Friday Morning Metal – Sons of Hades – The Omen

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Coming straight out of Athens, it’s Sons of Hades with The Omen. These guys are pretty great speed metal and apparently got their start in 2023. I guess being the son of Hades would be different than being the son of the devil, given the pantheons and whatnot. I bet Hades’ kids would be relatively well adjusted, like that Zagreus. He didn’t have issues at all!

The song starts off with a killer guitar intro before kicking into gear. It’s a great frenetic pace, I bet the pit goes nuts during the song. I dig the drum fills within the chorus, they’re big and bombastic. No guitar solo in this one, but there’s some cool riffs throughout and some rhythm changes that are interesting. The song clocks in at 3 minutes and change. You probably don’t need more than that when your chorus is “Bow down to the antichrist.”

The video starts with a news report about a kid being creepy and hypnotizing people, as though he’s the spawn of satan. It’s interspersed with clips of the band that look pretty solid and not evil at all. And then the most interesting priest in the world goes out to stop the omen by the power of christ compelling them. Also there’s some wolves and creepy clouds. All together, it’s a solid video. Nice to see some acting in a music video.

Friday Morning Metal – Chalice – Silver Cloak

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Here comes some Finnish throwback metal care of Chalice. These guys got their start in 2016 and bring a very late 70’s/early 80’s metal vibe. Like Angel Witch with newer production. They are not to be confused with the Jamaican reggae band formed in 1980, nor should they be confused with the Gothic-doom band from Australia that broke up in 2007. I think this is why there are so many bands with AD or BC in their name. We can’t all be Demon Balls, it’s too confusing. You guys be Demon Balls AD, we’ll be Demon Balls City.

The song drops right into the melody, with some good bass riffs joining the phrases. The vocals are somewhat haunting during the verses, giving it a bit of a 70s vibe. There’s a solid part before the guitar solo that would really lend itself to the synchronized guitar poses that are part and parcel of a metal performance. And the solo itself? Felt like three separate noodlefests stuffed into one! This does make me want to harness the powers of my inner fire. At 3 minutes 40 seconds, the song is a fantastic length. It doesn’t overstay its welcome, but also doesn’t feel truncated in the least.

The video looks like they’re trapped backstage at something. Then a dude with a cow head is being creepy. And some creepy hands. At one point the creepy hand is trying to be helpful and hands the dude a bong and a wine glass, so that’s nice of them. It looks like an old timey horror movie which is pretty fun and fits with the vocal style. I bet them writing Down Under on the walls doesn’t help with the disambiguation between them and the Australian Chalice. It’s kind of a bummer you don’t get to see the band perform, but all in all it’s a cool video.

Friday Morning Metal – Zerre – Deception of the Weak

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Look over Zerre, it’s a Friday Morning Metal! This week it’s Deception of the Weak by Bavaria’s own Zerre. Encylopaedia Metallum says they got their start as a hardcore punk band before transitioning to thrash, and you can kinda tell the overlap. Apparently they don’t have themes. I would like to submit a theme: shred. Is shred a theme? I think it could be. It might lean more toward like… snowboard metal I guess, so I look forward to that.

A solid chugga melody starts the song off before the band kicks into full effect. The vocals are leaning a bit more toward hardcore than metal, but they fit in with the rest of the band’s vibe. The chorus has a great opportunity for the crowd to get in the mix. There’s also a couple solid breakdowns for those who enjoy headbanging. Dueling guitar solos from an explorer and flying V is how you know this is a great metal song. And dang the guy on the explorer shreds hard; very noodly, very fun. Clocking in just under 4 minutes, Zerre’s not wasting anyone’s time.

The video is a combo of a live performance and some additional footage of them shredding. LIVE! SIN! DIE! I guess that’s the deception of the weak. As opposed to April Fool’s Day, which is the deception of this week! Ha! I’m here all night folks.

Friday Morning Metal – Lion’s Share – Pentagram

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Happy Friday, here’s some metal by having 60% or more of a thing, it’s Lion’s Share playing Pentagram. These guys have been shredding since 1987 and got their start in Sundsvall, Sweden. Their themes are inner struggles, pain, and society. It’d be a kick if the songs about society were that society’s going alright, intermixed with the inner struggles and pain songs.

The band wastes no time getting going, with a solid rhythm driving some great riffs. The vocals have a good edge and fun high notes. I dig the finger tappy noodly as hell guitar solo, especially with the soar halfway through. It’s a good solid throwback to the late 80’s metal, so if you want to rip the sleeves off your jacket and race your trans am, this is the song for you!

The video itself is them in a warehouse or chain manufacturer or something. Lotta steam and hard cuts between band members shredding out. Maybe the chains are holding the singer up, he did say his body is old and that crazy is his game. I like the bassist’s top pony tail, makes it easy to head bang and whatnot. Oh and the singer is an antisocial warrior, warrior. The human race is burned by the pentagram. Lotta messaging going on in this song. Some of the hard contrast and digital artifacting reminds me a bit of Painkiller, maybe they’re trying to riff on it.

