REVIEW: DEF LEPPARD, High 'N' Dry

 

DEF LEPPARD, High  'N' Dry (1981)

Vertigo

Απομάκρυνση από τις αξίες

Απομάκρυνση από τα άλλα NWOBHM σχήματα, με εξαίρεση ίσως τους Tygers of Pan Tang και, βέβαια, τους Saxon, που κι αυτοί, σε τρία χρόνια, θα κάνουν ανάλογη στροφή προς δυσμάς.

Στο δεύτερο άλμπουμ τους, τα πέντε παιδιά από το Sheffield — οι κύριοι Joe Elliott, Rick Allen, Pete Willis, Rock Savage και Steve Clark — προχωρούν στα ίδια μουσικά πεδία με το ντεμπούτο τους, On Through the Night, αλλά κάτι στο βάθος ακούγεται αλλόκοτο σε σχέση με εκείνο.

Στα δύο πρώτα κομμάτια του δίσκου, Let It Go και Another Hit and Run, αυτό δεν γίνεται αντιληπτό. Από το τρίτο, όμως, και ομότιτλο High 'n' Dry (Saturday Night), αρχίζουν να ξηλώνουν το βάρος.

Μετά το πρώτο μεγάλο hit της καριέρας τους, Bringing On the Heartbreak, μία αντικειμενικά μεγάλη power ballad στιγμή επιβεβαιώνει ότι θέλουν το ραδιόφωνο — και μάλιστα όχι μόνο της χώρας τους!

Παρακάτω συνεχίζουν δυναμικά και με αρκετή μελωδία, με τα On Through the Night (να πάλι η μόδα «βάζω τίτλο από τον προηγούμενο δίσκο στον επόμενο»), No No No, You Got Me Runnin', Lady Strange και Mirror Mirror (Look Into My Eyes). Εξαίρεση αποτελεί το ορχηστρικό Switch 625, που τους γυρνά στις μεταλλικές ρίζες τους, έστω και για λίγο.

Το CD που κυκλοφόρησε είναι το αμερικανικό Remixed 1984 άλμπουμ και περιέχει τα Me and My Wine και, για δεύτερη φορά, το Bringing On the Heartbreak σε άλλο mix — υποθέτω το αρχικό της βρετανικής έκδοσης.

Ένα άλμπουμ που θα ακούμε πάντα με νοσταλγία, γιατί μετά... το πράγμα θα πάει εντελώς αλλού για το συγκρότημα.

English:

A Departure from the Values

A departure from the other NWOBHM bands, with the possible exception of Tygers of Pan Tang and, of course, Saxon, who themselves would make a similar turn towards the West three years later.

On their second album, the five lads from Sheffield — Joe Elliott, Rick Allen, Pete Willis, Rock Savage and Steve Clark — continue to explore the same musical territory as their debut, On Through the Night, but something in the background already sounds strangely different.

You don’t really notice it on the album’s first two tracks, Let It Go and Another Hit and Run. But from the third track, the title cut High 'n' Dry (Saturday Night), they begin to shed some of their heaviness.

Then comes the first major hit of their career, Bringing On the Heartbreak, an objectively great power-ballad moment that confirms they are aiming for radio — and not just the radio stations back home!

They continue in a dynamic and fairly melodic vein with On Through the Night (there’s that fashion again: “let’s take the title of the previous album and put it on the next one”), No No No, You Got Me Runnin', Lady Strange and Mirror Mirror (Look Into My Eyes). The exception is the instrumental Switch 625, which takes them back to their metallic roots, if only for a while.

The CD edition I have is the American Remixed 1984 version, which includes Me and My Wine and, for a second time, Bringing On the Heartbreak in a different mix — I assume the original mix from the British edition.

An album we will always listen to with nostalgia, because after this... things would take the band somewhere completely different.

Τάκης "Ε-Μortal One" Γιώτης

REVIEW: URIAH HEEP – Into the Wild

 

URIAH HEEP – Into the Wild (2011)

Frontiers Records

This is the new album from this truly great English hard rock band, and their 23rd studio release, arriving three years after their previous effort. Once again, URIAH HEEP sound like a band in a really good mood! Mick Box, Bernie Shaw and company are in great shape, and they have managed to deliver a really strong album that proves there is still plenty of life left in this legendary group.

It is difficult for me to choose which tracks are the best because Into the Wild is a very consistent album from beginning to end. However, “I Can See You,” “Money Talk,” “Believe,” “Lost” and “I Am Ready” are perhaps a little superior to the rest and are the songs that stand out for me.

In conclusion, this is one of the best comebacks from a mainstream rock band that I have heard in the last few years, alongside releases from bands such as OVERKILL, SCORPIONS and, perhaps, ELOY. What makes this even more impressive is that URIAH HEEP have never received quite the recognition they deserve.

