The Foreshadowing is undoubtedly the most immersive gothic doom metal band around these days. Since the band's formula works so efficiently, the Italian sextet almost didn't change anything about in on its fourth studio record. One could criticize the band for playing it safe but the band's high-quality consistency is so convincing that it would be difficult and even unreasonable to suggest the group to modify its unique trademark sound and to walk off the beaten path. Despite an overall great effort, this release is slightly less convincing than its three predecessors. This isn't due to a lack of innovation however but related to a weak album closer that represents a fourth of this release's running time. Even though it's the only track that falls off, its running time and position are so important that it has a rather important impact on the entire release. Ironically, the record's most experimental track in terms of running time and structure turns out to be its Achilles' heel.

Seven Heads Ten Horns is obviously an album that needs to be listened in a calm and isolated atmosphere to unfold its gloomy atmosphere. The nine new tracks also need some time to unfold and request multiple spins before they will be permanently stuck on your mind. This was also the case for the previous records and is typical for this atmospheric genre.

After numerous spins, two tracks really manage to stand out on an overall convincing effort. ''Two Horizons'' starts with melancholic and mournful guitar melodies before the verses build up a certain speed and energy carried by a superb drum play that is often underestimated in this band. The mixture between a more vivid rhythm section, mid-paced guitar patterns and slow vocals supported by melodramatic keyboard passages that add to the atmopshere instead of taking too much space works very well. The chorus slows things down a little bit and offers an enchanting and hypnotizing approach dominated by careful and thoughtful vocals where every note blends in perfectly with the nearly progressive instrumental work. This mellower refrain turns out to be rather catchy and creates an almost uplifting contrast to the more depressive and sorrowful verses. The track sounds perfectly balanced and represents The Foreshadowing's gothic soundscapes best on this record. Due to the addicting chorus, it's also the song with the greatest hit potential this band has written so far. Another outstanding effort is the quasi title track ''Seventeen'' that hits a very similar vein. The track starts with discordant guitar sounds before a thundering rhythm section sets in. The verses are vivid from an instrumental point of view while the vocals are as mysterious and soothing as ever. The chorus is very efficient once again and has a more epic touch with very melodic lead vocals that won't get out of your mind. The lyrical topic of the apocalypse has rarely sounded as enchanting as in this particularly devilish song. It almost sounds like the musical version of an uneasy yet appeasing opium trip. The Foreshadowing offers sweet pain as drugs for your ears.

The only slight disappointment on this strong album is the closing epic ''Nimrod'' which is separated into four distinctive parts. While these parts work well enough on their own, they don't quite fit together. This song sounds less coherent and fluid than the other tunes and in the case of a band that mostly relies on an immersive atmosphere, these slight disturbances are enough to get the listener out of the universe this song attempts to create. In the end, the band was probably a little bit overambitious to end this album with a track with a running time above fourteen minutes. Less would have been so much more in this case because the final result feels both stretched yet unfinished and doesn't represent the band's usual efficiency and precision we have gotten used to.

In the end, Seven Heads Ten Horns is another great gothic doom metal output by The Foreshadowing. It's not an essential album and I personally liked the three predecessors slightly better. However, both gothic and doom metal fans should get this album because even The Foreshadowing's least convincing studio album to date is still far stronger than what similar bands have to offer in general. On the other side, occasional and new fans are recommended to start their journey with one of the group's first three outputs.

Final rating: 78%

Ladies and gentlemen,

At this point, I would like to share my predictions for the 2017 Formula One season with you.

World Drivers' Championsip

1. Lewis Hamilton 416

2. Sebastian Vettel 373

3. Max Verstappen 277

4. Kimi Raikkonen 225

5. Valtteri Bottas 197

6. Daniel Ricciardo 187

7. Carlos Sainz jr. 92

8. Sergio Perez 82

9. Daniel Kvyat 68

10. Felipe Massa 54

11. Esteban Ocon 21

12. Fernando Alonso 12

13. Romain Grosjean 4

14. Pascal Wehrlein 3

14. Marcus Ericsson 3

14. Nico Hulkenberg 3

17. Lance Stroll 2

18. Kevin Magnussen 1

19. Stoffel Vandoorne 0

19. Jolyon Palmer 0

19. Antonio Giovinazzi 0

 World Constructors' Championship

1. Mercedes 613

2. Ferrari 598

3. Red Bull Racing 464

4. Scuderia Toro Rosso 160

5. Force India 103

6. Williams 56

7. McLaren 12

8. Sauber 6

9. Haas F1 Team 5

10. Renault 3 

I'm already looking forward to attending the fiftieth Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal in June 2017. I will keep you updated as much as possible and I will post several reports and photos on my blog over the upcoming months.

