Category Archives: Reviews

(review) Heilung – Lifa (DVD)

Heilung is healing. This collective from various countries is set to bring back some old scrolls and poems to the world of today and bring back some inner spiritual values to us who crave for release and inspirational energy that this modern sped up world lacks so much.

Heilung started playing mostly Nordic folk, or darkened folk of Nordic countries, but later evolved into more world darkened folk, with songs about Carpathi and endless sea of forests, sounds, spirits and energy. Lyrics are taken from elder scrolls, dead languages and poems, with some songs in English here and there. Also, Heilung play on custom hand made instruments of bones, stone, skin and some electronica effects without classic band instruments like guitars, bass, drums and keyboards. But, it sounds stronger and mightier than most bands that play so called folk metal nowadays.

This dvd was recorded at Castle Festival and this is not merely a gig, this is a ritual, this is so much more than everything musical gig can give. From chanting in multiple voices, clean singing by charismatic Maria Franz, group berserker tribal singing, wind, birds, spirits that are here with us, this gig is about spiritual cleansing and healing wounds that come from being part of this spiritual world not caring about nature and old ways. Nature is warning us nowadays that it is wounded and suffering due to man´s influence and evil doing, but music of Heilung somehow sooths the bleeding hearts and brings back good feeling in you. I know this is hard to get only in words, but this is a must see and must feel gig. Hope I am going to witness Heilung ritual live somehow somewhere.

(movie) Abandoned(2022) – horror movie which is really not a horror

I remember seeing a movie of the same title a while ago which was a decent mindfuck horror movie, so I decided to watch what this one is all about, having read about it on Bloody Disgusting. Emma Roberts, John Gallagher JR and Michael Shannon star in this one.

It starts as so many already seen movies with young married couple along with their baby son buying house and learning that murder and suicide took place in that house years ago. They decide to buy it anyway, but as husband Alex(John Gallagher JR) is a local veterinarian works days and nights, wife Sara(Emma Roberts) suspects something dark is happening in the house and suddenly not being sure if she is insane or are there more sinister forces at work there. Well, this started as so many previous movies, couple moves in, weird things happen, their weird neighbour(totally indisposed Michael Shannon-actor that I otherwise like very much) and some ending better or worse happens. Game over. Movie done.

Well, this one is not really a horror movie and it is only packed into horror for selling it better, but it is instead a mellow drama. About depression which I can relate to. But, ending is so lame and totally wtf that I just laughed that I wasted hundred minutes of my life watching this one and waiting for something to happen. But nothing really happens. There is no peak, there is no conclusion, there is nothing. Emma Roberts is okay as Sara, there is absolutely no chemistry between and her husband as characters and her behavior in the movie is totally stupid. Not horror movie clichee stupid, only plain stupid. This one is nothing. No horror. No drama. Nothing.

2/10

(review) Civil War – Invaders (Napalm Records)

Year: 2022

Power/Heavy metal

After the album called Coat Of Arms, drummer, both guitarists and keyboard player of Sabaton left the band and formed another, called Civil War. Swedes continued in a way where they left off with their previous band, but also continued in a bit less melodic and bit more metal oriented harsher war metal style. Lyrics deal with warfare and battles throughout the centuries with some keyboard based melodies on top of guitars like in Dead Man´s Glory which kind of reminds me also of folk metal songs. Musicianship is awesome, especially keyboards, courtesy of former Sabaton man Daniel Myhr. This is the first full length album with new singer Kelly Sundown Carpenter, who replaced Nils Patrik Johansson and sounds high pitched, yet melodic and versatile enough for such music not to be sunken among all the mediocre ones. Songs like Andersonville, Warrior Soul, Battle Of Life or the title song, Invaders are sure to make your old metal warrior´s heart beat faster. This is great metal record by great band.

7,5/10