Review: CLENCHED FIST – “The Gift of Death”

Tracklist
1. The Gift of Death
2. Codex Gigas
3. Spirit of the Death
4. Medieval Land
5. Burning the Holy Gates
6. Hate of Dogmas
7. Asgard
8. The Signal
9. Speed Metal Attack
10. Old School Avenger

Release Date: 15 September 2012 – Inferno Records

Clenched Fist is a band from brazil formed back in 2000. After their release of a demo in 2003 and the debut album in 2008 here comes their second full length called „The Gift of Death“. Clenched Fist describe their music as in the line of epic heavy metal that bands like Manilla Road or Ironsword play. Retro old school sounds ? Interesting…but we have to find out if Clenched Fist can come up with this requirements.

All starts with an intro. Horns and choirs…heading for the battle. Leading to „Codex Gigas“, the first real song. Epic guitars and real old school vocals of Vagner Fist underline the words about Manilla Road. This is exactly the sound that those legends play for many years. Good guitar work, midtempo reigns. Far away from modern sounds, deep rooted in the 80’s.

Galopping Maiden guitar line opens „Spirit of the Death“. Higher vocals and some doom elements reminds a little to older Candlemass. Vagner sound more as Messiah Marcolin than Mark Shelton here.

„Medieval Land“ next points with marching drums and deeper guitar lines. Everytime in a melodic way. And….again…the vocals gives it all a doom metal touch. The song is getting faster in the middle. Battlefield sounds ends it.

Now we are „Burning the Holy Gates“. Faster start into the song than before. Speedy epic metal I would say. Vagner has some problems to keep the speed in his vocals and so he laughs about it.
This is that old school that there is a wall of dust on it. The song fades out in the last minute with acoustical guitars supported by fire noises. The holy gates burnt down !!

„Hate of Dogmas“ sounds as it comes directly from the early 70’s. Sabbath vibes around. More whispered vocals than sung. Elegian guitar elements, sometimes strange in sound.

A heavy metal riff starts „Asgard“ in a faster way. More speed in that track. Sometimes I get problems to understand what Vagner is singing. Anyway…the heaviest and most speedful song so far. Chaotic guitar duels in alliance with heavy riffing and some Vagner screams.

More traditional heavy metal now…“The Signal“. High in tempo, straight riffing. Some cannons fired around. A kind of epic speed metal. In the refrain the vocals sound a little strange to me.

Heavy, doomy start in „Speed Metal Attack“. And as the title tells it is getting faster soon. Did the song titles running out ? The refrain says „no“. And yes…this seems to be the fastest track of the album. But I wouldn’t call it speed metal. Fast, epic metal…that’s it.

„Old School Avenger“ is the last song. And…Clenched Fist are real old school avengers, for sure.
This is not a real catchy song. Some balladesque moments in between and high vocals makes it again more doom style.

„The Gift of Death“ is an album for fans rooted in deep old school sounds. Yes..Manilla Road lovers also will like Clenched Fist. But also fans of old Candlemass can risk their ears cause of the vocals and the slowing parts that appear very often.
Modern orientated people – put away your fingers !! It will not amuse you.

This is pure, this is dusty, this is nostalgic – this is Clenched Fist !

Points: 7 / 10

Review by Kerbinator

Review: PANDAEMONIUM – “The Last Prayer”

Tracklist:
1.Alone In The Dark
2.Two Spirits One Heart
3.Through the Wind
4.Holy Voice
5.Tower Of Fears
6.The White Voice
7.Go Your Own Way
8.Today
9.Braveheart
10.Epitaph
11.Until The End

Release Date: 27 January 2012 – IceWarrior Records

Epic Power Metal from Italy ? For fans of Heimdall, Skylar and early Rhapsody….hm.
Pandaemonium return after a seven year break with their third full-length album „The Last Prayer“.
The named references will polarize the fans for sure….some will love it, some will damn it and nothing in between. And if we take a look at the thrashy cover art work you will know what I mean.
A fallen naked human female butterfly carried by a woodman in the snow offers fantasy and sadness…..We will see what happens.

