Album Review: SORCERER Lamenting of the Innocent (5/29)

Sorcerer is a Swedish epic doom band from Stockholm, which was founded in 1988, disbanded in 1992 and re-formed in 2010. I've been following the band since the release of 2015's In the Shadow of the Inverted Cross which was followed by the even better 2017's The Crowning Of The Fire King.

The quintet returns in 2020 with Lamenting of the Innocent and two new members: Bassist Justin Biggs and former drummer Richard Evensand. They join guitarists Kristian Niemann and Peter Hallgren and vocalist Anders Engberg. The band approached the writing process of this new album as a collaborative effort As a consequence we get epic doom in line with previous albums, but also with flavors of prog, classic heavy metal and hard rock. Among the new experiments I'd highlight "Dance with the Devil" featuring a choir and spoken words and the title track with growls. The beautiful track "Deliverance" sees the album's only guest appearances, Johan Langquist of Candlemass and renowned Swedish cellist Svante Henryson. It's a clear example of the sound expansion and exploration the guys were looking for. The duet with the two singers is jaw-dropping.

Despite the experimentation and influences, Lamenting of the Innocent is still a big homage to Sabbath and Candlemass. That's obviously not a bad thing specially when the song writing delivers and the musicianship is topnotch. The two guitar players really excelled on this disk. The fantastic fat big riffs follow Tony Iommi's school but deliver the goods on their on merits (e.g. "Dance with the Devil"). The guitar solos would make some guitar heroes blush. "Path to Perdition" had me mistaken for a Mamlsteen Magnum Opus era song. Not only due to the fantastic guitar work but also the use of keys and overall feeling. The single "The Hammer of Witches" gives that strong Master Of Reality vibe ("Children Of The Grave", anyone?) and while very good, the chorus seems a bit out of place.

Another not surprising highlight of this album are the vocals. Vocalist Anders proves again, without being over the top, that he is one of the best in this genre. His powerful voice resonates perfectly with the great catchy melodies and big epic choruses. The almost 9-min title track is an absolute masterpiece, a true masterclass of epic doom. The emotions in his voice and the anthemic ending reminds me of Rainbow's "Stargazer". The powerful and catchy "Institoris" is pure Candlemass. Leif Edling is certainly proud of his disciples. The vocal melodies are just irresistible-sing-along-goose-bumping machines.

The production is decent and creates a big sound with heavy guitars and pounding drums. But it could be a bit more dynamic with more bass on the mix. Not really a big problem. My only real criticism is that the album is a bit too long, I'd have made it 8 songs, opening with the title track and putting "Where Spirits Die" (which didn't work for me as it breaks the flow of the album) as bonus track. And even "Condemned" doesn't add much and feels as a filler as well.

Sorcere's Lamenting of the Innocent features all the elements I'd expect from an Epic Doom album. Big epic choruses, catchy melodies, heavy riffs, strong vocals and great musicianship. If you put aside the fact that there's nothing really new about it, you will give yourself a treat.

SCORE: 81/100
Genre: Doom Metal
Released by Metal Blade Records on May 29th, 2020

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Rating System*
99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

* slightly adapted on May 24th, 2020 due to statistical review
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Album Review: CALIGULA'S HORSE Rise Radiant (5/22)

Caligula's Horse is an Australian contemporary progressive metal band. The band was formed by Sam Vallen (lead guitarist) and Jim Grey (lead vocalist) in early 2011. But I only came in contact with them when reviewing the very good 2017's fourth album In Contact which was a critical and commercial success. According to the band their sound is influenced by bands like King Crimson, Steely Dan and Opeth. I'd describe as a mix of Haken and Leprous with djent elements reminding me of TesseracT.

The new endeavour Rise Radiant is the second album with guitarist Adrian Goleby, and drummer Josh Griffin and the first with bassist/vocalist Dale Prinsse. The fifth album comes three years after the aforementioned In Contact. This time the band decided to stay away from a concept album, however there's still a common theme on the album. For Rise Radiant, Caligula's Horse went for a collaborative writing process instead of just the founding pair. The result is a more colourful and emotional music with virtuosic performances.

