VICTORIUS - "DINOSAUR WARFARE: LEGEND OF THE POWER SAURUS" (2018)

VICTORIUS - "DINOSAUR WARFARE: LEGEND OF THE POWER SAURUS"
(Running time: 21:16 minutes; 6 songs)
("Massacre Records"; 2018; CD):

Hey guys, yes, seems like I hopefully managed to leave my influenza behind and after a long walk in the bitter cold but incredible sunny weather out there I just came back home recently and decided why not give you a new record-review load and so now I am about to do right now; respectively so I (will) do right now and so so here's now my review on the brandnew VICTORIUS Mini-CD "DINOSAUR WARFARE: LEGEND OF THE POWER SAURUS" and it's been recently released via the legendary "MASSACRE RECORDS" label and it offers in shortly 22 minutes six new songs of/by the german Speed Metal 'nerds'. 'Nerds'? Why 'nerds'? Well, that's simple: If the albumname for you isn't already saying it all then let it be known that this is sort of a concept-album about the 'holy war' of the Dinosaurs against Alien Invaders from outta space and it reminds me quite a bit of the glorified and glorious "Dino Riders" and the (al)mighty "Power Rangers", thematically and lyric-wise, and so, yes, 'nerds'. And after I am (my)self a damn huge 'nerd' that by me is definitely sort of a huge compliment. And also the glorious and just gorgeous artwork that's designed in the tradition of old "Streetfighter" and "Mortal Kombat" video games only adds up to the 'nerd' character and also only adds up to my enthusiasm. And with in-working in a just brilliant way the undying great "Power Rangers" title score into their smasher "LEGEND OF THE POWER SAURUS" is just a totally mindblowing element and a huge surprise and if I imagine how damn even greater the "Power Rangers" movie would have been with this Mini-CD as its soundtrack, whoooaaa, my hearts beats faster. And what about the music, the most important 'thing', you now rightfully may ask. Makes the music my heart also beat faster and what do we get anyway? What do we get, like already above mentioned, is Speed Metal. Melodic Speed Metal with healthy portions of Power Metal in it, carrying really huge refrains to us, and with some sprinklings of Symphonic Metal in it as well. This is, so you may can say, symphonic and melodic and very powerful Speed Metal of the german kind and so maybe German Speed Metal or Teutonic Speed Metal are pretty good terms to describe VICTORIUS pretty accurate. If you now may don't know what this in particular means then let me say that VOCTORIUS rage on full throttle somewhere in the metallic realms (in)between GAMMA RAY, HELLOWEEN, and (earlier) BLIND GUARDIAN and they do it already very strong (already because for all what I've read this Mini-CD is so far only their second release with their debut being released last year in 2017, correct me if I am wrong, and before you ask, yes, VICTORIUS were unknown to me before this mini-album) and what I personally like a lot is that VICTORIUS push straight ahead forward and that they cut off the by times too 'out-swallowed' epicness of especially BLIND GUARDIAN and maybe (to surely) also GAMMA RAY and so VICTORIUS come without any circumlocution straight to point and this in combination with the pretty high pitched and fast yet very clear, melodic, and forceful sung lead vocals and the often pretty surprising fresh and 'nerdy' guitar leads and melody lines helps VICTORIUS a lot to build momentum and to create an already pretty strong own character that will hopefully only grow on and on and get/become even far more 'prominent' (so to say) in (the) future. The songwriting also offers a lot that will surely entertain especially any fans of (so to say) (Teutonic) Speed Metal instantly but I am pretty sure that the full-throttle fast paced songs with the rousing arranged verses and the huge anthemic refrains, the loud widescreen 'power-choirs', the quick delivered and forceful changes in the rhythm structures and the compositorial arrangements of the songs, the in parts already pretty fantastic melody work, and the fresh and naughty ideas will also heavily please most to any Heavy/Power/Speed Metal fans in general. Expect swift as an arrow delivered symphonic singing and powerful onwards pushing full throttle and no breaks guitars, huge lead vocals and widescreen backing choirs, and a 'weasel-nimble' rhythm section with a lot of force behind it all, yes, and expect this all to be done on a surely high qualitylevel by strong musicians. This Mini-CD only leaves me hungry for me and I think I will also check out their last year's debut (?) release that carries the title "HEART OF THE PHOENIX" in the future. VICTORIUS deliver us here on "DINOSAUR WARFARE: LEGEND OF THE POWER SAURUS" also great lyrics, cool and entertaining and so far very unique (and if you don't take everything and anything including yourself all the time oh so bloody serious then I see no reason why you shouldn't enjoy the lyrics here as well anyway), an absolutely amazing and beautiful artwork with that I fell in love right at first sight, and a very powerful production sound to back it all up impressively. So, yes, if you are anyway anyhow into the above mentioned bands and genres then by any means I would definitely say that you need to check out VICTORIUS' "DINOSAUR WARFARE: LEGEND OF THE POWER SAURUS" or better get it promptly and instantly. If VICTORIUS keep 'this thing' going then I am pretty sure that we can expect something really big in the (soon) future. And anyhow, yes, here and now you have my clear recommendation in terms of this little gem here.

