...( Info )...

Artist: Carabina
Title: Epifanía Del Desorden
Year: 2024
Genre: Heavy Metal
Country: Argentina
Duration: 00:47:35
Format/Codec: MP3
Audio bitrate: 320 kbps


...( TrackList )...

01. Sed De Extinction (06:32)
02. Deseo De Libertad (05:19)
03. Dios Del Silencio (10:03)
04. Cerrar Los Ojos (04:10)
05. Tren Fantasma (04:28)
06. Vacio (07:09)
07. Epifanía Del Desorden (09:52)

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



..::OPIS::..

Jakoś w ogóle nie przeszkadza mi fakt, że Satan znów nagrał płytę roku. Albo przynajmniej bardzo silnego pretendenta do tego miana. No, ale nie uprzedzajmy faktów. Satan jest brytyjską kapelą heavy metalową, która zadebiutowała w 1983 roku klasycznym albumem "Court in the Act". Wykuwając na kowadle prawdziwego metalu jedną z lepszych płyt NWOBHM tamtych lat, która wpisała się na stałe w annały kopania pozerów w dupska. Prawdziwy kunszt Satan pokazał jednak w... 2013 roku, swym comebackowym albumem "Life Sentence". To wydawnictwo udowodniło, że w naszych czasach, tak przesyconych chujowym brzmieniem cyfrowej papki, która jest też niestety obecna w heavy metalu, można nagrać album, który brzmi klasycznie, opiera się na tradycyjnej szkole, a jednocześnie stanowi niesamowity powiew świeżości. "Life Sentence" był albumem kompletnym, szczerym i miażdżąco genialnym. Był też prztyczkiem w nos, nie - potężną tubą na ryj!, dla wszystkich tych, którzy twierdzili, że nie da się już w dzisiejszych czasach uzyskać takiego klasycznego, ciepłego i organicznego brzmienia jak w latach 80tych, jednocześnie nie popadając w pastisz i odtwórstwo. "Life Sentence" pokazał, że to nieprawda. Wystarczy tylko chcieć i potrafić.

"Life Sentence" ustanowił niesamowicie wysoką poprzeczkę, nie tylko dla innych zespołów, lecz także dla samego Satan. Dlatego ich następny album po tym "powrotnym" nie ma łatwo, gdyż oczekiwania są siłą rzeczy bardzo wysokie. Jednak okazuje się, że "Atom By Atom", który jest przedmiotem tej recenzji, stanowi świetną kontynuację tego klasyka (tak, "Life Sentence" jest tak dobry, jak zresztą właściwie żaden inny album ostatnich lat, że można o nim mówić już jak o klasyku).

Najbardziej obawiałem się, że "Atom By Atom" będzie brzmiał jak słabsza kontynuacja "Life Sentence". Jak jakieś swoiste odrzuty z sesji po poprzednim albumie. Że będzie dobry, ale wyraźnie gorszy i bez tego nasycenia zajebistością w sobie. Tak było w przypadku "Stalingrad" Accept, i tak było w przypadku "The Electric Age" Overkill - zespoły weszły w taką rzemieślniczą rutynę, produkując albumy dobre, ale nie tak dobre jak "Blood of the Nations" czy "Ironbound". Na szczęście "Atom By Atom" nie jest bezmyślnym podążaniem szlakiem wytyczonym przez "Life Sentence", lecz jakby osobną ścieżką, poprowadzoną równolegle. Nie ma tutaj pójścia na łatwiznę czy na maszynową produkcję kawałków, odciśniętych ze stworzonych wcześniej szablonów. Satan nie zawiódł.

Inną moją obawą, był fakt, że Satan będzie chciał teraz poeksperymentować i zatraci się w wymyślaniu cudów na kiju. Na szczęście brzmienie jest tak samo dobre i krwiste jak na "Life Sentence", a przynajmniej bardzo do niego zbliżone. Surowe, a jednocześnie przestrzenne i mięsiste. Realizacja dźwięku nie bawi się w dokładanie jakiś przebitek gitarowych czy kilku warstw instrumentów. Chórki zostały inaczej rozwiązane i brzmią (siłą rzeczy) inaczej niż na "Life Sentence", ale dalej stanowią świetny element albumu. To, co jest niesamowite w tym wydawnictwie, to jednak nie tylko brzmienie, ale też fakt iż kawałki są charakterystyczne, kontrastują względem siebie, zapadają w pamięć, no i sam wygląd ich kompozycji - jakby zostały stworzone w latach osiemdziesiątych. Ponadto, każdy kawałek pasuje idealnie na swoim miejscu. Tu nie ma wypełniaczy. Prawdziwa jakość!

Nie chciałbym opisywać każdego z utworów po kolei. Nie ma to zresztą sensu. Tego albumu po prostu trzeba samemu posłuchać, bo to co odstawia na nim Satan jest nieziemskie. Nawet stosunkowo proste motywy mogą się nagle połączyć w coś zupełnie niespodziewanego lub przekształcić coś w kompletnie innego. A wszystko razem brzmi niczym aria zajebistości.

Album zaczyna się świetnym wysokim krzykiem i chwytliwymi riffami, będącymi kwintesencją klasycznego brzmienia NWOBHM. Genialne legato współpracuje idealnie z charyzmatyczna perkusją, tworząc klimat prawdziwego metalu z jajem. "Farewell Evolution" stanowi idealne wprowadzenie w rytuał tworzenia piękna w muzyce. Ross bawi się swoim wokalem na początku i na końcu kompozycji, dokładając kolejne punkty kulminacyjne na i tak wyrazistej strukturze kompozycji.

"Fallen Saviour", który tka przed naszym obliczem wzorzystą tkaninę klimatu i niesamowitości, w całej krasie prezentuje się bardzo ciekawe i umiejętnie uwypukla charakterystyczne chórki w swym refrenie. Taneczny spacer po progach, wchodzący w niszczycielskie tremolo połączone z bezkompromisowym legato i charyzmatycznymi wokalami, to kwintesencja "The Devil's Infantry". Sam kawałek jak na niezbyt skomplikowaną kompozycje w stylu NWOBHM zaskakuje słuchacza nieoczywistym przebiegiem. Jest to zdecydowanie jeden z najlepszych utworów na tej równej płycie. Zamaszysty i potężny "Ahriman" stawia na siłę gitar i onirycznych zaśpiewów oraz chórków. Przez to wszystko stale przebija się nieujarzmiona siła.

Płytę zamyka epicki "The Fall of Persephone". Jest to kawałek nieco dłuższy niż reszta utworów, które trwają przeciętnie po cztery, pięć minut, a także bardziej od nich spokojniejszy. Zostały do niego też dodane śpiewne chóry w tle. Czuć jednak, że w tym utworze drzemie nieposkromiona siła i energia - i rzeczywiście. W drugiej połowie swego trwania do głosu dochodzą tremola, mocniejsze wokale i popisy gitarowe, których kulminacje stanowi pojedynek olśniewających solówek.

Satan kunsztownie łączy ze sobą riffy w stylu NWOBHM z płomiennymi solówkami i leadowymi bridge'ami. Dzięki temu album nie nudzi i nie drażni. Zresztą, co tu dużo mówić. Można odstawić na bok akademickie dywagacje - ten album jest zwyczajnie zajebisty. Nie jest to może aż tak wiekopomny pomnik jak jego poprzednik, ale naprawdę bardzo, BARDZO, niewiele mu do niego brakuje. Polecam i pozdrawiam. Nie żadne Judasy i Maideny - Satan. Tyle w temacie.

Ciekawostka: Niemiecki Metal Hammer wystawił tej płycie 2 punkty na 7 możliwych, zarzucając zespołowi zbyt fanatyczny fan base. Nawet nie wiem jak mam na to reagować, hehe. Dobrze, że nie obniżyli oceny za zbyt brązowe spodnie perkusisty.

Sterviss



Satan's early output is the only one from a NWOBHM band I can think of which can stand face to face to Iron Maiden's first releases, at least in terms of musical awesomeness. Their guitarwork has always been outstanding, quite creative and highly sophisticated, setting them apart from the herd, just like the Irons. Brian Ross has enough power and personality in his voice to rival even Bruce, at least in studio recording, and since I haven't seen Satan live unfortunately, I can't neither ensure nor deny he can't rival him onstage. Sure, Satan was put away for almost three decades, and even before that, they changed vocalist once Ross joined Blitzkrieg. It's understandable they never grew as big as they should have. But in 2013 they came back with all of their former strength… and then SOME. Life Sentence was hands down the greatest heavy metal album of that year… and perhaps of the decade. Fortunately for us, that creative wildfire has scorched its way to 2015, and we've been sentenced to head bang to the sweet tunes of Atom by Atom, the band's fourth LP, their second of their grandiose rebirth.

They took back from their preceding release many of the awesome stuff that made it such a tour de force. For starters, they've carried on with Eliran Kantor's services as the great artificer of their 21st Century artwork. One of the best nowadays on his field, no doubt, Eliran's piece for Atom by Atom is of course top-notch, again featuring the hellish skeletal judge mascot that appears in most of Satan's covers. But the Brits good taste doesn't end there; that's just the icing on this unholy cake. Their compositional finesse is also spot on, and this record feels like a continuation of Life Sentence. And that's saying A LOT. Few modern trad metal albums have stirred such an enthusiastic response from my metal-craving being like their comeback. Now that most of the old guard metal gods just aren't as good as before, aside from Accept and painfully few others, and with only a handful of new retro metal bands managing to carry the torch with enough grandeur to make Dio proud (like Enforcer), Satan's recent material feels like a breath of fresh air. It's exceptional that they're this good at this stage in their career.

The album starts in a phenomenal, if pessimistic, way with “Farewell Evolution”, a fast-paced ode to today's Mankind nonsense and decadence. Brian lets his pipes loose with a banshee screech and then those signature propelling, vintage sounding riffs explode out of the speakers. A solid starter, but to be honest, this one and the following track end up being the least exciting tunes for me here. They do show that Satan's style remains pristine… and ballsy! Things really start to soar into the awesomesphere from “Ruination” onwards, all of the remaining tracks featuring an amazing array of riffs, solos, calm breaks and other changes of pace, though they never chew more than they need. These guys keep on sounding like it's 1983, with all the energy of their youth, but adding tiny doses of modern thinking man's metal. Some weird guitar sounds here, some proggy sections there… seems like they've been listening to some Mastodon or Slough Feg, and the combination of new and old tricks it's just as tasty as it is mind-blowing. They never stop sounding oldschool, but they don't sound old or dated AT ALL. That can also be attributed to Darío Mollo's stellar, balanced and suitable production work. He's 2 for 2 in perfection for this band's in studio sound.

Almost impossible for me to pick favorite tracks, as I really enjoy all of them, but the title-track is pretty badass with an extremely head-bangable rhythm and sharp melodies, a mid-paced dose of classic heavy metal which again has been empowered with intelligent, modern guitar sounds that separates them from your average throwback metal band. “I am My Own God” is another mid-paced number that may or may not have the best chorus of the disc, while also featuring an Eddie Fast Clarke-styled solo. “Ahriman” sounds a bit more like modern Iron Maiden, in a condensed and improved form. But the whole record is almost flawless. I'm not a big fan of the narrated part on “The Fall of Persephone”, the mandatory six-minute “epic” found in each of the Ross-fronted Satan albums, but otherwise is a solid tune as well. In reality all of the tracks are outstanding specimens of modern and at the same time oldschool metal done magnificently.

The band's just spot-on. Ross sings unbelievably good, like not a single year has passed since he sang on Court in the Act, and many songs seem to be pulled out directly from their debut, with only an enhancement in production values. Did he sell his soul to his band's moniker originator for eternal youth? Does he bathes in virgin's blood once every week? We may never know the answer, but he remains as powerful as ever, just like the guitar attack of Steve Ramsey and Russ Tippins, ageless and even richer than during the 80s. The rhythmic section of Graeme English and Sean Taylor may not be as stellar as their frontman or the six-stringer's dual prowess, but it's quite tasty and classy in its own right. Although perhaps not as engaging and flawless as Life Sentence by a tiny difference, again, in 2015 Satan has put the high standard by which all heavy metal albums of the year should be measured… and I believe none will reach nor has reached as high as this one. Now, if only they could come to tour here in Mexico… Maybe someday. I believe we have plenty of time for that to happen. Fortunately, Satan's here to stay… and to slay!

Xyrth


Life Sentence was one of the greatest comebacks launched in all of British heavy metal history, and as far as I'm concerned, the band could have packed it all up, called it a day, and been content. But that was never an option, because Satan's reformation was going to become the rule, not the exception...they were about to surge into a period of productivity and relevance that very easily eclipsed their 80s cult classics. Touring, studio albums, the works, and not only remaining steadfast to their original sound, but bringing with them the experience that the members picked up in Pariah, Skyclad or Blitzkrieg. Yes, if this album resembles Blaze of Obscurity just as much as Court in the Act, I don't think that's any mistake, these were essentially the same band, and the modern crop of Satan releases are richer for it.

This is another incredible album, full of ceaseless, quality riffing that doesn't just honor the traditions that birthed it, but pushes the medium forward even so many decades later. That's what I love about these newer Satan albums, and why I enjoy them even more than the beloved debut, because there's very little here that seems stuck in the slough of nostalgia. Yes, that's the sound, but Steve Ramsey and Russ Tippins are bringing a wealth of creative ideas to the riffing which span all those decades of heavy, power, even a little thrash, and it sounds just as potent in the 21st century as it did during the era of spandex and hair spray. Just listen to the craftsmanship in "Farewell Evolution" or "Ruination", you can't go even a few seconds without some explosive of delicious ear-candy. The variation is expansive, yes they do focus in a lot on flighty, melodic, fast picking lines, but the leads are uniformly exquisite, and there's a lot of glorious emotion packed into every single moment of the experience. Graeme's bass playing is as thick and flexible as ever, still a match against the rest of the band, and even Sean Taylor sounds more invigorated than ever he was in the 80s.

As for Brian, guy doesn't sound like he's aged a day, although he definitely stays in his stronger zone here, with less of the stray screams that occasionally permeated the earlier material. Hell, I think he just sounds better, listen to how his pipes carry out over the melancholic and powerful bridge in "Ruination", or how he can inflect a little nastiness in there like Michael Jackson used to on Suspended Sentence. But most importantly, the guy is just totally distinct...he sounds nothing like Biff, or Bruce, or Rob, or Ozzy, or John G., and yet he's every bit as good of a singer. Sure, he's not who you turn for if range is your only thrill, but his voice flows so well over this material, there's a wavering quality to his performance which seems like a confident, spectral general guiding his soldiers to battle. Add to this the impeccable, organic feel to the production on this record and its neighbors...the guitars are crystal clear and mighty without needing tons of extra fuzz or gain, it all feels so warm and perfect without seemingly like it has some poppy overpolish. Eliran Kantor continues to capture the debut album's spirit with the artwork he's provided for all these new Satan albums, and while it lacks the total surprising impact I felt from Life Sentence, this one is very nearly in that ballpark of quality.

autothrall



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Farewell Evolution 04:34
2. Fallen Saviour 04:14
3. Ruination 05:29
4. The Devil's Infantry 04:58
5. Atom by Atom 03:59
6. In Contempt 04:51
7. My Own God 04:35
8. Ahriman 04:00
9. Bound in Enmity 04:04
10. The Fall of Persephone 06:50



..::OBSADA::..

Steve Ramsey - Guitars
Russ Tippins - Guitars
Graeme English - Bass
Sean Taylor - Drums
Brian Ross - Vocals




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sfpz-xhiC8



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



..::OPIS::..

Jakoś w ogóle nie przeszkadza mi fakt, że Satan znów nagrał płytę roku. Albo przynajmniej bardzo silnego pretendenta do tego miana. No, ale nie uprzedzajmy faktów. Satan jest brytyjską kapelą heavy metalową, która zadebiutowała w 1983 roku klasycznym albumem "Court in the Act". Wykuwając na kowadle prawdziwego metalu jedną z lepszych płyt NWOBHM tamtych lat, która wpisała się na stałe w annały kopania pozerów w dupska. Prawdziwy kunszt Satan pokazał jednak w... 2013 roku, swym comebackowym albumem "Life Sentence". To wydawnictwo udowodniło, że w naszych czasach, tak przesyconych chujowym brzmieniem cyfrowej papki, która jest też niestety obecna w heavy metalu, można nagrać album, który brzmi klasycznie, opiera się na tradycyjnej szkole, a jednocześnie stanowi niesamowity powiew świeżości. "Life Sentence" był albumem kompletnym, szczerym i miażdżąco genialnym. Był też prztyczkiem w nos, nie - potężną tubą na ryj!, dla wszystkich tych, którzy twierdzili, że nie da się już w dzisiejszych czasach uzyskać takiego klasycznego, ciepłego i organicznego brzmienia jak w latach 80tych, jednocześnie nie popadając w pastisz i odtwórstwo. "Life Sentence" pokazał, że to nieprawda. Wystarczy tylko chcieć i potrafić.

"Life Sentence" ustanowił niesamowicie wysoką poprzeczkę, nie tylko dla innych zespołów, lecz także dla samego Satan. Dlatego ich następny album po tym "powrotnym" nie ma łatwo, gdyż oczekiwania są siłą rzeczy bardzo wysokie. Jednak okazuje się, że "Atom By Atom", który jest przedmiotem tej recenzji, stanowi świetną kontynuację tego klasyka (tak, "Life Sentence" jest tak dobry, jak zresztą właściwie żaden inny album ostatnich lat, że można o nim mówić już jak o klasyku).

Najbardziej obawiałem się, że "Atom By Atom" będzie brzmiał jak słabsza kontynuacja "Life Sentence". Jak jakieś swoiste odrzuty z sesji po poprzednim albumie. Że będzie dobry, ale wyraźnie gorszy i bez tego nasycenia zajebistością w sobie. Tak było w przypadku "Stalingrad" Accept, i tak było w przypadku "The Electric Age" Overkill - zespoły weszły w taką rzemieślniczą rutynę, produkując albumy dobre, ale nie tak dobre jak "Blood of the Nations" czy "Ironbound". Na szczęście "Atom By Atom" nie jest bezmyślnym podążaniem szlakiem wytyczonym przez "Life Sentence", lecz jakby osobną ścieżką, poprowadzoną równolegle. Nie ma tutaj pójścia na łatwiznę czy na maszynową produkcję kawałków, odciśniętych ze stworzonych wcześniej szablonów. Satan nie zawiódł.

Inną moją obawą, był fakt, że Satan będzie chciał teraz poeksperymentować i zatraci się w wymyślaniu cudów na kiju. Na szczęście brzmienie jest tak samo dobre i krwiste jak na "Life Sentence", a przynajmniej bardzo do niego zbliżone. Surowe, a jednocześnie przestrzenne i mięsiste. Realizacja dźwięku nie bawi się w dokładanie jakiś przebitek gitarowych czy kilku warstw instrumentów. Chórki zostały inaczej rozwiązane i brzmią (siłą rzeczy) inaczej niż na "Life Sentence", ale dalej stanowią świetny element albumu. To, co jest niesamowite w tym wydawnictwie, to jednak nie tylko brzmienie, ale też fakt iż kawałki są charakterystyczne, kontrastują względem siebie, zapadają w pamięć, no i sam wygląd ich kompozycji - jakby zostały stworzone w latach osiemdziesiątych. Ponadto, każdy kawałek pasuje idealnie na swoim miejscu. Tu nie ma wypełniaczy. Prawdziwa jakość!

Nie chciałbym opisywać każdego z utworów po kolei. Nie ma to zresztą sensu. Tego albumu po prostu trzeba samemu posłuchać, bo to co odstawia na nim Satan jest nieziemskie. Nawet stosunkowo proste motywy mogą się nagle połączyć w coś zupełnie niespodziewanego lub przekształcić coś w kompletnie innego. A wszystko razem brzmi niczym aria zajebistości.

Album zaczyna się świetnym wysokim krzykiem i chwytliwymi riffami, będącymi kwintesencją klasycznego brzmienia NWOBHM. Genialne legato współpracuje idealnie z charyzmatyczna perkusją, tworząc klimat prawdziwego metalu z jajem. "Farewell Evolution" stanowi idealne wprowadzenie w rytuał tworzenia piękna w muzyce. Ross bawi się swoim wokalem na początku i na końcu kompozycji, dokładając kolejne punkty kulminacyjne na i tak wyrazistej strukturze kompozycji.

"Fallen Saviour", który tka przed naszym obliczem wzorzystą tkaninę klimatu i niesamowitości, w całej krasie prezentuje się bardzo ciekawe i umiejętnie uwypukla charakterystyczne chórki w swym refrenie. Taneczny spacer po progach, wchodzący w niszczycielskie tremolo połączone z bezkompromisowym legato i charyzmatycznymi wokalami, to kwintesencja "The Devil's Infantry". Sam kawałek jak na niezbyt skomplikowaną kompozycje w stylu NWOBHM zaskakuje słuchacza nieoczywistym przebiegiem. Jest to zdecydowanie jeden z najlepszych utworów na tej równej płycie. Zamaszysty i potężny "Ahriman" stawia na siłę gitar i onirycznych zaśpiewów oraz chórków. Przez to wszystko stale przebija się nieujarzmiona siła.

