EP Review: Chipper - Reality Check (Stoner Rock,2023)

Music has the power to overcome many bad things. Chipper, a band out of Greece had to face many troubles but they made it through. The Reality Check EP as a result hands the power further to the listener.

Chippers new EP comes with a gloomy artwork.

What I like so much is the combination of heavy power riffing mixed up with a lot of groove portions and easier parts putting in a lot of fine work on the instruments showing the talent of the four musicians. You can quickly check this out for yourselves by the first full song "Terror 'n Fame". The vocals are rough and dirty but keep listening - there's far more to come.

But there's more than "only" heavyness to be found on the EP. Already it's next track "Remedy Light" comes in a lighter package and tonality. It changes it's format from verses with lighter guitar playing up to a heavier refrain that put's in more of the raw powered sounds. It's the working with so many different sounds and moods that makes this release stand out.

The "Oldschool Rocket Army" is a slightly faster and more harder number with great chorus that invites to rock along to it. I like the more open and clearer vocals in that section.

Finally "Under No Gods Cloud" closes the release with rough notes but lighter vocals. There's a section towards the end which plays around with sound possibilities - a fine way to give more life into the music.

Make sure to take a teaser with the player below. A digital copy is available for five Euro on Bandcamp which will help the band to create new and more music for you.  

Marty Friedman & Brian Auger perform on new Fusion Syndicate single

It's moments like this that make you wonder what's able to happen in the world of music - and only there is seems to be possible. These thoughts rushed through my head as I've become aware of the new Fusion Syndicate single.

It comes with two guest stars I never thought would come together in such a music frame. Marty Friedman is known to many as the guitar player with Megadeth in the 90's. His performance is one of a kind and he also puts out own solo albums ("Dragons Kiss" still rotates on my mind).

Brian Auger took part in the german TV show "Super Drumming" that was broadcasted way back in August 1989 here in Germany. Pete York was the sticksman who brought together many great drummers of that time among them Cozy Powell, Simon Phillips, Ian Paice and Gerry Brown to name just a few. 

It was all centered around the history of the drums in Rock and Blues music. A core band called "The All Styles band" performed classic tracks in a church - amongst them Brian Auger on keyboards. The drummers added their own signature drumming and solo parts into those songs. It left a massive feeling behind in me that music is something very special here on earth.

And now both can be heard in this jazz fusion supergroup called Fusion Syndicate. This link has been given to me with a overview on several music services that have "Meteor Shower" on offer for streaming and download.

Marty Friedman and Brian Auger unite in the Jazz Fusion Band The Fusion Syndiacate.

A first listen left a balanced impression on me. It's happily not a too overloaded release coming in two parts. It all starts out with a more basic performance with lots of atmosphere and few splitters of all contributors taking part. The topic of a meteoric shower is well present in my mind as I listen to the music. It's very well worked out in the details and the sound. The second part clearly put's the guitar into the bright spotlight. It's a typical hefty axe attack that shows Friedman's abilities very well most of all towards the end of the track. 

There's also a full album coming up. Read the following announcement for more details on this:

f you thought you would have to wait another 10 years for a new Fusion Syndicate album to light up the night sky, we have some exciting news for you! Yes it took over a decade for the jazz fusion supergroup to follow up its 2012 debut self-titled album with their sophomore effort, A Speedway On Saturn’s Rings, released earlier this month. But now comes the announcement that the group is set to release another full-length album, Beautiful Horizon, on November 3, ensuring that their fans and followers will have plenty to tide them over for at least another decade or more!

Beautiful Horizon is in many ways a companion piece to Speedway, continuing its cosmic theme while expanding its universe with a mindblowing array of eclectic performers including Fishbone's Angelo Moore, The Door's Robby Krieger, PiL's Jah Wobble, Mahavishnu Orchestra's Jerry Goodman, Megadeth's Marty Friedman, Chrome's Helios Creed, and more. The album showcases even more adventurous, musically complex master works, including the album’s first single “Meteor Shower,” which is released today. The combination of fiery metal guitarist Marty Friedman and icy cool keyboardist Brian Auger creates a brilliant once-in-a-lifetime cosmic event that not even Haley’s comet could upstage!

Watch for the full album experience of Beautiful Horizon to be released on CD and digital with bonus tracks that feature additional performances Steve Morse, Tony Kaye, John Etheridge, Steve Hillage and others! And keep watching the night sky for the appearance of the vinyl version following shortly after.

Order the CD: https://cleorecs.com/store/shop/the-fusion-syndicate-beautiful-horizon-cd/

Pre-order/pre-save the digital: https://orcd.co/beautifulhorizon 

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.

Single Review: Mike Milan Dedic - Energy (Instrumental guitar shred, 2021)

It's great to hear how musicians evolve over time. I think with time passing I feel I can appreciate more the efforts these people take to not let the music become boring.

The cover feels like it comes with a message. What do you think?

This also goes for Mike Milan Dedic. Being a solo instrumental guitarist I met his work some time ago and liked his style. These days he returned with brand new material in form of a single. This time around he laid it down more heavy concentrating on raw solos. 

The song listens to the title "Energy" and I think it has many phases of energy in it like a rocket that travels to the stars.

