This week's unsigned discovery - Defiatory - Hades Rising

Why is so much of the excellent stuff I'm finding coming from Sweden? My guess is that it's all the Surströmming.

This is classic thrash. If anything on the heavier side of that, ie Slayer. Quality songs, playing, vocals and production.

Hades Rising is just out, there's an earlier album, Extinct which just as good. Both albums are remarkably available on Bandcamp  as 'name your price'  which is a no-brainer.

This week's unsigned discovery

I'm not sure how the most recent album from Night Viper remained under my radar, But fortunately a track turned up today while Spotify was doing its recommendation thing, and grabbed me by the ears.

It's fast, classic metal from Sweden with clean female vocals. In places, where the tempo is slower, it does sound a little stoner, but it's never long before things liven up again.

On listening again, that last album, Exterminator (2017), is excellent. It's not an 'unsigned' release, because unsurprisingly Night Viper appear to have a deal (Listenable Records).

An even nicer surprise was that they have an earlier album (2015) which does appear to be independent. It's as good as the 2017 album and the best news of all is that it's available on Bandcamp for a mere 3 Euro (or more), which is almost a steal. Go buy both albums and support this excellent band.

I'm not sure why female-fronted bands have been floating my boat recently (Spiders, Amorettes, Substratum). I can't say that I prefer male or female, but it's just what's been coming out and sounding fantastic.

We've got this covered

I'm not sure why the current vogue for rock covers of classic songs but I like it.

Released around the same time are Prisma from The Poodles and Monuments Uncovered by Mystic Prophesy. Between them featuring pumped-up versions of Shadow on the Wall, I'm Still Standing, because the Night, Get it On, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Sir Elton doing well out of all this), Go Your Own Way and plenty more.

 

Unsigned discovery of the week - Metalert, Decay part 1

Metalert are a young band from Poland playing classic metal and making a great job of it.

The album is Decay part 1, you can buy a CD package containing both parts on two discs, but only part 1 seems to be available to listen and buy digitally. Part one has seven tracks but they're not short. They're asking a meagre amount and it may be the first time I've doubled the asking price because I felt it was worth more.

They're playing (and dressing) classic heavy metal and doing it very well. They remind me of Walpyrgus; melodic, but powerful and no-nonsense, with plenty of tempo and style changes within tracks to add interest. Musically the sound is well-layerd, professional and polished and the songwriting is top.

The only criticism I can make is that the inexperience shows a little in the vocals, particularly on the power ballad Broken Cage. That's not to say that they're difficult to listen to, just that in a couple of albums' time they'll be even better.

Five stars, Looking forward to part 2.

★★★★★

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)