101010.pl

Your Future ExAlmost from hallowed antiquity:<a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/IcedEarth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#IcedEarth</a>: Tryvel in Stygian<a href="https://song.link/i/1119632303" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://song.link/i/1119632303</a><a href="https://NerdJoy.social/@JillsJoy" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@JillsJoy</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/LongHaulTunes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LongHaulTunes</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/TuneTuesday" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TuneTuesday</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/absolva-justice-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Absolva – Justice Review</a>By Steel DruhmAbsolva is the long-running “home base” project of Luke Appleton (Blaze Bayley, ex-Iced Earth) and Chris Appleton (Blaze Bayley). Absolva’s biggest claim to fame is that they function as the backing band for Blaze Bayley. When not on the road with Blaze, these cats deliver NWoBHM-inspired classic metal with a strong hard rock influence. Over 6 full-length releases, they’ve shown themselves to be decent songwriters with a sound sitting somewhere between Saxon and Dokken. No Absolva album will blow your doors off, but each one is pleasant enough and easy to digest with a few notable tracks for playlist poaching. Here comes seventh album, Justice, and not much has changed for the Appleton clan. You still get middle-of-the-road traditional metal with a solid floor and a shifting ceiling as song quality moves from decent-but-generic to modestly inspiring. And as usual, you get some pretty damn awful cover art to round things out. Could Justice be the turning point where Absolva escapes the tyranny of second-fiddle status?As with all prior output, this is solid but not exceptional melodic metal fare with a few fun flash points. Absolva strive for anthems, and on opener “Freedom and Glory,” they hit the mark, aided by vocalist David Marcelis of Lord Volture and Thorium. He provides a solid counterpoint to Chris Appleton’s workmanlike vocals, and the song packs decent energy thanks to the Appleton brothers’ guitar work. It’s a lot like classic Blaze Bayley material, and it sticks the landing. “The Thrill of the Chase” also provides enough sizzle and hooks to entertain, with a winning chorus and some smoking solos. “Against the Odds of Time” goes straight for Dark Saga-era Iced Earth and brings in former IE vocalist Stu Block to accentuate the point. It’s one of the more muscular and rabble-rousing cuts here and delivers solely on classic Iced Earth nostalgia.Another relatively high point comes on “Find My Identity,” where Ronnie Romero (Sunstorm, The Ferrymen, ex-Rainbow, ex-Vandenburg) adds vocal fire to a very Jorn-ish piece of hard rock/metal. Blaze Bayley himself shows up to offer support for his supporting act on “Atlas (War Between the Gods)” and creates some manly, over-the-top epic metal in the process. As with every Absolva album, there are some lesser cuts that, while not bad, don’t quite hit as hard. “Hero in Your Life” marries Iron Maiden’s guitar work with a more streamlined hard rock approach, and it sort of works, but it’s fairly forgettable. The title track is pretty generic, and “The Streetfighters of Blackford Bridge” sounds like old Def Leppard, and it’s okay but not especially earwormy. Absolva’s problem is that even their better output still sits in that “Good” category, and only rarely do they manage to punch a song higher than that. When you deliver an album with a bunch of good to okay tracks and a few lesser inclusions, it doesn’t do a whole lot to excite the listener and compel repeated plays. At 45 minutes, it seems like they could have/should have chopped a song or two to make for a stronger and more consistent offering.The band is musically capable. Both Appletons are solid guitarists and showcase some chops with impressive solos and a collection of effective, if simplistic riffs. Chris Appleton is a competent vocalist, but nothing about his delivery is especially ear-grabbing or unique, though at times he does remind me a bit of Blaze. He may be limited vocally, but so were most of the classic NWoBHM frontmen, and that isn’t a big handicap if you have killer songs. Sadly, Absolva never brings enough of those to the party, and the ones with guest vocalists end up working best, which is a worrisome sign.Justice is a pleasant, but fairly forgettable release with a few nondescript tracks weighing it down and a few successful cuts struggling to drag it back upward, and it ends up walking the line between non-essential and solid. I always root for these guys and check out every album, but I’ve given up on expecting them to craft a truly killer release. After seven albums, this is the Absolva experience, and that’s okay. I can’t help but wish for a little more, though. Rating: 2.5/5.0 DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3 Label: <a href="https://markapps.wixsite.com/rocksectorrecords/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Rocksector</a> Websites: <a href="https://www.absolva.