Vengeant, the Magic: The Gathering inspired, Swedish symphonic metal band are back with a new single called ‘Avalanche of Fire’.
It’s available on all streaming platforms including Spotify.
For more information visit:
https://www.facebook.com/vengeantofficial/
https://www.instagram.com/vengeantofficial/
Iron Maiden
Senjutsu
Heavy Metal
Released: 3rd September 2021
via Parlophone
Like a lot of metalheads worldwide, my music taste was heavily shaped by Iron Maiden and the influence they’ve had on the metal world since. I feel safe in saying the majority of British metal bands were influenced by the iconic titans. Yet, like any other massive cultural media phenomena, the internet discourse seems to be rife with opinions about their output in recent years. I’ve met fans of the band that haven’t listened to them since Somewhere In Time, some stopped coming back to the band from Brave New World and others, like myself, have always stuck by the band and all their releases all the way to this latest release. Senjutsu is the seventeenth feature length album from Iron Maiden and, like all their releases of recent years, appears to have split the fanbase down the middle. Some proclaim this is a disappointing follow to 2015’s The Book Of Souls, some saying this is their best work in years and some dismissing the fact that they actually have put out a new album as they stopped coming back to Iron Maiden some time ago. So, what do I think?
I found Senjutsu to be a pretty pleasant listening experience. There’s that special quality to it that only Iron Maiden can seem to bring to an album. The lyrical themes that run through the course of the entire album. Music that complements the subject matter they’re singing about and guitar solos that still blow my mind in how they find complexity in simplicity. Obviously, the album is really well produced, at this point they have been through the album making process so much that you really can’t point to any glaring flaws. Also they brought Kevin Shirley back to produce, who has been working with them since Brave New World in 2000. So, obviously the album sounds amazing. Also, Steve Harris is behind all of the songs from a writing standpoint, and if anyone should know what Iron Maiden should sound like, Harris is really the guy. So for all things technical, this is, for lack of a better term, an Iron Maiden album. Yet, this album feels like such a different world from The Book of Souls, not bad, different.
To be honest, on first listening, not a lot feels that different. It feels like the grandiose music that they have been famous for so long. Yet, I couldn’t keep my enthusiasm going for the entire 80 or so minutes of the run time. Sure, there are a couple of standout songs. My personal favourites being “Days of Future Past”, “ Lost in a Lost World” and “Stratego”. However, I don’t think it comes together as an album that well. All of the songs run the same themes, concepts, and ideas, the songs are well written, but when put all together in an album the songs don’t feel like they naturally fall into place. That can really be blamed on the opening track, which is the title track “Senjutsu”. It’s a meandering plodding song that wears off it’s welcome pretty quick. Where I feel a song with a little bit more energy like the aforementioned “Stratego” would have worked better to hype you up for the rest of the album. And it keeps going like that for a little while. The whole album has some pacing issues and to listen to the album for the full run time, if you’re like me, you’ll find yourself dropping off it a little.
Still, I feel the song quality is there. Put some of the harder hitters into a live set mixed with some of the other Maiden standards and I think they’ll work pretty darn well. The powerful command of “The Writing on the Wall” would sound a lot better following something like “Wasted Years” and I think that’s ultimately the way I’m choosing to look at this album. More songs that they can interweave into their set lists rather than an individual listening experience unto itself. Iron Maiden has been in my life since I was a little kid and listening to them will always transport me back to being a little kid excited to discover their music. I will probably always get excited to hear new music from them because they always deliver that one special new song into my life that no other band will ever bring and for that, I will always love them. As for Senjutsu… Well, I can’t say it’s my favourite, nor can I fully dismiss it. It shows that even seventeen albums in, music is always a work in progress and no one has the formula fully nailed. Not even a band as immortal as Iron Maiden.
7/10
Mick Birchall
Bloody News Metal and Globmetal Promotions are happy to announce the third edition of their live stream festival will take place next month. Bloody News Online Fest: Insane Summer Gathering 2021 will be streamed from their website on 27-28th August 2021. You can watch the event for free.
