VENUE: StereoDATE: 30.07.2024 ORGANIZER: Dark Essence Records / Beyond the GatesPHOTOGRAPHER: J. NepperPhotos copyrights belong to the photographer. No unauthorized usage allowed. Please contact photographer if you wish to reuse images in any context. The ever-reliable purveyors of quality music known as Dark Essence Records, one of the world’s premier metal-related labels, are not merely…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/deafcon.de/ The German act named Deafcon5 dabbles in an eclectic mixture of hard rock and metal with a notably progressive touch to it, and this fourth full-length opus of theirs tackles some rather interesting philosophical questions relating to the human condition. What immediately stands out is how varied the song material…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/uncannysounds/ This is my first encounter with the charming and delightfully wonky progressive metal band from Norway known as Uncanny, and I must say that I find this eclectic and perfectly unpredictable eight-track offering of theirs, which will be out in April, quite beguiling and seductive. While their soundscapes undoubtedly are…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/wolfenreloaded/ This is my first encounter with the German rockers known as Wolfen Reloaded and I must say that I find this sophomore effort of theirs titled The Ghost From Within an engaging and delightful listen. Containing bucketloads of muscular riffs, magnificent vocal hooks, and interesting arrangements, the LP immediately stands…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024 BAND URL: https://maddermortem.bandcamp.com/album/old-eyes-new-heart Is there even any point in trying to categorize or label the unique sound conjured up by one of Norway’s most enticing musical outfits, namely Madder Mortem? Thirty years into their career and they still manage to amaze and excite me – how awesome is that?! Incorporating traits from doom…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/dgmprog DGM hails from Italy and is one of the coolest and most inspiring progressive metal acts out there in the humble opinion of this scribe, and Life once again sees them firing on all cylinders from beginning to end and delivering ten enticing and elegantly composed songs that are positively…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://greenlabyrinth.net/ The Swiss outfit known as Green Labyrinth was a completely new discovery but a welcome one for me as their eclectic take on highly dramatic and epic prog metal suits my mood these days. As I stated before, this primarily falls within the progressive metal sphere, but one could make…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/AfterLapseOfficial/ Highly dynamic prog metal courtesy of the Spanish outfit After Lapse is what we have here, and these guys are a tight and capable unit, perfectly suited to evoking a sense of drama by means of strong choruses and heartfelt melodies. The diversity of the material is appealing, and there…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: https://www.vandenplas.de/ A very cool live album by the prog metal outfit Vanden Plas is what we have here, and this particular recording, which dates back to late December 2016, sees the band in full flight on home turf in Germany. Live & Immortal captures the epic riffage, shifting moods, memorable moments,…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/zerohourtowers Progressive metallers Zero Hour are back following a long hiatus and knowing that these guys are capable musicians, I was curious as to how this brand-new effort of theirs would sound. After countless spins and listening sessions, I must admit that I find “Agenda 21” somewhat uneven and a bit…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/semblantband The Brazilian outfit known as Semblant, which was conceived back in 2006, have returned with their fourth full-length assault and what we are served here is a basically a mixture of modern melodic metal, power metal, gothic metal, and arguably also subtle hint of prog metal. That the six members…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: Sacred Arts Of Navigation | Sunrunner | Fastball-Music (bandcamp.com) I was intrigued by the album artwork and the song titles to “Sacred Arts of Navigation” by the US quartet known as Sunrunner and very much looking forward to immersing myself in the 11-track opus, but sadly, their particular mixture of prog…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/laluprog/ An incredibly diverse and intriguing mixture of prog rock and prog metal that somehow manages to pay homage to some of the legendary outfits from the 70s and simultaneously sound current and have a modern sheen to their eclectic style is what we have here, and “Paint the Sky” by…
RELEASE YEAR: 2021 BAND URL:The Murder of My Sweet | Facebook This is my first encounter with the act known as The Murder of My Sweet, which features Angelica Rylin and Daniel Flores, and the quality of this brand-new opus of theirs made me go back and check their previous outputs in order to…