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">absolva.com</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/absolva" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/absolva</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/absolva/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">instagram.com/absolva</a> Releases Worldwide: May 16th, 2025<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2-5/" target="_blank">#25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2025/" target="_blank">#2025</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/absolva/" target="_blank">#Absolva</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/blaze-bayley/" target="_blank">#BlazeBayley</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/heavy-metal/" target="_blank">#HeavyMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/iced-earth/" target="_blank">#IcedEarth</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/justice/" target="_blank">#Justice</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/may25/" target="_blank">#May25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/nwobhm/" target="_blank">#NWOBHM</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/rocksector-records/" target="_blank">#RocksectorRecords</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/uk-metal/" target="_blank">#UKMetal</a>

fn0rdCake - Friend is a Four Letter Word <a href="https://song.link/i/254347878" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://song.link/i/254347878</a>Iced Earth - Watching Over Me <a href="https://song.link/i/1119636255" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://song.link/i/1119636255</a>Pantera - Good Friends and a Bottle of Pills <a href="https://song.link/i/1163813319" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://song.link/i/1163813319</a>Placebo - Pure Morning <a href="https://song.link/i/961067388" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://song.link/i/961067388</a>Body Count - The Winner Loses <a href="https://song.link/i/862275519" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://song.link/i/862275519</a><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/ThursdayFiveList" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ThursdayFiveList</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/FriendOrFoe" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#FriendOrFoe</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Cake" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Cake</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/IcedEarth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#IcedEarth</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Pantera" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Pantera</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Placebo" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Placebo</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/BodyCount" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#BodyCount</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/katagory-v-awaken-a-new-age-of-chaos-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Katagory V – Awaken a New Age of Chaos Review</a>By Dolphin WhispererKatagory V, not to be confused with any band called Category 5 or Five or any variation thereof, has been rollicking with power chord and falsetto vocal abandon for the better part of a quarter-century. Not continuously, though, as founding bass-slinger Dustin Mitchell put the riff-train on pause from 2014 to 2023 after struggling to fund the release of 2015’s Resurrect the Insurgence. With roots in a progressive and riff-heavy attitude that mirrored the doom-weighted Swedish power metal sound of (then) contemporaries Memory Garden and Tad Morose but with a stronger foot in early USPM progenitors like Fates Warning and Queensrÿche, Katagory V carved a niche within a niche in the American underground. And now with a reunited vigor for overdriven and melodramatic riffcraft, Awaken a New Age of Chaos hopes to stir in wanting loins the tingle of amplified bravado.Awaken a New Age sees only a couple of line-up shifts from the Katagory V early days, with Resurrect vocalist Albert Rybka (Acracy, Empyrean Sanctum) returning to the mic—his more “modern” prog/power croon had previously shifted the sound towards a big chorus focus. As a band with minds set to reverence for a faded style, Katagory V’s emergence in the early ’00s put them beyond the tail end of their target audience, so a little change went a long way. Wielding classic tones, playful rhythms, and meaty guitar drives, the working man, angsty escapades of 2001’s Present Day or 2007’s Hymns of Dissension could have sat comfortably alongside the Sanctuary and Morgana Lefay CDs in a 12-disc changer with a slot to spare. But with Rypka at the vocal helm, a great world of vocal possibilities held the potential to unfold across Katagory V’s earnest and downtrodden societal observations.For whatever reason, though, Rypka has chosen the path of the Ripper<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/katagory-v-awaken-a-new-age-of-chaos-review/#fn-216553-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a>, often relying on a shaky, low-power talk-sing that bursts into glass-shattering falsetto to imbue this new outing with extra metal force. While the shrill technique has earned a place in the hallowed halls of heavy metal, Rypka’s particular