Reviews: Von Hertzen Brothers, Nitrogods, Enforced, Elephant Tree/Lowrider (Reviews By Matt Bladen, Mike Pickett, Richard Oliver & Rich Piva)

Von Hertzen Brothers - In Murmuration (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

More environmental messages, close vocal harmonies and folky prog rock as the Von Hertzen Brothers present their ninth studio album In Murmuration. Mikko, Kie and Jonne have constantly evolved their sound over their eight previous records, initially being a band with classic prog influences, they have shifted towards shorter, punchier music which brings folk, rock, pop and electronic textures.

The brothers are from an artistic background and those familial talents filter down to the brothers, their sibling cohesion always present in their harmony vocals and song-writing prowess. In Murmuration follows on from Red Alert In The Blue Forest, a double album that was crafted in their native Finland, in isolation and warned of climate change and how human influence is detrimental to the planet ultimately.

It went on to spearhead a campaign to save forset in Finland, ultimately designating 50-heactare's of as 'The Blue Forest'. These themes continue on this new record, but this is no double record, it's out of the gates with the The propulsive The Relapse, Mikko's distinctive vocals always brilliant as he and brother Kie provide the rocky guitar riffs, that propulsion from Jonne's bass linked with Sami Kuoppamäki's drums and percussion, mainly tambourine on this one, that bottom end working well on the The Beatlesesque Tightrope Walker.

Jonne also adds the keyboard textures alongside multi-instrumentalist Markus Pajakkala, brought in to the band in 2023 after this acoustic tour, his contribution to this record is vital, the wind instruments are especially welcome on Starlings. In Murmuration is a pacey record from Starlings we get into the Celtic feeling of Ascension Day, a track that will go down well on stage due to the obvious call and response it will create. Beneath The Silver Stars is another brilliant ballad from the brothers, filled with strings and pathos while Snowstorm is dramatic penultimate track on this dynamic record.

In Murmuration continues the high quality you would want from VHB. Now one of the top melodic/prog rock bands on the scene, they have a distinct sound that continues to evolve on their ninth album. 9/10

Nitrogods - Valley Of The Gods (Massacre Records) [Mike Pickett]

Have you ever looked at a band name and album cover and just known what you were in store for? It doesn't happen to me very often, but with the latest release from Nitrogods, Valley Of The Gods, I knew it was going to be a hard-rocking, slam-a-shot-of-Jack homage to the likes of Lemmy and others who built this genre.

The songs are straightforward party tunes. It’s like a road trip playlist packed into a single album. While there aren’t any breakdowns, complex technical guitar sections, or atmospheric sounds to set the mood, there’s just a solid collection of hard-rocking songs that somehow get stuck in your head for days.

While I mainly listen to death, black, and thrash metal these days, this trio—possibly another homage to their predecessors—had me nodding along to almost every song. Now, I know not everyone can genre-hop like I can, so let me just say this: fans of Motörhead, Judas Priest, and other '80s Hard Rock and Metal should give this one a listen.

A couple of standout tracks for me are Left Lane To Memphis, the opening track, which sets the pace for the rest of the album with a great riff and simple lyrics, delivered with just enough harshness in the vocals to keep them from being called clean. Prime Time Terror also stood out, with a Judas Priest-like feel. I know referencing other bands isn’t always ideal, but in this case, it’s fitting. Don’t get me wrong—this isn’t a cover band trying to mimic the greats. Nitrogods definitely have their own sound, but you can’t help but feel a connection to those early days of hard rock and metal. Trust me, it’s a good thing! 8/10

Enforced - A Leap Into The Dark EP (Century Media Records) [Richard Oliver]

If you want aggressive thrash then look no further than Enforced. This Richmond, Virginia band have been ripping flesh and smashing skulls since 2016 with three full length albums of bludgeoning thrash which mixes in a healthy dose of crossover and hardcore punk. A Leap Into The Dark is a bit of a stop-gap release made up of six songs with three new songs, a remaster of an old one and two cover songs. 

The new material is as good as we’ve got previously with opener Betting On The End coming tearing and snarling out of the speakers with vicious thrash riffing and breaks which will bring on the biggest circle pits. The title track is a bit more of a mid-paced stomper but loses none of the ferocity whilst Deafening Heartbeats is an absolute rager with the sole intention of ensuring necks are wrecked, beer is spilled and blood is poured. 

Casket is a remaster of a song originally released in 2021 as a flexi through Decibel whilst on the covers front we get a ripping cover of Deadly Intentions by death metal legends Obituary which whilst ferocious lacks the gnarliness of the original and to finish off the band salute their hardcore and crossover roots with a cover of The Chase Is On by UK hardcore punks English Dogs. 

A Leap Into The Dark is a tidy little release. The new songs are fantastic with the band sounding absolutely on point and it is the no holds barred thrash one expects from Enforced whilst the B-side material is solid and enjoyable but unessential. 

With six songs and a running time of just under 20 minutes, A Leap Into The Dark is a short sharp release but definitely one for the hardcore fans. If you haven’t heard Enforced better (and if so why the hell not?!) then you are better off checking out one of their three killer albums but if you do enjoy this band then this will be 20 minutes well spent. 7/10

Elephant Tree/Lowrider - The Long Forever (Blues Funeral Recordings) [Rich Piva]

Split records are cool. Split records are even cooler when you get new tracks from Lowrider. Add the fact that London’s Elephant Tree have the other tracks on said split and you probably can’t go wrong, right? Well, you know you can’t because The Long Forever is seven tracks filled with all the goodness that both bands bring, three songs each, and one where they collaborate together, which makes this album even cooler.

 
If you are reading this you probably know that the Swedes from Lowrider have two classic records, released 20 years apart, a couple of splits prior to their debut release in 2000, and that is pretty much it, so four new tracks featuring the band is such a treat. Even more of a treat are how great the songs are. And The Horse You Rode In On is classic Lowrider, that stoner rock sound that the band helped to create and fortify, filled with riffs, a very heavy rhythm section, and excellent vocals. I love the production of this and the other Lowrider songs, especially the guitar tone they developed. This one should be on every stoner rock end of year playlist. 

Caldera is along the same awesome lines, with such a cool heaviness to their psych-tinged stoner stylings. I love the heavy low end and the echoed vocals, and when the band slows it down, adds the atmosphere, only to blow you away when they pick it back up with that heavy riff. Into The Grey opens with a fuzzy bassline that leads to a monster riff and a classic Lowrider track that effortlessly merges their version of stoner rock with some cool psych elements like only they can. Oh, and how they groove during the solo. So great.

The Elephant Tree tracks hang with the Lowrider ones from a quality standpoint. Fucked In The Head is out there. Drone-like psych goodness with Beatlesque harmonies and your mind being melted for over nine minutes with heavy psych guitars. That is how you do a split with Lowrider and stand out. 4 For 2 starts with a heavy bassline and a riff that seems to constantly build and pair with the echoey vocals perfectly and sounding like the animal that makes up part of their name. The title track Long Forever is similar is style and goodness, with their heavy as hell rhythm section and their version of vocal harmonies creating a third killer track out of their three offerings.

