REVIEW OF THE ALBUM THE FINAL NIGHTMARE BY OVERDRIVE (2014)

Overdrive is one of the classiest NWOBHM bands in early 80s, formed in 1977, the quartet developed an early heavy metal style releasing their first single On the run (1981) which became a cult material for the years to come. The first album was then released nine years later, Dishonest words, and four years later their second shot called Home sweet home (1994) taking a lull until the release of another two albums, On wizard Ridge (2005) and Three corners to nowhere one year later.

Eight years later and with the new vocalist David Poulter in the band, Overdrive released Final Nightmare via Pure Rock Records last 22nd August 2014.

The new album continues exactly this authentic traditional heavy metal style, containing drippings of 70s hard rock and a few epic elements seen on bands like Saxon. Invited to hell is a demonstration of this early sound as they perform genuine heavy metal with influences, the chorus is really headbanging and catchy as the hard rocker Twice shy come to scene developing a late 70s strong pulsed mid tempo, the progression is excellent, alternating slow and mid paced drum beats and introducing keyboards in an excellent harmony.

Glass game heralds a never-ending headbanging structure, the mid tempo rhythms are one of the best of the band, and is also remarkable the work on the instrumentals, guitars and keyboards strike forcefully and linking the action to an increscendo track, Twisting my mind, creating one of their best chorus, vocal sounds even bring memories from Udo in his cleanest techniques, guitar performance is outstanding and well played along with the keyboards, showing a good instrumental fight, style also seen in Nightwalker, with a more modern influence but still under the old school patterns.

Wasted begins so powerful like a neck breaking blast of fast paced heavy metal, definitely a true masterpiece that will involve the crowd in every gig, with an addictive riff and chorus continued by Lost on a mountain, keeping you up again with some melodic strong pounding heavy sound being another highlight in the album.

Taken Young develops a really rich composition in an ascending intensity path, mastering a really good performance on the instruments harmony, curiously brings me memories from a unreleased track by Judas Priest called Mother sun, the orchestra with violins and piano forge a really powerful ballad and the neoclassical style at the end make it a masterpiece of the band.

The final nightmare end the album, creating a dark atmosphere evolving in an addictive riff, vocals work again on the epic side even showing a high theatrical performance level, the guitar and keyboards construct a really solid and rich sound, leading to an astonishing ending.

Overdrive came back stronger than ever and eight years after their last album, its unbelievable how these guys manage to keep the essence of their sound in early eighties, if you don't know this is new stuff you probably time this album immediately after their first single in 1981,

definitely this is a good lesson of classic heavy metal made for true metalheads, as overall the final nightmare is an excellent album that must be in the collection every NWOBHM fan.

9 / 10

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Ian Hamilton Bass, Vocals, Vocals

Mr. Scratch "Animal" Padgett Drums

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Tim Hall Keyboards, Vocals

David Poulter Vocals

Released by Pure Rock Records, part of Pure Steel records

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REVIEW OF THE ALBUM DOOM PHILOSOPHY BY SORROWS PATH

Sorrows path is an epic doom metal band from Greece formed in 1993, but just releasing two demos, to come back in 2005 after line up changes and really hard times, releasing the compilation Resurrection in 2006 and their first full length in 2010, the Rough part of Nihilism, receiving truly positive feedback. Four years after, the second attack came the last 12th of September 2014, under the name of Doom Philosophy.

Sorrows Path are comprised by Stavros Giannakos on Bass, Angelos Ioannidis as Vocals,Fotis Mountouris on the Drums and Kostas Salomidis on the Guitar.

The album heralds a well composed mix of doom and epic metal, the guitars in general develop evil melodies and the predominant medium pulsed drums create the perfect doom atmosphere, then is the vocal melodies that make the job of epic and doom drippings, mid low pitched accompanied by orchestral backgrounds here and there.

