GATEKEEPER - "EAST OF SUN" (2018)

GATEKEEPER - "EAST OF SUN"
(Running time: 57:33 minutes; 10 songs)
("Cruz del Sur"; 2018; CD):

Back on track and up here at work again, yes, and to kick this very one here and now off let me begin with just one word, okay, and so now here it comes: Wow!!! Yes, and with that said let us now start this very one here properly: Hey guys, oh yeahr, this very one here totally overwhelmed me and it massively conquered me and, yes, it continues to do so again and again and time after time. GATEKEEPER - hailing from (then) Edmonton and (now) Vancouver over there up from Canada - were total unknown strangers before their "EAST OF SUN" album to me and this very one here, GATEKEEPER's mentioned "EAST OF SUN", is their- for all what I know- proper full-length-debutalbum, and it was released still pretty recently this year via the mighty "CRUZ DEL SUR" record-label like already mentioned in this very year of 2018. I'll try to keep it... hm... again (?) shorter this time... at least a bit or so... and so now enough of the introducing and smalltalking stuff and finally right and direct and straight into the action, yes, and so now one more time again let's roll: This is absolutely brilliant and fantastic Epic Heavy Metal of the absolute masterly supreme kind with a strong own character and identity born and bred through old/early SAVATAGE, old glory MANOWAR, a good dose of MANILLA ROAD, and OMEN and raised by these giants to become a very independently, stand-alone, and high skilled battle scarred Epic Heavy/Power Metal bastard that would make Conan massively proud and that would be the perfect soundtrack for riding axe-swinging over the wide fields and through the hot jungles of Cimmeria. This almighty album kicks off with the phenomenal harsh slashing and deadly sharp cutting through and through on purest Speed Metal raised "THE BLADE OF CIMMERIA" filled with and marked by an impressively intense and heavily stunning, massively tension-building and really huge and despise the precise and fast cutting and raging character of it nicely diverse and multi-layered guitar work delivering everything destroying riffs and all heads off-cutting rhythmic arrangements and, standing above all, singing and screaming leads and intoxicating solos, hell yeahr, and also filled to the max with and marked by powerful and clean, clear, and very sharp and still pretty harsh sung lead vocals that are cultivating it all, while bonesmashing and harsh thundering drumming and a grim and evil sawing powerful bass back it all up in a stunning and massive way. After this absolutely overwhelming kick-off of the album the ingredients pretty much stay the same even the Speed Metal gets sort of omitted and the really larger than life and by a breathtaking and goosepimples-non-stopp-giving dramaturgy marked Epic Metal or Epic Heavy Metal really takes the all and everything commanding lead, yes, but the stunning, high-skilled, diverse and multi-layered, very atmospheric and intense, sharp cutting and harsh slashing and above all really singing and with fantastic melody lines excelling guitar work, the highly charismatic and very forceful and very imploringly and urgently delivered air-raid-siren vocals, the brutal smashing and stunning drumming, and the massively heavy sawing bass still make and mark the songs and the musick and this in all the fucking right ways and for all the damn right reasons. And above all GATEKEEPER's "EAST OF SUN" is marked by diverse and very rich, due to many differents facets and layers nicely and in a damn high-skilled way very multi-layered and sort of ever changing songwriting with tremendous amounts of massively tension building drama and an incredible amount of really exciting moments and grapping, rousing changes and twists and turns in it all that conquer and overwhelm all and everything in a damn stunning and drastic and massive way, yes, and it is incredible how huge and how 'gloriosuly grapping' the tension arcs of each and every single one of the songs (that are also very often brilliantly enriched with amazing acoustic sprinklings) are, yes, really damn bloody fucking fantastic. This is, to get this straight and say this clear and precise, an absolute and total supreme masterpiece and a really larger than life and an outstanding album and it is one of the very best ones in and for 2018 and this without a single doubt, yes, and I can only and clearly and calmly recommend this to everyone outta there who's into the described musick and if you are in this target-group and really should not have or even know it so far then you should really and by any means change this as damn soon as only anyhow possible and best promptly right now and instantly. Absolutely fantastic lyrics, an outstanding fucking gorgeous artwork, a clear and still heavy and sharp cutting production-sound as well as two brilliant and phenomenal cover-tunes of the omnipotent mastepieces that are OMEN's "DEATH RIDER" and SAVATAGE's "HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN KING" finally round the supreme masterpiece that is GATEKEEPER's "EAST OF SUN" finally and in a perfect way up. Epic Metal in perfection. Get this immortal beast of an album, just get it. 

(10 of 10 points)

https://gatekeeper.bandcamp.com/ (-the link to the bandcamp site of the band)

GATEKEEPER - "BLADE OF CIMMERIA" (2018, "EAST OF SUN")

HEAVY LOAD - "STRONGER THAN EVIL" (2018; Re-Release)

HEAVY LOAD - "STRONGER THAN EVIL"
(Running time: 68:25 minutes; 14 songs)
("No Remorse Records"; 2018; CD):

