Malacoda - Ritualis Aeterna (2016)

Who are Malacoda? Well, the Canadian quintet have been together since 2015 and they've released one self-titled album along with an EP just last year. This of course, is a review for that EP. You can grab it on Bandcamp right now and it's definitely worth it if you like Gothic, doom and power metal. The band is composed of current and former members of Annihilator, Phear, Echoterra, Pyramaze, Structure Of Inhumanity and Universal Mind Project, but it doesn't have a very strong budget yet and needs some level of promotion in order to possibly get further in the game. That being said, this blog probably won't be much help. (Chuckles) In any case, we first have to wager as to whether or not Malacoda are actually worth being a big name act in their own right and in my book, I was quite surprised by what I thought was going to be some kind of generic metal album. I'm already aware that if you'll look at the Metal Archives review for the record, you'll find that the score is relatively low at 60%. But judging by the inexperienced nature of the writer, I wouldn't trust it. Seriously, looking at that load of proverbial chicken scratch tells me that he doesn't have the faintest idea as to what in the hell he's talking about.

So let's get down to brass tacks – Malacoda are an act worth watching. Not only do I hear resemblances to Candlemass, Ihsahn and even Nevermore within the powerful clean vocal structures of frontman/guitarist Lucas Di Mascio, but I'm also noticing superb keyboard atmospheres from Jonah Weingarten which really add to the whole gothic nature of the piece. Adding to that, we have some pretty killer solo work as Mascio and secondary axeman Brad Casarin prove that they can recreate the same incredible effects with their guitars that Weingarten is creating with his keys.

Malacoda aren't just a band that excell mainly in their dark and gloomy keyboard atmospheres, as they also hit strong choruses (there are no ten minute epics here, so it's mainly verse/chorus) in nearly every track that will actually get stuck in your head if you give them enough time. It feels a bit rock sometimes (I Got A Letter) but that's a large part of classic/heavy/power metal anyway, so you can't blame them for wanting to make catchy songs out of this. I do think they should branch out a little more, maybe offer some longer pieces in which the guitars and keys can have a free-for-all, but I'm definitely not unhappy with this. Di Mascio still needs a little work in his clean lines, but don't we all. I definitely can't pull off those highs in “Pandemonium” without sounding like I've grown breasts. I'd definitely have to compare them to Ihsahn's clean lines as well, which is what I was most reminded of when they came into place. This EP feels like an experiment, with every song offering something new from the band. It seems that they want to show what they're capable of and sort of find a middle ground for all of it. I'm guessing the first record was a bit of a mess because there were a million ideas utilized on it, only few of which will be further carried on. When we continue listening, we find that “The Wild Hunt” actually comes across as one of the band's strongest by far, pulling off a familiar sound and style that fans of darker power metal acts will catch right away. The only real piece I could do without is “Linger Here” which is mostly a little piano ballad that never catches on due to it's unexpectedly short length. I guess I was expecting a “November Rain” moment with this, where the guitars are finally turned on and we manage to get a brilliant solo out of it. Even BabyMetal did that with “No Rain, No Rainbow” which still surprises me to this day. I have never really cared for piano based ballads in this fashion and this one didn't win me over either. Fortunately, the record ends with a heavy-hitter called “There Will Always Be One” which is appreciated, as the prior cut nearly put me to sleep. Not only does the piece contain it's share of awfully creepy keyboards, but it features as strong of a chorus number as that of opener “Penny Dreadful” and “The Wild Hunt.” We also get several infusions of guitar, like we wanted from the very beginning.

I think Malacoda know what to do, they're just not exactly doing it. What I'd like to hear from a future release is much longer songs with more guitar influence, less of the teary piano ballads and without question, an album worthy of the title of gothic power metal. There's so much promise in Ritualis Aeterna that labels should be taking note, and I'm sure they are. I really just hope that the band are able to evolve naturally and don't end up getting thrown into the core and djent trends, of which I'm proud to say that I'm not hearing one bit of throughout the entirety of this release. Thank the metal gods for small favors. As I said, you can pick this one up on Bandcamp and you should, especially if you're interested in a couple of catchy dark tunes that have me hopeful for the future of this genre. You see, gothic power metal is not all that prolific within the heavy metal spectrum, nor should it be. I like to see that bands like Malacoda are trying new things within what has seemed to hit a sort of a slump as far as the power metal genre is concerned. Many of the bands are putting out good albums, but no one is really putting out anything all that unique. At least these Canadians are trying, and that's saying something.