Płytę zamyka epicki "The Fall of Persephone". Jest to kawałek nieco dłuższy niż reszta utworów, które trwają przeciętnie po cztery, pięć minut, a także bardziej od nich spokojniejszy. Zostały do niego też dodane śpiewne chóry w tle. Czuć jednak, że w tym utworze drzemie nieposkromiona siła i energia - i rzeczywiście. W drugiej połowie swego trwania do głosu dochodzą tremola, mocniejsze wokale i popisy gitarowe, których kulminacje stanowi pojedynek olśniewających solówek.

Satan kunsztownie łączy ze sobą riffy w stylu NWOBHM z płomiennymi solówkami i leadowymi bridge'ami. Dzięki temu album nie nudzi i nie drażni. Zresztą, co tu dużo mówić. Można odstawić na bok akademickie dywagacje - ten album jest zwyczajnie zajebisty. Nie jest to może aż tak wiekopomny pomnik jak jego poprzednik, ale naprawdę bardzo, BARDZO, niewiele mu do niego brakuje. Polecam i pozdrawiam. Nie żadne Judasy i Maideny - Satan. Tyle w temacie.

Ciekawostka: Niemiecki Metal Hammer wystawił tej płycie 2 punkty na 7 możliwych, zarzucając zespołowi zbyt fanatyczny fan base. Nawet nie wiem jak mam na to reagować, hehe. Dobrze, że nie obniżyli oceny za zbyt brązowe spodnie perkusisty.

Sterviss



Satan's early output is the only one from a NWOBHM band I can think of which can stand face to face to Iron Maiden's first releases, at least in terms of musical awesomeness. Their guitarwork has always been outstanding, quite creative and highly sophisticated, setting them apart from the herd, just like the Irons. Brian Ross has enough power and personality in his voice to rival even Bruce, at least in studio recording, and since I haven't seen Satan live unfortunately, I can't neither ensure nor deny he can't rival him onstage. Sure, Satan was put away for almost three decades, and even before that, they changed vocalist once Ross joined Blitzkrieg. It's understandable they never grew as big as they should have. But in 2013 they came back with all of their former strength… and then SOME. Life Sentence was hands down the greatest heavy metal album of that year… and perhaps of the decade. Fortunately for us, that creative wildfire has scorched its way to 2015, and we've been sentenced to head bang to the sweet tunes of Atom by Atom, the band's fourth LP, their second of their grandiose rebirth.

They took back from their preceding release many of the awesome stuff that made it such a tour de force. For starters, they've carried on with Eliran Kantor's services as the great artificer of their 21st Century artwork. One of the best nowadays on his field, no doubt, Eliran's piece for Atom by Atom is of course top-notch, again featuring the hellish skeletal judge mascot that appears in most of Satan's covers. But the Brits good taste doesn't end there; that's just the icing on this unholy cake. Their compositional finesse is also spot on, and this record feels like a continuation of Life Sentence. And that's saying A LOT. Few modern trad metal albums have stirred such an enthusiastic response from my metal-craving being like their comeback. Now that most of the old guard metal gods just aren't as good as before, aside from Accept and painfully few others, and with only a handful of new retro metal bands managing to carry the torch with enough grandeur to make Dio proud (like Enforcer), Satan's recent material feels like a breath of fresh air. It's exceptional that they're this good at this stage in their career.

The album starts in a phenomenal, if pessimistic, way with “Farewell Evolution”, a fast-paced ode to today's Mankind nonsense and decadence. Brian lets his pipes loose with a banshee screech and then those signature propelling, vintage sounding riffs explode out of the speakers. A solid starter, but to be honest, this one and the following track end up being the least exciting tunes for me here. They do show that Satan's style remains pristine… and ballsy! Things really start to soar into the awesomesphere from “Ruination” onwards, all of the remaining tracks featuring an amazing array of riffs, solos, calm breaks and other changes of pace, though they never chew more than they need. These guys keep on sounding like it's 1983, with all the energy of their youth, but adding tiny doses of modern thinking man's metal. Some weird guitar sounds here, some proggy sections there… seems like they've been listening to some Mastodon or Slough Feg, and the combination of new and old tricks it's just as tasty as it is mind-blowing. They never stop sounding oldschool, but they don't sound old or dated AT ALL. That can also be attributed to Darío Mollo's stellar, balanced and suitable production work. He's 2 for 2 in perfection for this band's in studio sound.

Almost impossible for me to pick favorite tracks, as I really enjoy all of them, but the title-track is pretty badass with an extremely head-bangable rhythm and sharp melodies, a mid-paced dose of classic heavy metal which again has been empowered with intelligent, modern guitar sounds that separates them from your average throwback metal band. “I am My Own God” is another mid-paced number that may or may not have the best chorus of the disc, while also featuring an Eddie Fast Clarke-styled solo. “Ahriman” sounds a bit more like modern Iron Maiden, in a condensed and improved form. But the whole record is almost flawless. I'm not a big fan of the narrated part on “The Fall of Persephone”, the mandatory six-minute “epic” found in each of the Ross-fronted Satan albums, but otherwise is a solid tune as well. In reality all of the tracks are outstanding specimens of modern and at the same time oldschool metal done magnificently.

The band's just spot-on. Ross sings unbelievably good, like not a single year has passed since he sang on Court in the Act, and many songs seem to be pulled out directly from their debut, with only an enhancement in production values. Did he sell his soul to his band's moniker originator for eternal youth? Does he bathes in virgin's blood once every week? We may never know the answer, but he remains as powerful as ever, just like the guitar attack of Steve Ramsey and Russ Tippins, ageless and even richer than during the 80s. The rhythmic section of Graeme English and Sean Taylor may not be as stellar as their frontman or the six-stringer's dual prowess, but it's quite tasty and classy in its own right. Although perhaps not as engaging and flawless as Life Sentence by a tiny difference, again, in 2015 Satan has put the high standard by which all heavy metal albums of the year should be measured… and I believe none will reach nor has reached as high as this one. Now, if only they could come to tour here in Mexico… Maybe someday. I believe we have plenty of time for that to happen. Fortunately, Satan's here to stay… and to slay!

Xyrth


Life Sentence was one of the greatest comebacks launched in all of British heavy metal history, and as far as I'm concerned, the band could have packed it all up, called it a day, and been content. But that was never an option, because Satan's reformation was going to become the rule, not the exception...they were about to surge into a period of productivity and relevance that very easily eclipsed their 80s cult classics. Touring, studio albums, the works, and not only remaining steadfast to their original sound, but bringing with them the experience that the members picked up in Pariah, Skyclad or Blitzkrieg. Yes, if this album resembles Blaze of Obscurity just as much as Court in the Act, I don't think that's any mistake, these were essentially the same band, and the modern crop of Satan releases are richer for it.

This is another incredible album, full of ceaseless, quality riffing that doesn't just honor the traditions that birthed it, but pushes the medium forward even so many decades later. That's what I love about these newer Satan albums, and why I enjoy them even more than the beloved debut, because there's very little here that seems stuck in the slough of nostalgia. Yes, that's the sound, but Steve Ramsey and Russ Tippins are bringing a wealth of creative ideas to the riffing which span all those decades of heavy, power, even a little thrash, and it sounds just as potent in the 21st century as it did during the era of spandex and hair spray. Just listen to the craftsmanship in "Farewell Evolution" or "Ruination", you can't go even a few seconds without some explosive of delicious ear-candy. The variation is expansive, yes they do focus in a lot on flighty, melodic, fast picking lines, but the leads are uniformly exquisite, and there's a lot of glorious emotion packed into every single moment of the experience. Graeme's bass playing is as thick and flexible as ever, still a match against the rest of the band, and even Sean Taylor sounds more invigorated than ever he was in the 80s.

As for Brian, guy doesn't sound like he's aged a day, although he definitely stays in his stronger zone here, with less of the stray screams that occasionally permeated the earlier material. Hell, I think he just sounds better, listen to how his pipes carry out over the melancholic and powerful bridge in "Ruination", or how he can inflect a little nastiness in there like Michael Jackson used to on Suspended Sentence. But most importantly, the guy is just totally distinct...he sounds nothing like Biff, or Bruce, or Rob, or Ozzy, or John G., and yet he's every bit as good of a singer. Sure, he's not who you turn for if range is your only thrill, but his voice flows so well over this material, there's a wavering quality to his performance which seems like a confident, spectral general guiding his soldiers to battle. Add to this the impeccable, organic feel to the production on this record and its neighbors...the guitars are crystal clear and mighty without needing tons of extra fuzz or gain, it all feels so warm and perfect without seemingly like it has some poppy overpolish. Eliran Kantor continues to capture the debut album's spirit with the artwork he's provided for all these new Satan albums, and while it lacks the total surprising impact I felt from Life Sentence, this one is very nearly in that ballpark of quality.

autothrall



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Farewell Evolution 04:34
2. Fallen Saviour 04:14
3. Ruination 05:29
4. The Devil's Infantry 04:58
5. Atom by Atom 03:59
6. In Contempt 04:51
7. My Own God 04:35
8. Ahriman 04:00
9. Bound in Enmity 04:04
10. The Fall of Persephone 06:50



..::OBSADA::..

Steve Ramsey - Guitars
Russ Tippins - Guitars
Graeme English - Bass
Sean Taylor - Drums
Brian Ross - Vocals




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sfpz-xhiC8



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



..::OPIS::..

Tokyo Blade originally formed in 1982, releasing their self-titled debut in 1983 (CD 1 of this release). Formed around guitarist Andy Boulton, he was joined on their debut by Alan Marsh on lead vocals, John Wiggins on guitar, Andy Robbins on bass and Steve Pierce on drums, making a significant impact on the burgeoning NWOBHM scene that had been popularized by Iron Maiden, Saxon, Tygers Of Pan Tang and Def Leppard, as well as finding support in the pages of Kerrang! magazine. By 1984, they’d developed enough of a reputation to appear alongside Metallica and Venom at Holland’s Aardschock festival.

By by the time of the second full-length album, 1984’s “Night Of The Blade” (CD 2 of this release), Boulton had been joined by Vicki James Wright on lead vocals, who ended up replacing Alan March’s vocals that had already been recorded for the LP, with Andy Wrighton replacing Andy Robbins on bass. This was also their first album released on Powerstation Records, the British independent HM label that also released records by Little Angels, Chrome Molly and Pauline Gillan (sister of Ian Gillan).

In 1985 they released their third full-length LP, this time for their own (slightly consumptive sounding) TB Records. “Black Hearts & Jaded Spades” saw a move away from the more NWOBHM and melodic hard rock flavour of their earliest releases towards a more glammed-up, radio friendly, keyboard augmented sound, aimed more towards the US and Japanese markets. This in turn led to shows with shows such important 80s rock and metal names as Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Mama's Boys, Dio and Slayer.

This part of the story is rounded off by a fourth disc collecting together many rare EPs, singles and non-album cuts from the early 1980s, including tracks from “The Cave Sessions”, “Undercover Honeymoon” 12”, “Midnight Rendezvous” EP and “Madame Guillotine” EP. Also features lengthy and detailed liner notes from note NWOBHM and Tokyo Blade expert John Tucker.



Szykował się właśnie drugi album grupy. Wszystko było już nagrane, płyta miała już trafić do wydawcy, i nagle Alan Marsh (pierwszy wokalista zespołu) oznajmia, że odchodzi z Tokyo Blade. Dlaczego? Tego, zdaje się nie wiedzą nawet członkowie formacji. Sytuacja była zatem fatalna, gdyż trzeba było szybko szukać nowego wokalisty. Czasu nie było wiele, gdyż wtedy bardzo łatwo można było zostać zdominowanym wśród tysięcy powstających zespołów NWOBHM. Na całe szczęście, grupie trafił się świetny wokalista, obdarzony głosem niezwykle ekspresyjnym, pełnym nieskazitelnych emocji. Był to Vicky James Wright.

"Night Of The Blade", wydany w 1984 roku prezentował właściwie wciąż ten sam "mejdenowski" heavy metal co na debiucie. Jednak bardziej przebojowy, co udowadniają choćby utwory "Rock Me To The Limit", czy "Someone To Love". Dużo tu melodii, mniej riffowania, a przede wszystkim Wright, wysuwający się na pierwszy plan. Album zatem różni się od poprzednika, jednak swoistość została zachowana w utworze tytułowym, który mógłby stanowić motto grupy. Jest też epicki "Warrior On The Rising Sun", w którym nietrudno dostrzec mejdenowskich odniesień. Takowe mamy również w "Dead Of The Night", ten jednak nie wychodzi dobrze. Całościowo jest to utwór prymitywny, w którym zupełnie brak jakiejkolwiek formy i treści. Nawet Wright nie ratuje tu sytuacji, a przecież istotą tego albumu jest jego głos.

Niewątpliwie słabą stroną tego wydawnictwa, rzucającą się w oczy już na samym początku jest fatalna produkcja. Gitary nie brzmią tu jak należy i są mało wyraziste. Brzmienie niestety odstrasza od słuchania Płyta jednak zyskuje na prestiżu dzięki znakomitym gitarzystom, których mieliśmy okazję poznać już na debiucie. Boulton i Wiggins w swojej grze są bardzo sprawni i zgrani, duet ten spisuje się tu po prostu rewelacyjnie. Jedna z lepszych brytyjskich pozycji, którą warto znać.

747



..::TRACK-LIST::..

CD 2 - Night Of The Blade (1984):
1. Someone To Love 3:41
2. Night Of The Blade 4:02
3. Rock Me To The Limit 4:54
4. Warrior Of The Rising Sun 5:25
5. Unleash The Beast 4:31
6. Lovestruck 3:46
7. Dead Of The Night 3:56
2. Lightning Strikes (Straight Through The Heart) 4:29



..::OBSADA::..

Steve Pierce - Drums
Andy Boulton - Guitars
Alan Marsh - Vocals
John Wiggins - Guitars
Andy Wrighton - Bass




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8q0wnblvz8



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



..::OPIS::..

Tokyo Blade originally formed in 1982, releasing their self-titled debut in 1983 (CD 1 of this release). Formed around guitarist Andy Boulton, he was joined on their debut by Alan Marsh on lead vocals, John Wiggins on guitar, Andy Robbins on bass and Steve Pierce on drums, making a significant impact on the burgeoning NWOBHM scene that had been popularized by Iron Maiden, Saxon, Tygers Of Pan Tang and Def Leppard, as well as finding support in the pages of Kerrang! magazine. By 1984, they’d developed enough of a reputation to appear alongside Metallica and Venom at Holland’s Aardschock festival.

By by the time of the second full-length album, 1984’s “Night Of The Blade” (CD 2 of this release), Boulton had been joined by Vicki James Wright on lead vocals, who ended up replacing Alan March’s vocals that had already been recorded for the LP, with Andy Wrighton replacing Andy Robbins on bass. This was also their first album released on Powerstation Records, the British independent HM label that also released records by Little Angels, Chrome Molly and Pauline Gillan (sister of Ian Gillan).

In 1985 they released their third full-length LP, this time for their own (slightly consumptive sounding) TB Records. “Black Hearts & Jaded Spades” saw a move away from the more NWOBHM and melodic hard rock flavour of their earliest releases towards a more glammed-up, radio friendly, keyboard augmented sound, aimed more towards the US and Japanese markets. This in turn led to shows with shows such important 80s rock and metal names as Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Mama's Boys, Dio and Slayer.

This part of the story is rounded off by a fourth disc collecting together many rare EPs, singles and non-album cuts from the early 1980s, including tracks from “The Cave Sessions”, “Undercover Honeymoon” 12”, “Midnight Rendezvous” EP and “Madame Guillotine” EP. Also features lengthy and detailed liner notes from note NWOBHM and Tokyo Blade expert John Tucker.



Szykował się właśnie drugi album grupy. Wszystko było już nagrane, płyta miała już trafić do wydawcy, i nagle Alan Marsh (pierwszy wokalista zespołu) oznajmia, że odchodzi z Tokyo Blade. Dlaczego? Tego, zdaje się nie wiedzą nawet członkowie formacji. Sytuacja była zatem fatalna, gdyż trzeba było szybko szukać nowego wokalisty. Czasu nie było wiele, gdyż wtedy bardzo łatwo można było zostać zdominowanym wśród tysięcy powstających zespołów NWOBHM. Na całe szczęście, grupie trafił się świetny wokalista, obdarzony głosem niezwykle ekspresyjnym, pełnym nieskazitelnych emocji. Był to Vicky James Wright.

"Night Of The Blade", wydany w 1984 roku prezentował właściwie wciąż ten sam "mejdenowski" heavy metal co na debiucie. Jednak bardziej przebojowy, co udowadniają choćby utwory "Rock Me To The Limit", czy "Someone To Love". Dużo tu melodii, mniej riffowania, a przede wszystkim Wright, wysuwający się na pierwszy plan. Album zatem różni się od poprzednika, jednak swoistość została zachowana w utworze tytułowym, który mógłby stanowić motto grupy. Jest też epicki "Warrior On The Rising Sun", w którym nietrudno dostrzec mejdenowskich odniesień. Takowe mamy również w "Dead Of The Night", ten jednak nie wychodzi dobrze. Całościowo jest to utwór prymitywny, w którym zupełnie brak jakiejkolwiek formy i treści. Nawet Wright nie ratuje tu sytuacji, a przecież istotą tego albumu jest jego głos.

Niewątpliwie słabą stroną tego wydawnictwa, rzucającą się w oczy już na samym początku jest fatalna produkcja. Gitary nie brzmią tu jak należy i są mało wyraziste. Brzmienie niestety odstrasza od słuchania Płyta jednak zyskuje na prestiżu dzięki znakomitym gitarzystom, których mieliśmy okazję poznać już na debiucie. Boulton i Wiggins w swojej grze są bardzo sprawni i zgrani, duet ten spisuje się tu po prostu rewelacyjnie. Jedna z lepszych brytyjskich pozycji, którą warto znać.

747



..::TRACK-LIST::..

CD 2 - Night Of The Blade (1984):
1. Someone To Love 3:41
2. Night Of The Blade 4:02
3. Rock Me To The Limit 4:54
4. Warrior Of The Rising Sun 5:25
5. Unleash The Beast 4:31
6. Lovestruck 3:46
7. Dead Of The Night 3:56
2. Lightning Strikes (Straight Through The Heart) 4:29



..::OBSADA::..

Steve Pierce - Drums
Andy Boulton - Guitars
Alan Marsh - Vocals
John Wiggins - Guitars
Andy Wrighton - Bass




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8q0wnblvz8



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



..::OPIS::..

Whilst the nascent “New Wave Of British Heavy Metal” movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s was raging just across the English Channel, spearheaded by debuts from the likes of Iron Maiden, Saxon and Angel Witch, and in part inspired by well-established bands such as Motorhead and Judas Priest, Belgium was fomenting its own highly influential rock and metal scene.

At its forefront was Belgian heavy metal group Killer.

A power trio founded in 1980 around lead guitarist and vocalist Paul Van Camp, joined by Fat Leo on drums and Spooky on bass guitar and vocals, Killer released their debut “Ready For Hell” on WEA Records, soon finding a cult following at home and abroad. Hailed, not unreasonably, as Belgium’s Motorhead, “Ready For Hell” can sit proudly alongside any NWOBHM debuts of the era, and would in turn be a major influence a few years later on the burgeoning thrash metal of Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer in the early 80s. The bonus tracks on CD1 are ‘From Nine To Five’, ‘Too Wild To Tame’, ‘Crazy Circus’ and ‘Chinese Woman’.

At the end of 1981, Fat Leo was replaced on drums by Double Bear for 1982’s “Wall Of Sound” LP, which saw Killer making a greater impact beyond Belgium, becoming a popular fixture on European festival bills. The bonus track on “Walls Of Sound” is the self-explanatory ‘Walls Of Hell’.

Killer’s management formed the highly influential metal label Mausoleum Records, and unsurprisingly, Killer were a perfect fit for the label, recording the “Shockwaves” LP. Mausoleum would also launch cult Belgian bands such as Ostrogoth, Crossfire, Danger, FN Guns, and Lions Pride, as well as non-Belgian acts Wildfire, Faithful Breath and Warlock, all becoming highly collectable releases. The bonus tracks on “Shockwaves” demonstrate what Killer did best with live versions of ‘Shock Waves’, ‘Scarecrow’, ‘In The Name Of The Law’ and ‘Kleptomania’.

Although the band disbanded in early 1987, with Paul Van Camp releasing his self-titled solo debut the same year, thankfully Spooky and Shorty decided to start Killer again in 1989, but with new drummer Rudy Simmons and a second guitar player, Jan Van Springel. Their fourth album, “Fatal Attraction”, was recorded in Germany and released by Mausoleum Records in 1990, with the band focussing and capitalizing on their popularity in Germany.

Once again, unfortunately, partly due to the growing popularity of grunge, Killer decided to call it a day in 1991, which is where this 4CD collection ends. Killer would, of course, reform later in the decade, and were proud to release their seventh album, “Monsters Of Rock” in 2015, in time to commemorate the band’s 35th Anniversary. But that’s another story...

