Featuring renowned musicians Jake E (ex-Amaranthe), Jesper Strömblad (ex-In Flames), Euge Valovirta (ex-Shining) and Alex Landenburg (Kamelot) modern melodic metallers Cyhra return with the sophomore album “No Halos In Hell” showing great chemistry and passion that will certainly solidify their status in the current metal scene. 

“Out Of My Life” offers loads of cool electro atmospheric arrangements yet the guitar work definitely holds a major role with smooth riffage and flamboyant leads while the highly melodic big chorus aims to get stuck in your head. 

On the title track crunchy guitar riffs generate accessible & entertaining grooves even if the melodic essence here remains in the spotlight with a deeply emotive vocal delivery and shimmering multilayered atmospheres. 

“I Am The One” can sound a bit more aggressive as the riffage gains extra gritty energy leading to intense grooves while synths amplify the pop metal approach just like the super catchy chorus that benefits from Jake’s impeccably passionate vocal performance. 

“Dreams Gone Wrong” has some mellow ballad elements emphasized by the perfectly soothing vocals and the dreamy synths yet there are plenty of groovy rhythmic patterns featuring some sharp guitar riffs. 

Instead “Lost In Time” is the authentic full blown ballad of the album focusing on the melancholic piano melodies and the sorrowful vocals that allow Jake to show the intensity of his vocal range and his ability to express a multitude of emotions. 

“I Had Your Back” engage the listeners with memorable groovy dynamics as guitars once again provide constant bouncy riffs surrounded by wistful atmospheric layers and reach the acme with the striking melodic energy of the soloing.   

“Man Of Eternal Rain” is a particularly interesting track offering an elaborate atmospheric background while guitars can sound heavier with galloping bold riffs and still add a satisfying dosage of refined melodies but the solo here is destined to grab your attention with vibrant shredding and dazzling prowess. 

“No Halos In Hell” successfully aims to deliver bittersweet melodies and entertaining hooks resulting in a modern sonic blend that has the necessary catchy vibes to allow Cyhra to reach a wider audience. 

French blackgaze pioneers Alcest worked relentlessly to develop a unique enthralling music style spreading their magical sound all over the world and influencing countless emerging bands. With the release of the sixth full length “Spiritual Instinct” Alcest craft an ethereal collage of passion and melancholy fully expressed by the intricate soundscapes and the evident mystical aura. 

“Les Jardins De Minuit” lies in a limbo between darkness and light as it begins with the understated beauty of melancholic guitars and ethereal vocals that will naturally embrace an irresistible blackened essence reminiscing of the band’s earlier discography in fact the wilder riffage and the tormented growls fit perfectly within the song’s cosmic vision. 

“Sapphire” shines for the moody guitar progressions and the nostalgic vocal delivery that certainly belong to a distant dreamy world even if the rhythmic core has the ability to spontaneously generate wonderful catchy rock vibes that can appeal to a wide audience. 

It feels like dreaming as soon as the epic track “L’Île Des Morts” begins with exquisite darkened tonalities mixed with lovely dream pop elements resulting in a series of spaced out grooves that will acquire an anguished blackened momentum in contrast with the bewitching dosage of fragile emotionally charged guitar melodies emphasized by Neige’s tranquil vocals and celestial atmospheric nuances. 

The title track aptly feels like a spiritual voyage towards another state of existence with a lavish wistful sonic palette that simply cannot go unnoticed with a thoughtful composition focused on shimmering guitar melodies that can express all kinds of uplifting emotions but also an immense melancholy further amplified by the understated atmospheric layers and the comforting soulful vocals. 

“Spiritual Instinct” is a work of music & poetry destined to open new doors for Alcest as they continue to build a distinct legacy pursuing diverse sounds and stylish songwriting ideas inspired by otherworldly feelings to ultimately create a dreamy sonic realm that will inevitably spellbind the listeners.  

Emerging from the burgeoning Icelandic metal scene Une Misère aim to grab your attention with an interesting mixture of violent grooves and darkened emotions on the debut album “Sermon”.

