heavy metal

​Besides massively and internationally appreciated bands (including AmenRa, Bliksem, Evil Invaders...), Belgium also has a number of underappreciated acts, which in some cases is understandable and in other cases is really a shame.  Sons Of Lioth is one of those bands who deserve world tours, big festivals and an impressive following.  I've seen these guys live and they fucking rock.  Pure heavy metal, influenced by the likes of Hammerfall, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Megadeth, brought with a lot of energy, great riffs and awesome vocals, what else could we want?

The band hails from Herenthout, a town in 'De Stille Kempen'.  'Stil' means 'Silent' but that's not really applicable to these guys.  Their music is meant to be played loud and to bang your head to. When Sons Of Lioth formed in 2005, they were mainly singing about epic battles, steel hammers and dragons but gradually the whole thing became more serious, probably because they suddenly realized how talented they actually were.  Now, after some demos and a a first ep, they return with 'Judge Hammer', a true tribute to heavy metal.

The ep opens with a strange intro which obviously turns into a fierce metal headbutt.  From there, the Sons never let go and blasts some more uppercuts trough our speakers.  'Mad Trucking' is a classic metal anthem, fast, brutal and intense, just the way we like it it.  'Ramses The Anonymous' sounds as if Manowar and Motley Crue teamed up to write the best metal song of all time (or at least one of the best). 'Grand Inquisitor' also digs into the glorious sound of the eighties.  Well, all of the songs do.

Now that the mythical themes have mostly disappeared, I think it's time to take these guys serious.  If you like anything between Skid Row and Overkill, you have absolutely no excuse to ignore Sons Of Lioth.  In my book, especially with a brilliant ep like this one, this quintet surpasses many Belgian metal bands, both in quality of songwriting and headbanging fun.  So, Bliksem, Evil Invaders, Channel Zero and Diablo Blvd, you guys have got some ferocious competition...


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heavy metal / speed metal

For those who thought speed metal was death, think again.  It's true that in recent years other subgenres have taken over the top spots of the present day metal scene but there's still a strong force of old school heavy and speed metal bands active today.  Most of them are blessed with brilliant guitar players and a tremendous feel for melody and songwriting.  Some of them decide to incorporate some different elements into their music, probably earning the 'progressive' prefix.  

Hibria is one of those bands, otherwise I would have been writing that opening paragraph, right?  The band hails from Brazil and has been around since 1996, having recorded several albums, splits and e.p.'s over the years.  This selftitled full-length is their fifth and it's a must have for fans of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Annihilator, Halloween and Megadeth.  That being said, this album is a great throw-back into the glorious days of speed metal.

The album opens viciously with 'Pain', a song which immediately sets the tone.  Flashing guitars, high-speed drums and clean but powerful vocals make up the most part of the song.  Yet, Hibria manages to sneak in some other instruments like sax and trumpet (I think), giving an extra sense of originality to the whole.  They don't have to but they do very good at that.  The song is immediately followed by another massive piece of speed metal in 'Abyss'.  By now, I'm already convinced of the quality of this album.

And they never let us down.  From the brilliant vocal lines in 'Tightrope' to the Pantera-like riffs in 'Life', this album varies enourmously within the genre, giving it both an old school and modern edge.  In fact, 'Life' also show a bit of the ballad-writing abilities this band has, reminding me a bit of early Skid Row.  'Legacy' takes on a different approach, blending Pantera or even Fear Factory induced riffs with almost sludge-like vocals (at times).  It's one of the strangest songs on this album but nonetheless quite interesting.

So it's needless to say that there's plenty of variation on this full-length, making the whole very enjoyable for nearly every metalhead out there.  'Ashamed' for example, is a splendid blend of present day alternative metal and the metallic playfulness of the eighties, enhanced with a strong chorus which many people will be able to sing-along.  Much to my surprise, suddenly the song gets a great ska-touch halfway through, obviously because of the brass instruments.  

And no, we're not even done there.  How about a touch of funk in 'Fame'.  This could be the metal version of a James Brown song, somehow reminding me of Electric Boys.  So yes, we're dealing with plenty of different influences but the focus clearly remains on showing the excellent skills of all the band members and creating strong songs.  It's no wonder these guys opened for a lot of big bands like Megadeth, Sepultura and Metallica.  Hibria is a name to keep an eye on for they might be the only hope for the future of decent heavy metal.


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heavy metal

A few days ago, Björn and I were talking about movie soundtracks.  While he is a big fan, I never really payed a lot of attention to them.  Although, I do have to say that I usually don't really care about movies anyway.  Yet, one soundtrack that will always haunt me (in a good way) is Danny Elfman's 'Nightmare Before Christmas'.  For some reason I love the gloomy, jazzy approach and the creepy atmosphere.  Furthermore, who can forget Primus' opening song for Sound Park?

