Warrel Dane, Fifth Angel + More

All types of rock and metal are being released today, his are some standouts.

Warrel Dane – Shadow Work

I have to admit, I’m late to the party as far as Warrel is concerned. It wasn’t until The Obsidian Conspiracy by Nevermore and The Year The Sun Died by Sanctuary that I got it. I just didn’t get his voice, but I went into the Nevermore album with an open mind, and it completely changed my appreciation for him.

Warrel died in December of 2017 while recording Shadow Work. The album was being recorded in Brazil, with a band of musicians that had backed him up a few years before on a Brazilian tour. He struck up a relationship with the band and decided to make the album with them.

The band recorded 80 minutes worth of music, but Warrel never completed his vocal tracks. So what you’ll find on the album is 40 minutes worth of material that culls together vocals Warrel had completed and recorded in the studio, demoed, or were part of pre-production of the album.

Will be interesting if the last 40 minutes is ever released akin to the Snot tribute album Straight Up which features material that would have been used on a Snot album had Lynn Strait not of been killed in a car accident.

Fifth Angel – The Third Secret

Fifth Angel is probably best known for having their song “Midnight Love” used as the theme song for Howard Stern’s cable TV show.  They disbanded several decades ago, with their drummer Ken Mary being the name you may recognize the most, going to play for Alice Cooper, House Of Lords, Impellitteri, Chastain, Accept, and most recently Flotsam And Jetsam among others.

The lineup is slightly different from what it was when they broke up, this incarnation has Mary, Kendall Bechtell on guitars and vocals, bassist John Macko, and Ed Archer, they’re all players that were in the band at one point or another.  The band’s DNA is all over this album, mixed with a healthy serving of modern production, and will most likely please the majority of the fans that have been clamoring for the release for decades.

Icarus Witch – Goodbye Cruel World

The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania band came to my attention when they backed Paul Di’Anno on a US tour. The legendary Maiden singer chooses the band with good reason, as they are beyond talented.

Metal Hammer pegged them as the founding members of the New Wave Of Traditional Heavy Metal (NWOTHM).  The album is full of a mix of 80s metal with a modern feel, mixing the best parts of old-school metal with the new. Yet another reason why it burns me is that people think no new music is any good. If you’re into NWOBHM, bands like Armored Saint, check this album out.

Skull Fist – Way Of The Road

The Canadian band is back with their third release. They have been always known for delivering a classic heavy metal sound, and have often been compared to bands like White Wizzard, Holy Grail, Enforcer, and Cauldron (among others), another band that is leading the charge in what is labeled NWOTHM. If you’re into any of the bands mentioned above, or bands like Maiden, Priest, Helloween, Praying Mantis, etc. this might be worth your wild checking out.

Bloodbath – The Arrow Of Satan Is Drawn

You could easily call the band a supergroup given the fact that they’re made up of members of Paradise Lost, Katatonia, Opeth, and Craft in this incarnation of the band. This marks their first release in four years, and when on point, there are very few Death Metal bands that can compare.

The band has always had a revolving lineup, but it is the first time a singer has worked with them on two consecutive albums, that distinction goes to Nick Holmes of Paradise Lost. The project has always drawn in some of Death Metal’s most elite musicians, and their albums are held in such high regard as a result. Check this out if you’re into old-school Death Metal.

Other releases that may interest you.

Chevelle – 12 Bloody Spies: B-Sides and Rarities

KMFDM – Live In The USSA

Hate Eternal – Upon Desolate Sands

Sirenia – Arcane Astral Aeons

The Browning – Geist

Rob Lamothe – And the River Reveals Herself

The Blue Stones – Black Holes

Iron Lamb – Blue Haze

Article by Victor M. Ruiz of Mars Attacks Radio & Podcast, and Galaxy Of Geeks Podcast.  Connect with him on Twitter:  @vmr907