Earn 1 Loyalty Point With Every $1 Spent!

Kingdom Of The Night II (White Edition)

Kingdom Of The Night II (White Edition)

BY Axxis

(Customer Reviews)
$15.00
SKU: PHP201402
Label:
Phonotraxx Publishing
Category:
Melodic Metal
Add to wishlist 

"The White edition of Kingdom of the Night II is the "softer" release of the two albums released on February 28th. It's barely softer cause the Black edition isn't all that powerful to start with. Don't get me wrong, the Black Edition is a KILLER album and so is the White Edition if you ask me. But neither album pack the punch delivered with the latest studio albums of the band in terms of raw power.

Do you like Axxis in general, and loved their Kingdom of the Night debut ? That's the only question you should ask yourself and if the answer is yes, then you'll love this album as well. It starts with Hall of Fame, an instant classic hit from the very beginning. It does sound commercial though, and this could definitely be on radio (and I bet it is in Germany :) ). Hall of Fame starts this album perfectly. I was worried that the White edition would be too soft for me but immediately with Hall of Fame the album puts those fears to rest. The next song Heaven in Paradise is also a great song, reminding me of My Little Princess. Then comes Living in a Dream, which is a re imagining Living in a World. According to the band, while Axxis copied themselves on this song and KotN II, they are mostly saying thank you to these songs for the impact these had for their careers. To tell you the truth I find Living in a Dream better than Living in a World :) (I find the main riff has improved), but of course it couldn't have existed without the original so everything's relative. 21 crosses is also a great song that talks about a tragedy that happen during the Loveparade in Germany on July 24th 2010 where 21 young people lost their lives in a panic move from the crowd, probably due to bad organization, and years after nobody is still taking the blame for this horrendous accident, so Axxis wrote a song about it. I find the song almost too catchy for the subject, but it's a beautiful song nonetheless. I like that the names of the victims are mentioned at the end of the song, so they aren't forgotten. This album reminds me more of Return to the Kingdom somehow, maybe because of the catchiness of so many of the songs and the definitive Rock vibe. There's a second version of Mary Married a Monster, a song about violence in the couple, and how it is felt from the two sides of the story (on Black album by the friends of the victim, and on the White Edition by the victim herself). Both version are great songs. The White edition contains a little more ballads, My Eyes, for one, that is a typical Axxis song reminding me Stay Don't Leave Me (though not as strong IMHO) and Gone with The Wind that is in the same veins as Tears of the Trees but again Tears of the Trees is simply the better song. But in the end it's not an album filled with ballads like I had feared. My favorite song from both albums is on the White Edition though, and it's Take Me Far Away ! I can listen to it in a loop over and over again, one of the best songs in the band's career, with an incredibly catchy melodic riff like only Axxis could write ! Dance into life is a bit more powerful than the rest and I thought it could actually have been on Black Edition :). We are the World is a song that contains a Mandolin played by bassist Rob Schomaker. It's an interesting instrument to find into a metal song but it works well in my opinion.

Just like the Black Edition, this album guitar work is simply amazing, strong riffs and stronger solos. As mentioned in the other review Bernhard vocals are at the top of his game, and it seems he gets better and better with each and every album, cementing my feeling that he is one of the best singer there is, with an original and powerful voice ! While I found the White Edition a tad softer it still contains two of my favorite songs from both albums : Take Me Far Away and Hall of Fame (which is the first song the band wrote for both albums). As with the Black edition, I could live without the last song on the White Edition, Temple of Rock, while a good old rock song, but one I wouldn't miss. The White Edition will be released on February 28th, at the same time as the Black Edition. It's not everyday that one of your favorite band releases not one but two albums at once, and it shows how much Axxis love their fans. Any other band could have released a lazy best off or re-recording for their anniversary, instead Axxis present us with 22 songs, 24 if you purchase the limited edition metal box including both Black and White edition into one package with 2 bonus tracks. Thank you Axxis for these two fantastic albums and trip back to memory lane. My wish now is for Axxis to hit the studio in the coming years and deliver some Power Metal masterpiece that will go beyond what they did with Paradise in Flames (okay I know I'm putting the bar very high, but I know they can do it !). And why not release the most powerful sounding album yet ! If you're a fan of Axxis you cannot miss either the Black or White editions of Kingdom of the Night II !! I can't wait to receive the limited edition and give these bonus tracks a go. Long live Axxis !" - Metal Reviews

