Reviews
\r\nThere are some people whose visions, aspirations, the need for creation and love for music drive them as a locomotive force in\r\norder to achieve their goals.
This particular album is a compilation of older recordings of the band, live performances and includes 15 tracks. The compilation of the tracks is quite good however some of the radio versions like “Soul Society”, “The Haunting” and “March of Mephisto”, could have been left out. Also the ballads “One day”, bonus in the Japanese version of “Siege Perilous”, and “Can you Remember” recorded live aren’t tracks which add up to the result of this release.
Seven Witches return with a new album which differs a lot from their prior release as the plethora of the modern elements have been taken out of the band’s sound and they return to their familiar style. Alan Tecchio (Hades/Watchtower) is once more in the vocals and Joey Vera (Armored Saint/Fates Warning, Anthrax) is co operating with Kevin Bolembach (Non Fiction) and Clint Arent (Pain Museum’s/ Teos) in the bass. The concept of the album is that of the 7 deadly sins according to Mahatma Gandhi, which were considered dangerous for mankind.
When Death Metal meets technicality and melody meets emotion, then the result is no other than The Craving! Kenos come from Italy and up till now have released a MCD (Rigor Mortis - 2002), a full length album (Intersection - 2004), while The Craving is their new album and undoubtedly their best. The band offer’s us 10 tracks of immaculate Progressive Death Metal within which we can clearly see the influences of other styles and some Gothic elements, especially in the fourth track of the album called The Icon.
\r\nAzrael is a Spanish band and this is their fifth album. From what I read about them because their name was totally unknown to me they are actually a really old band, in fact they exist since 1991.Their music is melodic heavy metal mostly influenced by ‘80s but there are lots of hard rock elements crafted into their functional capability, many progressive touches, even some thrash metal passages now and then which for me was and the most interesting thing about their sound.
Wall Of Sleep is a band that exists in the doom metal scene for about ten years now, once as Mood (until 2001) and from then until now as Wall Of Sleep. WOS have released two albums and an EP and the third album is entitled “…And Hell Followed Him”. Musically there no different between the latest album and their previous works, “Slow But Not Dead” (released in 2004) and “Sun Faced Apostles (released in 2005 – both in PsycheDOOMelic Records.
This is the new album from the Swedish Burning Saviours that keep on playing their perfect 70’s rock for several years now. There’s no doubt, Burning Saviours along with the other Swedish Witchcraft are the best of the kind. Although Andrei left the band after their last album (“Hundus” 1996) the band equipped themselves with new influences like Deep Purple and Uriah Heep but did not forget the previous ones (Pentagram, Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull) and the simply created a “Forgotten” back in the 70’s album.
\r\n"Time to Be Free" is the solo project of former Angra/Shaman singer Andre Matos who at some point decided that it was time to venture into his musical solitariness seeking at last his own wishful creative freedom.
Space Eater is from Serbia and the “Merciful Angel” is their first release. Their music style is something between Speed/ Power/ Thrash forms and in general is a technical band. Nice melodic interludes and technical solos. This is about a band that loves the American thrash school and especially Testament, which is one of Space Eater influences. The only “weak” point in my opinion is that the vocals, which are very good, seems to luck of anger and so do not fit with the whole aggressive style.
\r\nAncara is a Finnish band featuring Melodic heavy rock. ‘Beyond the dark’ is their second effort, released via High and Loud, the record label owned by STRATOVARIUS singer Timo Kotipelto and the entire album stinks with classic commercial 80s style hard rock mostly mid-paced, stuffed with big choruses, 80s driving rock riffs, sizzling guitar solos, clean, melodic vocals and a diffuse catchy sound.