Orden Ogan's 'The Order of Fear' - Album Review

Considering my love of power metal, and particularly the tougher and more symphonic ends of the genre, a rather glaring omission on this blog over the years has been the lack of coverage afforded to the German band Orden Ogan. I gave their set at the 2018 iteration of Bloodstock Open Air a rather lukewarm review and I have mentioned a couple of their albums in my end of year round-ups over the years - but I have never seen the band live properly, nor have I ever made the effort to review one of their albums. In truth, the band have never fully clicked with me. They are one of those bands whom, on paper, should really be up my street - but, for whatever reason, I have often been a bit disappointed with their output. I have heard most of their albums and each one contains three or four real standout tracks - but I have never felt truly satisfied with any of them. I really wanted to make an effort in 2021 and cover their seventh studio album Final Days (which I did briefly discuss here) - but by the time my CD copy arrived after a lengthy dispatch delay it was too late to write about it. That was a shame, too, as Final Days is easily my favourite Orden Ogan album to date. The sci-fi themes really suited the band's cinematic sound, perhaps more favourably than the fantasy and western(!) themes which had graced previous albums, and the songwriting seemed to be much more consistent, too - with the band's current line-up, which debuted on Final Days, racing out of the traps. I listened to it quite a lot in 2021, then, but it did not really prompt me to go back again and dig out the band's older albums. I do really need to, as given that I am in a much bigger power metal phase again I might find more to enjoy compared to my previous listens, but that will need to wait - as the band released their eighth studio album earlier in the month. The Order of Fear is the album and it shifts themes again - this time opting for a horror feel, with a slight Lovecraftian edge. The band do enjoy their themed albums it seems - but the songwriting style and grand orchestrations which have been found on all of their previous albums return here. Another issue I have often had with the band relates to production, as I generally feel that frontman and producer Sebastian Levermann's production style fails to capture sufficient crunch. He is quite an in-demand studio hand, though, albeit generally for mixing, but he has produced albums by the likes of Rhapsody of Fire - so I have often been disappointed with the lack of weight and heaviness on Orden Ogan's albums, despite  Final Days and this album sounding stronger overall. Given the regular comparisons made to Blind Guardian, I would love Orden Ogan's albums to sound as aggressive as some of Blind Guardian's. Clearly Levermann favours a smoother production, though, as The Order of Fear retains it despite the recent improvements. Songwriting-wise, I do not think that this latest album is as good as Final Days - but like most of the band's albums it includes a handful of very strong songs, even if the overall quality is not maintained throughout.

In my opinion, too, this album is pretty top heavy. Much of the best material comes early on and the album does drag somewhat towards the end. The band do not waste any time getting going, though, with the opening track Kings of the Underworld one of the fastest and heaviest cuts here. There is no slow build-up, either, with Dirk Meyer-Berhorn's double bass drumming immediately rolling in whilst the duelling guitars of Niels Löffler and Patrick Sperling form a crunchy backing for the majestic vocals of Levermann. I like how the album just kicks off without any fanfare. Power metal intros often feel pretty samey, so the racing double bass drumming and the knotty guitar lead which form the basis of the song's verses are welcome. Levermann sings from the off, too, and he sounds as good as ever. He has a very accessible vocal style but he suits the band's big sound - with his subtle keyboards adding plenty of depth despite the guitars dominating. The verses are almost thrash-like in their pace, then, but there are slower moments - such a groovier pre-chorus section which allows some bigger riffing to take over briefly before the pace returns for a bigger-sounding chorus filled with some of the album's biggest hooks and plenty of choral harmonies. Songs like this are exactly what I want from Orden Ogan. It is a powerful track from the off and it has a great mix of up-tempo riffing, aggressive guitar moments, and some soaring vocal hooks. The balance is well-struck here, including Löffler's shredded guitar solo, and the production actually seems to pack more of a punch than is sometimes the case. If everything the band released was of this quality then Orden Ogan would likely be a real favourite - but, unfortunately, that is not the case. As mentioned, though, the early songs on this album are generally the best tracks here - with the mid-paced title track following and providing plenty of crunch. Unlike the driving pace of the opening song, the title track is much crunchier and anthemic with big power chord riffing, melodic guitar leads throughout, and less intense drumming. There is still a kinetic energy but the song is less thrashy, which allows Levermann's voice to really shine. He sounds excellent here, with his voice driving the verses nicely, before the more involved chorus features more choral harmonies - as well as some symphonic keyboard trappings to add a grandness. The chorus is certainly a shout-along, fists-in-the-air moment that is sure to go down well live - and it is another strong track which shows off the best of the band despite the slower pace.

Moon Fire is similar pace-wise, but the song feels more melodic overall - with less of an anthemic atmosphere and more of a focus on fluid guitar lines and soaring vocal hooks. Despite the ludicrously repetitive chorus lyrics, the hooks found within the vocal melodies are likely some of the album's most memorable moments - whilst parts of the verses slow down to allow the keyboards and Steven Wussow's bass to dominate. It gives the song a smoother feel overall, then, with the crunch of the opening two songs reined in. Production-wise, this is more what I expect from the band - but it suits the song's more melodic approach. A bit more crunch would have been welcome, but I like the bass-led verses as they help to separate the song out from the others - and the 1980s-esque chorus key change is certainly fun. Both Sperling and Löffler solo, too, which helps to give the song a bit of a kick. Conquest is another pretty strong effort and it is one of those power metal tracks which goes for a folky sound - with traditional-sounding melodies early on and a slightly lighter overall sound at times. There are no folk instruments here, with the opening guitar melodies instead playing the folky melodies as the song gets underway. There are Thin Lizzy vibes during the song's early moments, then, but there is still some crunch to be found here - especially during the chorus which features some subtle gang vocals which is sure to get fists pumping. The chorus is one of the album's moments, though, which showcases the limits of Levermann's production style. Given the layers of vocals and keyboards, alongside the rest of the band, it sounds a bit over-stuffed. Parts of the song feel a bit muffled, then, in a similar manner to those early DragonForce albums - but the hooks still manage to break through and the chorus is still memorable. The main hook here, though, comes from the folky guitar lead early on - and that is what the song will be remembered for. Blind Man ups the pace again and it is easily the most aggressive song here so far with the exception of the opening track. Conquest felt pacy, but the folky melodies and the production quirks meant that it did not feel all that heavy - but this track is tougher overall. The keyboards in general are utilised less here, with Levermann instead making use of various vocal layering techniques to create a deeper sound. This allows the busy riffing of Löffler and Sperling to dominate - and the guitar duo throw in a few different riffing ideas, particularly during the verses which feel a bit stop-start. Upping the heaviness, too, there is a later bridge section which features some harsher-sounding vocals from Levermann - which are a nice contrast to the rather epic chorus which has a similar overall feel to Moon Fire's despite the heavier context.

Opening with a drum barrage, Prince of Sorrow is another pacier piece, but unlike the previous song the production feels much fuller. The guitar approach is similar, with a few knotty leads thrown into the verses to break up the vocal melodies, but the keyboards and choral vocals are utilised much more this time - and the song feels more majestic as a result. Generally the mix favours the guitars, which is welcome, although the chorus does end up feeling a bit pomp rock with some rather parpy keyboard stabs at times which feel a bit out of place. I like this sort of sound in the right context, but it feels a bit crude for a band like Orden Ogan - where a more string-led approach might have worked better. Dread Lord is heavier and it reins in some of the pace featured during the last few numbers - with a crunchy mid-paced riff dominating throughout whilst Meyer-Berhorn's punchy drums really kick through the mix. As this is a heavier song, with less of a keyboard backing, the production feels pretty weighty here. Levermann's production has generally improved over time as mentioned, with this album and Final Days feeling stronger on that front than anything which came before - but there are still moments on this album which I do not like. This song feels heavy though thanks to the focus on the band's heavier side - and there are no shortage of melodies despite this thanks to a chant-along chorus and some choice guitar leads. Sperling lays down a lengthy and shredded solo, too, with the song being one of the highlights of the album's second half. Slowing the pace down quite considerably, and with some piano from Jonas Krampe, the ballad My Worst Enemy is the album's slowest piece - and it shows the band's knack for writing a mournful slower track which does not feel too cheesy. Power metal ballads can sometimes feel a bit too over-the-top, but Orden Ogan generally have a darkness to their sound despite the big hooks and soaring guitar leads featured throughout their songs - and this extends to their ballads. Levermann's voice is naturally suited to slower moments and his phrasing and tone convey a decent amount of emotion here - particularly during the big chorus. The last chorus rendition in particular really soars, with another big key change present, whilst Sperling includes another lengthy guitar solo, too, which starts off slowly and gets progressively faster. It is a decent ballad, but given the two lengthy pieces which are to follow it may have benefitted being a bit earlier in the album.

