Heavy Metal

  • Arryan Path – Terra Incognita (2010)

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    Arryan Path is the second band we review from Cyprus this week and this one is a way better than the last one we did. The band plays Epic Power Metal with some hints of Middle Eastern influences like Orphaned Land does.

    “Terra Incognita” is the band’s second release, and it’s a pretty solid one. This album comes to us as a surprise, especially after the last 10 Power Metal albums we have received sound exactly the same. Arryan Path has a very unique feeling to their music and this is what makes them stand out from the rest.

  • Lethal Saint – Lethal Saint (2010)

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    In our playlist we find ourselves today with Lethal Saint’s self-title debut album. After doing some research we find out that the band hails from Cyprus and they formed back in 2006. As you would imagine from the cover of this album, the band is plays old-school Heavy Metal, a style that has been gaining a second round at the spotlight and many bands are jumping in to capitalize on this movement.

    “Lethal Saint” features 12 songs and over 70 minutes of music, a feat that seems very impressive for a band’s first release. However, the overall impression is that this release is a hit and miss festival, there are good songs, and then some very bad ones. The common factor that brings this band’s debut release to a low score of 70 points is the off-key vocalist.

  • Silent Fall – Otherwise (2010)

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    Hailing from France we have Silent Fall, a band that recently changed their name from Winterland and play a mean combination of Melodic Power/Heavy Metal. In the same vein as compatriots Adagio, the band specializes in bombastic melodies filled with intricate guitar and keyboard arrangements.

    The big name Japanese band called Versailles is the first comparison that comes to mind once we started listening to “Otherwise” the band’s first full-length release. While Silent Fall is less theatrical than Versailles, the vocal sound and the overall song structure is very similar. And if you know who Versailles is, you know that a comparison to them should not be taken lightly.

  • Raven – Walk Through Fire (2010)

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    Ten years have passed since the band’s last release “One For All” and with “Walk Through Fire” we can’t stop but wonder if the band was cryogenically frozen for the last 10 years and just released their follow up album. Raven is mostly recognized for being a NWOBHM band, and as we can currently listen, they are still a very good one.

    Featuring 143 tracks and a cover song, “Walk Through Fire” takes you back in time, when all the NWOBHM bands were at their greatest spotlight and brings back that feeling like no time has passed. Raven has managed to keep their sound intact and their music making abilities are still great.

  • Armour - Armour (2010)

    After listening to this release for a few times I started to wonder if I had accidentally downloaded the wrong promo album. I never expected for this band to have such a traditional Heavy Metal sound (the cover gave it away, but you still won’t expect it). Hailing from Finland, this band got a third place on a nation wide TV competition for demo bands.

    Featuring a healthy dose of traditional Heavy Metal in their influences, the band is great at playing this genre. You will never expect that they formed only in 2006 and that this self-title album is their first full-length. The enigmatic Vince "Werewolf" Venom is the band’s vocalist as well as the vocalist for countless other bands that play very different styles, like Black Metal with Satanic Warmaster

  • Age Of Evil – Get Dead (2009)

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    Hailing from the USA we get this very young and promising Heavy/Trash Metal band called Age Of Evil. Most band members can’t legally but a drink but they can rock the shit out of many bands of this genre.

    “Get Dead” is the band’s latest release that features 2 new songs (“Cruel Intentions” and “Get Dead”), as well as a few covers (“Slave To Grind” of Skid Row and “Electric Eye” from Judas Priest), and 2 live songs. You can clearly see the Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and even some Metallica influences in the band’s sound.

  • The Resurrection Sorrow – Hour Of The Wolf (2009)

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    Hailing from New York, USA, The Resurrection Sorrow plays a mean mixture of Heavy and Stoner Metal, and while not the most original band, they do a pretty good job at getting people moving with their music.

    “Hour Of The Wolf” features 10 tracks for over 45 minutes of rocking music that will grab your attention since track one. I’m not a huge fan of Stoner Metal, but the ‘heaviness’ infused by TRS make this album not have a dull moment.

  • Macbeth – Gotteskrieger (2009)

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    This review is about the Germany Heavy Metal band called Macbeth, not to be confused with the other 5 or so bands with the same name. This band has been plagued by bad luck causing them to split 2 times.

    It’s been three years since their self titled last album, and with “Gotteskrieger” the band return with a very interesting album, that differs from most Heavy Metal releases that I’ve heard in the last few months.

    “Gotteskrieger” can’t be labeled as a traditional Heavy Metal release since the guitar riffs for most of the songs are not very traditional, each song has elements from many other genres that make the band’s sound very dark and fresh. The only ‘common factor’ between the songs are the vocals. They are very raspy but Heavy Metal sounding.

  • Alestorm – Black Sails At Midnight (2009)

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    The Scottish pirates are back with the latest full length “Black Sails At Midnight”. This album features some songs already released in the last EP “Leviathan”. Alestorm goes back to their traditional formula of heavy metal infused with pirate themes. I got the chance of catching this band live during the Pagan Fest tour along Tyr and Suidakra, and they are a very entertaining band to see perform live.

  • Shakra – Everest (2009)

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    Shakra brings us their rock influenced heavy metal from Switzerland. “Everest” marks their 7th full length release, and you can hear that in the quality of their music. This album contains 13 tracks of pretty solid rock/heavy metal that will surely please the followers of this band, and that will appeal fans of the genre of music.

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