Let’s get the elephant out of the room. Many metal listeners believe it’s blasphemy for artists to re-record or reimagine older material. For those of you in that camp – Balls to the Wall Reloaded from Dirkschneider will probably not change those sentiments, despite all the guests who appear here. Now that everyone else wants to imagine how this will go, let’s dig into this ten-song platter with an open mind – and an open heart – as Udo and Peter Baltes (two of the original members when Accept released this in 1983) work with the current U.D.O. lineup and some supreme vocalists across the metal landscape to pay tribute to this pinnacle effort.
The duets carry weight to the past and present impact of these songs – the musicians doing their best to develop appropriate tones taking advantage of modern production techniques and yet not diminishing the riffs and tempos that put this in rarified air for that time period. Udo may have a bit more grit to his unique, one-of-a-kind voice, but it serves as a testament to the man’s lifelong metal affinities. Standouts change daily – one minute Saxon’s Biff Byford for “London Leatherboys” steady as two veterans in their 70s could possibly be, the next Dee Snider taking your head for a twisted ride on “Losers and Winners”. Surprises to some may include Danko Jones for “Turn Me On” or Kreator’s Mille Petrozza on the speedier “Fight It Back”, both ideal for the comfort level that these musicians sit in as far as their conventional deliveries and personalities that are more hard rock or thrash-oriented. The closing ballad “Winter Dreams” is another reunion of Udo with Doro Pesch, who many may remember appearing on the Man and Machine album in 2002 for U.D.O. for “Dancing With An Angel” – a touching number that squeezes out pure gold in the line-by-line tradeoffs to a lower register choral union that send chills up your spine.
Coinciding with the 40th anniversary tour of this album across Europe this year (and possibly other dates in many other countries), Dirkschneider relish the celebratory nature of specific albums that have touched the hearts of millions. Balls to the Wall Reloaded doesn’t rewrite history, but instead glorifies the power of heavy metal done purely for the love of the genre.
Sometimes, we all just need a bit of unbridled chaos to help us unwind or escape the day. UK metalcore act God Complex return with a follow-up to 2021’s To Decay in a Deathless World, and it’s anything but subtle about the brutal energy it wishes to conjure up. Given the band’s breakup after their first album, this EP may come as a bit of a surprise some. He Watches in Silence marks a new chapter for the band with Sharptone Records, and it’s nothing if not feral and caustic.
With 5 songs in 13-minutes, God Complex can truly focus on providing the most abrasive experience without having to worry about listener burn out. “Salt and Ash,” the opening cut, swings between some haunting and eerie guitar melodies and explosive, frantic energy that barely relents. Some slower grooves are pummeling in tone when it does, and it’s blast-ridden nature keeps the listener gasping for air. “Depraved Idol” follows suit, battering away with blast beats occasionally, but it’s more focused on almost death metal themed mid-tempo riffing and groove. “Ba’al’s Trick” comes across as an early favorite, with it’s combination of thick, massive grooves that pair up with almost unhinged bursts of energy – offering just enough hooks in the melodies to keep it interesting without watering down it’s premise. That said, “The Judge” delivers the full-on chaos, going on a 59-second pathway towards carnage and not easing off the brutality for a second. “Flooded Lungs” closes things off on a very groovy note, which feels just as catchy as it does a steamroller of a track.
A return that’s complete in it’s destruction and carnage, God Complex deliver plenty of caustic energy with He Watches in Silence. It’s swirling and almost hypnotic grooves batter the listener at every opportunity, and while it does suffer a little bit because of that unrelenting approach, it’s clear the band’s intention was to provide something that knocked the listener back in their seat. To that end, it’s a wild success and well worth seeking out if you want something that’s going to act like a musical wrecking ball.
Ambitious. Bold. Those are two of many possible adjectives to describe the latest EP On Shoulders of Giants from international act Seventh Station. Taking five compositions from their favorite classical composers of the 20th century, these musicians reimagine these works in such a way that you experience a progressive record that can be moving on multiple levels – incorporating aspects of metal, jazz, gaming themes, all the way to circus/cinematic movements. We spent time recently talking with guitarist Dmitri Alperovich about the latest EP, how decisions were made in reinterpreting this material, how color factors into the ideas and atmosphere, favorite albums, challenges, how teachers and work ethic factors into where he went career-wise, and what’s in store to support the new release.
Dead Rhetoric: On Shoulders of Giants is the latest EP for Seventh Station. Can you discuss how the songwriting unfolds on this special product – do you have specific trademarks at this point that have to be a part of the process, or do you pretty much start with a blank slate and go where the inspiration, environment, and atmosphere take you song to song?
