Incorporating all three singers from their long and storied history has proved to be an extremely successful venture for German power metal pioneers Helloween. The band’s eponymously titled previous album yielded great results using this formula so continuing down the same path is a no-brainer for now. So, with egos firmly in check, all seven members (now just two away from being a power metal Slipknot) appear to be having an absolute blast. But most importantly, the fans are too.Continue reading
Tag Archives: Power Metal
ALBUM REVIEW: Burning Sun – Retribution
Guitars quite literally illustrate the opening action of “By The Light”, a group of paladins attacking an evil necromantic death cult. Their failure and the sole survivor Emaly’s efforts to avenge the deaths form the balance of Burning Sun’s Retribution (Metalizer Records), a Power Metal tour de force of a concept album in the vein of Helloween and my last album reviewed for Ghost Cult, Martyr. Pancho Ireland’s vocals maintain smooth power akin to Bruce Dickinson.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Martyr – Dark Believer
The press kit for this record reads normal, until we look a little deeper. Martyr formed in 1982 and earned attention three years later with a major single and album. Further details about tours and acts sharing the stage – standard stuff for a forty-plus-year-old act. Then, “[U]nleash their seventh studio album Dark Believer through ROAR.” Wait, what? Seventh? When did they form? Huh. That’s like Guns ‘n’ Roses pace.
Let’s have a listen, shall we?
ALBUM REVIEW: Svartsot – Peregrinus
“Danish Folk Metal.” That was the promise. Svartsot delivered on the promise. Delivered splendidly. I’m not sure if Ghost Cult Magazine has a Danish-speaking reviewer on staff, because the thing’s not in English. There might be a song or two in English, but the vocals are gutteral-grunt incoherent-style Metalcore. So, after a brief discussion of the rather complicated story of this concept album about a Thirteenth Century Crusader, I’ll spend the rest of this talking about the music of Peregrinus (Mighty Music).Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Nefarious – Addicted to Power
I spent entirely too long trying to sub-genrefy Nefarious‘ Addicted to Power (Relentless Metal Records). Among the eight tracks on this non-stop aural assault, Thrash, Power, and OG NWOBHM/Warlock/Accept-era influences share a sonic landscape littered with anger, cynicism, and Lovecraft. Before we go any further, let me say I enjoyed this album thoroughly and recommend it highly. You may question that at times if you keep reading.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Warkings – Armageddon
Over the last seven years, what started as part-time cosplay has slowly snowballed into something much bigger. Formed in 2018, European power metal act Warkings are now up to their fifth full-length studio album and gaining momentum with each successive release.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Morbyda – Under The Spell
Although only formed in 2022, you could easily be forgiven for thinking that Leipzig speed metallers Morbyda have been around since the early eighties as debut album Under the Spell (Dying Victims Productions) hits all the right nostalgia notes while delivering something uniquely its own.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Pagan Altar – Never Quite Dead
Never Quite Dead (Dying Victims Productions,) Pagan Altar‘s newest album, also perfectly describes the band’s journey since its inception in 1978. Reading the press kit, this NWOBHM/Power Doom quartet formed, recorded, and broke up before they earned much attention.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Manntra – Titans – Napalm Records
This record is BIG. Titans is suitably apropos for Manntra‘s Napalm Records debut. Titanic in size and scope. Billed as “Croatian Folk Metal,” the “folk” element is a much smaller element than, say Tengger Cavalry. This thing is an NWOBHM/ Power/Symphonic Metal tour de force (emphasis firmly on “force”.) Even the cover is huge: Lord of the Rings meets Templar Knights in a pitched battle.Continue reading
CONCERT REVIEW: Unleash the Archers – Striker – Seven Kingdoms Live at Islington Assembly Hall
It’s been a while since we’ve taken the long journey down to the Big Smoke and what better reason to make the trip than to catch the mighty Unleash the Archers as they set out to conquer the capital city. The show has been greatly anticipated, bringing fans from far and wide as this sole UK outing has managed to sell out not just once but twice after its upgrade from London’s iconic venue space Underworld. Trading some of the intimacy of Underworld for the grand ceilings of the historic Islington Assembly Hall doesn’t seem like such a bad trade-off, giving ample room to really showcase the epic nature of tonight’s lineup.Continue reading