Through The Rift is labelled as Lowrider Feathering Elephant Tree and is my favourite song on the split, incorporating all of what both of these bands do best and is worth the price of admission alone.
Split records are great, especially when they are as good as this one and even more when you get new Lowrider tracks. Elephant Tree bring it here as well, but the highlight for me is Lowrider being back, which is in no way any kind of knock on the Elephant Tree tracks, it just makes this split even more awesome. 8/10

Reviews: DGM, Aries Descendant, Fate, Strangers (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

DGM - Endless (Frontiers Music Srl)

Prog bands, concept albums, I made all the comparisons in my review of Frost*’s new album, but they are intrinsically linked. Even Italian prog metal veterans have gotten in on the act. Their new album Endless is a concept album and because of this they’re able to spread their wings creatively than before, leaning more on the classic prog sounds of the 70’s there’s huge Hammond walls, acoustic interludes, harmony vocals and flute and that’s just on the first two songs! 

Endless is their 12th album and while they have been progressive metal in the past they revitalise their sound with this new record, skilfully melding classic sounds of Yes, Jethro Tull and Camel, the Italian Progressive rock sound (it’s quite a distinct thing) with the likes of Dream Theater (Blank Pages) and Symphony X, listen to Final Call for that.

Endless is a study on why? Why we do the things we do? A study on self-reflection, it’s got brooding darkness, chuggy guitars and the sounds of Opeth on The Wake, Emanuele Casali’s synths a key feature, but his flute is also, on Solitude especially, a track that sounds the most like old DGM or Symphony X without the flute in it. 

The backroom of Fabio Costantino (drums) and Andrea Arcangeli (bass) can put the pedal to the metal when required but also bring scope and expression, the drumming is a real highlight. Up front Marco Basile’s vocals are emotive and fit perfectly against the melodic playing of Simone Mularoni, a virtuoso of the highest order but never selfish with his solos. As we get towards the second half of the album, the sound moves more towards the traditional DGM prog metal.

Still with the flute, strings and 70’s prog flavours, Endless is great ride for fans of progressive music, and stands as one of the most accomplished DGm records to date. 9/10

Aries Descendant - From The Ashes Of Deceit (Frontiers Music Srl)

Aries Descendant is two men; Jonah Weingarten (keys/orchestrations) and Nicklas Sonne (vocals/guitar/bass), From The Ashes Of Deceit is their new album and it’s a sum of it’s parts, Jonah is in Pyramaze and is a composer for TV and film while Nicklas has played with Defacto, Evil Masquerade, One Machine and others. They formed Aries Descendant as a way to unify their collective vision, under the guidance of Frontiers label boss of course. The result is what you would expect, highly orchestrated, melodic prog metal that strays into thrash and classic realms.

With the industrial thud of modern movie scores (i.e Hans Zimmer, Ramin Djawadi or Ludwig Göransson) paired with heavy metal, From The Ashes Of Deceit embraces the cinematic right from the outset, it’s all very Pyramaze or Symphony X, from the huge musical vistas of Symphony Of Demise and Moira, to the Nicklas’ vocals are quite varied, he can sing clean and he can growl, sounding like Russell Allen in some places but M Shadows on Oblivion and Downfall. 

If I’m honest the orchestrations take president over the metal sound, which is no bad thing as the symphonic elements bring grandeur over some chuggy modern metal. If you love bands such as Symphony X, Evergrey, Pyramaze or post-Hail To The King A7X then From The Ashes Of Deceit will rank highly for you. 8/10

Fate - Reconnect ‘N Ignite (Frontiers Music Srl)

Fate are apparently a ‘legendary’ Danish metal band, formed in 1984 by Hank Sherman after he left Mercyful Fate, he left in 1988 with years of turmoil, it was the team of powerhouse singer Peer Johansson joined the band but it was guitar hotshot Torben Enevoldsen who revitalised the band in 2011, leading to the version we hear on Reconnect ‘N Ignite. Now I’m not sure who is who, how many members they’ve had etc but I think it’s Enevoldsen and bassist Pete Steiner who have been in the band longest, with Peer back on the mic and newbies on drums and keys, this is Fate for 2024.

Reconnect ‘N Ignite is their first studio album since 2013 and it’s very much like the Fate of old, anthemic heavy rock, almost Teutonic in its thrust, there’s a sound of bands such as Accept on Reason For Everything but with This Won’t Last they lean back on their melodic rock/AOR roots, switching between the two styles with ease. It’s not jarring though there’s muscle and sweetness here, delivered by great playing all round. 

If you’ve never heard Fate’s music before (puts hand up) I’d say this is a good place as any to start, and if you’re a longtime fan then it will be worth the wait to hear the band haven’t changed the formula too much. 7/10

Strangers - Whispers (Frontiers Music Srl)

Coming over late last week was another Frontiers release, Spanish rock band Strangers present their new EP Whispers, their debut for Frontiers, armed with new lead singer Celia Barloz, they look to move away from their three previous albums and solidify this as the band going forward. Celia has performed with the band previously as a guest/backing singer so it makes sense she takes the lead role and her voice is really good. 

She has a bluesy tone to her voice making With You feel like classic 80's hard rockers Lee Aaron, Lita Ford and others but with modernity. There's nothing world changing about this four track EP but it's got some solid rock and having Celia as the singer is definitely the right choice. 6/10

Reviews: Funeral, Frozen Crown, Carl Sentance, Arrow Valley (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Funeral - Gospel Of Bones (Season Of Mist)

One of the cornerstones of the doom metal genre, Funeral are more specifically Funeral Doom, slow, melancholic doom that is introspective and labyrinthine. From Norway they have similar musical themes to Bell Witch, Esoteric and Pantheist. You know death, loss, pain, each one of these delivered by baritone opera singer Eirik Krokfjord who replaced Sindre Nedland as the singer in 2022, his sonorous, Wagner influenced classical voice singing the words of Anders Eck, drummer and founder member.

He channels the troubled past of the band, losing members to overdose and suicide, into his music, signing to Season Of Mist in 2021, they bring their extreme style of doom to a major label and show everyone what the band are all about. Gospel Of Bones is over an hour of crushing emotion, the long drawn heavy riffs linger, down tuned and building levelling. 

The inspiration of Sabbath still there but slower, more deliberate, sadder and heavier than before, the percussive power of Eck the anchor for all of Funeral's music. Gospel Of Bones is also the first record where they have used real strings adding violinist Ingvild Johannessen to their membership, she brings Hardanger fiddle a traditional instrument that is features on the instrumental cover song adding Norwegian folk to the Funeral heaviness.

