Ok, so I have been out of the loop where the actual reviewing of things is concerned for a while and, technically, this review should have been written months ago. So, I apologise to the band Scrollkeeper for the delay with this. Hopefully, it will be worth the wait though.

Scrollkeeper are a band from Houston in Texas, formed in 2016, who specialise in high-energy, anthemic, original material that is “reminiscent of metal’s halcyon days!” – TRADITIONAL heavy metal to you and me!

The band consists of Simon Marfleet on the drums, Justin McKittrick on vocals, Alexander K on lead/rhythm guitars, John Morris also on lead/rhythm guitars and Will Sullivan on the bass and “Path To Glory” is their latest four track EP.

With influences cited as (deep breath here!) Les Warner, Ken Owen, Bruce Dickinson, Leather Leone, Geddy Lee, Andy Laroque, Ritchie Blackmore, Eddie Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen and Geezer Butler, the band’s debut show was as support for Delain and Hammerfall in 2017 and they have since shared the stage with the likes of Manilla Road, Dick Schneider, Angra and Cloven Hoof. They have also kept a busy show schedule in the Houston area, as well as some out of town festivals, as well as being scheduled to open for British heavy metal veterans, Saxon, in 2019.

The self-released EP “Path To Glory” was recorded at Sound Arts Studio and Nocturnal Sound Studios in Houston, Texas and was engineered by Brian Baker and the band’s guitarist, Alexander K. It was mixed and mastered by Ricardo Camargo at Tidalwar Studios in Queens, New York and the artwork was done by German illustrator, Helge C Balzer.

So, now you know a bit of the history of the band and some background to the music, what of the EP?

Well, this really has everything that all great traditional heavy metal albums should have. The drums are galloping, and the riffs are crunching. Justin’s voice is well suited to this type of metal, being powerful and strong and the guitar solos are fantastic.

There is such a high energy throughout the EP that if you are not headbanging with your sword held high by the end of track one then something is wrong with you! I had this on repeat for more than half a dozen run throughs and I was banging my head whilst cooking my chili con carne!

The pace throughout the EP hardly seems to let up (slowing down slightly for the track ‘Surrender’) and the choruses are anthemic (just as the band promised!) The band, as a whole, are tight and concise and although I find the vocals a little ‘flat’ at times, there really isn’t anything to dislike about this EP. The only drawback I could find is that it just wasn’t long enough. I would love to have seen what these guys could do for a whole album, and I wait with bated breath until one is released!

Did I like this EP? Hell, yes! Do I recommend you go and give it a listen? Again, hell, yes!

I can’t wait to see what these guys come up with next, and if this is anything to go by, it’s bound to go down a storm!

TRACK LIST:

Not Of This Earth

Path To Glory

Surrender

Fortune Favors The Bold

Originally posted on Ever Metal

Next on my list of albums to review was another Swedish rock band. This time, it was the turn of Saffire, another Gothenburg based hard rock band, and what a band they are.

Formed in 2005 when Victor Olsson and Dino Zuzic were still at school, their idea was to form a band based on old school hard rock and metal, but with a modern twist to it. They claim to be for fans of “80’s melodic hard rock bands like Deep Purple and Rainbow” and, although I can see where this label comes from (at times the singer has more than a resemblance to the late, great Ronnie James Dio!) I would compare them more to power metal bands Firewind and Evergrey.

The band underwent several personnel changes before settling on their final line up of Victor Olsson on guitars, Tobias Jansson (former singer with fellow Swedish band Evil Masquerade) on vocals, Dino Zuzic on keyboards, Magnus Karlsson on bass and Anton Roos on drums in 2010 and a self-titled EP was recorded and released the same year.

The band played a lot of live shows and in 2013 they signed with Inner Wound Recordings for the release of their debut full length album “From Ashes To Fire.” The album was highly praised all over the world and Rocknytt.net, Sweden’s biggest rock website, placed the album in their top 10 list of best albums of 2013.

