Heretoir : "Solastalgia"

The last album I checked by these guys was  2017's "The Circle," so I only missed one full-length. They have added two guitarists since I last checked them out, so the more modern metal feel of the opening track was a little surprise. I prefer what they do on the second song. The vocals are still strong, and weave a wonderful atmosphere on "Season of Grief". The feeling of melancholy continues to drape what the German band does, even as they dial back some of the black metal sonics. There are harsher vocals in places, but they do not feel like black metal vocals. They are aggressive, not tormented.  In fact they take on more of a death metal roar when the song builds. 

They have fine-tuned their songwriting to make their sound bigger and make what they do more accessible to the wider metal audience than just being a shoegazing black metal band. This is not to say they do not indulge in sonic spectacles that swept you away, as they do, and it is what gives them the edge over their more nu-metal minded peers/. A more delicate electronic touch glazes over "Dreamgatherer". It reminds me sonically of something the Cure might do.  The belted vocals are the main difference. This ovf course builds into a harsh bellow. There is a great deal of dynamic ebb and flow in this song. So much so that fans of modern progressive metal can find a great deal to appreciate on this album. 

"The Heart of December" floats on such an ethereal wave of atmosphere that it took a second listen to fully grasp the breeze in which it rides. It is most like Alcest, whom I once thought of these guys in the same light as. "Burial" carries a contrast between the more introspective clean vocals and the build into the harsher vocals that make the music of the dynamic shift. This finds them sharing more common ground with the metalcore bands that are packing arenas these days. The title track works off a sweeping soft-to-loud dynamic, which finds the vocals taking on a more emotional introspection. This a more conventional arrangement for them.  

"The Same Hell" is more of a delicate shoegazing interlude. Then the almost folky-pop of the last song is an odd choice to close the album, but it does show the range of their songwriting. I will give this album a 9.5 it is very different than what I expected but shows their continued growth as a band while retaining their atmospheric core. 

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Kryptograf : "Kryptonomicon"

For the 420th post of the year, I had to go with a stoner metal band. This came out back in March, but it's essential to catch up with these guys, as they prove that more music comes out of Norway than just black metal. These guys are just as invested in music from the '60s as they are in more traditional metal. The first track alone carries a wide range of dynamics. They go from a metal gallop into a hazy mellow jam. The vocals are more Ian Gillan than Ozzy. Their guitarist rips, so I am impressed right off the bat. 

"The Blade" boogies with riffs that remind me more of early Judas Priest or Thin Lizzy than Black Sabbath, and thus, the delineation is made between stoner metal and doom. Nothing is really dark or mournful, thus it does not move with the depressive lethargy that should possess doom. The title track is, in fact, oddly a fist-pumping party anthem of sorts. They do ebb down to a gloomier mood coming out of the more vibrant riff, but such is their way with dynamics. They also do not get carried away with long, jammy songs.

"You and I" is more along the lines of Queens of the Stoneage. It carries a similar attitude in its strut. "From Below" is the first song where they shift gears into more of a doom lumber, but then shift smoothly out of it into a more Mastodon-like riff. "Lost at Sea" has a similar feel with moodier chords ringing out to shift the tone a little.  "The Gates" closes the album out. At 8 minutes along, it's the most sprawling song on the album. Marginally darker and more psychedelic than the previous song, there are still touches of Mastodon in how the vocals interplay with the music. These guys excelled at making the album they set out to make. I will give it a 9.5 and see how it grows on me. 

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Now I've Done It : "An Ill Guest"

 This album with a fragile yet dark and creepy vibe that waltzes in the shadows, as the tinkle of a piano is a candle in the looming darkness it eventually explodes into. Yet the circus waltz continues like something from a horror movie, as the twisted larny spews the vocals forth. I like what they are doing on the opening track, but I could not listen to an entire album of the chaos they are presenting, and I hope to hear them melodically expand upon it. There are a few black metal bands that dance in similar realms of madness. For the second song, they take things in a more circus direction that is more Sleepy Time Gorilla Museum than Mr.Bungle. A great deal of this rests on the tortured vocals being a primary mode of expression, with the sung vocals serving as the chorus behind them. 

The guitar shifts to the twang of a funky groove going into "Offering" with a call and response between the two vocal stylings. There is more chaos and carnage in the almsot thrashing outburst the song races off into, than grandiose songwriting heard in the first two songs that I found more impressive. Not to say there are not melodic touches to this one, they jsut do not hold equal weight. "Ruffled"  is more of an interlude, before things get moving with "Panache," when they go off into a jazzy big band strut not unlike the Cherry Poppin Daddies, but the metal begins to boil to the surface. 

