Iced Earth - Plagues Of Babylon

Power/Thrash Metal
Century Media
2014








1. Plagues Of Babylon
2. Democide
3. The Culling
4. Among The Living Dead
5. Resistance
6. The End?
7. If I Could See You
8. Cthulhu
9. Peacemaker
10. Parasite
11. Spirit Of The Times (Sons Of Libery cover)
12. Highwayman (Jimmy Webb cover)
13. Outro

Iced Earth's last album Dystopia was one I enjoyed more than I expected to really. With how disastrous the switch to Tim Owens on vocals was I really didn't expect much, but I was pleasantly surprised by a much better effort. With my interest in the band somewhat rekindled I was hoping for a good second effort here. My only concern was that the band would drift away from the material that seemed like it was made for a Barlow-esque sound and into something different. Perhaps something more reminiscent of Stu Block's time in Into Eternity vocally.

Nothing of the sort happens here though I must say. The sound really doesn't drift at all as Jon keeps making the kind of songs he makes and Stu does well fitting into a familiar Iced Earth mold. I had thought maybe Jon might be tempted to try some new things with Stu's voice, but that just doesn't happen much. This is not a complaint at all as the material here is just the kind of stuff I want to hear out of Iced Earth. Plagues Of Babylon is pretty much the prototypical Iced Earth album for better of for worse. Personally, I'd say for the better. After Tim Owens' Halford cover band screaming took the band into unfamiliar waters, I'm still pretty ok with this band getting back towards the formula that made them the most successful.

The songs here are pretty much out of the Dark Saga/Something Wicked mold as there is a mix of the typical mid paced heaviness, tracks that lean on a thrashier approach, and some ballads. Pretty balanced overall and that helps to keep the album interesting. The vocal performances throughout are pretty spot on for the material and is also a highlight. I was unsure of Stu Block when I first heard he was taking over, but he can keep making me eat those doubts. That's perfectly fine by me. This new incarnation of Iced Earth seems to really understand what the bulk of their fans want. Personally, I've always favored the Dark Saga - Horror Show run and Plagues Of Babylon fits in pretty comfortably with that sound. This might not be the blast of aggression and riffs that fans of earlier Iced Earth want, but for the more middle era fans like me, this is just about right.

In terms of the songs, I find most of the tracks here pretty damn satisfying. The mid paced stuff with the epic choruses tend to be some of the more memorable and I do love an epic feel in my music. Tracks like Plagues Of Babylon and The Culling establish themselves early in this mold. The best stuff is still to come though. Cthulhu is a different one and probably my favorite track on the album. It starts off with a moody intro, but shapeshifts throughout the track between slower and faster moments. The variation is key here and makes for kind of a deeper experience. The song also reminds me of something that wouldn't be out of place on Horror Show. I have to say that I appreciate the lyrical influence as well, even if it's nothing new to metal. I've been reading a lot of HP Lovecraft lately and have become a fan of his work. Back to the music though, Peacemaker is probably the most surprising track here and one of the best. This track sounds like southern rock given the metal treatment and is also one of the best takes on this I've ever heard. I really dig the old westy feel this one conjures up. Kind of impressive considering all the bands who have tried this with mixed results at best such as Megadeth or Sinner. This riffs here are extremely memorable and a total success. Also worth noting is a version of Spirit Of The Times from Schaffer's other band Sons Of Liberty. I dig this one and it's cool to hear a version of it in Iced Earth

Overall, this album doesn't deviate too much from the formula of mid-era Iced Earth or even the last album, but the songs do have enough variation within the album to keep it interesting. Overall, I think this is a bit better songwriting session than on Dystopia and that helps this one. Some critics may bring up the old criticism of the familiarity of Schaffer's riffs, but right now I'd consider the band just reestablishing themselves as consistent to be progress and this is a highly enjoyable album. I have no complaints about getting back to the core of what made Iced Earth good and Stu Block, as well as the songwriting, make a solid case that Iced Earth is back to stay.

Highlights: Cthulhu, Peacemaker, Plagues Of Babylon, The Culling

Rating - 4.0/5

Iced Earth - Dystopia

Power/Thrash
Century Media

2011

1. Dystopia
2. Anthem
3. Boiling Point
4. Anguish Of Youth
5. V
6. Dark City
7. Equilibrium
8. Days Of Rage
9. End Of Innocence
10. Soylent Green (Bonus Track)
11. Iron Will (Bonus Track)
12. Tragedy And Triumph
13. Anthem (String Mix)

Well, we're back to Barlow-less Iced Earth again. Considering how this went the last time (to these ears at least) I had considerable worry going into this album. Not that Barlow's return was that remarkable in the results, but it at least sounded more like Iced Earth should. The songwriting was just uninspired. Now going into Dystopia we're attempting a vocalist swap when the songwriting was teetering on the edge of utter mediocrity. Pardon me if I couldn't muster that much excitement going in to hear this album.

