Alternative rock performer, storyteller and multi-instrumentalist Primordial Alien reaches the pinnacle of his creative output this year, delivering an album of conceptual weight, musical diversity, skill, playfulness, genre-fusion and cool but cutting narratives, as we dive into the brilliantly eclectic pop-punk and progressive rock vibrancy and shadows of Casus Belli.
Rock Opera
Capturing the essence of the Halloween season with a fine blend of nostalgia and originality – Mike Walker has penned and produced a quirky, catchy explosion of a Halloween song, with his timeless and rather brilliant single It’s Halloween.
A song for the people, World War Infinity reacts to the authoritarianism that threatens our freedom, and reflects upon the ongoing destruction of progress – the ruling class’s greed and thirst for power. It’s a song of despair, but it’s rooted in hope, and that positive angle is ultimately what resounds, as we roll through these hugely impassioned moments of all-together-now chorus.
Intensely heavy yet soulful, poetic and cinematic, up-tempo and both energising and evocative. Oathforged is a confronting and awakening listen, and offers a whole new highlight from the upcoming full-length album. Mythrend have made sincere promises to raise the bar, and so far, they’re outright refusing to back down on their word.
Forged In Shadow (Bound by Fire) is the boldly cinematic heavy metal introduction, an electrified and poetic hard-rock arrangement and delivery, built around the iconic Lord of the Rings story, and showcasing both the intricate craftwork and essential contrast of composer and performer Mythrend through its cascading layers.
Sublime vocal power and fluidity guides an impassioned and skilful group of musicians, through fascinating stories and songs both complex and satisfying, for fans of anything from power metal to pop rock and cinematic, orchestral music. These arrangements and performances are stacked high with genuine talent and an unrelenting sense of shared spirit, and with work ethic and ability seamlessly combined, Alterium are well on their way to carving out an unmissable new pathway in modern power metal.
Introducing a cinematic, progressive metal and operatic chaos of emotional intensity. ununk blends the familiar and the unknown, throughout the changing pace and presence of a conceptually complex We Are Such Stuff As Dreams Are Made On.
Brian Wooten, Darin Murphy and Jeff Clark – three superb musicians, a trio of diverse yet equally impressive backgrounds – present this boldly entertaining and conceptually provocative rock opera. The story is that of a famous musician, Max Million, briefly feeling a clear chemistry with a woman in a café, before taking to the stage and collapsing from apparent road fatigue…
Performative flair and an unrivaled sense of groove lay down the foundations for the brand new catchy and intriguing single from Stuart Pearson.
Featuring cascading layers of organic musicianship, progressing from delicacy and calm through distortion and breathtaking pace, Miserlou showcases a defiant passion for the process of audio storytelling.
This globally collaborative album Visual Music takes listeners on an unprecedented journey of boldly enchanting, energizing and impressive musicianship and composition.
“I hope we can create a positive global change of perspective with music and theater.”