ΠΑΡΟΥΣΙΑΣΗ ACCEPT – Blind Rage

ACCEPT – Blind Rage

Nuclear Blast Records

http://www.acceptworldwide.com/

Το 1996 οι ΑCCEPT με τον Udo στα φωνητικά έμελε να κυκλοφορήσουν τον τελευταίο δίσκο τους υπό τον τίτλο «Predator». Δυστυχώς, ο δίσκος δεν τα πήγε καλά, γιατί και κατά τη δική μου άποψη ήταν μέτριος σε σχέση με τις παλιότερες δουλειές και τις δυνατότητες του συγκροτήματος. Μετά από αυτό η μπάντα διέλυσε και κάπου το 2004 (συγνώμη που δεν θυμάμαι πότε ακριβώς) αποφάσισαν να επανασυνδεθούν με το original line – up για να δώσουν κάποια live ανά τον κόσμο. Είχαν, όμως συμφωνήσει, κατά τα λεγόμενά τους, να μην κυκλοφορήσουν ποτέ ξανά δίσκο. Έναν λόγο που δεν τήρησαν αφού το 2010 κυκλοφόρησαν το «Blood Of The Nations” με τραγουδιστή τον Mark Tornillo (πρώην TT QUICK). To «Blind Rage» είναι  το τρίτο άλμουμ με αυτόν στα φωνητικά και ήδη έχουν αποχωρήσει από το συγκρότημα ο κιθαρίστας Herman Frank και ο ντράμερ Stefan Schwarzmann για να ασχοληθούν με το άλλο τους συγκρότημα τους PANZER.

Εξώφυλλο: Το εξώφυλλο είναι σε κόκκινο φόντο, χρώμα που λατρεύουν οι ACCEPT και απεικονίζει ένα μαινόμενο ταύρο. Το εξώφυλλο μου μοιάζει κάπως με διαφήμιση γνωστού ιπτάμενου ενεργειακού ποτού και προφανώς θέλει να υπογραμμίσει τη δυναμική και τον «τσαμπουκά» που έχει η μουσική τους ακόμη και τώρα που τα χρόνια πέρασαν.

ΚΟΡΥΦΑΙΕΣ ΣΤΙΓΜΕΣ ΤΟΥ ΔΙΣΚΟΥ: Πραγματικά πολύ λίγες και αυτές δεν είναι άλλες από τα τραγούδια; «Dark Side of My Heart», «Fall of the Empire», «Wanna Be Free» (η αρχική μελωδία του συγκεκριμένου παραπέμπει σε γουέστερν και σε συνθέσεις του Ένιο Μορικόνε) και το «Final Journey».

Οι υπόλοιπες συνθέσεις του δίσκου δεν με ενθουσίασαν, ούτε και με απογοήτευσαν, μιας και για εμένα αποτελούν τον ορισμό της χρυσής μετριότητας που σημαίνει ότι εύκολα ακούγονται, αλλά και εύκολα ξεχνιούνται.

ΣΥΜΠΕΡΑΣΜΑ: Δυστυχώς οι ACCEPT προσπαθούν να θυμηθούν το παλιό ένδοξο παρελθόν τους και ενώ υπάρχουν κάποιες στιγμές που το καταφέρνουν (ίδε τα παραπάνω τραγούδια), τις περισσότερες φορές ακούγονται σαν μια από τις χιλιάδες μπάντες που προσπάθησαν να τους μιμηθούν και απέτυχαν.

Στίχοι που χαρακτηρίζουν το δίσκο:

«Can you remember how it used to be

We were so proud and free, so free

Strong and mighty powerful and true

Can you remember»

Νικόλαος Παραστατίδης

PREMORTAL BREATH – They Review

PREMORTAL BREATH – They

Independent

http://www.reverbnation.com/premortalbreath

If there are two things that I like mostly in Germany is their metal music and their football. Since this is a webzine dedicated to music I will talk about heavy metal. Although, now that I am thinking about it, I have to say that both in music and football Germans have a magical way to stay focused and achieving their target without complicating things. The same thing goes with PREMORTAL BREATH from Germany and their debut album “They”. They were formed in 2010 and their target was to create melodic heavy metal music and I think that in their debut album they do more than that. The core of their sound is of course traditional heavy metal, but they enrich it with some modern metal touches and grooves and in my opinion they also have some melodic thrash metal references (there are moments that brought to my mind MEGADETH). The band has managed to create a recognizable sound and this is a big plus for them and I think that they are closer to groups like the latest RAGE and BRAINSTORM. In general “They” is a very good album from a talented new band that moves on professional standards. This is a good album and yet a promise for even better releases in the future. Check them out…

Nick “Verkaim” Parastatidis

RENEGADE - Thunder Knows No Mercy review

RENEGADE - Thunder Knows No Mercy

Pure Underground Records

https://twitter.com/RENEGADEupdates 

RENEGADE is an Italian heavy metal band that was formed in 2006 and they have already released four studio albums. Their new album which is their fifth has the impressive title “Thunder Knows No Mercy” and it finds them on a new label. I had the chance to listen to their previous albums and I think that their new beginning finds them faithful to their original sound. RENEGADE musically play traditional heavy metal inspired both by the European and the U.S. metal scene and they like to throw some speed even thrash metal parts in their compositions from time to time. Their trademark is the riffs and the high pitching vocals and I have to say that in their new album there were moments that brought to my mind good old ICED EARTH. Their new album is a traditional heavy metal release that wants to offer some good time to the listener and it succeeds in that part. If you search for something groundbreaking then RENEGADE is not for you, because their thunder knows no mercy, but only for the true heavy metal fans.