The last two proper songs here are longer than average and are broken up by a short spoken word piece. Neither of these longer tracks are particularly strong in my opinion - and I have often felt that Orden Ogan benefit from shorter and punchier arrangements. They can feel a bit bogged down in longer songs, and Anthem to the Darkside feels a bit like a band which is not sure in which direction they want to turn. All of the band's typical ingredients are here but they have sacrificed big hooks to instead focus on a more epic and symphonic overall sound which means that the usual hooky approach is watered down. Even the chorus feels too mournful overall and lacks the big pull of many of the others here - and the song feels like one that is trying to be something of a concept piece whilst forgetting to consider memorable songwriting. There are strong moments, including a pretty ferocious riffing instrumental section and some stand-alone vocal-led sections which could have been made features of, but overall it feels a bit disjointed. The short spoken word piece The Journey Thus Far links the two longer pieces, and it is as awkward as those sort of pieces usually are, whilst the album closes out with The Long Darkness - which is better than the previous track overall, but given it is the second longer piece in a row it loses some of its impact. It is generally a slower-burning piece which has a strong atmosphere and a pretty decent chorus - but it is pretty doomy for Orden Ogan, which creates a strange overall atmosphere. There is an atmospheric edge to much of the band's work, and they are certainly not a 'happy' power metal band, but this song is pretty morose even for Orden Ogan - even if it does pick up somewhat part way through. Ending with something more anthemic and upbeat may have worked better overall, but when the pace picks up it feels a bit more typical. There is also a guitar solo from Roberto De Micheli (Sinestesia; Rhapsody of Fire) which closes out the song, though, which is packed with some great neo-classical runs as would be expected. It is a shame that the album gets bogged down towards the end as generally the material here is of a good quality. The opening run of songs are the best but there are still plenty of other enjoyable moments - even if the band's take on a more progressive sound does not really work for me. Final Days is, so far, their best work in my opinion - but I have been enjoying The Order Of Fear over the past month despite the negative points made here and my general view on the band's sound and production style. There is a lot to enjoy here, though, and it remains an enjoyable power metal album.

The album was released on 5th July 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music. Below is the band's promotional video for Moon Fire.

Visions of Atlantis' 'Pirates II - Armada' - Album Review

I am not sure that I can think of a band who has produced their best work 'late' in their career without making a significant shift in sound in a more stark manner than Austria's Visions of Atlantis. Despite not being an 'old' band by any meaningful metric, they are currently in their 24th year - and their recent output has significantly outstripped their original achievements. A band like Anathema, in my opinion, also produced their best work at the end of their lifespan - but Anathema's sound changed hugely over the years so their debut and final albums cannot really be compared in any meaningful way. This is not the case with Visions of Atlantis, though, whose folky and nautical brand of symphonic metal has essentially been in place since their 2002 debut album Eternal Endless Infinity - it is just that the quality of the material has significantly improved. Nothing that the band released prior to 2018 really did anything for me, but the band's current era started back in 2013 when frontwoman Clémentine Delauney came on board - and her appointment eventually led 2018's The Deep & the Dark which, in my view, is where Visions of Atlantis really kicked things up a notch. Even The Deep & the Dark was a bit of a transitional album for the band, with a mixture current and older members contributing to it - but it showed what Delauney brought to the band as songwriter, and later the same year she was joined by frontman Michele Guaitoli and the current era got underway proper. Only drummer Thomas Caser remains from the band's early days, with guitarist Christian Douscha and bassist Herbert Glos both joining in 2017 - with the latter not actually contributing to The Deep & the Dark. Visions of Atlantis have a long and messy history line-up-wise, then, but the journey has certainly been worth it - as in recent years they have been responsible for some of the best symphonic metal produced. The Deep & the Dark was a glimpse of what was to come, and it remains a fun and up-tempo album, but on both 2019's Wanderers (which I reviewed here) and 2022's Pirates (which I also reviewed here) the band's current line-up really grew and improved. Not only musically, too, as the band have also cultivated a strong image in recent years - pushing their nautical and piratical themes in a big way both when it comes to their artwork, dress, and live shows. I saw the band live last year, and will catch them again later this year, and they were fantastic - with just enough costume and schtick to create a memorable show without going over-the-top and making the theming a millstone. They are clearly wedded to it, though, as Pirates II - Armada, the band's ninth album which was released earlier this month, shows. It follows on from Pirates two years ago, but it feels as if they have mined a bit more of a progressive seam this time around. Many of the songs here retain the band's usual hooky approach, but some of the tracks feel a bit more involved than usual - so it feels like a bit of a development compared to the previous efforts. This may be as a result of Guaitoli becoming the band's main songwriter, with Delauney the chief lyricist. Guaitoli's songwriting contributions have increased with each passing album, but generally the band have relied quite a lot on their producers, first Frank Pitters and then Felix Heldt, for songwriting, too. Heldt's contributions are greatly reduced this time, with Guaitoli spearheading the whole album.

There are still plenty of anthems here, which I will get to, but the opening couple of songs showcase that slightly more involved sound detailed. The first two songs here feel like one longer piece - with the slow-burning opening number acting as a lengthy intro to the more hard-hitting follow-up. To Those Who Chose to Fight kicks things off, then, with a delicate flute melody, courtesy of Sandro Friedrich - which soon gives way to Delauney's voice, as she sings gently against a background of subtle strings and distant percussion. Unlike much of the band's dense sound, this opening number is very restrained. It is all about Delauney's voice, with the occasional keyboard melody and percussive boom, and once Douscha first guitar riff crashes in it transitions to The Land of the Free - which is very much classic Visions of Atlantis in sound, despite the more involved arrangement being retained. Caser's busy drumming keeps the first verse ticking along nicely, with a strong guitar crunch contrasting well with the opening number, but there are moments which hark back to that simplicity. Pre-chorus sections see the strings from the first song return, with Delauney, and later Guaitoli, singing alone against them - before a mid-paced chorus takes a more dramatic turn. Delauney dominates vocally, but Guaitoli takes over for the second verse - and the two join forces for the chorus, which is the first of the album's many big hooks. Delauney sings more than Guaitoli throughout the album, which is typical, but the vocal arrangements are well-struck as always - and the two singers compliment each other well. Throw in a busy guitar solo from Douscha, too, and The Land of the Free is a great way to kick off the album - following on from its slow-burning predecessor. When it comes to big hooks, though, Monsters, which follows is one of the album's most anthemic pieces. The next few songs have all been released as singles, so they focus on the band's hookier side - and Monsters follows on from the other great singles the band have released in recent years. The opening symphonic motif, which wraps around a driving guitar riff, gives away the chorus' main hook, but this is a clearly a song designed to lodge itself in the brain - and it succeeds easily thanks to its soaring melodies. Delauney and Guaitoli take a verse each, with both singers pushing themselves vocally towards the chorus in each with some higher notes - whilst Delauney even unleashes some pseudo-operatic vocals during the chorus, which allows for a transition back into the main symphonic hook. Another shredded solo adds some metallic weight to the song, and it is clear that this is going to become a live favourite for a number of years to come.

Similarly, Tonight I'm Alive is full of hooks - but it showcase the band's folky side a bit more. It is an up-tempo rocker, but there are folk instruments, again from Friedrich, utilised throughout - with the opening of the song particularly organic-sounding before the main riffing kicks in. Vocally, too, the song feels more rapid-fire, with the two singers trading lines back-and-forth in more of a typical duet manner - rather than dominating particular parts of the song. This back-and-forth works really well, and it brings the best out of both - and there is an urgency in their deliveries which suits the percussive and upbeat song. The chorus is another big moment, too, and it could well be the album's hookiest moment thanks to Dalauney's smooth and heartfelt vocals. Armada, which was the first song from the album to be released online, is more of a balance of the band's hooky side and their more bombastic side. The opening symphonic strings feel a little darker than many of the bouncier melodies which have been featured so far and Douscha's riffing emphasises this. Symphonic metal can sometimes neuter guitarists, but I have generally found Douscha's riffing to be a bit more potent than can often be the case - and he generally finds space for a guitar solo, too. The main riff here is pretty heavy, then, with Caser's fast double bass drumming giving the opening a rapid feel - although the song is more dynamic overall which much of the verses generally being a bit more stripped back with dense strings, warm vocals, and the occasional folky gang vocal chant. The song builds towards the chorus, though, which is much heavier - with more gang vocals and some excellent harmonising between the band's two main singers. Dancing strings and pulsing orchestrations keep the song feeling dramatic, and there is a great instrumental section which features a bombastic symphonic breakdown which then leads into a shredded guitar solo. The Dead of the Sea builds on the heavier aspects of the previous song and it is the first of two songs here over seven minutes long - showcasing that slightly more progressive feel detailed previously. The song opens very slowly, with Guaitoli singing in a delicate manner against some dense strings, but the song soon morphs into a pretty twisty mid-paced track with darker-sounding riffing and gothic overtones. I would not say that the song is bombastic as some of the others here. The strings are generally used in a more atmospheric and mood-creating manner - which means that the song feels heavier overall. The chorus does feel a bit more upbeat, with the two singers again joining forces in a powerful manner, but much of the rest of the song is very guitar-driven - with a slower pace overall and a few breaks to allow organic instruments and the strings to shine. Guaitoli also seems to have the spotlight on him a bit more vocally, here, and he utilises a slightly creepy tone during the slower sections to fit in with the song's winding and gothic tones.

