The Year in Metal 2014

2014 was a great year for metal. I was exposed to some incredibly good new bands that just blew me away with their sound and their ability to execute amazing metal songs. Other highlights do actually include some great albums by established metal heavy weights. There were even more albums that I listened to and did not get to review but were very solid. This was actually a hard decision to make because of the quality year it's been. There were a few disappointments but not enough to make a huge difference. Due to so many great releases that not only will there be a top 10 but I'll expand to 25. But first, the top 10 albums of 2014...

10. Falconer - Black Moon Rising

Falconer seems to have found that magic that made their first two albums so special. The riffing, the solos, the melodies...all the things that defined this band are here.








9. Anubis Gate - Horizons

This was my first exposure to this band and what a great thing I found them. This album is prog metal done properly. The balance between melodies, song structure and wankery is perfect. This is still a regular in my play list eight months later.






8. Stormwarrior - Thunder & Steele

This album is just plain kick ass speed metal. Nothing flashy or innovative...and they have not gone over to the pretentious side to become something they are not. Instead they do what they do best, they play kick ass speed metal and they are one of the best at it...period.






7. Halberd - Remnants of Crumbling Empires

So what do you get when a few guys from the Metal-Archives forum, living on different continents, get together to make some music? In this case, perfection. This is some bad ass death/doom. The songs are excellently written and the execution is flawless. Some of the best solos of the year are on this album.





6. Vinterbris - Solace

This is another one of my 2014 discoveries. This album is really good. It's melodic blackened epic metal. Damn, a new genre? Seriously this is an album that caught me by surprise. One of a few...read on...







5. Hoth - Oathbreaker

So here we have another band and album that completely caught me by surprise. This is epic as fuck and another album that I would throw into the epic blackened metal category. Actually it is quite hard to place this band into any one genre because they are all over the place. This album is nothing short of brilliant.





4. Vader - Tibi et Igni

This band is so consistent that you could almost guarantee that a new Vader album will be just a brilliant slice of death/thrash. It's almost as if they are incapable of putting out a truly bad album. All these years later and Vader is still creating top 10 worthy albums. That's consistency.






3. Galneryus - Vetelgyus

Symphonic Euro-power metal has always been one of my favorite genres of metal and when the bands that defined the genre are letting me down, leave it to these talented guys from Japan to deliver. This is fast and melodic with a truly classy neo-classical sound. 





2. Vintersorg - Naturbål 

Everything that Andreas Hedlund (Vintersorg or Mr. V as he is commonly known) touches turns to gold. His ninth solo album is no different. This album is truly a masterpiece that only Mr. V. can produce. Haunting and beautiful with just enough of the folk element this album touches on the darker forces of nature.





1. Opeth - Pale Communion

When Opeth announced that they were giving up on the death metal elements to concentrate on the prog rock sound that they have always had buried beneath the metal, this shit storm that followed was partially justified when they released Heritage. However, they redeemed themselves a hundred times over. This is nothing short of a brilliant album and is officially my album of the year for 2014!




11 though 25 was a bit harder for me because, although the top 10 are untouchable, these were very close to being as good and in no way means they are any less essential.

11. Primalfrost - Prosperous Visions
This is amazing shit! This actually could be my Find of the Year...of there was such a thing. This young Canadian is a seriously talented guy and I would love to see what comes next for this band.

12. Noble Beast - Noble Beast
Another of of the fantastic new bands that I discovered in 2014. I still stand by everything I have ever said about this band. They are talented songwriters and they execute it brilliantly.

13. Unisonic - Light of Dawn
This marks the second album of Michael Kiske's return to metal. I actually think this is better than the debut and possibly Kiske's best performance.

14. Abigor - Leytmotif Luzifer (The 7 Temptations of Man) 
This marks a return to form for this Austrian band. This band once had Silenius of Summoning fame and this album actually has him and his Summoning partner Protector providing guest vocals. This is pure evil black metal.

