Today might be a historic day. I'm about to get fanboy in a review. Not too many bands these days can I honestly say that it would be extremely difficult to disappoint me in any way. Amon Amarth is one of those bands. While I'm not a big fan of the earlier works from the 90's I have grown to love the direction Amon Amarth has taken over the past five releases. And yes I'm counting Surtur Rising in that list. Some of the complaints I've seen has been that AA has become samey or there is pining for the old days. Well for those people with those complaints, I say to you. Pick up Surtur Rising. Here's why after the jump.
There are very few iconic figures in heavy music these days. You have your Dave Mustaines of Megadeth, and Lars Ulrich of Metallica but these guys are just well known for their quirks. The truly iconic figures are the ones that predate them like Ozzy or Lemmy. I sat down today to watch the movie released last year on the man Lemmy himself. And just when you think you've been exposed to what the press says so much that you know a person something like this film comes along and shows you really don't know shit.
I think most people equate Lemmy as this gravelly voiced frontman from a dirty rock band. Looks like a biker, has the moles and the Rickenbacker bass guitar endlessly singing the Ace of Spades. An intidimating figure. The movie 'Lemmy' shows a completely different side.While I'm sure he was a hellraiser in his youth and the movie eludes to some of this, the Lemmy today is a quiet, intelligent man that everybody seems to love and who goes through life just doing his thing. Whether it's collecting tons of war items and just random crap, to endlessly playing slot machines to recording and touring with Motorhead. There are alot of poignant moments in the movie including time spent with his son and the story behind that, to certain drugs killing his friends to just age in general.
I'm not going to give away too much on the movie. But I do recommend it. It's yet another piece that really let's you make a connection you'd never think in a million years you would. While fans go crazy idolizing the frontman for a legenday band, behind the scenes he's just a regular bloke. To an extent. The tag line says 49% motherfucker and 51% Son of a bitch. It's so far off the mark it's not even funny. Long live Lemmy and go see this movie, even if you're not a fan you'll be glad you did.
I feel like I've broken through the space/time continuum and much like Sam Beckett or Phineas Bogg (minus the Omni and nerdy sidekick) - I've landed somewhere in the 70's. At least, that's how I felt listening to Blood Ceremony's latest release: Living with the Ancients.
This album is HEAVILY influenced by the best that the 1970's early stages of Heavy Metal had to offer. The guitar riffs, nay - the majority of all the guitar work manifests the styles of the Rock Gods of olde: Tony Iommi and Jimmy Page for example. It's psychedelic, experimental Rock personified.
The lead vocalist, Alia O'Brian at time sounds as if she's been influenced by Robert Plant and Anne Wilson but more often than not you hear her very unique and addictive voice as it grabs your attention and put you under its spell.
Now I really don't know much about The Sign of the Southern Cross, nor could I find anything really about these guys. Aka I looked on Wikipedia for them and they didn't have an article about them. Now I don't know if they have released anything previous to this, nor does it matter to me, because this would be my introduction to them. Now when I first heard this band, I figured it would either wreak of country and blues or angry as hell Pantera-esque metal. But to a pleasant surprise, it's a little of both.
This is probably my first time reviewing an all instrumental album. So bear with me if it's not as long as some others. Much like the song lengths on Scale the Summit's new album 'The Collective'. Having just discovered this band last month I'm not as up on the goings on as I'd like to be but seeing this is only the second full length I'm not too far behind.
Occasionally I like to break from brutal growls or soaring vocals and just sit back and chill to some good instrumentals. And Scale the Summit does deliver on this album in terms of at times jazz influenced prog rock/metal compositions. I think I would have preferred at least an extra two minutes on some tracks though because songs like 'Origin of Species' and 'Emersion' are under three minutes which doesn't allow time to get immersed in what's going on. In fact the short length of tunes at times blends in too well with the longer tracks that do follow where you're not sure of when one ends and another begins.
I can not claim to be the biggest Rush fan on the planet. I think they were at their best from the inception to probably around the early eighties. But I do enjoy music documentaries and in fact used to watch VH1's Behind the Music when I could.So when that series declined and the announcement from my current favorite documentarian Sam Dunn (if that is even a word)I was looking forward to seeing it. Let's take a look after the jump.