Listening to Dystopia there is at least one thing that went better than expected immediately and that was my reaction to Stu Block singing for Iced Earth. He sounds oddly appropriate and manages to capture a lot of what Barlow brought to the band. I'm not sure I'd say as good (tough one to live up to), but he does a pretty solid job. The deep voiced, melodrama is there and so is the mid ranged aggression and the screams. I never would've expected it listening to him in the rather crappy Into Eternity, but credit where credit is due.

In terms of sound/songwriting I found the album on whole pretty enjoyable. Certainly, this sounds like something modeled after the Dark Saga/Something Wicked kinda sound. There are some epic notes to the vocals, etc but the music stays pretty grounded in a somewhat typical power/thrash mold. I don't hear a lot of balls out thrashing, but more that mid-paced crunch blend with some soaring vocals. There are tracks like Boiling Point and Days Of Rage which lean a bit on the heavier/thrashier side, but they're the exception and not the rule. Pretty much what I'd expect of Iced Earth at this stage in their career really.

Maybe the problem with Iced Earth these days is that they're so damned predictable though. None of these songs manage to have that certain something for me. You know what I'm talking about... that intangible quality... or even strong hooks... maybe an unforgettable chorus. None of these songs quite capture that. It's the same problem I had with the last Iced Earth album and it persists. I can say that this one is probably a little bit better based on the fact it's not bogged down in concept, but it's still not a home run. The closest the album comes is the strong, if maybe a bit one note, anthem qualities of (of course) Anthem. The song is pretty good at what it obviously gos for. I also enjoyed the melodramatic Anguish Of Youth and the smooth roll of the bonus track Iron Will. That one really should have made the regular album IMO as it outshines many tracks that did.

In the end, this album is better than I expected it to be and that's something. It is nice to know I can still listen to Iced Earth's new stuff and enjoy it. The band has certainly found a better frontman than Tim Owens and a more reliable one than Matt Barlow. Certainly, that is a bonus for anyone seeing them live in the future. Does this really bolster the Iced Earth catalogue with some new hit songs though? I wouldn't say so and my expectations going forward have to be tempered a bit. Dystopia may be a pretty good fix for fans, but it's not quite up to the standard previously set. I've certainly come to doubt whether Iced Earth can ever really hit their stride again. At this point they're making decent music, but I do believe their best days are a thing of the past. My predication is that Iced Earth is one of those bands that will probably live off their glory days a bit going forward as many bands eventually end up doing.

Highlights: Anthem, Iron Will, Anguish Of Youth

Rating - 3.5/5

Charred Walls Of The Damned - Charred Walls Of The Damned

Power/Thrash Metal
Metal Blade

2010

1. Ghost Town
2. From The Abyss
3. Creating Our Machine
4. Blood on Wood
5. In A World So Cruel
6. Manifestations
7. Voices Within The Walls
8. The Darkest Eyes
9. Fear In The Sky

Charred Walls Of The Damned's debut isn't really an album I went in expecting much of to be totally honest. I'm not necessarily the biggest fan of Tim Owens' voice or the music he's been involved with, frequently because it hasn't seemed to suit him or he extends himself beyond his comfort range. Why did I check this out then? For one thing I always check out debut albums to see if they're worth reviewing/giving what little exposure I can and for another thing... well, the review could be amusing to write.

Alas, this album is lacking in things for me to rip on! I'm as shocked as you are. Especially considering some of the brutal reviews I've read for this album already complaining that it's too commercial, metalcore, etc. Honestly, I do not know what people are complaining about. Ok the production is a little, and I do mean a Little, commercial as the producer has worked with metalcore acts and the like, but the music really doesn't strike me as such. There are some smooth melodies here, but they actually work pretty well and remind me much more of a power/thrash blend then anything resembling a commercial style. I don't know why anyone who like the Iced Earth sorta sound couldn't get into this. To me it sounds more fitting then him trying to be slammed into the Iced Earth sound forcefully. This is really similar to some of what Owens has done in the past, but much more suiting imo and the songs and sound of the band just fit the vocals. Best of all when the more melodic moments hit, Tim actually remains in a somewhat aggressive mold and does not try to be overly emotive or soft for the most part. At least the music doesn't get too sappy/ballady for his vocal capabilities.

What's this? Praise for a Tim Owens project? You betcha. In fact he should absolutely stick with this band and I'd like to hear more of what they can do. The music is pretty solid with memorable melodies and a pretty attacking guitar approach. Nothing wrong with the formula here and some good stand outs make themselves known. The only criticism I can come up with really is that the best tracks hit early, but that is more of a minor nitpick. The rest of the album is pretty good too. If you like power/thrash with a good clear & clean production job and some well delivered screams then this is pretty satisfying stuff in my opinion. Kinda the album I've been waiting for Tim Owens to make since his time in Winters Bane.

