Panzerkreutz was a short living project of German musicians from well known bands such as the controversial extreme metal band Eisregen, the atmospheric gothic metal group The Vision Bleak or the straight Neue Deutsche Härte performers from Hämatom. The musicians all know each other very well and they also collaborated on projects such as the morbid and electronically influenced gothic metal band Ewigheim or the more complex and lyrical project of Marienbad.

On this release, the musicians though play raw and desperate black metal that creates a very negatively drowning atmosphere. This apect of their music positively reminds me of one of the most famous German black metal bands which is Endstille. The true highlight of these two tracks - one performed in German, the other one in English - are the lyrics that portray with authentic, direct and intense words the horrors of war and how acts of violence disturb the human nature.

Musically, the band had the idea to add some samples with battle noises taken from old movies that create some additional atmosphere. The music itself is fast paced and pitiless. Even though the musicians are quite skilled, they keep the whole thing simple but efficient. The vocals are definitely crazy and unique. You may understand why the singer is considered as one of the best German extreme metal singers when you listen to this output. He also performs some clean vocals in the second track but they strangely feel out of place and don't sound much convincing. This idea worked better in the epic Marienbad project.

All in all, the two tracks should please to any fan of atmospheric and fast paced black metal and to all those who like intelligent lyrics about the dark sides of life. The two songs make you want to hear a full length record but as the band split up this might never happen. These two tracks are the only ones ever released under the Panzerkreutz banner. I think that the band had a lot of potential and I like almost everything the four musicians have done in their career, especially when they have joint their forces. These two tracks are easily stronger than your usual generic black metal music that undermines more and more the underground scene. Try to get your hands on this rare gem if you like the description or if you adore the associated acts mentioned in the beginning and you surely won't be disappointed. I hope these guys may one day dig in their past again and surprise us with a return of the project as it was the case for Ewigheim after almost eight years of silence.

After the highly promising and short appetizer in form of the well entitled “Ignition” EP, the new German Power Metal supergroup with ex-Helloween singer Michael Kiske, ex-Helloween and Gamma Ray mastermind Kai Hansen on the guitars and some background vocals, ex-Krokus guitar player Mandy Meyers, Pink Cream 69 bass player Dennis Ward and finally ex-Pink Cream 69 drummer Kosta Zafiriou put out a self-titled full length record. I was a little bit sceptical that this record could sound too much like a routine job in order to grab some fast cash and many critics cited that the heaviest tracks had already been used for the EP while the rest of the record would mostly contain average hard rock tracks and metal ballads. That’s why I hesitated a lot to purchase this record but I finally got the chance to get the European special edition for a good price and started the album with mixed feelings.

First of all, I don’t think that the critics are right. It’s sure that the EP only contained three killers tracks plus an excellent live song from the old Helloween classic “I Want Out” but the full length record is nearly as strong and contains a lot of catchy, energizing and fresh tracks that sound very ambitious, coherent and hungry. As the last records from bands such as Edguy, Gamma Ray, HammerFall, Helloween, Saidian and all the other European power metal bands came as truly negative surprises, Unisonic’s first strike is clearly one of the best European power metal album of the last couple of years without sounding excellent. It’s a load of fun to listen through the eleven tracks and the two bonus tracks that are each included on the European and the Japanese edition of the record. The melodic guitar riffs somewhere between passionate Hard Rock, fist rasining Heavy Metal and crystal clear Power Metal sound fresh and are well produced, the rhythm section with bass guitar and drums is inoffensive but never too boring and Michael Kiske’s vocals sound as motivated and unique as they did when he still was in Helloween twenty years ago. His voice has even matured and sounds more diversified and professional at many moments. Those who only think about high pitched screams when they hear his name, might even be positively surprised and the man that found his path back to metal music doesn’t give much reason to criticize him on this album.

The music really sounds as if the musicians had a lot of fun doing this project. Of course, the songs sound what you might expect them to sound like because of all these famous acts associated to the five experienced and extremely skilled musicians but this album never sounds like a routine job. The good thing is that every musician was almost equally involved in the songwriting process apart of drummer Kosta Zafiriou. Each song has its catchy moments and might even grow during the band’s live performances. I would even go as far and say that the musicians should put on hold their other bands, do a world tour in this line up and work on a second record as they easily conquered the European power metal throne with this album.

