One of the original acts to play death metal in Denmark, Maceration evolved into more of a groove/hardcore-oriented act by the mid-90s before breaking up. They would return in 2021, releasing their second album It Never Ends… in 2022 as a glorious return to their death metal form. Guest vocalist Dan Swanö (Edge of Sanity, Nightingale) has stepped down from that slot (still a part of the mixing / mastering process) leaving Jan Benjamin Jepsen to fill that void on this latest record Serpent Devourment. Continual emphasis on vicious riffs, primal musical interplay, and savage vocals means the band’s intensity for this genre has not waned.
Listeners can expect an equal amount of hard hitting, faster songs as well as those that are more controlled and groove-oriented yet not sacrificing one iota of primitive impact as if these gentlemen time travelled back to the burgeoning early 90’s death movement. Smooth lead breaks that contain the right spine-tingling aspects, drumming that punishes on all fronts, as well as these riffs which rival the best Scandinavian mentors – all topped off by Jan’s possessed growls / screams, where you sit up and take notice. The up and down tremolo parts next to mid-tempo double kick action within “Where Leeches Thrive” or circular divebomb riffs set to stun next to the speed to half-time musical transitions for “Revolt the Tyrant Dream” are two of the many highlights. Lower wind sound effects along with some horror-oriented keyboard work signal the start of the opening title track, taking old Slayer to a pummeling HM-2 driven deadly level, the guitar work of Jacob Schultz and Robert Tengs traversing aspects of thrash and blackened heights next to their steady death dealing ways. Amidst the brutal sections there’s always an underlying ability to inject key melodies or hooks – proving the band aims to create very memorable, distinct material track by track.
Ten songs delivered in a very tidy forty minutes, Serpent Devourment represents for Maceration another album that keeps the old school death platform solidly in place for multiple generations to enjoy. Ideal for those who love early Massacre, Obituary, Grave, and Dismember.
It’s been 4 years since we got The Night Flight Orchestra’s last album, Aeromantic II, which in terms of ‘Night Flight’ time, has been a while. But given COVID-19, not to mention the tragic loss of guitarist David Andersson in 2022, these sort of delays are inevitable. Thankfully the band is back, and this time with a new label in tow (Napalm Records), for their latest album. The question is certainly going to be raised to if Give Us the Moon sits at the same level as their previous material, and the answer is a rousing yes.
Give Us the Moon continues to strengthen The Night Flight Orchestra’s place as THE go-to band for the ’70s/’80s retro-inspired sounds. Part of this is due to the fact that they don’t use it as a crutch and don’t stick to the formula to provide an album’s worth of generic retro-revival worship. Night Flight has perpetually changed up the formula to include a wider variety, and that’s no different here. “Stewardess, Empress, Hot Mess (and the Captain of Pain)” sits as the epic-length prog-fest for this outing, and champions that same sort of ‘raise your fist’ energy and space-y synths to triumphant levels that they have done in the past to end things on a high note. “Paloma” acts as a synth-powered ballad with Bjorn Strid’s vocals driving things beautifully in the inspiring chorus. Then there’s the funky grooves of “A Paris Point of View,” which all but infectiously dances from beginning to end, a feeling that propels “Miraculous” but with more rock-ish elements to it.
Ultimately, The Night Flight Orcestra puts energy and fun above all else (sans musicianship of course). “Melbourne, May I?” leads with a bombastic one-two combination of intertwined synths and big arena rock riffing that all but explodes in the chorus. The emotive “Cosmic Tide” is another mover and shaker, with a delightful solo (in both guitar and keys), that is bound to please those seeking inspirational rock energy, capped off with some nice Strid falsettos. “Way to Spend the Night” is a joyous anthem that should cause some to questions whether to hit the dance floor or simply scream the chorus from the top of their lungs. Lastly to be mentioned but certainly not least, “Like the Beating of a Heart” captures that old school rock vibe, from it’s hook-y verses to the potent chorus that ear-worms its way into your head.
It’s hard to pick favorites on Give Us the Moon, and it stands to the album’s credit that the lengthy release never once loses it’s momentum. The Night Flight Orchestra champions a feeling that no other band can provide. Their vision of the ’70s and ’80s is one that is inspired by, instead of directly lifted from, and with it comes a sense of fun and joy in their playing that is consistently felt by whomever is listening. If you haven’t gotten onboard with their sound just yet, now is the perfect time to join the party.