Highlights: Ghost Town, From The Abyss, Creating Our Machine

Rating - 3.5/5

Sons Of Liberty - Brush-fires Of The Mind

Power/Thrash Metal

Century Media

2009

1. Jeckyll Island
2. Don't Tread On Me
3. False Flag
4. Our Dying Republic
5. Indentured Servitude
6. Tree Of Liberty
7. Feeling Helpless?
8. The Cleansing Wind
9. We The People

A new project from one Jon Schaffer of Iced Earth, Sons Of Liberty seems to be as much a vehicle for Jon's political views as an avenue for his music. One look at the website for Sons Of Liberty will point you at a bunch of websites like Infowars and books about the evils of the government or something. Of course given the name this isn't really a great shock. I've gotta tell you in all honesty that I don't give a crap about any of this, but hey... I like some Iced Earth.

All political soapboxes aside, this has a pretty good sound. Kinda reminds me of the sound of the heavier tracks on Something Wicked with hints of older, thrashier Iced Earth as well which are mostly conjured by Jon's voice. I've gotta say that Jon does a pretty good job of handling vocal duties. Certainly he's not a vocal acrobat, but he can sound aggressive and choruses in tracks like Don't Tread On Me manage to be pretty powerful and epic. Basically, he sounds like a pretty passable mid-range thrash singer and it works with the music. There are some softer moments as well, but they're not the bulk. What you can expect from this album is aggressive and sometimes anthemic power/thrash tracks with political messages and political voice over messages. While I could do without all of that, I still find this one at least as good as the last Iced Earth album.

In summary, if you're all about the Iced Earth or maybe the Infowars then this is worth it. Pretty good stuff musically and I find myself enjoying it as an IE fan. Seems like writing about this stuff has at least written a fire under Jon's ass and given him some inspiration. I'd say it works better and conveys more passion than the concept of The Crucible Of Man for what that's worth.

Highlights: Don't Tread On Me, Our Dying Republic, Indentured Servitude

Rating - 3.5/5

Ravage - The End Of Tomorrow

Power/Thrash
Metal Blade

2009

1. The Halls of Madness (Intro)
2. Reign Fall
3. Freedom Fighter
4. Damn Nation
5. The Shredder
6. Into the Shackles
7. In Shattered Dreams
8. The Nightmare's Hold: Part 1
9. The Nightcrawler (Judas Priest cover)
10. The Nightmare's Hold: Part 2
11. Grapes of Wrath
12. The End of Tomorrow

The End Of Tomorrow marks the second studio release from Ravage. For some bizarre reason this band released 5 live albums before ever having a studio release (I guess that's what they could afford/were able to record). Little odd. At any rate this band actually came to my attention when I myself saw them live opening for Doro. They put on a hell of a good live show so I figured they were worth a look.

What Ravage bring back to the table with this release is a very traditional sort of American speed style of metal. Listening to The End Of Tomorrow I get a feeling of straight ahead, no frills, headbanging fare and am reminded of bands like Agent Steel and Liege Lord with with more mid-ranged and sort of rasped vocals. Basically, this album is a great punch in the face with a lot of energy and the riffs to back it up. It's pretty great to hear a younger band like Ravage doing this style and doing it well. Also worth noting is a cover of one of my favorite Judas Priest songs, Nightcrawler. It's certainly a different take and this vocalist has little in the way of a high range, but the bulk of the song isn't in the higher registers anyways. Kudos for taste and a good live feel to the cover when I saw them.

Fans of metal that blazes away in traditional speed fashion should definitely take note of Ravage. This is not a new style of metal and certainly doesn't reinvent the wheel, but this band manages to take something traditional and sound good and standout while doing it.

Highlights: Grapes Of Wrath, Freedom Fighter, Reign Fall, Damn Nation

Rating - 4.0/5

Cage - Science Of Annihilation

Power/Thrash
Music Buy Mail

2009

1. The Power that Feeds (Intro)
2. Planet Crusher
3. Scarlet Witch
4. Spirit of Vengeance
5. Black River Falls
6. Operation Overlord
7. Power of a God
8. Speed Kills
9. Stranger in Black
10. Die Glocke
11. Spectre of War
12. Science of Annihilation
13. At the Edge of the Infinite

Science Of Annihilation marks the 5th release from Cage in their quest to be Judas Priest. I've pretty much always at least moderately enjoyed this band, but there's no question of this bands Priest clone status and as such they've never greatly stood out to me as a favorite. Still, there are far worse out there and I've enjoyed some of their songs.

