I get it. I get why people have liked Danzig after all these years. Songs like “Mother,” “Twist of Cain” and “Left Hand Black” are all very affective songs, with each of them exuding a dark atmosphere that few bands at that time were equaling. Hell, after years of putting out material, Glenn opted to change things up with the electronica infused 6:66 – Satan’s Child which was also a noteworthy effort. However, like many formerly affective artists, Glenn Danzig has largely fallen into the vast pit of mediocrity, mainly due to the size of his ego, but also in part because of albums like Deth Red Sabaoth, a quintessentially lame attempt at reviving the better part of a career that has succumbed to getting knocked out on Youtube, and preventing your fans from taking pictures at your concerts.

Bottom line, Deth Red Sabaoth is re-tredded bullshit to the worst degree. With all the experimenting Glenn Danzig has done over his career, it’s almost laughable that his latest album has resulted in something that sounds like it could have come off one of his first three albums, and when I say come off, I mean picking the carcass of all the best meat and trying to repackage as the latest and greatest. What a crock. Deth Red Sabaoth is not only rehashed crap, but there isn’t even a worthy production to back it up. Glenn sounds like he recorded his vocals in a closet with his head enclosed in a glass jar. How a veteran recording artist could ever allow this album to sound like this is beyond me; this schlock is a blatant disrespect of the fans who looked forward to this release. While there are a few redeeming riffs spread out on this album, the piss poor quality makes me wonder how Glenn and AFM could package this and approve to sell it at full price. This is amateur hour, and genuinely pisses me off.

Do I hold a grudge against Danzig? Yes. Am I being too harsh? Probably, but Glenn’s antics over the years far outweigh the quality of this lame duck of an album, therefore, what is there to hold on to? If Deth Red Sabaoth had been something worthy of the Danzig moniker, this review would be far less scathing, but as it stands currently, this album fucking sucks, which has resulted in me giving exactly two shits about Danzig anymore.

BLASPHEMY!

Similar Artists: Type O Negative, The Cult,

1.    Hammer of the Gods
2.    The Revengeful
3.    Rebel Spirits
4.    Black Candy
5.    On a Wicked Night
6.    Deth Red Moon
7.    Ju Ju Bone
8.    Night Star Hel
9.    Pyre of Souls: Infanticle
10.    Pyre of Souls: Seasons of Pain
11.    Left Hand Rise Above

Glenn Danzig – Vocals, Keyboards, Guitar
Tommy Victor – Guitar
Steve Zing – Bass
Johnny Kelly – Drums

AFM Records

http://www.myspace.com/danzig

What was lacking on Enforcer’s Into the Night, the debut from these Swedish classic metal upstarts, has been smoothed out with age. After taking a year to tour and refine their sound, Enforcer are back with their 2010 follow up Diamonds, and it represents what ever sophomore effort should be, a new and improved version of their first outing.

Most notable is the variation from track to track. While Into the Night was wall to wall classic speed metal, Diamonds has a much more varied pace and assortment of riffs and solos giving a more melodic, early Iron Maiden feel to the record which is a huge compliment as far as I’m concerned. Next is the improved vocals of Olof “Enforcer” Wikstrand who I think was the biggest weakness of Into the Night. Olaf is and probably will never be a great vocalist, but he has riffs that have been written to fit his voice much better, leading to a strong niche performance for the band. When a group can write music to allow appreciation of average singers (or drummers in the case of Metallica), I think that represents a true sign of maturity.

Going back to the Iron Maiden references, the band has echoed this old school NWOBHM vibe quite well. Some will call it a blatant rip off, and I’d tell those people to fuck off because I can’t think of any other band in the history of metal that has followed so closely to the road map set forth by albums like Iron Maiden and Killer as Enforcer have, and if this means this album is a rip off, then they are some original rip off artists who clearly are not towing any lines.

Solos, melodies and speed are the order of the day for Diamonds, done in pure classic stylings. All old school NWOBHM fans need to take notice of this record, because it’s HIGHLY entertaining, and one that will fit snugly in with your old school vinyl.

