It might sound harsh but Juha Raivo's musical creativity had been pushed to astonishing limits after the tragic death of his partner Aleah Stanbridge, resulting in masterpieces such as Swallow the Sun's experimental single Lumina Aurea and the conceptual record When a Shadow Is Forced into the Light. Five years have passed since that tragic event and Swallow the Sun has now released a new output with Moonflowers. While the record has all the trademarks of its predecessors, it's however missing that desperate creative spark that made the preceding releases so authentic, experimental and unique.

The opening quasi title track ''Moonflowers Bloom in Misery'' is by far the greatest song on this output, meandering from atmospheric traditional doom metal to unchained funeral doom metal with energetic harsh vocals that send shivers down the spine. This is a song that should also appeal to any black and gothic metal enthusiasts and anyone looking for an authentic soundtrack for desolate autumn nights and cold winter days. This intensity is only achieved again in the closing ''This House Has No Home'' that has an even more disturbing atmosphere because the transitions between the different parts are more sudden and less fluid.

In between these two songs, the band often slows things down and flirts with depressive rock soundscapes reminding of the middle years of Paradise Lost or current outputs by Katatonia. ''The Void'' for instance has a hypnotizing, numbing and sorrowful atmosphere that might take a few spins to grow but has the greatest replay value on this output. Guest singer Cammie Gilbert of American progressive metal band Oceans of Slumber who has recently been performing on Ayreon's superb conceptual masterpiece Transitus, appears on soulful ballad ''All Hallow's Grieve'' that would have been all the rage twenty years ago when bands like Evanescence, HIM and Nightwish had their most commercially successful moments.

The main issue with this release is that some of the eight songs fail to stand out and are lacking a creative spark. They fail to leave a mark even after multiple spins. This is a flaw that weighs an album with only eight tunes down here and there.

Moonflowers' highs are however remarkable and while it can't compete with its immediate predecessors and their consistent atmospheres, Swallow the Sun is still one of the most creative doom metal bands out there. Patient listeners will be rewarded since several tunes have the potential to grow as time goes by. At the end of the day, Swallow the Sun's Moonflowers is a very good album but a slight step down in the band's impressive career.

Final rating: 78%

Voodoma is a gothic metal band from Düsseldorf that has been active for nearly two decades but that has been unfairly overlooked by large parts of both the gothic and the metal scene in Germany. Gotland is the group's seventh studio album and features ten songs for a total running time of thirty-eight minutes.

The first elements that stand out positively are the atmospheric cover artwork and the well-crafted booklet. Up next, the record starts on a very strong note with album highlight ''Shine'' that kicks off with mysterious female chants and mellow keyboard sounds before electronic sounds give the song a more contemporary touch. Up next, rhythmic drums, low bass guitar sounds and simple but efficient riffs set in and harmonize very well with the electronic keyboard sounds. The male lead vocals find the perfect balance between atmosphere and melody. This song proves that the band has a talent for writing atmospheric, conceptual and epic tunes. Sadly, the band didn't focus on these obvious strengths since the other tunes are shorter and simpler.

On the other side, you have the record's low point with ''Ghostlight''. The track attempts to open with atmospheric chants but they sound so much off key that it almost hurts. The transition to a heavy metal song with gothic atmosphere is much too sudden. The restrained vocals are kept rather low and fail to explore their entire potential. The poor production further harms this song since the guitar play is lacking oomph.

Most songs are situated somewhere between these two extremes with more positive than negative exceptions. This record should appeal to fans of gothic metal as well as to traditional metal fans. The band shines in its more atmospheric, conceptual and epic moments and should focus more on these strengths on future releases. Let's note that the band sounds even better on stage and you should certainly attend its concerts if you appreciate what you are listening to here.

Final rating: 75%

More than five years after the disastrous, overlong and uninspired Rapid Foray, German heavy metal project Running Wild comes back with its eighteenth studio album Blood on Blood. Band leader and founder, bassist, guitarist and vocalist Rock 'n' Rolf collaborates once again with guitarist Peter Jordan who has been with the band since its return from hiatus ten years ago. The other two musicians who can be heard on this output have only been with the band for two years and consist of Thunderhead's Ole Hempelmann on bass and FB1964's Michael Wolpers on drums.

This record offers traditional heavy metal tropes by the numbers and is best enjoyed as a superficial party album played in the background. The mid-paced melodic guitar riffs, simple rhythm section and catchy sing-along choruses always sound the same. If you listen to them separately, tracks like ''Wings on Fire'', ''Wild & Free'' and ''Wild, Wild Nights'' sound like decent tunes that should be appreciated by fans of traditional heavy metal bands such as Accept, Axel Rudi Pell and Rage to mention a few other German bands. If listened in one session on the same album, it however becomes obvious how formulaic, lifeless and repetitive this record sounds. Even the closing epic ''The Iron Times (1618-1648)'' is plodding around unspectacularly with its excessive length and tiring mid-tempo pace despite a different atmospheric and lyrical approach that simply isn't properly explored.

