Avatar : "Don't Go in the Forest'

These guys have always struck me more as a mix of power metal and thrash, than the kind of prog metal the press and their fan base tries to paint them as. The opening track finds theis leaning even further in the power-metal direction with a more rock n roll vibe in the guitar solo. Despite their image they do not sound all that dark. There is a more aggressive snarl to the second song, with a recycled Slipknot riff powering it and a bright pwoer-metal chorus to jerk the wheel hard left. 

Perhaps it is because they are from Sweden, but moments like "Captain Goat" even feel like they are dipping into folk metal, though it is less frollicking than some. It makes you feel like they should be cosplaying vikings rather than clowns. The title track tries to be darker, but I am not really convinced and it feels more like filler to be that a centerpiece of the album. I find the more carnival like mood of "Death and Glitz to be more entertaining. The sung vocals are a little over produced and too double tracked, to the point of it almost sounding like something AI would write. 

They are not as dynamic as most pwoer ballad on "Howling at the Waves". This lack of inspiration feels like it carries over into the marginally more interesting "Dead and Gone and Back Again' which is a stupid title that almost sounds worst when sung on the chorus. "Take This Heart and Burn" finds them getting heavier with harsher vocals but the harmonized guitar attack and power metal chorus takes some of the burn out. There are some sonically intersting moments on the last song but it is not as focused as the strongest songs here. I will give this album an 8, as they continue to capture what they do in a manner than should please their fans, it jsut feels like they know their days of riding the hype are numbered and trying to prolong it in the only way they know how, repeating what worked in the past. 

pst524

Weston Super Maim : "See You Tomorrow Baby"

 This band has flown under my radar, one of those names I recognize but never checked out. They play an industrial-strength metal, that leans close to death metal but is fairly chaotic in the progressive outbursts working in ample use of electronic sounds into the fray.  This song also features guest vocals by members of Blind Folded and Led Into the Woods. The opener in a steadier Godflesh adjacent crunch, and then things get more abrasive on the second song that abandons most form and function jumping out like a monster at a haunted attraction to scream at you. It does make more sense the second time I listened to it. Most of these songs would benefit from multiple listens as they do hit you with a lot at once. 

The darkness they create goes a long way to counterbalance the more overt aggressive tendencies that almost border grindcore. Comparisons could be drawn to Harms Way if those guys were not a hard-core band, as the more overt metal leanings play more to the overall sound of this album. They do not shy away from how big dramatic sounds that hardcore fans might think are pretentious. Often compared to  Meshuggah, this was not something heard until "Slow Hell" which might bring to mind the mathematic Swedes' earlier work. Thought the vocals do take on more of the drill sergeant yell, than death metal growl at times. 

There is no lack of chops here as ys are no less skilled than Meshuggah as there is a Joe Satriani-style solo in "Slow Hell"."Johnny Menomic" has a more straightforward machine like a chug. It grooves enough for fans of more mainstream metal without conforming to the status quo as the arrangement can be jarring at times. I am not normally one for hyper-technical shit, but the syncopation they hit on this song is sick. "Brute Fact" hits with a more feral explosion that holds more in common with grindcore. They balance out by putting weight punches where they need to be to keep my attention. This was another song I had to give an additional listen to to gather my thoughts about. 

"The Bare Maximum" features a guitar solo by Ian Waye of Soreption. It brings a little chaos to a song that otherwise stomps your head in with more groove and a bit of ambiance lurking around the angular sonic wall. "Kryptonite Renegade" chugs with impressive heft, the first song that touches on a more metalcore feel. Chad Kapper of Frontierer lends his voice to the last song. It alternates between staccato chugs and in-your-face blasts, before wandering into an almost jazz-like section. At eight minutes this song is twice as sprawling, and as it is they already cram a great deal into a four-minute song, so it's a lot to take in. At the halfway point, it feels like it wants to build up into something more like Perturbator. Instead, they hit you with a dense groove. This album is stunning. I can not listen to it enough. If you like heavy music that does not allow itself to follow a middle path check this out. I will give it a 10. 

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Gojira : " Magma"

I have been out of the loop with these guys as the only album I have owned was "From Mars to Sirius"which had a pre-djent thump to it and a killer guitar sound. Two albums have passed since that point and the change is tangible, though the proggy side of the band still shines. It is done in a pretty tasteful manner, and there is not an overdose of Meshuggah worship. The band is a little more melodic this time around. The tasteful use of clean vocals is a light of the opener, but the wow you with some guitar majick on the second song. But from this point they begin to cater to a more conventional metal sound to the point that "the Cell" reminds me of a more technical Fear Factory. After the first two songs I'm expecting a little more. They redeem themselves with a tasty groove on the hammering "Stranded". At this point in the album it is clear They know how to write some hooky riffs, but I haven't been as impressed with any of the vocals following the first song.

The title track finds the band continuing to drag out a bag of tricks with wacky guitar tones. The vocals are a little more Killing Joke. A similar vocal performance is given on "Pray" which hold more tension that is chugged out where the chorus would be. The Killing Joke influence on metal is further displayed on the trade off of melodic vocals, though the instrumental portions of the song seem to play is safer here. I like the use of melody better on "Low Lands" . It is more introspective. I would not say this album is particularly dark, which might effect how it doesn't sound all that heavy to me. The clean guitar tone that opens a stripped down "Liberation" offers a glimpse at another side of the band but feels more like an outro  rather than an actual song.

This album sounds awesome. These guys are very talented. I am not sure this is something I would really get playtime out of, when I want the itch scratched that is in this sonic place I would listen to Killing Joke instead. For younger fans of the band who don't know any better it will find a place in your heart even if this album is not as heavy as what you might expect from them. It's very tasteful even with the excursions into mall metal. I'll give it an 8.

