Brothers of Metal – Fimbulvinter Review

By Holdeneye

While very, very few metal bands can please the entire Holdeneye family,1 goofy and trve Swedish power metallers Brothers of Metal have the distinct honor of being a staple soundtrack for our family road trips. Nothing brings me more pleasure than driving a winding mountain road while Mrs. Holdeneye unconsciously and sincerely sings along while Brothers of Metal frontshieldmaiden Ylva Eriksson belts out the chorus to a song like “Powersnake.” I first fell in love with the band’s 2017 debut, and when 2020 saw these skalds releasing Emblas Saga, one of my top ten(ish) albums of that year and a much-needed bolus of epic levity for surviving one of the strangest years in human history, I became a wholly devoted fanboy. Thus, upon hearing that Brothers of Metal had third album Fimbulvinter in the works, my anticipation swelled until it was on the verge of catastrophic rupture.

If you’re familiar with Brothers of Metal at all, you already know how most of Fimbulvinter sounds, but if you aren’t, the band’s core sound is a very straightforward version of modern power metal (think Sabaton and turn-of-the-millennium Manowar) with some strong folk elements thrown in. Thick, muscular guitars lay the groundwork for most of these tunes, but the true magic occurs in the firmaments above this foundation, as the band’s songwriting prowess and musical talent clash in a storm of pagan lightning. I’ve embedded the video for the album’s epic closing title track because it shows each and every member of the band at the top of their game, demonstrating the ease with which Brothers of Metal can elevate an ostensibly simple musical style into something great.

These Swedish pagans can swing back and forth so quickly between musical styles and between the outright silly and the authentically serious—sometimes within the same track—that it can induce whiplash in the listener, and while some may see that as a downside, I see this diversity as a major selling point. After warming us up with two very good, if standard, power metal tracks, Brothers of Metal strike while the iron is hot with heavy bruiser “Giantslayer,” a song that never loses its deadly edge despite some hilarious lyrical interjections. I love the juxtaposition between songs like “Rivers of Gold” and “Nanna’s Fate,” tracks that could comfortably fit on one of Eriksson’s Good Harvest23 albums, and “Berserkir,” a contender for my 2024 Heavy Moves Heavy playlist. And when Brothers of Metal casually drop a track like “Heavy Metal Viking,” country/rock bands across the US are all blown away like a shot from a gun—if you haven’t seen this video yet, please do so now.

The secret to Brothers of Metal’s success is twofold. First, they make music because they have fun making music, and the principle of trickle-down rockonomics passes that fun directly on to the consumer. The band’s genuine enjoyment of the songwriting process is infectious, and it takes a style and presentation that could easily feel gimmicky and lends it a satisfying authenticity. The second secret to their success is Ylva Eriksson. She’s simply a world-class vocalist, and over the course of three full-lengths, plus the aforementioned Good Harvest records, she’s become one of my favorites of all time. My one gripe with Fimbulvinter is that there’s just a bit too much of it. There’s certainly a great album tucked within its 57 minutes, but a couple of these songs, while still good, could have been axed to increase the album’s damage-per-second. That said, I don’t think I’ve encountered a 2024 album that has provided me this much enjoyment.

Based on the strength of their first two records, I had no doubt that Brothers of Metal would follow up with another offering that would be pleasing in Odin’s sight. Fimbulvinter won’t be every metalhead’s cup o’ mead, but at a time in history when societal anxiety seems to be reaching a fever pitch, I find music like this to be a soothing, calming balm. It’s comforting to know that when life overwhelms me, Brothers of Metal will always be there, standing together with hands in the air.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: AFM Records
Websites: facebook.com/brothersofmetalofficial | www.brothersofmetal.net
Releases Worldwide: November 1st, 2024

#2024 #35 #AFMRecords #BrothersOfMetal #Fimbulvinter #HeavyMetal #Manowar #Nov24 #PowerMetal #Review #Reviews #Sabaton #SwedishMetal

All for Metal – Gods of Metal (Year of the Dragon) Review

By Holdeneye

Damn, I love watching the Olympics. As a former high school and collegiate shot putter, I am captivated mostly by the track, field, and weightlifting events, but my interest goes beyond that into watching the incredible performances in volleyball, rugby, and gymnastics as well. Many of my favorite events are judged by very objective standards like distance thrown, time run, points scored, or weight lifted, but while watching gymnastics, I realized that calculating a score comprised of subjective ‘difficulty’ and ‘execution’ ratings is not unlike what your favorite Angry Metal reviewers do when scoring albums. Yeah, that new avant-garde, technical, progressive disso-grind album may have an insane difficulty rating, but the chances of the band sticking the dismount is next-to-none, in my humble opinion. I believe every reviewer falls somewhere along a spectrum between valuing difficulty over execution, and vice versa. I am firmly in the ‘execution’ camp. I really don’t care if a band is doing something new with their sound; all I care about is: ‘did they nail it?’

