review

“Abyss” Unleash The Archers Review

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Spoiler: This is already my “Album of the Year”

    In 2019, it was revealed that Candian Power Metal Band Unleash the Archers were releasing a new EP. “Explorers” was a bombastic two-track EP featuring a totally different sound from the previous release “Apex”. With Awakening and Northwest Passage going almost viral on Youtube Reactors’ channels, it was no doubt this band is continually growing in more ways than one. Apex is arguably one of the best Metal Records of the past decade. The writing of this band and collective creativity seems to progress exponentially with every record. “Apex” was mountains ahead in quality of “Time Stands Still”.  Northwest Passage showed immense composure and maturity. For a band with terrible luck in bassists and the tough road of being a vastly underrated opening band, these guys don’t seem to give up. It is no wonder why their ever-growing fan base is salivating at the anticipation of “Abyss”. I know I was.

    “Abyss” is a heart-pounding journey from “Apex” through a mysterious path to outer space. It begins with the tame opener Waking Dream, again showing a different side to the band. There’s something more relaxed and comfortable about this entire record, making the slow builder intro Waking Dream a perfect opening to the wormhole. As we descend into the first single Abyss, we hear the effortless blend of Speedy Power Metal, 80’s synthesizers, and effortless soaring vocals from Brittney. This track is one of my top ten tracks of 2020, and maybe even of all time. Its catchiness is addictive in a rhythmic sense, but also lyrically. Power Metal is one of those genres that strives in sing-along choruses, and this album is packed with them.  Abyss is a track deep with meaning and is reminiscent of the popular Awakening. I find the parallels between their records so fascinating and seamless. It’s not short of Brittney’s insane high notes and contrasted low Alto-centric epics, melodic guitars, and powerful driving drums from veteran Scott Buchanan. It’s just an absolutely solid track that I could put on repeat and drift into a dream.

    Through Stars is a track I never expected from UTA, but one I desperately needed in their catalog. It is one of the slowest and smoothest tracks I have heard from the band. It builds, drives, breaks down and is overall super mellow. There is something about the emotion on this track that just hits me right in the gut. It’s reminiscent of Heart’s harmonies and melodies while keeping a rhythmic Queensryche feel. Brittney nails this song in her lower range and shows of nearly perfect diction. This song is a slow burner, and it’s just a perfect change of pace. The guitar solo enunciates the emotions in this one, a throwback to the 1970s and 1980s melodic guitar playing. I expect nothing less from Andrew and Grant, but this surpasses expectations and floats so smoothly. It’s a staggering contrast from the next track that you just have to hear to believe.

    Onto Track Four; Legacy. I have witnessed brilliant tracks from Metal over twenty-seven years of existence. Tracks like Devin Townsend’s Deadhead and Kingdom, Iron Maiden’s Wasted Years, Dream Theater’s Pull Me Under, and many more come to mind that have just blown me away. I find epic masterpieces like this when I least expect it,  Legacy is one of those songs that made every hair on my body pretty much rise in applause. The use of arpeggios and sweeps and general notation in this song is shockingly good. Drummer Scott Buchanan truly shines on this track from blast beats to swing beats and masterful fills. This song doesn’t build, it explodes. Dare I say it’s the most epic track of the year. Where it lacks in catchiness, it picks up in immense emotion as they search in the vastness of space for the Shadow Guide. However, upon first listen, this song strikes me as a power ballad in disguise, and god knows there’s nothing wrong with that. This song shows the dynamite of talent coming from every member of this dark horse Power Metal band. Andrew is shockingly fast and accurate on this track with dueling brother Grant. The guitars beat the hell out of anything I’ve heard since Devin Townsend’s “Empath”. As for the vocals, I am a complete vocal nerd, and this song is a requiem of multi-layering of vocals. Brittney mentioned exploring “the Brittney choir”, and you get a taste of it on this perfect song. The mastery of vocal lines and harmonies in Legacy beats any female vocalist of the decade. It is sure to encapsulate every fiber of your senses, sending complete chills through my body upon first listen. The use of notes picked from the arpeggios into a smooth behind-the-beat powerful vocal is one of the most virtuosic talents I have ever heard. I didn’t expect a Prog Metal track with blast beats from them, but it is everything I have ever wished for in a song.

    It is hard to follow up such a table-turning bombastic song like Legacy, in my opinion. But, the band continues to awe with Return to Me, aptly named. It returns, ironically to their Extreme days with always amazing multi-harmonic growls from Grant, in contrast with ever-soaring vocals. This track is epic, even by Power Metal standards. The speed of this band is ungodly. It’s a huge departure from the rest of the album in a big way as it lacks synths. It’s just so raw and angry and driving as they face the “Space Matriarch?”. Then, there’s the jaw-dropping single of Soulbound. This track, in my opinion, is unlike anything we’ve heard from this band yet. It is eloquent and so floaty, almost painting a dreamscape with the brilliant vocals alone. The high note, in the shocking harmonic range, just proves Brittney has absolutely no limits with her voice. I have never heard anything like this. It’s just such a powerful Single with some of the catchiest lines from the band. The tightness of this band is always staggering, but Soulbound is a whole new level. Scott’s fills on this song cemented him as one of my top three drummers. This track is just effortless, passionate, and mesmerizing. I cannot get enough of the melodic guitar lines on this one.