VERY GOOD

Similar Artists: Iron Maiden, Grim Reaper, Ravage, Cauldron

1.    Midnight Vice
2.    Roll the Dice
3.    Katana
4.    Running in Menace
5.    High Roller
6.    Diamonds
7.    Live for the Night
8.    Nightmares
9.    Walk With Me
10.    Take Me to Hell

Olof “Enforcer” Wikstrand – Vocals
Adam Zaars – Guitar
Joseph Tholl – Guitar
Tobias Lindqvist – Bass
Jonas Wikstrand – Drums

Heavy Artillery Records

http://www.myspace.com/enforcerswe

It never ceases to amaze how much Darkthrone has transformed in recent years. Starting off as a death metal band, evolving into an out and out black metal act in their mid years, and now an amalgam of crust hardcore punk, black metal and traditional metal. Also worth noting is the band’s complete about face when dealing with matters of being a kult black metal band (aka taking yourself entirely too seriously). Any band that basically tells the black metal scene to fuck off (at least as I’ve interpreted it) is pretty damn entertaining, and I think Circle the Wagons is just the latest in Darkthrone’s Peaceville outings to back that attitude up with their own rebellious brand of heaviness.

I’ll be honest with you all though, I thought 2007’s S.O.A.D. was pretty bad, I got where the band was going, but I just thought it kinda sucked. Circle the Wagons is the latest incarnation of the band, and the latest I have heard from the band as I completely overlooked 2008’s Dark Thrones and Black Flags having no motivation to listen to it. Much like S.O.A.D., Darkthrone have continued their task of combining blackened traditional metal in the vain of Motorhead, with crusty D-beat offerings, and while I don’t find myself really enjoying their stuff as much as Driller Killer or Discharge, I think they do have something to offer, probably more than I had anticipated back in 2007. Realistically, I think punk fans, especially fans of D-Beat and other versions of crustcore will be more prone to enjoy latter day Darkthrone than I think your average metal fan will. This is very straight forward music with very few instances of breakdowns and other telltale modern “hardcore” hallmarks, but it does have the attitude, grittiness and just a tad of the black metal frostiness that made Darkthrone the juggernauts they are today.

I won’t be purchasing this album, but the more I listen to newer Darkthrone, the more a respect them as artists. Darkthrone have waved off stereotypes like an annoying assault of gnats to pave their own paths with influences that are truly of their own, and that deserves high acclaim.

NOT BAD

Similar Artists: Abscess, Driller Killer, Sick Of It All, Venom, Motorhead

1.    Those Treasures Will Never Befall You
2.    Running for Borders
3.    I Am the Graves of the 80s
4.    Stylized Corpse
5.    Circle the Wagons
6.    Black Mountain Totem
7.    I Am the Working Class
8.    Eyes Burst At Dawn
9.    Bränn Inte Slottet

Fenriz – Drums, Vocals, Bass, Rhythm Guitar
Nocturno Culto – Guitar, Vocals, Bass

Peaceville Records

http://www.myspace.com/officialdarkthrone

The English classic metal band Toxic Federation is just another new entry into the revitalized classic genre. However, unlike their Swedish and more recently, American counterparts, Toxic Federation isn’t about being completely retro, instead they infuse the classic sound with modern pop-metal appeal which leaves them with an edgy, but definite mainstream sound that is certain to provide crossover appeal if they are ever to break out. If you are into the Swedish classic metal revitalization combined with Bullet For My Valentine and  take a ganter at these boys from Nottingham.

http://www.myspace.com/toxicfederation

The power metal is back ladies and gents! So many people frowned upon the last Avantastia because of it’s lean towards more traditional melodic styled metal. While I thought The Scarecrow was possibly the best Tobias has created, it was definitely less power metal inclined. Despite my immense interest in The Scarecrow, there were a ton of people who criticized it for not being epic enough, nor heavy enough for their liking; to each their own. However, 2010 has brought a two part, double full length effort that dramatically returns to the roots that made Avantasia great to begin with, and this time, Tobias is pulling out even more stops in the vocal department.

