Audiobook Showcase: Savage Realms Monthly #21

For the second week in a row, here’s another Savage Realms Monthly review, this time focusing on last August’s Book 21 which was recently released on Audible. As usual, it features three tales from three authors, as well as interviews with each of them. The stories are read and interviews conducted by the always reliable Moose Matson.

Well-known author and editor Robert M. Price contributes his first tale to SRM with “Blue Warlords of Lemuria”, continuing the adventures of S&S author Lin Carter’s legendary Thongor of Lemuria character, a Conan-inspired type of warrior/barbarian. Running at 51 minutes, I was ready to enjoy a new classic from an author whose Cthulhu tales I’ve enjoyed greatly in the past. I have to say, I was disappointed by his take on Thongor. I found it underwhelming and a bit lacking in the action department. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a very well written tale with a solid third act, but I guess I was expecting more from someone of Mr. Price’s caliber. We move on to the second story, “The Cult of Azroth” by Richard L. Rubin, a returning author to SRM, featuring a new tale in the continuing saga of his mercenary for hire Shreve (from SRM books 7 and 18) who has to prevent a girl from being sacrificed. This was another terrific story from Mr. Rubin, and at 29 minutes, it’s a brisk tale that doesn’t require any previous knowledge of Shreve as the stories stand alone, but also serve to further develop the character. We close with “In the Lair of the Shifter: A Gentleman of Blades 2” by Matthew X. Gomez with a running time of 50 minutes. It’s the second story in the series of his Reynauld character; the first one appeared in SRM book 11. It takes place in France and it’s got a cool urban fantasy vibe that reminded me a bit of Arsène Lupin. I haven’t read the first tale, but it didn’t stop me from digging this one a lot. In fact, it’s my favourite of the three tales as it’s wholly original and jam-packed with action and mystery.

The interview questions are different than those in the last issue and give us great insight into the writers’ process and their current reading lists. Narration is stellar as usual, featuring Moose Matson doing maniacal laughter and switching voices between the various characters. Overall, this is another solid outing from what is still my favourite Sword & Sorcery periodical. If you’re a fan of Conan, Karl Edward Wagner’s Kane or old school Sword & Sorcery tales, then you’ll have a blast with this issue of SRM.      

Rating: Four stars out of five

Get Book 21 on Audible 

Audiobook Showcase and Sword & Sorcery Content

Greetings! It’s been a very hectic year so far for me, what with moving from Montreal to Quebec City and finally being all settled into our lovely new home. I had announced at the beginning of the year that I’d be scaling down my content on the blog in terms of the amount of reviews and whatnot. I took a short break from writing fiction for a few weeks due to preparations for the move, but now that things are slowly going back to normal, I’ll be back at it hard for the final stretch of my Amok the Powerful book. This Sword & Sorcery collection of tales is set to be published sometime in October, but there are still two novelettes to write, much editing to do, and eventually getting to the formatting and promotional stages.

I’ve decided that for the rest of the year, there will only be three more Audiobook Showcases and Sword & Sorcery Spotlight articles. The last batch will be a review of Savage Realms Monthly Book 21 tomorrow, followed by a detailed review of the Jason M. Waltz edited S&S anthology Neither Beg Nor Yield for which I received an ARC back in January, and I’m hoping to be done reading/reviewing this massive tome by the end of May. And the last Audiobook/S&S Showcase will be reserved for John C. Hocking’s much anticipated Conan: City of the Dead novel at the end of June. So, there you have it; after those three reviews, that’ll be it as far as audiobook and Sword & Sorcery content is concerned. I want to focus the limited time I have to dedicate to the blog to music, which was always the primary objective of the Harbinger of D.O.O.M. Blog.  So, you can look forward to more content in the weeks and months to come, only it’ll be a little less than usual and more focused on music (Rapid Fire Reviews, Musings, Bandcamp Friday Top Picks, etc). Thank you for your continued readership! 

Rapid Fire Reviews: Christian Shields

Every now and then an album comes along from a band or an artist I’ve never heard of and completely blows me away. I normally don’t review albums that are four years old, but when an LP is that great, it’s the exception to the rule. I’m talking about Christian Shields’ debut record, This is Rock ‘N’ Roll, which was released in March of 2020, when Covid first shut down the world. It brought the promotion of the LP to a near full stop and most likely sidetracked a lot of its momentum. Fast forward to now and Christian is still going hard, playing shows, releasing singles and videos with a stellar record in his pocket. That’s when I first heard it, and man, the album’s title couldn’t have been picked better. It’s wall-to-wall hard rock/arena rock.