Negative Voice : "Cold Redrafted"

This Moscow band is not what I thought they were going to be going into this. Hypnotic doom is a black metal/ doom label, and while those genres might have an influence on the end result here, this is more progressive than I anticipated. I like prog metal. There is a weird blend of post-metal with more shredding solos that invoke a more traditional metal back bone, that is also brought out in some of the galloping chugs that crop up here and there. The clean vocals on the second song really push the Katatonia influence in your face. they eventually build into some heavier, but the intricate emotionally charged grooves are on of the album's signatures. The Katatonia thing still colors their sound on "NightMare Everlasting" but is dialed back some even with the clean vocals on what might be considered the chorus. The harsher vocals on "Instant" keep the song which eventually wanders into darker waters from becoming another progressive metal cross over.

"Impasse" finds me having to remind myself about the rule around here that cool riffs alone don't make a good song, as their are plenty of those just not sure what the glue that binds them together is. That is more clearly answered on "Karmic Pattern". When they do hit you with the 'cool riff" it has more dynamic effect here. This is easily the best song on the album. They get heavier and even touch on black metal for " lighthouse", but are quick to also get mired down in Katatonia, influence. The new Katatonia is awesome, so we are good with that album and don't need another. "Draft Life" feels like it is an extension of the previous song. There are some cool sections that crop up, and the harsher vocals help keep them from returning back into the Katatonia thing, but like "Impasse" it is a case of me wondering what is really holding this song together.

Overall this album is a good experience. I really enjoyed "Karmic Pattern". It is one of those things where I am unsure how much of this I will actually get to listen to since I do have the new Katatonia, so if I need that itch scratched it's the album I would more than likely turn to.  But if you are a fan of melo-death and want something new with a progressive slant you can't go wrong here. I'll  round this one up and give this album a 8.5

Voivod :"Post Society"

Voivod has always been light years ahead of their time. Since "Target Earth" the band has locked into a sound that takes the classic tones from "Dimension Hatross " and pushes it forward in a modern production. This ep is the quality of both songwriting and production as "Target Earth" in fact the arrangements might be even more progressive,  like the surreal breakdown on the title track that kicks the ep off. They have always been able to shift in a very organic manner from one movement to the next . What amazes me more upon hearing this is how true they are to their legacy even though half of the original members are not on this recording. Chewy and Rocky did comprise the live band on their last pass through the states with Napalm Death and both really do justice to the Voivod legacy.

"Forever Mountain" was released as a single last year and carries a pretty heavy chromatic crunch. Snakes vocals sound even better than he did on "Target Earth" . He actually sings more. Rocky's bass line twist around the riffs with perhaps a cleaner tone than "Blacky" used, but he displays the needed dexterity and melodic sense to pull of their sound. "Forever Mountain" finds Snake placing some times angular vocal lines the twisting sinew of guitar before they go into a melodic metal section that doesn't have their trademark dissonance. It all works and Voivod certainly has a sound that is uniquely theirs.

They dip into more off of their psychedelic space rock days with "Fall" that recalls more of the "Angel Rat" era at first before they get into a heavier groove. Rocky really earns his place in the band with this one. "We Are Connected " was first premiered on tour , then released as a single so it's might not be new but would rather own it as part of this album, as my ocd side dislikes having random mp3's hanging out in need of a folder of their own. This song takes its twists and turns through all of the facets of the band's sound.  I love the really dark riff that slithers in at the three minute mark. Chewy's guitar playing really stands out on this song and the solo really ripped live. They close things out with a cover of Hawkwind's "Sliver Machine" .  A song that is not even more timely since Lemmy is handled the vocals on the original song. It was one of the band's rare hits and Lemmy  cut the vocals for it in a last minute attempt to save the session after lead singer Robert Calvert who suffered from bi-polar disorder had an episode during his takes. It makes sense for Voivod to cover this song since the lyrics are about riding on a space ship. So I am sure it was recorded well before Lemmy's death. It's actually the most straight forward song they have done in some time, which aside from the Bat-man theme song their other covers have been Pink Floyd, King Crimson songs.V oivod once again doesn't disappoint or dial it in. They balance out all the sides of their multi -faceted sound and give fans of the band what they expect. This is obviously a 10.

Amorphis : "Under the Red Cloud"

These guys have been hit or miss with me. I liked "Silent Waters" as they took a darker turn. Now they are back on a cloud of double bass making something more like prog-powered power-metal, but with the growled vocals replacing the Helloween yodels. Not to say they don't have clean vocals as they do and they are often too happy for me much like some of these guitar harmonies. The effects slather vocal passage on the second  song works and there is a slight folk metal inflection in the synths. "Bad Blood" finds them frolicking in waters closer to their country men Night Wish. They lock onto a more commercial death metal groove think ... Dark Tranquility like stomp and then bring in the vocal hook that soars in more like prog metal of yesteryear. There are similar elements to "the Skull" , but they strike me a s being better executed and having a more dynamic range to their melodic sensibility. There is an increasing folk vibe in the intervals both the vocals and synths choose.

"The Death of A King" gets off to a good start with more exotic scales and  a tribal pound in the drums before going into the more nu-metal meets folk metal vibe bands like Equilibrium dabble in.The staccato stomp meets the hooky vocals as they singer really fine tuned his knack for putting his voice in the most epic places , thought riding the fine line towards the cheese that if unchecked this kind of metal lends itself to. "Sacrifice" is much closer to power-metal, it's not symphonic like Night Wish, but cut from the same cloth, though the fact a male vocal is featured it gives it less dramatics and more rock leanings. You gotta hand it Tomi, his vocals are on point for what he is trying to do. When they use a piano sound it brings them even deeper into the fairy land of Night Wish, until the growl off sets it. The guitar finds some harder punches as they band tries to regain their edge. The Myspace metal vocal come in on the chorus of "Dark Path' which just isn't as dark as the title would suggest.

