ALBUM REVIEW: Bruce Dickinson – The Mandrake Project


Bruce Dickinson. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, fencer, author, entrepreneur and brewmaster; television presenter, broadcaster, screenwriter, commercial airline pilot, cancer survivor, professor of history, plus actor.

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Metallica, Paramore, and Boygenius Sweep the Rock and Metal Grammy Awards for 2024


Metallica Paramore, and Boygenius swept the major Metal, Rock, and Alternative music awards at the 66th annual Grammy Awards. Taking place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles all of the Rock Music awards are given earlier in the day and only televised on YouTube and not the main broadcast. In no surprise, Metallica won the only Metal Grammy award – “Best Metal Performance” for the song “72 Seasons” beating out other contenders Disturbed, Slipknot, Ghost (for their Iron Maiden cover), and Spiritbox! Robert Trujillo accepted for Metallica commenting “This is like family. When you’re making an album like this you’re jamming and collaborating and the spirit of 72 Seasons is the youth and creating music together. Keep those instruments in your hands and let’s keep the youth making music and keeping the dream alive!” Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Lucifer – Lucifer V


In the beginning … there was Lucifer! And now this fifth full-length outing for the “occult metal” outfit proves to be a thoroughly satisfying, good ol’ heavy rock ’n’ roll album which, at its very best – the outstanding “Slow Dance In A Crypt” – can be downright beautiful and utterly beguiling.

With song-writing nous, all-round playing chops and excellent production, including a superb, crunchy guitar sound, Lucifer V (Nuclear Blast Records) has at its heart the clean, clear, commanding voice of Johanna Platow Andersson.Continue reading


Super7 Toys to Release a New Version of Metallica’s Cliff Burton Reaction Figure


Super7 Toys will start 2024 in their music series by releasing version 3 of their acclaimed Cliff Burton of Metallica ReAction. Creative with permission of Metallica and witha portion of the prioceeds going to music charity, there have been two ReAction Figures and an Ultimates Cliff Burton “Day on The Green Cliff” edition that was just delivered to fans. for the very first time! Wave 1 (Danger Days versions) are on sale now and these usually sell out! You can buy them at the link below! In addition to the ReAction figures, Super7 has released a Slayer Live Undead playset as well as figures based on other music, movies, toy lines, and other pop culture icons. Other reaction figures in the line include Ozzy Osbourne, Cliff Burton of Metallica, Johnny Cash, Misfits, Alice Cooper, several versions of Papa Emeritus and Nameless Ghouls, Iron Maiden, Slayer, Agnostic Front, Anthrax, Lemmy of Motörhead, Beastie Boys, Venom, Circle Jerks, Gorilla Biscuits, King Diamond, Megadeth, Rancid, Judas Priest, Napalm Death, The Sex Pistols, Discharge, Alice Cooper, Run DMC, Doctor Teeth and The Electric Mayhem, Paul Baloff of Exodus, Jimi Hendrix, MF Doom, Blondie, Ramones, My Chemical Romance and many more! Order right now since these usually sell out.Continue reading


Super7 Toys Releases My Chemical Romance “Danger Days” Wave 1 ReAction Figures


Super7 Toys has released My Chemical Romance ReAction Figures for the very first time! Wave 1 (Danger Days versions) are on sale now and these usually sell out! You can buy them at the link below! In addition to the ReAction figures, Super7 has released a Slayer Live Undead playset as well as figures based on other music, movies, toy lines, and other pop culture icons. Other reaction figures in the line include Ozzy Osbourne, Cliff Burton of Metallica, Johnny Cash, Misfits, Alice Cooper, several versions of Papa Emeritus and Nameless Ghouls, Iron Maiden, Slayer, Agnostic Front, Anthrax, Lemmy of Motörhead, Beastie Boys, Venom, Circle Jerks, Gorilla Biscuits, King Diamond, Megadeth, Rancid, Judas Priest, Napalm Death, The Sex Pistols, Discharge, Alice Cooper, Run DMC, Doctor Teeth and The Electric Mayhem, Paul Baloff of Exodus, Jimi Hendrix, MF Doom, Blondie, and many more! Order right now since these usually sell out.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Dominum – Hey Living People


Right from the moment a certain band from Birmingham adopted the title of a 1963 Boris Karloff movie as their name, metal has gone hand in hand with horror.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Therion – Leviathan III


Symphonic Metal master Christofer Johnsson assembles and commands the latest Therion line-up for Leviathan III (Napalm Records), another epic, bombastic concept album that will have fans of this kind of thing rocking in the aisles, or whatever it is opera fans tend to do in similar circumstances (frocking in the aisles?!).

