REVIEW: RANCOR – Release the Rancor

 

RANCOR – Release the Rancor

Independent

RANCOR reaffirm my long‑standing view of what thrash metal should sound like with this debut full‑length. Hailing from Spain and releasing the album independently, the band draws heavily from the classic 80s thrash tradition, with a particularly strong Bay Area imprint. In their music you can clearly trace elements reminiscent of TESTAMENT, SLAYER, METALLICA, and EXODUS — not as imitation, but as a foundation they build upon with confidence.

The band plays with notable tightness, and their songwriting carries enough ideas and energy to make the album an enjoyable listen from start to finish. Fans of the genre — myself included — will easily find tracks that speak to their thrash instincts.

It is also worth highlighting that, despite being a self‑financed release, Release the Rancor operates on impressively professional standards. The production and presentation allow the band to showcase their full potential without compromise.

Overall, Release the Rancor is a strong debut that deserves the attention of thrash metal listeners. RANCOR demonstrate clear talent and commitment, and it will be interesting to see how they evolve in future releases. Definitely a band worth checking out.

Nick Parastatidis

REVIEW: PARADISE LOST, Medusa

 

PARADISE LOST, Medusa (2017)

Nuclear Blast Records

Πίσω στις απαρχές τους.

Η μετάλλαξη - ολική επαναφορά σε αυτό από το οποίο ξεκίνησαν - φαίνεται σε όλα τα άλμπουμ της "teen" δεκαετίας. Οι Άγγλοι έχουν όχι απλά θυμηθεί από πού ξεκίνησαν μουσικά, στα μακρινά late 80's, αλλά μπορούμε να πούμε ότι ξεπέρασαν τον εαυτό τους. Εκεί, δύο χρόνια μετά το The Plague Within του 2015, ξαναχτύπησαν με τη "Μέδουσα" τους. Doom, Death, Gothic Metal - απ' όλα παίζουν εδώ μέσα. Πιο Doom, σίγουρα, από ποτέ, και με τα γρυλιστά φωνητικά σε αρκετά σημεία να θυμίζουν τα πρώτα δύο άλμπουμ τους, Lost Paradise και Gothic.

Συνάμα, και η αισθητική του τρίτου τους άλμπουμ, Shades of God, βρίσκεται κι αυτή παρούσα στα κομμάτια του digi book CD αυτού. Παραγωγή κρυστάλλινη, χαμηλά κουρδίσματα σε κιθάρες και μπάσο, με τα κατάλληλα ξεσπάσματα όπου πρέπει. Με υλικό όπως τα Fearless Sky, Gods of Ancient, From the Gallows, Medusa, No Passage for the Dead, Blood & Chaos, Until the Grave και το Symbolic Virtue (από τα επιπλέον κομμάτια της digi book έκδοσης), είναι να απορεί πλέον ο πιστός τους κόσμος: προς τί η αλλαγή ύφους από το 1998 έως το 2004; Αφού σε αυτό το αρχικό τους στυλ διαπρέπουν!

English:

Back to their origins.

The transformation — a complete return to where they started — is evident across all the albums of their "teen" decade. The Brits haven't just remembered where they began musically, in the distant late 80s, but we can say they've surpassed themselves. Two years after The Plague Within (2015), they struck again with their Medusa. Doom, Death, Gothic Metal — all styles are present here. More Doom than ever, certainly, with growling vocals that in several spots recall their first two albums, Lost Paradise and Gothic.

At the same time, the aesthetic of their third album, Shades of God, is also reflected in the tracks of this digi book CD. Crystal-clear production, low-tuned guitars and bass, with the appropriate outbursts where needed. With material such as Fearless Sky, Gods of Ancient, From the Gallows, Medusa, No Passage for the Dead, Blood & Chaos, Until the Grave, and Symbolic Virtue (from the bonus tracks of the digi book edition), their loyal fans are left wondering: why the change in style from 1998 to 2004? When they excelled in their original sound!

Τάκης "Ε-Μortal One" Γιώτης

REVIEW: ANVIL, One And Only

 

ANVIL, One And Only (2024)

AFM Records

Επιστροφή εντός έδρας

Το έτος που σε λίγο μας αποχαιρετά έφερε πολλαπλά χτυπήματα από τις μεταλλικές παλιοσειρές, όπως οι Καναδοί Anvil. Πάμε για μία από τα ίδια; Πάμε! Χαβαλές, heavy metal και ιστορίες βγαλμένες από τη ζωή του Lips (φωνή και κιθάρα) κυρίως, και σε αυτό το άλμπουμ. Robb Reiner στα ντραμς και ο Christ (ουδέν σχόλιο επί του καλλιτεχνικού ονόματος) στο μπάσο.

