Beats & Noisecapes

  Nocturna have finally released Lucidity, their debut EP. Listen to it and buy it through their BandCamp page. Excellent power/prog metal with some symphonic elements. A perfect blend of European and American influences. An outstanding release that I hope brings them success. They surely deserve it.  See the video below for a taste of it or visit their BandCamp page here

  Blind Guardian’s mix of power metal with a grunt, sprinkled with thrash elements, some symphonic tendencies, complex and intricate vocal lines and a great sense of the epic is unique and instantly recognisable. Despite a lot of highs and a couple of lows in their discography, BG always deliver quality releases consistently. This is one of them. It may not have instant hits, but every song is excellent and perfectly executed. Another outstanding release from this veteran band.

  Great melodies and an excellent post-rock album for a band that didn’t do post-rock before and had a singer in the previous two records.  You can get it on their BandCamp page here

  The songs are pretty derivative but as always Liv Kristine’s voice shine through. This album is a goth rock and metal guilty pleasure filled with pop hooks. Liv Kristine also has a few guests in this album, most notably Doro Pesch.

  A very classic sounding post-rock album. It’s nothing new but it’s certainly well done and the album delivers some great moments; Lolita being my particular highlight - excellent track! You can listen and buy the album through their Bandcamp page here

  What an excellent album this is! It absolutely rocks all the way through. A perfect blend of power with some prog elements and attitude with an incredibly versatile female vocalist. In fact she’s blown my mind. She can sing aggressive with a true heavy metal sound, but she can also croon and sound delicate and feminine when the song requires it. A truly amazing album!

  The last few months of last year were ridiculously busy and I’m starting to catch up with some releases that I didn’t have time for back then. Secret Garden by Angra has been a very welcome surprise. This is a great album, possibly Angra at their best (though I have a very soft spot for Holy Land). A very solid album. The band sounds tight. The prog and tribal elements add a lot to their power metal style. It’s also worth mentioning that Fabio Lione is here at his best and Simone’s (Epica) song is also excellent. But, the duet between Doro and guitarist Bittencourt is the highlight.