REVIEW: DAYS OF ANGER – Death Path

 

DAYS OF ANGER – Death Path

Massacre Records

DAYS OF ANGER’s debut album, Death Path, initially seems to stumble out of the gate. The opening tracks, “Damaged” and “All Pigs Must Die,” evoke the familiar sound of modern thrash metal with clear influences from SLAYER. At first listen, one might think, “Here’s another band paying tribute to the thrash legends,” which could set a cautious tone for potential listeners.

However, as the album progresses, DAYS OF ANGER reveal a surprising depth and originality that defy initial expectations. Their sound is undeniably modern, so fans of traditional thrash may find it less appealing; those seeking classic tones might prefer to move on. Nonetheless, for listeners open to contemporary metal that pushes boundaries, this release offers compelling material worth exploring.

After the initial tracks, the band shifts gears, unveiling a more distinctive and inventive approach. It’s difficult not to draw comparisons to the thrash riffing of SLAYER, the groove-driven elements reminiscent of Zakk Wylde’s BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, and the intricate soloing style of Jeff Waters (ANNIHILATOR). This unique blend results in a sound that is intense, memorable, and heavily aggressive—delivering a potent combination of catchiness and raw power.

With Death Path, DAYS OF ANGER demonstrate that even within the modern metal landscape, there are bands capable of injecting fresh ideas and energy. Their debut is a promising step forward and a noteworthy addition to the scene. Metal enthusiasts seeking innovation within a heavy, aggressive framework should certainly give this album a listen.

Nick Parastatidis

Days Of Anger · One Way Ticket Down (To Hell)

REVIEW: VIRGIN STEELE, The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell part Two

 

VIRGIN STEELE, The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell part Two (1996)

T&T Records

Η συνέχεια που αρμόζει

Ένα χρόνο μετά το πρώτο μέρος, ήρθε —κατά τη γνώμη μου— το σαφώς ανώτερο δεύτερο κεφάλαιο του δίσκου των Αμερικανών, και πλέον η κατάκτηση του ευρωπαϊκού θρόνου του επικού/λυρικού Power Metal γίνεται πραγματικότητα. Ο εκτοπισμός των συντοπιτών τους, των Manowar, από τη θέση αυτή, λόγω της αχανούς περιόδου από το 1992 που είχαν να γράψουν νέο υλικό, είναι βέβαιο ότι προκάλεσε έριδες στον κόσμο ολόκληρης της σκηνής τότε.

Το άλμπουμ αυτό ήταν το πρώτο με το οποίο γνώρισα κι εγώ το συγκρότημα· δεν είναι όμως αυτός ο λόγος που το θεωρώ αφενός ανώτερο του πρώτου και αφετέρου το καλύτερό τους για τη δεκαετία του ’90. Το υλικό που υπάρχει εδώ βρίσκεται πολύ κοντά σε στιγμές των τεσσάρων πρώτων δίσκων τους, κι έτσι —χωρίς να αντιγράφουν τον παλιό εαυτό τους— ακούγονται τόσο οικείοι στο αγαπημένο, παλιό τους στυλ όσο ακριβώς θα ήθελαν οι φίλοι τους.

Η έννοια της «βαρβαρικής – ρομαντικής όπερας», που συχνά χρησιμοποιεί ο DeFeis για να περιγράψει το ύφος τους, βρίσκει εδώ ένα από τα πιο τρανταχτά δείγματά της: ξεκινώντας από το επικό A Symphony of Steele, συνεχίζοντας με το Crown of Glory, και ακολουθώντας με ύμνους όπως τα Twilight of the Gods, Emalaith, Prometheus the Fallen One, Devil/Angel, Unholy Water, και βεβαίως τον ύμνο των ύμνων, το θεϊκό Victory Is Mine.

Χωρίς δεύτερη σκέψη, αν σήμερα κάποιος μαθαίνει για πρώτη φορά το όνομά τους, αυτό είναι το άλμπουμ που θα τον βάλει άμεσα και ολοκληρωτικά στον κόσμο τους.

English:

The Continuation It Deserves

One year after the first installment came what I consider a clearly superior second chapter in the Americans’ discography, and with it the conquest of the European throne of epic/lyrical Power Metal became a reality. The displacement of their compatriots, Manowar, from that position—due to the vast gap since 1992 during which they had not written new material—undoubtedly caused friction across the entire scene at the time.

This album was the first through which I discovered the band myself; however, that is not the reason I consider it both superior to the debut and their finest work of the ’90s. The material presented here lies very close to moments from their first four records, and thus—without copying their former selves—they sound as familiar in their beloved old style as their fans could ever wish for.