15. Accept - Blind Rage
This reaches back to the 80s and shows that this band still has a lot to say. This album is a bit more laid back than the previous two but still a great release from one of my all time favorite bands.

16. Misery Index - The Killing Gods
This is a great album by a band that went unnoticed by me for years even though they are from my hometown of Baltimore. There is more death metal in this album and sees a departure from their grindcore roots.

17. Behemoth - The Satanist
This album caught me by surprise. I was not expecting to like it since I'm not the biggest fan of later era Behemoth but this album is very good. This is epic and full of killer riffing.

18. Dead Congregation - Promulgation of the Fall
Another new find, Dead Congregation play old school death metal and they do it really well. This album is loaded with riffs and solos and down right evil vocals. This is death metal how it's supposed to be done.

19. Iskald - Nedom og nord 
This is some really good black metal that teeters on the edge of progressive black metal. The riffs are huge and the songs are really good. I've become a huge fan of this band.

20. Alvenrad - Habitat
This band adds a new dimension to folk metal. They infuse traditional metal as well as prog rock and, of course, folk music to create a really cool album. I'm looking forward to what comes next for these guys.

21. Iron Savior - Rise of the Hero
Another quality release from a veteran of the business. There is not much in the German metal scene that does not have Piet Sielck's fingerprints all over it. This band has released quality albums time and time again and this album is no exception.

22. Kampfar - Djevelmakt
This Norwegian pagan metal band his been quite consistent and this album is more proof of the quality of songwriting that shows on each of this band's albums. A bit more progressive than their previous releases, this is still a damn fine album.

23. Elvenstorm - Blood Leads to Glory
This was an unexpected find but Elvenstorm's sophomore release was very good. This is a female fronted band but not in the Nightwish style but more in the Crystal Viper/Warlock style. Piet Sielck has a hand in the sound of this album as does Lars Ramcke since they are both behind the knobs for this one.

24. Grave Digger - Return of the Reaper
The name Grave Digger is synonymous with heavy metal and this album actually solidifies that. This is such a great album of in your face heavy metal riffing. There is still a lot of life left in this band and this album proves it.

25. Helstar - This Wicked Nest
Last, but in no way the least, is Helstar's ninth full length album is a crushing collection of in your face heavy metal. James Rivera is an absolute GOD....he just can not stop sounding in top form. Another great album from a criminally underrated band.

Disappointments of 2014

Of course, the year wasn't perfect. There were a few disappointments this year. I was really looking forward to the new HammerFall album after they released the teaser clip, "Hector's Hymn" but what the album wound up being more of the same shit they've been releasing but with Hector's Hymn thrown in to make us think they released a good album. Same with Sonata Arctica. They hyped up their latest as a return to form but instead the just fell flat. Judas Priest released another album of them trying to hard to be true metal rather than making good songs. Timo Tolkki's Avalon was just horrible...but, just like Judas Priest, I wasn't expecting it to be much. So what was the most disappointing album of 2014?

Turd of the Year...

Harmony - Theatre of Redemption

This album should have been incredible. This is my first exposure to this band and even though Harmony are a third rate prog metal band, this album could have been much better. Why such disappointment in an album by a band that I've never heard? Daniel Heiman was the guest lead vocalist on this album. His melodies and range is one of the best in metal but it was not enough to make this album good. In fact, it's down right boring. The product did not match the hype.




Well there it is, the year in metal 2014. From what I understand, 2015 may turn out to be just as good. We shall see.

Evig Hat - Evig Hat

So winter has come a bit early in my part of the world and when winter comes I love me some good old fashioned, icy, dark black metal. So in my quest to acquire some good black metal, I ran across Norway's Evig Hat. Formed in 2011 by Satan ( imagine that, Satan starting his own black metal band) who pretty much did all of it by himself up until recently, I found a band that really did not bring much originality to the table. But they really make up for it in Satan's ability to write catchy songs and having an evil as fuck sound. This is straight up black metal that kicks your ass with it's execution but has just enough melody to make the songs good and believable.