Rise Radiant is an unpretentious modern prog album. It's never overdone and easy to digest (8 songs in 48 min) with most songs being relatively short and to the point. Take for example the first two songs: "Tempest" and the single "Slow Violence". Djent guitars with a powerful choruses and tasteful guitar solos. It's a strong opening. Later on "Oceanrise" features similar feeling while being more dynamic. While each band member is a very good musicians, they play in favor of the song and not to show themselves off. That choice helped the album to be concise. The production allows for every instrument to shine including even some nice bass moments like in "Autumn". I think the guys were even too modest, I'd have loved to heard those solos in this song to go more wild. With that said, my real problem with Rise Radiant is that it's too mellow and slow tempo for too long. "Salt", "Resonate" (it can be used in as an elevator song) and "Autumn" completely break the album's energy and feel like almost a ripoff of Leprous. The album gains some extra points due to the strong finish. "The Ascent" is the epic 11-min highlight that I was waiting for. There are slow tempo mellow sections here but they are embedded into a bigger picture that sucks you in during a complete musical journey.

While Rise Radiant starts strong and finishes on a high note, the meat in between lacks the hooks and the power/energy from the previous albums. It doesn't help that I feel a lack of authenticity as it's hard to not compare it to a Haken or Leprous album. With that said, it's an OK album with some very good moments that will work well in your playlist.

SCORE: 76/100
Genre: Progressive Metal
Released by InsideOut Music on May 22nd, 2020

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Rating System*
99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

* slightly adapted on May 24th, 2020 due to statistical review
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Album Review: PARADISE LOST Obsidian (5/15)

Veteran UK gothic metallers Paradise Lost released their 16th album, Obsidian, the follow-up to 2017’s Medusa. Founded in 1988 in Halifax, Paradise Lost are a well known pioneer who helped define the gothic subgenre and raised doom metal to a new level. Besides their goth roots, the band has come a long way and experimented with many genres during their career. To name a few: Death Doom, electronic pop, and classic heavy metal. I've first heard the band when purchased the CD Draconian Times back in 1995, then I lost interest. But more recently the last three albums since 2012's Tragic Idol have been very good and highly ranked in my year-end lists.

The new offering Obsidian opens strongly and unexpectedly with "Darker Thoughts", a two part song: First clean vocals over acoustic guitar and strings. Then growls, guitars and drums enter to give the best display of death doom brilliance. More interestingly during the third verse it brings the goth vibe in. Not to mention the melodic and engaging guitar solo and fantastic drumming. It's the perfect album opener as it's brilliant and summarizes the whole album. Obsidian is an eclectic album with heavy parts but also highly influenced by 80's goth. It features solos, heavy riffs, ballads and acoustics. On the heavier side of the album are "Fall from Grace" and the groovy "Serenity". "Ghosts" exemplify their deep The Sisters of Mercy influence. The catchy "Forsaken" keeps the 80's goth influence on the forefront and serves as clear display of 1995's Draconian Times meets 2015's The Plague Within, a recurrent theme in Obsidian. "Ending Days", the perfect display of melodic guitarwork from Gregor Mackintosh, is still very goth but more ballad oriented song. The Death Doom side of the band was not forgotten and strongly represented by "The Devil Embraced" and the closing jewel "Ravenghast".

The guitarwork is one of the highlights with classy chugging guitars combined with riffs using the higher end of the spectrum. It's almost as if guitar riffs were used to replace the keyboards. It's an interesting choice that allowed the band to combine The Sisters of Mercy influence without loosing their heaviness. Of course the solid drumming also contributes to the heaviness. Besides there's no lack of very melodic and interesting guitar solos. Overall the production is fantastic, given a clear sound and well balanced mix supporting the guitar oriented music. Perhaps my only small criticism is "Hope Dies Young" and not so much for the song but for its position on the album. It cause the flow to loose a bit of the steam towards the end.

The diversity of Obsidian has the potential to please different segments of the band's fan base. It's trademark Paradise Lost full of melancholy and bittersweetness which fit well with the 2020 mood. But it also keeps the heavy elements from the last two albums while bringing the The Sisters of Mercy influence to the foreground. While not a radical departure in sound, Obsidian has just enough experimentation to keep those veterans relevant in 2020 while staying truthful to their roots.

