MrK
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Russell released a song today for World Autism Awareness Day in honor of his daughter:
Symphony X
- Thread starter Night Prowler
- Start date
MrK
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Allen/Olzon - Worlds Apart (2020)
Featured player: Russell Allen
Our old pals Frontiers Music are at it again and somehow they’ve convinced Magnus Karlsson to write another 11 tracks full of upbeat, AOR choruses, heavy riffs that occasionally branch off into progressive metal, and more generic lyrics than you can shake a stick at! Russell Allen collects his paycheck and delivers a wonderful performance as always. Since Jorn Lande is no longer interested in the project (for good reason), Frontiers have called up former Nightwish singer Anette Olzon and the results are…less than stellar. By this point, we all know what to expect from these releases and the simple fact here is that Anette is just not the same caliber of vocalist as Russell or Jorn (nor is Magnus accustomed to writing material for her voice). The result is some pretty shaky sounding vocals across the board. Anette sounds unsuited for her lead tracks and unmatched with Russell in their duets. When she performs trade-offs on the verse leads she simply doesn’t fit well with the material, especially going toe to toe with Allen. When she sings choruses on the duets she exists merely as a layer (no matter how high she is turned up in the mix); she simply feels like an accompaniment to the superior, fuller, and more powerful Russell Allen. A song like I’ll Never Leave You would have been an absolute banger for Jorn (or Russell), but with Anette at the helm it fizzles. I like Anette, but this is not the best match for her voice.
Highlights: Never Die, the disturbingly catchy chorus of My Enemy
Lowlights: all of Anette’s tracks and absolute clunker Who You Really Are
Grade: C (6.5/10)
3 Rules - Rule of 3
Featured player: Jason Rullo
Jason Rullo’s second (and final) appearance on this side project deep dive is the biggest stylistic departure on the entire journey. Rullo rocks, jams, swings, and jives on this prog metal jazz fusion trio album. No vocals here, just 52 minutes of instrumental guitar, bass and drums going bonkers. There’s nothing avant garde happening here, just Rullo tearing it up with some unknown/newcomer musicians: the particularly impressive Ron Sanborn on guitar and bassist Artha Meadors. Sonically, Sanbron shreds with the melodicism of Satriani and the wackiness of Vai but never really activates full shred mode. Creature is a funky fun time, Momento Mori gets heavier and proggier, Tropic of Dancer mixes funky jazz fusion with some heavier licks, From Maine to Spain feels like Satch on steroids, Brain Damage is probably the craziest track here and crosses every genre in six minutes, the title track is a delightful heavier slice of jammage and one of the best here, 34b is more of the same in a good way, Kill The Pain alternates between shoegazey ambience and pummeling riffs, and album closer Bad Preacher riffs us all the way to the finish line. Nothing here is gonna get stuck in your head, but it’s great while it lasts.
Highlights: getting to hear Rullo really let loose and play loosely without the constraints of metal
Lowlights: I really don’t have any. This is a super fun record.
Grade: B+ (8.5/10)
Featured player: Russell Allen
Our old pals Frontiers Music are at it again and somehow they’ve convinced Magnus Karlsson to write another 11 tracks full of upbeat, AOR choruses, heavy riffs that occasionally branch off into progressive metal, and more generic lyrics than you can shake a stick at! Russell Allen collects his paycheck and delivers a wonderful performance as always. Since Jorn Lande is no longer interested in the project (for good reason), Frontiers have called up former Nightwish singer Anette Olzon and the results are…less than stellar. By this point, we all know what to expect from these releases and the simple fact here is that Anette is just not the same caliber of vocalist as Russell or Jorn (nor is Magnus accustomed to writing material for her voice). The result is some pretty shaky sounding vocals across the board. Anette sounds unsuited for her lead tracks and unmatched with Russell in their duets. When she performs trade-offs on the verse leads she simply doesn’t fit well with the material, especially going toe to toe with Allen. When she sings choruses on the duets she exists merely as a layer (no matter how high she is turned up in the mix); she simply feels like an accompaniment to the superior, fuller, and more powerful Russell Allen. A song like I’ll Never Leave You would have been an absolute banger for Jorn (or Russell), but with Anette at the helm it fizzles. I like Anette, but this is not the best match for her voice.