This film was different then previous Dunn/McFadyen productions as the duo do not narrate but in fact let the interviews do the chronological talking. Many people in the rock and metal world were interviewed such as Kirk Hammett,Vinnie Paul,Trent Reznor,Billy Corgan,Mike Portnoy,Gene Simmons, and Sebastian Bach among others. The band also obviously play a prominent role in the narration as well as the people behind the scenes like managers past and present and record execs.
There are no tales of sex, drugs, and rock n' roll in fact quite the opposite. All the members came from good, solid upbringings and were just dudes that wanted to play music. Geddy Lee at the end makes mention that everyone was warned about how boring the band really was. But actually it was pretty refreshing to watch history unfold without the stereotypical things that plague bands throughout their career.There was discontent over musical direction and of course the monumental tragedies that hit Neil Peart's life that almost disbanded the band.And the fact they were able to overcome this obstacle is a testament to the devotion these guys have.
Overall the film was a fascinating account of how these guys from Canada came together and made some of the most complex yet accessible music and yet have garnered one of the biggest fanbases in rock history. All without critical acclaim or many major awards. The fact that they have not been nominated for Rock Hall of Fame status is mentioned more then once and hopefully this film will change that mindset. I'm pretty sure the Rush faithful have already viewed this movie but if you're a casual Rush fan or even just interested in music history check this DVD out. I really came out of this appreciating Rush more as a band and especially as people. You should too.
Scott over at Hook in Mouth made the mention that Opeth's 2003 live DVD,Lamentations, was on Netflix instant play so as I had never seen it what better thing to do then to watch it? You see, if you don't already know by now,I'm a huge Opeth fan. The live show I witnessed and chronicled in 2009 for Watershed was probably one of my favorite sets of all time.
So it was only natural to check out a set from earlier in the career. Lamentations is a set that was filmed in England at the Shepherd's Bush Empire.The set consisted of 2 hours and was comprised of the album Damnation in it's entirety and then a mixed set of Blackwater Park and Deliverance.All three albums are among my favorites of Opeth's long career. The quality on this DVD is exceptional in terms of the filming and the sound. At times it was like hearing these song all over again for the first time. Mikael Akerfeldt is an exceptional frontman as he has a dignified air about him into between songs. There is a shyness to him you can sense but at the same token he is genuinely pleased and satisified with the audience reactions to the songs and to the band.It was also interesting seeing an almost completely different lineup with the exception of Martin Mendez on bass.
If you are a fan of Opeth and have never seen a live show, do yourself a favor and check this DVD out. And if you're not sure who Opeth is then check it out as it is a perfect balance between what the band does both on the mellow and heavy side. After the jump is some clips from the DVD to highlight that last statement.
As I'm writing this I finally got my advance copy of Devildriver's upcoming new release 'Beast' a whole four days before release. And by now there has been six released singles for this project. So if you've been keeping tabs you pretty much have heard half of the record by now. Let's dive into this after the jump.
'Beast' is the 5th full length album released by the band from Santa Barbara featuring vocalist Dez Fafara previously of Coal Chamber. It's been 8 years since the release of the self titled debut and from what I can hear there has been little progression. In areas there has been some regression actually. Musically Devildriver is still furious and brutal as always with the twin guitars of Jeff Kendrick and Mike Spreitzer. There are distinct riffs and clean solos on each track. Jon Miller and John Boecklin provide a punishing rhythm section with double bass drums that kick your ass constantly and the bass tone is prominent in each song.
Then comes the weak link in this band after all of these years. While the music is thrashy and riff laden and punishing, Dez Fafara spends almost every track screaming his head off with lyrics like "I don't know you but I fucking hate you". I don't have a problem with harsh vocals especially growls on a lower register but if you are going to scream your lyrics on each and every track you are a metalcore act. If Devildriver's goal was to be the heaviest metalcore act then they succeeded. The only progression I see on 'Beast' is that Dez screams more and more with each release. We get it. You're tough guys and this band is solely here to be metal as fuck. To the point where you lose identity and become boring and at times just unlistenable.