Apart of the tracks from the EP, the melodic and very positive “Never too late” that sounds a little bit like Styx, the slow “Star Rider” with its atmospheric eighties’ pop influences reminding me of John Farnham featuring an unforgettable chorus and an epic middle part reminding me slightly of progressive Queen elements, the Foreigner influenced and rather commercial hard anthem “King For A Day” featuring an epic chorus and a pretty solid guitar solo and the chilling closing ballad with acoustic guitars and truly decent string passages called “No One Ever Sees Me” that focuses a lot on the vocal skills can be cited as highlights. On the other side, almost every track has its damn catchy parts.

In the end, Unisonic certainly don’t reinvent a genre and turn back the clock. Even though the record is quite diversified and therefor entertaining, I somewhat miss the courage for at least one new experiment. On the other side, they still manage to sound fresh and hungry and easily beat the concurrence on this one. This album is clearly the European Power Metal highlight of the year. It’s not an exceptional record but it’s very solid and contains no filler material. If you like the bands mentioned in this review, this album is a definite must have for you.

Absu have been a very creative, highly influential and pretty diversified band in the extreme metal genre and delivered a couple of strong records during the first ten years of their career. When the band went on a well merited hiatus, they decided to give the old and new fans some vital signs by releasing this lovely compilation of two discs in a pretty digibook including a detailed booklet with precise song informations and band photos from the early years up to their latest full length release.

On this release, the band varies from epic diversified blackened thrash metal anthems over atmospheric doom influenced instrumentals to a handful of well done cover songs that mix the originality of the originals with the typical Absu sound plus a few live tracks filled with a captivating raw energy. Personally, I'm not that much into extreme metal genres such as black or death metal but Absu have always been a very intense band that was courageous enough to try out things other bands didn't so that almost any metal fan of any sub genre will find a couple of tracks he or she likes on this compilation. It's a great look back and definitely a better alternative to a shallow greatest hits release for the old fans but also a brilliant introduction to those who are new to the band or have only known them with their latest outputs after the hiatus. This record inspires to check out the band's other releases without a doubt.

The record includes many excellent songs but I would like to point out one of each section. Concerning the rarities and alternate versions, the track "Stone Of Destiny" definitely shines. The original version was included on "Tara" and this verison here is one of the most diversified extreme metal tracks I have ever heard. Slow and brutally controlled death metal vocals in the key of Death meet high screams reminding me of King Diamond. Narrative passages in the middle part add a lyrical depth to the track and build up some atmospere without being overused and too conceptual. The diversified drumming definitely stands out through the whole song and goes from soft high hat passages over dynamical mid tempo passages up to pitiless high speed bits and pieces. The drums definitely build the whole dynamical structure of this killer track. This song is definitely one of my favourite Absu songs ever.

The three tracks featured with "The Temples Of Offal" are some of the earliest recordings of the band when they played straight death metal. Even these raw tracks already include fantastic breaks and never get boring musically even though I don't appreciate the vocals very much. The track "Immortal Sorcery" would be my favourite pick as it varies from incredibly fast passages to mid tempo passages that could also please to a thrash or groove metal maniac. The distorted guitar sounds in the middle passage are definitely a welcome experiment.

"And Shineth Unto The Cold Cometh" features a more prominent use of atmospheric synthesizer sounds and chilling acoustic guitars that build a stunning contrast to the first tracks on the first disc. There are still extreme metal passages of course which are pretty fast and feature a clearly improved and more unqiue vocal performance that sounds like blackened thrash. The title track is the better of both songs in my humble opinion and never gets boring in seven minutes.

"Hallstattian Swords" feature three previously unreleased tracks that are clearly written for a soundtrack and build up a lot of atmosphere with different folk passages, a dominating use of keyboard samples and noises of sword fights in some moments. While the songs are not so spectacular from a purely musical point of view, they are very atmospheric. I would cite "The Great Battle Moving From Ideal To Actual" as the most impressive song in this section. This one is without a doubt the most epic one.