Ashes to the Sea is much shorter, but it also opens slowly - with some sparkling keyboards and Delauney's warm voice setting the tone for the ballad which follows. Given the bombastic and up-tempo songs which have come before, this slower number is welcome - and it proves to offer respite following the lengthier previous cut. Both singers take turns, and harmonise well during the chorus, but the rest of the band generally take a backseat - with strings and distant percussion making up the song's basis before Friedrich adds a pipe solo. Hellfire returns to something much more upbeat and typical - with the fast-paced track returning a sense of urgency to the album. Douscha's machine gun riffing early on sets the tone for the fast song to follow, whilst busy orchestration whip up plenty of excitement. Whilst parts of the verses are a little more sparse and bass-heavy, this is generally a song which is pretty relentless. Guaitoli's voice adds some heaviness to the latter portions of each verse, which build towards one of the most fist-pumping choruses in the band's history. This song is going to be another live staple thanks for the opportunity for crowd participation during the chorus - with big gang vocal chants and Delauney's pseudo-operatic vocal hooks proving to be a winning combination. Collide reins it in somewhat pace-wise, with it instead being a bit more deliberate overall. It is a short song, but it manages to create a crunchy yet floaty sound which feels a bit different for the band - and I like the carefree attitude of the chorus mixed with some of the doomier riffing found elsewhere. The folky melodies of the chorus are not typical of the band's usual style, but Delauney delivers them convincingly, and the verses feel much more slow-burning thanks to the heavy guitar tones used by Douscha. Given that the song is pretty short, too, there is a pretty lengthy guitar solo included. As such, the song is a real mix of different vibes despite it not being much longer than three minutes. It is a song which showcases the album's wider relative variety with another memorable chorus thrown in.

Magic of the Night feels like a real throwback to the symphonic metal peak of the 2000s - as it is a simple song which is based around poppy hooks with a folky background and plenty of dramatic strings. There is less guitar riffing this time, with the guitars generally just chugging away in the background, with the main musical motif early on being a pipe melody. It is very hooky, though, and presents the band's folky side in a big way, whilst Glos' bass tends to dominate during the simpler verses. This is a song which is all about its chorus, though. There are lots of memorable choruses here, but the chorus here is easily the album's most poppy. Visions of Atlantis are always hooky but they are rarely so obviously pop-influenced - but it works in the context of the old-school symphonic metal arrangement. It almost feels quaint in a way, but the song is a lot of fun thanks to these hooks and a lengthy pipe solo - showing that the band got their money's worth when it came to Friedrich's session! Given that this album has generally been a pretty upbeat one, a second ballad in the form of Underwater is welcome - with Delauney singing in a warm and heartfelt manner against some rumbling piano melodies. The verses are essentially just vocals and the piano, with the occasional distant percussion and string addition, whilst the chorus feels a little bigger with more of a dense string arrangement - although later chorus renditions are bigger again, with Caser's drums building up the rest of the band joining in and adding some weight. The guitars and pipes join forces later for a brief instrumental section - and the song retains its slow feel despite the later heaviness. The album then comes to a close with the lengthy Where the Sky and Ocean Blend - the other song to breach the seven minute mark. It is unsurprisingly another song which is a bit more diverse, then, with a heavy, gothic opening which soon gives way to Delauney unleashing some classically-inspired vocals against a slow-burning string backing. Delauney really pushes herself throughout the whole song, too, and she is at her most operatic here - which allows Guatoli to be the counter to such, with his snarling vocals dominating during some of the song's heavier and faster sections. He even unleashes a few throaty, higher screams, sounding quite a bit like Tobias Sammet in the process, whilst the two singers team up for what is easily the album's most dramatic and symphonic chorus - with lots of choral and operatic vocals. Elsewhere, the song is riffy and hard-driving, with plenty of venomous guitar riffs and fast double bass drumming, whilst Douscha's guitar solo is full of lightning-fast shredded runs. It is the sort of song which builds on lots of the ideas featured throughout the album as well as showcasing that slight progressive bent which has been referenced a few times. It feels like a proper album closer, too, and the epic and dramatic piece ends the album on a real high. Visions of Atlantis' recent run of albums has been excellent, and they have easily been the most prolific and impressive symphonic metal band new releases-wise since 2018. This era has taken the band to the next level, and with Pirates II - Armada the band continue to grow and stake their claim as one of the genre's best.

The album was released on 5th July 2024 via Napalm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Armada.

200 Stab Wounds' 'Manual Manic Procedures' - Album Review

I have opened a quite a few blog posts recently by discussing some loose themes which seem to be prevalent topics this year - and even stretching back to last year. I have often remarked on my re-embracing of power metal again, particularly the more upbeat variety, and I have also commented on the sheer number of veteran acts releasing quality albums well into their twilight years - which seems even more common this year than it has done previously. Another loose, and less-common, theme which I have been indulging in recently is a greater exploration of extreme metal - and there have already been a handful of extreme metal reviews (both of albums and concerts) featured here so far this year. I am enjoying taking the genre more seriously and diving into some of the year's biggest releases. Not everything has gelled with me, as I struggled with Vitriol's Suffer & Become (which I reviewed here) back in January, but I have enjoyed a lot of my experimentation - with Crypta's recent show in Plymouth being a memorable one and Gatecreeper's latest release Dark Superstition (which I also reviewed here) impressing. I look forward to challenging myself with Nile and returning to more familiar ground with Dark Tranquillity over the coming months, but today I am going to cover the second full-length album from the Ohio-based four-piece 200 Stab Wounds - a pure death metal band I only became familiar with this year. In the lead up to the release of their latest album Manual Manic Procedures last month there was quite a lot of buzz around the band - with many calling the album one of the best extreme metal releases of the year. Given my newfound interest in the genre I was not going to pass up on checking it out - especially as at a svelte 30 minutes long the album is not a huge commitment. After listening to a couple of songs online I decided the album was worth checking out properly so I picked up the CD - and I have been enjoying it quite a bit over the past month. As can perhaps be surmised from their name, 200 Stab Wounds play death metal in, essentially, its purest form. There is not really a subgenre which can be easily applied to them, and they differ from any of the other death metal bands I have reviewed so far - as they are a groovy, traditional sounding band with plenty of riffs and some pretty hooky vocal lines, whilst including some hardcore elements occasionally and a brutal death metal aesthetic. There are comparisons which can be drawn to bands like Cannibal Corpse, both musically and thematically, but 200 Stab Wounds feel more modern - based on my relatively limited exposure to death metal. That being said, though, Manual Manic Procedures is pretty much death metal 101 in a number of ways - and it focuses largely on fat riffs and the throat-shredded growls of frontman Steve Buhl. It is the band's first album in three years, following their debut Slave to the Scalpel in 2021 and it is their first to feature guitarist Raymond MacDonald (Frozen Soul; Kombat) who joined the band last year in place of Lance Buckley. Joining Buhl and MacDonald here are bassist Ezra Cook and drummer Owen Pooley - both of whom have featured on all of the band's releases to date.

As I already mentioned, this is a short album - so all of the nine songs here really fly by. There are a few relatively longer pieces, but most of the tracks here are snappy and to-the-point - which leaves little room for fat for trimming. As such, I have been able to connect with this album pretty firmly, then, despite my lack of extreme metal knowledge. Hands of Eternity, the opening track, is one of the slightly longer pieces - and it opens up relatively slowly and atmospherically with some evil-sounding clean guitar melodies and subtle, cold synths. There is very little respite here, with essentially the whole of the album being relentless and heavy, so this slow-burning intro eases the listener in - before the band take over proper to lay down a similarly slow-burning and surprisingly melodic guitar lead. This guitar lead sets the tone, and the song does start to grow around it somewhat with some double bass drumming, but things soon take another turn following Pooley counting everyone in - and a thrashy riff taking over. The rest of the song is then very typical of everything else which generally follows here. The riffing is fast-paced, but not so fast that the band's trademark grooves are lost, whilst Buhl's deep barks are full of power. Groove-led sections see his voice pushed to the fore more, whilst other faster sections which feature blast beats see more of a screamed approach - with the track moving back and forth between groove and speed. A screeching guitar lead is never too away, either, and parts of the song are surprisingly bass-heavy - with Cook leading the charge during some stripped back moments. There are a lot of ideas to contend with in a relatively short space of time, but everything hangs together nicely - and is a strong contrast to the short Gross Abuse which follows. Gross Abuse is the album's shortest song and the only one under two minutes long - and it is an intense piece that opens with another thrashy riff. Generally the song operates at a faster pace overall, with Buhl's vocal lines firing machine gun-like out the speakers, but there are instrumental moments which reduce the pace back down to a chug. The song is over almost as quickly as it starts, though, with the title track taking over thank to some organic-sounding drumming from Pooley and Cook's distorted bass. Like the previous song, the title track is another short one - and it is the middle of a trilogy of pieces which are all under three minutes. Unlike the grooves found elsewhere, though, this song feels very thrashy overall. Death metal morphed from thrash, so it is unsurprising that many of the riffs here feel like they could have come from the 1980s. Blast beats feel more modern, though, but the screaming guitar leads featured here are Slayer-esque - whilst the rhythms created by the riffs and the pulse of the bass is very thrash-inspired. Release the Stench completes this trilogy by opening with a pretty lengthy and busy guitar solo - which is strange given the song's length. As the three songs all seem to roll into each other, though, it works quite well - and the song in general is another pretty intense piece. It is the fastest overall on the album up to this point and it rarely ever lays back on a groove - with blast beats and spitting vocals generally the order of the day here. It is an intense end to this run of short tracks which have all expanded on the vibes of the opener nicely.