There are no review yet. Be the first!
You must login or register to post reviews.
Laser Pic

customers also bought

SEE ALL

  • Viper Solfa

    Carving An Icon
    Black Metal
    "I actually found Carving an Icon quite the retroactively blind purchase, suspiciously ironic since I had been tracking this project for quite a while and assumed I knew what to expect from Morfeus in regards to his avant-garde songwriting and abstruse, distinctive approach to the axes. From this isolated point of view, his sonic handprint is indeed all over Viper Solfa, making the unreasonably long wait for Dimension F3H’s This Mechanical World somewhat easier to mitigate since the dude has at least kept the old creative mind juiced as ever. What I wasn’t quite able to ready myself for was the remaining contributions, hardly something to just gloss over, as Viper Solfa is presented as something of a “supergroup” after all as opposed to a mere side-project.Ronny Thorsen supposedly leads Viper Solfa for all formal intents and purposes, the proclivity for many a conflagration granted by his burly speaking timbre and rousing death roars is a concerted force to be reckoned with. It can be argued that he is just another head in the pack, hardly boasting the standalone merit to turn one’s knees to jelly, but Viper Solfa isn’t done yet. The centrepiece of the band isn’t actually Thorsen, but Miriam Renvåg, whose swaying, affecting timbre opens doors unexpected for the band both conceptually and stylistically. So while I can’t feign shock now, I do recall bemused skepticism at the introduction of such audaciously disparate factors. Renvåg’s voice is very sleek and refined, with an almost pop-caliber cadre of appeals that land Viper Solfa closer to bands such as earlier Sirenia once the vocal trade-off between Thorsen is taken into account. It isn’t what I expected, having come into this project for Morfeus alone, but I certainly applaud Viper Solfa for attempting to merge sodden, opaque, death growls with avant-garde female vocal idiosyncrasy.With nearly all preconceptions espoused by this point, and with Renvåg’s quivering and psychedelic banshee wails taking their mental toll, I realized that there are plenty of parallels that can be drawn between Dimension F3H and Viper Solfa. Symphonics are used sparingly and as punctuation as opposed to the primary arsenal. Morfeus is basically the main songwriter here, and he is still shipping out crunchers of high order in the modern black/death format he began employing in earnest on Legacy of Evil during his waning years with Limbonic Art. In fact, the hard-lined, basal distortion sounds very similar to that record, and as the rollicking, flighty webbing of tremolos grow thicker and denser, Carving an Icon hammers out a welcoming mat to the most unexpected clientele.This ends up being the album’s tripping point, however, as far too much time is spent grooming vocal melodies that sound almost shoehorned in just for the sake of keeping the singers occupied. Thorsen’s petulant rasp gets one-upped by Renvåg’s (sometimes sorely overacted) caterwauling, and the end result borders on the monotonous more often than it should. The band still makes a good show of their missteps, what with a dense, abysmal grandeur pervading the nether reaches of what is honestly a relatively compact and easy listen on the whole, but these shortcomings remain. Carving an Icon may not be a masterpiece, or even the best outlet for all of the talents involved, but I can promise that it sounds like absolutely nothing you have heard lately, or likely will in the near future. At the end of the day, a neat project that delivered at least a few truly lethal numbers like “Whispers and Storms,” “Deranged” and most notably the floods of choppy, aggrandized viscera that embody the aptly-titled “Vulture Kingdom.” My expectations are not in line with the norm due to my familiarity with Morfeus’ back-catalogue, so take of this what you will, but Carving an Icon got more than a few spins out of me."
    $7.00
    ADD TO WISHLIST