(6 Tracks, 24:00)

8/10

Celestial Ruin - Pandora (2016)

You might wonder why I'm covering a Vancouver based rock and Gothic metal band that has been tagged for fans of Nightwish, Evanessence, Delain, Kamelot, Within Temptation and others. There's a simple reason for that, which is mainly that I found the record very catchy and rather enjoyable. Aside from Larissa Dawn's potent vocal prowess on the microphone, we have the pounding drums of Adam Todd as well as some notable leads and solos from Eriz Crux. Ruben Wijga performs the keys here, which add much of the bombastic atmosphere you'll hear on the disc, far different than what you might expect on a regular female fronted rock record. These guys are actually taking the term “metal band” seriously, which definitely warrants the Kamelot comparison, regardless of how much the Delain tag fits as well. It's actually not too out of character to consider Celestial Ruin a more thrash-influenced and bombastic version of Evanessence, but not Nightwish. There's nothing operatic here, but there are about ten tons of sing-along choruses to be found on a disc that's surely just the start of something larger and more commercial. I would just hope that as Celestial Ruin matures as a band, they won't decide to sand down the metallic elements here in favor of giving people easier to digest fast food music with only the pop choruses intact. It's kind of funny that the single for the EP is “Sense Of Exile” even though “Nevermore” is about ten times more commercially viable and would make the band stick out far more among casual rock listeners. Then again, in listening to the two cuts side by side, I've noticed that the chorus numbers sound nearly identical to each other in tone. But whatever sells, right? In any case, this act is an absolute goldmine and I'm quite sure that it doesn't even need a small site like mine to promote it. After all, there was something of an interview with the frontwoman over at the AXS TV website, and that's Mark Cuban's channel. He has way more fans than I do here, or than I could ever dream of here. He's actually making money, and enough of it to sell me into slavery if he wished. In any case, I actually found this record extremely catchy and I'll bet my bottom dollar that this isn't the last we'll be seeing from this act. An EP today, a Grammy tomorrow... but to do that, they'd have to kill the metal, wouldn't they? Yep. It'll be interesting to see how much they're willing to sacrifice in the future.

(4 Tracks, 24:00)

8/10

Serenity - Codex Atlanticus (2016)

With their fifth studio release, Austria's Serenity prove that heavy metal still excels greatly from the Germanic continent. It's no surprise as to why this latest effort scored a whopping 94% over at Metal Archives and currently stands as the quartet's best record in their lengthy discography. The band have been around since 2001, consisting of Andreas Schipflinger on both drums and vocals, Georg Neuhauser on primary vocals, Fabio D'Amore (Pathosray, ex-Mirrormaze) on bass and backing vocals, and the newly recruited Cris Tian (ex-Visions Of Atlantis, one might think that his moniker here is an anagram) on guitars. When I hear a band like this, I think of the symphonic power metal of acts like Kamelot, Sonata Artica, Evergrey and Nightwish and to me, that's a great feeling. There are parts of this album that remind me of classic Kamelot at their very best, and if for some reason you don't like the new version of that act (even though I feel that current frontman Tommy Karevik is just as potent as Roy Khan ever was) you'll find what you missed in Serenity. Though he's just joined, Cris Tian really seems to show his strengths on the disc along with Luki Knoebl's orchestrations, which combined with Fabio D'Amore's hefty bass riffs definitely give me that feeling of Once era Nightwish.

Codex Atlanticus is a heavy record, but it's full to the brim with pomp and mostly delivers in several piles of sing-along choruses. When you're buying Codex Atlantica, you're buying a record that you can sing at the top of your lungs to while you're driving down the road after getting home from the late shift. The disc will undoubtedly turn your vehicle into what sounds like a full orchestra, and despite whether these songs are hard-edged like “Sprouts Of Terror” or a bit more balladic like “My Final Chapter” you'll certainly have a lot of fun with it. There's even some Queen influence rolling into “The Perfect Woman” which I didn't expect to hear at all, even though it's certainly refreshing. I feel that nearly every operatic act owes their existence to Queen and hearing such a tribute like this seems quite fitting. Neuhauser is by no means a Freddie Mercury, but that man's voice has scientifically been considered something quite unique and I certainly would never make a comparison.

