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Mirror World

SKU: AFR-CD-5672
Label:
AFM Records
Category:
Melodic Metal
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"From a backstage meeting of heavy metal friends came the collaboration known as Serious Black. The result was 2015's As Daylight Breaks, followed by some touring and festival appearances. Now, the band returns with their second effort, Mirrorworld, and some line up changes. Alex Holzwarth (Rhapsody Of Fire) replaces Thomen Stauch on drums. Committing himself to Masterplan, Roland Grapow bowed out and Bob Katsionis (Firewind) became a permanent member.

British producer Andrew Holdsworth once said, of all the music genres he's worked with, "metal is the most formulaic and conservative." He's probably right, especially with traditional and European melodic power metal. Serious Black follows the recipe: twin guitar harmony, an abundance of frisky guitar solos, thumping and speedy rhythm section, a dash of keyboards and, generally, clean melodic, yet often, pitched vocals. Toss in a mixture of tempos and some true rock groove and the music is essentially defined. In this sense, Serious Black remains constant and consistent. Mirrorworld is a fine follow up to their first album.
Songs that fulfill the formula include Mirrorworld, You're Not Alone, and Castor Skies which has a nice groove and catchy refrain. Two songs, Heartbroken Soul and State Of My Despair lean more towards melodic hard rock, yet with a metal edge. The rock groove is more prominent in both as is the keyboard influence. All in all, as said moments ago, Serious Black returns with another album of tried and "keep it true" melodic heavy and power metal, something they're very good at creating. Recommended." - Dangerdog.com

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  • Digipak edition with bonus track."These Power Metal merchants are held in high regard thanks to their personnel who have the experience, plus the previous four albums by Silent Force have held the attention mixing the hooks with rampant guitar riffs and their flair for clinical execution.Their last album, 'Walk The Earth', was unleashed back in 2007 so there has been plenty of water under the proverbial bridge leading up to this release.One notable difference for fans of Silent Force is the absence of D.C. Cooper on lead vocals. He has returned to the mighty Danish Melodic Progressive Rock band Royal Hunt and on this album is replaced by Michael Bormann known for his work with Bloodbound and Powerworld.Known as the main brain behind these Metal marauders, Alex Beyrodt starts the proceedings with some Yngwie Malmsteen style fretwork before 'Caught In Their Wicked Game' runs loose. Fast paced and ready to eliminate the competition the band sound hungry and eager to please.The new vocalist here really complements the sound, but may have some struggles winning over purists who yearn for their favourite original singer. 'There Ain't No Justice' and 'Circle Of Trust' both thrust the sword through the torso as the energy remains relentless.I really enjoyed the opening salvo of these three songs the first time I heard this album, through to the fifth spin and so on. The latter of these three tracks retains a pop sensibility, but loses none of the Metal credentials that you'd expect from this band.Not much to find fault about regarding 'Living To Die' which doesn't have the same prominent and obvious hooks as the previous songs, but still retains the quality. Listen out for some tasty keys from Alessandro Del Vecchio in the song 'Before You Run' and there's some mean riffing throughout 'You Gotta Kick It'. The balancing trick between the keys and guitar is the love affair that makes this album so appealing to the ears. They are the real stars from start to finish.Sarah has a lot to answer for as 'Turn Me Loose' tackles a relationship lyrically and maintains the groove in the backdrop. Solid drumming from André Hilgers keeps the good ship Silent Force on course providing a solid backbone, but is still unable to save this song from being below par in comparison to the rest. Perhaps slipping a little through the gears and reaching auto-pilot, 'Born To Be A Fighter' goes through the numbers competently enough, but the sparks aren't flying.Meanwhile, 'Anytime Anywhere' picks up the level of quality and mixes things up with a fine arrangement oozing melodies at each turn. This brings us to the final track 'Kiss Of Death' which chugs along like your favourite Metal anthem. The chorus stands up well and is a great way to round off what overall has been an enjoyable journey.Eight out of ten of the songs here are monuments to their reputation and abilities. Top quality musicianship, crisp production and power found in the crevices are all that I was hoping for initially, plus a feisty and strong delivery from the new vocalist. Thankfully, they tick the boxes consistently apart from a couple of weaker tracks that don't quite reach up to the benchmark they set with the rest of the album. Let power and melody unite in a blissful collision once more, as album number five aligns itself with their back catalogue." - Metal Talk  
    $16.00
