Kobra And The Lotus - High Priestess

Heavy Metal
Simmons Records
2014










1. Warhorse
2. I Am, I Am
3. Heartbeat
4. Hold On
5. High Priestess
6. Soldier
7. Battle Of Wrath
8. Visionary
9. Willow
10. Lost In The Shadows

A new one from Kobra And The Lotus is definetely an album I was looking forward to. Their last one was my first experience with the band and it really caught me by surprised with it's polished and heavy sound. Just a very intense, attacking sort of metal with a powerful wailer of a female vocalist. Expectations had to be high going into this one as their last album cracked my top 10 of 2012 and I was really hoping for more of that.

After listening to High Priestess I can definitely say this band just has it. Their sound is just attacking and headbangable with a female vocalist who can just wail. This is memorable, headbangable stuff from start to finish and I'm really becoming a major fan of this band. Kobra And The Lotus just isn't your typical female fronted band with their absolutely shredding guitar and wails that have more in common with Bruce Dickinson than your typical atmospheric, gothic, etc type female singer. Their music is just relentless and Kobra Paige has the forceful projection to sell this music to the next level. Kobra And The Lotus just do what they do extremely well and I'm thrilled to hear more of it here. What really sells me here is their ability to be both heavy and extremely catchy and addictive at the same time. Think of a band like Lullacry with their smooth hooks mixed with Iron Maiden's epic qualities and heavy power metal type shredding. I also get more than a few reminders of a modern Warlock as this band just takes a nice direct approach to metal that reminds me of the way Doro showed female vocalist can straight out rock with the best of em.

In conclusion, this is just a monster of an album as it asserts itself with heaviness and dramatic flair. There are some great heavy yet catchy songs to be found here. Addictive stuff that I would highly recommend to anyone who likes a heavy/power type band with a thick sound and wailing vocals.

Highlights: Heartbeat, Battle Of Wrath, Visionary, Willow

Rating - 4.0/5

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

Cloven Hoof - Resist Or Serve

Power/Heavy Metal
High Roller Records
2014










1. Call Of The Dark Ones
2. Hell Diver
3. Deliverance
4. Brimstone And Fire
5. Northwind To Valhalla
6. Mutilator
7. Anti Matter Man
8. Cycle Of Hate
9. Premature Burial
10. Austrian Assault

Going into new Cloven Hoof I've gotta say I had no idea what to expect. I liked their early run and even their revival album Eye Of The Sun, but there are too many X factors here to have much in the way of expectations. The lineup on Resist Or Serve is once again completely different and this again comes a good number of years after their last original album. With this basically not being the same band except for Lee Payne I was curious, but completely uncertain what the new product would be like.

Well, listening to Resist Or Serve this kinda reminds me a bit of later Lizzy Borden although honestly not as good. Another comparison that comes to mind is Seven Witches after they ran out of steam around the Amped Album. Musically this is highly traditional and straightforward with just a bit of modernization in the guitar sound. In a similar way the vocals are traditional wailing, but with some slightly raspier bits that seem to try to be a little updated as well.  Stylistically, this is just a little too typical and see through. Kind of like any given 80s has-been trying to update themselves in the most see through fashion possible. There's just nothing imaginative here. Add to that the songs aren't all that varied, lack direction, and the vocalist is a bit nasally and has too limited of a range to completely sell his wails and you have a recipe for mediocrity. If I heard this new Cloven Hoof as an opening band I'd probably say they didn't suck, were mostly competent musicians, but didn't really have the songwriting thing down yet. Really, if I had to come up with an example for completely average metal this could serve as a fine definition. Then as perhaps the death blow to what is an mediocre album anyway, the sound of this release seems both thin and muddy at the same time. The vocals in particular seem like you're hearing them through some sort of murky fog and get lost in the music.

With a typical approach, murky sound, and below average songwriting there's not really a lot of good I can say about this. The musicians seem competent, but that's about it. It doesn't outright suck, but I can't image listening to this again or that this sort of reunion attempt was worth it. There's just a lot of better music out there that is more worthy of my time. I'll just listen to the epicness and soaring vocals of A Sultan's Ransom and be happy. The band was once great, but that's probably in the past now.

Highlights: Not really no.

Rating - 1.5/5

Castle - Under Siege

Doom/Heavy Metal
Van Records
2014










1. Distant Attack
2. Be My Ghost
3. A Killing Pace
4. Pyramid Lake
5. Powersigns
6. Labyrinth Of Death
7. Temple Of The Lost
8. Evil Ways

Castle are a band that I've very much been liking since I first heard their debut and I'd have to count their third album as one of my more anticipated albums of the year. I just really dig their occult themes, dark feel, and the way they keep their songs moving with more of a heavy/traditional pace while still keeping that doom feel in place. I have to say that I was also impressed seeing this band live on their first tour and being able to deliver live always helps my opinion of a band along.