Even though URIAH HEEP are a well-known name, I personally believe they remain rather underrated in the rock world, especially when compared with other, arguably inferior, groups that have enjoyed much greater commercial recognition, such as AEROSMITH.

So, fans of classic rock should definitely give this album a chance — and preferably buy it! And if, somehow, you are one of the few people who do not know URIAH HEEP, despite their more than four decades of history, then you should first explore classics such as Look at Yourself and Demons and Wizards. Those albums are, of course, superior to Into the Wild, but they will also show you exactly why this band has remained such an important part of hard rock history.

Ioannis Kaskamanidis

REVIEW: BILLION DOLLAR BABIES — Die for Diamonds

 

BILLION DOLLAR BABIES — Die for Diamonds (2011)

Pure Rock Records

Sweden has long been the unlikely heartland of melodic rock’s modern revival, and Billion Dollar Babies fit right into that lineage with a debut that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly immediate. Formed in Falun in 2005, the group spent years sharpening their live show and songwriting before committing their sound to tape. Die for Diamonds—their first full-length album, following a self-released EP the same year they formed—arrives as a compact, ten-track statement of intent: under 40 minutes, densely packed with hooks, and unapologetically devoted to the spirit of late‑’80s melodic hard rock.

What makes Die for Diamonds so effective is its discipline. There’s no filler, no overindulgence—just ten songs that move quickly and land hard. From the opening “Boys Nights Out,” the band telegraphs its influences with a punchy horn section and an arena-ready swagger that channels Aerosmith’s groove and KISS’s theatricality in equal measure. It’s an attention-grabber that sets the tone: this is music designed for big rooms and bigger choruses.

“Restless Minds” and “Key to my Heart” double down on that promise. The latter, in particular, has the kind of lift-and-release dynamic that defines a potential single: a verse that coils tightly, a pre-chorus that opens the space, and a chorus built to be shouted back by a crowd. Elsewhere, “Highest Mountain” offers anthemic breadth, while “Right on Time” leans into a Poison-esque bounce from the first riff to the final refrain. “We Don’t Live Forever,” with its darker, brooding edge, nods toward Skid Row’s blend of grit and melody, rounding out an album that never loses sight of the genre’s core appeal.

Frontman Pat’s delivery is a key part of the record’s identity. His tone carries a gritty, expressive quality that invites comparison to Jean Beauvoir of Crown of Thorns—another vocalist known for marrying melodic clarity with a rough-hewn, lived-in edge. That comparison isn’t superficial; it points to a shared understanding of how to make melody feel earned rather than polished into oblivion.

Context matters here. Billion Dollar Babies quickly became known in Sweden for explosive live performances, complete with pyrotechnics and stagecraft that hark back to the genre’s most flamboyant era. That live energy translates well to Die for Diamonds, which benefits from a production approach that keeps the vocals forward, the guitars bright but not brittle, and the rhythms propulsive. The band would later work with producer Rikard Löfgren on their House of Dreams EP series, but even at this early stage their sense of arrangement and dynamics suggests a group already thinking in terms of setlists and audience response.

Why this debut still grabs attention

• Economy of form: Ten tracks in under 40 minutes is a virtue in an age of bloated releases; every song has a job to do.
• Clear influences, distinct voice: Aerosmith/KISS drive, Poison bounce, Skid Row edge—yet the band’s identity comes through in vocal character and melodic construction.
• Single-ready writing: “Key to my Heart” and “Right on Time” have the structural hallmarks of radio-friendly melodic rock without sacrificing grit.
• Swedish melodic rock pedigree: Part of a broader wave that includes acts like M.ill.ion and later Dynazty, Billion Dollar Babies helped reassert Sweden as a hub for hook-first hard rock.

For readers who remember the late‑’80s heyday—or for newcomers curious about how that spirit survives today—Die for Diamonds is a concise, high-impact entry point. It’s the kind of album that rewards repeat listens, not because it hides its hand, but because its best ideas reveal themselves more fully each time through.

Chris Kappas

REVIEW: SAVATAGE, Poets And Madmen

 

SAVATAGE, Poets And Madmen (2001)

Steamhammer

Ο μόνος λόγος που έφυγα είσαι εσύ!

Αυτό γράφει η μικρή ένθετη φωτογραφία στην πίσω της πλευρά, μέσα στο βιβλιαράκι του CD, με μία ξανθιά κοπέλα με άσπρο μαγιό μπροστά. Θεωρώ ότι είναι κάποιο κρυφό μήνυμα, γιατί το αυτό αγοράστηκε καινούριο μερικές εβδομάδες μετά την κυκλοφορία του και υποθέτω ότι, αν κι εσείς είχατε την ίδια αρχική κόπια, θα βρίσκατε μέσα την ίδια φωτογραφία!