The album follows this dark introduction with Tragedy, developing a mid tempo modern doom style, combined with a powerful and epic melodies on the vocals, really well performed by guitars and orchestra notes, linked with Dance with the death, one of the highlights of the album, dark and epic doom in its essence forged with a really effective chorus.

Brother of life attacks like a powerful bomb,to bring you to a slow paced doom rhythm, where the orchestra makes a high presence, not on their best tracks though, being continued by another hit Everything can change, this one bring you the darkest side of the band introducing some ultra low vocal tunes under a doom metal environment (with even gothic influences) evolving with intensity and changing rhythms performing mid pitched and even growling vocal techniques.

The king with a crown of thorns develop their best epic side, not being doom at all here but really composing an outstanding piece, the chorus is the best of the album, catchy and intense. The acoustic parts on the guitars are really well performed as well as the progression by the rest of the members of the band, creating a really powerful ending.

The Venus and the moon continues this tendency of epic heavy metal domination with doom roots, keeping a good pace within the rest of the album, and linking the action with Epoasis, this time is a win of the doom side, forging a true slow paced doom metal rhythms, combining drippings of Black Sabbath and Candlemass with a head banging chorus.

Clouds inside me is another epic doom track, with a remarkable job on the drums and the virtuous performance on the guitars being also an intense and effective song connected with Darkness, might be another track that perfect encapsulates the bands sound, being melodic epic in one hand and dark doom on the other hand, good instrumental compositions here as well as great vocal performance.

Damned (O)fish/LSD is the last of the album, instrumental doom missile, and here the band really created a good job on the melodies, even boosting it with progressive elements in about 7 minutes of evil power.

Doom philosophy is for now their best work, for those who like classic doom metal with drippings of epic and power metal, this must be part of your collection. The compositions might need improvements at some parts and the vocals are brilliant but would sound better if it where more powerful, but generally speaking is an excellent work that will leave the listener hungry for more Sorrows path.

7,5 / 10

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Released via Iron Shield Records

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INTERVIEW WITH STUD AND STREAMING OF RUST ON THE ROSE ALBUM

Stud are due to release their second album Rust on the rose, the next 31st of October,click here to read the review

To celebrate their new release, the band is going to stream the entire album on their facebook page, on the day of the release (31st october) from 11:00 to 23:00 CET, through www.facebook.com/STUDofficial 

Meanwhile after reviewing the album, I had the great chance to interview the band via Metal Revelations.

Hello guys and thank you very much for your time, thanks also to Marjo from Metal Revelation.

Stud is not a Nobel band, your history begins in 1986 with the golden age of melodic hard rock and heavy metal, and also the evolution to a more extreme metal rising in Finland, how Stud was formed? Tell me about the band's name origins.

Hello, and thanks for the opportunity to share our thoughts on the band and the new album.

The name STUD was basically chosen after listing lots of different options. The idea was to have a short and striking name that is easy to remember. Of course we were aware of the different meanings of the word, but thought that everyone can choose their own interpretation.

The band originally was based in Finnish language, how did you live the change of singing in English?

We actually started singing in English, but switched to Finnish when we got a large record company interested by providing them a demo with Finnish lyrics. After making a single in Finnish we switched back to English. That was also the time when we had another singer in the line-up.

Have you ever thought in adding a Finnish version of any of your new tracks?

No, but releasing the ’86 single in digital format could be an option. There’s even a song that was recorded at the same time with the two songs on the single, that has never been published. We haven’t heard it either since the 80s, but it’s somewhere there in Warner Music’s archives.

However, the main thing is to make albums that are accessible to audiences worldwide, and English is the natural choice for the type of music we play.

The rising of more extreme metal influences was a reason for the band to split in 1989, how did you live that situation and what do you think about the actual metal scene, now that death and black metal among other new kind of metal styles are globally extended?

Today we’re just doing music that we like, without any pressure of what is popular at the moment. Good music is always good, no matter what genre of music it comes from. There’s great bands and artists in different genres. However, we like our music to be melodic and energetic, because it makes us feel good playing it.

