The founding members, bassist Tony Ritchie and drummer Lionel Hicks, are now joined by the band’s new lead vocalist, Hazel Jade, as well as guitarists Chris Young and Adam Wardle. These new members have taken over from former guitarists Chris Masimore and Stoney Wagner, who collaborated with the band on the upcoming album Fresh From The Abyss.
Balance of Power is a melodic/progressive metal band from the UK, formed in 1995. Their debut album was released in 1997. Fresh From The Abyss is their sixth studio album, marking 21 years since their last studio release.
Predominantly exploring themes of life and death, Fresh From The Abyss is a compilation of songs that either capture a singular moment in time or offer a broader reflection on the expanse of time and space, as well as the experiences of living and dying.
The album begins with ‘Last Man Down,’ an excellent representation of the band’s essence, featuring a robust opening that transitions into an almost 70s vibe, complete with a memorable chorus and impressive riffs.
The following three tracks embody the band’s more melodic metal style, with ‘Never Be Here Again’ highlighting Hazel’s vocal talent and the band’s skill in crafting complex song compositions.
Then, on the next three tracks, the band shifts into a higher gear with heavier riffs and a slightly increased tempo that enhances the power metal vibe. The standout track for me is ‘Abyss,’ which is the album’s heaviest song. Hazel’s vocals are particularly fierce and venomous, adding an evil tinge to her voice that really drives the song. ‘Velocity’ and ‘Deadlands’ maintain the band’s heavier edge, which will surely please long-time fans.
The album concludes with the seven-minute epic ‘One More Time Around The Sun,’ a heavily melodic track that once again highlights the band’s talents and Hazel’s vocal prowess.
Balance of Power has returned with a terrific album that melds melody with powerful metal. Long-time fans may need time to adjust to the female vocals, but Hazel’s performance is stellar, featuring lots of great riffs and solos throughout the album.
Album Available April 19th on Massacre Records. PRE-ORDER HERE
DISCOGRAPHY: 1997 – When The World Falls Down 1998 – Book Of Secrets 1999 – Ten More Tales Of Grand Illusion 2001 – Perfect Balance 2003 – Heathen Machine 2005 – Heathenology (Compilation) 2024 – Fresh From The Abyss
Firstly, I am aware that this release may not align with some of the metal genres we typically cover. However, Lee Aaron, the former Canadian Metal Queen whose poster once adorned my high school locker, is releasing her first covers album, and I wish to share her current endeavors. With eighteen albums into her career, Aaron has written, recorded, and produced music that has achieved gold and multi-platinum sales. Recognized as one of Canada’s premier rock vocalists, she has also ventured into jazz, blues, and even opera. She has received numerous awards and accolades, including a recent 2023 induction into Canada’s Walk of Fame.
Lee Aaron made her mark on the metal scene in 1982 with her debut album, The Lee Aaron Project. However, it was her 1984 release, Metal Queen, that truly earned her that title. Her subsequent albums like, Bodyrock, Some Girls Do, also enjoyed significant sales, marking the height of her metal/hard rock era. While I wouldn’t categorize her as hair metal, she emerged during that period in the ’80s, and I found Lee Aaron far more appealing than any of the hair metal bands at the time.
So now to 2024 and Lee Aaron thought it would be fun to take on something she has never done and that is a covers album. So she decided to make Tattoo Me. Lee Aaron states, “It started out as a heartfelt nod to artists we’d been influenced by in our youth, but the truth is, we didn’t stop being influenced or being fans at 18, so the list kept evolving. It covers a few decades and a few unconventional choices, but it was incredibly rewarding to make!”
LINEUP: Lee Aaron – lead vocals Sean Kelly – guitars Dave Reimer – bass John Cody – drums
This covers album is mostly a mixture of some classic rock classics that inspired Lee in her younger years and a few obscure tracks.
From the scorching blues-rock of Nina Simone‘s 1960 hit ‘The Pusher’ to the defiant energy of Alice Cooper‘s 1972 anthem ‘Is it My Body’ and Fleetwood Mac‘s ‘Go Your Own Way’, AARON delivers a performance that is sultry, growls, purrs, whispers, and wails. She seems to revel in infusing these classic songs with her own vibrant spirit. Her voice remains as adaptable and potent as it has always been.