I don't know if I'm just feeling particularly cynical, but a line has to be drawn somewhere. This album just finds that straw that breaks the camel's back and becomes rather boring. I think we can all acknowledge that this band was pretty basic anyways in their Painkiller worship and straight ahead heavy songwriting, but this one takes it to the level of tedium. There just seems to be virtually no change from track to track as the album blazes along in single minded fashion with speed track after speed track and screaming. It really got to the point where the tracks bled together so bad I couldn't figure out when one was ending and another started and had a hard time focusing on listening at all. There is one... I repeat... ONE track that deviates at all and it's a random ballad thrown in near the end at track 11. Besides that these might as well be the same songs. I mean come on guys, at least throw in some heavy crunch or groove tracks. Something... anything remotely different would've been good.

I gave the last album a pretty good rating and I'm even somewhat surprised at what I have to write here, but I can find no real good logic to give this anything more than a pretty mediocre rating. This isn't completely without merit in that it's probably a decent headbanging experience in the way Slayer's less stellar albums are. It charges straight forward, but with little thought behind it. For some I guess that could be enough and I'll let this sneak away with a 2.5 but I can't see myself revisiting it.

Highlights: None

Rating - 2.5/5

Iced Earth - The Crucible Of Man

Power/Thrash
SPV

2008

1. In Sacred Flames
2. Behold the Wicked Child
3. Minions of the Watch
4. The Revealing
5. A Gift or a Curse
6. Crown of the Fallen
7. The Dimensional Gauntlet
8. I Walk Alone
9. Harbinger Of Fate
10. Crucify The King
11. Sacrificial Kingdoms
12. Something Wicked (Part 3)
13. Divide And Devour
14. Come What May
15. Epilogue

First off lets mention two things... one that most people care about would be that this is the return of Matt Barlow to Iced Earth. Certainly, this did get me excited as he does happen to be my favorite metal vocalist of all time and Iced Earth is one of the bands that got me started on metal beyond the mainstream of Iron Maiden, Ozzy, and the like. The second thing I have to mention, which nobody I know of seems to care about but Jon Schaffer, is that this is the second part of the Something Wicked story. I for one have no idea what he sees as so special about this except perhaps that it's his own attempt at making something more of the lyrics. From what I've seen though I've gotta say... keep mining for stories in Spawn or something if that's the kind of album you want to make. Blackie Lawless you are not.

Well now that the return of Barlow is here I can safely say my predicted reaction is what it is. Yes the music sounds more like the Iced Earth that made them popular and Barlow brings that distinctive frontman presence back to the band that they needed to make them not sound like a bunch of generic halford worship screaming. The big But here would be that this, as predicted, does not mean the music has suddenly skyrocketed in quality back to their glory days. Or perhaps it's even more or less the same quality, but tired and we've heard it before. Let me say that this is by no means a bad album, but it's undeniable to me that there is just nothing surprising and in the end this will go down as a safe album.

I suppose this sort of formula album makes sense right now with Barlow just coming back to the fold and Schaffer wanting the second part of Something Wicked to be more what fans wanted/expect. This is the problem though as The Crucible Of Man doesn't really reach outside of the box at all to try to find that 'new classic'. Not many tracks here jump out at me and I'm sure none of these will find it's way to the top of the heap of Iced Earth songs in my mind. Besides being safe this album is often plodding with chuggy riffs too and it doesn't help in the feeling that this band is going through the motions. I just don't hear a lot of fire in this for the most part and the songs with a bit more of it tend to be the standouts. For instance, the number one song for me here would be the single, I Walk Alone. At first I was luke warm on this track because of the plodding nature of the guitar, but the venom in Matt's voice and the big memorable chorus I can't help singing along with wins me over in the end. The song just has a good feeling to it, if not a technical marvel of guitar wizardry. Other standouts include Behold The Wicked Child which manages to have quick paced energy, but also uses some dark atmosphere in the background and The Revealing which is somewhat typical, but screams along well with heaviness and doesn't overstay it's welcome. On the other side of the coin, I will say that this being the safe album that it is makes for no big valleys in the same way it makes for no big peaks. There are no real bad tracks to be found and it's a consistent listen if nothing else.

The Crucible Of Man is an album I will own and one I will listen to, but it will rank lowest among the Barlow albums for me and probably below Night of the Stormrider as well. I can accept this for now, but I do hope for more in the future. What happened to that big and different approach I started to hear in riffs and mood with Horror Show is what I would like to know. It's time for Iced Earth to try something not so familiar.

Highlights: I Walk Alone, Behold The Wicked, The Revealing

Rating - 3.5/5

Helstar - The King Of Hell

Power/Thrash
AFM

2008

1. The King of Hell
2. The Plague Called Man
3. Tormentor
4. When Empires Fall
5. Wicked Disposition
6. Caress of the Dead
7. Pain Will Be Thy Name
8. In My Darkness
9. The Garden of Temptation

It's been a good 13 years since Helstar has put out a studio album and any time a band reunites after so long that raises some questions. You never know if the band will have the same sound and have it in them, but with Helstar I had a pretty good clue. James Rivera has kept all but the name of Helstar running really with other bands like Destiny's End and Distant Thunder which pretty much sounded like a continuation of Helstar anyways.