Highlights: Never Die, the disturbingly catchy chorus of My Enemy
Lowlights: all of Anette’s tracks and absolute clunker Who You Really Are
Grade: C (6.5/10)
3 Rules - Rule of 3
Featured player: Jason Rullo
Jason Rullo’s second (and final) appearance on this side project deep dive is the biggest stylistic departure on the entire journey. Rullo rocks, jams, swings, and jives on this prog metal jazz fusion trio album. No vocals here, just 52 minutes of instrumental guitar, bass and drums going bonkers. There’s nothing avant garde happening here, just Rullo tearing it up with some unknown/newcomer musicians: the particularly impressive Ron Sanborn on guitar and bassist Artha Meadors. Sonically, Sanbron shreds with the melodicism of Satriani and the wackiness of Vai but never really activates full shred mode. Creature is a funky fun time, Momento Mori gets heavier and proggier, Tropic of Dancer mixes funky jazz fusion with some heavier licks, From Maine to Spain feels like Satch on steroids, Brain Damage is probably the craziest track here and crosses every genre in six minutes, the title track is a delightful heavier slice of jammage and one of the best here, 34b is more of the same in a good way, Kill The Pain alternates between shoegazey ambience and pummeling riffs, and album closer Bad Preacher riffs us all the way to the finish line. Nothing here is gonna get stuck in your head, but it’s great while it lasts.
Highlights: getting to hear Rullo really let loose and play loosely without the constraints of metal
Lowlights: I really don’t have any. This is a super fun record.
Grade: B+ (8.5/10)
MrK
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Mike Lepond’s Silent Assassins - Whore of Babylon (2020)
Featured player: Mike LePond + the other two Mikes
The third Silent Assassins album continues in the same vein as the previous two but manages to hone the songwriting into an even more streamlined, successful slab of classic heavy metal. As always, what you’ll get here is part power metal, part hard rock, part trve Maonowar-style metal (specifically see Power of Steel), and a little bit of prog. Everything feels tighter this time and LePond continues to impress as both a bassist and a songwriter. The vocals, however, are the worst they’ve been. Perhaps it’s just a sign of Alan Tecchio’s aging voice, but he occasionally sounds rather weak on the earlier tracks and downright annoying on tracks like Lady Bathory. Guest vocalist Sarah Teets (last heard on the MindMaze album) sings one entire song and it may be one of the lamest things I’ve ever heard - a contender for a future Cheesevivor, indeed. Romeo shows up to program drums, shred a mandolin and add orchestrations and Pinnella also sings backups throughout, plays a prominent piano solo outro on track 3 and some cool organ on the closing number. In the end: Silent Assassins is still a fun project and this album might be the easiest gateway into their sound, despite the terrible album cover and album title. I do hope if LePond continues this project (and I think he should) that he finds a new vocalist.
Highlights: the exceptional Avalon (and especially Lepond’s bass leads), Ides of March, bardcore track Night of the Long Knives, LePond’s bass solos in Tell Tale Heart and Champion, the subdued and Eastern vibes of the title track.
Lowlights: the incredibly lame Champion.
Grade: B (8/10)
Joel Hoektra’s 13 - Running Games (2021)
Featured player: Russell Allen
Whitesnake’s axeman returns with Vinny Appice, Tony Franklin, and Derek Sherinian rounding out the band while Russell croons on top and Jeff Scott Soto is relegated to backing vocals only. This is more of the same as last time - hard rock with some heavier stuff thrown in, a bunch of modern day hair metal vibes, and some AOR hookiness for good measure. The main difference is that Russell is the permanent lead singer this time, making the album feel a bit more complete and intentional rather than a collection of songs. Hoektra’s playing throughout is incredible. He solos, riffs and harmonizes his way through 11 tracks of 70s/80s rock worship with a slick modern production. I just wish the songs felt deeper. It’s a very shallow affair that sounds pleasant but has little staying power. We’re not too far off from Russell Allen’s solo album in terms of tone and song style, but whereas that album felt both lived in and spontaneous, Running Games feels like something built in the studio with a music-by-numbers chart. A listenable, but generic effort.