How is the heavy metal scene now in Finland? What differences could you find when you look back to the first Stud era?

We really come outside the Finnish metal scene, but from a normal listeners point of view, there’s so many bands that have really mastered the style of music they play.

When it comes to STUD, there really are no bands that are similar to us, in good or bad. We believe that we have our own style and sound. One part of that is, that we have songs that vary from hard rock to power metal and to slower pieces. Even then you can, in most cases hear that it’s us playing.

What do you think about all the new bands that are forming, included in the new wave of traditional heavy metal?

Traditional heavy metal at it’s best makes you feel good. If they can achieve that, then it’s all good. In the past too many bands were doing the same thing, and the music wasn’t always good, even though the hair was ;)

The album is going to be released by Crancksonic, what can you tell about this company? How many albums did you signed with them?

Cranksonic is actually a label owned by our guitar player, and it was established to enable making STUD-albums in the first place. Let’s see what else can follow in the future.

How is it going with Metal Revelation? Is the band being promoted effectively?

We’ve been with Metal Revelation for almost two years now. We’ve really learned a lot from them about the music business, and the way to promote bands today. We couldn’t have had our music heard by so many people without them. You have to do your own good share of work too. There’s no way that you through the ball to someone else and wait for the results to come. You have to work hard for the band in all areas, if you want to be succesfull.

How was the process of creating, recording and producing the new album Rust on the rose?

It was fun, but hard work. Lots of hours were put in for doing demos, basic tracks, vocals, solos, etc. But it was the mixing of the record that took us most time. It’s very easy to spend hundreds of hours for mixing only. But you have to let go at some point.

We’ve been lucky to work with amazing professionals like Puke Kataja, who’s done most of the recording and mixing for both of our albums. The albums were produced by our guitarist Mika Kansikas.

We have also learned that the mastering phase is very important also. You can spend as many hours of time as you want making a great mix, but it can easily be ruined in the mastering stage. We used a great pro Svante Forsbäck from Chartmakers to do mastering. He's also done mastering to bands like Rammstein and Volbeat.

You had a really good feedback from their last album, how was the metal scene responding to that album?

The reception has been really good, and we hope that it gets even better with the new album, which we believe is a step forward in many ways. We would hope, though, for some more attention in Finland. That would help us to book more gigs to play live for larger audiences.

What are the main influences in the band?

So much good music has been made throughout the years we’ve been around. So, it’s very difficult to name just few. Each member has their own favorites too. It wouldn’t be hard to quess that Purple, Maiden, Rainbow, Heep, Van Halen, UFO and such, have been on the list at some point. The music they made back then still sounds good today. You could easily add bands like Pink Floyd, Dire Straits and U2, that are from a whole different genre.

You combine power metal influences, seen on Freedom call and purely hard rock preferences on Promised to be mine, what style do you enjoy the most?

We like doing both. Of course there are some songs that you like more to listen, or to play live, but it doesn’t depend on the type of a song. What is great, is that we’ve had almost all of our songs played on various radio stations. That’s really cool, and shows us that there’s potential in most of our songs. You never know which song would be the favorite among fans.

What is your favorite Stud song?

While making the album, it's usually the one you're working on. Looking back at both albums, there's great moments on them both. It's obvious that the singles chosen from the albums are picked for a reason, but fans should also check out songs like Reach Out from the debut and Freedom Call from the new one. There's also songs like Secrets Of Love and We're Gonna Strike that are more traditional heavy rock, and Renegade and Raise Your Fist if you're more into straight forward hard rock.

If you had to choose one band to share stage with, which band would it be?

Deep Purple with Blackmore on guitar would be cool ;)

Are you preparing a tour after the release of the album?

We have gigs booked and are booking more of them at the moment, but you can't really call it a tour yet. We're also trying to focus on next summer's festivals.

Do you aim for a national, European or global tour?