On “Sin & Guilt” intense ominous tonalities influence the guitar work that hits you in the face with relentless riffage and the resulting grooves are characterized by menacing precise rhythmic segments.

The title track amplifies a sense of impending doom as guitars develop particularly obscure tonalities leading to a gloomy introspective momentum but you can rest assured that the rhythmic section is always ready to deliver ferocious heavy progressions. 

Hints of pure melancholia can be perceived throughout “Overlooked / Disregarded” in fact guitars craft some cold melodies surrounded by subtle atmospheric layers while the ravenous growls channel massive hardcore energy during the faster rhythmic grooves. 

The wintry mood of “Fallen Eyes” generates darkly soothing arpeggios and peaceful clean vocals focus on an emotional delivery yet guitars will soon return to unstoppable gritty riffs following a rather hostile rhythmic assault. 

You can feel the inner torment of “Failures” within the angered ensemble of crushing guitar riffs, monolithic bass lines and merciless drumming plus such belligerent approach is always amplified by the ruthless screams. 

“Voiceless” offers an increasingly darker atmospheric aura that emphasizes the psychological weight and the consequent anguish while the savage guitar driven grooves accompanied by an overdose of sharp screams successfully channel a serious will to keep fighting. 

Certainly all over “Sermon” you will find strong hardcore elements leading to intense rhythmic patterns yet the sonic pathway chosen by Une Misère is also fueled by a blackened force that matches the themes revolving around existential struggles. 

Thinking about horror themes in music Wednesday 13 always comes to mind in fact you can expect a frightening sonic experience evidently inspired by classic 80s movies and awful night terrors on the latest record “Necrophaze”.

Featuring a theatrical narration by legendary Alice Cooper the title track marks a grand beginning with 80s inspired synths that build a suspenseful mood while the main heavier elements will emerge with crunchy guitar riffs and a groovy rhythmic ensemble constantly surrounded by a generous dosage of sinister atmospheric layers. 

“Bring Your Own Blood” invites you to an obviously scary party so you better watch yourself as guitars confidently trigger entertaining grooves and the synths tapestries amplify the expected spine-chilling vibes. 

You can easily perceive the horrific serial killer vibes all over “ZODIAC” and again the synths hold a dominant role providing a strong soundtrack style background with multilayered ghastly tonalities mixed with the industrial approach of the rhythmic section. 

Especially in the beginning “Decompose” acquires an extremely gloomy mood with softer atmospheric arrangements but later will unleash loads of catchy guitar driven grooves and a sing along chorus featuring aptly ghoulish vocals. 

The deliciously creepy track “The Hearse” stands out for the profoundly mournful melodies and darkened atmospheres that convey a bewitching gothic glamour consequently the Duke of Spook delivers a particularly malignant vocal performance. 

Despite the macabre title “Life Will Kill Us All” feels almost uplifting with the prominent melodic elements and the high energy of the punk rock grooves that lead to a rather catchy chorus and while the instrumental passages sound less evil the vocals maintain all the freaky vibes throughout the song. 

“Necrophaze” is the ideal horror movie soundtrack, an ode to shock rock and all the creatures lurking in the dark so if you dare to enter the super spooky sonic realm carefully created by Wednesday 13 you will have a lot of fun. 

Nola thrash metal legends Exhorder are finally back, it’s been 27 years since they released an album but “Mourn The Southern Skies” definitely has the necessary strength to gain recognition and a genuine sound hard to find within the modern metal scene. 

The perfect way to start this album is delivering a ripper like “My Time” with plenty of infectious guitar riffs leading the way through a massive series of memorable grooves and the lyrical anger is as impactful as the instrumental ensemble. 

“Asunder” maintains classic thrash dynamics packing an overdose of crushing guitar riffs, killer soloing and consequent fiery grooves but certainly you can also perceive a swampy mood influencing some guitar tonalities and the vocals are still freaking enraged. 

“Yesterday’s Bones” offers another serious round of belligerent guitar driven grooves that keep the thrash element alive & vibrant and certainly showcases the band’s mature musicianship and refreshing passion also with the thrilling progressions and somber tones of the melodic guitar solos. 

