Reinier de Vries – Power Of Metal.dk

Sacred Reich – Awakening

Reinier de Vries — Thu, 22 Aug 2019 16:04:00 +0000

‘Surf Nicaragua’ is probably the most known song from the band and always a track they play live. This wasn’t different at Into The Grave in Leeuwarden early August. The band did an excellent gig and also played a few new songs. I must admit that they fit in rather well in between their older tracks. I also saw their new guitarist Joey Radziwill (only 22 years old) and he did quite a good job. He replaces Jason Rainey who sadly enough had to step down due to health problems. New guy Joey wasn’t even born yet when the last album Heal was released.

New album Awakening has only 8 songs and with 31 minutes a rather short album. But, rather quality over quantity and lucky enough, the songs are rather good. The opening and title track is a real thrash song, which also can be said about ‘Divide and Conquer’, a very fast song which punches you right in the face. Besides these typical thrash songs, there are also a couple of more groovier tracks. ‘Salvation’, ‘Killing Machine’ and ‘Death Valley’ are examples of that. Besides that, ‘Salvation’ is a very melodic piece, with twin guitars and solos that breath Iron Maiden all along. ‘Manifest Reality’ has a Slayer vibe and could have been on their debut album easily. Another real thrash attack is the shortest on the album: ‘Revolution’, it is also the fastest one. Just before that there is the in my opinion weakest track ‘Death Valley’. It is also the most melodic and slowest, and not typical one you expect from Sacred Reich. Perhaps I just need to get used to it, but at the moment I find it the less interesting one.

With ‘Something To Believe’ the groove is back again and also the melody. Again a track in which Phil shows that he is an o.k. singer. Personally I had hoped for a real heavy thrash hammer to end the album.

All in all, the quality on the album is high, but due to the short length and only 8 songs, I am not overenthusiastic. I had hoped for a few more songs after such a long hiatus, neverthelesst a good comeback album for certain.

Insurrection – Circles of Despair

Reinier de Vries — Wed, 31 Jul 2019 09:41:23 +0000

Are you looking for a perfect blend of thrash and death, do not look any further. From the north of the Netherlands Insurrection shows how it should be done. The aggressive screaming vocals in combination with the furious riffs and high speed tempos are amazing. Opener ‘Enigma Machine’ is the blue print of a thrash/death song. But don’t think it is all aggression and violence, no they put in a lot of melody as well. ‘Non Existent Fall’ starts with a nice thrash riff to increase in tempo later on, but with nice melodic parts throughout the song. ‘Futile Existence’ opens with some of the best thrash riffs I heard this year. Screaming vocals and more grunting ones are alternated and make this one of my favorite tracks.

Somehow the band mixes aggression with melody in a way I haven’t heard for a couple of years. In the 4th song the band works that almost out into perfection, just listen to the solos and you will agree. As if we didn’t hear enough great heavy riffs yet, the band just continues in ‘The Deeper Depths’. The half spoken grunts see to it that it sounds very dark and together with the screaming vocals again a perfect blend of death and thrash. ‘Origin’ is a very fast song, with some screaming black metal influences. In ‘Spiralling Down’ the band shows that they also are into some darker a bit Opeth sounding and less heavy stuff, with accoustic guitar and cello included. What impresses me the most about Insurrection is the mature sound of the band. Sure the members have played in several other bands, but the skills are great. With a mix and mastering of Frederik Nordström everything sounds very balanced and heavy.

Is there nothing to complain about then? Well the only thing that bores me a bit after a while are the screaming vocals. There is too little variation and sounds the same in several songs after a while. Fortunately the more grunting ones compensate that a bit.

Destruction – Born To Perish

Reinier de Vries — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 09:38:43 +0000

They always talk about the big four German thrash bands, but for me there are only 2, Kreator and Destruction. With all respect, Sodom and Tankard don’t deliver the same quality in my humble opinion. Both bands almost never disappoint when they bring out a new album. After being a 3 man band for many years, Destruction is a 4-piece again and that certainly is going to be a difference at live gigs. But also already on this new album the twin guitar work already blossems.

From start to finish, Born To Perish grooves like hell. Songs that swing and very strong galopping riffs accompanied by melody and aggression. Typical Destruction, but stronger than ever. The fast opener which also shows that new drummer Randy Black is a real animal on drums, is Destruction all the way. The title track could have been on an album like Eternal Devestation as well. Schmier his typical voice sounds still the same after so many years. Some Bay Area influences can be found back in the riffmonster ‘Tyrants Of The Netherwold’ and closer ‘Rat Catcher’ is a very variable a bit more chaotic track. Personally I find the riffs in the song ‘We Breed Evil’ and ‘Rotten’ some of the most interesting and contagious ones I have listened to recently.

