Album of the Month – 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.

Teramaze – Are We Soldiers

Rick Ossian — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 00:31:37 +0000

Blazing into our consciousness from down under come Australia’s Teramaze with a muscular, powerful new album, Are We Soldiers. These blokes have no less than a half dozen recordings under their belt already, and are confident in their metal skin. From what I’ve been able to ascertain thus far, Melbourne‘s metal men are into the longer numbers, which is good for us prog metal heads. There are also a few more ‘normal’ length tunes on board as well, perhaps as a bid for FM airplay? Let us hope there are radio stations that still play music of this magnitude.

Fight or Flight is up first, and it is a slice of AOR metal, if you will, with some very pretty piano work. The title track is up next, and it is a solid, chugging jam, again almost FM-friendly. There is an excellent guitar bit at about the four-minute mark.

Control Conquer Collide is an almost 8-minute beast. It is a very upbeat tune with keyboards playing a big role. From Saviour to Assassin features more of this distinct heaviness. Orwellian Times features solid HM riffs and good clean straight vocals, as do most of the tunes on board here. Some big keyboard things happening, and another wonderful guitar solo at about 4 1/2 minutes in.

Next up is Monsters, and it boasts a keyboard intro with some vocal FX. “I’ll never trust anybody again”, a voice tell us. Yikes! This is another possibly FM-friendly number, and features a duel between keys and guitars. Weight of Humanity includes a VERY busy drummer, and more heaviness. There are some very funky HM riffs going on here, and a beautiful piano interlude at about 3 1/2 minutes in.

Fact Resistant Human is not quite as heavy as the other tracks, but is still very good. It is mostly keyboard/drum heavy prog, if you will. The One Percent Disarm is a good heavy prog number, almost thrashy at times. It features big chugging HM riffs and clean vocals.

Our closer for today is the big one, Dispopulate. It is a 12-minute behemoth, and it is obvious from just one listen that these boys saved the best for last. This is a total JAM, folks. At about 8 1/2 minutes in we also get a wicked guitar solo. Excellent stuff, very solid material!

Bottom line is this; if you like your prog heavy, then check out Teramaze! Top marks!

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!

Dawn Of Demise – Into the Depths of Veracity

Thomas Nielsen — Sat, 25 May 2019 18:52:23 +0000

There is one Danish metal band that I’ve followed more closely than others. Part of the reason is that they are THE local metal band where I live. The second reason is that I can firmly say that they are damned good. Their name is DAWN OF DEMISE.

Since 2007, the death metal five-piece around the Jensen brothers, vocalist Scott and bassist/backing vocalist Bjørn, have released a string of consistently strong albums. I’ve always been totally happy with their material throughout the years, but I must say that this latest release is one step up.

First it has to be said that Dawn Of Demise sound like themselves on Into the Depths of Veracity. Even if they lean heavily on the New Yorker death metal scene and have sworn their allegiance to Suffocation from day one, their sound is recognisable a mile away and has been from the beginning. Stylistically, there are no surprises to be found on the new album.

The gutteral roar from Scott Jensen is just as uncanny as it has always been, and the interaction between his bear grunts and his brother’s backing vocals works like a charm and offers the listener great variation.

Back to the step up. It has a lot to do with two factors:

1. Drummer Bastian Thusgaard has gone from great to amazing. Simple as that. His expanded sphere of experience has done wonders for the young man and his surroundings. Soilwork is now on the CV, and his talent has also raised the bar for them. This is certainly also the case for Dawn Of Demise where the underlying structure of the songs has become even sharper.

2. The production quality has gone up one notch since The Suffering (2016). The sound is clearer, sharper, but still with the warmth and fullness that is charateristic for great death metal.

Otherwise, this is simply Dawn Of Demise, but beefed up to stage perfect. Can’t help loving it. Don’t miss this one, death metal boys and girls.

Here’s the title track from Into the Depths of Veracity. The kind of mid-tempo crusher I’m completely in love with. Enjoy!

Jordan Rudess – Wired For Madness

Rick Ossian — Sun, 07 Apr 2019 22:40:16 +0000

This latest foray into the musical spectrum from Dream Theater keyboard impresario Jordan Rudess is nothing short of magnificent. Check the mindblowing video for the title track and others on YouTube. You won’t even need any psychedelics for this stuff – it brings its own. Brought to us by Music Theories Recordings (part of the Mascot Label Group), not only does Wired For Madness please the ears – it will make you want to get up and dance, or even do some air guitar or headbanging!