Dmitri Alperovich: On Shoulders of Giants, it’s a reimagination of twentieth century classical pieces. With this EP we tried to give our respect and our heritage to those composers. The process of writing for this one went a bit differently, because this is already written music. The arrangement process – for some arrangements I took the original score of the orchestration and basically divided it into instruments, who plays what. After this process, we started the pre-production, which we were searching for interesting soundscapes. If it’s in the guitar world, the keyboard world, or even the vocal world. Each of us contributed our knowledge and inspiration to the general sound. That’s more or less how things went.
Dead Rhetoric: Out of the five songs which one do you believe posed the most difficulty in terms of parts or arrangement to get just right – where all the musicians would be happy with their performances?
Alperovich: I believe that each of these pieces has a very special arrangement. We tried really hard to give each piece its own life, and reimagine it. Like trailers or movies – you have everything from horror, romance, comedy. Each of these arrangements has its difficulties to play on one hand, and it’s magic while we play them. If I choose personally, one of my favorites to play was “Nagasaki Kisses” which is the Ralph Vaughan Williams first movement of Symphony Number Six. You have a lot of colors, from really cinematic, Hollywood style movements to jazz bar things – our vocalist is doing amazing stuff in his vocals there because there are no lyrics there. I believe this piece represents all of what Seventh Station is about – whatever color we want to be, we are. I really like this piece, and it ends the EP with an epic solo, at least from this side I really love this.
Dead Rhetoric: Did you have a bigger pool of composers to pull from and then decide on the five final tracks that you wanted to pay tribute to?
Alperovich: Each of us chose our own composer. Because we are all classically trained musicians, we all grew up on this. Of course, we have a lot to choose from, a lot of composers we wanted to pay tribute to. In the end we chose the ones that we felt resonate the most with us, and we wanted to have a bit different styles of composing from track to track. It was quite hard to choose from, I think we chose the right composers for each of us.
Dead Rhetoric: Being a global band with members spread out across the USA, Slovenia, and the Middle East – what do you consider some of the biggest challenges when it comes to getting things accomplished in a timely fashion?
Alperovich: I believe the hardest thing is since we are all good friends, that we don’t have the ability to see each other as friends every day. We are very close to each other, some people in this band I’ve known for twenty years already. Even before this band existed. This is the hardest part – the creative part we manage to capture through technology. It’s not that difficult to work together over long distances. Since we are all very professional in what we do, it’s actually not that hard of a task from my side. A lot of times, we will see each other during this process. I as an example flew to Turkey to record the keyboards, Israel to record the bass and vocals, Eren my co-producer he came to Slovenia to oversee the drums. We are doing it together, obviously it’s harder because we need to fly. We manage it and we are very happy. Thankfully we are able to spend more time together in person when we have tours.
Dead Rhetoric: How did the cover art come about for this EP?
Alperovich: Actually, we saw this amazing picture from a Mexican artist. We thought this would resonate with what this EP is about. The title says On Shoulders of Giants, we are trying to create from a heritage, something small that we are so humbled, we want to give this small input to these big giants. The cover art from my eyes, it’s what’s been born, this little devil from all the giants. I see it in that way. I’m not sure if that’s what the artist intended.
Dead Rhetoric: Where do you see the importance of the lyrical content and melodies next to the musical components the band develops?
Alperovich: I see things quite equal. Everything that we have to do, I see it as having an additional layer. The music can tell a magical story, but lyrics can add another layer that music can’t. And videos can add another layer that music or lyrics sometimes cannot. I see it going hand in hand – it’s all creating one big piece, one big story. Music gives the atmosphere for this storytelling.
Dead Rhetoric: So, do you believe the genre that you play in gives people a multi-sensory experience?
Alperovich: Yes, but we are trying not to think in terms of specific genres. Seventh Station, it really depends on the song. We can be classical, we can be jazzy, we can be progressive metal, we can be thrash metal. We can be whatever we want to be. That’s what I like about this band. On this EP as an example, our keyboardist put in some Japanese sounds, Gameboy sounds from the 80s. We see it as more like colors than genres. Each genre is like a color, and why should we use one color when we can use a lot of them? I don’t want to say all of them – but I want to believe that the world is full of colors, and we should use them. And that’s saying something from someone who is color blind (laughs). I still see the world full of colors even with this, and that’s how I see music as well.
Dead Rhetoric: This EP explores classical composers in a reimagined platform that works well with the band’s progressive metal outlook. Can you elaborate on where you see the similarities in these classical composers next to what you are aiming to achieve through your music? Do you enjoy the freeform experimentation that this genre naturally lends itself to?
Alperovich: Yes. It’s very natural for me personally since classical music is written based on ideas, on motifs. This is exactly the style that we use for composing. Or trying to do. Some songs are more like verse/chorus, others are advanced. The only form you can do this is like a movie – you have an idea, the continuation of an idea, the explanation. It’s similar in that way – I’m coming from a classical way of composing. I’m sitting in front of the instrument because then I can let my mind be free of what I actually want to say, not to be bound by the instrument. I think about the music, what it needs and what I want to say with the music.
