...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

'Stronger Than Heaven' jest świetnym niemieckim metalem z połowy lat 80.
To najbardziej kompletny, wszechstronny i wybitny przejaw muzycznej tożsamości zespołu. To narracyjny, nastrojowy, nawiązujący do średniowiecza, a jednocześnie niezwykle konserwatywny i tradycyjny heavy metal w najlepszym wydaniu.
Klasyczne, wyrafinowane, undergroundowe arcydzieło, którego praktycznie nikt nie zna poza najbardziej zagorzałymi maniakami heavy metalu.
Starzeje się jak dobre wino.

FA


Well, let’s throw our minds back for a time being and recall some distant past when Germany was not a place of autobahns, sausages and misplaced guilt stemming from that angst-ridden 1930s/40s period, but rather to an olden age whence wizards and witches inhabited every moonlit forest, threatening idyllic peace and busty maidens, and when Witchfinders (before logic relegated them to society’s unemployment office) had free reign to exact whatever pricking they saw fit as to exact upon suspected minions of the Devil. Stormwitch, as their clichéd moniker might suggest, dwell upon all this and more. And armed with a copy of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and some of Hammer’s finest films they set out to conjure just these atmospheres of an earlier Europe ridden with superstition and, er, cottage industry.

The occult certainly wasn’t anything new to metal at this point, even considered somewhat of a cliché by 1986 (enough for certain thrash bands to move rather rapidly away from it, Megadeth, for instance). But I don’t really care what’s considered ‘old hat’ in music and I’ve always been interested by the different ways metal bands use the occult (not literally, of course! I don’t actually believe King Diamond speaks with the ghosts of the undead… though, he does and that’s the important part). Doom bands often use the occult as a representation of personal demons that trouble them (often from a seemingly Christian perspective), whereas other metal bands use it to symbolise a sense of rebellion and rejection of traditional values (Running Wild’s Gates to Purgatory, for example). Stormwitch, on the other – possibly left – hand, simply seem to be singing about the occult because it’s a good way of provoking certain images in their listeners’ heads, and hey, it’s fun to listen to.

In a similar way to how their lyrics may seem initially similar to Mercyful Fate, if perhaps devoid of some of the Dane’s more malefic touches, then Stormwitch’s music can too be said to have something of a Mercyful Fate Lite vibe about it. There’s a lot of pre-Don’t Break the Oath MF distilled into Stormwitch’s sound, and believe me it’s certainly welcome! But as I’ve said, it’s lighter in its overall mood, but that’s hardly of any real detriment. This brings me to another comparison: Helloween. As well as Andy Mück’s vocals having some Kai-alike intonations to them, the band’s overall sound is perhaps a little something like what Helloween would have sounded like if they’d followed some of their more sinewy mid-paced moments on Walls of Jericho (think ‘Phantoms of Death’ in particular) to a more melodic, refined conclusion rather than becoming something of a pop-metal band on Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I. So yes, it’s not the most original and world-shaking thing I’ve heard, but Stormwitch are not artistes who redefine what is capable with heavy music with their music; they’re a highly enjoyable band who are happy to write well-constructed songs that may or may not rhyme “George Michael” with “Menstrual Cycle”.

Surely, you’ve got time for something like that, right? It’s something that German heavy metal bands seem to do very well post-NWOBHM. After all, Britain gave up producing traditional heavy metal in any great quantity by the mid-80s (for reasons I can’t really fathom), so surely someone had to carry on the torch, right? Although, the German thrash scene gets its deserved accolades, the influx of traditional metal bands coming out of Germany in the 80s is certainly not something to be sniffed at in both terms of quantity and quality. Helloween and Running Wild certainly have their fans, as do Grave Digger to a lesser extent, so why not Stormwitch as well? Certainly the material present on Stronger than Heaven puts it way ahead of, say, ‘Headbanging Man’ and its ilk. This band needs more credit, especially when people still deem Hammerfall to a be a worthwhile band!

Stronger than Heaven is certainly an album any trad metal connoisseur will enjoy from the first spin, and although I can’t really say there’s a moment I didn’t really enjoy there’s a few definitely standouts. Opener, ‘Rats in the Attic’ introduces us to the delightful, melodic riff-o-rama, which is given a well-pronounced place in the mix with that lovely mid-80s warm mush of a guitar sound. It’s certainly not the most serious or shadowy number on Stronger than Heaven but still at its most overtly ‘fun’ the album is nowhere near as “HAPPY HALLOWEEN!” as the cover art would suggest. This probably from where I’ve devised most of my Helloween comparisons – it’s certainly the closest they get to Kiske-era Helloween (and a year before the Keepers… began, too). ‘Eternia’ proves another wholly worthwhile number with its ‘Curse of the Pharaohs’ styled guitar work interspersed with misty little verses that move the song forward at a great pace. The title track itself shows the band at their most anthemic; it starts off with an ol’ witch gang-chant, which is fair enough as the witches on the cover have perms… eighties witches, really, their familiar was probably a curling iron. It’s quite an archetypal eighties-styled heavy metal number it wouldn’t really sound out of place on one of the good Dio albums, which is probably a good indication of this band’s melodic class.

But still, my favourite is the rousing, unsettling fast number ‘Slave to Moonlight’. It’s the typical horror tale of changing by moonlight into something far more hairy and waking up covered Pedigree Chum with no idea of what you’ve done the next morning, which is a truly frightening image. I like really like the interjection of cheesy eighties horror sound effects in the sound. Stormwitch really does sound like a great eighties horror movie with all the charm and schlock you could ever ask for – forget society’s ills and politics for a while and captivate yourself with the fears of demons, gypsy curses and that howling sound on the wind that you can’t quite put your finger on.

Acrobat


..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Intro 0:32
2. Rats In The Attic 3:07
3. Eternia 3:59
4. Jonathan's Diary 7:22
5. Slave To Moonlight 4:03
6. Stronger Than Heaven 4:39
7. Ravenlord 3:41
8. Allies Of The Dark 4:16
9. Dorian Gray 5:35


..::OBSADA::..

Vocals - Andy Aldrian
Rhythm Guitar - Steve Merchant
Lead Guitar - Lee Tarot
Drums - Pete Lancer
Bass - Ronny Pearson



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zksQC5AAAQk



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

'Stronger Than Heaven' jest świetnym niemieckim metalem z połowy lat 80.
To najbardziej kompletny, wszechstronny i wybitny przejaw muzycznej tożsamości zespołu. To narracyjny, nastrojowy, nawiązujący do średniowiecza, a jednocześnie niezwykle konserwatywny i tradycyjny heavy metal w najlepszym wydaniu.
Klasyczne, wyrafinowane, undergroundowe arcydzieło, którego praktycznie nikt nie zna poza najbardziej zagorzałymi maniakami heavy metalu.
Starzeje się jak dobre wino.

FA


Well, let’s throw our minds back for a time being and recall some distant past when Germany was not a place of autobahns, sausages and misplaced guilt stemming from that angst-ridden 1930s/40s period, but rather to an olden age whence wizards and witches inhabited every moonlit forest, threatening idyllic peace and busty maidens, and when Witchfinders (before logic relegated them to society’s unemployment office) had free reign to exact whatever pricking they saw fit as to exact upon suspected minions of the Devil. Stormwitch, as their clichéd moniker might suggest, dwell upon all this and more. And armed with a copy of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and some of Hammer’s finest films they set out to conjure just these atmospheres of an earlier Europe ridden with superstition and, er, cottage industry.

The occult certainly wasn’t anything new to metal at this point, even considered somewhat of a cliché by 1986 (enough for certain thrash bands to move rather rapidly away from it, Megadeth, for instance). But I don’t really care what’s considered ‘old hat’ in music and I’ve always been interested by the different ways metal bands use the occult (not literally, of course! I don’t actually believe King Diamond speaks with the ghosts of the undead… though, he does and that’s the important part). Doom bands often use the occult as a representation of personal demons that trouble them (often from a seemingly Christian perspective), whereas other metal bands use it to symbolise a sense of rebellion and rejection of traditional values (Running Wild’s Gates to Purgatory, for example). Stormwitch, on the other – possibly left – hand, simply seem to be singing about the occult because it’s a good way of provoking certain images in their listeners’ heads, and hey, it’s fun to listen to.

In a similar way to how their lyrics may seem initially similar to Mercyful Fate, if perhaps devoid of some of the Dane’s more malefic touches, then Stormwitch’s music can too be said to have something of a Mercyful Fate Lite vibe about it. There’s a lot of pre-Don’t Break the Oath MF distilled into Stormwitch’s sound, and believe me it’s certainly welcome! But as I’ve said, it’s lighter in its overall mood, but that’s hardly of any real detriment. This brings me to another comparison: Helloween. As well as Andy Mück’s vocals having some Kai-alike intonations to them, the band’s overall sound is perhaps a little something like what Helloween would have sounded like if they’d followed some of their more sinewy mid-paced moments on Walls of Jericho (think ‘Phantoms of Death’ in particular) to a more melodic, refined conclusion rather than becoming something of a pop-metal band on Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I. So yes, it’s not the most original and world-shaking thing I’ve heard, but Stormwitch are not artistes who redefine what is capable with heavy music with their music; they’re a highly enjoyable band who are happy to write well-constructed songs that may or may not rhyme “George Michael” with “Menstrual Cycle”.

Surely, you’ve got time for something like that, right? It’s something that German heavy metal bands seem to do very well post-NWOBHM. After all, Britain gave up producing traditional heavy metal in any great quantity by the mid-80s (for reasons I can’t really fathom), so surely someone had to carry on the torch, right? Although, the German thrash scene gets its deserved accolades, the influx of traditional metal bands coming out of Germany in the 80s is certainly not something to be sniffed at in both terms of quantity and quality. Helloween and Running Wild certainly have their fans, as do Grave Digger to a lesser extent, so why not Stormwitch as well? Certainly the material present on Stronger than Heaven puts it way ahead of, say, ‘Headbanging Man’ and its ilk. This band needs more credit, especially when people still deem Hammerfall to a be a worthwhile band!

Stronger than Heaven is certainly an album any trad metal connoisseur will enjoy from the first spin, and although I can’t really say there’s a moment I didn’t really enjoy there’s a few definitely standouts. Opener, ‘Rats in the Attic’ introduces us to the delightful, melodic riff-o-rama, which is given a well-pronounced place in the mix with that lovely mid-80s warm mush of a guitar sound. It’s certainly not the most serious or shadowy number on Stronger than Heaven but still at its most overtly ‘fun’ the album is nowhere near as “HAPPY HALLOWEEN!” as the cover art would suggest. This probably from where I’ve devised most of my Helloween comparisons – it’s certainly the closest they get to Kiske-era Helloween (and a year before the Keepers… began, too). ‘Eternia’ proves another wholly worthwhile number with its ‘Curse of the Pharaohs’ styled guitar work interspersed with misty little verses that move the song forward at a great pace. The title track itself shows the band at their most anthemic; it starts off with an ol’ witch gang-chant, which is fair enough as the witches on the cover have perms… eighties witches, really, their familiar was probably a curling iron. It’s quite an archetypal eighties-styled heavy metal number it wouldn’t really sound out of place on one of the good Dio albums, which is probably a good indication of this band’s melodic class.

But still, my favourite is the rousing, unsettling fast number ‘Slave to Moonlight’. It’s the typical horror tale of changing by moonlight into something far more hairy and waking up covered Pedigree Chum with no idea of what you’ve done the next morning, which is a truly frightening image. I like really like the interjection of cheesy eighties horror sound effects in the sound. Stormwitch really does sound like a great eighties horror movie with all the charm and schlock you could ever ask for – forget society’s ills and politics for a while and captivate yourself with the fears of demons, gypsy curses and that howling sound on the wind that you can’t quite put your finger on.

Acrobat



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Intro 0:32
2. Rats In The Attic 3:07
3. Eternia 3:59
4. Jonathan's Diary 7:22
5. Slave To Moonlight 4:03
6. Stronger Than Heaven 4:39
7. Ravenlord 3:41
8. Allies Of The Dark 4:16
9. Dorian Gray 5:35



..::OBSADA::..

Vocals - Andy Aldrian
Rhythm Guitar - Steve Merchant
Lead Guitar - Lee Tarot
Drums - Pete Lancer
Bass - Ronny Pearson



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zksQC5AAAQk



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..



Cudowna epicka przygoda!
Uwaga!
Zero oryginalności!



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Cimmeria (Intro) 01:03
2. For Metal, We Ride 09:08
3. Ancestors' Wrath 05:48
4. Phoenix on the Blade 08:29
5. Attack of the Necromancer 05:24
6. Mists of Time 09:50
7. Necropolis (Manilla Road Cover) 03:16
8. Winds of Hyboria 12:07



..::OBSADA::..

Vidarr - Guitar, Vocals, Bass
Kicker - Drums, Percussion




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48fiFg87mM4



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..



Cudowna epicka przygoda!
Uwaga!
Zero oryginalności!



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Cimmeria (Intro) 01:03
2. For Metal, We Ride 09:08
3. Ancestors' Wrath 05:48
4. Phoenix on the Blade 08:29
5. Attack of the Necromancer 05:24
6. Mists of Time 09:50
7. Necropolis (Manilla Road Cover) 03:16
8. Winds of Hyboria 12:07



..::OBSADA::..

Vidarr - Guitar, Vocals, Bass
Kicker - Drums, Percussion




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48fiFg87mM4



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

To jest ABSOLUTNY KLEJNOT!!!
Nie miałem okazji poznać tej płyty w epoce.. Dopiero po ponad 40 latach!
Powiem, bez przesady, że gdybym miał (znał go) ten krążek w tamtych latach to ze szczęścia 'sfajdałbym się po same pachy'!!!

FA


As many unsung heroes are hosted here in this column, we couldn’t just leave out from this fine gathering, the mighty Savage. While we been mentioned so many times the love we have for N.W.O.B.H.M. and thrash as genres, still we haven’t written many stories behind proto thrash or N.W.O.B.H.M. on 45rpm albums. “Loose ‘n Lethal” is one of those pioneers of extreme music that only a few remembers it as something more than a typical release of its time and genre. Probably due to the nature o extreme sound and it’s rapidly changing environment the bands that played a bit faster than the usual in the early 80’s never capitalized their pattern as the younger bands across the Atlantic took over with their aggressive style and manners. Think of Raven, Jaguar, Atomkraft and Savage, as only Venom (that was never actually a part of N.W.O.B.H.M. movement after all) capitalized their speedy way of playing, and you‘ll get what I mean. Savage had some speedy songs but as genuine teens that musically came of age in the 70’s were no one track mind guys and tried to have not only fast, but mid tempo songs too, filled with melodic riffs in their guitar driven sound in the veins of Scorpions and U.F.O. Of course they were true rockers and their songs were full of testosterone and caused adrenaline explosion.

Savage was formed in Mansfield, U.K., in 1976 by 16-year-old Chris Bradley on bass, Chris Gent behind mic, Lee Statham on guitars and Mick Percival on drums, but after only one official concert, they disbanded and was re-formed in 1978 by Bradley, Andy Bradbury on guitar, Simon Dawson on drums and his 15-year-old brother Andy Dawson on guitar. Line-up issues continued as Wayne Renshaw replaced Andy Bradbury, and Dave Lindley replaced Simon Dawson. This lineup recorded ‘Let it Loose’ (in 1981 for their first demo tape), and appeared in compilation albums ‘Scene of the Crime’ (1981) and ‘Metal Fatigue’ (1982) and also the double A-side single ‘Aint No Fit Place’/’The China Run’. Mark Brown replaced after a while Lindley.

Their debut album, ‘Loose ‘N Lethal’ was released in 1983. It starts emphatically with its fastest tune, “Let It Loose” that is gets you from the throat. This is their most popular song, as it is the one that Ulrich picked for his band to cover it. “Cry Wolf” continues with its masculine riffs and mid tempo galloping rhythm. Raw sound and pure NWOBHM is what you get on “Berlin”, the third song of the album, too. While the vocal lines isn’t something extra ordinary, still it fits like a glove with the rough melodies and the whole attitude of the band. More razor sharp riffs and macho guitars and lyrics on “Dirty Money”, before we take a break and a deep breath with “Ain’t No Fit Place” that slows down to a more Priest-like composition. “On The Rocks” is a Michael Schenker era Scorpions song that magnetizes you with its catchy vibe and leads to the best track of the album, “China Run” (and one of my wives favorites) that has a simple structure and the typical galloping riffs, but it is an excellent example of brilliant straightforward heavy metal formula. While the album ends -with no filler on its track listing- once again with another Priest-like mid paced rocker, entitled “White Hot”.

Due to a lack of support from management or record company this gem is totally underrated. Savage continued to make the one mistake after the other and in 1984 decided to leave Ebony Records and signed to a new label, Zebra Records. At the end of the year they issued their first release for Zebra, the 12″ EP “We Got the Edge”. This was followed their sophomore studio album “Hyperactive”, that gained some great reviews and that was it. A couple of years later (1986) Savage split-up for 8-9 years before resurrected in 1995 releasing their third album “Holy Wars”. Albums followed in 1998, “Babylon”, and 2000, “Xtreme Machine”. The band was almost dead for a decade while suddenly resurfaced in 2011 with a new album “Sons of Malice”, with the lineup featuring: Chris Bradley on vocals and bass, Andy Dawson and Kris Bradley (Chris’s son and Andy’s nephew) on guitars and Mark Nelson on drums. Their last full length effort “7”came out via Minus2Zebra on October 2015.

Giorgos Tsekas



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Let It Loose 3:19
2. Cry Wolf 4:37
3. Berlin 4:51
4. Dirty Money 4:48
5. Ain't No Fit Place 5:41
6. On The Rocks 3:55
7. The China Run 4:11
8. White Hot 3:50

Bonus Tracks:
9. Ain't No Fit Place (Ebony Records 7" 1982) 5:34
10. Let It Loose (Scene Of The Crime 1981) 3:28
11. Dirty Money (Scene Of The Crime 1981) 5:09
12. The China Run (Ebony Records 7" 1982) 4:03
13. Ain't No Fit Place (Metal Fatique 1982) 4:40
14. No Cause To Kill (1980 Demo) 3:46
15. The Devil Take You (1980 Demo) 4:53
16. Back On The Road (1980 Demo) 3:59
17. She Don't Need You (Demo 1980) 4:53
18. Let It Loose (Demo 1980) 3:36



..::OBSADA::..

Bass Guitar, Lead Vocals - Chris Bradley
Drums - Mark Brown
Guitar - Wayne Renshaw
Lead Guitar, Vocals - Andy Dawson



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccm-JZBH3j8


SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

To jest ABSOLUTNY KLEJNOT!!!
Nie miałem okazji poznać tej płyty w epoce.. Dopiero po ponad 40 latach!
Powiem, bez przesady, że gdybym miał (znał go) ten krążek w tamtych latach to ze szczęścia 'sfajdałbym się po same pachy'!!!

FA


As many unsung heroes are hosted here in this column, we couldn’t just leave out from this fine gathering, the mighty Savage. While we been mentioned so many times the love we have for N.W.O.B.H.M. and thrash as genres, still we haven’t written many stories behind proto thrash or N.W.O.B.H.M. on 45rpm albums. “Loose ‘n Lethal” is one of those pioneers of extreme music that only a few remembers it as something more than a typical release of its time and genre. Probably due to the nature o extreme sound and it’s rapidly changing environment the bands that played a bit faster than the usual in the early 80’s never capitalized their pattern as the younger bands across the Atlantic took over with their aggressive style and manners. Think of Raven, Jaguar, Atomkraft and Savage, as only Venom (that was never actually a part of N.W.O.B.H.M. movement after all) capitalized their speedy way of playing, and you‘ll get what I mean. Savage had some speedy songs but as genuine teens that musically came of age in the 70’s were no one track mind guys and tried to have not only fast, but mid tempo songs too, filled with melodic riffs in their guitar driven sound in the veins of Scorpions and U.F.O. Of course they were true rockers and their songs were full of testosterone and caused adrenaline explosion.

Savage was formed in Mansfield, U.K., in 1976 by 16-year-old Chris Bradley on bass, Chris Gent behind mic, Lee Statham on guitars and Mick Percival on drums, but after only one official concert, they disbanded and was re-formed in 1978 by Bradley, Andy Bradbury on guitar, Simon Dawson on drums and his 15-year-old brother Andy Dawson on guitar. Line-up issues continued as Wayne Renshaw replaced Andy Bradbury, and Dave Lindley replaced Simon Dawson. This lineup recorded ‘Let it Loose’ (in 1981 for their first demo tape), and appeared in compilation albums ‘Scene of the Crime’ (1981) and ‘Metal Fatigue’ (1982) and also the double A-side single ‘Aint No Fit Place’/’The China Run’. Mark Brown replaced after a while Lindley.