Hey guys, after my work day starts later this day I decided to try to come up with the next load for you already this morning (we will see if this will work out like planned) and this means here'n'now that here comes my record-review on the 2018 re-release of the HEAVY LOAD classick "STRONGER THAN EVIL" released via "NO REMORSE RECORDS" in a drop-dead-gorgeous and ultra-premium digi-pak-edition. HEAVY LOAD's "STRONGER THAN EVIL" was if I am now correct the 3rd full-length-album of this Heavy Metal Vikings from Sweden and was originally/primaly released in the October of 1983. I stumbled upon this release due to the gorgeous artwork that instantly draw my attention and finally led me to purchase it. HEAVY LOAD played a mixture out of Heavy Metal and (especially) Epic Metal with a strong battle-scarred spirit and a Conan & Cimmeria like vibe to it all and fueled by a often pretty strong and also pretty dark Hard Rock or Heavy Rock influence. The birth-date being in the 1980's and this also pretty early in this decade you surely regognize clearly but due to a nicely very own note'n'timbre and a pretty unique own tone of the guitars as well as of the nicely present and clearly to hear loud'n'proud strutting bass and a 'golden-hand' in arranging the vocal lines as well as the overall damn high quality of the musick HEAVY LOAD and especially here their "STRONGER THAN EVIL" absolutely holds its ground and remains damn relevant also today. This is also due to the very strong and also by today's standards still nicely fresh and especially damn alive-lively and asskicking songwriting that bridges a wide area of different approaches and directions from stunning and harsh power pumping, anthemic and fist-in-the-air Hard Rock/Heavy Rock slashers like "FREE" or especially the nearly divine "SATURDAY NIGHT" over escalating very intense drama-and-tension-rich highly emotional and atmospheric Epic Metal hymns like "STRONGER THAN EVIL" or "ROAR OF THE NORTH" to massively heavy hitting and hard onwards into battle stomping Heavy Metal thunderstrikes like "THE KING" or "SINGING SWORDS" and with "RUN WITH THE DEVIL" the album opens up with a prime example of the supreme Heavy Metal majesty HEAVY LOAD were able to create, and all is marked by intense and grapping and damn rousing songwriting that for damn sure still today in 2018 offers a lot of pure excitment for/to anyone into the described musick. All done by well-skilled musicians. Powerful clear sung and full lead vokillz, sharp cutting and harsh slashing guitars, a powerful bass, and thundering drums are the ingredients out of which HEAVY LOAD created their loud'n'proud and battle-scarred hymns of war. A big load of bonus tracks that really all totally conquer, a drop-dead-gorgeous and very 'nutritious' artwork, and a beautifully dirty and original 1980's production-sound as well as very strong lyrics then finally round it all up. Clearly recommended to anyone who's into Heavy Metal and Epic Metal as well as into heavy hitting and epic Hard Rock/Heavy Rock. Make sure to discover HEAVY LOAD's "STRONGER THAN EVIL", a really great masterpiece.

(9 of 10 points)

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Heavy_Load/113 (-the band @ the "Metal Archives")

HEAVY LOAD - "SINGING SWORDS" (1983/2018, "STRONGER THEN EVIL")

WRATHBLADE - "GOD OF THE DEEP UNLEASHED" (2017)

WRATHBLADE - "GOD OF THE DEEP UNLEASHED"
(Running time: 38:07 minutes; 9 songs)
("Eat Metal Records"; 2017; CD):

Hey guys, yes, next dose finally incoming for you and this means that the next and newest record-review by me is now aimed at you and this time it is on the so far still current and newest WRATHBLADE full-length-album "GOD OF THE DEEP UNLEASHED" released via the very sympathic "EAT METAL RECORDS" on CD already last year of 2017 by the end of it and just by some few other record-reviews that I've read round that time and due to the fantastic artwork and bandlogo I was right from the get-go instantly damn curious on/for it also without knowing the precursor release of/by WRATHBLADE or the band in general anyway earlier, yes, but I just got it two months ago because I found it nowhere earlier here in good old Germany (maybe I just checked the wrong sources... for sure) and anyhow I finally need to figure out how this whole PayPal stuff works… So, anyhow and anyway and however, yes, because I finally got it and so now here we finally are and so let's go: For all what I know or for all what I think to know WRATHBLADE hail also like their label "EAT METAL RECORDS" from Greece and "GOD OF THE DEEP UNLEASHED" is their second full-length-album and this is Heavy Metal, yes, Heavy fuckin' Metal, oh yes, and, to be more precise, this is Epic Metal and really strong Epic Metal - or, how I like to call it due to atmosphere and spirit and attitude of this certain musick, Conan Metal or Cimmerian Metal, yes, and some (one more time again) really damn strong one, point and fact. And it is also very fresh and also pretty to very unique Epic Metal with a lot of very good and very own ideas. The backbone of WRATHBLADE's "GOD OF THE DEEP UNLEASHED" is surely by the almighty MANILLA ROAD inspired Epic Metal enriched by (even) more Heavy Metal and also Power Metal focussed stunning heavyness so that everyone who likes/loves for example the fantastic VISIGOTH will also very strongly hail the mighty WRATHBLADE and their "GOD OF THE DEEP UNLEASHED", yes, and WRATHBLADE take it even further with incorporating ingredients and impressions that are (music-wise) withdrawn from Thrash Metal and even some Death Metal without any stylistic incongruities and cultivate their very own musick even more with it. This all tells you maybe already that the songwriting is pretty to very diverse and multi-layered and filled with many different facets when we look at all the 'compositorial-arrangements' and thank the gods it's all melted nicely fluently together so that no breaks are to be recognized here on WRATHBLADE's "GOD OF THE DEEP UNLEASHED" and turning this all into a really and truly surprisingly fresh and especially exciting as well as grapping ride from start to finish. To me the biggest trademark of WRATHBLADE here on "GOD OF THE DEEP UNLEASHED" are the absolutely amazing and phenomenal and above all very unique'n'original full, powerful, and very often and especially very intense in a 'sacred-imploringly' way done and delivered vokillz that shine incredible bright and colourful and that are also done truly highly charismatic and in a damn unique way. Then all is made full'n'round by very harsh hitting and nicely diverse and skillful guitars and a stunningly heavy rhythm section. A gorgeous artwork, pretty interesting and/or thoughtful lyrics, and a heavy and yet very earthy production-sound finally complete the package. If they just give us the next time sort of a real hit, yes, then WRATHBLADE will surely score the absolute jackpot. Highly and clearly and calmly recommended to any fan of really great Epic Metal.