Dead Rhetoric: Are you also conscious of the intricacies and technicality of some of these compositions versus creating hooks and melodies that people can hold onto and remember?
Alperovich: We like to take the listeners on a journey. I see it more like we use our knowledge and technicalities in order to show the listener the story in different ways. I would not say this process is going through my head too much when I am composing because I am afraid to lose the story. We invite people to forget about the technicalities and hooks, and just listen to the story. And hopefully for them to find something of themselves in the story. I am not always thinking about the difficulties; I want people to connect to what we want to share.
Dead Rhetoric: After independently releasing your previous two albums, you signed with Dutch label Layered Reality Productions for this new EP. What do you enjoy most about their approach to promoting your music, and do you believe the DIY approach previously helped set things in proper motion to position Seventh Station in a better light globally?
Alperovich: I will answer (this) backwards. We are very proud of what we have done as a DIY act before we signed to a label. We managed to learn a little bit about the process, a little bit about the industry. It was a good lesson. What I like most about signing with Layered Reality Productions is that they are similar people to us. They are searching for music and for stories. They are really supporting their artists emotionally. From a promotional point of view, we are all in one group who love to listen to this music. They are very supportive; I went with them to the ProgPower Europe festival in the Netherlands last October. It was the first time I met (the staff) in person, and they are such amazing people. Tom the label manager – it was so fun hanging with him, good-hearted. He loves this music, it’s always good to work together. I don’t feel like it’s a label, I feel like it’s a family. I’m very thankful to the label for this opportunity, it’s a great flow of work.
Dead Rhetoric: What would you consider three of the most important albums (metal or otherwise) that have helped shape your outlook as a musician? And what would you consider the best concert experience you had as a member of the audience – plus what made that show so special to you?
Alperovich: Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory. For a lot of us in the band, this shaped our views on progressive metal. Our keyboardist has worked with Dream Theater, and works regularly with Jordan Rudess. And I would also say the discography of Frank Zappa. Not a specific album, because to talk about one specific album would be a bit of a sin. He has so much stuff, and a lot of people don’t know his classical pieces. They are amazing.
About a memorable show. There are so many of them, it’s hard for me to pick one. One of our last shows in my hometown, it was really nice. It’s always nice to play in your hometown, you see the growth of the band. We see so much love that people are giving us, we are growing together.
Dead Rhetoric: What is a pivotal or critical moment that helped shape your musical career?
Alperovich: I would say one of those moments has nothing to do with the band, but personally for me. It was through my teachers of music and guitar that really shaped my career. I have a lot of support; I had old school music teachers. It was a really great experience to see how much they cared, and how much they gave me, this belief. Through this belief I managed to work hard to become the musician that I am today. It’s a great mixture between the Russian/European old school approach with at the same time, unconditional love. This really shaped me as a musician, to be with heart open and eyes open.
Dead Rhetoric: How do you view the state of the world that we are living through currently? What concerns you most going into the future?
Alperovich: As a musician, the attention span of people today, it’s very low. We had two choices after the Heal the Unhealed album. We had really good reviews, but we also got some reviews from people that didn’t have the patience to understand the story (laughs). Because we added a lot of Russian language, the topic was of Soviet Russia from a historical point of view. I was born there, my parents are from there, so some people didn’t have the patience to understand why we did this. There is a radio sample of two minutes on there. We could be more modern in that way. A lot of prog bands prefer to write shorter songs – the attention span of people today can be three to five seconds. If there are no vocals, it’s very hard for them to listen. We choose to go all the way in what we want to say and how we want to say things.
The world became impatient, and they need a lot of stimulation from minute to minute, second to second. Social media of course contributes a lot to this. The work of artists is less appreciated with Spotify and all these streaming services. It’s a great opportunity that everyone’s music can now be heard. On the other hand it’s hard to make business when people pay ten dollars a month and listen to thousands of albums. You get 0.0027 cents out of one stream. Less power to the musicians. Money rules the world. You need balance in order to succeed. Music will always win; art will always win. Even if it’s not in my time.
Dead Rhetoric: What’s on the horizon for Seventh Station over the next twelve months? Are there other bands / side projects from the members of the group that we also should look into?
Alperovich: There is always work in Seventh Station. Our vocalist has another band Subterranean Masquerade, they are always performing in Israel and working on material. For Seventh Station, we are preparing for some shows – one in Germany, we have a tour in the UK opening for Imperial Age, some shows in Israel, some festivals in November. We are preparing for a lot of shows, and starting slowly to write the next album.
