Greetings metalheads! It’s the last
Saturday of May so it’s time for the Harbinger’s Killer Picks. Another month of
slim pickings but I was able to come up with five albums worthy of your
attention, time, and money. So, without further ado, here are the Killer Picks
for the month of May.
First, from Normandie, France,
prog metal trio Sins of Shadows released their third LP, The Last Frontier, on May 5th. Sins of Shadows is part
progressive metal, part power metal, resulting into a dynamic blend of heavy
metal which draws inspiration from such bands as Iron Maiden, Symphony X, and Iced
Earth. Some of my favourite tracks include the second single, “The Void”, which
opens the LP, a definite highlight with superb vocals from frontman Tasos
Lazaris; the title track follows with its melodic guitars evoking a spaceship
in flight; the first single, the radio-friendly “Tell Me Why”, one of the
catchiest songs on here and an easy choice for a single; my pick for best
track, “The End of the Road”, a strong sing-along kinda tune; and the closer, a
terrific instrumental titled “One Last Journey” which reminded me of something
taken from Joe Satriani’s classic Surfing
with the Alien LP from 1987. The Last
Frontier is a record that keeps getting better on subsequent spins. The
trio’s musical proficiency is on full display here. Sins of Shadows have
meticulously crafted a solid metal album showing that they can hang with the
best of their contemporaries.
Sins of Shadows on Bandcamp
Second, legendary Danish thrashers
Artillery entered a new era with their latest addition, lead singer Martin
Steene (vocalist of power metal band Iron Fire) on May 15th with the
release of their Made in Hell EP.
Steene replaces longstanding frontman Michael Bastholm Dahl who was in the band
for over a decade and whose last studio album with them was the excellent X (2021) as well as a splendid live
album in 2024 titled Raw Live at
Copenhell. I was a big fan of Dahl so it took me a couple of spins to
really appreciate Steene as they are very different singers. But in the end, I
believe Steene is a perfect fit for Artillery. Made in Hell is comprised of four tracks; two kick-ass new songs, “Made
in Hell” and “Ghost in the Machine”, as well as a crisp re-recorded version of “Into
the Universe” from Artillery’s 1985 debut LP, Fear of Tomorrow, as well
as an energetic live rendition of “The Almighty”, another classic also from
their first album. The result is an outstanding sampler of this new lineup.
Artillery has been plagued with tragedies in recent years so it’s great to see
the band literally coming back from hell and releasing new music. Whether you’re
a long-time fan of Artillery or have just discovered the band, Made in Hell is a glorious slice of thrash
metal that should whet fans’ appetite until they follow it up with an LP hopefully
sooner rather than later. Indeed, the future now looks much brighter for Artillery.
Artillery on Bandcamp
Third, Canadian thrash metal trio
W.M.D (When Minds Develop)—initially from Calgary, Alberta and recently relocated
to Vancouver, BC—will unleash their sophomore record, Against All Warnings, on June 5th. It’s been almost
eight years since W.M.D’s solid debut LP, Lethal
Revenge, was released in 2018 and the band has come a long way since. Musically,
the three Canucks have grown a lot and Against
All Warnings is a more polished record in every facet, from a songwriting standpoint
to musical ability. They’ve honed their collective skills and the end result is
nothing short of spectacular. Deeply rooted in classic thrash à la Megadeth,
Slayer, and Testament, singer/guitarist/producer Skyler Mills and Jon Power on
bass along with Ryan Idris on drums pack a hell of a wallop. From the opening
track, the first single “Eyes of a Killer”, sounding like vintage thrash; to
the relentless title track with its thumping bassline; to standout songs like
the catchy “Kleptomania” and the brutal “Post Human Predator”; to “The Thin Red
Line”, a great song about war; to “Already Dead”, which slows the pace down a
bit to allow us to catch our breath, featuring a tremendous guitar solo; to the
closer, the speedy “Painful Vengeance”, this record is a winner on all fronts. Against
All Warnings is chock-full of fast and furious thrash metal with breakneck
riffs galore. Remember the acronym because W.M.D is a thrashy force to be
reckoned with and is pure Canadian thrash. I’m loving this awesome thrash
revival we’ve been experiencing in recent years and W.M.D now joins the ranks
of the finest purveyors of modern thrash metal across the land.
W.M.D. on Bandcamp
Fourth, Swedish rockers Gin Lady will give fans a taste of what it’s like to hear them perform live with the release of Toads and Diamonds - Volume I: Live in Spain via the mighty Ripple Music label on June 19th. The LP’s title foreshadows that a second live album will surface in the near future, most likely from a different venue. Toads and Diamonds is a follow-up to last year’s outstanding Before the Dawn of Time and is the band’s first live album. As was the case with their previous LP, this 42-minute set showcases the band’s musical versatility playing songs in the realm of classic rock, psychedelic rock, and even folk rock. The quintet is in rare form and this concert features a stirring performance that feels like a doorway through time to the ‘60s and ‘70s with just enough modern flourishes to remind us that it’s taking place in present day. The show opens with the easy-going “Call the Nation” from the 2016 album of the same name; it’s followed by gorgeous renditions of “Mighty River” and “Tingens sanna natur”, both from Before the Dawn of Time; then we’re treated to two catchy songs with sing-along choruses, “I'm Your Friend” and “Flower People”, from 2017’s Electric Earth; then it’s “Far Beyond the Sun”, which is a new song as far as I’m aware, and it’s a highlight of the set for me which could have easily come from the same session as Before the Dawn; “Brothers of the Canyon”, another tune from Electric Earth, closes the set in grand psychedelic fashion, a fitting way to cap things off, evoking images of sunny California. Gin Lady wears its musical inspirations on its sleeve and Toads and Diamonds is a whimsical live record full of warm tones providing sunshine on cloudy or rainy days. Aficionados and newcomers to the band alike are guaranteed a dreamy and memorable experience with this wonderful LP.
Ripple Music's page for Gin Lady on Bandcamp
Fifth, German rock rebels
Rauhbein will release their fourth album, Rebellen
& Helden, on July 3rd via the Perception division of the
Reigning Phoenix Music label. Led by energetic frontman Henry, the prolific
group has been churning out LP after LP since 2021. This latest release (Rebels & Heroes in English) is almost
entirely sung in German and is a ton of fun. Some of the highlights for me
include the catchy opener, “Rausch” (“Intoxication” in English) with its pop
sensibilities; the lead single, “Mein Kaff” (“My Podunk Town”), one of the best
tracks on here with a fun English chorus to sing along to; “Alle” (“Everyone”)
with its head-bobbing riff gives the listener nothing but a good time; “Vagabund”
(“Vagabond”), my personal favourite, and while I don’t understand its lyrics,
it sounds like it could easily be a fun drinking song; and “Wie Wir” (“Like
Us”) is another great sing along, fist-in-the-air kind of tune. With a brisk
runtime of 32 minutes and change, Rebellen
& Helden is a party LP from beginning to end. Fun is the operative word
here and Rauhbein delivers a straightforward, powerful collection of hard rock
tunes that are short and sweet. So, grab a six-pack or a tall mug overflowing
with beer, sit back, and get ready for a grand old time with Rebellen & Helden.
Reigning Phoenix Music’s page for Rauhbein
And that’s this month’s picks! I’ll be taking June off as far as the Harbinger’s Killer Picks is concerned, but I’ll pop up with a special review during the weekend of June 6th so keep an eye out for that. After that, I’ll be posting my mid-year Top Ten on June 27th. Yep, we’re rapidly approaching the halfway mark to the year 2026, it’s really flying by! Until then, enjoy the warm weather and crank up the tunes!
