Imperial Triumphant - Spirit Of Ecstasy (Century Media Records)
Following on the heels of their 2021 live album An Evening With... masked, robed and experimental metal band Imperial Triumphant return with their third full length Spirit Of Ecstasy an album that distils everything Imperial Triumphant are about into 8 mind bending tracks that bring various types of musical styles together, throw them into a blender and add a dose of weirdness just for good measure. The overarching sound here is jazz, the quirky time signatures, off time drumming and blasts of explosive instrumentals are all shared with modern/improvisational jazz bands. They even go as far as to add the soprano sax of Kenny G on Merikus Guilded for that additional jazz flair to what is a black metal track otherwise.
Following on the heels of their 2021 live album An Evening With... masked, robed and experimental metal band Imperial Triumphant return with their third full length Spirit Of Ecstasy an album that distils everything Imperial Triumphant are about into 8 mind bending tracks that bring various types of musical styles together, throw them into a blender and add a dose of weirdness just for good measure. The overarching sound here is jazz, the quirky time signatures, off time drumming and blasts of explosive instrumentals are all shared with modern/improvisational jazz bands. They even go as far as to add the soprano sax of Kenny G on Merikus Guilded for that additional jazz flair to what is a black metal track otherwise.
If Mr Bungle went all in on the theatrics and the extreme metal then Imperial Triumphant would be the outcome, hey even Trey Spruance from Mr Bungle appears on the record. The core trio of the band are Zachary Ilya Ezrin (vocals, guitars), Steve Blanco (bass, vocals, keys, theremin) and Kenny Grohowski (drums) are augmented by special guests, repeating how they made previous albums, this time along with Kenny G and Spruance we have Snake of Voivod, Alex Skolnick of Testament, multiple choral guests, a tonne of brass and string guests to bring the cinematic sound to sounds such as Tower Of Glory, City Of Shame, probably the most straightforward extreme metal track on the album, cut with some apocalyptic news reports and progressive death metal barrages.
All Imperial Triumphant albums are ones you have to play a multitude of times before you can really understand everything that's going on but that's where the magic is with these albums, you can feel the virtuosity of those involved but it is never detrimental to the songs themselves which all have unique identities. If you've yet to enter the maximalist world of Imperial Triumphant I suggest you begin with their live album then this one as it seems that they have carved their niche as one of the most forward thinking acts in the metal sphere. 8/10
Sick N Beautiful - Starstruck (Frontiers Music Srl)
Thumping industrial electronics, radio friendly choruses, theatrical staging and bags of attitude are what influence Sick N Beautiful's sound. The Rome based band, (though the PR says they crash landed there). Since they are stuck here they have been putting together music that fuses different styles to make something that isn't 100% unique but certainly will intrigue if nothing else. The band are known for their outlandish stage shows and cinematic videos, where the props, outfits and effects are all down in house much like fellow space travelling Scumdogs GWAR. Their entire ethos is doing things by themselves, all homemade but by no means amateur, the story line of the band continued on every album, each telling a tale.
Sick N Beautiful - Starstruck (Frontiers Music Srl)
Thumping industrial electronics, radio friendly choruses, theatrical staging and bags of attitude are what influence Sick N Beautiful's sound. The Rome based band, (though the PR says they crash landed there). Since they are stuck here they have been putting together music that fuses different styles to make something that isn't 100% unique but certainly will intrigue if nothing else. The band are known for their outlandish stage shows and cinematic videos, where the props, outfits and effects are all down in house much like fellow space travelling Scumdogs GWAR. Their entire ethos is doing things by themselves, all homemade but by no means amateur, the story line of the band continued on every album, each telling a tale.
Their music too is fully D.I.Y which is why it brings so many different genres together, but mostly Starstruck, like their previous two efforts, it's very much geared to be anthemic and get a crowd going, this album especially bringing the sleaze of the Sunset Strip, with the title of Starstruck feeling as if this is Sick N Beautiful going 'Hollywood' both the highs and the lows that that entails. A track such as Angels Be Fallin' highlights this American Dream gone wrong concept well the vocals on the record especially good while the electronics are utilised well throughout being one of the key elements of Sick N Beautiful's music. Metal for the masses expect to see them on a stage near you soon, pumping out big industrial riffs and bigger showmanship. 7/10
Nebala - Lustuz Laþu Wōþuz Alu (By Norse Music)
For anyone who has watched the film The Northman or has listened to masters of primordial Nordic folk Heilung, the name Jonas Lorentzen will be known. He was the singer of Heilung for two year and had a role in The Northman, so his music is of the same traditional cultural background as his former band, utilising traditional instruments such as lyre, tagelharpa, singing bowls and of course throat singing, to create evocative soundscapes that are cinematic and affecting, bringing out the very soul of his ancestral home through music.
