The lovely month of May is soon
coming to a close and summer’s just around the corner! It’s the last Saturday
of the month, so it’s time for the Harbinger’s Killer Picks. Here are my top
five picks of the month, in chronological release order.
First, Austrian trad metal quintet Venator released their sophomore LP, Psychodrome, on April 25th via German boutique label Dying Victims Productions. This was one of my most anticipated releases of the spring/summer and I’m here to tell you that it delivers in spades! It's already been three years since the release of their phenomenal debut LP, Echoes from the Gutter. After an atmospheric synthwave instrumental intro, “Steal the Night” opens the LP, a banger of a track with a cool retro ‘80s vibe. “Children of the Beast” follows, a head-bobbing tune with a catchy chorus. The Maidenesque “The Final Call” features some bad-ass bass courtesy of bassist Stefan Glasner that leads into the trio of singles: “Radar” is a highlight of the LP and an instant classic; “Race to Glory” is solid as steel; and “Dynamite” is infectious and actually more of a driving tune than the previous song. “Fear the Light” showcases frontman Hans Huemer’s wide vocal range with a higher-pitched song, while every band member shines on the stellar “Astral Seduction”, a gem of a song to close out the set. Venator is a force to be reckoned with in the world of heavy metal music. Had they been around circa 1985, they would’ve fit right in alongside legends like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Chock-full of vintage metal, soaring vocals, and fiery guitar solos, Psychodrome is a definite contender for the Top 10 Albums of the Year list and a fantastic album to spin all summer long and beyond!
Dying Victims Productions’ Bandcamp Page for Venator
Second, Romania’s purveyors of ice metal, Persekutor, returned with a new EP titled Vlad But True on May 9th. This is a band that I’ve come to love over the last two years since the release of their breakthrough album, Snow Business, in 2023. It’s a fun and catchy LP that I find myself going back to regularly. This new EP continues in the same direction, featuring snow-themed tunes, giving us four tracks for a runtime of about fifteen minutes. The title track gets the ball rolling, hearkening back to the glory days of ‘80s metal. “Cold Blooded” is a slower song than usual for the band, with cleaner vocals. The first single, “Eternal Snowstorm”, is pretty good but personally, I’d have gone with the closing track, “Cold Sweat”, instead; a hard rocking number that stays with you long after the EP’s stopped spinning. Vlad But True is a decent EP, but on the whole, it doesn’t quite reach the level of enthusiasm and old school metal fun that its predecessor did. Still, lead singer Vlad and his Persekutor crew deliver a cool pack of songs if you’re looking for a quick listen. Here’s hoping we get a full-length soon from this talented band as I’m sure they still have lots of icy metal in store for us.
Persekutor on Bandcamp
Third, French old school metal quartet Animalize made their triumphant return last week with a new LP, Verminateur, entirely sung in French via the Dying Victims Productions label and I’m here for it. How time flies; it’s already been three years since Animalize’s kick-ass debut album, Meat We’re Made Of! This time we’re treated to ten tracks—nine songs and an instrumental—all sung in French as opposed to three songs out of nine sung in French on the previous record. I, for one, find that to be a great decision; maybe I’m biased because French is my first language, but I find the band sounds more comfortable singing in their native tongue. On top of that, Verminateur is an all-around more polished LP than its predecessor, and just as fun but more mature. Less thrashy and more melodic, from the opener and first single, “Armées de la nuit” coupled with the second single, “Damnée”, they’re off to a killer start with plenty of ‘80s-inspired guitar solos—and a tremendous videoclip for the second single. “Cheval astral” is a scorcher of a tune that gallops 100 miles/hour; the title track gives off a cool Motley Crüe vibe; “Au jugement de soi”, the latest single—with yet another fantastic videoclip—is a catchy, melodic, radio-friendly track; then the dark synth “Invasion” instrumental interlude serves as prelude to “Envahisseurs”, a banger of a track with exciting guitar dualling; the atmospheric melancholy of the piano-driven “Prière de remords” showcases a different aspect of Animalize and is a highlight of the record; “Bons baisers d’outre-tombe” is the perfect soundtrack for a horror movie in your mind with its pulsating synths and riffs for days—a standout track for sure; “Reviens-moi” with its driving rhythm brings the curtain down—what we used to call a ballad with teeth in the old glory days of metal. No sophomore slump here, folks. It’s hard to pick a favourite tune on an album of favourites; Verminateur is an exhilarating LP from beginning to end. Animalize have a winner on their hands and it’s sure to please old school metal fans all over the world, especially francophiles.
