Renowned progressive rock multitalented musician Nad Sylvan returns with the new solo album “The Bride Said No” which aims to entertain the audience with eclectic songwriting and talented musicianship.

In terms of songwriting and execution “The Quartermaster” is closer to traditional prog rock standards with flamboyant keyboards which provide brilliant solos as well as catchy layers with 80’s vibes.

Far from being your standard prog rock song “The White Crown” feels like a rock operetta with entertaining Victorian theatrics, charismatic and diverse synths melodies but also graceful classical accents.

“Crime Of Passion” features memorable guitar leads and 80’s influenced catchy rhythms but also relies on the sheer power of melancholy and nostalgia to capture the listeners’ attention.

The title track truly feels like attending a musical at the theatre with scrupulous attention for stylish details, several smooth style and tempo changes and a compelling vocal duet. There is always an uplifting mood but also a subtle nostalgia with elegant shimmering atmospheric arrangements and prog oriented crispy clean guitar solos.

With its fancy theatrical mood and interesting stylish arrangements “The Bride Said No” will easily please prog rock connoisseurs.

 

Critically acclaimed Icelandic band Solstafir continues to fiercely explore diverse music and emotional territories in the long awaited album “Berdreyminn” which noticeably holds great artistic fervor and surreal creativity.

“Silfur-Refur” shines for the introspective eerie atmospheres created by minimalist guitar melodies, uncontrollable emotions and music are inevitably entwined in the most natural way evoking desolate yet serene landscapes even when guitars acquire crunchy power and darkened nuances.

“Hula” features multidimensional cathartic piano passages that follow a pure desire to go beyond the obvious rock music core in order to achieve an extraordinary sonic intensity. The soft yet grandiose atmospheric arrangements convey an overwhelming melancholy dramatically enhanced by angelic choirs and tormented vocals.

“Nárós” holds the sheer flickering power of dreams as moody guitars shift from slow intricate yet balanced melodies to shimmering catchy riffing leading to a full blown fuzzy rock groove that doesn’t need to be exaggeratedly heavy to impress the audience.

“Dýrafjörður” feels like the eternal battle between light and dark and a deep cold melancholy is always ready to embrace the whole instrumentation. Contemplative vocals, retro fuzzy guitars and melancholic orchestrations contribute to create an impressive array of delightfully fragile harmonies that celebrate the kaleidoscopic beauty of nature.

“Bláfjall” is mournful and dense with cold Nordic beauty and exquisite melancholy embedded in the organ progressions while loads of acidic rock guitar riffs keep steady monumental grooves in a charismatic instrumental crescendo that just seems endless.

It’s not surprising that ignoring standard music boundaries and being eager to shape a unique sonic palette Solstafir continues to attract new listeners worldwide and a majestic album like “Berdreyminn” should not remain confined in the underground scene.

Thinking about horror rock/metal Wednesday 13 obviously comes to mind as a prominent figure in that particular genre. Like a spooky resurrection Wednesday 13 is ready to unleash the latest effort “Condolences” and his first release via Nuclear Blast.

”What The Night Brings” reminds the listeners that all kinds of creatures come out at night and introduces the album’s macabre mood with a super creepy concoction of guitar riffs/melodies that deliver a horror heavy rock groove.

On “Blood Sick” old style organ crafts additional gothic atmospheres and vampyric mood while guitars efficiently keep rocking in the background and Wednesday 13 delivers his signature devilish vocals.

“You Breathe, I Kill” packs a raw rhythm with faster pace and deeper menacing vocals while a mandatory overdose of nightmares surrounds the crunchy guitar riffs.

“Cruel To You” is another melodic catchy tune where guitar leads have a more prominent role and a rather fun accessible chorus puts aside the darker side of the album.

“Lonesome Road To Hell” doesn’t really sound evil with a steady punky groove nevertheless there are plenty of easy rock guitar melodies and smooth solo to keep you entertained.

The title track shines for its inner moody mournfulness with graceful gothic tinged atmospheres that feel like walking around cemeteries at night even if it might not be trendy anymore. Vocals acquire an introspective nostalgia and guitar riffs hold an intense darkened groove while an unexpected glamorous melodic solo carries an additional dosage of deep melancholy.

“Condolences” includes 13 songs (cannot be a coincidence) that might need to be taken more seriously than expected as the songwriting is rather simple but the cinematic vintage horror vibes render everything interesting and entertaining.

It feels like a long time since we had the pleasure to listen to new songs by Life Of Agony therefore the latest release “A Place Where There’s No More Pain” comes with great expectations and curiosity. Life of Agony has gained a strong cult status in the 90’s metal scene crafting powerful rock grooves and genuinely emotional lyrics and the new album still follows such passionate music pathway.

