Purgatory - 1986 - Tied to the Trax

Holy SHIET you guys, this is a masterful record. The best thing here is, of course, the thrash included power metal musical direction with -- at least -- the occasional great vocal performance of Jeff Hatrix. If one song should be checked out here it's the last one: "Purgatory (Shattered Vision)". Killer album from these rather unknown lads. 8,5/10, and better than Jon Schaffer's Purgatory

Every now and then I have to play this masterpiece. 13 minutes of batshit crazy BM. There certainly is some deranged aspect to the music, even if on paper it's just some blast-beat/tremolo riffs. But the atmosphere is instantly recognisable. Animal noises in the intro and vocals being mostly a mix of random shouts buried in the background, as if trying to inhale or suffocating, do give it a wtf vibe.

The last album I listened to was Breakdown of Sanity's Perception !

Absolutely Fantastic.

Listen to it on a home system with four JBL 10 stacks.

Absolutely mind-blowing.

https://youtu.be/GBBlAA7Eav0

Not Fragile - 1993 - Lost In A Dream

Power metal in the 90s, what can do wrong? -- Not this album. This is a solid competitor to Walls of Jericho and Gates to Purgatory but the release year might raise some question marks: why was this released so late? I don't know or care, maybe they didn't just get a record deal sooner, give them some slack. 9/10, this is one underdog record you guys

Maniac - 1988 - Look Out

Is this 2nd Fifth Angel? Sounds similar, but Maniac actually was formed earlier. Really good unknown record with strong songwriting. 8,5/10

edit. Listened some more, sounds even better. Let's say a fair 9/10. Overlooked gem right here

Maniac - 1985 - Maniac

Is this "a technologically backwards Helloween" like UltraBoris claimed? Let's find out. It's not like that at all; this is classic heavy metal combined with some occasional speed metal, and it's rather good at it. Great debut record, but not quite as good as the sophomore. 8/10. Skip the last song though, that's pretty much a bore

No Trouble - 1985 - Looking For Trouble

Just heavy metal from the golden ages; not especially great but I can definitelly listen to this at least once. 7/10.

Vladimir Pavelka - Spomienky (2021)

While the initial EP was perhaps more post-black oriented, this LP is rather post-rock with a few hints of BM in some blast-beat driven sections. And it achieves even better the nostalgia feeling of old, when things were simpler and nicer. Too much feels contained in 45 minutes. Like a rural-Slovakian God Is An Astronaut. Or a very soft Cult of Fire.
Being instrumental (minus a few ambient noises like cats purring and river flowing) is a big win, only suitable option for this kind of music. It's a trip.
Highlights include Detske Hry, Kostolnik and Túra Na Čachtický Hrad.

Omega - 1985 - The Prophet

Is this something that is worth to be commented upon on or not? Let's find out, you guys. It's quite proficient heavy and also melodic metal to be appreciated if you're looking this style of metal. you guys. Not a total masterpiece and the shortcomings might be heard on the vocals. My verdict is: really nice piece of heavy metal right here. Check this material out, you guys 8/10

Written by Joppe Denton on 04.12.2022 at 00:56

Omega - 1985 - The Prophet

Yo, that's one great album indeed, a great mix of melodic heavy metal, NWOBHM, progressive rock and even biblical lyrics. Feels good to see that I'm not the only one who digs this obscure little gem.

Andzjel by Heiden

Stone Vengeance - 1990 - Stone Vengeance

Really good african american thrash right here. The band manages to keep things interesting with such long song lengths that it's kind of an insult towards all the crossover and thrash bands who write those less than 3 minute songs and barely can make them sound good. Of course this release doesn't sound very good audio-wise, listening to this music at casette rip quality doesn't seem to do justice for the actual song material, but it doesn't stop one from enjoying it either if we aren't being perfectionists here. I cannot not but recommend this album. Let's say a honest 9/10 record, you guys. And btw the first song "To Kill Evil" is really memorable, I could listen to this for ages

No Trouble - 1986 - Watch out!

One of the best combinations of heavy metal and hard rock with some mainstream influences I have heard in a while. Bands like these had proper studio productions and they were aimed to hit big and they never didn't. Well, Jope of mtfing Steele still caught up with these releases decades later and found them quite appropriate. I don't know what else to state here; people who seek these kind or records most likely have already found them by now. 8/10. And the Donald Duck cover is pretty cool choice; Nowadays jonne's can come up with better memes in a such short time and would out-do it shortly, but it's cool for its time.

Cobra - 1985 - Warriors of the Dead

I was thinking that maybe I shouldn't post about albums that aren't especially good, and this album barely passes that requirement. The main problem about this release isn't the musicianship or the songwriting, but rather the bad audio quality which has kind of demo-ish feel to it. Sure, there's not much originality either, which is to be expected with the new wave of British sounding heavy metal bands. 6,5/10. So I wouldn't exactly recommend this album. The first song pretty summarizes what it is about.