tendency on Awaken to jump from hobbling refrain to cloud-crashing wail derails the midtempo riff-groove of far too many tracks, “Legacy in Blood,” “Night Wing,” and “I Miss You” being the most screechy offenders. The kind of steady-drive prog/power in which Katagory V exists depends on a song navigating swiftly through its narrative dips and dives. And though Rypka can pull off plenty of smoother mic-twisting contortions against thrashy accelerations (“Empire of Ignorance,” “Prophet of Sorrow”) and moody, progressive growers (“Through Fate’s Eyes”), his theatrical and treble-abusing antics make continuous enjoyment difficult.Katagory V, however, glues enough runtime together with a tight rhythmic chemistry, which keeps Awaken from succumbing to its more grating qualities. From the classic piano-to-drum tumble of “Absolution Divide” to the Iced Earth-galloping “Blood Siphon” to the Death-worshipping bridge of “Prophet of Sorrow,” Katagory V can carry a mighty thump and rumble. At their most epic and progressive on “Through Fate’s Eyes” and “Escape to Beyond,” they even approximate the kind of sweeping heavy metal of a power-to-prog transitioning Fates Warning in a way few bands attemp in this modern age. Though Awaken doesn’t wear this level of success at every step, the brief walk along this road that reclaims the glory of Katagory V’s youth shows that the fire for metal remains.As an act like <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/inner-strength-daydreaming-in-moonlight-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Inner Strength</a> has shown, the sounds of the past can live anew in hands dedicated to iteration, refinement, and exploration. With Awaken a New Age of Chaos, the idea of growth within this aged style of heavy, progressive metal from a pre-Meshuggah world,<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/katagory-v-awaken-a-new-age-of-chaos-review/#fn-216553-2" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">2</a> leans far closer to a thoughtfully executed jam session of remembered riffs than it does towards finding its own brand of melancholy. Katagory V never, unfortunately, got the chance to make much of a mark in the annals of the developing prog frontier. And while a grander level of success is normal in the dreams of hopeful musicians—and in light of Awaken a New Age of Chaos not being likely to accelerate their ascension—Katagory V can still stand proud with their dusty contributions to the history of the Utah underground. Rating: 2.0/5.0 DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3 Labels: Metallic Blue Records (USA) | High Roller Records (EU) Websites: <a href="https://katagoryv.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">katagoryv.bandcamp.com</a><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/katagory-v-awaken-a-new-age-of-chaos-review/#fn-216553-3" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">3</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KatagoryV/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/KatagoryV</a> Releases Worldwide: May 16th, 2025<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/20/" target="_blank">#20</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2025/" target="_blank">#2025</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/awaken-a-new-age-of-chaos/" target="_blank">#AwakenANewAgeOfChaos</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/fates-warning/" target="_blank">#FatesWarning</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/heavy-metal/" target="_blank">#HeavyMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/high-roller-records/" target="_blank">#HighRollerRecords</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/iced-earth/" target="_blank">#IcedEarth</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/inner-strength/" target="_blank">#InnerStrength</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/katagory-v/" target="_blank">#KatagoryV</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/may25/" target="_blank">#May25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/memory-garden/" target="_blank">#MemoryGarden</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/metallic-blue-records/" target="_blank">#MetallicBlueRecords</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/morgana-lefay/" target="_blank">#MorganaLefay</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/power-metal/" target="_blank">#PowerMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/progpower/" target="_blank">#ProgPower</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/progressive-metal/" target="_blank">#ProgressiveMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/queensryche/" target="_blank">#Queensryche</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/sanctuary/" target="_blank">#Sanctuary</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/tad-morose/" target="_blank">#TadMorose</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/judicator-concord-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Judicator – Concord Review</a>By IcebergSeven albums into their career, Utah’s Judicator are back with another platter of American power metal designed to raise both your horns and your calorie load. Originally the epitome of Blind Guardian worship, Judicator began moving away from