Steel Druhm summarizes his experiences on the recent 70000 Tons of Metal Cruise while downplaying and concealing crimes committed in international waters.
Kamelot
Ad Infinitum – Abyss Review
Women vocalists in metal are often labeled “Gothic” or categorized under power metal, even when the music lacks these traits. With its fourth full-length, Abyss, Ad Infinitum defies these labels. Moving away from their earlier symphonic and Gothic influences, the Swiss/German band now blends elements of Deadlock, Spiritbox, and Amaranthe. Their sound combines downtuned riffs with poppy female vocals and vicious growls, fitting the “modern metal” label. With Melissa Bonny leading, it’s hard not to bob your head along.
Paralydium – Universe Calls Review
“Prog was my metal gateway drug, and I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for its bonkers, over-the-top ways. It’s pretty hard to find this genre unclaimed since Dolph got that laser-targeting system for his half-birthday, so I waited until he jumped a few time zones and then snagged the first thing I could find. Perplexing cover art aside, Sweden’s Paralydium have been peddling their brand of finger-flying theatrics since 2015, but with only an EP and 2020 debut Worlds Beyond under their belt, they’re still young in their recorded career. It’s prog week for Iceberg, and I want gratuitous solos, 64th-note unisons, and multi-movement songs injected straight into my cerebellum. Can Universe Calls deliver the goods?” Galaxy brains and Yngwie strains.
Carmeria – Tragédie D’amour Review
“In my estimation, power metal lives and dies by the sword chorus. A band may showcase the world’s greatest guitar wizardry in the universe, the widest vocal range humanly imaginable, and the most boisterous percussive acrobatics, but I need a chorus that makes me want to shout to heavens to tie it all together. Others might offer a different experience, but I’ve yet to meet a power metal record without big, showstopping choruses that stuck with me for longer than a couple of weeks. Armed with this unwavering condition in my mind, body, and soul, I approach Australian symphonic power metal troupe Carmeria and their sophomore record Tragédie D’amour.” Hooks or death.
Assemble the Chariots – Unyielding Night Review
“Although Unyielding Night is the first full-length of Finland’s Assemble the Chariots, they have long felt more veteran than their peers. Releasing a string of EPs that transition from djenty deathcore to an early progenitor of blackened deathcore, Unyielding Night is as epic a debut as they come. Simultaneously conjuring a future of an interdimensional war among the stars with the age-old philosophy of heroism and plight, it is an album devoted to all things bombastic and cinematic.” Chariotsof the Godz.
Sunburst – Manifesto Review
“AMG’s excellent review of Greek progressive power metal quartet Sunburst’s debut Fragments of Creation was among my first finds here. I fell immediately in love with the band’s music, and Fragments rapidly became one of my staples for quite some time. Then, Sunburst seemingly dropped off the face of the planet as far as I could see. Suddenly, I discover a little painterly face with Sunburst’s logo splashed over top in my email. I lost my fucking mind. A new Sunburst‽” Suns and expectations bursting.
Sacred Outcry – Towers of Gold Review
“It is not normal for us to review an album months after its release, but I’ve never been called normal, have I? This album was originally slated to receive the Things You Might Have Missed treatment, but some records simply demand the full-meal deal. This is one of those records.” Brace for Outcry!
Serenity – Nemesis A.D. Review
“Austria’s Serenity had a pretty good run over these last 10 years. Starting life as a progressive-minded power metal act, by the time 2013s War of Ages hit the streets they’d shifted to a more streamlined and grandiose style, sounding like Kamelot cross-bred with Sonata Arctica and Avantasia. The formula worked very well due to consistently solid, memorable songwriting and albums like Codex Atlanticus and Lionheart had a lot to offer fans of larger-than-life symphonic power metal. 2020s The Last Knight was a step backward, dumbing down their sound while trying to make it more poppy and accessible, with bright synths and borderline club beats underlying the usual pomp and circumstance. The end product was still Serenity but things sounded plastic, frail, and light on substance. Three years on we get their eighth album, Nemesis A.D.” Serenity NOW!
Hemina – Romancing the Ether Review
“When it comes to selecting promo, the easiest way into my heart is through a vibrant, colorful piece of album artwork. Australian progressive metal quartet Hemina apparently knew this, as the artwork for fifth outing Romancing the Ether pops with its Lisa-Frank-edition-of-Journey cover. After acquiring reviewing rights from our esteemed GardensTale, I jumped right in, excited to hear what adventurous music lay just beyond that psychedelic veil.” Color is the key.
Eleine – We Shall Remain Review
“As all know, corset-core is not exactly my jam. But in 2020, Eleine set out to impress old Grier. And impress they did! And impress they did, and you all got to make various inappropriate comments as you experienced the heaviness of Dancing in Hell. And that heaviness and the vast supply of riffs impressed me the most about Eleine. Sure, the song structures are always about the delivery of the chorus but rarely did a song overstay its welcome. And the hooks were as pleasing as bourbon punch. Now Eleine is back, hoping to deliver their finest album yet and push Dancing in Hell off the mountaintop.” Come on, Eleine.