    Faster Than Light awes with more pounding and driving speed with Dragonforce riffs, the classic opening scream, and composition that proves Malmsteen was always overrated. This song is going to be a favorite of the fans, with a catchy “escapist” chorus, and absolutely epic verses. In typical Unleash the Archers fashion, it breaks down and showcases the neoclassical brilliance of this band. It’s just heart pounding and so solid.  The Wind That Shapes the Land signals an ending of the battle between the Brothers and the Matriarch, signaling a victory is imminent. It’s a back and forth battle, a true throwback to the epic thriller General of the Dark Army. Again, the range of this vocalist is just head-shakingly large. The classification of Alto is hardly appropriate. They should make a new class for Slayes. This song uses so many voices and octaves. The changes, the timing, the building into a less catchy but epic chorus is so well composed. The bridge is one of my favorite parts of this record as well, almost a breathing section into insane guitar solos. It’s a song that feels as though it could go on forever, but also ends much too soon. This is one of the most interesting and unique songs I have ever heard.

    I am all in for a damn good sing-along, especially in Power Metal, and Carry The Flame, is such an 80’s jam in the best way. It starts out super catchy and slow-building, maybe even modestly holding back. The soothing voice of Brittney is jolted away as Andrew comes in with immense power and tone on the second verse. His vocals are a nice edition, but I desperately hope this is just a single feature track. The harmonizing is brilliant on this track, but I find the live harmonization of Brittney and Andrew to be lacking live. As it should be, she is an impossible act to follow. This is the most fun track on the album, and pretty sentimental, but it’s not my favorite UTA track. I feel like it’s more of a bonus track than a final product number. But, I am sure those who were lucky enough to score the Earbook find out how this song ties into the concept.

    The worst part of the album is that it inevitably ends. But, it ends perfectly with the closing track Afterlife.  The track begins uncharacteristically with an orchestral suite done by one of Slayes’ favorite composers. It moves beautifully into a typical Archers sing along with epic booming drums. It’s a sad track but also uplifting, knowing that the Immortal is finally put to rest after centuries. I really like this track overall and find it such a soothing Fantastical track, touching on the Fantasy themes so wonderfully. It’s a closing track, but we are still left with so many questions and wondering if this is truly the end of the story. According to the band, it is. But, where will we go next?

There is no ego on this record. There is nothing pretentious or overreaching. It’s just amazing, clean, heavy, balanced, Power Metal with nostalgia. However, to some long time fans and listeners Abyss is a very world spinning change, but it’s a change we needed for one of the worst years this planet has ever seen. The light and positivity as well as the themes of togetherness and joining to conquer something are very appreciated. I feel like this is a Legacy of a record to be passed on from generation to generation. It is a quintessential Power Metal album. It signifies the stamp of uniquity Unleash the Archers has imprinted upon this century of metal. I can’t wait to hear more.

 

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“The Heart of the Matter” by Triosphere Review

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Triosphere, a band that has toured with some of the best Metal bands around, has released a brand new album in 2015.  Triosphere is a Norwegian Melodic Heavy Metal band with killer power vocals and excellent low bass lines from Ida Haukland and speedy melodic guitar riffs and solos from Marius “Silver” Bergesen and Tor Ole Byberg.  They also enlisted new drummer Kenneth Tarneby from Course of Fate.  The band began in 2004 as a trio of musicians, but toured with another guitarist for awhile until making him an official member.  All music and lyrics are written by Ida, who has a very unique sound to her voice and bass playing.  All these members combined with sublime writing is surprisingly grabbing and catching, pulling you in from the intro immediately.  One of the most unique aspects of this band is the guitar work and the gritty but epicly powerful vocals.  These aspects sound drastically refined and matured, making their new album “The Heart of the Matter” pretty excellent.

 

I hadn’t heard this band before their new release and went into the album blindly, not sure what to expect from their listed styles.  I didn’t expect a band this amazing or such an addictive mix of sounds that are familiar to Power Metal, but so different from the music I’m used to coming from Norway.  The Melodic nuances in Triosphere’s brand of Heavy Metal is unlike anything I’ve heard.  The vocals are all over the place with power, technique, and style on “The Heart of the Matter”.  There’s so many different vocal styles used from Ida, it is almost like having two different lead singers on nearly every song.  The guitars are very mixed bag as well, ranging from speedy technical tapping solos, to shredding, to slow and droning melodic solos.  The bass is pretty audible throughout every track and is definitely one of the best aspects to the range of music.  I also like how loud the drums are on this album.  Normally, loud drums become cheesy and overused, but Triosphere really balances it well.  These high quality and remarkable aspects are constant throughout the album and make it very noteworthy in 2015.

Tracks like Steal Away the Light, The Sphere, and The Heart’s Dominion off of the album really stand out because there’s really nothing out there quite like them.  Remedy is also a killer melodic track, showing some different styles and breaks in Ida’s voice as well as a different take on guitars.  Overall, “The Heart of the Matter” is incredibly solid and really catchy all the way through.  There is nothing overused or redundant about the album, which is becoming a limited trait in Heavy Metal these days.  As for the power vocals, it is a matter of taste on whether or not you think their cheesy or over dramatic, and I definitely do not have this opinion.  The vocals on this album blew me away and I found them spectacular.  Triosphere absolutely captivated with this new album and captured everything you could ever want in the melodic side of Metal and Rock.