FOR FANS OF: MOTORHEAD / ACID / NEW WAVE OF BRITISH HEAVY METAL



..::TRACK-LIST::..

CD 3 - Shock Waves (1984):
1. Shock Waves
2. Scarecrow
3. In The Name Of The Law
4. King Kong (Instrumental)
5. Blood On The Chains
6. Ritcher Scale 12
7. In The Eye Of My Gun
8. Time Bomb

Bonus Tracks (Live):
9. Shock Waves
10. Scarecrow
11. In The Name Of The Law
12. Kleptomania



..::OBSADA::..

Guitar - Shorty
Drums - Double Bear
Bass - Spooky




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU17BDc37zk



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



..::OPIS::..

Whilst the nascent “New Wave Of British Heavy Metal” movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s was raging just across the English Channel, spearheaded by debuts from the likes of Iron Maiden, Saxon and Angel Witch, and in part inspired by well-established bands such as Motorhead and Judas Priest, Belgium was fomenting its own highly influential rock and metal scene.

At its forefront was Belgian heavy metal group Killer.

A power trio founded in 1980 around lead guitarist and vocalist Paul Van Camp, joined by Fat Leo on drums and Spooky on bass guitar and vocals, Killer released their debut “Ready For Hell” on WEA Records, soon finding a cult following at home and abroad. Hailed, not unreasonably, as Belgium’s Motorhead, “Ready For Hell” can sit proudly alongside any NWOBHM debuts of the era, and would in turn be a major influence a few years later on the burgeoning thrash metal of Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer in the early 80s. The bonus tracks on CD1 are ‘From Nine To Five’, ‘Too Wild To Tame’, ‘Crazy Circus’ and ‘Chinese Woman’.

At the end of 1981, Fat Leo was replaced on drums by Double Bear for 1982’s “Wall Of Sound” LP, which saw Killer making a greater impact beyond Belgium, becoming a popular fixture on European festival bills. The bonus track on “Walls Of Sound” is the self-explanatory ‘Walls Of Hell’.

Killer’s management formed the highly influential metal label Mausoleum Records, and unsurprisingly, Killer were a perfect fit for the label, recording the “Shockwaves” LP. Mausoleum would also launch cult Belgian bands such as Ostrogoth, Crossfire, Danger, FN Guns, and Lions Pride, as well as non-Belgian acts Wildfire, Faithful Breath and Warlock, all becoming highly collectable releases. The bonus tracks on “Shockwaves” demonstrate what Killer did best with live versions of ‘Shock Waves’, ‘Scarecrow’, ‘In The Name Of The Law’ and ‘Kleptomania’.

Although the band disbanded in early 1987, with Paul Van Camp releasing his self-titled solo debut the same year, thankfully Spooky and Shorty decided to start Killer again in 1989, but with new drummer Rudy Simmons and a second guitar player, Jan Van Springel. Their fourth album, “Fatal Attraction”, was recorded in Germany and released by Mausoleum Records in 1990, with the band focussing and capitalizing on their popularity in Germany.

Once again, unfortunately, partly due to the growing popularity of grunge, Killer decided to call it a day in 1991, which is where this 4CD collection ends. Killer would, of course, reform later in the decade, and were proud to release their seventh album, “Monsters Of Rock” in 2015, in time to commemorate the band’s 35th Anniversary. But that’s another story...

FOR FANS OF: MOTORHEAD / ACID / NEW WAVE OF BRITISH HEAVY METAL



..::TRACK-LIST::..

CD 3 - Shock Waves (1984):
1. Shock Waves
2. Scarecrow
3. In The Name Of The Law
4. King Kong (Instrumental)
5. Blood On The Chains
6. Ritcher Scale 12
7. In The Eye Of My Gun
8. Time Bomb

Bonus Tracks (Live):
9. Shock Waves
10. Scarecrow
11. In The Name Of The Law
12. Kleptomania



..::OBSADA::..

Guitar - Shorty
Drums - Double Bear
Bass - Spooky




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU17BDc37zk



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



..::OPIS::..

Szwedzkie trio występujące pod nazwą Grand Magus istnieje już 20 lat. W ekipie wokalisty/gitarzysty JB Christofferssona i basisty Foxa Skinnera trzykrotnie dochodziło do zmiany na pozycji perkusisty, którym niezmiennie od 2012 roku jest znany z występów w m.in. szwedzkim Shining, Ludwig Witt. Heavy metalowe trio wydało do tej pory 8 płyt, z czego ta ostatnia – opublikowany w 2016 roku Sword Songs – spotkała się z mieszanymi ocenami i chłodnym odbiorem fanów i dziennikarzy muzycznych. Nic dziwnego, w końcu ekipę, która wypuściła spod swoich skrzydeł takie pozycje, jak Iron Will (2008) czy Hammer of the North (2010) stać na więcej. Trio nigdy jednak nie odpuszcza i w tym roku powraca z dziewiątym już krążkiem zatytułowanym Wolf God, który Szwedzi promować będą w maju na scenie festiwalu Mystic. Zajrzyjmy zatem w głąb tego, co do zaoferowania ma „wilczy bóg”.

Wolf God rozpoczyna podniosłe, zagrzewające do walki instrumentalne intro o tytule Gold and Glory, które doskonale komponuje się z następującym po nim utworem tytułowym. Pierwszy singiel z nowej płyty Grand Magusa szybko wyrośnie na koncertowego klasyka ze swoimi chwytliwymi riffami i zachęcającymi do śpiewania zwrotkami i refrenem. Od początku wyczuć można, że doszło do zmiany za sterami inżynierii dźwięku i produkcji. Zespół powrócił do współpracy ze Staffanem Karlssonem, co ewidentnie wyszło mu na dobre. Generalnie „żywsze” brzmienie wydaje się o wiele lepsze w odbiorze na niniejszym albumie niż nieco skostniałe i „plastikowe” Sword Songs. Drugi singiel, Brother of the Storm, to waleczny, pokrzepiający serca „hit” na miarę Varangian czy też On Hooves of Gold z dwóch poprzednich dokonań kapeli.

Z czystym sumieniem mogę stwierdzić, że w stosunku do Sword Songs liczba fillerów zmniejszyła się (bogu dzięki!) w znacznym stopniu. Wolf God cechuje różnorodność, i choć dwa utwory, które podobają mi się najmniej (A Hall Clad in Gold oraz He Sent Them All to Hel) wywołują mały grymas niezadowolenia na mojej twarzy, kawałki takie jak Spear Thrower, Dawn of Fire czy To Live and Die in Solitude nadrabiają pomniejsze niedociągnięcia z nawiązką. Pierwszy z nich to jeden z najszybszych i najkrótszych utworów Grand Magusa i wielka szkoda, że na zmianę tempa na znacznie żwawsze musieliśmy czekać tak długo. Heavy metalową sielankę dziewiątej płyty Szwedów wieńczy kompozycja Untamed ze swoim magicznym, patetycznym refrenem, który zaatakował bez żadnego ostrzeżenia. Christoffersson na tym utworze zaprezentował pełnię swoich umiejętności wokalnych, które – wbrew opiniom osób krytykujących jego głos – są naprawdę niebagatelne. Kapitalne zakończenie tej solidnej płyty, która odbudowała mój gorliwy entuzjazm do szwedzkiego zespołu!

Dziewiąta płyta Grand Magusa to pozycja mocno satysfakcjonująca. Momentami Wolf God to prawdziwa uczta dla wojowniczych dusz, spragnionych chóralnych refrenów, zachęcających do walki tekstów i ciekawych solówek (patrz: Glory to the Brave), których ostatnimi czasy brakowało mi w repertuarze sztokholmskiej grupy. Szczerze przyznaję, że nie spodziewałem się usłyszeć Grand Magusa w tak ustabilizowanej formie. Niech żyje wielki mag!

Marcel



19 kwietnia 2019 Nuclear Blast wydaje kolejny, dziewiąty już album GRAND MAGUS. Pojawia się kolejna porcja muzyki swoistej i rozpoznawalnej. Swoistej, bo tak jak ekipa JB nie gra nikt, a rozpoznawalnej, bo coś się stało z kreatywnością tego zespołu.

GRAND MAGUS chyba nigdy nie nagrał tak zachowawczej płyty, stworzonej z użytych już kiedyś riffów, wykorzystanych pomysłów na melodie i aranżacje oraz konstrukcji utworów. GRAND MAGUS stworzył styl pozwalający tworzyć rzeczy bardzo dobre bez nadmiernego wysiłku w sferze kompozycyjnej, muzycznie bezpieczne, ograne, ale dla fana tego bandu atrakcyjne. Gdy GRAND MAGUS otwarcie obracał się w estetyce epickiej, rycerskiej i heroicznej musiał stawić czoło problemowi wtórności znacznie bardziej, niż w bezpiecznej strefie klasycznych kołyszących konstrukcji przypisanych tylko im. Na tej płycie GRAND MAGUS nie wychodzi poza strefę swojego muzycznego bezpieczeństwa, dawkując epickość oszczędnie, podbarwiając wszystko stonerem na tyle rozważnie, by nie zrazić fanów true grania i stosując strategię ekonomii sił.
Pewien wyraźny rys delikatności cechuje praktycznie cały ten album, który nie kruszy żelazobetonu jak "Iron Will", nie budzi rycerskiego heroizmu jak "Sword Songs", a przecież coś z tych, jak iz pozostałych albumów w sobie zawiera.
JB tym razem nie dewastuje potęgą głosu, choć śpiewa bardzo dobrze, bas nie wbija w ziemię i może tylko perkusja jest bardziej żywiołowa, niż by to wynikało z prezentowanej tu muzycznej filozofii.
Wolf God i A Hall Clad in Gold to po prostu atrakcyjny, bardzo dobry metal Szwedów, trochę bardziej miękki w łagodnych refrenach niż można było oczekiwać po "Sword Songs", a jednocześnie nowej treści jest tu niezwykle mało. Kapitalny i niesamowity jest Brother of the Storm. Niby nie ma tu niczego, czego by wcześniej nie było, ale to jak zrobili ten kroczący motyw główny, jaki dali tu refren i jakie przeszywające solo zagrał JB to arcymistrzostwo! Może także iw tej kompozycji najwięcej dał z siebie wokalnie JB... Jest to numer kompletny. Nie można tego jednak powiedzieć o kilku innych.
Melancholijny, refleksyjny Dawn of Fire ma momenty słabsze i lepsze, a równocześnie skrywa w sobie wspaniały epicki refren. W zasadzie unikają szybszego grania i niedługi Spear Thrower mógł po niszczącym początku pozostać w tym tempie i przy tych drobnych gitarowych wartościach, a tymczasem otrzymujemy stoner/heavy metalowy refren. Zwolnienie zupełnie niepotrzebne, tym bardziej że solo jest dynamiczne. Niekonsekwencje, niekonsekwencje... To Live and to Die in Solitude to killer. Może tak nie od pierwszego razu, ale gdy się bardziej przysłuchać to energiczne zwrotki spojone są refrenami z wyraźnymi echami CANDLEMASS z Messiahem i faktycznie, ci którzy zaliczają GRAND MAGUS do heavy epic doom, mają w tym momencie rację, ale tylko w tym.
Trudno nie zauważyć, że w końcówce ten album traci wartości, bo ani Glory to the Brave, ani He Sent Them All to Hel nie są niczym szczególnym w ramach dostosowania bardzo wczesnych pomysłów GRAND MAGUS do obecnych potrzeb. Jest trochę stonerowo, ale jest także nieszczególnie w zbyt prostym refrenie He Sent Them All to Hel, który dziwnym trafem przywodzi na myśl prymitywizm rock/metalowy z kręgu AC/DC i stadionowego glamu. W potężnym Untamed, z druzgocącą perkusją Witta chcą jakby zatrzeć trochę to wrażenie lekkiej bezradności w dwóch poprzednich numerach, dodają epicki, ale stonowany refren i trochę wprawiają w konsternację, bo nie bardzo wiadomo, czemu takiego grania nie znalazło się tu więcej.

GRAND MAGUS jest tak doświadczonym zespołem, a JB tak uzdolnionym kompozytorem, że nawet jeśli następuje zniżka formy, to i tak jest bardzo dobrze. Tyle że bardzo dobrze w przypadku GRAND MAGUS to nie jest sukces.
Jest to najmniej interesujący album tego zespołu od czasu prezentacji "Wolf's Return".

Memorius



Wolves: dangerous outsiders, canny tacticians, or lonely dogs? The animals that steal sheep from the flock, that form packs with social positions, that howl mournfully into the night. Already, on the journey through childhood, our heads are packed with thoughts of wolves, from the devilish Big Bad Wolf of fairy tales to the wolf who founded Rome by suckling Romulus and Remus. The animal seems just to hold us in a perpetual state of awe, a breathlessness caused by its uncanny stare or a vivid flash of grey against the treeline. And yet, there are still more tales of its ambiguous glory, as upheld here by Grand Magus, who seem a wolf in kind: distant from the pack, they have wandered the treeline of heavy metal in comparative solitude, unable to feel at home in any grouping, whether that be of classic metal, doom, or Nordic bands.

With Wolf God, however, it feels that the Swedes have just about got it right. Past albums seemed always solid, if unspectacular, attempts to blend the slow, epic qualities of doom with the stomping, chest-beating grandeur of true metal. Varying degrees of success have attended their efforts over the past 20 years, peaking perhaps with Iron Will and The Hunt, albums that showed the band at their heaviest and most anthemic respectively. Importantly, a sense of continuity has followed Grand Magus during their career, perhaps due to the distinctive sound of a three-piece struggling to imbue their music with a sense of the epic. As sole guitar player and vocalist, JB Cristoffersson carries a great deal of weight on his shoulders, belting out his masculine tones like Butch Balich of Argus with either a battle-ready roar or battle-weary sigh, though crusading riffs and hair-raising singing rarely overlapped owing to his dual focus. The pure simplicity of marching riffs often made the songs easy to grasp yet flimsy once held.

Ultimately, the successor to 2016’s Sword Songs sticks to the same mindset, just moulding the natural Grand Magus sound into a slightly more refined form. Wolf God contains no surprises like the more modern 'Freya’s Choice' or 'Master of the Land' from that previous effort, pushing ahead with a swaggering momentum that suits the massive themes chosen for the lyrics. Songs of victory and remembrance such as 'A Hall Clad in Gold' and 'Glory to the Brave' truly stride in like kings thanks to the immense drum sound and Ludwig Witt’s bravado behind the kit, while an outstanding balance between guitar sharpness and bass ballast makes the slow chords thunderous and – crucially, since this technique often fell flat in the past – the silence between thrusts echoes just as potently. 'Brother of the Storm' is compelling evidence that the pauses form a primary component of the music. The first portion of 'A Hall Clad in Gold' proves that Grand Magus have learned about simplicity, a pounding kick drum setting the tone for Fox Skinner to rumble in with a fanfare of bass before the guitar enters with the power of an aurulent monarch. The procession drops down a notch as the throne is ascended, then the assembly unites for a poignant group chorus, a trick repeated in many songs and one that lends Wolf God a distinctive medieval atmosphere at times.

Grand Magus have never been all about grandeur though. In truth, a full album of marching and bowing and scraping would be dull, so the shorter, more vicious songs play their part, just as they have on past efforts. Again, ingenuity is not the aim of the trio, merely an expression of the opposite side of their philosophy: a savage, instinctive release from the pomp and nostalgia of the heartier cuts. The contrast occupies similar ground to the split of songs on Visigoth’s latest. On Wolf God, 'Spear Thrower' proves to be the archetypal attack of this kind, taking the speed up several notches and dashing through a quick bout of bloodshed. Corresponding with the terrific instrumental tones, this kind of song has no opportunity to go wrong, while 'Untamed' stands as perhaps the finest album closer since Iron Will’s 'I Am the North', kicking off with a fierce drum fill and massive chugging riff, squirting a solo over that, and ensuring a glorious ending with an anthemic chorus of “From the North / Now hear us roar”.

But what of wolves in all this? Grand Magus distil just about all the aforementioned features into the loping stomp of the title track, positioning the song somewhere between the low end shudder of doom and the relentless charge of glory habitual to Manowar. The weight of the theme grows with lyrics that command us to “Tremble as the moon grows every night / Now it’s shining like a dagger,” while the shimmering solo that Cristoffersson peels off is one of several that shows his band can do anything Argus can, even with only one guitar. Despite Grand Magus having fewer options than some other epic metal groups, that dogged persistence at mastering their own particular sound – the effort from their underdog position – marks them out as the genuine article and soaks their music with character that reveals itself little by little. And from that underdog position, as the outsiders, it makes perfect sense that Grand Magus have offered up this latest work to their spiritual guide, the Wolf God.

gasmask colostomy



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Gold And Glory
2. Wolf God
3. A Hall Clad In Gold
4. Brother Of The Storm
5. Dawn Of Fire
6. Spear Thrower
7. To Live And To Die In Solitude
8. Glory To The Brave
9. He Sent Them All To Hel
10. Untamed



..::OBSADA::..

Fox - Bass, Vocals (backing), Cello (track 1)
JB - Vocals (lead), Guitars
Ludwig - Drums




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8mKbFqGkwU



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



..::OPIS::..

Szwedzkie trio występujące pod nazwą Grand Magus istnieje już 20 lat. W ekipie wokalisty/gitarzysty JB Christofferssona i basisty Foxa Skinnera trzykrotnie dochodziło do zmiany na pozycji perkusisty, którym niezmiennie od 2012 roku jest znany z występów w m.in. szwedzkim Shining, Ludwig Witt. Heavy metalowe trio wydało do tej pory 8 płyt, z czego ta ostatnia – opublikowany w 2016 roku Sword Songs – spotkała się z mieszanymi ocenami i chłodnym odbiorem fanów i dziennikarzy muzycznych. Nic dziwnego, w końcu ekipę, która wypuściła spod swoich skrzydeł takie pozycje, jak Iron Will (2008) czy Hammer of the North (2010) stać na więcej. Trio nigdy jednak nie odpuszcza i w tym roku powraca z dziewiątym już krążkiem zatytułowanym Wolf God, który Szwedzi promować będą w maju na scenie festiwalu Mystic. Zajrzyjmy zatem w głąb tego, co do zaoferowania ma „wilczy bóg”.

Wolf God rozpoczyna podniosłe, zagrzewające do walki instrumentalne intro o tytule Gold and Glory, które doskonale komponuje się z następującym po nim utworem tytułowym. Pierwszy singiel z nowej płyty Grand Magusa szybko wyrośnie na koncertowego klasyka ze swoimi chwytliwymi riffami i zachęcającymi do śpiewania zwrotkami i refrenem. Od początku wyczuć można, że doszło do zmiany za sterami inżynierii dźwięku i produkcji. Zespół powrócił do współpracy ze Staffanem Karlssonem, co ewidentnie wyszło mu na dobre. Generalnie „żywsze” brzmienie wydaje się o wiele lepsze w odbiorze na niniejszym albumie niż nieco skostniałe i „plastikowe” Sword Songs. Drugi singiel, Brother of the Storm, to waleczny, pokrzepiający serca „hit” na miarę Varangian czy też On Hooves of Gold z dwóch poprzednich dokonań kapeli.

Z czystym sumieniem mogę stwierdzić, że w stosunku do Sword Songs liczba fillerów zmniejszyła się (bogu dzięki!) w znacznym stopniu. Wolf God cechuje różnorodność, i choć dwa utwory, które podobają mi się najmniej (A Hall Clad in Gold oraz He Sent Them All to Hel) wywołują mały grymas niezadowolenia na mojej twarzy, kawałki takie jak Spear Thrower, Dawn of Fire czy To Live and Die in Solitude nadrabiają pomniejsze niedociągnięcia z nawiązką. Pierwszy z nich to jeden z najszybszych i najkrótszych utworów Grand Magusa i wielka szkoda, że na zmianę tempa na znacznie żwawsze musieliśmy czekać tak długo. Heavy metalową sielankę dziewiątej płyty Szwedów wieńczy kompozycja Untamed ze swoim magicznym, patetycznym refrenem, który zaatakował bez żadnego ostrzeżenia. Christoffersson na tym utworze zaprezentował pełnię swoich umiejętności wokalnych, które – wbrew opiniom osób krytykujących jego głos – są naprawdę niebagatelne. Kapitalne zakończenie tej solidnej płyty, która odbudowała mój gorliwy entuzjazm do szwedzkiego zespołu!

Dziewiąta płyta Grand Magusa to pozycja mocno satysfakcjonująca. Momentami Wolf God to prawdziwa uczta dla wojowniczych dusz, spragnionych chóralnych refrenów, zachęcających do walki tekstów i ciekawych solówek (patrz: Glory to the Brave), których ostatnimi czasy brakowało mi w repertuarze sztokholmskiej grupy. Szczerze przyznaję, że nie spodziewałem się usłyszeć Grand Magusa w tak ustabilizowanej formie. Niech żyje wielki mag!

