British Heavy Metal band Electric Banshee have
released their debut EP, Spiritual Overdrive, marking the first official release
from the London-based group.
Recorded at Electryfier Studios, the EP was mixed and
mastered by Piero Rigo. Formed in London in 2025 by José Rivera, Electric
Banshee draw inspiration from themes including witchcraft, nightmares and
cosmic horror, while incorporating influences from various strands of the Heavy
Metal genre.
The band’s sound combines high-energy performances
with riffs that balance heaviness and melody, complemented by atmospheric
passages, memorable guitar solos and epic endings.
Following the release of Spiritual Overdrive, Electric
Banshee are already working on new material, which is expected to be released
in the near future.
Ο
άνθρωπος είναι μορφή. Όχι και το πρώτο ανάστημα, με μορφή κωνική (ανεστραμμένο
καρότο), ξανθό, κοντοκουρεμένο στρατιωτικό μαλλί και φωνή σαν βενζινοκίνητο
πριόνι, ο Udo Dirkschneider δεν χρειάζεται άλλη σύσταση· τον ξέρουμε σχεδόν από
πάντα. Αν, όμως, ρωτήσουν για το άτομό του τους συνοδοιπόρους του στους Accept
και ειδικά τον Wolf Hoffmann, μάλλον, στην καλύτερη περίπτωση, δεν θα σας
απαντήσει!
Έτσι
έγινε, λοιπόν, κι ύστερα από το χειρότερο άλμπουμ στην ιστορία των επανενωμένων
Accept, το Predator του 1996, η μπάντα πάλι μπήκε στον πάγο κι ο Udo,
αρνούμενος να εγκαταλείψει, φτιάχνει για δεύτερη φορά το προσωπικό του σχήμα
μαζί με τον Stefan Kaufmann, τον αρχικό ντράμερ των Accept, αλλά πλέον σε ρόλο
κιθαρίστα, διότι η (μεταλλική) καρδιά του δεν του επέτρεψε άλλο να λυσσομανάει
ως ντράμερ, και τους Jürgen Graf, πάλι στην κιθάρα, Fitty Wienhold στο μπάσο
και τον ντράμερ από τα παλιά, αλλά και τους Running Wild, Stefan Schwarzmann.
Κι αυτό είναι το πρώτο άλμπουμ των U.D.O. της νέας εποχής.
Ένα
άλμπουμ οριακά κάτω από το να θεωρηθεί ένα από τα καλύτερα (αυτή τη θέση έχουν
τα πρώτα τέσσερα τους, από το Animal House ως το Timebomb) αυτού του
σχήματος-διαδόχου των ιστορικών Accept. Με τον περί ου ο λόγος να βγαίνει
σχεδόν αλώβητος μέσα από μία σιδερένια παρθένα (Iron Maiden, αυτό ακριβώς
είναι), γεμάτη ατσάλινα καρφιά, στο εξώφυλλο του κλασικού δημιουργού δεκάδων
πινάκων για εξώφυλλα, Marschall, ο δίσκος ξεκινά με το τέρμα κλασικό
Independence Day κι ακολουθεί μία σωρεία ύμνων: Two Faced Woman, Desperate
Balls, The Punisher, Preachers of the Night, Hate Stinger, Branded Hero, Pray
for the Hunted, ανάμεσα σε άλλα.
English:
Solid and Stainless
The man is an icon. Not exactly a towering figure, but
with his distinctive conical build (an inverted carrot), short-cropped blond
military haircut and a voice like a petrol-powered chainsaw, Udo Dirkschneider
needs no further introduction; we have known him for what seems like forever.
If, however, you ask his former comrades in Accept—and especially Wolf
Hoffmann—about the man himself, chances are that, at best, you won’t get much
of an answer!
And so it came to pass that, following the worst album
in the history of the reunited Accept, 1996’s Predator, the band once again
went into hibernation. Udo, however, refusing to give up, formed his solo
outfit for the second time, alongside Stefan Kaufmann, Accept’s original
drummer, now taking up the guitar because his (metal) heart would no longer
allow him to thrash away behind the drum kit; Jürgen Graf, again on guitar;
Fitty Wienhold on bass; and the old-school drummer who had also played with
Running Wild, Stefan Schwarzmann. And this is the first U.D.O. album of the new
era.
