Idol Throne – A Clarion Call (Stormspell Records)

 

Idol Throne is back on the battle field with their second album.  The band continues to explore their own brand of metal, and reaches new heights.  It’s great to see that type of progress.  The concept of this group was already a winning formula, and they got even better.  There is a very fresh feel to “A Clarion Call.”

The best thing about this album is the passion coming out of the individual players.  There is a feeling of joy, and it comes across in the songs too.  The 8 tracks on the record sway back and forth with various moods, inventive riffing, and soaring vocals.  In fact, it’s the Jake Quintanilla’s vocals that dictate the direction to many of the songs.  He is using multiple voices to get the feel and convey his message. 

Instrumentally, Idol Throne was already fantastic, on their first album.  What happens here, they get even more adventurous and creative with the material.  As much as the first album rocked, you can notice a natural progression taking place here.  It is not a massive departure, but you sense a slightly more advanced thinking pattern already setting into these songs.  Idol Throne is definitely a band with a lot of ambition, and they will continue on their quest to greatness.

There is a higher level of musicality that is also present on “A Clarion Call.”  There are influences that show up, and fit perfectly with what Idol Throne is trying to achieve.  Some of the passages or transitions found here could have easily worked in a group like Porcupine Tree, yet Idol Throne sounds nothing like it.  It keeps the music fresh and more appealing.

“A Clarion Call” is definitely an achievement, and Idol Throne will not stop here.  They are completely committed to their cause, and are already working on some new material.  This is only the beginning, and now it’s your duty to answer the call.

Mark Kadzielawa

Avernus – Grievances (M-Theory Audio)

 

Avernus returns after many years of silence, but this is a very triumphant come back!  Just one look at the album cover, and it just captures you before a single note of music is played.  The cover is a painting by August Friedrich Schenk, and it’s titled “Anguish.”  It’s a breathtaking piece of art that forces you to reflect, and so is the music inside.

“Grievances” is a record reflecting life, it is gentle, harmonious, but above all brutal.  As you listen to it, you feel the experience of joy, disappointment, betrayal, and the passage of time.  The time it took for these songs to arrive in the shape they are in, was very beneficial for the band and the music.  While the wait was long, the results are outstanding.  What were once influences for Avernus are now their peers.  What Avernus does is quite unique on the local and national level. 

The ten tracks on “Grievances” guide the listener from mood to mood, and spell out variety of truths learned from life.  In a metaphorical sense, the lyrics deal with dark moods, and realities of life seen through stagnation and nothingness.  At one point the band proclaims that,” Nothing exists anymore, your faith has gone and abandoned you.”  And regardless where you are at in your spiritual life, such moments of doubt are often dictated by life itself.  The songs are very clever, and they reach quite deep beneath the surface.

Avernus delivers great performance on this album.  The players are top notch, they know the material inside out, and they make sure that every note is felt.  Rick McCoy’s growls fill the music with desperation and pain; he’s never sounded better than he does now.  Erik Kikke and James Genenz make their guitars sound like the tools of the archaic food-plant grinders.  Drummer, Rick Yifrach observes the balance before striking it down with his thunderous approach.  Genenz handled bass on the album. 

“Grievances” is a breakthrough album for Avernus!  The band delivered a great record that should be acknowledged and celebrated worldwide.  Their distinctive sound and skilled songwriting aligned in a perfect unison.  This is the time and this is the place for Avernus to fulfill their promise.

Mark Kadzielawa

Todd Michael Hall – Off the Rails (Rat Pak Records)

Todd Michael Hall is known for his involvement with Riot, but this time he is striking on his own.  Well, not completely on his own.  It’s a collaboration with guitarist, Kurdt Vanderhoof, of Metal Church, who wrote all of the music for this album.  Now that technicalities are out of the way, there is one thing you need to know.  Todd Michael Hall is a superb singer, one of the cleanest voices around.  “Off the Rails” is a different kind of record than what you would hear him do in Riot. It’s not a complete departure, but it presents a slightly different feel.

Hall and Vanderhoof had created a perfect melodic rock album.  In fact, it fits variety of categories, be it AOR, hard rock, or just rock.  The bottom line is that it is a great record with its own personality and mood.  The vocal melodies created by Hall and catchy and instantly memorable.  His delivery is outstanding, he makes it look easy, when in fact, it’s a lot of hard work.  Once again, his voice is very distinctive, and what he does with it is quite magical.  Had Todd Michael Hall came out onto the scene in the mid 1970s, he would probably end up in Rainbow or a band similar to that.  Either way, he would be played on the classic radio today, if that was the case back then.  And who knows, it may still happen.

“Off the Rails” is full of great songs, but it’s also a record with a very positive message.  Hall is definitely putting a lot of feelings into his words, and how he carries out that message.  There are songs here everyone can relate to, and find themselves somewhat included in the mix.  “Start with Love,” “Are You with Me,” or “Can’t Get Enough,’ are absolutely brilliant, but then the same can be said about the rest of the songs as well.  The one that gets very personal is “Name the Time & Place,” a song about a long-lasting friendship.  This writer can certainly relate to this topic, where a friendship stays strong through the years, despite the distance that may keep you physically apart.  There are more songs on this album that generate similar emotions.

This is a second album for Todd Michael Hall, collaborating with Kurdt Vanderhoof, and musically it is a very healthy and productive relationship.  Vanderhoof plays some great riffs and fills it with tasteful licks.  Miles away from what he normally does in Metal Church.  “Off the Rails” is a very special record that focuses on authentic feelings, positive outlook, great melodies, and impressive vocal delivery.  It’s an album that lights up the light at the end of the tunnel in 2024.

Mark Kadzielawa

Wraith - Fueled by Fear (Prosthetic Records)

 

Wraith is back with another explosive album!  “Fueled by Fear” marks a new level of maturity for the band.  Having said that, there is nothing here that would compromise band’s already established style.  It’s just bigger, bolder and better!

What makes this band great is their incredible songwriting, and the time they take to work out the riffs.  The songs are very melodic, and the riffing is absolutely superb.  In fact, it’s the creative riffing that makes or breaks this album.  In this case, it’s a success on all fronts.  It often feels like the guitar players, Matt Sokol and Jason Schultz, are having a dialog here using their instruments.  The riffing underneath a main riff, and then finding a way to connect somewhere in the middle, simply incredible.  Let’s not forget the very dependable rhythms section consisting of Chris Petkus and Mike Szymendera.  It is what those two guys create the base that sets the stage for Sokol and Schultz to shine.  All in all, it’s a very tight unit, and everyone understands their role.

The 14 tracks featured on Fueled by Fear are strong, every single song is unique and has that special something.  “The Breaking Wheel” could easily open the album, and is as much as effective as “Asylum” which is the actual opener.  Even though, Wraith is one of the newer bands, their influences dig deep into the classics of thrash.  There are riffs that are reminiscent of Sacrifice or Destruction as far as the precision goes.  It’s a great feel to have, but it’s only one of many components Wraith is comprised of. 

“Fueled by Fear” will certainly expand Wraith’s fan base, and will allow the band to reach that next level.  The group is very active as far as promoting this album, touring, and being visible.  All of this effort will eventually translate into a wider success.  This album is a winner regardless of the overall outcome.

Mark Kadzielawa

W.A.S.P. - The Arcada, St. Charles, Illinois 11/9/24 (visual review-all images by Mark Kadzielawa)