This week’s Heavy Music HQ reviews include releases from Ambush, Before The Dawn, Esoctrilihum, Fury, Glenn Hughes, Green Carnation, Nailed To Obscurity, Pestilential Shadows, Primal Fear, Still In Love and Svartsot.
The ratings are on a 5-star scale.
Ambush – Evil In All Dimensions (Napalm)
The cover art and album title may give the impression of a more extreme genre like black metal, but the Swedish band Ambush are traditional melodic metal. Evil In All Dimensions is their fourth album, and first in five years.
They deliver songs with soaring melodies and plenty of heavy guitars in the vein of bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. Frontman Oskar Jacobson also has that classic ’80s style, singing with power and range. Ambush keep the tempos quick on songs like the opening title track, “Iron Sign” and “Come Angel Of Night.” There’s also the requisite power ballad “I Fear The Blood.” Evil In All Dimensions doesn’t bring a lot of originality, but it’s a well-executed batch of classic metal with good guitar work.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
Before The Dawn – Cold Flare Eternal (Reaper)
Cold Flare Eternal, the latest album from the veteran Finnish band Before The Dawn is an excellent example of melodic metal. It’s a gleaming and well-produced example of melodic death metal that recalls the likes of Insomnium quite well. The songs are powerful and well-performed and there is a potent punch that makes them even stronger. They are colossally produced and come across in pristine fashion.
In terms of musicianship this is a very forceful album that has the right momentum to win you over. There is a vicious side to the band and it makes them very exciting. All in all, this is one of the most listenable albums of the year. The only flaw to the work is that is that you have heard stuff like it in the past. Though it’s nothing incredibly innovative, Cold Flare Eternal is a very powerful album.
Rating: 3.5
(Adam McAuley)
Esoctrilihum – Ghostigmatah – Spiritual Rites of the Psychopomp Abxulöm (I, Voidhanger)
The French one-man black metal project Esoctrilihum has been very prolific since its inception. Mainman Asthaghul has issued at least one new album every year since 2017, with some years seeing two release. His last opus is Ghostigmatah – Spiritual Rites of the Psychopomp Abxulöm.
The compositions are lengthy, almost as long as the song titles, with most in the 7 to 9-minute range. There are twists and turns throughout, shifting from dense blastbeats to symphonic sections to mellow atmospheric parts to experimental moments. Instruments like harp, theramin, organ and hammered dulcimer add unusual atmospheres. It’s a lot to absorb, both in the complexity of the songs and the run-time of the album, which is about 84 minutes. Even with minimal time between albums, Esoctrilihum’s deep well of creativity shows no signs of waning, with Ghostigmatah – Spiritual Rites of the Psychopomp Abxulöm an ambitious and satisfying release.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Fury – Interceptor (Mighty)
For their latest album Interceptor, the UK traditional metal band Fury have expanded their vocal repertoire. Nyah Ifill, who provided backing vocals for 2022’s Born To Sin is now a co-lead vocalist alongside Julian Jenkins.
She has powerful pipes, and the tracks where she’s front-and-center like “What’s It Gonna Be?” and “Can’t Resist (Gimme What I Need)” are some of the album’s best. Jenkins also delivers a strong and varied performance. The interplay between vocalists and the harmonies elevate the songs. From bluesy hard rock to straight head traditional metal, Interceptor has a lot of catchy, memorable songs and minimal filler.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Glenn Hughes – Chosen (Frontiers)
There’s not much dispute that Glenn Hughes is one of the all-time great rock singers. He’s proven that over the years with his work in Deep Purple, Trapeze, Black Sabbath, Black Country Communion and numerous solo albums. Chosen is his first solo album in nine years as he has been focusing on other collaborations.
At 74 years old, Hughes’ voice is still in fine form. He brings soul and blues influences to hard rock songs on the album. The songwriting is consistent throughout, but a couple of songs stand out. Opener “Voice In My Head” sets the pace both musically and vocally, and “In The Golden” is packed with memorable riffs and melodies. Hughes is a legend, and Chosen shows he’s not yet ready to rest on his laurels, because those creative juices are still flowing.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Green Carnation – A Dark Poem, Part I: The Shores Of Melancholia (Season Of Mist)
Green Carnation‘s sound has varied over the years, shifting from death metal to death-doom to gothic to hard rock. After a long absence, they released Leaves Of Yesteryear in 2020, which was in the gothic/prog metal vein. They continue on that path with A Dark Poem, Part I: The Shores Of Melancholia, the first in a planned trilogy.
