Judas Priest - Redeemer Of Souls

Heavy/Traditional Metal
Sony
2014










1. Dragonaut
2. Redeemer Of Souls
3. Halls Of Valhalla
4. Sword Of Damocles
5. March Of The Damned
6. Down In Flames
7. Hell & Back
8. Cold Blooded
9. Metalizer
10. Crossfire
11. Secrets Of The Dead
12. Battle Cry
13. Beginning Of The End

Let me just be blunt for a moment here and say that it's been some time since Judas Priest has made anything remotely exciting. As a band they have been much more relevant for what they have done than what they are doing since the Painkiller album. My expectations for this album thus had to be tempered with a bit of realism. Having heard some samples in advance of getting this though, I do have to admit a sliver of hope for something more than just an old band putting out an album just because of cash and expectations. I heard something in those samples that just sounded a bit encouraging. Life you might say. Still, I wasn't ready to get all psyched about it and went into this with modest expectations.

When I first started listening to this album I've gotta say that I was encouraged. From the start there are some pretty solid songs. Dragonaut, Redeemer Of Souls, and March of the Damned all hooked me pretty immediately with their grounded in classic Priest yet updated sort of power sound. Think of something like Defenders meets Painkiller, but not as balls out as the later and with a bit of the polish of Ram It Down. All in all a good approach for modern Priest in my book. All three of those songs have solid hooks and I was all prepared to write that Priest had actually found some life again.

Well, then you get past the first 5 tracks and Redeemer Of Souls pretty much just sputters and dies. To put it quite simply everything becomes so simplistic beyond this point that it's barely worth writing about. These are really the most basic riffs and song structures anyone could possibly shit out and this does not sound like the work of an experienced band. The sound itself isn't that bad, but there is just no excitement, energy, or imagination to anything for the rest of the album. Think of basic rocking metal and you could probably write these songs. Hell if they were on some Priest cloned power metal band no one would give a flying fuck and write them off as amateurs probably. From the half baked funky rhythm in Hell & Back to the basic blues of Crossfire to the snails pace boredom of Secrets Of The Dead and closing with a lame as hell ballad in Beginning Of The End there's just nothing of value to be found for the bulk of the album. A few good tracks up front just can't carry this level of uninspired filler. Not by a long shot.

This is the kind of album that you just shouldn't let the front loaded nature of fool you. Sure there are some good single quality tracks, but holy shit is this not a complete album. The singles only succeed in lifting this to an average album and just barely. Judas Priest's metal mine appears to be exhausted at this point and I can't imagine them hitting it rich again so to speak. Every once in awhile they find a nugget of the old gold, but it's not nearly enough to make this even worthy of mention next to their classic material. A new Judas Priest album is almost an obligatory listen for a metal fan based on their legacy, but don't expect anything other than missing that classic period even more after listening to this.

Highlights: Redeemer Of Souls, March Of The Damned, Dragonaut

Rating - 2.5/5

Night Mistress - Into The Madness

Heavy/Power Metal
Power Prog Records
2014










1. Into The Madness (Intro)
2. Until The Day Will Dawn
3. Hand Of God
4. The Place I Belong
5. Walking On Air
6. Madman
7. Longing For The Devil
8. Hell Race
9. Grieving Stars
10. Sacred Dance
11. Recurring Night

Polish act Night Mistress are not a band I have any particular experience with before this album. Really, I just stumbled upon them in my search for something new. When the year isn't quite delivering from the bands I know it becomes time to turn increasingly to checking out bands I don't. Into Madness is the second release from this band, but I'm going in fresh here.

Well, sometimes you just listen to a band and go "Where has this been all my life?". Alright, they haven't been along that long, but this is really freakin solid, traditional sounding stuff. The songwriting is very straight up metal in the best possible way coming off something like more direct, heavier end Maiden with the polish and smooth flow of power metal. I know there are a lot of Maiden inspired bands, but Night Mistress sounds really polished doing it and the songwriting is surprisingly mature and addictive. Think of a cross between Maiden, Seven Witches, and Tad Morose with the songs to back up the sound. Vocally, I'm reminded of Toni Parviainen (formerly of Machine Men) mixed with a bit of Rob Rock on the more mid-ranged, melodic deliveries and when he really sets loose on the highs/wails I get a bit of James Rivera. What the hell is not to like about this I ask? The sound is crystal clear and the music is swift moving, high energy, and in the best tradition of what classic sort of metal should be. This is just a total win at wailing intensity with the right melodic sense to sell the songs. I mean this is nothing amazingly new, but holy shit do they do it well. I found myself just rocking out to all of these songs. This is the kind of power metal I've been craving and it honestly reinvigorated my interest in the more traditional side of the power genre which has seemed to be a little lacking in recent years. It's good to know that although it's been sort of done that a band can still come up with a set of original songs like this.

I suppose I could break down songs, but honestly I like everything here. Absolutely everything. Not a great deal of disection required. Maybe the one thing I should note about the band is that they can be a little quirky, but it tends to come in brief moments like the whistling during the intro to Walking On Air. Overall it's fleeting and I don't find it distracting. The meat of all these songs more than sells them.

I'm honestly impressed and it's been awhile since a dark horse album like this hit me this hard. I think this is the sort of thing that anyone who likes a smooth flowing yet heavy power metal band heavily drawing on traditional roots should hear. Who doesn't like kick ass Maiden reminiscent metal I ask? And then I smack whoever says they don't. Just give these guys a chance and a listen. I doubt you'll regret it.

Highlights: Madman, Hell Race, Hand Of God, The Place I Belong, Recurring Night

Rating - 4.5/5

Helstar - The Wicked Nest

Traditional/Speed Metal
AFM
2014










1. Fall Of Dominion
2. Eternal Black
3. This Wicked Nest
4. Souls Cry
5. Isla De La Munecas (Instrumental)
6. Cursed
7. It Has Risen
8. Defy The Swarm
9. Magormissabib

After The Glory Of Chaos, there's really no overstating how psyched I was to hear more Helstar. That one just knocked it out of the park with it's punishing and memorable riffs. I really enjoyed Helstar mixing it up by throwing some thrash into the mix and the band just sounded fresh and heavy. It seemed like since Nosferatu the riffs just hadn't had the same imagination and Glory Of Chaos solved that issue. I was really hoping Helstar would keep up that level of intensity here and just make another damn headbangable album.

