There are numerous terms that can be used to describe German quintet Die Apokalyptischen Reiter but boring certainly isn't one of them. The band has explored numerous gernes from extreme metal to acoustic folk rock and everything in between. Some results were memorable hits while others were weird misses. To celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary, the band recorded roughly five hundred minutes of improvised music over two days without any preparations and rehearsals. The final result was put together on fifteen songs with a running time of just below eighty minutes on two separate discs that are limited to three thousand physical copies.

The final result is obviously quite experimental, even by the band's adventurous standards. The music mostly meanders from psychdelic rock to stoner rock and is largely instrumental. Especially the longer songs feel like aimless drug trips and are tough to sit through. ''Duir'' for instance goes nowhere in its sound collages for six and a half minutes before some coherent rhythms and short vocal sections kick in but it's too little too late to save the tune. ''Simbi Makya'' is another example for an improvised song that doesn't have any chemistry and is based upon psychedelic atmosphere alone that stretches for seven plodding minutes.

The shorter tunes are a little bit better to digest but ironically lack development. The heavy opener ''Tiki'' makes you nod your head and move your feet but is already over after two and a half minutes and leaves you wanting more. ''Wa He Gu Ru'' convinces with mantra-like chants, powerful drums and distorted guitar riffs but those elements aren't developed anywhere further and make even three and a half minutes sound repetitive.

At the end of the day, Die Apokalyptischen Reiter's The Divine Horsemen only sounds interesting on paper. The final result is only interesting for fans of experimental psychedelic rock and stoner metal. The band might have had lots of fun recording these songs but most people won't enjoy listening to this painfully meandering pretentious oddball.

Final rating: 35%

Zettai Club was a short-lived Japanese female metal group that was quite difficult to categorize which was both the quintet's charm and its downfall. This is the band's second and final full length entitled Mugendai Thriller that is rather an extended play to be honest. It features six regular tunes and two instrumentals that open and conclude this release that clocks in at thirty-one minutes.

The second tune ''Ankokugensou'' already exemplifies the band's chaotic style. A calm piano solo is followed by speedy power metal before things slow down again and opt for an atmospheric visual kei style. The middle section meanders back and forth from atmospheric gothic vibes with chugging riffs over more technical guitar soloing to abruptly interwoven piano passages. While this kind of songwriting could be described as adventurous, diversified and entertaining, it should leave most listeners behind scratching their heads. It's unclear what this band is trying to sound like because it sounds like nothing while trying to sound like everything at once.

If you thought that things couldn't get more confusing, you'll be in for a treat with oddball ''Aoihonoo''. The song features three different vocal styles with melodic lead vocals, energetic backing shouts and hoarse screams. These three vocal styles collide in a saccharine power metal tune with occasionally more sinister symphonic elements. Once again, you might be wondering where this song is going until you realize that it just isn't going anywhere.

An album's title track usually displays what a record is all about, so let's give ''Mugendai Thriller'' a chance. The track opens with complex rhythm changes flirting with progressive metal territory. The song then turns into a smooth gothic metal tune with circus music elements. This leads to a power metal chorus with elegant clean vocals and misplaced backing screams. The title track confirms everything we have learned before. No direction at all is the record's guiding line.

What doesn't help is the album's dreadful production. The keyboard sounds are particularly artificial. The rhythm guitars sound toothless. The bass guitar pops up randomly for solo parts here and there, only to recede and being completely underproduced. The same could be said about the guitar sound that shines in the solo spots but otherwise reminds me of a backing instrument on a contemporary pop album. The melodic lead vocals sound stellar while the backing shouts and screams appear suddenly out of nowhere and sound like underproduced first takes. As you can read, even the uneven production goes along with the confusing song material.

So, what's the final verdict here? Is this a good album. No, it certainly isn't because it's all over the place. Is this a bad album? No, that would be harsh because the involved singer, lead guitarist and even keyboardist showcase talent in almost every single tune. Could this be described as an average album, then? No, Zettai Club sounds like many things but like no other group at the same time. This record is memorable for not managing to be memorable. It stands out for attempting to being everything at once and ending up sounding like nothing at all.

At the end of the day, this album is only interesting for avid collectors of female visual kei bands who find it amusing when bands walk so far off the beaten path that it confuses nine out of ten people. If you are that guy or girl, go ahead and give this album a spin. As for everyone else, stay away from this oddball.

Final rating: 50%

Ten years had passed between Japanese progressive power metal group Galneryus' first studio album and this wonderful release. The band had already accomplished much in those ten years, including the release of eight studio albums, nine extended plays and three singles. Since the group had also gone through an important line-up change on vocals three years prior to this release, Galneryus decided to offer two records where the band would cover its own songs from the early years and reinvent them. This is the first of these two albums. The courageous approach works very well because it has been executed with seriousness, since the different band members are technically skilled musicians and due to the excellent chemistry between the five members.

The IronHearted Flag, Volume One: Regeneration Side offers ten songs with a total running time of sixty-three minutes. As if that weren't enough, this release comes around with a bonus DVD featuring ten recently recorded live songs. The great thing is that the ten live songs are different ones than the ten studio tunes which means that you essentially get a compilation of twenty songs that showcase everything this band has been and still is about.

Let's point out a few select highlight to exemplify the band's typical trademarks. ''Rebel Flag'' is an imaginative power ballad with neoclassical keyboard sounds, melodic guitar play, steady rhythm section and passionate vocals varying from lower registers in the verses to high-pitched sections in the chorus. ''Point of No Return'' on the other side is more on the epic side with extensive instrumental sections and a more galloping rhythm that finds the right mixture between heavy, power, progressive and symphonic metal elements. ''Fate of the Sadness'' is a few notches slower and focuses on a gloomy but resilient atmosphere carried by expressive vocals and the excellent use of extensive instrumental sections where even the bass guitar can shine with a sinister solo spot.