It all starts rather basic with the drums coming in. Next is a first solo introduction. It all comes abruptly to a end to make room for more relaxed moments and also hammond sounds shining in. 

After the short intermission another break to hand in more solos and far more roughness that climate in a duell with the mentioned hammonds and more dirty guitars end the track.No question the evolvment is here. Make sure to have a listen and purchase the track as a good starter to 2022.<

Available now on:

‎https://music.apple.com/us/album/energy-single/1580690268

https://www.amazon.com/Energy/dp/B09CCLZHPY/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=energy%20mike%20milan%20dedic&qid=1628784597&s=dmusic&sr=1-1&fbclid=IwAR2fPPdvt7oujJbLJj8MqjucPLtUfSONOA6v8BqmuajBcNsQ_Alx-V_2b_8

https://open.spotify.com/album/0QkdmwNAn59LTcGhPuj3XD

https://www.deezer.com/fr/album/251263352  

Single Review: All Depraved - Makes me blind and insecure (Thrash, 2021)

This band coming from the Austrian Alps (Kärnten) kicks it out straight forward taking no prisoners. 

Bandpicture of the band All Depraved, Photo Credit: Tom of All Depraved.

Sometimes when you get sends like this one it's hard to know what to expect. But this time a positive surprise came out of the bag. This gem which is yet to be released on May 2th 2021 features a frame of constant pushing drums provided by guest drummer Adrian Erlandsson (At The Gates, The Haunted). 

The air is filled with classic razor sharp thrash riffs that cut straight and direct. At the same time they feel slightly layered at some points which gives it it fuller sound structure. 

The vocals go a slightly growling way. Happily they don't go too deep so they are understandable. That's a big pro in my ears because it gives the refrain a hugh push and together with all the backing vocals it builds up to be a ear catcher. 

The whole song takes a turn when it changes to the solo section. I love those midtempo changes, it gives a new view on the main riff of the track and a chance for all those who love to headbang like a propeller.

This track works fine as a introduction. It also leaves me asking how the other songs the band is working on may sound like. "Makes me blind and insecure" will be released on all streaming plattforms on May 2nd 2021. 

Be sure to connect to the band on Facebook and YouTube to get a reminder of the single release. 

A full album is about to follow sometime in 2021, too.

EP Review: Kilter - Sys (Instrumental Jazz Metal, 2021)

Some bands really dare to go new ways. That's what came to my mind as I heard the newest output of brooklyn-based band Kilter.

While the basics of the three tracks on this one source of solid groove taken of the Jazz genre, it's the build-up that opens my ears so wide. "Sentinent Robotics" for instance plays around with wild bass and saxophone riffing. The segments come out in little potions and evolve over the tracks duration. But what I love most to hear is that the elements talk between each other. It's going back and forth but never loses it's line so the music keeps track- and enjoyabile.

Most of all the sound adds to the experience. It's clear and direct. You can easily spot all elements and enjoy them. It's a variable release. "The Turing Test" is much slower creeping through your speakers but builds with every second passing. The middle part consists of fat grooves going hand in hand with the songs theme. Fine detail work towards the end.

"Mind-Body Problem" forms the last and longest one. Experimenting with saxophone noise the beginning already introduces a unusual song. It keeps going this way but adds a nice bass riff in the background to finally explode a little bit into a float of saxophone noise experimentation.

If you're open to something new and sounding so much different try Kilter. They don't serve the usual but wake your ears for fresh sound. The trailer has some snippets of the release that is expected to drop on June 25th 2021. 

Make sure to pre-order this gem through the Bandcamp page of Kilter or pre-save it to your Spotify library.

 

Livestream-Review: Anvil - L'Anti Bar, Quebec City 04.07.2020

Can a livestream event really fit properly to showcase a band's abilities? Anvil proved that it is possible.

Anvil at the very beginning of the set.

The Canadian legend Anvil is well known for all their classics. Recently the band dropped a new full length called "Legal at last". Like so many other bands they had to cancel the already booked shows. The guys behind the L'Anti Bar invited the band for a livestream performance. People who wanted to attend needed to purchase a virtual ticket in advance but were rewarded very well for their money.

The band opened up with a blast of a instrumental intro. It gave a taste that a well balanced and crystal clear sound has been set up. They were on fire that night.

You could see that Anvil had a lot of fun. They smiled all the way through the set, most of all Lips who once more showed why he is a solid frontman. Bassist Chris Robertson choose to move back and forth to the whole songs while showing grimace every here and there. Very cool!

The band showed that they had a lot of fun performing live.

Other times the band showed some guitar-posing in the form of Accept. Applause was added to the sound as no real audience was allowed to show up but the text responses in the chatbox spoke for themselves. They were some lags in the beginning of the stream. Maybe a control panel to change the quality of the steam could help out to prevent such things the next time.

Lips had his typical humor and short banter with him. He had a great high-toned voice on that night. I liked the band introduction. Everyone was allowed to do a solo starting with bassist Chris Robertson. Robb Reiner was unbelievable on that night. He showed a precise drumming that sharply followed the guitars on every step. His drum solo was one of the most entertaining one's I've heard and seen in a long time. Finally Steve Kudlow gave his well known dildo-guitar performance. It was a lot of fun.