Nebala - Lustuz Laþu Wōþuz Alu (By Norse Music)
For anyone who has watched the film The Northman or has listened to masters of primordial Nordic folk Heilung, the name Jonas Lorentzen will be known. He was the singer of Heilung for two year and had a role in The Northman, so his music is of the same traditional cultural background as his former band, utilising traditional instruments such as lyre, tagelharpa, singing bowls and of course throat singing, to create evocative soundscapes that are cinematic and affecting, bringing out the very soul of his ancestral home through music.
Starting with the brooding Alagabia, which builds with throbbing percussion were taken on a journey through the link between sexuality and sacredness. The album is built on Old Norse Mythology where both things were interchangeable, the album title itself alludes to the 3 stages of sexuality, fertility and love. While the band name translates to The Void, which is where all life comes from according to the Proto-Germanic tradition.
It's such a niche concept that means that Lorentzen has garnered the help of musical and non musical guests to bring musical and cultural authenticity. Musically he's aided by Sebastian Gainsborough who composed the music for The Northman, while Kjell Braaten from Wardruna brings his musical expertise. To make sure that the rituals and history was understood as much as possible Jonas Alps collaborated with Dr Mathias Nordvig and Naina Gupta both at the top of their fields in Pre-Christian religion and philosophy, they insure that the ideas used in the lyrics are accurate.
Still unless you can understand the Old Norse language you may struggle with what the album is about but musically it's certainly a spiritual journey through the Pre-Christian times that will grab your attention and not let you go. Not strictly a metal album but if you're a fan of Heilung, Wardruna or soundscapes etc then you'll be bewitched by Nebala. 7/10
Oath SC - Hallowed Illusions (Self Released)
Steven Waddell is the UK's answer to Trevor William Church, both are multi-instrumentalists thay play everything on their respective albums and both love traditional heavy metal done with a D.I.Y spirit. Church of course is the man behind Haunt (and Beastmaker) while Waddell's project is Oath SC, they have been featured here before with an album produced by Mr Church but this time it's Seven Sister's Kyle McNeil that handles the mastering, leaving the rest to Waddell who prefers a very retro sound, drenched in reverb, lashings of fuzz and that echoed sound you get on old NWOBHM cassettes.
Steven Waddell is the UK's answer to Trevor William Church, both are multi-instrumentalists thay play everything on their respective albums and both love traditional heavy metal done with a D.I.Y spirit. Church of course is the man behind Haunt (and Beastmaker) while Waddell's project is Oath SC, they have been featured here before with an album produced by Mr Church but this time it's Seven Sister's Kyle McNeil that handles the mastering, leaving the rest to Waddell who prefers a very retro sound, drenched in reverb, lashings of fuzz and that echoed sound you get on old NWOBHM cassettes.
It's the third album from Waddell and he lives up to the stereotype of being a dour Scotsman as Hallowed Illusions is an angry record inspired by the past few years as songs of isolation such as Bedsit Symphonies and Stockholm Syndrome both feature some more imaginative lyrics than many of the NWOTHM bands. Musically Steven has encapsulated the entire NWOBHM genre with punky, proto-thrash on Disposable, galloping bounce of Hearsay and some tasty dual leads on Stockholm Syndrome, there's even some breezy American sounds and synth on Looking Back and Standing On The Edge Of The World to counteract all the denim and leather.
Is he the best singer in the world? No he isn't but it really doesn't matter as his voice fits with the style of his influences being bands such as Angel Witch, Raven etc. Hallowed Illusions is a decent NWOTHM album from this one man show, very much built on the D.I.Y attitude which must be commended. Grab it on cassette and pretend it's 1981. 7/10