Reviews

Review: SOILWORK – “Verkligheten” (2019)

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 18, 2019
Posted in: Int. News, News, Reviews. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

soilwork2018c

Review by David Araneda

Artist: SOILWORK
Album: “Verkligheten”
Release Date: 11th January 2019
Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Tracklist:
01. Verkligheten
02. Arrival
03. Bleeder Despoiler
04. Full Moon Shoals
05. The Nurturing Glance
06. When the Universe Spoke
07. Stålfågel
08. The Wolves Are Back in Town
09. Witan
10. The Ageless Whisper
11. Needles and Kin (feat. Tomi Joutsen)
12. You Aquiver

soilwork - verkligheten (lp- & cd-cover)_4000px

The Swedish melodeath masters SOILWORK has just released their eleventh studio album entitled “Verkligheten” (“The Reality” in Swedish) via Nuclear Blast Records. For the fans of this band it’s been almost three and a half years without hearing new material from the them since the release of “The Ride Majestic” in 2015, excluding the compilation album “Death Resonance” from 2016. During this time some of the members of the band have remained quite busy in other successful projects such as the melodic rock band THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, who have released two studio albums in this period and will be perform in the next version of Wacken Open Air.

In addition, during this recess the drummer Dirk Verbeuren left the band after twelve years to join MEGADETH, with his young twenty-six-year-old apprentice Bastian Thusgaard coming as his replacement. Another change in the line-up of SOILWORK was the departure of bassist Markus Wibom, replaced by Taylor Nordberg. The rest of the line-up remains unchanged with Björn “Speed” Strid on vocals, Sylvain Coudret and David Andersson on guitars, along with Sven Karlsson on the keyboards. Taking into account the long gap between albums, the growing popularity of THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA and the changes in the line-up, the stakes on “Verkligheten” were quite high.

The album opens with a short but peculiar instrumental introduction called ‘Verkligheten’, marking a soft and subtle start for a record that will be full of surprises. The keyboard sound merges with the beginning of the first actual song. I’m talking about ‘Arrival’, the first single released last October as a lyric video. This track shows us SOILWORK in all its splendor, with a furious melodeath sound full of futuristic elements. The chorus is epic, mixing in an exceptional way the clean and harsh vocals of Speed. The guitar duo shreds at full speed and steals the show. A great start for this long-awaited album.

Then they strike again attack with ‘Bleeder Despoiler’, which begins in a promising way with an interesting guitar riff full of groove. However, by the time the chorus arrives the song becomes a bit too predictable and repetitive, making it one of the few tracks of the album that didn’t succeed to surprise me. ‘Full Moon Shoals’, on the other hand is a lot catchier, with an almost pop chorus in which Speed´s clean vocals predominate. The sound is closer to the metalcore, which is not my favorite metal subgenre, but in the case of SOILWORK sounds very authentic. Towards the end of the song they go nuts with a fast paced section and lots of growling.

‘The Nurturing Glance’ opens with clean guitars, developing into a melodic riff and then a hard rock bridge, culminating with a catchy trademark chorus. Both Coudret and Andersson are experts when it comes to mixing different styles of guitar playing in the same song. ‘When the Universe Spoke’ repeats the formula of intro with clean guitars, but in this case it explodes into an amazing blastbeast, full of melody but also very aggressive. It’s one of the best songs of the album in my opinion. Extra points to Bastian Thusgaard, who remains precise and synchronized with the rest of the band despite the great velocity.

‘Stålfågel’ (“Bird of Steel” in Swedish) is one of the most interesting songs on the album, as it drifts away from the classic SOILWORK sound and gets closer to what we are used to with THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA. It’s a track with a retro-futuristic atmosphere, from the eighties-like keyboard sound to its striking animated video clip. Sven Karlsson’s work on keyboards is truly inspired, creating a unique, epic and apotheotic atmosphere. As a curiosity, in the background we can hear a female guttural voice, and everything suggests that it would be Alissa White-Gluz (ARCH ENEMY), but at the moment this can’t be reliably verified online.

