CD Review: Michael Schinkels Eternal Flame - Man Or God (Melodic Metal, 2026)

A look upon the cover will surely wake a lot of emotions in everyone of us. It is a scene of contrast and surely not a too nice moment in time that can be seen.

Michael Schinkel and his band open a new chapter in history with the "Man Or God" record.

Such a album sleeve starts a interaction in me. What is it all about? Why is such a hard moment captured? 

The music answers a lot of it. What you see is what you get this time. "Man Or God" comes with a sound that is very noble. It's a production with a lot of majestic melodies inside. Those are brought to life by the guitars and the keyboards along with the strong vocal performance by Marc Boals. It's all held together by the powerful drums and bass guitars surrounding these elements.

While the opener "Run" comes around as a speed metal song don't take this as a sign for the rest of the album. Most songs vary the tempo and they need this pattern to give room for the atmosphere the songs spread. The music breathes the topics of the lyrics, it's like you can feel them. I've heard the songs first before I picked up the detailed booklet. A good choice if you want to feel the music.

Associations of old Egyptian culture came to my mind. To me this album is a story of one of the well known rulers of the old civilization that builds the pyramids. He seems to recall his life before it comes to a end and the music reflects his time he spent with a lot of ups and downs.

The music varies in the running time of the album. Hard passages and silk one's go hand in hand and the vocals reflect the topic of each song intensively. Some songs are lighter (So strong so wrong) while other one's are harder to take (the title track). At any time the music demonstrates the power of the musicians and the full motivation to create something special for the listener.  

The record is build by the compositions of Michael Schinkel and keyboarder Helmut Kohlpainter. Happily it's a balanced recording. All musicians count and contribute to the sound. The whole band gave it's power to bring these songs to life and this can be felt.

"Man Or God" comes with a booklet that let's you discover the lyrics and band members in a full album style. Together with the high quality Digipack It feels to me like a book holding a epic story. It's worth a purchase - you will be rewarded with lasting songs that can be listened to many, many times. 

Just check out the stream below to find out if this album is something for you. A download or the Digipack release is available at the Bandcamp page of the band's label Fastball Music.

More information on Michael Schinkel's Eternal Flame are available at the official homepage of the band.    

Let's speak with Saiseiga (Melodic Groove Metal, 2026)

At the time I listened to this band it quickly became clear that they put a lot of energy and heavyness into the music but at the same moment it's fine to hear that it's never overloaded. The riffs always stay sharp and clear in the sound. Power is always present but never ruins the sound with being brutal all the time. 

Saiseiga create hard music that's very melodic at the same time.

So who is this Japanese band and why do they release so many live DVDs ? The whole band gave answers to the questions I've send over. That's something that doesn't happen everyday so I'm very happy for this detailed insight into the band's way to work on new music.

Heavy Metal Underdogs: How did the band come together in the beginnings?

Saiseiga: The band I was playing was finished its activity and there was no plan at that time.  However, all gigs we planned before our final one were all cancelled due to that Covid, and we have this band to an end not seeing members and our fans, which made me have something on my mind since I could not fulfill what I wanted to do. After a while, I had been off from playing drums and music related activities, listening to myself and finally made up my mind that I shall do what I could not do when our last band broke up. This made me form a new band.  

I asked Katsuki whom I played with before to do a jam session in the studio and we were creating a new band's musical direction together. At the same time, I asked Regan to join this new band since I really  wanted her to be a vocalist in this band so badly. 

Wakkun was introduced by Regan's friend and he was also delighted to join this band when he heard our sounds and we hit it off. So, here we came as a SAISEIGA.

(Tohko)

What are the lyrics of your songs all about?

At SAISEIGA, I could check out demo songs with almost completed version.  Most of the times, I can get some inspiration from those sounds. 

Sometimes, this song title was almost ready and I can work on lyrics from those titles. 

Human beings, Strongness, Gentleness, Feelings, Justice and those answers are really varied. I have been very much interested in daily and large-scale questions. 

Those current thought of my findings are derived from demo songs and reflected to my lyrics. 

(Regan)

I've seen on your website that you've released some more live DVDs as well. Do your fans favor to see you perform instead of "just" listening to your music?

Needless to mention, we would like to have many people to listen to our studio albums but the essence of SAISEIGA is our live performance. By expressing our emotions and energy at those gigs, our audience can feel the unitedness, which no other occasion can offer. 

