Voidnaut: Nadir (7Hard Records)
Voidnaut classify their sound as American Heavy and if I was pushed I'd say Alter Bridge with abit of Pantera for guts. Heavy grooves a slightly progressive edge and soulful vocals are the way the band operate and as the intro moves into Back From The Grave this debut release blares out of your speakers with some great playing the rhythm section of Kostas A (drums) and Kostas T (bass) have the shit kicking grooves with Kostas K the distorted riffage and solos like on This Pain Of Mine and Hunted really get the head nodding as Steve (yes Steve) takes hold of the mic with his commanding vocal power.
Voidnaut really sound American, if they were I'm sure they'd be played on all the radio stations meaning they'd be selling out stadia around the world. Take a track like This Pain Of Mine it's got a big groove, a great hook, some harsh shouts, clean chorus, a solo but mostly it's got a really melodic edge to it, ideal to be played loudly through a muscle car stereo, see also Control. The record was produced by Fotis Bernardo who makes the album zing with his production skill getting the acoustics on Porcelain Lady too stand out from the big metal riffs. Nadir is a very strong debut from this four piece, Athenian made, American influenced Voidnaut are far away from their nadir, in fact they are on a rise to glory with this debut. 8/10
Warrior Path: Warrior Path (Symmetric Records)
Greek songwriter/guitarist Andreas Sinanoglou met up with producer/keyboardist/guitarist/Symmetric Record head Bob Katsionis and proceeded to play the songs on this entire album to him off the top of his head (impressive). They recruited Dave Rundle on drums, with Bob taking bass/keys and guitar solos, they searched for a singer, Andreas' choice was Beast In Black vocalist Yannis Papadopoulos and this wish came true as he takes the mic and also recorded this album in his studio. I'll state this right now it's an absolutely brilliant classic metal album that is influenced by the kings of the genre Maiden, Priest, Manowar and Running Wild on Mighty Pirates. From the booming opener Riders Of Dragons you can hear the Iron Maiden bent to the album, it along with Sinnersworld are the tracks that most sound like the English metal legends.
Voidnaut classify their sound as American Heavy and if I was pushed I'd say Alter Bridge with abit of Pantera for guts. Heavy grooves a slightly progressive edge and soulful vocals are the way the band operate and as the intro moves into Back From The Grave this debut release blares out of your speakers with some great playing the rhythm section of Kostas A (drums) and Kostas T (bass) have the shit kicking grooves with Kostas K the distorted riffage and solos like on This Pain Of Mine and Hunted really get the head nodding as Steve (yes Steve) takes hold of the mic with his commanding vocal power.
Voidnaut really sound American, if they were I'm sure they'd be played on all the radio stations meaning they'd be selling out stadia around the world. Take a track like This Pain Of Mine it's got a big groove, a great hook, some harsh shouts, clean chorus, a solo but mostly it's got a really melodic edge to it, ideal to be played loudly through a muscle car stereo, see also Control. The record was produced by Fotis Bernardo who makes the album zing with his production skill getting the acoustics on Porcelain Lady too stand out from the big metal riffs. Nadir is a very strong debut from this four piece, Athenian made, American influenced Voidnaut are far away from their nadir, in fact they are on a rise to glory with this debut. 8/10
Warrior Path: Warrior Path (Symmetric Records)
The Hunter meanwhile has a thrashier feel to it, galloping like a mounted cavalry . The production is 80's retro meaning this record sounds like it should, the first four tracks are heavy-power metal but Black Night is an epic middle album track that starts out as an acoustic ballad, which Yannis uses his full range to convey the emotion before it builds into the heavier crescendo then back into folky strumming. It's followed by the even more theatrical The Path Of The Warrior which is 8 minutes plus of fist-to-the-sky overblown metal glory. The only thing I would say is that the the final 2 songs on the album are both ballads so they drift off rather than keep the blood pumping. Still for what is basically a studio collaborative effort from the mind of one guitarist Warrior Path could be one of the 'true' metal releases of the year, wimps and posers should leave the hall now. 8/10
Disillusive Play: Open Arms (Self Released)
I wanted to like this album, a band that pitched themselves as progressively tinged hard rock. Athenian band Dillusive Play have played with more established bands like The Silent Wedding so everything was pointing in the right direction. However then I pressed play and what I got was the most basic type of rock music, every song plods along with slight changes and twinkly keys, whether this is trying to make it sound edgy or atmospheric but it just sounds boring, due in part to the thin production. The real problem though are the vocals which are absolutely bloody dreadful, they are trying to have an alternative edge but fall flatter Wile E Coyote under a boulder. They distract on every song making this album almost unlistenable, someone might like it but it was a waste of my time. 4/10
The Elysian Fields: New World Misanthropia (Hammer Of Damnation)
The Elysian Fields are Michael K. who apparently is "Renovating The Stains Once Procreated" which I think means he plays (guitars, keyboards) and Bill A who is also "Eradicating All Unwanted Human Sense" which is (vocals, bass) and like their countrymen Septicflesh they play a symphonically charged style of blackened death metal that is nine tracks of cinematic extremity that deals with such cheery topics as the misanthropic and the heroic having tales of ancient struggles and bitter religious wars. New World Misanthropia is the bands fifth album and it doesn't do anything new as the, I assume, drum machine blast beats are paired with frantic riffs, orchestral swells, barked vocals and industrial synths for The Elysian Fields key sound. Take a track like Slain Upon The Earth and you'll get exactly what The Elysian Fields are about, basically if you like the sound of Septicflesh, from another Greek band you'll like this. 6/10
Disillusive Play: Open Arms (Self Released)
I wanted to like this album, a band that pitched themselves as progressively tinged hard rock. Athenian band Dillusive Play have played with more established bands like The Silent Wedding so everything was pointing in the right direction. However then I pressed play and what I got was the most basic type of rock music, every song plods along with slight changes and twinkly keys, whether this is trying to make it sound edgy or atmospheric but it just sounds boring, due in part to the thin production. The real problem though are the vocals which are absolutely bloody dreadful, they are trying to have an alternative edge but fall flatter Wile E Coyote under a boulder. They distract on every song making this album almost unlistenable, someone might like it but it was a waste of my time. 4/10
The Elysian Fields: New World Misanthropia (Hammer Of Damnation)
The Elysian Fields are Michael K. who apparently is "Renovating The Stains Once Procreated" which I think means he plays (guitars, keyboards) and Bill A who is also "Eradicating All Unwanted Human Sense" which is (vocals, bass) and like their countrymen Septicflesh they play a symphonically charged style of blackened death metal that is nine tracks of cinematic extremity that deals with such cheery topics as the misanthropic and the heroic having tales of ancient struggles and bitter religious wars. New World Misanthropia is the bands fifth album and it doesn't do anything new as the, I assume, drum machine blast beats are paired with frantic riffs, orchestral swells, barked vocals and industrial synths for The Elysian Fields key sound. Take a track like Slain Upon The Earth and you'll get exactly what The Elysian Fields are about, basically if you like the sound of Septicflesh, from another Greek band you'll like this. 6/10