‘The Wolves Are Back in Town’ is a correct track but it suffers for its position in the album among more outstanding songs, remaining a little unnoticed. ‘Witan’ is a song that injects some fresh air into the record, mainly thanks to its infectious chorus, one of the most effective of the album. And that is a lot to say, since these Swedes tend to put extra-cheese in their choruses. ‘The Ageless Whisper’ begins with the soft message from a girl and a relaxed pace, only to detonate into an intense display of riffs, with plenty of changes of intensity in addition to a playful chorus, full of drama. The brief instrumental interlude with jazz-fusion bits is priceless.

‘Needles and Kin’ is another fast song, full of adrenaline and with the collaboration of Tomi Joutsen from AMORPHIS. In the growling contest the Finn takes the advantage with a deeper and more powerful voice, but Speed ​​shines with his clean voices, an area that he has been able to explore without limitations in his parallel project. The regular version of the album ends with ‘You Aquiver’, a song with an almost danceable beat, very melodic and energetic. For those loyal, collector fans, the digipack and double vinyl versions also include the EP “Underworld”, which contains three unreleased songs (‘Summerburned and Winterblown’, ‘In This Master’s Tale’ and ‘The Undying Eye’), plus the original version of ‘Needles and Kin’.

In conclusion, “Verkligheten” is an extremely dynamic album, drifting naturally between countless musical genres. The variety of styles incorporated, the quality of the musicians involved, together with those catchy melodic choruses, make SOILWORK an extremely attractive band for those who keep their minds open to a musical experience beyond any expectations. Without reinventing the wheel, these Swedes have managed to mix the ingredients in the right way to come up with an entertaining album that will generate a lot of noise during this year. It probably will not be the favorite record for old-school or more traditional metal fans, but one would assume that they are not keeping track of this band anymore.

Rating: 8/10.

SOILWORK – “Verkligheten” videos:

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ACCEPT: Wacken Performance Review From Fan Perspective

Posted by aliblackdiamond on August 18, 2017
Posted in: Live Report, Reviews. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

Review By Martin Curtis
Arrangement By Alison Booth

Accept Wacken Crowd Shot 2

Heavy metal giants ACCEPT recently performed at Wacken Open Air’s “Night To Remember” in front of 85,000+ fans. One of the crowd was long time English ACCEPT fan Martin Curtis, who kindly reviewed the show for us at Metal Shock Finland:

As a festival, Wacken is second to none. One of the reasons for going is because the organisers have an innate ability to make shows special, so that you feel privileged to have been there. In recent years, I have seen them do this with Doro and with Saxon, but this year’s Accept show was arguably the best yet.

Accept Wacken Stage

Accept are a band that are on an absolute high at the moment – and I am old enough to remember the Udo years. Their song writing is first class, Mark Tornillo is a vocalist with a great sound and immense energy and Wolf Hoffmann is a legend who seems to be enjoying himself more than ever. It is true that you get that combination from any show, but throw in an orchestrated set and the pleasure of seeing Wolf playing stuff from his excellent classical albums and you get some thing to be relished, all made better by that very special Wacken crowd that were lapping up every minute.

Afterwards, there was talk that the classical set was too long, or that the orchestrated set lost a bit of excitement; I disagree but, anyway, who cares?

I could write a track by track, minute by minute analysis, but that is not my style. Anyway, that is not what I will remember. My lasting memory will be of seeing a unique set by a band that are on an absolute high and at one of the world’s great festivals.

Accept Wolf Wacken Stage Shot

Photos from the official ACCEPT YouTube footage.

Review: SCAR OF THE SUN “In Flood” (2016)

Posted by aliblackdiamond on July 28, 2017
Posted in: Reviews. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

Review By Alison Booth

Artist: SCAR OF THE SUN
Album: “In Flood”
Label: Scarlet Records
Release Date: 20th May 2016

Tracklist:

1. Among Waters And Giants
2. An Ill-Fated Wonder
3. Versus The World
4. Sand
5. The Truth About The Lies
6. Enemies Of Reason
7. Walking In My Shoes
8. The Raid
9. In Flood
10. The Ghost Peril

Athens based modern metal band SCAR OF THE SUN formed in London back in 2005. Their first album “A Series Of Unfortunate Concurrencies” was released in 2011 under the production of Rhys Fulber (FEAR FACTORY, PARADISE LOST, MACHINE HEAD).