"Collywobbles" feels more like a black metal band playing a Danny Elfman-penned score for a Tim Burton movie. The pace accelerates to a rapid thrashing not unlike Sigh. They are just throwing everything at this song but hooks. The rapid cycling bipolar manner this is shot out is a lot to digest. "Splinter" finds its groove, which makes it feel like one of the album's more well-arranged songs. The harsher vocals take on a more rabid Gollum tone. The angular jerking to "Jim Jams " feels like another exercise in excess until they go into a groove that has a disco undercurrent that aligns the heavier sections."Kindling" might be the most Mr Bungle-like moment, but it is also the most infused with jumbled chaos. I will round this down to an 8.5, which is still pretty impressive. You have to be in the mood for chaotic symphonic metal. If you are, then it will be more than worth your time. This sonic carnival of carnage drops October 17th. 

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Haunt : "Ignite"

Their  2022 album "Windows To Your Heart' was the last album I checked out by these guys. I was a devoted follower since, for all practical purposes, they are a revamped Beastmaker. But they have been moving in an increasingly slick A0R proto-metal direction. Things have not changed. Trevor Church continues to smooth into a sugary enor that brings Ghost to mind. It works on the opening song, but then feels bland on the second song. I can pretend this is not intentional, but some of the vocal harmonies on "Eventide" are. The guitars are firing off some pretty decent harmonies. But nothing about what they are doing is all that aggressive or dark. 

At their most metal these days, they sound like a mix of Dokken and the Scorpions on "Early Grave," which works just fine for me. It means the riffs are hookier and vocals more purposeful, but not anthemic. I like the effects on his voice here. There is less of a '70s sound and more of an '80s feel. For the most part, this seems to be working out pretty well for them, as they are not going to the total hair metal choruses. They do pile on the guitar solos when the chance opens up. There is a more pronounced Scorpions vibe to "Not the Same," though it's played faster than what they were doing at this juncture. They have refrained from power ballads so far, so that is positive. Though there is a formula they are following for when to introduce melodic elements to set things up for the guitar solo, that is in place.

"Shattered Past" starts off with guitar solos. The hooks are not as firmly planted on this one, even with the gang vocal on the choruses. With a title like "Long Cold Lonely Winter," you think they might drop the power ballad, but it is not the case. Instead, we get palm-muted riffs and harmony guitars. It is the lifeblood of this album. "With Our Angel" feels like late 80s Rush, but still works for me as I love 'Grace Under Pressure". The last song is a marginally darker take on the power ballad I had been anticipating the entire album, and they are effective at it, though you have to have a high tolerance for guitar solos. I'll give this album a 8.5, as it occupies a nostalgic space not many bands occupy well these days. If you want rock star guitar playing this album is for you. 

 

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BASK : "The Turning"

 I was a big fan of their 2019 album, and this time around it feels like a heavier sound, though sticking to the honest plea of country-inflected vocals even amid guitars crunching around them. There is more boogie in the shuffle of "The Traveller". More layers of vocals harmonize to give things a more jammy prog feel. It almost feels more like Porcupine Tree. Heavier rock chords are crashing over the laid-back vocals of "The Cloth," which is a juxtaposition that works well to create dynamic songwriting that takes a few listens to absorb everything going on. 

There is a more harding rocking country feel to "Dig  My Heels" which finds a very country vocal melody being chased by more aggressive guitars. This is done in a very unique manner, making it the album's best song so far. If they had gone just straight country, it would have felt like Tyler Childers and not as effective since we already have a Tyler Childers in the world. It does take some twists and turns ends up in a more grandiose doomier stomp. 

"Unwound" is more aligned with their proggy metal side, though not due to any excess of aptitude, but more the layers of sound the song is built on.  They do jam out on the atmosphere midway through things. The guitar solos are very tasteful with layering of melody and sonics over shredding. The guitar solo does take a more direction, rock approach on the more elegant "Long Lost Light". 

There is more of a Wild Western feel to the last song than country. The vocals do not have a twang as they are belted out with a reflective tone. As the song unfolds, you hear the original manner in which they entwine the rock sound with the more pastoral textures before bringing a harder crunch, to keep the ebb and flow on the unexpected edge. I will give this one a 9.5. Sometimes, things are so heavily layered that you have to get a few listens in to fully grasp it, but when you do, it proves rewarding. August 22nd on Season of Mist 

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Thy Catafalque :"XII: A gyönyörű álmok ezután jönnek"

 12 albums into this project's legacy, things are moving in an even more progressive direction. At one time more of a black metal band, there is not a great deal remaining from those days. Lots of keyboards, with metallic punches when it comes to dialing the dynamics up. This band does sound like they are from Hungary. The exotic scales this album dances around are a testament to that heritage. I mean the scale is even called the Hungarian Minor, so how could it not be the lifeblood of these songs? They speed things up on the second song, which holds more black metal malice to its attack. 

