Album number nine for the German power metallers. Back in 2016 I was scathing in my review of Tales From Beyond, which I thought was their ninth album at the time, slating it as a mid-noughties Iron Maiden tribute. Well, with new guitarist Sönke Janssen in the fold for this one, the same Germanic power metal blueprint remains firmly in place, with the same Iron Maiden influences coursing through virtually every track. Many bands use Maiden as an influence, and I can’t knock that one iota. The Irons are legend, after all. Take Sinister Light; duel guitar harmonies, soaring vocals and a thumping engine, the melodic breakdown and some shredding guitar solos. All good. Very Metal. But the Maiden influence creeps in like bindweed through an abandoned garden. Children’s Crusade steals riffs galore from Futureal, whilst the atmospheric War Of Currents, which appears to be about Edison and the light bulb, would once again sit on a latter-day Maiden album without any problem at all.
If you like your power metal, then Beast Reborn contains all the ingredients necessary. It is polished, so shiny that you can see your own face in it and comes across with a swagger and a quality that befits a band closing in on their 25th anniversary. Klaus Dirks can hold a note, and the rest of the band are tight and compact. There are certainly some epic tunes, with Revenant Of The Sea the pick. I’m not sure that the cover of Dio’s Sacred Heart does much but it’s a faithful and solid version. My biggest gripe remains the repetitive Maiden melodies. However, it’s certainly an improvement of Tales From Beyond and for that we should all be thankful. 7/10
Ladykillers: Champagne & Cocaine (Rolling Thunder Records)
The debut album from Ladykillers was called Greatest Tits. Champagne & Cocaine is the sophomore release and you’d be unsurprised to read that the three-piece hail from Texas and cite their approach as ‘Loud bikes, loud guitars, pretty women, sleazy bars’. It’s therefore also completely unsurprising that their album is 36 minutes of hard rocking, unreconstructed filthy dirty hard rock and roll which picks you up and slams you back down. Hard. The band, Kyle. B. Bellinger on guitar and vocals, Chad Montoya on bass and vocals and drummer Zach Hoop, throw down in the style of Orange Goblin, Blind Haze and Witchtripper, albeit with a slightly sludgier delivery. It certainly isn’t a bad release, but overall doesn’t really pull up any trees. 6/10
Anguish Force: Chapter 7 (Dawn Of Sadness)
Unsurprisingly this is the seventh album from Italian thrashers Anguish Force, a band known simply as Anguish from 1995 – 2003. I’m going to be blunt: the band are quite simply awful and how they have released six other albums is beyond comprehension. Routine, plodding thrash and heavy metal with a vocalist who struggles with every style he tries. Whilst they may well proclaim “heavy metal is our mission” (whatever that means), I struggled to get through this album more than once, with The Other 11 September amongst the worst songs I’ve ever heard. However, full kudos to the band for managing to cover a track by the Canadian muscle mountain Thor and make it even worse. Yes, Thunder In The Tundra, which was a bag of shit the first time round is just dire. One of the worst albums I’ve heard for years. 3/10
Wytch Hazel: II Sojorn (Bad Omen Records)
Combine the folk of Jethro Tull and the harmonies of Wishbone Ash and Thin Lizzy and you get Wytch Hazel, a four-piece from Lancaster that are fully immersed in the NWOBHM sound. Formed in 2011, this latest release is a delightfully old school sound, with a warmth and feel which will resonate with those schooled on bands such as Ash and Lizzy. Superb duel guitar work from Colin Hendra and Matt Gatley throughout transports the listener to a simpler time when music was really all about fuzzy guitars, endless jams and innovative creation.
Hendra’s drawling vocal sits perfectly in the folk edged tunes, such as Wait On The Wind, a nostalgic piece which allows you to close your eyes and drift away. There’s nothing about this release I dislike. Neil Corkery (bass) and drummer Jack Spencer play it simple and effective, and tracks such as Still We Fight, See My Demon and the thumping Slaves To The Righteous all hit the right spot. This is a great retro-soaked release. I love it. 8/10
Ladykillers: Champagne & Cocaine (Rolling Thunder Records)
The debut album from Ladykillers was called Greatest Tits. Champagne & Cocaine is the sophomore release and you’d be unsurprised to read that the three-piece hail from Texas and cite their approach as ‘Loud bikes, loud guitars, pretty women, sleazy bars’. It’s therefore also completely unsurprising that their album is 36 minutes of hard rocking, unreconstructed filthy dirty hard rock and roll which picks you up and slams you back down. Hard. The band, Kyle. B. Bellinger on guitar and vocals, Chad Montoya on bass and vocals and drummer Zach Hoop, throw down in the style of Orange Goblin, Blind Haze and Witchtripper, albeit with a slightly sludgier delivery. It certainly isn’t a bad release, but overall doesn’t really pull up any trees. 6/10
Anguish Force: Chapter 7 (Dawn Of Sadness)
Unsurprisingly this is the seventh album from Italian thrashers Anguish Force, a band known simply as Anguish from 1995 – 2003. I’m going to be blunt: the band are quite simply awful and how they have released six other albums is beyond comprehension. Routine, plodding thrash and heavy metal with a vocalist who struggles with every style he tries. Whilst they may well proclaim “heavy metal is our mission” (whatever that means), I struggled to get through this album more than once, with The Other 11 September amongst the worst songs I’ve ever heard. However, full kudos to the band for managing to cover a track by the Canadian muscle mountain Thor and make it even worse. Yes, Thunder In The Tundra, which was a bag of shit the first time round is just dire. One of the worst albums I’ve heard for years. 3/10
New 2020 single out now! Check it out: wytchhazel.bandcamp.com
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