The title track starts us off in fair enough shape – it is split into two sections, but together is a whopping 22-and-a-half minutes plus. It is fair to say that this one is a monster vehicle for the keyboards. Of course, Jordan lets everyone else take their chance to shine as well. There are both male and female vocals, lead piper for Dream Theater James LaBrie notwithstanding, there are some fairly pleasant runs here. W4M throws in everything including the kitchen sink; you get rock, big band, classical orchestration, horns, strings, etc. – literally everything! Lots of fun to listen to, though.

Off the Ground sports a lovely piano intro. It is a medium-tempo AOR piece of prog. It also features some lead guitar pyrotechnics at the 3-minute mark. Drop Twist features a funky FX intro and some weird vocal FX. It is mainly just an instrumental jam! Perpetual Shine is another funky number. It is also an instrumental JAM with a showcase for synths and other keys thrown in to boot.

Just Can’t Win almost channels Z.Z. Top vocally, and is a ‘dirty blues song’, according to Rudess. It features Joe Bonamassa on guitar and a brass section from hell. There is a beautiful piano solo about three minutes in, and a gorgeous closing bit as well. There is some serious soloing from both Joe and Jordan on this one.

Just For Today has more pretty piano and plaintive vocals. This one is a bit depressing, oddly enough. There are inspirational vocals at times – sort of a ballad, this one. Why I Dream is the closer, and it is an uptempo rocker that clocks in at about 6 minutes. There is a vocal FX intro, followed by some vigorous bass playing, a lead guitar solo at the 4-minute mark, and is another all-out jam for the most part. Bass, piano, and the synths between 3 and 4 minutes are just fun jamming!

According to Rudess, this is ‘not a concept album‘. Whether you believe that or not is your own business. Go out and get Wired For Madness now. You will NOT be disappointed!

Devin Townsend – Empath

Rick Ossian — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 14:23:34 +0000

One thing that today’s listener needs to remember is to keep on their toes – you never know what you will be listening to. That is definitely in play today, as we peer into the mind of one of rock’s stranger characters. Devin Townsend, of Strapping Young Lad fame, has been fairly prolific of late – seems like I just listened to a live Ocean Machine not even a few month back! In any case, here he is again with a collection of tunes so curious and disparate as to be pretty much unique among the latest of our prog rock and metal progenitors.

As usual with the proggers, there are a couple of blurbs. Empath begins with one of those, and it is titled Castaway. It features bird and beach FX , mellow guitar (Hawaiian?) and keyboards. It is only a couple of minutes long, but the point of it is lost on me, unless it is, of course, to set up the next tune. Genesis begins life with heavy metal riffs, keyboards, general weirdness, vocals about thirty seconds in, and almost a death metal growl here and there. It is atmospheric in nature, with lots of squealing guitars, a very weird mid-section and a cacophony about half way through. It is quite a tune.

Spirits Will Collide is up next, and it is a triumphant number in nature. You can feel it in the production, the horns, the big riffs, the vocal choir. You get the picture. Evermore features another big, bright intro with big vocals. The vocals start out buried at first, but soon take on their own instrumental aura, if you will. Some stop-time heavy metal riffs and another bizarre midsection later, and you have another cacophony, then out! Sprite has sort of an exalted vibe to it, and includes a spoken word intro, of all things. This track is weird – almost disturbingly so. They keys are way out there, and just when you think his vocals are going to reign you in, they do, but only briefly! There is a very bizarre vocal FX close on this one.

Hear Me is a wow/holy crap kind of song, in that everything is BIG – big riffs, big keys, big drums – you get the idea. HUGE vocals! The vocals are strange, almost nut job strange but that is typical Devin. My wife is more brutal – she says “it sounds like shit!”. I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. My wife, not so much! There is a big jam in the middle, another cacophony, and some serious screaming.

Why is symphonic in nature, with operatic vocals. I wish I had a voice like that! Big finish on this one. Borderlands begins life with a rooster crow, which seems appropriate somehow. It is a big tune. It starts out with simple synth washes and guitars strumming, but it just keeps getting bigger and bigger! The tune, itself, of course, is gargantuan. Eleven minutes may not seem like much to the resident progger, but for Townsend it is a bit of a stretch. If you think that is immense, however, just wait, there’s one more!