Concerning the cover songs, they all sound great but even though I am a huge Iron Maiden fan, I would rather pick the band's interpretation of Mayhem's "Deathcrush Including Silvester Anfang" as it is the most atmospheric and energizing track and simply fits to the world of Absu.

The "Live" tracks are taken from concerts in Germany, Italy and France in 1995 and 1997 and display the band's raw energy of the early years. My favourite track is the slow and quite heavy "The Coming Of War" that builds up a menacing and powerful atmosphere that is regularly interrupted by impressive speed passages.

Concering the "Unreleased" songs, they have been recorded live during a rehearsal back in 1993 and are only instrumental. While both songs are maybe a little bit overlong and sound a little bit incomplete without vocals, I still prefer the longer track "Book Of Splendour" because the track sounds more diversified and includes many good basis ideas on which one could develop something even greater.

In the end, this diversified compilation is pretty entertaining and shows in an impressive way how one can use extreme metal in many different, original and even progressive ways. Absu definitely are among my favourite bands in this genre and apart of some unfinished tracks and a couple of more or less great sounds concerning the earliest recordings where the musical talent of the band can't shine as bright as on later studio releases, there's nothing wrong at all with this authentic document of a fascinating decade. Anyone who cares a little bit for extreme metal music should without a doubt call this compilation his or her own as this is a true genre highlight of an outstanding band.

Rush have been around for over four decades now and are still out there to fascinate several generations of progressive rock fans with new world tours and charismatic outputs. Many other heroes have gone a long time ago like Genesis or Pink Floyd, others have gone through weirdest changes and live from their past status such as King Crimson or Yes and a couple of great bands like Pendragon or Spock's Beard have never gone beyond the status of underground heroes that have more recently influenced progressive rock bands but never reached out for a wide spread commercial success. RUSH simply are the kings of progressive metal and have not written amazing records throughout their whole career and always tried out new things. Any cultivated rock or metal music fan should know Rush without the glimpse of a doubt. One can cite the epic conceptual masterpieces “2112” from 1976 as well as the critically acclaimed “Moving Pictures” in 1981 but also more recent stuff like the last output “Snakes & Arrows” from 2007. The brand new “Clockwork Angels” must not hide behind these records and is another highlight in the band’s brilliant discography. I would even go as far to say that it’s among my very favourite Rush outputs ever right now but of course it hasn’t passed the test of time yet.

Even though I really adore this band, I must admit that their earlier works are not always easy to digest. The album structures are generally complex and often mix catchy, commercial and memorable short tracks on one side with rather experimental epics with a focus on instrumental passages on the other side. Many changes of style from hard rock beginnings over progressive experiments to shorter mainstream attempts divide the band’s discography into different eras that are not always adored by every fan. The high pitched and somewhat feminine vocals of Geddy Lee have always been charismatic but kept the band from gaining a definite mainstream status and I must admit that I couldn’t listen to them all day long.

“Clockwork Angels” is in my opinion the band’s most accessible record and I mean this in a good way. The record feels so effortless, honest and powerful that it always outs a smile upon my face. The band perfectly mixes complex structures and diversified fresh song ideas with loads of catchy parts and addicting melodies you won’t get out of your mind from the first try on. I immediately fell in love with this record and it hit very quickly. On the other side, each song offers many perfectly arranged details to discover over and over again and the somewhat autobiographic, emotional and philosophical lyrics of this conceptual masterpiece are more than ever worth to be examined a little bit closer. The lovely booklet may help you to take some time and get into the excellent lyrical attempts on this stunning record. I have also to underline that Geddy Lee’s vocals on this record are simply amazing. They sound not as strained as they were in the past but surprisingly down to earth, mature and warm without losing their uniqueness. Usually, vocalists get worse as time passes by but with his fifty-eight years, he is at the definite zenith of his career and sounds better than ever to my ears. For all those that have somehow disliked his vocals, you should definitely give this record a spin as they are much easier to approach as they were in the past days. Not only the vocals have improved but also the already excellent msuical skills of the band. Add a top notch production to this and you might realize that there’s not much left to criticize on this album.

