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V.A.
T.A. 7/10 |
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VARIOUS ARTISTS
G.K. 6/10 |
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V.A.
T.A. 3/10 |
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V.A.
G.K. 6,5/10 |
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V.A.
A.S. 3/10 |
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VARIOUS ARTISTS
G.K. 8/10 |
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V.A.
G.K. 7/10 |
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V.A. - OLIVER/DAWSON SAXON, GIRLSCHOOL, TYGERS OF PAN TANG
A.S. 7,5/10 |
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V.A.
T.A. 7,5/10 |
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V.A.
T.K. 7/10 |
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VADER
T.A. 7/10 |
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VALENSIA
A.S. 7/10 |
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VALKIJA
G.K. 5,5/10 |
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VALLEY'S EVE
A.S. 8,5/10 T.A. 8,5/10 |
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VANDEN PLAS
T.A. 7/10 |
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VANGUARD
G.K. 5/10 |
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VANILLA NINJA
T.A. 7/10 |
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VANITAS
T.A. 7/10 |
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VELOCITY
G.K. 4/10 |
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VELOCITY
T.A. 4/10 |
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VERTICAL HORIZON
K.P. 7,5/10 |
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VERTIGO
A.S. 7/10 |
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VELVET DREAMS
A.S. 7/10 |
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VHALDEMAR
A.S. 7/10 |
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VICIOUS
G.K. 5/10 |
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VIIMA
T.A.
7,5/10 |
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VINTERSONG
T.A. 5/10 |
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VIOLENT DIVINE
T.A.
7,5/10 |
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VISIONS OF ATLANTIS
T.A. 5,5/10 |
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VOIVOD
G.K. 7,5/10 |
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VOMITORY
T.A. 5,5/10 |
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VOODOOCAKE
T.A.
2,5/10 |
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VOODOO LAKE
A.S. 7,5/10 |
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VOYAGER
T.A. 7,5/10 |
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VULTURE LORD
T.A. 0,5/10 |
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I’m sure that you all know the famous Wacken festival that every summer is taking place in Germany. Some of you also might have visited this specific festival so, you will know better than me the atmosphere that a big festival like that has. For some others, like me that
haven’t been there till now, this double CD is a very good “breakfast”, which shows what we will see and better listen to, if we ever attend to this specific festival. I wish that I had the chance to be there once… but
let’s better go to the CD. Well, this album has 26 songs form different bands that played last year (2003) at Wacken. Although the sound isn't very clear, but it
isn’t bad at all, it manages to capture the live atmosphere and the
crowd’s felling with success. If I were releasing this CD I would have done the same thing cause I dislike live albums that are been “fixed” in the studio afterwards. Of course it is better to be in such big festival rather to listen to it afterwards… but at least this is something. Also I must say that the booklet of this double CD is excellent and has many photos of the bands and the area that the festival took place. Suggestively some bands that appearing on this compilation are: In Flames, Subway To Sally, Sonata Arctica, Sinner, Metalium, Sentenced, Malevolent Creation, Rotting Christ, Kataklysm, Freedom Call, Victory, Callenish Circle, Symphorce, Circle II Circle and many more. Those who were on that festival will surely love this CD cause it will bring them back memories from those days and this is something really special. As for the others (like me) by listening to it maybe we will decide sooner to attend to Wacken.
Almost 20 years ago, Possessed released their debut album “Seven Churches” (1985). This album shocked the metal community due to its aggression and created a whole music school, which was named death metal (a song’s title from this extreme album). The second and last full-length release from the group was the album “Beyond The Gates” (1986). The main difference of these albums with the thrash metal music of that period was the almost brutal/extreme vocals of Jeff Beccara. Now, most of the tracks that are included in this compilation come from those two albums (the others come from the EP “Eyes Of Horror”). All the groups that take part in this compilation are very strong influenced by Possessed and some of the group names are: Cannibal Corpse, Vader, God Dethroned, Absu, Sinister, Krabathor, Amon Amarth and others! The bands take the original tracks and add a little of their personal sound in order to pay their respects to the band. So, all the tracks are a little more brutal and extreme than the original ones. The good thing is that Jeff Beccara (original vocalist of Possessed) appears together with Sadistic Intent in this album with the song “The Exorcist”! I believe that this compilation is suitable for the fans of Possessed who want to own every release, of their beloved band, and for the fans of the mentioned groups, for the same reason… The rest of you, who have never listened to Possessed, shall better listen to the original tracks and try to feel the shock that this group induced to the metal scene!