Robb Reiner performed a impressive drum solo and overall performance.

The band played for a good ninty minutes and rounded the set with a blasting cover of "Born to be wild" and the iconic classic "Metal on metal". I can only hope they will do more live shows in the near future. I would choose to see them every time again.

Keep a eye on the band's Facebook page. Let's hope we're lucky enough to see the band performing live in the future again.

Single Review: Skin For A Canvas - Autumn fireflies (Ambient Acoustic, 2018)

The atmospheric time of change has arrived. We turn from summer to winter. Skin For A Canvas provide the proper soundtrack to this time of the year.

This summer has been long and heated. Slowly we go to the colder days so it's time for some softer stuff. The cover alone already speaks out what the music inside is all about. It's a catchy tune full of touching moments. Close your eyes and let it fully sink in. Time to relax for a while...

The beautiful cover gives a hint of what to expect of the music

One of the creators behind this single is Ian Mortimer. Readers of this blog may remember his name for his work on his other project Drop Oblivion, a much heavier Death 'n' thrash metal offering. But this man also has a tatste for softer tunes. This reviews looks into what is about to come out soon.

"Autumn fireflies" fades in slowly a classic acoutic way but some percussive elements add in every here and there already. It combines the soft glimpse of fine guitars and harmonic vocals along with surprisingly rougher notes coming later in. The first section is based on clearer parts with some tasteful rhythm. "Autumn fireflies" builds up with more keyboards and dual vocals further to rush up towards a outgoing point marking the end of the track with a climax.  

You can pre-order this release through the Distrokid service. It will be added automatically on 2nd of November 2018 to your Spotify library. There's also a link on the page to pre-save the track on Apple music. Below is a little sneak peak of the single.

The artist Ian Mortimer already works on more stuff together with Dani Burnett. It's a limited album that's in the works based on music written in different time periods.

Some of the songs of this album are brand new songs, some written before Dani was planned to be on this album and some songs Ian Mortimer and Dani wrote back in 2006 but were not recorded or released but now this album will finally see the day of light. Be sure to follow the both further through the Facebook account of the Skin For A Canvas to know how the story goes on.

Single Review: Swirl - The Lift (Heavy Rock, 2018)

Feeling bad? This one track will help you get back in a good mood.

Introduction
Swirl came to me as a band playing the classic heavy rock note but having spread own ideas and fine undertones all over their sound. This track called "The Lift" comes around as a first sign of new music from the US band.

The cover of Swirl's new single "The Lift", (c) by Swirl, used with kind permission

Summary
The sound is much shaper, clearer and compact than on the previous release - the Swirl disc that contained songs that also were used in the "Ditch Day Massacre" movie. I think that's a big plus. You can access the music much faster this way I think. Overall the song does what the track name promises -  it lift's my feelings up. It has a easier feeling with it compared to the older tunes.

What else has changed? The vocals are outworked more and point the listener's attention to various corners of the song. It shows evolvement no question. The last third is a bit rougher with repeating the chorus over and over again and much heavier guitars in the sound. That goes a bit deeper under the skin. That's why I would say they do heavy and not just hard rock.

Puchase Link & Stream
You can pick the song up as download single as part of the running GoFundMe campaign. If you purchase the track over there you will not only get the electric but also the accoustic version of "The Lift" as a bonus.

If you spend some more money you can get your hand on some more cool stuff in return. For instance the band is open to play a house party for people living in certain regions of the US - wouldn't that rock your next birthday party? Just imagine you can say you have the band onstage tonight that has songs that were used in the "Ditch Day Massacre" movie. People could rock out to this all the way! Overall the more you give the more new music the band can produce.

If that doesn't fit your needs you can still get the onetracker as regular download on the portals such as iTunes but this only secures you the electric version.

Song Stream
Listen and relax.

 
Contact-Data
Keep a eye on Swirl with Facebook or check the good old homepage of 'em.

Single Review: Mike Milan Dedic - Escape (Instrumental Rock,2017)

Shred guitarist Mike Milan Dedic presents a brand new track and it's a surprise to the reviewer. I never thought hat he would move on so much further with this release called "Escape".

The cover of Mike Milan Dedic's brand new release "Escape"

Summary
Heaving heard and reviewd his previous EP I was sure that more shred-oriented material would come along with this one. The new single "Escape" that comes as a one track download is a explosion of progress in my ears. It's much more song-oriented, there's more of a earworm feeling at times than on the first release which sounded more of a demonstration of the guitar playing abilities of Mike Milan Dedic. 

To me it's more of a rocking number that split's the dutys. The guitars take a good part of the sound but the backline of drums and bass also has their moments when they are able to shine for themselves.

The track feels much better, fresher  and sounds overall much more moving, diverse and changing throughout it's full duration. There's even time to relax at some  parts. A big step forward!  

Purchase-Link and Track Stream
Make sure to have a listen for yourselves. You can purchase and listen to the track at the same link (CD Baby).
 
Contact Data
Finally make sure to connect with this outstanding guitarist via Facebook to be notified of what's going on in the future.

