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.

Single Review: Lady Beast - The Gift (True Power Metal, 2020)

The single "The Gift" is a appetizer to the upcoming Lady Beast album called "The Vulture's Amulet" (Release Date: April 3rd 2020) . It's kept in a 80s Metal soundshell but hold's some extra's that prevent it from being one of the many releases out there.

The cover already spreads a classic vibe but taking a closer look reveals a lot of details.

The guitars spread a riff that feels a bit unusual. It starts out in the first seconds of the digital release. In those moments a melody can be heard that works as a introduction moment that opens up the listeners ears wide. It's those seconds that made me listen closer to what's to come. It creates a little mystic atmosphere.

Next to go are the vocals which follow a more modern format without a highlighted refrain in it. Instead it feels more like a constant telling of a ongoing plot divided into several sections but with higher pitched parts like in the classic days. All those is packed in another riff that constantly let's a difference shine through. It' s cleverly mixed into the sound so it won't ruin the listening experience but let you continue to enjoy the track further.

Finally the only thing I disliked was the mix of the drums. It would have been great to have that element a bit louder. Don't let that keep you from listening to the new material in the YouTube player below.

Make sure to keep the eye on the band on Facebook or support them on Bandcamp with a follow click.

Lets speak with...Haiduk (Black Metal, 2019)

How far can one man alone come when he put's all of his passion into music? Haiduk crafts a special form of Black Metal. His songs are short but always feature some melody with it that can be remembered once heard. It leaves something on your mind but listen for yourselves.


Heavy Metal Underdogs had the honour to speak to Haiduk about the beginnings, inspiration for his special way of crafting music and how people react to his music at liveshows.

Heavy Metal Underdogs: What does the name "Haiduk" stand for?
Haiduk: Haiduk is the death metal solo project. The name is based on ‘hajduk’ - a warrior from the forests of Europe.

Can you remember the time you started the project Haiduk? What happened in those days?
In the early 2000’s I wrote a lot of material but then abandoned it. The songs sat dormant for years until I finally revisited and recorded them in 2009. That became the demo ‘Plagueswept’.

I would say that one of the marks that sets Haiduk sound apart from similar music are the little melodies you can find in each track. Are those coming to your mind in special situations or do they find you while working on the material?
It all comes from playing and coming up with riffs and combinations.

The cover of Haiduk's latest album "Exomancer"

 
So far you've put out 3 releases. Would you say that there are connections between those records? Having checked out them on Bandcamp I somehow felt like they could be related to each other.All albums are based on black magic and fantasy set in the realm ‘Callost’ which I’ve been developing. Every release delves into some aspect of that world.

The lyrics are held very short. Do you feel that short messages get more attention than longer one's?The vocals are there to reinforce the theme, not to grab attention. My focus is on the music. Music is more powerful than words.

Do you have plans to play live shows with the new album "Exomancer" ?
There have been shows for 'Exomancer' and there will probably be more.

A shot of Haiduk at one of his live performances.

Would you say that people react different at your liveshows compared to other bands of the dark genre?
Yes, I’ve seen a lot of strange reactions, but always a lot of support.

How important are CDs these days in your eyes? Do you think people prefer to pick music the digital way?
Physical format is best because it lets you add more to the album; extra texts, artwork, maps, stories, etc., and push the album concept further.

Can you give us please a little insight into the creation process of new songs?
I usually pick a key and tempo and start writing riffs in that style. The best riffs are arranged so the song builds momentum and atmosphere. When things align, the song takes a life of its own.

Have you built alliances to be able to write and release music or how do you go along?
Haiduk is a lone wolf. I work with no one.


Keep in touch with Haiduk through these links:
www.haiduk.ca

www.facebook.com/haidukmetal

www.youtube.com/haidukplague