their Hansi-centric style with the departure of founding guitarist Alicia Cordisco in 2022. This coincided with the release of The Majesty of Decay, an album that saw Judicator adding prog to their power core, a move that satisfied the <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/judicator-the-majesty-of-decay-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Eye of Holden</a> but didn’t sit so well with resident power metal maven <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/judicator-the-majesty-of-decay-review/?commentID=8b89d2e2-88f3-448c-baca-40d9c3bc9c1b" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Eldritch</a>. Their latest LP, Concord, has Judicator tackling the American West, a mythos that’s rightfully earned its reputation as good, bad, and ugly. With this timely subject matter in tow, can Judicator and sole remaining founder John Yellend find their new voice in power metal, or will they leave us looking over our shoulders at better days and greener shores?Judicator remain a reliable band for fans of quality, USDA Choice Power, while managing to streamline their songwriting approach. The orchestral grandiosity of Blind Guardians meets the rabid thrashing of Iced Earth, but this time around there’s a more straightforward, heavy metal sensibility not unlike genre titans Judas Priest or Iron Maiden. Gone are the long, experimental windings of The Majesty of Decay, and in their place are truncated song structures, sharpened riffcraft, and a renewed focus on powerful, hooky choruses. Yellend’s bright tenor carries the brunt of the workload here, shining in the barreling, traditional power metal moments (“Call Us Out Of Slumber,” “Concord”) but sounding slightly out of place in the slower, quieter passages (“Johannah’s Song,” “Hold Your Smile”). Yellend’s lyrics seem genuine, though, relating tales of lost valor (“Call Us Out Of Slumber”), the call of the wilderness (“Sawtooth”), the massacre at Wounded Knee (“Imperial”), and Cormac McCarthy’s harrowing epic Blood Meridian, an apt epilogue for an album about the scarring legacy of Manifest Destiny.For all their pushing and rearranging of the genre envelope, Judicator are still a power metal band at the end of the day, and they shall be judged on the memorability of their hooks. I’m happy to report that after shying away from the magic of the chorus on The Majesty of Decay, the earworms have made a triumphant return. Singalong anthems pepper the album, less cheesy than the Italian variety and more like the unabashed brawniness of Manowar or last year’s Nemedian Chronicles (“Sawtooth,” “Hold Your Smile,” “Concord”). The riffs on Concord eschew the lightning-fast runs one might expect from Dragonforce-core and opt for a grounded, foot-stomping aesthetic that fits neatly into the album’s concept (“Imperial,” “A Miracle of Life”). Replayability is also helped by the album’s editing, running 51 minutes across 9 tracks, with a closing epic whose structure is well executed, justifying its runtime (“Blood Meridian”).Concord feels like a turn in the right direction for Judicator, but it hasn’t fully avoided the pitfalls of its core genre. While the album is stuffed with some real crowd-pleasers, some songs don’t quite make the same impression as their brethren. The relentless major key optimism of “Johannah’s Song” feels like a musical idea that hasn’t been fully formed, and the narrative-dependent “Weeping Willow” never seems to find its footing. Tracks set up in a storytelling format often have clunky lyrics, a little too on-the-nose, and fall prey to power metal’s reputation for cringe (“Johannah’s Song,” “Weeping Willow,” “Hold Your Smile”). But Judicator succeed in channeling a genuine love for their genre on the lion’s share of Concord, and its hard to be untouched by their infectious enthusiasm.Concord represents a laudatory return to form for Judicator. Cuts like “Call Us Out Of Slumber,” “Sawtooth,” and the embedded title track have monster choruses that threaten to secure slots on my SOTY playlist, and the album as a whole has the gift of memorability. While not breaking any new ground, it feels as if Judicator have finally found the feet to stand on since losing Cordisco, and not a moment too soon. Some may find the closing scene of “Blood Meridian”–ripped straight from the epilogue of the book–a bit hokey, but I think it sums up Judicator’s current state nicely. As the din of fiddles and revelry thickens, Judge Holden whips the bar patrons into an inebriated frenzy and repeats, endlessly, with a menacing snarl, “I will never die.” Rating: 3.5/5.0 DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: WAV Label: Self-Release Websites: <a href="http://judicatormetal.