First, of course, we have another interlude. Requiem is another of those blurbs I’m always bitching about, but it seems to serve more of a purpose at least this time. This time around is features orchestra and vocals, so it is most likely one of those blurbs that will get bigger and actually get a chance to become a song!

Last, but not least, we have the big one. The monster leviathan, Singularity. This beast is twenty-three-and-a-half minutes long! It careens back and forth between skullduggery and song like I veer in modes from narcoleptic to frantic! It is huge, but it has purpose, again, for a big one. It starts out with a “Where Were You?” (Jeff Beck) vibe, then all hell breaks loose! One must listen to get an idea of where to go from here. I just loved it.

Dream Theater – Distance Over Time

Rick Ossian — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 12:03:58 +0000

Many of you will already know of the exploits of the fellows in Dream Theater. Formed in the northeast (Berkeley College of Music) in 1985 as Majesty , they’ve come a considerable length since then. I recall seeing them early in their career in a small venue in Omaha, Nebraska on their Images and Words tour. Speaking of touring, the boys are ready to head out in March. I, for one, am hoping that they will come back to the Midwest. Everyone in the band is on top form on this one. James’ vocals are, as ever, spot on, and the engine room (the double M one-two punch, Myung and Mangini) kicks some serious ass. Mangini is a powerhouse!

Investigating the release of the singles from the LP bears resemblance to a calculated assault attack; Untethered Angel first appeared on December 7th. Fall Into the Light was released to the world on January 11th. Paralyzed came out on February 8th. The official release of the LP is Friday. I’d say the world is ready. All three tracks being released as singles, while appearing slightly askew in today’s FM world, may yet work just as the band/management have planned. Give them a little bit, and they will be wanting more!

Let’s check out the other tracks, then, shall we? Barstool Warrior is a total jam, featuring an excellent guitar solo at about the half-way mark (seems like every track does this). There is also some gorgeous piano work on this track. Room 137 features metal riffage and a slow burning bluesy shred from JP. S2N is a bass showcase, as well as featuring a trade-off jam (or duel, if you will) between Jordan and JP. At Wit’s End is the longest number, at almost nine-and-a-half minutes, you could even say it qualifies as a prog EPIC. I know, we all hate that word by now, but we also know that it describes the situation almost perfectly! Out of Reach is a short-but-sweet love ballad with piano and violin. Pale Blue Dot is another long (eight-and-a-half minutes) jam, and starts out sort of atmospheric but soon develops into a full on heavy jam. Viper King, listed as the extra track, is another heavy jam with some funky keys and and an excellent guitar solo.

Bottom line is this: if you are a prog rock fan, then you will most likely dig Dream Theater’s latest. Go out and score this one before they are all gone!

Darkwater – Human

Rick Ossian — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 21:37:48 +0000

The long-awaited new recording from Darkwater has arrived! Human is a veritable smorgasbord for the progressive metal or progressive rock fan’s ears! This comes to us via Ulterium Records. Darkwater come to us from Boras, Sweden. I have no clue what’s in the water over there in Sweden (even though my ancestry features a healthy chunk of Swedish), but whatever it is renders a lot of kick-ass progressive metal bands! Darkwater were formed in 2003, and they inked their deal with Ulterium in 2007. Calling the Earth to Witness (2007) and Where Stories End (2010) may already be familiar with the prog metal world. Never fear, dear readers – this is a worthy follow-up.

The tracks are wonderful. Indeed, there isn’t a dud in the bunch. The only thing I don’t quite understand is why Alive is cut into two parts. I mean, I get that Part 1 is the introduction, and during Part 2 the idea gets fleshed out, but why not just put the two parts together? Okay, rant over. I know I bitch about things like this entirely too often, so I will just shut up.

There is some beautiful piano work on these recordings. The production work is key, and their sound is stately, majestic prog metal. They most likely take influence from an array of my heroes, such as Symphony X, Dream Theater and Evergrey. You can hear it in all of the tunes, particularly in the centerpiece, Reflection of a Mind. This is a very intense eleven-and-a-half minute epic, folks. That’s right, I said it. I hate that word just as much as the rest of you, but I feel compelled to use it in this instance. This is a veritable tour-de-force.

Of course, with the long we must have the short, so there is A New Beginning, which is a mere six-and-a-half minutes. Hardly a leviathan, but still an arse-kicking tune in it’s own right. Insomnia is big and riffy, featuring wickedly large production values again. Burdens features an acoustic intro, huge heavy metal riffs and a big kick in the pants about a minute in, plus some intense shredding all around. Turning Pages also has one of those haunting fingerpicked intros that I love to go on and on about.