So this could be seen a transitional album for Funeral, folk, classical and metal combining with special guests in the shape of violinist Øyvind Rauset of cult Norwegian band Folque, vocalist Espen Ingierd of Beyond Dawn adds some clean vocals while Kari Ulfsnes Kleiven brings soprano voices to counterpoint the baritone. Gospel Of Bones is Eck's autobiographical catharsis, bloodletting of the highest order from one of the pioneers of funeral doom. 8/10

Frozen Crown - War Hearts (Napalm Records)

Now signed to Napalm Records, War Hearts is the fifth studio album from Italian power metal band Frozen Crown. It's also their first as a six piece having added third guitarist, 18 year old prodigy Alessia Lanzone, joinign Fabiola 'Sheena' Bellomo and Federico Mondelli in 2023. So War Hearts is more than just a label debut it's a chance for them to re-debut as this new version of the band. Having the triple guitar attack means that Federico can also add more keys to their sound, fleshing out the broad power metal sound they are trying to achieve. 

In the power metal world Italy have some of the most revered names. Though many would say Scandinavia have more, I've always been a fan of the Italian scene as they have the recommended amount of cheese in their power metal but Frozen Crown especially have classic and heavy metal influences too (Steel And Gold), it means that if you like a band such as Unleash The Archers. Like modern day Maiden, having three guitarists means that they can add some more complex riffs/melodies and like I said more keys too. 

The title is inspired by Children Of Bodom and about self improvement and overcoming adversity, the CoB influece can be heard on To Live To Die, while on Night Of The Wolf and Edge Of Reality, they have more of the blasting power metal associated with this band. Jade's vocals are tough and powerful, countered by Federico's in places, the backroom of bassist Francesco Zof and drummer Niso Tomasini, hit 100mph and don't slow too much, even with On Silver Wings and Ice Dragon they show they have power beneath the triple guitar attack. 

War Hearts re-establishes Frozen Crown's quest to bring hard hitting power metal to more around the globe. Armed with more firepower than ever, wouldn't bet against them. 8/10

Carl Sentance – Silent Angels (Carlos Records)

Current Nazareth frontman, Dario Mollo singer and former/current Persian Risk man Carl Sentance gives us his third (?) solo album. The hesitation in my writing is that Persian Risk I think is still a going concern but has perhaps transformed into Sentance’s solo project, the band he has played with on the last few Persian Risk albums and solo albums are the same so you can see why I’m confused.

Anyway it doesn’t really matter as now he’s the Nazareth singer his solo band can keep that NWOBHM/Melodic metal/heavy metal sound that’s different to the bluesy classic rock of Nazareth, check out Farewell To The King here and you’ll hear the sort of anthemic classic metal I’m talking about.

Wayne Banks’ galloping bass, Russell Gilbrook’s pounding drums (Faith) and plenty of riffs from Sentence himself basically make this a power trio but there’s additional guitars from Jay Banks and Dario Mollo, keys by collaborator/mixer/masterer Zardonic, some slide guitar and extra female vocals too on Savannah. There’s moves into AOR on the title track, a bit of hippy psych meet’s Gun-style rock on Sleep Walk as the blues visits for Pain. 

His solo albums are always a chance to experiment with various genre’s, well ones that suit his voice, but it always comes back to gutsy hard rock where his brawny scream works the best. His solo work gives Carl a way to create outside of Nazareth and the constant touring that band does. It always gives good results and Silent Angels is no different. 8/10

Arrow Valley – Embodiment (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Now over to the West Midlands and a band who owe much to the likes of Alter Bridge as well as Killswitch Engage and that whole post-grunge meets metalcore sound of 10+ years ago. You would think Arrow Valley were American from the music but the vocals give away that they’re from this side of the pond. Founded during the pandemic, Arron Turner (vocals) and Luke Hatton (guitar) released an EP in 2022 and here they are two years later with their second and a full band consisting of drummer, Mark Harris Bristow, Abbas Ali on bass and guitarist Nicky Hughes. 

Embodiment I assume is them trying to consolidate what they sound like in their new band format and while some of it works some of it doesn’t, I’d say they fair better when they play the big chunky alt rock riffs of tracks such as Why, rather than when they try to have screams a thrashing. Arrow Valley are much more effective as a band when they are in the Alter Bridge/Creed mould, Ode (I See You) working especially well. Production is D.I.Y but good throughout, Embodiment is an album from band that have bags of potential but need to work out what they want to be going forward. 6/10 

Reviews: Swallow The Sun, The Outlaw Orchestra, Never Obey Again, Red Giant (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Swallow The Sun - Shining (Century Media Records)

Shining continues the evolution of Swallow The Sun. 23 years since they appeared on the scene, they have moved from the progressive death doom sound towards a more focussed gothic style, this shift began on 2015's Songs From The North I, II & III and has continued over their last few albums. I can't really believe that a track such as Tonight Pain Believes could have featured on their early albums.

It like a lot of the album reminds me of Juha Raivio's work with Trees Of Eternity and Hallatar, both of which are tributes to his wife who tragically passed. This grief has been filtered though his song-writing for a number of years but on Shining, Juha turns his focus to disillusionment in human interactions, shifting their audio for more introspection, cleaner guitar sounds, backing electronics, the songs feeling brighter but also more direct.

Crafted to be shorter and more impactful, the way fellow death doomers such as Katatonia and Draconian have moving into the style of Amorphis, Soen and Leprous too on MelancHoly. Though there is more reliance on the gothic strains, they don't forget the death altogether though tracks such as What Have I Become featuring growled vocals.

I've seen a lot of long term fans say both good and bad things about this record, it does sound different to much of their previous albums but Swallow The Sun still maintains an emotional punch, just with a more melodic soundtrack. 8/10

The Outlaw Orchestra - La Familia (Self Released)

La Familia is the third album from The Outlaw Orchestra, based in the South Coast of the UK their songs owe a lot more to the South Coast of the USA with their rootsy country/Americana rock n roll. 

The trio have played some of the biggest classic rock festivals around, the hybrid of country and rock favoured by bands like Cadillac Three, Whiskey Myers and Blackberry Smoke, the smooth bluesy licks on Sunday Drivers, there's banjo behind the electric guitar on El Dorado and a slide guitar on Holy Ground which builds into some crunchy heavy rock.

La Familia adds more classic rock to the country influence, appealing to the metal and rock fans gained through their cover of Iron Fist. The thing is there's bands like this throughout the USA, ones who were born into the sound without just trying to emulate it, not that this lacks authenticity but I'm not sure why the UK needs a country rock band when there's plenty of Americans who are played on Planet Rock and featured in the media?

Still that's a personal thing, The Outlaw Orchestra do what they do well, authentic Southern rock from the UK's South Coast, no matter how weird that sounds to say. 7/10

Never Obey Again - The End Of An Era (Scarlet Records)

Well this is all very modern isn't it? Italian alt metal unit Never Obey Again return with their second album The End Of An Era, yeah it's very modern, heavy grooves, electronic backings and the muscular vocals of Carol. In the blurb it compares them to Evanescence, Halestorm and Linkin Park.

Those influences are all there, the clean/harsh vocals style, atmospheric synths, groove driven riffs and anthemic sing along choruses all part of the Never Obey Again soundscape. The thing is there's a load of bands that do this just as well so Never Obey Again may be lost in the mix a little. 6/10

Red Giant - Red Giant (Radio Silent Records)

Dave Simpson is something of a wizard, a guitar wizard, amassing 135, 000 followers on YouTube for his guitar tutorials and gear demos. All fine and dandy being an intenet celebrity but does that translate into him being able to do it in the context of a band? well lets find out with the self released album from Red Giant, the power trio Simpson put together alongside drummer John Joe Gaskin and bassist Carina Powell, playing songs Simpson wrote in 2020 during the lockdown and afterwards.

