Therion is one of the foremost bands in the symphonic metal scene, and it’s easy to see why. The group made a huge impact on the genre with its contribution, pushing the envelope and setting the bar higher with its massive wall of sound. The band emerged in the early 1990s when metal acts were experimenting with incorporating orchestral and symphonic elements into their music. However, Therion took the concept further by blending metal with classical and operatic elements. This is something that we kind of take for granted today, and it’s partly due to the impact of this band!
With such a significant background, a new release from Therion is always exciting. Their upcoming album, Leviathan III is yet another chapter in the band’s saga. Therion is renowned for creating concept albums and ambitious projects that go beyond the typical structure of metal albums, and this is no exception. This eclectic studio work features 11 tracks, marking the band’s progressive leanings and constant willingness to embrace new challenges while staying true to its aesthetics.
📸: Mina Karadzic
Available through Napalm Records, the album is the third installment in the “Leviathan” trilogy and perhaps the longest and most intense of the three releases. The sonic variety is truly impressive. Not only is there room for traditional metal influences and large symphonic sections, but The band also explores unique ideas, such as a the flamenco-tinged melodies of the song ‘Duende’, which are completely unexpected. The song ‘Twilight Of The Gods’ offers a brooding, doom-infused arrangement, serving as a truly ethereal and raw segment on the album.
Overall, Leviathan III denotes Therion’s willingness to evolve and experiment with its sound. With so many years under its belt, the band doesn’t need to prove anything, but it’s still eager to make steps forward and enhance the creativity of its vision.
ALBUM REVIEW: CHILDREN OF BODOM
Children Of Bodom: A Chapter Called Children Of Bodom (Final Show in Helsinki Ice Hall 2019)
Reviewed by: Jim Harrison
Review Score: 9.5
Legendary Finnish melodic death/doom metal band Children Of Bodom will release their new live recording of their last live show called, A Chapter Called Children Of Bodom (Final Show in Helsinki Ice Hall 2019). This recording is very important as not only is it the last show COB played as a band but also was prior to the untimely death of guitarist and vocalist Alexi Laiho on December 29, 2020.
Children of Bodom formed in 1998 and released a total of ten studio albums, two live albums, two EP’s, two compilation albums and one DVD in their storied career. With a huge catalog spanning over two decades they became a genre defining piece to the early 2000’s metal scene creating a fast, heavy vibe with the addition of keyboards that’s made their sound totally distinctive. Their origin of the name was derived from the Lake Bodom murders in 1960 and carries an interesting story.
The final line up upon their split in 2019 were, Alexi Laiho, vocals and lead guitar, Jaska Raatikainan drums, Henkka Seppälä bass, Jane Wirman keyboards and Daniel Freyberg rhythm guitar. Laiho and Freyberg carried on as Bodom After Midnight in 2020 up until Alexi Laiho’s death.
This live album has all their hits and incudes eighteen tracks with great audience participation and interaction.
There are so many great moments on this album and personally for myself as a huge fan I love the fact that the show starts ‘Under The Grass and Clover’ which ignites the show and really sets the tone for the cerebral assault and you can tell it gets the crowd amped up.
Some of the other highlights for me are the classic tracks ‘In Your Face’ that is such an amazing live track. ‘Shovel Knockout’ is another crowd pleaser as well is ‘Bodom Beach Terror’ that showcases Wirman’s keyboards. The ominous ‘Every Time I Die’ adds a doom sound and pounds the audience into total submission, this is one of my favourite COB songs.
Fan favourites, ‘Are You Dead Yet’ and ‘Blood Drunk’ gets the fans into a hyped frenzy. Tracks ‘Follow the Reaper’ and ‘Hate Crew Deathroll’ will please all COB fans new and old as these are hits that showcase how great this band is.
Another one of my all time favourite songs is ‘Lake Bodom’ which has a classical vibe that rips into a face melter of a track. The audience is going wild for this one and it’s so heavy with Laiho’s signature voice just ripping through this. This sounds so good live and you can feel the excitement. The last track ‘Downfall’ from their second album Hatebreeder that was released in 1999 and actually was the last track on that album. What a great way to end the album, fast and heavy.
