Rough Trade Benelux.

These guys have been around a really long time, and they play a style of classic/power metal that is pretty much what you'd expect.

It is no secret that Shai Hulud (the worms out of Dune’s novels) are one of US pioneer metalcore bands. Starting in 1995, there have been more than twenty musicians playing in this band, and apart from a longer break between, changing line-ups of the band have recorded albums every five years. Their current CD Reach Beyond the Sun shows Shai Hulud from a surprisingly strong side.

Jorn needs no introduction I guess.  He’s been around the scene since countless years, and has featured in many bands and projects, like Masterplan, Avantasia, Millenium and of course solo.

In those years he has released many fine albums. Now opinions might vary about this album. I mean there’s nothing wrong with the songs in themselves they’re sort of a compilation or a ‘best of’ of Jorn’s albums.  But they were dipped in a symphonic bath to end up on this record. 

I have a vague memory of Kix’s first release, be it alone for those vivid green letters the band name was – and still is – written in.  Musically I don’t remember very much, except one song ‘Atomic Bomb’, I guess at that time there were other bans around I was more interested in.  and that’s about it, neither me or my friends bought other records by this band.

So it was with a bit of a surprise to learn this band still existed. It seems they have even been writing new stuff for a new album that should be released somewhere in 2013.

Album number four by German forest-friends Finsterforst. Seven titles, lasting for more than seventy five minutes!

I hadn’t realized Royal Hunt already exist 20 years.  Time flies by.  To celebrate their 20 years of existence, Royal Hunt have released a Special edition set, which contains no less than 3 CD’s, and one DVD.  On it is an anthology of songs coming from their 11 albums, but also one brand new song, and three acoustic songs.  The DVD features all promotional clips shot by the band over these 20 years.

The band’s name attracted my curiosity, since back in 1993 there was a band with the same name that released a reasonably good album ‘Smoke And Mirrors’.  But when I put the CD on, I was brought back to reality, this Snakecharmer sounded totally different from the 90ies Snake Charmer. 

If you’re into glam metal, than this is just your thing I guess.  Gene The Werewolf – who persuaded these guys into this name? – play no-nonsense, eighties glam rock. From the instance I put this album on, my foot was tapping along with the songs.  It’s all so catchy, and of course we’ve all heard it before, but it’s so damn good…

They’ve put in just the right amount of guitars, drums, keyboard, you name it, they’ve got it.  Don’t expect farfetched lyrics, these guys sing about women, love, partying.  No hard sought lyrics, but just straight rock’n’roll lyrics.

Five years later ... and the wait was well worth it. Cult of Luna is back with a new record deal (on Indie Recordings) and a new album, Vertikal, that shows there has been no loss of power or post metal attitude over the years.  Vertikal is a CD that fits nicely in with all those previous Cult of Luna CDs.

The main reason why no one outside of Germany has heard of the band 9MM is quite simple: all their songs are in German. Don't let this scare you, because bandleader Rock Rotten and his crew bring these songs in such a way, that the songs just keep sticking to your mind, without even understanding all the lyrics.