CD Review: Reclvse - Evil Lvrks (Doom, 2016)

This EP from Reclvse shows impressively that a band can evolve a lot from one record to another.

Introduction
 
Thinking back on their debut recording in 2014 I had in mind that these guys prefer a sort of doom that comes around slowly in terms of speed and with lots of majestic vocals. Having turned on their their current output that has been dropped in August 2016 a surprise came my way and it already began with a much more decent and detailed cover sleeve.

The cover of Reclvse's "Evil Lurks" painted by Bvrzerk, (c) by Reclvse, used with kind permission

Summary

The EP starts with a short bell intro and the title track makes clear that the band has started to open up a new chapter with the release of this one. While the overall tonality remains true to the classic and oldschool doom formula the songs itself are kept in a much more faster way. In addition to that they are much more groove oriented and the song structures are set in a more precise and sharper way. You can jump into the sound straight from the start without knowing too much of the band beforehand.

"Evil Lurks" itself is only the beginning. The record pushes the mood of the listener further with each track until it explodes in the third number named "Inn Modern Times". Another surprise - the fastest number I wouldn't have expected ever from them. The last two tracks are live recordings. Both numbers help you to come down a bit again. They are held in the style of the first two songs of the EP. Check the title track if you want to find out quickly if this band fits to your musical taste.

Purchase-Link and Album-Stream

Overall this recording should be a fine discovery to all those people out there loving the old days of Black Sabbath. Riffs, simple groove and straight vocals are the essence of this recording. The recording is up for a "Pay what you want" price on Bandcamp. Please consider giving some bucks so the band can continue to provide you with more fine doom metal and let you enjoy liveshows that we all love and need so much.

Contact-Data

Make sure to keep the contact with this Doom band located in South Wales through their Facebook page offering a lot of nice bonus-content.

Book Review: Don't forget the business in the music business - Antonio Ponce (2016)

A book that keeps it short and instead of too much anecdotes it's filled to the brim with useful instructions and hints for bands who have passed the first basic steps.

The cover of Antonio Ponce's hintbook - Don't forget the business in the music business, (c) by Antonio Ponce, used with kind permission

Summary

Having a first look at this publications reveals that it won't be a long read. All in all it comes along with 78 pages of information. Don't let this keep you away from having a eye at it. The author knew that time is always short so he kept the words sharp and precise. He only focusses on what's really worth having a closer look at.

This said it should be mentioned that this hintbook is intended to bands that have already passed the first steps. You should have your instruments ready, learned how to play it properly and have assembled a bunch of people together that really can stick with each other. Songwriting is only touched slightly when it comes to things like sound and style. That's exactly where this business guide starts out.

You'll get direct tipps that can save you a lot of money and the boring surfing around and wasting time to figure out all the basic steps on how to lay down your basics for a proper band. Some chapters contain more information while others are held shorter. One thing was great for me: the book is also a good read for your own real life. It's of use not only to musicians but also to other people following their dreams...

It should also be said that these pages won't make you a superstar or anything like that. I think there is nothing like that around. A book also can never perform the steps for you that are necessary. If you keep that in mind you'll be satistied with your investement.

The only thing I would add in a second edition is something like a calculation sheet in a electronic format or at least a short example directly in the book. This would round out the chapter of keeping a close eye on the tight budget perfectly. It could help as a start you have directly at your hand because reading something is fine but how to turn it into real action? Anwer: here is a sheet to give you a proper start.

Purchase-Link 

Since the book comes along for only 5 Dollar as a pdf file via the website of AP Jones Publishing I think it's a good starting point to bands that always have to trouble with money. But who doesn't have trouble with this in this world we live in? So don't be afraid, you are not the only one. As a alternative you can also pick it up as a Kindle file through Amazon.

If you want a copy as a real book you'll need to put in more money, it's available for around 20 Dollars on the website of the publisher AP Jones Publishing.

Contact Data

You can get in touch with the author directly using Facebook.

CD Review: Celestial Ruin - Pandora EP (2016)

Do you remember the myth of the box of the Pandora? It is greek mystery about a ancient box holding a lot of evil. In today's context it is often used as a phrase expressing that with a small decision one can cause a lot of negative consequence as a result.
How would it sound like if you opened up the box of the Pandora? The symphonic band Celestial Ruin has created a record that could be a soundtrack to such a experience. Open the box right now. There's no risk for you this time but a lot of great music you can find...


Summary

It's a deep and meaningfull record. Besides the obvious female symphonic surface this output has a lot more to offer than similar EPs. It starts with the song structures which build up in a more clever way. It's far more subtle and you need to listen closely so you won't miss out on the fine elements that are kept inside.

The songs build up step by step through a good part of the duration and often redemption awaits at the end rewarding you for your listening patience. Overall the music comes around in a slower tempo compared to other band's of the same genre but if you prefer a intense, emotion-breathing atmosphere over fast rhtyhm patterns you will find a lot of satisfaction through listening to the Pandora EP.

It's a intense experience reflecting a lot of passion that has gone into the making of Pandora. You'll feel this when you take a closer ear to the guitar solos, the powerfull vocals and the overall fine-tuned sound package the whole band banned on tape.

