Khymera – Hold Your Ground (Frontiers Music Srl)
Dennis Ward is a legend in the melodic rock/AOR/power metal scene, having been the bassist of Pink Cream 69 since 1989, being the current bassist of Magnum, as well as playing with Gus G, Unisonic and Sunstorm. He’s also one of the go-to producers/mixers for melodic/AOR/power metal genre, Khymera has been the band he has fronted between 2005-2008 and from 2015 until present.
They released their last album Master Of 1llusion in 2020 so along with guitarist Michael Klein, keyboardist Eric Ragno, drummer Michael Kolar and fellow producer extraordinaire Pete Newdeck on backing vocals, Khymera return with yet more perfectly positioned melodic rock, that has all the choruses of bands like Journey (Hear What I’m Saying), but with more technical elements of Styx and Kansas (Khymera was originally a union between Italian producer/musician Daniele Liverani and Kansas singer Steve Walsh) but with Ward behind the mic (and on the bass) there’s more of a rock n roll soul to this band that brings to mind Magnum or TEN, tracks such as Sail On Forever or the proggy On The Edge, bring those European/British AOR sounds.A sound that is different to the way the Yanks do it and even though Ward is American he is well versed in the European style so it’s no wonder the songwriting is skewed that way.
Only really the ballads such as Believe In What You Want and Our Love Is Killing Me, which steals it’s keys from Heart’s Alone, do they move into that saccharine American AOR sound. Still Ward’s great vocals and production means that everything sounds great, and the focus on more rockers rather than ballads make the pacing much better, giving the ballads room to breathe but ensuring that you’re nodding your head throughout. With a much shorter gap between these last two albums, it shows that Khymera still have the quality but can also do quantity too. More please! 8/10
They released their last album Master Of 1llusion in 2020 so along with guitarist Michael Klein, keyboardist Eric Ragno, drummer Michael Kolar and fellow producer extraordinaire Pete Newdeck on backing vocals, Khymera return with yet more perfectly positioned melodic rock, that has all the choruses of bands like Journey (Hear What I’m Saying), but with more technical elements of Styx and Kansas (Khymera was originally a union between Italian producer/musician Daniele Liverani and Kansas singer Steve Walsh) but with Ward behind the mic (and on the bass) there’s more of a rock n roll soul to this band that brings to mind Magnum or TEN, tracks such as Sail On Forever or the proggy On The Edge, bring those European/British AOR sounds.A sound that is different to the way the Yanks do it and even though Ward is American he is well versed in the European style so it’s no wonder the songwriting is skewed that way.
Only really the ballads such as Believe In What You Want and Our Love Is Killing Me, which steals it’s keys from Heart’s Alone, do they move into that saccharine American AOR sound. Still Ward’s great vocals and production means that everything sounds great, and the focus on more rockers rather than ballads make the pacing much better, giving the ballads room to breathe but ensuring that you’re nodding your head throughout. With a much shorter gap between these last two albums, it shows that Khymera still have the quality but can also do quantity too. More please! 8/10
Deviser - Evil Summons Evil (Hammerheart Records)
Having been in existence as long as Hellenic Black Metal legends Rotting Christ, you would think that Deviser would be more recognised, and more prolific, than the are, definitely more of underground act, having only released four albums and two EP's before Evil Summons Evil, they are one of those bands that are lauded by the trve kvlt black metal fans as not being "commercial", filthy enough for loves of the first Norwegian waves but polished enough to have the orchestral parts Rotting Christ, Septicflesh and others put so much value in.
Psychon of Septicflesh is behind the desk for this, so it has that pin sharp production that lets the strings work their magic on Tenebrae and Of Magick. After a lengthy gap of 11 years it's seems it seems evil really does summon evil as Deviser have come back more satanic than before. Packed with lightning fast tremolo picked riffs on Absence Of Heaven then alternating into the chugging mid pace on tracks like Cold Comes The Night, they are very much ingrained into the Hellenic extreme metal sound, the blast beats never stopping even on the slower tracks such as Where Angels Fear.
Hopefully this album, released on Hammerheart Records will get them as much recognition as Rotting Christ, Varathon and Septicflesh as they definitely deserve it. 8/10
Godiva - Hubris (Self Released)
The Portuguese band Godiva have been away from things for 11 years but in 2023 they have finally graced us with their debut full length record, entitled Hubris, they are obviously very proud of their deity defiance as this symphonic death metal band take a similar approach to “the good book” lyrically and musically as Greek band Septicflesh. Dark gothic orchestration, pulverising death metal drumming and snarled vocals are all very similar to the long established Greek band but Godiva do it just as well with tracks such as The All Seeing Eye managing to hook itself on huge orchestral parps and a solo ala Behemoth.