When All for Metal released their debut album, Legends, just barely over one year ago, my relationship with metal and metal writing was in a dark place. After I saw/heard the singles for that debut, I initially waved these guys off as just another Sabaton, Brothers of Metal, and/or Manowar rip-off (albeit with a side of Disturbed), so it came as a total shock when the album’s cheesy anthems finally clicked, reigniting the dying embers trapped within my downtrodden heart of steel. Having said that, Legends’ success did little to assuage my fears that following up that record after so short a time might be biting off more than All for Metal could chew, but I’m happy to report that these lads and lasses are more than up to the task on Gods of Metal (Year of the Dragon).

While All for Metal’s songwriting style tends towards the generic, the execution is impressive. I had a tough time choosing a single to embed since they all highlight some aspect of the band’s strengths, but I ultimately went for “Path of the Brave,” a ballad that properly shows off All for Metal’s secret weapon: singer Antonio Calanna. This guy could sing the phonebook and I’d probably give it a 3.0. He takes good songs like the title track, “The Way of the Samurai,” and “Valkyries in the Sky” and elevates them to greatness. After the band’s resident mountain of power, Tetzel (also of Asenblut), begins “Who Wants to Live Forever” with his Arnold Schwarzenegger-on-even-moar-steroids singing voice, Calanna gives a heartfelt performance that ends the album on a surprisingly powerful, somber note.

There are a couple of things I’d change about Gods of Metal, but they are relatively minor. “Like Loki and Thor” feels like a 0.3-point deduction as it falls into good-but-nearly-filler territory; it’s just a little too campy and fails to induce the same level of excitement as its neighbors. I don’t mind the guest singing of Burning Witches’ Laura Guldemond on “Valkeries in the Sky,” but I’d honestly rather Calanna had sung the whole thing because he’s just much, much better. While Calanna gets MVP honors again, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention All or Metal’s guitar duo, Ursula Zanichelli and Jasmin Pabst. These ladies are able to take a very modern, crunchy approach to the guitar and make it feel right at home amongst the traditional ethos of these metal anthems. The songs may be straightforward, but there are enough licks and leads thrown in to make them feel molten and vibrant.

All for Metal’s approach does not come with a high difficulty rating, so their execution is of the utmost importance. They absolutely delivered on debut Legends, and while I doubted they could repeat after so short a time, Gods of Metal (Year of the Dragon) gets high marks as well. These guys seem to have garnered quite the following in a very short amount of time, and it’s easy to see why: they’ve made metal fun again. Cheers to these brothers and sisters of metal, and may the blood on their katanas never dry!

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Reigning Phoenix Music
Websites: allformetal.com | facebook.com/allformetalofficial
Releases Worldwide: August 23rd, 2024

#2024 #30 #AllForMetal #Asenblut #Aug24 #BrothersOfMetal #Disturbed #GodsOfMetal #HeavyMetal #InternationalMetal #Manowar #PowerMetal #ReigningPhoenixMusic #Review #Reviews #Sabaton

Powerwolf – Wake Up the Wicked Review

By Holdeneye

I’ve always adored the Powerwolf aesthetic. The use of the band’s hyper-aggressive werewolf mascot on most of their album covers and the over-the-top liturgical sacrilege of the band’s appearance and sound never fail to make me crack a smile. Maybe it’s the juxtaposition of my childhood faith tradition with my rebellious latter-day metal sainthood, but grandiose organ music about blasphemous themes is a chocolate-and-peanut-butter-level combo for me. I first cut my Powerwolf canines on 2011 release Blood of the Saints, a record I still consider to be legitimately great, and I’ve generally found something to enjoy on each subsequent release. 2015’s Blessed and Possessed was another highlight, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention 2018’s Song o’ the Year, “Demons Are a Girl’s Best Friend.” I fully intended to cover the band’s most recent release, Call of the Wild, but life got in the way. So when I saw Wake Up the Wicked sitting out in the yard all by itself, I knew I couldn’t sleep on it.

I’ve always seen Sabaton and Powerwolf as somewhat kindred spirits; both projects have a consistent lyrical schtick, a gruff-voiced frontman, and specialize in Judas Priest-esque heavy metal embellished by power metal. Much like Sabaton at this point in their career, it would be insane to expect a band like Powerwolf to significantly alter their sound, so it comes as no surprise that Wake Up the Wicked sounds just like most of their other albums. Single “1589” sounds like it actually could have come off any Sabaton record as it gives us a key-drenched heavy metal history lesson about the grisly execution of alleged werewolf Peter Stumpp.

Powerwolf has two modes, one where they’re at their most brilliant, bombastic best, and one where their output is adequate but unexceptional. I found Blood of the Saints to be almost 100% in that former category of greatness with its huge choruses and infectious energy, and there are a couple of songs here that nearly reach those heights. The aforementioned “1589” and its bookend neighbors, “Heretic Hunters” and “Viva Vulgata,” create a pretty strong run of pompous pugnacity as vocalist Attila Dorn soars through choruses destined to invade and spread within your short-term memory. “Heretic Hunters,” especially, is the kind of tune that keeps me chained to the Powerwolf tree year after year.