The notion of the “barbaric–romantic opera”, a term DeFeis often uses to describe their style, finds here one of its most striking manifestations: beginning with the epic A Symphony of Steele, continuing with Crown of Glory, and followed by hymns such as Twilight of the Gods, Emalaith, Prometheus the Fallen One, Devil/Angel, Unholy Water, and of course the hymn of hymns, the divine Victory Is Mine.

Without hesitation, if someone were to discover their name for the first time today, this is the album that would allow them to enter their world instantly and completely.

Τάκης "Ε-Μortal One" Γιώτης

Orthogenesis Releases New Album "Close the Door"

 

Denver, CO – American alternative and progressive metal project Orthogenesis has unveiled its latest album, Close the Door. Recorded at The Treehouse Studios in Denver and mixed and mastered by Neal Evans, the album marks a significant milestone for the one-man band led by multi-instrumentalist and producer Neal Evans.

Since its inception in 2021, Orthogenesis has been gaining recognition for blending heavy, progressive sounds with atmospheric and melodic elements. Drawing inspiration from bands like Opeth, Gojira, and Devin Townsend, Neal Evans has crafted a distinct sound that continues to evolve with each release.

Following the success of the Orthogenesis EP and the album Esoteric Annihilation, Close the Door showcases Evans’ refined artistic vision and acclaimed production skills within the metal community. Fans can expect a compelling mix of intensity and atmosphere in this latest offering.

Close the Door is now available across major streaming platforms, reaffirming Orthogenesis’s place in the modern metal scene.

REVIEW: YOTH IRIA, Gone With The Devil

 

YOTH IRIA, Gone With The Devil (2026)

Metal Blade Records

Η σκοτεινή σταθερότητα τώρα εδραιώνεται!

Πολλές είναι οι κυκλοφορίες για την τρέχουσα χρονιά, και οι Yoth Iria μας έδωσαν και αυτοί το νέο τους μαύρο διαμάντι. Η μπάντα του Δημήτρη "Mutilator" Πατσούρη στο μπάσο, ο He στη φωνή στουντιακά και ο Ορέστης στην σύνθεση για τις ζωντανές εμφανίσεις, οι δύο κιθαρίστες Naberius και Νίκος Περλεπέ, και ο ντράμερ Βασίλης "Vongaar" Σταυριανίδης έχουν πλέον ανοίξει τα φτερά τους για τα καλά.

Δεν είναι μόνο η συνεργασία τους με την Metal Blade που ξεκινάει εδώ, αλλά και όλος ο αέρας που αποπνέει αυτό το νέο τους άλμπουμ, το οποίο κυκλοφόρησε πρόσφατα. Όχι ακριβώς το ελληνικό Black Metal που έχετε κατά νου, αλλά κάτι υπερβατικό. Ακούμε στο τρίτο πλήρες άλμπουμ του σχήματος μια διαφορετική προσέγγιση. Έντονη, μαύρη και ζοφερή σε σημεία ατμόσφαιρα, όπως πάντα, με έντονα κλασικά μεταλλικά riffs και πολλά παραδοσιακά στοιχεία της ελληνικής ηπειρώτικης και μακεδονικής μουσικής, αλλά και των σλαβικών πολυφωνιών της Βαλκανικής.

Όπως στο "The Blind Eye of Antichrist", το οποίο αποτελεί και το πραγματικά καλλιτεχνικό βίντεο του δίσκου. Θα συναντήσετε μερικά κομμάτια προορισμένα να γίνουν κλασικά, όπως το "Dare to Rebel", που ανοίγει τον δίσκο, καθώς και το "Give 'em My Beautiful Hell", με την υπέροχη παραδοσιακή κρητική λύρα, η οποία αναμιγνύει περισσότερα μεσογειακά αρώματα, προσδίδοντας μια διαφορετική αίσθηση.

Τα κομμάτια "3AM", "Once In A Blue Moon", "Woven Spells of A Demon", "The End of the Known Civilization" και "Blessed Be He Who Enters" (το δεύτερο βίντεο κλιπ) αποτελούν από τις πολύ δυνατές και, γιατί όχι, ευχάριστα συγκινητικές στιγμές ενός δίσκου που πιστεύω να δείξει το φως και να χαράξει ξανά το δρόμο στην ελληνική σκηνή του ακραίου Metal ιδιώματος.

