REVIEW: SKULLDRIVER – Facts, Fictions and Fucked Up Situations

 

SKULLDRIVER – Facts, Fictions and Fucked Up Situations (2010)

Independent release

More and more new bands are choosing to release their albums on their own, since the Internet lets them make their music and build an audience without a label. I see this as a good thing, because the artist keeps complete control over his or her work. The downside is the effort it demands: spreading your music out there takes a lot of personal work. Finland’s SKULLDRIVER have taken exactly this route with their debut album, ten songs released independently.

Musically, the band travels the road we usually call modern thrash metal. That means plenty of grooves, down-tuned guitars and vocals that shift between a melodic death metal delivery and a hardcore kind of singing. The fact is that thousands of bands play this way, so it’s fair to ask whether SKULLDRIVER have any chance of achieving something. Personally, I vote yes. They are a talented bunch of musicians, and they approach the style with a fresher attitude than most of their peers. I also liked that they have added southern metal touches (call me BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) to their modern thrash sound. Listen to “Boots” and you can easily imagine Zakk Wylde jamming with them.

As a first release, though, there are a few points that need fixing. First of all, the vocals are buried under the instruments, and a cleaner balance in the production would let them breathe and give the songs more impact. The second issue concerns the writing. The rhythm section becomes repetitive after a while, and the band should pay more attention to its lead and melodic parts. When those parts appear, they are killer, and they are what makes you believe this band can stand out from the many who play in a similar way these days. Developing that side of their sound would give them a recognisable identity.

All in all, the debut album of SKULLDRIVER is a very positive first step and shows a band that can achieve something in the modern thrash metal/thrashcore scene. With a stronger production and more focus on their melodic strengths, they could go far.

Favourite tracks: “Boots”, “H.B.B.J.” and “Beast Within”.

Nick Parastatidis

REVIEW: ALICE COOPER, Love It To Death

 

ALICE COOPER, Love It To Death (1971)

Warner Bros. Records

Εδώ είμαστε!

Το τρίτο άλμπουμ των Alice Cooper, στους οποίους, βέβαια, τραγουδάει ο... Alice Cooper, και εδώ ο στόχος επιτέλους επιτυγχάνεται! Πρόκειται για την πρώτη πραγματικά ολοκληρωμένη συλλογή τραγουδιών του συγκροτήματος, με σαφή κατεύθυνση, δυνατές συνθέσεις και, το βασικότερο, επιτυχημένο υλικό. Ήδη η φήμη τους αρχίζει σιγά σιγά να ξεπερνά τον Ατλαντικό Ωκεανό, με τη μουσική τους να βρίσκει αρχικά απήχηση στη Βρετανία, σε αυτή την ιστορική καμπή της πορείας τους.

Η αλήθεια είναι πως, αν αγνοήσεις τα δύο πρώτα άλμπουμ και ξεκινήσεις από εδώ, δεν χάνεις και πολλά. Αντίθετα, μάλλον κερδισμένος θα βγεις. Ο πρώτος κλασικός ύμνος που εξακολουθεί έκτοτε να τους τιμά σε κάθε εποχή είναι, βέβαια, το «I'm Eighteen», ένα αθάνατο τραγούδι για κάθε έφηβο, ανεξαρτήτως εποχής. «Black Juju», «Long Way to Go» και, φυσικά, ο δεύτερος ύμνος του δίσκου, το θρυλικό «Ballad of Dwight Fry», το οποίο εξακολουθεί να εμφανίζεται πολύ συχνά στα ζωντανά τους προγράμματα, ακόμη και μισό αιώνα αργότερα! Τα «Caught in a Dream» και «Hallowed Be My Name» αποτελούν επίσης σημαντικές στιγμές του άλμπουμ.

Από εδώ ξεκινά η επιτυχία που θα συνεχιστεί με ακόμη μεγαλύτερη ένταση, οδηγώντας το συγκρότημα στην κορυφή. Η επί σκηνής περσόνα του Alice Cooper θα καταπιεί πολύ σύντομα τον άνθρωπο Vincent Furnier.

English:

Here we are!

The third Alice Cooper album, with Alice Cooper himself, of course, handling the vocals, and this time the band finally hits the mark! This is their first truly complete collection of songs, featuring a clear direction, strong compositions and, most importantly, material with genuine commercial appeal. Their reputation is already beginning to spread across the Atlantic, with their music first finding an audience in Britain, marking a significant turning point in their career.

