It’s their third year as a label and so far I discovered every year bands I really love and find out that this compilation is indeed bringing out the best coming from this label. I also found out that this year some of the tracks are even dating from 2020, but hey: it’s the perfect promotion for all these bands!
Oceanhorse – Pryopen: brings us melodic and punk minded metal from Finland. The song is rocking hard but has a break so that you can catch some breath and the guitar player gets some time to show off. I also like the vocals as clean singing or screaming goes along as if it’s just like counting to 3.
Rise To Fall – Virgin Land reminds me from the start of Amon Amarth butwith a singer that sings a bit faster. The tempo is really high!
Beneath My Feet – Caught In a Hurricane starts with an industrial touch and reminds me of the better industrial metal bands from the past. The tempo is speeded up with rambling bass and sharp guitars. I like the clean vocals. It’s a really nice discovery for me!
Voidfallen – Sinners starts with hard and fast hitting drums whilst the singer screams as hard and fast as he can! Melodic death metal is a good description for this song!
Winterhorde – The Greatest Plague of Earth: Israeli melodic extreme metal! The tempo is almost killing me as it’s so high! I can’t understand how the drummer can keep it up. On the other hand the clean vocals are nice. I feel I could review an album from them as the balance between speeded up parts and more melodic elements are well worked out!
Swansong – Winter Maiden has an acoustic touch mixed with a heavy metal part. All in all it’s a great mix of different styles!
Gomorra feat. Laure Guldemond (Burning Witches) - Stand United presents us an excellent duet. I hope to see them one day together on stage and enjoy this great track!
Feelingless (‘Bjorn “Speed” Strid, Lawrence Dinimarca, Soilwork) – Feelingless is a hard hitting track and has been launched for a good cause (animal protection).
Dawn Of Solace – Flames Of Perdition. This is what I wrote about it in my review: “The title track Flames Of Perdition starts gently with a piano followed by a very melancholic voice. This is the kind of song that gets into your head. Dive into the darkness and loose yourself! It’s a masterpiece! The end is a real blast!”
Review: SNOOZECONTROL - Dawn of Solace - Flames of Perdition (Noble Demon)
Night Crowned – Shackled (English Version Fjättrad): the vocals are so sharp I even didn’t notice it’s actually sung in English. This one reminds me strongly of the younger version of Cradle of Filth (except the vocals don’t go that high/sharp and the music is more melodic).
Zornheym - Dead Silence: brings in more black metal at a high tempo with a deep bass and vocals I can dig. It’s not my cup of tea, but I can listen to it until the end without getting annoyed.
Repentance - Down In The Water: delivers with hammering drums, roaring guitars and vocals that scream, grunt and can also hand out clean vocals. I can feel the power and the reality of the anger!
Begat The Nephilim – The Grand Procession Part II: starts in a poppy way despite the weird high pitched screaming until the drums make it all explode and changes it into a black death metal track.
The Vice – A Barren State: sounds nice but it’s hard to classify it as the song is in a constant evolution as if it’s trying out every 20 seconds a new direction. The vocals sound aggressive and very much powered up!
Red Moon Architect – My Beloved. This is what I wrote in my review about it:
“My Beloved and is waving out the darkness and embracing the light. The song sounds as sweet as the lyrics and that is a great thing!” Ville Rutanen and Anni Valkonen sound like the perfect doom metal duo! It’s also one of the best tracks on this one (next to the one fromNeonfly, Mercury Circle & Jaded Star).
SNOOZECONTROL - Interview with Red Moon Architect about their new album!
Gomorra – War Of Control: has a nice retro guitar touch and fired up backings! Feel the energy and feel the strong vocals too! Wow!
Beneath My Feet – Dig My Grave: is a fast & strong song, but somehow doesn’t stick on me.
Neonfly – This World Is Burning. This is what I wrote about it in my review:
“This World Is Burning has a bombastic start and a catchy sound (with an oriental feel). Like I already wrote: I adore the vocals (Willy Norton). This guy can sing and scream (go high and low) and has the kind of voice that attracts my attention from the start. The rest of the band just fits his vocals like a handmade glove! In some way it’s true that the world is burning: we have the pandemic and wars going on, nature taking revenge for the pillage and raping … “
SNOOZECONTROL - Neonfly talks about their new and stunning album!
Check album review here: SNOOZECONTROL - Neonfly - The Future, Tonight (Noble Demon Records)
No Raza – Evil’s Seed: explodes from the start, has a bass minded heavy screamer behind the mic, raffling drums and rambling guitars. Check out the great clip too!
Humavoid – Fortune For Demise: is the kind of song that sounds like a chaotic rehearsal whilst you have no idea why they mix a jazz improvisation with hard rock and a screaming singer.
Jaded Star – Breathing Fire. This is what I wrote about it in my review:
“Breathing Fire is a fuelled track with lots of variation, cool electronics mixed with soft heavy metal touches, nice backings and a catchy chorus.” Check out the cool clip too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A-Vhwy3ddA&feature=emb_logo
Interview: SNOOZECONTROL - Interview With Jaded Star about the new album and Covid-19!
Check album review here: SNOOZECONTROL - JADED STAR – Realign (Noble Demon)
KAUNIS KUOLEMATON - Hyvästi (Goodbye): Finnish melodic & melancholic doom metal. I like the vocals & the melodic sound! Got a good feeling with this one!
Mercury Circle – Seven Archangels. This is what I wrote about it in my review:
“Seven Archangels starts with chanting women (almost in an Indian way). The bass is upfronted when the main vocals jump in. Towards the end the tempo goes a bit up and the sound becomes more filled and wider.”
Album review:
SNOOZECONTROL - Mercury Circle – Killing Moons (Noble Demon)
Please check out this very good interview with the band about their first album: Click here
S.O.R.M. –Hellraiser : is not a Suicide Commando (BE) cover but a smoking hot & catchy rocker with a cool retro 70 & 80’s touch and great vocals! A must have for retro lovers!
Tulkas – Conquer Evil mixes punk and metal (listen to the backings): hard hitting drums, a fat bass guitar sound and a speeded up tempo as if the had to rush as the studio was literally on fire and only finishing this song could save them!
Well it was a good and long ride with some known songs, some new discoveries and some that i can calssify as not my cup of tea. But I'm sure this compilation is the perfect PR for all the bands that feature on it and as it shows the wide variety on the labels roster I'm sure all kind of metal fans will find at least a few songs they really love (like the way I do)! Enjoy & yes: this is the perfect gift for metal lovers!