Psychon of Septicflesh is behind the desk for this, so it has that pin sharp production that lets the strings work their magic on Tenebrae and Of Magick. After a lengthy gap of 11 years it's seems it seems evil really does summon evil as Deviser have come back more satanic than before. Packed with lightning fast tremolo picked riffs on Absence Of Heaven then alternating into the chugging mid pace on tracks like Cold Comes The Night, they are very much ingrained into the Hellenic extreme metal sound, the blast beats never stopping even on the slower tracks such as Where Angels Fear.
Hopefully this album, released on Hammerheart Records will get them as much recognition as Rotting Christ, Varathon and Septicflesh as they definitely deserve it. 8/10
Godiva - Hubris (Self Released)
The Portuguese band Godiva have been away from things for 11 years but in 2023 they have finally graced us with their debut full length record, entitled Hubris, they are obviously very proud of their deity defiance as this symphonic death metal band take a similar approach to “the good book” lyrically and musically as Greek band Septicflesh. Dark gothic orchestration, pulverising death metal drumming and snarled vocals are all very similar to the long established Greek band but Godiva do it just as well with tracks such as The All Seeing Eye managing to hook itself on huge orchestral parps and a solo ala Behemoth.
They also allowing the black metal sound to be further explored on tracks such as Death Of Icarus. Both the symphonic parts and the metallic ones work well, the slick production helping no end, but it feels a little like Godiva have arrived into quite a crowded field with their time away. Having come back to life in 2018, their progress was obviously hindered by the pandemic however this album is as vicious and voracious as they were on their early 2000’s EP’s, but with better production really. It’s these records that made them an underground sensation in their native country, but Hubris looks like it could be the album that breaks them to a wider audience. 7/10
Victor Smolski – Guitar Force (Massacre Records)
Former Rage guitarist and Sir Ben Kingsley lookalike, Victor Smolski has released a instrumental guitar album…yay. These so called ‘shred’ albums were extremely popular in the late 80’s with Vai, Satriani, Malmsteen, Michael Angelo Batio, Jason Becker and Marty Friedman all worshipped as gods by young axe slingers trying to go faster and more technical than anyone before. Now I’m not a guitarist so I’ve never really had much of an interest in these sorts of records, as I do like to have some dynamics in my instrumental music and vocals with my neo-classical metal style playing. So this may be a challenge, not because I don’t understand the dedication and discipline that goes into being this bloody good at your instrument but as just pure listening experience I found my mind wandering off.
Now I like Rage, I like Almanac and most of the bands Smolski has been involved in so to hear some of those songs on this compilation along with the overdone trope of playing J.S Bach compositions through an electric six string makes it at least a bit more enjoyable to the ear. There’s some variation in style for sure with use of both electrics and acoustics, but the album pretty much stays in the neo-classical/power/classic metal category just without vocals. There are also some guests, the highest profile being Rage founder Peavy Wagner contributing bass to Unity, Tim Rashid of Almanac giving bass to the first three songs.
He employs the use of the Inspector Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Virtuoso and Orquestra Barcelona Filharmonia on all of the tracks except Unity so the record sounds cinematic and as OTT as you'd want it to be. If you're a guitarist with an interest in the shredders then you'll love this, for anyone else it may not be as exciting. 6/10
Victor Smolski – Guitar Force (Massacre Records)
Former Rage guitarist and Sir Ben Kingsley lookalike, Victor Smolski has released a instrumental guitar album…yay. These so called ‘shred’ albums were extremely popular in the late 80’s with Vai, Satriani, Malmsteen, Michael Angelo Batio, Jason Becker and Marty Friedman all worshipped as gods by young axe slingers trying to go faster and more technical than anyone before. Now I’m not a guitarist so I’ve never really had much of an interest in these sorts of records, as I do like to have some dynamics in my instrumental music and vocals with my neo-classical metal style playing. So this may be a challenge, not because I don’t understand the dedication and discipline that goes into being this bloody good at your instrument but as just pure listening experience I found my mind wandering off.
Now I like Rage, I like Almanac and most of the bands Smolski has been involved in so to hear some of those songs on this compilation along with the overdone trope of playing J.S Bach compositions through an electric six string makes it at least a bit more enjoyable to the ear. There’s some variation in style for sure with use of both electrics and acoustics, but the album pretty much stays in the neo-classical/power/classic metal category just without vocals. There are also some guests, the highest profile being Rage founder Peavy Wagner contributing bass to Unity, Tim Rashid of Almanac giving bass to the first three songs.
He employs the use of the Inspector Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Virtuoso and Orquestra Barcelona Filharmonia on all of the tracks except Unity so the record sounds cinematic and as OTT as you'd want it to be. If you're a guitarist with an interest in the shredders then you'll love this, for anyone else it may not be as exciting. 6/10