The cover of Celestial Ruin's Pandora EP, (c) by Celestial Ruin, used with kind permission

Meaning of the lyrics

Lyrically the EP talks a lot about life experiences. They are thought out in detail and every track comes with a deep and meaningfull message. I'll list up a resume statement below so you have a idea of what the lyrics are all about.

Vocalist Larissa Dawn comments on the tracks of the EP:

“All the lyrics on "Pandora" were written about unleashing destruction into the world. Chaos caused by all the pain that negative emotions can create. A sort of cause and effect scenario. Each of the songs tells a different story and explores what happens when you make the wrong decision or fail to make any decision at all. Remaining stagnant and letting the world collapse in on you. The only song that kind of swerves from this theme is "No Quarter", this song is more of a movie told through song. It follows the story of infamous pirate Davy Jones and the battle that ensues between him and a rival ship.

Pandora has a much darker feel to it and I hope it paints different pictures in peoples minds when they hear it. I want them to be able to imagine exactly what is going on, like it's their own personal movie.”


Purchase-Link

You can pick up a digital copy of "Pandora" through the band's homepage or order one of the silver discs that are available there as well. Alternatively you can buy a digital copy via iTunes.

Please support such outworked creations with your purchase. Bands can only survive and continue with your own personal support. They'll thank you with more music and concerts taking you far away from your everyday troubles.

Connect with Celestial Ruin through the well known social channels such as Facebook, Twitter or add them on Youtube to your watch list.

CD Review: Pander - Fierce Self (2015)

A stonerrock album for all those of you who like their music raw, hard, dirty and direct. A excellent package of heavy riffs, great rhythm and diverse songwriting. Come inside for some live sounding pounding music.

Band Introduction

Pander is a stonermetal band from the norther region of the Netherlands. In 2012 they released their first record "Go". In Oktocber 2014 the band started the work on "Fierce Self" and signed with Stichting Metalization who have taken over duties for the album release and distribution.
In July 2015 the band had to face the death of guitarist and founder Andre Boumer who passed away at the age of 40 as the result of cancer. The band happily didn't gave up and completed the new album which saw the light of day on 24th december 2015. It is dedicated to the memory of their bandmate who can be heard on some of the nine tracks of "Fierce Self".

The frontcover of Panders "Fierce Self", (c) by Pander, used with kind permission

Summary

The album is like a answer to one of my wishes. I always wanted to hear a record that really comes close to the feeling of being in a rehearsal room with that feeling of the pressure the sound creates only at those places. "Fierce Self" is one of the few records I found that has this feeling to it. The tracks are also connected to each other so you have the impression that the band is doing the final rehearsal just before the tour or the next show is coming up and is playing all the tracks in a row.

Musically it's a heavy riffing album with softer vocals and a good potion of groove with it. It has a fat sounding rhythm section with it that you'll remember having listened to the music. The songs all come along differently so it'll take some replays to get all the details that can be heard on the album. As well as sounding live it's also a CD that comes with a quality at the recording technique so it's well worth giving some money away for it.

You'll receive a fine digipack CD package with a dark and gloomy artwork but if you keep the circumstances in mind that happened during the album creation it's only understandable that the artwork couldn't show up in a happier way. Even if you look at the backside of the Compact Disc itself you'll see a mention the band left for Andre Bouma. Far too many great musicians leave us these days but we can only hope that this band will push on forward no matter what comes next.

Player

The whole album can be heard from the Soundcloud widget below.


Purchase-Link

You can purchase the download directly at the Bandcamp page of Pander for 4,50 Euro or order a fine CD copy from Stichting Metalization for 5 Euro plus shipping and handling. If you prefer iTunes you might be happy to see that the album is up for purchase their as well.

Also make sure to connect to Pander using Facebook.

CD Review: Angerhead - Fueled By Rage EP (2016)

A oldschool thrash EP with slightly mixed in elements of other styles such as hardcore and classic metal. If you prefer your metal heavy and brutal like in the old days when thrash was directly going all on it without any ado then this recording is all for you.

Short Introduction

Angerhead is a San Jose, California based band that was started in February 2011 by Guitarist Eric Beard (Dr.Chunk, Xzanthus) and Vocalist Paul Hastey (Plaster), who expertly blend elements of Bay Area Thrash, Metal, Punk and Hardcore into the music they write.The band is rounded out by Bassist Jim Pegram (Mudface, Imagika, Skinner) and drummer David O'Neal (Stormy Strong).

In 2013, Angerhead went in the studio and recorded a 3 song EP, which featured the title track "Angerhead" with Paul sharing vocal duties with Steve "Zetro" Souza (Exodus, Hatriot).

In 2014, they entered the studio once again, this time with Juan Urteaga (Machine Head, Testament) and recorded the "Headful of Hate" 4 song Ep which has gained the bands even more fans.

2016 sees the band releasing their new new 5 song "Fueled by Rage" EP, once again with Juan Urteaga at the helm. The EP is currently available for free download from the band's Reverbnation page.

