Steel Druhm summarizes his experiences on the recent 70000 Tons of Metal Cruise while downplaying and concealing crimes committed in international waters.
Beast in Black
Battle Beast – Steelbound Review
“Steelbound,, Battle Beast’s seventh full-length album, struts forth boasting bubblegum choruses and sticky refrains that, upon contact, are sure to plague your showers and commutes for days afterward. For the uninitiated, the sextet from Helsinki, Finland, plays pop-infused power metal with anthemic, uplifting gusto and broad appeal. Battle Beast simmers with talent, but it’s singer Noora Louhimo that steals the show with her powerhouse range and grit, the perfect voice to broadcast the positivity and pluck that Battle Beast engenders. After years of snacking on sweetmeats, though, has the candy coating left this Beast’s fangs riddled with cavities, or are the teeth still mighty enough to bring the pain?” Steel or cotton candy?
Kilmara – Journey to the Sun Review
“The 1980s was a decade that is often portrayed with a thick rose-tinted sheen in today’s media. Whether it was a better time during which to live or this idea was born from simple nostalgia I’ll leave to the reader’s discretion. The fact remains that tons of music artists–both inside and outside of the metal sphere–wear their 80s influence as prominently as Indiana Jones wears his signature fedora. Spanish melodic power metal band Kilmara is intent to join their ranks with Journey to the Sun, whose overarching theme centers around video game arcades at the height of popularity.” Mari-OH, or Mari-NO!
Dragonknight – Legions Review
“A not-insignificant number of my favorite power metal acts are “noun noun” bands. Power Quest. Twilight Force. Fellow Ship. There’s something about smashing two overwrought people, places, and/or things together that perfectly fits power metal’s prerequisite for excess, and Dragonknight is one of my favorite band names to come out of the genre in recent memory. I’m a little less enthused that their identities are hidden behind their confusingly uniform, copy-paste Slipknot masks, but between their ludicrously opulent logo and Legions’ hilariously literal cover art, Dragonknight is one of the more immediately striking power metal acts to debut on Scarlet Records.” DraGONS own the Knight.
GardensTale goes to Graspop
What happens when we embed an AMG staffer at the Graspop metal festival in Belgium? Heavy drinking and strong takes happen.
Graveshadow – The Uncertain Hour Review
“The Uncertain Hour, over the course of fifty minutes or so, launches the listener through a galloping field of riffs, leads, and triumphant melodies in one of the better samples of symphonic power metal I’ve heard lately. Upbeat, catchy, and well-written, it has all of the makings of a grower, and talent to match.” Death is certain, good reviews are not.
Sacred Outcry – Damned for All Time Review
“Sacred Outcry formed in 1998, and are now releasing their debut album, Damned for All Time in—pardon? Yes, this is their debut album, twenty-two years later. You’ve got to hand it to these guys, that is some dedication to the dream.” Time capsule ov steel.
Huck N’ Roll’s and Eldritch Elitist’s Top Ten(ish) of 2019
Huck N’ Roll and Eldritch Elitist weigh in with their own Top Ten(ish) of 2019 lists, and they have a lot to say.
Beast in Black – From Hell with Love Review
“To fully understand the absurdity that is Beast in Black is to know their roots and lyrical inclinations. Formed by Battle Beast guitarist Anton Kabanen following his departure from the band in 2015, BiB’s debut Berserker is a sonic extension of BB; ostensibly, it’s an identical formulation of mid-paced heavy/power metal, with added Sabaton influence and a side helping of glam rock and Euro pop. This nakedly derivative formula is made all the more amusing when one realizes that Kabanen also imported his Berserk-themed lyrics from his old band. From Hell With Love sees Beast in Black sinking to new new ineffectual lows, and the resulting irony of pairing this music with one of the most brutal comics I’ve ever encountered is more hilarious than ever.” Love is Hell.
