Retro rock sensation Blues Pills returns with the second full length “Lady In Gold” promising an exciting ensemble of catchy songs that will attract a wider audience.

The title track and the album as a whole seem to focus noticeably on Elin Larsson’s vibrant vocals. While the vocals take inevitably the center stage with a particularly catchy chorus the music arrangement features perfectly retro fashioned guitar riffs and keyboards that effortlessly maintain a constant groove.

“Burned Out” has a bluesy groove that holds subtle dark accents in the organ melodic layers and languid guitar phrases. Once again the memorable catchy chorus featuring Larsson’s powerful voice and delightful soul style choirs is meant to steal the scene.

“I Felt A Change” has a borderline ballad style dramatic mood where Larsson successfully delivers a soulful vocal performance accompanied by a lovely old fashioned organ.

“Rejection” stands out for the mix of melancholic delivery and a dynamic catchy rhythm that holds a nostalgic inner force. The old fashioned bluesy oriented fuzzy lead guitar will drag you in a stoner rock whirlwind while the catchy chorus will force you to spin around or at least to dance under the moonlight.

“Elements And Things” is the most psychedelic stoner rock oriented track on this album. The guitar riffs have a bold rock vibe that easily builds a lively groove further amplified by strong vocals but the true highlight is the understated full blown psychedelic lead guitar work that evokes a restless spiritual endeavor in the middle of the desert.

Overall, Blues Pills might have packed a larger dose of psychedelic energy on “Lady In Gold” nevertheless the trendy retro vibe is very much alive in each song resulting in a rather enjoyable music experience.

Notorious Accept’s guitarist Wolf Hoffmann has always been influenced and inspired by classical music that motivated him to release a second solo record entitled “Headbangers Symphony” consisting of a collection of classical compositions interpreted in guitar driven symphonic rock fashion.

Beethoven’s “Scherzo” delivers a bold mix of luminous orchestration and wild guitar shredding with a definitely memorable majestic arrangement.

The adaptation of Mussorgsky’s “Night On Bald Mountain” has a heavier metal approach with a gothic tinged atmosphere portrayed by darker grandiose orchestration and faster rhythm filled of intricate guitar harmonies.

Vivaldi’s “Double Cello Concerto in G Minor” has an epic up-tempo orchestration and shines for a virtuoso style full blown shredding guitar solo.

Mozart’s “Symphony No. 40” shines for the major symphonic attitude full of certain dynamic orchestrations that definitely inspired several modern metal bands and the shimmering powerful guitar leads generate an immediate crave for headbanging.

Hoffmann’s interpretation of Tchaikovsky‘s celebrated ballet “Swan Lake” maintains the melancholic beautiful elegance of the original piece and adds an overload of charismatic guitar work.

Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly” offers a dramatic vibe with slower passionately sorrowful guitar melodies gently accompanied by a regal subtle orchestration.

Wolf Hoffmann‘s “Headbangers Symphony” features a brilliant selection of immortal classical pieces that will sound rather familiar to many and is an exquisite album filled of genuine passion and musical prowess suitable for a wide range of listeners.

Back in the ‘80s Death Angel made a strong impact in the metal scene acquiring a wide audience of devoted angry teenagers and even now the band’s thrash style is still relevant and successful. With the latest release “The Evil Divide” Death Angel stays true to its own legendary thrash metal roots but manages to add some modern metal accents in the mix.

“The Moth” has an intense guitar driven sonic impact filled with exciting groovy riffs fast paced in thrash style but tinged with a blackened gloom. The powerful solid rhythmic backbone offer the perfect support for a melodic guitar solo and a catchy chorus of angry screams.

“Lost” favors the band’s melodic side smoothing the rough edges with a mellower rhythm and rather somber vocals. Mark Osegueda delivers some majestic signature screams on the chorus and the guitar solos take a larger role adding crafty harmonies.