“Not This Time” gets the celebration going, a synth-driven tune that pulls you in, hooking you instantly, chock-full of great guitars. “Rock and Roll” is an ode to rock ‘n’ roll and an earworm of a song. An anthem with the kind of classic rock lyrics that make you smile. “Lie to Me” isn’t a cover of the Bon Jovi ballad, but rather a catchy rock tune that’s actually one of the highlights of the record. “By the Strings” is a bona fide ballad and I wish more rock/metal bands still did them. This would’ve been a chart-topper back in the glory days of FM radio. “Can’t Get Enough” is a kick-ass Mötley Crüe kind of a song. This one’ll have you bobbing your head along. The pace slows down a bit for “Here Comes the Man” with its cool, smoky vibe that I dig a lot. “All or Nothing” picks the beat back up with its infectious riff and catchy chorus. “Raise ‘Em Up” is the latest single and features a fun video that I recommend checking out. It’s an absolute balls-to-the-wall party song. “Without You” isn’t a redo of the Crüe ballad, but an original ballad that happens to be one of my faves of the record. It’s got heart and showcases a more mellow side of Christian. “Off the Track” is the closing track and a banger of a song at that. It’s there to remind you that the party doesn’t have to end and that you can just hit “Play” to spin the LP all over again.

Christian Shields’ This is Rock ‘N’ Roll is a finely-crafted record from top to bottom. All killer, no filler. Every song could be a single as far as I’m concerned. A high-energy party album, a perfectly-balanced collection of tunes with pop sensibilities that are full of melodic hooks and catchy riffs and plenty of guitar solos to boot. Shields’ vocals make a strong impression, having both range and a unique sound to them. He’s backed by a solid band that contributes to make this a sizzling record. Fans of KISS, Van Halen, Mötley Crüe, and Skid Row will love this album. And I’d wager that most folks who are into hard rock and hair metal will dig it a lot as well. So, in this day and age where an album is considered old when it wasn’t released in the last twelve months, make this one the exception and take it for a spin. It’s bound to make your day.

Christian Shields on Bandcamp: https://christianshields.bandcamp.com/album/this-is-rock-n-roll 

Rapid Fire Reviews: War Grave

War Grave is a British heavy metal quintet. They’ll be releasing their self-titled debut EP this coming April 26^th. The boys deliver a perfect blend of thrash metal and Modern Wave of British Heavy Metal. It’s old school meets the new school and this five-track EP packs a hell of a punch.

Lead singer Roman Kantoch’s vocals are impressive throughout and are eerily reminiscent of Triumph’s Rik Emmett and Queensrÿche’s Geoff Tate at times. The first song, “War Graves”, complete with military drum beat, is a barn-burner of a track with a thrashy riff and great soloing. “Enchained” is a banger showcasing Kantoch’s vocal prowess once again. “Witch”, the first single, features former Judas Priest/current K.K.’s Priest frontman Tim “Ripper” Owens sharing vocal duties. It’s a phenomenal track and the best song on the EP in my opinion. The catchy “Revenge Is Near” is one of my favourites with its infectious rhythm and terrific guitar solo. The last song, “Price to Pay”, is another highlight, a fun, old school metal riff-fest. It’s a shame the band didn’t include the two singles they released back in 2023 on this EP as they are awesome tunes. “System”, particularly, is a fantastic song and would’ve felt right at home here, while “Discovering My Truth” is an all-around solid track. Anyhow, if you dig them, you can do what I did and pick up those two songs on Bandcamp separately.

War Grave is a band that’s ready for prime time. Their debut EP is a thing of beauty from top to bottom, filled with melodic hooks and memorable choruses. Fans of Judas Priest and Megadeth will especially enjoy what they have to offer. Fronted by a talented vocalist with a unique voice backed up by a band of gifted musicians, we’ll be hearing plenty more of War Grave in the future, mark my words. In the meantime, head over to Bandcamp and pre-order this stellar EP!

War Grave on Bandcamp: https://wargraveofficial.bandcamp.com/album/war-grave 

Audiobook Showcase: Savage Realms Monthly #10

It’s been awhile but it’s time for another Sword & Sorcery Audiobook Showcase! Let’s go back to March 2022 for Book 10 of Savage Realms Monthly. The Audible version came out a few weeks ago and with a runtime of a few minutes shy of four hours, it makes it the longest one yet. We get three three tales as well as author interviews.

