CD REVIEWS

LEE AARON-Tattoo Me (Big Sister Records)
I've got my needle ready and my most colorful ink, because I'm about to tattoo Karen Green's body. A lot of men will probably be very jealous of me right now. I'm putting the needle in the groove and play her new record. LEE AARON will always be remembered as the 'Metal Queen' in the eighties. Now, we're over forty years later and there is no needle and groove for me, while reviewing this new CD. I'll have to do it with a laser beam and eleven brand new tracks, that are worthy of about forty-five minutes of solid rock and metal. LEE AARON is still looking very pretty and on the album cover she has got a red heart tattooed on her shoulder. Her lips are almost as red as her tattoo. The CD opener fits very well here, which is called "Tattoo". She traded heavy metal for solid rock that is very suitable for a much broader audience. It has got a nice groove and contains a lot of rocking guitars and hard beating drums. This is a cover tune, like every song on this album, although not all will ring a bell to you right away. The second track is from a very obscure band, called THE 77'S. Their most well-known song is "Are You Gonna Be My Girl", which has been played on national radio quite frequently. It rocks like crazy, as far as I'm concerned. Anyway, who is not a big fan of HEART?? Well, I am and I especially like their old songs. "Even It Up" is definitely one of them. Turn up the volume, everybody! Lee has definitely got a great taste, because the LED ZEPPELIN cover she performs next belongs to one of my personal favorites. The original song "What Is And What Should Never Be" can't be topped for sure, but she did a mighty fine job here. "Is It My Body" is from ALICE COOPER and she really nailed it, in my opinion. I must admit, that "Go Your Own Way" of FLEETWOOD MAC is probably one of the lesser songs. It's untouchable in every way and you have to stay away from it. I am not familiar at all with "The Pusher", written by Hoyt Axton and also performed by STEPPENWOLF in the movie "Easy Rider". It's a great slow blues track and it takes care of enough variation. Same goes for "Malibu", the song that was originally performed by HOLE. And from this more alternative style, we are moving on to an acoustic ballad, originally written by ELTON JOHN. Lee chose for "Someone Saved My Life Tonight", which would sound rather odd on a rock album, although this little piece of rest doesn't bother me at all here. I am also not familiar with the Britpop song "Connection" of ELASTICA, but the up-tempo sound and catchy vibe matches perfectly. The album closes with a song by the British punk band THE UNDERTONES, called "Teenage Kicks". All in all, "Tattoo" has become a nice album with a very low metal level maybe, although it has a lot of nice, almost forgotten songs and a lot of variation, performed in Lee's very own way. LEE AARON's band consists of Dave Reimer on bass, Sean Kelly on guitar and John Cody on drums. For more information, go to https://www.leeaaron.com and https://www.facebook.com/LeeAaronMusic. [8 points] (Toine van Poorten)

KATE'S ACID-Blowing Your Ears Off At Keep It True 2023 (High Roller Records)
The title of this album tells you exactly what it represents. It's a reflection of KATE'S ACID live performance at Keep It True in 2023. It contains twelve songs and fifty-five minutes of pure old school heavy metal. KATE'S ACID is the follow up of ACID, the Belgian speed metal band that ruled the scene in the eighties, since a reunion with the original members is not possible, Kate decided to change the name of the outfit, search for a handful of talented musicians and give the people the music of then with a taste of here and now. Just take a look at the songs and you will see a lot of songs from the good old days, like the fast and thrilling "Maniac", which is the opener. My favorite song "Hooked On Metal" continues seamlessly thereafter. The title alone says it all, I guess. It tells the story of every die hard heavy metal fans. Besides that, it's taken from the band's debut album from 1983, which is like pure gold to me. On this live recording, it contains two amazing guitar eruptions, which makes it a great song to bang your head on. "No Time" is a fast track with some thundering drum rolls and a short intro. I was surprised to hear the DIO cover "Stand Up And Shout", which is obviously a big inspiration of Kate. Also listen to her intonation and expression in "Let Me Die", that is truly amazing. Next up is "Hell On Wheels", which is another personal favorite of yours truly. "Bottoms Up" sounds faster than the speed of light and clearly ACID was one of the fastest speed metal bands in Europe back in the eighties. The song "Big Ben" on the other hand is a tribute to all heavy metal fans out there. 'We love heavy, heavy metal' is repeated to the sound of this well-known clockwork in London. It's very heartwarming indeed. "Exterminator" sounds a bit slower, yet it's also meaner. In the middle part there is a speed change, which gives it a more speed metal kind of approach for a short moment. I like that powerful riff here very much, which is another classic in my book. "Lost In Hell" is fast and furious, too. It's not a great place to get lost, because it’s pretty hot in there, so I'm told. It continues the powerful and energetic set of the band. The band shot a video back in the days for "Black Car". Satan himself steers the wheel. That must be a dangerous drive, but at least you won't get lost in hell, as he knows the way. The band closes with "Max Overload", the song that Kate performed in 2010 at Keep It True for the first time after a long absence. I still think, it's a shame that the original members were unable to bury the hatchet after so many years. It's good though, that Kate proved that she is still able to be the dark mistress of the Belgian metal scene. The only song that I actually missed here is "Lucifera", but you can’t have it all. KATE'S ACID consists of Kate de Lombaert on vocals, Mathieu Trobec on bass, Andreas Stieglitz on guitar, Gilles Reuse on guitar and Bastiaan Andriessen on drums. For more info, go to: https://www.facebook.com/KatesACID. [9 points] (Toine van Poorten)

ARAPACIS-Nuclear Of Chaos (independent)
Canadian band ARAPACIS has been around for many years and they always succeed to surprise me. This tenth album contains eight songs, worthy of forty-five minutes and it's described as a fusion of musical roots with modern influences. The lengthy tracks have a rather progressive character at times, like for example in opener "Let In Love", where I hear back influences of the old school RUSH. This song features DREAM THEATER and SONS OF APOLLO wonder child Derek Sherinian on keyboards and it's released as one of the first singles of the album. "The Park" is also a single, which sounds even more exciting because of the instrumental part between the guitarist and keyboardist. There is even a progressive twist to it. It sounds rather fascinating and it has got a very classy seventies vibe. As a matter of fact it throws you back to those golden days easily, in my opinion. This in contrary to the next song called "Grip It", in which you will hear the brutal growls of singer Michelle. It starts off in a more psychedelic way, but then it turns into a darker black metal kind of vibe. Still it sounds totally different from the first two tracks. The guitar solo near the end gives it a twist to HAWKWIND, because of that kind of spacey character. The psychedelic seventies feeling takes one step further in "Epitaph Epiphany", where the cello parts of Phil Mius d’Entremont asks for the most attention. This is really far away from the heavy sound that I admire so much of ARAPACIS. However, don't worry because in the lengthy and high enjoyable "Symptomatic Reactions", guitarist Jerry gets back in the spotlight and does his thing. The fuzzy guitar sound matches very well with the high notes of Michelle. After this musical rollercoaster, we have reached the next station, which is the blues. Can you believe that? "Lost In The South Bend" is a pure slow blues tune and together with the first two songs by far the best song on this album. Title track "Nucleus Of Chaos" is on next, which is powerful and also chaotic. The intro is heavy with some amazing guitar riffs. The rest is again a fusion of styles. The last track is called "Misplaced Manifesto". I have heard of 'Misplaced Childhood' before, done by MARILLION, and of "Manifesto" done by ROXY MUSIC, but this combination is rather new to me. This thundering song contains some maniacal black metal type of screams and vocals that lean towards the psychedelic edge. It's a weird manifestation, which I wouldn't call misplaced, when you are open to experimental sounds that are rooted in the seventies. ARAPACIS offers a massive melting pot of styles here and the band now consists of Jerry Fielden on guitar, Michelle MacPherson on vocals, Jean Audet on bass, Scott Haskin on drums, Gillan MacPherson on keyboards and Phil Mius d’Entremont on cello, and Derek Sherinian on guest keyboards. For more information, go to: https://www.arapacis.com. [8 points] (Toine van Poorten)

ARCH ENEMY-Blood Dynasty (Century Media)
When I was looking at the CD cover, I thought I was dealing with the new GWAR or LORDI album, however this is the new ARCH ENEMY CD, worthy of forty-five minutes, divided over eleven brand new tracks. After a short intro, in which it rains and the sound of thunder and lightning tells us that the weather is very bad during recordings, the band takes off in fifth gear with "Dream Stealer". Fast, thunderous drum beats, heavy riffs, the brutal growls and grunts of Alissa White-Gluz and a haunting rhythm are the main ingredients here. Oh and don't forget the flashing guitar work, that is finger-licking good. The high notes fly around your ears and push through your eardrums. What a great opener! "Illuminate The Path" has the regular singing voice of Alissa, next to her well-known growls and screams. The pace is much slower and they put some melody in this song as well. Just check out the great guitar solo. The stomping beat will get you on your feet from excitement. In the next song "March Of The Miscreants", you will find some innovative speed changes and choir vocals, which adds something special to this powerful song. It closes with the sound of a big explosion. If you like it a bit hotter, then I would suggest to listen to "A Million Suns", that has some great machinegun riffs. In "Don't Look Down", all hell is breaking loose. It belongs to one of my personal favorites on this album for sure. It's a real race monster. "Presdoe" is a short instrumental piece, which divides the album in two parts, literally. It's followed by title track "Blood Dynasty", which is a firm heavy song. "Paper Tiger" sounds a bit mysterious at times, yet it roars like every other song. "Livre Libre" is a ballad, originally written by BLASPHEME and maybe it feels a bit misplaced between all the brutal songs here. However, it remains a beautiful song after all. I think, that the original idea was to make it a bonus track, which would be more special. "The Pendulum" will rock your world. It tells you what time can do in your life. It brings you a future, yet it also grabs back to your past at times. In the CD closer "Liars & Thieves", the band shows their greatness one more time. This album is a bit more melodic than what they have done before, yet it's definitely quite interesting and it provides the listener more variation. ARCH ENEMY consists of Alissa White-Gluz on vocals, Joey Concepcion on guitar, Sharlee D'Angelo on bass, Daniel Erlandsson on drums and Michael Amott on guitars. Website: https://www.archenemy.net. [9 points] (Toine van Poorten)

AVATARIUM-Between You, God, The Devil And The Dead (AFM Records)
AVATARIUM are back with a great new album, which contains eight tracks and almost forty-five minutes of dark and doomy metal. Opener "Long Black Waves" already sounds amazing. It’s slow and exactly what you would expect from a band with a reputation, like AVATARIUM. It's not strange at all that they catapulted this song as the first single of this album. It has got a slow pace and a great natural flow, that will keep you focused right away. The band settles oneself on the wave that they've just created. The next song is a bit more up-tempo and called "I See You Better In The Dark". Old school rockers will recognize a lot of influences from the early days, such as WISHBONE ASH and BLUE OYSTER CULT, however mixed with the sound of 2025. I also hear some very subtle doom influences, that singer Jennie-Ann brings in. I guess, that former member Leif Edling (CANDLEMASS) must have been of a great influence there. "My Hair Is On Fire (But I'll Take Your Hand)" is perhaps a tongue in cheek title, but it also hits you in the heart right away. It’s sober yet also a bit mysterious and spooky in a way. It tickles your senses and that's exactly the intention. Let alone, just listen to the amazing guitar solo of Marcus Jidell, before it slowly fades away to the sound of the piano, accompanied by the vocals of Jennie-Ann. "Lovers Give A Kingdom To Each Other" is next and the outstanding guitar part in this one is definitely the biggest eye-catcher here. The occult type of song "Being With The Dead" sounds more doomy, which is accompanied by a DIO-like drum beat. The instrumental mid-part makes it an outstanding song, as far as I'm concerned. For a moment the band leaves the paved path and breaks away in some kind of psychedelic mini trip. That's the way to surprise your listeners. "Until Forever And Again" has that recognizable laid back sound, for which we know the band so well. Clearly, the album is a big flashback to the early days in their musical career and I must admit that they never sounded so intense. "Notes From Underground" describes it all, nothing more and nothing less. Just listen the great craftsmanship of the band. "Between You, God, The Devil And The Dead" closes this amazing brand new album, which merges together the very best of music styles, like doom, occult, psychedelic and heavy rock and bringing it with a high dose of class and style. I can only give the full score and they deserve it very much. AVATARIUM consists of Jennie-Ann Smith on vocals, Marcus Jidell on guitars, piano and keyboards, Andreas Habo Johansson on drums and Mats Rydstrom on bass. Guest musicians are Rickard Nilsson on keyboards and Daniel Filipsson on piano. For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/avatariumofficial. [10 points - FULL SCORE] (Toine van Poorten)

