Accept

Sinbreed – Shadows Review

By Steel Druhm on April 2, 2014 in 2014, AFM Records, German Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Power Metal, 6 comments

“What do you get when you take a rough and ready Germanic power metal band and add two members of Blind Guardian? You get a better rough and ready Germanic power metal band. Sinbreed is that band and features the talents of Blind Guardian guitarist Marcus Siepen and drummer Frederik Ehmke, which gives them some instant musical credibility and clout. Their 2009 debut When World’s Collide was a rock solid slab of slick, but angry metal in the vein of modern Accept, Herman Frank and Paragon and Shadows improves on that template with even more raspy, Udo-like vocals and thrashy guitar lines.” More power metal at AMG? What is this, a pirate-shirted coup?

Gamma Ray – Empire of the Undead Review

By Steel Druhm on April 1, 2014 in 2014, EarMusic records, German Metal, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 28 comments

“Wow, these guys have been around forever! Empire of the Undead is Gamma Ray‘s eleventh freaking album, and we get it despite the fact their recording studio burned down and everything was lost, except the masters for this baby. So what do you get from a band so beloved and long in the tooth?” After so many albums, what are you expecting? Steel Druhm expects you to read this.

Primal Fear – Delivering the Black Review

By Steel Druhm on January 15, 2014 in 2014, Frontiers Records, German Metal, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 10 comments

“Primal Fear never claimed to be innovators or trail blazers. They just want to rock their Judas Priest inspired, traditional metal shtick and write catchy, anthemic songs. They’ve been good at it too and certainly made a career of it, since Delivering the Black is album number ten for the Teutonic terrors. However, with their innate lack of innovative spirit, the risk of staleness becomes an ever present stalking horse, and some of their discography has suffered it’s awful sting…” Ready for more music Judas Priest could have/should have written after Painkiller? No matter how you answered, here it is!

Genghis Khan – Genghis Khan Was A Rocker Review

By Dr. Fisting on August 22, 2013 in 1.5, 2013, Heavy Metal, Italian Metal, MDD Records, Releases, Heavy Metal, 2 comments

“First off, let’s get one thing straight: Genghis Khan was, in all likelihood, not a rocker. He was many things — military genius, emperor, conqueror of many lands, and guy who killed a shitload of people. It’s possible that some of those things kind of rock, although the surviving populations of Russia, China, and the Middle East may beg to differ. Regardless, Khan lived many centuries before western music even existed, and there’s no evidence of him liking rock or metal. Anyways…so yeah, Genghis Khan the band. These guys are an Italian trio playing what could loosely be called ‘power metal.'” Mr. Fisting loves his world history and has some issues with this Italian trio’s debut album and its historical inaccuracy. Forget the wrath of Khan, this is the wrath of Fisting!!

U.D.O. – Steelhammer Review

By Steel Druhm on May 25, 2013 in 2013, 3.0, AFM Records, German Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 7 comments

“U.D.O. (i.e. Udo Dirkschneider), the voice of Accept is back with his umpteenth album full of typically old school, Germanic heavy metal. As with all his previous platters, Steelhammer is Accept-ish in design, with nods to Teutonic power metal like Grave Digger. Sometimes speedy, sometimes mid-tempo, the man and his band traffic in meat and potato metal riffs with his now classic raspy snarl dropped on top thereof. While you have to admire his consistency, it doesn’t always lead to memorable albums, though you can usually count on a handful of above-average ragers. 2011s Rev-Raptor was a rather fun and engaging outing, and Steelhammer follows right along in the same cheesy, but familiar mode.” It’s Udo and his band U.D.O. and that means more Germanic metal with silliness, hooks and Accept-isms. If you liked any of his other 200 albums, you’ll probably like this too.

Paragon – Force of Destruction Review

By Steel Druhm on November 4, 2012 in 2012, 4.0, German Metal, Napalm Records, Power Metal, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Power Metal, Thrash Metal, 3 comments

Steel Druhm heard the cries for more power metal and now he’s running amok with power reviews! This time its Germany’s long toiling speedsters, Paragon. They put the “power” in power metal and Mr. Steel surely appreciates that since there’s quite a power shortage in his neck of the woods.