Sinister King are band based in Bergen, Norway. This is their new self released e.p. and it contains 5 songs of melodic metal. Music of Sinister King borders somewhere in between melodic heavy metal, melodic death metal, more modern oriented groove metal and epic harmonies in greatly written choruses. Lyrics are more melancholic, as are guitar hooks and melodies providing atmosphere of darkness and despair mixed with beauty. Vocals are good, demanding of the song, sometimes growled and more shouted, sometimes more classic metal singing. Piano and synth undertones provide rich soundscape taking us away for the duration of this e.p. My personal favorites are the title song and Death Of All Joy. I await eagerly for more from this band.
Bob Katsionis’ Symmetric Records proudly presents the return of an underground cult legend: VALIDOR!
Having already released three studio albums: “In Blood In Battle” (2011), “Dawn Of The Avenger” (2012) and “Hail To Fire” (2016) and the re-issue of their debut album in 2020, it is about time to move on to their next chapter. “Full Triumphed” continues the epic journey of VALIDOR! The band is led by guitarist/singer/songwriter Odi “Thunderer” Toutounis and once again we get 9 new chapters telling stories of War, Ancient Greek Heroes, Roman Gladiators, Gods & Demons and even iconic 80’s culture legends like the “Silverhawks” or Robocop on the track “Man Of Steel”! Musically we got the epic storytelling of bands like Virgin Steele and Bathory, the raw power and big sound of Manowar are here combined with the galloping guitars of Iced Earth, plus the Dorian melodies of Running Wild and Blind Guardian and even some thrash and speed metal passages to form the truly unique sound of VALIDOR:Blood Metal!
In the words of Bob Katsionis: “I’ve been working with Odi since 2009. While looking like a guy who listens to nothing by Manowar, Odi carries a background of musical influences spanning from early Black Metal to Greek composers like Manos Hadjidakis or Basil Poledouris and from King Diamond to Death, Kreator, and Megadeth!So, making music with a guy with such an open mind and a clear target of what he wants to achieve, is nothing but a pleasure. His sense of melody and groove is also second to none! I also admire his desire to sing the songs all by himself even if he’s not your typical “epic metal singer”. The way he spits out every word is so meaningful and powerful that it could not be replaced by anyone. And for me, this is what makes projects like Validor so special through time.”
Producer Bob Katsionis handles the lead guitar, bass, and keyboard duties once more and the line-up is completed by drummer Apollo Giannoulis.
Artwork was once again made by Kostas Tsiakos (www.papergoblin.com) also responsible for some great art behind Warlord, Born Of Fire, Dexter Ward and many more.
Following the policy of other Symmetric Records releases, “Full Triumphed” is not going to be fully available through any streaming service (like Spotify or iTunes etc.) and can only be ordered directly from Symmetric Records’ Bandcamp website in digital or physical form on a Deluxe Digipak CD with an 8-page booklet and for the first time on a fiery-red CASSETTE to please even the most old-school fans and can only be found here:https://validor.bandcamp.com/
“The Ten Thousand” [Lyric Video 2022]
(Watch it here)
TRACKLISTING: 1. Dawn Of New Age 2. Son Of Steel 3. Man Of Steel 4. Strong Winds 5. Blood Metal Legions 6. Silverhawks 7. Gladiator 8. The Ten Thousand 9. Conquest Of Steel All Music & Lyrics by Odi Thunderer LINE UP: Odi Thunderer: Vocals, GuitarBob Katsionis: Lead Guitar, Bass, KeyboardsApollo Giannoulis: Drums & Classical Percussion CREDITS: Produced and mixed by Bob KatsionisRecorded Jan-Feb 2021 at Sound Symmetry Studio, Athens, GRMastered by Nasos Nomikos at VU Productions, Piraeus, GRArtwork by Kostas Tsiakos (www.papergoblin.com)Logo by Odi Thunderer
Finnish melodic heavy metal band Renegade Angel released a new single and music video Damnation via Inverse Records. This single features Tim “Ripper” Owens (ex-Judas Priest, ex-Iced Earth) on vocals.
Band’s mastermind Jani Pöysä comments: “I think we managed to bring the best aspects of our previous songs and create a masterpiece for us. The song has even more variation and a larger production than the prior songs. The riffs and hooks are strong, but there are so many awesome layers of keys, piano, vocal harmonies as well as guitar- and bass fills that take it to another level! I am proud of how everybody did such an amazing job and perfected with the tiniest details and managed to make the song as amazing as it was meant to be.”
BIOGRAPHY: Renegade Angel is a melodic heavy metal project run by Jani Pöysä. Acknowledging his limits to performing and recording he searched for the best musicians that would be able to implement his vision for this project. There is a difference in style between the songs, but have catchy riffs, strong sing-along choruses, amazing solos, and awesome guitar harmonies. Alejandro Fernandez (Trescent) is the lead singer, synth player, occasional guitarist and producer on every track and has also helped developing musical ideas to their perfection. Lukky Sparxx (Guitars/Exxocet) has had a key role in developing these ideas into the best songs they could be. We’ve been featured on the biggest music publications and national radio in both Finland and Sweden but got broad support all over the world. The reception has been amazing and we’ve even gotten huge names such as Tim “Ripper” Owens sing on our songs and recommend our music. Lyrical themes revolve around the realities of a dystopian harsh world and the importance to stand up for yourself and what’s right. We certainly got grand visions and great ideas for new songs and have some great legends that could play and sing with us. If you like this band project, then please share our songs on your playlists and social media and consider buying our merchandise. We run this for the love of music – but earning a few dollars would certainly help us produce a lot more music.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 