 

Overall Album Rating 9/10

 

Also Check out: Serenity, Nemesea, Kobra and the Lotus, Crucified Barbara, Unleash the Archers

 

http://www.thetriosphere.com/

 

http://shop.afm-records.de/en/triosphere-the-heart-of-the-matter-digipak-en.htmlorig_triosphere

Wolfheart “Winterborn” Review

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What to expect from this album and why buy it:

Wolfheart is a project by Tuomas Saukkonen, the mastermind behind Melodic Death Metal bands Before the Dawn and Black Sun Aeon.  This insanely talented musician from Finland has a reputation for creating the darkest, heaviest, and blackest of Metal bands.  Many fans were saddened when he disbanded all other projects, but it wasn’t all in vain.  Tuomas is back with Black Metal band Wolfheart and has released a bone chilling new album “Winterborn”.  As far as Melodic Death Metal goes, Tuomas is one of the best at what he does, because of his innovative creativity with such a heavy genre.   The album was previously released in 2013, but was recently reissued by Spinefarm Records.  I am lucky enough to be able to review this album in its entirety.

 

“Winterborn” is exactly what you would expect from Tuomas; Dark, Melodic, chest pounding, and atmospheric in a greatly depressing way.  The guitars are shredding and technical with ease.  The vocals are full and grinding and loud, full of emotion and outright power.  The bass is dropped super low and drones through each song, adding depth as the instrument was intended for.  The drums are technical and dynamic, varying from a slow 90 bpm to 130 bpm.  The use of other instruments from acoustic guitars to strings, piano, and synths is also very well executed.  Isolation is a brilliant example of the diversity and vision of Tuomas.  It is uncommon to hear slower and more soft instrumentation in Death Metal, obviously.  But that being said, the album is not lacking in pounding and guttural tracks like The Hunt, Strength and Valour, and Gale of Winter.  The Viking feel to this album is also quite present, meaning this would be one of the many great fitting soundtracks to History Channels Vikings and even Game Of Thrones.

Death Metal is a huge genre, every band seems to have their own style and equation to creating heavy music.  Don’t let genre labels fool you however, most Metal is so deep with different influences and styles.  “Winterborn” is definitely an album that defies labels and expectations in a fantastic way.  I enjoyed the drastically different feel and way of going about writing Metal that Tuomas definitely took with this album.  It’s unique and new, yet familiar and very commendable.  Overall, I think the reissue of “Winterborn” is a good way for fans to get interested in a pretty mysteriously released album.  It’s worth enough for a reissue and a larger audience, because of its immense quality and idiosyncratic sound.

 

Overall Album Rating  9/10

 

Similar Artists:  Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum, Dark Tranquility, Wintersun, Amon Amarth, Ghost Brigade

 

https://www.facebook.com/WolfheartRealm

 

http://www.madsupply.com/en/shop/band+merchandise/wolfheart

 

http://www.amazon.com/Winterborn-Wolfheart/dp/B00Q5OCYKE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421966586&sr=8-2&keywords=wolfheart&pebp=1421966725562&peasin=B00Q5OCYKE

Battle Beast Unholy Savior Review

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Finnish Power Metal band, Battle Beast, is back in 2015 with the most epic album of the year so far, “Unholy Savior”.  The incredibly energetic and anthemic band has a reputation for creating fantastic Traditional Metal sounds.  Their previous self titled album was a hit, containing several gems like Out of Control and Black Ninja.  That album set high expectations, because of the start to finish quality and excellent Power Metal tracks back to back.  It wasn’t the best album of 2013, but more of an unsung hero.  After that album, you expected something of similar caliber, but “Unholy Savior” is a step above.  If you like dragon slaying, battle, and epic soundtracking music, this album is definitely to your liking.  The first time I heard Battle Beast, I was instantly blown away by the immense power from every area of the band.  The vocals are insanely powerful and diverse along with melodic and speedy guitars and perfectly executed speed drumming.  The new album is all of that and more.

 

“Unholy Savior” is an all out epic Power Metal album with everything a fan could want.  The guitars are all over the place, technical, fast, and squealing, adding so much dynamic to the music.  The vocals are powerful and very well executed, each word is easily heard and sang with a true passion.  The drums are a good base and add a controlled chaos sound to the music, making it very dynamic.  I have trouble hearing the bass in the faster parts however, meaning the music lacks that nice bottom end.  And with most Power Metal albums in the 2010s and even 2000s, a lot of the tracks sound very similar and you tend to mistake one for another.

 

Lionheart, Unholy Savior, Sea of Dreams, and Angel Cry are my main highlights of the album.  Lion Heart opens the album fast and furious, with an incredibly catchy vocal line and awesome guitar work.  Unholy Savior fits the whole theme of the album perfectly with mind blowing instrumentation and a great anthemic theme.  Sea of Dreams is more melodic and more ballad-like than other tracks, containing other instruments like a flute and acoustic guitar.  Angel Cry is a moving epic end gamer to the album, summing up the power of the album perfectly.  Speed and Danger is also a fantastic track and one of the fastest tracks Battle Beast has put out for awhile.  These are just some of the great tracks on the album to give you an insight of what to expect.

 

“Unholy Savior” is a spectacular Power Metal album all the way through.  I really enjoyed the subtle 80’s vibe throughout the album as well.  The evocative 80’s sound reminded me of Journey’s use of synths and lead guitar in a good way.  Battle Beast know how to take sounds from an older generation of Metal and Rock and transplant it into modern times, so that these talents can be accessed by a newer generation.  I dare to say that “Unholy Savior” impressed me more than the previous two Hammerfall albums, even though that is blasphemy to my own ears.  Battle Beast is newer and has a whole new sound, not yet stale and watered down yet.  I expect this album and Battle Beast as a whole to be revered and respected across the seas and genres.  Battle Beast could be around for quite awhile.