And that's perfectly fine if the target audience are people that don't care about deep lyrics and just want to bang their heads and hardcore mosh to a brocore soundtrack. 'Beast' delivers on that. If this had just been an instrumental album it would be great. There are plenty of changes and catchy riffs and solos to go around. What kills it is Dez Fafara. Dude, you can be metal as fuck and still be melodic with range. We get it, you're metal. You don't have to try and one up yourself on every release to the point where your larynx is going to splatter on the wall.
If I had to pick any standout tracks I guess it would be 'Dead to Rights' and 'Black Soul Choir'. At least something different was attempted and somewhat memorable. If you're already tired of Devildriver then this release will not change your mind. If you're a bro that wants to split some skulls then you will continue to be pleased by 'Beast'. I just want more then one trick from this pony after all this time.
My score: 5 sins out of 10
Here again is the 'Dead to Rights' video to get a sample of what's on this record due out on February 22nd via Roadrunner Records.
So the night of February 10th, 2011 I find myself yet again standing in line at the DNA Lounge in San Francisco, CA. For my own off the wall reasons, I paid the extra bit and went for the meet and greet with (what I thought at the time) the whole of Fintroll and Ensiferum. Initially, the crowd outside was pretty minimal and when I got there about 5:30 there was already a line of about 10 or so people. By the time we got to where they were going to let us in for the meet and greet, it appeared that there were about 20 or so going in for that, and I couldn't see how many people were in the regular line.
I'll be the first to admit, I have a rudimentary knowledge of these two bands as far as their music is concerned and I couldn't pick any of them out of a crowd. The same could be said for the opening acts, I've never even heard of Barren Earth or Rotten Sound but I was there to support these bands though and I'm well aware of how some of these shows can turn out (the Tarja one a few years ago was the worst, with only about 100 or so people there). I wanted to do my part to keep these bands coming back to America.
Thanks to Jimmy from HBIH, Draeden and I journeyed to San Jose to catch Ozzy Osbourne in concert.This would be second time seeing Ozzy in concert the first being way back in '96 for the Retirement Sucks tour. This also was essentially the second time for seeing Slash though the first time was with Guns n' Roses. Overall there was some highlights and lowlights so after the jump let's go back and you can see some of what we experienced.
When we arrived to the HP Pavilion in San Jose of course there was the obligatory holy rollers outside. What started as one person quickly expanded to about half dozen or so. Here is video of us heckling the one guy. This wouldn't be Devil Music without this.
So now we get to the venue. This was my first trip to the home of the San Jose Sharks and if you've been to one indoor arena you've been to them all. Turns out our tickets were on the floor level seating area probably about 15 rows back almost dead center. So really good seats for more then one reason. More on that later.
Now I would like to take the time to formally admit defeat. My droid work phone is absolutely garbage and for future shows I may need to purchase a real camera or get my own smartphone with better audio and video quality then this. My pictures sucked ass as you can see here.
And to top it off while the video is not bad the audio quality on these Droid A1's is horrific. As seen here. I think this was the opening song by Slash.
Therefore any further video clips will be provided by other people that were there last night. Photos will be provided by Draeden. Case in point here is a much better quality video of 'NightTrain' then what I ended up with.
Overall Slash's band put on a decent show. There were a few numbers off the solo album,and quite a few songs from Appetite for Destruction. Notably most of my favorites and a couple of standards. Myles Kennedy did an admirable job of fronting the band though he did appear to strain on some of the G n'R songs. Slash's guitar playing has never really impressed me. I always thought he was overrated and it was the signature top hat that always made people think he was better then he was. It was evident in spots last night as he was really sloppy on some riffs and solos. But a decent hour of tunes was played.
And now for the main event. Ozzy Osbourne. I do have to give him props for being the age and physical condition he's in to still continue to go out there and put on a show. Even if it's basically the same show he's done for the last 30 years. Ozzy does love the crowd and it shows every time. The first time I saw him it was a shortened set due to stomach issues or something but this time it was an hour and a half set filled with the same tired Sabbath songs. With the exception of Fairies wear boots. And mostly the same tired Ozzy solo songs like Mr. Crowley and this.