  • "When one thinks of countries that are a hotbed of prog metal bands, places such as Norway, Sweden, and Finland come to mind. However the Land Down Undah’ otherwise known as Australia has been churning out amazing prog metal bands for the past decade. Bands such as Hemina, Voyager, Lord, Carnivool, Caligula’s Horse, Teramaze and Melbourne’s Vanishing Point have been wowing the prog metal scene for the past decade. It’s been seven long years since the release of Vanishing Point’s The Fourth Season, but the melodic metal quintet consisting of Silvio Massaro (Vocals), Chris Porcianko and James Maier (Guitars), Simon Best (Bass), and Christian Nativo (Drums) have finally returned with their fifth studio album Distant Is The Sun on AFM Records. The band has stayed true to their unique blend of progressive, power, AOR metal and have secured the talents of Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann of Ordan Ogen for mixing duites on Distant Is The Sun. Picking up right where The Fourth Season left off, the musicianship and songwriting on Distant Is The Sun is exceptional.The album kicks off with the short instrumental track Beyond Redemption and powers right into the first song King of Empty Promises. The double bass drum attack from Nativo and melodic keyboards lead the way and the harmonious soaring vocals during the chorus are a perfect way to officially start the album.The title track is next and begins with a heavy groove and transforms into a light piano tinged verses with Massaro’s impressive vocals leading to a catchy and melodic chorus. The twin guitar harmony lead attack from Porcianko and Maier is a thing of beauty during the solo section.Symphonic keys signify the start of When Truth Lies, an epic slab of energetic melodic progressive metal with a driving headbanging beat. Sonata Arctica frontman Tony Kaako lends his melodic pipes to the fast and furious power metal of Circle of Fire. Kaako and Massaro’s vocals compliment each other extremely well and create an amazing metal duet.The keyboard prominence on Denied Deliverance is pronounced in the mix but never overshadows the heaviness of the track, it just adds to the overall melody of the song. A blazing guitar solo section highlights the middle portion of another stellar song. Let the River Run has an impeccable acappella vocal harmony section that begins this mid tempo metal gem. The beautiful vocals during the chorus will be stuck in your head for days after listening.The album slows down for the piano based Story of Misery but don’t be fooled into thinking this is a traditional power ballad. The emphasis is on POWER with a emotive vocal performance from Massaro. Era Zero speeds things right back up with a frenzied double kick attack with plenty of soaring melodic vocals throughout and a shredding guitar solo from the tandem of Porcianko/Maier and culminates in a symphonic ending and bursts right into Pillars of Sand which keeps the hard and fast metal flowing.The eerie keyboard intro of As December Fades melds into a Maiden-esque guitar harmony and a glorious AOR sounding chorus with a symphonic element that is reminiscent of Within Temptation. A bright piano melody signals the beginning of Handful of Hope. Once again Massaro gets his chance to shine with an impressive vocal performance filled with passion and emotion. The bands penchant for writing catchy power metal is on display on Walls of Silence. The brilliant symphonic melodies and heavy guitar compliment each other perfectly. The album closes with the acoustic guitar tinged instrument titled April, an understated yet effective piece of music with a keyboard accompaniment underneath in the mix. It is a curious choice to end the album, but well done nonetheless.After a seven-year absence, the world of melodic prog welcomes back Vanishing Point with open arms and hopefully Distant Is The Sun will shoot the band to the next level of popularity outside their native Australia. This goes to show that like a fine wine, Vanishing Point only improves with age!" - Lady Obscure
    $15.00
  • "Frontiers Music Srl is pleased to announce that the dynamic trio of Anette Olzon, Russell Allen, and Magnus Karlsson have crafted a follow-up to the well-received debut Anette/Olzon album, "Worlds Apart"! The follow-up album, "Army Of Dreamers" once again pairs two world class singers in Olzon and Allen together for a tour-de-force of stunning melodic metal that only the ever-talented Karlsson could craft.  As fans have come to expect over the course of the initial Allen/Lande albums and the debut from Allen/Olzon, "Army Of Dreamers" is purebred melodic metal of the highest order.Inimitable singer Russell Allen (Symphony X, Adrenaline Mob) and acclaimed Swedish guitarist, songwriter, and producer Magnus Karlsson (Primal Fear, Magnus Karlsson’s Free Fall) have collaborated successfully on three critically acclaimed albums where Russell dueted with Norwegian singer, Jorn Lande. After a break in their collaboration on said albums, where Timo Tolkki stepped in and oversaw an album, Magnus returned to the fold, but with an exciting new twist to the formula. This time, Russell and Magnus welcomed none other than the amazingly talented Anette Olzon (ex-Nightwish, The Dark Element) to the fold as Allen’s vocal partner and offered up an unbelievable debut album, "Worlds Apart". "The entire point of this album is to put two legends together, and it succeeds at that indubitably.  I do have to say, though, that Magnus’ guitars are flawless, giving us huge and meaty walls of riffs that are strangely satisfying. His keys are incredibly orchestral in style, too, meaning that they give the album this towering, hyper-melodic sound.  Anders, then, gives us the oomph and thunder that completes the sound, as his drums roll and break with perfect execution." - The Prog Mind"As the album continues it becomes difficult to pin down a specific song that stands out more than any other song.  This is the sign of a great album.  Instead, compare Worlds Apart to a road trip to your favorite places in life.  There are the winding turns that you feel the pace slow to account for the turns.  Then you hit a straight stretch and your speed naturally increases as you let the beat and passion of the music take you faster and faster." - Brutal Planet Magazine"This album is well-produced, and the writing is the good stuff we have come to expect from Magnus. The guitar parts are absolutely top-shelf. Russell Allen and Anette Olzon both deliver superb results in line with their previous body of work." - Sonic PerspectivesIf you love the debut Allen/Olzon album, Allen/Lande’s first three albums, but also Delain, Within Temptation, Nightwish, and the like (but with a slightly heavier edge), then this is simply an absolute must hear for your melodic metal loving ears!" 