Even though the five-piece band’s second album “In Flood” was released last year, I only discovered it following their appearance as special guests on FIREWIND‘s UK “Immortals” tour, in February of this year. So impressed by SCAR OF THE SUN‘s performance in Sheffield, I contacted the band to find out more and here we are!

Recorded at the band’s own Zero Gravity Studios in Athens and engineered by vocalist Terry, “In Flood” kicks off its ten tracks with an enormous sense of atmosphere, followed by the hard hitting guitar riffs of ‘Among Waters And Giants’, setting the tone for the next 52 minutes. Terry‘s strong vocals are full of expression, altering between clean and more aggressive tones.

When it comes to the second track ‘An Ill-Fated Wonder’, I could literally listen to it time and again! From the stunning legato intro to the intensely catchy chorus along with the solid rhythm section, completed by so many different layers of sound, this is one of my favourites. Sensational!

The fast pace continues with ‘Versus The World’, not letting up for a second. SCAR OF THE SUN are hugely talented at composing the most soul grasping melodies and riffs, which flow so eloquently throughout the entire album. Slowing down a little with the thought-provoking ‘Sand’, bursting with ambience – another album highlight.

An aural shot of power takes the listener to the album’s shortest song at 3.26, ‘The Truth About The Lies’. This particularly showcases how tight and precise these musicians are, brilliant! FIREWIND‘s Bob Katsionis plays keyboards on ‘Enemies Of Reason’, enriching the flow of the song magnificently. The guitar outro is a perfect ending with a classic feel, that Schecter sings!

A surprise cover of English electronic pop giants DEPECHE MODE‘s ‘Walking In My Shoes’ works remarkably well. SCAR OF THE SUN have taken an enormously popular song and paid it the biggest compliment by retaining its essence, yet making it their own by giving it a complete metal makeover.

‘The Raid’ is quite a haunting track, the emotive music ebbs and flows throughout, leading on to the album title track ‘In Flood’. A true force of nature, this anthemic song is full of power but with a melancholic vibe. Yet it gives an overriding sense of hope and strength, especially with this part of the chorus: “Tear me down, my will you can’t subdue. I’ll survive and I’ll learn to pretend.” First-class and another favourite.

Bonus track ‘The Ghost Peril’ with more haunting melodies, completes “In Flood” perfectly. Under the band’s own and Rhys Fulber‘s production, “In Flood” is a splendid piece of work. SCAR OF THE SUN have developed and created their own totally unique sound in the world of metal, consisiting of complex modern elements which stand on their own, with no comparisons needed. The band impose no limits on their creativity and I love the fact that they are not afraid to experiment with ideas. They are currently working on album number three and I’m eager to experience the next chapter of SCAR OF THE SUN! Keep an eye on these guys, I’m looking forward to seeing them get the recognition they deserve and seeing them performing for fans around the world. I’ve listened to more bands than I can mention over the years and it takes a very special one to achieve the highest rating and be my top driving music!

Rating: 10/10

SCAR OF THE SUN are:

Terry Nikas – Vocals

Alexi Charalampous – Guitars

Greg Eleftheriou – Guitars

Panagiotis Gatsopoulos – Bass

Thanos Pappas – Drums

 

More information on SCAR OF THE SUN:

Official Website

Official Facebook Page

YouTube

Twitter

 

Review: JETSET ROYALS “Jetset Royals” (2017)

Posted by tarjavirmakari on July 14, 2017
Posted in: Int. News, Reviews. Tagged: . Leave a comment

JetSetRoyals-cover

Review by T.A. Hopkins

Artist: JETSET ROYALS
Album: “Jetset Royals”
Label: LIONS PRIDE MUSIC
Release Date, USA: May 5, 2017
Release Date, Europe: June 30, 2017

 

Tracklist:
01. Wearing It Out
02. Ship Of Fools
03. Ballad Of A Dead Man
04. Wicked
05. The Cost
06. Like I’m Dying
07. Long Way Out
08. Take This Pain
09. Sunday Morning
10. All I’ve Got
11. Devil Cried Out
12. Plastic Peace

I have been eagerly anticipating the next phase of Keith Slack’s musical journey. After excitedly chancing upon MOTHER ROAD’s “Drive” album back in 2014, then delving into his past work with MUDPIE, STEELHOUSE LANE, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, and his 2007 solo album, “Bent, Not Broken”, I was so impressed by his vocal style, musical versatility and songwriting. In the last couple of years, Keith’s life has taken some real twists and turns. Much of it has translated into a killer collection of songs on his latest effort with guitarist Gerard Garcia and bassist Micah Denzlinger as JETSET ROYALS.

