.:CD Reviews:.
HEAVENLY – Carpe Diem (AFM Records 2009) |
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It's been two years since the French Melodic Power Metal band HEAVENLY released an album and that was "Virus", its fourth release. The band was long considered a GAMMA RAY clone, as their Metal sounded very similar to that of the Germans. Then again, there were many Power Metal bands at that time who were influenced by the likes of HELLOWEEN, GAMMA RAY, STRATOVARIUS, SONATA ARCTICA and so on. What HEAVENLY made was far from bad. With their third album, "Dust To Dust", the music was given a massive and powerful production and it was strange to hear the follow-up, "Virus", with a lighter sound. But several listens did show this was another very good album.
The same line-up also played the required gigs and put their heads together for the creation of a new record. "Carpe Diem" is the title of this 5th album, released on the 18th of December through AFM Records, who also released the previous one. However, drummer Pierre-Emmanuel "Piwee" Desfray (ex-FAIRYLAND) has recently replaced Thomas Das Neves, who did record the drumparts for "Carpe Diem", according to Metal-Archives.com. However, in the booklet, it's Piwee who gets the credits, even if he joined in October and at the message on the band's website says that Phil Colodetti was then mixing and mastering the album. I don't know who's featured on the cover, but somehow it's clear that love plays a role in terms of lyrics. The thorned border/threshold (whatever you see) can also be found on MANTICORA's "8 Deadly Sins" and KAMELOT's "The Black Halo". Coincidence or not, but I find the similarity a bit too obvious/easy/...
Soundwise Phil Colodetti sat behind the buttons again, for the production, mixing and mastering. And that is both good and bad. Good, for it may have costed less and maybe his knowledge suited the band's vision better in terms of sound. Bad, because I thought the songs could use a more powerful edge. Oliver Hartmann provided guest vocals for the song "Save Our Souls", Geraldine Gadaut did this for "Carpe Diem" and "Ashen Paradise". Like before the tracklist holds nine songs.
It all starts with the title track's intro, following by the music breaking in. Typical Melodic Power Metal at midtempo with a undeniable 80's touch. One big proof of that is the similarity of the bridge with the hit "Fame", as in "Fame! I'm gonna live forever...". The chorus is catchy and includes the typical HEAVENLY choir-ish vocals. Guitar solos are a must and they are present, no worries about that. This forms a nice contrast with the heavy rhythm, by which I mean there's enough Metal in this track to withstand the melodic impact. All in all, a decent starting song that continues where "Virus" left off. However, I do find it awkward to see this French band going for such a lyrical subject. Either they mean it as a joke or they didn't find inspiration for something more serious or epic.
The next song, "Lost In Your Eyes", is already a better one. The title is cliché as hell and fits better with a Pop song, as this kind of subject/theme gets rehashed a gazillion times each year, but the music is what you need to pay attention to. Neo-Classical Metal. HEAVENLY's classic/typical element, the harpsichord, is present as well. Ben's keyboard work provides the backing and leads. The piano is the main instrument in the verses, though the guitars offer assistance in the second part. Next to that there's the melodic and catchy bridge, which contains more power, both musically and vocally. The chorus is sung by the choir. Again, that's HEAVENLY's trademark to give the song a more epic touch. The guitar solo puts the final touch to it all.
"Farewell", not KAMELOT's song, is another very good song. It starts with a piano intro and Ben's high-pitched vocals. In terms of melody this sounds very much like QUEEN and could easily have been sung by the late Freddie Mercury. Once this first part, melodic with symphonic touches, is done, the piano, serving as connecting element, guides the softer singing onwards until it hands over responsibility to the Metal instrumentation, but not without keeping a eye on it. In other words, the melodic aspect is still high enough, though the overall pace is slow. Even the chorus, which also sounds very QUEEN-ish. Let's cut it short: "Farewell" is so well done, it might as well have been a QUEEN song, on all aspects. And one must simply give kudos to the band for this result.
A music box and a happy baby are the first thing you hear when playing "Fullmoon". But the atmosphere soon turns dark as the bass and drum come in and maintain a steady beat, letting the piano and guitars join a little later. The 80's touch is very much present again. HEAVENLY plays firm and makes it chorus epic, more epic than before. During this part there's a sudden tempo outbreak, which is nice and should be done more often on this album. Melody comes from the keyboards, who play a vital role, countered by the heavy guitars. And after one decent and three very good songs, the first (of two) excellent song(s) is due...
"A Better Me". I find it excellent, mainly for its chorus. The song itself starts with the piano and Ben on vocals. All sounds calm and gentle, somehow reminding of QUEEN again. The theatricalness (if this is a correct term) makes it sound like a mix of QUEEN, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, SAVATAGE, or similar. While there was something dark about the previous song, the chorus here creates a counterbalance, as it sounds epic and uplifting. Regarding the QUEEN references, think of their classic hit "Bohemian Rhapsody". Overall there's a nice flow of calmer and more rocking parts, creating a result to be proud of. "Ode To Joy" is the other excellent song. "Ode An die Freude", as it's better known as, from BEETHOVEN is nicely worked into the compositions. Taking the first place, the Metal breaks loose afterwards and boosts onwards. Neo-classical Metal that's a joy to hear. Nothing more needs to be said, all elements are present to make this one of the best tracks on this album.
Three more songs to go: "Ashen Paradise", "The Face Of The Truth" and "Save our Souls". The first has violins to begin with, creating what you could call tension and then a cry for help follows, analogue with GAMMA RAY's "Induction" from their "No World Order" album (2001). What you get then is dark, pounding Metal where guitars are the dominant factor, degrading the keyboards to a backing role. Epic material! The pace also gets a kick in the rear at some point(s) and the fast chorus makes the picture complete. Bombastic and catchy stuff, quality all the way. "The Face Of The Truth" is, like "Carpe Diem", not a bad track, but it's not that very good either. Dark atmosphered, advancing slowly, building towards the verses, which are devoid of heaviness, yet allow symphonic elements to provide the leads. The brdige, too, is slow and sounds rather sad. Vocally things turn quite godly in the chorus. The pace throughout the song remains slow, the feeling sad. Last but certainly not least there's "Save Our Souls", a firm midtempo Power Metal track. Again, epicness and bombast in the chorus. There were QUEEN similarities earlier on, the melody in the chorus also reminded me another band's song, but as so much is released these days, it's hard to remember it all correctly. Solos are once more legion. "Carpe Diem" ends in style, let that be clear.
In my opinion, HEAVENLY's best effort so far was "Dust To Dust". The lighter production on "Virus" needed several listens, but they were worth it. Expectations were thus high for "Carpe Diem" and I need to say that the French delivered another qualitative piece of Power Metal. This cannot be denied. It's food for fans of GAMMA RAY, (old) EDGUY, STRATOVARIUS, FREEDOM CALL and similar. HEAVENLY haven't released a bad album (yet), but as good as "Carpe Diem" is on its own, it's light(er) compared to the other albums. It's more oriented towards the masses. If this love theme and accompanying lighter Metal is just a one-time change, then one can sleep soundly. If however Ben an co. opt to continue in this direction, I fear they might soon enough decide to steer their vessel back into the Power Metal of old direction.
More info at www.heavenly.fr.
Line-up:
Ben Sotto - vocals
Charley Corbiaux - guitars
Olivier Lapauze - guitars
Matthieu Plana - bass
Pierre-Emmanuel "Piwee" Desfray - drums
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THE DUST CONNECTION is a Dutch Progressive Rock/Metal band, formed before or in 2003, judging by the fact that they made a first release, a demo, in 2003. Live-wise the band has already shared the stage with PAIN OF SALVATION, EVERGREY, THRESHOLD, DEVIN TOWNSEND, ALCHEMIST, THE GATHERING, MERCENARY and more. The debut album came out on the 11th of December. It's March 2010 when I'm writing this, so yes, it has taken a while to write something about "Trails". With 14 tracks and a total playtime of a good 70 minutes, it's obvious it wasn't an easy undertaking.
"Trails" starts in a direct manner with "The Nameless". No intro, no tension, just direct Prog Rock. The keyboard leads sound very 80's, but also provide atmospheric backing in the verses. The guitar is the key instrument here. Contrast is created via a slower, atmospheric chorus, again with an important role for the piano. There is a guitar solo later on and it's a good one, plus it makes the song more interesting. As the keyboards provide a big portion of the melody, they too can add a solo afterwards. And so until the end. All in all a very decent starting song. "Orbit" is a darker kind of song, and heavier. Keyboards add the required atmospheric backing. This instantly made me think of bands like ARTRACH, NIGHTWISH, DREAM THEATER, MANIGANCE, ... Melody is an important element in the chorus, which means this is the terrain of the keyboards. They are also selected for a solo, backed by heavy and rhythmic Rock/Metal support. The chorus is visited one more time before all falls silent. Here as well, very solid material.
But it doesn't stay that way, since the following two songs - it's a matter of taste, to some extent, but still... - are harder to digest, less attractive or catchy. "The Grand Final", a title that could be used for the last track of the album, begins with a nice ambient intro by the keyboards, with guitar support before throwing themselves into the verses, which are also very atmospheric. This is a vital element in THE DUST CONNECTION: atmosphere. Almost to do its name justice, to have the atmosphere be the dust that connects. This is contrasted with a heavy/ier chorus. Jeroen's vocals are high in the mix. Not that it wasn't that obvious before, but here you can hear it better. As the music carries on, ambient, Jazzy even, connecting pieces (piano as main instrument) offer a very soothing change. A joint-venture between guitar and keyboards results in a sad, but touching solo. Heaviness kicks in a little later, but does that rather unexpectedly. The chorus is played then and the band soon found a way to put an end to it all. Everything's well played, but somehow this song's not as strong as the previous two or some that follow. "Clouds" also has the keyboards as first instrument, but here it's for the leading melody, followed by ballad-ish verses. Main ingredients are the piano and accoustic guitar. Again, heaviness in the chorus, but this overall remains slow and melancholic. Even the solo is accustomed to this way of playing. Ambient keyboards are all that remain in the last part of the song. Decent end result, but not a highlight, in my opinion.
"Trails (Conduct The Tension)" is a short track and I had mistaken it for a longer one, as "Garden Of Remembrance" follows so smoothly. Luckily I checked the display of my discman. But anyway, after this short and mysterious interlude with piano accents, the "Garden Of Remembrance" is a joy to listen to and truth be told, one to be added to the same list as the first two tracks. The melody (from "Trails (Conduct The Tension)" flows better, sounds happier even. Jeroen's vocals are added to it as the verses are played. Full power (incl. guitar, keyboards, drums) is provided in the chorus. The piano is the most important instrument and not only in the middle section of the song, where all heaviness is washed away, leaving just the piano and vocals. The melody sounds like a repentance, by manner of speech. Following that are piano leads and guitar/drum power with female backing vocals. And backing from the back, indeed, far in the back. All then flows back to the chorus, although there's still room for a guitar solo, even if it sounds sad (also with appropriate piano support) in the last 30 seconds of the song.
"Remission Of Sins" is a spacey, atmospheric Rock song, very much guitar-driven. Keyboards provide the required backing. Things get stronger, more powerful in the chorus, as if the element of danger was added. Musically it sounds similar to, for example, EVERGREY, albeit in a lighter version. Interestingly all falls silent when it's solo time, thus allowing the guitar to come out better. All in all a decent song, but nothing more. The same counts for "Subconscious World". Keyboards lay out the first melodies, growing in power, adding tension until slow Rock takes over and the keyboards take on a backing role. Jeroen's vocals are high in the mix, particularly in the (very melodic) chorus. But he's not the only one who's singing here, as he gets assistance from guitarist Martijn Balsters. Again the guitar is the driving element. For the sake of change and diversity, keyboardist Sander Heerings adds an organ solo and may take the song to its ending that way.
From or in the "Subconscious World" we find a "New God". This track and the following make up the rest of the list of songs that are very good. In my (humble) opinion, of course. Keyboards remain a vital instrument, first with electronic playfulness, which is taken over by heavy Rock, sounding firm and powerful, pushing the keyboards to the back. And it's heaviness that dominates, which is a good thing. Solos come from the keytar and guitar itself this time. We're dealing with a Progressive Rock/Metal band here, thus at some point the music takes a different direction. Throwing away all heaviness, nothing but calm music can be heard instead, very atmospheric and smoothly flowing over into a sad, melancholic piece played by the whole band, and with the piano and guitar as culprits, you might say. They are responsible for this exquisite moment. But that soon is wiped away by the aforementioned heaviness with dark and evil sounding backing, almost horrific. The song does end in an abrupt way, right after the chorus is done one final time. Like *bam!*, over and out.
Let's take a different "Path" then. Starting with a heavy guitar, this soon transcends into a slow DREAM THEATER-like melodic chorus. The heavy riffing vs the keyboard melodies offers a very enjoyable listening experience. Furthermore, the Dutch made this track diverse and variable enough with, for example, spotlight moments for the toms and eastern touches through the guitar. Composition-wise this is absolutely marvellous. No guitar solo, but a spacey keyboard one, with heavy instrumentation countering it. This is by far one of the best, if not the best, tracks on "Trails". With 14 tracks totalling a long playtime, it would be nice to have something lighter to digest. That's where "Nothingness" comes in. This is a lighter Rock song with piano leads, although the pace if firm, higher and more direct. Perhaps due to its lightness it feels more lively than the previous tracks. Even the (catchy chorus flows more freely. After the instrumental break (exotic, eastern and with vocals), the obligatory guitar solo kicks in. Another solid song, nothing more, nothing less.
"The House That Doesn't Exist" is another track where things run smooth and calm in an ambient atmosphere. Sounds almost like meditative music. The verses sound dramatic, nostalgic even thanks to the piano. When the solo comes in, it's inline with what preceded, being all quite ballad-ish. Do notice that the guitar solo is a long one, but also very good. Over 1/3 of the song there's a power increase, adding more feeling to the music (chorus). Instrumentalism is important in this song, offered by the guitar and keyboards on one hand, going for a bass moment on the other hand and even finding a spot to add a semi-accoustic Jazzy touch via the organ and guitars (electric and accoustic). The band does take the main road again with the chorus and rides towards the end on the piano (a great composition, I must say), although a clock ticks the final seconds away.
A radio transmission introduces "Nine Days' Wonder", or better, it sounds like one, a transmission, with distortion and all. Heavy riffing and firm beating fall in and disconnect the radio, so to speak. This is a ballsy song, reminding a lot of the Swedish Prog Metallers EVERGREY. Contrast is created between the slow verses (guitar-driven, keyboards backing) and the powerful chorus. Like in the previous song, the final part of the song is instrumental and this time it's the guitar that takes its responsability with a sad solo. The assistance is inline with that feeling and the result is beautiful. A very solid song, nothing more needs to be said. And so "Within The Silence" closes "Trails". Calm guitarwork at first with atmospheric backing, in a ballad-ish jacket, reminding somehow of THIN LIZZY. The verses are guitar-dominated. Melody comes from both the guitar and piano, a joint-venture that sounds simply great. All's well, ends well.
THE DUST CONNECTION, Progressive Rock/Metal from the Netherlands, present their debut album, "Trails". With 14 tracks and a playtime of about 74 minutes, you're in for a long adventure with ups and downs, heavy and soft parts and more in between. You might not grasp everything from the first listen, so give it time and spins to let the trails show themselves. Progfans should have no problems with this disc as everything's present for a solid result. Compositions, musicianship, solos... the Dutch have the skills, keeping in mind there is room for improvement. "Trails" isn't the best album in its genre, but it's good. My only remark would be the production, being at the rather light side. I understand that Progressive Rock should not be produced like its Metal variant, but somehow a more Metal production here and there (depending on the song) would have been beneficial to the album.
More info at www.thedustconnection.com.
Line-up:
Jeroen Voogd - vocals
Martijn Balsters - guitars, vocals
Sander Heerings - keyboards
Niels van Dongen - bass
Robert Spaninks - drums
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The Liechtenstein band ELIS was formed in 2003, after most members left the Gothic band ERBEN DER SCHÖPFUNG. Logically ELIs would continue the Gothic direction. "God's Silence, Devil's Temptation" was the band's first full-length, recorded under the watchful eye of ATROCITY vocalist Alexander Krull at his Mastersound Studio. ELIS soon gained recognition and performed at several festivals. They even toured with EISHEILIG and THE VISION BLEAK in 2004. That same year the follow-up came out under the title "Dark Clouds In A Perfect Sky". This resulted in a tour with ATROCITY, LEAVES' EYES and BATTLELORE. After a successful videoshoot for "Der Letzte Tag" the band hit the road again with VISIONS OF ATLANTIS and LYRIEL. A few line-up changes later the band's third album, "Griefshire", was ready to hit the market. That same year, 2006, vocalist Sabine Dünser suffered a brain hemorrhage and passed away just after finishing her vocal tracks. The album got released nevertheless in honour of Sabine, who wrote the story for this album. "Griefshire" as my first proper encounter with ELIS and my review reflected my positive findings of this release. Sabine's vocals suited in most songs, but her timbre at times was irritating to my ears, similar to Liv Kristine's.
The rest of the band didn't want to quit now and decided to look for a new female vocalist. They found her in the person of Sandra Schleret (SIEGFRIED, ex-DREAMS OF SANITY). She appeared on SERENITY's "Fallen Sanctuary" album in 2008. In 2007 the band embarked on a tour with KOTIPELTO and CHRIS CAFFERY. At the beginning of the tour, an EP ("Show Me The Way") was released with the last 3 track with Sabine's vocals and two re-recorded songs with Sandra's voice. Few gigs were played in 2008, as the band wanted to work on the follow-up to "Griefshire". Again the Mastersound Studio was booked. Michelle Darkness (END OF GREEN) made a guest performance in the song "Warrior's Tale". "Catharsis", the title of this new release, came out on the 27th of November.
With "Catharsis" ELIS have gone into a more Power Metal kind of direction, though without completely abandoning the Gothic environment of before. It starts with "Core Of Life", a midtempo song where guitars provide the power in the verses and keyboards create the atmospheric setting. The music starts to pound in the chorus, where piano melodies contrast the guitar and drum power. There's a sad feel, obviously, as catharsis means healing through suffering. The guitarsolo emphasizes that feeling. A good track to start with, that's for sure. And it gets better. "Twinkling Shadow" - a strange title, as I never thought a shadow could twinkle - offers aggressive riffing at first before the guitars roll on with the drums as the verses have arisen. Keyboards are again the instrument of atmosphere and change into a symphonic shape in the bridge. Tom (bass) adds growls/grunts reminiscent of Karl Willets in BOLT THROWER. The music flows better in the chorus, where dual vocals tell the tale.
"Warrior's Tale" has a symphonic intro with choir singing. This rises to a certain height before calm guitarwork takes over. No singing, rather whispering and assisted by slow Metal. Gentle singing follows afterwards and that sounds very nice. The music is also more Gothic than the previous two tracks. Next to female vocals, clean male singing is also part of the song, during which symphonic backing with a dark feel is played. It seems the tale is not a happy one, as the chorus sounds quite sad. The dual female singing helps in bringing this event more to life. The obligatory solo is present, be it with symphonic backing. A job well done, overall. No complaints at all. "Des Lebens Traum - Des Traumes Leben" can be (best?) translated as "(To) Dream The Life - (To) Live The Dream". It's not a litteral or exact translation, though. This song is more rocking, more active, even though there is a slow build-up with the keyboards adding an electronic touch to the whole. Slow verses with dark and subtle symphonic elements in the back. Clean female singing dominates (logically), though grunts are reserved for the bridge, assisting or countering Sandra's singing. This is one of the few songs in German, something the band has been doing since some time and therefore ELIS needed a German-speaking vocalist. Sandra occupies the chorus, where the Metal remains slow. After the solo there is a boost, however, to increase the activeness of the music. In short, a very nice song.
I said before that ELIS has moved away a bit from the Gothic Metal they played before. Another proof of that is "I Come Undone", which sounds more like a mix of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. The bass started the track, the drums kicked in a little later and the rest followed as the right pace and sound was found. The keyboards not only offering backing, but are needed to support the vocals. Despite this being a lighter song, the result is good, no question about that. "Firefly" brings back the heaviness, the darkness and even the tempo. There's a nice contrast between the different parts: slow verses (with symphonic backing), a pounding bridge and midtempo chorus. The guitar solo is inline with the music, i.e. wild. The second one is more toned down, but longer. It's good that the music has increased in power and what not, especially after a song like "I Come Undone".
Tension and mystery are main ingredients in the intro of "Morning Star". The Metal instrumentation comes marching in soon enough. Grunts are the main vocals here and the heaviness or sound of the music reminds of PAGAN'S MIND (the Norwegian ProgPower band), but without keyboards. Sandra falls in, assisted by soft keyboards backing in the bridge and chorus, where gentle piano touches were strewn about. But foremost this song rocks! However, there's no solo to stress that fact. Or perhaps its absence makes it rock even more? Whatever the reason is, this is one of the best songs on "Catharsis". But all good things have a bad side and the second German-sung song is the culprit: "Das Kleine Ungeheuer". Translated it gives this: "The Little Monster" or "The Little Horror". In both cases, it's not something very positive, is it? And it seems the band wanted to match the music to that title. It starts calm and playful, but soon changes into slow and dark Metal. The guitars dominate here, to emphasize this dark character. Female vocals take the vocal lead, though the male counterpart comes in now and then, backed by xylophone sounds. Not only is there a dark feel, the whole sounds whiney, too. The singing, I mean. When adding a whispering "Geh fort!" ("Be gone!", "Go away!" if my knowledge doesn't trick me) it makes me cringe even more. Sorry, but indeed weakest song on this album. That is a fact.
The situation improves a bit with "Mother's Fire", which is a more rocking song like "I Come Undone". It rocks, it's got symphonic backing in both the bridge and chorus, where vocally you get grunts, in both parts. Over halfway the music changes into something soohing and calm, followed by the guitar solo. The keyboards then provide backing support before all flows back to the chorus. in general this is an ok song, but nothing more. But it's better than "Das Kleine Ungeheuer". After the rain comes the sun and a "Rainbow". Woohoo! With a calm, exotic and at the same time accoustic intro (percussion included), it gives peace of mind. Something very welcome at this stage in the listening process. The violin comes in as well, but only as connecting instrument. It does lead in the chorus, where the orchestral input rises in volume as the chorus grows. The guitars and drums only come in in the last minute or so, but without disturbing the feel and tempo of before. This is a very good song, even without the guitars and drums adding their saying. "The Dark Bridge" ends the "Catharsis" with a slow Metal song. Keyboards in the back, as usual. The verses are firm and contain orchestral accents, which rise in power in the bridge and chorus. The chorus is also the place where Sandra and Tom combine their vocal skills, each taking turns. Overall, an ok song.
With Sandra Schleret on board ELIS is set for a fine future. I like her voice better than Sabine's (sure, it's a taste issue), but at the same time the band needed to change the musical direction a little, as Sandra's voice is more made for Power Metal (or related) material, even though she does a very fine job here with the Gothic songs, too. If ELIS never was your kind of band, you probably won't find anything interesting here either. Fans of the band should have no big problems with the new vocalist and music. It helps if you're into LACUNA COIL, GWYLLION (yes, that Belgian band that released a very fine album earlier this year), NIGHTWISH, LEAVES' EYES and similar. Which again confirms ELIS ventured into the Gothic/Power Metal direction with "Catharsis". Despite the grand loss for the band, their persistance helped to overcome (as much as possible) this loss by creating a very good follow-up. The limited edition contains 2 bonus tracks and a DVD with the band's performance at Metal Female Voices Fest 2007 in Belgium.
More info at www.elis.li.
Line-up:
Sandra Schleret - vocals
Pete Streit - guitars
Christian Gruber - guitars
Tom Saxer - bass
Max Näscher - drums
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TOMYDEEPESTEGO is an Italian 4-piece Rock/Metal band that was founded in 2006. Each of the members plays an instrument, but what is most noticeable is the absence of vocals. Indeed, These Italians keep it instrumental all the way. One year after the band's start, Subsound Records offered them a contract and the first album, "Odyssea", was a fact. This gave TOMYDEEPESTEGO the opportunity to share the stage with bands like CULT OF LUNA, RED SPAROWES, THIS WILL DESTROY YOU and FU MANCHU. Only the first and last ring a bell with me, even if it's just their names. Lots of efforts and playing later, the follow-up is ready and out since the 20th of November. Titled "Chronophage", this album was recorded in the first months of 2009. It is said the sound and mood are different compared to the debut and based on the songs on MySpace I can agree with that to a certain extent. As this is my first acquaintance with TOMYDEEPESTEGO, I cannot compare "Chronophage" with "Odyssea", but something (those songs perhaps) tells me the latter is also worth checking out.
This sophomore release contains eight tracks, totalling a playtime of almost 48 minutes. It kicks off with "Dr. Disagius", a midtempo Rock song where the distorted bass instantly sticks out. Drums are an important element here, especially with the toms. As there are no vocals, it gives the instruments more room for fills and improvisation. The guitar is of course the main instrument, since without it the song would not be as powerful or full as it is now. There's a touch of darkness when it comes to the chorus, where the guitars groove the music away. It's interesting to hear how TOMYDEEPESTEGO managed to keep things enjoyable by offering a nice flow of calm and wilder parts, as the contrast between the verses (if you can use that term here) and the chorus shows. In short, this is a nice song to start with. Vocals would be nice, but then again... it wouldn't be as magical, I think. "Cicades" is next and those beasties are present indeed, though only briefly. The track starts calm, creating some sort of tension along the way, yet the atmosphere remains soothing. At this point you can speak of a radio-friendly song. But then the power is let out (with a dark/sad undertone) for the chorus. Again the contrast with the calmness of the verses pops up. So, cicades. They come in over halfway and that offers a nice twist here. But like I said, it's over very soon, as the music continues its flow, developing in a very Rocking song with enough groove to power it up. Here as well, it wouldn't hurt to add vocals (you do need the right kind of singer then), but they're best left out. The music handles the talking very well and this track made my ears happier than with the first song, "Dr. Disagius".
And it stays that way in "Controversy (Act I, Inferno)", that apparently forms a trilogy with "Crepuscolo (Act II, Purgatorio)" and "Libero Arbitrio (Act III, Paradiso)". I haven't yet figured out how and I probably won't, unless some other time. Fact is that "Controversy (Act I, Inferno)" also takes a calm start and advances/evolves into what could be considered verses. Due to the lack of vocals, it's less easy to detect whether it's still the intro or a verse part or perhaps the chorus. After having accompanied the music through gentle cymbal hits, the drums finally fall in properly, which allows the music to gain in volume and flow more freely. I see a pattern here. The power outbreak is reserved for... the chorus, indeed. But that's not all, contrast-wise. The pace lies higher (it's far from uptempo, though) in the verses. This sort of change obviously is a big help to hear the difference between the several moments of the song. Around 1/3 of the playtime, the guitars start to weep, you could say. The music sounds a bit more sentimental/emotional and implementing a piece where the violin and calm, soothing music take command only enforces that feeling. But let it be known that this twist is simply superb! Absolutely beautiful. The power and groove do come back for the last part. So far, so very good.
But all good stories come to an end. "J.H.I.", whatever it may stand for, is a less good song. Dark, groovy building, tension, danger... the bubble is about the burst. And so it happens with a "hey, hey, hey" chorus. That's the only part where you'll hear vocals on this album. The tempo lies low, which is a help in keeping the overall feel and atmosphere dark, secret, mystical. Is this the underworld? I'm on repeat when it comes to vocals and I do want to stress that "J.H.I." is a song that needs them more than the others. But the band probably has its reasons for not having a singer and thus asking you to make an effort and listen to what the music has to say, what is trying to be conveyed. Well, I don't know what it is, but I do know the song is a bit too long. Hence my support for vocals here, to break the musical flow a little, or not let your focus drift away too soon. The overall result is solid, but it's just less interesting than the previous songs.
No fear, no worries, for the best song is about to be played: "El Hombre Loco (Desde Generaciones)". Whether or not the title plays a role in this, is unknown to me. There's a calm guitar tune at first, sad but very beautiful. The drums add a slow beat, accompanying the nice melody and rhythm. This is very relaxing and soothing and very beautiful at this stage. Doomy, emotional, touching... terms used with a positive connotation. Just sit back, empty your mind and let the music carry you to distant lands where everyday troubles know no existence. There's only one downside to this song: it's too short! The calm start of "Crepuscolo (Act II, Purgatorio)" is focused on the drums, primarily the toms. The music is more Rocking here. Steadily the right pace is found and the power can flow as needed. It's a slow song with great melodies and harmonies, letting grooves and distorted sounds (is that the bass?) occupy the chorus. The overall atmosphere is again rather dark and sad. Or my ears must be confusing me. The stream of heaviness goes down the drain. What is left is calm guitarwork, backed by tom/cymbal hits that build toward something bigger, but never reach it. But the song ends in a perfect manner, nothing abrupt, nothing sudden, there's nothing cut off. Everything fits.
Two more to go, "Milla" first. This one throws itself at your ears with heavy grooves, going for instant satisfaction. But all that tones down in the verses, where all heaviness has vaporized. Gentle drum ticks add to the atmosphere before going for the normal hits. The track feels great, the atmosphere is pleasant, the melodies and harmonies work very well. And the transitions were neatly implemented. A flawless piece of work, if I may say. To keep the diversity intact the band even opted for a electronic backing, sad feeling creating, support (a bit spacey) for the guitar grooves, but finishes the whole in style and thus a big ball of power. All in all a very solid song. "Libero Arbitrio (Act III, Paradiso)" puts an end to the instrumental voyage and as the title says: destination = paradise. Now, you might expect happy tunes and the like, but the first sounds don't even come close, rather annouce danger. The music progresses slowly, but lets melody do the talking. The increase in heaviness is reserved for the chorus. No real speed here, but even at this slow pace the end result of this guitar-driven track is very nice.
Eight songs, almost 48 minutes of music. 99.9% instrumental, since "J.H.I." has the only vocal parts on this album as "hey, hey, hey". Anyway, there are loads of albums with vocals out there and there are many without, but I still think those are far less in number and thus it's good to now and then listen to music alone and hear how a band pulls it off to keep it just at that, at making their compositions interesting enough to make you sit the ride through. With "Chronophage" TOMYDEEPESTEGO convinced me of their skills and ideas and I can surely recommend it to anyone into instrumental Rock/Metal. This can be played as background and foreground music (meaning you actively listen), with the latter being promising if you make the effort of listening and not let other things interfere with that. Vocals may come in handy on a next occasion, but the danger here is: you need the right vocalist (male or female), the right sound of the voice to match the music.
More info at www.myspace.com/tomydeepestego
Line-up:
Edoardo Lucà - guitar
Valerio De Lucia - guitar
Daniele Lunardi - bass
Simone Giannangeli - drums
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The Swedish Power Metal band NOSTRADAMEUS is still alive and even celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2008. Only, nothing came out in 2008, as the anniversary release got postponed until now, the 20th of November. Titled "Illusion's Parade", it's the follow-up to 2007's "Pathway" album, where the Swedes drifted away from the Melodic Power Metal of before and ventured into a heavier direction. I gave a brief rundown in my review of "Pathway", so no need to repeat that.
Let's get to work and focus on the band's newest output. As said before, "Pathway" was a heavier album compared to the four previous ones, and especially a step forward compared to "Hellbound", which I consider the band's least good release so far. The first three were enjoyable Melodic Power Metal albums, where speed was a key ingredient, as was custom during those years, when Power Metal was very popular. With the newest output, Freddy and co. opted for a more Thrashy approach, a bit like their colleagues from PARADOX. "Walk Of Pain" is the first example of the sharper direction. Starting (and ending) with electronic foundation, creating a setting of mystery, another world before the Metal kicks in and carries the melody further. Sharp, aggressive guitars and pounding drums are the key ingredients in this firm-sounding song. Atmospheric keyboards linger in the back and come to the front now and then. The chorus is more melodic, yet still powerful and heavy enough and at the same time - to be honest - a bit whiney in terms of singing, which is probably meant to sound this way when you look at the title. Mind you, it's a good track, and the contrast between the chorus and verses is well executed. The guitar soloing is the only element that still hadn't come along, but it's good to have it in this track. The importance cannot be doubted.
Speaking of PARADOX, "Art Of Deception" could have been written by them. The intro is just tight, midtempo Power Metal, but once the verses kick in, the Thrash riffing comes out very well. Firm midtempo Metal, but the bridge holds the speed and extra vocal aggression, while the chorus is the basis of melody once more, also because of Freddy's very good singing. Catchy it certainly is and more than "Walk Of Pain". Esko's drumming is very active and energetic and that helps to make the song extra powerful, as the riffs alone are not enough. "Art Of Deception" is certainly one of the highlights. "The Mariner" is next and starts calmly. The guitars, assisted by samples, created a spooky tension, building up towards the real take-off, which is violent, aggressive, but not as fast as before. Esko slashes everything in his way and that corresponds perfectly with the guitar input. But somehow this track is a bit too long, certain things are stretched too much.
"Nothing" then adds a serious tempo boost and more vicious guitar riffing to the pack. Freddy's rough, yet melodic vocals fit form a perfect couple with the music. This song has more drive and punch and reminded me of bands like BLIND GUARDIAN, PERSUADER, IRON SAVIOR and SAVAGE CIRCUS. And logically I find this track very much worth checking out. The soloing is the cherry on the cake. Another highlight is "Cult". What I particularly liked here was the rhythm. Esko once again adds a furious pounding touch to the whole. Effects were added to Freddy's vocals in the verses, and I can't say that made me happy. The chorus comes over as hymnic. At the same time the singing is more clean, which is good for a change. Halfway there's a guitarbreak with drumsamples, another element that doesn't score high in my book. The accoustic guitarsolo is a surprise, though, while the rhythm guitar carries on. All this in a calmer context, of course, before the Metal adds a final outbreak.
We're in the second half of the tracklist now and it's time for a big fish: "Broken Soul (Virgin Mary)". With a length of almost 11 minutes (10:45 to be precise), you better stay focused. At first, a calm guitarmelody to build the tension. The distorted guitar that joins in reminds again of, for example, PARADOX. But that soon ends as melodic twinkles take over, creating a strange atmosphere, playing on and on while the Metal power is added and takes over completely, edging towards the line of departure. Pounding drums, chugga-chugga riffing and soft singing occupy the verses. Melody is reserved for the chorus, where Freddy adds more volume to his singing and the music sounds more dramatic. The guitars are a key element throughout the entire song. Atmospheric backing gives a dark touch to the song. Right when you think the song will continue the current direction, the accoustic guitar takes the upperhand, to which all must bow and hold its silence. But this instrument allows its electric variant to go solo afterwards (helped by the drums), while the accoustic rhythm carries on. This middle section is a very interesting aspect of "Broken Soul (Virgin Mary)" as it breaks the stream of Metal that preceded it. Freddy and co. then go for a final epic adventure. The song ends like it started.
Now the road is cleared for the last short tracks, beginning with the title track, which is nothing more than symphonic melodies, though played very soft. During that moment industrial elements were added, like sounds from a factory. Or, depending on what your ears tell you: a hammer hitting an iron bar or anvil (*ting*) and meanwhile a beer bottle being opened (*shh*). Whether or not it's true, only the band can tell, hahaha. That part lasts only a good two minutes, after which it's time for another load of aggressive Metal with "Armageddon Forever". Ferocious riffing, devastating drums, screamy vocals... all inline with the title. Strange to see NOSTRADAMEUS taking this direction, but it's well done, I must add. Perhaps this is a pretaste of what might be written for the next album when the band might go even more Thrash. And that's exactly how "Time For Madness" sounds: Thrashy. Uptempo drums, fast riffing, Freddy going mad here and there. Uptempo verses, midtempo chorus, where the madness is enforced through samples. Melody is key then. This is the last track, and the last highlight. Truly one of the best tracks here and one of the best NOSTRADAMEUS have written since many years.
"Illusion's Parade" turned out to be a decent album. That is, not from the very first listen, but after several listens. However, it is not the band's best release at all. What is instanty hearable is the production, that seems less favourable for the drums this time, as they sound rather thin (mainly the kickdrums) compared to the band's previous releases and especially compared to "Pathway", as that is the album that started the change in direction. The new album is heavier, more aggressive than before and I'm thinking NOSTRADAMEUS is slowly turning into a Power/Thrash band. Something "Illusion's Parade" is showing the first signs of. On the other hand, the old elements of before are still present in the songs, else it wouldn't be NOSTRADAMEUS anymore, and it's good to hear that the roots, so to speak, were not thrown overboard while venturing into this more aggressive direction. Fans of the old NOSTRADAMEUS (first three albums) probably won't like "Illusion's Parade". If you liked "Pathway", then you'll easier appreciate this follow-up.
More info at www.myspace.com/nostradameusofficial
Line-up:
Freddy Persson - vocals
Jake Fredén - guitars
Lennart Specht - guitars
Thomas Antonsson - bass
Esko Salow - drums
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KAUAN is a Russian band or project founded by Anton Belov, a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. In 2005, he and Alexander Borovich (guitar, backing vocals, programming) put their minds together for this musical experience. What started as a Folk/black Metal band evolved over the years into a Ambient Postrock project. September 2006 was the time when Lubov Mushnikova joined as violin player. Several guests also entered the recording studio for their parts, but none of them became part of the band's line-up. The first album ("Luumikuuro", 2007) contained even some cello and saxophone parts. After the release of this album Alexander Borovich left the band, but he still helped with the recordings of the follow-up, "Tietäjän Laulu", which came out in 2008.
Now, anno 2009, since the 20th of November, album no. 3 is out: "Aava Tuulen Maa". Finnish lyrics, indeed. At least, that's my guess. Although several guests are mentioned on the MySpace page, I think this newest album was created just by Anton and Lubov. When looking at the cover, there's no hellish Black Metal to expect, but relaxing sounds, almost suitable for meditation. Music like this sounds totally different than what you would expect from a regular Metal band, let alone a Progressive Metal band. Anton and Lubov, but mostly Anton as he's the mastermind of KAUAN, not only have a painting as cover art, but also paint with their music. The way I see it is painting first and then the music, not the other way around. Unless the graphical artist worked this, music first and based on what he heard the painted a scenery.
Ocean waves are a key element, connecting each song. They are ever-present, be it the beginning or the ending of each track. Not one song ends like it should, for the waves will bring on the next tunes. And so "Ommeltu Polku" begins: sea/ocean sounds and calm guitarwork in vein of SWALLOW THE SUN (yes, a Doom Metal band, but they too have their ambient moments) assisted by piano touches. Atmospheric setting, perfect to dream away in it. Keyboards are a vital element in each of the songs, be it as piano, as synth or as mere backing instrument. Happiness is not around, at least not as is known to us. The music sounds rather sad and melancholic and very well done. The production is quite simply perfect. No vocals at all, which is good here. With barely 5 minutes, you could see "Ommeltu Polku" as the intro, since the other songs are all at least 10 minutes long.
"Valveuni" is another song where it's clear that atmosphere is key. Keyboards obviously dominate and instead of the electric guitar, it's the accoustic one that takes up its responsability. Divided into several parts, which neatly follow one another, you drift off towards the land of dreams, although the overall feel remains melancholic. Anton may be a multi-instrumentalist, but he can sing, too. Not that it is needed, as the music alone can perfectly provide the right entertainment, so to speak. But as it doesn't really form a disturbance, no need to make a fuss about it. The spacey touch later sounds as if Erik Norlander lend a hand, as this sounds similar to his keyboard/synths-based albums. The piano adds a soft touch to the whole, and is also allowed to have some spotlight time. Absolutely stunning material.
"Föhn", which is not a song about this kind of hairdressing, by the way ;-), is a more active song. Active in that it rocks more, though in an accoustic form. Well, "rocks" to some extent. This first part reminded me somehow of ENIGMA's hit "Sadeness". The electric guitar now also comes in to increase that "Rock" feel. Vocals are present as well, but the music takes up the biggest part of the time. Like the pattern of the waves, calm passages are part of this lengthy song. Anton decided to leave only one or two instruments during those moments, in most cases the guitar and/or the piano, complementing or countering each other. Overall, another qualitative end result.
The electric guitar remains present in "Sokea Sisar", too. In this slow song Anton's singing is good and comes out best in the chorus. It's more attractive. The accoustic guitar and piano complete the instrumentation, countering also the electric power a bit. Lubov's input through the violin is very welcome and blends in perfectly. The solo, the leads, the collaboration with the other instruments is flawless. After the calm intermission it's the keyboards and (slow) drums mainly that dominate, playing a totally different melody in a looped manner. Adding vocals to that may help break the monotony a little, but it must be said that this part is just too long and affects the listening experience in a bad way. Thankfully the piano comes to the rescue, helped by symphonic elements. The accoustic guitar and violin help out as well a little later. As beautiful as that sounds, I was surprised to hear the music came to a sudden halt. Overall, I found this track less interesting, even if the quality is still high.
One final stage before returning to shore then. "Neulana Hetkessä" has the piano coming in in hops. The drums and bass are added for reasons of fullness. The accoustic guitar and the violin form the perfect pair to make everything sound soft and easy to listen to while at the same time injecting the music with a touch of mournful sounds. At a later instant, the electric guitar makes a short entrance, in a scratching way. While this is a good idea in the context of the song, it sounds more like "willing, but not able to". The piano works its way to the front after this intervention while the violin comes and goes. Near the end the electric guitar is repaired and is lead back into the fold by the violin. The trip started with ocean waves and so it all ends.
As 2009 is coming to an end, I try to work away many of the reviews that are still due. Getting a release like "Aava Tuulen Maa" gives the last weeks/days of this year an interesting twist, as this is far from being a Metal album. KAUAN plays ambient Postrock. This is totally not my kind of territory, so the only comparable bands I can mention, to a certain degree, are SWALLOW THE SUN (their calmer stuff, not the heavy Doom songs), ERIK NORLANDER and EMPYRIUM, which comes closest of all. Other reviews mentioned a band like ISIS, but I cannot confirm this reference. "Aava Tuulen Maa" was, to my ears, a very good release based on the first few songs. Instrumental, atmospheric, relaxing... I could totally see myself listening to this for many more years. But then Anton sings and a more rocking feel is added and the magic was disturbed. Especially the last two songs require you to focus, since the music isn't flowing in a straight line. The overall quality is high, make no mistake. What Anton and Lubov present here deserves kudos and applause and basically is food for anyone into Postrock. Metalheads are to look elsewhere, unless he/she is open-minded enough to appreciate ambient music, too. Then the reward will be interesting.
