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September 2023

• Kerrigan: Bloodmoon
• Taz: Shipwrecked, Vol 2
• Taz: Wake Up & Sweat, Vol 1
• Ronnie Romero: Too Many Lies, Too Many Masters
• The Flower Kings: Look At You Now
• Vega: Battlelines
• Blackbird Angels: Solsorte
• Primal Fear: Code Red
• Eclipse: Megalomanium
• Seventh Wonder: Mercy Falls (Reissue 2008/2023)
• Seventh Wonder: The Great Escape (Reissue 2010/2023)

August 2023

• Hurricane: Reconnected
• U.D.O.: Touchdown
• Streetlight: Ignition
• Sarayasign: The Lion's Road
• Neal Morse: The Dreamer - Joseph - Part One
• Rian: Wings
• Icon Of Sin: Legends
• Lancer: Tempest
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• Hell In The Club: F.U.B.A.R.
• Kent Hilli: Nothing Left To Lose

July 2023

• Turkish Delight: Volume Two
• Winterstorm: Everfrost
• Scream Maker: Land Of Fire
• James Robledo: Broken Soul
• Houston: Relaunch III
• All For Metal: Legends
• Withering Scorn: Prophets Of Demise
• Bloodbound: Tales From The North
• Kikimora: For A Broken Dime
• Degreed: Public Address

June 2023

• Night Legion: Fight Or Fall
• Midnite City: In At The Deep End
• Pyramaze: Bloodlines
• Shakra: Invincible
• Vypera: Race Of Time
• Stardust: Kingdom Of Illusion
• Pride Of Lions: Dream Higher
• Joel Hoekstra's 13: Crash Of Life
• The Defiants: Drive
• Ray Alder: II
• Art Nation: Inception
• False Memories: Hybrid Ego System

[ More Music Reviews ]

Lunar Shadow: The Smokeless Fires

Melodic Heavy Metal

4.5/5.0

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Cruz Del Sure Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 19.06.2019 | Released: 21.06.2019

German metal quintet Lunar Shadow, created and directed by songwriter and guitarist Max Birbaum, disturbed the force of the metal underground with their surprising and ambitious 2017 debut album, Far From Light. Drawing deeply from the well of classic heavy metal, Lunar Shadow delivered an album filled with thriving songs and thrilling guitar work. Now the band returns with their second effort, The Smokeless Fires, which introduces new vocalist Robert Rottig.

Lunar Shadow

Once more with Birbaum at the helm Lunar Shadow offers another album of guitar-forward classic melodic heavy metal wrapped in intriguing arrangements. The twin guitar harmony is self-evident and Birbaum's solos are both creative and vibrant. While you'll find explosive guitar solos, Birbaum has taken to twisting his arrangements with more piano and acoustic guitar parts. You'll hear the piano rise with Catch Fire. Within Roses, Birbaum uses acoustic and electric guitar parts as complimenting musical foils. For Pretend, the song turns on the interplay of both light piano and guitar in a somber arrangement with Rottig's voice lilting above. Alternatively, Laurelindorenan finds Lunar Shadow returning to more epic heavy metal combining riff harmony with brisk pacing to lead to a fiery guitar solo. But that's not before Birbaum drops a subtle acoustic guitar breakdown in the middle. Hawk Of The Hills bristles with large and sharp guitar parts throughout, yet also allows for contrasting short acoustic guitar with voice breakdowns in three parts. In the end, Lunar Shadow's The Smokeless Fires is simply another exceptional, intriguing, and entertaining album of guitar-infused traditional melodic heavy metal. Easily recommended.

Stargazery: Eye On The Sky (Reissue)

Melodic Heavy Metal

4.0/5.0

In advance of their forthcoming third long player Constellation, Pure Steel will reissue Stargazery debut album, 2011's Eye On The Sky. The re-release on vinyl will ... [ Read More ]

Lunar Shadow's The Smokeless Fires is simply another exceptional, intriguing, and entertaining album of guitar-infused traditional melodic heavy metal. Easily recommended.

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Formed in 1999 by singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Erik Martensson, Sweden's Eclipse is well into their third decade of making music. In the recent past, their recordings and reputation have ... [ Read More ]