SCORE: 83/100
Genre: Gothic Metal
Released by Nuclear Blast Records on May 15th, 2020

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Rating System*
99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
81 - 86 Very Good
75 - 80 Good
66 - 74 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

* adapted on May 4th, 2020 due to statistical review
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Album Review: AXEL RUDI PELL Sign Of The Times (5/8)

Some bands want to "keep evolving" or "pushing their boundaries" while others just want to do what they know best and love. The German institution Axel Rudi Pell (ARP) is the ladder, like AC/DC, when you get a new ARP album, you know what you will get. A love letter to Deep Purple/ Rainbow/ UFO/ Scorpions through his own lens. Mr. Axel Rudi Pell has created and perfected his sound over more than 30 years and 18 studio albums (over 1.7 million albums sold worldwide)! The axeman founded the band with his name after his departure from Steeler in 1989. The line-up has been stable for years with Johnny Gioeli - Vocals , Ferdy Doernberg - Keyboards , Volker Krawczak - Bass, and Bobby Rondinelli - Drums. I'm a long time fan and I own all of those 18 albums (and some live ones) in CD. My first was 1998's Oceans of Time which was Johnny Gioeli's debut after Jeff Scott Soto's (ex-Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, Sons of Apollo) departure. Oceans of Time remains one of my favorite ARP albums. Other favorites followed during the 2000's: The Masquerade Ball (2000), Shadow Zone (2002), Mystica (2006) and Tales of the Crown (2008). Since then there have been some good moments, but not as good as the aforementioned albums.

The impressive thing about the ARP discography is that since the debut Wild Obsession (1989) they never had a gap longer than 2 years between albums. That must be some kind of world record. In 2020 is no different, they are back with Sign Of The Times two years (surprise!)  after Knights Call. An album that did not appeal to me. But I was excited to check this new offering which brings 10 new songs, one being a instrumental intro. Sign Of The Times is not too short (55 min). It doesn't feature very long songs, but also no short ones. All tracks after the intro are between 5 and 7 minutes which is a rather new configuration for the band. For example, the epic title track is shorter than usual, but the good news is that it is again one of the best in the album. It's mid-tempo, emotional, anthemic and with a big chorus. Mr. Axel is a master when it comes to writing ballads (I mean the guy released 5 compilation albums named The Ballads). But at least to me, who is not a ballad fan, the ones from Axel are ballads that I care for. This time "As Blind As A Fool Can Be" is the slow tempo song but it's 6 min and features a fantastic solo, so I'm even hesitant to label it a ballad. The single "Gunfire" is the typical track 2 in a ARP album: It's catchy, fast tempo and has a memorable chorus. "Bad Reputation" sounds more like "Fool Fool" than the classic "Nasty Reputation", just in case you wondered. Another great rocker is "The End Of The Line". The single "Wings Of The Storm" is a homage to Dio/ Deep Purple/ Hendrix, it's interesting because those three influences are seamlessly fused into one magical tune.

There's one downside of Sign Of The Times. I must confess that I loose a bit of interest in the last third of the album. The super cheesy lyrics of "Waiting For Your Call" make it hard to listen to it. The last two songs do bring a slightly different flavor but I can't say that they work for me. I appreciate the effort though and the interesting Reggae flavor from "Living In A Dream".

While after the first listen I was not impressed the album due to "sounding the same", it has grown on me and now it's high on my rotation list. You must accept that when you think of ARP, you think consistency: Soaring vocals singing catchy melodies, fantastic melodic and emotional guitar solos, unpretentious guitar riffs, clear pristine production and top quality written hard rock / heavy metal tunes. Those will always be there. Don't get bothered by the similar feel. Sometimes we just have to enjoy the simple things in life and you can count on Axel Rudi Pell  to deliver a set of songs every two years and have fun with them!

SCORE: 80/100
Genre: Hard Rock / Heavy Metal
Released by Steamhammer on May 8th, 2020

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Rating System*
99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
81 - 86 Very Good
75 - 80 Good
66 - 74 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

* adapted on May 4th, 2020 due to statistical review
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Album Review: DARK FOREST Oak, Ash & Thorn (4/24)

Dark Forest is a heavy metal band from England formed in 2002 by Christian Horton (Guitar/ Vocals) and releasing their debut self-titled LP in 2009. The sophomore album Dawn of Infinity was the first release with Cruz del Sur Music and the only one with singer Will Lowry-Scott. It was 2014's The Awakening that got excellent reviews and also debuted the current vocalist Josh Winnard. The line-up is completed by Pat Jenkins (Guitar) and Adam Sidaway (Drums). The band currently doesn't feature a bass player as an official member. Dark Forest have drawn inspiration from "the rich legacy of legend and folklore and the unconquerable and enduring spirit of their homeland".