More info at www.myspace.com/kauanmusic
Line-up:
Anton Belov - vocals, guitars, keys, programming
Lubov Mushnikova - violin
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TOMYDEESPESTEGO brought out a new album via Subsound Records on the 20th of November, so did another Italian band called JUGGERNAUT. Formed in 2006, the band is said to produce "a grave and gloomy sound, able to synthesize the language of Metal, the violence of Hardcore and the imaginery of Gothic.". Before this debut album, "...Where Mountains Walk", the promo release "Facial Sacrilege: Ballads By The Fireplace" was put out in 2006. Gigwise the band has shared the stage with TODAY IS THE DAY, SWALLOW THE SUN, EPHEL DUATH, STEREOCHRIST and more.
"...Where Mountains Walk" is as strange a title as the tracks. "Of Snakes And Men" starts slowly and in an agonizing manner, expressed through screams (squeals if you will). The music sounds Doomy, SWALLOW THE SUN-Doomy, but more painful and slower. Other than that the mix of heavy outbreaks and calmer, soothing passages (in vein of SATURNUS) is well done. Italians have an accent when speaking English and that's no different when Salvatore talks a bit in those calm passages. Ending with a touch of symphony, the transition into "Flamingoes" is smooth. The tempo remains low, but the guitars become more prominent, turning the music into Post Rock/Metal. The squeals are back. Someone must be going through hell. ;-) As the guitars are more important, the song logically rocks more and at such an moment the bass also comes floating on the surface (read: higher in the mix). But like before, a (very nice) contrast is implemented through calmer, Jazzy playing. JUGGERNAUT even goes Black Metal(-ish) afterwards, if only for a short while before going back to the Rock part before the Jazzy interlude. The wild flow retreats one more time in favour of an atmospheric, melodic part, which soon has to make way again. Overall, this is quite a progressive track and a very good one, to be honest.
Another very song is "Seven Companions And An Empty Case", of which the intro creates some tension, stressed by musical bursts. Slow music with an easy-listening rhythm and beat, but rocking, follows. Yes, the hurtful squeals (apparently a key element) can be heard here, too. The symbiosis of rocking and soothing parts seems to be a classic structure for these Italians. They provide the listener with very nice rhythms and leads, so why change that? It's like in football/soccer/other team sports: never change a winning team. Plus, the variation (including musical accents) is even more clear because of the changing drumpattern, for which the band deserves bonus points, you could say.
And the quality remains high. "Ghostface" has a ticking clock in its intro, reminding of those standing clocks. Ambient music (twinkling, guitars) neatly follows along. Jazzy at first, the music soon morphs into Rock, albeit it in a slow version. One thing must be said here: take your time to listen, because if you try to go through it too fast or with certain expectations, you'll be disappointed. If you however do listen carefully, then the reward will be worth it. Variation and diversity are the main guidance, as shown by the collection of accents, different rhythms, hands clapping, unconventional instrumentation and more.
There is a film called "A Fish Called Wanda", JUGGERNAUT looked farther, saw it bigger and dubbed it "A Fish Called Atlantis". Beginning accoustically with a cello and percussion, this duo soon is joined by a xylophone and violin. The band even thought of castagnettes as extra spice. Obviously this joint-venture sounds very nice. With two minutes length the Italians made very good use of it, but I wonder by in the last instant squeals needed to be added. Time for another slow and Doomy song ("Nailscratched") in vein of SWALLOW THE SUN, SATURNUS and similar. Around halfway there's an active outbreak (instrumental at first, vocals added a bit later). Diversity has been a guiding line again, but somehow the end result is not as attractive as the previous songs, no matter how good.
"Day Of The Dances" does not start calm or accoustically or anything along those lines. Nope, what you get are blasts. Yep, talk about a surprise. But that is just an intro, as the verses are calm and accoustic. The heavy building and powerful outbreaks don't stay behind that long. The typical squeales and shrieks are here, too, and that's a surprise, at least to me. Compared to the previous songs, this one here is rather short. The overall result is good, though, but not as much as the first couple ones and, for example, "Thank You For Not Discussing The Outside World". This one does again revert to a calm tune, atmospheric and sad. Apparently there's something wrong with either the Inside World or the Outside World. I'm merely looking at the title. However, the sadness and gloom of the situation is nicely expressed through the heavy outbreaks, which are inline with the intro. Musically, or bandwise, thoughts of SWALLOW THE SUN, SATURNUS, ESOTERIC and others cannot be suppressed. The provided melodies are nice to the ear and the mix of tranquil and wild(er) parts is once more well done. Instrumentally things are definitely worth checking out.
The two last songs, "The Bridge And The Shepperd" and "Diario" are the least good (not to say worst), songs on "...Where Mountains Walk". The first starts with ambient fading in and out, a flute comes along in the last part and all of a sudden the music stops. It's as if the ending was cut off. The start of the last track isn't better. Talking with guitars slowly coming to the front, before agony breaks out. Slow, Doomy Rock takes over afterwards. Somehow I can't make a joyful jump here, as this song just doesn't cut it for me. Coming back to that talking: it's incredibly annoying and does not add anything favourable to the song. The verses are rather Jazzy, while the power comes out in the chorus and beyond. Not only the talking, but also the singing (again squeals and shrieks, both unfitting here) is the biggest culprit here in making this song unattractive. On top of that, with more than 9 minutes, the track is also far too long.
Discovering new bands is always an interesting experience. Mind you, that doesn't mean you will or have to like everything. JUGGERNAUT's "grave and gloomy sound, able to synthesize the language of Metal, the violence of Hardcore and the imaginery of Gothic" is far from bad, as several songs have shown. On the other hand, there are some that aren't as attractive and based on a personal score - that's why I never put scores under my reviews, as those are always subjective and don't tell much about the albums themselves - "...Where Mountains Walk" is a good album, but far from very good or even must-have. If you're open-minded enough, you'll probably find something here. Other than that, the follow-up release will be an important one.
More info at www.myspace.com/thejuggernautband.
Line-up:
Salvatore Blasi - vocals
Luigi Farina - guitar, classical and accoustic guitars, kettledrums
Matteo Palandri - guitars
Roberto Cippitelli - bass, glokenspiel, vibraslap, castanuelas
Guido Penta - drums
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ELOY is a German Progressive Rock band that was founded way back in the 20th century, around the end of the 1960s. Their history is extensive and although I usually add a few words with each review, I could find anything more compact. The band's website has the band's career divided into several chapters/periods and each period is described with more than enough words. So I basically want to direct you to www.eloy-legacy.com to read it for yourself. ELOY has in all those years released many albums. This process came to a halt in 1998, the year in which "Ocean 2 - The Answer" came out. "Ocean" came out in 1977. The band had broken up. The line-up had also undergone many changes during the group's career. You can see for yourself on ELOY's website. But despite the split, their music was still in high demand, it is said. And so it happened. ELOY got back together and recorded another album: "Visionary". This one was released via Artist Station Records on the 18th or 20th of November.
"Visionary" contains seven tracks, totalling a playtime of just over 42 minutes, which means long songs. But that's also a typical aspect of Progressive Rock. The album takes its time to unwrap the musical compositions, as shown with the spacey, ambient intro of "The Refuge". Once the guitars and drums are added, the real take-off is signaled. The pace is slow, but that is very fitting for this Jazzy Progressive Rock. Frank has a clean voice, nothing rough about it. While the music is of course not the crunchy kind of Rock, there's no need to have someone with a raspy voice, but somehow his sounds a bit flat, which makes the compatibility with the music less viable. Now, you might say he has been singing like this all those years, etc.. but as this is the first time I get to hear an ELOY album, I can use that excuse. ;-) A bit more fullness or power would only have had a positive impact. But back to the music, which even throws in a Folky touch through the flute. The guitars remain of course the main, leading instrument, be it electric, accoustic or bass. The keyboards are there for the melodic aspect. Drumwise you get both: drums and percussion and that only adds to the listening experience. When music and vocals join forces, they unleash their full power in the chorus. All in all, this is a good song to start with, but there's better material coming up.
One example is "The Secret", which is a few minutes longer than "The Refuge", or better, it's the 3rd longest song (07:45) on this album. Again it starts in an ambient and spheric manner. Keyboards, guitar (calm plucking) and drums follow soon, with the latter keeping up a simple and linear rhythm/beat. The combination of all these elements create a very nice first part. A very nice one, indeed. As the music continues its melodies, the moment has come to add vocals. As we're dealing with a spacey atmosphere, the band found it fitting to put effects on the vocals. The drums may not be technical, but the use of cymbals sure may increase here. They're made for a reason. The chorus contains backing support from the violin and flute and even if the whole sounds Poppish, the result is pleasing to the ears. On the other hand, you better not be in a happy mood at this point, since there's a certain "whineyness" or whining about this part and the singing. The last minute of the track is reserved for the keyboards, which present themselves in atmospheric format, guiding the vocals onwards. "The Secret" is a good song, no doubt about that, but despite its length I missed what you could call variety. Or at least in a larger quantity. But perhaps that's one of the differences between Progressive Rock and Progressive Metal. Or just how ELOY writes its songs.
Time for the second longest song then, "Age Of Insanity" (07:56). The title alone looks promising, doesn't it? The music certainly rocks more, be it with Bluesy influences, while the keyboards add a spacey kind of backing. A slow tempo with backing and guitars and main instrumentation create the main flow. Frank's clean vocals continue to be clearly present in the verses. The music grows in volume and sounds/flows smoother in the chorus, thus clearly distincting itself from the verses. However, when looking back at the title, the expected power never comes out. The music is just too soft for that. But make no mistake, the music is very good. ELOY created very nice melodies, and those shine especially in the chorus. Later on the chorus is set between a guitar solo and an instrumental part containing a speech, but in that time there was also room for a keyboard solo. One name that instantly passed through my mind then was that of ERIK NORLANDER. All things considered and despite not being a more powerful song, I cannot add anything else but that "Age Of Insanity" is the best song on "Visionary", bar none.
Sadly, at least in my (humble) opinion, it never gets as good anymore. In fact, it gets worse, even if I never expected that. Sure, my first acquaintance with ELOY, but for a band having been active for several decades, it creates certain promises and whatever more. On the other hand, subjectivity is always around when it comes to (dis)liking or commenting on music. But that's for later. "The Challenge (Time To Turn, Part 2)" seems to be a continuation/sequel to another song from the past, most likely "Time To Turn" from the same-titled album from 1982. No Rock, no ambient/spheric start, but Reggae-ish in terms of rhythm and beat with the guitar and drums as main instrumentation. The bass does sound strong and high in the mix, while the keyboards linger in the back in the verses. They do increase in power, together with the rest in the bridge. The chorus is where Frank holds his silence and lets either Anke Renner or Tina Lux handle the singing. To spice up the musical aspect, a guitar solo was implemented and I really want to thank the guys for that, as it comes like a gift from heaven. It helps to break what would else be a linear song. "The Challenge (Time To Turn, Part 2)" is a good song and having female vocals makes it more interesting, but somehow I found the flow too linear and the chorus was played a bit too often.
But then ruin sets in with "Summernight Symphony". Symphonic elements lay out sad melodies and in that context it's best to keep the tempo low. The guitar leads, the keyboards provide gentle backing. The overall soft- and calmness make it sounds like a ballad. The melodies are good if you're open-minded enough or don't mind the Pop feel. The dual vocals are this time not a positive element and sound boring. Nothing personal, just how this element sounds is a thorn in my eye, or, ears. Overall, I can't really be positive here. Even if the playtime is much shorter than before, the end result is just... boring, dull, (enter synonym). The situation is not much better in "Mystery (The Secret, Part 2)", the longest song (9 minutes). Where the original can be found, I don't know. I didn't find the album, or perhaps I overlooked it. The ambient, spheric kind of intro has returned, and calm guitars (including a strong bass) and a steady drumbeat are added shortly after. This of course sounds very good, but things keep on turning in the same loop. Frank's singing remains a not so strong element, in my humble opinion, and on top of that he sounds rather nasal here, which makes it even less likeable. The musical power comes out as the chorus draws nearer. The beat then also becomes much firmer. Spheric keyboards remain a constant. I have to mention the singing once more. The vocal lines... Well, they're not good. In fact, it's the least good input of this kind in this song and so far (compared to the other tracks). Musically the result is alright, though too linear. "Thoughts" ends the band's first album in so many years. And those thoughts don't last long: barely one minute and a half. It's an accoustic track, where again the music is the better of the two. No, sorry, I just cannot be overjoyed by the vocals.
Progressive Rock is not a genre I often listen to (the number of such releases in my collection is extremely low), let alone write something about such a release. ELOY has quite a career behind them and they have acquired a large fanbase over the years. Kudos for them and respect for what they've done and have restarted after massive demand from the fans. "Visionary" is the result and most likely doesn't sound too different from the older albums, something I can neither confirm nor deny. It is however interesting to hear new/unknown (to me) bands, despite taste being a key factor in the process of appreciation. With ELOY I can only say that there were a few good songs on their newest output, but I think there's better ProgRock out there. Fans of the band will of course have a better understanding and ear for the Germans' music and they will no doubt like "Visionary". Hence the classic sort of ending: "Visionary" is a release for the fans, those that have supported ELOY all those years and craved for more. Anyone new to this band is best to start elsewhere, I believe.
More info at www.eloy-legacy.com.
Line-up:
Frank Bornemann - vocals, guitars
Hannes Folberth - (additional) keyboards
Michael Gerlach - keyboards
Klaus-Peter Matziol - bass
Bodo Schopf - drums, percussion
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BURNING BLACK is an Italian Heavy/Power Metal band, formed in 2004 by John Morris (guitars) and Dan Ainlay (vocals). The following two years two demos are recorded: "Smell The Fire" and "Fight To Dream". This results in a record contract and a completion of the line-up with AJ Simons on bass and Will Oswin on drums. Several gigs later the band records its debut album, "Prisoners Of Steel", in the summer of 2007. The release is set for April 2008. BURNING BLACK then has the chance to share the stage with U.D.O., PRIMAL FEAR, VOLBEAT, BONFIRE, WHITE SKULL, RAGE and more. Anno 2009 (20th November to be precise) the follow-up release is out under the title "MechanicHell". Prior to the release, however, the Italians toured with CIRCLE II CIRCLE and MANTICORA. To give their music more power, the band got joined by Eric Antonello as second guitarist.
It's May 2010 as I'm writing this. Yes, just a small delay, nothing to worry about. *cough* But as I had planned to review "Mechanichell", it has to be done. The album starts with an instrumental intro dominated by the guitar and bass, creating a dark atmosphere. Certainly not a sunny and colourful one. The Metal breaks loose in "Our Sentence" at a firm pace, though in a relatively high gear. Melody is key, coming from the guitars and backing keyboards (although I don't know who added those). Dan's vocals are of the screamy kind, the rough-edged kind. You won't hear him do any cleans. The guitarsolo is well done, but the drumpattern remains too standard and linear. Still, this is a nice song to start with. "MechanicHell", the title track, is an even better one. Uptempo, double bass... it's hard to sit still here. Powerful Metal is what you get, with a lot of energy and catchiness. Definitely one of the highlights.
"Purgatory Child" and "Secrets To Hide" are two less good tracks. The first is a firm midtempo one with keyboards backing, which means the guitars are what it's all about. Dan sings with his usual powerful voice, adding passion to his input. However, the chorus is rather boring here. The guitarsolo is good, though. "Secrets To Hide" is a better track, again focussing on guitars and having the keyboards provide backing. The leadwork stands out here, but overall this is a very linear song and could use more variety. But fear not, for most of what's to come is worth hearing. "Reborn From My Sins" is a slow rocker, including atmospheric backing. Screamy vocals are present again and this works well in the ballsy verses. Dan does sing in a more controlled manner in the chorus. The guitar solo is a necessity from which the song clearly benefits.
With "Hero Of The Century" BURNING BLACK added another fast track to the pack. Double-bass Power Metal! After several midtempo tracks, something speedier is much desired. No problems here whatsoever. "Dangerous Game" is an 80's-like song and that's mainly because of the keyboards and guitars. Dan's rough vocals fit very well here, although cleans would have been a better choice. Somehow I doubt if he can sing in a clean way, as he screams (or close enough) in practically each song. Even in "Dust And Rain". This is a slow track with simple music, which requires clean vocals. Dan's screaming here sounds as if he's in great agony and this just does not work with the music at all! He basically raped the song, so to speak. Can I say "yuk!"? The last highlight on this album is "Messengers Of Hell", which bring back the power of Metal. The tempo also is high, and musically it's all about riffs. Despite a too linear structure, the music's quite good, but Dan's screams form the bad element (again). "Victims And Tortures" is the last track, but it's so badly ripped (for the mp3 promo) that it's a mix of other songs and accoustic passages, though very short ones. I couldn't make anything of it. Was this supposed to be a (accoustic) ballad?
BURNING BLACK's sophomore album, "Mechanichell", is overall a solid Heavy/Power Metal release. It contains lots of energy, passion and power that it's clear the band has learned from its recent past and intends to improve with each album. Pluspoints go to the production, the catchy tunes, the execution. However, not everything is perfect. Minus points are for the linearity of the songs. Sure, adding a solo helps to avoid monotony, but surely they won't rely on this forever? Also, drumfills. Where are they? It's not because you don't write complex songs that you need to keep this element chained to standard patterns? Oh yes, I almost forgot the vocals. The rough singing works well with the heavy guitarwork, but I hope Dan will try to use his voice according to the music and not scream at each opportunity. Fans of PRIMAL FEAR, JUDAS PRIEST, BRAINSTORM, MASTERPLAN, SEVEN WITCHES, VICIOUS RUMORS and similar can check out "Mechanichell" if in need for something new. Fingers crossed for album no. 3.
More info at www.myspace.com/burningblackband
Line-up:
Dan Ainlay - vocals
John Morris - guitar
Eric Antonello - guitar
AJ Simons - bass
Will Oswin - drums
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I wrote a whole introduction in the review of the "Astral Hand" EP, which came out in October (see lower on this page). So let's continue to MOB RULES's newest album, "Radical Peace", out since the 13th of November. Seven tracks are to be found on this new release, totalling a playtime of more than 50 minutes. Most songs are over 5 minutes long while "The Oswald File (Ethnolution Part II - A Matter Of Unnecessary Doubt)" takes up over 18 minutes. But don't worry, it is said that you can manually browse through the song as it's spread over 6 tracks, from no. 5 to no. 10. Here the tracklist only counts to 7 (the mp3 promo has the song as one big file), but on the back of the album you'll see that "The Oswald File (Ethnolution Part II - A Matter Of Unnecessary Doubt)" is no. 5 and "Waiting For The Sun" no. 11, ending with no. 12 ("The Glance Of Fame").
"Children Of The Flames" starts gently with Klaus welcoming the listener, telling what to expect. At least, it feels like that. There's a sort of tension that rises to a bombastic kickoff. Heavy riffing, firm but slow drumming and a more aggressive vocalist behind the microphone. The improved production makes the music come out better, gives it more power, which was needed after all those years. Heaviness is all around, though melody (not just through the vocals) comes to the front in particularly the epic chorus where symphonic backing makes the song complete. An organ moment, during which the Metal has slowed down even more, adds a dramatic touch. All heaviness falls away afterwards and the rebuilding can begin. Having Nikolas behind the kit is an improvement as he adds some small fills here and there, despite his drumming not being that technical here. MOB RULES did fool me after 5 minutes. All music ends and it feels like a normal ending. But after a few seconds of silence the whole process begins anew. The same intro, but then the music carries on very slowly with the organ being a key instrument (helped by the guitars), as if to stress once more the dramatic character of the lyrics, which talk about children in death camps.
"Trial By Fire" also has the guitar laying out the red carpet before all hell breaks loose. There's something HAMMERFALL-ish about this intro, especially the HAMMERFALL of the last few years, having thrown speed overboard. But then it's power time. Fierce drumming, heavy riffing and adjusted singing (with and without effects). Very good move to give the music a kick in the rear, especially in the verses. And again the melodic aspect is reserved for the bridge and chorus, resulting in a hymnic moment in the midst of metallic power. The solo is guarded by the heavy riffing and firm drumming, keeping the pace high enough. Very nice work overall and quite catchy as well. More of this, I say. Lyrically this song deals with the church in the middle ages and witch burning. And more is delivered in "Warchild", starting with a metallic bang! All the while keyboard twinkels create some sort of suspense. The music is far more symphonic this time, being more prominent. The pace is much slower than before and the verses are devoid of heavy guitars. It's all about vocals, keyboards (including gentle piano touches), bass and drums. The full power comes out in the chorus. The strings help to give the music a sad touch, also because the lyrics are about USA politics, the Vietnam war, George Bush's decisions and the axis of evil. Basically, MOB RULES wanted to create a song about war and how it is used to suppress people and the effect it has on people. Overall the expression of the right feelings is well done, be it through the singing or the instrumentation. Yes, even the solo is inline with that.
"Astral Hand" has an orchestral arrangement in its intro, assisted by the accoustic guitar. All is calm and peaceful and little by little the music moves towards the big bang as drums and Metal power are added. This first part is slow and quite hymnic. But then the boost kicks in and you can instantly hear the music has become more Metal than before, more powerful than before. That's because the compositions were written that way, to have the guitars add more power and be the dominant instrument. However, ochestral elements do peek through the curtain for backing and assistance in the leads. And yes, even the drums benefit from this change. Whereas Arved was more a relaxed drummer, sticking to simple patterns, Nikolas adds fills to make the transition to e.g. the chorus more fluently and better recognisable. Plus, it's not just addings fills for the sake of fills. That was one of my main concerns on their previous albums and during the listening session as well the change of drummer turned out to be a good move. Epicness can be found in the chorus. As the guitars are the dominant instrument, solos are a must. No flaws here, all flows well, all fits well, all sounds well. Afterwards all heaviness falls away and it's just Sascha's piano work and Klaus's vocals before increasing the volume again for the chorus. The outro is identical to the intro and that means head and tail neatly hold the song together.
And the it's time for the juggernaut "The Oswald File (Ethnolution Part II - A Matter Of Unnecessary Doubt)", being the follow-up to "Ethnolution A.D." on the same-titled album from 2006. Guitarist Sven Lüdke said at the time of the listening session in October that the band is considering putting the two "Ethnolution" songs together for a DVD-recording with an orchestra and choir, but nothing concrete has been planned yet. "The Oswald File" is 18 minutes long and consists logically of several parts or chapters. Basically it's about the man who killed John F. Kennedy, known as Lee Harvey Oswald. Hence the song title. It is said that the CIA and KGB were behind this criminal act, but that's just one or two of the possible theories. As JFK brought hope/peace, Obama is in the same position, so the theme is applicable to today's situation. The song starts with the speech of JFK when he said the famoous words "Ich bin ein Berliner". Symphonic powerful Metal then kicks in. Not fast, but not slow either, yet firm enough for an epic song. And as much importance the guitars have on the album, the keyboards cannot be missed in songs like this one. Musically there is of course a varied flow of heavy outbreaks and gentle, more melodic parts. Like the verses, during which Klaus expresses Lee's thoughts after the act. The chorus lets the music release it's full power and melody, obviously keeping the drama and sadness of the event intact. This is grand stuff. At a given moment the Metal falls away and instead you hear Lee getting ready for the kill, first drinking something and listening to the radio for the latest updates. The music rebuilds with marching drums and accoustic guitars while the orchestra grows stronger and stronger until all hell breaks loose. And we're close to halfway then. The band picks up the trail again and marches onward with a firm pace. But the inevitable has happened, as the radio reporter confirms. The music is adapted instantly. The transitions from firm Metal into more dramatic, melodic directions happen flawlessly. And instrumental talk does play a big role in the second half of this mighty song. Magnificent piece of music. MOB RULES have truly outdone themselves here.
Alrighty, back to business as usual with "Waiting For The Sun" where you'll find sharper riffing (makes this song a really rocking one), more fierce drumming and rougher singing, even if Klaus's limits don't reach that far. But he does a good job. Symphonic accents stress the melodic aspect of this song (especially in the chorus), but it's the guitars and drums that dominate once more. Declaring this as a mix of HAMMERFALL and VANDEN PLAS is not entirely correct, but the VANDEN PLAS influence is caused by Markus Teske, who has produced VANDEN PLAS's albums, as well as RED CIRCUIT's and is even the keyboardist in this last band. Markus also produced, mixed and mastered MOB RULES's previous two albums. So he's in a big way responsible for the more powerful sound of "Radical Peace". The last 5 minutes are for "The Glance Of Fame", setting in with a heavy intro where guitars and symphonic keyboards determine the melodic direction before the real take-off starts. The guitars and drums are still the key instruments, but the soft touch of the symphonic elements forms an ideal addition. "Astral Hand" was radio-friendly, but so is this song and even sounds similar, only a tad slower and more melodic. The guitars were more powerful in "Astral Hand". But the result is also good, and especially the chorus jumps out. Before the solo is played and the song afterwards relies on repetition of the chorus, there's an enjoyable heavy pounding Metal moment that forms the bridge. All in all a decent song to end a very good album.
MOB RULES, potential enough but not always being powerful enough, has now fixed that problem and present what could be their best album in years or since the band's founding. Power is what the Metal of these Germans needed to be able to play along again in the world of Power Metal, which has lost lots of its appeal since several years. MOB RULES found a new power source and created "Radical Peace", an album of which the band can be very proud of. You can really hear and feel lots of effort and time went into creating this masterpiece. Yes, masterpiece, a term very much appropriate here. If you thought the previous albums were too melodic and not Metal enough, then "Radical Peace" will make you change your opinion. Absolutely recommended release, in my humble opinion.
More info at www.mobrules.de.
Line-up:
Klaus Dirks - vocals
Matthias Mineur - guitar
Sven Lüdke - guitar
Sascha Onnen - keyboards
Markus Brinkmann - bass
Nikolas Fritz - drums
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I was presented DARK AGE's last offering, "Minus Exitus", last year. This German Melodic Death Metal formation has been around since 1994 and this was their fifth album. In all those years my ears never heard any DARK AGE tunes until that review moment. Though the end result didn't do me much, even if there were similarities with bands like IN FLAMES, SOILWORK, MACHINE HEAD, some (old) PARADISE LOST, DARK TRANQUILLITY and so on. Mainly the clean vocals and thin production (on the drums) were elements that ruined the listening experience. Anno 2008 the band was signed to Remedy Records. Anno 2009 they're on AFM Records. Seems like AFM is picking up a lot of bands that either didn't get enough support from their previous label or maybe because that previous label couldn't support them properly anymore or there might be another reason.
I referred to PARADISE LOST and the first track ("Kingdom Nevercome") of this new album, "Acedia" (out on the 13th of November), contains the same influences. Sort of like PARADISE LOST meets modern Rock. Clean vocals again in this pounding, aggressive track. But let it be clear that hoarse screams are very much present too and that's a good thing. The PARADISE LOST influence can be heard in the chorus, with both the vocals and music. The melodic element is present through keyboards and samples. The Melodic Death touch reminds of DARK TRANQUILLITY, which in some of their songs also follow a Gothic-inspired direction. All in all, a good track to start with and already I'm more satisfied than at the time of "Minus Exitus". staying with PARADISE LOST, here's "Devote Yourself To Nothing". Atmospheric backing, firmly played Metal, aggressive vocals... this smells more like DARK TRANQUILLITY. The keyboards increase in (backing volume) in the bridge and chorus, where they complete the compositions. Eike then also reverts to clean singing. The musicianship is very good here, the riffing tastey, the melodic aspect subtle but needed. All in all a job very well done.
Two good to very good songs so far. Is this the same band that made "Minus Exitus"? Anyway, time for another solid track: "Neon Gardens". This one contains vicious, sharp guitarwork. The energy level is high here, with nice melodic leads supported by the keyboards. The verses are devoid of heaviness and sound cold, Gothic/Industrial-ish. The bridge is where the Metal power comes in again and the screaming/yelling is like a mix of Andreas Sydow (see DARKANE's song "Innocence Gone") and Chester Bennington from LINKIN PARK. Yes, that's not a good reference, but that's what my ears told me. Clean vocals take over in the chorus. And they fit well with the music, similar to how PARADISE LOST does it. The quality on offer remains high. I'm positively surprised. "Snake Of June" sounds even more bombastic and symphonic than everything before. The pace is not really fast, though. Clean, Gothic-ish verses contrasting with a brutal chorus, where the keyboards offer symphonic backing to make sure the right emotions are expressed. This is a dark, emotional and gloomy song, very much guitar-dominated, of course. The solos are the cherry on the cake.
Time for a boost then, in aggression and firmness: "Zeitgeist (Ghost In A Machine)". Clean vocals, similar to the previous track, in the verses, backed by electronic touches. Gothic/Industrial Metal, if you will. It's a cold world out there and this is a perfect song to show that. The clean, normal vocals (the verses have a more robotic voice), occupy the chorus. Electronic touches are woven in between the different parts. The groovy guitarwork and keyboard backing reminds of RAMMSTEIN somehow. Not the present RAMMSTEIN, but that of "Herzeleid" and "Sehnsucht". Pounding Metal with a lot of groove, executed very nicely. What more could you ask for? Uptempo Metal? No problem, at least the start of "10 Steps To Nausea" fulfills that wish. Rolling midtempo is the pace afterwards, the music ever so aggressive and dark. Melodic backing can be found in the chorus, where Eike sing in a more normal manner, opposed to the growls/screams soon afterwards. The Thrashy Metal from the start does come back later, around the middle.
"Halo Meridian" starts with a looped guitartune and leaves it up to the listener to guess what will come next. Drums are added, atmospheric backing too, little by little moving onwards. As the loop continues vocals are added until Eike's short screams makes the music enters the realms of aggressiveness and into the chorus. The looped guitartune and Poppy feel with the clean vocals are in fact the verses. But it's when the Metal kicks in that the music comes thundering out of the speakers. Melodic Death of a fine quality at this stage, despite again, yes, PARADISE LOST influences (think "Draconian Times", but heavier, more aggressive). But then DARK AGE surprises all as the Thrash gear is selected and that's a very fine gear, I must tell you. At that point it's also guitar time, including solos, as short as they may be. The outro is the same as the intro, so head and tail hold the middle section perfectly together.
Up next is "Underneath These Burdens", a song that reminds heavily of old IN FLAMES, DARK TRANQUILLITY and similar. The pounding, fast-paced drums, rough vocals, guitar-dominated compositions and atmospheric backing... key ingredients for a well-prepared Melodic Death Metal song. The chorus does sound whiney, though. The clean vocals worked well before, but here they're better left out and replaced by the growls/screams. The solo is the medicine against those whiney clean vocals. Musically everything's quite alright, even the input from the keyboards. Electronics show up again, though very shortly, in "All The Unfullfilled" and as the Metal bursts in, it's as if I'm listening to EMPYRIOS. But DARK AGE sounds a bit more aggressive, a bit. This track contains lots of groove and the keyboard presence cannot be denied either, as they add to the atmosphere and expression of the right emotions and feelings, be it anger, fear, or anything else along those lines. Eike growls in the verses, yet goes clean (again, not exactly the most attractive part of the song) in the bridge. The chorus is filled with screams as if in agony. That may work well in the whole of the song, but it becomes annoying after a while.
More Groove Metal power is played in "Babylon Riots". Midpaced, modern Metal with the contrast between the Poppy verses and somewhat heavier chorus, but overall the result is aimed more at radio-play than anything else. The breakdown with shouting vocals sounds boring, dull, monotonous and angsty. Even the solo can't rectify that. As far as I'm concerned, this makes the very good work of the previous songs (or most of them) completely undone. It's a shame. luckily things end in Metal style with "Myself Heretic" and thus with more Groove, power, aggression, drive, determinance. Growls in the verses, clean vocals in the chorus. The clean vocals are again the least attractive aspect, despite being quite listenable previously. The solo is well done and so is the music afterwards. The guitars are the main factor, next to the drums, while keyboards offer modest backing. All in all, a good end result.
"Minus Exitus" was far from being a good album, except if your mind was set on modern Metal. With "Acedia" it seems the guys have set their backs straight, put their heads together to create a powerful follow-up, one that would offer more power, more balls, more aggression. And they've succeeded, if you ask me. The majority of the tracks shows a band that can make decent Metal. The influences from bands like (mainly) PARADISE LOST and DARK TRANQUILLITY (or Gothic Metal meets Melodic Death Metal) were neatly applied into their own compositions, resulting in an album that is worth checking out, much more than the previous effort.
More info at www.dark-age.de.
Line-up:
Eike Freese - vocals, guitars
Jörn Schubert - guitars
Martin Reichert - keyboards
Alex Frank - bass
André Schumann - drums
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PLUTONIUM ORANGE was formed in 2000. Over a period of 4 years they made 3 demos. The band's MySpace says 4, but Metal-Archives.com lists the following: "Fruit Of The Doom" (2000), "Volume" (2001) and "Waiting For The Gun" (2002). Anyway, the line-up features guitarist Juha Raivio and drummer Pasi Pasanen, respectively SWALLOW THE SUN guitarist and ex-SWALLOW THE SUN drummer. They are assisted by Samuli Liekkinen (vox/guitars) and Antti Sjöblom (bass). Together they finally managed to put out a full album, "Volume". This came out on the 11th of November via Firebox Records.
While SWALLOW THE SUN is one of the leading Melodic Death/Doom bands, PLUTONIUM ORANGE is said to be a Stoner Rock band. This creates expectations which are never fulfilled, at least not in terms of Stoner Rock. The Finns sound rather radio-friendly and very accessible. Not only because of the compositions, but also the shortness of the songs. With 9 tracks, the overall playtime is less than 40 minutes. But it sounds so nice, as the rocking "One Of Us" demonstrates. It is an energetic Rock song with Samuli's clean vocals, ideal for this kind of music. The obligatory solo is not forgotten. Stoner it is not, modern (Hard) Rock all the more. "Killer By The Road" keeps the energetic level as high, with the guitars adding more melody than before. As accessible the first song was, the second one is it even more. The drums are pretty standard, but luckily Pasi throws in some classic fills (toms, cymbals), which are not only beneficial to the song, but as he's the one with the most freedom to do something... After the guitar solo, things turns a bit more emotional, so to speak, without compromising on the Rock aspect.
"Bend"'s calm guitar intro can make you think this song's a ballad. And I must say, this first part does sound nice. Once the Rock touch takes over, the music comes pounding out of the speakers. Slow(er) verses are opposed to a chorus where the music has the necessary breathing room and can thus flow much smoother while letting out more melody. Good song, nothing more. "The Glow" is a slower Rocker, Doomier somehow, but never SWALLOW THE SUN doomier or similar, though there are a few musical similarities. Still, not enough for a proper comparison. Lyrically it seems to deal with a broken relationship where he/she is kicked out of the house. Overall quite a nice result. The song, I mean. "Waiting For The Gun" cranks up the pace again and sounds rather happy. The verses hold the melody, while the chorus is where terms like "emotional", "disappointed", etc. can be applied. It's a decent song, but not as likeable as the previous ones. There's a chance it bores after a few listens.
The situation improves with "Wet Trails", which starts calm, but creates a tension nevertheless. The uptempo outbreak contrasts nicely and you're set for a good 4 minutes of straight-forward Rock. The melodic leads in the chorus are a very nice element and considering Juha's experience in SWALLOW THE SUN, that's no surprise. Pasi's drumwork is very active and he neatly follows the tempo changes, staying inline with the guitars. Like before, this is another accessible track, but a solid one. "Bring Out Your Dead" takes a direct start, to the point. The guitarwork is good and offers a nice mix of melody, heaviness, soft touches and more aggressive ones, while the drumming can be considered firm. This song's heavier than the preceding ones. There's a higher focus on Rock instead of melody, even if this element is present, though not as a constant. The chorus is short, but powerful and effective. No flaws here, in other words.
Next stop is "13 Minutes Of Agony", which is not like the title. It's between 4 and 4.5 minutes long and it's far from agonizing. Although it must be noted that this is the heaviest song on "Volume" and the only one that comes close to the term Stoner. The tempo and feel are more than alright, but Pasi uses too much cymbal, in my humble opinion. But all is well done, including the guitarwork. "Unstable/Unreal" ends this debut album by letting the bass lay out the main rhythm, after which the guitars pick it up, assisted by the drums. The music rocks and the pace lies high enough. Structure-wise this is simple and to the point.
PLUTONIUM ORANGE is NOT a Stoner Rock band, no matter what the description might say. There's only one song that comes close to this style, but the others are better cataloged as Modern (Melodic) Rock. They're very accessible, simple even in most cases and due to their un-Metalness quite radio-friendly. But whether or not radio stations will put this band on the playlist, is another matter. Fact is that "Volume" offers several enjoyable Rocksongs for the open-minded Metalhead, who seeks something simpler now and then. I haven't seen many reviews being positive about this album, but to my ears it's good enough. There is quality here. I do however would like to see these Finns make a proper Stoner Rock album. Will the sophomore release be that one?
More info at www.myspace.com/plutoniumorange.
Line-up:
Samuli Liekkinen - vocals, guitars
Juha Raivio - guitars
Antti Sjöblom - bass
Pasi Pasanen - drums
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The American Doom Metal band WHILE HEAVEN WEPT formed in 1989 as DREAM WYTCH, but changed to their current name in 1991. Some demos, an EP and a split-release later, "Sorrow Of The Angels" was born and that was in 1998. Four years later a "Best Of" came out, featuring material of all releases that had been released so far. The line-up also changed many times, turning WHILE HEAVEN WEPT into a revolving door of Doom. The following year, 2003, the band's sophomore album saw the light of day: "Of Empires Forlorn". The Americans got a lot of praise for that and that was nothing less than justified and deserved. WHILE HEAVEN WEPT may not be as famous as CANDLEMASS or SOLITUDE AETURNUS, but their music is as qualitative as can be, and with a new vocalist - Tom Phillips still handles that part, too, though less - called Rain Irving the band is set for a new era of Doom, starting with "Vast Oceans Lachrymose".
This new release and at the same time the band's third studio album, came out on the 6th of November and can be considered as their 20th anniversary album. Six tracks totalling a playtime of a good 40 minutes. But rest assured Tom and co. didn't just turn this into a sorrowful album, as you'll come across some faster material, Progressive stuff, classical elements and more. My knowledge of the band and their music is very limited, but I've already heard some older songs here and there. "Vast Oceans Lachrymose" is my first proper encounter with the music, the first album I can listen to in its entirety. And I've been playing it many times the past many weeks and so far I have not been disappointed at all.
The voyage on the oceans takes off from "The Furthest Shore", which is not only the longest song (more than 15 minutes), but is also divided into several parts. First is pounding, heavy Doom Metal. Atmospheric keyboards create the right setting, but it's the guitars that are the dominating factor, not just for the rhythm, but also the leads as they pick up what the keyboards started. That alone makes this song very much worthwhile. And we're not even at one third of the playtime then. The band neatly connects each part with the accoustic guitar. Gentle electric guitarplay flows along and this creates an exotic moment during which one can relax and enjoy the sounds of music. But it's so damn beautiful tears must be let loose at some point. Once heaviness takes over again and Rain offers a first ear on his vocal skills, the song has really taken off. And Rain can sing, let that be clear. His voice comes out very well in the chorus, where the melodic aspect is strong. So far, so very good, as it all sounds a bit hymnic, to some extent. There is more Metal to come. Once again the keyboards take the lead, but the guitars continue the same melodies, taking it further and claiming full attention. It can't get any more instrumental. And diverse it is, with the variable rhythms and tempos. For Rain it's a time of rest, but he soon has to deliver the goods again, which he does in a splendid way, backed by the keyboards. The guitars take this part towards the next accoustic break by throwing a very beautiful lead melody onto the stack, actually replaying the chorus melody Rain sang just before. All that's left then is the accoustic guitar and soft atmospheric backing. The guitars and drums do come in again, sounding like a rolling thunder before unleashing their full power, creating a dark atmosphere. Rain's singing is then inline with the wildness of the music, as if the ocean waves are suddenly more active than ever and the ship cannot hold its course. All calms down afterwards, as if the ship has crashed onto the shore or sank before even nearing the shore. All is destroyed and nothing's left but sadness and sorrow. Atmospheric keyboards and gentle guitarwork increase that feeling. Rain's dramatic vocals add the perfect vocal touch to this dark event. The melodic part that takes up the last few minutes is filled with tristesse, gloom, Doom, despair, death. The guitarmelody (reminiscent, to my ears, of TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, SAVATAGE and similar) is so stunning, absolutely magnificent and whatever more that I don't know what to write anymore. It brought me to tears a few times. Yeah, you can be tough as a Metalhead, but the power of music (Metal in our case) is so grand it can move you as well. Outstanding quality! "The Furthest Shore" alone makes it worth buying "Vast Oceans Lachrymose". And there's even better material after this song.
To make you come to your senses again after this long, but sorrowful boat trip, it's time "To Wander The Void", though it will takes half less time to get through it. This time the band opted for midtempo Metal with a more direct approach and firmer playing. Rain's clean vocals stand out and increase the melodic aspect of the chorus. The accoustic guitar is present here as well, responsible for the break in the middle, but the electric instrumentation soon takes over command again, even increasing the pace later on as the guitar solo is played. Nothing more needs to be said, save that long or short, WHILE HEAVEN WEPT stands for quality.