Unfortunately, most of Wake Up the Wicked falls into Powerwolf’s more middle-of-the-road category. “Joan of Arc” once again sounds like Sabaton, but this time it feels like a second-rate version. “Thunderpriest” wastes its incredible name on an unremarkable fast-paced charge, and almost all of the other tracks that I haven’t mentioned land in proficient-but-not-memorable territory. As usual, the production suits the band’s huge sound, and just about everything here fits nicely within the band’s aesthetic. I just wish that a bit more of the album’s eleven tracks and 37 minutes demanded repeat listens. I generally measure my enjoyment of a Powerwolf album on the number of moments that bring out my invisible oranges or that cause me to involuntarily play the air-pipe organ, and, alas, those moments are far to infrequent on this record.

Wake Up the Wicked may be bombastic and competently executed, but there just aren’t enough highlights to warrant a whole-hearted recommendation. If you like Powerwolf, you’ll likely find this album to be perfectly fine, but outside of a couple playlistable tracks, you’ll find little to keep you around past your cursory listens.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: NA | Format Reviewed: Stream
Label: Napalm Records
Websites: powerwolf.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/powerwolfmetal | powerwolf.net
Releases Worldwide: July 26th, 2024

#25 #2024 #GermanMetal #HeavyMetal #JudasPriest #Jul24 #NapalmRecords #PowerMetal #Powerwolf #Review #Reviews #Sabaton #WakeUpTheWicked

Dream Evil – Metal Gods Review

By Holdeneye

If you’re not a fan of straightforward heavy/power metal, there’s a good chance you’re not familiar with Dream Evil’s legendary output. But if you’re a fan of metal at all, odds are you’ve heard the work of the band’s founder, Fredrick Nordström. Best known for his work in the production booth, Nordström has left his mark on many classic albums; pick your favorite record from At the Gates, In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, or just about any famous Swedish melo-death band—and this guy probably had a hand in producing it. The aptly named Dream Evil is Nordström’s love letter to Ronnie James Dio and everything that the diminutive giant represented: guitar-driven heavy rock/metal imbued with the spirit of heroism. Starting with the amazing Dragonslayer, Dream Evil has released six full-lengths, and while I can’t speak to the quality of sixth album Six (on account of I had no idea it existed until I started writing this), the discography is remarkably strong. They say that seven is a holy number, so let’s see if Metal Gods can’t make Heavy Metal Jesus smile.

Will you take a look at that glorious early-2000s artwork? It pairs perfectly with the early-2000s heavy metal that accompanies it. If you’ve heard any of Dream Evil’s classic albums, you know exactly what Metal Gods sounds like. Much like their countrymates Sabaton, Dream Evil offers mightily produced heavy metal anthems. Opening single and title track “Metal Gods” starts things off with a militantly beefy crunch as singer Nikolas Isfeldt recounts the classic metal albums that influenced his musical journey. Dream Evil are well known for delivering massive amounts of cheese amongst their goods, and “Metal Gods” shows right away that the lactose intolerant might want to steer well clear. But if this is your jam, read on, because Dream Evil is about to dump a vat of molten Velveeta down your ear holes.

Metal Gods may not live up to Dream Evil’s greatest highs, but it can stand confidently as yet another solid page in the book of heavy metal. Tunes like the aforementioned title track, “Night Stalker,” “The Tyrant Dies at Dawn,” and “Lightning Strikes” would automatically qualify for a Dream Evil best-of compilation, and most of the rest of the tunes are just plain good heavy metal tracks. As per the band’s usual, the guitars sound huge, and while Isfeldt’s voice shows a slight touch of age, he’s just as compelling as he was over two decades ago.

With a more consistent overall quality, Metal Gods could have scored more highly, but the back half is weaker than the front. “Born in Hell” is the only track I’d even consider calling outright filler, but the fact that it’s sandwiched between a pair of the album’s lesser-but-still-good numbers causes a noticeable lull in momentum. Closer “Y.A.N.A.” is a decent semi-ballad, but probably would have worked better towards the middle of the album for maximum impact. But minor quibbles aside, the songwriting, performances, and production come together to make an easily repeatable 41 minutes of righteous heavy metal.

The name “Dream Evil” conjures sounds of fist-pumping anthems, meaty guitars, and gloriously ESL lyrics, and Metal Gods carries on that tradition admirably. It’s great to see these veterans still chasing draygons at this stage of the game. On the seventh album, heavy metal is reborn!

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Century Media Records
Websites: facebook.com/dreamevilofficial
Releases Worldwide: July 26th, 2024

#2024 #30 #CenturyMediaRecords #Dio #DreamEvil #HeavyMetal #Jul24 #MetalGods #PowerMetal #Review #Reviews #Sabaton #SwedishMetal