“Meet My Maker” combines a charismatic blend of hardcore aggressiveness and accessible melodies, especially in the smooth and quite uplifting chorus, guitars can easily deliver plenty of crunchy riffing as well as a highly enjoyable melodic solo with classic rock accents.

“Right This Wrong” starts fierce and rather wild with gritty stomping friendly guitar riffs while Mina Caputo confidently channels 90’s influenced vocal delivery adding a generous dose of honest emotions particularly enhanced in the slower melodic breakdown.

The title track delivers another catchy round of relentless energetic guitar riffs well supported by heavy drumming to ensure immediate high impact but also embellished by subtle inspiring memorable melodies.

“World Gone Mad” has a more raw rocking feeling as cascading guitar riffs build a persistent groove that becomes even more addictive with the extra melodic mood of the chorus while Mina delivers a fervent charismatic vocal performance throughout the song.

“Bag Of Bones” channels the gloomy splendor of iconic Type O Negative and proceeds with irresistible heartfelt melodic crescendo that continues to owe immense strength to Mina’s vocals and creates a series of cathartic moody guitar driven grooves.

“A Place Where There’s No More Pain” feels like a mature and relevant work of music written and executed by a deeply united band that fearlessly shares personal struggles and healing processes with the fans, ultimately this album makes you want to hear more music from Life Of Agony.

Experimental death/noise band Full Of Hell has released the third full-length album “Trumpeting Ecstasy”, a memorable dynamic music experience that blends an overdose of distorted fury and multifaceted music influences.

“Deluminate” opens the album in full blown thunderous fashion with an unstoppable heavy super fast rhythm and insane growls to ensure maximum impact.

“Bound Sphinx” still holds a similar heavy blast that seems breathless but industrial elements join the noise ensemble and slightly slower tempo adds enigmatic vibes.

“Crawling Back To God” will easily become a favorite with intense blackened death metal roots embedded in the ominous moody cascade of tight cohesive guitar riffs and drums to deliver an explosive groove.

“Gnawed Flesh” features accelerated tempo but doesn’t sacrifice a stylistic balance with an overdose of sharp guitar riffs and ravenous screams followed by funeral doom infused sinister slower rhythm.

The title track breaks the blackened spell feeling disconnected from reality as guest vocalist Nicole Dollanganger delivers poetic ethereal vocals in avant-garde fashion through static noise layers.

“At The Cauldron’s Bottom” offers dizzy rhythmic segments characterized by primordial death metal elements and later channels immense darkness with a sludge doom grim metamorphosis and particularly charismatic drumming.

“Trumpeting Ecstasy” must be listened in its entirety to truly follow the understated instrumental fluidity, this is not just a random heavy brutal noise anthem as Full Of Hell might be young but are already perfecting a unique music approach that is bound to generate more interest in the underground extreme metal scene.

Featuring members of extreme metallers Dodecahedron and progressive band Textures Ulsect is ready to debut in the metal scene with the eponymous first full length, a rather mature album characterized by post death metal roots and intense dissonant patterns.

“Fall To Depravity” holds ominous power as the band embarks on a dissonant journey where sinister melodies and desolate atmospheres take the spotlight. The guitar work will certainly trigger interest as it constantly shifts from cascading heavy riffing to slow and depressing melodic twists.

“Our Trivial Toil” features loads of technical details showcasing a prowess that cannot go unnoticed and intense gloomy melodies create underlying tapestry with solemn passages breaking through the apparent chaotic soundscape.

“The Endling” offers omnipresent darkened aesthetics mixed with moments of raw primordial fury as Ulsect continues to experiment in the darkest realms of metal. The sinister aura feels even more palpable in the slower breakdown with dissonant eclectic guitar melodies that momentarily take over the blackened fast rhythm.

On “Maunder” the avant-garde approach contributes to craft a more unique sound. Echoes of a foreordained fury are still present without sacrificing clean melodic lines and vulnerable dark nuances are embedded in the intricate guitar melodies that channel a distant symbol of beauty that should not be forgotten.

Ulsect delivers a fierce work of music filled with uneasy and complex sonic themes that might appeal mainly to a limited audience.

Featuring Atreyu’s drummer Brandon Saller as vocalist/songwriter hard rockers Hell Or Highwater have released the sophomore album “Vista” filled with bombastic rhythms as well as loads of soothing melodies.

“Colors” is full of positive vibes with heavy rock crunchy guitar riffing and powerful vocals but the easy melodic core tends to dominate the whole song with a radio friendly approach.