“All She Wrote” is straight to the point unleashing scorching guitar riffs and a faster vigorous rhythmic section obviously accompanied by the intense vocal delivery as the mood gets wilder and the smooth chorus brings additional groovy vibes. 

The moody southern spirit is all over “The Arms Of Man” as warm melodic guitars become extremely dominant with some distinct sludge elements following less hostile yet still potent rhythmic dynamics.  

The lengthy title track is a quite elaborate work of music starting with an aptly mournful combo of acoustic harmonies and tasteful melodic passages that will influence the overall mood adding an epic flair yet there are still super groovy moments courtesy of the mighty rhythmic backbone and the fierce guitar riffs.

“Mourn The Southern Skies” has a lot to offer to all thrash metal acolytes around the world and Exhorder manage to engage the listeners with all kinds of memorable heavy grooves and melodic twists which feel like the right way to celebrate their comeback. 

 

Considered as one of the best bands in the scene Opeth have proudly released the long awaited 13th album “In Cauda Venenum”, undoubtedly an intricate progressive rock/metal opus that manifests an ongoing sonic evolution and is destined to put them in the spotlight once again. 

The complex approach of “Dignity” is immediately noticeable as the guitar work showcases a strong prog inspiration as well as subtle retro rock flavors delivering delightful melodic licks supported by an energetic rhythmic backbone while the softer soundscapes naturally unfold like a darkened fairytale with rich bewitching arrangements. 

Despite the precise execution and almost calculated style variations “Heart In Hand” still feels spontaneous packing some raw energy within the chunky riffage and monumental drumming while guitars freely shift from catchy harmonies to virtuoso soloing and even add major enigmatic psychedelic tonalities. 

A darkly soothing feeling lingers throughout “Lovelorn Crime” which begins with minimalist piano melodies and peaceful vocals and the consequent emotional catharsis is further emphasized by the nostalgia infused multilayered atmospheric arrangements and the flawless luminous guitar solo. 

“Charlatan” amplifies the technical prog aspects with a series of shapeshifting rhythmic patterns that ensure intense groovy moments as guitars tend to focus on heavier riffs and clever progressions embellished by flamboyant keyboards arrangements. 

“The Garroter” is another example of the high degree of diversity that characterizes the album as a distinct melancholic essence is embedded in the lovely acoustic phrases, the charming piano melodies and the soulful vocal delivery while the whole instrumentation will eventually acquire darkly playful tonalities and vibrant jazz influences. 

“All Things Will Pass” marks a majestic closure highlighting a sumptuous dramatic depth with a mixture of mellow dreamy melodies accompanied by ardent vocals and heavier rhythmic dynamics that can evoke the monolithic force of traditional doom leading to a particularly powerful finale with the addition of lavish keyboards. 

When it comes to Opeth there will always be fans missing their early extra darkened aggressive music style while the new acolytes learned to love them because of the fancy progressive songwriting and the magical artistic vision that here on “In Cauda Venenum” continues to impress with sophisticated soundscapes and impeccable musicianship. 

German rock overlords Kadavar always seem to come from another dimension as their music style defies space and time with an irresistible retro rock flair that acquires bewitching gothic twists on the new full length “For The Dead Travel Fast”. 

“The Devil’s Master” immediately showcases the darkened aura that surrounds the whole album as while the ‘70s rock influences remain strong with the overwhelming weight of the guitar riffs and plenty of groovy vibes the slower passages emphasize the captivating occult rock essence. 

On “Evil Forces” the vocals acquire creepy tonalities that certainly match the darker doom tinged instrumental passages but the rhythmic ensemble can always concoct catchy rock dynamics and generate an energetic momentum with the thrilling guitar soloing. 

“Children Of The Night” marks another intensely dark moment as the blend of gentle guitar phrases and trippy rhythmic bursts marching through hazy atmospheres will inevitably put a spell on you and within the perennial esoteric realm the heavier guitar riffage always feels entertaining. 

The hypnotic feelings behind “Dancing With The Dead” seem to come straight from a grave as guitars craft an overload of arcane melodies and darkly exquisite leads in the midst of obscure doom oriented rhythmic crescendos.  