If you combined the greatest moments of DragonForce, Helloween and Stratovarius with Japanese work ethic, chirurgical precision and a progressive note, then you might have a very good idea of what Galneryus' The IronHearted Flag, Volume One: Regeneration Side sounds like.

At the end of the day, the risks taken by the band in this ambitious project certainly pay off. The IronHearted Flag, Volume One: Regeneration Side is an excellent summary of the band's incredible career and should please fans of old date just as much as potential new supporters. Japanese imports are rather expensive but here you get ten studio versions and ten different live songs on DVD for a fairly reasonable price of roughly thirty dollars. Anyone who appreciates progressive power metal of the European type should give this release a fair chance.

Final rating: 80%

Thy Catafalque is one of the most fascinating bands I have recently been discovering. Only a year and a half after the imaginative predecessor Naiv, Hungarian mastermind Tamás Kátai has now published ten new songs with a generous running time of sixty-two minutes on Vadak.

Some people might hesitate to check this record out but let me convince you that your doubts are unfounded. First of all, one might think that a one-man project by a multi-instrumentalist who performs bass guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, programming, samples and vocals might sound a little bit limited and repetitive. However, the opposite is the case since Thy Catafalque is one of the most creative bands around that combines multiple genres from folk over jazz to extreme metal.

Now, you might argue that this combination of genres could sound chaotic, exaggerated and headless. Again, that isn't the case at all. The transitions between the different genres are done smoothly and with purpose. Everything is planned out properly and every genre is given the opportunity to unfold progressively.

You could argue that the elevated number of sixteen guest musicians and singers might make for a few too many changes and experiments. Once again, that isn't true since each guest has a specific purpose and is perfectly integrated into the soundscapes of Thy Catafalque. The guests adapt their approaches to Tamás Kátai's vision rather than the band leader trying to adapt to the numerous guests.

Certain fans might think that this kind of music is only interesting for a select number of pretentious fans who appreciate experimental soundscapes. That isn't true either since this record manages to combine its ambitious ideas with clever songwriting that never goes too far. The record should be listened to in one session from start to finish as it will take you on an imaginative ride that is worth being discovered over and over again. However, the different songs also work on their on as they offer much diversity from calm folk instrumentals to intense extreme metal outbursts with track lengths varying from compact three minutes to cinematic twelve minutes. Even though there is a song for almost any taste, every single track follows a clear purpose and is connected to a smoothly progressing guiding line.

The final results sounds as if pioneer instrumentalists of the second half of the twentieth century such as Jean-Michel Jarre, Mike Oldfield and Klaus Schulze discovered extreme metal and integrated it into their sounds in a balanced way. This makes for a combination that sounds fresh, timeless and unique as it offers much replay value. Thy Catafalque deserves much more acclaim, attention and recognition than it has gotten so far.

Pointing out a specific song on Thy Catafalque's Vadak wouldn't have any purpose. If you feel like the metal scene isn't innovative anymore and bands keep repeating themselves, then you have been waiting for this band in general and this album here in particular. Thy Catafalque's Vadak sounds atmospheric, courageous, diversified, entertaining, fresh, inspired, organized, passionate, purposeful and visionary all at once and is a solid candidate for album of the year. If you want to dig a little bit further, then I would recommend the massive boxed set Köd utánam released last year that includes thirteen albums that offer many hours of creative entertainment.

Final rating: 95%

The Verdict is certainly Queensrÿche's best album with new singer Todd La Torre to date. This is mostly due to the album's prominent progressive vibes. The melodic, imaginative and technical guitar play by Michael Wilton and Parker Lundgren in particular is very warm, rich and creative. The album also features two session keyboard players who enhance the cinematic, conceptual and narrative parts of several songs. Speaking of narrative parts, two tracks include such passages which further add intellectual vibes to the record. Highlights include the angry up-tempo rocker ''Propaganda Fashion'', dreamy and melancholic power ballad ''Dark Reverie'', complex and progressive grower ''Bent'' as well as psychedelic and smooth closer ''Portrait''.

However, the record isn't without its occasional flaws. Todd La Torre's vocals still sound much too similar to Geoff Tate's efforts and a more unique, personal and charismatic approach would finally distinguish the new line-up from its past. The rhythm section is decent but rarely shines on this album. The bass guitar isn't audible, dominant and influential enough and the drums sound surprisingly unremarkable, uninspired and tame in several songs. The songwriting also has its issues. The Verdict is overall a mellow progressive rock album which is fine but it's certainly missing the grit of its predcessor for instance and especially of the band's early years. The fans who appreciate the band's heavier sounds might be in for a disappointment here. Furthermore, a truly catchy or memorable song is certainly missing here. The record works cohesively as a whole and has the potential to grow over time but certainly doesn't include any future classics or single candidates.

At the end of the day, the excellent execution of The Verdict's strengths prevents it from being only an average release which makes for Queensrÿche's greatest album in a long time. However, the band doesn't unfold its entire potential yet due to exchangeable vocals, tame rhythm section and at times unremarkable songwriting. The group needs a solid dose of energy in order to take the next evolutionary step. I firmly believe that Queensrÿche still has the potential to release an excellent progressive metal album that could stand the test of time but they aren't quite there yet. The Verdict is however as step in the right direction and should especially please progressive rock aficionados.

Final rating: 75%