Well I have to confess that I dislike tribute albums and if I ever want to
listen to a band or an artist I will prefer to play the original songs and
not some good or bad covers of their songs. So, this “Tribute To Gary
Moore” is one of the same according to my opinion. It has some good
covers like Domain’s “Over The Hills And Far Away”, Dogpound’s “Led
Clones” and some very ridiculous covers like, Arabesque’s “She’s
Got You”, Star Queen’s “Empty Rooms”, Orion Riders’ “After The
War” and Mattsson’s “Parisienne Walkways” (they managed to destroy
one of the eternal love hymns of all time!) that make me wanna shoot my
stereo! The other covers on the CD are very average as well. If you cannot
make a cover of a song then do not do it! So, simple huh? And if the cover
is so tragic then do not record it! Play it at your home only for
yourself. Can’t you see that you are insulting the artist by releasing
such cover songs? By the way what’s the purpose on releasing a tribute
album to a well-known artist? To promote the artist or to sell a many
copies as you can from your tribute album? I choose the first answer. I do
not believe that a young fan by listening to this tribute will consider
Gary Moore as a good musician and will start searching to find the
original versions of the songs. This tribute is disastrous for the fame of
Gary Moore. Too flat and predictable and with no good production. After
all it lasts about 75 minutes and it’s becoming very boring after the
fifth song! Do you still believe that this tribute can change my mind
about tribute albums?? We do not want them so, do not release them! So,
simple!
The Grim Compilation includes 19 different bands that are mainly playing
death metal. Despite the fact that this is a death metal compilation, it is
not boring at all, because almost all the bands, take part here with tracks
of different death metal style. So, you can find influences, which vary from
black, American and Swedish death metal and thrash metal to gothic, doom and
heavy metal! The groups are not so popular or at least they are not to me,
since I discovered many bands that I didn’t know. This CD contains some
very good tracks (for example the tracks from these bands: Leiden, Luen-Ta,
Casketgarden, Ellipsis), indifferent tracks (bands: Manatark, Demolition,
Schwarze Stille) and some others that I didn’t like at all (bands:
Benighted, Exhumed Day, Weltbrand, Human) and I wish there were not included
here... The main thing is that with this compilation you will listen to 19
different death metal bands, playing different styles of death metal and you
will discover new bands. Finally, the booklet includes a note, in case you
want to take part to the next Grim Compilation album. I believe that this is
very good, because there will be a second album-effort from the label and
new bands will be discovered...
Those
who keep in pace with this e-zine might know my opinion about tribute
albums: The vast majority of them sucks and has no reason to exist. Well,
this is the case here too. No, the bands do not play bad and some covers
on Hendrix’s classic songs are good, but what is the meaning? If I want to
listen to Jimi, I listen to Jimi - to the original songs that are
monumental and beyond any contemporary covers. A tribute album might be
interesting if big names give their version in classic songs of another
great band. To gather some not well-known (not to say unknown) artists in
order to create a tribute and ask for our money is a shame.
Consequently...
9th August 1993: Varg Vikernes kills Euronymous with 23 stabs and was sent to prison for 21 years! Year 1995: Necropolis Records releases the classic compilation titled “Nordic Metal-A Tribute To Euronymous” in the memory of him. Year 2004: Karmageddon Media releases again this compilation for the new black metal fans. Most of the groups that appear in this album are now some of the best black metal groups ever! Take a look at the bands: Mayhem, Emperor, Enslaved, Marduk, Arcturus, Dissection, Thorns, Mortiis, Ophthalamia, Mysticum, Abruptum! All the above groups have contributed some of their best tracks that come from their first recordings or what we call today oldschool black metal. So,
don’t expect me to tell you about the production of most of the tracks cause then you are not the right persons to listen to this CD. The booklet is with one word magnificent! It contains rare photos from the groups that take part here, some statements of the groups about the murder of Euronymous and some statements against Varg Vikernes (lovers of Varg
don’t read the booklet!) and many more information. Anyway, I believe that this compilation is a must have CD for the black metal fans and especially the fans of Euronymous. 74 minutes of authentic black metal is available to all of us again! Although that I am not the right person to judge the tracks I know that this compilation has a great historical value…
Another tribute to the great band Iron Maiden is released, but I don't know how many of you will be delighted, because I personally don't like listening to tribute albums. Anyway in this double CD you can find many famous groups paying their respect to Iron Maiden by covering some of the band's most known and successful tracks (20 tracks!). Generally, I must admit that both of the CDs are very good and all the groups give their best performance. Most of them are simply playing the track they have chosen to cover, without adding something new or their personal style. Despite this I found some tracks really lovely and I mention the following songs and bands as examples: Archie Bunker With John Perez "Wrathchild", Holy Mother "The Trooper", Wardog "Purgatory", Eleventh Hour "Alexander The Great" and The Quill "Where Eagles Dare". On the other hand, some groups made some differences to the original tracks and the outcome is very nice and interesting. Some of these tracks are: Conquest "Evil That Men Do" and Las Cruces "The Prisoner". All the previously tracks were mentioned suggestively and if you want to learn some other very known groups or artists that take part in this tribute album, read these names: Iron Savior, Sebastian Bach, John West and Chris Caffery, Crowbar and more. I would finally say that this double CD is an interesting hearing and a very good present to the lovers of Iron Maiden.