(9 of 10 points)

https://www.facebook.com/wrathbladeofficial/ (-the link to the facebook site of the band)

WRATHBLADE - "SHEER VENGEANCE WILL OUT UPON THEE (GOD OF WAR Pt. II)" (2017, "GOD OF THE DEEP UNLEASHED")

ROSS THE BOSS - "BY BLOOD SWORN" (2018)

ROSS THE BOSS - "BY BLOOD SWORN"
(Running time: 46:33 minutes; 10 songs)
("AFM Records"; 2018; CD):

Hey guys, yes, finally the next round'n'dose for you and your enjoyment is right here. From Sunday, the 8th of July of 2018 on I was on a very nice vacation-travel and just came home still pretty recently one day ago and so the sort of one week of nothing new up here should be explained (if there was ever the need to explain anything anyhow anyway) to all of you. And I thought kicking it all of with a new record-review (that's now also waiting to be done for already a bit longer), yes, and so here we go with my record-review on the (brand)new ROSS THE BOSS full-length-album "BY BLOOD SWORN" released still not that long ago in 2018 on CD (at least that's the format I have of it) via "AFM RECORDS", yes, and after we all should know ROSS THE BOSS aka the man himself very well, the Metal guys from his time with the almighty MANOWAR and the Punk dudes from his runs with the mighty THE DICTATORS, I will now spare me any words more to introduce him here and now any further on. This is his newest 'solo-album' and ROSS THE BOSS recruited a 'new team' around him consisting (out) of strong going veterans like for example Mike LePond at the bass (SYMPHONY X, SILENT ASSASSIN) and Marc Lopes at the mic (fromer MELIAH RAGE) and together they delivered "BY BLOOD SWORN" to us and the world, hell yeahr, and this is a damn fucking mighty piece of crushing U.S. American Heavy Metal with plenty of heavy flirtings with thundering Power Metal in it all and with some slight (but) passionate Epic Metal marks in it, too; and "BY BLOOD SWORN" is ROSS THE BOSS' third full-length-album under that moniker and, if I am now not completly wrong informed, it's the first one since "HAILSTORM" in/from 2010. For all what I've read this album got often a lot of shit but if you free yourself of/from any MANOWAR expectations and just look at "BY BLOOD SWORN" for what it is then you will definitely and enthusiastically cheer up to it, especially if you are into guitar driven and riff dominated (U.S. American) Heavy/Power Metal somewhere between ICED EARTH and HELSTAR and maybe some very, very few JAG PANZER and with slight Epic Metal and also some Hard Rock notes in it that comes dressed in fresh and strong songwriting that isn't shying away from THIN LIZZY inspired Hard Rock and even some few Horror Rock/Horror Punk a la THE MISFITS and that offers a lot of multi-facetted and pretty diverse approaches and ideas with serving a lot of exciting and grapping twists'n'turns all along the ride and that surely has a pretty unique and own character and identity. The same is to say about/to the fantastic and very charismatic guitar work that shines'n'sounds in its very own and damn unique boneshaking and dustdry tone and that delivers crushing riffs and powerful rhythm arrangements while at the same time shining bright with compelling great melodies and leads and first-class solos and this all mostly all the time. The guitars are surely also the strongest trademark of ROSS THE BOSS' "BY BLOOD SWORN" and are backed up fantastic in a very stunning and massive way by the thundering rhythm section, while the very strong vocals finally enrich it all (surely no 'new' Eric Adams, hell no, definitely not, but absolutely top notch anyhow). Surely not all is gold and songs like the terrible (power-)ballad "FAITH OF THE FALLEN" or the by far too-über-cheesy "AMONG THE BONES" probably should have better never been done in the first place anyhow, yes, but mighty Metal battle hymns like "BY BLOOD SWORN", "THIS IS VENGEANCE", "WE ARE THE NIGHT" and "FISTFUL OF HATE" with a strong Warrior and Conan/Cimmeria spirit and vibe to it as well as the fantastic THIN LIZZY inspired Hard Rock hymn "PLAY AMONG THE GODZ" are absolutely amazing top notch stuff, point and fact. A bunch of surely pretty clichée but anyhow good lyrics, a fantastic artwork, and a heavy hitting production sound then round it all finally up. To any Heavy Metal/Power Metal fan I can only recommend ROSS THE BOSS' "BY BLOOD SWORN" and so make sure to finally get it if you are into that kind of stuff and really still don't have it.

(8,5 of 10 points)

http://www.ross-the-boss.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

ROSS THE BOSS - "BY BLOOD SWORN" (2018, "BY BLOOD SWORN")

VISIGOTH - "CONQUEROR'S OATH" (2018)

VISIGOTH - "CONQUEROR'S OATH"
(Running time: 42:24 minutes; 8 songs)
("Metal Blade Records"; 2018; CD):

