Harbinger’s Killer Picks – February 2025

The Harbinger’s Killer Picks is back in your life! Issue number 2 is here. This month was filled with an overload of great albums and I couldn’t narrow it down to only five, so I have a whopping nine picks for the LPs I listened to and enjoyed the most for February and March releases, in chronological release order.

Before I get started though, I’d just like to take a moment to say that I’ve left Twitter about three weeks ago, and that goes for both of my accounts (Harbinger of Doom and my Alan Draven author account). I refuse to continue to contribute anything to a platform that is owned by the dangerous, evil, megalomaniac Elon Musk. I don’t usually mix serious issues/politics with my work/art, but this is where I draw the line. The two accounts are still live and I won’t delete them (you never know if one day he doesn’t decide to sell the platform), but don’t look for me there anymore as I’ve logged out. Instead, you can find me on Bluesky (where I’ve been for the past three months) under my author name Alan Draven. This is my only Bluesky account and it will serve for both my author and Harbinger of Doom needs. Feel free to follow me there: @alandraven.bsky.social

Now that that’s out of the way, on to the albums. First, long-time readers of this blog are well aware by now that KISS is my favourite band of all-time. So, when a new project or release that’s KISS-related surfaces, you can bet it’ll get my attention. Such is the case when Kenn Nardi, of the outstanding KISS-centric franKENstein Creations YouTube channel, released on February 7^th an expanded musical theater version of KISS’s Music from The Elder, retitling it A World Without Heroes. The Elder has always been one of my Top 5 favourite KISS LPs and Kenn just made it even better! This, ladies and gents, is a work of art! Expanded to 26 songs, adding Elder-era tracks like “Nowhere to Run”, “Take Me Away (Together As One)”, and “I’m a Legend Tonight”, as well as Psycho Circus’ “Journey of 1,000 Years”—trust me, those songs all fit perfectly within this new narrative Kenn has spun—this 1hr45mins double LP deserves to be heard by every KISS fan, even those who hate The Elder (and Lord knows there’re a lot of you!). This is the true KISS concept album we’ve always wanted.

Kenn is like a mad scientist; as he did with KISS’s Hotter Than Hell a few months ago, he took very specific existing guitar/drum/bass parts from original KISS tunes and reconstructed the songs to some extent. He tweaked and rearranged some tracks, sometimes altering the lyrics slightly with Gene/Paul’s actual vocals to make them fit this new storyline. You can read about Kenn’s process in the video description on his YouTube channel and even listen to him talk about it at length with Mike Brandvold and Mark Cicchini on this week’s episode of the awesome KISS Podcast Three Sides of the Coin (links below). Kenn also made a gorgeous 30-page program to follow along as you’re playing the album. It really immerses the listener into a full-blown musical in two acts. It allows you to experience the story in great depth with details on the setting of each scene, who the characters are, the song lyrics, and more. The best part of all this is that it’s absolutely FREE!! I encourage you all to follow Kenn’s YouTube channel and share your thoughts on his work. He’s a super passionate KISS fanatic who puts a lot of time and effort into his reworkings of KISS songs and albums. His channel truly is a treasure trove of cool KISS remixes. While A World Without Heroes may be geared toward the more hardcore KISS fans, the rest of his channel’s content is bound to please even casual KISS and hard rock music enthusiasts.

franKENstein Creations’ YouTube Page for A World Without Heroes (MP3 download link in the video’s description) 

