REVIEW: ARCH ENEMY, Stigmata

 

ARCH ENEMY, Stigmata (1998)

Century Media

Επιστροφή στο παρελθόν.

Αυτό είναι το άλμπουμ που άνοιξε την πόρτα της επιτυχίας για τους πέντε Σουηδούς, το δεύτερο της καριέρας τους, δύο χρόνια μετά το ντεμπούτο τους, Black Earth. Ο Johan Liiva βρίσκεται ακόμη πίσω από το μικρόφωνο, τα αδέλφια Christopher και Michael Amott αναλαμβάνουν τις κιθάρες, ο Martin Bengtsson το μπάσο και ο Daniel Erlandsson (επίσης μέλος των Carcass) τα ντραμς, συνθέτοντας ένα χαρακτηριστικό δείγμα μελωδικού Death Metal της σουηδικής σχολής.

Άμεσο στον ήχο του και με τη γνωστή αισθητική του είδους, θα μπορούσε εύκολα να χαρακτηριστεί Heavy Metal, αν δεν υπήρχαν τα ακραία φωνητικά. Τα χαρακτηριστικά κιθαριστικά riffs των δύο Amott βρίσκονται στο επίκεντρο, χωρίς την πολυπλοκότητα και την πολυμορφία που θα υιοθετούσε το σχήμα σε μεταγενέστερες κυκλοφορίες. Εννοείται πως η παραγωγή «φυσάει», με τον Michael να αναλαμβάνει και αυτό το κομμάτι της δουλειάς.

Όπως συνέβη συνολικά με τη σουηδική σκηνή μετά το 1994, στην οποία δεσπόζουν ήδη τέσσερα μεγάλα ονόματα, οι Hypocrisy, Entombed, At The Gates και In Flames, έτσι και οι τότε ανερχόμενοι Arch Enemy κινούνται σε ένα ύφος που προσεγγίζει περισσότερο το κλασικό, μοντέρνο Heavy Metal παρά το Thrash. Το ομώνυμο «Black Earth», που περιλαμβάνεται εδώ και όχι στο προηγούμενο άλμπουμ, μαζί με τα «Beast of Man», «Stigmata», «Sinister Mephisto», «Dark of the Sun», «Let the Killing Begin» και «Bridge of Destiny», αποτελούν τα σημαντικότερα σημεία της κυκλοφορίας.

Το αποτέλεσμα είναι ένα από τα καλύτερα άλμπουμ του είδους του και, μαζί με το επερχόμενο Burning Bridges, πιθανότατα μία από τις δύο κορυφαίες στιγμές της πρώτης περιόδου των Arch Enemy.

English:

A Return to the Past.

This is the album that opened the door to success for the five Swedes, their second full-length release, arriving two years after their debut, Black Earth. Johan Liiva is still handling vocal duties, brothers Christopher and Michael Amott take care of the guitars, Martin Bengtsson is on bass, and Daniel Erlandsson (also a member of Carcass) sits behind the drum kit, delivering a characteristic example of the Swedish melodic Death Metal sound.

Direct in its approach and built around the familiar aesthetics of the genre, this could easily be described as Heavy Metal if it were not for the extreme vocals. The distinctive guitar riffs of the two Amott brothers are at the forefront, without the complexity and stylistic diversity that the band would embrace in later releases. Needless to say, the production really packs a punch, with Michael once again taking care of this aspect of the recording.

Much like the broader Swedish scene that emerged after 1994, already dominated by four major names – Hypocrisy, Entombed, At The Gates and In Flames – the then-rising Arch Enemy lean towards a style closer to classic, modern Heavy Metal than Thrash. The self-titled “Black Earth”, which appears on this album rather than the previous one, along with “Beast of Man”, “Stigmata”, “Sinister Mephisto”, “Dark of the Sun”, “Let the Killing Begin” and “Bridge of Destiny”, stand out as the album's strongest moments.

The result is one of the finest albums of its kind and, together with the forthcoming Burning Bridges, arguably one of the two highlights of Arch Enemy's early period.

Τάκης "Ε-Μortal One" Γιώτης

REVIEW: STORMWARRIOR - Heathen Warrior

 

STORMWARRIOR - Heathen Warrior (2011)

Massacre Records

For a long time, most of us filed STORMWARRIOR under “good clones”: HELLOWEEN mostly, RUNNING WILD too, and something close to the most recent ENFORCER. The band did little to shake that image, and its own statements and actions over the years pointed the same way. But everything has an end, and “Heathen Warrior” feels like the bridge between the good old STORMWARRIOR and a new, better one.

