Fleshgod Apocalypse : "Opera'

 I have been doing this for over a decade and have yet to cover these guys, which is not a mistake. Symphonic death metal is not my thing. But this album has a fair amount of hype behind it so I will try it as I do like Dimmu Borgir, and there is common ground sonically. Dimmu is darker, and these guys are more rooted in double bass melodic death metal. These guys have more in common with Night Wish on this album. I can appreciate the effort invested in the songwriting and everything sounds great with a really big epic boom to it. On the first listen the first three songs just kind of ran together for me so had to rewind and give it another listen. "Pendulum" is a more hammering tune, with room for the operatic vocals to breathe, rather than hitting you with all the majesty at once. 

"Bloodclock' might as well be Slipknot. There is a decent chug to "At War with My Soul". I like how the vocals sit over it. The growled vocals are pretty straightforward in their delivery, so it's all about where he puts his voice rather than how he gets it there. This album has to be overproduced with everything that is going on. Though the guitar tone could be less machine line and the drums sound like they are triggered and dialed into the chug in post-production at times,. The guitar solos are pretty well done and if you are a teenage metalhead playing guitar, it would make sense to be into these guys. 

"Morphine Waltz" does not sound like a single drug was made during its making, thus had for me to buy. 'Matricide" is catchy enough and they put a decent pounding on it. "Per Aspa' chugs past until the chorus swells up with all of its dramatics. Drama sometimes works, as "Till Death Do Us Part' might be the album's best song. The title track is just a piano outro. I will give this album an 8.5, it works off an effective formula that has enough variation to make it interesting, there was one song I really liked the rest was listenable, but if you are a fan of this kind of thing they are giving you what you want. 

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DÅÅTH : "the Deceivers"

 

After an almost 13-year hiatus, this death metal band has returned.  Eyal Levi is the sole original member, though Sean Z returns to lend his growl to the proceedings. The bigger more grandiose sound of this album is largely due to the addition of Jesse Zuretti who handled the orchestration, synths, and some additional guitar. Obscura guitarist Rafael Trujillo is also adding to the guitar fold. This album features a whos who of guest guitar spots from modern metal bands ranging from Ice Nine Kills to Archspire. Around here we place minimal emphasis on guitar solos, so not going into a breakdown of them for this review. Instead, we are focusing on the songwriting, things like hooks and dynamics. 

The first two songs play to the strengths that this band has showcased over the years by using grooves to display their technical prowess, rather than having their chops as the focal point. This album is more progressive and technical than past releases. Metal has changed a great deal in the decade they have been gone, and in some ways it has stayed in the same. They are aware of this fact , though balancing out what might appeal to fans of today's progressive or technical death metal, they also have catchier more groove-oriented songs like "The Silent Foray".  It also marks the second time on this album I notice Sean dropping from a growl into a more spoken section that is dripping in effects. It works to create more sonic colors, even if they are nuanced. 

Some of the more symphonic sections remind me of Dimmu Borgir without the black metal. Upon first listen, this element might take a few listens to grow on me. They have certainly employed synths and electronic elements in the past, this album just takes them to a more cinematic place. "Purified By Vengence" almost reaches back to the kind of grooves that infected their first album. This also makes it one of the album's strongest songs. It balances the head-banging riffs and the more virtuosic spectacle the new lineup leans toward. 

"Deserving the Grave"  splits the difference between the two polarities this album is pulled toward and should appeal to the wider spectrum of metal heads. The waltzing melody that haunts the background is what kept me engaged. While for the bulk of this review, I have not mentioned guitar solos, the one at the end of "Deserving the Grave' is hard to ignore, and if you are going to play a metal solo then that is the way to do it.  The last song is pummelling enough, and all the sounds captured here are well executed, it is however not the hookiest song of the album, and the vocals do not feel like a crucial element of the song. But the guitar heroics balance things out to where this might go unnoticed, if not given the scrutiny of repeat listens. I will give this album a 9, and see how it grows on me, it is impressive and the next logical step in Levi's creative vision given his classical pedigree. Fans of the band should rejoice as it will live up to expectations. There is an entire generation of young teenage metalheads, who were not old enough for the band's last album, so time will tell how this album sits with that demographic. 

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Necronautical : "Slain in Spirit"

 Symphonic death metal is not normally my thing. If it gets to Nightwish like then I am out for sure. This British band give it enough teeth and hook in the guitars to make it interesting. They begin sounding like songs that Dimmu did not care enough to make cooler riff wise, on the second song. This is still better than your run of the mill death metal band as Dimmu's throw away riffs are still good enough. The guitar playing is nuanced when it needs to be , but it feels like we are often just checking off the boxes for needed metal tropes. There is a touch of black metal to the title track. At this point any band from Europe this is almost a given , unless they are fully entrenched in the sound of their region like say Swedish Death Metal. There are some cool head banging riffs to this one , but the rule here is cool riffs alone does not a good song make. 

"Hypnogogia"  seems intent on sticking to the sounds they have used thus far. Yes there is a shift in melody. This is perhaps catchier than the previous song which relies more on speed. They rock out with more authority when they are pummeling into you on "Pure Consciousness Event".  I breezed through "Necropsychonautics" without really being aware that I was on a new song. So this is an indication that all their songs begin to sound the same to me. Sung vocals come in , somewhat like Dimmu does though they do not sweep in and take over the song. The pace of the song stays the course and they chime in from the background. The higher more black metal like vocals begin to control the mic at this point. There is a gothy symphonic section at one point that is a nice touch. 

