The album starts out strong with “Message From The Sun”: a fairly heavy anthem which tastes like old-school Sonata with its uplifting fast beat and electric guitars. Followed by “Whirlwind”, a love song with a very interesting keyboard and electric guitar riff – I really like the song, but I can’t shake the feeling that the riff doesn’t fit with the rest of the song, like it was stitched together quickly. Then comes “Cold” which dabbles in ‘feel-good rock/arena rock’ territory here and there, but it’s beginning to grow on me. “Storm the Armada” is the first of two songs dealing with climate change, and I think it has a very beautiful melody, but the song as a whole is somewhat boring and even poppy at times.
“The Last Of The Lambs” – I LOVE this one. The slow, eerie ballad continues the ‘Caleb’ saga (a series of Sonata songs following the tragic life of a deranged stalker who eventually dies at the hand of his victim). The vibe of the song fits to the creepy saga, as Caleb bittersweetly sings “Now, when you cry on your bed – could’ve loved me instead” to, presumably, his victim. It’s very beautiful and insane. Although I’m not sure how exactly to interpret this song in the context of the previous ‘Caleb’ songs – is he singing from the afterlife? Or does this take place before he died? Or did he not die at all, and my interpretation is just wrong? Either way, this song is haunting.
“Who Failed The Most” is about how we are failing the future generations by not taking action to hault climate change, instead leaving them a planet in a “state of dystopia”. It sounds very upbeat, while also being depressing. It has it all: each instrument shines, cool bassline, catchy chorus, and the song fits perfectly to Tony’s iconic voice. The instrumental “Ismo’s Got Good Reactors” feels like an awesome jam session where guitarist Elias Viljanen especially shines. Also features a great keytar solo by Henrik Klingenberg. Very fun song that showcases Sonata’s power metal roots. Followed by the politically charged “Demon’s Cage” which sounds very “The Days Of Grays” in the best way – it’s a perfect mixture of power and symphonic, with an amazing piano riff throughout, and drummer Tommy Portimo really ties the song together with a fast power metal beat. Not to mention great lyrics: “Pave the streets with broken glass, working man kneel and kiss my beautiful…”. 
Then comes “A Little Less Understanding” which has already been released as a single. I think that this song is too much ‘arena rock’ for me to like it, and I don’t understand why they keep releasing the weaker songs first. Next song is the very symphonic “The Raven Still Flies With You”, a story about a lost child – not my favorite but with some very good pieces, and a folk-y bridge. The final track of the album is “The Garden” which has a very sentimental piano melody and acoustic guitars. It’s a subdued song about being thankful for the good things in your life. Nice message, but this lullaby-esque song is not really to my taste… but it’s not the first time that they throw in a song like this – “Don’t Be Mean” comes to mind.
So. Let’s evaluate. Sonata Arctica worked with an external producer, Mikko Tegelman, for the first time. The production value of the album is definitely better than that of their previous two albums – you can hear each instrument much more clearly. The album was produced with the intention of replicating the band’s live sound – they wanted to transfer their live energy to the studio album. I would say they succeeded in this regard, and I am looking forward to hearing the songs live.
I have to applaud the band’s work on this album. It’s a bit of a meme at this point that every time Sonata releases a new album, they claim that it will sound like ‘old Sonata’ and that they’ve gone back to their roots. But I think it rings true this time – you can really feel that Tony has worked to capture the elements that people loved about their older albums, and blended it with their new style. The lyricism is captivating, dealing with the beauty/tragedy of humanity which Tony has always been great at writing about, and the songs are incredibly diverse in style and sound. And while I find some of the songs a bit bland, I like the album a little more each time I replay it, and I find myself appreciating nuances I didn’t notice before.