Listening to The Wicked Nest there is zero doubt that this continues in the heavy and thrashy direction established on Glory Of Chaos. The thing is that while the style is similar there doesn't seem to be quite as much substance to this album. Sure things are attacking but I find neither the riffs or the rhythms they establish seem as memorable on this release. It's the sort of thing that's hard to nail down, but The Wicked Nest doesn't seem to have the hooks that drove Glory Of Chaos home for me. The songs sound heavy and often frantic, but they never really settle into a rhythm that sticks in your brain. Also, it seems to me that James Rivera relies to heavily on screeching out his vocals here as opposed to utilizing his mid-range or wailing out some cleaner highs like on the earlier material. I really would have preferred if these shrieks were used more for emphasis and not so heavily relied on. I do have to wonder if James Rivera is more comfortable and able to deliver shrieks rather than clean highs these days.

Gripes aside this is a pretty intense release that does keep the thrashy vibe intact and there are some good, if not quite as mind blowing, songs. Fall Of Dominion and Eternal Black open up the album well with a pounding sort of sound. Also worth noting is the oddball of the album, Cursed. That one is nothing like I would have expected with it's doomy pace and low key melodic passages, but it's also a very pleasant surprise. Think of something like OverKill's Years Of Decay or Horrorscope as it is a slow mover and a long one, but also highly enjoyable for it's moody vibe and also features a strong solo.

Overall, the songs here just don't stick in my brain nearly as much as the songs on Glory Of Chaos and the it lacks grounding in solid rhythms, but it is also pretty good for what it is. In terms of a kind of frantic thrash metal release this is pretty enjoyable. I just can't help being a little let down that it's not as incredible as Glory Of Chaos. I guess the band can't hit a home run every time. This is still a pretty enjoyable speed metal release with flavorings of thrash.

Highlights: Cursed, Fall Of Dominion, Eternal Black

Rating - 3.5/5

Chastain - Surrender To No One

Heavy/Power Metal
Leviathan
2013








1. Stand And Fight
2. Call Of The Wild
3. Deep Down
4. Freedom Within
5. I Am Sin
6. Rise Up
7. Evil Awaits Us
8. Fear My Wrath
9. Save Me Tonight
10. Surrender To No One
11. Bleed Through

It's been awhile since Chastain has interested me all that much. It's also been awhile since the band has released anything. That all changes though with a new release featuring their classic vocalist Leather Leone. Certainly my interest was peaked hearing that she was coming back to the fold here. It's the same with any sort of classic reunion. It gets you to remembering the old/classic days. I started remembering how good The Voice Of The Cult and The 7th Of Never were. Still, I also had to remember it's been awhile since those releases and Chastain had moved in a different direction on more recent albums. The question was would we be getting the shredding of old or the less interesting chuggy riffs off the more recent material. One also had to wonder if Leather would sound as good as she did back in the day.

Listening to Surrender To No One it seems to fall somewhere between the old and the new. For the most part the riffs are more old school sounding and up tempo which does bring things back more towards the style of the old. Leather Leone also contributes to the feel of this being more of a traditional sort of metal album with her raspy snarls. That being said there is still a somewhat modern feel at times and things do get chuggy here and there. The mix of styles isn't bad for the most part and I do like some of the groovier stuff like the thick chug and attitude of Fear My Wrath. The album is at it's best when the guitar sounds a bit cleaner and swifter though. Energetic tracks like Freedom Within and Call Of The Wild keep a good pace going and are pretty rocking.

One thing I can't help thinking about the music here though is that the guitar does seem to lack some of the more showy neoclassical leads and solos that made old Chastain for me. Things are direct to a fault at times and I can't really point to any song that gets creative enough to be truly exciting/memorable. Nothing on hear really lives up to the classics more or less. Another issue to me is that Leone doesn't seem to have the same melodic moments she did at times on the old stuff. There's way less clear, soaring wails and a lot more rasping and growling. Of course she always had some of that, but I can hear the age in her voice. There are a few moments of the more melodic in the solid Deep Down In The Darkness which also has a bit more flair to the guitar than a lot of the tracks. Save Me Tonight uses cleaner vocals more than any other track, but the use of them and the song in general is not great. The clean moments come in the form of some super cheesy sounding 80s ballad moments that I could have really done without. Listening to this next to the 90s sounding chugging of Fear My Wrath is pretty strange. They honestly don't sound like they belong on the same album.

Surrender To No One is the kind of album that excited me for about a minute. At first it sounded more traditional and it was good to have Leather Leone back. By the time the album was done though Surrender To No One didn't have the songs to make it memorable and Leather Leone sounds a bit tired. It's just not the same really. Between the lack of flair in the leads and solos, Leather Leone not quite being what she used to be, and the album sounding a bit confused at times this is just a flawed release. Not really bad, but certainly underwhelming. This is at least worth a listen from fans of the band, but this isn't the sort of release that's going to really revive Chastain or bring in New fans. Pretty middle of the road stuff. It has it's moments and it's interesting hearing a more old school approach from Chastain, but this album doesn't have much of any staying power.