Even before listening to this album I had one gripe immediately though so I'm just going to throw it right out there. The album clocks in at a total of just under 34 minutes. It's true that Blacklands was also just over 35 minutes, but there it is. I felt like, in retrospect, I let the last album slide a bit on that and two albums of that length is a little on the weak side. I may also be noticing it because the Sabaton album I just wrote a review for had the same damn problem. If you're going to make something virtually EP length, it should be at those kind of prices and not advertised as a full length album. At least not these days where total album length is generally considerably longer. Ok I said it. Now we can move forward.

Listening to this one, Under Siege is not the sort of album that offers much in the way of surprises. As is often the case, this kind of evens out as being both the strength and the weakness of the release. The sound is very enjoyable for sure with it's earthy, haunting vocals and somewhat raw, dark sound but the songs here are also pretty familiar to anyone who has heard the other two albums. The sound hasn't worn too thin yet and this makes for the kind of album that's pretty good for fans of the band and a little bit more driving doom, but it also doesn't break enough new ground or get adventurous enough in the songwriting to really qualify as a real highlight of the year sort of an album. Basically, this one offers up material that's familiar enough to easily be accepted by fans, but not new enough to elicit a great deal of excitement. The driving pace is there and the haunting atmosphere is too, but there's not a lot of excitement in this. The best songs of the album tend to be more based on memorable vocal passages like on Be My Ghost or a rhythm that sticks in your head like the roll of Temple Of The Lost than anything remarkably new.

Overall, if you like that kind of energized doom with an occult feel than this is still above par stuff. I just wouldn't expect a lot of surprises or progression of the band's sound if you've heard them before. If you haven't, this is certainly a good female fronted doom/heavy band and worth checking out. Their sound is still recognizable and strong and that goes a long way to carrying this album to a good rating. It's an enjoyable listen and that's good enough for a third album. I can just feel the moment approaching when the band is going to have to get a little more adventurous/creative with the songs to stay relevant. And please Castle... Maybe a little bit longer albums/more songs?

Highlights: Be My Ghost, Temple Of The Lost, Evil Ways

Rating - 3.5/5

Slough Feg - Digital Resistance

Heavy/Folk Metal
Metal Blade
2014










1. Analogue Avengers/Bertrand Russell's Sex Den
2. Digital Resistance
3. Habeas Corpus
4. Magic Hooligan
5. Ghastly Appendage
6. Laser Enforcer
7. The Price Is Nice
8. Curriculum Vitae
9. The Luddite
10. Warrior's Dusk

Slough Feg are a band I've liked, but not one I've reviewed before. I'm honestly not sure why that is, but I'm just getting around to them. I guess they just haven't been my largest priority, but there hasn't been a great many interesting releases this year so I'm broadening my reviewing horizons a little here. They're not the sort of band where I own a ton of their releases or a favorite, but I like their sound well enough and figured I'd give the new one a go.

Well, maybe this wasn't the best album to write my first review of the band for. Quite frankly, I've heard other stuff from the band that is much better than the songs on Digital Resistance. For the most part the album seems like it's stuck in a rut it can't quite break free from. I like Slough Feg's sort of folky, galloping influence, but most everything here never gets above a slow trot. Really a lot of the songs here have as much in common with folk rock as heavy metal. I like the folk influence fine, but you just keep waiting for a lot of these songs to break out into a higher energy gallop and they seldom do. A lot of the material here is just too ponderous/meandering and I really would have liked some more metal kick.

For the most part the album just kinda passes by without being particularly bad or good. The sound is decent, but the songs seem lethargic. There are a couple of good highlights worth noting though. Ghastly Appendage is one I like for it's sort of creeping feel that couples well with the horror vibe of the track. This is no speed demon either, but it has a nice mood to it. Perhaps the one song that does find the proper energized rhythm is Laser Enforcer which has more punch than anything else here. Magic Hooligan is the fastest track here, but it's not very well arranged and just sounded chaotic.

Overall, this just isn't a particularly noteworthy release from Slough Feg. The band has done better and I really expected better. This might be worth a look for the hardcore fan, but I wouldn't expect much and would not recommend this as an intro to the band. Digital Resistance is just not their finest work.