This is specifically a heavy blues power trio, though a heavy blues trio with nods to psych, grunge and alt rock. The latter comes on Why? and Monsters, both having emotive lyrics and fluid melodics, the choppy Don't adds the bluesing of bands such as Cream, the What You Gonna Do? an atmospheric emotive blues piece. While Tell Me has a riff similar to Monster Magnet's Space Lord, fuzzy as all hell but very similar. The guitar playing is of course fantastic on tracks such as Free Me and The Dark Of Me, but his vocals too are great, a bit like Alan Nimmo of King King, the rhythm section with plenty of groove and feel.

Away from the hordes of YouTube followers Dave Simpson can use his skills in the confines of a band, making for some modern heavy blues. 7/10

Reviews: Capilla Ardiente, Kaivs, Ghostheart Nebula, Seeds Of Mary (Reviews By Paul Hutchings & Rich Piva)

Capilla Ardiente – Where Gods Live And Men Die [Paul Hutchings]

I’ll level with you here. I’d never heard of Capilla Ardiente before this album came up for review. But as someone who is partial to a bit of epic doom, then it’s certainly a new but welcome introduction to a band who formed in Santiago, Chile, 18 years ago, and whose name translates to Burning Chapel.

This is their third album, and although it’s only four tracks, it’s a mighty 45-minutes of powerful and heavy riffs, slow crushing tempo and rolling drumming, all topped off with the enormous vocals of singer Felipe Plaza Kutzbach. That name might be familiar for the man has been in several bands including bass and vocals for Destroyer 666, guitars in Nifelheim (2013-22) as well as guitars, vocals and bass for Procession. A multi-talented musician indeed, and his performance across the songs here is impressive.

Written with the intention of compelling cinematic storytelling, Where Gods Live and Men Die closes the first chapter of the band’s journey, covered in albums Bravery, Truth and The Endless Darkness and The Siege. A tale of departure, the album deals with personal loss, wounds from the youth, disease and the need to overcome. It’s a powerful concept, and the sprawling pieces work majestically with a style that draws from bands such as Candlemass, Manowar and Hammerheart-era Bathory.

The four tracks are integral to each other, but comfortably stand alone as well. The Hands Of Fate Around My Neck is possibly the most potent, with a classic bit of traditional epic metal exploding in the final part of the song. It’s almost unexpected as one gets drawn into the overall funeral style of the band. Plenty of doom riffage remains, but the band appear to have formed their own sound and style here. 

Yes, a nod to the legends indeed, but Capilla Ardiente are certainly intent on maintaining their own approach. If you like your metal coming at you over elongated and expansive passages that flick from genre to genre whilst always maintaining a foot in the doom camp, then Where Gods Live And Men Die is one to add to the list. 8/10

Kaivs – After The Flesh (Brutal Records) [Paul Hutchings]

According to Metal Archives, Kaivs are a Roman Death Metal outfit formed in 2022. An early EP called Horrend earned a solid review, and now their debut album After the Flesh is unveiled as the band make their first appearance in these pages.

It starts very much as one might expect, with the jarring Koshercannibal. Pretty much schooled in the Old School Death Metal sound, this is HM-2 reverb with a rather tinny production; the cymbals are high in the mix and give it a sound that isn’t maybe as meaty as one might want. 

There’s a fear that the band are slipping into some kind of dark Doom fuelled track on Beyond the Autopsy, but that is quickly snuffed out with more raging cacophony, before slowing to a grisly crawl for the final few minutes. Again, the raw production providing the listener with questions and a challenging listen.

The quartet are certainly focused on what they do, with the crashing drumming of Leonardo Sastro impressing and irritating at the same time, the latter due to the horrible mix. 

At times this sounds like two bands playing across each other, which is a shame, for underneath the din appears to be the sound of a routine but enjoyable band. Enjoyable if you like Max Foam’s guttural vocals, but then again, if you aren’t a fan of Death Metal, you won’t be stopping here for long.

Lyrically it’s as you’d imagine. For Satan You Flesh For God Your Soul doesn’t really need words and pictures to explain, whilst Krushing all Altars is sadly not an ode to Mr Joule, but one of several anti-religious narratives here. It’s all decent enough, if rather routine and formulaic, but like every genre, it takes a lot to really shine these days. The constant chainsaw guitars are predictable and work well on Blooduniverses and the pulsating power of closing track Horrend, the title track from the EP – all the tracks there feature here as well.

Ultimately, if you like the Old School style of Entombed and Bolt Thrower you’ll likely enjoy After the Flesh. It’s whirling frenzy certainly isn’t desperate, just a little stale in delivery and originality. 6/10

Ghostheart Nebula - Blackshift (Meuse Music Records) [Rich Piva]

I grabbed the promo for Italian band Ghostheart Nebula for two reasons. First, I love their name. Second, the record was labeled “cosmic doom”, which certainly sounds interesting to me. I was not familiar with the band going in, so I was not aware of the death growl that makes up half of their vocals, which as I grow older, I am into less and less, but the second full length from the band, Blackshift, definitely has some very cool elements even if you lean more towards the clean vocals in your doom.

This is some heavy cosmic doom, both musically and the vocals, leaning more towards death doom. What keeps me in is the pairing with the softer female vocals and how great these guys can play. Musically this record is gigantic, just check out a track like Sunya. If you can deal with the death growls, I think you will be rewarded for sticking with the eight tracks on Blackshift. The Opal Tide opens with the haunting female vocals that really makes this record and shows quite the dichotomy with the from the bowels of hell death growls, creating a very cool battle between the two. 

Some of the tracks on Blackshift do just that; lean more towards black metal, which I am sure some people will dig but something that I can take only in small doses, like the song Naught, I. The band thrives when they leverage both vocalists and live up to that cosmic doom description, like on Infinite Mirror, which slows down to a snail’s pace and just chokes the life out of you. 

When the band leverages synths I dig it too, like on the title track. I think the issues I have with the Blackshift are around the length and the growls. The record is just under an hour and feels very long to me. While I do enjoy when we have the dual vocals, when it is just the growls it seems a bit one note, like the record loses what makes it special.

Overall, I enjoyed Blackshift in parts and in small doses. When I like it, I really did, I would say about 20 minutes worth I would go back to. But for me the death growls and the length of the record is too much for me, but you can tell the band can really play and have the passion for their work. If you dig death doom, some black mental, and female vocals to offset the growls, the new Ghostheart Nebula is for you. For me it was a bit much. 6/10

Seeds Of Mary - Love (Klonosphere Records/Season Of Mist) [Rich Piva]

French band Seeds Of Mary have a new record and it is called Love. I was not familiar with this band before, but the promo was labelled “grunge riffs” and they have an Alice In Chains cover on their Bandcamp page so what could go wrong? Well, I am not sure I get it. 