  • Cullooden

    Silent Scream
    Progressive Metal
    Swedish melodic prog metal band Cullooden is the latest band to emerge from the Roastinghouse management stable.  Their debut, Silent Scream, sits nicely besides bands like Circus Maximus, Withem, and Seventh Wonder.  Strong anthem-like vocal harmonies permeate the album.  Plenty of nice soloing throughout the album.  Keys are featured but the real star of the show is the guitar work.  Highly recommended."If I have to put on a specific metal sticker on this debut album, it has to be something like this: Modern, melodic metal with big jagged shards of prog metal/rock. This Swedish trio in Cullooden is giving us a disc, which is very technical and at the same time it's a very melodic album. 'Silent Scream' is a metallic gold bar. It contains adult, progressive metal tracks played with ultra strong harmonies and Cullooden is fronted by one of the strongest and widest new rock voices I've heard in a long time.Fredrik Joakimsson owns the talented voice, and he handles the highest tones just as perfect as in the harsher and darker tunes. I hear musical influences that reminds me of Dream Theather or maybe even more from their compatriots in the magnificent progressive metal band Seventh Wonder and the Norwegians in Circus Maximus.Cullooden is not another beginner's project, which has released a 'quick shot' album, nope they knew what they were going to record on 'Silent Scream' and the songs are so overwhelmingly worked through both musically and lyrically. The album is also extremely well produced. I have to stick my neck out and say that it is perfectly produced, there is absolutely nothing to complaint about.What attracts my interest a little more than normally is the elegant flirts with the melodic hard rock, like in 'Our Only Desire' and in 'An Interesting Fact', which are some of my favorite tracks on this album. The heavy bass rhythms are pressing in the background, but it's easy listening and melodic nonetheless. The quality rhythmic metal that has been mixed with the progressive tones becomes an insanely congenial overall impression. Every track has it's own personality and I've used much of my time to sort this album in and out and my final conclusion is this: A new shining progressive metal star is appearing on the metal heaven and it's called Cullooden!'Silent Scream' will most likely be played over and over again for a long, long time to come when I want life-inspiration or just want to hear at succulent melodic metal or world-class quality prog metal. I love it!The album is recommended for most metal fans, although the melodic/progressive metal fans will most likely worship this masterful album release!" - Power Of Metal
    $16.00
    ADD TO WISHLIST

  • Angels Of Babylon

    Thundergod
    Power Metal
    "Kenny “Rhino” Earl is involved in two projects this year (so far). One is the new metal super group Death Dealer with Sean Peck, Stu Marshall, and Ross the Boss, offering their debut War Master. The other is this album Thundergod, the second appearance of his band Angels of Babylon.The two project are interesting juxtaposition in heavy metal. The former is bombastic, punch you in the face, kick you in the balls, even coarse, heavy metal. Thundergod is more towards melodic heavy and power metal. The emphasis in the metal here is more melody and harmony, while still remaining powerful and driven.Frankly, this is the more favorable, and accessible, of the two projects. For one thing, against the Death Dealer project and for AoB, you won't feel a need to take a break from this album because it's sledghammering your head into mush. Rhino takes a different approach in his songwriting, persuading you not only with metal, but a hard rock groove and an abundance of overt uncompromising melody. You get this throughout, but welcome, notable and enjoyable in Sondrio, Queen Warrior, True Brothers, or the racing metal rocker, Bullet. Sure AoB can get rougher, heavier, with The Enemy or King of All Kings, but it's never at the expense of good melody. This formula allows for some songs to develop into anthems with an epic feel with Redemption and Turning the Stone. Additionally, Rhino handles all the vocals on this album, and also adds to the timbre of the music with his melodic metal vocal style. Frankly, Thundergod is top notch melodic heavy metal. Very recommended." - Dangerdog.com
    $10.00
    ADD TO WISHLIST