Highlights: Ghastly Appendage, Laser Enforcer

Rating - 2.5/5

Grand Magus - Triumph And Power

Heavy Metal
Nuclear Blast
2014








1. On Hooves Of Gold
2. Steel Versus Steel
3. Fight
4. Triumph And Power
5. Dominator
6. Arv (Interlude)
7. Holmgang
8. The Naked And The Dead
9. Ymer (Instrumental)
10. The Hammer Will Bite

At this stage in their career I'm not entirely sure what to make of Grand Magus. Their first two albums didn't do a lot for me, but they won me over with the direct heavy metal ass kicking of Wolf's Return. Then following that Iron Will didn't do a lot for me and I thought maybe it was a one off. After that Hammer Of The North came out and kicked ass again so I thought maybe the band had figured out they'd made a misstep and brought things back to the Wolf's Return style. Then just to confuse me more the band released The Hunt which seemed to have no energy at all. At this point I'd have to call the band incredibly uneven, but when they get it right they can be so fucking good. What this band is... is frustrating. When they just charge ahead and the vocalist wails out "We believe it's our legacccyyyy" they're good. When they plod along in a way that vaguely recalls their less inspired doom/stoner doom stuff they get boring quickly. I honestly had no idea which Grand Magus would show up for Triumph And Power.

Diving into this one, Triumph and Power gets off on the right foot for me immediately with the opener Hooves Of Gold. This is by no means a barn burner and it is pretty plodding in terms of pace really, but it doesn't Feel that way. What it feels like is a methodical, slow burn heaviness with vocals that chant along and then builds to a wailing chorus. It's not exactly speed that sells the band, but the rhythm has to seem to be marching forward and this one nails it. This is just good straight up heavy metal with some nice epic overtones and passion that sells it. Following that one comes Steel Versus Steel which has a nice hard rocking vibe to it and a little bit more of an upbeat pace. This is no speed demon, but it sounds like good music to accompany a biker gang cruising along. Basically, this is more of a Harley than a crotch rocket, but that is just fine by me. I'm kind of reminded of a track like Judas Priest's Grinder sung by a more mid-ranged stoner/doom vocalist. Basically, I was buying into this album by the time the first two tracks finished and that's a pretty good sign for this band. From here out it was up to the band to keep up the energy level and hooks as the sound certainly had established itself as something I wanted to hear more of.

From here out I won't go into total track by track, but I felt the first couple tracks were worthy of a write up of praise. From here things keep up the energy level and I enjoy the songs well enough, but they don't quite stand on their own as well as the first two monsters. Nothing here is even close to bad, but they just kind of settle into a groove of chugging along. These ones don't get my head banging as hard as the album started it going, but it definitely kept nodding along. A little more variation here could have just helped the songs and the album to the next level. Basically, the material is just a little too obvious and blunt in it's mid paced chuggy nature, but it still makes for a good warrior-esque soundtrack. There is still another strong highlight to be found in The Naked And The Dead however however which just has some nasty sounding, quicker paced guitar. This one rips and is well worth the wait. This is pretty much the end of the album for me though as neither the instrumental Ymer is just kind of there and the very plodding, somewhat subdued The Hammer Will Bite doesn't much for me.

Overall, Grand Magus turn in a pretty good listen here. It's not totally rock solid as the middle is more good than great and the end is a bit anticlimactic, but really I'm not going to complain too much about an album that's mostly good to great material. The last track is really the only one I didn't enjoy as I listened to it and that's not half bad. Maybe this isn't quite Hammer of the North or Wolf's Return, but it's not Monument either. I'll take it really. This album kept my interest and is praise worthy for some extremely good highlights. There are better albums that Grand Magus have released for an intro by a new listener, but this should do fine for fans. Really I'm just glad this is one of the albums where they were more on than off. It's the right sound for them and it's enjoyable.

Highlights: On Hooves Of Gold, Steel Versus Steel, The Naked And The Dead

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

In Solitude - Sister

Heavy Metal
Metal Blade
2013

1. He Comes
2. Death Knows Where
3. A Buried Sun
4. Pallid Hands
5. Lavender
6. Sister
7. Horses In The Ground
8. Inmost Nigredo

This is my first time reviewing In Solitude, but not my first time hearing them. I picked up on this band sometime last year, after their first two albums had been out awhile. As I tend to stick to reviewing new stuff, I've never written about the band, but I have been enjoying them. In fact, I instantly fell in love with this band's sound when I did come across them. In Solitude's first two albums have this great old school, stripped down sound that draws on Iron Maiden gallops that reminds me of early US traditional/power metal. There is also this nice dark tone though and occult vibe that would not be out of place on a Mercyful Fate or King Diamond album. Good traditional/heavy stuff for sure and I was pretty excited to hear new material from them here.

Well, I have to say that I think Sister is my least favorite In Solitude release to date and is a minor letdown. That being said, it is not a bad album. There is just a quality to some of this material I don't like as much. I think it's partly that there isn't as much galloping energy, but also that seems thing a bit more disjointed and discordant than their first two. I get what they're going for, but I find their approach to sounding dark and gloomy just a bit more ham handed on this one and the melodies suffer a bit at times. Also, I just don't find some of the songs on here as headbangable. I think the best illustration of my criticisms of this album is the first track, He Comes, which is long enough to be a full song and sort of is, but at the same time it's just very trudging and too much about atmosphere. Basically, it sounds like an overlong intro. Likewise I find tracks like A Buried Sun just a bit too plodding to be interesting.