Most of all, Codex Atlanticus is quite uplifting for a heavy metal album and I think it's important to have discs like this that offer hope in such a bleak world as ours. Make sure that you pick it up if you haven't, as I'm sure you'll be quite impressed by what has been composed and what comes across as catchy as popcorn and hot sauce. (Trust me, try it.) As of late, the band seem to taking a very religious tone with the lyrical content here, but I don't feel that's a detraction for me as you may have even noticed me giving good marks to Stryper. I don't really feel that lyrical content has ever affected a record's score unless it is just poorly written and forgettable. The listener gets a lot of heavy metal and pomp, along with a wonderful vocal performance that also features guest spots by Amanda Somerville (Trillium) as well as Jan Vack (Serious Black) and others. When you purchase the limited version of the disc, you'll get two extra tracks as well as an orchestral piece. It should be sold out by now, but you might still get lucky.

In any case, this is one that I'd certainly recommend in the very bombastic synth/power/prog genre and you need to get your hands on it as soon as you can. It's definitely worth a listen. As I said, it seems to be the band's greatest record to date and you're truly going to love it.

(11 Tracks, 52:00)

9/10

Holy Grail - Times Of Pride and Peril (2016)

I can't tell you how many times I had written these guys off, but Californian modern heavy/power metallers Holy Grail actually managed to catch my attention this time. People really seemed to enjoy the band's last one (2013's Ride The Void) quite a bit, but to me I still thought it had too much of a modern core feel and was not all that pleased with it. That being said, it's got a solid 90% over there at Metal Archives and all three reviews are relatively positive. Times Of Pride and Peril however, sees the band playing this kind of metal the way it's supposed to be, albeit with more of a classic heavy mentality. There was that huge Dragonforce surge along with Guitar Hero III back in the day, and this band really took off on the heels of it. It's just a good thing to hear that it's gone, because these guys really seemed to suffer from that “modern power metal” feel and seemed to be directly eating right off the table of that trend. It's also interesting to note that these guys are made up of several members of additionally popular act Huntress. In particular, they feature drummer Tyler Meahl, and guitarist Eli Santana, who also handles the vocals for this act. Though I should mention that he only appeared on the group's newest release, Static (2015) and has not been apart of the act since day one. The same can be said for Meahl, which makes current Huntress half of Holy Grail. This interests me quite a bit, as I always wondered why the power/thrash sound had dissipated in favor of a more traditional style. 

For this album, Holy Grail really seemed to have dug into metal's ancient history, as influences from Judas Priest, and Helloween come into view. They still remind me of acts like Hybria and Skull Fist as well as radio rock acts like Avenged Sevenfold. Eli Santana definitely has that sort of youthful clean, which reminds me an awful lot of American radio 101 even though I'll definitely add that the record is constructed well enough that it comes across listenable to metal fans as much as it would for fans of professional wrestling. We get a number of singalongs here that would work well as the entrance theme for any wrestler or Pay Per View event, and that's where the real meat of the record lies. Times Of Pride and Peril is full of catchy, short and easy to digest pieces that ultimately make it an easy to digest and extremely accessible record. People who liked the last Avenged Sevenfold will actually find something to like here and it could be seen as a slightly harder gateway drug into the world of metal. If you don't expect any more out of this than what you should expect from such a band, you'll be pretty satisfied with it. As I said, I found it pretty catchy, and quite enjoyable. I wasn't going to review it all at first, but it's definitely worth mentioning. Your enjoyment of this record ultimately depends on what kind of person you are, and what you enjoy outside of less accessible heavy metal realms. Times of Pride and Peril straddles the lines between hard rock and classic heavy metal pretty well and there's most certainly an audience for it. It's worth a listen if you know what you're getting into, as it won't be everyone's cup of tea.

