes into a technical almost classical composed idiosyncrasy.On the latter part of “See You in Hell” you begin to hear a bit of speed metal. It continues its growing roots onto “Masters of Your Nightmares” but only on the former half. This is a quirky but interesting song. It can’t help but put a smile across your face as Csàszàr varies his execution to almost sound like a hyper foreign child. Along the chorus, there are the group vocals saying “…and there’s no key” in a subtly gentle but impacted method. “Money” is an almost acoustic and melody-driven instrumental to show the true horrors of how money is valued in society. It displays utter sadness in the state of money being the deciding factor in negotiations. How it blinds many to its seductive capabilities and strips human existence to its most primitive and ravaging breed.“Bloody Fields” has a TOOL-sounding bass intro accompanied by a soft but intricate drum delicacy. This song uses some weird static sound effect that distorts Andrea Csàszàr’s voice. I don’t know if you’ve seen Dragon Ball Z but he sounds a bit like Android 19. Despite its effect, this song is very mellow-inducing. “From Paradise to Hell” flourishes one of the catchiest melodic riffs so far. It feels like the bright sun is shining down on you as you hear the waves lightly crash against the shoreline and taps your feet with its liquidity. In coherence with the previous, about halfway through “The Five Hunters”, prior to the solo, is one of the catchiest riffs. It sticks with you and it’s admittedly creative.“Never Dies” reminds me of METALLICA’s “Whiplash” not instrumentally-wise but in regards to how the lyrics describe their sense of aptitude and life through a musician’s vantage point. Take note in how both songs are from each band’s debut full-length. “Wait For Sleep” is an excellent DREAM THEATER cover attempted by these guys.HAMMERED is one of those special bands you don’t know what to think of them on contact but through trial and error delivers a memorial experience. I, spontaneously, gave this album a third spin and to my surprise it sounded unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. They play in a style I like to call as Melodic Thrash Metal with Speed and Traditional Heavy Metal influences. This is a very strong debut, full of catchy and visionary bearings." - Metal Temple
    $13.00
  • "This fifth album for the underground Norwegian Prog / Power Metal kings starts with a short Flamenco guitar and compass handclap pattern intro named “Esperanto”, luckily DIVIDED MULTITUDE will quickly manage to change everything soon with a real Metal riff and a double kick onslaught, they set the power to maximum heaviness mixed with sheer elegance, indeed since then the remaining 10 tracks on the album are pretty sharp with furious drums and almost Thrashy rhythmic guitars but moderated with ultra-catchy vocals in the real Scandinavian method. I like to think of them about as an heaviest version of CIRCUS MAXIMUS (“What I See”), applicant of a few hyper challenging Melodic motifs with a stunning Schizophrenic vocal rendition, indeed Mr. Sindre Antonsen alternates brilliantly between "testo-tenroic" multi layered singing like Jekyll & Hyde, in the great PRETTY MAIDS & Ronnie Atkins tradition with a two-faced styled that switch from velvet to sandpaper in the same sentence.Of course all the players are ultra-competent, Christer Harøy (PS: his other band with his brother Rayner called TEODOR TUFF is also warmly recommended by yours truly) is a solid guitar player but stay quite discrete leaving much room to another essential strong element in their sound: the fantastic yet subtle Eskild Kløften, who provides some fine effective performance in multipl(a)ying synthetic ambient waves & Progressive Rock keyboards.In this genre the songwriting should be uselessly complicated, well it’s not exactly the case with “Feed On Your Misery”, but don’t get me wrong please, there is plenty of weird or cerebral moments as some strange structures mixed with passionate and luxurious arrangements quite rich in complexity with an average over six minutes in length without never sounding hermetic or rigid.The smartest cuts like the title track “Feed On Your Misery”, the delicious “Crimson Sunset” or the dark “Vicious By Heart” are also pretty much influenced by early QUEENSRYCHE or CRIMSON GLORY with some modernized vocals taken from the inherent omnipresent obvious reference while speaking about Prog Metal singer, the soulful, the one, the only: Sir Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X / ADRENALINE MOB) himself (“Scars”).Finally, the best comparison could have been PAGAN’S MIND meets ANUBIS GATE meets CONCEPTION. I already said it, I will say it again: “Feed On Your Misery” by DIVIDED MULTITUDE, that’s Scandinavian Melodic Prog at its Best." - Metal Temple
    $14.00
  • I can't remember a buzz on a band's debut since Circus Maximus.  Perhaps due to the album being released in Japan a year ago and its unavailability elsewhere, maybe because they are lined up to play ProgPowerUSA.  Whatever the reason the album finally gets a wide debut and it was worth the wait.  Damnation Angels is a British symphonic metal band fronted by a Norwegian singer.  He goes by the name PelleK and was a contestant on Norway's version of X Factor.  The band's stock in trade is epic sounding metal that pays a huge debt to Kamelot.  The instrumental passages take on the grandeur and scope of Nightwish.  PelleK does a sold job out front - he's obviously listened to a Khan quite a bit.  Highly recommended.
    $14.00
  • "Formed in Florence, Italy, in 1996, Inner Shrine was one of the first Symphonic bands to emerge from the European metal scene. The band released first full length album 'Nocturnal Rhymes Entangled in Silence' in 1997 and, since then, has been able to develop a strong identity mixing classic heavy metal, doom, classical music and ppera with powerful visuals and a deep lyrical approach."Following the critically acclaimed album 'Mediceo' (2010), 'Pulsar' is the band’s ultimate musical statement, an intriguing concept about the end of the world and the creation of a new species. The album has been described as one of the heaviest in the band’s career, with a particular emphasis on the melodic death and Gothic influences."
    $5.00