And so it starts with acoustic guitars and piano. Slow and elegian….like a prayer. Before „Alone in the dark“ becomes a typical Rhapsody like smasher. Speedy guitars, clear vocals with nice vibes…Daniel Reda sounds unique, but the background vocals in the refrain are definetely too high.
Steven Volta’s whirlwind guitar solo makes it also near to the above named bands.

„Two Spirits One Heart“ starts with a guitar/keyboard hookline. Melodic with a light oriental touch.
Again the background vocals are too high…is this a trademark of Pandaemonium…hmm.
The song changes between midtempo and slower parts that break the speed. Sounds a little like a medieval bands. But sorry…the high backvocals are killing my nerves.

A real metal riff opens „Through the Wind“. This song is more in traditional heavy metal. Nice refrain. Even some old US bands come in mind cause of the galopping guitar leads. Some light keyboards in the back don’t disturb this feeling. In the end the song fades out with some angel choirs and Daniel performing a little darker. Great song !!

The „Holy Voice“ talks to us next. Acoustic guitar start. Balladesque vocals and the warm ground theme makes you feel light and happy. It seems that it brings you in good moods listening to the holy voice. An all acoustic song with a spanish guitar theme in the end.

Now „The Tower of Fears“ brings us back in metallic fields. Keyboard/guitar leads together with twin vocals that sound really strange. I think the piano that appear sometimes in the back is misplaced here. Steven shows us that he is a great guitarist mostly in the solos. But the vocals….chaotic.

Classic theme opens „The White Voices“. Daniel performs most time as a minstrel. The guitar lines and solos are wonderful, the arrangements also well thought. The drums are more in the front here and push the song perfect. Epic Metal per excellence. Best song so far (if you don’t take care of the high vocals).

An epic march to follow…..“Go your own way“. Is this an accordion, we hear now? Daniel acts between tragedy and hope. Again lots of medieval vibes in this song. A song pending from slow to midtempo. Classic elements included. But suddenly the scene explodes with devilish vocals and speedness. Only to return to the warmth of sound like before.

Piano starts „Today“. Ballad moves over to a symphonic metal inferno. More speedful song again.
Suffering vocals meet devil’s voice. Is this a fight between good and evil ? Another great guitar performance of Steve. Complex arrangements let this song become a delicacy for epic metal gourmets.

„Braveheart“ points with great guitar lines. Pure power metal song. Clear vocals in alliance with mighty chorus. Even some retro sounds we can find here. Typical epic metal guitar solo in the middle. Dramatic end with acoustic guitar and lots of elegies. Combined with speed in Rhapsody style.

In „Epitaph“ Steve offers us all the scales he can play. An all instrumental track that is mainly based on the guitar work. Melodic, but speedful. All the guitar wizards outside should check if they can play it also like this. For me a great job done buy Steve.

The album ends with, yes…“Until the End“. Another full epic power metal song, mainly with female sounding opera voices. Symphonies reign and the all medieval vibes shine through again. Nightwish meets Asgard meets Rhapsody. A keyboard bombast that let the guitars not break through. Too overloaded with that bombast for kickin’ the album out.

Well, like I told at the beginning. This album will be polarizing the music scene.
Fans of Rhapsody, Heimdall, Skylark and so on will surely like this album also.
Pandaemonium try to sound unique cause of the vocals and arrangements. And here is the point to criticize. The backing vocals, that are massive too high, killing my nerves (I told that before). But that is my subjective opinion.
The strength of this album lies in the excellent guitar work. The story also seems to be ok.
For that I would give 7 points, but for the vocal performance only 5. In summary this is 6 points.
The music of Pandaemonium is extraordinary, sure…but not innovative cause we can find a lot of bands that are hooked in this genre of epic, symphonic power metal. Some better, some worse.

Anyway….not a bad album, but I heard that style better in the past. Anyhow I hope this will be not the last prayer for Pandaemonium and like I said, fans of the above named bands will like it.

Points: 6/10

Review by Kerbinator

WHILE HEAVEN WEPT – forecast for new album!