(10 Tracks, 48:00)

7/10

Iotunn - The Wizard Falls (2016)

Iotunn are hugely promising, and this isn't the first or even second time I've heard this EP either. From what I've observed, these guys mix together a brand of what could be a mix between heavy, thrash and power metal, albeit with added doses of death metal, which I didn't expect. It reminds me a little bit of the Nevermore debut with a little more bite and energy. I always thought that it was a decent album, but I never thought it offered so much vigor, which is what I'm certainly hearing from Iotunn. Oddly enough, these guys will probably get confused for some damn Viking metal or black metal act, even though they're clearly not. Iotunn are actually one of the best modern heavy metal acts I've heard in several years and it's easy to see why. When I say structure, I mean structure. There are so many wonderful little layers ebbing and flowing on this disc, making such a powerful Warrel Dane influenced frontman sound all the more greater. The drumming on the record is also quite potent and that's not just in the vein of beating the hell out of the kit. No, this guy does far more than that, and that's what you're going to notice. Listening again, maybe the “death metal” part isn't all that noticeable with a slew of growls interjected here and there but if you listen to the work as a whole, does Iotunn really need them? I don't think so. Surely they've got a strong enough front end, a magnificent guitarist and a more than suitable drummer to round them out plenty without the need for gimmicks. I mean, there's no real “death metal” sections that require such a vocal performance. The disc stands well on it's own two feet and may bring us the next damn Sanctuary or Nevermore. Though the disc is quite raw in terms of production value, it doesn't splotch the insurmountable performance issued here. Recommend this disc? What, are you fucking kidding me? I'm keeping my eyes on Iotunn after this masterful metal achievement, and whatever else they do after this, I'll be sure to cover. If there was ever a band to take notice of in 2016, it's these guys for sure. Please don't stop what you're doing, as it would be a great disservice to metal music in general. The mighty gods of metal implore Iotunn to continue for many years to come! May they take the torch and hold it ever proudly.

(5 Tracks, 25:00)

9/10

Savage Machine - Event Horizon (2016)

Denmark's Savage Machine are considered “old school heavy metal” and as I'm quite a fan of that style, you can already tell what I think of the disc. The title cut is pretty short, but it comes in hard and fast, with the spirit of eighties classic heavy metal acts in the vein of Priest, Maiden, Metal Church, Helloween, Blind Guardian and many more. Particularly I'm hearing a Blind Guardian style gallop on the much longer “Savior” which I'm not about to turn away anytime soon. There's a bit of a thrash vibe here, but it's not the kind that threatens to tear the roof down, because that's just not the kind of act Savage Machine are. They might be a little tame for some, but let's be honest – I can't even listen to extreme acts all day long. This is how metal was crafted during the genre's glory days and it surprisingly sounds just as good. Yeah, there's the Blind Guardian comparison, but you and I can both agree that Blind Guardian hasn't sounded like this in years. The production value on these tracks is also surprisingly eighties, which makes this EP a blast from the past. Towards the latter part of the track, there's a bit of narration which some may find a bit of a distraction, but I feel that it more or less maintains the welcomed cheese of the age. “Old man metal” and “dad rock” jokes aside, this is just damn good stuff as I'm concerned and I'm sure that it'll only get better with time. Some people might say that Savage Machine might have had a better shot in the eighties, and perhaps that's true – but some of us haven't yet lost the spirit of what true metal is. If you're going to buy this, then buy it for “Savior.” That's what metal used to sound like, just in case you may have forgotten. (The Grim Lord)

4/5

Valyria - Steel Inquisition Single (2016)

Previously known as Winter's Legacy, this Canadian Melodic/Death Power Metal act released an EP back in '14 by the name of Collatus. Now they're releasing a short single to most likely promote their next offering which will be upon us soon enough. First of all, the track starts off rather heavy with absolutely blistering drums and melodies that remind me heavily of Ensiferum or Rhapsody of Fire. There's also a bit of Neoclassicism here, which makes for an elegant, yet surprisingly brutal and slightly modernized piece. Cam Dakus (Bass) is considered the band's lead vocalist, but both guitarists (Andrew Traynor and Jeremy Puffer) use more of a death core approach to vocals, which duels with the clean vocal approach and makes for a rather accessible sound. But where these guys really excel is in structure and atmosphere. As I said, this track reminds me of something like Rhapsody of Fire, Ensiferum or Wintersun, albeit an early approach that will get better with more time and experience. Even so, both the axemen show that they've got the style down and manage a pretty nice solo piece in lieu of all the pomp. It definitely has that “epic melodeath” style sound and you don't need me to tell you that. It's quite promising and much better than I would have expected at first. They've got the chops down and this track works for me – but let's see what else these guys can do. (The Grim Lord)