"Vasgyar' finds the drumming propelling things forward in a metal manner. The arrangement jerks you back with the technical riffing. There is a great deal of fire in this aggressive attack, as the vocals take on a menacing snarl, that sounds more death metal than black metal. The song does build into an impressive syncopated groove. "Vilagnak Vilaga" feels more like a heavier take on folk metal. "Niyarfa, Niyirfa" moves in a more hooky fashion, as the vocals have plenty of room to ride the bass line. "Lydianoz" is more of a folk song that still weaves a serpentine charm thanks to the bass. There is nothing metal about the song and that is fine. The synths add more progressive depth to the song. 

"Vakond" features harpsichord sounds that dance around the organ. The album is moving in a more progressive folk direction which works just fine. This is what this album needs to do to retain its identity and not just follow what Ihsahn has laid out for black metal artists crossing over into progressive rock. For an instrumental it succeeds in holding my attention. "Kodkiraly" feels like alternative folk from the 90s. It simmers in the atmosphere but does not have as clear of a direction as the previous song. Midway in the distortion stomps in like a storm cloud. Snarled vocals darken the narrative. 

"Alahullas" wastes no time for the drums to establish the metallic direction it is going in. Synths take the guitar melody. The song has both punch and groove, though the vocals on the chorus are a little dramatic for my tastes. The guitar solo on this one is very effective as it adds to the melodic themes rather than pointless shredding. The last song goes in a more progressive direction. I will give this album a 9, as it cares about the songs, and finds a great dynamic balance while working in the sounds of it's homeland. 

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Hail Spirit Noir : "Fossil Gardens"

 You can always count on these guys to not conform to your expectations of black metal, as they have even drifted off into progressive before. They start the album off with clean vocals, before blasting you with the more typical trappings of black metal. The second song finds the synths coming forward in the mix. The sung vocals also lead the way here creating a more Arcturus feel at times. There might be more double bass in this one than blast beats. By the time we get to "Curse you , Entropia" the sprawling prog jam is beginning to sprawl out and is less definable as a song, and becomes more of a jam. 

"The Blue Dot" finds the sung vocals creating more of a mainstream metal formula.  It swells to a more grandiose dynamic proportion. The spaceship really takes off on "the Road to Awe"  It seems like it just going to fly off into the great blue prog yonder, but it recoils back into a heavier dynamic, not going to say it's black metal, though they have solidified their status with that genre enough already. They are just not paying by the rules, more should they. How's that for gatekeeping? Just because you make music in one genre does not mean you can not be expansive. The problem with metal these days is you have straight-up pop bands trying to market themselves as metal. These guys have not forgotten where they came from. 

"Ludwig in Orbit' is just an odd interlude. It feels more like the intro to the title track that closes the album. Things erupt with a ringing sonic style of blast beats, that are brighter than stormy. It gives way to the buzzing tremolo guitar that is used in a more ambient fashion. The song eventually just fade out into buzzing and bleeps. I will give this album a 9, it's heavy enough and black metal enough to balance out the more ambitious foibles. 

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Inter Arma : "New Heaven"

 If modern music critics were going to make a top 10 list of their favorite metal bands, these guys would be in the top 5. I understand why, despite not agreeing. They think out of the box. They are progressive without focusing on pretense and guitar solos. They are heavy enough to hold their own with bands heavier than them. They are always evolving and never make the same songs twice. They also do not write songs that make me want to listen to them multiple times. In fact, when thinking about this review, I am trying to remember how this record was different from their previous ones, as their previous albums are not memorable to me. 

They have always scored an 8.5 here. Which means 85 percent of the album was solid. So even on this new album I appreciate what they do and do not question their skill as songwriters what they do just does not resonate with me. Three songs into this album and I am clear what one of the reasons for this is. They are not dark enough. However, the opening track is darker and more dissonant than what I have heard from them in the past and this album has more black metal influence from the vocals and drumming than I recall hearing in the past. But it does not have the same feeling that I get when it comes from an actual black metal band like Gorgoroth or Watain. 

'Endless Gray' feels like a Metallica instrumental so it's hard to argue with that and so far the most metal moment of the album. The first song that feels dark enough to me is ironically 'Gardens in the Dark" The vocals are more sung in the post-punk baritone fashion. However, they use a similar vocal approach to "the Children the Bombs Overlooked" and it does not feel as dark, and the song itself is pretty unfocused. with the drummer overplaying. I begin to get bored with it when the vocals shift to a growl. So add sometimes bore me to the list of reasons. 

'Concrete Cliffs" is more legit death metal, than what we have heard the bulk of the album from them. The last song sounds so much like King Dude that I was Goggling to see if he did a guest spot on the album. He is not they are just ripping him off. I guess they could also be trying to sound like Johnny Cash and it came out that way. Perhaps the album's least original moment, and certainly filler on a King Dude album. I will give this one a 7, making their least impressive offering to date, though they are still thinking out of the band and it's a change for them, I am just not believing their attempts at sounding darker and the little Metallica-like instrumental ditty is the best part and that is an interlude. 