The King Of Hell pretty much picks up in a familiar vein for any fan of the band. I'd say the sound of this one can be described as closest to A Distant Thunder as it has that speedy, almost semi-thrash approach though much of it, but not quite as balls out as Nosferatu. I think this sort of power/thrash blend should satisfy most fans of the band and it certainly did me. If you like high wailing vocals coupled with aggressive music than this is certainly an album worth pursuing as there is also a pretty decent bag of riffs and solos contained here. One thing that does set this album apart from Rivera's other projects to some extent is that original guitarist Larry Barragan is in the mix and his presence can be felt. On King Of Hell it pretty much feels like the band never left and I for one welcome Helstar back. It'd be nice to see Rivera stick with this one as it seems like the man has been floating aimlessly through a million other bands in short stints since Helstar.

To sum things up, this is the Helstar that you fans know and love so get the album. Anyone unfamiliar with the band who likes Priest-esque high wails and heavy, fast music could also find this to be a good investment. I'll certainly be hoping for more Helstar in the future.

Highlights: The Plague Called Man, Caress Of The Dead, Pain Will Be Thy Name, In My Darkness

Rating - 4.0/5

Dark Empire - Humanity Dethroned

Power/Thrash Metal
Killzone

2008

1. Eyes Of Defiance
2. No Sign of Life
3. Humanity Dethroned
4. The Forgotten Sin
5. Faded Dreams
6. Salvation Denied
7. Prelude
8. Haunted
9. Possessed (We are one)
10. Closure

Humanity Dethroned marks the second album by this young band fronted by one Jens Carlsson of Persuader. Of late Carlsson's stock has been rising with me in that I really enjoyed Savage Circus' debut so I decided to check out what else he's up to.

Dark Empire is a band from New Jersey with a singer from Germany and the influences of both can be heard. At times I detect a New Jersey thrash sort of sound and the upbeat heaviness of german power metal can be heard as well with an added epic touch brought in by the larger than life vocals of Carlsson. Also adding to the heavy and dark feel of the music are some backing death vocals which actually blend in pretty seamlessly. I think the most striking thing about this band would be the dark and heavy vibe they eek out with every track and it makes for a pretty headbangable album. At the same time the memorability of those big sort of choruses brings that strength to the band and makes the songs build to pretty powerful results. Pretty pleasing sound this band has put together. Not Too far removed from the last Persuader with it's own dark sound, but good in it's own right. There's enough of a different flavor to not make this seem like the same band at the least.

If you're a fan of Jen Carlsson's other works than this is probably a pretty safe bet. Fans of heavy power metal with some dark edge to it would be advised to check this one out.

Highlights: Eyes Of Defiance, Salvation Denied, Humanity Dethroned

Rating - 3.5/5

Iced Earth - Framing Armageddon

Power/Thrash
Steamhammer

2007

1. Overture
2. Something Wicked pt. 1
3. Invasion
4. Motivation of Man
5. Setian Massacre
6. A Charge to Keep
7. Reflections
8. Ten Thousand Strong
9. Execution
10. Order of the Rose
11. Cataclysm
12. The Clouding
13. Infiltrate and Assimilate
14. Retribution Through the Ages
15. Something Wicked pt. 2
16. The Domino Decree
17. Framing Armageddon
18. When Stars Collide (Born is He)
19. The Awakening

Iced Earth return now with the concept album Jon Schaffer has been jerking off to the idea of for some time now and Tim Owens' second effort with the band. The Glorious Burden was pretty much a love or hate album so I figured the same out of this one and I was personally on the 'hate' side of that coin. The one thing that gave me a bit of interest and hope in the album is that this album was specifically written for Owens where as on The Glorious Burden the music was already written and he was something of a last minute fill in.

The fact that this album was written with Owens' in mind ends up striking me as both it's strength and it's weakness. If you want the bottom line up front then yes I think this is better than The Glorious Burden. All in all, it seems less awkward and none of the songs offend my ears like Hollow Man and When The Eagle Cries where Owens tried incredibly unsuccessfully to mimic the emotive qualities of Matt Barlow. What this albums songs sound like are pretty much direct power metal in the vein of bands like Cage who worship at the altar of Priest.

The negatives come in the form of the fact the songs don't strike me as too inventive. Some would say this has always been a problem with Iced Earth, but really I'd say this album is their most straight forward sounding effort as most all of the songs are to the point and heavy 4 - 5 minute tracks. Also, none of the songs really try to capture any of the emotive qualities of past Iced Earth albums except the one epic length track, The Clouding, which is a bit more than half ballad oriented. This may be a good thing since Owens' isn't really capable in this regard, but it's still something I miss from old Iced Earth albums and where some of the track to track variation used to come from.