Yeah, you can tell the band likes grunge, and yeah, they have some riffs, but this one is a bit of a schmoz to me. Those who are not familiar with pro wrestling terms, it is all over the place, in the worst of Dusty finish fashion. I am not saying a band has to be a certain thing, but I am not sure what Seeds Of Mary was going for on Love.

For example, the opener sounds like an even more produced Linkin Park outtake, and that is not a compliment. The record is way too slick and lacks any direction that I can tell, and a song like New Anger is a microcosm of this idea. Parasite Paradise starts off OK, with a way more mainstream Tool vibe, or maybe The Deftones, which is probably why it doesn’t connect with me, especially with the growls kick in. 

Oh yeah, and the trumpet. The closest to grunge I get is the best track on the record, Spiral Me Down, but even my favourite track is kind of a mess. I think where I was totally out was the rapping on Insomnia. I was out after that. I tried; I really did. Even their effort of trying to do System Of A Down does AIC was a miss for me on Fire Is Bright Fire Is Clean.

I really didn’t get this. Seeds Of Mary is not for me. There is no direction on Love and nothing that I really connected with. At times was painful to listen to and I found none of the title in my experience with these ten tracks. 3/10

Reviews: Ensiferum, Feral, Sun & Sail Club, Veonity (Reviews By Zak Skane, GC, Rich Piva & Liam Williams)

Ensiferum - Winter Storm (Metal Blade Records) [Zak Skane]

Aurora opens up the album with setting the folk tone with their tried and tested Celtic instrumentation spanning from guitars strumming in folk like timbers playing some majestic melodies before the rock arrangements comes to remind of the battle to come with its pounding drums and melodic leads before we get into the bands first song of the album. 

The following track Winter Storm Vigilantes brings us into classic metal territory with it following with a classic bombastic drum fills accompanied by pounding triplet kick beats soaring through the track whilst the rhythm guitars march alongside it. The brass sections elevate the track new godly levels whilst the vocals comes in hoards ranging from the demonic war cries to godly harmonised baritone vocals that brings us tales and verse through start to finish. 

Long Cold Winter Of Sorrow And Strife brings in some Celtic tinged lead guitar melodies whilst the tempos come down a notch to help the lyrical tales come into full fruition whilst the baritone vocals come in to storm over the chorus sections like a biblical event. 

The god like sounding choruses in Father Land rain over the ravenous energies whilst the classic pedal notes riffage and sharp accurate tremolo picking hails over the track like a rain arrows before the track declines into gentle Celtic instrumentation of marching snare patterns and soulful violins. The love balled of Scars Of My Heart opens up with some green sleeves  style harpsichord arrangements before the band follow it up with some female lead vocals and flute melodies that would move the hearts of the most coldest of men. 

Other highlights on the album are The Howl which comes in with classic melodic death metal flare with the catchy lead melodies complimenting the harsh vocal with reminds me of classic in flames energy especially when the guitars are locked in thunderous fashion and The short and sweet closing track Victorious charges the album to fast paced climax with frantic double kicks and wrist snapping riffs, whilst the vocals calls for the instruction to the listener to charge with till the final bars of the song. Ensiferum keep it tried and tested yet again with their 9th studio release. 

The perfect orchestrations on tracks like Aurora, Father Land and Scars In My Heart sound like that have they been taken out of a Skyrim and Watcher style sound track whilst the metal arrangement just slice threw the mix with pounding rhythms and razor sharp guitar riffs that are accompanying the god like vocals. For fans of Children Of Bodom, Turisas and Eluveitie. 8/10

Feral - To Usurp The Thrones (Transcending Obscurity Records) [GC]

If you’re into death metal it is probably safe to say you know the record label Transcending Obscurity and if they are about to release a band from the DM Mecca Sweden you may want to sit up and pay attention, that is what I have today in the form of Feral’s latest album To Usurp The Throne. It all blasts into life with To Drain The World Of Light and you instantly know there will be fucking about with these lads, the guitars from Markus Lindahl and Sebastian Lejon are furious and full sounding but still have that disgusting scuzzy edge needed, Roger Markström’s drumming is as on point as you would expect and drives the song forward with a brutal precision and David Nilsson sound like a man possessed with a rage demon, it all adds up to create a fast and savage sounding death metal treat.

They slow down the opening on Vile Medication and mix the much lauded OSDM sound of the Florida legends of old but still has enough of the Swedish DNA to mix in and create a wonderful clash of contrasting throwback sounds that doesn’t sound like its stuck in the past, it sounds like its celebrating it and introducing it to a new era of fans, Deformed Mentality is an absolute whirlwind of horribleness in the best possible way, it starts off in such a wonderfully chaotic way and midway manages to insert the sort of groove you only really get with top quality death metal and it all meshes perfectly and creates something hectic and beautifully insane. 

Bound To The Dead just continues the onslaught and gives you no room to compose your thoughts or really prepare for what’s happening, there is no let up here and they just keep the intensity levels up to 100 with more apocalyptically sounding anger, with the The Devouring Storm they now decide to reign in the speed and show a completely different side to their sound with a slow and measure doomy influence seeping into the song which finally lets you hear just what Viktor Klingstedt adds to the whole body of the sounds. 

As the more roomy song allows for his bass to really stand out and musically this is just behemoth of a track and probably one of the stand out songs because it shows the variation they have because of course about halfway through they blast you to pieces again in glorious fashion. Spirits Without Rest is just relentless and from the second it begins it just drags you in and never lets up, the pure rage on show here is amazing and they even show a little hardcore influence too which for me is an absolute dream and it all flows seamlessly into Decimated which if I hadn’t of noticed could just have been a part of the last song anyway, it’s not and it’s another banger! 

Phantoms Of Antiquity is a bit more mid-paced, not exactly fast or slow, sort of just enough and it has all the needed ingredients to keep you interested all the way through but that’s about it really, feels like the drop of pace here is slightly misjudged? And with Soaked In Blood it’s a totally different story, its back to the dizzying pace and full throttle fury so the lull is already over and kicked right to the curb and then Into The Ashes Of History is another mix of paces and while it’s a good enough song it might be about 2 minutes longer than it needs to be unfortunately! 

It all ends well though as Stripped Of Flesh is one final blast of brilliant and brutally scuzzy death metal goodness. As expected, the mix of Transcending Obscurity and Swedish death metal has had the brilliant outcome I expected, To Usurp The Throne is everything you would want from a death metal album, its ugly and dark, melodic but insanely heavy, throws in tips to the past but never sounds boring or tired. All in all, this comes highly recommended and really is something any respecting death metal fan should love. 8/10

Sun & Sail Club - Shipwrecked (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Rich Piva]

Sun & Sail Club is the perfect intersection of stoner rock and punk rock. Back after nine years and coming at you from Heavy Psych Sounds, the new record, Shipwrecked, just rips it up non stop for twenty-three quick minutes. 

