Top Ten Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album’s of 2015

    Another year has come and gone with plenty of great releases to pick from, but only ten shall make this list. Alright, here are my picks:

10. Trials “This Ruined World” 

    Really enjoyed this Chicago based band’s diverse sound. You get a blend of thrash and progressive hard rock that molds one head crushing release. The music expresses such raw emotion and the lyrics are just as heavy as the riffs. I would even call this a guitar players album, because the riffs never cease to lose their strength and the sound is well captured by the album’s recording quality. Although the Cubs did not win the World Series this year(And most likely not this coming year), I think the people of Chicago can be proud of Trial’s new album. 

9. Vastum “Hole Below”

    Bay Area old school style death metal to grip your soul with unbelievable terror and brutality. Really impressed by their extreme songwriting skills. Also, the recording for this album is truly evil sounding as if it were recorded in the stinky smelly gutters of hell...a smell similar to that of the Oakland Harbor. All fans of the underground will rejoice when hearing this release. If you want a more in depth review of the album, you can find one on this blog in a previous post. 

8. Rivers of Nihil “Monarchy”

    Sometimes when I see a band live before listening to an album, I find that I have a better appreciation for the songs. I had only listened to the single from this album, but once I saw Rivers of Nihil perform live, I immediately started listening to the entire album. If you want a full guitar sound that hits hard and does not become boring after the first five riffs, this is the album to check out. Also, I found the instrumentals on the album to be well arranged and compliment the release’s overall atmosphere. Lastly, Dan Seagrave’s album art is out of this world!

7.  Abstracter "Wound Empire"

    A Bay Area sludge outfit that creates massive sounding musical worlds of unforgiving doom. Their sound could be used in a film where someone is walking amongst the ruins of a post-apocalyptic society. Also, the band skillfully constructs these dynamic atmospheres to achieve one of the most behemoth sounding releases to come out this year. Most people would not expect sludge metal to offer up such a dynamic sound, but that is what I think makes Abstracter such a solid band. I hope there will be more top quality releases from these guys in the future. 

6. Tempel “The Moon Lit Our Path” 

    A two piece from Arizona that knows how to create epic sounding instrumental metal music. There are some black metal style compositions, then there are some death metal style compositions, and then they add in some acoustic music to give the album a cinematic effect. Just really good instrumental metal music which creates an impressive sounding world that does not need any lyrics to get the imaginations of listeners to start working. Hollywood should get these guys to score a movie, because most of your movies coming out need something extra to justify an increase in prices! 

5. Royal Thunder “Crooked Doors”

    For their sophomore album Royal Thunder did not disappoint and created some powerful songs. Probably one of the best hard rock albums to come out this year. Also, singer and bassist Miny Parsonz sounded phenomenal on the album. The song “Time Machine,” sends chills up my spine and is a track that features deep raw musical expression that you will not hear from any crap pop or rap artist. Royal Thunder is another example of why rock is still alive...Gene Simmons you better hold off on your rock is dead comment.  

4. Helloween “My God Given Right”

    The German power metal icons do not fail to keep the music alive and kicking. When first putting the CD into my car I was hoping to hear them continue the solid sound that they had established with their last release, “Straight Out of Hell.” To be honest, I think this new album is even better than “Straight Out of Hell.” The band’s two guitar attack is elevated to an even greater level with more triumphant melodic leads and bombastic riffs. The songwriting is very solid and the band knows how to write catchy lyrics. They may be getting older, but they sure don’t sound like it! 

3. Egypt “Endless Flight” 

    Better late than never! This album came out in December of this year, so I almost did not add it to this list. Well, after a few days of listening to the album over and over again, I decided to throw it in the mix. This band is easily one of my favorite doom bands around and their sound is extremely solid. Egypt’s debut release, “Become the Sun,” was actually my number one album of 2013. This new offering continues their heavy grooving doom rock sound while adding some really catchy bluesy style riffs. The album’s recording quality is another high point and sounds as if it was recorded back in the seventies with vintage gear. Since the album came out so late, I think I will be still listening to it by the end of 2016! 

2. Scale the Summit “V” 

    These guys right here are probably one of the best modern progressive rock bands around. I thought the band’s last album was a brilliant mind bending release, but “V” is musically unbelievable. The production is top notch, the compositions are extremely well written and the band takes progressive rock into a new realm of instrumental imagination. Scale the Summit hits a progressive instrumental rock home run. I understand some people may not be fans of a strictly instrumental album, but for those of you who are looking for a great instrumental rock/metal album, this is one I would not hesitate to recommend. 

