Raging Death – Raging Death

 “Raging Death” is the self-titled debut album from an impressive Polish thrashing force. While the Polish thrash scene is by no means barren, it is always nice to see more bands come out of it, especially when they deliver the riffs as well as Raging Death does. This is not an album of power ballads, nor is it one with an emphasis on tech-noodly riffs. Instead, the band hits hard, fast, and often. Once the opening song, “Space Invaders”, starts raging, it takes two minutes until the band lets you catch your breath, and even at that point, they’re still employing an Overkill-esque galloping pace. Prior to that, their sound consists solely of full-speed ahead thrash. There is the occasional calmer moment, like the intro to “Back To The Past”, but Raging Death doesn’t linger with this sound, instead opting to return to breakneck riffing.

In an attempt to hearken back to the days of old, Raging Death has vocalist that stands out a bit from the crowd. He’s a little bit in the vein of those high-pitched shouters (ex: Fastkill), except that he’s more reined in. His delivery is both more understandable and less ridiculous, and this is a good thing because it allows him to have a unique identity while not being a gimmick. As you might imagine, this also makes the songs easier to follow. The aforementioned “Back To The Past” actually has a couple of parts where the band lets the chords ring out so that their vocalist can get a couple of cleaner lines in (this occurs before he unleashes a piercing scream in the chorus). In addition to this screecher, the band also makes excellent use of gang vocals, such as in the chorus of the band’s eponymous song, which shows a serious attempt at writing something that will stick with you.

Another great element of “Raging Death” is the production. The guitars are incredibly crunchy, and always ready to jump out at you with the next riff. By contrast, when there is a solo or lead, they feel very smooth. It almost sounds too easy when a guitarist is shredding because of how clean it sounds in these sections. Due to the speed at which the band often plays, things can get a bit chaotic at times (see the main riff of "Race of Races" for one example), but it never feels like anyone is fighting for attention. You might have to put in a bit more effort to hear the bass, but on the whole, this mix feels both very natural and very appropriate for a thrash band that worships the old guard. Both from a songwriting perspective and a musicianship one, Raging Death is a cut above most of their peers!

Be sure to check out and like Raging Death on Facebook!

Highlights

"Raging Death"

"Warrior of Revenge"

Final Rating

4.0/5 or 80%. 

Written by Scott 

Helloween – My God-Given Right

We’re only two years removed from Helloween’s last record, and the Pumpkins are already back with another studio album. It’s incredible that not only are they so quick with new material, but that each album has plenty of songs, and it’s always good. The last two albums in particular have showed that the band isn’t just riding their 80s history, as they were two of the band's strongest efforts. For this reason, my expectations were absurdly high for “My God-Given Right”, and the band somewhat met them. On the whole, this record is not as consistent as their prior work, but on a song-by-song basis, some of the material is right up there with their best work.

Vocalist Andi Deris comes out as the big winner on this record, not only because his singing is as good as ever, but also because his songs are the best on this record. The three-track run of the title song, “Stay Crazy”, and “Lost In America”, all penned by Deris, are the three best songs on the album. While most tracks follow the classic Helloween formula (melodic lead guitars, awesome harmonies, fun and memorable choruses with silly lyrics), these songs do it the best. Along the way, there are some other surprises. “If God Loves Rock 'n' Roll” is lyrically hilarious, as it manages to get in a dig at bass players. “The Swing of a Fallen World” is perhaps the most unique track, largely because it has an unsettling rhythm. It’s quite a bit darker than your standard Helloween fanfare (at least at this point in their career), but it’s pretty effective in creating a haunting atmosphere.