The cover of the "Fueled By Rage EP", (c) by Angerhead, used with kind permission

Summary

This EP comes directly to the point. No long debate, no questioning around - Angerhead are going in straight and make CLEAR what's on their mind. This is one of the kind recordings that fits best when you're filled with agression and negativity and need to let go of it. "Fueled By Rage" will help you to do so.

Sometimes in all the heavyness you'll witness potions that are mixed in of other styles of the heavy genre. But those elements are few and perfectly fit to the track. There is some variation in on this EP, it's not all just fast forward. So in all the obvious brutality that is perfectly expressed by the vocals and the heavy production you'll always have spots to discover. That's something that's not easy to get by. You need some rounds to come around all of those diamonds mixed in. Not many records out there have this.

For instance "So cold" obviously is a very heavy and straight number but the refrain is set in a bit slower form and tonality and gives some variation into the number. "Face the fear" is another good example for this. Typically direct to the point but the track is a bit more relaxed in it's structure and the refrain well worked into the way the hole song is build upon. The package is greatly rounded by a proper cover of Motörheads "Iron Fist" in Angerheads own formula - very cool yet very faithfull to the original.

Player / Purchase Link

It's a little sensation: a band put's out a brand new EP and gives it away for free as a download. It's hard to believe. I remember times where stuff like this one was up for purchase and it was the normal way to buy it if you wanted to own a copy. So without any further ado here's the link to Reverbnation where you can get your free download or stream the whole mini album directly from the player below.
Maybe you can reward the band with buying some merch or going to one of their shows. Remember that music needs your support to survive - it's your vote that counts.

Contact Data 

Stay in touch with the band by having a look on their homepage from time to time or let yourselves notify through Facebook about news from the band. 

CD Review: Van Halst - World of Make Believe (2016)

A album showing how it sounds if you put your whole heartblood, feelings and musical abilities on one disc.The female voice of Kami van Halst is going through all the various regions you could imagine. A symphonic metal album showing how different songs can be if you want them to be this way. Don't miss out this wonderfull recording.

Short Introduction

Edmonton, AB's Van Halst is a fierce, empowering force of hard rock fused with metal.  A project, which began as a solo artist for whom the band is named after -- Kami Van Halst, has since become a full group producing socially conscious, lyrical tracks that focus on disenfranchised and marginalized populations.

The band’s influences stay true to goth rock with Kami Van Halst demonstrating an agile vocal delivery in combination with pummeling growls. Lyrically, the band draws from black metal due to its focus on people suffering from isolation and rising to overcome the preconceptions of a judgmental society. In This Moment’s industrial fusion remains a primary influence for Van Halst, employing a sampler, synthesizer, and distorted vocals.

Their debut album 'World of Make Believe' is available as of March 4th 2016.

The front cover of "World of Make Believe", (c) by Van Halst, used with kind permission

Summary

This album is on my mind for some time now. Why? It's simply because you can feel so deep that it comes from musicians expressing their pure emotions and views of the world in such compositions that it's practically impossible to get them out of your heart. The album has this special something that only few recordings come with. It's symphonic metal in all it's variations and all it's beauty it can be.

It's like a ocean. Sometimes it's fast and wild like on the tracks "The End". On other times it's going up and down in itself just like on "Save Me" with it's variations between rougher and softer parts changing all the way through the track but never missing redemptive elements in them. It has epic, slower moments like with "Ryan's Song" as well as straight rockers like the title track that comes with a lot of pumping energy.

Finally there are also great balladesque songs on "World of Make Believe". "Questions" and "Denying eyes" are good example but "Plastic Smile" tops them all. A riffed melody that slowly builds up all the way through the song just to explode at the very end. What a outstanding song - it made me speechless.

Player / Purchase Link

The album is available as a digital download from Bandcamp and iTunes. It's priced at 10 Canadian Dollars on Bandcamp which is a bit more than 6 Euro. A download on iTunes comes around for 9,90 Dollar. Please take the time to prelisten to the album from the player below. I think you'll quickly re-feel what I've described in my summary.

I've seldomely heard a more diverse and intense album ever before. Since this is a self release you'll support the artist directly with your purchase. You have a mighty vote with what you buy - every time you open your pockets you'll set a sign that you want more of this. Artists will reward you with beautifull music taking you far away from your everyday worries and often help your to find the strength to overcome them. That's worth a lot in these troubled times in my eyes.


Upcoming gigs and Contact Data

Van Halst has two shows coming up on

Apr 29     Overtime Sports Bar     Calgary, Canada             
May 28    Hard Rock Cafe     Toronto, Canada

Keep in contact with the and using social tools such as Facebook, Twitter or make use of the good old traditional way visiting them on their own website. 

CD Review: Lyra's Legacy - Lyra's Legacy EP (2014)

A great first EP combining sharp guitars with a lot of fine melodies, a excellent rhythm section and many vocal variations. It's the tension between the heavyness of the guitars and rhythm patterns on the one hand and the harmony of the voice on the other that makes this band so special.

Short Introduction

Lyra’s Legacy was founded in 2008 and consists of five musicians from North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany. Every band member brought in their individual musical experience from previous bands like Heavenfall and Frozen Fire.