Another thing that seriously drags this album down is the poor execution of the conceptual side of things. Apparently Jon Schaffer's idea of epic is throwing in an occasional backing choir deal to compensate for Owens' inability to sound epic and packing the album full of interludes that are ownly partly musical. Some of the interludes are really just inserted sound effects like Cataclysm which is storm noises and Invasion which sounds like gun shots and shit. Yes... this is exactly what I want in the middle of a music experience. There are a total of 8 tracks which are intros, instrumental, and/or interludes and they basically serve as one big annoyance. Some seem like parts of songs that should have been finished and others are filler to the highest degree. I would have expected more than these half assed ideas of epic from a band that used to be so good at it and where this is Jon Schaffer's idea of the band's crown jewel. Really I'd say the best this album manages to be in terms of songwriting and epic qualities is Something Wicked Pt 1 which sounds like a reimaginging or another part of the original Something Wicked trilogy.

In the end I'd consider this passable if somewhat bland Priest metal which tries unsuccessfully to be bigger and more epic than the material itself really is. If you liked the last Iced Earth album with Owens' than it's probably worth a shot and those who were unsatisfied with The Glorious Burden will probably continue to remain so with this one.

Highlights: Something Wicked Pt 1

Rating - 2.0/5

Winters Bane - Redivivus

Power/Thrash
DCA Recordings

2006

1. Catching the Sun
2. Despise the Lie
3. Burning Bridges
4. Remember to Forget
5. The World
6. Seal the Light
7. Spark to Flame
8. Fury
9. Dead Faith

After a long 9 years, Winters Bane have returned with a new vocalist and the album Redivivus. This band has enjoyed some popularity in their state of Ohio throughout their career but it wasn't really until Tim Owens came into Judas Priest that a lot of people took notice. Interest spiked in retrospect to the point where the Heart Of A Killer debut with Tim Owens was reissued and promoted as the former album of Judas Priest singer Owens. Considering the popularity of Priest many were interested to hear what Owens' former work was like.

well there's no more Tim Owens in the band and its been an eternity since their last release so this one isn't likely to get anywhere near the amount of press. That is a shame really because I believe this album destroys Heart Of A Killer from the first track. Whichever track that might be because the promo and the actual product seem to have a different track order. Ha.

This release is just unrelenting throughout. It never really slows up with it's barrage of heavy riffs. There is some variation and some more groove oriented moments but there is just such a blisteringly heavy vibe about this and the guitar playing is simply excellent. This is the best Lou St. Paul has ever sounded and Redivus is just one headbangable album.

The sound here is somewhat comparable to Eidolon and other heavy power/thrash bands and the songs are sufficiently different to make all the tracks stand out from one another. Vocally, I'm reminded of Warrel Dane circa the second Sanctuary album and there are certainly some reminders of both Sanctuary and Nevermore in the music, though more of the former. Dead Faith is one track that could seriously be a Nevermore song however and it is one of the highlights of the disc. There are some Priest-esque highs occasionally that remind of Heart Of A Killer but overall this guy is just more powerful and versatile than Owens ever was. I'd definetely recommend this one to fans of the other Winters Bane albums. Any fan of power/thrash and the other mentioned bands should like it as well.

Highlights: The World, Dead Faith

Rating - 3.5/5

Shatter Messiah - Never To Play The Servant

Power/Thrash
Dockyard 1

2006

1. Never to Play the Servant
2. Crucify Freedom
3. Frailty (of The Righteous One)
4. Hatred Divine
5. Fear to Succeed
6. All Sainted Sinners
7. Inflicted
8. Drinking Joy, Bitter Loss
9. Bad Blood
10. Blasphemy Feeder
11. Deny God
12. Disillusion
13. Bleed to Shadow
14. New Kleen Killing Machine

Curran Murphy has made somewhat of a name for himself through Annihilator and to a lesser extent with live touring for Nevermore. This one marks the debut of his new band which is really two EPs the band made spliced together.

I'm just gonna come out and say it... this is nothing special. What we have here is a band that seems to just want to sound heavy without a lot of thought put into song structure and writing. During the course of listening to it all I got was 'yep... they sound pissed'. It just seems hollow to me though and got old very quickly. 14 tracks and I was getting bored by a few tracks in. Nothing on here is really bad, but the music isn't that impressive and with a band like this I need a bit of technicality or at least variation to keep me interested. The sound can pretty much be described as one of many Nevermore derived bands that are popping up lately. The vocals at times very much resemble Warrel while at other times go for a rough approach that kinda sounds hardcore with some screaming injected now and again. Mostly it sounds like heavier Nevermore with maybe a bit of thrash, but without anything in the way of standout songs. This all runs together for me and comes off as a band in severe need of songwriting and structures that are more distinct. The vocals kinda lack in the balls department as well. Although they're gruff they don't sound very deep or forceful.