Check out the line-up here:
27th August
Soulbound
Anna KiaRa
Six Foot Six
PitchBlack
High $tatus
AquileA
Psycho Visions
Passengers in Panic
28th August
Obsolete Theory
STORTREGN
Vessel
X-Method
Mysterizer
King Baal
EAGON
Everlust
For more information visit:
https://bloodynews.ro/en/
https://www.facebook.com/events/513687719867942/
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.
8/10
Mick Birchall
100’ is the latest album from the Milan-based Italian Gothic metal band Ravenscry. They were formed back in 2008. This is the first studio release to feature their new guitarist Federico Schiavoni, who joined the band in 2017.
So, based on the description, I was expecting this to be another Nightwish type, female fronted band. How wrong could I be? For starters, the vocals are melodic but their singer Giulia Stefani sounds more like Amy Lee (Evanescence) or Silje Wergeland (The Gathering, ex-Octavia Sperati) than any of the Nightwish singers. Secondly there are no symphonic elements. Instead, the guitars are low pitch, distorted and have a progressive metal feel to them. Keyboards are kept to a minimum, with the exception of the opening track ‘Maybe’, where they maintain the balance between the chugging guitars and Ms. Stefani’s angelic singing.
As I’ve mentioned several times in the past, I have never been fond of anything progressive and that is my main issue with this album. I like the vocals but the stop-start, distorted guitar work seems to disrupt the flow on the songs. I think that the symbiosis between the two is not as smooth or as efficient as it should be. They work on some tracks better than others. ‘The Entertainer’ is one of the better ones. Here the guitars take a backseat and the vocals are the main focus on the song. I really like Giulia Stefani’s vocal performance on that particular track. The melodic keyboard outro is a good addition too.
Overall, ‘100’ offers a mixture of progressive and Gothic metal. There is enough variety to keep the listener on his or her toes. Unfortunately the combination of the two might not be to everyone’s taste.
6/10
Iza Raittila
After being really impressed with their 2017 debut album, This Is The Sound, Cellar Darling have returned with their new record, The Spell. After that debut, I was hoping for another record and I was hoping that they would attempt something a little different. Well, they must have heard my wishes because their second record is a very different beast from the first album. The Spell is a much heavier and more progressive album than This Is The Sound. It feels like a lot more care and attention to detail was put into this album. I mean they improve on their sound in every way conceivable here. There is also an audiobook of the album, which offers more context for all of the songs and where the lead vocalist Anna Murphy adds another layer to this album’s meaning.
This album is just a tonne of fun from the first few notes. Immediately hitting you with those sharp tones and sweet melodies that were present on the last release. The production on this album real super slick and everything feels really tight with all of the instrumentation standing out and playing its part. When it all comes in together, it just sounds so grandiose. This sound can only be described as progressive rock with enchanted whimsy thrown in. The beautiful compositions with excellent sound mixing give the album an other-worldly vibe to, what would be, just another progressive folk-metal album. Then you have the immense vocals of Anna Murphy. She just has an amazing presence on this album, it really is a star-making performance. It baffles me how she isn’t usually brought up in the discussion of the best female rock-vocalists by the fan community. She has so much range both, in vocal technique and in, emotional presentation.
There is a really nice variety of musical styles presented here. From eerie and atmospheric to heavy and “in-your-face”. The Spell will captivate and entrance listeners. I immediately wanted to put it on again and again as this album rewards repeated listens as there is a lot you can miss on your first play-through. There are just so many subtle little things in the music that you only catch on repeated listens. I would say the songs that are really worth your time on this album are “Burn” with its excellent riffs and exciting chorus, “Love” & “Love Pt II” also “Death” & Death Pt II” both of these two-part songs make for excellent companion pieces and really show the strength of Cellar Darling’s songwriting abilities. Also, my personal favourite on the record is the haunting ballad “Sleep” which reminds me of those old progressive tunes where the music sounds like random instrumentation but it really perfectly calculated musicianship.
Yep, I would definitely say this is worth your time. I really didn’t know how they were going to follow up that first album but I truly wasn’t expecting this. The Spell is one of those perfect records to accompany your imagination. It’s enjoyable and enriched with wonderful lyrical content. This one gets a big thumbs up from me.