Their debut album, ‘Loose ‘N Lethal’ was released in 1983. It starts emphatically with its fastest tune, “Let It Loose” that is gets you from the throat. This is their most popular song, as it is the one that Ulrich picked for his band to cover it. “Cry Wolf” continues with its masculine riffs and mid tempo galloping rhythm. Raw sound and pure NWOBHM is what you get on “Berlin”, the third song of the album, too. While the vocal lines isn’t something extra ordinary, still it fits like a glove with the rough melodies and the whole attitude of the band. More razor sharp riffs and macho guitars and lyrics on “Dirty Money”, before we take a break and a deep breath with “Ain’t No Fit Place” that slows down to a more Priest-like composition. “On The Rocks” is a Michael Schenker era Scorpions song that magnetizes you with its catchy vibe and leads to the best track of the album, “China Run” (and one of my wives favorites) that has a simple structure and the typical galloping riffs, but it is an excellent example of brilliant straightforward heavy metal formula. While the album ends -with no filler on its track listing- once again with another Priest-like mid paced rocker, entitled “White Hot”.

Due to a lack of support from management or record company this gem is totally underrated. Savage continued to make the one mistake after the other and in 1984 decided to leave Ebony Records and signed to a new label, Zebra Records. At the end of the year they issued their first release for Zebra, the 12″ EP “We Got the Edge”. This was followed their sophomore studio album “Hyperactive”, that gained some great reviews and that was it. A couple of years later (1986) Savage split-up for 8-9 years before resurrected in 1995 releasing their third album “Holy Wars”. Albums followed in 1998, “Babylon”, and 2000, “Xtreme Machine”. The band was almost dead for a decade while suddenly resurfaced in 2011 with a new album “Sons of Malice”, with the lineup featuring: Chris Bradley on vocals and bass, Andy Dawson and Kris Bradley (Chris’s son and Andy’s nephew) on guitars and Mark Nelson on drums. Their last full length effort “7”came out via Minus2Zebra on October 2015.

Giorgos Tsekas



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Let It Loose 3:19
2. Cry Wolf 4:37
3. Berlin 4:51
4. Dirty Money 4:48
5. Ain't No Fit Place 5:41
6. On The Rocks 3:55
7. The China Run 4:11
8. White Hot 3:50

Bonus Tracks:
9. Ain't No Fit Place (Ebony Records 7" 1982) 5:34
10. Let It Loose (Scene Of The Crime 1981) 3:28
11. Dirty Money (Scene Of The Crime 1981) 5:09
12. The China Run (Ebony Records 7" 1982) 4:03
13. Ain't No Fit Place (Metal Fatique 1982) 4:40
14. No Cause To Kill (1980 Demo) 3:46
15. The Devil Take You (1980 Demo) 4:53
16. Back On The Road (1980 Demo) 3:59
17. She Don't Need You (Demo 1980) 4:53
18. Let It Loose (Demo 1980) 3:36



..::OBSADA::..

Bass Guitar, Lead Vocals - Chris Bradley
Drums - Mark Brown
Guitar - Wayne Renshaw
Lead Guitar, Vocals - Andy Dawson



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccm-JZBH3j8


SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

Tonight we fight
The Horns decide our fate
Fight well - In Hell
Open the Gates!


Słuchając "Open The Gates" Manilla Road można poczuć się jak podczas niesamowitej podróży po mitycznym królestwie, znajdującym się na dnie wielkiego praoceanu. Muzyka na tym albumie niesie nas swym prądem. Od samego początku trwania płyty możemy poczuć niespokojny ruch wirów i fal starożytnej siły, która pulsuje żywą energią, wydzierającą się z przepastnych głębi.

Manilla Road nie trzeba szerzej przedstawiać - w końcu niewiele jest zespołów tak kultowych i tak idealnie chwytających ducha prawdziwego heavy metalu jak oni. Jakość twórczości Marka Sheltona i spółki jest sama w sobie wskaźnikiem doskonałości, jaką osiągnął ten zespół.

Po znakomitym "Crystal Logic" z 1983 roku, Manilla Road znowu pokazała na co ją stać na "Open The Gates", wydanym pierwotnie w kwietniu 1985. Mark Shelton stworzył kolejne prawdziwe arcydzieło, idąc swoją twórczością naprzód, zamiast ograniczać się do napisania jakieś wariacji na temat "Crystal Logic". Dzięki temu kolejny album okazał się godnym następcą, momentami nawet lepszym od swego poprzednika.

Z tego albumu tryska magia i niesamowitość - wokale, które oscylują między podniosłymi, melodyjnymi zaśpiewami, a chrapliwą agresją - gitary, które urzekają wyjącymi solówkami i atakują swym przybrudzonym przesterem - perkusja, która swym jasnym werblem rozświetla kompozycje, jednocześnie bezkompromisowo szarżując niesamowitymi motywami i umiejętnie użytą podwójną stopą. Ponadto same kompozycje są zróżnicowane, a przy tym niezwykle interesujące i klimatyczne. "Open The Gates" może nie niesie ze sobą takiej przebojowości jaką miało "Crystal Logic", jednak nadal prezentuje klinicznie czysty destylat prawdziwego metalu.

Na samym starcie wita nas charakterystyczne i niepokojące intro oraz dudniący wstęp perkusyjny, po którym wchodzi szybki, niepokojący, a przy tym nieco thrashujący główny riff "Metalstrom". Ewidentny speed metalowy sztych, jaki został tutaj użyty, sprawia iż ten numer sprawdza się idealnie jako otwieracz tak napompowanej klasą płyty.

Zawartość albumu co i rusz ciska w nas świetnymi kompozycjami. Mamy tutaj "Heavy Metal To The World" z wyraźnie brylującą w pogmatwanym refrenie perkusją, która tworzy tutaj również niezwykle energetyczny wstęp. Manilla Road nie ogranicza się do jednego sprawdzonego patentu i uderza podniosłym i monumentalnym "Open the Gates" oraz genialnym" The Fires of Mars". W samym "The Fires of Mars" znajdziemy także chyba jedną z najlepszych solówek na tym albumie, których jest tu zresztą co nie miara.

Magiczna i Poetycka "Astronomica" w trakcie swego trwania coraz bardziej stopniuje kolejne szczyty tajemniczości. W ten sposób poszerza głębie w jakiej obraca się klimatyczna muzyka tego fantastycznego amerykańskiego trio z Wichity. Metafizyczną ekspresję muzyczną Manilla Road kontynuuje mroczny klimat "Weavers of the Web" z chwytliwym riffem pod refrenem oraz klasyczny "Witches Brew". W tej kompozycji, która wita nas arkadyjskim, onirycznym wstępie, chropowaty charyzmatyczny wokal Sheltona bryluje pośród ciężkich, nabuzowanych mocą gitarowych riffów. Interludium rozdzielające zwrotki zostało tutaj mistrzowsko okraszone energetycznym leadem. Same solówki, które mogłyby spokojnie konkurować z tymi w "The Fires of Mars", będą nam także towarzyszyć w drugiej połowie trwania utworów, a sam Shelton niemal w nich odlatuje w klimatycznym pojedynku wyrazistości i maestrii. Mark prawie zawsze tworzy niesamowite i cudowne leady do swych utworów, jednak tutaj można rzec, że przeszedł samego siebie.

To nie są jednak wszystkie smaczki, które kryje w sobie "Open The Gates". Ten album nie byłby kompletny bez genialnego "Road of Kings", w którego warstwie muzycznej można się zatracić do tego stopnia, że wejście wokali możemy przywitać lekkim szokiem. Gitary w tym utworze kreują niesamowity destylat epickiej siły i mocy. Niepokojąco pulsująca moc tkwi także pod skórą "Hour of the Dragon", godnie interpretując muzycznie jedno z najbardziej znanych opowiadań Roberta E. Howarda.

Nie mielibyśmy do czynienia z płytą Manilla Road, gdyby na pokładzie nie było przynajmniej jednej epickiej kompozycji. Tutaj tę rolę pełni ponad dziewięciominutowy "The Ninth Wave" - a co się w nim dzieje, to głowa mała. Pełne nieprzeniknionej enigmatyczności pierwsze dźwięki gitar, śpiewające później magiczne unisono, są kunsztowną i wręcz królewską formą dostojności. A potem jest jeszcze lepiej: pełne wewnętrznego ognia dysonansowe symfoniczne solówki, potępieńcze zaśpiewy, kulminacje energii i niemal świątynne bębny. Pod koniec tej wysublimowanej kompozycji Mark Shelton wspina się tutaj także wokalnie na piedestał epickości.

Wokale Marka Sheltona wzbogacają tę płytę. Mark nagrywając tę płytę miał chore gardło i podczas sesji studyjnej uszkodził sobie przez to struny głosowe. Fakt, że nie dysponował pełnią swej możliwości słychać w utworach, gdyż jego wokale są przez to bardziej szarpane, chropowate i ostrzejsze niż na "Crystal Logic" czy na "The Deluge".

Co tu dużo mówić. Konkluzję tej płyty można zawrzeć w kilku prostych hasłach: Podniosłość. Epickość. Poetyka. Klimat. Majestat. Jest to miła odmiana po tych wszystkich chujowych zespołach, opiewających w słodko-pierdzących peanach mordowanie smoków, picie piwa, puszczanie krwi dla diabłów i tak dalej. "Open The Gates" nie zawiera może żadnego utworu, który byłby tak przebojowy jak "Necropolis", jednak składa się z samych rzetelnych i zapadających w pamięci kompozycji.

Sterviss


Open the Gates is the first Manilla Road album with lyrical themes that somewhat make sense. After the first few albums were fueled by total nonsense that Mark and the boys cooked up in their acid-fueled noggins, OTG actually shows some semblance of thought in the lyrics. It’s still that trademark Manilla Road half-poetic half-stoned feel, but you can tell there was real inspiration here. OTG is mainly all about King Arthur, and has a general theme of ‘bravery’ and ‘standing your ground’ throughout. I find this album to be very motivational, whether I’m studying or exercising or doing anything really, it’s my default album to put on if I need to get moving.

Open the Gates is the longest album the Road recorded in the 80’s, coming in at about 52 minutes. Originally, they wanted to do something really silly and have something about this band make sense for once, so they wanted The Ninth Wave to be the ninth song on the album. They were so adamant about this, yet this move meant that one disc couldn’t store the whole album in its intended order. To fix this, they decided to sell it in its original print as a 12 inch LP and a 12 inch EP, with the LP having each song from Metalstrom to Hour of the Dragon, and the EP holding The Ninth Wave and Witches Brew. Every subsequent pressing on vinyl has been on one disc, with The Ninth Wave being placed right in the middle of the album, after Weavers of the Web. Honestly, I believe this change is for the best. It marks the halfway point of the album, and Witches’ Brew is a damn intense song in itself, so having them lead into each other is a bit much. This is something I’ve never seen anybody mention before so I thought I’d bring it up here.

Another little fun fact about this album; the intro to Metalstrom is actually the outro to Crystal Logic’s Dreams of Eschaton, just played in reverse. So if you play these two albums back to back, they lead perfectly into each other. It’s awesome. Metalstrom itself is a great track, setting the mood for the album immediately with a KILLER opening riff. This album has some of this band’s best riffage in it, I tell you. The title cut is one of the shortest songs the band ever put out, and it’s a nice little bridge into Astronomica. On it’s own it’s nothing special, just a nice little catchy hook to keep you listening.

Astronomica is an incredible track, and it set a standard for every following album of the 80s to have a song with an ethereal acoustic intro into a powerful mid paced masterwork. Think about it, we’ve got this one, Shadow in the Black, Spirits of the Dead, Return of the Old Ones and War in Heaven, and I guess Into the Courts of Chaos? It’s one of the best archetypes of Manilla song in my opinion. We even get some later in their career with stuff like Seven Trumpets and Battle for Bonchester Bridge. These all can be traced back to Astronomica, a phenomenal piece of music that really deserves its place in the hearts of Manilla Road fans as one of their greatest ever.

Weavers of the Web, Heavy Metal to the World, and Hour of the Dragon all have something in common, they’re powerful, have some iconic riffs and keep the album moving along nicely. Nestled in between these are The Ninth Wave, mentioned prior, which is this album’s true epic. It never feels like it drags, despite staying at a relatively slow pace and somewhat plodding at points, for the whole 9 minutes it enchants.

The Fires of Mars is this album’s weak point, in my opinion. This essentially means that this song is a 9/10 and everything else is 10/10. That’s how incredible this band and album is. My issue with this song is it’s just not that interesting, compared to everything else here it barely stands out. I love the solo though, a lot. It definitely has its moments but when it ends, I’m more glad that I get to listen to ROAD OF FUCKING KINGSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!! I discovered The Road with Necropolis like the rest of you, but this song along with Shadow in the Black is the one that kept me listening and what inspired me to get into this band. It’s just excellent, so much energy and POWER all in one song. And it’s inspirational! This plus Hour of the Dragon will get me motivated to do fuckin anything. I will hold this song close for my whole life.

The album closes with Witches’ Brew, which is just as epic as The Ninth Wave despite being somewhat shorter. This is one of the best closing tracks they ever made, maybe only topped by The Books of Skelos or The Empire. It’s a lovely trip out of the album, though the themes of the song itself are much closer to Mystification’s lyrics than OTG but it’s still one of the all-time greats.

Open the Gates has three major factors that I think make it perfect; Mark’s solos, guitar tone, and the drumming. This is I think the best tone they ever had. In the 80’s anyway. Crystal Logic is quite generic, The Deluge is much more bassy, Mystification is pretty off in some way I can’t explain, Courts is a little fuzzy for me. OOTA is the only one that comes close, it’s quite awesome and thrashy, but I just love the medieval sound that OTG has.

Mark’s solos are exquisite in this album. He is often guilty of just noodling, dragging out solos a little toooooo long, or just not doing much with them. I love them but they aren’t perfect, except on this album. They always fit the song, and I can remember every note of each one. They just slot in perfectly to each piece.

Finally, they got a new drummer for this album. His name is Randy Foxe and he is the greatest man to ever touch a drumstick, in my opinion. He doesn’t really show his full potential on this album, which is saying a LOT. In every song, there’s something fun and creative that he does. That’s the word that describes him best - creative. Nobody drums like Randy, and nobody is as creative as him, save for Cory Christner and Neudi, who are both also Manilla Road’s drummers! He really shows off his best work in the proceeding albums, though he does make a big mistake at the end of the decade that we’ll discuss when the time comes.

Open the Gates is the first of many perfect albums that this band would produce. Aside from The Fires of Mars, every single song here is a masterclass, and even that song has its moments. This is the album I’d recommend first to a new listener, as it contains a bunch of classics as well as being actually well produced unlike Crystal Logic. The Deluge is more of an emotional experience, at least for me, so even though it’s my favourite it wouldn’t be my first choice as a new listener as it’s just so different from everything else. OTG is a masterclass in metal as a whole and everyone who’s anyone should give it a spin.

MasterOfTheNight



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Metalström 5:22
2. Open The Gates 2:24
3. Astronomica 5:03
4. Weavers Of The Web 4:20
5. The Ninth Wave 9:33
6. Heavy Metal To The World 3:23
7. The Fires Of Mars 6:18
8. Road Of Kings 5:51
9. Hour Of The Dragon 4:49
10. Witches Brew 6:24

Bonus Tracks:
11. Touch The Sky (Early Rehearsal) 12:55
12. Witches Brew (Live 1987) 5:41
13. Weavers Of The Web (Live 2011) 4:03



..::OBSADA::..

Lead Vocals, Guitar [Guitars] - Mark W. Shelton
Bass Guitar - Scott Park
Drums - Randy 'Thrasher' Foxe




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLQ-owmIS0c



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

Tonight we fight
The Horns decide our fate
Fight well - In Hell
Open the Gates!


Słuchając "Open The Gates" Manilla Road można poczuć się jak podczas niesamowitej podróży po mitycznym królestwie, znajdującym się na dnie wielkiego praoceanu. Muzyka na tym albumie niesie nas swym prądem. Od samego początku trwania płyty możemy poczuć niespokojny ruch wirów i fal starożytnej siły, która pulsuje żywą energią, wydzierającą się z przepastnych głębi.

Manilla Road nie trzeba szerzej przedstawiać - w końcu niewiele jest zespołów tak kultowych i tak idealnie chwytających ducha prawdziwego heavy metalu jak oni. Jakość twórczości Marka Sheltona i spółki jest sama w sobie wskaźnikiem doskonałości, jaką osiągnął ten zespół.

Po znakomitym "Crystal Logic" z 1983 roku, Manilla Road znowu pokazała na co ją stać na "Open The Gates", wydanym pierwotnie w kwietniu 1985. Mark Shelton stworzył kolejne prawdziwe arcydzieło, idąc swoją twórczością naprzód, zamiast ograniczać się do napisania jakieś wariacji na temat "Crystal Logic". Dzięki temu kolejny album okazał się godnym następcą, momentami nawet lepszym od swego poprzednika.

Z tego albumu tryska magia i niesamowitość - wokale, które oscylują między podniosłymi, melodyjnymi zaśpiewami, a chrapliwą agresją - gitary, które urzekają wyjącymi solówkami i atakują swym przybrudzonym przesterem - perkusja, która swym jasnym werblem rozświetla kompozycje, jednocześnie bezkompromisowo szarżując niesamowitymi motywami i umiejętnie użytą podwójną stopą. Ponadto same kompozycje są zróżnicowane, a przy tym niezwykle interesujące i klimatyczne. "Open The Gates" może nie niesie ze sobą takiej przebojowości jaką miało "Crystal Logic", jednak nadal prezentuje klinicznie czysty destylat prawdziwego metalu.

Na samym starcie wita nas charakterystyczne i niepokojące intro oraz dudniący wstęp perkusyjny, po którym wchodzi szybki, niepokojący, a przy tym nieco thrashujący główny riff "Metalstrom". Ewidentny speed metalowy sztych, jaki został tutaj użyty, sprawia iż ten numer sprawdza się idealnie jako otwieracz tak napompowanej klasą płyty.

Zawartość albumu co i rusz ciska w nas świetnymi kompozycjami. Mamy tutaj "Heavy Metal To The World" z wyraźnie brylującą w pogmatwanym refrenie perkusją, która tworzy tutaj również niezwykle energetyczny wstęp. Manilla Road nie ogranicza się do jednego sprawdzonego patentu i uderza podniosłym i monumentalnym "Open the Gates" oraz genialnym" The Fires of Mars". W samym "The Fires of Mars" znajdziemy także chyba jedną z najlepszych solówek na tym albumie, których jest tu zresztą co nie miara.

Magiczna i Poetycka "Astronomica" w trakcie swego trwania coraz bardziej stopniuje kolejne szczyty tajemniczości. W ten sposób poszerza głębie w jakiej obraca się klimatyczna muzyka tego fantastycznego amerykańskiego trio z Wichity. Metafizyczną ekspresję muzyczną Manilla Road kontynuuje mroczny klimat "Weavers of the Web" z chwytliwym riffem pod refrenem oraz klasyczny "Witches Brew". W tej kompozycji, która wita nas arkadyjskim, onirycznym wstępie, chropowaty charyzmatyczny wokal Sheltona bryluje pośród ciężkich, nabuzowanych mocą gitarowych riffów. Interludium rozdzielające zwrotki zostało tutaj mistrzowsko okraszone energetycznym leadem. Same solówki, które mogłyby spokojnie konkurować z tymi w "The Fires of Mars", będą nam także towarzyszyć w drugiej połowie trwania utworów, a sam Shelton niemal w nich odlatuje w klimatycznym pojedynku wyrazistości i maestrii. Mark prawie zawsze tworzy niesamowite i cudowne leady do swych utworów, jednak tutaj można rzec, że przeszedł samego siebie.

To nie są jednak wszystkie smaczki, które kryje w sobie "Open The Gates". Ten album nie byłby kompletny bez genialnego "Road of Kings", w którego warstwie muzycznej można się zatracić do tego stopnia, że wejście wokali możemy przywitać lekkim szokiem. Gitary w tym utworze kreują niesamowity destylat epickiej siły i mocy. Niepokojąco pulsująca moc tkwi także pod skórą "Hour of the Dragon", godnie interpretując muzycznie jedno z najbardziej znanych opowiadań Roberta E. Howarda.

Nie mielibyśmy do czynienia z płytą Manilla Road, gdyby na pokładzie nie było przynajmniej jednej epickiej kompozycji. Tutaj tę rolę pełni ponad dziewięciominutowy "The Ninth Wave" - a co się w nim dzieje, to głowa mała. Pełne nieprzeniknionej enigmatyczności pierwsze dźwięki gitar, śpiewające później magiczne unisono, są kunsztowną i wręcz królewską formą dostojności. A potem jest jeszcze lepiej: pełne wewnętrznego ognia dysonansowe symfoniczne solówki, potępieńcze zaśpiewy, kulminacje energii i niemal świątynne bębny. Pod koniec tej wysublimowanej kompozycji Mark Shelton wspina się tutaj także wokalnie na piedestał epickości.