Don’t worry, this is still traditional heavy metal. The difference is that the guys have finally found a sound of their own. They started that effort on the previous release, and here it comes together. IRON MAIDEN and RUNNING WILD are still in the blood, while the HELLOWEEN side is much quieter, “Ravenhearte” being the one clear exception. Still, nobody is copying anybody here. The band takes what the 80’s legends gave it and runs it through its own playing and its own point of view. If you’ve followed them as long as I have (I’ve been listening since the demo tapes), you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.

If you’ve never heard the band, no problem. You get a solid dose of European traditional metal and you don’t need any history to enjoy it. What caught me off guard is the work on the lead guitars and solos. You can hear the care in every detail, and it gives the songs real personality. The production stays clear and gives every instrument its space, as it did before.

This is STORMWARRIOR’s most mature album so far, and one you should check out. My picks are “The Ride of Asgard”, “Bloode to Bloode”, “Ravenhearte” and, my favourite by some distance, “Fyre & Ice”.

Nick Parastatidis

THE SILENT WEDDING Release Acoustic Reinterpretation of Black Sabbath’s “N.I.B.”

 

Greek heavy metal band The Silent Wedding have released “N.I.B. Reimagined”, an atmospheric acoustic reinterpretation of the iconic Black Sabbath song. The arrangement incorporates traditional instruments, including kaval and bagpipes performed by Leonidas Thermos, giving the original composition a darker, more introspective and ritualistic character.

The band's connection with “N.I.B.” dates back to 2014, when the song first became part of their live setlist. Over the years, their interpretation evolved, gradually developing its own identity on stage. The new release also serves as a tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne and an expression of appreciation for Black Sabbath's lasting influence on heavy metal.

“N.I.B. Reimagined” was arranged by Jim Katsaros and The Silent Wedding, recorded, mixed, mastered and produced by Jim Katsaros at Underground Music Studios. The release also features percussion by Marios Karanastasis, George Kritharis and Vassilis Panagiotopoulos, alongside backing vocals by Johnny Thermos, Vassilis Panagiotopoulos and Jim Katsaros.

The single was officially released on October 30, 2026, and is available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and all major digital streaming platforms.

SHADE OF MEMORIES Release New Video for “The Anvil”

 

American Progressive Heavy Metal project Shade Of Memories has released a new video for “The Anvil”, a track taken from its debut album, Glaciers of Tomorrow (2021). The album was recorded, mixed and mastered at Delbox Audio Studios.

Founded in 2013 by Jay Pratt, Shade Of Memories is a one-man project based in Seattle/Tacoma, Washington. Combining powerful metal arrangements with cinematic storytelling and symbolic themes of perseverance and transformation, the project has developed a distinctive, concept-driven musical identity. Glaciers of Tomorrow introduced Pratt's approach to an international audience, receiving attention from both fans and music media.

REVIEW: DEATH WOLF - Death Wolf

 

DEATH WOLF - Death Wolf (2011)

Regain Records

New name, same band. Death Wolf started out as Devils Whorehouse, and under that banner they put out two EPs and two full-length albums. Why they changed the name, I can’t say. Maybe someone with more patience than me will go digging. Black metal fans might like to know the band was founded by Morgan of Marduk, and that alone says something about where these guys come from. The new name comes with a self-titled album on Regain Records, so that’s enough of the background. Let’s get to the music.

What you get here is old-school, and I mean really old-school. Put this on and you’re back in the first wave of extreme metal, with that dirty N.W.O.B.H.M. sound that Venom and Atomkraft made famous, plus a bit of Motörhead and some punk attitude thrown in. If you love Hellhammer and early Celtic Frost, you’ll catch a few familiar echoes too, and the rough, unpolished production fits the whole thing nicely.

It all sounds great on paper, but the album can’t keep it up. The first few songs are good. Then the riffs start repeating, the song structures blur together, and the same ideas keep coming back. Somewhere along the way I realized I’d stopped listening, and the last tracks went by without leaving a mark. A shorter tracklist, or more variety in tempo and mood, would have helped a lot.

So who is this for? Mostly the die-hard fans of 80’s extreme metal, the ones who need every release the genre has to offer. Everyone else should hear it before buying.