The album's mid-point is celebrated with the instrumental piece Led to the Chamber/Liquified, which opens slowly with some more cold synths and atmospheric sounds before it morphs into something more riffy and a showcase for some shredded guitar soloing. A chaotic ending later morphs into Flesh from Within, though, which opens with a riff which could have sat on a 1980s traditional heavy metal album if it were not for the nastier guitar tone used here. I am a big fan of how this album sounds. It is really well produced but it still sounds grimy. The bass is high in the mix, the drums sound powerful, and the guitar tone really cuts through. The vocals are always clear, too, showing that the overall mix has been done well. Too many extreme metal albums fail on this front for me, but this sounds massive - and Flesh from Within is a great example thanks to its old-school riffing and a traditional approach. It is less thrashy and intense than some of the songs here with the track instead generally feeling somewhat quaint in its riffing and lead-based approach. There are faster moments, but overall it is more groovy - and it is a highlight as a result. Defiled Gestation is another slightly longer piece so it feels a little more involved - with the opening riff mixing heavy and clean guitars nicely, whilst the bass leads the way early on. This track ups the pace following the groovier previous song and it is another that features quite a prominent thrash influence. The main riff, thanks to the bass presence, feels like something from an old Overkill album, whilst the occasional more chugging moment adds a staccato groove which helps to break up the more melodic feel of the thrashy riffs. It takes a while for the vocals to kick in, but the riffing mix which opens the song is a great balance of styles that this does not matter - and Buhl only makes things better with his growls against the bass-heavy backing. I love the energy and the overall vibe of this piece. The old-school riffing really sticks in the brain - and the song is hooky despite the heaviness. There are some strong lead guitar moments, too, including a couple of potent solos. Ride the Flatline is another short one and the hardcore influences mentioned previously really rear their heads here - with Jami Morgan (Code Orange) providing vocals alongside Buhl. Morgan's punky barks differ considerably from Buhl's growls, but the two vocal styles work well together here - particularly given the song's short runtime and its overall energy. It is unsurprisingly another faster track, and it seems less bothered about riffs this time with more of an intense punk drive and a few chugging moments. The album then comes to a close with Parricide, another pretty fast piece which opens with some buzzing guitar leads and a darker tone - but once a faster riff kicks in the track is essentially business as usual. Despite being one of the relatively longer pieces here, the song is not as varied as some of the others - with the pace being generally maintained with only the occasional riff-led break. The guitar solo is a bit spacier than some, though, which helps to set the song apart - but generally this track is typical in-your-face death metal. It ends the album well, then, and overall I have found a lot to enjoy here. It is surprisingly hooky and the grooves throughout are really infectious. I will need to check out the band's previous work and it is clear that this riff and groove-lead brand of death metal is very much for me.

The album was released on 28th June 2024 via Metal Blade Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Hands of Eternity.

Robert Jon & The Wreck's 'Red Moon Rising' - Album Review

Discovering new bands is one of the things that keeps music interesting, and there is nothing better than getting into a band with a few albums already under their belt and just diving in. Sometimes this can feel a bit overwhelming, but the results are always worth it - and I do not think that I will ever tire of seeking out new things to listen to. With this in mind, then, one of my favourite recent discoveries has been the California-based southern rock five-piece Robert Jon & The Wreck. I had heard the name a couple of times prior to checking them out, but what prompted me to take the plunge was the announcement of their 2023 UK tour - which included a date locally to me. I knew that there was some buzz around the band, despite them not exactly being new, so I picked up a copy of 2021's Shine a Light on Me Brother - and I was essentially hooked from the off. Since then I have managed to get hold of all of the band's other studio albums, with the exception of their seemingly very rare debut album from 2011, and saw them kick of their 2023 UK tour in Exeter. As much as I enjoyed delving into the band's album's throughout last year, seeing them live was an even better experience. As is often the case with southern rock, the songs really came alive on stage - and the band rocked through a pretty lengthy set which included heartfelt vocals from founder and frontman Robert Jon Burrison and some blistering guitar firepower from Henry James Schneekluth. It was a fantastic show, which helped to promote last year's excellent Ride into the Light (which I reviewed here), and I will be seeing the band again when they return to the UK later this year - albeit this time in London. Given that the band's popularity really seems to have shot up in recent years, particularly here in Europe, they have been very busy on the road. They hardly ever seem to take a break, and are either playing in America somewhere or touring around Europe, so I was certainly not expecting to get another album from the band this year - particularly given that they released an album a year between 2018 and 2021, plus the aforementioned Ride into the Light last year. This is a band with a high work ethic, though, and clearly consisting of prolific songwriters, as last month they released their ninth studio album Red Moon Rising - after slowly releasing many of the songs from the album online over the past few months. Something similar had happened with Ride into the Light, which was essentially a collection of different songs recorded during a transition period for the band line-up-wise and over different sessions with different producers. Red Moon Rising feels like more of a 'proper' album, then, in the sense that it was recorded in one session with producer Kevin Shirley - and it is also the first album to feature the current line-up of the band throughout. Keyboard player Jake Abernathie plays throughout this time, after only featuring on a handful of songs on the previous album, whilst the line-up is rounded out by original drummer Andrew Espantman and long-time bassist Warren Murrel.

As with all of the band's previous albums, Red Moon Rising is characterised by a good mix of riffy southern rock, some bluesier numbers, ballads, and a hint of country. There are no real surprises here and the band play to their strengths - but this is no bad thing. The album kicks off with one of the most hard rocking pieces here in Stone Cold Killer. It opens with a jangly riff and the occasional slide accent from Schneekluth - and a simplified version of this pattern essentially grounds the whole song, with the verses whipping up a strong groove from the off. Murrel's bass gives the song plenty of weight, particularly during the verses, whilst the chorus ups the rock somewhat with barroom piano from Abernathie and a slightly tougher guitar tone. Despite being a southern rock band, I would not say that Robert Jon & The Wreck are one of the most barnstorming acts of the genre - generally opting for a more refined and smoother sound. This song is brasher than some of their material, then, but it helps to kick the album off in fine fashion - with the prominent piano giving the song an up-tempo bite whilst Schneekluth's blistering slide solo shows exactly what he brings to the band. The chorus is hooky with subtle gang vocals which will certainly be latched onto live and the energy whipped up throughout gets the album underway nicely. Trouble, which follows and was co-written by former guitarist Kristopher Butcher, is another rocker - but the pace has been slowed down and a grooving attitude is present throughout. In many ways, the song is a quintessential piece of southern rock - with a groovy, bluesy riff driving everything whilst occasional washes of Hammond organ add gravity. Robert Jon & The Wreck are sometimes compared to Blackberry Smoke and the two bands have toured together in the past. Blackberry Smoke are more country-influenced I would say, but this song reminds me a bit of Blackberry Smoke's heavier sound - albeit with a heftier dose of keyboards. Robert Jon & The Wreck often go all-in when it comes to keyboards, which I welcome, and the roaring organ here really adds an extra dimension to the snarling riffing - whilst another hooky chorus ticks plenty of boxes. Ballad of a Broken Hearted Man is, unsurprisingly, a slower song - but it still opens with a pretty dark-sounding riff, which again features lots of slide melodies. The verses are much more restrained, though, with acoustic guitar chords dominating whilst Abernathie adds some Led Zeppelin-esque electric piano melodies. I am not sure that I would call the song a true ballad, as it feels too hard-hitting in places to be one, but it certainly treads a more emotional path overall - and the arrangement is more diverse, with the acoustic-led sections sitting nicely side-by-side with a Hammond-drenched chorus and some other moments which are much more riff-heavy. Schneekluth adds a screaming solo to the song, too, and the song is a great mix of the band's weighty riffing and Burrison's heartfelt, organic songwriting.

The album's title track follows and the song goes for something more of a cinematic feel - with an expansive mid-paced drum and bass groove driving everything, whilst spacey electric piano and effects-heavy guitar stabs dominate. The opening riff is not as busy as some of the others here but it creates a surprisingly heavy atmosphere - and this is continued throughout. The riffing is not ever-present throughout, either, but the punch of Espantman's drums and the busy bass playing of Murrel give the song plenty of weight. The drums really kick through the speakers during the verses, and actually hold the attention more than the varied guitar effects used, whilst a later funky instrumental section sees plenty of riffing variety from Burrison and Schneekluth in a more guitar-heavy passage - before a more progressive rock-inspired guitar solo takes over. The song is a little different from the norm, then, but the wide soundscape the song creates still feels very southern - it just feels a little bigger and more psychedelic than usual. Dragging Me Down returns to a sound which is more typical for the band, though, with the track going for a much bluesier sound overall. It is another rocker, but it generally does not feel as hard rocking as some of the others here - albeit with the chorus upping the toughness a little with some grittier guitar tones. Elsewhere, though, the song feels more old-school and 1970s-inspired with a southern rock meets British blues boom sound. Some of the guitar riffs and passages here sound inspired by bands like Free rather than Lynyrd Skynyrd - although the overall grooves are still very much American in nature. Schneekluth's solo is very bluesy, too, whilst a slightly slower later bridge section shows more of a British influence with a brief use of Mellotron. There is still plenty of the band's usual southern rock strut, though, but the heavier focus on the blues is welcome - and it helps the song to stand out somewhat. Hold On, though, is very much Robert Jon & The Wreck 101. I personally think that the band have improved over the years, with the recent albums better than their older albums - but the band have been writing tracks like this since essentially the beginning. The main riff is a great example of the southern rock genre condensed into one musical passage - whilst the use of occasional Hammond swells to accent the heavier parts of the riff is a real trademark of the band. There is also quite a bit of slide guitar in the mix, too, something which Schneekluth really excels at. His slide playing is exemplary and, whilst he does not go all-out with the slide here, the accents of such during the verses are welcome. Throw in an upbeat and well-harmonised chorus and the song is a great example of the band's core sound which would be a great entry point for new listeners.