It doesn’t get much more supergroup on the stoner side, with Bob Balch of Fu Manchu on guitar, Scott Thomas Reeder of Kyuss/The Obsessed/Fireball Ministry on bass, and and Fu Manchu drummer Scott Reeder, combining for what you would expect some stoner riffs and desert grooves be generated from. What you get, however, when you add Tony Adolescent from his namesake band on vocals, is a straight-ahead puck as fuck record that starts the circle pit and doesn’t let up the entire time.

Yeah, there is a little jazz guitar on the first and last tracks, but after that it is just head splitting punk rock with Tony Adolescent’s trademark vocals and stoner rock guys playing their fastest and hardest, and oh how wonderful it is. Right off the bat, Halycon, with it’s bassline and drums starting it off, just rocks the room for just over two minutes with 80s inspired punk rock energy. Balch can do it all, and this includes some serious hardcore punk riffage, like on Torture Garden. 

I love Vector, an old school one minute ripper, and Bird Strike, that shows the amazing drumming skills of Reeder. This is not three chords simple punk. These guys can play, just like the Adolescents could back in the day, just check out tracks like The Color Of War and Drag The River (sludgy Black Flag vibes). Tony Reed, the other guy along with Balch who seems to be everywhere (thankfully), leverages his punk background on the dials, mastering this record perfectly for what it should be.

The punk rock version of me absolutely loves the new Sun & Sail Club record. To hear these stoner rock icons unleashing their inner punk rocker is so much fun, and to hear them partnered with Tony Adolescent is even more of a treat. This is a 23-minute blast of punk energy that no one expected but that everyone should check out. 8/10

Veonity – The Final Element (Scarlet Records) [Liam Williams]

Here we have The Final Element, the latest album by Swedish power metal group Veonity. This new album is the first with new singer Isak Stenvall. This band is a fine example of the power metal genre. Taking inspiration from a lot of the classic sounds of European metal that have been around since the 70's/80’s. With some very flashy guitars, fast and aggressive drums and high pitched singing. As someone who doesn’t typically listen to much power metal, they sound to me like a cross between Iron Maiden and Dragonforce.

The album starts with Premonition. A nice little intro track that gives you a small taste of what to expect from the rest of the album that follows. Some symphonic gang vocals along with some synth, guitars and drums. From then on, it’s all action and no slowing down!

There’s really not a lot I can say about the other tracks. They all follow roughly the same song structure throughout, with the last track, The Fifth Element, being the only big exception. My favourite part of power metal has always been the guitars and this album is full of some really great riffs and solos, with the addition of duel guitars in some parts too, which has always been one of my favourite sounds to hear in rock and metal music. There’s some really great drumming throughout too which helps to keep the pace of the album flowing pretty smoothly from start to finish. 

The vocals are great but it’s not exactly my kind of thing. But I’m sure others will enjoy it. There’s a couple of songs which has the iconic key change for the final chorus which I’ve always thought was a bit cheesy and unnecessary, but to each their own. My favourite tracks are Carry On and Powerstone. These tracks have some really cool riffs and, despite what I’ve just said about the vocals, I actually quite enjoyed the choruses in these 2 tracks. Very catchy, very well done!

A really great album if you’re into power metal. The tracks are well written and performed and the mix is pretty solid. Everyone in the band gives their best performance and it’s a lot of fun to listen to! 8/10

Reviews: Planet Of Zeus, Speedrush, Bad Contact, Powercross (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Planet Of Zeus – Afterlife (IHaveADrum Records)

On their sixth album Afterlife, Planet Of Zeus seems to be in a much more reflective mood than before. Possibly due to the fact that they were unable to really tour their last album, 2019's Faith In Physics, these veteran road dogs, decided to look at themselves for new material, using writing and recording as a way to discover some universal truths about themselves and the world at large.

Or something like that Planet Of Zeus have always used science, philosophy and their own liberal ideology in their music, the punky, political band are perhaps smarter than your average stoners, the cover of this album, which resembles a amphorae painting should hint to how the likes of Plato and Socrates are sprinkled in the lyrics and concepts as are Dostoevsky and Hesse, it's all about the search for higher purpose and through turmoil and triumphs in their personal lives Planet Of Zeus seem locked into it than before.

Afterlife is perhaps more mature than previous albums, leaning into the darker brooding sounds of modern QOTSA on State Of Non Existence and the fuzzy thump of Baptized In His Death The Vixen and The Song You Misunderstand both have the wooziness of Monster Magnet, as Step On, Skin Off is built on Giannis' bass and feels like The Subways.

This song and the punky No Ordinary Life are Planet Of Zeus of old, Babis rallying with his shouts and guitar stabs as Stelios backs him with both guitar and vocals. Let's Call It Even drives forward with Serafeim's drums and more QOTSA thumping. There's variation on Afterlife, when they slow down they take on the form of Mr Homme's more studied modern songwriting but they still have a lot of their own stoner punk about them.

More mature but no less vicious, the pack is definitely back. 8/10

Speedrush - Division Mortality (Jawbreaker Records)

A long time coming Speedrush follow up their 2017 debut Endless War with new record Division Mortality. These Greeks are speed metal, razor sharp, blistering speed metal which has NWOBHM and thrash influences. Sounding more American than European, they rip and tear with the ferocity of Exciter, Razor or Agent Steel but have added to their sound with some more melodic moments that are more like thrashers such as Kreator or Overkill.

There's little let up, the pace established by instrumental title track. It's all fast, furious and raw, from the "captured live" production to the rough vocals, some of those melodic flourishes coming on the middle solo section of Divine Damnation. For thrashers and speedsters that like their music tough and vicious, Division Mortality will get repeated plays. 7/10

Bad Contact - Eightball (Self Released)

Although they are form Athens, Bad Contact have named their album of Thessaloniki's premier rock club/venue Eightball. A dive bar where some of the best have played, it encompasses the 80's metal aesthetic as much as Bad Contact themselves do. If I'm wrong about where they got the title from I'm happy to be corrected but the music is steeped in classic heavy metal.

Though it opens with a weird synthy instrumental called Infinity, leaving Not Afraid as the first first song proper and it's definitely retro with worship that reminds me of both the NWOBHM and AOR scenes. In fact Eightball fits ideally into the current wave of retro heavy metal bands, similar to Unto Others for instance. Only formed in 2022, they have emerged fully formed with 37 minutes of music that will show you what they do. 

A bit of Cirith Ungol, a bit of Warlord and some Dio too, Bad Contact brings classic heavy rock vibes but a bit of drama. 7/10

Powercross - The Lost Empire (Elevate Records)

Formed in Athens in 2022, Powercross are a power metal band, initially just two friends it's Spiros Rizos (guitar) who continues to lead the band in 2024. With John Britsas (vocals), Vaggelis Kaliviotis (bass) and Stelios Pepinidis (drums) making up the rest of the band. If I'm making comparisons PowerCross mix Hammerfall, Stratovarius (Nightlight), keys/orchestrations sit below the surface, though not on The Lost Empire but the guitars are shreddy and feel like Firewind and Dio on Circle Of Fire.

Rizos' guitar playing is very central to the sound of the band, even with Rizos being on his own, he plays plenty of dual harmonies but his shredding is where Powercross impress the most, especially on tracks such as Eternity. The rest of the band don't hang around though the rhythm section keeps things fast and frenzied, keeping to the thrash/speed metal pattern they establish very quickly. 