Short term, it depends on what kind of opportunities we're getting, but the ultimate goal is certainly to tour as widely as possible. So, we're really open to all kind of offers.

Which countries would you like to visit?

The most natural countries to tour would be the ones that have most STUD-fans. We've had good reception from many countries like Germany, States, France, Holland and UK, to name a few.

Could you describe a special memory you had while on tour?

It must be the tour we made to Estonia back in the 80s. Estonia was still part of Russia then. The atmosphere was a bit strange, but there was some really cool people we met. It would be interesting to visit those same venues now when everything has changed.

Last question, can you send a message to your fans to promote your new album?

If you're a fan of feel good rock'n roll and melodic metal, you should check out our new album "Rust On The Rose". If you already liked our debut album, you should be pleased with this new one as well. For a rising band like STUD, that don't have a big record company behind, the support of the fans means everything. If you like our music, let your friends know it too, spread the word. To keep updated visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/STUDofficial, and push that like-button too. Rock on!

Thank you very much for taking the time and hope to see you soon on the stage!

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 Ari Toivanen (vocals)

Mika Kansikas (guitar)

Matti Jalonen (bass)

 Stenda Kukkonen (drums)

Buy Out of the Darkness 
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REVIEW OF THE ALBUM SHOUT FOR HEAVY METAL BY MORTICIAN (14th november 2014)

Mortician is a genuine heavy metal band from Austria, formed in 1983 and releasing cult heavy metal materials on that time consisting in a demo and EP No War in 1987 with excellent media feedback, and changing line up for another demo in 1989 but without being as successful as their first EP, the band split in 1990. Twenty years after their last concert, the reunion of Mortician was a reality, forming a solid lineup with the two founder members Patrick (bass) and Thomas (guitar), joining forces with Daniel Khan on the vocals and Gergely Nagy on drums.


Soon the new Mortician released their first full length called Mortician via Pure Steel Records, a really high quality album showing a renovated energy from the Austrian quartet. Finally the band went again to the studio to forge their second bomb called Shout for heavy metal, released by Pure Steel Records and coming the next 14th November 2014

The sound of Mortician and their new album, is influenced by the greatest heavy metal bands from the 80s such as Accept and Judas Priest, combining the aggressive edge from those giants with the power metal showed on bands like Grave Digger, showing comparable composition strategy on verses, strong Teutonic guitar performance and catchy and repetitive choruses in general. 

Powerful is the word to use to describe the beginning of the album, the tittle track Shout for Heavy metal will make you bang your head straight away, mid strong pulse and catchy chorus in general, with a remarkable high pitched performance on the vocals, continued by Eagle Spy following similar patterns, excellent riff performance and really good progression on the verses, guitar riffs are outstanding and the drums do a good job on the pedals, a demonstration of true power heavy metal style.

Promised land heralds an effective riff in good harmony with the vocals, developing galloping in crescendo progressions and another good job on the vocal performance with clean and sharp techniques as the fast paced track Rock Power kicks in with drippings of Accept and Saxon in a powerful and headbanging feeling.

The Devil you know is another full power-heavy metal track with extremely catchy chorus, the ascending intensity this track create is astonishing, changing vocal techniques on the clean side in one hand to be answered by Udo style on the other hand, being a good highlight of the album among other tracks like Black Eyes, whose powerful riff will be remembered, this time vocals act with short shots under a mid tempo forceful changing rhythms, being one of the best acts the band have created.

Inner Self attacks with thrash metal drippings and high and lows on the vocals, melodies contains some modern details, and the attitude remains wild all over this song, the quality on the composition is better and more sophisticated, applicable also to the next track Hate, where the band show a more complex structures adding acoustic parts that are transformed into speed metal sections, great guitar riffs bringing memories from the Children of the grave track by Black Sabbath.

Wrong way finalise the album bringing some hard rocker attitude to the mixture that Mortician have shown already, the mid pulsed track encapsulates well what the band's style is about, showing a really exceptional guitar work.