US-based epic doom pioneers WHILE HEAVEN WEPT, whose current record “Fear Of Infinity” (out since the 22nd of April 2011) even made it into the German top 100 album charts, offer an out-and-out positive summary of the past year. Leader of the pack Tom Phillips resumes: “It was indeed our busiest year ever, seeing the release of our recent studio album “Fear Of Infinity” via Nuclear Blast and having been on a European tour with our brothers in Primordial and Alcest, plus several festival appearances including “Up The Hammers 6” in Athens, Greece, “Hammer Of Doom 5” in Wuerzburg, Germany, and ”ProgPower USA XII” in Atlanta, Georgia! Speaking on behalf of the entire band, it was simply the most fulfilling year in WHILE HEAVEN WEPT history, and we cannot thank all of you enough for the ongoing support! “

True to the motto “a rolling stone gathers no moss”, the septet stays busy and already offers a forecast for a new output.
“I can reveal that we have completed the music for the follow-up to “Fear Of Infinity” and will spend much of this year rehearsing with the intention of recording it in Autumn”, Tom explains. “It will consist of 10 brand new songs that were channelled between 2009-2011 (though one expression includes riffs dating back to 1995) and will surely once again challenge everyone’s notions of what WHILE HEAVEN WEPT is. While extremely melodic, heartfelt, and epic, it is (in Scott Loose’s words) “intense and aggressive” – running the gamut from classic US Underground Metal to Melodic Thrash and passages of a more “extreme” nature. Compared to “Fear Of Infinity”, it has a very different atmosphere and is very much “in your face” musically, yet clearly WHILE HEAVEN WEPT. For now, I just want to thank one and all for standing beside us as we roll into our 22nd year of existence. I assure you that we won’t slow down at all and some of our most exciting music yet is on the horizon! We hope to see all of you very soon on the road.”

An opportunity for that is given at this year’s “Days Of The Doomed 2” festival (22nd & 23rd of June in Kenosha, Wisconsin) and at “Pathfinder Metalfest IV” (7th of July in Atlanta, Georgia) which will both be headlined by WHILE HEAVEN WEPT!

Source: Nuclear Blast

Review: NEVERWORLD – “Welcome to…Neverworld”

Tracklist:
1. They Live
2. In the Heart of Chaos
3. This Fire

Release date: 2010 – DreamDemon Recordings

It is definetely not easy to write a review about a band that you didn’t know before and where you didn’ get a lot of information about. Here we have a band called Neverworld and what we find here is the band’s firts statement with a 3-track-EP published in 2010. This EP is called „Welcome to…“ and I like it if a band first publish an EP to find out how the world reacts on the music. Better than to release a full length first where you find some acceptable tracks and lots of fillers.
This is the better way I think and if it is packed in a nice cover artwork like this one it wakes your interest in listening to the bands music.
Neverworld is a progmetal band from the UK with classic heavy metal vibes. This is what the website says and their influences lie in the classic bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, King Diamond and so on. So the ladder is high…time to climb it.

And so it starts with „They Live“….yes, why not ? A short introduction says something like „kick ass“ and yes so it is like this song starts. Great traditional riffing together with heavy played keyboards. The voice of Ben Colton is a combination of clear sound and high screams. The keys underline the prog factor, but the riffs and vocals are deep rooted in classic heavy metal style. Uptempo rules here. This song contains all you need for a real metal dose. The guitar work of Jack Foster is amazing. Sometimes it remembers me to Saxon in their best times. Shredding parts, breaking solos. Some hammonds in the back. Cool song, perfect start ! Only the drums could have a bit more of punch. Michael Vaughan knows how to push the song and the band should put his play more in front in the future. Anyway….well done job !

„Into the Heart of Chaos“ begins with speed. And…yes…it sounds a little chaotic if you listen to the weird keys here. Rhapsody on Fire on speed I would say. Aggressive vocals round it up. For my opinion the band used too much technical samples here and let the song sound a little clinic. A disharmonic shred orgy with style. This song is the soundtrack for a whirlwind losing control. Massive wall of guitar/keyboard sound. I think the band wanted to show here what they can do with their instruments. And it reflects the song’s title.