There is a classic metal chug that puts Amorphis next other heavy weights of the metal game like Dream Theater and Queensyrche on "Enemy of the Gates". The singer really begins to soar here, but the music is a shade darker  finding the band tapping into what made "Silent Waters" work so well. "Tree of Ages" doesn't grow too much and instead finds it's self more of a sapling hindered by the folk metal cliches it stumbles over and comes across more like filler.I'll skip the bonus tracks and say that " White Night" is the last song on the album. This one opens with female vocals, to bring more comparisons that already have arisen. The song is alright, it is not as focused as some of their more fine edged moments the bands gave us earlier.

Overall the bands is taking a step in an even more polished direction. Some of their more progressive elements are toned down in order to serve the songs. I would not say this is a death metal album by any stretch of the imagination. I'll give it an 8 as it  is generally well crafted and certainly well produced and finds the bands stepping up a tier to join their more legendary peers of the metal world.It goes without saying they are head and shoulders over Opeths jam band wanking , despite the power metal moments.

King Crow : "Eidos"

From the onset the tricky syncopation seems to have more in common with Mars Volta than Kamelot. The vocals are filled with the kind of refined power that is required for progressive metal. They are soulful and more along the lines of Pain of Salvation than any operatic bellowing. They have some mathematics to some passages. The switches between the acoustic passages and the heavier riffs is well executed. This album's production all the way around is pretty spot on for their ambitious playing. They are melodic with out pouring on the cheese. Opeth and Porcupine Tree and both fair reference point, if we are talking about Opeths non-death metal days.

There is a slithering Tool groove set against the vocal melodies of "Slow Down" before the Kings X like prog sets in. They wait to slow down and get introspective on "Open Sky". There is a slight 70s prog tone to the keys. The singing is both emotive and original on this one. Its mid way into the song until any metal undertones begin to simmer up. These are kept at an more Led Zeppelin like intensity. They step into almost a folk metal place with the strum of the guitar on "Fading Out". This is not the only odd flirtation with other genres as I hear traces of 80s pop on the verse to "On the Barren Ground". They get closer to the Queensryche worship most prog-metal bands are all about on "At the Same Pace". They funny thing is they seem to be taking more cues from post-Empire Ryche than taking hold of the flame.

The title track finds the band getting a few degrees heavier, before flipping over into a more Porcupine Tree like acoustic verse.Honestly after reviewing the new Muse album earlier today I would say Kingcrow put more work into fine tuning the vocal melodies than Muse did. Sure Matt Bellamy might be the better singer, but when you are just dialing it in it doesn't matter. The end on a more introspective note than the album began on with delicate vocals and acoustic guitar that leads into a gradual build until it only goes metal for the final minute.  While this album is not metal in the strictest sense it has enough balls to appease fans of the proggier varieties. I'll give this one a 9 since it is so well crafted.

Interview : Mirai Kawashima of Sigh

I recently got to catch up and pick the brain of Sigh's main man Mirai Kawashima to discuss the new album "Graveward" and the ghosts of metal past present and future.



With "Scenes From Hell" you took a sharper turn into a more progressive sound, "Graveward"retains that but steps back into a more metal direction as well what inspired this?


Mirai : The biggest inspiration on this album is 70s / 80s Italian zombie flicks. At first I was planning to make it filled with old keyboards like Minimoog, Mellotron, Hammond, Fender Rhodes etc. as a dedication to those movies. The final result was pretty much different from the initial plan, but I think you still sense the atmosphere of zombie movies.

I'm not sure what you meant by "metal direction", but "Graveward" is filled with mid-paced to up-tempo songs, I mean they're slower than those on "Hangman's Hymn" or "Scenes from Hell". In that sense, "Graveward" is a very metal album. Other than that, the change of guitarist affected a lot on the sound. I'll talk about it later.

There are quite a few guest performers on "Graveward. Of all these guest musicians who has been in the back of your minds the longest as someone you've been waiting to work with?

 Mirai :  It would be great if we could work with Mika Patton or John Zorn.

In most genres aside from metal the guitar solo has almost become a lost art. The guitar playing on this has really stepped up to the next level, Was this influenced by having guys like Matt Heafy around?

Mirai :The reason is very simple. We hired the new guitarist who can play the guitar way better than the old one. Unfortunately we had to fire the guitarist during the recording of "Graveward" because it became obvious that he was losing his passion on music. He started chasing a preadolescent underground idol who has only 10 fans or so and now he spends all his money and time on that crap. It was a tough decision for us to fire somebody we had worked together for more than 20 years, but we had no other way. We were lucky enough to have been able to find the new guitarist, You Oshima. He released two albums as Kadenzza on Holy Records from France. He definitely brought us the higher level in the guitar playing.

I really love the darker direction "The Forlorn" goes in how does this song represent the exploration of beyond the grave horror the album seems to be taking ? There also seems to be less or the more polka or klezmer movements to this album was this done to create a more somber tone?

 Mirai : Well, I didn't think about polka or klezmer music when I wrote the songs for "Graveward". If you hear Klezmer in it, probably it comes from John Zorn. Dr. Mikannibal and I are a huge admirer of John Zorn works including Masada stuff, so there might be some subconscious influence from his Klezmer works.

There are some weird electronic elements to "the Molesters of My Soul" it almost has an industrial feel to it, are you fans of  industrial or darkwave? 

 Mirai :Yes, I mainly love old industrial / Darkwave stuff such as Laibach, Foetus, Big Black, Goethe's Erben, Das Ich, Dead Relatives, CCC CNC NCN, Coil, Nurse with Wound, Throbbing Gristle etc. But influences of the electronic elements on "The Molesters" rather come from more experimental stuff like Karheinz Stockhausen, Pansonic, Mouse on Mars etc.