5/5
Mick Birchall
It’s been six years since their previous effort ‘Valkyrja’… Now the Faroese progressive folk metal band TYR have announced that their new album will be called ‘Hel’ and it is scheduled to be released on 8th March 2019 via Metal Blade Records.
You can see the cover-art and tracklisting below:
1. Gates of Hel
2. All Heroes Fall
3. Ragnars Kvæði
4. Garmr
5. Sunset Shore
6. Downhill Drunk
7. Empire of the North
8. Far from the Worries of the World
9. King of Time
10. Fire and Flame
11. Against the Gods
12. Songs of War
13. Alvur Kongur
In the meantime here is a preview of one of the new tracks:
For more information go to:
‘Chronus’ is the debut album from the Swedish heavy metal band of the same name. They were formed in 2012 and their music has been compared to the likes of Mastodon, Goijra and Ozzy Osbourne.
There is something about the cover art that reminds me of the Swedish metal band Ghost. And it’s not just the artwork. Just like their fellow countrymen Ghost, Chronus seem to have taken inspiration from classic heavy metal and to some extent 70s prog-rock. Some of their songs feature distinctive prog-rock style guitar riffs. Take City of Light for instance, the melodic guitar tunes definitely have that Ghost/Opeth-esque, progressive rock feel while the vocals made me think of Ozzy Osbourne.
Then you get the more energetic, slightly aggressive yet still proggy-sounding songs such as Baron along with the guitar-centered, melodic tracks such as Avarice. “Progressive” is the key word here, so if you’re not into technically complex guitar melodies then you ought to stay clear of this album.
Overall, Chronus’ debut is likely to appeal to fans of Ghost and progressive metal bands such as Mastodon and Opeth. Personally, it’s just a little too proggy for my liking.
3.5/5
Iza Raittila
Need
Hegaiamas: A Song for Freedom
Progressive Metal, Hard Rock
Released 17th January 2017
Self-Released
What is it with Greek metal music and me. Every single band/artist I lock my ears on to from Greece, I absolutely love them. I must make an effort to get to Greece one day for a gig or a festival. Need, are a progressive metal band from Athens, they’ve been around since 2004. Hegaiamas: A Song for Freedom is the fourth album from them and it’s good. Like, really good!
I have to say I’m really impressed with this album. There are some absolute powerhouse tunes with solid production. Everything is clear and balanced, with right amount of emotion drawn out of every song. The musicianship on display is pretty damn superb. The band gel together so well and deliver and amazing performance here. They manage to produce a decent amount of atmosphere that lingers across the record. It sounds simply wonderful. The spoken word parts also add to this, in fact the track ‘Iota’ really does make the album feel more of an experience than just a record. They way the performance and production move me on this album is staggering. The vocal performance is excellent had it really draws you in.
Seriously not a bad thing to say about this one other that it’s a damn great record with and amazing atmosphere. The band have clearly grown to a point where they can make great tunes consistently and they really sound great. The melodies are enchanting and the lyrics, captivating. This is really a record you need in your life. I’ve already gone back through their discography and picked up their previous albums. They have a maturity not found in other bands of their ilk. The smooth musicianship coupled with amazing writing makes this record an experience you have to immerse yourself in.
5/5
Mick Birchall
Section A
Wall of Silence
Released 12th February (North America) 26th February 2016 (Europe and Asia)
Melodic Heavy Metal/Progressive Power Metal
Released via Mausoleum Records
‘Wall of Silence’ is the new album from the Danish heavy metal band Section A. It is the long awaited follow-up to their previous release ‘Sacrifice’, which was released back in 2010. This is the first album to feature their new singer Nicklas Sonne (Wasted, Defecto). The band was formed back in 2001 by guitarist and keyboard player Torben Enevoldsen (Fatal Force).
This is my first encounter of Section A, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from them. The album’s futuristic cover art made me think of science fiction themes and ‘outer space’, which in metal tends to be linked to bands such as Fear Factory or The Kovenant. In this case, though, it couldn’t be further from the truth. There’s no techno drums, electronics or space metal here. Instead, what you get is some melodic, mostly guitar-driven power metal with melodic keyboards and the odd hint of progressive tunes.