All that being said, there certainly are some good tunes too. Pallid Hands has that more melodic drive underlying the music that I like and it's swifter pace just makes their sound more exciting in my opinion. It's a distinction between getting too bogged down in atmosphere versus using it in a good straight up metal way. I obviously prefer the later. Sister also moves along with a sound that conjures up comparisons to NWOBHM like Angel Witch. Lavender is a bit more geared toward mood, but doesn't let it take over and is raw while maintaining it's focus. This one kind of reminds me of early Savatage and that is not a bad thing either.

Sister is basically an album that starts a bit slow, with the first three tracks not really grabbing me, but it does get better along the way. It's not quite rock solid and I'd consider this their least essential album so far, but it's certainly not an unenjoyable experience. Some of the tracks are kick ass in fact, it just doesn't always keep the energy going and some of the more disjointed riffs try a bit too hard. Really though, this is worth the price of admission if you're a fan. The highlights are well worth hearing. I just would probably start off with an album like The World. The Flesh. The Devil. first if I was a new listener. I'm kind of hoping for something with more of those traditional Maiden/NWOBHM touches next time and a wee bit less Mercyful Fate. It was the blend that made the band's first albums and this just isn't quite as cohesive. Still, if you like some of the bands I mentioned, especially Mercyful Fate, than this could be something you want to listen to.

Highlights: Pallid Hands, Sister, Lavender

Rating - 3.0/5

Huntress - Starbound Beast

Heavy Metal
Napalm Records

2013

1. Enter The Exosphere (Intro)
2. Blood Sisters
3. I Want To Fuck You To Death
4. Destroy Your Life
5. Starbound Beast
6. Zenith
7. Oracle
8. Receiver
9. Spectra Spectral
10. Alpha Tauri

Huntress' first release, Spell Eater, was a pretty good album, but I felt it could have been better. When I initially discovered the band and heard the song Eight Of Swords I got excited as hell for more, but the rest of the album just didn't quite meet my expectations of it. It was just a slight let down that none of the rest of the Spell Eater managed to match the intensity of that song. It was a debut though and there certainly was a lot of promise shown so I was hoping for more out of this one going in. I was pretty much thinking this album had the potential to kick a lot of ass if the band could grow a bit in the songwriting and maybe bring a little more speed and energy to the overall experience.

After listening to Starbound Beast, it does seem like the band has indeed grown a bit here. Things are a little less choppy and harsh with more of an underlying sense of melody. I hear some nice Maiden-isms here and while that's not exactly uncommon in metal, they make good use of them. Overall, the energy is just better and the songwriting is a bit more mature. Ok maybe mature is an odd word to use for I Want To Fuck You To Death, but lyrics aside, it rings true for me. On their debut the band may have been trying just a little too hard to sound harsh and evil. This has more of a flowing energy about it and the experience is more involving. Starbound Beast just seems more polished in a good way. I feel like the vocal experience has improved here as well as there's more of a focus on melodic singing and Janus has too good of a voice to be screeching and growling all the time. There's still a fair amount of harshness and edge for sure, but this has a bit more of a nod to the old school while still keeping things modern and aggressive. The overall experience reminds of influences like King Diamond and Iron Maiden thrown together with some thrashiness and given a modern touch.

Basically, this shows the growth and more consistent energy that I was hoping for out of the band. It's an improvement and this is the kind of sophmore album you want to see. Starbound Beast shows me that Huntress has room to grow and they have the ability to do so. I like where Huntress is headed. If you like the idea of a female fronted band with an aggressive, straight up heavy metal feel and an occult vibe than Huntress is worth your time.

Highlights: Receiver, I Want To Fuck You To Death, Zenith

Rating - 3.5/5

Sacred Oath - Fallen

Heavy Metal
MVD Audio

2013

1. King Of Your World
2. The Way Of All Flesh
3. Get Your Wings
4. Dream Death
5. Misery Loves Company
6. Snake Eyes
7. Lurking Fear
8. Aradia
9. Death Knell
10. Fallen

Sacred Oath have been back in existence for a few new albums at this point and have pretty well established themselves as a damn fine traditional sort of heavy metal band. After three good releases I was feeling pretty good about this one really and didn't have any reason to doubt it. Good music and cool, standout vocals from a local boy making good. It has been pretty exciting to see bands from the old Connecticut scene like Sacred Oath, Obsession, and old Fates Warning in the form of Arch/Matheos making good new music.

