Ville Krannila
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AC/DC – BLACK ICE (COLUMBIA 2008)
2009 and a brand new AC/DC studio album. Something special, something rare and definitely something to talk about. AC/DC are like the Rolling Stones or Motörhead, you know they must have started off somewhere but when you think about it, they have always been there, forever carved into the great books written of heavy rock’n’roll.
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CAGE – SCIENCE OF ANNIHILATION (MUSIC BUY MAIL 2009)
The first impression is almost scary. 2007’s “Hell Destroyer” was one of the highlights of that particular year but this album if possible even surpasses that and goes to become one of the strongest metal albums so far released in 2009. Hailing from San Diego, metallers Cage offer nothing earth shaking or new but once…
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MSG – IN THE MIDST OF BEAUTY (INAK 2008)
When 2008 ended I wasn’t too impressed with its overall run of metal and rock releases. Priest of course rolled out their long awaited “Nostradamus” project and Def Leppard returned to form with their best album since “Adrenalize” but other than that, those records I bought that year and those released in 2008 that I’ve…
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SAVAGE MESSIAH – INSURRECTION RISING (CANDLELIGHT 2009)
Hailing from London, England, Savage Messiah have just unleashed their second album “Insurrection Rising.” Their debut “Spitting Venom” was released roughly two years ago, and it was an enjoyable enough product. However, even for the band themselves their full potential wasn’t yet realised with that disc. A lot has changed then, establishing a new line-up,…
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BURNING BLACK – MECHANICHELL (LIMB MUSIC 2009)
At first glance one could be mistaken to believe these power metal warriors hailed from America, as the accompanying story states they are playing US Power Metal and the names of the key players certainly point to that direction. However, these guys are from Italy, where of course power metal is alive and well –…
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CRASHDIET – GENERATION WILD (GAIN PRODUCT 2010)
Sweden’s Crashdiet are the glam/hard rock offsprings who have swung punk/hard rock meltdown so popular in the mid 1980’s right back to headlines. Admittedly they are not alone on this, as several other hopefuls remain on the scene. Crashdiet have over the years built a steady following both in mainland Europe, and Japan where their…
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ANNIHILATOR – ANNIHILATOR (EARACHE 2010)
A metal world might not be so anxiously awaiting another album from thrash pioneers Annihilator anymore. After hitting it big with “Never Neverland” and “Alice In Hell” albums, there have been some underrated masterpieces such as “King Of The Kill” but at the same time they were followed by equally unimpressive efforts like “Remains” or…
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IRON MAIDEN – THE FINAL FRONTIER (EMI 2010)
You have to respect Iron Maiden for retaining their stadium status in the year 2010, when so many of their contemporaries have been forced to down scale their tours. But as always, this comes with a price tag and while they have attained a strong, younger following, Maiden’s creative decisions have often times disappointed a…
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STANDING OVATION – THE ANTIKYTHERA MECHANISM (INVERSE RECORDS 2012)
Oh dear… what have these guys done. Filing themselves under progressive rock/metal category, finnish outfit Standing Ovation has definitely switched on a new gear. Their debute album includes material from very tight bombardment to more subtle proceedings, and at times checking in at the wildest corners of the imaginative mind. Like a mechanically constructed circus…
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DEICIDE – IN THE MINDS OF EVIL (CENTURY MEDIA 2013)
23 years and 11 albums is a fine achievement no matter what band we are talking about. Especially considering the internet and digital age we are now living in. Deicide, the formation – or more like incarnation of evil has spat out albums in what one might say varying success. The first two records “Deicide”…