Nick Parastatidis

REVIEW: BOSTON, Boston

 

BOSTON, Boston (1976)

Epic

Παρεξηγημένη τεράστια μπάντα.

Μοναδικά riffs και μελωδίες, με υπόβαθρο έναν στιβαρό, πραγματικά μπετονένιο ρυθμικό τομέα, αλλά και μια εμπορική λογική που διατρέχει τις συνθέσεις του δίσκου. Και ναι, το μεγαλύτερο hit εδώ μέσα, το «More Than A Feeling», σχεδόν το έχουμε βαρεθεί! Έχει παίξει ακόμη και σε διαφήμιση (οι παλιοί θυμόμαστε το κλασικό, φιλοσοφικό και διχαστικό ερώτημα: «Ή μπύρα ή Kaiser;», υπό τους ήχους του τραγουδιού!).

Το «Peace Of Mind» που ακολουθεί, πάντως, είναι μια πρώτης τάξεως Metal κομματάρα! Τα «Let Me Take You Home Tonight», «Rock & Roll Band», «Smokin'» και «Hitch A Ride» συνεχίζουν αυτό το ποιοτικό μουσικό ταξίδι, με τον ιπτάμενο δίσκο να αποτελεί το σήμα κατατεθέν σχεδόν κάθε εξωφύλλου τους.

Οι Αμερικανοί (προφανώς) Hard Rockers ξεκίνησαν με αυτόν τον δίσκο, για να εξελιχθούν στη συνέχεια σε μία από τις ναυαρχίδες του A.O.R. (Adult Oriented Rock), με το επόμενο άλμπουμ τους. Εδώ, πάντως, έχουμε ένα ντεμπούτο που διαθέτει όλα τα εχέγγυα για να θεωρηθεί σπουδαίο. Από εμπορικής πλευράς, έκανε πραγματικά αίσθηση, με τις πωλήσεις του να το επιβεβαιώνουν. Ειλικρινά, ποτέ δεν κατάλαβα γιατί το συγκρότημα έμεινε στη σκιά άλλων σχημάτων, είτε της εποχής του είτε μεταγενέστερων.

Η ιστορία της επιτυχίας τους, βέβαια, δεν είχε μεγάλη διάρκεια, καθώς εξωγενείς παράγοντες τούς έθεσαν ουσιαστικά στον πάγο από τις αρχές της επόμενης δεκαετίας.

English:

A Greatly Underrated Band.

Unique riffs and melodies, backed by an exceptionally solid, rock-solid rhythm section, combined with a commercial sensibility that runs throughout the album's compositions. And yes, we have almost grown tired of hearing its biggest hit, “More Than A Feeling”! It has even been used in a commercial (those of us old enough will remember the classic, philosophical and divisive question: “Beer or Kaiser?”, accompanied by the song!).

“Peace Of Mind”, which follows, is a first-rate Metal gem! “Let Me Take You Home Tonight”, “Rock & Roll Band”, “Smokin'” and “Hitch A Ride” continue this high-quality musical journey, with the flying disc becoming an almost permanent trademark of their album covers.

The American Hard Rockers (obviously) made their debut with this album, eventually going on to become one of the leading names in A.O.R. (Adult Oriented Rock) with their next release. This debut, however, already has everything it takes to be considered a truly great record. Commercially, it made a considerable impact, as its sales figures clearly demonstrate. I have honestly never understood why the band remained in the shadow of other acts, both from their own era and from subsequent generations.

Their success, admittedly, did not last particularly long, as external circumstances effectively put the band on ice from the beginning of the following decade.

Τάκης "Ε-Μortal One" Γιώτης

MIK Release Debut Album “Ajmaq”

 

International atmospheric black/post-metal project MIK have released their debut album, Ajmaq. The album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Elmer González at Rite Studios.

Formed in 2026, MIK brings together Salvadoran guitarist and vocalist Elmer González and Galician rhythm guitarist Hilda Fernández, alongside bassist Elka Pérez and drummer Oscar Freites.

Drawing inspiration from acts such as Burzum, Enslaved and Silencer, the project combines hypnotic repetition, atmospheric tension and elements inspired by Mayan and Nahuat symbolism. Lyrically and thematically, Ajmaq explores eternal recurrence, existential dread and psychological fragmentation, presenting a bleak perspective on the human condition.

Through its melancholic intensity and immersive soundscapes, MIK seeks to capture emotional turmoil and the psychological weight of human consciousness, avoiding conventional themes of redemption or resolution.