Down No More is the first true country rocker on the album. There is generally quite a bit of a country influence in Robert Jon & The Wreck's music - but I would not say that they go all-out for such a sound too often. This song is very much country inspired, though, with a much more laid back overall feel with plenty of acoustic guitar and subtle percussion in the mix. Unlike many of the other songs here, too, the riffing is less hard-hitting. The guitars here generally are more lead-based and melodic than riffy - and there are some great melodies on display throughout, including a few moments of twin-lead guitar harmonies. Delicate piano and occasional less gritty moments of organ provide some additional atmosphere, whilst there is also a more prominent use of harmony vocals - particularly during the chorus - which is a classic country trope. The harmony guitar leads and the focus on melody links back to the band's core southern rock sound, but overall the song just feels much more of a country piece than anything else on the album so far - with an organic feel that is welcome. Help Yourself continues on this vibe somewhat, albeit within a heavier context. The song is much riffier than the previous track, with some cutting opening slide melodies, but it retains a sparser overall mix - giving the song a country twang which is later built upon by some lengthy and melodic guitar lead sections. Unlike the previous song, though, the balance between southern rock and country is more finely-struck. This feels like a true old-school southern rock piece - with the dominant barroom piano from Abernathie really cutting through the mix whilst country-esque vocal melodies and harmonies tie to track back to the previous song here. There is still plenty of groove despite the sparser mix, too, and the track is one that does well with all of its disparate influences to create something warm yet rocking. Worried Mind is another which includes plenty of country influences - and it is easily the most country-sounding track on the album so far. It took the album a little while to showcase the band's country side, but the back end of this album certainly goes for it a bit more - and this track is the slowest on the album up to this point with acoustic guitars and piano essentially forming the basis of the track throughout - whilst the bass and some subtle percussion adds a little bit of depth. There is mournful harmonica in the mix, too, but it is used sparingly to add accents to some moments for effect. Schneekluth throws in a delicate guitar solo, too, and dominates the closing moments of the song with some bluesy playing, but generally the song is a warm ballad with Burrison's heartfelt vocals sitting against a backdrop of organic guitar and piano - and the song is a long way from the riffy pieces found earlier on the album.

The LP and digital versions of the album come to a close with the slow-burning Give Love - a song which grows against the backdrop of a drum groove and piano motif. Co-written by former keyboard player Steve Maggiora, like the previous handful of songs there are country tinges to be found here but the song feels more like a return to the more cinematic and psychedelic sounds of the album's title track - but with less tough riffing and more of an expansive soundscape-esque approach. That being said, though, there are moments which feel tougher - and the song does grow in stature quite considerably as it moves along. The prominent drum groove never really changes, with the band swirling around it at differing levels of intensity, with the occasional heavier guitar chord kicking in as the song progresses - whilst later sections feature some Allman Brothers-esque guitar harmonies and plenty of choral vocals. It is a slightly strange song to explain, then, but it is varied and memorable for the way it slowly transitions throughout - with the piano tying everything together nicely. The CD versions of the album come with two extra songs, though, with Rager adding some additional weight to the end of the album. The album's tougher pieces generally feature during its first half - but this song is another big rocker with a barrelling hard rock riff and plenty of growling Hammond organ. It is a song which harks back to the brashness of Stone Cold Killer - and it is another hard-hitting southern rocker which recalls the heavier end of the genre and bands like Blackfoot and Molly Hatchet. Unlike a lot of the band's songs, too, there is not a lot of slide guitar featured this time. Instead the song is much more riffy and knotty from a guitar perspective, with the organ instead perhaps filling the gaps which would have been filled by the slide elsewhere. It perhaps includes Schneekluth's more explosive soloing on the album, too. Again there is no slide to be seen, with his soloing being fast-paced, frantic, and full of hard rock grit. He has two lengthy solos here, one part-way through and one at the end, with both being excellent. The album comes to an end proper, though, with Hate to See You Go - another country-inspired piece which mixes organic acoustic guitar passages with big piano melodies and slide guitar motifs. All of this is wrapped up in a pretty infectious mid-paced groove, though, with the track still retaining plenty of the band's rockier trademarks. This is no true ballad, then, despite some slower moments - but overall the song is a real classic-sounding Robert Jon & The Wreck piece that mixes country elements like harmony vocals and acoustic instruments with some cutting slide guitar moments and a steady southern rock groove thanks to the rhythm section and the barroom piano. It ends the album in fine melodic fashion, then, with one last strong chorus to stick in the brain. Given how prolific this band have been over the years, it is great that they have managed to keep the quality consistent. The band have not released a bad album, although I do generally prefer the more recent albums to the older ones, and this latest release is no different. It feels more cohesive than the last album, which is not a surprise given how the previous one was recorded, with a good mix of all of the band's different shades - with the harder rock tracks early in the album particularly standing out.

The album was released on 28th June 2024 via Journeyman Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Ballad of a Broken Hearted Man.

Sunburst's 'Manifesto' - Album Review

Whilst I never exactly abandoned power metal, I think it is fair to say that over the past couple of years I have started to get back into the genre again in quite a big way after something of a lull in interest. Quite a lot of power metal can feel like the musical equivalent of fast food (i.e. satisfying but ultimately throwaway) and it is a genre that can be very tropey - with plenty of clichés and bombast repeated ad nauseam. Certain bands, such as Kamelot and Blind Guardian, kept my interest - but the cheesier and more upbeat bands started to grate after a while. I have been enjoying some flowery power metal again more recently, though, but one of my main power metal discoveries of late fall into the moodier, heavier category - and I am talking about Greece's Sunburst. The band's history can be traced back to 2010 according to Metal Archives, but I first heard of them earlier this month when I watched a review of their latest album Manifesto on the Sea of Tranquility YouTube channel. I had seen the album's striking album art floating around online, but I knew nothing about it - hence watching the review. When Pete Pardo was reading through the list of Sunburst's members the name Gus Drax jumped out at me. I was familiar with the guitarist from a very brief liaison I had with the Greek band Black Fate a number of years ago - as I remember picking up that band's 2014 release Between Visions & Lies due to reviews comparing their sound to Kamelot. It was not an album I ended up spending much time with, but I remembered Drax's name. Pardo then went on to say that the singer, who's name I did not recognise, sounded very similar to Roy Khan - and I realised that the singer here must be the same singer that sung on Between Visions & Lies. I was correct, as Vasilis Georgiou fronts both bands, and I assumed that perhaps Sunburst was either a successor to or a rebranded version of Black Fate. I was not correct on this front, though, as Black Fate still exist - and both Georgiou and Drax are still members. Black Fate, though, is largely the brainchild of drummer and songwriter Nikos Tsintzilonis - so it seems that Sunburst is a parallel project which Georgiou and Drax spearhead alongside bassist Nick Grey and drummer Kostas Milonas. Manifesto is the band's second album, then, and their first since 2016's Fragments of Creation. On the strength of this new release, though, I clearly need to go back and get the band's first album, too - as this sort of power metal is right up my street. Georgiou still very much sounds like Khan, almost spookily so at times, so there are certainly Kamelot vibes here - but this band is heavier than Kamelot (and, indeed, than my memories of what Black Fate sound like). There are strong Symphony X vibes here alongside those of Khan's 'other' band Conception and even the odd hint of heavier bands like Nevermore. Manifesto certainly sits at the more progressive end of power metal and it is heavy and moody rather than bombastic - although there are lush keyboards throughout courtesy of Bob Katsionis (Firewind; Outloud; Serious Black; Wonders; Stray Gods). This is very much a guitar-driven album, though, with Drax getting plenty of opportunities to shine.

The eight songs here are all generally longer than average, but with a runtime of just over 50 minutes the album does not outstay its welcome. It is bookended by its lengthier pieces, though, with opener The Flood the longest song here at just over eight minutes. The song opens slowly, with Drax's clean guitar melodies against an atmospheric backing. As Milonas' percussive drums kick in, a warm synth riff doubles the guitar melodies - and the song slowly builds around these ingredients before the band crash in proper. Like much of the material here, The Flood is generally mid-paced - but one of the main riffs here is full of kinetic energy, bringing Nevermore to mind, which Milonas backs with some snappy double bass drum patterns. Whilst Drax certainly dominates this album instrumentally, there is plenty of space throughout for Georgiou's voice to shine. His rich, emotional tone is a big part of why this album works as well as it does. The contrast between his Khan-esque delivery and Drax's knotty riffing helps to set the band apart from many other darker power metal bands - although Drax does often pull back during the main vocal-led sections. The verses here make use of that aforementioned faster riff, though, which keeps the track feeling snappy, whilst the pace slows for the chorus - which is perhaps one of the album's finest. Alongside the bands already namechecked, there are occasional Evergrey vibes here, too, and the chorus here sounds like a mix between Kamelot and Evergrey thanks to the mix of Georgiou's voice and the dryer guitar tones utilised. Given that there are strong progressive metal influences here, it is unsurprising that there are lengthy instrumental passages. These are not as technical or involved as true progressive metal, but a riff-led symphonic instrumental break helps to conjure up a different sound - whilst Drax later takes a lengthy solo spot, which is fast-paced and full of excellent technique. The lengthy and murky song kicks off the album in fine fashion - and it certainly sets the tone for the rest of the songs to follow. Hollow Lies perhaps feels a bit more direct, though, and it is certainly heavier from the off - thanks to a busy progressive metal-style riff and some explosive drumming from Milonas. Generally the atmospherics are less prominent this time, with the symphonics of the previous song often toned down to let the guitars shine. The verses, which are a little slower, are backed by some delicate piano additions and some dense keyboards, but Drax's stabbing guitar is never too far away - whilst the chorus this time is backed by some cantering double bass drumming and a slab-like riff which nicely suit Georgiou's rich vocals. All of the songs here are well-served by Katsionis' keyboard contributions - but the symphonics just feel less prominent this time. They are always audible and add a trademark melodic layer to root the band in the power metal camp, but this is not an album with flashy keyboard runs or pompous synth stabs. They tastefully add depth and emotion - often serving Georgiou's voice well whilst Drax provides a heavier contrast. That is the case here, with another high-octane guitar solo befitting the heavier riffing, whilst another chorus conjures up melodies to stick in the brain.