Hey guys, yes and finally: I am back home from my trip to the (by me massively be-loved) city of Amsterdam and currently I've found the time to do something up here again... and with this month already coming to a close we will see if my plans up here will work still out for this month... but anyhow, yes, being back at work again up here feels good and means that here and now the next dose of record-review(s) by me for you is coming right in through ya and so here we go finally one more time again: Here and now it will be all about the current and for all what I know all in all second full-length-album titled "CONQUEROR'S OATH" by/of the young and impressively strong going U.S. American Heavy Metal band VISIGOTH released pretty much more or less exactly one month ago via the almighty "METAL BLADE RECORDS" label. VISIGOTH were totally unknown to me before I got my hands on the "CONQUEROR'S OATH" and it was due to the great cover artwork and a big bunch of very good and positive record-reviews that I pre-ordered this album and thank and praise to the almighty gods that I did so. VISIGOTH hail from Salt Lake City, Utah/U.S.A. and what they give us is nothing else or less than absolutely phenomenal Epic Heavy Metal of the supreme(st) kind and with a born and bred american flavor to it all and if you now maybe need some references then let me tell you that if you can imagine a very, very self-conatined and delicious mixture out of MANOWAR and GRAND MAGUS then you're on the right way and if you add here and there some very few slightly (early) VIRGIN STEELE reminiscences in that power-driven-epicness of the songs and then maybe also add here and there some few (early) CANDLEMASS impressions in form of that here and there nicely ''doomy'' delivery of the songs to it all as well and then you're pretty much totally right and if you can imagine this all with joy and enthusiasm then let me tell you that VISIGOTH's "CONQUEROR'S OATH" will be sort of your new holy grail and this for good and also for sure. All this influences are melted together by VISIGOTH here on "CONQUEROR'S OATH" in a totally 'independently' and/or self-contained way so that I simply have to state that this fine'n'young band already is thru'n'thru one of a kind and possesses a very strong and huge own identity and character and this combined with an immense and impressive musical quality is something that conquered and still continues to conquer me massively. VISIGOTH deliver very fresh, damn exciting and highly anthemic/hymnal songs with a huge own character and that are delivered via fantastic multi-facetted and multi-layered songwriting full of stunning and big tension arcs with massive amounts of power and tremendous portions of highly rousing energy, a mercyless onwards pushing drive, filled with grapping song architectures, intense and exciting arrangements of the verses and truly larger than life refrains, a great to outstanding riff and rhythm work, a very soul- and playful compositorial approach to it all, a nicely varying pace work, yes, and all is studded with fresh and surprising twist'n'turns all along the road like for example the damn great hard rocking and heavy rolling THIN LIZZY inspired über-anthem "SALT CITY" so that you are definitely in for an amazing, rousing, exciting, and grapping ride. Absolutely fantastic and bright shining clear and clean and also damn powerful and highly charismatic sung lead vocals mark the songs massively and truly enrich and cultivate them in a massive and impressive way. Then the stunning, heavy and forceful and yet 'phenomenally' diverse and especially intense guitar work with its singing leads and stunning solos and that brilliant rhythm and riffing work is for sure adding tons of highest quality and of that very own and unique identity to the songs (and this for all the right reasons), that are massively and stunningly backed up by the furious forward charging rhythm section. Hell yeahr, this is real Heavy Metal at'n'of its damn much very, very best and so much I can tell already here and now you can be sure that you will find VISIGOTH's "CONQUEROR'S OATH" ranked up in my this year's best of list, definitely. It's hard to name you any personal favorites but if you would want me to do so I probably would go with the almighty hymn "STEEL AND SILVER", the stunning "WARRIOR QUEEN", the absolutely poser slaying slasher "HAMMERFORGED", the already above mentioned über-anthem "SALT CITY", the sawing battle hymn "BLADES IN THE NIGHT", and the massively by (Epic) Doom Metal interwoven "THE CONQUEROR'S OATH", yes, so maybe start your discovery of VISIGOTH's "CONQUEROR'S OATH" with this purest platinum gems but don't make the mistake to think that the not mentioned "OUTLIVE THEM ALL" and "TRAITOR'S GATE" would be only anyhow anyway only slightly bad or weak songs because hell no they are definitely not, point and fact. On top of it all we do also get brilliant and (at least to me) nicely multi-facetted battle-scarred lyrics, a gorgeous artwork, and a heavy and powerful and yet warm, earthy, and organic production sound on top of it all. Okay, I think I have said all what I had to say so far and so I will now leave you with my highest recommendations to anyone into real Heavy Metal, Epic Metal, Power Metal, and/or U.S. Metal respectively American Heavy Metal (so to say) and I would like to add VISIGOTH with and due to their almighty and fantastic larger than life masterpiece "CONQUEROR'S OATH" because of the highly intense battle scarred and gladiatorial atmosphere to my personal list of Cimmerian Metal or Conan Metal and when you should finally listen to it you will pretty sure know why. All praise and hail to VISIGOTH and here with "CONQUEROR'S OATH" we definitely already have one of the very best probably top ten albums of/for 2018, definitely; highly recommended and so finally get it as soon as possible and this best right now. And now: DEATH TO FALSE METAL!!!

(10 of 10 points)

https://de-de.facebook.com/visigothofficial/ (-the link to the facebook site of the band)

VISIGOTH - "STEEL AND SILVER" (2018, "CONQUEROR'S OATH")

MANILLA ROAD - "TO KILL A KING" (2017)

MANILLA ROAD - "TO KILL A KING"
(Running time: 61:39 minutes; 10 songs)
("Zyx Music"; 2017; CD):