    $14.00
  • Limited edition digipak with 2 bonus tracks."The road to Altzi is paved with good intentions…. When Masterplan announced the new lineup in November of last year, Jorn apologists flooded the comment strings of various metal news outlets with comments like “another band is spoiled by a vocalist change” and “no Jorn…no Masterplan.” While I might agree that there was reason for outcry when a well-known/respected singer leaves a band, it’s not as if Masterplan has never had another vocalist and is not a band with more past members than present. The object is to listen and make judgments later. The announcement of Rick Altzi was particularly intriguing and any fan of At Vance and Thunderstone can attest – there was much reason for hope.The news that main man/guitarist Roland Grapow’s (Ex-Helloween) revealed that there was going to be a return to “faster” and “more metal” material made this more appealing. Add further still…the addition of Ex-Stratovarius bassist Jari Kainulainen and the naysayers should have stood back and waited to react. Why? As it turned out, Rick Altzi proves a more than compatible replacement for Jorn…and *GASP* dare I say – a wee bit better in spots? Blasphemy? Try it…prove me wrong.Musically, the album ranks as one of the band’s finest, recalling the best heard from the self-titled debut, 2005’s “Aeronautics,” and the appropriately titled 2010 “Time to Be King,” but with a heavier edge. Altzi is so compatible that only the most attentive Jorn fans can see the difference, most notably that low power that shifts with a slab of grit while on the way up to the high range. This is not besmirching Altzi at all, as his range is proven and perfect. His first appearance is at 0:47 on the album’s second track “The Game,” an admirable driving melodic metal song with noticeably well-crafted double bass from new drummer Marthus Skaroupka (Cradle of Filth) and copious amounts of heaviness intertwined with trademark melody. Grapow proves again what amazing solos he can play.The album’s first music video was for “Keep Your Dream Alive” – a mid-paced winner expertly chosen, as it’s the song where Altzi shines brightest, showing the breadth of his range – and for many moments I said “Jorn who?” The finest track on the album is “Betrayal,” which will prove to be one of the best of the year when all is said and done, if not for its Middle Eastern charm that falls into the heaviest riff on the album drawn out like slamming shudders by Axel Mackenrott’s keyboards. Other notables are the appealing riff in “Earth Going Down” (which is a tad swallowed by the keyboards as the song progresses), the Strato-feel of “Black Night of Magic,” the speedier “Return to Avalon” and the never dull 11 minute title track (especially 6:13 to 7:15) and vocal duet of Altzi and Grapow. Highly recommended is the digipak version with bonus tracks “1492” and “Fear the Silence.”My only complaint is not necessarily with the band’s play or its flawless execution, its more the melodic metal style in general. At the same time it represents a favorite style – in Masterplan’s case best defined as “what Whitesnake would sound like if they tipped a bit into power metal” – listening to entire album presents a challenge, if only for that mid-paced repetition. I find the album plays a bit better when I listen to a few songs at a time, mixing it in with other bands and styles.This may be “a new beginning” for Masterplan in member changes, however the creation of high quality melodic metal perseveres. Grapow assembled a new team of musicians that prove just as compatible, especially Altzi’s performance. With the proof in the product, fans of the band should have little to complain about with “Novum Initium,” though I suspect some Jorn lamenters will never take the road less traveled….the one where its “time for” Rick “to be king.”" - Metal Underground
    $16.00
  • "One of the most glorious launches in history, the title track for the thrice-platinum The Final Countdownis so bombastically brilliant, such glorious garbage, that this nuclear hair assault could only spew from the vacuous '80s. But the full-tilt follow-up "Rock the Night" rules also: "You know it ain't easy/Running out of thrills." "Carrie" comes off a consummate butane ballad. Meanwhile, the rest of the disc packs so much power that Swedish superheroes Europe get away with all the processed pretension. In fact, the lofty ambition of "Danger on the Track," "Ninja," and "Cherokee" (each as tasty as its title) combines with heated drive and hot delivery to meld The Final Countdown into a unique portrait of propulsive prog and a worthy addition to any hard rock collection. This is the story; this is the legend told by Teutonic guitars and predictable keyboards ringing pure and hurtling through each and every convention perfectly. The quintet's big-boy Epic inaugural, The Final Countdown deftly combines the Valhalla victory of Europe's heroic debut with the American poodle pomposity that devoured the band. You could live without The Final Countdown, but why?" - Allmusic
    $7.50
  • "Leverage continue to showcase their contemporary heavy rock sound on their new album, “Above The Beyond”, which takes influence from the golden past while still offering their own unique personality. Plenty of ear-catching melodies delivered skillfully with pristine production on the band’s latest album.Finland’s Leverage are not a power metal band, nor an AOR band, and definitely not a tribute to the '80s band. Leverage doesn't easily fall into a genre category because for the band, it’s all about making and playing music with heart and soul and having a blast doing it. Leverage thus have developed their own style of making heavy rock and that is their mission. The sonic stamp says Leverage. No more needed.Leverage first landed on the scene in 2006 with the independent release of their debut album, “Tides”. With their blend of symphonic metal and melodic hard rock, with some progressive metal twists, they created a buzz on the scene and were signed by Frontiers for the release of their second album, “Blind Fire” in 2008, before moving to Universal/Spinefarm for their next album, “Circus Colossus” (2009). The band became inactive not too long after the release of that third album though, sadly leaving fans craving more music from the band.In 2018, Leverage returned with a new lineup featuring an amazing new singer Kimmo Blom (ex-Urban Tale, Raskasta Joulua) and a new guitar player Mikko Salovaara. They first released an EP, “The Devil’s Turn” and then a full-length, “Determinus”. The band showcased that they are still able to cover a pretty wide ground musically. Again, not power metal, not AOR, not thrash. Just great heavy rock with stunning melodies. That same result is also evident on their new record, "Above The Beyond"."