The modern heavy sound, the variety, the galopping and grooving songs see to it that this new album is for me their best in the last 20 years.

Hatriot – From Days Unto Darkness

Reinier de Vries — Sat, 27 Jul 2019 11:11:28 +0000

Thrash the way it was invented in the 80’s. The first 2 albums were with Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza on vocals. On this third album his son Cody take care of the vocals. When the acorn falls, it lands in shade of the oak. Cody has almost the same voice as his father, I can’t hear a lot of difference. With that said, you won’t be surprised that the music has not changed a lot from the 2 predecessors. Hatriot sounds on this new album From Days Unto Darkness, as a mix of Exodus and Testament. With some guest vocals of Chuck Billy and some typical Testament like solos as in ‘Organic Remains’ this is confirmed.

Outside it is 37 degrees celcius, so I keep this review short. With the new Suicidal Angels, this album is one of the best new old-school sounding Bay Area Thrash records this month. For thrash fans this is an expensive month, certainly when you also buy Sacred Reich and Destruction.

Fans of Exodus and Testament have a must buy this month!

Jolly – Family

Reinier de Vries — Mon, 01 Jul 2019 14:13:55 +0000

Jolly is a progressive-alternative rock band from New York City. Their first full length Forty-Six Minutes was released in 2009. After that they released the two part album The Audio Guide To Happiness (Part 1) in 2011 and Part 2 in 2013. Since 2015 they have been working on this new album and now it is finally released through Glassville Records. I recieved again the cd with an issue of the True Music Guide, the promotion magazine of JBM promotion. A complete Biography, an interview with drummer/producer Louis Abramson, several photos, upcoming gigs of other bands and all the info about the album can be found in the promotion guide.

I am not very familiar with the band Jolly, just because it isn’t the genre I am listening to on a daily base. Yet, after listening I found that this album deserved to be reviewed. Since The Real Thing I am a fan of Faith No More (only not the last release). I was immediately hooked by the opener ‘Lie To Me’. A song that has a lot of Faith No More influences. The singing, the melodies all see to that. In fact to me the song sounds like a perfect mix of Faith No More and Fates Warning. These influences can be found back on several other songs later on as well, ‘Violet’ is one of them.

‘Lazarus’ continues also rather dark and with some impressive Eastern sounding influences and catchy choruses. The song ends with the heaviest riffs on the entire album. After that the ballad ‘Rain’ continues. Talking about catchy, the keyboard tunes on ‘Ava’ are catchy as hell. ‘Let It Go’ starts soft, serene and melodic, but has some very aggressive and heavy parts half way.

Fans of catchy choruses, nice piano parts, great choruses and a lot of melody will be pleased with Family. Expect a light version of bands like Faith No More, Radiohead, Tool and Fates Warning. Sounds good to you? You might want to get to know Jolly.

Majestica – Above the Sky

Reinier de Vries — Sat, 08 Jun 2019 12:11:31 +0000

Tommy Johansson from Sabaton is the most known member of the band. ReinXeed and Golden Resurrection are two other bands he played in. The music of Majestica has quite some similarities to what he did with ReinXeed, bombastic symphonic and melodic power metal. If you like a combination of Helloween, Stratovarius, Rhapsody of Fire, Dragonforce, Sabaton and Freedom Call, or his band ReinXeed, you will like this.

From opener ‘Above the Sky’ to closer ‘Alliance Forever’ high quality and well written songs follow. The only negative point is perhaps the lack of originality, but as a melodic power metal lover I can live with that. ‘The Legend’ is together with ‘Father Time’ the most theatrical and orchestral track. The most impressive and perhaps over the top track is ‘Father Time’. There is so much going on in that song, my God! Is it a Christmas carol or what? If you want to check out one song, it must be this one.

If you want some happy sounding sing a long power metal, check this out!

Death Angel – Humanicide

Reinier de Vries — Tue, 28 May 2019 10:57:27 +0000

Three years after The Evil Divide it is time for the new album Humanicide. Which is an excellent title if you ask me, combining human and suicide to express that we the people are destroying the world (that’s how I experience the title). Death Angel is a pack that never disappoints, each album they release is close to perfect and has excellent written songs. For the fourth time in a row, they chose Jason Suecof as producer and not only his production skills are amazing, he can also play the guitar as you can hear in the track ‘Revelation song’. Another guest on guitar is Children of Bodom member Alexi Laiho in ‘Ghost of Me’. Besides that they also asked Vika Yermolyeva for the piano outro part of ‘Immortal Behated’, a rather progressive track.