25 years already huh? Almost my whole life. The legend of New Wave of British Heavy Metal hasn’t subsided an inch. Hundreds of euros are still exchanged for the original vinyls of legendary groups like Witchfynde, Shiva etc. The heritance that groups like Maiden, Leppard, Saxon left behind is priceless. This compilation of 15 songs (five from each band) tries to revive the spirit of an era with a taste from the new works of three groups-trademarks of NWOBHM. Let's see each band separately: Oliver/Dawson Saxon is in essence what came out of the dichotomy of Saxon. The approach of the band is quite traditional I can say, but filtered through a contemporary production, more
“shiny”, plus it is rougher in contrast to the previous/classic Saxon works. Tygers Of Pan Tang appear here quite refreshed. I'm a huge Tang fan and estranged by the new songs. Darker, kinda heavier and closer to the american sound. However, after the first listening their songs become
“familiar” and more than interesting - especially the incredible
“Mystical”. For me the surprise comes for Girlschool! Goodness, I couldn't believe that the dirty quartet would be even
“dirtier” in the 00's! Five heavy rock n' roll dynamites to bombard us to our last breath. I feel sorry for not having listened to their last
“Not So Innocent” album. In general the compilation is very good and gives an idea of what some people are trying to revive there on the big island (Carry on and we will follow!).
The double CD compilation "Where The Bad Boys Rock 2 The Rock Invasion Continues" is the second part of the successful first compilation under the title of "Where The Bad Boys Rock Vol I". This compilation continues from where the previous one has stopped. It gives us the picture of dirty rock 'n' roll music today through the bands of one of the most successful labels in this genre, which is the well-known "People Like You". Here we have 34 songs (plus one intro and one outro) of dirty, punk, hard rock 'n' roll music, which is going to satisfy even the most assuming fan of this genre! Another plus to this compilation is that here we do not have the same songs that are appearing in the albums of the bands but the most of them are exclusive and rare ones! That fact makes this compilation and a collector's item to those who not only like to listen to this kind of music but they live and breathe under the dirty sound of rock 'n' roll! The best songs of the first CD, without counting the enjoyable intro, are the exclusive unreleased "Rock Against Ass" of Mad Sin, the known "Spell On Me" of Damnation, the different version of "That's My Girl" of The Spitts, the different version of the excellent "No Clash Reunion of The Revolvers, the rare "Wild Little Kiddie" of Accidents and at last the very good "Safe And Sound of The Heartaches. On the other hand the bet songs from the second CD are the rock n' roller "Make Me Stay" of Venerea, the exclusive unreleased "Rock 'N' Roll Pride" of Sixes & Sevens, the brilliant "Leavin' Kariokee City" of Swindle A Go Go, the rare "So Whore" of Thrash Can Darlings, the rare "Skulls" of my beloved "graverobbers" The Spook, the beautiful rare "Suicide Child" of Duane Peters (feat. Pascal Briggs), the superb "cowboy-like" "U Ain't Right" of The Meteors, and of course the pleasant outro which says… no one likes us… but we don't care! To sum it up, "Where the Bad Boys Rocks 2 The Rock Invasion Continues", is a very good compilation about dirty rock 'n' roll music which contains many rare and unreleased tracks of your beloved bands. This compilation would be a good present for yourself or your friends who love this kind of music.
