Fear Not – “For the Wounded Heart” (ep)

 Posted by on March 26, 2019 at 21:02  No Responses »
Mar 262019
 

On the heels of their re-mastered, re-issued debut album, Fear Not are back with a new vocalist and solid hard rock ep chock full of stadium rock choruses, blazing guitar solos and deep, soulful vocals that will remind a lot of listeners of the late 80’s hard rock/metal scene.

Fear Not trace their origins back to 1991 and originally were known by a different name, Love Life, under which they released an album on a label that wasn’t sure how to actually promote them.  Enter in a new guitarist not long after and the band turned heavier and changed their name to Fear Not and then signed to a new label, Pakaderm which released the debut from Fear Not, sometime around 1993.  In 2017 Roxx re-mastered and re-issued the debut.

Whenever older Christian rock bands reunite, I’m often left thinking that these are the bands I wish I would have heard back in those days, but at least we have them now.  I’ve moved on a bit toward the extreme side of things as I’ve aged, but For the Wounded Heart is a solid ep, if a bit toward the nostalgic side of things.  Opening track “Don’t Want None” is in the perfect spot to introduce a new audience to Fear Not.  Drum line, joined by a dirty riff and then the rest of the band comes in until the verse starts and the guitars go clean.  Continue reading »

Doomsday Hymn – O Fim and Sujo/ Imundo (digital singles)

 Posted by on March 25, 2019 at 20:48  No Responses »
Mar 252019
 

Brazil and metal conjures up thoughts of Sepultura and Doomsday Hymn brought that on their debut back in 2015 and these two new digital singles show the band has further matured their sound…and fury.

Doomsday Hymn out of Curitiba, Brazil formed in late 2013 with Gil Lopes (vocals) and Jarlisson Jaty (drums), and then other band members being added to create the original 5 piece lineup.That lineup would record an ep and album that solidified the Doomsday Hymn sound and garnered the group critical praise.  Since 2015, the band has retained only Gil Lopes on vocals and now are a four piece and despite the changes, the sound is an evolution of the one from the original lineup.

“Sujo/Imundo” is one of those songs that is filled with fury and metal and an underlying groove, which goes into overdrive and if you’velistened to Sepultura at all the style will sound familiar.  Gil Lopes vocals bark out in rapid fire and Jairo Messias drums punctuate things like machine gun fire at times and then in other parts of the song meld with the bass line to produce an undeniably catchy groove. Continue reading »

Rainforce “Rock and Roll” EP

 Posted by on March 13, 2019 at 18:49  No Responses »
Mar 132019
 

When the guitar chimes in and the kick reverberates in your ears you know you’re hearing sweet, sweet rock and roll music. “Rock and Roll” kicks off with Jordan Cutajar’s call to arm: “Let’s rock and roll!!” He’s got that Brian Johnson quality to his voice, and immediately lends credence to their brand of hard rock. The production is clear as crystal, and delivers a satisfying punch. I was immediately eager to hear more.

I love how Benjamin Mann rides the high hat in the verses on “In Good Hands”. The rhythm guitar, punctuated with the tick-tick-tick of tightly picked strings makes for a dynamic groove, and when the solo pops out it is tastefully executed. Andy La Morte, you have a new fan! The overall impression is that these musicians are like the master craftsman who distils the best broth from hand-picked ingredients. Continue reading »

For I am King – “I”

 Posted by on March 4, 2019 at 17:57  No Responses »
Mar 042019
 

Rarely do we come across bands with women fronting them, and with For I Am King we see Alma Alizadeh stepping in and delivering something extraordinary. For I am King, a Netherlands based Metalcore outfit, have come out with their sophomore album, I. The album is signed up with Redfield records and was released last December the 7th.  Their debut album Daemons won them much applause and launched them well and gave them the opportunity to play at Wacken Open Air.

Have you ever tried screaming? Well let me tell you, it is not easy, I’ve tried plenty of times and it takes a lot to bring out whats in one’s mind to one’s voice, and Alma kills it! What comes out as its result is brutal Metalcore with plenty of ambience added keeping this record heavy and straight. Metalcore as a genre restricts itself within the realms of odd time sequences, breakdowns, melodic riffs and a clean interlude. It gets hard to deliver something fresh when the formulaic has been laid out so rigid. Let’s find out how this record shapes. Continue reading »

Iron Savior – “Kill or Get Killed”

 Posted by on February 17, 2019 at 17:15  No Responses »
Feb 172019
 

Power metal masters Iron Savior return with 10 new tracks filled with fast riffs, blazing solos, lots of hooks and great vocals in a release sure to please existing fans and win over new ones.

Formed in 1996 by Piet Sielck  and other ex-Helloween members, Iron Savior has released now 13 albums of material including a live CD/DVD and a re-recorded best of album, Reforged –Riding the Fire (2017).  As a result, the band needs little introduction to those familiar with European metal or power metal in general.  Over the years, the lineup around Piet has changed, but he has continually found members with exquisite skills and ability to complement his style and vision.   Throughout their history, the band has combined science fiction with their distinctive take on the the NWOBHM sound and Kill or Get Killed is no exception with the somewhat darker concept being inspired by Piet’s reading of the book “The Star of Pandora” which is about the destruction of humanity by an alien civilization.  Once again, the overall sound was polished to a metal perfection by Piet at his Powerhouse Studios.

Kill or Get Killed wastes no time blasting right into the first track and setting the tone for the rest of the album. Jan S. Eckert on bass and Patrick Klose on drums provide a solid rhythm at a torrid pace while the guitars of Piet and Piesel Küstner sound out some great riffs and leads.  Continue reading »

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