Keith is a seasoned pro at drums and vocals as well as guitar, bass, and probably a few more instruments. I’m going to have to ask him about that. But he’s not one to want to run the whole show alone. As with Keith’s solo album, Gerard Garcia (ULTRAPULL, BRAND NAME COLLISION) got on board to lend his skills, talents, and to add yet another layer of color to the mix. The guys sound like nary a day has passed since then, as if they simply picked up where they left off and kept the groove going.

The band’s debut album is a heavy alternative/classic (and more) rock trip, filling up the fuel tank in south Texas and gunning on all four barrels. It’s kinda like Stone Temple Pilots, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, and Bad Company all got together for beer, poker, and some awesome improv, and maybe Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers stopped in to play a few rounds. Musically, the band is aggressive and in your face from the get-go with songs like ‘Wearing It Out’, ‘Ship Of Fools’, and ‘Wicked’. But don’t box them up into a neat little niche, because they’ve got places to go!

A natural at writing great melodies with irresistible hooks, interwoven with genuine blood-and guts emotion, Slack delivers distinctive, dynamic, paced and powerful vocals, and his lyrics get a little abstract at times. Or maybe not: heavy, observant, and irreverent, there’s something about those lyrics that cause the listener to think more deeply and feel a camaraderie—this man gets it. That darkness, that cynicism, frustration, pain, and thumbing one’s nose at the establishment type stuff, emotions coming to a head and vented (in a more acceptable and legal way) through Rock & Roll. Garcia and Denzlinger complement his vision wonderfully, providing the grit, the sparkle, and the flow to keep this machine in top form.

‘Ballad Of A Dead Man’ could be related to in a few different ways, especially considering the recent passing of another of our generation’s musical icons. This is the track that stays in my head on a continuous loop and refuses to leave, with no complaint from me. It’s my favorite. The middle of the album gets perceptibly more autobiographic without definitive details or names. ‘The Cost’ goes from faint to frenetic, taking the listener along for the ride. They bring it down for the introspective ‘Like I’m Dying’, and ‘Long Way Out’, despite the lyrical suggestion of being in too deep, is an instant classic, its southern flair, slide guitar and golden background harmonies making it a perfect tune during a long drive on a summer day. I can almost hear Keith sneering in ‘Take This Pain’. He makes his point! ‘Sunday Morning Rain’ evolves layer by layer, from just a man and his guitar to the full Monty. ‘All I’ve Got’ has a great Bad Company classic-rock feel. All are stark contrasts to each other musically, and yet the flow of the album is never disrupted. A stiff warning is given in steel-toed, shit-kicking, spur-laden dusty boots in ‘Devil Cried Out’, and then the band goes 180 on the funky, Zeppelin-esque ‘Plastic Peace’, a hell of a way to close out the album.

I’ve spun this album for a few friends, one of whom remarked, “It sounds like they’re all over the place!” True, just about all of the songs on this one change gears considerably. But Keith did say he was a man unafraid to paint with more than one color, and that’s evident. And I DIG IT. I really do. I think it’s important for a band to explore and experiment, yet maintain a musical identity without getting stale. See where you can take a song. Stretch its corners and boundaries a little. There are no hard fast rules. This way of putting a song together was successfully done often by bands like Queen, Styx, Paul McCartney and Wings, Meat Loaf/Jim Steinman, and others in the ’70s, and it made for a real listening experience, the kind in which one could (and should) drop everything else, sit down, and devote his or her full attention to nothing else but the music (organic enhancement was optional). Even still, JETSET ROYALS’ debut is a quick road (mind) trip; the album, engineered by Dave Donnelly at DNA Mastering, moves along at a fairly fast pace and clocks in at just under 38 minutes. And I’ve been enjoying every one of them!