Mortician follow the path of true metal once again with this album, The compositions are brilliant, however that could be more diverse, the patterns are followed in similar ways on most of the tracks.

Overall, the result is marvellous, highlighting tracks like Black Eyes, The devil you know or the tittle track. Shout for heavy metal will be an essential not only Grave Digger and Accept fans but also for NWOBHM maniacs hungry for louder than hell true metal records.

8 / 10

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REVIEW OF THE ALBUM RUST ON THE ROSE BY STUD (31st October)

Stud is a heavy metal band from Finland formed initially in 1986 releasing their first single in finnish  "Mä Haluun Elää" / "Viimeinen Yö", and being a cult material after the band split in 1989.

The band reunited in 2012 and started to create their first album after more than 20 years, releasing Out of the Darkness in 18th October 2013 with positive feedback by the media, touring internationally and signing a worldwide promotion with Metal Revelation, and then back to the studio in march 2014 to record their second album, Rust on the rose, due to be released the next 31st October.

Stud new album belongs to the combination of melodic hard rock and classic heavy metal, dripping Point of entry era Judas Priest styles meeting Y&T or Tygers of Pan Tang, forging a wild hard rocker attitude that bites with a sharp edged steel we have Raise your fist, essentially hard rocker melodies in classic heavy metal instrumentals, the chorus in general are really catchy, Rock and roll world demonstrate it, the mid tempo strong pounding drums even bring memories from ACDC when the chorus take action, extremely effective track linked with one of their best pieces, Rust on the rose, pure melodic hard rock - heavy metal anthem performed with an outstanding vocal quality, being mid to high pitched and clean along the whole album.

We're gonna strike explodes with a galloping palm muted riff surprisingly intense and head banging, the chorus is made to be singed along on the gigs, another one of their top hits, with great performance also on the guitar techniques, really superior!

Poor mans buddy herald another hard rocker mid pulsed shot with the same patterns followed to create catchy backed vocal choruses, and accelerating the pulse for Promised to be Mine, a killer melodic hard rocker attack with even glam drippings.

One of the things this band do well is that they take care very well every single note allowing them to combine different styles successfully, that's why Freedom call is forged with pure heavy metal melted with power metal with such an amazing epic result also appreciable in the next track Break the Chains, being a mid fast tempo classic heavy metal attack made for true metalheads, with excellent guitar performance and perfect harmony with the vocals.

I don't know was their first Single released in May, bringing a really good heavy rock rhythm, with outstanding high pitched vocals and strong drum pounding with elements from On the run, by Judas Priest from Point of entry times, excellent Influences that are also present in Dangerous, as the epic element comes to action with an astonishing palm muted-shredding and melodic riff, and a mid high pitched vocals, more relaxed this time but equally effective, the harmony is great here as the composition is performed at perfection.

Playing to win is the last in line, as a mid tempo intense ballad, forging powerful melodies in crescendo ending the album leaving a really good aftertaste.

Stud improved their past works with this album, creating a quasi perfect record that combines the best of two worlds, melodic hard rock and classic heavy metal with some boosts of power and glam, every detail has been taken care so carefully denoting the hard job these guys have done since they went to the studios in march 2014. If you enjoy heavy metal as well as melodic hard rock you will definitely like Stud.

9 / 10

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 Ari Toivanen (vocals)

Mika Kansikas (guitar)

Matti Jalonen (bass)

 Stenda Kukkonen (drums)

PREORDER RUST ON THE ROSE HERE

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REVIEW OF THE EP "I" BY DISSORTED

Dissorted is a melodic thrash metal band from Munich (Germany) formed in 2004, playing numerous gigs throughout the country, sharing stage with bands like Toxic Waltz  and releasing their first EP called "I" the last 5h of September. The band is comprised by  Mirco on the Vocals, Dillon on the Bass, Florian and Sebastian on the axes and Martin on the Drums

Dissorted drink straight from the pure roots of thrash metal fountain, the technical instrumental offers a strong and straight feeling unveiling drippings of giants like Exodus or Testament. Bloodshed Divined heralds the best style of the band, being riveting from the beginning, one of those anthems that create circles of death and mosh pits on the gigs, specially in the fast paced track Eaten Alive, vocals are really forceful and aggressive, generally on the mid and high pitched sharp style, and even showing some growling parts.