 

Overall Album Rating 8/10

“Dormant Heart” Sylosis Review 2015

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January 19th, 2015

UK Progressive Death Metal Band, Sylosis, have risen to great success in recent years with their unique and dark vibes in blisteringly heavy music.  Since 2007 the band has pounded out interesting and intense albums like Conclusion of an Age, Edge of the Earth, and the popular Monolith.  They have also released two EPs and an independently released seven track live album.  The band has a certain artistry and ever changing sound that appeals to the complicated Metal listeners.  They combine Prog and Death Metal with grinding Thrash riffs and vocals, creating a much heavier and layered version of Trivium.  It is an acquired taste, but well deserving of special recognition.  I hadn’t heard Sylosis until the brand new album “Dormant Heart” dropped this year.  Immediately upon listening to Mercy, I decided this album deserved a review.

 

“Dormant Heart”  is a mix of hardcore, Progressive, and Industrial sound, making for an unpatterned listing experience with many layers.  Upon listening, you can hear the mastery and work that was put into the composition of this album.  The layers of guitars and the pounding of the drums is much less drowning and repetitive than I expected.  It is a lot more refined, making it interesting and great music to listen to during road trips.  The vocals range from deep grunting to powerful mid ranged screams, adding a much needed diversity to separate this from typical “Thrash Metal”.  Don’t be fooled, you can still hear those influences in tracks like To Build a Bomb, Overthrown, and Victims and Pawns. The interesting Progressive sounds come from the guitars and occasional ambient fills, creating a whole new vibe with each track.  Mercy and the title track really stand out on “Dormant Heart”, because they’re really different from what the other bands in Sylosis’ wheelhouse put out.  The best track of the album however is the last.  Quiescent is such a dark and proggy song, it made me wonder why the album didn’t contain more brilliance like it.  If the whole album illustrated this much emotion and passion, it’d get much higher ratings.   The creativity is well represented and much appreciated in Death Metal.

 

As a fan of Death Metal, I strive to hear an album that is unique and something completely different from the other recent albums in the genre.  Death Metal can be convoluted and you’re typical band is a dime a dozen, but Sylosis strive to be a different band with different sound.  Yes the vocals are your typical growls and screams, in and out of proper annunciation, but it is broken up by dynamic riffs and interesting time signatures.  I notice these attributes the most on “Dormant Heart” than other Sylosis albums.  The growth in this album is quite large, but I am left with desiring more after such a prominent track, which could be done on purpose to pull the listener in.  Whatever the target was for “Dormant Heart” Sylosis did a commendable job at succeeded.

 

Album rating 6/10

“Not Just Tits In a Corset” by Jillian Hughes Kirtland Review

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As a fan of female vocals, I am always interested in learning more about how women contribute to Metal.  Not Just Tits In a Corset should be revered as a “game changing” book, as so many front women in the book strive to utterly destroy stereotypes about women in metal.  Doro Pesch and author Jillian Hughes Kirtland went to great lengths to create this book, that’s obvious from the great quality.  The book is truly a celebration of how far Metal as come with gender equality, but also how much it still needs to be progressed.  The book features the best vocalists and instrumentalists from all over the world, candidly discussing their personal accounts and stories about being in Metal as a woman.  It features vocalists and instrumentalists Cristina Scabbia, Charlotte Wessels, Morgan Lander, Alissa White Gluz, Angela Gossow, Anneke Van Giersbergen, Maria Brink, Lzzy Hale, Elize Ryd, Floor Jansen, Tarja Turunen, Simone Simons, Lita Ford, and so many more incredible talents.  Each account in the book from the contributing musicians is inspiring, intelligent, and honest.  The words written in this book are incredibly powerful and reflect the power these incredible artists have on and off the stage.


Not Just Tits In a Corset deserves to be globally revered and a multi targeted book, as a guide and as a testament to how society is still not handling gender equality correctly.  This book’s message is so perfectly clear and accessible to anyone, not just Metal fans or aspiring young women.  This book has changed the way I will go about reviews on this website.  “Female Metal” is not a genre and I honestly feel mislead by other review sites and record companies.  Women in Metal are still a minority, but the amount is rapidly growing as the trailblazers in this book have inspired so many.  One day, I hope the message of this book is spread throughout all areas of society and not just music.  If you want this change or even don’t want this change, read Not Just Tits In a Corset.  It will inspire you, no matter who you are.

A Metal Insight to 2015

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2015 brings in a whole new year of Metal to look forward to as many bands have already announced new releases as well as amazing tours.  After an exploding year of Metal in 2014, I’m guessing this ever diverse musical genre can only get better.  Whether you like Death, Thrash, Symphonic, or Black there’s probably going to be a release for you in the next coming year.  I say this because the genre has recently grown exponentially, adding thousands of all new bands and a resurgence of Metal popularity.  Also, old classics are coming back strong this year, which means a ton of new music for everyone in the new year.   There are negative sides to it growing and getting more recognition however, as Black Veil Brides is still alive and decently thriving.   Below I will list and expand on some releases and tours that you can look forward to that don’t involve your typical Emo-Rock boy bands.

 

Dark Tranquility With Insomnium North American Tour

 

In late December, Dark Tranquility announced a North American tour with Finnish Melodic Death Metal band, Insomnium.  The tour has already embarked but you can check out the remaining dates below.  I have seen both bands live before and highly suggest them one hundred percent.

 

Kamelot with Dragonforce North American tour

 

A night of Power Metal at its best, what more do you want in 2015?  Kamelot are also currently in production of a new album, sadly without much detail yet.  Check out tour dates below.