Musically, the short three minute tracks are as detailed, harmonic and precise as the seven minute epics. The band varies from amazing calm souns with space elements, decently soft sring passages, chilling acoustic guitar tones, peacefully pumping bass guitar lines and a varied kit of drum techniques in one single perfect song such as “Halo Effect” on one side to one of the heaviest songs ever written by this band with “Headlong Flight”, a nostalgic anthem with a wild middle part where evry instrument has its time to shine even though the whole things remains coherently connected by a killer chorus that other progressive rock bands wouldn’t write in their whole career. This album really offers anything you’ve ever liked about the band. There are highly experimental middle parts in complex masterpieces such as the diversified title track “Clockwork Angels” or the heavier pumping “Seven Cities Of Gold”. New things as the circus ambiance in the beginning of the diversified grower “Carnies” can be heard every now and then if you listen this record attentionally with your headphones on. There are also many potential hit singles that remind me of intelligent rock and pop music from the seventies and eighties as in the airy “The Wreckers” or the very warm “Wish Them Well” that has a melodramatic but also very positive message. T hese songs sound not nostalgic but so fresh as if they were done by some thirty year old musicians. RUSH are definitely still hungry and have a lot to say. In their whole career, they haven’t written a twisted and emotionally driven top notch ballad as the closing “The Garden” that sends shivers down my spine and almost brings me to tears each time I listen to it.

In the end, Rush deliver once again another highlight of their career on this intense record that iis already on a close run to become my favourite record of the year. Anybody who likes progressive music should call this record his own. It might one day be as essential as a “In The Court Of The Crimson King”, “Darkside Of The Moon” or “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway” and should be seen as a modern classic of progressive rock that underlines in the best manners that this genre isn’t dead yet at all.

Blaze Bayley has always been one of my favourite singers with his authentic, dark and perfectly imperfect voice that helped him to create a couple of pretty solid records with Wolfsbane, later on with the British heavy metal legend Iron Maiden and lately with his solo band under the banner of Blaze. During the last years, the man that has gone through loads of hard times including the tragic death of his wife, he also changed the entire band around him and started to work with younger as well as less expensive and less professional musicians because he wanted to discover something new but also because he had many personal and especially financial problems. That’s why I didn’t expect a lot from this new team around him including a young guitar player from Belgium that was discovered by Blaze Bayley because he did an acoustic cover of a Blaze song on youtube, as well as three young and arther unkown Italian musicians on guitar, bass guitar and drums. In fact, the album was only supposed to be an EP and Blaze Bayley changed his mind during the recordings that were done in quite a hurry at three different places in the England, in the Netherlands and in the United States Of America and brought to a final product by three different producers. In addition to this weird potpourri come a female Dutch vocalist, a Dutch piano player and an American guitar player as guest musicians. That’s what one could call a true multi-culti product in times of globalization.

To my big surprise, what our good old Blaze Bayley delivers here is simply the best record he has ever done. I realized that this would be a great record when I heard the quite solid opener. One song later I was even more surprised and said to myself that the band put the best tracks in the beginning and that this hectically done record would contain more and more fillers towards the end. After the last closing acoustic guitar ballad I was paralyzed. I was speechless for many minutes and just shook my head. What I just witnessed was a completely unexpectable masterpiece. This album inspired me a lot of confidence. If the broken, old and poor Blaze Bayley was able to create such a passionate epos, I knew that I would also be able to realize my wildest dreams with a solid dose of confidence, faith and perseverance.

Many critical voices may claim that the record was done in a hurry, that Blaze Bayley sometimes sounds out of tone and that the production is not as perfect as it could have been. This is true but I like this spontaneaous and overtly honest attitude. The record simply feels authentic, emotional and vivid. Blaze Bayley has never had a perfect voice from a technical point of view in my humble opinion but he definitely has one of the most emotional voices I have ever known. That’s what I like about him and his music has always been able to touch me.

“The King Of Metal” seems to be a prententious title but it’s not about Blaze Bayley himself but rather a tribute to his fans that are the reason why he’s still there after all he has been through. The fans are the so-called kings of metal and not the booking agents, the managers or the chefs of the record labels. This is a great hommage and I think that Blaze Bayley knows what he’s talking about. When he got heavily criticized for his work in Iron Maiden he surely didn’t expect that he would still be around and be on world wide tours today. In comparison to the sad afte of the other ex-vocalist of that band named Paul Di’Anno, Blaze Bayley can still take a look in the mirror and create ne wthings without only playing cover songs of his past days that will never come back.