BERGFRIED-Romantik I & II (Stormspell Records)
BERGFRIED is officially a band with two members, presenting this ten track CD. The songs are a mix of old school metal with influences of epic, folk, medieval and traditional styles, by which they are creating their own sound. The vocals match very well here and the album is worthy of about forty-five minutes of some exciting music. This release is actually two EP's put together on one full length CD. It consists of the four track EP "Romantik I", and the six track EP "Romantik II". Opener "Hungry Hearts" is a melting pot of different influences and the band members stir it up and present it with style. It makes you curious to hear more. In "The Battle" the up-tempo speed is the same, but the folk influences are a bit more upfront. Next to this there are enough guitar parts to make it highly enjoyable. "War-Torn Lovers" starts off a bit slower, yet it also has some speedy instrumental parts. The instrumentation is a bit more focused in this song. First up there is a fast instrumental part and halfway through there's a slow doomy part, that gives it a more epic feeling, in combination with the spoken part lyrics. People, who are into WYTCH HAZEL or SLOUGH FEG definitely need to check this out. "Oh Lord" is a short track with a religious kind of approach and some acoustic guitars. It could even be suitable for line dancing. It might be the odd one out there. In my perception, it takes care of some variation, which makes it exciting to wait what's on next. Clearly, the metal level is a bit low on the first EP for the average metal fan. However, in "The Ordeal" - the first track of the second EP - the guitars are much more upfront in the mix and the band definitely rocks louder. Also, in "May The Devil Pull Me Under", the band shows their darker and more creepy face. A reference to the early GHOST material would be very appropriate here. While a song like "The Highest Divine" definitely reflects to their more epical side. Obviously, you hear the growth that the band went through between the two EP's. This song has another spoken word part. "No One Saves You" sounds more casual and like a rock song. It's even ready for radio airplay. The keyboard parts give it a melodic touch from time to time. "To Hell With Deliverance" starts off slowly, like a ballad, although soon the guitars start riffing fiery. The speed change turns it this into a firm rock song, before it closes with a great guitar solo. The final song is called "Crossroads Of My Soul", which is a bit more easy on the ear. The music of BERGFRIED is moving away from the paved metal path in many ways. I would like to recommend this CD to those, who dare to listen to something different. All in all, I would like to say that it's exciting, eccentric and packed with some nice surprises. BERGFRIED consists of Anna de Savoy on vocals and Ereth III von Lothringen on all the used instruments. Guest musicians are Sarah Kitteringham on vocals, Katja Macabre on vocals and Cesar Ambrosini on guitar. For more info, go to: https://www.facebook.com/bergfriedofficial. [8 points] (Toine van Poorten)

BLUES PILLS-Birthday (BMG Pollinate Music)
This is the fourth album of BLUES PILLS and it contains eleven tracks and almost forty minutes of psychedelic, bluesy hard rock with a reference to the seventies. It's been recorded during the pregnancy of vocalist Elin Larsson and therefore the band shows a different face than on their previously albums. The album starts off with the heavy and fast title track "Birthday". It's a good song to start a party or a celebration. The high screams of Elin will hit you hard. "Don't You Love It" has got the catchy vibe of AC/DC, yet it's not that heavy maybe. It's easy on the ear though and it rocks like crazy. "Bad Choices" contains a soul bass, handclaps and a totally different sound. It will keep you moving and dance to the rhythm of it. This song isn't a bad choice at all on this album. "Top Of The Sky" on the other hand could very well be from the sixties, according to the nostalgic sound. It's a good closure at night for a party, when the lights are already dimmed very low. "Like A Drug" is more groovy song and it has a slow sound and some harmony vocals. "Piggyback Ride" has some reference to the STONES in the beginning and it has got a very rough edge to it as well. I really love the animal type of screaming near the end, in combination with the fantastic and very funny song title. "Holding Me Back" has a lot of power too and a very dynamic vibe. It will give you a lot of energy for sure. "Somebody Better" however is a bit more laid back in the beginning. There still is a lot of emotion here. "Shadows" is just perfect to play in a dark alley. I bet you wouldn't go in there, when this song with a creepy edge to it, is being played. The guitar sound has got a swampy feeling. The song "I Don't Wanna Get Back on That Horse Again" might be metaphorical in a way. I don't know what happened in the past and I don't want to know either. Elin sounds a bit like Adele here and hopefully she sees it as a compliment. The last song is called "What Has This Life Done To You". It might be a flashback to the past, perhaps Elin's pregnancy. It's not a bluesy song, although it still contains a lot of emotion. My conclusion is, that this album is a bit different, but it's not bad at all. BLUES PILLS still knows to catch the listener's attention for sure. BLUES PILLS consists of Elin Larsson on vocals, Zack Anderson on guitar. Andre Kvarnstrom on drums, Kristoffer Schander on bass and Baby L on backing vocals. For more info, go to: https://www.bluespills.com. [8 points] (Toine van Poorten)

ROBIN BROCK-Elemental (independent)
This is the fourth album of Canadian melodic rock artist ROBIN BROCK. It contains eleven tracks and a bit over forty-five minutes of high standard melodic rock with a crusty bite. The album starts off with the fiery "Badass", which is a real bad ass song that would look very good on any LITA FORD album, when referring to those heavy guitar riffs. They just seem to go on and on and never stop. But hey wait a minute, the guitar solo halfway through is even heavier than expected. While in the next song "Crimson Mist" the sound gets heavier, slower and darker, it still has got that very catchy feeling to sing along to it in the chorus. And in the category power ballads Robin is presenting "Intimate Enemy" to you, which leans more towards HEART. "LTSG" is next up, which stands for 'Let That Shit Go'. It contains some nice guitar work again. And you can follow this statement blindfolded. Just live your life. Next is "Into The Fire". It's a slow catchy rock song that you can sing along to right away. Well, at least you can shout out the title, so don't be shy and just do it. "Captivated" is starting a bit mysterious. Just listen to the spoken word part in the intro. Once the rhythm gets going, it rocks just as hard again. It has got that well-known LITA FORD vibe, raw yet melodic and catchy like before. "All I Ever Wanted" is another power ballad. It's slower and there's a lot of emotion in the vocals of Robin. "Nasty" will rock your world again and sometimes it's very cool to be nasty, don't you think?!? "Karma" is on next, which will make you stamp your feet to the rhythm. It rocks and it tells you everything about karma. Some say it's a bitch, but you will have to find out for yourself, I guess. It's a great catchy song and it has a good karma for me. The final song here is in two different versions. First there's the album version, which is followed by the 'symphonic mix'. It's called "My Resurrection" and it tells the story of Robin and how she fought back after facing some personal demons. And with this brand new album she proved to be back and clearly, she's here to stay. Just listen to the marvelous guitar work. The 'symphonic mix' sounds a little bit more bombastic and maybe it's even a bit more emotionally at times. Anyway, rising from the ashes like a phoenix with an album like that is quite something. Find it out for yourself. Robin is assisted on this album by various players, It depends on the song and what the song required. Website: https://www.robinbrock.com. [8 points] (Toine van Poorten)

CASTLE-Evil Remains (Hammerheart Records)
Two people sounding like a band with four people. Where do you find that? This massive heavy doom metal outfit is called CASTLE and they present eight brand new songs on this sixth album, worthy of almost forty minutes. The first introduction is to the "Queen Of Death", which is a good mix of MOTORHEAD influences with crusty rock and a dose of doom metal, soaked in blood. The hoarse voice of Mat fits the haunting sound here just perfectly. "Nosferatu Nights" brings the horror effect in and this time Liz Blackwell does the vocals. It creates a different vibe and leaves more room for the guitar sound of Mat. "Deja Voodoo" has got a slightly mysterious atmosphere to it, because of the slow pace. The bass thunders in the beginning and the lazy vocals of Liz match very well in here. When the song builds up speed, it turns into a high octane fueled steamy rock song with some heavy chugging riffs. Title track "Evil Remains" is next up and the band is playing at full steam. It shows that they are capable of putting some exciting twists in their songs. The thundering riffs do the trick. The lazy riffs have got a certain BLACK SABBATH vibe to it. "Black Spell" is next and again my thought are going towards MOTORHEAD, mainly because of the low voice of Mat and the fast pace on which the spell is coming over us. It feels like a tsunami of fast rhythms. It's a warning too, that you should better try to avoid to be influenced by 'black spells'. "100 Eyes" is quite impressive, because of the speed change and the sound of the guitar. It contains more BLACK SABBATH influences (I'm referring to "Children Of The Grave" for example) and yes boys and girls, it's that heavy. "She" is not a KISS cover, in case you wondered, while "Cold Grave" is all that is left. It will give you a sense of satisfaction after listening to this album and this incredible CD closure. These are the evil remains of a twosome, that will really blow you away with their heavy and sometimes slightly psychedelic sound. CASTLE is Liz Blackwell on bass and vocals, Mat Davis on guitar and vocals and Mike Cotton on drums. For more info, go to: https://www.facebook.com/CastleSF or https://www.heavycastle.com. [8 points] (Toine van Poorten)

COBRA SPELL-Anthems Of The Venomous Hearts (EP) (independent)
This EP can be seen as a tasty snack, before the next full-length album will hit the streets. These songs have been re-recorded from their previous EP's "Love Venom" and "Anthems Of The Night", completed with a new version of "Flaming Heart" in English and Japanese. Totally, there are six songs, worthy of twenty-five minutes of heavy rock. Kristina Vega is the new singer in the band and to introduce her very well, the idea grew to let her sing these golden oldies and release them on a new six track EP. The front cover will catch your attention immediately. It is a colorful drawing of a blonde vixen, standing next to a sports car, possibly the one you will hear during "Accelerate' (this is not confirmed by the band, by the way!). "Poison Bite" contains Kristina's powerful voice. It's heavy and very well produced. Of course, the axe work of Sonia Anubis can't be missed here, too. "Addicted To The Night" is a feel good song about the night life. The sound of the band may direct you to the good old days of the hair bands, like for example VIXEN, KISS and WASP. "Shake Me" continues with a bit more groove. Just check out the amazing brutal guitar work here. It roars and growls, like it should. Next are the two versions of "Flaming Hearts'. First, there is the English version, then the one with the Japanese lyrics. It's catchy and it sounds great in every language, I guess. The EP closes with "Accelerate" which is by far the heaviest track on here. It will melt the concrete, when the band shoves it into the fifth gear! Wow, this is truly amazing!! The guitars cry like somebody as Ace Frehley would have done it in his heydays. Don't let the cops catch you by surprise. They're hot on your heels. The sound of a crashing car marks the end of this very nice EP. Fans of the band will definitely enjoy these new versions, as they sound steaming hot. The musicians on this EP are Sonia Anubis on guitars, synths and bass, Kristine Vega on vocals, Sebastian Silva (guitar), Angelina Vehera (bass), Nata Estevez (saxophone), Jessica Pinas (drums) and Marco Prij (drums). Website: https://www.cobraspell.com or https://www.facebook.com/cobraspell. [9 points] (Toine van Poorten)

