Volcano - Darker Than Black [2018]

Artist: Volcano

Album: Darker Than Black
Year: 2018
Genre: Power Metal / Thrash Metal
Web: https://youtu.be/5hTBv39GOxg / https://www.facebook.com/VOLCANO4148
Country: Japan
Quality: 320 Kbps

Tracklist:
1. Darker than Black  

2. Flight to the World  

3. Horror  

4. Great Crisis  

5. Jailbreak Vampire  

6. Scatter Toxins  

7. When You Are  

8. Arena  

9. Penetration  

10. Beyond the Horizon  

11. Guardian Deity

Witness: -[*]-

Volcano - Davi [2001]

Artist: Volcano

Album: Davi
Year: 2001
Genre: Power Metal / Thrash Metal
Web: https://youtu.be/qw-ZIUSNv2E
Country: Japan
Quality: 320 Kbps

Tracklist:
1. Absurd

2. History Cries

3. Live Through This World

4. The Wild Obscene Nights

5. Child Eyes

6. Progress

7. No Way Man

8. Crazy Red Machine

9. In the Black

10. Barbwire

Witness: -[*]-

Volcano - Violent [2000]

Artist: Volcano

Album: Violent
Year: 2000
Genre: Power Metal / Thrash Metal
Web: https://youtu.be/_zETnNcdZ3M / http://4148.jp/profile_v.html
Country: Japan
Quality: 320 Kbps

Tracklist:
1. The Present

2. Kill All of Me

3. Ghost

4. Brain Dance

5. Fear of the Scarlet

6. I Am "What"?

7. Cloud Covers

8. Devil-May-Care-Boy

9. The Prayer

10. Volcano

11. Unchained

Witness: -[*]-
It was defleshed who turned me onto this band, and I want to say thanks, mate. I hadn't heard of this band until he mentioned them, and I have to say that this is a unique blend of power metal and thrash, and even though the album probably would have been a better fit for the style in the decade of the 1980s, it probably came out at least 10-15 years too late, but it's still a highly entertaining listen for my tastes. To me, the guitarist's talent really stands out in this band.

Crimson Glory - Chasing the Hydra [2026]

Artist: Crimson Glory

Album: Chasing the Hydra
Year: 2026
Genre: Heavy Metal / Power Metal
Web: https://youtu.be/PIPPOXlGTIA / https://www.theofficialcrimsonglory.com / TDC Link
Country: United States
Quality: 320 Kbps

Tracklist:
1. Redden the Sun

2. Chasing the Hydra

3. Broken Together

4. Angel in My Nightmare

5. Indelible Ashes

6. Beyond the Unknown

7. Armor Against Fate

8. Pearls of Dust

9. Triskaideka 

Witness: -[*]-
New Crimson Glory after 27 years. What will it be like? I am not saying this is great, but for being their first album in more than 20 years and the fact that 3 of the original members are still active, I think it is worthy of a few spins. The first half of the album is the better material, and some of it sounds like it could have been left on the cutting room floor during the Transcendence sessions, but I still kinda dig it. Definitely better than Strange and Beautiful in my opinion.

Destructor - Tales of Glory [2026]

Artist: Destructor

Album: Tales of Glory
Year: 2026
Genre: Heavy Metal / Thrash Metal / Power Metal
Web: https://youtu.be/vRAvF6G_KP8 / https://destructor1.bandcamp.com / https://www.deezer.com/destructor
Country: United States
Quality: 320 Kbps

Tracklist:
1. Tales of Glory  

2. Shadow Magic  

3. Harbinger of Death  

4. Wolves at Your Door  

5. Death Screams  

6. Fall to Your Knees  

7. Never Take Me Alive  

8. Answers in Blood  

9. Rise to the Call  

10. Victorious Warrior

Witness: -[*]-  
When I saw this release back in June, I immediately wanted to pick it up because I knew it was, at least in some ratio, the same band from 1985 that released Maximum Destruction, an album which I hadn't ever heard until about 6 years ago. I guess I wasn't sure what to expect because while I do like Maximum Destruction- not love, but like- the only other album I've heard was Decibel Causalties, and it's so so in my opinion. Well, I am here to say that I do like this album; at least the old 80s metalhead in me does for sure. I admittedly haven't taken the time to explore many of their other releases, but I may after listening to this one a few times. 