Bottom line, I highly recommend JETSET ROYALS as a Rock & Roll album for the masses.

Band Members:
Keith Slack: Vocals, Drums
Gerard Garcia: Guitars
Micah Denzlinger: Bass Guitar

JETSET ROYALS is available from several merchants, including Amazon, Target, and CD Baby. But since you’re already online, jump on over to their website at http://www.jetsetroyals.com or visit their page at https://www.facebook.com/jetsetroyals .

JetSetRoyals

Review: NERVOCHAOS – “Nyctophilia” (2017)

Posted by tarjavirmakari on June 11, 2017
Posted in: Int. News, Reviews. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

NervoChaos-2016

Review by Tarja Virmakari

Band: NERVOCHAOS
Album: “Nyctophilia”
Label: Greyhaze Records
Release date: 7th April, 2017

“Nyctophilia” Tracklisting:

“Moloch Rise”
“Ritualistic”
“Ad Majorem Satanae Gloriam”
“Season Of The Witchv
“Waters Of Chaos”
“The Midnight Hunter”
“Rites Of The 13 Cemeteries”
“Vampiric Cannibal Goddess”
“Stained With Blood”
“Lord Death”
“Dead End”
“World Aborted”
“Live Like Suicide”

nervochaos_nyctophilia_web

Brazilian death metal lords NERVOCHAOS (currently touring in Brazil) released their seventh studio album ‘Nyctophilia’ on April 7th via Cogumelo (in Brazil), Greyhaze (in US) and distributed by Plastic Head (in Europe). For the first time, the band recorded the album outside Brazil, spending a month in Como/Italy at the Alpha Omega Studio along with producer Alex Azzali, who also did the mixing and mastering. “Nyctophilia” is also the first album composed and recorded with the new line-up which features Lauro ‘Nightrealm’ on vocals/guitar, Cherry on guitar, Thiago ‘Anduscias’ on bass and the only remaining original member, Edu Lane on drums. The album artwork was created by a talented Brazilian artist Alcides Burn. “Nyctophilia” also features special guest vocals appearance by Sebastian L. of INTO DARKNESS and Leandro P. of R.N.S. plus one track, ‘Vampiric Cannibal Goddess’, with the guitar riffs created by Bolverk of RAGNAROK.

“Nyctophilia” is an eclectic mix of all that characterizes the band, 13 new tracks of 80s-fueled blackened extreme music, executed with the NERVOCHAOS trademark: raw, aggressive and organic style of Metal. “Nyctophilia” has a new intensity and it takes a step forward, compared to their older releases.

To be able to get into “Nyctophilia”, you better put your headphones on and let the tunes lead your senses! This is absolutely the most extreme, nasty, agressive and maniacal album I’ve heard for a long long time! “Nyctophilia” surely is the best album up to now from NERVOCHAOS, holding true to their legacy, and even more! The album creates a whole new level of the dark side! Each drum beat, rich of violent rhythms, badass guitar and bass riffs and demonical vocals enter into your mind and soul, leaving there a permanent imprint!

Even though the whole album is an outstanding piece of extreme art, I want to pick up the pearls like “Ad Majorem Satanae Gloriam”, “Ritualistic”, “Rites Of The 13 Cemeteries”, “Moloch Rise”, “Stained With Blood” and “The Midnight Hunter”, in this particular order, in which NERVOCHAOS blast you into the world of darkness, occult and black magic! It’s a one-way ticket, but trust me, you don’t really mind not returning… 😉 \m/

Rating: 9.5/10

Line-up:
Gesang/Gitarre: Lauro “Nightrealm”
Gitarre: Cherry
Bass: Thiago “Anduscias”
Drums: Edu Lane

More information at http://www.facebook.com/NervoChaos

Watch the 360° video for the song “Ritualistic”:

Just recently NERVOCHAOS concluded their Asia Tour 2017 with KRISIUN, watch the recap video below.

