Took a trip to New York w "mini-me". The drive up only took us 9.5 hours (from Raleigh, NC to Danbury, CT), but going home ended up being 14+ hours thanks to multiple accidents on the road and constant rain. Given the long drive PLUS the fact that we went into NYC each morning and back home at night (2h 15m on train each way), gave me plenty of opportunity to listen to a lot of music. Primarily I focused on a selection of the already purchased 2022 releases such as Hath, Sin Starlett, Allegaeon, ARD, Ten, Sleepwulf, Girish & the Chronicles, Amorphis, Persefone and Voivod, but I also found time to go back to a few older classics here and there.
New stuff:
IBARAKI - Ronin
Newest single from Matt Heafy's "black metal" project. Once again, this is a far from trve kvlt BM, but instead a very original proggy take on it. And the inclusion of Gerard Way from My Chemical Romance (!!!!! WTF !!!!!) is definitely an interesting choice. I'm really looking forward to the full album.
https://youtu.be/v7rn2BhWHAg
BLIND GUARDIAN - Secrets of the American Gods
Another new single, and while I enjoyed the previous one, this one is absolutely slaying. I must have listened to it 25 times already. This is the BG I love so much - like "Imaginations..." meets "Nightfall...". Melodies, melodies, melodies.
https://youtu.be/ReaFJ_MD2cs
CIRCA SURVIVE - A Dream About Death
This is an EP (I guess a continuation to last years "A Dream About Love" EP), and it's honestly super disappointing. Sure, Anthony Green is a brilliant singer, but the music is very laid back, poppy and lacks bite. There was a time when these guys could do no wrong ... not so much now.
https://youtu.be/X3dmhS6Fj6Y
RONNIE ATKINS - Make It Count
This is more like it - I enjoyed last years first solo album from Pretty Maids vocalist Ronnie Atkins, but found it a bit too light and not "metal" enough. This time around the song writing stands sharper and there are a few really hard rocking tunes, not too far removed from current Pretty Maids (well, 2000 and forward). It's not perfect, but much better than I had expected considering the direction of "One Shot".
https://youtu.be/1lem5akVNxc (kind of a ballad, but it's great)
BLACKSLASH - No Steel No Future
German retro heavy metal, somewhere lodged between old school NWOBHM (Saxon, Maiden, Priest), US Power Metal (Riot, Jag Panzer) and a bit of classic/true teutonic power (Grave Digger, Hammerfall). In places this combination reminds me of US band Widow (who I love), with its simplistic approach and full-on attitude.
https://youtu.be/N2ylP-lnx-Y
ARCHITECTS - For Those That Wish to Exist (at Abbey Road)
Superb live album recorded at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London - with the use of a full classical orchestra. There's obviously no getting around the fact that this more than hints at Metallica's approach from the S&M albums, but I truly feel that last years "For Those That Wish to Exist" album was written with this in mind, as it's the most epic and symphonic metalcore album ever, and damn it just works wonderfully here.
https://youtu.be/5zU58KkEjPc
PREHISTORIC ANIMALS - The Magical Mystery Machine (Chapter Two)
Stefan Altzar and his band is back with the second part of this progressive hard rock concept album. It's less immediate than Chapter One in my opinion, but still retain all the parts that made the previous album so interesting; a mixture of Pink Floyd, Muse, Saga, ACT, The Beatles, Ayreon, Marillion, Pain of Salvation ... I've only been through the full album ~5 times so far, so there's still a lot yet to discover.
https://youtu.be/3E1B_jWBqeU
PORT NOIR - Cuts
Album of the year ... yeah, I just don't see anything topping this one for me. By far the band in the last decade that consistently have been defining to me what good music is all about. They've yet to let me down, and "Cuts" doesn't disappoint. Brilliant next-gen progressive "
metal" with more than a hint of R'n'B, alternative rock, dark pop, and even shades of hip hop. I'll save all the big words for my annual write-up
https://youtu.be/PHJO1jQCTuc