On its third output entitled Symphony Masses: Ho Drakon Ho Megas, Therion slowly starts to sound the way that most fans of the band are used to. This album still features some death and gothic metal influences however, especially in the form of powerful growls. The guitar work has become much more melodic, though. There are still a few faster riffs, but also classical-sounding melodies and some moments of melancholy. The twin guitar solos through this work recall several NWOBHM bands like Iron Maiden, and the use of keyboards becomes more prominent as well, in the form of atmospheric, instrumental soundscapes.

These aren’t the only changes. Christofer Johnsson remains as the only founding member on this record, and even though he recruited new bassist Andreas Wahl, drummer Piotr Wawryeniuk, and guitarist Magnus Barthelsson, Symphony Masses… is pretty much a solo album where the band leader experimented with effects and sounds in a way that old members never would have accepted. The song writing also changed as Therion moved even further away from standard song structures in verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus form. The new songs have a more narrative feeling and aren’t really catchy at all. Several tracks have direct transitions, as witnessed by the title track in two parts. The songs have also become much shorter and the eleven tracks here clock in at slightly below thirty-eight minutes. The lyrics remain occult, but feel much more elaborate and serious than before, relating to different ancient civilizations.

Therion clearly made a step forward here, and Christofer Johnsson describes this release as being perhaps the most experimental album Therion ever did. Despite all these positive innovations, I don’t like this release as much as its predecessor Beyond Sanctorum, or even as much as the band’s goofy but consistent and honest debut, Of Darkness.

How come? I simply feel that Christofer Johnsson wanted too much on this record. He wanted to experiment with new effects and sounds, while recording an album without any compromises by heading in a new direction. This album feels completely like an overambitious and directionless one-man project. Even after multiple spins, the eleven new tracks rush past me without leaving any deeper impression. There are no atmospheric goosebump moments, no catchy choruses or sing-along passages, and I miss the emotional, pitiless vocal outbursts of the first two releases. The keyboards are overused and sound pretty artificial, which wasn’t the case on the previous albums where they were used sparingly in the background where one wouldn’t hear how cheap they actually sounded. The death metal riffs are rehashed from past efforts, and only the new solos are convincing on this release. The rhythm section is less energizing than before, and sometimes doesn’t have much to do at all. In a few songs, the bass guitar breaks through the exchangeable riffs and keyboard layers and is able to prove itself with solid musicianship, but it’s not the standard. Finally, the growls are less brutal than before, but the few clean vocal parts work well and add an almost sacral tone to the record.

The few songs that unite sacral vocals, melodic guitar riffs and solos, and a few breaks for the rhythm section to shine show the enormous potential of early Therion. The highlights on this release are the hypnotizing and well-narrated “Dark Princess Naamah”, the short atmospheric “Symphoni Draconis Inferni” (that would later inspire bands like early Septicflesh), and the epic “Dawn Of Perishness”, due to its outstanding instrumental qualities. A couple of other songs have short interesting passages, but suffer from directionless song writing where too many ideas are put into a single track, or where passages drag on for far too long. Ironically, the shorter songs feel too short to develop their few promising ideas, while the longer tracks feel stretched and imprecise.

In the end, Therion wasted a lot of potential on its third record because of this imprecise song writing. The three songs I mentioned are brilliant, while the rest sounds half-hearted and unfocused. The experimental side of this release can be seen as a step forward toward Therion’s newer, unique sound that would guarantee the band’s international breakthrough. Many people will tell you that this is the best chapter of Therion’s early days. I can’t agree at all: I think Therion made one step forward but three steps back with a lack of gripping atmosphere, emotional, honest, and simplistic musical outbursts, and truly memorable music. I would only recommend this symphonic gothic metal release to die-hard Therion fans and those who are really into stuff like early Amorphis, Atrocity, Celtic Frost, Eternal Tears Of Sorrow, Paradise Lost, Septicflesh, and the like. After all, this is more of a transitional release in Therion's career which was probably very important for Christofer Johnsson himself but which isn't easy to digest for most of the listeners.

