German Neue Deutsche Härte flagship Eisbrecher has been working on two albums during the ongoing pandemic. A record with new original material will be released in spring 2021 while the record Schicksalsmelodien offered in autumn 2020 includes fourteen cover songs and an instrumental tune with a total running time of about fifty-four minutes. Some of these songs had been released on limited edition of previous singles or as stand-alone download tunes but the band decided to record a few new cover songs as well and created a quite diversified package that entertains from start to finish.

The record includes more recent material such as a martial interpretation of Powerwolf's tongue-in-cheek anthem ''Stossgebet'' but also classics from the eighties like the danceable but heavy reinterpretation of minimalistic Neue Deutsche Welle tune ''Anna Lassmichrein Lassmichraus''. The band also covered one song with entirely English lyrics in form of Warlock's heavy metal anthem ''All We Are'' that blends in nicely with the other tracks even though it's very unusual for Eisbrecher to perform in any other language than German.

It's really a matter of taste whether you prefer the cover songs or the original versions. In my case, the cover versions work well in a few cases. The cold version of Die Ärzte's sadomasochistic anthem ''Bitte bitte'' has a certain appeal for sure and the dynamic yet melodic version of Rheingold's Neue Deutsche Welle hit ''Das steht ihr gut'' is catchy and timeless. On the other side, the cover version of Die toten Hosen's overlooked punk rock anthem ''Disco in Moskau'' sounds somewhat bland and is lacking punch while the attempt to cover Falco's unique ''Out of the Dark'' is something many artists have already tried but failed at because the charismatic and innovative style of the legendary Austrian rapper simply can't be equaled but at least Eisbrecher's version is much better than the dreadful and laughable cover of the same song by genre colleagues Leichenwetter.

What really stands out however is that Eisbrecher has managed to make all fourteen cover songs sound like their own. The band's atmospheric, danceable and powerful industrial rock based upon expressive vocals, cold keyboard patterns and precise guitar play always shines through. While many bands fail to record memorable cover records, Eisbrecher has managed to pull it off without changing its charismatic style by one iota. This is why Eisbrecher fans of old date are certainly going to appreciate the quintet's new release that might not reach the quality of its very own material but is certainly more than just a filler release but rather a personal passion project. In the end, Eisbrecher's Schicksalmelodien is warmly recommended to fans of industrial rock and Neue Deutsche Härte around the world.

Final rating: 75%

On its last few records, German medieval rock octet Saltatio Mortis has gradually shifted from its original style towards a more contemporary punk rock sound with lyrics dealing with societal, political and economical issues. This development has now reached a new peek on twelfth studio record Für immer frei.

Single ''Für immer jung'' sounds strikingly similar to hit single ''Tage wie diese'' by German punk rock veterans Die toten Hosen that managed to give their career a new push eight years ago. Fast-paced, joyful and almost naïve ''Neustart für den Sommer'' discusses the impacts of the ongoing pandemic by reminiscencing about past summers with concerts, festivals and parties. ''Mittelfinger Richtung Zukunft'' features nu metal elements with rap passages criticizing negative sensational news about corruption, hunger and war.

The main issue with such songs and their lyrics is that they don't offer escapism from a dreadful year but constantly bring back those negative memories. Everyone is tired hearing about terror attacks, presidential elections and the pandemic these days and nobody needs a medieval rock band to discuss those topics to death.

Sure, not all fourteen songs deal with contemporary issues but they are certainly the most outstanding tunes since the other tracks such as ''Bring mich zurück'' and ''Rose im Winter'' sound like faceless pop rock tunes dealing with conventional topics such as love stories.

The only remotely convincing tune on the record is medieval tune ''Factus de materia'' but even that one sounds like an alibi track hearkening back to the band's origins without reaching the quality of the band's early material. It's only in the context of this new album that the song stands out positively.

Please note that I'm certainly not against a band changing its style at all. Saltatio Mortis had some energetic songs with important messages on previous records but they had been intertwined with the band's charismatic medieval rock style. The music on Für immer frei sounds like exchangeable pop punk rock from the mid-nineties and the topics presented here have already been dealt with on numerous occasions by this band and other groups.

