Pride & Joy Music

Lugnet – Nightwalker Review

By Huck N Roll on January 28, 2019 in 2019, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Pride & Joy Music, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, 54 comments

“You know that crazy uncle? The one who apparently fronts some sort of sketchy 70s band? Yeah, that one. You see him at the family barbecues, usually a bit more belligerent than a man of his age should be, kind of embarrassing himself on occasion. You think, “There’s no way this dude is in a band.” Then you find yourself, against your best judgement, at one of his gigs, and you realize that whoa, he’s actually a decent singer, and he’s playing in a decent band. It goes against all instincts, but it’s true, and even though you don’t want to, you find yourself drawn to them. Well, that uncle may be none other than Johan Fahlberg, and the band may be none other than Lugnet.” Uncle Lugnet!

Eternal Dream – Daementia Review

By Holdeneye on December 10, 2018 in 2018, Power Metal, Pride & Joy Music, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Symphonic Metal, Power Metal, 35 comments

“Nearly every time I prepare to go out for food and/or drink, I tell myself something along the lines of “I’m only going to have a couple” or “I’m not going to eat too much.” This inevitably leads to a moment later in the night where my wife mocks me for bemoaning the fact that I’ve tested the limits of gluttony and intemperance again. “Just accept the fact that you’re going to get hammered and eat too much and choose to enjoy it,” she says. She’s onto something here. While it’s generally best to aim for moderation in life, sometimes you just have to go into something expecting and embracing excess. This is a lesson that Spanish symphonic power metal band Eternal Dream demands that you take to heart.” Gluttony and lust!

Six Foot Six – The Six Foot Six Project Review

By Holdeneye on November 17, 2018 in 2018, Heavy Metal, Pride & Joy Music, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Heavy Metal, 32 comments

“‘N00b, I have something for you.’ I turn to face the voice, surprised to be spoken to directly as all my assignments have arrived via raven scroll thus far. ‘I want to reward you for how well you’ve handled being the worst n00b.’ Steel Druhm hands me a wrapped package. I stand dumb, just as I always do in the presence of authority figures. ‘I think you’ll like it,’ he says with a straight face before turning to walk away. I hear a sound that might be snickering as he disappears around the corner, but I’m too amazed at surviving a face-to-face encounter with him to notice. I look down at the package and peel back a corner of the wrapping. I find a sticker that reads, ‘For fans of Maiden, Priest, Accept, and Falconer.’ Oh my god! Has Christmas come early? Is Steel Druhm one of those “good” evil overlords?” Apes of wrath.

Once – After Earth Review

By Lokasenna on October 16, 2018 in 2018, German Metal, Pride & Joy Music, Reviews, Symphonic Metal, Symphonic Metal, 77 comments

“There are few things that break my heart quite like seeing people with passion give their all to something and fail anyway. It’s inevitable in many cases, and often funny (darkly or otherwise), but something about it tugs at the heartstrings. Apropos of nothing let’s discuss Once, a German band named, presumably, for the Nightwish album you just thought of. Having toiled in the underground for a half-decade, Once are finally here with a debut album, After Earth. How does it stack up against the glut of material in their chosen milieu of symphonic power metal?” Once is enough.

Black Majesty – Children of the Abyss Review

By Steel Druhm on September 23, 2018 in 2018, Australian Metal, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Pride & Joy Music, Reviews, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 44 comments

“My first exposure to Australian power metallers Black Majesty came when I snagged their Sands of Time debut on a whim while visiting the immortal and greatly missed Slipped Disc Records in Valley Stream, New York. As impulse buys go, it was a big win and fast became one of my favorite power metal albums, and it still gets steady spins 15 years later. Despite such a powerful beginning, Black Majesty has struggled over the years to equal their debut’s magic.” When you yawn into the abyss….

Eunomia – The Chronicles of Eunomia Part I Review

By Eldritch Elitist on August 24, 2018 in 2018, Norwegian Metal, Power Metal, Pride & Joy Music, Reviews, Power Metal, 101 comments

“Every tepid, derivative power metal act I’ve ever reviewed for this humble blog, pay attention: This is how it’s done. Please, for the love of Turilli, don’t take this to mean that Eunomia’s The Chronicles of Eunomia Part I, the brainchild of one Peter Danielsen, is a sterling example of a refined power metal release; mimicking this record’s technical foibles would be, on all fronts, an objectively bad idea.” War clubbing.

Crying Steel – Stay Steel Review

By Steel Druhm on June 14, 2018 in 2018, Heavy Metal, Italian Metal, Pride & Joy Music, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 86 comments

“Steel doesn’t cry. Nor does Steel run, hide or eat soy-based food stuffs. He does however partake liberally of 80 heavy metal, and that’s how Crying Steel came under his iron gaze ov chrome. Hailing from Italy, this retro rocking outfit has bounced around for quite some time, managing to release a series of albums from 2007 onward, of which Stay Steel is the fourth. They describe their style as NWoIHM (New Wave of Italian Heavy Metal), which in practice sounds suspiciously like the First Wave of American Metal Inspired by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.” Waves and metal tears.

Last Days of Eden – Chrysalis Review

By Steel Druhm on March 20, 2018 in 2018, Pride & Joy Music, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Symphonic Metal, 75 comments

“When the whole “symphonic metal with opera vocals” thing hit the world with Nightwish, I was intrigued and quite receptive to the concept. I enjoyed their first few albums, yet within a scant few years, the deluge of generic female-fronted clone acts had me running for more extreme climes and rarely have I looked back. That brings us to Last Days of Eden, Spain’s answer to Nightwish.” Symphony of the Night(wish).