Friday Morning Metal – Tryglav – The Ritual

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Oooh Croatian black metal. This time it’s The Ritual by Tryglav, a one-man band that started in 2018. Boris Behara is the driver of Tryglav, and he has other singles with names like I’m Gonna Fvkk Your Mom. Encyclopaedia Metallum seems to believe that, though he’s from Croatia, the band formed in Italy, and is therefore Italian black metal, instead of Croatian. That seems like splitting hairs. But also I get grumpy when Death Cab for Cutie claim to have formed in Seattle and not Bellingham. Maybe I should talk to somebody about that. It’s a weird thing to get hung up about.

The song kicks off with some orchestral bits that sound fun and foreboding, like the Phantom of the Opera is almost here, in your mind. A string crescendo transitions into the song, which is heavily guitar-forward and rad. The melody is catchy, and chock full of arpeggios. I think those are arpeggios. Because it’s black metal, the vocals are high and growly. I much prefer clean vocals, but I guess that turns the song into a different genre. The solo at the midpoint is pretty straightforward, if it is a solo. Feel like when guy makes a whole song all of it could be a solo, right?

Since it’s a solo project, the video is just this dude shredding next to some torches. They did a lot of close ups and slow mo shots of the fire, but really it’s just him standing in a field playing guitar. The video does have some scan lines from time to time and like digital artifacting, I bet it’s there to be creepy. While I’m not the biggest black metal fan, the guitar work is great, and it’s cool to see Croatian metal out there. So go out there, Try some glav.

Mega Colossus – Razor City

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Happy Friday! Enjoy some bigass metal from Mega Colossus, this time it’s Razor City. These guys are from Raleigh, NC, and have been shredding faces since 2005. Although for 2005-2016 they were just Colossus. I guess in 2016 they upgraded. And whatever upgrade they did it is well worth it! These guys bring the metal that should be blasting out of every skate shop or dingy dive bar covered in stickers. They also have an album called “… and the Rift of the Pan-Dimensional Undergods” which is pretty spot on for a metal band.

The song kicks off with some staccato drums before a big metal scream. Also they’re slicing their way through the madness. I really dig the vocalist yelling RAZOR CITAAAAAAYYYYY before the first of many finger tappy solos. The vocals are not exactly what I’d expect on top of this kind of metal, but then he yells RAZOR CITAAAYYYY and I understand completely. The drums drive their way through the song, and into your heart. This is one of those “if I’m on a bike ride I’m putting up some PRs” type of songs. I feel like these guys had a checklist of awesome metal tropes to include in the song and took care of them with aplomb. Chock full of solos, chugga riffs, harmonizing, and more, this song rips so hard.

If Beavis & Butthead still covered music videos, this would’ve been in rotation. It cuts between the band playing in a club and clips from Skateboard Samurai 2. He starts off fighting a dude who looks kinda like him, and then he moves on to the Skooter Boys! There’s also a witch lady with a scrying orb and a little demon guy who looks like a Portuguese Gremlin. Oh dang guitar posing during the breakdown! And then a great twist at the end. I want to see more of Skateboard Samurai. He looks tough and awesome.

Friday Morning Metal – Cruel Force – Savage Gods

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German speed metal! This week we’re checking out Savage Gods by Baden-Württemberg’s own Cruel Force. The band is made up of GG Alex, Slaughter, Carnivore, and Spider. Carnivore’s a pretty tough name. You wouldn’t want to mess with Carnivore. According to the Encyclopaedia Metallum they focus on themes of Satan, Blasphemy, and Heavy Metal Cult. I’m not sure what heavy metal cult is, but I bet they have good mixers.

The song kicks off with some guitar and drums that give off a Mediterranean vibe before dropping into the main riff. Frenetic guitars punctuate the growly metal vocals of Carnivore in a great way, and the noodly guitar fills after each line are fantastic. And the solo toward the end has just enough shred to hit the RDA for metal. The song does have a great breakdown at the end. Like they got so tired from being speedy metalheads that they need a nap. Despite the video coming out a week ago, the mix definitely sounds like 1985, especially on the drums. That kinda hollow-y echo is fun and makes me think of dragging my bench press out into the backyard in summer.

The video looks like they’re performing somewhere in Greece. Or like the steps of a courthouse. Lotta quick cuts between band members ensures you know who they all are. It is a little bummer they left the drummer in the recording studio. Maybe it was too expensive to ship his kit to the parthenon so he threw a tantrum and decided “he didn’t want to go to stupid Greece anyway.” I am not speaking from personal experience there, I’m just guessing why he didn’t get to go. Or maybe they won’t let him in because he said tzatziki sauce is weird.