CHRISTIAN MISTRESS-Children Of The Earth (Cruz del Sur)
The sound of the underground has many rough diamonds and CHRISTIAN MISTRESS is definitely one of them. Their brand new album contains eight new songs, worthy of almost thirty-five minutes of some of the finest heavy metal. Without hesitation, the band starts off with a fast rock song, called "City Of Gold". It has a reference to GIRLSCHOOL in the vocals and their raunchy fast rock sound is accompanying these vocal lines. The first guitar notes are furious and my mind is gone from the beginning. The speed is steady in "Voiceless" and the fiery guitar solo is the cherry on top in this one. The lyrics are asking you what would the voiceless say? I think, they would say it's another great rock song. "Demon's Night" will bring a little punky attitude on the album. The song has a nice instrumental closing theme, yet it also has got some raw edges here and there. I even hear some influences of BLONDIE's Debbie Harry in the vocal parts of Christine. "Love Of The World" on the other hand is rather catchy and ready for the festival season. Backed up by the raw guitar licks, it sounds very exciting and highly accessible to the average hard rock fan. The band is showing some serious skills in "Mythmaker" with great guitar work and fast drum beats, including some interesting speed changes and a raunchy ending. "Death Blade" has got some sharp and punky edges to it, next to some catchy moments. In the next track, "Lake Of Memory", I hear some great guitar work, which refers to Russ Tippins and his current band TANITH. The CD closes with a song, called "Shadow". CHRISTIAN MISTRESS has got a place in my musical heart for a long time now and this album is a good addition to their musical legacy. Aren't we all 'children of the earth'? Clearly, every devoted metal head will find something to his (or her) likes in the sound of CHRISTIAN MISTRESS. I only wish the CD would last a bit longer. The band line-up is Christine Davis on vocals, Jonny Wulf on bass and guitar, Tim Diedrich on guitar and Reuben Storey on drums. For more information or to buy their music, go to: https://christianmistress.bandcamp.com/album/children-of-the-earth [8 points] (Toine van Poorten)

THE CRYPT-The Crypt (Metal Department)
The artwork of this album caught my eye immediately. I see a graveyard with zombies wandering around that possibly escaped from their crypt. It's creepy, it's spooky, it's dark and it's called THE CRYPT. Already from the introduction, the band gets to me and I hope that they can keep up my attention for the full forty plus minutes and ten tracks. "Into The Crypt" starts off very promising and people, who are into doom metal, like for example early AVATARIUM, definitely want to check this out. The witchy vocals of Pepper are really cool and better find out for yourself, if she's an evil black witch or a friendly white witch. The heavy and doomy "Mistress Of Fire" breathes the atmosphere of a witch dancing around the cauldron and thinking of new spells. Watch out though, because she might turn you into a frog or a blackbird, if she wants to. This dark ominous song is a perfect match, especially in the second instrumental part of the song. "Metal Priestess" will definitely keep you focused, if only for the song title alone. We really need more metal priestesses around. The guitar solo in the song has got some Tony Iommi type of licks in it. "I Love The Darkness" is a tribute to the night, in general. A song like that just asks for a darker and slower sound, which it gets right away and makes it perfect. "Cemetery Children" is a bit faster and catchy, but it also contains some nice speed sweeps. The mystical input lurks in the back constantly. Just check out the incredible "Night Of The Devil" with its evil and vicious guitar sound and ditto riffs. It's about the night, when it all comes together. The night where are being called out to the hooved one. "Open The Gate" contains some acoustic guitars, next to the raunchy riffs and a voice that makes you want to join the club and enter the gate, too. The guitar cries out loud in this one and it's one of the highlights on this album because of that. Tonight they will open the gate, so make sure you don't miss it. "Halos" is next, which is a dark song accompanied by the sound of thunder and lightning. This dark and sober song simply asks for some great guitar work to make it complete. There's only just one more song to go and I can already conclude, that THE CRYPT from Sweden is the real deal in the doom metal scene. Not strange at all, when you have Leif Edling playing the bass in your band. The final song is the acoustic "Who Broke The Coffin". It's a very worthy closure of this great album, that didn’t disappoint me at all. It's a shame, that this album doesn't include the duet of Pepper with Dee Snider for the online game Rock Kommander, still they convinced me very much with the ten songs here on this album. THE CRYPT consists of Pepper on vocals, Danne McKenzie on guitar, Stefan Berggren on backing vocals, Leif Edling on bass, Marcus Jidell on guitars and bass and Carl Westholm on keys. It's the place, where the seventies meet the eighties in a horror and doom influenced atmosphere. Website: https://www.intothecrypt.com or https://www.facebook.com/thecryptofficialthecrypt. [9 points] (Toine van Poorten)

CRYSTAL VIPER-The Silver Key (Listenable Records)
I've lost count already how many albums this Polish heavy metal band, led by Marta Gabriel released up until now. Fair's fair, they are all of a very high quality. This new release isn't any different and it's worthy of eleven tracks and forty-five minutes of some fine heavy metal. The intro is called "Return To Providence" and you will hear some progressive influences in there. This wouldn't have looked bad on any YES, GENESIS or MIKE OLDFIELD album, as far as I'm concerned. However, in the next song, called "Fever Of The Gods", I hear some thundering drum beats and the band sounds like always. The high crying guitars and the hunting drum beats will make your head spin around. The brutal growls near the end prove that the viper is on the prowl. "Old House In The Mist" is also up-tempo, only less speedy that the opener. It has a little bit more melody, yet the flashing guitar work is absolutely breathtaking. "The Key Is Lost" has got a slow pace and I definitely hear references to the epic stuff of MANILLA ROAD and MANOWAR. The heavy pounding drums are really up to my taste and they it the heavy feeling it needs. The furious song "Heading Kadath" give this album even more variation, which contains some amazing guitar work. "Book Of The Dead" is a real speed monster, including the drum parts that get very close to blast beats. Title track "The Silver Key" refers to the early days of IRON MAIDEN. Good old school traditional heavy metal with a bit of melody and a solid sound. The piano ballad that follows next is not really my cup of tea, but it's true that every good metal album should have a ballad. This one has some nice vocals of Marta, which is called "Wayfaring Dreamer". "Escape From Yaddith" feels more like an epic warrior song with a hunting rhythm and some amazing guitar riffs. "Cosmic Forces Overtake" is a good power metal song with some old school IRON MAIDEN type of guitar riffs. As a tribute to one of their longtime heros, the band recorded "Gods Of Thunder Of Wind And Of Rain" of BATHORY, which will please many Vikings and Norwegian metal heads and all the traditional heavy metal fans for sure. On the album cover we see the silver key in the claws of a monstrous looking creature. It might be the same creature holding up six more keys the German band HELLOWEEN wrote a song about a long time ago. Or is it just fantasy? CRYSTAL VIPER consists of Marta Gabriel on vocals, piano, bass and guitar, Lukasz 'Andy Wave' Halczuch on guitars, Kuba Galwas on drums and Eric Juris on guitars. For more info, go to: https://www.facebook.com/crystalviperofficial. [8 points] (Toine van Poorten)

DELAIN-Dance With The Devil (Napalm Records)
This EP promotes the new songs from the album "Dark Waters" in 2023. However, it's being stretched out to a longplayer with the addition of a handful of live songs. I think, this is a very cool idea. Totally, there are fifteen tracks on it and the band starts off with the new up-tempo song "Dance With The Devil". It contains some brutal growls next to the crystal clear vocals of Diana Leah, who has found her place behind the mike these days. "The Reaping" is on next, which has an impressive keyboard intro of Martijn Westerholt. It reminds me of the old school days of WITHIN TEMPTATION, including some great guitar parts. "Sleepwalkers Dream" is an old track of DELAIN, which they remastered and now re-recorded with the voice of Diana. It's very bombastic. The live set consists of nine songs and it starts off with the also bombastic song "The Cold". "Burning Bridges" has some brutal vocal parts and choir vocals. In "The Quest And The Curse", the crowd goes really wild. I guess, this must be a crowd's favorite, when they are playing it live. It even has some brutal growls. "April Rain" is from the band's debut album and a golden oldie, so to speak. The band is showing their skills in the beginning of "Invidia", which has a male vocal part. Check out the enthusiastic response of the audience, as they move on with "Queen Of Shadow". One of my personal favorites is the fiery "Your Body Is A Battleground". It has some very impressive guitar work. Same goes for "Moth To A Flame", where the public also goes wild. The live songs have been recorded in Warsaw, Poland. "Control The Storm" is a true classic and this is the final song here. What is next are the instrumental versions of two new tracks, namely "Dance With The Devil" and "The Reaping". "Underland" closes this sixty-five minute album with another bombastic treat, including an alternate ending. This is what I call value for money to taste some new music and get a live album all in one. DELAIN consists of Diana Leah on vocals, Martijn Westerholt on keyboards, Ronald Landa on guitar, vocals and growls, Ludovico Cioffi on bass and growls and Sander Zoer on drums. Website: https://www.delain.nl. [8 points] (Toine van Poorten)

DOGMA-Gospel I (MNRK Records)
Who said that nuns have no fun? Check this out. It's unclear where these blasphemous nuns are hailing from, but they sure know to put themselves on the market. Do nuns play heavy metal? I guess your answer would be of course, they don't. I bet you have never heard of DOGMA before. They create the ultimate combination of sex, drugs (maybe) and rock and roll on their first gospel, which contains thirteen chapters and forty-five minutes of metal with a naughty and sometimes erotic input. Let's enter the "Forbidden Zone". Are you getting excited already?? The music is sometimes radio friendly, yet with some rough edges to it. The vocals are powerful and so are the riffs. You know where to find the forbidden zone, don't you? In the bedroom and in the last notes, you will hear the bed cracking, while having a good time in the forbidden zone. "Feel The Zeal" continues this ride in a world that remains hidden for many people out there. Rough guitar riffs, hard beating drums and a slightly hoarse voice give this song a rather heavy touch, although it could be welcomed by a broader audience, because of the catchy input it has got as well. "My First Peak" is the fourth song and before that you will have a backwards message of several seconds with no title. The peak we are talking about is something you will have to find out for yourself. I think, it's the power of this band that they leave the songs to your own interpretation. "I Made Her Mine" is a fast, raunchy rock song, that is followed by another short backwards spoken interlude. "Carnal Liberations" contains some hard beating drums, choral vocals and a haunting rhythm, next to some great axe work. In "Free Yourself", these nuns really shock you in many ways. Not only with their lyrics and heavy riffs, this song also contains a jazzy mid piece, that will not remain unnoticed, I guess. "Bare To The Bones" has more mind-blowing guitar parts and also some melodies, that will probably make bands such as GHOST and POWERWOLF jealous they didn't invent them. After all these powerful up-tempo tracks, it's time to slow things down a bit with "Make Us Proud", which has a guest appearance of 'The Dark Messiah'. It matches with the religious background a bit and it shows a darker side of the band with a slower pace. I very much like the instrumental parts in "Pleasure From Pain", where they show that the band is definitely not a gimmick. "Father I Have Sinned" gives you a couple of minutes to confess your sins to these nuns. They will give you the right punishment and they gave me a lot of pain and pleasure for sure. It even contains some brutal growls. The final song is called "The Dark Messiah", and it closes like these are the last seconds before the earth will collapse. One more thunder and one more stroke from the violin and the naughty black mass of these four rocking nuns is really over. You will be dying for more after this, whether it's their naughty lyrics, their sinful outfits or their catchy and sometimes even heavy songs. I definitely love what this very obscure band is doing. DOGMA consists of Lilith on vocals, Lamia on guitars, Nixe on bass and Abrahel on drums. For more info, go to their official website: https://www.officialdogma.com. I think, I will have to go to church more often after listening to this. [9 points] (Toine van Poorten)

EPICA-Aspiral (Nuclear Blast)
What is it I'm looking at? I have the new EPICA in my hands and I have already so many questions. Nine black pierced hands are holding a golden shield, which contains nine blue, glass shaped daggers and one big blue ball in the middle of this shield. The eleven new tracks are worthy of a bit more than a full hour of excitement. No matter how odd the CD artwork looks, the music of EPICA sounds classy and amazing as always. Opener "Cross The Divide" takes off at full speed. Bombastic orchestration, rich guitar riffs, the beautiful voice of Simone and a haunting rhythm is what you get. What a good and energetic start. In "Arcana", you will hear the well-known choir vocals. It gives the song a bombastic and dynamic sound, which matches very well with the brutal grunts. The use of massive choirs is the trademark of EPICA. Just listen to the sound that they created in "Darkness Dies In Light", in which the keyboards ask for a bit more attention. Along with the choirs and the guitar riffs, they created a very powerful song, which is also the longest on the album with its eight minutes. That's short for EPICA standards. "Obsidian Heart" sounds darker and has a slower timbre. The choir will help building up the tension that it deserves. "Fight To Survive" is a bit more up-tempo and it has got a happy beat. It's building up quickly to the high standard, that we know from this band. Then there's a sudden stop and the beautiful voice of Simone takes over from the choir vocals, followed by some flashing guitar work by Mark Jansen. With songs like that, they will easily survive in the symphonic metal scene without any doubt. "Metanoia" is another lengthy song, which easily adds the limit of seven minutes. It starts off dreamy, almost like the fairy tale in a well-known theme park in Holland, but this will soon change when the guitars and choirs take over. Of course Mark will ask some attention in a short guitar solo spot to show his skills, too. "T.I.M.E." starts with some a-typical child vocals, yet the brutal vocals also ask for more attention. They're perhaps a bit less available on this album, still every now and then they pop up again. The last growl comes from the top of their lungs. Oviously, "Eye Of The Storm" is another fast and dynamic song. When the storm is gone, another fairy-tale type of introduction will start the lengthy "The Grand Saga Of Existence". It's dominated by choral vocals and it even contains some outrageous blast beats. The CD closes with title track "Aspiral", which is a dreamy ballad. A sudden stop will make you hungry for more. This album will please a lot of EPICA fans, I presume. EPICA's star is still rising and they did an incredible job again with this amazing new album. As a bonus you will get the "Symphonic Synergy" as a Blue-Ray disc with the album. EPICA consists of Simone Simons on vocals, mastermind Mark Jansen on grunts and guitars, Isaac Delahaye on guitars, Coen Janssen on synths and piano, Rob van der Loo on bass and Arien van Weesenbeek on drums. Website: https://www.epica.nl or https://www.facebook.com/epica. [9 points] (Toine van Poorten)