Book 10 kicks off with “Black Sunset in the Valley of Death” by returning author Steve Dilks. It’s an hour and thirty-seven minutes long, so we’re in novella territory here. We get a fully fleshed-out tale of Dilks’ Bohun character who first graced the pages of SRM’s first issue in “The Festival of the Bull.” I’ve also read another story featuring the black barbarian in the Rogue Blades S&S anthology Neither Beg Nor Yield (“Harvest of the Blood-King”), but I must say, this here is my favourite of the three. It’s engrossing and is really tailor-made for fans of Conan. I look forward to more of Bohun’s adventures. Next up, “The Vampire Tree” by Joe Bonadonna, is the shortest tale here, running at forty-two minutes. It concerns a mercenary, Thibron the Skulker, who we will most likely see more of in the future, and his quest to destroy the titular vampire tree. This is a fun story with noir undertones that moves at a brisk pace. The final tale, “The Wizard of Kon” by Michael A. Wexler, is an hour and twenty-one minutes long and features a battle between wizards. I must say this one dragged a bit and lost its momentum after a while. Fans of wizard tales will most likely enjoy it, but it didn’t fully resonate with me. Although, it features the most colourful narration of the three tales from our always-reliable narrator Moose Matson, so that helped to elevate it for me.

Speaking of narration, Matson shows no signs of boredom reading those Sword & Sorcery yarns month after month; it always feels like he’s having a blast narrating and impersonating the various heroes and villains inhabiting the stories in SRM. His enthusiasm for the material is contagious and even when a story is only so-so, it raises it up a few notches. As usual, we get a brief interview with each of the authors and I enjoy those almost as much as the stories themselves. I’m always curious to hear about the inception of a character or a tale, and find out who and what influenced the writer in his/her formative years. Savage Realms Monthly never disappoints and Book 10 is just as strong as any other issue published thus far. If you dig Sword & Sorcery, Conan, Dungeons & Dragons or old school fantasy tales, then you’re in for a treat with these three tales.

Rating: Four stars out of five

Get Book 10 on Audible 

Rapid Fire Reviews: Midnite Hellion

Midnite Hellion is a heavy metal trio from Trenton, New Jersey formed back in 2011. Their sophomore LP, Kingdom Immortal, was released in North America back in January 2022. Come April 12^th, it will be available for the first time in Europe and outside the US on CD, MC, and vinyl. Midnite Hellion are purveyors of classic speed/thrash/NWOBHM and Kingdom Immortal is a shredder of an album.

“H.M.O.” gets the ball rolling with its ode to old school metal. It’s a banger of a track and just a taste of what the rest of the LP holds. The fun “She-Demon” is a catchy tune, short and sweet. “Phantomland” is one of the highlights of the record with its Maidenesque lyrics and superb guitar playing. “Rapscallion” is a killer track about a monster on the prowl. “Speed Demon” is a fast and furious gem of a song. “Resurrected” is traditional metal at its finest and one of my faves. “Army of the Dead”, the latest single, is the lengthiest track, running close to eight minutes. It’s an epic song in every way that gives off a heavy doom metal vibe. The animated video for it is ten shades of awesome; you can check it out on YouTube. “In Sickness and in Hell” closes the eight-song set with its proposal to a queen to lead an empire—the perfect way to end this album!

This is an album (and a band) that completely flew under the radar the first time around for me. I’m glad I got a second chance to discover them because they are really worth your time and money if you’re an old school metalhead. Kingdom Immortal is a metal blast from the past from beginning to end and is sure to feed your craving for huge riffs and fiery guitar solos. It’s been on heavy rotation ever since it first landed in my lap and will continue to be for quite some time.       

Midnite Hellion on Bandcamp: https://midnitehellion.bandcamp.com/album/kingdom-immortal 

Musings: Judas Priest - Invincible Shield

The mighty Judas Priest return with their 19^th album, Invincible Shield, after nearly fifty-five years as prime purveyors of metal. The current lineup features Metal God Rob Halford on lead vocals, Glenn Tipton on guitars and keyboards, Richie Faulkner on guitars, Ian Hill on bass, and Scott Travis on drums. Judas Priest fans have been spoiled as of late, what with former Priest axeman K. K. Downing’s band K. K.’s Priest releasing their excellent second LP last year, The Sinner Rides Again, featuring former Priest vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens. Do Halford and company still have the magic metal touch? Read on to find out.