Η ιστορία του θεματικού αυτού δίσκου των Αμερικανών, κάποτε ηρώων του Power Metal, αναγράφεται στις πρώτες σελίδες του βιβλιαρακίου. Παίζει κάποιο ρόλο; Όπως και να έχει, η μπάντα εδώ γυρνάει για τα καλά. Όχι, το υπερβολικό Dead Winter Dead ή το ταξιδιάρικο The Wake Of Magellan δεν ήταν το μέγιστο που μπορούν να μας δώσουν.

Ο Zak Stevens αφιερώνεται στα δικά του έργα και μουσικές κι έτσι ο Jon Oliva επιστρέφει πανηγυρικά στο μικρόφωνο (για την ηχογράφηση ειδικά), τα πλήκτρα και το πιάνο σε όλα τα έντεκα κομμάτια αυτού του άλμπουμ επιστροφής στις ρίζες.

Εντάξει, μη τρελαθούμε κιόλας, δεν είναι το νέο Hall Of The Mountain King. Η λογική του σαν σύνολο πλησιάζει περισσότερο το Streets - A Rock Opera, αλλά βλέπουμε μέσα τη διάθεση να παίξουν όπως κάποτε. Οι Chris Caffery στην κιθάρα, Johnny Lee Middleton στο μπάσο και Jeff Plate στα ντραμς συμπληρώνουν την τετράδα, άλλο ένα σημείο που είχαμε χρόνια να δούμε, στον αριθμό των μελών.

Είναι καλό, λοιπόν; Ε, ναι, είναι πολύ καλύτερο από το Dead Winter Dead, καλύτερο από το The Wake Of Magellan, ίσως κι από το Handful Of Rain, αφού δεν έχει αυτή τη μαυρίλα.

Οπότε, τι άλλο να πούμε για το τελευταίο στούντιο άλμπουμ τους εδώ και 24 χρόνια! Drive, Morphine Child, Stay With Me Awhile, Comissar, Surrender, Back To A Reason, Awaken είναι κομμάτια που δεν λάμπουν ακριβώς, αλλά εκπέμπουν ένα φως που μας είχε λείψει περίπου οκτώ χρόνια από το Edge Of Thorns.

English:

You Are the Only Reason I Left!

That is what the small insert photograph says on the back, inside the CD booklet, with a blonde girl in a white swimsuit on the front. I consider it some kind of hidden message, because I bought this copy brand new just a few weeks after its release, and I assume that if you had the same original pressing, you would find the same photograph inside!

The story behind this concept album by the Americans, once heroes of the Power Metal scene, is laid out on the opening pages of the booklet. Does it matter? In any case, this is where the band truly makes its comeback. No, the overblown Dead Winter Dead or the adventurous The Wake Of Magellan were not the best they had to offer.

Zak Stevens is now devoted to his own projects and music, so Jon Oliva makes a triumphant return to the microphone (specifically for the recording), as well as handling the keyboards and piano throughout all eleven tracks of this back-to-the-roots album.

Okay, let's not get carried away—it is not the new Hall Of The Mountain King. As a whole, its approach is closer to Streets - A Rock Opera, but you can clearly sense the band's desire to play the way they once did. Chris Caffery on guitar, Johnny Lee Middleton on bass, and Jeff Plate on drums complete the four-piece lineup, another welcome sight after so many years of seeing the band in different configurations.

So, is it any good? Well, yes. It is much better than Dead Winter Dead, better than The Wake Of Magellan, and perhaps even better than Handful Of Rain, simply because it doesn't carry that same darkness.

So, what more can we say about their latest studio album in 24 years? Drive, Morphine Child, Stay With Me Awhile, Comissar, Surrender, Back To A Reason, and Awaken are not exactly songs that shine brightly, but they radiate a light we had been missing for roughly eight years since Edge Of Thorns.

Τάκης "Ε-Μortal One" Γιώτης

REVIEW: THE WARNING – Everything’s Falling

 

THE WARNING – Everything’s Falling

Lava / Republic Records

A Cosmopolitan Reach for the Stars

In a fast-paced world, perseverance still pays off. It’s already been twelve years since the Enter Sandman cover by three Mexican sisters — Daniela “Dany” (main vocals & guitar), Paulina “Pau” (drums) and Alejandra “Ale” Villarreal (bass) — then just 14, 12 and 9 years old — of The Warning exploded on YouTube. After more than a decade of touring the planet with heavyweights like Muse, the Foo Fighters, Def Leppard, and Halestorm, and releasing four highly acclaimed albums, their new record Everything’s Falling marks the next clear milestone.

What should listeners expect? While the band’s first two records were firmly rooted in hard rock and classic rock of the ’70s and ’80s, The Warning’s sound has grown sharper, more modern and multifaceted with every release. One of the strongest points of that evolution is these twelve tight, high-impact tracks, none of which crack the four-minute mark. Drawing freely from pop, electronic, alternative, funk, industrial and whatever other styles the band deems useful, they prove they don’t need epic lengths. The goal is simply great songs that transcend genre barriers.