Well, here is where that rather flawless record out of Connecticut metal comebacks withers and dies. My initial reaction from the first track, King Of Your World, was pretty much confusion and annoyance. The quick talking, almost rap-like vocal parts are kind of like nails on a chalkboard and nothing I want to hear in any metal song, ever. They do build to a decent cleanly sung chorus, but not an imaginative one and certainly not worth suffering though the rest of the "singing" here. Next we proceed to The Way Of All Flesh which is trudging initially and kind of boring. It does pick up after a bit over 2 minutes, but it doesn't last, making for another clearly flawed track that simply isn't that interesting. After that Gets Your Wings sounds absolutely messy and chaotic. Utterly random and I was barely able to make it through the song honestly, making it the second track that has outright annoyed me out of three. Dream Death follows that with a balladish start into a chaotic mess that continues the basic trend of a mix of boredom, confusion, and annoyance. I could keep writing track by track, but honestly it just goes on like this. These songs are just poorly constructed and only memorable in the fact they sound so random.

Basically, this album lacks everything that made the first album back, Darkness Visible, their best. It doesn't have that sort of Fates Warning epic vibe, wild falsettos, and the attempts at heaviness just sound confused. I'm not sure what to make of this album, but I'm positive I never needed to hear it. I think it's time for Sacred Oath to reevaluate the direction they're heading in to put it mildly. The mighty have fallen and they made one ugly sound when they hit the ground. This is just a genuinely terrible collection of songwriting.

Highlights: No

Rating - 1.0/5

Oliva - Raise The Curtain

Power/Heavy Metal
AFM

2013

1. Raise The Curtain
2. Soul Chaser
3. Ten Years
4. Father Time
5. I Know
6. Big Brother
7. Armageddon
8. Soldier
9. Stalker
10. The Witch
11. Can't Get Away

This is the sort of album I go into hoping it will be good, but not expecting it to be. There was a time when Oliva was making music I love, but that was in 1987. I honestly have not Really enjoyed Savatage since Hall of the Mountain King and the shift in direction to a more flamboyant broadway touched style. I dug them when they were screaming traditional. As for Oliva's other, more recent, band Jon Oliva's Pain... it was closer to the right vein, but failed to really grab my interest. I would absolutely love to hear the kind of Oliva I like, but he hasn't made that sort of music in a long, long time. In the world of metal though, you never know. Especially when someone starts a new project that you have no idea what it'll sound like.

Well, the album made me groan from the first tralalala intro. You know, I like some lighter metal and some flamboyant stuff, but the song Raise The Curtain just sounds like it met with a horrible wood chipper accident that resulted in castration. I'd be happy never hearing this song's keyboard happiness and choir vocals ever again. After some oddly Deep Purple sounding keyboard work Soul Chaser does get considerably better, but that also would not be difficult. Not a fantastic song, but an ok one where Oliva at least comes through vocally with some good aggression. Next we have some sort of scat jazz feel on Ten Years that doesn't really interest me at all followed by another Deep Purple/Jon Lord tribute on Father Time that is alright, but the song is just a bit too bouncy for my tastes. After that, I Know is a mediocre ballad barely worth mentioning, but Big Brother picks up the speed and does have some nice heaviness. Then the chorus is quirky in the most annoying way possible though and ruins it for me. Annoyingly quirky also sums up Armageddon pretty nicely as it gets all bouncy and irritating again. Soldier... ah fucking hell it's another ballad. Is this album over yet? Nope still a bit more to go as Stalker goes all Tim Burton/Danny Elfman while continuing to piss me off and make me wish I could turn off the album. I guess I'm in for the long haul though so lets talk about The Witch which takes forever getting to the vocals for a 4:37 and then features some random Oliva rambling. Finally, mercifully, the album ends with one last terrible ballad in Can't Get Away.

I can safely say I will never listen to this again and my hopes for ever enjoying Jon Oliva again are just plain zero. Well, there's almost an hour of my life I'll never get back. Maybe if you like Oliva's experimentation you might find something here I didn't, but to me this thing is an abortion. Fuck this album.

Highlights: Soul Chaser

Rating - 1.0/5

Black Sabbath - 13

Doom/Heavy Metal
Vertigo Records

2013

1. End Of The Beginning
2. God Is Dead?
3. Loner
4. Zeitgeist
5. Age Of Reason
6. Live Forever
7. Damaged Soul
8. Dear Father

After all this time, it has happened. Black Sabbath have gotten back together with Ozzy to give it another go. If this news had come sooner, I'm sure I would have been excited, but at this point I can't muster much enthusiasm going in. I mean, we're talking about a singer Way past his prime here and after hearing how Dio could Still deliver with Heaven & Hell this just seemed like an inevitable let down. I've heard Ozzy and also Black Sabbath live a bunch of times and his voice wasn't very good in like 2002. Also, Ozzy hasn't made a good album since 1995 IMO and some fans wouldn't even give em that much. Personally, I liked most of Ozzmosis. Just didn't see much of a way this could live up to the past Ozzy fronted albums considering the old, gibbering Ozzy of today. Still, it's hard to ignore a new Black Sabbath album so of course I had to give it a shot.

