We’ve seen it on the fashion runways and all over the music scene, so I guess that 70’s style is officially trendy again. The German act Kadavar certainly embraced full speed every musical aspect of 70’s classic rock and even the band’s image matches that particular music direction perfectly.
On the new album “Abra Kadavar” (lovely title by the way and maybe pun intended?) you will find all the magic nostalgia of the unforgettable golden days of true hard rock with that delicious hint of psychedelic mood.
“Come Back Life” holds no secrets and no digital special effect. Simple and well executed, this is a distorted guitar driven tune that never fails to build a fun groove with nostalgic Black Sabbath influences.
“Doomsday Machine” feels more like a time machine as its one and only duty is to efficiently take you back in time for a chance to jam in a smoky bar. The groove is always there and the rhythm is laid back without pretenses.
“Eye Of The Storm” is full of catchy guitar riffs that aim to create a good time rather than to deliver a perfect record that will sell out. Yet, you will start to notice that the vocals can be obnoxiously repetitive while the guitars take more chances to get wild in the last two minutes.
“Liquid Dream” not only manages to keep that overwhelmingly groovy maybe bluesy guitar riff but also provides all you need to trip out without regrets.
“Rhythm For Endless Minds” will make a difference. That’s how we like it here…filled with illusions…psychedelic all the way through with hints of Monster Magnet. Slower beat and electronically fueled atmosphere on which you must go experimental with the guitar sound. This is when you realize that the possibilities are endless.
“Abra Kadabra” is another lucky moment. Every instrument here concocts a wide array of psychedelic rock melodies that favor genuine tripping and courageously open the doors of imagination.
Undoubtedly, Kadavar stays true to its musical vision without any apparent effort but “Abra Kadavar” as a whole can be monotone at times.

When it comes to a Sirenia’s new album it’s like playing with fire after being repeatedly burned in the past. You must remember the pain and that you shouldn’t do it anymore, but you always do it anyway. This time could be different because “Perils Of The Deep Blue” comes with unbreakable promises, maybe.
The album opens with the intro “Ducere Me In Lucem” and a Latin title always creates majestic expectations and endless illusions. Then again, if you stick to angelic vocals haunting you from far away and sweet melancholic piano melodies what could ever go wrong?
“Seven Widows Weep” has an undeniably powerful start with the “oh so lovely” operatic choir that here almost sounds evil and angry (this is a very good sign). The guitar’s sound is dirty and the growls are greedy, but Ailyn’s lead vocals still feel out of place. What a pity, especially considering that the keyboards arrangement is as exquisite as it can be.
“My Destiny Coming To Pass” has a classic pompous symphonic approach but the surprisingly violent guitar riffs deserve to be acknowledged while Ailyn’s super fragile and overwhelmingly optimistic delivery (full of echoes and unnatural reverb) is not impressive.
“Decadence” has a catchy and quick rhythm but the vocals are way too high for the melody tuning. Anyways, the blast of evil growls always brings hope while the lack of Gregorian chants makes this song particularly sad.
“Stille Kom Døden” holds the magic of a miracle with its blessed decadent tragic gothic attitude, lovely guitar leads and the genuine powerless feelings of tormented souls. Among the super sad melodies, Ailyn manages to match her vocals to the musical tapestry for the first time. And then the ominous choir helps Morten’s alluring growls to seal this impeccable moment.
“A Blizzard Is Storming” features some inspiring moments such as the darker melodic theme gothic-oriented emphasized by tight guitar riffs a bit on the heavy side and a harrowing solo.
Undoubtedly, “Perils Of The Deep Blue” shows a noticeable improvement in the songwriting and arrangement but, fearlessly, I will say again that Morten Veland does not need a pop style female singer to make Sirenia trendy and successful.

Gothminister’s latest release “Utopia” is a quite complicated concept album. Giving it a quick listening it was extremely hard to realize what was beyond each and every song. First of all, I had no idea that mastermind Bjørn Alexander Brem actually has a “normal” day job rather than being just a talented freak. That being stated, “Utopia” is an album centered on the insane collision of reality and imagination.
“Someone Is After Me” turns on the traditional nightmarish mode full of monsters under the bed and freaky (possibly undead) stalkers. From a stylistic point of view, there are a lot of catchy heavy rock guitar riffs and the electro goth attitude is not as empowering as expected.
The titletrack has a slower darker rhythm with eerie backing vocals and baritone leads. This song is less guitar centered and rather emphasizes a goth mood that naturally flows into a radio friendly chorus.
“Horrorshow” is quite self explanatory. The dominant vibe is that playful creepiness of old cult horror movies with a hint of properly heavy industrial metal and, of course, a dancey groove chorus.
“Nightmare” has a majestic and powerful ensemble of groovy riffs and atmospheric keyboards. In terms of songwriting, the musical core is quite straightforward and leans towards gothic metal roots with the addition of the horror rock sensation.
“All Alone” feels almost like a traditional spooky lullaby with evil whisperings in the pitch black darkness. The lead guitar shows a mellow, almost ballad style, but the overall rhythm is still absolutely groovy while the vocals’ delivery suggests oppressed and scary feelings.
I remembered that Gothminister was much more entertaining and obnoxiously amusing than this, nevertheless“Utopia” shows enough consistent musical variety even if there are not outstandingly creative elements.

It cannot be denied that Alcest has worked very hard to gain a righteous role in music. The new album “Shelter” represents most likely the musical turning point that Neige & co. was meant to reach to become an established band.
While “Opale” is full of that spiritually uplifting mood that is part of Alcest’s musical legacy, the songwriting itself doesn’t strike as unique or particularly creative. The smooth guitar melodies layered on a poppy upbeat rhythm makes this song widely accessible yet not as strong as you would expect from a full length opener.
“La Nuit Marce Avec Moi” incarnates more what Alcest’s music means in the contemporary music scene. There are poetic and extremely delicate sentiments entwined in every guitar phrase and the vocals have that ethereal delivery that gently accompanies the listeners through the realm of dreams.
“Voix Sereines” focuses on a shimmery crystalline guitar sound that truly embodies the benign power of light. At the same time, there is an intoxicating taste for melancholy portrayed by an incredibly soft guitar distortion almost hidden, yet certainly palpable in the rhythm section.
“L’Enveil Des Muses” has the most captivating dreamy musical landscape. Every stylistic element that defines Alcest’s music is incorporated on this song filled with Neige’s softest vocals diving through delicate melodies.
“Away” is a desperately delicate ballad featuring Neil Halstead from Slowdive as lead singer. Everything is slowed down and the melodic guitars work harmoniously to create a painless world of pure serenity.
All over internet “Shelter” is defined as a “non-metal” album which makes you wonder if this is a flaw or a virtue. Anyways, Alcest delivers once again an inspiring peaceful dreamy album but, despite an obviously mature sound, “Shelter” seems to be missing the immediately addictive heterogeneous alchemy that made “Les Voyages De L’Ame” a mesmerizing masterpiece.