(8 of 10 points)
www.victoriusmetal.net (-the link to the homepage of the band)

VICTORIUS - "LEGEND OF THE POWER SAURUS" (2018, "DINOSAUR WARFARE: LEGEND OF THE POWER SAURUS")

HEAVATAR - "OPUS II: THE ANNIHILATION" (2018)

HEAVATAR - "OPUS II: THE ANNIHILATION"
(Running time: 58:53 minutes; 12 songs)
("EAR Music"/"Edel Germany GmbH"; 2018; CD):

Hey guys, yes, right back again and so here now comes my latest/newest record-review for you and we will also stay for/with this very one here in the department of Heavy Metal with this very one here and now being on the second full-length-album of/by HEAVATAR titled "OPUS II: THE ANNIHILATION" released very recently via "EAR MUSIC"/"EDEL GERMANY GMBH" at the 16th of February of 2018. Yes, normally it takes me quite a bit longer before I feel prepared enough to do a respectful record-review on an album (no matter if I like it or not) but after I'm currently a bit struck down by this damn influenza I have a lot of time and so I can't really tell you how often I now have already over the last days listened to HEAVATAR's second born "OPUS II: THE ANNIHILATION" since it's out and so now my record-review on it will now be up very soon after the album was released only a few days ago, hm, maybe also not that bad after all. First of all HEAVATAR were totally unknown to me before (as quite a bit of bands lately how I realized over the last months... just too damn many music out there to know it all) and the predeccesor album so is (also) unknown to me. For all what I understand this is sort of a ''project-band'' that Stefan Schmidt who otherwise is a member of VAN CANTO (what-ever-band that may be) formed with three other guys of whom the probably best- or most-known is Jörg Michael at the drums who you might know from RUNNING WILD, GRAVE DIGGER, AXEL RUDI PELL, RAGE, STRATOVARIUS, and many more. And by looking at the title of the album that carries the word/term 'opus' in it and this also at a very prominent position you might already got the correct impression that Classical Music plays a pretty important role in and for the music of HEAVATAR, yes, and by all my other ramblings so far you should already know that we talk here about (Heavy/Power) Metal, yes, and so this is definitely sort of a Metal meets Classic affair. If you now think "Whooaaa, what the fuck...?!?" then that's your problem and just wait for the next record-review and skip the rest of this if you think you should 'need' to... but you would be missing out on something really damn good if you would do so, point and fact. This whole Metal meets Classic stuff (just to name it this way) is normally also not really my sort of proteinshake and it's been a while since I put my last Classic Music record on but I fell in love with the cover artwork and so I decided to risk an ear and after here and now you get my record-review on it you may already guess that what I listened to really surprised and convinced me and so I took the album with me home and so now here we are. The classic instrumentation and orchestration is clearly there as well as in general 'classy' composed arrangements are surely to be noticed but this is all worked into the whole flow of the songs in a damn great way so that it not only turns out to be a very strong and organic 'symbiose' that also 'not the biggest fans of Classic Music' (like me, myself, and I) can enthusiastically enjoy with much pleasure but also it flows all nearly perfectly together and it all