Here is the set list for Ozzy to enhance what I'm saying.Though there were a few songs like Fire in the Sky and Shot in the Dark that were pleasant surprises for me.*Note* I do realize that this is labeled for L.A. It's the same damn thing and I don't entirely remember the order of the songs.
There were a few sound glitches such as feedback throughout the night. The rest of the band played ok though it was hard to tell due to the heavy bass over the sound system to really get a feel if the usual nuances of the songs were present.
There was a long guitar solo by Gus G and though Draeden is enraptured with the guy to almost man crush levels I was not impressed with him last night.For somebody who is supposed to be a guitar whiz he did not have a flow to his solos and was not very fast or accurate with scales. Mostly hammer on and pull off tricks. The drum solo was one of the atypical drum solos just on a elevated drum rig.
At the beginning of the set Ozzy looked clean and dry but as in so many of his other shows it doesn't stay that way for long.Observe.
Which then devolved into a firehose contraption that he sprayed on himself and the first 5 rows of a foam substance.
Hence why I'm glad we sat back where we were and why he looked absolutely drenched in that first video.
I miss the days though when you could do whatever the hell you wanted once inside a venue short of fighting or throwing dangerous items on stage. To the floor person in last night's show I'd like to say this. After the headliner comes on, who gives a flying fuck who is sitting where and if you're standing in front of your designated chair? Stupid bitch proceeds to squeeze her fat ass in front of me as I'm taking video and ask me which is seat 6 and when I told her it was sort of behind me motioned me to move over and then grilled the hot girls next to me on their seats. The second song wasn't even done during this. Fuck you and go back out in the aisle.
Overall it was a fun night and though Ozzy has lost a step or two it was nice going to see a legendary figure that is so loved by so many people still go out and entertain people.
Deathspell Omega may be unique. These mysterious French philosopher-poets are not Norwegian teenagers playing at evil. There is some thought...some philosophy...some art here. I am a sucker for lyrics like this:
Everything, except God, has in itself some measure of privation,
Thus all individuals may be graded according to the degree
To which they are infected with mere potentiality”
Was there not an inconceivable loss of knowledge at Bethlehem?
Christ's abasement, His subjecting Himself to the laws of human birth
And growth and to the lowliness of fallen human nature...
Did the Son remain the transcendent Logos,
Is there not a radical and fatal discontinuity between the consciousness?
Of the transcendent Logos and the secular Jesus?
Obedience to the point of death,
Falling down through increasing
Pressure
Into the deathlike region
Of ooze and slime and decay
These are the fruits and symptoms of the abasement of the World,
The assumption of humanity and the simultaneous occultation of Divinity
Kenose (Kenosis in English) means the total emptying of one's self to the divine...or anti-divine in the case of Deathspell Omega!
The album starts out very quietly with a dark and heavy base drum line, scratches, and a mysterious piano? keyboard line that sets a quite ominous tone. The music very slowly builds...Deathspell Omega is never in a hurry, their music serves their theology or ideology and is not designed to be a quick listen. Mysterious, heavily breathed but quiet "un"clean vocals then read the text excerpted above...then everything crashes into heavyness as the cymbals hammer and the blast beats and black metal guitars suddenly come in. And...we are off.
There are only three tracks on this short EP...but you are still looking at over 30 minutes of challenging and diverse music.
Track II is heavy as fuck from the beginning, with an interesting and almost(almost!)catchy groove. VoKills interplay with bellowed, frightening declamations from an entity which I would not want to meet in a dark alley! Is Track II almost...catchy? The trademarkblack metal waterfall of drum beats and blast beats is amazing here...with that groove holding things together. This groove moves in amazing waves of energy...like a typhoon that is trying to wash away the listener.
Track III begins with black metal rage and goes on from there. Still...given this is Deathspell Omega, the bizarre change in pace and tone and instrumentation kicks in about 1/3 of the way through. Amzing use of keyboards...creepy, creepy keyboards.
