April showers, make way for the
Harbinger’s Killer Picks! It’s the last Saturday of the month, so here are my
top five biggest albums of the month, in chronological release order. I wanted
to include Venator’s Psychodrome
which dropped yesterday, but I’ve only had time to give it one spin so I’ll
save it to review it for the May issue of HKP.
First, Swedish hard rockers H.e.a.t released their latest opus, Welcome to the Future, yesterday via earMUSIC. My real introduction to this awesome band came in the form of 2023’s Extra Force, which was a compilation album of sorts, released hot on the heels of 2022’s Force Majeure, marking the return of original singer Kenny Leckremo. I’ve become a big fan of H.e.a.t since and Welcome to the Future was one of my most anticipated albums of the spring. They’re back with their trademark arena rock, synth-laced sound and it’ll be an album I’ll be listening to all summer long and beyond. The first four tracks of the LP happen to be the four singles released thus far. From the earworm opener, the dynamic “Disaster”, to the melodic old school ballad, “Bad Time for Love”, the high-energy “Running to You”, to a strong highlight of the LP, the very definition of a memorable ballad with “Call My Name”, H.e.a.t are off to the races and keep coming with the hits. Other highlights for me include “Rock Bottom”, which isn’t a cover of the famous KISS song but rather a cool sing-along anthem; the electrifying “Children of the Storm”, truly one of the best tracks on here; and the bass-heavy “Tear It Down (R.N.R.R.)” which is my absolute favourite song of the LP. Welcome to the Future is a solid collection of 12 songs that, while covering familiar territory, H.e.a.t proves to be ever reliable, continuing to deliver rock gems after being at it for 17 years. The band is as relevant as ever as a top-tier rock/metal band. I’ve said it before; if H.e.a.t had been around in the ‘80s, they would’ve been just as big as Def Leppard and Bon Jovi. If you like hard rock/hair metal from the ‘80s with pop sensibilities, then you’re bound to love Welcome to the Future. It certainly is a worthy contender for the Album of the Year list.
earMUSIC’s Page for H.e.a.t
Second, Olympia, Washington’s
power metal quartet, Hangfire, are set to release their debut LP, Burn, on May 2nd via Rottweiler
Records. Led by ubertalented vocalist Jenea Fiore, Hangfire is a force to be
reckoned with in today’s metal landscape. From the opening one-two punch combo
of “Hunger” and “Thunder”, to the catchy melodic, single-worthy “Warhawk”
featuring a standout guitar solo; the energetic earworm first single
“Headspin”; the gorgeous ballad “Falling Awake”; the headbanging “SOS”; the
killer tune that is “The Hunter”; the fantastic old school rocker “Outlaw”; the
banger title track “Burn”; the gentle gem “The Cold”, to the closing track and
second single, “Fire in the Night”, Burn
fires on all cylinders. A generous collection of a dozen truly memorable songs
fully showcasing Fiore’s vocal prowess, guitarist Sean Searls’ shredding
ability, bassist Steven Tolbeck’s thumping basslines, and Shannon Laird’s
rapid-fire drumming. Burn is an Album
of the Year candidate of the highest degree, providing the listeners with an
exciting blend of melodic heavy metal honouring the glory days of metal legends
from the ‘80s. It’s an incredibly impressive debut from a gifted bunch of
musicians and every metal music aficionado owes it to themselves to take Burn for a fiery spin.
Rottweiler Records’ Bandcamp Page for Hangfire
Third, Barrie, Ontario heavy
psych quartet AAWKS will return with their sophomore LP, On Through the Sky Maze, on May 2nd via Black Throne Productions.
I love this band. I’ve been covering them since their early days. Their first
LP, Heavy on the Cosmic, cracked the
top five of my Top 20 Albums of 2022. Sometimes bands veer in unexpected musical
directions and it polarizes fans. A good example was Metallica’s Load back in 1996, which lost them a lot
of fans (and probably gained them some new ones as well). Sadly, On Through the Sky Maze, is such an
album for me. I’m pretty sure I’ll be in the minority, but this is a record
that after a handful of listens over the course of the past six weeks, has left
me with the same sour taste as upon my first spin of it. Let me explain. When
the first single “Celestial Magick” dropped, I was both intrigued and slightly
worried. I loved the heavier and doomier sound, but I was wondering why they
chose to add screaming/growling to what would’ve been a perfect song in my
opinion. When the album landed in my inbox, I braced myself for a first listen
and my suspicions were confirmed: the vast majority of the tracks feature
screaming/growling courtesy of bassist Ryan “Grime Pup” Mailman. My initial
reaction was why would you scream/growl as if you were singing in a black metal
band? To be fair, it does somewhat fit the heavier/doomier vibe they have going
on this record, but it certainly won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. It sure as
hell isn’t mine. To me, the screaming ruins in large part what would otherwise
be a phenomenal album.
The aesthetic AAWKS shoot for on On Through the Sky Maze is fully
realized. From the LP’s cover art featuring their mascot, the mysterious hooded
figure, to the more polished doom sound, lyrical progression, and musical
evolution they have on their follow-up to their beloved debut album. The
inclusion of samples of sound clips from old horror movies throughout the songs
is brilliant and fits the theme and tone of the album to perfection. Some of
the highlights of the LP for me (minus the bloody screaming) include the
majestic first single, “Celestial Magick”; the Sabbath-worship of the third
single, “Lost Dwellers”; the previously released mysterious “The Figure” (although
I much prefer the version found on their Luna
EP); “Wandering Supergiants” with its eerie violin; and “Drifting Upward” with
its spacey keyboards has almost a meditative quality to it. On Through the Sky Maze is bound to
divide AAWKS fans who fell in love with the heavy psych aspect of their music.
