In what is shaping to be one hell of a year for rock/metal, perhaps the best year in the last 25 years, during the month of August 2018, I craved epic, vintage and speed. For the speed bits, I’ve turned to the intensely charged SALEMS LOTT, specifically their debut self-titled 2015 mini LP. Additionally, the follow-up to the debut album by the super talented LOVEBITES, the “Battle Against Damnation” EP, released this past June, was perfect fit to satisfy my speed metal cravings. An incredible serving of progressive/psychedelic hard-rock is the 2017 effort, “Excerpts From A Future Past” by the Swedish band HÄLLAS – a vinyl LP that I highly recommend to the fans of Uriah Heep, Titanic, Yes and early Iron Maiden. Also hailing from Sweden is the classic heavy metal outfit HYPNOS, with their upcoming album “Set Fire To The Sky”, set to release on September 28th. I suspect this album will remain in rotation, once I get my hands on the vinyl LP. The epic part was easy to fill: the perfect 10/10 BATTLEROAR 2018 “Codex Epicus” remained a frequent fixture on my turntable during the month of August.
SALEMS LOTT – Salems Lott (2015, CD, self-released)
LOVEBITES – Battle Against Damnation (2018, CD, JPU Records Ltd. JPU046)
HÄLLAS – Excerpts From A Future Past (2017, vinyl LP, The Sign Records CRC008LP)
HYPNOS – Set Fire To The Sky (2018, digital promo, The Sign Records)
BATTLEROAR – Codex Epicus (2018, vinyl LP, Cruz Del Sur Music CRUZ554)
(in no particular order)
© 2018 by Emil Chiru
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