Standout tracks include Jet‘s ‘Are You Going to Be My Girl’, Canadian rockers Heart‘s ‘Even It Up’, and my personal favorite, Led Zeppelin‘s classic ‘What Is and What Should Never Be’. As one of my all-time favorite bands, it’s very enjoyable to hear Lee Aaron‘s rendition of it, and she does an admirable job covering such an iconic band and song.”
Lee Aaron and band sound great covering these songs. Definitely more in the hard rock/blues style. She still sounds great and if only I could find that poster that used to be on my locker!!!
ALBUM REVIEW – STORM UPON THE MASSES
Storm Upon The Masses – Crusher Of Souls
Reviewed by: Kenneth Gallant
Review Score: 8
I recently reviewed the latest release from Aborted and immensely enjoyed the brutal assault. So here is another band that brings heaping amounts of blast beats, razor-sharp riffs and featuring voracious vocals. Of course I’m talking about Storm Upon The Masses, who share all the same qualities as Aborted and possibly throw in a little Krisiun and Suffocation for good measure.
Their overall death metal sound is a punishing mix of brutality and aggressiveness taken to hyper level speeds. I will say this Belgium based band know how to steer the ship with frantic riffs and bestial growls. The pacing is relentless on opening track ‘Seas Of Infinite Plague’ and once you get past the creepy opening, it becomes a little ditty to split your ears apart. The vocals are raspy and monstrous sounding, but it’s the thrashy layering of riffs that caught my attention the most.
The sharp contrasting sounds of guitars and blast beats push tracks like ‘Unleash The Demonic Surge’ and ‘Warfare Ungodly’. However, one of my favourite tracks close to the midway point features some vocal assists by Julien Truchan of French death grind band Benighted. He lends his pipes on ‘Murderous Exhibition’ to give the song an added extra zing vocally. But for me it’s the galloping riffs that drive the track to a satisfying conclusion. Then you get ‘Return To Ash’ pummeling you into submission when the blastbeats hit you square in the face. I absolutely love the lyrics written so insidiously and procuring a line from good ‘ole Pinhead himself as he proclaims tearing your soul apart.
The title track ‘Crusher Of Souls’ is a bombastic masterpiece, allowing Brecht Putteneers to unleash his best growls yet on this one. ‘Cauldron Of Carnage’ is a mega-stomp of pummeling blast beats and featuring lyrics about worshipping the lord of gore with a cauldron overflowing of maggots, decaying body parts and human skin. It’s fiendishly written and one heck of a wicked song to boot. Lorena Moraes of technical death metal band Triagone comes in to lend her shrill vocals as another layering effect to the proceedings. She fits right in on ‘Arterial Red’ and I have to give the band props for selecting the right guest support.
The last track ‘To Follow’ begins with a sample of skittish sounds and a heartbeat, before a malevolent voice is heard saying before you die, I will put your children underneath the knife. It sounds like it could come from one of the subsequent Hellraiser sequels, although I am not entirely sure. Regardless, it’s a chilling beginning to what amounts to a ripper of a song and ‘Excessive Retaliation’ is a solid closer for my tastes.
Crusher Of Souls is a worthy follow-up to 2018’s ‘The Ones Who Came Back’. The album’s themes of annihilation, destruction, horror, and mythical creatures continues to churn the lyrical content preoccupying the band’s mindset. The music is brutal at times, but I love the thrashy riffs and the layering of the blastbeats and vocals. Storm Upon The Masses continue providing solid death metal and I do look forward to where they go next.
The album will be released on April 27th, so go out and get your copy as soon as that date rolls around. This is an independent release. PURCHASE HERE.
