• DragonForce - Warp Speed Warriors (2024)

    Just as the group's cover artworks have progressively become more colourful, eclectic and light-hearted, the sound of British power metal quintet DragonForce has become significantly more catchy, commercial and joyful. Warp Speed Warriors offers ten songs with a running time of forty-nine minutes that even includes a quirky cover of Taylor Swift's ''Wildest Dreams'' to appeal to millennials around the world.

    While traditional metal fans or supporters of the band's origins might feel somewhat confused or even irritated by the band's shifting identity, Warp Speed Warriors is only the next logical step in this development. This record doesn't offer much depth but instead invites to dance, jump and sing along. Instead of being played in the early evening at your local metal pub, some of the songs on here could be played in the middle of the night at any discotheque with experimental DeeJanes and DeeJays.

    ''Space Marine Corp'' for instance combines military chants with pop melodies and saccharine power metal riffs and vocals supported by versatile drum play and thunderous bass guitar patterns. This quirky combination of genres works surprisingly well and hails as one of the record's most memorable songs that should deliver in spades in concert.

    ''Doomsday Party'' on the other side is the obvious single candidate that combines electronic pop music of the eighties with mellow power metal hearkening back to the late nineties with a highly processed production on the pulse of time. One could totally see oneself dancing to this quirky tune with a romantic partner at three o'clock in the morning while headbanging, moshpits and walls of death are certainly no realistic options for this selection.

    Even Taylor Swift's ''Wildest Dreams'' was appropriately adapted into the band's charismatic soundscapes with quick guitar play, explosive rhythm section and extremely joyful vocals. The lyrics were also slightly changed to suit the group's current identity. This song is a guilty pleasure closing a highly entertaining record appropriately.

    Even though DragonForce's Warp Speed Warriors offers entertainment over depth, it's a joy listening through these ten songs that entertain through forty-nine dynamic minutes. There might not be too many reasons to revisit this output but it's certainly easier to digest than the band's overloaded song structures of yore and its first failed attempt at commercial success from a decade ago. DragonForce has reworked its approach, identity and songwriting and now cemented its own new style with newfound experience, focus and wisdom on the thin line between electronic pop music and saccharine power metal. Some fans might dig it, others might hate it but one can't deny that DragonForce's band members now know better what they are doing than they have for the last decade and a half.

    Final Rating: 75%

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  • Blaze Bayley - Circle of Stone (2024)

    In spring 2023, iconic British heavy metal singer Blaze Bayley suffered a heart attack and both his career as well as his life seemed to be hanging in the balance. However, Blaze Bayley was well taken care of and has once again shown his remarkably resilient fighting spirit. One year later, he is already back with eleventh regular studio album Circle of Stone and is touring the world throughout the entire calendar year.

    His backing band consists of the four members of heavy metal band Absolva who have been collaborating with the charismatic British singer for many years. This excellent chemistry delivers in spades. The musicianship is tight, melodic and focused throughout the record. The mid-paced drum play is energetic and gets to the point without any complex experimentations. The bass guitar play is vibrant and forms the solid backbone of this release. The guitar play finds the perfect balance between dynamic rhythm parts and uplifting melodic passages. The organic, timeless and warm production fits in accurately.

    The songwriting blends in perfectly as well. This album crosses the finish line with eleven tracks and a total running time of forty-four minutes. The material varies from an instrumental song clocking in at below two minutes over numerous energetic single candidates around the three- or four-minute mark to power ballads going to almost six minutes. These examples prove the songwriting's clear approach while also underlining its detailed variations.

    The reason why most people listen to this record is of course Blaze Bayley's vocal performance and the veteran only seems to be getting better with age as he delivers one of the finest jobs in his long career. He sounds concentrated, powerful and uplifting in the shorter and heavier songs while offering a dramatic, emotional and epic side in the longer tunes. This balance works splendidly throughout the record that never sounds boring, predictable and repetitive. Instead, Circle of Stone sounds effortless, engaging and entertaining throughout.

