Striker – Stand In The Fire

After a couple of releases with Napalm Records, Striker, Western Canada’s best speed metal band, has decided to go the independent route for their fourth full-length album, “Stand In The Fire”. Their previous record was another strong showing of the band’s identity, but ultimately didn’t feel quite as satisfying as “Armed To The Teeth”. The good news is that “Stand In The Fire” brings that magic back, and shows lots of emphasis on writing memorable hooks, alongside killer riffage and soloing. This is no more prominent than on the opener, “Phoenix Lights”, where the shredding will make your mind bend backwards simply due to how impressive it is. Considering the loss of longtime axeman Chris Segger, this is an important showing. The appropriately titled “Escape From Shred City” is another example of how good the band’s current guitarists are; this instrumental holds nothing back, and is likely to make your jaw drop.

The band’s last album showed them experimenting with some more melodic, almost AOR-like tendencies. These sounds again creep into their music on “Stand In The Fire”. A song like “Out For Blood” does it more subtly, as they alter the mood of the song with one line (“you know this time that it’s personal”), and instantly flip back to the speed metal ways of old. Of course, there are a couple of tracks that fully embrace this sound from start to finish: “Too Late” and “One Life”. The latter is a bit tamer, but is a perfect closer to the record, while the former is a song carefully constructed to become a classic for Striker. It has those classic feelgood harmonies that never fail to put a smile on one’s face. While this might be a marked change from the band’s more aggressive sound, it’s hard to imagine any fan of old-school metal being disappointed with these songs simply because they’re so good.   

It cannot be emphasized enough how solid this record is. The band has slightly foregone speed (and there is still plenty of that) in favour of sheer catchiness, and with tracks like “The Iron Never Lies”, “Outlaw”, and “Locked In”, as well as all of the aforementioned ones, you can’t go wrong with this record. For the time being, I’m still partial to “Armed To The Teeth”, but it would not be surprising if this record overtook it in time.

Be sure to check out and like Striker on Facebook!

Highlights

"Phoenix Lights"

"Too Late"

"Escape From Shred City"

"One Life"

Final Rating

4.6/5 or 92%. 

Written by Scott

Beorn – Time To Dare

From the surprisingly metal-rich country of Russia comes Beorn, and their debut album “Time To Dare”. Though this album is filled to the brim with power metal tropes and clichés, it also takes a very different approach to the subgenre, demonstrating an eclectic set of sounds and influences. Sometimes it isn’t so much what they’re playing, as the way they’re playing it that makes Beorn sound different from everyone else. Even their fastest and most energetic songs all have a bouncy feel to them. This is particularly evident in “Riders of the Sky”, the first full-length track, which is your prototypical upbeat, catchy power metal opener. It is on this song that you’ll first notice Beorn’s unique singer. Some quick research showed that it is a guy, but to be completely honest, he sounds more like a female power metal vocalist. He certainly isn’t your average, fluffy symphonic metal vixen, instead opting for a slightly harsher tone. Nevertheless, this actually has a positive impact on the record simply because it isn’t something you hear as often.

It isn’t long after “Riders of the Sky” that the band begins to show their experimental side. “Star Ocean” is perhaps the biggest offender; a song that is again largely based in power metal, but also has extensive keyboard use in a more electronic format. Whether it’s the opening moments, the tranquil notes at the end of the bass interludes, or the full-on electronic bridge, this song embraces being different. The best part about it is that it is so well executed. This is by far the catchiest song on the album, with even the verses being something you’ll want to sing along to. This is one of two tracks where the stellar bass playing comes to light (the other being "The Beast"), which is just another element separating Beorn from the crowd. 

On “In Quest For Planet Eden”, Beorn drops the metal almost altogether. This is not uncommon for a power metal ballad, but the band’s singer causes this song to really standout. Despite being just three tracks in with lots of diversity at this point, Beorn does a better job of mixing and matching their influences for the remainder of the record. It is not uncommon for a song to go from blazing, Dragonforce-esque speeds to poppier sections in an instant. Again, it is largely the singing and the use of keyboards that allow Beorn to successfully experiment. There is still more than enough standard sounding power metal here (“The Chest of Deadman” and “Galaxy In Flames” come to mind, but anything on the second half of the record applies) to satisfy fans of the subgenre. “Time To Dare” is truly a unique release, and in a style with many clones and copycats, this individuality is appreciated.

Be sure to check out and like Beorn on Facebook!

Highlights

"Riders of the Sky"

"Star Ocean"

"Galaxy In Flames"

Final Rating

4.25/5 or 85%. 