The album is pretty streamlined at 42 minutes, but each of the six songs is expansive. Green Carnation allow plenty of time for each track to develop and change, with progressive forays balanced by catchy melodies. The arrangements are layered and intricate with plenty of atmosphere, especially tracks like “In Your Paradise.” There’s variety in intensity as well, transitioning from the mellow “Me My Enemy” to “The Slave That You Are” that has a heavy, black metal style intro and some harsh vocals from Enslaved’s Grutle Kjellson before the melodies kick in. Closer “Too Close To The Flame” has some of the record’s most progressive sections. A Dark Poem, Part I: The Shores Of Melancholia is very engaging, with skillful songwriting and top-notch musicianship, creating even more anticipation for the trilogy’s next releases.
Rating: 4
(Chad Bowar)
Nailed To Obscurity – Generation Of The Void (Nuclear Blast)
German gloom merchants Nailed To Obscurity have kept fans occupied with several singles since 2019’s Black Frost. These tracks have found their way onto Generation Of The Void, which arrives with some tweaks to their sound but will likely satisfy diehards and newcomers. This time around, the group’s self-professed “unique melancholic melodic death metal” also leans heavily into the melodic doom realm.
There are flickers of Katatonia, Swallow the Sun and Paradise Lost alongside the Dark Tranquillity-esque moments, while still retaining enough of a unique identity and exhibiting strong songwriting. Although the record kicks off with a barrage of harsh vocals, their impact is only heightened by a greater emphasis on emotive clean singing. This focus proves effective. Cuts like “Overcast” and “The Ides of Life” are brutal, yet dynamic and a welcome contrast to the more hook-laden fare ala the goth-tinged title track and memorable “Spirit Corrosion.” Generation Of The Void signals that 20 years into their career, Nailed to Obscurity could be primed for a leap into the big leagues.
Rating: 4
(Brendan Crabb)
Pestilential Shadows – Wretch (Northern Silence)
For over twenty years, Pestilential Shadows have remained a pillar of Australian black metal — delivering records steeped in death, occultism, and melancholy. Their music is grim yet grand, raw yet atmospheric, carrying the torch of classic black metal while pushing it into ever more haunting territory. Their latest album Wretch continues this tradition with mournful melodies that draw death out of the most terrifying plagues and present it to the listener as a dramatic and overwhelming spectacle.
Wretch encapsulates everything that defines Pestilential Shadows at their core. Nothing here strays from the band’s oppressive, blackened world, which now seems to have found a fresh narrator and renewed vigor while maintaining its unmistakable essence. With Wretch, Pestilential Shadows open another chapter in their sinister poetry before the darkest demons, delivering songs that are masterfully composed and elaborately crafted; one after another, they affirm the misery and darkness of the doomed human condition with both eloquence and splendor.
Rating: 4
(Arash Khosronejad)
Primal Fear – Domination (Reigning Phoenix)
This week’s reviews feature some really good vocalists, such as Glenn Hughes and Green Carnation’s Kjetil Nordhus. Another elite vocalist is Primal Fear‘s Ralf Scheepers. The band’s latest album Domination sees some lineup changes, with guitarist Thalia Bellazecca (Angus McSix) and drummer Andre Hilgers (ex-Rage, Silent Force) joining the fold.
Even with member upheaval over their nearly three-decade existence, Primal Fear’s power metal sound has remained consistent. That’s the case here as memorable melodies, excellent guitar work from Magnus Karlsson and Scheeper’s powerful singing drive the album. There are uptempo, heavy tracks like “Destroyer” and soaring ballads such as “A Tune I Won’t Forget” along with melodic, mid-tempo numbers and even an instrumental (“Hallucinations”). You can add Domination to the long list of quality albums Primal Fear have released over the years.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Still In Love – Recovery Language (Church Road)
While the UK hardcore band Still In Love are relatively new, their members are experienced, having been in bands such as Bring Me The Horizon, Dead Swans, Throats, Last Witness, Brutality Will Prevail and more. Recovery Language is their full-length debut album.
The album begins with a barrage of short songs, blending crushing riffs, grooves and Nick Worthington’s cathartic vocals. Tracks like “The State Of Things To Come” and “Pillar Of Strength” are lengthier, giving them a chance to showcase a bit more variety when it comes to tempo and intensity. Clean vocals on “You Have To Let Go” are also a nice change of pace. The combination of streamlined destruction and more expansive numbers is effective, making Recovery Language a potent dose of UKHC.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Svartsot – Peregrinus (Mighty)
As they mark their 20th anniversary, Peregrinus is the sixth album from the Danish folk metal band Svartsot. Meaning “wanderer,” “stranger” or “crusader” in Medieval Latin, it’s a concept record exploring the seven virtues that crusaders were expected to embody.
After a rousing instrumental intro, “Tarditas” continues the momentum, and most of the album is mid to up-tempo. The vocals are predominantly harsh, blending lower and higher pitched tones for added variety. Those are contrasted by the melodic guitars and the folky atmosphere provided by instruments such as mandolin, bagpipes and whistles. It’s an approach that Svartsot have perfected over the past couple of decades, and it works well. Peregrinus treads familiar ground, but also explores some new territory, a well-rounded release.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