  • Sinheresy

    Paint The World
    Power Metal
    "Italian Symphonic Metallers SINHERESY have an early Christmas present for you titled “Paint The World”. With how well these six combine their talents, how tight and refined each track is, it’s not easy to believe this is their first full length LP.  I seriously had to go back and check then recheck on that. These guys and girl are so good; their sound is that of a group that’s worked together for many, many years.Alright, so SINHERESY isn’t completely new. Way back in 2010 they had a dual tracked demo. Rumor has it, they began as a NIGHTWISH cover band, though of that I am not positive. You will likely hear some NIGHTWISH undertones and influences though, The following year would see the release of their first EP named “The Spiders And The Butterfly.” Critics and fans loved these five fresh tracks, and hopes were that a full length album would be soon to follow.Fall of 2013 would finally end the long wait, and SINHERESY would reappear with “Paint The World”. Are Symphonic Metal fans in for a treat? Definitely. Taking a slightly different approach with their sound, they mix male and female vocals throughout each song. Rather than harsh male vocals and softer female vocals, such as say EPICA, theirs offers the softer cleaner vocals from both for the most part. Vocals are by Cecilia Petrini and Stefano Sain. Their voices blend and complement each other beautifully.Did I mention the music yet? It’s very tightly and expertly done. From the epic opening of “Last Fall”, you will know what I mean. Along with the heavy hitter “Last Fall”, favorites included title track “Paint The World” with its excellent guitar riffs and vocal changes. “Roses & Thorns” had some unexpected and wonderful vocal tweaks along with some lovely piano. What beautiful ballads both the latter and “Our Angel” are. “Breakpoint” is one of several catchy tunes, containing some varied vocal and musical changes that suit it perfectly. My ultimate favorite was “Elua's Gift” with a heavy dose of Arabic influence.If you are a fan of NIGHTWISH, KAMELOT, EPICA, or Symphonic Metal in general, this is an album for you. As stated in the beginning of this review, it’s almost impossible to believe this is their first full length LP. As impressive as “Paint The World” is, I already can’t wait to see how they will top this. " - Metal Temple
    $13.00
    ADD TO WISHLIST

  • Vexillum

    The Bivouac
    Power Metal
    "There is something about those nights with friends outside by the fire with music filling the air. Sitting in the dark watching flames dance or the heavens shine is a very hard experience to convey with only words. That and going on adventurous and epic quests in between those nights.  Italy’s Vexillum try to capture moments of this by infusing power, symphonic, and folk metal into one album to create such different aspects of a big story. The Bivouac is truly an epic journey laced with intense and calming moments. What I interpreted while listening is that every song is the adventure and the times of rest. They have recreated the atmosphere between tracks of being there with sounds of the fires, horses, ambient talking, flutes playing, etc. Then they ramp up to full power and hit you with soaring vocals and galloping drums.  A great example of this is the transition from the songs ‘The Hunt’ and ‘The Dream’. There are melodies and folk tidbits weaved throughout the record but this is above all power and symphonic. Feel good; raise your sword to the sky for victory, metal! There’s always room in my life for this kind of metal.There are a lot of layers and effort in to making this album organic and sounding as if someone just turned on the metal switch in a medieval village and gave everyone access to guitars, synths, and drum kits. ‘The Marketsquare of Dooly’ has moments where you can hear barters and people laughing to build the atmosphere like I’ve been talking about, ending back around the fire after another day of travel. One way or another, you’re going to find yourself back to hearing the crackling sparks and the sounds of bottles and horses. Vexillum is the mix of the band Rhapsody with an alto version of Jarmo Pääkkönen (Excalion), wearing kilts. That is really dumbing it down but it’s what I felt while listening.Anyone who is a fan of epic power metal with soaring vocals and whaling melodic folk solos with hints of flutes and bagpipes is going to like, or perhaps love this band.  The production is solid and there is a lot of depth when it comes to the layering of tracks. A little hidden treasure from the land of inventors, artists, lovers, vineyards, and pasta." - Xplosive Metal 
    $14.00
    ADD TO WISHLIST