Genre-wise, the album is a gray area – there’s a lot of good power/symphonic metal moments, but also some strange pop/rock elements. The band has said on multiple occasions that they don’t consider themselves power metal, but you can tell that they’ve been struggling with genres and expectations on their last 3-4 albums – they want to cater to their old fans while also wanting to experiment with sounds that are less typical for a metal band, and it can sometimes be awkward to balance that, but I think they did it pretty well on this album. It’s important to remember that Sonata Arctica was never super hardcore metal in the first place. I loved them for their cheesy power-ish metal that tells stories, and this album is exactly that: cheesy power-ish metal that tells stories. It has been 20 years since “Ecliptica”, arguably one of the best metal albums ever – maybe it’s time we stop demanding a new “Ecliptica” or “Silence” and instead appreciate that these Finns are still making innovative music despite the constant pressure of matching their first albums. I think that Sonata Arctica has done a great job at establishing their new style and direction on this album. The storytelling and musical creativity are brilliant as always – their style is different, but change is not necessarily a bad thing. And while I don’t love every song, the ones I do love fill me with a nice feeling of nostalgia from my first ever metal band.
]]>New Album “Meridiem” Out April 26th
L-R: Steven Soderberg: Lead and Rhythm Guitars, Christopher Stewart: Drums and Percussion, Tom Socia: Lead and Backing Vocals,
Josh Kay: Lead and Rhythm Guitars, Erich Ulmer: Bass Guitar
Photo Credit: Kara Pesznecker Reavis
Hunkered down across four studios for close to three years, joined by guest musicians on piano, cello, and viola, Portland’s Tanagra has been refining and crafting the seven multi-layered compositions on their upcoming album “Meridiem” to perfection. Set for release this Friday, April 26th, the power metal album packed with depth, emotion, harmony, and complexity is being premiered exclusively today on Bravewords at the following link: http://bravewords.com/news/exclusive-tanagra-premiere-meridiem-album-stream
The band comments:
“‘Meridiem’ was us taking primary influence from classic prog rock and orchestral black metal alongside our classic power metal sound, with symphonic arrangements, multi-layered choral vocals, and moody mellotrons combining to make an atmosphere that sounds like nothing else. The diverse set of songs have a little something for everyone, from furious blast beats to smooth jazz piano solos and everything in between. Our main ambitions when writing were to make everything proggy and epic, and we pushed the songs as hard as we could on that. It’s a special album for all of us, with the meaning behind every riff and lyric. We’re excited to finally unleash it upon the world, and we hope people enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed writing it.”
“Meridiem” will be available on April 26, 2019 through Spotify, CD Baby, iTunes, Amazon.
Album pre-order is available on the band’s Bandcamp.
Track Listing:
1. Meridiem (11:35)
2. Sydria (4:01)
3. Etheric Alchemy (8:49)
4. Silent Chamber (7:52)
5. Hidden Hand (10:14)
6. Across the Ancient Desert (7:39)
7. Witness (14:19)
Album Length: 1:04:31
For More Info:
https://facebook.com/tanagraband
https://instagram.com/tanagraband
https://twitter.com/tanagraband
BIO:
Formed out of the love of science fiction, fantasy, and theatrical heavy metal storytelling, TANAGRA hit the Portland, USA metal scene in 2011 with epic, symphonic, progressive power metal with lyrical content about original fantasy/sci-fi settings, Magic: The Gathering, historical tales, and other nerdy themes.
In 2015, they released their debut album; None of This is Real, an energetic collection of American power metal showcasing their love for complex arrangements and lengthy songs which garnered critical acclaim from a multitude of publications around the world.
In the time following their debut release, the members found a deep love for progressive rock/metal and symphonic black metal, and in writing new material found ways to combine the sounds of bands like IQ, Anekdoten, Caladan Brood, and Borknagar into their existing American power metal framework.
In 2016, TANAGRA entered the studio with the fruits of their labors to begin recording their ambitious second album, titled Meridiem, slated for global release April 26, 2019.
]]>
The lights go down and the intro starts to play….
The band enters the stage and I am so thrilled to see that former bass player Kasper Gram is once again back on stage together with MANTICORA (this time as a stand-in)
Vocalist and frontman Lars Larsen runs onto the stage and shows everyone that his energy level is higher than ever. Anyone that has seen Manticora live before knows that Lars really puts on a show, and tonight is no exception.
