Hardcore, Punk & Heavy Metal > Psychobilly Hardcore, Punk & Heavy Metal > 2006 onwards > Pinnacle; F-Minor > 5 GBP to 10 GBP

Advantages: Great vocals, great hymn/ethnic chanting sound to it and superb play of wind instruments
Disadvantages: None

Ot Serdca K Nebu is the 4th album by Russian metal band Arkona. It was released by Napalm Records in January 2007. This exquisite example of Folk Metal is as good as they come, Masha on vocals is one of the best female vocalists in metal today and her moving harmonies take you back to a bygone age, the band continue with their pagan, russian folklore and slavic mythology themes and nail it to a Siberian grave with progressive yet dark riffs. Acoustic ...
...the album and while it has a mystical feel to it, much of the album has a jolly feel to it but you can also picture yourself as a rural farmer enjoying the long evenings of a Russian summer, occasionally to be attacked by neighbouring tribes with blasts of black metal. The album is largely instrumental but as previously mentioned vocalist Masha can really be counted on when needed and produces some magical stuff. I'm not a huge fan of flutes but ... Read review

Advantages: One Grindcore track reminiscent of Nasum or Napalm Death, brutal vocals
Disadvantages: Nothing extraordinary happening

Strynchnine.213 is Aborted's 6th album and was released on the Century Media label at the end of June 2008, it has been touted as one of the best albums of the year in the metal genre. Aborted are a band that have intrigued me due to their nationality, I don't know a great deal of Belgian bands and despite being aware of them, I had never really given them much of a listen until now. The album is very intense and despite powering it's way through ...
...there is no wow factor and it's not particularly wild, the album has very clean production and sounds like Napalm Death on their best behaviour, attending assembly perhaps! Unless you are a fan of technical death metal (and let's be honest there aren't many), it would be hard to see this album breaking in to your top 10 of the year. Some tracks do have a nice touch, like the sneakiest amount of industrial creeping in to the track The Chyme Congeries ... Read review

Advantages: Good musicianship
Disadvantages: Cheesy lyrics and vocals a bit twee

Iron Will is the 4th album by Grand Magus and was released at the beginning of July by Rise Above. The Swedish heavy metal band put out a fairly strong album with a mixture of doom metal and classic rock in one with clean sounding power or NWOBHM vocals, whilst some may feel that the singer's vocals show a wide range and are full of passion, I find them a little twee particularly when combined with the band's lyrics, they do however compliment the ...
...off the singer's voice with a more edgier sound. 1. Like The Oar Strikes The Water 2. Fear Is The Key 3. Hovding 4. Iron Will 5. Silver Into Steel 6. The Shadow Knows 7. Self Deceiver 8. Beyond Good And Evil 9. I Am The North ... Read review

Advantages: Some decent rocky tunes
Disadvantages: A bit commercial and dull

The self-titled album Hellyeah by Hellyeah first came to my attention after the single "Hellyeah" was constantly being played on KNAC radio. Whilst it was by no means my favourite track of 2007, it was a reasonable number that was fairly radio friendly. Hellyeah is in fact a side project, a so-called supergroup made up of Chad Gray (Mudvayne), Greg Tribett (Mudvayne), Tom Maxwell (Nothingface), Bob Zilla (Damage Plan) and finally former Pantera ...
...was released in April 2007 by Epic Records and was recorded in Dimebag Darrell's backyard at Chasin Jason Studios. Despite the band having a distinctly "straight" feeling and at times sounding a bit too poppy for my liking, they have some quality riffs and are best matched when the band have a hardcore type sound to the vocals. The track Alcohaulin' Ass which has an acoustic country sound, interspersed with blasts of old school metal is very enjoyable ... Read review

Advantages: Classic catchy metal
Disadvantages: Nothing amazing happening

Holy Diver is Dio's debut album, an album released in 1983 on various labels having been recorded at Sound City Studios in Fortuna, California. The album is a classic album by the outfit formed by ex Sabbath and Rainbow singer Ronny James Dio also featured fellow ex Sabbath drummer Vincent Appice as well as ex Sweet Savage guitarist Vivian Campbell and ex Rainbow bass player Jimmy Bain. Despite the music being the very definition of plain heavy ...
...intune power metal vocals. Holy Diver has a great energy about it and it is full of fun tracks, Eye of the Tiger but a bit sooped up and less repetitive if you like, there is definite evidence of their former bands as "Straight Through The Heart" has quite the Sweet Savage sound whilst "Holy Diver" has the catchiness of top Rainbow hits. A classic album that has to be listened to. 1. "Stand Up and Shout" (Ronnie James Dio, Jimmy Bain) - 3:06 2. ... Read review