Germany´s Rammstein are back with new full length opus. This time, they offer eleven songs of their trademark industrial metal. But, this is just basic description of their music. Rammstein is only Rammstein and can not be accurately described. There is metal, there is industrial, there is Laibach, there is goth and punk in their song structures. This opus is very melodic and the songs are very atmospheric with couple of typical Rammstein straightforward anthems to attack the speakers like Zick Zack or Angst. But, there are couple of more atmospheric almost ballad songs on this one that make your skin crawl with pleasure like Zeit or Meine Traenen. Lyrics are again top, pure poetry but one can relate to between the lines, I know German so I am so happy to be able to understand what Rammstein sing about on this opus. Rammstein also sarcastically criticize modern world with Dicke Titten tongue in cheek song but containing bitter reality in itself. This is not their best album for me, but in top three of four definitely. Great one.
Knight & Gallow are hailing from California and after releasing one single and demo this is their first full length opus. This one contains intro and eight songs. Knight & Gallow play a mixture of heavy metal done in old school style if I must compare it to some bands it would be a more nwobhm version of Cirith Ungol or little Manilla Road, but the trouble I have with these songs on the album is they sound all too similar and they just didn´t reach that my inner vibe and touched my metal heart in the way they were supposed to. Lyrically band is varied between Tolkien, vikings, crusades, gods of war and all other merry themes. There are three songs that stand out for me above rest of the material, those are Stormbringer´s Call, Blood Of Wolves and Black Swordsman with blast beat part and almost thrash power metal solo and melody. This is a decent debut, we will see what the future brings.
Axel Rudi Pell is a guitarist and a member of legendary German metal band Steeler. After he departed that band he formed this one, and who would say, this is a full length number twenty! Yes, twenty! Every two years this band treats us with a new full length and this opus contains ten songs, two being intro and outro. This is true metal with melody, steel, energy and up tempo, musicianship of the guys in this band along with Axel is superb, with Bobby Rondinelli(ex Warlock, ex Black Sabbath, ex Doro, ex Rainbow…) on drums, Ferdy Doernberg(ex Therion, ex Freedom Call…) on keyboards, Volker Krawczak who also played in Steeler on bass and Johnny Gioeli (Eridan among other bands/projects) on vocals creating eighties old school heavy metal for new century and decade with energy, hard rock stamina, metal gloves and heartfelt melodies. No Compromise, Survive, Down on the Streets are street metal anthems and also there is a ballad jewel on this one in shape of longer and atmospheric Gone with the Wind, and it only reminds me that metal ballads are only really great ballads. This album is a great album by these German veterans.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 