FINAL DEPRAVITY emerge from Germany’s Ruhr region, a
place long associated with the country’s thrash metal lineage. Unsurprisingly,
the band draws heavily from the area’s defining acts—SODOM and KREATOR—and that
influence is immediately audible. Their approach also folds in elements of
American thrash, occasionally echoing SLAYER, while touches of melodic death
metal surface throughout the record.
“Nightmare 13” further incorporates modern metal
traits, including scattered core‑leaning
moments, particularly noticeable in the vocal delivery. Taken together, these
components give a clear picture of the band’s stylistic intentions: energetic,
aggressive, and rooted in familiar thrash traditions.
Despite the solid musicianship and evident enthusiasm,
the material ultimately feels too conventional. The riffs, structures, and
overall direction follow well‑worn
paths, offering little that stands apart from countless similar releases. It’s
competent and spirited, but rarely distinctive, and the album doesn’t leave a
lasting impression beyond its influences.
“Nightmare 13” may still appeal to dedicated thrash
completists or listeners who actively seek out every new entry in the genre.
For others, it’s a respectable but unremarkable effort that doesn’t push beyond
the boundaries it so clearly reveres.
Κρίνοντας
από το εξώφυλλο… τι καταλαβαίνει ο ακροατής;
Ότι
ένα κλασικό Melodic Power Metal έργο κρύβεται από κάτω — πόσο μάλλον όταν
προέρχεται από ελληνική μπάντα όπως η συγκεκριμένη. Επτά χρόνια μετά το
ντεμπούτο άλμπουμ τους, επιστρέφουν με ένα μεγάλο έργο και με αισθητά
ανανεωμένη σύνθεση. Με τον Μιχάλη Ρινακάκη στο μικρόφωνο, τους Νίκο Σιγλίδη και
Νίκο Σαρμπάνη στις κιθάρες, τον Γιώργο Χανιωτάκη στο μπάσο και τον Σταμάτη
Κατσαφάδο στα ντραμς, έχουμε μπροστά μας ένα πραγματικά γεμάτο άλμπουμ από κάθε
άποψη.
Η
παραγωγή, η σύνθεση και βεβαίως το τελικό αποτέλεσμα όχι μόνο δεν έχουν τίποτα
να ζηλέψουν από αντίστοιχες δουλειές μεγάλων σχημάτων του εξωτερικού, αλλά
έχουν και να διδάξουν: το μοντέρνο Power Metal περνάει μια δεύτερη εποχή
κρίσης, και κυκλοφορίες σαν το συγκεκριμένο CD το βγάζουν από το τέλμα με
τρόπους που αξίζει να βρουν μιμητές — και μάλιστα επειγόντως.
Σε
αντίθεση με την πλειονότητα της ντόπιας σκηνής, εδώ έχουμε Heavy/Power/Speed
Metal ευρωπαϊκής αισθητικής, με έντονη την παρουσία των πανταχού παρόντων Judas
Priest, ειδικά χάρη στα υψίφωνα φωνητικά του Μιχάλη. Όχι ότι λείπει η στόφα του
ελληνικού ήχου· υπάρχει, αλλά είναι τόσο όμορφα αναμεμειγμένη με όλα τα
υπόλοιπα στοιχεία, που τελικά αναδεικνύει ακόμη περισσότερο το συνολικό
αποτέλεσμα.
Ανκάποιακομμάτιαξεχωρίζουνλίγοπαραπάνω, αυτάείναιτα The Serpent Lord, Carve Your Rage, Code of
Destruction, Crows Fly Back, Another Fallen Dreamland, Scarlet Dawn, The Man in
the Mirror, Ghost of a Wayward God, Black Monday. Αντικειμενικά,
το άλμπουμ απέχει οριακά από το να χαρακτηριστεί άριστο σύνολο — οπότε απλώς το
βάζεις να παίζει από την αρχή ως το τέλος σχεδόν κάθε φορά.
English:
Judging from the cover alone… what does the listener
expect?
That a classic Melodic Power Metal record lies beneath
— especially when it comes from a Greek band like this one. Seven years after
their debut album, they return with a major work and a noticeably refreshed
lineup. With Michalis Rinakakis on vocals, Nikos Siglidis and Nikos Sarbanis on
guitars, Giorgos Chaniotakis on bass, and Stamatis Katsafados on drums, what we
have here is an album that feels complete in every sense.