Now, you might wonder what that paragraph had to do with the album I'm about to review here.  Well, in a way both Primus and Danny Elfman come to mind when I listened to it for the first time.  That is not really a coincidence since 'Fear From The Skies' is actually a compilation of hard rock and heavy metal induced horror stories with a firm focus on that creepy atmosphere and a lot of bass guitar driven weirdness.  This band from India has obviously made something interesting.  

After a short intro, the album opens with 'The Raptorsville Fair'.  It's mainly this song that brings out the Elfman meets Primus reference by blending heavy metal with a waltz-like tempo and bizarre vocals.  Another band that comes to mind here is 'Sleepytime Gorilla Museum'.  'Jugglehead the Clown' then comes up with the full-on heavy metal approach in perfect NWOBHM fashion.  It that aspect, this could indeed be a King Diamond song, except for the fact that the vocals don't always shriek as high as with the corpse-painted metal god.  Nonetheless, it's heavy metal time, complete with flashing twin solos and a thunderous tempo.

The voice does become weirder and weirder as the album evolves.  In 'Children Of The Cloud' for example, the voice brings images of Stephen King's 'It', further dragging the album into the strangest regions of heavy metal and (probably unintentionally) even towards black metal at times.  The word 'distinct' is extremely useful when talking about the voice of Albatros.  Yet, also the music has something untouchable, strange and unconventional.  The complicated song structures clearly help in creating that unique sound and so does the brilliant use of bass guitar.

Fact remains that 'Fear from the Skies' is a strange album that might take some time getting used to, except of course when you're a King Diamond fan.  In that case you could easily get into the complex nature of Albatross.  My favorite track 'A Tale of Two Tyrants' beautifully represents everything this band stands for: strong riffs, loads of variation and an intense wicked atmosphere.  Like I mentioned before: this isn't just another heavy metal album.  This is an audiobook, filled with horror stories with an immersive and dark soundtrack.  Perhaps it's time 'The Empire Of The Albatross' reaches Europe and the rest of the world...



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progressive power metal

Now that's something to think about.  What is your safest shelter? What is the best place to hide away from the troubles of our society or from your own deepest inner fears?  Is that shelter the same as the one you'd hide away from physical danger? Is it even a real place or is it a dark room in a far away corner of your brain?  How do you get there? What do you do in such a shelter?  

We're in Brazil, São Paulo to be exact, and we're listening to a band that used to go by the name 'Prostate Seer'.  They changed the name a while after their inception in 2000 and the original name became the title for one of the songs on this e.p.  'Implexi' means 'Entanglement', which stands for the way this band incorpororates many different influences into their own style.

Judging from the artwork, logo and the fact that Brazil is mainly a death metal country, I expected some brutal grunts and fierce guitars but boy was I wrong.  There's some grunts here and there and the guitars do indeed sound strong and heavy but this is not death metal.  This is quite intense power metal, blending elements of heavy, symphonic and progressive metal and turning it into something that sounds like it comes straight of eighties & nineties Europe.

The e.p. opens with 'Arrival In The Dark', a pretty solid power metal song which roams in the same fields as bands like Blind Guardian, Hammerfall or Kamelot.  This example is immediately followed by the earlier mentioned 'Prostate Seer'. Yet, while this song is quite up-tempo, most of them are a bit slower than the usual songs in this genre.  That's where the progressive elements come in, combining symphonics with classical arrangements and an atmosphere of heroism and victory.

The two longest songs on this e.p., 'The Secrets Of Darkness' and 'Anguish' take the level of symphony a bit higher, becoming more like anthems in stead of songs.  Here some grunts are used, as well as Sabaton-like voices of vengeance.  It's here where I can see the audience raising their fists and singing along.  Even more so, around the end of 'The Secrets Of Darkness' we can hear the high pitched voice that reminds me Helloween as well as some black metal screams.

With 'Safest Shelter' Implexi delivered an interesting e.p., filled with complex song structures and loads of atmosphere.  To some people, this music might sound outdated but I think there's still a place for decent progressive power metal in the present day metal genre and that's exactly what Implexi stands for.  Talented musicians making something epic together in a rehearsal room somewhere, that might be one of the safest shelters indeed...



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power metal / progressive metal

About twenty five years ago, I didn't know that ambient music existed but I was in love with intros from bands like Amorphis, Cradle Of Filth, My Dying Bride and many more.  I even recorded several tapes compiling all these intros.  The titles of theses tapes was 'Satan, Roald Dahl and Me'.  Don't ask me why.  New, a quarter of a decade later, I'm still fascinated by intros from metal albums.  To me, these, usually short, anthems belong to a genre of their own and I actually still collect them. Lothlöryen will probably be present on 'Statan, Roald Dahl and Me - part 121 or so'.  The song '...A Journey Begins' fits perfectly in this genre and I quite like it.