SAISEIGA's wide variation of songs can be experienced at our live performance.  We are delighted if our fans can have some fun to check out our music visually.  This is why we are releasing our live DVD often.

(Tohko)

Are you working out the songs together or has everyone his role in the band?

Our roles are divided naturally.  

We are four people, who have totally different personalities. So, there is no reason to try to take others' roles.   

Main composers are myself (Katsuki) and Tohko. Regan writes most of the lyrics.  

Wakkun does not compose songs but I asked him to compose a couple of songs since I wanted to have some idea from the guitarist's point of view. 

Once again we each have our own different personalities. 

I am in charge of all arrangements. Before I share demo songs with other members I normally make arrangements as if they are almost completed. 

However, I do have one contradiction. For one thing, I believe composing songs is one of the most important things in this band. On the other hand, I do not want to spend much time composing. 

This is because I want to compose songs with some driven emotions. 

I often see more values created by incidents. 

In order to proceed, we often play only with drum and bass to do jamming rather than composing. 

On the contrary I composed songs just by myself focusing and spending much time to make it complete, which I felt was very fresh. The bottom line I do not want to keep the same process to compose songs. I always want to feel very fresh feelings. 

This thought is a musical concept of SAISEIGA. (Katsuki)

Do you feel inspired by mangas or anime movies?

Yes. This is my personal point of view. And I do have lots of inspiration from those. 

In addition to anime and manga, I have much inspiration and influences from game music..  For exmaple, I got some inspiration from fantasy type of music which has a kind of nostalgic melody lines. 

On my guitar solo, I do have some kind of phrases sometimes. (Wakkun)

More details about Saiseiga can be found on the official website of the band. Make sure to listen to one song below so you won't miss out on this fine and unique melodic groove metal band. 

Album Review: Portal - Anno Mundi (Doom, 2026)

The brand new Portal album still speaks to all the lovers of the traditional doom metal genre. That's surely not a surprise to anyone who has ever heard songs of them. Anyway the newest output comes with some small changes every and there that made me listen closer. At the end of the day I was filled with enthusiasm for the new material.

The new Portal album shows a wide variety of guitar sounds.

This feeling came up through the riffs that are present on "Anno Mundi". Just take the heavyness of Wholly Roller. It's crushing riff rolls right over you. On the other hand it comes with soft vocals and lot's of melody inside all of the brutality. Others then that you've got very high sounding melodies like in "The Bronze Age" along with extended solo sections.

It's also a direct album that comes more to the point. You don't need to think too much around the corner once "Paschal Lamb" is running on your device. It's a compact number but changes towards the end where it goes in a rougher and harder direction. 

If you like to dive deep into guitar sounds then I recommend the title track "Anno Mundi" to your attention. Those layers are going up and down many times and they are much more present in the front of the sound that other tunes of the album. It should make all guitar players listen closer to find out how to play this. 

"A Charmed Life" shows the more faster and grooving side. It calls out to headbang to it and is a pure dose of fun to listen to. It's so fine to hear that the guitars shake the riffs all the time that it's hard to stop listening. 

Finally "Thunderclap" comes a lighter way with softer riffs and vocals. It's a unusual song for a band like Portal but put's a good balance in contrast to most of the heavier album content.

The vocals should be pointed out, too. They are going with more intensity. You can feel that they're sounding more direct and slightly heavier on this album. This put's a much welcomed change into the sound.

You can hear three songs of the record on thedoomportal.com for free streaming. The album is sold as high quality wave files at the shop tab of the website for six dollar each copy.   

Let's speak with Hunter Omega (Metal, 2026)

The new EP "Lake Of Death" by the belgian formation Hunter Omega left a mark behind in my ears. Intensive metal in the style of traditional US bands came out of the speakers but the four tracks present on the release are very different songs. Some are pure thrash metal, others more melodic midtempo metal and there's also a slow song among the four tunes.

The new line up of the band Hunter Omega. Photo credit: Tom van Collie

So who is this band that put's so much intensity but also variability into only one release? Maybe this interview will help us to find out. Guitar player Joost and vocalist David from Hunter Omega were so kind to answer some questions.  

Heavy Metal Underdogs: You've changed the bandname from Hunter to Hunter Omega. Why have you done that?

