The Viking in the Wilderness - reviews and news

(47:36; Dark Vinyl) Track list: 1. Surrender 5:07 2. Rage 1:41 3. Sadly 3:34 4. Darker Days 4:27 5. Let Us Begin 3:14 6. Deep Inside 4:54 7. Frantic 3:52 8. Forsaken 4:58 9. Decline 4:48 10. That Feeling 2:52 11. Torn 3:51 12. Darker Days (Jean Marc Ledderman Remix) 4:18 Line-up: Michael Aliani - vocals, guitars, programming, keyboards, percussion Dino Molinaro - bass, cello Leanne Coe - saxophone Australian band Chiron has been a going concern for the past 25 years or thereabouts, and is established as something of an underground cul favorite among people with a more dedicated interest in music generally described as dark in mood and atmosphere. Following a longer spell of inactivity as a recording unit the band released the album *The Sun Goes Down" in 2022 through German label Dark Vinyl. My only previous experience with this band was their Best Of compilation from 2015, a production that documented a creative band moving inside of a Gothic, post-punk and new wave triangle some

(70:56; Wave Records) Track list: 1. Forgotten 4:18 2. Loosing You 3:42 3. Bleed 4:08 4. No Order 5:12 5. Point of No Return 4:12 6. Close My Eyes 3:36 7. Ascent 4:30 8. Hate 5:12 9. Burn (Remix) 6:01 10. Distorted 4:20 11. Disenchanted 4:53 12. Far From Me 4:09 13. Crying in the Night 4:24 14. Night in Cairo 3:32 15. Love Is (Alternative Mix) 4:50 16. Visions 3:57 Line-up: Michael Aliani - vocals, programming, keyboards Dino Molinaro - bass, programming DJ Robert Anthony - decks, programming, keyboards Shura B2 - guitars Leva B2 - guitars Carlo Pascale - guitars Richard Allen - guitars Brian Gibson - guitars Marissa M - vocals Australian band Chiron appeared towards the tail end of the 1990's following main man Michael Aliani's departure from Gothic rock band Ikon. Over the years Chiron has become something of a staple in the underground rock scene it would appear, a band that appears to be very popular among music reviewers and with a small cadre of dedicated fans, but never

(22:56; Eternal Frostbite) Track list: 1. Intro 0:42 2. The Rage I Keep 5:35 3. Decimate 4:07 4. The Walking Wounded 2:34 5. Save Me 3:18 6. Crossing the Line 3:10 7. This Means War 3:30 Line-up: Kaye Emm - vocals Michael - vocals Ondre.B - drums, guitars, bass, backing vocals Australian band Eternal Frostbite is a fairly new player in the music scene down under, and appears to have been in some form or other of activity since 2021. In the summer of 2022 they self released their debut EP "This Means War". The main defining aspect of this production is that it is a primal one. This is an artist still in development, without the more sophisticated traits one can expect from more established and developed artists. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is a fact that will have some impact on listener interest nonetheless. A variety of thrash metal is the most recurring trait in terms of style, with surprisingly playful but also primal sounding guitar riffs dominating th

(44:47; Ellie Promotion) Track list: 1. Para Bellum 4:56 2. Point of Divergence 4:53 3. Pillars of Smoke 5:17 4. Absurd Heroes 5:12 5. Atheist 5:15 6. The Exoteric Verses 4:39 7. Insurgents (Part 1) 2:01 8. Insurgents (Part 2) 5:54 9. Ascent to Rebirth 6:40 Line-up: Guillaume Granier - vocals Jérémie Delattre - guitars Michel Marcq - drums Yannick Fernandez - vocals, bass Yoric Oliveras - guitars French band Worselder started out back in 2008, and released their first sign of recorded life with a demo back in 2010. Since then they have an EP to their name that was released in 2014, while their full length debut album "Paradigms Lost" appeared in 2017. "Redshift" is the band's second studio production, and was released through French label Ellie Promotion" in February of 2023. Metal is the style explored by this band, and in this case thrash metal is probably the best manner in which to define and describe the music. In this case we have a band that explore

