ROSSOMETILE – Alchemica review

 ROSSOMETILE – Alchemica

Independent

http://www.rossometile.it/

Alchemy was something between science and magic in the ancient and medieval times. From the little I know it was the first effort to understand the nature of things and combine them in order to create something new. I think that creating music is a kind of alchemy too because you have to combine the mathematic accuracy of notes with emotions. I believe that something like that ROSSOMETILE had in mind when they named their 4^th studio release under the title “Alchemica”.

KILLERS LODGE - Alma Cachonda review

 KILLERS LODGE - Alma Cachonda

Diamonds Prod.

http://www.killerslodge.com/

How cachondo are you feeling right now? Maybe the most proper answer is how cachondo do you feel when you listen to heavy metal music? Well, this is a question that each one can answer personally after you listen to the sophomore release of the Italian band KILLERS LODGE.

MYSTIC PROPHECY – War Brigade review

 MYSTIC PROPHECY – War Brigade

Massacre Records

http://www.mysticprophecy.net/home.php

MYSTIC PROPHECY for me have always been a band that played passionate and sincere dynamic metal, but they didn’t manage to touch me musically. This was until they released their previous album under the title “Killhammer” which is an album that I still recommend to all of you. “War Brigade” is the successor of this very good release and I was really anxious to listen to it.

NO MAN EYES – Cosmogony review

 NO MAN EYES – Cosmogony

Diamonds Prod. Records

http://www.nomaneyes.com/

NO MAN EYES from Italy exist since 2011 and in 2013 they released their debut album entitled “Hollow Man”. Now, 2 years after their debut release and under a new label they are ready to release their new work entitled “Cosmogony”.

FRENZY – Lethal Protector EP review

 FRENZY – Lethal Protector EP

Underground Power Records

http://frenzymetal.bandcamp.com/

In the 80’s, the era where I passed the biggest part of my childhood, we didn’t have smart phones and games consoles, so one of our best entertainment was to read comic books. I still have happy memories from reading Spiderman comic books and imagining being like him. A while after my love for comic books, I discovered my other passion which is heavy metal music. Actually there were many times that I was reading a comic book and listening to heavy metal and believe me it worked great.

RIFFOCITY – Disciples of the Storm review

 RIFFOCITY – Disciples of the Storm

Independent

https://www.facebook.com/RIFFOCITYbandgr/timeline

It seems that the Greek metal scene develops quite quickly lately and on good foundations. The quality of musicians that play metal has risen and the technology also helps them to compose their music easier and on professional standards. RIFFOCITY for example were formed a couple of years back (in 2013) in Serres (a town in North Greece) and they have already released their first official 5 track EP under the title “Disciples of the Storm” which I am about to present to you here.

ΗΜΕΡΟΛΟΓΙΟ ΑΦΑΝΙΣΜΟΥ

ΗΜΕΡΟΛΟΓΙΟ ΑΦΑΝΙΣΜΟΥ by JOHNSON JEREMY-ROBERT

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ένας χαρακτήρας που κυκλοφορεί με ένα κοστούμι γεμάτο κατσαρίδες σε μια μεταπυρηνική Αμερική ή πιο σωστά σε έναν κόσμο όπου το ανθρώοπινο είδος είναι υπο εξαφάνιση είναι μια πολύ καλή ιδέα. Μια ιδέα που με παρακίνησε να πάρω αυτό το βιβλίο δίχως δεύτερη σκέψη. Η ιδέα βέβαια δεν εγγυάται και την ποιότητα, αλλά είναι μια καλή αρχή. Και ως ένα βαθμό το βιβλίο γίνεται αρκετά περίεργο και παράδοξο θα έλεγα. Επίσης έχει μια καλή δόση μαύρου χιούμορ που βγαίνει απρόσμενα και ανεπιτήδευτα κατά την ανάγνωση του βιβλίου. Το μόνο μειονέκτημα που μπορώ να βρω είναι ότι τελειώνει κάπως γρήγορα ή ότι είχε περιθώρια ο συγγραφέας να το εμπλουτίσει ακόμη περισσότερο. Με άφησε δηλαδή με μια αίσθηση ότι ήθελε κάτι ακόμα το βιβλίο αυτό. Για να είμαι δίκαιος είναι κάτι που και ο ίδιος το ομολογεί.