In the end, Saltatio Mortis' Für immer frei might appeal to young punk rock fans and teenagers interested in economical, political and societal issues which explains the record's commercial success. However, fans of old date will barely recognize the band that seems to be going through an identity crisis by trying to appeal to younger generations through lyrical messages alone. While some of the issues discussed by the band are certainly relevant and positions I can wholeheartedly agree on, the fact that the band attempts to curry favour with a younger generation by throwing its very own trademarks overboard is something I find quite frankly repulsive. Für immer frei is an album of an average quality from an objective point of view but coming from a charismatic band such as Saltatio Mortis, it is sincerely a huge disappointment. The band certainly needs to reestablish what it wants to stand for and take a step back to take two steps forward on its next studio album.

Final rating: 50%

Morbid Angel's Illud Divinum Insanus had been a very controversial release because death metal fans of old date failed to connect with the band's unexpected industrial gothic rock sounds. This generous double-album consisting of thirty-nine tracks with a total running time of about three hours connects even further with the dark alternative scene. The featured guests for the remixes of Morbid Angel's preceding studio record might not be popular among metal fans but that's a whole different thing for gothics.

It features Slovenian avant-garde pioneers Laibach, German darkwave legends Project Pitchfork, Austrian electronic body music project Nachtmahr, Dutch darkcore and gabber disc jockey DJ Ruffneck, experimental French breakcore group Igorrr, Chris Pohl of German futurepop band BlutEngel, French aggrotech duo Tamtrum and American industrial metal band Combichrist to only name a few guests. As you can read, this diversified release offers entertainment varying from danceable electronic pop music over rhythmic industrial rock to aggressive core eruptions.

The record only has two obvious downsides. Among the thirty-nine tracks covering such diverse genres, there are obviously a few fillers here and there that might not please one particular listener while another one might exactly adore these cuts and rather reject the other listener's choices. That's not an unusual thing in the dark alternative scene. When you attend festivals such as Amphi Festival, M'era Luna and Wave-Gotik-Treffen, there are some folks that will be attracted to symphonic metal acts like Krypteria, Nightwish and Within Temptation while ignoring synth pop groups such as Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk and VNV Nation and for some folks, it's exactly the other way around. The great thing in the dark alternative scene however is that there is an intense sense of camaraderie despite such different tastes since the scene has more important elements in common such as philosophical concepts, individual freedom and appreciation of different forms of art varying from distinctive clothing over jewelry to paintings.

The only other downside is that the thirty-nine remixes are based upon only eleven songs from the preceding record. Despite the varied remixes, one eventually grows tired of listening to the twelfth version of ''I Am Morbid'' for instance. It would have been interesting to include remixes of other more experimental Morbid Angel songs from records such as Covenant or Heretic for example. The best idea to deal with an album of such epic proportions would be to choose your favourite ten to fifteen remixes and create your own sampler that you might actually enjoy for quite a while and listen to from start to finish without any interruptions.

Except for those two minor flaws, Morbid Angel's Illud Divinum Insanus - The Remixes is a dark alternative scene release that might surprise listeners in North America but that is actually much more common in Europe and especially in Germany. If you have grown up with connections to this scene like I have, you are genuinely going to appreciate numerous songs on this generous release. Metal fans might question the existence of this release in itself but the band probably aimed for increased popularity in the dark alternative scene. Sadly, this release didn't quite get the promotion it should have gotten to reach that goal among dark alternative scene magazines back in the days and the band shifted and changed quite a bit to return to its death metal roots that a majority of gothics find much too aggressive, bland and predictable. That's why it's ultimately understandable why this release might be considered the oddball in Morbid Angel's discography. If you however appreciate the dark alternative scene and haven't discovered this release yet, then let me recommend these thirty-nine timeless remixes that will provide much entertainment to you.

Final rating: 75%

Arkan had already recorded its fifth studio record Lila H two years ago but its release had to be delayed for numerous reasons, including the ongoing pandemic. This album offers quite diversified entertainment with twelve songs varying from under a minute to more than seven minutes with a total running time of almost fifty minutes.