sounds very natural and in now way forced and artficial and this is just all damn fine with me. So HEAVATAR deliver us powerful and forward pushing Heavy Metal or Power Metal that draws inspirations from BLIND GUARDIAN as well as MANOWAR and also some HELLOWEEN and so you see that the whole Classic Music 'stuff' aside the Heavy Metal or Power Metal definitely is the order of the day and HEAVATAR also offer here and there slight flirtings with Epic Metal and also here and there maybe some (very) few Speed Metal and it also shines with a huge and sort of bombastic approach and also with very strong and also cool fresh rhythm'n'groove-work and some sort of modern tones especially to the guitars and their rhythm work so that probably also fans of bands like SERIOUS BLACK or ORDEN OGAN should definitely become instantly fans of HEAVATAR, hm, and just to mention it the songs are also structured very rousing and arranged in a damn strong hymnal way with a bit of medieval marks and 'folkloristic' elements in it all and even sweetest female co-lead-vocals are worked in it in an amazing strong way at one part. And don't get any wrong impressions because even with clear to notice and proudly shown influences (like with the honestly very good MANOWAR cover "METAL DAZE", not that it comes any close to the original but who would have thought or even expected that) HEAVATAR offer a pretty big and very own character and not only because of the Classic Music influences in it all but also due to a very own guitar tone, the fantastic, multifaceted, and charismatic vocals, and the general compositorial approach to put tons of huge epicness even in a four minute song. And so you may have already guessed that the songwriting is very rich, multi-layered, and like the vocals multifaceted, too, and offers a huge load of greatness to be discovered by us the listeners while at the same time it's all incredible well flowing so that you won't find any breaks or holes or blank spaces in it all, hell yeahr, and all is delivered and done by high(est) skilled musicians. The biggest trademarks are for sure the amazing lead vocals, the very diverse, heavy and yet damn melodic guitars, and the fantastic drumming, all enriched by the classic orchestration and a beneath the surface power adding bass work. Pretty good and cool, mostly (at first look) Fantasy lyrics and a gorgeous and beautiful artwork we get on top of it all, yes, as well as a very sadly only semi-optimal too clinical production sound that especially takes too much power away from the drumming. If that wouldn't be my rating would probably be even a bit higher. Don't ask me for any listening advices because the whole album comes without any fillers even surely "PURPOSE OF A VIRGIN MIND" is (from my point of view) probably the biggest hit and is also meant to be exactly that. So, okay, I really think that now you should know all what you have to know about HEAVATAR's "OPUS II: THE ANNIHILATION" and I will now leave you here and now with my honest and clear recommendation(s) and so best stop thinking and just go out and get it, period.

(8,5 of 10 points)

http://heavatar.net/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

HEAVATAR - "PURPOSE OF A VIRGIN MIND" (2018, "OPUS II: THE ANNIHILATION")

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")

BEYOND THE BLACK - "LOST IN FOREVER" (2016)

BEYOND THE BLACK - "LOST IN FOREVER"
(Running time: 59:06 minutes; 13 songs)
("Universal"; CD; 2016):