Ubiquitous in his quest to continually churn out EP’s and full-lengths, one-man act Jo Capitalicide of Ice War arrives at this seventh album for Feel the Steel. When it comes to flying the flag for traditional heavy metal, that’s what you’ll hear pouring through these nine tracks in terms of the riffs, melodies, hooks, and overall atmosphere. Listeners will never question the man’s thorough understanding of the key elements that stand the test of time for this genre – so set expectations accordingly and most will be very satisfied.
Emphasis on more singalong or shouted in unison chorus work as well as synth-laden passages next to the guitar play allows certain songs to possess more standout qualities. Check out the latter aspect on the Black Sabbath meets Iron Maiden-esque opening title cut, while “Memories” leans heavily on some brighter, 80’s-like melodic metal mannerisms as far as the chord progressions and easy on the brain chorus. The semi-ballad “Lost to the Void” captures Jo’s effective lower to slightly mid-range register, more bard-like with soothing background vocals to match the fantasy-oriented feel, the keyboard solo bombastic in its 70s spirit next to a reflective guitar break which seems in line with Manilla Road. Manowar also plays a part in the Ice War influence bank – “Red Fire” easily containing those hail to kill-like moments beyond the quieter to heavier passages, although Jo would be the first to admit that his strained nature in the upper range will not be mistaken as an Eric Adams-ish delivery to the gods. The finale “Damnation” has an interesting semi-stunted main riff that plays off the main groove-like steady tempo – classic Ozzy Osbourne next to possibly the vast catalog of Haunt.
Exploring a bit more conventional metal terrain, Feel the Steel proves Ice War stay in their lane adequately, serving up more of what the underground expects from an act of this ilk. Will it be hitting the end of the year favorite lists of most critics? Probably not – but do not dismiss the passion and effort put forth, as there are diamonds to be polished if the old school, traditional style floats your boat.
While many consider US and Europe the pinnacle areas of thrash activity, do not discount the legacy groups like Sacrifice, Voivod, Exciter, and Razor placed to put Canada on the map. Hailing from Calgary, Hazzerd as a younger group hope to make their mark through a steady discography that balances a lot of the musicianship chops of old with some of the aggression and punchy production values in the current scene. Their latest album The 3rd Dimension contains a mix of fast, hard-hitting headbangers as well as an epic instrumental that showcases all of the band’s intricate, fluid abilities. We reached out to drummer/vocalist Dylan Westendorp to give us the scoop about his vast musical memories in childhood, the self-produced aspects that make this album their strongest to date, the 3-D themes of the record, thoughts on favorite live shows, his approach to stamina as a drummer/vocalist especially in a live situation, greatest album / concert memories, and future plans.
Dead Rhetoric: What can you tell me about your earliest memories surrounding music growing up during childhood? At what point did you start listening to heavier forms of music – and eventually the desire to pick up an instrument to perform in your own bands?
Dylan Westendorp: I think honestly, I can bring my music history back to when I was three or four. There’s video evidence of me and my family having dance parties with Van Halen, Kiss, the Scorpions, Def Leppard, all that type of stuff. My music roots started early, but around seven, eight or nine, I started to listen to hip hop and other genres of music. The rock and roll influence kind of went to the back seat for a minute again, for about three or four years. Back in 2008, I can remember my brother showing me Indestructible by Disturbed, I think that’s the album that launched me back into heavier music. The drums on that album are incredible – Mike Wengren is a great influence on me. People say what they want about Disturbed, but some of their earlier stuff – wow, man.
And actually, the way he plays the drums, that got me into the drums. From there, it’s all history. I started listening to Metallica. I was a huge Metallica fan for three years; I hated anything that wasn’t Metallica. That’s kind of what “ThRaSh TiLl DeTh” is all about. That definitely influenced some of the earlier Hazzerd stuff. Then it was Megadeth that made me want to take this seriously – just the way that Dave (Mustaine) runs that band. Say what you want about him – he does get things done over the last few decades. That’s how that story would go for me personally.
Dead Rhetoric: And when it comes to you picking up the drums, did you have your family’s support, and did you have formal lessons or just develop things by ear and putting in the work?