Dying Victims Productions’ Bandcamp Page for Animalize
Fourth, doom and sludge trio Goya
out of Phoenix, Arizona will unleash their fourth LP, In the Dawn of November, on June 13th via Blues Funeral
Recordings. It’s been eight years since their last LP, Harvester of Bongloads, and I’d heard many great things about this
band but had yet to experience their music. I’m glad I finally got around to
hearing Goya because if you dig crushing riffs and sludgy doom, then this band
and album is for you. From the get-go, the first single, “In the Dawn of
November”, is a fantastic heavy doom gem that sets the tone for the entire
record. “Cemetary Blues” follows, a graveyard love song full of gloomy imagery;
“Depressive Episode”, the second single, is an exercise in self-loathing that
might very well be the catchiest tune of the album; “Sick of Your Shit”
continues along the same vein as the previous song but this time the anger is
aimed at the outside world; the epic, 12-minute opus “I Wanna Be Dead” is thick
with atmosphere and represents doom at its finest while “Comes with the Fall”
is a fuzzy, almost cosmic instrumental to bring this dark ceremony to a close. In the Dawn of November is a bleaker
than bleak affair with a palpable sense of hopelessness throughout, and
sometimes, that’s just what the doctor ordered. At times reminiscent of the
angst-ridden industrial albums of the ‘90s, In
the Dawn of November is a well-crafted, outstanding LP from beginning to
end. Goya have a winner on their hands and a sure contender for the Top 10 Albums
of the Year list.
Goya on Bandcamp
Fifth, Cincinnati, Ohio’s
Electric Citizen are finally making a comeback on June 27th after a
seven-year absence with their fourth album simply titled EC4 via Heavy Psych Sounds Records. A follow-up to their excellent
2018 album, Helltown, honestly, I was
beginning to wonder if we’d ever get another release from this terrific heavy
psych/classic rock/doom quartet. From the get-go, “Mire” cracks it open, a
vintage blend of rock showcasing Laura Dolan’s siren vocals along with dreamy
organ. The two singles follow, “Static Vision” and “Smokey”, where catchy riffs
and a flurry of guitars and organ abound. “Traveler’s Moon”, the lengthiest track,
is a solid rocker while “Tuning Tree” and “Moss” put the band’s gentler side on
display—they’re absolute beauties that are highlights of this record for me. The
bass-driven “Lizard Brain” is fuzzy and hypnotic with its infectious chorus. The
percussion-heavy “Other Planets” has an epic feel to it and “Flower of Salt”
with its dreamlike quality is the perfect closer for this outstanding LP. EC4—which sounds like the name of a
drug—is actually a sonic drug; once you listen to it, you’ll crave it again and
again. We should all be thankful that Electric Citizen are back and still
making awesome music—maybe their best LP yet—and the clear album of the month
for me. Let’s just hope that they don’t vanish for so long next time and that
they stick around for many years to come.
Heavy Psych sounds Records’ Bandcamp Page for Electric Citizen
And there you have it, folks! That’s the May issue of the Harbinger’s Killer Picks. I’ll be taking some time off next month so there won’t be an issue of HKP in June. If all goes well, however, I’ll have a sci-fi short story out sometime in July on Kindle as my alter ego Alan Draven. And the Harbinger’s Killer Picks will return for the July issue on July 26th. Until then, stay safe, enjoy summer, and crank up the tunes!