Highlights: Rise Up, Freedom Within, Deep Down In The Darkness

Rating - 3.0/5

Motorhead - Aftershock

Heavy Metal
UDR Music
2013








1. Heartbreaker
2. Coup De Grace
3. Lost Woman Blues
4. End Of Time
5. Do You Believe
6. Death Machine
7. Dust And Glass
8. Going To Mexico
9. Silence When You Speak To Me
10. Crying Shame
11. Queen Of The Damned
12. Knife
13. Keep Your Powder Dry
14. Paralyzed

At this point in their career, and my own listening to it, there really isn't a lot of mystery to Motorhead. The band is a total classic and have a very recognizable, patented sound. Not every album of there's has been a home run, but you've always got a general idea of what to expect. What Motorhead pretty much do is no frills metal based in hard/blues rock with plenty of heaviness and a splash of punk attitude. The only question really is if it was one of their great songwriting sessions or one of the ones that just didn't quite have the right spark. I've heard both from the band in recent years.

Well, from the start of Aftershock my head got moving and never really stopped. Really, this album gets just about everything right when it comes to a Motorhead album. It's loaded with blues rock hooks, the songs are mostly short and to the point, and everything just rocks. This album crackles with energy and has the kind of attitude that only Lemmy's gravelly vocaled presence can bring. The songs range from ripping to groovy, sometimes at the same time, and only a couple songs break up the no frills ass kicking in the form of ballads like Lost Woman Blues and Dust And Glass give the listener a breather. They're both good and have nice bluesy atmosphere to them. This is the definition of a metal album just rounded in solid classic & blues rock influences that transcends this era of subgenres. Straight up ass kicking is what this album sets out to do and man it delivers. Picking highlights was the hardest part as pretty well everything is short and to the point, but also succeeds in being memorable.

Aftershock is just the kind of album that hits the bands strengths and runs with it. There's nothing fancy here, everything's just extremely headbangable. The energy and hooks on Aftershock are just damn great. That old bastard Lemmy sure as hell still has it. This is totally worth it for Motorhead fans and really... that should be everyone in my opinion. Just a classic band making good.

Highlights: End Of Time, Heartbreaker, Coup De Grace, Queen Of The Damned, Going To Mexico

Rating - 4.0/5

Saxon - Sacrifice

Traditional Metal
UDR Music

2013

1. Procession
2. Sacrifice
3. Made In Belfast
4. Warriors Of The Road
5. Guardians Of The Tomb
6. Stand Up And Fight
7. Walking The Steel
8. Night Of The Wolf
9. Wheels Of Terror
10. Standing In A Queue

Saxon are a band I really enjoy and whose legacy is unquestionable, but the last album makes me just a little skeptical going into this one. Call To Arms wasn't Bad, but I don't find myself going back and playing it very often either. It really hasn't aged that well for me due to a lack of particularly memorable highlights. Anytime a band puts out an album that just fails to grab hold you've gotta approach the next wondering if it'll be a rebound or the beginning of a trend.

The first mark against this album comes from just putting the review together. A sure way to not wow me right out of the gate would be an album that doesn't quite manage to hit 40 minutes with an intro. I'm sorry, but I do like a little more bang for my buck. Not to say I want filler, but an album length like that gets me wondering immediately if the song ideas just weren't exactly flowing during this session. Saxon have rarely made super long albums and there are some just over 40 minutes, but I think it's worth noting that the last album to Not quite hit 40 minutes was Crusader. People kinda expect more of a modern metal album as they have become just typically longer.

Well, all my suspicions regarding the last album and the length of this one are confirmed. This album just isn't that inspired and there's no real way around it for me. If there was an idea during the writing of this album it must have been "Just make some stuff that sounds like it did before". I'm not saying Saxon should reinvent themselves, but Guardians of the Tomb = Valley of the Kings, Warriors of the Road = Wheels Of Steel/Motorcycle Man, and Standing In A Queue = We're British and we've totally run out of song names. Those are just the more obvious ones too. Sacrifice pretty much sounds like B grade stuff from around the era of Killing Ground/Metalhead mixed with some more typical NWOBHM rockers that aren't catchy or different enough to be that interesting.

Highlights are few, but I do think the title track is a decent one that sounds like it could have been from Killing Ground. Fairly epic, if not completely mind blowing. Warriors of the Road, while already mentioned as a fairly cliche one, does have some good energy and I like the speed of the track. My least favorite tracks include Made In Belfast which gets a bit too chuggy with it's Metalhead era sound. Also, Standing In A Queue which is probably the silliest proto-metal/rock thing here and pretty much just unnecessary.

Overall, Sacrifice doesn't really deliver what I was looking for. This sounds a little too much like a band going through the motions and putting out another album for the sake of it. This isn't the worst thing I've ever heard by any means. It still sounds like Saxon and Biff has a pretty decent vocal performance, but there's nothing very inspired on this release. This is probably worth it for fans and has at least a couple songs to toss into the live performances next to the classics, but this doesn't measure up to modern Saxon albums like Into The Labyrinth or The Inner Sanctum.

Highlights: Sacrifice, Warriors Of The Road

Rating - 3.0/5

Obsession - Order Of Chaos

Traditional Metal
Ulterium Records

2012

1. Order Of Chaos
2. Twist Of The Knife
3. Forbidden Desire
4. When The Smoke Clears
5. License To Kill
6. Wages Of Sin
7. Cold Day In Hell
8. Act Of God
9. Mercy Killing
10. Dark Shadows

All I can say about this one is Finally. I know Obsession isn't really a full time band at this point, but their 'reunion' album of sorts, Carnival Of Lies, just left me wanting more. It's been 6 years since that one, but considering how strong the band came back, I expected good things of this as well. I've always enjoyed Obsession and they have a sort of special place with me as a good local act. The Connecticut scene used to be pretty strong back in the day and it's nice to see artists like Obsession, Sacred Oath, John Arch, and Liege Lord reappearing.

After listening to Order Of Chaos, I can say it's pretty much what one would expect of Obsession. This is straight up heavy metal with an air of the 80s about it, drawing on familiar Priest and Maiden influences. The vocals are high and the music is mostly mid-paced and no frills. Nothing to reinvent the wheel here, but I really wouldn't expect that from a band which is essentially a side project throwback. I see this band as a bit of nostalgia on vocalist Michael Vescera's part and the music pretty well fits that concept. The music is elevated by some strong vocal deliveries and some good leads though and basically does what it seeks to do well.