An album that falls just short of being considered one
of the best—the first four, from Animal House through Timebomb, occupy that
particular territory—by this band that became the successor to the legendary
Accept. With our man emerging almost unscathed from an iron maiden (Iron
Maiden, quite literally), bristling with steel spikes, on the cover by the
classic artist Marschall, creator of dozens of album-cover paintings, the
record kicks off with the utterly classic Independence Day and is followed by a
whole succession of anthems: Two Faced Woman, Desperate Balls, The Punisher,
Preachers of the Night, Hate Stinger, Branded Hero, Pray for the Hunted, among
others.
It’s been a long wait, but King Kobra are back with a
self-titled comeback that doesn’t just recapture the band’s ’80s spirit—it
sharpens it. Reuniting the core of the classic lineup around drummer Carmine
Appice and adding Paul Shortino on vocals, the album delivers exactly what hard
rock fans hope for: high-energy anthems, melodic depth, and a party-ready vibe
from start to finish.
After years away from the studio, Appice brought
together original members David Michael-Philips (guitars), Johnny Rod (bass),
and Mick Sweda (guitars) to rebuild the King Kobra sound. For vocals, they
recruited Paul Shortino (ex–Rough Cutt, Quiet Riot), a choice that makes
immediate sense: Shortino’s husky, blues-tinged delivery suits the band’s
hard-rock direction perfectly.
Interesting context: this 2011 self-titled record is
King Kobra’s fourth studio album and their first since 1986 to feature Johnny Rod,
Mick Sweda, and David Henzerling (a.k.a. David Michael-Philips) together again.
It arrived via Frontiers Records, with release dates staggered across
regions—April 4 in Japan (13 tracks), April 15 in Europe, and May 5 in North
America (12 tracks).
Another notable detail: the band recorded much of the
album remotely, with Shortino’s Las Vegas studio serving as the digital hub.
His engineering skills and Pro Tools setup were crucial in pulling the project
together while members were scattered across different cities.
The album opens with “Rock This House,” a fast,
furious, party-starting track that sets the tone immediately. “Turn Up the Good
Times” keeps the momentum going—big choruses, bigger riffs, and an
unapologetically celebratory feel.
Things shift with “Live Forever,” a fantastic
mid-tempo melodic rocker that shows the band can balance energy with hooks.
“Tear Down the Walls” leans hard into ’80s aesthetics—think big guitars,
anthemic choruses, and a sense of nostalgia that never feels tired.
“This Is How We Roll” returns to high-octane hard
rock, while “Midnight Woman” stands out as one of the album’s highlights,
blending swagger with memorable melody. “We Got a Fever” brings a bluesy edge
to the hard-rock framework, and “Top of the World” brings the party mood right
back.
“You Make It Easy” is a melodic hard-rock
masterpiece—rich harmonies, layered guitars, and a chorus that sticks. “Crying
Turns to Rain” offers another strong mid-tempo moment, and “Screamin’ for More”
lives up to its title: straightforward, energetic, and satisfying. The album
closes with “Fade Away,” a beautiful ballad that gives the record a well-earned
emotional cooldown.
The songs are consistently strong, the performances are
tight, and Shortino’s presence gives the band a fresh vocal identity without
losing the King Kobra essence. The production is clean and powerful, letting
the guitars bite and the rhythms drive—exactly what this style demands.
For anyone who grew up with ’80s hard rock or simply
enjoys well-crafted, high-energy rock records, this album is a must-hear. It’s
a confident return that proves King Kobra still know how to write anthems,
deliver hooks, and make you want to turn it up loud
Artillery have sold their soul to the devil—and on My
Blood, they sound like a band that made the deal willingly, then spent the next
decade collecting on it. From the opening bars of the seven-and-a-half-minute
epic “Mi Sangre (The Blood Song)”, the Danish veterans announce a second youth
with the kind of confidence only earned by decades in the thrash trenches. What
follows is not nostalgia, but a renewed, expansive vision of what thrash can be
in the hands of seasoned songwriters who refuse to play it safe.