Operation observation heralds a mid tempo heavy metal anthem, in a crescendo pattern introducing some modern sounds, with a fine and truly intense result followed by The new world whose main riff will take you to your heaviest side as a pure high speed thrash with high pitched vocals taking the lead to make you bang your head till death, really well forged song, remarkable job on the guitar qualities, demonstrating a powerful thrash metal mixed with melodic sections.

The somnambulist ascends from double pedal intro verses to create one of the best track of the band, developing galloping rhythms and true thrash metal backing vocals on the chorus giving a really wild attitude, the job on the instrumentals are exceptional and clockwork coordinated.

This first job by Dissorted unveil the true thrash metal road to be followed in future works, for now they must be proud of this record, the production is great and for sure every thrash metal maniac will bang his/her head playing it loud, brilliant!

8 / 10

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REVIEW OF THE ALBUM INNER CITY WOLVES BY JOHNNY TOUCH

Johnny Touch is a Traditional Heavy-Speed metal band from Victoria, Australia, formed in 2008 and releasing their first demo in 2010 and a couple of splits in 2012 and 2013, to finally sign with Shadow Kingdom Records releasing their first and very awaited full length called Inner City Wolves

The current line up consist in Pahl Hodgson as Lead Vocals, Jamie Whyte on Lead Guitar, Inphiltrator on the  Bass Guitar and Denimal on drums.

Johnny touch combines a style taken straight from the true metal flames from the 80s, being quite appreciable elements of Judas Priest, Dio or Maiden, among essential touches from the NWOBHM, also enhanced with technical instrumental patterns where guitar shredding and detailed drum compositions are melted on the band's soul, special mention to the high pitched and sharp vocal style,remembering cult bands like Oliver Magnum and creating the basic environment to be included in the true metal scene like bands such as Metal law, Razorwyre or Air Raid among others, becoming part of this huge explosion of true metal worldwide.

The album starts with It's alright, perfectly follows the description of the style above, pure 80s heavy metal, non-stop headbanging piece with an excellent performance on the vocal parts with high and low pitched parts continued by The Metal embrace, curiously bringing good memories from the Dio hit We Rock, but evolving in a darker and more aggressive structure, the vocals are well backed and the chorus is catchy and really effective.

Lady stutter goes in ascending intensity from acoustic to a mid tempo melodic ballad, great play on the vocals, the technical drums and guitar shredding, but what its superb from this track is the progression, with galloping pulse evolving to an epic ending.

Radiation axeposure takes to the limit the exceptional qualities of the guitar shreddings, being a pure demonstration of guitar virtue as Dishonourable discharge explodes like a pure speed metal bomb taking the listener to the pit with a really good harmony within all band members, this time the band use some power metal drippings, becoming one of their best acts.

End of daze acoustic ballad entry is soon accelerated to a really well composed song, with solid and technical structure linked with Bitch of a son, another mid fast pulsed anthem of breathtaking headbanging action.

Finally Black Company is full of melancholic melodies in slow to mid paced rhythms even with doom side drippings, offering a high contrast when sadness is transformed to aggressiveness and vice versa; not on their best acts but still good though.

Inner city wolves by Johnny touch is really an exceptional album, containing good technical details, and well feed by the 80s true metal scene, remarkable the Oliver Magnum similarities, that's a really good point. Every single tracks is excellent, obviously they need to improve the compositions and the choruses to be on the top of the scene, but they are taking the right path, can't wait to see what these guys are able to do in the future!

8,5 / 10

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Released by Shadow Kingdom Records


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