Lake of Dracula is the second entry in the Bloodthirsty Trilogy, a series of Japanese movies inspired by American and European horror cinema, literature and myths. The story revolves around school teacher Kashiwagi Akiko who lives near a peaceful lake. When a coffin is delivered to a local boathouse by a strange truck driver, strange events start to occur. Akiko believes the current events are somehow related to a traumatizing event she went through when she was only five years old. Her joyful sister Natsuko doesn't believe her but her fiancé Doctor Saeki Takashi starts to investigate when one of his patients who lived near the lake is brought to his hospital with two bite marks on her neck.

If compared to the first entry in the franchise, Lake of Dracula isn't as intense from start to finish as the creepy The Vampire Doll. There are a few too many dialogues in the middle section and scenes like the two sisters going shopping in a nearby town are irrelevant to the story. However, the opening flashback has a very eerie atmosphere and the first scene in the present when a mysterious coffin is delivered sets the tone for the rest of the movie. Things start getting really intense in the second half when the protagonist gets attacked at home and her fiancé in his car. From then on, the film has intense pace and ends very dramatically as well.

The settings are perfectly chosen. The beautiful town by the lake turns into a sinister trap. The vampire's strange house has an otherworldly vibe to it. The hospital the doctor works in looks sinsiter at night. The different locations add some diversity to an already entertaining movie.

The acting performances are also quite solid. Fujita Midori delivers the goods as lead actress in her very first film and it's a mystery to me why she only starred in six movies in her whole career. Her fragile yet determined nature is perfecrly balanced in this movie. She harmonizes well with her more rational and grounded partner Takahashi Chôei. Their chemistry is comparable to the couple in the first movie. The mysterious vampire is played by Kishida Shin and truly terrifying. It reminds of several classic American horror movies in a positive way.

The second half of the film might even be better than the one of The Vampire Doll but a slightly dragging middle section makes Lake of Dracula overall a little bit less enjoyable. Still, fans of classic horror cinema will dig the combination of Japanese culture and Western horror tropes. The idea that vampirism was brought to Japan by foreigners as explained in this movie is somewhat awkward but everything else fits together very fluidly. The movie looks a little bit dated nowadays but still convinces with very good acting performances, a lot of atmosphere and great locations.

The Vampire Doll is the first film of what would later on become The Bloodthirsty Trilogy with Lake of Dracula and Evil of Dracula. Produced by Toho Studios, The Vampire Doll was directed by rather unknown director Yamamoto Michio who had been working as assistant director on Kurosawa Akira's Throne of Blood. The lead actresses and actors had also mostly played in low-budget gangster movies or television films. Nobody really expected this take on classic Western vampire stories to be a success but The Vampire Doll turned out being an incredibly atmospheric film that has stood the test of time.

The settings are perfectly chosen for this film that starts on a lonely road in rural Japan on a rainy night. The most important location is the secluded mansion inspired by Western culture with its elegant but old-fashioned decorations. The old cemetery that isn't taken care of blends in perfectly. Even the nearby sleepy village recalls elements of European horror literature and cinema.

The ominous, melodic and gloomy soundtrack fits perfectly as well. The sound effects of a wailing woman and angry birds intensify the atmosphere. The camera work is generally calm and precise and therefore surprises when sudden cuts take place to introduce quite efficient jump scares.

The acting performances are superb. Matsuo Kayo convinces as sympathetic lead actress who is very emotive and willing to risk her life to save her brother. Her more grounded and rational partner played by Nakao Akira complements her excellently. Minakaze Yoko excels as creepy lady who seems to have some skeletons in her closet. Takashina Kaku convinces as deaf employee with a hauntingly creepy look and rude manners. Every single actor and actress involved performs with passion and talent that is unusual for such a low-budget horror movie. It's something that is very rarely seen nowadays.

The story isn't the most creative one and obviously inspired by classic European horror films but it's told in a steady pace that will keep you entertained from start to finish. The movie revolves Sagawa Kazuhiko who had spent six months abroad and wants to see his fiancee Nonomura Yuko again. When he arrives at her family mansion, he is told by her mother that she died two weeks earlier in a tragic traffic accident. About a week later, Sagawa Kazuhiko still hasn't returned home and his sister Keiko starts to be worried. She convinces her fiance Takagi Hiroshi to visit the family mansion where her brother was headed for. When they arrive, they are told that her brother left the day after he was told that his fiancee had died but Keiko senses that strange things are going on in the mansion. Her fiance and she decide to stay to investigate the family's sinister past in a nearby town. The further they investigate, the more their lives are getting in danger.

If you like classic atmospheric horror movies, you will adore The Vampire Doll. The settings, effects and acting are still superb by contemporary standards. It's the best horror film I have seen in a long time and I would both revisit it again soon and recommend it to my friends.

Pierre Le Pape's metal opera concept Melted Space comes around with Darkening Light two and a half years after the superb The Great Lie that featured artists of Mayhem, Orphaned Land and The Old Dead Tree fame to only mention a few. This time around, the line-up is less spectacular but the final result sounds even more homogeneous than before. Darkening Light could be described as vibrant modern metal with symphonic and gothic metal elements as operatic female singers meet harsh male vocalists. The final result convinces with a mysterious atmosphere, coherent structures without any significant ups and downs and fluid song writing from start to finish. 

On the other side, the individual tracks are overall less surprising, experimental and exciting than on the outstanding predecessor. If you have however always looked for a darker alternative to Avantasia or Ayreon, Melted Space will certainly appeal to you. While the sum is greater than its parts on this release, the album lacks truly outstanding tunes that will stay on your mind once the record is over. 

