German Neue Deutsche Härte quartet Hämatom has often managed to surprise and reinvent itself throughout its career. Eighth studio album Berlin (Ein akustischer Tanz auf dem Vulkan) is one such example. The band performs ten dynamic acoustic songs inspired by swing, jazz and country music that recall the dynamic twenties.

The opening ''Tanz auf dem Vulkan'' is danceable right from the start and mixes folk with swing elements. The raw lead vocals however add some dynamic grip which distinguishes this type of acoustic album from so many others that sound toothless and uninspired. 

''Berlin'' is a melancholy country ballad that exposes the good and bad sides of the German capital. Lyrically, the song recalls Rammstein's ''Moskau'' while the music is obviously inspired by Dolly Parton's ''Jolene''.

''Zwischen Gangstern und Ganoven'' has a soft side with smooth acoustic guitars and an epic chorus. The lyrics are quite interesting as well as the narrator wonders how his partner could relie on a shady gangster like him.

''Ein Herz und eine Kehle'' offers a danceable mixture of jazz and swing music that is mostly instrumental. Especially the trumpet manages to shine in this dynamic tune.

The dynamic, melodic and uplifting ''Die Welt ist high'' is a party anthem with appropriate lyrics that recalls the music of Frank Sinatra. This song would fit splendidly on the soundtrack of a television series like German neo-noir success Babylon Berlin.

Despite a short length of only thirty-two minutes, every single second on Hämatom's Berlin (Ein akustischer Tanz auf dem Vulkan) is catchy, dynamic, entertaining, inspired and melodic. The final result combines the gritty attitude of rock 'n' roll with the playful soundscapes of country, folk, jazz and swing. This album sounds absolutely unique and is a surprising early highlight of the year. Anyone who likes to think outside the box and appreciates more genres than just rock and metal should give this gem a chance.

Final rating: 95%

American thrash metal quintet Agent Steel is basically a solo project by founding member and vocalist Johny Cyriis from Brazil. All other members have only joined the band in the past two years. Guitarist Nikolay Atanasov hails from Bulgaria. Bassist Shuichi Ono is from Japan. Drummer Rasmus Kjaer comes from Denmark. Vinicius Carvalho who plays in a multitude of other bands is Brazilian like the band leader. We can therefore safely summarize that this is an international project rather than an American band.

There has been quite some drama regarding the band in the past. This is only the sixth full length effort in a career that has lasted for thirty-seven years. The record has been released a whopping fourteen years after its predecessor.

Right from the start, this release doesn't leave the greatest impression. The cover is a solid candidate for worst artwork of the year. It inspires nothing at all. The album title and its spelling is another issue. That might have looked cool if it had come from a rapper in the mid-nineties but feels rather inappropriate from a thrash metal band in this day and age.

What matters though is the music. Most of the songs are based upon a space concept which sounds interesting on paper. However, that reference doesn't have much impact on the music that can be described as a mixture of traditional thrash and speed metal. The songwriting is bland, exchangeable and repetitive. No song manages to stand out and leave a deeper impression. It sounds as if the project were on auto-pilot for nine songs in a row except for the more conceptual overture and closure.

On the positive side, the guitar riffs and solos are quite decent. The riffs are fast, gripping and menacing. The solos are energetic yet melodic and show great skills.

The rhythm section is solid but not outstanding. The drum play is thunderous but at times repetitive. The bass guitar isn't audible enough in the average production.

I'm not too familiar with this band's past records but the vocals are certainly an acquired taste. They sound like a poor man's interpretation of Kim Bendix Petersen to me. They are completely over the top and exaggerated. Especially the high-pitched parts sound unintentionally funny to me. The weird whispers here and there are also quite cringeworthy. The overuse of auto-tune is the final nail in the coffin. A more organic, focused and coherent approach would have sounded much better than the mess we get to hear here.

In many ways, Agent Steel's No Other Godz Before Me makes me think of Thrash or Die's Poser Holocaust, except for the fact that this album deals with cosmic topics while the other band focused on cringeworthy stereotypes. Still, Agent Steel's first effort in fourteen years is best enjoyed for its comedic value. The guitar play is decent and deserves some acclaim. The rest however varies between average and mediocrity regarding the repetitive song writing, the underused rhythm section and especially the dreadful vocals that make this record tough to sit through. My final verdict is that we have a candidate for worst record of the year already. That album is only interesting if you like torturing kittens with its dreadful sound. Everyone else should avoid that coaster or frisbee.

Final rating: 25%

After three demos, two studio albums, one single and one compilation, Finnish folk metal quintet Ensiferum celebrated its tenth anniversary with an intimate show in its hometown on New Year's Eve. The concert featured new singer Petri Lindroos on stage while former singer Jari Mäenpää was in the crowd and having quite some fun. Another new member on stage was bassist and backing vocalist Sami Hinkka. Even drummer Janne Parviainen had just joined the band that year. All three new band members are still on board today and that's why this release isn't only an excellent retrospective but also a proper introduction to the new line-up.

The concert offers a lot of diversity. It obviously features material from the debut album Ensiferum such as dynamic, gritty and memorable ''Token of Time'' that finds the perfect balance between aggression and harmony. The setlist also includes numerous songs from the second studio album Iron like gigantic live anthem ''Lai Lai Hei'' that might be the band's greatest party anthem ever. This concert also includes songs from the extended play Dragonheads that had not yet been released at the time of the concert such as the energetic, epic and playful title track.