06.05 – Singapore (Singapore) @ Millian*
07.05 – Jakarta (Indonesia) @ Hammersonic Festival*
14.05 – Tokyo (Japan) @ Cyclone*
16.05 – Seoul (South Korea) @ Prism Hall*
17.05 – Busan (South Korea) @ Club Realize

*with KRISIUN

 

“Nyctophilia” Brasil Tour 2017 (Part 1 w/ Justabeli)

10.06 – Marilia/SP (Brasil) @ Cão Pererê
11.06 – Ribeirão Preto/SP (Brasil) @ Toca do Jack
12.06 – Campinas/SP (Brasil) @ Autorock
14.06 – Londrina/PR (Brasil) @ Cativeiro Bar
15.06 – Maringá/PR (Brasil) @ Tribus Bar
16.06 – Cascavel/PR (Brasil) @ Adega Nostra Vamos
17.06 – Foz do Iguaçu/PR (Brasil) @ TBA
18.06 – Guarapuava/PR (Brasil) @ TBA
20.06 – Joinville/SC (Brasil) @ Delinquents Bar
21.06 – Brusque/SC (Brasil) @ Rock Bar
22.06 – Fraiburgo/SC (Brasil) @ TBA
23.06 – Caxias do Sul/RS (Brasil) @ Cachacaria Sarau
24.06 – Rio Grande/RS (Brasil) @ Star Club
26.06 – São Leopoldo/RS (Brasil) @ Embaixada do Rock
27.06 – Passo Fundo/RS (Brasil) @ Claudião Drink Store
28.06 – Lages/SC (Brasil) @ Macaco Astronaut Pub
29.06 – Rio Negrinho/SC (Brasil) @ Magos Bar
30.06 – Criciuma/SC (Brasil) @ 512
01.07 – Sao Jose/SC (Brasil) @ Plataforma Rock Bar
02.07 – Curitiba/PR (Brasil) @ Blood Rock Bar
04.07 – Sorocaba/SP (Brasil) @ Sound
05.07 – Sao Jose dos Campos/SP (Brasil) @ TBA
06.07 – Araraquara/SP (Brasil) @ TBA
07.07 – Embu-Guaçu/SP (Brasil) @ Baguna Bar
08.07 – Cordeiropolis/SP (Brasil) @ Nonnalisa Music Bar
09.07 – Carapicuíba/SP (Brasil) @ Synple Pub
13.07 – Sao Paulo/SP (Brasil) @ Clash Club

Review: ACCEPT ‘The Rise Of Chaos’ Single (2017)

Posted by Stargazer on June 7, 2017
Posted in: Reviews. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

By Mohsen Stargazer Fayazi

Band: ACCEPT
Single: The Rise Of Chaos
Release Date: 2 June 2017

Label: Nuclear Blast

 

Tracklist:

1 – The Rise Of Chaos

 

 

Perfection is what should be expected from the legendary ACCEPT’s work and it has always been like that. But since 2010 when they returned to the scene with Mark Tornillo as the new vocalist, they brought more maturity to their music. ACCEPT now is wiser and more serious, both in music and lyrics! They are now proudly preparing to release their 15th studio album, “The Rise Of Chaos”, on August 4th, but to bring the flames of excitement into their fans camp, they released the title track single on June 2nd.

‘The Rise Of Chaos’ is not far from ACCEPT’s metal tradition, heavy and epic music with powerful riffs and thick sounds, which is accompanied by heart touching solos. But in this particular song they used a different structure in the verses, pre-choruses, choruses and bridges. In the verses, Mark has chosen shorter sentences with quite strong stops which match the thrashy riffs in the background. The pre-choruses seem to be longer than usual, with more old school heavy metal riffs joining the choruses, almost like a conversation between the band as a choir and Mark as the lead vocalist, something that the band used previously on the ‘Fall of the Empire’ song. The main riff in this song has a thrashy feel which is extended throughout the whole of track, inviting listeners to join in head banging.

‘The Rise Of Chaos’ is actually a great preamble, giving fans a taste of what can be expected on ACCEPT’s upcoming album. It is also another non fictional masterpiece and a very realistic comment from the band, based on the facts of what is happening in the world today!

Rating 9/10