Kenose may be my favorite Deathspell Omega disc...in its short length there is incredible diversity and song development. And..those amazing lyrics. I own the disc in an mp3 format but I will probably purchase the whole package eventually (the Chaining the Katechon EP is an awesome gatefold package with those amazing DSO lyrics readily at hand).
I keep listening to this stuff again and again...there is a degree of complexity and interest in THIS black metal that is simply insane.
Deathspell Omega is NOT a live band (they have emphatically rejected the idea of live performance as contrary to their religion). Still...YouTube is amazing and it's interesting to see what fans attach to DSO music.
9.5 sins out of 10. This is pretty classic, folks!
New Zealand? New Zealand? What do they have to be angry about in Hobbit Land? (Just kidding, just kidding!)
ULCERATE is the name. Blazing, angry technical metal is the game. Normally I am more "into" doom metal and black metal...much death metal is "meh" After reading the reviews over at Number of the Blog, I had to check this out...and this is a wow! album.
Cold...this music is as cold as anything in the black metal field. Burning Skies, the first track on The Destroyers of All, begins with an ominous wash of keyboards, a single chord, and then wham...Jamie Saint Meran kicks in with some of the most amazing drumming I have ever heard! Incredible washes of double kick bass, cascading over and under the melodic line. These drums are not a background instrument; they are a living, breathing, writhing, spitting, shouting core part of the music. Jamie's Youtube channel pretty much shows the man in action!
I don't want to neglect the vocals. More typical death metal growl, perhaps...but much more expressive than "typical" And...the guitars...those ringing tones that really contribute to the sense of ominousness and doom are a major plus for this band's music.
What really stands out, though, is that Ulcerate knows how to let things breathe...halfway through Burning Skies, for example, everything becomes ominously quiet, with some simple guitar chords plucked, a wash of blasting drums (quietly, quietly). All serving the goal...establishing a cold and ominous meditation on how humanity is destroying the livability of the earth.
The standout tracks are the final two, Omens and the title track Destroyers of All. Both of these tracks show the eeryness which I loved in this album. Destroyers of All is particularly strong, beginning with a long intro that is simply chilling in its intensity!
This is definitely a thumbs up album for all lovers of technical death metal and even black metal!
Ana Kefr is not a name you would consider to be of a metal band. And especially not a metal band that mixes prog with death,black,and core influences among other styles. I got an e-mail asking if I wanted to review the latest album from the Riverside,Ca. based band and after reading some press and doing a bit of research I was intrigued so therefore I agreed. I truly was not prepared for what I was going to be listening to. Ana Kefr in Arabic means I am Infidel. This is already a hint of what the band stands for. I've seen them labeled as philosophy metal and while at the core if you read the lyrics this is true there is so much more to this band then any of this. More after the jump.
I think this might be the first review of an album I've done by a band I know nothing about. What intrigued me about this band was the promo description for them.
AVA INFERI are presenting a polished dark gem to the world with their fourth album “Onyx”, which sparkles with a perfect mix and mastering by Dan Swanö. The band is conceived in the year 2005 as the brainchild of renowned Norwegian composer Rune Eriksen (ex-MAYHEM) and Portuguese singer extraordinaire Carmen Simões, whose strong and warm vocals are well known from her work with compatriots MOONSPELL. Their debut “Burdens” (2006) sets the course with a delicate blend of Doom and Gothic Metal that embraces the ancient melancholy of Portuguese Fado as well as a harsh Norwegian sense of darkness.
So as someone who is interested in dark gothic music if it's done right and the name Dan Swano thrown in this how could I not listen and review it? So does it live up to that kind of hype? Find out after the jump.
What instantly grabbed me when listening to this album especially the first track 'Onyx' was that there are no growls present. This is purely a showcase of music with melodies and hooks and Carmen's vocals. That is almost unheard of in this day age. No growls? Yes, this is a showcase of Carmen's vocals which have a range and can be very beautiful almost operatic at times. Don't let the operatic part throw you off. This isn't older Nightwish. There are male vocals in the track 'The Living End' which I assume are guitarist Rune Erickson's but they are sung in almost a monotone register which is not a criticism but an observation. Honestly I would have been fine if more of the tracks had that sort of interplay.