Okay, next one, yes, and we've already reached 2016, so next up then will be a record-review on a 2017 release. (But don't be surprised and instead of this better be prepared when it will come up later some day the following week and not already today... feels like three record-reviews in a row could be enough for the Moment, at least for me, myself, and I ;-) ...) And this time, yes, this time it is my record-review on BEYOND THE BLACK's 2016 album "LOST IN FOREVER"; an album by a german band that was pretty much hyped even with television-commercials on regular mainstream television-channels and that saw already one or two re-releases since last year in several versions... and I don't really know why... anyway... I somehow sort of loved and love the title track "LOST IN FOREVER" and so last year when my girfriend and I were on a nice roadtrip and I saw it in a media-store for a very low price I took it with me, in parts because I thought I wanted to have that title track and 3,50 Euros were absolutely okay for this, and also in parts as sort of a "musical-souvenir"  of that mentioned roadtrip. But with saying that I was also curious about the Album anyhow. So, okay, how did it finally turned out? Well, we'll see... Okay, this is female fronted Symphonic Metal (it's definitely NOT Heavy Metal and I would also not call it Gothic Metal anyhow) in the tradition of a megaselling band like NIGHTWISH, so expect bombastic and pompous arrangements and corny melodies and symphonic lines, and sort of "cheesingly" overpacked and overloaded songs with the clear sung female lead vocals as the centre point; yes, it sounds pretty clichee, and yes, it is pretty clichee. And I am totally not in the target group of this band and album... but with that out of the way the title track "LOST IN FOREVER" convinces with much force and a full throttle rocking Heavy Metal approach to it all, "HALO IN THE DARK" really gives room for the lead vocals to shine bright and offers also a really strong done change in pace and tone, and "BEAUTIFUL LIES" shines with a pretty strong tension-build-up inbetween the shared female/male lead vocals (nothing new or overly exciting, sure, but it's done really good and that's what counts at the end), while "WRITTEN IN BLOOD" and "BEYOND THE MIRROR" as incredible cheesy as this tracks are also offer  true catchy-hymn-potential and great done solo parts; and so it goes on, not over the complete distance, hell no, but surely there are strong and surprising parts on this one and BEYOND THE BLACK are surely anyhow really skilled musicians that also know how to deliver decent written songs (even horrible songs like for example "AGAINST THE WORLD" really drown in their very own "cheesyness" and in their very own overload of pseudo-being-pregnant-with-meaning-way). And or but or what else ever, btw, "BURNING IN FLAMES" is a incredible strong heavy banger of a song, first class stuff. All in all expect surprisingly pretty heavy guitars (that deliver catchy rhythmic arrangements, surely overly cheesy melodies, and honestly a big bunch of nice and strong solos), really strong and powerful female lead vocals that are honestly top notch, a for me too big load of clichee keyboard paste, and a precise rhythm section. It's all done surely skilled and highly professional, but you still get sort of the passion the band puts in their music, so yes, I think at the end of the day it's all good and fine. This album did for me what I thought it would do, even more for a low price I got a handful of good songs that really please me and the rest is, as expected, simply not my cup of tea and so I've tried to be as objective as possible and yes, I think I've said all what I had to say. Last words, hm, okay, as much as I don't get all the sort of hype surrounding this band and album I really even more don't get all the hate that I often see being spitted on this band and album. I mean, if you don't like it, well, all okay with it, just don't listen to it or care about it or what ever, but why hate it, and at the end of the day with all respect towards the artists this is surely good done stuff, even it's just not "my stuff". Fans of Symphonic Metal will probably love it, other than that I don't know... but who cares, if you are interested in NIGHTWISH inspired female fronted Symphonic Metal (even maybe just as your secret guilty pleasure) give it a try (especially when you see it somewhere for a low price like I did), okay, my personal taste aside this is at least a solid one (to say more I am simply not familiar enough with Symphonic Metal), personal taste not aside it's often far too clichee and cheesy for me but somehow it anyhow remains a solid one, yes, and now I'm out. Ah, I'm mostly out, but before I forget just let me finish with saying that we also get a beautiful atmospheric artwork, nicely vayring lyrics, and a fat, widescreen production-sound on top of it all. Yes, and now I'm out.

(6 of 10 points)

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

BEYOND THE BLACK - "LOST IN FOREVER" (2016, "LOST IN FOREVER")