1. Night Demon “Curse of the Damned” 

    So here it is...my #1 album of the year. Looks like Rush did not release a new studio album, so they will not be appearing in the number one spot. Instead Night Demon’s debut release, “Curse of the Damned,” is the album that I think kicked total metal ass the entire year. Since releasing the album back in January, the Ventura, CA based trio has been touring relentlessly. These guys are passionate about heavy metal and their drive to create exciting old school NWOBHM type music is what makes “Curse of the Damned” stand out from the rest. Also, the songwriting is flawless and consistently enjoyable. Each song on the album is important and worth noting, so to pick one favorite track can be a difficult task. I do believe fans of traditional heavy metal will come to recognize Night Demon’s ambitious drive to inject some new life into an old style of metal that is still in high demand. As I have said numerous times since the band released their four song EP, they are going to really make an impact in the metal world. Be on the look out for more great material from Night Demon in the future! 

    There you have it folks! Those are my top ten albums of 2015. If you want to maybe throw out some albums that you felt should have been added, please feel free to comment below. Can’t wait for what 2016 has to offer!

Rob "the metal guy" Rants About Metal #12

    So I finally sat down and listened to the new Nile track, “Call of Destruction.” Well, if anyone was hoping for a strong blistering technical death metal track, they would not have been disappointed.

    Nile is a band that has something to prove with their upcoming album, “What Should Not Be Unearthed.” Their last album seemed to receive mixed responses from fans with the negative reviews tending to be very critical. I believe Nile just needs to keep offering brutal tech death metal and find ways to strengthen the presentation of their lyrical content like on the band’s early releases. I can honestly say the new track, “Call of Destruction,” is a massive step in the right direction. The track is slamming with bombastic sounding wicked compositions. Another area that really stood out is the lyrical content. Nile writes about how there is this call to destroy historic artifacts and monuments in the Middle East going on right now. They even put a disclaimer in the beginning of the video to tell people that they are not trying to put forth a religious or political agenda, but they want to raise awareness about the destruction of human history going on in the world. While most bands tend to leave me hesitant after releasing the first single to a new album...Nile has me sold. Where can I pre-order this damn thing?!

    Alright, next topic that I want to address and evaluate. Recently Helloween announced they will be coming to North America. However, they will only be playing seven shows. The closest show to where I live is in Los Angeles...and that is still about six plus hours of driving. What is going on? Okay, I will do my best to analyze and offer a possible explanation.

    Helloween is an ionic power metal band who seems to get plenty of nods in the metal community. Unfortunately, I have noticed that certain fans only reference the classic Helloween albums and seem to write their new music off as generic. There have been similar cases where a European metal band puts out a new album and American metal fans do not feel the new release lives up to the band’s earlier more iconic albums. Now, because of this a band from Europe will probably decide that touring all across North America will not likely be a financial success. Thus, they only play a few shows where the market looks to be best for them. Helloween’s new album, “My God Given Right,” in my opinion is a great release and features some really good songs. These guys still have the ability to write solid power metal songs along with displaying brilliant musicianship. As I brought up earlier in my evaluation, I think most American fans are stuck believing, “Keeper of the Seven Keys Part One and Two,” are the last two albums worth noting. European power metal fans seem to be more up to date with the genre’s new releases, so the main market for most power metal bands is probably Europe. I might need to move to Europe if I want a better shot at seeing Helloween live...

    That is all I have for this week you metal maniacs. Feel free to weigh in with your own opinions and offer some possible points about the topics I have brought up. Cheers!
-Rob "the metal guy" \m/

Helloween "My God Given Right"