Four years in the making and Oak, Ash & Thorn is finally here. I'd describe Dark Forest's sound as a more tamed version of Iron Maiden's as it doesn't get too big and operatic. Instead the band focuses on medieval folklore and 'forests atmosphere'. Within this frame, it reminds me more of the melancholy and darkness of The X Factor album. Listen to "Avalon Rising" and you will understand it. The guitarwork is very influenced by Maiden: higher note riffs with twin guitars are constantly utilized. The vocalist Josh Winnard sounds like an young Tobias Sammet (e.g. "Relics") but he does not exaggerate on the high notes. The vocal style gives Dark Forest's sound a more contained vibe.

The short intro song "Ælfscyne" get things started and it's an important piece of music to get us into the folklore and forest feel. It leads us into the intro riff of "Wayfarer's Eve", an uptempo catchy 5-min anthem. It gets even better with the next tracks "The Midnight Folk", "Relics" (probably my album favorite) and "Avalon Rising". Those tracks follow the same groundwork set but are all even more captivating. This all leads us to the epic 12-min title track. Before wrapping things up with the instrumental "Heart of the Rose", we are blessed with the folk-ish "The Woodlander" and the anthemic "Eadric's Return". In sum, there are no bad songs or fillers, the album flows very well and cohesively. The production is ok but it does lead to my only complain. As I write this review on May the 4th, I'l summarize it with a Darth Vader meme "I find your lack of bass disturbing". It a small price to pay in order to enjoy such a good album.

While not completely original, the sound created by Dark Forest is magical and adventurous. Oak, Ash & Thorn is a well crafted and executed album creating soaring epic melodies with just enough power to limit them going into cheesy territory. It all comes down to impeccable songwriting which makes all the difference. Certainly the best traditional/power metal album of the year so far.

SCORE: 83/100
Genre: Heavy Metal
Released by Cruz Del Sur Music on April 24th, 2020

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Rating System*
99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
81 - 86 Very Good
75 - 80 Good
66 - 74 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

* adapted on May 4th, 2020 due to statistical review

Album Review: HAVOK V (5/1)

Havok is an American thrash metal band from Denver. Formed in 2004 and releasing the debut Burn in 2009.  David Sanchez (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) is the only founding member left but except for the bass, the line-up is stable since 2011's Time Is Up with Reece Scruggs (lead guitar) and Pete Webber (drums). The first three albums saw the band finding their sound by mixing classic thrash influences with modern metal. It was 2017's Conformicide that got very good reviews and defined the band as one of the better re-thrash metal bands from the 2010's. I personally missed their albums up to now, but in a week with very few releases their name caught my attention. I remember regretting missing out Conformicide.

V is the fifth (surprise!) 11-song studio album and the band's first with bassist Brandon Bruce. The single "Post-Truth Era" get things started in the best "Blackened" way (but with bass!) and there's at least one more And Justice For All... Easter egg later in the album. Other first impressions are that to me Havok sounds a lot like a mix of Death Angel with Destruction. Their sound is very intense and fast (e.g. "Fear Campaign"), but the band knows how to slow down (e.g. "Ritual of the Mind"), and experiment and flirt with progressiveness. The more adventurous side of the band is seen in the last songs. "Panpsychism" is an over six-minute song with an acoustic intro and a build up from mid-tempo to some high speed sections. There are also some Maiden-ism and fun solos. Then the 8-min closer "Don't Do It" displays some nice twists including clean vocals. I like when bands do some experimentation on the last song but it doesn't always work, in V Havok pulled it off nicely.

The production is top notch. One of the most distinctive and impressive characteristic of the band's sound is the bass. There are very few thrash basses that sound so good. It's dynamic as it uses different techniques and positions in the mix. "Betrayed by Technology" and "Cosmetic Surgery" being clear examples (but really all over the album). And it's not only the bass, the other guys are also exceptionally good at their instruments. David's voice resembles  Schmier from Destruction. It's a cool and powerful voice, but sometimes too similar to him.  In addition to David, the band uses lots of gang vocals which I usually don't appreciate. But in this case it works well as it is just a few words at a time and not overdone.

While I enjoyed the album, I can't avoid that it bothers me that Havok sound too much like the 80's thrash bands. Other than that it's a good old school thrash metal album with a modern touch. If you like their previous albums, you will dig this for sure. I personally don't see myself going back to it very often, but I would certainly like to see Havok live thrashing some of those headbangers.

SCORE: 78/100
Genre: Thrash Metal
Released by Century Media Records on May 1st, 2020

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Rating System
96 - 100 Perfect
88 - 95 Excellent
84 - 87 Great
80 - 83 Very Good
75 - 79 Good
69 - 74 Mixed
58 - 68 Bad