Wokale Marka Sheltona wzbogacają tę płytę. Mark nagrywając tę płytę miał chore gardło i podczas sesji studyjnej uszkodził sobie przez to struny głosowe. Fakt, że nie dysponował pełnią swej możliwości słychać w utworach, gdyż jego wokale są przez to bardziej szarpane, chropowate i ostrzejsze niż na "Crystal Logic" czy na "The Deluge".

Co tu dużo mówić. Konkluzję tej płyty można zawrzeć w kilku prostych hasłach: Podniosłość. Epickość. Poetyka. Klimat. Majestat. Jest to miła odmiana po tych wszystkich chujowych zespołach, opiewających w słodko-pierdzących peanach mordowanie smoków, picie piwa, puszczanie krwi dla diabłów i tak dalej. "Open The Gates" nie zawiera może żadnego utworu, który byłby tak przebojowy jak "Necropolis", jednak składa się z samych rzetelnych i zapadających w pamięci kompozycji.

Sterviss


Open the Gates is the first Manilla Road album with lyrical themes that somewhat make sense. After the first few albums were fueled by total nonsense that Mark and the boys cooked up in their acid-fueled noggins, OTG actually shows some semblance of thought in the lyrics. It’s still that trademark Manilla Road half-poetic half-stoned feel, but you can tell there was real inspiration here. OTG is mainly all about King Arthur, and has a general theme of ‘bravery’ and ‘standing your ground’ throughout. I find this album to be very motivational, whether I’m studying or exercising or doing anything really, it’s my default album to put on if I need to get moving.

Open the Gates is the longest album the Road recorded in the 80’s, coming in at about 52 minutes. Originally, they wanted to do something really silly and have something about this band make sense for once, so they wanted The Ninth Wave to be the ninth song on the album. They were so adamant about this, yet this move meant that one disc couldn’t store the whole album in its intended order. To fix this, they decided to sell it in its original print as a 12 inch LP and a 12 inch EP, with the LP having each song from Metalstrom to Hour of the Dragon, and the EP holding The Ninth Wave and Witches Brew. Every subsequent pressing on vinyl has been on one disc, with The Ninth Wave being placed right in the middle of the album, after Weavers of the Web. Honestly, I believe this change is for the best. It marks the halfway point of the album, and Witches’ Brew is a damn intense song in itself, so having them lead into each other is a bit much. This is something I’ve never seen anybody mention before so I thought I’d bring it up here.

Another little fun fact about this album; the intro to Metalstrom is actually the outro to Crystal Logic’s Dreams of Eschaton, just played in reverse. So if you play these two albums back to back, they lead perfectly into each other. It’s awesome. Metalstrom itself is a great track, setting the mood for the album immediately with a KILLER opening riff. This album has some of this band’s best riffage in it, I tell you. The title cut is one of the shortest songs the band ever put out, and it’s a nice little bridge into Astronomica. On it’s own it’s nothing special, just a nice little catchy hook to keep you listening.

Astronomica is an incredible track, and it set a standard for every following album of the 80s to have a song with an ethereal acoustic intro into a powerful mid paced masterwork. Think about it, we’ve got this one, Shadow in the Black, Spirits of the Dead, Return of the Old Ones and War in Heaven, and I guess Into the Courts of Chaos? It’s one of the best archetypes of Manilla song in my opinion. We even get some later in their career with stuff like Seven Trumpets and Battle for Bonchester Bridge. These all can be traced back to Astronomica, a phenomenal piece of music that really deserves its place in the hearts of Manilla Road fans as one of their greatest ever.

Weavers of the Web, Heavy Metal to the World, and Hour of the Dragon all have something in common, they’re powerful, have some iconic riffs and keep the album moving along nicely. Nestled in between these are The Ninth Wave, mentioned prior, which is this album’s true epic. It never feels like it drags, despite staying at a relatively slow pace and somewhat plodding at points, for the whole 9 minutes it enchants.

The Fires of Mars is this album’s weak point, in my opinion. This essentially means that this song is a 9/10 and everything else is 10/10. That’s how incredible this band and album is. My issue with this song is it’s just not that interesting, compared to everything else here it barely stands out. I love the solo though, a lot. It definitely has its moments but when it ends, I’m more glad that I get to listen to ROAD OF FUCKING KINGSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!! I discovered The Road with Necropolis like the rest of you, but this song along with Shadow in the Black is the one that kept me listening and what inspired me to get into this band. It’s just excellent, so much energy and POWER all in one song. And it’s inspirational! This plus Hour of the Dragon will get me motivated to do fuckin anything. I will hold this song close for my whole life.

The album closes with Witches’ Brew, which is just as epic as The Ninth Wave despite being somewhat shorter. This is one of the best closing tracks they ever made, maybe only topped by The Books of Skelos or The Empire. It’s a lovely trip out of the album, though the themes of the song itself are much closer to Mystification’s lyrics than OTG but it’s still one of the all-time greats.

Open the Gates has three major factors that I think make it perfect; Mark’s solos, guitar tone, and the drumming. This is I think the best tone they ever had. In the 80’s anyway. Crystal Logic is quite generic, The Deluge is much more bassy, Mystification is pretty off in some way I can’t explain, Courts is a little fuzzy for me. OOTA is the only one that comes close, it’s quite awesome and thrashy, but I just love the medieval sound that OTG has.

Mark’s solos are exquisite in this album. He is often guilty of just noodling, dragging out solos a little toooooo long, or just not doing much with them. I love them but they aren’t perfect, except on this album. They always fit the song, and I can remember every note of each one. They just slot in perfectly to each piece.

Finally, they got a new drummer for this album. His name is Randy Foxe and he is the greatest man to ever touch a drumstick, in my opinion. He doesn’t really show his full potential on this album, which is saying a LOT. In every song, there’s something fun and creative that he does. That’s the word that describes him best - creative. Nobody drums like Randy, and nobody is as creative as him, save for Cory Christner and Neudi, who are both also Manilla Road’s drummers! He really shows off his best work in the proceeding albums, though he does make a big mistake at the end of the decade that we’ll discuss when the time comes.

Open the Gates is the first of many perfect albums that this band would produce. Aside from The Fires of Mars, every single song here is a masterclass, and even that song has its moments. This is the album I’d recommend first to a new listener, as it contains a bunch of classics as well as being actually well produced unlike Crystal Logic. The Deluge is more of an emotional experience, at least for me, so even though it’s my favourite it wouldn’t be my first choice as a new listener as it’s just so different from everything else. OTG is a masterclass in metal as a whole and everyone who’s anyone should give it a spin.

MasterOfTheNight



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Metalström 5:22
2. Open The Gates 2:24
3. Astronomica 5:03
4. Weavers Of The Web 4:20
5. The Ninth Wave 9:33
6. Heavy Metal To The World 3:23
7. The Fires Of Mars 6:18
8. Road Of Kings 5:51
9. Hour Of The Dragon 4:49
10. Witches Brew 6:24

Bonus Tracks:
11. Touch The Sky (Early Rehearsal) 12:55
12. Witches Brew (Live 1987) 5:41
13. Weavers Of The Web (Live 2011) 4:03



..::OBSADA::..

Lead Vocals, Guitar [Guitars] - Mark W. Shelton
Bass Guitar - Scott Park
Drums - Randy 'Thrasher' Foxe




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLQ-owmIS0c



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

The Rods was actually almost a remastered re-release of the album Rock Hard with a different title, different album artwork and different tracklist. All the tracks of The Rods, that can also be found on Rock Hard, are actually the same recordings with Stephen Starmer on bass guitar. Only the two new tracks "Nothing Going On In The City" and "Ace In The Hole" feature Garry Bordonaro on bass guitar.

Compared to the tracklist of Rock Hard, the ELF cover "Sit Down Honey", "In Your Panties", "Gettin' Higher", and the The Young Rascals cover "You Better Run" were omitted and instead two other cover versions, "Nothing Going On In The City" and "Ace In The Hole", were added.

Additional track information:
The version of "Power Lover" here is edited a bit and about 10 seconds shorter than the one on Rock Hard. The alternate mix of the track, that is also included here, is also the shorter version.
"Gettin' Higher" is taken from the Full Throttle EP, that was released in 1981.
The live version of "Nothing Going On In The City" was earlier released on the High Vaultage and Rock Candy CD-re-releases of In The Raw. But it seems that both versions are not from the same source. The version included on the The Rods re-releases fades in later and fades out later and the sound quality is a bit poorer.

"Nothing Going on In The City" was orginally released by White Honey on the album Some Kinda Woman in 1979.
"Ace In The Hole" was originally released by Robert Fleischman on the album Perfect Stranger in 1979.



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Power Lover 2:39
2. Crank It Up 3:36
3. Hungry For Some Love 4:23
4. Music Man 4:25
5. Woman 3:32
6. Nothing Going On In The City 3:46
7. Get Ready To Rock And Roll 3:29
8. Ace In The Hole (Lead Vocals Garry Bordonaro) 4:26
9. Rock Hard 4:10
10. Roll With The Night 2:16

Bonus Tracks:
11. Gettin' Higher (from Full 'Throttle' EP) 3:42
12. Nothin' Going On In The City (Alternate Mix) 3:46
13. Power Lover (Alternate Mix) 2:39
14. Nothing Going On In The City (Live) 3:23



..::OBSADA::..

Vocals, Bass Guitar - Garry Bordonaro
Drums, Vocals - Carl Canedy
Guitar, Lead Vocals - David Feinstein

Vocals [Uncredited], Bass Guitar [Uncredited] - Stephen Starmer




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSd8skuCG3U



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

The Rods was actually almost a remastered re-release of the album Rock Hard with a different title, different album artwork and different tracklist. All the tracks of The Rods, that can also be found on Rock Hard, are actually the same recordings with Stephen Starmer on bass guitar. Only the two new tracks "Nothing Going On In The City" and "Ace In The Hole" feature Garry Bordonaro on bass guitar.

Compared to the tracklist of Rock Hard, the ELF cover "Sit Down Honey", "In Your Panties", "Gettin' Higher", and the The Young Rascals cover "You Better Run" were omitted and instead two other cover versions, "Nothing Going On In The City" and "Ace In The Hole", were added.

Additional track information:
The version of "Power Lover" here is edited a bit and about 10 seconds shorter than the one on Rock Hard. The alternate mix of the track, that is also included here, is also the shorter version.
"Gettin' Higher" is taken from the Full Throttle EP, that was released in 1981.
The live version of "Nothing Going On In The City" was earlier released on the High Vaultage and Rock Candy CD-re-releases of In The Raw. But it seems that both versions are not from the same source. The version included on the The Rods re-releases fades in later and fades out later and the sound quality is a bit poorer.

"Nothing Going on In The City" was orginally released by White Honey on the album Some Kinda Woman in 1979.
"Ace In The Hole" was originally released by Robert Fleischman on the album Perfect Stranger in 1979.



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Power Lover 2:39
2. Crank It Up 3:36
3. Hungry For Some Love 4:23
4. Music Man 4:25
5. Woman 3:32
6. Nothing Going On In The City 3:46
7. Get Ready To Rock And Roll 3:29
8. Ace In The Hole (Lead Vocals Garry Bordonaro) 4:26
9. Rock Hard 4:10
10. Roll With The Night 2:16

Bonus Tracks:
11. Gettin' Higher (from Full 'Throttle' EP) 3:42
12. Nothin' Going On In The City (Alternate Mix) 3:46
13. Power Lover (Alternate Mix) 2:39
14. Nothing Going On In The City (Live) 3:23



..::OBSADA::..

Vocals, Bass Guitar - Garry Bordonaro
Drums, Vocals - Carl Canedy
Guitar, Lead Vocals - David Feinstein

Vocals [Uncredited], Bass Guitar [Uncredited] - Stephen Starmer




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSd8skuCG3U



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

No i nie mówiłem? Same reedycje i wznowienia ostatnio do mnie wpadają. Jak tak dalej pójdzie, to nic nowego nie będzie już wydawane, hehe…

No dobra, przesadzam, po prostu Hooked on Metal Records specjalizuje się w reedycjach. Tym razem padło na drugi krążek Szwedów z Axewitch. Trzy lata temu ten sam label wypuścił wznowienie debiutu, więc logika (i głód maniaków!) wskazuje, że przyszła właśnie kolej na album numer dwa.

Wydany oryginalnie w 1984 roku (bardzo dobry rocznik, a ponoć ludzie urodzeni w tym roku mają strasznie dużo pozytywnych cech, podobnie jak albumy które się wtedy ukazały) zatytułowany „Visions of the Past” album po tych czterdziestu latach całkiem nieźle się broni. Jest to granie z dużą dozą melodii, która czterdzieści lat temu niekoniecznie oznaczała jeszcze wiochę. Refreny wpadają w ucho i najzwyczajniej w świecie kawałki z drugiej płyty Axewitch możecie sobie nucić przy prostych czynnościach dnia codziennego. Tempa są średnio szybkie, raczej standardowe dla nagrań z tej ery – przynajmniej dla muzyki określanej po prostu jako heavy metal, a nie żaden speed czy coś. Dostajemy również jeden wolniejszy numer i gwoli ścisłości, on również się broni.

Mowa o wznowieniu, więc szanujące się wznowienie powinno zawierać jakieś rarytasy, z drugiej strony nie każdy lubi to rozwiązanie. Hooked on Metal Recrods wyciąga rękę właśnie do tych drugich. Nie ma tu bonusowych kawałków, nie ma żadnych skanów plakatów czy flayersów. Że tak powiem – goła płyta, a muzyka broni się sama.

No i rzeczywiście po tych czterdziestu latach broni się nieźle. Na tyle, że zespół nadal działa i nagrywa. A Katii i Dominikowi chwała za odświeżenie tego albumu.

Oracle

Welcome back to The Lazarus Pit, a look back at should-be classic records that don’t get nearly enough love. Today we’re looking at Axewitch’s 1984 record Visions of the Past. This second album from the Swedish trad/NWOBHM band is an excellent mean median example of a more or less forgotten metal album from 1984, full of heart—overflowing with heart—and embodying everything that made the era so exciting.

Now, a note: anyone following this column over the past few months could be forgiven for accusing me of falling into a sort of doey-eyed nostalgia over poverty metal that really wasn’t exactly turning a lot of heads at the time. But you have to readjust that lens: there are only so many poverty metal albums from 1984 (granted, that number is pretty large), and that’s a time and place that can’t be recreated now. So, sure, I suppose this is a lesson in re-evaluation, a look back at some records that are not top tier, I’m not denying that, but upon closer investigation (something none of us have done with this record in years) contains a certain magic in it that is lost in time, and, indeed, lost to the second tier of metal bands of the era.

So, with that context in mind, put this one on and get it started with the awesome opening title track. Man, there’s a chorus, the unexpected turn in melody when it hits never failing to get the dopamine, and adrenaline, flowing. The song rules—it falls somewhere between cold gothic trad and NWOBHM, I’ve heard countless retro trad bands follow its formula exactly, and it’s a sound that more or less reaffirms life when you need it to. Based on the strength of this song, the discount bins were not were Visions of the Past should have ended up.

“Give them Hell” follows that up with a speedy trad metal rocker with economic riffs flying hard and mighty, a smart choice for a second cut here. “Tonight” just makes you want to party hard like it’s a summer Saturday night in 1984, maybe 1985, all over again. It turns its back on the cover art and is concerned less with the slaying of the dragon than it is with letting the beer flow freely, and Axewitch make you realize, yeah, there’s time for both. “Hot Lady” continues this line of thought, as the band threaten to get a bit too stoopid, but their charm keeps them above the lowest common denominator here, even if the end result is a bit unremarkable.

“Stand Up” kicks off side B with a brisk and energetic anthem, one that, with a bit of convincing, wouldn’t be wildly out of place on a prime-era Accept record. Love the smart songwriting come chorus-time; this must have sounded amazing when played live around the time of this record’s release.

“Heading for a Storm” is ambitious and the band gets through the mellower parts with no shortage of gusto, even if they don’t quite hit the mark; when it picks up, however, it packs a perfect metal punch, solid and sturdy, checking off all the boxes. It’s a bit much at 6:21, but it’s got spirit. “Born In Hell” has both a gallop part and a dirgey swamp part to it; “Time to Live” has a bit of late-album boogie; “Evil Circle”’s opening riff is absolute, 100-percent pure metal glory.

Again, I’m not here to say every metal record released in the ’80s with a castle on the cover is good even though it’s imperfect… but, fuck it, that’s sort of the conclusion I’m reaching here after writing about this stuff for so long. But, also again: it’s not just nostalgia, it’s the realization that these records are time capsules of an era that can’t be replicated. There are some great bands mining trad territory out there today, and they get big horns up from me, but there’s just something special, warts and all, about these old records, young bands shooting high and hard, unaware of what glories or disasters the future may hold as they explore this exciting sonic terrain and, in some very small way, help lay down the framework of the modern metal we all live and die for today.

Greg Pratt


Axewitch jazz things up a bit more (not literally) with their second full-lengther where over the year they seem to generate some juice that’s a few volts hotter than those that sparked their past two powerlines, however this mild, yet noteworthy surge doesn’t burn at the cost of upturned speed values, warmer intensity, or changes in songwriting style. Not really, and strangely as a result of, I dunno, what could be revised ideas and/or clearer thinking, Visions of the Past spins with what could be heard as updated veneer that will likely fall under natural progression, however at the same time one should wonder if metal’s ’83 and ’84 winds of change blew the siding off the five-piece’s pre-’82 house which, by The Lord of Flies, had started to seem kinda dilapidated.

Whatever the reason, the unperturbed roster of Micke, Mange, Wallen, Matte, and Tommy unite once again and this time push more metal dynamic into the daylight that, up until now, had mostly been sheltered by the large hard rock outcropping that has been the band’s balcony since birth. Shove marks made in the gravel by the burly “Give Them Hell”, double bass-rumbled slabs in “Time to Live” and “Stand Up”, proud “Tonight”, and the opening title cut are evidence that Axewitch exuded at least perceptible effort to further burnish their reflective surfaces not unlike same year shiners from Quartz and Battleaxe, surfaces that were always there, hazily, as if smeared with white liquid wax, then neglected for the pouring of concrete.

Even the stony floors of “Born in Hell” and “Hot Lady” as well as jagged edges of “Time to Live” and “Stand Up” have a less morose and brighter climate compared to the band’s prior weather, which could come from the continued half notch or so jazz-up by another Decibel Studio production. Alas, despite what rises somewhere above the mark here, the album’s longest vision is also its weakest. “Heading up a Storm” is a half-ballad that meanders a bit near the start with a story predictably soft and serene, then just as predictably finds a hardened pace, then backtracks to stroll in place by retracing its similar cushion-soled footsteps. Luckily, complacency is blown to the side as it builds some fairly dramatic ‘the power in power ballad’ traction that hoofs it across a finish line that by the end was thirsty for turbulence.

The band’s known songwriting blueprint hasn’t really changed too noticeably since their inception, yet here the rock-to-metal ratio slides happily toward the latter, leveling off on more even terrain where the listener can feel like she’s treading forward through mid-‘80s calendar pages instead of being trapped on one in ’82. A listener could feel this way, or she could know for a fact the wind pushing against her blows in from a more metal-rampant ’84, and despite valiantly trudging forward through the same wind, Visions of the Past could still kinda sound a few gusts behind the times.

My customary research shows Visions of the Past landed at #12 on the Swedish hard rock charts with additional licensing through Neat Records in the U.K., Roadrunner in Europe, and Banzai in Canada. Combine that with the #7 placings of the Pray for Metal ep (beat out by Loverboy as well as everyone’s hard rock icon, Michael Bolton) and The Lord of Flies and we get an act that not only should have been, but still should be contenders to royalty that equals more than a runner-up ribbon from a tractor pull. Well, Axewitch’s (Axe Witch, Axewitch…I say screw the space) show isn’t over yet.

Gutterscream



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Visions Of The Past
2. Give Them Hell
3. Tonight
4. Hot Lady
5. Stand Up
6. Heading For A Storm
7. Born In Hell
8. Time To Live

Bonus Tracks (Demo 1984):
9. Evil Circle
10. Visions Of The Past
11. Give Them Hell
12. Tonight
13. Hot Lady
14. Heading For A Storm
15. Time To Live



..::OBSADA::..

Matte - Drums
Micke - Guitars
Magge - Guitars
Wallen - Vocals
Tommy - Bass



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or8KLBoUbxM


SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

No i nie mówiłem? Same reedycje i wznowienia ostatnio do mnie wpadają. Jak tak dalej pójdzie, to nic nowego nie będzie już wydawane, hehe…

No dobra, przesadzam, po prostu Hooked on Metal Records specjalizuje się w reedycjach. Tym razem padło na drugi krążek Szwedów z Axewitch. Trzy lata temu ten sam label wypuścił wznowienie debiutu, więc logika (i głód maniaków!) wskazuje, że przyszła właśnie kolej na album numer dwa.