Marcel



19 kwietnia 2019 Nuclear Blast wydaje kolejny, dziewiąty już album GRAND MAGUS. Pojawia się kolejna porcja muzyki swoistej i rozpoznawalnej. Swoistej, bo tak jak ekipa JB nie gra nikt, a rozpoznawalnej, bo coś się stało z kreatywnością tego zespołu.

GRAND MAGUS chyba nigdy nie nagrał tak zachowawczej płyty, stworzonej z użytych już kiedyś riffów, wykorzystanych pomysłów na melodie i aranżacje oraz konstrukcji utworów. GRAND MAGUS stworzył styl pozwalający tworzyć rzeczy bardzo dobre bez nadmiernego wysiłku w sferze kompozycyjnej, muzycznie bezpieczne, ograne, ale dla fana tego bandu atrakcyjne. Gdy GRAND MAGUS otwarcie obracał się w estetyce epickiej, rycerskiej i heroicznej musiał stawić czoło problemowi wtórności znacznie bardziej, niż w bezpiecznej strefie klasycznych kołyszących konstrukcji przypisanych tylko im. Na tej płycie GRAND MAGUS nie wychodzi poza strefę swojego muzycznego bezpieczeństwa, dawkując epickość oszczędnie, podbarwiając wszystko stonerem na tyle rozważnie, by nie zrazić fanów true grania i stosując strategię ekonomii sił.
Pewien wyraźny rys delikatności cechuje praktycznie cały ten album, który nie kruszy żelazobetonu jak "Iron Will", nie budzi rycerskiego heroizmu jak "Sword Songs", a przecież coś z tych, jak iz pozostałych albumów w sobie zawiera.
JB tym razem nie dewastuje potęgą głosu, choć śpiewa bardzo dobrze, bas nie wbija w ziemię i może tylko perkusja jest bardziej żywiołowa, niż by to wynikało z prezentowanej tu muzycznej filozofii.
Wolf God i A Hall Clad in Gold to po prostu atrakcyjny, bardzo dobry metal Szwedów, trochę bardziej miękki w łagodnych refrenach niż można było oczekiwać po "Sword Songs", a jednocześnie nowej treści jest tu niezwykle mało. Kapitalny i niesamowity jest Brother of the Storm. Niby nie ma tu niczego, czego by wcześniej nie było, ale to jak zrobili ten kroczący motyw główny, jaki dali tu refren i jakie przeszywające solo zagrał JB to arcymistrzostwo! Może także iw tej kompozycji najwięcej dał z siebie wokalnie JB... Jest to numer kompletny. Nie można tego jednak powiedzieć o kilku innych.
Melancholijny, refleksyjny Dawn of Fire ma momenty słabsze i lepsze, a równocześnie skrywa w sobie wspaniały epicki refren. W zasadzie unikają szybszego grania i niedługi Spear Thrower mógł po niszczącym początku pozostać w tym tempie i przy tych drobnych gitarowych wartościach, a tymczasem otrzymujemy stoner/heavy metalowy refren. Zwolnienie zupełnie niepotrzebne, tym bardziej że solo jest dynamiczne. Niekonsekwencje, niekonsekwencje... To Live and to Die in Solitude to killer. Może tak nie od pierwszego razu, ale gdy się bardziej przysłuchać to energiczne zwrotki spojone są refrenami z wyraźnymi echami CANDLEMASS z Messiahem i faktycznie, ci którzy zaliczają GRAND MAGUS do heavy epic doom, mają w tym momencie rację, ale tylko w tym.
Trudno nie zauważyć, że w końcówce ten album traci wartości, bo ani Glory to the Brave, ani He Sent Them All to Hel nie są niczym szczególnym w ramach dostosowania bardzo wczesnych pomysłów GRAND MAGUS do obecnych potrzeb. Jest trochę stonerowo, ale jest także nieszczególnie w zbyt prostym refrenie He Sent Them All to Hel, który dziwnym trafem przywodzi na myśl prymitywizm rock/metalowy z kręgu AC/DC i stadionowego glamu. W potężnym Untamed, z druzgocącą perkusją Witta chcą jakby zatrzeć trochę to wrażenie lekkiej bezradności w dwóch poprzednich numerach, dodają epicki, ale stonowany refren i trochę wprawiają w konsternację, bo nie bardzo wiadomo, czemu takiego grania nie znalazło się tu więcej.

GRAND MAGUS jest tak doświadczonym zespołem, a JB tak uzdolnionym kompozytorem, że nawet jeśli następuje zniżka formy, to i tak jest bardzo dobrze. Tyle że bardzo dobrze w przypadku GRAND MAGUS to nie jest sukces.
Jest to najmniej interesujący album tego zespołu od czasu prezentacji "Wolf's Return".

Memorius



Wolves: dangerous outsiders, canny tacticians, or lonely dogs? The animals that steal sheep from the flock, that form packs with social positions, that howl mournfully into the night. Already, on the journey through childhood, our heads are packed with thoughts of wolves, from the devilish Big Bad Wolf of fairy tales to the wolf who founded Rome by suckling Romulus and Remus. The animal seems just to hold us in a perpetual state of awe, a breathlessness caused by its uncanny stare or a vivid flash of grey against the treeline. And yet, there are still more tales of its ambiguous glory, as upheld here by Grand Magus, who seem a wolf in kind: distant from the pack, they have wandered the treeline of heavy metal in comparative solitude, unable to feel at home in any grouping, whether that be of classic metal, doom, or Nordic bands.

With Wolf God, however, it feels that the Swedes have just about got it right. Past albums seemed always solid, if unspectacular, attempts to blend the slow, epic qualities of doom with the stomping, chest-beating grandeur of true metal. Varying degrees of success have attended their efforts over the past 20 years, peaking perhaps with Iron Will and The Hunt, albums that showed the band at their heaviest and most anthemic respectively. Importantly, a sense of continuity has followed Grand Magus during their career, perhaps due to the distinctive sound of a three-piece struggling to imbue their music with a sense of the epic. As sole guitar player and vocalist, JB Cristoffersson carries a great deal of weight on his shoulders, belting out his masculine tones like Butch Balich of Argus with either a battle-ready roar or battle-weary sigh, though crusading riffs and hair-raising singing rarely overlapped owing to his dual focus. The pure simplicity of marching riffs often made the songs easy to grasp yet flimsy once held.

Ultimately, the successor to 2016’s Sword Songs sticks to the same mindset, just moulding the natural Grand Magus sound into a slightly more refined form. Wolf God contains no surprises like the more modern 'Freya’s Choice' or 'Master of the Land' from that previous effort, pushing ahead with a swaggering momentum that suits the massive themes chosen for the lyrics. Songs of victory and remembrance such as 'A Hall Clad in Gold' and 'Glory to the Brave' truly stride in like kings thanks to the immense drum sound and Ludwig Witt’s bravado behind the kit, while an outstanding balance between guitar sharpness and bass ballast makes the slow chords thunderous and – crucially, since this technique often fell flat in the past – the silence between thrusts echoes just as potently. 'Brother of the Storm' is compelling evidence that the pauses form a primary component of the music. The first portion of 'A Hall Clad in Gold' proves that Grand Magus have learned about simplicity, a pounding kick drum setting the tone for Fox Skinner to rumble in with a fanfare of bass before the guitar enters with the power of an aurulent monarch. The procession drops down a notch as the throne is ascended, then the assembly unites for a poignant group chorus, a trick repeated in many songs and one that lends Wolf God a distinctive medieval atmosphere at times.

Grand Magus have never been all about grandeur though. In truth, a full album of marching and bowing and scraping would be dull, so the shorter, more vicious songs play their part, just as they have on past efforts. Again, ingenuity is not the aim of the trio, merely an expression of the opposite side of their philosophy: a savage, instinctive release from the pomp and nostalgia of the heartier cuts. The contrast occupies similar ground to the split of songs on Visigoth’s latest. On Wolf God, 'Spear Thrower' proves to be the archetypal attack of this kind, taking the speed up several notches and dashing through a quick bout of bloodshed. Corresponding with the terrific instrumental tones, this kind of song has no opportunity to go wrong, while 'Untamed' stands as perhaps the finest album closer since Iron Will’s 'I Am the North', kicking off with a fierce drum fill and massive chugging riff, squirting a solo over that, and ensuring a glorious ending with an anthemic chorus of “From the North / Now hear us roar”.

But what of wolves in all this? Grand Magus distil just about all the aforementioned features into the loping stomp of the title track, positioning the song somewhere between the low end shudder of doom and the relentless charge of glory habitual to Manowar. The weight of the theme grows with lyrics that command us to “Tremble as the moon grows every night / Now it’s shining like a dagger,” while the shimmering solo that Cristoffersson peels off is one of several that shows his band can do anything Argus can, even with only one guitar. Despite Grand Magus having fewer options than some other epic metal groups, that dogged persistence at mastering their own particular sound – the effort from their underdog position – marks them out as the genuine article and soaks their music with character that reveals itself little by little. And from that underdog position, as the outsiders, it makes perfect sense that Grand Magus have offered up this latest work to their spiritual guide, the Wolf God.

gasmask colostomy



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Gold And Glory
2. Wolf God
3. A Hall Clad In Gold
4. Brother Of The Storm
5. Dawn Of Fire
6. Spear Thrower
7. To Live And To Die In Solitude
8. Glory To The Brave
9. He Sent Them All To Hel
10. Untamed



..::OBSADA::..

Fox - Bass, Vocals (backing), Cello (track 1)
JB - Vocals (lead), Guitars
Ludwig - Drums




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8mKbFqGkwU



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



..::OPIS::..

Nie ma co owijać w bawełnę! Nowy album Satan to kwintesencja NWOBHM! Dowód na to, że wciąż można tworzyć muzykę ,która posiada klimat i brzmienie z tamtych lat. Zawartość "Life Sentence" to wysokiej klasy kompozycje, dopracowane pod względem muzycznym, lirycznym, a także produkcyjnym. Utwory są utrzymane w podobnym stylu (nie mylić ze stylistyką!), jednak są przy tym zróżnicowane. Nie występuje więc tutaj męczenie buły, ogrywania w kółko kilku oklepanych patentów oraz jazda na jedno kopyto. Ten album to jeden z najlepszych powrotów z nurtu NWOBHM. Utwory z tej płyty po prostu zachwycają. Teksty utworów nie należą do grona wysublimowanych, jednak są napisane twórczo i kreatywnie.

"Life Sentence" to czysty strumień starej, dobrej brytyjskiej energii. Ta płyta brzmi jak młodszy brat bliźniak klasycznego "Court in the Act" z lekko poprawioną produkcją. I to jest jeden z ważniejszych atutów - nie kombinowano z produkcją. "Life Sentence" mógłby spokojnie być wydany w 1985 roku. Z drugiej strony nie ma warstwy nadprogramowego brudu. Słowem - brzmienie płyty jest idealne. W dodatku posiada bardzo ciekawą cechę, z której wbrew pozorom nie jest łatwo rzeźbić dobry album. Mianowicie – brzmienie jest surowe. Nie ma tu nic innego oprócz perkusji, basu, wokali i dwóch gitar. Nie ma dodatkowych przebitek riffów, dodatkowych akcentów, nadprogramowych wioseł. Jest tylko zespół. W dodatku utwory są nagrywane tak, że można odróżnić jedną gitarę od drugiej – wiadomo która gra jaką solówkę, a która gra pod nią podkład. Nie ma jednostajnej rytmicznej brei do której są doklejone solówki w studio. Jeden gitarzysta gra warstwę rytmiczną a drugi solową.

No i nie należy zapominać dlaczego ten album brzmi tak dobrze i tak prawdziwie. Nie uświadczymy tutaj przetechnologizowania brzmienia, polerowania go na siłę, dygitalizacji, cyfryzacji i innych kurewskich gówien, które niszczą klasyczne brzmienie heavy (a także speed, power, thrash, death, itd.) metalu. Nie ma tutaj unowocześniania na siłę - i w zakresie produkcji dźwięku i w zakresie merytorycznej zawartości kompozycji. Jak widać nawet w XXI wieku da się uzyskać 100% klasycznego brzmienia metalowego rodem ze złotych lat osiemdziesiątych. Warrel Dane z Sanctuary na zarzut, że ich nowa płyta brzmi zbyt cyfrowo odparł, że teraz nie da rady nagrywać albumów, które brzmiałyby tak jak kiedyś. A jak widać gówno prawda - Satan udowodnił, że można to osiągnąć i to w sposób naturalny - bez sztucznego stylizowania się na retro metal - i tak żeby to wszystko brzmiało dobrze. A "Life Sentence" brzmi dobrze, a przy tym szczerze, klasycznie i organicznie. Lampy i mięso!

Co do samych kawałków - Satan bardzo umiejętnie zaaranżował zestaw dziesięciu wyśmienitych utworów. Kompozycje są miłe dla ucha i bardzo dobrze poskładane. Wszystko jest przemyślane, a równocześnie nie gubi po drodze ognistej pasji i energii. Wałki tętnią mocą, a przy tym są ciekawe i niezmiernie interesujące. Tego albumu się po prostu dobrze słucha i z przyjemnością się czeka na to, co ma do zaoferowania. A jak do tego dodamy znakomity wokal Briana Rossa, to już w ogóle. Maestria i kunszt najwyższych lotów!

Można rzec, że "Life Sentence" jest płytą roku 2013. W dodatku jest bodaj najlepszym comebackowym albumem NWOBHM. Niewiele wydawnictw z ostatnich lat może się równać poziomem z tym, co osiągnął Satan na tym wydawnictwie. Szczerze i gorąco polecam!

Sterviss



"Life Sentence" jest trzecim pełnym albumem heavy metalowej załogi z Newcastle. Na najnowszym albumie obecni są wszyscy członkowie którzy uczestniczyli w nagrywaniu kultowego już dzisiaj debiutu "Court In The Act" wydanego w 1983 roku. Oczekiwania na nową płytę były olbrzymie, sam zastanawiałem się jak wypadnie ich nowe dziecko.

Każdy maniak klasycznego heavy metalu pokocha ten album! Dlaczego? Ponieważ to Satan znany ze starych albumów, tylko z nowym brzmieniem. A kto nie lubi starych płyt Brytyjczyków? Zacznę od stwierdzenia że album nie ma słabych numerów, ani nawet momentów. Cała płyta utrzymuje równy wysoki poziom. Muzycy po raz kolejny pokazali bardzo wysoki poziom kompozytorski i instrumentalny. Na olbrzymią pochwałę zasługuję również Brian Ross który nie stracił nic swojej barwy, ani siły w głosie, mimo że trochę lat od debiutu już minęło. Na krążku znajdziemy 10 numerów, które są dość zróżnicowane. Mamy szybkie numery ocierające się o speed metal: "Time To Die", "Siege Mentality", "Life Sentence". Zwłaszcza ostatni z nich to już totalna jazda bez trzymanki.

Są również kawałki czysto heavy metalowe. Takie jak chociażby "Twenty Twenty Five" który posiada genialną chóralna wstawkę w połowie numeru. Więcej uwagi poświęcę ostatniemu z nich czyli: "Another Universe". Jest to genialny numer! Zaczyna się balladowo, delikatnymi gitarami i subtelnym wokalem Briana. Po około minucie bębny zaczynają wybijać marszowy rytm, i już wkrótce kawałek ten przeradza się w prawdziwego zabójce. Bardzo mocne zakończenie tego świetnego albumu. W "Incantations" który jest numerem bardzo klimatycznym, wokal buduję napięcie oraz aurę tajemniczości. Genialnie zagrane gitarowe harmonie i melodie znajdziemy między innymi w "Testimony".

Ogólnie rzecz biorąc, Satan nagrał świetny album, zdecydowanie dorównujący tym klasycznym płytom. Każdy z muzyków dał z siebie 100 procent możliwości. Jeżeli ktoś jeszcze się nie zapoznał z "Life Sentence" to polecam to zrobić. Album naprawdę warty poznania i godny polecenia.

Morbid Golem



Don't hold me in contempt, but I don't even know where to start with this masterpiece. However, let me try to craft into words what makes this an all-time favorite of mine: The riffs on their own make this worthwhile. The vocals and the devilishly fun-loving lyrics on their own make this worthwhile. The solos fit in perfectly, like the wheels to a full-fledged cthonic death chariot. The resulting volatile mixture of the varying styles of the musicianship only enhance the results to bombastic proportions and add an eternity of replay value.

Pardon my drooling (all criminal justice puns are hereby intended from this point forward) but I have every right to do so as I can find no flaws anywhere. All tracks are exceptional in their own right, whether they be filled with solidly-crafted riffs and leads like an exploding smorgasbord of hors d'oeuvres to be consumed through headbanging, or smooth solo interludes exuding an ethereal, otherworldly feel for the listener. There's an urgency to the vocals (especially apparent in "Twenty Twenty Five") which may at certain times turn slightly caustic; and heavily apparent is the lyrical assault of the thought of a bleak future without hope. There's an utter variety of memorable riffs and leads, and poetic verses that can at times resonate a Gargamel goofball vibe. In some places there are beautiful bits which sound somewhat like bagpipe-ish folksy guitars. This is quite the savory testament to Skyclad, as to whom a few of the members of Satan also belong to. Lyrically, this album perpetuates Satan's mainstay theme of injustice and horrors of human actions. A large part of these offerings have a thrashy feel to them yet with clean operatic-style vocals.

All in all, this is perfect. The magnificently layered dual-duel guitars, the suspenseful urgency of the vocals which blend well with the guitars especially when hitting the crazy high notes, the old-school drums, and the bass can be recognized as a crucial tendon connecting all the bones of this embodiment of heavy, yet somewhat theatrical musical satisfaction. The totality of all this makes this a wholly exceptional offering. Buy this record, and support Satan to the grave. Most of what I hear in the realm of NWOBHM these days can't hold a candle to this. The monotony of copycat NWOBHM bands makes me want to sneer at their kind from within my confines, and as such, Satan's particular style has not been imitated by other bands much (as compared to a huge amount of new Iron Maiden copycats flying all over the place giving me voluntary earslaughter)... and that's a shame and a blessing at the same time. It's a shame because more bands should try to sound like Satan, or use this as more of an influence in my opinion, but a blessing because I am not sure anyone other than Satan themselves can pull it off the masterful way that they do. Listen to this or forever be held in contempt at the grasp of the SkeleJudge found on the album's cover.

MetalCartoshka



This is Satan's first album with the classic "Court In the Act" lineup since 1983, and even with 30 years separating the two album's releases, Life Sentence feels like a direct successor, and arguably a superior one.

The album starts out by socking you straight in the jaw with the unabashed speed and intensity of "Time To Die," which opens with some badass harmonized arpeggios from twin lead guitarists Steve Ramsey and Russ Tippins before breaking out into one of the dirtiest speed metal riffs I've ever heard. The palm mutes in "Time To Die," and the rest of the album for that matter are exquisitely sharp and bludgeoning simultaneously. It is immediately apparent that Satan opted for a more modern metal production, and it does wonders for the album, especially the guitars. "Time to Die" is already a good track, but then the main guitar solo starts up and Satan's twin axemen unleash a monster dual-solo that any band would be proud of. Honestly, I could heap much more praise on Track 1 album, but there's an entire album full of NWOBHM goodness to review. Other standout tracks include "Twenty Twenty Five", "Cenotaph", "Siege of Mentality", "Incantations", "Testimony", "Tears of Blood", "Life Sentence", "Personal Demon", and "Another Universe". Yes, that is every track on the album. It's that good.

In all seriousness though, there isn't a bad track on the album. Every single song has face-melting leads and killer riffs. The rhythm section deserve special praise, too. Drummer Sean Taylor is old-school and subtle in his drumming, with beats and fills that never seem out of place or too showy. Bassist Graeme English is great too. He holds up the low end well, but at the end of the day, Satan is definitely a guitar band, and because of that the bass never really takes center stage, but that is in no way a knock on the album, just something to point out. Finally, for a middle-aged guy, Brian Ross has some serious pipes, adding his dark, aggressive, and operatic vocals masterfully to every track. He definitely evokes memories of Dickindson, just in a lower voice. After 30 years he can still scream like he did on "Court In the Act", too, which is highly commendable.

I feel the need to talk about the guitars a little more, because they really are spectacular. When Russ and Steve aren't going back and forth in guitar-duels, they're usually harmonizing with each other to create luscious guitar textures. "Testimony" has a great harmonized guitar solo and great leads throughout. Thirty years down the line, Steve Ramsey and Russ Tippins will probably be listed as one of the greatest "Twin Guitar Attacks" right up there with Downing and Tipton, Murray and Smith, and so on.

I'm awarding this album a perfect score of 100% since I honestly have no knocks against it. If you are a fan of speed metal or NWOBHM especially, I can't recommend this album enough. It is a masterpiece that deserves all this praise and more. Check Satan out!

2DHumanity



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Time To Die 3:43
2. Twenty Twenty Five 4:51
3. Cenotaph 4:07
4. Siege Mentality 4:43
5. Incantations 5:21
6. Testimony 3:56
7. Tears Of Blood 4:16
8. Life Sentence 3:25
9. Personal Demons 4:00
10. Another Universe 6:19



..::OBSADA::..