Strong cuts include Cold Day In Hell which benefits from some solid lead work and energy, Twist Of The Knife which has melodic/catchy guitar and good vocal melodies, and Wages Of Sin which is slower and once again finds it strength in memorable melodies and powerful vocals. I didn't find the highlights Quite as strong as Carnival Of Lies, but all in all Order of Chaos is not far removed from that album. I think my criticism of this album would have to be that at times it does get a little by the numbers and seems to settle comfortably into it's own throwback cliches. I also thought Carnival Of Lies had a bit more power metal sort of energy injected into it where as this one can get a little overly mid-paced.

All in all, this album does seem to do what it sets out to do. It's basically an unapologetic throwback and it comes off well. The band has the leads and vocals to back it up as well as some good song highlights. If you like Obsession, I don't see why you wouldn't like this and fans of 80s American Traditional/Power should dig this.

Highlights: Cold Day In Hell, Wages Of Sin, Twist Of The Knife

Rating - 3.5/5

Manowar - The Lord Of Steel

Traditional/Power Metal
Magic Circle

2012

1. The Lord Of Steel
2. Manowarriors
3. Born In A Grave
4. Righteous Glory
5. Touch The Sky
6. Black List
7. Expendable
8. El Gringo
9. Annihilation
10. Hail, Kill, And Die

If I ever need an example of how self important, ridiculous, and over the top a metal band is Capable of becoming, Manowar is there like a barbarian in shining loin cloth. I'd have to count this band among those I've never really been able to get into. I like epic shit, but these guys take it beyond the level of ridiculous at times. Beyond that though, they're a band who I've liked songs by, but never really albums. I guess between writing this and a Sonata Arctica review it's sort of a theme.

That being said, there are some positives I can say about The Lord Of Steel right away. For one, half the album isn't fucking interludes like Gods Of War. That alone is a Huge improvement from the last album. Secondly, things seem a lot more direct and heavy here. Manowar seems to really get back to making over the top but Traditional metal here. The Lord Of Steel is just much more grounded in their classic sound and not over the top orchestration. The lyrics are cheesy of course, but the music less so and I don't get the same overblown pompousness. There's nothing to break new ground or really make this remarkable, but it's not bad for what it is.

I still don't find Manowar all that amazing, but objectively I can see a lot more of what Manowar fans want here than on Gods Of War. I mean this is at least made up of traditional metal songs and not overly indulgent, bloated classical wannabe bullshit. I mean that is something right? I don't dislike this album and that's already a huge improvement from the 0.5/5 I rated Gods Of War. Maybe Manowar has gotten the message... maybe. The Lord Of Steel isn't something I'd say is hugely creative, but it is a band re-finding something closer to their classic sound. In terms of creativity though all you have to do is look at the title Hail, Kill, And Die and that about sums it up.

In the end this is a halfway decent straight up traditional metal album with warrior themes and that's what Manowar is at their best doing. I think fans will at least find this worth their time and that's something. I wouldn't have a problem recommending this to those who like Manowar's classic albums. Not a rave review, but at least the band isn't making shit like Gods Of War again.

Highlights: The Lord Of Steel, Manowarriors

Rating - 3.0/5

Accept - Stalingrad

Traditional Metal
Nuclear Blast

2012

1. Hung, Drawn, And Quartered
2. Stalingrad
3. Hellfire
4. Flash To Bang Time
5. Shadow Soldiers
6. Revolution
7. Against The World
8. Twist Of Fate
9. The Quick And The Dead
10. The Galley

I've got to say that I've never been the hugest fan of Accept. I like their classics, but I've never really cared that much about a lot of the band's catalogue. That being said, Blood Of The Nations was a surprise album that I liked a lot. Going into this one I pretty much wanted more of what Blood Of The Nations offered.

Well, Stalingrad did not have the same Immediate effect on me as Blood of the Nations, but after a few listens it grew to be just as good. From the start of Stalingrad you get both a high energy rocker in Hung, Drawn, And Quartered and also a strong epic tune in the title track. Follow that with a nice upbeat groove like the one in Hellfire and this album was meeting my expectations and hopes of hearing more Blood Of The Nations type material. The album continues on in fine fashion from there in a great, traditional sound. All the songs are good, but more highlights would be the cool melodic roll in Shadow Soldiers and the sinister sounding groove of The Galley. No huge changes are found on Stalingrad, but none were really necessary either. This is a suiting follow up for a band who just came back to life in the scene. Just some strong traditional metal with good riffs and gravelly vocals.

Basically, this album is exactly what I wanted from the band. Maybe there isn't a single song Quite as amazing as Teutonic Terror, but this is a nice slice of traditional that you don't hear enough these days and there are plenty of strong songs to be found. Gotta love a little straight forward Metal. If you liked Accept's return with Blood Of The Nations then I see no reason you wouldn't like this one.

Highlights: Stalingrad, The Galley, Hung Drawn And Quartered, Hellfire, Shadow Soldiers

Rating - 4.0/5

Saxon - Call To Arms

Traditional Metal
Soulfood
2011

1. Hammer Of The Gods
2. Back In '79
3. Surviving Against The odds
4. Mists Of Avalon
5. Call To Arms
6. Chasing The Bullet
7. Afterburner
8. When Doomsday Comes (Hybrid Theory)
9. No Rest For The Wicked
10. Ballad Of The Working Man
11. Call To Arms (Orchestral Version)

Saxon are just a classic and a band which I have loved for some time. They haven't always delivered a classic, but they have given metalheads a number of them through their career and have found new life starting around their '97 release Unleash The Beast. That too is some time ago at this point, but more recently Into The Labyrinth and The Inner Sanctum had much to offer. With an album as strong as Into The Labyrinth proceeding this one, my expectations were high.