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Chapel of Disease : "Echoes of Light"

 

After hearing a ton of interesting things about this album I finally remembered to hunt it down and give it a listen.  The German band is a fairly interesting progressive death metal band, that wacky time changes aside and a penchant for rock n roll riffs are not too far out in left field. They are at times like a less gothy Tribulation. The guitarists are calling the shots here are the guitar is the centerpiece of the title track. The guitar wanders out of pocket very tastefully until things explode with the climax of the song. The guitar kicks things off on an epic scale for "A Death Though No Loss". The midrange rasp of the vocals rides the gallop of the guitar with greater purpose than what kicked off the album. When the guitar goes off into a jam, the tone is stellar and the playing is a wet dream for teenagers who idolize guitarists, even though it is not just shredding for no reason, but serves the song. 

The Sung vocal arrives for "Shallow Nights". They sing well enough, but the guitar remains the star. There is more of an alternative rock feel to the vocals. The guitarist continues to burn the house down here. By the end of the song, the guitar solos would have felt more gratuitous if it were not for the fact that he is so good at what he does. They return to a sharper more punchy rock-minded riff to drive "Selenophile" home. There is some jamming, but it is written with a more economical sense of songwriting. The larger-than-life epic riffing that opens "Gold / Dust" is offset by the more sedate sun vocals. I like the tone of the singing more in this song than in the previous one. 

Some of the phrasing to the last song is influenced by Eddie Van Halen, as much as it is classic rock as a whole. Production wise you are not going to find guitar solos with such a graceful tone. This is a great album well deserving of the hype it is receiving, It is more progressive metal than not, with an emphasis on guitar heroic that still serves the song which is an accomplishment in a genre that rarely uses restraint. I will give this album a 10. 

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Black Metal History Month - Borknagar : "Fall"

 The 12th album from these Norse giants hath arrived. I always think of this as the ICS Vortex band, but Arcturus might fit that description better as other singers have claimed the mic. The album opens with the kind of bombast whose roots are steeped in their black metal history by leading off with screamed vocals and a super aggressive slice with razor-sharp riffing before going into their more progressive side. The more operatic croon of Vortex's trademark soaring bellow comes with the chorus. Midway into the song things really wander off into the majestic wonderment fans know they are capable of,

They are eager to reach into their more Pagan side on the second song, which is one of the album's best tunes. It is tense yet, atmospheric with a tribal groove. Despite the opening track this album does find them opening even wider doors to their melodic side. "Afar' is a great example of this. However, it does blast into black metal sections that are given a more melodic counterpoint. Perhaps not as focused as the first two songs, but still effective. The drummer is eager to hammer things down like a pumped-up version of Deep Purple on "Moon".The vocal melody is really strong on this one. They continue down a more melodic path with 'Stars Ablaze"  There are black metal moments to it, but it works more of a grandiose prog feel. 

Despite the double bass momentum, "'Unravelling" picks up where the previous song left off though things shift to a more melancholic mood. "Wild Lingers" departs into a more Pink Floyd-like sonic space. The guitar is very tasteful. The metal is dialed back, but it is a really well-written song so it is hard to care about that. "Northward"  finds them back in black. It does slow into the kind of epic affair you expect from these guys now. It should be noted that the guitar solos are totally ripping, and if you are into that sort of thing you will dig it. I will give this one a 9.5, it lives up to its legacy and is a logical progression of it. 

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Nebulae Come Sweet : "De Lumi​è​re"

This band out of Belarus caught me by surprise, as they go above and beyond to take things in a different direction. This album came out in March and sadly flew under the radar. They feel more European than American in the almost classical manner they go about this. They blend dark melodic brooding with big grandiose choruses. They prove just because you are singing it does not mean you can not do so in a commanding fashion that has balls to it. There is a progressive current to their songwriting, though perhaps at their core they are a doom band. 

They are not afraid to use saxophones to lead into "Candor". The song has a dark progressive slither as the notes swirl around before the more Opeth-like riff kicks in. The way they use atmosphere is more recent Tool than say Electric Wizard or even Pallbearer. They ride the line between doom and progressive. The vocals come closer to Pink Floyd than Black Sabbath. Rather than get heavier for the climax the guitars build the sonic dynamics. "Splendor" is even more romantic in its introspection. It moves almost more like a shoe-gaze song until the drums pick up the pace. It is not until the final moments of the song that the guitars crunch down in a metallic manner. 

"Claritas" finds things gaining momentum to build into a stomping metallic throb. The vocals are belted more aggressively. It builds impressively to ebb down to a fragile piano melody. "Fulgor" is a dramatic shift into tormented darkness. Some spoken musings fill in the gaps, but the screamed vocals are full of pain, in a manner that excedes black metal when it comes to sounding unhinged. It however sounds cool,. but feels more like an interlude than a song. 