Up next is "Living Sepulchre" and my guess is it takes up about 3 to 4 minutes. The mp3 promo had both "Living Sepulchre" and "Vessel" glued together, just like "Vast Oceans Lachrymose" and "Epilogue", so I'll comment on them as such. The first duo, "Living Sepulchre" and "Vessel" form one long song again, almost twelve minutes. A direct start is taken and a very Metal one for that matter. The active drums cannot be ignored. This uptempo pace contrasts with the slow singing and whispering, and these first 3-4 minutes don't really know any point where things slow down. A faster outbreak occurs to help the solo come to the front. The transition to "Vessel" is done through the... indeed, accoustic guitar and since it sounds so differently from what preceded, I'm guessing this is where "Vessel" takes off. Gentle electric instrumentation, including soft drums, take over and grow to a real powerful force. Rain's vocals are added, get backed now and then and flow on towards the chorus, which is slow, sad, depressing, but very melodic. And that part is quite simply breathtaking! The guitars play a magnificent role and the atmospheric backing helps to put it all in the right context. Absolutely perfect!
Inline with the title "Vast Oceans Lachrymose", ocean waves prepare for the music to be washed ashore. Brass instruments (horns? I can't put my finger on it) lay the first melodic layer, adding a touch of danger to the overall feeling. The keyboards then gain in volume and become the leading instrument, while slow guitars and drums add to the power and feel of the song. While the melody is one of sadness and despair, I thought the drums were going a little bit too fast. It doesn't really disturb the flow, but somehow a wee bit slower might have been better. As is custom now, the melody is carried onwards by the guitars during which piano accents complete the compositions. The result? It's so touching, it's out of this world. Truly a masterpiece and again tears need to be suppressed or let out to flow. As if there's not enough water already. The ocean waves brought the music to your ears, it also takes it away again at the end. The title track is one big instrumental eargasm, without the smallest doubt. And the waves also introduce the last stage of the voyage, being appropriately titled "Epilogue". Ambient keyboards this time, fitting as meditation music, playing a sad melody, but so freaking awesome! It's touching, moving, sheer beauty, as if the gods mingled them with the writing process. An excellent piece of work to end an excellent album. And here the waves do come in again, to wash it all away for good. Or until you push the "Play" button again.
The press text mentioned bands like FATES WARNING,(early) QUEENSRYCHE, RUSH, SOLITUDE AETURNUS, BATHORY, ARCTURUS, QUEEN, RAINBOW (with Dio) and several others as similar bands. That may be true, but some bands don't fit that list, if you ask me. That I do know. WHILE HEAVEN WEPT is quite simply an extraordinary Epic Doom Metal band, which deserves all the praise they can get and their 20th anniversary is celebrated with an album that contains some of the best Doom Metal I've heard in the 21st century. "Vast Oceans Lachrymose" instantly grabbed me and several listens I'm still in its claws. The power of the ocean is enormous and therefore I cannot add anything else but great hails and extra recommendations regarding this album for any fan of exquisite Metal, not in the least Epic Doom Metal. Absolute masterpiece!
More info at www.whileheavenwept.net.
Line-up:
Rain Irving - lead vocals
Tom Phillips - guitars, keyboards, vocals
Scott Loose - guitars
Michelle Schrotz - keyboards, vocals
Jim Hunter - bass, vocals
Trevor Schrotz - drums
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HANDFUL OF HATE is an Italian Black Metal band, formed in 1993 and so far they've got five albums up their sleeves, next to a demo and some EPs. Black Metal is not a genre I regularly listen to and my collection is also very limited in terms of releases. But I do appreciate this style in several forms, be it raw, melodic, progressive, symphonic, or mixed with Thrash, Death, Folk, ... And these last ones are closest to my liking. Since I've never heard of HANDFUL OF HATE, it's obvious that their newest output, "You Will Bleed", out since the 6th of November, is my first acquaintance with these Italians and their view on Black Metal. Musically I cannot draw many comparisons, but DARK FUNERAL came to mind and the expertise of my good friend Marcus Desmouceaux Goulart helped with adding the following: GORGOROTH (old period and the newest release), TSJUDER, HORNA, NIFELHEIM and 1349. Of course, that's all depending on those bands' releases.
Nicola Bianchi is the founder of the band and precisely that what makes a band a band, the line-up, underwent several changes in the past, especially the guitars and bass positions. Even before the writing of "You Will Bleed" could commence, Nicola was forced to look for new people to work with. HANDFUL OF HATE's debut album, "Qliphothic Supremacy", came out in 1997, while the band's last output, "Gruesome Splendour", dates back from 2006. The follow-up contains nine tracks with a total playtime of almost 40 minutes. The band's previous efforts had a similar length.
From start to finish, HANDFUL OF HATE presents exactly that: hate. The handful then stands for the relatively short album's length. Starting with the title track. The raging Black Metal sounds violent, dirty, filty and mean. Up to the point that the ferocity had to be dammed in by throwing a prayer in between. A first listen didn't do the trick, several did. The quality is there and it comes out even better in "The Pest' Son", which also throws the music right at you, instant harsh/demonic vocals, drums blasting like hell and the storm being more powerful than before. Andrea Bianchi doesn't just blast, else the song would be too monotonous. Melody plays a more important role than in "You Will Bleed", especially in the chorus, and that too helps to make the song more interesting.
The tempo goes a bit down in "Bliss Between Thorns", which is still a very aggressive and evil-sounding song, but somehow it sounds a bit too linear to my ears. The execution is well done, but a bit more change in compositions would not have hurt. The drop in tempo is made undone in "I Gave You Scars", where the blastbeats were added again. A furious outbreak compared to the previous song. And that's a good thing, as it offers a variable flow of the tracklist. The violence, aggressiveness and hateful compositions in "Earthly And Crawling" are next and offer a nice change between blasts and what you could call normal speed.
On the other hand, there's another slowdown coming up. "The March Of Hate" to be precise. Slower than before, but perhaps more demonical than before, which means the scales are back in balance. "Between Pain And Perdition" needs not much explanation, as it the same recipe as the fast songs: blasting like hell, the storm not giving in and even speeding up some more. Same thing for "The Fault To Exist", containing pounding Metal and Nicola sounding as if in agony, wrapping himself in self-hate. Last but not least, there's "Extremism Made Fire - Cholera!". As usual, fast guitarwork, aggressive drumming and diabolical vocals. All ends with an explosion, as if the construction is crumbling down.
Several listens were needed to get into "You Will Bleed" and I have to admit that these Italians positively surprised me, even though chances are slim I'll buy their back catalogue. This new album sounds well produced and stays true to the old Black Metal of the early 1990s, yet with a 21st century look on the matter. Fans of the band should have no problem at all with "You Will Bleed". Black Metal fans who were previously unaware of/unfamiliar with HANDFUL OF HATE are encouraged to check this band and their music out.
More info at www.handfulofhate.com.
Line-up:
Nicola Bianchi - vocals, guitars
Deimos - guitars
Nicholas - bass
Andrea Bianchi - drums
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The Belgian Thrash band ALWAYS FALLEN has released its first full-length: "Reflection". Although being postponed a few times, the final date was set on the 1st of November. The band saw the light of day in 2005 and after a line-up change (vocalist Kenny Devos joining the ranks) a first demo was made and titled "No Mercy For Sinners" (2007). Anno 2008 the EP "See My Blood" came out and this resultated in several gigs with established acts like SODOM, ENSIFERUM, AXXIS, STORMLORD, MAROON, NEAERA, and more. In addition, ALWAYS FALLEN managed to secure a slot at the Metalcamp festival in Slovenia, where bands like NIGHTWISH, KATAKLYSM, DEATH ANGEL and many more also hit the stage.
"Reflection" was recorded at Studio Jonathas under the guidance of ex-CHANNEL ZERO member Xavier Carion, who also mixed this first full-length. Mastering was in the capable hands of Attie Bauw, known from his work for JUDAS PRIEST, SCORPIONS, CHANNEL ZERO and many more. 11 tracks and a playtime of almost 60 minutes: this promises to be one heavy... reflection. The three songs from the "See My Blood" EP also made it onto this album (see the * in the tracklist), so I copy-pasted what I wrote in 2008, considering the songs didn't really change, except in sound. The same thing counts for two track (see **) that came off the "No Mercy For Sinners" demo. I'm not familiar with that release, so I can't compare with how these songs sound today.
The "Reflection" starts with the aggressive and pounding "Death Comes Down" and it comes down indeed. Thrash to the bone, countered with melody in the chorus while Kenny both sings and screams his way out of it. The guitars do a lot of the talking, by the way and during the solo, death unleashes its devastating powers. "Hail To Fire" contains the typical humpapa kind of tempo, rhythm and riffing, which puts an even bigger smile on my face. Kenny's double-sided vocals come out very strong. Thibault, responsable for the brutal pounding of the drums, does a very good job at keeping the music powerful and diverse enough. The breakdowns are well executed and the battering guitar ram clearly indicates you better not stand in the band's way. This song clearly is one of the highlights.
"Into Your Mothers Eyes" is a massive track, almost 8 minutes long. Logically it starts with a build-up, albeit heavy and with a good rhythm. The midtempo verses contain enough power to maintain a certain ballsiness the album needs. The bridge could have been written by MACHINE HEAD, while things get slower, cleaner, more dramatic in the chorus. That contrast is good, as an idea, but it doesn't sound as good/attractive/fitting as it should/could. ALWAYS FALLEN still have room for growth and one of those points to work on is going from rough and aggressive to calm and melodic. Towards the end of the song, the tempo goes down and by the sound of the weeping guitars it's as if all is falling in ruins, yet trying to recover anyway. It's not a bad song, but not the best either. Its length is also a problem. Making it shorter and perhaps more to the point would/could make it more interesting.
For "Prophecy" (titled "The Prophecy" on the EP) the band even pushed down the pedal even more, thrashing like an unstoppable force, created in "Hail To Fire". As fast as the verses are, the chorus certainly is much slower and more melodic. Kenny sings in a cleaner way then and although I liked this double voice in the previous songs, I'm not that fond of his intervention in the chorus. The "yeah!" element here is more disturbing than beneficial, in my opinion. The music is good to very good, that's beyond doubt. And that includes the solos. It's interesting to hear something HEATHEN-ish in the bridge, from "Heathen's Song", if I'm correct.
"Back Where I Belong" is part of the chorus text in EDGUY's hit "Babylon", but ALWAYS FALLEN wrote a different kind of music for it. It sounds more ballad-ish, almost like METALLICA's "Unforgiven" or "The Unforgiven II". Musically not bad, but it feels awkward to hear Kenny sing this way. Around halfway the power level increases and the obligatory solo is added, flowing over into very nice guitarwork afterwards, during which Jens and Mike put their skills together. With "Morality" it's back to killing time. Drums building, ferocious riffs following. But the speed remains behind, which might have its reasons, but as the songs advances it becomes clear that Thibault's drumming could use a kick in the rear to better flow along with the guitars. ALWAYS FALLEN combine Thrash Metal with more modern influences, as was shown in previous songs. I noticed a small CLAWFINGER influence (the "Deaf Dumb Blind" or "Use Your Brain" era) in the bridge. Kenny's singing is clean in the chorus, also dwelling in the midtempo range. The guitarwork stands out with lots of rhythmic playing. Once the solo part is done, the riffing from the beginning comes back and so the circle is round and finished.
The start of "See My Blood" is good, sharp and deadly. Midtempo is key and Kenny mixes clean singing with raw interventions spendidly. For the chorus the tempo goes down a little and a higher dose of melody is injected. For the guitarsolo the rhythm guitar takes a sharper approach and overall I can't suppress the thought of the old days of METALLICA, which of course is more than welcome. In short, another quality song. "Who Gave Witness" offers another Thrash attack, yet with lots of melody this time and at a firm, free-flowing midtempo. Clean singing overall, although backing grunts can be heard in the chorus. To make the song more spicey a wild guitar solo was implemented. One remark, though: time is also an issue here, meaning it's hard to stay focused. Making the song less lengthy could solve the problem or work around the focusing by playing with the compositions or change some small things here and there.
Those worries are soon forgotten as "Temple Of Ruins" kicks in. Lots of aggression, high speed and a great rhythm. What more do you need? It sounds very old school, almost EXODUS-like. The backing vocals add to that atmosphere and feel. Kenny's clean singing in the chorus did make me frown, though. He sounded almost like Brian Molko from PLACEBO. Yes, that Pop Rock band or however you wish to catalog them. For the sake of fun (I guess), the Belgians even added a Reggae-like break. But the devastation soon continues, DESTRUCTION-style. Awesome, to say the least.
"No Mercy" is another speedy track, something the band is very good at. At least, the verses are where the action is. The chorus is dealt with a little slower, but nevertheless firm and powerful with the added spice of dual leads. Kenny's double-edged voice blends in neatly with the very nice guitarwork (sharp and effective). To cut it short, another highlight. "Ra'ad" puts an end to "Reflection". This is a fully instrumental track featuring slow tempo, heavy guitars, and a strange atmosphere. What the title stands for I cannot tell. Googling the word got, for example, the Wikipedia article (click here) as a result where it is said that Ra'ad "is an air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) developed by Pakistan and operational with the Pakistan Air Force (PAF)."
ALWAYS FALLEN presented a nice EP last year with "See My Blood". The live performances that followed also confirmed the potential of this band and expectations regarding the full-length, "Reflection", were high. From the start it is clear the band managed to convey its passion and energy for a very strong and determined sounding album. Working with Xavier Carion and Attie Bauw were good choices. The band's mix of old school and modern influences works quite well and should please fans of both camps. The older songs are clear highlights, but it must be said that the (really) new material sounded very pleasing as well in most cases. Their career is still young, so the band can work on improving some things like keeping long songs interesting enough (or possibly making them shorter), for example. All things considered, "Reflection" is a very decent album, but I believe the best is yet to come.
More info at www.myspace.com/alwaysfallenmetal.
Line-up:
Kenny Devos - vocals
Jens Patteeuw - guitars
Mike Wage - guitars
Pieter Nyckees - bass
Thibault Coosemans - drums
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THE 11TH HOUR is the brainchild of Ed Warby, multi-instrumentalist as it seems he played it all on this debut album called "Burden Of Grief": guitars, bass, drums and keyboards. And he even sang the clean parts, while Rogga Johansson (EDGE OF SANITY, DEMIURG, PAGANIZER, RIBSPREADER) added the growls. Ed is foremost known for his drumming in the Death Metal formations GOREFEST and HAIL OF BULLETS and the Prog Rock projects STAR ONE and AYREON. Rogga and Ed even played together in DEMIURG at some point in time and since both share a passion for Doom Metal, it was only a matter of time before these two people would come together again to create such music. And so THE 11TH HOUR was born.
"Burden Of Grief" is thus the first release and came out at the end of October. It contains six tracks with a total playtime of a good 50 minutes. Lyrically this is the background story: "Diagnosed with a terminal lung disease, haunted by unspeakable nightmares forcing him to revisit the blackest days of his life... faced with his imminent demise, a dying man spends his last days on earth coming to grips with his troubled past and attempting to redeem himself. "Burden Of Grief" takes us from the stifling blackness of his room to the damp soil of the graveyard where the dead sleep, and beyond...". So much for the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees, eh? The press text further mentions that the album is a cycle of "loss and regret, of death and bereavement, and of doom and redemption, set to some of the heaviest music imaginable." Again, not a very happy atmosphere, but the part about the music is just ridiculous. We all know that, especially since there are heavier (Doom Metal) bands than THE 11TH HOUR. Ronnie Björnström for Audio Enhanced Productions handled the mix while Mick Koopman (HAIL OF BULLETS, ASPHYX) supplied the artwork which is presented as the protagonist’s handwritten journal.
But let's focus on the music. "One Last Smoke", although the story goes in a different direction, could be about the heated debate about a complete smoking prohibition in Belgium, be it pubs or restaurants or similar. On the other hand, smoking and lung cancer are very much connected. The first sighs in this song say it all. Gloom and Doom break loose afterwards. The guitar is logically the main element here, while keyboards provide the dramatic touch of despair. Vocally there's a clear distinction between verses and chorus: clean in the first, growls in the bridge and both doing a duet in the chorus. The last part of this song has the keyboards dominating for a small instant and the Metal flows along at an even slower pace. The guitars pick up the leads and all slides back to the chorus. Musically I'd say this is very much comparable to MOURNING BELOVETH, MY DYING BRIDE, SWALLOW THE SUN and similar. So far, so very good.
Smoking leads to lung cancer leads to death leads to the grave, hence "In The Silent Grave". To create that specific atmosphere of death and loss, what better instrument than the piano to lay out the first notes? When the Metal instrumentation kicks in, it sounds like a sign of danger. The pace is slow, he guitar dominates more than before. Obviously this is a sad and mournful song, but at the same time it sounds quite powerful and in a way made me consider it as GOREFEST (the Death Metal band in which Ed drums) in a slow(er) version. Again the vocal distinction between verses and chorus (clean vs growls). Very well done, I must say. All of a sudden, however, the piano breaks the stream of heaviness, playing the intro melody again while the drums carry on. But that doesn't take too long, as the chorus coms back into play during which the keyboards offer a faint backing, yet growing in volume through the sound of a flute. Nothing special afterwards, save that the chorus is put on repeat, which may be a bit too much. But it doesn't really hurt this second song, which also shows that Ed did put time and effort into creating this album.
"Origins For Mourning" could have been a Funeral Doom song. The guitar once again is a key factor, creating something evil and dangerous in a droning way and at the same time adding a touch of sorrow. All the while the piano adds a soft melody. The rhythm is quite simply eargasmic. Vocal duties were switched, growls in the verses, clean in the chorus. As the title suggested, this song is mournful, depressing and dark. There's even a guitar solo over halfway. Afterwards all falls silent to let the piano become the center of attention. Ed's clean singing comes in and heaviness (incl. the sad leads) starts to come back again, also letting another solo do the talking. The guitar also gets its moment of fame before the whole rises to bombastic heights. The normal flow remains intact during this event. Rogga takes over the mic for a short moment, too. And again it's like GOREFEST-gone-slow. This mournful song ends with a big symbiosis of power and symphony. Three out of three so far. This is getting exciting.
Ed looked into the Book of Doom Metal and used several standard terms for this debut album: mourning, weep, burden, grief, grave, oblivion. But as they are part of the English language and well-suited for this kind of depressing music, he had no other choice. Anyway, let's carry on with "Weep For Me". When looking at the story, it's as if this is a song of self-pity. You've got the strings providing a dark, evil and unearthly feel. Not long afterwards the guitar and drums fall in. No heaviness in the verses, just symphonic backing to support Ed's mournful singing. The chorus is where the full power is held, including Rogga's growls. The guitar and growling continuein the next phase(s). Even the bass adds to the power with a heavy roll. The music sounds more melodic when Ed sings, again creating a contrast not only between the vocal types, but the specific musical parts as well. Guitars remain important, be it for the rhythmic or the melodic aspect. Another song that's good in my book.
"Atonement" has no intro, rather takes a direct start with slow grooving Doom. Rogga occupies the verses, backed by piano accents and rolling heaviness. A cleaner approach with more dramatic music is set for the chorus. Now, as good as this division of singing parts was in the previous songs, Ed's intervention sounds annoying here. The guitarwork is great, though the drums suffer from monotony, even if it's not a song that demands supertechnical or advanced drumming. There is a moment where the drums are told to hold their silence, during which the guitars and whispering tell about this part of the story, which is gloomy, dark and creepy. Overall, the music is good, but you have to remain focused more than before. Ed's singing is annoying, I cannot say it otherwise. Rogga's on the other hands fits much better.
One last song, "Longing For Oblivion". It seems our character didn't like what he experienced, so he surrenders to the powers of death. Considering his disease is in a terminal phase, it was bound to happen. Whether he goes to heaven or hell... oblivion sure doesn't sound that positive. Characteristics here are obviously the slow pace and heavy grooves, while keyboards offer the dramatic touch. Vocal duties are divised as growls in the verses, clean in the chorus. While annoying in "Atonement", Ed's singing is easier to digest in this last song. Symphonic leads proove to be a very important element in countering the guitar power. Hospital machinery sounds (the beeping of the heartbeat) and atmospheric piano accents create a moment of calmness and serenity. Calm guitarpicking plays along a bit later and soon they come together to let the volcano of mournful heaviness erupt again. The beeping continues, the massive guitarlayers and pounding drums indicate our character is surrendering to the clutches of death. Ed sings again and to be honest... he sounds too thin. A voice with more power, more roughness would have been much better here. I'm not saying Ed's a bad singer, it's just his voice that doesn't fit with the sad and weeping character of the music, which sounds damn beautiful and massive. Strings stress this feeling even more.
And so I've come to the end of this review, which is way overdue. A writer's block? Maybe so. Anyway, Doom Metal releases aren't that widely spread, so it's good that "Burden Of Grief" has hit the market. THE 11TH HOUR is lucky to be signed to Napalm Records, which has a large distribution network. And so it can help put Doom Metal better on the map. It's good to see Ed Warby going for a slower approach (compared to GOREFEST, for example) and at the same time showing he's got skills beyond the drums. Of course "Burden Of Grief" sounds massive and very well produced, otherwise the band would have signed with a smaller label and given the songs a rougher sound. Personally, the polish does affect the depth, honesty and pureness of what could have been a very good underground release. But the end result is well done and food for fans of MOURNING BELOVETH, SWALLOW THE SUN, MOURNERS LAMENT, NOVEMBERS DOOM and similar. Ed and Rogga can be proud of their work.
More info at www.myspace.com/11thhourdoom.
Line-up:
Ed Warby - guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, vocals
Rogga Johansson - vocals
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After Metalcore, it's Folk/Pagan Metal that became a trend, despite several bands having started their career before many more jumped the bandwagon. Several of those bands are serious about this, about their heritage or their interest in the pagan beliefs. You all know them: AMON AMARTH, TÝR, ELUVEITIE, MOONSORROW, MÅNEGARM, STORMWARRIOR, BLACK MESSIAH, and so on. Another band, not from Scandinavia, but still from the northern cold regions is ARKONA from Russia. This nation has many Metal bands and in the Pagan genre, ARKONA is one of the best bands. ARKONA was founded back in 2002. Vocalist Maria "Scream" Arhipova and Alexander "Warlock" Korolyov (drums at that time) were members of a local pagan community called "Vyatichi" and decided to start a band to put their philosophical interests into music. The bandname was HYPERBOREA, but that soon became ARKONA. In 2003 a 3-track demo was recorded and the year after the band was really on its way with the debut album "Vozrozhdenie" ("Revival"). That same year the follow-up came out under the title "Lepta" ("Contribution"). Driven by natural forces, Masha's inspiration was enormous and 2005 meant another album could be added to the discography: "Vo Slavu Velikim!" ("For The Glory Of Great"). Anno 2006 a first live DVD/CD called "Zhizn Vo Slavu" came out an featured the gig in the "Relax" club in Moscow on the 23rd November 2005.
Gigs were obviously played and the band even toured in Europe with BRUTAL ASSAULT in 2008, after the release of "Ot Serdtsa K Nebu" ("From The Heart To The Sky""). This fourth album came out in 2007 in Russia, but Napalm Records licensed it for a release in Europe in 2008 and so ARKONA could reach many more people and even play some gigs on European soil. Back home, the band instantly started working on the follow-up, "Goi, Rode, Goi!". Prior to the release of this new full-length (out since the end of October), another live DVD was put out in February this year. "Noch Velesova" ("Night of Veles"), the English translation of the title, contained the gig the band played in Moscow at the end of October 2007. Since I heard about ARKONA in the Russian Metal Special of the MetalCast in 2007, I instantly bought "Ot Serdtsa K Nebu" when it came out. This was one of the best Pagan/Folk Metal bands I had heard. Not only because of the music, but also because Masha sings in Russian, not English. The foreign language element is important, in my opinion. Hence my liking for bands like TÝR, MOONSORROW, MÅNEGARM, BLACK MESSIAH, ... It gives the songs that extra special touch. Thanks to Vic Records, I could acquire the other albums as well, as this label re-released them for the European market.
Making "Goi, Rode, Goi!" is said to have been an enormous undertaking. More than 40 musicians were involved in the process and the band themselves declare that this was the hardest and most time-consuming period ever. The band used a full-fledged chorus and a string quintet for the first time in their career. Plus, numerous guests appeared in the song "Na Moey Zemle", be it to sing or add an instrumental touch. ARKONA's fifth studio album contains 14 tracks, totalling a playtime of almost 80 minutes. This thing is packed! And I noticed my promo copy had the songs "Tropoiu Nevedannoi" and "Yarilo" switched places. So, to make it clear, the retail version has "Tropoiu Nevedannoi" as 2nd track, the other as 7th. ARKONA's lyrics are never translated in the booklet, though the band added a short description for each of the songs. You can read them at this location, where you'll also see who the guest musicians were and in which songs you can hear them. I could add this list in the review, but better not make it longer than necessary, even if I value such info.
The album kicks off with the title track. Ocean waves create the perfect setting as this song is about a group of warriors having a shipwreck and not surviving afterwards. The music comes pounding in in a set of bursts. Masha's enchanting voice starts a hymnic part assisted by traditional instruments like the balalaika, bagpipes (Gaita Gallega), accoustic guitar before the blasting Metal breaks loose. This is a perfect representation of the wild sea and how the crew is having difficulty of keeping the vessel from crashing. Vocally you get clean singing in the verses, hymnic in the bridge and rough/screamy in the chorus. It's a powerful song with a big epic touch. It can be considered an ode to the god Rod. Halfway there's a nice Folk/Symphonic break. The music goes into a dancy direction later on, but only briefly. "Goi, Rode, Goi!" is a great song offering wonderful melodies in combination with harsh Metal. And let's not forget the vocals.
I would normally go on with "Yarilo", as this was second on the promo, but I'll follow the normal tracklist with "Tropoiu Nevedannoi". Here you get blasting Blackish Metal with the violin as leading instrument. Atmospheric backing completes the whole. Masha's raw vocals on top of the tense, energetic music creates a powerful combination. Yet more smooth passages are allowed to break that power a bit by letting the violin and cello come to the front, resulting in Masha adjusting her voice to the typical hymnic kind of singing. It feels very calm and soothing. Since we're dealing with a Folk Metal band here, those elements comes to life at specific moments. "Tropoiu Nevedannoi" is very diverse in heaviness and melodicness and that's one of the strengths of ARKONA, to not go for a linear approach. The song ends in a hymnic and Folk kind of way. After this heavy track, calmer sounds are on the way. The intro of "Nevidal" is a perfect example.
This song starts in a calm manner. The flute is a central instrument, while guitars, drums and keyboards add power and help with the build-up. The tempo lies low and again a hymnic character was given to the music. Masha's clean singng is quite simply a joy to listen to. Pace and power pick up as the chorus comes in sight. In terms of traditional instruments, the band provided a nice mix of violin, bagpipes (Gaita Gallega), keyboards, choir, and more. The rhythm and tempo are subject to variability. The musical mood changes from rough and raging to a more humble state. Overall, this is another powerful song, but especially one of high quality. I'd even say first class Folk/Pagan Metal. Absolutely one of my favourite tracks on this new release.
Up next is the juggernaut of the album: "Na Moey Zemle". This song features many guests from colleague-bands like MÅNEGARM, HEIDEVOLK, OBTEST, SKYFORGER and MENHIR. Most of them offer vocal input, few opt for the flute or violin or even pipes and kokle (a string instrument). A cello to start with, a sense of mystery, the violing then carrying the melody in vein of QUEEN's hit "The Show Must Go On") towards the Metal outbreak. But first, Masha needs to be heard. And may I stress (! that this vocal part sounds awesome! ARKONA are practically unbeatable with a voice like hers. The verses are rough and powerful, the melody comes out in the chorus. And melody is important here, executed beautifully through the traditional instruments. As this song last for over 15 minutes, the amount of music is big and variety is only logical. From heavy parts to calm, accoustic passages and back. Simply top notch!
"Pritcha" is a short track, offering only speech backed by a howling wind. The music kicks in again in "V Tsepiakh Drevney Tainy". Here the Folk stamp is clear from the beginning. Gradually the Metal aspect increases in pace and power. Folk remains the key element and Masha's singing shows a distinction between the (clean) verses and (rough) chorus. Her "loiloiloi" singing is annoying. That I couldn't ignore. It also seems out of place. The stream of heaviness is broken by an accoustic passage where the vocals revert to the usual hymnic singing, something she does best. An epic, dark part follows, which means a change in vocal style. Sergej even threw in a guitar solo before the song reaches its end on symphonic waves. All in all, an ok song, but far from being the band's best. Luckily the big majority of the tracklist is filled with very good songs.
And so we have come to the other track that had changed places: "Yarilo". This is a very happy song, if you ask me. The flute's melody, the dancy beat, the over all feel. The Metal aspect is lighter and the playtime is much shorter than the other tracks. But even in this happy jacket, ARKONA manages to provide great music, with help from the balalaika. Masha's singing is contrasted again: clean in the verses, rough in the chorus. While ARKONA is more comparable to the more energetic bands in the genre, like MÅNEGARM, I did sense a KORPIKLAANI touch over halfway because of the humpapa rhythm and added accordion melodies. But don't fear, as the Russians aren't going in the direction of the Finnish. The band is too dynamic for that, too wild. Too mature?
"Liki Bessmertnykh Bogov" is a more linear song at first, though acoustic interventions break the heaviness now and then. Masha sings in her typical way, but she soon opts for whispered singing, assisted by the accoustic guitar. The chorus is where the music unleashes its full power, including blastbeats. Still clean singing, now with high outbreaks. Here the choir gets a moment to shine. KORPIKLAANI in the previous song, MOONSORROW in this track and that's due to the variable flow of heay and calmer, accoustic parts. The middle section is reserved for the violin, during which playing Masha holds another speech, rising to a climax (chorus). The flute then takes over, but afterwards the tempo drops and things turn darker, forcing Masha to adapt and growl her way through the lyrics.
"Kolo Navi" has everything a powerful song requries: fast riffs, blastbeats, growls. This song is dark, epic, brutal. This first part comes to a total stop all of a sudden and has to let the talking be done by the bagpipes. The humpapa rhythm comes back into play here, though at a slower rate and the whole does feel quite hymnic. Accousticness is the next step, allowing for a full-on Folk direction. This sounds very tribal-ish and the aforementioned bagpipes help put the song to sleep. "Korochun" also puts the emphasis on Folk as it lets the flute and hurdy gurdy (wheel fiddle) play the first melodies. Calm music, soothing to the ear with an ambient and tribal feel. Another exquisite track. Vlad helps to make this song fuller by adding firm tom beats and accentuate that tribal feel even more. To be honest, his input wasn't needed, at least in my opinion, but they sure don't hurt either. You could consider this song as one to meditate to.
Time for another happy song, although that's maybe a wrong term. The flute leads at first in "Pamiat", midtempo Metal follows. This track, too, was given a dancy beat. Clean singing and uptempo Metal kick in a little later and there's even some hands clapping to this beat, all in a Folkish atmosphere. Halfway the song the ferocity increases, both musically and vocally. What a contrast with what preceded. But that soon comes back, back to happy happy joy joy, even though Masha holds on to the growls. Happy song with a rough/dark edge. The tribal aspect remains alive (thanks to the drums) in the next track, "Kupalets", where ARKONA shows they're well on their way to Pagan Metal domination. Hymnic singing, Masha's speciality and Folk Metal added later on, but inline with the earlier beat. One flow, two different streams, wonderful result.
Lots of bands have their own song. ARKONA took its time to create it. "Arkona" is about the place that was once a fortress and the spiritual center of Baltic Slavonic tribes. It was destroyed by Christians in 1168. For the band, as for many other Rodnovers, Arkona is the symbol of the lost, but unforgotten lore which has been sleeping through the centuries, awaiting for its revival. Consequently the start of the song is hymnic and tribal, though Sergej is on the road as well. The music advances slowly as Masha adds her growls. Sergej's guitar is the leading instrument and also a key element in the compositions. Vlad's drumwork is normal, but percussion increaes the power of this element. In the middle of the track the music gets a boost, during which not the guitar, but the bagpipes get to play a solo. Sergej can provide his afterwards. The situation becomes more aggressive and ARKONA is like a wild wolf on the loose. Once exhausted, the music reverts to the calmer Folk-influenced Metal with a rather happy touch. The last part does let out the aggressiveness once more.
"Nebo Hmuroe, Tuchi Mrachniye" puts an end to this long and almost everlasting journey at sea. A tragic end even, when looking at the background story. And as we started with water, we also end with water. First part of the song consists of Masha's hymnic voice, backed by slow Metal and melodic input provided by the balalaika. The sea flows along in the middle of the track while birds fly above. A very nice and calming part. The nature aspect remains intact as the flute suddenly comes in. It doesn't take long before the voyage is over then. This is the second longest song, 10.5 minutes, and as beautiful as the majority on this album.
ARKONA sounded like a young band on "Vozrozhdenie", but gradually improved their style, the compositions, the musicianship and more. "Vo Slavu Velikim!" was a true highlight, their best so far, even though all albums are simply worth getting. With "Ot Serdtsa K Nebu" the Russians took it even further, sounding tighter, heavier, more mature in a way. "Goi, Rode, Goi!" continues that path and shows a Folk/Pagan Metal band that can compete with the big ones out there. Lead onwards by Masha's majestic character and enchanting voice, this force is determined to bring back the gods of before, or better, the belief in those gods. Being signed to Napalm Records helps/helped them to reach more people and next year they'll even tour with the Paganfest ensemble. A place well-deserved, in my opinion. As comparison: TÝR conquered from the (North) West, ARKONA come from the (North) East with a passion and devotion that simply demands respect. "Goi, Rode, Goi!" is proof of that.
More info at www.arkona-russia.com.
Line-up:
Masha "Scream" - vocals
Sergej "Lazar" - guitars
Ruslan "Kniaz" - bass
Vlad "Artist" - drums
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SANDSTONE hails from Northern Ireland. As far as my knowledge goes, only one other band from that area is in my collection: FIRELAND. SANDSTONE is a Heavy Metal band, said to play - according to the press release - Progressive Melodic Metal. But my ears didn't find that much Progressive stuff. The comparisons with FATES WARNING, QUEENSRYCHE, IRON MAIDEN or even GUNS 'N' ROSES could be true, to a certain extent. SANDSTONE was founded in 2003 by Stevie McLaughlin (lead guitar) and Sean McBay (vocals, guitar). Stevie's brother David McLaughlin (bass) and Paddy Flemming (drums) completed the line-up. Three years later the band managed to sign with Casket Records, who released the debut album "Tides Of Opinion" in that same year (2006). Another two years later work on the follo-up commenced. "Purging The Past" would be the title and the release was scheduled for February of 2009. Limb Music recognized the potential of SANDSTONE and offered to release the album on a wider scale. Not only that, but it got remixed and remastered (by REBELLION guitarist Uwe Lulis).
"Purging The Past" came out on the 30th of October and if you look at the tracklist and compare it with the original edition (on Metal-Archives for example), you'll notice (as I did) that there are three songs less on the re-release: 15 vs 12 or "Skuldakin", "Critical" and "Sleep". One can only wonder why or the main reason may be that Limb Music thought 12 were enough, also marketing-wise. The order of the tracks is also redone compared to the first edition, probably also for marketing reasons. 12 tracks for a total of between 50 and 60 minutes is already a good offering. Starting with "Anymore Lies", you get slow to midtempo Heavy Metal. Nothing too technical, but the combination of heaviness and melody sounds good to the ear. Speaking of heaviness, it's actually the melodic aspect of the songs that prevails. The power of the rhythm guitarwork does contrast with that and Sean's clean vocals. They are absolutely devoid of any roughness, but somehow that's not a problem here. Musically the guys know how to make the end result catchy and for Metal's sake add the obligatory solo.
"Hiding In The Shadows" takes a slower approach, yet keeps the melodic touch intact. The verses are not the place for heavy guitars; they can be found in the chorus, though overall it's never about being a solid ball of Rock. That's now what SANDSTONE is about, I believe, rather about melody and feel. The song structure is again quite simple and truth be told, the drumwork would benefit from fills and a few variations here and there. Now it's just too linear, too much the same kind of hits. Other than that, the song is quite enjoyable. "Karma" (not a cover of KAMELOT's classic hit) is where the accoustic guitar comes in. Taking the role of rhythm guitar, it does let the role of lead guitar to its electric brother, so to speak. The first got the verses, but together they form a mighty duo. The chorus is where all power is let loose and the electric guitar assists the accoustic one to increase the rhythm aspect. The song remains simple, but catchy, while focussing again on melody and feel, never on instrumental show-off or technical stuff.
"Son Of Carthage" then. After the slower songs, time for another kick in the... well, a more Metal song with more power and tempo. And that's more than a good thing. It's catchy, the rhythm and beat (not to be misunderstood, I'm still talking Rock and Metal here) are just great! The guitarwork is very well done, no matter how classic it sounds and while previously the solos were rather short and functional, they play a bigger role here and are a key part of the compostions. In general, this song reminded me of DRAGONFORCE, though not at the same speed or with the same technicalities. Still, Heavy Metal, Power Metal and you could say, 80's Prog (QUEENSRYCHE-ish, for example)... SANDSTONE does not stick to the same formula. "The Road To Guantanamo" is a darker song, starting with a speech from some politician. Paddy adds appropriate tomwork, while the accoustic guitar the right melody. Afterwards it's time to Rock! Though not a fast rate. Emphasis lies on heavy riffing in the verses, which are slow at first, but then suddenly the power increases, the Metal comes out in a more pounding manner. Firm piece of music! Things turn darker again and slow in the chorus, to properly "describe" the situation of the war against terrorism and the Guantano prison. Quality Metal here, no question about that.
Time for a ballad, the first of two: "Y" and "All Operations". "Y" is an accoustic track, all the way, at least at first. And it sounds beautiful and very touching. Sure, it's not the best ballad ever, but the guys have done a good job here. The verses are soothing, the "power" and volume is set for the chorus, which is slow and inline with the verses in terms of expressing the right emotions and feelings. The guitar solos is a welcome element and fits in perfectly. To compare with other bands is not always easy, but the first one that came to mind was SAVATAGE and I think that says a lot. After this interesting peace of mind moment, it's time to kick back some energy into the album. "Fingerprints" handles it very well. First a building intro, followed by firm midtempo Metal. Everything flows on smoothly. The drums are not technical, but still are the most variable element (tension, stops, ...). At some point the stream is dammed in, to allow an accoustic intervention to take place, after which both electric and accoustic guitars join forces for a little while before it's all about the Metal again. So far, no real complaints and with "Fingerprints" SANDSTONE have another enjoyable song in the pocket.
But not all tracks are equally good. For example, personally speaking of course, I found "Division" one of the lesser songs on this album. It starts with heavy guitarwork, building the flow with the drums. Accousticness takes over once the verses are there, but electric touches appear a little later and take over command fully in the chorus, also giving room to melody in that part. At some point Sean sings "afraid to fall asleep" and that can relate to this song, in a way, about falling asleep. The guitar solo's nice, but doesn't my impression that much. But there's one song left that raises the bar again: "D.O.A.". What it stands for, I don't know. Fact is that the starting guitarwork sounds very promising and the power that follows was absolutely needed at this stage. Overall, this is a solid song with nice melodic touches in the chorus. On the other hand, it's not as catchy as the first few tracks. The obligatory solo is a plus, definitely.
The best has been commented on, even though the remaining three tracks are far from bad. They're just not as catchy as most of the others. "Enigma" commences with electronic twinkles, topped by guitars bursts, slowly advancing before the hose is fully opened. Firm Metal is unleashed, be it simple and to the point. The melody hides in the (slower) bridge and chorus, where the pace picks up again. The vocals are the main ingredient here and thus highest in the mix. Somehow it sounds as if they're higher here than in the previous songs. Or it could that the music was better at catching my attention then. Solos are again present and not for a few seconds. Nope, much longer. Bonus point for that. "Happy Birthday" is not a happy song, judging by the music. It's slow and dark, almost BLACK SABBATH-ish. The tempo gets a serious boost, though, afterwards, with pounding, double bass Metal as a result. What a blessing of a surprise! However, things slow down again in the chorus, which is short and simple. The solos also dwell in the pool of pounding Metal and when the song is over and done, the feeling of "oh, that was it?" might pop up. In other words, maybe the guys could have worked on the ending, making it smoother and not so abrupt. Other than that, it's a nice track.
"Purging The Past" started with a rocking song, it ends with the opposite, a ballad. "All Operations" is its title, as said above, and the second ballad on this album, next to "Y". "Y" was a very good song, "All Operations"... is not... a very good song. It's accoustic, too, though electric touches are added towards the chorus, turning the song into semi-accoustic. Again this intervention does not disturb the original flow and feel. But somehow I don't get the same impression as with "Y". The end result is not that bad, but it's not that super either.
My knowledge of the Northern Ireland Metal scene is extremely limited. As I said in the intro, only FIRELAND is in my collection. Of course, the country could house other bands that might ring a bell, but so far none. With SANDSTONE Limb Music have done a very good job in signing them to spread the word on a wider scale and also giving their newest album, "Purging The Past", a better sound. I haven't heard the original, so I guess the re-release sounds better. SANDSTONE play a mix of Heavy (NWOBHM-inspired) and (80's) Progressive Metal and do it in a solid manner. The majority of the tracks turns this album into an enjoyable and catchy release that will offer enough pleasure for months and years to come. The guys did a good job, so why complain? Well, a bit more technical stuff wouldn't hurt (especially on the drums, which are often too simple and leave room for fills). But that's for a next occasion. Until then, enjoy "Purging The Past".
More info at www.myspace.com/sandstonerocks.