 

http://enterthevault.com/artist.php?id=47

Nightwish Endless Forms Most Beautiful, NA Tour With Sabaton/Delain

 

2015 is set to be the biggest year for Nightwish since the release of Imaginaerum in 2011, with a brand new album with a new vocalist and a new drummer, but also a massive North American tour.  Nightwish is easily the most revered Symphonic Metal band of all time, so the wait for a new album has been seemingly long.  “Endless Forms Most Beautiful” is said to utilize the softer and beautiful intricacies of Floor Jansen’s vocals.  The title is inspired by a quote from Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species. The album is also said to have a whole new sound that we’ve never heard from the band.  From the “Making Of” videos for the new album, you can see how hard Tuomas worked to make the new album and truly put everything he had into it.  The entire band has a level of musicianship that is unmatched, so I honestly expect nothing less than a total masterpiece from this album.

 

Nightwish are also embarking on a month long North American tour upon the release of their new album.  This tour is all over the country and features two of the best metal bands right now, Power Metal band Sabaton and Gothic Symphonic Metal band Delain.  There is not going to be a better European tour in the US this year, so I highly recommend buying your tickets as soon as possible. Do not miss this tour.

 

http://nightwish.com/en/news

 

http://enterthevault.com/

 

Battle Beast Unholy Savior  

 

Finnish Female Fronted Power Metal band, Battle Beast, is back in 2015 with new traditional influenced album.  “Unholy Savior” comes out early, January 13th to be exact.  The album features a broader range of styles and different emotional influences than previous albums.  Guitarist and writer Anton wanted to go farther on his “spiritual journey” of music and expand the horizons of Battle Beast’s sound.

 

The Track listing for UNHOLY SAVIOR will be as follows:

 

  1. Lionheart
  2. Unholy Savior
  3. I Want The World….And Everything In It
  4. Madness
  5. Sea Of Dreams
  6. Speed And Danger
  7. Touch In The Night
  8. The Black Swordsman
  9. Hero’s Quest
  10. Far Far Away
  11. Angel Cry

 

http://www.battlebeast.fi/

Sylosis Dormant Heart

Progressive Death Metal band Sylosis are back in 2015 with a crazy technical and shredding album “Dormant Heart”.  With a new drummer, Ali Richardson from DevilDriver, the band aims to come back heavier and darker than ever.  The album drops January 17th via Nuclear Blast Records, but you can preorder it still on their site.

 

http://sylosis.com/

Blind Guardian Beyond the Red Mirror

German Power Metal band are releasing their 10th studio album January 30th, 2015.  “A story between science fiction and fantasy,” explains Blind Guardian vocalist and lyricist Hansi Kürsch. “The story begins with our 1995 album, Imaginations from the Other Side. The two worlds described therein have changed dramatically for the worse since then. While there used to be several passages between the worlds, there is only one gate left now: The Red Mirror. It has to be found at any cost.”  It is their first release in five years and is highly anticipated, because of its recent high mark reviews from Blabbermouth and other popular sites.  For the hardcore fans of Power Metal I can say that this album will be everything you expect from Blind Guardian, no tricks or frills here.

 

Halestorm

 

If you caught any of Halestorm’s studio diary videos or their recent live shows, you know they’ve got a screamer of an album coming very soon this year.  You also know the band is teasing the new album picture by picture, purposely torturing the fans.  The reveal however is set for January 13th.  There are no more details beyond the date and song titles.  Check out more below.

 

http://www.halestormrocks.com/11315

 

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/halestorms-lzzy-hale-on-upcoming-album-its-very-organic-and-unapologetically-us/

Bands in Production

 

Kamelot

Deftones

Soilwork

Fear Factory

Decide

Five Finger Death Punch

Stone Sour

Symphony X

Dimmu Borgir

Soulfly

Paradise Lost

For a full comprehensive list of heavy metal releases go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_in_heavy_metal_music

While Heaven Wept Suspended at Aphelion Review

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Virginian Doom Metal band, While Heaven Wept, create passionate music that is a league of its own.  The band mixes classical styles with modern progressive music to make incredibly ethereal music.  Their last record “Fear of Infinity” was an explosive Power album that contained jam after jam, threading passion through each and every line, weaving brilliance as each track was produced.  This album is rivaled with Arjen Lucassen’s Star One and any Dream Theater album released in recent years.  After “Fear of Infinity” and earlier work “Vast Oceans Lachrymose”, While Heaven Wept was posed with the task of creating a new, more moving, more mind blowing album.  This task was vastly completed with their 2014 album, Suspended At Aphelion.

 

Upon first listen to While Heaven Wept’s new album, you are opened up to a number of transcending sounds throughout each track.  From the moving and saddened strings, to the powerful and smooth delivered vocal lines, to the slow building guitars and drums, this album can only be described as a masterpiece.  The intro track Introspectus is a classical movement, strings and classical acoustic guitar bringing a feel reminiscent of Greensleeves.  The album then drops into the Power and Doom Metal mix with partner tracks Icarus and I and Ardor.  The two tracks are brilliantly melded and crafted together, with a slow building delivery much like a soundtrack to a Medieval movie.  Icarus and I also mixes growling with powerful vocals, mixing perfectly to prove this band isn’t just another Prog band.  Ardor is more moving and theatrical compared to its sister track, bursting with emotion and passion.  Heartburst is an even more moving track, with a slow building piano melody building on top of light synth, all highlighting the soft and deepened vocals.  The build up into the dueling vocals and neoclassical guitar solo is absolutely brilliant and captivating on this track.  This song definitely gives the feel I expected with a new While Heaven Wept album: dark, gloomy, saddened, and uplifted all at the same time.