3/5

BabyMetal - Metal Resistance (2016 Bonsai Bonus)

Well, it's April Fools and I guess you think I'm joking regarding this BabyMetal review, right? Well, I'm definitely not joking (and we'll have the regularly scheduled Church Of Misery up for the next Bonsai Bonus) as the record came out today and I've just finished listening to it. You might remember my review of the debut, in addition to a little bit of history about the band and how they're technically the product of a Japanese talent agency. I feel no need to get into that right now, but what I will say is that most of the songs on the BabyMetal debut album went all of the way back to 2006 if not further, and were virtually “old” material. Well, Metal Resistance changes all that with something we've all wanted from this fucking band – structure. As much as I love the experimental Japanese scene, that record was literally all over the place and it felt as if they had just thrown a bunch of shit together and called it a day. Apparently the several musicians responsible for this project decided that they wanted to make a more cohesive record, that closer resembles that of the current Japanese and western metal scene and offers a slightly different approach with each track. We get that here, but we also get evolving songs that slowly allow for other pieces to come into play, rather than making us play WarioWare with their music, which simply didn't work all that well. In other words, I can solidify that BabyMetal have made a more mature album that pushes their silliness aside and further showcases not only the impeccable musicianship of the band, but the ever-increasing awesomeness of the band's J-Pop idol, Su-Metal. Let's just face facts, Suzuka is absolutely incredible. She's definitely up there with some of the very best female vocalists I've heard in the country, and she really belts it out on this record. But let's go track-by-track here, so that I can explain to you just what has done here. As a word of full disclosure, you are reading this article as a fan of Japanese female fronted music, whether that be J-Rock, J-Pop or J-Metal. Covering Japanese acts is nothing new for us here at the Tower and I'm glad that I am once again able to do so. If you do not like female fronted Japanese music, you will not like this record in any way, shape or form. You absolutely must be a fan of this genre of music to even be able to grasp what I'm going to be talking about for the majority of this review.

The first song, “Road Of Resistance” was originally offered as a bonus track on their last one, but I never heard it – and if I did, I don't remember it sounding like this. What the band have done here is to channel Dragonforce and with what I'd consider a one-hundred percent musical emulation. The beginning of the album starts out with the sort of grandiose feeling that one might get from a Japanese power metal act, like Dragon Guardian for example. Interestingly enough, despite the Dragonforce emulation (or is that really Herman-Li, I can't tell?) this track actually features a great duet between the harsh and clean vocals that also opens up for an incredibly Japanese power metal influenced chorus (think Iron Attack) as well as what really might be a solo section from Herman-Li. At this point, I literally can't tell, and the vocalizing from Suzuka completely accents the piece beyond expectation. People might laugh at you, but the song definitely kills. “Karate” came next, which is definitely a djent piece, but there's something interesting about it, which doesn't really begin until Suzuka starts singing. I never thought the J-Pop influenced chorus melody and vocal style would work so well with the grooves, but they do. We are soon reminded that there are two other girls in the band at this point and they prove that they simply shouldn't exist in this project to begin with. I would have rather heard more lines from Suzuka than to be exposed to their silliness. An atmosphere actually comes into play towards the end of the song, and it continues after one hard-hitting chorus and solo combo. There's apparently a video for this and I'd really like to see it myself. Especially how they tackle the part with the piano, the vocalization and the mist. That's fucking beautiful.