Line-up:
Sean McBay - vocals, guitar
Stevie McLaughlin - guitar
David McLaughlin - bass
Paddy (Power) Flemming - drums
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WATCH ME BLEED is a new group, founded in 2007 by guitarist Markus Pohl, who's was and still is active in SYMPHORCE and MYSTIC PROPHECY, and SYMPHORCE drummer Steffen Theurer. The line-up got completed along the way with Chris Rodens (KICKDOWN) and Markus Wenzel (INZEST) on vocals and Michael Vetter on bass. Shortly after the rough core of the band was established, WATCH ME BLEED hit the stage and supported STONE SOUR, for example. Of course, music needed to be written, else what's the use of having a band? So as time passed by a full album came to see the light of day, that day being the 23rd of October. Silverwolf Productions saw potential in this band and offered them a contrast. The music is not that hard to catalog, or maybe it is if you stick to one genre, but it's a mix of Death, Thrash and Hardcore. Having two different, though aggressive, voices in the line-up helps to bring that sound out to the masses. With only one guitarist, this may be a problem.
"Souldrinker" is the title of this debut album and features eleven songs or a playtime of a good 45 minutes. It starts with the pounding, raging Death Metal-influenced "Rise". Hoarse vocals (Chris) in the verses, growls (Markus) and hoarse/screamy (Chris) in the chorus, where the music allows room for melodic input. There are solos too, but then the pace drops and the rhythm presents itself in variable forms. All in all a good start. It gets better with the uptempo "Bloodred Rain", where you'll find the typical humpapa-Thrash rhythm. Steffen even adds some blastbeats to spice the song. Markus's riffing is absolutely dangerous, sounding sharp and grinding to the bone. The rhythm is classic, but it sounds very nice. The pace slows down and a melodic touch is added in the bridge, but that's only to let the full power come out in the chorus, which is simple in setup. The solo is well done and done in layers, by which I mean it sounds as if two guitarists are playing, despite Markus Pohl being the sole axeman in the band. So they might need to get someone with them for the gigs then.
As the pace went up, so it goes down again in "Sixsixseven", which also features very nice guitarwork. Power is what comes streaming out of the speakers, with Chris sounding even more ferocious and Markus's growls following shortly. It's a classic song about 666, but in this case the neighbour. And yes, the obligatory solo was not forgotten. All in all, another decent song, but not among the real highlights, if you ask me. A song that can be added to that list is "Where Darkness Hides". A lightning crack prepares you for things to come. Well, it doesn't, but rest assured you're getting a hot-spiced dish of furious Metal consisting of evil riffing and fast drumming. And that's just the verses. Of course, for the sake of contrast, the tempo goes down in the chorus. Before that there's the bridge where effects were put on the vocals and although the idea behind that decision may be justified, the result isn't that attractive. The music is good, that cannot be denied. The guitar solo is a little longer than before and inline with the general atmosphere of this song.
It seems a pattern was applied here: one good song, one very good song, one good song, one very good song. And that brings us to... a good song. But don't worry, because after this the pattern shifts a bit: two very good songs, one good, two very good, one good. "The End Of Everything" does not have a direct start, rather builds a kind of tension, slowly increasing in tempo and heaviness before the full power is unleashed at medium tempo. The riffing doesn't flow smoothly, but is cut at regular intervals. You could call it "stop-start". But that's only in the verses, the chorus is where all flows like it should. And that's also the part where Markus can growl his heart out. The middle of the song is where silence was activated, followed by a new rebuilding in preparation for the wild solo.
What follows is a a violent storm that lasts 8 minutes spread over "Dead Sky Black Sun" and "The Game Is On". the first starts a bit strangely, as if the guitar is weeping/crying, but once the fury is unleashed there's not stopping. This is the fastest track so far and it is more than welcome. The verses sound firm, even in midtempo while both vocalists pour (or scream and growl, if you will) their everything into this song. The Hardcore influences come out nicely in the bridge and chorus, but breakdowns there are not. The weeping of the guitar returns in a solo, yet that element turns to normal soon enough. Steffen's drumming helps to give the storm enough power. "The Game Is On" - no, not a reworked version of GLENN FREY's "The Heat Is On" - contains a great rhythm start, followed by uptempo pounding drums, which include the toms, an element that's often underestimated. Uptempo verses where aggression rules, not in the least through the vocals. Steffen is very much warmed up, at full speed now and that results in blastbeats. The chorus again shows Hardcore was of influence and that's mainly noticeable through the vocals. The furious storm sure is worth checking out and standing in.
"Burn Down Hope" is a slow/midtempo song, yet powerful enough compared to the other tracks. Terms that came to mind to describe the music and the song in general are dirty, mean, vicious. Having vocalists like Chris and Markus does play a role in this. Markus may be the only guitarist, but that allows him to put the spotlights on his input and one specific moment does pop up where gets 100% attention as he lets his instrument do the talking through heavy riffs and soloing. Before going to the longest song of the album, two more highlights must be mentioned: "All Red Roses Die" and "Jackhammer". The first has some evil riffing and drum bursts in its intro, sort of setting the tone and paving the way for what's to come, being a midtempo mix of Hardcore and Death Metal elements, yet sounding very energetic. Overall, very good music with a tempo increase during the solo part. "Jackhammer" also has the rhythm guitar laying the first stones, while Steffen's backing it up. Midtempo here as well, but with a very tastey rhythm. Things slow down in the bridge, yet the pedal is pushed down again for the chorus, which is simple but effective and where both vocalists deliver the goods once more. While Markus's guitarwork has been good to very good so far, it's mainly Steffen's skin and cymbalwork that stands out here.
And so we have come to the juggernaut that is "The Bleeding Chalice", featuring guest appearances by SYMPHORCE/BRAINSTORM vocalist Andy B. Franck, guitarist Constantine (MYSTIC PROPHECY, DESCENDING) and vocalist Nemesis from EIGENSINN, a Gothic Rock band. The song starts with a calm guitarmelody, which is picked up by the Metal instrumentation, once heaviness kicks in, of course. The toms were used a bit more than usual in "The Game Is On", but Steffen thought it wasn't enough, so made sure they were more present in this last song. Next to Chris's voice, you'll hear Andy's, but also a female one. First I could lay the link, but it's in fact Nemesis. She got to sing the chorus. Tempo-wise it's all medium, save for a boost later on. The guitarsolo is very much needed and also executed very well. All in all you can say "The Bleeding Chalice" is a pretty good track to end this first album.
WATCH ME BLEED have shown their potential with "Souldrinker". Combining elements from Thrash, Death and Hardcore into a solid unity - and without sounding like a Thrash- or Deathcore band - is not always easy, or better, it's not easy to turn it into something listenable and enjoyable. Finding comparable bands was not an easy undertaking, but my ears told me bands like ILLDISPOSED, KATAKLYSM, EX DEO and CONTRADICTION come close. The Germans, to be honest, have succeeded in making their debut album worth checking out, although truth be told, it is far from being the best release in this category. Since everything went so fast from forming the band to writing songs, let's see what the follow-up will bring. But that's still a long time from now.
More info at www.watchmebleed.com.
Line-up:
Chris Rodens - vocals (screams, whispers)
Markus Wenzel - vocals (growls, grunts)
Markus Pohl - guitars
Michael Vetter - bass
Steffen Theurer - drums
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The German Epic/Symphonic Black Metal band SYCRONOMICA released its third album, "Sycroscope", on the 23rd of October through Silverwolf Productions. It's the follow-up to 2006's "Gate", which came out via Armageddon Music. That album was the follow-up to 2004's "Paths". SYCRONOMICA was formed in 1996 and has managed to keep a stable line-up, or as good as possible. But even for this third album, something had to change, and so Robin Fischer replaced Maximilian Marquardt on bass. Like with the previous two album, drummer Michael Bayer made the cover artwork. The band has already played on several big festivals like Summer Breeze Open Air, Ragnarök Festival, Summer Nights Open Air, Metal Bash and more, and shared the stage with bands like SIX FEET UNDER, IN FLAMES, FINNTROLL, ENSLAVED, GORGOROTH and others.
Like on the previous two albums, "Sycroscope" starts with an intro and logically this one's titled "Preludium III". And the creepy atmosphere is present here, as well, or what did you expect? The cover does help to create a visual version of this "Preludium" or the albums overall. Operatic vocals welcome you and musically this intro is preparing the basis for "Kaleidoscope", which bursts loose in typical Black Metal style. Oliver's raw vocals remind in a way of Shagrath's (DIMMU BORGIR). The keyboards provide the melody in the chorus, which is filled with pounding Metal. In general this is quite a theatrical song, almost compare to LE GRAND GUIGNOL. Later on clean singing is added, sort of like Vortex did in DIMMU BORGIR. All in all, a very decent take off. These Germans have taken a step forward. "Realm Of Dust And Ashes" is another song where blasting rules, though melody is taken care of by both guitars and keyboards. On the other hand, the band opted for a stop-start-Metal approach in the verses, though keeping things atmospheric to bring the music to life. Keyboards continue to play a key role in terms of melody, yet it's the guitars that dominate with their power. Over halfway there's an accoustic break, introducing a storm that perfectly breaks the Black Metal attack. Though of course, it doesn't last too long before the guitar solo kicks in. The direct transition to the madness of before could have been done more smoothly, if you ask me. Now it sounds too abrupt, the solo is barely done or *bang!*, back to the order of the day. But nevertheless, the "Realm Of Dust And Ashes" is left behind with a positive feeling as "The Call" is heeded.
And this song is definitely a highlight. Starting with Folkish keyboard tunes while a raging blaststorm does the rest. The tempo does go down a bit in the chorus. On the other hand, the situation becomes more brutal around the middle of the track and that's when Oliver changes his harsher vocals for growls. The second half leaves all heaviness away and allows accoustic instrumentation demand full attention, during which the keyboards add a twinkling touch before madness takes over. And keyboards are the dominant factor then, though a guitar solo finds a spot to be heard, too. All ends with the blasting and melodies of the intro. Speaking of storms, that's what you're going through in the intro of "An Der Schwelle" ("At The Threshold" or "At The Doorstep"), where keyboards add a creepy touch. Something the creaking door only emphasises. Once that door is opened, all hell breaks loose. This is the first of the German sung songs and because of the firmness of German, this mixes nicely with the music, which has a dark feel. Logical, to some extent, as you cannot know what lies behind the door. Or as it is said in "Hávamál":
"The man who stands at a strange threshold,
Should be cautious before he cross it,
Glance this way and that:
Who knows beforehand what foes may sit
Awaiting him in the hall?"
About halfway there's a nice, but short piano break before it's back to the chaos in the dark. SYCRONOMICA managed to make the changes in heaviness and melodies flow very well together. Later the music slows down a lot, allowing the growling vocals to come to the front while keyboard melodies keep the music going. And it's precisely the melodies that dominate throughout the entire track, even until the end, which drew nearer at a creeping pace, leading you back outside into the storm. Another very good song to be added to the list of highlights.
"Nebelgestalt" is another worthwhile song, lasting for almost 8 minutes. At first the keyboards saw some accents here and there, followed by midtempo Metal sounding almost ballad-ish compared to the previous songs. The lyrics are again in German. Keyboards dominate with melodies, though are comdemned to the back, while guitars form the forefront. The drums make everything advance at a raging pace. Vocals are needed and they do partake, but the band left lots of room for instrumental talk, especially for the guitars. There is a keyboard solo later, however. Due to its length the band could easily play with the structure, making this quite a Progressive track. To break the flow, a fairytale-ish symphonic break was added at some point. Vocally that meant a mix of shrieks, operatic singing and normal, clean vocals. A combination or order that worked quite well, to be honest.
The Metal instrumentation creates a tension in "Embers" before the right pace is selected and the music can flow more freely. The guitars deliver the power, the keyboards are in charge of the melodic aspect. The music grows in power, in size, in volume and that leads to the chorus. Keyboards play another important role here, though the guitar power is set highest in the mix and although that can be nice, they sometimes overwhelm the drums. On the other hand, and especially around the middle, they're the center of attention because of the heavy, "barking" riffs, during which moment a violin melody is let loose to add to the dark atmosphere. The guitars continue to dominate, the keyboards fulfill a secondary role. Oh yes, drumwise everything flows quite normally. It's only much later that Michael throws in some blasts. All elements combined and at least a few listens result in another addition to the highlights shortlist.
Two more tracks left: "Ground On Fire" and "Geleit Ins Moor". The first also has an intro in which the song is being built and it's the guitars and keyboards that do all the work, or most of it. Michael's blasting is added soon, pushing the music onwards while melodic leads tell the tale. SYCRONOMICA made a very good mix of melodic, where all sounds quite smooth, and blasting parts. Speaking of blasting: the change into raging Black Metal occured a little too fast, but somehow it connects well with what preceded. The keyboards then come to the front at that point. Later they step back again and let the guitars do the talking. Oliver's been singing in his typical rough/raw manner to make it fit with the atmosphere and heaviness of the music, but the last two minutes it's clean singing you'll hear. Near the end all falls silent, save for the violin as sole surivor. And with that the shortlist is completed. not to say that "Geleit Ins Moor" is a bad song. Not at all. The keyboards and piano, together with faint Metal sounds, dominate the first part. The result is a ballad. Woohoo! But fear not, as the accoustic guitar forms the bridge a few times. After about 2 minutes it comes in a first time to prepare the listener for the violent and aggressive outbreak that is to follow. The pace remains slow, but the singing is of the clean type. A little while later, after the second accoustic intervention, that aspect changes to shrieks while the music is again aggressive. The violin is the solo instrument here and can show its potential, or part of it, for the rest of the duration of this final track.
"Gate" was nice at first, but it didn't fully convince me, despite containing several good things. "Sycroscope" isn't flawless either, particularly on the production side (which has improved a lot, make no mistake), but overall the album is, in my humble opinion, the band's best album to date. Of course the DIMMU BORGIR similarities are there, but that should not be a reason to dismiss this new release. It may even be a selling point for those who like the Norwegian band or similar ones. SYCRONOMICA has shown they have the skills and ideas and deserve to be heard. Now, if only they can upgrade their sound a little more, it would make the picture complete.
More info at www.sycronomica.de.
Line-up:
Oliver Walther - vocals
Christian Metz - guitars
Johannes Jüde - guitars
Florian Winter - keyboards
Robin Fischer - bass
Michael Bayer - drums
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NOVA ORBIS is a Colombian Gothic/Progressive Metal band, formed in 2005 by what is still the original line-up. This review should have been done several months ago, as the band's debut album, "Imago", came out in October 2009. This is three years after the "Nova Orbis" demo from 2006. The band name means New World in Latin. The music is actually a mix of several styles (mainly Heavy, Power) in a Gothic atmosphere and Progressive structure. The lyrical themes on "Imago" range from Fantasy over literature to politics and philosophy. Musically the band also used traditional instruments like the tiple and the bandola, while incorporating choir arrangements in some songs.
"Castle Of Exile" starts with a harpsichord, in a dark atmosphere. Steadily bells are added, followed by the flute. The music sounds quite soft then. The Metal power comes in as a surprise, as if you suddenly increase the volume. Symphonic melodies and heavy power work nicely together at an overall slow tempo. Keyboards are very important. Ana is the main vocalist here. She sings in a clean manner and with a low voice. José adds some grunts here and there. This combo with the music made me think a bit of THEE ORAKLE and TYSTNADEN, for example. Tempo and rhythm changes are nicely implemented, but somehow I found it hard to distinguish verses from bridge and chorus. And with a lack of lyrics it's even harder to find some structure here. However, the overall result sounds nice. Nothing super, though.
"Unstable Mind" is then a better song. It opens with a piano intro, playing a happy/playful melody, followed by pounding Metal. This sounds quite firm and once more Ana is on vocals. The bridge is catchy, contrary to the dramatic chorus. José does come in, too, in duet form with Ana. The keyboards offer the melody, mainly in electronic version. "Unstable Mind" is particularly interesting on an instrumental level, containing enough diversity (incl. neo-classical touches). Guitars counter with power. And it gets even better with "Dark Delusion". Here a tension is created, the song is built by the keyboards, guitars and drums, while the bass lays out the main rhythm. Thanks to a good mix, this is clearly audible and for the better. Slow and Doomy Metal follows, but the pace soon increases, allowing the music to flow better. This is a guitar-driven song, but as usual the melodic aspect is delivered by the keyboards. Ana's and José's vocals are combined in the chorus, and for that the mixing was in their favour. Solos are present, too, from both the guitar and keyboards. At some point the song does enter a side-street, so to speak, in pure DREAM THEATER style. Melodic, atmospheric and fully instrumental. A very nice move.
With "Ancient Guardian" the Colombians have written a very nice epic track. It begns in a melodic way, also creating a tension to let out the music at a smooth tempo. The bass once more plays a prominent role and again this is a good decision. The rhythm is without criticism, while the keyboards fulfill their role very well. The midtempo chorus, melodic as it is, is inline with the overall quality on offer. And that also counts for the solos (by the guitar and keyboards). Diversity can be found in the rhythm and tempos. So, like "Dark Delusion", this track is another highlight. The ballad, "Change", can be added to the list of highlights as well. The first part is entirely accoustic and it sounds a bit (!) similar to Greek music, if you know what I mean. That's probably due to the use of the traditional instrumentation. As is custom in ballads, the piano is to be present, too. The electric power comes out as the chorus is due. Solos were not forgotten and don't disturb the flow. The melodic aspect (guitars, keyboards) is very well worked out.
The first half of "Imago" done, time for the second one and it's from here that things slowly go downhill again. "Love Remains" begins with dark piano touches and Ana sighing as if lost in a void or something. This time it's José who's the lead vocalist. With the piano as guiding instrument, it gives the song a musical feeling. Musical like those theater productions. But then the real take-off occurs with powerful and pounding Metal. Then it becoms clear that José doesn't have the best vocal chords for this song. Ana comes in in the chorus. Her voice and the music reminded me of the Portuguese Power Metal band ORATORY. Melodies are provided in symphonic format. Ana and José take turns for the lyrics, which adds to the diversity of the song. After the solo, the accoustic part from before the power outbreak comes back. All in all a decent song, but in a way it made me think the playtime could have been reduced a bit.
Despite its good rhythm and nice keyboard leads, "The Lamp" cannot turn the tide. Guided forth at a firm, but slow pace José works his way through the lyrics, yet allows Ana to do some of the work, too. Both come together in the chorus. The overall compositions are simpler than before. Mainly on an instrumental level, all is very much ok. And that is confirmed by an instrumental part that reminded a bit of old NIGHTWISH. "Sarah Deserves To Rest" has electronic/House-ish keyboards to start with, but Eastern Metal, slow and atmospheric, soon takes over. Ana's on leads vocals. The music gets more active in the chorus. NOVA ORBIS give their music a Progressive twist, depending on the song, but what you get with the Doomy instrumental break and solos afterwards sounds strange, out of place almost. It makes the listening a bit hard to sustain.
"Falling Of The Empire" could have been one of the better/best tracks, but somehow it turned out to be one of the... least good. It's slow, symphonic, but speeds up for the chorus. It's here that the choir arrangements were used. Ana leading the vocal charge in this song. In between you get some humpapa-like tempo increases. José takes over the mic at a later instant. The chorus is quite alright, but overall this song doesn't have that much too offer. "Wisdom Hunter" closes the album with a DREAM THEATER-like start. This time José does add the balls to his singing, backed by the organ. Ana occupies the chorus. Melody is a vital ingredient in the compositions and it must be said that David delivers very nice work, like he has done in practically all the songs. The guitars continue to deliver the necessary power, while Jose (drummer) adds a few tempo boosts here and there. Still, all things considered, it's a pretty mediocre track.
Colombia, another country I've never heard anything from in terms of Metal. With NOVA ORBIS the first band has come out, also thanks to the promotional work of Adrian at Lugga Music Productions. NOVA ORBIS play Gothic/Progressive Metal with similarities to LACUNA COIL, LA-VENTURA, THEE ORAKLE, TYSTNADEN, INNERFATE and a bit of ORATORY. "Imago" is their debut, self-released and offers a nice impression of the band's potential. Potential there is, indeed, and the musicianship is also at a good level already. For a self-release the sound is of course what it is: good, but it can get better. The mix is good, however, as it lets out each instrument clearly. Somehow there are some clouds that prevent the sun to shine: Ana's vocals can sound somewhat monotonous after a while. Certain songs aren't exactly jewels in terms of compositions. And finally, related to the previous comment, the playtime in general could be reduced in favour of the songs. Quality above quantity. Still, "Imago" is pretty decent for a debut, but it's on the follow-up and beyond that the Colombians will need to show how far their skills and ideas reach.
More info at www.myspace.com/novaorbis.
Line-up:
Ana Maria Barajas - vocals
José David Barajas - guitars, vocals
Jorge A Gutiérrez - guitars
David Martinez - keyboards
Rodolfo Cáliz - bass
Jose F. Osorio - drums
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The Spanish Hard Rock band ELDORADO, founded in 2007, released its second album in October and titled it "Dorado". An English edition was also made available under the title "Gold". I had the honour and pleasure to review the band's debut release, "En Busca De Eldorado", last year and as you may have read, I found it a very worthwhile release. As the lyrics were in Spanish, it gave the album an extra special touch. This time I had the choice of reviewing either the Spanish or English version of "Dorado". The English one was obviously made to attract more people, to reach out to a broader audience, but to my ears and in my humbe opinion, that sort of scratches off the special touch of the Spanish version. And since the debut album was in Spanish, I saw no reason why I would have to change to English now.
For their sophomore album ELDORADO worked again with producer Richard Chycki, but this time in his studio in Toronto, Canada, while the mastering was in the hands of Andy Vandette at Masterdisk in New York, USA. The release was done through their own label, Déjame Decirte. A proper European release will take place in March 2010 through Bad Reputation. "Dorado" starts with a very radio-friendly, but funky Rocker: "La Casa De Las 7 Chimeneas". The band even made a video for this track, single if you will. Being radio-friendly also means simple in structure, in melodies and so on. While that can be nice for a while, it can become tedious in the long run. The band does deliver the goods and especially the instrumental aspect is good while Jesús tries to add a passionate touch to his singing. Drumwise it would not have hurt to add some fills here. But the main element that bugged me - and that's typical in a radio-friendly song - were the zils (small metal jingles on a tabourine).
"Porno Star" is another good track, laying the first notes and melodies gently onto the table before the real outburst is activated. Those (damn) zils are present again in the chorus. Overall the music sounds firmer than in the first song and Nano is offered a key role to add some solos. First a small one around halfway while Javi assists on toms and Jesús adds some words as well. The song is being rebuilt then and the full power is unleashed to let Nano play the real solo. That middle section makes the song more worthwhile as it breaks the linearity that would remain without it. In general, good job from these lads, but the best is yet to come. There's still "Atlántico". This song has an un-typical instrument occupying the introduction: a flute. This creates a soft and gentle atmosphere (including faint guitarsounds in the back) and allows Jesús to adjust his singing in the same manner, and that in turn creates a nice contrast with his louder voice in the more Rocking songs. Full power is reserved for the chorus. "Atlántico" adds a Bluesy touch to the album and sounds, due to its slow pace and soft music, rather ballad-ish. Over halfway the instruments do the talking and that is a nice change. This part is simple but effective and it seems ELDORADO have mastered that aspect. The music further flows on smoothly without sudden outbreaks or anything and particularly the last minute is an absolute lust for the ear.
One third gone, two more to go and it's exactly then the feast commences. But truth be told, in my opinion, it's not perfect over the entire line. In "Caída Libre" comes in at a slow pace with a Bluesy feel, which is already the chorus's music. Vocaly it's all clean without reaching for the high notes and thus no yelling, so to speak. The verses contain no heaviness, though the guitar is present in a shockey way, and as a result contrast with the fuller chorus. Exactly that aspect of this song makes "Caída Libre" very attractive. Things start to get more serious at halfway. Seems like the middle of the song is a key part in the compositions as it's always there the band changes direction for a little while. The guitarwork is layered and that is for the benefit of the song.
While "Gold" is the English version of "Dorado", the band did opt to let "I Don't Need No Doctor" to be present on the Spanish version, too. Why is a riddle to me, perhaps as a new single, but it makes the link with the other songs more difficult. On the other hand... it's the 5th track out of 9, which is the middle. And didn't I just say the band then changes direction? Musically you don't need to expect a change, it's still Hard Rock, but the lyrics are in English. The song has more power, more punch than the preceding ones and words to sing are few in number. Hence Jesús being put on repeat for the chorus, which is just that one line. It's good for a few times, but here the repetition goes on and on and on and it just is a drag to sit through it. Musically it might all sound linear and simple - Hard Rock never has been a technical style - but the rhythm and leads are elements for which the band deserves praise. The middle section is again the territory of instrumentalism and this time the bass gets its moment of glory. But, the repeating of the title is done then, too and that should not have been the case. Afterwards all flows back to the chorus and so on until the end. Basically, "I Don't Need No Doctor" is a good song, but the chorus/title is sung far too often. The lyrical/vocal aspect lacks variety, in other words.
"El Desertor" promises better material. The guitar is the main instrument, sounding calm and yet very melodic, while the singing is added very quickly. It's another radio-friendly track at midtempo and with another spotlight moment (well, more than a moment) for the bass. Heavy is not the right word to describe the music, but it does rock and forms a nice, crunchy song. "La Gran Evasión" is where you can truly speak of ROCK! Not in the least because it reminds of DIO's "Killing The Dragon" period. And as I'm writing this review, Dio himself is fighting the dragon called stomach cancer. Let's hope he does kill it and can get back on his feet to do what he does best: singing with heart and soul for the love of Rock 'n' Roll. But back to ELDORADO. This seventh track offers more power, more drive, a higher tempo, as if given a boost. The drums are key here, definitely, as not Alex Rada, but Javi Planelles (who replaced Alex on the drumstool) made his playing more active. The music also sounds more fun, or it's as if the band has more fun in writing and recording it. The guitarsolo reminds of what Joe Satriani did on his older albums and that is of course a good sign. All in all, a true "golden" track here.
"Tarot TV" rocks, too, yet sounds a bit toned down in that aspect. The Bluesy feel is back and the playing sounds quite firm and tight, not allowing the music to act a little wild like "La Gran Evasión". The band even added a vibraslap, another uncommon instrument. I only remember the Scottish Folk/Power Metal band ALESTORM having used it so far. ELDORADO used it around the middle of the playtime to start the part where some tension is created in order to unleash the guitar solo. Again Joe Satriani came to mind. And so the chorus comes back in sight and a little later the end of the song. Pure quality, let's not beat about the bush. One more song to go then with "Meteoro". Here as well, no need to let the music kick the door in. Just let it all flow nice and easy, with a Bluesy touch. Once it's time to rock, AC/DC comes to mind in the stop-start verses. Again the rhythm and leads are first class elements and especially the chorus is the place where melodicness reigns. Somehow, and despite a meteor not being a soft stone, the song is almost a means to relax. Over halfway it's solo time, the bass thumps on and drumwise fills complete the compositions. No real complaints here. All's fine by me.
"En Busca De Eldorado" was and is highly recommended material for anyone into classic Hard Rock like DIO, THUNDER, BLACK SABBATH, METALLICA (1996-1997), IOMMI and others. Does that count for "Dorado"? Well, I'd rather compare with SHAKRA, JOE SATRIANI, AEROSMITH (thought I'm no expert on this band), METALLICA and similar. In all sincerity and honesty, I have to admit it is (or I found) a little less good than the debut album, which rocked more. This sophomore release is aimed at radio play, although there is heavier material on it as well. And that can be good, as long as that is not the main reason when making music. In this genre, ELDORADO is a band to reckon with. They know where they're going and having both a Spanish and English version of "Dorado"/"Gold" should open the doors to several European, maybe even (South) American countries.
More info at www.enbuscadeeldorado.com.
Line-up:
Jesús Trujillo - vocals
Nano Paramio - guitars
César Sanchez - bass
Javi Planelles - drums
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The Polish band GRIMLORD released its debut album last year under the title "Blood Runneth Over". That was a big step in a different direction: playing Black Metal initially, going for Hard Rock/Heavy Metal on this first full album. And that's the direction the band would continue. "Blood Runneth Over" contained several good ideas and some interesting songs here and there, but the biggest problem was the vocals. The potential was there and so my hopes were high for the follow-up. That release was titled "Dolce Vita Sath-an As" and came out somewhere around September-October. There's nowhere a proper date to be found and since I got my promo copy in that period, my guess is the release date lies close to it.
"Dolce Vita Sath-an As" starts with the title track's Rap-ish keyboard doodle. Seriously, it shows no signs of Metal whatsoever. Of course, once the guitars and drums fall in the situation improves a lot. You can clearly hear the band paid attention to the production, which is much better/powerful than before. Barth's singing is clean, though with a rough edge. He has an accent, though, but that's something that can be worked on. The music is very much guitar-driven, pushed onwards by Lukass's energetic and dynamic drumming. Around halfway it's solotime. The rest of the song, at which end a blasting outbreak is planned, remains instrumental. To be honest, I'm positively surprised. If the rest of the album is as good, then GRIMLORD have taken a big leap forward.
"When The Heads Are Going Down" starts in a direct manner with pounding drums. All that reverts to accousticness a little alter, soothing the listener. The verses are slow, yet contain full instrumentation. Barth's accent is more audiblehere and that forms a bit of a black stain on the song. Musically the songs feels very IRON MAIDEN-ish. Strangely enough, during the solo a blastfest is set up and I have to admit it is the best part of the song. Instrumentalism is again a key aspect and occupies the remainder of the song, ending with an accoustic touch. Overall I find "When The Heads Are Going Down" another good track, but honesty obliges me to have my preference set on the title track.
"Oh! My King" lets the band take its time to find the best moment to fall in. First an atmosphere of danger, or tension, is created, building up to the slow Metal passage. Barth's singing is not bad, but his accent stands in the way, a lot more than in the first two songs. On top of that he wrote too many words to sing and that doesn't flow well with the music. The music by itself is quite good: Heavy Metal with blasts in the chorus. An accoustic intervention breaks this stream a little, yet a rebuilding takes place, also paving the way for the solo outbreak. The second half of the track is good, too... musically. Three songs done now and then it happens: the production changes dramatically with "Shade Of Wrath Angels", the first in a series of instrumental songs and to be honest, the best of the pack. It sounds rawer, more pure. You do have keyboards/piano moments, but obviously the guitar dominates. The drums don't sound real, or better, I'm having doubts about it. The atmosphere is dark and epic and that is perfectly inline with the title.
Not a lot of explanation is needed for "Ground Zero", right? We all know what happened, or what we saw happening, on 9/11. A sample of a news report and Bush speech are key elements in such a song, to make it more alive. All the while a creeping tune is playing in the back to create the right atmosphere. The production is even rawer than before. Main instrument to bring the horror to life is the organ. A good choice, in my opinion. Musically it's Heavy Metal, though a touch of Black Metal wouldn't have hurt here, considering the lyrical theme. "Dissolution Of Eternity" sounds heavier, although more sad than any of the previous songs. Keyboards provide melodic backing. The drums really sound fake now, though at its core this is not a bad song. Did Lukass really play this? It's hard to believe. This just screams "drumcomputer!". "Ancient Land Of Ys", a song hailed in other reviews of this release, is quite an average song. Starting accoustically, going for a more Doomy direction via the guitars and piano and with a drumcomputer that really works on my nerves. Not only because it's programmed, but because it sounds weak, there's no power behind it. And that affects the listening experience a lot, in my humble opinion.
The dual title "Avericious Scavenger / Panth Of Lash" is a slow, melodic song in which accousticness takes over command after a while, forming the bridge between the first and second part, also indicated in the title. And precisely that break made me frown, as both parts sound quite incompatible. In addition, the drumcomputer is now really... annoying. I don't want to beat about the bush, but why is there such a big difference between the first three songs and the instrumentals in terms of production and drumsound (or replacing Lukass with a programmed version)? "Lamentation Sword" is the last hope for improvement. Haunting sounds coming from the piano lay out the first melodic touches, followed by slow Metal, or better, Heavy Metal with ups and downs during which keyboards and church bells come into play. The whole rocks until the fifth minute. After that it's Doom time and the song title indicated such a change, but in a last instant the amount of heaviness increases one more time. Overall, it's quite alright to end the "Dolce Vita" in this way.
As I said in the beginning, my hopes were high for "Dolce Vita Sath-an As". Hearing the first two songs, I found they had made a good progression and overall after the first full listen I was reasonably satisfied, but more listens gradually turned my smile the other way around. The musical/instrumental skills are in any case present, so that's not the problem. This new album starts well, sounds well, but after 1/3 the sound all of a sudden changes, is rawer and it worsens with each succeeding track, despite most of these songs being not super, but not bad either. They just need a proper production to shine and why that didn't happen is a riddle to me, but the end result does bug me. I can only speak for myself, but why other reviews didn't mention this... Did I get a wrong promo copy? Anyway, had all sounded like the first few songs, my opinion would be far more positive. As it is, I cannot really recommend "Dolce Vita Sath-an As". As one other reviewer said, better cut out the majority of the tracks and have a good EP made of the remaining songs.
More info at www.grimlord.eu.
Line-up:
Barth La Picard - vocals, guitars
Orson - bass
Lukass - drums
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The German Power/Thrash/Speed Metal formation PARADOX is one of the veterans of the 1980's. Despite a break of about 10 years, this block of Metal is hard to break and came back with a strong album ("Collision Course") in 2000, but fate struck again and the band was halted once more as mainman Charly Steinhauer was faced with personal problems. But the gods of Metal were on his side and anno 2005 PARADOX picked up their arms again to fight the unfinished battle. Their fourth album, "Electrify", came out last year and proved to be quite a powerful piece of Power/Thrash. Charly and co. had far from lost the ability and determination to offer solid Metal. And so they could carry on playing gigs at various festivals, do a tour and more and even start working on a new album. Charly once again produced the album, but it's unclear to me who did the mixing/mastering. Last time it was Jacob Hansen. This time I saw two names being connected with this taks: Fredrik Nordström (news post in October 2008 on the band's website) and Achim Köhler (news post in July 2009). Whoever did it, he did a great job. The artwork was once again done by Claudio Bergamin, who also did it for the "Electrify" album. And if you look closely you can see the same character featured on the cover. Come to think of it, it looks like a badge and if the band is looking for an original merchandise idea: have such badges made, not as patches, but as pins/broches.
PARADOX's fifth album is called "Riot Squad" and will be available on the 16th of October. With a title like that, you can easily expect a more aggressive PARADOX, one that found the right inspiration, strength and power to take the music to the next level, especially after "Electrify". And let me tell you, this is one big Thrash assault. It starts with "Suburban Riot Squad". Main ingredients: raging guitars, fast riffing, uptempo drums. All of excellent quality. You just can't sit still here. Power and ferocity in one. Add a wild solo and the process is completed. "Hollow Peace" comes bursting in directly with its sharp, aggressive guitarwork and pounding drums. Out of the way or be killed by this machinegun of a song. Charly did see to it that a touch of melodicness made it into the chorus, mainly through his singing. But for the solo the usual procedure was applied: fast Thrash. Outstanding material, no question about it.
And so we go on with "Riptide", an even more powerful song, despite more normal drumming (not the humpapa-Thrash beat). The guitars sound sharp and ready to bite. The music is catchy and a simple, yet effective, chorus is then a helpful element. "Rise In Rank" has heavy guitarwork - I don't expect PARADOX to tone it down here - and slow/midtempo drumming. But when the real kickoff begins, you realize the preceding stuff was just a first part. Once the Thrash kicks in, you're in for very pleasant listening experience. Destructive guitarwork, drums pushing everything onwards, making sure nothing stays upright. The rise to the top is a violent and aggressive one. Things slow down a bit in the chorus, but once the solo claims attention, it's back to pedal to the metal. Great in all aspects: rhythm, melodicness, compositions, musicianship, sound, aggression, catchiness. "Evolution Reset" is business as usual: Fast Thrash. And words like ferocious, devastating, killer are more than fitting. And the chorus is still the keeper of melodic touches.
The second part of the tracklisting (the first track being "Nothingness") starts calm with animal sounds. My guess is it's ocean waves and dolphin or whale sounds. My ears could fool me, though. The Metal comes in in a brutal manner, sounding quite dark. Somehow there's more moderation compared to the previous tracks. The melodic touches are again reserved for the chorus. A less ferocious song this time. And that's a good choice, else it would make the album sound monotonous if all tracks were fast-speed Power/Thrash. And speaking of which, "No Place to Survive" will kick you wide awake. Fast, relentless, aggressive, one violent force of hack 'n' slash. Or in short, another magnificent song. "Dream Hero" starts with a tension creating composition. The overall feeling is evil, dark, monstrous and quite powerful. The drumming is more normal, like in "Riptide", but with the required ferocity. There's a Thrash boost in the bridge, but all falls backin the slow, melodic chorus. Another very nice song, though, even if it's not full speed all the way. Even if it were like that, it wouldn't mean you get a better song, or better music.
But anyway, the track that follows is the least good one on "Riot Squad": "Planet Terror". This is not a fast song, it's not as Thrashy as the others, despite a title that might indicate such a musical direction. Technicalities aren't important here, the flow and the unity is. It begins with samples from the news, also hearing police and such before the music bursts in and builds towards something violent. It's a midtempo track, but with strange leads. I can't really put my finger on it (whether it's guitars or keyboards, it's a looped sound that lingers in the back), but these elements do make the song stand apart from the others. Of course melody plays a role and Charly sings less rough, and cleaner. Personally I found it hard to stay focused here. It sounds un-PARADOX-like. Maybe Charly wanted to try something else and this dark track was the result. Perhaps with the texts at hand, it might be easier to understand why the song sounds like it sounds. Definitely not easy-listening. Give it a couple of spins to fully "get" it.
But then there's "Psychofficial" that closes the album in style. PARADOX turns off the light with a blast. "Psychofficial" is a superfast song, nothing more, nothing less. And no, it's not like SLIPKNOT's "Psychosocial", even if Charly sings (in his own rough way) the word in almost the same way.
PARADOX made a nice (second) comeback last year with "Electrify". A powerful, yet modern sound was given to the songs by Jacob Hansen, who did a good job back then. This time the sound is a bit different, rougher, less polished, one might say. That's for the benefit of the more aggressive guitarsound. "Riot Squad", the new album, is basically one big, violent storm of aggressive Metal. Charly and co. have gained enough inspiration while promoting the previous album and with this new release you could say it's their best to date. Everything sounds masterful: production, musicianship, compositions, sound, ... Therefore I'll end with the cliché phrase: recommended for any fan of Speed Metal (or Power/Thrash, if you prefer that term).
More info at www.paradox-bangers.de.
Line-up:
Charly Steinhauer - vocals, guitars
Kai Pasemann - guitars
Olly Keller - bass
Roland Johada - drums
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The German band BRAINSTORM has been among my favourite Power Metal bands for several years, starting with "Unholy", which was good, but not their best work. That would come later with "Soul Temptation" in 2003. I had the pleasure to see them live once, in 2004 when they supported EDGUY, together with NOCTURNAL RITES. The band was formed back in 1989, releasing several demos before their debut, "Hungry", hit the market in 1997. "Ambiguity" was their first album for Metal Blade Records, a label the band would stay on for twelve years. The last output was "Downburst" in 2008, preceded by the DVD "Honey from the B's (Beasting Around the Bush)" in 2007. Metal Blade will release a Best Of called "Just Highs No Lows (12 Years Of Persistence)" in November. Since several months BRAINSTORM are signed to AFM Records and the first release here is "Memorial Roots" (out since the 16th of October), an album that has been awaited with high anticipatience, at least in my case.
In 2007 Metal Blade also re-released the bands first two albums, "Hungry" and "Unholy", in 2CD digipacks, each containing the original CD and a remastered version. Bonus tracks from the demos were added to both releases. For fans who had a hard time obtaining these albums this was an excellent opportunity. Soundwise the Germans have appealed to Achim Köhler for a very long time and a big change in that sound came with "Downburst". Composition-wise the music also underwent a slight change then. Sascha Paeth sat behind the desk this time and I feared this would affect BRAINSTORM's powerful sound. Especially considering Sascha, as good as he is, produced earlier works from KAMELOT, EPICA, AVANTASIA, EDGUY, and many more. And especially his more recent work doesn't really give the guitars a powerful touch. To each his own, of course, but compare Achim's touch to that of Sascha and you'll hear what I mean.
But anyway, on to the new record, "Memorial Roots", as I could typ a lot more about this band. "Soul Temptation" was a very big highlight and the follow-up "Liquid Monster" was very decent as well, still having a rather dark, mean touch in the guitars. "Downburst" meant indeed going down, lighter, more melodic, more accessible, even if there were some pretty good songs on that album. Fingers crossed for a return to form with "Memorial Roots" then. Well... no. It turned out worse than expected. Ok, BRAINSTORM and catchy tunes have always gone hand-in-hand, but never in the sense that the band needed mainstream attraction to acquire a fanbase. The production, done by I-don't-know-who, is even lighter than what Sascha Paeth did on "Downburst". The drums are relatively high in the mix and the guitars a bit lower than what you would expect on a BRAINSTORM album. What's the reason for this?
It starts with the long atmospheric intro of "Forsake What I Believe". Symphonic backing waves back and forth in the meantime. Guitars dominate throughout the song, which is obviously a logical decision as this is the basis of BRAINSTORM's songs. The verses are calm and easy, contrary to the (slow and epic) chorus, which lets the instrumental power rise. Here too, the keyboards are a present factor. Although the guitars are a bit lower in the mix, the real power of this song should shine on stage. The solo is a classic one, in true BRAINSTORM style. Somehow, though, I had the impression I was listening to something from the "Liquid Monster" album. Anyway, a decent song to start with, but the better ones are yet to come. Like "Shiver", which takes a direct start, but sounds a lot lighter. Perhaps the lightest so far. I can't remember BRAINSTORM having composed a Metal song - I'm not speaking of ballads - that sounded so radio-friendly. It's got more drive and push than the previous song and Dieter's drumming is very firm, just like the song. But like I said, it's light, it's radio-friendly somehow and the center of attention is the chorus. The soloing is good, as usual.