 

“Suspended At Aphelion” does pick up into the Doom Metal side with the faster jamming track Indifference Turned To Paralysis.  The bass line on this track is technical and played with fast precision, adding a new layer to the sound on this album.  As a bassist, I applaud any band who makes the bass a stand out instrument on albums.  The three part epic track The Memory of Bleeding/ Souls in Permafrost/ Searching the Stars is layered with four thousand different sounds and feelings, without becoming overwhelming and confusing.  The vocals are really unique on this three part epic, containing perfectly harmonized vocals from two well versed vocalists.  This song is particularly catchy and interesting because of the changing tempo coming from the drums, adding even more layers of the music.  Every band has layers, but no one flows through the layers like While Heaven Wept.  Each layer sounds carefully crafted and inspired by this harmony the band always achieves on every album.  Reminiscent of Strangers / Lifelines Lost is evidence of the layers with a slow piano ballad beginning, building into brilliant guitar work with excellent soloing one after another., leading into soft group sung vocals. Restrospectus is an album closer with trademarked strings, leaving you with a feeling of melancholy, yet hope.  It is a perfect way to wrap up this short but beautiful album.

 

The passion, artistry, writing, and well thought out instrumentation and vocal melodies that were put into “Suspended At Aphelion” make it a masterpiece of an album.

 

Album Rating 8/10

Fall Death Metal Highlights

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Fall of 2014 has entailed an assault of highly anticipated Death Metal releases.  Compared to the whole of 2014, this fall has become extremely heavy with new pounding releases.  There’s anything from Black Metal, Gothenburg and Swedecore, to Theatrical Death metal, making for many tastes to choose from.  Below is some of the highlighted releases for Death Metal and simple reviews to give an insight of what to pick up at your record store.  I will include less mainstream releases in deeper reviews later.

 

Cavalera Conspiracy

 

The Thrash Metal band brought to fame by the talented and hardcore Cavalera brothers, is back in 2014 with Pandemonium.  The band is prized for taking Thrash Metal and making it even more extreme, fast, and technical.  With their albums you expect high intensity, demonized lyrics, and an assault of drums and guitars.  The brothers have created their own brand of metal that has become extremely popular in America.  Their previous albums Inflikted and Blunt Force Trauma were scorching with fast and grinding riffs and intense vocals, mixing energy and thrashing with technicality.  Their previous sound was excellent, but their new sound is a departure and even heavier than the previous albums.

 

Rather than being Modern Thrash Metal, the band has gone for a Grindcore sound that is certainly more popular in the 2010s.  The lyrics are less audible and more shouty on Pandemonium, making it a little more hardcore than previous albums.  The tracks have a raw sound, showing that their music is refreshingly not over produced.  The drums are even more highlighted by Igor on this album, with his technical and fast Thrash drumming.  The album sounds like a raw 80’s Thrash album, throwing back to the days of Slayer and Death Angel.  Overall, it’s a typical Grindcore and Thrash album that any fans of the genre will foam over and enjoy every track on it.  It is pure unedited, intense, assaulting, pounding noise, which is exactly what most Grindcore fans and bands strive for.  It is everything you expect in a typical Thrash Metal album, which is why I absolutely dislike this album.

 

Pandemonium is nothing special.  It is a poorly mixed and poorly arranged compilation of pure noise.  Yes the Cavalera brothers have made a big imprint on Metal, but this album does not live up to the expectations of the two.  Everything is uneven and distorted, making it difficult to pick out any good or catchy qualities in the music,  Thrash Metal continues to lack any changes or dynamics that make it desirable for me to listen to.  This album is not even close to the Thrash Metal that was recorded as demos in the late 70’s and 80’s, it is even worse quality than those original demos of Metallica and Slayer and Anthrax.  Pandemonium is a step backwards for metal.

Album Rating 4/10

 

Machine Head

 

Rob Flynn and Machine Head are back in 2014.  The American Thrash Metal pioneers release Bloodstone and Diamonds, a highly anticipated and talked about album that is currently blowing up Facebook dashboards and metal sites.  Of course the band has remained in the spotlight with their recently canceled North American tour with Epica and Rob Flynn criticizing other bands.  These controversial media centered stories have everyone in America talking about Machine Head, making them one of the top artists in rock of 2014.  Finally, the band has the new content to back up the outbursts of new and old fans with Bloodstone and Diamonds.

 

The new album is heavy, drilling, tight, and intense with every instrument in a devilish harmony.  The guitar work on this album is melodic and technical, like past albums, but even more refined.  Each song is different from the rest, some have more melodic undertones while others are just pure Thrash Metal.  The slow parts to the heavy and intense breakdowns show that the entire band put a lot of effort into this album.   It is a huge departure from Unto the Locust, but perhaps in a good way.  The new albums is back to their Thrash Metal roots, which certainly makes the older fans happier.  However, the band manages to preserve a more melodic sound with some clean vocals and dueling guitar parts, making the album more enjoyable to listen to than most Thrash Metal albums.

 

I am not a fan of Machine Head and Rob Flynn’s opinions, so I will admit the new album doesn’t excite me as much.  I have never been a huge Thrash Metal fan, because I find the music to be just pure noise without any true direction or talent.  The genre is full of garage bands who strive to pound instruments as loud and as fast as they can, but not all bands considered Thrash Metal are just noise.  That’s Machine Head’s redeeming quality in my eyes and is why I don’t entirely dislike Bloodstone and Diamonds.  The artistry of mixing heavy and fast playing with melodic and slow characteristics is an incredible quality to a metal band; Machine Head is certainly one of those bands who succeeds at this artistry and why they will keep having highly rated and proclaimed albums.  Bloodstone and Diamonds is much better than I thought it would be.