  • Epysode

    Fantasmagoria
    Progressive Metal
    "The successor to "Obsessions" (2011) was mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen studio in Denmark (Volbeat, Pretty Maids, Amaranthe a.m.m.)Beside band leader Samuel Arkan, the following vocalists and musicians contribute to"Fantasmagoria": Tom S. Englund (Evergrey) Henning Basse (ex-Metalium, ex-Sons Of Seasons, Mayan) Ida Haukland (Triosphere) Matt Marinelli (Borealis) Tezzi Persson (Between The Silence) Mike LePond (Symphony X) Léo Margarit (Pain Of Salvation) Julien Spreutels (Ethernity) Simone Mularoni (DGM)The quite unusual thing is that all these guests came to the Noise Factory studio (Belgium) to track down their parts. Nobody recorded his/her parts at home, like with some many other projects."I wanted the whole thing to get a real "band" feeling", Arkan says. "Therefore having all vocalists and musicians here was very important to me. We got to know each other better and better while spending time together. The new material sounds very fresh, dark, heavy, modern and "true" with "straight in the face" guitar riffs, intense voices and melodies, massive work on progressive atmospheres and orchestral parts. All the artists who participated in this album gave their soul to it, gave their best, they travelled deeper into sensitivity and sincerity. That's probably the best words which define this next album... sincerity & spontaneity! This album comes from the heart of each musician and vocalist who worked on it, and you can feel it when you listen to this new EPYSODE album."Compared to the debut "Obessions" the new material is a step forward in every way, with even better songwriting, a massive sound, powerful production and an intensity you rarely find these days.With the top notch vocalists that are gathered here (a.o. Evergrey’s Tom S. Englund, who is contributing to 5 songs) the "Fantasmagoria" concept story comes to life in a very intense and thrilling way, with lots of facets, expressive singing, deep & dark emotions. Englund’s duet with Ida Haukland (Triosphere) on the album’s title track especially gives goosebumps to the listener. There is also a plot to the "Obsessions" album and many fans of concepts will have their pure delight in discovering the story behind the story.The "Fantasmagoria" recordings took place from December 2012 to end of April 2013. Responsible for all keyboards, piano, arrangements was again Julien Spreutels, "my brother in crime, without him Epysode would not be as it is", Samuel says. "He did one more time an outstanding job and gives magic to Epysode, It's always a pleasure and very inspiring to work with him". "
    $15.00
    ADD TO WISHLIST

  • Gathering, The

    Disclosure
    Post Progressive
    Vocalist Silje Wergeland has been fronting The Gathering since 2009.  She has developed into a more than able replacement for Anneke Van Giersbergen.  The Gathering's music is far removed from the early death and gothic metal days.  They have firmly moved into the post-progressive rock genre.  Their music deals more with mood and tension - textures and atmosphere.  Think of a more rock oriented version of Portishead. 
    $15.00
    ADD TO WISHLIST

  • Damnation Angels

    Bringer Of Light
    Power Metal
    I can't remember a buzz on a band's debut since Circus Maximus.  Perhaps due to the album being released in Japan a year ago and its unavailability elsewhere, maybe because they are lined up to play ProgPowerUSA.  Whatever the reason the album finally gets a wide debut and it was worth the wait.  Damnation Angels is a British symphonic metal band fronted by a Norwegian singer.  He goes by the name PelleK and was a contestant on Norway's version of X Factor.  The band's stock in trade is epic sounding metal that pays a huge debt to Kamelot.  The instrumental passages take on the grandeur and scope of Nightwish.  PelleK does a sold job out front - he's obviously listened to a Khan quite a bit.  Highly recommended.
    $14.00
    ADD TO WISHLIST