FEMME FATALE-Demos & Live (FNA Records)
I've always liked FEMME FATALE and not only for their gorgeous looking singer Lorraine Lewis, but also for their ballsy hard rock. This is a compilation album of some very good live footage from 1988, when they toured with CHEAP TRICK plus a handful of demo recordings. In total, there are fourteen songs, including eight live tracks, worthy of a bit over seventy minutes of very fine LA rock. The live recordings are taken from Normal, Illinois and it starts off with "Fortune And Fame", a great pounder to get things going. "My Baby's Gun" contains that magic dazzling guitar work that made this band so outstanding, next to vocalist Lorraine. There is also some audience participation in a short sing-along part. "Touch And Go" follows after a short introduction and welcomes the public to the show. They eat from the hand of this LA based rock band, that matches very well with for example CHEAP TRICK. I would also like to refer to a rougher version of PAT BENATAR, for those of you who don't know the band too well. Pat's music was live much rawer and unpolished than on their records and Loraine and her band rocked a bit more. "Back In Your Arms Again" is the softer side of FEMME FATALE. The next song "Rebel" is more or less a ballad. I must say that Lorraine shows a lot of resemblance to Ellen Foley here, the former MEAT LOAF singer, don't you agree? I even hear a lot of "What's The Matter Baby" in it. Then it's time to stir up the crowd again in "Cradle's Rockin'". The songs played here tonight are taken from the band's one and only self-titled album, of which "Falling In And Out Of Love" has been one of the hit singles. They play it next and close it with a raw guitar part. They finish their set with their biggest success song, called "Waiting For The Big One". Check out the video, that they made for it back in the days, I would say. It will definitely get the CHEAP TRICK crowd hot on their heels for more action, I guess. It's great to hear the band live in action. "Chains" starts off the demo section. This song was captured in the movie "Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead" with Christina Applegate. It includes some horns, but in a very friendly way. The guitars cry out loud, too and that's what it's all about. I don't understand why a great song like "Heat The Fire" never made it on the album. It has some great guitar work and heaps of keyboards and it rocks like hell. The next three songs got on the album tough. I am talking about "Falling In And Out Of Love", the ballad "Rebel" and the rock song "Fortune And Fame". This compilation album closes with the AC/DC cover "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Want To Rock And Roll)", in which they replaced the bag pipe part with some great shredding guitar work. Lorraine was active as the vocalist for VIXEN for a while and she also joined the Only Fans platform, in case you are interested. FEMME FATALE are Lorraine Lewis on vocals, Mazzi Rawd on guitar and keyboards, Bill d'Angelo on guitar, Rick Rael on bass and Bobby Murray on drums. https://www.lorrainelewisrocks.co and https://www.facebook.com/lorraine.lewis.5477. [9 points] (Toine van Poorten)

FRANTIC AMBER-Death Becomes Her (Rising Phoenix Music)
The all-female outfit FRANTIC AMBER from Sweden presents their third full-length album "Death Becomes Her" here. I like the horror type of artwork with skulls hanging on a tree, which will tell you that this is not a party metal band. The eleven tracks are worthy of fifty minutes of bloody death metal. The intro, called "El Orfanato" is short and ominous enough to make you sit on the tip of your chair, waiting for things to come. "Bloodbath" will soak you into their first bloody story on music. They could very well be the death metal sisters of VOI VOD. This serious heavy metal song with double bass drums, heavy riffs, brutal growls and blood dripping out of the corners, where the sound gets from, is ultra cool. The bite of a "Black Widow" will instantly kill you. The spider, I mean. This black widow is a killer as well. It has got a doomy kind of approach and some nice mood and speed changes. This doomy and dark atmosphere continues in the next lengthy title track. The dreamy vocals are accompanied by keyboards, referring to for example a band like DIMMU BORGIR every now and then. "Hell's Belle" on the other hand is a fast song with furious rhythms and growls. It’s also one of the songs for which the band shot a video. The choir vocals near the end are the only melodic outings in this track. "Angel Maker" is another lengthy track with machine gun riffs and some pretty mood changes that get you into a more melodic environment, including some clean vocals. After this more melodic sidestep, it's time to unleash the brutal beast inside, which is done in "Jolly Jane". This is one of the most brutal blasters from the album. It’s nothing compared to the very short, only fifty seconds track "Gore Candy". Go and find out for yourself what this short death grinder is all about. "The Butcheress" is someone you definitely don't want to meet (or is it meat??). This is FRANTIC AMBER operating in their comfort zone: brutal, yet melodic where needed. I actually like the song "In The Garden Of Bones" quite a lot. There is a mini play of someone digging in the ground somewhere in the middle of the song. I think, it must be the leftovers of the corpses of the butcheress. After that, you will hear a beautiful almost serene voice, which is followed by another brutal part. The final song is called "Epitaphium", which is a worthy instrumental closure, including some attractive guitar playing and piano parts. I think, that this brutal album has completely become what I expected from it with loads of exciting side steps and lots of variation. FRANTIC AMBER consists of Mio Jäger on guitars, Elizabeth Andrews on vocals, Madeleine Husberg on bass and Laura Hernandez on drums. Website: https://www.franticamber.com and https://www.facebook.com/franticamber. [8 points] (Toine van Poorten)

FROZEN CROWN-War Hearts (Napalm Records)
This is the fifth album by Italian power metal band FROZEN CROWN. It contains ten tracks, a trillion notes and forty-five minutes of flashing power metal with a catchy edge. The band members have an equal deviation between the sexes: three female members and three male members will show their skills here. Opener and title track "War Hearts" takes off in fifth gear and shows what this is all about. The music is powerful and energetic and it also has a catchy edge to it that makes it easy to sing along. The heavy riffs alternate with the melodic parts and the songs are easy on the ear and rock your world at breakneck speed. In the fast track "Steel And Gold", you will hear the great interaction between the guitar and keyboards. "To Live To Die" rages on and could be categorized as highly energetic speed and power metal. "Night Of The Wolf" starts off with a short intro and then it goes on at almost the same speed as their previous songs. Their neo classical sound gives them just enough identity to stand out among the dozen other power metal bands in the same pond. "On Silver Wings" continues with some nice guitar parts, next to the great powerful riffs. The furious galloping beat in "Edge Of Reality" is next up and the instrumental part in "Bloodlines" sounds really amazing. "I Am The Wind" is picked as one of the new singles and it contains loads of melody, which gives the song a different feeling. It's a good choice, but it's definitely not the race monster like all the other songs. "King Of The Sky" is a short instrumental piece, which I would personally put somewhere in the middle to create a change-over between songs. The final song "Ice Dragon" has got a more epic feeling to it. It's much slower than the others, but despite that, it's very powerful with its choral vocals at the end. It shows another different face of this well-talented Italian band. Metal fans that enjoy of a good mix of DRAGONFORCE and CHILDREN OF BODOM can dig in without hesitation. FROZEN CROWN consists of Giada 'Jade' Etro on vocals, Federico Mondelli on vocals and guitar, Fabiola Bellomo on guitar, Francesco Zof on bass, Niso Tomasini on drums and Alessia Lanzone on guitar. For more information, go to: https://www.facebook.com/frozencrownofficial or https://www.frozencrown.net. [8 points] (Toine van Poorten)

BETH HART-You Still Got Me (Provogue Records)
You've got to love the voice of BETH HART. She has come such a long way and she is still going strong. Her cooperation with JOE BONAMASSA led to some great releases and now it's time for another solo album, containing eleven tracks and fifty minutes of rock, soul and blues of the highest category. For this album she also made some illustrations for the CD booklet. Each illustration tells the story of the song. Already in the first song, Beth called in the help of guest guitarist Slash of GUNS 'N' ROSES, which is called "Savior With A Razor". It's a very strong opener, a great pounder, in which Slash doesn't step up to put himself in the spotlight, but he plays his solo in service of the song. In the second track, there is another guest player. "Suga N My Bowl" contains guitar work by Eric Gales, which has got a more swampy feeling. "Never Underestimate A Gal" is a lot lighter though. It's the kind of music you would expect in a night club with a high vaudeville level. It will give you a happy feeling. "Drunk On Valentine" is more jazzy and has got the sound of TOM WAITS written all over. It's the kind of song for in the late hours. The title of the next song tells you already what to expect. "Wanna Be Big Bad Johnny Cash" leaves no room for interpretation on how it should sound. I just love it from back to forth. Obviously, there is a lot of variation on this album, because "Wonderful World" is a piano ballad that Beth originally wrote for her niece, but it turned out to become a song for her great grandma, her grandma, her mother, her sisters, her niece and her daughters. In "Little Heartbreak Girl", Beth proves that she can also play the piano very well. In "Don't Call The Police", she looks back at the murder on George Floyd, a song with a political background. You can feel the tension and the guitar work sounds truly amazing. The story is dark and unpleasant, but so well told. Title track "You Still Got Me" is next, which is a tender love song that will hit you right in your soul, if you are open for it. "Pimp Like That" is a song, that fits perfectly after the tender love song and the piano plays a leading role again here. The final song has got the flashy title "Machine Gun Vibrato", which is a powerful closure and BETH HART in through and through. It's tender, sweet, sweaty, bluesy and always classy. I'm glad, that she is still around. With her past and all, things could have gone a lot different. BETH HART's band here consists of Beth Hart on piano and vocals, Kevin McKendree on keyboards and organ, Doug Lancio on guitars, Randy Flowers on guitars, Steve Mackey on bass, Greg Morrow on drums, Devonne Fowlkes and Kim Fleming on background vocals, Andrew Carney on mute trumpet, Jim Hoke on saxophone and Jeff Bova on strings. Website: https://www.bethhart.com. [7 points] (Toine van Poorten)

FLOOR JANSEN-Paragon (independent)
We know FLOOR JANSEN from her previous bands AFTER FOREVER and REVAMP and currently as the singer of metal band NIGHTWISH. This is her very first solo album and it contains ten compact songs, worthy of about forty minutes of delicate pop songs. The album has become her own personal story and it sounds completely like Floor. It's powerful and modest where needed and her vocals are undeniable high class stuff. Title track "My Paragon" starts off light-hearted, yet it still has got that well-known Floor Jansen vibe to it. Somehow it's catchy and it grabs your attention right away. It's probably even suitable for radio airplay. "Daydream" builds up a certain tension and it shows the great skills of Floor to create something beautiful. "Invincible" is up-tempo and it could very well serve in a musical for some reason. "Hope" is what I expected it to be, fragile, tiny, acoustic and personal and above all, beautiful. "Come Full Circle" is very powerful in a way. Don't think of heavy guitars here, although it's very up-tempo and dynamic. "Storm" is not as stormy as you would have expected, yet there is some heavy weather in the air, the way she sings it. "Me Without You" is a love song with a certain level of tenderness to it. "The Calm" continues Floor's journey on this album in a very powerful way. It's very energetic. "Armoured Wings" shows the strength of Floor's voice and how straightforward she is on this solo album. The song "Fire" closes this album, that we already know from the Record Store Day single in 2022. It has become a very sensitive and personal release, which will definitely find a way to her fans. Don't expect any heavy metal or hard rock songs here though, but if you'd like to hear her stories and her beautiful voice, then this one is definitely worth checking out. Floor is helped out by Gordon Groothedde on vocals, drums, bass, guitars, piano and strings and Ivo Maarhuis on drums, Ton Dijkman on drums and Wouter Hardy on keys and strings. For more information, go to: https://www.floorjansen.com or https://www.facebook.com/floorjansen.singer. The CD booklet contains some beautiful pics of Floor and all the lyrics to her songs. [8 points] (Toine van Poorten)