The songs flow really well on this album. Melancholy strings lead out from the wash of ambient synths that closed the previous song when "Lux" stirs to life. It builds into a more sludge-like pound. With the vocals erupting into a coarse roar. The range they cover is impressive. This makes both ends of the spectrum more effective. The last song is an instrumental that serves as more of an extended outro, that feels like a real song in the light of the compositions this album has already displayed. But as it stands I will give this album a 9.5, and see how it grows on me even if I am unsure what exactly I am listening to. 

Yakuza : "Sutra"

 Chicago Avant - Guardians are back. It's been over ten years since their last release. There is a more focused intention to bring the heavy here. Bruce Lamont, moans with more anger on the off-kilter opening track that is framed with dissonance. "Alice" has a deliberate metal chug kicks it into motion. The music shifts under the vocals. In many ways, it feels like a noise rock band that managed to capture a massive sound by mistake and shed punk aspirations for metal grandiosity. There is a grungy atmosphere when their thoughts turn inward, which keeps a great dynamic balance.  "Echoes From the Sky" has a more math rock chaos, that keeps the pulse of the song writhing through the riffs that are being thrown. This rougher edge does cause them to compromise the melody, leaving Bruce to yell at you more often than not here. It might sound like sludge if it was slowed down some. As I typed those words that is what happened. The result is more like a Swans like creep, as the burly bass keeps booming behind them. e

"Embers" finds them ebbing down into a more Doors like place where Bruce's croon feels most comfortable. "Capricorn Rising' works off a similar vibe before midway into the song it bursts into a pretty much straight up metal attack . There is a thrashed out sludge feel to it that reminds me of earlier Mastodon. " Burn Before Reading" carries this energy further into a metal maelstrom. The chug of the guitars has a more thrash influence aggression to the tension being held. Two and a half minutes into it, there is a shift into a more atmospheric section for the sax to float along. They come hammering back with more sludge tinged syncopation. I like the dark exotic slither of "Walking God". The moodier moments are some of the album's strongest. It builds up into a gradually heavier deliberation with it settling down like a storm. 

"Into Forever" is almost like a Melvins song. It's has a cool straight up metal riff that drives it, with left of center vocals, so occupies the same space as the Melvins. The odd vocal phrasing, which comes from a much less emotionally aggressive place than most metal , keeps up it's weird streak for "Psychic Malaise". This song is not as catchy as the others. The riffs are jerked around with a bit of awkwardness. This creates the effect I think they are going for, however I am not sure how pleasing it is to my ears in this instance. There is a more spacious mood as if they are sailing into the dusk on the last song, slowly builds with a more epic dynamic on the last song. They do proggy in a weird way, which is more accurate if you are thinking about bands like Vander Graf Generator and King Crimson, though the song converges upon the more sludged-out riffage that empowers the bulk of this album. I will give this album a 9, as it's return to form for the band though takes close notes from their peers. Highly enjoyable listen, let's see how it grows on me. 

Hammers of Misfortune : "Overtaker"

 

This is a different sound from band which has now become more of a collaborating collective since the leader and guitarist moved out of the Bay area.  Former Vektor members contribute to this endeavor. While the band cites King Crimson as an inspiration it sounds more like King Diamond to me. Due to the thrashing yet progressive manner the songs are woven together, along with the female vocals that hover over the chaos. Not as dark or operatic as King Diamond, the first couple songs have a darker feel than I remember this band digging into previously. 

Heavy on the prog pomp and circumstance due to the liberal use of synths, it is also not as theatrical as King Diamond. The song "Don't Follow the Lights" carries a more punk aggression in places as the guitars furiously chug. If you like racing guitars dazzling, you this album has that. Unlike many prog bands the songs are not just bookends for guitar solos or masturbatory excesses. They do layer some odd time signatures, to create sonic chaos that requires a bit of mental untangling.  "Ghost Hearts" juggling guitar dazzle with a haunting mood. The melodic clean chord progression at the beginning of "Outside our Minds" furthers my King Diamon claims. At least when it comes to complex yet, melodic compositions. The palm mutted chugging remains taunt on this one, furthers the more aggressive tendencies. There is some outstanding guitar playing on this album so if you are a metal guitarist this is an album you need to make note of.   

The lines between power metal and progressive metal were once blurry, and the song "the Raven's Bell" takes you back to that crossroads. They throw around some syncopated acrobatics, to buck the metal conventions. If we were going to compare them to any classic prog band I would suggest Yes, rather than King Crimson, due to how the synths are handled. "Orbweaver" captures some interesting sounds as the drumming hammers relentlessly without heed to the rest of the band. Jamie Myers deserves recognition for her performance which is spirited and finds her jumping around the songs as she throws her voice all over the place. Mike Scalzi from Slough Feg, also lends his voice in places.