Lars has a voice that is very special, and I guess you can say that you either love it or hate it, there is no in between, and personally I have grown to become a lover of it.
On the new album, To Kill to Live to Kill, the band seems to have grown and taken a step forward, and that includes the vocals.
This album, based on the book written by Lars himself, tends to take his vocals to a different level. His singing is much more emotional, and that can also be heard in this evening’s live show.
I am stunned by the way MANTICORA interact together as a band, and also bringing the crowd into the story of the songs performed from their latest album, which is a horror story.
Lars Larsen jumps around like a maniac over the stage making “stabbing” motions towards the other band members who all seem to have a blast.
Watching this band live brings a huge smile to my face – even though many of their lyrics are quite scary – because they seem to really enjoy playing live together.
All band members know their craft, and the feeling I get is pure joy! The energy, the musicality, the story, the interaction both among the members, but also towards the crowd is mind-blowing!
I have seen MANTICORA live before, but this show is by far the best I have seen them perform! The only reason they don’t get 10/10 from me is that there are some issues with the sound, which makes the experience slightly less than perfect.
I have now decided to actually buy and read the book, that their new album is based upon – I just hope I can sleep without nightmares after reading it.
If you have not yet experienced MANTICORA live I can highly recommend that you catch their show at CopenHell 2019. I am sure they will give you a show you will never forget!
In hindsight singer Lars Larsen comments on the show:
Damn it was nice to end our European tour on the home ground in Copenhagen, more specifically Hvidovre! A huge stage where we could deliver the full show from the tour and a feeling of being at home in the living room with friends. It doesn’t get any better.
L-R: Steven Soderberg: Lead and Rhythm Guitars, Christopher Stewart: Drums and Percussion, Tom Socia: Lead and Backing Vocals, Josh Kay: Lead and Rhythm Guitars, Erich Ulmer: Bass Guitar
Photo Credit: Kara Pesznecker Reavis
Hunkered down across four studios for close to three years, joined by guest musicians on piano, cello, and viola, Portland’s Tanagra has been refining and crafting the seven multi-layered compositions on their upcoming album “Meridiem” to perfection. The release, due out on April 26th, is power metal packed with depth, emotion, harmony, and complexity.
Previously sharing the album’s title track as their first single this past March, TANAGRA is unveiling to fans “Sydria”, the second release off the upcoming full-length. The track is a straight-forward banger with a full-on Hammond organ and some synthwave inspired shimmering. It’s a prog-apocalypse with most of the riffs being written in 5/4 timing to make an epic sing-along tune.Teaming up with MetalInsider.net, “Sydria” can be heard at https://www.metalinsider.net/new-music/song-premiere-tanagra-sydria
The band comments:
“The second track off ‘Meridiem’, ‘Sydria’ is an energetic four-minute banger with great sing-along potential! If you’ve ever wondered what Euro power metal would sound like in 5/4 with baritone lead vocals, this must be it. Lyrically, this song ties into “The Undying Light” and “Tyranny of Time” from our first album, following our guitarist’s Steven’s story about a race of beings struggling to recall a lost homeworld to which they can never return. This song features both vocalist Tom and guitarist Steven on lead vocals throughout, with our bassist Erich joining in on the choruses! Some simple Hammond organ pads and sparkling synth arpeggios round out the arrangement, reinforcing the song’s energy.”
“Meridiem” will be available on April 26, 2019 through Spotify, CD Baby, iTunes, Amazon. Album pre-order is available on the band’s Bandcamp.
Track Listing:
1. Meridiem (11:35)
2. Sydria (4:01)
3. Etheric Alchemy (8:49)
4. Silent Chamber (7:52)
5. Hidden Hand (10:14)
6. Across the Ancient Desert (7:39)
7. Witness (14:19)
Album Length: 1:04:31
For More Info:
https://facebook.com/tanagraband
https://instagram.com/tanagraband
https://twitter.com/tanagraband
BIO:
Formed out of the love of science fiction, fantasy, and theatrical heavy metal storytelling, TANAGRA hit the Portland, USA metal scene in 2011 with epic, symphonic, progressive power metal with lyrical content about original fantasy/sci-fi settings, Magic: The Gathering, historical tales, and other nerdy themes.