Joost :

With two out of the five members replaced, and the inevitable evolution in sound that brings, we felt it was right to let the name evolve as well.

Why Hunter Omega? The Omega makes reference to the endtimes. It better illustrates the apocalyptic concept of the band. 

The new EP "Lake of Death" shows a mix of songs with a lot of variations in them. I think they are all heavy but also very different compared to each other. Did you have a special style of songs on your mind in the time of writing these tracks?

Joost :

I wrote most of the music this time. I definitely wanted to steer the band into a heavier direction. The songs were written when the old lineup was still together, but Bram en Manu's presence definitely helped make them what they are now. F.A.F.O. is the exception. That's based around a song idea from Jeroen. When I heard it, I thought "this would make a great Motörhead song" and I wrote the guitar parts with that in mind.

David:

I’m happy you say “there’s a lot of variation”. Imagine you would have to say, “I listened to your EP, and the songs were all very similar”. To me that would be a bad thing. 

Does the story of the Hunter continue on the new EP?

Joost :

While we don't really write concept albums, the central theme of man as a hunter, preying on others, and the apocalyptic visions definitely continue. We definitely want to retain what made Hunter what it was and build on that. 

David:

This time, the lyrics came to me based on three melodies I was hearing and the sounds that fit them most. The subconscious probably takes over, there’s some personal struggles hidden in the songs. The Hunter can always be found everywhere, but I think the lyrics are a bit more cryptic this time. Except for FAFO, which is basically as simple as “I get in trouble but I get my ass kicked every time”.

You've been releasing music independently for over ten years now. How do look back with all your experiences now?

Joost :

The advantage of releasing music independently is that you have total freedom. Nobody will interfere with the music or artwork. The disadvantage is that you don't have distribution or a publicity machine. If the right deal is offered, we would not hesitate to sign. If it doesn't, we're perfectly fine to continue on our path. 

Do you have plans for liveshows with the new songs?

Joost :

We have a couple of album presentation shows booked and we're actively seeking gigs for 2027 and beyond. Hunter Omega is first and foremost a live band. 

You can contact the band through it's homepage. 

At the bottom of the page you can find links to social media pages. The "Lake Of Death" EP is going to be released on 9th September 2026. 

HÄ/DA have a infectious new song on offer

I've hardly had the feeling that a song got me so quickly like it did today. The finish formation HÄ/DA knocked on my door and with it's first listen already I couldn't do anything else but be in a good mood. 

HÄ/DA suprised me with a song hard to forget.

It's the mixture of the straight forward rocking song "Gone in November". When it first kicks off it's a fast forward moving typical Rock music piece in the style of AC/DC. But wait until you reach the bridge. That little snippet of guitar riff makes it nearly impossible to forget the whole song. This mixture of crunchy riffs with loads of catchy, pop-flavored melodies!

After a heavier solo section the music get's back on track with it's direct mentality and the end couldn't be more typical closing it with a proper drum roll before it's end. You just need to have this one on your playlists. Listen to the single on music services (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal, Amazon Music etc.): https://push.fm/fl/hada-goneinnovember

What's next on the band's agenda? Electric Knights Of Eternal Rock Fury, the upcoming album from Finnish hard rock band HÄ/DA is set for release in October.

Follow them now.

https://www.facebook.com/hadabandofficial

https://www.instagram.com/hadabandofficial/

https://www.youtube.com/@HADABAND

Are Velveteen Queen too far gone?

I don't hope so. The single of the same name shows the band based in Sweden in good shape. They introduce us to the sound with a compact guitar riff that kicks straight into the heavy music that's a lot of fun to listen to. 

The single cover of "Too Far Gone".

With every verse the intensity of the sound builds up even more just before a pre-chorus shout out stops us and throws us into the chorus. There's a lot of noise being present in the front of the song. Towards the end of the single the band takes it back to a more basic sound which gives a bit of room for taking it easier before the final part ends it quick and dirty.

The single is a taste of the upcoming record "The Greater Good" which is set for release on September 18th 2026. It's said to come with various songs on it one being a ballad, too.

The Greater Good will be available on vinyl, CD, digital formats and D2C bundles. Pre-orders can be placed here.