I love compilations! This time it’s Relapse with the Contaminated series. Double CD with 39 tracks (!). Latest Relapse releases featuring 39 bands of (mostly) extreme scenes including upcoming material in demo and rough mixes. Ready? Burnt By The Sun, Mastodon, Nile, Dysrhythmia, Dillinger Escape Plan J, Exhumed, Neurosis, Dying Fetus, Suffocation, Pentagram, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Alabama Thunderpussy and many more. Some of the top upcoming bands, a well-picked collection with no actual crap giving you taste of what Relapse sounds like. To me it really sounds wicked and I recommend it to every fan of extreme music.
Oh!, the info says the price is single…
"Revelations" is the new work from the Poland deathsters
Vader. Personally I don't think that they could release any better album than
"Revelations". Especially the fans of the band will be very glad when they will hear this
album. Songs like the heavy "The Code", the brutal slow-tempo
"Revelation Of Black Moses", and the aggressive "When Darkness
Calls" shows that the band knows how to write brutal heavy stuff. Vader released a very interesting album and they continue to be considered as one of the best and qualitative bands of European Death
metal. Vader shows that Europe has a lot to give to the Death metal
genre. If you are fan of Vader, I'm sure that you will already have
"Revelations". And also if you like American or Swedish death metal just listen to
"Revelations" and find out that also European death metal and bands like Vader can offer us many remarkable albums like
"Revelations". Another thing is that if you are not a death metal
fan, better don't listen to that album cause you may feel very sorry for your
choice! I don't think that anyone can say that death metal music is still
dead, and especially if he has listened to the new album of
Vader.
Hmmm, I personally dislike tribute albums and seriously think that the only worth buying are the ones created for Black Sabbath (“Nativity In Black”) and those two for Judas Priest (“Legends Of Metal”). The rest seem to be crap. The case is even more difficult when you have to cover the tracks of one of the best bands ever, which were also sung by the extraordinary, unique Freddie Mercury. Well, I have to confess that Valensia not only manage not to be humiliated, but present a very good tribute album. They stick to the original songs, while the singer Valensia Clarkson (check also Metal Majesty) imitates the voice of Freddie very well. Of course we shouldn’t make any real comparisons, but for example the introduction of “Bohemian Rhapsody” can confuse anyone between the original and the cover version. What I find a great plus is that Valensia choose to cover some unknown tracks of Queen. Songs like “Polar Bear” and “Man From Manhattan” are forgotten even by Queen fans! In general tribute fans should definitely invest in this one. My grade is low, because I seriously don’t understand the reasons why tribute albums are released.
The
Italian band Valkija, which is famous in the underground scene of Italy
because of the various Italian festivals the band has played in, has
released its debut album. The band was formed in 1999 and their first
promo “Days Of The Rising Sun” led to a contract with the Greek label
Sonic Age Records. Their music style is classic 80’s heavy/power metal
with some epic moments. Their main characteristic is the very good female
vocals of Zoraija, which is almost a mixture of Doro and Jutta Weinhold
(Zed Yago)! Their music will remind of the classic moments of bands like
Judas Priest, Saxon, Grave Digger, Warlock and others. The tracks are very
good for this oldschool kind of music, but some tracks will remind you of
others when listening to this album. I admit that I caught myself singing
the lyrics of classic tracks when listening to some songs of this CD (for
example the track “Sign Of The Hammer” where the vocal lines are almost
the same with the “Painkiller”...). Finally, the album has an oldschool
sound and it was recorded in Athens. There are also some guest
appearances, which are: Thodoris Gourlomatis (Bloodstained - vocalist) and
George Kalvrezos (Bloodstained - guitarist). I am sure the fans of the
oldschool heavy metal will like this album, but it cannot offer something
interesting to the rest...
There
are two things that one can highlight concerning Valley's Eve new
album: First, those who were familiar with earlier work of the group
will have a surprise, as the progmetal approach of the band has been
replaced by a more straight heavy-power direction. Second, the album
is a killer/bomber! It seems that Valley's Eve have sensed what they
had to do in order to distinguish theirselves from the crowd. They
chose to produce a more direct album, which although it follows heavy
metal paths, still manages to be different from what we normally hear
lately. Indeed this must be the great success of the group: they
manage to filter all their influences, and produce an original sound.
