Since their formation in 2021, Aussie thrash metal band Decimator have gone through a variety of line-up changes, but this potential instability only seems to have made frontman (and only original member) Lance even more determined to make his band a success. Decimator’s 2025 release ‘Downfallen’ features material that, prior to its release, had been pitched as having “more fire and ferocity” but also “a more refined approach to songwriting”.
Tag Archives: trad metal
Watch: Tempest Saint share new video for ‘The Cursed’
Metal has gone through many different fads and fashions over the decades. No longer just limited to a world of hair, studs and leather, it has taken in a world of different riffs, sometimes exploring musical landscapes that are heavier and more complex than ever before.
There’s still time for tradition, of course, and Tempest Saint – a band from the Greater London area – understand this very clearly. Their current single ‘The Cursed’ opens with a riff that draws heavily upon a 1984 Judas Priest vintage, setting a great – and somewhat familiar – sound in place. Bringing in a heavier, speed driven rhythm, the whole of Tempest Saint latch onto a sharp edged yet melodic barrage of riffs that really captures their unwavering commitment to a classic 80s style.
HEREAFTER – Overcome EP
Hereafter’s debut EP ‘Fires of The Flame’ was one of those releases that showed promise. Right from the beginning, the material showed a great command of a riff, but a fairly terrible vocal often let the side down. Vocals can be make or break when it comes to a more extreme metal sound, and Hereafter’s fixation with semi spoken, semi growled lyrics often made the band seem like a strange novelty act. Nevertheless, the EP still offered a couple of tracks that sounded promising when heard in isolation – largely due to their abilities with a riff or three – and hinted at a band that could improve with time.
MUNROE’S THUNDER – The Black Watch
Best known as the frontman with Metal Church, Ronny Munroe has one of those voices that absolutely encapsulates the sound of “classic metal”. It might not have been so obvious on the thrash-centic output of his former band, but via a run of solo releases, his vocal power has become more than clear. His huger notes convey a Bruce Dickinson inspired wail, some of the harder edged, theatrical elements occasionally capture a gruffer take on Geoff Tate, and when dropping into something a little more angry, his darker tones have even managed to sound a little like Russell Allen, if only the sometime Symphony X man were coasting rather than attacking everything at full volume and full pelt. There’s no escaping the fact that most of Munroe’s style relies on some very 80s influenced stock, but since the bulk of the material on ‘The Black Watch’ centres around a very busy, very retro sound, Ron’s performances are more than suitable. They’re also one hundred percent committed – both in terms of energy and volume. This album’s blend of classic and power metal is many things, but subtle it really isn’t.
‘The Black Watch’ marks the end of a hibernation period for Munroe. Last heard bellowing on his solo release ‘Electric Wake’ in 2014, his voice retains a lot of that voluminous style, but aided a much more adventurous band – unafraid to explore a hugely bombastic canvas – he’s able to abe both grander and more melodic. Things never shift too far from an old school metal core, but it often feels as if there’s far more here at stake for his fans.