Thrash metal is one of the more predominate colors you paint the album with. What thrash albums from the 80s and 90s have been most inspiring to you over the years?

 Mirai :The most inspiring album on Sigh's music must be "Into the Pandemonium" by Celtic Frost.
If I have to pick up the best thrash album, I'd say "Power and Pain" by Whiplash.
Are there any plans to tour in support of "Graveward"? 

 Mirai : We will play at Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium and then headline for Metal Magic Festival in Denmark with Candlemass and Girlschool. And we will play a few shows here in Japan but that's all planned right now. Now Dr. Mikannibal has a baby so we need to slow down our activity a little bit

"A Messenger From Tomorrow" is a song that really stands out to me. Aside from the slower pace there places where vocals have some really lush textured layers with the more growled providing a counter point. What others roles do you see the harsher vocals taking in you music? 

 Mirai :Harsh vocals and singing ones are two totally different things. Harsh vocals can express something which singing ones cannot and vice versa. For example, if you want to express fear and pain, obviously you have to scream. Also I believe the harsh vocals are strictly connected to English, which is a very rhythmic language. I think music such as thrash metal or hip hop which does not have the clear melody line is a spawn of English.

Some people might not know You guys were at the forefront of the second wave of black metal that came out in the 90s along side bands like Darkthrone. At what point did you feel black metal was too confining for your growth as a musician? What are your thoughts on the current state of black metal? 

 Mirai :To be honest, we never thought like we started as a black metal and soon grew out of it. It's either we're always a black metal band or we never are. It's just a matter of definition of what black metal is. The Second Wave of Black Metal was born more or less as a resurrection of 80s evil thrash metal like Venom, Bathory and Hellhammer which was considered to be completely out of date in the beginning of 90s. In that sense, we had exactly the same intention. Also the word "black metal" does not its musical style any more. All the bands like Emperor, Beherit, Alcest, and Deafheaven are often labeled as black metal but probably people who know nothing about black metal will not be able to find the reason why they all are pigeonholed under the same category. So if we still need to pigeonhole our music style, I'd say it's black metal.
I must admit that I am not a black metal expert. I know EVERYTHING about 80s thrash metal, though. Honestly I have never kept up with black metal even from the early 90s, I'm not the right one to say something about it.

Thanks for allowing me to pick your brain.

Arcturus : "Arcturian"

ICS Vortex was one of my favorite things about the classic line up of my guilty pleasure... Dimmu Borgir. His long running side project, which is his long running main project now, aside from the iffy solo album he released, is what I would suggest if you asked me what steam punk metal should sound like. Similar to Borknagar but much more theatrical, they balance the power prog cheese with a darker and heavier element that doesn't not require twenty sided dice in pocket, though they wouldn't hurt. The first album in ten years There is a Nightwish folk metal feel to "Crashland", but the exotic scales and intervals his vocals employ give it a darker current. Of course when your band has three ex-members of Ulver you can expect some folk elements. His vocals don't sound quite as powerful in fact they have more of the strained tenor to them that Roger Waters voice carries , could just be a stylistic choice . He doesn't each for the skies with the same epic flare he did when soaring into Dimmu songs.

At the opening song they employed some electronic elements that  gave the sound a more modern touch. They return to that on "Warp". They also succeeded in doing this by embracing more black metal moments on "Angst"  though some of the blasting makes the song feel rushed. They back off into a more Pink Floydian elegance on "Game Over". Hellhammer's drumming is stellar as always I enjoy him playing something other than black metal to here how those chops are applied to other styles.  "Demon" has a dense and discordant sound and industrial undertones. I like it's dark, it just not the most layered song on the album.

Vortex's get back to a more epic place on "Pale".The  more trippy introspective side of the band returns on "the Journey" which is filled with cool sounds , but feels more like an intro or interlude than a song unto it's self. "Archer" has big Phantom of the Opera keyboards, but the other Andrew Lyod Weber staples step aside in favor of big-top prog.This song does take more dynamic dips than the others. "Bane" closes the album on a dark synth slathered note, they tend take you on a roller-coaster of double bass that spill you out into another carnival like frolic. Over all an enjoyable listen , but they played it a little safe, I'll give it an 8, but fans of cheese drenched prog metal, who probably take it too seriously to think of it that way should round it up. Worth a listen from fans of any of the bands the members of Arcturus have played with...yes, Emperor  fans too.

John Zorn : "Simulacrum"

How do you review a John Zorn album? This is the question I find myself asking this slab of wonderful weirdness, that for him is more accessible than his classic "Naked City" album. He has put John Medeski together with the guitarist from Cleric, who I had no clue could shred like this. Yes thats right it's the dude from Medeski, Martin and Wood, playing with a dude from a metal band. I wonder what Medeski thinks about the chug that opens "Marmarath" which at just over five minutes proves to be economic for the type of jamming he is use to. While this is pretty cool, I don't really hear Zorn on this one. It's mainly Medeski soloing over the crunch. There is more Crimson and Zappa influence on this one than what you normally here from Zorn. Though your really stupid friends might try to compare this to Dream Theater.

"Snakes and Ladders" shows that yes before Mr. Bungle was imitating the jumbled kitchen sink of disjointed jazz Zappa played with, Zorn was doing it. Here though such lines are not as evident. It almost reminds me of the Black Sabbath album where all of Tony Martin's vocals were harmonized n a way to make him sound like Alice In Chains. This is redeemed by the more original groove to "Alterities" . This is jazz , but moving with snake like sinew in South America. Before the obnoxious "yyz" like accents bang in and things get noisy. "Paradigm Shift" brings in a thicker Tool  infused syncopation before blasting off into something more metal. At times it just needs Maynard chanting in the back ground" Letgotoletgoletgotoletgo" .