So in 2014, this band has released five full length releases and two EPs. All releases are digital, but man that's an impressive feat for anyone.The self titled full length being reviewed here is his fourth. What we have here is raw and aggressive black metal riffing that is more than just interesting enough to catch your ear. The opener, "Evig Hat" is starts out with some blasting and aggressive riffing that just sets the mood. The vocals are evil sounding and adds to the dark mood even more. The tempo slows a bit with some killer, almost doom sounding riffs leading to a melodic part that adds an epic element to this song. I'm liking this so far. The production is rather raw but I wouldn't say lo-fi. The drums can be over loud in a few spots like on the blasting parts of "Undermennesket." A great song with some really cool things going on but that snare drum. However, this does not take anything away from the song.

"Døde skrik" kinda reminds me of Shadowthrone era Satryricon in the beginning with the riffs and melodies. As I said, the vocals on this album sound really evil and actually are good black metal vocals. This song is just fierce, that's all I can say. The riffs just keep coming and when it does slow down it just flows with melody then it kicks your teeth in again. In contrast, "Ensomhetens Offer" just pummels you from beginning to end with sheer black metal mayhem. It slows a bit halfway through but for the most part this is fast riff laden black metal on this one. The album is closer is a nine and a half minute affair and is much slower with much more atmosphere. That does not take away from the heaviness or the darkness that just oozes from the song. It begins a bit chaotic, almost sounding like Zappa gone black metal, but seems to get that dark atmosphere as the song goes on. Quite different from the other songs on the album, this song still displays a black metal feeling because of the eerie sounds. I think it's a cool way to end the album.

So here we have an album that I ran across by accident but has now become an essential album for me. There is much more than just second wave worship going on here. This is about as real as it gets. I'm interested in hearing the other releases because if they are of this quality then we have something really special here. If you like black metal, this is for you.

8.5/10

Harmony - Theatre of Redemption

I must say that I'm not too familiar with Sweden's Harmony and their brand of progressive power metal. I probably still would not know of this band if it were not for Ethereal Magnanimus (Daniel Heiman for those who are noobs) providing guest vocals for their third full length, Theater of Redemption. Given that Mr. Heiman's post Lost Horizon output has not even come close to living up to his glory days since leaving the band. Needless to say that this was an album that gave me some hope that Mr. Heiman would align himself with some musicians worthy of his magnanimus (pun intended) voice. The teasers seemed promising so I was highly anticipating this.

While this isn't a horrible album, it just does not leave much of impression on me. Being that this is the first time hearing this band I would say they are a second tier prog/power band that has plenty talent but they lack that magic that makes an album special. The album opener, "The Window of my Soul," is a good song that has a catchy chorus and some nice riffing with keys providing a nice backdrop. Heiman sounds as godly as ever on this song and one would think that a band with this type of sound could keep the momentum going but honestly, this is the best song on the album. The songs just seem to get more forgettable as we get into the album. This Heiman fanboy's huge bubble is about to burst. "Inhale" could have been so much better if Heiman would have had total control over the vocals here. The riffing is okay but this has a much more poppy sound to it. I have no problem with poppy sounding power metal but this doesn't go anywhere. The organs give it a nice 70s vibe in places but the song begins to plod along with nothing catchy except for the guitar solo. Sadly it's becoming apparent that this band is full of talented musicians but lacking in the songwriting department.