I’ve never been the biggest Judas Priest fan (I was always more of a Maiden man), but have always had tremendous respect for the band and its phenomenal lead singer. I’ve owned a handful of their albums over the years, my favourites being 1990’s Painkiller and 1976’s Sad Wings of Destiny. Priest’s last offering until now was 2018’s solid Firepower which I enjoyed quite a bit. Invincible Shield, in my humble opinion, is a much stronger album. It pays tribute to a plethora of Priest eras, from the late ‘70s through the ‘80s, and continues their evolution into a modern 21^st century sound. From the get-go, the instant classic first single “Panic Attack” with its throwback synth intro, sets the table for a flurry of awesome metal tunes. “The Serpent and the King”, the fourth single, is a banger of a song and rides on the momentum of the LP’s opening track. The most recent single, the title track, is catchy as all hell and is one of the highlights of the record. “Devil in Disguise” is an earworm and one of my favourites. “Gates of Hell” slows the pace down a bit leading to the superb third single, “Crown of Horns”, a power ballad of sorts featuring a lengthy instrumental part. The second half of the album is less commercial but equally strong, starting with the catchy “As God Is My Witness” followed by the second single, “Trial by Fire”, and a couple of outstanding tracks, “Escape from Reality” and the blazing “Sons of Thunder.” “Giants in the Sky”, a splendid homage to the legends of rock and metal who have left us too soon, brings the curtain down. I usually don’t bother with expanded/bonus track editions of albums, but I decided to give it a shot with this one and was well-rewarded. The three bonus tracks are all terrific; “Fight of Your Life” belongs on the standard version of the album as much as any other track, while “Vicious Circle” is a great song, and the last song, “The Lodger”, happens to be one of my favourites of the whole LP, reminding me a lot of the Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name.

Invincible Shield, ladies and gents, is a nearly flawless old school metal record from top to bottom. It’s an album about empowerment, about persevering through the hardships of life and celebrating the pure love of heavy metal. It’s no filler, all killer here, no skipping, just enjoying every tune where every song features one or two cool guitar solos. I swear, Rob Halford is the human equivalent of a fine wine. I think I enjoy his vocal prowess even more now than I did twenty years ago. In terms of ranking this bad boy in the grand scheme of things, I’d say it’s easily one of Priest’s top five records. I’ve been playing it non-stop since yesterday morning. Invincible Shield is an easy candidate for my Top Five Albums of the Year thus far. If you’re a Judas Priest fan, an old school metalhead, or just enjoy listening to awesome metal music, Invincible Shield is a no-brainer—you need this LP in your collection!

Judas Priest’s Official Website: https://www.judaspriestinvincibleshield.com/ 

Musings: Bruce Dickinson - The Mandrake Project

Iron Maiden’s legendary frontman Bruce Dickinson returns with his seventh solo album, The Mandrake Project. About nineteen years in the making, the long-awaited concept album was finally released last Friday. Dickinson has gathered a bunch of amazing musicians for this record, led by Roy Z who shares songwriting credits with Bruce as well as handling guitar and bass duties. Is it the masterpiece we were hoping for? Read on to find out how I feel about it.

I waited a while before reviewing this album because I wanted to let the songs sink in a bit. After four spins, I’m pretty sure my feelings about it won’t change too much in the future. It’s an hour long, composed of ten tracks, and upon my first listen, not that I was disappointed but I just didn’t find it all that great. You have to be in a certain mood to really appreciate it, I believe. Already I liked it better on the second listen, and it had really grown on me by the fourth spin. I’ve heard an interview clip of Bruce saying that the LP is divided in two parts; I’d argue you could even split it into three parts. The great thing about this record is that it doesn’t sound like a Maiden album at all, and that’s a good thing. I’m a huge Maiden fan, but if I listen to a Bruce Dickinson record, I want it to sound different than what he does with his regular band. So, don’t look for Steve Harris’s trademark galloping basslines, they are nowhere to be found.