Returning for their sixth album is the nature-inspired Siberian black metal band Grima, their first record for new label Napalm Records. Nightside offers up cold, melancholic breezes and eerie melodies wrapped in a blackened whirlwind. Bringing listeners into a hauntingly epic concept of the taiga, it’s a compelling album that demands you give it your full attention so it can sweep you away into the forest. We fired off some questions to the twin brothers Vilhelm (vocals, guitar) and Morbius (guitars) to get some insight into their latest expedition. We discuss the details surrounding Nightside, their folk instrumentation, their haunting masks, inspirations from nature, and more.
Dead Rhetoric: What can you say about Nightside as your sixth full-length? Was there anything you particularly wanted to accomplish with this latest album?
Vilhelm: We dedicated this album to the mystical concept of the Siberian night forest. It tells a story of tragedy unfolding in the shadowy depths of the taiga at night. We’ve continued to develop our signature style, which has taken shape over the past ten years. The new album has a dense, detailed sound, offering a slightly different perspective on us. The rhythmic aspects of our songwriting have evolved, which is reflected in the guitar work and the arrangement of additional instruments. We are very happy with the sound—mixing for Nightside was done by a true master of his craft, Vladimir Lekhtinen, with whom we have been working for years.
Morbius: This new album is dark and beautiful music. We worked on it during nighttime, and it is infused with the atmosphere of the night forest and the horrors hidden within its darkness. Our latest release embodies the best and most expressive elements of Grima. We built upon the experience of our previous records and discovered a new sound. While we have our unique style, we are constantly evolving it. Once again, we’ve managed to create an interesting and self-sufficient album that showcases our vision of the genre and our passion for heavy music.
Dead Rhetoric:The band has been around for 10 years at this point. How do you feel the band has changed over the last decade?
Morbius: We’ve grown into a mature band that has traveled a long road—from a studio duo to a full-fledged group that tours. Over the past ten years, Grima has become one of the most notable Russian metal bands, not only in our home country but also in Europe. However, we originally envisioned this project as a studio duo, where my brother and I wrote music together.
Dead Rhetoric: When someone hears Nightside, what do you hope that they take away from it?
Morbius: I hope the listener can immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the Siberian night forest and truly feel the grandeur of the primeval woodland spirit.
Dead Rhetoric: What’s the most important thing that you think about as songwriters when it comes to adding in varied elements to the music, such as accordions or folk instrumentation?
Morbius: In our music, we use the bayan, an instrument similar to the accordion but with buttons on both sides instead of keys on one of the sides. The bayan has a very expressive sound—its melodies are piercing, evoking a sense of sorrow and cold. We also use acoustic guitars and keyboards with various effects. However, when incorporating these elements, we never aim to stylize the band as folk-oriented. These instruments are used to enhance the melodies and enrich the arrangements with vibrant tones, giving the songs a deeper, more immersive sound.
Dead Rhetoric: Could you talk about the wooden masks and the connection to the music? Are they meant to invoke a deeper connection to nature?
Vilhelm: We wear masks and costumes, transforming into entities that embody the mystical concept of our music. Our shows are true ceremonies, where the audience can experience the magic and become part of the ritual.
Dead Rhetoric: The two of you are twin brothers. Grima isn’t the only band that the two of you play in together. What can you say about the musical connection between the two of you?
Morbius: We’ve always shared the same interests. We’re very close as brothers and do everything together. In school, we formed our first metal band when our parents bought us guitars. Since then, we’ve been writing music and performing together. This is our lifelong journey, and we have an immense shared experience.
Dead Rhetoric: What’s the most inspiring thing that you take away from nature? How do you take that and then craft it into music?
Morbius: The nature of our homeland is our main source of inspiration. Every year, we retreat deep into the remote taiga for several weeks to absorb the energy of this magical place. The environment where we live is harsh—nature is dangerous, and the weather is unpredictable. We try to capture this feeling in our music, constantly playing with contrasts between raging and serene sections.
Dead Rhetoric: What makes black metal the best vehicle for making atmospheric, nature-driven music?
Vilhelm: Black metal has always gazed into the darkness of the ages. The primal fear of beastly coldand impenetrable darkness fits naturally into the concept of the genre, which inherently carries a strong mystical essence. The spiritual depth of this music depends on the ideology woven into it. Compared to other styles and concepts, black metal’s flexibility and variety allow for the creation of entirely new, unique worlds.
Dead Rhetoric: At one point, the band was studio-only. What’s been the most positive thing about getting out to be able to play live?
Morbius: Our team has an extensive shared experience. We’ve been playing together for over a decade and have toured extensively as Ultar. Because of that, it was easy for us to form a live lineup for Grima. Honestly, we see all aspects of live performances as positive. We absolutely love playing live and have always dreamed of it. It’s amazing to start the band’s live career with a strong fan base that we built over years of work, allowing us to tour actively.
