Astari Nite : "Medications in Bloom"

 

The Miami-based goth project continues their journey away from their death rock beginnings into somewhere new yet not far removed from the more new wave sound they expanded upon with  2024's "Resolution of Happiness."  On the lead single for this EP, "Dry Shampoo X," there is more of an explosive rock element to contrast how the album opens with a more kaleidoscopic new wave sound that pulls from different corners of the 80s without being pinned down to any of them. 

The first darker moment does not come until "Lemon Yellow Tangerine," which carries a creepy more ethereal glaze, while the verses carry more open space for the vocals to wander, then plead longingly at the chorus, making this the best song thus far. Not that I did not enjoy the previous two songs, but this is just more of what I want from this band. The reverbed ring of the guitar adds to the cold goth ache. If you miss their earlier goth days, then it delivers what you want it to. 

They included a revamped version of the "Unisex Games" single released last year, so it's good to have that song included here. I like this song more in this format than when it was released as a single last year. "Miss Rain On My Parade" is more up-to-date and is another single that was released last year, being released on this album, which is good to have for the collection. It's upbeat, but not as hooky as "Unisex Games". The last song, "I Lack Nutrition," finds the band going back toward the more 80s sounded synth driven sounds. I like how his vocals are produced here, they mix the guitar further in the back so it's more of a texture, and his vocals feel more likea Gary Numan thing is going on, which is not the first time this has come to mind since it first arose on the last album.  I will give this album a 9.5, putting it toward the top of the heap when it comes to goth so far this year. I like that overall the mood is darker and more melancholy than the previous album. 

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Heavy Maytal : Iron Maiden's "Iron Maiden" debut album

 

This 1980 classic redefined Heavy Metal with a sound that carried an even more punkish aggression than Judas Priest, but also the songwriting smarts of progressive. Steve Harris and Dave Murray, the only original members who played on this, are also in the current incarnation of the band. Drummer Clive Burr had a raw, energetic style that would evolve, with Harris' bass playing the most nuanced element in a song like "Sanctuary." The twin harmony parts that we now think of when it comes to this band were not at the forefront.

Paul Di'Anno's vocal style is grittier than Dickinson's more operatic belting, but he worked well for what the band was doing at the time, which was not far removed from bands like Thin Lizzy. Murray's playing feels more dominant than Dennis Stratton's. The yare both following the wandering path Harris leads them down on the power ballad "Remember Tomorrow," which also shows that Paul can actually sing really well when he puts his mind to it, though his voice breaks into falsetto way before Bruce's. Midway into the song, they are the gallop we know them for. 

The more upbeat "Running Free" follows the formula for what would become their anthemic arena rousing side. It remained one of their live staples. "Phantom of the Opera" is more overtly progressive than the other songs up to this point.  The guitar solo on this is clearly a Murray, as it showcases his melodic phrashing. Dennis is handling the higher background vocals, a role Adrian Smith would later take on. The instrumental "Transylvania" was written by Steve Harris for his previous band Smiler. It has faster riffs that would go on to inspire thrash bands to come. "Strange World" is another strong ballad that Paul shines on. Perhaps even more than "Remember Tomorrow".  There are more interesting guitar tones and phrases on this one as well. 

The more in your face "Charlotte the Harlot" is the first of four songs Dave Murray would write about this prostitute that he claims is based on a true story. I like the melodic middle section of this one. The album closes with the eponymous theme song, which they still play live. I will give this album a 10; it's one of the strongest debuts from a metal band. I would rank above the debuts of Priest, Slayer, and Metallica. 

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Welcome to Heavy Maytal

For a while I have been brainstorming ways to dedicate a month to heavy metal in the more traditional sense and being that May is my birth month it only makes sense that it should be dedicated to Heavy Metal, since it was the first genre of music I was into as a kid as my earliest beginnings as a music fant started with Kiss, Alice Cooper, Ozzy, Iron Maiden and Motely Crue. Yeah, I think it's fair to count the first two Motley Crue albums as metal. Granted, over the years, the definition of metal has changed from the 80s to now. 