Vocally John has the sort of voice you would expect from a power metal band, powerful but with that European enunciation. So Powercross are a great Greek power metal band for fans of Firewind definitely. 7/10

Reviews: Dawnwalker By Matt Bladen

Dawnwalker - The Unknowing (Self Released)

Like fellow avant-garde experimentalists in heavy music Dawnwalker are less a band and more of a collective. Like the fantastic Crippled Black Phoenix, which is the creative expression of Justin Greaves, Dawnwalker really is centred around Mark Norgate (vocals/guitar/keyboards) with a revolving membership. This means that every album has something different about it, a new string to to the bow, different nuances and feelings conveyed in different ways. 

With a brand new line up of members coming from Pupil Slicer, Malefice and Lure In/Deathbloom, Dawnwalker's sixth album is their most progressive to date, the focus on analogue equipment, no click tracks, playing together in as natural way as possible, the engineers capturing the band as they sound on stage. Special guests from Ashenspire and Pijn and recording in different studios like musical nomads, take them closer in spirit and in music to CBP than before. 

This is no bad thing, as I love CBP and I've always really rated what Dawnwalker do as a band, across 12 years and five albums they have defined themselves against pigeonholes Norgate has navigated the band from studio project to physical entity, never doing the same thing twice while always keeping a vein of familiarity. On The Unknowing they have settled on a concept around our search for belonging, existential stuff that's brought into the real life by some brilliant musical textures. 

Alongside Norgate for this journey are Luke Fabian on bass, Chris J. Allan on drums, flautist Bella Band, and vocalist Sofia Sourianou, who serves as a haunting counterpoint, and provides native Greek melodies on the Spectral Mirrorpool, again making it comparable to CBP's use of multiple voices. There's more too it though, influences of bands such as Anthema (Sword Of Spirit/Novus Homo) and Porcupine Tree (Capricorn) are very strong, Dawnwalker's post-metal beginnings fading with the expressive, progressive but concise songs that deliver what they need too in under five minutes. 

It feels a bit happier, maybe than previous albums perhaps inspired by the goth pop of tour mates healthyliving, the instrumentations are brighter and the concise runtimes make for an immediate experience. With lyrics that are far reaching into the grandest of themes, the repeating lilt of Thema Mundi creates a link though the whole record, Heaven And Earth brings the slow motion build of CBP with classic prog too while the flutes are put to good use on Cancer (Rising).

You can probably tell that I liked Dawnwalker's sixth album, it's got masses amounts of the musical styles I adore, but yet still much more to discover, an album you need to play several times to really get your brain engaged to. The Unknowing shows that this shift towards proggier realms was well justified and executed brilliantly. There is no wonder that this will get full marks as it's stunning. 10/10

A View From The Quest: Power Metal Quest Fest 2024 (Live Review By Matt Bladen)

Power Metal Quest Fest 2024, The Asylum, Birmingham, 12.10.24

Yet another quest to the birth place of heavy metal was about to begin. Elves, warriors, orcs and all manner of heroes combined at The Asylum in Birmingham for another day of the best Power/Symphonic/Prog metal bands around.

Another superb line up featuring bands who have never or have rarely played the UK alongside some bands from this country that should be getting more accolades than they do, it was into the venue at 12 for the 1pm kick off. PMQF has become a staple in my gig/fest calendar due to the quality of the bands, the people and the staff. It’s well run, in a great venue with enough space, for this year at least (more on that later) and everyone is just there to enjoy the cheesy heavy metal fun that comes from power metal and it’s subsidiaries.

As the hordes descended upon the stage, the merch, the bar, there was a sigh of relief when the first band took to the stage to kick of this most festive of festivals. Band number one was Hanowar (9) a tribute to some other American band with a similar name, Hanowar stormed the stage like they were the real thing.

Having seen Manowar, Hanowar are louder, rowdier, move more and have more theatrics in their music, the only other band that come near are of course the legendary Womanowar, who's Erica Had’ems (aka Dakesis' Gemma Lawler) took to the stage for a duet version of Battle Hymns, that put to death anyone believed in false metal and made sure all of the wimps and posers left the hall.

Hanowar are brilliantly bonkers, their interpretations full of skits, fireworks and out of time clapping, played with tongue so firmly in cheek it poked a hole through and they get special kudos for changing THAT lyric in Hail And Kill to something more appropriate.

In blaze of fire smoke and inflatable swords they were gone and the scene had been set for another epic battle. Any band that had to follow that would have their work cut out for them but happily Tales Of Time (7) have enough songs to capture the attention of an audience who were as giddy as a kid on sherbet.

Operatic, progressive symphonic metal with the poppy undercurrent that brought the feeling of Nightwish/Epica/Within Temptation and Lacuna Coil. Using their set as a way to perform the multiple singles they have released it all nodes very well for any future album releases. Anna Maria's vocals are especially a highlight live so her decision post PMQF to step down as the vocalist of Pirate Queen is more than justified as Tales Of Time have a lot more potential.

Speaking of potential, there's probably very few in the UK who will have seen Lycanthro (7), coming all the way from the Great White North of Ottawa Canada this heavy power metal band play the sort of thrashy heavy metal that the North America was built on, bands such as Jag Panzer, Helstar, Vicious Rumours etc are all clear influences of their biting heavy metal. Obsessed with werewolves/horror and things that go bump in the night, while I didn't see any Chinese menus in their hand, these Werewolves of Canada won a lot of new fans in Birmingham.

Next came a band who I discovered at Bloodstock earlier this year, 'the earl grey tea time' of the day (their words not mine), Awake By Design (8) brought a more studious and adult sound similar to romantically inclined and heavy thinking bands such as Kamelot and Serenity. Keys and guitars interplayed with some emotional vocals, the forward march of the quest interrupted by this gothic moment. More towards the progressive side of Quest Fest, they stood in last minute for Dendera and fit the bill better in my opinion as they put the progressive with the anthemic.

Back on more familiar territory with Italian neo classical power metal. Maybe baroque metal if you will as Winterage (8) took to the stage, a band who play symphonic metal with violin as a prominent instrument. Complex arrangements, Italian Renaissance inspired stage outfits they dressed to impress and the music was just as impressive. 

Masters of the theatrical their songs are longer and have more complexity, linking them to Awake By Design before but they also have folk influences similar to the much missed Falconer and the use of violin gives vigour and vibrancy. It was also their singer’s birthday so things stopped a little to celebrate but they managed to recapture the attention until the end of their set.

Their own shows must be a theatrical treat, and speaking of theatrics the band many wanted to see arrived in the shape of Dragony (8). What is a power metal festival without dragons huh? There was plenty last year and at previous events but 2024 was a little dragon sparse.

Dragony are a band who merge songs about dragons with historical fantasy playing songs from their great new album that had only been out a day. Now these songs were great but possibly a little too new for the fa s to really enjoy but the classics from their previous records getting a bigger reaction.