Με το ομώνυμο κομμάτι να εκκινεί το πάρτι και στη συνέχεια τα Feed Your Fantasy, Fight for Your Rights, Heartbroken, Gold and Diamonds, Truth Is Dying, Run Away, World of Fools, Condemned Liberty, Blind Rage να σε παρασέρνουν σε εποχές όπου κάθε νέο άλμπουμ τους έφερνε χαρά στους φίλους τους.

Οπότε, δεν υπάρχει κάτι πρωτότυπο ή πρωτόγνωρο εδώ να μας δώσει το «αμόνι» — και όπως έχει ειπωθεί ξανά, έτσι πρέπει και έτσι τους θέλουμε. Σταθερή μεταλλική αξία.

English:

Return to Home Turf

The year that’s about to leave us brought several hard‑hitting releases from the old metal warhorses — including the Canadians, Anvil. Ready for more of the same? We are! Fun, heavy metal, and stories pulled straight from the life of Lips (vocals and guitar) dominate this album as well. Robb Reiner handles the drums, and Christ (no comment on the stage name) is on bass.

With the self‑titled track kicking off the party, the album rolls on with Feed Your Fantasy, Fight for Your Rights, Heartbroken, Gold and Diamonds, Truth Is Dying, Run Away, World of Fools, Condemned Liberty, and Blind Rage — songs that sweep you back to the days when every new Anvil record brought joy to their fans.

So, there’s nothing particularly new or groundbreaking here for the “anvil” to deliver — but as has been said before, this is exactly how they should be, and exactly how we want them. A steady, unwavering metal value.

Τάκης "Ε-Μortal One" Γιώτης

REVIEW: MACABRE – Grim Scary Tales

 

MACABRE – Grim Scary Tales

Hammerheart Records

MACABRE stand among the earliest bands to explore the extreme territories that would later crystallize into death metal and grindcore. Active since 1984, they’ve long insisted on calling their music murder metal—and honestly, it’s the most accurate term available. Trying to categorize them strictly by musical influences would require a full-length book rather than a simple review.

The “murder metal” tag isn’t just about the sharp, abrasive, and often extreme elements in their sound. The defining factor is thematic: for decades, MACABRE have written exclusively about serial killers, their crimes, and the grim histories surrounding them. Every album is essentially a macabre anthology set to music.

Sonically, attempting to outline the main ingredients of this U.S. trio’s style means casting a very wide net. Thrash, death metal, and grind are obvious foundations, but they coexist with math‑rock twists, punk energy, folk‑like melodies, nursery‑rhyme motifs, deranged children’s‑song cadences, jazz‑fusion detours, and even black‑metal edges. These elements form the frenetic, eccentric amalgam that defines MACABRE’s identity.

Lyrically, Grim Scary Tales continues the band’s tradition of recounting all‑too‑real stories of historical killers. The figures portrayed here include Locusta, Nero, Gilles de Rais, Vlad Tepes, Gilles Garnier, Elizabeth Bathory (via a cover of VENOM’s “Countess Bathory”), Burke and Hare, Mary Ann Cotton, the Bender Family, Lizzy Borden, Joseph Vacher, Belle Gunness, Béla Kiss, and Karl Großmann.

All of this is executed with razor‑sharp precision, tight musicianship, and a level of skill that often goes underappreciated. Corporate Death’s vocal performance remains a spectacle in itself—shifting from guttural growls to clean lines to unhinged, psycho‑screeching outbursts that fit the subject matter disturbingly well.

For long‑time fans, this album is an easy investment. For newcomers, only those who are genuinely open‑minded and drawn to progressive, unconventional, and evolutionary forms of extreme music should step into Grim Scary Tales. You need to be a bit of a psycho yourself to appreciate this sophisticated madness. I suppose I am—because I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Christine  Parastatidou

Conjure Hand Releases New Maxi-Single “Baby (I Won’t Let Go)”

 

Canadian hard rock band Conjure Hand has unveiled their latest maxi-single, “Baby (I Won’t Let Go),” offering a preview of their upcoming album. The track was recorded at the band’s home studio and mixed and mastered at Circle A Studios. A vinyl release is planned for summer 2026.

Formed in 2022 in Victoria, British Columbia, Conjure Hand is fronted by Black Caesar (Andrew Kovar). The band blends classic rock, blues, and soul influences from the 1960s and ’70s, creating a groove-driven sound marked by harmonized guitars, rich organ textures, and powerful rhythms.

Lyrically, the group explores themes rooted in African American and Canadian history, voodoo traditions, and working-class life. With an energetic stage presence and growing fanbase, Conjure Hand continues to establish itself as a compelling force in the modern rock scene.

