I could hardly be thrilled by new music in 2023 and it felt as another year of parody.
A Tale of Two Anguses
So, let's just dive in with the ever so popular genre of comedic fantasy metal. Gloryhammer is one of the leaders in this area, with their trilogy of albums which fuse medieval fantasy with space opera, dealing with the never-ending duel between hero Angus McFife and the evil wizard Zargothrax, a story that involves dwarves, unicorns and all sorts of magical beings and gadgets such as the laser-powered goblin-smasher. The band members each portray a character from the story, with the frontman being Angus McFife himself. The fun part is that after the conclusion of the aforementioned trilogy, which ended with the hero sacrificing himself, the band also parted ways with its lead singer, Thomas Winkler. The Angus McFife persona was taken by a new singer, which, in my opinion, sounds even better.
Their newest release, Return to the Kingdom of Fife, continues with the hint at the end of the previous album, that this whole thing is just something orchestrated by some aliens, which have reinstated a clone of Zargothrax, so that the story can be re-started from medieval times. And, just as that suggests, the album is more of the same: cheesy fantasy, a humorous, over-the-top, rehashing of what Gloryhammer is now very confident of putting out.
As for Thomas Winkler, he became quite attached to the name Angus McFife. While still in Gloryhammer, he had some collaborations with other bands using that name and even the costume he used as part of that character. It would be hard for him to make an impact if he were to use a new name. Thus, he is now known as... (drum roll)... Angus McSix. Get it? No? Don't worry. It took me a while, too, until I listened to the chorus of his first single, Master of the Universe: "I got stabbed through my old armor made of leather / But guess who's back, one better?" Get it??? Because Fife sounds very much like "five", so now he's Six, which is "one better"!!! Hilarious!
The thing is I actually like Angus McSix and the Sword of Power better than Gloryhammer's album, because at least it's got something to say, and he has a lot of fun with it. There are lots of puns on the name (Sixcalibur, Starlord of the Sixtus Stellar System) and references to his past, but in a very unresentful manner. I wouldn't even be surprised if this is just a ruse and at some point we'll get a Gloryhammer featuring McSix album, in which the two Anguses fight it out on who the real one is. Then, there's this animated video of Laser-Shooting Dinosaur, which sounds like the theme song for a Sunday kid's show, but metal. All songs are like that: funny, catchy, danceable and sing-along-able.
The Kings of Parody
We should now move to the actual Kings of Parody. And I'm not calling them that just because their name is a spoof on the actual Kings of Metal. I've greatly underrated Nanowar of Steel's previous album as upon subsequent re-listens, especially by watching their lyric videos, I found their songs are unrecognized gems. That goes for their newest album - Dislike to False Metal - as well.
The musicians have really proved themselves to be not only masters of making songs in the exact manner and style of various genres and bands, but they are also fine observers of modern socio-political life. Thus, we do not have just one of the best Sabaton songs, but also an epic account of the 1994 FIFA World Cup final, as if it were a battle of one of the world wars. Protocols (of the Elders of Zion) of Love is not just a boy band spoof, but it makes fun of conspiracy theory lovers, while also piling on tons of cultural references. Just like Sober, which is a tribute to another parody metal band - Alestorm - and turns the pirate theme on its head, by promoting a life of complete abstinence from alcohol. What Alestorm failed to do, Nanowar does, by including an interpretation of the Scumm Bar theme from the legendary Monkey Island games, for which they have my deepest appreciation!
Chupacabra Cadabra is an epic Mexican-style song, which feels lacklustre on a passive listen, but, like all Nanowar songs, it really shines when you look at the lyrics, which deal with the absurdity of the Covid pandemic. Metal Boomer Battalion is also a standout as it makes fun of all those people that like to cast their negative opinions on anything that isn't in line with their sentiments from when they were 14, back in the late '80s. Definitely something that is needed, not just in metal, but for anything that is debated online. There are a few fillers, too, but Disco Metal is not one of them. It just shows that the band can confidently go outside the metal genre. Here, they pile tons of autotune and house music, but somehow make it really catchy and fun to listen to. This probably turns a lot of metalheads away (if for some reason they weren't already!), but it's the kind of song which distinguishes between a listener who really gets it, from those that don't and are just there for a few chuckles.
The Greatest Parody of All
Finally, we turn to what I found to be the album that I liked the most this year. At some point I thought: "Hmm, I wonder what Madness are doing?" Turns out, they're releasing an album! A very good one, too, which deals with the greatest parody of all: life. And you don't have to take my word for it. I don't usually follow tops and charts, but just a quick search revealed that Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie is, unbelievably, the band's first ever number one album in the UK. That's incredible for a band that's been around for almost 50 years, and one that is already well established in the history of music. I find it hard to say a lot about it. It's just great. All the songs are catchy, and the witty sarcasm of the lyrics oozes through the melodies, in the characteristic Madness style. It's of a refined quality, skilfully composed, enjoyable without much effort needed, but also profound. It makes you feel like dancing to the absurdity of life.
