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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

Review of Swedish Metal Band Amaranthe’s MASSIVE ADDICTIVE

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AmaranthePress-3-1020x471

Insight to the Brand New Energetic Album from Amaranthe

 

Gothenburg multi genre group, Amaranthe, are famous for powerful and catchy hooks and pummeling riffs.  They create a new and fresh sound on every album that cannot be heard from any band in the world.  Jake E, the birther and lead male vocalist, has created an A Team of brilliant and passionate musicians, bursting with personality through every line of music.  Elize Ryd provides mesmerizing and unendlessly powerful vocals with a poppy upbeat sound, pairing well with Jake E’s Power and Theatrical vocals.  Olof provides masterful riffing and ragingly dynamic solos, bringing the true Gothenburg sound to Amaranthe.  Henrik is the new comer, providing chest growls and intensity, contrasting with Elize’s sweetness and Jake E’s theatrics.  Johan pulls the whole rhythm section together with low booming, hard hitting bass lines that blend in perfectly with the music.  Morten provides heavy perfectly timed drumming, combining with the added beats perfectly.  Every member comes together for a smashingly addictive tight sound, a sound I’ve never heard before.  Amaranthe brilliantly combines melodic metal and pop, perfectly layered under three completely unique vocalists.  No other group in the world can master the mix Amaranthe has created with utter soaring passion.  Amaranthe will continue this journey of power as their third album, Massive Addictive, brings them to the top of European Metal.

 

Massive Addictive is an absolutely perfect title for Amaranthe’s new album, as every track is an ear worm of brilliance.  Every track is roaring and raging with huge sound, exploding and encompassing every sense.  This album is everything Amaranthe is, turned up to a legendary level of pure chest pounding power.  The hooks and beats are perfect and energetic, making you want to jump on the nearest desk and dance.  The heaviness makes you feel that adrenaline rush of a full raging pit at a concert, simply just through your home stereo.  The vocals are performed with incredible ease and mastery, but also a passion that is unparalleled.  The dubstep and synths are used heavily, but contrasted with smashing drums and guitars for a perfect mix.  The sound is overwhelming and the layers are plentiful.   Massive Addictive has succeeded all expectations and muted every negative thing ever said about this band’s music.  It is purely incredible.

 

Massive Addictive opens with an uplifting power track, Dynamite, that fits Amaranthe’s inspiring themes and explosive energy.  The chorus and verses are catchy and powerful, like “The Nexus”, injected with adrenaline.  Right away Massive Addictive pulls you in with purely tantalizing and mesmerizing power from every vocalist and every instrument.  Drop Dead Cynical, the lead single, provides fast paced rhythmic epicness, bound to repeat in your head upon first listen.  Jake E and Elize’s attitudinal vocals on Drop Dead Cynical what really pull you in on this particular track, as well as sick riffage from Olof.  This song is definitely the perfect mix of heavy metal and pop beats.  Trinity is a blazing rhythmic breakdown track, with all three vocalists having equal parts throughout the song.  It is inspiring and uplifting, providing an anthem that begged to be written all along.  Elize’s innocent and sultry vocals on this song rival “Amaranthine”.  The title track off the album, Massive Addictive, encompassess the main meaning of the name, building up into a heavy punching hook.  They really put everything they had in their hearts, minds, and talents into this entire album, and it impresses more and more with every song.