Onyx is an album full of atmosphere and moods of the melancholic type. At times Ava Inferi delve into almost doom levels here. You definitely need to be in the mood for this type of music. It's never fast then a slow mid tempo. Overall it's a gorgeous album in terms of music quality though it does tend to get repetitive on some tracks like 'The Portal'. But again that could be that I'm writing this at 10 in the morning instead of late at night when I should really be listening to this album:)If I had any true negatives on this cd is that Ava Inferi could have done away with the sound bytes present in the song 'The Heathen Island'. It's pretty well out of place and something a band of this quality doesn't need to use a la White Zombie.
Production wise Dan Swano again does an excellent job with this. Every aspect is crystal clear on here. The keyboards are distinct, the bass is prominent, the guitars are blended well and highlighted when it comes to riffing, and the drums sound fantastic. I really like discovering new bands especially when their promos are pretty accurate to what you can expect. I look forward to hearing previous works from this group. If you are a fan of gothic dark music or even doom metal you might find something you like in here. Ava Inferi are not truly breaking new ground but compared to the current landscape 'Onyx' is actually a very good quality release. Check it out when it becomes available on February 14th in Europe and February 22nd in the U.S. through Season of Mist Records.
Score: 7.5 Sins out of 10
You can check out the track 'The Living End' here.
Here we are with another Devil Music real time review. For this installment I thought we would go ahead and review Swashbuckle's latest release: Crime Always Pays. This album has already been released in Europe on Sept 10th of last year, but a date has yet to be determined for us Yankee land-lubbers. I'll keep my eyes peeled for a US release date announcement and let you know.
Let's go ahead and get started then: Slowly Wept The Sea. A really nice instrumental. These little ditties are all over their albums and have a way of setting the mood. Not so much a pirate jig but nice nonetheless.
We Are The Storm. Kick ass from the get go. This is what Swashbuckle does best. Pure aggressive "fuck you and the boat you came in on" music. There's someone else singing now which is new for Swashbuckle. Not sure who it is but I like it. Off to a great start.
This Round's On You!. Great thrash-y riffs. Again with the other vocalist, it could be Nobeard, but I've never heard him sing like that before, maybe it's Redrum. This song makes me want to hit you in the face with a fucking parrot!
Powder Keg. Bombastic double bass. Some parts of this song reminds me of old Megadeth. Polaris (at least that's what I hear in my head when I hear this song. I like the direction they're going. Yo ho, yo ho, this album rocks to me. Fucking awesome.
Where Victory is Penned. Another fast paced song. Switching back and forth on the vocals. I can hear Rob saying "if the cleaner of the two vocalists was the lead singer, I'd like it more". Me, I'm good with both, though I have to admit I like the alternating vocals throughout the album. It's what keeps this CD sounding different than their other releases. Of Hooks and Hornswogglers. Nice soft song. Most likely an interlude. Really pretty. Never thought I'd ever say that on a Swashbuckle review.
A Time of Wooden Ships and Iron Men. There's actually a pirate-ish accent here. Good solid track. Love the gallops here.
Crime Always Pays. Title track. It's good. Not my favourite track on the album but I don't hate it either. Raw Doggin' at the Raw Bar. Back to the trash riffs. Great little breakdown here in the song. Like it.
The Gallow's Pole Dancer. Musically, this album is pretty diverse.. there's subtle hints here and there of a lot of different styles and genres but it's still Swashbuckle. There's an interesting 'cutscene' here in the song of a club announcing a stripper.. Pretty funny.
Legacy's Allure. Another peaceful instrumental. Very nice. I actually like these Pirate Jigs a lot more than on the other two releases.. Not that they were bad, these are just that good.
At the Bottom of a Glass. Back to the rock. Great double bass drum here.. Catchy riff from RedRum... This one's another really great track.. I'm really digging the musicality of this one, and I can almost understand Nobeard, no problem.
To Steal a Life. Fast song. This is a song you can definitely get a circle pit going. Fucking crazy song.. Really wild. Back to the double vocals. I really wanna see this one performed live.. The breakdown is fucking sick.. killer riff! Very nice headbanging riff there...
