German heavy metal band Beyond the Black around lead singer Jennifer Haben tried out something completely new on the extended play W:O:A Acoustic Clash (The Lockdown Session). The young quintet covered four songs in acoustic versions. The tracks had been chosen by the Wacken Open Air community and I can confirm that these four bands and tracks are indeed very popular in the German metal scene.

The record starts with the catchy, melodic and relaxed interpretation of Sabaton's ''To Hell and Back''. While the original band has become a parody of itself in recent years, this version leaves out the pathos and convinces with playful instrumental passages and enchanting campfire vocals. This song is actually better than the original version.

Up next is Disturbed's classic ''Down with the Sickness'' that sounds less aggressive than the original tune but quite gloomy with its melancholic piano sounds. The track features additional male vocals that add some desperate energy at the right moments. Jennifer Haben's dramatic vocals carry the song emotionally however. It was tough to imagine an acoustic version of such a powerful tune but the band pulled it off relatively well.

The dynamic, fast and festive ''A Warrior's Call'' by Volbeat works surprisingly well in its acoustic context as well thanks to danceable piano sounds, dynamic acoustic guitar sounds and soulful lead vocals supported by raw backing vocals on occasion.

Iron Maiden's ''The Trooper'' is one of the most often covered metal tracks and the band should have gone for a different tune in my opinion. Still, the song blends in very well with the rest and convinces with a dynamic combination of passionate vocals, playful percussive elements, dynamic guitar sections and reduced piano tones. Jennifer Haben's passionate vocals and the technically flawless acoustic guitar solos work particularly well here.

In the end, Beyond the Black's W:O:A Acoustic Clash (The Lockdown Session) is a very positive surprise that deserves more attention and should not have only been released digitally. Perhaps it could be included as a bonus on the next regular studio album. The band's musicianship shines much more here than on its regular studio albums to this date. The same can be said about Jennifer Haben's vocals that sound more passionate than ever before and can unfold splendidly on this album. The intimate, organic and warm production blends in wonderfully. The band should certainly continue to incorporate acoustic passages into its own songwriting in the future.

Final rating: 80%

BlutEngel is a German darkwave, Electronic Body Music and futurepop project by renowned vocalist, songwriter and programmer Chris Pohl who has been and is active in numerous other similar projects such as She Hates Emotions. The group is particularly appreciated in the German gothic scene and regularly playing festivals such as Amphi, M'era Luna and Wave-Gotik-Treffen. My father as well as one of my best friends in Germany regularly listen to the project and I have seen the group live on numerous occasions at festivals. It's quite difficult to keep track of Chris Pohl's activities because he is involved in so many projects and has released so many different records.

If I managed to keep track correctly, Fountain of Destiny should be the project's twelfth full length studio record in almost two and a half decades. The album consists of ten cover songs of famous and more obscure tunes from the eighties as well as two brand-new tracks.

The cover songs are really hit and miss. The quirky, playful and danceable opener ''The Wild Boys'' is certainly very entertaining. The reinterpretation of ''Forever Young'' sounds quite sterile however and can't compete with the original tune. Blutengel also features singer Ulrike Goldmann who shines in the emotional ballad ''Alone'' but sounds somewhat inconsistent in ''Nobody's Diary''.

New song ''Unsere Zeit'' is the only one with entirely German lyrics and meant to spread a positive message in negative times. The song is danceable from start to finish, features interesting lyrics and cleverly combines male and female vocals which makes it one of the greatest tunes on the record. The other new track is quite the opposite however since ''Journey to the Edge of the Night'' is an instrumental darkwave tune that sounds quite exchangeable and fails to leave any mark.

In the end, BlutEngel's twelfth studio record Fountain of Destiny is just as hit and miss as many of its predecessors. The record features some great tunes with strong vocals, catchy melodies and energetic danceable parts. Other tracks feature lackluster vocal performances, ordinary instrumental work and can't compete with the original versions of the cover tracks. My final verdict is that fans of the project or those who appreciate the aforementioned genres can give this release a try. Anyone else can skip this release and should refer to better albums from the past such as Schwarzes Eis and Soultaker for instance.

Final rating: 67%

It's really by pure coincidence that I stumbled upon Skold's brand-new fifth studio album Dies Irae. It turns out that Tim Skold was once a Marilyn Manson and Shotgun Messiah member. This also explains why this album offers quirky industrial rock with a quite experimental side. The sound is based upon simple guitar riffs, atmospheric keyboard sounds and distorted vocals mixed together with an aggressive, futuristic and loud production. This release is best enjoyed in small doses.

The record opens with catchy single ''Dirty Horizon'' that gets to the point in exactly four minutes and sounds better many recent singles by Marilyn Manson and Shotgun Messiah.