So for the first annual Maytal Month, I'm going to review every single Iron Maiden album that I have not yet reviewed here. Might not be as long a list as you think, since I have already reviewed these

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/07/maiden-voyage-iron-maidens-fear-of-dark.html

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/08/iron-maiden-book-of-souls.html

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2021/09/iron-maiden-senjutsu.html

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/07/maiden-voyage-iron-maidenssome-where-in.html

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/07/maiden-voyage-iron-maidens-no-prayer.html

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/07/maiden-voyage-iron-maidensbrave-new.html

So that is 6 of their 17 albums, and Hell, I might just throw somebody like Dio in as well, along with more traditional metal bands, which might include things more along the lines of thrash and power metal, which spawned from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Not saying that I am not going to continue my coverage of the more extreme sub-genres, I'm just not placing more focus on death metal, black metal and doom, since those all have their own month dedciated to them. I feel like there is a great deal of more traditional metal out there that gets overlooked since the focus seems to fall on those or the related sub-genres like sludge, which gets covered during our doom month in November. So I'm not just going to focus on the classics, but new music that falls into this more epic and melodic point from which the genre is rooted in. 

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Frozen Soul : "A Place of No Warmth"

Frozen Soul's new album starts off with a bigger, and marginally darker though things are mixed in a manner that does not convey the cavernous cold of the last album, but you can't fault them for growing, and they are not making the same album twice, which is more than you can say for most. Oddly Gerad Way from My Chemical Romance guest on this song. However, he is not bringing whiny emo vocals, but a more black metal rasp. So it's not that invasive of what they normally do. This album has several guest spots on it. The second song features Rob Flynn from Machine Head, who contributes his bark to this more deliberate stomp. It's a big, powerful guitar sound that works well.

"Absolute Zero" is a minute of big chug that speeds up into a blast of sorts. "Dreadnought" finds Devin from Sanguisugabogg joining them. There is a mean bass tone for this song, and it grinds into things with a more Bolt Thrower-like feel. The melodic guitar solos bring this out more. An impressive flow of double bass drives "Chaos Will Reign," which is also the first song with the kind of thrashing groove that empowered "Glacial Domination." This is the band at their most effective, commanding headbanging. 

They step on the gas for "Eyes of Despair". But know how to temper the need for speed with grooving riffage. "Ethereal Dreams" makes me think of early Unleashed. The bulk of the album up until that point has been more deliberately paced, and they still manage to retain balance in a more Slayer-like fashion here. The songwriting here is some of the album's most dynamic. "Skinned by the Wind" is really a solid minute of mean riff, but it works for what it is. "Deathweaver" allows for more build-up. It also has one of the most melodic guitar lines on the album, but digging into the pummelling. "Frost Forged' finds the chug still moving your guts in the best way possible/ 

There is more of an Entombed to the rumble of the last song. The double bass speeds the song up, but they find their groove, and pretty quickly, the epitome of not letting your momentum take your feet out from under you. I will go ahead and round this up to a 10, as I think it will grow on me, and their fanbase will get another dose of the heavy slabs of sound that have been refined by staying on the road. This album drops on May 8th on Century Media. 

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Armored Saint : "Emotion Factory Reset"

The last album I spent much time with by these guys was "Symbol of Salvation", but this album does not find the band straying too far from what they worked there. The album carries a great deal of momentum with some unconventional sounds opening up "Every Man Any-man," but once this album gets going, that momentum causes some of the tracks to run into one another; the space Bush gets on the verses is key to their success here. The first song where I can hear a trace of the more classic metal band they once were is " Not On Your Life."

 This is where one of their strengths this time around comes in, regarding the sound captured here, which is that they do not sound dated and feel vital in 2026, while still being true to the spirit of the band.In some ways, to a metal kid in 2026, this album might feel more rock n roll. "Hit a Moonshot" is a very high-energy take on rock, but has more in common with AC/DC than Slayer. "Buckeye" makes me think of Bruce Dickinson's solo work from the 90s. If he is being compared to Bruce, it means  Bush's voice has held up well for 62 years young.  "Compromise" has a more in-your-face metal groove while giving his vocals space. 

I like the darker grunge feel lurking in the chord progression to "It's a Buzzkill". This is one of the album's strongest songs. "Throwing Caution to the Wind" finds them back on the more rock n roll side of the fence. There are a few heavier riffs in it, and the solos on all the songs are pretty blazing if you are into the old metal shred. "Ladders and Slides" has some of the best drumming of the album; it's subtle and feels like rock. But there is an almsot Zeppelin feel. There is a really cool grooving breakdown in it. 

