Yes! Yes! And yet more Yes! In a year that's given us some top quality melodic power metal, most recently Stratovarius, Germans Terra Atlantica have set sail to glory with their third full length album Beyond The Borders. It's a concept album set in the year 1848, 20 years after their previous album The Age Of Steam, most of the record takes place at sea with plenty of steampunk, and swashbuckling elements. As The British Empire have been defeated, the fight for power is on, driven by neo-classical, symphonic metal that takes the style of Serenity who do historical fantasy very well.
Beyond The Borders is pitched as musical journey so the first track is an instrumental overture that features all of the elements of what's to come, big orchestral swells and piano are prominent on this record, sitting alongside the guitars and vocals, Alex Hunzinger is the man behind them and they get a life of their own on the more epic encounters, taking things from being impressive to downright magisterial. Tristan Harders' vocals are spot on to tell these tales, joined by Khatarina Stahl, Anders Sköld, Joan Pabon and Hunzinger for a more rounded, theatrical vocal performance.
He is also half of the guitar duo with David Wieczorek, who takes the leads and adds a 'Spinal Tap' moment to The Great Escape as it has Mozart's Piano Sonata No 11 In A (Alle Turca) in the middle of it. The guitar playing is fantastic here, right across the board it's hard to find fault, the same can be said about the propulsive, dexterous bass playing of Julian Prüfer which gets this engine moving from the opening salvo of The Scarlet Banners aided by the piston powered drumming from Nico Hauschildt. They make a remarkably potent rhythm section, adept to the storming power metal numbers and the slower more emotive balladry.
The Scarlet Banners is a progressive opener shifting styles a few times as we set scene for war, the dramatic Far From Alive fuses symphonic metal with some Gilbert & Sullivan nautical adventuring, shifting into the galloping title track and the folksy Sun Of Pontevedra which gives some massive Blind Guardian sound before we go back to musical territory on the duet ballad Just One Look which edges into Disney, but that's not a bad thing at all. With the schmaltz out of the way we get back to blazing Teutonic metal on Hellfire, the blasting drums relentless here as the war gets tasty. A brief rest bite comes with the jaunty Pirate Bay which owes as much to Helloween as it does to the countless Pirate Metal bands, even giving us a bit of sax appeal and privateer jazz.
The final two tracks though with the classical influence reminds me heavily of Trans Siberian Orchestra, a band I love with every fibre of my being. In fact listening to Beyond The Borders I'm reminded of my love for bands such as TSO, Savatage and Avantasia as well as Serenity and Kamelot. It'll will certainly be on my album of the year list! 10/10
Band Of Spice - How We Play The Game (Scarlet Records) [Rich Piva]
Band Of Spice is the aptly named musical adventure by the stoner rock legend Spice, former front man of the incredible Spiritual Beggars and some other very cool groups. Band Of Spice is a nice continuation of what Spice was a part of in the Beggars which hold some serious love amongst people who know what’s good. BoS to me is a bit more melodic, but only a bit. Spice’s songs still have the bite, both musically and lyrically, that you are looking for in his output. How We Play The Game is the fifth album from BoS, and it keeps of the quality of the rest of their discography, keeping up that consistency and bringing more of what his people want from a project that involves Spice, but this time with even more thrash influence.
The vocals are one of Spice’s telltale traits, and they are on full display on How We Play The Game, including right off the bat with the ripper opening track, Gone Insane. Killer riffs with those powerfully delivered vocals and deep lyrics, it is all you want in a Band Of Spice song. You will also get some more grunge leanings on How We Play The Game, including in the opener. Cowbell greats us on Demonized, and you get another ripper, with some serious classic metal vibes especially with the killer guitar work. This may be the best sounding BoS record as the production is spot on. My Game is another killer track, that leans way more 90s style thrash then stoner rock. There is a certain gallop to this track that reminds me of 90s Testament.
Band Of Spice - How We Play The Game (Scarlet Records) [Rich Piva]
Band Of Spice is the aptly named musical adventure by the stoner rock legend Spice, former front man of the incredible Spiritual Beggars and some other very cool groups. Band Of Spice is a nice continuation of what Spice was a part of in the Beggars which hold some serious love amongst people who know what’s good. BoS to me is a bit more melodic, but only a bit. Spice’s songs still have the bite, both musically and lyrically, that you are looking for in his output. How We Play The Game is the fifth album from BoS, and it keeps of the quality of the rest of their discography, keeping up that consistency and bringing more of what his people want from a project that involves Spice, but this time with even more thrash influence.