Three Sides of the Coin’s Interview with Kenn

Second, iconic prog metal giants Dream Theater returned with their 16^th album, Parasomnia, on February 7^th. I must admit that I’m a casual Dream Theater fan, so I really can’t tell how this new LP stacks up against the rest of their catalogue. I was introduced to them back in 1997 by a buddy of mine. I proceeded to pick up their Images & Words and A Change of Seasons albums on CD. I love both dearly but for whatever reason, I never followed their career after that and have only heard a handful of their songs since. Fast forward to Parasomnia for which I’d heard the first three singles and enjoyed at least two of them. For me, “Midnight Messiah”, while a straightforward tune, is the catchiest song on here and is my favourite track of the LP, followed closely by “Night Terror”, the first single. Clocking in at 71 minutes, which isn’t out of the norm for DT, the album flows harmoniously like a river with intermittent waves and rocky undercurrents. From the opening cut, “In the Arms of Morpheus”, an eclectic roller coaster instrumental which serves as a good sampler for what follows leading up to the epic nearly 20-minute closer, “The Shadow Man Incident”, which could be construed as the flipside to the opener, it’s a solid and diverse record. Another track worthy of mention is the almost poppy, at times Pink Floydesque “Bend the Clock”, a terrific song showcasing LaBrie’s vocals and the band’s musicianship in all its glory. I have a feeling Parasomnia will end up on many Dream Theater and prog metal fans’ Top Albums of the Year list at the end of 2025. Will it be on mine? Probably not, but I do believe it’s a strong release that is every bit worthy of the quality associated with the Dream Theater brand that fans have come to expect.

Inside Out Music’s Bandcamp Page for Dream Theater

Third, Houston's occult rock quartet Warlung released their fifth album, The Poison Touch, on February 14^th via Heavy Psych Sounds Records. A follow-up to their excellent 2022 outing, Vulture’s Paradise, this latest record is their most accomplished yet. It’s got a cool ‘70s vibe throughout and that always scores brownie points with me. It feels like a concept album of sorts. The highlights for me are the second single, “White Light Seeker”, which is probably the catchiest track on here; the ambitious centerpiece, the epic nine-minute long “Spell Speaker” featuring a splendid guitar solo; the slower-paced “The Sleeping Prophet”; and the first single, “29th Scroll, 6th Verse”, which ebbs and flows like a tidal wave with its slick retro sound. Warlung fans rejoice! The boys are back and better than ever. The Poison Touch is stacked with great tunes from beginning to end. If you’re new to the band, The Poison Touch is a great way to get acquainted with them.

Heavy Psych Sounds Records’ Bandcamp Page for Warlung

Fourth, Blackie Lawless and his winged assassins, W.A.S.P., put out a surprise digital release of their Bonus Tracks and B-Sides CD on Valentine’s Day. Taken from their gorgeous 7 Savage: 1984-1992 CD Boxset that came out in January, the release contains 15 tracks culled mostly from the bonus tracks featured on the deluxe editions of their first four LPs. For some reason, W.A.S.P. always flew under my radar and I wasn’t exposed to their music growing up in the ‘80s. Aside from their big hits “I Wanna Be Somebody” and “Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)”, and their reputation for shocking live shows back in the day, I wasn’t that familiar with their music. That all changed last summer when I stumbled upon clips of their Album One Alive Tour. I liked what I heard so I proceeded to purchase their 1984 debut LP, their 1992 masterpiece The Crimson Idol, and their most recent album of new material, 2015’s Golgotha. Blackie Lawless is such an underrated singer and songwriter; he truly is one of the best in the business and I find he’s gotten even better with age. I instantly fell in love with the band and Golgotha, particularly, shot straight to my Top 30 favourite metal albums of all-time. If you haven’t heard it, I urge you to give it a spin, it’s absolutely phenomenal and very moving at times. The 7 Savage Boxset was a little too pricey for my budget so I skipped it, but I’m thrilled that this bonus tracks CD has now been released digitally. I picked it up without hesitating and I also purchased their 1987 Live…In the Raw album on the same occasion. That’s another must-have release, by the way.

Anyhow, back to this Bonus Tracks and B-Sides release. It features the afore-mentioned anthem, “Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)”, a dazzling cover of the Stones’ perennial hit “Paint It Black”, a thunderous rendition of Led Zep’s “When the Levee Breaks”, and a stunning take on Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen” which surpasses the original, in my humble opinion. Other tunes like “Savage”, “Lake of Fools”, and “War Cry” showcase the band’s diversity and Blackie’s ability to sing a wide range of musical styles. Bonus Tracks and B-Sides is a great companion to your W.A.S.P. album collection and a terrific old school metal LP from top to bottom. W.A.S.P. and non-W.A.S.P. fans will find something to cheer about in this eclectic collection of songs spanning their early years before the band sang less about partying and focused on more serious and mature issues. If anything, it’s a great way to get warmed up with Blackie & company before delving into their back catalogue. Do yourself a favour and pick this one up and grab one or two more of their LPs while you’re at it, you won’t regret it! MadfishMusic’s Bandcamp has a lot of their older albums while W.A.S.P.’s official Bandcamp has a handful of their more recent releases, including Golgotha.