Hey guys, next one ('already') coming in and is aiming at you, yes, and so here you now get my record-review on the (brand)new full-length-album of/by the (al)mighty and truly legendary MANILLA ROAD, sort of none less than the founding fathers of Epic Metal or (how I love to call it in their particular case) Conan Metal because the whole atmosphere and delivery and the whole aesthetic(s) and surely and truly magical intensity of this music matches perfectly to/with the world of Cimmerien (or in english I guess Cimmerian) which is 'Conan's world', and their newest offering is titled "TO KILL A KING" and was released (at least over here in Germany) via "ZYX MUSIC" around the 20th of September of 2017 (so more or less sort of still pretty recently... I guess... or so...) and it is their 18th studio-full-length-album in their since 1977 lasting and now 40 years spanning career (and with being now in 2018 in their 41st year). "TO KILL A KING" is the direct successor to/of the incredible great "THE BLESSED CURSE" from 2015 (and even so far I haven't done a record-review on it I'm anyhow pretty sure that I will do it one day in the future up here as well) and so "TO KILL A KING" had a tough contest to succeed in, so to say, and I was damn curious about it and what it would have to offer. Btw, and in general I think it's just fantastic that years back more as obscure seen bands like for example MANILLA ROAD and/or CIRITH UNGOL that were always sort of being pushed aside finally seem to get more proper attention over the last years than ever before, so it seems, and not only more proper attention but especially more than justified and long, long overdue attention, yes, and this is something that to me sort of shows me that this world we live in maybe isn't just such a huge shithole at all. Okay, and now back to the topic and that is MANILLA ROAD's "TO KILL A KING", yes, and so now here we go again: Compared to/with "THE BLESSED CURSE" the first thing you notice is probably that we get less acoustic passages here on "TO KILL A KING" and also a sort of a more heavier and more 'doomy' direction that the album takes, while at the same time "TO KILL A KING" serves us less raging outbursts than "THE BLESSED CURSE" and so "TO KILL A KING" is, in my book, even far more intense than its direct predecessor (or maybe better intense in a pretty different way) because it sort of flows perfectly and melts all together in a brilliant way... and I just hope you understand my writing and what I want to say with it... because I sort of can't say it more detailed or precise(d)... anyhow, anyway, further on we go: The whole album breathes an and is interwoven by one hell of a larger than life absolutely mystical, magical, and surely majestic atmosphere that is also absoultely grapping and overwhelming intense and totally sucks you into a fantastic and amazing world of its very, very own, yeah', it sucks you deeply into it and won't spit you out again before the album hasn't ran through and even then it maintains its intense and massive hold on you and it serves you goose bumps in largest amounts sort of for free, hell yeahr. So, yes, "TO KILL A KING" is through and through for sure a definite MANILLA ROAD album but with a different note'n'tone and a very own identity compared with its (also brilliant and fantastic, and also very unique and 'special') predecessor "THE BLESSED CURSE". And sort of like all MANILLA ROAD albums it's a very unique and charismatic and so sort of a 'special' one and this even in the discography of the band itself (and this also sort of like all Albums, too), oh yes, delivered by one of the only very few bands outta there that probably never wrote a really bad song in their career. And it all has a undeniable epic spirit with rampantly far, wide, and broad exciting and grapping arrangements and a such compositorial work. Right from the get-go with the opening riff of the outstanding opener and title track "TO KILL A KING" it's like a movie starts instantly in your head and you are promptly 'beamed' into the action in that fantastic mystical world. Absolutely and sheer amazing!!! All is carried onwards on the wings of the brilliant, most unique and highest skilled and also highly diverse and still heavy guitar work of the Mark "The Shark" Shelton himself with its absolutely stunning and unique tone and that shines with large riffs and rhythm structures as well as and especially with a very 'special' melody and harmony work and that delivers nearly perfect leads and bright shining solos. Then we have very soulful and heartfelt, and also very charismatic lead vocals that are mostly pure gold and deliver all the time to point in a great way, even here and there I would sometimes wish for some more variations in the composition of the vocal lines but that is anyhow only of a minor concern at the end of the day. Backed up and massively beefed up in the right way and manner is then all by the forceful and yet very sensitive and varying rhythm section. And that the songwriting is simpley intense, diverse, and highest skilled as well as the skills of the musicians I only mention here for reasons of comletness. Yes, what is there more to say, hm, MANILLA ROAD's "TO KILL A KING" is absolutely unique and phenomenal Epic Metal of the most original and true style and with a very huge and unique identity and highest skilled, yes, and even it's maybe not completly pure platinum it is anyhow purest gold and great and even 'greater than great', yes, a pure larger than life masterpiece and even sort of more, definitely, and a slightly bit I like it even a little bit more than the damn great "THE BLESSED CURSE" and so here you now get my clearest recommendation and this without a second thought anyway. Any listening tipps I will spare me, simply because you have to experience "TO KILL A KING" in its whole glory. Fantastic lyrics, a totally gorgeous artwork, and a very strong very warm and 'earthy' production sound finally round it all up in a sort of a 'perfect way'. Okay, so here now that's it for now, yes, and so I'll now wish you a good night and, yes, just get this damn masterpiece.
(9,5 of 10 points)
www.manillaroad.net/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

MANILLA ROAD - "THE OTHER SIDE" (2017, "TO KILL A KING")

JACK STARR'S BURNING STARR - "STAND YOUR GROUND" (2017)

JACK STARR'S BURNING STARR - "STAND YOUR GROUND"

(Running time: 75:42  minutes; 12 songs)

("High Roller Records"; 2017; CD):

Can anyone please tell me why this sort of "Veteran-Formation" was to this year absolutely unknown to me? Ah, but okay, first things first, so yes, so hey guys, your dear Manslaughter Andy is back at work again and so he's delivering you here and now his newest post and so his newest record review and of course... yes... I definitely should stop talking about me, myself, and I in the third person, that's not a very 'healthy sign' after all... or so they say. Jack Starr, a former VIRGIN STEELE member, raised back in the 1980's his own band named JACK STARR'S BURNING STARR and released a bunch of albums under this banner back then before more or less calling it a day, for all what I (think to) know, and then in the early (?) 2000's reuniting and reforming JACK STARR'S BURNING STARR with a new 'crew' and now in 2017 Jack Starr respectively JACK STARR'S BURNING STARR released with "STAND YOUR GROUND" a brand new album via the very sympathic "HIGH ROLLER RECORDS" label, yes, and so now here we are, undeniable, and so now let's go: The artwork of "STAND YOUR GROUND" totally caught and conquered me and I instantly turned into sort of a curious teenager (- if you get what I'm saying) who nothing else wanted more than finally and desperately listen to this beauty of an album, yes, and so I did and I instantly took it with me. This is absolute fantastic traditional (but yet very fresh and 'amazingly' alive-lively and in no way any lame and stale retro crap) and really hymnal as well as powerful and also really harsh shredding Heavy Metal (or some may like to call it Power Metal) with a strong U.S. American identity and so call it U.S. Metal or (U.S.) American Heavy Metal and it also showcases pretty often a strong epic character and so some may even would call it Epic Metal for some well justified reasons... but at the end of the day I don't really care about what 'trademark-label' may would please you the most and so for me this is nothing else but one hell of an incredible strong through and through real Heavy Metal album, hell yeahr, maybe epic Heavy Metal as well, anyhow, point and fact. Wrapped up into first class to absoultely highest class songwriting that offers a wide variety of different play- and soul- as well as thoughtful song arrangements, rousing rhythmic structures, strong and nicely varying pace compositions, and a great diversity of rich emotions, different moods, and a colorful palette of 'tonings'n'colorations' that turn the songs into grapping and exciting events here we get pure platinum real Heavy Metal with a very strong and impressive own identity and delivered by high skilled musicians and expect to get it all from rocking Power Metal stompers over catchy fists-in-the-air Heavy Metal hymns to hard shredding fast paced through'n'through heavy Headbangers over epic Monsters of Metal tracks to powerful Heavy Metal ballads, yes, JACK STARR'S BURNING STARR deliver with "STAND YOUR GROUND" for sure the real deal and the complete package. Expect one hell of a strong, charismatic, and absoultely great clean and powerful yet very melodic and with a lot of honest emotions shining lead singing voice that marks the song heavily for all the right reasons; expect a brilliant guitar work that offers a fantastic rhythmic work, shines with forceful riffing, and conquers completly with its large leads and melody work as well as really, really strong solos, that also delivers shredding(s) of the first class, yes, and that's for sure the biggest trademark and the strongest marking element of the songs and the music of JACK STARR'S BURNING STARR (at least here on "STAND YOUR GROUND"); and then expect it all to be massively and in an imressive way being backed up and cultivated and enriched with and/or by a sheer full force tight and precise and yet nicely varying and anyhow very, very forceful rhythm section that gives the songs the needed powerful punch to become real Heavy Metal asskickers of the highest grade. Fantastic, strong and thought-provoking lyrics, a powerful and yet dirty and old schoolish production sound, and an absolutely amazing artwork finally round one of the if not the strongest (traditional) Heavy Metal albums of 2017 and also in (and probably also for) years finally up. My personal favorites are "THE SECRETS WE HIDE", "THE ENEMY", "STAND YOUR GROUND", "HERO" (pretty much the über-hit of the whole album), "WORLDS APART", "ESCAPE FROM THE NIGHT", "STRONGER THAN STEEL", and "FALSE GODS", yes, so maybe start with the discovery of JACK STARR'S BURNING STARR's "STAND YOUR GROUND" maybe wit this larger than life gems first but don't make the mistake to think that the other (anyhow only few) not mentioned songs would be anyway sort of weak songs because hell no they are also very strong stuff, period. If you are anyhow into Heavy Metal then you simply need to call JACK STARR's BURNING STARR's "STAND YOUR GROUND" your damn bloody own, period. Highly to 'highliest' recommended, yes, and so enough of the talking now just go out and get it as soon as possible if you still really shouldn't have it. Heavy Metal is the law!!!
(10 of 10 points)
https://www.facebook.com/jackstarrsburningstarr (-the link to the facebook site of the band)