Westendorp: My dad was a drummer in the 1970’s. He got the Ludwig kit, the kit that I actually play today is the same kit he played back in the day. The drums were always around. There are baby photos of me holding drum sticks behind the same kit he played with. Definitely very supportive. My dad is a great rock drummer – he hasn’t played for twenty years but when he picks up drum sticks, it’s just natural playing. There were no lessons involved, it was me putting some earphones in, playing along to the songs – Disturbed, “Inside the Fire” was probably one of the first songs I learned how to play on my own. I learned the rudiments, but I am really a self-taught drummer. I don’t think of myself as an amazing drummer, but for me I would like to think I have my own personal style. That comes from not taking lessons and just learning on my own. Definitely lessons could have helped me be way better than I am today. I feel like I take a sense of pride in learning how to play the drums the way I do by myself.
Dead Rhetoric: The 3rd Dimension is the third album for Hazzerd. How did the songwriting and recording sessions go for this set of material – and where do you see the biggest advances or changes on this record compared to your previous albums?
Westendorp: After the pandemic and we released Delirium, it was really hard for us to get together because of all the restrictions, stay at home. When we finally did start writing stuff, it was myself and ex-guitarist Brendan Malycky, sharing voice memos with each other through Facebook Messenger. It didn’t really start taking shape until about July of 2020, when the restrictions started loosening in the summer. We wrote four songs in about less than a month. From there it started flowing really well – then we started hitting snags. More closures, more lockdowns. That really did slow down the process of the writing a lot. It did kill a lot of momentum and a lot of energy.
By the time we were done writing, we decided that we were going to try recording this record completely on our own, rather than what we did with the previous albums. We only did the drums in a real studio; I recorded my drums in October of 2022 for this record. It’s been a long, long time. That allowed us more room for breathing rather than rushing everything, because we weren’t paying for studio time. We really took our time, and I’m sure a lot of people will agree with that. We are really proud of (this album) because of that factor. Toryin recorded a lot of the guitars, Brendan did record his parts, but Toryin helped him record it. It’s self-produced and I think it’s some of our best material and sounds really awesome for our first attempt.
Dead Rhetoric: When it comes to an epic track like “A Fell Omen”, what sort of challenges come up compared to the shorter material?
Westendorp: “A Fell Omen”, that took about five or six months to write. Because of how long it was, we had so many ideas to flesh out. After we finished writing that, I think it was the third song that we wrote for the record, we made the decision that the rest of the songs should be three minutes, four minutes tops. “Under Ashes” is six minutes, but that’s another song that took a couple of months. We really tried to trim the fat off this record. It’s our shortest LP, but does have the longest song we’ve ever made. Every time we finished a song, we would trim the fat – we would have to put up that brick wall of do not add any more sections to this song. That shows on songs like “Parasitic” – it’s quick and to the point. That’s what I like about this record the most. “A Fell Omen” is this big, long song – and we got all that influence out, rather than putting it in all nine tracks.
Dead Rhetoric: Once again you worked with cover artist Andrei Bouzikov for the album cover. What do you enjoy most about his work, process, and how the ideas develop between the band and Andrei to reach the final product we see?
Westendorp: Andrei is super easy to work with – he’s a great man and a great dude. He’s very communicative to the band when he does the artwork. He gives us ideas that he thinks will work for the presentation that we give him. We wanted him to interpret what he saw through what he heard from the first song “Interdimension” and that’s the government experiments, him reaching into the jar of The 3rd Dimension, the arm coming out of the tv, that was all his idea. He gave us back the sketch, and there were almost no changes. He almost nailed it perfectly the first time. The color, we just told him to go crazy, do your best. We want it to be the most vibrant thing you’ve ever done. We want it to be the most vibrant (cover) we’ve ever had, because back in 2017 when we first started working with him, we wanted that super vibrant cover so when you are strolling through the record store, on Amazon nowadays, it pops out right on the screen or on the eyes when you are at a record store. I think he did it, I love the color scheme of this record, and it’s not as dark as the last one.
Dead Rhetoric: Where do you like to draw inspiration from when it comes to your lyrical content for the band? This latest album isn’t a concept record, but there seems to be an overarching theme to many of the songs, correct?
Westendorp: Yeah, absolutely. We don’t try to go for full concept (records) – we aren’t smart enough to yet. Maybe eventually in the future, we are trying to play around with that idea now. The 3rd Dimension – Brendan wrote a song called “Deathbringer” that was our first single about an anime called Attack on Titan. I personally I have never seen it, but I know it’s a big show. That was created in the third dimension, so I started writing a song called “Scars”, we arrived at the idea after I finished the lyrics. People who game will understand that song is about a game called The Last of Us Part Two. We had that idea then and there that all the songs should be about a movie, video game, book, that type of idea. 3D video games, movies, that type of stuff. We didn’t want it to be as dark as the themes on Delirium, the dark side of humanity and stuff like that.