You Bring the Cannon, We'll Bring the Balls. Another fast song. A faster trash riff and double bass drum than the previous one. The guitar work is really catchy on this album, I'm really enjoying all this cd has to offer. And who doesn't love a song that has the word "balls" in it?!
Surf-N-Turf (For Piratical Girth). Sounds the same as the previous two tracks, methinks they should have split these three songs up, since they're the most similar.. It's not a bad song, just a bit repetitive.
Rope's End. Ending it on an instrumental? Strange. I was hoping for the usual where they do some fucked up shit.. like a metal version of Spongebob Squarepants or have a track of just Pirate lingo.. It's a nice song.. Waiting for the end to see if they throw something funny in... Nope.. Oh well. Good song anyways.
All in all it's a kick-ass CD. I think the only thing that's keeping this from being a perfect 10 is because of the vocal style of this genre: I have to read the lyrics to understand what's going on, even though the music is fucking amazing, it makes it hard to sing along if you don't know what they're saying. If Kelly Clarkson sings: "I'm a dirty girl who needs a spanking" I'll know she' a dirty girl who needs a spanking. If Admiral Nobeard says "I'm a dirty girl who needs a spanking", I'll never know. I'll just bob my head in ignorance and look like a dumb-ass rocking put to a guy who wants someone to give his ass cheeks a good wallop.
I can't argue that the music is highly entertaining and probably their best album to date. If you love pirates or metal or pirate metal then go out and get this when it hits stores or pay an extra 10 bucks for the Import. They're still better than Alestorm.
8 out of 10 Sins.
Since they haven't released a video, or announced that a video is even going to be released, I thought I'd share with you all: Swashbuckle promoting Crime Always Pays. They're pretty brilliant.
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I honestly didn't know what to think when I heard the first song on Serenity's upcoming third release: Death & Legacy (Napalm Records). Having never heard of them before, I really didn't know what to expect. It had all the elements I looked for in metal starting with heart-thumping double bass and melodic guitars but I wasn't so sure about the vocals at first. By the time I hit the second song, I was hooked. It's possible that since I've been listening to more aggressive genres of metal as of late, it took a few moments for Georg Neuhauser's voice to grow on me. Georg has a Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica) tone and quality to his voice that at times I almost thought I was listening to Sonata.
The real pleasant surprise was the guest appearances from the female vocalists that Serenity enlisted to help: they received support from some of the best metal songstresses out there: Ailyn (of Sirenia), Charlotte Wessels (of Delain) and Amanda Somerville (who's worked with Epica, Kamelot and her own project Kiske/Somerville).
Death & Legacy is highly entertaining all the way through, with its well crafted music, lyrics and all around theme to the record. Here and there are interludes and dialog that add an extra level to it and reminds me a lot of Kamelot's earlier releases like Epica and The Black Halo. There's also a lot of awesome with 16 tracks on the disc complied of quality, catchy tunes and atmospheric interludes.
Make sure you get your own copy when Legacy & Death is released on February 25th.
9.5 sins out of 10
Here's the tracklist so you know what to expect from this amazing journey.
Serenity's third album embarks on a journey to discover the historic figures of ages past. Embellished in symphonic metal garb, Christopher Columbus, Giacom Casanova, Sir Francis Drake, Queen Elizabeth I, and many more prominent figures take center stage on "Death & Legacy". The band masterfully unites the emotions and thoughts of these famed characters with the fitting musical interludes that allow them to tell their tales. The emphasis of Serenity's sound remains guitar-oriented metal, although they also use orchestral arrangements to create a detailed and colorful symbiosis of symphonic and metallic elements.
But don't take my word for it, check out their teaser trailer for their new release:
If you want to learn more about Serenity check out their website here.
So as you all have well heard, Norwegian gothic metal band Sirenia is ready to release their newest endeavor The Enigma of Life (on Nuclear Blast records). It's only been a couple of years since their last release, The 13th Floor (which was pretty aggressive musically) and the second CD to feature their current vocalist Ailyn. This album seems to be quite a departure from their previous releases and it seems Sirenia is heading to more of a radio-friendly direction. The first track, The End of It All features all that makes Sirenia epic; the symphonic sound, crunchy guitars, amazing drum fills and Ailyn's harmonizing vocals with herself - but that's almost where that sound ends. The rest of the album, though you find those elements here and there in later tracks, have mostly a pop-rock feel to it and is more reminiscent of Nightwish's last release "Dark Passion Play" than anything Sirenia's released in the past.