Highlights: the soaring AOR catchiness of Finish Line, the metallic Fantasy, the serpentine Reach the Sky, the riffing and insane soloing in Take What’s Mine.
Lowlights: Lonely Days is literally dripping in poppy syrup, the verging-on-Adrenaline-Mob levels of cock swinging on Cried Enough For You (though Russell does sound killer here).
Grade: C+ (7/10)
Featured player: Mike LePond + the other two Mikes
The third Silent Assassins album continues in the same vein as the previous two but manages to hone the songwriting into an even more streamlined, successful slab of classic heavy metal. As always, what you’ll get here is part power metal, part hard rock, part trve Maonowar-style metal (specifically see Power of Steel), and a little bit of prog. Everything feels tighter this time and LePond continues to impress as both a bassist and a songwriter. The vocals, however, are the worst they’ve been. Perhaps it’s just a sign of Alan Tecchio’s aging voice, but he occasionally sounds rather weak on the earlier tracks and downright annoying on tracks like Lady Bathory. Guest vocalist Sarah Teets (last heard on the MindMaze album) sings one entire song and it may be one of the lamest things I’ve ever heard - a contender for a future Cheesevivor, indeed. Romeo shows up to program drums, shred a mandolin and add orchestrations and Pinnella also sings backups throughout, plays a prominent piano solo outro on track 3 and some cool organ on the closing number. In the end: Silent Assassins is still a fun project and this album might be the easiest gateway into their sound, despite the terrible album cover and album title. I do hope if LePond continues this project (and I think he should) that he finds a new vocalist.
Highlights: the exceptional Avalon (and especially Lepond’s bass leads), Ides of March, bardcore track Night of the Long Knives, LePond’s bass solos in Tell Tale Heart and Champion, the subdued and Eastern vibes of the title track.
Lowlights: the incredibly lame Champion.
Grade: B (8/10)
Joel Hoektra’s 13 - Running Games (2021)
Featured player: Russell Allen
Whitesnake’s axeman returns with Vinny Appice, Tony Franklin, and Derek Sherinian rounding out the band while Russell croons on top and Jeff Scott Soto is relegated to backing vocals only. This is more of the same as last time - hard rock with some heavier stuff thrown in, a bunch of modern day hair metal vibes, and some AOR hookiness for good measure. The main difference is that Russell is the permanent lead singer this time, making the album feel a bit more complete and intentional rather than a collection of songs. Hoektra’s playing throughout is incredible. He solos, riffs and harmonizes his way through 11 tracks of 70s/80s rock worship with a slick modern production. I just wish the songs felt deeper. It’s a very shallow affair that sounds pleasant but has little staying power. We’re not too far off from Russell Allen’s solo album in terms of tone and song style, but whereas that album felt both lived in and spontaneous, Running Games feels like something built in the studio with a music-by-numbers chart. A listenable, but generic effort.
Highlights: the soaring AOR catchiness of Finish Line, the metallic Fantasy, the serpentine Reach the Sky, the riffing and insane soloing in Take What’s Mine.
Lowlights: Lonely Days is literally dripping in poppy syrup, the verging-on-Adrenaline-Mob levels of cock swinging on Cried Enough For You (though Russell does sound killer here).
Grade: C+ (7/10)
MrK
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Allen/Olzon - Army of Dreamers (2022)
Featured player: Russell Allen
Saddle up, everybody, it’s time for another ride on Magnus Karlsson’s power chorus train! Russell Allen is back belting his guts out with some of the lamest, most generic and cliched lyrics you can possibly find while Anette struggles to turn her voice loud enough to be heard. I just don’t get this duo. Anette is such a poor replacement for Jorn Lande and just such a mismatch for Allen - it’s like pairing a Siberian Tiger with a sparrow. The twist this time around (because after 5 albums of the same recycled material you need some sort of twist, right?) is that EVERY SONG IS A DUET. Gone are the Allen solo tracks, now we get to hear Anette chirp in every other verse or pre-chorus and harmonize on every single chorus! Although I do think this choice makes the album more cohesive, it also just exposes the major flaws of the project: unmemorable songwriting and Anette’s voice. Without breaking any tracks into solos, everything just flows together in one giant, monotonous AOR Eurovision slog. Is this worse than the first Allen/Olzon album? No. But is it better than the first Allen/Olzon album? Also no.