It is difficult to characterize the sound of the album but by
listening to it, it reminded me a bit of Conception, Kamelot, a little
Nevermore (mostly in the atmosphere-not in the sound), and Destiny's
End. The orchestrations are rich, although the keyboards play a
secondary role (only when needed to give depth to the songs). This is
due to the great job on the guitars (where the band seems to have
spent a lot of time), the upgraded role of the rhythm section and of
course the powerful voice of the singer. Listen to songs like the
hymnical "Kingdom of Pain" or the creepy "Dark Room" (with the
imposing narration in Greek) and you will understand what I mean. I
believe that this record can finally be the breakthrough of the band
to become a bigger name. They deserve it.
I don't really know how many people are familiar with the German band Vanden Plas but I surely know that their new album "Beyond Daylight" has all those elements that made an album very interesting. Hard rock/Heavy music mixed with progressive elements end up with great songs like "Cold Wind" and "Phoenix". Also they made a very nice revision on "Point Of Know Return" one of the best songs of Kansas. Finally I left the end the homonymous song that lasts almost 11 minutes that's very emotional and technical and I consider this as the best song of the album.
Here
is another band coming from Finland (Helsinki), which was formed in 1999
and now released its first full-length album. I found on the Internet that
the band signed a contract with Armageddon Music from a competition that
the label has done in the past... Vanguard’s music style is atmospheric
metal and there are female vocals (Suvi G) together with brutal male
vocals (J. Grym)... The band consists of seven musicians including a cello
(Aapo Romu) and a piano player (Lari Kuitunen)! These two instruments
create some very melancholic melodies, which I liked pretty much... On the
other hand, the male and female vocals and the general sound of the band
reminded me of the early days of Theatre Of Tragedy... The band has
something romantic in it’s sound and this is what I liked most from this
CD, together with the melodies that the cello and the piano create. The
production is very good and heavy and the band got some help from Alex
Krull (Atrocity/ Leave’s Eyes). If you are looking from something
pioneering this is not an album for you, but if you are a fan of the first
albums of Theatre Of Tragedy you can check it out. Time will tell whether
the band can be a member of the atmospheric metal scene or not...
I must admit that I was totally surprised by the beautiful Esthonian pop-rock band, when I first saw it at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2005. It’s not only he fact that this band has only good looks but it also has nice catchy pop rock tunes that will surely have some air-play during this year. It is true that Vanilla Ninja is becoming more popular especially in Europe and some of its songs are playing in the radio all the time. This has definitely helped the band a lot but I have to say that the band absolutely deserves that ‘cause it has understood what people want in 2006 from bands like Vanilla Ninja. A little rock, a little pop, a little modern under a well-produced final result… some air-play… some nice video clips and then the success is near. I was about to call Vanilla Ninja the Vixen of 2006 but I think that times haves changed a lot since the 80’s so that correlation is out of date. Anyway, I think that the new generation that likes bands such as Evanescence, Avril etc., will totally like Vanilla Ninja.
Vanitas is a band that comes from Austria and
"Der Schatten Einer Existenz" is their second release. Well they play atmospheric
gothic-doom metal with death-brutal vocals. Also in the album there are some female vocals that obviously are great and they have a dark
feeling. If the vocals weren't so brutal this album would reach to many more people and maybe they could have made a
hit-single cause in the music part those six fellows are playing better than you can
imagine. They have the capacities to write beautiful songs with great choruses and with impressive
intros, like "Heiliger Schein", "Atem Toene Fluestern
Schreien" and "Stillschweigen". To be honest I haven't listened to such a good release for a long time and I was really surprised by the quality of their
music. Melancholy meets darkness and despair, in an album that won't disappoint
anyone, and that's for sure. The "big" question now is how many of you still like
doom-gothic music and bands like Lacrimosa; I hope that you are many cause you are going to love this
album. 