The opening song “Heroes” is another prototypical Helloween offering. It isn’t their fastest work, nor their catchiest, but it’s almost exactly what you’d expect at this point. The following song, “Battle’s Won”, gets off to a bit of an awkward start, almost like the two songs weren’t transitioned properly, but it does quickly morph into something more enjoyable. One of the disappointing songs on this album is the closer, “You, Still of War”. At over 7 minutes, I was hoping for a “Nabataea”-like epic, but instead, it ends up being more of a straight forward Helloween song, just longer. Perhaps the chorus is a bit stranger and less distinctive than the other songs, but it certainly is not epic. Fortunately, the band has packed the album with bonus tracks (my copy isn’t anything other than the regular edition in Canada, but somehow it has two bonus tracks), and of the two, “Wicked Game” is an immediate winner. This song is a fast-paced adventure that is easy to sing along to after a single listen. It ends the album on a very strong note.

There isn’t too much more that needs to be said about “My God-Given Right”, primarily because it is a relatively predictable release. There’s nothing wrong with this (in Helloween’s case, I’d argue it’s a good thing), but this is the first time in a few years where I think they could have trimmed the fat a bit and released a very solid 45-50 minute album, and it would be just as good as their last two. Regardless of length, fans of the band will dig this album because there really are a lot of great tunes on it.

Be sure to check out and like Helloween on Facebook!

Highlights

"My God-Given Right"

"Stay Crazy"

"Lost In America"

Final Rating

4.3/5 or 86%. 

Written by Scott 

Armored Saint – Win Hands Down

Armored Saint is among my most respected metal bands around right now. They’ve reached that ideal point in their career where they have a strong following, but aren’t likely to blow up to Metallica-heights, and that means the music they pump out is incredibly genuine. Their newest record, “Win Hands Down”, exemplifies this perfectly. It is true to Armored Saint’s sound, but it still shows a band willing to explore and experiment in ways that might not be a carbon copy of “March of the Saint”.

The album gets started on a strong note with the title track, and it is easily the best song. You’ll immediately notice two things with this song; the first is that John Bush is still among the best singers in all of metal. His voice can seamlessly transition between being rough around the edges, and giving a smoother performance. The other part of this song that jumps out is just how catchy the chorus is. Though the band doesn’t quite reach these heights again, it sets a good tone for the rest of the album. In fact, the superb guitar soloing in this song foreshadows the other best moments on the album. Towards the end of the record, two songs (“In An Instant” and “Up Yours”) display incredible passion through the quality and emotion of the guitar playing. Armored Saint’s guitarists absolutely let loose and the result is phenomenal.

Most of the remainder of the album can be described as solid and reliable, but unspectacular. The band is no longer at their creative peak, but they are well versed in writing memorable songs that are a lot of fun. Aside from the ballad, “Dive”, most of the songs on this album are upbeat, with quite a few riffs and solid hooks. Even when a song starts off a bit tamer (“Muscle Memory”) it eventually builds up into something more energetic. The rhythm section mostly does its job, and it allows both John Bush and the guitar playing to come to the forefront of the record. Sometimes the lyrics are a bit strange (“That Was Then, Way Back When” in particular), but with Bush’s voice, it always works.

“Win Hands Down” is not Armored Saint’s best album, but it is an incredibly enjoyable effort. The band has already cemented themselves as metal legends, and they really have nothing left to prove at this point, so they’re instead concentrated on putting out records filled with great music. There’s no denying the quality of the musicianship on this record, and the songs are also impressive. There might be the occasional twist or turn on this album that doesn’t resonate you, but overall, if you’re a fan of heavy metal, “Win Hands Down does exactly as the title states.

Be sure to check out and like Armored Saint on Facebook!

Highlights

"Win Hands Down"

"In An Instant"

"Up Yours"

Final Rating

4.25/5 or 85%. 