“Father Of Lies” brings back a taste for aggressive speed with blistering guitar riffs and tight rhythm. Lead guitars continue to add delightful melodic phrases, especially in the final arpeggios, and the darkened harmonious shredding solo can be easily considered the highlight of the song.

“It Can’t Be This” kicks off with a strong bass line that gives way to a series of super tight thunderous thrash oriented guitar riffing that build a consistent groove further enhanced by Osegueda’s angry and dirty screams.

“Hatred United, United Hate” offers a relentless series of galloping crunchy guitar riffs that once again evoke Death Angel’s thrash roots and deliver a fluid melodic groove. The song’s theme appears to be quite dark rather than simply angry and the impressive savage guitar solo performed by Andreas Kisser of Sepultura is definitely a standout.

“The Evil Divide” is a cohesive vibrant thrash album that delivers some interesting stylistic ideas skillfully mixed with the beloved old school Bay Area sound and will certainly please Death Angel’s faithful fanbase.

Modern metal French outfit Eths is determined to explore a variety of sonic dimensions with the release of the new album entitled “Ankaa” which features new vocalist Rachel Aspe and Soilwork drummer Dirk Verbeuren.

“Nefas” begins with a creepy atmospheric mood that turns into a heavy turmoil of blasting drums and furious guitar riffs. The rather chaotic music theme showcases elements of nu metal and metalcore but there is also a gloomy melodic facet.

“Nihil Sine Causa” surprises with mesmerizing Arabic chanting and experimental electronic layers that add a multidimensional diversity to the highly aggressive metal core. The soft soothing chants effortlessly embrace the enraging growls and the resulting harmony creates a sharp yet enjoyable contrast.

“Seditio” is a triumph of pure melancholy with decadently gentle piano melodies that strangely embrace the enraged mix of growls and cleans. The melodic theme of the song has definitely a French bohemienne vibe even when heavier guitar riffing and drumming predominate.

“Sekhet Aaru” takes a break from the heavy galloping riffs to deliver a borderline ambiance track filled with darkly atmospheric arrangements and mystical chanting that invite the listeners to embrace a rather peaceful, yet sorrowful, soundscape.

“Kumari Kandam” continues to evoke the same mystical and mythological mood with mysterious atmospheric layers and an elegantly melodic theme. There is still space for some heavy guitar riffs and strong growls but the mellower side of the song is far more attractive.

“Mintaka” delivers another lovely mixture of ambiance atmospheres with an esoteric taste and scattered futuristic electro accents. There is also a powerful guitar driven groove mixed with highly melodic clean vocals with a touch of mystical chanting.

Overall, with “Ankaa” Eths manages to successfully blend multiple metal sub genres to create a more personal sonic identity that could make the band shine in the underground metal scene.

Since Abbath’s announcement of his departure from iconic Norwegian black metal act Immortal devoted fans have been eagerly waiting for the release of a solo album. The self titled debut album seems to deliver the gelid black metal formula that fans have been hoping for.

“To War!” is an anthem of the Nordic force that fuels many traditional black metal stylistic elements. As expected, blasting drumming and tight riffing are at the center of a cold mix but it’s not just a matter of pure blazing fury since there is also a lot of space for a groovy rhythm and a lovely melodic guitar solo.

“Winter Bane” would be easily an immediate favorite with an extremely catchy guitar riff that shimmers throughout the song well supported by a super strong bass backbone. Abbath’s raspy vocals keep the mood as blackened as possible and blend effortlessly with the icy melodic features of the song.

“Count The Dead” kicks off with a majestic mid tempo rhythm that calls for wild headbanging and features another highly enjoyable melodic guitar solo. The guitar riffs have an epic classic metal vibe skillfully mixed with faster Nordic black metal drumming blasting without exaggerated aggression.

“Eternal” evokes the darkest wrath of Norwegian black metal and delivers a breathless fast rhythm that holds an overdose of crushing energy in every riff and growl but still keeps a melodic aura.