  • Dark Sarah

    Behind The Black Veil
    Gothic Metal
    "Dark Sarah is a concept project from Finland, led by singer/songwriter Heidi Parviainen (former lead singer of the Symphonic Metal act Amberian Dawn). Financed by successful indiegogo campaigns, Dark Sarah’s Behind The Black Veil brings together a number of veteran musicians and singers and the act has released a strong and theatrical debut.Although not 100% new material (separate funding campaigns had allowed the first eight tracks to be released as two individual EPs), Behind The Black Veil consists of 12 main songs along with two bonus tracks – a substantial amount of theatrical goodness. Heidi Parviainen’s strong voice is the centerpiece of the release, and it remains as powerful and clear as ever. She shares the microphone with guests Manuela Kraller (Xandria), Inga Scharf (Van Canto), and Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica). The band behind Heidi is technically excellent, consisting of guitarists Kasperi Heikkinen (U.D.O, Merging Flare) and Erkka Korhonen, bassists Jukka Koskinen (Wintersun) and Rude Rothstén, and drummers Teemu Laitinen and Lauri Kuussalo.“Save Me”‘ opens the album, and is the epitome of “cinematic” metal. A sad and melancholy track introduces the character of Dark Sarah and sets the standard for the tracks that follow. Dramatic orchestral musical passages and near operatic vocals are carried by well done keyboards and strong lyrics that lay the groundwork for the rest of the album. “Poison Apple” starts with moody keys but it quickly becomes a heavy rocker with intense bass and drums. On the whole this song is nicely balanced between metal and orchestral instruments. “Hide And Seek” is a stirring keyboard driven ballad that brings out the true beauty and power of Heidi’s voice. “Memories Fall” is a well done, energetic duet with Xandria’s Manuela Kraller, and their two voices complement each other well while riding over a crunching guitar line.“Evil Roots” kicks off the second quartet of songs. Inga Scharf (Van Canto) lends her voice to this well done Power Metal track, and the lead and backing vocal work on this track is truly outstanding. Broadway theatrics make an appearance on the unusual “Violent Roses” – a Tim Burton-esque cinematic track that starts slow and low and ramps up the intensity as it progresses. “Hunting The Dreamer” is a rousing rocker with a kicky rhythm line and driving bass. The interplay of full metal (great guitar solo!) and orchestra gives this one a unique personality. “Fortress” starts as a soft, moody and introspective piece with some nicely done vocals and textures, and then gets kicked up in power and speed as guitars, bass and drums join the keys.“Silver Tree” is a wonderfully done up-tempo piece with plenty of keyboards and lush orchestration, highlighted by a slightly manic drum line. Soft keys and peaceful vocals start off the power ballad “Sun, Moon, And Stars” – a song with a very simple arrangement in comparison to the rest of the release. “Light In You” is a superb Broadway showstopper – quite probably the most powerful song of the album – and features the wonderful voice of Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica) playing The Moon, deep in conversation with Sarah. The official story closes on a high with the peaceful piano-driven “Sarah’s Theme”. Bonus tracks fill the balance of the run time – an orchestral version of “Memories Fall,” and very quirky, bloody, and somewhat amusing “A Grim Christmas Story” – very Tim Burton!Despite being produced at different times and with different performers, Behind The Black Veil has a consistent, solid sound. There is a good deal of warmth in the orchestral pieces, yet they are crystal clear. Heidi’s voice is crisp and accessible, and the musical delivery by the entire Dark Sarah ensemble is technically excellent. The music is powerful, the performances tight, and the story is one just waiting to be brought to life on file or stage. While the dark material and heavy orchestral overtones won’t appeal to everyone, fans of symphonic, Gothic, or female fronted metal will find a lot to enjoy.Dark Sarah’s Behind The Black Veil is highly recommended for fans of the darker, Symphonic genres." - Hard Rock Haven 
    $12.00
    ADD TO WISHLIST

  • Visions Of Atlantis

    Ethera
    Gothic Metal
    New album from this Austrian symphonic metal band.  The band has been a bit of a revolving door with vocalists but Maxi Nil has settled in nicely.  The music is based in the traditional female fronted gothic style with clean male vocals trading leads back and forth.  This time around I hear more of a poppier, catchy sound - somewhat like the direction Delain is moving towards.  Highly recommended to fans of the genre (I wave my hand proudly).  Digipak edition with one bonus track.
    $16.00
    ADD TO WISHLIST

