Review by JD on April 18, 2010.

I cant remember the last time I had heard any Chilean music, metal or otherwise. I sort of have a sense that I have heard some at some point of time, but my memory is not what it was perhaps... Dang! Now that I have admitted that, I go on and review a band from Chile called Six Magics.

I was instantly struck by what this band’s sound right off the bat. Sounding exactly like what I wanted Nightwish to sound like from the beginning, while adding influences from Dream Theatre and even Evanescence ... Six Magics exploded out with this sound that was clearly rooted in Metal, yet has some forms of both Progressive Rock and straight ahead Rock as well.

The lead singer (Elizabeth Vasquez) shows that power and melody go hand in hand as the rest of the band (Erick Áávila on Guitar, Gabriel Hidalgo on Guitar, Mauricio Nader on Bass, Pablo Stagnaro on Drums) are equally as strong, making music that is as powerful as it is memorable. She makes an already stellar sounding band seem almost god-like as each song seems to live on its own.

I can’t even pick one song off the album that is best like I usually do... to make a firmer point: each track they have offered up on "Behind The Sorrow" is equally that amazing, with a purity that comes through with each and ever note that blares out from the speakers. They seem to exude that star quality while never selling out. Many bands have, but i'm just glad to see that some just do what they do best, and do it loudly.

Categorical Rating Breakdown　

Musicianship: 9.5
Atmosphere: 10
Production: 9.5
Originality:9
Overall: 9.5

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Review by Felix on April 28, 2019.

I am always looking for new thrash band: this passion is almost pathological. With this mindset, it is probably no wonder that I am familiar with the name Punishment 18 Records, because this busy Italian label promotes fantastic thrashers like Battery or In Malice's Wake, good bands like Home Style Surgery and, well, some less strong combos. 

Now P18 has released the debut of Rawfoil, a formation that also has its home base in Italy. I don't know why it took seven years since the demo to finish this album, but I can tell you that the quintet does not offer extraordinary compositions. Tracks like "Broken Black Stone" rely on a pretty strong riff during the verses, but they appear slightly incoherent due to some questionable breaks. The fact that the quite mediocre backing vocals show up many times does not make things better. 

On the other hand, Rawfoil do not lack energy. No doubt, less tempo changes would have been a good idea, but I am not writing about progressive or overly technical thrash. The jagged riffs are typical for thrash metal, some of them hit the bull's eye, while others remain interchangeable. It would be unfair to call the Italians just another thrash band, because it seems as if they have put heart and soul into this output. Unfortunately, the musicians stand in their own way. The instrumental beginning of "Demons Inside" promises a highlight, but the entire energy of the song crumbles as soon as the melodic (and lousy) chorus sets in. Okay, the production can be considered as contemporary but not too modern and some more talented composers would love to hear their songs with such a sound, but Rawfoil fail to derive benefit from this situation.

At the end of the day, there is a sufficient number of good sequences, but there is nearly no song that makes fun from the beginning to the end. This is almost a tragedy, because the technical skills of the dudes are not in doubt. Fortunately, the thunderous "Circle of Hate" marks the exception. This high-speed eruption of anger shows that energy is still a main component of thrash and the riffing combines Exodus with Testament in a competent way. But generally speaking, I regret that Rawfoil are among the less strong combos of P18. On Evolution in Action, evolution is rather necessary than in action. Let's see, whether they will get a second chance.

Rating: 5.9 out of 10

Review by Felix on November 3, 2019.

Destruction, Sodom, Kreator – the trinity of German thrash appears almost as a closed society. Some maniacs accept Tankard as the fourth force, but what about Holy Moses and, last but not least, what about Protector? Due to whatever reason, the guys from Wolfsburg (by the way, the city was founded by this lunatic wannabe-wargod from Austria back in 1938) were always underestimated. Or did they integrate too many death metal elements with the effect to be caught between a rock and a hard place? I have no clue, but I know that they are back with their seventh full-length, the third one which has been created by the now mainly Swedish line-up. Just like Venom, Protector is one of those bands whose line-up changed completely during the years, but it is amazing to see that all of their albums rely on a similar approach. Sometimes they emphasize the thrashing elements, sometimes the death metal legends can click their tongues, but these are just nuances that do not cause an incoherent overall picture. Summon the Hordes is a typical bastard of these two extreme forms of metal.

Apart from the totally stupid artwork, the album is free from downsides. The informative booklet holds liner notes to each track, not for the first time in the history of Protector. This shows the close connection of Martin Missy to his followers and it makes the likeable band even more likeable. The charmingly rumbling production also speaks for the band’s flavor. It does not lack directness and pressure, but it also connects the year 2019 with the mid-eighties in a nearly perfect way. Even the playtime of roughly 38 minutes is somehow old school.

Every record needs highlights – the only exception are Sabaton albums, they just need a comfortable bin where they can rot eternally. Protector reach their top form in “Three Legions”. Its highly dynamic and straightforward chorus makes the song to what it is: a thrash metal torpedo with slicing guitars and great lyrics. They deal with the "Battle of the Teutoburger Forest" in the year 9 A.D., but the dudes offer the entire range of topics, from party issues to serious themes. However, there are many good tracks like “Realm of Crime” or “Meaningless Eradication”, but really outstanding songs are hard to find and – nearly shameful - track no. 9 recycles the riff of “Face Fear”. No, this is not just another Protector full-length, this would be too negative. However, the sum of solid tracks does not result in a more than solid album and that’s nothing but a logical consequence.

I cannot suppress the feeling that Protector have a much bigger potential. The ponderous homage to the legendary Swiss co-inventors of death and black metal, to give but one example, remains under its possibilities. The faster pieces recreate the slightly hysterical moment that we know since the first days of the group and that’s okay, but not more. Sometimes it seems that the high speed of the drums prevents that the riffs can develop their full flavor. Anyway, as mentioned above, the album is free from throwaway tracks. This fact keeps the band’s head above water and it’s good to know that they are still alive, but maybe they should be a tad more self-critical when it comes to the next song-writing process. So, this is an album that cannot challenge the back catalogue highlights of the formation, but it gets a minimal upgrade in view of its funny and catchy closer which continues the tradition of “Spacecake” or “Calle Brutal”. And regardless of the quality of this work – there can be no doubt that it has more soul than the last Destruction outputs and more power than the modern works of Mille’s circus.

Rating: 7.3 out of 10