Piano opens „This Fire“. With it’s 7 minutes the longest track and the one that ends this EP. Warm sound as the background keys appear. James Thackway seems to be a great percussionist like the perfectionists in the big prog metal bands. Colton’s clean vocals between deeper and higher sequences is a mirror of 80’s classic metal bands. The song varies with speed and slower parts. Always in alliance with keys in the back. Some screams…I like them…brings the song to a really heavy one. The guitars played like wizards. Excellent musicians on their way to proof outstanding qualities for the future. Even some Iron Maiden is shining through in the guitar and vocal work.
The lots of breaks are telling us that we have to do it here with an epic and a wonderful guitar solo fades it out.

I am impressed about the technical qualities the band owns with their first release. I actually don’t know if or where the bandmembers played before. But they know their job excellent and the songs are far away of being copies of the originals. Neverworld made it to bring their own sound into a music style that is surely not new but where you can spread fresh elements on it. And that is Neverworld’s goal. A little improvement in songwriting and then we can talk about the next big thing in ambitioning metal.

All three songs can assure without exception and as I said in the beginning of this review: It was the best thing Neverworld could do publish an EP first. That’s where we can find out the bands quality and musically deal. And so we are not bored by any filler tracks.
For that I cannot wait holding the first full length album of Neverworld right here in my hands.

Great work, guys !!

Points: 8,5/10

Review by Kerbinator

Review: CROM – “Of Love and Death”

Tracklist
1. Reason to Live
2. Lifetime – The Fallen Beauty Part II
3. Just One Blink
4. My Song for All the Broken Hearts
5. My Destiny
6. This Dying World
7. Eternal Dreaming

Release Date: 25 November 2011 – Pure Legend Records

“You have the talent, but you need to have and others around you to be stronger.”

Walter “Crom” Grosse is mostly known for his participation in the black metal band from Germany, Dark Fortress and by the moment he left them he lost no time for devoting himself in his own band. His occasion follows the big examples of musicians, who apart from their basic bands they had and their personal one too. On the first side, Fenriz while he was in Darkthrone he created Isengard and played everything on his own and from the other side Quorthon tried through Quorthon to change his music style from that one of Bathory.

I can also say that Quorthon is the main affect for Crom in his music.
So, something important is that Crom for second time after his first full-length Vengeance in 2008 and all his demos and EP he plays everything on his own, from the lyrics to drums. Is this good? Well, I am not the one to answer because everyone may have different opinions, but I will say that despite the sympathetic result and the beautiful parts sometimes melodic and other times light tough,
this is not enough. The album begins with the best of my expectations through “Reason To Live” and “Lifetime”. In the first one the main chorus, the best of the album, delays to be showed up and this is one of the tactics that I approve of because the curiosity about the evolution of the song brings pleasant moments to me at least. The second one carries the one of the basics elements in Bathory’s
songs, the polyphonic parts where one man is heard like ten together and the solo of it makes Crom’s talent on guitars obvious for one more time among others.

Unfortunately the continuity is not the same to the beginning and here is what I was talking about above. If Crom had other musicians by his side, just like his lyric and he shared his ideas with them, then the album would be tighter than it is right now and of course we would hear more tough riffs come out from the melodic overtures as they presented in “My Destiny” and “This Dying World”.

These two songs do not have the power neither of the first two nor of “My Song For All The Broken Hearts”, the one with the best feeling that one musician can raise. They are heard too light for an epic album and not able to make you check them again.

“Eternal Dreaming” is a beautiful instrumental with all the clues of the above songs, but not able to full fill the mediocrity that appears in here because of some songs. Crom follows the right tactic to reproduce some of the most grandiose moments of Bathory, he has his personal identity in the sound, but he needs to try more,
to be more tough without losing the melody and the most important to cooperate with other musicians. He is a young musician yet and he has all the time in front of his life to do things and projects on his own.

Points: 6/10

Review by Dr. Feelgood

Review: MANILLA ROAD – “Playground of the Damned”

Tracklist
1. Jackhammer
2. Into the Maelstrom
3. Playground of the Damned
4. Grindhouse
5. Abattoir de la Mort
6. Fire of Ashurbanipal
7. Brethren of the Hammer
8. Art of War

Release Date: July 2011 – Shadow Kingdom Records

“The axe and the hammer of metal will never be buried, but sometimes they rust.”