Here are just a few names associated with The Wicked Symphony: Jorn Lande (Masterplan, Yngwie Malmsteen), Tim Owens (Judas Priest, Iced Earth, Yngwie Malmsteen), Klaus Meine (Scorpions), Jon Oliva (Jon Oliva’s Pain, Savatage) and Andre Matos (Angra, Shaman). This is ridiculous, but then again, if Tobias is great at one thing, it’s bringing together immense vocal talents in his metal operas. Seriously, these names alone should evoke interest in just about anyone interested in melodic, progressive and power metal styles. Armed with these names, Tobias has elected to combine the modern melodic metal style of latter day Edguy and The Scarecrow, with the styles of earlier incarnations of both of his projects. I honestly think all the issues fans may have had with recent Tobias works should give The Wicked Symphony as well as the second half of this 2010 project, Angel of Babylon a shot, because they truly bring back to spirit of old school Tobias Sammet. Stay tuned for part 2 of this series of reviews, with my coverage of Angel of Babylon, and maybe some not so nice things to say about this project, as well as the final, combined score for both!

Tobias Sammet – Vocals, Bass
Sascha Paeth – Guitars
Michael “Miro” Rodenberg – Keyboards, Orchestration
Eric Singer – Drums

Guest Musicians:

Bruce Kulick – Guitars
Oliver Hartmann – Guitars
Felix Bohnke – Drums
Alex Holzwarth – Drums
Simon Oberender – Organ

Guest Vocalists:

Jørn Lande
Michael Kiske
Russell Allen
Bob Catley
Klaus Meine
Tim “Ripper” Owens
André Matos
Ralf Zdiarstek

Nuclear Blast Records

http://www.myspace.com/tobiassammet

Whelp, it’s finally happened, Bullet For My Valentine have finally admitted to themselves and now their fans, that they are not the melodic death wonder boys they attempted to convince the metal world of. 2010’s Fever is, at the very most in terms of heaviness, traditional metal with a slightnu-metal bend; gone are the days of death metal fakery as a sad mimic of bands much better suited for such a task. And you know what? This is the best Bullet For My Valentine I have ever heard!

Fever is the culmination of the band’s quick rise to power in the world of aggressive mainstream music, and this one is sure to push them into Grammy and radio territory, and really, I can’t fault the success of this one, because this represents the “coming out”, if you will, of Bullet For My Valentine, and I think it’s cool! Now, when I want a dose of cotton candy metal without the need for complexities, I can turn on Fever. What once was the roll of latter day All That Remains, Eighteen Visions and Avenged Sevenfold has now become occupied by Bullet For My Valentine, and really, Fever is a hell of a lot more suited for the job as it’s legitimately heavy, but as I said earlier, doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not.

Now, to all the haters out there who will almost undoubtedly cast judgment on Fever before listening to it, I say put aside your pre-conceived notions of what it means to be “metal” and really listen to this record, because you may find yourself surprised by the result. No longer will you have to worry about people contending that these Brits are the second coming of At the Gates, instead, you can enjoy (or hate) these guys for what they really are, a catchy, melodic metal band with pop sensibilities. If you can wrap your head around the idea that it IS possible to like something that could very well end up on the billboard top 40, than I think you have earned a golden star for the day! Congrats!

In all fairness, I have to say that when I went into this review, I was expecting to chop this mother to pieces, but I actually came out of this experience with a new found respect for Bullet For My Valentine, and I may actually end up buying this one!