They toured all over Scandinavia, playing some of the biggest festivals like Sabaton Open Air and the Ton of Rock Gothenburg Sound Festival, alongside bands such as Slayer, Steel Panther, At The Gates and Sabaton.

November 2015 saw them release their second album “For The Greater Good” and, like its predecessor, was highly praised worldwide, leading to a sold-out release show in Gothenburg in January 2016, and many festival appearances that year including the Sweden Rock Festival, Metallsvenskan, Skogsröjet and Rock In Lisch, with bands such as Queen, Ghost, Twisted Sister and The Hellacopters.

“Where The Monsters Dwell” is the band’s third release and is nearly fifty minutes of real quality. This is a band who have mastered the art of song writing and are all superb musicians, two of the most important elements of being a band.

I love rock and metal bands that have strong vocals, whether that’s just in the power and intensity of the singing or whether the vocals have something different or special about them, and Tobias Jansson certainly pulls this off. From the very first note of the very first song I knew he was special. As I previously mentioned he wouldn’t be out of place singing for the likes of Firewind or Evergrey, two other bands I absolutely adore.

It’s not just the vocals that make this album though. The four other members are simply outstanding musicians. The guitar work is almost flawless, with fantastic solos and riffs that will get your head banging, even if you don’t want it to! The drumming is tight and energetic, and I would love to see Anton, the drummer, in action in a live setting. I can imagine him hitting those skins as if his life depended on it.

The album, as a whole, is straightforward, down to earth heavy rock/metal. I don’t like to pigeon hole bands so whether you consider these guys heavy rock or metal, I don’t really care. All I know is this album will have you dancing around the living room, strumming your air guitar and banging away on those air drums like a loon.

I had been listening to the album in my car until today when I decided to buy a set of external speakers for my laptop! And I must say, the louder you play this album, the better it sounds. I thought it was awesome anyway but coming through those speakers, it just blew me away.

It combines elements of a whole range of genre, from heavy, traditional metal to power metal, and there are even some funky grooves thrown in too. Of course, there is the obligatory ballad in Fortress, but it certainly doesn’t sound out of place on this album.

I am rather ashamed to say that I hadn’t heard of this band before reviewing this album, but for a relatively young band still, they have produced something that is mature and, I’ll say it again, of real quality. I will certainly be checking out their previous albums and am definitely a fan since listening to this.

If you have never heard of Saffire then you are missing out in a big way! Go grab yourself a copy of this album and see for yourself.

I just have one question for the band…………. WHEN ARE YOU COMING TO LONDON????

Simply awesome!!

TRACK LISTING

1. Wolf Among The Sheep

2. Hard To Keep, Hard To Find

3. Valley Of The Damned

4. Broken Crown

5. Where The Monsters Dwell

6. How Cold Is Your Blood

7. Road To Paradise

8. Perfectly Worthless

9. Dark Horizon

10. Fortress

11. The Rainmaker

Originally posted on Ever Metal

There are certain bands that Rick just KNOWS I love, and if one of their albums pops into our Ever Metal inbox, he will send it over to me without even asking! One such band is Riot V!

I became a fan when I first heard ‘Flight of the Warrior’ a few years back (I always said I was born FAR too late!!) and have loved them ever since, reviewing AND interviewing them for Ever Metal.

Now, despite my love of the heavy/power metal band from the USA, reviewing this album always had one drawback for me. It’s a LIVE album! My consensus about live albums is that (and you can quote me on this!) “THEY ARE POO!” None of the so-called classic live albums from Kiss Alive II, to Queen’s Live Killers to Thin Lizzy’s Live and Dangerous did ANYTHING for me. Some might call me a philistine for saying that, but I also know there will be a fair few people who will agree with me. I get used to singing along to a track as they have recorded it and then along comes a live album where the singer thinks he can just sing the songs as he wishes….and all my timing goes out the window!! So, this album automatically drops a point for being a live one! Sorry!