“Mi Sangre (The Blood Song)” is more than an
appetizer; it’s a mission statement. Clocking in at 7:33, the track builds like
a mini-symphony of aggression, weaving melodic interludes, mid-tempo marches,
and blistering runs into a cohesive whole that recalls the structural ambition
of Metallica’s Master of Puppets era without ever feeling derivative. The
song’s dynamic arcs—quiet tension giving way to explosive release—set the tone
for an album that treats thrash as a language, not a template.
Where many modern thrash releases lean on speed alone,
My Blood thrives on variety. Artillery introduce an oriental touch throughout
the record, most notably in the Middle Eastern–flavored riffing that adds color
and unpredictability to the core thrash attack. This isn’t gimmickry; it’s
textural enrichment that keeps the ear engaged across an 11-track, 53-minute
runtime. Tracks like “Death Is an Illusion” and “Warrior Blood” balance
traditional metal grandeur with power-metal lift, while “Thrasher” and “Concealed
in the Dark” deliver the kind of razor-edged, head-down momentum that defined
the band’s early classics.
Technically, Artillery are in formidable shape. The
guitar work is precise yet passionate, the rhythm section locks in with
punishing clarity, and Søren Nico Adamsen’s vocals bring a focused, modern edge
to the band’s long-established identity. The production—handled for Metal Mind
with an ear for both heft and detail—gives every instrument room to breathe
without softening the impact; it’s a mix built to test speakers and reward
repeated listens. In a genre often criticized for homogeneity, My Blood stands
out for its songwriting depth and sonic confidence.
Released on April 1, 2011 via Metal Mind Productions,
My Blood is Artillery’s sixth studio album and the third in their late-career
resurgence that began with the 2007 reunion. Formed in 1982 in Taastrup,
Denmark, Artillery were among Europe’s earliest thrash exponents, issuing the
cult classics Fear of Tomorrow (1985) and By Inheritance (1989) before a series
of breaks and reunions. Many fans and critics regard My Blood as the peak of
their modern era—a record that honors their roots while pushing the boundaries
of their sound. The album’s bonus re-recordings (“Show Your Hate 2011,”
“Eternal War 2011”) further underscore the band’s willingness to revisit and
refine their catalog for a new chapter.
My Blood is a thrash metal release that expands the
boundaries of the thrash sound without losing its bite. If you’ve been waiting
for a record that marries old-school ferocity with fresh ideas, dynamic song
structures, and top-tier execution, this is it. Buy it—and prepare for the kind
of album that makes you rethink what a veteran thrash band can still achieve.
Μετά
τη δεύτερη εποχή των Accept, η οποία δεν ολοκληρώθηκε σύμφωνα με τις προσδοκίες
των φίλων τους, ο τραγουδιστής-ορόσημο έχει ήδη επανασυνδεθεί με το προσωπικό
του σχήμα και, έχοντας πλέον τον αρχικό ντράμερ των Accept, Stefan Kaufmann, ως
κιθαρίστα και συμπαραγωγό, κυκλοφόρησε το 1997 το πολύ ανανεωτικό Solid.
Η
συνέχεια είναι η κυκλοφορία αυτού του άλμπουμ. Στα ίδια βήματα με το Solid, και
εδώ αρχίζει η γκρίνια από τα έντυπα της εποχής (ναι, δεν είχε ακόμη ξεκινήσει
καλά-καλά το ίντερνετ· διαβάζαμε ακόμη στο χαρτί!) για επανάληψη, στείρα
αντιγραφή του εαυτού τους κι άλλα ωραία. Έχουμε δει τις περιβόητες «νέες ιδέες»,
με τη δήθεν φρεσκάδα, και πού οδήγησαν άλλα κλασικά σχήματα στα μέσα των ’90s,
οπότε ας αφήσουμε τον κύριο Udo Dirkschneider να κάνει αυτό που θέλει και, στην
τελική, αυτό που θέλουμε κι εμείς!
Το
μόνο που μου έκανε εντύπωση τότε, μάλλον ως αξιοπερίεργο γεγονός, είναι το
εξώφυλλο, το οποίο προσωπικά νομίζω ότι θυμίζει αντίστοιχα των Rage, με το
μηχανικό κεφάλι ζώου.