“Another Good Time” feels almost somber with solid bass lines, raw guitar riffs and fuzzy guitar solo but soon acquires plenty of extremely melodic vibes.

“Lighter Than Air” has a southern rock warmth flowing through the classic guitar melodies well supported by moody smooth vocals and rather catchy rhythmic sections that are easy to remember.

“Don’t Stop. Get Up” revolves around groovy guitar riffs that showcase some degree of diversity and hold vibrant hard rock elements but the chorus and the choir return to the designated radio friendly recipe.

“Dame” showcases intriguing variegated music themes with bluesy inspiration noticeable in the super groovy rhythm and the highly enjoyable lead guitar work.

“Revolution” features mellow melodies and nostalgic atmospheres leading to a catchy chorus and pleasant classic rock guitar leads.

“Vista” can be explosive or emotive in rock ballad style and certainly feels like a well executed cohesive work of music but not incredibly unique.

Young emerging French band Volker might have a chance to impress the music scene with the new album “Dead Doll” which delivers a promising melodic catchy music style heavily influenced by 90’s grunge rock and horror punk.

“Freaky Bride” is filled with dirty & gritty grooves enhanced by rebellious punk/metal guitar driven rhythms and a touch of macabre vibes particularly expressed in the moody guitar melodies.

“Obey!” continues to revolve around engaging wild punk rock guitar dynamics while raw diverse vocal deliveries add addictively catchy vibes.

“Suicide Love Addict” explores catchy melodic territories and dark romance themes without sacrificing the inner wild rock nature always present in the cascading guitar riffs and enraged vocals.

“Yell” features subtle decadent melodic passages enhanced by seductive vocals and gloomy atmospheres that surround a crescendo of darkened textured guitars.

“Voodoo Baby” focuses on gothic & horror themes with amplified ghoulish cinematic accents, feverish guitar riffs and angered punk rock style vocals also feels quite dominant.

“Raven” is all about endless darkness and inspired haunting guitar melodies while vocals and rhythmic sections deliver an overdose of borderline blackened primal fury.

Volker are certainly very motivated and passionate about music and “Dead Doll” is an entertaining diverse collection of songs spiced up with a turbulent dosage of girl power.

Lonely Robot’s 2nd album is definitely a progressive work of art. John Mitchell  whom you may know from Arena and Frost*, proves that he is one hell of a composer and song writer.

Prologue (Deep Sleep) opens the albums with kind of that sci-fi film score type feel to it creating a really cool mood to set the tone for the album.

“Awakenings” starts out pretty powerful and full sounding. The verses are just awesome. Really nice groove. The Chorus is Huge sounding. The bridge is nice and atmospheric with a super emotional guitar solo. Talk about hitting all the right notes.

“Sigma” starts out with great layering of heavy guitars and clean guitars, creating a nice atmospheric sound. The verses are super pretty, followed by quite the epic chorus. This guy knows how to write a good song. The drummer rips it up in the mid section, if you pay attention.

“Everglow” kind of reminds me of another great prog band by the name of Threshold. I hear a very similar song writing approach. Very proggy, yet extremely song oriented and focused on hooks. Great dynamics in this song and another very emotional guitar solo.

“False Lights” The mid section gets many thumbs up. Great song in general, but I had to mention that mid section.

I won’t give anymore away. If you like good song writing with lots of subtle progressive concepts, this album is for you. This album was pretty refreshing to be quite honest. It’s worth your time, trust me…

 

“Loyal to the Night Sky” right off the bat reminds me of the 2nd wave of black metal. The nice thing about this is that the musicians are all actually really tight, even though the style is raw.

“Towards The Absolute” gets to the point where I’m even reminded of the first wave of black metal in some of the riffing. Something to mention here is that the vocalist has a pretty badass voice. Very traditional, which when it comes to harsh vocals, I’ll admit that’s my preference, as opposed to the Core influenced harsh vocals.

“Burning in Forgotten Times” opens up with some cool sounding dissonance followed by a verse that reminds me of Mayhem’s Freezing Moon a bit. The song drones on in a good way. It almost has a Black Sabbath feel, just clearly black metal. Halfway through it picks up and changes feel a bit. Definitely a punchy tune.

“Abu Sindi” The drummer has some interesting ideas that keep things interesting. There’s a lot of subtle things that he does that are really cool if you pay attention. You can really notice it on this monster track. You kind of get a little bit of everything here. This was one of my favorites on the album.

 

If you like old school raw black metal, this album is for you. The thing that makes this different is that it’s a bit more polished, so you can hear the separation in the instruments more. But trust me, it doesn’t lose the eerie atmosphere.