Dead Rhetoric:What plans does Grima have for the rest of 2025, outside of the release of Nightside?
Morbius: At the end of April, we’re heading out on tour, and in the summer, we’ll be playing at Hellfest. We might add some more shows before our fall tour at home.
Always a band that has played things on the more modern and outside-the-box is that of Enemy Inside. If anything, they have grown more confident over their last two albums, Phoenix and Seven, and that leads us to Venom. Taking the usual rulebook and all but tossing it out the window, there’s a stunning display of diversity to the band’s songwriting. For those who have followed the band, Venom shows their tenacity to continue moving forward, and for those just getting the memo on Enemy Inside, they are bound to be impressed by their ability to toss a myriad of modern influences and make it all work.
The opening title track starts things off on a decidedly heavy slant with it’s grooves and screams from vocalist Nastassja Giulia, not to mention the rumbling industrial noise. But it leans into a soaring chorus that should feel quite welcome, contrasting the harsher vibes for some infectiously melodic ones. “Sayonara” blends some upbeat Japanese elements, rap verses, and playful pop melodies with an underbelly of groove to make it danceable yet heavy. “Fuck That Party” leans very heavily into the electronic elements in the most upbeat way and blurs it with a very strong dance party vibe. Some guest vocals from Zak Tell from Clawfinger make it stand out further, almost tapping into Electric Callboy sounds. “Dirt on My Name” acts as a more melodic, yet modern rock-esque cut that utilizes Mirza Radonjica of Siamese in a duet-like role, with a monster breakdown later on doing a good job of intensifying it at the right moment. To close the album, the electropop of “Let Me Go” serves as an upbeat yet melodic end to end things, giving some ethereal feelings to leave the listener on a high note.
That said, some tracks do more naturally continue on the pathway of modern metal that Enemy Inside have been putting forth. “What We Used to Be” is a catchy number that blurs the rock/metal lines with it’s soaring hooks and hyper melodic chorus. “Don’t Call Me an Angel” follows suit later in the album, meshing together some poppy Amaranthe-y melodies with a heavy bottom end that listeners will surely sink their teeth into. The bouncy grooves later in the track do a great job of pumping up the energy as well. “Unburn” rumbles along with groove and interwoven electronics, but also absolutely soars at the chorus with Giulia’s vocals elevating the mood significantly into something really special.
Enemy Inside have done a great job of continuing to expand their sonic palette and Venom is poised to bring them up to the next level. It carries a number of influences and really gives the tracks their own identity and space, but never feels at all incoherent because of it. Benefiting from the generous diversity, it’s got a lot of appeal to potential fans who are looking for either something modern and groovy, or those seeking something more melodic and hook-filled. Enemy Inside have proven themselves on both fronts, and show that they can make something magical when they put them together.
Pure heavy metal has spread over fifty plus years to worldwide appeal – with smaller countries staking claim in keeping the movement alive. Spain may not be one of those name territories – but it is home to this quintet Sinner Rage. They released their first two-song demo in early 2024, setting the stage the following year for their debut album Powerstrike to hit the scene. These musicians check off all the major boxes in terms of songwriting, arrangements, personal abilities to send consumers home with their fists held high, screaming along to a new set of anthems.
Major axe riffs that garner immediate appeal are not in short supply here. Check out the Judas Priest meets Stryper-esque title cut or the early US-metal semi-ballad nature to “Chained by Night” to understand the thoughtful energy flowing through the fingers of Artiz Yarza and Jara Solis in terms of clean lines or titanic, electric combinations. When the NWOBHM-like afterburners come through in drummer Javi Rinones’ killer fills plus standard hits on the double kick driven “Angel of Combustion”, it sets the stage for eagle-high screams a la Rob Halford or Geoff Tate courtesy of Artiz Martinez. Artiz in lower spots has a bit of an accented nature to his melodies, but there’s no deny his strength and character will mesmerize many into a lot of the classic 80’s powerhouse belters. The record ends on more of an Accept meets Dokken melodic hard rock note for “Dangerous Attraction”, lots of shredding lead breaks pop in and out next to a multi-part vocal harmony-fueled chorus that begs for audience participation. The shorter timeframe at eight songs in thirty-one minutes may be due to a question of quality control over quantity – this scribe was just hoping for another track or two to tide us over before the next release.
All the tools are in the woodshed to make a name for their craft. Sinner Rage establishes themselves as another authentic conveyor in a long line of melodic heavy metal bands that keep the traditional style kicking for the current generation. It may not necessarily set charts aflame, but Powerstrike will be a record cranked at loud volumes for many, a soundtrack to throw the horns and headbang to incessantly.