Vocals - Brian Ross
Guitar - Russ Tippins, Steve Ramsey
Bass - Graeme English
Drums - Sean Taylor




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmq1ip-Zkbc



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



..::OPIS::..

Nie ma co owijać w bawełnę! Nowy album Satan to kwintesencja NWOBHM! Dowód na to, że wciąż można tworzyć muzykę ,która posiada klimat i brzmienie z tamtych lat. Zawartość "Life Sentence" to wysokiej klasy kompozycje, dopracowane pod względem muzycznym, lirycznym, a także produkcyjnym. Utwory są utrzymane w podobnym stylu (nie mylić ze stylistyką!), jednak są przy tym zróżnicowane. Nie występuje więc tutaj męczenie buły, ogrywania w kółko kilku oklepanych patentów oraz jazda na jedno kopyto. Ten album to jeden z najlepszych powrotów z nurtu NWOBHM. Utwory z tej płyty po prostu zachwycają. Teksty utworów nie należą do grona wysublimowanych, jednak są napisane twórczo i kreatywnie.

"Life Sentence" to czysty strumień starej, dobrej brytyjskiej energii. Ta płyta brzmi jak młodszy brat bliźniak klasycznego "Court in the Act" z lekko poprawioną produkcją. I to jest jeden z ważniejszych atutów - nie kombinowano z produkcją. "Life Sentence" mógłby spokojnie być wydany w 1985 roku. Z drugiej strony nie ma warstwy nadprogramowego brudu. Słowem - brzmienie płyty jest idealne. W dodatku posiada bardzo ciekawą cechę, z której wbrew pozorom nie jest łatwo rzeźbić dobry album. Mianowicie – brzmienie jest surowe. Nie ma tu nic innego oprócz perkusji, basu, wokali i dwóch gitar. Nie ma dodatkowych przebitek riffów, dodatkowych akcentów, nadprogramowych wioseł. Jest tylko zespół. W dodatku utwory są nagrywane tak, że można odróżnić jedną gitarę od drugiej – wiadomo która gra jaką solówkę, a która gra pod nią podkład. Nie ma jednostajnej rytmicznej brei do której są doklejone solówki w studio. Jeden gitarzysta gra warstwę rytmiczną a drugi solową.

No i nie należy zapominać dlaczego ten album brzmi tak dobrze i tak prawdziwie. Nie uświadczymy tutaj przetechnologizowania brzmienia, polerowania go na siłę, dygitalizacji, cyfryzacji i innych kurewskich gówien, które niszczą klasyczne brzmienie heavy (a także speed, power, thrash, death, itd.) metalu. Nie ma tutaj unowocześniania na siłę - i w zakresie produkcji dźwięku i w zakresie merytorycznej zawartości kompozycji. Jak widać nawet w XXI wieku da się uzyskać 100% klasycznego brzmienia metalowego rodem ze złotych lat osiemdziesiątych. Warrel Dane z Sanctuary na zarzut, że ich nowa płyta brzmi zbyt cyfrowo odparł, że teraz nie da rady nagrywać albumów, które brzmiałyby tak jak kiedyś. A jak widać gówno prawda - Satan udowodnił, że można to osiągnąć i to w sposób naturalny - bez sztucznego stylizowania się na retro metal - i tak żeby to wszystko brzmiało dobrze. A "Life Sentence" brzmi dobrze, a przy tym szczerze, klasycznie i organicznie. Lampy i mięso!

Co do samych kawałków - Satan bardzo umiejętnie zaaranżował zestaw dziesięciu wyśmienitych utworów. Kompozycje są miłe dla ucha i bardzo dobrze poskładane. Wszystko jest przemyślane, a równocześnie nie gubi po drodze ognistej pasji i energii. Wałki tętnią mocą, a przy tym są ciekawe i niezmiernie interesujące. Tego albumu się po prostu dobrze słucha i z przyjemnością się czeka na to, co ma do zaoferowania. A jak do tego dodamy znakomity wokal Briana Rossa, to już w ogóle. Maestria i kunszt najwyższych lotów!

Można rzec, że "Life Sentence" jest płytą roku 2013. W dodatku jest bodaj najlepszym comebackowym albumem NWOBHM. Niewiele wydawnictw z ostatnich lat może się równać poziomem z tym, co osiągnął Satan na tym wydawnictwie. Szczerze i gorąco polecam!

Sterviss



"Life Sentence" jest trzecim pełnym albumem heavy metalowej załogi z Newcastle. Na najnowszym albumie obecni są wszyscy członkowie którzy uczestniczyli w nagrywaniu kultowego już dzisiaj debiutu "Court In The Act" wydanego w 1983 roku. Oczekiwania na nową płytę były olbrzymie, sam zastanawiałem się jak wypadnie ich nowe dziecko.

Każdy maniak klasycznego heavy metalu pokocha ten album! Dlaczego? Ponieważ to Satan znany ze starych albumów, tylko z nowym brzmieniem. A kto nie lubi starych płyt Brytyjczyków? Zacznę od stwierdzenia że album nie ma słabych numerów, ani nawet momentów. Cała płyta utrzymuje równy wysoki poziom. Muzycy po raz kolejny pokazali bardzo wysoki poziom kompozytorski i instrumentalny. Na olbrzymią pochwałę zasługuję również Brian Ross który nie stracił nic swojej barwy, ani siły w głosie, mimo że trochę lat od debiutu już minęło. Na krążku znajdziemy 10 numerów, które są dość zróżnicowane. Mamy szybkie numery ocierające się o speed metal: "Time To Die", "Siege Mentality", "Life Sentence". Zwłaszcza ostatni z nich to już totalna jazda bez trzymanki.

Są również kawałki czysto heavy metalowe. Takie jak chociażby "Twenty Twenty Five" który posiada genialną chóralna wstawkę w połowie numeru. Więcej uwagi poświęcę ostatniemu z nich czyli: "Another Universe". Jest to genialny numer! Zaczyna się balladowo, delikatnymi gitarami i subtelnym wokalem Briana. Po około minucie bębny zaczynają wybijać marszowy rytm, i już wkrótce kawałek ten przeradza się w prawdziwego zabójce. Bardzo mocne zakończenie tego świetnego albumu. W "Incantations" który jest numerem bardzo klimatycznym, wokal buduję napięcie oraz aurę tajemniczości. Genialnie zagrane gitarowe harmonie i melodie znajdziemy między innymi w "Testimony".

Ogólnie rzecz biorąc, Satan nagrał świetny album, zdecydowanie dorównujący tym klasycznym płytom. Każdy z muzyków dał z siebie 100 procent możliwości. Jeżeli ktoś jeszcze się nie zapoznał z "Life Sentence" to polecam to zrobić. Album naprawdę warty poznania i godny polecenia.

Morbid Golem



Don't hold me in contempt, but I don't even know where to start with this masterpiece. However, let me try to craft into words what makes this an all-time favorite of mine: The riffs on their own make this worthwhile. The vocals and the devilishly fun-loving lyrics on their own make this worthwhile. The solos fit in perfectly, like the wheels to a full-fledged cthonic death chariot. The resulting volatile mixture of the varying styles of the musicianship only enhance the results to bombastic proportions and add an eternity of replay value.

Pardon my drooling (all criminal justice puns are hereby intended from this point forward) but I have every right to do so as I can find no flaws anywhere. All tracks are exceptional in their own right, whether they be filled with solidly-crafted riffs and leads like an exploding smorgasbord of hors d'oeuvres to be consumed through headbanging, or smooth solo interludes exuding an ethereal, otherworldly feel for the listener. There's an urgency to the vocals (especially apparent in "Twenty Twenty Five") which may at certain times turn slightly caustic; and heavily apparent is the lyrical assault of the thought of a bleak future without hope. There's an utter variety of memorable riffs and leads, and poetic verses that can at times resonate a Gargamel goofball vibe. In some places there are beautiful bits which sound somewhat like bagpipe-ish folksy guitars. This is quite the savory testament to Skyclad, as to whom a few of the members of Satan also belong to. Lyrically, this album perpetuates Satan's mainstay theme of injustice and horrors of human actions. A large part of these offerings have a thrashy feel to them yet with clean operatic-style vocals.

All in all, this is perfect. The magnificently layered dual-duel guitars, the suspenseful urgency of the vocals which blend well with the guitars especially when hitting the crazy high notes, the old-school drums, and the bass can be recognized as a crucial tendon connecting all the bones of this embodiment of heavy, yet somewhat theatrical musical satisfaction. The totality of all this makes this a wholly exceptional offering. Buy this record, and support Satan to the grave. Most of what I hear in the realm of NWOBHM these days can't hold a candle to this. The monotony of copycat NWOBHM bands makes me want to sneer at their kind from within my confines, and as such, Satan's particular style has not been imitated by other bands much (as compared to a huge amount of new Iron Maiden copycats flying all over the place giving me voluntary earslaughter)... and that's a shame and a blessing at the same time. It's a shame because more bands should try to sound like Satan, or use this as more of an influence in my opinion, but a blessing because I am not sure anyone other than Satan themselves can pull it off the masterful way that they do. Listen to this or forever be held in contempt at the grasp of the SkeleJudge found on the album's cover.

MetalCartoshka



This is Satan's first album with the classic "Court In the Act" lineup since 1983, and even with 30 years separating the two album's releases, Life Sentence feels like a direct successor, and arguably a superior one.

The album starts out by socking you straight in the jaw with the unabashed speed and intensity of "Time To Die," which opens with some badass harmonized arpeggios from twin lead guitarists Steve Ramsey and Russ Tippins before breaking out into one of the dirtiest speed metal riffs I've ever heard. The palm mutes in "Time To Die," and the rest of the album for that matter are exquisitely sharp and bludgeoning simultaneously. It is immediately apparent that Satan opted for a more modern metal production, and it does wonders for the album, especially the guitars. "Time to Die" is already a good track, but then the main guitar solo starts up and Satan's twin axemen unleash a monster dual-solo that any band would be proud of. Honestly, I could heap much more praise on Track 1 album, but there's an entire album full of NWOBHM goodness to review. Other standout tracks include "Twenty Twenty Five", "Cenotaph", "Siege of Mentality", "Incantations", "Testimony", "Tears of Blood", "Life Sentence", "Personal Demon", and "Another Universe". Yes, that is every track on the album. It's that good.

In all seriousness though, there isn't a bad track on the album. Every single song has face-melting leads and killer riffs. The rhythm section deserve special praise, too. Drummer Sean Taylor is old-school and subtle in his drumming, with beats and fills that never seem out of place or too showy. Bassist Graeme English is great too. He holds up the low end well, but at the end of the day, Satan is definitely a guitar band, and because of that the bass never really takes center stage, but that is in no way a knock on the album, just something to point out. Finally, for a middle-aged guy, Brian Ross has some serious pipes, adding his dark, aggressive, and operatic vocals masterfully to every track. He definitely evokes memories of Dickindson, just in a lower voice. After 30 years he can still scream like he did on "Court In the Act", too, which is highly commendable.

I feel the need to talk about the guitars a little more, because they really are spectacular. When Russ and Steve aren't going back and forth in guitar-duels, they're usually harmonizing with each other to create luscious guitar textures. "Testimony" has a great harmonized guitar solo and great leads throughout. Thirty years down the line, Steve Ramsey and Russ Tippins will probably be listed as one of the greatest "Twin Guitar Attacks" right up there with Downing and Tipton, Murray and Smith, and so on.

I'm awarding this album a perfect score of 100% since I honestly have no knocks against it. If you are a fan of speed metal or NWOBHM especially, I can't recommend this album enough. It is a masterpiece that deserves all this praise and more. Check Satan out!

2DHumanity



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Time To Die 3:43
2. Twenty Twenty Five 4:51
3. Cenotaph 4:07
4. Siege Mentality 4:43
5. Incantations 5:21
6. Testimony 3:56
7. Tears Of Blood 4:16
8. Life Sentence 3:25
9. Personal Demons 4:00
10. Another Universe 6:19



..::OBSADA::..

Vocals - Brian Ross
Guitar - Russ Tippins, Steve Ramsey
Bass - Graeme English
Drums - Sean Taylor




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmq1ip-Zkbc



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

...( Info )...

Artist: Hard Power
Title: Hard Power
Year: 2024
Genre: Hard, Heavy-Metal
Country: Brazil
Duration: 00:45:10
Format/Codec: MP3
Audio bitrate: 320 kbps



...( TrackList )...

01. Crawling In The Dust (04:36)
02. Live Once (05:23)
03. City (05:05)
04. All These Years (05:10)
05. Digging My Grave (04:50)
06. Over You (04:10)
07. When It Rains (04:51)
08. Last Live Wire (04:19)
09. Some Dreams (06:41)

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



..::OPIS::..

Prawie idealny album bez żadnych zastrzeżeń.
'Time Stands Still' ma coś dla każdego, nawet jeśli nie jesteś fanem power metalu, talentu i flow nie można zignorować!
Oczywiście, że krążek nie wnosi nic nowego do tej estetyki ale zajebiście się przy nim tupie nóżką i macha głową...
No i te 4 oktawy Brittney... Kurwuniu!!!



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Northern Passage 01:47
2. Frozen Steel 05:39
3. Hail Of The Tide 05:30
4. Tonight We Ride 06:25
5. Test Your Metal 03:13
6. Crypt 05:21
7. No More Heroes 06:53
8. Dreamcrusher 09:16
9. Going Down Fighting 05:28
10. Time Stands Still 06:00
11. Tonight We Ride (Video Edit) 05:23



..::OBSADA::..

Vocals - Brittney Slayes
Drums - Scott Buchanan
Guitar, Screams - Grant Truesdell
Guitar, Screams - Andrew Kingsley
Bass - Kyle Sheppard




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLVT8VltmPY



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



..::OPIS::..

Prawie idealny album bez żadnych zastrzeżeń.
'Time Stands Still' ma coś dla każdego, nawet jeśli nie jesteś fanem power metalu, talentu i flow nie można zignorować!
Oczywiście, że krążek nie wnosi nic nowego do tej estetyki ale zajebiście się przy nim tupie nóżką i macha głową...
No i te 4 oktawy Brittney... Kurwuniu!!!



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Northern Passage 01:47
2. Frozen Steel 05:39
3. Hail Of The Tide 05:30
4. Tonight We Ride 06:25
5. Test Your Metal 03:13
6. Crypt 05:21
7. No More Heroes 06:53
8. Dreamcrusher 09:16
9. Going Down Fighting 05:28
10. Time Stands Still 06:00
11. Tonight We Ride (Video Edit) 05:23



..::OBSADA::..

Vocals - Brittney Slayes
Drums - Scott Buchanan
Guitar, Screams - Grant Truesdell
Guitar, Screams - Andrew Kingsley
Bass - Kyle Sheppard




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLVT8VltmPY



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



..::OPIS::..

Po przesłuchaniu kolejnej płyty Grand Magus pierwsze co przychodzi mi do głowy, to pytanie: dlaczego większość ich albumów brzmi dokładnie tak samo? Czy muzycy zespołu nie potrafią wyjść poza prezentowaną, wąską jak źrenice narkomana, stylistykę na której zjedli zęby i w której niczego godnego uwagi już nie odkryją? Jest to oczywiście pytanie retoryczne, na które nie spodziewam się uzyskać odpowiedzi, a jednak irytuje mnie, że JB Christoffersson, były członek intrygujących Spiritual Beggars prezentuje słuchaczom taką sieczkę.

Oczywiście, muzycy potrafią sprawnie posługiwać się instrumentami (tylko czy nie jest to warunek sine qua non grania czegokolwiek?) a JB brzmi tak dobrze jak zawsze, nie tracąc nic z prezentowanej od lat chropowatej i równocześnie ciepłej maniery śpiewania. Niestety, Grand Magus zapomnieli, że w trakcie prac warto pomyśleć również nad melodią i ciekawymi riffami i, przede wszystkim, sensownie ułożyć je w ramach spójnego albumu. Na „Sword Songs” utwory zlewają się w przydługawą, monotonną papkę. W pewnym momencie miałem nawet wrażenie, że odtwarzacz przerzucił się na ich poprzedni album „Triumph and Power”.

Być może jest to odrobinę zbyt oczywista hiperbola, ale naprawdę łatwo się pomylić: obie płyty są niemal identyczne! Zastanawia mnie tylko, po co nagrywać kolejne niekończące się wariacje tego samego utworu. W przeszłości Ludwig Witt (perkusja) i JB (wokal) pokazywali już przecież, że wiedzą jak nagrywać intrygujące albumy (jak chociażby „On Fire” wspomnianych już Spiritual Beggars). Tyle, że wówczas nie oni odgrywali pierwsze skrzypce z obrębie formacji – w Beggarsach rządzili Michael Amott i Par Wiberg – z dobrym zresztą skutkiem. W Grad Magus na ostatnich albumach skupiają się niestety na tworzeniu gładkich ugrzecznionych i wyzbytych z energii papkowatych pseudo-metalowych utworów, jak „Freja’s Choice” , „Master of the Land” czy, o zgrozo, „Forged in Iron – Crowned in Steel”. Za to właśnie chętnie wymierzyłbym im siarczystego kopniaka. Nie ze złości jednak, a po to aby zmotywować – bo stać ich na więcej.

Kuba Kozłowski


I can’t help feeling with Grand Magus that they could be so much more if they only had a finishing touch. When these guys really get a bee under their bonnets and throw everything at a few songs, those cuts usually stand out on their respective albums, as ‘Storm King’ did on the The Hunt or like ‘At Midnight They’ll Get Wise’ on Hammer of the North. As a three-piece, the band’s simplicity is understandable, though the lack of energy and creativity that can be seen at times is what stands between recognition and greatness. As such, the Swedes’ occasional brilliance only serves to highlight their usual dependability and average quality albums, disappointing me more often than they meet my expectations. Sword Songs continues on the trio’s dogged journey in the same vein as before, melding classic heavy metal to a doomy guitar sound and soaking it all in a big barrel of warrior’s mead to produce that distinctive Viking flavour.

Stripped back to a mere 35 minutes, you would hope that this album is filled to the brim with great moments and a vigorous approach, which is certainly what the opening pair of songs provides. ‘Freya’s Choice’ kicks things off in unexpected fashion, with a chugging riff reminiscent of metalcore that ignites with a low growl, before a clattering drum fill sets up the more traditional Grand Magus riffing style. It’s nice to see the band trying something new, which also marks the heavier, grinding riffs in the chorus of ‘Master of the Land’, while ‘Varangian’ contributes to the same cause with a happily winding riff from the folk metal textbook, giving the song an easy momentum and buoyant rush of energy following the chorus. All of these extra additions gives Sword Songs something of a distinct character among Grand Magus’s work, especially since it binds itself rather tighter to the Viking metal/battle metal movement than ever before, in the lyrical content as well as the belligerent riffing.

However, this heralds the first time that Grand Magus could conceivably be thought of as part of a scene, their earlier work rarely settling comfortably among their neighbours. That means that at times it feels as if the band were too content to make simple hooks and capture the listener by the songs’ familiarity instead of attempting something more distinctive, as achieved by the raw power of ‘Master of the Land’ and the dramatic opener. The laidback feeling of some of the verses is totally at odds with the nature of the powerful riffs and the equally powerful voice of JB Cristoffersson when he makes full use of his pipes. ‘Last One to Fall’ is a prime culprit, simply pushing power chords into spaces where something more purposeful is needed – and indeed is expected if the pumping drum beat is anything to go by. The same thing happens to some extent in ‘Every Day There’s a Battle to Fight’, though, as the closer, the relaxed approach is more understandable and works to produce nostalgic atmosphere at the opening of the song. Upon reaching the chorus, it’s a different story however: lines like “Got to get up, be strong and fight them all / Never let the fear stand in your way” might sound better if sung with conviction, something that just isn’t present in either the vocals or the music, turning a potentially inspiring message into an ambiguous ending.

On the flip side, that simplicity also makes Sword Songs easy to get into. Even during the first listen, you’ll find it difficult not to join in with the “Viking metal!” refrain in ‘Forged in Iron – Crowned in Steel’, while after a couple more listens your house will resound with the tones of more exuberant numbers like ‘Born For Battle (Black Dog Of Brocéliande)’ as you roar them out from every room. None of the songs feel like total letdowns, similar to the case of the similarly balanced The Hunt, even ‘Last One to Fall’ pulling itself into shape with an immense doomy bridge and passionate chorus. The inclusion of ‘Hugr’ (another in the band’s tradition of awkwardly monikered instrumentals) seems unnecessary, though for anyone still hungry after eight proper songs, there’s a bonus track and an interesting cover of Deep Purple’s ‘Stormbringer’ on the digipack, both of which are worth a couple of spins.

Despite one or two underwhelming moments, Sword Songs wins out due to a good balance of tasty marching riffs, classic lead guitar, and anthemic bravado, rounded out by decent performances on all instruments. Seeing the band broaden their range also bodes well for the future. The best songs here are probably ‘Born for Battle’, ‘Freja’s Choice’, and ‘Frost and Fire’, which are also those that keep their energy and focus from beginning to end. One can always hope for more from a band as experienced and with such pedigree as Grand Magus, but in the end these guys still give most of what you want, just without that extra special something.

gasmask colostomy



..::TRACK-LIST::..