  • Harmony

    Theatre Of Redemption
    Power Metal
    "This is not a new Lost Horizon record.There, we got that sorted out. The good news is that Daniel Heiman is finally back where he belongs: in metal. For its third outing, Harmony tapped this fan-favorite singer, but unlike recent, however successful, hijack jobs (think Michele Luppi with Secret Sphere, or further back, Urban Breed with Bloodbound), this is still one hundred percent a Swedish, religious power metal experience.After a promising start with Dreaming Awake, and a superior sophomore effort in Chapter II: The Aftermath, Chapter III at last gives us the Harmony record that I always knew the Swedes had in them. Retaining the band’s signature solemn style and subtle sense of melody, Theatre Of Redemption is bigger, better, and an overall top contender for 2014’s album of the year.Just how much has this to do with Heiman himself? Of course, hiring a man of his not inconsiderable talent is certain to lend your work that extra flavor. This isn’t to say that Henrik Båth held the band back (about as much as Mikael Dahl did/does in Crystal Eyes), but that Heiman touch is fan-favorite for a reason. The superhuman wails, the natural emotion, the unrivaled raw power, all of that bigger and better than before as well. In whatever dark corner of the music industry this man has been lurking in for all these years, he’s picked up a thing or two. A tender and soulful performance like the one on “What If” could simply not have come from him in his Lost Horizon-days. Goosebumps, ladies and gentlemen, entire flocks of geese.Logically, even Daniel freakin’ Heiman can only thrive when the songwriting is there to support him. Harmony stepped up its game considerably in this department, opting for shorter, tighter material here. Theatre Of Redemption is trademarked by sharp and poignant riffs, simple but gripping melodies, and an overdose of class. “Son Of The Morning” and the title track sound like the basic but effective kind of songs that Kamelot used to churn out in its heyday, boasting oriental effects, a mystic atmosphere, and an ominous chorus. “I gave it aaall – for – NOTHING!” More geese and whatnot.Not all of it is down and plodding, though. Introspective opener “Window Of My Soul”, the celebratory “Crown Me King”, and self-referencing closer “In Search Of” root Harmony firmly in the national style. Anyone attempting to chronicle the rich history of Swedish power metal should do well to include them. For filler tracks, to conclude, look further, because Harmony wastes no time making every single song one worthy of remembrance and appreciation.This is not a Lost Horizon record. Instead it’s the best album Harmony has ever released, and one of the best this year has seen so far. Daniel Heiman returns gloriously to be crowned as king (only to disappear, as he’s only a guest on this album), and aids Harmony in releasing its full potential. Fans of Heiman, Harmony, and (Swedish) power metal in general should purchase this blindly." - Black Wind Metal
    $10.00
    ADD TO WISHLIST

  • Ascension

    Far Beyond The Stars
    Power Metal
    "The Scottish heavy metal scene is well known for being heavy as hell – bringing the world some of the finest death metal and grindcore bands around. From Cerebral Bore to Achren the musical calibre from Scottish musicians is superb, and it only seems fitting to introduce who break free of this typical scene and go for a more traditional approach to metal. Presenting Ascension, a melodic power metal band from Aberdeen who has so much flare and style in their music, they give the likes of Power Quest, Freedom Call and Blind Guardian a run for their money. By combining lightning fast guitar riffs, powerful melodies and superb, sing along chorus’s, Ascension have created one of the finest power metal albums of the past ten years with Far Beyond the Stars, and hopefully we will see the eventual rise to power of this Scottish five piece within the next few years!Ascension are a band who are putting the British heavy metal scene on the map, and it’s songs such as ‘Blackthorn’, ‘Moongate’ and ‘Orb of the Moons’ that really show just how amazing British musicians are. From the moment the album kicks in, every instrument has it’s time to shown, and whether it be the powerful dual guitar lines, or Ricki Carnies’ phenomenal falsetto voice. Ascension flies the flag, not only for power metal musicians. But all metal musicians, showing that if you have a pure talent for something, you should go out and use it, and that’s what Far Beyond the Stars is jammed full of, brilliant musical talent.Every track on Far Beyond the Stars is a potential single, purely because each song has the wow factor needed to hook a listener. Every song has an extremely catchy chorus that will have you singing along like the characters of Brave Heart on a monster energy drink in no time. Songs like ‘Somewhere Back In Time’, ‘Reflected Life’ and ‘Heavenly’ will sound heavenly when played live and as soon as they come pouring out of the PA – one thing is for sure, the crowd is going to go mental!There are some absolutely mind blowing progressive and acoustic elements on this album too, giving Far Beyond the Stars an extra dimension to this already mind blowing album. Not only showing the bands diversity, but also the bands song writing skills, Ascension have thought outside the box with this release, and through tracks like the beautiful power ballad that is ‘The Silver Tides’ and the 10 minute epic ‘The Avatar’, show just why they are one of the best UK based metal bands….. Hell to that in fact, one of the world’s best metal bands.If you are a fan of power metal, you will absolutely be blown away by Far Beyond the Stars. If you call yourself a metal fan, you will also be blown away by Far Beyond the Stars. It’s an album that appeals to everyone. People say that European power metal rocks…… The fact is that Scottish power metal doesn’t just rock…….. It kills! " - Planet Mosh
    $13.00
    ADD TO WISHLIST