The rest of the album contains songs that try real hard to be heavy and proggy and it times it kinda works but most of the time they fall flat. I guess "Crown Me King" is decent but at the end of the day it just doesn't stand out. "Son of the Morning" tries to put on that eastern vibe but it doesn't seem to work for me. These completely out of place clean guitars on the bridge lead to a ridiculous sounding chorus that tries to invoke "Kashmir" or something. The solo is more wankery, which I'm not opposed of in most cases. The title track has some nice melodies and it tries to be epic and gets away with it for the most part. The problem is that the song is not memorable enough for me to really care to think about it again. There just isn't anything there catchy enough to draw me in. The background vocals are clearly not Heiman and tend to get in the way of his vocals. Actually even his vocals tend to be sound phoned in at times. ."You Are" is a just awful. It's a ballad that is the perfect example of what I said about his vocals sounding phoned in. The song just plods and doesn't do anything interesting. I know it's a ballad but it's almost six minutes of how not to write the metal ballad.

So the million dollar question here is, after creating and signing on one of the greatest albums ever made in heavy metal does Daniel Heiman lend his voice to those who are so clearly unworthy of his talent? This should have been so much better. This album is so hit or miss that it's hard to enjoy in whole. I'm not a song guy, I consume albums. With just a couple of songs worthy enough to be considered good and the rest consisting of bad ideas inserted into less than passable songs this could be in the running for disappointment of the year. Heiman is so much better than this. If you were like me and got all worked up over this, save yourself the disappointment. It's not what is seems to be.

4.5/10

Galneryus - Vetelgyus

Power metal, in the neo-classical or symphonic style, has been one of my favorite genres of metal to the point that for a while, in the early parts of this century, I listened to nothing else. Sonata Arctica, Stratovarius, Rhapsody (before "of Fire"), etc. were the leaders of the genre. But it seems all three of those bands just ran out of steam, putting out several albums that were not even close to their previous glory. Actually some were even less than mediocre. Luckily when I need that speedy, riff laden metal, those insane solos, and soaring vocals I can still count on Japan's Galneryus for my Euro-power metal.

Seriously, this band has not put out a bad album, from what I heard of them. So I jumped at the chance to scoop up their eleventh full length, Vetelgyus. Wow, what a beautiful breath of fresh air. This album is as close to perfect as any album of this genre can be. Even the intro is catchy. Yeah...the minute and a half instrumental that most usually skip on a power metal album? Well, don't skip it this time. It's actually catchy and powerful. Then you get the storm of speed and riffs with "Endless Story," the first song. The riffs are catchy and the keys are cheesy. The tempo is speedy and Masatoshi Ono's vocals are just spot on. He sings predominantly in Japanese with some lines of English thrown in. His melodies are infectious and his voice is powerful. The guitar solos are fucking godly on this song as well as the rest of the album. Another song with a monster solo is "Ultimatum." But this is not all wankery and no substance. The opening keyboard goes right into a main riff that is heavy as fuck. The chorus is catchy, but that's to be expected here. Then comes this fucking godly keyboard solo followed up by a guitar solo that gave me goosebumps.

And just when a song is finished and you say, "Goddamn that song was amazing," comes another one. "Enemy of Justice" is one of the longer songs and is absolutely amazing. Clocking in at almost seven and a half minutes, this song showcases the dynamics that make up this band. The melodies, the bombastic orchestral sound of the keys with the guitars. There's some acoustic passages as well. Everything you would want in an epic song like this. The title track is another of the longer songs. It's actually just over eight minutes and it's an instrumental. Yep, you read right, instrumental. But have no fear because they are the band who can pull that off. Of course it's a wank fest but when you can write great songs and play as good as this, a wank fest is a beautiful thing. There is a cool part in the middle where the song slows down and even incorporates some traditional Japanese music sounds. Those traditional sounds carry over to the melody leading to the last few minutes of the song. For an instrumental, it really grabs your attention and holds it.

I think that the problem with most of the bands of this genre, and especially the aforementioned bands, is the the lack of memorable riffs. With this band you get the riffs. The keys are predominant but the guitars still drive the songs. The riffs give that punch that lets you know that this is still heavy metal. "The Guide" is one of those songs that have some kick ass riffs driving the song even if the keys are in your face. This is the proper way to do this type of music. "I Wish" is a song that has some killer riffing but with some 70s sounding organ going right along with the riffs. I think of it as the "Jon Lord" effect because of that organ sound. The guitar solos on this one is fucking amazing...as they all are but this one needed to be mentioned on it's own. He goes by the name of Syu and he is just incredible on this one. Just when I thought the previous one was good. Closing out the album is, "The Voyage." This is an instrumental that feels more like a ballad than an outro. Slow, tasteful and melodic, this is the perfect way to end a perfect album.