Some of the songs are faster and heavier than others, for instance No Tomorrow picks up the pace and really highlights Enevoldsen’s skills as a guitarist. Speaking of guitar tunes, the ones on that song owe more to power metal than progressive metal which is good for me since I’m not a massive fan of the overly technical prog-metal guitar work. It’s got the right balance of a decent pace, catchy and slick guitar riffs and a sing-along chorus. I also enjoyed the dynamic guitar tunes and highly energetic keyboards in the first half of When All is Falling. However, if more complex structures and progressive guitar riffs are your thing, then Bleeding Chains is the song for you.
Overall this album requires a bit of patience and it took me a few listens to get into it. While I’m not super keen on the progressive elements, I did enjoy the catchier, more power metal -style tracks like ‘No Tomorrow’. Also the guitar work is top notch and that’s what counts the most for me.
3.5/5
Iza Raittila
Northwinds
Eternal Winter
Released: July 10th 2015
Prog Rock/Trad Metal
Released via Black Widow Records
It’s my personal opinion that some sub-genres have been expanded repeatedly to the stage where certain fringe elements are no longer a part of the original movement in any recognisable way. Some atmospheric black metal, to me, just isn’t ‘black’ in any shape or form. Likewise, and probably even more so, the ‘doom’ moniker has been diverted from what it means to me, and, I can imagine, to a vast number of metal aficionados. Northwinds are one of the bands that fall outside of the bracket they have self-chosen; the latter above-mentioned category of doom.
I can certainly see that, if you were to pick out a cross-section of young-ish metal fans of today, you’d find that the ones most likely to give this band a warm welcome would be those obsessed with the slow dirge of doom, but that doesn’t make them any more of a doom band than Deep Purple or Uriah Heep. That might sound like a slating, but it really isn’t. I love classic rock (another designation with moving goalposts), and that is most certainly what this is.
I can’t help but feel Northwinds are missing a trick by not playing on that a bit more. All the original bands who they bring to mind – Black Sabbath, Angelwitch, Rainbow, and the like – are slowly but surely coming to end, as much as we hate to hear it. Although those progenitors of metal were most certainly the founding fathers of the doom genre, Northwinds sound more like one of them than a band influenced by them. They are a fairly long-running band, but not quite that long-running.
This is a solid player, straight out of the 1970s, and if that’s what you’re looking for, this will most definitely hit the spot. Let’s face it, if you don’t occasionally feel like getting your trad metal fix, you probably don’t get metal in general, and Northwinds are tapping right into that old time vein.
3.5/5
Paul Macmillan
Queensrÿche have revealed the details of their upcoming studio album. Scheduled to be released on October 2nd, via Century Media Records, and produced by Zeuss, “Condition Hüman” will feature the following 12 tracks:
1. Arrow of Time
2. Guardian
3. Hellfire
4. Toxic Remedy
5. Selfish Lives
6. Eye9
7. Bulletproof
8. Hourglass
9. Just Us
10. All There Was
11. The Aftermath
12. Condition Hüman
“The artwork depicts a beautiful innocence surrounded by the darkness of a jaded unpredictable world”, says singer Todd La Torre:
The opening track, “Arrow Of Time”, is available for streaming on the label’s Soundcloud account here.
Blind Guardian
Beyond The Red Mirror
Release: 30th January 2015
Symphonic progressive metal
Released via Nuclear Blast records
I really have to be in the right mood for music centred on specific themes throughout a band’s career. Battle, pirate and fantasy focussed discographies don’t feature highly on my radar, and those that do lose out to more varied catalogues. However, it’s the same as any other genre (or sub-genre) on the go: if it’s done well, it’s done well. Few could argue that Blind Guardian imitators rather than progenitors of their own bombastic soundscapes, but in all honesty, I half lost track of them after the turn of the century.
Beyond The Red Mirror is massively produced to great effect, and displays a new stage of development in Blind Guardian’s sound. Much like A Twist In The Myth and At The Edge Of Time (incidentally, one of the track titles), this new offering is equal parts Iron Maiden, Wagner and Pirates Of The Caribbean, although it has stripped away yet more of the speed metal element that had been at least partially retained from their early incarnation. It favours, instead, bombastic moments which would put Heavy Devy’s most overblown tongue in cheek moments to shame.