Originally written for Black Wind Metal

The immortal Japanese heavy metal institution Loudness comes around with its twenty-eighth studio record in thirty-three years. The cover artwork and album title, The Sun Will Rise Again, reference the band’s breakthrough record Thunder In The East from 1985, but don’t be fooled by this clever marketing strategy. The new album doesn’t feature as many catchy choruses, doesn’t blend genres as much, and doesn’t have the commercial appeal that the band’s fifth release does. The new album features ten mean heavy metal anthems plus a short instrumental introduction, and is much more similar to recent outputs like Eve To Dawn, for example. Most metal bands try to experiment by writing softer songs, going into more progressive directions, or trying to reinvent themselves with the help of new musicians or weird collaboration efforts. This is not Loudness’ case at all. If you are looking for emotional ballads, experimental fireworks, or a change of style on a modern release, you’re at the wrong address. This is exactly why Loudness has become one of the most authentic, consistent, energizing, and honest veteran bands in the whole wide world, and deserves our attention, money, and respect. The quartet is really working hard for success, and continues releasing good to excellent records in very short time spans. The Sun Will Rise Again is not as stunning as the nearly perfect predecessor 2012, but it’s certainly as energizing as Eve To Dawn.

Everything sounds tight and harmonious on this record, as is usual for Loudness. The riffs are powerful, the guitar solos are pure melodic ecstasy, the rhythm section of bass guitar and drums is energizing as always, and the vocals are as unique, rebellious, and sympathetically raspy as they have always been. Niihara’s Japanese accent and charismatic lyrics tell us about authentic heavy metal lifestyles, hopeful and strong emotions, and an untamable desire for freedom. Only the slightly-too modern production is a problem – it could have been a little bit more organic and old school to fit the material, in my opinion.

One of the highlights here includes the tight heavy metal anthem “Mortality”, with its galloping riffs and multiple vocal efforts during the pre-chorus and the engaging chorus itself. This is the kind of song that needs to be played live to unfold all its energy. “The Metal Man” fits into the same category. This song is a little bit slower and, while the riffs are not spectacular, the rhythm section is definitely delivering the goods. The chorus is even more effective and invites you to yell along, raise your fist up in the air, and bang your head. In less than three minutes, Loudness delivers a classic heavy metal anthem that should please the old school fans but sounds powerful enough to delight younger audiences. Loudness is also able to grab our attention in the longer tracks, even though some of them might take some time to grow on you. “The Best” is probably the coolest long track here. It easily beats the eight-minute mark and opens with a few cool, minimalist bass guitar licks and precise drumming before thundering riffs, furious vocals, and angry sing-along passages kick in. This mixture of calmer breaks and powerful main parts is repeated and garnished with a few smart guitar effects and an almost funky, jazzy middle section where the bass guitar play stands out.

In the end, Loudness delivers three outstanding tracks, as well as a couple more energizing anthems like the pitiless opener “Got To Be Strong” and the engaging sing-along of “Never Ending Fire”, and a couple of good, average heavy metal songs in the weaker second half of the record. While this album might only be just that – “good average”, amongst Loudness’ impressive discography (and can’t beat the vivid 2012), it’s still miles ahead of everything released by bands of similar age and style over the previous year or two. Despite its age, Loudness is still alive and well and has a lot of interesting things left to say. If you like authentic, powerful, and technically well-executed heavy metal but you despise the high amount of exchangeable retro bands, this release is all you need. If you want to discover one of the most important heavy metal pioneer bands that deserves to be mentioned alongside Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, please start your journey chronologically. I know that listening to twenty-eight records might take some time, but Loudness has a rich and deserving history, which The Sun Will Rise Again only adds to.

