Horton Records has announce its second annual 2 Minutes to Tulsa metal festival. The nonprofit music organization has expanded 2 Minutes to Tulsa to two days and two venues for 2024; The Vanguard on March 29 and Tulsa’s historic Cain’s Ballroom on March 30. They have also confirmed Cirith Ungol, Night Demon, Flotsam and Jetsam, and others for this second edition of the fest. Keep reading for more.
Jag Panzer is a veteran (US style) Power Metal act from the icy and rocky mountains of Colorado who have been around through various lineups for a little over forty years. While I may not have been personally familiar with the group prior to this review, I was able to quickly feel how the band has been able to stay together for such a long time.
Ghost Cult’s chief Keefy caught up with In Flames axe-man and Guitar legend Chris Broderick! The band just wrapped a huge North American tour, and has released a series of new singles in advance of their new album “Forgone” – due out next winter from Nuclear Blast Records! Chris discussed the new album, how the band has done coming out of the pandemic, Chris’ regimen for guitar work on tour, how he maintains a healthy lifestyle on the road, his close ties to some of his ex-bandmates, and more!
Contentious or lazy pigeon-holing in the music press is a hazard many acts have to endure at some point in their careers. However, there are also a number of bands who happily avoid these types of perceived misrepresentations with ease. No need for the usual stock responses of “we’re not really that type of band” or “we’re so much more than that” here. The Three Tremors are Heavy. Fucking. Metal. Pure and simple.
Powermetal has a new supergroup: The Three Tremors. Featuring Tim”The Ripper” Owens (ex- Judas Priest, Iced Earth, Dio Disciples) Harry “The Tyrant” Conklin (Jag Panzer), and Sean “The Hell Destroyer” Peck (Cage, Death Dealer, Denner/Shermann) have joined forces in a trio of vocal prowess and unabashed heavy metal greatness. The name from a former tour of the same name featuring Ripper. Their debut self-titled album will release on September 20th, 2018 and have launched a Pledge Music campaign. You can watch a trailer for their upcoming album now. Continue reading
Crystal Viper may not be new to the heavy metal scene as they have played multiple European festivals and extensive touring but they are a welcome addition. Fans of heavy metal fashion will recognize that Marta Gabriel is also involved with heavy metal through her popular clothing line, Thunderball Clothing. The band has created an engaging album that also features vocalists from other bands such as Jag Panzer and Desaster.
Possession (AFM Records) begins with a very dramatic and operatic opening, ‘Zeta Reticuli’. While it is only 55 seconds long, it prepares the listener for a diverse and fun musical journey. It instantly leads into the crushing riff of ‘Voices in My Head’. The track sounds much like an Iron Maiden one and Gabriel sings it like a female version of Bruce Dickinson. It is a trend that holds throughout the album.
‘Fight Evil With Evil’ is the track which features Harry Conklin known for his work with Jag Panzer among other bands. His presence only makes the song better and assists Gabriel and the band in the story they are trying to tell rather than overshadowing them. This is a lot easier in theory than in practice and indicates that Crystal Viper are capable of holding their own in the world of heavy metal.
‘Why Can’t You Listen’ is where the theme of the album seems to come through the clearest. Much like the album suggests, the album is based around a concept that there is a young girl going on journey filled with struggles against evil. I won’t give too much away, but it is less cheesy than it sounds. It is at this part that the main character finds her voice.
‘Prophet of the End’ is a great closer where guitarist Andy Wave shows that he can do more than just shred. Up until this point, his riffs were slowly getting more repetitive. Thankfully he has a few tricks up his sleeve that make for an ending that neatly ties the story and leaves the album on a similarly epic note that it started on.
7.0/10
Melissa Campbell