"The Conjunction Of 7 Planets" is next and also takes its time to unleash its power. First some gentle guitars with symphonic backing, followed by the power of Metal. The tempo is set at medium and as the music advanced the symphonic aspect rises in volume. Again the structure of calm verses versus a more powerful chorus was applied here, only this time the chorus sounds very emotional. Near the last part of the song all falls silent, yet the guitar solos then get their moment of fame. All in all, a decent song, but nothing spectacular. That outburst is reserved for "Cross The Line", an uptempo track that was badly needed at this point. No complaints at all here, a classic BRAINSTORM track. But then something terrible happens... two weak tracks pop up: "Nailed Down Dreams" and "Blood Still Stains". The first has the piano to come in for melody and adding a more mellow touch to the song. Keyboards are prominent, the guitars's power is lacking, Andy sings softer, though things get a bit more powerful along the way. The chorus, too, is of the emotional kind, even whiney. Not even the solos can save this track. "Nailed Down Dreams" has to be one of the weakest songs ever written by these Germans. "Blood Still Stains" has more power, contains more Metal, though the pace isn't high. The compositions are very linear and thus don't allow for variety. The overall execution is good, though, and the pounding chorus offers a glimmer of hope. Hope that the real power will come out live, because on CD this song is far from being a highlight.
But have no fear, for another superb track is coming up: "Ahimsa". Ok, superb might be an overstatement, but it's a lot better than the previous two songs. Again, more drive, higher tempo. The music sounds fiercer, though quite light. Keyboards take the lead and all in all I have no real complaints. A job well done. And now the trend sets in: a less good song follows, another splendid one, again a bit less and finishing in style. Let's start with "The Final Stages Of Decay". Calm guitarstart, sounding Jazzy in a way. The Metal chugs along at a slow pace, but the guitar power increases as the moment of soloing draws closer. A decent track, nothing more. "Victim" adds another power boost to the album and this puts a big smile on my face. The music sounds powerful, evil and that's something this album needs in higher quantities. Guitars dominate, Andy sounds darker, more evil and this too is a good move. The melody comes out in the chorus, in an epic kind of way, but makes this part less fiercesome. Still, another highlight, without question.
Two more songs then, "When No One Cares" and "Would You". The first, good, but nothing more. Symphonic leads and backing are present again, while the guitars add the required power. It's a midtempo song with a good rhythm. Andy's vocals were given a spacey effect in the bridge and that's subject to taste. I'm not really fond of it, but it doesn't hurt the song, so no reason to dismiss it. The chorus shelters a nice touch of melodicness and the guitar solos are as good as ever. All things considered, the quality is there, but somehow this track is not among the best here. That last spot is saved for "Would You", in which the band offers a last outburst of power. The tempo lies high and epicness is spread all around. Guitar power to the maximum! A worthy ending for a rather average album.
BRAINSTORM's 8th album didn't fulfill my expectations. I agree you can't keep on making the same album over and over again, but going lighter, more accessible isn't the best way either, or at least not for several albums in a row. So far, each of their older albums (from "Hungry" to "Soul Temptation") has been a hit and is recommended to highly recommended. Since "Liquid Monster" some cracks started to appear in this formation (or its musical compositions) that stood out from the rest of the Power Metal bands (HELLOWEEN, STRATOVARIUS, GAMMA RAY, SONATA ARCTICA, and similar). They made their music lighter, more polished and so on. The BRAINSTORM stamp is still present here (which is good, of course), but the music is less dark, less evil, less powerful and the production of "Memorial Roots" made me often doubt whether I was listening to a CD or mp3s of 128 kbps. Is "Memorial Roots" better than "Downburst"? Personally, I would pick "Downburst" as the better one. Anyone wanting to properly check out this band should go for their older albums, unless you're seeking an easier, catchier entrance, which is what "Memorial Roots" will offer you.
More info at www.brainstorm-web.net
Line-up:
Andy B. Franck - vocals
Torsten Ihlenfeld - guitars
Milan Loncaric - guitars
Antonio Ieva - bass
Dieter Bernert - drums
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RAM-ZET was founded in 1999 as a one-man project by Zet, aimed at taking Gothic Metal into an avantgarde direction. A demo was recorded and that led to a label deal with Spikefarm. Soon the line-up came to completion and together they made the debut album, "Pure Therapy", that saw the light of day in 2000. "Escape" followed two years later. Signing with Tabu Records in Norway, album no. 3 was planned for 2005 under the title "Intra". Throughout the years the line-up changed a few times, mainly on bass. Anno 2008 all was stable again and work on the fourth album could start. Everything was done early 2009. "Neutralized" was ready to be unleashed. As each album got positive reactions from press, fans and others, expectations for "Neutralized" were thus high.
My experience with RAM-ZET is limited to one song, which I downloaded some years ago from Century Media's website, as it was one of the mp3s they put online. And I liked what I heard, yet never though of digging further and possibly buying one or more of the band's albums. Receiving a promo copy of "Neutralized" back in September - it's February 2010 when I'm writing this (despite the release being te 12th of October) and reviewing a complex album like this one isn't always easy - it felt good to finally hear RAM-ZET's music with a proper ear, or better, I had a reason to listen to their music.
"Infamia" opens this album in a thundering manner. The music comes bursting in and thunders onwards. Zet's harsh vocals contrast with Sfinx's angelic touches, in a typical "beauty and the beast" style. The chorus is where the melodicness reigns. Musically electronic accents add spice to the song. Over halfway, the situation calms down into an atmospheric moment with Sfinx on vocals. In a relaxing way the music flows on before returning to the theatrical madness and eventually the chorus. All in all a very nice song to start with. "I Am Dirt" comes with a spacey intro, fading in. Sfinx's first words are covered with an effect as if she's an old woman, singing "I am dirt" a few times until she's running out of breath and only heavy breathing remains. The harpsichord is played for the theatrical aspect. This carries on as female singing is added and in a next phase the Metal power. At that point Zet's rough vocals come in. The overall atmosphere and feel is dark. The melodicness has more room in te bridge, together with Sfinx's vocals. But that is made undone as the power of the chorus takes over. "I Am Dirt" is a very Progressive kind of song. You'll hear lots of rhythm and melodic changes. The guitar solo is present, yes, but it sounds as if the guitar is being raped. Next to singing, music is the key element, thus more attention was created for instrumental talk. As good as this song is, I found it less attractive than "Infamia".
"222" then, which has got be one of the best songs on this album. It starts in an Industrial way, morphing into raging Black Metal (including melodies) in vein of CARACH ANGREN. The vocal input of both Zet and Sfinx is excellent, magnificent and more. It left me speechless. The Metal aspect is important here, in terms of music. The power and bombast are opposed by soothing symphonic elements. Or better, they need to collaborate, yet it sounds so contrasting. At a given moment, the guitarwork turns Jazzy, which is a very nice twist. In combination with the mad character of the music, this forms a nice duo. Once again it's amazing to hear how music music and diversity these Norwegians implemented into this track.
The next title made me believe I would be listening to a K'S CHOICE song, which is also called "Addict". K'S CHOICE is a Belgian Pop Rock band. Luckily RAM-ZET take a completely different direction. "Addict" is one of the longer songs, clocking in over 10 minutes. Beginning with electronic elements, the groovy power is unleashed as the Metal instrumentation is let out. The verses sound rather chaotic to my ears. Zet's vocals again contrast with Sfinx's, who occupies the dramatic sounding bridge. The what I think is the pre-chorus is all about madness, but that's even less to my liking. The singing just sounds false, noisy, and so on. Thankfully the chorus sounded a bit better. The Industrial feel is stronger than before. Diversity can be found in the rhythm. The drums alone are a perfect proof of that. Here, too, there's enough instrumental talk, including a solo and piano break. But like "I Am Dirt" I found this song not that attractive.
Starting with "God Don't Forgive" the remainder of the songs are very much worth hearing. This track takes off with a nice and soft symphonic intro, after which slow/midtempo power is comes in. The Metal aspect is high again here, not only accompanying Zet's harsh singing. Melodic interventions are limited to backing support, though the piano can stick its nose through the fence. Sfinx can be heard in the pounding bridge and this part is very nice to listen to. Drama is the keyword for the chorus, stressed by the piano. Both vocalists, Zet and Sfinx, join forces. The end result is beautiful and especially the musical side of the song is first class material.
"Beautiful Pain" is not exactly the most happy or uplifting title. It begins in quite an unconventional way, but that's rather normal with Avantgarde Metal. The violin of Sareeta, who recently left the band (anno 2010), is the first instrument you'll hear, together with the vibraslap, also used by ELDORADO, JUGGERNAUT and ALESTORM. At least, that's what I know based on the albums I've reviewed so far. Anyway, with Avantgarde Metal you can make your Metal as diverse and interesting as you wish. The vocals are covered with an effect as if to show they're lost and doomed. Soft singing follows (and it sounds great) with ambient backing. And so the verses come in sight: Industrial Metal breaking loose. Harsh male vocals here, though as if in agony. This is countered by Sfinx's interventions in the slow, melodic chorus. Zet's guitar is the instrument of power, while electronic keyboards and violin take care of the melodic side. To break this flow the band added an enchanting part, sounding rather Eastern-like. Sfinx is then the ideal vocalist. Musically things are polyrhythmic, including a furious outbreak. The overall atmosphere and feel is dark. And right when you don't expect it, all heaviness falls away. Only accousticness remains and this takes the song to its end. Again you'll hear lots of music here. With over 10 minutes, the Norwegians made good use of this length.
"To Ashes" is a bit shorter, but still over 8 minutes long. Some distortion, some explosions, but soothing singing brings comfort. Light organ sounds offer backing support. The music continues in accoustic form, sounding very exotic. Dark, hunting Metal power counters this. Metal and orchestrations are perfectly combined here. The spacey keyboard solo is the first of the solos, the guitar follows a bit later. An accoustic break offers a resting point. What a change with the power of before! Towards the end all cards are put on the table, as the music sounds chaotic with a big slap of madness, but in a controlled way. Another qualitative track on the list of highlights.
"Requiem" is the final song, but be prepared for the last 10 minutes of "Neutralized". It starts with a radio channel being sought, selected. At least, that's what I could make of it. The Metal that takes over completely erases that impression with its perfect rhythm. Zet takes the verses again, letting hunting keyboards intervene at the end. The bridge contrasts with melody and Sfinx on vocals. The chorus comes over as a wild and chaotic part. The break that follows consists of the violin (or cello?) and Metal bursts, but they flow more easily afterwards. Sfinx then also sings along. With a long playtime, a solo moment isn't forgotten. Leaving this sidestep for what it is, the band returns to the power of before. About 3 to 4 minutes before the end of the track, the music comes to a halt. This ending is rather unexpected and leaves you wondering if maybe something went wrong with the editing. A long silence follows and if you fast-forward you'll find an accoustic part that includes percussion. Instrumental all the way, for as long as it lasts, which isn't that long. Nevertheless, this is a very nice suprise!
"Neutralized", my first proper encounter with the Avantgarde Gothic Metal from RAM-ZET. That one song I heard back in 2000 and something already left me wondering at the magnificence of the Norwegians' music. Fans of the band will have no problem with this fourth album. Any open-minded Metalhead is strongly advised to check out the band and their discography. If you seek similar bands or influences, I heard similarities with LACUNA COIL, TRAIL OF TEARS, AYREON, DIABLO SWING ORCHESTRA, ... but of course RAM-ZET is more than just Metal. The musicianship, the compositions, the sound and several influences are what stands for. "Neutralized" is one of the best albums of 2009 and it depends on your taste where you'll place in your list.
More info at www.myspace.com/ramzetofficial
Line-up:
Zet - vocals, guitars
Sfinx - vocals
Ka - keyboards
Sareeta - violin
Lanius - bass
Küth - drums
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The German Melodic Power Metal band MOB RULES was founded in 1994 by Klaus Dirks (vocals) and Matthias Mineur (guitar). A first release came out in 1996, "Savage Land Pt. 1", before dubbing their debut album the same title (but without the "Pt. 1" element) in 1999. At that time the band scored a deal with Limb Music Products, the label that also catapulted RHAPSODY into stardom, for example. After the second album, "Temple Of Two Suns" (2000), the band signed with SPV, which put out "Hollowed Be Thy Name" (2002), "Among The Gods" (2004) and the band's last album, "Ethnolution A.D.", in 2006. Prior to this last release MOB RULES made a live CD/DVD titled "Signs Of The Time - Live". The band has toured in several places in Europe and across the ocean, meaning the USA. But the last few years it became a bit silent around the band, also because they all have dayjobs and because the line-up underwent another change: drummer Arved Mannott wanted to spend more time with his family and found he had accomplished what he wanted to with MOB RULES. A replacement was rapidly found in the person of Nikolas Fritz, who brought fresh energy into the band and music.
Thanks to a promo tape LMP sent me in 1999 - for the promotion of LUCA TURILLI's "King Of The Nordic Twilight" album -, I got to know the music, even if it was just one track ("Secret Signs" off the "Savage Land" album). But I didn't rush to the shop to buy the albums. Not even when "Temple Of Two Suns" came out, which had a rather weak production, I still recall. It wasn't until the period of "Ethnolution A.D." that I added "Among The Gods" and "Ethnolution A.D." to my collection. Both were/are decent albums, but not perfect, as more crunchy guitarwork and a bit more intricate drumming would not have hurt. Live the band also is worth checking out. I had the pleasure and luck to see them perform at Metalnight in Heule, Belgium, in November 2007. More recently I had an interview with Sven (guitar), Markus (bass) and Nikolas (drums) about the band, the forthcoming album ("Radical Peace", out on the 13th of November) and attended a listening session of this new album. And it was great. The music sounded much more Metal than before and that was something this band sorely needed. The interview will be online soon, but as other things came in between... Anyway, at the end of that day I was given the "Astral Hand" EP for a review. It was released on the 9th of October.
Being signed to AFM Records now, after SPV having been declared insolvent and not really having done much for MOB RULES, the new label wanted to extra promote the band and its music by making this single more worthwile. So they made an EP of it by adding a few extra songs, special artwork, etc... "Astral Hand" contains 5 tracks. Well, three different ones, as the title track comes in three flavours: full version, radio edit and instrumental version. The other two are a new one and an accoustic version of a song off "Temple Of Two Suns".
"Astral Hand" has an orchestral arrangement in its intro, assisted by the accoustic guitar. All is calm and peaceful and little by little the music moves towards the big bang as drums and Metal power are added. This first part is slow and quite hymnic. But then the boost kicks in and you can instantly hear the music has become more Metal than before, more powerful than before. That's because the compositions were written that way, to have the guitars add more power and be the dominant instrument. However, ochestral elements do peek through the curtain for backing and assistance in the leads. And yes, even the drums benefit from this change. Whereas Arved was more a relaxed drummer, sticking to simple patterns, Nikolas adds fills to make the transition to e.g. the chorus more fluently and better recognisable. Plus, it's not just addings fills for the sake of fills. That was one of my main concerns on their previous albums and during the listening session as well the change of drummer turned out to be a good move. Epicness can be found in the chorus. As the guitars are the dominant instrument, solos are a must. No flaws here, all flows well, all fits well, all sounds well. Afterwards all heaviness falls away and it's just Sascha's piano work and Klaus's vocals before increasing the volume again for the chorus. The outro is identical to the intro and that means head and tail neatly hold the song together.
The radio edit is a shorter track. No need to comment on that one, as I, personally, find such versions useless. Why cut a song for radio play? Either play the full song (and thus respect the band's work) or have the band make a song specifically for that purpose, but that's mainstream thinking. The instrumental version, however, is a very nice addition and should actually be on the "Radical Peace" album as bonus track. You can hear vocals are missing, even if you haven't heard the normal version, but on the other hand it allows the listener to have a more clear view/hearing on the music itself, which is very interesting.
The new song, "Man On The Run", has a different, rougher production, almost as if no big studio work was done. You know, like a band on its debut album. Anyway, it's a midtempo Heavy Metal song with keyboards backing. Here and there electronic touches season the music and the whole feels as if it's a remake of an 80's song. The keyboards and production play the biggest role in this thinking. The keyboards are more important here than in "Astral Hand", especially as the chorus draws nearer and of course in the chorus itself, too. Overall, it's a decent song. And yes, there's a guitar solo. "Hold On" is a ballad and re-recorded, though accoustic, version of the one that can be found on the band's second album, "Temple Of Two Suns". It's not that bad, but it's far from super.
As a pretaste (21-22 minutes) this is a prettyg good release and shows a more potent MOB RULES. "Astral Hand" is also the band's first EP, not counting the self-released "Savage Land Pt. 1". Obviously, when looking at the songs, it's an EP aimed at the fans, not people unfamiliar with these German Power Metallers. The production is a big step forward compared to previous albums and I hope to review "Radical Peace" soon. Having written draft comments during the listening session a few weeks ago should make the writing easier.
More info at www.mobrules.de.
Line-up:
Klaus Dirks - vocals
Matthias Mineur - guitar
Sven Lüdke - guitar
Sascha Onnen - keyboards
Markus Brinkmann - bass
Nikolas Fritz - drums
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KARUNA is a Melodic Power Metal band from Galway, Ireland, and has recently (29th of September) released a new 3-track demo, "Neitherworld". The band was formerly known as DARK CRYSTAL, formed in 2002, under which banner it put out the demo "In the Arms of the Mountain" in 2003. As KARUNA and on "Neitherworld" the trio headed into a new musical direction, from Symphonic Heavy/Power Metal to straight-forward Melodic Power Metal. For this demo the band appealed to THRESHOLD guitarist Karl Groom for the vocal production and backing vocal arrangements. Lyrically the theme is said to be "that all energy is connected, and that consciousness is universal. All will be revealed on the journey!" Colin (vocals, guitars) and co. posted a short explanation for each song on the band's website.
The first track is already the title track: "Neitherworld". Explanation: "The darkest of dreams took the joy from her life, but a spirit reaches out of the darkness to send her a loving message. Losing the will to live, it's quite a struggle to get out of the Neitherworld into the light, into the world of infinite possibilities. But everything is possible, we just need to learn how to fly." This song takes a direct start and is set at midtempo speed. This is Power Metal, alright, as guitars dominate in terms of rhythm and melodies. The production is clear, though a bit light, if you ask me. Musically the focus lies on melody and atmosphere, not technical showing off. Colin's vocals are clean and well-suited for this kind of epic Metal. The chorus is of the epic kind and has the keyboards offering backing and an increase in melodicness. But that's the only part where this instrument can push the guitars a little bit to the back. Other than that, the latter instrument is the ruler of all. And since instrumentation is so important here, and in the other songs, solos (keyboards and guitar) weren't forgotten. Halfway the track both instruments do it together and even if the solos don't take up that much time, the execution is very well done. And that counts for the entire song. Qualitative material, that's for sure.
Next stop is "Wayfarer". Explanation: "The enlightened sages of old knew so many secrets of life, and on his journey through time, the wayfarer discovered... this wisdom is available to us here and now! Beyond the field of the mind as we know it, there is a vast consciousness allowing us to progress back in time to past wounds, allowing for healing to take place. The people are crying out for a change, to face the fears and leave old sorrows behind! This could bring about the ending of all wars, inner and outer." Here as well, a direct start and the tempo upped a little. The guitars remain the dominant instrument, yet the keyboards do get their chance. The music's more epic, more instrumental even and reminds of bands like SONATA ARCTICA, STRATOVARIUS and POWER QUEST. The tempo gets a boost in the chorus. The obligatory solos are present as well. Overall another very nice song, even if it's nothing new for the genre. One remark, though, and it's a constant throughout this demo: the light production. It's of course not superlight or thin, but a bit more crunch and rougher edges are to be considered. Considered as in tried, tested. Perhaps similar to NIGHTMARE's "Insurrection" album (see lower on this page).
And last but not least: "The Lost". Explanation: "A disembodied celestial being has managed to make contact with the lower plains of existence, one of them being the human plane. On the human plane the being encounters so much agony and disenchantment. He sends his message out to be heard by the people, and he hears back the cries of the lost human souls...trapped within the framework of their bodies. But slowly, they start to listen more and more to his universal message!" And this last song, too, takes a rather direct start, though this time the tempo lies lower than before. To make up for that, the trio made their Metal fiercer for the verses. Keyboards add the requried backing to create the right atmosphere. The chorus is also slow, by the way. No contrast in terms of tempo. After the keyboard and guitar solos things get more atmospheric at some point, meaning all heaviness has fallen away. But that is undone soon enough as the Metal pounds its way towards the chorus again. In this track you can hear HIGHLORD guitarist Stefano Droetto who played the leads and solos. And yes, after two very good songs, it would be a shame if "The Lost" would be the ugly duckling, right? Well, it's not ugly at all. It confirms how well KARUNA made their Metal.
So, what's the verdict? "Neitherworld" contains three very good Melodic Power Metal songs, totalling a playtime of over 18 minutes. In general there is not one bad song here as the quality on offer cannot be denied. Sure, the music is reminiscent of bands like HELLOWEEN, SONATA ARCTICA, POWER QUEST, IRON MAIDEN, (old) KALEDON and similar, but let that be a guide or indicator to let you know what to expect. The fact remains clear, though, that KARUNA is worth checking out, or better, "Neitherworld" is and this release should permit the band to take it further, even scoring a label deal at some point. Interested people can contact the band for a copy of this new demo.
More info at karuna.biz.
Line-up:
Colin Callanan - vocals, guitars
Eanan Murphy - bass
Christopher Carton - drums
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The Finnish TRACEDAWN was founded in 2005 and was then known as MORAVIA, but that didn't last very long. Under the old name the band made one demo, "Path Of Reality". Once TRACEDAWN was a fact, the work for a proper album started and in 2008 the self-titled debut, "Tracedawn", was available for the masses. One year later the follow-up is out: "Ego Anthem". As I've never heard of TRACEDAWN, it's obvious that this new release, out since the 25th of September, is my first encounter with their music. When I tell you they play Melodic Death Metal, it should be easy to name Finnish bands in the same league. Indeed, CHILDREN OF BODOM, INSOMNIUM, MORS PRINCIPIUM EST, KALMAH and so on.
The first thing you notice is the clear production. Everything sounds polished, but of course the music remains recognisable. Very much even, as the Finnish combine elements from Melodic Death, Thrash and Power Metal. As good as the cover looks, I have to admit that "Ego Anthem" didn't really convince me, as I found two - yes, only two - tracks worth the attention. Full attention, I mean. Those winners are "Make Amends" and "Scum". The first fits perfectly in the shortlist I mentioned above. It's a midtempo track, featuring aggressive riffing and melodic interventions from the keyboards (and piano). Vocally you get the harsh kind, as is common, and a clean counterpart for the chorus (where melody reigns and the tempo has dropped a few levels). Very well done is also the solo, divided over both guitarists. The other one, "Scum", starts in a groovy way with lots of melody, but that's before the uptempo setting is selected. The verses are a pleasure to listen, as cliché as they may sound with the harsh vocals. Even the solo moment (guitars and keyboards) has a high pace and reminds a bit of DRAGONFORCE.
The other tracks are average or just not good enough, yet have good elements. There's in fact a common denominator: a whiney chorus. "Part Of The Wounded" is a relatively good song, again with lots of melody and the contrast between the (firm, aggressive) verses and melodic, whiney chorus. The majority of the song is listenable, but once the chorus (and adjusted clean vocals) set in... listening experience is damaged. The same thing occurs in "In Your Name": good verses with lots of guitarwork and the typical rough/harsh singing. But then the chorus pops up and again it scars the song. The situation in the songs afterwards is even worse. "Your Way Is Not For Me" is overall a bit chaotic. The pace is slower and the only highlight is the short solo moment. The faster "Dirt Track Speedball" sounds fairly good concerning the verses and especially the Power Metal-ish solo moment. But the clean singing in the chorus creates such a contrast that it's advised to skip to the next song. Nothing against contrast, as long as it fits. And just when you thought it could only get better again, there's "Repeating Mistakes". The title alone is a clear indication that it's by far not the best song on this album. Overall, it's just... uninteresting and more than the whiney songs. Not even a solo can rectify that. In "Brain Attack" the band decided to do it the other way around: clean singing in the verses, harsh in the chorus. That didn't help either, as it's precisely the clean vocals that are a problem. Not that the singing is not good, it just doesn't fit with the music. The guitarwork deserves applause, though. And last and certainly least, the obligatory ballad that is called "The Forsaken". Well, it starts as a ballad, later on things get more Metal. Melody plays another key role here.
Some subjectivity might have slipped into the text and that's unavoidable. Composition-wise the aforementioned bands do a far better job and succeed in keeping the attention vivid. Incorporating clean vocals in extreme Metal is not a problem per se, but here they don't mix well with the music in most cases. In addition, they're overdone, too much of the same and referring back to the compositions or structure, the pattern heavy-verses-and-melodic-whiney-chorus also was applied too often, limiting the room for more difference between each song. I like Melodic Death Metal and I can understand that young bands like TRACEDAWN can't instantly be like the bigger names out there, but so far "Ego Anthem" is a pretty mediocre release, in my humble opinion. Summarized: it all sounds supergood and polished and the guys know how to play, but I didn't detect feeling, depth, passion. TRACEDAWN and "Ego Anthem" are good for the diehard fans of the genre and/or young(er) Metalheads who like the modern version of Metal. Other than that, there's better stuff available on the market.
More info at www.withoutwalls.albumit.fi.
Line-up:
Antti Lappalainen - vocals
Tuomas Yli-Jaskari - guitar
Roni Seppänen - guitar
Pekko Heikkilä - keyboards
Vili Itäpelto - bass
Perttu Kurttila - drums
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EMIL BULLS, a name that sounds pretty strange and makes it not that easy to stick a musical tag to it, although one can be sure we're not dealing with a Metal band here. The band was formed a few years ago and put out their first album, "The Black Path", in early 2008. This even got them a place on the tour with SYSTEM OF A DOWN and SCARS ON BROADWAY, for example. Producer Benny Richter (CALIBAN, KRYPTERIA) was the man behind the buttons again and got assistance from engineer Toni Meloni (THE SORROW, DIE TOTEN HOSEN, ...) to help give the new album, "Phoenix" (out since the 25th of September), a powerful but clear sound.
EMIL BULLS is a German band, but when hearing the music, I couldn't help but think this was an American one. It's modern Rock with some Metal influences. Overall, you could detect similarities with modern IN FLAMES, ILL NINO, SUM 41, a bit of CLAWFINGER, SIMPLE PLAN even, and so on. Yes, there's even some (Scr)E(a)mo stuff on "Phoenix". Well, not some, a lot. Considering my taste is far from this kind of music, you'll understand I had a hard time listening to this album, trying to pick out some good things to say. I got a review copy, that answers your question why I reviewed it when the music isn't my cup of tea. Even the cover art looks more like a fashion element with the pink/purple/blue colours. But it looks nice.
"Phoenix" has 13 songs, totalling a playtime of over 50 minutes. Personally I found five tracks that managed to entertain me more than the other eight. "Here Comes The Fire" is a simple but effective song. Despite the screamy vocals, the music is reasonably good and groovy. The melodic chorus reminded a bit of modern IN FLAMES somehow. There's even a breakdown in the second half of the track, followed by a calm piece before going back to the normal pace and rhythm. "When God Was Sleeping" is more energetic, hastier, and has more drive. The Punk influences are clearly present and the whole sounds actually very radio-friendly. Tempo-wise there's a contrast between the verses and the chorus, as the first is done in high gear, the other a couple of gears slower. All in all, not super, but not really bad either. "Ad Infinitum" is one of the few songs that make EMIL BULLS sound like a Groove Metal band. Vocally you get screams, which made me frown here, and a mix of clean and rough ones as leads. The whiney chorus has slipped in here as well and that drags the whole thing down. Unless you're a fan of such kinds of interventions. The short guitarsolo is good, but nothing more. "The Storm Comes In" is good because I could stick these terms to it: energetic, wild, rough, groovy, ballsy. Again the vocal contrast is present, rough/screamy in the verses and clean/whiney in the chorus.. Sad thing is that there's even an Emo moment later on. In other words, when it's rocking, it's good. When they're whining, it's not. Well, they're good at whining, but that doesn't make it a good song. Dito for "Infecting The Program", which is basically screamy uptempo Metalcore.
Like I said above, there is a lot of (Scr)E(a)mo stuff on this album and the other tracks all suffer from that aspect, despite, for example, the Doomy start and rocking verses of "Man Overboard! - The Dark Hour Of Reason". Next to their heavy material, EMIL BULLS even added a ballad at the end, "I Don't Belong Here". And even such a song sounds so terrible... because of Christoph's singing. I think the piano alone would be more pleasant (or relaxing) to listen to than the version on "Phoenix". Does that count then for the other songs, too? Not entirely. Sure, there are some good elements, but overall an album like this is food for the shelves.
EMIL BULLS is not a Metal band, despite a few influences. It's a modern/contemporary Rock band with (Scr)E(a)mo influences and the kind that is very popular in the USA. Hell, they even tricked me into thinking they were not a European band. Yes, it sounds that good, well produced, polished and everything else that is requried to compete with the bands overseas and get radioplay and MTV time and more. So, Metalheads, steer clear from this, unless you enjoy having a whiney moment now and then. Fans of bands like ILL NINO, SUM 41, SIMPLE PLAN and similar... if you're looking for new material, EMIL BULLS and "Phoenix" is the way to go.
More info at www.emilbulls.de.
Line-up:
Christoph von Freydorf - vocals
Stephan "Moik" Karl - guitar
Andy Bock - guitar
James Richardson - bass
Fabian Füss - drums
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In 2008 I got a mail from drummer Simon Berro from the Slovenian band 7TH ANGEL for a review of their album "In Your Face", which came out in September 2007. Considering I had only heard Black Metal coming from that country (SOMRAK and MOR ZABOTH), it was a pleasant surprise to hear lighter material this time. The Hard Rock these guys play certainly is worth checking out. But now, another band comes along: TOXIC HEART. These guys play a mix of Glam and Hard Rock, but with a strong emphasis on Glam. Glam never was a popular style among Metalheads, yet it did reach several people in the mainstream community. And today there are still several Glam bands, or bands using these influences, though no one dresses like a woman anymore, hahaha. It was Mike himself, guitarist here and in 7th ANGEL, who contacted me for a review. And when looking at the line-up, it doesn't differ that much from 7th ANGEL's. Only bass and drums: Rider and Mogy, instead of Tweety and Simmy.
So when TOXIC HEART saw the light of day is unknown, or better, uncommunicated, but they do have a first album out since the 24th of September: "Ride Your Life". Love plays obviously a big part in the lyrics. Examples are legio, like "Ticket", "Love Is For Fools", "The One", "Eyes Of A Broken Man", "Baby", "Makin' Me Bad", "One Night Stand", ... "Ticket" is a typical Glam track, rather short, but to the point. Already here it's clear that the listening experience will be entertaining. A track like "New Generation" clearly prooves that, as it sounds more fun and Mike added more melody through his guitarwork. "Love Is For Fools" is a title that indeed can be true, and that also depends on the girl/woman you're with. You may think it's all sunshine and whatever more, but you could get screwed/cheated on so bad and you'll realize it too late. Anyway, this is a pretty solid midtempo track, sounding a bit heavier than the previous songs.
Three songs so far and I just can't get enough of it, hahaha. Let me tell you there is not one bad song here. Sure, one may be less good, or better, interesting (depending on your taste) than the other, but the quality level is high. "The One" is another example of the love these guys have for Glam Metal. Sadly enough, Axl will need to improve his English or learn that the h isn't pronounced like a g. Examples: behind-begind, heart-geart, ... Sure, not everyone can speak English fluently (or any other language, for that matter), but this is just a small advice to improve where you can and try to pronounce things as correctly as possible. Currently his mistakes make listening to the song less enjoyable. Musically all is fine, though. "Ride Your Life", the title track, offers more drive and a higher pace, though the chorus sounds similar to that of "Ticket". But it's a catchy song and the solo is well done. Quality from start to finish!
A trilogy of highlights follows, starting with "Eyes Of A Broken Man", where toms are important for the beat and rhythm. And it's good to see this drum element being used a bit more. This song rocks more and Axl's singing sounds more ballsy. Catchiness is again present in the chorus. "Big Time" adds a more Metal injection to the album. It's a straight-forward, firm and ballsy song, though with a somewhat dancy chorus, as strange as that may sound. But it sounds very good, so the praise is justified. "Baby" on the other hand, lowers the amount of heaviness in favour of a more melodic approach, while keeping the pace high enough. The song contains a nice contrast between the calm, ballad-ish verses and the powerful chorus. Guitarwork is again very good, offering a.o. nice leads and dito solo.
You might think that "Makin' Me Bad" is another ballsy song and you're partly right. It's not exactly ballsy, but rather dirty and heavier. But alas, Axl's accent is again the weak link, even though his singing overall is good. But don't fear, for two more highlights are still in the pipeline: "One Night Stand" and "Like The Way I Feel". The first offers another tempo boost. It's a straight-forward rocker, and a worthwhile one. The solo is the cherry on the cake. The last stands out for its heavy, rolling rhythm. Nothing more to say. Listen and enjoy is all that is needed here.
TOXIC HEART's Glam Metal feels of course very 80's, as that was the genre's period. The production is of course much better nowadays and even for a band that is not signed I cannot deny they've done a very good job here. Their songs are catchy, entertaining, enjoyable, fun and offer an excellent mix of Glam, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. There is, like I said, not one bad song here, and a large majority stands out. Musically all is well, vocally the accent forms a small obstacle in few songs, but that's something that can be worked on. What else needs to be said? Just contact the band to obtain your copy of "Ride Your Life" if you're seeking quality Glam Metal.
More info at www.myspace.com/toxicheartofficial.
Line-up:
Axl - vocals
Mike - guitars
Rider - bass
Mogy - drums
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DIABLO SWING ORCHESTRA, the name alone tells you the music won't be your regular kind of Metal. There seems to have even been such an orchestra in the Middle Ages, as you can read on the band's website. Apparently the original scores of this orchestra's music were confiscated and burned by the Church in 1503, but a group of Swedes found it a good idea to form a band and play a modern version of the old music. D:S:O was formed in 2003. The debut album, "The Butcher's Ballroom" (2006), became very popular and the band gained massive success and soon enough the name was in everybody's ears. Gigwise, too, the band scored a lot.
Since the 21st of September the second album is out and titled "Sing Along Songs For The Damned & Delirious". Judging by its cover and song titles you wouldn't think this is a Metal album, but a Pop album. Or a kids' album. That creates a conflict among people, fans and non-fans. Some like, others don't. And at first I too was sceptical, but after a few listens one can see a humourous twist here. A bit like EDGUY did in the (recent) past, but still somewhat different. It's as if the band is trying to show that the music had the people in its power, put a spell on them as long as the music was playing and people were enjoying the party and pleasure.
DIABLO SWING ORCHESTRA combines influences from several styles with Metal. Or is it the other way around? Several styles and a touch of Metal? Either way, as you "sing along" and become one of the "damned and delirious", you'll hear Metal, opera, Jazz, Tango, Polka, Swing, Boogie and Progressive, somehow. It's clear that this range of elements makes it hard to catalog the band under a certain genre, save for... Avantgarde Metal, known for the use of non-standard elements and following an innovative direction. But there's more to this genre, obviously.
"A Tapdancer's Dilemma" instantly shows you how important the non-Metal elements are: trumpet, boogie-rhythm and feel and a distorted guitar to give the whole a Rocking/Metal touch. The accoustic guitar is also present and is even used for a solo. And obviously you can't ignore the piano. Daniel and Annlouice take turns in singing the male and female parts respectively. All in all a very decent start, but there's better material to come. "A Rancid Romance" starts calm with the piano before pounding Rock takes over, filled with trumpets and castagnettes. Both vocalists sing a duet here. But that's just the first part. The cello forms the breaking point, the bridge towards the use of full power possibilities of the vocals and music. There's a chaotic feel to it all and that increases at some point. Contrast is created by switching to a symphonic-laden piece until the end.
With "Lucy Fears The Morning Star" the first real highlight pops up. Not that the previous two songs were bad, not at all. Quality is assured, but in this third song even more. No direct start, but a storm breaking loose (cracking of the lightning). Orchestral music sets in under the form of brass instruments and kettle drums in the back. Marching drums are added and the whole increases in volume until the Metal aspect takes over. Heavy guitars, clear and firm drumming, the kettle drums still pounding on and another layer being added (cello) before things turn to something more playful, though toned down. Once the vocals set in there's no stopping anymore. Annlouice's operatic vocal sound is very recognisable and one of the key elements of D:S:O. In the verses it contrasts heavily with the calm music. This song puts a bigger focus on the guitars and drums, as it sounds more Metal than what preceded. And not just normal singing can be heard here, but also frantic expressions. Further on the band opted for a percussion moment - while the guitars continue to deliver the power - and I can tell that is one fine part. Trumpets then deliver the melody a little later. And that's not all. Just as you think this melody will carry on until the end, all heaviness falls silent and the music turns into a Jazzy (or ist it Rumba?) direction. Absolutely stunning material.
"Bedlam Sticks" and "New World Widows" are the following highlights. The first starts with calm guitarwork before switching to boogie/twist influenced music while Daniel now gets his chance to sing again. Once the Metal instrumentation is added, the madness/lunacy begins. As heavy as the song is, I somehow had to think of RAMMSTEIN's "Keine Lust" and particularly the rhythm. Later on the bass gets its moment of glory. The second song starts accoustically, yet evolves into something bigger as bass and drums are added, followed by the electric guitars and vocals (male and female, first clean, then operatic). The rhythm and vocals are the elements that stand out - the music is energetic, funky and more -, but it's if there's one element you can't miss, it's the cello. To break this flow of energy a bit, there's a middle part that forms a resting point. Calm music and humming before the funky rhythm is picked up again.
"Siberian Love Affairs" is a short track and sort of serves as an intro to "Vodka Inferno", also because the link between Siberia and vodka is easily made. The intro is one of fun, laughter, an organ that makes people's mood more joyful (the booz is another element that plays a role in this event) with sing-along melodies. The Metal bursts in once the "Vodka Inferno" begins. The Rock/Metal aspect reigns again here, but for the solo the spotlights are aimed at the violin while a very nice rhythm and beat back it up. It's obviously a part song and that is noticeable particularly through the chorus. On the other hand, the Swedes succeeded in making this song very diverse in terms of compositions. Hats off for that.
The accoustic guitar shows its importance once more in "Memoirs Of A Roadkill", with a rhythm similar to the popular "Grease" film/musical. Daniel takes the leading vocal role again. Overall quite a good song with a calm ending. But then the ultimate highlight of this new album can be played: "Ricera Dell'Anima". Accoustic first, but soon it's full on electric and somehow a bit in vein of JOE SATRIANI's classic hit "Surfing With The Alien". Female vocals dominate. The Metal riffing and leads are assisted by the violin and further on this leads to a very nice chorus. At some point there's a cello break while the guitars switch their tone to create a Western (like the films) kind of atmosphere and setting. And to make the dish complete there's even a clarinet. The transition to Metal sounds very nice. The cello does return afterwards and gets the company of that same clarinet, which outs itself completely. Very very very well done. Rhythm, melodies, singing, musicianship, ... wonderful!
And last but not least there's "Stratosphere Serenace". The cello is the first (leading) instrument - reminiscent of APOCALYPTICA -, followed by frantic Metal bursts. Later on focus lies on drums, bass, percussion and guitar accents, while male vocals do the rest in terms of lyrics. Annlouice is not forgotten and gets her chance, too. Musically this is another very diverse/Progressive song with rhythm riffing being very important. After five minutes the tempo goes up and things get crazier with key ingredients like guitars and spacey backing. "Stratosphere Serenace" can be added to the short list that already contained "Lucy Fears The Morning Star", "Bedlam Sticks" and "New World Widows", and of course "Ricera Dell'Anima".
DIABLO SWING ORCHESTRA, a name that quickly founds its way into the minds of many Rock/Metal fans, particularly because of how the Swedes make their Metal. It's a stew of Metal, Opera, Jazz, Tango, Polka, Swing, Boogie with a Progressive touch here and there. There's only one term that fits then: Avantgarde Metal. "The Butcher's Ballroom" got lots of positive reactions, so the pressure was high to create a solid follow-up and I can without any doubt say that "Sing Along Songs For The Damned & Delirious" has turned out to be quite a (positive) surprise, as I've only heard bits and pieces of the debut album. The use of other influences makes me appreciate these specific styles even more. 2009 is turning out to be a very good year and D:S:O adds the special spices to this buffet.
More info at www.myspace.com/diabloswingorchestra.
Line-up:
Daniel Håkansson - vocals, guitars
Annlouice Wolgers - vocals
Pontus Mantefors - guitars, effects
Andy Johansson - bass
Johannes Bergion - cello
Andreas Halvardsson - drums
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The Swedish Melodic/Progressive Death Metal formation SKYFIRE was born a good ten years ago. Fourteen to be precise. They released their first demo in 1998, called "Within Reach", which apparently never saw the light. It took the band three years to release their debut album under the title "Timeless Departure". And that was a perfect starting title. Anno 2003 the MCD "Haunted By Shadows" came out, followed by a new full-length album, "Mind Resolution". And the Swedes were heavily inspired to write new material, as the follow-up, "Spectral", was released one year later. Since then the veil of darkness covered SKYFIRE for several years. The line-up also suffered from this, since two new members were attracted: Joakim Karlsson (vocals) from MARK:BLACK and guitarist Johan Reinhldz (ANDROMEDA, NONEXIST). The reformed band then set to work and created first the (digital) "Fractal" EP and the new album, "Esoteric", which was released via Pivotal Rockordings on the 18th of September. SKYFIRE produced the album, SCAR SYMMETRY guitarist Jonas Kjellgren did the mixing and mastering. THE FORSAKEN guitarist Patrik Persson produced the vocals for all the songs.
"Esoteric" is my first acquaintance with the band and their music. Eleven tracks, including the demo song "Within Reach", which causes an enormous difference with the regular album tracks, offer an interesting and diverse experience in the world of Melodic Death Metal. It starts with "Deathlike Overture", an epic symphonic intro, which would not have been a misfit for films like "Lord Of The Rings" and similar. The title track follows, starting calm with the piano and bass, after which the other instrumentation falls in, creating a tension. Then the cord snaps and sharp, uptempo Metal floods the place. Joakim's rough, growling vocals fit in very well. Very nice is the musical contrast with the chorus where the piano is mixed with the Metal instrumentation while the tempo drops to medium speed. At some point the orchestral aspect grows as choir samples, trumpets and the piano come to the front, letting the Metal carry on its play. Overall it's clear that SKYIFRE have made a very good combination of melody and aggression.