The truth is that if you skip the first two albums and start here, you won't be missing much. In fact, you will probably be better off. The first classic anthem to emerge from this album, and one that has stood the test of time ever since, is, of course, "I'm Eighteen", an immortal song for teenagers of every generation. "Black Juju", "Long Way to Go" and, naturally, the album's second anthem, the legendary "Ballad of Dwight Fry", which still regularly features in their live setlists, even half a century later! "Caught in a Dream" and "Hallowed Be My Name" are also important highlights of the album.

This is where the success begins, continuing with even greater momentum and eventually taking the band to the top. Alice Cooper's onstage persona would soon completely overshadow the man behind it, Vincent Furnier.

Τάκης "Ε-Μortal One" Γιώτης

METAL RAIDER Releases New Single “Chaos Reigns”

 

GOTHENBURG, Sweden – Swedish heavy metal band Metal Raider has released a new single, “Chaos Reigns,” ahead of the planned release of their debut full-length album in 2027.

Based in Gothenburg, Metal Raider plays classic heavy metal, characterized by riff-driven songwriting and anthemic compositions. The band’s sound draws comparisons to established acts such as Accept and Judas Priest.

The group was formed in December 2017 by vocalist Michalis Rinakakis and guitarist Johan Scheuer. Drummer Kane Svantesson joined in early 2018, completing the lineup.

Rinakakis has also been involved with several other projects, including Event Horizon X and Dragonrider, and is a former member of Air Raid and The Silent Rage. Svantesson is also associated with the band Destiny.

Metal Raider’s music combines twin-guitar harmonies with high-register vocals. Lyrically, the band draws on Greek mythology, fantasy, science fiction and philosophy.

The band is part of the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal, a movement within the underground metal scene that revives the stylistic conventions of the genre’s early decades.

“Chaos Reigns” is the band’s most recent release. Metal Raider is currently preparing its debut full-length LP, which is scheduled for release in 2027. Details such as the album title, track listing and label information have not yet been announced.

REVIEW: ALICE COOPER, Killer

 

ALICE COOPER, Killer (1971)

Warner Bros. Records

Το φίδι στο εξώφυλλο είναι Τυφλίτης.

Το τέταρτο άλμπουμ αυτού του ανερχόμενου συγκροτήματος, με τραγουδιστή τον ψιλόλιγνο μαυρομάλλη με το χαρακτηριστικό μαύρο μακιγιάζ γύρω από τα μάτια, διαδέχεται το πολλά υποσχόμενο Love It to Death, που κυκλοφόρησε κι αυτό στις αρχές του 1971 και τους έδωσε ήδη τον απαραίτητο αέρα για να συνεχίσουν. Εδώ, όμως, το συγκρότημα πηγαίνει ακόμη παραπέρα, ανεβάζοντας τον πήχη πολύ ψηλότερα.

Το κοινό αρχίζει να εξοικειώνεται με τον ιδιαίτερο σκηνικό χαρακτήρα που ενσαρκώνει ο τραγουδιστής, ο οποίος φέρει το ίδιο όνομα με την περσόνα του. Μια κατάσταση που σύντομα θα εξελιχθεί σε ψυχοπαθολογικό ζήτημα για τον ίδιο. Είναι το γνωστό μοτίβο όπου ο πλασματικός χαρακτήρας ενός καλλιτέχνη καταλήγει να κυριαρχεί πάνω στον πραγματικό άνθρωπο!

Μουσικά, τα πράγματα εδώ είναι απλά: Hard Rock, με την παρουσία βιολιού σε ορισμένα μελωδικά περάσματα, προοδευτικά μέρη μεγαλύτερης διάρκειας, αλλά και επιρροές από το Western και την Country. Παράλληλα, διαμορφώνεται σταδιακά το ύφος που θα υιοθετήσει ο Alice και στη μετέπειτα σόλο πορεία του, από το 1975 και έπειτα.

Ο απόηχος του Rock 'N' Roll και της ψυχεδέλειας των 60s παραμένει ακόμη έντονος, ενώ τα «Be My Lover», «Under My Wheels», «Desperado», «Halo of Flies», «Killer» και «Dead Babies» εξακολουθούν να αποτελούν μέρος των ζωντανών εμφανίσεων του Alice, ακόμη και σήμερα, πενήντα και πλέον χρόνια μετά. Αυτό, αν μη τι άλλο, κάτι πρέπει να μας λέει.