The vocals are one of Spice’s telltale traits, and they are on full display on How We Play The Game, including right off the bat with the ripper opening track, Gone Insane. Killer riffs with those powerfully delivered vocals and deep lyrics, it is all you want in a Band Of Spice song. You will also get some more grunge leanings on How We Play The Game, including in the opener. Cowbell greats us on Demonized, and you get another ripper, with some serious classic metal vibes especially with the killer guitar work. This may be the best sounding BoS record as the production is spot on. My Game is another killer track, that leans way more 90s style thrash then stoner rock. There is a certain gallop to this track that reminds me of 90s Testament.
Am I nuts? I am sure someone will tell me if I am. Spice does not mess around with long jams or wanking, so a song like Below The Sun comes in for under three minutes, rips your head off and leaves you all bloody, giving him the space he asks for and clearly communicating his disdain for all humans. What more can the listener ask for? Control is full on thrash, executed perfectly, which you don’t get a lot of these days. Descending opens with some Sabbath worship and is the doomiest track on How We Play The Game by far, slowing it down and with Spice using his indoor voice, which is pretty damn cool. That flows right into the fastest song on the record, Offside, which again is full on thrash and will make you want to circle pit in your living room. The closer, A Song For You is the most introspective song on How We Play The Game adding a more melodic feel with some heartfelt lyrics pared with a killer riff.
If you like your stoner rock a bit thrashy, then How We Play The Game is for you. Fans of Band Of Spice and Spice’s previous work will not be disappointed, dare I say they will be delighted with their fifth full length. If you are not familiar with Spice’s work go check out Spiritual Beggars but make sure you come back to this one too. 8/10
Spellbook - Deadly Charms (Cruz Del Sur Music) [Ben Baljak]
Spellbook are a 70s rock inspired band hail…… you know what, this is only my second review but I want it known that I will never use the term hailing from. It’s that overused line found in almost every self written bio and I just won’t be doing it. With that out of the way, Spellbook formed in York, Pennsylvania in 2007 under the name Witch Hazel. If you asked them what genre they class themselves as, they’d tell you; doom rock, occult rock, proto metal…We just call it Rock n Roll! which may not be technically correct, but it sounds cool. It’s also akin to Lemmy Kilmister when he said we are Motorhead and we play Rock and Roll and who’d argue with him.
If you like your stoner rock a bit thrashy, then How We Play The Game is for you. Fans of Band Of Spice and Spice’s previous work will not be disappointed, dare I say they will be delighted with their fifth full length. If you are not familiar with Spice’s work go check out Spiritual Beggars but make sure you come back to this one too. 8/10
Spellbook - Deadly Charms (Cruz Del Sur Music) [Ben Baljak]
Spellbook are a 70s rock inspired band hail…… you know what, this is only my second review but I want it known that I will never use the term hailing from. It’s that overused line found in almost every self written bio and I just won’t be doing it. With that out of the way, Spellbook formed in York, Pennsylvania in 2007 under the name Witch Hazel. If you asked them what genre they class themselves as, they’d tell you; doom rock, occult rock, proto metal…We just call it Rock n Roll! which may not be technically correct, but it sounds cool. It’s also akin to Lemmy Kilmister when he said we are Motorhead and we play Rock and Roll and who’d argue with him.
Deadly Charms is the band’s second full length album with proper label support and features nine tracks of nostalgic 70s groove, well, eight, one of them is an intro. The album starts with the short instrumental 1928 that soon evolves into an almost John Carpenter-esque early slasher score. My knowledge of the year 1928 isn’t too great, but I’m pretty certain it’s the first time Mickey Mouse scarred our screens. Harrowing stuff.
Next up, Rehmeyer’s Hollow. Straight off the bat this is the bastard love child of Thin Lizzy and Black Sabbath, and I say off the Bat with pun intended as Nate Tyson channels the Prince Of Darkness so well you can be sure that those furry flying mammals are staying well away from any Spellbook show out of fear of death. At the midpoint the song drops into an eerie summoning vibe until bringing forth the Wah demon. Goddess is classic heavy rock, you don’t know if you should be driving bikes, drinking beer or both simultaneously. What I do know is if this were written and published in the 70s we’d all be singing along to the chorus at festivals and there’s no reason that shouldn’t be happening now.