"Overthrower" finds them racing at a breakneck pace. It's up to the guitars to hold everything together on this chaotic thrash explosion. "Aggressive Perfection" holds a steady beat and is almost doomy. This is ironic as it is an obvious wink at Slayer who has a song called "Aggressive Perfector".  It might not be Slayer, but the song is very solid, perhaps even the album's best.  I will give this album a 9, it's  an excellent slab of progressive metal that is one of the year's best stabs at this sort of thing and should not be missed.  This is released on December 2nd. 

Overtaker by Hammers Of Misfortune

Queensryche : "Digital Noise Alliance"

Queensryche used to be one of my favorite bands, so this is really difficult to reconcile. Now down to two original members, this band has made a fourth album with Todd La Torre, and they feel more like a tribute than ever. They are playing Mindcrime like riffs, but with none of the clever hooks of songwriting smarts. So, if you are looking for classic Queensryche sound, they have you covered. If you want the kind of progressive metal Queensryche pioneered, then considered this more regressive. "Lost in Sorrow" is the first song that works for me, because it grooves of a darker "Rage for Order" riffing.  Then the fall back into the churning miasma of things that should sounds like Queensryche, but lack the x factor, that is Geoff Tate. 

"Behind These Walls" works much better as it is darker and heavier. The emotion behind Todd's prefinance, and it's funny that they have Grillo from Kamelot on the drums as that is who this reminds me of. They are not as effective on "Nocturnal Light" though it is better than say the second song on this album. The more deliberate groove certainly helps. "Out of the Black" might not sound like the best the band has done, but at least it sounds like what they do. The biggest problem seems to be the hooks do not hit like they did with Tate, it is how the melodies are constructed. This is why Dio worked as a replacement for Ozzy, he was not trying to write songs that sounded like Ozzy. He did his own thing. 

"Forest" seems to understand where the band was going on albums like "Empire". Though it is not "Silent Lucidity" but wants to go in that direction.  They do recapture the Pink Floyd like guitar tone they had for that. "Realms "begins to create what would be a better Kamelot song than we have heard from that band in some time, is this really Queensryche. Going back to the Dio analogy, the albums he made with Sabbath are still Sabbath, mainly this is because the two major songwriters were intact. Without Chris Degarmo, the band could still make it as they had Tate, without him we are seeing how the core of the band is taxed. They do stumble into the band they used to be on songs like "Hold On".  But then we have the problem with the choruses again. 

Sure "Tormentum" is one of the heaviest songs released under the band's name, but is this who they are, it sounds more like a bookend for a guitar solo. Is this good generic metal with a high dexterity score? Yes. If that is what you want, then they struck gold. It also means you are a little too easy to please. Not the first cover they have done, with Tate they have a whole album of them. Todd pulls of a convincing Billy Idol for the cover of "Robel Tell". I wish we could have heard more of his lower register as it would have been more authentic for where the band was going. I will round this down because it's a great Kamelot album, but not the best Queensryche album, with that said there is still some great metal that is just not who this band is within.      

Dark Quarterer " Pompeii"

 

Well here is a weird doom album if we are really calling it doom, as in truth is it more progressive . I like dynamics . I also like singers that  give me a few vocals colors. King Diamond is one of my favorite singers so shifting registers is my shit. Here is it done in a very fashion. There is a dramatic Candlemass like voice. Belted from a chest register. It is well produced . Then there a higher Ian Gillian like voice that comes in. What is amazing is that the bass player Gianni Nepi who handles the vocals is 67 years old. Holy shit his voice has held up better than Bruce and Rob both. These guys are very progressive and while they have cool riffs, the melodies are more dramatic than they are catchy. I respect the hell out of how young and vibrant they sound . This proves age is really just a number . 

It is funny because I often bring out how the egregore of where a bands comes from can influence their sound. The fact they are from Italy think is what brings a very operatic influence and a somewhat classical touch to their arrangements. I have noticed this in other Italian bands in the past but not to this extent. I am betting his falsetto was more piercing when he was younger . Right now they remind me a little of Pain of Salvation, but their song writing is not as tight. Some times he hits the notes in a better fashion than others. But he gets up there way more than a man his age normally would . I might rather hear him sing for Deep Purple than 75 year old Ian Gillian.  Oh gods yes , I just went down a Deep Purple Youtube rabbit hole, do not listen to anything after 2004.  The fourth song finds things getting the most interesting in terms of dynamics. "Gladitor" is more straight forward metal in the more Pain of Salvation direction. 

There is a darker and somewhat heavier tone to the last song. The album is generally well produced. It is hard to imagine the youngest members of this band are in their early 40s . But the bulk of the core is over 60. The higher notes are a little iffy in places on this song. Overall thought this album is impressive if you are looking for a some what more traditional progressive metal album with the sensibility of opera. I will give it a 8.5. 