It doesn't stop there, since "Rise And Decay" is another jewel. An atmospheric start with the piano as main element with the drums adding some nice grooves. The guitars come in a little later and sound less ferocious than before, playing a more melodic role. This first part sounds almost like what ARCH ENEMY does. But it's then that the music turns more aggressive, or rather, the vocals do. The music has an emotional feel then without being like Emo music (Emo, Screamo, etc...), of course. The pattern "uptempo verses, slow chorus" is also applied here, with the melodic aspect being big in the chorus.Drummer Joakim Jonsson even blasts his way through the verses. The piano and symphonic elements are neatly implemented, while the guitar solo (dark and gloomy) is inline with the general atmosphere of the song.
Tension-building is also done in "Let The Old World Burn". Uptempo, Thrashy verses follow. The melodic aspect comes to life in the bridge and chorus, again the part where the tempo lies a bit lower. At a given moment you get a piano break during which slow-paced Metal follows the same stream. The lead guitar picks up the piano's melody, enforces it and then goes its own way into a solo. Like the other songs this is another highlight. The piano and symphonic samples are important throughout the entire tracklisting and another proof of that is offered in the intro of "Darkness Descending". The choir falls in together with the drums and the guitars join a little later. Blasting apocalyptic Metal then instantly destroys the eardrums before reverting to midtempo. The piano and symphonic elements sound similar to those on COVENANT's critically acclaimed "Nexus Polaris" album. That part comes back later. This time the pattern is switched: slow, melodic verses and a tempo boost towards and in the chorus. The sound of the guitars here with the added piano melodies give the song a Melodic Black Metal feel instead of Melodic Death Metal and create a theatrical moment, similar to what LE GRAND GUIGNOL did on their album "The Great Maddening" (2007). Here as well the quality is high, though a little less than in the other tracks.
"Seclusion" is a song where the music is a perfect example ofhow Metal and symphonic layers drift on the same line. This mix is simply great. Afterwards the music breaks out in a fast and raging fury, though the tempo drops in the chorus. The guitars are the key instruments here, rhythm- and leadwise. But make no mistake, because the piano remains present all the way. After this exquisite song the equally fantastic "Misery's Supremacy" kicks in with a direct start dominated by guitar leads and piano backing. The symphonic layers are added not too long after that and perfectly play along. And what comes next? Yep, fast, aggressive Metal. It's becoming predicatble, isn't it? But I don't mind, because the result sounds so tastey! Before playing at a slower speed for the chorus, drummer Joakim has the time to add some blasts. There is a break as resting point where the piano is the dominant instrument. The guitars and drums are added to complement it. Electronic touches create a different atmosphere and in general the music sounds quite DREAM THEATER-like, but in an extremer format. This midtempo Progressive part slows down as it advanced, even lets the orchestral elements rise in volume before the band heads back to the aggressive Metal of before. One word here: variation. Guitarwork, drumwork, ... it's far from being linear or simple.
Another song with a direct start is the midtempo track "Under A Pitch Black Sky", offering more Metal, by which I mean the melodic aspect isn't present yet, save for some atmospheric backing. Predictability is key, as the verses are played at uptempo. The bridge contains blast and then all falls back in the chorus where the melodic aspect reigns, again giving the song a more emotional touch, stressed by the piano and choir. And let me tell you that this is one beautiful chorus. Drumwise Joakim offers the fastest input so far and although that can be nice in a genre like Melodic Death Metal or even in SKYFIRE's songs, he does play so fast here it tends to sound chaotic and nefast for the rhythm. Therefore, slower would not have hurt the song at all. A piano break comes along before the guitarsolo is played, even in dual format at a certain moment. Again the band made sure diversity was present and this is one of the songs where the musicianship really comes out.
Firm midtempo drumming and atmospheric keyboards are the first elements you hear in "Linger In Doubt" before the guitars are added. Tempo-wise you can see an increase as each part plays its role: midtempo for the verses, uptempo in the bridge and blasting in the chorus, where the piano and synths provide the melodic backing. Although there are enough sung parts, this song does contain quite a lot of instrumental time and they're of course first class material. Pedal to the m/Metal with "The Legacy Of The Defeated". The music pounds, rages on at full power. Yes, even the required (well, not really, but it's for the better) blasting, which helps to give the song extra power. This time the symphonic elements get a more prominent, leading role, while the guitars once again make the music balance between Melodic Death and Melodic Black Metal. While the midtempo verses consist of full instrumentation, the guitars are silent in the bridge and make themselves useful again in the chorus. Here too, an emotional touch was added, enforced by the symphonic samples. All things considered, you'll find another good mix of sung and instrumental parts.
All regular tracks are done. But there's a bonus track, an old one even, as it comes off the band's first demo, "Within Reach". You know, the one that never was released. And what a difference in sound there is with the other tracks. Damn... you can hear it's a demo and that the keyboards are very basic compared to the result now, anno 2009. Clean vocals, too, instead of growling, since Mattias Holmgren (ex-SUPREME MAJESTY, ex-NAGLFAR, ...) took his responsability as session member. It's a midtempo song and in general good in spirit, but not in sound. But it is a demo and it was the band's first work, so... But the band has grown and improved a lot over the years and I think it's obvious to say that anno 2009 they're stronger than ever.
My first acquaintance with SKYFIRE and it's a hit! I do have to add it took me two listens to find that out, one mediocre (circumstances weren't favourable) and one super good (in the morning, in the train to work). "Esoteric" is without the smallest doubt one of the highlights of 2009. It's great to see how these Swedes add their own stamp (through the use of the piano and symphonic elements), create their own material instead of being a clone or sounding similar to their colleagues from ARCH ENEMY, DARK TRANQUILLITY, DAWN OF TEARS and so on. I've checked out the songs on MySpace and it seems the band continued where they left off with "Spectral" in 2004. The new album quite simply shines because of the compositions and of course the excellent production. Heavily recommended material!
More info at www.myspace.com/skyfiremusic.
Line-up:
Joakim Karlsson - vocals
Johan Reinholdz - guitars
Andreas Edlund - guitars, keyboards
Martin Hanner - bass, keyboards
Joakim Jonsson - drums
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OMEGA LITHIUM is a Croatian band that plays Industrial Gothic Metal. The name can be explained as follows: "If Lithium comes into contact with the skin, it can cause severe chemical burns. Lithium salts, on the other hand, are used to treat bipolar disorders, mania and depression. But these are by no means all of the applications of that chemical element with the atomic number 3, because in combination with Omega, the last letter of the Greek alphabet, Lithium forms an accoustic drug with a highly addictive quality: Omega Lithium!" The band was formed in 2007 and two years later the first album is out (since the 18th of September): "Dreams In Formaline". Formalin is an aqueous solution, a mix of formaldehyde and methanol, which is used to preserve bodies and anatomical and biological preparations. The lyrical aspect of the album deals with - and I quote - "questions relating to social conflict, conspiracies and the dark side of humanity. At the same time, this new sonic drug is intended to combat the rampant consumerism of western civilisation." "By definition, consumerism is the equalisation of personal happiness with consumption and the acquisition of possessions", guitarist Malice Rime explains. "It makes people lazy and indifferent, in addition to becoming stupid and easy to manipulate."
OMEGA LITHIUM thus play Industrial Gothic Metal and bring it in such a way it feels cold, uneasy and from another world. Musically the band was influenced by (mainly) LACUNA COIL and EVANESCENCE, yet I also heard similarities with RAMMSTEIN, TYSTNADEN, ELUSIVE and others. "Dreams In Formaline" starts with a very Techno-like song: "Infest". The Metal aspect comes in later. Synths play a very important role here. Mya's clean Pop voice does fit very well with this music and you can even imagine her singing in Dance songs. Luckily the guitars and drums add some heaviness to counter the synths. It's a surprise there's no heavy beat to it, like NIGHTWISH did with their "Wish I Had An Angel". All in all not a bad song to start with, but definitely not the best here. "Stigmata" is then a better candidate. The band even made a very nice video for this song. Keyboards again provide the melody while the guitar is the element of power, especially in the chorus. Very nice here are the percussion and gentle melodic touches, creating a dark, though attractive atmosphere. The overall feel is dark and lost, but I pretty much like this song. It needs a few listens, though, but has elements that cling to you.
"My Haunted Self" is another song worth hearing. Symphonics take up the first couple of seconds, laying out the main melody. Vocals and Metal instrumentation are added swiftly and smoothly. The tempo lies low and this sounds very much like a ballad. The beauty-and-the-beast vocals (Mya and Malice) sound very much like how it's done in LACUNA COIL. But I have to add that Malice's rough singing isn't that attractive (in general and as far as my taste goes) and certainly not like Mya's voice, for example. ;-) Strings and piano are the key instruments, but the guitars and drums are needed to complete the compositions, else you would hear and feel something's missing. Back to electronics with "Dreams In Formaline". The guitar also sounds heavier, crunchier. Mya's singing is covered with effects and together with the electronic backing I have a LADY GAGA feeling. Something to be avoided, in other words. The chorus isn't that bad, but it does bore rapidly as it gets repeated quite a lot. In general this song is one of the less interesting ones.
The situation improves with "Andromeda", as it delivers music that's more energetic, has more power and groove and has quite a Dancey touch. This last element can be good or bad, according to your taste and views on Industrial Metal. I'm not fond of Dance music, though I can appreciate it, so to speak, in this context here, but only as long as it doesn't dominate everything. The synths continue their role of melody providers and even add strings to make sure certain emotions and feelings are addressed in one or another way. The chorus is slow and dark and Mya's singing is very good here. At some point an electronic break interrupts the flow, but that is soon restored as the music heads towards the chorus once more. So far so good and "Nebula" confirms the positive trend. Eletronic leads, even heavier grooves, but the tempo doesn't lie very high. The verses made me think (to a certain extent, of course) of DEPECHE MODE and their classic hit "Enjoy The Silence". The Norwegian Gothic Rock band ELUSIVE also came to mind. Aain the tempo drops in the chorus, which sounds quite dramatic (not the tempo, but the chorus itself). Mya is the leading vocalist, yet Malice does get his chance later on and not too long. The Industrial aspect of the music reigns, that's a fact.
The piano starts and ends "Snow Red" in a theatrical, mad manner while guitar and drum bursts are added a little later. It's a slow midtempo song with heavy verses. The keyboards provide atmospheric backing. Again LACUNA COIL comes to mind, in vein of their hit "Your Heaven's A Lie". "Snow Red" is not a bad song, but it's not super either. Even the piano break, followed by the guitar having its moment can't rectify that. "Hollow March" can, on the other hand. This song starts directly with dominating keyboards/synths while tha guitar comes peeping through the curtains. Full power is reserved for the chorus where the keyboards add choir-ish singing to make the music more grand. That element gets some spotlight time at a given moment before the music rebuilds towards the chorus. No male vocals here, just Mya's. Sadly enough, things start to go down again as "Factor: Misery" is played. The Industrial factor is dominant and electronic music can be found practically everywhere in this song. At some point I have the impression I'm listening to MILK INC. (a Belgian dance/trance formation). Despite Mya's qualitative singing skills, the song does bore rapidly, at least in my (humble) opinion. Luckily that was the last bad/least good song.
"Angel's Holocaust" and "Point Blank" are the last two tracks and as you can guess, part of the shortlist of song worth checking out. The first has a starts that's based on electronic pinches (I can't find another term to describe it), yet the Metal grooves are just around the corner. Malice now has more on his hands in terms of singing, especially in the verses. Mya comes in a little later and in the chorus. When she sings her parts the music is played at full power. The chorus contains symphonic layers and that gives the song an emotional injection. The drumsamples on top of Torsten's drumming do annoy after a while. Overall, this could have been a LACUNA COIL song as the similarities cannot be ignored. The second song, "Point Blank", starts in a gentle way, thanks to the piano. Once that's done, heavy, grooving, pounding symphonic Metal takes over. Mya's the dominant vocalist again and that's for the better, though Malice adds backing in the chorus. The guitar is given a sharper touch and it sounds as if it's grinding its way through the song. You'll find a piano/symphonic break, during which a speech is held, as the music advances. After that the powerball of before takes back its place and on it goes until the end.
I like Gothic Metal, though my preferences are still different, and I like Industrial now and then, depending on how it's done. My collection also lacks quite some Industrial bands and/or releases due to this. Having had the chance to review and get acquainted with OMEGA LITHIUM's music was an interesting, though not always successful experience. Of the 11 tracks, which total a playtime of not even 40 minutes, the majority stands out (7). But it's not enough to hail this album as the next best thing. Metalheads who are more into Gothic and/or Industrial Metal will have a nice album with "Dreams In Formaline". Metalheads who like their Metal pure and devoid of electronics (at least the amount on offer here) will steer clear, obviously. Anyway, "Dreams In Formaline" is, although not that bad, an album of which the songs are mostly too linear and the amount of electronic layers is a bit too much, preventing the guitar(s) to add more intricate compositions.
More info at www.omegalithium.com.
Line-up:
Mya Mortenssen - vocals
Malice Rime - guitars, synths, backing vocals
Zoltan Harpax - bass
Torsten Nihill - drums
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The US Heavy Metal band IGNITOR has returned with a new album and a new line-up. I got to know about them two years ago, when they released their second album (their first as a signed band), "Road Of Bones". This presented a band who holds on to the old school form of Heavy Metal and that is still a style that can easily stand the test of time... if done properly. almost two years later (barely one month difference) album no. 3 is out: "The Spider Queen" (released on the 14th of September). The line-up has changed as vocalist Erika Swinnich was replaced by WATCH TOWER singer Jason McMaster and guitarist Annah Moore saw her place taken by Beverly Barrington. Overall, "Road Of Bones" was a decent album which appealed more to fans of the style. But sadly the quality was prevented from coming out in a proper way because of a production that was not as it was supposed to be.
"The Spider Queen" is said to be "a Rock Opera written by guitarist Stuart Laurence himself in 9 scenes plus an intro and an epilogue, each scene represented by a song. "The Spider Queen" narrates the adventure of a young man facing the quest of his life, avenging his parents' death. The story revolves around a mysterious talisman, the "Rune of Power" and the magic it possesses, with many turns of events that will lead to an unexpected end. Each and every one of the numerous characters are impersonated by the versatile, dramatic and impressive vocals of Jason McMaster who delivers a performance to the highest of his standards."
IGNITOR continue the style they do best - I somehow doubt they can play anything more intricate and technical. This new album is filled with eleven Heavy Metal tracks of which only a few can be catalogued under that "Rock Opera" banner. And as I feared after the first listen, this isn't the band's best album by far. Replacing Erika Swinnich prooved to be a hard task, even if her high screams weren't a lust for the ear. Jason is not better, neither clean nor screamy nor doubled. And truth be told, the production also plays a big role in the quality of "The Spider Queen". Mainly the drums suffer from this. The mix is not bad as each instrument comes through, but the whole lacks power. Songs that stand out are non-existant, though there are some of them that have good elements: "Evil Calling", "The Games Begin", "The Spider Queen", "Rune Of Power" and "What Loves Denies". Those have good Heavy Metal elements, but as a whole they're a bit too simple and linear. There's also a ballad on this album: "I Never Knew". But it is boring. Really, I have nothing against ballads, if done well. Here it's just not good. The rest of the tracks is just too mediocre or worse.
I like Heavy Metal (pure and old school) and despite the line-up change I had some hopes IGNITOR would top "Road Of Bones", but instead the road was still full of bones and thus preventing an easy passage towards better grounds. The production is something that has been dealt with in a light way, especially when young bands in extremer genres can give their music a far better and more powerful sound. Also, Jason's vocals. He's not the best Metal vocalist and in several songs his input just doesn't flow well with the music. The tone of his voice is most times quite nerve-wrecking. Is this due to the production? All I know is that "The Spider Queen" is not recommended at all, unless you're such a die hard Heavy Metal fan (or more specifically MANOWAR, EDGUY, ICED EARTH and similar in this case) you're willing to overlook the faulty aspects.
More info at www.myspace.com/ignitor.
Line-up:
Jason McMaster - vocals
Beverly Barrington - guitar
Stuart Laurence - guitar
Brendon Bigelow - bass
Pat Doyle - drums
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FOOL'S GAME is the brain-child of guitarist/song-writer Matt Crooks, who came up with it in 2008. He had acquired lots of experience with DIVISION, who released three albums so far and foremost played many hundreds of shows. Since he had other musical ideas, he quit the band and focused on FOOL'S GAME. PHARAOH guitarist Matt Johnsen was asked for advice and he offered to be part of this new band/project. The drum position was said to be best fit for but John Macaluso (STARBREAKER, ex-Yngwie, ex-ARK, ex-TNT), who gladly took the job. Vocals then, which proved to be a less easy task, but MANTICORA's Lars Larsen found the idea interesting enough to participate. The keyboards would be played by Matt's friend Nick van Dyk from the band REDEMPTION.
The first release has been out since the 14th of September (it's February 2010 when I'm writing this, but as I had planned to write something about this album, it somehow got postponed again and again) and is called "Reality Divine". Stylewise the band brings nothing but solid Heavy/Power Metal with a dark undertone, which makes it a perfect fit for vocalist Lars Larsen, as he's experienced in this kind of Metal with his own band MANTICORA. Tim Aymar (CONTROL DENIED, PHARAOH) lended a hand, or better, a voice for the song "The Conqueror Worm", where his input is simply amazing.
The opener "Mass Psychosis" is a perfect example of FOOL'S GAME's Metal. Dark, blunt riffing, pounding drums. Key factors for the perfect starter. Add some very nice leads, coupled with Lars's emotional voice and the cake is ready. Emotional here does not mean the kind of emotional like in Emocore or similar. Anyone familiar with MANTICORA will know what to expect. Truth be told, the music does sound a bit similar to the kind the Danish make, but they're different enough to make a distinction. Matt and co. made a very nice mix of brutality and melody or melodicness, so to speak, provided by either the guitars or keyboards. The music also perfectly expresses the title of the song.
"When The Beginning Meets The End"'s intro is where tension is built. The tempo lies low, but soon the band chooses a higher gear. The guitars remain the dominant element and although they form a powerful entity, the mix is done in a way to give the bass some breathing room as well. However, it's not all about the power of Metal. To make things more interesting, the accoustic guitar was intertwined with the wall of sound at some point and I can assure you this decision makes the listening all the more pleasant. The chorus is where the singing increases the melodic aspect, but it's also done in a hymnic sort of way. Obviously there are the electronic keyboards to help empower the melodic input, though only at certain intervals. Otherwise they're lingering in the back. The guitars are the main instrumentation and of course that means solos, which are very welcome.
With "Sowing Dead Seeds", another dark title emerges and the music logically follows. Compared to the previous track, the sound of the guitars knows an increase in brutality (it's a term I think is appropriate here, even if we're not dealing with a Death Metal band here). The overall feel is dark and evil, somehow. Keyboards offer melodic input, mainly through accents. Once the intro is done, all heaviness falls away and accoustic music remains. Lars's singing follows that path and thus he sings with a softer voice. The power increases again when the chorus is due. Solos are also implemented in the compositions. The change between accoustic and electric music is well done. All parts connect flawlessly and when needed the singing is done out of full chest, expressing he right kind of emotions more than before. As dark and evil as it may be, this is also a song that was finished by a touch of sadness, creating a beautiful overall result.
Time for a tempo boost then with "As The Field Of Dreams Was Abandoned". First of all, this is a great title, as it makes the listener create his/her own impression of what it could mean or maybe compare it with other, self-experienced situations. The music is faster, Heavy Metal to the bone, and that's a good thing. Lars is not a fast singer and you can hear the music going faster than he outs the words. On the other hand, that also creates a nice collaboration. Happiness is not what's at play here, as the chorus indicates. It's a good song, but not among the best on this album. One of those, or better, thé song is the epic "The Conqueror Worm", featuring Tim Aymar from PHARAOH. The music comes fading in, building the structure, rolling on and you can just feel something's going to burst loose. The typical riffing and energetic drumming are key ingredients here and the respective musicians fulfill their roles perfectly. Tim handles one part of the verses, Lars the other. Both voices come together in the chorus, which emphasizes the epicness of the song. Overall, nothing but greatness here, be it the music, the musicianship, the solos, etc...
"Prelude To The Fair" is exactly that, an intro. The piano creates a balladish feel, but slow melodic Metal takes over a little later and neatly flows into "She Moved Through The Fair", where the Metal instantly awakens, so to speak, and keeps the listener's attention alive. High energy level, pounding Metal, melodic assistance from the keyboards... on the music flows. The fast(er) stream comes to a slowdown in the chorus, which even allows for female vocal input. Who's behind this rather beautiful voice is unknown to me. Some light grunts are added as well. The music is good and invites you to move/headbang/... along. The same tempo and energy level can be found in "The Wild Swans At Coole". The marriage of melody and heaviness turned out well and to spice it, electronic accents were added. Drumwise a good beat is secured and the tempo high enough, making the listening easier.
"Reality Divine" ends with another highlight, even if there are no bad songs on this album. "On Endless Planes Of Ignorance" is another philosophical title, like "As The Field Of Dreams Was Abandoned" or "Sowing Dead Seeds", for example. You get pounding, straight-forward Metal here with the guitars leading the way. Lars gets his vocal role here, but it's mainly the instruments that do the talking. All in all, a very good ending song on an overall very solid album.
FOOL'S GAME is a new band and therefore not many people will know aboout it. Being signed to Cruz Del Sur should help to get the name out and having, for example, Lars F. Larsen from MANTICORA on vocals should help (at least) MANTICORA fans to check this American band and thus spread the word. Playing gigs on European soil would also contribute to acquiring a bigger fanbase and more. The Heavy/Power Metal these guys play is not the of the happy kind. I found it similar, in a way, to MANTICORA's, but then a bit groovier and heavier. Most songs on "Reality Divine" are in midtempo with here and there a tempo boost. To avoid monotony, Matt (as he's the founder and mainman) and co. managed to create catchy compositions, offering a very nice flow between calmer and more aggressive passages and between melody and heaviness. The songwriting is well done and each time you can focus on something else: vocals, drums, guitars, solos, etc. FOOL'S GAME stands for quality (Power) Metal you cannot deny.
More info at www.fools-game.com.
Line-up:
Lars F. Larsen - vocals
Matt Crooks - guitars, bass
Matt Johnsen - guitars
Nick van Dyk - keyboards
John Macaluso - drums
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Italy has spawned many great bands in several genres, but it's mainly the more melodic ones that jump out (Power, Progressive, ...): RHAPSODY (OF FIRE), LABYRINTH, VISION DIVINE, KALEDON, EMPYRIOS, DGM, SECRET SPHERE, GENIUS and many more. Speaking of GENIUS, this is a project born from the mind of guitarist/keyboardist Daniele Liverani, who also plays in TWINSPIRITS, KHYMERA and more. In TWINSPIRITS he plays the keyboards and is not the sole driving force behind this band. The name TWINSPIRITS reminds of the story behind the GENIUS project, and somehow logically, the music sounds alike. GENIUS had several vocalists, as it was a Rock/Metal Opera. TWINSPIRITS is a regular band with one vocalist. This formation arose from the underground in 2004.
Drummer Dario Ciccioni (EMPYRIOS, HARTMANN, GENIUS, ...) was found worthy to also play in this band. On vocals no Italian was found good enough, so Daniele and co. looked at Søren Adamsen (CRYSTAL EYES, ARTILLERY, ...), who joined the fold to record the debut album "The Music That Will Heal the World" in 2007. Two years later, on the 11th September, the follow-up came out under the title "The Forbidden City". It's September 2010 when I'm writing this, because I was sent a promo copy a few months ago by Daniele Liverani, together with the last two albums of his GENIUS project, which I reviewed some time ago. On this second album, it's the Swedish singer Göran Nyström who handles the vocals.
Ten tracks and a playtime of a good hour means you're in for quite a journey, even if such characteristics are normal for Progressive Metal. It starts with the lengthy title track, which clocks in after more than 10 minutes. To not make the first part too strong, the song is set in through the keyboards (piano loop and backing), who then take over the melody from the piano and gets the company of guitars and drums. All in steps and it's then the guitar that takes over those leads. In other words, the band takes its time to come to the verses, which are slow and guitar-driven. Göran vocals are clean, yet powerful. The tempo doesn't go up in the chorus either, which has a hymnical character. The rhythm and leads from the intro return at some point, this time with vocals, followed by a solo. This is the first barrier for the choir-ish bombast piece where Dario throws in variable drumwork. Once that is done, a second solo traps the aforementioned instrumental piece. The intro piece is actually a key composition, as it can be heard many times in this song, but under various forms. Despite or thanks to this stretched piece of music, this first track is very well done.
Earlier I said Daniele is not the sole driving force, but his input is very valuable as shown once more in the piano intro of "Taste The Infinity". It's a sad melody and even when the drums and vocals are added, the same serenity is kept. The same counts for the acoustic guitar, which follows the piano lines. The acoustic guitar is replaced by its electric cousin in the verses. As the song progresses (incl. the chorus), the singing grows more powerful. There's room for a solo. The piano started the song and so it ends as well. Almost twice as short as the opening track, "Taste The Infinity" is equally a very good song.
With "Number One" the Italians present a very active track. It's got power, drive, tempo and more. Everything to make it a hit! Göran Nyström shows he's also fit for this kind of songs. Definitely on the best tracks on this album. It may be the shortest one, but there sure is enough to enjoy. Monotonous it is not, nor is it linear. Tension is built in the spacey intro of "Everything", after which firm power is unleashed with a key role for the piano. This creates a DREAM THEATER impression. However, all this then makes way for slow verses with a Doomy guitarriff and low piano backing. This summons an image of SAVATAGE or TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA. Progressive is what you could call the (melodic) bridge and chorus, where Göran sings with a stronger voice. Pluspoints go to the contrast between these parts, verses and chorus. And of course the solo aspect wasn't forgotten either.
"One Of Us" is a guitar-driven midtempo song, although there's room for spacey keyboard leads. Catchiness can be found in the chorus. Solos come from the guitar and keyboards and especially with the latter the musical piece sounds awesome! "BTR", whatever it stands for, is the instrumental track. As can be expected, you get loads of variety in terms of rhythm, leads, tempo. Here as well, the music reminded me of SAVATAGE and/or TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA. Of course, you might hear similarities with other bands, but that's alright. Either way, Daniele and co. made another very nice song.
"Hide This Feeling" starts acoustically and has a female vocalist at the same time, which, yes, ... see TSO. Of course, she sings a duet with Göran and logically then, since the music isn't exactly heavy or powerful (in the Rock sense), it's a ballad. But a very good one, also because both singer have compatible voices. Top job, if you ask me. Earlier I said that the intro of "The Forbidden City" was a stretched piece of music. This term can easily be applied to "My Future", which is basically a song stretched to more than six minutes, yet allowing the band to add other elements in between. Guitars may be vital, but that also counts for the melodic input from the keyboards (piano, symphonic touches, etc...). The chorus is an important element in the structure and again the band made it very catchy. Bonus points go to Göran's vocal work. While he has done a tremendous job in the other songs, due to the stretched situation, he's given more time to properly express himself.
"Reaction" starts with a fade-in, building with the organ and faint guitars and drums, sounding quite AC/DC-like somehow. This flows into a slow keyboard-lead Progressive part, which in turn connects with firm midtempo, rocking verses. Full power is let out in the chorus. Throw in the obligatory solo and you've got another attractive song. "The Forbidden City" may end way past the 10-minutes marker, it's "I Am Free" that takes the 1st prize, due to being 7 seconds longer. No calm start, but instant power. Its dark verses remind of DREAM THEATER, while the organ in between serves as connecting element. The pedal is pushed down in the chorus and later on a sniff of aggression is added. Then it's mainly the vocals and keyboards that are responsible for that. The solo moment is served afterwards, though in a slow setting (TSO-like).
I don't know how good "The Music That Will Heal the World" is, but I do can tell you that "The Forbidden City" is very much worth checking out. As usual with Progressive Metal, you don't hear it all in one listen. Time and effort are needed to hear the beauty of the compositions, the variety and more. It's no different with TWINSPIRITS. If you're into the aforementioned bands, or like Progressive Metal tout court, this Italian band should be in your collection. Currently Daniele and co. are working on their third album. Until then, go out and buy "The Forbidden City". While you're at it, go for the GENIUS albums as well.
More info at www.myspace.com/twinspiritsband.
Line-up:
Göran Nyström - vocals
Tommy Ermolli - guitars
Daniele Liverani - keyboards
Alberto Rigoni - bass
Dario Ciccioni - drums
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The French band NIGHTMARE was founded at the end of the 1970s and started with playing traditional Heavy Metal for almost ten years. A long break/split-up followed and it wasn't until 1999 that the band came back to life and decided to take a firmer approach of Metal. Power Metal it was. Anno 2009 the French celebrate their 30th anniversary and although the new album, "Insurrection" (out since the 11th of September), doesn't contain anything special, it does sound good, very good even. I've seen several of the band's albums at the store where I buy most of my albums and I managed to take a listen to the last four. Considering Metal sounded less polished, less powerful and so on back in the day, I guess it's best not to compare the sound with the new albums. Well, I couldn't anyway, since I'm totally not familiar with their 80's material. But a short summary of how the last few albums sound: "Cosmovision" (2001) is a very good Power Metal album with 80's touches. But due to the rather light production, the real power doesn't come out properly. Mind you, it does sound good. The production on "Silent Room" (2003) is much better, more up to date. "The Dominion Gate" (2005) was an album I had considered buying, but for some reason I didn't buy it at the time of its release, yet kept it in mind for a later purchase, which still hasn't been taken care of. Again the production was a step in the right direction and the album was NIGHTMARE's best in that context. For "Genetic Disorder" (2007) the band appealed to Fredrik Nordström to give the songs the right kind of power and feel. It was heavy and it rocked, similar to "Tears Of Blood" by SILVER FIRST and "Rise Of The Tyrant" by ARCH ENEMY.
NIGHTMARE hasn't been free from line-up changes and it seems that vocalist Jo Amore was originally the band's drummer before he gave up that position in favour of his brother. I wonder if his drumming skills are still good enough. For this new album the band made good use of the services of the new guitarist, JC Jess, and got a record deal with AFM Records. The previous albums were put out by Napalm Records and Regain Records. "Insurrection" is one of the albums I managed to acquire (as mp3 promo) for this review. According to vocalist Jo Amore, four studios were used: drums and arrangements at Savern Studio in France, vocals and bass at Peek studio in France and guitars at u3multimedia studio in Stuttgart (Germany) and mixing at Indiscreet Audio Studio in Ostfildern, Germany.
"Insurrection" kicks off with the rather slow, but powerful "Eternal Winter". Jo's rough vocals come out very strong and the music reminds of other Power Metal bands like MYSTIC PROPHECY, HELSTAR, GRAVE DIGGER, a bit of MASTERPLAN and so on. The chorus is where the melody lies and has a somewhat hymnic feel. To create a contrast, the ending of this song is atmospheric with calm guitarwork as opposed to the heavier verses. All in all a good start, but the best is yet to come, starting with "The Gospel Of Judas". Vicious and sharp riffing, sounding close to Death Metal even. What follows is Thrashy Power Metal. Absolutely superb!! Think of RECKLESS TIDE, HELSTAR and similar. Overall, this is a dark and epic song, but oh so eargasmic. The same thing can be said about "Insurrection", which also sound quite Thrashy. Jo doesn't only sing here, he even outs a scream in vein of James Rivera (HELSTAR). Melody is an important factor here, especially in the chorus and the singing contributes to that. And yes, the obligatory guitar solo has not been forgotten. Very good material to be found here, no doubt about it.
NIGHTMARE's Heavy/Power Metal is all about the basic instrumentation of Metal: guitars and drums. Occasionally you'll hear some keyboards, but more as backing than anything else. For now, guitars rule and "Legions Of The Rising Sun" is a clear example of that. The main riffing is started immediately, followed by the rest of the band at a firm pace. Heavy in the verses, melodic in the chorus where drummer David adds some double bass. Speaking of backing, symphonic elements were added to the whole. An epic track and also containing good soloing. "Three Miles Island", another highlight on this album, starts calm, backed by cold, industrial-like sounds. A spoken part follows, probably the president of the USA talking about the disaster that took place regarding a nuclear plant (is this about Tsjernobyl?). There are even sirenes. But then the Metal comes thundering in. Midtempo, firm and tight and once again a melodic chorus. It's interesting to see/hear how the French implemented an atmospheric break, sounding like the intro, but stranger, colder, more sad. Little by little a rebuilding takes place with the riffing first. Drums and vocals follow soon after that and the whole leads up to the solo part before going back to the verses, chorus and so on. No complaints from my part, none at all.
The wild guitar start of "Mirrors Of Damnation" is in fact the main riffing before the real take off occurs. Jo throws in a short scream before reverting to normal singing in the verses and the, yes, melodic and epic chorus. In general, this is another good song, though a bit less compared to what preceded and follows. Tracks 7, 8 and 9 can be added to the shortlist of highlights that already consisted of tracks 2 to (and incl.) 5. "Decameron" introduces more power, more drive to the bunch and that's a good move after "Mirrors Of Damnation". Jo's voice sounds vicious and dirty in the verses, more melodic in the bridge and (hymnic) chorus. That melodic aspect is also thanks to the guitars. The guitar solo is the whipped cream on the cake. "Target For Revenge" is a calm song, forming a sort of resting point/moment at first. It sounds almost ballad-ish. The singing is adapted to this softer playing. Not bad, but Jo's singing fits better in heavier pieces. The chorus is slow, epic, hymnic and sounds very much like MANTICORA has done in the past. Over the entire line, good points for this track. It doesn't always have be fast and ferocious.
Powerful and thundering Metal is what you get in "Cosa Nostra (Part I: The Light)", except for the melodic chorus. Seems like a recurring element, a common denominator. The singing is very good here, and that includes the chorus. The same thing can be said about the soloing and the heavy riffed moment afterwards. A very nice one, even. And this song is the last highlight on "Insurrection". "Angels Of Glass" ends the album with a song that sounds a bit lighter than the others and therefore stands somewhat apart from them. Putting it at the end of the tracklist doesn't help in terms of integration. It's a midtempo Heavy Metal song (thought the tempo does increase in the bridge) which is in general quite good, but not the band's best.
"Insurrection" is my first proper encounter with NIGHTMARE and their view on Heavy/Power Metal in the 21st century. Sure, I've heard their previous few albums, but just to get an impression and it was positive for each of those, so the chance is big I'll add them (or some) to my collection on a next store visit. But right now, all eyes and ears are to be aimed/directed at "Insurrection", because NIGHTMARE may celebrate its 30th anniversary, but it's done in style. They can be very proud of what they've achieved so far and especially with an album like this, you can't go wrong. Anyone thinking Power Metal bands have gone soft(er) or the genre is dying... do check out this album. Personally, I'm a very satisfied Power Metal fan and declare this release as one of the best this year, in general and in the genre. Nothing but positive elements: production (best so far?), compositions, musicianship, ...
More info at www.myspace.com/nightmareofficial.
Line-up:
Jo Amore - vocals
Franck Milleliri - guitar
JC Jess - guitar
Yves Campion - bass
David Amore - drums
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I'm going to keep it short, because Cedric, the bass player, wrote a very nice and funny biographical text about the band on their website. TWENTY-SIX OTHER-WORLDS was in a first instant known as ANGEL DUST, who played mainly IRON MAIDEN covers. And yes, they even got the chance to open up for the NWOBHM veterans. The Maltese Metal band was formed in 1996 but several years and a split later later, the core of the band (Cedric, guitarist Adrian Zammit aka Skid and drummer Jonathan Briffa aka Luni) sought and found two new members to complete the line-up for what would then become TWENTY-SIX OTHER WORLDS: Chris Grech on vocals and Steve Said Sarreo as second guitarist. ANGEL DUST could not be used anymore for several reasons, one being that there was already a well-known band called like that, hailing from Germany.
The Maltese TWENTY-SIX OTHER-WORLDS can be catalogued under Progressive Metal and released their debut album (or EP, as there are only four tracks and a playtime of between 30 and 40 minutes) on the 4th of September and titled it "Manipulated". The band isn't signed and given this fact one must give them kudos for not promoting their music with a simple CD-R, but a pressed CD in a digipack. Ok, no booklet, but the lyrics and technical information are printed on the digipack, so nothing to nag about here. With this low number of tracks and in comparison long playtime you're set for long songs. In Progressive Metal that's a common thing and personally, I'm not against that at all.
"Manipulated" starts "When Beauty Danced"'s ambient intro. Rain is added to make it all more lively, but soon enough the music takes over. Midtempo Prog with gentle singing at first, a fuller voice later on. As it's not a 3-minute song, the band takes its time to progress and develop the track, giving the tempo a boost in the chorus. Instrumentalism is important and the Maltese offer a nice variety of rhythms and tempos, going for a fiercer approach over halfway. And yes, there is a guitar solo. Right when you think the song is nearing its end, the band gives it another twist in true DREAM THEATER style. For starters, this song is already very good. And without keyboards!
No ambient intro for "Incubus". It's the drums that set this song in, the guitars follow a little later, complementing Jonathan's hits, while the tempo gradually increases. Chris sings with a low voice and somehow sounds more passionate than before. Musically everything advances at a solid pace and good rhythm, which gets slowed down by the chorus. Melody then claims attention, mainly through the vocals. Keyboards would have been useful here, despite the actual result being quite flawless already. Comparable bands here are ANGRA and STORMENTAL (and similar, obviously), but these are just mentioned as indication. Chris's singing (clean with a rough edge) is good in the chorus, but it's not perfect (yet), even though he's a capable vocalist. It's a small detail and something that can be worked on for later releases. Over the middle of the song it's time for an instrumental moment where variability is applied to different aspects of this song. The band managed to neatly implement a Jazzy piece, which is a surprising and positive twist. When the solo is due, the tempo gets a kick in the rear. In the last part the chorus comes back again and the whole ends at an energetic peak! Second song done and here as well, nothing but positive thoughts. But as good as these two tracks are, there's an even better one - well, two - comping up.
Drums in "Incubus", the guitar (though gentle) in "As I Call On The Dark", sounding smooth and relaxing. And does it sound good? Hell yes, it does. The drums fall not long afterwards, adding an exotic touch, not to say Jazzy. With Chris adjusting his singing this piece might as well have been written by ANGRA. In other words, top job by the Maltese in this first part. Jonathan prooves to be a valuable member as he makes his drumming more interesting through fills and the playing in general. The verses are devoid of heaviness while the chorus has it all, though being slow at first and heavier/more powerful in a second instant. Later on as the music flows at a good pace the chorus benefits from that, too. The drums were put high in the mix, but rest assured the guitars don't suffer from that, not even when they try to break the barrier a little with solos (short at first, later a longer one). Before they can be played there's an instrumental transition which seems to group influences from Progressive Rock and Metal, AOR and Hard Rock. Strange but true. Linearity is not a word in TWENTY-SIX OTHER-WORLDS's dictionary and that is without question a very positive aspect.
Last but not least there's "Lady Deadly", a slow to midtempo Progressive Rock song, even entering the Power Metal zone as the tempo goes up. A super enjoyable moment and one that reminded me of the song Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka (drums, CRADLE OF FILTH) plays here. But after that all slows down and the verses are set in with clean, yet careful singing. A more aggressive outbreak is reserved for the chorus. The bridge comes up with heavy grooves, but slow pounding Metal and Chris's clean vocals are too light to properly counter that. The contrast is too big. The chorus is again the keeper of melody and sounds very nice. The uptempo Power Metal of before returns here afterwards for a brief moment. Midtempo Metal then takes over command again, allowing a DREAM THEATER-styled part to be played. The chorus is done once more, together with so much more that makes up this song. And suprise, not two, but three times an eargasm is reached as the music turns towards Power Metal again for the solo. Absolutely awesome moment here. Everything comes to a close, falling silent and letting calm guitarwork carry the last notes to rest.
And so I've come to the end of this review. Another unsigned band managed to pleasantly surprise me, even though this review is somehow overdue and my thoughts were confirmed many weeks ago. Anyone seeking quality Progressive Metal in vein of DREAM THEATER, PAGAN'S MIND, ANGRA, STORMENTAL, VANISHING POINT and so on, played with passion and integrity, and without (!) keyboards - it can't get any more pure - is advised to check out the Maltese band TWENTY-SIX OTHER-WORLDS and their debut album "Manipulated". Sheer quality is on offer, though with some rough edges here and there, but nothing that time cannot correct.
More info at www.26ow.com.
Line-up:
Chris Grech - vocals
Adrian Zammit - guitar
Steve Said Sarreo - guitar
Cedric Debono - bass
Jonathan Briffa - drums
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LEAVES' EYES, the group around ex-THEATRE OF TRAGEDY vocalist Liv Kristine, was founded in 2004 and in that same year the Gothic Metal formation released its debut "Lovelorn". Lyrically this album dealt with a magical world filled with mermaids, love and tragedy. The following year "Vinland Saga" comes out. The lyrics are based on this well-know saga and particularly the Viking Leif Eriksson plays a key role in this story. Lots of gigs and an EP later, the live CD/DVD "We Came With The Northern Winds / En Saga I Belgia" is released. The performed concert is that at the Metal Female Voices Fest, in Belgium on October 20, 2007. Now, August 28, a new album is available for the fans: "Njord". Again the band uses Norse history and myths (Liv is from Norway, hence the choice) to create the next chapter in their discography.