    $13.00
  • "Here’s a sentence that I never thought I’d write. Have you ever thought to yourself, in an idle moment, ‘I wonder what Steve Overland would be like at singing metal songs?’ Ok. I hadn’t either.Then Kings of Mercia happened.Steve Overland, it is my absolute unshakeable belief, has the finest voice in music. FM – his day job for almost 40 years, should be in arenas. They are sometimes. But only as the opening act and it upsets me.Before I get too carried away, we’d best introduce the rest of Kings Of Mercia. Jim Matheos of Fates Warning and loads of other outfits, decided to write some stuff that was out of his comfort zone.  Hre got a list of singers that would suit this brave new world in his head, and long story short, a friend suggested Overland. Enter journalist Dave Ling to provide contact details, and away we go.Now, these lads know people, so drummer Simon Phillips (sticksman to the stars, The Who, Toto and all kinds) and Joey Vera (I’d list his bands but this is a review not a Wiki Page) are recruited.All of this sounds like one of those fantasy bands that Frontiers Records like to put together (indeed, Overland has done a couple of those) but it is out on Metal Blade, and more importantly, it is staggering a) how nobody thought to do this before, and b) how good it is.“Wrecking Ball” has all the hallmarks of the album as a whole. Grown up. Classy (check out the solo!) with a hook that sticks in your head, with Overland singing as only he can and crucially sounding perfect over heavier material.The phrase “heavier material”, applies to the words here too. Darker lyrics than usual, but my goodness it suits. “Humankind”, the first thing that came together is a prime example of that, but there’s a swagger, a confidence.Indeed, everywhere you look here, there’s something you can’t resist. “Sweet Revenge” is anchored down by Vera’s wonderful bass, coming in with a real menace. But it soars. Likewise, there’s a kind of in-built grandiosity to “Set The World On Fire” that is almost a knowing glance before it races off on the back of a wonderful Matheos lead.“Too Far Gone” feels like the album’s centrepiece. Acoustic and slow building, it reflects poetically for over six minutes, and the way it builds is a joy to behold, it really is. Cleverly, they follow this with “Liberate Me” which, after its prog style lead opening, is a straight ahead, heads down rocker.There’s a few tracks here that could just about fit into an FM show. “Nowhere Man” is perhaps the best example of the “rock” ones, and “Everyday Angels” is like the obligatory power ballad that you knew would be here at some point. It’s cool too. And it’s sweet natured. Celebrating people rather than love.The last time I reviewed a record with Vera on it was the Motor Sister one from earlier this year, and in fairness to “Is It Right” it could have made it on there no trouble. Fun, muscular, self assured, it is everything that modern hard rock should be.I began this review by asking what it would be like to hear Steve Overland sing metal. In honesty, that was predicated on the last track. “Your Life” is brilliant. First and foremost that needs to be said, but its opening riff. It can’t be just me that hears Slayer, surely, before it settles down?And, right there, is the point. Four majestic musicians doing what comes naturally, but pushing the boundaries at the same time. Any football fan will tell you, though, its not about the quality of the players, but how they blend. On that front, Kings Of Mercia are straight from the Premier League, and this is a truly magnificent album." - Maximum Volume Music
    $15.00
  • "We already knew that Nils Molin is one of Sweden’s best melodic metal vocalists. His early work with Dynazty got him noticed and in 2017 he was invited to join Amaranthe as one of its lead vocalists. Since then, he has pulled double duty recording and touring with both Dynazty and Amaranthe. Dynazty is one of the best melodic metal bands in Sweden in recent years. That is no mean feat as it is a rather crowded field of quite a few very good bands. Formed in 2007, they are now ready to release their eighth studio album, “Final Advent”. The band delivers, the song material is the band’s best so far and Nils puts in the best vocal performance of his career. When Nils joined Amaranthe, many fans feared that this would be the end of Dynazty. Far from it, his work with Amaranthe has helped him mature as a singer and performer. While clashes of tour dates may perhaps mean that we get to see Dynazty perform fewer shows than we like, Dynazty is no doubt now a better band due to Nils’ wider experience. It is Nils that sets Dynazty apart from the pack, but there is more to this band than a great singer and frontman. The songs they write are better than what most other bands in the genre can come up with. And the band is a well-oiled machine when it comes to delivering the music – a great combination of excellent melodies, appealing guitar riffs and, of course, liberal use of keyboards, all anchored by a highly reliable rhythm section. Backing up Nils in Dynazty are guitarists Love Magnussonand Mikael Lavér, bassist Jonathan Olsson and drummer Georg Härnsten Egg. “Achilles Heel” is the album’s glorious zenith, combining classic melodic hard rock with contemporary touches. It shows off all the great sides to this band in one fine song. We get some musical variety on the album, all within the melodic metal subgenre, but the album shoots off on visits to different musical corners. From “Advent” – a terrific song with a rather different structure and delivery that I really like – via the catchiness of “Natural Born Killer” to “Yours”, a big power-ballad kind of number. “Final Advent” is a fine collection of melodic songs full of energy." - Roppongi Rocks
    $15.00