Bottom line is this, dear readers: if you like your progressive metal with loud, operatic crescendos and incredible musicianship, plus searing vocals, then Darkwater is for you!

Evergrey – The Atlantic

Rick Ossian — Thu, 27 Dec 2018 01:39:48 +0000

On first hearing of The Atlantic, I was fairly impressed. I mean, it’s right up my alley – it’s prog metal of the finest caliber. At some point one begins to wonder if it’s all just being cranked out by a machine. You know, all of these wonderful Scandinavian stalwarts pumping out who knows how many cracking pieces of absolutely savage prog…where does it end? Well, dear readers, it ends right here, on your discovery of The Atlantic. This is sweeping, epic stuff, in the finest prog tradition. Anyone who passes them up as ‘just another prog metal outfit’ is going to miss out!

Everything that we’ve always loved about prog metal is here. The majestic, grandiose production; the screaming guitar leads, the triphammer drumming, the thumping bass, and the almighty vocals. Most good prog will give you plenty of widdling, but if it doesn’t go anywhere, then what’s the point? Widdling for the sake of widdling is no good, but if it takes you on a JOURNEY, like Evergrey does, then I could listen to it all day!

I will say one thing negative, and that’s probably going to cut it. Miniature rant here, basically for miniature ‘songs’. Bands – whenever you have an idea that is not particularly fleshed out, or it’s just bleeps and bloops, or it’s an intro, or whatever- leave it off, please! If it’s only a minute or two long, and it doesn’t go anywhere, then why put it on the album? Oh, it sets up the next song, you say? Fine, then put it with the next song. No more intervals, or interludes, PLEASE! The Tidal is one of these. I’m not necessarily saying that it’s a waste of space, but it is a waste of space!

Another thing that I forgot to mention. Every track on this recording has some very beautiful piano playing. In my notes for my review, there is the normal stuff about guitars and busy drums and such, but on nearly every track I also made the notation ‘P.P.’, which in reviewer parlance means pretty piano.

In closing, I’d like to say that it has been my pleasure to listen to this piece. I can’t always say that, you know. I listen to a lot of music!

Lost in Thought – Renascence

Rick Ossian — Sat, 24 Nov 2018 12:24:23 +0000

Formed in 2007, Swansea, Wales’ Lost in Thought follow 2011’s Opus Arise with their sophomore session, Renascence. In my less-than-perfect (so my wife reminds me) opinion, this is a bonafide prog-metal masterpiece. Everything is there – the smoothly-oiled engine room (bass and drums are absolutely on fire), the sky vocals, the anthemic riffs, the incredible lead playing, the ethereal keys. Time after time, track after track, they continue to nail down Prog Metal 101.

A New Life features a brief synthy intro, giving way to the heavy stuff soon thereafter. There are mellow moments, of course, as a way of transition between the screams of blinding heaviness. This is muscular metal folks – the vocals are every bit as strong as the drums and the guitars, and vice versa. Those of you who love a good lead will be impressed. Excellent stuff.

Ascendance will reel you in with its prog metal chops, and some very strong vocal chops as well. This is entrancing, exalted stuff. Many of these tracks could be anthems on FM radio were it not for the pop rap crap environs of many of today’s stations. There are some seriously busy drums on this one, also, and throughout the entire recording.

The Promise is another pedal to the metal grinder. Lots of excellent drumming going on again, and some shredding with the help of an insistent wah pedal. Save Me is a long one, and features some superior swagger, especially when one considers that this is only a sophomore session. The launch at the 5-minute mark will set you back in your chair a bit. Don’t Fear Me is another big one – almost 7 minutes long. It is another charger with big vocals. The middle cacophony is splendid. Their is almost a vampiric quality to the vocals here – a very creepy vibe. Some excellent keys as well.

Open Your Eyes is relatively short, only 5 minutes, HA HA! It features the nominal FX intro that one hears occasionally from this sort of upstart clan. The pretty piano soon gives way to a very proggy, grandiose metal. Some big production here as well. Delirium is another very powerful number, reminding me of *FROST and Steven Wilson vocally at certain points. Legacy is another huge number, with busy-as-hell double bass drumming. Absolution, the closer, features keys and guitars at about the three-and-a-half minute mark.

In short, this second disc by Lost in Thought will not want to be missed! It demands to be heard. Go buy. NOW.