  • Armageddon

    Captivity & Devourment
    Power Metal
    "2014 surely seems to be a year of fruitful reunions; CARCASS is one we could see coming from a mile away, but alas, one name stood somewhat overshadowed by the band’s guitarist-mastermind’s main band, ARCH ENEMY; Chris Amott has brought ARMAGEDDON back to life, “Captivity And Devourment”: the first new material from the band since the last album, “Three”, in 2002. A band known for each album being a completely separate entity, genre-wise, “Captivity And Devourment” retains the blistering Melodic Death Metal from the first album, but combines modern nuances, and Chris’s own clean vocal performances, first heard on the last ARMAGEDDON album, and later, on his solo album work. This release is what ARMAGEDDON and the more aware of ARCH ENEMY fans have been waiting for the past 12 years.Fully unified and re-energized, the frontman position now takes the form of thunderous coarse vocalist Matt Hallquist provides the majority of the vocal delivery; a supermassive, unrelenting delivery of harsh growls, yet Chris’s clean singing deliveries are thoughtfully emblazon a number of tracks; the man is a master guitar player, and that is what this album shows. That being said, he a skilled vocalist in his own right.The title track opens the album, and what a monster of a song it is; hinting that this will be the band’s heaviest album to date, it explodes forth with a blast-beaten intro, before subsiding into a pummelling series of groove-ridden riffs. A powerful reminder that the ex-shredder of one of the world’s biggest Melodic Death Metal bands has once again made a foray into the Extreme Metal world, as such, the guitar work on this track drew a smile to my face.  “Locked in” is a bit more mellowed in the heaviness department, but is thickly substantiated with meaty riffs, and soaring, double-kicked sections, though the top dollar are the deliciously-catchy chord progressions .“Thanatron” was one of the first tastes we were given earlier this year, of the band’s new material. Beginning with a crisp, acoustic passage, some of the riffs on this track are as heavy and robust as you’ll hear on the album; a strong Groove Metal sound drives the main riffs. The necksnapping headbangery of this track shovels the coal into the massive engine that powers this album, from the beautiful and up-beat acoustic interlude of “Background Radiation”, through to one of my two favourite piece on the album, “The Watcher”. Seemingly more epic in stature, as the massive, thrumming intro riffs would give away, it certainly pulls no punches. This track happens to be strongly-embellished with clean vocals, not necessarily provided in the lead vocal sense but noticeable nonetheless. Chris commands the lyrics with an unusual style of delivery, sitting somewhere in the mid-range and capable of powerful belts, but with a mysterious, almost Gothic nuance about his singing. Quite frankly, he sounds like no one else I’ve ever heard; the grandiose, soaring section partway through the track will surely convince of this.A power metal enthusiast at heart, I was secretly hoping for more vocal belts; I was met with this and more on “Equalizer”, my other favourite. A virtuosic guitarist at heart, fans of his guitar playing will be at the very least satisfied and sated with the stellar lead work on this track. Chris certainly made no mistake in taking on the  best musicians for the job, either; I couldn’t be more pleased with the line-up after listening to this album, particularly the thundering bass tone provided by Sara. In fact, the overall production of this album is to be highly commended; seemingly, deliberately raw, it is far from overproduced, and everything comes across as far more organic, definitely playing a part in the heaviness factor.Am I approaching this with rose-tinted glasses/headphones? Hardly; ARMAGEDDON is a different band now. Something bigger, something stronger, and hopefully that little bit more infinite. Either way, this is the calibre of comeback I had been hoping for." - Metal Temple
    $15.00
    ADD TO WISHLIST

  • Pantera

    Reinventing The Steel
    Thrash Metal
    "Pantera's back, and all is as wrong with the world as it ever was. They're going to make sure you know it, too. Despite the four-year absence from the studio between Great Southern Trendkill and Reinventing the Steel, Pantera's unflagging aggression is confirmed by the full-throttle rhythms, throat-ripping vocals, and crunchy guitars. Call it their Metallica legacy, except that Pantera are more Metallica than Metallica these days. Heavy metal of this breed may be past its heyday, but Pantera's not going away quietly. In fact, evidence suggests that they're not going away at all--no matter how low you keep the volume knob, Reinventing the Steel is loud, loud, loud!" --Genevieve Williams
    $9.00
    ADD TO WISHLIST