Unfortunately, those expectations are ultimately not met with Call To Arms. The bulk of this album seems to kind of regress the band. I guess you could call this a back to their roots sort of album, but it just doesn't seem a very successful one to me. As I listen to Call To Arms I hear a whole lot of early rock/proto-metal influence and there's nothing inherently wrong with that either. I mean, this is a band who sprung out of the NWOBHM, had that influence, and delivered with success in their earlier days. The problem is a lot of this just seems very typical and maybe they just aren't that band anymore.

The best Call To Arms can seem to muster for me is some more epic/power moments, but those aren't as strong and memorable as the last album. On this release, Hammer Of The Gods and The Mists Of Avalons epic deliveries are pretty solid and make them highlights, but I can't help thinking that on Into The Labyrinth these wouldn't meet the standards set by Battalions Of Steel or Valley Of The Kings. Judged on their own merit these are pretty good. They just aren't as good as the band is capable of doing.

All in all, I'd chalk this one up to a decent, but not spectacular songwriting session. Most bands don't hit em out of the park on every go and this isn't a bad album. It just isn't one that compares to the last and that has to be at least somewhat of a disappointment. If you're a hardcore Saxon fan you'll likely still get this and find some good moments. Just don't expect a classic and you'll be fine.

Highlights: Hammer Of The Gods, Mists Of Avalon, Call To Arms

Rating - 3.5/5

Riot - Immortal Soul

Traditional/Power
Steamhammer

2011

1. Riot
2. Still Your Man
3. Crawling
4. Wings Are For Angels
5. Fall Before Me
6. Sins Of The Father
7. Majestica
8. Immortal Soul
9. Insanity
10. Whiskey Man
11. Believe
12. Echoes

In the metal world it doesn't get a whole lot longer lived or more underrated than Riot. I've always enjoyed this band and they've built quite a cult/underground legacy as one of the real pioneers of metal in the USA. Riot just somehow never found their way among the big names of metal where they belonged. Funny how promotion, etc gos. They've always released good albums though and I'd count myself as a fan.

That being said, The Tony Moore era of Riot was short and I never really got all the fuss from a certain segment of Riot fans. To me the Moore era represented one album where the band kinda tried to update themselves to a more in fashion sound (Thundersteel) and a weird, but more interesting album with a brass section (Privilege Of Power). Neither was exactly what I wanted or expected from the band. Both were good, but I can't say I was sad to see Moore go and the band find a more traditional Riot sound again with DiMeo. Moore's albums in both singing and style just never had that soulful metal/rock hybrid that I enjoyed from classic Riot. Heavier, but not really as powerful.

Well, with that intro/minor rant out of the way how does Immortal Soul stack up? Well things get started with some pretty intense and fast guitar on the first track, Riot, which brings to mind memories of Thundersteel. Where time starts to catch up a bit is on the vocals. I've gotta say that Moore's high range sounded forced and, well, not very high. Moore kinda yelps instead of wails and that's a bit detracting. The years haven't been all that kind. Not really bad, but it's not exactly the Painkiller-esque screams I'd expect to accompany this. It seems like that's what he aims for, but can't really get it done. Not a bad track, but not great either. From there Still Your Man is a bit more melodic, but again Moore tries to push his top register again and it doesn't really work. To this point, as to not sound too harsh, I'd consider both tracks pretty decent, but flawed. Neither of these are bad, but they're not without problems. Still Your Man's melodic guitars and Slightly more subdued vocals do work a bit better than the first track.

It isn't until track 3, Crawling, that we really start to get into the good stuff. The title says it all as the song rolls in slowly and creeps along with a nice sinister note to the music. Moore also settles into a more comfortable range and the results are much better. Starting with this one things just get less blunt, screechy, and a whole lot more interesting. Wings Are For Angels blazes with Moore sounding more to my liking, Fall Before Me follows with a nice groove and melody approach, and Sins Of The Father is another good burner with some more mid-range vocals. To make a long story somewhat shorter, this part of Immortal Soul is where it peaks. Pretty much everything from Crawling on is satisfying Riot material though. Even if it does lean a bit heavily on the more speed oriented style that Moore was a part of before. There certainly are some slow downs and more groove & melody moments, but you need to accept this is not Sparanza/DiMeo styled proto-metal/rock stuff. This is pretty much what fans of Moore era Riot might expect.

So what's the verdict? Immortal Soul is a pretty good, more straight up metal album. The slight hold back is the years on Moore's voice, but he does sound more comfortable as the album gos on. Almost seems like a live show where the vocalist warms up and sounds better, which is sort of odd. I guess Riot wanted to kick it off with the real 'screamers', but they're not really the best thing this album has to offer. All in all, a solid effort though not quite up to either Riot's more traditional/old school sound or Moore's stuff when he had a bit more range. Still, Immortal Soul, does have some good material and Riot does seem to have a bit more energy than on the past couple albums. Could be the DiMeo era was getting just a bit stagnant. This isn't perfect either, but there ya go. I'd say this is worth it for people who found the previous Moore era of Riot enjoyable. Despite this not being my favorite Style of Riot exactly, Immortal Soul does have more punch to it than the last couple and I do like it. Just don't expect him to sound like it's 1988 and there are plenty of good songs.

Highlights: Wings Are For Angels, Crawling, Fall Before Me

Rating - 3.5/5

Accept - Blood Of The Nations

Traditonal/Heavy Metal
Nuclear Blast

2010

1. Beat the Bastards
2. Teutonic Terror
3. The Abyss
4. Blood of the Nations
5. Shades of Death
6. Locked and Loaded
7. Kill the Pain
8. Rolling Thunder
9. Pandemic
10. New World Comin'
11. No Shelter
12. Bucket Full of Hate

I've gotta say to start this one that I've never been much of an Accept fan really. To me this band has always been inconsistent and while they've had some great songs, I've never really considered their albums great. You, of course, are free to disagree, but that's where I'm coming from here. I know many consider this band quite the classic.