Freja's Choice 4:00
Varangian 3:40
Forged in Iron - Crowned in Steel 5:38
Born for Battle (Black Dog of Brocéliande) 3:41
Master of the Land 3:51
Last One to Fall 4:01
Frost and Fire 3:16
Hugr (instrumental) 2:07
Every Day There's a Battle to Fight 4:31

Bonus Tracks:
In for the Kill 3:37
Stormbringer (Deep Purple cover) 5:03



..::OBSADA::..

Janne 'JB' Christoffersson – guitars, vocals
Mats 'Fox' Skinner – bass
Ludwig 'Ludde' Witt – drums




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BBgyJQHFQ8



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



..::OPIS::..

Po przesłuchaniu kolejnej płyty Grand Magus pierwsze co przychodzi mi do głowy, to pytanie: dlaczego większość ich albumów brzmi dokładnie tak samo? Czy muzycy zespołu nie potrafią wyjść poza prezentowaną, wąską jak źrenice narkomana, stylistykę na której zjedli zęby i w której niczego godnego uwagi już nie odkryją? Jest to oczywiście pytanie retoryczne, na które nie spodziewam się uzyskać odpowiedzi, a jednak irytuje mnie, że JB Christoffersson, były członek intrygujących Spiritual Beggars prezentuje słuchaczom taką sieczkę.

Oczywiście, muzycy potrafią sprawnie posługiwać się instrumentami (tylko czy nie jest to warunek sine qua non grania czegokolwiek?) a JB brzmi tak dobrze jak zawsze, nie tracąc nic z prezentowanej od lat chropowatej i równocześnie ciepłej maniery śpiewania. Niestety, Grand Magus zapomnieli, że w trakcie prac warto pomyśleć również nad melodią i ciekawymi riffami i, przede wszystkim, sensownie ułożyć je w ramach spójnego albumu. Na „Sword Songs” utwory zlewają się w przydługawą, monotonną papkę. W pewnym momencie miałem nawet wrażenie, że odtwarzacz przerzucił się na ich poprzedni album „Triumph and Power”.

Być może jest to odrobinę zbyt oczywista hiperbola, ale naprawdę łatwo się pomylić: obie płyty są niemal identyczne! Zastanawia mnie tylko, po co nagrywać kolejne niekończące się wariacje tego samego utworu. W przeszłości Ludwig Witt (perkusja) i JB (wokal) pokazywali już przecież, że wiedzą jak nagrywać intrygujące albumy (jak chociażby „On Fire” wspomnianych już Spiritual Beggars). Tyle, że wówczas nie oni odgrywali pierwsze skrzypce z obrębie formacji – w Beggarsach rządzili Michael Amott i Par Wiberg – z dobrym zresztą skutkiem. W Grad Magus na ostatnich albumach skupiają się niestety na tworzeniu gładkich ugrzecznionych i wyzbytych z energii papkowatych pseudo-metalowych utworów, jak „Freja’s Choice” , „Master of the Land” czy, o zgrozo, „Forged in Iron – Crowned in Steel”. Za to właśnie chętnie wymierzyłbym im siarczystego kopniaka. Nie ze złości jednak, a po to aby zmotywować – bo stać ich na więcej.

Kuba Kozłowski


I can’t help feeling with Grand Magus that they could be so much more if they only had a finishing touch. When these guys really get a bee under their bonnets and throw everything at a few songs, those cuts usually stand out on their respective albums, as ‘Storm King’ did on the The Hunt or like ‘At Midnight They’ll Get Wise’ on Hammer of the North. As a three-piece, the band’s simplicity is understandable, though the lack of energy and creativity that can be seen at times is what stands between recognition and greatness. As such, the Swedes’ occasional brilliance only serves to highlight their usual dependability and average quality albums, disappointing me more often than they meet my expectations. Sword Songs continues on the trio’s dogged journey in the same vein as before, melding classic heavy metal to a doomy guitar sound and soaking it all in a big barrel of warrior’s mead to produce that distinctive Viking flavour.

Stripped back to a mere 35 minutes, you would hope that this album is filled to the brim with great moments and a vigorous approach, which is certainly what the opening pair of songs provides. ‘Freya’s Choice’ kicks things off in unexpected fashion, with a chugging riff reminiscent of metalcore that ignites with a low growl, before a clattering drum fill sets up the more traditional Grand Magus riffing style. It’s nice to see the band trying something new, which also marks the heavier, grinding riffs in the chorus of ‘Master of the Land’, while ‘Varangian’ contributes to the same cause with a happily winding riff from the folk metal textbook, giving the song an easy momentum and buoyant rush of energy following the chorus. All of these extra additions gives Sword Songs something of a distinct character among Grand Magus’s work, especially since it binds itself rather tighter to the Viking metal/battle metal movement than ever before, in the lyrical content as well as the belligerent riffing.

However, this heralds the first time that Grand Magus could conceivably be thought of as part of a scene, their earlier work rarely settling comfortably among their neighbours. That means that at times it feels as if the band were too content to make simple hooks and capture the listener by the songs’ familiarity instead of attempting something more distinctive, as achieved by the raw power of ‘Master of the Land’ and the dramatic opener. The laidback feeling of some of the verses is totally at odds with the nature of the powerful riffs and the equally powerful voice of JB Cristoffersson when he makes full use of his pipes. ‘Last One to Fall’ is a prime culprit, simply pushing power chords into spaces where something more purposeful is needed – and indeed is expected if the pumping drum beat is anything to go by. The same thing happens to some extent in ‘Every Day There’s a Battle to Fight’, though, as the closer, the relaxed approach is more understandable and works to produce nostalgic atmosphere at the opening of the song. Upon reaching the chorus, it’s a different story however: lines like “Got to get up, be strong and fight them all / Never let the fear stand in your way” might sound better if sung with conviction, something that just isn’t present in either the vocals or the music, turning a potentially inspiring message into an ambiguous ending.

On the flip side, that simplicity also makes Sword Songs easy to get into. Even during the first listen, you’ll find it difficult not to join in with the “Viking metal!” refrain in ‘Forged in Iron – Crowned in Steel’, while after a couple more listens your house will resound with the tones of more exuberant numbers like ‘Born For Battle (Black Dog Of Brocéliande)’ as you roar them out from every room. None of the songs feel like total letdowns, similar to the case of the similarly balanced The Hunt, even ‘Last One to Fall’ pulling itself into shape with an immense doomy bridge and passionate chorus. The inclusion of ‘Hugr’ (another in the band’s tradition of awkwardly monikered instrumentals) seems unnecessary, though for anyone still hungry after eight proper songs, there’s a bonus track and an interesting cover of Deep Purple’s ‘Stormbringer’ on the digipack, both of which are worth a couple of spins.

Despite one or two underwhelming moments, Sword Songs wins out due to a good balance of tasty marching riffs, classic lead guitar, and anthemic bravado, rounded out by decent performances on all instruments. Seeing the band broaden their range also bodes well for the future. The best songs here are probably ‘Born for Battle’, ‘Freja’s Choice’, and ‘Frost and Fire’, which are also those that keep their energy and focus from beginning to end. One can always hope for more from a band as experienced and with such pedigree as Grand Magus, but in the end these guys still give most of what you want, just without that extra special something.

gasmask colostomy



..::TRACK-LIST::..

Freja's Choice 4:00
Varangian 3:40
Forged in Iron - Crowned in Steel 5:38
Born for Battle (Black Dog of Brocéliande) 3:41
Master of the Land 3:51
Last One to Fall 4:01
Frost and Fire 3:16
Hugr (instrumental) 2:07
Every Day There's a Battle to Fight 4:31

Bonus Tracks:
In for the Kill 3:37
Stormbringer (Deep Purple cover) 5:03



..::OBSADA::..

Janne 'JB' Christoffersson – guitars, vocals
Mats 'Fox' Skinner – bass
Ludwig 'Ludde' Witt – drums




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BBgyJQHFQ8



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



..::OPIS::..

Podwójna, zremasterowana edycja absolutnego klasyka NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal)!
Wydany w 1980 roku debiut Diamond Head to bez wątpienia jeden z najciekawszych i najbardziej porywających albumów w historii heavy-metalu.
Ktoś napisał kiedyś, że w jednym utworze Diamond Head jest więcej oryginalnych gitarowych riffów niż na pierwszych czterech płytach Black Sabbath! I nawet jeśli mocno przesadził, to daje to do myślenia! I pomyśleć, że płytę zespół nagrał w małym, lokalnym studio wyłącznie w celach promocyjnych (jedynie w białej kopercie z autentycznymi podpisami) - żeby tylko zainteresować swoją muzyką jakąś wytwórnię! W skrócie było to połączenie brzmień Led Zeppelin i Budgie z wczesnym Iron Maiden i Def Leppard. Poza tym każdy fan Metalliki z pewnością zna takie utwory jak "Am I Evil?", "Helpless", "It's Electric" czy "The Prince".
Na drugim dysku dołożono siedem bardzo ważnych nagrań dodatkowych z rzadkich singli.



..::TRACK-LIST::..

CD 1:
1. Lightning To The Nations
2. The Prince
3. Sucking My Love
4. Am I Evil?
5. Sweet And Innocent
6. It's Electric
7. Helpless

Bonus Tracks:
8. Lightning To The Nations (Lost Original Mix)
9. The Prince (Lost Original Mix)
10. Sucking My Love (Lost Original Mix)
11. Am I Evil? (Lost Original Mix)
12. Sweet And Innocent (Lost Original Mix)


CD 2 - Bonus:
1. Shoot Out The Lights
2. Streets Of Gold
3. Play It Loud
4. Waited Too Long
5. Diamond Lights
6. We Won't Be Back
7. I Don't Got




..::OBSADA::..

Bass - Colin Kimberley
Drums - Duncan Scott
Vocals - Sean Harris
Guitar - Brian Tatler




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4yS1Ud5-jU




SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



..::OPIS::..

Podwójna, zremasterowana edycja absolutnego klasyka NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal)!
Wydany w 1980 roku debiut Diamond Head to bez wątpienia jeden z najciekawszych i najbardziej porywających albumów w historii heavy-metalu.
Ktoś napisał kiedyś, że w jednym utworze Diamond Head jest więcej oryginalnych gitarowych riffów niż na pierwszych czterech płytach Black Sabbath! I nawet jeśli mocno przesadził, to daje to do myślenia! I pomyśleć, że płytę zespół nagrał w małym, lokalnym studio wyłącznie w celach promocyjnych (jedynie w białej kopercie z autentycznymi podpisami) - żeby tylko zainteresować swoją muzyką jakąś wytwórnię! W skrócie było to połączenie brzmień Led Zeppelin i Budgie z wczesnym Iron Maiden i Def Leppard. Poza tym każdy fan Metalliki z pewnością zna takie utwory jak "Am I Evil?", "Helpless", "It's Electric" czy "The Prince".
Na drugim dysku dołożono siedem bardzo ważnych nagrań dodatkowych z rzadkich singli.



..::TRACK-LIST::..

CD 1:
1. Lightning To The Nations
2. The Prince
3. Sucking My Love
4. Am I Evil?
5. Sweet And Innocent
6. It's Electric
7. Helpless

Bonus Tracks:
8. Lightning To The Nations (Lost Original Mix)
9. The Prince (Lost Original Mix)
10. Sucking My Love (Lost Original Mix)
11. Am I Evil? (Lost Original Mix)
12. Sweet And Innocent (Lost Original Mix)


CD 2 - Bonus:
1. Shoot Out The Lights
2. Streets Of Gold
3. Play It Loud
4. Waited Too Long
5. Diamond Lights
6. We Won't Be Back
7. I Don't Got




..::OBSADA::..

Bass - Colin Kimberley
Drums - Duncan Scott
Vocals - Sean Harris
Guitar - Brian Tatler




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4yS1Ud5-jU




SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



..::OPIS::..

New Wave Of British Heavy Metal act Apocalypse from London was formed by guitarist Steve Grainger around 1980.

The band emerged from two bands in North London. Phaze and Stone Lady. Originally Nick Brent Dave (MEX) Higgen (Stone Lady) and Marc and Steve Grainger.(Phaze) Mex left the band to move in a different direction and to set up the Octave Studio and PA Company in North London. Dave Robertson joined and Apocalypse were established. Ironicalyit was Dave (mex) higgen who named the band APOCALYPSE.

It took the band two years to release their one and only single called "Stormchild" for Gate Records. After minor personnel problems with another band of the same name the band changed their name to Omega and recorded the number “Blood Sacrifice” for Ebony's rather obscure “Metal Warriors” compilation (issued in 1983).

Steve Grainger explains that APOCALYPSE was more or less forced to look for a new name: “We were aware of one other band in the UK called APOCALYPSE, they were completely non-apocalyptic if you ask me. More of a pop band. But they were under the guidance of a major player in the UK music business so we felt that we would have to change our name. I was always against this. I thought they should change their name but I was overruled. We did get a fair bit of music press coverage during the argument though, so it was not all bad news."

“The Prophet” was originally released on Rock Machine (basically a subdivision of Punk label Razor Records) in 1985. The line up consisted of Dave Robertson (bass, vocals), Nick Brent (guitars, vocals), Steve Grainger (lead guitars, keyboards, vocals) and Graham Roberts (drums). The High Roller re-issue of the album comes with new, superior cover artwork. The CD edition contains unreleased demo recordings of “Summertime”, “Heat of the Night”, “Abandon Hope”, “Blood Sacrifice” and “The Child” as exclusive bonus material.

Steve Grainger explains how the original deal with Rock Machine came about in 1985: “There was a sniff of interest from one or two labels but nothing came of it, we weren't considered a big enough band. We would have tried to do it on our own again on Gate Records but then Rock Machine (aka Razor Records) got involved and we took it from there. Rock Machine kept sales figures pretty close to their chests but it was released worldwide on license. Nick and I regained the rights after five years [though, I think,delete this bit SG"> and that's how we are in a position to be re-releasing it again now on our own terms. I guess a few thousand must have been released, you can still pick up the original vinyl online, so they are about.” "The Prophet" was illegally re-issued on vinyl a couple of years back. Those counterfeit copies are annoying to any self-respecting rock band. “I have never traced exactly who was doing what”, states Steve Grainger. “It comes from Comet Records in Italy I believe, probably an original license holder to release the vinyl, but they took it further without permission to create a CD version and stick their logo on it. They are, I suspect, also behind a recent i-tunes/ e-music download. Apple have, to their credit, taken it off their site but I am still dealing with e-music who are less than quick in this matter. I have a copy of the i-tunes payment schedule but it doesn't say who the recipient of the money is.”

Somehow the band Omega was lumped in with a few other progressive-sounding N.W.O.B.H.M. bands like Shiva, Chemical Alice, Legend (Jersey) and Bleakhouse. “We were not bothered about that, really”, says Steve. “We were in our own little bubble, doing our own thing and consciously avoiding whatever was trendy at the time. If people liked what we did that was great, if they didn't, then ... so what? We were in many ways quite reclusive in our writing. I certainly went out of my way to not be influenced too much by other bands. We like to do things our way and that was that.”

The press was pretty kind to Omega in Britain as Steve explains: “The reviews were quite reassuring from the British music press. It was hardly front page stuff as far as they were concerned but they liked it on the whole, Europe was okay with it as I recall. Some French radio station did a show featuring it and from what I gather they loved it, they were particularly enthusiastic about my guitar work … hurrah! It was the American reviews that seemed to put a dampener on the album. I don't think that they got the idea of the prophet being metaphoric, taking it as a literal slur didn't go down too well. Also there was a feeling from them that they didn't want to be reminded about the 'doom and gloom' although funnily enough when the track 'The Final Countdown' was released by Europe, they were all over it like a rash. How wonderful it was to see young musicians with such foresight and wisdom etc., oh well ...”
Guitarist/vocalist Nick Brent explains the meaning behind “The Prophet” in more detail: “Blimey, you could write a thesis on this one! In brief, the song 'The Prophet' describes the persecution of anyone who dares to publicly highlight the injustices inherent in long established organisations, religious or otherwise, or society as a whole. We used the Christian metaphor as the 'Christ' figure is apparent in most religions going back through the ages, representing the need for change when stagnation and decay in society lead to the oppression of sections of the population by the 'Chosen Few'. The ending - 'But why do you still smile?' - echoes both the insecurity of the status quo and the optimism that change can happen.” Quite an intellectual and interesting concept, no doubt about that.

The original cover artwork implies that there might have been an anti-war message involved as well, which Nick confirms. “So the artwork is self explanatory now eh?”, he asks. And adds: “As children who grew up through the cold war with the threat of 'The Bomb', 'The Four Minute Warning', the Vietnam War, Trident etc., and the counter culture of the hippie movement, Greenham Common, Ban the Bomb marches et al, the threat of war was/is a constant in our lives. The human race's seemingly insatiable appetite for all things destructive is, fortunately, matched by a huge capacity for compassion, tolerance and understanding. The battle between good and evil is a constant in our lives.”

The most unusual number on “The Prophet” is without a doubt the cover of “Day Tripper” by the Beatles. “I can't remember whose idea it was”, reflects Steve Grainger. “Definitely not because we were running short of material, our biggest headache was what to leave off the album. With hindsight perhaps we wouild not have used the track on the album as it doesn’t seem to sit right amongst the other tracks, but at the time we decided to include it. It is a yardstick to judge us by if you like - a song that everyone knows given the Apocalypse/Omega treatment. We like doing stuff like that. To be honest, most of the actual guitar riff would never have come from McCartney but we wouldn't have written a song like that. But put together, I reckon we added to it.”

After the release of the album Omega were desperately looking for a tour as Steve remembers: “We had a few leads in that direction. But … in those days getting on tour as a support act to a bigger named band cost money … you know … the old handful of dosh in an envelope sort of thing. We even got given a price. 25 grand! That's £25,000, in those days a shed load of money. It only cost two or three grand to do the recording. Either way, Rock Machine wouldn't cough up the money so we were effectively stuffed. We were by then a bit too big for the smaller London pubs and clubs but not big enough for the bigger London venues, hence we did most of our London gigs at the Marquee, either as support to such bands as Pendragon, Rock Goddess, Clive Burr's Escape, (they were in effect Praying Mantis in all but name) or as a headline act ourselves.”

Unfortunately, “The Prophet” remained Omega's one and only album: “We still had loads of material but without reasonable record company backing we didn't have the means to go back into the studio again. It was only later on with the reforming of Apocalypse that we had our own studio set up and could muck about with all the ideas we'd had, but Nick had gone off to concentrate on other projects and I was working with other songwriters. Mind you, it has to be said that the talk of of new songs has often been bandied around between me and Nick. Sadly, the passing of Dave Robertson was a bitter blow to us and it seemed like that was the end of it all. Who knows, our original bass player Mex may well have the time to get involved in a new project, as you may know he played some stuff on the 'Abandon Hope' album. So there you go. Never say never … it might happen yet!”

Matthias Mader



The first question that arose in my mind after I had finished listening to this record for the first time was: "what kind of music is this?". It was undeniably metal, and it was undeniably good. But there is something about this album that simply eludes easy branding and labelling. Heavy? Epic? Prog? Doom? NWOBHM? AOR? None of the above really, yet all of them are present, to various extents, in this little forgotten gem.

The first track, The Dark, opens the album with a fittingly obscure, foreboding atmosphere: slow, barely audible drum and bass, supported by an evanescent keyboard line, which will make up for most of the musical backing for this song. The composition slowly builds up in volume, speed and power, and eventually erupts into a flaming guitar solo towards the third minute, only to fade back to being slow and haunting at 4:00. Another thirty seconds of atmosphere and eerie vocals, followed by an abrupt burst of power that leads the song to completion. Very dynamic and unpredictable track.

Shadows of The Past is again marked by a number of interesting, attention-catching tempo changes. Definately worthy of mention the guitar solo, where Steve Grainger offers a display of fine musicianship and feeling. Very interesting keyboard support at 4:15, where Grainger (also keyboardist) succeeds at implementing the keyboard line into the guitar frame, arranging the two elements in such a way to make the two enrich one another, rather than making them overlap (a rather unpleasant occurance which is heard disturbingly often these days).

Onto the title track, the nine minute epic The Prophet, presumably about Jesus (never actually mentioned in the lyrics, but the references seem to point towards that direction), starting off with an eerie (I'm aware I've used that adjective already, and it is no coincidence) acoustic intro. The song proceeds with alternating quiet, mellow parts, which tend to coincide with the singing, and louder, harsher sections, which are mainly instrumental. Very evocative, and very ahead of its time.

Yesterday's children is charachterized by a remarkably more upbeat rythm than the previous tracks. When not busy crunching out solid rocky riffs, the guitar almost seems to want to imitate Steve Harris' "galloping", which certainly marks a strong change from the doom laden melodies that had trademarked the previous twenty minutes of this record. An overall good song, let down perhaps by a guitar solo that sounds slightly less inspired than the ones heard before.