 

Digital World is a revolutionary new age metal track that touches on the world’s obsession with technology.  It is one of the heaviest tracks on the album, making it a true hit and gem.  The chorus is a new level of catchy with perfectly harmonized vocals from the clean singers.  I also enjoyed Henrik’s opening lines on each verse.  The bridge is a highlight of Amaranthe’s  pummeling and heavy side.  Digital World proves Massive Additive is Amaranthe’s heaviest album yet and that their dynamic sound can keep growing and expanding.  True is a slow mesmerizing power ballad with brilliant harmonizing and a beautiful piano track under the millions of layers.  Elize’s vocals shine on this song, showing masterful control and a range that can lift you off your feet.  True is Amaranthe’s best ballad yet.  True is stunning, beautiful and inspiring, as well as innocent.  Unreal lets each vocalist shine perfectly with a rhythmic groundbreaking track, suiting well to fighting movies and video games.  Olof’s solos get better and better with each track, Unreal containing a Van Halen and classic rock sound.  I knew Olof was underrated as a guitarist, but this album proves he deserves to be on the short list for best guitarist.  Over and Done is a personal and soft track, a true brilliant power ballad of man and women versus the world.  It pulls the listener in better than any track Amaranthe has ever created.  The innocence of Over and Done is so addictive.

 

Danger Zone puts listeners back on their feet with an adrenaline rushed and aggression filled track, Henrik setting the tone with chest rattling growls atop technical instrumentation.  Danger Zone is the most metal themed track on the album, also containing a screaming and shredding guitar solo.  Elize also puts her two cents in with an incredible high note in the bridge, as well as background vocals containing masterful and flowing runs.  Skyline shows Amaranthe can soar through the atmosphere with limitless dynamics and technicality.  This track also has a solo that captures my attention as it is one of the longest guitar solos from the band.  The bridge is purely instrumental, allowing your ears a break from the captivating vocals, showing true musicianship.  Massive Addictive speeds up with pocket riding track, An Ordinary Abnormality, perfectly rhyming in this epic Power metal track.  Morten shows his speed and change up skills on this track, with insanely technical and hard hitting drum beats that are front and center.  This is one of the best instrumentally written tracks Amaranthe has ever done.  The album suddenly closes with the innocent and driving track, Exhale, showing the honest and passionate side of Amaranthe beautifully.  Exhale is the perfect closing track, as you let the album flow through you like an intense action filled movie.

 

Massive Addictive is the best of Amaranthe’s talents yet, as the band continues to find themselves in the ever changing world of music.  Amaranthe has created something unique, something tantalizing, and something you just have to hear to believe with this latest album.  Their music has always been hard to put in one genre to describe it, but now I just see their music as indescribable.  Every aspect, every layer, every piece of this album sounds perfectly executed and produced.  Massive Addictive also gives each member a chance to shine.  Passed albums Elize tended to dominate with power.  Now, Amaranthe are as tight and as talented as ever.  Upon three listens, you may realize the album is truly addictive.  I cannot get enough of Amaranthe or their new album, Massive Addictive.

 

Rating 9/10 Massive Addictive is Amaranthe’s most solid album yet and is hands down in my top 5 of best metal albums of 2014.

Official Website: http://www.amaranthe.se/

Drop Dead Cynical Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdyExxpd3Pg

Trinity Lyric Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2e_3ZnJcTE

Review of the New Hammerfall Album Revolution

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I’ve been talking about Gothenburg metal a lot lately with new At The Gates and In Flames albums coming out this year as well as Amaranthe.  Being a huge fan of what Gothenburg has to offer in the metal scene, I surely cannot look over Hammerfall.  The Swedish Power Metal band has been creating anthemic metal since 1993.  Hammerfall began a new era in Power Metal and began my crusade for European in America.  Hammerfall is one of the most influential Power Metal bands ever, Glory To the Brave and Legacy of Kings attribute to their powerful reign of metal all over the world.  Those are two of my favorite albums of all time.  Hammerfall is certainly not Swedecore, but their own genre alone.

 

After an almost two year long hiatus, Hammerfall are back in 2014 with (r)Evolution, their brand new album.  Their ninth album is a huge departure from their last, Infected (2011).  It is a throwback album to Hammerfall’s roots and their best characteristics.  The album is a perfect cross between Glory To the Brave, Legacy of Kings, and heavier guitars from Nikas and Pontus.  The guitar solos are screaming, fast, and placed perfectly in the pocket.  (r)Evolution just has that powerful sound that takes you back to the days of sword battles and the fantasy world of conquest and dragons.  It has every ingredient that the fans wish for in the typical Hammerfall album.  Joacim Cans is of course the biggest contributor to the band’s sound, with his mighty and powerful lead vocals, perfectly executed on every song.  (r)Evolution is the best album from Hammerfall we may ever get.

