New Music Round-Up: 8th Feb 2015

Cripper

Despite the horrible name (taken from an old working song title, apparently), German Modern Thrashers, Cripper are actually a bloody good band. Everyone knows that Germany has a long and rich Thrash Metal history and it's good to see bands like Cripper picking up the torch and running with it. OK, so purists will no doubt moan that it isn't "true" Thrash, but it also isn't 1985. Times change and music evolves. I think even the most jaded old school Thrasher will find something to get excited about on new album, "Hyëna".'

Dawnbringer

Dawnbringer have, over the span of  the last 20 years, perfected their unique style - which is an odd hyvrid  of Trad Metal, Doom, Black and Gothic Metal. The overall sound of Dawnbringer is hard to describe, but one obvious point of reference would be fellow Trad Metal oddballs (The Lord Wierd) Slough Feg. There is atmosphere aplenty on new album, "Night Of The Hammer" and along with some Maiden-esque leads and a decent vocal delivery from the ever-improving Chris Black. Overall, "Night..." is a rewarding and irresistable listening experience and one that gets better with repeat listens.

Diablo Blvd.

 
 Despite them having been around for a decade now, I haven't happened across Diablo Blvd. until now and I don't know what the older albums sound like, but "Follow The Deadlights" is even harder to sum up than Dawnbringer. The overall sound is undeniably "Southern Metal", but there are elements of Gothic Metal, Groove Metal, Grunge and even New Romantic to be found here. I have only heard the album once through so far, but I picked out parts that reminded me of a wide range of bands including 5FDP, Paradise Lost, Volbeat, Poisonblack, Wildhearts, Type O Negative, Danzig, Soil and Demon Hunter. Despite all of this there is something interesting and fresh about Diablo Blvd. and I am looking forward to hearing more from them in the future as well as searching out their back catalogue.

Enslaved

 
Incomparable Norwegian Prog Black Metal heroes, Enslaved are back...and judging on the basis of the single "Thurisaz Dreaming", the new album, "In Times", is almost guaranteed to be yet another Epic Masterpiece in the genre. All the hallmarks of the Enslaved sound are present and correct...The music is sprawling and experimental and the voals veer between otherwordly clean singing to harsh Black Metal rasps. This is the band's heaviest song in many a year, yet retains their recent ear for a Post Rock melody. Essential!

Nightwish

A lot has happened in the Nightwish camp in the 4 years since the release of the amazing "Imaginaerum" album (my album of the year for 2011, fact fans) and I have to admit to having mixed feelings about another new singer. Now, I don't doubt the vocal abilities of Ms. Jansen, but Anette Olzon made such an impact during her time with the band that she is going to be a very hard act to follow. Judging by the only song I have heard so far, "Elan", my fears seem to well founded. There are flashes of inspiration, but I can't shake the feeling that I have heard the song before...and better. It comes across as a Nightwish-lite meets Evanescance...such is the overwhelming sense of self-parody that I got from this song. In fairness, it may well be that the (admittedly leaked) version of the song that I have heard may not be the final version and that it may sound better within the context of the album. We will have to wait and see.