Written by Scott

Final Sign – Hold High The Flame

“Hold High The Flame” is the debut record from American power metal band Final Sign. This album was put out by Divebomb Records, a label that is likely more well-known for its reissues than newer releases, but nevertheless, this is an album that will appeal to the label’s core fanbase. Final Sign’s version of power metal is very old-school. They offer the all guns blazing approach of records like “Thundersteel” and “Painkiller”, driven by speedy riffs, over the top vocals, and lots of double bass. The most noticeable element amongst these three is definitely the singing. Vocalist Shawn Pelata has one of those voices that is so insanely powerful that it transcends everything else that goes on. It is reminiscent of singers like Ripper Owens or even Ralf Scheepers on the early Primal Fear records. Unlike those singers however, Pelata has better control over his voice and doesn’t just hit ridiculous notes for the sake of hitting them.

One of the things that makes “Hold High The Flame” stand out immediately is just how many songs it has that are memorable upon first listen. The opener, “Daring The Sun” is certainly the most obvious choice, as the shouts of the title from the backing vocals are easy to sing along to. The next track, “Burn The Temple Down”, is a mid-paced stomper that actually reminds one again of Primal Fear (largely because of the groove it gets into once it really gets going) and surprisingly of Metalium (because of the heavy use of backing vocals). The title track shows Final Sign quickly returning to blazing power metal. “Possessor” is a song that takes a different approach, as it provides somewhat of a death metal assault. The vocals are still high-pitched, but the riffing is chaotic and wild, and is distinct from the riffs on the rest of the album.   

No metal album is complete without the obligatory ballad, and “Scaling Lies” is as close as Final Sign is willing to get, even though it gets pretty heavy. The remainder of the second half of the album isn’t quite as strong, but it certainly doesn’t show the band veering off course. "Madness Eternal" even throws some blastbeats into the mix, as well as the quintessential "whoa-oh-oh" section. Ultimately, “Hold High The Flame” is an album that’s going to appeal to all of those metal fans who dislike modern power metal under the (false) pretense that it has no power in it. This album absolutely exudes power. Final Sign embraces the ‘80s, and “Hold High The Flame” is an excellent release from a promising new band!

Be sure to check out and like Final Sign on Facebook!

Highlights

"Daring The Sun"

"Burn The Temple Down"

"Scaling Lies"

Final Rating

4.3/5 or 86%. 

Written by Scott

Ripper – Experiment of Existence

Ripper is a relatively new thrash band that hails from Chile, and is set to release their second full length album, “Experiment of Existence”, on Unspeakable Axe Records in early 2016. There are few band names in metal history as apt as Ripper’s. From start to finish, this album is like a fist in the face. Similar to the hyper-speed thrash of bands like Sadus, Hypnosia, or even labelmates Besieged, Ripper is a band that just doesn’t let up. When they do relent slightly, it’s because they’re unleashing monolithic breakdown riffs that are just as potent as the faster stuff. Additionally, the band’s singer comes from the school of Mille Petrozza, as he shreds his vocal cords with each word he yells out. This style is particularly effective given the consistently high speed the band plays at throughout the record.

Perhaps the biggest surprise on “Experiment of Existence” is the bass playing. The comparison to Sadus was no accident; Ripper’s bass playing is the second coming of Steve DiGiorgio. His playing is both active and audible, culminating in the bass interlude that is appropriately titled “Chromatic Fantasy”. “Anatomy of the Galaxies” even features a full-on bass solo that stands out amongst the thrashing fury provided by the rest of the band. The ending of “Stellar Evolution” likewise closes with some impressive bass playing. The other slight oddity about this record is the spacey tech-thrash approach. Voivod may have been first, but Vektor popularized this sound. Ripper is a little less overt with these influences than those two bands, but there is no doubt that some of the these songs have some incredibly dissonant riffs, and the wandering bass lines add to this effect. 

On the whole, “Experiment of Existence” is exactly as advertised: violent, whiplash-causing tech thrash. There’s not a moment on this album that doesn’t absolutely rule. It isn’t the most memorable album, but it also doesn’t fall prey to having every song sound the same, which is usually the only flaw these absurdly fast bands have. The band’s bassist is the differentiating factor that puts them ahead of many of their peers, but even taking that element away, this is still a killer death/thrash record.

Be sure to check out and like Ripper on Facebook!

Highlights

"Magnetic Solar Storms"

"Anatomy of the Galaxies"

"The Alpha Orionis"

Final Rating

4.5/5 or 90%. 

Written by Scott