Let’s dig deeper into the music. After more thrash and sometimes even slight death metal influenced records, Blaze Bayley basically goes back to his heavy metal roots on this record. Many people might see this as a step back but he delivers in fact his most varied record ever and shows all the different things he is able to do.

The title track “The King Of Metal” is the straightest song on the entire record and starts with a whispered introduction before heavy thrash riffs set fire. The chorus is simple but brutal and efficient. The middle part with distorted guitar sounds, weird spoken word passages and a solid dose of melody and speed is passionating and leads back to the amazing chorus and another surprisingly abrupt ending with a couple of whispered words that close this brillaint opener. Yes, Blaze Bayley’s voice is out of tone a couple of time sbut this just fits to this angry, fast and spontaneous track. A theatralic and technically diversified singer like Bruce Dickinson could never put the same amount of emotion in this kind of song. Blaze Bayley simply seems to know what he does best. I have rarely known a song that was so short but contained so many ideas at the same time. Each time I listen to this track I like a different passage and sicover new things even though the song seems rather simple at first sight. I bet that this song might even work better live and I can’t wait to see Blaze Bayley in concert one day.

“Dimebag” is a homage to the late Pantera and Damageplan guitar player Darrell Lance Abbott that was murdered by gunshot during a concert. Many sonsg have already been written to honour his targic fate and at first sight it doesn’t seem very original to write another track about him more than seven years after his death. But Blaze Bayley proves us wrong and this track is the most emotional homage to someone who passed away I have listened in quite a long time. I thought that Blaze Bayley would never be able to beat his own track “Endless Sleep” that is dedicated to his beloved wife that died a couple of years ago but that’s exactly what he does here. The song is filled with many emotional changes, a diversified and emotional vocal performance, a brilliant classic guitar solo, a pumping bass guitar, a simple but heavy drum play and a highly addicting chorus. Among many outstanding tracks “Dimebag” surely is my favourite one on this record. Another homage can be found on this record that is called “The Rainbow Fades To Black”. This track is dedicated to the late Ronnie James Dio who played in Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Heaven & Hell among other bands. This track is darker and starighter and features many passages that are inspired by songs Dio have been performed in his long career. Blaze mixes elements of a cover song with his own and unique lyrics and a couple of own ideas and the final result works ver well. It’s a great mixture of nostalgic melodies and a straight modern attitude that sounds powerful and not too sad. It seems like a good idea to me that Blaze Bayley wrote a straighter track as a tribute to Dio instead of writing a predictable ballad.

On the other side, there are also two very strong ballds on this record that prove once again Blaze Bayley’s diversity and talent. “One More Step” is a calm and intense piano ballad where Blaze Bayley’s imperfect voice sends shivers down my spine and this in a very positive way. You really can feel that he knows what he sings about and that he has been through all these things he tells us. It’s abeautiful song about never giving up and always continuing to fight for one’s dreams, ideals and visions. This positive message is underlined by a simple but intense piano play. The closing track “Beginning” is an acoustic guitar ballad that also builds a lot upon the vocals. Critics will claim that they are once again out of tone but they are performed with so much emotion that I still admire this hypnotizinga nd atmospheric album closer. I must admit that you either adore these two tracks or you hate them.

I could write something about any track on this record because they all are quite catchy and diversified but still fit surprisingly well together as a whole because Blaze Bayley's vocals connect each little masterpiece on this record. Of course, some songs like "The Black Country" or "Fate" are less amazing than the other ones but they are still at least pretty good and don't pull this record down.

Anybody who’s looking for a technically perfect record with straight modern metal music will be quickly disappointed. But anybody who adores authentic, diversified, emotional, honest and spontaneous heavy metal with a couple of experiments can’t get around this record. In my humble opinion, it’s by far the best album of a not so young year 2012 and even though I have always liked Blaze Bayley and listened to quite everything he has ever released, this still came as an unexpected positive surprise. Despite or because of its clear but sympathetic flaws to me, I really adore this vivid piece of music. While Manowar happen to be the new losers of metal, Blaze Bayley has all the rights to not only call his fans but also himself the actual king of metal.