Starting over a decade ago at this point, Traitors has cultivated their downtuned, sludgy deathcore over the course of four full-length efforts leading up to Phobias. While it’s been six years since their last full-length, Repent, they’ve stayed busy with number singles since then. The long and short of Phobias is that if you’ve been a fan of the band’s decidedly brutal tactics and style, you will enjoy it quite a bit. But for those outside of that segment, it’s not going to do much to gravitate towards you.
There’s not really a better or more descriptive adjective to describe Phobias other than heavy. It’s rather heavy and uncompromisingly so. The slow, down-tempo riffs crash and collide into the listener like a ton of bricks around every corner. The downtuned rumbles are the type that will inevitably hit you in the chest. “No Witness” is savage in it’s unadulterated chunky breakdowns and guttural vocal accompaniment. “Deprive (Not Enough)” kicks you in the teeth from the start with it’s downtuned grooves, inducing a rhythmic and hypnotic feeling. Closer “10DXM” also capitalizes on thick grooves and monster chug sessions, a slowburn breakdown, and some eerie atmosphere.
Of course, the inevitable problem that some will face with this album is something that still tends to plague the deathcore scene. The format becomes predictable over the course of the album. For all of it’s punishingly heavy moments, there’s not enough nuance to make it really stick around for the long term in the typical listener’s mind. There’s an intro and interlude to help break things up in terms of the flow, but the group could benefit from more moody injections like on the aforementioned “10DXM” or opener “SBC.” The middle tends to suffer more from having a structure that, while notably brutal and heavy, tends to have some repetition.
Your mileage on Phobias will vary. Deathcore fans will rightly eat it up with the emphasis on massive, downtuned grooves and visceral breakdown energy. But it’s also not going to draw in any outside the fanbase due to it’s dedication to the purity of their craft. It’s not a bad album by a long shot, but you do know what you are going to be getting into after a few tracks.
Returning with their ninth album, and a new label in Nuclear Blast in tow, power metal champs Dynazty continue to write energetic and passionate music with Game of Faces. Their catchy and fun elements are sure to have fans throwing their fists in the air and singing along at full volume. To that end, we spoke with vocalist Nils Molin about some of the sources of their songwriting, how Game of Faces is special to the band, writing lyrics, and what he has taken away from being on tours through the years.
Dead Rhetoric: Game of Faces is your ninth album and comes out Friday. How does it feel special to you?
Nils Molin: In many ways, I think it’s a natural follow-up to our previous album, Final Advent, but at the same time, I think it has a bit of a unique characteristic to it. One that makes it stand out in our discography. The aggressiveness level has been upped a few notches on this album. There’s a bit of an extra sense of urgency and cohesiveness to the songs. That was our game plan when writing the album. To me, it makes it stand out a bit more – it’s aggressive, straight to the point, and to me, it stands out in our discography.
Dead Rhetoric: What do you feel are the defining parts of Dynazty as a band? What makes a song a Dynazty song?
Molin: I think that primarily we focus on the core basics of what makes a good song. That’s what we try to do at least. We try to make sure that the core melody structure works. Basically, if you strip down any of our songs and have them played on acoustic guitar and piano, with someone singing, then it should still work. You shouldn’t have to add all of the extreme arrangements to make a chorus fly – it should work in a stripped down foundation. That’s the core element of our songwriting. We start with the core melody structure and make sure that it is really solid. Then you can add all of the nice, extra stuff on top of it.
In terms of our sound, I know that some people have some difficulties what Dynazty actually sounds like, and I take it as a bit of a compliment, because it means that we have a strong characteristic within our musical identity. You can’t say that ‘we sound like this band,’ or a ‘mix of those bands,’ so I do think that it’s a positive thing for a band to have a strong musical identity.
Dead Rhetoric: It’s funny that you mention the stripped down part. I know you are also in Amaranthe as well, and they have said the same thing.
Molin: I think it’s a very Scandinavian thing in general. Considering that Sweden is a small country, especially compared to the US, we have a lot of music coming from Sweden. We have had some huge musical exports coming out of Sweden, not only rock and metal, but in pop music too. I think it’s the Swedish motto of writing songs, that you actually have the core song working with an acoustic guitar and vocals. You should still hear that it’s a good song. If you have that, then you can continue to expand upon it, arrangement-wise. So it’s a good philosophy to start with, when writing songs.
Dead Rhetoric: You moved over to Nuclear Blast Records midway through the album process, was part of that due to your relationship with them with Amaranthe?
Molin: I mean sure, I know the Nuclear Blast people from Amaranthe, but also we were on AFM Records for many years, and those record labels are pretty close to each other. They are pretty much part of the same business structure. With that considered as well, it made even more sense for us to go to Nuclear Blast first. Of course, I knew the folks there as well.
