FREAKINGS - Gladiators

Simple, yet ingenious traditional thrash metal from Switzerland. The influences from Slayer, Violator and and other old school giants is more than obvious, but this is something that does not bother for obvious reasons!  
Their strong riffology substitutes the lack of powerful guitar solos.
This is their second album and without having heard their first one, we believe that they have the makings for some great things in the near future.

Rating: 4/5

BRAINSTORM - Firesoul

Brainstorm strike back with their latest opus, their tenth so far, and an album that will please all their fans. First of all let me admit that the vocals of Andy B. Franck is one of my favorite singers of the genre. Sure he is dominating the whole album, but he is doing it in a way that no one will complain, since this guy has one of the most distinctive and gifted vocals in the scene. Following their previous journey the band is playing music that sounds closer to their early 00 era, but in a more modern approach. Once again the vocals are superb, fitting perfectly with the mood of the music, and have a way to transform according to the tempo. The way he performs sometimes leaves you speechless, and is one of the big plus of the work of Brainstorm in general. The guitar duo is also excellent, giving some great riffs and grooves, but also plenty of melodies that stick in your mind. The music is the typical Brainstorm guitar-driven Power Metal, with crunchy riffs, groovy melodies and plenty of parts to sing along. The drums are also very good, groovy enough, creating the tempo and giving the extra boost for the songs to stick into your mind. His work behind the skins is remarkable and flawless, and often enough the listener is focused on his work. Well performed and catchy, with enough nice ideas, songs that move high above the average, although I would appreciate a bit more variety in the songs, but that doesn't spoil the fun in any way. From start to finish, there's no less good moment, or a song that doesn't tempt you to sing along the refrain or move along with the rhythm. It seems that the band is back with a recipe for success, and with a an album with good groovy Heavy Metal, the kind that moves the fans. If you are a fan of the Teutonic Power Metal school or simply fancy groovy and catchy stuff, this is a must have.

MAYAN - Antagonize

Having creating some havoc with their debut release back in 2011, the Dutch Death Metal crew is back with an album that will try to raise the standards of their music to a new level. The band continues the same high quality mixture of Death Metal and Symphonic Power Metal orchestrations, with some improvements and additions. First of all, the music is moving on the same top class level, complex and intriguing, constantly changing forms and shapes, but always interesting and groovy. Songs are well written, and have no less good moments, and although sharing some common elements, each one has it's own form and entity. There are moments where things are getting more aggressive, others that the band is moving on more Power Metal or Orchestral forms, with the growling vocals dominating the whole album, and adding a touch of roughness when the music needs to, or enhancing the brutality even more. What makes this album different from their previous is the addition of a soprano singer, whose voice is so eerie and fitting with the music, that sometimes makes you wanna hear the same part over and over. Musicwise the band is moving very close to perfection as well. With a diversity in arrangements as in this album, there's plenty of opportunities for each musician to give his trademark in the music. There are tons of brilliant guitar riffs, moments where the blastbeats show the performing skills of the drummer, or moments like the closing 8 minute opus where the keyboards add a magnificent atmosphere. Add to all these the perfect contradiction between clear and grunt singing and you get the picture. Another interesting point is the concept of the album, which deals with the current situation where values of our society are under attack in the name of Freedom and Democracy. Not an easy album although it has it's catchy moments. It needs cautious listening, mostly because there's more than meets the eye. And this is the beauty of it.