This album is amazing, there's no other way to put it. There is not one song on this album that is less than amazing. I could listen to this album over and over again and not get tired of it. All the elements that make an exceptional power metal album are here on this album. This band is no joke. They are masters of their craft and this album is the proof. If you love, or have ever loved, symphonic power metal, then you must get this album. It's essential.

10/10

Abigor - Leytmotif Luzifer

Austria's Abigor is a band that is most well known for it's mid 90s output. Their first two albums are lauded by the metal community as black metal classics. It's also the band that contained Silenius of Summoning fame. It seems the band ended in 2003 only to be brought back to life in 2006. Their newest and tenth full length album, Leytmotif Luzifer, brings the band full circle as the vocals on this album are provided by original vocalist Silenius, although he is only listed as a session member and is not back in the fold. This album shows is a more mature band but with a renewed energy and aggression. The album's subtitle is The 7 Temptations of Man and each song is titled after each temptation. So with the album title, subtitle, and vocals provided by Silenius, expectations are high. Well let me tell you that you won't be disappointed.

Let me tell you straight up that there are no synths, electronics or other influences at play here. This is pure black metal at it's finest. The album opener, "Temptation I - Ego" slays from the start with some serious guitar work and evil as fuck vocals. the riffs here go from thrashers to tremolos. The layered guitar sound is a staple for this band and is one of the things that makes this a return to form for this band. The tempo is a mixture of blast beats and pummeling double bass speed. There is an evil chaotic part in the middle that just gives this album such an atmosphere. There are so many layers to this band as you have this pummeling first song, then you have a darker and more sinister track "Temptation II - Stasis." This song slows it down a bit but does not let up on the aggression and sounds so fucking evil. There is some killer soloing going on in here as well as some evil sounding vocal chants in the background. This song is all over the place without being the least bit incoherent. Instead it shows the band's creativity on this album.

"Temptation IV - Indulgence" is pure evil through and through. This song has so many elements that make this one of the standouts. Although not as fast and aggressive as some of the others, it has this slow eerie sound that invokes sinister feelings. There are deep clean vocal chants and some strange guitar sounds and riffs. But it also has some melodic parts in the middle of the song. It speeds up towards the end adding yet another layer to the song. Then you have "Temptation V - Neglect" which is a classic black metal song if I ever heard it. Speedy and loaded with tremolo riffing this song is has some of the most eerie vocals I've ever heard in a metal release. The deep cleans show up again on this song but, for me, the guitars are the stars of this song. The riffing and the leads are just in your face and the tremolos add melody to this song making this a great example of how to mix aggression and melody into a song and make it sound believable.

The greatest temptation on this album is the final one, "Temptation VII - Excessus." This is an eleven minute epic that could be one of the best songs this band has ever done. It begins with such an evil sound with the vocals sounding like they are coming from the fiery pits of Hell. It starts a bit slower then speeds up with the tremolos added to give it more atmosphere as well as a bit of melody. It even sounds a bit incoherent in places adding to that feeling of madness that shows itself in places here. But when taken in context of the entire song is not incoherent at all. Instead it necessary for this song so you get the feeling they are trying to convey. All of it is building to a climax that is just massive in it's approach. After the midway point the chaos subsides and some melody shows up. There even seems to be a doom vibe going on here but with some beautiful tremolos. The clean vocal chants are just perfect for this where this song is at this point. It's almost as if they are trying to convey the message that out of chaos comes order.