Drive Me Crazy is pure New Wave of British Heavy Metal: fast, short (clocking in at 3:40), energetic, this song is about a "high class woman" and her "long legs sprayed with silk". An easy melody, a catchy chorus and a perfectly fitting guitar solo, this is a song that is guaranteed to stay stuck in your head for a while. It would have made for an excellent single.

Day Tripper. Myself being a patented Beatles basher, I frowned when I read the song title. Regardless of my prejudice though, I have to admit this reinterpretation of the old Beatles song was a complete success. Much like Drive Me Crazy, this cover bleeds british metal from every pore, with its sparkling rythm and some excellent six string work that gives the song a pleasant "heavy but not too heavy" rock metal feeling.

Closing off the album after only six songs we find The Child. In this case the lyrics stand as the highlight of the song, short and simple, yet deep and meaningful, regarding the pain of growing up and losing one's innocence. If looking back on your childhood and youth awakens mixed or sad feelings in you, then this song is sure to touch you. The song itself does not differ significantly from the first three, though the long intro here leaves much more space to some very interesting bass and keyboard work. Differently from the other songs though, this one requires a bit of attention from the listener in order not to blend into the background.

Just finished listening to this album, and yet again, I find myself wondering: "how do you classify this?". The best answer I have come up with, several months after my first listen, is "You don't". You simply sit back and enjoy the atmospheres, the elaborate yet accessible song structures, the eerie vocals, the perfect production, the fine arrangement of five instruments that complement each other flawlessly. This being such a generic heavy metal release, I recommend it to just about any metal fan out there, unless your tastes are limited to extreme metal alone.

TwilightRider



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. The Dark
2. Shadows of the Past
3. The Prophet
4. Yesterday’s Children
5. Drive Me Crazy
6. Day Tripper (Beatles cover)
7. The Child

Bonus Tracs:
8. Summertime (Demo)
9. Heat of the Night (Demo)
10. Abandon Hope (Demo)
11. Blood Sacrifice (Demo)
12. The Child (Demo)



..::OBSADA::..

Nick Brent - Vocals, Guitar
Steve Grainger - Lead Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Dave Robertson - Bass Guitar, Vocals
Graham Roberts - Drums




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-6Dw9EjLe8



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



..::OPIS::..

New Wave Of British Heavy Metal act Apocalypse from London was formed by guitarist Steve Grainger around 1980.

The band emerged from two bands in North London. Phaze and Stone Lady. Originally Nick Brent Dave (MEX) Higgen (Stone Lady) and Marc and Steve Grainger.(Phaze) Mex left the band to move in a different direction and to set up the Octave Studio and PA Company in North London. Dave Robertson joined and Apocalypse were established. Ironicalyit was Dave (mex) higgen who named the band APOCALYPSE.

It took the band two years to release their one and only single called "Stormchild" for Gate Records. After minor personnel problems with another band of the same name the band changed their name to Omega and recorded the number “Blood Sacrifice” for Ebony's rather obscure “Metal Warriors” compilation (issued in 1983).

Steve Grainger explains that APOCALYPSE was more or less forced to look for a new name: “We were aware of one other band in the UK called APOCALYPSE, they were completely non-apocalyptic if you ask me. More of a pop band. But they were under the guidance of a major player in the UK music business so we felt that we would have to change our name. I was always against this. I thought they should change their name but I was overruled. We did get a fair bit of music press coverage during the argument though, so it was not all bad news."

“The Prophet” was originally released on Rock Machine (basically a subdivision of Punk label Razor Records) in 1985. The line up consisted of Dave Robertson (bass, vocals), Nick Brent (guitars, vocals), Steve Grainger (lead guitars, keyboards, vocals) and Graham Roberts (drums). The High Roller re-issue of the album comes with new, superior cover artwork. The CD edition contains unreleased demo recordings of “Summertime”, “Heat of the Night”, “Abandon Hope”, “Blood Sacrifice” and “The Child” as exclusive bonus material.

Steve Grainger explains how the original deal with Rock Machine came about in 1985: “There was a sniff of interest from one or two labels but nothing came of it, we weren't considered a big enough band. We would have tried to do it on our own again on Gate Records but then Rock Machine (aka Razor Records) got involved and we took it from there. Rock Machine kept sales figures pretty close to their chests but it was released worldwide on license. Nick and I regained the rights after five years [though, I think,delete this bit SG"> and that's how we are in a position to be re-releasing it again now on our own terms. I guess a few thousand must have been released, you can still pick up the original vinyl online, so they are about.” "The Prophet" was illegally re-issued on vinyl a couple of years back. Those counterfeit copies are annoying to any self-respecting rock band. “I have never traced exactly who was doing what”, states Steve Grainger. “It comes from Comet Records in Italy I believe, probably an original license holder to release the vinyl, but they took it further without permission to create a CD version and stick their logo on it. They are, I suspect, also behind a recent i-tunes/ e-music download. Apple have, to their credit, taken it off their site but I am still dealing with e-music who are less than quick in this matter. I have a copy of the i-tunes payment schedule but it doesn't say who the recipient of the money is.”

Somehow the band Omega was lumped in with a few other progressive-sounding N.W.O.B.H.M. bands like Shiva, Chemical Alice, Legend (Jersey) and Bleakhouse. “We were not bothered about that, really”, says Steve. “We were in our own little bubble, doing our own thing and consciously avoiding whatever was trendy at the time. If people liked what we did that was great, if they didn't, then ... so what? We were in many ways quite reclusive in our writing. I certainly went out of my way to not be influenced too much by other bands. We like to do things our way and that was that.”

The press was pretty kind to Omega in Britain as Steve explains: “The reviews were quite reassuring from the British music press. It was hardly front page stuff as far as they were concerned but they liked it on the whole, Europe was okay with it as I recall. Some French radio station did a show featuring it and from what I gather they loved it, they were particularly enthusiastic about my guitar work … hurrah! It was the American reviews that seemed to put a dampener on the album. I don't think that they got the idea of the prophet being metaphoric, taking it as a literal slur didn't go down too well. Also there was a feeling from them that they didn't want to be reminded about the 'doom and gloom' although funnily enough when the track 'The Final Countdown' was released by Europe, they were all over it like a rash. How wonderful it was to see young musicians with such foresight and wisdom etc., oh well ...”
Guitarist/vocalist Nick Brent explains the meaning behind “The Prophet” in more detail: “Blimey, you could write a thesis on this one! In brief, the song 'The Prophet' describes the persecution of anyone who dares to publicly highlight the injustices inherent in long established organisations, religious or otherwise, or society as a whole. We used the Christian metaphor as the 'Christ' figure is apparent in most religions going back through the ages, representing the need for change when stagnation and decay in society lead to the oppression of sections of the population by the 'Chosen Few'. The ending - 'But why do you still smile?' - echoes both the insecurity of the status quo and the optimism that change can happen.” Quite an intellectual and interesting concept, no doubt about that.

The original cover artwork implies that there might have been an anti-war message involved as well, which Nick confirms. “So the artwork is self explanatory now eh?”, he asks. And adds: “As children who grew up through the cold war with the threat of 'The Bomb', 'The Four Minute Warning', the Vietnam War, Trident etc., and the counter culture of the hippie movement, Greenham Common, Ban the Bomb marches et al, the threat of war was/is a constant in our lives. The human race's seemingly insatiable appetite for all things destructive is, fortunately, matched by a huge capacity for compassion, tolerance and understanding. The battle between good and evil is a constant in our lives.”

The most unusual number on “The Prophet” is without a doubt the cover of “Day Tripper” by the Beatles. “I can't remember whose idea it was”, reflects Steve Grainger. “Definitely not because we were running short of material, our biggest headache was what to leave off the album. With hindsight perhaps we wouild not have used the track on the album as it doesn’t seem to sit right amongst the other tracks, but at the time we decided to include it. It is a yardstick to judge us by if you like - a song that everyone knows given the Apocalypse/Omega treatment. We like doing stuff like that. To be honest, most of the actual guitar riff would never have come from McCartney but we wouldn't have written a song like that. But put together, I reckon we added to it.”

After the release of the album Omega were desperately looking for a tour as Steve remembers: “We had a few leads in that direction. But … in those days getting on tour as a support act to a bigger named band cost money … you know … the old handful of dosh in an envelope sort of thing. We even got given a price. 25 grand! That's £25,000, in those days a shed load of money. It only cost two or three grand to do the recording. Either way, Rock Machine wouldn't cough up the money so we were effectively stuffed. We were by then a bit too big for the smaller London pubs and clubs but not big enough for the bigger London venues, hence we did most of our London gigs at the Marquee, either as support to such bands as Pendragon, Rock Goddess, Clive Burr's Escape, (they were in effect Praying Mantis in all but name) or as a headline act ourselves.”

Unfortunately, “The Prophet” remained Omega's one and only album: “We still had loads of material but without reasonable record company backing we didn't have the means to go back into the studio again. It was only later on with the reforming of Apocalypse that we had our own studio set up and could muck about with all the ideas we'd had, but Nick had gone off to concentrate on other projects and I was working with other songwriters. Mind you, it has to be said that the talk of of new songs has often been bandied around between me and Nick. Sadly, the passing of Dave Robertson was a bitter blow to us and it seemed like that was the end of it all. Who knows, our original bass player Mex may well have the time to get involved in a new project, as you may know he played some stuff on the 'Abandon Hope' album. So there you go. Never say never … it might happen yet!”

Matthias Mader



The first question that arose in my mind after I had finished listening to this record for the first time was: "what kind of music is this?". It was undeniably metal, and it was undeniably good. But there is something about this album that simply eludes easy branding and labelling. Heavy? Epic? Prog? Doom? NWOBHM? AOR? None of the above really, yet all of them are present, to various extents, in this little forgotten gem.

The first track, The Dark, opens the album with a fittingly obscure, foreboding atmosphere: slow, barely audible drum and bass, supported by an evanescent keyboard line, which will make up for most of the musical backing for this song. The composition slowly builds up in volume, speed and power, and eventually erupts into a flaming guitar solo towards the third minute, only to fade back to being slow and haunting at 4:00. Another thirty seconds of atmosphere and eerie vocals, followed by an abrupt burst of power that leads the song to completion. Very dynamic and unpredictable track.

Shadows of The Past is again marked by a number of interesting, attention-catching tempo changes. Definately worthy of mention the guitar solo, where Steve Grainger offers a display of fine musicianship and feeling. Very interesting keyboard support at 4:15, where Grainger (also keyboardist) succeeds at implementing the keyboard line into the guitar frame, arranging the two elements in such a way to make the two enrich one another, rather than making them overlap (a rather unpleasant occurance which is heard disturbingly often these days).

Onto the title track, the nine minute epic The Prophet, presumably about Jesus (never actually mentioned in the lyrics, but the references seem to point towards that direction), starting off with an eerie (I'm aware I've used that adjective already, and it is no coincidence) acoustic intro. The song proceeds with alternating quiet, mellow parts, which tend to coincide with the singing, and louder, harsher sections, which are mainly instrumental. Very evocative, and very ahead of its time.

Yesterday's children is charachterized by a remarkably more upbeat rythm than the previous tracks. When not busy crunching out solid rocky riffs, the guitar almost seems to want to imitate Steve Harris' "galloping", which certainly marks a strong change from the doom laden melodies that had trademarked the previous twenty minutes of this record. An overall good song, let down perhaps by a guitar solo that sounds slightly less inspired than the ones heard before.

Drive Me Crazy is pure New Wave of British Heavy Metal: fast, short (clocking in at 3:40), energetic, this song is about a "high class woman" and her "long legs sprayed with silk". An easy melody, a catchy chorus and a perfectly fitting guitar solo, this is a song that is guaranteed to stay stuck in your head for a while. It would have made for an excellent single.

Day Tripper. Myself being a patented Beatles basher, I frowned when I read the song title. Regardless of my prejudice though, I have to admit this reinterpretation of the old Beatles song was a complete success. Much like Drive Me Crazy, this cover bleeds british metal from every pore, with its sparkling rythm and some excellent six string work that gives the song a pleasant "heavy but not too heavy" rock metal feeling.

Closing off the album after only six songs we find The Child. In this case the lyrics stand as the highlight of the song, short and simple, yet deep and meaningful, regarding the pain of growing up and losing one's innocence. If looking back on your childhood and youth awakens mixed or sad feelings in you, then this song is sure to touch you. The song itself does not differ significantly from the first three, though the long intro here leaves much more space to some very interesting bass and keyboard work. Differently from the other songs though, this one requires a bit of attention from the listener in order not to blend into the background.

Just finished listening to this album, and yet again, I find myself wondering: "how do you classify this?". The best answer I have come up with, several months after my first listen, is "You don't". You simply sit back and enjoy the atmospheres, the elaborate yet accessible song structures, the eerie vocals, the perfect production, the fine arrangement of five instruments that complement each other flawlessly. This being such a generic heavy metal release, I recommend it to just about any metal fan out there, unless your tastes are limited to extreme metal alone.

TwilightRider



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. The Dark
2. Shadows of the Past
3. The Prophet
4. Yesterday’s Children
5. Drive Me Crazy
6. Day Tripper (Beatles cover)
7. The Child

Bonus Tracs:
8. Summertime (Demo)
9. Heat of the Night (Demo)
10. Abandon Hope (Demo)
11. Blood Sacrifice (Demo)
12. The Child (Demo)



..::OBSADA::..

Nick Brent - Vocals, Guitar
Steve Grainger - Lead Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Dave Robertson - Bass Guitar, Vocals
Graham Roberts - Drums




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-6Dw9EjLe8



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



Świetny heavy metalowy album. Trochę zbyt 'mało' mroczny jak można by oczekiwać sugerując się tytułem i okładką.



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Ogre
2. Ruby Red
3. Fly Away
4. Right To Survive
5. Till Death Do We Part
6. Borderline
7. Running
8. Barbara

Bonus Tracks:
9. Wicked Head - Slippin' Away
Bass - James Young
Drums - Jim Baumstark
Vocals - Scott Bennett
10. Wicked Head - Wicked Head

Bonus tracks 9 & 10 by Wicked Head recorded in 1983, credits taken from bio on insert.



..::OBSADA::..

Guitar - Mike Shadel
Lead Vocals, Chimes, Backing Vocals - Jim Kelly
Producer, Arranged By, Lead Guitar, Guitar - Kirk Bryk
Drums, Percussion - Kieran Hoening
Bass - Dave Maycroft

Producer, Engineer, Mixed By, Mastered By, Keyboards - Tom Miller




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC5jfps6Of4



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



Świetny heavy metalowy album. Trochę zbyt 'mało' mroczny jak można by oczekiwać sugerując się tytułem i okładką.



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Ogre
2. Ruby Red
3. Fly Away
4. Right To Survive
5. Till Death Do We Part
6. Borderline
7. Running
8. Barbara

Bonus Tracks:
9. Wicked Head - Slippin' Away
Bass - James Young
Drums - Jim Baumstark
Vocals - Scott Bennett
10. Wicked Head - Wicked Head

Bonus tracks 9 & 10 by Wicked Head recorded in 1983, credits taken from bio on insert.



..::OBSADA::..

Guitar - Mike Shadel
Lead Vocals, Chimes, Backing Vocals - Jim Kelly
Producer, Arranged By, Lead Guitar, Guitar - Kirk Bryk
Drums, Percussion - Kieran Hoening
Bass - Dave Maycroft

Producer, Engineer, Mixed By, Mastered By, Keyboards - Tom Miller



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC5jfps6Of4




SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



..::OPIS::..

Tokyo Blade originally formed in 1982, releasing their self-titled debut in 1983 (CD 1 of this release). Formed around guitarist Andy Boulton, he was joined on their debut by Alan Marsh on lead vocals, John Wiggins on guitar, Andy Robbins on bass and Steve Pierce on drums, making a significant impact on the burgeoning NWOBHM scene that had been popularized by Iron Maiden, Saxon, Tygers Of Pan Tang and Def Leppard, as well as finding support in the pages of Kerrang! magazine. By 1984, they’d developed enough of a reputation to appear alongside Metallica and Venom at Holland’s Aardschock festival.

By by the time of the second full-length album, 1984’s “Night Of The Blade” (CD 2 of this release), Boulton had been joined by Vicki James Wright on lead vocals, who ended up replacing Alan March’s vocals that had already been recorded for the LP, with Andy Wrighton replacing Andy Robbins on bass. This was also their first album released on Powerstation Records, the British independent HM label that also released records by Little Angels, Chrome Molly and Pauline Gillan (sister of Ian Gillan).

In 1985 they released their third full-length LP, this time for their own (slightly consumptive sounding) TB Records. “Black Hearts & Jaded Spades” saw a move away from the more NWOBHM and melodic hard rock flavour of their earliest releases towards a more glammed-up, radio friendly, keyboard augmented sound, aimed more towards the US and Japanese markets. This in turn led to shows with shows such important 80s rock and metal names as Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Mama's Boys, Dio and Slayer.

This part of the story is rounded off by a fourth disc collecting together many rare EPs, singles and non-album cuts from the early 1980s, including tracks from “The Cave Sessions”, “Undercover Honeymoon” 12”, “Midnight Rendezvous” EP and “Madame Guillotine” EP. Also features lengthy and detailed liner notes from note NWOBHM and Tokyo Blade expert John Tucker.



..::TRACK-LIST::..

CD 1 - Tokyo Blade (1983):
1. Powergame 4:13
2. Break The Chains 5:08
3. If Heaven Is Hell 6:05
4. On Through The Night 7:30
5. Killer City 5:48
6. Liar 5:36
7. Tonight 4:03
8. Sunrise In Tokyo 5:48
9. Blue Ridge Mountains Of Virginia 1:11

Track 9 not listed on the original tracklist on cd sleeve.



..::OBSADA::..

Vocals - Alan Marsh
Bass - Andy Robbins
Drums - Steve Pierce
Guitar - Andy Boulton, John Wiggins




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3pt_lpcXbU



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



..::OPIS::..

Tokyo Blade originally formed in 1982, releasing their self-titled debut in 1983 (CD 1 of this release). Formed around guitarist Andy Boulton, he was joined on their debut by Alan Marsh on lead vocals, John Wiggins on guitar, Andy Robbins on bass and Steve Pierce on drums, making a significant impact on the burgeoning NWOBHM scene that had been popularized by Iron Maiden, Saxon, Tygers Of Pan Tang and Def Leppard, as well as finding support in the pages of Kerrang! magazine. By 1984, they’d developed enough of a reputation to appear alongside Metallica and Venom at Holland’s Aardschock festival.

By by the time of the second full-length album, 1984’s “Night Of The Blade” (CD 2 of this release), Boulton had been joined by Vicki James Wright on lead vocals, who ended up replacing Alan March’s vocals that had already been recorded for the LP, with Andy Wrighton replacing Andy Robbins on bass. This was also their first album released on Powerstation Records, the British independent HM label that also released records by Little Angels, Chrome Molly and Pauline Gillan (sister of Ian Gillan).

In 1985 they released their third full-length LP, this time for their own (slightly consumptive sounding) TB Records. “Black Hearts & Jaded Spades” saw a move away from the more NWOBHM and melodic hard rock flavour of their earliest releases towards a more glammed-up, radio friendly, keyboard augmented sound, aimed more towards the US and Japanese markets. This in turn led to shows with shows such important 80s rock and metal names as Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Mama's Boys, Dio and Slayer.

This part of the story is rounded off by a fourth disc collecting together many rare EPs, singles and non-album cuts from the early 1980s, including tracks from “The Cave Sessions”, “Undercover Honeymoon” 12”, “Midnight Rendezvous” EP and “Madame Guillotine” EP. Also features lengthy and detailed liner notes from note NWOBHM and Tokyo Blade expert John Tucker.



..::TRACK-LIST::..

CD 1 - Tokyo Blade (1983):
1. Powergame 4:13
2. Break The Chains 5:08
3. If Heaven Is Hell 6:05
4. On Through The Night 7:30
5. Killer City 5:48
6. Liar 5:36
7. Tonight 4:03
8. Sunrise In Tokyo 5:48
9. Blue Ridge Mountains Of Virginia 1:11

Track 9 not listed on the original tracklist on cd sleeve.



..::OBSADA::..

Vocals - Alan Marsh
Bass - Andy Robbins
Drums - Steve Pierce
Guitar - Andy Boulton, John Wiggins




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3pt_lpcXbU



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



..::OPIS::..

Można by się długo spierać co do tego, czy GRAND MAGUS to zespół doom metalowy, czy heavy/doom metalowy, czy grający tradycyjnym oparty o najlepsze wzorce lat 70-tych i 80-tych heavy metal bez speed manii. Można by też przypinać łatkę epic, może też i inne. Nie można jednak zaprzeczyć, że w tym, co robią są od lat bardzo dobrzy, niezależnie od tego, jaki styl w danym okresie i na jakiej płycie ma znaczenie dominujące.