Επίσης στο βιβλίο αυτό θα βρείτε και το πρώτο διήγημα με τον χαρακτήρα του βιβλίου που μας λέει με συνοπτικό και ουσιώδη τρόπο πως ξεκίνησε η ιστορία του χαρακτήρα με περίεργο κουστούμι.

Θα έλεγα ότι είναι ένα περίεργο βιβλίο που αξίζει να διαβαστεί και ιδιαίτερα από τους φίλους του είδους της σκληρής επιστημονικής φαντασίας.

SLEEPY HOLLOW – Tales of Gods and Monsters review

SLEEPY HOLLOW – Tales of Gods and Monsters

Pure Steel Records

https://myspace.com/theoriginalhollowmetal

SLEEPY HOLLOW is a great band; especially their debut release in 1991 under the same name is an album that I still listen to and it has the same freshness for me as I were listening to it for the first time. They are also a band that don’t rush things and release an album when they feel ready to do so. Ok, this time they released their third album quicker in comparison with the time gap between their debut and sophomore album.

MOTELNOIRE – MotelNoire review

MOTELNOIRE – MotelNoire

MAP

https://www.facebook.com/motelnoire

MOTELNOIRE come from Italy although their band name comes from the French language which means dark/black hotel. It is an intriguing and dark name that someone can relate to horror fiction. After all these you might think that we have to do with a dark metal band, but these guys claim to play pop-rock music. So the question here is how dark can pop – rock sound?

SIMONE GIANLORENZI – About Her review

SIMONE GIANLORENZI – About Her

Maqueta Records

http://www.simonegianlorenzi.com/_/Welcome.html

If you consider that in ancient times a whole war started for a woman and also gave the inspiration to Homer to write the best epic poem ever, then you can’t ignore the fact that women were and still are the inspiration for men to create. After all the muses were female goddesses. So, it is not weird that guitar virtuoso Simone releases his instrumental album and tell us a story about her (who is she? Don’t ask me I don’t know).

PERSONA – Elusive Reflections review

 PERSONA – Elusive Reflections

Independent

https://personaband.bandcamp.com/album/elusive-reflections

Metal music is a global phenomenon that never stopped to expand all over the world. Even recently I have found bands that come from places of the world we’ve never imagined that have a metal scene. For example PERSONA come from Tunis, they were formed in 2012 and “Elusive Reflections” is their debut album.

ΕΤΗΣΙΑ ΑΝΘΟΛΟΓΙΑ ΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΟΝΙΚΗΣ ΦΑΝΤΑΣΙΑΣ

ΕΤΗΣΙΑ ΑΝΘΟΛΟΓΙΑ ΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΟΝΙΚΗΣ ΦΑΝΤΑΣΙΑΣ by Anthology

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Εξαιρετική ανθολογία με ιστορίες ανθρώπινες, αλλά που σε ταξιδεύουν. Η επιστημονική φαντασία είναι το αγαπημένο μου είδος λογοτεχνίας για αυτό το λόγο, παίρνει και εξετάζει τον άνθρωπο πέρα από το πρόσκαιρο και το εφήμερο και σε βοηθάει να βγάλεις τα δικά σου συμπεράσματα. Είναι μεγάλο και πυκνογραμμένο βιβλίο, αλλά αξίζει τον κοπο. Η νέα γενιά συγγραφέων επιστημονικής φαντασίας είναι πολύ καλή.

ARMONITE – The Sun Is New Each Day review

 ARMONITE – The Sun Is New Each Day

Independent

http://www.armonite.com/

The story of ARMONITE is something worth to be mentioned and I will mention it in few lines. Paolo Fosso and Jacopo Bigi were friends since their teens. Actually in 1996 and after they had played in many local bands and a variety of musical genres they decided to create ARMONITE in order to realize their own musical vision. In 1999 they released their first album while they were in college. However at some point the good years of being a student in a college ended and each one decided to follow a different path in their work career which also had to do with music. This event was the reason to split up.

SPLIT HEAVEN – Death Rider review

 SPLIT HEAVEN – Death Rider

Pure Steel Records

http://www.splitheaven.net/

“Death Rider” is a morbid title no doubt about that, but it brings happy memories to the fans of U.S. epic metal since OMEN have a great song with this name. I don’t know if SPLIT HEAVEN had that in mind when they decided to give this title to their new release, but surely it created to me a positive energy to listen to this album.