Highlights: the title track, Out of Nowhere, Are We Really Strangers, Never Too Late
Lowlights: the lyrics and song titles having literally nothing memorable about them
Grade: C (6.5/10)
Michael Romeo - War of the Worlds, Pt. 2 (2022)
Featured players: Michael Romeo, Michael Pinnella
The second in Romeo’s pair of solo albums (aka Symphony X without 3/5’s of Symphony X) is heavier, hookier and all around better than the first! Once again we have a more cinematic approach to the trademark odd time signature Pantera-style riffing, with Romeo tastefully laying his legato shredding over orchestral dominated instrumentals and 7 songs dominated by the revelation of Croatian singer Dino Jelusick. Look guys, I love Russell Allen, but there’s no denying that Dino’s performance is every bit as good as anything Russell has recorded in the last 20 years. He sounds A LOT like Allen, but with slightly more grit, less heft, and even more Dio-isms. Dino soars, wails, growls on expert mode and is allowed a shocking amount of freedom for bluesy vocal runs (I wish Russell did this amount of bluesy vocal runs on Symphony X records). The songs are a little more straightforward this time around, but they are also far catchier. Bassist and drummer John and John do a great job keeping up with Romeo (who also plays some bass and does drum programming, though I honestly can’t tell which songs have programmed drums and which have a live drummer - presumably the instrumentals are canned). I don’t have anything to really criticize here, it’s an incredibly strong record that ranks up there with some of Symphony X’s best.
Highlights: Divide & Conquer, Metamorphosis, Just Before the Dawn (ft. Pinnella!), Hybrids
Lowlights: Parasite, the last track with vocals, is probably the weakest here, but it’s still solid. I wish this album were as cinematic as Pt. 1, which I think bridged the tracks together a bit more with orchestration, but that’s a small gripe when the material is this good.
Grade: A (9.4/10)
Featured player: Russell Allen
Saddle up, everybody, it’s time for another ride on Magnus Karlsson’s power chorus train! Russell Allen is back belting his guts out with some of the lamest, most generic and cliched lyrics you can possibly find while Anette struggles to turn her voice loud enough to be heard. I just don’t get this duo. Anette is such a poor replacement for Jorn Lande and just such a mismatch for Allen - it’s like pairing a Siberian Tiger with a sparrow. The twist this time around (because after 5 albums of the same recycled material you need some sort of twist, right?) is that EVERY SONG IS A DUET. Gone are the Allen solo tracks, now we get to hear Anette chirp in every other verse or pre-chorus and harmonize on every single chorus! Although I do think this choice makes the album more cohesive, it also just exposes the major flaws of the project: unmemorable songwriting and Anette’s voice. Without breaking any tracks into solos, everything just flows together in one giant, monotonous AOR Eurovision slog. Is this worse than the first Allen/Olzon album? No. But is it better than the first Allen/Olzon album? Also no.
Highlights: the title track, Out of Nowhere, Are We Really Strangers, Never Too Late
Lowlights: the lyrics and song titles having literally nothing memorable about them
Grade: C (6.5/10)
Michael Romeo - War of the Worlds, Pt. 2 (2022)
Featured players: Michael Romeo, Michael Pinnella
The second in Romeo’s pair of solo albums (aka Symphony X without 3/5’s of Symphony X) is heavier, hookier and all around better than the first! Once again we have a more cinematic approach to the trademark odd time signature Pantera-style riffing, with Romeo tastefully laying his legato shredding over orchestral dominated instrumentals and 7 songs dominated by the revelation of Croatian singer Dino Jelusick. Look guys, I love Russell Allen, but there’s no denying that Dino’s performance is every bit as good as anything Russell has recorded in the last 20 years. He sounds A LOT like Allen, but with slightly more grit, less heft, and even more Dio-isms. Dino soars, wails, growls on expert mode and is allowed a shocking amount of freedom for bluesy vocal runs (I wish Russell did this amount of bluesy vocal runs on Symphony X records). The songs are a little more straightforward this time around, but they are also far catchier. Bassist and drummer John and John do a great job keeping up with Romeo (who also plays some bass and does drum programming, though I honestly can’t tell which songs have programmed drums and which have a live drummer - presumably the instrumentals are canned). I don’t have anything to really criticize here, it’s an incredibly strong record that ranks up there with some of Symphony X’s best.