English:

The snake on the cover is a blunt-nosed viper.

This is the fourth album by this rising band, featuring the tall, slender, dark-haired singer with the distinctive black makeup around his eyes. It follows the promising Love It to Death, which was also released in early 1971 and had already given the band the confidence and momentum to move forward. With this release, however, they take things a step further, raising the bar considerably.

The audience is gradually becoming familiar with the distinctive stage persona embodied by the singer, who shares his name with the character he portrays. This is a situation that would soon develop into a psychological issue for him personally. It is the familiar pattern of an artist's fictional persona gradually taking over the real person behind it!

Musically, things are relatively straightforward: Hard Rock, with violin adding colour to certain melodic passages, extended progressive sections in places, as well as influences from Western and Country music. At the same time, the foundations of the style Alice would gradually develop in his subsequent solo career, beginning in 1975, are already taking shape.

The echoes of Rock 'N' Roll and the psychedelic sounds of the 60s are still very much present. Meanwhile, tracks such as "Be My Lover", "Under My Wheels", "Desperado", "Halo of Flies", "Killer" and "Dead Babies" continue to feature in Alice's live performances even today, more than fifty years later. That, if nothing else, should tell us something.

Τάκης "Ε-Μortal One" Γιώτης

REVIEW: AURA - Deliverance

 

AURA - Deliverance

Spider Rock Promotion

This is the debut album by this Italian progressive rock band, who approach the genre through a contemporary sound, combining the familiar elements of progressive rock with a more modern production and arrangement style. AURA have a good vocalist, while the musicians themselves clearly demonstrate that they know how to handle their instruments. The instrumental performances are competent throughout, and the keyboards deserve particular mention. They are used quite cleverly, adding depth and atmosphere to the compositions without becoming excessive or dominating the other instruments. This is important, since an overemphasis on keyboards can sometimes make progressive rock sound unnecessarily complicated or tiring.

Deliverance is a good album, although I cannot say that it is a particularly outstanding one. The main issue is that the songs do not maintain the same level of quality throughout. Some compositions leave a stronger impression, while others are less memorable and could benefit from more developed ideas. The tracks that stand out for me are "The Eden's Tree", "A Candle's Dream", "The Bridge of Silence" and "The Glorious Day". These songs give a better indication of what AURA are capable of, combining the band's instrumental abilities with more convincing songwriting.

Despite playing progressive rock, AURA generally keep their compositions within reasonable time limits, rather than relying on extended arrangements simply for the sake of displaying their technical abilities. I consider this a positive element, as a progressive rock composition does not necessarily have to be lengthy to be interesting or effective. Nevertheless, the band still needs to work further on its songwriting, developing stronger melodies and more distinctive ideas that will give its music a clearer identity.

In conclusion, Deliverance is a promising debut and a good album that should appeal to progressive rock fans. AURA demonstrate sufficient musical ability and have some interesting moments, but there is still room for improvement, particularly when it comes to the consistency of their compositions. At this stage, I would place them below bands such as ASTRAL TRAVELLER, Canada's MYSTERY and ABARAX, whose work I find more convincing within the genre.

Ioannis Kaskamanidis

From Constantinos to the Dark Avenger: When Oath and Duty Conquer Death

 

From Constantinos to the Dark Avenger: When Oath and Duty Conquer Death

Sometimes, the human mind connects seemingly incompatible worlds, revealing that beneath the surface, the same heart beats. What can a Byzantine folk ballad—the masterpiece “The Song of the Dead Brother”—have in common with an epic heavy metal track by American band Manowar from 1982, “Dark Avenger”?

In reality, they share everything. They share one of the oldest and deepest myths of humanity’s collective unconscious: the idea that duty, a sacred oath, and human will are forces stronger than the ultimate barrier of Death.

A Myth Traveling Through Centuries

The story of the dead returning from the grave (the revenant) was born neither in the Balkans of the Middle Ages nor in New York recording studios in the 1980s. It is an underground river flowing from antiquity. From the myth of Protesilaus and Laodamia in ancient Greece—where the gods of the Underworld bowed before the lament of love and allowed the dead hero to return briefly to earth—to Mesopotamian descents into Hades, humanity has stubbornly refused to accept the coffin as the final period of an unfulfilled promise.