Album "Iron Will", nagrany po kilkuletniej przerwie z nowym perkusistą i wydany przez kilka wytwórni, w tym Rise Above w czerwcu, jest płytą z dominacją klasycznego heavy metalu. Jest też zdecydowanie nawiązaniem do tradycji takiego grania, zbudowanej w latach 80-tych na bazie doświadczeń dekady poprzedzającej, a wszystko złożone w jedną całość w sposób niemal perfekcyjny. Tego, że JB jest wokalistą wspaniałym udowadniać w żaden sposób nie trzeba, i o ile wcześniej prezentował także akcenty typowe dla wokalistów z kręgu szeroko pojmowanego doom, to tym razem pokazał się jako śpiewak heavy metalowy w najczystszej postaci. Jego występ jest tu niesamowity i chwilami ma się wrażenie, że muzyka jest tylko tłem dla niego stworzonym. Jak śpiewa? No tak jak JB, bo jego podrobić się nikomu nie udało, on sam nikogo też nie naśladuje i jeśli wskazać inne tak heavy metalowe gardło, przesycone stylem prapoczątków metalu, to trudno znaleźć odpowiednik.

Oprawa oprawą, ale przecież te kompozycje są tu wyśmienite same w sobie. Jeśli na samym początku "Like the Oar Strikes the Water" i "Fear Is the Key" są po prostu więcej niż bardzo dobrymi numerami, granymi w średnio szybkim tempie i z solami, jakie stanowiły sól metalu w latach 80-tych, to po instrumentalnej miniaturce "Hövding", GRAND MAGUS sieje zniszczenie kruszącymi riffami i morderczymi zwolnieniami, jakich przedsmak daje już to w "Fear Is the Key". "Iron Will" chyba jako numer tytułowy przypadkowo wybrany nie został. To esencja heavy metalu w dumnej i niezłomnej postaci z refrenem, jaki wchodzi do panteonu hymnowych refrenów classic heavy i w nim też ujawnia się siła wokalu Christofferssona. Jego gitara wyczarowuje sola proste i jednocześnie genialne w tej prostocie, będącej sumą doświadczeń 40 lat heavy rockowego grania. "Silver Into Steel" to metal skonstruowany na tym, co był najwcześniej i te lata 70-te wypływają tu z każdym dźwiękiem tej mocnej epickiej kompozycji. Harder, Faster... to "The Shadow Knows" i tu JB rozpruwa głosem i gitarą, zagrywając co jakiś czas morderczy, pełen metalowej pychy, kapitalny true motyw i do tego dochodzi wspaniałe solo gitarowe pełne rocka. W specyficznie akcentowanym basem "Self Deceiver" dokładają nieco tego swojego rozumienia doom metalu, tyle że to wszystko jest po to, aby jeszcze bardziej wyeksponować ten niesamowity heavy metal refren, a atmosferę zagęszczają chórki i niemal chwilami bluesowe solo. Ciężko i mrocznie jest w "Beyond Good and Evil" z sabbathowymi riffami i uporczywym powtarzaniem głównego motywu wzbogacanym, urozmaiconym basem i gęstą, fantazyjnie grającą perkusją.
"I Am the North" na koniec, choć teoretycznie trwa dziewięć minut, to w rzeczywistości oferuje jej tylko pięć, a reszta czasu to okres ciszy i coś na kształt instrumentalnej miniatury na koniec. Trochę szkoda, że nie mamy tu epickiego kolosa, ale i te pięć minut to kawał tradycyjnego heavy metalu na najwyższym poziomie, rozłupującego czaszki tych, którzy uważają, że metal się skończył. Jest tu i patos, i przestrzeń, i wgniatające w ziemię riffy, i oczywiście kolejny, wyborny popis wokalny JB, przypieczętowany następną piękną solówką gitarową.

Brzmienie? Takie jak powinno być. Mocna gitara, przyginający do gleby bas i głośna perkusja. Klasyczne, tradycyjne, staroszkolne, true, a równocześnie bardzo starannie zrealizowane.
Mistrzowski album, a bezcenny także dlatego, że wśród "fanów metalu" oddziela natychmiast chłopców od mężczyzn.

Memorius



Knock Knock.
Who's there?
Iron Will.
Iron Will who?
Iron Will kick your ass.

How much do you like your 70s hard rock and 80s metal? If you're like me and consider them the best thing that ever happened, here's some good news. JB, the vocalist/guitarist of the Swedish band Grand Magus is with you on that too. What started as a phenomenal blues heavy riff based doom on the first album kept evolving over the next two, becoming heavier, at times faster, and overall more epic metal. While Monument is probably still going to be my favourite album of theirs, Wolf's Return is the one for you metalheads.

The fourth album, Iron Will continues to see the band evolve. As far as lineup goes, Seb is the new man in since the old drummer quit back in 2006. But sonically, there's more than a passing resemblance to Dio's matchless recordings with the Blacker and Iommi, and many of these vocal harmonies are completely droolworthy if your favourite Deep Purple albums include the Mark III ones at the top. 80s metal is another influence on this but what completely signals the chequered flag for me are the Michael Schenker influenced leads by JB. The flying V and the half-cocked wah should be enough to imagine how big a disciple of Schenker's he is, but JB's phrasing and vibrato on this album are his best yet. Every solo is a song by itself and every solo is fucking awesome.

The Shadow Knows begins like Scorpions' one-chord-riff masterpiece Blackout, but also goes on to sound like a classic Dave Mustaine song on the verse. By the time Beyond Good and Evil, the second last song is on, you're absolutely convinced about a few things. The band is even capable of writing a metal anthem with just one riff, with the power of the heavy motherfucker of a groove, the unmatched singing, the solo and not to mention the greatness of that single riff itself. The album closes with just the enviable sounding drums pounding, joined a little later by the bass, almost sounding like something on the latest Riverside. The song in question is I am the North, and it is again a lesson in writing heavy, catchy and groovy epic doom with a load of That 70s Sex. As always with the band, this album has the perfect runtime of 38 minutes (without including the short hidden track). Classic stuff.

Olo


..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Like The Oar Strikes The Water 3:13
2. Fear Is The Key 3:31
3. Hang 0:39
4. Iron Will 5:01
5. Silver Into Steel 4:15
6. The Shadow Knows 5:35
7. Self Deceiver 4:49
8. Beyond Good And Evil 5:15
9. I Am The North 9:01

Iron Will was recorded during midwinter 2007-2008 at Ramitam, Stockholm, Sweden.



..::OBSADA::..

Bass - Fox
Drums - SEB
Guitar, Vocals - JB

Additional Acoustic Instrument - Oneman (tracks: 1, 5)




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj5o00Q4FB4



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



..::OPIS::..

Można by się długo spierać co do tego, czy GRAND MAGUS to zespół doom metalowy, czy heavy/doom metalowy, czy grający tradycyjnym oparty o najlepsze wzorce lat 70-tych i 80-tych heavy metal bez speed manii. Można by też przypinać łatkę epic, może też i inne. Nie można jednak zaprzeczyć, że w tym, co robią są od lat bardzo dobrzy, niezależnie od tego, jaki styl w danym okresie i na jakiej płycie ma znaczenie dominujące.

Album "Iron Will", nagrany po kilkuletniej przerwie z nowym perkusistą i wydany przez kilka wytwórni, w tym Rise Above w czerwcu, jest płytą z dominacją klasycznego heavy metalu. Jest też zdecydowanie nawiązaniem do tradycji takiego grania, zbudowanej w latach 80-tych na bazie doświadczeń dekady poprzedzającej, a wszystko złożone w jedną całość w sposób niemal perfekcyjny. Tego, że JB jest wokalistą wspaniałym udowadniać w żaden sposób nie trzeba, i o ile wcześniej prezentował także akcenty typowe dla wokalistów z kręgu szeroko pojmowanego doom, to tym razem pokazał się jako śpiewak heavy metalowy w najczystszej postaci. Jego występ jest tu niesamowity i chwilami ma się wrażenie, że muzyka jest tylko tłem dla niego stworzonym. Jak śpiewa? No tak jak JB, bo jego podrobić się nikomu nie udało, on sam nikogo też nie naśladuje i jeśli wskazać inne tak heavy metalowe gardło, przesycone stylem prapoczątków metalu, to trudno znaleźć odpowiednik.

Oprawa oprawą, ale przecież te kompozycje są tu wyśmienite same w sobie. Jeśli na samym początku "Like the Oar Strikes the Water" i "Fear Is the Key" są po prostu więcej niż bardzo dobrymi numerami, granymi w średnio szybkim tempie i z solami, jakie stanowiły sól metalu w latach 80-tych, to po instrumentalnej miniaturce "Hövding", GRAND MAGUS sieje zniszczenie kruszącymi riffami i morderczymi zwolnieniami, jakich przedsmak daje już to w "Fear Is the Key". "Iron Will" chyba jako numer tytułowy przypadkowo wybrany nie został. To esencja heavy metalu w dumnej i niezłomnej postaci z refrenem, jaki wchodzi do panteonu hymnowych refrenów classic heavy i w nim też ujawnia się siła wokalu Christofferssona. Jego gitara wyczarowuje sola proste i jednocześnie genialne w tej prostocie, będącej sumą doświadczeń 40 lat heavy rockowego grania. "Silver Into Steel" to metal skonstruowany na tym, co był najwcześniej i te lata 70-te wypływają tu z każdym dźwiękiem tej mocnej epickiej kompozycji. Harder, Faster... to "The Shadow Knows" i tu JB rozpruwa głosem i gitarą, zagrywając co jakiś czas morderczy, pełen metalowej pychy, kapitalny true motyw i do tego dochodzi wspaniałe solo gitarowe pełne rocka. W specyficznie akcentowanym basem "Self Deceiver" dokładają nieco tego swojego rozumienia doom metalu, tyle że to wszystko jest po to, aby jeszcze bardziej wyeksponować ten niesamowity heavy metal refren, a atmosferę zagęszczają chórki i niemal chwilami bluesowe solo. Ciężko i mrocznie jest w "Beyond Good and Evil" z sabbathowymi riffami i uporczywym powtarzaniem głównego motywu wzbogacanym, urozmaiconym basem i gęstą, fantazyjnie grającą perkusją.
"I Am the North" na koniec, choć teoretycznie trwa dziewięć minut, to w rzeczywistości oferuje jej tylko pięć, a reszta czasu to okres ciszy i coś na kształt instrumentalnej miniatury na koniec. Trochę szkoda, że nie mamy tu epickiego kolosa, ale i te pięć minut to kawał tradycyjnego heavy metalu na najwyższym poziomie, rozłupującego czaszki tych, którzy uważają, że metal się skończył. Jest tu i patos, i przestrzeń, i wgniatające w ziemię riffy, i oczywiście kolejny, wyborny popis wokalny JB, przypieczętowany następną piękną solówką gitarową.

Brzmienie? Takie jak powinno być. Mocna gitara, przyginający do gleby bas i głośna perkusja. Klasyczne, tradycyjne, staroszkolne, true, a równocześnie bardzo starannie zrealizowane.
Mistrzowski album, a bezcenny także dlatego, że wśród "fanów metalu" oddziela natychmiast chłopców od mężczyzn.

Memorius



Knock Knock.
Who's there?
Iron Will.
Iron Will who?
Iron Will kick your ass.

How much do you like your 70s hard rock and 80s metal? If you're like me and consider them the best thing that ever happened, here's some good news. JB, the vocalist/guitarist of the Swedish band Grand Magus is with you on that too. What started as a phenomenal blues heavy riff based doom on the first album kept evolving over the next two, becoming heavier, at times faster, and overall more epic metal. While Monument is probably still going to be my favourite album of theirs, Wolf's Return is the one for you metalheads.

The fourth album, Iron Will continues to see the band evolve. As far as lineup goes, Seb is the new man in since the old drummer quit back in 2006. But sonically, there's more than a passing resemblance to Dio's matchless recordings with the Blacker and Iommi, and many of these vocal harmonies are completely droolworthy if your favourite Deep Purple albums include the Mark III ones at the top. 80s metal is another influence on this but what completely signals the chequered flag for me are the Michael Schenker influenced leads by JB. The flying V and the half-cocked wah should be enough to imagine how big a disciple of Schenker's he is, but JB's phrasing and vibrato on this album are his best yet. Every solo is a song by itself and every solo is fucking awesome.

The Shadow Knows begins like Scorpions' one-chord-riff masterpiece Blackout, but also goes on to sound like a classic Dave Mustaine song on the verse. By the time Beyond Good and Evil, the second last song is on, you're absolutely convinced about a few things. The band is even capable of writing a metal anthem with just one riff, with the power of the heavy motherfucker of a groove, the unmatched singing, the solo and not to mention the greatness of that single riff itself. The album closes with just the enviable sounding drums pounding, joined a little later by the bass, almost sounding like something on the latest Riverside. The song in question is I am the North, and it is again a lesson in writing heavy, catchy and groovy epic doom with a load of That 70s Sex. As always with the band, this album has the perfect runtime of 38 minutes (without including the short hidden track). Classic stuff.

Olo


..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Like The Oar Strikes The Water 3:13
2. Fear Is The Key 3:31
3. Hang 0:39
4. Iron Will 5:01
5. Silver Into Steel 4:15
6. The Shadow Knows 5:35
7. Self Deceiver 4:49
8. Beyond Good And Evil 5:15
9. I Am The North 9:01

Iron Will was recorded during midwinter 2007-2008 at Ramitam, Stockholm, Sweden.



..::OBSADA::..

Bass - Fox
Drums - SEB
Guitar, Vocals - JB

Additional Acoustic Instrument - Oneman (tracks: 1, 5)




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj5o00Q4FB4



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



..::OPIS::..

Whilst the nascent “New Wave Of British Heavy Metal” movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s was raging just across the English Channel, spearheaded by debuts from the likes of Iron Maiden, Saxon and Angel Witch, and in part inspired by well-established bands such as Motorhead and Judas Priest, Belgium was fomenting its own highly influential rock and metal scene.

At its forefront was Belgian heavy metal group Killer.

A power trio founded in 1980 around lead guitarist and vocalist Paul Van Camp, joined by Fat Leo on drums and Spooky on bass guitar and vocals, Killer released their debut “Ready For Hell” on WEA Records, soon finding a cult following at home and abroad. Hailed, not unreasonably, as Belgium’s Motorhead, “Ready For Hell” can sit proudly alongside any NWOBHM debuts of the era, and would in turn be a major influence a few years later on the burgeoning thrash metal of Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer in the early 80s. The bonus tracks on CD1 are ‘From Nine To Five’, ‘Too Wild To Tame’, ‘Crazy Circus’ and ‘Chinese Woman’.

At the end of 1981, Fat Leo was replaced on drums by Double Bear for 1982’s “Wall Of Sound” LP, which saw Killer making a greater impact beyond Belgium, becoming a popular fixture on European festival bills. The bonus track on “Walls Of Sound” is the self-explanatory ‘Walls Of Hell’.

Killer’s management formed the highly influential metal label Mausoleum Records, and unsurprisingly, Killer were a perfect fit for the label, recording the “Shockwaves” LP. Mausoleum would also launch cult Belgian bands such as Ostrogoth, Crossfire, Danger, FN Guns, and Lions Pride, as well as non-Belgian acts Wildfire, Faithful Breath and Warlock, all becoming highly collectable releases. The bonus tracks on “Shockwaves” demonstrate what Killer did best with live versions of ‘Shock Waves’, ‘Scarecrow’, ‘In The Name Of The Law’ and ‘Kleptomania’.

Although the band disbanded in early 1987, with Paul Van Camp releasing his self-titled solo debut the same year, thankfully Spooky and Shorty decided to start Killer again in 1989, but with new drummer Rudy Simmons and a second guitar player, Jan Van Springel. Their fourth album, “Fatal Attraction”, was recorded in Germany and released by Mausoleum Records in 1990, with the band focussing and capitalizing on their popularity in Germany.

Once again, unfortunately, partly due to the growing popularity of grunge, Killer decided to call it a day in 1991, which is where this 4CD collection ends. Killer would, of course, reform later in the decade, and were proud to release their seventh album, “Monsters Of Rock” in 2015, in time to commemorate the band’s 35th Anniversary. But that’s another story...

FOR FANS OF: MOTORHEAD / ACID / NEW WAVE OF BRITISH HEAVY METAL



..::TRACK-LIST::..

CD 2 - Wall Of Sound (1982)
1. Wall Of Sound
2. Battle Scars
3. Blinded
4. No Future
5. Bodies And Bones
6. Maybe Our Interests Are The Same
7. Hellbreaker
8. Kleptomania

Bonus Track:
9. Walls Of Hell



..::OBSADA::..

Vocals, Bass - Spooky
Vocals, Guitar - Shorty
Drums - Double Bear




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6hDxFbpJMU



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



..::OPIS::..

Whilst the nascent “New Wave Of British Heavy Metal” movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s was raging just across the English Channel, spearheaded by debuts from the likes of Iron Maiden, Saxon and Angel Witch, and in part inspired by well-established bands such as Motorhead and Judas Priest, Belgium was fomenting its own highly influential rock and metal scene.

At its forefront was Belgian heavy metal group Killer.

A power trio founded in 1980 around lead guitarist and vocalist Paul Van Camp, joined by Fat Leo on drums and Spooky on bass guitar and vocals, Killer released their debut “Ready For Hell” on WEA Records, soon finding a cult following at home and abroad. Hailed, not unreasonably, as Belgium’s Motorhead, “Ready For Hell” can sit proudly alongside any NWOBHM debuts of the era, and would in turn be a major influence a few years later on the burgeoning thrash metal of Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer in the early 80s. The bonus tracks on CD1 are ‘From Nine To Five’, ‘Too Wild To Tame’, ‘Crazy Circus’ and ‘Chinese Woman’.

At the end of 1981, Fat Leo was replaced on drums by Double Bear for 1982’s “Wall Of Sound” LP, which saw Killer making a greater impact beyond Belgium, becoming a popular fixture on European festival bills. The bonus track on “Walls Of Sound” is the self-explanatory ‘Walls Of Hell’.

Killer’s management formed the highly influential metal label Mausoleum Records, and unsurprisingly, Killer were a perfect fit for the label, recording the “Shockwaves” LP. Mausoleum would also launch cult Belgian bands such as Ostrogoth, Crossfire, Danger, FN Guns, and Lions Pride, as well as non-Belgian acts Wildfire, Faithful Breath and Warlock, all becoming highly collectable releases. The bonus tracks on “Shockwaves” demonstrate what Killer did best with live versions of ‘Shock Waves’, ‘Scarecrow’, ‘In The Name Of The Law’ and ‘Kleptomania’.

Although the band disbanded in early 1987, with Paul Van Camp releasing his self-titled solo debut the same year, thankfully Spooky and Shorty decided to start Killer again in 1989, but with new drummer Rudy Simmons and a second guitar player, Jan Van Springel. Their fourth album, “Fatal Attraction”, was recorded in Germany and released by Mausoleum Records in 1990, with the band focussing and capitalizing on their popularity in Germany.

Once again, unfortunately, partly due to the growing popularity of grunge, Killer decided to call it a day in 1991, which is where this 4CD collection ends. Killer would, of course, reform later in the decade, and were proud to release their seventh album, “Monsters Of Rock” in 2015, in time to commemorate the band’s 35th Anniversary. But that’s another story...

FOR FANS OF: MOTORHEAD / ACID / NEW WAVE OF BRITISH HEAVY METAL



..::TRACK-LIST::..

CD 2 - Wall Of Sound (1982)
1. Wall Of Sound
2. Battle Scars
3. Blinded
4. No Future
5. Bodies And Bones
6. Maybe Our Interests Are The Same
7. Hellbreaker
8. Kleptomania

Bonus Track:
9. Walls Of Hell



..::OBSADA::..

Vocals, Bass - Spooky
Vocals, Guitar - Shorty
Drums - Double Bear




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6hDxFbpJMU



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



Czyste złoto! Bez syfiastych domieszek!
Płyta kompletna... nic bym tutaj nie zmienił. Rewelacja!!!



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Firepower 3:28
2. Lightning Strike 3:30
3. Evil Never Dies 4:23
4. Never The Heroes 4:23
5. Necromancer 3:33
6. Children Of The Sun 4:00
7. Guardians 1:06
8. Rising From Ruins 5:22
9. Flame Thrower 4:34
10. Spectre 4:24
11. Traitors Gate 5:43
12. No Surrender 5:54
13. Lone Wolf 5:09
14. Sea Of Red 5:51



..::OBSADA::..

Rob Halford - vocals
Glenn Tipton - guitars
Richie Faulkner - guitars
Ian Hill - bass
Scott Travis - drums




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QtjdDiMLVg



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!

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



Czyste złoto! Bez syfiastych domieszek!
Płyta kompletna... nic bym tutaj nie zmienił. Rewelacja!!!



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Firepower 3:28
2. Lightning Strike 3:30
3. Evil Never Dies 4:23
4. Never The Heroes 4:23
5. Necromancer 3:33
6. Children Of The Sun 4:00
7. Guardians 1:06
8. Rising From Ruins 5:22
9. Flame Thrower 4:34
10. Spectre 4:24
11. Traitors Gate 5:43
12. No Surrender 5:54
13. Lone Wolf 5:09
14. Sea Of Red 5:51



..::OBSADA::..

Rob Halford - vocals
Glenn Tipton - guitars
Richie Faulkner - guitars
Ian Hill - bass
Scott Travis - drums




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QtjdDiMLVg



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!