JINJER-Live In Los Angeles (CD/DVD)(Napalm Records)
Sixteen tracks and almost eighty minutes of progressive metal and metal core are on this new JINJER album, which contains a live show in Los Angeles. The DVD also has some bonus footage from their show in Paris in 2023. We will review the live CD here, which starts with the instrumental "Intro". It gives the band the opportunity to tune their instruments for the last time, before this tsunami will hit the hungry Los Angeles audience. Blast beats alternate one another in the first track and it feels like a wall of sound is spreading all over you. It's overwhelming, it's fast, it's loud and this is actually what you are about to receive tonight. "Sit Stay Roll Over" is the perfect tune to attract the audience. "Teacher, Teacher" is holding a mix of Tatiana's clear singing voice and the brutal screams, that we know of her so well. Clearly, she sounds very energetic and dynamic. In "Copycat", the band uses more blast beats, next to a lot of melody as well. Something we can't really say of the heavy "Home Back'. It's being poured down to the crowd after a brief introduction and a warm 'thank you' for those who supported the band over the years. Obviously, the band wants to let off some steam. In "Speak Astronomy" and "As I Boil Ice", the more progressive parts get a bigger part in the overall sound of JINJER. Mind you, I don't want to compare or categorize them as the new PINK FLOYD, but there are definitely some progressive influences in their sound here and there. In "Judgement (& Punishment)", they are flirting a bit with reggae, before the grunts and anger are starting to take over. "Dead Hands Feel No Pain" continues and the band goes wild again in this one. Heavy rhythm parts are dominating in "Vortex", which is a dynamic song that brings out the best of this band. And if this one doesn't do the trick to you, then "Who Is Gonna Be The One" definitely will. No breaks, no limits, just heavy pounding, and a good mix of fast and slow parts. At the end there is also a reggae part again. All in all, there is a lot of variation and surprises all over the place and the band is in perfect shape. In "Sleep Of The Righteous", the riffs are heavy and doomy. In combination with the brutal growls, it secures the right combination that the public wants to hear. Tatiana also uses her normal singing voice here. "Call Me A Symbol" blasts on in a brutal mix of beats and heavy riffs. It's definitely one of the crowd pleasers here. Personally, I think that the next brutal song called "Perennial" is definitely one of the highlights on the album. In "Pisces", the band feels like a fish in the pond. "On The Top" closes this gig and the band takes a moment to thank the audience and take a picture. For those, who still want more, there are two more songs on the DVD, namely "Wallflower" and "Disclosure!", both are filmed in Paris in 2023. JINJER worked themselves a way to the top of the heavy metal scene in no time. This live registration is a good example of that. JINJER is Tatiana Shmayluk on vocals, Roman Ibramkhalilov on guitars, Eugene Abdukhanov on bass and Vlad Ulasevich on drums. Website: https://www.jinjer-metal.com or https://www.facebook.com/JinjerOfficial. [8 points] (Toine van Poorten)

KITTIE-Fire (Sumerian Records)
This is album number seven of these ladies and it contains ten brand new tracks and thirty-five minutes of groovy, dark roaring rock. Title track "Fire" is starting to burn with some brutal growls and heavy riffs. Think of the energy, that JINJER is spreading out with their songs. It’s a bit darker than what I know KITTIE for, yet it's still that brutal, as far as I'm concerned. Just check out the screaming vocals in "I Still Wear This Crown", where the band proves that also a sharp guitar solo is still at hand. "Falter" implies that the end of the world is near. I'm an optimist in general, but they might be right, because we're not heading into the right direction. This is also a reason to create a much darker sound. "Vultures" however sounds a bit more old school KITTIE to me. The repetitive riff at the end gives it a lot of energy. I liked the opening riffs in "We Are Shadows" a lot. No wonder, that they shot a video clip for this one and for the song "One Foot In The Grave", that will follow shortly. The songs are compact and very well produced and they are exploding in your ears. Here and there, they might sound a bit alternative, but that's an example of how the band developed and made a style of their own, fourteen years after their previous album. "Wound" sounds groovy. "One Foot In The Grave" tells you to not look back and look forward to the future. It even has some distorted vocals and loud shouts. "Are You Entertained?" is giving the album a bit variation because of the slower pace. This time it starts off with a distorted guitar sound. The screaming growls didn't lose their power here though. "Grime" is very fast and it feels like singer Morgan is being chased and burned at the stake. The groovy riffs are just perfect here and so are the pounding drums. I think, I will pick this as my personal favorite song on the album. The first song written for this new album is "Eyes Wide Open", the CD closer of "Fire". The fire is all-destroying in the CD artwork, but I won't go that far to call this album all-destroying. It will definitely make you burn from excitement and it's good to know that KITTIE has returned to the scene. KITTIE consists of Morgan Lander in vocals and guitar, Mercedes Lander on drums, Ivy Vujic on bass and Tara McLeod on guitar. Website: https://www.kittie.net or https://www.facebook.com/kittiepage. [7 points] (Toine van Poorten)

LADY BEAST-The Inner Alchemist (Dying Victims Productions)
The return of LADY BEAST from the Steel City of Pittsburgh, PA in the USA is making my heavy metal heart beat faster. The nine tracks on this fifth album "The Inner Alchemist" are worthy of thirty-five minutes of some of the purest heavy metal, which kicks off at full blast. Stomping drum beats, powerful vocals, fast riffs and solos and songs that are being hammered into your brain right away. Just take a bite of opener "Oracle's Omen" and you will be addicted for life. And for the speed freaks among us, they will speed things up in the next song "Through The Eyes Of War". They sound amazing already, but it even gets better this way. Influences of the old school IRON MAIDEN are there and you simply can't have any objection to that, because LADY BEAST are giving it a twist of their own because of the great powerful vocal lines of Deborah Levine. Just listen to those awesome bass lines thundering through the song, touched by fingers of pure steel. Title track "The Inner Alchemist" is on next, where the guitar players ask for some special attention and they get it. Not only the vicious sounding first riffs, but also the flashing solo parts are a real treat. Seamlessly, the song goes over into "Starborn". I even hear a touch of PINK FLOYD in the first chords, before the galloping MAIDEN type of riffs will appear after that. You didn't expect the sudden speed change at the end, did you? Well, neither did I and it shows, that LADY BEAST is full of surprises. The ballsy "Crone's Crossroad" is one of my personal favorites for sure. It kicks ass without asking. Don't be afraid, because there's a lot more where that came from. The fast "Feed Your Fire" is very brutal and powerful at the same time. It also has another spotlight moment for the amazing bass player Amy Bianco. She really sounds stunning. "Witch Light" is an instrumental song. I am a big fan of Deborah's voice, but somehow I didn't miss it here. Perhaps it's a little bit surprising, but I warned you upfront that they would surprise you many times more on this album. "The Wild Hunt" is another wild rock song and it will get you on the prowl for sure. The final track is called "Off With Her Head", which also belongs to my personal favorites, because of the polka beats, the vicious vocals, short bass solo and the flashing guitars. I would like to refer to the old school sound of ACID here (vocally) or perhaps OSTROGOTH's "Full Moon's Eyes". Yes, it's that good. LADY BEAST will never let you down, when it concerns true heavy metal. So don't turn your back to the inner alchemist and turn up the sound very loud on this new CD. LADY BEAST consists of Adam Ramage on drums, Chris Tritschler on guitars, Andy Ramage on guitars, Deborah Levine on vocals and Amy Bianco on bass. Website: https://www.facebook.com/ladybeastofficial. [9 points] (Toine van Poorten)

MAATKARE-Rise To Power (independent)
If you are looking for a beautiful ballad or love song, then you'd better leave this release for what it is. MAATKARE is brutal, very aggressive and this all-female death metal outfit will lead you to the vaults of the ancient Egypt. Fans of bands like BEHEMOTH or NILE just need to check this one out. The eight songs are worthy of a bit over thirty minutes of brutal thrash and death metal. "War Before Peace" starts off with an up-tempo beat and the brutal growls of Janneke de Rooy and the melodic guitar work of Georgia Bell. I think, that female pharaoh Hatshepsut nods her head to the rhythm of the song from high up above. Title track "Rise To Power" follow next, in which Janneke reminds me of Alissa of ARCH ENEMY. We also hear guest appearances by Prika Amaral of NERVOSA and Phoenix van der Weyden of OBLIVION VOYAGE. There is definitely a thin line between the various thrash and death metal styles on this album, because "Long Live The Queen" is definitely more death metal and it's also more brutal. It's a tribute to the brutal pharaoh, that is given a central position in the stories of the band. There is some loud screaming in "May The Gods Bear Witness", however the real aggression is being exposed in "Maatkare". The three evil ladies give it their best shot here. The speedy "Judgement Day" follows and I put this one on my list of highlights on this album. "Black Death" contains some nice instrumental parts, in which the band proves that they are very creative in longer instrumental parts as well. The slightly technical death metal song "Realm Of The Dead" closes this debut album. It will really blow you off your feet big time. MAATKARE is ready to launch themselves into the death metal scene by surprise and this debut album will definitely help them doing it. MAATKARE consists of Amie Chatterley on bass, Janneke de Rooy on vocals and Georgia Bell on guitar. Website: https://www.maatkareofficial.com [7 points] (Toine van Poorten)

MEAN MISTREATER-Razor Wire (Dying Victims Productions)
MEAN MISTREATER is presenting their first eight track album here. Watch out, because it is made of razor wire and it will rock your world for sure. The eight concise songs are worthy of a bit over twenty-five minutes of good solid heavy metal. The album starts off with the firm opener "Forget It". Once you've heard this song, you will never forget it. It's fast and it contains some fast axe work and very powerful vocals and a drummer that beats the crap out of his kit. The tone is set and title track "Razor Wire" continues in an even faster way. The furious guitar work is really amazing and it will blow you off your feet right away. "Visions" contains some exciting speed changes and it's again pretty much straight forward, high octane fueled material. It will grab you by the throat right away and impresses you constantly because of the constant high quality stuff that they deliver. "Waiting To Die" is no exception to that rule. The raw guitar riffs that are starting "Let 'Em Roll" will make you move your body to the rhythm of it. It has got that magic beat that keeps you moving, whether you want it or not. "Bleeding The Night" contains a slower mid-piece. It's also the moment where the guitars are starting to play the first solos, which last until the end of the song. I even hear some influences of IRON MAIDEN in "One By One". If you're an old school JUDAS PRIEST or MAIDEN fan, you definitely will love this album, which is packed with the metal sound of the good old days from A to Z. I also hear some 'Love Gun' kind of thing at the end of the song. The last track is called "Bedevil", which will please many true metal fans out there one more time, no doubt about it. It's a good closure of a great metal album. Compact songs, very loud, heavy and there are definitely only winners on it. What more could you ask for?!? MEAN MISTREATER consists of Alex Wein on guitar, Quinten Lawson on guitar, Jon Gibson on bass, Joaquin Ridgell on drums and Janiece Gonzalez on vocals. For more information, go to: https://www.facebook.com/meanmistreatertx. [9 points] (Toine van Poorten)