Bloody Tyrant offers not only a serious candidate for the best black metal release of the year but even a record that should make it onto several top lists of the year as well. I would even go as far to say that Solitary Eagle might be the greatest extreme metal album of the decade so far and I can't see anyone beating this anytime soon. This album grows with every single spin and unfolds its intense magic progressively from the strong beginning until the absolutely incredible end.

The band's third studio album Solitary Eagle offers very creative, entertaining and inspiring melodic black metal. The epic atmosphere on the album is enhanced by a multitude of elements. Some songs offer majestic symphonic elements and choirs that aren't a far call from contemporary Dimmu Borgir and the likes. Other songs focus on Taiwanese folk sounds and tales in the key of Chthonic among others. The band also manages to slow things down in specific moments and relies on enchanting acoustic guitar harmonies and soothing new age choirs that might remind you of projects like Darkness over Depth. The guitar play is also elegant and versatile and switches from atmospheric and cold riffs to more glorious and melodic soundscapes. The epic album closer even introduces melodic female guest vocals that sound so graceful that they beat any extreme folk metal bands with similar approaches such as Eluveitie among others.

While all these elements could also apply to a great folk metal band, the band remains firmly rooted in the black metal genre thanks to cold riffs, fierce black and death metal vocals and gloomy lyrics that perfectly counterbalance the harmonious parts. These bleak parts keep the album together and serve as powerful guide line through a very colourful release.

While each and every single song is a masterpiece on its own and in the context of the album, two tracks need to be pointed out. ''Eagle Fly Free'' has nothing to do with the Helloween song of the same name but has indeed a galloping heavy metal pace combined with joyous pipa sounds that meet more destructive riffs and a vivid rhythm section that offers everything from pitiless blast beats to groovier patterns. The sceond half of the song relies more on the group's folk influences with traditional choirs, uplifting folk instrumentation and outstanding melodic guitar solos that heavy or power metal veterans couldn't perform more passionately. The melodies are catchy in a positive way and this concise song has the potential to help the band get the international breakthrough it truly deserves. The aforementioned album closer ''Devastation'' is easily the best song in Bloody Tyrant's impressive career. It features more coherently combined ideas in eight and a half minutes than other bands have in their entire discographies. Soothing acoustic guitar parts and enchanting female vocals meet cinematic and vivid symphonic soundscapes but also mid-paced black metal riffs, a thunderous yet controlled rhythm section and passionate black metal vocals. This single song is easily the best black metal track since Thormesis' Türme des Schattens five years earlier and equals album closers such as The Vision Bleak's The Charm Is Done in terms of stunning creativity and haunting intensity.

Black metal purists might not get along with the band's diversified yet authentic approach to the genre but anyone who listens to the bands and genres mentioned above should immediately get familiar with Nantou's stunning quintet. In a year that has been rather disappointing concerning new releases, Bloody Tyrant's cinematic, epic and majestic blackened folk metal magnum opus really stands out. Trust me and give this stunning Taiwanese quintet a chance if you like inspired melodic extreme metal.

Final rating: 97%

Even though ''Life'' really follows classic science-fiction standards by the numbers, it's a really engaging movie. Yes, the first twenty minutes take the time to introduce the settings and the characters. Obviously, the rest of the movie focuses on the monster that is going to kill the crew members one by one. It's as predictable as it gets when I'm telling you that the atmosphere inside the vessel will be intense, that there will be a few breathtaking scenes taken in space and that some characters will be ready to sacrifice themselves in order to save others. Of course, the famous lead character is the one to survive until the end. And yes, there is going to be an inevitable twist at the very end. On the other side, I must admit that the movie didn't follow all the wrong stereotypes. There are no unnecessary side stories such as emotional conflicts between the characters that act in a rather mature way and we are not exposed to a cheesy love story either which makes the characters more believable.

Despite some flaws in the predictable story department, this movie in the vein of the classic Alien flicks still deserves to be watched on the big screen. The visual elements in the vessel and in space never fail to impress me but also have a realistic touch to them. Special effects such as body horror elements and explosions in the space station are added in small and efficient doses. The fact that ninety-eight percent of the film take place in space give this movie a refreshingly streamlined approach and since ninety-five percent of it are taking place inside the vessel, the film develops a claustrophobic vibe. This atmosphere is enhanced by a subtle yet gripping soundtrack. The characters feel down to earth and are portrayed accurately by the actors and actresses. They might not deliver the best performances of their careers but manage to give the movie a realistic touch. In the beginning, I was skeptical that the plot seemed to rely on a cast that absolutely needed to be multicultural which feels unnaturally forced in many films but it makes sense in the context of an international space mission.

The most interesting element about this film is obviously its antagonist. Instead of introducing us to a big and strong monster in the key of Alien or Predator, this extraterrestrial life form constantly evolves its behavior and shape which adds to the rising tension in the movie. The fact that the monster acts unpredictably yet intelligently and learns very quickly about its survival instincts and tactics makes it a genuinely scary opponent. The monster's capacity to adapt to any threat makes it so respectable while its physical appearance is so unspectacular that it feels quite realistic.