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> | <a href="http://facebook.com/judicatormetal" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> Releases Worldwide: March 28th, 2024<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2024/" target="_blank">#2024</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/35/" target="_blank">#35</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/blind-guardian/" target="_blank">#BlindGuardian</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/concord/" target="_blank">#Concord</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/heavy-metal/" target="_blank">#HeavyMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/iced-earth/" target="_blank">#IcedEarth</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/judas-priest/" target="_blank">#JudasPriest</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/judicator/" target="_blank">#Judicator</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/manowar/" target="_blank">#Manowar</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/mar24/" target="_blank">#Mar24</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/nemedian-chronicles/" target="_blank">#NemedianChronicles</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/power-metal/" target="_blank">#PowerMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/self-release/" target="_blank">#SelfRelease</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/u-s-metal/" target="_blank">#USMetal</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/brainstorm-plague-of-rats-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Brainstorm – Plague of Rats Review</a>By Steel DruhmAnother Brainstorm album is upon us, and that means another opportunity for me to blather on about how they’re the most consistent heavy metal band out there. Since I found them back in 2000 by stalking frontman extraordinaire Andy B. Franck from his Ivanhoe and Symphorce projects, they’ve regularly impressed me with their hyper-hooky and punchy take on the classic heavy metal formula. Their sound is similar to Primal Fear and Mystic Prophecy with nods to Tad Morose and the catchier eras of Iced Earth, and albums like Ambiguity, Mentus Mortis, Soul Temptation, Firesoul, Midnight Ghost and 2021s Wall of Skulls offer so much catchy, beefy metal with such high levels of replay addiction, it almost seems unfair. Even their “lesser” albums are stocked with huge high points. That brings us to the 14th album, Plague of Rats. Brainstorm are seasoned and savvy enough to know they shouldn’t fix what isn’t broken, so this is another platter full of Andy’s powerful vocals soaring forcefully over crunchy riffs. They always possessed a supernatural ability to craft huge choruses and that crucial skill continues to bear juicy fruit with a collection of large and in-charge tunes designed to jack you up like a honey badger on diesel meth. Ready to brave the Ratnado?As per usual for Brainstorm, they come out swinging after an obligatory intro. “Beyond Enemy Lines” is a big song with an epic chorus that you’ll remember after just one exposure. It’s got everything Brainstorm is known for, namely Andy’s huge voice and Torsten Ihlenfeld’s and Milan Loncaric’s ace riffs that pave the road and flatten resistance. It also has that feeling of BIGness that Brainstorm always delivers, getting your blood up and angry. “Garuda (Eater of Snakes)” finds the band revisiting their love of Indian culture and mythology as they did so famously on Soul Temptation, and they’re once again blessed with massive success by Shiva and Company. This is such a simple song structure-wise but it’s just so damn badass and Andy sells it like he just heard the motivational speech from Glengarry Glen Ross. You simply cannot hear this and not love it. “The Shepard Girl (Gitavoginda)” is another massive tune with more hooks than a Bass Pro Super Shop and it’s everything I love about Brainstorm in one sharp 3-plus minute explosion with a chorus you can’t unhear or forget.Song after song arrives, delivers, and departs, and though not every selection has the scope and power of the high points, nothing falls flat. “Masquerade Conspiracy” is all about the thick, beefy riffs and a Primal Fear-esque attack, and “The Dark of Night” inspires the spirit with an ever so slightly Gothic shade and a ginormously epic chorus that stabs your brain like an ice pick. What are the downsides? The back half is less titanic than the front, though no song feels unworthy of inclusion. At a crisp 45 minutes, Plague of Rats is a dynamic ride, and if forced to pick a song to drop, I’d go with “From Hell.” It’s a solid enough cut with decent death metal guest vocals by Alexander Krull, but it’s the weakest monkey in the barrel of greater apes. One could also argue there are traces of self-plagiarism creeping in at times, and several riffs do sound a lot like those from the Ambiguity and Mentus Mortis platters. These are small concerns though when an album is as entertaining as Plague of Rats.Every few years I go on a rant about how underappreciated Andy B. Franck is among metal vocalists, so here’s the next installment. Andy is one of the very best vocalists in all of metal and he’s aging like the finest of expensive vintages. He’s not a high-pitched wailer and bases his delivery around a burly mid-range but the man can stretch to great heights when needed and knows exactly how to place his vocal lines for maximum effect. I’ve been a huge fan since I heard him on the old Ivanhoe albums and he’s still blowing my mind 27 years later. Give this man some love already! The rest of Brainstorm are masters of their craft too. Torsten Ihlenfeld and Milan Loncaric are one of the best guitar tandems in metal, consistently churning out fist-pumping, ass-kicking riffs to drive songs through the wall like an Adamantium Kool-Aid Man. They bring power and poise to the game and know how to keep interest levels high. Dieter Bernert’s been there since the beginning bringing down the thunder with furious anger, creating the stable foundation for the larger-than-life songcrafting.Another Brainstorm release and another victory for this hard-working crew of Teutonic Titans. You need never worry about whether they’ll deliver the goods and you always end up loving what you get. Plague of Rats is another in a long line of Brainstorm albums I’ll be playing and replaying for years and maybe decades. If you haven’t gotten into this band yet, you’re a daft punk. Be like Brainstorm and do the right thing. Even the rats know the deal. Rating: 3.5/5.0 DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3 Label: <a href="https://reigningphoenixmusic.