Ok, just a brief history on the band. Riot were formed in the USA by guitarist Mark Reale in 1975. (Mark, unfortunately, died in 2012 but I am sure that he would be immensely proud of the Riot V legacy that still lives on.) Their debut album “Rock City” was released in 1979 and was mainly appreciated in the UK where NWOBHM was bursting onto the scene. But there was another country that welcomed the album with open arms and that was Japan.

‘Warrior’ was released as a 7” EP in Japan and the song has been Japan’s heavy metals fan’s favourite for 40 years. To further reinforce the relationship between band and country came the release of their second album “Narita”, which was named after the people’s struggle with the government over the construction of New Tokyo International Airport at Narita.

So, what better country to release a live album from and on March 11^th, 2018, Riot V played their six album “Thundersteel” in its entirety at Club Catta in Japan.

The first thing I will say about this album, though, is that at 1 hour and 50 minutes long, that’s 23 tracks, you certainly would have got value for money with this gig!!

The second thing I will say, is that this is not like any other live album I have ever heard! And that, my friends, is a good thing.

Now, this is going to sound like the ramblings of a mad woman but the thing I absolutely hate about live albums (apart from the lyric thingy mentioned above) is the crowd noise. I know this is necessary to give the album that live, raw sound but when it kind of overtakes the lyrics and music, it’s all a bit of overkill. This album, however, doesn’t have this. Yes, there is the sound of the crowd after each song (as there should be) and at the “crowd participation” bits (another pet hate of mine!) but it is not so much in your face as I have heard on other live albums. I don’t know if this is because the producers have turned down the sound of the crowd while the band are singing or because the Japanese fans are actually silent at these times! Whichever it is, it’s a good thing in my eyes (or should I say ears!?)

Another thing I don’t understand about live albums is why the band actually release them when they have obviously been pretty dire on the night! I’m guessing this is a contractual obligation or something of that nature, but I would have thought releasing a decent recording would be a better idea. Anyway, the reason behind me making this point is that Riot V need not worry.

This is a brilliant live album. The band sounded absolutely fantastic, Todd Michael Hall’s voice holding out for the whole of the 1 hour and 50 minutes. Those who are Riot fans will know that this is nowhere near the original line-up, far from it, but they play so well together, if you close your eyes, you could almost believe it was the original band up on that Japanese stage.

All the hits are included on this album, from ‘Thundersteel’, to ‘Angel Eyes’, to ‘Johnny’s Back’ to ‘Road Racing’ and ‘Swords and Tequila’. I, personally, love all these tracks and many more in addition and the only gripe I would have with this live album is that the track ‘Outlaw’ has not been included (my second favourite track after ‘Angel Eyes’) but the rest of the album make up for this one little misdemeanour.

So, what did I think of this album? Hated it!! Ha ha only joking. As live albums go it was actually very good. It originally dropped one point for being live but in my opinion, it doesn’t drop any more. I might be a tad biased being the big Riot V fan that I am but do me a favour and give it a go yourself. Hopefully, you will agree with me.

I have never seen Riot V live in concert (hint hint guys! I’m in London by the way!) but one thing this album did do, was make me want to see these guys live! Hopefully this will be something I can do before I pass over to the heavy metal gig in the sky, but in the meantime this album will be a necessary substitute.

Riot V – one of the best, underrated bands ever!!

TRACKLISTING:

Armour Of Light

Ride Hard Live Free

On Your Knees

Metal Soldiers

Fall From The Sky

Wings Are For Angels

Land Of The Rising Sun

Take Me Back

Messiah

Angel Eyes

Metal Warrior

Thundersteel

Fight Or Fall

Sign Of The Crimson Storm

Flight Of The Warrior

On Wings Of Eagles

Johnny’s Back

Run For Your Life

Buried Alive

Road Racin’

Swords And Tequila

Warrior

Originally posted on Ever Metal

If you know me, and have read reviews by me in the past, you will know that I am a big, no humungous, fan of Riot (in all its connotations. The band were resurrected in 2015, after the death of founding member Mark Reale, under the name Riot V.) Ever since I first heard ‘Flight of The Warrior’ blasting out through my laptop’s speakers (far too many years after it’s original release unfortunately) they have maintained their place in my top ten of bands…EVER!

