Reviews
\r\nΤhe whole "greek band-big label contract" thing is an odd story. I will not disagree that being under the roof of disco-label with balls of steel is a big thing...and of course I’m always happy to see greek bands signed and getting promoted from serious people. From that point on we also have the music part too.
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\r\nThe fifth Poisonblack album entitled “Drive” is finally out. There might be eight years since their first release but the band seems to stay put to that dark mellow sound they had from the start. With their new release they continue that dark legacy leaving no place for experimentation or risking with a new music approach. Some may say that they are stuck or that they just repeat themselves over and over again but that’s not entirely true, well even if it is, there’s a large group of fans that would love this album.
\r\n I’ll make myself clear from the very begining: there is no way I’ll start nagging about In Flames not playing like they used to, back in the days of Colony or The Jester Race. It’s 2011 so I think it’s a "take it or leave it" thing. I cannot expect to listen to mid 90’s melodic death metal when pressing the play button. I will deal with them the way they are now, a musical entity that dwells in TODAY and I will not make irrelevant comparisons with their past.
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\r\n Τhe release of this EP is a "look, we’re still here" move in my opinion(not only) for german metalcore gurus Caliban. I cannot explain otherwise the small duration or the so few songs contained in it(only 4). So, Caliban in an attempt to show the wide range of their influences cover acts like Type O Negative, At The Gates, Rammstein and The Beatles. Are the selections fair enough? Your call.
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\r\nReading the title of the cd I was wondering about the reasons why a band would chose such a title; I mean it’s 2011. My question was answered just when I searched on the net for info about Roxxcalibur. They realesed their debut album "NWOBHM For Muthas" on 2009, paying tribute to some of their favorite bands; their new cd, “Lords Of The NWOBHM” is also a compilation of cover songs.
\r\nBy listening to the single “Leatherhead” a month ago, I took a first glance at what this album would sound like. Now that we have the 13th studio release by the former ACCEPT singer mr. Udo Dirkshneider we can have a full and clearer image and grow our own conclusions. “Rev-Raptor” is the album that every fan would expect from the German legend. Pure teutonic Heavy Metal of the first degree!
We don’t have to introduce Hammerfall to the audience. Since 1997 they have released seven albums, managing to create a core of loyal fans, but also a core of listeners who (wrongly) think of them as posers and they believe that it isn’t worth to listen to them at all. So, Hammerfall return with their 8th album “Infected”.
At first we should make clear that those who prefer classic Heavy Metal like iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Saxon etc but they don’t know Twisted Tower Dire, harm themselves greatly. From the beginning of their existence they support through very good releases the specific genre, without hiding their influences. Closing 15 years since their first demo has been released, Twisted Tower Dire return with their fifth complete work, under the title “Make it Dark”.
Poland, Transylvania’s finest Negura Bunget are back with their new e.p to teach the dark arts in their classic style. Their new release entitled "Poarta De Dincolo", dark and atmospheric as always but with a production that this time makes the difference and gives a fresh feeling in Negura’s sound, does not follow a different path from the band’s classic works but creates another page in their history. About the production and sound spoken before, i listened to some almost classic sounded guitars and keyboards creating in an amazing sound an unreal atmosphere.
\r\nGerman black metal never got the spotlights on its shoulders as a scene, perhaps not unjustified. The bands over there had no duration or the quality to remain strong and up to date. And here we are now, with Grabak releasing their fifth opus, seeming to come out of nowhere and making us wonder if things are going to change for black metal in sausage land.
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