Weekly Metal Recommendations March 26 - April 1

If you need even more metal in your life, I get all my info from https://www.metal-archives.com/ and http://metalstorm.net/home/.

I’m no longer using a rating system and will be doing a shorter list. This list now only includes the things going on my buy list or things I want to promote.

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March 26, 2022

Band: Coffin Hunters

Release: Wake the Dead

Style: Traditional, Hard Rock

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These guys are pulling a sound from the late 70’s early 80’s and are worth a listen for any NWOTHM fans.

April 1, 2022

Band: Infinityum

Release: The War

Style: Melodic Death

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I’ll give this a partial recommendations. I have only been able to find one song and I normally only recommendation after hearing multiple tracks from the album. I like the song but for a full recommendation I’d have to hear more.

Band: Wolf

Release: Shadowland

Style: Heavy

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This is a band that has been on my radar for some time, but I’ve never really took the time to listen to them much if at all…. this was a mistake. Solid heavy metal band worth checking out.

Band: Lords of the Trident

Release: The Offering

Style: Heavy, Epic, Power

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This is my first experience with this band and from this album I’m mostly getting a modern heavy/power metal feel. I’m reminded of Unleash the Archers if they had a male singer. despite any claims to a classic sound, I don’t hear it. The influence is certainly there, but listening to these guys it is easy to tell they are of the modern generation. I’m always interested in concept albums, so I intrigued by the story they are telling here.

Band: Evil Invaders

Release: Shattering Reflection

Style: Speed, Thrash, Heavy

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A fun old school speed metal extravaganza.

Band: Dreamtale

Release: Everlasting Flame

Style: Power, synthonic/symphonic power

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After several power metal bands were not included on this list for either being bland or very derivative of better bands, Dreamtale saved the day for power metal. Great melodies and very epic sounding. The uniqueness comes from their duel male/female vocals. Fantastic band!

Band: Blood Countess

Release: Occulta Tenebris

Style: Black

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Finally a black metal band that doesn’t sound like they recorded themselves with their hello kitty karaoke machine. The vocals still sound raw, but the production quality hits hard and isn’t a thin mess of noise, but instead a well defined chaos. I’m reminded a bit of Cradle of Filth minus all the gothic and symphonic elements.

Band: Esperfall

Release: Act 1 - Origin of Darkness

Style: Synthonic melodic death, synthonic power

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Sometimes this bands reminds me of Children of Bodom and other times Nightwish… with that you’d think they’d be Finnish, but no. Great sound and this is their first album, I look forward to many more.

Weekly Metal Recommendations March 19-25

If you need even more metal in your life, I get all my info from https://www.metal-archives.com/ and http://metalstorm.net/home/.

I’m no longer using a rating system and will be doing a shorter list. This list now only includes the things going on my buy list or things I want to promote.

Ad Blockers may block embedded music. We do not run ads on The Metal.

March 24, 2022

Band: Chaos Invocation

Release: Devil, Stone & Man

Style: Black

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Solid black metal worth checking out at times aggressive and sometimes melodic. Overall a good variety with dynamic well arranged songs.

Band: Hex

Release: Behold the Unlighted (EP)

Style: Death

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Love the drive in these songs, to bad there are only three.

March 25, 2022

Band: Michael Romeo

Release: War Of The Worlds, Pt. 2

Style: Progressive

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Progressive metal with lots of shred and Dio inspired vocals.

Band: Redshark

Release: Digital Race

Style: Speed, Traditional

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I found my self easily getting into this, while reading and looking at some stuff I found I had my head banging along without even pay much attention.

Band: Luzifer

Release: Iron Shackles

Style: Traditional

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If I didn’t know better this would easily sound like it came out of the late 70’s early 80’s.

Band: Spiral Skies

Release: Death is But a Door

Style: Early heavy metal (this is what I refer to heavy metal that borrows elements from older genres of music, in this case particularly psychedelic rock. This was common in Black Sabbath and Deep Purple)

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I’m really loving this. It’s like if Jefferson Airplane and Black Sabbath had a baby. It often gives me hints of Sabbath but vocally it’s Jefferson Airplane even though I can hear some Sabbath phrasing from time to time. The organs gives it that early metal feel as very few later bands use them. This band is like Ghost if Ghost was better.

Band: Necrom

Release: All Paths Are Left Here

Style: Death

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Ukrainian death metal that sounds strait out of Sweden with Lovecraft themes.