TARCHON FIST – Celebration review

 TARCHON FIST – Celebration

Independent

http://www.tarchonfist.com/

Ah, TARCHON FIST from Italy is a band I appreciate much and it goes without saying that it is a band that deserves more attention. I think there is a kind of prejudice for bands that come from countries like Italy and Greece, because if these bands came from Sweden or Germany, now they would be considered a well respected name at least. Of course it is not only prejudice, but the poor distribution that these bands usually get.

REGICIDE – Fall of an Empire review

 REGICIDE – Fall of an Empire

Independent

http://regicidemusic.bandcamp.com/releases

Regicide is a word that sounds good to my ears and it is a name that fits to a speed/thrash metal band. The meaning of the word means killing a king and I think that in a way it also explains why the band chose to name its debut album “Fall of an Empire”.

CRITICAL SOLUTION – Sleepwalker review

 CRITICAL SOLUTION – Sleepwalker

Punishment 18 Records

https://www.reverbnation.com/criticalsolution

Norway is a country connected with the black metal since they have one of the strongest and most influential scenes in the world. It seems, though, that Norway is not only about black metal. CRITICAL SOLOUTION which are from Norway are here to state to us that you can also be dark and aggressive by playing a different style of metal.

BLACKSMITH LEGACY – Metal Never Dies EP review

 BLACKSMITH LEGACY – Metal Never Dies EP

Independent

http://www.blacksmithlegacy.com/

Heavy metal is often a family business. I mean there are so many bands, some of which are well known which have been formed by members of the same family. Even our webzine is a family business after all since my sister and I have created it and keep it running for so many years. This, however, is something that I meet for the first time in the band BLACKSMITH LEGACY. Let me be more specific about it. The band formed in 2009 and it is a band that was created by the collaboration of father and son, Mr. Torgil Sturesson and Martin Sturesson, who are the constant members of the band from the start.

REVANTHAS (band presentation)

 REVANTHAS (band presentation)

https://www.facebook.com/revanthasbandgr/timeline?ref=page_internal

REVANTHAS is a new band from Athens and I think those who like Tolkien (personally he is not my favorite writer) you will understand that the band’s name is a mix of words from the sindarin language that the aforementioned writer created. The sindarin language is the language of the elves and the band’s name, as the members say, means Wandering Singers. It is a description that in my opinion describes their sound very well.

THRASHFIRE – Vengeance of Fire EP review

 THRASHFIRE – Vengeance of Fire EP

Xtreem Music

http://thrashfire.bandcamp.com/

It seems that THRASHFIRE have been quite a long time in the metal scene of Turkey, but this release will make them more known abroad. The band was formed in 2006 in Ankara Turkey and before this EP they released a demo in 2007, an EP in 2010 and a full length album in 2011. Four years after their last full length album, they come back with the EP which I am about to present to you here.

THORNBRIDGE – What Will Prevail review

 THORNBRIDGE – What Will Prevail

Massacre Records

http://www.thornbridge.de/

Sometimes I think that this can’t be a coincidence. Let me explain what I mean. A couple of days ago I was thinking why there are no bands playing European power metal music in the way that bands did in the late 90’s. It was the era that power metal gave us some really good albums and some of them are already considered classics. Most of the new power metal bands blend this sound with other elements which most of the times are good, but there is still a gap for traditional European power metal.

MOANING SILENCE - A World Afraid of Light review

MOANING SILENCE - A World Afraid of Light

Progressive Vision Group

https://www.facebook.com/moaningsilence

We, the Greek people, are Mediterranean and this means that we are used in bright days and we have a light mood (usually). Greece, though, is not only sunshine but it also has cold winter days and in these days many people especially if they are lonely feel frustration. On such a day or more accurately night somewhere in 2014 Christos Dounis (guitars) and the head of the band wanted to channel this frustration in a creative way and this is how the foundation of MOANING SILENCE has been set. On the same year Christos met his muse who is the vocalist Aimilia Papatheochari and they started creating and recording the songs that you can find in the debut album of the band which I am about to present to you…

HOLOCAUST – Predator review

 HOLOCAUST – Predator

Sleaszy Rider Records

https://www.facebook.com/Holometal

Companies and labels count as success the number of sales. In general they consider everything that they produce as a product to be consumed. Thanks god in heavy metal music and in other forms of true art success is proven by its endurance in time and mainly by how influential it can be. HOLOCAUST in commercial terms might not be a successful band, but if you consider that they have influenced such bands like METALLICA and GAMMA RAY, then you can’t deny they are amongst the bands that have left their own mark in the heavy metal sound.

