Band Of The Day: Chariots Overdrive (USA)

The Nwothm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZziwebIhlQ

Band: Chariots Overdrive

Country: USA

Label: Gates of Hell Records 

Album: The End of Antiquity

Members: G.H.Z – Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitars, Piano

Y.Z – Lead Guitars, Acoustic Guitars, Backing Vocals

Z.Z.Y – Bass Guitars, Backing Vocals

W.R.C – Drums, Percussions, Backing Vocals

Track Info: Chariots Overdrive

Gates of Hell Records proudly presents The End of Antiquity

Gates of Hell Records proudly presents The End of Antiquity, the first full length album from Chariots Overdrive, a band that brings together fantasy driven themes and classic heavy metal power in a bold and imaginative debut.

From the opening riff to the final strike of the drums, Chariots Overdrive make an immediate impact. The record is built on commanding guitar work, soaring solos, mystical vocals and tight, energetic percussion. Their sound draws from the attitude of NWOBHM, the epic flair of USPM and a clear influence from Metalucifer. The album was mixed and mastered by Greg Hendler, who delivers a strong and natural production style that will appeal to listeners who prefer the raw force of 1980s heavy metal.

Although the album is rooted in traditional heavy metal, it offers plenty of surprises. Subtle progressions and unusual twists appear throughout the songs, adding excitement without compromising the band’s commitment to pure heavy metal. The lyrics take inspiration from ancient Chinese historical writings and mythic tales, a theme rarely explored in the genre and one that gives the album a distinctive identity.

Across nine tracks, The End of Antiquity creates a vivid emotional journey. The music carries feelings of sorrow, triumph, battle fury and a powerful sense of adventure. The band’s attention to detail and their instinct for memorable melodies result in a fully realised debut that feels complete and confident. The hooks linger long after the album ends and the rhythmic drive encourages repeated listens.

Gates of Hell Records will release The End of Antiquity on April 3 on CD, vinyl and digital formats.

Pre order: CD: https://tinyurl.com/mrxkbwkw Black Vinyl: https://tinyurl.com/46avhuut Bandcamp: chariotsoverdrive.bandcamp.com/album/the-end-of-antiquity

Track Listing:

Where Dust Reigns

Parasite

Marching Maniacs

A Taikonautic Alchemist

Sunken Throb

Chariots Overdrive

Nomadic Warfare

The End of Antiquity

A Bizarre Pilgrimage to the Cubik Mansion

Links

Instagram: Instagram: instagram.com/chariots_overdrive_metal

Facebook: facebook.com/chariotsoverdrive

Label: https://www.facebook.com/gatesofhellrecords/

#BandOfTheDay #chariotsOverdrive #GatesOfHellRecords #HeavyMetal #NewAlbum #NewWaveOfTraditionalHeavyMetal #NWOTHM #TheEndOfAntiquity #thenwothm #thenwothmCom

Sölicitör – Enemy in Mirrors Review

By ClarkKent

Sölicitör’s 2020 debut made quite the splash ’round these parts when 4.Öldeneye heaped glorious praise all over it. The five-piece out of Seattle has been quiet since then, releasing an EP in 2022 totaling two songs. Now they return for their sophomore release with a philosophy of more – more songs, more length, and even a couple more instruments (piano, synths). The members wanted to take a more hands-on approach with Enemy in Mirrors, which is why vocalist Amy Lee Carlson lent not only her pipes but also her artistic ability in designing the cover art. While Sölicitör retains their core sound, Enemy in Mirrors promises to be a more melodic journey. Not to worry, this is still your Holdenfather’s Sölicitör, albeit with a touch more nuance.

As Holdeneye described in his review of Spectral Devastation, Sölicitör’s style isn’t as straightforward as it appears on the surface. They find inspiration from ’80s speedy heavy acts like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, only this time around, they add more melodic elements reminiscent of Bloodletter. The resemblance to the latter is apparent early, as the combination of speed and melodic leads gets “Paralysis” going right out the gates. “Iron Wolves of War” and “We Who Remain” continue this streak while also including some catchy choruses that channel Sölicitör’s influences. When Carlson sings “Flee! Flee in horror!” on “Iron Wolves of War,” I couldn’t help but think of Dickinson’s iconic chorus on “Run to the Hills.” Then, on the chorus of “We Who Remain,” it sounds an awful lot like she’s singing “Defenders of the faith.”1 Sölicitör inject plenty of spirit into their speed, and the addition of melodic leads adds depth and a layer of infectiousness.

