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 7th 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 16th album, Parasomnia, on February 7th. 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 14th 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 21st.
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 14th LP, Plague of Rats, via Reigning Phoenix Music on February 28th.
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 28th 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 28th. 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 19th studio album, Limited Deadition, on March 21st
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 1st
single, “Syntax Terror”; the proggy “Killharmonic Orchestra”; the ode to horror
flicks and horror magazine “Fangoria”; the 3rd 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 29th. Until then, stay safe and crank up the tunes!
