Great new releases and indie discovery of the week

The first round of releases of the year has been a fabulous one (there isn't much released between mid-Dec and mid-Jan). There are eagerly-awaited releases from Tankard, Avatar and Leaves' Eyes and some nice surprises from new-to-me names.

The outstanding discovery and favourite album of the year so far is Infernal Overdrive by White Wizzard.

The first couple of tracks remind me of one of my favourite thrash bands, Flotsam and Jetsam. As the album plays through, they slip into their more traditional heavy metal style with some variation; the mystical-sounding Metamorphosis, bouncy Pretty May and mellow (at first) finisher The Illusion's Tears. The variation makes the album very listenable, and enjoyable throughout.

A definite purchase which makes it 5-star. They are attached to a small label and so not really 'indie' or unsigned but it does feel like a small and reasonably independent affair. I'm waiting for the album to appear on my favourite purchase place, BandCamp, alongside their earlier albums.

★★★★★
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Beastly playlist

How cool is this? I put new rock and metal releases into this playlist, and then move them into a different playlist for the year after 2-4 weeks, so it's a constantly-changing random number, but I happened to visit this page on the web in order to test the link from the previous blog post, and saw the number of the beast.

Favourite Rock and Metal albums of 2017 (Top 100 and top 20)

There aren't 100 in the top 100 and there are more than 20 in the top 20. It was really difficult  - I certainly couldn't put them in any kind of order or choose a favourite, and there are plenty of albums that I've enjoyed and listened to more than once that I haven't listed.  As always, all of the albums released in 2017 (as far as I'm aware and that fit the genres that I like) get listed in my recent rock and metal releases playlist, and the 2017 ones are now moved into the 2017 rock and metal releases playlist.

Top 100 (ish) (in no particular order)

Innerwish - Innerwish (melodic metal)
Dyscordia - Words in ruin (melodic metal)
Seven Kingdoms - Decennium (melodic metal)
Overkill - The Grinding Wheel (classic metal)
Borealis - World of Silence (melodic metal)
Iron Magazine - Queen of Hell (QOTSA influenced)
Hydrogyn - Redemption
Xandria - Theatre of Dimensions (melodic metal)
Omega Blast - Omega Blast
John 5 - Seasons of the Witch (guitar god / horror / fun)
Cellador - Off the Grid
Harlott - Extinction (thrash metal)
Deep Purple - Infinite (classic heavy rock)
Greta Van Fleet - Black Smoke Rising (melodic rock)
Ghost Bath - Starmourner (atmospheric / black / metal)
Incubus - 8 (anger issues)
MindMaze - Resolve (melodic metal)
Ayreon - The Source (progressive metal)
Wolfpakk - Wolves Reign (classic metal)
Tumourboy - Damaged System (thrash metal)
Snakecharmer - second skin (classic heavy rock)
Unleash the Archers - Apex (melodic metal)
Rammstein - Paris Live (album / movie) (classic / industrial metal)
Papa Roach - Crooked Teeth (nu metal / pop punk)
EZoo (Graham Bonnet) - Feeding the Beast (classic heavy rock)
The Ferrymen - The Ferrymen (melodic metal)
Jorn - Life on Death Road(melodic metal)
Tengger Cavalry - Die on my Ride (Mongolian folk metal)
Steve Grimmett - Personal Crisis (classic rock / metal)
Cloven Hoof - who mourns for the morning star (classic metal)
Next to None - Phases
Russkaja - Kosmopoliturbo (ska / folk metal)
Alice Cooper - Paranormal (lice Cooper)
Masterplan - Pumpkings (melodic metal)
Portrait - burn the World (Mercyful Fate / Kind Diamond influenced)
Crimfall - Amain
Motörhead - Under Cover
Epica - Solace System (symphonic metal)
Arch Enemy - Will to Power (metal)
The Agonist - Prisoners (Arch Enemy-related)
Queens of the Stone Age - Villains
Ensiferum - Two Paths (melodic metal)
Serious Black - Magic (melodic metal)
Threshold - Legeds of the Shires (melodic / progressive metal)
Foo Fighters - Concrete and Glass
UFO - The Salentino Cuts (classic hard rock / metal)
The Darkness - Pinewood Smile (melodic metal)
Destruction - Thrash Anthems (thrash metal)
Stälker - Shadow of the Sword (thrash metal)
Elvenking - Secrets of the Magic Grimoire (melodic metal)
Lady Beast - Vicious Breed (classic metal)
Atomic Bitchwax - Force Field (classic / stoner metal)
Cellar Darling - This is the Sound (folk metal)
Pänzer - Fatal Command (classic metal)