Dead Rhetoric: Can you discuss the challenges that you face performing dual roles as the singer / drummer of the band – especially when it comes to the live performance situation?
Westendorp: Yeah, man. You just have to stay in shape. It’s hard to keep things going for an hour to an hour and a half, especially when you are doing a headline show. But I enjoy every minute of it. Holy hell, you sweat a lot. I feel that the dual performance does add to the live show, for sure. I have to be at the top of my game, in shape. The last show, I wasn’t quite in shape enough – by the seventh song, we needed to take a breather because I was dying back there. It’s not just about being a good drummer or a good singer – you have to be physically in shape at both, or you are not going to put on a good show. I’ve been there, and I don’t like to do it. People pay to see us, and I don’t want to put on a crap performance because I’m not the best I can be. Remembering all the lyrics is another one that is hard for me. When I do forget the lyrics, I sing along to the melody of the song and say, ‘I forgot the lyrics…’, so it’ll get a nice rise out of the crowd. It doesn’t have to be all serious, you can have fun out there.
Dead Rhetoric: Do you look to other Canadian drummers like Gil Moore of Triumph or Dan Beehler of Exciter as inspiration as well?
Westendorp: Those two were exactly who I was going to say before you mentioned them. Those two – Gil Moore especially. Back in 2012 I heard “Rock and Roll Machine” – and my dad says, yes, he sings and drums. I said, what? No way. I dove deep into Triumph. Their catalog is out of this world. A lot of their stuff sounds different, so many dynamics they bring. Dan from Exciter – I have been listening to that band since I was sixteen years old. I met him in 2016 at the Calgary Metalfest. He’s an incredible human being, so nice and so down to earth. That also helped me influence the way I play and present myself; it’s the way he presents himself. He’s a Canadian legend in my opinion.
Dead Rhetoric: How well are you accepted locally in the Calgary, Canadian scene with your brand of thrash metal compared to other styles of metal? How would you describe the scene as far as clubs, venues, promoters, other bands, and the people who support the music?
Westendorp: Calgary is a real great spot I feel for thrash metal. There are a lot of thrash heads here, but there’s also a lot of death metal. People love their death metal in this city, a band like Stench of Death. The overall thing is there are only a couple of venues in Calgary to play, so that really restricts when you can play. We are trying to set up a show right now, and there is limited availability. The two bars we can play and have a decent turnout with two hundred or more people, that allows for Dickens downtown on Ninth Ave. We tried to contact them to play in February and they are booked, solid. When the shows do happen, Calgary people turn out, regardless of what genre it is. Heavy metal, thrash, death, speed. Riot City is a local Calgary band, and when they play, they pack the place. When we played our last show in June, we packed the place. It’s a hot spot for all genres of metal. There is an incredible balance of bands here.
Dead Rhetoric: What are three of the most important records that help fuel your passion for heavy metal – and what’s the best or favorite concert memory you have, purely attending the show as a member of the audience – and what made that show so memorable or special to you?
Westendorp: Top three records – Rust in Peace from Megadeth. Number two would be …And Justice For All by Metallica. Number three would be Indestructible by Disturbed. Live – oh my god. I would have to say Kiss in 2009. Not heavy metal by any chance, but they put on one of the best live performances that I have ever seen. Flying across the stage – they were in their sixties, putting on a hell of a show. I was fourteen, and I knew in some capacity I wanted to do this. I can’t really think of anything that tops Kiss – maybe Alice Cooper in 2015, when he opened for Mötley Crüe, should have been the other way around. I think he puts on a hell of a show for a musician his age.
Dead Rhetoric: How would you describe Hazzerd when it comes to your live performances compared to what people hear on the records? What have been some of the favorite shows the band has done to date?
Westendorp: Our live performances are unique in a way. There are times when we’ve finished our set, gotten off the stage, and there is somebody who goes, ‘dude – I didn’t even know who was singing for half the show until I looked behind the drums’. That’s a telling sign for drummers; we are always stuck behind our kit. We really try to move the drums to the center or the front of the stage to have a different type of stage setup. One of the best shows we had to play is when we had to actually do this opening for Grim Reaper. The energy was absolutely wild, out of this world. The band was behind me, besides me, sometimes on the speakers up front. It was a hell of a vibe. Every time we do the ‘traditional’ set up, it’s not as high energy. We did that show in 2016.