Upcoming shows:

18 Sept – Debaser Nova, Stockholm (SE)

19 Sept – Valand, Gothenburg (SE)

More dates soon to be announced; for tickets and more information visit velveteenqueentheband.com 

Follow VELVETEEN QUEEN on:

velveteenqueentheband.com

facebook.com/velveteenqueen.gbg

instagram.com/velveteenqueen_band

 

exPorter wonder about success on streaming sites

Sometimes it's surprising how a band can have success just through the internet. In times of streaming everything seems to be possible.

exPorter are happy that the song "Letting Go" gets so much attention.

This phenomenon happened to the alternative rock band exPorter. Just read what the band themselves said about how it all came together when they worked on the new song "Letting Go".

"Letting Go’ is a song that we had done with our friends in Let Flo Go. They're a band that started out in Santa Barbara like us, and Kylen and I started messing around with a couple songs. We started doing ‘Letting Go’ in our exPorter sets and it really went well. We started doing a more "exPorter" version so when we were recording our last EP (New Rubber Girlfriend) we really wanted to add a full band version of that song. It took off really quickly on streaming sites, started getting radio play, and for some weird reason became really popular for us in South America."

For me it's one of those songs that catches you quickly from the start. The song builds up step by step. In the beginning it's a soft and small rhythm and fine melody but things quickly start to grow when more punchy guitar riffs come into play and the rough section converts it into something heavier. 

Happily it falls a bit back into the dreamlike formula with the next verse. The heavyness comes back into play every here and there but it never becomes too hard. 

Let's see how the band moves on further. You can follow them on Facebook and most of all enjoy the music on Spotify (and become a constant listener).  

Victoria K expands sound further on new single

Following musicians for a longer time is such a great experience. It gives the ability to hear how the sounds evolve and how the people behind the music become more experienced in writing songs and performing on instruments.

Victoria K has evolved it's sound into new spheres.

 

These thoughts crossed my mind as I listented to the latest single of symphonic metallers Victoria K. Having been able to enjoy albums and now singles of them makes it possible to loose myself into the band's sound.

The latest release called "Take It All" has a shaper and more compact sound like ever before on the one hand. That's what quickly becomes evident once the music unfolds from the silent beginnings. The bass guitar sound is dominant but it fits into the sound. The vocals more than ever before share a lot of emotion and give a warm touch.

This time however there's often a change between silent and loud passages present in the music. These spots find it's proper place at the right moments. In the middle of the track everything comes into explosion and the music becomes louder than ever before. I think it has to be enjoyed carefully - don't put the volume level too high.

A new album "The Pleasure Of Sorrow" is also coming closer. Details are going to be released in the near future. Make sure to listen now to this fine tune and stick to the artist - let's see how the journey continues.  

 

CD Review: Razarking - Born in Texas (Hard Rock, 2025)

Of all the music that the songwriter RazaR King has released so far this particular album is the most raging one I've heard.

It's by far the heaviest piece of music I've heard that he has done. You can easily kick of the reign of riffs with the opener "Rock Is My Business". The drums open up the song and they remain hitting hard until the last note of the ten songs of the record. 

The cover of Razarkings Born in Texas album.

This fits great because most of the guitars are kept in raw tonality. Each song has a theme riff that it is basically held in. All the tracks are kept straight forward. But as the duration moves on further guitar elements move into the sound giving each song a own character. 

Typically most of the vocals come in at a softer note but the title track also adds some rawer spoken passages into the picture. This is a typical Hard Rock album but there are also surprises on it that also add it's part to the show. "Heatseeker" is a fast song in contrast to most of the midtempo of the other songs. It comes out of nowhere and rips very hard through the music.

After all of this something softer like "Road That Leads Me Home" is much appreciated. It's held a bit more open and has silk spots yet there's also heavyness present in there, too.

If you're looking for a load of lound and heavy Hard Rock songs the album "Born In Texas" is a good choice. For five dollar you'll get a package of direct rocking wave files that also offer the chance to discover a lot of solo sections and guitar effects. The album is available of the homepage of Razarking at the shop tab. 

If you'd like to take a listen first go to the very startpage of http://razarking.com  The title track of the album "Born in Texas" can be heard along with many more of the other releases.

Single Review: A Light Within - Aura Flux (Progressive Rock, 2026)

The newest output by this progressive collective isn't "just" a single but nearly a new birth of the band.

A new A Light Within single has been released - is it able to keep the high standard the band has become known for?

