No Nonsense Metal Reviews

  NO NONSENSE METAL REVIEWS: THE TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2021     Despite lockdowns, travel restrictions and the cancellation of normality as a result of an ever present global pandemic, 2021 has been a very healthy year for heavy music. With the cancellation and indefinite postponement of tours, festivals and live music in general, bands and artists have been forced to explore alternative avenues and express their artistic visions and passions in other ways. The down time away from the road has left bands with schedules empty enough to write and record new material, some of which has proven to be exceptionally strong new albums, EPs and compilations. The phenomena of the "lockdown live album" as well as live streaming events and virtual concerts have also become a commonplace staple in many band's discography, showing defiantly that COVID-19 and the consequent restrictions enforced will never suffocate the breath of creativity or shroud the light of the soul. Making the be...

  MASSACRE: RESURGENCE      Like the walking dead, Massacre just keep coming back time after time. Refusing to stay down, this band simply won't die. To survive, Massacre takes on a new form every ascension, this time they have re-emerged as the Kam Lee band, with the legendary vocalist being the most consistent and regular member of the band over the years and through the numerous reformations.   The Massacre that we are faced with here on Resurgence could be considered as something of a Death-Metal supergroup. Comprising the band alongside Kam Lee; we have Mike Borders on bass guitar whom was previously a member of the band for short spell in the mid 1980's, alongside Jonny Pettersson of Wombbath (and countless other bands and projects) and Rogga Johansson of Paganizer (and possibly even more bands and projects than Jonny) on guitars, Brynjar Helgetun on drums, and Memoriam's resident riff-lord Scott Fairfax providing lead guitar. United this band of talented ...

  HAMMERFALL: RENEGADE 2.0     Commemorating the 20th anniversary of their seminal 3rd album, Sweden's Power Metal kings  Hammerfall have given Renegade a face-lift, remixed and repackaged as Renegade 2.0. This is a special anniversary presentation that is certain to satisfy the hammer wielding masses, complete with stunning new artwork and tonnes of bonus content.     The beautifully presented triple disc boxset edition includes the 2020 remix edition of Renegade, along with a second CD which contains the original 2000 version of the album as well as bonus tracks taken from the Renegade single and The Templar Renegade Crusades EP. It doesn't stop there though, as the third disc is a DVD of The Templar Renegade Crusades which compiles live footage from around the world, along with other footage and clips essential to any die-hard fans collection.     The 2020 remix of Renegade by the legendary Fredrik Nordström does this fine album ...

  TRIVIUM: IN THE COURT OF THE DRAGON    Tenth full-length album In The Court Of The Dragon is without a doubt Trivium's most consistent and faultless album to date. Like the vast majority of bands and artists, Trivium have not allowed lockdowns and travel restrictions to extinguish their creative flames. To the contrary, Trivium's latest offering follows a mere year after its predecessor, 2020's What The Dead Men Say, and presents a band whos rapid growth and evolution will not be quelled. Quiet the opposite, Trivium appear to be going from strength to strength, with In The Court Of The Dragon set to solidify their status as rising titans and future Kings of the Heavy Metal world.     Start to finish In The Court Of The Dragon is a fantastically furious force to behold. Every track is masterfully written and constructed, all brilliantly produced by the renowned Josh Wilbur. The maturity and expertise conveyed within these songs is both refreshing and stagg...

  WHITECHAPEL: KIN      Label them what you will, but one thing is definite. Kin  is Heavy. Musically, lyrically and thematically Whitchapel's eighth full-length release is magnificently Heavy.     Whitechapel have matured and evolved enormously over the last 15 years which is as clear as day here on Kin . Although Whitechapel's sound here is less constructed around the outright brutality of releases such as Exiled and A New Era Of Corruption, Kin is still an absolutely crushingly heavy album. Whether or not this music in question is Deathcore or Death-Metal or any other label is entirely irrelevant, all that needs to be said is Kin hits like a grand piano dropped from a considerable height.    Concluding the chapter which began with previous release The Valley back in 2019, Kin is an incredibly raw and emotive album. The record has an honest yet bleak and heartfelt feeling about it, something so deep which is seldom expressed in music t...

  BEAST IN BLACK:  DARK CONNECTION     Bombastic, heavy, wild and fun, Dark Connection is everything that any obliging listener can expect to hear from Finnish whippersnappers Beast In Black.      Saturated with synths, electronics and plenty of twiddling guitars, the album has a very European (or more specifically Scandinavian) Pop vibe, more prevalent here than on Beast In Black's previous efforts. That said, there is no shortage of cracking riffs, slamming drums and impressive vocals.     Kicking off in dramatic fashion, " Blade Runner " offers up an seizure inducing blur of riffs and crazed keys. Sounding like a disco injected Judas Priest, " Bella Donna " is bizzare yet undeniably infectious and catchy. With a great sing-along chorus, crunchy Metallic riffs and an abundance of synths and keys, " Highway To Mars " is another groovy staple. Offering a little more heaviness, " Hardcore " pounds and thunders along like a softer Sab...