Wydany oryginalnie w 1984 roku (bardzo dobry rocznik, a ponoć ludzie urodzeni w tym roku mają strasznie dużo pozytywnych cech, podobnie jak albumy które się wtedy ukazały) zatytułowany „Visions of the Past” album po tych czterdziestu latach całkiem nieźle się broni. Jest to granie z dużą dozą melodii, która czterdzieści lat temu niekoniecznie oznaczała jeszcze wiochę. Refreny wpadają w ucho i najzwyczajniej w świecie kawałki z drugiej płyty Axewitch możecie sobie nucić przy prostych czynnościach dnia codziennego. Tempa są średnio szybkie, raczej standardowe dla nagrań z tej ery – przynajmniej dla muzyki określanej po prostu jako heavy metal, a nie żaden speed czy coś. Dostajemy również jeden wolniejszy numer i gwoli ścisłości, on również się broni.

Mowa o wznowieniu, więc szanujące się wznowienie powinno zawierać jakieś rarytasy, z drugiej strony nie każdy lubi to rozwiązanie. Hooked on Metal Recrods wyciąga rękę właśnie do tych drugich. Nie ma tu bonusowych kawałków, nie ma żadnych skanów plakatów czy flayersów. Że tak powiem – goła płyta, a muzyka broni się sama.

No i rzeczywiście po tych czterdziestu latach broni się nieźle. Na tyle, że zespół nadal działa i nagrywa. A Katii i Dominikowi chwała za odświeżenie tego albumu.

Oracle

Welcome back to The Lazarus Pit, a look back at should-be classic records that don’t get nearly enough love. Today we’re looking at Axewitch’s 1984 record Visions of the Past. This second album from the Swedish trad/NWOBHM band is an excellent mean median example of a more or less forgotten metal album from 1984, full of heart—overflowing with heart—and embodying everything that made the era so exciting.

Now, a note: anyone following this column over the past few months could be forgiven for accusing me of falling into a sort of doey-eyed nostalgia over poverty metal that really wasn’t exactly turning a lot of heads at the time. But you have to readjust that lens: there are only so many poverty metal albums from 1984 (granted, that number is pretty large), and that’s a time and place that can’t be recreated now. So, sure, I suppose this is a lesson in re-evaluation, a look back at some records that are not top tier, I’m not denying that, but upon closer investigation (something none of us have done with this record in years) contains a certain magic in it that is lost in time, and, indeed, lost to the second tier of metal bands of the era.

So, with that context in mind, put this one on and get it started with the awesome opening title track. Man, there’s a chorus, the unexpected turn in melody when it hits never failing to get the dopamine, and adrenaline, flowing. The song rules—it falls somewhere between cold gothic trad and NWOBHM, I’ve heard countless retro trad bands follow its formula exactly, and it’s a sound that more or less reaffirms life when you need it to. Based on the strength of this song, the discount bins were not were Visions of the Past should have ended up.

“Give them Hell” follows that up with a speedy trad metal rocker with economic riffs flying hard and mighty, a smart choice for a second cut here. “Tonight” just makes you want to party hard like it’s a summer Saturday night in 1984, maybe 1985, all over again. It turns its back on the cover art and is concerned less with the slaying of the dragon than it is with letting the beer flow freely, and Axewitch make you realize, yeah, there’s time for both. “Hot Lady” continues this line of thought, as the band threaten to get a bit too stoopid, but their charm keeps them above the lowest common denominator here, even if the end result is a bit unremarkable.

“Stand Up” kicks off side B with a brisk and energetic anthem, one that, with a bit of convincing, wouldn’t be wildly out of place on a prime-era Accept record. Love the smart songwriting come chorus-time; this must have sounded amazing when played live around the time of this record’s release.

“Heading for a Storm” is ambitious and the band gets through the mellower parts with no shortage of gusto, even if they don’t quite hit the mark; when it picks up, however, it packs a perfect metal punch, solid and sturdy, checking off all the boxes. It’s a bit much at 6:21, but it’s got spirit. “Born In Hell” has both a gallop part and a dirgey swamp part to it; “Time to Live” has a bit of late-album boogie; “Evil Circle”’s opening riff is absolute, 100-percent pure metal glory.

Again, I’m not here to say every metal record released in the ’80s with a castle on the cover is good even though it’s imperfect… but, fuck it, that’s sort of the conclusion I’m reaching here after writing about this stuff for so long. But, also again: it’s not just nostalgia, it’s the realization that these records are time capsules of an era that can’t be replicated. There are some great bands mining trad territory out there today, and they get big horns up from me, but there’s just something special, warts and all, about these old records, young bands shooting high and hard, unaware of what glories or disasters the future may hold as they explore this exciting sonic terrain and, in some very small way, help lay down the framework of the modern metal we all live and die for today.

Greg Pratt


Axewitch jazz things up a bit more (not literally) with their second full-lengther where over the year they seem to generate some juice that’s a few volts hotter than those that sparked their past two powerlines, however this mild, yet noteworthy surge doesn’t burn at the cost of upturned speed values, warmer intensity, or changes in songwriting style. Not really, and strangely as a result of, I dunno, what could be revised ideas and/or clearer thinking, Visions of the Past spins with what could be heard as updated veneer that will likely fall under natural progression, however at the same time one should wonder if metal’s ’83 and ’84 winds of change blew the siding off the five-piece’s pre-’82 house which, by The Lord of Flies, had started to seem kinda dilapidated.

Whatever the reason, the unperturbed roster of Micke, Mange, Wallen, Matte, and Tommy unite once again and this time push more metal dynamic into the daylight that, up until now, had mostly been sheltered by the large hard rock outcropping that has been the band’s balcony since birth. Shove marks made in the gravel by the burly “Give Them Hell”, double bass-rumbled slabs in “Time to Live” and “Stand Up”, proud “Tonight”, and the opening title cut are evidence that Axewitch exuded at least perceptible effort to further burnish their reflective surfaces not unlike same year shiners from Quartz and Battleaxe, surfaces that were always there, hazily, as if smeared with white liquid wax, then neglected for the pouring of concrete.

Even the stony floors of “Born in Hell” and “Hot Lady” as well as jagged edges of “Time to Live” and “Stand Up” have a less morose and brighter climate compared to the band’s prior weather, which could come from the continued half notch or so jazz-up by another Decibel Studio production. Alas, despite what rises somewhere above the mark here, the album’s longest vision is also its weakest. “Heading up a Storm” is a half-ballad that meanders a bit near the start with a story predictably soft and serene, then just as predictably finds a hardened pace, then backtracks to stroll in place by retracing its similar cushion-soled footsteps. Luckily, complacency is blown to the side as it builds some fairly dramatic ‘the power in power ballad’ traction that hoofs it across a finish line that by the end was thirsty for turbulence.

The band’s known songwriting blueprint hasn’t really changed too noticeably since their inception, yet here the rock-to-metal ratio slides happily toward the latter, leveling off on more even terrain where the listener can feel like she’s treading forward through mid-‘80s calendar pages instead of being trapped on one in ’82. A listener could feel this way, or she could know for a fact the wind pushing against her blows in from a more metal-rampant ’84, and despite valiantly trudging forward through the same wind, Visions of the Past could still kinda sound a few gusts behind the times.

My customary research shows Visions of the Past landed at #12 on the Swedish hard rock charts with additional licensing through Neat Records in the U.K., Roadrunner in Europe, and Banzai in Canada. Combine that with the #7 placings of the Pray for Metal ep (beat out by Loverboy as well as everyone’s hard rock icon, Michael Bolton) and The Lord of Flies and we get an act that not only should have been, but still should be contenders to royalty that equals more than a runner-up ribbon from a tractor pull. Well, Axewitch’s (Axe Witch, Axewitch…I say screw the space) show isn’t over yet.

Gutterscream



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Visions Of The Past
2. Give Them Hell
3. Tonight
4. Hot Lady
5. Stand Up
6. Heading For A Storm
7. Born In Hell
8. Time To Live

Bonus Tracks (Demo 1984):
9. Evil Circle
10. Visions Of The Past
11. Give Them Hell
12. Tonight
13. Hot Lady
14. Heading For A Storm
15. Time To Live



..::OBSADA::..

Matte - Drums
Micke - Guitars
Magge - Guitars
Wallen - Vocals
Tommy - Bass



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or8KLBoUbxM


SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

'Tales Of Terror' ma swój specyficzny urok, bo nie brakuje mu młodzieńczej energii, a jednocześnie opiera się na najczystszej materii, z której wywodzi się wszystko, co angażuje w muzyce tego zespołu. Teksty mają moc przyciągania, zwłaszcza miłośników historycznych realiów i atmosfery, która z nich emanuje.

FA


When it comes to German heavy/power metal, Stormwitch has been quite a heavy hitter for me since I started listening to them some 10 years ago or more. Their play style can remind a lot of NWOBHM bands through their first few albums, but they stood out particularly due to their noticeable German origins and, of course, the originality of their concept. Unfortunately, the history of this group hasn't been the most successful, as their sound progressively evolved into some sort of glam or commercial direction, which didn't work out and most likely was one of the reasons behind their break-up in the 90s. Anyway, the beginnings were a different beast though, as the first effort, "Walpurgis Night", seemed to have been heavily influenced by Iron Maiden with its galloping grooves and melodic approach. The sound was pretty heavy, and the overall pace was mid to fast at times, and singer Andy Mück had quite a long-range voice as well. At this point, coming with the second release, "Tales of Terror", we saw the band starting to expand on that initial playstyle and include some epic elements to the mix, which was, to me at least, a welcomed improvement.

Being an album released in 1985, we were still in a very early stage of the establishment of the power metal genre, but some traces can already be noticed on there. It is definitely not a huge musical shift compared to the first record, but the evolution of their sound displayed here shows a more refined work in general. This time around, we once again have 9 tracks of material and also clocking at 40 minutes. The only difference is that there's no instrumental song, unlike the follow-up "Stronger Than Heaven", which also has one. The "Tales of Terror" album pretty much hooked me from the beginning with the first track it kicks things off with, being "Point of No Return". The song starts with a chanting introduction, and once the first riff goes off, you know you're in for a treat. Structure-wise, it is quite standard, but the catchiness of it didn't take long to have its effect on me. I would also argue that Side A of the album is the better part of it, mainly due to it having the most upbeat tracks. If we take, for instance, "Masque of the Red Death", it goes from a smooth and melodic beat with great vocal performances to a fast-paced passage that leads to a guitar solo in a really smooth way. Despite all that, it isn't to say that the second part of the record is not great by any means, as the epic "Sword of Sagon" with its storytelling concept is an absolute banger as well, with its intense riff delivery. One could notice that the whole pace may have been slowed down a bit on this effort, but Stormwitch had always kept it steady regardless, as we can still see some classic speed metal vibes on the "Night Stalker" track, which displays a great sense of variety.

Although it is very good and catchy in general, there are a few weak parts such as "Trust in the Fire" and the closer "When the Bat Bites", which I always found to be a bit less engaging and impactful due to the commercial vibe of the former and the unmemorable chorus of the latter tracks. One thing for sure is that to enjoy this band's music, listeners may need to get used to high-pitched vocals, as it is the main trademark here, and put on the front end rightfully so. However, people who are Helloween or Judas Priest fans will certainly enjoy this. Other than the vocals, the guitars are surely the band's main force, and not so much the bass or drums. The album production work proves it as well, since they are the instruments that we can hear the most in the mix. The bass and drums are fine, but didn't make a particular impression on me, basically just doing the job, and honestly, I didn't mind it at all. The sound in general is also cleaner than the first album, which was recorded in the same studio as this one, and I would say quite noticeably. The approach that was taken on this album is quite interesting, as when we take an overview of the whole picture of this work, it is indeed very story-based, as each track tells a different tale, hence the name of the album. Although nothing seemed terrifying to me, it is nonetheless quite an original idea, for the time at least.

These guys surely had a great plan moving forward in that conceptual and musical direction, which they did for the next record, but that didn't last long and fell apart in the late 80s. "Tales of Terror" is a good display of progression in that matter, and is to me as good as you can get from them regarding their catalog. Even though the heavy/power metal era was quite short-lived with them, we fortunately have 3 great outputs to enjoy. At this point in 1985, the competition grew quite strong in that musical orientation, and therefore some bands like these guys were lost on the radar. In fact, for the most part, they've always been an underground band that didn't get much recognition, but they're worth checking out, that's for sure. I'd recommend this album to basically anyone who enjoys NWOBHM bands or old school power metal in general, as it delivers well and is very easy to get into, largely because most tracks have something to hook you on.

DesecratorJ


Tales of Terror is one of the essential Stormwitch albums. This, along with Walpurgis Night and Stronger Than Heaven, is a great place to start for those who are new to this legendary band.

The album begins with the solemn tones of a Gregorian-styled monk's chant before you are taken from the point of no return into a world of adventure and breathtaking sights. Stormwitch are more subtle at drawing you into their world than some other fantasy-inspired bands. Instead of lyrics that utilize regal language to paint a landscape, Stormwitch's lyrics are such that the flow of the story is more powerful than the words used. Andy Aldrian's confident mid-range singing style compliments the equally subtle twists and turns of the music and his voice has a narrative quality to it that makes you feel as if he is recalling something that he experienced.

Tales of Terror features a variety of headbanging riffs, energetic solos, and mid-to-fast paced tempos. "Hell's Still Alive" is a menacing gallop with a bristling solo and Aldrian's scream near the end of the track is pure metal. "Arabian Nights" has a fun little skip in its step reminiscent of Iron Maiden's "Twilight Zone." There is an Arabian-flavored melody at 2:57 of this track that seems to come out of nowhere and provides a strong foundation for the solo that follows. Okay, Stormwitch. Admit it. Tony Iommi commandeered your studio during the twilight hours of a particularly rough day of recording and thundered forth those riffs in "Lost Legions." Tell us what you know! Kidding aside, that's a pounding monster of a track that stands out like a monolith on this album. All fans of Black Sabbath must listen to it now. From the impending doom of "Point of No Return" up through the final moments of the vampire-themed "When the Bat Bites," every song on this album is like its own self-contained world that makes you want to visit time and again. You might as well just hit the play button after the CD stops spinning because Stormwitch's music is just that addictive.

Musically, Stormwitch's performance on Tales of Terror is tight and executed in a way that seems to put the good of the song ahead of any sort of unnecessary histrionics. The mystery and magic conveyed through the lyrics is done in a believable way as opposed to the all too common overdramatic approach that some bands use when singing about fantasy concepts. The spoken-word introduction to "Sword of Sagon" may be an acquired taste for some, but the song itself is engaging enough to make you forget about that if that's not your cup of tea.

Overall, Tales of Terror is another engaging album where Stormwitch managed to create a mystical vibe by utilizing familiar elements through a composed and understated approach that invites you into their world where a host of exotic emotions await and to where you'll long to return even after the music ends.

If you're a fan of power metal or classic heavy metal and you've never listened to Stormwitch, then where have you been? Check out Tales of Terror now and experience what you've been missing.

AsPredatorToPrey



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Point Of No Return 5:03
2. Hell's Still Alive 4:28
3. Masque Of The Red Death 4:55
4. Arabian Nights 4:57
5. Sword Of Sagon 5:26
6. Trust In The Fire 3:53
7. Night Stalker 3:42
8. Lost Legions 3:43
9. When The Bat Bites 3:53



..::OBSADA::..

Lead Guitar - Lee Tarot
Lead Vocals - Andy Aldrian
Drums - Pete Lancer
Bass - Ronny Pearson
Rhythm Guitar - Steve Merchant



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9574HofEtYI



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

'Tales Of Terror' ma swój specyficzny urok, bo nie brakuje mu młodzieńczej energii, a jednocześnie opiera się na najczystszej materii, z której wywodzi się wszystko, co angażuje w muzyce tego zespołu. Teksty mają moc przyciągania, zwłaszcza miłośników historycznych realiów i atmosfery, która z nich emanuje.

FA


When it comes to German heavy/power metal, Stormwitch has been quite a heavy hitter for me since I started listening to them some 10 years ago or more. Their play style can remind a lot of NWOBHM bands through their first few albums, but they stood out particularly due to their noticeable German origins and, of course, the originality of their concept. Unfortunately, the history of this group hasn't been the most successful, as their sound progressively evolved into some sort of glam or commercial direction, which didn't work out and most likely was one of the reasons behind their break-up in the 90s. Anyway, the beginnings were a different beast though, as the first effort, "Walpurgis Night", seemed to have been heavily influenced by Iron Maiden with its galloping grooves and melodic approach. The sound was pretty heavy, and the overall pace was mid to fast at times, and singer Andy Mück had quite a long-range voice as well. At this point, coming with the second release, "Tales of Terror", we saw the band starting to expand on that initial playstyle and include some epic elements to the mix, which was, to me at least, a welcomed improvement.

Being an album released in 1985, we were still in a very early stage of the establishment of the power metal genre, but some traces can already be noticed on there. It is definitely not a huge musical shift compared to the first record, but the evolution of their sound displayed here shows a more refined work in general. This time around, we once again have 9 tracks of material and also clocking at 40 minutes. The only difference is that there's no instrumental song, unlike the follow-up "Stronger Than Heaven", which also has one. The "Tales of Terror" album pretty much hooked me from the beginning with the first track it kicks things off with, being "Point of No Return". The song starts with a chanting introduction, and once the first riff goes off, you know you're in for a treat. Structure-wise, it is quite standard, but the catchiness of it didn't take long to have its effect on me. I would also argue that Side A of the album is the better part of it, mainly due to it having the most upbeat tracks. If we take, for instance, "Masque of the Red Death", it goes from a smooth and melodic beat with great vocal performances to a fast-paced passage that leads to a guitar solo in a really smooth way. Despite all that, it isn't to say that the second part of the record is not great by any means, as the epic "Sword of Sagon" with its storytelling concept is an absolute banger as well, with its intense riff delivery. One could notice that the whole pace may have been slowed down a bit on this effort, but Stormwitch had always kept it steady regardless, as we can still see some classic speed metal vibes on the "Night Stalker" track, which displays a great sense of variety.

Although it is very good and catchy in general, there are a few weak parts such as "Trust in the Fire" and the closer "When the Bat Bites", which I always found to be a bit less engaging and impactful due to the commercial vibe of the former and the unmemorable chorus of the latter tracks. One thing for sure is that to enjoy this band's music, listeners may need to get used to high-pitched vocals, as it is the main trademark here, and put on the front end rightfully so. However, people who are Helloween or Judas Priest fans will certainly enjoy this. Other than the vocals, the guitars are surely the band's main force, and not so much the bass or drums. The album production work proves it as well, since they are the instruments that we can hear the most in the mix. The bass and drums are fine, but didn't make a particular impression on me, basically just doing the job, and honestly, I didn't mind it at all. The sound in general is also cleaner than the first album, which was recorded in the same studio as this one, and I would say quite noticeably. The approach that was taken on this album is quite interesting, as when we take an overview of the whole picture of this work, it is indeed very story-based, as each track tells a different tale, hence the name of the album. Although nothing seemed terrifying to me, it is nonetheless quite an original idea, for the time at least.

These guys surely had a great plan moving forward in that conceptual and musical direction, which they did for the next record, but that didn't last long and fell apart in the late 80s. "Tales of Terror" is a good display of progression in that matter, and is to me as good as you can get from them regarding their catalog. Even though the heavy/power metal era was quite short-lived with them, we fortunately have 3 great outputs to enjoy. At this point in 1985, the competition grew quite strong in that musical orientation, and therefore some bands like these guys were lost on the radar. In fact, for the most part, they've always been an underground band that didn't get much recognition, but they're worth checking out, that's for sure. I'd recommend this album to basically anyone who enjoys NWOBHM bands or old school power metal in general, as it delivers well and is very easy to get into, largely because most tracks have something to hook you on.

DesecratorJ


Tales of Terror is one of the essential Stormwitch albums. This, along with Walpurgis Night and Stronger Than Heaven, is a great place to start for those who are new to this legendary band.

The album begins with the solemn tones of a Gregorian-styled monk's chant before you are taken from the point of no return into a world of adventure and breathtaking sights. Stormwitch are more subtle at drawing you into their world than some other fantasy-inspired bands. Instead of lyrics that utilize regal language to paint a landscape, Stormwitch's lyrics are such that the flow of the story is more powerful than the words used. Andy Aldrian's confident mid-range singing style compliments the equally subtle twists and turns of the music and his voice has a narrative quality to it that makes you feel as if he is recalling something that he experienced.