  • Limited digipak edition with bonus CD "Lords Of Black Uncovered and the Lost Tracks"."Spanish metal band Lords Of Black has been on a consistent path since their inception in 2014. Even with vocalist Ronnie Romero touring with Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, the band has dropped a new studio album every two years. They arrive with their latest and third album, Icons Of The New Days, once more for the Frontiers Music label.If you've followed Lords Of Black's career with some interest, as I have, then you know what to expect this album. The band delivers a mixture of traditional heavy metal, power metal, and melodic hard rock, with a focus upon Romero's strong vocal presence and Tony Hernando's significant guitar virtuosity. There's just a lot more it. Icons Of The New Days is a long album, twelve songs over 72 minutes. If you get the deluxe addition, there's even more: two additional bonus tracks with five cover songs from Queen, Anthrax, Bruce Dickinson, and Journey. That's getting your money's worth.Inside the album, you'll find some fine heavy metal rockers with World Gone Mad, King's Reborn, and Long Way To Go, which sways between rock groove and power metal speed. More classic heavy power metal is found within When A Hero Falls and Wait Not Prayers For The Dying. Fallin' is a positively heavy tune with fat riffs and a thumping bass line. Even so, it has a lighter breakdown after the midpoint which swells with another fine Hernando solo. But for a real killer guitar solo, it comes within the closing and longest song, All I Have Left. Beginning at the midpoint, Hernando blazes his way up and down the fret board for nearly three minutes. If you love lead guitar work, buy this album just for Hernando's impressive skills.All said, Icons Of The New Days finds Lords Of Black in fine and consistent form, delivering more melodic heavy and power metal, properly infused with hard rock groove. Recommended." - Dangerdog.com
    $15.00
  • Special edition with bonus tracks."At first, I was somewhat unsure what I was going to get when I was sent this promo. The name seemed to be an attempt at a funny pun on the name of a “Harry Potter” character from my childhood. Then I read the press release, and just who was involved and realised it was going to be something awesome. Featuring ex-HELLOWEEN member Roland Grapow on guitars, as well as Thomen Stauch, who used to be in BLIND GUARDIAN, amongst other particularly good musicians, I just knew it was going to be a power metal treat.The album opens up with “I Seek No Other Life” and we’re straight into awesome riff territory, and some fantastically delivered vocals from Urban Breed, combined with awesome riffs and a powerful rhythm section, further developed by some nice bombastic keyboard melodies from Jan Vacik (ex-DREAMSCAPE). This is followed by “High And Low” and this has an awesome main melody that meets perfectly with the powerful chorus as well. A nice sense of groove really moves this song along.Some nice piano melodies open up “Sealing My Fate” in a delicate fashion, with some equally soft vocals here, before the song slams into a nice heavy yet melodic riff. This song has a really nice powerful chorus, and some great playing throughout. “Temple Of The Sun” is an instrumental with a fitting melody considering the title, with a highly symphonic sound to it, which then slams into “Akhenaton”, which is of course thematically similar to its instrumental introduction. This one has a real STRATOVARIUS feel to it, with really good use of dynamics in amongst some fantastic musical moments.“My Mystic Mind” is a real hard hitting track with some great guitar melodies and some nice use of dynamics, clashing stabbing guitars with piano melodies in a really interesting way. “Trail Of Murder” is straight off the bat a fantastic song, with some great guitar riffs meeting some tasty melodies. Again, the strong sense of dynamics is at play here, with lots going on in the song.Title-track “As Daylight Breaks” is a softer track, mainly relying on symphony and vocals to carry the track, with some really well performed parts all around making this a nice emotional sounding track with plenty of build and atmosphere. “Setting Fire To The Earth” follows this up and this one feels like PRAYING MANTIS on steroids, with heavy riffs and some great lyrical themes and vocal harmonies colliding to form a great track.Penultimate track, “Listen To The Storm”, builds an aptly moody atmosphere to start off with, with thunderous sounds meeting some nice guitar parts. The song develops nicely as it goes, with a really nice catchy chorus!The album ends on “Older And Wiser” and this is a nice high energy power metal track to finish things off, with some nice virtuosic playing and a nice fast pace throughout. This closes the album on a real nice note, leaving you feel pumped up and ready for more.The production is spot on, everything has a nice sense of power to it when needed, and softer moments are also equally well done. All the different things that are going on are mixed nicely, from heavy guitars to the softest piano moments. The vocals are also really nicely done, and a heavy rhythm section sound really powers this album along.“As Daylight Breaks” is a must-have for fans of Power Metal the way it should be done, there’s heavy and melodic riffs, soaring vocals, and great songwriting throughout this mammoth of an album. Keep your eyes peeled for this in 2015." - Metal Temple
    $9.00
  • "We all can recall the partnership of vocalists Russell Allen (Symphony X, Adrenaline Mob) and Jorn Lande. But you ask what has been going on lately with a Russell and "who" project? Well, for one, the "who" is not a male voice, but rather vocalist Anette Olzon, late of Nightwish, and currently with The Dark Element. Additionally, songwriter, producer, and guitar wizard Magnus Karlsson is back in the fold and at the helm for Russell/Olzon's first collaboration, Worlds Apart.With this mighty triumvirate of musicians the listener can expect to hear an epic, melodic and symphonic, heavy power metal mixture of tunes. Between the symphonic synths and Karlsson's wall of riffage, the arrangements are both dense and bombastic, while turning on their fair share of power metal gallop. Then there's Karlsson's terrific guitar work where he spares neither ambition nor creativity in his large solos. There's little doubt the project is as much about his skills as it is the skills of vocalists Allen and Olzon. Which begs the question, in this album of vocal duets who has the upper hand? The