Founded in New York in 1975 by guitarist, Mark Reale, they have undergone various line-up changes, suffered tragedy after tragedy and, in my opinion, really should have been bigger than what they were/are. The deaths of vocalist Rhett Forrester in 1994 and Guy Speranza in 2003, were followed by the death of Mark, himself, in 2015 after complications with Crohn’s disease, and even as late as 2020, Lou Kouvaris, former guitarist with the band from 1975 – 1978, passed away after contracting the deadly Coronavirus, which, as we know, has caused a worldwide pandemic.

But still they pressed on and 45 years and sixteen studio albums later (the last “Armor of Light” being released on April 27^th, 2018) thankfully they are still with us and still making music.

This album was by no means just quickly thrown together as the following statement from Giles Lavery on Jan 8^th, 2020 from Los Angeles testifies:

“In mid-March 2016, I was asked to organise and catalog the considerable archives of the late Mark Reale. As a lifelong Riot fan this was an exciting prospect. Little did I know this would turn into almost a year of working through cassette tapes (mostly unlabelled), VHS cassettes and ancient reel to reel formats…from this many never heard before songs and pieces of music were unearthed.”

Released on March 27^th, 2020, this album is a compilation of rarities, from alternatives to album versions of tracks, demo tracks and outtakes that never made it to final albums. All tracks have been remastered by Patrick W Engel and the cover artwork has been provided by Jan Meininghaus.

The album kicks off with the track ‘Rockworld Theme’. Rockworld was a music TV show from the late 1970’s and Riot were approached to compose and record a track for the main theme. How many of you knew that, eh? And what better track to name the album after.

The second track ‘Bloodstreets’ is one of my favourites on the album. It is a Thundersteel era track (no wonder it’s one of my favourites coming from a time when this masterpiece was recorded) but this has a different ending to the album version. Instead of the guitar solo playing out at the end, this version has the chorus repeat itself on a loop.

‘Medicine Man’, ‘Magic Maker’ and ‘Faded Hero’ (another of my favs from the album) were demos recorded for the follow up to “Privilege of Power” prior to Tony Moore leaving the band. They give us just a glimpse of “what could have been” if Moore hadn’t left.

‘Sylvia’, ‘Good Lovin’ and the instrumental ‘Creep’ were all demo tracks from the “Nightbreaker” sessions, but none made it to the final release, although, in my opinion ‘Sylvia’ is a fantastic track.

The last two tracks on the album, ‘Medicine Man’ and ‘Magic Maker’ (different versions to the ones mentioned above) feature Jag Panzer vocalist, Harry ‘Tyrant’ Conklin, and were recorded when the band were looking for a replacement for Moore, a job that eventually went to Mike Dimeo who sang the tracks on the “Nightbreaker” album.

I tend to find rarities albums a bit hit and miss. Either the quality is very poor as the recordings are years old or, and I have seen this, there are three or four versions of the SAME song. Ok, they might be rare recordings, but do we really need that many versions? This album doesn’t do that.

I loved this album and felt like it was taking me on a journey through time (well..1987-1995 anyway!) It shows the what if’s and but’s that could have taken this band onto a completely different path, leading them to who knows where! But, I, as a Riot fan, am glad they are where they are!

This really is a must have for any die-hard Riot fan and I am so incredibly grateful to Rick for passing it over to me for review. I wait with bated breath for anything new this fantastic band release and I really do hope that I get to see them at a gig sometime soon.

Go check it out and see if you agree with me, you know you want to!!