Another serious issue is the production that sounds absolutely lifeless. The guitar work is bland and almost sounds mechanic. The rhythm section is missing oomph. Especially the drum play sounds like a computer even though Michael Wolpers is a talented musician. The final result sounds as if the band and its label had opted for the cheapest production available which is a shame since this record is desperately lacking energy.

At the end of the day, there are so many heavy metal bands out there that deserve more attention than Running Wild that should have called it quits two decades ago. Blood on Blood features uninspired songwriting, dreadful production and lack of passion. Only the most faithful collectors and fans of old date who can't help living in the past might find this record even remotely exciting.

Final rating: 40%

Hellryder is a side project by Grave Digger singer Chris Boltendahl and Grave Digger guitarist Axel Ritt. The quartet is completed by bassist Steven Wussow of Orden Ogan and Xandria fame as well as drummer Timmi Breideband who has played for Bonfire and Freedom Call in the past. Despite the different line-up, The Devil Is a Gambler sounds exactly like the old-fashioned traditional heavy metal albums released by Grave Digger every now and then such as Return of the Reaper, Ballads of a Hangman, The Reaper or any release from the band's early years. Personally, I have always preferred the band's more atmospheric, conceptual and explorative releases which explains why Hellryder's The Devil in a Gambler only gets a lukewarm reception from me.

To be fair, the musicianship is rather decent here. Axel Ritt's dynamic guitar play convinces in the fiercer riffs, ploddings sections and solo passages alike. The rhythm section suits the songwriting and shows that experienced musicians have been involved but it's overall lacking energy and surprises. Chris Boltendahl's raw und unique vocals are still an acquired taste but certainly quite charming to my ears. The production is decent and in the key of bands such as Accept, Axel Rudi Pell and Rage to mention some other German bands. A few good songs can be found towards the end of the release with the atmospheric and rhythmic ''Passion Maker'', the aggressive and concise closer ''Harder Faster Louder'' and even the groovy bonus track ''I Don't Wanna Die'' that sounds much better than some regular tunes on the album.

The main issue is that the songwriting on The Devil Is a Gambler is extremely repetitive to a point that the different songs can't be distinguished from one another. The songs are all roughly three minutes long, focus on energetic verses, catchy choruses and short bridges and are essentially mid-paced tunes with strong guitar play, expressive vocals and timid rhythm section. The band doesn't try out any experiments whatsoever in form of a more atmospheric track, a heartfelt ballad or an epic anthem. It's very easy to find out whether you should purchase this album or not. Listen to one single song. If you like it, you will get eleven others just like it. If it doesn't impress you, tell yourself that the other eleven tunes won't change your mind either.

At the end of the day, one has to wonder why this band exists since several Grave Digger records of the past sound exactly like it. Here's hope that Grave Digger will keep focusing on more adventurous, atmospheric and epic material while Hellryder is reserved for attempts to go back to the roots and live in the past. In my opinion, Hellryder's The Devil Is a Gambler is completely uninteresting but to be fair, fans of traditional heavy metal of old age might enjoy it for what it is.

Final rating: 50%

KK's Priest is the new project by former Judas Priest guitarist Kenneth Downing Junior who has joined forces with former Judas Priest vocalist Tim Owens and three other musicians to release a traditional heavy metal record featuring ten songs and fifty-one minutes of new music.

While I initially expected this record to be by the numbers and tiresome, most of Sermons of the Sinner is actually very enjoyable to listen to. ''Raise Your Fists'' for instance is a passionate heavy metal anthem with catchy melodies and memorable vocal lines that should work splendidly in concert. ''Metal Through and Through'' features some atmospheric passages that need some time to grow but eventually convinces through its running time of more than eight minutes. The addicting, energetic and melodic ''Hail for the Priest'' delivers the goods as it could come from a classic Judas Priest record of the eighties and proves that Downing still has his unique, influential and gripping own style. The guitar play by Downing and Mills stands out positively in most songs as it finds the perfect balance between aggressive riffs, atmospheric parts and melodic sections. Tim Owens also convinces on vocals with his energetic, high-pitched and melodic approach that is emotionally gripping and technically appealing as he deserves more credit than he is often given by traditional heavy metal fans.

The record is however not without its obvious flaws. The songwriting might be diverse but is ultimately predictable and recalls classic Judas Priest material on more than one occasion which can become somewhat predictable, one-dimensional and even clumsy. The lyrics about traditional heavy metal are at times so childishly stereotypical that it might even make a band like Manowar green with envy. Some of the instrumental work is not perfectly executed and could have needed some more precision, as witnessed in the solo sections of ambitious but ultimately underwhelming closer ''Return of the Sentinel''.

At the end of the day, KK's Priest's debut record Sermons of the Sinner is an enjoyable traditional heavy metal record for fans of what Judas Priest played throughout the eighties and nineties. While this album might not win any awards for creativity, it's an excellent release to listen to in the background at a party or a metal pub. In any case, it's great to have two good heavy metal bands out there instead of just one but Judas Priest remains the unreachable household name that has recently been cementing its status and strength with Firepower.

Final rating: 77%