Descriptions for which Manilla Road are, have no place here. Their name is as glorious as every live performance of them and their first albums are the right example to learn what epic metal is. The reunion of the band became true because of the love that their fans showed to the band according to Mark. The wondering of some people why Manilla Road keep recording new albums I could explain it as a passion of their members to write lyrics and synthesize music, even if the result does not give pleasure to everyone.

The band reached to its zenith of glory many years ago and this for second time is too difficult to happen. Playground Of The Damned is the 15th album of the band and to tell you the truth I do think is better than Voyager. It contains some good and beautiful moments, but it is not the one which will guide you to the epic horizon of Manilla Road. The first different clue in it is that Mark Shelton is not the only who sings, Bryan Patrick undertakes the others without sharing
them with Mark. Bryan has nice voice, but when we hear Manilla Road we
want them under the voice of Mark, the band is an old one and a fresh voice cannot make them young again.

“Jackhammer” opens the album with the best of our expectations, nice riff and a long solo in the ending carry inside them the legacy of the long history of the band, but this is not able to offer us pleasant moments. After this song, while you hear “Playground Of The Damned” or “Abattoir De La Mort”, the climate changes because of Bryan. His angry and heavier than enough voice does not appeal me despite the right formed music. “Fire Of Ashurbanipal” is interesting, but not as strong as the first. It is really strange that the band has nice epic riffs, but they do not try for the further step. I understand that if I am looking for greater songs I should listen to albums like Open The Gates or Out Of The Abyss, but by the time the band records a new album they have to go for the best result. “Art Of War” is my favorite song, full of melodic parts
and a strong part just before the finale.

Unfortunately, two or three songs cannot save the batch, the production plays also a serious role in an album and this production is one of the worst I have ever heard and I do not understand how a band like Manilla Road permitted to happen something like this. The sound does not help the songs too much, it is like you hear them sounding from the well.

The die hard fans may appreciate this album more than me and the rest who will read this review before hear the album, just do not get rushed to judge it by my words. Give the chance to yourself and to the album too. Manilla Road will not lose their identity or their glory because of this album; they will remain on the top and without it.

Points: 6/10

Review by Dr. Feelgood

ATLANTEAN KODEX – New Album 2012/2013

Some of you might already have read it on various internet message boards: yes, it‘s true. There will be another ATLANTEAN KODEX full-length album. It‘s scheduled for late 2012, early 2013 and will feature only new and unreleased material. No changes in style, sound and atmosphere. If you liked „The Golden Bough“, you will also love the new album. Think „Twilight of the Gods“ meets „Hail to England“. Lots of bombastic, really epic, mongrel-crushing, scene-cleaning moments played with the feel and sound of classic 70s/80s heavy rock.

There‘s already a title and a concept for the album, which we will announce later on, as soon as the songs are recorded. It‘s gonna be obscure and orthodox – so watch out!

Source: Atlantean Kodex Website

Upcoming Release: ANUBIS GATE – “Anubis Gate”

Tracklist:
1. Hold Back Tomorrow
2. The Re-Formation Show
3. Facing Dawn
4. World in a Dome
5. Desiderio Omnibus
6. Oh My Precious Life
7. Golden Days
8. Telltale Eyes
9. River
10. Circumstanced

North American Release Date: Sept 13, 2011
EUROPEAN Release Date: Sept 16th, 2011

THE MUSIC OF ANUBIS GATE: Stylistically Anubis Gate is conglomeration of the classic 80’s heavy metal, a more epic 90’s ambience and a dark progressiveness of our days. You could describe is as metal with beautiful soundscapes, cool riffing, and a clear and powerful vocal performance.

Musical inspirations for Anubis Gate are such acts as Queensryche, Iron Maiden, Lord Bane, Tad Morose, Iced Earth, Crimson Glory, Fates Warning, King Crimson, Genesis, Savatage & Sound Garden but really Anubis Gate is in a niche of themselves.