Dead Rhetoric: What sort of goals does the band set for itself over the next few years? How are you able to balance out the music/band activities while also maintaining careers, jobs, and family /relationship responsibilities?
Westendorp: We are struggling with that (balance) as we speak. The goals, we just want to release this record and hope it gets some traction. We really want to do what we wanted to do with Delirium, which is try to go down to the US and play some shows, maybe over to Europe. Extensive two-month tours – it’s not logical for a band of our size at this point in time. We have to balance home life, careers, we are not making a ton of money off of our music. We have to have full-time jobs to pay the rent, put groceries on the table, stuff like that. Putting aside an excessive amount of money for a two-month long tour, it becomes really hard to do. Especially when the rent is rising, everything is rising.
We want to play in front of people who love our music. That seems to be mostly down in the states and over in a couple of countries within Europe. We want to get in front of those people and finally play in front of them.
Dead Rhetoric: Where do you see the major differences between the newer breed of thrash bands and the old school guard you grew up on?
Westendorp: The main differences are definitely within the aggression. Maybe the vocals, and the production are more in your face than it ever has been. When you are listening to a band like Power Trip, they are right in your face. And then you go to Souls of Black by Testament, that album, you have to turn the volume up to get that same sense of in your face, if that makes sense. The aggression is higher than the old school. That’s where Hazzerd takes a lot of influence from the old school – the melody idea going on, the long sections of songs, but the aggression of the new wave and some of the topics it brings with it like drinking, that type of stuff.
Dead Rhetoric: What do you consider some of the biggest worries or concerns you have about the world that we are living through today? If you had the ability, time, unlimited resources and finances to take one or two issues, what do you believe needs to be worked on that will have the biggest impact long-term?
Westendorp: I don’t know man. I don’t try to dive deep into anything that divides people. You are a human, I am a human, we get along, we like metal. Something I would change – probably the way people treat this planet. It’s not the best. The forest fires here in Canada have been devastating. That’s due to extreme heat, or some douchebag taking a cigarette and lighting up the entire forest. If I had unlimited resources or power, I would work on changing the way people treat this planet because it’s the only one we have. We have to live here.
Dead Rhetoric: How do you see the next year or so shaping up for Hazzerd as far as activities, live performances, and other promotional things? Are there any other side projects/endeavors from the members that we can also be on the lookout for?
Westendorp: With the next year, I want to get to play to the people. Maybe by this time next year we’ll have more material for the listeners. With Nick, our new guitar player, we just started writing songs with him. In terms of side projects, Tory is in Traveler, and Dave is in a local rock and roll band called Schädlich with Tory’s sister Faith. And I think they are recording their new album now, so you should keep an eye out for that, I’m sure it’s going to be banging.
An institution in the German heavy music scene, Bonfire returns after a five-year absence with a new vocalist in tow for this latest studio record Higher Ground. Welcoming singer Dyan Mair to the group, the quintet sets about developing a set of material that proves melodic hard rock/metal will never die. When you want to grab the ears of listeners globally, the ability to write and execute catchy riffs, endearing melodies, and the right mix of fiery solos plus larger than life choirs into ideal, memorable songs is paramount – and that definitely appears in spades on these ten main tracks.
Smartly reminding people that the band can wield musical weaponry in a savage, heads down fashion through tracks like “Lost All Control” or first single “I Will Rise”, you can easily tell that guitarists Hans Ziller and Frank Pane fill the sonic landscape in tasty licks beyond fluid break mechanics, Dyan’s voice stirring up the ideal mix of bluesy thoughtfulness against soaring power when called for. The dynamic versatility always wins in albums of this type – acoustic elements come to the forefront on the ballad “When Love Comes Down”, titanic choirs in the chorus soothing as the arrangement see-saws between clean, calmer verses and distortion/electric-fueled parts. The German precision / finesse roars through a mid-tempo anthem such as “Fallin”, while the rhythm section of bassist Ronnie Parkes and drummer Fabio Alessandrini flex their professionalism in key spots for back half highlight “Jealousy”. Hans’ production abilities shine as well on this release. He understands how to position all the music and vocals in such a way that your brain and ears will absorb multiple elements tailored to incessant toe tapping, hair whipping, or fist waving antics.