In the end, apart of the predictable story line and the first twenty minutes which are necessary to introduce the setting but somehow lack intensity, Life is an atmospheric, intelligent and realistic science-fiction-horror movie that will please those who love classic material like the Alien and Predator franchises.

Triple Threat is a package made for faithful fans and with some reserves also for potential new followers. It introduces the current Annihilator line-up that has been around for less than a year. This release exists in different versions but the most complete ones offer three different auditory and visual experiences. This package offers a regular concert recorded at Bang Your Head!!! festival consisting of eleven tracks and a running time around one hour. The second threat comes in form of an acoustic set filmed and recorded at Jeff Waters' home studio close to Ottawa with guest singer Marc Lafrance and guest guitar player Pat Robillard who played ten tracks for a running time slightly below forty-five minutes. As an additional gimmick, there is also a comment section where Jeff Waters discusses each of the ten acoustic tracks for about thirty minutes in total. The last chapter offers a documentary including interviews with former and current band members, friends and musicians as well as fans from all around the world for a running time around one hour.

Let's take a look at the three different parts of this release. The regular concert is what you can expect from such a festival recording. The cuts are a little bit too fast in my book but the sound is overall massive apart of a section in the final track ''Phantasmagoria'' where the sound is off for a few short seconds on two occasions. It's possible that this is only the case for my copy but since I have read about the same issues concerning the same but also other songs in other reviews, I guess it's a general problem that couldn't be fixed. That definitely rates this section of the release down as it is a lack of attention, professionalism and quality but since it's only a minor problem, it will not reduce the overall quality of an overall strong concert. The new line-up has great chemistry and the four musicians clearly enjoy themselves on stage but still manage to play very professionally and nearly technically perfect. Rich Hinks and Aaron Homma are running around the stage like there's no tomorrow, Fabio Alessandrini nails his performance on the drums and Jeff Waters delivers his own triple threat by entertaining the audience, playing the guitar and singing all songs. The German festival audience is audibly enthusiastic which makes the show even more immersive. The set list focuses on the band's first four and current two records only but is rather satisfying for such a festival appearance. However, those who already have the special edition of Feast including the band's festival appearance at Wacken Open Air three years earlier, don't really need this new recording. Half of the set list is the same, the atmospheres are equally great and the bands delivered the goods on both occasion. A recording of a full regular Annihilator concert with some rare material would have been much more interesting. My final verdict is that this part of the package is very solid but not essential.

The acoustic set is something Annihilator has never tried out so far in its long career. The band chose ten calmer tracks which consist mostly of ballads or half ballads. While all these songs are great in their own way and performed very well, they also end up sounding quite alike and the set gets a little bit redundant after a while. It would have been interesting to transform a few of the heavier tracks into acoustic cuts to have a more diversified selection. The performances of the bass and guitar players are compelling and guest singer Marc Lafrance, who does lead vocals on all songs, are appeasing and enchanting. On a few occasions, he struggles with some higher notes here and there but his overall performance is surprisingly solid. It's questionable whether this experience needed to be filmed. While the audio version makes sense to me, it's not exactly entertaining to watch five guys sitting on chairs in a basement for forty-five minutes. The additional comment section by Jeff Waters proves two things: Jeff Waters is a sympathetic guy who has been through a lot of interesting things but he also talks way too much. While some of his comments were interesting enough, others were repetitive and could be skipped. In the end, this section delivers outstanding music with boring visuals and an ultimately unnecessary comment section.

The last part consist of a documentary that is all over the place. We get to hear interview segments with current and former band members, colleagues and partners of old date as well as fans from all around the world. Jeff Waters also answers fan questions in between and takes us on a ride through parts of his home town from downtown Ottawa over Dunrobin to Constance Bay. While Canada's capital region looks gorgeous and this documentary inspired me to go swimming at Constance Bay next summer, I wonder what the point of this documentary is. Jeff Waters probably wanted to put as many different aspects and ideas as possible in a running time of about one hour but the final product is lacking structure and includes both quite interesting parts as well as less compelling sections. Even the quality varies from cheap and shaky webcam sections with fans to very professional interview sections with the three new band members where images and sounds are crystal clear. After all, this documentary section is for very faithful fans only and has many ups and downs. On the other side, its unorthodox approach also has a sympathetic side to it.

To keep it short, Triple Threat is an above average package with several highlights such as the acoustic songs and the energizing festival performance, some average material in form of the documentary and an unnecessary part with comments on the acoustic songs. Faithful fans should absolutely get their hands on this overall entertaining package. Occasional or new fans should only purchase this release for a low and reasonable price and should otherwise stick to one of the band's numerous compilations included as bonus discs on several regular albums or purchase the excellent Japanese greatest hits release Welcome to Your Death which came out less than three years ago.

 Final rating: 72%