Top 20 (in no particular order)

Cradle of Filth - Cryptoriana (black / thrash metal)
Rage - Seasons of the Black (metal)
Stone Sour - Hydrograd
Kreator - Gods of Violence (thrash)
Deathless Legacy - Dance with Devils (horror / theatrical metal)
Horisont - About Time (progressive / heavy rock)
Witherfall - Nocturnes and Requiems
Trollfest - Helluva (troll / folk metal)
Night Demon - Darkness Remains (classic metal)
Walpyrgus - Walpyrgus Nights (horror metal)
Iced Earth - Incorruptible (metal)
Alestorm - No Grave but the Sea (pirate metal)
Accept - Rise of Chaos (classic metal)
Marty Friedman - Wall of Sound (guitar god)
Seven Spires - Solveig (symphonic metal)
Venom inc - Ave (classic black metal)
Hexx - Wrath of the Reaper (classic metal)
Jagg Panzer - Deviant Chord (classic metal)
Shrapnel - Raised on Decay (thrash metal)
Annihilator - For the Demented (classic / thrash metal)
Diablo Swing Orchestra - Pacifisticuffs  (mad as a brush)
De La Muerte - Venganza
HumanasH - Reborn from the Ashes (classic / horror metal)
Attic - Sanctimonious (Mecyful Fate / Kind Diamond influenced)
Satan's Hallow - Satan's Hallow (classic metal)
Terrifier - Weapons of Thrash Destruction (thrash metal)

This week's unsigned discovery - HumanasH - Reborn from the Ashes

I'm not sure whether I can call Italian band HumanasH 'unsigned' as my purchase was from Jolly Roger Records, but hey, that sounds a bit piratey and unofficial.

The tags 'mercyful fate' and 'king diamond' caught my eye, so I was braced for some soaring and diving vocals but I guess those tags refer to the general genre and the theatricality of the music.

From the titles, the album appears conceptual. The intro features atmospheric clean guitars an ominous rhythm and a gruff spoken intro from guest and influencer Steve Sylvester.

The production is excellent, the sound very clear, especially after purchase and receiving the full quality files. The music is old-school heavy metal, not quite thrash but leaning in that direction. The themes is horror / black metal. As I write this, three tracks are available but if you pre-order the album (from 4.99 Euro) you get those tracks now, with the other three to follow on 17 Nov.

Because it's always good to see the band (especially when they have Italian good looks) there's a video below. You can listen to all the available tracks (and buy for a very good price) on bandcamp:
https://jolly-roger-records.bandcamp.com/album/humanash-reborn-from-the-ashes

This week's unsigned discovery - Sons of Lioth

I love listening to new stuff on bandcamp, it's probably the hunter/gatherer instinct. It's so rewarding when you find a gem. And you don't often have to hunt very far to find an unsigned band playing music that competes with the week's best commercial releases.

Today's discovery is Belgian band Sons of Lioth. The music covers diverse topics from lighthearted sci-fi to more serious swords and dragons. The style is pretty consistent though. They cite Priest, AC/DC and Maiden as influences and that gives you the feel.

The next and more sad discovery is that the band have decided to call it a day.

All four of their releases are available online for reasonably small amounts of cash. I chose the cover of Large Hadron Spider for this post because I love the artwork and the pun.

https://sonsoflioth.bandcamp.com

Notable New Rock and Metal Releases, Aug-Sept 2017

Venom Inc. - Avé : It seems pretty common for bands to split and then both halves wanting to use the name. Tank is a notable one - Algy Ward's project and with the Mick Tucker/Cliff Evans fork have both used the name Tank on their albums. More often one of the breakaways clearly has the rights to use the name and the other has to use a variation and that's the case with Venom Inc. although this band includes Mantas and Abaddon, two thirds of the classic lineup. The vocalist is Demolition Man, who was I believe vocalist of the official Venom for a while. All of that aside, this is an amazing album, it doesn't have Cronos' vocals but it does have a lot of the style of the classic albums. An outstanding album of this year.
★★★★★

Sons of Crom - The Black Tower : Difficult to pigeonhole, the quality of the performance (particularly vocals) varies as much as the style. But there's something really enjoyable here. It's just two guys and it feels very honest.