Since 2011 Lyra’s Legacy is playing gigs and festivals e.g. “Metal for Mercy On Stage”, “Realms of Metal” or “Brotherhood of Metal” and shares the stage with bands like The Name, Gloryful and Ivory Tower.

Lyra’s Legacy represents sophisticated and melodious metal and inspires the audience with their melodies, musicality and power. They've put out a three track EP under the title "Lyra's Legacy".

The cover of the Lyra's Legacy EP, (c) by Lyra's Legacy, used with kind permission

Summary

A compact and razorsharp three track EP is what we have here. All songs go straight into your ears and will make you headbang to them all the way. On the contrary there's lot's of room for emotions and slower sections with keyboards giving it a silker touch. The vocalist uses a wide range of variations for his performance which makes the tracks even more enjoyable. There are surely not only some high pitched notes in the vocals but also a lot of midtone as well as some sing-along choruses to be found.

Player and Purchase Link

The whole release is up for a free listening session on the Soundcloud service so there's no need to buy the stuff without testing. If you like what you hear you can purchase a copy on a silver disc for 5 Euro plus shipping and handling. A band shirt is available for 10 Euro plus shipping and handling.

You can order these goodies through the band's Facebook page, through the band's contact Email form or contact Andreas Denz at his Facebook account to order your copy.


EP Overview

Mirror Of My Life
Powerfull compact starter, very riff packed, few keyboard inserts. The fine outworked vocals show much variations in them and the refrain invites to sing along,

Breath Of A Winter Night
A epic beginning but it changes quickly to faster riffing, free power riffing follows. It's a very direct number going all on it.

Utopia
The final song starts slow and then goes over straight into a pure powerfull riff rollercoaster providing the listener with sharp, straight, hard, powerfull and intense moments.

The band Lyra's Legacy, (c) by Lyra's Legacy, used with kind permission

Links

Check in to the band's website for all the latest tourdates and also tune in to Facebook for even more regular updates.

Fins a Luminous share haunting Double A side single

This brand new digital single released by UK based band Fins A Luminous shows that you can also work with fine electronic elements to create a deep and intense atmosphere. I think it's the idea that stands behind the music and how detailed it's worked out that decides if it touches the listener.

The cover of the Double A side single, (c) by Fins A Luminous, used with kind permission

This said the single starts out rather soft and silent with "Setting Souls". The song is styled in a minimalistic way but once you let it sink in you'll discover what this simpleness will do for you. It's this easy toned style that helps to concentrate on the music itself. This track that will take you away from your everyday life and lead over to a more relaxed state of mind. Enjoy some refreshing of your soul while listening to it.

The second number "Funeral Shake" gives things a more raw and powerfull tonality featuring elements of drone and shoegaze in it. While it still creates landscapes of imaginations through the music it definitely goes a bit deeper and works with various sound layers to create it's atmosphere. The lyrics are inspired by the Twin Peaks series.

If you enjoy what you hear don't hesitate to go to Bandcamp and pick a copy of this release. While the band has been so kind to give it away for free please consider giving at least a few bucks back on a donation basis to help them creating more atmospheric and refreshing tunes for you.

Follow the band through their social accounts on Facebook or Twitter to stay up to date about all the upcoming works of Fins A Luminous. You can also visit Soundcloud for more tunes of the band.

CD Review: Addiction - Addiction (2015)

Short Introduction

Addiction are a Classic Hardrock / Glam formation that is based in Athens, Greece. If you like 80's / 90's bands from that era you'll love them. They're one of the biggest surprises for me this year. They came out of nowhere and immediately struck me like heavy metal thunder with a lot of  positive power. :-)

(c) Addiction, used with kind permission

Summary

Let's have a party - let's have a good time! That's what the tunes on the Addiction album seemed to call at me when I turned on the music. While most of the metal music out there seems to talk about the darker aspects of life and seems to express all the hardships we face this album pushes you up. It's a good dose of positive power and wants to engage the listener to take his life up in a positive attempt.

It comes around with a lot of positive vibes and good feelings, sometimes more sometimes less heavy when it comes to the musical view but always with "Keep pushing forward" attitude. Most of the tracks are set in midtempo format so they can easily used to sing along to them. There also a ballad that made it's way on the album. That one is for the times when you think a lot or just need to relax a bit. It's a fitting difference on the record, a moment to stop from the pumping heavyness for a while. For a quick start and overview on the bands sound I'd suggest you to go with the video for "Bad Addiction". If you liked that make sure to check the samples in the Soundcloud player, "Saturday Night" and Paradise" are good picks.

If you dig Classic Hardrock and Glam Rock from the 80's or 90's you should definitely check this release out. This goes especially if you've been one of those individuals that used to see the german TV show "Hard 'n' Heavy" on Tele5 back in the 90's. I was one of them and I remember that a lot of these bands were shown off back in those days. There was a lot of good feelings hanging in the air which was often was caused by videos of bands like this. Hit the play button and enjoy being in those moments again - also if it's only for one videoclip. Enjoy it anyway - you can never know what comes next in life. 

Player 




 
Purchase Link and Contact Data

You can purchase the CD or a download in high quality wave format directly from the homepage of the band so you're going to support the artist directly if you decide to pick up a copy.

