The Sign Records presents Gothenburg 3 piece power metal band Askvader’s new self titled release – translation, ‘Thunderstorm’, out on March 13th, 2020. Thunderstorms are exactly what Askvader bring, in the metallic sense, with blues edge and complex melodies. The resulting sound screams ‘old school’, to the bone.

Inspired by The Hellacopters and Turbonegro, etc, Askvader bring the classic vibe up-to-date, with a New Wave slant. Authentic, with a live atmosphere, they’re engaging and contagious.

Sporting a wide repertoire of range, ‘Askvader’ is soon to be available, on CD, vinyl and digitally.

Thunderstorm – Straight into a well flowing power melody, though the vocals are gentler than is traditional for this style. Very funky guitar licks! Instantly, easy, effortless vibe. Definitely catchy and upbeat. Brief, but flawless performance, closing with an aptly placed thunderstorm.

Cutting Corners – Opening on a warm, enveloping, strummed chord. Fast-paced, delivered with aplomb and natural cohesion. Not quite as forceful as might be expected, but it gels well and keeps its momentum. Somehow, the anticipated spark of excitement isn’t quite there, but again, the execution’s faultless.

God’s Grace – Stronger vocal intro, though that voice sounds more alt/soft rock, than power metal. Everything’s on time, retaining a decent rhythm. It’s a fairly catchy melody, with various well-balanced highs and lows. Its greatest strength is its warmth and the closing vocal works better. Not quite a power scream, but getting there.

Nothing To Lose – Better, stronger intro there! Carrying much more force and though there’s still a vague country blues/folk thread, there’s definitely a more powerful feel to the whole thing and the quick pace is well matched to the song’s style. This exudes confidence and comfort. Bringing it up and down impressively, it’s clearly cohesive, with stronger chemistry and an altogether stronger atmosphere. Good performance.

Give In – Opening with an intensely bluesy riff and very fitting vocals! Changing down a gear, this is filled with feeling. In fact, there’s real standout track material here. Loving those velvet riffs and this is where the riffs and vocals blend, seamlessly, like intertwined melted chocolate. It really gets into its stride now. Fading out beautifully, on a soft, plush, red carpet of riffs.

Bit My Lip – Gradually coming in, through a background cacophony, shifting the gears back up again, to a far rockier sound. Quickened rhythms lead the way. Another catchy one, with a lot going for it. The whole essence of this is much more speed based, even with the softer vocals.

Devil’s Feast – Hard-hitting drum intro. That’s the way to lead in to a strong track. Here, there’s a mixture of bluesy, jazzy, rocky sounds. Always highly rhythmic, with an accessible pace. Some great riffs in there and equally great drumbeats. Nice lazy section in the middle, breaking it down tastefully, till the end. Laid-back, with a catchy vibe.

Elysium – Another well started drum intro. Taking it into a fast-paced number, with more of those velveteen blues sounds, with a jazzy edge, surrounded by a rock outline. Infectious melodies, impossible to avoid getting pulled into. Brilliantly delivered intricate riffs, around the mid-section. Reaching a rapid climax and ending with precision timing. Abrupt, but energising finish.

Defeat – Gorgeous complex opening riff, with just an edge of Latino style. A steadier number, with an immediate rhythm, easily involving. Drums hitting just the right tempo, with the riffs hitting their peak in the middle. Vocals and accompaniments fit together perfectly here and it’s a great balance of textures and melodies.

The Miser – Once more, the drums lead the way, taking it straight into a fast-paced energy. Riffage fitting the style and tone well. Speed serving this track best. Skidding around the imaginary racetrack, at a fun speed. Yes, those vocals may be unusually gentle, but they handle these songs so deftly, finding no challenge insurmountable. Steering into the closing skid, with perfect timing.

Overall – ‘Askvader’ may have taken a little while to get into its stride, but once it did, it was well worth the wait. Completely flawless performance, throughout, with the energy increasing, with each track. Yes, the vocals are notably gentler than standard power vocals, but they handle every track, skilfully and melodically, proving the passion within. Undeniably catchy and impressively versatile.

9/10 *********

For fans of Blue Oyster Cult, The Kooks, Sade, Santana, Purson, The Answer.

https://linktr.ee/askvaderband

New single release ‘Polaris’, from Norwich-based metal band Hedra is based on a combination of sci-fi and socio-political scientific concepts. Incorporating notions around future lives of those who lived before, it explores issues such as the conflict and co-relation between good and evil and the parallel position of each, social and political accountability, evolving, from there, to links with planetary and elemental musings, leading to the philosophical implications of such complex matters.