Janet Gardner - Janet Gardner : Female-fronted dirty rock'n'roll / metal.
★★★☆☆

Eluveitie - Evocation II : A continuation of the Evocation project, more folk than metal with this one. But that's something I love and so I'm including it here.
★★★☆☆

Portrait - Burn the World : Merciful Fate-style fun. This one is probably more original and less MF-copying than their previous records. One of my favourites this week.
★★★★★

Crimfall - Amain : There are folk and symphonic elements here, clean operatic singing and growly stuff. I think that variety helps to make this such an amazing listen. But great songwriting and some great sounds are at its core. This is a real favourite.
★★★★☆

Bobaflex - Eloquent Demons : Groovy, a bit melodic. Great cover of Pink Floyd's Hey You.
★★★★☆

Korpiklaani - Live at Masters of Rock : This rests nicely between folk metal and troll-type stuff, loads of fun.
★★★★☆

Arch Enemy - Will to Power : Obviously going to be a commercial success. Much is being made of the 'clean vocal' track (Reason to Believe) which you'll love if you enjoy a good power ballad. The 'War Eternal' formula is obvious in a few tracks. Album sounds pretty epic in places.
★★★★★

Stallion - From the Dead : for lovers of NWOBHM / early thrash who don't mind a bit of dodgy production. It sounds like something from the Ebony studio, a particular love of mine.
★★★★☆

Motörhead - Under Cöver : The 'Heroes' cover was unveiled at Wacken, along with the fact that Lemmy wanted it included on Bad Medicine. Sympathy For The Devil was included on that album and it was a great choice if they only had room for one cover. A number of these have been released before, but make a great album when collected together. It's an amazing thing, if a little unsettling, to be seeing a Motörhead album in the new releases.
★★★★★

Epica - The Solace System : I gather that these few tracks didn't fit on the last album, so there are no surprises, but this EP is incredibly epic.
★★★★★

Notable New Rock and Metal releases, Aug 2017

Is it a coincidence that two of the major names with releases this week are on the Wacken 2017 line-up? Probably not. Both are magnificent and have pressed my buttons.


Alice Cooper - Paranormal : I've always preferred the earlier stuff - 18, Elected, Billion Dollar Babies, Under My Wheels etc. I'm so into this album because it is just good solid straightforward stuff. I love it.
★★★★★

Cage the Elephant - Unpeeled : I'm not generally a fan of live albums, and CTE aren't the kind of band that I'd usually give much listening time to (2000's indie rock) but there's something about this album that's had me putting it on more than a couple of times. Specifically, I think it's the lyrics. I don't usually pay much attention to lyrics but there's something a little haunting about some of these songs.
★★★☆☆

Jackyl - 25 : This is what I'm talkin' about. I was so excited to see a new Jackyl album in the new releases. If the songs sound pretty familiar then that's because it's a compilation, a celebration of their 25-year anniversary. It's a little disappointing not to hear new material (other than a live track and a cover) but hey. It's a collection of their best songs complete with chainsaw solos. Excellent.

★★★★☆

Shadowside - Shades of Humanity : As clean-vocal power metal goes, this is an enjoyable listen.

★★★☆☆

Shaman's Harvest - Red Hands Black Deeds : A lighter listen, but musically excellent. There are some bluesy / slide elements but it's much more than that.

★★★☆☆

Accept - The Rise of Chaos : Undoubtedly one of the top albums of the year. For me they put on an outstanding performance at Wacken. What makes a memorable performance? A big name isn't enough, neither is performing classics that everyone knows and loves. If last weekend's experience is anything to go by, pumping out fantastic new material and performing it all extremely well with an accomplished confidence is a large part of the formula. I've never been fond of Udo's voice before now. Has it matured? Am I hearing it in a new context with some great new songs?
★★★★★

Seven Spires - Solveig : I am loving this. It's female-fronted, somewhere between power and epic. Adrienne Cowan uses her voice magnificently, ranging from a clean head sound to shouted to growled. The music has a symphonic sound, with theatricality (eg fairground sounds in 'Cabaret'). The purchases this week are mounting up a bit.

★★★★★

As usual, all of the new Rock and Metal releases that I find that meet my criteria go into the New Rock and Metal Releases playlist.  I've also recently begun a new playlist called 'Radio Shiela' into which I put my favourite track (or two) from my favourite new albums each week.