A Light Within were amongst the first bands I've been able to review here on the Heavy Metal Underdogs blog. They've released many EPs which were sometimes more sometimes less diving deep into the intensive classic prog rock genre. In recent times the band decided to put out singles.

"Aura Flux" the newest single release comes with a duration of nearly 13 minutes. It starts slowly like it's trying to find the proper notes at the beginning but starts with a louder intro afterwards. It all falls into a sea of softer and slower notes along with the vocals starting to perform with variations. 

The next part introduces itself with a different set of drum pattern and guitars. The vocals change once again giving it a darker touch. Finally it transforms into some rough eruption for some time just to open the way for more subtle guitar work. A section of classic psychedelic sounds is about to add even more joy into the listeners ears. 

I love this single because of the many, many parts it comes with. Times flies and that's often a sign that a band has created something really enjoyable. Just give it a try in the player below. Follow A Light Within further on socials like Instagram or the network Facebook - I'm looking forward to more new sounds by this band. If you like progressive sounds this is a must listen. They've done it really well to answer the question underneath the picture. I've not enjoyed post rock psychedelic sounds as much as I did with "Aura Flux".

Juan S. Garces reflects upon his Personal Warfare

Musicians are taking many challenges and risks in order to make the dream come true. One of them is the guitarist and producer Juan S. Garces based in Quinto, Equador. He started his journey in a home where music was a essential part of the day to day. Over the years he developed his skills with academic as well as autodidactic studies. 

After some time of performing with renowned bands of the rock / metal scene as well as with other genres he is now ready to publish his cover letter to the world by releasing his first solo album that talks about personal experiences, intimate thoughts, feelings and reflections that have set a deep mark on him.

The cover of Juan S. Garces debut album invites to think about the meaning of the elements that can be seen.

The music quickly jumped into my ears with it's mixture of compact guitar riffing, direct drums and highly melodic vocals. While the overall tone focuses on heavy progressive notes it's fine to hear that some easier and lighter melodies always remain wandering through the music. The duration of the seven tracks of the album varies but with it's many changes time starts to fly once you hit the play button. 

Amongst my favorites are the softer tracks "In my mind" and "Human". Both show how deeply emotional music can be and that Garces as a composer knows how to take the listener on a journey with his music.

Just try the first song "My bid" here in the player. The full album can be heard on the website of Juan S. Garces. There's a possibility to purchase the music for download or on a Compact Disc. 

EP Review: Final Coil - 1994 (2026, Grunge)

One of the reasons why I love listening to releases by this band is that you never know what comes next.

In recent years Final Coil became well know for the progressive sounds mixed with thoughtful and in-depth lyrics. But between the full albums the band always found time to put together smaller albums that were different of the usual sound.

It has been like this with Somnambulant as well as with the Somnambulant II mini-albums and now we have the 1994 EP in front of us. It's a love-letter to the grunge era of the 1990s. What I love so much about the four songs is the direct sound. It feels like they were done direct at the rehearsal space by the input of all of the band members. No time has been wasted but the band recorded the feeling and spontanity that has been hanging in the air on the recording sessions.

This feels great to me in a time of over-thinking and the "need" to be perfect. I love that it's so raw and not running around trying to archive something. Instead it gives me the feeling of hanging with the band and listening and watching them perform the songs of the EP.  If you've ever been at such a place you surely know what I'm speaking about. It's Grunge like Grunge has been meant to be. Direct and in your face. Nothing else.

Since it's such a great journey back to 90s I recommend to pick up the cassette or CD digipack edition or better the Cassette /CD bundle that are available of the band's Bandcamp page. The tape comes in a coloured case with a NFC chip inside. The Compact Disc has been put into a 4-panel-digipack with liner notes by Phil Stiles. 

Back in those days there was a need to visit a record store in the occassion of such a release but those stores have become rare. It would be great to see a copy of this in a record store anyway.   

CD Review: The Light - The Light (Metal, 2025)

I cannot believe that this release didn't found my attention much sooner. What's so special about this band?

The Light's first album is a intensive listening experience.

It's the way the music is build up. I know many bands say that the output they just released is standing out of the many other one's available. But this particular band really proves it. 

Ten songs can be found upon this self-titled album. It's obvious that they belong to the Metal sector - but each and every song offers something that gives it it's own note. Sometimes it's the slow rhythm pattern (Swinging) that hangs on my mind. Other times it's the riff that runs so hammering through the song that I recall the song "War" for a long time. 

