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November 2024

• Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
• Lionville: Supernatural
• Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
• Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
• Lonerider: Down In The Dust
• Seventh Crystal: Entity
• Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
• Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
• Impellitteri: War Machine
• Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter

October 2024

• Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
• DGM: Endless
• Daytona: Garder la Flamme
• Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
• Frost*: Life In The Wires
• Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
• Fans Of The Dark: Video
• Radioactive: Reset
• House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
• Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire

September 2024

• Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
• Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
• Eclipse: Megalomanium II
• SteelCity: Reverence
• Hydra: ReHydrated
• Heartwind: III
• Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
• Find Me: Nightbound
• The Nail: The Nail
• Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
• Stryper: When We Were Kings
• Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
• Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
• Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly

August 2024

• Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
• Paralydium: Universe Calls
• Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
• Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
• All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
• Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2

[ More Music Reviews ]

Lunar Shadow: The Smokeless Fires

Melodic Heavy Metal

4.5/5.0

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Cruz Del Sure Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 19.06.2019 | Released: 21.06.2019

German metal quintet Lunar Shadow, created and directed by songwriter and guitarist Max Birbaum, disturbed the force of the metal underground with their surprising and ambitious 2017 debut album, Far From Light. Drawing deeply from the well of classic heavy metal, Lunar Shadow delivered an album filled with thriving songs and thrilling guitar work. Now the band returns with their second effort, The Smokeless Fires, which introduces new vocalist Robert Rottig.

Lunar Shadow

Once more with Birbaum at the helm Lunar Shadow offers another album of guitar-forward classic melodic heavy metal wrapped in intriguing arrangements. The twin guitar harmony is self-evident and Birbaum's solos are both creative and vibrant. While you'll find explosive guitar solos, Birbaum has taken to twisting his arrangements with more piano and acoustic guitar parts. You'll hear the piano rise with Catch Fire. Within Roses, Birbaum uses acoustic and electric guitar parts as complimenting musical foils. For Pretend, the song turns on the interplay of both light piano and guitar in a somber arrangement with Rottig's voice lilting above. Alternatively, Laurelindorenan finds Lunar Shadow returning to more epic heavy metal combining riff harmony with brisk pacing to lead to a fiery guitar solo. But that's not before Birbaum drops a subtle acoustic guitar breakdown in the middle. Hawk Of The Hills bristles with large and sharp guitar parts throughout, yet also allows for contrasting short acoustic guitar with voice breakdowns in three parts. In the end, Lunar Shadow's The Smokeless Fires is simply another exceptional, intriguing, and entertaining album of guitar-infused traditional melodic heavy metal. Easily recommended.

Stargazery: Eye On The Sky (Reissue)

Melodic Heavy Metal

4.0/5.0

In advance of their forthcoming third long player Constellation, Pure Steel will reissue Stargazery debut album, 2011's Eye On The Sky. The re-release on vinyl will ... [ Read More ]

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

Lunar Shadow's The Smokeless Fires is simply another exceptional, intriguing, and entertaining album of guitar-infused traditional melodic heavy metal. Easily recommended.

Alphabetical Index

eviewing my archives, I was pleased to find that I have had the privilege to review every Lionville since their self-titled debut in 2011. Formed by Stefano Lionetti, a songwriter, singer and guitarist based in ... [ Read More ]