 

Overall Album Rating 7/10

 

Nachtblut

 

German Metal Band, Nachtblut, bring us a new dark and disturbing album in 2014 with Chimonas.  The band is known for making German Speed and Black Metal with heavy guitars rattling growling, and haunting synth parts to send shivers down your spine.  The band also infuses Folk themes into their blackened metal, like an extreme dark and twisted version of Eluveitie.  The band’s instrumentation is really tight, technical, and all over the place.  The changing tempos and waning rhythms keep the music interesting and far departed from being one dimensional.  While you may not speak full German, their music is honestly still enjoyable and fun to listen.  The well written quality in their music is actually quite surprising and desirable.

 

Nachtblut’s new album, Chimonas, is all of these qualities refined and boosted, proving Black Metal is very much alive.  With non stop heavy and dark tracks like “Gotteskrieger”, “Kalt wie Grab”, and “Schwarz”, the band appeals to the traditional Black Death Metal fans.  Then the band proves they’re anything but one dimensional with softer sorrow filled tracks like “Und immer wenn die Nacht anbricht” and folk metal anthem “Wien 1683”.  The tracks are all incredibly different from each other and while versed in different styles of European Metal.  Every song stands out from anything I’ve heard this year, in a good way.  As far as Black Metal albums go, Chimonas is one of  the best I’ve heard for quite some time and highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys European Death Metal.

 

Overall Album Rating 8/10

 

At The Gates

Renowned Melodic Death Metal and Gothenburg origin band, At The Gates has come to the ears of American listeners with new album At War With Reality.  The Swedish Death Metal band mixes extreme vocals, technical driving guitars, double bass power drumming, and true melodic sounds for an extremely unique form of metal.  Past albums and this latest one also have roots in American Thrash Metal, inspired by Slayer specifically.  At the Gates also differentiates from other Gothenburg bands as they have shrieking vocals as opposed to guttural growls.  The band also doesn’t include dueling soloing guitarists like In Flames and Omnium Gatherum.  They have their own take on Gothenburg Melodic Death Metal, proving the genre is full of unique and polished gems,

 

At War With Reality is an intense, blood curdling, spine grinding Death Metal with catchy melodic undertones from the guitars.  It is a typical At The Gates record with absolutely heavy breakdowns and creative offbeat shredding.  The vocals are typical from the band, hard to understand and sometimes abrasive, clashing with the downtuned shredding.  The vocals on this album sound pretty misplaced in my opinion and make the music sound emotionally flat, lacking any inspiration.  While the album is great jamming Death Metal, it lacks any dimension or meaning to keep you playing the record more than once.  The band may be legendary, but are not immune to becoming one dimensional or a rerun of a record.  Yes, At War With Reality is different from Terminal Spirit Disease and With Fear I Kiss The Burning Darkness, but it lacks any qualities that made those albums Death Metal classics.  It is certainly not the caliber I expected, especially after Slaughter of the Soul.  At War With Reality may be a highly purchased and loved album of 2014, but I can’t find any reason why it is so popular.  Everything is so subdued on this record and plain, lacking any strife or passion in the workmanship.  Either the band is tired and have gone for a mainstream sound, or the mastering of the record has turned everything good about the band down and one leveled.  This album could be a lot better with more time spent on the production and mastering.

 

Overall Album Rating: 4/10

 

Devilment

 

Devilment is a project created by guitarists Daniel Finch and Colin Parks, with the help from Cradle of Filth frontman Dani Filth.  Devilment is a Death Metal project, mixing macabre themes and heavy instrumentation.  The inspirations are typical; Witchcraft, Goth, Erotic themes, and whatever seems to amuse the writer.  The project aims to be a little more mainstream than typical Death Metal and be creative and interesting to see live.  Their new album The Great and Secret Show, is a mix of modern metal and underground metal sound.  It is definitely a unique release in 2014, but is getting mixed reviews from all different metal fans.

 

The Great and Secret Show is unique, but nothing new to music.  It is filled with Dani Filth’s typical grunting and howling vocals as well as his cheeky and creative lyrics.  The album sounds like a mix between “Repo! The Genetic Opera” and a remix of a Rammstein album.  It is definitely more theatrical than Dani Filth’s other projects, even more theatrical and dramatic than Cradle of Filth.  The album could definitely be a horror movie soundtrack, because of the darkness and simplicity to it.  It has an interesting mix Gothic Metal, Thrash Metal, Extreme Metal, and Symphonic Metal blended.  However, the album lacks anything impressive or surprising.  It is a very one dimensional album, lacking any dynamics or any catching sounds.  It’s simply just flat.  The theatrics and themes carry the actual musical content much farther than the music itself, meaning without the mood and Gothic feel the release would probably be a huge flop.

 

Overall Album Rating: 4/10

Ghost Brigade Release New Transcending Melodeath Album

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Finnish Melodic Death and Doom Metal band, Ghost Brigade, are one of the up and coming Death Metal bands as of now, even though they’ve written three absolute pounding albums since their birth in 2005.  The Finnish band melds hopeful and beautiful melodies with dark and heavy instrumentation, with absolutely incredible chest rattling growls.  The melded sound is unlike any metal out there, rivaling Insomnium and Omnium Gatherum in Melodic Death Metal, but remaining their own sound.  What sets them apart is their resonating and trendsetting melodic clean singing from lead vocalist Manne Ikonen.  The band is dark and moody, driving with subtleties and power, making for a sound that engulfs your senses from the first listen.  There is something ethereal, something unexplained, something inaudibly incredible about this band’s sound.  Which is why their new album IV-One With The Storm is one of my favorite albums of 2014.

