Demo Single Review: A Light Within - Terraform (Post Rock, 2022)

I think the new A Light Within demo single is going to surprise people who followed the band this far. The new material the band is currently working on will be released piece by piece as singles marked as "demos".

A Light Within open a new chapter with a demo single release.

Don't let this fool you. The quality is top notch there is nothing sounding bad or not outworked in this.

As I listened to the first installment called "Terraform" things overwhelmed me. A Light Within were well known to me for sticking to subtle and fine-tuned Post Rock sounds. 

This new material comes around with brighter sound. It slightly blasts the ears with full sound tonality from the very start. I like the way the drums are presented this time. They are coming more to the point and sound thicker than before without destroying the structures.

But don't worry, the new noise isn't all just about change. It's also keeping tradition. It still has these vibe that incites your imagination. Sometimes it's a bit ghostly, other times it's a bit spacy. Other moments I had to think of space travel and maybe this is how things sound when you explore outer space.

Make sure to close your eyes once in a while and let your mind drift away. A Light Within have created sounds that help you to go to places unknown. 

The vocals come further to the front and take more space and volume than ever before. Same goes for the melodies. They prefer to travel through the whole track duration. At the same time things morph and change so in the end there's change. 

All in all it has become a more direct and content filled soundscape. Make sure to take a listen.

As a alternative you can also listen to "Terraform" on Spotify and maybe recommend it to your friends.

Follow the band's journey on socials such as Instagram or Twitter so you won't miss the next single releases.

Album Review: SpiteFuel - Flame To The Night (2019, Metal)

Dark, darker, Flame To The Night. A album that reflects upon the feelings of anger and agression.

This record calls for the prize of being as brutal, tricky and heavy as can be. But at the same time there is still a light in the dark in the mood of the music as well.

The skull finally is alive on the album cover of SpiteFuel's "Flame To The Night"

It started out with "Machine" that I realised that the band has made a complete turn with "Flame To The Night". It's a beast of a song with a punishing refrain. I think this will go down extremly heavy on stage also it's hard to imagine that it could get any more bone crushing like on the album.

The new vocalist Phillip Stahl adds a much metalcore-like note to the sound. His growls are blackening the whole sky. But he also adds a twist with a little psycho touch in songs like "Trick Or Treat" - one of the most going under the skin going tunes of 2019.

The second half of the twelve tunes calls out to the older fans of the combo.

"Bad Boys" is one of the them. It's a midtempo rocker with sing-along refrain.The same goes for the compact number "Two-Faced". But they all sound with updated soundpackage through your speakers along with modern refrain structures. This said it's clear that SpiteFuel have changed to a up-to-date soundformat on the new longplayer.

"Firewater" is one of my favorites. It shares big bright riffs brought garned with lots of groove. This feels great and relaxed alltogether. "Silent Guard" goes more straight-forward but has at the same time special in it that will make it hang on the listeners mind later on. It's this feeling of emptiness in it mixed with slightly agressive moments that makes the track stand out.

It all comes to the close on "Try to hate me". It feels like a mixture of new brutality mixed up splitters of melodic elements. This one melts both worlds of the record into one piece of music.

Listen to the heavier side of the album as a teaser right here.

You can pick a copy from the MDD Records / Black Sunset webshop. Since the label has distributors all around the globe I think you can also get it at a local retailer / mailorder which may save you shipping and handling.

CD Review: Corners Of Sanctuary - The Galloping Hordes (Traditional Metal, 2018)

How can a band being rooted in the traditional metal sounds move further? Corners Of Sanctuary have proven that this is possible with the newest output "The Galloping Hordes".

Corners of Sanctuary - The Galloping Hordes cover

 I remember being positively surprised when I first heard "The Metal Machine" album back in 2015. This band woke lots of great memories of how everything started with metal music for me. Corners Of Sanctuary always pushed on forwards in the meantime with further releases and extensive tours.

"The Galloping Hordes" album marks a turning point for me. The band sticks to it's roots but has heavily worked on their sound. It's now cleared up and pushes the listener heavier. The bass comes more to the front but only on a real stereo not on smartphone or laptop speakers. This surely is one of the effects working with a legend like Bill Metoyer for mixing the record.

The music on this disc remains quickly recognizable as typical COS music but in addition to that the US band worked closely on the details of the sound (e.g. more outworked refrains with multiple layers and backing vocals this time). The tunes are riff driven, they feature lots of fun like riding the rollercoaster riffs ("A soldiers last (a drunken battle hymm)"). The rhythm has become faster on some tunes like the title track, comes around dirty and direct and sometimes slightly slowed down. ("Cloak Of Fear").

Most tracks center around the vocals but "Vengeance Of The Warrior" sets a focus on the guitars. The only weaker number for me was "The Lies In Your Eyes" because that felt a bit "simple" compared to the other songs. The last track rounds out the package and feels like a encore bringing you home. 

If you like it old school but look forward instead of living in the past this album is for you-

Purchase-Link
Remember the smell of opening a sealed CD with a printed booklet inside? Do yourselves a favour and get the silver disc through the band's website.

German readers can also order through the Mediamarkt retail chain website and pick up the Compact Disc a few days later from their local store. Maybe they even have it in stock, use the media station in the CD section of your store to search quickly. 

For fans of the digital music: you can pick the mp3 files from Amazon, too.

Preview-Video
Have a taste with the video of the track "Hail, Hail". It was filmed while the traditional metallers toured Germany this summer.

Brutai will turn your world upside down

Bands go through evolutional steps. It's like we all are going through changes, changes and even more changes. The progressive rockers Brutai recently went through one of these steps and are back with a brand new track.

Stranger Things inspired Artwork by Mark Leary @ Asylum Seventy7

That's what came to my mind when I listened to the brand new Brutai single. It came as a surprise to me. "Upside down" has a different soundstyle. It's less rough and the ongoing rhythm is set a bit slower yet it constantly moves along with the melodies and the many layers inside of the track. The mix of the new single is more detailed than ever. The progressive rockers seem to have given more room for a expanded sound experience with deeper emotions and breathing atmosphere.

Lyrically this one also comes with a special message. Felix Lawrie, vocals and guitars, says this about 'Upside Down'

“Upside Down is semi-inspired by the series Stranger Things. It relates to people being in situations that they can’t see a way out of, and it’s about asking people for help. It’s about being in an ‘upside down’ universe and seeing the world through someone else’s eyes. Empathy is the core emotion we hope people take away from this. The soundscapes are somewhat eerie and we felt Halloween was the perfect time to launch this track as an interlude to our new material from album 2."

You can download the track in any format from http://www.brutai.bandcamp.com alongside merch bundles and the final physical copies of the band's debut album 'Born'.

'Upside Down' is also available on iTunes and Spotify.

Brutai will return to the stage in December for the Incendia Music Christmas Party as the headline act. The band will also perform at HRH Metal in February.

Tickets for Brutai's headline show in December can be bought here.

Now having reverted to unsigned status again, the band recommencew their journey. Make sure to follow Brutai on this way.

www.facebook.com/brutai
@Brutaiband
Brutai.bandcamp.com