This album is just one roller coaster of emotions from beginning to end. Some places are bit more chaotic than others and there are some that are just too chaotic for me, but they are far and few between because I get the overall vibe they are giving off here. Bottom line, this is possibly the best black metal release of this year. The combination of melody and aggression; of chaos and order shows that these guys are rejuvenated and have found their creative niche once again. If you have ever been a fan of this band, this album is essential and if you are a black metal fan at all, you should devour this album. I did.

9.5/10

ElvenStorm - Blood Leads to Glory

It seems that in this day and age, the thought of a female fronted metal band brings to mind bands like Nightwish or Epica...symphonic metal with opera type vocals. However, back in the day a female fronted metal band brought to mind bands like Warlock, Hellion, Chastain, etc. ElvenStorm is a band that nods to the old school of female fronted heavy metal. I found this band while looking at the Facebook page of a similar band, Crystal Viper. Formed in 2008 this French quartet's second full length, Blood Leads to Glory, is an all out heavy metal assault that can stand up to any of the more established metal bands, female fronted or not. They also pay homage to the real female fronted metal from days gone by.

Now one would be amiss if they did a review of this album and not mentioned the obvious German power metal influence that seems to be all over this album. And the reasons for this comparison could be that the album was produced by Lars Ramcke of Stormwarrior and mastered by none other than the great Piet Sielck of Iron Savior fame. The appearance of these two help give this album a sound that just reeks of fist pumping, horns high heavy metal. After the intro, the first proper song, "Reign in Glory," lets you know that this band means business. Even though they are from France, this band plays German style speed/power metal and this song is a prime example of their ability to kick your ass with speed and aggression but still have those infectious melodies that the genre is known for. Imagine Stormwarrior with Doro Pesch or Marta Gabriel (Crystal Viper) singing. But they are much more than that as their own ideas show brightly on this album. Vocalist Laura Ferreux has the perfect metal voice. It seems that in places she is holding back but all in all she can hold her head high because she can stand side by side with the aforementioned ladies any day.

"Werewolves of the East" is another song that is loaded with speed, melody, and speed metal riffs galore. The soloing on this song, as well as the rest of the album, is just amazing. The dual leads and the lead riffing just add that touch that makes this type of metal so enjoying. The melodies that are produced by this style of playing are, as I said, infectious. "Temple of the Sun" is more of a mid paced rocker that slows the tempo down a bit but makes it no less metal. This song has some excellent riffs and melodies. Ms. Ferreux shines a bit more here and gives a powerful performance. This may be the "weak" song on the album but only because it relies too much on the melodies. It's not a weak track, it's just not as strong as some of the others, that in no way makes it a skipper or a throwaway. I also previously mentioned Marta Gabriel and her band Crystal Viper. Well she guests on the album lending her powerful voice to "Mistress From Hell." The title of that song says it all. This song will make you get out your metal studded wrist bands and throw horns high!

"Where Angels Dare to Die" is the band gong into epic territory for this one...and they do it well. The song is just over six minutes but there is never a dull moment in the song. It begins with slight intro section that just screams epic. After that it's mid paced with some kick ass riffing and some lead riffs adding melody. There is a riff that kinda reminds me of "For Whom the Bell Tolls" in there but all in all this just rocks. It slows down a bit in the middle only to lead up to the solo part that just gives me the chills. This shows that this band is capable of melding speed metal with traditional and epic metal without it sounding forced. Then a song like "Fallen one" just slay with an all out speed metal assault with massive riffs and screaming solos. "Sirens of Death" is another of those kick ass speed metal songs that has all the ingredients, including the gang shouted background vocals. The song slows down a bit in the middle with some cool riffing on the bridge leading to a massive solo. As I said, Ms. Ferreux sounds like she is holding back in places but not on the bonus track, Into The Fire", which is a Savage Grace cover. Here she lets loose and shows her range. It's a great cover and the band shows where their influences lie.