Listening to 13 it definitely sounds like Sabbath. I mean Iommi's signature style is there in the creeping riffs and the music is about what one would expect of Sabbath with Ozzy at the front. I really did not find this album particularly surprising in any way and maybe that is the problem. Everything here just sounds so predictable... so much like past Ozzy Sabbath songs... but with absolutely no fire. Ozzy seems to speak his way through the album and none of the songs really sound like new songs. There's just nothing to really set the material apart as anything past "Well, it sounds like Sabbath". Simply put, this does not sound like a creative effort or someone's art. This sounds like a bunch of old guys trying to sound like they used to because they're not really sure what else to do and afraid to take even the slightest chance.

I can understand the pressure to make this sound like the classics, but the problem is there just doesn't seem to be any song deeper in thought than "this has to sound like the past". Almost like they're so scared to make something to tarnish the legacy that this album just had to work off old cliches. With no real new songwriting ideas everything just kinda plods past me, generating little more than a sigh here and there. This doesn't sound like people excited about crafting new, exciting music. This sounds like Ozzy reading from a script to a bunch of leftover Sabbath riffs. There was a time when Sabbath was a groundbreaking creative force and their songs on the same album could sound wildly different. Nothing here however has any identity of it's own and Ozzy's vocals are about as free of passion as a vocal performance could possibly be.

I wish I could even summon the energy to write more about this, but I don't think I can. I could never summon the energy to write about this track by track because there's little to write. I kinda feel like I imagine Iommi must have going back to Ozzy. I feel like I have to make this review, not like I want to. This isn't incredibly good or bad... 13 just comes across like a half hearted effort someone would put in at a really shitty job they have to do to just to get a paycheck. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't feel the need to pick this apart because I don't care. 13 seems like some big label's idea of what a new Sabbath album fronted by that guy from the Osbournes, the prince of darkness, had to sound like.

There was a time when Sabbath was hugely influential to a genre, but past glories don't make an album. If someone like Sabbath can't make an album to rival the many doom bands (and others) whom they've inspired than a new Sabbath album has little place in the genre. This is pretty much for people who just need some Sabbath nostalgia in this reviewer's opinion. Myself... I could do without it. I don't hate it, but that's not exactly enough to make me run out and buy an album. Heaven & Hell felt like a passionate, powerful release. The fire and intensity drove the release to real heaviness and power. This sounds like the audio equivalent of an easily digested idea from an advertising firm meant not to offend anyone and sell a brand name. That frankly is not what metal is about to me. I'm more an Ozzy Sabbath fan than a Dio Sabbath fan in terms of the old albums, but at least Dio had a legitimate passion for the music and was in touch with the metal scene. I imagine Ozzy literally propped up in the studio while recording this. Meanwhile, Iommi sitting there wondering when his check arrives and why he couldn't escape the pressure of doing another Sabbath album with Ozzy as the vocalist. I think there's a very good reason why this took so long to happen. Iommi didn't really want to do this and it shows. Ozzy's not the same guy who sung those albums back when and that shows even more. If I had to sum this album up in one word it would be Meh.

Highlights: Live Forever, God Is Dead

Rating - 2.5/5

U.D.O. - Steelhammer

Heavy Metal
AFM

2013

1. Steelhammer
2. A Cry Of A Nation
3. Metal Machine
4. Basta Ya
5. Heavy Rain
6. Devil's Bite
7. Death Ride
8. King Of Mean
9. Timekeeper
10. Never Cross My Way
11. Take My Medicine
12. Stay True
13. When Love Becomes A Lie
14. Book Of Faith

For awhile there I really stopped paying much attention to Accept and Udo. They just kinda lost my interest somewhere along the way. I guess Accept just kinda drifted and Udo's solo stuff never Quite grabbed me. With Accept coming back strong with a new vocalist though my interest has been rekindled and I was wondering what Udo was up to these days. Figured I'd give this one a shot.

I think Steelhammer is pretty much what I expected it to be in terms of style, but maybe a little better in the songwriting department than I was necessarily expecting. This is pretty much straight forward traditional stuff, but it does have a lot of aggression with perhaps a bit of a heavier power metal touch to the production. Almost has that power/thrash vibe at times. The music complements Udo well and he sounds like his usual raspy self with his snarls and screams which add a nice touch of bite to the material. I'm reminded a bit of Primal Fear in terms of overall sound, especially the earlier stuff which mixed speedier and chuggier material. I like all of the songs on this album really, except for the one notable exception of Heavy Rain. Udo ballad? PASS. I'm sort of reminded of a bad Louis Armstrong song. Seriously, this is pretty terrible, but as it's the only glaring mistake on an otherwise solid album I can accept it and track forward.

