Heavy Metal Resource Reviews-Amorphis, Alice Cooper, Honeymoon Suite, Ashes Of Ares, & Primal Fear

Index

I have really been looking forward to this album. I love this band's sound. One of my favorites and our album of the year when it was released was 'Under The Red Cloud'. This album reminds me of that one quite a bit. Both show off a lot of melody without sacrificing the heavier elements. 'Borderland' has a lot of depth and atmosphere in my opinion. The music is very rich sounding overall. Due to the nature of the song crafting, this album will be very memorable early on and will stick with you. There are places of darkness on the album like the track 'Bones', but in large this album really has a heavy dose of melody which I found cool. If you didn't know, you might think this was released right after 'Under The Red Cloud'. I think this one is going to have a big impact for the band in 2025. They really are one of the more elite bands of the genre. Outstanding!

Release Date: September 26, 2025

I am a huge Alice Cooper fan from way back. Both the band and Cooper's lengthy solo run. I love both eras. I was absolutely pumped about the original band getting back together for a new record. All but Glenn Buxton who passed in the late 90's, but even he is represented here as well. I listened to quite a few of the early records back in the 80's like 'Killer' and 'Billion Dollar Babies'. Listening to this record is amazing. They bring that same vintage feel to the record as a whole. The content, solos, etc. are exactly what they were doing 52 years ago. Definitely one of my favorite records of 2025. If you catch some of the interviews, the guys look great and seem comfortable with each other. Not sure if they would be up to some shows, but that would be awesome.! Some of my favorites include 'Black Mamba', 'Kill The Flies', and 'Blood On The Sun'. The entire record is awesome!

Release Date: July 25, 2025

I was kind of surprised to see the follow up to last year's 'Alive' this soon. Seems like we just got that album and here we are with another record. I think the approach is pretty similar with both records. If you liked where the band was at on 'Alive', you should be happy with this new album. Melodic rockers with a nice gritty guitar tone. Some of my favorites from the first playthrough included 'Way Too Fast', 'Live On', and 'I Fly' which was a great upbeat way to open the new album. That is one of my takeaways which is usually the case with Honeymoon Suite, the upbeat positive feel to the music. The band has been around for a long time and quite honestly, while some bands from the 80's are really lacking, Honeymoon Suite is not one of them. Performances are great, songs are great and releasing albums a year and a half apart is a plus. Excellent!

Release Date: July 25, 2025

Good heavy record here. For those new to the band, Matt Barlow and Freddie Vidales, both who were part of Iced Earth are at the core of this band. In ways, you could draw comparisons to that former band, but I feel Ashes Of Ares is heavier and probably darker in sound overall. This album sonically is pretty consistent. It's very hard driving with only a moment or two where things go slightly more melodic. 'Where You Go' starts light, and then goes to a mid tempo heavy rock sound. 'Keep On Walkin' is similar in structure and sounds good as well. After the intro 'Novus Ordo' the band blazes into the title track 'New Messiahs'. For the most part, this really sets the tone of most of the record. In ways, you could make a case for this being traditional power netal, but with a modern sound due to today's production standards. Overall, great heavy record!

Release Date: August 8, 2025

Just about to hit the market is Primal Fear's 15th studio album 'Domination'. The band has a very good track record with each release and this album is no exception. The music is written in the usual Primal Fear power metal sound. I feel the band have been very consistent since the self titled debut album and are now approaching close to three decades. The songs on this album are strong and heavy, but do have a degree of polish and melody. New to the band and this record is guitarist Thalìa Bellazecca. This is a pretty solid lineup and the music definitely benefits once again. Expect mostly good heavy rockers, but there is a track or two that goes a bit to the melodic side. The riffage is there as is the soaring vocals. The band is definitely firing on all cylinders at the moment. In summary, this is a very strong album for the band and should please the fans!

Release Date: September 5, 2025