 

The album opens with the epic anthem, Hector’s Hymn, with a powerful viking edge to it that their last album was absent of.  The trackhas absolutely amazing vocals, epic Speed Metal guitars, and perfectly executed technical drums.  The title track, (r)Evolution, is spot on with Hammerfall’s anthemic sound.  The second track starts out slowly building, then a great powerful high note, and then building faster and heavier into another amazing fist pounding anthem.  The softer verses on this song are what makes this song perfect, giving a great dynamic to the album.  Bushido is reminiscent of their first album, but so much cleaner and well produced.  This song has the typical dynamic and does tend to fall flat after the first two songs.  However, Bushido is true to the story of the warrior.  Live Life Loud is yet another slow building power anthem, but the guitars are harder hitting and more interesting on this song than Hector’s Hymn.  Live Life Loud sounds like a tip of the hat to Judas Priest and Iron Maiden.

 

Ex Inferis is a darker, more intense, harder hitting song and breaks the album up from the typical anthemic song.  This song specifically shows Hammerfall went for a lyrical and vocal based album than Infected.  We Won’t Back Down speeds things up and finally turns the bass up more.  The song features vocals from the brilliant and powerful James Michael from American rock band, Sixx Am.  He is featured throughout the album singing the lower parts, adding contrast to Joacim’s soaring high vocals.  James was also featured on Infected.  In true Hammerfall style, (r)Evolution has it’s well executed beautiful ballad, Winter Is Coming.  This song takes me back to Legacy of Kings in such a vivid way.  Winter Is Coming is one of the best written songs on this album, however I expected it to be a little more long and epic.  Origins is a very interesting Celtic Speed Metal song that I absolutely love on this album, having a more rhythmic feel to it than other tracks.  Tainted Metal is a stomping track, having guitars a bit more in the forefront to keep the vocals from being too repetitive throughout the album.  The snare however gets repetitive on the verses and drowns out the other instruments too much.  Evil Incarnate is a dragging, technical heavy song, that delivers adequately with typical Hammerfall sound.  The album closes with a bang at the track Wildfire, a fast intense ride that brings (r)Evolution to life, giving every musician their final say  It is a perfect epic jam to close a well produced Hammerfall album to an end.

 

Overall (r)Evolution is a well executed and well performed album from Hammerfall, however it lacks the typical energy the band  usually attributes to their albums.  The dynamic truly falls flat and the vocals tend to be at one level throughout most songs, making for a boring listening experience.  Although this isn’t Hammerfall’s best album, it is everything I love about the band and makes for a reminiscent experience.  I liked everything they put into this album and I am glad to hear them go back to their roots.  Their root sound is what makes them truly great and is the biggest factor  to why this album is overall perfect.

 

Rating; 7/10

 

Also Listen To: High Priestess by Kobra and the Lotus, Maximum Overload by Dragonforce, The Human Contradiction by Delain, Heroes by Sabaton, Fallen Leaves & Dead Heroes by Amoral

At The Gates Reveal New Single and New Album

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Gothenburg Melodic Death Metal band, At The Gates, released their title track today.  Many people thought there would never be another studio album from the Swedes, but the band defied even their own expectations.  The new album “At War With Reality” is based on a literary genre called Magic Realism.  The genre integrates normal reality with magical things or people in great detail.  The band said they would never release another studio album after “Slaughter To The Soul” because they didn’t think they could ever top that album after nearly a decade.  The band from the beginning has had hiatuses, a break up, and several member changes.