Δεν υπάρχει λόγος ακόμη να δοθεί αριθμητικό ποσοστό επιτυχίας. Αφενός, το άλμπουμ μου δημιουργεί στο μυαλό πολλές διαφορετικές εικόνες αυτές τις λίγες ημέρες που το έχω, αφετέρου, αποτελεί προφανώς ένα άψογο δείγμα παραγωγής, μείγμα ήχων σκοτεινού Metal και ενός αποτυπώματος που χρήζει περαιτέρω "μελέτης".

Είναι σίγουρα ένας δίσκος που θα συζητηθεί αρκετά...

English:

The dark steadiness now takes root

Many releases have already marked this year, and Yoth Iria have contributed their own new black gem. The band — with Dimitris “Mutilator” Patsouris on bass, He handling studio vocals and Orestis composing for the live shows, guitarists Naberius and Nick Perlepe, and drummer Vasilis “Vongaar” Stavrianidis — have now fully spread their wings.

It’s not only their collaboration with Metal Blade that begins here, but also the entire aura radiating from this new album, which has just been released. Not exactly the Greek Black Metal you may have in mind — something more transcendent. On the band’s third full‑length, we hear a different approach: an intense, dark, and at times bleak atmosphere, as always, but infused with strong classic‑metal riffs and many traditional elements drawn from the music of Epirus and Macedonia, as well as the Slavic polyphonies of the Balkans.

This is evident in “The Blind Eye of Antichrist,” which also serves as the album’s truly artistic video. You’ll encounter tracks destined to become classics, such as “Dare to Rebel,” which opens the record, and “Give ’em My Beautiful Hell,” featuring a wonderful traditional Cretan lyra that blends in more Mediterranean colors, giving the song a distinct character.

The tracks “3AM,” “Once In A Blue Moon,” “Woven Spells of A Demon,” “The End of the Known Civilization,” and “Blessed Be He Who Enters” (the second video clip) stand among the album’s most powerful — and, why not, pleasantly emotional — moments. I believe this is a record capable of shedding light and carving a new path for the Greek extreme metal scene.

There’s no reason yet to assign a numerical score. On one hand, the album has been conjuring many different images in my mind during the few days I’ve had it; on the other, it is clearly an impeccable example of production — a blend of dark‑metal sonics and a signature that deserves further “study.”

It is certainly a record that will be talked about a lot…

Τάκης "Ε-Μortal One" Γιώτης

REVIEW: SEVEN THORNS – Return to the Past

 

SEVEN THORNS – Return to the Past

Nightmare Records

There are certain albums that instantly trigger a familiar image. For me, Return to the Past brought to mind the Greek summer TV schedule: everyone is on holiday, and the channels keep recycling old series on repeat. That sense of déjà vu — of something seen and heard too many times — is exactly what defines this release.

SEVEN THORNS draw heavily from the classic lineage of Euro power metal, with clear influences from GAMMA RAY, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, HELLOWEEN, and FREEDOM CALL. It’s the style we usually label as “happy Euro power,” a genre I personally have no issue with; in fact, there are several bands within it that I genuinely enjoy. The problem here is not the genre — it’s the execution.

The album leans so heavily on established formulas that it ends up recycling the most predictable clichés of the style. Instead of channeling the energy and imagination of the bands that shaped this sound, SEVEN THORNS deliver a version that feels overly safe and creatively restrained. It’s the kind of record that makes you want to stop it halfway through and reach for the classics — the albums that defined this genre with far more conviction and originality.

To their credit, the musicianship is solid. The band clearly has technical ability, and their performance is tight. But technical skill alone isn’t enough when the songwriting lacks spark. What’s missing here is imagination — the element that transforms influence into identity.

Return to the Past is so typical, so strictly by‑the‑numbers, that I struggle to imagine even the most devoted fan of this genre finding something truly memorable in it. Still, as always, the final judgment belongs to the listener. Give it a spin before deciding where to invest your money — but manage your expectations.

Nick Parastatidis

REVIEW: VIRGIN STEELE, The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell part One

 

VIRGIN STEELE, The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell part One (1995)

T&T Records

Η μεγάλη επιστροφή

Μία μπάντα που λατρεύτηκε στην Ευρώπη πολύ περισσότερο απ' ό,τι στη χώρα καταγωγής της, οι Νεοϋορκέζοι Virgin Steele, με την άδοξη προσπάθεια να ακουστούν Blues Rock στο album Life Among the Ruins δύο χρόνια πριν, βάζουν μπροστά τη μηχανή τους για να κερδίσουν τον χαμένο χρόνο και την αίγλη τους, που είχε πληγωθεί άσχημα. 

