Scarlet Records

Skeletoon – They Never Say Die Review

Skeletoon – They Never Say Die Review

“Considering the prevalence of nostalgia culture in social media, I’m surprised that Richard Donner’s 1985 cult classic The Goonies hasn’t seen a significant surge in popularity. Seeing it today reminds me that the film was a perfect recreation of my wildest childhood fantasies of close-lurking adventure. Yes, there is a pirate ship loaded with treasure hiding underneath your hometown. Yes, you have to go down an extremely fun and extremely dangerous waterslide to get to it. Yes, you can steal a kiss from your older brother’s hot girlfriend, even if your older brother is an even hotter Josh Brolin. If there’s any musical genre in existence that’s all about crafting a similar sense of childlike wonder, it’s power metal; so, as lame as it is, a power metal concept album about The Goonies makes some sense.” Goo-nie-capped.

Lahmia – Resilience Review

Lahmia – Resilience Review

“Melodeath that does literally anything different will always catch my eye, so Lahmia’s progressive, occasionally gothic, always interesting take on the genre was very welcome. But seven long years later, the Italians only now submit a second entry for consideration. The layoff brings changes, including a revamped sound that plays with fire given the exceptional strengths of their previous output. But if there’s justice in the world, Resilience will pull enough the tricks out of their sleeve to wow you.” Rise or fall?

Sadist – Spellbound Review

Sadist – Spellbound Review

Sadist are a band who have always toed the line between cult classic and second tier. Their progressive death metal has run the gamut between introspective fusion and ham-fisted rhythm, but aside from their excellent debut, Absence of Light, our relationship remains regrettably distant. Now, imagine my intrigue when faced with the Italians’ eighth full-length, Spellbound, a record based on the work of the infinitely influential Alfred Hitchcock. Surely combining my favorite core genre with the oeuvre one of the greatest auteur directors of all time is a recipe for success? Don’t call me Shirley…” Sadism comes in many forms.

HateSphere – Reduced to Flesh Review

HateSphere – Reduced to Flesh Review

“Well, it’s been three years since we’ve heard anything from Denmark’s HateSphere. You know what that means. Another HateSphere record. As I’ve said before, I’m only mildly entertained by the Scandinavian groove/thrash of HateSphere. Because of this, they may never receive a glowing review from me but I gotta give ’em props. While not the most interesting band in their field, they are definitely one of the most consistent. With a new element here and a new vocal approach there, they keep their fanbase coming back for more. Not to mention they’ve been dropping albums every 1-3 years since 2001. And, now, after nearly two decades as a band, HateSphere is about to drop their tenth full-length release, Reduced to Flesh.” Don’t hate spheres.

Cryonic Temple – Deliverance Review

Cryonic Temple – Deliverance Review

“As a fan of power metal for almost as long as I’ve been a metalhead in general, there are a few things about it that set my teeth on edge. Pitchy, squealy tenors a la Stratovarius, for instance, or shameless poppiness, like Amaranthe. It’s in the latter camp that we find the once-respectable Swedish band Cryonic Temple. Having arisen from the early 2000s power metal boom, Cryonic Temple managed to carve out their own niche, but apparently lost steam in the back-half of that decade.” Seal the temple!

Whyzdom – As Time Turns to Dust Review

Whyzdom – As Time Turns to Dust Review

“In the curd kingdom of Powermetapolis, in the days just before World War III, things were not well. A cruel wizard, known as Dread Lord Chëëse, had descended upon Powermetapolis with his army — the Trite Trope Troop — and engulfed the lands in flames of predictable parmesan. The echoes of endless Epica clones haunted the air with their carbon-copy cries, over-the-top orchestral orchids had all but choked the indigenous metal flora into extinction, and the kingdom found itself reduced to a laughable shell of its former potential in the wake of the invading tides. Times were trvly tough for Powermetapolis, and in 2007 a group of a peculiar species known as Frenchmen formed an alliance known as Whyzdom, a musical militia whose mission was to bring back the life, the glory, and the powah to the kingdom.” Take the powah back!

Eldritch – Cracksleep Review

Eldritch – Cracksleep Review

“It’s always more difficult to review a band with an established discography when you’ve never heard of them in the first place. Such is the case with Eldritch, a prolific Italian power metal outfit with a whopping 11 albums under their belt since their 1991 inception. Allegedly, their earlier works contained such influences as Metallica, Machine Head, and Pantera, but 17 years and a few line-up changes can do a lot to a band (right, Metal Magic?) In case of Eldritch, their experience has pushed power and progressive tendencies to the forefront, settling on a sound from the neighborhood of Angra for their new release, the curiously titled Cracksleep.” Eldritch non-elitist.

Frozen Crown – The Fallen King Review

Frozen Crown – The Fallen King Review

“This past week I was giving Frozen Crown’s The Fallen King my dozenth or so spin as I was handling a particularly annoying clean-up report at my other office job. Typically, when faced with such an irksome task, I like to listen to fast music of either the aggressive or uplifting variety; either emotional response triggered by the conflicting styles will do the trick to kick my ass into work-mode. This particular go-round with Frozen Crown struck me, as it handily enabled both responses.” Don’t let it go.

Deathless Legacy – Rituals of Black Magic Review

Deathless Legacy – Rituals of Black Magic Review

“A Christmas tree shorn of spectacle is just a skeleton pining for its casket. Deathless Legacy are loud, boisterous and with their untrammeled Italian bombast are hoping to capture hearts and minds with Rituals of Black Magic, but they’ll have to prove they harbor substance beyond their sparkling facade.” Of bare trees and Italian cheese.

Eagleheart – Reverse Review

Eagleheart – Reverse Review

“As this particular combination of band name and album art has probably deterred the chunk of our visitors who are power metal-phobic, these next words will likely fall on the ears of those who want to hear them least: most power metal is bad. My love affair with the genre will never completely fizzle, but with so many start-ups crutching on knock-off Helloween choruses executed through dreadful vocal performances and robotic rhythm sections, picking out the diamonds in the rough is often a fruitless task.” When the eagle doesn’t cry.