ALBUM REVIEW: Midnight – Hellish Expectations


The ever-belligerent Cleveland-based one-man unit Midnight returns with a prolific sixth full-length entitled Hellish Expectations, out via Metal Blade Records. Continue reading


Trollfest – Kaptein Kaos


Trollfest-Kaptein-Kaos

Let it be known that, prior to this album, I had never listened to Trollfest before so I really didn’t know what to expect. Kaptein Kaos (NoiseArt Records) begins with ‘Trolltramp’ which is a short instrumental piece that sounds like something you would have heard when running around with cavemen in Chrono Trigger before the Reptites crash the party.

The songs that I enjoy the most are all in the second half of the album. Let’s start with ‘Solskinnsmedisin’ and its Latin influences. Did I hear a güiro underneath all of that crazy? This song sounds like something I’d catch my old man listening to when he can’t decide between merengue and metal. Honestly, it makes me think of a goofy Puya.

‘Sagn Om Stein’ is on the lighter side and makes me think of dingy bars where questionable bearded men can be found aka my kind of place. I don’t know what’s being said but my brain is interpretting it as “let’s party”. Grab a beer, grab a beard, and toast in a foreign language or two!

It’s difficult for me to decide between ‘Solskinnsmedisin’ and ‘Kinesisk Alkymi’ but I think I have to give the honor of my favorite song from Kaptein Kaos to the latter. I find the Asian influences and string influences extremely interesting. It would have been right at home in the Tekken or Mortal Kombat franchises. Why does everything about this album make me think of video games and alcohol?

Kaptein Kaos is a lot of fun to listen to and definitely not what I was expecting. I thought it was just going to be your standard dosage of folk metal but Trollfest used other musical styles that keep the listener engaged and amused. I had no idea what was being said for at least three quarters of this album but I want to go to a cabana party with an arcade inside.

8.5/10

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