TRACKLISTING:

Rockworld Theme

Bloodstreets (Alternative Version)

Buried Alive (Tell Tale Heart) (Alternative Version)

Runaway (Instrumental Early Idea Demo)

Killer (Tony Moore Vocals)

Maryanne (Rough Mix)

Medicine Man (Tony Moore Vocals)

Magic Maker (Tony Moore Vocals)

Faded Hero (Tony Moore Vocals)

Sylvia (Outtake)

Good Lovin (Outtake)

Creep (Instrumental Outtake)

Instrumental 1994 (Brethren Outtake)

Medicine Man (Tyrant Sessions)

Magic Maker (Tyrant Sessions)

Originally posted on Ever Metal

Ever since I first heard “Flight of the Warrior” (many years after its release I hasten to add. Yet another band I was late to the party for!) I have been a huge fan of Riot and having the chance to review their latest three releases (re-workings of three previously released albums) was something I just could not turn down.

Often hailed as one of the most unluckiest bands in heavy metal, Riot are an American heavy metal band, founded in New York City in 1975 by guitarist Mark Reale. But after recording their first album, “Rock City,” and having support slots with the AC/DC and Molly Hatchet, the band were unable to maintain momentum and were on the verge of splitting up by 1979.

This was the year, however, that the New Way of British Heavy Metal scene appeared and the band came to the attention of renowned DJ Neal Kay, who spread the word about them in Britain. British fans brought up imported copies of “Rock City” and this encouraged the band to record their second album “Narita”, released in 1979.

Although having a long running successful career, they reached their peak of popularity in the early 1980’s, touring with the likes of AC/DC, Molly Hatchet, Sammy Hagar, Kiss, Vandenberg, Black Sabbath and Rush and 1981 saw the release of their biggest selling album, Fire Down Under, which reached the top 100 of the billboard chart.

Initially their sound was straight forward heavy metal but after the release of 1988’s Thundersteel album, their musical direction changed to more along the lines of power metal (with a bit of good old American rock n roll throw in.)

There have been various personnel changes over the years, vocalists Guy Speranza and Rhett Forrester both suffering untimely deaths, and the passing of founding member and band leader, guitarist Mark Reale due to complications with Crohn’s Disease in 2012, resulting in no original members left in the band.

This, however, didn’t stop the remaining members carrying on and in 2013, they re-launched themselves as “Riot V”, the name Riot having been laid to rest at the request of Mark’s father, and in 2014 released the album “Unleash the Fire,” the first without Reale.

Now, in 2017, the band are back with the re-issue of three of their classic back catalogue, “Inishmore”, “Shine On” and “Sons of Society”. These two studios (Inishmore and Sons of Society) and one live album (Shine On) are melodic power metal gems and are a must have addition to any fans collection, all three albums re-mastered by Patrick Engel for optimal sound quality.

The two studio albums show Riot at the top of their game. I must admit I hadn’t heard of these albums (despite being a huge fan. Shame on me!) but I must say that they have shown another side to Riot that I didn’t know existed.

Originally released in 1998 and 1999, respectively, it wasn’t the era of Riot that I had initially been introduced to and I just have to say one thing…….I missed out! These albums are fantastic, American power metal at its best, and, despite the various line-up changes the band had endured, unmistakeably RIOT!

Built on Celtic legends, Inishmore is atmospheric and conceptual, the guitar intricacies and pounding drums make this straight power metal at its best, while Sons of Society is solid, with excellent guitar work and powerful vocals. Inishmore has now also produced my favourite Riot song in Angel Eyes (possibly also overtaking previous personal favs Outlaw and Flight of the Warrior.)

The live album Shine On is a re-working of the 1998 album, extended here to 20 tracks from 17, but gives the listener the opportunity to hear this awesome band live, something which I have unfortunately never done.

If you haven’t heard of Riot before, where the hell have you been for the past 40 years??? But if you have, then go get yourself these re-issues. They will be a superb addition to your collection and I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

This band have been through a lot to get where they are and really are true metal soldiers. They will keep marching and fighting the good fight to continue to bring you the music you’ve come to know, love and expect!