Moving on, we get into “Awadama Fever” which doesn't work for me at all. I see what they're trying to do here with the industrial drum n bass, but it's a little bit too Studio Ghibli for me. The track evolves into some heavier sections with electronic whizzes, but I just don't think it works for me. I appreciate the experiment, it's very cohesive and doesn't feel like a mess, but it's just not palatable for me. I guess it is pretty catchy though. “Yava” however, felt a little more interesting. Now this kind of electronic experiment felt a little more authentic to J-Rock and if you've heard as much of it as I have, then you're going to notice that immediately. It's a very dancey track, with an obvious surf-rock flair that is soon decorated with some heavier sections. The chorus is strong, the harsh vocals provide little backing shouts. I guess it's alright, but the harsh vocal element almost feels unnecessary. It's extremely catchy and only gets catchier with time. “Amore” comes next, feeling like a ballad at first, but it's not time for that yet. Instead, we get a very traditional (Iron Attack) female approach to power metal that has some classical influence. So basically, Iron Attack, right? Yeah but hell, most people have never heard this stuff and if it gets them into Japanese power metal, then great. The solo is performed rather well, just as we'd expect. I mean, it's a Japanese power metal cut. We know what we're getting and I'm fine with that. I love it. Now here's where things get interesting, as “Meta Taro” is a triumphant folk-influenced war march. Yes, you heard me right. What it makes me think of, is the possible scenario that could occur should all of our Japanese produced wifu robots decide to rebel against their human masters. What you're hearing might sound like a happy little march to war, but when I think of wifu bots readying tanks and blasting this out of loud speakers at human troops, I shiver a little bit with fear. Ladies and gentlemen, “Meta Taro” could literally be the war march that signals our demise. I can literally hear the sounds of marching boots in the background as “Meta Taro! Meta Taro!” resounds like an alarm in my head.

One of our special American tracks here is a weird electronic rock thing called “From Dusk Till Dawn.” It sounds like a Celldweller piece with hushed vocals, and feels a bit thrown together. The Japanese get something far different and I'd really like to hear it. It's called “Syncopation” and you can bet that I'll be hunting it down. “GJ” however, sounds like a mix of djent, rap and silliness that I absolutely hated with a passion. The track didn't work well for me at all and even the chorus couldn't save it. The next track feels a little unfair. It begins with some sort of evil robotic voice and goes into brutal death metal territory. Suzuka has a strong chorus here, but the approach just doesn't go with the song at all, especially being as damn heavy as it is. This is the kind of thing we'd hear from an act like Cryptopsy and it doesn't fit with this vocal style. I think a lot of heads will be very upset with this one and it might make them hate the band even more than they do. I just don't think it worked and other Japanese bands like Undead Corporation and Merging Moon do a much better job with this stuff. I'm all for experiments, but you might really fucking hate this one. It all depends on your tastes. After such a heavy piece, we're given what sounds like the ending music to a great visual novel. “No Rain, No Rainbow” is a J-Rock ballad. There is absolutely nothing metal about it and that is fine. This song is purely why I absolutely love J-Pop and J-Rock, because nothing to date has been more passionate in my ears. Whether it is a male vocal, or female vocal, the Japanese express love in a way that musically astound me every time. I should mention that this is a solo track from Suzuka and I'd personally love to see an entire record with just her on it. I'd certainly pick that one up. With every great Japanese rock ballad since the days of X-Japan, there is a simply incredibly solo piece there to accent it as well. This damn piece nearly brings me to tears and it's one reason I believe there is hope for this band yet. Absolutely fucking beautiful. I'd love to hear this in an anime, game, visual novel or something. It should decorate a wonderful piece of artwork, a powerful romance, something that touches me as much as I have been touched by other Japanese works.

The band is not finished yet though, as one of the most musically complex songs that I've ever heard from the band comes up next with the astonishing “Tales Of The Destinies.” Now, I know you're going to hate it when the other two girls come into vocalize silly lines before Suzuka comes in, because it kills the musical compositions for me. I feel as if they're defecating over extravagantly good pieces and such vocal sections simply seem out of place. The piece is hugely progressive, think Dream Theater for sure – and it exercises that a great deal through the song in ways that I can't even describe. There's even a really awesome keyboard solo piece, that goes into an even more awesome guitar solo. It's wonderfully constructed and you're not even going to believe that it's BabyMetal. They do try to put a little bit of Japanese power metal influence into it, which is something that I'd consider purely Japanese. Amaerican or European acts wouldn't do that, yet they do pump some pop style elements into their own music. Dream Theater have done this several times and I've little complained. The finale of Metal Resistance comes in the form of another exclusive bonus track called “The One.” It's interesting to note that the Japanese version of this track is “unfinished.” Yet here we have a finished version in English, which is actually much better than I've heard from Japanese to English vocal translations and seems vocally competent. She almost sounds like a western singer. The piece is a ballad, but it's a very well performed one and could also be used in a game/anime exc. Perhaps that would be the Japanese version, though. The song is the longest on the record (and there's a video for it, which I'll have to check out) and it allows the band to experiment a little beyond the ballad nature of the original piece. Not so much though, as it's very chorus heavy. The guitar leads for the chorus definitely decorate the piece rather well and escape into the misty end, where it goes into a rather tasteful vocalization. This is a piece that people will be playing for years, as well as the whole album itself.

