Grave Digger: The Living Dead (Napalm Records)
With a career spanning nearly 40 years German metal legends Grave Digger show no sign of slowing down or taking it easy with the release of their nineteenth album The Living Dead. Having played it safe on the last few releases it appears that Grave Digger have given themselves a bit of a kick up the backside and whilst on the whole The Living Dead does stick to the tried and tested heavy metal formula which has worked for the band for so many years there are a few stylistic curveballs and variation throughout the album.
With a career spanning nearly 40 years German metal legends Grave Digger show no sign of slowing down or taking it easy with the release of their nineteenth album The Living Dead. Having played it safe on the last few releases it appears that Grave Digger have given themselves a bit of a kick up the backside and whilst on the whole The Living Dead does stick to the tried and tested heavy metal formula which has worked for the band for so many years there are a few stylistic curveballs and variation throughout the album.
You have your straightforward heavy metal anthems such as Fear Of The Living Dead, The Power Of Metal and the fantastic Blade Of The Immortal but you also have some fast aggressive numbers such as When Death Passes By and What War Left Behind. The real surprises of the album are left until the end with the techno-esque keyboards in Insane Pain and the collaboration with Austrian polka metal band Russkaja on Zombie Dance. The Living Dead is the strongest album the album have done in the past decade with the band sounding re-energised and freshly inspired. It’s not the greatest Grave Digger album still falling way short of classic albums by the band such as Tunes Of War and Excalibur but it is a very solid and enjoyable heavy metal release. 7/10
Terror: Total Retaliation (Nuclear Blast)
LA hardcore veterans Terror are back with their seventh album Total Retaliation which is 13 songs of crushing US hardcore with plenty of venom and aggression. The songs range from fast and furious ragers such as Mental Demolition, Behind The Bars and the title track to more bruising mid paced numbers such as Spirit Of Sacrifice and In Spite Of These Times.
The only song which stands out for its difference comes at the halfway point of the album titled Post Armageddon Interlude which is a pure hip hop song and doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the album. Total Retaliation is a rock solid hardcore album which delivers what it sets out to do and smash your head in. It follows the template of most hardcore albums so whilst not wholly original it will be enjoyable for all the hardcore fans out there. Solid but fairly unremarkable. 7/10
Terror: Total Retaliation (Nuclear Blast)
LA hardcore veterans Terror are back with their seventh album Total Retaliation which is 13 songs of crushing US hardcore with plenty of venom and aggression. The songs range from fast and furious ragers such as Mental Demolition, Behind The Bars and the title track to more bruising mid paced numbers such as Spirit Of Sacrifice and In Spite Of These Times.
The only song which stands out for its difference comes at the halfway point of the album titled Post Armageddon Interlude which is a pure hip hop song and doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the album. Total Retaliation is a rock solid hardcore album which delivers what it sets out to do and smash your head in. It follows the template of most hardcore albums so whilst not wholly original it will be enjoyable for all the hardcore fans out there. Solid but fairly unremarkable. 7/10
Shining: Animal (Spinefarm Records)
Shining are back with new album Animal with this being the eighth album from the Norwegian avant-garde metallers. Shining are no strangers to reinventing their sound from their jazz origins to their jump to avant-garde jazz metal and with Animal it is another reinvention for the band with a far cleaner, far more accessible and far poppier sound and with no saxophone throughout. This is by no means a bad thing as this is a sound that really works for the band and results in their strongest and most cohesive album since Blackjazz. There’s a definite 80’s feel throughout the album especially with the use of retro sounding synths and the songs in the majority have a very positive feel to them.
The vocals from Jørgen Munkeby are far cleaner and melodic with his screams left to a bare minimum. Highlights for me included the groovy swagger of My Church, the soaring and anthemic Fight Song and the dark synthwave of Hole In The Sky which also features Norwegian pop singer Linnea Dale providing guest vocals. Shining have produced a very feel good party album with Anthem which has the band sounding invigorated. It’s a bold departure from their previous sound but it works fantastically and time will tell whether this is the new sound of Shining or whether things will change again with the next album. 8/10
Dream Patrol: Phantoms Of The Past (Mighty Music)
Phantoms Of The Past is the debut album from Dream Patrol who are a hard rock outfit formed by Ronnie König of Slovakian power metal band Signum Regis and featuring members from across Europe and the USA. The music performed on Phantoms Of The Past is classic hard rock harking back to the 70’s and 80’s. There is a great energy throughout this album with big catchy hooks and impressive vocals from frontman Eli Prinsen. The songs range from anthemic 80’s style hard rockers such as the opening title track, Stand Up And Fight and Piece Of Paradise to more bluesy numbers such as The Shortest Straw and softer songs which veer into ballad territory such as Lost Child and Time Is A Healer.
We are also treated to a some cover songs such as Rod Stewart’s Is That The Thanks I Get and Tattooed Millionaire From Panama which is a mashup of Bruce Dickinson and Van Halen. Phantoms Of The Past works best when the songs are more uptempo rockers. There are a few too many slower tempo songs for my liking which in my opinion drags down the pace of the album but that aside this is a fantastic hard rock album with fine catchy songs which are likely to stay in your head for hours afterwards. 8/10
Dream Patrol: Phantoms Of The Past (Mighty Music)
Phantoms Of The Past is the debut album from Dream Patrol who are a hard rock outfit formed by Ronnie König of Slovakian power metal band Signum Regis and featuring members from across Europe and the USA. The music performed on Phantoms Of The Past is classic hard rock harking back to the 70’s and 80’s. There is a great energy throughout this album with big catchy hooks and impressive vocals from frontman Eli Prinsen. The songs range from anthemic 80’s style hard rockers such as the opening title track, Stand Up And Fight and Piece Of Paradise to more bluesy numbers such as The Shortest Straw and softer songs which veer into ballad territory such as Lost Child and Time Is A Healer.
We are also treated to a some cover songs such as Rod Stewart’s Is That The Thanks I Get and Tattooed Millionaire From Panama which is a mashup of Bruce Dickinson and Van Halen. Phantoms Of The Past works best when the songs are more uptempo rockers. There are a few too many slower tempo songs for my liking which in my opinion drags down the pace of the album but that aside this is a fantastic hard rock album with fine catchy songs which are likely to stay in your head for hours afterwards. 8/10