Amon Amarth- Jomsviking


It seems to be somewhat overlooked just how impressive Swedish death metallers Amon Amarth have grown in terms of status and position, especially for an extreme act. Somewhat under the radar for many for the early days of their career, out of nowhere 2008’s Twilight Of The Thunder God(Metal Blade) took the world by storm (pun intended) with some catchy, but still thunderous (ahem) death metal offerings. Further albums since have also seen high praise and more of the same sonically, culminating in a signing to a major label in Sony for European releases (still Metal Blade for North America). This is a death metal band we are talking about, this is huge news.

As a result of major label signing you could be forgiven for thinking the band may water down, but instead Jomsviking(Metal Blade/Sony) is in some ways, the band’s boldest album to date. Unsurprisingly Jomsviking goes down the Viking route again, but for the first time in the band’s career, this has a full conceptual narrative; that of a young man joining the elite Jomsviking after being separated from the love of his life, a befittingly tragic tale which invokes the ferocity of both its historical context, and of Amon Amarth’s music.

Musically the band have never been ones to deviate massively from their formula other than some examples of fine tuning or refining, and much is the same here. A mantra which did no harm for the likes of Motorhead and AC/DC and has certainly not done so for Amon Amarth. Thus, Jomsviking doesn’t throw any new surprises our way, other than some of the band’s finest and most instant songs to date. The white hot fury of ‘First Kill’ proves a suitably morbid and striking opener, whilst ‘Raise Your Horns’ is surely the most archetypal anthem the band has written thus far. Vocalist Johann Hegg may not have the most diverse of vocals but he pulls off individuality of differing characters with ease, whilst the addition of the legendary Doro Pesch on ‘A Dream That Cannot Be’ adds an extra dimension that could bolster the band further if explored further.

Amon Amarth are never going to make a Jazz fusion record or hugely surprise us; but what they do offer however is continuous refinement and subtle evolution, and Jomsviking is further evidence that Amon Amarth are still a huge and creative entity. The boldness of an in depth and intricate storyline intertwined with some of their strongest and catchiest songs to date, and you have perhaps the best album of their career.

8.0/10

CHRIS TIPPELL

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Christian Mistress -To Your Death


Christian Mistress To Your Death album cover 2015

By adding their own modern twist to the exalted genre of New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Christian Mistress has started to make a name for themselves. Interestingly they are from Washington State. Where many bands tend to sound as though they are doing covers when tackling the genre, Christian Mistress actually pull it off. The band’s latest release, To Your Death is their first for Relapse Records.

Album opener ‘Neon’ starts everything off very strong. It is a classic headbanger that channels late 70s and early 80s bands such as Judas Priest and Paul Di’Anno era Iron Maiden. This is due in equal parts to Christine Davis’s vocals and the work of guitarists’ Oscar Scarbel and Tim Diedrich. Scarbel and Dietrich seamlessly reproduce the twin guitar sound the genre is famous for. Davis’s style appears to be modeled on other famous female singers of that era such as Doro Pesch. Hearing a collaboration between the two is something to remain hopeful for. These traits remain throughout the album with some variation.

One song that best nails the mood of the album is ‘No Place’. It is a tune that any audience can rock out to and chant along with. Likewise, ‘Ultimate Freedom’ is an empowering anthem that would not have been out of place during the heyday of NWOBHM. Although the songs conjure up memories of when metal was king, they also carry a promise to revive the genre. The album comes to an end with the killer guitar riffage of ‘III’; one cannot help but start the whole thing over again.

9.0/10

 

MELISSA CAMPBELL

 


System of a Down, Slipknot, Faith No More Confirmed For Rock In Rio 2015


rock in rio poster

The Brazilian edition of Rock In Rio has updated its schedule of confirmed acts to perform. The event is held September 18-27, 2015 at The New City of Rock in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. A partial schedule of the heavier acts have been confirmed.

September 18, 2015

Palco Mundo:

Queen
One Republic
The Script
(more bands to be confirmed)

September 19, 2015

Palco Mundo:

Metallica
Motley Crue
Royal Blood
Gojira

Palco Sunset:

Korn
Ministry + Burton C Bell (of Fear Factory)
Angra + Doro Pesch + Dee Snider
Nocterall + Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween)

September 24, 2015

Palco Sunset:

System of a Down
Queens of the Stone Age
Hollywood Vampires (featuring Alice Cooper, Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Paul McCartney and Johnny Depp)
CPM 22

Palco Sunset:

Deftones
Lamb of God
Halestorm + Convidado
Project 46 + John Wayne

September 25, 2015

Palco Sunset:

Slipknot
Faith No More
Mastodon
De La Tierra

Palco Sunset:

Steve Vai + Camerata Florianopolis
Nightwish + Jukka Nevalainen
Moonspell + Derrick Green
Classicos Do Terror


On the Road… with Doro


doro usa tour 2015

Celebrating over thirty-plus years as the “Queen of Metal”, Doro kicked off a headline tour of the US this week in Philadelphia at The Legendary Dobbs club. Playing a career-spanning set list nightly, every show with this legend packs in equal parts hit songs, anthemic crowd-pleasers, and the boss herself playing every second like it’s going to be her last. Opening the show were tourmates Archer, and regional bands such as Metalifier, Power Theory and others. Doro is out on the road supporting 2012’s excellent Raise Your Fist (Nuclear Blast) album, which recently saw a re-release as a 30 Years Anniversary Edition, complete with a bonus CD of covers of songs by Dio, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Kiss and more. Melina Dellamarggio of Melina D Photography was upfront in the pit, capturing the action for Ghost Cult.