The intensity of "Toxic dependence" seems to be structured the way it is to give the listener a idea of how hard and stressful something like this can be. Happily there are also lighter songs like "Fall" that aren't packed so much. Here the focus is set on the extremely heavy use of drums. Vocals are held in a more flat way. The other songs on the album are of a similar quality like the one's mentioned before.

If you're after a album filled with intensive heavy music this one by The Light is for you. It's not a easy album at all so it takes some time to get inside. If you take the time to discover it song by song I think you'll be rewarded with Metal music as you love it. The album is available as a CD as well as a limited 12 inch vinyl album at the Bandcamp shop of the record company Fastball Music.  

Let's speak with Ian Highhill (Classic Metal)

In recent months I read a issue of the Rock Hard megazine. It had a special inside that took the readers back to the year 1992. One part talked about Black Sabbath that released the "Dehumanizer" album in those days with Ronnie James Dio on vocals. 

Later on a E-Mail flew into my inbox that said that the music of Ian Highhill comes with a similar flavor like the Sabbath album so I couldn't resist to listen and was warmly welcomed by the sound that took me back to the days of the Birmingham legend with Dio on vocals. Who stands behind such great songs and what does Ian Highhill want to express with them? His full independent release of a new album made me even more want to know details behind the album "A Hymn Among Gravestones".

Heavy Metal Underdogs: How did you start your career as a musician?

Ian Highhill: I started my career in the early 80s. A friend of mine wanted to start a band, and around the same time, I got my uncle's old electric guitar as a birthday present. And obviously, the NWOBHM was happening at the time, so you couldn't have asked for more inspiration to start a band, could you? This was followed by many line-ups, perhaps most notably the power metal bands Olympos Mons and Astralion, and now my solo project Ian Highhill.

Ian Highhill talks to us about his life as a independent artist.

Do you think that today's musicians have the chance to take more control on the material they release?

Absolutely! Thanks to Pro Tools, social media and streaming services, artists now have complete control over their work. However, they also bear the entire burden of advertising, sales and, of course, creating the product itself. In my case, that includes recording, mixing, producing and mastering. It's all the things that record companies used to take care of. However, lately, it seems like the bands have been taking care of most of this themselves, while the labels have been making the money. So, I'm not sure what's best anymore.

You've just released a brand new album called "A Hymn Among Gravestones". Which topics did you cover in the lyrics?

The new album covers many themes. The first one I came up with was the title track, 'A Hymn Among Gravestones', which is directly linked to the war in Ukraine and other ongoing unrest. The same goes for 'King of Ashes'. This, in turn, leads us to one of the greatest sins of mankind: greed. Hence the song 'In the Name of Greed'. I also wrote a song about young people who join criminal gangs in search of respect: 'Deal with the Devil'.

Do you write songs when a idea sparks up or do you work on new songs in sessions?

I like to do everything myself, so I can work whenever I want and whenever I have ideas. The great thing about this is that I don't have to book studio time or wait around for other musicians to finish. I can make the songs from start to finish without any hassle. I haven't written at band sessions since Pro Tools came along. It's great that I can work from home in peace and quiet, and at my own pace.

The cover artwork has been done by you, too. The front and back cover seem to accompany each other. Are there some hints on the meaning you would like to share with us?

Ian Highhill completed all steps for the new album by himselves.

Yeah, I've been doing digital art as a hobby for a while, so it was only natural that I should make the cover myself. I also did some oil painting back in the '90s, which has been helpful too. The cover shows a soldier coming back from war, only to find that the only reward he gets is a hymn among gravestones when he dies. I've been around long enough to have met some World War II veterans. I'll always remember the sad look in their eyes whenever the war was mentioned. With everything going on between Russia and Ukraine right now, I thought it'd be a good idea to make the album title track about war and forgotten war heroes.

You can listen to songs of the album by picking a streaming service of your choice of this list.

Physical copies are available of Ian Highhills own webshop.

You can also watch a video here directly.

Album Review: PORTAL - Old World Order (Doom Metal)

There are many doom metal releases out there. This particular one brought back my interest in this genre by going back to the beginnings without just hanging in the past.

Historic events and wars are topics of the lyrics on Portals Old World Order.