MadfishMusic’s Bandcamp Page for Bonus Tracks and B-Sides

W.A.S.P. on Bandcamp

Fifth, Swedish heavy rock quartet Temple of Discord are set to release their debut LP, In the Ashes, via the mighty Ripple Music label on February 21^st. When I first heard that a new band fronted by Wytch guitarist Mattias Marklund was formed, I got instantly excited. Wytch’s 2021 Exordium LP is one of my favourite records of the last five years and, in my humble opinion, one of the best LPs ever released on the Ripple Music label. Marklund handles both guitar and vocal duties this time around and Temple of Discord’s music is more in the vein of heavy rock than the occult rock we were treated to with Wytch. The highlights for me are the second single, “Black Out the Sun”, which is also my favourite track and the catchiest tune of the LP; “Razor Me”, a song reminiscent of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds; the kick-ass, punky “All Their Lies”, and the closing track, the meditative “Rails”. While this LP isn’t on the same level as Wytch’s, it’s still a solid effort that will tide us over until Wytch release their sophomore album. Fans of that band owe it to themselves to check out In the Ashes and heavy rock aficionados are sure to find something they’ll like as well.

Ripple Music’s Bandcamp Page for Temple of Discord

Sixth, veteran German metal band Brainstorm will unleash their 14^th LP, Plague of Rats, via Reigning Phoenix Music on February 28^th. I hadn’t heard any of the quartet’s albums prior to Plague of Rats, but this was a great discovery for me. The second single, “Beyond Enemy Lines”, opens the album in classic metal fashion with a jolt of vigour. The first single, “Garuda (Eater of Snakes)”, follows and it’s one of the catchiest tunes on the LP. Other highlights for me include the ballady duet “Your Soul That Lingers in Me”; the high-energy “Masquerade Conspiracy”; the melodic earworm that is “The Dark of Night”, and the sing-along rock metal of “Crawling” which may very well be my fave track of the LP. Brainstorm delivers the metal goods aplenty. Plague of Rats is a fine album and while it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it’s consistent throughout and should satisfy Brainstorm fans as well as old school metal enthusiasts.

Reigning Phoenix Music’s Page for Brainstorm

Seventh, Dirkschneider, former Accept frontman Udo Dirkschneider’s band, will unleash a reimagined version of Accept’s seminal 1983 LP titled Balls to the Wall RELOADED on February 28^th via powerhouse metal label Reigning Phoenix Music. I used to have the title cut on a metal compilation many moons ago on tape in the ‘80s during my teenage years. Apart from that, I have to confess that I’d never listened—to my knowledge, at least—to any other song from Accept until a few weeks ago. So, I went and sought out Accept’s original Balls to the Wall LP on YouTube to take it for a spin. I gotta say, it’s pretty good and it allowed me to appreciate a little more what Dirkschneider and friends did with this reloaded iteration. To be fair, I much prefer Accept’s original version of the songs, but that’s not to say these new renditions don’t stand on their own for modern audiences or even for fans of Accept or Udo Dirkschneider. For one thing, this is a duets album, meaning each of the ten tracks features Udo and a well-known metal legend collaborating together on the songs. The title track features Joakim Brodén of Sabaton; “London Leatherboys" has Saxon’s Biff Byford singing along, and we also get a star-studded cast of singers on subsequent tracks such as Mille Petrozza of Kreator, Nils Molin of Amaranthe, Michael Kiske of Helloween, Ylva Eriksson of Brothers of Metal, Danko Jones, Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, Tim “Ripper” Owens of Judas Priest & KK’s Priest, and the lovely Doro Pesch on “Winter Dreams”, which is one of the highlights of the album for me. Balls to the Wall RELOADED is chock-full of catchy metal riffs, arena anthems, fiery guitar solos, and reinvigorated rock ‘n’ roll classics. While I’m sure this LP won’t become the go-to release to listen to this vintage set of Accept tunes, Balls to the Wall RELOADED does reignite a spark to some old classic songs with a fresh approach. Old school metal fans everywhere should give this energetic new take to Balls to the Wall a listen; it’s a record that is as relevant as ever that’s been given a new lease on life.

