Max The Axe’s Blazing Star – Demo CD review

Max The Axe’s Blazing Star – Demo CD

Italy is quite famous for a bunch of delicate guitarists that appear on the country’s Metal scene. Aldo Giuntini, Dario Mollo and many more guitarists in some fine Italian bands always presented their fine work through their albums, solo or band-guided. Max The Axe is another guitarist who released his first demo with the valuable help of bassist Tomas Ticciati and vocalist Tomasso Lanese who also handles the production duties. The demo includes 4 tracks of Heavy / Neo-classical Metal, filled with pretty high-demanding guitar leads and quite nice vocals. The band’s musical identity remains mostly on the Heavy side, without being too “symphonic”, perhaps due to the lack of intense keyboard parts. So, fans that like a heavier edge on Neo-classical Metal will definitely appreciate their sound. The opening song “Blazing Star” is a typical double-bass opener with a great chorus and flashy leads, while “Love Criminal” is quite melodic with some interesting vocal lines. “Father Time”, as you can guess from its title, is a cover on Stratovarius song, while “Adagio” is the instrumental track based on Albinoni’s theme and it creates an atmosphere with the all-time classic melody. I really wish to listen to more songs from the band since this project from Florence can really achieve a lot more. Contact the band through their mySpace profile and found out how you can purchase their demo: http://www.myspace.com/maxblazingstar. Band’s web-site (written in Italian: http://blazingstar.interfree.it/ )
Dimitris Starakis

7th Reign – S/t CD Review

7th Reign – S/t CD (Independent)

When I first received the 7th Reign CD, I had a strange feeling that it will be a major highlight. And thankfully I was 100% right! The U.S. quartet was formed in 2005 by guitarist Marios Panayiotis (yes, he is a Greek!) and ex-Eidolon vocalist Brian Soulard. The man who helped these two musicians to meet was none other than Glen Drover (ex- Megadeth / Eidolon guitarist). The band, after completing its line-up, started rehearsing and at the same time composing the songs that would end in their debut CD. During the recording of their 1st album, Fuz Z, the bassist of 7th Reign left and it was time for a third Eidolon member to join in. Adrian Robichaud joined forces and the recordings were completed with the band feeling absolutely satisfied with the final result. The CD was officially released on March 2007 and it featured 8 brilliant songs. I am using the cosmetic word “brilliant”, because a fan of the U.S. Power metal scene can now find in the album everything he is longing to listen! Wonderful and powerful vocals, astonishing riffs and a solid rhythm section is what 7th Reign consists of. Marios has the ability of composing songs that are destined to become immediate classics such as the neck breaking “Defied” (the chorus is a fine example of what U.S. band can only offer!) or the 10 minute long Opus “Asylum”. He is also adding a Neo-classical atmosphere to the songs with his highly-demanding solos and riffs that are storming out of his Stratocaster, something which makes the sound of the band so special. In the closing track titled “Executioner”, Marios present also his marvellous abilities by composing an 8-minute long instrumental track, without having any dull moment in it! He is without doubt a virtuoso and a true leader of the band. 7th Reign, along with Mindwarp Chamber, Katagory V etc. continue the great tradition of the U.S. Power Metal bands and they are proud messengers of the great heritage that was established form bands like Oliver Magnum, Mystic Force, Lethal and many more. I am pretty sure that their talent will not be wasted and their debut will not stay unnoticed. 7th Reign can offer much more ground-breaking moments since this is only in their very first step. As for you fans, what are you waiting for? Order immediately a masterpiece of the U.S. Power Metal Scene! Visit the band’s web-site: http://www.7threign.com/ and their mySpace profile:
http://www.myspace.com/7threign
Dimitris Starakis

