Unisonic - For The Kingdom (EP)

The boys of Unisonic know their way around some classic heavy tunes, you betcha.You may remember the impressive eponymous debut of supergroup Unisonic, boasting Helloween vets Michael Kiske and Kai Hansen, as well as members of such illustrious rock bands as Pink Cream 69 and Krokus. Rags was pretty geeked, and why not? There's a palpable chemistry between Mike and Kai that, backed by this formidable rhythym section, makes for some amazing metal music brimming with energy and pyrotechnics.

You can feel the fun these guys are having, imagining Kai with a big grin on his face as he whips out tasty licks from his ESP Flying V, and I defy you to keep your head still while listening to this EP. This seems to be the new norm where bands often are putting out EPs in between full length LPs to keep the fans involved while also keeping their creative juices flowing and waiting for schedules to align. The two new tracks, For The Kingdom (from their upcoming sophomore album) and You Come Undone are accompanied by four live tracks, Unisonic, Never Too Late, Star Rider and Souls Alive (recorded at the Masters of Rock 2012 festival).

The Bottom Line: This is classic hard rock/heavy metal from a group of guys that have decades of experience and enormous talent. If you're a fan of such classic heavy tunes, you pretty much can't go wrong with Unisonic. 'Nuff said.

- Genghis was throwing horns up left and right listening to this...

Dust Bolt - Awake The Riot

This thrash album rocks hard. And they even have a kick-ass old school, apocalyptic, album cover. Nice.Heilige scheiße! Bavarian thrash masters, Dust Bolt (even their name is classic bad-assery) are back to kick your ass all up and down the straße with their second album, Awake The Riot. I'm pretty sure you have to scream that title whenever you read it for the full effect.

As the site's thrash metal fan in residence, my standards are deceptively simple: it has to rock. No bullshit, no fancy tricks, just hit me with that one of a kind intensity that only thrash can deliver. And the lads do just that. For a young quartet that's only been putting out product since 2010, Dust Bolt's music - like fellow neo-thrashers, Havok - follows the old school "if it ain't broke - we're gonna break that motherfucker now" philosophy in the path of the original masters of the genre: high octane, balls to the wall, metal from start to finish. There's some pretty furious riffage here and if you don't build up a sweat air guitaring to this, you're just not trying.

The Bottom Line: This is classic metal worthy of the Bay Area masters who started the subgenre. This bodes well for the future, with the new guys not just carrying the thrash metal torch, they're lighting a rocket with it and riding that bitch into the sun.

Tracks Likely To Cause An Increase In Your Insurance Rates: The whole damn album

- Genghis needs to do some live moshing...

Gloryful - Ocean Blade

Belgian artist Kris Verwimp rocked an old school cover for Gloryful worthy of the best of the genre. Nice rack, Sedna!We at The Right To Rock are not shy about our love for the classic metal sounds of NWoBHM bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Apparently, German metallers Gloryful feel similarly, as evidenced on their excellent sophomore release Ocean Blade. 

Continuing the tale of the Inuit sea goddess Sedna (as depicted on the cover thanks to Belgian artist Kris Verwimp) that was started with their 2010 debut EP Sedna's Revenge, the lads have made a fine concept album in the mold of their influences with all of the bells and whistles you'd expect from the form; moody ocean soundscapes, majestic harmonized guitars, soulful wailing, and even a sea shanty for good measure. It's all here and it's as good as anything in the genre. Singer Johnny la Bomba knows his way around a chorus, and his powerful voice works well even in the lighter moments, as on the aforementioned Black Legacy, where his slight rasp lends authenticity to the tale of a weary sailor bemoaning his fate. But such an album is all about the guitars, and Gloryful has this covered. Shredmaster J.B. (Jens Basten) has a career going back over 20 years and it shows in his tasteful solos which have well-balanced aspects of shred and soul.

My only one complaint would be the production, which got a little muddy at times. I say this in comparison to Savatage's take on the concept, 1997's The Wake of Magellan. Things seemed a little closed in on this album, giving the feeling that there wasn't enough space for the music. Again, it's just a minor concern, and possibly just my issue involving my stereo's settings.