voices or the music? I think it may be a split decision.In some songs where Allen And Olzon cooperate the clarity of both voices is heard. You'll hear this within No Sign Of Life, My Enemy, Who's Gonna Stop Me Now, and What If I Live, where Olzon adds an ethereal choral layer. Alternatively, with the quite dense, heavy, and bombastic Worlds Apart, both the music and Allen push Olzon to the background. Additionally, both vocalists get an opportunity to display their vocal gifts in solo efforts (at least as best as I could tell). Russell seems to be on his own with Never Die and Who You Really Are; Olzon within I'll Never Leave You, and perhaps One More Chance and Cold Inside. These are my best guesses without having the song credits before me.Nevertheless, the pairing of vocalists Russell Allen and Anette Olzon is a special and impressive one as their voices fit well together. Adding producer and guitarist Magnus Karlsson to the mix only makes their debut collaboration, Worlds Apart, a mighty album of melodic and symphonic power metal. Recommended." - Dangerdog.com
    $18.00
  • Digipak edition with one bonus track."The last year has been a bountiful cornucopia for melodic rock and the AOR scene at large. Just a few highlights would include Revolution Saints, Edge of Forever, Work of Art, and Restless Spirits. Or, let’s put it this way; in 1999 a great many of us would have been dubious there would be albums being released in 2020 sounding like Journey, Toto, and Foreigner. Yet here we are. However, on the heavier melodic metal side of things, we have had some gems in the form of releases like Eclipse, Sweet Oblivion, and Mind Key, yet we find ourselves still hungry for another treat. In April of 2020, in a world gone mad and desperate for anything good, we get some relief in the form of… well, not a treat, per se, but a delight. A “Dark Delight,” the newest and most ambitious album by Swedish melodic power metal-heads Dynazty.Proving that we thankfully reaped something from MySpace other than animated GIF wallpaper and annoying MIDI music, the band grew through early social media connections, and really made the big “click” upon procurement of vocalist Nils Molin, perhaps now best known for his other current gig, vocals in Amaranthe opposite the magnetically metal Elize Ryd. Since the formation of Dynazty, the band has crafted six studio albums, with “The Dark Delight” being the seventh and arguably the boldest of them all.Nils is flanked on both sides by a capable cadre of Swedish session-grade metal musicians: Love Magnusson and Mike Lavér on guitars, Jonathan Olsson on bass, and George Egg sitting behind the drum kit. As the album begins, the first impression one gets is “modern.” Contemporary. From the sophisticated production and synth work, to the nasty almost John 5 riffing, up to the memorable chorus, “this is where we crash and burn, this is where we start to learn,” it becomes readily apparent that this song is not just polished and ready for 2020, but it has all the markings of a crowd-pleaser at Wacken Open Air or any other Euro power metal festival. Halfway into the song, Nils delivers a somewhat Mustainian lecture on the meaning of life, before the chanting chorus leads us back out of the swirling trance and back to the thundering rhythm section. As album openers go, this one is strong as hell, although it may take two or three goes before it moves into the psyche and makes itself at home.For a band with ostensibly no full-time keyboard player, the album goes straight-up symphonic metal with the next track, “Paradise of the Architect.” A Pinnella-like keyboard strings section cleanses the pallet and gets us ready for a surprisingly heavy and technical creation. The otherwise-relentless riffage takes small breaks for the verses, before launching into choruses which shift into an uplifting major chorus, before slamming us back into minor chugga-chugga in a darker key. The guitar leads, which were already impressive in the first track, remain equally so here. In the years since metal has returned to glory since exile (and if metal can survive grunge, we can survive any virus), some acts have eschewed or otherwise subdued guitar leads, and in some cases the interplay of melody is already so impressive that the guitar leads are not especially necessary. However, we are still suckers for Murray–Smith or Mustaine–Friedman lead exchanges, so bonus points are awarded to Dynazty all the same.The next “Dark Delight” on the menu comes in the form of “The Black.” Typically, we only allow Primal Fearto deliver “the black,” but in this instance, the song checks all the right power metal boxes, so despite objections in the courtroom, we will allow it. Cool choruses, nice guitar harmonies, and a part in the middle where it just gets heavy as all hell. Job well done. In another moment of very contemporary metal songwriting, we find the song, “From Sound to Silence.” The drum delivery, the riffs, and even the impressive growls by Nils are all why this album is very firmly on the heavy side of melodic rock and metal. Kudos to the band for the very cool instrumental section in the middle of the track, weaving an impressive and technical tapestry of guitar and rhythms.Thankfully, the next track “Hologram” is not a live concert performed by a dead rocker, but rather a borderline metal ballad, with appealing verses and hooky choruses, yet with very heavy transitions in between. The song is followed by “Heartless Madness,” which seems to follow the current Euro power/symphonic metal formula of presenting an isolated track of a single instrument to say to the listener, “Here you go. This is the melody of this song. You might want to write this down. There will be a quiz,” before launching into the song itself, before eventually that same melody comes back as the chorus. It seems to be a staple of the genre since “Nemo,” or perhaps even earlier. However, it does not take away from this song. If the intent of the methodology is to wake people up and say, “hey, dummy, your favorite catchy song is about to start,” then mission accomplished because “Heartless Madness” is indeed a catchy and well-written piece. Yes, if this song was