MEAN MISTREATER-Do Or Die (Dying Victims Productions)
After their debut album (see previous review), MEAN MISTREATER already released a brand new (second) album. It contains eight songs and it's worthy of about twenty-five minutes. This might be a little short, but I'd rather prefer a short high quality album than a lengthy one with only fillers. Correct me, if I'm wrong. The screaming skull with the greedy claws on the cover is just perfect for a band like MEAN MISTREATER, because it will rip the flesh off your bones from the beginning. The album starts with "Killer Red", which contains some fast pounding drums and killer riffs and on top of that there is the heavy voice of Janiece. This song will catch your attention right away. "One Survivor" is the second ear attack and influences of WARLOCK and CHASTAIN are clearly there. The killer riffs will definitely put a smile on every old school metal head's face. This fast heavy metal will make your ears bleed for sure. "Nothing's Free" has a high dose of rock and roll and a name like WASP pops up, while listening to it. "Walk With Fire" is a bit slower, although it's very intense and catchy. The first riffs refer to IRON MAIDEN in a way. Title track "Do Or Die" starts with a heavy pounding drum beat. The sound is diverse, yet it's always high octane fueled. The guitar parts are fiery and fast. The loud screaming voice of Janiece fits just perfectly in a song like "Road Dogs". "Three Of Swords" is about warriors slaying or killing, when the situation asks for it. Before you realise it, we are at the very last song on this album, which is called "Release The Wolf". I hear some ACID influences in the raunchy vocals of Janiece. This second album of MEAN MISTREATER didn't let me down. On the contrary, it just left off where the first album stopped and from there on, they continued the party. This is some real great stuff by this traditional heavy metal outfit. MEAN MISTREATER consists of Janiece Gonzalez on vocals, Quinten Lawson on guitars, Alex Wein on guitars, Theron Rhoten on bass and Terry Irwin on drums. Go to: https:// www.facebook.com/meanmistreatertx. [8 points] (Toine van Poorten)

MILLENNIAL REIGN- World On Fire (Ulterium Records)
From Texas there is a band called MILLENNIAL REIGN and this new album will set the world on fire, so they say. The twelve new titles are worthy of fifty minutes of heavy and hard hitting rock and heavy metal. After the introduction "Exousia", the band explodes in "Bring Me To Life", which is rather heavy, yet it also contains a melodic touch. A good opener to get an idea how powerful this band can be. The Eastern touch in "Wandering" feels rather exotic and the choir vocals might refer to WITHIN TEMPTATION and I expect that fans of DELAIN will like this, too. This definitely comes back in the instrumental part before the guitar solo. "Trust" on the other hand sounds rather melodic again. It's very catchy, yet it also has some good guitar work. "We Follow On' continues at high speed. The double bass drums give the song a heavy character. Add to this the flashing guitar solo and you will have a good time with this new MILLENNIAL REIGN album. There is also a moment to take a step back in speed in "Eternity". Together with the short interlude "Parousia", it divides the CD in half. "Crack The Eastern Sky" is fast and heavy again with some great guitar work. The bombastic choir vocals return in "Tongues Of Fire", which even has some fiery guitar riffs. Title track "World On Fire" has enough melody and keyboards to call it a melodic power metal song. More keys are in "Onward To Victory", which is next up. Think of SONATA ARCTICA here, as far as influences go. This song is melodic yet heavy and still with enough keyboards to find a good balance with the heavy guitars."Allied Forces" is the final track, which is a cover from the Canadian metal band TRIUMPH. If you don't know it, then you ought to be ashamed of yourself and now is your chance to get to know this wonderful classic. My only advice here is: play it very loud!! What a great closure and surely a point of recognition. MILLENNIAL REIGN consists of Tiffany Galchutt on vocals, Dave Harvey on guitar, Neil Bertrand on bass and Pedro Cortes on drums. For more info, go to: https://www.millennialreign.com and https://www.facebook.com/millennialreign. [8 points] (Toine van Poorten)

MYSTERY BLUE-Night Demon (Massacre Records)
"Night Demon" is the name of one of the most well-known heavy metal bands in the United States of America. It's also the title of the new MYSTERY BLUE album and one of the main true heavy metal bands from France. It contains thirteen tracks and fifty minutes of pure, old school heavy metal. Opener "End Of The World" exactly shows what this outfit is all about. This is fast and furious heavy metal with good hooks, great powerful guitars, thundering drum beats and vocals that touch your very soul. If the end of the world sounds like that, please let it stop immediately, I should say. Nathalie's vocals are getting pretty close to Kate of ACID, which she can take as a big compliment. "Colours Of Life" is on next and you can hear the true metal approach in every song, which is outstanding. "Burning Souls" will invite you to the next song. The creepy voices will give you an ominous feeling. It's a short intro to the title track of the album "Night Demon", which definitely has got a DIO feeling, because of the rhythm. Just think of "Holy Diver" for example, including a more demonic intro. "Human Again" is a fast head banger with some furious guitar work, dealing about the positive things in life. "Pandemic Metal Virus" is about heavy metal ruling the world. I wish, this is true, but still it's a nice dream. As far as I'm concerned, they can spread this virus anywhere and I'm infected from the day I was born. MYSTERY BLUE is ready to spread it out worldwide. "Rebel At Heart" is for the rebellious souls among us. "Undertakers" will make sure that the heart of every ACCEPT and UDO fan will beat a lot faster, while "Skulls From Hell" is a real speed monster. It even leans towards speed and thrash metal with the groovy riffs. Besides that, it's a bloody good title for a metal song of this order. "Where Metal Rules" is a more melodic song, that defines the heavy metal scene. It also contains some nice speed changes. "Wild Fire" is a great metal song and it's one of my personal favorites for sure. "Forever Hand In Hand" is more or less the obligatory ballad. It's a very emotional love song. The final song on this album is a point of recognition for every true metal fan. This ACCEPT cover of "Restless And Wild" will definitely do the trick and give you a good feeling, while listening to "Night Demon". He's looking at you on the front cover of this amazing new album by French metallers MYSTERY BLUE. The band consists of Nathalie Geyer on vocals, Frenzy Philippon on guitar, Erik Lothaire on guitar, Julien 'Ted' Weibel on bass and Vince Koehler on drums. Website: https://www.mysteryblue.com or https://www.facebook.com/official.MysteryBlue. [9 points] (Toine van Poorten)

NIGHTWISH-Yesterwynde (Nuclear Blast Records)
The new NIGHTWISH album contains twelve tracks, and has a playing time of seventy minutes. Be prepared for an astonishing peak in the current world of NIGHWISH, starting with title track "Yesterwynde". As a matter of fact, this is just a short attractive classical intro with only the voice of Floor. It's actually over before you know it and it doesn't give you a clue what is coming next. The next song "An Ocean Of Strange Islands" is a wild whirlwind of bombastic soundscapes with melodic guitar parts, orchestral parts, a heavy rhythm and drum beats, loads of choral vocals and of course on top of it, there's Floor Jansen on lead vocals. After that, there is a softer mid-piece, which gives it a nice speed and mood change. This is followed by another faster and more bombastic piece and it closes with a more dreamy and folky part, in which Troy Donnockley shows his skills. What a fantastic opener. "The Antikythera Mechanism" starts off in a very catchy way and it could very well be a single because it has got a certain vibe, which makes it highly enjoyable for the general public. What happens after the break is that an exciting instrumental part takes over and gives the song a more progressive approach. It sounds very experimental and adventurous to my ears. The album continues with "The Day Of....", in which there is a children's choir that gives the song a very catchy and open vibe. Songs like that keep the album in balance. "Perfume Of The Timeless" on the other hand is a more progressive and bombastic song. The band shows up well in the instrumental section, which is not over the top this time and definitely lift it up to a much higher level, as far as I'm concerned. In the next song called "Sway", Troy Donnockley steps into the spotlight again. It is another step away from their progressive and symphonic sound and it's a nice sidestep to folk with his voice upfront. "The Children Of Ata" has got all the aforementioned ingredients. It has a nice catchy vibe and the bombastic orchestration and choir vocals are dominating this track. "Something Whispered Follow Me" continues. Clearly, NIGHTWISH has expended a lot of variation on this album, which makes it highly enjoyable. This melodic rock song with symphonic twists is very easy on the ear. "Spider Silk" is much smaller and less bombastic, yet it still has got that dynamic NIGHTWISH type of vibe to enjoy. "Hiraeth" is maybe the odd one out here. It is a duet between Troy and Floor, however it leans very much towards the folky side, because of Troy's input, which is getting bigger and bigger on each album. "The Weave" is another bombastic explosion of melodic parts and the way we know NIGHTWISH best for, at least I do. The final part on this album is for a tender moment, which can't be missed on this CD. In the "Lanternlight", the CD slowly fades away in another duet between Troy and Floor. All in all, "Yesterwynde" contains a lot of variation and it proves that the band is still not afraid to be adventurous and innovative after all these years. NIGHTWISH consists of Floor Jansen on vocals, Emppu Vuorinen on guitars. Jukka Koskinen on bass, Tuomas Holopainens on keyboards, Kai Hahto on drums and Troy Donockley on uillean pipes, low whistles, bouzouki, bodhran, guitars and vocals. Website: https://www.nightwish.com. [9 points] (Toine van Poorten)

OCEANS OF SLUMBER-Where Gods Fear To Speak (Season Of Mist)
OCEANS OF SLUMBER are hailing from Houston, Texas and musically, they are playing a style of progressive metal. Opener and title track "Where Gods Fear To Speak" is the first of ten tracks on this new album, worthy of fifty-five minutes. I hear dark riffs and a combination of brutal growls and beautiful female vocals, which lifts this band up to a higher level, because this is definitely not a two a penny band. "Run From The Light" combines the brutal male vocals and fast and heavy riffs with the female vocals of Cammie, who even sounds operatic in some pull outs. The instrumental parts will give you the freedom to make up your own story. I think, that the term 'cinematic metal' wouldn't be misplaced. Let your mind go out free to "Don't Come Back From Hell Empty-Handed", which is a lengthy and epical masterpiece, that covers the whole spectrum, including some brutal screams and blast beats. Make sure that you are ready for this and don't be afraid if you can't comprehend a song like that in one time. You will also notice that the male vocals receive a bigger space on the album. "Wish" is another more compact song and a bit easier on the ear. "Poem Of Ecstasy" starts up slowly, yet it develops itself to a raw song with brutal edges, screams and blast beats. It closes with some references of a band like for example EVANESCENCE. The next song, which is called "The Given Dream" has some influences of WITHIN TEMPTATION and also EVANESCENCE again. In "I Will Break The Pride Of Your Will", the brutal growls are back for a very short moment. "Prayer" on the other hand contains a lot of emotion. "The Impermanence Of Fate" starts off at a funeral march speed and then it moves on to a CRADLE OF FILTH type of black metal speed monster for a while. At the end it returns to normal speed again. The CD closes with a cover of "Wicked Game", originally written by CHRIS ISAAK. I think, that OCEANS OF SLUMBER are heading towards a more AOR type of sound, which will hopefully broaden their fan base and deliver them more airplay. This album is certainly a good step in the right direction. OCEANS OF SLUMBER consists of Cammie Beverly on vocals, Alex Davis on guitar, Chris Kritikos on guitar, Semir Ozerkan on bass and Dobber Beverly on drums and synths. Fernando Robeiro handles the male vocal parts in "Run From The Light". WebsiteL https://www.oceansofslumber.com and https://www.facebook.com/oceansofslumber. [7 points] (Toine van Poorten)

ON FIRE-Bite The Blade (Witches Brew Records)
ON FIRE are hailing from Canada and their album contains eight new tracks with a total length of a bit over thirty minutes. The album starts off with the title track "Bite The Blade" at breakneck speed. A comparison to ACID would be called for, however this is a lot faster and I also hear the sound of the new millennium. "Death Stare" has a bit more melody. Just listen to the wonderful guitar intro here. This leans more towards the Belgian speed metal band rather than the first track. Cara McCutchen is the lady behind the mike and many Metal Maidens readers will remember her from MORTILLERY. The pedal is pressed to the metal again in "Cry Of The Wolf". Let's see, if you can hear the cry of the real wolf here. The thundering drums are being accompanied by some speedy riffs. "On Fire" starts off with some IRON MAIDEN type of guitars and it's less speedy. It proves what this band is capable of, next to playing some high speed bangers. They add a little bit more melody and still rock it out loud. "I'll Destroy You" is another very fast tune. The drummer sounds like she is being haunted by a horde of cheetahs. They sure know how to create some speed metal classics. The next song "Kill 'Em All" sounds rather familiar. The title might be a tribute to old school METALLICA, but this gang is certainly a lot different. The instrumental part near the end, gives the song a special touch. "Allegiance To None" contains more great guitar riffs. The band is ready to take speed metal to the next level. "Tomorrow" rounds off this album with a slow ballad.... Oh no of course not. The band shreds one more time like there is no tomorrow and I think that the fans like it that way. They will push the 'repeat' button on their player and listen to the speed metal riffs over and over again. ON FIRE consists of Cara McCutchen (MORTILLERY, NAITAKA) on vocals, Alex Rossi (KONQUEST) on drums and Jo Steel (ICE WAR, DEVIL CROSS) on bass. The artwork of the album is just perfect, including a skull, blood, fangs, axe and a hooded butcher slayer. It doesn't get any better than that for all the speed metal freaks out there, I guess. For more info, go to: https://witchesbrewthrashes.bandcamp.com/album/bite-the-blade. [8 points] (Toine van Poorten)