Reigning Phoenix Music’s Page for Dirkschneider

Eighth, Swedish prog rock quartet Nebula Nine are getting ready for takeoff with their debut EP, The Last Sky Piercer, to be released on February 28^th. This four-track EP is a thing of beauty! From the gentle, melodic opener “Sky Piercer”; the superb traditional prog number “Terminal” with its nod to classic ‘70s prog with a modern edge; the hypnotic and heavy first single, “Blood Red Eyes”; to the meditative, drifting-in-space mood of “Maroons” as a closing track. The Last Sky Piercer is a multi-layered, highly-textured sonic experience that fully puts the musicianship of its band members on display. It’s a short, sci-fi concept album with a theme of a hopeful future for mankind. Fans of Yes, King Crimson, and Pink Floyd will find a lot to like here. Nebula Nine has a promising future in our universe and I, for one, am looking forward to hearing more from them.

Nebula Nine on Spotify

Ninth, Lordi, the legendary Finnish rock/metal band will return with their 19^th studio album, Limited Deadition, on March 21^st via Reigning Phoenix Music. This record is a ton of fun, folks. Lordi first came to my attention in 2006 with their now classic song “Hard Rock Hallelujah” when they won the Eurovision Song Contest that year. I bought their The Arockalypse (2006) album back then, but I sort of lost track of them in the years that followed, only hearing/seeing some of their songs pop up on YouTube over the course of the last fifteen years. And then Limited Deadition landed in my inbox about a month and a half ago and I gave it a spin. It instantly rekindled my interest for this wild and crazy band. This album is ten shades of awesome and features some of the best songs I’ve ever heard from Lordi. With a theme of ‘80s toys and the usual tongue-in-cheek horror references, it’s jam-packed with energetic, synth-driven hard rock earworms.

Some of the highlights for me include the catchy “Legends Are Made of Clichés”; the excellent 1^st single, “Syntax Terror”; the proggy “Killharmonic Orchestra”; the ode to horror flicks and horror magazine “Fangoria”; the 3^rd single, the clever “Hellizabeth”; and the super fun closing track, “You Might Be Deceased”. Limited Deadition contains sixteen tracks, including five cool humoristic adverts, and clocks in at 45 minutes. It’s hard to tell if long-time fans will dig this LP as much as I did since I haven’t kept in touch with the monster band’s output over the course of the last decade. I can at least promise that you’ll have a good time listening to this record. It’s infectious and it is proof that Lordi are still relevant today, well over thirty years since their inception. Newcomers to the band who’ve never had a chance to sample the band’s weird brand of rock/metal will most likely get a big kick out of Limited Deadition as it’s a very accessible record and one that goes down easy like a cold beer on a hot summer day. In any case, I declare Limited Deadition my album of the month and certainly a worthy contender for the Top Ten Albums of the Year list.

Reigning Phoenix Music’s Page for Lordi

And that’s all she wrote for the year's second, massive issue of HKP, folks! The March issue of the Harbinger’s Killer Picks will drop on March 29^th. Until then, stay safe and crank up the tunes! 

Harbinger’s Killer Picks – January 2025

Happy New Year everyone! The first Harbinger’s Killer Picks of 2025 has arrived! I’ve got a leftover release from 2024 as well as four hot picks from recent and upcoming January/February 2025 releases. Here’s hoping 2025 will be as great or surpass the phenomenal year that 2024 was for music. Without further ado, here are my top five picks in chronological release order.

