Muziekrecensies
‘Blood Dynasty’ is Arch Enemy’s twelfth studio album. After the atmospheric start of ‘Dream Stealer’, the metal (including the grunts of Alissa White-Gluz) erupts. The sudden ending is beautifully tight. ‘Illuminate the Path’ has positive lyrics and a matching, uplifting atmosphere. The music in ‘Presage’ is unexpectedly very calm, I expect much more, but it … Read more, available in English and Dutch
Clive Nolan & Laura Piazzai are the driving forces behind prog project Imaginaerium. Their debut album ‘The Rise of Medici’ (2022) is a historical concept album that received rave reviews. This 2nd album (due out 4 April) does not tell one story, but ‘Siege’ connects ancient and modern influences. The 32-page earbook (with 2 CDs … Read more, available in English and Dutch
Singer Ronnie Romero is known for his wide range and versatility. He was influenced by David Coverdale, Steve Perry and Ronnie James Dio, among others. He fronted Rainbow, after which he worked with great musicians including Michael Schenker Group, Vandenberg and many more. With Lords Of Black, he recorded 5 studio albums, currently fronting Elegant … Read more, available in English and Dutch
Most rock/metal fans are no fans of Helmut Lotti. Less so that they would want to attend a concert of him… until he came up with ‘Helmut Lotti goes metal’. Suddenly he was playing festivals, last year he performed at Bospop, among others. On the first Friday after carnival, this versatile artist played his ‘Heart … Read more, available in English and Dutch
Marcel Coenen is a versatile guitarist. In addition, he plays bass, and some of the keyboard parts. Unlike his previous albums, his new album ‘The Axe’ contains only vocal songs. For this, he invited several vocalists. Marcel wrote the music, the vocalists wrote the lyrics. The spherical intro of ‘Can You Feel It Now’ is … Read more, available in English and Dutch
The Canadian trash/power metal band recently released ‘Save Our Souls’. You can hear influences from bands like: Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Metallica. Among other things, the lyrics are about PTSD (Post Tramatic Stress Disorder), self-reflection and the state of the world today. The starkly sung words in, for example, ‘Save Our Souls’ fit this … Read more, available in English and Dutch
Eleonore is a classically trained pianist from Germany. From 1978 to 1982, she played as a stand-in in a local prog/hard rock band. That was very different from the music she was used to. Moreover, she had stage fright, preferring to hide behind her keyboards. After she left the band, she completed her university studies. … Read more, available in English and Dutch
‘Lost Horizon’ has four songs, including two epics. Each song has its own story. ‘Garden Of Eden’ has an unusual start, the same goes for the first twist. A man talks about his relation break-up and memories. Various emotions and blames can be heard in the (stacked) vocals and music.‘The Letter’ is a particular love … Read more, available in English and Dutch
Riverside is a highly acclaimed prog rock band from Poland. Live, their music comes out even better than on their studio albums. Anyone who has seen Riverside live before, or has their previous live album, knows this is absolutely true. Several songs on this live CD come from their previous album ‘ID.Entity’The album starts with … Read more, available in English and Dutch
German band Nachtblut mixes dark metal with classical elements, new wave and even western influences. This is wrapped up in rousing rhythms, heavy riffs and catchy, sometimes almost poppy melodies. They criticise modern social issues. Death features in a number of lyrics. ‘Von Hass Getrieben’ has a serene, classically-oriented start. Songs like ‘Todschick’ and ‘Das … Read more, available in English and Dutch