Tales of Terror features a variety of headbanging riffs, energetic solos, and mid-to-fast paced tempos. "Hell's Still Alive" is a menacing gallop with a bristling solo and Aldrian's scream near the end of the track is pure metal. "Arabian Nights" has a fun little skip in its step reminiscent of Iron Maiden's "Twilight Zone." There is an Arabian-flavored melody at 2:57 of this track that seems to come out of nowhere and provides a strong foundation for the solo that follows. Okay, Stormwitch. Admit it. Tony Iommi commandeered your studio during the twilight hours of a particularly rough day of recording and thundered forth those riffs in "Lost Legions." Tell us what you know! Kidding aside, that's a pounding monster of a track that stands out like a monolith on this album. All fans of Black Sabbath must listen to it now. From the impending doom of "Point of No Return" up through the final moments of the vampire-themed "When the Bat Bites," every song on this album is like its own self-contained world that makes you want to visit time and again. You might as well just hit the play button after the CD stops spinning because Stormwitch's music is just that addictive.

Musically, Stormwitch's performance on Tales of Terror is tight and executed in a way that seems to put the good of the song ahead of any sort of unnecessary histrionics. The mystery and magic conveyed through the lyrics is done in a believable way as opposed to the all too common overdramatic approach that some bands use when singing about fantasy concepts. The spoken-word introduction to "Sword of Sagon" may be an acquired taste for some, but the song itself is engaging enough to make you forget about that if that's not your cup of tea.

Overall, Tales of Terror is another engaging album where Stormwitch managed to create a mystical vibe by utilizing familiar elements through a composed and understated approach that invites you into their world where a host of exotic emotions await and to where you'll long to return even after the music ends.

If you're a fan of power metal or classic heavy metal and you've never listened to Stormwitch, then where have you been? Check out Tales of Terror now and experience what you've been missing.

AsPredatorToPrey



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Point Of No Return 5:03
2. Hell's Still Alive 4:28
3. Masque Of The Red Death 4:55
4. Arabian Nights 4:57
5. Sword Of Sagon 5:26
6. Trust In The Fire 3:53
7. Night Stalker 3:42
8. Lost Legions 3:43
9. When The Bat Bites 3:53



..::OBSADA::..

Lead Guitar - Lee Tarot
Lead Vocals - Andy Aldrian
Drums - Pete Lancer
Bass - Ronny Pearson
Rhythm Guitar - Steve Merchant



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9574HofEtYI



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

AXEWITCH był jednym z najważniejszych zespołów w początkowych latach szwedzkiej sceny heavy metal. "The Lord of Flies" to debiut z 1983 roku. Album jest dostępny po raz pierwszy jako digipak CD, zawierający 12-stronicową książeczkę, pełną archiwalnych zdjęć, informacji o zespole i tekstów.
Dla fanów: NWOBHM, GOTHAM CITY, HEAVY LOAD, OVERDRIVE.


Here is a reissue of the debut album from Swedish 80s Heavy Metallers AXEWITCH and you can expect a high octane dose of good old early-mid 80s Heavy Metal delivered with sharp precision and with plenty of incredibly catchy hooks! It is pedal to the metal from the get go with the first track ‘Axe Victim’ swaggering out of the speakers with energetic fervent finesse, the guitar sound is nice, warm and crisp with each riff cutting through the mix clearly, the drums pound along like a jackhammer sent to max with a lot of double kick fuelled parts, the bass is hefty and provides a weighty bottom end and the vocals lead the charge throughout reminding me of Sean Harris (DIAMOND HEAD). The lead work has to be mentioned too, all great Heavy Metal bands need strong lead playing and AXEWITCH definitely have that in abundance. This is Heavy Metal with a definite feel good vibe, the kind of Heavy Metal that was made for headbanging, fist raising and beer drinking! I can imagine just how well these songs would work in the live environment in an intimate sweaty setting with the adrenaline pumped up to full and the crowd and band feeding off each other. The production is powerful for its time with the songs really coming out of the speakers at you full force with each instrument clearly audible but there’s just the right amount of 80s style grit too so it definitely dosen’t sound overly polished, they found a good mix production wise back in the day and it does sound very of its time. This will transport you right back to the hey day of the era when the NWOBHM movement was going very strong and still a dominant force in the global Metal scene but these Swedes along with countrymen GOTHAM CITY, TORCH, SILVER MOUNTAIN, HEAVY LOAD etc were also contributing some top class Heavy Metal to the world and helping to put Scandinavia on the Metal map. It is a warm and very welcome revisit to the days when Heavy Metal was mainly just that, HEAVY METAL! There are definite nods to JUDAS PRIEST, DIAMOND HEAD and such bands and AXEWITCH are clearly influenced by such bands and NWOBHM in general. “The Lord Of Flies” will definitely appeal to anyone who loves early-mid 80s fist pumping Heavy Metal.

Kat 'Shevil' Gillham



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Axevictim 4:51
2. Just Another Lunatic 4:16
3. High Power 5:46
4. Let The Strings Cry Out 1:27
5. Sinner 4:40
6. The Arrival Of The Flies (Part 1) 2:10
7. The Lord Of Flies 6:01
8. Down Town 4:57
9. Seven Angels 4:35



..::OBSADA::..

Lead Guitar - Mange, Micke
Lead Vocals - Wallen
Bass Guitar - Tommy
Drums - Matte

Backing Vocals - Fredrik V. Gerber



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXqH3vTZndU



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

AXEWITCH był jednym z najważniejszych zespołów w początkowych latach szwedzkiej sceny heavy metal. "The Lord of Flies" to debiut z 1983 roku. Album jest dostępny po raz pierwszy jako digipak CD, zawierający 12-stronicową książeczkę, pełną archiwalnych zdjęć, informacji o zespole i tekstów.
Dla fanów: NWOBHM, GOTHAM CITY, HEAVY LOAD, OVERDRIVE.


Here is a reissue of the debut album from Swedish 80s Heavy Metallers AXEWITCH and you can expect a high octane dose of good old early-mid 80s Heavy Metal delivered with sharp precision and with plenty of incredibly catchy hooks! It is pedal to the metal from the get go with the first track ‘Axe Victim’ swaggering out of the speakers with energetic fervent finesse, the guitar sound is nice, warm and crisp with each riff cutting through the mix clearly, the drums pound along like a jackhammer sent to max with a lot of double kick fuelled parts, the bass is hefty and provides a weighty bottom end and the vocals lead the charge throughout reminding me of Sean Harris (DIAMOND HEAD). The lead work has to be mentioned too, all great Heavy Metal bands need strong lead playing and AXEWITCH definitely have that in abundance. This is Heavy Metal with a definite feel good vibe, the kind of Heavy Metal that was made for headbanging, fist raising and beer drinking! I can imagine just how well these songs would work in the live environment in an intimate sweaty setting with the adrenaline pumped up to full and the crowd and band feeding off each other. The production is powerful for its time with the songs really coming out of the speakers at you full force with each instrument clearly audible but there’s just the right amount of 80s style grit too so it definitely dosen’t sound overly polished, they found a good mix production wise back in the day and it does sound very of its time. This will transport you right back to the hey day of the era when the NWOBHM movement was going very strong and still a dominant force in the global Metal scene but these Swedes along with countrymen GOTHAM CITY, TORCH, SILVER MOUNTAIN, HEAVY LOAD etc were also contributing some top class Heavy Metal to the world and helping to put Scandinavia on the Metal map. It is a warm and very welcome revisit to the days when Heavy Metal was mainly just that, HEAVY METAL! There are definite nods to JUDAS PRIEST, DIAMOND HEAD and such bands and AXEWITCH are clearly influenced by such bands and NWOBHM in general. “The Lord Of Flies” will definitely appeal to anyone who loves early-mid 80s fist pumping Heavy Metal.

Kat 'Shevil' Gillham



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Axevictim 4:51
2. Just Another Lunatic 4:16
3. High Power 5:46
4. Let The Strings Cry Out 1:27
5. Sinner 4:40
6. The Arrival Of The Flies (Part 1) 2:10
7. The Lord Of Flies 6:01
8. Down Town 4:57
9. Seven Angels 4:35



..::OBSADA::..

Lead Guitar - Mange, Micke
Lead Vocals - Wallen
Bass Guitar - Tommy
Drums - Matte

Backing Vocals - Fredrik V. Gerber



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXqH3vTZndU



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

Zespół dostarcza sporą dawkę klasycznego heavy/power metalu, czerpiąc inspiracje z brzmienia takich legend jak Judas Priest i Dio. Płyta zachwyca potężnymi riffami i epickim, wzniosłym wokalem Gilesa Lavery'ego, znanegio m.in. z Warlord.
To obowiązkowa pozycja dla każdego fana tradycyjnego metalu!



Giles Lavery is best known as the vocalist of Warlord, Alcatrazz and Jack Starr. On top of that, he is also a highly prolific band manager, record producer and label co-owner.

Dragonsclaw is the name one of the first bands Giles Lavery formed in 2010, while still residing in Sydney, Australia. Their debut album »Prophecy« was quickly recorded in 2011, followed by »Judgement Day« (2013). And now, a record breaking twelve years later, it’s time for the follow-up.

Apart from Giles Lavery on vocals, »Moving Target« features Australian citizens Ben Thomas (guitars) and Aaron Thomas (bass) as well Warlord members Mark Zonder (drums) and Jimmy Waldo (keyboards).

“For me the direction on »Moving Target« was intended to be if Judas Priest had made an album somewhere in 1985 between »Defenders Of The Faith« and »Turbo«,” describes the vocalist the sound of the new Dragonsclaw album, “with some of the second Fifth Angel album in there too.”

Keyboards are prominently featured on »Moving Target«, which was actually the original plan of the band: “I think for this album the keyboards are very important, they create the needed atmosphere and drama. I would say that we used them in a similar way that Virgin Steele did on »Age Of Consent«, namely to build atmosphere. I really like that haunting effect keyboards can have when used right. Like Tony Banks from Genesis does, or Tony Carey on his Planet P Project albums ... Jimmy Waldo is one of those guys too.”

Probably the fastest and most upbeat number on »Moving Target« is called “Shadowfire”. And it comes with a surprise: “’Shadowfire’ reminded me of a current-day Riot song, so I asked Todd Michael Hall to sing on it with me, and he was kind enough to do so!”

“(Tell Me) All Your Lies”, on the other hand, another standout track on »Moving Target«, is quite an accessible composition, possibly the catchiest tune on »Moving Target«. It’s got a bit of that “Wasted Years” Maiden-vibe, following the Adrian Smith school of songwriting. “I am glad you noticed that,” laughs the singer. “As I heard that too ... Co-producer Thomas Mergler was largely responsible for helping to finish that song up as it wasn't quite right and he added some very good ideas to it.”

With the band on fire and Giles Lavery, the singer, coming across as a blend of Michael Kiske, Geoff Tate and Ronnie James Dio, »Moving Target« has every chance to become a modern-day heavy metal classic.

Matthias Mader



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. The Road Beneath Your Wheels 04:49
2. Survival 04:32
3. Cry Wolf 03:51
4. Don't Break The Silence Again 05:11
5. Back On The Streets 03:41
6. Ghost Soldiers 04:42
7. Shadowfire 04:34
8. (Tell Me) All Your Lies 04:38
9. Raise Your Fist 04:44



..::OBSADA::..

Giles Lavery - Vocals
Ben Thomas - Guitar
Aaron Thomas - Bass
Jimmy Waldo - Keys
Mark Zonder - Drums

With:
Todd Michael Hall - Guest Duet Vocals on 'Shadowfire'
Alan Rueda - Guest Duet vocals on 'Raise Your Fist'
Eddie St James - Background vocals on Raise Your Fist
Kenny ‘Rhino’ Earl - Background vocals on 'Ghost Soldiers' & '(Tell Me) All Your Lies'
Thomas Mergler - Guest second guitar on '(Tell Me) All Your Lies'
Joe Stump - Guest guitar solos on 'Raise Your Fist'



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAypjkB74tc



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

Zespół dostarcza sporą dawkę klasycznego heavy/power metalu, czerpiąc inspiracje z brzmienia takich legend jak Judas Priest i Dio. Płyta zachwyca potężnymi riffami i epickim, wzniosłym wokalem Gilesa Lavery'ego, znanegio m.in. z Warlord.
To obowiązkowa pozycja dla każdego fana tradycyjnego metalu!



Giles Lavery is best known as the vocalist of Warlord, Alcatrazz and Jack Starr. On top of that, he is also a highly prolific band manager, record producer and label co-owner.

Dragonsclaw is the name one of the first bands Giles Lavery formed in 2010, while still residing in Sydney, Australia. Their debut album »Prophecy« was quickly recorded in 2011, followed by »Judgement Day« (2013). And now, a record breaking twelve years later, it’s time for the follow-up.

Apart from Giles Lavery on vocals, »Moving Target« features Australian citizens Ben Thomas (guitars) and Aaron Thomas (bass) as well Warlord members Mark Zonder (drums) and Jimmy Waldo (keyboards).

“For me the direction on »Moving Target« was intended to be if Judas Priest had made an album somewhere in 1985 between »Defenders Of The Faith« and »Turbo«,” describes the vocalist the sound of the new Dragonsclaw album, “with some of the second Fifth Angel album in there too.”

Keyboards are prominently featured on »Moving Target«, which was actually the original plan of the band: “I think for this album the keyboards are very important, they create the needed atmosphere and drama. I would say that we used them in a similar way that Virgin Steele did on »Age Of Consent«, namely to build atmosphere. I really like that haunting effect keyboards can have when used right. Like Tony Banks from Genesis does, or Tony Carey on his Planet P Project albums ... Jimmy Waldo is one of those guys too.”

Probably the fastest and most upbeat number on »Moving Target« is called “Shadowfire”. And it comes with a surprise: “’Shadowfire’ reminded me of a current-day Riot song, so I asked Todd Michael Hall to sing on it with me, and he was kind enough to do so!”

“(Tell Me) All Your Lies”, on the other hand, another standout track on »Moving Target«, is quite an accessible composition, possibly the catchiest tune on »Moving Target«. It’s got a bit of that “Wasted Years” Maiden-vibe, following the Adrian Smith school of songwriting. “I am glad you noticed that,” laughs the singer. “As I heard that too ... Co-producer Thomas Mergler was largely responsible for helping to finish that song up as it wasn't quite right and he added some very good ideas to it.”

With the band on fire and Giles Lavery, the singer, coming across as a blend of Michael Kiske, Geoff Tate and Ronnie James Dio, »Moving Target« has every chance to become a modern-day heavy metal classic.

Matthias Mader



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. The Road Beneath Your Wheels 04:49
2. Survival 04:32
3. Cry Wolf 03:51
4. Don't Break The Silence Again 05:11
5. Back On The Streets 03:41
6. Ghost Soldiers 04:42
7. Shadowfire 04:34
8. (Tell Me) All Your Lies 04:38
9. Raise Your Fist 04:44



..::OBSADA::..

Giles Lavery - Vocals
Ben Thomas - Guitar
Aaron Thomas - Bass
Jimmy Waldo - Keys
Mark Zonder - Drums

With:
Todd Michael Hall - Guest Duet Vocals on 'Shadowfire'
Alan Rueda - Guest Duet vocals on 'Raise Your Fist'
Eddie St James - Background vocals on Raise Your Fist
Kenny ‘Rhino’ Earl - Background vocals on 'Ghost Soldiers' & '(Tell Me) All Your Lies'
Thomas Mergler - Guest second guitar on '(Tell Me) All Your Lies'
Joe Stump - Guest guitar solos on 'Raise Your Fist'



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAypjkB74tc



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

Wydany w atrakcyjnej okładce (wewnątrz której widnieje fajne, unikalne, duże zdjęcie z koncertu z 1977 roku) pojedynczy, LIMITOWANY europejski CD, zawierający doskonale brzmiący (transmisja radiowa + dwie bardzo dobre rejestracje z publiczności) godzinny występ, nagrany w lipcu 1978 roku, podczas japońskiej trasy promującej genialny, czwarty album "Stained Class" (z perkusistą Lesem Binksem). Po tym albumie zespół porzucił progresywne naleciałości, zaś Rob Halford zaczął śpiewać nieco mocniej niż wcześniej... Kapitalny zestaw nagrań (w tym 13-minutowa, improwizowana wersja "Genocide") z bardzo dobrym, czytelnym brzmieniem.

UWAGA! Dodatkowo zamieszczono trzy nagrania z Japonii ("Delivering The Goods", "Evil Fantasies" i "Beyong The Realms Of Death"), zarejestrowane rok później na potrzeby klasycznego koncertowego albumu "Unleashed In The East - Live In Japan" i wydane jedynie na brytyjskich singlach. Największą atrakcją jest niewydana nigdy na płycie CD, absolutnie genialna wersja "Beyond The Realms Of Death"!(1979).



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Exciter 5:28
2. White Heat, Red Hot 5:03
3. Beyond The Realms Of Death 7:37
4. Victim Of Changes 7:41
5. Better By You, Better Than Me 3:17
6. Diamonds And Rust 3:55
7. Genocide 13:29
8. Tyrant 5:33
9. Starbreaker 7:05
+
Live Bonus Tracks from UK singles:
10. Delivering the Goods 4:00
- from 'Living After Midnight' 12", 1980
11. Evil Fantasies 4:29
- from 'Living After Midnight' 12", 1980
12. Beyond the Realm of Death 7:00
- from 'Unleashed in the East' free EP, 1979

Recorded live during 'Stained Class' tourat Shinjuku Koseinenkin Hall, Tokyo, Japan on 31st July 1978 (afternoon and evening shows).
Excellent quality radio broadcast and soundboard recordings.
Tracks 5 & 6 Excellent quality audience recordings.

Tracks 10-12 recorded in Tokyo on 10th/15th February 1979.
Track 12 never before released on CD.



..::OBSADA::..

Bass - Ian Hill
Drums - Les Binks
Guitar - Glenn Tipton, K.K. Downing
Vocals - Rob Halford



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGtuheHJZcQ



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

Wydany w atrakcyjnej okładce (wewnątrz której widnieje fajne, unikalne, duże zdjęcie z koncertu z 1977 roku) pojedynczy, LIMITOWANY europejski CD, zawierający doskonale brzmiący (transmisja radiowa + dwie bardzo dobre rejestracje z publiczności) godzinny występ, nagrany w lipcu 1978 roku, podczas japońskiej trasy promującej genialny, czwarty album "Stained Class" (z perkusistą Lesem Binksem). Po tym albumie zespół porzucił progresywne naleciałości, zaś Rob Halford zaczął śpiewać nieco mocniej niż wcześniej... Kapitalny zestaw nagrań (w tym 13-minutowa, improwizowana wersja "Genocide") z bardzo dobrym, czytelnym brzmieniem.

UWAGA! Dodatkowo zamieszczono trzy nagrania z Japonii ("Delivering The Goods", "Evil Fantasies" i "Beyong The Realms Of Death"), zarejestrowane rok później na potrzeby klasycznego koncertowego albumu "Unleashed In The East - Live In Japan" i wydane jedynie na brytyjskich singlach. Największą atrakcją jest niewydana nigdy na płycie CD, absolutnie genialna wersja "Beyond The Realms Of Death"!(1979).



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Exciter 5:28
2. White Heat, Red Hot 5:03
3. Beyond The Realms Of Death 7:37
4. Victim Of Changes 7:41
5. Better By You, Better Than Me 3:17
6. Diamonds And Rust 3:55
7. Genocide 13:29
8. Tyrant 5:33
9. Starbreaker 7:05
+
Live Bonus Tracks from UK singles:
10. Delivering the Goods 4:00
- from 'Living After Midnight' 12", 1980
11. Evil Fantasies 4:29
- from 'Living After Midnight' 12", 1980
12. Beyond the Realm of Death 7:00
- from 'Unleashed in the East' free EP, 1979

Recorded live during 'Stained Class' tourat Shinjuku Koseinenkin Hall, Tokyo, Japan on 31st July 1978 (afternoon and evening shows).
Excellent quality radio broadcast and soundboard recordings.
Tracks 5 & 6 Excellent quality audience recordings.

Tracks 10-12 recorded in Tokyo on 10th/15th February 1979.
Track 12 never before released on CD.



..::OBSADA::..

Bass - Ian Hill
Drums - Les Binks
Guitar - Glenn Tipton, K.K. Downing
Vocals - Rob Halford



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGtuheHJZcQ



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

Kultowy debiutancki album Stormwitch z 1984 wznowiony na CD!



Album, który stał się jednym z filarów piorunującego heavy metalu z Niemiec. Trudno wskazać jakiegoś metalowca siedzącego w klasycznym heavy metalu, który nie kojarzyłby tej płyty. "Walpurgis Night" to klasyk. Ten album ma wszystko to, co powinien mieć. Melodie, riffy, wokale i wszystkie pozostałe składowe, które stanowią część dobrej muzyki są tutaj obecne.