The band consists thus of Liv Kristine on vocals and the entire line-up of the German Death Metal group ATROCITY. I'm not a fan of either band and even ATROCITY couldn't convince me live, when they performed at Velorock a few years ago. The main problem isn't the music - though Gothic Metal is something do appreciate, yet rarely listen to - but Liv's voice. Personally I find it too light, lacking volume, depth and whatever more. She sings in a way that's far more suitable for Pop music and indeed, she even made a few Pop releases under her own name. Anyway, I was very surprised when I got a promo copy of "Njord" to review. It turned out that, after several listens, everything I disliked about this band would have to be thrown overboard. Well, not everything. Anyway, more on that later. "Njord" was also made possible thanks to the input of a choir and the Lingua Mortis Orchestra directed by Victor Smolski (RAGE guitarist). Liv is said to sing in eight languages on this release, but I didn't really notice it. Perhaps because they are somewhat similar?
On to the album. "Njord" starts with an atmospheric ENYA-like intro before bursting into symphonic bombast. The tempo is low, the orchestra dominating in terms of melody and leads. The Metal aspect comes alive in the chorus, where Alexander adds some short growls. Liv sings in a less high-pitched way, keeps it more moderate and I have to say that this is what makes me like her singing now, or better. Not the high notes stuff. The orchestral break is also very nice. Once the band falls in with Alexander on vocals, the overall atmosphere and feel is one of sadness and sorrow. The guitar solo fits in perfectly then, as short as it may be. A very nice starting song, no doubt about that. "My Destiny" has eagles flying over and Liv's singing in the first couple of seconds is the kind I don't like. She sounds like a frail human being and that just doesn't match with Metal or the bombastic kind that is presented here. Gentle piano touches secretly come to the front before *bam!* Metal kicks in. But it's not as aggressive as in "Njord". "My Destiny" is one of the more mainstream songs on this album, especially the chorus is an indication of that. The piano and orchestra is very important, even if the guitars are more present here. The piano is not a lead instrument in the chorus, as Liv's voice taking that role. The symphonics do add more input compared to the short bursts in the verses. All in all "My Destiny" is a good song, though not the best here.
"Emerald Island" is. But there's even better material further down the track listing. "Emerald Island" starts with a very nice cello layer. Liv joins soon enough, adding her input to this sad, but epic, part. Little by little more is added (violins, kettle drums, ...) and the music then continues with the entire band. The power of Metal is always a blessing, even if the orchestral version alone was already beautiful. That power comes from the chorus (where Alexander adds short shouts), contrary to the verses where the piano and symphonic elements are master of the situation. The importance is not only noticeable in the chorus, there's even a break where strings and brass are the leading while Alex holds a speech before everything returns to the bombast of before, including a solo. "Take The Devil In Me" also starts in a sad way with the piano and strings. Again, a composition that is pure perfection. Stunning material. The band falls in later, while the melody continues. No heaviness in the verses, which sounds quite Poppy. Even when the guitars are added in the bridge, the whole might sound heavier, but the Pop feel doesn't disappear. The music also sounds more atmospheric than before. The orchestral arrangements are again well done. Overall, another good song, just a bit too Poppy.
"Scarborough Fair" is said to be an English traditional song. I've never heard it before, so it should be interesting to see/hear what LEAVES' EYES make of it. Its beginning instruments sounds very different from the ordinary piano or orchestral ones. Folk is the first word that comes to mind here and given the fact that uilleann pipes and whistles were used, it's not that much of a surprise. Added to that, it creates a nice atmosphere and makes the album more interesting, especially when the proper instruments are used and not samples or keyboards tunes. The accoustic guitar replaces its electric variant for a while, assisting Liv. The Folk feel remains intact, until the Metal instrumentation comes in. The tempo remains slow and orchestral input is high. The guitarsolo is longer this time, which is good, as it flows better and has more time to fully open and come to an end. Afterwards all heaviness falls silent and it's back to accoustic Folk-influenced music. The uillean pipes do their job and blend in very well. When the band plays the same tune, it somehow doesn't sound as magical. Sure, it sounds good and whatever more, but it misses that extra spark.
Back to the Metal then with "Through Our Veins". It's a slow, bombastic song where, yes, orchestral input is of high importance, though the music wouldn't be as powerful without the guitars and drums. This one, too, sounds quite Poppish. No heaviness in the verses and full power in the chorus. Despite the mainstream feel, it's a bit better than "My Destiny". Maybe because it sounds darker, more bombastic, more mystical. "Irish Rain" introduces the accoustic guitar again in the beginning. Liv's singing is good and soft (as in "not nerve-wrecking") and the orchestra increases the melodic aspect. This Folk-ish aspect is relaxing and it turns out the entire song continues that way. No Metal instrumentation or in other words, "Irish Rain" is a resting point and very nice one, too. Although I'm not sure, I thought I heard a hurdy gurdy in the second half of the song. If so, that makes the authenticity of the music extra strong, since it's another Folk instrument that was used on the album.
HAMMERFALL has "Bloodbound", LEAVES' EYES made "Northbound", a powerful and bombastic track. The contrast with "Irish Rain" couldn't be bigger. The classic pattern was used: no heaviness in the verses, full power in the chorus. The symphonic bombast moment further down the track reminded me of NIGHTWISH and more specifically the band's last two albums, "Once" and "Dark Passion Play". "Northbound" is one of the better/best tracks, that's without a doubt. And it gets even better. Because up next is the first of the two songs I consider to be the best on "Njord", despite several other very good songs. "Ragnarok", the title alone indicates something beautiful must be made from this, even if the event itself wasn't so beautiful. It starts with a spark of danger and the orchestra helps to create that occurence. What follows is an up-and-down going flow of Metal, orchestra (and vocals), Metal (and Alex). The tempo increases in the chorus. There's not much that needs to be said here, save that it would be a very nice soundtrack for an epic movie.
"Morgenland" is the other superb song I can highly recommend. Accoustic guitar (a bouzouki?) and percussion to begin with, replaced by strings and vocals that set in a gentle and sad playing that remains constant for the rest of the song. Again NIGHTWISH comes to mind, mainly the song "Forever Yours" off the "Century Child" album (2002). Quite a beautiful piece of music, to say the least. And then it's back to less good material. Well, less and good, or "The Holy Bond" and "Frøya's Theme". The first has the guitars and drums being the starting instruments, while the orchestra provides the melodic leads. After "My Destiny" and "Through Our Veins", this is the third Poppish song on the album. And again the full power is reserved for the chorus. The choir and orchestral arrangements are well done, but overall this song is quite weak after the strong trilogy that preceded it.
And that brings us to the last track, "Frøya's Theme". An atmospheric beginning occupied by the orchestra, piano and vocals. The Metal instrumentation doesn't come in until a lot later and even so it happens with short bursts. Firm Metal takes over not long after that, and even if the orchestral elements are pushed to the back, they do come back regularly. We have another NIGHTWISH moment later when the guitars claim a moment of fame (with the choir backing). Alex then also gets his 15 seconds (well, it's only for a short time, but you get the idea) before everything flows back to the chorus. The intro makes a comeback at some point and that's when Liv speaks in Norwegian (at least, I think it's Norwegian) and Alex in German while the music has turned into Folk. Somehow I had to think of "Creek Mary's Blood" from... NIGHTWISH. Yeah, it becomes tedious and LEAVES' EYES is NOT NIGHTWISH, I'm aware of that. But when you hear something that sounds similar (not identical) to another song, it can be helpful to mention it. As beautiful as this may be, the song must go on and the chorus soon comes in sight. Ending the theme is done with a bang, as it should.
After this long thesis I'll tell what I wanted to say after having listened to "Njord", trying to remain objective, despite my disliking of mainly Liv's voice. "Njord" is one of the best releases of 2009 and I even dare to think that this album is the band's best to date. The production is, in general, very good and gives the music a clear but powerful sound. The instrumental input is very qualitative and Liv's singing is of the best she has done so far (based on what I've heard so far). Singing in a more moderate way is a good choice. And while I liked her singing, it's Alex's interventions that sort of made me frown from time to time. His growls aren't good, his shouts a bit better. He won't change that, but a real growl would have sounded better with the music in the specific cases. But that little problem aside, anyone into Symphonic/Gothic Metal is recommended to check out "Njord". If Liv and co. continue like that, I might end up buying their albums after all, hahaha.
More info at www.leaveseyes.com.
Line-up:
Liv Kristine - vocals
Alexander Krull - vocals
Thorsten Bauer - guitars
Mathias Röderer - guitars
Alla Fedynitch - bass
Seven Antonopolous - drums
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The German formation AXXIS is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and coincidentally there's also a new album out and this since the 28th of August: "Utopia". AXXIS was formed back in 1988, but released its debut album, "Kingdom Of The Night", in 1989. More albums and singles followed, but each time with a few years in between (for the albums). I got to know them in 2006 with "Paradise In Flames", which wasn't much to my liking. The follow-up, "Doom Of Destiny" (2007), was better, but still there weren't enough songs that made want to buy the album. Considering Bernhard Weiss (vocals) and co. managed to improve their output with each album, my expectations for "Utopia" weren't high, but high enough to be curious. And it turns out they've really improved a lot this time. Since AFM has switched to mp3 promos since several months, a delay in reviewing can occur. But that also counts for other mp3 promos, not necessarily from AFM. Anyway, the line-up has also changed throughout the years, mainly on three positions: guitar, bass, drums. SILENT FORCE/RAGE drummer André Hilgers left the band in 2008 to focus fully on his two other bands. He was replaced by Alex Landenburg (MEKONG DELTA, AT VANCE, ...).
The last big tour dates back to 2007-2008 when they hit the road with HELLOWEEN and GAMMA RAY. I got to see the band for the first time earlier this year at Frostrock in Kuurne, Belgium. And that made appreciate the band and their music even more. Back to the album then. AXXIS continued where they left off with "Doom Of Destiny". Bernhard Weiss and Harry Oellers once again produced the album, while Dennis Ward handled the mix and Jürgen Lusky mastered it, as he has been doing so since 2002. Derek Gores was asked to make the cover artwork. According to Bernhard they "put a lot of power into the guitar sound. Different amps, mic's and different guitars for each song. (...) At the same time Harry was focused on his key-arrangements with new sounds and equipment. He recorded millions of keyboard tracks and it was not easy to decide which ones we should leave or erase. This time the songs were predestinated for a lot of musical stuff. By the end of the day the sound is really "FAT"." Harry added that "Rob and Marco were very enthusiastic during the recordings and production. They wrote the song "Taste My Blood" just to give "Utopia" another colour."
First you undertake the "Journey To Utopia", a rather spooky trip, one can say, before arriving at the destination, "Utopia". It's clear from the start that the quality on offer is high, very high. This Rocksong does indeed feature powerful guitarwork and keyboards delivering the required melodies and reinforcements. It's energetic, uptempo. Bernhard's singing is top, much better than before, probably because he doesn't go for those high notes anymore. The chorus is catchy and contains female backing vocals. To spice things up a little a guitarsolo was implemented. Overall, a fine example of quality musicianship and execution. The positive line continues in "Last Man On Earth" with its symphonic start and dark backing, creating some sort of tension. What's going to happen? The music bursting loose, of course. The keyboards are the main element, while the guitars and drums fulfill their role in adding the right amount of power. Everything is excellent here: leads, rhythm, the bombastic/epic chorus, ... the second highlight on this album.
"Fass Mich An" is the first and only German sung song on "Utopia". And that's nice for a change. The guitar sounds heavier than before and although the keyboards are still the main provider of melodies, the guitar does take up its responsability here, too. The female backing vocals are present again. The full musical power lies in the chorus. The piano adds a dark touch before the guitar solo kicks in. Somehow this song is quite radio-friendly, but that's because of how it's composed. "Fass Mich An" is a solid song, no doubt about that. Back to English then with "Sarah Wanna Die" where the keyboards (changing with piano) offer the leads before the Metal comes crashing in. Uptempo, very nice rhythm and feel and once again adding a serious shot of energy to the whole, creating a feel good mood. In terms of drumming, Alexander is an added value, as he adds a couple of fills here and there to not only make the compositions more complete, but keep it interesting for the listener. Solowise it's the keyboards and guitar that step to the front. Definitely another highlight in the tracklist.
"My Fathers' Eyes" is the obligatory ballad and it's even quite good. The piano, keyboard and gentle guitar heaviness are key ingredients here. At the same time this song also splits the tracklist in two, offering a sort of resting point, so to speak. There's a monster on the cover and there are monsters in the next song, "The Monsters Crawl". This is a dark midtempo rocker with some spacey accents. The guitar rhythm is definitely an earcatcher, while the keyboards again are the masters of melody. The female vocals can be heard here, too, and the solos weren't forgotten either. The same can be said about "Eyes Of A Child", a pounding Rocksong with strong keyboard leads, resulting in a great cruising song. "Heavy Rain" is a gentle Rocksong, also radio-friendly. Good result, though a little less attractive than the other tracks. But let it be clear there is no bad song here. The last two, "For You I Will Die" and "Underworld" are the last highlights. The first is in vein of "Sarah Wanna Die", the last is an awesome Power Metal song. It's got speed, sounds like an unleashed fury and with strong melodies. The female vocalist makes a last entry here and yes, the guitar solo is added, too.
The normal tracklist ends here. The limited edition digipack has two more tracks: "Taste My Blood" and "20 Years Anniversary Song". I don't know how they sound, but I can tell you that several guests can be heard in "20 Years Anniversary Song": Andi Deris (HELLOWEEN), Schmier (DESTRUCTION), Doro, Claus Lessmann (BONFIRE), David Readman (PINK CREAM 69, VOODOO CIRCLE), Rolf Stahlhofen (ex- SÖHNE MANNHEIMS) and ex-AXXIS guitarist Walter Pietsch. The song itself lasts 13 minutes.
Like I said before, AXXIS has improved with each release (at least their last two, in my case) and with "Utopia" I'm sure one can say it's one of their best, if not their best, album to date. This is the first AXXIS album I'm fully satisfied with/about. There is not one dull track here, only killers, no fillers. It scores on all levels: musicianship, production, vocals, compositions, feel, ... Sure, I sound very positive and that's because "Utopia" IS a very good album and in that context highly recommended. 20 years in the business and delivering a high quality mix of Hard Rock, Heavy Metal and Power Metal... congrats, guys. Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag!
More info at www.axxis.de.
Line-up:
Bernhard Weiss - vocals
Marco Wriedt - guitars
Rob Schomaker - bass
Harry Oellers - keyboards
Alex Landenburg - drums
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Udo Dirkschneider, a Heavy Metal icon, everybody knows that. So let's continue where I left off, being the "Infected" EP. See a bit lower on this page. "Dominator" is U.D.O.'s twelfth studio album (to be released on the 21st August), following 2007's "Mastercutor". Logically the new material continues in that direction, even if there are similarities with previous albums. That's only natural when you maintain the chosen style, in this case Heavy Metal. Since the band has been around for more than 20 years, they know what they're doing and no one needs to learn them a lesson. Responsable for the very good production was guitarist Stefan Kaufmann, who played drums in ACCEPT for about 14 years.
It starts with one of the best U.D.O. songs in years - or at least to my experience, even if I only have a few releases - and that is "The Bogeyman". A mysterious start, atmospheric with keyboards playing a sad melody resulting in a doomy setting before the Metal kicks in. Straight-forward with sharp riffing (think of a razorblade or a chainsaw), Udo sounding vicious and mean... what more do you want? The rhythm is great, the chorus is it even more and quite easy to sing-along. This will do well on stage, especially in smaller venues, not on open air festivals as that would make the song lose all power and feel. So, excellent start and this isn't the only highlight.
The title track is another. What you get here is pounding Metal or in other words, pedal to the metal. Not in terms of speed, even if the pace is strong and direct. The music sounds more aggressive, ballsier, whereas melody comes out in the chorus. The wild guitarsolo adds to the power of this song. I can only conclude that U.D.O. have done another remarkable job here, writing a song that can get stuck in your head for a while. Then there's of course the track that was chosen for the earlier EP, "Infected". I'll just copy-paste from the review. You get a straight-forward heavy rocker of the kind that is typical for U.D.O.. It's vicious, mean, rough, even a bit monstrous and has a great sing-along chorus, which is excellent for live performances. Melody plays an important role again and although as a whole this is a pretty simple song, the power and and efficiency are clearly present. This German band shows once more how it's done.
A little further down the tracklist you'll find "Doom Ride" and contrary to its title the pace isn't that slow at all. It's not fast, that's true, but the guys keep it going at a firm pace. The atmosphere overall is quite dark and doomy. The chorus once again contains the most melody. Rhythm-wise this is obviously another bull's-eye. Or in short, a classic-to-be U.D.O. song. Last but certainly not least and if I may say so, this is my favourite track on "Dominator": "Speed Demon". Yep, the pace is high this time as Udo and co. have taken some epo. Uptempo Heavy Metal, one of U.D.O.'s specialities and reminiscent of not only ACCEPT (duh!, lots of material is similar to Udo's ACCEPT period), but also PARAGON and GRAVE DIGGER, to name just these. This speed-injected track has similarities with, for example, "Infected". The riffing, the rhythm, the leads, the solos, the chorus, the vocals... everything is perfect here.
Next to the aforementioned tracks where the tempo lies a bit higher, you'll also hear some slower compositions - "Black And White", "Heavy Metal Heaven", "Stillness Of Time" and "Whispers In The Dark" - and one funky rocker, a bit Polka-like with a humpapa-like beat, but very nice, i.e. "Devil's Rendezvous". "Black And White" is a slow track with a big contrast between the verses and the chorus. The verses are calm and Udo sings in a normal way, not using his raw/rough voice. That's for the bridge and chorus and at that time the musical volume also increases. The drums keep a steady beat going, which is a normal happening in U.D.O.'s songs, while Udo and the guitars do the most work. And that's again of high quality. "Heavy Metal Heaven" sounds similar to "Man And Machine". It's a slow, pounding song, sort of like MANOWAR has done several times before. Simple, but effective, very effective even. Only, Udo adds more melody (in the chorus) through his singing. The drum pattern may be simple, but they sound like a big setup with that added reverb.
The piano, thé instrument for ballads and it's used twice here, in "Stillness Of Time" and "Whispers In The Dark". The first has it all for the calm and sweet moments of a ballad, saving the Metal power for the chorus. Overall, this isn't such a bad song, also because there's enough attention for instrumental talk, including a very nice solo. The song ends like it started, with the piano. "Whispers In The Dark" has symphonic backing as extra element. But personally speaking, I have to say this is by far the worst (or least good, however you consider it) song on this album. I have nothing against ballads, as they can form a resting point (for example), but there are ballads and there are ballads. What's the term? Filler, indeed.
Fans of Heavy Metal or U.D.O. need not worry, for the man and his comrades have once again delivered the goods, which isn't a surprise anymore. U.D.O. still stands for quality and it will remain like this until Udo himself calls it quits. There are no real flaws here, save for that one last track, but other than that you can buy "Dominator" unheard. Udo (or U.D.O.) remains a force to reckon with, no matter which Metal genre is most popular. You cannot do anything but have respect for that.
More info at www.udo-online.de.
Line-up:
Udo Dirkschneider - vocals
Stefan Kaufmann - guitars
Igor Gianola - guitars
Fitty Wienhold - bass
Francesco Jovino - drums
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ILLUSION SUITE is a Norwegian Progressive Metal band, formed in 2003 by Roger Bjørge (drums) and Øyvind "Lionheart" Larsen (guitar). Bill Makatowicz (vocals) joined the band later the same year and Dag Erik Johnsen (bass) completed the line-up in 2005. Keyboardist Ketil Ronold joined not too long ago. Shortly after the formation the band made two demos, "Demo One" (2004) and "The Adventures Of Arcan" (2005, produced by guitarist Øyvind Larsen in his own Lionheart Studio, where JORN LANDE, CIRCUS MAXIMUS and Nils K.Rue of PAGAN'S MIND have also recorded some of their parts). I got know about this band around that period when I saw a posting on a Metal forum - can't remember which one, though - as a certain user posted links to the website and downloadable releases. And you don't let that chance slip away, when a band offers its music for free. This was also needed to get the name out and secure a possible record deal, which only happened last year, as the Norwegians were contacted by Limb Music Products (LMP). For several years this label has been focussing on Power and Progressive Metal with bands like FLASHBACK OF ANGER, SILENT MEMORIAL, ELDRITCH, PAGAN'S MIND, IVORY TOWER, VANDEN PLAS, VANISHING POINT and others.
In terms of Progressive Metal, the Norwegian scene is quite limited, as it's mainly COMMUNIC, PAGAN'S MIND and CIRCUS MAXIMUS that are known to the outside world. ILLUSION SUITE is determined to do as good or even better to promote Norwegian Progressive Metal. And with their debut album, "Final Hour" (out since the 7th August), they're on the right path. Markus Teske (VANDEN PLAS, SYMPHONY X, DOMINICI...) was responsable for the mixing and mastering, which took place at the Bazement Studio in Germany. Josh Sommers handled the cover art. It remained silent for quite some time around this band and I personally found it quite a (positive) surprise that managed to carry on and even sign a record deal.
"Final Hour" is thus the band's debut album and consisted not only of new songs, but also of re-recorded songs off their first two demos (two off "Demo One" and all but the intro off "The Adventures Of Arcan"). See the *. From the looks of it, ILLUSION SUITE took the easy way and composed the tracklisting for the biggest part with older songs and nicely divided the new tracks among them. It all starts with "The W.I.R.E.", an abbreviation of which I don't know the meaning. The music comes fading in and bursts loose. It's a midtempo track with keyboard leads and the guitars as power supplier, but of course also offering some solos. The atmosphere is dark and epic. The guitars' role increases once the intro and first barrier (which comes back later, including as outro) are conquered. The keyboards linger in the back, yet push through for the chorus, which is more atmospheric. The rhythm variation is one thing, another is the piano-plus-cello break, serving as a resting point before the connection with the heavier aspect of the song is flawlessy made. For a first track there's a lot of catchy material in here and that's a good thing, that you can easily connect with the music instead of having to listen several times before finding a hook. Not that having to listen more than once is bad, not at all. Making comparisons with other bands in this league of Progressive Metal is unavoidable, but it helps to find more such bands: SYMPHONY X (music and vocals), DREAM THEATER, VANDEN PLAS and a bit of EVERGREY.
Next stop is "Scarlet Skies", coming off "Demo One". This song has more vicious riffing and bombastic keyboards in the beginning. After this intro the pace slows down and the power of strings falls away, but only for a short moment as it comes back together with neoclassical keyboards and it's hard, at this point, to distinguish a bridge from the chorus here, as each part that follows is different and confusing. I'll check once I have the album in my hands, since the mp3-promo doesn't have the lyrics. But as pay attention, it becomes clear that the chorus is a very melodic (mainly via the vocals) part where the guitarpower does come out strong while the keyboards get a minor backing role. What is nice and well thought of is the atmospheric and Jazzy break (drums, keyboards and bass) before the Metal kicks back in. And we're not even halfway then. The solos are delivered by both the guitar and keyboards and remind of STRATOVARIUS and SONATA ARCTICA. So far, so good, no flaws whatsoever.
"The Devil In Your Heart" is the first track off the "The Adventures Of Arcan" demo. It's a midtempo one, offering a direct and heavy start while orchestral arrangements drift along. Melody is important, particularly in the chorus where the vocals contribute to that aspect as well and the contrast with the dominating Metal instrumentation in the verses is very nice. Also very nice and a sort of attention boost is a bombastic and symphonic piece towards the middle, followed by a short guitar solo. A little later things turn a bit more aggressive, growling even and Bill has adjusted his singing to fit that feeling. Metal dominates, but it's good to hear that the symphonic elements get the chance to come into the (smaller) spotlights. "The Devil In Your Heart" is almost (but one second) 5 minutes long and you get a lot of music for that length.
And we continue with "Once We Were Here", the second track off the "The Adventures Of Arcan" demo. Spacey keyboard tunes as a starter, with symphonics helping to build the tension. The Metal comes bursting in, DREAM THEATER-style. A slow verse part follows and then the music takes a totally different direction with a different rhythm and dito leads. DREAM THEATER influences and a bit of SYMPHONY X are very much present here. The mixing, done by Markus Teske, is very well done, as the bass guitar can even be heard, adding some Jazzy touches. The overall pace is medium, the music flows well, nothing is overdone, though the keyboards (incl. symphonics) do have to continuously give ground to the guitars and drums. The song comes to an end with a gentle piano piece, while all heaviness has stopped since then. Strange but true: while "The Devil In Your Heart" sounds like a long song, "Once We Were Here" is over before you know it - despite being 20 seconds longer -, also because the music is more straight-forward. But that doesn't mean the quality is less, not at all.
The piano ending of the previous track sets the atmosphere for the accoustic beginning of "A Moment To Remember", the second longest song on this album (little less than 8 minutes) and also the second one of the three newly written songs. Once that first minute of softness is over, fierce keyboard accents in collaboration with the drums and guitars take over command instantly. And then it's business as usual: powerful riffing, pounding drums, intricate bass parts and the keyboards/symphonics pushed to the back, making the song a bit more full/complete and helping to create the right atmosphere, though with a dark edge. As it's Metal that dominates or sounds the loudest, Bill's voice is adjusted and also sounds rougher. And it's not only Bill who does the singing, he gets assistance from a female colleague. I'll have to check the booklet to know who that is. But let it be clear that this offers a very interesting and fresh touch to not only the song, but the album, too. For the chorus the guitarpower has lessened a bit in favour of more atmospheric music. With the piano coming to the front it creates a DREAM THEATER setting. To give Bill and his female counterpart a break the rest of the band carries on with Øyvind providing a solo in the meantime. Over halfway and once the entire band is back on the same track, the keyboards do get a more prominent role, also as the instrument (in symphonic disguise) that ends the song. From start to finish, this song is pure quality. It's not too long, it's not too short, everything just fits.
Symphonic keyboards with electronic seeds create a beginning tension in "The Passage", the other track off "Demo One". After that the cord snaps and it's firm-paced, galopping Metal that you get on your plate. Keyboards are more prominent (in symphonic format) for the melodies and leads while the guitar sounds like a train (chugga chugga). Very nice is the middle section with choir, a bigger symphonic input and with the power of the guitar and drums, this sounds very epic and majestic and emotional as Bill's singing turns a bit more aggressive without yelling. Logically the next step is a solo, while the keyboards carry on, and Øyvind knows how the handle it. Before the final outburst the Metal aspect is toned down a bit to let the piano moment come out better and not disturb the atmosphere and expressed emotions. And let it be clear that this is a very nice part. The tempo increase afterwards is just perfect and aggression also rises then. "The Passage" is left behind in a bombastic manner. So far, so very good and my impression is far better than the first quick listen I gave to the album a few weeks ago.
Symphonic layers are important in ILLUSION SUITE's music and another song where you can really hear that is "Pandora's Box", also taken from the "The Adventures Of Arcan" demo. This is, by the way, one of my favourite tracks on this album. It's not only in the intro, but a big part of the middle section, too. Once the pattern created by the strings and guitar is over, the transition with the verses happens very smoothly. No guitars, just drum beats, bass and keyboard accents. And vocals, of course. After that everyone's involved and the guitar plays a more important role, though the keyboards (also in piano form) are still ver much needed for melodies and leads. The solo before the middle section is a wild one. Short, but functional and contrasts heavily when everything falls away and it's just the symphonic aspect that remains. The box opens and twinkling sounds come out of it, making a girl laugh. Little by little the orchestral power rises (strings, brass, percussion) again. They should make a video for this song with the box and everything. Truly a magnificent piece of Progressive Metal.
And then, the biggest chunk of the album, the title track of the second demo: "The Adventures Of Arcan". With its 15 minutes you're in for a very diverse and first class ride. It starts with guitar and drum bursts, while keyboards linger in the back, creating a spacey atmosphere. The keyboards push their waves through the guitar and drum barrier, but those try to stand their ground. There's even a guitar solo as if to protest the keyboards' move. Symphonics play of course a vital role and they do so very early on. The rolling verses are Metal dominated, but the keyboards remain in the back, ready to raise their voices when needed. To break the flow of aggressive riffing, everything falls silent to let an atmospheric part come to the front. Calm guitarwork (reminiscent of ANGRA or KIKO LOUREIRO's solo work) and backing keyboards. Little by little the Metal comes rumbling in again for another round. The contrast with the piano-driven moment where this female singer is featured again is big, but the transition went very smooth. Afterwards heaviness is cranked up again and Bill's singing also sounds rougher. The man has a great voice here, but also in the previous songs. Instrumental attention is key in Progressive Metal and one third of the playtime being done, the band offers a dark, aggressive and pounding piece of music. Excellent to headbang to. But you won't have much time to do it properly, as we're back on track with another female-sung intervention. The drumming and aggressive guitarwork are simply staggering. Before halfway orchestral sounds announce a new twist where melody plays a vital role now while the guitar's power has been reduced a bit, only a bit. Since this is such a long song, be ready for a whole banquet of musical pieces, both soft and hard, short and long, melodic and aggressive. The calm Jazzy guitarpart of before comes back, creating a resting point, though not much time is given to rest. However, you get another chance as not much later it's all about accousticness. Very tranquil and calming sounds. The last third of the playtime is what you can expect: a symbiosys of heaviness and melodicness with special attention to the dark, epic, bombastic, orchestral piece after a good 11 minutes. While the solo does its work after that, our beloved female singer makes another entry, backed by strings and more precisely the plucking of the strings. The Metal comes in again and the strings continue to be played, though it's a bit hard to hear it, as the guitar and drum power are a bit too strong, but if you pay attention you can still hear them. With humps and bumps the song comes to an end, flowing over into music box-like twinkling. No, wait. That's a xylophone (metallophone). Anyway, to add some final words: a-ma-zing! Stunning piece of work and perhaps the best on this album.
You would think "Final Hour" ends with this big fat opus, but it seems the band thought it better to add one last song to really finalize this album. "A Ghost From The Past", the third and last of the new songs. It's a little longer than 1/5 of "The Adventures Of Arcan". A direct, atmospheric start without any signs of Metal power. Keyboards are the main instrument, also later, and the guitar only comes in once the bridge is there. Full power can be found in the chorus. Due to its shortness, this song can't go in many directions, but the band tries to compensate that by playing with guitar and drum parts. "A Ghost From The Past" is as good as the previous songs, but it has been placed at the wrong position.
As I mentioned in the beginning, I was glad to see that ILLUSION SUITE hadn't died/disbanded/split-up. The demos showed a band with potential and with the proper means the musical pearls could shine even brighter. Those means finally became available and the Norwegians took the chance with both hands. The result? "Final Hour". The similarities with DREAM THEATER, SYMPHONY X, VANDEN PLAS and similar are a help instead of a burden, but ILLUSION SUITE blend them together and created something of their own. "Final Hour" offers (almost) an hour of pure delight in terms of Progressive Metal. Melodic and aggressive, soft and hard. Every part is connected to the other in such a smooth way that it never becomes a problem when listening. The whole construction flows very smoothly, but you must be prepared to listen, really listen and NOT drop off after a few songs. That's what I did at first, but realized you must hold on, for the ride is very much worth it. Fans of Progressive Metal (with some Power injections) cannot ignore this excellent album. Highly recommended, I say.
More info at www.illusionsuite.net.
Line-up:
Bill Makatowicz - vocals
Øyvind "Lionhart" Larsen - guitars
Ketil Ronold - keyboards
Dag Erik Johnsen - bass
Roger Bjørge - drums
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A few months ago, at the end of May, I got a request to review the newest release of a band called ENOCHIAN THEORY (pronounced E-KNOW-KEY-AN). It took me a while before I could listen to the album, but the first tries surprised me... in a more negative than positive way. The material sounded very soft, with some heavy outbursts, but still... It wasn't like most of the Progressive Rock or Metal I had heard. To give you an idea, these are the bands in my collection: AMASEFFER, ANGRA, ANUBIS GATE, AYREON, CIRCUS MAXIMUS, CLOUDSCAPE, DGM, DREAM THEATER, EVERGREY, ILLUSION SUITE, MANIGANCE, MAR DE GRISES, OCEANS OF SADNESS, PAGAN'S MIND, PYRAMAZE, QUANTUM FANTAY, SILENT MEMORIAL, SYMPHONY X, THRESHOLD, VANDEN PLAS and more. You get the idea. What ENOCHIAN THEORY plays is hard to compare to these bands, save for perhaps MAR DE GRISES, a bit of DREAM THEATER and that's about it. I read in other reviews mentions of OPETH, PORCUPINE TREE, PAIN OF SALVATION, KATATONIA, THE GATHERING and several others, but I personally can't say whether these comparisons are valid or not, save for perhaps OPETH, of which I've heard only a small portion so far.
The British trio that is ENOCHIAN THEORY came together in 2004 and quickly (in 2005) had a first demo ready: "Our Lengthening Shadows". This release contained seven tracks. The following year "A Monument To The Death Of An Idea" came out, containing five tracks. This second self-release scored them support slots for EPHEL DUATH, RED SPARROWS and TWIN ZERO. Considering no label was willing to sign them, the trio created their own label, Anomalousz Music Records Ltd., in 2007 and signed a distribution deal for the release of "A Monument To The Death Of An Idea" with CODE 7/Plastic Head Distribution. More divisions were created afterwards. AMR-PR and AMR Booking were part two and three of the The Anomalousz Music Group. More deals were signed, gigs were organised, and so on. But in 2008, one year after the founding of the label, original guitarist Scott Ware left and the band decided to continue as trio.
Lots of brainstorming and practising lead to "Evolution: Creatio Ex Nihilio" and was produced by David Castillo, who had worked with OPETH, KATATONIA, BLOODBATH and INME. He introduced the British to graphical artist Robin Portnoff, who had a new and interesting job to do. Despite the positive comments from labels like AFM, Nuclear Blast, SPV, Century Media and more, this is another self-release, via the band's own label this time. Apparently no agreement could have been reached with any of those labels. History and other info aside, let's look at the album, which is out and available since the 3rd of August.
"Evolution: Creatio Ex Nihilio" means "creation out of nothing". And from the looks of it, an entire industry has been set up where once was... a forest? Looking at the dead tree, the barren soil, this isn't an album full of happy happy, joy joy songs. It's apity, though, the lyrics were not included in the booklet, since it's not always easy to understand what Ben sings. Thirteen tracks totalling a playtime of almost 49 minutes, which would mean an average playtime of +/- 3 minutes per song. Looking at the cover and album title this isn't exactly a normal album, as the guys tried to tell a story. Or in other words, it's a concept album. I think. Also because everal tracks are more like interludes than proper songs.
The evolution start with "Every Ending Has A Beginning...", an intro that contains no music, but creates a dark and mystical atmosphere that could have been used in films like "Star Trek", "Alien" (and the sequels) and similar. And so the tension rises and with a woosh you're teleported to another place Or you could see it as the soil being prepared for something new. Remove the old, and put something new. That new situation is "The Dimensionless Monologue" trilogy, which starts with calm guitarchords in a repeated pattern. Slowly everything comes to life as bass and drums are added and Ben's soft voice welcomes you or rather, seems to be asking some important questions. Little by little the musical power increases, bursting open over the middle. Energetic drumming, heavy guitars, a voice crying out... and all ends in a bumping and jolting way. "Tedium" is a short track and hard to be considered a full song. It sounds more like an extract from a longer song. On the other hand, it's the first part of the trilogy, so there is perhaps a reason for the shortness.
"The Dimensionless Monologue" is next and the transition into this track didn't happen smoothly. Instead, the music is thrown into your face (or better, ears). Melody and symphonic elements are key ingredients at this point. don't expect anything heavy, but the sheer volume and directness makes you look a bit dazzled/surprised. The verses are quite Jazzy with just the vocals, bass and drums - a very nice moment, I must say - with symphonic accents in between, as if stressing a certain feeling. As the chorus draws nearer the power is built up and peaks with full-on Rock/Metal provided by the guitars and drums. It sounds like a breakdown, only not as destructive as in Hard- and Metalcore. The symphonic accents are added again at a later stage, while the breakdown continues to rumble. The melodic intro comes back after this and carries the song to its end, during which the guitarleads are pushed back a little by the symphonic layers. Last part then, "T.D.M.". Seems like the guys had a little play with the letters D, T and M when you look at the three subtitles. Anyhow, here you can be at ease. Atmospheric, accoustic and ambient are terms that fit very well here. Due to its shortness (01:35) this track also feels like an interlude, though it's the ending of the trilogy. Musically it's got an Eastern touch provided by the backing sounds and accoustic guitar. It's as if you're listening to the soundtrack of "The Mummy" or a similar film. But the guitar was seeking a right tone until the main melody is found around the middle of the track, while the backing sounds continue to wave around and about, creating a sort of tension which comes to rest at the end.
Time to move on then, starting with "At Great Odds With...". This has a somewhat difficult start, as if no one dares to play the first notes, but that problem is solved rapidly as the music suddenly comes bursting in. This is Rock! And finally something you can consider to be a normal song. Symphonic elements play an important role in terms of melody, even if the guitars follow now and then. But they mostly fulfill the role of power provider. All falls silent at some point and is replaced by gentle guitarwork (electric and accoustic) with dito support from the drums and piano. Another beautiful moment. The vocals come in later, inline with the softness of the music. Over halfway the symphonic ingredients peak through the curtain again and right when you don't expect it, the volume increases as the music gets more rocking, growing bigger. The odds come to an end with a fade-out of the guitars, as if wiped away.
"Apathia" starts like a moaning/whining cat. That's the comparison I immediately made when I heard that guitarsound. if it's the guitar, that is. That sound increases in volume and power as the rest of the instrumentation is added, including harsh vocals. And the cat will remain present somehow, lingering in the back. It's nice to hear some rough singing, also because clean vocals would be so out of place here. Symphonic elements are added around the first minute, but soon disappear again. There's plenty attention for the instrumental aspect of this song and this makes it possible to turn this into a Rock track where the guitars play a key role, obviously, while the drums keep a steady beat. The last minute is totally different, heavier, darker, more rumbling with symphonic accents rising towards a point where Ben outs a sort of cry for help/attention/similar.
Next to the cast, we have the frog. Or is it a whale? In any case, that's what the twisting and cracking guitarsounds can be compared to in "Triumvirate". A hoovering sound comes up and sounds of the wild. Are we in the jungle? Or is this the part where the forest's surface is being reduced? It feels as if you're watching from behind the bushes, looking at the works taking place, and the wind is blowing heavily. I could be completely wrong with this description, but as you can see, this track isn't a proper song, but one of the several interludes.
"Movement". Very soft music comes floating in. The first words are sung and more music is added, like the violin playing a melody on repeat, bass and guitarchords. Slowly this whole develops itself further and along the way drums become more present. The trio offers gentle Progressive Rock here, the melody supplied by the symphonic elements. The guitars are not to be considered less needed, even if their role is more basis. The volume increases thanks to the use of - again - those symphonic elements. Let it be clear that they are a vital element in ENOCHIAN THEORY's compositions. Without them the music wouldn't have the same power or feel and simple keyboards wouldn't suffice as replacement. The unity of different instruments reaches new heights and gains in fullness towards the middle. The chorus is the place where melody and Rock collide and even merge, despite this being a sad part. Sadness delivered by the violins. You get solo time, occupied by the guitars and drums. The last instant of the song is one of Rock and totally different than what preceded. The pace lies higher and the symphonic backing pushes through the barrier at some point 'till the song is done.
"After The Movement" is next, logically. This is another shorter track, filled with symphonic instrumentation (cello and violin, if I heard right). And I even had to think of a passing ship, strange but true. As this is an instrumental track, it would not have misstood in a film. The melody is of the sad kind, the same thing counts for the atmosphere. It's as if this is the scene where all is destroyed and wiped away, because of the effects of the industry on the environment (looking at the cover again). Just look at the video of MICHAEL JACKSON's "Earth Song" and you'll see what I mean. Needless to say this is another beautiful track, sadly too short. The "Waves Of Ascension" gets the band back on the road with a direct start, though slow and very melodic. guitars dominate while keyboards linger in the back, yet push to the front as the music advances. It's interesting/beautiful/... to hear how the guys pull the plug when the first verse is there. The bass and drums (accents) are the basis, the guitar plays a soft melody. The singing is obviously adapted to this situation. Once the chorus is to be played, the power and volume gain in strength and the emotional aspect also increases. Over halfway all but the guitars and symphonic backing fall silent. Drums and bass join in a little later. This specific moment offers a bit of rest, but is another proof of the quality delivered here. High quality even. The final rise to power bubbles up, but is terminated by clean and fine sweep of the violin.
The longest song and track then (clocking in around 07:15): "The Fire Around The Lotus". This is one of my favourites. At first it's got a rather sad, melancholic melody (violin), gentle guitarchords and vocals with a radio-effect. That first part alone is extremely beautiful, at least to my ears. When the drums are added and the music flows more freely... absolutely breathtaking and tears-producing. The chorus makes the character of the music aggressive and violent., including the rougher vocals. This is a great move that perfectly contrasts with the first part, which comes back after this sidestep. ENOCHIAN THEORY is a Progressive band, after all, so you can expect another part that is unlike the others. That one comes around 05:25 and features just the guitar with drum accents (cymbals), sounding like it's going to take off soon, yet remains stuck somewhere. A slab of heaviness takes over and puts an end to the lotus once and for all.
The title of this last interlude says it all: "The Living Continuum". Science Fiction, baby. It's similar to "Everyending Has A Beginning...". Sounds of the universe. Here too, any space-related Science Fiction film will do. And this brings us to "A Monument To The Death Of An Idea", which was the title of the band's same-titled EP and either they just preserved the title or this is a re-recording (original or reworked) of one of those tracks or a mix of elements from all or some of those tracks. Whatever. It starts with a funky rhythm after which the Jazzyness breaks loose, with keyboards and all. The music is delivered at full power, though with a humble violin in the back. Ben sings out of full chest, clean and - truth be told - a bit whiney, if you ask me. Musically the band even added a Doomy part, Sludge Doom you could say, that transcends into a whole of heavy, grooving/grinding Rock... to go back to the calm sort of music that - in a way - has something COLDPLAY-ish (and I truly dislike the crap they make. To each his own, of course) and striking back with the heavy grinding. It's like a storm at sea, up and down the music goes. Overall, this last song isn't bad, but it's not the best of the pack either.