Highlights: Divide & Conquer, Metamorphosis, Just Before the Dawn (ft. Pinnella!), Hybrids
Lowlights: Parasite, the last track with vocals, is probably the weakest here, but it’s still solid. I wish this album were as cinematic as Pt. 1, which I think bridged the tracks together a bit more with orchestration, but that’s a small gripe when the material is this good.
Grade: A (9.4/10)
MrK
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It's back for one more go in the ring!
Mike LePond's Bass-tacular Metal Rodeo, Part 3!
Ross the Boss - By Blood Sworn (2018)
Former Manowar axeman Ross The Boss recruits LePond for this collection of schlocky, woefully uninspired “classic” metal. Most of this toes the line somewhere between cock rock and, well, Manowar. Production is fine and the instrumental performances are all solid enough, but vocalist Mark Lopes sounds weak, try hard and frequently out of key. The material is just not good.
Highlights: Lepond’s bass on Fistful of Hate
Lowlights: This Is Vengeance sounds like the worst song Iced Earth never wrote, Play Among The Godz is even worse, and the swinging Circle of Damnation truly reeks. As the album goes on the vocals are truly a crime against humanity, especially on the lame ballad Faith of the Fallen and the “epic” Lilith.
Grade: F- (1.5/10)
Them - Manor of the Se7en Gables (2018)
More incredibly terrible voice acting, more Halloween sound effects, and more well-produced, polished classic metal. King Diamond and Iced Earth fans will probably love this. I think, ultimately, this is a fun project. I don’t love everything I hear, but it’s all done very well for what it is: campy theatrical horror metal that touches on a lot of different genres. I wouldn’t call it unique, but it’s entertaining. LePond’s bass playing is also nice and loud!
Highlights: the wacky Witchfinder, catchy power ballad Ravna, Punishment by Fire (until the voice acting, that is)
Lowlights: The opening trio is on the weaker side, especially Refuge in the Manor which tries thrash but ultimately falls flat due to the vocals. The Secret Stairs has some pretty bad melodies, too.
Grade: C- (6.2/10)
Eternity’s End - Unyielding (2018)
Holy power metal, Batman! We’re in full on DragonForce territory here with over-the-top, always-top-speed metal of the running double bass, virtually soprano-high screech vocals, and sparkly keyboard Euro-power variety. At times neoclassical, these 10 songs lean towards prog in there instrumentation. The vocals are always soaring, occasionally catchy, and frequently struggling to land some awkward lyrical phrases. Vocalist Iuri Sanson feels incredibly strained at times, but he does have one hell of a range. Honestly, I was prepared to hate this when it started but every song really won me over. This is super fun, technical and cheese-tastic.
Highlights: Instrumental track Dreaming of Cimmerian Shadows, Blood Brothers (The Oath), the purely Symphony X-ian neoclassical shred of Under Crimson Moonlight, Necromantic Worship, LePond’s bass solo in Into Timeless Realms, the riffs in Cyclopean Force, the title track (and specifically LePond doubling an insane keyboard line at 400mph), and the intense neoclassicism of Beyond the Gates of Salvation.
Lowlights: mid-tempo Horizonless veers too far into AOR schmaltz
Grade: B (8/10)
DeadRisen - DeadRisen (2020)
Prog/power metal that’s honestly pretty similar to Symphony X in style, if not in quality. All of the parts are technically here: guitars and keyboards are ripping, vocals are fine enough (though way too try hard), drums are adequate, and LePond’s bass couldn’t possibly be mixed more prominently. There’s just something missing and I blame both the songwriting and production. Will Shaw sometimes sounds kind of like Geddy Lee trying to sing gruff power metal or that guy from Candlebox and, while that is unique, he just never fully connects with the music. I get the feeling that everything was recorded rather cheaply, separately, and then pieced together and given a decent mix/master polish. It sounds slightly disjointed, the way some projects can when no one is actually ever in a room together. The drums in particular sound pretty weak and the vocals feel like they’re floating on top of the instrumentals. I should absolutely mention that this album IS worth listening to solely to hear LePond’s bass work throughout: it’s phenomenal.