Now I'll just come out and say this album shocked me. A new Accept album minus Udo didn't exactly leave me dying to hear it, but this album kicked my ass from the very first riff and never really stopped. To me the consistency of this album is shocking and also surprising is the utter lack of me missing Udo at all. New vocalist Mark Tornillo does an impressive job taking over here and they seem to have picked the perfect replacement in every way. This guy has a lot edge, a great voice reminiscent enough of Udo to satisfy fans, and a powerful voice at that.

The music here is also just classic Accept. There's a shitload of edge to the music and it's just straight ahead ass kicking traditional metal. There is nothing modern sounding here at all and this seems like it could have come out from Accept in the 80s. I just really love how faithful this band is to what I believe the fans want.

Also impressive here is the huge amount of material. At over an hour in length this is no lightweight. For an album to sustain itself that long with good material is certainly worthy of praise. It could just be that all this time off has lit a fire in the band as well and maybe gave them time to put together a lot of great songs. Sometimes you just can't force songwriting out and put out releases too quickly and when you have a band that's been sitting this long the results can be great.

To me Blood Of The Nations is a band just at the absolute top of their game. This is an album to rival anything Accept has done in my opinion and the future is looking bright for the band. All the problems with Udo, etc don't seem to matter anymore and if Accept can sustain this level of songwriting than they will have no problems keeping this band kicking ass. This may not be my favorite album of the year in the end, as it will probably come from a band I'm More a fan of, but it is a damn solid one... especially for someone who never really considered himself that much of a fan. Consider me impressed.

Highlights: Beat The Bastards, Teutonic Terror, Blood Of The Nations, Pandemic

Rating - 4.0/5

Saxon - Into The Labyrinth

Traditional Metal
SPV

2009

1. Battalions Of Steel
2. Live To Rock
3. Demon Sweeney Todd
4. The Letter (Interlude)
5. Valley Of The Kings
6. Slow Lane Blues
7. Crime Of Passion
8. Premonition In D Minor (Interlude)
9. Voice
10. Protect Yourselves
11. Hellcat
12. Come Rock Of Ages (The Circle Is Complete)
13. Coming Home (Bottleneck Version)

Saxon return fairly quickly on the heels of The Inner Sanctum after just under 2 years and this one rings in the new year as the first 2009 album review I've written. Inner Sanctum, and really most Saxon since the return to form album Unleash The Beast, I have loved, so of course I was looking forward to this one.

From the opener this album grabbed me right away with the very epic sound of Battalions of Steel. Great melodic chorus to that one with a lot of power behind it and Valley Of The Kings follows in a similarly awesome vibe. Definitely two of the highlights as these are just great anthemic tunes that could very well find their way into my favorite Saxon songs in general. More standouts come in the forms of Demon Sweeney Todd which seems to hearken back to the sound of Metalhead with it's dark heaviness and Voice which has nice variation between slower verses building to a heavier chorus. Come Rock Of Ages is also worthy of mention as just a great rocker. Other tracks like Live To Rock and Slow Lane Blues are somewhat on the simpler blues rock groove side, but work for what they are even if they don't grab me quite as much as the previously mentioned tracks.

If you like what Saxon has been doing lately than I see no reason why this one shouldn't find it's way into your collection as well. These guys are just classic and they're not done yet.

Highlights: Battalions Of Steel, Valley Of The Kings, Voice, Demon Sweeney Todd

Rating - 4.0/5

Doro - Fear No Evil

Traditional Metal
AFM

2009

1. The Night Of The Warlock
2. Running From The Devil
3. Celebrate
4. Caught In A Battle
5. Herzblut
6. On The Run
7. Walking With The Angels
8. I Lay My Head Upon My Sword
9. It Kills Me
10. Long Lost For Love
11. 25 Years

I've long been a fan of Doro, but have become more so in recent years with her release of Warrior Soul, which is in my opinion her best solo effort to date. I was also recently impressed when I saw her live for the first time and she put on a most excellent show. Needless to say I was anticipating new material after that.

Unfortunately, this is not the album I was expecting or wanting. It's hard to put my finger on exactly why, but this album simply doesn't come together. The songwriting for the most part simply isn't there and some songs like Caught In A Battle with it's noisy sounding, distracting drumming just sounds slapped together and out of sync with itself. Caught In A Battle sounds like a really forced heavy track where none of the band is on the same page and is the worst offender here. Other misses include Running From The Devil with it's boring groove guitar and On The Run which has an upbeat pace that reminds me of the last album, but simply doesn't measure up in quality and memorability.

I will say that things aren't all bad here as one of the singles that lead the album, Celebrate, is an ass kicking anthem backed by a choir including Sabina Classen, Angela Gossow, Live Kristine, Floor Jansen, Veronica Freeman, and Girlschool. This song just sounds big and succeeds at that larger than life metal anthem approach. Walking With The Angels also succeeds with some guest talent courtesy of a duet with Tarja Turunen of former Nightwish fame. Just a great duet ballad featuring two talented singers. Night of the Warlock is also pretty decent, but the repetitive chorus gets a bit tiring by the end. Herzblut is another decent one, but again not quite a standout as I've heard these same sung in German ballads out of Doro before.

There are at least some decent songs here and only one real clunker, but really only 2 songs that get me particularly excited and both of them are at least partly based on outside talent. I don't dislike this album, but the bottom line has to be that it's just not that exciting and lacks enough highlights for a strong rating. I'd pretty much only recommend this one to fans and certainly not as a starting place for someone new to Doro.

Highlights: Celebrate, Walking With The Angels

Rating - 3.0/5

Sinner - Crash & Burn

Traditional/Power
AFM

2008

1. Crash & Burn
2. Break The Silence
3. The Dog
4. Heart Of Darkness
5. Revolution
6. Unbreakable
7. Fist To Face
8. Until It Hurts
9. Little Head
10. Connection
11. Like A Rock

Sinner is one of those bands who had a solid beginning then fell into the trap of trying to be more commercial and glam/sleaze oriented much like Saxon. Fortunately, they also came out of it in the mid 90s whether by good sense or the fact the trend was on it's way out. Ever since 97's Judgement Day I've enjoyed the band to some degree and though I liked Mask Of Sanity less than what came before I had some hopes for this one rebounding.

