Ambush - Evil in All Dimensions (Napalm Records)

 

Ambush continues to fly the heavy metal flag high with pride! “Evil in All Dimensions” has all the traditional trademarks of the genre. Great catchy songs, impressive delivery, and sharp production. In other words, this album puts a smile on your face each time it is played.

For a number of years now, Sweden has been producing very impressive bands ranging from death metal to traditional. Acts like Ambush, Enforcer, or Teaser Sweet certainly add a lot of freshness to the genre. All incredible and definitely worthy of your attention.

“Evil in All Dimensions” is a great blend of tracks; there are very fast-paced rockers as well as ballad-like slower tunes. It all adds to the overall balance of the record and makes a very pleasant listen. What’s really impressive here are the songs’ structures and the band’s ability to add color to every single track. While you're at it, check out the guitar harmonies; these boys are having fun!

While Ambush is still trying to get acknowledged internationally, this is already their fourth album. The band is superb, and every single one of those records rocks in their own way. Ambush continues to polish their craft as they anticipate that special break that will put them over the top.

“Evil in All Dimensions” echoes the finest traditional years of heavy metal sailing back from the 1980s. In fact, Ambush does it so well that you have to check the release year to clear any unwanted confusion. The album has the feel, the attitude, and the unconventional approach to rock hard, and it does!

Mark Kadzielawa

Novembers Doom – Major Arcana (Prophecy)

 

Novembers Doom went through years of experimenting with styles and sounds. While they were always identifiable, there were consistent variations present in their style. “Major Arcana” is a very mature album and, in some ways, a perfect arrival after years of searching. The record presents a very intelligent equilibrium of sounds, and after several listens, you still want to dig deeper into this music. 

“Major Arcana” is also a very reflective album. The connection between the words and the music is very powerful. Paul Kuhr certainly picks his words in such a way that they match the music in heaviness and delicacy. He and the band make it look easy, but the task accomplished here is anything but easy. It’s a very clever record that is full of emotional moments. It does get personal, and you feel the bleeding of its creators.

The album also comes out at the beginning of fall of 2025, when the mood of the surroundings is changing drastically. The music on “Major Arcana” reflects that shift as well. The band invokes the ultimate darkness in their music but also leaves that small crack in everything, and that’s how the light gets in.

“Major Arcana” is a superb album; each spin of this record is eventful and makes the listener ask existential questions. In some ways it feels like therapy. While the music soars and grinds, the lyrics attempt to balance your mental state and perhaps may direct you to discover your own secret.  This album delivers the goods on variety of levels.

Mark Kadzielawa

Wretch – Visitors (Arkeyn Steel)

 

Wretch is a long-running heavy metal band from Ohio.  While the band is more known and successful in Europe, there is no doubt they make great records and are certainly worthy of your attention.  Their new album, “Visitors,” is truly an exceptional record.  It’s a quiet classic that captures small parts of your heart with each listen.

The band’s mastermind, guitarist Nick Giannakos, is a main writer, and his music has a definite style to it.  His riffs are deeply rooted in the classic way of American heavy metal, with a fair amount of European influence.  The man definitely understands Ritchie Blackmore’s approach, and his music reflects it.  Also, there is a very gentle classical music influence, and it truly enriches the songs.  The texture is very rich here, and there is a lot to explore.

Let’s not forget an excellent vocal delivery from Juan Ricardo.  It is a third record for Ricardo and Wretch, and by far it appears to be the most perfect one.  Ricardo’s vocal abilities complement the music and give it that special edge.  The unifying sense of melody between the music and vocal lines is perhaps the most appealing aspect of “Visitors.”  Also, the incredible guitar dialogue from Giannakos and Mike Stephenson speaks volumes here. At the end of the day it comes down to a song, and each track is equipped with all the ingredients that it needs.

The album consists of 8 tracks and one instrumental written and performed by Kevin Mazey.  All the songs are great, but there are few that stand out.  “In My Time of Reckoning,” “The Voice,” and “Trapped in a Lucid Dream” are definitely championed at the moment by this writer.  Although the sequence created by the instrumental “The Arrival” and “Visitors” is definitely a breathtaking combination.  The album flows very naturally and is best enjoyed when played as a whole.

“Visitors” is a great record, and it has a way of getting into your system in a very unsuspecting way.  As each listen plays out, you find yourself becoming addicted to the songs and the overall feel of the album.  The experience itself reminds you why you fell in love with the music in the first place.  Wretch definitely has that charm about them.

Mark Kadzielawa

Fer De Lance - Fires on the Mountainside (Cruz Del Sur Music)

 

“Fire on the Mountainside” can easily be described as one of the most adventurous albums of 2025. The music on this record is deeply rooted in the 1970s hard rock, yet it is executed with the force of the 1980s heavy metal. Not only that, but the album also contains a lot of folky and tribal influences. All of it mixed up adds to one great musical escapade. And above it all, it is a very dark-sounding offering.

Fer De Lance’s music has a lot of space, and the band takes their time to develop each concept. Nothing commercial here, just pure art for the sake of art! The songs flow, stand, and then tower over the listener. As you experience the music, you feel like you participate in the ritual it creates. Each play is a rewarding experience, and even after several spins, there are still particles that come out at you announced.

All seven tracks on “Fires on the Mountainside” are great and can be individualized separately, but this album is meant to be enjoyed as a whole. Everything fits here; the textures, progressions, and passages are all controlled by one common denominator. Also, there is a recurrent mood that unites the tracks as well. Adding a bonus song down the line would completely ruin the original flow. The album is perfect as is.

“Fires on the Mountainside” is like a soundtrack to a most wicked fairy tale, or perhaps a crusade. Each song is an adventure and an invitation into the unknown. Much has to be said about the great instrumental and vocal performance from the band. “Fires on the Mountainside” delivers on every level possible and certainly is one of the best releases of 2025! While the group claims to be following Children of the Sea, this writer unquestionably follows Fer De Lance!

Mark Kadzielawa

UFO – (The Misdemeanor Tour) Live at Oxford Apollo 1985 (HNE Recording Ltd.)

 

When UFO came back in 1985 with “Misdemeanor” they were in no man’s land.  The album went mainly unnoticed.  It wasn’t even released in the United States, but was available as an import.  The radio completely ignored, yet the band managed to do a tour, playing small venues, and not attracting much attention.  The glory days seemed to be pretty much behind them at that point.

This set combines a live CD and a DVD from one of those stops in Oxford, England.  As a unit, the band was functioning, the new songs were catchy, and their new guitarist, Atomik Tommy M, did a great job with the tracks.  The live set actually concentrates on majority of the tracks from “Misdemeanor,” and it’s something that would hardly be imaginable today. 

While not making a big splash back in 1985, “Misdemeanor” is actually quite good, and in a way a connector between two big UFO phases.  Now the band is no more, but they music lives on, and such releases definitely keep it breathing.  While not in its prime, this line up managed to get themselves on the Knebworth bill in 1985, supporting the reunited Deep Purple. 

This set was available before as a DVD, now it is a combined release.  You can listen, or you can view and listen.  For collector’s this is great, and certainly check off another mark on the long UFO live history.  The quality of this release is amazing, and definitely done with love and the appreciation for the music and UFO’s extensive history. 

Mark Kadzielawa