Opener ‘Humanicide’ starts with a guitar tandem intro in the vain of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest (The Hellion). This fast song has been out on YouTube for a while and should be known by now. ‘Divine Defector’ follows in the same aggressive fast tempo. ‘Aggressor’ has more variety and is a typical Death Angel track, jumping up and down and with Mark at his best. ‘I Came for Blood’ has a NWOBHM vibe, a kind of Saxon on high speed. Thrash returns with ‘Alive and Screaming’ and ‘Ghost of Me’ and with ‘Revelation Song’ a more progressive side of Death Angel appears again.

All in all, a typical high quality Death Angel album, which continues where The Evil Divide left us 3 years ago. Every die-hard thrash fan should purchase this as soon as possible.

Possessed – Revelations Of Oblivion

Reinier de Vries — Thu, 09 May 2019 17:34:03 +0000

If you want to start a nice discussion with some metal fans, meanwhile consuming some beer and enjoying nice music of course, you need to ask the question: ‘Who was the first band playing Death Metal’? Was it Death, Obituary, Celtic Frost, Venom or Possessed? Well, I’m not going to tell you my answer to that question. What I know is that I surely enjoyed their debut album Seven Churches. Perhaps not death metal in the style of a Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse or Entombed, but dark and brutal for sure. Some might even call it thrash with grunting/harsh vocals. Well, I don’t give a shit how it is called, it is just good stuff. The same can be said about this new album, it sounds like a brutal thrash album instead of being brutal death metal, but it sounds like Possessed for sure.

33 years later this 3rd full-length album is being released. With this pace, it will take 66 years after their debut that their 6th album will see the light (or dark!), which can’t be a coincidence! The music has lots of elements of their first 2 albums, only with a better production and more modern sounding. Jeff his voice is as recognizable as always and rasps through all the songs in his typical style. The riffs are razor sharp and the old school thrash/death feeling is a feast for the ears. Sure there will still be people missing that old eighties sound, but we live in 2019 now and production methods are a lot more modern.

After the intro ‘No More Room in Hell’ starts, the song has been on Youtube for a while and will be known by now. Drummer Emilio sounds very tight and the use of the rototoms gives the songs that old school sound. I can’t give you songs that really stick out, just because every track is of a very high quality. ‘Omen’ starts with hell bells and gives me that Seven Churches feeling. If I have to choose a song as one of my favorite, I think I would pick ‘Graven’ today and perhaps ‘Shadowcult’ tomorrow.

Possessed deserves to get the maximum score, and I know there is only one original member left, but who cares!

Semistereo – Zabriskii

Reinier de Vries — Sat, 27 Apr 2019 21:50:33 +0000

Semistereo is a progressive band from the heart of Amsterdam. This is already their fourth full length. The band plays a crossover between post and progressive rock. The songs have strong melodies, nice sometimes stoner sounding grooves and atmospheric soundscapes.

Influences of Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd, A Perfect Circle and Psychotic Waltz form the base of their music. Especially singer Paul Glandorf, also known from his live performances for Ayreon, has something in his voice reminding me of Buddy Lackey. Take for example the song ‘Leap Into Flames’ it sounds a lot like Psychotic Waltz, also musically. With that said, this band can’t do a lot wrong for me anymore. The entire album is a nice ride through progressive land. Serene and atmospheric go hand in hand with more groovy parts, but especially the song writing makes the most impression on me. It sounds so pure and natural and by edding some stoner sounding parts they are a perfect band also for fans of Deftones, Radiohead, Tool and Oceansize as well.

This Dutch band made an album that can compete with all other progressive rock and post metal bands around the globe!

Vulture – Beyond the Blade

Reinier de Vries — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 17:49:36 +0000

Vulture is a heavy metal band from Germany the quintet recently finished recording their second long-player, Ghastly Waves & Battered Graves, for a June 7th release via Metal Blade Records. To put the band a bit more in the spotlight again, this 7″ vinyl is released. Side A features the title track, the B-side the Thin Lizzy cover ‘Killer On The Loose’.

Fans of the speed metal genre already know the band from their 2017 debut album The Guillotine. The first EP track sounds like a mix of early Exodus combined with Agent Steel and twin guitar work in Savage Grace style. With this I think the description of the style is rather accurate. They also changed the Thin Lizzy cover in the typical Vulture style.

Now we just have to wait for June for some more new old school speed metal music.