There are still plenty of thrashier sections throughout, particularly from the album’s mid-way track Ashes Of Eternity onward, but equally, a surprising industrial edge is brought to bear in songs such as ludicrously epic opener The Ninth Wave, and it’s a good thing! If nothing else, Blind Guardian have always had their own sound, and these changes appear to have further exemplified this. The old dogs have learned new tricks, indeed.
Penultimate number, Miracle Machine, is one of the most genuinely old fashioned pieces I have heard in a crow’s age, harking back to the golden age of hard rock. Strongly reminiscent of Queen (seemingly a major influence on Blind Guardian), it stands alone as a truly intelligent musical interlude between the riffing and heavy orchestral power of the rest of the album.
The whole release has a far more upbeat, positive atmosphere than I was expecting. It lends the affair a very heroic bent, leaning away from the darkness of previous releases. It’s hard not to feel lifted while giving this platter its day in court, and as much as it’s not going to make my top ten, it is both accessible and powerful, and for that reason alone, it is definitely worthy of repeat listenings. If power metal and its ilk is your game, this may well make it into your memorable releases of 2015. Personally, while it’s a good release, I’ll hold my breath a while longer.
3 / 5
Paul Macmillan
Silent Call
Truth’s Redemption
Released 15th September (the UK), 19th September (EU), 7th October (The USA) 2014
Progressive Metal/ Power Metal
Released via Dust on The Tracks Records
‘Truth’s Redemption’ is the third album from the Swedish progressive metal band Silent Call. It is the follow up to ‘Greed’ which was released back in 2010.
After an atmospheric intro, it’s straight into typical power metal territory with clean vocals and mixture of both melodic and slightly faster, more classic rock style guitar riffs. Then there’s the keyboards which add a symphonic element to some of the tracks such as the intro to Erasing The Sky and Alive. The progressive element can be detected from some of the guitar melodies and solos with variations in both pace and overall style evident on tracks such as These Four Walls and The Knife.
The guitar patterns tend to fall into one out of two categories: there’s the catchy, mid-paced power metal variety and the more complex, somewhat experimental-sounding, progressive metal type. Personally I prefer the former style which is sadly in the minority on this particular album. Another thing which I’m not super keen on is the amount of slow “power ballads” on here. While I don’t mind a couple of these if they are sandwiched between faster, catchier and dare I say it… more energetic songs, they seem to dominate this album. Having said that, there are some tracks which caught my attention. The most prominent is The Kingdom’s Fall which has a few decent, catchy guitar riffs and lively, energetic keyboard tunes in the first half of the song.
In summary this album has done nothing to convince me to give progressive metal another try. While I like some of the catchy, keyboard-infused power metal elements on here, some of the slow ballads have a tendency to drag on for a bit too long.
3/5
Iza Raittila
Manchester progressive metallers Spires have launched a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign for their forthcoming full length album, “The Whisperer”. After the critically acclaimed “Spiral of Ascension” (2010), and the equally praised acoustic mini-album “Lucid Abstractions” (2012), “The Whisperer” is planned to be released in early November, with the Kickstarter campaign ending on 4th October. If you wish to take part of this, please click the following link: ttps://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1250333601/spires-second-album-the-whisperer-t-shirt-campaign
The album will initially be a limited edition run of 500 copies, on 6 panel digipak, featuring extensive artwork by Daniella Morrison, and a full lyric booklet. The 7 track release will feature over an hour of progressive metal, and expands upon the foundations laid on the band’s previous releases.
“This album is going to be even more expansive and wide reaching,” vocalist/guitarist Paul Sadler explains, “with more varied instrumentation including cello, violin, piano and female vocals, as well as a guest spot on guitar from Tymon Kruidenier from Exivious / ex-Cynic The overall dynamics are pushed to further extremes in both directions. We’re all extremely excited about how it’s sounding. We decided to launch a Kickstarter campaign to give us that helping hand to produce a physical product that’s really worth having. In this day and age we feel this is necessary to convince people its worth parting with their hard earned cash for something you have created.”