 Nick “Verkaim” Parastatidis

SPACE VACATION - Cosmic Vanguard Review

SPACE VACATION - Cosmic Vanguard

Pure Steel Records

http://www.spacevacationrocks.com/ 

Ok, we have said so many times that we live in the era that 80’s heavy metal sound is back for good. It is also a great time to find out which artists just “steal” and copy the glory of the 80’s and which ones are inspired from that era. SPACE VACATION from the United States are definitely inspired by the N.W.O.B.H.M. sound, but somehow -and this is their magic- they manage to add also U.S. metal elements in their music. I think that SPACE VACATION give us a glimpse of how N.W.O.B.H.M. would sound if it was invented on U.S. ground. As for their influences, well of course they have IRON MAIDEN references, but I think that their musical philosophy is closer to such bands like GRIM REAPER and SAXON. The fact, though, is that SPACE VACATION have a musical identity and they incorporate influences in a way that enriches their sound and doesn’t change it a bit. It is good to be old school and it is even better to reinvent traditional metal forms and give them a contemporary sound and this is exactly what SPACE VACATION do here.

Nick "Verkaim" Parastatidis

 

QUINTETTO ESPOSTO – Al Pianterreno Review

QUINTETTO ESPOSTO – Al Pianterreno

Independent

http://www.quintettoesposto.it/quintettoesposto/Quintetto_Esposto.html  

This is a release that actually doesn’t belong to a webzine like mine because it has nothing to do with heavy metal and also I have not much knowledge about the kind of music they play. Their management though did me the honor to send me their release and so the only thing I can do is present it. The band is from Italy and they also use the Italian language for their lyrics which gives them an exotic touch, but this is not the only exotic touch that their music has. In my opinion the sound basis of QUINTETTO ESPOSTO is the 60 – 70’s Italian rock and pop music, maybe THE BEATLES too, but they also add to their sound some Latin - tango music elements and of course they have jazz references too. They also reminded me in some songs their compatriot Adriano Celentano. The interesting thing with them is that they have beautiful melodies and their songs are interesting to listen to. They also sounded to me innovative because they have managed to combine many different musical styles and create a coherent sound. Finally they have succeeded to sound old school and yet contemporary. So, if you are open-minded or you listen to other musical genres too, you will find these guys interesting too.

Nick “Verkaim” Parastatidis

CRUIZZEN – Free Ride Review

CRUIZZEN – Free Ride

Pure Rock Records

http://www.cruizzen.com/

I am really happy to see bands that I believed in and I have bought their albums to come back and sign with some serious labels. The debut album of this band “Hellrocker” was an instant love for me and I had ordered it straight from the band. Now, eight years after their debut album, CRUIZZEN are ready to blow our minds out with their new album under the title “Free Ride”. Although a long time has passed between these two albums it is like they were released very close the one another. The band has kept its genuine sound which is no other than hard rock deep rooted in the AC/DC way, but they also have some ACCEPT references like in the song “Trouble”. This is an album that can guarantee you a long period of party time and an album that you can enjoy with a couple of friends and the company of six packs. Long before AIRBORN and BULLET, CRUIZZEN have played this AC/DC influenced hard rock sound and they did it in a very creative and fresh way, as they also do it here. I think that they deserve to be noticed by the hard rock and heavy metal fans across the world.

Nick "Verkaim" Parastatidis

MESSIAH’S KISS - Get Your Bulls Out! Review

MESSIAH’S KISS - Get Your Bulls Out!

Massacre Records

http://www.messiahskiss.com/

Do you remember the German – U.S. metal band MESSIAH’S KISS and the four very good albums they have released (especially their debut which is great)? If yes, then you will be happy to know that they are back. If you don’t then there is no problem at all because the band makes a new start with this release in a bit different musical style that they have got us used to with their previous releases. The band, in the first three albums, was playing heavy/power meta, but after their main composer had some health problems (George Kraft (guitars) which was actually the main reason why the band was put to ice for so long, they have tried a different method of composing songs. In the new album all the members have offered ideas and the songwriting process got more democratic and I think that this is obvious from the variety the songs have. Actually the new MESSIAH’S KISS album is mainly a hard rock oriented album with some heavy metal elements and no power metal at all. Ok, this might disappoint most of their old fans, but no matter how we see it, I think that the band did a quality job and after all musicians have the right to experiment with their sound as long as in their next release they return to their natural sound (hehe just kidding). So, hard and heavy is what you will get here which is supported greatly by the voice of Mike Tirelli who sounds like a combination of Dio, Coverdale and Halford. If you like bands like RIOT (in their hard rock days), PRETTY MAIDS and Q5, then you will enjoy this release.

Nick "Verkaim" Parastatidis