Dead Rhetoric: You haven’t had a ton of line-up changes for a band that has been around for over 15 years. Anything that you accredit this to?
Molin: The funny thing, when I have been doing interviews for this album, almost everyone has been pointing this out! So it’s obviously something that people are noticing. I know it’s not very common for a band to have a stable line-up for 10+ years. I would accredit it to the fact that we have been great friends for a very long time now. We were, I think when we had the last line-up change, we were all friends. We spend holidays and weekends hanging out with each other and stuff like that. We have been friends for ages, and that just makes stuff very simple. Our goals are always aligned with one-another. We are all working towards the same destination, in the same direction.
Dead Rhetoric: For you, as the vocalist, what do you enjoy about writing lyrics?
Molin: I think it’s a great outlet for being creative in general. If you feel you have something to say, or that you want to say, you have the possibility to do that. I try to write something far away from me, it doesn’t have to be about me personally. In general, I like to create little mini-stories within a song. I did that for the previous album on a few songs. I make up a story in my head and just started writing about it. It’s a great creative outlet, and I always look forward into diving down into this process when writing new songs. Sometimes I feel a lot of pressure on myself as a lyricist as well, and it’s that dynamic where it’s not just me being excited. Sometimes I feel a bit of pressure with it as well.
Dead Rhetoric: Is that because you feel you have to hold yourself to the same standard or better than before?
Molin: At least as good, and hopefully even better. We in general, as Dynazty, try to up everything a bit from the last time around. I think I just put that kind of pressure on myself. I don’t know if it’s necessary or not, but it’s what I have always done. It comes from me, and maybe a bit that people are dissecting my lyrics and talking about them, and stuff like that. I just feel I have to come up with something that is still creative and not just rehashed. It’s something that is still inspired.
Dead Rhetoric: I can see that happening if people are interpreting what you are writing. I have seen in some other interviews that you like to leave them open to interpretation.
Molin: A little bit, yeah. It’s a good pressure though. It comes from a good thing, because people like it and want more of it. You don’t want to grow stale, creatively.
Dead Rhetoric: Getting back to that Swedish mentality, I spoke with Bjorn from Soilwork/Night Flight recently and he mentioned it was impossible for bands in Sweden to not have a bit of ABBA influence. What’s your take?
Molin: This is another topic that seems to come up when people are talking to me, or other Swedish bands, because people hear ABBA in Swedish bands. I think when you grow up in Sweden with this modern musical history that we have, it’s more or less impossible to not have ABBA influences. It’s embedded in our DNA at this point. I don’t consciously bring out a lot of ABBA influences, but subconsciously, I think it makes its way in. I think this is what musical tradition is, in its essence. It just kind of happens without you noticing it. I do think that ABBA were some of the most amazing songwriters of modern pop music, so I think you could have a lot worse of an influence than ABBA.
Dead Rhetoric: Do you feel that the chorus is something of importance for yourselves, in terms of the way that the song is structured?
Molin: It’s one of our core principles when writing songs. When the chorus hits, you should know it immediately. There shouldn’t be any doubt. It’s a cornerstone of our writing for sure. We feel that if the chorus is not there, or not hitting the way we want it to, then we start to rework it until we feel it does. It’s definitely one of the main things in our songwriting, making sure the chorus hits. And making sure there’s balance with the rest of the song. Sometimes, it’s even more important, the dynamic between chorus and verse – to make sure you really feel it. It’s another Scandinavian trick by the way, if you know the songwriter Max Martin. I think he has the most Billboard Number One hits of all time. One of his tricks was always to downplay the verses a little bit, so it would leave more space for the chorus. This is something we are trying to figure out all the time. If the verse is too intense and steals too much from the chorus, or is it vice versa?
Dead Rhetoric: So in general, do you think what you are saying about the chorus could be applied to all genres of music then? Not just your own?
Molin: Sure, there’s definitely other types of music where you have different focal points of what is important to the song or genre. But for what we are doing, I think it’s really important. That’s what we have been trying to specialize ourselves on. But there are other genres where the chorus is not the main thing. It should be there, but it’s not necessarily the most important thing. I think it varies from genre to genre. If you look at pop, then it is all about the chorus. Certainly a lot of different subgenres of metal, it’s equally important as well. But it’s what we do as Dynazty, to focus a lot on the chorus so it hits hard.
Dead Rhetoric: What have you learned from your time on the road, personally and professionally?
Molin: You learn a lot every time you go out. Professionally, you learn new stuff every tour that you do. Everything from how to handle situations where you get sick on the road, or getting enough food at the right times, and how to manage your sleep. You learn new tricks all the time. You learn on stage every night with how to interact with the audience and what works on stage.
You learn a lot about the world as well. We have done a lot of European tours at this point, but you still see new stuff. You still see new places, new people, new things. You learn what is going on with people in general on the continent. It’s definitely a way of updating yourself constantly, to be out on the road.