The chug that drives "Death Magic Triumphant" works better than many forms of attack they have employed thus far. Upon hearing their cover of "Disciple" I think it is clear this band missed their calling as a Slayer tribute band. Who knew a death metal tribute to Slayer is what this album needed. The best song is not their song is another way of reading that I suppose. I will round this down to an 8, they have mastered the sound and 80 percent of what they do is well done , though not the most original thing , and I do not have a great deal of time to listen to music  I am not reviewing so when I do I stick to what has more of it's own voice, but you might not have this problem.  

Oceans of Slumber : 's/t"

Not sure why I waited four albums in to check this band out. Right from the first song I like what is going on. When the male death metal growls come in they sound more along the lines of every progressive death metal band, so it's Cammie Gilber's voice that gives it a more distinct sound. "Pray For Fire" wanders more . Yes, her voice is soulful, but they do not lock into melodies that have hooks in them. The vocals are way to far up in the mix by the time we get to what would be the chorus. The guitars need to be louder in the mix and have more punch. The death metal part to this song is more predictable. " A Return to the Earth Below" is more interesting, but the vocal layering still feels like karaoke. Her lyrics and melodies on this song are more upbeat and positive than what I feel makes metal.

They kick into " the Adorned Fathomless Creation" as a death metal band. Her vocals kind of drift in. Not a dramatic change in the formula that seems to be in place. She sings really well on " To the Sea" but is more likea gospel song than any definition of metal . Mick from Antimatter lends his voice to " Colors of Grace" which is well done from every angle with very tasteful guitar playing dancing around their melancholy melodies/. Things eventually get heavier on " I Mourn These Yellowed Leave" . At this point in time I am wondering where the doom comparisons of these guys ever came from . The piano interlude doesn't do much for me. The symphonic death metal kicks in on " Total Failure Apparatus ". Her soulful vocals do break it up a bit , but the rapid double bass flourishes make things feel like atypical dark metal. At that point it does not feel as heavy as death metal. The vocals might be a little to dramatic and Mariah Carey in its acrobatics, that is without the shrill head register. But not focused on a solid melody.

I am always going to be conflicted about Type O Negative covers, as they are one of my favorite bands so its like they are sacred. They do a good job with this. Obviously, she is a totally differ style singer than Peter she can't come close to getting down to him most of his notes . I will give this album a 8.5 , enjoyed the listens I gave it not sure if it is something I will return to much , but if you are into very melodic metal like say Daylight Dies with female vocals then this might be what you are looking for.

Misteyes : "Creeping Time"

The beauty and the beast dynamic is at work here. This is heavier than I thought it would be going into it. Death metal vocals clash with the operatic female vocals . The symphonic metal waltzes around with tight chugs. There is some interesting bass playing taking place in the murk of the song. Very progressive in the arrangements, the song is written in movements more than the traditional verse chorus model. They really milk a lot out of the six and a half minutes. With a title like "Brains in a Vat" we can't be too shocked that the second song is more death metal than the first. This Italian band is a little darker than most takes on symphonic metal. "Inside the Golden Cage" finds them conforming a little more closely to the balance of opera and metal that early Nightwish struck. These guys are just willing to take it a little further and dip harder into the metal. There are a few sections here and there that get as theatric as King Diamond or Cradle of Filth.

The melodrama thickens with the piano intro and the more balladic vocal that starts off "Lady Loneliness". She is a talented singer, but her choice of melodies often leans to what dances around the song rather than fits tightest in it like a rock singer would. It builds more gracefully than you might think and flows as well as any other band in their pirate boots. "The Prey" hammers in much harder with the tight double bass of modern death metal. The two styles are not blended as gracefully as they are on the previous song. Their singer hits some impressive notes in her soprano register, she is by and large a Sarah Brightman worshipper. It's not until the song breaks down in the middle that it really hits it's stride. The guitarists and the drummer are all very skilled at their trade and these guys nail the execution. I think some of the pretense could be slightly shed to appeal to my tastes, but for the typical crowd who is into this stuff in Europe it will go over well.

"Destroy Your Past" focuses more on a modern metal groove until the soprano vocals come in. The good cop/ bad cop trade off with the growled male vocals is not overly formulaic, when the growls reach above the guttural death metal style they sound a little like a less annoying Dani Filth.This song is pretty tightly written with only winding drum fills sometimes slowing it's momentum, until the really elegant acoustic passage comes in.It's pretty unexpected, so if you can surprise me you are doing something right."The Demon of Fear" is heavier and has some impressive piano soloing but doesn't draw me in like some of the earlier songs. The Phantom of the Opera homage "A Fragile " feels more like an interlude rather than a song that is cohesive with this album despite the fact this is a part of who they are as a band. It's a fast forward classic to my ears. Of course "Chaos(Awaken the Beast)" is going to be heavier. They play it pretty safe and leave the symphonic elements in the closet for this one. They blend heavy with their symphonic bag of tricks, which you don't realize how much you appreciate them until they set the cello section aside for a song. I think one of this band's strengths is the fact they can dazzle you without taking you on long sprawling prog epics that don't seem like metal songs. "Decapitated Rose" might not be the album's strongest song, but it does high light a good balance of dynamics. the clean vocals are kinda weird as it sounds like the backing vocals from a Frank Zappa song.

 They close with the eight minute "Winter's Judgement". For these guys an eight minute song is really letting themselves thicken the melodrama. When it does begin to build into metal, the vocals have the kinda of rasp that band's like Emperor and Cradle of Filth took away from "Them" era King Diamond. This darkens things up which in turn makes it a easier sale on me. At the strongest moments it sounds like more straightforward Dimmu, but the Night Wish like fringes at a lacey undercoating. Overall this album is surprising and fans of symphonic metal will find a fresh  and heavier approach to the genre. I'll give it an 8.