The album ends with the twelve plus minutes of the "Divine Comedy". It only takes a minute for the deliberate metal riff to come in, then the keys and guitar combines their dazzling powers to float you away and drop you back down into the jazz Odyssey. Yes, the puppets were supposed to be opening up. At the seven minute mark there is a nice melodic section and you begin to think perhaps this album wasn't just about Zorn watching these guys jack off. The actual elements of a song appear again making this one of the pieces that most closely resembles a song, even though this is Zorn's most accessible work, even when he drifts into the Twilight Zone. This might not be Zorn's most original work and it could use more of him actually playing, rather than just being the puppet master, but it is better than the bulk of the prog coming out today so I will give it as 9 as you have to respect every one on this album and Medeski's playing is pretty inspiring.

Nightwish: "Endless Forms of Beautiful"

I have liked Nightwish more in the past than you thought I might have. 2007/ 2008 was the peak of my interest in the band. Now after replacing their replacement singer the band have thrown their new singer t the wolves on the new album. It sounds like they want to carry more than her fair share and she need their help on this one. It doesn't sound like she finds her voice until "Elan". I have noticed this about the bands previous work , but on this album it's more apparent that they should be making soundtracks for melodramatic anime.

These songs begin to make you think that her voice doesn't have the balls to it their previous singers have had even when preoccupied with operatics, this is later corrected. The folk elements are still intact, but the band could stand to darken things up, this is way too happy, like the lyrics say they are dancing a jig at the funereal. They do gather a more powerful chug on "Your is an Empty Hope" which finds Floor Jansen bringing more metal to the mic.This would have been a better choice of an opening song."Our Decades in the Sun" finds Floor relishing the songs ballad like qualities. The  guitar here is pretty tasteful, and though this kind of fluff isn't my thing , they are doing a good job of it. It is not unlike some of the post-Roy Khan Kamelot.

The album doesn't find the groove Nightwish needs to be in until "My Walden" then they hit the perfect blend of power-metal and folk that makes them who they are. Floor finally figures out what she is supposed to do with this band. The chorus is pretty happy, but it works for Nightwish and is consistent in the type of post- "Once" metal they kept churning out after Tarja left. The title track ebb and flows with another good cross section of metal with pop folk. To me the big choruses are on the cheese laden 80s side, but I also prefer black metal over power-metal. The intro of "Edema Ruh" sounds like it's going to go into something from a Disney princess film, but breaks down into a more subdued pop. There is some impressive guitar work sprinkled over it all.

"Alpenglow" sticks to a formula that at this point in the album is beginning to feel worn out. Sometimes Floor's melodies carry a little more bite than others. While she is going out saying it's the leak of the first single that is ruining the albums sales it's more likely going to be word of mouth that her studio debut with the band is pretty lukewarm. "The Eyes of Sharbut Gula" really needs to bring it at this point, but it's just an interlude leading up to the twenty three minute epic" the Greatest Show on Earth". This is a dramatic symphonic build for the first six minutes until any sign of rocking out occurs after a brief narrative. It finally gets heavy. Floor voice is coated in effect making me wonder why this hasn't been happening for the rest of the album. The first hints that she might actually be the soprano her bios all say she is. If she is she must be a second soprano, she doesn't wander to much above an alto register.They are none the less ambitious here so I'll give this an 8, but I don't think it's an album that I need to own.

The Top Ten Metal Albums of 2014 .... so far

Metal Sucks has put out their progress report card for the year, and gods know the sort of  mall metal those guys are pushing, with exception of our friend Grim Kim . So it is time look at whats the best of real metal, according to my Last FM, this is based off of what has been in the heaviest rotation on the ole iPod so here we go.

10- Black Anvil's "Hail Death"

It is losing a little steam with me now , but when it came out this slab of hooky black thrash with the hardcore leanings the band tried to deny got quite a few spins.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/04/black-anvil-hail-death.html

9- Young and In the Way -  'When Life Comes to Death"-

Not sure if this one will make the purge for the road trip to the beach this week, but it's dark metallic hardcore tinged with black metal, that is darker nastier and heavier than the Black Anvil album, often making me think of what Converge might sound like if they were less spastic and into black metal.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/05/young-and-in-way-when-life-comes-to.html

8- Hexis-" Abalam"-

This might be the heaviest album of the year. That doesn't mean it's the most well written, but to be as heavy as it is there is something there in the songs to have earned this many listens or I was a lot angrier earlier in the year.
http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/01/hexis-abalam.html

7-Kampfar -"Dejevelmakt"

Behemoth might have made it on many lessor lists, this album hit the place for me that Behemoth use to when they were worth half a shit.
http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/01/kampfar-djevelmakt.html



6- Cynic -"Kindly Bent to Free Us"

Since coming out of the closet, you have to rethink the meaning of the album title. This almost isn't metal , but it is well written and well played and likely to see a return for the beach trip.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/02/cynic-kindly-bent-to-free-us.html

5- Alaskan - "Despair Erosion Loss"

The vocals are what hinder this album for me , but there are some great riffs and dynamics other wise that had me returning to it. Not sure if this will make it to the top ten of the year or not.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/01/alaskan-despair-erosion-loss.html

4-Night Fell- the Living Ever Mourn

So here we get into the following four bands that have the staying power to make the end of the year list. This hits all the right dark spots for me to have staying power.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/02/night-fell-living-ever-mourn.html

3-Mayhem- Esoteric Warfare

The best "real" black metal album thus far as the two after this one only have elements or used to be black metal. Mayhem keeps it as true as fuck with out sounding shit , nor are they afraid to try new things.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/05/mayhemesoteric-warfare.html



2- Hail Spirit Noir-"Oi Magoi"

This one was crazy in all the right ways. Taking what a band like Opeth does and black metalling it up a t bit without resorting to all the tired old tricks of the trade.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/02/hail-spirit-noir-oi-magoi.html

1- Agalloch-"the Serpent and the Sphere"

The mood of this album has earned it a lot of listens and I am a fan of their past work so was eager to hear this one.  