Possibly the three re-recorded albums of the early Bonfire records give Higher Ground that balance between the past and present as far as inspiration – because these musicians feel vibrant in their passion for melodic heavy metal/hard rock. For some, the latest material for a veteran artist can’t hold a candle to the classics – but this is not the case here. If you’ve been negligent on this discography, this record could be an ideal start into a treasure trove of music.
This one is cool. Because it’s just ripping death metal from beginning to end, courtesy of Tormentor Tyrant. And who could ask for more? A Finnish three-piece comprised of S.Envenom on guitars/vocals, M.Malignant for bass/solos/vocals), and J.Carnage on pounding drums. Together since 2020 the band released a couple of singles and their self-titled EP prior to this debut full-length, Excessive Escalation of Cruelty.
So what’s what here? Welp, first things first we have “Tartarean Iron Grip” which will kick your nads in, then “Crueler Tomorrow” which is like the soundtrack to a serial killer’s late lunch. Plus, it’s got some riffs that rival the knife penetrating the chest. “Pit of Anguish” is the sonic equivalent of being dropped in a pit full of rabid weasels, then “Cosmic Wild Hunt” comes along and messes things up seven ways ‘till Sunday. The sinister nature of this one isn’t lost on me, and shouldn’t be on you.
“Terminal Revelation” is the sound of the hounds coming to rip and tear you to pieces, happily lapping up the blood that is spilled. “Heavy Death Bombardment” is that closing tune that makes you wanna duck, because a weapon’s coming for your skull. When it’s all said and done Tormentor Tyrant have delivered a blistering piece of death metal, and I am here for it! I would grab my copy post-haste if I were you!
Standout Tracks: “Heavy Death Bombardment “, “Cosmic Wild Hunt”, “Crueler Tomorrow”, “Pit of Anguish”.
Quickly returning with another full album after last year’s Evolve, Japanese groove/modern metal act Nemophila bring us their fourth album in Apple of My Eye. Since Evolve last year, the group parted ways with guitarist Saki, citing differences in musical direction. Continuing on as a four piece, Nemophila bring some new arrangements to their latest album, moving into some heavier and more diverse waters, and it’s something that should thrill long-time fans as well as help introduce the band to a larger foreign audience.
Much like last year’s Evolve, Apple of My Eye isn’t content with simply sticking to the script. Songs range from some incredibly heavy and bordering on brutal stuff, to ballads to culturally influenced numbers. There’s a bit of something for anyone without spreading themselves too thin. “Brainwash” is likely the go-to for the heavier side of things, with it’s groove emphasis and frantic drum battery by Tamu Murata, while Mayu does a lot of flexing on her aggressive screams. The brutal breakdown towards the song’s end is nothing if not vicious. “Just Do It!” opens the album with energy to spare, melding some heavy riffing playful basswork from Haraguchi-san with a soaring and memorable chorus that will certainly entice people to further explore the album. “Error Detection” delivers a potent bit of heaviness as well, rounded out by what should be an easy and fun ‘sing-a-long’ live chorus, and the song switches to an almost Indian-sounding flavor in the second half.
“赤加賀智-AKAKAGACHI-” acts much like “Ame-te-ras” did on Evolve, with big, tribal-esque drumming to the forefront of the song, which was influenced by a serpent dance, and Mayu’s vocals flow around the music in an utterly addictive way, rounded out by a fine solo by Hazuki. “アナタダレ” does a different variation of the tribal-esque drumming patterns at the onset, before exploding into more groovy riffing, giving drummer Tamu another section to shine in. “Beautiful Days” is the ballad of this album, and it certainly sounds like one of the best ones that the band has ever done. The melodies are pretty, and Mayu’s vocals carry the emotional weight to bring the track some extra gravitas, and none of the usual ‘sap’ for this type of track. The closing song, “Good as Hell Quartet” is a fist in the air type anthem, balancing stadium rock elements (including a flashy solo) with heavier ones in such a way that it’s hard not to simply start the album all over again once it finishes.
Apple of My Eye is yet another shining example of what Nemophila can do. It’s heavy and full of grooves, but carefully balanced with melodies and outside the box influences to make for an album that grabs and holds your attention from start to finish. It’s fun, continues to expand Nemophila’s sonic palette, and hopefully brings them one step closer to making an international name for themselves. Rightfully, they should be the next Japanese act to make it big, if they so desire.