Samaritan also opens with another heavy riff and this time Drax throws in a few pinch harmonics to lean towards a slightly more modern sound. The song itself is pretty dynamic, though, and it contains plenty of light and shade. The opening riff and the subtle synth melodies which later join it are pretty technical and heavy, but the verses here are some of the slowest moments on the album up to this point - with Grey's bass a prominent part of an atmospheric backing to Georgiou's croon. The verses here are very Kamelot-esque, then, and it is amazing just how closely this band can sometimes mimic Kamelot's mid-2000s sound. This is not pure pastiche, though, as the riffing and soloing is much heavier and busier than on any Kamelot album - and this track is constantly kicked into a higher gear each time Drax returns to the fray. The chorus here is a faster and heavier one, which contrasts nicely with the more atmospheric verses, whilst the song later takes a left turn with some effects-heavy vocals interjecting between moments of symphonic riffing - creating a bridge to another excellent guitar solo. Following three heavier songs, it appears as if the album is going to take a slower turn with Perpetual Descent. This is not the case, however, as, following some chiming and slow clean guitar melodies, another heavy riff soon kicks in - although the pace feels much more deliberate this time. Whilst the the album is generally pretty mid-paced, the riffing moments tend to feel quicker. This is not the case here, though, with the whole song feeling much more measured - and there is actually a bit of groove to be found in both the riffing and the drumming. All of the songs here feel very vocal-orientated, but the slower pace makes this track feel even more so - and Georgiou delivers one of his best performances on the album during the chorus. This album is very memorable and easy on the ear, but it is not one that goes for extreme earworms or over-the-top hooks. As such, the songs take a few listens to fully appreciate - but the chorus here is one which does feel quite a bit hookier than some of the others. Georgiou's vocal melodies are a bit more up-tempo despite the measured approach taken musically - so the song is one that connected with me from the off. Drax solos as usual, though, but he feels little more restrained this time - and the song overall just is less full-on. Inimicus Intus ups the pace again somewhat, with the riffing and main melodic hooks feeling a little brighter overall. The keyboards are a little more prominent in the mix early on, adding nicely to Drax's riffing as the song kicks off, but the band have not suddenly morphed into Freedom Call. The trademark darker sound is very much intact, but Katsionis is given a bit more to do here - with some prominent piano melodies during the verses and the aforementioned synth warmth. Georgiou pushes himself a bit more vocally here, too, going for the occasional relatively higher note - which ironically reminds me of Khan's successor in Kamelot Tommy Karevik. This song just feels much more joyous than anything else on the album, although it does not significantly shake things up. The riffs have a little more bounce to them and Georgiou is less morose in his delivery. The change is welcome, though, and it helps to give the album some variety - which is never a bad thing.

Single From the Cradle to the Grave is the song I checked out before deciding to buy this album following watching the aforementioned review and I was hooked from the off. It is the shortest song here, and the only one shorter than five minutes, but it perfectly sums up the band's core sound despite this relatively svelte runtime - although the arrangement is perhaps a little punchier than is often the case here. The main riffing here returns to that heavier, dryer Nevermore/Evergrey sound which was hinted at earlier and there is much less of a focus on more progressive moments - with hooks pushed to the fore. Lush symphonics add plenty of depth, particularly during the verses, whilst the chorus has clearly been written to really bring the best out of Georgiou. The melodies are some of the album's most velvety moments and the chorus is one that is sure to stick in the brain from the off. Drax still manages to squeeze in a pretty lengthy solo, too, although it is perhaps not as intense as some of the others here. The song is great condensed version of the band's core sound, though, and the perfect entry point. The album's title track follows and immediately returns to flirting with a more progressive sound - with an opening riff which perfectly mixes mid-paced and faster sections together to inject a bit of pace back into the album. It is another track with a pretty dynamic arrangement, too, as the verses here are some of the album's slowest moments - with Georgiou singing against a backdrop of chiming clean guitar melodies and lush symphonics. His voice really shines during these sections, even if later verses are a bit more involved, whilst the chorus is faster, with a piano backing, which feels a bit more energetic than the rest of the song. This mix of sounds and speeds works well, and the song feels like one of the most progressive pieces here - with a busy bridge section and a spacey guitar solo later adding to the overall variety further. The album then comes to a close with Nocturne, a seven minute-plus piece which also goes for a dynamic approach. It is similar to what has come before but it does feel a little more epic and bombastic overall - with a cinematic, mid-paced opening riff and one of the album's most atmospheric and emotional-sounding verses. Everything here just feels a bit more intense and dialled up than anything else here - with the chorus going for a much more symphonic approach, with plenty of dancing strings which sit behind some heavy and staccato guitar riffs. The album has not really gone for such a sound up to this point, so it helps to give this closer a bit of a different feel - whilst Georgiou goes all-out vocally. Drax's guitar solo feels final, too, as it is much more deliberately-phrased than elsewhere. This fits in with the song's cinematic feel, as does a slow vocal-led section which follows later. The song is a great way to close the album, then, as it feels like a real final statement - bringing the best out of everyone involved. I think it is fair to say that Sunburst have been one of my favourite discoveries of the year so far and I can see Manifesto getting plenty more plays going forward. I need to check out the band's first album and I should also dig that old Black Fate CD out again -  and those who like their power metal darker and more emotional should give this album a listen.

The album was released on 14th June 2024 via Inner Wound Recordings. Below is the band's promotional video for From the Cradle to the Grave.

Black Country Communion's 'V' - Album Review

There was probably a time when Black Country Communion were one of the most talked about new bands on the international rock scene. Supergroups can often disappoint, but the band's self-titled debut album from 2010 received excellent reviews and I think people hoped, and perhaps even expected, big things to follow. After all, with Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Derek Sherinian, and Jason Bonham in the same band greatness is to be expected. Supergroups often seem to lack chemistry, but that was never a problem for Black Country Communion - and producer Kevin Shirley brought the best out of the band on that debut album, which remains one of the best classic rock-sounding albums of recent years. In truth, though, I am not sure that the band ever quite lived up to the promise of that debut album. It was clear that Hughes wanted the band to be his next full-time project, and over the next couple of years the band toured a fair bit and released two more albums: 2011's Black Country Communion 2 and 2012's Afterglow; but it was soon clear that there were tensions between Hughes and Bonamassa - with the former wanting the later to essentially commit to the band full-time but the latter not wanting his long-standing solo career to suffer. Following the release of Afterglow, then, which Bonamassa seemed to contribute less to than he had to the previous two albums, it seemed that the band were over. Not much was said about the band for a while, with Hughes and Bonham forming the three-piece California Breed - which lasted one album before calling it a day. Whether it was purely the differing levels of commitment which led to Black Country Communion's seeming demise is unclear, but the band certainly burnt the candle at both ends during that initial run - releasing three albums in as many years alongside touring commitments inside and outside of the band. I seem to recall Shirley getting some of the blame, too, for encouraging this intense working environment - but whatever the reasons might be the band's potential had not really been fulfilled. Fast forward to September 2017, though, and BCCIV (which I reviewed here) dropped. Hughes and Bonamassa had sorted their differences, with the former clearly accepting that Black Country Communion was never going to be a full-time venture, and the pair wrote an album which was easily their best since the debut. I listened to BCCIV a lot when it came out and the break had clearly done the band some good. A handful of live dates followed, but it was clear that the reunion was going to be brief - with everyone soon returning once again to their many other projects. News of a fifth album has been hinted at a fair bit in recent years, though, and last month the band released V - their first album since 2017. The hype which once surrounded the band has long dissipated at this point, but there are still plenty of people interested to hear Hughes and Bonamassa collaborate again - and that is essentially what Black Country Communion boils down to these days. Sherinian and Bonham (and, indeed, Shirley) contributed to the writing of the early albums, but both BCCIV and V were written by Hughes and Bonamassa alone. It is shame that the others seem less involved these days, but both add their years of experience to V.