This is a special release not only for being their last performance but acting as an ongoing memorial to Alexi Laiho’s legacy and Children of Bodom’s contribution to the metal movement. This will be a great addition to any Children of Bodom fans collection and serves as a great way to bring in some new listeners who hopefully will check out their back catalog and see how musically, vocally and lyrically talented this band is.
Definitely pick this album up and play it at eleven!
A Chapter Called Children Of Bodom (Final Show in Helsinki Ice Hall 2019) drops December 15, 2023 via Spinefarm.
CLASSIC ALBUM REVIEW – SABBAT
Sabbat – History Of A Time To Come [1988] [Expanded Version]
Reviewed by: Denis Bridger
Review Score: 9.5
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of this mighty release from 1988, I would like to say how much of an honor it is to have the opportunity to tackle such an epic piece of work. Sabbat is one of my favorite thrash bands from the 80s, especially being from the UK and only having few thrash bands on our shores. I am fortunate to have seen them a couple of times, with the first time in May ’89 at a small venue, and then later the same year with Testament and another great UK thrash band, Toranaga (check them out).
BACKGROUND
In 1986, Sabbat recorded a four-track demo, Fragments Of A Faith Forgotten, which cost a whole ten English pounds. The demo was picked up by Berlin based Noise Records, and also by the metal conduit of 80s radio, Mr. Tommy Vance, who, at that time, had the only rock/metal radio show on the BBC’s Friday Rock Show. This program was very important for us metal fans as it introduced us to thrash and all the massive US bands in the rock and metal world. As everyone did back then, I would record the radio show on cassette. Tommy Vance was kind enough to ask Sabbat to record three songs for the Friday Rock Show (Metal Hammer also ran a piece on Sabbat). The stage was then set for great things. The guys had a ton of support from those who could make a difference (metal had little support in the 80s, as we know).
As a result, Noise records offered Sabbat a contract in 1987, but they had to wait until later that summer to record as Andy Sneap was not yet eighteen. Prior to this, White Dwarf magazine (which was a Games Workshop Dungeons & Dragons role play magazine) released the song ‘Blood For A Blood God‘ on a floppy disc (for a record player, not a computer!). Unfortunately, as I can attest to, the thing would never play as it was too floppy. I would imagine, if you still have one of these, it could be worth a few quid!
TRACK-BY-TRACK
‘Intro’
First, we have the scary intro at a full two minutes and five seconds, which sets the tone for what is to come. This included some very ominous, nightmarish bells and weird voices and angelic choral voices. This builds into what becomes a very scary-sounding man uttering ‘so, it is done!’. From here on out it is metal thrashing mad all the way!
‘A Cautionary Tale‘
This track was on the original demo and is one of the oldest songs. It tells the story of Faust and his deal with the devil’s mate Mephistopheles, who allows Faust to reap the wealth of power but in return has to give up his soul and be eternally damned. I’m not sure if he was also in the 27 club like Robert Johnson, Amy Winehouse, Brian Jones, Hendrix, Morrison etc. It seems the cautionary tale hasn’t yet been heeded!
The song is a banger of an opener, with a monster riff and Martin Walkyier’s vocals that come in biting and tearing with deep growling in places and some very scary effects and crunching riffs. It really gives the feeling of being deep in the depths of hell, which is certainly not a good place to be. Martin’s vocals are very distinctive as he seems to hang on to the last syllable and stretches it to some very evil effect. I think it is Martin’s vocals that make Sabbat so unique. ‘A Cautionary Tale’ is a massive tune and I’m quite certain it stands tall as a fan-favorite even today.