VERY GOOD

Similar Artists: Annihilator (later), All That Remains, Killswitch Engage, Trivium

1. Your Betrayal
2. Fever
3. The Last Fight
4. A Place Where You Belong
5. Pleasure and Pain
6. Alone
7. Breaking Out, Breaking Down
8. Bittersweet Memories
9. Dignity
10. Begging for Mercy
11. Pretty On the Outside

Matthew “Matt” Tuck – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Jason “Jay” James – bass guitar, backing vocals
Michael “Padge” Paget – lead guitar, backing vocals
Michael “Moose” Thomas – drums

Jive Records

http://www.myspace.com/bulletformyvalentine

Review by CODY

For the amount of time I’ve been listening to metal music, I have enjoyed a lot of Heavy Metal bands with both old and new sounds from the industry. Icarus Witch’s Draw Down The Moon definitely has an older style sound to it, but it also has something else with their sound. Boring.

Icarus Witch, hailing from Pittsburgh, PA, has a few albums to show for themselves, like Capture the Magic and Songs for the Lost, so I thought that I would give them a shot. I did some research on them, and found that they had done opening shows for some top bands like Slough-Feg, Kamelot, Edguy, and even Heaven & Hell. Even the bio on their website pumps you up for a big production:

Raw, vintage Marshall guitar tones, tasty heart wrenching leads – growling, counter-melodic, serpentine bass lines – slamming, signature drums – and the most accomplished vocal performance yet by Bizilia making every note, every scream, snarl, and shout simply drip with venom.

Upon listening to Draw Down The Moon, I just had a hard enough time going through the album without wanting to shut it off. All I heard from this album was a poor drum line, a weak guitar backup, and some slow singing on their part. I felt no excitement from their music, nor did I hear most of what they described in their hype lines above. I guess I should have known better that to believe everything I read.

EH…

1.   Black Candles
2.   Aquarius Rising
3.   Reap What You Sow
4.   Dying Eyes
5.   Draw Down the Moon
6.   Serpent in the Garden
7.   Funeral Wine
8.   Haunting Visions
9.   The Ripper

Matthew Bizilia – Vocals
Jason “Sin” Myers – Bass, Keyboards
Steve Johnson – Drums

Cleopatra Records

Icarus Witch

http://www.myspace.com/icaruswitch

Review by Tony

U.S. Power metal is a rare commodity in America, perhaps even rarer than European imports, despite the title of this often misunderstood sub-genre. Unlike in Europe where neo-classical flavor and soaring melodies are the order of the day, U.S. Power Metal is much more subdued. While both regional power metal scenes have their base in speed metal, the traditional U.S. style is more traditional in it’s roots, often taking on a simple melodic version of speed metal bands. California’s Scarred represents one of these long lost U.S. Power Metal bands with a more recent history. Founded in 2001 with a full length album, Shadow of Conspiracy, released in 2006 and more recently 2009’s EP Worms of the Universe, Scarred have taken on the monumental task of moving their sound in an era that is more difficult than ever to find realization.

http://www.myspace.com/scarredmetal

While traditional metal is just becoming en vogue once again in America, it has become relatively commonplace in Europe and Japan to see these retro bands of this type. One such band, Finland’s Armour has released a brand new album that is truly classic metal incarnate. Echoing bands such as Running Wild, W.A.S.P., Exciter, Grim Reaper and more contemporary comparisons to the likes of Cauldron, Armour is playing to a style that has much to offer modern metal with its relentless assault of licks that once reigned over metaldom.

Initially vocalist Vince “Werewolf” Venom is a bit off putting, but much like Blackie Lawless, Rolf “Rock ‘n’ Rolf” Kasparek and even Lemy Kilmeister, he begins to grow on you as the tracks proceed. Instrumentally Armour is spot on with their era of riffs, so much so that this self titled album could have been lifted from 1985 with no problem with a tried and true mixture of traditional and speed metal. In fact, Armour is so authentic that it may actually be off putting to many listeners considering there is almost no sense of modernity to this record. Europeans will surely eat this up, especially German fans, but I don’t know if newer American fans will be quite ready for Armour. However, if you are a seasoned American listener and wouldn’t think twice about going to see a W.A.S.P. show tomorrow night, then pick this album up ASAP.

