Since the last album "Motörizer" in 2008 nothing had changed in the Motörhead camp. In the world of heavy metal it had happended that Ronnie James Dio had died of cancer and this album, released 7 months after Dio's death, is dedicated to him. This is Motörhead's 20th album. If "Motörizer" was a good album, this one is even better, all tracks are good rock 'n' rollers in the typical Motörhead vein. It must be difficult to variate the quite narrow kind of music this band represents but somehow they gets away with it, album after album. Also it got some good reviews from the press. Buy this album, it rocks! 

Lemmy has been with Motörhead since it was founded in 1975, Phil Campbell since 1984 and swede Mikkey Dee since 1992.

1)Born to loose (7,5)

2)I know how to die (8,0)

3)Get back in line (8,0)

4)Devil's in my head (8,0)

5)Rock'n'roll music (7,5)

6)Waiting for the snake (7,0)

7)Brotherhood of man (6,5)

8)Outlaw (8,0)

9)I know what you need (6,5)

10)Bye bye bitch bye bye (8,5)

Score: 7,55

Lemmy-vocals and bass (b.1945)

Phil Campbell-guitars (b.1961)

Mikkey Dee-drums (b.1963)

Swedish Sabaton here maybe released their best album. They continued their march of heavy metal very much inspired by war, this time they tell stories of the swedish empire as it was way back when the swedish armies concured the north of Europe. The music is fantasticly powerful and choirs and big orchestras are everywhere on the album. They have managed to create great powerful and also good songs with sing-a-long lyrics that are great live and makes peoples fists point to the sky and necks to nod! This is truly an remarkably good album that has a lot of what I want to hear in good heavy metal! If you don't have it, buy it!

1)Dominium maris baltici (-)

2)The lions from the north (9,0)

3)Gott mit uns (8,0)

4)A lifetime of war (8,0)

5)1648 (9,0)

6)The Carolean's prayer (8,5)

7)Carolus rex (9,0)

8)Killing ground (8,0)

9)Poltava (8,5)

10)Long live the king (8,5)

11)Ruina imperii (8,0)

Score: 8,45

Joakim Brodén-vocals

Oskar Montelius-guitars

Rikard Sundén-guitars

Pär Sundström-bass

Daniel Mullback-drums

Daniel Myhr-keyboards

Ghost, a band with a pope from hell and the rest of the band beeing anonymous, even on stage, dressed in their caps. They have created a tremendeous hype and I understand why. The mystique that surrounds this band is apealing to a lot of people and a live show is something very different. Then you are fooled to believe the music is death or at least heavy metal? Nothing could be more wrong! This is melodic hard rock very much in the vein of 1970's Blue Öyster Cult, which also were very mystique in those days. In fact it sounds so much BÖC that Ghost could easily be confused with them.

The album reached nr. 28 on the Billboard chart even though the band had trouble finding an US distributor due to their explicit cover work showing painted naked body parts and satanic things. It reached nr. 1 on the Billboard Hardrock-chart and also on the Swedish national charts.

Compared to the 1st album I find this as a pretty boring album. On the 1st there were some really powerful, heavy and also good melodic songs, here it just tuffs on and on in the same mud. No track is bad but there's really something missing.

1)Infestissumam (-) Intro.

2)Per asprera ad in ferni (8,0) Great main riff and mystique rhythm and melodic chanting chorus.
3)Secular haze (6,5) Monotone and not much happening.

4)Jigolo har megiddo (7,0) Uptempo and not much to talk about even if there's is some nice parts.

5)Ghuleh/zombie queen (7,0) First a mystique part and then an uptempo melodic "Beds Are Burning"-tempo.

6)Year zero (6,5)

7)Body and blood (6,0) Blue Öyster-copycats once more. Not at nearly as good as BÖC though.

8)Idolatrine (6,0)

9)Depth of Satan's eyes (7,0) Nice heaviness in this one. It makes me nod my head.

10)Monstrance clock (6,5)

Score: 6,72

Papa Emeritus II-vocals

A group of nameless ghouls-guitars, bass, drums and keyboards

Sweden's Enforcer return with another album of retro early 1980's style Iron Maiden, NWOBHM, speed metal and some very early Mötley Crüe. So this is old school metal and they make it damn good! Very fast songs and the production is also very 80's, not the best but rough and you better turn the bass to maximum to get more power, even if this band produces enough power in their songs! Listen, play air guitar, headbang and enjoy! The only negative thing about this album is that it can be too much to listen to the same tempo almost all the time, but the playing time is quite short so maybe that's no problem anyway. Compared to the last album the vocals are much better.

1)Bells of Hades (-) Intro.

2)Death rides this night (8,5)

3)Run for your life (8,0)

4)Mesmerized by fire (8,0)

5)Take me out of this nightmare (8,0)

6)Chrystal suite (8,0) Instrumental.

7)Sacrificed (7,5)

8)Silent hour/The conjugation (8,0)

9)Satan (8,5)

Score: 8,06

Olof Wikstrand-vocals and guitars

Joseph Tholl-guitars

Tobias Lindqvist-bass

Jonas Wikstrand-drums

The British heavy rockers Saxon's 20th album! Time flies! This album goes back to more classic heavy metal that Saxon got their breakthrough with in the early 80's, even though it's of course updated to modern technology. What is good is that it sounds good, and what can it do with the almighty Andy Sneap involved in making the album. He has created a great thundorous and powerful sound and the songs are heavy and really really good, I actually haven't heard this band as good as this for a long time, this is a great album well worth the money it costs! The old fellow still rocks! Buy buy buy!

1)Procession (-) Pompous intro.