REVIEW: SUIDAKRA – Book of Dowth

 

SUIDAKRA – Book of Dowth

AFM Records

Book of Dowth, the tenth studio album by the German melodic death metal band SUIDAKRA, is a release that—despite the group’s long and consistent career—still feels under‑recognized. Whether this lack of wider acknowledgment stems from strategic missteps or from the press too easily categorizing them as “Germany’s answer to DARK TRANQUILLITY,” the result is the same: a band with far more depth than the usual labels suggest.

While the comparison to Swedish‑influenced melodic death metal is not entirely misplaced, a closer listen reveals a broader musical identity. Book of Dowth may well be the band’s most melodic work to date, yet it also stands as one of their most mature. The album blends SUIDAKRA’s established death metal foundation with folk instrumentation and storytelling rooted in Celtic mythology, while presenting song structures that are more intricate—at times even approaching a progressive sensibility.

What distinguishes this album further is the band’s increased engagement with heavy, epic, and power metal elements, occasionally evoking the spirit of groups like BLIND GUARDIAN or RUNNING WILD. These influences do not dilute SUIDAKRA’s core sound; instead, they expand it, enriching the atmosphere without compromising the band’s identity. The integration feels natural, as if these components had always been present but are now brought into sharper focus.

For long‑time followers, Book of Dowth delivers exactly what they expect—melodic aggression, folk textures, and vivid storytelling—while also offering more refined songwriting and a clearer sense of artistic direction. For new listeners, it serves as an accessible entry point: melodic enough to draw them in, yet representative of the band’s broader stylistic palette.

Ultimately, Book of Dowth is a strong, cohesive album that highlights SUIDAKRA’s strengths and underscores why they deserve greater attention. It satisfies established fans, invites new ones, and reinforces the impression that this is a band whose work merits far more recognition—hopefully including a long‑overdue appearance on a Greek stage.

Nick Parastatidis

REVIEW: ICED EARTH, Burnt Offerings

 

ICED EARTH, Burnt Offerings (1995)

Century Media Records

Ήρθαν — και αυτή τη φορά θα μείνουν

Το τρίτο άλμπουμ των Αμερικανών, που μελλοντικά θα θεωρηθούν Heavy Metal ηγέτες στη συνείδηση του κόσμου, άργησε. Τρία χρόνια το χωρίζουν από το Night of the Stormrider, διάστημα στο οποίο η σύνθεσή τους άλλαξε ξανά, με τον ψηλό και κοκκινομάλλη —με χαίτη μέχρι τη μέση— Matt Barlow να αναλαμβάνει το μικρόφωνο και να χαρίζει σταθερά τη φωνή του για τα επόμενα επτά χρόνια στην «παγωμένη γη», σηματοδοτώντας ίσως την εποχή των καλύτερων δίσκων τους.

Το σκοτάδι που εκπέμπει αυτό το άλμπουμ, όσον αφορά την ηχητική του πλευρά, δένει απόλυτα με το πλαίσιο των στίχων, οι οποίοι είναι εξίσου σκοτεινοί και αποπνέουν μια βαθιά απελπισία. Πραγματικά, αυτός ο δίσκος είτε απέκτησε φανατικούς φίλους είτε πέρασε παγερά αδιάφορος στους οπαδούς των δύο πρώτων κυκλοφοριών τους — πόσο μάλλον μετά από τόσο μεγάλη αναμονή.

Ειδικά τα Last December, Brainwashed, Burnt Offerings, Creator Failure και το έπος σε διάρκεια και βάρος Dante’s Inferno κρατούν αμείωτο το ενδιαφέρον και, για όλους εμάς που αγαπάμε αυτό το άλμπουμ, το τοποθετούν πολύ ψηλά στη δισκογραφία τους.

Έχουμε, λοιπόν, ένα δυναμικό νέο ξεκίνημα που θα οδηγήσει παρακάτω σε ακόμη καλύτερα δείγματα της δημιουργικής τους πορείας.

English:

They’ve Arrived — and This Time, They’re Here to Stay

The Americans’ third album — by a band that would later be regarded as Heavy Metal leaders in the eyes of the world — took its time. Three years separate it from Night of the Stormrider, a period during which their lineup changed once again. The tall, red‑haired, mid‑back‑mane Matt Barlow stepped in as vocalist, lending his voice steadily for the next seven years to the “frozen earth,” marking what many consider the era of their finest records.

The darkness radiating from this album, sonically speaking, aligns perfectly with the lyrical framework — equally dark, steeped in a sense of despair. This is truly a record that either gained devoted followers or left fans of the first two albums completely indifferent, especially after such a long wait.

Tracks like Last December, Brainwashed, Burnt Offerings, Creator Failure, and the massive, weighty epic Dante’s Inferno keep the listener fully engaged and, for those of us who love this album, place it very high within their discography.

What we have here is a powerful new beginning — one that would soon lead to even stronger examples of their creative evolution.

Τάκης "Ε-Μortal One" Γιώτης