Highlights: Destiny
Lowlights: the terrible fake out fade in The Maker, But You
Grade: C- (6/10)
Death Dealer - Conquered Lands (2020)
Mike and buddy Ross the Boss play EVEN MORE classic/power metal in this apparent “supergroup” full of people I’ve never heard of before (including a drummer literally named Bolognese). Musically, this is all fine - we’ve got riffs, we’ve got pummeling drums and we’ve got LePond’s incredible bass playing at 100% intensity at literally all times. Once again, as is frequently the case with these albums, the vocals are just fucking infuriating. Sean Peck sounds like Ripper Owens if Ripper Owens sucked even more. The opening track makes me think the vocals might be ok in a “bar band doing a 70% cover of Painkiller for an hour” sort of way, but each subsequent song proves this false as Peck needles his shittiness inside my brain. Make no mistake: the band is good, but the vocals ruin everything.
Highlights: all of the instrumental parts
Lowlights: literally every time Peck sings
Grade: F (2/10)
Ross the Boss - Born of Fire (2020)
Released in the same year as Death Dealer’s Conquered Lands, featuring the same guitarist, the same bassist, and Mr. Bolognese back on the drums - this might as well be a part 2 to that album but with a slightly less annoying singer. As mentioned before, Mark Lopes is not a great singer, but he’s nowhere near as annoying as Sean Peck. Anyway: it’s more of the same balls-to-the-wall and sometimes ball-gazing macho man numbskull metal. Riffs and rhythm section are ripping at all times and the songs….exist. This album is definitely better than the previous outing, it’s mostly not good. As before, Mark Lopes gets more annoying the longer you listen.
Highlights: Glory to the Slain is a barnburner, Denied by The Cross is heavy as hell and packs a punch, Maiden of Shadows has a melodic Celtic swagger to it, LePond does a cool little bass lead on Waking The Moon.
Lowlights: Fight the Fight sounds like a Jugulator b-side, I Am The Sword sounds like vomit, Shotgun Evolution sounds like swallowing that vomit.
Grade: D (4/10)
Everdawn - Cleopatra (2021)
Fear not, all Nightwish lovers who feel they’ve lost their way, Everdawn is here to endlessly retrod everything that Nightwish has already done but with a blander twist! Truth be told: this is actually decent. The vocals are very good, the songs sound good, the production (courtesy of Dan Swanö) is very good…there’s just something inherently samey and uninspired about it. Not to mention, LePond’s bass is entirely pointless and virtually non-existent in the mix (sorry, Dan Swanö, you’ve failed the rodeo). The first half of the album is decent enough, but by track 5 or 6 everything just starts treading in pure mediocrity. As far as background music that kinda sounds like Nightwish, this is amazing, though.
Highlights: the first three tracks, particularly the catchy chorus of Stranded in Bangalore
Lowlights: the back half of the album where the hooks never fully develop and track 4, a duet with Therion’s Thomas Viström (who never fully meshes with the track or female vocalist)
Grade: C- (6/10)
Wings of Destiny - Masters of War (2025)
Power metal from…Costa Rica?! Huh. Lepond obviously takes a gig here as the songs are quite bad and the vocalist is horribly annoying. He has a terrible clean voice and an even worse harsh voice (not to mention an incredibly thick accent). This whole project sounds like it was written and performed by AI. LePond’s bass has no presence and could have just been a synth pad. A waste of his time and my time.
Highlights: Times to Remember is catchy enough
Lowlights: the inane “metal is everywhere!” schlock of Hear My Call, lead guitar tone, and again: those vocals
Grade: F (2.5/10)
Death Dealer - Reign of Steel (2026)
Ugh, it’s another one! Much the same as before we get modern classic metal with third rate Ripper Owens shrieking terribly on top. As before: there is some immensely cool riffing and playing happening here but the songwriting is weak and the vocals are just putrid.