The band is also producing a limited run of T-shirts to coincide with the release, featuring artwork from the album, also available through Kickstarter. A small UK tour is also in the pipeline for the end of the year, of which we’ll inform you as soon as the dates are confirmed. They play a one off show alongside Falloch and Jordan Reyne on 17th September at The Flapper in Birmingham .
Spires online:
http://www.facebook.com/spiresofficial
http://www.spiresband.co.uk
Due to unforseen circumstances, progressive metallers Ex Libris have had to pull out of their upcoming show at Popcentrale in Dordrecht, Holland on 22nd February. Fellow Dutch metallers Magion have been announced as their replacement. Other bands on the bill are Azylya, making it their first show in The Netherlands, and Beyond God. Further details can be found at this location.
Magion online:
Ex Libris
Medea
Released 18th January 2014
Progressive Metal/Symphonic Metal
Self-Released
Holland has become a country known for its female-fronted talent, such as Within Temptation, ReVamp, Epica and Delain, so it won’t come as a surprise to many when I say that’s the country that progressive powerhouse Ex Libris hail from. Having played as support to a few of the above mentioned bands, Ex Libris, who are fronted by the talented Dianne van Giersbergen, are slowly building a reputation for themselves on the international metal scene for their unique and bombastic sound sound. Whilst Medea is their second album, the band have achieved a lot more than most bands have.
Named after the Medea of Greek mythology, the album is kick started by the title track, Medea, which is a raging storm composed of swaying guitar passages and crashing waves of percussion, lined with vocals sharp enough the cut Mount Olympus in two. The lashings of orchestration help add to the tragic and dramatic character of the song. Sailing from the seas of the tragic Medea into the fearsome ocean that is Murderess In Me, the album’s atmosphere morphs into something more sinister, allowing for the music to become more cut-throat whilst retaining its classical and mythic vibe. The riffs have a sharper edge than the previous track, allowing for Dianne’s vocals to glide swiftly over the ocean of the music without hindrance.
On The Ocean’s Command begins with the soothing sound of the sea and the creaking wood abroad a ship as the climatic use of guitars, courtesy of Paul, make themselves heard before the vivid keyboards, as supplied by Koen, make their striking entrance. The song builds itself up into a tense masterpiece, tightly knitting each element of the song together. Dianne’s vocal work is particularly impressive during this track, changing like the winds, expectedly and unexpectedly. The following song, My Dream I Dream, focuses more on the emotion than the dramatics, allowing for a vast river of feeling to flow through each aspect of the track. Peter’s basswork sound more profound, making itself known from beginning to end, especially in sudden thrilling and heavy portion of the track, colliding smoothly with Eeclo’s clear-cut and strict drumming.
Song Of Discord marches in like a column of hoplites on their way to war. There is a powerful and harrowing atmosphere conjured up throughout the song, giving the music more punch than would be expected. The vocal duet of Dianne van Giersbergen and Damien Wilson opened up new possibilities for this song, not just vocally but throughout its performance in which the two vocalists play the parts of Medea and her husband, the hero Jason. It will be interesting to see how Ex Libris can pull this one off live. A Mother’s Lament begins straight away with a hook, grabbing attention from every angle and refusing to let go. The guitars and rhythm sections hammer away, fortifying the song whilst the vocals and keyboards add the glitz and the glam to the song, keeping it from becoming a dull affair.
Daughter Of Corinth sees another drastic change in the pace and sound of Medea, turning into a fearsome hydra of progressive riffs, eerie vocals and hypnotic drum passages while other aspects of the song are more shadowy, keeping withdrawn like a Gorgon hunting their victim. A Tale Told makes use of other elements but remains true to Ex Libris’ overall sound as well before the album moves onto the ten minute and fifty second long epic From Birth To Bloodshed which like some of the previous tracks paves way for a drastic change in the album. The riffs during this track are callous, leaving no room for mercy whilst the vocals are at their pinnacle, adding emphasis to the rest of the song. The instrumentation throughout the song take sup the spirit of the ocean, changing from the violent crashing of waves to gentler sailing.
Ex Libris have a knack for writing good music and Medea takes you down more twists and turns than the Labyrinth, keeping focus on the music as new life is breathed into Medea’s impressively tragic story by one talented band.