JACK STARR'S BURNING STARR - "HERO" (2017, "STAND YOUR GROUND")

ORDEN OGAN - "GUNMEN" (2017)

ORDEN OGAN - "GUNMEN"
(Running time: 56:47 minutes; 10 songs)
("AFM Records"; 2017; CD):

Hey guys, yes, next post is coming up and so if you've read yesterday's post then you now know that this bloody 'cold' didn't fuckin' disappeared as quickly and as suddenly as it came yesterday, damn it, and so I'm sitting this saturday at home and my planned and long awaited concert trip crossing-through-Germany to go and celebrate a christmas in hell with SIX FEET UNDER and a big bunch of other cool bands... nah, no damn bloody fucking option today... and you know what? This sucks!!! Okay, okay, okay, calming down... enough of the senseless bitching-around and instead of this crybaby-shit I can also do something productive with my free time and so here now comes the next review for you up here by me, yes, and this time it's my take on the new 2017 full length album of/by ORDEN OGAN titled "GUNMEN" and released more or less recently via "AFM REOCRDS", yes, and so now here we go one more time again: ORDEN OGAN are a band that I never knew before some-time this very year I visted my parents and my mother played one of their older albums (can't remember the title right now, sorry...) and I was promptly stunned and it was pretty clear that I would need to 'dig-myself-a-further-bit-into' ORDEN OGAN and their discography, yes, and so I did, yes, and I did this as usual as it's my 'habit' with their most-current release and in the case of ORDEN OGAN I did so with their new 2017 full length album "GUNMEN", yes, and what shall I say... this was totally a right decision. ORDEN OGAN are a german Heavy Metal or better Power Metal band and they play it in a pretty modern or maybe better 'fresh'n'up-to-date' as well as epic and all the time truly very powerful and heavy and yet still through'n'through melodic and symphonic style'n'way. I really like this stuff, I mean for sure sometimes I think that the songs could be done tighten up a bit and the sort of 'omni-present' keyboard simply isn't really my 'most-favorite-thing' but this two 'critical-thinking-moments' are only so very few that  with this short sentence already 'everything-that's-wrong-about-it' is now already said'n'done, yes, if you get what I mean and/or want to say. Beside this expect a massive load of really huge guitars that are done simply just great and amazing and are full of fantastic riffs and a huge diversity and that totally shine with being packed up full with singing leads and outstanding solos, delivering fantastic huge, epic, as well as hymnal and catchy melody lines without end, yes, and also with being packed up full with forceful riffs and smashing rhythms and a big diversity in and of the rhythmic structure and Arrangements and the pace-structure of the songs that cover a truly wide and broad distance from modern and yet still organic grooves to fresh strong metallic rocking 'go-and-bang-your-head' parts over hymnal and catchy 'fists-in-the-air' moments in parts surely influenced by none other than almighty and larger than life RUNNING WILD  over symphonic and playful 'silent' elements up to powerful forward storming and pumping Speed Metal parts influenced by for example HELLOWEEN and loud blasting sheer Epic Metal greatness in the tradition of BLIND GUARDIAN we'll find pretty much it all here on ORDEN OGAN's "GUNMEN", yes, and this fantastic guitar work is enriched by mostly (very) good even if sometimes very (to over-)present keyboards and backed up by a stunning, massive, and yet 'greatly' varying rhythm section that's also absolutely tight and precise and without mercy consequent to the point played. On top of it we get strong and (very) charismatic lead vocals, yes, that are here and there nicely backed up by high quality back up chantings and strong female co-lead-vocals delivered by Liv Kristine. The songwriting is very grapping and exciting and also damn fucking rousing, yes, and how the songwriting is 'structured' or what it offers all to you and me or us when listening to ORDEN OGAN's "GUNMEN" I've already described quite a bit some sentences above when desribing the truly outstanding guitar work, yes, at least sort of, so there you find it all and I don't have to repeat myself already here and now. That the guys in ORDEN OGAN are also really strong and skilled musicians I mention here only for the record. A very cool and interesting sort of lyrical concept with really good and exciting lyrics, an absolutely beautiful gorgeous artwork, and a widescreen bombastic production sound then finally round it all up, yes, turning "GUNMEN" definitely into the complete package, period. My personal favorites are definitely the loud'n'proud "GUNMAN" (pure force and power turned into music), "FIELDS OF SORROW" with some of the greatest verse arrangements that I've heard in quite a while, the stunning "FORLON AND FORSAKEN", the everything else totally outshining "VAMPIRE IN GHOST TOWN" with great RUNNING WILD impressions (and my personal absolute über-favorite-hit), the killing "THE FACE OF SILENCE", and the great "ASHEN RAIN" and "ONE LAST CHANCE", yes, so start your discovery of ORDEN OGAN's "GUNMEN" with this masterpieces, oh bloody hell yeahr, but do yourself the huge favour and don't think or anticipate that the not mentioned songs would be weak stuff or so, hell no, the only really let-down is maybe the stereotypical "FINIS CORONAT OPUS", hm, but maybe that's also just me, or what ever, who knows. One last thing that I still (or maybe again) have to mention is the very big to huge strong own identity of ORDEN OGAN, yes, and also the all the time very high levels of energy, dynamics, and absolute power. Yes, really, really great. Anyhow, yes, I can only highly recommend this very one here, ORDEN OGAN's "GUNMEN", to any fan of Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Epic Metal, and maybe also in parts Speed Metal as well as Melodic Metal and Symphonic Metal, yes, so enough of the talking, for sure, so just go out and get it if you still shouldn't call it your own anyway anyhow. Highly recommended and another massively big surprise that 2017 finally brought up to light for me.

