Out Of the Beyond 17

Dragonlord: Rapture

Dragonlord is the symphonic black metal side-project featuring Eric Peterson (Testament), Steve Smyth (Forbidden) and Steve DiGigorio (Sadus/Death). Peterson's voice is excellent he squeals, shrieks and roars like Shagrath and his and Smyth's guitar playing show their thrash roots but added with the atmospheric keys they create a sound more akin to Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth etc. This is good album but one can't help that it could have been a better considering the talent involved. However fans of the members bands involved will probably like this album more than their second effort which is more straight-up black metal than this effort. 7/10

Burn Halo: S/T

Buckcherry. There I said it. Burn Halo (formed by James Hart of Eighteen Visions) sound like Buckcherry, sleazy hard rock with guts and a cocksure attitude. The album has 12 tracks of full power hard rock. Hart's voice is excellent and sounds a lot like Josh Todd. The album is a lot heavier than many of their peers and the tracks are well written and it has a real American metal sound. Many will think this is not for them because of the whole 18V link but this is quite far removed from Hart's former band providing more blues based rock but with a modern twist with tracks about, drinking, partying and chicks. 7/10

Viron: Ferrum Gravis

Viron hail from Germany and play thrashy power metal. Unlike fellow countrymen Helloween, they are not prone to over the top silliness and also despite having and early Blind Guardian sound there is not a sign of a wizard. They play songs about killing, corruption, death and Moto GP, the songs are heavy and melodic. The guitar playing is excellent especially on speedsters like Liberator, Isle Of Man and Metal Ball. Frontman Alexx Stahl has a good German metal voice and actually sounds a little like Blind Guardian's Hansi Kursch. It's not relentless metal bashing though the acoustic War and the progressive final track Sniper are good for showing that the band are not a one trick pony. This is well written, arranged and performed music by a talented young band. More please. 9/10