THE RATTLESNAKES-Deeper Shades Of Torment (independent)
The Britain based female fronted metallers THE RATTLESNAKES present their five track debut EP. It's worthy of a bit over twenty minutes and it starts with "Love Me Harder". Play it loud and they will make you sweat. High vocal pull outs, loud riffs, a high-speed and fiery guitar solo and a fast drum beat will make your heart beat faster for sure. The fast double bass beats in "Firestarter" are really amazing. This is what they call high octane fueled metal with high vocal pull outs. Just check out the dirty guitar work and the screams at the end of this song, that are steaming hot. I really like the (much) too short and beautiful instrumental intermezzo "Honesty" with the classy guitar parts very much. For a moment "Diary Of A Madman" by OZZY OSBOURNE spins inside my head. This is followed by the fast and catchy "Selfish Soul", which has got some IRON MAIDEN influences in the guitar sound. "Burn For You" is already the final track on this amazing EP. The EP really caught me by surprise and made me very happy. THE RATTLESNAKES are Elliot Dryden on bass, Nathan Gratton on drums, Josh Brown on guitars, Jacob Shingler on guitars and Rowena Neale on vocals. https://www.facebook.com/Rattlesnakesofficial. [8 points] (Toine van Poorten)

SAVAGE MASTER-Dark & Dangerous (Iron Kingdom Records)
The new release of SAVAGE MASTER is another classic metal album in my book. It will please all the old school true metal heads that love the sound of US Metal mixed with NWOBHM for sure. This eleven song album is worthy of about forty minutes and starts off with a short instrumental intro, called "Three Red Candles". It's followed by the first pounder entitled "Warriors Call". The steady drum beats, heavy riffs and the witch type of vocals of Stacey are asking for more and this is the perfect speed to bang your head on. It's a mix of JUDAS PRIEST, JAG PANZER and RIOT but then with female vocals. Love it or hate it, I can always listen to this. "Black Rider" continues in a faster pace, but with the same PRIEST type of influences in the sound. "The Edge Of Evil" sounds a bit darker and I think that nobody will mind that I refer to BLUE OYSTER CULT as main influences in this song. "Devils Child" was a jaw dropper for me. It's powerful, it's fast and energetic and has got a punky attitude to it. It's another killer track in my book. The dark voice of Stacey creates a horror type of atmosphere in "Screams From The Cellar". Who knows what kind of horrible things went on down there?! After that we are only halfway through the album, that came out on CD and on a limited black and red splattered vinyl, which looks really awesome beyond belief. The B-side of the album starts with the fast and furious sounding "Never Ending Fire", which is a mix between ACID and BITCH. "Devil Rock" continues in a horror type of atmosphere. Think of a mix between COVEN and WITCHFYNDE here. The next song has got a high commercial level. It's called "I Never Wanna Fall In Love". It has the sing along type of approach of bands, like MOTLEY CRUE, BON JOVI, KISS or EUROPE, yet it still rocks very much, too because of the guitar sound. I guess, they are aiming at a hit single with this one. Anyway, let’s continue as I'm longing for another hard and heavy song, which is the killer track "When The Twilight Meets The Dawn". The album closes with a second attempt for a hit single with the beautiful ballad "Cold Hearted Death", that contains a mind-blowing guitar solo. SAVAGE MASTER knows the drill. The band pleases the fans with old school true metal, yet they also try to climb higher on the ladder of success with some sensitive, more commercial sounding songs as well. Now you get the best of both worlds. SAVAGE MASTER consists of Stacey Savage on vocals, Nicholas Burks on lead guitar and vocals, Adam Neal on bass, keys, percussion and vocals, River Jordan on guitar and vocals and John Wayne Littlejohn on drums and vocals. Website: https://www.facebook.com/savagemasterofficial. [9 points] (Toine van Poorten)

SCAVENGER-Beyond The Bells (No Remorse Records)
SCAVENGER is hailing from Belgium. Their new album "Beyond The Bells" contains nine brand new tracks and two remastered bonus tracks from the single release in 2020, worthy of about fifty minutes of old school heavy metal. "The Warning Bell" is the instrumental intro, that closes with the sound of the bells. After that, the band takes off at full speed with some "Black Witchery", that most definitely will appeal to all the old school ACID, WARLOCK and/or ORIGINAL SIN fans. I would even like to refer to the Texas metal band HEATHER LEATHER, because of the vocals of singer Tine Lucifera. The biting guitar solo sounds truly amazing and I think that this is what the fans were hoping for. This fast pounding sound continues in "Watchout!", that has some ACCEPT influences in the speedy guitar riffs. It's a warning that this will probably result in aching neck muscles. Same goes for "Streetfighter", a fast rock song that will make you hungry for more. Check out the speed change before the guitar solo starts near the end. Just keep on banging your head, because the riffs go on and on in the fast and heavy "Defiler", where the guitars demand a leading role. The sound is comparable to old school LEATHERWOLF, VICIOUS RUMORS or even RIOT. The band slows things down little in "Hellfire" and it's time to catch your breath. One of my personal favorites on this amazing album is "Slave To The Master", because of the great song structure, which has got a real JUDAS PRIEST kind of vibe. "Nosferatu" is a cult figure in the horror movie world and the next song is dedicated to this creepy character. The song contains some great speed changes and more amazing guitar licks. "Crystal Light" starts off with an ominous sound of the bells and takes off in fourth gear right after that. This heavy rock song is a great album closure. We all know the seven inch debut single with Tine on vocals. These two songs have been remastered and added to this album as bonus tracks. First there is the JUDAS PRIEST influenced song "Backslider". "Red Hot" on the other hand is a great sing along tune and catchy as hell. This true heavy metal band rules the Belgian underground scene for sure. They are top of the bill, as far as I'm concerned. SCAVENGER consists of Tine Lucifera on vocals, Tim N on guitar and vocals, Kevin D on lead guitar, Gabriel DS on drums and Vincent DL on bass. For more info, go to: https://www.facebook.com/scavengerofficialband. [9 points] (Toine van Poorten)

SIGN OF THE JACKAL-Heavy Metal Survivors (Dying Victims Productions)
SIGN OF THE JACKAL from Italy are the true survivors of the underground metal scene. On this high class ten song album, worthy of forty minutes, they will teach every metal head out there a tremendous lesson. The ominous and threatening intro, called "Eulogy Of The Survivors" will leave nothing to the imagination. Heavy metal is the law. "Breaking The Spell" starts off in the fifth gear, which has got the fastness of ACCEPT in their heydays and the shock rock effect of "Live Wire" by MOTLEY CRUE. Every devoted metal head will love this combination for sure. "Buio Omega (Beyond The Darkness)" is on next, which contains more fast guitars riffs and some harmony vocal shouts. "Pedal To The Metal" is the perfect song for their live shows. The ACCEPT level is high again and the chorus is easy to shout along to. While in "Phantasm", the horror theme, this band is known for, comes up and the use of keyboards give it a really vintage effect and just that little bit of something it needs. "Slaves Of Hell" on the other hand has some references to ACID in their early days. It's fast, heavy and pounding without any compromises. You want to be a slave of hell, too. "Nightmare City" is another helluva track. It's speedy and catchy at the same time. The guitar work is far above average. What a great metal anthem! "Watch Out" is dedicated to all the hipsters out there, so the booklet tells us. Watch out for the high speed here, which is really extraordinary high. "Shocker" is on next and I think it refers to the guitar solo, which is a true hot rocking song. The CD closes with "(You Better) Run For Tomorrow", another great song with the high-pitched vocals of Laura. This is definitely an amazing true metal CD. The sad news however is, that this is the final album of SIGN OF THE JACKAL. Their journey comes to an end here. Fact is, that they end their career with a serious bang. The JACKALS leave the scene, long live The JACKALS. Horns up for these Italian shock rockers, that consist of Laura Coller on vocals, Roberto 'Bob' Condini on vocals and guitar, Dave L. Droz on lead guitar, Triple F on bass and Corra on drums and keyboards. https://www.facebook.com/SignOfTheJackal. [9 points] (Toine van Poorten)

SOLICITOR-EP And All Debts On Death (Cruz Del Sur Records/Gates Of Hell Records)
This is a two in one release on CD. The EP, demo stuff and their most recent seven inch single have been put together on one silver disc. Eight songs, worthy of forty minutes and some of the finest heavy metal is what you get here. "Nightstalker" is a speedy opener with the Rob Halford type vocals of Amy Lee, who's screaming as loud as she can. "Speed Tyrant" even sounds faster than the opener. This old school metal song is truly amazing and Amy Lee's voice is so much rawer than DORO for example. "Vulture Command" has some influences of "Baptized In Blood" by HELSTAR, while "Execution Squad" contains some exciting guitar licks. Actually, all songs are packed with some amazing guitar parts. This is everything an old school metal head wants to hear and more. Just listen to the PRIEST type of riffs in "Killer For Hire" for example. The speed change is a bonus and lifts the song up to the premier league of metal hymns to me. If you need some more raw power, I would like to direct you to "Megalomaniac", which is one of the longer tracks here. It's very dynamic and it will overwhelm you for sure. The last part of the song is an acoustic part, which stretches out this megalomaniacal track. Last but not least, you are able to enjoy "Nightstalker" and "Speed Tyrant" for a second time. This time it's from the 2019 demo. SOLICITOR is doing what they tell you they will do: Keep It Fast, Keep It Nasty and Keep It Mean. True fans of this band will probably have all those songs in their collection, but for beginners it might be a great start to get to know this band. Skulls with blood dripping from their eye balls are staring at you from the back of the cd booklet, I guess, they didn't buy a copy of this must have item yet. SOLICITOR consists of Amy Lee Carlson on vocals, Johan Waymire on drums, Damon Cleary-Erickson on bass, Patrick Fry on guitar and Matthew Vogan on guitar. For more info, go to: https://www.facebook.com/solicitor.speedmetal. [9 points] (Toine van Poorten)

TIFFANY KILLS-World On Fire (Chris Tones Music)
This is a German Dutch heavy power rock band. The ten songs are worthy of a bit over forty minutes of groovy heavy rock with lots of room for melody. Although the female vocals are not always upfront in the mix, this album is definitely worth checking out. Vocals are done by John 'Jaycee' Cuijpers, who will steal the show. Mendy Sneijers is his partner in crime. "I'll Come Running", the opening song here is best described as a VANDENBERG type of song, including a catchy chorus and some great Adrian Vandenberg-like guitar work by Mathias 'Don' Dieth (ex-UDO). "Star Rider" is very powerful and it screams for singing along in the chorus lines. I would like to describe this as PRIMAL FEAR with melody, instead of the constant pounding drums. "Breathless" is the ballad here and it even develops into a bit faster track. "The Higher They Climb" has got some catchy and powerful elements and it will probably appeal to a lot of metal fans out there. A shot falls and John is "Pulling The Trigger" in another powerful rock song. Still, the melodic hooks are never far away and also not here. In "World On Fire", guitarist Mathias asks for a place in the spotlight with his marvelous guitar work. "Too Young" would be a perfect song in a live situation. It also asks for some singing along. I must admit, that the female input is very small and I never really hear Mendy's voice upfront. Mind you, John's vocals are spot on, however the female input could have been bigger. "Caught In The Middle" is a bit more balladesque and it contains a sensitive guitar solo. "Rock My World" rocked mine, too. And in "In And Out Of Love" the band plays another great rock song to round off their debut album. "World on Fire" is packed with some groovy powerful classic rock songs and many melodic edges. The female input is there but it's very low. TIFFANY KILLS supported VANDENBERG and TYKETTO and played several shows on their own. The band consists of John 'Jaycee' Cuijpers, Mathias 'Don' Dieth on guitar, Mendy Sneijers on vocals, Tom Baer on bass, Christian Tolle on guitar and Tom Wetzels on drums. Website: https://www.facebook.com/Tiffany-Kills. [7 points] (Toine van Poorten)

