ANIMALIZE - Meat We're Made Of review

ANIMALIZE - Meat We're Made Of

Dying Victims Productions

This is something that's kind of a surprise for me at least. I really don't get many releases that are full on 80's metal worshiping. Well I do get some but they're more extreme and not in the style that this band is doing. What we have here is the debut album by this French four piece act. Like I said this band is like a page torn from the 1980s. 

Basically you've got catchy fast rhythms, a rapid fire drum beat on most cuts, the vocals are clean with some highs and of course some great guitar soloing. I think the last band that I thought really brought on the full 80's metal character was ENFORCER, musically and wardrobe wise.

Out of the nine cuts on here I'd say half are great while the rest are decent. Oddly enough that's what I think of many old 80's metal releases from my past. But of the great ones which are catchy as fuck I'd say the opener, "Samourai de l'univers", is amazing plus "Back from the Sematary", "The Witch You Are" and the closer "Esprit de l'asile". 

All in all I think ANIMALIZE's debut comes off as something which came out of a time machine. I mean let's be serious. If this came out in 1984/85 we'd all be calling it a fuckin classic. Thankfully they're a new band and we can expect more good stuff from em. 

https://www.dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/animalize-meat-were-made-of

 

SIGNIFICANT POINT - Into the Storm review

 

SIGNIFICANT POINT - Into the Storm

Dying Victims Productions

Well this one shocked my senses like I had just jumped into a frozen lake and that was with the opening cut "Attacker". What we have here people is the debut album by Japan's SIGNIFICANT POINT. They're a five piece act who specialize in true heavy metal sounds from the 80's with a love for speed. I believe they're JUDAS PRIEST fans as well. 

First off this band has a heavy metal falsetto screamer as a vocalist. Half of the time he's perfect while other instances he can be over indulgent and off key. But overall I think he's amazing regardless. I'm a huge fan of heavy metal screamers. But that's not all which is great about this album. 

Musically this band has the twin guitar salvo part down to a science as if they've been doing it for decades. And of course that's where you get the more MAIDEN-esque galloping feel with leads and great rhythms. In fact of the ten cuts on here I think they're all good. SIGNIFICANT POINT does lean into power metal territory which I think is cool. 

All in all you've got some high octane metal touching on the melodic side of things for a good momentum. I just can't help but like this a lot. I grew up in metal with this stuff back in the 80's whether it was top of the bill bands or the second tier greats of the underground. Into the Storm is your get to release for a true metal fix in 2021 and beyond. 

https://www.dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/significant-point-into-the-storm

TWISTED TOWER DIRE - Wars in the Unknown review

TWISTED TOWER DIRE - Wars in the Unknown

No Remorse Records




I guess including a bias alert is required here since I'm a fan and those of us in my neck of the woods consider these guys locals. TWISTED TOWER DIRE have been true metal titans since starting out in the late 90's. I consider myself fortunate to have seen em a couple of times during their mid-period when the amazing Tony Taylor (who passed away in 2010) sang for em. And anyone into their style of metal knows that their 2003 full length, Crest of the Martyrs, is a classic.


But that was then and when Tony left the band in 2006 Jonny Aune of the local band VIPER stepped in. Yeah tough shoes to fill but Jonny is also an amazing vocalist in his own right. So in in 2011 when the band released Make It Dark it showed that TWISTED TOWER DIRE were strong as ever and in capable hands in the frontman position. That was a while ago and since the band members are all involved in other projects it makes sense why it's taken eight years for a new release. But it was worth the wait. 


If you're a fan of true metal, US power metal or whatever you want to call it jerky then Wars in the Unknown is going to be one of the greatest albums you'll hear in 2019. We're talking ten high energy, catchy songs with singalong chorusses, none of which are longer than five minutes. Once again the vocals are amazing whether Aune is in that gutsy singing style or hitting the high notes. Add to that the twin guitar melodies pushing the MAIDEN-esque worship. The rhythm section is thunderous as needed and finally the guitar soloing just slices through like a scimitar.


All in all Wars in the Unknown is one of those infectious metal releases. It reminds you of why you got into the damm music in the first place. It's a fun listen with songs that could be considered campy but hey if you sing about swords I'm all in. Now for those of you die-hard TWISTED TOWER DIRE fans clutching your copies of Crest of the Martyrs or The Isle of Hydra (because it has a cool cover) to your chest. Loosen up a bit because this is the best thing this band has done in ages. It's definitely one of my favorite albums of 2019.


https://www.noremorse.gr

https://twistedtowerdire.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/TwistedTowerDire/

JUDGEMENT - Self Titled EP review

JUDGEMENT - Self Titled EP

Metal Scrap Records




METALLICA is coming to town later this summer. I'm not going but if I was and had a chance to ask James Hetfield a question it would be like this. "James, you use to play thrash a long time ago, so what do you think about bands from all over the world playing thrash as if it was still 1984?" Chances are he'd call security to haul my belligerent ass away.


Now with that said it's a fact that in other parts of the world thrash is still a vibrant force. Case in point here we have the debut release by Serbia's JUDGEMENT. Even though it's just a five song release it packs a lot of punch and contains more excitement then some full lengths I've heard this year. They're not a traditional thrash act. In fact they mix in plenty of classic true metal overtones which I love. Their song "Metal Warriors" sounds like it should've came out in 1982 instead of 2018.



JUDGEMENT are a five piece act, (two guitarists, bass player, drummer and a singer who can wail as well as push real guy vocals.) Their songs are up with the times, for example "Slaves of Technology". The band also delves into more philosophical lyrical territory. Add to that they also know how to layer in some modern progressive elements, fine melodic soloing along with galloping riffs. I believe they like IRON MAIDEN as well as some Euro power metal acts. A very good start.


https://metalscraprecords.com/

https://metalscraprecords.bandcamp.com/album/judgement-judgement

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialJudgement/

TOXIKULL - The Nightraiser review

TOXIKULL - The Nightraiser

Mosher Records




When I started listening to this release I began thinking of that famous Yogi Berra quote, "It's like deja vu all over again." I've heard this all before. Seriously I wish I could just say "For Fans Of" and drop a few band names. In this case here it would be METAL CHURCH, EXCITER  and maybe ARMOERED SAINT. You get the idea. 


TOXIKULL, who hail from Portugal, love the 80's. Specifically the time when thrash was first starting out but you still had bands hooked on the whole PRIEST / MAIDEN template. This band is all of that. Nightraiser is the second release by TOXIKULL, who had a full length in 2016 titled Black Sheep. Just for shits and giggles I checked out that full length and I can say that this one is way better. 


TOXIKULL is a side project of MIDNIGHT PRIEST frontman Lex Thunder who is the vocalist and plays guitar. The man has an amazing voice as far as heavy metal vocals and screaming goes. The rest of the band consists of his brother Michael Blade on guitar, Antim “The Viking” on bass and backing vocals and The Lorke on drums.


All in all TOXIKULL's six song EP, five originals and a cover of "Rocker" (a HOLLYWOOD ROSE tune which was Axel Rose's pre-GUNS & ROSES act), is damm good in a retro perspective. They are keeping it TRUE.




http://www.mosherrecords.com/

https://toxikull.bandcamp.com/releases

https://www.facebook.com/toxikull/