Fisc - 1984 - Tracker

Good ole heavy metal from France. Huge early Iron Maiden influence seems to be present here on the guitars and it works, throw in some Accept style riffing too and some backing vocals and it works doubleplusgood. Yes, it's not the most original approach, but I can give this material high appreciation. 8/10. Why no this band on the site?

Caladan Brood - Echoes of Battle (2013)
epic atmospheric black metal

as my signature indicates, I have been working on a "one album wonders" ranking, of bands that only released a single album and then split.
I go back to this one often, ridiculously often.
I love Summoning, but this album comfortably surpasses even Stronghold (Which is outstanding)

Jackal (DK) - 1990 - Rise

One of the few Danish bands I listened to recently and I had hoped to write something better about it. Musically and vocally the band sounds very capable and the production couldn't be much better than this. The problem here is the glam influences in the lyrics and songwriting and the clichés that come with them. Still really good record and for a rather unknown band it's impossible to judge it too harshly. Maybe on the next record they will take a truer approach? 7,5/10

Jackal (DK) - 1993 - Vague Visions

This is the album I was hoping from the band as the debut, not that the debut was bad, but more like they figured out how they should sound like better on this album. Just a strong power/heavy from era when most bands who had played this style had quitted or started playing something else that would sell better. Check out at least the title track here, you guys. 8/10.

Jackal (DK) - 1994 - A Safe Look In Mirrors

Still good, this time more power metal than before. I think this is their weakest album, and there's not too many really good songs. The typical 90s groove guitar influences have noticeably creeped in. 7/10.

Since we have no that band here I post this here.
We have White Lion, but I did listen that White Lion

''One Of A Kind'' album is to bad, basically its sortha demo sounding, if studio work be done well, I would like iot more, otherwise no. To bad album to add that band because of that album.
Sorry

Cobra - 1987 - Back From The Dead

2nd attempt from the band. I don't think this is totally bad and not especially good either. The standard NWoBHM sound sounds kind of beating a dead horse here in 87 and when it was done better by so many bands before this, it has a half-skippable half-listenable quality. Same rating as the debut: 6,5/10

Veto - 1986 - Veto

This took me by a surprise as I had listened the second album first and it was quite underwhelming, but this debut album is more to the point when we are talking about classic heavy metal. Not the most original sounding music besides mostly unique approaches in guitar playing and solos, the keyboards don't add anything interesting to be honest, this vocalist sounds great. Sadly the band had only two albums, I would've spent more time listening to them. 8/10

Veto - 1988 - Carthago

The album cover and the first song give quite high expectations. This is the same vocalist as on the debut, but here his voice sounds kind of broken or that he had some covAIDS in the throat when the vocals were recorded. The songs start to decrease in quality after first two, or even after the first, but Unknown Soldier is rather good too. Overall the songwriting sounds a bit failed experiment to me, but for one listen it's not too shabby. 6/10

Fisc - 1987 - Too Hot for Love

This goes kind of to the staircase downhill -- maybe there is no such expression in english and I'm pushing the boundaries of languages here and I'm sure you know what I mean. The band had a good start and here they are pretty much selling out here, going with current trends of the time quite successfully and the outcome of that isn't very good nevertheless.

I don't get the title; what is too hot for love supposed to be? Nothing I've experienced so far. Maybe, rather, not hot enough for love would be the case, BAM!

6/10

Wothrosch – Odium
Listen it. You will not lose.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o9CKK57raM

Blackkout - 1989 - Ignorance of Man

Never heard anything quite like this before; it's unusual progressive style in heavy and power metal. Also almost 70 minutes of material. I totally would recommend giving it a listen, not a total masterpiece tier 1 record, however. 8/10

Messa - "Belfry" (2016)

Having discovered Messa via "Close" from 2022 I took some time this afternoon to go back to the start of their discography. Whilst clearly not showing the deftness for style-fusion that "Feast for Water" and "Close" possess, you can still hear the potential at this early stage. The curved balls do feel more like a combination of flukes (when they work) and poorly developed ideas (when they don't work) but the groundwork for what they were to become is mostly definitely laid out here.

Kinetic Dissent - 1991 - I Will Fight No More Forever

Surprised to see kind of low reviews for this album, I think it's quite good and better than what they say. Of course this is not average sounding speed or power metal, so probably it doesn't fit well into everyone's preferences. Well, I enjoyed it quite a lot, especially the vocals are great. 8/10

Matthias Steele - 1987 - Haunting Tales of a Warrior's Past

One of the best band names that I've come across. The cheap demo style production reminds of Manilla Road records. Musically pretty exciting album and killer one too. The production does hinder the overall rating. 8,5/10

Atlain - 1984 - Living In The Dark

Classic 1980s, killer album from these unknown fellas. Pretty self explanatory album, so I don't have much to write about it; listen one song and that will explain more than I can. 8,5/10