Imperial Triumphant : " Alphaville"

Once again number Colin Marston of Krallice among their collaborators as well as more main stream names from the progressive metal community Trey from Mr. Bungle and drummer Tomas Haake from Meshuggah. The angular labyrinth of winding jazz infused riffs and circular drumming that makes the song hypnotically spin. If you did not figure out on the first song, the second one makes it perfectly clear this is not a black metal album. The bass drives the second song more. There is more dissonance to the weird mathmatics they throw at you/. Some of the choice to be weird work better than others, the precussive break in "City Swine" kills the songs helter skelter momentum. They do finds some blast beats for a few moments after this. They jazzy piano flourishes are the most worthwhile part of this song.

The growled and screamed vocals on "Atomic Age" remind you this is a metal band not a math rock band despite evidence your ears might try to tell you other wise. I think Sigh made a better argument for this. These guys use more chaos and dissonance. I like that it is sonically intense. I do not think in terms of song writing they have stepped forward , but have opted to be more experimental. I appreciate this though I am not sure this will take up the time I normally spend listening to Igorrr who fills the weird void for me more often than not. "Transmisson to Mercury"  blends more boozy jazzy into things, which is far from the first time this has been done in metal so I am not sure what all the fuss is about . It is more of a sound than a song, but the sound is sonically pleasing to me so that gives them more slack, but I am by no means blown away by this.

The title track just kind of falls out of the previous song. The choas eventually is run through a more conventional metal filter. The actually find a groove on this one before wandering off into more proggy moments. By the time we get to " the Greater Good" the novelty of weird has begun to wear off. They did milk it for mileage well. Then they include two cover the first being Voivod's "Experiment" . Musically it's ok , but the vocals are growled and terrible. The cover of "Happy Home" is equally obtuse.  These guys are great musicans , this is a step further into prog, I will give this album an 8, not likely to make any of my end of the year lists, but likely to be on those that are trying to look cool.

Death is June - Looking Back in Anger at Cynic's "Focus"

For the "Looking Back in Anger"  column I go back and try to listen to supposed classics and see how well they have stood the test of time. I admittedly have been more enamoured with their album "Traced in Air" but recognize how far ahead of their times these guys have been from the jump. This album came out in 1993. The opening track finds them doing more in one songs than  most bands accomplish in their entire career. "Celestial Voyage" does confuse you in it's winding maze of math. I like how the robotic vocals offset the growls. The race at a more thrashing speed on " the Eagle Nature". This is the first time I have noticed the kind of Obituary emoting from the growled vocals. The jazzy interludes flow very well, nothing feels forced with these guys.


There is more atmosphere to "Sentiment" . The guitar's phrashing on this one is incredible. They are tasteful, but still technically astounding. Not without riffs to bang you bang your head."But I'm a Wave to..." is not unlike where they went with "Traced in Air". More aggressive for sure. Where that album is death metal for elves, this has definate teeth. Some of the twists and turns are pulled off with Zappa level dexterity savings throws. They do not need ten plus minutes to do this. "Uroboric Forms" does plenty in the three and a half mintues it exsists . This tight coiling of riffs keeps the songs momentum rather than getting lost in the kind of pondering many progressive metal bands do. This is all while still including jazz like interludes. This jazz influence is dialed up on the instrumental "Textures".

"How Could I " finds them using signatures that would be revisted on "Traced in Air". I will round this up to a 10. I think "Traced In Air" is a better album, but this is a better death metal album. I think this album is a good blue print of what works in good taste while still serving the songs and making music that is listenable rather than an exercise in wanking.

Igorr : " Spirituality and Distortion"

The new album from the French group is still progressive, but a straight forward effort than their previous album fewer moments of  glitched out chaos. The harsh vocals are still present on the opening track but sitting in the passenger seat while the more sung vocals drive the song. "Nervous Waltz" blends classical music with the occasional blast beat. The song structure is way more cohesive this time around. The first time the chaos returns is brief for the under two minute instrumental"Very Noise". The drumming here is impressive.  Harpsichord sounds are the back bone of "Hollow Tree" until it spaces out into ambiance and converge back into it. The operatic female vocals used more frequently.  Bass lines are more organic sounding on this album. The same can be said for the drums.

Camel Dancefloor' is more like Beats Antique , but with a harder edge.  I really like the groove created on this song.  "Parapaing" features George Corpsegrinder from Cannibal Corpse on vocals. Obviously you know what he does. The music is faster , but nowhere near as metal or aggressive as Cannibal Corpse, in fact up until this point in the albums it's one of the more electronic based songs with video games sounds. They go in a more polka direction for "Musette Maximum". After the first minute things get more metal and volley back and forth from there. The beginning of "Himalaya Massive Ritual" stats off with a more metal chug and then goes into a folk opera from there. The song is an ambitious undertaking and impressively pulled off."Lost in Introspection" starts off a darker thanks to the creepy piano melodies. This is set against the  break beat style of drumming they are known for.