This release also includes a few guest performances. The band is introduced to the audience by Kristian Ranta, guitarist and singer of melodic death metal band Norther. ''Finnish Medley'' and ''Tears'' feature female vocalist Kaisa Saari of folk rock group Tarujen Saari and humppa band Con Amore. Ville Tumoi of rock group Leningrad Cowboys and heavy metal collective Raskasta Joulua that plays Christmas songs performs the clean vocals on the great Amorphis cover ''Into Hiding''.

There are even more interesting gimmicks to be found. Another interesting cover song is ''Näitä polkuja tallaan'' by Finnish folk duo Matti ja Teppo that Ensiferum makes sound as if it were its own tune during the encore. This release also includes a hidden anniversary song in honour of the band performed by Finntroll.

The band performs with great chemistry, relentless energy and charismatic stage presence. The sound is authentic, organic and raw. The crowd participation is excellent. The camera work however is a little bit static at times. This might also be due to the rather intimate location. Perhaps the band should have performed in a bigger concert hall since the Nosturi was completely crowded that night.

In the end, this release is an excellent introduction and retrospective to the Finnish folk metal legends. This release has aged very well and captures the band at its very best despite some recent line-up changes. The only thing that is missing is a double-disc version of the concert. If the band ever published this release again, it should come as a package combining a Blu-Ray and two discs compiling the twenty songs plus introduction played that night that offer one hundred four minutes of excellent entertainment. That being said, it would also be about time for the band to release another proper live album fifteen years after this one. I have had the chance to attend several great concerts of the band and you should do the same once the pandemic is over if you like folk metal and partying with your friends.

Final rating: 90%

Evanescence has been around since the mid-nineties but has been on two hiatuses and has only released four regular albums with original new material. This is the fourth album that has been teased with four singles. It includes twelve songs with a length of forty-seven minutes.

It's noteworthy that the band's style hasn't changed much since its commercially successful debut record Fallen in the early years of the millennium. The group plays nu metal with a few gothic rock soundscapes and occasional electronic music elements. The mellow production doesn't help making the instruments stand out. Everything is focused on Amy Lee's charismatic but not too variable vocals. 

Another element that is remarkable are the inspired lyrics. They are on the pulse of time and send strong messages of empowerment. However, those messages are repeated on numerous occasions and become somewhat repetitive.

The songwriting has its ups and downs as well. ''The Game Is Over'' is powerful, melodic and catchy and an excellent single choice that should please fans of old days and recall the days of Fallen and The Open Door. The sinister closer ''Blind Belief'' is similar in style but a little bit heavier and would have been all the rage twenty years ago. ''Wasted on You'' shows some more diversity with electronic music components, piano sounds and powerful lead vocals. ''Use My Voice'' is a power ballad that unfolds more with every instant and features backing choirs featuring members of Halestorm, The Pretty Reckless and Within Temptation.

Others songs are however quite uninspired. ''Artifact/The Turn'' is an artificial, numbing and sleep-inducing opener that starts the album on a dreadful note. ''Broken Pieces Shine'' is overloaded with sound effects and sounds like a gothic nu metal tune created twenty years ago and frozen in time. ''Take Cover'' is similar in style and filled with too many sound samples buried in a lackluster production. ''Far from Heaven'' is a simplistic ballad that drags on endlessly for five minutes and would have been more appropriate to be released as an Amy Lee solo song rather than an Evanescence tune.

At the end of the day, Evanescence's fourth album with new music is a mixed bag. It includes passionate vocals, diversified songwriting and empowering lyrics. On the other side, there are far too many sound effects, the production is lifeless and the musicians are rarely given the opportunity to shine. The Bitter Truth is only recommendable to die-hard fans of the band who discovered the group in their early teenage years and are still stuck in the past and approaching a midlife crisis. Everyone else can simply give Fallen a spin again and skip this new output without any regrets.

Final rating: 50%

Richie Kotzen of The Winery Dogs and Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden have been friends for many years and have finally decided to release an album together. The project is blandly entitled Smith/Kotzen and so is the record. The duo has released three singles in the past three months and the full length effort has now seen the light of day. The duo offers nine blues rock songs with a total length of forty-seven minutes.

The most outstanding element about this album is obviously the guitar play. Especially the melodic, mid-paced and playful solos stand out. The rhythm section is serviceable but rarely outstanding. The shared vocal duties are also decent but not charismatic enough to leave a mark. The songwriting shows a few interesting ideas. ''I Wanna Stay'' is a melancholic ballad. '''Til Tomorrow'' could be decsribed as a moody power ballad with a few minor progressive rock influences that unfolds very coherently in almost six entertaining minutes. ''Scars'' is on the catchier side despite its length and comes around with a solid chorus. ''Running'' includes some vibrant rhythms that occasionally break out of the mid-paced patterns and offer some dynamic developments.

At the end of the day, this album is mostly interesting for blues rock and hard rock fans. It will certainly please guitar players who can learn a thing or two while listening to the experienced two veterans. The songwriting offers enough changes to remain interesting. The vintage production recalls genre releases from the seventies and eighties. However, the old-fashioned album doesn't exploit its full potential. Several songs sound somewhat exchangeable. The rhythm section is average at best. The vocals fail to impress. Adrian Smith's previous project Primal Rock Rebellion with its only studio album Awoken Broken was much more exciting, experimental and heavy. The Smith/Kotzen project sounds decent but isn't anything to write home about in my book. It just isn't my cup of tea.

Final rating: 70%