‘Hosanna In Excelsis‘
Here we have another crowd-pleaser with driving guitars and memorable riffs that was also on the original demo. Martin’s voice manages to dig holes in your ears, whilst telling the story of the last fight in hell as told in The Book Of Revelations. Martin has a way of delivering his vocals in such a way that his style is very unique and comes across as more than a man simply telling a story. It seems he takes on the characters and is able to paint a vivid picture of the story and all the dark complications. You really can’t help but sing-along.
‘Behind The Crooked Cross’
This is the first track not off of the demo (written later) and continues Sabbat’s theme of mythology and the occult. It references Gerald Suster’s book Hitler And The Age Of Horus. If you know anything about Hitler and his fellow Nazis, you would know that many of them had obsessions with the occult and Aleister Crowley. The Nazis used a lot of powerful symbolism, like the Crooked Cross (Swastika), which, in fact, is the Hindu symbol of well being. Much nicer!
There is another story to be told and Martin delivers it in a way that can’t be denied. ‘Behind The Crooked Cross’ is a slower track but it doesn’t stop building. There are some classic riffs and the solo is just messy genius with the scariest riff in the background… I can even hear some bass on this track (more about the production later).
‘Horned Is The Hunter‘
The song starts off in an ancient woodland, with some nice distorted guitar. If you have seen a picture of Sabbat, you will know that their look was of the Medieval period, when mythology was rife and folk believed what a shaman told them and the forest was constantly misty with evil lurking around every tree. The theme of this song is the Pagan life, pre-Christianity and the Horned man-goat, Pan. I don’t know what it is about Sabbat, but their style of music and vocals and the delivery of everything just makes you want to go run in a medieval forest and slay some beasts.
‘I for An Eye‘
This is the story of Lucifer. More driving riffs and evil story telling. This track is a little funky in places. A banger of a track with some heavy drumming and just some great thrash metal music that makes your head bounce. The end of the track is a melodic outro that contrasts the rest of the track perfectly.
‘For Those Who Died‘
The final song from their infamous demo and was also on the BBC’s Friday Rock Show session and has more of a classic heavy metal feel and slightly more melodic but still hammers those riffs and is still thrash all the way. The track opens with a guy being accused of heresy in a big, boomy, scary voice. It tells the story of the inquisitions during the Middle Ages, much like the Salem witch hunts… everything you would expect from Sabbat! It could be said that this track has a catchy chorus and the guitar solo is a bit reminiscent of a more traditional metal solo, with some dive-bombs just for good measure. For me, it is Martin’s vocal delivery that makes Sabbat special. He really has a way with words.
‘A Dead Mans’ Robe‘
You can feel that the end is coming. This penultimate track starts off with rain, non-distorted, clean guitar, and a scary voice. It then shifts to a doomy Candlemass-like affair. As an instrumental, it gives Martin’s voice a break.
‘The Church Bizarre‘
Frazer Craske (former bassist) said that he and Walkyier were at one of evangelist Billy Graham’s sermons and thought Graham was a very dangerous man, making vast amounts of money from selling religion and that everything was money centric, rather than spiritual. Just more Sabbat to be honest, but a great finale to a great record. I still believe that this is one of the most underrated albums of the genre, even after many years. I remember it just as I first heard it way back when. A great record.
CONCLUSION
And there we have it. Sabbat’s debut. Now, before I round up, the version of the album that I listened to is the expanded version, which has some bonus live songs that were recorded in East Berlin in 1990. It’s worth checking out that version to see how they sounded live at the time. The mixing and production of this album is not of the best quality (sounds a bit harsh). It can be difficult to pinpoint the bass, and the drums sound like they were in a different room.
Generally speaking, the mix and production could be better, but that takes nothing away from the genius of this record and the band. We also need to remember that it was recorded in 1990 in East Berlin, which is awesome as Berlin has always been cool. In fact, the Berlin Wall had only just come down, but we can imagine that the studios in East Berlin at that time weren’t so hi-tech. Regardless, Sabbat kill it, even with just one guitarist. I like the sound of the record as it was, and I think it has a certain je ne sais quoi about it.