ALBUM REVIEW – NOCTURNA
Nocturna – Of Sorcery And Darkness
Reviewed by: Blake Mossey
Review Score: 9
Nocturna are back with their 2nd studio album after their impressive debut in 2022 with, Daughters Of The Night. Their upcoming album Of Sorcery And Darkness continues with their symphonic/power metal elements. Led by the angelic and haunting voices of duo female vocalists Grace Darkling and Rehn Stillnight. The band featuring Hedon on guitar, Antares on bass and drummer Deimos. Also featuring the Frozen Crown/Volturian/Be The Wolf mastermind Federico Mondelli as songwriter, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. The lyrical romanticism in “Of Sorcery And Darkness” melds seamlessly with the band’s intricate soundscapes, while the ethereal vocals of Grace Darkling and Rehn Stillnight evoke mysterious and sensual imagery of a time both ancient and near.
photo by Luca Morselli
BURN THE WITCH “CRUCIFY EVERY LUST THAT BOILS INSIDE KEEP IN MIND ALL THE OATHS TO REPENT AS DESIRE BURNS BEHIND THE SACRED VEIL I WILL LIE TO THE PRIEST TONIGHT”
The opening track, ‘Burn The Witch,’ launches the album with a robust power metal vibe, complemented by the alternating haunting and exquisite vocals of Grace and Rehn. The song is enveloped in symphonic components, yet it is replete with moments that incite headbanging. A great opener to this album.
SAPPHIRE The 2nd track ‘Sapphire’ opens at a moderate pace, then quickly escalates with heavy guitars setting the tone. Notably, early in this track, the high, haunting notes delivered by Grace and Rehn send shivers down your spine. This song seems to blend influences from bands like Nightwish and Savatage. It serves as a powerful display of the band’s collective talent and Federico Mondelli’s songwriting prowess, which aligns perfectly with the band’s style.”
NOCTIS AVEM The opening of ‘Noctis Avem’ is characterized by a robust symphonic presence, followed by a visceral scream that is supported by intense guitar riffs. It stands as one of the quickest songs on the album, showcasing their power metal roots and bearing a strong resemblance to the style of Canada’s Unleash The Archers.
CREATURES OF DARKNESS “OUR SOLACE, FOR LONG DENIED LIES IN HEAVEN’S NIGHT AS FALLING THE BRIGHTEST KNIGHT LUCIFER’S DEMISE WE’RE BURNING, SONS OF THE LIGHT DAUGHTERS OF THE NIGHT RETURNING TO GRACE AND MIGHT” This track is both heavy and melodic, further showcasing their mastery of power metal. The vocals are piercingly powerful, standing out as a prominent strength of the band. The music harmoniously enhances each line. It’s intriguing how such celestial voices can utter the words “Lucifer’s Demise.”
MIDNIGHT SUN The track ‘Midnight Sun’ accelerates the pace, showcasing the harmonious interplay of dual vocals that resonate throughout the album. This track features an impressive guitar solo that tears through the melody. The song concludes with a powerful, almost thrash-like finale.
FIRST DISOBEDIENCE In the album’s midpoint, we encounter the predominantly instrumental ‘First Disobedience’, featuring a man’s spoken words and haunting melodies, accompanied by the distant cries of hawks. Viewing the album cover as you listen to this track enhances the experience, bringing the imagery to life.
SEVEN SINS The song begins with rapid keystrokes that swiftly transition into robust riffs and vigorous drumming, setting the stage for the vocals to make a striking entrance. The haunting quality of the vocals is so intense that it could easily shatter any nearby wine glasses. In the track ‘Seven Sins’, the keyboard layers significantly enhance the depth of the composition, complemented by more remarkable guitar soloing.
THROUGH THE MAZE Starting off with some hauntingly like operatic vocals ‘Through The Maze” is one of the slower but still powerful tracks on the album. A more of a gothic symphonic track here again showcasing the vocal range of Grace and Rehn.
STRANGERS The track ‘Strangers’ delivers a robust heavy power metal experience. It momentarily decelerates to showcase the keys and features vocals that are both overpowering and possess amazing melodic qualities. This song encapsulates numerous elements that define the band.
LAST DAY ON EARTH “GRAINS OF SAND THROUGH THE HOURGLASS, THERE ARE NO MORE STARS BUT SPECKS OF DUST HERE ON THE GROUND.”
The final track, ‘Last Day On Earth,’ presents us with a potent semi-ballad. It begins at a slower pace, leading one to anticipate a full ballad, yet the robust symphonic elements remain an integral part of each track. It serves as an excellent conclusion to an outstanding album.