Observation concluded, it's safe to say that with an album this strong and musically competent, BabyMetal aren't going anywhere. I actually expected this to be awful, so you can only imagine how shocked I am. Hell, I'll almost believe in God, Christ, Heaven and Hell at this point; because I can't believe that such a record exists. I feel as though I'm in The Twilight Zone and I'm being presented with a record that should not be. This is the literal thing that should not be, folks. I feel that God is going to reveal himself and say to me, “April Fools! This isn't the real BabyMetal record” as he hands me something that I expected, which would have been more random silliness and slapped together metal. Though facts are facts and what I've heard definitely does the Japanese metal scene justice. It's not Sigh, it's not Kadenzza, Flagitious Idiosyncrasy In The Dilapidation, Dir En Grey or Boris, but it definitely pulls it's own weight amongst some of those Japanese greats. BabyMetal have certainly cemented themselves and I'd certainly consider this record as memorable as that of Unlucky Morpheus's Rebirth Revisited and Yousei Teikoku's Shadow Corps(e). Its further proof that they have a place here in metal, regardless of what some listeners might think. They've done justice to the genre and have redeemed themselves in my eyes, which is all that I feel is important. I still feel that Suzuka is the main vocalist of the act however, and as “No Rain, No Rainbow” shows, it should be that way permanently. In any case, I definitely recommend you pick up Metal Resistance, though only if you are a fan of Japanese female fronted music. If you don't like the base element, you won't enjoy it being thrown into metal, electronic and various rock realms. Without question, Metal Resistance is one of the most unexpected albums I've heard this year, as well as one of the biggest surprises that I've had from an album for as long as I've been doing this kind of work.

Edit: Dragonforce's Herman-Li is featured on the opener, "Road Of Resistance."

(12 Tracks, 54:00)

8/10

Demise Of The Crown - Self-Titled (2016)

Hailing from Quebec, this project mixes together progressive power metal with elements of melodic death and thrash, matching heavily the Nevermore comparison, but not so much the others I have listed on my on my press release. So I'm going to junk those and throw in one that really reminds me of the fucking band – Mercenary. No, I'm not talking about early Mercenary or their latter discs, I'm talking about the stuff in the middle, particularly 11 Dreams. We could also compare them to Sanctuary, especially the version of Sanctuary that Warrel Dane is fronting right now. Additionally, let's throw in some chorus heavy power metal, stuff like Brainstorm and Nocturnal Rites. Yet there's a bit more song structure to some of these pieces than I've heard on a few of their records as of late and I feel that's worth mentioning.

Unfortunately, the disc is only about thirty minutes and feels a little short for a debut (they could have added about three or four more songs) even though it definitely shows what this band is capable of. Their Bandcamp page is a bit vacant, so I'm assuming that one man by the name of Kevin Jardine (Slaves On Dope) is responsible for most of this record, and he certainly shows his strength with the use of such muscular guitar compositions that make this act a hell of a lot more interesting to me than Slaves On Dope ever were. Not only that, but he commands a powerful vocal approach that amounts to mesmerizing harmonies, as well as some falsettos that remind me heavily of Rob Halford, Tim Owens, Stu Block and many others. Because the record plays in the worlds of groove, death, progressive and classic heavy metal; it's very hard to actually pinpoint and that's what makes it exciting. Most notably, the Nevermore and Mercenary comparisons will be made and fans will grasp this disc with a fervor because of that. The band truly sounds larger than life on this debut and I really hope that maybe we'll get more information out of them later, because people need to hear this one to believe it.

Demise The Crown still feels like an EP release, but it shows me that the act has an awful lot of promise, beyond what I can describe here in a review. If you want catchy choruses, hard hitting solos, more melodies than you can shake a stick at, and melodic death metal/groove incursions (that normally wouldn't work well with this kind of material unless they were done properly, which is indeed the case) then you need to look no further than this disc which you can pick up for seven bucks. A dollar a track isn't a bad deal at all, especially when several of these pieces are worth far more than a dollar. Give it a listen, I think you'll enjoy it very much. I can't wait to see what is next for the act.