The new album, titled simply ANUBIS GATE, is the most beautiful album the band has yet emerged with. The songwriting, which has always been the core of the ”Anubis Gate sound”, stands stronger than ever. This time emphasized by the fact that Henrik Fevre, who was largely responsible for writing the vocals on the previous albums, gets to sing the songs he wrote himself, injecting the emotion and meaning into the lyrics that he had in mind when writing them. Once again produced by Kim Olesen and Jacob Hansen and with a stunningly great mix done by the latter, this album brims with the twin guitar attack of Jesper M Jensen and Kim Olesens guitars, the rich emotion of Henrik Fevres voice, the rich soundscapes of Kim Olesens keyboard work and the dream rhythm section of Morten Sørensens drumming and Henrik Fevres bassplaying. Anubis Gate isn’t an album that’s about endless keyboard/guitar unison soloing. It’s all about the songs. From the classic Anubis Gate opener “Hold Back Tommorow” to the melancholic, but very chrunchy, “The Re-formation show. From the fast aggressive “Desiderio Omnibus” to the epic “World In A Dome”. From the surprising “Oh My Precious Life” to the atmospheric “River” this album displays Anubis Gate at the top of their game while in no way rehashing the last two albums. Quite to the contrary this albums sees the band taking new turns whilst retaining the core of all the albums that came before.

http://www.anubisgate.com/

Review: FORTRESS UNDER SIEGE – “The Mortal Flesh of Love”

Tracklist
1. Deeds of All Disgrace
2. Last Temptation
3. Holy Communion
4. My Foulest Sin
5. Gods of War
6. Night Caress
7. The Mortal Flesh of Love
8. Alexander
9. Blind Faith
10. Faithless

release date: 01 July 2011 – Metal Mad Music

“The bright path of the lost years”

What is it in common between the English band of N.W.O.B.H.M. Hell and the Greek one of prog/power Fortress Under Siege? Both of them have more than ten years of life, they have only a few samples of musical material without a full – length before the year of 2011. This year both of them recorded their first album, which covers all the lost years and the funs of both bands have the chance to enjoy them more than ever. But now we leave Hell and we are focused on Fortress Under Siege and their special album The Mortal Flesh Of Love.

Their EP of 1996 was a really good endeavor, but this one is a one step higher and able to make you hear it anytime and for many times. I have four words which describe perfectly this album: lyrism, prog majesty and melody. From the first melodic tone of “Deeds of all disgrace” till the powerful continuity you realize the magic. The instrumental “Holy communion” is another proof that songs like these will never be tired for the ears. The guitars from Fotis Sotiropoulos sing on their own.

The themes of the lyrics in prog/power bands are used to describing
psychological situations, scenes from the human reality or something common to the title of the album, but who says that an epic theme is not permitted in an album like this one? Listen to “Gods of war” or “Alexander” and feel their epic rhythm through the progressive tones, some of the most beautiful alternations between the guitar of Fotis and the smart keyboards of Giorgos Georgiou. Pay attention to the magnificent intro solo of “Alexander” and you
will want to sing with them in the end ‘Ride on ride on Alexander’!

From the early days of the ‘90s the clue of melody has been an integral part of the prog/power Greek metal bands and in The Mortal Flesh Of Love this is so obvious that you will not have any lack. Close your eyes, isolate yourself from anything that may annoy you for the listening and then you are ready to hear “Night caress”. Feel the tenderness on guitar and most of all this gentle voice
of Michalis Smeros, one of the best singers in Greece, listen carefully how able he is on uncoiling his vocals from the calms to the highest. If you find better than this, it must be fake.

“Blind faith” is the song which expresses ideally the situation of humanity, many people have different beliefs and no one of them wants to find the real one to the one God. Its chorus is anthemical and easy to remember by the first time.

Fortress Under Siege are without doubt one of the biggest and best bands in their style, some other bands in Greece which were created the same period with them stuck somewhere back to the past, but this band is here and still alive and their first album The Mortal Flesh Of Love is a guarantee that you will not be disappointed at all, on the other hand you will appreciate it by your smile on your lips and your thoughts!

Points: 8/10

Review by Dr. Feelgood