Με
τον δεύτερο Stefan, τον Schwarzmann, πάλι πίσω από το σκαμπό των ντραμς, αφού
έχει γυρίσει και ξαναφύγει από τους Running Wild και τους X Wild, τον Jürgen
Graf στις υπόλοιπες κιθάρες και τον Fitty Wienhold στο μπάσο, το No Limits
είναι ένα καλό, τίμιο 7άρι, ένα σκαλί ίσως πιο κάτω από το Solid, αλλά μας έχει
αφήσει, πέρα από το ομότιτλο κομμάτι, τα Freelance Man, Way of Life, With a Vengeance,
Backstreet Loner, Manhunt, Rated X και την επανεκτέλεση — ή, ίσως, διασκευή —
του κλασικού I’m a Rebel των Accept, το οποίο, βέβαια, είχε αρχικά υπάρξει και
από τους AC/DC σε demo μορφή.
English:
Finding Their Way
After Accept’s second era, which failed to live up to
their fans’ expectations, the landmark vocalist had already reunited with his
own band and, with Accept’s original drummer Stefan Kaufmann now on guitar and
co-producing, released the highly invigorating Solid in 1997.
The follow-up is the album under review here.
Following the same path as Solid, this was also when the complaints from the
music press of the time began (yes, the internet had barely even gotten
started; we were still reading our music news and reviews on paper!) about
repetition, sterile self-copying, and all the usual stuff. We have seen where
those supposedly “new ideas” and their alleged freshness led other classic
bands in the mid-’90s, so let’s just let Mr. Udo Dirkschneider do what he
wants—and, ultimately, what we want him to do as well!
The only thing that struck me at the time, perhaps
more as a curiosity, was the album cover, which I personally think bears a
resemblance to some of Rage’s artwork, with its mechanical animal head.
With the second Stefan, Schwarzmann, back behind the
drum kit after having joined and subsequently left Running Wild and X Wild,
Jürgen Graf handling the other guitar duties, and Fitty Wienhold on bass, No
Limits is a good, honest 7/10—perhaps a notch below Solid, but it has left us
with, besides the title track, Freelance Man, Way of Life, With a Vengeance,
Backstreet Loner, Manhunt, Rated X, and a re-recording—or perhaps a cover—of
Accept’s classic I’m a Rebel, which, of course, had originally also appeared in
demo form by AC/DC.
Τι
συμβαίνει στην ηπειρωτική Ευρώπη την ίδια εποχή που στα βρετανικά νησιά το
NWOBHM έχει ξεκινήσει να ανεβαίνει; Πολλά συγκροτήματα αντιγράφουν στεγνά το
νέο ιδίωμα. Οι τέσσερις πιτσιρικάδες από την Κοπεγχάγη παίζουν ήδη Punk Rock
και το ενώνουν με το Heavy Metal, ακριβώς όπως οι Motörhead, οι Venom λίγο
αργότερα, αλλά κυρίως οι Γάλλοι Trust την ίδια εποχή. Μόνο που το τελικό
αποτέλεσμα είναι πιο Punk, με ό,τι αυτό συνεπάγεται.
Τώρα,
μια κρίσιμη λεπτομέρεια είναι ότι τις δύο κιθάρες του σχήματος παίζουν οι Hank
Sherman και Michael Denner! Ναι, αυτοί που θα αρπάξουν τον τραγουδιστή ενός
άλλου Gothic Rock συγκροτήματος, των Black Rose, έναν οπαδό των Misfits και των
Uriah Heep, ονόματι King Diamond. Και, έναν χρόνο μετά από αυτό το άλμπουμ,
τόσο οι Black Rose όσο και οι Brats θα αποτελούν παρελθόν. Οι Mercyful Fate θα
είναι το νέο αμάλγαμα που θα έρθει στον κόσμο.