  POWERWOLF: CALL OF THE WILD    German Power Metal preachers Powerwolf are very quickly becoming a household name within the Metal music community. With the release of their excellent eighth album, Call Of The Wild, their notoriety and fame is dest ined to grow exponentially. With an huge cult following, Powerwolf have changed the modern Power Metal game and are rapidly proving themselves as the alpha at the head of the modern Heavy Metal pack.    Bounding like a furious beast, opening blow " Faster Than The Flame " is a formidable Power Metal assault armed with crunchy riffs, relentless drumming, blistering solos, layered with atmospheric organs and led by frontman Attila Dorn's commanding operatic vocals.    Pummelling your ears like cannon fire, " Beast Of Gévaudan " is a marauding monster of a track, with huge hooks and an infectious chorus, collosal synth soundscapes, crunchy riffs and a piercing solo. Eerie chants, tolling bells and creepy keys ...

  DARKTHRONE: ETERNAL HAILS.....    As one of the most influential pioneers of what we now know as the "second wave of Black Metal" (one of the most feared and revered subgenres of Metal music), Darkthrone have earned the undisputable right to create music in whatever sound and style they may choose.     Throughout their career Darkthrone have dabled in many different forms of musical extremity, ranging from their Death Metal debut, through their trve kvlt Black Metal heyday, to forays into Black n' Roll, before drawing on the roots of their influences and branching out into more traditional Heavy Metal approaches with their previous full-length opus, the superb Old Star. So it makes perfect sense that with their latest phenomenal outing, the wonderfully bleak cosmic ride that is Eternal Hails..., Darkthrone are yet again opting for a different tactic. The new approach, the description of which boldly adorns the back cover of the albums physical copy, enscr...

CANCER: DEATH SHALL RISE  (2021 Peaceville 30th Anniversary Re-Release)     Cancer's legendary second album, Death Shall Rise is celebrating its 30th anniversary in brutal style with a long overdue re-release. Physical copies of the album have been rather difficult to get hold of over the years which is partly to blame for this slab of gory gold remaining a firmly underground classic. Cancer's lack of activity and the absence of any notable releases during the late 1990's and 2000's has also hindered this masterpiece from reaching the far wider acclaim that it deserves. Giving Death Shall Rise a fair chance 30 years on will hopefully draw attention to the album, not only to show how fantastic it is, but also just how brilliant and crucial it was to the rising and rotting scene that we now know as Old-School Death Metal.      It would be wrong to say that Death Shall Rise was ahead of it's time. In truth, this album is actually an embodiment of what was...

  CIRITH UNGOL: HALF PAST HUMAN    After their triumphant awakening from near three decades of slumber with the release of 2020's spectacular full-length album Forever Black, lords of underground Heavy Metal Cirith Ungol deliver to the hungry hoards another taste of epic Metal with a follow up EP, Half Past Human. Consisting of 4 old Cirith Ungol gems mined from the vaults and re-recorded with modern methods and means, Half Past Human is a tasty morsel that will satisfy the appetites for all things heavy during this interval between full-length releases.     Being that Half Past Human is comprised of older material, it is to be expected that the overall sound and sense is firmly rooted in the Cirith Ungol style of their earlier Frost And Fire era, which is measurably less Doom leaning and noticeably far more traditionally Heavy Metal in nature. In terms of production the EP is flawless, with a crisp and clear sound courtesy of bassist Jarvis Leatherby and A...

  HAMMER KING: HAMMER KING    The future of titanic Power Metal . There is clearly something in the Rhine that leads many a budding musician to instinctively follow the sacred mystical paths of Power Metal, as Germany has forged more than their fair share of genre leading titans. Either that, or it is just the result of the inspiring influences of Germany's Metal royalty such as; Helloween, Orden Ogan and Accept to name just a few.     With their self-titled forth full-length release, Hammer King make it clear that they are the future monarchs and heirs to the Power Metal throne. Not only that, but they clearly mean business with a first-rate album that will take them to the top.    Whether you are ready or not, opening rager " Awaken The Thunder " hits like a euphoric hammer blow to the brain, fashioned with massive hooks, galloping crunchy riffs and a chorus that will get you singing along even on the first listen. There is absolutely no me...

  HELLOWEEN: HELLOWEEN    Helloween, renowned pumpkin enthusiasts and founding fathers of the subgenre that we know and love to be Power Metal have returned with an indisputable future all time classic album and what may very well prove to be the finest release of their prestigious career.     Appropriately self-titled, Helloween is the first full-length release from a rekindled Helloween who now boasts a trio of jaw-dropping vocal talents provided by past and present frontmen. Fans new and old have warmly welcomed the return of legendary Metal icons Michael Kiske and Kai Hansen, who share vocal duties alongside resident powerhouse Andi Deris. The resulting harmony is a truly incredible one indeed. Coupled with crisp clean production quality which gives the album such an enormous presence, it is fair to say that Helloween have never sounded better.     Musically, the line up evolution has clearly re-energised Helloween as the entire album is ...