For a straight ahead, no nonsense album, I definitely like this overall. It does a pretty good job of getting you pumped and both the vocals and music have a nice heavy edge. If I want something to just headbang to, driving along in my car, I can see this one finding my player.

Highlights: Basta Ya, A Cry Of A Nation, Timekeeper

Rating - 3.5/5

Megadeth - Super Collider

Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
Tradecraft

2013

1. Kingmaker
2. Super Collider
3. Burn!
4. Built For War
5. Off The Edge
6. Dance In The Rain
7. The Beginning Of Sorrow
8. The Blackest Crow
9. Forget To Remember
10. Don't Turn Your Back...
11. Cold Sweat (Thin Lizzy cover)

Ah, Megadeth. One of the first bands that got me into metal and still one of my favorites. Their classics have a special place in my collection and more recently the band has re-grabbed my attention with some very good albums like Endgame and The System Has Failed. I go into this one with a slight bit of skepticism though. Th1rt3en was an OK album, but has not really aged well for me and I can't remember the last time I felt the need to listen to it. It's just never the Megadeth album I reach for. Also, I do my absolute best to separate musicians as people and their work, but Mustaine really does make it a challenge. The more he screams his lunacy to the world regarding evolution or where Obama was born the harder I find it to take him, or anything connected with him, seriously. I'll try to push that to the back of my mind and hopefully enjoy some music that reminds me of my metal beginnings.

Well, it's hard to focus on the music when the music is this fucking boring. Listening to this album is just 45 minutes of your life you'll never get back. There's nothing about this album that screams "WTF?!" like say Risk, but I settled into utter apathy by the middle of this album.

Super Collider starts off alright with Kingmaker which at least has a little aggression, but even on that one the vocals are kinda phoned in and it never quite breaks out and shreds. The sad thing though is that this is as ripping as the album gets and the only decent song to make a single on an album full of mediocrity. By the time the second track Super Collider is done I feel a yawn coming on with it's sort of southern rocky/country-ish feel that recalls songs like Have Cool, Will Travel. This wasn't a particularly good idea for the band back in '97 and it's still not now. The Blackest Crow also has a similar feel and is similarly boring. Beyond this a lot of the album is just too mid-paced and trudges on as if the band is on autopilot. I think the only real time songs stand out on here is when they're worse than boring like Built For War which is disjointed and annoying. There's really precious little in terms of shredding guitar or intensity to make any songs or this album stand out and this kind of comes across as a more rock oriented album. Certainly, this is waaaay removed from anything thrash metal.

It is sort of funny that perhaps my biggest gripes going into this release turns out to be a non-factor though. I wasn't big on the idea of David Draiman on a Megadeth album, but if I wasn't told he was on it, I probably would not have noticed. His vocals are just buried backups that neither add nor subtract from the quality and it's pretty much anecdotal that he was involved.

This is just the sort of album by a classic band that nobody gives a fuck about. One of those forgotten releases that just make you shake your head and throw on one of their classic albums to make you remember what you loved about them. It basically adds nothing memorable to their song catalogue, and I'd say this is for serious fans/collectors only.

Highlights: Kingmaker

Rating - 2.0/5

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

Giant X - I

Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
Steamhammer/SPV

2013

1. The Rise Of Giant X (Intro)
2. On A Blind Flight
3. Don't Quit Till Tomorrow
4. Badland Blues
5. Now Or Never
6. Nameless Heroes
7. Go 4 It
8. The Count
9. Rough Ride
10. Friendly Fire
11. Let's Dance
12. Soulsurvivors
13. R.O.C.K.

It's hard to blame Rolf Kasparek of Running Wild for wanting to branch out a bit. After doing the Pirate shtick for so many damn years it's gotta grow a little old feeling like you Have to write albums in that general theme. That being said, I love Running Wild and Rolf's last side band Toxic Taste was a total abortion. Considering how well Rolf's last side band went I had to go in skeptical. At least he handles the vocal duties on this one though so I could expect those to be good.

To start things off, On A Blind Fight is exactly what I like hearing from Rolf Kasparek. Speedy and powerful, this one could be a Running Wild song. It does leave one wondering why this even needs to be another band, but the band clears that up pretty quickly with sleaze rockers like Don't Quit Till Tomorrow and Badland Blues. Basically, from here on out this is retro rock and doesn't do a thing for me. This kinda material reminds me of Sinner's more recent albums and is at least as bad. Retro rock inspiration can work, but there's a fine line between retro and just an uninspired throwback. This falls on the later side of that line. I didn't really need to hear Rolf Kasparek doing a glam metal/rock ballad like Nameless Heroes. A lot of this is honestly pretty terrible. The Count in particular left me scratching my head. It sounds like a rock song done by The Count from Sesame Street. Seriously, the theme of the song is fucking counting. Thanks for spelling out R.O.C.K for me too guys. I should also mention that the only thing Lets Dance got moving is the tacos in my stomach that I ate earlier. Some seriously bad songs here.