Overall, there are no major bursts of impressive creativity as the music themes are structured in traditional black metal fashion, nevertheless Abbath will always be a charismatic frontman and his latest effort shines for its catchy yet harsh songwriting style.

After six years Withered comes back with the brand new album entitled “Grief Relic” which promises to be the band’s darkest musical endeavor.

“Leathery Rind” focuses on crushing guitar riffs, furious growls and an oppressively dark rhythmic core. If the main stylistic elements evoke the chaotic anger of death metal the overall atmosphere evokes some aggressively primordial black metal roots.

“A Realm Of Suffering” maintains the same brutal essence but adds some fast blackened guitar leads and a doom oriented breakdown that deliver a certain dose of melodic decadence.

“Husk” has a moody asphyxiating atmosphere portrayed again with a concretely hectic mixture of ferocious death metal riffing and drumming and the ominous depth of old school doom metal.

“To Glimpse Godliness” holds a steady dark monolithic vibe that leads to a scorching fast black metal core while the slower sections deliver some melodic accents.

“Grief Relic” might not showcase outstanding bursts of creativity or some definite signs of an epic musical evolution nevertheless Withered manages to deliver a cohesive fierce piece of extreme metal.

After over two decades of successful career, a band like Katatonia needs no simplistic introduction and the long awaited tenth album decadently entitled “The Fall Of Hearts” confirms the band’s legitimate highly influential status in the metal scene. The album proudly represents Katatonia’s everlasting dark soul, always channeling the impeccable Scandinavian melancholy, and embraces a multifaceted mixture of enthralling music styles.

“Takeover” is not your usual all powerful radio friendly opening track as it rather focuses on a cold melodic core of soft arpeggios and soothing piano stripped of unessential special effects. A natural harmony emanates a longing for lost dreams and the eclectic guitar work successfully delivers a tasteful array of subtly majestic melodies that reach a spontaneous climax with a lovely solo.

“Serein” follows a somber minimalist approach with melodic guitars shining throughout the song in a healthy mid paced crescendo. The ambient atmospheric layers provide a sinuously graceful interlude that inspires a heartwarming serenity.

“Old Heart Falls” unveils the beloved melancholy that has become a trademark of Katatonia’s music catalogue. Highly melodic guitars and dreamy keyboards layers create a series of understated elegant phrases lingering in the midst of a delicately poignant atmosphere and culminating in a rather passionately catchy chorus.

“Sanction” introduces a heavier metallic approach that smoothly gives way to a more dramatically charged melody. The decadently distorted guitar riffs evoke a bleak sonic landscape in perfect Scandinavian fashion and the slower sections portray an ominous sense of desolated decay that leaves us quite disoriented.

“Serac” is an instant favorite that holds a solemnly mesmerizing inner strength that must be fully embraced. Featuring a darkly metaphysical essence inspiringly and fully incarnated by Jonas Renkse’s soulful vocals, this track is filled with dazzling prog style guitar work that packs polished catchy riffs and decadently melodious solos. While the uptempo rhythm is highly addictive, the melancholic atmospheric breakdown mixes languid guitar phrases and piano melodies that evoke an everlasting melancholy.

“Shifts” features a slower tempo filled with gloomy sentimental piano melodies intricately surrounded by sober atmospheric layers that channel a sorrowful inner peace while Renkse’s vocals gracefully enhance the intensely tormented melodic nature of this track.

“Passer” will be easily remembered for the fascinating shimmering guitar work that delivers eloquent dynamic style diversity embracing a breathless rhythm further adorned by kaleidoscopic keyboards layers as Rekse’s vocal performance adds an overdose of disarming sentiments.

Once again, with “The Fall Of Hearts” Katatonia delivers a mature piece of music filled with minimalist effortless beauty and moody emotional depth that will easily reach the heart of every listener.