(42:44; M&O Music) Track list: 1. Missing 4:15 2. Outside 3:35 3. Black Sheep 3:44 4. More Than Blood 4:23 5. Be My Roots 4:36 6. Selfish 3:55 7. No Shame 4:10 8. Can't Buy It 3:45 9. Write Your Own Story 3:11 10. Dog's Loyalty 3:34 11. Through Your Eyes 3:36 Line-up: Rémy Planson - vocals, guitars Laurent Planson - drums François Delclaux - bass French band Burn The Day have been around for a decade or thereabouts with brothers Remy and Laurent Planson as the driving force of the band. Bassist François Delclaux joined the band in 2016. The band released their debut album "Drive-By" through French label M&O Music at the start of 2023. The influence of grunge and alternative rock is highlighted in the label page bio for this band, and that comes with good reason. The album opens and concludes with songs that come with a strong and distinct Nirvana feel to them, and it is crystal clear that this is a band that thrives in this particular landscape. Vocalist Remy

(15:41; M&O Music) Track list: 1. 3 Princes (Memento Mori) 4:36 2. A Vicious Century 3:28 3. War and Lies 4:31 4. A New Order 3:06 Line-up: A.S.A - vocals Bruno Fontebasso - bass Alexandre Verdier - guitars Gaetan Sartre - guitars Mike Heller - drums Based out of the French territory of New Caledonia, the band Redsphere has been an active unit in their local music scene since 2015 or thereabouts. They released their initial EP "Facts" back in 2017, and following this they were ready with their full length debut album "Immortal Voids" in 2019. The EP "Regnvm Lvpvs" is their most recent studio production, and was released by French label M&O Music in January 2023. Extreme metal is the style explored by the band, and they go about the task inside of a well produced and contemporary sounding framework. The excellent mix and production really emphasized the full sound of the band, with the riffs and the rhythms as well as the vocals coming across as dar

(44:12; M&O Music) Track list: 1. Blood Red Moon 4:08 2. Down and Dirty 4:18 3. Lay It All on the Line 3:32 4. Wake Up 3:45 5. Without You 5:43 6. Saving Grace 4:49 7. Fallin' 4:28 8. In the End 4:14 9. Sin City 4:33 10. The Spirit 4:42 Line-up: David Clabaux - vocals, guitars Philippe Merlen - guitars, keyboards Jérôme Willocq - drums French band Project had their initial phase of existence in the late 1990's and early 2000's before the band went on hiatus for a while. They returned as an active band in 2008 and in 2013 they released their full length debut album "Riding Free", and two more studio albums have followed since then. "The Awakening" is the most recent of these, and was released through French label M&O Music at the start of 2023. It is a band with an interest and a passion for many types of hard rock we are dealing with here, and it would appear that the period between 1975 and 1990 is the one the band is looking at more than anythi

(44:00; M&O Music) Track list: 1. Just Another Night 1:49 2. The First Time 3:47 3. Dream at Dusk 9:18 4. Serial Killer 7:14 5. The Chase 4:33 6. Fame 4:33 7. What If...? 3:33 8. The Corridor 5:53 9. Enfin 3:20 Line-up: Sébastien Bazille - bass Sylvain Champenois - guitars Christopher Geneville - guitars Stéphane Maurice - drums Olivier Michelot - keyboards Tiphaine Raimbault - vocals Stéphane Walch - vocals French band Do(e) has a history that goes back 15 years or thereabouts, first coming to some prominence with their debut album "Cold Night in Paris" back in 2008 according to their bio. Following a long break from the recording studio the band returned with the album "Serial Killer" in 2022, a production that was released by French label M&O Records. Melodic heavy metal with a bit of an 80's vibe is what we get on this production, following a more cinematic opening to this concept album. The riffs are solid and melodic, we have a subtle use of keyboa

