Is it the voice of Iron Maiden, NO, it isn’t, the only member of the original TRAUMA lineup to appear here is vocalist Donny Hillier. Hillier’s vocal sound much more refined and powerful, but they also sound incredibly like those of Bruce Dickenson. Trauma is a power speed metal band from San Francisco formed in 1981 being well known being Cliff Burton in the band before joining Metallica.
Line up :
Sammy DeJohn - Vocals
Kenny McGee - Guitars
Dave Watson - Guitars
Marc McGee - Bass
Jason VanSlyke – Drums
This is the second album from Shadowbane, a band that is based in Hamburg. It’s release was postponed due to the burning down of the Hammer Studios, where Dirk Schlächter was busy with the mastering process.
The 4th full length from these Swiss prog/power , for a band that’s been around for 15 years that’s not a lot and for me it’s the first introduction to the band. There was a time in the mid eighties and early nineties that this sort melodic prog/power metal was the playground of a limited number of bands from the USA . Indeed like FATES WARNING, LETHAL ,CRIMSON GLORY early DREAM THEATER have set a standard back then which in my opinion is still not matched by any of prog power metal albums released the last 10 years or so….
Skinflint originates from Botswana, a country more known for it’s diamonds than for it’s music. I’d never heard of the band, yet is seems this is their fouth album already. The band is made up of three musicians.
Finally a power metal album which is worthy of the term Power metal, US power metal from Detroit that is. So that means high pitched yet powerful vocals, (no DRAGONFORCE / BLIND GUARDIAN/ HELLOWEEN crap) ferocious guitar riffs and leads assisted by a tight rhythm section.
In Aevum Agere will celebrate their tenth anniversary in 2015, but despite ten years of activity, these Italians haven’t released that much yet.
This band was a surprise to me. I’d never heard of these Californians before, yet this is already their third album. Of the band members the only name that rings a bell is that of Kiyoshi Morgan, who used to be the guitarist in Vicious Rumors.
The beginning of this year saw the re-release of Steel Prophets 1995 debut album ‘The Goddess Principle’, and now Pure Steel Records releases their follow up 1997 album ‘Into The Void’, as well as the ‘Continuum’ EP.
Once assed the intro “Souls of a frozen earth” dies out, it becomes immediately clear what we’ve got on our plate, no nonsense heavy metal as if crafted in the eighties… ZENO MORF from Norway provide us singalong heavy metal with no doubt can be appreciated by a many headbangers who are still convinced that it’s 1984 and not 2014 and there is nothing wrong with that. Granted the vocals of ERIK Westerlund are not exactly at the same level as let’s say mr Dirkscneider or a certain guy named Halford. You also w