Debiutancki krążek Stormwitch charakteryzuje bardzo twórcze podejście do pracy gitary oraz perkusji. Nie mamy tutaj stonowanej łupanki na jedno kopyto. Bębniarz urozmaica swoją grę nie tylko dobrze dobranymi przejściami, lecz także dość nietuzinkowymi patentami, które dopiero w najbliższych latach wpiszą się do kanonu metalowej gry perkusyjnej. Metalowe riffy, które wydobywają się z gitar są przedniego muzycznego sortu i w tym temacie nie ma się do czego przyczepić. Prawdziwe heavy metalowe mięso i tyle. Choć produkcja dźwięku może pozostawiać wiele do życzenia miękkim fajom, które są przyzwyczajone do nowoczesnego wypolerowanego brzmienia, to prawdziwy maniacy metalu powinni ją pokochać już od pierwszej nuty, nawet jeżeli nie są koneserami starych albumów.

Już od pierwszych sekund trwania tego albumu i głośnego "Are you ready?!" rozpoczynającego "Cave of Steenfoll" Stormwitch traktuje nas kunsztem swego brzmienia. Heavy metal spod znaku Stormwitch jest prosty i piękny. Każdy z dziewięciu utworów jest charakterystyczną kompozycją o silnie zarysowanych cechach. Aranżacje w każdej z nich są mistrzowskie. Postawiono w nich na mnogość doskonałych riffów i motywów. Mimo tego, że w utworach dużo się dzieje, to nie mamy przesytu gitarowych zagrywek. Wszystko jest bardzo dobrze przemyślane i poszczególne partie nie gryzą się ze sobą w utworach. Dzięki temu Stormwitch podało nam wyjątkowo smaczne i przejrzyste kompozycje, które stały się już praktycznie klasykami.

Wesoło gnający do przodu "Werewolves on the Hunt" stanowi jeden z szybszych i bardziej błyszczących momentów na płycie. Debiut Stormwitch zawiera raczej średnio-szybkie kawałki, idealne do headbangingu, jednak nawet przyspieszenie rytmu nie gubi czaru jaki roztacza muzyka Stormwitch. Jednak ten utwór nie jest jedynym przejawem mistrzostwa metalowej klasy. Niszczycielski "Warlord" z prężną i ostrą perkusją jest prawdziwym żeliwnym kanałem dla rozpalonego ognia wydobywającego się z gitar. Przebojowy utwór tytułowy to jeden z najbardziej charakterystycznych metalowych hymnów, który spokojnie może stać obok "Balls to the Wall", "The Troopera", "Medieval Steel" i "Come To The Sabbath". Melodyjny zakrzyk w refrenie dodaje mocy tej kompozycji i tak roziskrzonej dzięki płomiennym gitarom.

Metal na debiucie Stormwitch sypie iskrami nieprzerwanie już do samego końca. "Excalibur" osobiście należy do jednych z mych ulubionych instrumentalnych wałków. Świetne operowanie klimatem i przetykanie riffów odpowiednim tłumieniem dźwięków sprawia, że gitary zawarte w tym numerze są bardzo żywotne i elektryzujące. Na tej płycie po prostu nie ma słabego utworu. Od wyrazistego "Cave of Steenfoll" poprzez hiciarski "Skull and Crossbones" i owiany mglistym woalem tajemnicy "Flour in the Wind" po ostatnie wybrzmiewania "Thunderland".

Skoro tak już punktuję mocne strony tego wydawnictwa, warto też powiedzieć nieco o tekstach. "Walpurgis Night" jest albumem, który powinien stać się podręcznikiem do tego jak należy tworzyć warstwę liryczną w heavy metalu. Nie dość, że wszystkie utwory mają cudownie i kreatywnie napisane teksty, to ponadto idealnie pasują do melodyjnych partii wokalnych. Bardzo dobrze zostały rozłożone poszczególne akcenty i artykulacje. Wersy nie są sztywne, lecz swobodnie płyną w utworach, Dzięki tej swobodzie same kompozycje zyskują bardzo wiele i nawet po trzydziestu latach od momentu ich nagrania dalej wydają się świeże i interesujące. Tematyka tekstów też jest bardzo dobrze dobrana. Nie mamy tutaj plastikowego mordowania smoków ani utyskiwania na społeczne nierówności (thrash tak bardzo). Mamy dokładnie to, czego oczekuje się od heavy metalu. Tajemnicy, szczypty okultyzmu, dawnych legend, opowieści z przeszłości, garści mrocznych mitów i dużej ilości dobrej zabawy.

Sterviss


The country? Germany. The year? 1984. The same year when Running Wild released “Gates to Purgatory”, Warlock released “Burning the Witches” and Helloween participated in the split “Death Metal”. The sound? What would later be known as “German metal” or “Teutonic metal” and with time would evolve and split into power metal and speed metal. So, all these bands caught the tide and the influence of the NWoBHM but adjusted the British sound to the German characteristics, basically gave the sound a touch of death-cold, as all these bands back then came in the “spikes, leather and the occult” format.

What we’ve got here is a surge of raw NWoBHM, totally uncompromising and with very grim lyrics. In fact, throughout their next 4 releases their trademark would be precisely their gothic-themed lyrics, courtesy of Lee Tarot (Harald Spengler, RIP), which would win them the nickname of “Masters of the black romantic”.

Musically, they show a high degree of skill. Guitarists Lee Tarot and Steve ‘Snake’ Merchant (Stephan Kauffman) are capable of delivering Maidenesque riffs – in fact I tend to liken the instrumental “Excalibur” with Maiden’s Transylvania, they both share this kind of medieval metallic approach. Drummer Pete Lancer (Pete Langer) delivers a thundering load which you can best appreciate in “Werewolves on the Hunt” (that title pals, those lyrics…). And Andy Aldrian (Andy Mück) gives an aura of evil to the very wicked lyrics with his distinctive, raw voice; although he doesn’t focus on high notes, he’s also capable of delivering them (towards the end of “Werewolves on the Hunt”). From beginning to end, the album features elaborate soloing, constant and profuse riffing patterns (many times approaching Maiden-like gallops) and a stout and solid rhythm base. Some nice surprises for fans of progressive metal await as there’s some attempts at progression, or at least what constitutes a common feature to many progressive albums, that is, rhythm shifts; these can be seen, for example, towards the middle of “The Cave of Steenfoll”, with a couple of consecutive, all encompassing, intricate rhythm shifts which then give way to the solo. Most songs share a fast tempo, with the exception of “Priest of Evil”, which in turn has a more atmospheric, thick, dense approach.

Lyrically, this album is rather different from what their compatriots were doing at that time, feels closer to Mercyful Fate or even Venom, most songs revolve around different aspects of evil (Satanism on “Priest of Evil”, piracy on “Skull and Crossbones”, witches on “Walpurgis Night”) and anguish (“Werewolves on the Hunt”, “Flour in the Wind”). The songwriting was good in particular, no cheesy lyrics or dodgy rhyming, most of it is consonant and, without a blink of the eye, evokes very powerful, dark imagery. In one sentence, the listener will be thrown into an unpolished string of ruthless and visceral obscurity.

A few songs deserve special attention. I think the one that really outstands here is “Werewolves on the Hunt” both lyrically and musically. Very few other metal songs to that date succeeded in evoking such an overwhelming impression and mood. First with the title, think of a bunch of werewolves out for blood, chasing you in a forest (“Deep in the misty forest, In nights when wind stops blowing”). This song is very fast paced approaching speed metal (by 1984 standards), and has a very intricate, complex, Maidenesque, fast, 90 seconds solo accompanied by continuous hammering drumrolls. “Flour in the Wind” presents a wicked miller who goes on to steal the harvest of a village, leaving them no other choice but crude starvation, plain and simple; the song features reminiscences of Maiden’s gallops, complex guitar chords and continuous drumrolls in perfect harmony with Mück’s voice and dark lyrics (“death, pain, agony, famine is spread on through the air”). The other track that shines over the top for me is the instrumental Excalibur, which revolves around a riff pattern with some chord progression, a melancholic solo and a fast blast towards the end, with a whole load of drumrolling through and through.

To recap, this unique jewel combines power, speed, lyrics and technique, all into one; don’t expect any concessions here, this is crude, raw metal made in Germany with a high degree of musicianship and dark lyrics at its best, making this a rather unique creation.

paradisebeyond


At first look, Stormwitch were a pretty dark sounding and evil band, but as we follow their releases, they quickly goes into a more accessible direction. It actually took me quite a while to get to hear these guys and I did not have any regrets to finally give them a listen. Well, to be very precise, the title of this review fits perfectly with the overall sound of early Stormwitch's material, it's basically the sound of the NWOBHM bands, but with an interesting Germanic approach. Of course, back in 1984, the extreme metal scene started out and the classic heavy metal bands were not that "new" anymore. However, bands like Running Wild, Grave Digger, Attack or Atlain were doing similar stuff back in that particular year, but Stormwitch made it clear with their first full-length album that heavy metal was still rocking out awesome stuff in Germany.

Named "Walpurgis Night", released in 1984, is the first official release of the band. Just looking at this cover art shows the evil image that the band used in their early days. The first thing I liked about this album is its primitive sound while also sounding great, the instruments are mixed pretty well and everything is heard perfectly, even the badass bass. It definitely sounds like an early 80s NWOBHM record, which is an even better reason to make you want to listen to it! nine tracks are featured on this album with a running time of 40 minutes and basically no bad tracks at all, if you ask me. Let me say at first that Iron Maiden were probably their biggest influence on this album. As an Iron Maiden fan, I was quite happy to hear the famous instrumental track called "Excalibur". You can easily notice in that song some similarities with Maiden's instrumental tracks like "Transylvania" and "Genghis Khan". The guys of Stormwitch were already skilled musicians by their debut record, by delivering impressive guitar solos through all the album tracks. Let's not forget the front man "Andy Mück" who also impress with his intense vocals.

His vocals are unique and he is able to use a great variety of ranges, but his high-pitched voice made all the difference, songs like "Thunderland" and "Warlord" are great example of that and displays his talent. Well, this album also possess a great catalogue of memorable guitar riffs as the songs varies in term of structure. In fact, each songs are unique and very different from each other, no one can deny how great the track "Priest of Evil" is. Being the one of the most popular Stormwitch composition, it's also one of their catchiest song, with its memorable chorus. The same actually apply to the awesome pirate lyrics song inspired "Skull and Crossbones", but this one also caught my attention especially because of its great melodic parts, it is also my most played song of this album for those reasons. One interesting melodic track is the self-titled "Walpurgis Night", which has a very nice dual guitar melody part. Though, for people that like fast-pacing riffs and intensity, this album can make you happy as well with "Werewolves on the Hunt", this song has the classic speed metal formula and delivers pretty well.

The German approach to this NWOBHM-influenced album made it unique for that reason. Their lyrics are also interesting, writing about the occult and mostly tales and medieval stories. I obviously have to recommend such release to any old school heavy metal fan, it's a very accessible band and even more as you progress in their discography. However, I have to say that their most worthy material is definitely the first three albums, being the one reviewed here, "Tales of Terror" and "Stronger Than Heaven". German metal scene has always been one of the greatest, and Stormwitch is one of the first band to have been part of that scene. They are sometimes forgotten by some people, but albums like these really needs to have more auditors, as they are classic heavy metal records! Give "Walpurgis Night" a listen and I am pretty sure you won't be disappointed.

DesecratorJ



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Cave Of Steenfoll 4:24
2. Priest Of Evil 4:39
3.Skull And Crossbones 5:47
4. Werewolves On The Hunt 4:40
5. Walpurgis Night 3:04
6. Flour In The Wind 4:49
7. Warlord 4:30
8. Excalibur 3:48
9. Thunderland 4:30



..::OBSADA::..

Andy Mück - Vocals
Harald Spengler (R.I.P. 2013) - Guitars (lead)
Stefan Kauffmann - Guitars (rhythm)
Ronny Gleisberg - Bass
Peter Langer - Drums




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gV0mmgr5nKw



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

Kultowy debiutancki album Stormwitch z 1984 wznowiony na CD!



Album, który stał się jednym z filarów piorunującego heavy metalu z Niemiec. Trudno wskazać jakiegoś metalowca siedzącego w klasycznym heavy metalu, który nie kojarzyłby tej płyty. "Walpurgis Night" to klasyk. Ten album ma wszystko to, co powinien mieć. Melodie, riffy, wokale i wszystkie pozostałe składowe, które stanowią część dobrej muzyki są tutaj obecne.

Debiutancki krążek Stormwitch charakteryzuje bardzo twórcze podejście do pracy gitary oraz perkusji. Nie mamy tutaj stonowanej łupanki na jedno kopyto. Bębniarz urozmaica swoją grę nie tylko dobrze dobranymi przejściami, lecz także dość nietuzinkowymi patentami, które dopiero w najbliższych latach wpiszą się do kanonu metalowej gry perkusyjnej. Metalowe riffy, które wydobywają się z gitar są przedniego muzycznego sortu i w tym temacie nie ma się do czego przyczepić. Prawdziwe heavy metalowe mięso i tyle. Choć produkcja dźwięku może pozostawiać wiele do życzenia miękkim fajom, które są przyzwyczajone do nowoczesnego wypolerowanego brzmienia, to prawdziwy maniacy metalu powinni ją pokochać już od pierwszej nuty, nawet jeżeli nie są koneserami starych albumów.

Już od pierwszych sekund trwania tego albumu i głośnego "Are you ready?!" rozpoczynającego "Cave of Steenfoll" Stormwitch traktuje nas kunsztem swego brzmienia. Heavy metal spod znaku Stormwitch jest prosty i piękny. Każdy z dziewięciu utworów jest charakterystyczną kompozycją o silnie zarysowanych cechach. Aranżacje w każdej z nich są mistrzowskie. Postawiono w nich na mnogość doskonałych riffów i motywów. Mimo tego, że w utworach dużo się dzieje, to nie mamy przesytu gitarowych zagrywek. Wszystko jest bardzo dobrze przemyślane i poszczególne partie nie gryzą się ze sobą w utworach. Dzięki temu Stormwitch podało nam wyjątkowo smaczne i przejrzyste kompozycje, które stały się już praktycznie klasykami.

Wesoło gnający do przodu "Werewolves on the Hunt" stanowi jeden z szybszych i bardziej błyszczących momentów na płycie. Debiut Stormwitch zawiera raczej średnio-szybkie kawałki, idealne do headbangingu, jednak nawet przyspieszenie rytmu nie gubi czaru jaki roztacza muzyka Stormwitch. Jednak ten utwór nie jest jedynym przejawem mistrzostwa metalowej klasy. Niszczycielski "Warlord" z prężną i ostrą perkusją jest prawdziwym żeliwnym kanałem dla rozpalonego ognia wydobywającego się z gitar. Przebojowy utwór tytułowy to jeden z najbardziej charakterystycznych metalowych hymnów, który spokojnie może stać obok "Balls to the Wall", "The Troopera", "Medieval Steel" i "Come To The Sabbath". Melodyjny zakrzyk w refrenie dodaje mocy tej kompozycji i tak roziskrzonej dzięki płomiennym gitarom.

Metal na debiucie Stormwitch sypie iskrami nieprzerwanie już do samego końca. "Excalibur" osobiście należy do jednych z mych ulubionych instrumentalnych wałków. Świetne operowanie klimatem i przetykanie riffów odpowiednim tłumieniem dźwięków sprawia, że gitary zawarte w tym numerze są bardzo żywotne i elektryzujące. Na tej płycie po prostu nie ma słabego utworu. Od wyrazistego "Cave of Steenfoll" poprzez hiciarski "Skull and Crossbones" i owiany mglistym woalem tajemnicy "Flour in the Wind" po ostatnie wybrzmiewania "Thunderland".

Skoro tak już punktuję mocne strony tego wydawnictwa, warto też powiedzieć nieco o tekstach. "Walpurgis Night" jest albumem, który powinien stać się podręcznikiem do tego jak należy tworzyć warstwę liryczną w heavy metalu. Nie dość, że wszystkie utwory mają cudownie i kreatywnie napisane teksty, to ponadto idealnie pasują do melodyjnych partii wokalnych. Bardzo dobrze zostały rozłożone poszczególne akcenty i artykulacje. Wersy nie są sztywne, lecz swobodnie płyną w utworach, Dzięki tej swobodzie same kompozycje zyskują bardzo wiele i nawet po trzydziestu latach od momentu ich nagrania dalej wydają się świeże i interesujące. Tematyka tekstów też jest bardzo dobrze dobrana. Nie mamy tutaj plastikowego mordowania smoków ani utyskiwania na społeczne nierówności (thrash tak bardzo). Mamy dokładnie to, czego oczekuje się od heavy metalu. Tajemnicy, szczypty okultyzmu, dawnych legend, opowieści z przeszłości, garści mrocznych mitów i dużej ilości dobrej zabawy.

Sterviss


The country? Germany. The year? 1984. The same year when Running Wild released “Gates to Purgatory”, Warlock released “Burning the Witches” and Helloween participated in the split “Death Metal”. The sound? What would later be known as “German metal” or “Teutonic metal” and with time would evolve and split into power metal and speed metal. So, all these bands caught the tide and the influence of the NWoBHM but adjusted the British sound to the German characteristics, basically gave the sound a touch of death-cold, as all these bands back then came in the “spikes, leather and the occult” format.

What we’ve got here is a surge of raw NWoBHM, totally uncompromising and with very grim lyrics. In fact, throughout their next 4 releases their trademark would be precisely their gothic-themed lyrics, courtesy of Lee Tarot (Harald Spengler, RIP), which would win them the nickname of “Masters of the black romantic”.

Musically, they show a high degree of skill. Guitarists Lee Tarot and Steve ‘Snake’ Merchant (Stephan Kauffman) are capable of delivering Maidenesque riffs – in fact I tend to liken the instrumental “Excalibur” with Maiden’s Transylvania, they both share this kind of medieval metallic approach. Drummer Pete Lancer (Pete Langer) delivers a thundering load which you can best appreciate in “Werewolves on the Hunt” (that title pals, those lyrics…). And Andy Aldrian (Andy Mück) gives an aura of evil to the very wicked lyrics with his distinctive, raw voice; although he doesn’t focus on high notes, he’s also capable of delivering them (towards the end of “Werewolves on the Hunt”). From beginning to end, the album features elaborate soloing, constant and profuse riffing patterns (many times approaching Maiden-like gallops) and a stout and solid rhythm base. Some nice surprises for fans of progressive metal await as there’s some attempts at progression, or at least what constitutes a common feature to many progressive albums, that is, rhythm shifts; these can be seen, for example, towards the middle of “The Cave of Steenfoll”, with a couple of consecutive, all encompassing, intricate rhythm shifts which then give way to the solo. Most songs share a fast tempo, with the exception of “Priest of Evil”, which in turn has a more atmospheric, thick, dense approach.

Lyrically, this album is rather different from what their compatriots were doing at that time, feels closer to Mercyful Fate or even Venom, most songs revolve around different aspects of evil (Satanism on “Priest of Evil”, piracy on “Skull and Crossbones”, witches on “Walpurgis Night”) and anguish (“Werewolves on the Hunt”, “Flour in the Wind”). The songwriting was good in particular, no cheesy lyrics or dodgy rhyming, most of it is consonant and, without a blink of the eye, evokes very powerful, dark imagery. In one sentence, the listener will be thrown into an unpolished string of ruthless and visceral obscurity.

A few songs deserve special attention. I think the one that really outstands here is “Werewolves on the Hunt” both lyrically and musically. Very few other metal songs to that date succeeded in evoking such an overwhelming impression and mood. First with the title, think of a bunch of werewolves out for blood, chasing you in a forest (“Deep in the misty forest, In nights when wind stops blowing”). This song is very fast paced approaching speed metal (by 1984 standards), and has a very intricate, complex, Maidenesque, fast, 90 seconds solo accompanied by continuous hammering drumrolls. “Flour in the Wind” presents a wicked miller who goes on to steal the harvest of a village, leaving them no other choice but crude starvation, plain and simple; the song features reminiscences of Maiden’s gallops, complex guitar chords and continuous drumrolls in perfect harmony with Mück’s voice and dark lyrics (“death, pain, agony, famine is spread on through the air”). The other track that shines over the top for me is the instrumental Excalibur, which revolves around a riff pattern with some chord progression, a melancholic solo and a fast blast towards the end, with a whole load of drumrolling through and through.

To recap, this unique jewel combines power, speed, lyrics and technique, all into one; don’t expect any concessions here, this is crude, raw metal made in Germany with a high degree of musicianship and dark lyrics at its best, making this a rather unique creation.

paradisebeyond


At first look, Stormwitch were a pretty dark sounding and evil band, but as we follow their releases, they quickly goes into a more accessible direction. It actually took me quite a while to get to hear these guys and I did not have any regrets to finally give them a listen. Well, to be very precise, the title of this review fits perfectly with the overall sound of early Stormwitch's material, it's basically the sound of the NWOBHM bands, but with an interesting Germanic approach. Of course, back in 1984, the extreme metal scene started out and the classic heavy metal bands were not that "new" anymore. However, bands like Running Wild, Grave Digger, Attack or Atlain were doing similar stuff back in that particular year, but Stormwitch made it clear with their first full-length album that heavy metal was still rocking out awesome stuff in Germany.