Portuguese progressive metalcore band Borderlands tries to achieve wide recognition in the overcrowded metal scene with a fairly solid debut full length entitled “Voice Of The Voiceless”.

“Children Of The Storm” offers just a taste of melodic prog phrases as it mainly focuses on the furious speed of Borderlands’ metalcore influence with a dynamic range of fast technical guitar riffs and enraged screams.

“Essencia” shines for the atmospheric mood that balances the heavier metalcore rhythmic section and gives way to fascinating technical guitar riffing and syncopated tempo changes.

The titletrack delivers another generous dose of blasting drumming and thick rhythm smoothly embellished by polished guitar harmonies that add a tasteful melodic soundscape.

“Children Of The Sun” still showcases the main heavier aspects of the album but adds a particular sonic richness with rather dreamy atmospheric instrumental moments that spontaneously channel familiar soothing melodies.

In terms of songwriting Borderlands seems to deliver better ideas with the melodic prog oriented themes rather than with the straight forward metalcore rampage and as a whole “Voice Of The Voiceless” manages to work as a cohesive debut effort.

Renowned industrial icon Al Jourgensen goes on a solo rampage with the debut self titled album “Surgical Meth Machine”. With Ministry on hold or hiatus, it is immediately noticeable that Jourgensen has decided to throw on the plate multiple ideas mixing industrial roots and some speed metal to produce this reckless over the top Surgical Meth Machine project.

“I’m Sensitive” is a hallucinogenic concoction of rage and complaints in a mix of as fast as possible drum machine and screams with a garage style production.

“Tragic Alert” again is all about chaotic speed with a deranged electronic crude sound and the obvious reminder that we live in a scary world.

“I Want More” is all angry and furious like a rebellious punk teenage dream and the only concrete melody comes from a little crunchy guitar solo.

“Unlistenable” has a wild punk spirit drowning in a breathless hectic cauldron of fast random guitar riffs and even more random emotionless electronic beats.

Devo’s “Gates Of Steel” cover catches a breath putting aside the crave for speed and surprises the listeners with the introduction of an actual melody in rough punk style with less confused yelling and less loud disorder.

“I’m Invisible” leaves behind the furious noisy industrial and features a slower, mellower and repetitive melodic theme with clean vocals and a scratchy vintage sound.

In the end, “Surgical Meth Machine” likes to keep it short and raw and might have some bursts of creativity that could trigger the interest of industrial devoted crowd but the rather chaotic style without any apparent sense of cohesion doesn’t sound as catchy as expected.

Dutch band Textures delivers a brand new album entitled “Phenotype” that offers a powerful blend of technical progressive metal with modern metalcore accents consistent with the band’s steady musical pathway.

“Oceans Collide” presents an aggressively heavy approach with a reckless rhythm and raging screams that keep on building a relentless energetic groove but also the song structure leaves some space for clean linear choruses.

“New Horizons” puts aside any exaggerated need for speed and fury to give space to a lovely melodic core smoothly adorned by atmospheric layers and emotionally charged clean vocals. The obvious highlights feature some stunningly executed guitar work with the beloved clarity of prog style that always provide the right dose of soothing harmony.

“Illuminate The Trail” has a highly melodic nature where luminous guitar leads successfully create an uplifting vibe further expressed by clean vocals. While the guitar work shows a clear progressive influence borderline virtuoso multiple layers of atmospheric synths add an ethereal feeling.

“The Fourth Prime” opens with moody ambiance right before the entrance of a brisk rampage of tight guitar riffing and raspy screams. The almost dissonant tempo changes favor a seamless shift between a heavier metalcore drum centered rhythm and friendly darkened melodic breakdowns featuring an enthralling mix of guitar solo and arpeggios.

Overall, “Phenotype” might not sound like a perfect masterpiece but it certainly showcases an appealing musical variety enhanced by genuinely mature musicianship proving that Textures has the potential to gain a wider audience.