Written by Scott 

Valyria – Collatus

Valyria hails from Western Canada and is a melodic death metal band that released their first EP “Collatus” in 2014. Despite having just 6 tracks (and one of them being an intro), this release exceeds 30 minutes and could just as easily be considered a full-length. Regardless of what you call it, “Collatus” offers up some incredibly competent melodeath, showing off a variety of influences from across the subgenre (and even some that are outside of it). While the first full track, “Polaris”, bludgeons you with speed and riffs, it also introduces you to the band’s vocal approach, using both clean and harsh vocals. While I enjoy both elements individually, I’ve always been of the opinion that few bands are able to combine them successfully. It’s difficult to say which side of the spectrum Valyria falls on. As you might expect, the growling is excellent, but it’s the clean vocals that are questionable. They’re very nasally, and though the singer can hit the notes in key, it just doesn’t sound right. Even compared to bands like Insomnium where the clean singing isn’t stellar, Valyria’s singer still falls a bit short. I will admit though, after a few listens, his style will likely grow on you a bit.

If you find yourself having a bit of a difficult time with the clean vocals, it’s worth pointing out that there’s a lot else to enjoy here. First and foremost, there are a lot of riffs on this album. Sometimes melodeath gets caught up having some chugging with melodic leads over top, but that is not Valyria’s focus. Instead, there are galloping, thrashing, and even shredding riffs on this EP. Sometimes the band takes a more straight forward death metal approach uses tremolo picking, while at others, they throw in some harmonized guitars playing scalar patterns. Regardless of how they do it, there’s always something interesting going on from a guitar perspective.

The rhythm section on this EP is likewise pretty impressive. It’s hard for drummers and bassists to stand out in extreme metal because nearly every metal drummer is incredibly talented and most bassists can’t even be heard. For that reason, Valyria’s drummer is definitely worthy of the throne, but doesn’t standout amongst the crowd. By contrast, the bass playing on this album is easy to hear, and while it isn’t overly technical, it does a good job of filling up the low-end. "The Blinded Torch" even features a bass interlude!

One of the defining factors of this EP is the heavy keyboard use. Though they occasionally take the main melody, they don’t do so in a cheesy Rhapsody of Fire-esque way. Instead, they create haunting atmospheres that enhance what the rest of the band is doing. It would be interesting to hear the ban focus even more on this aspect because it is something relatively unique. In any case, “Collatus” is an impressive first effort, and though I wish the clean vocals would be less prominent (particularly in “Polaris”), the EP is still very enjoyable.

Be sure to check out and like Valyria on Facebook!

Highlight

"The Blinded Torch"

Final Rating

3.5/5 or 70%. 

Written by Scott 

Spellcaster – Spellcaster

Spellcaster is a traditional heavy metal/speed metal band hailing from the United States. Though I heard their debut EP shortly after it came out, admittedly I lost track of the band shortly afterwards, until coming across their second record, “Spellcaster”. The album was initially supposed to be re-released on Stormspell Records, but instead was re-released by Germany’s Hellion Records. Now that you know how to get it, the question remains: is it worth buying. For all fans of this style of music, it’s a definite yes. There’s no doubt that Spellcaster’s songwriting skills have improved exponentially since their first EP. Each song is filled with many great hooks, complete with hard-hitting riffs, bouncy leads, and immensely catchy vocal melodies.

There is one problem with this record, however, and it is not easy to pinpoint. Put simply, it just doesn’t feel right. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that is not a very valid criticism, but what is frustrating about this album is that all of the elements are there; they just don’t come together perfectly. The most obvious reason for this is that Spellcaster’s singer is just not up for the task. He’s technically competent, but doesn’t really have a particularly interesting voice. This description is really a microcosm for the entire record. Although the band is not sonically different from their peers in Cauldron, White Wizzard, or Striker, they are just not as impactful.

As mentioned earlier, this is not a reason to avoid this record. In fact, if you dig speed metal, you probably can’t get enough of this style, and it’s fair to say that Spellcaster is still better than most of the bands in this style. They’re just missing that extra intangible quality to send them to the top. If the vocalist could come at these songs with a slightly different approach, there’s no doubt that this would be a top-tier release. In any case, it’s still an impressive effort, and one that shows considerable growth from the band’s beginnings.

Be sure to check out and like Spellcaster on Facebook!

Highlights

"Darkness Falls"

"Ghost of My Memory"

Final Rating

3.7/5 or 74%. 

Written by Scott