REVIEW: IRON MAIDEN, Senjutsu

 

IRON MAIDEN, Senjutsu (2021)

Parlophone

Άρχοντες της τακτικής ή του τακτικισμού;

Λοιπόν, ας ξεκαθαρίσουμε κάτι. Τα παρακάτω τα γράφω έχοντας ακούσει το πιο πρόσφατο άλμπουμ των κάποτε ζωντανών θεών μου, των Iron Maiden, τουλάχιστον δεκαπέντε φορές, παρόλο που το απέκτησα σε φυσικό CD μόλις πρόσφατα.

Δεν έχω καλή γνώμη για τους δίσκους τους από το The Final Frontier (2010) και μετά. Αυτή η γνώμη δεν αλλάζει ούτε με την «τακτική μάχης» (σε ελεύθερη μετάφραση από τα ιαπωνικά) και δυστυχώς υποβιβάζει τον μέσο όρο ενός συγκροτήματος που αποτελεί πραγματικό ορόσημο στην κλασική Heavy Metal.

Το νέο άλμπουμ είναι περίπου το ίδιο καλό με το προηγούμενο, το The Book of Souls (2015), κάτι που όντως το ανεβάζει σε σχέση με το πραγματικά απαράδεκτο άλμπουμ του 2010. Όμως, όπως και να το κάνουμε, η μαγεία έχει χαθεί. Η μανιέρα των μεσαίων έως τεράστιων σε διάρκεια κομματιών, αν και δεν είναι κάτι νέο, με έχει προσωπικά κουράσει αφάνταστα. Είναι κάτι που ξεκίνησε σε ανύποπτο χρόνο με το Fear of The Dark (1992) και συνεχίζεται έκτοτε, με μόνη διαφοροποίηση το Virtual XI (1998).

Η αυταρχική λογική αλλά και η ξεροκεφαλιά του αρχηγού, του μπασίστα και συμπαραγωγού Steve Harris, είναι το δεύτερο στοιχείο που σε κουράζει όχι μόνο στο Senjutsu, αλλά και σε όλη τη δισκογραφική τους προσπάθεια από την επανασύνδεση με τους Bruce Dickinson και Adrian Smith. Το γεγονός ότι βάζει μπροστά τον Kevin Shirley να δίνει τις εντολές στα knobs της κονσόλας (ή τα πλήκτρα του ψηφιακού υπολογιστή ηχοληψίας) δεν τον απαλλάσσει από τις δόσεις πλαστικού ήχου που και εδώ θα βρούμε.

Πάντως, γυρίζω στο θέμα της διάρκειας του άλμπουμ, που το κάνει δύσκολο να το ακούσεις μονορούφι! Αυτό το γεγονός είναι περισσότερο αυτό που με ξενερώνει πλέον με ό,τι κυκλοφορούν από το A Matter of Life and Death και μετά: «Ένα άλμπουμ με οκτώ, εννιά κομμάτια το πολύ; Πενήντα λεπτά το πολύ, ρε παιδιά; Δεν είστε Progressive! Αν είναι, βάζουμε ένα CD των Dream Theater καλύτερα.»

Τώρα, αν με ρωτήσεις ποια κομμάτια είναι πιο κοντά στα γούστα μου, θα σου πω ότι τα Stratego, The Writing on the Wall, Days of Future Past, Hell on Earth και λίγο το Death of The Celts έχουν να μου δώσουν στιγμές. Αυτό όμως είναι και το αρνητικό: απλά στιγμές από ένα σχήμα που κάποτε έδινε ολόκληρα άλμπουμ από την αρχή ως το τέλος!

English Text:

Of tactics or tactical opportunism?

Let's get one thing straight. I'm writing the following after having listened to the latest album from my former living gods, Iron Maiden, at least fifteen times, even though I only recently acquired the physical CD.

I don't have a good opinion of their albums from The Final Frontier (2010) onward. This opinion doesn't change with their "battle tactics" (a loose translation from the Japanese), and it unfortunately lowers the average quality of a band that is a true landmark in classic Heavy Metal.