This album also feels a little more streamlined overall than the band's previous efforts. There are fewer sprawling arrangements and long solos this time, with the songwriting feeling tight and the production a bit less raw. This may disappoint some, but I feel that the overall approach works well - and showcases a bit of a different side to the band. Their core bluesy rock sound is still very much present, though, but Enlighten kicks the album off showcasing a few different ideas. The mid-paced rocker contains plenty of familiar vibes, though, with Bonamassa leading the way early on with a chunky riff, whilst Bonham lays down a tight drum groove. There is a raw bluesy feel to the early part of the song, but when Hughes starts to sing the heaviness is stripped away. The verses here are largely quite low key, then, with his bass and Sherinian's atmospheric keyboards creating a pulsing backing for his soulful vocals. Occasional guitar riffs kick in for heaviness, but generally the verses move along at this slower pace - before the band crash back in for a chorus with a strong melodic sheen. There remains a hard rock undercurrent, but Rush-esque clean guitar melodies sit beneath Hughes' voice whilst Sherinian's Hammond organ adds depth. The opening riff also forms part of the chorus for added heaviness, whilst Bonamassa's guitar solo feels a bit more atmospheric and restrained than is typical. Despite this mix of a hard rocking and a more atmospheric approach, though, the song is still memorable. The chorus is hooky, as is the main riff, and it shows that the band are not sitting still when it comes to songwriting. Stay Free is a bit more typical, though, and is one of two songs here written by Hughes alone. Those who have followed Hughes' career over the years know of his love for funky rock - and Stay Free is very much a funk-driven piece. The main riff, which sees Bonamassa and Sherinian teaming up, is full of funky grooves - which Hughes and Bonham only enhance with their grounding rhythm section antics. The ride cymbal really cuts through the mix to create a focal point whilst the busy keyboard doubling of Bonamassa's guitar gives the song a unique feel. Occasional Hammond washes inject a more classic rock feel, but overall this is a song which really goes for groove in a big way. The chorus is maybe the album's hookiest overall, too, with Hughes still sounding fantastic vocally at 72 - whilst some soulful backing vocals from Jade MacRae and Dannielle DeAndrea add a gospel-esque tinge. Bonamassa's soloing is more stretched out this time, too, and he uses the groove of the song to let rip later on - injecting plenty of fast-paced bluesy melodies into what is already an infectious and upbeat song.

Red Sun takes a much more muscular approach and the song is a real hark back to the core sound which found the band so much love originally. Bonamassa's main riff here provides the main hook which everything else in the song is hung from and it forms the basis of the verses, which are more deliberate pace-wise than anything else on the album up to this point. That being said, though, there is still some variety here. The main riff does dominate, but as the verses move along they enter something of a pre-chorus section which features snappier, cleaner-sounding guitar chords - under which Hughes lays down some busy bass playing. This section adds a little funk edge and helps to transition between the heavier riffing and the more cinematic chorus - which is more atmospheric with plenty of keyboards and mournful guitar lines. There is a Led Zeppelin-esque feel to this chorus, with its strong keyboard backing and Hughes' aching vocals, and this atmospheric vibe is recaptured later during Bonamassa's solo which feels much more progressive rock-inspired thanks to a spacey backing. Restless is a slow blues number, clearly heavily led by Bonamassa, and it acts as the album's only true ballad. Songs like this are the bread and butter of Bonamassa's solo career, but Hughes is no stranger to such a song, either, and the latter sings the slow-burning track with ease - starting off slowly and more emotional before pushing himself a little more as the song grows somewhat in stature. The chorus is a little weightier, then, but this is relative - as the piece never becomes an out and out rocker. Lead guitar-wise, too, this song is most expansive on the album up to this point. It opens with a soaring bluesy solo, and Bonamassa's crying guitar leads constantly inject some melody into the slow-burning verses - all whilst the organ adds a dense backing. The guitar leads drop out during the slightly harder chorus, to allow for some brasher chords, but generally the guitar here is more lead-based than riff-based. Hughes unleashes some real emotion during the more expansive chorus - but the song's highlight for me is Bonamassa's solo. It could have even been longer, really, but the opening trill of notes really sets the tone for what is a great bluesy explosion. Letting Go ups the heaviness again, and it is the second of the two songs solely written by Hughes. It is less funky than Stay Free but it nevertheless has a great kinetic energy  thanks to a simple, repetitive guitar riff which creates a staccato groove alongside Bonham's drumming - whilst occasional organ bursts create a bit of a counter rhythm. It is one of those songs where the looseness of the arrangement serves well to create a strong vibe. The grooves and riffing never quite feel perfect, but songs like this benefit from that sense of spontaneity - and Shirley has always sought to bring that out of the band. The tough riffing and rock organ give the song an edge, too, whilst the chorus is another which is a bit less heavy to allow for a soulful vocal hook to shine.

Continuing on this similar feel, at least early on, is Skyway - a riff-led rocker that opens with a crunchy guitar pattern which is pretty weighty, but the song is a bit more varied overall than the previous track. The main riff drives everything again, but this is another song with slightly slower verses overall. The distant electric piano during the verses helps to ground them, but these verses still feel a bit weightier than some of the more atmospheric moments featured elsewhere. Everything here builds towards the song's chorus, though, which is another of the album's best in my opinion. It is simple, but Hughes' vocals really make it tick - with some big hooks that leap out of the speakers, whilst Sherinian adds some busier Hammond runs. You're Not Alone opens with another big riff, with the track overall being one of the album's most straight forward hard rockers. There have been quite a few twists and turns on this album elsewhere, but this track feels like something which could have easily sat on one of the band's older albums - with the groove of the main riff somewhat recalling Hughes' days with Deep Purple, and a choppy verse featuring some great interplay between the guitars and the organ. Even the more atmospheric moments here feel heavier than they do elsewhere - with the chorus being heavy and cinematic, including some of Hughes' trademark higher-pitched vocals. A later instrumental section features some busy organ and guitar trade-offs, too, and it is great to hear some leads from Sherinian. Going for a more cinematic approach, though, Love and Faith feels a bit more deliberate overall - with another Led Zeppelin-esque riff with a Kashmir-esque drive and plenty of symphonic keyboards. It is sung as a duet between Hughes and Bonamassa, too, and it is the only song here which features Bonamassa singing prominently. He sung one or two songs on each of the previous albums, so it is good to hear him singing again here. His bluesy voice mixes well with Hughes' more soulful approach. It is a shame that we did not get to hear more from Bonamassa vocally on this album as he has generally sung at least one song alone previously on previous albums - but he gets a lot of time at the microphone here and the mix of vocal styles works well. There are a lot more keyboards here, too, so the song feels much more of a true band effort. I have highlighted a lot of Sherinian's contributions to this album so far, but generally the mix favours Bonamassa throughout. The mix of keyboard sounds here, though, from symphonic strings, through piano, to rumbling organ, helps to make the song stand out - and Bonamassa adds another excellent solo to the twisting and varied piece. It is a song which grows in stature with each listen, and it has become one of my favourites here.

Too Far Gone ups the pace again and returns to the band's core sound with another stabbing main riff which essentially forms the basis of the entire track. Following the somewhat more complex arrangement of the previous song, this simpler approach works nicely. I like the variety on this album, but it is also good to hear a few back-to-basics hard rockers. This is a song, though, where I wish that Sherinian's contributions were a bit more prominent. He adds a lot to this album but, as mentioned, the guitars pretty much always dominate. This song could gave really done with some Jon Lord/Ken Hensley-esque Hammond organ at times - and when a brief organ solo does fire up out of nowhere later on in the song it proves my point. The album then comes to a close with The Open Road, another slightly funky piece with a strong groove throughout and an infectious attitude which does feel much more of a 'band' piece overall. The keyboards are a bit higher in the mix this time, which is welcome, and Bonham also impresses with a busy drum performance which includes plenty of jazzy and tom-heavy fills. Washes of organ, a surprisingly busy guitar riff, and some of Hughes' trademark soulful vocals really make the song tick. It is another slightly varied piece arrangement-wise, too, as when Bonamassa starts to solo the song slows down quite a bit - but his bluesy soloing is cutting and full of bite. This is no slow blues moment despite the pace slowing a bit, with his solo being full of busy licks and melodies phrases - and it is fitting that it is on the longer side given that this song closes the album. A reprise of the chorus does up the pace again towards the end, but it is the solo which is the song's lasting memory - and the album ends on a high as a result. In truth, though, there are not really any lows here. When I first listened to this album it did not grab me in a big way in truth, but it is one that really grows over time. It feels a bit more mature than anything the band have done before and the relative variety here is welcome. There is still plenty of meaty hard rock here, though, showing that the Hughes/Bonamassa partnership appears to be as strong as ever.

The album was released on 14th June 2024 via J&R Adventures. Below is the band's promotional video for Enlighten.

