This is the second album by US Power Metal band Sonic Prophecy.
Sonic Prophecy play Heavy/Power Metal with grand ambitions and enough rocking riffs to fell a house. Think a mixture of Iron Maiden, Iced Earth, Manowar, Blind Guardian, etc.
The songs are rousing and catchy. Galloping guitars and upbeat drums mean Apocalyptic Promenade is powered forward at a good pace and there is enough variety and interest throughout to stop the listener from becoming bored.
The songs concentrate on good structure and composition rather than being concerned with technicality or speed purely for the sake of it.
The musicianship is polished and tight with plenty of leads and solos included. Keyboards work well with the guitars to create the themes and atmospheres that the band employ. The Heavy Metal component of their sound stops the Power Metal from becoming too ostentatious but that doesn’t mean they lack creative flair or passion.
The singer knows how to carry a good tune and has the ability to back this up. To my ears he reminds of the Queensrÿche singer with a bit of Iron Maiden mixed in.
Sonic Prophecy have released an impressive and ambitious 73 minute album chock full of Power/Heavy Metal goodness. Highly recommended.
This is the début album from long-running Heavy Metallers Twilight Zone, who are from Italy.
As I’ve said before, one of the most important components of bands like this is the singer; the vocals can make or break the band for me. Twlight Zone have a very capable singer with a strong voice and an able set of pipes, so I’m happily placated. The vocals are easy to enjoy and the singer hits the various highs and the lows without issue.
The music is Classic Heavy Metal with plenty of bluster and verve. Colourful leads and emphatic riffs are the order of the day and they have a decent amount of variety so that it doesn’t become too repetitive or one dimensional.
The band have a very slight Thrash influence to some of the guitars here and there as well as a bit of a Hard Rock style to their sound in places. Mainly though, it’s pure Heavy Metal.
The Beginning has a rather underground production for this style of music, but it does add an earthy earnestness and honesty to their sound. I really like the bass sound – it has an Iron Maiden-like presence and adds to the songs a fair bit; particularly noticeable on Death Swarm.
The songs are enjoyable and well written, with a good few hooks to snag the listener. If you enjoy this style then you could do a lot worse than checking out Twilight Zone for some resolutely Old-School Classic Heavy Metal.
Aenemica are from Germany and this is their début album. They play Progressive Rock.
This is modern Progressive Rock that has influences from both Progressive Metal, Modern Rock/Metal and even a splash of Djent to some of the riffs.
The singer has a voice that’s soft like silk and flows like liquid gold. He’s instantly engaging and very listenable. His voice is very versatile and the harmonies and tunes used are infectious and very more-ish.
The songs are a merging of the more modern, commercial style of Rock/Metal, (incorporating elements of Djent and Stadium Rock), and a more classically influenced Progressive Rock style. It’s played and delivered extremely well so that they successfully blend the different aspects of the music into their sound. The result is one that’s pretty much pure aural candy.
Imagine a combination of Evanescence, Device, Queensrÿche and Pain of Salvation; it’s quite a combination but it works together well.
The focal point is clearly the vocals though. Personally I’d like to hear the music slightly higher in the mix so as to create an equal emphasis on the music/vocals, but this is only a small complaint really.
Aenemica are a worthy addition to the world of tuneful Metal. Have a listen.
Kouzin Bedlam are a Finnish Heavy Metal band and this is their début album.
This is expressive Heavy Metal that’s enhanced with keyboards as well as some Progressive Metal and Power Metal streaks.
Their sound is a very enticing one that mixes elements of bands like Queensrÿche, Iron Maiden, Kamelot and Queen. It’s very listenable and has instant character and appeal.
Longing for the Incomplete is a very strong collection of songs. The band know how to play and everything comes off silky smooth and ultra-polished, but with the important accolade of not losing the band any of their life or colour.
The music is textured, rich and involving. There are lots of hooks and bucketloads of catchiness. The songs have memorable melodies and tunes as well as many interesting ideas and a great deal of variety.
All in all these songs are ridiculously good! In some ways it’s hard to believe that this is a just a début album as the level of songwriting here is stellar.
The singer has a great voice that’s capable of dealing with anything that’s required of it. Pretty much any style is within his range and his performance on this album is staggeringly good.
When this style of Metal is done well it takes me back to when I was getting into music for the first time and everything seemed so exciting and new. Kouzin Bedlam fill me with the same kind of feeling; not so much because of nostalgia, but just because of how damn good this is!