Dead Rhetoric: Have you found that your fanbase has gotten larger due to your role in Amaranthe or vice versa?
Molin: A little bit of both I guess. It would have been impossible for it not to happen. I think most of the people who discovered Dynazty when I joined Amaranthe was a long time ago now. I do think that at this point, it has kind of separated. For example, if you look at Spotify statistics, Amaranthe and Dynazty are not even related artists. That caught me by surprise. I remember the first few years when I was in Amaranthe, I saw some Amaranthe regulars coming to Dynazty concerts. There will always be a bit of interflow between the bands. But I think for the past few years, both bands have grown but in a little bit of different ways.
Dead Rhetoric: What are your thoughts on the power metal genre, as a whole? What do you enjoy about it?
Molin: It depends, it’s always a philosophical question when it’s power metal. But for the heavy metal genre, I think it’s doing just as well as ever…if not better than ever before. I still enjoy a lot of the new albums and releases and bands popping up. There’s always something that pops up a little extra, and sometimes it’s some of these older acts that are releasing new music that is fantastic. I think, for me personally, I enjoy it so much.
I spent this week listening to the brand new Dream Theater album, for example. I’ve been a fan of them for a very long time, and to hear this classic line-up, with Mike Portnoy returning to the band, it’s been a fantastic experience for me, personally. To hear this creative atmosphere back together for the first time in 15 years or so, I’m just enjoying it. I don’t think I would be able to be creative myself, unless I had a lot of stuff that inspired me, and continued to inspire me through the years. I think everyone feeds each other in the circle of music, and that’s a very important thing. If you don’t have any influences left, it’s going to be very difficult to keep creating music.
Dead Rhetoric: Do you have any other outlets that you like to use to express creativity that is not through music?
Molin: I don’t think I have time for it [laughs], so no. At this point, I try to focus all my creative force on music, because I have to. I did, at some points earlier, write short stories and stuff like that. At some point, I might sit down and do more, because I would like to explore that part of myself. But right now, I’m just saving my creative powers for more music.
Dead Rhetoric: What are your plans for 2025? Any plans for a US tour given the label switch?
Molin: This has been something we have tried to make happen for a long time – a proper tour in the US. There were actually some pretty good ways in and offers for this year, but it’s probably not going to happen. But hopefully in 2026. For the rest of this year, we are heading out on a European tour in February and March in support of the album release. We are heading to Brazil in May for the very first time, then we will do some summer festivals and then another round in Europe in the fall. Then Scandinavia and possibly Japan towards the end of the year. That’s the full year. But we are definitely working hard on actually going stateside. It’s a question of sooner rather than later.
Years behind the scenes in the making, we have an Italian supergroup conceived by Skeletoon leader/singer Tomi Fooler in The 7th Guild. The trio of vocalists contains Giacomo Voli (Rhapsody of Fire) and Ivan Giannini (ex-Vision Divine, Derdian) – while the supporting cast of musicians includes members of Gamma Ray, DGM, Freedom Call, and Ancient Bards. Expect an operatic brand of power metal with symphonic to bombastic overtones through the nine tracks on this debut album Triumviro – soaring melodies along with uplifting musical components that align well with those into early Angra, Sonata Arctica as well as Avantasia.
The triad vocal approach allows for dynamic contrast in its multi-octave configuration – often serving up some exhilarating choir/harmony work in songs like their namesake “The 7th Guild” or the dramatic, Italian-language driven “La Promessa Cremisi”. All the acrobatics would be for naught if the music couldn’t rise to the occasion. Fortunately the guitar work of Simone Mularoni along with the impressive keyboard/orchestration output of Alessio Lucatti and Daniele Mazza creates this heightened atmosphere on the Rhapsody Of Fire-like “In Nomine Patris” all the way through to a more mid-tempo epic anthem such as “Guardians of Eternity” that entices deeper dives into the key hook components. A record of this nature wouldn’t be complete without the stirring ballad that leans on the theatrical side of things – that’s what you’ll get and more through “Fairy Tale”, between the softer, tranquil piano parts that evoke cultural/folk feelings and quieter opening vocals, all the way through to upper register melodies next to heroic guitar action as bells chime in the background. The Three Tenors-oriented approach transformed to a symphonic power metal platform pays huge dividends, as the songwriting conveys the right mix of speedier affairs and thoughtful anthems that captivate song to song, clocking in under 50 minutes.
If you love European power metal set to a more Avantasia-like landscape, The 7th Guild could check all those aural boxes you’ve wanted through Triumviro. It will be interesting to hear where these musicians take things as time allows due to commitments with their main bands – as there’s plenty of potential creative elements to explore in this exciting framework.