Destructor - Decibel Casualties [2017]

Artist: Destructor

Album: Decibel Casualties
Year: 2017
Genre: Heavy Metal / Thrash Metal / Power Metal
Web: https://youtu.be/VUW3Hh5Jhbw / https://www.facebook.com/DestructorMetal
Country: United States
Quality: 320 Kbps

Tracklist:
1. Restore Chaos

2. Keep the Faith

3. Metal Spike Deep

4. We Are Ready

5. The Last Days

6. Fiery Winds

7. Metal till Death

8. In Hell

Witness: -[*]-

Destructror - Maximum Destruction [1985]

Artist: Destructor

Album: Maximum Destruction
Year: 1985
Genre: Heavy Metal / Thrash Metal / Power Metal
Web: https://youtu.be/6X5_76U2snA / https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/destructor
Country: United States
Quality: 320 Kbps

Tracklist:
1. Prelude in Sledge-Minor Opus 7 1st Movement

2. Maximum Destruction

3. Destructor

4. Overdose

5. Instrumetal

6. Pounding Evil

7. Take Command

8. Iron Curtain

9. Hot Wet Leather / Bondage

Witness: -[*]-
So, some of you may have heard me blabber on repeatedly about how I was a teenage metalhead of the early 80s. About how I spent hours in my local record stores searching through the imports, miscellaneous A-Z, metal sections, and used bins for albums and cassettes. Well, I never saw this album in my local stores back then, and so, when I did see this album 6 years ago at the late great site, DTS-Metal.com (RIP), I grabbed it immediately. The album cover immediately reminded me of Tyrant and their Legions of the Dead album from earlier that same year. In my opinion, this album isn't as good as LotD, but interestingly, it is rated much higher on Metal-Archives at 90% versus 68% for Tyrant. The lyrics and vocal delivery don't work nearly as well here, but it certainly delivers a raw, youthful exuberance that makes it appealing if you are a fan of the 80s style. 

Stormcrown - Echoes of the Impending Storm [2026]

Artist: Stormcrown

Album: Echoes of the Impending Storm
Year: 2026
Genre: Heavy Metal / Power Metal
Web: https://youtu.be/86T20Ol1-Go / https://stormcrownmetal.com
Country: United States
Quality: 320 Kbps

Tracklist:
1. Oghma Infinium  

2. Edge of the Unknown  

3. Hot Lead High Speed  

4. Hymn of the Road Warrior  

5. X3r0  

6. Black as Night  

7. Stormcrown

Witness: -[*]-
Here is an excellent example of modern power metal from the Blacksburg area of Virginia. I would say this is predominantly on the melodic power metal side, but there are times when these guys inject some grit and venom, and the leads can be both soaring and blistering. Another fun listen if you are into the style.  

Steel Arctus - Dreamruler [2025]

Artist: Steel Arctus

Album: Dreamruler
Year: 2025
Genre: Heavy Metal / Power Metal
Web: https://www.facebook.com/steelarctus / https://steelarctus.bandcamp.com
Country: Greece
Quality: 320 Kbps

Tracklist:
1. Cry for Revenge

2. Defender of Steel

3. Fate of the Beast

4. Dreamruler

5. Wicked Lies

6. Fires of Death

7. Riding Through the Night

8. Glory of the Hero

9. Will to Power

10. Legend of the Warrior

11. Onar (όναρ)

Witness: -[*]-
Wow, this album is so good! I know the death metal only crowd won't like it, or will ask where it was at 40 years ago, but the people who have more diverse tastes similar to mine will certainly be totally into this band. I want to thank our resident Goa Trance officinato Unbound for the heads up on these guys. Just looking at the album art, I expected something much less intriguing and would have probably never given this album a chance if he hadn't promoted it so strongly. Awesome \m/\m/

Steel Arctus - Fire and Blood [2020]

Artist: Steel Arctus

Album: Fire and Blood
Year: 2020
Genre: Heavy Metal / Power Metal
Web: https://youtu.be/DfHmYEtLFpg / https://steelarctus.bandcamp.com
Country: Greece
Quality: 320 Kbps

Tracklist:
1. Fire and Blood

2. teel Arctus

3. Hellhammer

4. Doombringer

5. Moira (Μοίρα)

6. Savage Heart

7. Arcadian Lady

8. Fire and Blood

Witness: -[*]-
The Greeks seem to be cultivating an awesome power metal scene with these guys, Sacred Outcry, & Battleroar being just the bands that I am aware of. To me, this style harkens back to my youth and is a nice change of pace from the brutal barrage of death metal. 