Masa Fire Hoshino – Demo 2006 CD review

Masa Fire Hoshino – Demo 2006 CD

Japan has a great tradition when it comes to Melodic Metal. But. due to the fact that most bands sing in Japanese, their fame could not easily spread overseas. The great bands that emerged from the land of the rising sun are numerous to mention and thankfully we witness often new musicians appearing and adding some wonderful music to the country’s musical heritage. One of these promising musicians is Masaharu F. Hoshino, a guitarist who, after his graduation from the Guitar Institute Of Technology in Hollywood, started composing songs that ended up in his debut effort simply entitled “Demo 2006”. Masa didn’t include only instrumental tracks in this CD, but he also contributed mostly fine vocal songs, with the help of his friend Leo Loebenberg, who is also a student at the Vocal Institute Of Technology. Masa is a fan of Power Metal music and his passion is reflected on the songs he composes. “Engrave Your Names”, “At The Second Crossroads” and my favourite “Heavenwards” (yeap, the Neo-classical atmosphere here is quite intense, he, he!) are wonderful tracks with memorable riffs and fine vocal lines, something that proves that, apart from his excepted advanced guitar abilities, Masa is also a great composer, when it comes to Melodic Power Metal. There’s no way of listening to each song from Masa’s Demo and forgetting the basic riff and the main melody after each song is finished! Songs “Pop #001” and “Pop #002” are midi tunes in which Masa is trying to present a more melodic side of his songwriting. The song “Fire Ressurection” features some fine melodies and harmonies, but the death-like vocals are spoiling the whole result. I would love to listen to this song with “clean” vocals in it. As a conclusion, Masa Fire, who is currently searching for a band proves that he has a bright future ahead of him and I’m sure that we will witness his abilities in a proper band! Good Luck Masa! Check out his mySpace profile at: www.myspace.com/masafire and e-mail him at: flamesilently@yahoo.co.jp
Dimitris Starakis

Ioannis Anastassakis – Suspension Of Disbelief CD review

Ioannis Anastassakis – Suspension Of Disbelief CD (Wild Rose Angel Productions)

First of all, I am really flattered since an artist like Ioannis has sent out to me his CD for a review in my blog. For those who don’t know Ioannis, he’s a true virtuoso flamenco guitar player and his extraordinary abilities are clearly showcased in the already classic “Flamenco Live At Ioannina” CD which was released in 2001. Being a student of one of the greatest flamenco maestros, Juan Serrano, Ioannis’ talent could not stay hidden and soon the world and of course Greece discovered a true master of the six-string. At the same time, something that is also revealed in The “Flamenco Live..”, Ioannis couldn’t not hide his great passion for Metal music and he mentioned in his thanks list the numerous virtuosos of the genre such as Yngwie J. Malmsteen, Vinnie Moore, Michael Romeo, etc.! His brand new CD “Suspension Of Disbelief” reflects also the “electric” side of him, since this time, only 3 tracks of out a total of 11 (“Variations Of Malaguena”, “Dos Hermanos (Bulerias)”, “Flamenco Journal – At A glance”) are flamenco-oriented. I am definitely not a flamenco–expert but I cannot hold myself from showing my admiration to the passionate Spanish sound of Ioannis guitar! A demanding style like flamenco can only performed fluently by great maestros and definitely Ioannis is a member of the pack!
The “electric” side of Ioannis is simply surprising. The opening self-titled track of the CD mixes various styles such as jazzy/fusion and a little funk elements with melodic harmonies as Ioannis comments also in the booklet. A truly enjoyable track, but the second track of the CD left me speechless! “Caravan Of Despair Suite” is an 11 minute and 13 second long masterpiece, an unrepeatable anthem in modern instrumental Metal music! Full of passionate and Phrygian-inspired moments, with the female vocal melodies giving a mysterious tone from the very beginning, the song is a great example of how Neo-classical Metal should be sound! Imagine that Ioannis dedicated this state-of-the-art song to Yngwie J. Malmsteen, when at the same time other so-called “geniuses” guitarists have always fear in mentioning his name (another bright example such as Ioannis is the always amazing Michael Romeo!)! I could comment a song like “Caravan...” for days but simply, there are no words to give a comprehensive description of its greatness! Another wonderful, catchy and worthy to mention instrumental tracks is “The Forgotten Quest”, with a “sweet” main melody that easily becomes familiar to your ear. This could easily become a vocal song also! Along with the above mentioned songs, I must also highlight “The Final Jam”, a “guitar battle” featuring bright hopes and already established guitar players that Ioannis gathered especially for this song. Alex Flouros, Lakis Regazas, 15-year-old George Emmanouel, Marcel Coenen, Theodore Ziras, Constantine, Bob Katsionis and of course Ioannis contribute their solo performances and once again the result is splendid! “Suspension Of Disbelief” is an album not only destined for instrumental music aficionados but also for every listener that enjoys music as an art form! Visit Ioannis’ mySpace profile: http://www.myspace.com/ioannisanastassakis and don’t forget to check also his web-site (http://www.ioannis.org/) if you want further details for his teaching courses and also his instructional releases.
P.S.: I must also not forget to mention the highly detailed booklet that accompanies the CD and it features songs comments, bio info and an interview of Ioannis. This is how well-cared releases should be done!