a weapon found at a crime scene, I would guess it belongs to Tuomas Holopainen. On the bright side, the guitar leads are stellar, and light-years beyond anything we ever see on any Nightwish record.The band have been saving another heavy-hitter for the back side of this record, in the form of “Waterfall,” a melodic chorus-powered rocker. However, the most fun of the song is probably found in the staccato full-auto riffse after the choruses. The rhythms of the song almost come dangerously close to following formulae of modern dance/electronic music, and yet the whole thing just kicks ass, so we’ll turn a blind eye this time. Also, guitar solos. Did we mention this album has them?On the other end of the spectrum from EDM and guitar solos, we have “The Road to Redemption,” a blues-based rocker with the guitar gain way down low through most of the song. While the chorus is big and climactic, the verses themselves rest on a jangly acoustic and semi-dirty guitar accompaniment. While the songs of this album don’t suffer from homogenized “sameness,” at least Redemption is something truly off the beaten path, so well done on that. This is followed by the title track itself, a grand affair fueled by what can only be described as baroque organ instrumentation, where the guitars are more like a duel between Beethoven and the Phantom of the Opera. Even during the leads, the guitar parts get nearly neoclassical, without quite crossing the line into the territory of that other Swede, the one with the “Y” name.Dynazty have very likely created their best album to date, in “Dark Delight.”  The songs largely have a uniform sound and heaviness without all sounding the same. In a time where it becomes increasingly true that everything has already been done before, and all we can do is tweak and blend existing styles and genres, this is as close to a new sound as one can reasonably expect to get. It is also largely accessible, and yet not so accessible as to leave nothing for the enjoyment of hardcore metal geeks. It is tried-and-true power metal in a very sleek modern package, with surprises and aspects baked in for everybody." - Sonic Perspectives
    $16.00
  • Digipak edition features 7 bonus tracks!"From a backstage meeting of heavy metal friends came the collaboration known as Serious Black. The result was 2015's As Daylight Breaks, followed by some touring and festival appearances. Now, the band returns with their second effort, Mirrorworld, and some line up changes. Alex Holzwarth (Rhapsody Of Fire) replaces Thomen Stauch on drums. Committing himself to Masterplan, Roland Grapow bowed out and Bob Katsionis (Firewind) became a permanent member.British producer Andrew Holdsworth once said, of all the music genres he's worked with, "metal is the most formulaic and conservative." He's probably right, especially with traditional and European melodic power metal. Serious Black follows the recipe: twin guitar harmony, an abundance of frisky guitar solos, thumping and speedy rhythm section, a dash of keyboards and, generally, clean melodic, yet often, pitched vocals. Toss in a mixture of tempos and some true rock groove and the music is essentially defined. In this sense, Serious Black remains constant and consistent. Mirrorworld is a fine follow up to their first album.Songs that fulfill the formula include Mirrorworld, You're Not Alone, and Castor Skies which has a nice groove and catchy refrain. Two songs, Heartbroken Soul and State Of My Despair lean more towards melodic hard rock, yet with a metal edge. The rock groove is more prominent in both as is the keyboard influence. All in all, as said moments ago, Serious Black returns with another album of tried and "keep it true" melodic heavy and power metal, something they're very good at creating. Recommended." - Dangerdog.com
    $9.00
  • "This has to be one of my most anticipated releases of 2021, and has been so since news broke of it’s likely release a few months ago. Witherfall impressed and amazed me with ‘A Prelude To Sorrow’ in 2018, so it’s hardly a shock to learn that I was desperate to hear their follow-up. That record was one hell of an emotional rollercoaster, as it was the first recording since the death of their drummer and friend Adam Sagan in 2016 from a rare form of cancer. But just as importantly, it was an album chock full of really fantastic heavy metal anthems, doing the memory of their former bandmate real justice. I still get tearful on occasions as I listen to ‘Vintage’, such is its power and raw emotional depth.It sounds a little harsh and cynical but as much as I was looking forward to hearing new material from Witherfall, I did wonder slightly whether the band would produce something as powerful and emotional with the ghost of Sagan looming slightly less large over their collective shoulders. As I know all too well, grief never goes away or reduces, but you do learn to deal with it in different ways. So how would ‘Curse Of Autumn’ fare, and how would it sound with another two years and more under their belts?The answer is simply: very well indeed. And, on the evidence presented within ‘Curse Of Autumn’, Witherfall will seemingly always be a band that refuses to shy away from confronting their emotions and lacing their songs with poignancy. On this album, there’s a strong thread of anger and frustration, two intertwining emotions that the band, particularly vocalist/keyboardist Joseph Michael and guitarist Jake Dreyer, have experienced over their careers. They take these feelings that are usually viewed as negative, and channel them into a positive force, pouring out all the angst, aggression and rage into an eleven track, 57 minute thrill ride into some of the best and darkest melodic heavy metal since…well, since ‘A Prelude To Sorrow’ if I’m honest.Firstly, a word to the wise about the production which is massive. Witherfall enlisted the help of Jon Schaffer and, regardless of your personal thoughts about recent events involving the Iced Earth guitarist, he has helped ‘Curse Of Autumn’ to become Witherfall’s best-sounding album to date. He and engineer/mixer Jim Morris, as well as Tom Morris for mastering duties, who both deserve credit. The guitars