Although the arrangements of the songs are generally worthy of praise, a particular strength lies in how the vocals are treated. The Warning never use their voices merely as a vehicle for the lyrics; instead they treat them as an additional instrument that enriches the overall texture. Sophisticated harmonies, layered backgrounds, rhythmic vocal lines and carefully placed ad-libs are woven into the fabric of the songs in a way that occasionally recalls the meticulous craft of The Beatles or ABBA. This approach has been part of The Warning’s identity from the beginning, but on Everything’s Falling it feels especially refined and effective. Several stripped-down acoustic versions of the new material already circulating on YouTube further underline the inherent quality of the songwriting.

Lyrically the band continues to explore emotional intensity, power dynamics and personal resilience with increasing directness. Tracks such as “Why Do You Like It When I Cry?” and “Waste Your Time on Me” dig into toxic relationships and questions of self-worth without becoming overly explanatory. The title track paints a darker, more cinematic picture of collapse and confrontation. The lyrics remain sharp, singable and perfectly matched to the tight song structures.

Two tracks deserve special mention. The opener “Ritual” is a monster in the best sense of the word: a highly melodic yet hard-rocking banger with industrial edges and a rhythmic drive that may remind some listeners of Soulfly. Its accompanying video is a piece of art in its own right. Equally striking is the title track “Everything’s Falling,” which throws me emotionally back to my early-to-mid-twenties — roughly the current age of the three sisters — when grunge still dominated the airwaves. Its dark, cinematic atmosphere has already sparked lively discussions on social media about how well it would work as a James Bond theme. Both songs demonstrate that true epic impact does not even require four minutes when The Warning are involved.

Listeners who prefer more straightforward rockers will find strong material in “Why Do You Like It When I Cry?”, “Waste Your Time on Me” and especially “Kerosene.” The latter recently climbed to No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart — a genuine milestone, as it made The Warning the first Mexican band and the first all-female band to achieve this.

It will probably be difficult for the band to choose a setlist for even a 90-minute headlining show. The quality of their material across five albums is consistently high, and several tracks not mentioned in this review are likely to become standout live moments. Many people claim that live performance is The Warning’s true superpower, and after watching numerous recordings I fully agree. Exploring their entire discography — preferably including live versions — is highly recommended.

In the end, Everything’s Falling is proof that rigid genre thinking has largely outlived its usefulness in 2026. At their core The Warning remain a rock band, yet with their cosmopolitan blend of styles they deliver exactly the variety that the American thrash metal band Sacred Reich once demanded in their funky tune “31 Flavors”: “Don’t be an ignorant fool. There’s so much music for you to choose.”

A cosmopolitan reach for the stars — and the Villarreal sisters have delivered.

Ben Sollberger

VINGULMORK Unveil New Lyric Video for “Krigserklæring”

 

Norwegian extreme metal band Vingulmork have released a new lyric video for “Krigserklæring,” taken from their forthcoming fourth album, Barmhjertighetens Fallitt, due in autumn 2026.

Formed in 2013, Vingulmork emerged from a shared obsession with melodic, riff-driven extreme metal. While rooted in Scandinavian black metal, the band has consistently pushed beyond genre boundaries, incorporating the intensity of thrash, the weight of death metal and the cold bitterness of black metal into their sound.

Their music is driven by anger, anxiety and despair, while also exploring more vulnerable and fragile themes. Over the years, their dark melodies and uncompromising aggression have developed into a harsher, more complex and relentless sound without sacrificing the rawness that defined the band from the beginning.

Barmhjertighetens Fallitt is described as Vingulmork’s most ambitious and dynamic work to date, built on brutal riffs, desperation and uncompromising intensity. The album sees the band pushing deeper into their established territory while reaffirming their position as a fiercely independent force in Norway’s extreme metal underground.

DOVORIAN Release New Album In the Dark of November

 

British melodic heavy metal act Dovorian have released their new full-length album, In the Dark of November, marking the project's fourth studio record.

Once again, the album features Tom S. Englund of Evergrey on vocals and Johan Niemann of Evergrey on bass, while Vikram Shankar (Within Temptation, Silent Skies, Redemption) handles drum programming, co-production, mixing and mastering.

Based in Dover, UK, Dovorian began as a lockdown project led by founder and multi-instrumentalist Adam Sayer, who performs and writes all the music throughout the project's discography. Sayer collaborates with Englund, who contributes the lyrics and soaring vocal melodies.

Musically, Dovorian combine heavy guitar-driven metal with emotional depth, moving between thrashy intensity and more stripped-down, melodic ballads.

In the Dark of November follows the band's previous releases The Light & Dark (2021), Kneel and Follow (2022), and Hunters (2023), completing a four-album discography.