Essentially, if you have heard any of the above comparable bands, you should know exactly what to expect from Armour; there are no surprises here. If you lived through the 80’s and were glad to have this era gone and forgotten, then avoid at all costs, but if you are looking to re-live the most classic era of our musical heritage, then break out your bullet belt and get ready to have a good time!

GOOD

Similar Artists: Running Wild, W.A.S.P., Exciter, Cauldron, Grim Reaper

1.    Rock’n’Roll Tonite
2.    The Time Is Right
3.    Sex Demon
4.    Roll Out (Or Get Rocked)
5.    Satan’s Knights
6.    Can’t Resist Your Spell
7.    Magick Armour
8.    Hellfire
9.    Ready to Attack
10.    Heavy Metal Drinkers

Hells Headbangers

http://www.myspace.com/metalarmour

Review by CODY

Legendary German power metallers, Gamma Ray, are back with their latest studio effort since 2007’s Land of the Free II which AMR’s Cole panned as stereotypically awful power metal. I consider myself to be a bit of a power metal buff, so I figured I’d take point on this review and see if Kai and the gang have held up over the years.

First off, I am not the biggest fan of Kay Hansen’s voice; the dude is simply not what one would consider a “good” singer. He was the voice of Helloween before and after Kiske, and has therefore kind of become the essence of gruff German power metal vocals along with Udo from Accept and U.D.O. fame. Because of his trademark voice, I really can’t imagine Gamma Ray being voiced by anyone else at this point, but I would be lying if I thought that Kai shouldn’t stick to guitars and give someone else a shot at fronting the band (I am in the minority who thought Ralf Scheepers was MUCH more suited as the singer for Gamma Ray). So with that said, Kai’s voice is going to be a kind of setback for the entire album even before I get into it.

To the Metal reminds me a bit of Avantasia’s The Scarecrow in terms of its high melody, but also a reliance more on traditional metal than power metal. I think Gamma Ray has always been an outfit that was comfortable just putting out music with a classic feel, and it hasn’t mattered what particular classification could be placed on it. I think some modern power metal fans who are a little less experienced with an old school act like Gamma Ray may be put off by the lack of blinding speed and double kick at a constant rate. Gamma Ray is metal through and through, but it’s a classic mode without the necessary blinding speed and over the top melodies; in essence, this is stripped down melodic heavy metal, and whether they are playing it faster or mid paced, Gamma Ray have always been about getting to the point, and To the Metal is no different. I have and always will be a huge fan of classic metal, so listening to To the Metal rip it up from track to track with very well placed, anthemic melodies combined with excellent guitar solos was a real treat. It’s so obvious listening to Gamma Ray that these guys are a veteran band who have played together for over a decade, because they are so tight and seamless, and with this combined with better than average writing makes for a really good instrumental album.

Still, despite my interest in To the Metal, I can’t get over Kai’s voice, the dude just can’t sing and even slows down the pace of the faster numbers on this album because of his style. The only song that Kai exceeds my expectations is on “Chasing Shadows” and that’s mainly because of the studio work and the effort he obviously put into the performance (which actually sounded like he was straining to reach certain notes). Tried and true Helloween and Gamma Ray aficionados will scoff at my opinion of Kai, but come on, the dude is a guitar player and he does the listener no favors trying to juggle both duties. Find someone of Ralf’s caliber, who can handle the band’s style set forth by Kai and Michal Kiske and record a proper damn album with proper vocals. Until this happens, I can’t give Gamma Ray better than a “good” rating, and unless I get WOWed by the music portion of whatever albums they put out, I don’t see that being any different.

GOOD

Similar Artists: Helloween, Primal Fear, Iron Savior, Masterplan

1.    Empathy
2.    All You Need To Know
3.    Time To Live
4.    To The Metal
5.    Rise
6.    Mother Angel
7.    Shine Forever
8.    Deadlands
9.    Chasing Shadows
10.    No Need To Cry

DisManic Distribution/Knife Fight Media

http://www.myspace.com/gammaraymyspace

Review by CODY