Sorry Rolf, but I think if you want a successful band you're stuck with Running Wild. This is boring at best and annoying at worst. Rolf is no doubt one of the legends of power/speed metal... but yeah... maybe stick to that.

Highlights: On A Blind Fight

Rating - 1.0/5

Kobra And The Lotus - Kobra And The Lotus

Simmons Records
Heavy Metal
2012

1. 50 Shades Of Evil
2. Welcome To My Funeral
3. Forever One
4. Heaven's Veins
5. My Life
6. Nayana (My Eyes)
7. Sanctuary
8. Lover Of The Beloved
9. No Rest For The Wicked
10. Aria Of Karmika

Kobra And The Lotus' self titled sophomore release marks my first experience with the band. A friend recommended this one and I figured I'd give em a shot. Took me a bit to get around to this release, but I am just one guy versus a lot of metal out there. A new band is always an intriguing possibility though and I do tend to dig female fronted metal.

Well, listening to this one, the band did not disappoint. I went in with little in terms of expectations and came out with a very polised, heavy and up tempo piece of metal. This is some pretty attacking stuff as it blends traditional and heavy power metal nicely. Vocalist Kobra Paige has a deep, melodic note to her voice and wails with a great deal of conviction. Her voice reminds me a bit of a more flamboyant Veronica Freeman (Benedictum) mixed with Michael Grant's (Onward/Crescent Shield) deep melodic sense. It's a good blend and she lends a fair amount of power to the music. The most obvious influence to this band for me is Iron Maiden and they really do remind me of a modern, heavier version with a female singer. Not comparing quality as that would be a disservice to almost any metal band, but the sound is obviously grounded in a love of Maiden. Think of Kobra And The Lotus as a mix of love for old school Maiden and a grounding in a more modern, heavy power metal sound.

Kobra And The Lotus seem to have their act well together on this one and there is little to not like here. Their self titled release just has a lot of energy, a powerful sound aided by forceful wails, and rarely relents in it's headbanging pace. I have nothing but good to say about this band and I think any fan of traditional/power metal would be well advised to check them out. As I'm getting ready to close out the year in reviews, I can safely say that this one is towards the top of the heap.

Highlights: Forever One, Nayana, Sanctuary, 50 Shades Of Evil

Rating - 4.0/5

Castle - Blacklands

Heavy/Doom Metal
Van Records

2012

1. Ever Hunter
2. Corpse Candles
3. Storm Below The Mountain
4. Blacklands
5. Curse Of The Priests
6. Venus Pentagram
7. Alcatraz
8. Dying Breed

Blacklands marks the second album from California based doom/heavy metalers Castle and it is an album I've been looking forward to. Just last year I first heard this band and they are a fairly young one as that was their debut release. What the debut brought was a nice retro, stripped down, and dirty sound that mixed traditional heavy metal and doom into an occult themed rocker. Always nice to have some new blood in the scene and their debut, In Witch Order, left me wanting more. You don't hear a lot of no frills, dark metal like this these days.

Listening to Blacklands I can't help but think this sounds kind of like the soundtrack to some 70s/80s occult/satanist themed horror movie. Vocalist Elizabeth Blackwell is fully capable of rocking out, but also has a haunting sort of vibe to her at times and the music just conjures a great dark vibe. Think a little bit of Hellion, mixed with a little King Diamond for flavor (minus the falsettos), and a little Cathedral meets Black Sabbath. This is a bit too upbeat and traditional to call strictly doom, but the influence is obvious and the music just goes for raw, dark, and heavy. Overall, I'm very satisfied with this release, but if I had to nitpick there would be a couple things. At times things can get a little familiar as the tracks don't have a Huge amount of variation, but I do think there is enough. I can just feel the need for this band to expand and maybe even polish their sound a bit more in the future. Nitpick number two belongs to guitarist/vocalist Mat Davis, who might be better off sticking to the guitarist tag. His gruff vocals aren't bad, but honestly they don't seem necessary as Elizabeth just has a much better sound. They're not bad and open pop up occasionally, but they don't really add much to the band's sound. These are just as I said though, nitpicks. Castle does a lot more things right than wrong and their sound is pretty killer.

Basically, this band continues to follow the sound they started on the debut, In Witch Order, and it still sounds good. If you heard their last and liked it then this is certainly worthy. If you have not and like traditional with flavors of doom and darkness then you should check this out. This fills a nice spot in my collection that needed new blood. I really think this band is onto something great and I look forward to hearing more material in the future.

Highlights: Corpse Candles, Blacklands, Ever Hunter

Rating - 3.5/5