Highlights: the bridges? Idk whenever that guy isn’t singing
Lowlights: the vocal melodies in opener Assemble are offensive, Bloodbath is the worst Anthrax song never written, no one asked for the awful ballad Raging Wild and Free
Grade: F- (1.5/10)
Mike LePond's Bass-tacular Metal Rodeo, Part 3!
Ross the Boss - By Blood Sworn (2018)
Former Manowar axeman Ross The Boss recruits LePond for this collection of schlocky, woefully uninspired “classic” metal. Most of this toes the line somewhere between cock rock and, well, Manowar. Production is fine and the instrumental performances are all solid enough, but vocalist Mark Lopes sounds weak, try hard and frequently out of key. The material is just not good.
Highlights: Lepond’s bass on Fistful of Hate
Lowlights: This Is Vengeance sounds like the worst song Iced Earth never wrote, Play Among The Godz is even worse, and the swinging Circle of Damnation truly reeks. As the album goes on the vocals are truly a crime against humanity, especially on the lame ballad Faith of the Fallen and the “epic” Lilith.
Grade: F- (1.5/10)
Them - Manor of the Se7en Gables (2018)
More incredibly terrible voice acting, more Halloween sound effects, and more well-produced, polished classic metal. King Diamond and Iced Earth fans will probably love this. I think, ultimately, this is a fun project. I don’t love everything I hear, but it’s all done very well for what it is: campy theatrical horror metal that touches on a lot of different genres. I wouldn’t call it unique, but it’s entertaining. LePond’s bass playing is also nice and loud!
Highlights: the wacky Witchfinder, catchy power ballad Ravna, Punishment by Fire (until the voice acting, that is)
Lowlights: The opening trio is on the weaker side, especially Refuge in the Manor which tries thrash but ultimately falls flat due to the vocals. The Secret Stairs has some pretty bad melodies, too.
Grade: C- (6.2/10)
Eternity’s End - Unyielding (2018)
Holy power metal, Batman! We’re in full on DragonForce territory here with over-the-top, always-top-speed metal of the running double bass, virtually soprano-high screech vocals, and sparkly keyboard Euro-power variety. At times neoclassical, these 10 songs lean towards prog in there instrumentation. The vocals are always soaring, occasionally catchy, and frequently struggling to land some awkward lyrical phrases. Vocalist Iuri Sanson feels incredibly strained at times, but he does have one hell of a range. Honestly, I was prepared to hate this when it started but every song really won me over. This is super fun, technical and cheese-tastic.
Highlights: Instrumental track Dreaming of Cimmerian Shadows, Blood Brothers (The Oath), the purely Symphony X-ian neoclassical shred of Under Crimson Moonlight, Necromantic Worship, LePond’s bass solo in Into Timeless Realms, the riffs in Cyclopean Force, the title track (and specifically LePond doubling an insane keyboard line at 400mph), and the intense neoclassicism of Beyond the Gates of Salvation.
Lowlights: mid-tempo Horizonless veers too far into AOR schmaltz
Grade: B (8/10)
DeadRisen - DeadRisen (2020)
Prog/power metal that’s honestly pretty similar to Symphony X in style, if not in quality. All of the parts are technically here: guitars and keyboards are ripping, vocals are fine enough (though way too try hard), drums are adequate, and LePond’s bass couldn’t possibly be mixed more prominently. There’s just something missing and I blame both the songwriting and production. Will Shaw sometimes sounds kind of like Geddy Lee trying to sing gruff power metal or that guy from Candlebox and, while that is unique, he just never fully connects with the music. I get the feeling that everything was recorded rather cheaply, separately, and then pieced together and given a decent mix/master polish. It sounds slightly disjointed, the way some projects can when no one is actually ever in a room together. The drums in particular sound pretty weak and the vocals feel like they’re floating on top of the instrumentals. I should absolutely mention that this album IS worth listening to solely to hear LePond’s bass work throughout: it’s phenomenal.