In 2015, they released their debut album; None of This is Real, an energetic collection of American power metal showcasing their love for complex arrangements and lengthy songs which garnered critical acclaim from a multitude of publications around the world.
In the time following their debut release, the members found a deep love for progressive rock/metal and symphonic black metal, and in writing new material found ways to combine the sounds of bands like IQ, Anekdoten, Caladan Brood, and Borknagar into their existing American power metal framework.
In 2016, TANAGRA entered the studio with the fruits of their labors to begin recording their ambitious second album, titled Meridiem, slated for global release April 26, 2019.
]]>All in all not a bad EP, but just 3 songs of which one ballad are not really enough to give a really honest judgement about their music. This 3 songs however are o.k., but from a band that has been around for almost 9 years I would have expected a few more songs to form an even better opinion.
]]>The modern power metal quintet STORMHAMMER is going to release its new album “Seven Seals” on May 24th via Massacre Records!
The upcoming album features the new vocalist Matthias Kupka as well as a revamped sound. Matthias Kupka is also responsible for the mix and mastering of “Seven Seals” at Maxiwork Studio. Jan Yrlund is resonsible for the album’s artwork.
The tracklisting is available below.
Heavy and modern sounds are colliding on “Seven Seals”. You can look forward to thrashy power metal as well as melodic songs with catchy refrains. Harsh riffs will meet well-engineered melodies and solos.
The first single “Prevail” with be released next week along with a lyric video.
STORMHAMMER – Seven Seals out on May 24, 2019 via Massacre Records
01. Sleepwalker
02. Prevail
03. Under The Spell
04. Taken By The Devil
05. Seven Seals
06. Your Nemesis
07. Keep Me Safe
08. One more Way
09. Downfall
10. Deal With The Dead
11. Old Coals
STORMHAMMER Live
25.04.2019 DE Augsburg – Spectrum Club
26.04.2019 DE Reichenbach – Die Halle
30.04.2019 DE Hagen – Kultopia
https://www.facebook.com/stormhammerband
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCse2QaL9LqKOo2DMAEyUBCw
Photo by Akastos Tanarosson Photography
]]>Los Angeles based, US Heavy / Power metal legends STEEL PROPHET are back with a new massive sounding heavy metal album “The God Machine” out on April 26th, 2019 via ROAR! Rock of Angels Records.
Today, the band reveals the first official lyric video for the song “Crucify” which can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/Ly7NzrFTlY
Video created by Icon Filmworx
Get “The God Machine” now: http://smarturl.it/steelprophet_thegodm
Available as LTD. Digipak CD (including logo patch), Red/Black Splatter Vinyl (Strictly limited to 500 copies worldwide) & Digital format.
Five years after the release of their latest album “Omniscient” the band recruited the all-star Heavy Metal singer / producer R.D. Liapakis of Mystic Prophecy / Devil’s Train and his uniquely ranged vocal skills to perfectly match the songs on “The God Machine”.
R.D. Liapakis is not just only the man behind the microphone though since he, alongside Steve Kachinsky is responsible for the songwriting and production process of the album.
The voice of R.D. Liapakis sounds tough, bluesy and strong, with wide range, power and style. The high notes come effortlessly, and the lead vocals make you want to stand up and wail along with his singing.
TRACK LIST
1. The God Machine
2. Crucify
3. Thrashed Relentlessly
4. Dark Mask / Between Love And Hate
5. Damnation Calling
6. Soulhunter
7. Buried And Broken
8. Lucifer / The Devil Inside
9. Fight, Kill
10. Life = Love = God Machine
STEEL PROPHET is:
R.D. Liapakis – Lead & Background Vocals (Mystic Prophecy, Devil’s Train)
Steve Kachinsky – Lead & Rhythm Guitar, Keyboards
Jon Paget – Lead Guitar
Vince Dennis – Bass (Body Count, ex-World in Pain, ex-Dia de los Muertos, ex-Tourniquet, ex-Prong (live), ex-Obscene Gesture)
John ‘JT’ Tarascio – Drums
STEEL PROPHET
The God Machine
ROAR! / Soulfood
Released: 26.04.2019
]]>Corresponding with the wide variety of artists, the album itself is extremely varied and detailed, spanning a wide array of themes and impressions. From the theatrical Meatloaf-influences on the intro track “Ghost In The Moon”, to “The Piper At The Break Of Dawn” combining a classic power metal beat with electronic elements, to the musical playground that is the cover of “Maniac” – nobody can claim that Avantasia is staying inside any comfort zone on this album.
