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MECHANIX
T.A. 7,5/10
MAGNUM
A.S. 8/10 T.A. 7,5/10
MIND'S EYE
A.S. 8/10
THE MUSHROOM RIVER BAND
A.S. 8/10
MERCENARY
T.A. 9/10
MASTODON
T.A. 8/10 |
MY SIXTH SHADOW
T.A. 8/10 METALIUM
T.A. 7/10
MOTORHEAD
A.S 8,5/10 T.A. 8/10
MYRIADS
K.P. 7,5/10
MONTANY
T.A.6/10
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Mechanix
is a band that comes from Arizona and plays melodic hard rock, just like the
way it used to be played in the 90's. Their music has also many influences
form the heavy metal music, and that is very logical, cause the line between
hard rock music and heavy metal is very thin. The production of the album is
very good for that kind of music and the band seems to know how to write
good hard songs that fits perfectly with the melodic voice of the singer
John D' Angelo. The songs of "Regenerator" are very interesting
and in some parts we can enjoy polyphonic compositions in were all the
members of the band are participating. Mechanix seems to have many
influences from bands like the U.S. Fortune (especially them) and from the
guru Leatherwolf (due to the polyphonic parts) in some songs. Highlights of
the album are definitively the great "Night Of The Dancer" and the
fantastic ballad "Another Night". Enough with the descriptions my
friends!!!. If you like melodic 90's hard rock/metal music, then
"Regenerator" will surely make you paint the town red! Albums like
Mechanix's "Regenerator" shows that the specific kind of music is
not dead and that will return better than ever very soon! 
I've been wondering for years why Magnum were condemned to compose great, lyrical songs, without earning the fame they deserved. I am afraid that this will happen again with their new album: those who know and love the band will find one more great record of quality British hard rock, whereas the rest will keep ignoring them. I wish I were able to right this wrong when the band released albums-masterpieces like "Chase the Dragon" or "On A Storyteller's Night". The new album doesn't reach the inspirations of the aforementioned reckords, but it contains songs trademarks of the band like "Cry for You" and "Still". The whole album is characterised by the quality standards of the band that guaranty a good time while listening to it: catchy refrains, nice melodies, keyboards "dressing" the songs, and this symphonic atmosphere haunting them. The fans will love the album. As for the rest...there's never to late to redress a wrong.
To be honest I didn't know this
band so far. What a big mistake! This is their third full-length album
(I have not heard their previous works "Into the Unknown"
and "Waiting for the Tide"), and I have to admit that it is
a really mature, complete, magnificent album of prog rock. But don't
you get carried away by the term. The songs (although have roots
in the 70's prog rock movement) are approached by a more modern
perspective and they also last shorter (average 6 minutes). Therefore
Mind's Eye have the ability to be embraced by all rock/metal fans, and
not only the "prog freaks" who have no problem in listening
"12 minutes songs". I have to say that the songs are complex
enough but not "too large" without having nothing to
say. In order to get an idea of their sound, imagine a mixture of
Enchant, Arena and Queensryche. However the band has created its
own personality imposed by magnificent guitar melodies followed by
multiple voices and a lyrical atmosphere. It would be a mistake to
write that the band has potentials to evolve to something great. The
fact that they don't have the recognition that other bands of the
genre enjoy, doesn't mean that they are not great already. I am sure
that we will hear amazing things from this band in the future. Follow
suit now and help them to evolve.
This is one of the big mysteries of
life: Why did Spice leave Spiritual
Beggars when they were one step before becoming a super-band (in recognition
terms, as they are a superband already). Who knows? And now that he released
this dynamite with his band, who cares? We are talking about an album that
goes directly on the top of the releases of this genre! Which gerne? Eh,
come on! What did you believe that Spice would play? Heavy rock, delving to
the 70's, with "large" riffs, very close to the Beggars' sound. It would be
a mistake to compare it with the aforementioned group though. Spice made his
decision (I don't know why) and now he belongs to The Mushroom River
Band. And you know what? With what I am listening to now, it might be
best. Because this way we might have two super-groups in the genre! All those who
follow this "stoner" sound will bow to this album. Don't even think about
missing this if you liked the recent albums by Orange Goblin or Grand Magus
or you are a Beggar fan.
Mastodon is an extreme metal/deathcore band from America and "Remission" is the first full-length album of the band. As I said before the music style of the band is a mixture of extreme and deathcore music but not only! In fact they play a "strange" and extreme kind of music. Their music has much death metal and few jazz (!!!) elements! In this point I must inform you, about the drummer of the band,
Brann Dailor. The guy is really a "beast"! His technique is very high on the drums. I noticed that he can play anything that he wants! Also the vocals of the singer are very sharp and brutal. Another thing is that Mastodon composed very interesting songs in this album, like "Ole Nessie" (a truly paranoid song!), "Trainwreck", which is a mid-tempo "sick" song, and the 8-second instrumental "Elephant Man". Just imagine, that if this is the debut album of the band how much more they can offer in the extreme music generally.
