New piece from this legendary Dutch HC band is called Angy God and it is released through Rebellion Records. On album cooperate many people who are into the HC scene so Oeds (Devils Blood) wrote title instrumental song, in songs Empty Shell and Black Hole you will hear Merijn (Young Ones, Sparrow Falls) and Erick (LBTS, Strongarm ant the Bullies) and alvum was engineered and produced by Igor who is original drummer of Backfire. It is released on CD (16 pages booklet) and LP (500 splattered, 250 clear and 250 black) and playtime is lightly under 30 minutes. Together you may check 12 songs (including instrumental song Angy God which has nonstandard platime – around about 4 minutes and at the beginning it is cacophonic madness which sounds like mad and not angry god). I have to say that I am not too much into HC but I know some bands :). Backife´s songs are in the swinging HC rhythm (like Empty Shell, Still in The Treneches or No Spiritual Surrender) or they are really fast (Final Days, Call My Name). I really like cumbersome one Rotten Souls (https://youtu.be/U3yyhlhHupY) which has (maybe) tripped up vocals and for me it is the best piece from the album. This really kicks your ass.

Last from three LP´s which were recently released by Ultima Thule is called Tolkar (which can be translated like Intepreters) and you may check nine songs on it. Again if you have a look on the title it is quite clear that these are covers…covers from Swedish artists like Evert Taube, Ted Ström, Lena Philipsson, Björn Skifs and Alf Robertson so we have there country stuff but also rock and pop ones. You will find here also some traditonal songs like the last one Hell Dig, Du Höga Nord, which is also on I Rikets Tjänst album but here is in acoustic folk/country version or songs like Allt Under Himlens Fäste and Biskop Thomas Frihetsvisa. Interpetation can be compared to originals I thin, so songs like songy Vintersaga and Håll Mitt Hjärta are slow, Balladen Om Briggen Blue Bird Av Hull or Calle Schewens Vals are faster and cheerful. Cover is similar to other two versions but the background is blue. From all three LP´s this is the slowest one when we speak about rhythm. Again I will leave it without rating because it is just covers.

Another LP from Still Defiant contains six songs and it is limited to 500 copies (250 black and 250 electric blue). As I said, LP contains six songs including cover from Motorhead R.A.M.O.N.E.S. called S.T.I.L.L. Defiant. Other songs are Nail in the Head, Totally Tough, Sacred Future, Point of View and Pride. Musically it is faster bovver rock/rock´n´roll with touches of punk rock. All songs are fresh so check for example Pride with nice guitar tune from the beginning till the end. Lars´s vocals are not rough and everything can be heard clearly. It reminds me US band No Resistance or harder version of Hard Wax (just check song Totally Tough). I really like Sacred Future and Point of View with nice refrain and vocals and lyrics whgich are about the fact that you wont rule our point of views and way of life. There are some changes compared to previous line up – Lars recorded all guitars and behind the drums is also someone different so I think that it is in state of studio project. All songs from the album acts relaxed amd easy amd album listens very well. Inside are lyrics, band photo, some photo with gasmask from war and short thankslist. Good, good, good.

Second from three new LP´s from Ultima Thule I want to describe Landskapslåtar (something like Songs of Lands). How you can realize from the title these are folk or traditional songs which are put into rock or folkrock style. Together you may check eight songs and the last piece Jämtlandssången is known from the single or Charlataner album. From this album you may also know song Dalvisan. I have to say that this trasformation from tradtional to rock version is something that Ultima Thule really knows. Almost on each album from their discography you may find traditional poems turned into music or some traditional song (or some well known cover but we will speak about covers on tolkar album) and there is also whole album called Nu Grönskar Det. Most of the songs are offcial or unofficial anthems of Swedish lands and provinces – just check Skånesången, Hälsingesången, Östergötlands Sång, Ack Värmeland, Du Sköna or above mentioned Jämtlandssången. In song Sörmlandssången is guest vovcalist Mathias Karlsson and his opera singing. Cover is similar to the other ones (but with yellow background). Inside is again band photo and fan photos. I will leave it without rating because this is just covers but their style and arrangement can be felt from each piece and whole album is nice to listen to.

Cernunnos is name of Celtic god who is often depicted with dear antlers and who is responsible for defeating Romans during battle in Teutoburg forrest. This is also name of longly awaited album from this Dutch/US band which is out (or will be on 11th of March) in all formates CD/LP/MC. LP was released on Rebellion Records (250 black and 250 blue) and Cosmic Key Creations (500 blue). There was a prequel to this album – maxi EP with songs Sacrifice and The Glorious Dead in acoustic version (here is regular version but it still decent piece compared to other ones) and also song Hollow Man which can be checked on youtube (https://youtu.be/q5FbVufso4k). Together there is 10 songs including instrumental intro Awaken and acoustic song Sundawn. Title song Cernunnos is absolutely perfect mix of the best things from streetrock, metal and viking rock (which you may see also in the fact that the album was released on both Wouter´s labels) with perfect drums at the end which make impenetrable sound wall due to double pedal on bass drum. Second one Hollow Man is similar with perfect guitar from the beginning till the end. Mountain of Doom, Primordial Forces (again with perfect drums at the end), The Pursuit of Great Illusions and Voyage to Constantinopole (with great varying vocals) are other song titles and when you add those which I spoke above, you may see that this will not be another bullshit lyrics but spit in the face of modern consume and commercial world. This is ode to old gods, forces, nature and the times where word of man had weight and honor and pride were not empty words. Cover is done again by Johan Pregner (forrests and landscapes), for skull and sword (which is also on t-shirt and patch) is responsible Ramon Girones. To the CD and also LP version are added lyrics so I can´t wait on the physical copy of this masterpiece because this really without any mistakes and remarks.