The various listens I had over the previous week. This is a special week celebrating Heavy Metal releases from the past month that were interesting and missed from the previous rounds of listens.
Rhasalon-Still Standing (70/100)
The third full-length from the Brazilian Heavy Metallers. Raucous, hard-rocking riffs, thumping rhythms, and a fine mix of fiery up-tempo and plodding chug patterns for a rather steady approach throughout. With the majority of this centered on the plodding chug riff-work that offers a tight hard rock style with the riffing delving into traditional melodies on the fiery solo lead-work, there's a sense of remaining a bit too laid back with the rhythms ever with these melodic sections bouncing along nicely. The more mid-tempo work here stands out as far more lively and energetic with the galloping tempos against the chugging patterns before it, leaving this a bit more lopsided than it should with the material being solidly present if not equally rationed out the best.
Revenge (Col)-Venomous Vengeance (92/100)
The ninth album from the Colombian metal veterans. Crunchy, explosive Speed Metal riffing, tight rhythms and hard-rocking patterns keep this charging along rather nicely with a fine selection of tight riffing throughout. Mixing together steady swirling Speed Metal chugs with fiery melodic leads enhancing the energy greatly, the rumbling rhythm section balancing this charge keeps this one generally engaging as the speed increases throughout. This is decidedly obvious here where the album's structure places the straightforward mid-tempo features towards the first half of the tracklist and moves into faster, more dynamic efforts throughout here so this does get more fun as it goes along. However, it does take a couple of tracks to get to the blazing Speed Metal style that starts to win you over which isn't so bad with some good tracks initially but this gets better the deeper it gets.
Vantage Point-On Target (83/100)
The eighth release from the Scottish Heavy Metallers. High energy riffing, plenty of mid-tempo sprawling patterns, and steady rhythms moving between the different arrangements in a generally engaging style. The sprawling riff-work with melodic arrangements and organ work blaring away in the background keeps a steady mid-tempo gallop that's decidedly old-school in delivery while alternating between rocking speeds and steady romantic-tinged ballads that only enhance the cheesy atmosphere. With everything given a high-end gloss that makes for a safe, radio-friendly approach in favor of a heavy, rumbling styles that a lot of the arrangements would favor, this comes off somewhat lighter than expected but is generally enjoyable and competent enough to work nicely.
Ty Morn-Last Villain Testament (90/100)
The second release from the UK-based Epic Heavy Metallers. Steady groove riffing, galloping drum-work, and sprawling keyboard accents for a massive, majestic melody-infused soundscape offer a generally enjoyable time here. The basis of the groovy chug-centered riff-work with the energetic rhythm section offers a heavy crunch with sparkling melodies to the arrangements that keep everything generally up-tempo and energetic. The blazing lead-work and full-on epic melodies in the soaring vocals completes a highly engaging style that works more often than not since it tends to revert back to the same rhythms and patterns on occasion which can make this somewhat difficult to separate tracks out. It's not enough, though, to stop this one's positive aspects.
Maule-Maule (89/100)
The full-length debut from the Canadian retro metallers. Steady crunchy riff-work, bouncy rhythms, and energetic drumming keep this one generally lively and engaging throughout here with the vastly mid-tempo paces on display. Featuring straightforward traditional patterns with a hefty crunch, steady drumming, and a tight series of melodic leads and solos, it's effectively old-school in heaviness while maintaining a bouncy air that offers a highly impressive tinge of buzzing harmonies to accent these sections. The addition of slight Speed Metal riffing placed selectively in the arrangements further balances the right crunch on display, making for a generally enjoyable if not entirely original style that isn't bothered by that in the slightest overall. A minor decrease in energy in the last few tracks compared to the first half is a bit more of an issue but there's still much more to like about this.
Artamene-Ziggurat (45/100)
The debut full-length from the Iranian metallers. Tight, groovy chugging, steady rhythms, and straightforward hard-rocking patterns keep this one relatively one-dimensional throughout here as the few deviances offered here aren't that dynamic. Offering the same general swirling patterns in a steady mid-tempo chugging groove without much in the way of variety beyond efforts that introduce more upbeat drumming patterns that bring in some more energy into the mix, this tends to come off rather same-sounding and indistinguishable after a while. That so little of it sounds enjoyable before the repetitions due to the sluggish mid-tempo rhythms in place make this a general slough to get through, and at the least, it's short enough not to be a distraction but it is a major detriment.
Battle Beast-Circus of Doom (96/100)
The sixth album from the Finish metallers. Light, upbeat patterns, danceable melodies, and sparkling rhythms keep this one fun and enjoyable experience without offering much in the way of deviation from the past. The energetic riffing and keyboards swirling around upbeat and lighthearted rhythms with steady drumming gallops and impressive soaring vocal melodies offer the kind of bombastic old-school approach that the bands' known for. Nothing really changes much here with the same general helpings of cheesy lyrics and arrangements that run the gamut from high-energy dance-rock/metal numbers to mid-tempo chugs and soft ballads that showcase their melodic chops alongside the hard-rocking moments. It's serviceable and enjoyable enough for what it is without changing up the formula that much.
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