ENOCHIAN THEORY has given me quite a task here. I'm used to heavier Rock and Metal, even in the Progressive category. Then again, it's interesting to hear a different take on Progressive Rock/Metal, the softer side. If you need comparable material, just see the bands I mentioned above and/or google for other reviews. Like I said in the beginning, "Evolution: Creatio Ex Nihilio" is not a regular album, but is to be considered one whole of connected tracks that tell a story. You can shuffle the tracks just for listening pleasure, but if you want to go with the right flow, it's from track 1 to track 13, non-stop. The production is very good, the compositions very well made and foremost, this album is over before you know it, as the songs connect very neatly. There are many layers here, so take your time, but it is very much worth it. One bad move is the absence of lyrics, that would have made the picture complete. Honesty obliges me to declare this release as one of the surprises of this year, but it will be hard to end in (at least) my Top 10.
More info at www.enochiantheory.co.uk.
Line-up:
Ben Harris-Hayes - vocals, guitars
Shaun Rayment - bass
Sam Street - drums, percussion
The Lost Orchestra - pianos, synthesizers, extra sounds and orchestral performance
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I'm not going to go through KALEDON's history anymore. Just read the reviews I've written of all their albums. The band has been in existence for ten years now and so the time was nigh for a live release. Since the 27th of July this is the case and it's called "Roaming The Land - Ten Years Later". For now, it's only available as mp3 (CD might follow later), but the DVD-version is in the making, although it's not sure yet when this will come out. The gig was recorded at Stazione Birra on the 30th of October 2008. Obviously you won't hear English binding texts, as the gig is played on Italian soil with all or mostly Italian fans. For this occasion the band invited ex-vocalist Antoni Drago (see * in the tracklisting). Claudio Conti, the band's previous vocalist, was not invited for whatever reason. For the tracklisting the band had enough albums and songs to choose from. And when I compare the one on the band's website with what I eventually heard, three tracks didn't make it onto the album or these titles were mentioned to mislead the fans in a way: "Mighty Son Of The Great Lord", "Black Telepathy" and "Into The Fog". Three very nice songs, by the way.
It starts with the intro from "Chapter 1: The Destruction", "The Calling". It's been a while since I last heard KALEDON's first two albums, so it was nice to hear this piece again. "Shadow Of Azrael" (from "The King's Rescue") follows smoothly and keeps the nostalgic mood intact. Despite his accent, Marco does a good job and better than how Claudio sounded back then, but it's still different. This is a nice song to sing along with and the atmosphere is great. With "A New Man" the first track off "Chapter 5: A New Era Begins" comes out of the speakers and it's obvious Marco's voice sounds more natural here, as he made his debut for KALEDON on this album. The singing is high in the mix and the volume of the organ has also been increased a bit compared to the album. On the other hand, a bit more power, more daring, more passion would not have hurt this live version. The organ solo isn't bad, but it's not super either and later on this instrument sounds messy. Better said, it's best Daniele doesn't use it so often, especially not when proper keyboards are needed.
"The End Of The Green Power" does provide the wanted power, that's for sure. I also have no complaints about "Greatest Heart". Another example where the organ should shut up is the solo moment in "Undeads Again". It doesn't fit and it does more harm than good. David Folchitto is offered a moment of glory, but no matter how good a drummer he is, the solo itself is rather boring. He's capable of better things, in my opinion. The transition to this solo, meaning how "Undeads Again" ends and the focus is shifted to David, happens in a rather bumpy manner, as Alex and Tommy silence their guitars a bit too late and not direct enough. It's a trivial element, I know, but on the other hand it contributes to the realness of the recordings and a live gig shouldn't be top notch perfect.
Time for a calm moment with the ballad "Wounded Friend". Generally speaking this is a nice song and it should logically also shine live or maybe particularly live. And it does. The only difference with the album version is the accoustic guitar solo instead of the electric one. A very nice change, but why? For no reason? To try something else? And then it's time for Antoni Drago to come onto the stage for "Spirit Of The Dragon", also off "Chapter 1: The Destruction". This is the moment where Marco and Antoni address the crowd. In Italian of course. Nice for Italians, bothersome for foreigners who don't understand the language. Antoni's accent is even bigger than Marco's and that's something many Italian vocalist suffer from, the accent. Antoni has a rough, sharp voice, in a way comparable to Rob Halford from JUDAS PRIEST. This song as well sounds quite nostalgic. The result is nice, but that damn organ (with a spacey touch here) is present again instead of the normal keyboards. Talk about out of place.
Antoni stays on stage for "God Says Yes" and despite the crowd loving the performance, I once again have to criticise the use of the organ, which replaced the normal keyboards you would expect, as it's done like that on the album. The organ worked well on "Chapter 5: A New Era Begins" and I understand you would then use it in the songs from that album. And although a gig doesn't have to be note for note perfect, at least try to stick to the album's instruments and how it sounds there. Speaking of new songs, "The God Beyond The Man" was the first song that was presented at the time of "Chapter 5" and there was even a video shot for this, seeing the band at work in the studio. Hearing this song at this point in the track listing gives the album a fresh injection after the old songs. The QUEEN cover "We Will Rock You" already sounded very good on CD, the live version is equally good and Marco even asks the crowd to join in, which is not exceptional as millions of people around the world know this song.
Going back in time to "Chapter 4: Twilight Of The Gods", on which Claudio could last be heard and offering his best input to date, Alex and co. performed "Clash Of The Titans", which is a speedy Power Metal song. The execution is good, but it's clear that this kind of songs isn't Marco's style. Instead of asking Antoni to sing, Marco has the task to try "Revenge". And he did well. Highlight here is the solo moment with the guitars and drums. The uptempo "Return To Kaledon" is well done, but contains too much spacey keyboards compared to the album version. And last but certainly not least, another oldie with Antoni and now with Marco, too: "In Search Of Kaledon". This is one of the best songs on this live release! No question about it. Both vocalists are quite compatible, even if it's not perfection. The solo moment is very well executed. Bonus points for that.
KALEDON isn't the biggest band in Italy and so far they've been unlucky with labels and playing gigs abroad, yet you have to give them kudos for their determination. They improved with each album and made very good Power Metal album with "Chapter 4: Twilight Of The Gods". Even the latest, "Chapter 5: A New Era Begins" was a very solid album, even if the style was more Hard Rock oriented. And now, fans can listen to their band doing it live. It's obvious this is a fans' release. The sound is good, the performance dito and it's interesting to hear Antoni Drago's input anno 2008/9. Sadly enough "Chapter 3: The Way Of The Light" was completely ignored and save for that one song, "Chapter 4" underwent the same treatment. The band's two best Power Metal albums. Was it a vocalist-related problem? In any case, "Roaming The Land - Ten Years Later" is a very fine release and I'm looking forward to the DVD version.
More info at www.kaledon.com.
Line-up:
Marco Palazzi - vocals
Alex Mele - guitar
Tommy Nemesio - guitar
Daniele Fuligni - keyboards
Paolo Lezziroli - bass
David Folchitto - drums
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Many weeks ago I was sent the self-released debut album from the Saudi Arabian Doom Metal band GRIEVING AGE by Adrian from Lugga Music without prior notice. As I'm not familiar with that country - I didn't even think they had Metal bands over there - it did trigger my curiosity to find out what these Saudis did in the world of Doom Metal. Obviously similarities with existing bands would not be ignorable. GRIEVING AGE was founded in the summer of 2003, when Ghassan (guitars) met Ahmed (vocals) in a music store where Ahmed works. One must share a musical interest with someone else before starting a band and these two people happened to be both interested in Doom Metal. Time passed by and it wasn't until the following year that the first step were taken to form a band. A few line-up changes occured and since a few years the situation is stable.
The band's discography contains three releases so far: "Live Rehearsal" (2005), "The Hopeless River" (single, 2005) and "In Solace Enthroned by Thorns" (demo, 2007). since the 16th of July the debut album was added and carries the long and weird title "In Aloof Lantern, Thy Bequeathed A Wailer Quietus...". Currently GRIEVING AGE are still unsigned. For this album the band worked with Dan Swanö for the mixing and mastering. Aaron Stainthrope from MY DYING BRIDGE took care of the artwork, logo and layout. You can find two songs on this album, totalling a playtime of a good 35 minutes, which means you'll have to stay focused, as each song lasts a minimum of +/- 17 minutes and each also has a strange title. English words that don't really say anything logical, at least not in this order or composition. When reading the lyrics, there too problems arise to decode what is written. It looks like a Babelfish translation, with all due respect. I'm far from being an expert on the English language, but the titles and lyrics cannot be proper English, can they? Anyhow, when you're not sure about the grammatical rules or vocabulary of a certain language (English in this case), ask friends/fans/family/... for help. It will only benefit the band.
GRIEVING AGE plays Death/Doom Metal, influenced by bands like MY DYING BRIDE, SATURNUS, NOVEMBERS DOOM, and several others. "A Quadrennial Dame Pyres, Hearses Shall No Yawn, Thence...", the longest of the two tracks, starts with a dark intro before the Doom is unleashed.The guitar- and drumwork sound simple, which means not a lot of variation was implemented and this can and possibly will affect your focus. The vocals are done in a growling manner, but making sure you can still understand what Ahmed growls. Somehow. Musically you can of course mention several bands to compare with, but the ones that first came to mind for me were BLACK SABBATH and SATURNUS. Ok, MY DYING BRIDE, too and perhaps MOURNING BELOVETH. Speaking of focus, around the 11th minute all falls silent and an interlude is played, similar to the song's intro, for a couple of minutes, after which the slow Doom of before takes over, albeit at an even slower pace. As good as everything is executed and sounds production-wise, I did have to pull through to hear the song until the end. The aforementioned bands do, in my humble opinion, a better job at keeping things interesting. Even Funeral Doom stuff like that from AHAB, TYRANNY, ESOTERIC and others is more attractive. So, generally speaking, nice effort, but not perfect.
"Therefore, A Myriad of Gargoyles Bellow Their Aborted Versicles, Quoth Thee..." is a few minutes shorter and you might think these Doomsters activated other switches and knobs and that was partly the case. Whether or not for the better is another question. In any case, this track as well starts in a calm manner. The slow Death/Doom like before then kicks in and after a few minutes the music gets a serious tempo boost, which is a very good move, I must say. But that only lasts for a few minutes and soon enough all falls back to the slow-paced Metal. The drums are simple, maybe more so than in the first song and despite the early tempo boost, that doesn't change anything for this instrument. Nothing technical, no specific fills, ... just linear stuff. While Ahmed's vocals were more than alright in the first track, they tend to annoy in this second track. Again the production and everything around it is well done, but trying to listen from the first note to the last prooved to be quite an undertaking.
Metal from Saudi Arabia and more specifically Doom Metal, Death/Doom Metal. The influences are clear, but despite the good will of these Doomsters, the end result is not that super, no matter if the sound is good or not. Again, it does sound good and everything is well executed, but the compositions lack variety and filling to keep the attention vivid from start to finish. Even putting the album aside and picking it up again didn't help. Of course, we're dealing with a debut album, so in that context one can be forgiving. Doom Metal fans who seek to broaden their collection in a geographical manner - it doesn't happen everyday you get to hear Metal from Saudi Arabia or that region - may find GRIEVING AGE and "In Aloof Lantern, Thy Bequeathed A Wailer Quietus..." worth checking out. But if the band wants to go its own way and not be a clone band, why not try to incorporate Eastern influences? Indeed, the music must in the first place be Doom Metal, but that can already help a little (!) in terms of variation.
More info at www.myspace.com/grievingage.
Line-up:
Ahmed Shawli - vocals
Ghassan Fudail - guitar
Diya Azzoni - guitar
Abdullah Sabab - keyboards/guitar (session)
Hosam Tammar - bass
Emad Mujalled - drums
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CEREMONY OF OPPOSITES is a Dutch Death Metal band, formed in 2005 by As (bass), Pascal (guitars) and Marcel (vocals, guitars). The name is based on the members' different personalities and musical tastes. The drumposition was filled in by Sander, who helped record the first demo "The Fear Within" in 2005. Two years later the band's debut album came out, "Death's Dominion". Years went by, and obviously gigs were played to get the name out and acquire funds for the recording of a new release. Drummer Sander Jacobs can last be heard on the band's latest release, "Seeds Of Resurrection", which came out in July. He was replaced shortly afterwards by Tim Verheijden, who strangely enough already left the band at the end of 2009, being not so long ago. His replacement is Sander Helmink, who will play his first gig with the band in January. Since October CEREMONY OF OPPOSITES have signed a world-wide deal with Painkiller Records for the release of their sophomore album, "Seeds Of Resurrection". Yes, same title as the EP, which was made as promotional tool.
Live-wise the Dutch have so far played at Metalcamp 2008 in Slovenia and shared the stage with bands like AFTER FOREVER, BORN FROM PAIN, HAIL OF BULLETS, SINISTER, TORTURE SQUAD, TRAIL OF TEARS, ARCH ENEMY, ICED EARTH, MORBID ANGEL, ... One of the recent live events they played was Metal Against Child Cancer this month. I was there, obviously, looking forward to their performance, but could only see a short moment of their show. See my report of the festival for more details. Either way, I heard lots nevertheless and it was heavy and brutal. I hope to see a full show from start to finish next year, of course, to make up for the early leaving at MACC. Anyway, I had a talk with As and Pascal about the usual stuff and like with IZEGRIM the band was very cooperative in providing the review material. So here it is. "Seeds Of Resurrection" contains five new tracks and like before it's a self-release. The band's first label deal starts in 2010.
"Frantic Convulsion" takes a melodic, midtempo start and Marcel's growls and shrieks aren't far off. Slow verses, but a tempo boost in the bridge and chorus, where the Metal has more punch. In short, a very nice song to start with. And it gets better as "Severe Carnage" is set in with the bass guitar, creating some sort of tension... before the Metal kicks in, during which the tempo gradually increases. While the growls in the heavy grooved verses are fairly understandable, the shrieks in the chorus are not or very much less. Marcel made me think, in a way, of his German name-sake from DESTRUCTION, Marcel aka Schmier. He also tends to seek some high notes to shriek. Not all Death Metal needs a solo, but it can make a song more interesting. And so it happened. It's not a super technical one, but it's good. Later on, near the end, the vocals are left aside and it's all about the music, which is faster and wilder.
"Supremacy" is next and starts with the building of the song, followed by uptempo Metal, Thrashy somehow. Sadly this part comes to a halt really soon, despite returning later. Midtempo verses and again dual vocals (growls and shrieks, the latter for the accents). The song's got an evil character and the band managed to mislead me a few times here. Along the way the pace does quicken and that's a good thing. With "The Fool's Ferocity" the building is more epic, hymnic even. The music crawls forward before unwrapping its deadly forces comparable to a bulldozer. The contrast of sad melodies versus heavy grinding riffs is well done and works quite well in this setting. The production is of course not perfect, but it does give the songs a live character, a certain realness, as if you can see the band play. And that keeps the attractiveness high, of course. Last but not least there's "Avoiding The Inevitable" and that's the last track. This is by far the fastest of them all. I can be short: raging, wild, energetic, ... but without making it one big ball of linearity. The band managed to keep the song varied enough and end in this EP in style!
Short live experience, long studio performance. ;-) CEREMONY OF OPPOSITES are an upcoming force that is set to destroy many stages with their Death Metal. This is a hard-working band that deserves to be seen and heard, for I can only conclude with positive terms regarding "Seeds Of Resurrection". It's real, it's qualitative, it's honest and it's made with passion. What more do you want? Ok, there's one thing I need to criticize and that's indeed the sound... of the drums. Not that it's bad, not at all. But a bit more power and bite (if you know what I mean) wouldn't hurt at all. As this is more a promo EP, I take it for the upcoming full album such details will be dealt with. "Seeds Of Resurrection", an EP to have and a title to look forward to next year. Let the ceremony begin!
More info at www.myspace.com/ceremonyofoppositesmetal.
Line-up:
Marcel Oerlemans - vocals, guitar
Pascal Steffens - guitar, backing vocals
As van Loon - bass, backing vocals
Sander Jacobs - drums
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A few months ago (it's October now) I surprisingly received a package with two CD-Rs from Alessandro Castelli, guitarist from the Italian band ADIMIRON. Strangely enough I had never heard of this band, save on MySpace, but I've never reviewed any of their releases. The two CDs were the new album, "When Reality Wakes Up", and a bonus EP with a few songs from that same album, as a gift, one might say. ADIMIRON was formed in 1998 and made a first demo in 2001, "Everlasting High". The "Eclipse" EP followed the next year and thanks to a deal with the Dutch label Karmageddon Media the band's debut album hit the market under the title "Burning Souls". This received lots of positive criticism, apparently, as the Italians delivered a solid piece of Melodic Death Metal. Once Karmageddon Media collapsed, ADIMIRON had to look for a new label home and in the meantime recorded "W.F.T.N.A." or "Waiting For The New Album", which was used as a promotional tool for labels and press. That was in 2006.
Anno 2009 the new album is finally out and titled "When Reality Wakes Up". Since I haven't heard "Burning Souls", I can't say how good it was or how it compares to this new album. All I know is that, with the line-up having changed drastically (Alessandro being the sole survivor, surrounded by three new people), the music also changed: very groovy Thrash in vein of NEVERMORE, ELDRITCH, PANTERA and similar. Whether that's a good choice or not remains to be seen. The album contains a total of eleven tracks, including a PRODIGY cover. The line-up lacks a bassist, so the band arranged for this instrument to be added too. Whether it was played by Alessandro or Danilo or done via the computer is riddle to me. Alkemist Fanatix Europe released the album on the 30th of June.
It starts with "Desperates", where the blunt riffing and pounding drums call the shots. This is a slow grooving song, also in the chorus, only here a melodic touch was added. Vocally you get clean singing, yet with a rough edge and a small accent. To spice the compositions a little, electronic/spacey elements were thrown into the pot. Overall this is a powerfull song, thriving heavily on the guitars and drums. Think of NEVERMORE, DOWN, PANTERA, ELDRITCH and similar and you'll know what to expect. The situation improves with "Wrong Side Of The Town", which has more drive and double bass. The guitars are again a dominating factor and even add melody here and there. Somehow I had to think of ICED EARTH. The music is very good and the electronic touches are present as well. There is however one big problem here: the blunt guitarwork doesn't allow for much variety and therefore you get a sort of monotonous brew. "Wrong Side Of The Town" does belong to the highlights on this album.
The curve was rising, yet drops again as "Forgiveness" is played. Calm guitarwork to start with before the Metal bursts in. The singing is also cleaner than before, especially in the chorus, and it comes across as whiney. But then again, the music is slower, more emotional, which makes this sort of whiney singing more fitting. Considering ADIMIRON plays Groove Metal, adding clean vocals is a risky undertaking and makes this marriage a difficult one. The song also advances in such a difficult way as if the band didn't know which direction to take. The chaotic guitars that were put at the end are, simply put, a mess. There is no other word for it. With "Choice For A Mask" it doesn't get any better. On the contrary even. You get a powerfull start where terms like pounding, grooving and bursting fit well. But once the verses are there all of that melts away and makes room for clean vocals and calm music. The most fitting expression is then "wtf?". The emotional aspect is present once more and reminds of bands like CREED and DISTURBED. Or in other words, I tried to suppress a yawn. The song has a ballad feel, despite heavier outbursts. At some point the music gets more drive, more groove and power, but that's sadly only for a very short while. Still, the overall result is not that bad to be put on the list of bad/worst songs.
But all hope is not lost as "When Reality Wakes Up" contains a few more worthwhile songs, like "Mindoll", one of the (few) highlights. It's back to heaviness with this one, back to music with balls. And I can assure you, the song couldn't come any sooner. The solos in between are short, but better than before and the spice here is the percussion. Very well done. But the fun is over soon when "Das Experiment" comes along. Starting with melodic, clean guitars, building a tension before the brutal outbreak wipes it all away. The drums, to focus on this instrument for a change, are varied and that alone deserves kudos. The flow of the song is, on the other hand, bumpy and thus never smooth. And that just makes you want to the ability to change it and make it fluent. The paradox here is that the drums play a big role in this bumpy ride. The chorus is clean and contains melodic guitarwork. At some point, after the heavy grooves, there's a dead moment. And that just doesn't fit, because you (the listener) expect something, but all you can do is think "DO SOMETHING!". Well, the chorus comes back into play, which was not what (at least) I was expecting to be done. But anyway, overall, this is one of the less good, not to say bad, songs.
Up next is the PRODIGY cover "Spitfire". I'm totally not familiar with the original, so I can't really compare. No, I didn't check it out either, because this is far from being my favourite genre, let alone favourite band. The electronic beats are present, obviously, and the guitars add bursts to increase the power. The tempo is slow, the music grooving and at least better than the previous song, "Das Experiment". The vocals are boring, to be honest. It must be said. It's as if Andrea tries to be tough, but he fails. In short, the song is too linear, too monotonous. But fortunately "When Reality Wakes Up" comes to the rescue and for once there are no vocals. Yay! Indeed, a fully instrumental track. Who would have thought that? The start is semi-accoustic with drum samples. A calm, relaxing piece of music as intro. The building happens little by little until full instrumentation is at work. Another ttrack for the shortlist of highlights, that's as certain as water is wet.
Three more songs then and it doesn't look too good anymore. The only one standing out is the last one: "Flag Of Sinners". It's also the longest track on this album. The music rolls on at midtempo and reminds of NEVERMORE. You get some Eastern touches along the way, which make the song more interesting. Even the ending is well done. Nothing more needs to be said, it's a decent song, plain and simple. The other two, "Still Winter Within" and "Endeavouring", are boring, dull, sleep-inducing and more. Well, perhaps not sleep-inducing, but I did have a very hard time to stay focused. In "Still Winter Within" effects were added to the vocals and that was just something they had better not done. The Groove Metal is reserved for the chorus, contrasting with the clean, whiney verses in which you'll also detect piano touches. Huh? Totally uninteresting. "Endeavouring" contains R&B drumsamples. That alone is enough (at least for me) to dismiss the song. Anyway, this element and calm guitarpicking form the intro, while Andrea's rough vocals come in as the music flows on. Obviously the contrast couldn't be bigger. This is a wrong marriage. The Groove Metal kicks in a little later and even this increase in heaviness can't save this track.
So, my first encounter with ADIMIRON. Let's make a quick summary of "When Reality Wakes Up": is it better than "Burning Souls"? I can't compare them, so that's up to you if you've heard the debut album. I found five very worthy songs, which below half of the tracks. Another four were reasonably good, be it as a whole or for the largest part of the song itself. And the worst two are to be found near the end. The change from Melodic Death Metal to Groove Metal was perhaps not the best idea, as I've read several positive comments about "Burning Souls". Is "When Reality Wakes Up" good on its own? No, it's far from perfect to be a must-have. I'm grateful for getting to know new material and with those five tracks, an excellent EP/MCD could have been made. If Alessandro and co. want to continue in this direction, it's best (in my humble opinion) to diss the bad stuff and focus on the good songs on this album. But to each his own, liking this or that music is still a subjective thing. Anyway, if you're into modern, grooving Metal, there's a chance you'll like what ADIMIRON does.
More info at www.myspace.com/adimironcrew.
Line-up:
Andrea Spinelli - vocals
Alessandro Castelli - guitar
Danilo Valentini - guitar
Federico Maragoni - drums
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The Finnish Doom Metal band SPIRITUS MORTIS saw the light of day in 1987. Since then the band has released lots of demos and took their time for the debut album, "Spiritus Mortis", which came out in 2004. Line-up changes also occured - it seems no band, or almost none, is free from that. It's via their sophomore album, "Fallen" (2006), that I first heard about this band. What I heard was qualitative Doom Metal. Two split releases and a single later the band's third album, "The God Behind The God" is now available and out since the 26th of June via a new label, Firebox Records. New label, in that Rage Of Achilles went bankrupt after the release of the debut album, Black Lotus Records also had to close the books after a little while, so let's hope Firebox Records does not undergo the same fate. Two more line-up changes took place the last two years: vocalist Vesa Lampi left in August 2007 and a new, full-time vocalist was found in Sami Hynninen aka Albert Witchfinder from REVEREND BIZARRE. He joined in January 2009. Guitarist VP Rapo also left a few years ago and was replaced by Kari Lavila.
"The God Behind The God" contains eight tracks, totalling a playtime of a good 45 minutes. It kicks off with the rather fast - for Doom standards - "The Man Of Steel". This sounds like NWOBHM meets Doom Metal and you could compare it to old CANDLEMASS, but even to SOLITUDE AETURNUS. The musicianship is outstanding, be it guitars (rhythm and leads), vocals or drums. And since there's a new vocalist, I have to say that Sami has done a terrific job here. His voice is clean, but powerful and he's not afraid to even throw in some high-pitched screams reminiscent in a way of Rob Halford. Only Rob's are sharper, clearer. The very good production helps to make everything shine. A pity the song only lasts less than 3 minutes.
Since we're dealing with a Doom band, there have to be slow songs, too, and long songs. And sometimes both are united. One example is "Death Bride", clocking in shortly before the 8th-minute marker. Think of the two best (in my humble opinion) traditional/epic Doom Metal bands (CANDLEMASS and SOLITUDE AETURNUS) and throw in a slab of BLACK SABBATH. The music is very much Doom, with a feeling of being lost. The SOLITUDE AETURNUS influence comes out very strongly in the verses and Sami once again offers nothing but the best he can do. Around the fourth minute all falls away and it's just the bass that left. Little by little more is added, like the accoustic guitar, then the drums. The atmosphere of solitude is stressed at this point and Sami's singing sounds a bit as if going mad, before *bam*, the NWOBHM/Doom kicks in. Or better, think of old SAVATAGE (1980's era). Absolutely splendid result here. Even the vocals are somewhat reminiscent.
While I'm at it, more Doom can be heard in "Curved Horizon", "When The Wind Howled" and "The God Behind The God". The tempo goes from sloooow to slooow to slooooooow. I don't know if that helps to give you a better impression, but let me put it like this: "Curved Horizon" starts with the guitars in the back, waiting to come to the front, which they do shortly afterwards. I apologise for the name-dropping, but since it's what my ears tell me and to give an indication of how it sounds, it must be done. The BLACK-SABBATH-meets-SOLITUDE-AETURNUS influences are omnipresent again, which is good (or bad, if you don't like these bands, but then you won't like SPIRITUS MORTIS either). Sami sings ina hymnic manner this time. The guitars are active in both variants, electric and accoustic with the latter providing some leads. Since this track ends around 08:30 lots of attention can be spent on instrumentalism. Cherry on the cake is the part that start between the 6th and 7th minute where not in the least Sami delivers the goods.
"When The Wind Howled" is a more active song, though the tempo remains slow. The guitars are given a heavier sound and that helps a lot to create a dark atmosphere. The vocal deliverance is quite versatile this time, stiff on one occasion, clean/loose on another, whereas in other songs Sami tends to stick to one type of singing. Either way, another qualitative result. No complaints whatsoever. And then there's that other superslow song, "The God Behind The God", which probably the slowest track on the album. With a playtime of almost 12 minutes it sure crawls forward at a... ehum, rapid, pace. The music comes fading at Funeral Doom speed and sounds like the already named Epic Doom Metal bands. Sami's voice is inline with the monotony of the guitars, yet change to some sort of speech in the second half, as if preaching. All in all another very good song.
The remainder consists of more active songs, starting with "The Rotting Trophy". This is another midtempo track, reminiscent musically of BLACK SABBATH/HEAVEN AND HELL. Sami's singing has a feeling of despair, of madness, but it fits with the heavy guitarwork. Jarkko's drumming is quite active as he makes good use of his kit (incl. toms and cymbals). The only thing that bothered me is that this song, too, ends too soon and quite abruptly. Add a few more minutes (two-three) and that would be it, even if the delivered result is very good already. "Heavy Drinker" is a Bluesy midtempo song. Clean vocals, solos in between, music reminiscent of BLACK-SABBATH-meets-SOLITUDE-AETURNUS or similar, of course. Unfortunately this track, too, ends in a sudden way. Or is there something wrong with my ears? Last but not least there's the rocking and uptempo "Perpetual Motion". The title already says it and the music adds to that, providing a more Rock feeling with adapated (i.e. rough) singing. Quite nice, though not exactly SPIRITUS MORTIS's speciality, in my opinion.
"Spiritus Mortis" and "Fallen" were good to very good albums, but "The God Behind The God" is it even more. The line-up changes didn't have any effect or maybe a positive effect, even if the music was written before Sami joined on vocals. Since his voice - different than what he did in REVEREND BIZARRE, as he really amazed me here, more than before - matches so good with the music, this leads me to believe the guys already had him in mind when they were writing this third album. The fact remains that SPIRITUS MORTIS is a must for any fan of Traditional/Epic Doom Metal and with "The God Behind The God" they have delivered their best album... in my opinion. Definitely one of the best Doom releases of this year, not in the least due to its diversity.
More info at www.spiritusmortis.com.
Line-up:
Sami Hynninen - vocals
Jussi Maijala - guitars
Kari Lavila - guitars
Teemu Maijala - bass
Jarkko Seppälä - drums
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Udo Dirkschneider needs no introduction anymore, being one of the icons of Heavy Metal. He has made quite a career with ACCEPT, then with U.D.O., releasing eleven studio albums with the first and eleven with the latter, next to several live albums, EPs and so on. That will soon be twelve in the advantage of U.D.O., as the forthcoming release is called "Dominator" and is due for the 21st of August. Until then there's the "Infected" EP, out since the 22nd of June, containing four non-album tracks (see the *), of which two are special versions of older songs. "Mastercutor" was the last studio output, followed by the "Mastercutor Alive" release in 2008, available as CD and DVD and CD/DVD.
"Infected" has a total of little more than 24 minutes of playtime. Kicking off with the title track, you get a straight-forward heavy rocker of the kind that is typical for U.D.O.. It's vicious, mean, rough, even a bit monstrous and has a great sing-along chorus, which is excellent for live performances. Melody plays an important role again and although as a whole this is a pretty simple song, the power and and efficiency are clearly present. This German band shows once more how it's done.
"Systematic Madness" is another quality Metal song, starting with a calm guitarmelody, followed by the powerful outburst into slow/midtempo music featuring heavy riffing and low singing with a dark undertone. The melodic aspect increases as the bridge is in sight and falls back to let the majestical power of the chorus take over. This part reminded me a little of "Vendetta", which can be found on the previous album, "Mastercutor" (2007). Only here the tempo lies a bit higher and the playing seems to be firmer. Once again, another very decent song, with a very nice guitarsolo. The overall result remains simple but effective. One thing I do would like to criticise: the endless repeating of the chorus in the last part of the song. This may have its use, but it becomes a drag and ultimately loses its effect. It made me want to skip to "Bodyworld" a lot faster.
And that song is my favourite on this EP. It's starts calm, very melodic and then instant Metal satisfaction. Or in other words, a firm and strong midtempo track, played with determination. I had thoughts of "We Do - For You" at some point and that particular song was one of my favourites on "Mastercutor" (2007). The bridge contains a small pace-breaker, but after that it's back to 100% full-on power. Absolutely first class material, including the solo.
The two special versions that complete this EP are "Platchet Soldat (remix)", which is the Russian-sung version of "Cry Soldier Cry" from "Mission No. X" (2005). This remix also sounds lighter than what you would expect from U.D.O. in terms of heaviness. Not bad, but not exactly super either. It's nice, though, that you get it in Russian, but the remix isn't that spectacular. Also in Russian is "Poezd Po Rossii" or "Trainride In Russia". Here you get the live version, apparently recorded in Moscow. The original can be found on the "Thunderball" album from 2004. The live recording is very good, the atmosphere is so damn attractive you wish you were there and this is also stressed by the use of the accordion, turning this into a Folk song. A job well done.
"Infected" is a nice appetizer for "Dominator", that's more than clear. Musically and soundwise it continues the path of "Mastercutor", though you can obviously hear similarities with older material, which is normal, else U.D.O. wouldn't be U.D.O.. The band has stayed true to its style, grosso modo, so why change if all goes well? Udo and co. once again offer quality, even if this EP is more a release for the fans than the casual Heavy Metal fan or those that care more about albums.
More info at www.udo-online.de.
Line-up:
Udo Dirkschneider - vocals
Stefan Kaufmann - guitars
Igor Gianola - guitars
Fitty Wienhold - bass
Francesco Jovino - drums
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HELLCHIEF is a Belgian Alternative Metal band, founded a few years ago. When is unknown to me, as even their biography doesn't cover that aspect. Even Google left me in the darkness. But considering they've recently released their first demo CD, or CDemo, it's not like they've been around since 2000. The press text does quote news papers where other songs are mentioned than those on this 3-track demo, "Wave It Around", which - I guess - came out in or around June (or earlier) of this year. Anyway, those other titles are "Streetloving", "Plow" and "Bloodclaud". HELLCHIEF has been in my MySpace list for a few months and it's only since that moment that I could add another Belgian band to the list.
This 4-piece band combines influences from different styles: Thrash, Hardcore, Rock 'n' Roll, Blues, Country, ... hence the term Alternative Metal. The "Wave It Around" demo contains three songs, totalling a playtime of... 6 minutes. I found that a bit short and would have preferred to have those other songs on it as well. But maybe they weren't good enough, or too different from the three on offer here. "Endless Run" is the first. Harsh vocals, uptempo music and to the point. The sound is good, for a demo, but it's a bit ofa pity that the guitar is pushed to the back in favour of more bass and drums. The mix of Thrash, Hardcore, Rock 'n' Roll sounds good and despite the shortness of the song, a wild solo also found a place here.
"Chief 2000" is an even better song. The tempo is set high here, too, but the melodic aspect has increased compared to "Endless Run". This Bluesy Rock 'n' Roll-ish track actually sounds quite happy. Singing-wise you get both clean (verses) and gutteral (chorus) vocals. A short playtime here as well and with just 1 minute and a half it's too short. Add e.g. two more minutes and it will be beneficial to the compositions and allow more space to fully develop. Other than that, a job well done. And last but not least, "Jack". This is - yes, indeed - a fast Rocker with clean vocals. The music sounds like a combination of Blues, Country, Thrash, ... and although this aspect sounds good, the clean vocals don't really fit and aren't that attractive. To add an extra spice, Pé (guitar) added another wild, but short, solo.
HELLCHIEF, though still in demo phase, has potential to take it further and so far the result, "Wave It Around", is worth hearing, yet lacks perfection. It could also be that their true power lies in live performances. All that remains to be seen, of course, but I do would like to see how they pull it off live. For now, anyone into a band combining several influences without compromising on heaviness and straight-forwardness can easily check out HELLCHIEF. One advice for the next release(s), though: either more songs or longer songs.
More info at www.myspace.com/hellchieff.
Line-up:
Dave - vocals
Pé - guitars
Guido - bass
Pascal - drums
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DEFEAT LIES AHEAD is a Dutch Metal band bringing together influences from Hardcore, Metalcore and Death Metal. The band was formed in 2007, but immediately combined forces to create own material. The first result was unleashed on the 20th June under the title "Self Preservation", a 4-track demo full of aggressive, grooving tunes with devastating breakdowns. The production/mixing/mastering process was handled under the guidance of Redpack Recordings. The band is currently working on an MCD, which is planned for later this year. On a live level DEFEAT LIES AHEAD has share the stage with PRO-PAIN, ARKANGEL and SETTLE THE SCORE, of which only PRO-PAIN is familiar to me.
Four tracks totalling a playtime of little more than 13 minutes. In other words, it's over before you know it. Then again, we are dealing with a demo here. It starts with the Hardcore-ish title track. Uptempo, brutal guitarwork, aggressive vocals and devastating breakdowns. Marcello even added a few blastbeats to spice things up a little, while the guitar outs a few screams at some point. At the last instant it's just the bass, rattling and soon rejoined by slow, grinding and grooving Metal. This excellent starting song is over after almost four minutes, but you won't notice it since the transition to "Revenge On My World" is very smooth.
This second track is about 40 seconds less long, but not less aggressive. Only the tempo has dropped a lot with the result that the music is trying to grind, groove, pound and twist its way towards the finish. All of sudden an energy source has been found and instead of crawling, you can say the music is running towards the end. And that is a positive change, although for the sake of diversity, it's good to not make every song sound the same or have the same rhythm. All in all a good continuation.
"Surviving The Game" has a rumbling start, followed by Hardcore Metal. One big monstrous happening, of course, but that falls back to midtempo-paced grooving Metal; still keeping the level of aggressiveness intact. Destructive breakdowns stress the power of this Dutch force and as the last seconds draw nearer, the music rolls on to meet them. With its 02:50 minutes this is the shortest track, with "Demons To Protect" as close follower with eight more seconds. This one starts with calm guitarchords, but then it's Hardcore time. Pounding drums, brutal vocals, thundering breakdowns and even a pinch of MACHINE HEAD. Very nice result.
For a demo I can say that DEFEAT LIES AHEAD has done a good job. Though this isn't the best Hardcore/Groove Metal on the market, the quality is there, the ideas are there. I'm not specialised in Hardcore - though eager to further check out some bands -, which might explain my problem with the shortness of the songs, which are to the point and ruthless. "Self Preservation" is one ball of aggression, of power, of "don't fuck with me!" and has been given a very good production. These Dutch are on the right path, even if I would like to see a bit more diversity in the compositions. If you want to obtain a copy of this demo, just contact the band for further informations.
More info at www.myspace.com/defeatliesahead.
Line-up:
Mike - vocals
Denski - guitars
Wesley - bass
Marcello - drums
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DECAYOR is a 3-piece Death/Doom Metal band from Ireland, the country where e.g. MOURNING BELOVETH (thé Irish Death/Doom band?) hails from, next to several others, of course. The band was formed in 2001, released a 3-track "Live Demo" in 2005, followed by a critically acclaimed demo in 2008 under the title "Welcome The Stench Of Betrayal". Now, one year later, the next release is out and this since June. Titled "Recurring Times Of Grief" DECAYOR makes it clear one is not to expect happy Power Metal tunes. The EP is self-released as the trio is still unsigned. Four tracks (one intro, 3 songs) this time, totalling a playtime of about 33 minutes.
"Stir Of Echoes" is the intro, filled with a sombre piano melody. A storm break loose, making the smooth bridge to "Veil Of Despair". A thing the three songs share is that they are each divided into three parts. In this second track the music is slow with obviously lots of sadness and despair, but with the right kind of roughness. We're dealing with a Death/Doom band. My ears told me it sounded similar to what bands like CANDLEMASS, SOLITUDE AETURNUS, MOURNING BELOVETH, THE GATES OF SLUMBER and (old) PARADISE LOST have done in the past. The production sounds pure and honest and that alone deserves lots of respect. Pauric growsl his way through the lyrics, but does it as if in agony to better reflect the overall content of the lyrics. Before the second part of the song is due, the guitar solo is played to accentuate the dark and mournful character of the music. With over 12 minutes of length, there's time to take a different turn and it happens at about the 4th minute. Any signs of heaviness have been neatly erased, leaving just the guitar and faint atmospheric backing while a second guitar comes fading in. The storm of before plays another role here to introduce an instrumental, epic part. What follows after that is very active and wild Metal with Pauric having adjusted his singing, sounding not in agony, but possessed, mad even. And this forms a big contrast with the first part. The last three minutes are similar/identical to the first four: slow Death/Doom with a fade out towards the end. A long track, but thanks to the more active side-step the end result is certainly very good.
"The Sacred Heart Is Bleeding" is a little less long,but still near the 10-minutes-marker. The Metal comes rolling in, like rocks rolling from a hill. Tension is created, the song is being built and then we're off at a solid pace. Midtempo Doom, as rough as before. Pauric continues his growling while the music now enters (old) SEPULTURA domain, though advancing at a slower pace than the Brazilians back in the day. 1/3 done, time for instrumental talk with a key role for the accoustic guitar afterwards to add to the melodic and sorrowful character of the music. But the big surprise here is... clean singing. Totally unexpected, but very good and fitting nevertheless. Kudos to Pauric for this twist. Later the heaviness/Metalness falls away. Only guitarplucking with backing is allowed. Feelings of emptiness and loss come up. Sloooow Death/Doom kicks, sorry, comes crawling in. Vocally everything sounds cold, bleak and icy, though that soon is undone by stepping up again and changing to what was done in the first part of the song. "The Sacred Heart Is Bleeding" is another hit. Amazing how these guys pulled it off.
"Weeping Willows" is the last track and this one as well is shorter than the others, but still 9 minutes. In fact, the three songs are set in decreasing order, from longest to shortest. It takes a direct start. Not as heavy or "brutal" as before, but more moderate. The tempo also lies lower than before. The drums and bass are in the spotlights for a moment, only until the guitar(s) is added. The music is also more sorrowful than before. With a title like that, pretty obvious, no? Pauric's singing sounds very hymnic, almost like how Frode Forsmo from the Norwegian Doomsters FUNERAL does it. Or how it's done in WHILE HEAVEN WEPT. Halfway the drums hold still and let the guitar do the talking. This evolves to wilder Doom with Pauric opting for growls again. There's even a guitar solo in this segment. After that the vocals reverts to mad, hoarse singing. The last few minutes are reserved for slooow Death/Doom until the end, although the tempo gets a quick boost in between.
With only four tracks and over half an hour of mournful, agonizing and depressing Metal, I can only congratulate the guys from DECAYOR for their dedication and honest work. Not only the songs, but the production as well reflects that pefectly. Not stcking to linearity and adding surprising twists here and there can only result in applause and kudos. This EP is indeed not one with happy tunes, but neverthless I do feel good in these "Recurring Times Of Grief". Which leaves me to say the cliché words, but meant in all honesty: highly recommended for Doom and Death/Doom fans. It's a self-release, which means you'll have to contact the band for a copy.
More info at www.myspace.com/decayordie.
Line-up:
Pauric Gallagher - vocals, guitars
Kevin Mc Closkey - bass
Gary Byrne - drums
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