Heavy Metal Resource Reviews-As I May, Visionatica, Hell's Addiction, Hollow Haz, and Nocturne Wulf

Index

This album will have appeal to fans of more modern heavier metal music. I really like this band's sound. They can be quite aggressive, but at the same time quite accessible as well. When I refer to aggressive, I mean more towards the vocal side of things. I kept thinking of a few other bands while checking this one out. If you are familiar with A Life Divided, In Flames and Godhead, this band has a little of each in them. For the most part, I was happy with this release. I had previewed some of it prior to getting the promo and was looking forward to hearing more. I'm not a big fan of screams and growls and while they do exist here, it never distracts from the rest of what is going on. I will be definitely keeping an eye on this band as time goes on. I think they have what it takes to get much more attention in the music world with their style of metal music. Good heavy stuff!

Release Date: July 26, 2019

Another good female fronted symphonic metal band. This band reminded me of a mix of Nightwish and Within Temptation. The heavier side of the band obviously leans towards the former. What makes this band different is the way they use certain historic influences in the music and vocals. I though it was quite cool and a bit of a different twist to this type of music. The music at times has a bit of a cinematic feel to it which is quite common with bands of this genre. July has been a pretty good month for Frontiers Records. Bands you may not necessarily be familiar with release great albums a bit out of the traditional norm of this label. Visionatica will appeal to fans of the recent Chaos Magic among others. Similar in ways and different in others. You can get a taste of this band's music by checking out there recent videos on Youtube. Solid release!

Release Date: July 12, 2019

After a few years of doing other musical ventures, Nick Savio returns to reform Hollow Haze with a fresh outlook and Frontiers Records releasing their latest album. The band have a large sound that has symphonic elements. Lots of melody is evident, but the music also has some decent intensity. I am relatively new to this band and was surprised to hear they had released 6 prior albums. The band have a definite veteran sound to them with great confidence being displayed through their great songwriting. Some of my personal favorites off of this new album include 'It' Always Dark Before The Dawn', the melodic 'I Will Be There', 'Destinations' and 'Oblivion'. You can check out the latest videos from the band which include some of these tracks. If you dig bands like Eclipse mixed with somebody like Dynazty, you will want to check these guys out!

Release Date: July 12, 2019

Even though this release only has 4 tracks, it makes a definite statement. Being a fan that lived through the 80's and what it had to offer musically, I found this album to be solid and a throwback in terms of sound to that era. The band is based out of Leicester UK and plays in similar fashion to bands like Skid Row, Guns 'n Roses, etc. three quarters of the album has a good heavier side to it. The flash fans of traditional hard rock would expect. The other track, 'If Time Stood Still' is more melodic in nature. Each track on the album does carry some form of melody as this was an important ingredient to this genre back in the day. For whatever reason, I kept thinking that Ben Sargent reminded me of Brad Sinsel from TKO and War Babies. This band shows one hell of a lot of promise. I would love to see another full length album more sooner than later. Easy recommend!

Release Date: March 5, 2019

This type of band is right up my alley. I was always a big fan of the bands that came out of the NWOBHM and also the late 80's thrash movement. This band to me is mix of the two. Tempos vary throughout the album. I like both sides of the band's sound, but I really like the faster stuff. It feels like deja vu when I listen to the record. Guitar really drives the album as a whole. The solos and riffing bring a decent amount of energy and passion. Think Metallica at times and maybe even some Metal Church and you'll get the idea. There have been quite a few recent bands bringing this sound back into the forefront, a lot of them veterans from back in the day. It's nice to see a new band grab this sound and run with it. I've always liked this style and always will. These guys just need to get out in front of some big crowds and strut it. Some decent potential here!

Release Date: July 19, 2019