The Bottom Line: If you're hankering for some old school, European heavy metal with all the trimmings, check out Gloryful's Ocean Blade. Its tale of a doomed crew on a suicide mission to stop a murderous wraith hell-bent on revenge is told in classic NWoBHM style. What this music may lack in innovation is more than made up for with heart and confidence - something newer bands should keep in mind.

- Genghis wants to watch Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of The Black Pearl now...

Battleaxe - Heavy Metal Sanctuary

Can you really mention battleaxes and NOT have a bearded guy in a horned helmet nearby?Oh man, I love it when a band comes along like they stepped out of a time portal from the 80s. And in the case of Battleaxe (formed in 1979), they basically did just that. Having put out their last full studio album 30 years ago they certainly have the pedigree of an English heavy metal band from the greatest decade of heavy metal ever.

Right off the bat - vocalist Dave King, sounding like a cross between Udo Dirkschneider, Rob Halford and Brian Johnson - sets the tone with the title track, Heavy Metal Sanctuary. From there, the tunes come at you rapid-fire, awash in the familiar lyrical content of the military industrial complex and rebellion. It's not gonna break any molds or break new ground, but some stuff should be left for thems that wants it. Battleaxe is just here to crank some metal. This is what Rags often refers to as meat-and-potatoes metal, and it's nothing to sneeze at.

This is the kind of stuff modern metal was built on, and these lads are champions of an era not forgotten. Now, there's the occasional tune, like Hail To The King, whose opening riff sounds very familiar (Dio's Stand Up And Shout comes to mind), but I think it's really more of a case of music sort of coming full circle than any kind of rip-off. Either way, there's a conviction here amongst the riffage that can't be denied, and it's great to see bands from bygone days still putting out good material. This is just the kind of band where people generally split into one of two camps: those that think this is all just treading the same water, and those that fondly remember a legendarty era in metal. Which one do you fall in?

The Bottom Line: This band is flying the flag of classic 80s-era metal, something they know a lot about, and fans of that sound should find much to like in this no-frills approach. Check out Battleaxe and know why Britain will always be known as the birthplace of metal!

- Genghis needs a nice left-handed Gibson SG and a Marshall stack...

Xandria - Sacrificium

Xandria's latest cover seems to say "Somebody run an' tell Mordechai there's another one o' them dadburn firebirds in the cathedral again!"There are times when I just can't listen to symphonic metal, and then there are times where I can't seem to get enough of it. Where that line divides the two sentiments I have no idea. But it must lie somewhere in how the symphonic elements blend with the metal aspect of the music. You can't just come into the metal studio with your keyboard loaded up with a "maximum strings" patch. Authenticity plays a huge part in how the music will be received; either it will sound majestic or cheesy, and the difference is all too critical to success.

Luckily there's no problem with Xandria's arrangements. Taking a cue from other successful genre bands like Nightwish, the proven formula of female lead vocalist, epic keyboards, and (best of all) some very tasty, dirty guitar for just the right amount of heaviness as if to say "hey, don't forget we're a metal band!"

With their sixth studio album Sacrificium, and the recent addition of vocalist Dianne van Giersbergen, Xandria is clearly bucking for the lead position in the symphonic metal genre. From the pretty epic opening title track, clocking in at a little over ten minutes, the band sets the tone. They're here to rock and they're not screwing around, that much is clear. And even when things mellow out for a moment, the stillness is threatened with a contained fury. You always have the feeling that big heavy riffs are being held in check like wargs in Saruman's pit, waiting to be let loose and lay waste to everything in sight. That's where Xandria really excels. The epicness can only be held back for so long, and when it gets released, it's...well, epic. Genre fans should definitely pick this up if they haven't already.

The Bottom Line: German symphonic metallers Xandria are poised to take on the current king of the hill, Nightwish, with furious guitars and majestic keyboards all held together by the confident, powerful soprano of Dianne van Giersbergen. Go get 'em.

Tracks To Make You Consider Getting A Velvet Waistcoat: Sacrificium, The Undiscovered Land and Little Red Relish

- Genghis can not do justice to vests...