First, Metallica’s Helping Hands 2024 benefit show took place on Friday, December 13^th at the intimate YouTube Theater in Los Angeles. The show was broadcast on December 19^th on YouTube and made available for purchase as MP3s and lossless audio on their Live Metallica Website on December 23^rd, just in time for Christmas. This is a fantastic show from top to bottom, featuring a very different setlist than on their current M72 Tour. The first five songs are semi-acoustic and then the band goes fully electric for the next eight tunes. The concert opens with a great rendition of a track from Reload, “Low Man’s Lyric”, which hadn’t been played live since 1998. Then we get a cover of Diamond Head’s “Helpless”, a Garage Days gem performed semi-acoustically. We move on to a superb Bachman-Turner Overdrive cover, “Away from Home”, which I’d never heard Metallica cover before. To close out the semi-acoustic set, we’re treated to gorgeous renditions of “If Darkness Had a Son” and “Nothing Else Matters” with a little help from the SistaStrings duo on violin and cello.

Then the boys plug in to play their instrumental masterpiece “Orion” followed by a rare performance of one of my favourite songs from And Justice for All, “The Shortest Straw.” Then they hit the Load album with “Until It Sleeps”, a song that has aged gracefully; I personally enjoy it a lot more now than when it was first released back in 1996. Afterwards it’s on to a kick-ass rendering of “Screaming Suicide” from 72 Seasons followed by another tune not often played live, “The Unforgiven II” from Reload, performed for the first time in nine years. Up next, a phenomenal, swampy version of “Fuel”, also from Reload, a song that’s vastly improved over the years. After that, Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament joins the band for a blistering performance of “Hit the Lights” off of Kill ‘Em All and they close out the show with their perennial classic, “Master of Puppets.” Whether you’re a casual Metallica fan or you’ve been listening to them since the ‘80s, Helping Hands 2024 is an outstanding live set from the titans of metal that belongs in any metalhead’s music collection.

Metallica on the Live Metallica site: https://www.livemetallica.com//live-music/0,853/Metallica-mp3-flac-download-12-13-2024-YouTube-Theater-Los-Angeles-CA.html

Second, alternative/progressive metal band Suns of the Tundra (SOTT) have just released a 20^th Anniversary Remix of their self-titled debut album on January 12^th. The London and Cardiff band’s original lineup for this record was formed of Simon Oakes on vocals/guitar, Andrew Prestidge on drums/keyboards, and Rob Havis on bass. The previous iteration of the band was known as Peach GB in the 1990s before they split up and bassist Justin Chancellor left to join American prog metal band Tool. Some of these new remixes use new rhythm guitar parts from Mark Moloney who joined the band in 2005 and has been an integral part ever since. I wasn’t familiar with SOTT prior to listening to this record and shame on me—they’re absolutely amazing! Their debut album sounds like it could’ve been recorded now so much it sounds fresh—a testament to how well it’s aged over the last twenty years. The kick-ass first single, “Paper Wraps Stone”, is reminiscent of Tool, which is a comparison I’m sure they’d rather avoid but I make it as a compliment and if you’re a fan of that band, it’ll give you a good indication whether you’d enjoy SOTT or not. “Telescopic Misanthropy” and “Minus” are infectious tunes that stick with you. “Redeye” might be my favourite track of the LP; it has a lot going on musically. “Splinters” is another highlight, a hypnotic song that will put the listeners in a trance. And to cap things off, we have the epic “Syzygy parts I, II & III”, a rhapsody of sorts which initially appeared as three distinct tracks on the 2004 release. Suns of the Tundra, the band and the album, are well-worth your time and ears. Whether you’re a long-time fan or like me, are just hearing about them for the first time, their remixed self-titled debut is a terrific way to discover/re-discover their music before perusing the rest of their catalogue with more recent LPs such as 2019’s Murmuration and 2023’s The Only Equation. Fans of prog metal in general will have a blast with this record.