2)Sacrifice (8,0) Ultra heavy and damn powerful pure heavy metal!

3)Made in Belfast (7,5) More melodic with a fist raising chorus.

4)Warrior of the road (9,0) Back to the metal! Pounding fast heavy metal.

5)Guardians of the tomb (8,0) Good!

6)Stand up and fight (9,0) Heavy and melodic, just the way I like it!

7)Walking the steel (7,5)

8)Night of the wolf (7,5) Sounds very much like melodic Saxon in the end of the 80's.

9)Wheels of terror (7,5) Slower but heavy. Unfortunately the album looses tempo in the end.

10)Standing in a queue (7,5)

Score: 7,94

Biff Byford-vocals (b.1951)

Paul Quinn-guitars (b.1951)

Doug Scarratt-guitars

Nibbs Carter-bass (b.1966)

Nigel Glockler-drums (b.1953)

Pride Of Lions is a band featuring Jim Peterik of Survivor on guitars and amazing singer Toby Hitchcook. This album is packed with 1980's style melodic hard rock as good as any popular band in the genre from those golden ages of Adult Orientated Rock, also known as AOR. The production is not the best though, the bass can hardly be heard and there's too much stupid god preaching and the vocals doesn't always fit the music and the singing is too loud here and there. But there are some good songs and good playing and good clear singing. An okey album to listen to when you want to listen to rock with melody, powerful songs and some nice ballads.

1)Immortal (8,0) A very good and intense melodic rocker.

2)Delusional (7,5) Melodic hardrock with loud vocals.

3)Tie down the wind (7,5) "Big" and intense.

4)Shine on (6,5)

5)Everything that money can't buy (7,5) A good powerballad but they are trying to make more of it than they have to.

6)Coin of the realm (7,0) Good main riff but it's again, too much.

7)Sending my love (6,5) Almost too cheesy ballad but they stay on the right side of the cheesy-line.

8)Vital signs (7,5) Rock'n'roll.

9)If it doesn't kill me (7,0)

10)Are you the same girl (8,5) A pompous and really good powerballad! Yes!

11)Ask me yesterday (7,5) A good rocker.

Score: 7,36

Toby Hitchcook-vocals

Jim Peterik-vocals, guitars, percussion, keyboards and bass on 3. (b.1950)

Mike Aquino-guitars

Bobby Lizik-bass

Klem Hayes-bass

Kelly Keagy-drums

Ed Breckenfeld-drums

Isn't it great that this British band that released thier 1 album in 1968 still can play and record music like this after 45 years? I have always liked this band and I have not heard any bad music from them even if the albums in the last 15 years haven't been the best they've done. With 3 members from the golden era in the 70's and 2 veterans in the game Deep Purple here manage to pull out an album full of 70's and 80's style organ/guitar based, courtesy of Airey and Morse, hardrock with superb singing from Gillan and as always a steady tempo from Glover and Paice. I particulary like the progressive and orchestral parts and also the heaviness, melody and power of the songs and most of all, the pure quality of the songwriting! Since the last album in 2005 it has passed 8 years but age has clearly done them well since they manage to make an whole lot better album than then.

This is music to enjoy for many years to come and I'm really happy Deep Purple is still alive and well!

1)A simple song (9,0) Wonderful guitar/bass-intro and great sensitive vocals from Gillan and it burst into a great 70's style Purple song. Great!

2)Weirdistan (7,5) Strange but good Knocking At Your Back Door-style heavy song.

3)Out of hand (8,5) Great use of organ/guitar and great Perfect Strangers-album style Deep Purple.

4)Hell to pay (8,0) Rainbow's I Surrender-intro to this rocker including a great organ solo and a simple scream-refrain.

5)Body line (8,5) Funky. Great up-tempo happy song.

6)Above and beyond (6,0) A bit monotone slow song with folk elements.

7)Blood from a stone (8,5) A bluesy slow song with a killer refrain, and sensitive vocals and guitars.

8)Uncommon man (8,5) Wonderful melodic calm part and powerful heavy part. Jon Lord-tribute song with orchestral intro reminding of something Lord could have written.

9)Apres vous (9,5) !!! Incredible heavy rocker! Among the best DP have ever made.
10)All the time in the world (7,5)

11)Vincent price (8,0) Nightwish-powerful intro to another great song, a bit of Alice Cooper-creepy-sounding.

Score: 8,14

Ian Gillan-vocals (b.1945)

Steve Morse-guitars (b.1954)

Roger Glover-bass (b.1945)

Ian Paice-drums (b.1948)

Don Airey-keyboards (b.1948)

This american band continues their way through music history with their hard hitting heavy metal leaning a lot towards the modern death metal style with their screaming growls all over the album. Unfortunately this album could have been much better if they had any good songs. On here there aint much of that. It just goes on and on and all songs sounds the same. I'm not against stone crushing hard music like this, but this does not rock at all and it doesn't shake my balls. And to squeeze in 14 songs is just rediciolus.

1)Straight for the sun (6,0)

2)Desolation (6,0)

3)Ghost walking (6,5)

4)Guilty (5,0)

5)The undertow (7,0)

6)The number six (3,5)

7)Barbarosa (-)

8)Invictus (6,0)

9)Cheated (6,5)

10)Insurrection (4,0)

11)Terminally unique (5,5)

12)To the end (6,5)

13)Visitation (4,0)

14)King me (4,5)

Score: 5,46

D. Randall Blythe-vocals (b.1971)

Mark Morton-guitars (b.1972)

Willie Adler-guitars (b.1976)

John Campbell-bass (b.1972)

Chris Adler-drums (b.1972)