sound even more authoritative and rich than ever before, but the entire band can be heard thanks to the clarity and separation afforded to each musician. Then there’s the stunning artwork, once again handled by Kristian Wåhlin, the icing on the cake.The core of the band remains unchanged, with Dreyer and Michael joined by bassist Anthony Crawford. However, live keyboards are performed by Alex Nasla, whilst the drum stool is now home to Marco Minnemann, the behemoth that has recently been included in Prog Magazine’s twelve best drummers of all-time. Well, if you’re forced to replace a dear friend, you may as well replace him with the best. And, as good as Steve Bolognese was on ‘A Prelude…’, Minnemann makes his presence felt throughout this record with his combination of power, precision, and panache.Indeed, it is hard to argue against the suggestion that all members of Witherfall deliver their ‘A’ game on ‘Curse Of Autumn’, in many cases even pushing their abilities even further than before in the process. You think this to be unnecessary hyperbole? If you do, I urge you to check out the first song proper on the album after the brief intro, ‘The Last Scar’. A furious drum flourish introduces an equally furious thrash-like opening riff, as Witherfall come out of the blocks all guns blazing. Michael sounds like a man possessed as he spits out his diatribes with urgency and unquestionable passion. And then, signalled by a gloriously dirty and heavy open guitar chord, the chorus bursts into life, delivering more disgustingly marvellous guitar notes and effortless-sounding high-pitched vocal melodies. It is one of the catchiest choruses on the entire album, grabbing my interest from the first spin way back when I first heard the record. As you’d expect from Dreyer, there are plenty of lead guitar histrionics and a couple of  breath-taking lung busting high notes from Michael towards the end.Follow-up ‘As I Lie Awake’ is more of a slow-burner but it is no less impressive. It begins in more reserved fashion, but this allows the darkness of the music to resonate, whilst allowing bassist Crawford to take the spotlight, which he grabs with both hands. The song feels slightly less heavy than its predecessor, but only a smidgen, whilst it is blessed with a more expansive power metal-style chorus that hits hard once it works its magic to the fullest.You might think that the best material is behind us given such a powerful start. But happily, oh so happily, you’d be mistaken. ‘Another Face’ takes up the baton and runs hard and fast into my affections. There’s more of a hint of Nevermore within this dramatic and more theatrical track, a composition that flows between light and shade very gracefully and effortlessly. Again, the guys have plundered the magical box of hooks and melodies because the chorus is another sure-fire winner, complete with a dark, angry edge demonstrable within Michael’s forthright delivery.‘Tempest’ meanwhile cleverly juxtaposes beautifully delicate acoustic guitars with more extreme metal elements, principally fast picked black metal-like riffing, muscular drumming, and ominous atmospheres accentuated by a polished, charismatic performance from Michael, who is a true showman here, even allowing an occasional growl to escape his lips. At over eight minutes, the song is allowed to ebb and flow creating a more pronounced progressive feel as a result, complete with an extended instrumental section, full of more of that dark, foreboding intent. But in typical Witherfall style, the final minute or so is pure theatre, with a giant bittersweet melodic crescendo led by Dreyer’s solo prowess leading us to the conclusion.‘The Unyielding Grip Of Each Day’ is a prog-cum-neo-classical instrumental workout that covers a lot of interesting ground in under three minutes, from fast and frenetic, to slower and more measured, allowing the dexterity of the musicians to shine. ‘The Other Side Of Fear’ by contrast is arguably the most abrasive composition on the album, putting to music a tangible sense of frustration and of all-encompassing anxiety. As such, it happens to be the least melodic of all the songs, but far from the least enjoyable thanks to some chunky riffing and commanding rhythms from Minnemann and Crawford, who is something of an unsung hero on this album, littering the entire album as he does with some remarkably dextrous and inventive bass playing, much more than just a rumble in the background.‘The River’ is a beautiful song, the first half of which is an acoustic-led ballad featuring some of Michael’s more tender and poignant singing. The second half continues on the same sentimental path, albeit with the introduction of more metallic trappings, Michael’s lung-busting vocals, and melodic leads from Dreyer.The final original composition is a monster in the form of ‘…And They All Blew Away’. At over 15 minutes, this is an epic song in just about every sense of the word. Easily the most progressive, it twists and turns for the entire time, rarely settling, but all the while delivering a masterclass in heavy melodic music, capped by some scintillating performances. Minnemann produces some superb fills and beats, the guitars flit between chunky and muscular riffing, delicate acoustics, and melodious leads. I hear a touch of Dream Theater within this song particularly in the extended instrumental sections, but then I also hear a million other fleeting references as it develops. In keeping with the entire album, the atmosphere is sombre and dark, with some of the most angry and confrontational content being spat forth at times.This sensational record is then rounded out by an acoustic cover of Boston’s ‘Long Time’ which is actually really good, and that’s coming from someone who’s not always a fan of cover versions. It caps a remarkable performance from a band that just seems to get better and better. In a live setting, I bet these guys slay and I sincerely hope that I get to witness this sooner rather than later. But in the meantime, we have another masterpiece to enjoy, in the form of ‘Curse Of Autumn’ – dark and properly heavy melodic metal rarely sounds this passionate or brilliant." - Man Of Much Metal
    $14.00