Some Metal
Enough silliness. Another album that I enjoyed throughout the year is Beyond the Black's. I've said before that they're the best Nightwish since Nightwish. Lately, their style has leant towards a more radio-friendly production, but, in my opinion, they are just as powerful as ever. The lyrics deal with themes of loneliness and overcoming it, with the value of the album being the emotion it puts behind those lyrics. Jennifer's voice is amazing as always, but it's not just that she can sing the notes. She knows how to portray despair when needed by putting more urgency in her performance, she knows when to lengthen the note or when to put a punch into the word to bring out the right emotion. And when the emotion really needs a kick, the guitar steps in for support. (case in point: the sublime duet towards the end of Free Me, when the guitar "cries" as if it is an extension of the voice) Speaking of guitars, they are solid all around, melodic and powerful, with modern-sounding riffs here and there. The lyrics are also not to be overlooked. I especially like Into the Light, which adds a twist to the "follow your dreams" kind of song, by questioning whether courageously diving "into the light and into the fire" is always a good thing. Whether "driven by hope, driven by greed", it is "another dance on razor's edge" as "we keep on reaching out for more".
Godsmack have released Lighting Up the Sky, which they've announced to be their final album. That's a curious statement for a band that's not even 30 years old, but I guess we'll see if it remains like that. It's a good album, with some good songs. Of course, being the final album, it deals a lot with retrospection, gratitude, but also growing old. And that's part of the charm. As I said, it's a good album, but it didn't get me as excited as When Legends Rise.
What got me excited is a new band I discovered, called Thy Catafalque. They are actually the first Hungarian band I like. It turns out it's more of a one-man project, and he didn't particularly care for doing concerts or touring, but from time to time, he gathers some musicians and they do. That was the case this year, where they did a few shows, two of them in Romania, including one in Timișoara, and that is how I found out about them. Their music is a blend of melodic black metal with folk music, and there is a certain charm about it, a kind of mystic and mythic atmosphere that rises from it.
Speaking of new discoveries, I first heard of Sleep Token from this funny short video, which spurred my interest. So I gave their album a listen. They are a mish-mash of a whole lot of things and I think everybody will pick different things based on what they usually listen to. I've heard people compare them to Tool, to Bring me the Horizon. I'd compare them to Leprous (but better), but also to Twenty One Pilots. And they are all of those. Plus, something like an emo/Lovecraftian version of Ghost for their image. It's the kind of gimmick that divides people quite definitively into love it or hate it camps. Not me of course. I wanted to fall into the former, but after several listens throughout the years, it just didn't stick to me. I like some songs, and I'll recognize them instantly when I hear them, but I can't remember much about the album as a whole. Nothing left a mark on me and the transitions from harsh vocals to pop/hip-hop feel just too random to me, without much substance.
Maybe I'm just a lazy and not that sophisticated listener. Kinda what it's like with Haken's Fauna. Again, it's a good album, and I like how they've put more melody, leaning more towards pop in ceratin songs, but I don't feel like listening to it. I guess it's just how I feel about prog metal in general.
On a happier note, I really liked Liliac's release - Madness (not to be confused with the band). I've mentioned them before - in the previous year of parody. Incredibly, the five members of the band are brothers and sisters. Their parents emigrated to Los Angeles from Romania and raised them with the love of music. They started doing covers of classic rock songs on Santa Monica pier, gained some nationwide attention by appearing on TV, and after all these years they are still playing together. I noted back then, that while the covers they did sound amazing, their own compositions are not that exciting. Well, I'm happy to say that Madness is quite exciting. It has a very fresh and modern sound, especially due to the guitarist who has some heavy classical affinities, but also to the keyboardist, who brings just enough bells and whistles into the mix. While there is nothing ground-breaking, it feels like they are having fun with the songs, not only the thrill of playing the kind of music they enjoy listening to, but also trying out different things. The lead singer, of course - another highlight, has a distinguishably raspy voice that sounds a lot like Dio. She (yes, she is a girl) uses that style on a lot of songs, to great effect, but isn't afraid to fasten the pace to almost a rap style, or go out screaming almost death-metal style. I would say that if you want to hear what a modern Dio would sounds like, Liliac is your kind of band.
Some Pop
Finally, I also listened to Pink's Trustfall. Or, I think it's written P!nk. Whatever. I went with my wife to one of her shows. No, I wasn't dragged, although it's not the kind of concert I would go on my own. Even though I don't regularly listen to Pink, I like her. She's probably my favourite female pop-star. And the concert was really great. It started by her bungee jumping from the roof of the stage, while singing. There was a lot of that, and towards the end she even flew across the entire stadium from one end to the other, tumbling in mid-air, doing one-hand push-ups while upside-down... while she was singing. I think I'm not exaggerating when I'm saying that her show was the pop version of a Rammstein concert.
Anyway, coming back to the album... There are some good songs on it, but the production really takes the life out of it. It's made to sound mellow and radio-friendly. For example, the title track I didn't really like, but in concert it sounded very different, loud and with real guitars, and that totally changed my opinion of it.
And I think that wraps it for this not very exciting year. Hope I didn't forget any important releases.
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