Enemy in Mirrors is not just speed, however. The record combines up-tempo velocity with mid-tempo grooves, pianos and synths that build suspense, and, of course, Carlson’s formidable voice to perform songs that prove Sölicitör to be effective storytellers. “Spellbound Mist” is the first to dabble in this more nuanced storytelling, beginning at a slower pace as Carlson croons and casts her spell over the listener. Then it takes a sudden turn on the back half towards furious shredding and thrash that gave me flashbacks of the twists and turns that Helms Deep took on Chasing the Dragon. The final two songs similarly impress in their ability to spin a yarn, beginning with synths that create ghostly atmospheres before melodic riffs and a thrumming bass add to the enchanting soundscape. With this patient buildup, Carlson eventually gets fists pumping with well-timed vocal entrances—singing “I am the deceiver” on “Black Magick (Part I)” and throwing out a creatively pronounced “Ooooh yeah!” on “The Devil’s Hand (Part II).” Both tracks end Enemy in Mirrors on a high note, showcasing Sölicitör’s maturity in songwriting.

I see a parallel between Sölicitör and Helms Deep in that both bands churned out longer sophomore albums than their debuts. In Sölicitör’s case, the length isn’t due to longer songs, but more of them. Unfortunately, this proves my lone gripe, as there’s a slight sag in quality in the back half, which keeps Enemy in Mirrors shy of the coveted 4.Ö. These songs aren’t lacking in the speed department, but they fail to utilize the melodic leads present on the rest of the record. “Fallen Angel” isn’t the longest cut, but it feels like it due to its more uniform structure and lack of hooks. “Crimson Battle Beast” begins with a classic speed intro, but the chorus comes off awkwardly and a bit silly. What these tunes do isn’t necessarily bad, but they sound more bland than the rest. Whether these two, plus the other weaker track, “Enemy in Mirrors,” work for you or not is likely going to be a key deciding factor in how much you enjoy the album.

Enemy in Mirrors is a welcome return after a five-year break, and it’s a promising direction for these talented musicians. If you enjoyed the debut, you’ll be happy to know Sölicitör doesn’t make any core shifts in their sound, and what they do add is a definite improvement. While we would certainly prefer beloved bands to release records more frequently, the most important thing is quality, and Sölicitör has quality in spades. If you like fun, if you like speedy and melodic metal, you owe it to yourself to check this out.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Gates of Hell Records
Website: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: September 19th, 2025

#35 #AmericanMetal #Bloodletter #EnemyInMirrors #GatesOfHellRecords #HeavyMetal #HelmsDeep #IronMaiden #JudasPriest #MelodicMetal #Review #Reviews2025 #Sep25 #Sölicitör #SpeedMetal #ThrashMetal

Caballero – Caballero Review

By El Cuervo

Album concepts can be tricky territory. Especially those based on historical events where accuracy is a pre-requisite. Especially debut albums, where a band is also figuring out their sound. And especially those produced by guys from Finland about the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. The self-titled Caballero by Caballero is just such an album, representing an enthusiast’s exploration of warfare, death, and cult heavy metal bands from the 80s. Is it a match made in the thirteen heavens or in the Nine Hells?

Caballero is the sort of band that I’d love to experience live. It’s easy to imagine they’d be loads of fun because their recording sounds splashy, energetic, and lively. Caballero executes this sound through a lo-fi approach to speedy heavy metal. It has a production aesthetic that evokes a serrated knife; the riffs cut with a sharp edge, but the overall package has an imperfect roughness. Robust guitars orient around headbangable grooves rather than masturbatory solos, and I enjoy the touches of speed metal when the rhythms shift up a gear; its theatricality belies skilled instrumentalists. The back halves on “Mortally Wounded, Counting the Galaxies” and “The Lord of the Day and the Winds” exemplify these elements, running through raucous leads and frantic energy. The music isn’t the best or most innovative heavy metal ever produced, but has grit and personality. Caballero’s 37-minute runtime passes rapidly.

Undermining these qualities, however, are the just-about-tolerable vocals. I admire the effort thrown into the half-sung and half-shouted style, but they rarely hit the notes or power they target. Caballero relies on reverb to confer a thicker tone and greater gravitas they would otherwise lack, but even these can’t overcome a majority that grounds a release that nearly takes flight into something special. If the guitars have an energizing effect, the vocals have the inverse effect. The singing actively detracts from passages like the first heavy part on “The Moor-Slayer”; a grinding, stomping lead is frustrated by shouts that sound out of key. And while I like the marching passage on “La Noche Triste,” especially the layer of shredding guitars, the harmonized chants are extraneous and weak. The vocals are an obvious instrumental weakness when compared with the sharp guitars.

Caballero features a consistency that works in two ways. The first is how the band bridges the riffs and solos in smart ways. “Sorcery Above the Lake of the Water-Dog” is stuffed full of great leads that won’t just get you moving but are also surprisingly technical. The way this track transitions between passages belongs to a 4.0 album, especially as the solo grows naturally out of the noodling preceding lead. The second is a consistency that flows from songwriting that struggles to clearly distinguish tracks. Most unfold in a way that’s largely enjoyable, but they sound more like a collection of riffs stitched together than they do structured songs. This robs some of the satisfaction I typically glean through cohesion. Without strong vocals or vocal melodies, there isn’t a clear delineation between verses, choruses and tracks.

