Good news for Helloween fans. The band have been hinting at a new album featuring all three Helloween singers for quite some time. Now they finally issued a release date for the new opus. The long anticipated. self-titled album will be out this spring on 18th June 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records in both physical and digital formats.
Here’s the covert art and track-listing:
Out for the Glory
Fear of the Fallen
Best Time
Mass Pollution
Angels
Rise Without Chains
Indestructible
Robot King
Cyanide
Down in the Dumps
Orbit
Skyfall
There will also be a new single called ‘Skyfall’ out this week on Friday 2nd April 2021.
Rob Zombie The Lunar Infection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy Released 12th March 2021 Hard Rock /Heavy Metal Released via Nuclear Blast
You got to hand it to Rob Zombie when it comes to coming up with bizarre-sounding album titles. Five years ago the hard rock musician released an album with the one of the longest titles ever ‘The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser’. Luckily this new one has a slightly shorter title but it is no less crazy – ‘The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy’.
Sadly this is one of those cases where even after several listens I cannot get my head around this album. I really tried to like it and I hope that it would grow on me after a while. There are a few good heavy metal songs such as The Triumph Of King Freak (A Crypt Of Preservation & Superstition) and The Eternal Struggles Of The Howling Man and Shadow of The Cemetery Man. Then there’s the ultimate evil hellbilly circus track called 18th Century Cannibals, Excitable Morlocks & A One-Way Ticket On The Ghost Train delivering a highly amusing mishmash of country music and heavy metal.
So that was the good part. Now for the bad parts. There are way too many filler tracks. The instrumentals such as ‘The Much Talked of Metamorphosis’ seem a little out of place on here. I fail to see the point of having several interlude tracks lasting less than a minute. The style is a total mishmash of genres too. Oh and don’t even get me started on the lyrics. Seriously, I know that Rob Zombie is hardly a lyrical genius but even he can come up with better than “smoke your grass and shake your ass” and “the witch is sliding up the broom.”
In all honesty I expected better after a five year wait. There are a handful of good tracks on here but not enough to make this album worthwhile. If you were expecting another solid Rob Zombie album like ‘Sinister Urge’ or ‘Hellbilly Deluxe’ then prepare to be disappointed.
Fortress Under Siege Atlantis Genre: Progressive-Power Metal Released: 9th October 2020 via ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records
Well, it seems my love affair with the metal scene in Greece continues with the discovery of this band, Fortress Under Siege. From the first moments of this record, I was hooked. Their presentation is clean and their music packs a big punch. I had to take a deeper dive to get a better idea of the evolution of this band. The band have released two previous albums and their new album Atlantis is probably my favourite upon listening to them all. It’s big and bold with a lot to offer. The album was produced and mixed by Fotis Benardo (Septicflesh, Rotting Christ, Innerwish). Mastered by George Nerantzis (Pain Of Salvation, Abbath, Dark Funeral, Gus G). It was recorded at Devasoundz Studios in Athens Greece. The biggest hurdle to overcome was replacing lead vocalist, Mike Livas with Tasos Lazaris, however, I feel he stepped to the plate perfectly here.
The album is big and bold. Loud guitar and intricate keyboard works give this album power and depth with the bass and drums giving each song structure. Then the vocal performance just hits so hard and whenever it comes in. The bombastic production is just great and the sound of the band is that of excellent riffs and wonderful musical progressions. I like the way the album flows together, it almost has a serial or concept nature and every song flows into the next seamlessly. Every song has this big-sounding chorus that gets stuck in your head and feels uplifting when listening to it. It all feels rich with beautiful and carefully crafted melodies. Not a second of time is wasted on the record. Right from the opening track “Love Enforcer” I was presented with amazing use of lyrical imagery and a great sense of presence and tone.
Overall, I would say that this was a rather impressive listening experience. The songs are superb and the band just have the charisma of megastars. If you like your power metal bands then, Fortress Under Siege is well worth your time and Atlantis is an amazing epic of a record. The album touches on themes of ancient Hellenic mythology and Trojan royalty. They even give social commentary on helicopter parenting and bullying. The lyrics are multilayered but also you can get a lot just from the surface level too. If you want some good power metal in your life that you may have never considered before, this is the band for you.
Leprosys Obnoxious Futuristic Vision Released 1st February 2021 Death Metal with thrash metal influences Self-Released
‘Obnoxious Futuristic Vision’ is the debut album from the Canadian death metal band Leprosys. The band has been active since 2015 and they cite bands such as Obituary, Death and Pestilence as influences. All their releases are available for purchase via their Bandcamp page.
So, after a couple of listens I can safely state that this pretty much what I expected it to be. Leprosys play guitar-driven old-school death metal with a thrash metal tinge. So if ferocious guitar riffs are your thing, then you are in for a treat here. The tracks are fast-paced and fairly simple in structure.
Virtual Life caught my attention due to the cello part at the end. Similar things can be said about Transplanting The Brain which features a mouth harp noise towards the end. Other than that this is fairly standard death metal similar to the likes of Obituary and Death as could be expected.
Overall, as far death metal goes Leprosys have done a good job. It was difficult to come up with something unique to say about this album though that doesn’t mean it’s in any way bad. So if you are a fan of Obituary and Death then you should give Leprosys a go.
6/10
Iza Raittila
Bloody News Metal Magazine have once again teamed up with GlobMetal Promotions to bring you the second edition of Bloody News Online Fest – Spring Madness. This will be a live stream taking place on 26th March 2021 and it will be available for free from their website.
Here is the line-up: Running Bot Arhat Termination Central ANGER DOSE Steel Velvet The Boy Who Cried Wolf Avoid Humanity Gwendydd Horror Dance Squad Devine Defilement Beyond Frequencies
The Straddlerz “The Straddlerz” Dirty rock’n’roll Self-released On 29th January 2021
When two strains of Latin blood – Italian and Argentinian – come together to produce rock music, the outcome must be passionate. And that’s what The Straddlerz self-titled debut album is.
The recording is way too raw, so I’m guessing the producer wanted to preserve the original intensity of both Linda Filippin’s yelling and Michael Reynal’s shredding. I understand that, but a little more polish would make the sound less messy without hurting their edge.
Not all songs roll out like a freight train, or not entirely. “Circle Of Insanity” has a less-than-a-minute seductive intro before all hell breaks loose; that same seduction lasts for half of the song “Addiction” but then Michael doesn’t help himself (did I mention there are two solos in “No Changes”?) and there go the guitars at full speed again, with everybody else following suit. Only “Don’t Go Away” has this bluesy seventies vibe and matching tempo, proving that the “pure and dirty” rockers know a thing or two about melody. “Junkie Bastards” has a groovy beat that’s quite catchy, but since it deviates a bit from their general stance it was “Streets Of Love” – a harder catchiness – that made it to a promotional video.
Someone called them “rock and roll with attitude”. I agree, but personally, I need more than that to fully appreciate a band.
Valkyrian Music 