MATTIA GOSETTI – Il Bianco Sospiro Della Montagna review

MATTIA GOSETTI – Il Bianco Sospiro Della Montagna

Rockway Records

https://www.facebook.com/gaudmat

Mattia Gosetti is a musician that I have already introduced to you with his other band SIRGAUS where they were playing symphonic gothic metal with some gothic rock elements too. It seems though that Mattia has a creative anxiety that can’t be fulfilled in only one band and because of that he proceeded in the formation of a solo project that has his own name. It is a bold endeavor I have to say, but also introduces to us a man and more specifically an artist with a vision…

SHEPHERD - Shepherd review

 SHEPHERD - Shepherd

Independent

http://www.facebook.com/shepherdband?fref=ts

Well thought out lyrical concepts, solid production quality, good melodic death/thrash, basically everything on here is what should be incorporated in a demo. My contention overall is that this deserves at least a "B" rating because it's dark, creative, intriguing and uncompromising. It's taken me quite a while to finally arrive at a conclusion here. What sets it apart from most bands are that the vocals make the atmospheric aura of the music more depressing than it really is. But if you read the lyrical content of these 3 songs, you'll know why it's been set to have this grim voice hover over the melodic distorted guitar-work. A well produced demo as well, you can hear pretty much everything on here. It's got a quality sound.

SARASIN – Sarasin review

 SARASIN – Sarasin

Pure Steel Records

https://www.facebook.com/pages/SARASIN/155676316805

Usually the heavy metal bands release a demo or an EP and after they see that there are people interested in their music, they move on releasing a full length album. This is what happened with SARASIN with the difference that there is a huge time gap between the release of their EP and their debut full length album. In order to be more specific I have to mention here that the EP was released in 1987 under the title “Lay down your Guns” and their debut album will be released in February 2016. The line – up has changed through all these years and the only member from the original line – up is the guitarist Greg Boileau. So let us see what SARASIN has created under the influence of years that have passed by and with the assistance of the new line –up…

Serpent - Lunar Intoxication (Official Video)

VISION LUNAR – Luna Subortus review

 VISION LUNAR – Luna Subortus

Winterwolf Records / Abridged Pause Recordings

https://www.facebook.com/visionlunar

VISION LUNAR is a one man band based in Canada who is here to release its debut EP containing 3 songs, after seven demo works. The band has been founded around 2006, but because of various problems it went on a hiatus for long periods of time… it was only last year that Virkelix, the guy behind this band, decided to re-form it and start all over again.

BLACKSLASH - Sinister Lightning review

BLACKSLASH - Sinister Lightning

Iron Shield Records

http://www.blackslash-band.de/

It seems that heavy metal sound has reached a point where it can’t give birth to new ideas. In such circumstances and after much experimentation, it is logical the new generation of heavy metal musicians to turn back to the roots of this sound and draw their inspiration from there. It depends on them if this turning back can help heavy metal music to reinvent itself or we will stick to an endless repetition of the good old times. BLACKSLASH from Germany is a band of young heavy metal musicians that were formed in 2007 and “Sinister Lightning” is their sophomore album that comes two years after their debut release.

ROXXCALIBUR - Gems of the NWOBHM review

 ROXXCALIBUR - Gems of the NWOBHM

Limb Music

http://www.roxxcalibur.com/

In heavy metal music there are many tribute bands that pay tribute to a specific big name of our sound, but a band that pays tribute to a whole movement it is kind of rare. ROXXCALIBUR is such a band because through their albums they cover songs of the N.W.O.B.H.M. genre that are considered classic or have achieved a cult status amongst the fans of this genre. I think the only other band that has done something like that are POWERGOD, but these guys covered 80’s metal songs from all over the world and genres. So, ROXXCALBUR are about to release their third work and I am really happy to write a few things about it.