In the before times, I enjoyed a band called Airbourne. I’m pretty sure they were Australian, and they sounded remarkably like AC/DC. Highly recommended. So, on the list of available albums, I saw Airborn‘s Lizard Secrets Part 3: Utopia (Fighter Records) and figured I’d give it a shot. Very glad I did. This Italian group delivers a Power Metal tour de force. Bonus, the vocals pitch up in a range most of us can reach.
Sporting more fuzz than a Pomeranian, Pamplemousse‘s Porcelain (A Tant Rêver du Roi) shows its Grunge and Garage roots. Sporting heavy guitar distortion and ample drums (it’s a duo), these thirty-nine minutes cruise by.
Somehow, I’ve dealt myself a significant number of not-in-English albums recently. LÜT‘s self-titled fourth album from Indie Recordings is the latest. This Norwegian Power Punk quartet displays a range of the genre’s styles, particularly in the vocals of Mads Erland Ystmark, Orjan Nyborg Myrland Stensby, and Maurius James Platt.Continue reading
While walking the dog, I hit “play” on Faun‘s Hex (Believe/Pagan Folk Records) and the neighborhood transformed into a little medieval village, albeit with a glossy retromodern feel. Pagan Folk music by way of Yanni sums up the ambiance of this audio village.Continue reading
Either Straight Edge is making a comeback, or I’m just picking differently these days. I mean, I picked this one because the descriptor shouted to me: “queer vegan shitpunks.” I had to hear this thing.Continue reading
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
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?
“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
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
Among the decades-old origins of Thrash, Hardcore Punk looms large. Many acts evolved from those humble rage-fueled beginnings. Onslaught never forgot; Origins Of Aggression (Reigning Phoenix Music), a celebration of the band’s forty years, aggressively reminds us of their fidelity.Continue reading