“Afterglow of Ragnarok”, the terrific first single, has got one of the catchiest riffs of the entire record. I love this song and it definitely sets the tone for the album, but the rest of the LP sounds rather different and features a wide range of metal and rock styles. “Many Doors to Hell” is one of the most accessible tracks on the album, a lighter song with a catchy chorus. “Rain on the Graves”, the second single, is one of my absolute favourite songs here. The videoclip for it is ten shades of awesome and you can clearly see that Bruce is having a blast on this track. “Resurrection Men” has a spaghetti western vibe and is a damn good tune. With “Fingers in the Wounds”, I’d say there’s a shift and the atmosphere of the record shifts here, starting the second part of the album. It’s a good, eclectic song with beautiful piano parts. Next up is the much-awaited “Eternity Has Failed”, the track that spawned the Iron Maiden song “If Eternity Should Fail” off of 2015’s The Book of Souls. Bruce played the demo of it for Steve Harris and he loved it so much that he pleaded with Bruce to have it on the next Maiden record. It feels like an alternate version of the now well-known Maiden song. I love both songs; they’re equally strong and I can’t pick a favourite at the moment. “Mistress of Mercy” follows with its great driving riff and superb guitar playing. “Face in the Mirror” really grew on me over time, an acoustic guitar and piano-driven tune; its chorus is an earworm. For the last two songs, we ease into what I’d call the third part of the album with two lengthy, epic-sounding tracks. “Shadow of the Gods”, with its various movements is a definite highlight of the record, followed by its sister song, “Sonata (Immortal Beloved)”, featuring shades of David Gilmour on guitar. It’s the closing chapter of the story and it’s quite possibly my favourite song on the album.

Bruce Dickinson is in top shape vocally on The Mandrake Project. It’s a very satisfying album that I wasn’t too enthralled with at first, but it gets better with every new spin. In my humble opinion, it’s not a masterpiece but it’s a damn great record, and certainly one of Bruce’s best solo albums. In any case, I’d say it was worth the nearly two-decade wait. Fans of Iron Maiden, Bruce’s previous solo outings, metal and hard rock in all its forms are bound to find something to like or even love on The Mandrake Project.

Official Website for The Mandrake Project: https://www.themandrakeproject.com/ 

Short Story Time: Beyond the Doomed Cave

It's the first Saturday of March, so it's time for a FREE short story! This time, I’ve chosen "Beyond the Doomed Cave", a Bradburyesque Gothic coming-of-age tale about a witch in a churchyard. Originally published in the Sinister Landscapes anthology in 2008 and reprinted in my second collection, Spooky Showcase, in 2012. You can read/download the free PDF here.

In case you missed the previous entries in Short Story Time, you can download them at the links below. Enjoy and drop me a line to let me know what you think of them!

“Silently It Creeps” is a short and nasty, creepy little tale about the monster under the bed.

“The Chilling Hour” is a tale about Nick Kubrick, a horror DJ who investigates and debunks supernatural myths in his spare time in the foggy city of Bitternest, Louisiana. He would go on to star in his own novel, Nocturnal Offerings, a few years later.

“The Errand” is a tale about a man who goes through the woods of Bitternest to run an errand and will see the course of his life altered forever.

“Hershell’s Motel” is a strange tale about an unusual motel where, you guessed it, bizarre things happen.

“The Rattling Man” is a coming of age Halloween tale. Do you believe in the bogeyman? Do you believe in the Rattling Man? Find out who or what he is!

“Crimson Nightmares” is my take on the “Halloween” movie series. Written and initially published digitally back in 2011, this 106-page novella picks up 33 years after the events of the second "Halloween" film from 1981, the night when Michael Myers terrorized Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) and the residents of Haddonfield, Illinois. It follows little Lindsey Wallace, the little girl Laurie Strode babysat in the first “Halloween” (1978) film, who is all grown-up now and bears the scars of that terrible night to this day. She has moved to my fictitious town of Bitternest, Louisiana to get away from her past and has been leading a quiet life, that is until something inside Michael Myers snaps and he comes looking for her on Halloween. Add to that a killer clown with an agenda of his own and it’s a Halloween you won’t soon forget. It’ll be a showdown for the ages when Michael Myers comes to the eerie city of Bitternest.

“The Bypassed Mind”, a romantic suspense/fantasy story with some hypnosis thrown in for good measure that was directly inspired by the late, great Richard Matheson's novel Bid Time Return also adapted as the film "Somewhere in Time".

“Breaking and Entering”, the story of a man who enters people’s homes just for kicks, never stealing anything, just to see what goes on behind close doors. One day he’ll stumble upon something that will change his life forever…

“Scapegoat”, a tale about the Curse of the Cubs, the love of baseball, some time travel, and a whole lot of nostalgia. Even if you're not into baseball, this fantasy tale filled with mystery is sure to entertain you.

Last but not least, fans of Conan and Dungeons & Dragons can also download a PDF of the first two tales of the ongoing adventures of my Sword & Sorcery character AMOK right here.