Velocity comes from Greece and is a hardcore band with Greek and English lyrics. These guys are the most experienced musicians in the Greek hardcore/punk scene, cause they were formed in 1998, have played in other hardcore and punk bands the past years (they were pioneers in the hardcore scene in Greece) and have already released two more albums. Their style is beyond my likes, not only because of the music, but for the lyrics as well. They have adopted the common punk/hardcore style, which refers against any religion or politicians, something that is annoying to me, because I don’t want to listen to the opinion of these guys (or any others musician’s opinion) through their music, about these matters. Anyway, the music is very aggressive and is full of heavy riffs and the leading instruments are the guitars
(Kostas) and the bass (Giannis). You will find many similarities with other hardcore bands such us
Madball, Sick Of It All, Agnostic Front etch. The vocalist (Giorgos) has an aggressive/brutal voice that fits well the English-lyric tracks but he didn’t managed to satisfy me in the Greek-lyric songs. The production is very good and tough and was made at Praxis Studios. The opening track, which is an introduction, comes from the masterpiece of
Vangelis, “Mythodea” and I don’t think that his Music has anything common with these guys, so I think this choice was pointless. Finally, I must say that if you don’t speak Greek and you like hardcore/punk music, you will not enjoy the album because this particular style of music is very related with the lyrics and most of the lyrics here are in Greek…
Velocity is a Greek
hardcore/punk band. Although, I don't like the specific kind of music, I must say that Velocity plays very well for a
hardcore/punk band. This album is referring mostly to the Greek funs of this
genre, cause Velocity's songs are in Greeks (except the songs "Athens
Crew" and "Skinheads In Stapress", which is a cover from The Last
Resort, that they are in English) and they last about 2-2:30 minutes
each. The vocalist of the band Havoc is really pissed off with the shits that happen in every human community
(even though I don't like the specific lyrical concepts) and his vocals are full of
hate! The production of the album is a little flat but you can feel the aggression that those guys want to pass with the
music. The fans of hardcore music will like this album and especially the Greek
hardcore/punk fans must check out Velocity.
What do we have here? An album with very likable and well-written songs that are filled with harmonies, multiple layers and choruses something that nowadays we call it modern rock. “Go” is an album that the guitars are really playing a major role in the whole result. This album is may be guitar driven, but it's not heavy. It's very commercial, with radio friendly modern rock tracks but also with a lush production, which is another “strong” card of Vertical Horizon’s music. This album definitely won’t change the status in modern rock genre, but is a descent work with memorable parts. Trying to review the best moments of “Go”, I should write some more specific words. “When You Cry” is a strong rock track to open but “I’m Still Here” is a nice ballad with a great chorus that returns us to softer paths. The band drives us back to the rock reality with “Sunshine” which is a true heavy rocker song. “Goodbye Again” is another mid-tempo ballad with a rich texture and great melodies. “Underwater” is the weirdest track of the album with uncommon words and music. I should also mention “Echo” which is a pleasant light and definitely a radio song. Vertical Horizon are presenting a nice and resting album very appropriate for relaxing moments. If you have a long way to drive, or you need some rest then…go for “Go”!
Vertigo is a studio project organised by Joseph Williams (former member of Toto). Ok it's not hard to guess what this project offers in musical terms: melodic rock that flirts with AOR, marked by Williams' warm vocals. It reminds a lot of Toto, but also of Russ Ballard, Journey, Foreigner, Magnum, etc (and possibly in a better way). If you are into this sound you will definitely like this one, because it preserves high quality standards for the genre: crystal-clear production, nice guitars, and especially catchy vocal lines. Of course the whole album is a
cliché of the species, something that might lead someone to argue that it is an outdated listening. Well, it's a matter of opinion. For sure what Vertigo plays here has been heard many times in the past. However songs like "Not Enough Hours In The Night" will satisfy melodic rock fans. Not to mention Toto fans who will be thrilled.
This is the debut album of the band, which plays a kind of melodic rock. The tradition of the genre is here praised and used in a smart way. So while you think, “hmm this reminds me of something”, you cannot tell exactly what! I think that this means that the band uses a very good filter to its influences. Talking of those we can definitely mention Survivor, Journey, Foreigner and the usual stuff. Generally the sound reminds me a lot of Golden Farm’s “Angel’s Tears”... for those who own this masterpiece. But then at times some more pop sounds are used, and I think this works well. And songs like “Inmortal” could be in melodic rock compilations easily! There are however two things that differentiate the group from the rest of the genre: First, the production, which is more straightforward and “dry” in comparison to other relevant ones. The other is the voice of the singer. Well I cannot describe it, but I can tell you that it is kind of weird and has (at least to my ears) references to Cure. I can tell you that it is “love it or hate it”, so you'd better check this one out to see if you like the voice. Both production and voice work well for me. So...
