Reviews
\r\nAt last! After 6 years, the new album by The Cult. I Think that there’s no need of introduction for the mid 80’s super group .The Cult is A Band that have been through many styles of music, seasons change, so The Cult do. So I’m going to put the CD into the CD player tray and here we go…
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\r\nWhen, 13 years ago, Timo Tolkki decided to include Timo Kotipelto in his band as the voice of his compositions, surely he must’ve felt satisfaction and immense joy with his decision. And how could there not be emotions when placing somebody with a such a unique and beautiful voice in the position of the lead singer! As a result, from the album "Fourth Dimension" and afterwards Kotipelto’s voice literally "decorates" the songs of Stratovarius.
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\r\nHaving previously released "Super Metal" in 2003, the Italian group Powerful doesn’t succeed in introducing us to a different sound with their new Full-Length release. Adding 4 new songs though does in fact strengthen the whole image of the album. Fast, aggresive Heavy Metal, following in Primal Fear’s footsteps, and at certains points you can distinguish their Metal influences even from Exodus. However that is not enough..
\r\nThe Italians Novembre began their career in 1990 as a pure death metal band, by the moniker Catacomb. As years passed by and especially after their transposition by the Italian record company Polyphemus to the multinational Century Media in 1999, they began to incorporate various progressive elements, lending at the same time some features from groups of the so called atmospheric sound. And this is the musical style they also maintain in their new release by the title "The Blue".
The Bastard Sons of Black Sabbath are located in Japan, from where they keep on hammering us with their never ending doom / stoner metal. And these guys are the “Church Of Misey” that with their latest album “Vol.1”, made us really to lose the ground beneath our very feet. Just a glance on the album cover and then you realize what is all about. Slow to death , groovy with the ultimate rhythm section, monolithic riffs, and the voice of Hideki Fukasawa which reminds Chris Cornell’s one.
The Second album by the germans doomsters Voodooshock entitled “Marie’s sister’s garden” continuing their first album release “Voodooshock” back in 2002. Once again the influences of St Vitus, The Obsessed, Electic Wizard and of course Revelation are recognizable from the first time someone listens to it. “Marie’s Sister’s Garden” can easily be parted in two sections, the more classical traditional doom tracks and the more melodick stoner rock influenced tracks.
This Is the second and the last release for the Finish band Minotauri. Minotauri is another band of true, traditional doom metal. The Band started back in 1995 and because of the fact that doom metal in Finland is not so popular, they managed to release some 7 Inches and two Full Length Albums in 12 years, the last of them meant to be their swan song. The album “II” it’s all about pure traditional doom metal influenced by bands like Pentagram, Reverend Bizarre and more epic elements.
\r\n2007 brings\r\nus amongst other releases, the new album by the Americans “The Hidden Hand” The\r\nband is the brainchild of the well known Doom / stoner metal guru Scott "Wino"\r\nWeinrich (ex-The Obsessed, ex- Saint Vitus, ex- Spirit Caravan, ex- Place Of\r\nSkulls).after he splited up Spirit Caravan in 2002. Having a back catalogue of\r\n3 Album, 2 E.P.
One Of The best bands of true, traditional Doom metal are the Finnish Reverend Bizarre. They returned with their third and last album “So Long Suckers”. They have once again their monolithic, awesome doom sound. Double CD, including 8 tracks of total playing time 2 hours and 10 minutes, with two tracks “They Used Dark Forces/Teutonic Witch” and “Anywhere Out Of This World” reaching total playing time 30 each one.
\r\nArcane Grail is a Russian sextet founded in December 2001 whose past agenda boasts one performance with legendary Austrian death-metal group Pungent Stench. "Mysteries Of Ancient Charnel" is their debut album released in August last year and from this June on ’Mysteries Of The Ancient Charnel’ is distributed in the Netherlands by HDG Distribution.