In conclusion this just sounds amateur to me. Maybe with time this band will establish more of a sound for itself and get more creative with the songwriting, but for now this is missable.

Highlights: Not really... this is part of the problem

Rating - 2.5/5

Killing Machine - Metalmorphosis

Power/Thrash
Mausoleum

2006

1. Killing Machine
2. Scarred Beyond the Black
3. Fatal Chances
4. Praise the Day
5. In for the Kill
6. Redemption from Genocide
7. Loup Garou
8. In the Storm
9. What Makes You God?
10. Burn in the Wind

Metalmorphosis... you get it? Hardy fucking har. For personal listening reasons a name that cheesy could desuade me from ever hearing this album but I figured I should review it anyways. Plus hey... look at the list of musicians involved... Juan Garcia, Dave Ellefson, Jimmy Degrasso, and James Rivera. That's a hell of a collection right there.

Unfortunately, there's also a man named Peter Scheithauer who is the band leader & primary/songwriter. I'm just gonna come out and say it... why beat around the bush? This album is a giant metal cliche in terms of writing. You've heard it before and I'm positive you've heard it done better. The songs here are just bland to the nth degree power/thrash. Absolutely no hooks or anything to make you care this band ever existed. All the great musicians in the world can't make up for uninventive songwriting and that's what you've got here. I don't mean to say every band needs to reinvent the wheel but the songs here could easily be wedged inbetween any of the 30000000 other James Rivera bands as filler tracks.

In conclusion, you really just don't need to hear this. There's nothing new here and you won't remember most of these songs after they've been played. All of the good metal artists involved could've better spent their time with another band. The only thing I'd recommend this album for is a cure to insomnia. It's not blatantly annoying and it's fairly well performed so I'll let it sneak away with a rating of 2.

Highlights: Loup Garou

Rating - 2.0/5

Eidolon - The Parallel Otherworld

Power/Thrash
Escapi
2006

1. The Parallel Otherworld
2. Arcturus 9
3. The Eternal Call
4. Ghost World
5. 1000 Winters Old
6. Spirit Sanctuary
7. Order of the White Light
8. Astral Flight
9. Shadowanderer
10. The Oath

Exit Pat Mullock, enter Nils K Rue. Eidolon have put out an album every year or two since their inception so this wait of 3 years has actually been a long one. The delay was of course due to the Drover brothers signing onto Megadeth and resulted in them declaring Eidolon as a side project from now on.

Now, while I think Nils K Rue is fantastic in Pagan's Mind, this vocal change left me a bit skeptical from the start. Nils K Rue is miles apart from the last singer and Pagan's Mind is just as far removed from Eidolon instrumentally. So how does it work out in the end you ask?

Badly... very, very badly. The title track starts off the album so well with a dark mood, heavy riffs, and an intro solo and then the vocals hit... and punch you in the face with a sound that can only be described as discordant. They sound so wrong with the music it is unbelievable and at times the vocals are plain out of key. Then the music slows down into some acoustic sounding prower/prog nonsense and makes me wonder what the hell band I'm listening to. This is NOT the Eidolon I used to know and it gos on like this with heavy/slow tradeoffs in a power/prog fasion for a good 11 and a 1/2 minutes. Who the hell starts off an album with an epic piece anyways? This is one dragged out, atypical, and fucking boring track for Eidolon. The last album ended on an epic too but not like this piece of crap.

The rest of the album sounds more like old Eidolon than the intro epic but it's not really a hell of a lot better. Nils K Rue is incapable of sounding aggressive. He just can't do it. He's a great power/prog band but throwing him on top of a band with as much attitude and heaviness to the riffs as Eidolon is oil and water. It sounds like vocally and instrumentally there are just two seperate visions of the songs and they are irreconcilable.

I tried giving this a few listens and tried to keep an open mind about where this band was headed but I just can't do it. This album sucks. I really can't stand listening to it despite the good guitar work and the fact that I am a fan of both Eidolon and Pagan's Mind. Chalk this one up under the category of failed experiments. This album actually made me wish for the death metal vocals on the last album back. At least those would've added a little needed balls to the vocal department.

Highlights: The guitar is good... but I don't like any of the vocals with it.

Rating - 1.5/5

Eden's Fall - Harmony Of Lies

Dark Power/Thrash
Independent

2006

1. Blur the Lines
2. Planet Hate
3. Lost Again
4. Chemical Dreams
5. Bleed
6. Dead Thought Matrix
7. Liquid Christ
8. We Betray
9. Nothingheart

Eden's Fall are a band I've been familiar with for awhile, but likely few others who are reading this review know them. I came across their site and demo some time ago when it first came out and liked what I heard so now here it is, 2006 and they've finally got a full length debut out.