The case here is typical, traditional, classical etc etc. If you like pure power metal you will definitely like the record. Vhaldemar here plays fury, hot, solid, thunderous, fast heavy/power. And to be honest although the whole thing seems to be satiated the CD won't bore at all at least all heavy/power fans. The band's approach is mostly kind of raw, with references to the early Helloween days (with Kay on the vocals), Savage Grace, Vicious Rumors and many Judas Priest and Accept elements all around! However the band embellishes the sound with some choir vocals and nice melodies from time to time, which remind me of Blind Guardian. The other worth noticing thing is that all those influences are embraced in a Malmsteen-like guitar approach. Plus one more distinctive element is the absence of a vocalist singing in high scales. The vocalist here prefers to sing in a more "dirty" way, something that differentiates a lot the band from its colleagues. In sum, Vhaldemar, without being original, present a more than descent CD, which will definitely satisfy all power fans.
New band from Sweden! Is this something unusual?
No, not at all! Every day in Sweden at least one group is formed! Vicious
were formed in 1999 and this is their debut album, which is released
through Sound Riot records. The average age of the band’s members is
only 24, something that is good and prepared me for something fresh.
Despite this, their music has nothing new to offer to everyone who has
listened to the great Swedish death metal groups… Their main advantage
is that they have very good riffs, but apart from that, their music is
very typical (brutal vocals, fast death/thrash guitars and a fast rhythm
section). Also they seem to be technical enough, because their music is a
little bit complex. The production is excellent (Studio Underground in
Sweden) and you can hear every instrument very clear. The album includes
nine tracks, but lasts only 35 minutes and I think that it is too short
for a full-length release for our time, if you consider the fact that an
EP nowadays lasts about 30 minutes… I don’t know how much they can
offer to the Swedish death/ thrash metal scene, but if they don’t add
some fresh ideas in their music I don’t think that will have a good
chance in the future to do something really good… The grade goes to the
heavy riffs, the great artwork and the fact that they are new in the
block.
Viima is a Finnish band that is was formed in 1998. The band was originally
named Lost Spectacles and later they changed it to Viima ‘cause as the
band claims all the lyrics are in Finnish. I was really surprised when I
heard the first song of the band ‘cause I believed that Viima was an epic
black metal band or something but I was totally wrong! The bands play prog
folklore 70’s music with female vocals, that some times brought on my mind
Renaissance. Relaxing sounds, flutes, cool atmospheres, nice solos folk
background and a nice female voice... it’s like you’re traveling back on
the 70’s. Do not think that we are talking about easy music here with pop
elements, because the album contains six long songs that have a very nice
elaborated orchestration. If you love 70’s folk-prog music with female
vocals and you are missing this era badly then try out Viima ‘cause they
will surely make our day.
At first, I have to say that Vintersong's new album is far away from
the atmospheric black metal that the band used to play. The new album musically is more close to heavy progressive music than to black metal. Although there are some high tempos parts in some songs and also some
black metal vocals in songs like "Vem Styr Symmetrin?", no one can characterize the album as a black metal one. It is truth that the songs
of the album are more complex and it is much better for Vintesong to use clean vocals in the songs cause they fit much better in the new
musical style of the band. In this point I must inform you that the virtuoso bass-player Steve Digiorgio is participating in the album and
as you have already guess that's one serious reason that makes the whole result much better! "Visions From The Spiral Generator" is an
understanding album and it will please the fans of metal music, but on the other hand is not an extraordinary album. So better listen to the
album first and then decide. It will surely satisfy the fans of Vintersong. 
Violent
Divine is a brand newcomer as it was formed in 2005. On the other hand, they
guys of the band are not any little kids that trying to play rock music just
for fun... the guys have rock music in their veins! In a very little time
period they managed to become a real band and to record their debut album!
The band seems to be influenced from different bands and music eras such as
the late 80s 
Visions Of Atlantis was formed in 2000 and “Cast Away” is the second release of the band. Their debut album “Endless Infinity” was released in 2002 and in 2003 the new members vocalist Mario Plank and keyboarder Miro Holly replaced the original ones Christian Stani (vocals) and Chris Kamper (keys). The band is playing a kind of atmospheric metal music with many gothic elements and some symphonic and power metal influences from song to song. They seem to have been influenced form bands like Nightwish (mainly), Theatre Of Tragedy, Lacuna Coil and Evanescence. The band’s playing good, the male, and the female vocals sound very good as well but their music isn’t very original and it won’t drive you crazy. It’s true that we have listened to such kind of stuff many times in the past and I think that only the die-hard fans of this genre should try to listen to this album. As for the rest, just try your luck somewhere else.