You can hear more Maiden influence in "Bottom Feeders." There is also a more traditional metal vibe to the last song. It works well enough even with some of the rock n roll excess, but I am not expecting them to be Radiohead, so that works for me. Overall, they prove to be vital in 2026, the album sounds great and not dated, John's voice shows little wear and tear, so I will give this album a 9.5 as it's all you can ask from them and they delivered. Out May 22nd on Metal Blade. 

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April's Top 10 Albums

April has breezed by already, so let's get you abreast of new releases. This might help you, casual readers, with what you might have missed.  I am not doing little blurbs on them, just linking the reviews. This helps me organize my lists for the end of the year by listing the album's genre. This does not mean that these albums have been released this month, but it is a list of new or upcoming albums I have enjoyed the most. I have albums in my in-box that won't come out until June, so I am normally way ahead of the curve in this regard. They are ranked in order of how much I have listened to them. This month, leaned more on heavy stuff ranging from Hardcore to Doom, so perhaps you will find your new favorite among them. Here are the Top 10 albums for April of 2026.

10-Nine Inch Noize- "S/t" 

 

Electronic

 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/nine-inch-noize-st.html

9-Bad Stuff-"s/t" 

Doom- Lounge 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/bad-stuff-st.html

8-GODTHRYMM - "Projections" 

Doom

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/godthrymm-projections.html

7-Last ten seconds of life -"The Dead Ones." 

Death-Core

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/the-last-ten-seconds-of-life-dead-ones.html

6-Sun Don't Shine -"From Birth to Death." 

Grunge

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/sun-dont-shine-from-birth-to-death.html

5-Monolord- "Neverending" 

Doom 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/monolord-neverending.html

4-A, A Williams - "Solstice." 

Post-Pop

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/aa-williams-solstice.html

 3-Restless Spirit- "s/t." 

Stoner Metal 

 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/restless-spirit-st.html

2-Terror - "Still Suffer." 

Hardcore 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/terror-still-suffer.html

 1-Portrayal of Guilt- "...Beginning of the End."

 

 Power Violence 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/portrayal-of-guilt-beginning-of-end.html

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Yoth Iria : "Gone With the Devil"

 For me, this Greek black metal band needs to prove that all black metal bands from Greece do not just want to be Rotting Christ. While in and of itself, there is nothing wrong with taking inspiration from Rotting Christ, as they are a great band, but when you are from Greece, it's a little on the nose. They have taken some notes on the opening track with has a hug pagan infused sound, not the kind of blasting black metal that is more typical of the genre, finding themselves between a rock and a hard place, to not follow the path by their sucessful country men or sound like everyone else, so let's see if they can strike a balance here. 

What helps seperate them is the rasp of the vocals. When the sung vocals come in, they are employed in a more Dimmu Borgir-like manner. The folk-inspired melodies in the layers of sound on "Woven Spells of a Demon"  create a similar feel to the opening track and brightens things a little too much for my liking, but it still works for what they are doing. They are staying true to who they want to be and not resorting to blast beats, but they would sound more black metal if they were darker. The female vocals that lead into" The Blind Eye of the Antichrist" cast a more flowery shade of atmosphere over things when they need to be more ominous. 

"I Totem" looms with more of a slow-building menace. It frolics a little but is certainly darker than the previous song. They hammer into you with the double bass, which is welcome as more aggression is needed. They do employ a similar song structure to Rotting Christ, with things building and ebbing in intensity rather than having bridges with time changes. "3am" has a more grooving throb and more melodic vocals on the chorus, making it one of the more accessible songs so far. The only thing black metal about "Give'em My Beautiful Hell" is the vocals. Everything else gallops along a larger-than-life traditional metal path. 

There is a more orchestrated elegance to "Once in a Blue Moon" that reminds me of 90s Swedish metal. They break from their pattern by pounding out the accents of the song's second act. There is a somewhat more traditional black-metal feel to "Blessed Be He Who Enters", though when the vocals kick in, they set up the verse for more groove, which is fine by me, but it has more in common with Crematory than Mayhem. They hit more of a middle-of-the-road black metal feel for "End of the Known Civilization." The last song ends the album with a steady throb. There is almost a more Behemoth feel to the layers of vocals.This might not be the most black metal album you ahve heard but it cares about songs which goes a long way in my book I will give it an 8.5, amd see if it grows on me. If you like more emlodic black metal leanin g metal and not cvlt shit give this a try.  

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