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Doro, Photo by Melina Dellamarggio

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Doro, Photo by Melina Dellamarggio

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Doro, Photo by Melina Dellamarggio

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Doro, Photo by Melina Dellamarggio

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PHOTOS BY MELINA DELLAMARGGIO

 

 


Doro Announce Upcoming US Tour


doro usa tour 2015

Reigning queen of metal Doro Pesch is kicking off another US Tour, with Santa Cruz hard rock/heavy metal unit Archer supporting. They will be touring behind Raise Your Fist, out now via Nuclear Blast. Watch the tour trailer here.

Doro’s latest bout of live dates continues a worldwide trek marking an astounding thirty years since the release of Doro’s first record – Warlock‘s Burning The Witches. Beginning with a mammoth headlining set at 2013’s Wacken Open Air, which boasted a record-breaking attendance of over 95K, Doro has since played two special anniversary shows in her hometown of Düesseldorf as well as countless festival appearances and performances throughout Europe, the UK, and Latin America and will make her mark again Stateside!

DORO w/ Archer:
Mar 03: The Legendary Dobbs – Philadelphia, PA
Mar 04: Empire – Springfield, VA
Mar 05: The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
Mar 08: Scout Bar – Houston, TX
Mar 09: Trees – Dallas. TX
Mar 11: Bluebird Theater – Denver, CO
Mar 13: Club Red – Tempe, AZ
Mar 14: City National Groove – Anaheim, CA
Mar 15: Ramona Main Stage – Ramona, CA
Mar 17: LVCS – Las Vegas, NV
Mar 18: Whiskey a Go Go – Los Angeles, CA

Doro on Facebook


Sister Sin – Black Lotus


BlackLotus

With one black leather thigh-high boot in the hard rock camp, and the other stomping down on the metal side of the fence, comes the confident swagger of Swedish quartet Sister Sin. Following hard on the heels of a successful second stage Bloodstock headline performance this year, it’s easy to see why the band are self-assured, as the headbanging ‘Food For Worms’ launches their fifth album Black Lotus (Victory).

Vocalist Liv Jagrell has bark, bite and edge in her voice, a metal snarl that stays around the mid-range, as the Scandinavians impart an album of no-surprises rock/metal that doesn’t just throwback, but whole-heartedly engages in the worship of the days of Accept and Dio. While comparisons with Doro may seem too obvious (and I tried my damnedest to avoid them), nonetheless ‘Desert Queen’ and ‘Ruled By None’ are smack bang in Pesch territory. Pleasingly, though, Sister Sin aren’t adverse to chucking the odd curveball in, as the more epic ‘Count Me Out’ inspires thoughts of Tony Martin era Sabbath jamming with Metal Church and the countrified ballad ‘The Jinx’ is a good tune which shows Sister Sin have chops, as it would have been easy to have car-crashed going down that particular alley.

At this stage in the game, while it’s too late to expect anything special from Sister Sin, it would be churlish to discount them completely as they are a whole-hearted and exceptionally competent act who deliver gratifying, committed hard rocking heavy metal like it’s going out fashion. I guess the problem is, we know it went out of fashion twenty years ago and came back stronger and more diverse than ever shortly after. We also know The Gods Made Heavy Metal, and that it’s never gonna die, so considering the tumults of great out there, it’s difficult to champion a release that is Top C grade in the grand scheme of things when there are so many A Grade acts out there doing something more interesting.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Black Lotus. It scratches an itch, but does so in the same non-permanent way that countless others do.

6.5/10

Sister Sin on Facebook

STEVE TOVEY


Liv Kristine – Vervain


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Now apparently, this latest effort from Leaves Eyes vocalist Liv Kristine has been sold to us as ‘Ambient doom’. I can safely say that no version of doom has been anywhere near Vervain (Napalm) but within is a sound of some melancholy, despite adding only a touch of gravity to the more expected symphonic template.

Opening track ‘My Wilderness’ houses a sense of despair, lush keys creating a stirring atmosphere while Liv’s heavenly tones are accompanied by haunting backing vocals. The ensuing ‘Love Decay’ features dramatic 80s goth vocals from End of Green‘s Michelle Darkness, adding to the dark pop-rock feel which is given further piquancy by an spiky riff and crashing drums. The title track’s strange synths and gentle but driving beat underpin a gorgeous vocal which is Tori Amos-like at its height: indeed the quirky Goddess is evinced on a number of tracks here, not least in the roughed-up dub of ‘Creeper’ and closer ‘Oblivious’, both full of sparing leads and woolly key fills in the worst traditions of 80s AOR.

It’s a plaintive sound, that largely gothic instrumentation and dark, icicle-drop keys giving the style expected to the Benatar-ish ‘Stronghold of Angels’, which is given a harder edge by a wonderful contribution from Doro Pesch and some heady harmonies. Though devoid of extremity, even weaker moments such as the occasionally feeble ‘Hunters’ are given a little oomph by Kristine’s soaring, crystal-clear voice, full of emotion; the layered backing vocals; and those ‘riff and rhythm’-laden choruses. There’s a hint of Kate Bush also on the edgy ballad ‘Lotus’, evincing a bitter coffee in a lonely Parisian cafe.

There’s an unmistakable air of European rock about it all, even when that riff kicks in, yet it’s emotive despite the clinical over-production and delicious for devotees of heartfelt operatic rock. Liv’s honeyed notes are effortless, even aching on the mournful ‘Two and a Heart’, and overall it’s fairly pleasant though not the sort for rough old me. Catchy, sweet, and choc-full of darkness and melody, it’s Gothic Symphonia with an even softer heart.

6.5/10

Liv Kristine on Facebook

PAUL QUINN