Some albums score in the 2.0-3.0 range because they’re middling releases that fail to stand out from the crowd. Caballero falls into this range because while they have obvious weaknesses, they also boast great advantages. Caballero is far from perfect, but its riffs and sheer entertainment value largely outweigh the imperfections. It’s a robust marker of a young band in ascendancy, so I’ll track their development with interest.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 11 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps MP3
Label: Gates of Hell Records
Website: caballero.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: March 7th, 2025

#2025 #30 #Caballero #FinnishMetal #GatesOfHellRecords #HeavyMetal #Mar25 #Review #Reviews #SpeedMetal

Finland’s Caballero bring forth their self-titled debut power metal album. Review at FFR, https://flyingfiddlesticks.com/2025/03/05/caballero-caballero-gates-of-hell-2025/ #metal #heavymetal #rock #hardrock #Caballero #Finland #GatesOfHellRecords #powermetal

Phaëthon – Wielder of the Steel Review

By Steel Druhm

Maybe I’m alone in this, but I want more sword-swinging trve/epic metal in my life. I want more bands sounding like Cirith Ungol, Brocas Helm, and Manilla Road in circulation. I want it to be 1066 A.D. too! I guess I just miss that classic sound and find myself walking among the tombstones of olden albums like King of the Dead and Out of the Gates more and more as I approach extreme ancienthood. This made me an easy mark for England’s Phaëthon who aspire to weld Viking-era Bathory onto the framework established by the 80s epic greats and continued by bands like Doomsword and Argus. On their Wielder of the Steel debut, they mine the depths of the 80s trve metal sound while keeping a foot in NWoBHM and the early Viking metal days. This is a heady combination, but can it be successfully forged into a weapon of might and magic? That’s where the metal meets the anvil, folks.

As soon as the blacksmithy opens for iron business on “Eternal Hammerer” it’s clear these metalworkers love the 80s sound and atmosphere. Shades of Cirith Ungol course through the music along with Witchfinder General and Witchkiller (think “Day of the Saxons” then go spin that lost gem 50 times). It’s big throwback fun delivered with great enthusiasm by the band, especially vocalist S. Vrath who really gets into character. It’s a rousing war chanty and it should get your polearm standing at full attention. Epic and bombastic cut “Vanguard of the Emperor” goes for large bigness at all costs, sounding like Atlantean Kodex smashing headlong into Doomsword’s weakened left flank. This is battle-hungry metal born of strife and struggle and Steel is here for it every damn day. The overly dramatic spoken word section is very gratuitous and pads the song out, but overall this is a successful campaign of conquest. Especially thrilling is the wanton trveness displayed on “For the Greater Good of Evil” which plays out like a violent collision between Megaton Sword, Venom, and Twisted Tower Dire. It’s sloppy, ridiculous, and overwrought, but it’s loads of fun. “Blasphemers” incorporates a quasi-blackened thrash vibe that also works quite well, sounding aggressive and righteous.

Unfortunately, Phaëthon don’t always arrive with the best-laid battle plans. The 7-minutes of “Tolls of Perdition” aim for the sweet spot somewhere between epic-minded Iron Maiden and early Manowar but crash in the adjacent landfill due to WAY too many dramatic spoken word pieces with overly Shakespearian intoning that get tedious quickly (more on this later). The massive 9-plus minute closing title track is all over the map, swinging wildly trying to hit multiple moods and eras, but it’s all sound and fury signifying that it’s not that great of a song. Good bits are present but I really don’t enjoy the long ride aside from the fact that at multiple points it reminded me of this long-lost 80s treasure. The most annoying aspect of the album is the recurring spoken word pieces done in a wildly over-dramatic manner. It’s like the band hired a herald akin to Paul Bettany in A Knight’s Tale to regale you with heroic tales during the song about the very same heroic tales. After a few of these needless interruptions, you want the blustering puffery to cease and desist toot-sweet. The songwriting itself is also quite inconsistent. When it’s good, it’s good. When it’s not, things can get quite ham-fisted and awkward. At 42-plus minutes, the album feels considerably longer than it is with several songs suffering from disabling bouts of mega-bloat.

Another big obstacle to fully enjoying Wielder is vocalist S. Vrath. He’s the ultimate love or loath frontman and his mammothly exaggerated delivery is like Uzzy Unchained from Megaton Sword if he were even MOAR unchained and then mixed with Deathmaster of Doomsword. That’s an ungainly combo no matter how you slice it, and the vocals here will slice your ear canals plenty. Luckily, Vrath is a far better guitarist than vocalist and along with Decado, he harnesses the NWoBHM and trve metal genres to deliver fun moments steeped in the golden age of classy metaldom.

Wielder of the Steel is like a big nostalgia bomb that fails to detonate. There are so many elements here I want to love, but the end product proves tough to cuddle up with. Some streamlining and much more focused writing could bring Phaëthon closer to acts like Megaton Sword but as of now, their hammers are running low on essential glory oil. Back to the war room, boys!

Rating: 2.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Gates of Hell
Websites: phaethon.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/phaethonband | instagram.com/phaethonband
Releases Worldwide: August 30, 2024

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