So there you have it. I've spent a whole paragraph on the intro of an album without even mentioning anything about this band.  Well, Lothlöryen hails from Brazil, was founded in 2002, recorded several albums and e.p.'s and toured with the likes of Korpiklaani and Arkona.  'Principles Of A Past Tomorrow'is their sixth effort overall and I must say, I'm happy it arrived my inbox.  Not only for the intro but also for the solid, powerful blend of folk and power metal this sextet plays.  Yet, Lothlöryen manages to give the genre a modern, progressive feel by incoporating some great electronic elements into their music as well.

What we hear on 'Principles Of A Past Tomorrow' is a tremendous throwback into the heydays of heavy metal.  With potent songs like 'Heretic Chant', 'God Is Many' and certainly 'Manipulative Ways', Lothlöryen reminds me of the chants of power and glory that bands like Manowar or Halloween used to write.  When I imagine this bands live on stage, I can clearly see the audience raising they fist to the rhythm and singing along with some of these brilliant choruses.  'The Night Is Calling' for example is an excellent power metal song, perfectly suited for some audience participation.

What surprises me the most on this album, is the European sound of it all.  Lothlöryen doesn't sound like they're from Brazil.  If I had to listen to this album without reading the biography I would have guessed Germany or Finland.  Even the folk elements have this European feel and they're very uplifting.  Brazilian folk music is highly percussive, or at least that's what I imagine by listening to bands like Sepultura and some traditional musicians.  On this album the tempo is a lot lower.  These are mostly mid-tempo songs, sometimes a bit faster.  

Another huge plus are the instrumental bits between some of the songs.  I quite like these.  They combine the songs perfectly and help providing a huge concept-feel.  In fact, there seems to be a concept in this album.  By including speeches from Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking, Lothlöryen seems to place themselves in the science/astronomy/atheism camp, becoming a strong force to spread the word of reason. In fact, if you take a good look at the cover art, you will clearly see some of the greatest scientists of all time. 

To conclude: Lothlöryen has gone a long way since their inception at the beginning of the century.  With a vigorous album like 'Principles Of A Past Tomorrow', providing enough power, energy and variation to remain interesting, they prove that they can clearly compete with todays headliners in the progressive and power metal scene. Add some very vehement vocals and a propellent drive in the songs and the result will not disappoint.  We're dealing with talented and experienced musicians who know a thing or two about songwriting.  This is a glorious tribute to heavy metal, that's for sure.


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heavy metal

War is probably as old as mankind itself.  We humans fight for everything and mainly to indulge the egos of the ones in power.  Throughout the ages warriors have become heroes and a source of inspiration for all kinds of artists.  Paintings, tapistry, poetry, statues and music, they all have created tributes to warriors.  Allover the world these soldiers, samurai, knights, impi, hoplites, gladiators, amazons, berzekers and so on, have been honored by thousands of people.  Now Iron Kingdom can be added to this list.

Iron Kingdom is a heavy metal band from Canada, focused solely on the vintage sound of the seventies and eighties.  This tradition is honoured, not only in the music but also in the band logo and artwork.  Every single thing about this album breathes 'classic heavy metal' in the vein of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Blind Guardian.  'Ride For Glory' is their third album and it's completely dedicated to warriors allover the world and throughout history.

The album opens with an instrumental intro and immediately comes up with those classic riffs, drums and solos.  Flashing guitars, vigorous drums and a high pitched voice truly bring back the epic sound of the eighties.  From there on the band rages on through past wars with exhilarating guitar play and a very strong rhythm section.  This makes a song like 'Leif Erikson' (an Icelandic explorer, considered by some as the first European to land in North America, 500 years before Christopher Columbus) a highly convincing anthem.

'Night Attack' and closer 'The Veiled Knight' all have the same epic atmosphere of conquest and victory as 'Leif Erikson'.  Not only because these are the longest tracks but mainly because of the vigorous (twin) guitar sound and the almost militant bombast which they seem to possess.  For that reason, these songs remind me most of Iron Maiden's hitsongs like 'Fear Of The Dark' and several others.  But as good as a guitarist can be, he will still need solid rhythm guitar and bass players to complete his sound.  Luckily for Iron Kingdom all the musicians know exactly what to do in order to create a magnificent sound and touch of greatness.  

But Iron Kingdom is definitely not a Maiden-clone.  They clearly found their own niche, incorporating more complex drums, mainly in songs like 'Lady Trieu And The Kingdom Of  Wu' or 'A Call To Arms'.  Other nice additions are the occasional sounds of swordfights and some other battle sounds.  These make the album concept complete and quite impressive.  The vocals add a lot to these, sounding like a blend of Bon Scott (AC/DC), Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) and Andi Deris (Helloween).

So in all,' Ride To Glory' is an excellent heavy metal album that can stand next to some albums by the bands I mentioned in this review.  I'm not sure if this will one day become a classic in the genre but it's a decent business card to earn a spot on the summer festivals.  If Iron Kingdom is as convincing on stage as on CD/LP/Digital, I see a pretty awesome future for these Canadians.  So heavy metal fans, check this out.  This is a tremendous throwback into the (first) golden age of metal.


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