FINAL THOUGHTS Nocturna has released a masterful symphonic/power metal album, building on their impressive debut. It’s a must-listen for fans of Nightwish, Unleash The Archers, Powerwolf, Within Temptation, and Epica. The dual female vocals are a standout feature. This album comes highly recommended.
Out April 19th on Scarlet Records Pre Order/Save HERE
ALBUM REVIEW – KEYGEN CHURCH
Keygen Church – Nel Nome Del Codice
Reviewed By: Denis Bridger
Review Score: 9.5
Keygen Church is the gothic metal love child of Vittorio D’amore (Victor Love), who hails from Italy and whose roots are not strictly musical, but also from a different but interesting source point than usual. Interestingly, he has created a unique piece of work, which, by any other standards, is worth checking out. Ater all, it is rather splendid. Gotta be honest, when I read the bio of Keygen Church, I had to read it more than a couple of times, just to get my head around what kind of artist I was dealing with. I am not a tech head but I shall duly give it a go and try to translate some of what I read.
Victor Love, who is also the 8-bit phenom Master Boot Record (MBR) – which seems to be the precursor to Keygen Church – writes and composes his music whilst streaming live on the internet (as it happens from undisclosed events around his Rome sound laboratory). This being said, the polishing and finishing touches are done back in the studio, as that is the “boring” part, says Victor. Most musicians will agree that the mastering and getting the music to a place you like, is very time consuming.
Mr. Love, probably like many of the early dance music producers, found his love of music through technology, working with his father and then as a Systems Administrator at a university. After this, Vittorio discovered the pirated software Cracktos, and music was an integral part of the Key Generator culture. I guess if you know about the demo scene, then you probably already know his name.
A key factor in Vittorio’s life has been The Demo Scene or The Scene as it’s also referred to. A friend tried to explain the demon scene some years ago, as he was involved in the Polish scene. As a late bloomer to the tech world, it was hard for me to understand, but from what I could make it was about coding or, for the layman, writing code for computers to be able to do such things as make pictures or logos. This became a sort of cult amongst the early computer enthusiasts. The logo you see above is ASCII art and is a 1 bit pixel graphic language created by 1st generation Demosceners‘ Bulletin board system (BBS) and was created by German based illustrator Valenberg (VirtuaVersa).
Now to the music…
If you have ever been in a cathedral and heard music being played on the pipe organ, especially with a choir, then you will know the sound and immense power that can be transmitted by the gothic architecture and the religious atmosphere that is present in a cathedral. I was fortunate to hear both David Bowie and Motörhead played on pipe organs in cathedrals (in memory of their respective passings) and it was something to behold. Hearing contemporary music in such a setting really makes you stop, listen and take heed. Anyway, I digress….
The first track ‘Se Hai Timor Del Vero‘ opens with beautiful chorals. The pipe organ comes in, creating a devilish, sinister vibe. The digital heavy metal riffs enter with some very excellent piano playing by Love. The overall feel is religious, slightly threatening, and reminiscent of the music you might have heard in a Bela Lugosi film. The sound is massive enough to fill a cathedral, virtually, digitally and, I imagine, in reality. The sound that is created by Victor is incredible and as heavy as music can be without an instrument in sight.
What we need to remember is that all the music by Keygen Churchis 100% digital and is made in Cubase (DAW) and a selection of high end VSTs. On ‘La Chiave Del Mio Amor’ Love makes good use of the VST Hauptwerk (for organ) and the EastWest Hollywood Choirs for the choir (obviously). Love explains that…
“The choir part [of the songwriting process] has been the most challenging, inparticular, some of the syllables sound weird in Italian, the language of chorals. The software is, of course, developed by English-speaking people.“
It must be hard to simulate such an authentic and epic sound with only VSTs, recreating the openness and space that would naturally be in a cathedral, and very time consuming. I would like to have a play with the choir VST, as its sound is very convincing as are the drums (Superior Drummer 3 VST). It’s not easy to find digital drums that sound realistic, but this VST sounds really impressive. The guitars aren’t really guitar sounding, but give that guitar feel and deep bass to add a really great depth. Additionally, the organ has a nice John Lord (Deep Purple) feel. Maybe we need more organ in music? This track is really moving, heavy, and is quite metal in parts. All in all, really impressive programming, design and composition. Lord is a master of his art and will leave you short of breathe by the end.