(41:06; M&O Music) Track list: 1. Bedazzled 5:03 2. Open 5:36 3. Coat of Arms 4:12 4. Boundaries 4:12 5. Left Behind 6:17 6. Playground 3:25 7. The Trap 3:06 8. Sane 4:39 9. The Z 4:36 Line-up: Sébastien Barbara - vocals, guitars Frédéric Doré - guitars, backing vocals Alex Boyer - bass, backing vocals Zacharie Mizzi - drums French band Colosse was formed back in 2018 as the creative vehicle of composer and musician Sébastien Barbara. The band started to work on the creation of an initial album back in 2020, and in 2022 they were signed by French label M&O Music who released their debut album "Origin". Music that exists on the borderland between hard rock and heavy metal is what we get on this production. All the songs come with a tight and vibrant sound to them, at least in the initial phases of the songs. Some with a more traditional hard rock style bass pumping drive to them, others with an edgier bass and guitar riff driven combination driving the songs onward. Th

(20:51; Trita) Track list: 1. Intend 5:13 2. To Sisyphus 2:37 3. Saltless Sea 4:52 4. Bluer Sky 8:09 Line-up: Taylor Froehlich - bass, vocals Mike Moretsky - drums, vocals Jason Soejoto  - guitars, vocals US band Trita first appeared around a decade back, and from what I can see they released their debut album back in 2014. A succession of EP releases would follow later on, with the most recent of those three productions appearing in 2019. The EP "The Good Night" appeared in 2018. and was self released by the band. The music explored on this production is one that by and large will be defined as metal I suspect. The opening three cuts all operate with a core set of elements that are explored to a lesser or greater extent, with more groove oriented passages with more of stoner rock tinge to it being a recurring element alongside quirkier and slightly more off kilter riff and rhythm patterns, while the vocals have a tendency to be on the more aggressive side of matters and are

(41:56; Avi Rosenfeld) Track list: 1. Running to the Station 4:14 2. Sad Wings of Destiny 4:00 3. Supernova 4:40 4. Late Night 3:45 5. If You're Going to Sacramento 4:24 6. Gotta Feel Alright 4:17 7. My Own Precious Girl 4:17 8. Sentimental Blues 4:04 9. Sooner or Later 3:59 10. Thinking Loud 4:16 Line-up: Avi Rosenfeld - guitars Marco Buono - vocals with: Neil Schmidt - guitars Graham Nunn - guitars Jurgen Krimp - guitars Igor Pokalitov - guitars Justin Turrentine - guitars Smokey Fennell - pedal steel Wave Fixation - bass Simon Lau - bass Jon Garcia - bass Amadeo Zunino - bass Alberto P - bass Jordi Ribas - bass Josh Revell - bass George Schiessl - bass, keyboards Dean Wuksta - drums Keith Walpole - drums Giovanni Maucieri - drums Matt Butler - drums Andrew Boucher - drums Brian Kulchycki - drums Mark Brown - organ Nick Foley - organ George Wood - organ, piano Koray Alarslan - piano John Kelleher - piano Bigaudiobox - trumpet Charlot Rivero - cello Israeli artist Avi Rosenfeld is

(48:49; Avi Rosenfeld) Track list: 1. Serenade to the Heroes 3:56 2. Marco Polo 5:23 3. Save Them All 4:06 4. Jon Snow 5:06 5. Ice Storm 5:35 6. Right to Live 4:41 7. Seven Riders 5:50 8. Silent Killers 3:54 9. Más Rápido Que La Luz 4:54 10. Never Die 5:24 Line-up: Avi Rosenfeld - guitars with: Nicholas Walsh - vocals Vahtango Zadiev - vocals Mike Livas - vocals Ray Blindman - vocals David Reed Watson - vocals Luca Micioni - vocals Robin Roy - vocals Christian Bertoncelli - vocals Joao Fortinho - vocals Thomas Lofholm - drums Giovanni Maucieri - drums Gilberto Heredia Cerda - drums Edo Sala - drums Koudai Okamoto - drums Oliver Kaiser - drums Eduardo Goodyear - drums George Schiessl - bass Cedric Camus - bass Boris Blanckemane - bass Jon Garcia - bass Ian MacIntosh - bass Sergey Engel - bass Joao Manechini - bass Alf Shumacher - organ Friso Bruinsma - organ Anton Purtseladze - organ Sven Wannas - organ Victor Hugo Moraes Alonso - organ George Barabas - organ, strings, synthesizer Koray