If you are aware of the name Andy Sneap then you will know he has worked with some very big names such as Opeth, Killswitch Engage, Accept, Dream Theater, Saxon, Amon Amarth, Kreator, Testament, Megadeth, to name just a few. On a side note, Andy played guitar for Judas Priest as well as producing, which includes Priest’s latest release Invincible Shield and was also involved with the Big Four DVD for Megadeth.
After Sabbat, Martin Walkyier went on to form Skyclad. I highly recommend Skyclad (just as good as Sabbat… maybe). Sabbat released two more albums, Dreamweaver and Mourning Has Broken and both should be sourced if you like History Of A Time To Come.
Sabbat were: Martin Walkyier – Vocals Andy Sneap – guitar Frazer Craske – Bass Simon Negus – Drums
ALBUM REVIEW – AGGRESSION
Aggression – Frozen Aggressors
Reviewed By: Billy Klare
Review Score: 8.5
Canadian thrashers Aggression release their sixth studio album Frozen Aggressors on December 1, 2023 through Massacre Records. Aggression emerged on the Montreal, Quebec metal scene in the mid-80’s building a strong reputation for their blistering style of thrash and legendary live performances, all of which I got to experience first-hand growing up in Montreal during the 80’s. The band appeared on two key compilation albums – Speed Metal Hell II (1986), and Thrash Metal Attack (1987) that helped launch them beyond their Quebec borders. Unfortunately, Aggression disbanded by 1989 as thrash metal was just reaching peak popularity due to various personal issues, but thankfully reformed in 2014 with a new line-up.
Denis “Sasquatch” Barthe is the only original Aggression member these days handling vocal and guitar duties. The current line-up has been consistent the last few years with Dave Watson also playing guitar, Kyle Hagen handling bass duties and Ryan Idris beating up the drums. The band describes their current musical style as follows: “This is a perfect crossover blend, delivered from our black hearts, influenced by ancient recordings of the past that changed our lives. Fast, furious, and straight through your face!”. All pretty accurate in my opinion. I would describe Frozen Aggressors as old school thrash metal that successfully incorporates punk and hardcore crossover influences.
The album opens with the near four-minute instrumental ‘C.H.U.D. Invasion’ featuring dive-bombing riffing, manic aggressive overtones, and strong technical musicianship. As far as opening instrumentals go, this has strong replay value. ‘Circus Of Deception’ is an old school thrash attack that could have easily appeared on early Aggression releases. It has a slight punk slant, showcases impressive bass work that’s featured up front in the mix, and includes some cool drum fills and intense riffing. Barthe’s no nonsense vocal approach is perfect for this “working class” thrash material. ‘Song 666’ is a punk crossover track that still incorporates lethal crunching thrash chops. The chorus is incredibly catchy and reminiscent of a band like the Ramones.
‘Crib Of Thorns’ is a pure thrash metal gem with shredding guitars & bass and allows drummer Ryan Idris to shine with his excellent drum work. At times, the vocals on this song remind me of Randy Rampage from the first Annihilator record. Heavy Venom influences are evident on ‘Holidays In Sodom’ which features some heavy guitar driven hooks that are so catchy and memorable. ‘Satanic Cult Gangbang’ is reminiscent of the punky thrash stylings of Sodom with some comical lyrical content.
‘Queen Of The Damned’ is a favorite track of mine and 100% old school thrash. The entire band is firing on all cylinders at a raging pace. The vocals are more unique here with Denis entering death metal territory with a goblin like vocal approach at times. The albums longest track ‘Hyperspectral Winter Incursions’ at eight plus minutes closes the album in an epic progressive manner beginning with an acoustic intro and featuring vocal narration throughout. This is Barthe’s most dynamic vocal performance and includes strong melodic supporting vocals. Excellent songwriting incorporating strong technical and melodic instrumental inputs. BEST track on the album.
The album production is perfectly straight forward matching Aggression’s musical direction. Original band member Barthe recently noted in an interview that they recorded this album in a garage like setting keeping it simple and straight forward. All instruments are well placed in the mix and the sound is crystal clear. I love that I can clearly hear the bass riffs. The cool album artwork is a family affair with key artistic contributions from Barthe’s daughter and ex-girlfriend.