The production, the songwriting, and of course the
final result not only have nothing to envy from the works of major
international acts, but actually have something to teach: modern Power Metal is
going through a second period of crisis, and releases like this one pull it out
of stagnation in ways that deserve to be imitated — urgently, even.
Unlike the majority of the local scene, here we get
Heavy/Power/Speed Metal with a distinctly European aesthetic, marked by the
strong presence of the ever‑influential
Judas Priest, thanks especially to Michalis’ soaring vocals. Not that the Greek
metal identity is absent — it’s there, but blended so elegantly with all the
other elements that it ultimately enhances the overall result.
If a few tracks stand out a bit more, they would be
The Serpent Lord, Carve Your Rage, Code of Destruction, Crows Fly Back, Another
Fallen Dreamland, Scarlet Dawn, The Man in the Mirror, Ghost of a Wayward God,
and Black Monday. Objectively, the album comes very close to being a flawless
whole — which is why you end up playing it from start to finish almost every
time.
Norwegian black metal force Northern Krig have
released their new full‑length album, “Worship Files For Anthropophagolagnia
Predators.” The record was tracked and mixed at Icelandic Fire Records by Jan
Reichel, with mastering handled at Totenklang Studios.
Formed in Oslo in 2021 by Morfran, Erik Lund, Mikkel
Stein, and Jonar Gunnarson after the dissolution of Skyrsdag, Northern Krig
quickly carved out a place in the underground. Following their 2022 demo “Myrk
Blóðfórn,” the lineup shifted to its current trio: Morfran (vocals, guitar),
Miasma (bass, guitar), and Maikon Q. (drums).
With a growing discography that includes a split
release and their debut album “Concept Of A Suicidal Journey,” the band now
pushes deeper into raw, unfiltered aggression on their latest offering.
“Worship Files For Anthropophagolagnia Predators” captures Northern Krig at
their most uncompromising, channeling the bleak, violent spirit of modern
Norwegian black metal.
Αααα,
οι πέντε φίλοι από τον κάμπο της Θεσσαλίας και την πρωτεύουσά του, τη Λάρισα,
επιστρέφουν με νέες σκοτεινές speed metal περιπέτειες στον δεύτερο, ολοφρέσκο δίσκο
τους! Η συνέχεια του ομώνυμου ντεμπούτου τους, δύο χρόνια νωρίτερα, κινείται
στα ίδια πλαίσια, αλλά τη βρίσκω βελτιωμένη σε κάθε τομέα.
Ο
Τόλης Μέκρας στη φωνή, οι Θάνος Μετάλιος και Δημήτρης Κομνηνός στις κιθάρες, ο
Γιώργος Χατζηγεωργίου στο μπάσο και ο Μιχάλης Ζουναράκης στα τύμπανα
εμφανίζονται ανελέητοι και λες και ζουν ακόμη κάπου μεταξύ 1983 και 1986 από
πλευράς μουσικής. Μοιράζουν απλόχερα πόνο, ταχύτητα, συνθέσεις και άφθονη όρεξη
για headbanging μέσα στις βίαιες ιστορίες τρόμου τους. Με το U.S. Metal ως βάση
— παιγμένο όχι μόνο με διάθεση για αναπολήσεις ή αγιοποίηση, αλλά ως εφαλτήριο
και έμπνευση — το άλμπουμ σε πιάνει από τη μούρη, όπως ο σκοτεινός ερυθρόδερμος
Witchdoctor στο εξώφυλλο αρπάζει τον άτυχο θεατή μέσα από την οθόνη στο ομότιτλο
V.H.S., που ανοίγει το σερί της επίθεσης.
Ακολουθούν
τα Summoning the Dead, The Visitors, Children of the Beast, Incubus, Crimson
Eyes, Something Evil (This Way Comes) και Dreamcatcher, που σε πηγαίνουν
περίπατο για κοντά σαράντα λεπτά, ανάμεσα σε σκοτεινή φαντασία και δημιουργική
ανάγκη για καλοπαιγμένη metal μουσική.
Χαλαρό
9/10 και μπράβο στην ομάδα. Ραντεβού στις σκηνές, ρε Έλληνες Απάτσι!
English:
Friday the 13th dropped, Saturday the 14th is already
raging…
Aaaah, the five friends from the plains of Thessaly
and their capital, Larissa, return with new dark speed‑metal adventures on their second, freshly forged
album! The follow‑up
to their self‑titled
debut from two years ago moves in the same territory, but I find it improved in
every single aspect.