Suns of the Tundra on Bandcamp: https://sunsofthetundra.bandcamp.com/album/suns-of-the-tundra-20th-anniversary-remix

Third, doom legends Pentagram return with their ninth studio album and their first in ten years, titled Lightning in a Bottle, on January 31^st. Full disclosure: I always found Pentagram to be highly overrated and haven’t enjoyed any of their previous albums. I like a handful of their songs, but that’s about it. Frontman and founder Bobby Liebling is notoriously hard to work with and the band has gone through more than a dozen roster changes over the years. They seem to have landed a top-tier lineup for this record, consisting of guitar maestro Tony Reed of Mos Generator and Stone Axe, Scooter Haslip on bass (also of Mos Generator), and Henry Vasquez on drums of Saint Vitus fame. I have to say, this is in my opinion the band’s most solid album to date. The catchy two singles, “Thundercrest” and “Live Again”, are representative of the overall sound of the LP. The very personal “Lady Heroin” is another highlight as well as “Solve the Puzzle”, while the title track with its heavy riff gets my vote for best track of the album. Whether you’re a long-time fan of the band or have never been impressed by their output, I recommend taking Lightning in a Bottle for a spin, you’re bound to have a good time listening to it.

Heavy Psych Sounds Records’ Bandcamp page for Pentagram: https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/pentagram-lightning-in-a-bottle

Fourth, Swedish rockers Gin Lady will unleash their seventh opus, Before the Dawn of Time, on February 7^th via the mighty Ripple Music label. This album is a throwback to a plethora of genres from classic rock, roots rock, prog rock, and even acid folk. It’s a very accessible album that’s got a Beatlesque quality to it. From the get-go, “The Paramount” sets the tone for the entire LP; an instant classic in my book. “Mighty River” is a folky, sing-along kind of tune. The second single, “Tingens sanna natur”, which is actually sung in English (The True Nature of Things), is a slower-paced beauty of a song. “Ways to Cross the Sky” is a warm, multi-layered song and one of the LP’s best. The energetic “Turn Back” is the catchiest track on the record. The proggy “Mulberry Bend” has got a cool ‘70s vibe. It’s followed by the mysterious and mystical “The Universe Vibrant Rings” and a great rhythmic tune titled “The Brain.” The piano-driven, ‘60s sounding “Bliss on the Line” takes us to the last track, “You’re a Big Star”, reminiscent of Tom Petty with its retro sound—a definite highlight of the album. Gin Lady is a band whose music instantly puts you in a good mood. Before the Dawn of Time is the first must-own record of 2025 and one of Ripple Music’s finest releases in recent years.

Ripple Music’s Bandcamp page for Gin Lady: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/before-the-dawn-of-time

Fifth, Germany’s alternative/industrial metal band Enemy Inside will release their third record, Venom, via powerhouse metal label Reigning Phoenix Music on February 28^th. I’d been eagerly anticipating this album based on the first couple of singles I’d heard. It’s a very frustrating LP for me. Let me explain. Frequent readers of this blog know of my distaste for extreme metal and all its subsidiaries (black, death metal, etc). To me, growling, barking, or screaming ruins a song, period. Such is the case for many of the songs found on Venom. Now, I know I’m in the minority and that extreme metal has hordes of enthusiasts, so I’m sure that for the vast majority of listeners, this growling will only enhance the songs. In any case, what I found good on this album, I really did enjoy, with catchy gems such as “Should Have Known Better”, “Sayonara”, “What We Used to Be”, “Fuck That Party” and the cool ballad, “Let Me Go.” On the other hand, songs like “Venom”, “Dirt on My Name”, “Innocent”, and “Unburn” were ruined for me by the afore-mentioned growling. I find it a shame that a talented singer like Nastassja Giulia doesn’t use her vocal gifts to simply sing melodically the way she’s proven she can. She sounds like a cross between Britney Spears and Gwen Stefani (I know for metal fans that this sounds like I’m taking a dig at her but it’s not; I mean it as a compliment). Overall, Venom is a fine metal record with pop sensibilities that, were it not for its extreme leanings, I would’ve loved. Unfortunately, I’m just not the target audience for this one but I do recommend it to Enemy Inside fans and anyone who enjoys edgy metal with pop sensibilities.

RPM’s Enemy Inside page: https://reigningphoenixmusic.com/artists/enemy-inside

And we’re done for the first issue of 2025, folks! The February issue of the Harbinger’s Killer Picks will land on February 22^nd. Until then, stay safe and crank up the tunes!