‘Sulla Via Della Gloria’ opens with a VST Steinway Grand piano and has some really heavy, dirty, non-guitar leads and more of that impressive choir and heavy drums. The whole experience of this record is other-worldly. The sounds are so big, open, and pretty realistic. You can’t help but be impressed by what you hear.
The title track ‘Nel Nom Del Codice’ (In The Name Of The Code) hails back to the cult-like, sub-cultural world of the Demoscene and is another beautiful piece of music. Victor’s piano playing is second to none. The intonation of Love’s playing is very emotional, yet we can’t forget that some really heavy metal is always lurking around the corner to remind that you are not listening to Chopin or some other ancient rock star of the day.
For this scribe, the standout track is ‘Il Paradiso Dell’Anima’ where Love takes it down a notch with the tempo and a beautifully sad, lost love piano. Love’s excellent piano playing is captivating throughout the record. Surprisingly, there is a disco, four to the floor beat on this track (imagine ABBA doing metal) with crazy piano playing, hammering baselines and drums (again, Superior Drummer 3 VST). It is short-lived, going into a full techno metal opus maximus that feels like it was written 300 years ago in a castle somewhere in Prussia. The awesome baroque piano is just incredible with more going on than I can even describe. Mr. Love must have a special brain to come up with these concepts. It blows me away.
‘La Voce Del Destino’ comes back with the big cathedral chorals, again with the utmost atmosphere, giving that air of doom and finalization of something important but daunting, but with a little light shining off in the distance. Love gives his (Massive VST) a blowout for guitar and bass. It’s slow, very heavy, very beautiful and takes one back to a different time and place. I can only suggest listening as there are not enough adjectives in my brain to describe the vastness of sound.
‘Che Sia Vita O Morte’ is sad, morose, thoughtful, and emotional. This choir VST is mind-blowing, and in the hands of such a person as Love, has been used to take things up a level. Halfway through the track, madness presents itself in blackness! Organs that terrify and piano playing that would make Mozart cringe with a lack of ability.
And, finally, ‘Sempre Nel Mio Pensiero‘ adds the finishing touch to an outstanding work. A more traditional death metal kinda rhythm with heavy guitars and bass. If you are a young fan of metal and you take this and play it to your mum, she is gonna have some questions. It’s not for the feint-hearted. An explosive ending to a very enjoyable and new musical experience.
Keygen Church has two previous album, which are ░ ▒ ▓ ▊ and ░ ▋░▋░░▋ ░▋░ (both released in 2022), which are classified as alt code/text art-titled albums (hopefully I have written the album titles correctly).
Vittorio d’amore describes his music as synth metal. From my perspective, it is more of a classical record with over and undertones of black/death metal. It has the feel of a futuristic classical composition, which makes me wonder if people might take an interest in classical music after hearing this, as lots of classical music is very dark, evil, and scary sounding. We could ponder that if Mozart (et al) were composing today, would they be making music like Keygen Church?If you have seen Bill and Ted’s excellent adventure, then, probably, yes… look what Mozart did in that music shop!
In conclusion, this album will not be for everyone. There will be those who will question if this is even metal, as is always the case when an artist does something different. Love has his core followers from the 8-bit demoscene side and is sure to gain a lot more followers of the Keygen cult now that he is moving to a wider audience with Metal Blade Records.
In the modern age, we need to break down the ancient barriers of being hesistant to mix genres and styles. As the saying goes, “there are no straight lines in nature”, and such is the case with music. I can already hear, and visualize, how this music would sound with a live band in a cathedral. In fact, Love has said that he wants the first show to be in a church, and he already has some ideas about how to make that happen. It would surely blow anyone away and be an eternal memory.
So, put on some ear cans, turn it up to 11 and enjoy this piece of innovative art and truly unique musical journey through the ages of music… really FECKIN’ loud!
