review

Insomnium Anno 1969 Review

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The Melodic Death Metal titans hailing from Joensuu, Finland have been putting out heavy poetry since 1997 now; So you’d think we would know what to expect, but every album turns out to be more surprising than the last. Generally, if you haven’t heard Insomnium before, you can expect the Nihilistic Finnish downtrodden Death Metal sound but with a modern twist. Insomnium added melody to this classic angry and sad boy sound, converting experienced Death Metal fans and new to the ways of melodeath. Guitarist Markus Vanhala and Bassist/Vocalist Niilo Sevanen along with founder Ville Friman put out brutally epic music that’s a storyboard of Finland throughout the ages. We had ancient Viking history with Winter’s Gate, which is one of the most successful Death Metal concept records I’ve ever seen. We had modern to futuristic trials with Shadows of the Dying Sun.  And now, we have a historical journey of Christianity making its way to Finland with Anno 1696, mixing with the local Mythology Insomnium has always kept true to, and it truly feels older.  

This album blends classic Insomnium sounds that Friman and Sevanen built with melodeath touches from Markus, and then reverberated modern drumming. It feels like a 1990s Death Metal record in a nostalgic yet not derivative way, but with echoey pounding drums. I didn’t expect such a huge modern drum tone from Insomnium, but it works. Insomnium’s DNA of their sound is fine-tuned on this record. It is tighter, more well-composed, and a whole thought than 2019’s Heart Like A Grave.  This album is a perfect example of the quintessential Insomnium sound with some new sounds. Anno 1696 is a mastery of melodeath and shows what Insomnium is truly capable of when they take their time. The tracks White Christ, the opening track, and The Witch Hunter blend their acoustic guitar breaks, melodic on-the-nose leads, distorted vocals, and beautiful folky-clean singing in the tightest and interwoven ways I have ever heard. This album may not be their best, but it is Insomnium straight through the vein.  

Rating  8 out of 10

Composition: 8

Mixing: 6

Lyrics: 8

Technicality: 7

Links:

https://www.insomnium.net/

Zenith by Seven Kingdoms Review 2022

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Seven Kingdoms is an independently funded and run Metal band from Deland, Florida that has virtually come out of nowhere.  Being a band for fifteen years, this band has fought and conquered its way through some hard times, working day jobs and trying to navigate record deals that seemed to be unfavorable.  Napalm Records, a record company I often despise, dropped this brilliant fresh Power Metal band.  Only just having been signed to small Distortion Music Group, this band has gained its success through an avid fan group, funding any releases by fan-backed Kickstarters.  This has allowed the band to explore and shine through their immense creativity and stunning American Power Metal.  Seven Kingdoms is not just a band or a business venture, it’s really a community supporting four great musicians and even better people.  This band has worked their fingers and nerves to the very edge through blood, sweat, and tears to put out music that people need to hear; And “Zenith” is the pinnacle of that hard work.

    The evolution of Seven Kingdoms, from changing singers and being a Fantasy-based band, to “Zenith” is a staggering advancement.  Zenith is a Heavy Metal 80’s fusion record with modern Power Metal synths and dirty riffs and vocals so expertly and powerfully delivered by Sabrina Valentine Cruz.  The riffs from Kevin and Camden echo those of Iron Maiden, Dokken, and Unleash The Archers with immense speed.  I consider SK to be the more heartfelt and accessible sister of Unleash The Archers.  Zenith is an emotional roller coaster, full of emotion and gratitude.  They took their hardships and compressed them all into a diamond of a record.  “Diamond Handed” is a soaring battle anthem with dreamy synths and vocals, mixed with unbelievable speed.  When starting this track, my whole family thought they had Youtube on 2x speed.  It’s a perfect jaw-dropping start to this record and is maybe one of my favorite songs of all time.  And, it only gets better from there.

    “A Silent Remedy” is a perfect mix of old SK sound and the refinement they’ve achieved.  The sheer melodic sense of this track is impressive; layers upon layers of technically perfect vocal lines contrast the heaviness.   This song has some insanely high notes that you’ve just got to hear to believe. This song has a darker feel to it, and it’s a welcome contrast.  It’s interesting and takes time to indulge upon.  Oh man, but “Love Dagger” is a highlight of epic throwback 70s/80s sound that I can’t get enough of.  This song’s quality, rhythmic sense, vocals, and tone just screams 38 Special to me, which is one of my favorite bands of all time.  I love every aspect of this song and could see it hitting the radio.  It sounds old, but there’s nothing like Sabrina’s voice in any decade.  This song is so accessible and relatable, but so high quality and not derivative radio-friendly trash.  “Chasing the Mirage” turns up the speed again with a more Thrash riff and dueling stereo guitar melodies.   The range Sabrina shows on this record is a span I rarely hear in modern music.  Her lower range ins strength and tonal quality remind me of Noa Gruman from Scardust, who is arguably one of the greatest singers of all time.  This track is guitar-heavy compared to the others, letting the two guitarists, Byrd and Cruz, do their thing by killing it.  The chugging riff is grabbing and crunchy, gets your attention, and then the song just goes off.  It’s so progressive and all over the place.  It’s such a different track for them, and I love this new sound.