Το μεγαλεπήβολο έργο, βασισμένο στον William Blake, ήταν προγραμματισμένο να επεκταθεί σε τρία άλμπουμ. Τελικά, το τρίτο μέρος έγινε το πολύ καλό Invictus, και από τα δύο που διατηρούν τον τίτλο, αυτό είναι το CD του πρώτου μέρους.

 

Το δημιουργικό δίδυμο, David DeFeis στη φωνή και τα πλήκτρα, Edward Pursino στις κιθάρες, ο μπασίστας και ο ντράμερ Joey Ayvazian, μας δείχνουν ότι ακόμη "το έχουν".

 

Προσωπικά, αν και τα θεωρώ ενιαίο άλμπουμ, προτιμώ το δεύτερο μέρος λίγο παραπάνω, αφού εδώ τα πράγματα είναι πιο συγκεχυμένα. Να το θέσω αλλιώς, το δεύτερο είναι πιο Power Metal, ενώ εδώ έχουμε κι άλλα στυλ που ίσως να έμειναν ως επιρροές από το προηγούμενο άλμπουμ. 

Ένα κατά τα άλλα πολύ ανώτερο άλμπουμ, παρόλα αυτά, με κάποια αγαπημένα τραγούδια στο κοινό, όπως τα «Blood and Gasoline», «I Will Come for You», «Self Crucifixion», «Last Supper», «The Raven Song», «Forever Will I Roam», «Blood of the Saints» και το «Life Among the Ruins», που είναι ο τίτλος του προηγούμενου άλμπουμ. Βέβαια, το κομμάτι αυτό καθαυτό ουδεμία σχέση έχει με εκείνο!

English:

The Great Return

A band that was beloved in Europe far more than in their country of origin, the New York-based Virgin Steele, after their unsuccessful attempt to sound like Blues Rock on the album Life Among the Ruins two years ago, are now hitting the gas to recover lost time and their wounded glory. 

Their ambitious project, based on William Blake, was originally planned to expand into three albums. Ultimately, the third part became the very good Invictus, and of the two albums that share the same title, this one is the CD of the first part. 

The creative duo—David DeFeis on vocals and keyboards, Edward Pursino on guitars, along with bassist and drummer Joey Ayvazian—show that they still "have it." 

Personally, although I consider it a single album, I prefer the second part a little more, as this one feels somewhat more convoluted. To put it differently, the second is more Power Metal, while here there are other styles that perhaps remained as influences from the previous album. 

All in all, it’s a much stronger album, despite that, with some songs beloved by fans, such as "Blood and Gasoline," "I Will Come for You," "Self Crucifixion," "Last Supper," "The Raven Song," "Forever Will I Roam," "Blood of the Saints," and "Life Among the Ruins"—which is also the title of the previous album. Of course, this track has nothing to do with that one!

Τάκης "Ε-Μortal One" Γιώτης

REVIEW: TSORER – Return to Sodom

 

TSORER – Return to Sodom

Siege Of Amida Records

TSORER emerges from the Israeli underground to deliver a "supply" that is both essential and refreshingly unorthodox. With their latest offering, Return to Sodom, the band manages a difficult balancing act: honoring the grim foundations of raw, old-school black metal while fearlessly pivoting into experimental territory.

At its core, Return to Sodom is a tribute to the cold, abrasive aesthetics popularized by icons like Darkthrone and Graft. However, TSORER refuses to be a mere carbon copy. The album distinguishes itself by weaving in a "blackened" interpretation of 1970s psychedelia. These experimental flourishes don’t dilute the aggression; rather, they expand the atmosphere, pulling the listener into a disorienting, hallucinatory void.

Old-School Foundation: Expect the classic hallmarks of the genre—raw production, piercing riffs, and a relentless, primal energy.

Avant-Garde Expansion: The integration of 70s-inspired textures takes the traditional black metal template into new dimensions, effectively refreshing a sound that can often feel stagnant.

Unique Perspective: This isn't just a nostalgic trip; it is a forward-thinking exploration of what "raw" black metal can become when stripped of its creative boundaries.

TSORER has delivered an immensely interesting album that succeeds in being both a throwback and a breakthrough. If you are a devotee of the black metal arts but find yourself seeking a unique, elevated perspective on the genre, Return to Sodom is exactly what you have been looking for. This is a vital acquisition for fans who demand substance and innovation alongside their savagery.

George Kefalas