(49:18; Pyramidis Audio) Track list: 1. Emotions 6:49 2. Distances 4:59 3. Far from Home 4:16 4. Treachery 5:06 5. Crossing Bosporus 5:03 6. Secrets of Ocean Life, Pt. 1 5:16 7. Secrets of Ocean Life, Pt. 2 2:33 8. Mistreated 3:28 9. Örnsköldsvik 5:15 10. White Swan 4:59 11. Coda 1:34 Line-up: Marcus Krüger - drums Mario Buchinger - drums, guitars, keyboards Thomas Grahl - guitars Jonas Grahl - guitars, vocals Loreno Buss - saxophone Moni Francis - vocals Simon Schaller - vocals Austrian venture The Pyramidis Project released one EP and two albums some years back and then went silent after this, albeit reappearing with a couple of singles in 2021. "Emotional Distances" is the second and so far most recent studio album by this project, and was released through the Pyramidis Audio label in 2015. I understand that some of the inspirations behind this project was the music of artists such as Mike Oldfield and Pink Floyd, and the reason I got this as well as the previous CD in my

(59:29; The Pyramidis Project) Track list: 1. Earth Network 6:03 2. Binary Star 7:27 3. Sailing Away 8:38 4. Landing on Titan 6:47 5. Lost Music 3:02 6. Earth Over Moon 8:00 7. Glacier Experience 8:47 8. Island of Life 5:11 9. Visions 5:34 Line-up: Loreno Buss - saxophone Moni Francis - vocals Horst Gloddek - mandolin Mario Kuduz - synthesizers, guitars, drums Austrian venture The Pyramidis Project is the creative vehicle of composer and musician Mario Buchinger, credited as Mario Kuduz on this album. Originally a sound studio, the project later also expanded into a project creating and releasing music, with one EP and two full length albums as well as a few singles covering the release history as of 2023. "Space and Emotion" is the first of the two studio albums credited to this venture, and was self released back in 2013. It is an odd kind of album this one, as the music explored here really isn't here or there in terms of style and orientation. In some ways this is a n

(48:35; Outlanders Productions) Track list: 1. The Final Countdown 5:40       2. Breaking the Law 2:46       3. Don't Talk to Strangers 5:03       4. My Ugly Boy 3:35       5. Wasting Love 5:33       6. A Past and Future Secret 3:47       7. If I Close My Eyes Forever 4:56       8. Zombie 5:25       9. Eye of the Tiger 4:19       10. We're Not Gonna Take It 4:30       11. All We Are 3:01 Line-up: Aura Danciulescu - vocals Mihai Danciulescu - guitars, vocals Catalin Ungureanu - bass, vocals Sorin Ristea - drums with: Romeo Cividing - keyboards Romanian band Scarlet Aura decided that for their second studio album they wanted to pay their respects to some of their musical heroes by way of recording a covers album. The result is the album "Memories", which was released in 2017 through Finnish label Outlanders productions. Cover albums have been something of a headache for reviewers throughout history, as it is difficult to try to decode the contents and measure the experi

(16:13; Outlanders Productions) Track list: 1. The Beast Within Me 6:14       2. Don't Talk to Strangers 5:03       3. If I Close My Eyes Forever (Live) 4:56 Line-up: Aura Danciulescu - vocals Mihai Thor Danciulescu - guitars, vocals Catalin Ungureanu - bass, vocals Sorin Ristea - drums with: Florin Costachita - vocals Romeo Cividino - keyboards Lorena Mitoi - keyboards Romanian band Scarlet Aura was formed back in 2014. and from what I understand they were an active band from the onset and remain an active and popular band to this day. "The Beast Within Me" was the band's first EP, and was released in 2017 through the label Outlander Productions. The main track on this EP is the title track, and here we have the band creating a stomping metal track in the tradition of the classic metal bands from the 1980's. They expand the boundaries a little by adding violin textures to the instrument side, and on the vocal side by having both clean and growl style vocals. It i