Track Listings

Inishmore

1. Black Water

2. Angel Eyes

3. Liberty

4. Kings Are Falling

5. The Man

6. Watching the Signs

7. Should I Run

8. Cry for the Dying

9. Turning the Hands of Time

10. 15 Rivers

11. Red Reign

12. Gypsy

13. Inishmore (Forsaken Heart)

14. Inishmore

15. Danny Boy

16. 15 Rivers (Acoustic Demo)

Shine On

1. Black Water (Live)

2. Angel Eyes (Live)

3. Soldier (Live)

4. The Man (Live)

5. Kings Are Falling (Live)

6. Bloodstreets (Live)

7. Watching the Signs (Bonus Track) \[Live]

8. Swords and Tequila (Live)

9. Cry for the Dying (Live)

10. Inishmore (Forsaken Heart) \[Live]

11. Inishmore (Live)

12. Danny Boy (Live)

13. Liberty (Live)

14. Gypsy (Live)

15. The Last of the Mohicans (Intro) \[Live]

16. Glory Calling (Live)

17. Thundersteel (Live)

18. Nightbreaker (Bonus Track) \[Live]

19. Outlaw (Live)

20. Warrior (Live)

Sons of Society

1. Snake Charmer

2. On the Wings of Life

3. Sons of Society

4. Twist of Fate

5. Bad Machine

6. Cover Me

7. Dragonfire

8. The Law

9. Time to Bleed

10. Queen

11. Somewhere

12. Promises

13. Sons of Society (Instrumental Rough Mix)

14. The Law (Instrumental Rough Mix)

15. Time to Bleed (Instrumental Rough Mix)

16. Somewhere (Instrumental Rough Mix)

17. Promises (Instrumental Rough Mix)

Originally posted on Ever Metal

Rick and I have recently come up with a system when it comes to my reviews. Whereas all the other reviewers will take a look at the album list and pick what they would like to review, Rick will just send over a few albums for me to review. He knows my taste probably better than I do, and, as I am so busy with posting stuff to the site and news to the Facebook page, it means I don’t waste precious time (Rick is the one who puts together the album list so he is already working on it.)

Anyway, enough wasting time telling you about the logistics of how we work behind the scenes, I cannot begin to tell you how happy I was when I saw he had sent me the new Ram album to review (I think I actually did a little squeal!) I have been a fan since I first heard “Forced Entry” way back in 2005 and although they had kind of fallen off my radar for a period of time, I was glad they were still making music.

2019 marks the 20^th anniversary of the band, an achievement the band are proud of. Says guitarist Henry Granroth – “it feels great. I would say it’s quite an effort to keep it together for such a long time, and I don’t think anyone involved would have imagined to be a mission of that length. Hopefully, we’ll have the strength to keep going if not twenty more, at least ten. Who knows?”

And what better way to mark the anniversary than with this fantastic album.

Ok, a bit of history first though.

Ram were formed in 1999, in Gothenburg, Sweden, by guitarist Henry Granroth. Granroth wanted to form a “real heavy metal band” as he had become sick of the misinterpretation of metal that was ruling the scene at the time. He met Daniel Johansson, a young but very experienced and talented guitarist, who had a very traditional style of playing metal guitar.

After a long search they found Oscar Carlquist, a powerful heavy metal vocalist with a mutual hatred of the current metal scene, who, in turn, brought in drummer Morgan Pettersson, who still played in the old 70’s/80’s hard and heavy drum style.

Lastly, the band recruited the legendary Leif Larsson, a former member of Frozen Eyes and their line-up was complete.

In 2003, the band released their first EP “Sudden Impact” and it was a hit on the underground scene, the first 1,000 copies selling out in just a few months. They hit the road, playing a number of festivals in Europe and went on tour as support for Sebastian Bach. They were also recognised by Germany’ Rock Hard Mag as one of the best newcomers of 2004.

They released their full-length debut, the aforementioned “Forced Entry” in 2005, an album which brought the entire old school heavy metal community to its knees, and the rest, as they say, is history.

“The Throne Within” is the Swedish quintet’s latest album, released on 13^th September 2019 on Metal Blade Records and it is clear this is a band who has upped its game to deliver a record with its roots deep in classic heavy metal yet wielding an energy and freshness that places it very much ‘in the now.’