The new album is about as good as the previous one, The Book of Souls (2015), which does make it an improvement over their truly unacceptable 2010 album. But, no matter how you look at it, the magic is gone. The formula of writing medium to extremely long tracks, while not new, has personally exhausted me. It's something that started unexpectedly with Fear of The Dark (1992) and has continued ever since, with the only variation being Virtual XI (1998).

The authoritarian mindset and stubbornness of band leader, bassist, and co-producer Steve Harris is the second thing that gets on my nerves, not just on Senjutsu, but on their entire discography since the reunion with Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith. The fact that he puts Kevin Shirley in charge of "turning the knobs on the console" (or pressing the keys on the digital audio workstation) doesn't absolve him from the doses of plastic sound that we find here as well.

Anyway, I'm going back to the topic of the album's duration, which makes it hard to listen to in one sitting! This is more than anything else what disappoints me with everything they've released since A Matter of Life and Death: "An album with eight, maybe nine songs at most? Fifty minutes at the most, come on, guys! You're not a Progressive band! If so, we're better off putting on a Dream Theater CD."

Now, if you ask me which songs are more to my taste, I'd say that "Stratego," "The Writing on the Wall," "Days of Future Past," "Hell on Earth," and to some extent "Death of The Celts" have given me some moments. But that is precisely the negative point: just moments from a band that once gave us entire albums, from start to finish!

Τάκης "Ε-Μortal One" Γιώτης!

ARCHSERAPH Releases New Single "March"

 

Québec-based symphonic death metal band Archseraph has launched their new single, "March," recorded in Québec City by David Lizotte. Known for blending orchestral grandeur with intense metal, the band was formed by Thierry Paquet, Alex Sanfaçon, and Éli Gagné-Beck. Since their debut in 2015, they’ve gained recognition for powerful, energetic performances. Their latest release continues to showcase their signature sound.

REVIEW: AMORPHIS, Am Universum

 

AMORPHIS, Am Universum (2001)

Relapse Records

Νέα χιλιετία, νέο ύφος. 

Ένα ακόμη συγκρότημα με πολλές προσωπικότητες, από δίσκο σε δίσκο. Από το «Karelian Isthmus», π.χ., έως το προηγούμενο αυτού, το αγαπημένο «Tuonela», υπάρχει ένα χάος και έρεβος που χωρίζουν τον τρόπο παιξίματός τους. Φανταστείτε τί άλλο μας επεφύλασσε αυτό το τρομερό σχήμα χαμαιλέοντα. 

Οπότε, εδώ ακουμπάνε το alternative και, όντας πλέον Progressive Heavy Rock ο δίσκος, έχουμε ακόμα μία μεταμόρφωση των Φινλανδών, με ακόμη και χρήση πνευστών (alto σαξόφωνο) σε αρκετά σημεία του άλμπουμ! Με το καλημέρα δείχνουν τις καλύτερες προθέσεις με τα «Alone», «Goddess (Of the Sad Man)» και «The Night Is Over». 

Την εποχή εκείνη δεν ήμουν ακόμη φίλος τους, αλλά παρόλα αυτά θυμάμαι καλά τον σάλο που προξένησαν, από συζητήσεις συμφοιτητών που είτε γούσταραν αυτή τη στροφή είτε τους απέρριψαν, επιμένοντας στα τρία πρώτα κλασικά τους άλμπουμ. Πλέον κατανοώ και τις δύο πλευρές. Καλό το Doom Death Metal, αλλά γιατί όχι και πιο Groove/Heavy Rock; 

Άλλες αξιοπρόσεκτες στιγμές είναι τα «Crimson Wave», «Drifting Memories», «Veil of Sin» και το τελικό «Grieve Stricken Heart». Ήθελα επίσης να θυμίσω την εποχή που όλα τα αντίστοιχα συγκροτήματα (Paradise Lost, Anathema, My Dying Bride κ.ά.) είχαν ρίξει το βάρος στον πειραματισμό, με διαφορετικά αποτελέσματα το καθένα.

English:

New millennium, new style.

 

Another band with multiple personalities, evolving from album to album. From “Karelian Isthmus”, for example, to their previous release, the beloved “Tuonela”, there is a chaos and darkness that separate their ways of playing. Imagine what else this incredible chameleon-shaped band had in store for us. 