TOWER-Let There Be Dark (Cruz Del Sur Music)
TOWER is hailing from New York City and they definitely know how to rock. Their new album contains ten tracks and runs for forty minutes. From the first riffs on, you will know that the band stands with both feet in the eighties. The riffs in "Under The Chapel" contain a lot of influences of RIOT for example. The voice of Sarabeth however gives the song a much darker character. Title track "Let There Be Dark" is on next and puts the pedal to the metal. Strong and firm riffs, that will excite you are part of the adrenaline shot you are about to receive here. "Holy Water" on the other hand is starting with the sound of a church bell and the drums are pounding loud here. The song contains some exciting speed changes, too. "And I Cry" is starting out as a ballad, however it's slowly gaining speed and building up to a certain tension. From there on, the comparison with the Dutch doom metal sensation THE DEVIL'S BLOOD came to mind. Once you have heard the resemblance with the voice of Farida Lemouchi, it won't go away. You will hear this over and over again. The doomy and epical sound is there indeed, the sound of TOWER is only faster at times and maybe it's a bit more straight forward heavy metal. "The Well Of Souls" is a short but sweet instrumental interlude, that cuts the album in half. "Book Of The Hidden" is fast and heavy, as it should be, with some hard pounding drum beats and the screams of Sarabeth near the end of the song. "Legio X Fretensis" is another short instrumental interlude with acoustic guitars, that have a slightly Eastern vibe to it. I think, it's some kind of intro to the heavy "Iron Clad", that could very well be a MOTORHEAD song with even the right title in that context. Maybe the best track here is "Don't You Say", which starts off like for example "Voyager" by GAMMA. The speed change is turning it into a real head banger though. If you like the taste of rock and metal from the seventies and eighties with a modern twist to it, then now is your chance. Mix BLUE OYSTER CULT with TANITH and you will come close to the sound of TOWER. "The Hammer" is another personal favorite of mine. It's a firm pounder with an exciting speed change in the middle somewhere. The chants near the end are feeling like an epical war song. It closes the album in a very worthy way. The line-up of TOWER is: Sarabeth Linden on vocals, James Danzo on guitars, Zak Penley on guitars, Philippe Arman on bass and backing vocals, Keith Mikus on drums. Website: https://www.facebook.com/TOWERnyc. [9 points] (Toine van Poorten)

VIPERWITCH-Witch Hunt: Road To Vengeance (Stormspell Records)
The album of Denver, Colorado based VIPERWITCH contains thirteen songs and is worthy of almost thirty-nine minutes of heavy metal. There are many short instrumental tracks, interludes and spoken word parts, which make the amount of songs high. If you like traditional heavy metal rooted in the eighties, you simply can't go wrong. Already when you take a look at the CD artwork, you will get the urge to listen to it. I see dragons, wolves, motorcycles and a Cruella-type of screaming face, including fangs that will scare the shit out of you. The CD starts with the spoken word part, called "Road To Vengeance: Descendants Of The Gods", that will get you into the right mood. It's epic, it's heavy metal, it's powerful and it sounds very traditional. The song closes with an instrumental part. "Legend Of The Midnight: Saxon Killer" is an instrumental intro, that will leads you to "Hellbound", a fast head banger, that refers to bands, like CHASTAIN, ACID and old school WARLOCK. The song itself also contains a spoken word interaction between the band members, which is very cool. The next interlude is rather dark and mysterious and it's called "Infinite Nocturn Rises: The Ritual". Dark voices are accompanied by even darker keyboard parts. The interlude leads to "The Viperwitch", which is a fast song with more trashy screams, leaning towards death metal, yet I think they will most certainly appeal to fans of for example LADYBEAST and SAVAGE MASTER. "Bathory" has got nothing to do with the cult metal band, nor the legendary VENOM song. It tells the story of serial killer Elisabeth Bathory. "Vapor City: Blood And Steel Upon The Silver Tower" is another short instrumental track, that I didn't really get. However it's the glue between "Vapor City..." and "The Huntress", I guess. This huntress puts her claws into you like a true predator. It's a fast rock song with some awesome guitar licks. And the story goes on with the spoken word part "The Blood Moon Rises". It's an introduction to "She-Wolves Of The Wasteland", a fast head banger, that will make every true metal fan very happy indeed. It closes with the howling of wolves or are these human beings pretending to be wolves? No matter what, they sound like they are hunting for prey. "The Proving Grounds: Tooth & Nail" is another interlude with some vocal chants and beats that they could have left undone, as far as I'm concerned. It doesn't really add something to this album. In "No Gods No Masters", the band let off steam and this song could even appeal to fans of old school VENOM, I guess. The album closes with "Unnumbered Tears: The Reckoning", which contains some piano and synths and blows out the candle of this "Witch Hunt". I like the concept of the interludes and short instrumental parts in between but sometimes it's a bit too much maybe. It takes care of the natural flow on the album though by telling the whole story. A surprisingly good album by VIPERWITCH, that consists of Danica Minor on lead guitar, vocals and synths, Jason Pinero on bass, vocals and synths, Will Perkins on guitar, Jean Pierre (Traveler) on vocals, Tim Gillman on drums in a live setting, and Jacob Coellen on drums in the studio setting. For more information, go to: https://www.viperwitch.com or https://www.facebook.com/Viperwitch. [8 points] (Toine van Poorten)

VULVARINE-Fast Lane (Napalm Records)
VULVARINE are hailing from Austria and this album contains eleven punky hard rock songs, worthy of almost forty minutes. This is their third full-length album and I think if you have a good search, you will be able to find their first two albums as well. Think of THE LUNACHICKS, THE DONNAS, THE RUNAWAYS and/or BLONDIE and you will get close to the sound of opener "The Drugs, The Love And The Pain". As a surprise the ladies have added a nice, slower guitar part somewhere near the end of this fine opener. The CD cover will already tickle your senses, I guess. It pictures a bird of prey, a red haired, long legged foxy lady and an orange van in front of her. "Ancient Soul" is on next. It's much softer and takes care of a good balance, yet there are enough guitar parts to enjoy. The voice of Suzie Q refers to THE RUNAWAYS in a way. The catchy feeling on this album is great, like for example in "Heads Held High", where you can sing along to the chorus pretty easily after a couple of times. "Demons" definitely sounds darker than the previous songs. The band has got many different faces. It has a nice flow and some good guitar work and double bass drums. "Alright Tonight" might even have the potential for a hit single. It's catchy and has all the necessary ingredients for it. "Equal, Not The Same" will speed things up in this very punky and powerful song. The rebellious influences of the band are showing up here again. The guitar solo has got an ACE FREHLEY kind of feeling. I like the heavy bass parts in the beginning of "Fool" very much. "Polly The Trucker" is a bit more accessible for many hard rockers. Play this song on the radio, when driving with Polly on the highway and you will have a good time for sure. This filthy, greasy guitar attack sounds really amazing. "Dark Red" is quite heavy and I think that I hear more influences of GIRLSCHOOL here instead of THE RUNAWAYS. "Cheri Cheri Lady" is a cover of MODERN TALKING. Oh well, everybody makes mistakes, I guess. Surely, they made a heavy and rawer version of it and THUNDERMOTHER's Filippa Nassil guested with a guitar solo here, but still it's a very cheeky song in my eyes. The last song is called "She'll Come Around". I guess, this is meant for a night out around the campfire with just vocals and some acoustic guitars. Until she comes around, you will have a good time with this, I think. VULVARINE lives in the fast lane and I hope they will stay there for a while. The band consists of Suzy Q on vocals, Sandy Dee on drums, Robin Redbreast on bass and Bea Heartbeat on drums. Website: https://www.vulvarine.band and https://www.facebook.com/vulvarine.vienna. [9 points] (Toine van Poorten)

THE WARNING-Keep Me Fed (Republic Records) THE WARNING is hailing from Mexico and their star is rising fast. Their new album "Keep Me Fed" contains twelve brand new songs and about forty minutes of groovy metal. The threesome starts off with "Six Feet Deep". That's where you put someone you don't like very much. I hear groovy rhythms, heavy hitting drums and hoarse vocals. What a killer opener. However, if you want it a bit more groovy and heavy, then you'd better tune in to "Sick". This song has got catchy edges and it will probably appeal to fans of HALESTORM or PRETTY RECKLESS as well. "Apologize" on the other hand is a bit more suitable for a bigger audience. Before the heavy eruption starts, the band takes back some speed and then they are burning their rubber. At the end they are falling down to the part where they are switching back speed. If I said something wrong about this song, I truly apologize for that. The Mexican song "Que Mas Quieres" is very powerful indeed. "More" continues fast and firmly, while in "Escapism", the groovy side of the band returns. These last two songs are leaning towards the sound of GARBAGE in a way. "Satisfied" has got some MUSE influenced guitar parts in it. And the rhythm of the drum parts in "Burnout" also point out in the direction of MUSE. Just listen to it closely and you will understand what I mean. "Sharks" has some industrial type of beats and sounds. It makes the song heavy and groovy in a modern way. "Hell You Call A Dream" is next and it's one of the most accessible songs here. "Consume" is catchy too but in a different kind of way. This song has more MUSE type of guitar parts. The CD closes with "Automatic Sun", which is groovy and catchy at the same time. The sound of THE WARNING may appeal to a lot of a metal fans, because their music style is rather varied, which is good marketing strategy, in my opinion. The line-up of the three sisters of THE WARNING is: Daniela Villarreal Velez on guitar, vocals and piano, Paulina Villarreal Velez on drums, vocals and piano and Alejandra Villarreal Velez on bass, vocals and piano. Website: https://www.thewarningband.com and https://www.facebook.com/TheWarningRockBand. [8 points] (Toine van Poorten)

WITHIN TEMPTATION-Worlds Collide Tour, Live In Amsterdam (Force Music Recordings)
The world is in war and there are a few bands that see and believe that things are going terribly wrong with the world of today. WITHIN TEMPTATION is one of them. They evolved from a fantasy metal band that believed in wizards and elves to a band that talks about the meaning of life and what really matters on our planet. Of course they don't deny their roots and therefore there is a nice mix of old and new songs on this live album, recorded in Amsterdam at the Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam in 2022. The fourteen songs are worthy of about seventy minutes of the best of Dutch symphonic melodic power metal. They start off with spoken word message and then the band continues with the bombastic "Our Solemn Hour", which includes a choir, to get the party started. Finally, after two and a half years of living soberly during the covid-19 pandemic, it's time to start up our normal life again. The band plays in our country together with EVANESCENCE. "Faster" contains some raw riffs and singer Sharon den Adel surely knows to get the audience wilder and wilder. She does it with a natural flow like no other can. Just listen to the amazing dynamics going on with the crowd in "Paradise (What About Us)". The audience is their best friend in the more emotional songs, like the powerful yet slower hit single "Stand My Ground". "Angels" is another crowd pleaser and they have got a lot of them, which they will prove tonight. "Iron" contains a spoken word part and a good guitar solo. "Raise Your Banner" is a huge shout out to the people in Ukraine and to peace on earth. "Entertain You" is very groovy and wild and in "The Reckoning" the band receives vocal help from Amy Lee of support act EVANESCENCE. Two voices matching very well together. It's a shame, that the visual part is not possible on CD, but if you take a closer look at the CD booklet, you will realize that it looked absolutely stunning. "Supernova" is a song dedicated to Sharon's deceased dad. The emotional introduction may leave some of you speechless for a while. It's another bombastic piece of work, including some choir vocals and orchestration. "Don't Pray For Me" is next up, which is a powerful steady rock song. "All I Need" is also packed with a lot of emotion. Actually, this album is a rollercoaster of emotion. Sometimes they are powerful and dynamic, sometimes packed with smaller songs in a more intimate type of setting. The final two songs are the ones their whole adventure started many years ago. "Ice Queen" goes first and is followed by the very last song of the evening "Mother Earth". This is a great overview of what WITHIN TEMPTATION stands for today. It's an amazing and very powerful show with a clear message. WITHIN TEMPTATION consists of Sharon den Adel on vocals, Mike Coolen on drums, Stefan Heileblad on guitars, Ruud Jolie on guitars, Martijn Spierenburg on keyboards, Jeroen van Veen on bass and Robert Westerholt on guitars. Website: https://www.within-temptation.com and https://www.facebook.com/wtofficial. [9 points] (Toine van Poorten)