“Long Forgotten Song” continues to convey a profoundly eerie mood mixing intense heavy doom guitar riffs and haunting slow paced melodies as the whole instrumentation seems to dwell within a supernatural limbo where gothic and vintage rock simply embrace while the softer vocal harmonies enhance the song’s dramatic depth.  

Kadavar have already demonstrated their exceptional songwriting abilities but this time the gothic horror concept generates a deeply mysterious sonic experience and “For The Dead Travel Fast” is not an ordinary collection of songs also because everything here constantly reminds you that “magic is everywhere”. 

It didn’t take long for Black Star Riders to garner attention since the release of the debut album “All Hell Breaks Loose” back in 2013 but now a new line-up and an untamed hard rock energy lead to the brand new album “Another State Of Grace”. 

“Tonight The Moonlight Let Me Down” makes you feel good with so many groovy guitar riffs leading to cohesive and fun rhythmic dynamics accompanied by smooth vocals. 

The title track can sound heavier as the guitar work is simply electrifying with massive grooves, flamboyant leads and tight riffage while the sing along chorus will get stuck in your head. 

“Underneath The Afterglow” keeps the grooves going and you know you will have a good time listening to this track as soon as the crunchy guitar riffs take over and the soloing adds extra glamorous elements. 

Featuring guest vocalist Pearl Aday “What Will It Take” has some nostalgic ballad style elements with accessible mellow guitar melodies that aim to emphasize the emotive power of the vocal duet. 

With heavier guitar riffs and fancy soloing “In The Shadow Of The War Machine” acquires some frenetic rhythmic patterns and even slightly darker tonalities but it still stays true to the catchy classic rock themes.  

“Poisoned Heart” goes straight to a catchy mood keeping things uncomplicated with the crispy sound of guitars that can easily deliver sweet melodies and groovy riffs accompanied by the confident vocal harmonies. 

With “Another State Of Grace” Black Star Riders can say to have crafted another anthemic collection of rock songs and while delivering grooves full of positive energy once again they showcase stellar musicianship. 

NorthTale is a new Swedish-American power metal supergroup formed by guitarist Bill Hudson vocalist Christian Eriksson and drummer Patrick Johansson who joined forces to genuinely create the music they love on the bombastic debut album “Welcome To Paradise”. 

The title track showcases the band’s straightforward power metal spirit delivering tons of bouncy guitar riffs, monstrous shredding and tasteful melodic passages that certainly benefit from the extraordinary musicianship and always ensure cohesive rhythmic segments. 

“Higher” stays true to classic power metal style with a big chorus and an engaging rhythmic core but what makes the song truly entertaining is the glorious lead guitar work that effortlessly shift from crispy harmonies to a neoclassical inspired shredding galore. 

“Follow Me” has an elegant symphonic flair courtesy of lavish keyboards arrangements and mixes energetic guitar riffs with passionate melodic phrases while the lead guitar once again aims to impress delivering extra sophisticated passages. 

“Shape Your Reality” is wilder & faster allowing the powerful rhythmic section to shine accompanied by a pleasant positive energy fully expressed by the vocals and enriched by the epic vibes of the keyboards layers and the sumptuous guitar work. 

“Sirens’ Fall” is undeniably one of the strongest tracks as the fancy keyboards and the impeccable guitar licks amplify the neoclassical vibes that constantly add a theatrical momentum to the old school power metal dynamics. 

“If Angels Are Real” continues to channel the glory of power metal through the anthemic guitar driven grooves and the bright vocal delivery but inevitably the neoclassical splendor will remain the highlight of the song with a majestic combo of flawless guitars and striking keyboards. 

“Even When” closes the album with a softer ballad style mood, a must have even in the power metal realm, leading to melancholia infused vocals flowing through graceful atmospheric tapestries and symphonic accents. 

Obviously you can tell that “Welcome To Paradise” is the work of experienced and talented musicians and that the genesis of NorthTale comes from a strong desire to carry the torch for the golden era of power metal which is what you will find on this album from beginning to end.