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Reigning Phoenix</a> Websites: <a href="https://www.brainstorm-web.net/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">brainstorm-web.net</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/officialbrainstorm" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/officialbrainstorm</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/official.brainstorm/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">instagram.com/official.brainstorm</a> Releases Worldwide: February 28th, 2025<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2025/" target="_blank">#2025</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/35/" target="_blank">#35</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/ambiguity/" target="_blank">#Ambiguity</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/brainstorm/" target="_blank">#Brainstorm</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/feb25/" target="_blank">#Feb25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/german-metal/" target="_blank">#GermanMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/heavy-metal/" target="_blank">#HeavyMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/iced-earth/" target="_blank">#IcedEarth</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/mentus-mortis/" target="_blank">#MentusMortis</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/mystic-prophecy/" target="_blank">#MysticProphecy</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/plague-of-rats/" target="_blank">#PlagueOfRats</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/primal-fear/" target="_blank">#PrimalFear</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reigning-phoenix-music/" target="_blank">#ReigningPhoenixMusic</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/soul-temptation/" target="_blank">#SoulTemptation</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/wall-of-skulls/" target="_blank">#WallOfSkulls</a>

DaLetra EnglishSee the lyrics for the song “Melancholy” by Iced Earth <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/IcedEarth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#IcedEarth</a> <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/Melancholy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Melancholy</a> <a href="https://daletra.com/iced-earth/lyrics/melancholy-holy-martyr.html" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://daletra.com/iced-earth/lyrics/melancholy-holy-martyr.html</a>

DaLetra EnglishSee the lyrics for the song “I Died For You” by Iced Earth <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/IcedEarth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#IcedEarth</a> <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/IDiedForYou" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#IDiedForYou</a> <a href="https://daletra.com/iced-earth/lyrics/i-died-for-you.html" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://daletra.com/iced-earth/lyrics/i-died-for-you.html</a>

DaLetra EnglishSee the lyrics for the song “When The Eagle Cries” by Iced Earth <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/IcedEarth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#IcedEarth</a> <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/WhenTheEagleCries" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WhenTheEagleCries</a> <a href="https://daletra.com/iced-earth/lyrics/when-the-eagle-cries.html" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://daletra.com/iced-earth/lyrics/when-the-eagle-cries.html</a>

Halbeard<a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/IcedEarth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#IcedEarth</a> is cancelled<a href="https://metalinjection.net/politics/is-this-a-photo-of-iced-earths-jon-schaffer-raiding-the-capitol-building" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://metalinjection.net/politics/is-this-a-photo-of-iced-earths-jon-schaffer-raiding-the-capitol-building</a><a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/metal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#metal</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/news" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#news</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/usa" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#usa</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/capitol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#capitol</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/raid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#raid</a>

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