Well guess what? Those hopes did exactly what this album title said they would... crash & burn. Actually my hopes did stay alive a bit till around track 5 and if I had to point to an exact moment when they burned it would be when Mat Sinner alluded to his cock on the song Little Head. These are the kind of lyrics that might make Jackyl think twice, but let's take a step back for a moment. The song Crash & Burn does have a nice quick pace in the vein of many of Sinner's faster tracks and pleases the ear while Break The Silence sounds like a nice heavy groove track that the band has also been known for. Heart Of Darkness also has a nice melodic guitar intro and the song works as a sort of melodic rock/metal number even if it does start to delve a bit into the Velveeta. Once you've gotten past track 4 though the good stuff is pretty much done and even track 3 was a little shaky with that sleaze rock vibe starting to rear it's ugly head. Pretty much all the rest of the tracks could be lumped in with the blues rock side of glam metal. It still has a sort of Sinner sound to it, but I can't wrap my brain around this directional change or and the sound of these songs just doesn't sit with me. Unbreakable is pretty much the only other song that sounds metal enough for me to be honest and the ballad Until It Hurts just doesn't help. This isn't Poison bad or anything, but it certainly isn't There Will Be Execution good either.

Maybe Mat Sinner just needs a reminder that the glam/sleaze rock ship has sailed. Then again Motley Crue's Saints Of Los Angeles did debut at #4 on the Billboard Top 100 so what do I know. Just that I don't really want to hear this.

Highlights: Crash & Burn, Break The Silence

Rating - 2.5/5

Marshall Law - Razorhead

Power/Traditional Metal
Neat Metal Records

2008

1. The Summoning
2. Razorhead
3. Premonition
4. Headtrap
5. Gods Of Deception
6. Night Terror
7. The Chamber
8. Divides Us
9. Nothing Lasts Forever
10. Devil's Anvil
11. Blood And Pain
12. Another Bullet
13. Bloodlines
14. Hell On Earth
15. Necromancer

Marshall Law are one of those 80s Priest inspired bands, of which there were a fair number, and not one I ever much paid attention to. I've heard their other albums and thought they were decent but really that's about all. The only reason I'm really reviewing this one is because of insistent recommendations. Needless to say, my expectations are on the low end, but you never can tell who might surprise you.

Apparently, Marshall Law is intent on following Judas Priest every step of the way, including missteps as this album hits me immediately with downtuning and the Razorhead who reminds me strangely of something called the Jugulator. Dumb lyrics and poor attempts at modernization and "heaviness" do not impress me at all here as the guitar just chugs it's way forward with some speed but little substance. Premonition is similar, albeit with some guitar variation, but another thing that drags these tracks down for me which makes itself apparent here is the choruses which have no force behind them. These melodic, restrained choruses do nothing for me and I'd expect something more belted out for these kinds of songs.

Moving on, we also have songs like Head Trap which is the height of braindead, modernized groove metal as it chugs along to slowly to another song of much the same vein in the form of Gods of Deception. Really that about sums up the album and from that point on you can expect much of the same. Fairly poor attempts at modernized speed metal and boring 90s style groove metal tracks.

Maybe this isn't quite as juvenile as Jugulator or the worst thing I've ever heard, but really... have we learned nothing? One Jugulator is quite enough for my tastes and Marshall Law continues to dwell in a large shadow from which I don't think they deserve to escape. If you like this sort of sound maybe you'll find more here than I could, but personally I'll pass. Amusingly enough though, I will give this around the same grade as the new Priest who have been less than satisfying as well. At least they had a great era however.

Highlights: Premonition

Rating - 2.0/5

WASP - Dominator

Traditional Metal
Demolition

2007

1. Mercy
2. Long, Long Way to Go
3. Take Me Up
4. The Burning Man
5. Heaven's Hung in Black
6. Heaven's Blessed
7. Teacher
8. Heaven's Hung in Black (Reprise)
9. Deal With the Devil

WASP has always been an interesting band in my personal tastes. It seems that this band is capable of doing great or terrible things to my ears and I'm never quite sure which to expect. The last two part snoozer left me cold, but there's always hope with a hit and miss band and I did hope for more this time around.

In many ways this album is the exact opposite of the Neon God albums. While that one was a long winded, stretched thin, conceptual piece this one comes in at a short 43 minutes (less if you don't count the reprise) with a much more direct approach. Also, the production seems to be like night and day when you compare the raw, stripped down feel of Neon God and the slick, melodic feel of Dominator. Another contrast is just the energy level as this one seems to scream with it and Blackie definitely lets loose on the vocals. In short, this album is more or less everything I wanted but didn't get out of the Neon God albums.

All the songs on this release are keepers. What we have here are energetic straight up rockers in the best WASP fashion. While I like conceptual albums and think WASP is capable of excelling at them (The Crimson Idol is all the proof needed of this) this is a refreshing album full of tunes that hit you in the face. It wouldn't be a WASP album without some good emotive, ballad-esque tunes though and Heaven's Hung In Black and Take Me Up are extremely powerful and total highlights of the album. Don't take 'more direct' for meaning hollow when it comes to this review because this is a very moving album at times. The difference is Dominator doesn't get bogged down in concept and doesn't overextend itself. I'll take quality over quantity any day and Dominator just delivers.

Basically, if you like WASP this is a no brainer and I would hope you have heard some WASP by now. This band is certainly capable of making some classics and when Blackie is on there are few who can compare vocally. Dominator is just a solid straight up metal release sure to please fans of the band and anyone into some traditional ass kicking metal.