(9 of 10 points)

http://www.ordenogan.de/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

ORDEN OGAN - "VAMPIRE IN GHOSTTOWN" (2017, "GUNMEN")

ORDEN OGAN - "GUNMAN" (2017, "GUNMEN")

TWILIGHT FORCE - "HEROES OF MIGHTY MAGIC" (2016)

TWILIGHT FORCE - "HEROES OF MIGHTY MAGIC"
(Running time: 70:27 minutes; 12 songs)
("Nuclear Blast Records"; 2016; CD):

Okay, f**k it, now you got me, I'm not proud of this here and now, nah, really not, but... god damn it, what shall I say... you got me, now comes a little secret (okay, after I am finally doing this review I think we can cross out this 'secret' anyhow) guilty pleasure of me, myself, and I. This is TWILIGHT FORCE's (for all what I know) second album (their first one on "NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS") titled "HEROES OF MIGHTY MAGIC" and it was released last year in 2016 at the 26. of August and it even entered the german media control charts. Normally you can take stuff like this and stick it into your bodywhole where the sun never shines on (normally) but here with this album... damn it... TWILIGHT FORCE somehow really managed to grab me. They remind me of mid-to-late-1990's/early-to-mid-2000's European (Power) Metal bands like for example RHAPSODY and maybe also some STRATOVARIUS like stuff and some (especially Kiske-era) HELLOWEEN and especially the first two mentioned bands were and still are in ongoing strong pure hate-hate-relations with me, hm, I think Symphonic Metal was and perhaps still is the right name for this kind of (Heavy) Metal music. Very playful and cheerfully done melodic and symphonic songs with a rampantly epic approach to it all and all is heavily and I mean HEAVILY marked by in all honesty incredible corny and saccharine bombast-fueled orchestra-, keyboards-, choir-, and soundtrack/sample-parts, and this parts are (sadly) very often so strong that the Metal in the music of TWILIGHT FORCE totally gets pushed back in a strong way, nah, I mean in a very strong way. That's really sad. I mean, okay, you may can say so "HEROES OF MIGHTY MAGIC" earns a lot of characteristica that would fit the epic bombast soundtracks to blockbuster fantasy epos' like for example the "THE LORD OF THE RINGS" or the "THE HOBBIT" movies perfectly, for sure, but this is still a Metal album anyhow anyway (or at least I think/thought so) and so that's just sort of sad, especially after the "real and normal" Metal "stuff" on TWILIGHT FORCE's "HEROES OF MIGHTY MAGIC" is in most parts really, really strong. Fantastic lead vocals, strong and powerful, expressive and pretty chracteristic, covering a wide distance of different moods and facets; very strong and diverse guitars, symphonic singing and "melodicly" bright shining, yet still heavy and powerful as well as swift as an arrow and sharp cutting all the time; a very versatile and diverse, yet incredible tight and precise rhythm section; and loud melodic band back up singings as well as (mostly) first class guest vocals; yes, here you find really a lot if you work yourself through all the saccharine-corny melodies and the soundtrack dingle-dangle, really a lot of pretty high quality and with an already special unique flavor to it all, if you just take the time and work yourself into this album and allow it to grow on you. So, from my point of view, I think it's really sad that the Metal often gets too strongly pushed back - but maybe that's just me, who knows. Anyhow, I allowed TWILIGHT FORCE's "HEROES OF MIGHTY MAGIC" to grow on me and, yes, it suddenly became a guilty pleasure for/to me. Live with it, take it like a man, so I do, hahahaha. ;-) Btw, that from my point of view I here and there think that the songs are just too epic or "epic", too forced, too wanted, hm, should maybe be mentioned here and now as well. Check. Lyricwise this is through and through Fantasy Metal or Adventure Metal or (for you Real Life Roleplaying folks outta there) Roleplaying Metal and it's full of mysterious, fantastic creatures, dragons, heroes, warriors, knights, magicians, castles, and "BATTLE(s) OF ARCANE MIGHT". And the absolutely outstanding artwork is a perfect match to this Fantasy Metal concept and just totally great. Btw, that the album title is sort of a nice little play with the old and mighty PC games series "HEROES OF MIGHT AND MAGIC" I really like a lot. :-) The production sound is (for my personal taste) much too soft and clean and only takes away more "room" from the (Heavy) Metal spirit here and there. Anyhow, this album really has a lot to offer and every fan of Fantasy and Metal and Bombast should and can calmly risk one or two ears - really calmly. Surely not an album for every or any day or moment, but (personally for me) a nice little guitly pleasure. Put some "DRAGON'S DOGMA" into your Playstation, put on TWILIGHT FORCE's "HEROES OF MIGHTY MAGIC" and just sink for 70 minutes into a brighter and more colourful world full of mighty magic, honorable heroes, and proud dragons. Some escapism from my time to time never hurts, so, yes, I really like this one from this swedish Symphonic Metal folks; and there are times where some little escapism is all you need and may it be just for a little bit more then one hour. My personal favorites are "BATTLE OF ARCANE MIGHT", "FLIGHT OF THE SAPPHIRE DRAGON", "THERE AND BACK AGAIN", "RIDERS OF THE DAWN", and "HEROES OF MIGHTY MAGIC", so, yes, maybe start your listening session(s) with this ones. Anyhow, a good album, so give it a fair try.