Among the few highlights, one could cite the elegant and sacral opener ''Newborns'' that would Nightwish make go green with envy, the incredibly diversified ''The Meaning of This Place'' with progressive metal keyboard solos, power metal melodies and extreme metal vocals and the ambitious, cinematic and dramatic closer ''Fallen World'' that is by far the longest tune on the record. 

If you like your metal opera a little bit gloomier and more consistent than the usual assimilation compilations, Melted Space's Darkening Light is exactly what you have been looking for. This project deserves at least as much attention as Avantasia and Ayreon and is at least as good as these two commercially successful projects. Give this release and especially the excellent predecessor The Great Lie a try and spread the word about this great project.

Final rating: 80%

On its eleventh studio record Verkligheten which translates to Reality, Swedish melodic death metal quintet Soilwork once again delivers a solid mixture of melancholy and aggression.

The record however starts with a mismatch. The instrumental opener ''Verkligheten'' builds up an eerie, mysterious and psychedelic atmosphere but ''Arrival'' cuts this promising progression short with dumb blast beat passages and blistering riffs. Working with contrasts only works when they complement one another and not when they contradict one another.

Things improve quickly however and a first highlight comes around with ''Full Moon Shoals'' that mixes floating melodies, hypnotizing vocal lines and gloomy mid-paced riffs with a fast middle section, at times unchained growls and an emotionally uplifting chorus. All these elements take their time to unfold carefully and complement one another cleverly in five most entertaining minutes that offer more diversity than other bands include on entire records. This song exemplifies the contrasts Soilwork represents and is one of the band's greatest tracks.

Previously released single ''Stålfågel'' which translates to Steel Bird cautiously flirts with minimal electronic vibes and modern guitar riffs. The melodic lead vocals leading up to an epic chorus truly make you feel as if you were flying like the bird the song talks about. Guest vocals are provided by Arch Enemy's Alissa White-Gluz who is usually known for her harsh vocals, points of view and attitude. In this song, she proves that she actually has very enjoyable clean vocals that back up lead vocalist Björn Strid in a cinematic, epic and liberating way. This collaboration comes along as an unexpectedly positive surprise.

''Needles and Kin'' features another collaboration as it comes along with liberating harsh vocals by Amorphis' Tomi Joutsen. Despite a few melodic keyboard and guitar backdrops, the song is one of the fastest on the record and goes back to Soilwork's early years. Fans of yore will certainly like the relentless energy of the song and particularly appreciate the track's sinister second half. Soilwork should explore its dark side more often instead of always predictably shifting towards melodic lead vocals in every song.

The closing ''You Aquiver'' is yet another collaboration. This song features additional guitar work by Dave Sheldon and the track indeed comes around with some of the most gripping riffs on the entire record but especially the versatile vocals between harsh screams and melodic lines really carry this adventurous track and end the record on a high note.

Soilwork doesn't really reinvent its style but convinces with successful collaborations that bring some fresh air into the band that sounds overall more focused than on previous records. The record convinces from start to finish and doesn't feature any repetitive stinkers this time around which makes Verkligheten the band's greatest release in many years. The stunning cover artwork symbolizes the band's more adventurous approach to song writing. The additional extended play Underworld offers some extra value for money. Melodic death metal fans in general and Soilwork fans in particular should pick this very solid but not excellent release up to start the year on a positive note.

Final rating: 80%

American quintet Visigoth plays traditional heavy metal with an epic twist reminding of Dio, Manilla Road and Manowar but also more contemporary groups like Atlantean Kodex, Grand Magus and Pharaoh. The music is powerful, mid-paced and of epic proportions. The guitar riffs are grounded while the solos provide some catchy melodies without ever drifting off into progressive territories. The rhythm section is solid and serviceable to the songs and while the bass guitar manages to stand out in a few songs, the drumming remains at times formulaic. The vocals are probably the greatest asset of the band as they manage to be melodic yet powerful. They give the song material a quite anthemic note. The lyrics that deal with battles aren't sung in a sinister but rather in an uplifting tone. It's the kind of music one could listen to before riding into battle. Any song from this album would blend in perfectly on a Game of Thrones soundtrack and the likes.

Even though the eight tracks sound quite homogeneous, almost all of them manage to stand out in one way or another. The majestic opener ''Steel and Silver'' features incredibly catchy vocal lines that start the record on a particularly high note and would have deserved the release of a single. ''Warrior Queen'' is a little bit more dynamic with many melodic guitar solos, energetic backing vocals and a wonderful conclusion with enchanting flute sounds, soothing vocals and uplifting choirs that recall Jethro Tull. The melodic ''Hammerforged'' could come from a classic Manowar record of the early eighties and has a chorus worthy of a national anthem. ''Traitor's Gate'' is heavy metal storytelling at its very best, starting slowly with fragile melodies before quickening up the pace instrumentally and becoming more emotional in the vocal department until the slower middle section with passionate guitar solos gives a short break before the track concludes on an appropriately epic note. The surprisingly fast-paced ''Salt City'' is an anthem dedicated to the band's hometown that is performed with genuine passion that should be used by the local tourism department.

In the end, Visigoth's Conqueror's Oath deserves its positive reputation and is one of the best epic heavy metal records I have heard in a quite long time. The band might not reinvent the genre but performs its eight songs with creativity, energy and passion that make this record engaging from start to finish. The organic production recalls the bands of the seventies and eighties that quite obviously inspired the band. The stunning cover artwork represents the material perfectly and is the cherry atop the heavy metal cake. If you haven't listened to the band yet and like classic heavy metal or so-called true metal, you can't get around this band in general and this album in particular.

Final rating: 90%