Named "Walpurgis Night", released in 1984, is the first official release of the band. Just looking at this cover art shows the evil image that the band used in their early days. The first thing I liked about this album is its primitive sound while also sounding great, the instruments are mixed pretty well and everything is heard perfectly, even the badass bass. It definitely sounds like an early 80s NWOBHM record, which is an even better reason to make you want to listen to it! nine tracks are featured on this album with a running time of 40 minutes and basically no bad tracks at all, if you ask me. Let me say at first that Iron Maiden were probably their biggest influence on this album. As an Iron Maiden fan, I was quite happy to hear the famous instrumental track called "Excalibur". You can easily notice in that song some similarities with Maiden's instrumental tracks like "Transylvania" and "Genghis Khan". The guys of Stormwitch were already skilled musicians by their debut record, by delivering impressive guitar solos through all the album tracks. Let's not forget the front man "Andy Mück" who also impress with his intense vocals.

His vocals are unique and he is able to use a great variety of ranges, but his high-pitched voice made all the difference, songs like "Thunderland" and "Warlord" are great example of that and displays his talent. Well, this album also possess a great catalogue of memorable guitar riffs as the songs varies in term of structure. In fact, each songs are unique and very different from each other, no one can deny how great the track "Priest of Evil" is. Being the one of the most popular Stormwitch composition, it's also one of their catchiest song, with its memorable chorus. The same actually apply to the awesome pirate lyrics song inspired "Skull and Crossbones", but this one also caught my attention especially because of its great melodic parts, it is also my most played song of this album for those reasons. One interesting melodic track is the self-titled "Walpurgis Night", which has a very nice dual guitar melody part. Though, for people that like fast-pacing riffs and intensity, this album can make you happy as well with "Werewolves on the Hunt", this song has the classic speed metal formula and delivers pretty well.

The German approach to this NWOBHM-influenced album made it unique for that reason. Their lyrics are also interesting, writing about the occult and mostly tales and medieval stories. I obviously have to recommend such release to any old school heavy metal fan, it's a very accessible band and even more as you progress in their discography. However, I have to say that their most worthy material is definitely the first three albums, being the one reviewed here, "Tales of Terror" and "Stronger Than Heaven". German metal scene has always been one of the greatest, and Stormwitch is one of the first band to have been part of that scene. They are sometimes forgotten by some people, but albums like these really needs to have more auditors, as they are classic heavy metal records! Give "Walpurgis Night" a listen and I am pretty sure you won't be disappointed.

DesecratorJ



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Cave Of Steenfoll 4:24
2. Priest Of Evil 4:39
3.Skull And Crossbones 5:47
4. Werewolves On The Hunt 4:40
5. Walpurgis Night 3:04
6. Flour In The Wind 4:49
7. Warlord 4:30
8. Excalibur 3:48
9. Thunderland 4:30



..::OBSADA::..

Andy Mück - Vocals
Harald Spengler (R.I.P. 2013) - Guitars (lead)
Stefan Kauffmann - Guitars (rhythm)
Ronny Gleisberg - Bass
Peter Langer - Drums




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gV0mmgr5nKw



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

Muzyka na tym krążku jest naprawdę bogata i niesamowita.
Rewelacyjny album ze świetnym dźwiękiem i dobrymi pomysłami!
Słucham go już od kilku dni i podobnie jak NIGHT DEMON cudownie łechta za każdym razem...



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Harbinger
2. En cima del mal
3. Sutratma: Lost Chapter E.
4. Panic In Urals (Burning Skies)
5. Waltz In Madness
6. Into Mental East
7. Inner Sanctum Asylum
8. A Tyrannous Revolt
9. Amarna's Reign: Lost Chapter E.

Bonus:
10. Come To The Sabbath (Mercyful Fate cover)



..::OBSADA::..

Bass - Spiros Stikas
Drums - Vagelis Felonis
Guitar - Marios Petropoulos
Voice - Dimitris Kartaloglou



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLSM54YJKiA


SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

Muzyka na tym krążku jest naprawdę bogata i niesamowita.
Rewelacyjny album ze świetnym dźwiękiem i dobrymi pomysłami!
Słucham go już od kilku dni i podobnie jak NIGHT DEMON cudownie łechta za każdym razem...



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Harbinger
2. En cima del mal
3. Sutratma: Lost Chapter E.
4. Panic In Urals (Burning Skies)
5. Waltz In Madness
6. Into Mental East
7. Inner Sanctum Asylum
8. A Tyrannous Revolt
9. Amarna's Reign: Lost Chapter E.

Bonus:
10. Come To The Sabbath (Mercyful Fate cover)



..::OBSADA::..

Bass - Spiros Stikas
Drums - Vagelis Felonis
Guitar - Marios Petropoulos
Voice - Dimitris Kartaloglou



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLSM54YJKiA


SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

'Lamentations' to kolejny świetny przykład onirycznego, lirycznego heavy rocka. Doskonałe wydawnictwo!
O dziwo 'pani bozia' mnie tutaj nie razi...



Lancastrian rock apostles Wytch Hazel have been building their citadel since 2011, when debut single Surrender introduced this boldly wholesome new voice to the British metal underground. Since then the quartet have continually underscored and bolstered a signature sound rooted in heroic days of yore, but finessed to an elegant apex by long-time producer Ed Turner. That sonic alchemy coalesces all over V: Lamentations, bubbling with even more febrile creativity than previous masterworks Prelude, II: Sojourn, III: Pentecost and IV: Sacrament. The latter, bizarrely, reached number seven on the UK 'Christian & Gospel' chart - despite selling enough to clinch the number one rock album. "Ed is a huge part of what we're doing," affirms Wytch Hazel's guiding mastermind Colin Hendra. "He's added so many more details, there's more to pick up on multiple listens. Ed's been key in bringing these songs to life; what he brings to the table is fantastic and unique and exactly what we need. Ed finishes my musical sentences with his production."

However, working remotely with this enigmatic taskmaster ("The epitome of eccentric," laughs Colin) - and the obsessive perfectionism that both Colin and Ed bring to their work - made for an even more painfully fraught recording process than last time. Colin reveals he had nearly all of this album written when Sacrament emerged in 2023: "So why has it taken so long?!" he groans, with a frustrated despair that he can only now start to laugh at. "I basically am just physically and mentally broken by the whole thing. I actually have health issues now; I have chronic exhaustion that I'm working through. I've been having significant vocal issues, a lot of it down to my own technique and habits. I got to the stage where I couldn't keep up singing in that way, so I had to unlearn and relearn some things. I'm in a much better place now, so vocals have probably been easier this time. But there is that question: is this worth it? The endless pursuit of perfection is never finished. It's a very painful process, but now it's past the finish line I feel such relief, like a massive weight has been lifted."

Happily, accumulating material is never a problem. From heartfelt, shimmering headbangers like I Lament, Run The Race and Elements, to the richly textured, pensive atmospheres of The Citadel, Woven and Heavy Load, great songs come to Colin naturally and abundantly, as if divinely bestowed from some otherworldly wellspring. "I'll sit there and think, 'Where did that come from?!' It's the best feeling in the world," enthuses Colin. "This thing was just born - what did I do? I didn't try, it just happened, like I'm a conduit for this spiritual, magical thing. I'm sure there is some skill involved, but I can't put my finger on what! I'm sitting there moving my fingers around and then a song appears, it's so weird and magical and special. I can't stop doing it either, the songwriting is compulsive. I can't get enough of it, I love it!"
As ever, Colin's songwriting resounds with open-hearted emotional force, evoking joy and sorrow often in the same melody. A metal frontman of rare sensitivity, Colin has pushed himself to breaking point for his art. Opener I Lament was the last song to be written, and despite its Maidenesque jubilance, the lyrics came at a low point: "I was in a place where I was like, if I continue with these patterns of behaviour, where does this actually lead me? It's a lot more honest songwriting, very reflective of where I've been for the last few years: a more introspective, doubting, darker place. But I feel like I've had a very significant spiritual shift over the past few weeks. I was still dealing with chronic exhaustion and depression, but I feel I've made a lot of progress physically, spiritually and mentally, so I'm viewing the album in a different way now."

Wytch Hazel's beguiling juxtaposition of sorrow and joy is most profoundly evident on the closing partnership of Heavy Load and Healing Power, the world-weary, Sabbath-like dejection of the former giving way to the latter's heavenly uplift. "I wanted it to have a happy ending, that just felt very Wytch Hazel," affirms Colin. "I do believe music can heal. For me particularly songwriting is very therapeutic, I don't think I'd be here if there wasn't that outlet. I believe things have meanings and significance, I want my life to have that, and Healing Power is like, this actually means something. Music isn't just a self-indulgent, entertainment thing, for me it's a huge part of my life, very special, very magical and very meaningful. I want Wytch Hazel to be a force for good, a healing power."
Helping in that regard is the new line-up, welcoming back original drummer Aaron Hay, who was there on Wytch Hazel's debut single in 2011 and 2012's The Truth EP, alongside well-established oppos Alex Haslam and Andy Shackleton. "The band we've got at the moment is just the best bunch of lads," beams Colin, "we're having the best time touring together, we get on so well. The gigs have been a real highlight these last few years, and experiencing that as best mates together has been fantastic." It'll get even better in May, as Wytch Hazel are supporting Michael Schenker on the guitar legend's My Years With UFO UK tour. "I can't think about it for too long, he's like a childhood hero," confesses Colin. "I am incredibly privileged. Against all this painful stuff, I do have to hold in equal measure the wonderful adventure that it is to be in this band. There's so much to be grateful for, too many things to count."



Wytch Hazel is a band I've followed since they released their first LP. They're a unique band, with a clear spirit of 70s English rock, especially heirs of Jethro Tull, Uriah Heep, and Thin Lizzy, of course. This makes them something like Pagan Altar's younger siblings, as they convey that same essence of medieval mysticism.

But if Pagan Altar sometimes shows a occult side, Wytch Hazel is pure light. Their songs are joyful, emotional, full of love and heroism, with truly honest lyrics and perennial wisdom. The lead vocals are beautiful and convey a sense of serenity. These musicians are true virtuosos, although I still have the feeling they can create longer, more epic songs, something I hope they will achieve one day. Even so, their riffs are inspiring and warm, and they even introduce nostalgic acoustic arrangements.

Lamentations is another gem of this medieval hard rock genre. There aren't many differences from their predecessors, which demonstrates the great mastery they possess in their unique style. The album cover, however, evokes a certain Templar secret, something that was already known from the beginning, but here they seem to make it clear: this band is proudly Christian, not a run-of-the-mill Christianity, but an esoteric-gnostic inner Christianity.

The first song, "I Lament," is an energetic opening, as if on a mission or trying to convey an important message that tells you: pay attention to what we have to say! The next great track is "Elixir," a captivating instrumental that will inevitably grab your subconscious. Immediately after comes what, for me, is the best song on the album: "Woven," it's a special piece, with an esoteric message and musically orgasmic. Heavy Load brings to mind the name of that essential Swedish band, surely a tribute to them. In short, the entire album is a demonstration of faith; it's solid and consistent, which is why it could undoubtedly be placed alongside the best NWOBHM albums.

Wytch Hazel is a special band that puts most metal bands in general to shame. From a psychological perspective, this genre is full of people with many unhealed wounds who hide all that pain behind a black shirt. But behold, the cure has been given to them, and the cure is called Wytch Hazel.

GreatSpirit



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. I Lament 04:11
2. Run The Race 04:58
3. The Citadel 05:09
4. Elements 04:33
5. The Demon Within 04:26
6. Racing Forwards 04:13
7. Elixir 01:41
8. Woven 04:50
9. Heavy Load 04:42
10. Healing Power 06:22



..::OBSADA::..

Colin Hendra - guitar, vocals
Alex Haslam - guitar
Andy Shackleton - bass
Aaron Hay - drums



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZFXxW9yTK8



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

'Lamentations' to kolejny świetny przykład onirycznego, lirycznego heavy rocka. Doskonałe wydawnictwo!
O dziwo 'pani bozia' mnie tutaj nie razi...



Lancastrian rock apostles Wytch Hazel have been building their citadel since 2011, when debut single Surrender introduced this boldly wholesome new voice to the British metal underground. Since then the quartet have continually underscored and bolstered a signature sound rooted in heroic days of yore, but finessed to an elegant apex by long-time producer Ed Turner. That sonic alchemy coalesces all over V: Lamentations, bubbling with even more febrile creativity than previous masterworks Prelude, II: Sojourn, III: Pentecost and IV: Sacrament. The latter, bizarrely, reached number seven on the UK 'Christian & Gospel' chart - despite selling enough to clinch the number one rock album. "Ed is a huge part of what we're doing," affirms Wytch Hazel's guiding mastermind Colin Hendra. "He's added so many more details, there's more to pick up on multiple listens. Ed's been key in bringing these songs to life; what he brings to the table is fantastic and unique and exactly what we need. Ed finishes my musical sentences with his production."

However, working remotely with this enigmatic taskmaster ("The epitome of eccentric," laughs Colin) - and the obsessive perfectionism that both Colin and Ed bring to their work - made for an even more painfully fraught recording process than last time. Colin reveals he had nearly all of this album written when Sacrament emerged in 2023: "So why has it taken so long?!" he groans, with a frustrated despair that he can only now start to laugh at. "I basically am just physically and mentally broken by the whole thing. I actually have health issues now; I have chronic exhaustion that I'm working through. I've been having significant vocal issues, a lot of it down to my own technique and habits. I got to the stage where I couldn't keep up singing in that way, so I had to unlearn and relearn some things. I'm in a much better place now, so vocals have probably been easier this time. But there is that question: is this worth it? The endless pursuit of perfection is never finished. It's a very painful process, but now it's past the finish line I feel such relief, like a massive weight has been lifted."

Happily, accumulating material is never a problem. From heartfelt, shimmering headbangers like I Lament, Run The Race and Elements, to the richly textured, pensive atmospheres of The Citadel, Woven and Heavy Load, great songs come to Colin naturally and abundantly, as if divinely bestowed from some otherworldly wellspring. "I'll sit there and think, 'Where did that come from?!' It's the best feeling in the world," enthuses Colin. "This thing was just born - what did I do? I didn't try, it just happened, like I'm a conduit for this spiritual, magical thing. I'm sure there is some skill involved, but I can't put my finger on what! I'm sitting there moving my fingers around and then a song appears, it's so weird and magical and special. I can't stop doing it either, the songwriting is compulsive. I can't get enough of it, I love it!"
As ever, Colin's songwriting resounds with open-hearted emotional force, evoking joy and sorrow often in the same melody. A metal frontman of rare sensitivity, Colin has pushed himself to breaking point for his art. Opener I Lament was the last song to be written, and despite its Maidenesque jubilance, the lyrics came at a low point: "I was in a place where I was like, if I continue with these patterns of behaviour, where does this actually lead me? It's a lot more honest songwriting, very reflective of where I've been for the last few years: a more introspective, doubting, darker place. But I feel like I've had a very significant spiritual shift over the past few weeks. I was still dealing with chronic exhaustion and depression, but I feel I've made a lot of progress physically, spiritually and mentally, so I'm viewing the album in a different way now."

Wytch Hazel's beguiling juxtaposition of sorrow and joy is most profoundly evident on the closing partnership of Heavy Load and Healing Power, the world-weary, Sabbath-like dejection of the former giving way to the latter's heavenly uplift. "I wanted it to have a happy ending, that just felt very Wytch Hazel," affirms Colin. "I do believe music can heal. For me particularly songwriting is very therapeutic, I don't think I'd be here if there wasn't that outlet. I believe things have meanings and significance, I want my life to have that, and Healing Power is like, this actually means something. Music isn't just a self-indulgent, entertainment thing, for me it's a huge part of my life, very special, very magical and very meaningful. I want Wytch Hazel to be a force for good, a healing power."
Helping in that regard is the new line-up, welcoming back original drummer Aaron Hay, who was there on Wytch Hazel's debut single in 2011 and 2012's The Truth EP, alongside well-established oppos Alex Haslam and Andy Shackleton. "The band we've got at the moment is just the best bunch of lads," beams Colin, "we're having the best time touring together, we get on so well. The gigs have been a real highlight these last few years, and experiencing that as best mates together has been fantastic." It'll get even better in May, as Wytch Hazel are supporting Michael Schenker on the guitar legend's My Years With UFO UK tour. "I can't think about it for too long, he's like a childhood hero," confesses Colin. "I am incredibly privileged. Against all this painful stuff, I do have to hold in equal measure the wonderful adventure that it is to be in this band. There's so much to be grateful for, too many things to count."



Wytch Hazel is a band I've followed since they released their first LP. They're a unique band, with a clear spirit of 70s English rock, especially heirs of Jethro Tull, Uriah Heep, and Thin Lizzy, of course. This makes them something like Pagan Altar's younger siblings, as they convey that same essence of medieval mysticism.

But if Pagan Altar sometimes shows a occult side, Wytch Hazel is pure light. Their songs are joyful, emotional, full of love and heroism, with truly honest lyrics and perennial wisdom. The lead vocals are beautiful and convey a sense of serenity. These musicians are true virtuosos, although I still have the feeling they can create longer, more epic songs, something I hope they will achieve one day. Even so, their riffs are inspiring and warm, and they even introduce nostalgic acoustic arrangements.

Lamentations is another gem of this medieval hard rock genre. There aren't many differences from their predecessors, which demonstrates the great mastery they possess in their unique style. The album cover, however, evokes a certain Templar secret, something that was already known from the beginning, but here they seem to make it clear: this band is proudly Christian, not a run-of-the-mill Christianity, but an esoteric-gnostic inner Christianity.

The first song, "I Lament," is an energetic opening, as if on a mission or trying to convey an important message that tells you: pay attention to what we have to say! The next great track is "Elixir," a captivating instrumental that will inevitably grab your subconscious. Immediately after comes what, for me, is the best song on the album: "Woven," it's a special piece, with an esoteric message and musically orgasmic. Heavy Load brings to mind the name of that essential Swedish band, surely a tribute to them. In short, the entire album is a demonstration of faith; it's solid and consistent, which is why it could undoubtedly be placed alongside the best NWOBHM albums.

Wytch Hazel is a special band that puts most metal bands in general to shame. From a psychological perspective, this genre is full of people with many unhealed wounds who hide all that pain behind a black shirt. But behold, the cure has been given to them, and the cure is called Wytch Hazel.

GreatSpirit



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. I Lament 04:11
2. Run The Race 04:58
3. The Citadel 05:09
4. Elements 04:33
5. The Demon Within 04:26
6. Racing Forwards 04:13
7. Elixir 01:41
8. Woven 04:50
9. Heavy Load 04:42
10. Healing Power 06:22



..::OBSADA::..

Colin Hendra - guitar, vocals
Alex Haslam - guitar
Andy Shackleton - bass
Aaron Hay - drums



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZFXxW9yTK8



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

Kataloński zespół, od momentu powstania w 2021 roku, wyróżnia się nie 'wynalezieniem koła na nowo' ani redefinicją gatunku heavy metalu, ale pełnym pasji oddaniem nieskalanej istocie tego gatunku.
'Rising' ucieleśnia ducha klasycznego heavy metalu. Hymnowe refreny, wznoszący się wokal, unoszące duszę harmonie i wciągające melodie, charakteryzują kompozycje, które doprowadzą miłośników tradycyjnego heavy metalu do wielokrotnego, pełnego błogości i satysfakcji odsłuchu.

FA

Gee, that was fast! Savaged didn’t wait much to drop their second full-length, having only unleashed the chromed-out sabretooth a year ago, but here they are again, doing what they do best. That is a mix of speed and traditional heavy metal in case you missed one of the best releases from the last year. Now, how does Rising fare against Night Stealer? Quite well actually.

They pick up roughly where the debut left off, still having a very infectious energy to everything they do, but perhaps having a little less of the unpredictability songs like Tons of Leather and Elm Street had. So yeah, this kinda makes me sad, but the band turns my frown upside-down really quick with just how great everything else is about the album. At times the band takes us towards a much steelier sound, packing considerable heaviness with how they put more emphasis into the regular heavy metal sound, rather than focusing on the speed metal gallops and such. Fire It Up, for example, has some strong Metal Church and 80s Judas Priest vibes to its chorus, and it just makes me grin like a dumbass. But worry not, it’s not just ballsy songs from start to finish, as if you remember my previous review, I talked about how they have a knack for making some pretty damn good melodramatic, melodic tracks as well. This also returns in the shape of the glam-esque Queen of My Salvation with its simplified lead sections and 80s radioplay hard rock chorus (and some damned cowbells too sadly). Yeah, it’s not my favourite thing the band has ever written, and neither is the similarly silly Texas Bloody Texas, but the rest of what they have to offer more than make up for these.