Κομμάτια
όπως τα Oy-95, Tame Me (Insomniac), Punk Fashion, το σχεδόν έξι λεπτών Doom
Metal τραγούδι Complex (Don't Destroy Me), Fuel, Accepted, Heavy Rocker, Pinned
on My Eyelids είναι ένα ταξίδι σε μια εποχή όπου πάνκηδες, μέταλα και ροκάδες
ήταν ΜΙΑ ομάδα, με παρόμοιες κοινωνικές αντιλήψεις και μόνο μουσικές διαφορές.
English:
Punkish Metal from Denmark, the Land of Metal
What was happening in continental Europe at the same
time that the NWOBHM was beginning to rise in the British Isles? Many bands
were simply copying the new sound. The four youngsters from Copenhagen were
already playing Punk Rock and blending it with Heavy Metal, much like
Motörhead, Venom a little later, and, above all, France’s Trust around the same
time. Only here, the end result is more Punk-oriented, with all that this
entails.
Now, one crucial detail is that the band’s two
guitarists are Hank Sherman and Michael Denner! Yes, the very same two who
would go on to recruit the vocalist of another Gothic Rock band, Black Rose: a
Misfits and Uriah Heep fan by the name of King Diamond. And, a year after this
album, both Black Rose and Brats would be history. Mercyful Fate would be the
new amalgamation about to enter the world.
Tracks such as Oy-95, Tame Me (Insomniac), Punk
Fashion, the almost six-minute Doom Metal song Complex (Don't Destroy Me),
Fuel, Accepted, Heavy Rocker, and Pinned on My Eyelids take you on a journey
back to an era when punks, metalheads, and rockers were ONE crowd, sharing
similar social attitudes and divided only by their musical differences.
The Dutch newcomers ENCORION arrived with their debut
full-length, Facing History and Ourselves, presenting a distinctive rendition
of folk and Viking metal while revealing themselves as a hard-working,
well-bonded band with considerable potential for the future. Released by the
Greek label Sleaszy Rider Records in March 2011, the album introduced a group
willing to explore the meeting point between traditional folk expression and
the darker, more aggressive language of extreme metal.
Facing History and Ourselves feels like a distillation
of the band’s experiences, influences and musical ambitions. Rather than simply
reproducing the established formulas of the genre, ENCORION use their debut to
look backward while simultaneously trying to pave the way toward their future.
The result is an engaging mixture of the elements for which folk, pagan and
Viking metal are known: atmospheric melodies, a strong sense of historical
identity and the forceful impact of death- and black-metal-inspired aggression.
What works particularly well here is the band’s
understanding of contrast. ENCORION know how to blend traditional folk melodies
with extreme-metal intensity, finding an effective balance between the soft,
organic ideas of the past and the contemporary, hard-edged character of
aggressive metal. The music does not treat these two sides as opposites that
cannot coexist; instead, it allows them to strengthen one another. Melodic
passages create atmosphere and emotional depth, while the heavier sections add
urgency and power.
The violin plays an important role in shaping this
identity. Its presence gives the material additional depth and helps accentuate
the album’s central contradiction: the dialogue between past and present,
heritage and modernity, organic melody and metallic force. In this context, the
instrument is more than a decorative folk-metal detail. It becomes one of the
elements that gives ENCORION’s sound its own character and helps separate the
band from more conventional extreme-metal acts.
The album also reflects the broader Dutch folk-metal
tradition, a scene that has produced several bands combining European folklore,
pagan themes and extreme-metal foundations. ENCORION’s approach belongs to this
wider musical landscape, but Facing History and Ourselves demonstrates that the
band were not merely following a trend. Their emphasis on melodic development,
violin-led colour and the collision of folk sensibility with black/death-metal
aggression gives the release a personal and promising direction.
As a debut, Facing History and Ourselves may still
carry the traces of a band developing its full identity, but that is also part
of its appeal. It captures ENCORION at an early and important stage: ambitious,
sincere and clearly aware of the possibilities within their chosen style. The
record shows a skillful group with strong chemistry, a clear affection for
folk-inspired melody and the ability to create convincing tension between
atmospheric passages and extreme-metal power.
Facing History and Ourselves is a very good debut from
a band that has the potential to offer even more in the future. If you are into
folk, Viking or pagan extreme metal, ENCORION are certainly worth checking
out—and their name is one you should keep in mind.