All I can say is WOW, Frozen Aggressor is an outstanding album that will surely make my top 2023 albums list. The songwriting is rooted in old school thrash, but still varied enough to encourage multiple replays. Aggression perfectly balances aggressive thrash, heaviness, technicality and catchy hooks. The big four of Canadian thrash is commonly cited as Sacrifice, Razor, Voivod and Annihilator (and / or arguably Exciter) but Aggression deserves to be part of this talented influential group.
As a metal fan who grew up in Montreal, Quebec in the mid-80’s listening to all the local bands and attending shows, it’s fantastic to see many of my favorite older local bands still relevant today. Aggression unleashed this awesome slab of metal, DBC and Obliveon are actively working on new albums, and Martyr recently reunited hitting the stage for some one-off shows. Maybe I’m biased but the Quebec metal scene back in the day (and still today) can stand its ground with the best in the world.
Thrash masters Nail Within have returned to release their second album Sound Of Demise twenty years after their self titled debut album released in 2003. The band had kept in touch during their hiatus working on many other projects between Israel, where the band is from and California where the shared recording of this album took place. With members in their mid twenties during the recording of the debut and now all in their forties Nail Within has created an angry, heavy, dynamic album very relevant of todays metal scene. This is a continuation of their thrashy debut with the addition of a death metal vibe.
Band members, Yishai Sweartz vocals, Alex Shuster guitar, Matan Cohen guitar, “Evil” Haim Binyamini bass and Nir Nakav drums have created a metal work of art that has a seasoned sound of a band that is super tight.
Right out of the gate ‘Bleeding Society’ sets this album on fire. Fast and heavy, this thrash assault features guest vocalist Tom Angelripper from Sodom and his unmistakable snarl adds to the brutality of this track. ‘Eyes of Evile’ continues this aggressive journey with fast guitars and pounding bass and drums. Sweartz’s vocals elevates this song into a head banging euphoria.
Title track ‘Sound Of Demise’ begins with an old school Metallica sound meets Slayer. This is one of my favourite tracks, I like the speed of the guitars and the vocals have a Tom Araya vibe. This song would be great live with massive crowd participation. ‘Regression…And The Price We Pay’ has a wicked vocal attack right from the beginning leading into ‘Duplicate Our Lives’. This track breaks into massive guitar riffs and the drums create this almost tribal sound.
‘Years Of Madness’ is a heavy track that features longtime Testament guitarist Eric Peterson. The guitars on this track are fantastic and sound huge. It is a tribute song to L.G Petrov of Entombed who passed away two years ago encompassing the early death metal scene that was so influential. The solo is a face melter and this is another personal favourite of mine. ‘Everything We Know’ has fast chugging guitars and Sweartz’s vocals follow that traditional old school thrash sound and would be another cool live track. ‘Words As Weapons’ has a heavy drum beat mixed with the fast guitars that is unstoppable. ‘Manipulated And Doomed’ showcases how strong the vocals are on this album with an all out aggressive attack. The song has a Celtic Frost sound set in a Tom G. Warrior vibe.
‘Severe Suffering’ begins with a slower ominous guitar riff producing doomish sound. This has guest vocalist Bobby Ferry singer with the band -(16)- sharing the vocal spotlight and adds an interesting dimension to this track which really fits in with the theme of the album. The spoken word part is cool and is a much darker sounding song.
‘Isolate’ the last track on the album completes this musical journey off in style. The main guitar riff sounds fantastic and is a heavy gut punch of a song to end the album.
This is an exciting time to be a metal fan and this album cements this with a thrash/death metal work of art that is genre defining. Their hiatus between albums has made this release so important and relevant. I recommend this album to all metal fans looking for a brilliant release that is musically and vocally superior. Pick this up and play it at eleven.
Sound of Demise drops on November 17 via Massacre Records.