Friday Morning Metal – Aeon Gods – Reborn to Light

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Happy Friday, here’s Germany’s own Aeon Gods bringing the epic power metal that is part of a balanced breakfast. Pretty sure Colonel Jack O’Neil and Dr. Daniel Jackson rocked out to this stuff on that Stargate planet. They seem fairly epic and whatnot. I guess all their albums are about ancient gods, which seems like a rich vein to tap for epic metal. I hope they have Tobin’s Spirit Guide, so they can shout out more obscure deities.

A solid drum fill kicks the song into gear before hearing the main melody. It’s a rollicking riff with some big keyboards adding some extra oomph. I wonder if metal becomes epic when there’s a keyboard involved. I enjoy the vocalist, he’s a little growly while still hitting those soaring moments in the chorus. Also I think he pronounces thousand as “toe-sand.” The solo starts off a little slow before getting some sweeps picks and gnarly scales going. Just in time for the breakdown prior to the coda. I wonder if they planned to do a key change there but thought Alestorm had taken all of them.

The video takes place in the Duat, which is apparently the Egyptian underworld. Their outfits are pretty cool, like they landed on the Stargate planet with the lasers and stuff. I know the Stargate planet’s like sorta Egyptian, but these guys look… space Egyptian. Maybe it’s because the guitarist has one of those no headstock guitars, it looks fancy. Also there’s a dude with a ram head riding a boat, he looks heavily computer graphical. I kept waiting for him to do something, but he just kind of rode the boat for a while. Maybe they ran out of computer budget to make their outfits extra tough.

Friday Morning Metal – Shylmagoghnar – The Sea

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Here we go! Coming at you with a band that sounds like one of Skwisgar’s former groups, it’s Shylmagoghnar’s The Sea. Apparently the band started as two dudes, and now it’s maybe just one guy, Nimblkorg. It’s gotta be tough to play all those instruments at the same time, but he seems to do a pretty solid job of it. In one whole song he’s covering guitars, bass, drums, synthesizers, piano, flute, violin, and vocals!

The song starts with a creepy poem about the sea, before some plinky plunky grandspas guitar work coupled with violins. The vocals are primarily whispers, which is kind of fun and spooky. About halfway through there’s a breakdown and some bigass guitar work, as if it’s another movement within the song. The guitar solo is pretty soaring, and feels like something Skwisgar would use in a song about the ocean. But maybe not Go Into the Ocean. A different ocean song. There’s also some good piano work that gives it more of an epic/operatic metal vibe than melodic black metal. At 8 minutes, the track does feel a little long, but there are enough changes that it’s not too bad. Maybe it could be two four minute songs, but who am I to judge. I can’t play ANY instrument, let alone eight.

The video itself makes the band look like they’re underwater, while it cuts to clips of fish and waves and stuff. They’re really leaning on the title with that. There’s some other stuff, like candles doing their thing, but primarily it’s a lot of ocean. Big splashy cymbals are paired with images of waves crashing, and while that seems a little on the nose, it’s pretty cool. But for a song called the Sea, having a lot of ocean references is pretty great.

Friday Morning Metal – Tad Morose – Beneath A Veil Of Crying Souls

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Time for some bombastic power metal, from Sweden’s own Tad Morose. I wouldn’t say these guys are morose at all, they seem epic. I wonder if there’s a band called “Slightly Epic.” These guys have been shredding since 1991, led by Christer “Krunt” Andersson. Krunt doesn’t seem like a good nickname. I bet it’s totally chill in Sweden, but I’d totally call someone a Krunt if they were being rude. Or it could be a euphemism for eye gunk. “Hey Jim, you take a nap? You got a lot of krunt on your eye.” Beneath a Veil of Crying Souls is a hell of a title, like if you didn’t know the band you could imagine it’s going to be screamo or math rock or something. Or a Falconer album title.

The song kicks off with a great guitar melody before the singer gets going. He’s got a solid set of pipes, alternating between kinda growly and soaring. The rest of the band harmonizes well on the chorus, when it sounds a bit more power metally. There’s a solid chugga breakdown halfway through, right before the noodliest metal solo I’ve heard in a minute. I bet that guitarist is named De Cecco with how full of noodles he is. The song ends kind of abruptly, or at least they do a final chorus and then there’s like a couple measures and that’s that. Regardless, it’s shreddy and not very morose.

The video is pretty much them performing in a really dark church, or in front of some faux stained glass light boxes. Either way, there’s a lot of staring down the barrel from the whole band. I think they’re trying to show off how tough they look playing. Which they do look quite tough. Especially the bassist. I bet he did a Drillbit Taylor back in the day. Pretty sure if I was in a band and they wanted me to look right at the camera while playing I’d probably make a goofy face. So good thing I’m not in a band!