    After 30 years of being one of power metal's top acts, Helloween unleashes their fifteenth studio album titled, “My God Given Right." All pumpkin heads rejoice!
    The German speed/power metal pioneering lords have gone through various line-up changes over the years with Michael Weikath and Markus Grosskopf being the only two original members. However, the line-up of Michael Weikath on guitar, Markus Grosskopf on bass, Sascha Gerstner on second guitar, Daniel Löble on drums and Andi Deris on vocals, has been going strong for sometime now. Their last album, “Straight Out of Hell,” came out in 2013 and received overall favorable opinions from listeners. I myself believed the album was one of the band’s strongest releases, especially given their nineties work that I am not exactly a huge fan of. Ever since the mid 2000s I noticed the band's albums getting stronger and returning to the more heavy power metal style. I honestly believe Helloween has found a way to move forward and at the same time take the classic sound and incorporate it into the new music.
    “My God Given Right,” is defiantly a continuation from where the last album left off. Though I would not call this new album the disregarded, or b-side tracks from, “Straight Out of Hell.” There are a couple of songs that sounded a bit similar to ones on the previous album, but for the most part, this new album is an adrenaline shot of pure triumphant power metal.
    Most of the lyrics featured on this album reflect the topic of war and the effects of living in a world that is constantly on the brink of snapping. I believe the musicians in Helloween write this music with deep sincerity because they grew up in Germany during the Cold War. There are also songs that deal with non-war related topics like, “If God Loves Rock and Roll” and “Lost in America.” I really enjoyed, “Lost in America,” because the song is based off of an experience the band had once while on tour in the states. You might say they had a Spinal Tap moment with their flight. Overall, the lyrics are well written and can present strong messages, especially during the catchy chorus sections.
    Musically, this album is an example of what it takes to be an accomplished metal band. The compositions are always full of heavy quick moving guitar riffs, catchy melodic leads, thunderous rhythm sections, and perfectly placed vocal parts to compliment the overall sound. Also, there are some really dark Sabbath like riffs such as on the track titled, “Living on the Edge.” Another great part about that song is the lead guitar playing. Each note is perfectly captured as the guitarist moves around the fret board. I thought the production for this album was solid and prefer it over the band’s last album. Again, I thought the last album was a good release, but this new one seems to really capture the band's powerful and distinctive sound. 
    Other songs that I was impressed by are, “Stay Crazy,” “The Swing of the Fallen World,” “Creatures in Heaven,” and “Claws.” The dual guitar attack that has always made Helloween one of my favorite bands is extremely noticeable on this album. Their are those moments like on, “Lost in America” and “Creatures in Heaven,” where you can hear some Keeper of the Seven Keys era influence.
    My only minor complaints are with the two bonus tracks, "Wish I Were There" and "Wicked Game," which I thought seemed to be b-sides and recycled ideas. They are not horrible tracks, but definitely seem out of place compared to the rest of the songs on this album. For thirteen tracks minus the two bonus tracks, I think the band did a great job offering exciting cuts of power metal music. Yeah, the music can be a bit cheesy like the lyrics in the song, “Stay Crazy,” but that is what I like about Helloween. They just destroy with their fast paced uplifting melodic and sometimes aggressive sound.
    I think, “My God Given Right,” was a strong release from a veteran band of 30 years. So many bands in the power metal genre owe Helloween a huge thanks for always waving the flag and consistently putting out releases. Even if you are not a fan of certain past albums, you cannot deny this band's work ethic over the years. Fifteen albums down and this latest one shows the band still has some kick ass ideas left.
    If you are a fan of Helloween or high quality power metal music, you need to get this new album! Of course if you are a stubborn Helloween fan who thinks, “Walls of Jericho,” is the only Helloween album to own...you need to stop being such a power metal punk elitist. This band is one of very few groups that has been able to put out solid sounding albums as they get older (The other being Accept, another iconic German metal band). After hearing this new Helloween album, I hope they have more music in store for all us crazy pumpkin heads!

Rob "the metal guy" Rants About Metal #1

Yeah, the title should give you an idea about what this article is all about. Me ranting about the current topics going on in the world of hard rock and heavy metal. Okay, shall we begin?
    First off, Metallica needs to just hang up their act and go to the senior citizens home for old musicians who annoy the crap out of me. Recently Lars made a statement during an interview with ALT 98.7 KYSR at Rock In Rio USA, for fans to not hold their breath or skip going to the bathroom if they are waiting for the new Metallica album. Though, he says it will be coming out eventually. Eventually means when he needs to buy his new super model wife another Ferrari. Also, Kirk Hammett losing his phone that supposedly contains all his riff ideas is probably the most pathetic thing I have heard a rock star do since Ozzy couldn’t make a cup of noodles without almost burning down his house. Really Kirk? You can’t remember your own riffs, or you can’t upload them to your computer for backup? James Hetfield must be going crazy right now. No wonder his hair is turning completely white. In the end why wait for the new Metallica album when we have so many albums to look forward to from bands who don’t lose their phones and who don’t have drummers with inflated egos.
    Alright, moving from Metallica onto Megadeth. At least Megadeth can consistently put out new releases compared to Metallica. However, the last Megadeth album was a disappointment in my opinion should have not been called “Super Collider,” but “Super Musical Constipation.” Now, I don’t know how this new album is going to turn out, but I am not really expecting “Peace Sells” number two. With Chris Adler on drums and Kiko Loureiro on guitar, this new Megadeth album will be interesting to say the least. There were talks of Dave bringing back the “Rust in Peace” line-up, but I think Marty and Nick didn’t want to deal with the headache that is called Mustaine. I believe Dave Mustaine should also check himself into that senior citizens home for old musicians who annoy the crap out of me.
    Last topic for all you crazy headbangers and internet metal trolls...Helloween has a new album out in June! All you Power Metal haters can go screw yourselves because I am excited! I really enjoyed their last album, “Straight Out of Hell.” They are a band that knows how to maintain a solid sound while also going back to their old school speed/power metal roots. The first single “Battle’s Won,” was okay and seemed like a b-side from “Straight Out of Hell. Though the second single, “Lost in America,” really got my attention with its catchy lead riffs and high powered vocals. Helloween “My God-Give Right,” drops in June so mark your calendars!
    That is it for this rant. By the next rant there won’t be a new Metallica album and I would not be surprised if Dave Mustaine does something squirrelly and needs to find more replacement members.
-Rob “the metal guy” Stevens