And now we come to the point where the band showcases some experimenting with their sound. For example, the guitars have the same amazing tone, but this time around they let them get significantly more fancy, nearly reaching neoclassical levels of virtuosity. You’ll become very much aware of this fact after hearing what I consider the two absolute highlights of the record, namely Across the Burning Fields and Rising, both of which is what we could call a damn great attempt at making epic heavy or power metal. Former has some really good display of the oddly toned vocals, rhythmically spitting in a way that sounds very fitting for the song title, but they didn’t forget about their trademark falsettos or the sections with insane, descending shreds either. Still, the threatening barrage of Rising I like even more, giving me the impression that this is just the start of the Savaged saga. And let me tell you, they have convinced me to pay attention to the future chapters a long time ago.

There is just something fundamentally right about everything Savaged does. Like the way they are having the at times throaty singing be contrasted by the shrieky highs, harmonizing well with the backing vocals. Or how their guitarwork didn’t just get flashier, it also got much more cohesive riff patterns to make the album feel even tighter. Or perhaps how great their mixing and general production quality have been since day one. Seriously, this is absurdly good for a band that has only been around for a couple of years. And at the end of the day, Rising is catchy, complex when it wants to be complex, simple when it needs to be simple, and an album that you shouldn’t skip under any circumstance.

Feast for the Damned



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Ascension
2. Queen Of My Salvation
3. The Long Walk
4. Across The Burning Fields
5. The Conqueror
6. Stars Are Falling
7. Texas (Bloody Texas)
8. Rising



..::OBSADA::..

Cristian Blade - Drums, Vocals (backing)
Aleix Coll - Bass
Jamie Killhead - Vocals, Guitars (lead)
Joan Grimalt - Guitars (rhythm), Vocals (backing)




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmyOoNjwgrQ



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

Kataloński zespół, od momentu powstania w 2021 roku, wyróżnia się nie 'wynalezieniem koła na nowo' ani redefinicją gatunku heavy metalu, ale pełnym pasji oddaniem nieskalanej istocie tego gatunku.
'Rising' ucieleśnia ducha klasycznego heavy metalu. Hymnowe refreny, wznoszący się wokal, unoszące duszę harmonie i wciągające melodie, charakteryzują kompozycje, które doprowadzą miłośników tradycyjnego heavy metalu do wielokrotnego, pełnego błogości i satysfakcji odsłuchu.

FA

Gee, that was fast! Savaged didn’t wait much to drop their second full-length, having only unleashed the chromed-out sabretooth a year ago, but here they are again, doing what they do best. That is a mix of speed and traditional heavy metal in case you missed one of the best releases from the last year. Now, how does Rising fare against Night Stealer? Quite well actually.

They pick up roughly where the debut left off, still having a very infectious energy to everything they do, but perhaps having a little less of the unpredictability songs like Tons of Leather and Elm Street had. So yeah, this kinda makes me sad, but the band turns my frown upside-down really quick with just how great everything else is about the album. At times the band takes us towards a much steelier sound, packing considerable heaviness with how they put more emphasis into the regular heavy metal sound, rather than focusing on the speed metal gallops and such. Fire It Up, for example, has some strong Metal Church and 80s Judas Priest vibes to its chorus, and it just makes me grin like a dumbass. But worry not, it’s not just ballsy songs from start to finish, as if you remember my previous review, I talked about how they have a knack for making some pretty damn good melodramatic, melodic tracks as well. This also returns in the shape of the glam-esque Queen of My Salvation with its simplified lead sections and 80s radioplay hard rock chorus (and some damned cowbells too sadly). Yeah, it’s not my favourite thing the band has ever written, and neither is the similarly silly Texas Bloody Texas, but the rest of what they have to offer more than make up for these.

And now we come to the point where the band showcases some experimenting with their sound. For example, the guitars have the same amazing tone, but this time around they let them get significantly more fancy, nearly reaching neoclassical levels of virtuosity. You’ll become very much aware of this fact after hearing what I consider the two absolute highlights of the record, namely Across the Burning Fields and Rising, both of which is what we could call a damn great attempt at making epic heavy or power metal. Former has some really good display of the oddly toned vocals, rhythmically spitting in a way that sounds very fitting for the song title, but they didn’t forget about their trademark falsettos or the sections with insane, descending shreds either. Still, the threatening barrage of Rising I like even more, giving me the impression that this is just the start of the Savaged saga. And let me tell you, they have convinced me to pay attention to the future chapters a long time ago.

There is just something fundamentally right about everything Savaged does. Like the way they are having the at times throaty singing be contrasted by the shrieky highs, harmonizing well with the backing vocals. Or how their guitarwork didn’t just get flashier, it also got much more cohesive riff patterns to make the album feel even tighter. Or perhaps how great their mixing and general production quality have been since day one. Seriously, this is absurdly good for a band that has only been around for a couple of years. And at the end of the day, Rising is catchy, complex when it wants to be complex, simple when it needs to be simple, and an album that you shouldn’t skip under any circumstance.

Feast for the Damned



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Ascension
2. Queen Of My Salvation
3. The Long Walk
4. Across The Burning Fields
5. The Conqueror
6. Stars Are Falling
7. Texas (Bloody Texas)
8. Rising



..::OBSADA::..

Cristian Blade - Drums, Vocals (backing)
Aleix Coll - Bass
Jamie Killhead - Vocals, Guitars (lead)
Joan Grimalt - Guitars (rhythm), Vocals (backing)




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmyOoNjwgrQ



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...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

Po wysłuchaniu 'Shadow Of A Fallen Star Pt.I' nie martwię się już o sukcesję naszych dawnych bohaterów. Jeśli Judas Priest, Iron Maiden odłożą instrumenty i dadzą sobie spokój, to zespoły takie jak Seven Sisters będą nieść pochodnię i bronić wiary...

FA

Tak Seven Sisters powraca po 3 latach ciszy z nowym albumem. "Shadow of a fallen star pt 1" to album, po który można śmiało sięgnąć, nawet w ciemno. Czy Seven Sisters kiedyś zawiódł? Otóż nie. To doświadczony brytyjski band, który działa sukcesywnie od 2013r i już są efekty. Panowie mają swój styl i nie boją się wychodzić poza standardy brytyjskiego metalu i nwobhm. Tak też jest w przypadku nowego dzieła, które jest kontynuacją poprzednich płyt, a jednocześnie powiewem świeżości w muzyce Seven Sisters. Na pewno jest to płyta, która trzeba mieć w kolekcji.

Mcneil i Farmer to dwóch gitarzystów, którzy czarują swoimi zagrywkami i słuchacz od razu przenoszony jest do świata Seven Sisters. Klimat science fiction jest wyczuwalny przez cały album, a okładka idealnie to obrazuje. Mcneil to też lider w zespole i w roli wokalisty sprawdza się idealnie. To za jego sprawą album brzmi jakby powstał w latach 80. No brzmi to bardzo klasycznie, co mnie bardzo cieszy. Jednak to nie jest też jakoś retro muzyka, czy kolejna kopia żelaznej dziewicy.

Ach te piękne popisy gitarowe w dynamicznym "beyond the black stars". Jest klimat i duża dawka przebojowości, a to są właśnie atuty tej kapeli. Mroczniejszy klimat i bardziej złożona formę dostajemy w "the artifice". Niby klasycznie, a zarazem bardzo współcześnie to brzmi. Szybko moje serce skradł nieco maidenów "whispers in the dark". Panowie dają tutaj czadu i to jest prawdziwa perełka na płycie. Podobne emocje wzbudza "horizons eye". Choć tutaj band stara się grać nieco progresywnej.
Hard rockowo i nieco oldschoolowy wypada na pewno tytułowy utwór. Na sam koniec stonowany i rozbudowany "thruths burden". Band znów czaruje pięknymi melodiami i wciągającym refrenem.

Seven Sisters to bardzo ważny band na scenie brytyjskiej. Band tworzy dojrzały i bardzo klimatyczny heavy metal. Brzmi to klasycznie, a jednocześnie bardzo świeżo. Band jest na fali i ta płyta to tylko potwierdza.

PMW

Sometimes, when you're sifting through the seemingly endless amounts of music being put out nowadays, you stumble upon something so fresh, mesmerizing and moving that you can't help but recommend it to everyone in sight, apart from listening to it non-stop for the first couple of months after its release. Such is the case with Shadow of a Fallen Star Pt.1, the third full-length by Seven Sisters, a young English band formed barely ten years ago. From the moment I set eyes on the artwork, I knew I was in for something special. I mean, just look at those beautiful green/blue/turquoise/violet colors depicting an ethereal and interstellar city surrounded by shining stars and spaceships and tell me you're not immediately thrown into epic space voyages and the discovery of ancient planets and civilizations. At least that's the impression I got: this goes to show just how important the artwork is for a newly released record.

Fortunately, I am pleased to report that the music lived up to the expectations set by that alluring and mystic picture. The album starts off with a haunting intro track that sets the mood perfectly for what's to come: beautiful acoustic passages merge with electric guitars and drums that eventually segues into the first track. Intros are not easy to pull off: sometimes they feel self-indulgent or meandering, but this one immediately lures us in, summoning a sense of wonder and awe that will persist throughout the album. It evokes things long forgotten or memories of distant places that we once had but are now lost forever. Then, the first proper track, "Beyond the Black Stars," blazes forth like a solar flare, with beautiful riffing, powerful drums and a tremendously audible bass that set us off on our adventure. Then we get some of the most soulful and nostalgic vocals I've heard in a long time, courtesy of frontman Kyle McNeil (who, by the way, also recorded, produced and mixed the album). In the first part of the record, his vocals are urgent and almost angry, denoting the sense of purpose and determination that the protagonist has on his quest. The next track, "The Artifice," is my personal favorite, with beautifully melodic guitar work that never ceases to be inventive and never becomes idle, coupled with weeping solos and soaring vocals. The choruses are a true highlight of the album, at times sounding epic and uplifting, but always with undertones of sorrow, conflict and loss. We can feel a sense of expectancy and of wonders to come once this song reaches its conclusion, after a deeply emotional slow passage and a reprise of the chorus.

I could do this for every single track, but that would turn this review into an essay, so I'll try to summarize the rest. Listening to this record is like listening to a story (which was definitely intended, since this is a concept album that advances the narrative with each song, and is meant to be experienced on a single listening session). Through the first half of the album, we feel the determination and purpose of the adventurers, fully committed to their cause and ready to tackle any obstacle that might block their path. The galloping riff of the third track fills us with energy and leaves us breathless once we reach the halfway point of the record. At this moment, things begin to change: Kyle's vocals become more sorrowful, and the lyrics get darker. Fear, doubt and hesitation start to creep into the heart of the protagonist. Brooding guitars, ominous drums and bass and wailing vocals fill us with what the adventurer is experiencing. This reaches its nadir in the sixth track, which is a semi-ballad. This is the critical moment of the journey, where our hero must decide whether to give up and be consumed by loneliness and exhaustion or to press on, despite the adversities. You can almost feel the weight of life bearing down on him. At the end of this track and all through the next one, everything explodes and we feel a renewed sense of purpose. The adventurer has found one last reserve of strength and realizes he has no more to lose: he was destroyed and now he is born anew. There is a sense of anticipation that suggests a final battle or test coming. Finally, we reach the mammoth final track, "Truth's Burden," the longest one of the album, clocking in at seven minutes. Everything here comes together: the instruments, working as narrative elements, slow down or pick up the pace when the story needs them to. They strike fear or instill courage: there's no going back, it's do-or-die. Finally, we reach the climax and our hero makes a terrible finding and realizes the truth. Understanding dawns on him: he must now flee from the ones that protected him and continue his search for knowledge, alone and persecuted. It all comes full circle: even the musical themes presented on the intro track are recalled in this epic conclusion. It gives us release, but leaves us hungry for more: now what? What will he do with this terrible truth? Will he emerge victorious or will he go into exile, forgotten and shunned? I guess we now must wait for Pt.2 to find out the answers to these questions.

Well, in case you didn't notice from my failed attempts at summarizing this album, I think it's truly fantastic. At 40 minutes, it never overstays its welcome, and it manages to round out the epic story it tells, despite the fact we haven't reached its end. Every element is carefully thought out and placed; every note, passage and verse is there to give life and meaning to the story. The infinitely creative instrumentation and the beautiful vocals create a perfect harmony that never lets up. I must also mention the lyrics: they are intelligent, poignant, evocative and always exciting, making it seem as if we're listening to a literary piece. Case in point:

"I look out and wonder on this long and lonely night.
For all the power that knowledge can bring. Whom does it serve if not I?
Far are the horizons I can see beyond these skies,
Follow the footsteps my ancestors laid,
Free me from this life."

If you're still not convinced after reading this, I don't know what more to tell you. Do yourself a favor and go listen to this beauty.

Dr. Robert



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Andromeda Rising 02:42
2. Beyond The Black Stars 03:55
3. The Artifice 04:52
4. Whispers In The Dark 04:42
5. Horizon's Eye 06:46
6. Wounds Of Design 05:55
7. Shadow Of A Fallen Star 04:11
8. Truth's Burden 06:58



..::OBSADA::..

Kyle McNeill - Guitar, Vocals
Graeme Farmer - Guitar
Gaz Martin - Bass
Sam Christou - Drums




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpEIfa2ycis


SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

Po wysłuchaniu 'Shadow Of A Fallen Star Pt.I' nie martwię się już o sukcesję naszych dawnych bohaterów. Jeśli Judas Priest, Iron Maiden odłożą instrumenty i dadzą sobie spokój, to zespoły takie jak Seven Sisters będą nieść pochodnię i bronić wiary...

FA

Tak Seven Sisters powraca po 3 latach ciszy z nowym albumem. "Shadow of a fallen star pt 1" to album, po który można śmiało sięgnąć, nawet w ciemno. Czy Seven Sisters kiedyś zawiódł? Otóż nie. To doświadczony brytyjski band, który działa sukcesywnie od 2013r i już są efekty. Panowie mają swój styl i nie boją się wychodzić poza standardy brytyjskiego metalu i nwobhm. Tak też jest w przypadku nowego dzieła, które jest kontynuacją poprzednich płyt, a jednocześnie powiewem świeżości w muzyce Seven Sisters. Na pewno jest to płyta, która trzeba mieć w kolekcji.

Mcneil i Farmer to dwóch gitarzystów, którzy czarują swoimi zagrywkami i słuchacz od razu przenoszony jest do świata Seven Sisters. Klimat science fiction jest wyczuwalny przez cały album, a okładka idealnie to obrazuje. Mcneil to też lider w zespole i w roli wokalisty sprawdza się idealnie. To za jego sprawą album brzmi jakby powstał w latach 80. No brzmi to bardzo klasycznie, co mnie bardzo cieszy. Jednak to nie jest też jakoś retro muzyka, czy kolejna kopia żelaznej dziewicy.

Ach te piękne popisy gitarowe w dynamicznym "beyond the black stars". Jest klimat i duża dawka przebojowości, a to są właśnie atuty tej kapeli. Mroczniejszy klimat i bardziej złożona formę dostajemy w "the artifice". Niby klasycznie, a zarazem bardzo współcześnie to brzmi. Szybko moje serce skradł nieco maidenów "whispers in the dark". Panowie dają tutaj czadu i to jest prawdziwa perełka na płycie. Podobne emocje wzbudza "horizons eye". Choć tutaj band stara się grać nieco progresywnej.
Hard rockowo i nieco oldschoolowy wypada na pewno tytułowy utwór. Na sam koniec stonowany i rozbudowany "thruths burden". Band znów czaruje pięknymi melodiami i wciągającym refrenem.

Seven Sisters to bardzo ważny band na scenie brytyjskiej. Band tworzy dojrzały i bardzo klimatyczny heavy metal. Brzmi to klasycznie, a jednocześnie bardzo świeżo. Band jest na fali i ta płyta to tylko potwierdza.

PMW

Sometimes, when you're sifting through the seemingly endless amounts of music being put out nowadays, you stumble upon something so fresh, mesmerizing and moving that you can't help but recommend it to everyone in sight, apart from listening to it non-stop for the first couple of months after its release. Such is the case with Shadow of a Fallen Star Pt.1, the third full-length by Seven Sisters, a young English band formed barely ten years ago. From the moment I set eyes on the artwork, I knew I was in for something special. I mean, just look at those beautiful green/blue/turquoise/violet colors depicting an ethereal and interstellar city surrounded by shining stars and spaceships and tell me you're not immediately thrown into epic space voyages and the discovery of ancient planets and civilizations. At least that's the impression I got: this goes to show just how important the artwork is for a newly released record.

Fortunately, I am pleased to report that the music lived up to the expectations set by that alluring and mystic picture. The album starts off with a haunting intro track that sets the mood perfectly for what's to come: beautiful acoustic passages merge with electric guitars and drums that eventually segues into the first track. Intros are not easy to pull off: sometimes they feel self-indulgent or meandering, but this one immediately lures us in, summoning a sense of wonder and awe that will persist throughout the album. It evokes things long forgotten or memories of distant places that we once had but are now lost forever. Then, the first proper track, "Beyond the Black Stars," blazes forth like a solar flare, with beautiful riffing, powerful drums and a tremendously audible bass that set us off on our adventure. Then we get some of the most soulful and nostalgic vocals I've heard in a long time, courtesy of frontman Kyle McNeil (who, by the way, also recorded, produced and mixed the album). In the first part of the record, his vocals are urgent and almost angry, denoting the sense of purpose and determination that the protagonist has on his quest. The next track, "The Artifice," is my personal favorite, with beautifully melodic guitar work that never ceases to be inventive and never becomes idle, coupled with weeping solos and soaring vocals. The choruses are a true highlight of the album, at times sounding epic and uplifting, but always with undertones of sorrow, conflict and loss. We can feel a sense of expectancy and of wonders to come once this song reaches its conclusion, after a deeply emotional slow passage and a reprise of the chorus.

I could do this for every single track, but that would turn this review into an essay, so I'll try to summarize the rest. Listening to this record is like listening to a story (which was definitely intended, since this is a concept album that advances the narrative with each song, and is meant to be experienced on a single listening session). Through the first half of the album, we feel the determination and purpose of the adventurers, fully committed to their cause and ready to tackle any obstacle that might block their path. The galloping riff of the third track fills us with energy and leaves us breathless once we reach the halfway point of the record. At this moment, things begin to change: Kyle's vocals become more sorrowful, and the lyrics get darker. Fear, doubt and hesitation start to creep into the heart of the protagonist. Brooding guitars, ominous drums and bass and wailing vocals fill us with what the adventurer is experiencing. This reaches its nadir in the sixth track, which is a semi-ballad. This is the critical moment of the journey, where our hero must decide whether to give up and be consumed by loneliness and exhaustion or to press on, despite the adversities. You can almost feel the weight of life bearing down on him. At the end of this track and all through the next one, everything explodes and we feel a renewed sense of purpose. The adventurer has found one last reserve of strength and realizes he has no more to lose: he was destroyed and now he is born anew. There is a sense of anticipation that suggests a final battle or test coming. Finally, we reach the mammoth final track, "Truth's Burden," the longest one of the album, clocking in at seven minutes. Everything here comes together: the instruments, working as narrative elements, slow down or pick up the pace when the story needs them to. They strike fear or instill courage: there's no going back, it's do-or-die. Finally, we reach the climax and our hero makes a terrible finding and realizes the truth. Understanding dawns on him: he must now flee from the ones that protected him and continue his search for knowledge, alone and persecuted. It all comes full circle: even the musical themes presented on the intro track are recalled in this epic conclusion. It gives us release, but leaves us hungry for more: now what? What will he do with this terrible truth? Will he emerge victorious or will he go into exile, forgotten and shunned? I guess we now must wait for Pt.2 to find out the answers to these questions.

Well, in case you didn't notice from my failed attempts at summarizing this album, I think it's truly fantastic. At 40 minutes, it never overstays its welcome, and it manages to round out the epic story it tells, despite the fact we haven't reached its end. Every element is carefully thought out and placed; every note, passage and verse is there to give life and meaning to the story. The infinitely creative instrumentation and the beautiful vocals create a perfect harmony that never lets up. I must also mention the lyrics: they are intelligent, poignant, evocative and always exciting, making it seem as if we're listening to a literary piece. Case in point:

"I look out and wonder on this long and lonely night.
For all the power that knowledge can bring. Whom does it serve if not I?
Far are the horizons I can see beyond these skies,
Follow the footsteps my ancestors laid,
Free me from this life."

If you're still not convinced after reading this, I don't know what more to tell you. Do yourself a favor and go listen to this beauty.

Dr. Robert



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Andromeda Rising 02:42
2. Beyond The Black Stars 03:55
3. The Artifice 04:52
4. Whispers In The Dark 04:42
5. Horizon's Eye 06:46
6. Wounds Of Design 05:55
7. Shadow Of A Fallen Star 04:11
8. Truth's Burden 06:58



..::OBSADA::..

Kyle McNeill - Guitar, Vocals
Graeme Farmer - Guitar
Gaz Martin - Bass
Sam Christou - Drums




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpEIfa2ycis


SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!