For me, the sporadic demonic-sounding screaming/growling grates on my ears and
makes me want to skip songs entirely at times. It makes for a very frustrating
audio experience. That kind of screaming is prevalent in today’s metal music
though, and my understanding is that it’s quite popular, so I know I’ll be in
the minority feeling this way about its inclusion. Regardless, one can’t deny
that this sophomore effort from AAWKS shows maturity on all levels and, as I’ve
stated, would even surpass their debut LP if it weren’t for the damn screaming.
In any case, I still wholeheartedly recommend listening to it if you’re an
AAWKS devotee or a fan of heavy music in general. Just don’t expect the same
kind of trip you had on Heavy on the
Cosmic. Here’s hoping the band tones down the screaming on their next
release.
AAWKS on Bandcamp
Fourth, reinvigorated shoguns of UK
Thrash Metal Toranaga U.K. will release a four-song, 23-minute EP on May 19th
aptly titled A New Order. Featuring
two brand-new songs and two re-recorded classics from their second LP, God's Gift from 1990. I wasn’t familiar
with Toranaga but, man, this band can hang with the best of them! I also gave God’s Gift a full spin to get a better feel
for Toranaga’s origins and it’s a terrific vintage metal record. They label
themselves as a thrash metal band but I’d put them more into the traditional
metal category based on this EP. From the opener, the new track and current single
“Desecration”, a catchy tune with galloping riffs; the slower tempo of the title
track, “A New Order”, a fist-in-the-air, head-bobbing kind of tune; to the re-recorded
classics “The Shrine” with its almost doomy vibe and the fantastic, dark “Sword
of Damocles”, the older songs have a fuller sound here and the band plays them
tight. A New Order channels the
spirit of the heyday of ‘80s metal and finetunes it for the modern metalhead. Toranaga
is a band that goes down easy like a cold brew on a hot summer day. I’m eager
to hear more new material from them and I recommend picking up A New Order, especially for fans of Megadeth, Overkill, Iron
Maiden, and Metallica.
Toranaga U.K. Online
Fifth, another legendary U.K. Thrash
band returns, this one hailing from Bristol, England, Onslaught will release a
double album on May 23rd titled Origins
of Aggression as the first record of a new long-term contract with metal
giants Reigning Phoenix Music. I’d heard of Onslaught over the years but had
yet to hear one of their songs. After listening to this blistering double CD
set, I am wondering why I’d never listened to their music before! If you’re not
familiar with them, the best comparison I can make is that they’re like the
UK’s answer to Slayer. Origins of Aggression
celebrates the 40th anniversary of their first album, Power from Hell. The first CD features a
crop of ten re-recorded tunes from the band’s early days (1982-1989), while the
second CD gives us some badass covers of punk and metal songs which contributed
to define the Onslaught sound.
Disc 1 consists of ten tracks
from Onslaught’s first three LPs, re-recorded with current frontman David
Garnett on vocals: Power from Hell
(1985), The Force (1986), and In Search of Sanity (1989). Some of my
favourites include the punky, lean and mean “Black Horse of Famine”; the catchy
“Angels of Death”; the anthemic “Power from Hell”; the instant classic “Metal
Forces”; the epicness of “Let There Be Death”; the neck-breaker “Thrash ‘Till the
Death”, and the rallying cry that channels vintage ‘Tallica, “Shellshock”. This
CD is better than a Greatest Hits package, folks. The songs sound vintage and
fresh all at once. It gives these tunes a second lease on life and is a perfect
introduction for newcomers to this tremendous, underrated thrash metal band.
Disc 2 consists of twelve
ferocious covers paying tribute to some of the best punk and metal bands from
the ‘70s and ‘80s which have highly influenced Onslaught. They cover Motorhead,
the Dead Kennedys, Discharge, The Exploited, Judas Priest, Killing Joke, the
Sex Pistols, the UK Subs, and Black Sabbath. Some of the highlights for me
include their scorching cover of Lemmy & Co., “Iron Fist”; the awesome Dead
Kennedys classic “Holiday in Cambodia”; an impressive vintage Priest rendition,
“Freewheel Burning”; a kick-ass delivery of the Sex Pistols’ “Holidays in the
Sun”, and a crushing interpretation of Sabbath’s perennial classic, “War Pigs”.
This set of covers is spectacular from top to bottom and showcases Onslaught
really putting their spin on each track. Just one of these two CDs would’ve
been a homerun of a release, but combined, it’s nothing short of astonishing
and shoots its way deep into my Top Ten Albums of the Year candidates. Whether
you’ve experienced the brutality of Onslaught before or you’re an Onslaught
virgin, Origins of Aggression belongs
in every metalhead’s collection.
Reigning Phoenix Music’s Page for Onslaught
And that’s all she wrote, folks! The May issue of the Harbinger’s Killer Picks will land on May 31st. Until then, stay safe and crank up the tunes!