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/05/agallochthe-serpent-and-sphere.html

Heylel's "Nebulae"

Portugal's Heylel, have crafted an album with more depth than some of the bands they have taken cues from. This is apparent right from  opening notes that drift into your ears with an almost Pink Floyd like ambiance the  super clear tone that David Gilmore used on the bands' latter material, think "Division Bell" more than the Wall"

The second song  leans into a much more Nightwish like arena of prog metal , though I tend to think of this sort of thing as symphonic power metal. There is no shortage of melodramatics and theatrics. The vocals come across crystal clear, the synth sounds are sometimes thinner than I would like, but I get the idea.Sure the Gathering is a reference point, in the way there is some distance given to the chug and the empty spaces help create the melancholy.

The riffage sticks much closer to arena radio metal than the heavier sound Nightwish uses, Lacuna Coil comes to mind in this regard. I think they are darker and have a more sonic and gothic sound than Lacuna Coil. "Alter Ego" finds more soul being infused in the vocals , some of the intervals that creep in bring back the memories of the Pink Floydisms in the intro, though this time it is more "Wall" . It is in these moments where the band steps out from behind their influences and claims their own identity.

The more blatant ballads like " The Sage" I don't feel add as much to the album as a whole since they have already established themselves with this dynamic. The guitar does shine here, but the whole neo- classical thing doesn't really add anything to the scope of there sound since they have already flirted with it so heavily.

Sparse whispered male vocals haunt the periphery of the songs. They work best on "Deeper", which finds the female lead once again wowing you with the more emotive approach to her melodies. The lyrics however don't hold as much weight as her voice , but the harmonies that come in distract you from that fact. The build towards the end of this song seems like it has been a long time coming, as you find your self in need of more rock moments. This even makes me reluctant to call this a metal band.

The "Scarborough Fair" tinged "Wings of Eternity"  showcases her voice, but feels like it needs more of the band behind it. They do finally join in, this occurs in  manner that is not expected as they sway behind the solo rather than crunching into it. This finds the vocalist taking on more of a pop cadence until the chorus finally surfaces, and here their is almost a folk element.

These guys lack little in ability, some of the production choices might have made this a thicker more metal album if  done differently. Not sure how some of this transitions over live as the bulk is power-balladish. The most prog moment on the album would be the cover of King Crimson's "I Talk To the Wind". This version is more lunge crooned and floats over the back drop of shimmering post-rock like guitar. So the artistic choices they made here are impressive because they don't play it safe with this one. Anyone capable of covering King Crimson, has to get some props for doing so in the first place.

The darker groove to "the Great Abstinence" works well. The songs crawls in-between jazz and metal. The syncopation on the verse the singer uses really feels original and fresh.The band works best the more they think out of the box and leave the safe confines of their influences behind. "Sometimes" finds the singer somewhere in-between and Ani Difranco folk and blues.I guess more recent Pain of Salvation could also be a reference point for the direction these guys are heading in, as it seems they started off as a metal band and are wandering into different territory.

With a title like "Embrace the Darkness" you expect the metal to come out in full force. It does capture a dark ambiance, almost like Dead Can Dance.However this song serves is more intro than metal. More doomy chords ring into the climax , but it never explodes like you suspect it will.

I think finding a balance between the metal and more progressive elements they are embracing is going to be where the ext album takes these guys , but for what this is it was still an entertaining listen.The metal moments might not have paid off as much as they hinted at, but with that out of the way I can now listen to this with a better set of expectations, hopefully this review cleared that up for you as well, though taking a listen for yourself  is going to be the only answer, but over all what they do works way more than it doesn't.

Shining : "One One One"

I have never made a secret that I was prejudice against this band due to the fact I liked the Swedish band who held the same name but was depressive suicidal black metal so being their fan I could not listen to a band of the same name. Only metal heads will understand this sort of retarded devotion. How ever feeling betrayed by the Swedish band's turn into Opeth like pussydom I decided to give the Norse band a shot as have been surprised . They are less mall metal than i though a more like a heavier version of muse. Though they never have claimed to be cvlt or

The other point of Intrest bout the band which helped serve as an entry point for me is the fact main man and saxophonist Jorgen Monkeby also has contributed the sax parts to Ihshan's solo albums which is the bands closest ties to black metal.

"I Won't Forget" sounds like what I had originally expected Chinese Democracy turn out like. There's a off kilter guitar that builds into a very Muse like punch before the sax of chaos stirs the pot. Monkeby's vocals fall ofme where in between singing and screaming. By its just screaming that is more thought out in its rhymthmic placing giving it the illusion it is being sung. It makes the chorus pretty catchy and I have found it stuck in my head.

Their flirtation with prog rock can be seen in the first few measures which they go into a King Crimson like roll, that is repeated at various points in the song so, they aren't just letting bloated Dream Theater part flap a out , but every thing remain tightly coiled and focused in its attack. The vocals on " the One inside" don't have the same infectious Quality as they did on the first song.

The industrial undertones flourish, much I. The same way their trapping were used by bands like Stabbing Westward in the nineties."My Dying Drive" finds a little more commitment to the industrial elements like say Static x but there's also an element that reminds me of the cock rock bands of the minties like Faster Pussycat who on their "Whipped" album dipped into some Marilyn Manson elements when grunge wiped hair metal off the map. The guitar and drum interplay retains its adventurous streak and keeps it from becoming to rock.