Sacred Outcry - Damned for All Time... [2020]

Artist: Sacred Outcry

Album: Damned for All Time...
Year: 2020
Genre: Heavy Metal / Power Metal
Web: https://youtu.be/8irOThfRhaY / https://sacredoutcry.bandcamp.com
Country: Greece
Quality: 320 Kbps

Tracklist:
1. Timeless

2. Legion of the Fallen

3. Sacred Outcry

4. Where Ancient Gods Are Still Hailed

5. Scared to Cry

6. Lonely Man

7. Crystal Tears

8. Damned for All Time

9. Farewell

Witness: -[*]-

Another band that Unbound turned me onto a few weeks back. Thanks, dude!

Helstar - The Devil's Masquerade [2025]

Artist: Helstar

Album: The Devil's Masquerade
Year: 2025
Genre: Heavy Metal / Power Metal / Speed Metal
Web: https://youtu.be/xuAo-iwCL2E / https://massacre-records.com/helstar / TDC Link
Country: United States
Quality: 320 Kbps

Tracklist:
1. Adventus (Intro)

2. The Devil's Masquerade

3. Stygian Miracles

4. Carcass for a King

5. The Staff of Truth

6. Seek Out Your Sins

7. The Haunting Mirror

8. The Black Wall

9.  Suerte de muleta

10. I Am the Way

Witness: -[*]-
After the 80s, I hadn't listened to much of Helstar's later material until a few months back, when our friend Bongripper dropped in here and promoted this disc in the chatbox. He actually said that he doesn't listen to this style of metal much anymore, but if he were going to, this would be one of the albums he would take the time for. That is all it took to get me to listen to this one, and I really enjoyed it, so much so that I went back and listened to their 2016 album, and I am liking it as well. It is also awesome to see that Larry Barragán and James Rivera are still together after all of these years. 

Helstar - Vampiro [2016]

Artist: Helstar

Album: Vampiro
Year: 2016
Genre: Heavy Metal / Power Metal / Speed Metal
Web: https://www.facebook.com/Helstar.Metal / https://www.value-merch.de/HELSTAR
Country: United States
Quality: 320 Kbps

Tracklist:
1. Awaken unto Darkness

2. Blood Lust

3. To Dust You Will Become

4. Off with His Head

5. From the Pulpit to the Pit

6. To Their Death Beds They Fell

7. Malediction

8. Repent in Fire

9. Abolish the Sun

10. Black Cathedral

11. Dreamless Sleep

Witness: -[*]-
I was a big fan of this band back in the 80s, but as my tastes changed at the end of that decade, I lost them after Nosferatu in '89. I haven't listened to much of their newer material until this year, and now I am here to say that this album is very good, along with their newest album too. 

Helms Deep - Chasing the Dragon [2025]

Artist: Helms Deep

Album: Chasing the Dragon
Year: 2025
Genre: Heavy Metal / Power Metal
Web: https://youtu.be/VBSTeExEPLI / https://helmsdeep666.bandcamp.com
Country: United States
Quality: 320 Kbps

Tracklist:
1. Wing Chun

2. Black Sefirot

3. Chasing the Dragon

4. Craze of the Vampire

5. Cursed

6. Flight of the Harpy

7. Frozen Solid

8. Necessary Evil

9. Red Planet

10. Seventh Circle

11. Shiva's Wrath

Witness: -[*]-
Stylish power metal dealing with all of the epic fantasy topics that you would expect, and featuring Englishman John Gallagher of the classic metal band Raven.

Helms Deep - Treacherous Ways [2023]

Artist: Helms Deep

Album: Treacherous Ways
Year: 2023
Genre: Heavy Metal / Power Metal
Web: https://youtu.be/3qYAhXFK2OU / https://www.facebook.com/HelmsDeep666
Country: United States
Quality: 320 Kbps

Tracklist:
1. Fire Rain

2. Treacherous Ways

3. Fight or Flight

4. Medusa's Requiem

5. Annihilation

6. Breaking the Seal

7. The Keep

8. Sorcery

9. Mountains of the Scorpion

10. Headless Horseman

11. Serpent's Eye

Witness: -[*]-

Savage Oath - Divine Battle [2025]