Originally written for Black Wind Metal

Metal operas are quite popular in times like these. While this concept might have been original one or two decades ago, it has become rather worn-out over the years. If you are looking for a contemporary, high-quality power metal opera, you won’t find it by following the most popular representatives of that genre anymore, but will have to look elsewhere. That’s what I did, and I’ve found the Russian band Activator, with their brand new first full length release Defender Of Life.

Nine musicians (including six different vocalists) participate on this strong, epic release, which comes across as sounding very balanced – no one steals the spotlight for too long. From high clean vocals (reminding me of Russian heavy metal legends Aria), powerful vocals like those of Jorn Lande, darker and slightly harsh vocals that wouldn’t be out of place on a Turisas release, and finally, grounded female vocals that call Edenbridge to mind, the project offers a lot of diversity and truly gifted performers. The way some songs shift from thrash or speed metal sections to gracious power metal moments with crystal clear vocals, heavenly guitar melodies, and cinematic keyboard is truly impressive. Despite this high degree of diversity, everything sounds fluid and logical. I still haven’t found any odd transitions or dragging and boring moments in here.

Musically, this record could be described as European power metal with its speedy passages, symphonic keyboard samples, and tons of beautiful guitar harmony. In comparison to many other genre bands, the final result is still grounded and heavy enough to convince. There is none of the stand-up comedy of Edguy, no cheesy and sugary musicianship similar to Freedom Call, and none of the overloaded and overlong bombast of Rhapsody Of Fire in here. I would go as far as to call this release the best power metal record of the year (in my mind), along with Stratovarius’ incredibly strong Nemesis. That’s how a good dose of diversity sounds without being too challenging and sophisticated.

This high quality is not only due to a surprisingly great production effort, but also to the convincing metal musicianship of the involved artists. Many of the band members have been playing together (in rather unknown bands) for some time, and this established chemistry is omnipresent on Defender Of Life. In addition to this, the project has invited guest singers from different underground metal bands, such as the male singers of heavy metal act Druknroll and melodic death metal band Svartstorm, and the female singer of the power metal band Скипетр.

Of course, a lot of traditional, high quality European power metal songs like “Только вперёд” (“Only Forward”), that I would have heavily worshiped one decade ago, can be found on this release. Today, I especially appreciate the diversity on this album in form of the slow symphonic half-ballad and beautiful tearjerker “Сердце ангела” (“Angel Heart”), as well as the darker and meaner mid-tempo killer “Мрачный заговор” (“Grim Conspiracy”), with its grounded riffs, tight and outstanding bass guitar work, dark symphonic elements, and brilliant vocals. “Маска страха” (“Mask Of Fear”) is quite an interesting song as well. Musically, it’s a traditional heavy metal track with some symphonic bits and pieces. Vocally, powerful clean male vocals meet a few well-performed, and not too guttural, death metal growls. In general, the diversified vocals on this record work outstandingly well together. Another perfect example is the use of female vocals that meet clean male vocals in “Слеза разлуки” (“Tear Separation”). This kind of song is a true feast for neoclassical and symphonic metal fans.

The more I listen to this record, the more I discover creative musicianship, outstanding melodies, and catchy hooks. If you’re a fan of collaborative projects, European power metal, or rock/metal operas in general, you need to check this album out.

Originally written for Black Wind Metal

Judas Priest is one of the most influential metal bands of all times that released many world class records between their blues, rock ‘n roll and progressive rock infused debut “Rocka Rolla” in 1974 and their aggressive and more speed and thrash metal influenced “Painkiller” in 1990. I even adored the controversial “Jugulator” in 1997 that headed for a dark groove and industrial metal approach with a vivid new singer and I’m glad that this record finally got some re-evaluation and recognition over the past years. The last three Judas Priest records “Demolition”, “Angel Of Retribution” and “Nostradamus” were though of a good average quality at best. Judas Priest still have their moments at several live shows and I would go see the band in concert anytime but it isn’t for their more recent material. “Redeemer Of Souls” is pretty much on the same level as the previous three outputs. It’s an average record with a few highlights and a few more fillers.