Dendera's 'Mask of Lies' - Album Review

Despite a recurring theme this year seeming to be excellent releases by long-in-the-tooth veteran bands, and it is great to see the old masters still giving it their all, there has also been an undercurrent on this blog this year made up of young British talent. Collateral's second album Should've Known Better (which I reviewed here) is one of 2024's best feel-good melodic rock releases so far, whilst the Kris Barras Band continue to go from strength to strength on Halo Effect (which I also reviewed here). Following a similar path, then, today's review turns the spotlight onto Portsmouth's Dendera - a heavy metal five-piece who debuted back in 2011 with the EP We Must Fight. They may not be the newest of new bands, then, but they still feel like a band who are developing - and it seems that in recent years they have become somewhat more well known. I think I first came across the band opening for Eden's Curse in 2014. They did not make much of an impression at the time, though, and it was not until 2022 when I came across them again properly - this time opening for Freedom Call. I had somewhat followed frontman Ashley Edison's career by default, though, first as a member of the sadly-defunct power metal act Power Quest and then as the current frontman of Welsh glam metal legends Tigertailz, but I had not kept up with his musical day job. I was not expecting too much from the band in 2022, then, but I found myself enjoying their set. They were much hookier and tighter than I remembered - and it seemed that quite a lot of growth had taken place over those eight years. I ended up picking up the band's discography at the show, but to date I have only really digested their last couple of releases - a duo of EPs: Blood Red Sky from 2017 and Reborn into Darkness from 2020. Given they were labelled as parts one and two, it is clear that they were supposed to be seen as a cohesive piece of work. There were certainly similarities between the two releases and their set from 2022 was largely (perhaps, even, totally) made up of songs from them. I have not listened to the band's earlier work, then, but from my memory of the 2014 show the band's newer material is heavier - with some metalcore elements, including occasional harsh vocals. This heavier sound has been taken to the next level on Mask of Lies, the band's third studio album and their first release since Reborn into Darkness. It is their first proper album in nine years, too, as Mask of Lies follows on from Pillars of Creation from 2015. Dendera have not exactly been prolific, then, but Mask of Lies is a pretty strong next step for the band - which sees them treading the line between their older traditional heavy metal sound and something heavier. The band's founding guitarist and principal songwriter Steve Main adds harsh vocals to many of the songs here, something which had been toyed around previously via guest vocalists, but it does seem as if the band is not quite sure whether to go all-in on this sound or not. As such, the album feels like a bit of a meeting of minds - but it does generally hang together pretty well. Alongside Ashley and Main, the rest of the band is completed by its line-up since 2015 so includes guitarist David Stanton, bassist Bradley Edison, and drummer Andy Finch.

The album is relatively short, too, and at just under 45 minutes long it does not outstay its welcome. Generally the material here is up-tempo and pretty heavy, but there is some variety to be found - and the album kicks off with the short instrumental Face to Face. It is a slow burn, made up of clean guitar melodies with a synth backing which slowly grows in stature - before the drums kick in alongside some choral vocals. The piece is essentially an extended intro to the album's title track, which kicks off the album proper with some driving double bass drumming and a busy guitar pattern which mimics some of the synth melodies from Face to Face. A groovier riff soon kicks in and this rhythm sets the tone for the rest of the song - with the verse starting soon after. The first voice heard is Main's and his harsh vocals are heavily utilised throughout this song. Ashley still dominates overall, but the verses here feel like more of a duet than much of the rest of the album - with the harsh vocals seemingly punctuating every line. This vocal approach works quite well, even if I feel that Ashley does not really get to make the full use of his range as a result. The chorus sees him pushing himself a bit more, with some more melodies from Face to Face being reprised here, whilst the harsh vocals step back a little. This chorus feels more like the band's older traditional metal sound, with soaring hooks and a prominent guitar lead, whilst the verses are more modern sounding - with a strong metalcore vibe. With harsh vocals certainly more mainstream than they used to be, their inclusion does feel natural, though, and a shredded solo later keeps the pace up. Scream in Silence follows and the main riff immediately harks back to the mid-2000s metalcore scene. The groove and bounce it conjures up is certainly from that era, and there are even a few harmony guitar moments to hark back to that genre's roots in the Gothenburg sound. Generally, though, this song feels less heavy overall. The main riffing is certainly of a type, but vocally there is much more of an emphasis on Ashley's clean delivery this time - with only the occasional growl. The song is also much more mid-paced overall. The opening riff aside, much of the rest of the guitar playing is much crunchier and old-school sounding - particularly during the verses and the chorus. A later instrumental section, built around another shredded solo, ups the pace and returns to a more metalcore-influenced sound, but the song's core approach feels much weightier - with the chorus in particular feeling like a bit of a throwback to the classics of the metal genre. Fading opens without any real build up, with Ashley immediately singing the song's chorus against a backing of deliberate double bass drumming and a groovy riff. This is a song which really straddles the line between the band's two main sounds on this album - with another main riff that showcases some metalcore influences whilst other parts of the song have the majesty of traditional metal. Subtle synths help to make the song feel pretty big overall - with Ashley allowing his clean vocals to soar over the heavier riffing. Occasional harsh vocals toughen the song up when needed, and parts of the verses also see the guitars step back to allow the bass and drums to perform a knotty rhythm over which Ashley sings. The song is a bit of a strange mix of sounds, then, but the combination tends to work - even if sometimes the synths can feel a bit overpowering in the mix at times.

Guiding Light is much heavier and faster; with the band returning to the sound of the album's title track - pushing a strong metalcore feel. Main's harsh vocals take on a much more prominent role again here, with the verses also feeling like a duet - with Ashley responding to Main's opening growls. Despite a slightly more epic chorus, which is largely sung clean and sees the pace slowed down somewhat, this song is a really venomous effort. It is likely the heaviest song here overall and the band very rarely let up. Some of the riffing here makes up the knottiest and toughest of the album; and these moments are always backed by some fast footwork from Finch. There is a lot of energy throughout this song, then, with even the aforementioned somewhat slower chorus still having something of an urgency - alongside some higher-pitched vocals from Ashley. Mid-paced and groovy riffing does later characterise a short instrumental break, which includes another fast-paced solo, but on the whole there is no quarter spared during the song - and it is an overall highlight here for me. The Fall opens much more slowly, with a sparse percussion loop and some chiming clean guitar melodies, but this relatively peace is short-lived - with another chunky riff soon kicking in. Unlike the previous song, though, this track is much more mid-paced overall. As such, there is a much more traditional sound on display this time - with the riffing feeling much more rooted in traditional heavy metal overall, including the odd mournful lead. The song takes a little while to get going, building up around this riff, and once Ashley starts singing the heaviness is stripped away to leave some chiming guitar melodies and another off-kilter bass and drum pattern. As such, this is another song with lots of vibes, then. The chorus and the main riffing moments feel pretty old-school - but the alternative rock vibes of the verses and some much heavier sections later on with some prominent harsh vocals offer a different approach. The song does jump around quite a bit, then, and I do like a lot of the ideas here - but this is one piece that feels as if it is not sure what sort of song it wants to be. This album does feel like that somewhat overall - but this song exemplifies it. Drift Away features a guest guitar solo from Satchel (Fight; Steel Panther) and it is another pretty venomous piece - with a snappy opening riff which sticks nicely in the brain and some busy double bass drumming. It does not feel overly metalcore-inspired, though, despite some sparse harsh vocals - with the track just sounding like the heavier traditional metal sounds which dominated the last two EPs. There are some groovy moments throughout the song whilst the chorus is another which goes for quite an epic feel - with big, ringing chords and a melodic guitar lead backing. Satchel's solo is as impressive as is to be expected from him and he even throws in a few neo-classical licks which I did not expect.

Inside My Head continues on a heavier sound - but this is another faster piece akin to the title track. The opening riff could have come from an early Trivium album given its overall rhythm and pattern - and the song is another thrashy, metalcore-inspired piece with much more prominent harsh vocals and a furious pace. The chorus sees the pace slowed down, which tends to be typical of songs of this nature, but essentially all of the rest of the song is propelled by fast or, at least, consistent double bass drumming - whilst lots of space is given over to Main's screams. This may be the song here which features him the most prominently. He shares the verses with Ashley, but there is a bridge section later which is all him - and it is easily the album's heaviest individual moment, leading nicely into quite a lengthy guitar solo. The chorus feels a bit more traditional, though, with some building and epic vocal melodies from Ashley, but there are still harsh vocals in the chorus, too - which reinforces the fact that this song is one of the heaviest here and that the band are intent on becoming heavier over time. The album's penultimate song Stare into the End is the slowest piece here. It is the album's only ballad and it also feels like an extended intro to the song which follows. As such, the last couple of songs here feel like one longer effort - but the first of the two strips away all of the heaviness and leaves some clean guitar melodies, simple synths, and Ashley's mournful vocals. Due to the song's arrangement and lack of a big instrumental presence, Ashley's voice is given plenty of space to breathe. Given the heavier sound of this album and the need to make way for Main's vocals, I feel that Ashley has reined it in quite a bit here. Seeing him with Power Quest made it clear that he posses a serious range - but that has not really been seen on this album, which is a shame. He sings this ballad well, though, and it allows him to deliver a more emotional performance - something which carries on into Drag Me Below, the album's final song. There is no break between the two pieces, with the latter kicking in once the guitars join in - and the track overall is more lumbering than much of the album. The slower feel of the previous song is retained, albeit with heavier riffing and some harsh vocals. I would not call Drag Me Below a ballad too, but it is certainly on the slower side - with some occasional doomy riffing and another strong chorus which benefits from the more precise overall pace. There is less of a metalcore feel here despite the busier drumming and the harsh vocals and there is a bit more of a production overall with synths and strings coming in towards the end to help the song fade out. It is clear that the band wanted to go for something more epic to end the album and generally the one-two punch of the last two slower songs achieves this. Overall, then, I would say that Mask of Lies is an enjoyable album by a band who seem to be a bit in two minds of which way to turn. The mix of a more traditional feel and a metalcore influence does work on the whole, but there are moments where the styles clash - and there are also strong differences between some of the songs as a result. Given how long this band have been together this seems a bit strange, but they have not been that prolific over the years and it seems there is more growth to come. It is certainly an album worth checking out, though, and I will be interested to see where they go from here.

The album was released on 14th June 2024 via Rockshots Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Mask of Lies.