    The band pays homage to their infinitely dedicated fan base by including newly mastered favorites.  “Valonqar” is an epic Game of Thrones ballad that has impressively long notes and epic thematics.  The melodic dueling guitars pull you in, on top of booming bass, and stunning vocals that float over this melancholy feel.  The long notes held by Mrs. Valentine Cruz are seemingly endless and pitch-perfect on record and also live.  The power of this vocalist is awe-inspiring.   “Empty Eyes” is yet another radio-friendly bombastic riff-heavy track that I admittedly have listened to on repeat for hours.  The lead riff is a perfect hook into this Heavy Metal throwback.  I cannot get enough of this band’s riff sense.  These guitarists are some of the best I’ve heard in a long time, without committing musical masturbation.  The drums on this track feel so forward and heavy, like a march into battle or just down the street to kick someone’s ass.

    “Magic in the Mist” is a cool melodic power track that throwbacks to SK’s fantasy-based days.  It’s dreamy, thematic, complex, and strong.  Zenith doesn’t seem to quit with the epic soaring solos and perfectly executed rhythmic drums.  It bangs right into the Progressive Metal track “Universal Terrestrial” which defines the spacy theme of the album.  This song is staggeringly fast and epic, introducing choirs and a melodic.  This is not my favorite SK song but has a lot of good things going for it.  The backing vocals and vocal runs on some of the outros feel unrefined, almost like an afterthought, which is not up to par with the quality of the song.  I feel like a remaster on the vocals would do wonders for this track.  The Water Dance is a throwback track and another fan favorite.  This is a very strong track with a great groove to it and more juicy Game of Thrones lore.  This song is more Thrash based, reminding me of old Blind Guardian or Man O War in the best of ways.  The breakdown is cool on this song with some delicious solo work.  Life Signs is another brand new track that is full-on Power Metal.  It’s a surprising new sound, building on the evolution of Universal Terrestrial.  I enjoy Sabrina’s lower range on the verses.  This song is well written and epic, the choirs hint at some Devin Townsend influence as well as the guitar work.  It’s one of the more musically diverse songs on the record with a fast chord progression.  I feel like they pulled out all the stops on this record with progression and using their diverse range of influences and writing techniques.

    “I Hate Myself For Loving You” is a song with a long history.  Originally written by Desmond Child and Runaways guitarist Joan Jett, it was released in 1988 and became the biggest anti-love song of all time.  It was also rewritten for NFL’s Sunday Night Football anthem and covered by Carrie Underwood.  Regardless of this song’s history and prowess, I have always had a strong dislike for this song.  The key it’s in plus the original vocals make me want to drill any part of my auditory senses right out of my head.  When Seven Kingdoms announced they were covering this song, I cringed.  However, upon listening to it the first time, I was hooked.  The band refreshed this dirty old track and turned it into a complete jam.  I love the cover and find it to be the biggest improvement of a song I’ve ever heard.

    The only two issues I have with this album are mix and length.  I would’ve liked a double album: The first disc should have all-new tracks focusing on the Zenith extraterrestrial theme and the new SK sound.  The second disc could be remasters of old SK fan-favorite songs and maybe a couple live versions.  I understand budgeting would limit this greatly and probably why it’s reduced to a single album.  I just find it jarring and disjointed, because I expected an overall alien theme, and it was GoT references thrown in with older songs.  I understand the purpose of the album is to sate fans’ appetites and put out new music to put themselves on the map in US-born Power Metal, but I find it confusing for the direction it’s supposed to go in.  Maybe I’m missing information in promotion packets or missed something in the Kickstarter information, but it’s just a strange album to me as far as wondering what it’s supposed to be.  Maybe I misunderstood the purpose of the record because I thought it was some kind of concept album, but I would’ve liked a more succinct record.   Each individual track is good on its own, but none of them go together perse.

    The other problem I have with the record is in the mix.  On streaming and Disc format through studio speakers and headphones, I find the mix to be boomingly bass-heavy.  Normally, I love a lot of bass in the mix, but there are some parts in the record where the bass is overpowering.  It’s as if someone’s using a super low-frequency bass drop sample and randomly placing them in songs like Diamond Handed and Chasing the Mirage.  It’s an odd phenomenon, but not uncommon in modern mixes with compression where inconsistencies like this happen when a 5.1 mix is transferred to CD MP3s.  I like dynamics, but I don’t think the weird low bass drops are purposeful.  The mix on Universal Terrestrial is not my favorite; It sounds rushed and there are some really high frequencies that I would’ve leveled out, but maybe this only appears on certain formats.  These issues are easily looked over, however and I am able to enjoy the record regardless.

    Zenith is a hell of a unique record, and I hope it skyrockets Seven Kingdoms in popularity.  There’s nothing quite like them in America right now, and I feel lucky to have them in my home country.

Highlights: A Silent Remedy, Love Dagger, Diamond Handed

Quality Rating: 8/10

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“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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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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