I feel that this record is only slightly better than the boring, inconsistent and overlong “Nostradamus” but it’s on the same level or even slightly below the comeback record “Angel Of Retribution” and even the hit and miss record “Demolition”. Judas Priest delivers predictable mid-tempo heavy metal stompers where everybody performs in a very solid way but apart of new guitarist Richie Faulkner nobody really performs with unchained passion. The record is okay but if the name Judas Priest wasn’t written on the album cover, not many people would care about this old-fashioned release. While comparable bands like Aria, Iron Maiden and Loudness still have the pace, the passion and the will to experiment here and there, Judas Priest sound like they never arrived in the new millennium.

The new record kicks of well with the dynamical mid-tempo stomper “Dragonaut” and the catchy and more melodic title track “Redeemer Of Souls” but you soon realize that many tracks sound quite alike. Many songs sound like reinvented and slowed down tracks from classic records like “Painkiller” or “Screaming For Vengeance”. A good example is the longest track on the regular version which happens to be “Gates Of Valhalla”. The mid-tempo song tries to be heavy and anthemic leading to a simplistic but powerful chorus and I’m sure it will be a great live song. On the other side, I feel like I’ve heard very similar and better executed songs by Judas Priest in the past. It’s the same thing with the faster “Battle Cry” which is probably the heaviest track on the album but it simply sounds like a cheap “Painkiller” rehash. These kind of songs would have been original and passionate thirty years ago but today it feels old-fashioned and will only please to nostalgic heavy metal fans and die-hard Judas Priest maniacs. 

A couple of songs start in a promising way as if the band wanted to try out something new. The beginning of “Hell & Back” has a slightly melancholic and ballad orientated touch but it ends up being another standard mid-tempo track. “Cold Blooded” sounds much better because the calmer and psychedelic parts are recurring elements throughout the entire track and because Rob Halford tries to sing in a more longing manner than usual. Logically, it’s one of the better songs on the record but the band should have sounded even more atmospheric and original to really impress me here. The band finally evolves in a more distinguished way with the closing blues and psychedelic rock infused ballad “Beginning Of The End”. It’s maybe not the best song on the album because it sounds a little bit too tame to me but there is no doubt that this is by far the most original track by Judas Priest in 2014.

The limited edition of the album includes a second disk with five more songs that can’t really impress. The melodic and slow ballad “Never Forget” would have been an emotional closure if Rob Halford’s powerless vocals had sounded a little bit more passionate. The track feels somewhat strange as if this last track of the special edition was the very last song of Judas Priest’s entire career. It saddens me to realize that these old heroes might soon be history and that they end their career in such a lackluster manner.

Maybe it’s time for these legends to go and maybe they should have gone much earlier as well. I’m a quite big fan of anything Judas Priest released between 1974 and 1997 and I really wanted this new record to be a return to form for the British legends. I didn’t really believe in this miracle and the album sounds as if the band believed even less in itself. The final result is a lukewarm and old-fashioned mid-tempo heavy metal release with too many fillers, a tame instrumental and vocal performance and a sad rehash of idea’s from glorious past days. Maybe Judas Priest will carry on because it would be disappointing to leave with such a weak release but on the other side it’s hard to believe that this band can still improve and progress at this point.

My final rating is probably still a little bit too generous but I take into consideration how old this band is, that they had to deal with an important line-up Change recently and that this record would have had a better Impression on me if it had been released thirty years in the past with a Rob Halford in top form. As it now turns out, this record is for a few extremely faithful Judas Priest fans and truly nostalgic heavy metal fans only. Everybody else will either feel bored or sad about this record or both just like me.