This puts me in mind of Trinity Road by All Seeing Eyes; Kouzin Bedlam don’t particularly sound like All Seeing Eyes, but the comparison is apt as both bands have recently released a pure blinder of an album. Had I listened to this album earlier then it definitely would have featured in my 2014 end of year list.
What a great album by a great band. Essential listening.
Trial are a Swedish Heavy Metal band and this is their second album.
Trial play Classic Heavy Metal full of songs and steel.
The vocals are melodically clean and employ some very nice harmonies. The singer belts out the tunes with power and class. I really like his voice.
The songs on Vessel are very well written and performed. Trial are a clearly a professional band with a high quality threshold. These tracks are memorable even on their first spin and subsequent listens really allow them to get under your skin.
Trial have elements of Epic Heavy Metal, which comes out in the longer length of some of their tracks, as well as a slight Traditional Doom Metal feel to some parts of the songs.
There’s a good amount of variety on this album and the band show they have what it takes to produce enjoyable songs no matter what tempo they play.
Each song has a lot of content and there’s no filler to be found at all. They save the best track for last with the 13 minute epic Restless Blood. Quality.
The production is modern enough to be crisp and punchy but warm enough to not rob the band of any of their heart.
Trial are at that perfect sweet spot between old and new, giving them a timeless air. This is Heavy Metal as it should be played in 2015.
Vessel is a really enjoyable Metal album and I definitely recommend getting your hands on it.
All Seeing Eyes are a Power Metal band from the UK and this is their début album.
Well this is a whopper. 18 tracks, 1 hour and 48 minutes of music. So prepare yourself; get some snacks and disconnect all lines to the outside world. When you’re ready, press play…
First thing’s first – this is a band put together by the main chap from Neverworld, and if you enjoyed their spectacular début, (go get it now), then you’ll already have a good idea of the quality that you’ll find in All Seeing Eyes.
This is a very ambitious album, and one that could have fallen short of expectations if it wasn’t for the stunning musicianship on display and the advanced level of songwriting the band show.
This is a very strong collection of songs, something that’s a hard enough feat to attain if you’re doing a normal album, let alone what is essentially two in one go.
The flashy playing, complex guitarwork, swathes of keyboards, etc. only add sparkle and glamour to the tracks rather than deflecting form their quality in any way. This is clearly the work of musicians who are confident in their ability to deliver the goods.
For such a long playing time I’m very pleased to say that the band never sound stale, repetitive or samey. Everything they do fits within the Power/Heavy Metal framework, but within this framework there is a lot of variety and all of it is pulled off seemingly with ease. Oh I’m well aware that countless hours of preparation, writing, practice, rehearsals, etc. must have gone into the making of this album, but when you listen to the finished product…it just sounds effortless.
Some of the melodies on this album go beyond hooks and catchiness…captivating would be a very good word. I’ve said before that a good singer can make or break a band, and All Seeing Eyes have a great singer. This frees up the rest of the band to be able to play some mesmerising Power Metal with full knowledge that whatever they do the vocals have the strength to match up to it.
This is an album full of top guitarwork, be that solos, leads, acoustic parts or just plain solid rhythms; it’s all polished to a high degree but not so much that it doesn’t drip with emotion. A hard balance to strike but again, seemingly effortless in this instance.
The abundant and omnipresent keyboards could easily sound smothering in lesser hands; as it is though they simply complement, enhance and merge with the rest of the music to create a fluid whole.
If this sounds like an overly positive review, that’s because it is. Trinity Road is so far beyond what most bands are capable of it’s almost embarrassing. The feeling when you hear such a good Power Metal album like this…almost nothing can top it.
This is a stunning album and I absolutely love it. What more can I say?
Confident, emotive Power Metal never sounded so good.
This is the début album from German Heavy Metal band Involution.
This is galloping Heavy Metal with a good production and a singer who knows who to use his voice.
As I’ve opined about before, the singer can so easily make or break a band like this for me; a bad/sub-standard voice can easily let down what might otherwise be good music. No worries here though.
The singer of Involution has a clear, strong voice that fits well with the music. It’s largely more Heavy Metal than Power Metal, although the band do stray into Power Metal territory on occasion.
The songs are solid slabs of Metal with plenty of good riffs, leads, solos and energy. The band play like they really feel it and the overall songwriting is of a high standard. This is a band that seem to peel off hooks and catchy melodies with ease.
Involution seem to have an Old-School base for their brand of Metal but still manage to come off relatively fresh and exciting at the same time.
A focus on classic songwriting and song structures means that Involution have all of their bases covered; everything shines brightly on this album and Evolution of Thoughts is a bit of a stormer.
