Tag Archives: Metal Zenith

Olathia is a four-piece Power/Thrash Metal band from Cleveland, Ohio. They add in Melodic and Traditional Metal with hints of Progressive Metal to craft a sound that is expansive and complex. They also like a challenge as you will notice from the cover song on the album, “Hall Of The Mountain King” by Savatage. This female-fronted band will blow you away with the sheer force of the music they write. Their bold choice for a cover track from 1987 by one of the (in my opinion) most underrated bands in Metal shows they are not afraid to push boundaries and test their abilities, an attribute I appreciate in a Metal band.

Weightless World is a Progressive Metal band from Finland formed in 2011. Heavy on the Progressive end of the Metal spectrum, they bring in elements of Power and Metalcore and even edge pretty close to Speed Metal at times. They use clean and harsh vocals, mixed in with the backing vocals to create a larger-than-life set of voices capable of taking their songs to a new level.

Noturnall is a Brazilian Power Metal band that has been around for a decade now and has achieved international fame through relentless touring and creating some EPIC music. Guest performers include Michael Romeo, Mike Portnoy, and Ney Matogrosso just to name a few. With guitar work rivaling DragonForce and a rhythm section that is second to none, the vocals round out a dynamic sound built for speed and rooted in accurate, aggressive compositions. It’s no wonder world-class musicians are joining them on their musical journey.

Svartanatt is a Swedish rock band formed in 2014. With melodic guitars, heavy organs, high-energy drums, groovy basslines, and unique sharp vocals, Svartanatt creates its timeless rock sound. The band’s third album was released by The Sign Records in 2023. Almost a decade of rocking has allowed this band to find an identity and build a body of work that is as recognizable as it is catchy. Most of the songs are the perfect length for radio play, and being based in Europe likely allows them to get airplay. Too bad American radio is so limited in what they will play. These songs would fit right in with today’s Modern and Classic Rock.

Houston, Texas-based Distartica is a Power Trio with the drummer as the lead vocalist. Interesting trivia; he’s blind and rocks harder than you. Never one’s to shy away from difficult topics, they cover current events, various controversies, and mortality in their lyrics, making sure to address topics that are sure to get a reaction and make the listener think. In Silence They Scream is their sophomore effort, following 2017’s notable debut, In Flames We Rise. After more than a decade of honing their craft, you will hear clear, concise music and complex, coherent lyrics that are sure to catch your ear and get fully embedded in your brain.

Blazoner is a three-piece band hailing from Fredericksburg, Virginia. One thing that is immediately noticeable is that all three members provide vocals, putting them in a category not often used; vocal Power Trio. This allows for some very interesting voice usage, including harmonic and dissonant themes where they use cleans to offset grit and distortion. Blazoner weaves through many styles and genres, including, but not limited to, Doom, Heavy, Thrash, and Melodic Metal. Heavy riffing is bolstered with equally heavy rhythms that wrap around the electrifying vocals to create a sonic wave that will wash over you and leave you waiting for the next wave to bring another crash of audible heaviness.

Receiver is Classic Metal mixed with NWOBHM and some Power/Progressive Metal. Formed in 2011 in Nicosia, Cyprus, they harken back to a different era. Theirs is an international offering, sounding as if they have been influenced by music from multiple decades and locales. Receiver features soaring clean vocals backed by sterling guitar melodies. Perhaps the real beauty of Whispers of Lore is Receiver’s uncanny ability to seamlessly underpin progressive rock and the sounds of NWOBHM. The rhythms are stunning and the overall compositional quality is what you would expect from a band that has been tirelessly working for over a decade to craft their signature sound. Dealing with weighty topics lyrically, they round out the album with words as complex and meaningful as the music.

Stockholm, Sweden-based Ignited is a multi-national four-piece band formed in 2017. Cradle Of The Wicked is their sophomore album and a follow-up to the critically acclaimed Steelbound. The band was born in Brazil and has since relocated. Featuring two Brazilians, one Londoner, and a Swede, there is a diversity to their lineup that is reflected in their sound as well. Their music has elements of Bay Area thrash, NWOBHM, Classic Heavy Metal, and some Power Metal all fused into one excellent blend of heaviness with a distinct tone.

Founded in 2017, Darkness Is My Canvas calls Helsinki, Finland home. DIMC is a Rock band that weaves in and around many additional styles, including Progressive, Alternative, and Modern Rock. With three of the members performing vocal parts, the is a lot of range to the delivery of the lyrics. Sometimes the voice is muted, sounding far away and almost haunted, other times you get an almost angry distortion to the voice. This gives the album a wide array of tones and textures, letting each song stand on its’ own merits. Added keyboards influence the sound, harkening back to the early 80s in some cases. If you are a fan of the arena rock era, you will likely love this album.

Razed Ritual is a Thrash/Death Metal band from Washington state that adds elements of Groove Metal and Metalcore to round out a unique sound. Formed in 2008, they apparently took a break after releasing a demo, only to re-emerge in 2023 with a brutal debut full-length album, Detrimentum. Nine tracks that vary from heavy as hell to freaking brutal is what you get from this outfit. This is not for the faint of heart, don’t come here expecting to get something that will soothe your soul and give you chill vibes. By the end of this disc, you’ll be breathless and have a very sore neck. Don’t say you weren’t warned.