''Terrified'' on the other side works with disturbing sound effects to evoke nightmarish soundscapes that would blend in perfectly on a horror movie soundtrack. The album's most experimental song reminds of Nine Inch Nails' more unconventional outputs of recent date or even of French breakcore artist Igorrr.

''Love Is a Disease'' convinces with a more longing, melancholic and melodic tone and would certainly fill dancefloors in gothic discotheques around the world. This song would be a perfect choice for a future single.

''Silicon Dreams'' finds the right balance between catchy moments and experimental sounds and comes around with provocative lyrics that remind of industrial rock's greatest moments in the mid-nineties. If I had to pick only one tune to represent the sound of Skold's Dies Irae, this would be my choice.

In conclusion, Skold's Dies Irae is a very creative, diversified and entertaining record for fans of darkwave, electronic rock and industrial rock. The album's cold, experimental and noisy atmosphere is quite unique but also hard to digest. Offering ten songs with a total length of thirty-eight minutes is much appropriate in that regard. If you like Igorrr, Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails, this album should please you.

Final rating: 75%

There is a game my best friend and I are playing from time to time. He will make me listen to groups from his Spotify playlists and recommendations and I have to guess their names. Usually, I'm quite good at this but when it comes to female-fronted symphonic, power and gothic metal bands, things start to get challenging. When I have no clue which band it could be, I usually take a guess and say Sirenia. Why do I always choose this band? It's because Sirenia has no distinctive style and plays a mixture of symphonic metal elements, power metal melodies and gothic metal atmosphere. The group has also gone through numerous changes as only founder Morten Veland has been on board since the beginning. The most recent drummer only joined two years ago, the new lead guitarist has been in the group for only three years and the lead singer has been around for five years now. As a matter of fact, Emmanuelle Zoldan is already the group's fourth female lead singer and the first record featured another invited guest singer.

The band's current line-up seems promising however and one can only hope that Morten Veland will keep it going. Riddles, Ruins & Revelations is the band's tenth studio album in twenty years and once again combines the genres mentioned above.

''Addiction No. 1'' is a catchy, melodic and uplifting power metal song that makes for the record's most memorable tune. ''Towards an Early Grave'' features sinister harsh vocals by the band leader and aims for traditional gothic metal territories. ''Downward Spiral'' is on the melodic and symphonic side and features harmonious clean guest vocals by Joakim Næss. The ambitious, epic and progressive ''December Snow'' features a few lyrics in French that provide a melancholy tone. A special shoutout goes out to the potent cover version of French pop song ''Voyage, Voyage'' by Desireless that was all the rage in Europe in the mid-eighties as the band manages to make the song its own and especially Emmanuelle Zoldan's passionate vocals shine in this pop classic.

At times, Sirenia's Riddles, Ruins & Revelations still feels like a compilation without a proper guideline. However, that isn't a bad thing in this case since the songwriting is strong throughout, Morten Veland handles the instrumental work very well and Emmanuelle Zoldan might be the best vocalist this band has ever had. If the band opted for a more unique style in the future, I could perhaps finally be able to distinguish this band from others and might change my random guess from Sirenia to Tristania. Based upon the excellent bonus track, the band could opt for a symphonic power metal album with French lyrics that would bring some fresh air into the genre.

Final rating: 80%

Four years ago, German melodic heavy and power metal quintet Orden Ogan took us a trip to the past to the Wild West. This time around, the band headed for the future and developed a conceptual record about artificial intelligence and the impending decline of the human race.

There are a few minor futuristic keyboard sounds that can be found in a few songs such as atmospheric, catchy and melodic opener ''Heart of the Android'' or the diversified, dramatic and gripping ''Let the Fire Rain''. However, the band isn't pushing those elements far enough in my opinion. A few more progressive songwriting structures, a more dominant keyboard presence and more conceptual interludes would have been welcome.

The band tries to keep things entertaining with a few experiments such as several guests on this album. However, that rarely makes the songs stand out and leave a lasting impression. ''Interstellar'' features a guitar solo by renowned Gus G. but the songwriting of the track doesn't differ all that much from the other tunes. ''Alone in the Dark'' includes guest vocals by Ylva Eriksson of Brothers of Metal fame but her vocals are decent at best and don't manage to impress all that much.

The record ends on a high note however. ''Hollow'' is by far the heaviest song on this output with dystopian keyboard sounds, gripping guitar riffs and raw vocals that suit the lyrical topic. ''It Is Over'' is the record's cinematic conclusion with emotional piano sounds and spoken word passages in different languages performed by seven guests that ends the album on a lasting impression.

While the overall result is good to very good, Orden Ogan could have crafted an even better record with more courageous songwriting. The bottom line is that Final Days is a decent power metal album with catchy choruses, inspired lyrics and harmonious melodies but several songs sound interchangeable, pass by in a blur and fail to leave a deeper impression. Heavy and power metal fans can give this album a sincere try but it's nothing to write home about.

Final rating: 75%