Adrenaline Rush is a female fronted band, who’s front woman Tave Wanning used to be a part of the Teen-Pop duo Peaches. I don’t know how Peaches sounded, but let’s just say that this girl might have the looks of a peach, but her voice is of another caliber. Strong, clear, despite her young age (she was born in 1992).
After releasing an EP in 2012, these Swedes now return with a full album. I guess for anyone who loves AOR music with it’s roots in the eighties, this album could turn out to be a real gem. To start with the vocalist Marcus Nygren immediately made me think of Bobby Kimball. The music this band brings sounds a bit like a mix between Toto and Survivor, with maybe a hint of Journey thrown in as well.
All-female band Mortals (Caryn Havlik, Elizabeth Cline and Lesley Wolf) hail from Brooklyn (United States of the New World). Some of you might remember the highly acclaimed Death Ritual EP, self-released in 2012. Now they return with their first full length album for Relapse Records, Cursed To See The Future, which lasts for forty eight minutes. That’s nice, for it consists of six songs only.
Line up :
Nils Patrik Johansson - Vocals
Joachim Nordlund - Guitars
Ulf Lagerström - Bass
Johan Lindstedt - Drums
Jocke Roberg - Keyboard
The seventh album in 12 years, you can call that productive allright. The band was formed in 2002 by the Swedish drummer ‘Johan Lindstedt’ and singer ‘Nils Patrik Johansson’.
If you like gothic or symphonic metal, then ‘Sacrificium’, the sixth studio album from Xandria is a must have. Despite a change of vocalist, Manuela Kraller has been replaced by Dianne Van Giersbergen who also sings in Ex Libris, who’s Dutch, but no family of Anneke Van Giersbergen. It is clear that Dianne has been inspired by Tarja, and also that founder and composer Marco Heubaum has gotten some inspiration by listening to Nightwish.
I plead guilty your honor… I once bought a copy of Chicago’s ‘17’ album, an album that was released in 1984. Once in a while when going on holidays with the car, I take this album with me, because it’s still some sort of rock album, and my wife likes it a lot. But that album was and has for a long time been the only Chicago album I ever listened to.
Bloody Hammers new album was the band’s introduction to me and boy what an introduction it is… “Under Satan’s Sun” is an occult doom album which stylish wise comes close to what band Paradise Lost mrk. 2 had on offer, but better …. Absolute best track of the album no doubt is “Spearfinger”, it ‘s a track which has it all, an addictive groove and a chorus which will make you sing a long wanting or not… Bloody Hammers “ Under Satan”s Sun” is a must have if you like it dark heavy and slow….
When I first put on this CD, at the opening track I thought I had put on a wrong CD, cause the opening could easily have served as music in the Lord Of The Ring movies. But when the second track kicked in I knew it was the right album. What Diabulus In Musica brings us is symphonic metal with strong gothic influences. Although they hail from Spain, I cannot detect in in the English vocals. Basically this is almost a new band, since only the founding members Zuberoa Aznarez and Gorka Elsa have remained.
Line up :
Chris Boltendahl - vocals
Hans Peter Katzenburg - keyboards
Axel "Ironfinger" Ritt - guitars
Stefan Arnold - drums
Jens Becker - bass
I guess it is because of their reformation last year, but in any way Swedish band God Macabre decided to re-release their sole official recording, The Winterlong, which dates from 1993. Before reviewing this masterpiece, first a short history of the band.