Monkeby comes closer to singing on "Off the Hook" and this raises the Guns N Roses comparisons again. The Muse styled syncopation still present keeps the cock rock in check and it's this blend of influences which keeps these guys inn a middle ground safe from them falling into one sub genre. I think in America this could play to their favor if they put on tour with a band with at least the clout of an Opeth, Muse has to commercial of a following whose listening habits is to mired in the mainstream for these guys.

They have one foot firmly planted in the nineties on " Black Jazz Rebels" though it comes together as something which could have emerged back in 2004. I don't think that while it tries to be anthemic in some sense this ong really plays up to the bands strength and sounds like some the Wildhearts of Therapy would have done in 96.

The sax parts are this albums strength and the intro to "How your Story ends" highlights this fact. They delve back into more genuine prog when the rest of the band falls in behind the sax. The vocals assume the more Taime Downe type of inflection, which I can live with as I like Faster Pussycat back in the day. The band goes int some impressive Mathy breaks beneath his screeching and sax solos.

The straight forwardnineites style punk metal on " The Hurting Game" doesn't play to what they do best, though it finds some breathing room on the choru only to revert back into it. There are some prog leaning that weave in and out of the shouting over these tenuous drum pattern but it isn't until the sax comes to save their asses that this really comes to together into something noteworthy. They are great players, I get the point loud and clear and earlier I. The album experienced them as not too shabby in the song writing department so not sure why the filler.

The chaos ensues for the spastic beginnings of "Walk Away" the verse seems a little loose though it congeal into the cyber rock normal feel of the what I'm assuming is the pre chorus, the song title shout must be the chorus, they try to emulate the approach that's worked really well on the first song but comes up a little flat here. Their are some Korn like children's rhymes in one part before the guitar solo, which I would like to hear these guys cut loose into a shredding solo as I suspect they are capable of it.

"Paint the Sky Black" duels between the industrial colors they paint themselves with vs the more Muse side, while the bass player and drummer indulge their prog metal leanings. I don't hear them as a jazz band really at any point on the album as all the bag of tricks pulled from are more King Crimson, though without the Fripp ambiance. On this one I find myself wanting a little more to hook me in as a listener otherwise some of it comes across in a manner that might appeal to fans of djent but other than the dexterity involved leaves me a little bored by the monotony , this isn't to say the songs don't have twists and turns. They have it in spades but to pull it all together into a working song requires melody that isn't Monkeby's forte as a singer and he chooses not to go the blatant route as a saxophonist.

I wish there was more sax on this and I think aside from the Muse comparisons, which come it the feel of some of the riffaveratherthan a shared love of Radiohead, I think overall these guys will have some appeal to a broader audience. I will round the score up to an 8 as when I was scoring this album as I went along the impressive opener could have used an extra knod, though I'm not sure how much longevity this one will have , round this down a point if you have a total aversion to mall metal and only like your Cvlt with a hipster snicker as there is nothing ironic to this as they only go big on both preformance and production.

Ihsahn: Eremita

How do establish your own identity and distance yourself from your legacy if you are one of the founding fathers of Norwegian black metal ? If you are Ihsahn you record a trilogy of solo albums. Now that the smoke has cleared from those Eremita marks his first album outside of said trilogy.Fans of the pioneering black metal band will find enough musical key points of the genre to satisfy the more open minded among them. In their heyday Emperor deviated early on from feeling to need to have low production value in order to maintain some type of kvlt ethic and blended grandiose epic songwriting with bursts of chaos. In his maturation Ihsahn has shed the need for chaos in favor of more focused songwriting.

The new album is more of a progression than departure from his three previous solo albums. The hooky chorus of the second song “ the Paranoid” steps further melodic territory. The melodies spread like shadows in the dusk .

The cohesion lies in part from the superior drumming of Tobias Andersen who like the majority of Ihsahn’s back up band play in Leprous. The songs have a seamless flow, listening to a streaming version of the album I leave it on and let it keep playing. in the similar manner of an album like King Crimson’s “ In the wake of Poseidon “

Lyrically there’s a story of sorts going on, the narrative is so introspective, and somewhat abstract so the storyline isn't a distraction and not what comes to mind from the term concept. In several lyrical passages the words paint with tighter stokes to flesh the details of a scene here and there. when the story does surfaces more clearly it is done tastefully and in a manner where the song retains its personality when taken out of context from the rest of the album.
Thematically there is a hope in the darkness,the aptly titled “Catharsis” is one of the album's darker moments , the guitar leaves room for the mournful atmosphere to flourish, and the staccato vocal melody to tip toe in from the back ground.

The guitar tone even in the darker moments retains a certain warmth and organic feel. The distortion is tight but not overly compressed. The layering of guitar parts is the best I have heard from a metal record this year. the chords are allowed to ring while single notes haunt.
The use of clean vocals set against Ihsahn’s trademark larynx rending screams are some of albums most memorable moments. Devon Townsend and Leprous singer Einar Solberg. Both of these singers have a similar approach, their voices hit my ears as a mix of Tripping Daisy alt-rock and Dream Theater.

songs like Something out there, carry a carnival like feel to it not unlike Arcturus. It's this bold spirit of adventure that is the most noted carry over from Emperor along with Ihsahn's coarse shriek, but this album falls into the same neighborhood as bands like Borknagar than black metal. It even shares the same zipcode as his collaborators in Nevermore and Strapping Young Lad, still too extreme to cross over into commercial metal like Dream Theater or Disturbed, this is credited to the European sense of art rather than the more marketed craft of their american counterparts.

The sax of Jordon Munkeby, helps the album distance itself from traditional metal . His playing is a brilliant blend of dissonant chaos and tasty embellishment. makes me forget my prejudice towards the band, since I’ma fan of the Swedish Depressive Black metal band with the same name for some reason the shared moniker irks me.

His guitar playing is no less virtuosic than Loomis, when sort of dynamic are called for. The songwriting is far too focused to allow this album to become a shredders paradise. I do think musicians aspiring or experience would have a profound respect for Ihsahn after giving this album a listen .