Highlights: Heaven's Hung In Black, Long Long Way To Go, Take Me Up, Mercy

Rating - 4.0/5

Twisted Tower Dire - Netherworlds

Traditional Metal
Remedy Records

2007

01. Starshine
02. Netherworlds
03. Fortress
04. Casualty of Cruel Times
05. Tales of Submission
06. The Killing Kind
07. Dire Wolf
08. No One Left to Blame
09. Firebird
10. Crionics
11. Stand Up and Shout

Twisted Tower dire are kind of the essence of a cult following band. Some would hail them as the second coming of traditional American metal, but most would simply say 'Who?' This is TTD's fourth album on a small label in relative obscurity.

Well my first impression of this album on listening to it was more or less 'Did they record this album in one of those little metal toolsheds?' The album sounds much rawer than the others I have heard from them and there's sort of an echoy/reverb thing going on. The guitars don't sound nearly as heavy and the vocals also sound kind of whiny on the highs with no real edge to them. As far as production gos this has to be considered a flat out failure. Other than that though not a whole lot has changes I guess. This band continues to draw off ideas which pretty well ran their course in the 80s american traditional scene. Direct warrior-esque metal with maiden influences here and there. Personally I just can't get too into this band as they bring little to nothing to the table in terms of new ideas. The songs are decent enough, but if I really want to listen to this sort of music I'd rather just pop in Griffin, Omen, Jag Panzer, and the like. Really the one solid draw of this band in the past has been the vocals and the vocal performance on this album seems somewhat lacking. Worth noting is that this is also the last album that will be featuring Tony Taylor on vocals at all.

More or less this album seems to lack what little I'd found interesting in the band in the past...a good sound and solid vocal deliveries. Other than that, what's there to have out of this band? Certainly not creativity and this just can't stack up with the past of the american traditional scene. If you're really longing for something new in that vein than that's what this is, but it's certainly not top form.

Highlights: Starshine, Netherworlds

Rating - 2.0/5

Saxon - The Inner Sanctum

Traditional Metal
SPV

2007

1. State Of Grace
2. Need For Speed
3. Let Me Feel Your Power
4. Red Star Falling
5. I've Got To Rock (To Stay Alive)
6. If I Was You
7. Going Nowhere Fast
8. Ashes To Ashes
9. Empire Rising
10. Atila The Hun

In 1997 Saxon released Unleashed The Beast and was pretty universally welcomed back to the metal fold. That one also claimed a place as my personal favorite Saxon album in fact. Since then the band has reclaimed their place in metal to some extent and have been releasing pretty solid albums. Unleash The Beast remains the measuring stick for newer Saxon albums though.

On this one they seem to have realized that on some level as The Inner Sanctum takes a step back towards that sound. Even the intro reminds me of that album with it's somber build up. From there on the sound just continues to recall Unleash The Beast as the songs have that same polished power/traditional feel with an emphasis on anthemic rocking. This is just Saxon in the sort of mold they fit best into. Really this sort of memorable anthemic sound is what made the band in the first place in my opinion. I can't imagine fans of Denim & Leather, Strong Arm Of The Law, etc being disappointed with this. This is just a great slab of no frills metal with a flavor of the old NWOBHM sound that made them. Maybe nothing incredibly new on the Saxon front but it's easily better than the last 3 releases and the best they've been in a decade. If you can't get into a fist pumping rocker like "I've Got To Rock" then may the metal gods save you.

The only track I'm not that wild about is the longest and the closer... Atila The Hun. The messy drum sound and length kinda spoils that song for me. On an album of around 45 minutes an 8 minute disappointment is a bit detrimental, but the rest of the album is solid enough for me to still rate this pretty highly.

In conclusion, any fan of straight forward, anthemic metal or NWOBHM would be advised to check this one out. It is certainly a must for Saxon fans. These metal icons can still put out some great material.

Highlights: I've Got To Rock, Going Nowhere Fast, Need For Speed, State Of Grace

Rating - 4.0/5

Sacred Oath - Darkness Visible

Traditional Metal
Sentinel Steel

2007

1. Words Upon the Stone
2. Battle Cry
3. Queen of the Night
4. Darkness Visible
5. Prophecy
6. Calm Before the Storm
7. Unholy Man
8. Death Is Inevitable
9. Beyond the Edge of the Flame
10. The Golden Dawn

Sacred Oath is a name with which I am familiar but I would not be surprised to hear that many are not. The band's stay in the metal scene was brief with only one album released via a small record label before they called it a day. Being that I am a resident of Connecticut myself, this CT based band is no stranger to me and I was intrigued when I heard they would be coming back to give it another go. It's always hard to know what to expect from a band after a good 20 year absence, but I was definitely curious. The parallels between this return and fellow CT band Obsession are fairly obvious.

Well here's another parallel for you... this one kills too. Sacred Oath has come back even better than before with a more polished production, more refined vocals, but still with incredible raw and dark heaviness. This is a very guitar oriented sort of album, the likes of which I seem to seldom hear out of power or traditional metal these days. Think Arch-era Fates Warning meets Mercyful Fate with a wailer of a vocalist who sometimes ascends to a more Falsetto style in the vein of King Diamond. Darkness Visible is packed with intense metal full of blistering leads and solos that show this is a band that can really play. Sacred Oath are also a band who damn sure know how to write a song and can play with soft and dark atmosphere as well which is evidenced by tracks like Prophecy and Beyond The Edge Of The Flame. A fair bit of variety graces this release and it never feels one dimensional, which is something that I really dig. The fusion of dark atmosphere and heaviness works well here and is done in a very classic sort of way.

All in all this is a very tight, well played album with songs that establish identity from track to track and for the band as a whole. I can't see fans of good old school traditional metal with a touch of evil not loving this one. I would especially recommend this release to fans of above mentioned bands like Mercyful Fate and Arch-era Fates Warning. Here's hoping this band does not just vanish after one release again because I seriously think it would be a loss to the metal world. This is a 100% successful rebirth of the band and I can see this band becoming a force to be reckoned with given a chance and some exposure.

Highlights: Queen Of The Night, Words Upon The Stone, The Golden Dawn, Beyond The Edge Of The Flame

Rating - 4.0/5