Tolis Mekras on vocals, Thanos Metalios and Dimitris
Komninos on guitars, Giorgos Chatzigeorgiou on bass, and Michalis Zounarakis on
drums sound absolutely relentless — as if they’re still living somewhere
between 1983 and 1986 musically. They dish out pain, speed, sharp songwriting,
and plenty of appetite for headbanging through their violent horror tales. With
U.S. Metal as their foundation — played not with mere nostalgia or worship, but
as a springboard and source of inspiration — the album grabs you by the face,
just like the dark red‑skinned
Witchdoctor on the cover snatches the unlucky viewer through the screen on the
title track V.H.S., which kicks off the attack.
What follows — Summoning the Dead, The Visitors,
Children of the Beast, Incubus, Crimson Eyes, Something Evil (This Way Comes),
and Dreamcatcher — takes you on a forty‑minute ride through dark fantasy and a genuine
creative urge for well‑crafted
metal.
A relaxed 9/10 from me, and kudos to the whole crew.
See you on the stages, you Greek Apaches!
There are some bands like SYMPHORCE that many metal
fans speak highly of, yet when I revisited parts of their back catalogue, I
couldn’t quite understand what made them stand out in a scene overflowing with
thousands of acts. Formed back in 1998 by vocalist Andy B. Franck—well‑known also for his work with Brainstorm—the band built
its identity around a down‑tuned
power/thrash approach, often compared to what NEVERMORE were doing in the late‑90s/early‑00s era. So when their new release landed on my desk,
I can’t say I approached it with much excitement.
Still, persistence often pays off in metal, and
Unrestricted feels like the moment SYMPHORCE finally align with the sound that
suits them best. Being their seventh studio album, and produced by Dennis Ward
(a name tied to some of the most polished European metal releases), the record
immediately shows a cleaner, more modern direction. The darker atmosphere of
Become Death (2007) is largely set aside in favor of groove‑driven metal with a contemporary edge.
At times, the BLACK LABEL SOCIETY influence is
unmistakable, and there are even subtle hard rock touches woven into the riffs.
Yet the core remains firmly heavy metal. Much of this shift seems to come from
guitarist Cede Dupont, whose melodic and groove‑oriented writing gives the album a more focused and
confident character than some of their earlier work.
What stands out is the balance: Unrestricted sounds
modern without abandoning traditional metal foundations. As someone who
gravitates toward classic metal aesthetics, I found this combination
surprisingly appealing. The songwriting feels sincere, the performances
controlled and expressive—especially Franck’s vocals—and the overall result is
an album that doesn’t rely on trends but on solid, well‑crafted metal.
SYMPHORCE may never have been a mainstream name, but
this is arguably one of their most accessible and cohesive works. If you
appreciate strong metal tunes regardless of era or subgenre, Unrestricted
offers a straightforward and enjoyable listen. Hopefully, this is the direction
they continue to explore.
The collaboration between Russell Allen (Symphony X)
and Jorn Lande—two of the most respected vocalists in contemporary
metal—returns with a new release, The Showdown. Although I am generally
skeptical of all‑star
studio projects, the duo’s previous albums received positive feedback, which
made this new chapter worth exploring.
Musically, the album stays firmly within the realm of
melodic heavy metal and hard rock, genres both singers have mastered through
their primary bands. Their performances are, unsurprisingly, the highlight:
powerful, confident, and technically impeccable. Unfortunately, the strength of
the vocals only underscores the weaknesses found elsewhere.
The songwriting and instrumental work feel overly
familiar, relying on melodic lines and guitar leads that have been heard
countless times in similar projects. The material comes across as formulaic and
overly polished, lacking the spontaneity or creative spark that could give the
album a distinct identity. Instead of sounding like a cohesive artistic
statement, the record often resembles a controlled experiment built around
showcasing two great voices.
This impression is reinforced by the fact that neither
Allen nor Lande contributed to the songwriting. While this is not inherently
negative, it raises questions about how “personal” such a project can be when
the core creative direction lies entirely in the hands of external musicians.
The result is an album that feels detached—professionally executed, yet
emotionally hollow.
Ultimately, The Showdown offers little that stands out
within the hard rock and heavy metal landscape. Despite the undeniable talent
of its vocalists, the album lacks memorable compositions, compelling melodies,
or any sense of artistic urgency. Listeners seeking depth, personality, or
innovation are unlikely to find much here.
Αυτή
η τελική εποχή των Αμερικανών με τον Νορβηγό Roy Khan (πρώην Conception) στο
μικρόφωνο μού κάθισε κάπως περίεργα. Τα σημάδια των καιρών είχαν ήδη φανεί με
το Epica, αν και εκεί το πράγμα κινήθηκε ολοταχώς προς έναν πιο συμφωνικό ήχο.