Pandemonium kicks off as if it’s about to go stadium rock with it’s galloping bass from Seibert Lowe Jnr and high pitched guitar squeals before subverting expectation into a groove laden Sabbath like. Christopher Walken would be proud! this song contains more cowbell than a percussionists dairy farm! For track five we have Her Spectral Armies. The guitarists harmonising, panned hard left and right with a tasty fat bass line riding up the middle, saucy. The song then unfolds into a more ballad-like number. A requirement you don’t find as often in more modern sounding records.
The Witch Of Ridley Creek. I’m sucked in! Sitting cross legged in my kegs fist pumping the air chanting along to the chorus. THE WITCH OF RIDLEY CRAAAAYYYYYAAAAYYYAAAKKKEEE! Classic and classy guitar stops, catchy chorus, punchy ending. My only issue with the song being that it could have gone on for a bit longer.THE WITCH OF RIDLEY CRAAAAYYYYYAAAAYYYAAAKKKEEE!!
I’m not sure what it is about Deadly Charms but it feels like a penultimate song of a set, you know, before the inevitable fake out plus encore. It’s a fun track. The actual penultimate song starts with some heavy wonk between the guitars and bass, I love a good wonky riff which I wish they stuck with it a little longer. The rest feels quite Deep Purple with some AC/DC party vibe drum beats from drummer Nick Zinn. Out of nowhere, a change in pace and vibe. The darker side of Blue Oyster Cult meets Sabbath until they hit the gas again culminating in a shred off between guitarists Les Yarde and Patrick Benton. Out For Blood ends the album with a change of tone.
From 70s rock to the pop/goth intros of a 90s teen slasher movie set at some obnoxious American High School. Complete with exaggerated lyrical vibratos straight from the Stevie Nicks school of channelling a goat strapped to an industrial washing machine, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Love you Stevie. And jovial sounding guitar harmonies. All in all, Deadly Charms is a fun album. It’s nostalgic yet new. Which is absolutely great for anybody stuck in their ways wondering why music doesn’t sound like it used to. If you’re this way inclined, get out, go to some gigs, bands are still making the music you love, bands like Spellbook. The guitars are choppy and lack the overproduced robotic sounds of a modern metal album, which is bloody great because you can actually tell the musicians are enjoying themselves.
As far as the bear scale of heaviness goes, I recently gave a death metal band seven so we can’t be giving a proto metal band more. However, they were grizzly bears and for this band I will be using black bears which are considerably lighter but also black so pretty metal. And on the approved scale of heaviness; Deadly Charms clocks in at its heaviest at the weight of 7 black bears. It may not be overly original or complex but this is a band that I’d like to have a beer with and possibly engage in some occult shenanigans.
THE WITCH OF RIDLEY CRAAAAYYYYYAAAAYYYAAAKKKEEE!! 7/10
Stormland - The Human Cost (Self Released) [Richard Oliver]
The Human Cost is the second album from Canadian one-man death metal project Stormland. This is the project of Justin Pierrot who handles vocals, guitars and programming and is also the sole writer of all music and lyrics.
Stormland perform a style of death metal with a more technical and progressive leaning with influence especially from the djent genre with those very downtuned guitar riffs being a prominent component of the sound on the album. Unfortunately the reliance on downtuned grooves means that the guitar riffs on this album are generally forgettable and at times they are a bit all over the place resulting in a lack of cohesion. There are some weird time signatures which generally isn’t a bad thing but here it all sounds very thrown together rather than there being a flow throughout the songs. One of the exceptions and most effective songs is Lethal Ballet which has more of a melodic death metal sound but this is the best out of a bad bunch of songs..
The Human Cost is unfortunately a poor album. It is very sloppily done with a poor production and mix and it just sounds rushed and unfinished. The drum programming sounds out of sync with the rest of the music at times and some of the riffs are very sloppy. It comes across as a very rough demo rather than a fully recorded album. Unfortunately this is one that is best avoided. 3/10
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