Dimitris Starakis

9/6/2007, Greek Metal Festival in Heraclion, Crete, Greece

Gray Broderick – Mythic Realms CD review

Gray Broderick – Mythic Realms CD (Fossil Records)

Gray is not a novice in the U.S. Underground scene. While picking the guitar at the age of six, he studied hard to develop an advanced guitar technique and he is now considered one of the virtuosos of the Neo-Classical genre in the U.S. scene. While co-operating with many bands including Timejam, Mass Of Virtue, Amethyst, Allegiance, Nyxx, Metal in Action and Final Prophecy, among others. Gray also was constantly working on new musical ideas for his solo project, entitled Mythic Force. Under that name, he released several albums, including “Dark Legions”, “Metal Machine”, “Realms Of Fire”, “Sacred Vision”, “Serenity”, “Mythic Force I”, “Mythic Force II” and “Mythic Force III”. While many of his tracks were also put on mp3.com, “Mythic Realms” came out in 2000 and is once again a collection of Gray’s ideas which ended up as instrumental songs. Even from a flashy listening, it’s obvious that his deeply focused on executing Neo-classical Metal songs with catchy melodies and quite skilful playing. Another fact which I quite enjoyed is that Gray flirts with Phrygian scales and there’s a strong “ala turca” feeling in many of his songs. One bright example is “Dawn Of The Dragon”, a significantly wonderful track that makes known to people that there’s much hidden quality out there and also notifies that Virtuoso guitarists are not an endangered species any more. “Horizons Of Glory” is another grand opus with a Phrygian-based riff and quite baroque atmosphere, which reveals also Gary’s abilities to compose lengthy tracks with even a dull second. It hard to pick favourite songs from “Mythic Realms”, since it’s an album destined for Neo-classical Metal fans and people who enjoy music with vision, passion and skilled performances.
If someone thinks that Gray’s career is on the end of the line, then he‘s proven wrong, since he’s already preparing his brand new effort! Check his mySpace profile for further updates on his work progress: http://www.myspace.com/mythicforce . Check also his web-site: http://mythicforce.com/home.html
Dimitris Starakis

Pandora’s Box – S/t CD review

Pandora’s Box – S/t CD (Independent)

Formed in 2002 by keyboardist Achilleas Mochloulis and guitarist Loukas Avgerinos, Pandoras Box managed to release their first CD 4 years later. While the band suffered from constant line-up changes, they remained is a stable musical style, which is quite lyrical and melodic, with guitars and keyboards mixing and creating a dreamy atmosphere. Passion is vividly reflected in their songs and they try to stay focused on that, instead of composing songs that are “dry” and uninspiring. In the CD, the listener can meet Melodic Power Metal songs like “Into Your Eyes” and “Last Time” but also more Progressive compositions like the instrumental series “White Saga” (the second part is quite impressive!). The band is also experimenting in “Fairy” by adding some folk elements in their music and due to the fact that Giorgo’s voice is quite sentimental, they surely add points to their abilities. One strong example is “Crimes Of Love”, an atmospheric melodic Metal anthem with pompous keyboard parts and acoustic guitars mixing with “electricity”. The result is wonderful and definitely that particular song is the band’s strongest hit. Pandora’s Box, along with Ragenheart represents the “New Wave Of Melodic Metal” in Greece, except that Pandora’s Box also include some Hard Rock and AOR elements to their sound. It’s so nice to meet a band with reflected passion in their songs and I really wish to remain faithful in their style because there are really good in what they do! The band now has a new vocalist and they are working on new material, so check their mySpace profile at: http://www.myspace.com/pandorasboxgreece
Dimitris Starakis