Unlike its 2017 predecessor “Rod” there is no concept that unifies the lyrics and every song speaks for itself.

Says Granroth – “it is unmistakable RAM, there are fast songs, heavy songs, mid-tempo and slower tempos as well. There’s melody and there’s grit. The arrangements are recognizable, but some may be unorthodox. We wrote songs with no particular type of record in mind. Sometimes you have a clear picture, sometimes you don’t, and this time we just got together and started writing and saw where that took us.”

The album opens with the epic ‘The Shadowwork’, which explodes to life with a scything riff, making it clear that 2019 RAM are playing at full force.

Having previously released six full length albums, this one doesn’t deviate the band away from their core sound which has its roots set firmly with the likes of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Accept with maybe a tinge of King Diamond creeping in here and there.

Instead, it has raised the bar of their founding principles and this can be placed above anything else they have done before. With a high octane, unmissable, 80’s attitude, this band has both the look and the sound that is able to transport us back to the heady days of the 1980’s when, as some people would say, ‘metal was metal!’

Long have bands like RAM been the loyal protectors of the old guard of heavy metal and this album proves, they are still to this very day. People may say ‘it’s all been done before’ and ‘this isn’t bringing anything new to the scene’ but this album is a true tribute to the metal of the 1980’s and I can only say that this is a good thing. I, personally, like to listen to the new stuff being made today but I also do like to listen to the older stuff too, and if it can be done by a band such as RAM then all the better.

The production of this album is of a greater quality than their previous offerings, providing a polished sound with true grit that gives the guitars, in particular, a bit of extra oomph.

With the twin guitars giving us some awesome solos and riffs, and the rhythm section being tight and solid, the other element that sets this album apart is the vocals. Carlquist has a strong, powerful voice that is so suited to this type of metal and provides that finishing touch to already brilliant musicianship.

This is an album of 100% kick ass metal. But don’t take my word for it, go and get yourself a copy and see for yourself!!!

TRACKLISTING:

1. The Shadowwork

2. Blades of Betrayal

3. Fang and Fur

4. Violence (Is Golden)

5. The Trap

6. No Refuge

7. Spirit Reaper

8. You All Leave

9. Ravnfell

Originally posted on Ever Metal

For fans of Suicide Silence, The Black Dahlia Murder, Whitechapel

The band Take This To Your Grave was first formed in 2006 and then broke up in 2008.Now in 2020, the sound engineer and owner of Phoenix Studios in Nashville, TN has temporarily taken the roll of the drummer for recording purposes, while also mixing and mastering everything along with the guitarist and bass player Norman Ragan .

Take This To Your Grave‘s  Carlos Urrea , who writes the music, lyrics and does vocals, hired the two musicians from Nashville to re-write the drums and bass for the new song Vultures out January 30th! They used what Carlos wrote and then recorded all the instruments! They mixed and mastered the single while Carlos did the vocals from San Diego, CA.

The single “Vultures” was released January 30th!They also plan to release a 5 song EP including this single in May. 

The band’ music influences include Slipknot, Veil of Maya, Between the Buried and Me, Suicide Silence, Chelsea Grin, After the Burial and many more.

The original band members are all from San Diego, California but all the instrument playing and recording was done by two musicians in Nashville.

Check out this lyric video from the upcoming record! 

Follow the band at these links:
https://www.reverbnation.com/takethistoyourgrave
https://www.facebook.com/tttyg619/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/49NZDeRU6PztG0O5Y7J4vz?si=DdXZSPqqTuiPW_0c7ya9kg
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCajl8jBt433Pf0CsEuHj77w

Reproduced with permission from Metal Devastation PR

For fans of Hatebreed, Biohazard, DANFORTH

Out Feb 26th 2021 – Out of the 90’s comes the Punk and Metallic Hardcore madness within NJ/NYC scene.. Formed by this Duo Clint Listing- Vocals & Guitars ( Sulkweed , Long Winters Stare , As All Die , Until the Sky Dies & Magni ) and Jason Mills- Drums & Backing Vocals ( Thirsty Cows ) They performed all over NJ/NYC and did a East coast tour performing with Today Is The Day ( Amrep/Relaps e) and Cavity ( Hydra Head Records ). Originally released on long defunct label J-bird Records (CD only). This now has a second life via Dead Games Records through Bandcamp and All Streaming/ Digital Platforms ( Spotify, Youtube, Apple, Amazon, Tidal and Pandora)