5/5
Nico Davidson
Ex Libris online:
http://exlibrismusic.com
http://facebook.com/exlibrismusic
Six years since their last ever gig, the UK’s godfathers of prog, SikYh, are set to reform to headline on the Red Bull Stage at next year’s Download Festival. The reunion set will see all six original members Mikee W Goodman, Justin Hill, Dan Foord, James Leach, Pin and Dan Weller back together on stage for the headlining set at the same festival that the band played in 2003 and 2006.
SikTh, who released debut album The Trees Are Dead And Dried Out, Wait For Something Wild in 2003 and follow up Death Of Death Day in 2006, parted ways to pursue other projects in 2008. They have since become widely acknowledged as forefathers of British progressive metal, cited as an influence by many of today’s most respected metal bands. Guitarist Dan Weller said:
Some of our greatest memories were playing at Download, so it was the natural place for us to make our return. The truth is we’ve all been dying to play those songs again. Hopefully we can put on an awesome show for the fans.
Mikee W Goodman adds:
So excited with the prospect of singing SikTh songs onstage again! I have missed that wild intensity the music and fans create together. Download Festival is the perfect place to do a comeback show.
SikTh will headline the Red Bull stage at Download on Saturday 14th June 2014.
Sikth online:
http://facebook.com/sikthofficial
http://twitter.com/sikthofficial
London-based The Safety Fire have recently released a new video for the title-track of their second album “Mouth Of Swords”. The video features “life on the road” footage filmed during their latest US tour with Between The Buried And Me, The Faceless and The Contortionist. Check it out:
And speaking of tours, The Safety Fire has already a new one planned for early next year, with Protest The Hero, TesseracT and Intervals. Dates are as follows:
06.01.14 Germany Karlsruhe @ Substage
07.01.14 Germany Nürnberg @ Hirsch
08.01.14 Germany Berlin @ Magnet
09.01.14 Germany Hamburg @ Logo
10.01.14 Sweden Stockholm @ Klubben
11.01.14 Sweden Gothenburg @ Fängelset
12.01.14 Norway Oslo @ John Dee
14.01.14 Denmark Copenhagen @ Vega
16.01.14 Belgium Aarschot @ De Klinker
17.01.14 France Paris @ Divan du Monde
18.01.14 France Toulouse @ Le Saint Des Seins
19.01.14 Spain Madrid @ Copernico
20.01.14 Spain Barcelona @ Sala Boveda
22.01.14 Switzerland Aarau @ Kiff
23.01.14 Italy Milan @ Zoe Club
24.01.14 Austria Salzburg @ Rockhouse
25.01.14 Austria Wien @ Szene
26.01.14 Hungary Budapest @ Dürer Kert
28.01.14 Germany München @ Backstage
29.01.14 Germany Leipzig @ Conne Island
30.01.14 Luxemburg Esch-sur-Alzette @ Rockhal
31.01.14 Germany Köln @ Essigfabrik
01.02.14 UK Brighton @ Concorde 2
02.02.14 UK Birmingham @ O2 Academy2
04.02.14 UK Sheffield @ Corporation
05.02.14 UK Glasgow @ Classic Grand
06.02.14 UK Manchester @ Academy2
07.02.14 UK London @ The Electric Ballroom
08.02.14 Holland Dordrecht @ Bibelot
Also, between the 18th and the 22nd of February, the band will be on board of the US Progressive Nation at Sea Cruise 2014.
The Safety Fire online:
www.facebook.com/thesafetyfire
www.myspace.com/thesafetyfire
www.twitter.com/thesafetyfire
www.youtube.com/thesafetyfire
InsideOutMusic online:
www.insideoutmusic.com
www.youtube.com/InsideOutMusicTV
www.facebook.com/InsideOutMusic
www.twitter.com/insideouteu
www.myspace.com/insideoutlabel
ProgPower organisers recently announced the first eight band’s for the 2014 European edition’s line-up. The announcement was made during the ProgPower 2013 After Party. The first eight bands to be announced are: Pagan’s Mind, Jolly, Headspace, Chimp Spanner, Aeon Zen, Tenebris, Prospect and Vulture Industries. The bands were announced with the following video:
Valkyrian Music 