I love it when you find a really decent Heavy/Power Metal band like this. Involution have quality written through them in large, metallic letters.
Primordial are from Ireland and this is their eighth album.
A new Primordial release is always a bit of an event to be greeted with great anticipation. They’re a band who have carved out their own niche in the world of Metal and can rightfully say they’ve achieved what they have through their own hard work and individuality.
The first thing that always comes to mind when thinking of Primordial is the talented and dramatic vocals of their singer. This is not to belittle the musical content in any way, but this has always been the focal point of the band for me.
On Where Greater Men Have Fallen he’s on top form as always; power and passion are the cornerstones of his delivery. His performance is first-rate and he still has a great turn of expression and a strong theatrical presence.
The music, as always, is bold and striking whilst simultaneously having nuance and depth. The driving riffs will be instantly familiar to Primordial fans and the colourful, emotive world the band exist in is welcoming from the get-go.
The songs cover upbeat charges and more atmospheric, considered parts. Primordial do both very well and both get equal consideration on the album.
Primordial’s Black Metal background has allowed the band to retain a certain edge to their songwriting, even though these days there’s only a few Black Metal traces left in their sound. For the most part this is roaring, passionate Heavy Metal through and through, but without a cliché in sight.
Nobody really sounds like Primordial, and Primoridal don’t really sound like anyone else. A lot of this is down to the singer, but musically this is true as well. When you hear them you just know who the band is.
This album is a jewel in the crown of Primordial’s considerable back catalogue. Their previous album, (Redemption at the Puritan’s Hand), was good but not quite up to the usual Primordial standard for some reason. With Where Greater Men Have Fallen they’ve corrected this slight dip in quality with an album that sits alongside the best of their work.
If you already know Primordial then you’ll need little convincing to get this album. If you’re new to the band then this is a perfect introduction.
This is the début album from Italy’s Epitaph, only a mere quarter of a century or so after they first formed…
Epitaph play Doom Metal, Black Sabbath-style, with a decent amount of Heavy Metal thrown in. It’s ancient and grand sounding, with mystery and the occult bleeding out of every wicked pore.
Resolutely Old-School, this is nonetheless infused with vitality and interest as if fresh out of the mortuary. You can always tell a good album when you can quickly point out individual songs because each one has its own feeling or unique twist to the formula.
You can tell that some serious time and effort has gone into this album as each song has character and style. The album feels very complete and has a lot of personality to it.
The musicianship is at an advanced level, as is the songwriting, with the tracks being very well developed. Dynamics, pacing, hooks and melodies; all are here in abundance.
Each instrument is represented clearly, even the bass, and the subtle keys add further atmosphere to what is already a strong selection of riffs and song structures. The guitars are heavy and the beats are solid.
The singer has a strong voice that handles the tunes with ease.
Epitaph may have only just produced their début after such a long time, but now that they’re here they have the potential to become a force to be reckoned with in the Metal scene.
Let’s hope that this isn’t the band’s epitaph, and let’s hope album number two doesn’t take as long.
This is the début of Heroes of Vallentor. They’re from Sweden and play epic, heroic Heavy Metal.
It’s starts with an intro to end all intros, one that’s so full of heroic themes and fantasy imagery that it’s quite staggering.
When the music itself starts it’s no let down as it’s just as theatrical and heroic as I was hoping for. This is big, bold and brash Metal that owes as much to Manowar and Conan, (not the band though), as it does to European Epic Power Metal.
However; although the Power Metal aspect of Heroes of Vallentor’s sound is there, it’s not that large compared to the gritty and unpolished Heavy Metal that makes up the main part of their music. This is real Metal made my men who carry swords and axes to the supermarket.
The music is solid and played well. Leads and solos come and go and the riffs are Metal to the core. There are some catchy moments and lots of hooks to ensnare the unwary.
Each of the songs has clearly had a lot of thought put into it with the music the backdrop for the epic saga the band are spinning. The musicians attack their muse with passion as the tale unfolds.
The sound is warm and satisfying; gritty and raw but well-rounded and full nonetheless.
The singer tends to alternate between rough cleans and histrionic wailing. It does the job and ticks all of the right buttons for this kind of music.
At 56 minutes in length this is a long album, but if you’re in the mood for bravado and epic, heroism then these are the men for you.
It’s a very rough and ready album and certainly won’t appeal to everyone as this is a very niche form of music really. I can’t help but find it endearing however, and if you aren’t completely adverse to this kind of thing I suggest you check them out and make your own mind up.
This is the second album by US Power Metal band Sonic Prophecy.
Wonderbox Metal 