Polaris – Great powerful down tuned riff intro, crushing steel force, in a KLOGR-esque way. Climbing darkness, within hopeful atmospherics. Inside this, there’s light, struggling through darkened surroundings. Quite a heavy mood, delivered through an 80’s lens. A palpable dense depression pervades it, yet the lighter sound’s always audible, fighting through the blackness. Well produced. Lyrically, transparent. Very riff heavy, with a slight Kyrbgrinder essence. Changing down a gear, briefly, 3/4 in, before taking it back up again, for the upper crescendo, leading to the gentler finale, fading out gradually. A fairly bleak track, shot through with lightness of touch and a general sense of worldly overwhelm. Carefully structured slide riffs inter-played with the plucky, rain effect riffage adds to its plausibility. A clear change of direction from their earlier work, ‘Polaris’ shows Hedra in a more sophisticated, contemplative light.

8/10 ********

For fans of KLOGR, Kyrbgrinder, Oceanica, Dark Ocean Society, Latitudes, SAEPHE, Black Income.

http://www.facebook.com/hedrametalband
http://www.reverbnation.com/hedrametal

Titan Killer are a 5 piece heavy power metal band, from Austria. They now present their 9 track self titled album.

Intro – Intriguingly quiescent intro, with a familiarly metallic rumble in the distance. Soon emerging into a classic power metal sound.

Quick To The Top – Immediate, traditionally power metal, with easy, effortless vocals. Good anthemic backing section. Nice bit of electrified riffage. Okay, so it doesn’t fill me with excitement, but still, it’s very competent and pleasurable. This should work well for fellow Farseer fans. It’s well performed, via a seamless delivery. Just missing the extra spark, so far.

Lethal Strike – Definitely a livelier intro there, very Ozzy-esque, echoing ‘Over The Mountains’ and clearly more of an upbeat melodic thread to this. Riffs picking up the pace, an unmistakably catchier flavour and this is more convincingly power metal. Vocals rising, enthusiastically sung, just as the drums are played with more enthusiasm. Better outro, but just slightly rushed, ending a tad early.

Infuse – Drums opening, with an instantly catchy chasing action pace. This works and the vocals flow. Good use of call and response sections. Now it’s heating up well. Here, the riffs take centre stage, around the mid-section, giving it more energy and it pays off. Great timing, artfully conveyed, with heaps of melody. Slight Fury UK echoes in there and getting lighter and more uplifting, as it progresses. Definitely a standout track.

Tomb Of The Unknown – Well delivered intro. Confident, smooth, vibrant and catchy. Here’s where the real catch hits. Well-placed melodic riffs, forming the basis of what may be standard power fayre, but has now evolved to memorable stakes. It has to be said, this album may have been a slow burner, initially, but it’s gathering pace and momentum, with each track.

Rockin’ Until Collapse – Strong riffs and drum heavy intro. Almost verging on tribal rhythms. Vocally, it’s Ozzy-esque again, with some aptly placed backing vocals, adding that necessary shade of aggression. Creatively structured riffage, bringing a groove to the track. Rapid close, just as it hits it peak.

Fatebringer – More of an early rock groove to that intro. Segueing into a successful speed section. Vocals hocking you in, straight away. Very anthemic, generally, with quite a strong classic vibe. Growing catchier and more melodic, as it continues. Undeniably infectious. Even a clever quick bit of stop-start stuff, just before and right at the end. It’s got a very familiar sense to it and it just works.

Titan Killer – Instant fast-paced speed intro. Just an insanely good melody, riven with hooks and precision timing. Its closest approximation is probably a sped up version of Motorhead’s ‘Overkill’, mixed with a variety of modern speed metal tracks.

Knockout – Straight into another intro echoing Ozzy’s ‘Essential Collection’ era, blending old school classic with new wave sounds. Brilliantly paced and perfectly placed, as the closer. Ace twiddly riffage in there and some lively drum hits, delivered at a great catchy pace. Faultless rhythms and ending on contagiously timeless ‘whoa whoa’ lyrics).

Overall – ‘Titan Killer’ may start off as a bit of a slow burner, but stay with it, as it really picks up after the first couple of tracks, gathering steam, till the end. Track 3 onwards is where the real heat of passion lies, showcasing enthused power and vibrant speed. Melodically vivid, it’s an album of gradually evolving surprises.

8/10 ********

For fans of Farseer, Powervice, Motorhead, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne’s solo material, NWOBHM.

https://www.facebook.com/TitanKillerOfficial/
https://www.instagram.com/titankillerofficial/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4F069GXM78qMCPh7txiUFr
https://tidal.com/browse/artist/17458546
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/titan-killer/1488664025

© Markus Wetzlmayr / @wetphoto / http://www.wet-photo.at
NO USE WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION // KEINE VERWENDUNG OHNE VORHERIGE SCHRIFTLICHE ERLAUBNIS.