[Luca Turilli’s] Rhapsody [of Fire]

Angra – Secret Garden Review

By Angry Metal Guy on January 15, 2015 in 2015, Brazilian Metal, EarMusic records, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, 54 comments

“Angra needs no introduction. The band has been a power metal fixture since the early 1990s and are one of the biggest metal bands to ever breach the borders of their native Brazil. Still, the last decade(ish) has been rocky for these guys, and you might not be blamed for having thought they called it quits. Not only did half the band quit in the early-aughts to go and start Shaman, but they’ve had dust-ups with management and were put on hold—even having been mistakenly reported as split-up entirely. Hell, between 2010’s Aqua and the release of Secret Garden they lost both a singer—who was replaced by Rhapsody [of Fire]’s Fabio Lione—and got a new 23 year-old drummer to boot. Consistency has been hard to come by for Angra of late.” Mr. The Metal Guy takes on Angra’s newest record. Does he bite the cheese?

Dark Fortress – Venereal Dawn Review

By Madam X on September 3, 2014 in 2014, Black Metal, Century Media, German Metal, Progressive Death, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Progressive Metal, 22 comments

“Concepts are tough nuts to crack, you’ve got to get your story across in roughly 7-10 tracks and at the same time the songs themselves need to stand alone and impress. Venereal Dawn is the latest addition to the now seven-deep discography for German black metallers Dark Fortress and it was three years in the making.” Does Dark Fortress crack said nut? Find out by clicking this handy, dandy link below…

Elvenking – The Pagan Manifesto Review

By Angry Metal Guy on April 23, 2014 in 2014, AFM Records, Folk Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Folk Metal, Power Metal, 15 comments

“Elvenking is another one of Italy’s most famous cheese-metal establishments and they’ve been pumping out folk/medieval influenced power metal since 2001’s extraordinary Heathenreel. Unfortunately, since their debut record the band hasn’t produced an album worth all the hope invested in them because of their debut work. In terms of Angry Metal Guy’s Law of Diminishing Recordings™, Elvenking is possibly one of the fastest drop-offs in recent memory. I’ve checked in from time to time over the years, as I want to like them, but I genuinely haven’t ever been able to get into their stuff. The last one I spent any longer amount of time with was 2010’s Red Silent Tides which left me cold and bored, and Era wasn’t great from a songwriting perspective, but the record was genuinely killed by its mastering job.” All has not been well with Elvenking, can The Pagan Manifesto right the ship? Or will they continue to produce flat, disappointing crap?

Finntroll – Blodsvept Review

By Angry Metal Guy on March 20, 2013 in 2013, 3.5, Century Media, Finnish Metal, Folk Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Folk Metal, 18 comments

I sometimes have wondered whether or not Finntroll is proof that we live in someone’s hypothetical universe. This smarmy imagineer in a banal universe somewhere, may have constructed an elaborate The Producers-like scheme to produce a flop that makes him money. “How about,” he says to himself, “a group of Finns, speaking in a minor dialect of Swedish, dressed up as characters from the LARP version of Changeling: The Dreaming and make folk-influenced heavy metal, complete with a screaming madman instead of a singer! Who on earth would buy that?” Were this hypothetical businessman able to see into our not-so-hypothetical universe he would most certainly be surprised to see that this motley menagerie of Österbottningar that fits his description are releasing their 6th full-length record in just a few days time — and it’s their second on one of metal’s premier labels.

Angry Metal Guy’s Top 10(ish) Songs of 2012

By Angry Metal Guy on December 23, 2012 in 2012, Blog Posts, 23 comments

In our first of many lists, we will focus on the greatest songs from the year 2012. I started this last year because I thought it was important to point out that just ’cause a whole record isn’t amazing doesn’t mean there aren’t moments of brilliance even on the most banal of records. This year, I’m happy to say many of the best songs are from very good records, but that’s not true across the board. Instead, I’ve compiled songs that have forced me back to them again and again, like some sort of Angry Metal Obsessive Compulsive. Over and over I have listened to these songs and I’ve narrowed it down to the 10(ish) that I think really stand out from the year 2012. I’m assuming no one will agree with me. But hey, who has the eponymous website? Yeah, that’s motherfucking right, bitches.

Vision Divine – Destination Set to Nowhere Review

By Angry Metal Guy on September 13, 2012 in 2.5, 2012, EarMusic records, Italian Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, 7 comments

When I was an Angry Metal Lad I discovered what was then the burgeoning europower scene in the late 90s early aughts. Deeply influenced by the likes of Rage, Helloween, and Stratovarius I began to be taken in by any band that had a lot of double bass, virtuoso keyboard and guitar solos and a dude who sang moderately operatically but wasn’t too annoying. This held me over for a long time, discovering bands that still stick with me to today as some of my favorites including [Luca Turilli’s] Rhapsody [of Fire], Blind Guardian, Sonata Arctica and myriads of others (as well as their aforementioned influences). But like any scene, this one had its boundaries and excesses and after a while I started to get bored. In that process, I missed Vision Divine – an Italian power metal band that includes Rhapsody’s vocalist Fabio Lione who released their first record in 1999.