Heavy Metal Resource Reviews-Mister Misery, Blue Oyster Cult, Flotsam And Jetsam, Victory, & Theocracy

Index

For those who are looking for a more modern metal sound, I bring you Mister Misery. The band is branded as horror metal and will probably have great appeal to fans of band's like Ice Nine Kills or Escape The Fate. There are definitely similarities to both. I had a few friends check this one out on YouTube, people who listen very heavily to the modern genre and they liked it a lot and felt that it was similar to the band's mentioned, but more aggressive. I dabble in modern metal and found that these guys caught my attention enough to warrant a physical purchase. I obviously don't feel they are very well known here domestically, but probably should be. A little background on this band, they are from Sweden and this latest album is their third to date. The are also female fronted and have scream/clean vocal combo as is common in a lot of today's bands. Good stuff!

Release Date: August 2, 2024

The second live recording of a three night celebration of the band's 50 years in rock 'n roll is upon us. This second night offers the full 'Tyranny And Mutation' album in it's whole. Other classic tracks were represented as well. I cut my teeth on this band with 'Cultösaurus Erectus' and was happy see that album represented with a couple of tracks. 'Lips In The Hills' and 'Unknown Tongue' with the latter being relatively rare when it comes to live shows. Once again Albert Bouchard guests on night two as does Utopia's Kasim Sulton. The performances were solid with everyone contributing different things. Out of the two releases so far, this one is probably my favorite by a small margin. Not sure what is going on with a Blu-Ray. I see one on the Frontiers shop listed as sold out, but no listing on Amazon that I could find. I'll keep an eye on that.

Release Date: August 9, 2024

If you are familiar with the last few albums by this band, you'll have a good idea what this album is going to bring. To me, this album is a real burner. The band has surpassed 4 decades and this new album marks their 15th to date. When looking at other bands with the same tenure, you really have to admire this band's consistency. I think that they have become very respected in the genre through the years due to this. Looking closer at this new platter, there are some very cool things. The core of the the music is built on the band's formula. Fast, heavy and in your face. Take a listen to tracks like 'The Head Of The Snake' and you'll see some of the little things that offer new personality to the band's sound. Some low tunings and even some groove. 'Beneath The Shadows' has to be the catchiest tune in a while. Another superb offering!

Release Date: September 13, 2024

Been riding along with this band for a long time. Since the first album to be exact. While there have been lots of lineup changes, this latest record shows that the Victory sound is still intact. Good heavy rockers full of that rock 'n roll attitude. The band is fronted again by Gianni Pontillo who appeared on 2019's 'Gods Of Tomorrow'. This batch of songs has that classic Victory edge to them. Hard rock with a catchy feel that makes the album a memorable listen. The tempo's on the album are fairly consistent throughout. If you are familiar with Victory, you'll know what I mean. There are some lead off singles that you can check out via YouTube if for some reason you are unfamiliar. In my opinion, this is a good and fairly traditional heavy rock record. True to the Victory sound and formula. Good to see these guys still bringing it. Solid!

Release Date: September 13, 2024

A little late to the party on this one, but didn't want to miss talking about this fantastic band and release. I discovered these guys probably on their last album after it had been out for some time. Absolutely loved what I heard and ended up ordering older albums. Anyone familiar with this band knows that they deliver a very high quality product. Music has a melodic nature that never interferes with the intensity. Plenty of heavy riffs on this album and frenzied tempos. Songs are very good. The band is Christian in nature and bring a positive message with each track. As far as the musicianship, that is what caught my ear initially upon discovering them. I felt that each member brought their 'A' game and this album is no exception. Once again, they have released a top notch album. Been out for a while, but definitely wanted to highly recommend this one!

Release Date: October 13, 2023