 

Ghost Brigade’s new album IV-One With The Storm is everything I expected in a new release from them, but it exceeds so much more than my expectations.  The album is as beautifully crafted and melodic as Isolation Songs and as heavy as Until Fear No Longer Defines Us.  The instrumentation is melodic and gripping, with well executed fast playing and driving rhythm. It sounds like you’re the pallbearer in a mystic land, trudging your way through shin high grasses and wet stones, with this album playing as your soundtrack.  It paints so many distinct visions in your head as you listen through it.  Each song is an entirely different soundtrack.  Ghost Brigade nailed their classic Melodic Death Metal sound with this album, and enhanced it to the best possible level.

 

The epic album begins with “Wretched Blues”, a fast strumming track with deathly melodic tones, making a dark and ominous sound.  The over six minute long track has this darkness hanging over it, with light synth in the background.  The song is haunting, slowly morphing and building with infinite layers of guitars and passion.  The sound of this album slightly reminds me of what Type O Negative achieved in their music.  Slower track “Departures” is a different track for Ghost Brigade, featuring mostly clean vocals and a less depressing sound.  It’s a brilliantly written track, succeeding at being something new from Ghost Brigade without being a negative departure from the band.  “Aurora” is an emotionally heavy track, a quality the band polished so well through the years.  It builds up from Death Metal to a melodic verse, then keeps changing with different dynamics and a tempo change.  I loved this track from the moment the band released it and find it fits very well on this diverse album.  “Disembodied Voices” is an ominous and dark track, full of melody and emotion, keeping with the typical mood of Ghost Brigade.  The song sounds of healing and hope, proving the music is just as meaningful as power ballads.  The driving instrumentation of this song pulls you in with a catchy beat.  The lead guitar adds subtleties with mini solos throughout the last half of the song, adding that truly haunting melodic sound Ghost Brigade is famous for.  The outro also includes light synth and muted vocals, leading into the next track.

 

“Electra Complex” is  creepy, mysterious, elusive, soundtrack that takes your breath away with its effortless and drifting vocals and instrumentation.  This song almost sounds like a partner to “Soulcarvers”, with similar guitar work and slow headbanging feel.  It is absolutely brilliant in its delivery.  “Electra Complex” may be one of the best songs Ghost Brigade has ever put out.  Yet another song on this album has left me speechless and with a sore neck.  “Stones and Pillars” changes the mood up from the previous tracks, proving that this album has even heavier tracks than Isolation Songs.  This track is heavy all the way through with chest rattling extreme growls, taking a break from the swaying clean vocals.  Then once again the album changes with melodic beautiful track, “Anchored”, that builds back into a hardcore sound.  The melodic and Death influences sound like they’re in a very heated battle on this track, as the tone switches back and forth like an argument.  “The Knife” is a very rhythm driven track and heavy with all elements from Ghost Brigade.  The use of high, ear piercing synth adds a new eerie and Hallows Eve touch to it.  It is a very appropriate song for this time of year.  The change of style throughout the song is refreshing and captivating too, making a complete new sound for the band.

 

“Long Way to the Graves” is a self descriptive track.  It is a long dragging, influential, slow dark ballad that will move you, taking you away to a completely new state of mind.  This song is beautiful, haunting, and inspiring all at the same time.  Listening to this track is an indescribable experience.  It is deflating and depressing, yet uplifting and inspiring with beauty.  This track feels like a soundtrack for driving through the woodlands of Finland, back from a funeral and straight to a woman you love.  It is an incredible track to say the least.  “Elämä on tulta” is the perfect ending track for this exquisite Melodeath album.  It begins slow and ominous, building into a guitar driven instrumental part, then into resonating growls and synth, continuing to place haunting music in your mind.  This song is every characteristic about Ghost Brigade has ever showed on every album all put into one song.  It is full of energy, unlike any track I’ve heard from the band yet.  The title translates from Finnish to English “Life is a fire”, which is the absolute perfect title for such a powerful track. It leaves you satisfied, yet wanting more.  Ending the moral of the album on an aggressive note, but still filled with the hopeful melodies echoing in your head.

 

Ghost Brigade once again creates the most unique, heavy, melodic, emotive, transcending album of Melodic Death Metal.  They have raised every bar and have climbed to a new height with the flawlessness of this album.  It is resonating and soaring with pure passion, tangible with conviction.  They make you believe that you’re in a deep chasm of depression, but also lift you out with this beautiful sound of hope.  Somehow this band creates incredible emotion filled music, describing emotions or lack of emotions with only three struck chords.  Their music is unlike anything I’ve ever heard, regardless of genre.  The prominent use of clean vocals on this album also makes the music extremely dynamic compared to previous albums, setting them in the center of true Melodeath.  I really can’t say enough good things about this album.  It is rare, but sometimes an album is just so fantastic that it becomes indescribable.  I hope this very descriptive and emotion fueled review is enough to make you listen to this album, as well as check out Ghost Brigade’s entire catalog.  They are the future of Melodic Death Metal.

 

Rating 9.6/10 This album sets the quality bar high for metal at the end of 2014, and I don’t think any other new release will top it for quite some time.

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