This is the 13th album of Voivod and the groups' new line-up is: Denis Belanger on vocals (original vocalist of the band), Denis D'Amour on guitars, Michael Langevin on drums and Jason Newsted (you all know him...) on bass. The whole album sounds very fresh and melodic and combines successfully some new ideas with the bands' personal sound. Most songs are mid-tempo, although there are some slow and quick parts. In this album you will find great riffs, a powerful rhythm section and vocals that will remind you the punk bands of the past! The best tracks are:" We Carry On" (very catchy and melodic), "The
Multiverse" (unpredictable track with great guitars), "Rebel Robot" (reminds the old days of
Voivod) and "Strange And Ironic" which may become your favourite song from this album…All I can say is that Voivod seem to have more energy than before and they are back with one of the best records in their so-far career. I believe that the band's fans will strongly appreciate their effort, without meaning that other metalheads won't enjoy this album! 
Vomitory is coming from Sweden and
"Blood Rapture" is their fourth album that they release. The band is playing death metal which is effected from both European and American
scene, but they also have many thrash elements and some songs might remind you the Lords OF Hell - Slayer
(mostly in the guitar riffing). The songs tempo is fast (very fast), the guitars are scraping all the
time, the drummer shows no mercy to his drum-kit, the vocals of the frontman will bring on your mind zombies that screaming when they search for food and generally this album is characterizing by a death - speed - demonic
atmosphere, that only the death metal fans will appreciate. If you consider yourself as a death metal fan and you like the
Swedish, the European and the American death scenes then this album is for you. But don't expect to listen to any melodies in this pure death metal
release. And if you're looking for melodic death metal then don't try this album at
all. Vomitory returned with an album that is harder than ever before.
Do
not know how this CD reached me but If I knew what I was about to hear then
I would have never put it in my CD-player… personally I dislike post
alternative (happy-silly-barbie) bands like Sonic Youth (oh my God what the
hell I’m writing… Sonic Youth??... is this rock music… shit!!) so
there was not chance to like a band that are heavy influenced by them and
playing so damn stupid… that I’m about to break my headphones!! What the
hell have all those labels that sign contracts with bands like this one? Are
they rock? No fuckin’ way… Are they good?... nope… do not know… do
not listen to happy-hippy pop songs… leave me alone… I’m sure that
many will like it… but believe those have nothing to do with rock music…
I do not like it… how could I?... are we nuts? What’s that?? Sonic
what?? Are you kidding me??!!
Is southern rock on the rise again, or is it coincidence that many albums of the genre fell in our hands lately? Who knows, and who cares??? The thing is that we keep receiving some good or even very good albums that provide us with some really good time. This is more or less the case with the debut album of Voodoo Lake. The band sounds old-fashioned (in the good sense of the term), with the classic southern riffs and guitar solos that refer directly to
Skynyrd. I bet that band’s members wished they could live two or three decades ago so that they could tour with some of the holy monsters of southern rock. The approach here is typical southern, with even the production pushing up this kind of feeling. The band (which I bet plays with Les Paul) hails everything those bands like
Skynyrd, Outlaws, Molly Hatchet and Blackfoot (of the “Marauder” days) have taught us. If you are a fan of the sound you should give Voodoo Lake a chance, as they seem ready to fill in some gaps that the absence of the aforementioned big names has created.
I
like listening to new bands and most I love listening to very good debut
albums from promising newcomers. Voyager is a band that belongs to the
above category and it’s coming from Australia. Although it’s not easy
to categorize them I would say that they seem to be influenced from bands
such as Rhapsody, 
This time I was prepared of what I was going to listen to. The bizarre
artwork had “warned” me and this time I wasn’t wrong at all.
Blaspheme, fast, aggressive black metal in the way that it was played back
in the 90’s with no female vocals or synth… just brutality and speed
here! Those who like that kind of sound will find something interesting
here (I hope so) but I do not like a band to play a kind of music that was
played 15 years ago… it’s really boring fellows!! On the other hand I
don’t like the band’s beliefs, which are written in the booklet and I
don’t like someone to insult thousands of people when is hiding behind
his misery and being anonymous… who do you think you are guys? Do you
think that this shit can be called music? Do you think that you can
persuade anyone to follow your tragic beliefs about life and religion? Ohh…
mercy guys!!! You’ve gone too far now. Hmmm… What do I see here?
Diabolus (band member) in the special thx list of the booklet says that he
does not care for anyone and tells us to fuck off!!! If you do not care
for anyone then do not expect us to care for you looser, split up before
is too late… I’m still wondering what kind of label can release such a
crap!