The new album should be a large departure from their previous albums.  I expect a very modern, dark, heavy, melodic, and complex album from At The Gates.  Based on the tracks I have heard so far, I expect a high quality and diverse release from the band.

At War With Reality drops October 27th (US) 2014

Listen to the new track here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoJYZITMZAI

I Talk About Gothenburg “Swedecore” and the New In Flames Album

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Gothenburg, the birthplace of Melodic Death Metal and famous for its “Swedecore” sound is one of my personal favorite inspirations for metal.  From the early to mid 90’s, the metal scene in Gothenburg has grown to be refined and full of variety, growing a heavy and huge metal scene in a beautiful city.

 

Gothenburg metal bands include Amaranthe, Arch Enemy, Amon Amarth, Dark Tranquility, and Entombed, At the Gates,  just to name a few.  There is no lack of talent in Sweden in general, but this one city has something magical.  There is a recipe for brilliant metal written in Gothenburg; Melodic guitars, dynamic vocals that switch between a growl and soft delivery, hard and loud pounding drums, and lyrics that seem sad but are truly inspiring.  This recipe never fails to wet my appetite for more Melodic Death Metal.  When I came across another influential band, In Flames, my expectations were high when put in the same category as the first bands I listed.  In Flames unfortunately fooled me into believing bands in Gothenburg will never stray away from the brilliance.

 

In Flames released Siren Charms on September 9th, 2014 as a very anticipated album.  In Flames mixes Melodic Death Metal influence with a more modern flavor on this latest album.  At first listen, I thought they were an American band influenced by Chevelle and Dark Tranquility.  I was shocked to find this band was from Gothenburg, Sweden, because of how mainstream and radio friendly this album appeared to me.  Upon more listens, Siren Charms does have its Gothenburg influences, you just have to listen harder to hear it.  It is not In Flames best album by any means, but Siren Charms dares to break out of the mold of Swedecore.

 

In Plain View opens the new album with a building heavy intro, breaking into a nice groove reminiscent of Arch Enemy’s guitar lines.  The vocals are cleaner on this one, on the whole album to be honest, and lacks some solid emotion throughout.  The album continues with Everything’s Gone, a faster and heavier track than the later with that same cool groove to it.  Unfortunately what came to mind on the clean vocals to me, is Marilyn Manson, but maybe you hear something different and less grading.  Paralyzed is dark and haunting with a dual guitar overlay and better sounding clean vocals from Anders.  I found Paralyzed to be a little more on the Metalcore side, but with Sybreed like vocals.  Next is one of my least favorite tracks on the album, Through Oblivion.  I feel like this song falls flat and is a serious low point in the album, losing the power and groove other tracks have.

 

With Eyes Wide Open, picks the album back up from Through Oblivion, into a more melodic and better composed sound from In Flames.  The song is begging to be one of those slow building epics and it achieves it well.  With Eyes Wide Open  is so good and different that it sounds misplaced on the album.  The title track on the album follows the epic, with a rhythmic driving sound and desperate vocal delivery.  Siren Charms inserts a much needed bit of emotion on the album.  One of the highlights of the album, is When the World Explodes, as In Flames go back to a more European metal sound.  This track features beautiful and enchanting vocals from Stockholm Opera Soprano, Emilia Feldt, which really add an amazing touch to this song.  The single, Rusted Nail, pounds and drives just like it went high on the charts in Sweden and also North America.  It is still one of the best songs on the album.  After that, Dead Eyes comes in and once again Siren Charms falls flat.  This song could honestly be left of the album and it certainly wouldn’t be missed.  Monsters in the Ballroom picks the album back up a bit, but sounds to me like 90% of what’s being played on rock radio right now.  The album finally closes with Filtered Truth, an apt disappointment of a generic song, lacking dynamics and anything to make me want to listen to this album again.

 

Siren Charms was disappointing and sounds like a complete departure from their legendary sound.  I can only hope that they will return to their roots after this flop of an album.