Highlights: Destiny
Lowlights: the terrible fake out fade in The Maker, But You
Grade: C- (6/10)
Death Dealer - Conquered Lands (2020)
Mike and buddy Ross the Boss play EVEN MORE classic/power metal in this apparent “supergroup” full of people I’ve never heard of before (including a drummer literally named Bolognese). Musically, this is all fine - we’ve got riffs, we’ve got pummeling drums and we’ve got LePond’s incredible bass playing at 100% intensity at literally all times. Once again, as is frequently the case with these albums, the vocals are just fucking infuriating. Sean Peck sounds like Ripper Owens if Ripper Owens sucked even more. The opening track makes me think the vocals might be ok in a “bar band doing a 70% cover of Painkiller for an hour” sort of way, but each subsequent song proves this false as Peck needles his shittiness inside my brain. Make no mistake: the band is good, but the vocals ruin everything.
Highlights: all of the instrumental parts
Lowlights: literally every time Peck sings
Grade: F (2/10)
Ross the Boss - Born of Fire (2020)
Released in the same year as Death Dealer’s Conquered Lands, featuring the same guitarist, the same bassist, and Mr. Bolognese back on the drums - this might as well be a part 2 to that album but with a slightly less annoying singer. As mentioned before, Mark Lopes is not a great singer, but he’s nowhere near as annoying as Sean Peck. Anyway: it’s more of the same balls-to-the-wall and sometimes ball-gazing macho man numbskull metal. Riffs and rhythm section are ripping at all times and the songs….exist. This album is definitely better than the previous outing, it’s mostly not good. As before, Mark Lopes gets more annoying the longer you listen.
Highlights: Glory to the Slain is a barnburner, Denied by The Cross is heavy as hell and packs a punch, Maiden of Shadows has a melodic Celtic swagger to it, LePond does a cool little bass lead on Waking The Moon.
Lowlights: Fight the Fight sounds like a Jugulator b-side, I Am The Sword sounds like vomit, Shotgun Evolution sounds like swallowing that vomit.
Grade: D (4/10)
Everdawn - Cleopatra (2021)
Fear not, all Nightwish lovers who feel they’ve lost their way, Everdawn is here to endlessly retrod everything that Nightwish has already done but with a blander twist! Truth be told: this is actually decent. The vocals are very good, the songs sound good, the production (courtesy of Dan Swanö) is very good…there’s just something inherently samey and uninspired about it. Not to mention, LePond’s bass is entirely pointless and virtually non-existent in the mix (sorry, Dan Swanö, you’ve failed the rodeo). The first half of the album is decent enough, but by track 5 or 6 everything just starts treading in pure mediocrity. As far as background music that kinda sounds like Nightwish, this is amazing, though.
Highlights: the first three tracks, particularly the catchy chorus of Stranded in Bangalore
Lowlights: the back half of the album where the hooks never fully develop and track 4, a duet with Therion’s Thomas Viström (who never fully meshes with the track or female vocalist)
Grade: C- (6/10)
Wings of Destiny - Masters of War (2025)
Power metal from…Costa Rica?! Huh. Lepond obviously takes a gig here as the songs are quite bad and the vocalist is horribly annoying. He has a terrible clean voice and an even worse harsh voice (not to mention an incredibly thick accent). This whole project sounds like it was written and performed by AI. LePond’s bass has no presence and could have just been a synth pad. A waste of his time and my time.
Highlights: Times to Remember is catchy enough
Lowlights: the inane “metal is everywhere!” schlock of Hear My Call, lead guitar tone, and again: those vocals
Grade: F (2.5/10)
Death Dealer - Reign of Steel (2026)
Ugh, it’s another one! Much the same as before we get modern classic metal with third rate Ripper Owens shrieking terribly on top. As before: there is some immensely cool riffing and playing happening here but the songwriting is weak and the vocals are just putrid.
Highlights: the bridges? Idk whenever that guy isn’t singing
Lowlights: the vocal melodies in opener Assemble are offensive, Bloodbath is the worst Anthrax song never written, no one asked for the awful ballad Raging Wild and Free
Grade: F- (1.5/10)
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