How do they do it? I wasn’t sure they could top their 2009 Hell Blade release, but I believe they have now. The album does not stray far from their sound, but has a slightly more beefed-up feel. The riffs are heavy as always, but the guitar tone seems more full, giving everything a heavier punch throughout. With a release this full of solid tracks, it is hard to pinpoint any as being real stand-out cuts, but if pressed, I am drawn to songs like “Let it Rock” (check out the breakdown and style changes here), and “Judgment Day” (just so grindingly heavy). While Josh does an amazing job on vocals as always, we are introduced to the band’s new singer, Brian Phyll Miller, who takes over on just one track, the title track. With a slightly more smooth/melodic sound to his style (at least on the one track here), it is not too radically different from Josh’s, and so we’ll have to see what he has in him when he hear him on a full release.
Features
Atreyu's Baptism
At their core, Atreyu is a hard rock band with metal riffs and pop choruses. Now, after more than 20 years, the band has stepped boldly into their next chapter with a change in lineup and an album that proves the lifeblood of Atreyu is stronger than ever.
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Alphaville’s Metal Renaissance
With influences that span Miles Davis and Stravinsky to Geddy Lee and Les Claypool, jazz metal force Imperial Triumphant is the epitome of genre-bending. HM contributing writer Andrew Voigt spoke with the band about their unique style, the massive bass presence in their music, and the rise and fall of civilization.
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Heaven's Metal
When rock emerged from blues and 'heavy metal' began to surface, faith-based metal acts also rose to start their own journeys. Initially shunned by both believers and non-believers, they were fighting for their spot at the table, ultimately building a legacy that would go on to change the genre forever. HM presents an oral history of the beginning of Christian metal music, featuring Guardian, Tourniquet, Holy Soldier, Whitecross, and, of course, Stryper.
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Five Death Metal Bands You Need to Know Now
Death metal is no longer strictly a one-kind-of-sound genre but a cloud under which many elements have formed. We have assembled five must-hear death metal acts you should be listening to now, each distinctly set apart from another in form, yet still brethren in the death metal community.
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