Attic’s debut album, The Invocation, is an album that King Diamond could listen to, think he himself had written and then also performed on.  The songs presented here are filled with horror/occult inspired lyrics, a singer that sounds as every bit as strong or stronger than King Diamond, has well written songs and excellent guitar work.

Artist:  Attic
Album:  The Invocation
Genre:  Traditional Heavy Metal
Label:  Ván Records
Release: December 7, 2012

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I will be the first to admit I never was a very big fan of Mercyful Fate or King Diamond.  I was always attracted to the theme of the bands work and the great guitar work but it was the vocals, especially the ultra high pitch vocals, of King Diamond that always turned me off.  They never felt they fit in with the song or they just took me completely out of the mood that the song was striving for.  So with Attic I am actually surprised at myself that I enjoyed their debut so much.  Though Cagliostro’s vocals do hit the glass breaking levels that King Diamond does, they somehow seem to fit in better with the songs presented here, along with when he sings in a lower key.  Does this make me a hypocrite?  I’m not sure.  I have tried many times over the years to go back and listen to King Diamond and Mercyful Fate but just could not get into them.  Attic on the other hand, I found myself listening to multiple times, and though there are still times the high pitch vocals didn’t sit well with me I still enjoyed what I heard here. 

I think one of my favorite tracks on The Invocation is ‘Satan’s Bride’ where Cagliostro’s vocals hit all spectrums and really showcase his abilities.  The other tunes, ‘Funeral in the Woods’, ‘Join the Coven’ and ‘Ghost of the Orphanage’ all are strong tunes and boast the occult/ black magic themes fans of both Mercyful  Fate and King Diamond should instantly take to.

As for the music itself you will find The Invocation offers a classic Heavy Metal style that is straightforward, boasts talented guitar work, with an accessible sound, and catchy melodies/leads.  All packaged nicely together to make a nice metal record for all fans of the genre.

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The Mystery of Time boasts a large roster of heavy metal heroes that Tobias sought out to help bring it to life. You have Biff Byford (Saxon), Michael Kiske (Unisonic, ex-Helloween) and Joe Lynn Turner (Deep Purple, Rising force) among others. All of whom either co-sing with Tobias or you have tracks that you’ll have a full chorus of singers.

I found the additional singers a nice touch and several songs to be really strong on the album, such as the opening track, ‘Spectres’, which has a great catchy chorus. I found the songs featuring Byford and Kiske being the predominately stronger tunes with the exception of Turner singing in the opening track and Eric Martin’s ‘What’s Left of Me’ also being a highlight of the album.

What I found The Mystery of Time to be, is an album featuring many guest musicians weaving a fantasy tale, written by Sammet, that would be cool to see conceptualized live. I compare Avantasia to the likes of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra especially with the German Film Orchestra-Babelsberg performing on this album. I’m not sure as to the budget Avantasia would need to pull off a show that TSO could, but I think what would really bring The Msytery of Time all together would be a stage show that helped visually conceptualize the album. As it stands the album is a good listen featuring some great songwriting and talent. It didn’t grab me as much as I would have liked but I still enjoyed listening to the songs and the amazing voice of Tobias Sammet and the other singers.

Maybe one day we will get lucky and Avantasia will write a story about the movie Labyrinth.  Sammet will rake in millions, produce a stage show to visualize the concept, and David Bowie will reprise his role as the Goblin King singing ‘Magic Dance’ tossing around a baby.

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Artist: Enforcer
Album: Death By Fire
Label: Nuclear Blast
Release: March 5, 2013

As the metal scene/sound  evolved during the 80’s and beyond I noticed that the bands tended sound more and more removed in their recording due to the production of their albums which to me sometimes would make the band’s sound seem sterile and detached sometimes.  I also understand time marches on but sometimes at the cost of losing that something special that once made the band great.  I once read where Tom G. Warrior once stated that when he first heard the sounds of early Metallica and the American Thrash bands of the mid-80’s it was so different from the European bands of the time.  He said the European bands sounded more like pub bands in their studio sound and the American bands had a more of a clinical sound.  Though those early thrash bands still had that special warm sound and not the polished sound we hear today.  But that old sound was a sound that helped us identify with those bands and feel we were a part of what they were doing.

Now that we live in an age where more people are able to have bands, record their music and be more creative without the pressure of a record label CEO telling a band how to sound, we are beginning to see bands go to a more stripped down form of recording their mixes and leaving the raw aggression and youth sound in their music. 

This brings us to the Swedish band Enforcer.  Enforcer has taken up the torch of the old NWOBHM sound and applied it to their sound, image, lyrics and style.  And all I can say is what a breath of fresh air it is.  From start to bottom of their album “Death by Fire” you have classic early 80’s metal in the youthful high ranges vocals, the intimate, warm, sound of the old school way of recording their songs, the twin guitars, and the catchy choruses.