(7 Tracks, 30:00)

8/10

Manimal - Trapped In The Shadows (2016)

Having not heard the band's previous record, I'm going completely off what I've heard here from the Swedish power metallers. The disc claims to be a mixture of Painkiller-era Priest with a touch of Queensryche at their best, and I can say for the most part that the definition is true. The riffs certainly remind me of thrashy Priest, while the melodies and progressions clearly remind me of Queensryche. I could never get into Queensryche and may have mentioned that I still can't get into the legendary Operation Mindcrime album. It's not that I haven't tried though, I've given that record five listens at least and just never felt it. Trapped In The Shadows is a completely different story however as the record comes forth with the Priestly power evoked on “Irresistible” (6:02) and charges right into the proggy “March Of Madness” (4:36) which both show fantastic highs from Samuel Nyman, and pure firepower from axeman Henrik Stenroos. Both pieces are literally catchy as hell and should have nearly every classic metal fan with their horns raised in the air. “The Dark” (4:58) seems to stand in the way though and almost feels a bit out of place. Though Nyman hits the highs in chorus, the track just sort of plods for me and you'll see what I'm talking about. The title cut (4:12) comes next though, seeming like a variation of “Painkiller” as it quickly changes to a more melodic note, by which a fantastic and very memorable chorus number escapes. There's even a nice little solo on the piece. “Invincible” (5:20) follows right in thick chugs, as background keyboards and clean harmonies really bring the chorus home. So far, I can say that this record has far more hits than misses, and when it does hit, it hits hard. Additionally, these guys like to texture their songs a little more than other bands in their genre, giving me something more to listen to than verse chorus. The bridge sections really deliver, allowing them to really bring it on home with the finale. Love them or hate them, Manimal are one of the best power metal acts I've heard in a very long time. Can they keep this up?

A Swedish interviewer on MA says that around “Man-Made Devil” (5:27) things started to slow down for him. While I can see what he's talking about, I can't completely agree. Even Painkiller had it's slower cuts, like “Touch Of Evil” for example. But there's not a damn thing wrong with that, especially noting how memorable the cut was. With this song however, the band seem to go into an almost theatrical state that brings with it more chunk later on in the piece. There's a piano section, as well as a really interesting theremin type effect that creates an otherworldly atmosphere to the track. It's different, but different is always good. If these guys made nine more copies of “Irresistible” then I would have irresistibly thrown the disc into the waste bin. We need to allow musicians to experiment and evolve, which is what they've done here. “Silent Messiah” (6:02) really comes off like Helloween, which certainly isn't a problem, especially when you're catching Nyman's amazing highs in there. The track adds some electronic effects and orchestration (to which some might utter, what?) which adds a little bit of possibly unneeded longevity to the piece. Though the much shorter cut, “The Journey” (4:13) takes things into a more balladic nature as the legendary Udo Dirkschneider guests on a much different piece than we might expect from the Swedish metal act. It's another experiment, which should appeal to fans of Udo's previous work. “Screaming Out” (4:17) continues the experimentation, as a backing children's choir backs Nyman's chorus. It strikes me as a bit odd, especially seeing that the track is quite punchy. The final note here is “Psychopomp” (5:15) which features an unexpected harsh vocal chorus in lieu of the familiar heavy metal heat. It feels like a bit of an afterthought and doesn't really accomplish anything that hasn't already been accomplished on the earlier cuts.
Having taken the entire album into observation, I can honestly say that it began as a really promising piece. But I feel that after “Man-Made Devil” things just sort of fell apart. The last couple of songs just kind of felt like outcasts and didn't really strike the impact that we felt with the first half of the disc. When you first hear this disc, it's going to feel like a giant has punched you in the face. But as you continue listening, it's going to feel as if that mighty giant has walked on to greener pastures. I liked the fact that they were experimenting, but perhaps it became too much of an experiment at the end, sounding like a band that perhaps got a bit confused or maybe even rushed. Trapped In The Shadows is still worth a listen, but it's a classic example of starting out with a bang and ending with a whimper.

(10 Tracks, 50:00)

7/10