Artist: Savage Oath

Album: Divine Battle
Year: 2024
Genre: Heavy Metal / Power Metal
Web: https://youtu.be/5Pi8ZmZolvM / https://savageoath.bandcamp.com/
Country: United States
Quality: 320 Kbps

Tracklist:
1. Knight of the Night

2. Wings of Vengeance

3. Blood for the King

4. Smoke at Dawn

5. Madness of the Crowd

6. Savage Oath

7. Divine Battle

Witness: -[*]-
First off, I want to say thank you to our friend El Faffo for turning me onto this killer piece of US power metal perfection. Back in the '80s, I loved bands that played this style of heavy metal, and I know that there are a lot of modern bands trying to carry the banner for this style, but to me, many of the newer bands sound weak, trying to recapture the sound. Not Savage Oath, these guys are top-notch and spot-on in their conception and delivery of these songs. These guys are for real. 

Concrete Age - Awaken the Gods [2025]

Artist: Concrete Age

Album: Awaken the Gods
Year: 2025
Genre: Melodic Death Metal / Power Metal / Thrash Metal / Folk Metal
Web: https://youtu.be/9ubdF_Xd2Is / https://www.concreteage.co.uk/
Country: United Kingdom
Quality: 320 Kbps

Tracklist:
1. Prey for Me  

2. Forbidden Ministry  

3. Awaken the Gods  

4. Cursed Reincarnation  

5. Mid-East Boogie  

6. Warrior's Anthem  

7. Where Storms Are Gathered  

8. Sorrows of the Flesh  

9. Boro Boro (Arash cover)  

10. Şımarık (Tarkan cover)

Witness: -[*]-
Concrete Age is such an interesting band stylistically and in their overall skill level. Originally from Russia, these guys now reside in the UK, and they have created yet another quality album in their unique style. I only became aware of them in 2023 with their Bardo Thodol album, and then they released another strong offering in 24 with Motherland, and now this album. They continue to create diverse and entertaining music for the open-minded. 

Eternal Breath - Road to Insanity [2024]

Artist: Eternal Breath

Album: Road to Insanity
Year: 2024
Genre: Power Metal
Web: https://www.eternalbreath.be/ / https://www.facebook.com/eternalbreathofficial
Country: Belgium
Quality: 320 Kbps

Tracklist:
1. Wargames  

2. Unwanted Son  

3. Master of Deception  

4. Virus of Death  

5. Living in the Shadow  

6. Insanity  

7. Phantom Brain  

8. Back on Track  

9. God Has Called Your Name  

10. The Edge of the World

Witness: -[*]-

Phantom - Cyberchrist [1993]

Artist: Phantom

Album: Cyberchrist
Year: 1993
Genre: Power Metal / Speed Metal
Web: https://youtu.be/XwzVCAyJr8o / https://www.facebook.com/evilizemetal
Country: United States
Quality: 320 Kbps

Tracklist:
1. Well of Souls

2. Six Feet Under

3. Big Daddy

4. Cyberchrist

5. Graveyard Shift

6. Psycho Zoo

7. Queen of the Damned

8. Blind Man's Sight

9. Alive and Well

10. Preying with the Mantis

11. Last Man Standing

12. Say Your Prayers

Witness: -[*]-
I purchased Phantom's debut album Dead Or Alive back in 1987 and I liked it but it wasn't one of my favorites. Fast forward to May of 2024 and I came across this album 31 years after its release I listened to it and thought to myself, "Where was this at 35 years ago? I would've jammed it repeatedly." As it stands I still think this is kind of a cool collection of songs so I wanted to share it for other old-school power metal fans to check out. 

Phantom - Dead Or Alive [1987]

Artist: Phantom 

Album: Dead Or Alive
Year: 1987
Genre: Power Metal / Speed Metal
Web: https://youtu.be/koMhVn71WyQ
Country: United States
Quality: 320 Kbps

Tracklist:
1. Dead or Alive

2. Under the Gun

3. Punish the Sinners

4. The Stand

5. Black Widow  

6. Take Me Down Slow

7. Dead of Night

8. Turbocharged

Witness: -[*]-
I found this album in my local record store back in '87 and purchased it and King Diamond's Abigail album at the same time. It doesn't need to be stated which album would go on to be considered a classic and which one would fade into obscurity. That doesn't make this a bad album though, I thought the 1st side showed potential at the time.