Reviews Round-Up June 2024

• AXEL RUDI PELL – ‘Risen Symbol’
• NIGHTMARE – ‘Encrypted’
• RENDEZVOUS POINT – ‘Dream Chaser’
• THE MOURNING – ‘Hush’
• NIGHT LASER – ‘Call Me What You Want’

There used to be an advert in the UK whose tagline was ‘if only everything in life was as reliable as a Volkswagen’. In musical terms you could change that to read ‘if only everything in metal was as reliable as AXEL RUDI PELL’. Consistency is his watchword, and although there is an argument to say that his albums do get a bit risk averse at times ‘Risen Symbol’ (SPV / Steamhammer, 14 June 2024) refutes that assertion. Pell’s twenty-second studio release is an absolute monster of an album, and from the intro (‘The Resurrection’) to the closing notes of ‘Taken By Storm’, some fifty-eight minutes later, it’s a roller-coaster ride of epic guitar worship framed within some of the best songs of his career. There’s no doubt that Pell and his band (vocalist Johnny Gioeli, keyboard player Ferdy Doernberg, bassist Volker Krawczak and drummer Bobby Rondinelli) are all top-notch musicians, but here they’ve pulled out all the stops and songs like ‘Ankhaia’ and ‘Right On Track’ are expressive and imaginative. And all that’s topped off with a creative reworking of ‘Immigrant Song’ which manages to work without the famed intro and stretches out over five-and-three-quarter minutes. What’s not to like?

Video clips:
‘Guardian Angel’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yQKZf9DYkk
‘Darkest Hour’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWeYf2P6XKc

Another band which really needs no introduction is French stalwarts NIGHTMARE, who started life as punks back in 1979, but had a rebirth the following year with a radical change of line-up and a move to the metal side of life. Famously they played their first gig supporting Def Leppard in 1983, split in the mid-Eighties and, reforming in 1999, have been pretty consistent in their releases ever since, although the face behind the microphone has changed from time to time. ‘Encrypted’ (AFM, 7 June 2024) is their twelve studio album and is as cohesive and constant as fans have come to expect, and with Barbara Magore standing front and centre Nightmare continue with their tradition of recruiting charismatic vocalists. Despite boasting the occasional cookie monster vocals and black metal blasts ‘Encrypted’ is an ambitious yet straight-down-the-line metal offering with bucketloads of excitement to commend it – in particular (to these ears) the chugging ‘Wake The Night’ and the symphonic title track. A reworking of ‘Eternal Winter’ (originally the lead cut on 2011’s ‘Insurrection’ album) rounds proceedings off.

photo by Cyril Berkane

Video clips:
‘Saviours Of The Damned’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p0yWyQq0Tc
‘Eternal Winter (2023 Version)’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nUcNxOveQg

Out of Norway come RENDEZVOUS POINT, an exceptionally talented five-piece whose multi-faceted album ‘Dream Chaser’ (SPV / Long Branch Records, 21 June) is a must for progressive metal completists. With two albums (2015’s ‘Solar Storm’ and ‘Universal Chaos’ from 2019) already under their belts Rendezvous Point aren’t afraid to push boundaries and experiment with various forms within the genre; as such, the opening coupling of the poppy, synth-driven seismic groover ‘Don’t Look Up’ counterbalanced with the heavier, thickly-riffed ‘Oslo Syndrome’ should come as no surprise. A point of reference would be Caligula’s Horse or Leprous, which again should come as no great shock given that drummer Baard Kolstad is also the skinsman of Einar Solberg’s crew. ‘Dream Chaser’ is an exciting, top-notch album and the haunting side closers – assuming you’re listening to it on vinyl – ‘Fireflies’ and ‘Still Water’ with its poignant heartbeat are both reflective and optimistic. Another album worthy of a Top 10 placing when the end-of-year ‘best of’ charts are compiled.

photo by Jonathan Vivaas Kise

Video Clips:
‘Oslo Syndrome’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeTmK6jhKrU
‘Don’t Look Up’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjbAG35Z71E

Also cut from the progressive metal block are THE MOURNING. The band’s roots lie in a studio project conceived by vocalist Johnny Ray and drummer Jason Berlin in Florida in 2017; but, as these things do, it soon took on a life of its own and the band came into being with the addition of lead vocalist Eliana Blanchard, guitarists Francesco Pinter and Phillip Colacecchi and keyboard player Alex Nasla. What’s referred to as an “experimental EP” ‘Theosis’ appeared in 2018, but things went quiet for quite some time. Until now, that is. Preceded by a clutch of singles The Mourning are now ready to unleash their debut album ‘Hush’ (21 June 2024). And what a great album it is, too! Dream Theater is as good a point of reference as any, but the band have crafted a clutch of extremely classy songs with an identity of their own, and aside from the exquisite musicianship the interplay between Johnny Ray and Eliana Blanchard gives their material an added dimension lacking in so many dual vocal acts: the staccato lines of ‘The Mountain’ and the more plaintive relationship in ‘I Feel The Rain’ are a joy to hear. If there’s any justice in this world this is a band that should go far.

Video clips:
‘Chaos Machine’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj1dUyQ2d5E
‘Cries Of The Mind’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRl_0eLVyUc
‘He Cries’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn57AXTu1qU
‘The Wind’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSQNAaMDDu4

The fourth album from NIGHT LASER ‘Call Me What You Want’ (SPV / Steamhammer 24 May 2024) is brimming over with all the youthful exuberance of Skid Row’s 1989 self-titled debut. In fact, New Jersey’s finest isn’t a bad point of reference for this Max Factored five-piece from Hamburg (especially with songs like ‘Way To The Thrill’ and ‘Laser Train’). The material is in the main quite catchy and well-suited for radio play but with their fist-pumping anthemic choruses and capacious solos are heavy enough for hardened metallers. Meanwhile, the expansive album closer ‘Fiddler On The Roof’ displays an intense depth and maturity to the band’s songwriting and delivery. The superhero cover doesn’t really do the album any favours, and ballad ‘Travelers In Time’ does drag a bit, but overall ‘Call Me What You Want’ is an album with a lot going for it. The LP comes in a nice blue vinyl while the CD carries two bonus tracks – ‘Thin Ice’ and ‘Über-Alman’

Video clips:
‘Way To The Thrill’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2nkoKMHW0U
‘Don’t Call Me Hero’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeOYtoBUOfY

© John Tucker June 2024