ZANDELLE „Twilight On Humanity”
With the opening chant “Warlords of Steel” you, the listener, knows you are in for a classic dosage of thundering power metal. That is precisely what you get, and Zandelle play their metal styled after Omen, Halloween and classic Warlord.
ZIRAS, THEODORE „Virtual Virtuosity”
The album pictured – VIRTUAL VIRTUOSITY – is from Theodore Ziras. This classically leaned instrumental work from the self-proclaimed neo-classical shredder was released in March of 2003 on the Greek label (The native country of Ziras) Secret Port Records.
WILD WEST „Second To None”
Wild West are a rough and ready bunch from France who released their debut CD entitled One for Brennus Music in 1998, but I'm going to hop the stagecoach with Second To None, their second offering from 2003. From the band name you can tell Wild West want some kind of southern rock element in their music, and believe me, it's present.
WILSON, RAY „Change”
I was checking into Ray Wilson through Allmusic.com as I’ve never heard of the guy before where I found out one time back in the mid- ‘90s a song featuring his vocals was used on a Levi jeans commercial. The group was Stiltskin and the song was ‘Inside’.
VIRGIN STEELE „Virgin Steele 1, 1981 & Guardians of the Flame, 1982”
Virgin Steele 1 (1981) and Guardians Of The Flame (1982) have become available for the first time on CD through Noise Records, making these rare releases from Virgin Steele, a New York City outfit, readily available to the metal masses. Guardians Of The Flame bleeds pure metal and it shows the essence of what classic 80s metal once stood for years ago! It's a pure classic, and it's great to have releases like this available on CD.
UNSCARED „Hell is Now”
Unscared present a 22 minute and 10 second demo-recording of typical underground death/thrash metal. Basically, a simplistic mastering process hampers their music.
SEVEN WITCHES „Passage To The Other Side”
Seven Witches are now on CD number four and their third vocalist overall. Original mouthpiece Bobby Lucas lasted through the debut Second War In Heaven and its successor City Of Lost Souls before joining with Overlorde and most recently Limb Music artist Exhibition.
SHADOWKEEP „A Chaos Theory”
Shadowkeep's A CHAOS THEORY hits you sounding like something from the past. Remember bands like Lethal with PROGRAMMED on Metal Blade Records, Crimson Glory with TRANSCENDENCE, Fates Warning with AWAKEN THE GUARDIAN and Queensryche's WARNING and RAGE FOR ORDER? Take those influences into the modern power metal world, and you should have a good idea of what you will hear on A CHAOS THEORY from England's Shadowkeep.
RAFFERTY RULES „Name Your God”
Rafferty Rules is a Hardcore/Thrash metal crossover act from Athens Greece with a 10-track CD. The band claims to have been influenced by California punk metal, but there is more than a fair share of thrash metal influences in the guitar and bass riffs and drumming technique.
RITUAL „Think Like A Mountain”
Ritual’s THINK LIKE A MOUNTAIN is a progressive rock creation from Inside Out Music. Interesting acoustic passages mix with fascinating keyboards and melodic Dream Theater styled vocals on the opening track ‘What Are You Waiting For’.