Cauldron – Into The Cauldron review

Cauldron – Into The Cauldron mini-CD (Basement Metal)

From the ashes of the Canadian Thrash band Goat Horn, a powerful Metal trio has risen to conquer the Metal World! Cauldron is a Power/Speed Metal trio with high voltage songs and break-neck rhythms that will definitely spread their reputation rapidly. The band recently performed live in “Up The Hammers” festival in Athens and everyone was extremely satisfied after their concert. That means a lot. From the very first notes of “The Striker Strikes”, it’s obvious that the band is full of energy and passion for high-octane Metal. The song has furious speed breaks and its ideal for a concert opener! “Into The Cauldron” is not so fast, but its structure is based into NWOBHM forms (Jason Decay’s voice sounds also pretty “British”). “Restless” is way too melodic for fans of Speed Metal but I have to say that is the song that will definitely become one of the band’s strongest hits. I personally love its melodies! The track which stands last in order is “Torture’s Too Kind” which combines speed with galloping riffs. Once again the vocal lines are catchy, while Ian Killpatrick, the guitarist of the band, contributes some highlighted solos, due to its wonderful performance. He is indeed a musician to notice and, to be honest, you don’t meet easily so skillful players in this genre. I got a bang out of their debut and I am sure that you’ll do also. Visit the band’s mySpace profile: http://www.myspace.com/cauldronmetal and find out how you can obtain their mini-CD
Dimitris Starakis

Gallows Tree – Two track Demo-CD review

Gallows Tree – Two track Demo-CD

Another Metal band appeared from Larissa, Greece, so once again my sayings are proven right about the city’s rich Metal heritage. Gallows Tree released their first demo during the fall of 2006, in order to express themselves through their favourite music. The opening song titled “Fallen Society” is dark, pompous and really atmospheric, while Damos Harharidis (who was decided to handle the vocals due to the absence of a singer) has a expressive voice which really fits the style of the band. Damos will finally be the band’s lead singer since Thomas from Black Winter is the new guitarist of the band. One thing that I didn’t like is the howling vocals which appear in the song in lead and backing vocal parts. I felt the same thing when I first listened to Adagio’s latest album and I really believe that the band should continue with “clean” vocals in their songs. The second song, “Free Again” is more melodic, with a nice riff and once again a mid-tempo rhythm. No howling vocals appear here this time and I think that the band really showcases its abilities it that particular song. The guys really know, even if they quite young, how to create a dark and heavy atmosphere and I think that this fact add points to their unique identity. I wish them good luck to their following steps since they’ve already started working on new material and I am sure it will be even superior to this one. Visit the band’s mySpace profile and ask them how you can purchase their demo: http://www.myspace.com/gallowstreeband
Dimitris Starakis

CHIBI RARI – “Ichimaime” Mini-CD review

CHIBI RARI – “Ichimaime” Mini-CD

Chibi Rari is a young and talented Power Metal band from the land of the rising sun. “Ichimaime” is their first effort and it features the female vocals of Akeno which definitely makes their sound different. Don’t expect any goth-type vocals here; Akeno’s voice is quite clean, deep and melodic and if you are familiar with the Japanese language then you’ll definitely like also her skills. I’m telling this because 99% of the lyrics are written in Japanese, something common for native Japanese bands. The opening track "比翼の眷族" and also "イシスの言霊" are Power/Speed Metal songs with strongly Neo-classical based riffs and they really go right with their style. But it’s not only speed the band’s greatest advantage. "いつか・・・" is quite melodic and sentimental at the same time. If you go through their songwriting, you can realize that Chibi Rari is a band which surely stands to reason in composing memorable and solid tracks in the future. The musicians are quite skillful (I really enjoyed Umihiko’s guitar solos) and since they’re young of age, the future belongs to them! I would only suggest them to start writing songs in English language, because they can surely spread their name outside the Japanese borders. Check their web-site and send them an e-mail to find out who you can obtain their debut: http://www.geocities.co.jp/MusicStar-Bass/6244/

Dimitris Starakis