One might get that idea on “The Raven Child” in particular. The song initially features the clean vocals of Sammet, Lande and Kürsch, as they sing over a soft, celtic guitar melody. After an enchantingly folk-y bridge with catchy wordless vocals, the song abruptly transitions into the more classic Avantasia sound, with epic power metal choruses and medieval chanting. Although I would have liked for the initial celtic elements to continue throughout the entire song, the song still impresses with its many facets and is almost bound to become a fan favorite.
All in all, the latest chapter of Sammet’s metal opera can only be said to be a theatrical gemstone. The listener can feel the amount of detail poured into the album, and although not all tracks are equally enthralling, the album is captivating from beginning to end as it pulls the listener into the atmospheric Avantasia universe. Moonglow simply feels like it was written with love!
]]>Back to the now! You can hear that the band did their best to write good songs, real Metal Church songs, with the typical riffs and drum style. The opener is an uptempo one, you surely already have been listening to on the internet. ‘The Black Thing’ starts with cymbals reminding me of their first album, it is a mid tempo track with Mike in perfect shape. ‘By The Numbers’ is also one of the best on this new album.
If the quality of the lot would have been the same level as the first three, my rating would be higher. Unfortunately there are a few average songs with names like ‘Revolution Underway’ and ‘Monkey Finger’. Especially the last one is too weak and should not have been on the album in my opinion. Lucky for us there is also a song like ‘Guillotine’, with jumpy riffs that will make every fan enthusiastic again. This is the only one in my opinion that can compete with tracks of their first records.
After listening to the album over 10 times, I am still not sure what to think about it. I miss a little bit the really heavy songs, there is enough tempo, but with the riffs a bit louder or should I say in front of the mix I would have liked it a bit more.
Now I have to find a rating for the album. Well, I would have given 75 points if possible, but I can’t so I give them 8 devils, just because they are Metal Church.
]]>Yes, maybe. In fact it all depends on your personal musical horizon. If it is entirely focused on Power Metal then you will likely find the album at least a bit disappointing, but if you appreciate at least some Sleaze Metal then you are definitely like to enjoy it, because this album is certainly an interesting mix of both genres. Some songs like the introductory “By Blood Sworn” are very Power Metal style, for instance. Think of a mid paced Manowar song to get an idea. Not very innovative, but still with a nice vibe. However, Ross The Boss’ can still do faster Power Metal as shown with “This Is Vengeance”. Glorious lyrics of battle and revenge, guitar solos, screams, clear vocals, i.e. pretty straightforward ‘go for the kill’ style Power Metal! And yet, that is about it for the true Power Metal fan. Yes sure, there is still a Power Metal ballad going by the title “Faith of the Fallen” which is not bad, but 3 songs are a bit disappointing, particularly when they are not the best of the best the genre can offer.
And yet, the album is still not bad because of the aforementioned Sleaze Metal on the album. Quite to the contrary! Think 1980s Skid Row with Joey DeMaio behind the bass and Scott Columbus behind the drums doing their best to truly support Skid Row as good as they possibly can! Take “Among the Bones”, for instance. Pure Sleaze Metal! And the same can be said for pretty much all other not already mentioned songs. Sleaze Metal! The riffs, the solos, the vibe, everything is there. But then, the underdog mentality that is so inherent in Sleaze Metal is probably a close relative of Power Metal’s warrior spirit anyway. So, to switch from Power Metal to Sleaze Metal does likely not take much effort and Ross The Boss might very well be advised to explore this path even further. 7 devils!
]]>