Alien Avenge is a strange Taiwanese band labeled as melodic death metal. The band is surely innovative, but is quite hard to digest. The band has so many different faces that it’s hard to get what the six musicians are actually trying to accomplish on their first record, Still, Tonatiuh performed surprisingly well in Asia, and even got some attention from European countries thanks to the recommendation and participation of Chthonic’s bassist Doris Yeh.

To begin with, we have short and not very appealing instrumentals on this record, such as the disharmonic and almost random piano interlude “81025”. This interlude sounds like a missed attempt at creating a bastardized UneXpect and X Japan instrumental hybrid. I really can’t make any sense of a song like this. On the other hand, the band also comes around with one rather promising instrumental, “Ice”, featuring acoustic guitars and progressive keyboard sounds. This is the kind of music I would expect to hear on a new Opeth release, for example. Why are these instrumentals here? I have no clue, because they don’t have anything to do with, and don’t fit in with the rest of the record. They rather slow the record down instead of adding a well integrated new dimension to it. Maybe these songs were just quickly made to stretch and fill the record with more music, or maybe they’re here on purpose to mix us up just like the rest of this album. Maybe it's just me and I don’t get it.

Other than that, we’ve got a few brutal, fast-paced modern extreme metal songs that are influenced by bands such as Children Of Bodom, In Flames, and Soilwork, but also something like Nevermore in the more atmospheric moments. Some tracks have an apocalyptic touch, such as “Revenge War” or “Melting”, featuring Chthonic’s bassist Doris Yeh, who performs some piercing screams on this song. Both tracks convince with their well-suited keyboard parts, gripping riffs, and well performed melodic guitar solos. The latter track even has a few slightly progressive transitions and is among the best pieces on here.

Other tracks like “Torment” or “Hung War” are much more straightforward, and yet way too chaotic for me. The vocals in these tracks are somewhere between death and black metal styles, and could appeal to those who liked the last Sigh record, for example, or some songs made by Absu.

There’s also an epic track called “Intrusion Collapse”, that approaches the ten minute mark. This is somewhat of a highlight amongst this record’s weirdness. The track starts promisingly, with epic keyboard sounds that make you expect a power metal track, but the song shifts to a melodic black metal anthem in the key of Chthonic or Dimmu Borgir, before it suddenly gets a clear death metal touch again. The mixture doesn’t work all too badly once you get used to it. But just before the five minute mark, the song seems to be over, and we get a few seconds of silence before a rather calm and atmospheric interlude leads us into an equally strange second part of the same track. These parts are clearly jazz influenced. At this point, I’m not surprised by anything anymore. Once you start to enjoy the calmer mood with atmospheric keyboards and great guitar melodies, the madness kicks off again and we get some blistering extreme metal. The entire track represents the record very well. The song is promising and has its moments. The technical abilities of the band are quite good, but I feel that nothing fits together well at all. Even after multiple spins, this song and record remain completely inaccessible to me, which doesn’t happen quite often with my preference for the experimental. I had less headaches watching David Lynch’s entire “Dumbland” series than listening to this record.

In the end, this record is a truly confusing output. From addicting genre tracks to overwhelmingly chaotic songs, you get a whole bunch of more or less gripping variations of the melodic death metal genre. Short instrumentals and overlong tracks make this record very hard to digest. The album feels too ambitious, directionless, and totally overwhelming. Even the lyrics vary from Chinese to English from song to song without any apparent reason. The tracks don’t really fit together, and this record has no clear guiding line apart from its genre categorization. Even the songs themselves have parts that don’t fit together. We get sudden breaks in some tracks, and one thinks for sure that a new song has started, but according to the track labels, it’s still the same song, but has completely changed.

Yes, this band has got some talent and they surely have loads of ideas, but they don’t manage to put them into consistent song writing. That’s why this record is rather frustrating and quite hard to sit through. I can only recommend this album to chaotic and destructive minds and die hard extreme metal fans that look to try out everything from this genre.

Originally written for Black Wind Metal