So the next time you think of female fronted metal, maybe you should remember that there is much more out there than the goth metal fronted opera singers. This is proof that there are still female metal singers that actually sing metal. This is an album that took me by surprise because I was not expecting it to be this good. I'm looking forward to what the future might bring this talented band. Horns up, this is essential.

9/10

Accept - Blind Rage

Accept is not just any band, they're an institution in metal. Officially formed in 1976 their roots go back to 1968. This band is an absolute favorite of mine, and most metal heads, based on their contribution to metal during it's infancy. Albums like Restless and Wild and Balls To The Wall were instrumental in getting me into metal and hold a special place in my "Metal Heart." After numerous splits, reunions, and hiatuses, the band went back to the drawing board and in 2009 the band reformed with a new vocalist and a new energy. They released two balls out metal albums and it appeared that not only were Accept back, they were back with a vengeance.

Accept's newest and 14th full length album, Blind Rage, is actually the perfect successor to the two previous albums. Once again we have guitar driven heavy metal as only Accept can do it. This album is just full of quality riffs and enough hooks to grab you. What's different here is that the songs seem more thought out. You have straight up rockers like the opener, "Stampede." This was a teaser that the band released back in July. I thought it was a great song then and I stand by that. It's melodic but with enough aggression to make it believable. The guitar work is just amazing. There's solos galore...which is right up my alley. Then you have "Dark Side of my Heart" that could have been on any of the 80s albums. This song just reeks of the 80s with the slow verse leading up to the arena rock sounding chorus and 80s metal gang vocals. Another bad ass solo on this song makes it an Accept classic already. Then you have an all out ass kicker like "Trail of Tears." This is a speed metal Accept at it's finest, fast but yet melodic and catchy.

But even with the diversity in the sounds, this is still an Accept metal album. It does seem a bit laid back in it's approach but I think it's because of the production. The production on this album reminds me a bit more of the old school sound. It doesn't sound so compressed and over loud. The guitars aren't as ballsy and crunchy as Sneep usually likes them. And it fits the music well. As I said, the songs feel more thought out. There's everything that we all love about Accept, the melodies, the ballsy riffs, the gang backing vocals but with songs that have more meaning. And the lyrics are really heavy on this one. I think that's where the Blind Rage comes in. Some said that the title of the album is a bit misleading because this is such a laid back album but I think they are overlooking the lyrics. "200 Years" is a fucking ominous prediction that sends a message that we need to think about what we, as humanity, are doing to this planet and each other. Rage means a lot of things and after listening to these songs, the title of the album fits like a glove. The aforementioned "Trail of Tears" is another example. You want to get pissed, look that up once...it truly happened.

"Fall of the Empire" is the epic number on this one. This song is a mid paced song that is an all out metal epic from the riffing to the melodies to the choruses with those Accept backing vocals. A song about mutual destruction we see the blind rage showing up once again. But the song just rocks with that main bluesy riff and the solos that sound almost like Ritchie Blackmore. To contrast you have a song like "The Curse" that shows that Accept does cheesy right. Yeah, the song is a bit cheesy but it's such a great song. With a slow main riff and verse it picks up a bit at the chorus. It spotlights Mark Tornillo who's voice sounds quite good where he cleans it up a bit...not so much of the gargling with glass sound. But the song is catchy and well written. Again the guitars are just amazing with the riffing and solos adding melody and providing the texture of the song. Those leads in the background make me love the song even more. The lyrics aren't really as cheesy as I've heard some say but are actually quite thought provoking. "Final Journey" is the closer and is there to make you never forget that you just listened to an Accept album and you are much better for it. A faster number it has some great riffing and an infectious melody.

There's a few moments on the album that didn't work for me but they were very small issues with a few parts on a couple of songs. Nothing that really takes that much away from the album. This is a great Accept album that is a touch better than the last two just based on the maturity of the songwriting. These guys have had an interesting career but it seems that after all of these years they have finally found the ingredients to consistently release quality albums. Bring 'em on.

9/10