Follow the band at these links: Bandcamp https://grizzlephx.bandcamp.com/album/fly-you-fat-bastard Label http://deadgamesrecords.com/ Email deadgames@deadgamesrecords.com

Reproduced with permission from Metal Devastation PR

 The history of Songs From Black Spirit started in 2016. Crazy metal-head, Vitalis ‘Don Vito’ Kairiūkštis, the musician from Vilnius, Lithuania and Spicy Bits Of Scandal front-man, decided to create his first solo album called I Am Who I Am. And things worked out very well working with his friends, many world-known musicians from around the world. The new double CD album is compiled of 19 songs (15 brand new) and as always will be a surprise for listeners and fans alike. Also included are four new, updated versions of older songs by the artist.

The tracks themselves are an atomic cocktail of black and white, love and hate, good and evil. And all this is enhanced by the magic of music. In addition to traditional rock music, the album also features specific folk instruments with modern sound.

Watch this video!

I Am Who I Am | Released May 26th, 2020 on Sliptrick Records Produced by Vitalis “Don Vito” Kairiūkštis and Giedrius “Jumbo” BalčiūnasAll lyrics and 100% ideas of music by Vitalis “Don Vito” Kairiūkštis Songs From Black Spirit is: Vitalis “Don Vito” Kairiūkštis – All Lead and Backing Vocals Plus numerous guests – Other Instruments

Follow the band at these links: https://deadpulse.com/product/songs-from-black-spirit-i-am-who-i-am/ http://www.sbsband.lt/ https://www.facebook.com/SBS-152569284766266/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCULgXtsZVDD7W6Os-jtalQg https://sliptrickrecords.com/songs-from-black-spirit/ https://open.spotify.com/album/6oQNZLWTB1e8h8ohCu5vL5?si=bCgGWQUgQRWsYyLt-zHPXg

Reproduced with permission from Metal Devastation PR

For fans of CREMATORY, MUDVAYNE, GHOST, ALESTORM, AMON AMARTH

CYNIK SCALD is a multicultural Heavy Metal/Melodic Metal/PowerMetal/Metalcore band with their own original lyrics and music. Cynik Scald’s music has its own sound which can be described as an exciting mixture of heavy metal and folk songs with a pinch of industrial/power metal and a flavor of Viking Metal/DeathMetalcore tunes. Their music is similar to CREMATORY, MUDVAYNE, GHOST, ALESTORM, AMON AMARTH and some vibes of LAMB OF GOD, MOTÖRHEAD.

Cynik Scald’s debut album “AGED SPIRIT” was released at the end of 2019. Recently some of songs from the album were added to some top Spotify metal and rock playlists.

Two most popular songs from album are:

‘When the sun goes down’ – Motorbike Road song, all filled of the spirit of Freedom and Harley Davidson. Sounds a bit country Metal with reference to Cowboy movies of 70-s. Bloggers about this song: “it’s a hard rock fusion that even allows a blues section on the bridge. A song to listen to while you travel to the nearest motor-meeting!”. Reference for this song is Motörhead.

‘Silent Rainbow’ is more Metalcore/Rap Metal. The song is about all people life that they just waste, but all the time above them there is Silent Rainbow, that watching them with love. Influenced by Ghost, Crematory.

Website:
www.cynik-scald.com

Social Media:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKtL69QAxJwvN-r4vvaG3tA
FB page https://www.facebook.com/CynikScald
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cynikscald/
Twitter https://twitter.com/CynikScald
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/28PVchMtv3S4Vfp8oLYYWD
Bandcamp https://cynikscald.bandcamp.com/

Reproduced with permission from Metal Devastation PR