    Several highlights deserve to be mentioned. For instance, dynamic opener ''Mind Reader'' clocks in at below three minutes and starts this record with a bang. ''Rage'' starts like a soulful ballad before erupting into a pumping heavy metal anthem while staying perfectly concise in under four minutes. ''The Broken Man'' is a power ballad focusing on the singer's emotional side and will send enjoyable shivers down the spines of his fans. Atmospheric, folkloristic and mysterious instrumental tune ''The Call of the Ancestors'' offers an inspired break at the right time in the middle of the record. Title track ''Circle of Stone'' combines Blaze Bayley's charismatic performance with energetic guest vocals by Swedish heavy metal vocalist Niklas Stålvind. Closing power ballad ''Until We Meet Again'' impresses with personal lyrics on the pulse of time and excellent additional female lead vocals by skilled youngster Tammy-Rae Bois.

    As you can read, Blaze Bayley's Circle of Stone underlines the singer's unbroken passion for heavy metal and focuses on its versatile songwriting that still sounds engaging, fresh and surprising in this day and age. Any genre fan should pick this record up as it doesn't need to hide behind similar contemporary genre outputs such as Bruce Dickinson's The Mandrake Project.

    Final Rating: 80%

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  • Red Nettle - Metatron (2023)

    A whopping nineteen years after its underwhelming debut record Continuosity, British grunge quartet Red Nettle returns with a new extended play entitled Metatron that features three new songs for a total running time of sixteen minutes.

    Some things have changed in nineteen years. The three new songs offered here are much longer than what the quartet had presented to us about two decades ago. The songwriting indeed flirts with progressive and psychedelic rock soundscapes. The instrumental work sounds more spontaneous, explorative and creative. Especially the guitar play needs to be pointed out positively for covering new ground.

    Other things have however not changed at all. The vocals still sound mildly annoying and fail to convince when hitting higher registers. The rhythm section is still too tame, safe and cautious to complement the more adventurous guitar play. The material offered here fails to leave a deeper mark since none of the songs are even remotely appealing, catchy or memorable. The underproduced effort still recalls dirty garages in and around Seattle in the late eighties.

    To be fair, fans of underground grunge music from the late eighties and early nineties might give this extended play a shot. I would most certainly recommend the band to release this effort not only digitally but also physically since the imaginative cover artwork is one of the most gorgeous ones I have ever witnessed. Sadly, the final result on display is a lot less gorgeous as the British quartet still offers slightly underwhelming grunge that simply doesn't ignite a spark.

    Final Rating: 40%

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  • Red Nettle - Continuosity (2004)

    Red Nettle is a British quartet that is somehow mislabeled as stoner rock or even as a doom metal band. As a matter of fact, the band from Essex actually plays grunge. Emotional vocals performing lyrics about inner struggles meet mid-paced drum patterns, buried bass sounds and distorted guitar riffs. The raw production reminds of a garage recording from the late eighties in or around Seattle. References such as Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden come to mind. This record here was released roughly a decade after the short-lived commercial success of the grunge era and failed to leave its mark with only seven songs and a timid running time of just twenty-eight minutes. Red Nettle seemed to be dead and gone but activities have recently been increasing again. A new extended play entitled Metatron was released nineteen years after this output and debut record Continuosity was digitally re-released with four headache-inducing pre-production demos of four already existing songs that would make some underground black metal bands green with envy.

    While I appreciate grunge music from the late eighties and early nineties from seminal bands such as Nirvana and even dig some so-called neo-grunge groups such as underrated Puddle of Mudd, there really isn't much I like about Red Nettle in general and its debut album Continuosity in particular. To start on a positive note, the group certainly has a consistent style showcased throughout the seven songs on this output as it becomes obvious that the quartet knows exactly what it's doing. The references to grunge pioneers will occasionally put smiles upon the faces of genre fans. The underproduced mastering blends in fittingly as well as it makes the record sound at least a decade older than it actually is. Lastly, I happen to appreciate the general artistic style of the band with the memorable cover artwork that offers quite a few things worth to be discovered.

    On the negative side however, none of the seven songs is in any way memorable. The different tracks rush by without leaving any lasting impression. The songwriting is redundant and repetitive without much courage or inspiration. The drum play is serviceable at best and fails to add a healthy dose of energy to the record. The bass guitar is often buried in the production and thus fails to leave its mark. The mid-placed distorted guitar play suits genre standards and certainly has its own style but is overall too simple and too static to get listeners emotionally involved in the long run. The vocals also have significant issues. While the general tone of the singer is enjoyable, he sounds uncomfortably squeaky when attempting and failing to hit higher notes. The vocals are also too much in the foreground of this production and at times bury the musicianship that is thus reduced to some background doodling. Speaking of the production, one has to come to the conclusion that it doesn't add much authenticity to the band but rather makes the final product even harder to digest.

