ALL LIFE ENDS are hailing from Switzerland and this is their second opus. There are nine songs on this album. The band was founded in 2006 and they play death metal. They released two EP-s and this is their second full length opus. Although they play death metal there are also couple of metalcore and thrash metal influences in their song structures. Considering death metal, ALL LIFE ENDS lean more heavily into American school of death metal, with blistering fast blast beats, thundering fast guitar solos, which contain occasional hooks and catchy melodic short parts, also some atmospheric parts are in the songs, almost progressive death metal, along with moshing grooves like in ‘The Dreamless Void’, the longest song on this record, but in no way boring for a second. Production is brutal and grandiose, courtesy of Dan Swanö at Unisound AB Studio. Vocals are brutal and more guttural, but you can understand what is being sung about in many parts, so that is another plus for me considering this band. This album was written during covid shit lockdowns and pandemics, so one of my personal favorites on this record is ‘Pandemonic’, also song I must mention is ‘Extinction Hours’. This is quality death metal with couple of thrash and metalcore parts thrown in, so enjoy it as I did.
Wings Of Steel are hailing from Los Angeles area and they were formed in 2019 by vocalist Leo Unnermark and guitarist Parker Halub. They released their debut EP in 2022. This time, their debut full length opus is upon us. This one contains ten songs of melodic heavy metal with lots of American school of hard rock influenced songwriting. Unnemark’s voice reminds me a lot of eighties metal, first and foremost of Helloween’s Michael Kiske’s voice in many song parts. Eighties styled metal, hard n heavy prevails in guitar work with sense of dramatic and melodic, yet at times almost heroic styled metal and heaviness. Lyrics deal with mixture of reality and fantasy metal themes, like ‘Liar in Love’ or heavy hitters that made highlight of this record for me being songs like ‘Cry of the Damned’, ‘Lady of the Lost’ and ‘Gates of Twilight’. This album brought me back when I used to enjoy warm and hot city streets on a Summer night with my crew drinking and cruising around our hometown like there is no tomorrow. Total nostalgia trip, but done for new millenia. If you are into melodic heavy metal with hard rock influences like it was done old school, check this one out! Strong debut opus!
Keep of Kalessin are back with their new full length opus. This is band’s first full length since 2015 and seventh opus in all. This one contains nine songs. Keep of Kalessin don’t play melodic black metal as they did in their early days, band being formed in 1995. Nowadays, they play bombastic mixture of symphonic black metal and so much more, thrash metal solos being influences in ‘Hellride’, but also symphonic and orchestral melodies in the title song being one of my personal favorites. They retained their black metal roots and blast beats but made it more progressive, more aggressive and melodic at the same time. Keyboard parts fit perfectly in songs and vocals are story for themselves. Obsidian Claw, the only remaining founding member delivers vocals in unbelievable range, from classic black metal screams, fantastic clean passages and atmospheric melodies to thrash metal shouting and death metal grunts making this record one of the best black metal opuses released in 2023 and making my jaws open and dropped in amazement. Although there are some longer songs, like epic ‘The Omni’ or ‘The Obsidian’s Expanse’, not a second of this album gets boring or stale. At times they remind me of best Emperor’s works, but to be sure, not being a clone, only an inspiration. This is black metal record par excellence.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 