Visual kei act Magistina Saga started in 2010, and have three previous full-length albums under their belt, with the last one releasing in 2021 (Athanasia). Add to that a slew of previous EPs and singles sprinkled throughout the band’s existence, and there’s a pretty sizable discography to be had. BloodMossAgate is their fourth album, which offers a mix of symphonic metal, gothic tones, some djent, and a bit of Japanese flair to it, to create an album that feels a bit different than what’s coming from this particular genre in the West.
Other than to discuss the aforementioned genre-blurring, it’s hard to really put a pin on what Magistina Saga is doing. “Chain of Causality” starts things off after the short instrumental title track intro, which sets up the mood for the song to explode with djenty riffing, spooky keys, and Iori’s commanding clean vocals. It’s really all about the atmosphere with this mid-tempo track, focusing on the dreamy yet thunderous sound the band conjures up. It’s follow-up, “Blood Riding Psycho,” moves into more epic and urgent territory, elevating the tempos and melodies and swirling them around into something even more majestic.
“Trinity Blaster” merges these faster tempos with even more bombastic, and almost anime-OP sounding, keys to give it a slightly different flavor to the frantic riff energy, which includes a scorcher of a solo later on. When combined with it’s follow up in “Voltage,” which takes the grooves into more modern directions (still with a ripping solo), it’s another example of how they can manipulate their sound to keep things fresh without disrupting the flow of the album. Single and later track “Regret” embraces an almost power metal energy to it amid the symphonic goth vibes, bringing an uplifting chorus that lets the song soar a bit, while the high-energy riffs ensure the feeling is on the buzzing, crunchy side. Closer “Lament” ends things with a more traditionally gothic feeling, with Iori and the keys/piano start the song off before the moves into heavier territory, but the sweeping, cinematic feel never fades and it makes for a powerful finale.
BloodMossAgate should be an easy sell to any fans of symphonic or gothic metal, but with it’s expanded range and unique elements, it’s also not bound to them either. Magistina Saga capture a sound that is ripe with standout qualities, from the heavy riffs to Iori’s compelling vocals to the cinematic atmosphere, there’s a lot that they have to offer. Fascinating music that is begging to be heard.
Fortunate to already ingest the first two albums from Canadian thrashers Hazzerd for this site (and love them), it’s evident that the benchmark is high for album three in the aptly titled The 3rd Dimension. Five years may seem like an eternity in the metal realm for another studio record, but the band switched out second guitarists as Nick Schwartz (Tymo, Kill Witch) replaces long-time member Brendan Malycky beyond the slow pandemic shut down that took place mere months after releasing 2020’s Delirium. Vibrancy reigns supreme on this outing – intertwining a mix of heavy, hard-hitting material as well as an epic instrumental that showcases the four-piece know how to riff in musically appealing ways that can catch followers young and old.
Wasting no time “Interdimension” steamrolls with the similar viciousness of Havok against Megadeth – a blitzkrieg of powerful, explosive lead breaks while the momentum shifts between interesting mid-tempo / slightly faster riffs along a killer transition sure to get pit-mongers alert to active engagement. When the group wants to stretch some of their epic tendencies as far as longer arrangements fueled with melodic hooks, look no further than “Unto Ashes” – the back-and-forth gang vocals next to drummer Dylan Weserndorp’s natural raspy proceedings pogo next to a bevy of gallop-oriented guitar parts, ‘with a snap of my fingers, you will cease to exist’ a standout line as the momentum shifts into a headbanging rally cry for the metal masses.
Midway through the short instrumental “TTT” serves as a breather in the early Testament sense, neoclassical arpeggio runs abound – as “Pagueis” returns the band to their semi-sophisticated thrash platform, featuring Dylan’s adept double kick / groove skills along with some thoughtful dive bomb / shredding lead break action out of guitarist Toryin Schadlich. “ThArSh TiLl DeTh” reaches back to an early, raw sound that gets its punk-like point across in an economical 2:27, but the nine-minute plus “A Fell Omen” showcases all sides of the band on this instrumental – the acoustic ambiance, layered electric action, into a frenzy of musical dexterity and versatility that rivals Megadeth, Heathen, and maybe Sacrifice in their prime between attacking parts as well as deeper, melodic nuances.
Hazzerd knows their craft and continually develop material that bursts from the speakers in such a way that they showcase thrash in the best regard once again through The 3rd Dimension. While the old guard has plenty left in the tank, never discount the younger artists who can also write (and deliver) high quality material album after album like this.