I don't know how to characterize "Remmission", but I can assure you that this album is full of surprises. The fans of the specific genre must get "Remission" right away! 
My Sixth Shadow is a new band that comes from Italy and they were formed back in 1998. The music that they play is a
"strange" mixture of gothic metal, with some dark electro
elements. "Sacrifice" is a mini-cd, which contains 5 tracks. To be
honest, in the beginning I had no idea of what I should expect from My Sixth
Shadow, but after I listened to the mini-cd, I can tell that it is really
good. All the songs of this cd are really nice and especially the homonymous
"Sacrifice", the heavy "Aeteria" and the catchy
"Die In Me". I don't know if the band signed with a record
label, but I have to tell that a Label, which is dealing with gothic metal
music, must sign them right away! My Sixth Shadow can write very interesting and catchy melodic
songs, so all that they need is someone to promote their music. You can order
"Sacrifice" by contacting with Victor,
who is the guitarist of the band at victor@mysixthshadow.com, or by visiting the official site of the
band: www.mysixthshadow.com. If you are a gothic metal fan or if you love strange dark
music, order as soon as possible this mini-cd. Support My Sixth Shadow, cause they really worth your
attention. I'm just looking forward to listen to their new full-length
album.
The Metal Hero Metalium has returned within the third
chapter. German power metal with beautiful bridges and multiphonetic
refrains. Maybe that will sound a little cliché to any of you but we don’t need to expect from bands like Metalium many and radical differences between their
albums. Metalium can offers us albums that features many good and powerful songs and that exactly what they do and with their new record “Hero Nation – Chapter
III”. The songs that I like most of this album are “Odin’s
Spell”, “Odyssey” and the sentimental ballad “Infinite Love”. The funs of power metal music will like this album but for the others I suggest them to try somehow to listen to the album before they bought
it. 
Ho-ho-ho, uncle Lemmy is
back!!!! And this new record leaves us both a big
smile on our faces (and much pains on our necks)!!! Lemmy preserved a steady
line-up for Motorhead for a few years with Phil Campbell (guitars) and
Mickey "hello compatriot" Dee (drums), which brought about beneficial
results for the band. The climate and the relations between the three musicians seem to be top class and this is mirrored on the songs they
compose. Motorhead seem to be in horgasmous shape during the past few
years, producing albums-diamonds of dirty hard rock music!!! After the monumental
previous album (We are Motorhead) I was afraid that they wouldn't be able to
even release something close to its standards...and how wrong I was!! The
new album is equally qualitative, full of songs dynamites (it is a shame to
mention a couple of songs as all of them are great) in the familiar style of
the band (although if you listen to the new hard rock hymn "Walk a Crooked
Mile" you will probably realize that it has one of the most melodic refrains
of Motorhead's history). No one expected to listen to anything new from
them, and this is why we love them: because (like AC/DC) they are able to
produce albums in the same style without becoming boring, and still looking
vigorous!! The only ones who might have problems with this album are my
neighbors (hope yours too), who will have to put up with Lemmy's barks,
Phil's thunderous riffs and Mickey's bombardment!!! By the way Motorhead
with every album prove that they are the kings of dirty, heavy sound and
they obliged all those "bad", "heavy" and "evil" groups to go find a place
to hide. Motorhead, we salute you!
Myriads -for those who don't know- is a Norwegian comer band
that was formed in 1997. Since then they are becoming better with every work they release. With the new album
"Introspection", the band has proved to it's fans, and not only, that metal music
can be a mixture of classical and folk elements, and that can contains industrial parts without loosing the metal feeling that
it's diffused to the entire album. With faster heavier but more atmospheric
tracks, than in the previous album Myriads won't disappoint the "open-minded"
metalheads! The vocals (clear but also death vocals) and the lyrics are the
strongly parts in "Introspection". Those, in combination with some inspired guitars riffs (acoustic, and string sextet) are enough to
make the album interesting. "Miserere Mei" is a song that although it's length I liked it a lot, since it was a mixture of different
sounds and melodies with amazing instrumental parts. Of course they still have a lot of work to do in the composing and technical part
of their music. The production of the album and also the mix was made by Myriads, and I'm sure that this band will surprise us in
the future with a new album even better than "Introspection".
Montany is a Dutch newcomer
band, which plays good teutonic power metal a la Gamma Ray, Helloween and Freedom
Call. They play pretty good, some songs are very interesting such as
"Here In The Light", "Pyramid Of Cheops" with the very melodic chorus
and, in my opinion
is the best song of the album, "Sentenced". Also I liked very much the voice of the
singer, the good guitar work and the dynamic production of the album. The problem with this band is that they have no originality in the musical and
also the lyrical part. Personally I consider this not a very big and important problem as long as a band has written
(or can write) good songs. And the songs of this album are very enjoyable. So if you are a very district critical fan who does not accept so easily all those quite
good, but not original, bands in the power metal genre, please don't expect something
ingenuity from this album. But if you don't care much for originality, try and listen to this album cause you might like a few
songs