So, here they lean towards alternative, and with the album now rooted in Progressive Heavy Rock, we see yet another transformation of the Finns, including the use of wind instruments (alto saxophone) in several parts of the album! Right from the start, they show their best intentions with tracks like “Alone”, “Goddess (Of the Sad Man)”, and “The Night Is Over”. 

At the time, I wasn't yet a fan, but I clearly remember the buzz they caused—discussions among classmates who either liked this new direction or rejected it, insisting on their first three classic albums. Now, I understand both sides. Doom Death Metal is good, but why not incorporate more Groove or Heavy Rock elements? 

Other noteworthy moments include “Crimson Wave”, “Drifting Memories”, “Veil of Sin”, and the final “Grieve Stricken Heart”. I also want to recall the era when all similar bands (Paradise Lost, Anathema, My Dying Bride, etc.) had shifted toward experimentation, each with different results.

Τάκης "Ε-Μortal One" Γιώτης!

REVIEW: HOUSE OF LORDS – Big Money

 

HOUSE OF LORDS – Big Money

Frontiers Records

House of Lords, a veteran band renowned within the melodic rock and hard rock scenes, continues to demonstrate their enduring craft with their eighth studio album, “Big Money”. Having established a significant reputation with classic releases such as “House of Lords” (1988) and “Sahara” (1990), the band has maintained a consistent output over the past decade, reaffirming their place within the genre.

The album opens with the track “Big Money,” a high-energy rocker characterized by a prominent riff and driven by vocalist James Christian’s confident delivery. The song sets an assertive tone, blending a hard-edged attitude with melodic sensibilities. Following this, “First to Cry” emerges as a standout track, showcasing strong songwriting with memorable hooks and melodic richness that could be considered among the band’s finest work in recent years.

“Big Money” offers a diverse array of compositions that reflect the band’s versatility. For instance, “Living in a Dream World” features a harder, nearly metal-leaning sound, complemented by an oriental-inspired riff that adds an exotic flavor. The blues-infused “Searchin’” demonstrates the band’s ability to incorporate different influences while maintaining their melodic core. The album also revisits classic House of Lords themes with tracks like “One Man Down,” “Seven,” and “Once Twice,” which lean towards arena rock, emphasizing strong choruses and anthemic qualities.

Overall, “Big Money” is a solid addition to the band’s discography. It showcases a band that, while rooted in their traditional melodic rock style, is capable of exploring different sonic territories without losing their identity. The songwriting is consistent, and James Christian’s vocal performance remains a key strength. While it may not radically reinvent their sound, it offers a satisfying listening experience for fans and newcomers alike who appreciate well-crafted melodic rock with a touch of hard-edged intensity.

Chris  Kappas

DIVNI SAN Releases Lyric Video for "Dreamlike Tales"

 

Belgian metal band DIVNI SAN has unveiled a lyric video for "Dreamlike Tales," from their upcoming album set for release on May 30, 2025. Formed in 2021 by ex-MIDRANGE members, they blend hard rock, thrash, and progressive metal.

The album features a mix of energetic tracks like "Dreamlike Tales" and "Ready to Fight," as well as atmospheric songs such as "In Utero." It includes reworked versions of their 2023 EP songs and the new epic "Keep The Dream Alive."

Signed with Wormholedeath Records, DIVNI SAN is gaining international attention. The album will be available on streaming platforms in May 2025, with physical release details coming soon.

Members: Dragan, Philippe, Fabrice, Thomas.

KRYN Releases New Album "Risset"

 

Greek metal band KRYN has launched their latest album, "Risset," a powerful blend of heavy riffs, haunting melodies, and emotional vocals. Known for their intense and complex style, KRYN creates a raw, honest sound that explores human emotions and struggles.

"Risset" is now available on all digital platforms, offering a visceral musical journey for metal fans and those interested in dark, introspective themes.

CHASING FEAR Drops New Single "Empires Falling"

 

German band Chasing Fear has released their new single "Empires Falling," recorded at their home studio by guitarist Robert Haug. Formed in 2021 in Ebersbach an der Fils, the band combines Thrash, Death, Groove, and Metalcore. After their debut live show in 2023, they quickly gained attention for their energetic, genre-blending sound. "Empires Falling" marks their continued rise in the modern metal scene.