You can follow the band through Facebook or check in to their homepage from time to time to stay up to date about the band's activities.

CD Review: Arcade Messiah - II

Short Introduction

Arcade Messiah is a one-man instrumental metal music project from KingBathmat frontman John Bassett. It combines a mix of Metal/Post Rock/Stoner/Doom/Prog elements all together on one disc. The first album was released exactly one year ago and received a lot of positive feedback from fans all over the world.

John Bassett spoke to Prog Megazine about the resonace he received. He was surprised about the positive reactions so he decided to create a sequel. He further said that it's meant to be a sort of continuation of the first record but with the hope of being a better, bigger and more dramatic piece of music. The intention was to grow the music without losing the vibe and atmosphere of the original album. The next chapter in the history of Arcade Messiah is set for release on 22nd November 2015 via Bandcamp and then everywhere else on Nov 27 through Stereohead Records.

(c) by Arcade Messiah, used with kind permission

Summary / Player / Purchase-Link

Please bring some time to listen to the album properly. It comes with many layers of melody and variation in them that are ofter overwhelming on the first listen. But if you give them more spins you'll discover so many fine points that you'll wonder what you may've overheard the time before. 

The album is well worth some money. Currently the pre-order price is set at 0,99 GBP on Bandcamp until the release on 22nd of November 2015. Afterwards you'll be able to set the amount free of choice. Please give some bucks so independent and progressive music can continue to push on forward and offer all of us even more of these great musical journeys. It will take you out of your everyday life for a good amount on time and I remember having enjoyed every single minute of it.

If you decide to pick up a physical copy packed in a six panel digipack you'll be rewarded with a ninth track on the disc that add's a playing time of 19 additional minutes to your playing time. That track is something very special, all of you guys out there digging the long-tracks of progressive music will love this. It's like a never-ending epic.

The record will be released on 22nd November via Bandcamp. Currently a album preview is available for streaming as well as two full tracks. I've included the full songs at the Album-Overview section of the review. Here is the album-roundup to get a quick idea of the record:

Album-Overview (Track-by-track review)

Moon Signal: after a slow intro section the album starts with a high complexity. This is a well outworked piece of guitar work. It really needs a lot of time to get through all of the sections and comes in very rough. Don't let this hinder you. It's a rather heavy start to the album but the further tracks go in a bit easier.

Red Widow: More groove based progmetal. It's a breaker and positive "push-it-forward-track". Complex yet very fitting drums and guitar shred on this one. Rough sections follow cleaner parts and surprisingly some total soft-toned notes see the light towards the last third of the song. They lead over to a very dirstorted part with crushing guitars all over. The end comes fast and abrupt.

Black Dice Maze: The song starts out as a beautifull ballad with clean and pure guitars. The drums fit very well to this starting a soft rhythm. Drastically it all changes and a lot of roughness comes rushing in. This goes over to a typical prometal riff and finally unfolds into some more rough crushing and edgy guitar sound giving it all a more complex and hard sound structure. The next move goes back to the progmetal style and comes around clearer and in a more compact style. The end comes in very climatic and dramatic before the whole soundsphere collapses and goes back to some soft notes but not in the same style as at the beginning.

Gallows Way: A clear and calling sound speaks out of the guitar. Is there someone out there? This creates a very spheric and haunting atmosphere. I often wonder why some of the roughest records include hard tracks but at the same time there are these soft pearls in there as well. Those give you freezing chills. This is one of those shining diamonds. It doesn't last long but maybe you'll remember it as long in your mind as I did... The slightly distorted ending builds a crossing to the next track.

(c) by John Bassett, used wth kind permission

Fourth Quarter: A fine mixture of rougher and silker soundscapes can be found in this one. Held in a typical progressive style it's slightly hard but with a very warm and melodic tonality to it. Beautiful melodies can be found a lot in here.
It's like walking through a garderen that offers so many flowers to see. A intensive journey through what instrumental progressive music can offer in all of it's variations, diversity and complexity.

Via Occulta: A short intermission. Clear guitar notes flying around. The drums catch them up and form a little jam-alike atmosphere.

Read the Sky: A highly complex track. It get's back to the rough style. Held in a midtempo the track evolves around the main riff and comes with a lot of distortion. Inside of the storm you'll find a eye of melody that shine through. The darkest and hardest track of the album in my ears.

Start Missing Everyone: Spacy sounds start this one.But once that is gone sheer power takes over. A compact closing point. A good ending point for all people taking the download edition.

The Four Horsemen (CD-only-track): A catchy start to the epic with soft yet ever-changing guitar sounds and rhythm patterns. It evolves even further to a powerfull guitar bloom but not so heavily distorted as "Read the sky". It comes to a first peak towards nearly the half of the track and goes over to a somewhat ghostly spheric intermission just to come back with fresh power before going back in the softer mode and back to power again. The chilling and dreamingly sphere is present on the vast majority of the next track section before heavyness comes rushing back in. The drumming is most complex on this song. Lot's of variations and drum fills. The end set's a last mark on heavyness leaving me in the hope that we'll hear more of this great musician in the future.