Non-aficionados will admire the abundant technical excellence but might find themselves worn down by the too sweet, lightweight method and approach, the continuous faux-classical bombardment and the sometimes awkward melding of scatter-gun references and influences (not least in the lyrics).

The strategic mix of the metal and the classic, throughout history, can often be problematic, even jarring. But the long-running Therion, following up directly here on Leviathan I and II (2021 and 2022, respectively), succeed in a more-or-less comfortable marriage of the bright fairytale lights and the darker doom, the beauty and the beast.

Much of the musical glue that holds it all together comes from Johnsson’s keyboards, but it’s the guitars (Christian Vidal) and the main man’s ambition in composition that really shine through.

Vocals range from Viking-style war chants to soaring female operatics (Lori Lewis), with geetar sounds veering from acoustic filigrees (“Ruler Of Tamag”) to electric chugalongs, melodic lead breaks and energetic riff riots (see “An Unsung Lament” and “Ayahuasca”, for example).

There’s also pop among the pomp, singalong and chantalong bits with strong hooks as Swede Johnsson sprinkles in echoes of the spectacularly successful, smooth and satisfying Abba-metal of countrymen Ghost as well as more straight-ahead power metal and melodic prog.

But despite moments of genuine doom and some death growling, Leviathan III can, at times, be too mild and mellow, saccharine and schmaltzy, tunes fit for backing Disney animation rather than proper Wagnerian guts, glory and apocalyptic passion (the images in my head of Elmer Fudd squalling “Kill the wabbit!” in Chuck Jones’ Warner cartoon classic What’s Opera Doc? are surely not what Johnsson had in mind).

The accompanying lyrics are something of a classical, mythological and religious ragbag, referring to generic chaos, the abyss, Babylon, “children of both wrath and all revenge of the deep”, not to mention brother killing brother, Latin warblings, Bacchus, Freja, Thor and Odin, spiritual revelations and a “nightingale in the shadow of your mind”. Profound or what?

The vocals (Thomas Vikström is the lead male singer) that open “Maleficium” recall System Of A Down – echoes of the superior voice of Serj Tankian are cast up several times throughout the album – before mellowing out like most of the rest of the material. “Maleficium”, though, is still one of the album’s signature highlights, along with the aforementioned “Ayahuasca” (the longest track at almost eight minutes).

“What Was Lost Shall Be Lost No More” achieves a certain intensity that several of the other songs lack, while “Duende” opens acoustically and atmospherically, the flamenco-style intro a welcome diversion. Then the operatic, neo-classical assault takes over once again.

Climactic Norse-fest “Twilight Of The Gods” opens with a Tony Iommi-esque droning riff, promising much, but then delivers more of the same formula and a martial, marching beat leads the way to the drum-driven finale (Sami Karppinen on the skins).

Performed live, with full orchestra and choir, Leviathan III might be a different and more impressive beast, but that remains to be seen, and heard.

The old Symphonic Metal lark obviously takes some courage, such are the potential pitfalls, not to mention logistical demands, and Johnsson is to be congratulated again for significantly adding to Therion’s already 35-year legacy. If his reach exceeds his grasp, on this evidence, it’s certainly not for want of trying.

Buy the album here:

https://www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/therion

7 / 10
CALLUM REID


Ghost Streams Rare Bonus Track “Zenith”


 

Ghost has made their non-album bonus track “Zenith” to all DSPs. The track is long-sought after by die-hard Ghost fans, and was originally from a special expanded edition of Meliora called Meliora Redux in September 2016, as well as the Meliora box set. The band also released a new Spotify playlist called the 13 Commandments, which includes the biggest hits from the Swedish Heavy Metal band, as well as their recent cover of Iron Maiden’s “Phantom of The Opera” which is nominated for a Grammy award for 2024. Stream the track here.

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Metallica Slipknot, Disturbed, Foo Fighters, Queens of The Stone Age, Spiritbox, Ghost, Boygenius, and More Nominated for Rock and Metal Grammy Awards for 2024


 

Metallica Slipknot, Disturbed, Foo Fighters, Queens of The Stone Age, Spiritbox, Ghost, Boygenius, Greta Van Fleet, Paramore and others have been have been announced as the “Best Metal Performance” nominees at the 66th annual Grammy Awards, which will air live on Sunday, February 4, 2024. Taking place from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The event will air live on the CBS television network and stream on Paramount+ from 8 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. ET / from 5 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. PT. Ozzy Osbourne won the Grammy in the “Best Metal Performance” category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 65th annual Grammy Awards 2023. Check out the full list of rock and metal nominees here.

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