    At the end of the day, Red Nettle's Continuosity is only recommended to avid grunge fans and faithful collectors of underground gems from unknown grunge and neo-grunge bands. The band certainly has its own style and plays with conviction but the musicianship is subpar, the vocals are nerve-firing and the production is the worst offender of them all. Red Nettle's Continuosity is ultimately a below average output rather than a hidden gem you haven't heard of and I'm rather certain that most of the twelve monthly listeners on Spotify are inclined to agree.

    Final Rating: 40%

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  • Orphaned Land - A Heaven You May Create (2023)

    Orphaned Land is a completely unique quintet from Israel that has been promoting understanding, peace and diplomacy for decades by now. The group offers a most fascinating mixture of epic heavy metal soundscapes, atmospheric doom metal passages and even the occasional gritty death metal influence. These subgenres are combined with melodic Middle Eastern folk sounds, uplifting symphonic soundscapes and inspired lyrics in local and foreign languages. This unique quintet sounds like no other band and if you haven't come across these Israelites yet, then let me tell you that they deserve your acclaim, attention and respect since they will offer you many hours of fascinating entertainment, an authentic display of local cultures as well as some valuable food for thought.

    The only element I could possibly criticize is actually only a side note that I want to get out of the way right from the start. The group's last studio record is already six years old and the band's last live effort The Road to OR-Shalem: Live at the Reading 3, Tel-Aviv offers several similarities to A Heaven You May Create. If I were a member of the band, I would have suggested the idea to release some new material instead of publishing yet another live record.

    Still, Orphaned Land will take you on a most memorable journey right from the start and won't let you go until the very last second of this wonderful release. The DVD features sixteen songs, the vinyl version and digital release include fifteen files and the compact disc offers thirteen tunes. Depending on which version you're aiming to purchase, you will get roughly between seventy-five to ninety minutes of entertainment.

    There are numerous highlights to be found on this release. ''The Storm Still Rages Inside'' features dreamy symphonic sequences, enchanting folk sounds and epic heavy metal passages building up for an almost cinematic experience cracking the nine-minute mark. It's quite a statement to start a concert with such an ambitious song but the band and its guests pull its performance off with a perfect balance between emotions and professionalism.

    A song such as ''Sapari'' might not even be half as long but works wonderful in the context of the concert. It embraces the group's Middle Eastern folk heritage, features melodious Hebrew lyrics and convinces with short, precise and catchy songwriting. This gem invites to sing and dance along as it should appeal to a wider audience.

    The message of ''In Propaganda'' is even shorter and simpler, offering a clear and sincere statement promoting freedom and open-mindedness. This important philosophy is transmitted with melodious folk sounds and rhythmic heavy metal elements that work in unison.

    ''All Is One'' combines inspired lyrics promoting a peaceful message that is more important now than it has ever been before with uplifting symphonic metal that will lift you up so magnificently that you will desire to experience this feeling time and again. Having a version of this masterpiece on a live record now is a rewarding gift and should provide many hours of genuine pleasure.

    Closing epic ''Norra El Norra (Entering the Ark'' brings the amazing listening experience full circle with its ambitious songwriting. The crowd is particularly loud and participative. Band members and guests are presented accurately yet enthusiastically. The sonic combination of symphonic soundscapes and dynamic heavy metal passages makes for an incredibly fluid experience. This song sounds half as long as it actually is and concludes a particularly strong live record on a very high note.

    Once the emotional ride through Orphaned Land's impressive soundscapes is over, you can't help but having a bright smile upon your face as you already desire to experience the same epic journey again. This wonderful live record offers magical atmosphere, inspiring lyrics and excellent musicianship showcased in front of an energetic crowd and mastered by expert producers who have found the perfect balance between authentic energy and clear soundscapes. Orphaned Land's A Heaven You May Create is highly recommended to old fans, new fans and anyone caring for folk music, heavy metal or symphonic soundtracks.

    Final Rating: 95%

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