There is more of  an Oriental folk feel to "Overweight Poesy". The operatic female vocals soar over this .At the three minute mark metal kicks in.  The female vocals become more screamed and layered with lower male vocals. The glitched out break beat weirdness  surfaces again on "Paranoide Bulldozer Italiano" , but the song goes more metal before it's over .It might be the album's heaviest moment. The classical and metal sections on this album are bigger and bolder than previous efforts, some of this is due to the bigger production value. There is an almost Tool like groove to the bass driven riff of "Polyphonic Rust". They close the album with a more polka paced ditty, with heft to the bass of it's backbone.  I will round this one up to a 9.5, as far as progressive metal goes unless Mr. Bungle gets off their ass this is going to be a hard album to beat .

Azure Emote : "the Third Perspective"

These guys are a weird progressive black metal project. With members of Monstrosity and Rumpelstiltskin Grinder creating the chaos here. It's a very melodic chaos. Almost a symphonic chaos. The first song has more melodic vocals then on the second song the harsher vocals are more dominant, though things like violin soften it a bit and add textures. There are some pretty impressive exchanges between the keyboards, guitars and violin. Shreddy but in a more musical context than just the more wanky brand of prog. Sigh would be a fair comparison. They drift into interludes that range from jazz to gypsy folk.  "Dark Realms" finds things slowing down. This results in a heavier over all sound. Some effective sun vocals come in and seal the deal on this song. They covered a great deal on the opener which was under five minutes, so this ten minute epic is even more expansive, though holds a folky power metal feel.

"Negative Polarity" flirts with more mathematics so it doesn't flow as smoothly as the other songs leading up to it. "Three Six Nine" also falls into the spastic prog math trap and is not as hooky of a song as the other  They go into some blazing fast sections, so fans of faster more thrashing metal will like that. The album ends with the 11 minute "Solitary Striving". This one works better because it slows down and subtracts most of the math in order to let the song breathe, I did listen to this song several times to fully absorb what was going on. In fact that is something I had had to do with this entire albumas there is a lot going on. I like the mood to the last song much better than some of the more flashy displays of riffage in the two songs before this one. The sung female vocals float about the sparse instrumental backing. It's not until 5 minute in that the metallic side of what they do kicks in. When it does it's more death metal in it's intent. The vocals have moreo f a lower husk to their growl. 
Without question these guys are stellar musicians. Songwriting sometimes takes a back seat for the more adventurous turns this album takes. It is a hard balance, one that plagues progressive metal. It behooves them to take note of the classic rock masters like Fran Zappa , Genesis and King Crimson in not only dazzling you with the wonders of their talents , but to write good songs that keep you coming back for more. These guys are capable of doing this, it just doesn't happen 100 percent of the time. It is however better than most so I will give this album a 9.

Psychotic Waltz : "the God Shaped Void"

Aside from my obvious admiration for the likes of King Diamond and Iron Maiden, the bulk of the music covered here focuses on the darker more modern crop of bands .There are time to time reminders of the music I grew up listening to some of which falls closer to power metal like theses guys. What matters to me here is this is the same band that played on their "Into the Evenflow " album, which is all that really matters to me. My problem with most prog/power metal is that it is never dark enough. That has not been the case with this band which is why I have like them for some time. The melody on chorus to the second song "Stranded"  is the only time I hear any of that flowery Journey like pageantry that you typically associate with bands like Dream Theater. They do come back with some bite after this. Their guitar solos are not just mindless shredding but a well restrained return to melody.

 Lyrically there is s bit of sci fi with portals being opened. "Back to Black" took a few listens before it really clicked with me. The riffs are not as hooky as they have been in the past. There is more groove and hook to "All the Bad Men". It's groove is more deliberate and works well with the vocal melody.
There is more of a power ballad like feel to "the Fallen" that doesn't work as well as the previous song's stronger melody. For another band it would work just fine , for what these guys are capable of it feels a little dialed in. Acoustic guitar opens "While the Spiders Spin" . It builds up into something with more of a classic 80s metal feel to it. The groove and the melody are less arena rock .  The chorus to this song might be the album's strongest. It has a little touch of Queensryche to it. "Pull the String" finds them marrying alternative prog metal with more of a stomp. The song oddly shifts into a more Sabbath like section, which for most metal bands is not that odd, but these guys typically do not fall along those lines. Grave's flute playing surfaces on " Demystified". which has a more prog like flow.

"Sisters of the Dawn "  finds Devon adding more grit to his voice that I can recall hearing from him. It is also the first time I have herd his age seeping through when he goes into his upper register that doesn't hold the power it once did,. He is 53 so it's no unheard of . The last song has a blend of tension of tension and atmosphere that might not be the album's most compelling moment but works. I will give this album a 9 . It is not "Into the Even Flow" but pretty solid. Fans of this band will embrace this.