The record includes some of the band's heaviest songs in a while focused on thunderous rhythm section, powerful growls and aggressive riffs as can be witnessed in the almost nauseating ''Surrounded''. The album also features much more epic, melancholy and melodic soundscapes as in ''My Son''. The third component are more progressive songs that however never get too overambitious and convince with great vocal lines and gripping melodies as in album highlight ''Black Decade''.

While these three different approaches could potentially clash, the different parts of the album are cleverly interwoven and manage to sound coherent, fluid and intellectual. Especially the final three songs that form a trilogy that almost reaches the nine-minute mark has been particularly well-written in that regard.

While the band has crafted twelve creative, entertaining and progressive melodic death metal tracks with atmospherically integrated Middle Eastern folk elements and occasional symphonic undertones, the album might perhaps be missing an obvious highlight and requests some patience to unfold its entire potential.

If you have appreciated Arkan in the past and wondered what the band might sound like in a more progressive soundscape, then you will certainly find the motivation and time to discover Lila H's creativity. Those who were perhaps looking for a return to the roots or a more simplified songwriting might however have a hard time with this more challenging and less accessible release. Even though this album should have been released faster and could have benefitted from more promotion, one has to congratulate the band for its courage to experiment with more progressive material and is left wondering where the quirky quintet could possibly still go from here.

Final rating: 80%

Heaven & Hell's The Devil You Know marked the third reunion between influential singer Ronnie James Dio and drummer Vinnie Appice with Black Sabbath masterminds Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi. This promising new chapter in their careers was cut short by Ronnie James Dio's illness and death only four years into the creation of this new band. This shows that time is precious and shouldn't be spent arguing but creating your own legacy. This line-up could have achieved so much more throughout the years but one should be grateful for the four records these four musicians were able to put together in three decades after all.

Perhaps those tragic circumstances have clouded the evaluation of this slightly overrated album. My first impressions back in the days were actually rather negative. The songwriting is repetitive and even bland at times. The riffs on several songs sound repetitive to a point that they become exchangeable. The rhythm section is solid at best but often fails to stand out and leave a significant mark. Even the great vocal patterns often sound the same. Optimistic reviewers might call this consistency while it's actually a lack of creativity. It almost feels as if the songwriting had been rushed. It might have benefitted from leaving it alone, rediscovering and finetuning it for better results.

Two tracks manage however to stand out and have also grown as time went by. First single ''Bible Black'' is a haunting track that cannot only be described as doom metal but checks all the cases for gothic metal as well. The song is slow, melancholy and emotional as it's carried by dramatic vocals, gloomy acoustic guitars in the outstanding overture and thunderous riffs in the main part. The song is best enjoyed on a rainy autumn night in a cold room lit with black patchouli candles.

Another highlight right at the heart of the album is the playful ''Rock and Roll Angel'' that convinces with several songwriting ideas that walk off the beaten path. This is the only song on the record that features some heartfelt melodies that don't inspire the usual doom and gloom. The smooth middle section with blues solos laid over appeasing guitar melodies has just the right length to unfold all its magic. The vocals are rather catchy for once and might even inspire to sing along. The acoustic guitar closure gives the diversified song a timeless campfire atmosphere. This song might sound slightly puzzling at first contact but the different parts slowly start fitting together as the track starts to grow.

The album features a few more decent songs that can't however reach the quality of the aforementioned highlights. Overall, the record suffers from numerous fillers that fail to grow and leave a deeper impression. In the end, what had been marketed as one of the biggest reunions of the decade in the metal scene wasn't as outstanding in retrospective as its dramatic circumstances might have indicated. Heaven & Hell's The Devil You Know is a solid to good doom metal album with a few gothic stylistics that includes two outstanding tracks that have stood the test of time. Aside of its ambitious start and heartbreaking ending, the most remarkable thing about this band and its only studio album is the wonderful cover artwork that would make for an astonishing flag, poster or t-shirt motive.

Final rating: 70%