Songs like ‘Death Rides The Night’ is pure NWOBHM as is the instrumental ‘Crystal Suite’ which will make you think you are listening to old Iron Maiden…as in Maiden’s debut/Killers album old.  Here you will hear a style all in the form of those old bands from the early 80’s.  Bands like Angel Witch, Praying Mantis, Exciter, Venom, Diamond Head and early Iron Maiden are all obvious influences here.

                This album reminds of a time when if you were a kid in the 80’s you would buy a record and sit in your room, that was filled with posters of metal bands (and scantly glad women), for hours listening to the album on your record player as you look over the albums artwork and photos of the band just to know more about them.

                I really can’t get enough of the sound on this album and just the raw enthusiasm of the songs, and the songs themselves are really great with catchy hooks and excellent guitar work. 

                I don’t think Enforcer is an aberration either.  You have bands like Skullfist, White Wizzard, Holy Grail, Lost Society and a slew of other younger bands who are trying to go after this sound.  I feel this is a telling sign that our youth of today, no longer influenced either by MTV or radio, who is wanting to strip away the clean image and glitter that, pervades our pop music and even some our metal scene of today and just ROCK and be rebellious.  A sound that makes you feel as if you are THERE.

                Go out and get Enforcer’s ‘Death By Fire’ and experience the resurgence of what helped make Heavy Metal great to begin with.

Rating: 8/10

Website:

http://www.nuclearblast.de/en/label/music/band/about/2782176.enforcer.html

Line Up:

• Olof Wikstrand (Vocals, Guitar)

• Jonas Wikstrand (Drums)

• Joseph Tholl (Guitar)

• Tobias Lindqvist (Bass)

Death By Fire Tracklisting:

01. Bells Of Hades

02. Death Rides This Night

03. Run For Your Life

04. Mesmerized By Fire

05. Take Me Out Of This Nightmare

06. Crystal Suite

07. Sacrificed

08. Silent Hour / The Conjugation

09. Satan

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Band: Visions of Atlantis
Album: Ethera
Genre: Symphonic Power Metal
Label: Napalm Records
Release: March 22nd, 2013

I do not wish to be unkind or hateful in my review, which can be an easy thing to do these days when sitting behind a keyboard and not having to face the people who put in hard work on something they enjoy and are trying to make a living at.  So I will aim to be constructive and honest here.

The album presented here by VOA, to my ears, seemed very lackluster and unimaginative.  The songs never once really grabbed me or kept me interested.  The vocals seemed flat at times from both the female and male singers of the group.  Maxi, herself, seemed adequate but the songs never had any fire to them and Mario seemed at too many times he was trying too hard to sound ‘mean’ when really he just sounded like he didn’t belong in the band(or the genre).  Chris, the guitar player in several songs, sounds like a good, talented player and would on occasion bang out some crunchy riffs.  Only for him to be placed into the background of the production so the listener can hear mostly the two singers sing about…well I didn’t know exactly the what they were singing about. That’s how unengaged Ethera made me feel and I listened to the album twice.  Also, the use of keyboards on the album doesn’t really add anything at all.  You will hear some odd keyboard effects here and there and in the songs but they never really DO anything for the songs.  AT ALL.

According to the band’s bio, VOA were inspired by bands like Nightwish with VOA tending to use both male and female vocalists more evenly than Nightwish.  However, VOA are not Nightwish in terms of songwriting.  I think my biggest complaint with VOA’s Ethera is the song’s compositions.  There is nothing about the songs lyrically or musically that give them any distinctiveness in any form.  This is a shame because I think the musicians themselves have some talent, especially the guitarist, but the songwriting just really dropped the ball here.

I actually looked up a previous song from VOA while writing this review and gave it a listen.  ”New Dawn” it was called and I found it catchy, fun to listen to and enjoyable.  Something I didn’t find on Ethera, which is unfortunate since I found the style of “New Dawn” to be quite good. I also read up on the band and noticed they have been around since 2000, so they must be doing something right and maybe I’m not the Symphonic Metal expert I need to be to review this band or album.  Hell, maybe Symphonic Metal Maniacs will eat this up like Fruit Loops on a Saturday Morning Cartoon Marathon but for me, Visions of Atlantis’s album Ethera was more like sitting in church on Sunday morning with a hangover.

Rating

Track Listing

1. The Ark
2. Machinage
3. Avatara
4. Vicious Circle
5. Hypnotized
6. Tlaluc’s Grace
7. Burden of Divinity
8. Cave Behind the Waterfall
9. AEON 19th
10. Bestiality vs Integrity
11. Clerics Emotion

Personnel

Thomas Caser – Drums
Mario Plank – Vocals
Martin Harb – Keyboards
Maxi Nil - Vocals
Christian Hermsdörfer

Check them out on Facebook and YouTube!

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