Primal Fear
Here are some of the new hard rock/metal releases that are being released today.
Enuff Z’Nuff – Diamond Boy
A lot of us became acquainted with Enuff Z’Nuff, thanks to songs like “New Thing” and “Fly High Michelle” being on MTV. They were also darlings of the Howard Stern Show for a while and appeared on there from time to time.
The band has had its ups and downs, its member changes, but here and now they’re focused around Chip Z’nuff, who is the one mainstay throughout the band’s history. He started out on bass, and spent time in bands like Missing Persons, but is now refocused on his band, becoming the lead singer, and handling the production on Diamond Boy.
This is the Chicagoland band’s 14th studio album, their first since 2016’s Clowns Lounge.
Massive Wagons – Under No Illusion
There has been quite a buzz these past few months leading up to the released of Under No Illusion. The British press has especially been making a lot of noise about the Lancaster, England band. Musically they sound like an amalgam of a bunch of 70s bands, like AC/DC, or Free, as well as 80s bands like Thunder and Gun, with lead singer channeling all kinds of vocalists, including a young Vince Neil when hitting some of his high notes. One of those bands that you listen to and say “oh man, had they come out back then…”, yeah they probably would have been huge.
Night Demon – Live Darkness
When people talk about there no longer be any “new” bands worth checking out, I often ask, “have you heard of Night Demon?” I’ve usually been thanked by those people shortly thereafter checking out the band, and being hooked. Look, the band isn’t doing anything new, but they’re repackaging what they’re taking from their influences, and making it their own.
Presenting great heavy metal riffs, with some great catchy melodies. The three-piece is doing what a lot of four and five-piece bands have not been able to do when trying to channel the NWOBHM band, and that does it their own way without just being schlocky or flat out clones. This new album was recorded live on December 2nd, 2017, at Cleveland’s Beachland Ballroom, and brings forth the best of their two full-lengths, and previous EPs.
Primal Fear – Apocalypse
One of the bands that have always been pinpointed as the forerunners of the power metal genre. Put them into whatever metal subgenre you want, it is pretty obvious why the band has been around for so long. Apocalypse is the band’s twelfth studio album, taking a page from the past, while keeping it modern, helping attract fans old and new.
The band is heavily influenced by Judas Priest, as a lot of people know, their lead singer, Ralf Scheepers tried out for the band’s vacant vocal position when Rob Halford left the band in the 90s. One could wonder if Firepower influenced them at all, given the bite of some of the tracks I’ve heard off of the album.
Sinsaenum – Repulsion For Humanity
The death metal band co-founded by former Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison, and DragonForce’s Frédéric Leclercq is back with their second album. Trve metal fans be damned, they don’t care if you think either of the current or previous projects are underground enough for you or not.
They’re just trying to deliver the kind of death metal they love. Let’s be honest, it isn’t as if they’ve put this project together to get on some big Hollywood soundtrack or be featured in a commercial, or tv show. This is a passion project for them, and they’re trying to spread their own brand of old-school death metal whether the usual snobs get it or not. Chances are most that shun the album will do so without even listening, for fear it may ruin their metal cred.
Here are some other releases that may interested you:
Airrace – Untold Stories
The Spirit – Sounds From The Vortex
Van Canto – Trust In Rust
Witchfyre – Grimorium Verum
Article by Victor M. Ruiz of Mars Attacks Radio & Podcast, and Galaxy Of Geeks Podcast. Connect with him on Twitter: @vmr907