(7 of 10 points)

https://www.facebook.com/twilightforce/ (-the link to the facebook page of the band, check it out)

TWILIGHT FORCE - "BATTLE OF ARCANE MIGHT" /live, 2017\ (2016, "HEROES OF MIGHTY MAGIC")

BLIND GUARDIAN - "BEYOND THE RED MIRROR" (2015)

BLIND GUARDIAN - "BEYOND THE RED MIRROR"
(Running time: 71:14 minutes; 11 songs)
("Nuclear Blast Records"; 2015; limited digi-book CD release):

Hey guys, here's the next one coming for you. And also or still right now we'll currently linger on in the year 2015 with this very post here and now, my record-review on BLIND GUARDIAN's 2015 and so far still current full-length-album "BEYOND THE RED MIRROR", and this was a pretty strong surprise for me. But okay, one step after another and now also a few steps back, starting this one here with a view or look on BLIND GUARDIAN's discography (in parts) so far. The predecessor "AT THE EDGE OF TIME" was released in 2010 and so five full years lay in between "BEYOND THE RED MIRROR" and its mentioned predecessor; the predecessor is so far still pretty unknown to me like more or less all albums of this german legends since their 1998's "NIGHTFALL IN MIDDLE EARTH". I guess you may could say that I was simply not in the targetgroup of BLIND GUARDIAN from then on anymore. Not that I ever said the albums would suck or BLIND GUARDIAN turned to crap and especially never said that BLIND GUARDIAN would sort of suck since then because they developed and refused to record their old albums forever on. No, from then on BLIND GUARDIAN or their records were or became simply sort of too overloaded in a musical-sense for me and my personal taste (back then). Long talking, short saying: The pretty controversial but also interesting reviews on "BEYOND THE RED MIRROR" finally really made me damn curious and so I decided to give it a fair try, to give BLIND GUARDIAN finally a fair try again... and that's where my surprise starts to happen or to become reality, because you know what, damn it, this is damn strong one, nah, this is a great one, and it's probably BLIND GUARDIAN's so far most complex, "artistic", and "richest" album to date, full of (three) real (!) choirs and orchestras, incredible dissolute and sweeping bombastic and dramatic arrangements and structures, inspirations taken from operas, and just sheer diverse and rampantly sprawling symphonic and epic compositions and I would go even so far to ennoble BLIND GUARDIAN with "BEYOND THE RED MIRROR" to sort of the today's QUEEN of Heavy Metal, for sure, yes, and even when you really have sort of a "demanding-but-damn-enjoyable" time to work yourself into "BEYOND THE RED MIRROR" but when you invest your curious open-minded interest into it (and that's something that the album definitely demands from/of you) and allow the album to grow on you, then you'll really find one damn impressive and rousing, one damn great album that will give you uncountable hours of big enjoyment for a very long, long while. This is symphonic and epic, (pretty often) still surely speedfilled and (all the time) very powerful, top notch up-to-date Heavy Metal with a bombastic and orchestral and "operatic" as well as sort of a "proggy" approach to it all shining with a very non-conform demanding songwriting that's (absolutely) sticking "out of the ordinary"and that's of "high-artistic-quality" delivered by for sure very high skilled musicians, filled with impressive and charismatic lead vocals shining above all and strong back up choirs and mighty multi-layered forceful guitars, a sheer force like rhythm section, yes, and then with all the above already mentioned "other" ingredients and trademarks to it all. Work yourself into this little/big masterpiece and best ignore the "nostalgic" haters and naysayers of "BEYOND THE RED MIRROR" and just allow and let yourself to be carried away by BLIND GUARDIAN and sink with joy and pleasure and fascination into this very own and incredible intense and atmospheric and very and highly unique world that they've created here with and on "BEYOND THE RED MIRROR"; something that, at least in my book, they haven't managed that intense and overwhelming since my personal all-time-favorite of/by them: "IMAGINATIONS FROM THE OTHER SIDE" from 1995. And it's also a very brave album and (for example) to place a 9:28 minutes song like "THE NINTH WAVE" as the opener of the album is an impressive statement of its very own, especially because it also works perfect(ly) out. Great lyrics and a incredible beautiful artwork as well as a forceful production sound we get on top of it all. I only sort of dislike a bit somehow "MIRACLE MACHINE", why the hell ever, it's for sure not that it would be anyhow bad or weak or something like this but this particular song and me, myself, and I somehow just don't really connect, like I've already said: why the hell ever; but beside this we only get here pure gold. Okay, I close this review here and now because I could go on and on but I would still feel like not doing justice to this album, and so I'll leave it and you here and now with saying that I can only highly recommend this to any fan of symphonic, artistically, epic, and metallic surely larger-than-life and unique music full of tension, intensity, and atmosphere, and in case you really don't have or know or if you haven't given it a fair chance so far then change this very soon and discover this incredible album. Highly recommended.

(9 of 10 points)

http://www.blind-guardian.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

BLIND GUARDIAN - "THE NINTH WAVE" (2015, "BEYOND THE RED MIRROR")