Obviously the sound of PORTAL is based on old-school sound. You quickly feel taken back to the beginnings in the 1970's while sitting back and taking a listen. There's the full distortion coming out of the speakers that's so typical for it's generation. In every creation however you'll find a special melodic light that shines bright.

The song "Condemned to life" dances around in a slow, dark based tonality when it comes to it's basic riffs. But as the vocals start to come into the sound a fine melody adds a special finesse that set's the track apart of other doom metal pearls.

More groove and one of my absolute favorites is the title track "Old World Order". The rough and bright basic riff moves bold through the music. Later on the typical seventies feel jumps onto the music by a mixture of short vocal lines along with the second riff mixing a softer note through the wall of sound. 

Other tracks like "Shape Shifters" go again the slower formula but let the initial riff run into different endings that often end in melodic parts. This is surely going more into the experimental region but gives the music individual notes.

"River of Regret" comes as a more dreamlike number with a balladesque feeling inside of it. 

If you'd like to listen to some of these songs for yourselves go to the website of PORTAL. They are streaming directly on the start page. 

My favorites of the other six tracks were "Expiration Date", "Panic Room" and "Time Drifter" because of it's variation in vocals and the directly accessible song structures. They are amongst the most straight forward tracks and have a good mixture of groove and experimentation with a decent amount of melodies in them. 

Please consider a purchase of the music with a download in wave format available at the shop tab of the bands website. All albums are only five dollar plus taxes so you won't spent too much money on it.

The music has a high re-listen factor and there's lot's of fine details to discover and enjoy even after several rounds of listening. 

All tracks feature Michele Sanna (Jorn, Gamma Ray, Rhapsody, Sunstorm) and Bodo Schopf (Eloy, MSG, Sweet) on drums.

Voices Of Extreme kick off the year properly

How to start the new year? I think one of the best ways is to listen to the brand new single by Voices Of Extreme. 

The song "Stoned Babies" feels like a call to action for all you've thought about to achieve in these times. With it's massive vocals and strong guitars it feels like one of the kickass songs that give you this "now it's time to start something new" feeling.

Voices Of Extreme introduce themselves with the kicking "Stoned Babies" single.

I like the way the song builds up with the drums by Rod Morgenstein kicking it in. The vocals jump on the train instantly and before you start to realise you're already in starting to rock straight away. The vocals in the refrain are rough but it feels organic. A solo section shows some variations of the sound and the abilities the band members are able to perform on the instruments. This is something not to be found in songs like this usually. Finally the drums close the song - a great way to finish it.

"Stoned Babies" is the first single taken of the upcoming album "Faith in Action" which is going to be released on BraveWords Records in 2026. The band will play some shows this year so make sure to check the band's website from time to time for details. 

Alex Garoufalidis let's hearts beat in stereo

Today we've got something a bit different. It's a softer toned song but it's build a great way and I think a wonderful moment to all the open minded out there.

The new single by Alex Garoufalidis will quickly find a way into your heart. 

At the start it's only vocals and piano reaching out to your ears. But this makes it even more special as it already shows you with how much emotion and intensity this particular song comes to you. It's simply impossible not to keep listening.

Afterwards the single builds slowly with drums giving some movement into the sound. As the refrain came in it was already too late for me. The music already touched my heart so much that I knew I had to talk about it on this blog. So much emotion talking to me in all the words that fit so well into the music with such proper instrumentation that it is simply impossible not to hit the repeat button once "Hearts beat in stereo" comes to the end. I think I've not heard such a moving song in a long, long time.

Make sure to listen to Alex Garoufalidis brand new single here or check it out over on Spotify. There's also a full album coming up so make sure to stay in touch so you won't miss out the next steps towards the release.

EP Review: Silver Nightmares - Roxy Passion (Progressive Rock, 2025)

The newest EP by Italian progressive band Silver Nightmares shines in many colors through my speakers. To tell it instantly it comes with very different songs.

Roxy Passion comes with a cover sleeve not to be expected by Silver Nightmares.

Having discovered the band with the EP "The Wandering Angel" they stayed in my mind as a typical progressive but powerful Rock band. You could easily hear that they had not found it's full expression yet and was on the search on how to sound in the end. You can hear that they are skilled at the instruments and have ideas anyway.