Το «μαύρο φωτοστέφανο» εδώ έρπει προς ένα Gothic ύφος, παρά την ογκώδη μεταλλική/συμφωνική
μεγαλοπρέπεια.
Στο
March of Mephisto, που ανοίγει τον δίσκο, οι νότες συνδυάζονται αρμονικά, όπως
και τα guest φωνητικά του Shagrath (των συμφωνικών black metallers Dimmu
Borgir), τα οποία μπλέκονται με progressive πλήκτρα και μια σκοτεινή ατμόσφαιρα.
Τα πράγματα επανέρχονται στο γνώριμο συμφωνικό power metal με το When the
Lights Are Gone, στο ύφος που μας είχαν συνηθίσει ήδη από το 1999.
Ένα
ακόμη trademark τους ακολουθεί με το The Haunting (Somewhere in Time), το
εκπληκτικό ντουέτο — για δεύτερο συνεχόμενο δίσκο μετά το Epica — με την πάντα
εντυπωσιακή, τόσο σε παρουσία όσο και σε φωνή, Simone Simons των Epica. Εδώ το
gothic στοιχείο γίνεται πλέον εμφανές. Γενικά, πρόκειται για μια μεταβατική
περίοδο ως προς το στυλ του σχήματος, που μοιάζει να καταπιάνεται με πολλά
πράγματα μέσα στον ίδιο δίσκο.
Thomas
Youngblood (κιθάρα), Casey Grillo (ντραμς) και Glen Barry (μπάσο) αποτελούν τη
βασική σύνθεση του γκρουπ, με πολλές συμμετοχές — ήδη δύο στα κομμάτια 1 και 3,
όπως αναφέραμε. Άλλες στιγμές που κινούν το ενδιαφέρον και την περιέργεια είναι
τα Soul Society, Abandoned, Moonlight, The Black Halo, Memento Mori, Nothing
Ever Dies, σε ένα άλμπουμ που πολλοί χαρακτηρίζουν «το πετράδι στο στέμμα», «το
ζενίθ της δημιουργικότητάς τους» και άλλες τέτοιες μεγαλοστομίες, τυπικές των
οπαδών κάθε δίσκου.
Προσωπικά,
τα ερωτηματικά που μου δημιουργεί ο δίσκος με κρατούν δέσμιο σε μια ισορροπία
ως προς το τι μπορώ να πω. Μια χαρά μεν, αλλά με αστερίσκους· αφού, ειλικρινά,
για μένα οι Kamelot έπαψαν να βγάζουν «δεκάρια» μετά το Karma.
English:
From Light to Dusk
This final era of the Americans with Norwegian
vocalist Roy Khan (formerly of Conception) never sat entirely right with me.
The signs were already there on Epica, even though that album charged head‑first into a more symphonic direction. Here, the
“black halo” creeps toward a Gothic aesthetic, despite the album’s massive
metallic/symphonic grandeur.
The record opens with March of Mephisto, where the
melodies blend seamlessly with the guest vocals of Shagrath (from symphonic
black metallers Dimmu Borgir), interwoven with progressive keyboards and a
dark, brooding atmosphere. Things return to more familiar symphonic power metal
territory with When the Lights Are Gone, in the style they had accustomed us to
since at least 1999.
Another of their trademarks follows with The Haunting
(Somewhere in Time) — the stunning duet (their second in a row after Epica)
with the always impressive Simone Simons of Epica, striking both in presence
and in voice. Here, the gothic element becomes unmistakably prominent. Overall,
this feels like a transitional period for the band’s style, as if they’re
tackling many different ideas within a single album.
Thomas Youngblood (guitars), Casey Grillo (drums), and
Glen Barry (bass) form the core lineup, accompanied by numerous guest
appearances — two of them already on tracks 1 and 3, as mentioned. Other
moments that spark interest and curiosity include Soul Society, Abandoned,
Moonlight, The Black Halo, Memento Mori, and Nothing Ever Dies, in an album
many describe as “the jewel in the crown,” “the zenith of their creativity,”
and other such grand declarations typical of devoted fans.
Personally, the questions this album raises keep me
suspended in a delicate balance regarding what I can truly say about it. It’s
perfectly fine — but with asterisks. Because, honestly, for me, Kamelot stopped
delivering “perfect tens” after Karma.