It seems there has been an explosion of this sort of band lately... the Nevermore-esque sound. I guess it's bound to happen when a band creates a distinct style that becomes popular and it could certainly be worse. As to not sell the band short though, I must say they do have their own sort of take on the dark power/thrash sort of sound. The chug riffs are probably the thing that remind me most of Nevermore while the vocals have more of an angry snarled shout going on. The band also makes use of sporadic death backup vocals which remind me of the gang vocals that many thrash bands made use of in the 80s. The backing vocals add a little force to the music and fit in seemlessly enough so that it shouldn't bother people who dislike death metal.

Overall, this is a pretty heavy, dark, cynical sounding ride which should please fans of bands like Nevermore and Eidolon. If heavy chug and pissed off shouting is your bag then this is for you.

Highlights: Lost Again, Planet Hate, We Betray

Rating - 3.0/5

Beyond Fear - Beyond Fear

Power/Thrash
Steamhammer

2006

1. Scream Machine
2. And... You Will Die
3. Save Me
4. The Human Race
5. Coming At You
6. Dreams Come True
7. Telling Lies
8. I Don't Need This
9. Words Of Wisdom
10. My Last Words
11. Your Time Has Come
12. The Faith

Despite Jon Schaffer thinking 'Tim Owens is not a songwriter' here it is... Owen's first solo outing. I didn't have real high expectations on this considering Owens' has largely ruined himself in my eyes by always attaching himself to bands as a pissboy replacement and talking about how there is no difference between nu-metal and metal. Apparently he realizes those boundries even if he does not acknowledge them though, as this keeps things in the metal realm, thankfully.

What we have here is pretty well what you might expect in most ways. The sound of this album is a heavy power/thrash sound that comes off as pretty heavy with a variation between some faster stuff and more crunch oriented riffs. Nothing revolutionary certainlly as I've heard the general sound of this album time and again. The style reminds me of sort of a combination between Cage and some Jugulator-like moments. Not as cheeseball as that album though for the most part although there are songs with lyrics almost as cheesy and uncreative, such as Coming At You. Cheesy in a different way and totally unlistenable is the ballad Dreams Come True. I don't think I need to elaborate too much as that title speaks for itself.

Vocally Tim sounds pretty good here. I'm still not that hot on his screeches but he does reach beyond them a bit and offer more vocal diversity and actual singing. A little more subdued in a good way, minus the title track which is essentially one long screech.

Overall, I don't think this band brings anything new to the table and the songwriting doesn't strike me as particularly memorable or impressive, but it's certainly not a terrible debut. Really this is the best thing he's done since Winter's Bane. With a little more creativity in the songwriting department this could be a good thing for Owens. As is though, there's just nothing here that grabs me to the point where I would personally buy it. Bigger fans of Tim Owens' past works should find this enjoyable though since there are reminders of all his past stuff at points and it keeps things metal.

Highlights: Loss For Words, Words Of Wisdom

Rating - 2.5/5

Crossfire - Aggression Treaty

Power/Thrash
Independent

2005

1. Aggression Treaty
2. Slaves
3. Eternal Lies (NonServiam)
4. Dream Within A Dream
5. Nightwolf
6. Inner Conflict
7. Gate... (Instrumental)
8. The Forsaken
9. Cold And Darkness
10. Under Siege
11. Gelibolu
12. Unfair
13. Don't Fool Me...

Aggression Treaty marks the debut from this power band out of Turkey and I have to say that it is one that caught my attention. For an young, independent the record sounds pretty polished and professional and I don't hear many bands coming out of Turkey.

The first thing that's going to hit you like a sledgehammer listening to this is going to be the guitar sound. Probably one of the heaviest guitar sounds I've ever heard recorded and it's delivered in a sort of post-thrash way that reminds me of later Accuser and maybe a little of Early Machine Head. There's often some rather modern breakdowns in the mix but at other times it really thrashes out. The vocals are often semi-harsh growls that remind me of Wargasm while at other times shifting to a deep and powerful delivery that recalls Matt Barlow. Pretty killer sound here and the band definetely shows a great deal of promise. The riffing here is just immense and the vocals are pretty cool. I'd say the one flaw with this release is that at times the songs sound a little splintered. This will likely work itself out in the future though as this is their debut album. Certainly a band to watch and I'd recommend this to anyone who likes very heavy power/thrash. Would probably appeal to fans of Wargasm or Meliah Rage as it sounds like a more modern version of both with some power metal thrown into the mix.

Highlights: Unfair, Dream Within A Dream, Nightwolf, Under Siege

Rating - 3.5/5