The latest output speaks of a different language. Four songs are present on "Roxy Passion" and to make it short they are all very different in how they sound like. The name-giving title-track is a fully rocking song the classic way. It's not too heavy and rough but a solid number. It's easily imagineable that it could be performed live at the scene that's been illustrated on the front cover sleeve at a show while people enjoy life all over the place.

But already track two "Cats on the run" is a very different thing. It's a compact yet very melodic instrumental with a solid basis. It comes in a finer sound package than the previous Rock number. It's filled with many fine notes that invite to dream and relax while listening to it. This also goes for song number three "The Blue Light". 

Once again this is a song written with a finelined stencil. A dreamlike song sung in a emotional tone with many heart-touching moments. Surely something for the silent moments of life when you look out the window wondering what happened in recent days.

The instrumental version of "The Blue Light" is very different. It's not just the same song without vocals but a overworked version pointing out the many melodies and fine keyboard notes flying through the whole song. 

There's also some percussion present which cannot be heard at all at the vocal version. It's a good feeling that comes to my mind. This particular one feels a bit more uplifiting and makes me curious on how the band may move further on in the future. 

You can follow Silver Nightmares on Facebook and listen to the EP on all streaming services. There's also a vinyl pressing available from Bandcamp.

Jon Harris creates a journey in my mind through music

It's wonderful to see what music can do for you. Today I've been blessed with a fully instrumental track that made my mind jump on a journey into a fantasy ride.

Jon Harris has put out a extraordinary instrumental track that left something behind in my mind.

On the beginning of multi-instrumentalist Jon Harris song "Entitled" you can easily spot the main theme. The clean leads make the music stand out but soon enough rougher elements mix in - distortion finds it's way. Happily the path continues with single guitar sounds that added into the sound step by step feel like painting a picture layer by layer so that new elements come to life and the whole landscape builds and changes throughout the whole duration. The sound is sharp and it feels like it's alive and breathing.

Be sure not to miss out this gem and also keep a eye on the full record that has been released under the banner of "Parallel Heart". Stream the full album "Parallel Heart" now (released Dec 13, 2024): https://orcd.co/parallelheart​

While completely instrumental, the album conveys stories of tension and release, exploring the space between connection and chaos, creative ambition and everyday demands. From the pulsing energy of Togetherness to the shimmering retro feel of 97BPM, each track builds its own emotional narrative. Harris performs guitar, drums, bass, piano, and production on the record. More Info - https://linktr.ee/jonharrisrocks​

Album Review: Leatherjacks - Surviving The Beginning Of The End (Rock 'n' Roll)

Once you start to listen to this album by Leatherjacks you may think that it is indeed the typical Rock 'n' Roll song collection you would expect by them. But it all comes quickly to a change by track number two already. That's the point where I started to realize something different is going on with this one.

Many symbolic elements make this cover one to have a closer look at. 

Having heard this record on my very own just sitting in front of my trusty stereo system made listening to music different.

You just have the music and nothing else around you so you focus more on what's coming out of the speakers. This time it felt like a blessing that's coming my way. 

The beginning of the album with "Who cowers against the law" feels rough and hard. It knocks me out of everyday routine with it's hard hitting refrain and the hacking guitar riffs. But one thing is already evident: the rhythm style is centered in Rock 'n' Roll style.

"Baby Hit and Run" goes a similar route but blazes with more aggressive intensity and a much faster vocals. It presses heavily through the speakers.

If you need air to breathe now hold on - track three gives a lighter feeling also the heavyness in the vocals can be felt. It's a joy to follow the riff packed music with intermissions of lighter music sections.

The air keeps being lighter with the "Mechanimals" rising in the next round. It's a easy rock tune which is fine to enjoy. A solid tune.

"Surviving The Beginning of the End" unfolds as a balanced rocker with a longer refrain. 

If things become too flat for you just go to "Dead and Gone" - here's the full package of agression put into the song. The refrain won't leave your ears and brains for a long time so this is one to remember.

Leatherjacks has always been good for a surprise and "Somehow" needs no drums to still put out a hard rock song and made me curious on how it can be able to move just with guitars present in the music.

So this list is a short look into how the songs of the album sound like. The full record comes with twelve tunes so maybe you'll want to check it all out for yourselves now. Just hit the button on the player below. Mauro Cordeiro is the head behind the music and the record is available for download for only 10 Euro at the Bandcamp page of the Leatherjacks.