Fighting with adversity as their bassist was unwell so couldn't make the trip from Austria they do get bonus points for being the first band to have a Keytar at the 2024 addition something else there was a distinct lack of since last year. Dragony lived up to their billing on this show with the most 'traditional' power metal sound on the bill.

There was more non-traditional metal instruments as Skiltron (7) took to the stage with the inclusion of bagpipes, more divisive than Marmite, Skiltron use them better than most but if you don't like them I'm your music then you will soon leaving as they are integral to Skiltron's sound. Now I'm not the biggest fan of the folk metal sound especially bagpipes but I enjoyed the energy Skiltron have and their previous frontman coming back into the fold added something more to their show.

Then it was time to unfold the board, get out the D12 or D20 and stride forth into the finale quest of the day. Expected to be the most epic yet, we are brought into the world of the Twilight Kingdoms by the exquisite fantasy metal of Twilight Force (9). 

Having recently dropped three members it was a brand new guitar line up that took to the stage first, dressed in the LARP-style outfits, the most recent members Galyn (Galen Stapley- guitar), Bramley Underhall (Bradley Hall – guitar) and Xandor (Alex Miles – bass) took to the stage alongside drummer De’Azsh (Isak Olsson) and band leader/keyboardist Blackwald (Daniel Beckman to start off the show with Dawn Of The Dragonstar, as they powered into the opening triumphal riff, Allyon (Alessandro Conti) arrived resplendent in his armour and opened up his ear piercing vocals.

Typical of the Italian power metal sound of Rhapsody and also of the Michael Kiske highs in Helloween (he’s also singer in Trick Or Treat), Conti’s voice is superb as a clarion call to all the adventures of Birmingham. Played out like a live action D&D session set to music, there was no way I could complain about the lack of dragons in this one as every other song seemed to feature a mention of them. 

Much like Dragony, Twilight Force are the sort of band you think of when you hear power metal and with storytelling between the songs, those helium vocals, lighting guitar solos, symphonics and orchestral, the audience lapped it up with inflatable swords high in the air, as was an inflatable dragon on Flight Of The Sapphire Dragon. Even a string breaking part way through the show couldn’t stop them as the PMQF crew made sure they smashed this quick time event and got Galyn back out in front of the crowd.

By the time Power Of The Ancient Force had rung out it was time to end and there was a massive high throughout the venue as this year’s quest came to a triumphant end. The atmosphere was joyous and welcoming once again, PMQF continues to be the most passionate and accepting crowds. The ethos that Amie and the entire PMQF team have cultivated deserves all the plaudits it gets, this is quite niche genre of the metal scene one that is underappreciated. To continue this festival through pandemics, line-up changes and now wildly uncertain live music scene can only be commended. 

Looking it ahead to 2025, it seems that any fears of the support tapering off can be put to bed as the now rebranded Quest Fest, will be taking place in KK’s Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, I cannot wait to see who they get to fill that now hallowed hall!

A View From The Back Of The Room: One Ok Rock (Live Review By SJ)

One OK Rock, OVO Wembley, London, 11.10.24

Considering this is the first time One OK Rock (9) have played at OVO Wembley London, they definitely are used to putting on an emotionally evocative show full of unexpected events (stay tuned to find out more). Which isn’t surprising as they’ve been touring for over 10 years, slowly conquering the rock world.

To warm the crowd up, they played an intro video which was sprinkled with inspirational phrases about living life to the fullest and taking the opportunity to tell the people you care about, that you love them. Which melded seamlessly into the ethos of One OK Rocks' lyrics.

They teased the crowd by showcasing their skills from the start, initially from the instrumentals with Tomoya the drums, Toru on the guitar and Ryota on the bass. Taka then made is vocal debut of the night with "They'll conquer us if we divide. I know I will listen to you" from their latest single Delusional, making the crowd roar and giving me goosebumps. They then performed Deeper Deeper, Taking Off and Save Yourself where Tomoya performed an insane drum solo.

One OK Rock then took the opportunity to give they're thanks to their fans and expressed that they never dreamed they would be able to perform in front of so many people in London. Tomoya also made the crowd laugh by telling us he loves a "Cheeky Nando's, Heinz Baked Beans and Ed Sheeran" - foreshadowing much? Taka followed this up by stating that they've been in London for 3 days filming their new MV for their upcoming album, to be released in 2025.

After performing a few more fan favourites such as, Make It Out Alive and Renegades, Taka took an emotional stance. Sharing that their old company would tell them that they can't tour outside Japan and One OK Rock told them to "fuck off, there are no limits" and that they have made many friends across the world.

Just Toro and Taka remained on stage with the acoustics slowly playing in the background as Taka announced "Please welcome Ed Sheeran to the stage" I thought this was a joke. But Ed walked on with his guitar joining Taka in singing Wherever You Are. Ed joined Taka in singing in both Japanese and English. The shock was still there as Ed left the stage as it all happened so quickly. I didn't really take it in as it was so unexpected. This was swiftly followed by Take What You Want by Taka and Toru still in acoustics.

Taka then came to the front of the stage and sat down. Looking at us all. Really taking it in. I'm sure I seen some tears on his face. Then proceeded to belt out "Silence strikes like a hurricane, I'm singing for you." Kicking into the rock version of the same song, Take What You Want, breaking out from the acoustics.

Taka then shared with us that the new album will be hard rock and roll and spoke to us in Japanese. Expressing that even with different cultures and languages we have the same passion and spirit with music. It's the music that's the most peaceful thing in the world. So, the next album, talks about peace. They want to change the world into a more peaceful one.

From a technical standpoint, the visual graphics were outstanding, the best I have seen. They had a mixture of pictures, lyrics and funky shapes aligning to the songs that were being played. Sometimes it overlayed the live camera, blending the digital art and live feed. 

They also displayed some of the lyrics in the background for a few songs in both English and Japanese. Which was echoed in the vocals as Taka sang in English and Japanese for certain sections. The lighting really elevated each song and was crafted carefully to match the tone of each song. Some of the crowd had their light sticks, which syncs up to the lights on stage and creates a wave of colour in the crowd. Almost like a sea of fireflies mimicking the music, allowing the crowd to be part of the performance.

After this section the artists took a much-needed quick break whilst the screens introduced their avatars. I personally did find this section a bit cheesy and the visuals of their avatars didn't seem polished. The same expressions on the avatars kept repeating, eliciting a feeling of watching a children's cartoon... I'm not confident this is the best direction for the group but I appreciate the attempt at being innovative.

They then came back with "One step at a time, no matter how long it takes...", the song that got me hooked on One OK Rock to begin with, Prove. Followed by Neon Lights, We Are and Stand Out Fit In.

The avatars came on to ask if we wanted to be part of their MV. So, we had the once in the life time opportunity to hear their new song and be part of their MV! I can feel the hard rock and roll routes in We All Matter and I look forward to hearing it again in their new album.

Finally ending the night on Wasted Nights "Don't be afraid to dive. Be afraid that you didn't try. These moments remind us why. We're here, we're so alive." Reminding us to live like we're immortal for tonight because by this time tomorrow we will be talking about tonight. No more wasted nights, be present.