In the Balkans, this ancient core took deep root and flourished as a shared cultural symbol. In Greece, it became Constantinos and Arete; in Albania, Constantinos and Doruntina (a hymn to the sacred Besa); in Bulgaria, Lazar and Petkana; in Serbia, Jovan and Jelica. In all these variations, the word of honor given to the mother functions like a metaphysical chain: the earth opens, bones regain life, and the dead man rides his horse through the night to fulfill his debt.

The Divergence: From Lament to Electric Guitars

As the myth traveled through time and space, it adapted to the values of each culture. In the Mediterranean and Balkan tradition, the driving force that conquers the grave is family love and the sacred oath. In the Northern, Germanic, and Celtic tradition—from the mythical Draugr and Shakespeare’s Hamlet to modern fantasy literature (like Robert E. Howard’s Conan)—the dead man returns for the restoration of honor and justice.

Manowar drew precisely from this reservoir when writing “Dark Avenger” for their debut album, Battle Hymns. The song’s hero is a betrayed warrior who, having passed through the gates of death, refuses to rest. He returns from the darkness with supernatural power, riding through the night, transformed into a pure energy of justice.

The atmosphere of the two works, despite the centuries separating them, is strikingly similar. The night ride of the dead Constantinos under the moon (“I see you as a shaped star, evening moon...”) possesses a dark, gothic grandeur that strongly evokes metal aesthetics long before distorted guitars were invented. Conversely, the theatrical narration and the slow, heavy gallop of “Dark Avenger” function like a modern, electric rhapsodist.

The Existential Question

Beyond their epic exterior, both songs are deeply existential. They answer the same question regarding humanity’s greatest fear: “Is death the absolute end of our existence?”

The answer the collective unconscious gives through both the anonymous Balkan singer and Joey DeMaio is shared: No, as long as there is something worth returning for. The body may decay, becoming dust and grass, but will, oath, and duty remain indestructible.

Ultimately, heavy metal often proves to be the most faithful modern heir to folk ballads and epic poetry. The instruments changed—lyre and lute were replaced by bass and drums—but the story remains the same: the eternal human need to believe that honor and love cannot be contained within any grave.

Nick Parastatidis

REVIEW: DEF LEPPARD - Mirror Ball

 

DEF LEPPARD - Mirror Ball (2011)

Frontiers Records

There is something slightly unusual about reviewing a live album by DEF LEPPARD, considering that they were among the first bands to introduce me to the melodic rock sound. Back in 1987, when I bought Hysteria, I was immediately struck by the strength of its melodies, the songwriting and the band's ability to combine hard rock foundations with an unmistakable melodic approach. Now, 24 years later, I find myself reviewing their first official live album, Mirror Ball.

Recorded during the Sparkle Lounge Tour, the album offers a comprehensive journey through the band's discography, featuring songs from different stages of their career alongside three previously unreleased studio tracks. There is little need for extensive introductions when dealing with anthems such as "Rocket", "Animal", "Foolin'", "Love Bites", "Make Love Like a Man", "Bringin' on the Heartbreak", "Armageddon It", "Hysteria", "Photograph", "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Rock of Ages". This is essentially a best-of collection presented in a live setting, bringing together many of the songs that established DEF LEPPARD as one of the defining names of melodic hard rock. The band sounds remarkably comfortable on stage, delivering these familiar compositions with confidence and maintaining the melodic character that made them so enduring.

The three new songs provide an additional reason to explore the album. "Undefeated" is a particularly strong rocker, combining the band's characteristic guitar work with a memorable chorus that sounds tailor-made for a live audience. It has all the ingredients of a DEF LEPPARD anthem, and it is easy to imagine the crowd singing along whenever it becomes part of the band's regular setlist. "Kings of the World", on the other hand, takes a different direction, with its vocal arrangements and piano passages bringing QUEEN to mind. There is a distinctly theatrical quality to the composition, recalling the grander melodic arrangements associated with Freddie Mercury and company. Finally, "It's All About Believing" delivers a pleasant AOR-oriented melody, providing a fitting and satisfying conclusion to the album.

At the end of the day, Mirror Ball is a very enjoyable release that captures DEF LEPPARD revisiting the songs that defined their career while also introducing three new compositions. It offers plenty for longtime followers of the band and serves as a reminder of the songwriting qualities that made their music so appealing in the first place. A live collection that will undoubtedly bring a smile to the faces of DEF LEPPARD fans. Thumbs up.

Chris Kappas