Band: Virocracy

Release: Ecophagia

Style: Progressive Death

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This one was keeping my head banging and as a female fronted death metal band, this vocalist goes with a more open sounding growl that keeps her from sounding like many others.

Band: Kingcrown

Release: Wake Up Call

Style: Traditional, Power

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The vocalist here was previously in Nightmare, one of the few French bands I’m a big fan of. Now I think I can add his new band to that list as well. Unlike his previous band, this one seems much more traditional sounding reminding me of bands like Maiden and Priest, although there is still a bit of power metal feel in there.

Band: Dreamer

Release: Tahta Hitam

Style: Symphonic, melodic death, power

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Great songs and great quality I only wish I knew the language.

Band: Scorn

Release: Winds of Torment

Style: Death/Thrash

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This album kicks your right in the chest, everything thrash with the brutality of death metal.

Weekly Metal Recommendations March 12-18

If you need even more metal in your life, I get all my info from https://www.metal-archives.com/ and http://metalstorm.net/home/.

I’m no longer using a rating system and will be doing a shorter list. This list now only includes the things going on my buy list or things I want to promote.

Ad Blockers may block embedded music. We do not run ads on The Metal.

March 14, 2022

Band: Αχεροντας

Release: Malocchio: The Seven Tongues of Δαημων

Style: Black

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Dark atmosphere with great song writing and dynamics.

March 17, 2022

Band: Achelous

Release: The Icewind Chronicles

Style: Epic, Power

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Is it a perfect album?… not even close. Production is less than professional modern standard and from time some vocal parts seem to loud in the mix and even occasionally flat. With that said though there is a charm to this that sucks me in and makes me want to hear more. It reminds me of later era Bathory but with a bit more of a power metal feel (particularly Blind Guardian with certain vocal arrangements and stylings..) I accept the flaws and recommend this anyone who wants an epic charm that to few bands have.

March 18, 2022

Band: Dark Funeral

Release: We Are The Apocalypse

Style: Black

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After six years we have a return of black metal kings Dark Funeral!

Band: Hyperia

Release: Silhouettes of Horror

Style: Melodic Death/Thrash

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Band: Black Fucking Cancer

Release: Procreate Inverse

Style: Black

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Ok so all the Trv Kvlt guys are going to hate this comment, but this comes someone who thinks 90% of black metal bands are utter trash. This band brings the rage and aggression to black metal like Slayer does for thrash. It sounds chaotic with out sounding like it was recorded with a shoe box. Fast, Aggressive and full of hate, this is great black metal.

Band: Grave Noise

Release: Roots of Damnation

Style: Thrash

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There is a hint of non thrash influence that makes these guys stand out from every other thrash clone in existence. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy way to many thrash bands that add nothing new to the genre, but I appreciate these guys for pushing the boundaries. Although rooted in thrash, it sounds like there is some more melodic influences subtle in the mix, perhaps Some Maiden or something more melodic death oriented like At the Gates. Whatever it is, they have my attention.

Band: Powergame

Release: Slaying Gods

Style: Heavy, Traditional, Speed

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Those guitar harmonies sound so freaking good!

Band: Stray Gods

Release: Storm The Walls

Style: Traditional

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Need more Iron Maiden, here’s the next best thing. The vocalist you might know form Attick Demons, and is joined by guitarist Bob Katsionis from all sorts of bands including but not limited to Firewind and more recently Warrior Path. Artur on vocals is spot on as Bruce Dickinson so much so that every once in a while and Attick Demons song will get spread around as a “leaked new Maiden song”. Generally if you love Iron Maiden you wont find anything closer than this. With that said, Iron Maiden is special and can’t be replicated. There will always be something missing even from next closest thing, but this is still a lot of fun.

Band: Daeth Daemon

Release: Span of Æons

Style: Death

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Fantastic old school death that keeps reminding me of classics without sounding like a copy of any one band. It’s like they cut your favorite moments from the best old school death bands and put them in a blender to give you something new but familiar.

Band: Knight & Gallow

Release: For Honor and Bloodshed

Style: Heavy, Power

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In a parallel universe a young James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich never met Dave Mustaine and thrash metal was never invented. Instead James and Lars played a more traditional sound with only hints of thrash… also Lars was more talented. In that universe the band was called Knight & Gallow and this was their first album. Also by combining speed metal elements with Misfits style vocal harmonies and Manowar style lyrics they invented power metal.