With a more vicious bite to it than Opeth, yet less schizophrenic than Sigh, Ihsahn is much more comfortable in his identity. This album is more one solid piece of work than , stand along songs in feel and it's hooks are more cerebral than demanding . Still this holds enough weight to satisfy and thinking metal head and deserves a 9.

Having Grace Under Pressure

Progressive metal has fallen from the pedestal I once held it on. The most vicious blow the recent departure of Geoff Tate from Queensryche, something fans of the band had seen coming as his attitude in early summer festival performances was...umm needing adjustment. They have been one of my favorite bands since I first hear the song " Queen of the Reich". Mindcrime was a monumental album, though Empire was a joltingly commercial affair, I liked when It came out but when silent lucidity took over the airwaves the sellout was hard to swallow as a teenager. Back in 2005 I went back and re discovered the rage for order and warning albums and rekindled my fandom, this was aided by the fact they released string of decent albums around this time and went on to put on a really great show in 2008. So it was heart breaking to read micheal Wilton recount in gory detail the disintegration of their relationship with Goff Tate.

Later that night I finally got around to watching the Rush documentary beyond the lighted stage. Filmed by Sam Dunn who also created the history of metal show and metal a head bangers journey, the fil was filmed in similar fashion with interview clip interspersed in the history.an impressive list of rockers paid homage,Danny Carey, zakk Wilde, Kirk Hammett, mike portents , Russ abbot, billy corgan,. While creatively the band went through its ebb and flow, most notedly their keyboard heavy new wave period, they always held a certain integrity . What Queensryche needs to do is sit down some kind of monster style and watch the rush documentary and learn how to have some fucking class.

Even when Neil pearl pretty much comes out and says he can,t stand being around the fans, he turns around and shows strength of character overcoming the death of his daughter an wife and making a graceful return to stage.

Granted watching recent YouTube footage of the band playing old songs discouraged me because Geddy lee sounds like a mongoloid losing its hearing, as he voice just can't find where to go. So this will be the deterrent from keeping me from throwing down the big bucks to catch them live. Instead I will hold the memory of the last time I saw them ten years ago , where Geddy might not have power it out like he use to but was in the ball park. I will load my i-Pod up with Rush and I'm talking about Power Windows and some of the albums I might not have given a fair shot at the time.

Queensryche's drama continues to unfold now the band has brought in the replacement singer of Crimson Glory to now serves as their replacement singer, meaning the kid clearly has no style of his own and with be a bland star search sounding prog singer who could very well be the dud from Circle to Circle of a second string version of Fates Warning, but will be able to hit note in a mimicking fashion with no style of his own. Lets face it a Queensryche with out Geoff Tate is not Queensryche. I am going to try to refrain from reading the mudslinging to come and when I feel the urge to peak at the car wreck then I will go listen to Rush.

Iconoclast vs Dedicated to Chaos

Two new albums from supposed leaders in the genre of progressive metal, and to be honest both are little bit of a let down. Granted in this debate there is going to be a slight bias as i am a huge Queensryche fan however there most recent effort , though the term should be use loosely as to the amount of effort put into the song writing seems slim, so i could argue that i am going be harsher on the Ryche as i expect more from them. Symphony has the bar held pretty high you would think after paradise lost and if we put these two albums head to head on a metal forum board , the edge would go to them because it is heavier and an actual metal album where it would be harder to label Queensryche's new as metal. Though it's not a wimpy as i was lead to believe by the rather Foreigner sounding single.
I can say both Allen and Tate both sound less than inspired in the vocal delivery, though Allen' gruffer tone allows him to get away with it . His higher register stalls out never soaring as it's capable and Tate never really gets off the ground from a croon. So lets hear from the prosecution who lays the same charge against both bands , to be so -called progressive both albums feel like a regression , neither break's ground i would call progress or moving their sound forward. in some ways i question the economy coming into play on this , do they feel if they don't take a middle of the road approach they are going to shake the boat ? Granted Symphony x is winning out here as along as they stay heavy a certain metal head fan base is going to stick by that . But i have had a problem listening to this album because all the songs sound the same , and even though it's heavier it's boring song writing , the only progressive elements are the solo sections, so you have keyboard solos to go along with your guitar solos , i guess this is all it takes to be prog these days, some one should call up Robert Fripp and let him know. They had chops on paradise lost so i know it's possible for these guys to be more engaging , but it really sounds like Russell singing Nevermore Karaoke. As many times as i have tried to get into this album, the sogs run together and become a blah .
Quneesryche 's lyrical content is as bad as the new morbid angel's, though served with a plentiful side of cheese , i like the american soldier album , not their most crowning achievement even the cover album had it's moments nd the lyrics on the new symphony x are nothing to write home about either . to be honset this isn't the first time the ryche has wimped out , do you remember an album called Empire ? i think the difference here is the execution in song writing, you can't say the same level of pink floyd plagiarism, there is a riff holding some similarities to fame by david bowie, and at times comes across like robert palmer's rip tide album for reasons i can't place, after listening to the album , i recall there were six songs i thought i could pass for queensryche , though none of the songs are what i would think of as classics ryche in the least .but those six songs are listenable , the more commercial stabs solicited as singles are plain terrible, wot we do and some other power balled i tried to forgot . the chorus' on iconoclast are only slightly less cheesy, while in the minds of a large percent of metal heads can be sold on heavy alone i think iconoclst might slight in that regard , i guess i have until october to see if dedicated to chaos has grown on me, it didn't make the cut to deserve a download onto my ipod so that is a shaky proposition - fans of bland nevermore ish stuff will dig it and continue to swell there popularity with the mall crowd.
in wrestling it would be called a double dis qualification both bands were counted out of the ring for boring me