Still, I really enjoyed listening to this album a lot and though it's a different sound for Sirenia, it's not bad. Just different. Ailyn sounds great vocally, Morten's riffs and solos are as catchy and technical as ever and according to info for the cd, also performs guitars, clean male vocals, harsh vocals, bass, keyboards, programming, drums - which says a lot about Morten and his talent and ability.
(From Nuclear Blast) "The Enigma Of Life “ is the logical continuation of what the band did in the past years and will definetely take SIRENIA to the next higher level – that is for sure! A must-have for fans of NIGHTWISH, LACUNA COIL and EVANESCENCE!"
1 The End Of It All 2 Fallen Angel 3 All My Dreams 4 This Darkness 5 The Twilight In Your Eyes 6 Winter Land 7 A Seaside Serenade 8 Darkened Days To Come 9 Coming Down 10 This Lonely Lake 11 Fading Star 12 The Enigma Of Life 13 Oscura Realidad (bonus track) 14 The Enigma Of Life (acoustic version bonus track)
I give it 8.5 sins out of 10
Winter Land is probably my favourite song on there.
The album drops in Europe today and here in the US on February 15th.
If you can't wait to check out their newest release then go ahead and check out their first video and single from Enigma; The End of It All.
You can learn more about Sirenia at their website, here!
The actual full name of this album is Bleeding The New Apocalypse (Cum Victriciis In Manibus Armis)but fuck me if I'm going to tie up the subject line with a ridiculously long album title. This release though is one of my anticipates of the year and I've gone back a few times to listen to it to make sure I give it a fair review. You see The Project Hate MCMXCIX is one of those bands that you have to listen to more then once because their music is filled with changes and nuances you will miss the first couple of times. To write a review based purely on first impressions does not do the work this group puts into each and every track justice.
Bleeding through the Apocalypse is the 8th studio album and the first with female vocalist Ruby Roque of Portugal's Witchbreed for the band from Sweden.Also new to this album is the drummer with Lord K also taking on bass duties on top of keyboards and guitar. Stylistically there isn't much deviation from previous releases. There is the punishing riffs, the excellent growls from Jorgen Sandstrom, and the occasional industrial/techno breaks that people familiar with the band are used to.What sets it apart is Ruby's vocals. She has a much different vocal delivery then previous singer Jonna Enckell did. While Jo had a more linear sometimes monotone delivery Ruby has a loud, bombastic delivery that forces you to listen to her. Is that a good thing? Sometimes. But after 6 very long tracks clocking in between 9-12 minutes it begins to wear thin because she rarely deviates from that style of singing.Even on lower registers she eventually rises to the same crescendo.
Musically the album is solid as always. The mix is very good and you can distinctly hear every instrument. Nothing gets buried especially the vocals.This album like the previous is one that is meant to be heard over a killer stereo system. And the songs are still filled with the same hatred for Christianity that they always have been. 'Summoning War Majestic' has to be one of my favorite tracks due to the evil tones that Jorgen has, almost black metalish and then his roaring vocals are almost perfect.It also helps that one of my favorite vocalists in Christian Alvestam (of Scar Symmetry and Solution .45 fame) has a guest spot on here.'The Serpent Crowning Ritual' is another favorite because the almost dance beat rhythm gets you hooked and then even after it's gone the guitars keep it going with a killer riff.
Basically if you liked previous albums you will like this one. And if you're new to the band you can jump into this one just fine and work your way backwards. The deciding factor has to be Ruby Roque. I think there is going to be some polarization among the fans on whether she is a good addition or not. And new listeners will have to decide if her style of vocals suits them or not. Regardless I still recommend a purchase of this. The Project Hate is doing very cool and unique things in the world of extreme metal. This would be one of the few times I could be all over a trend in metal. Check it out when it releases February 14th through Season of Mist Records.
Score: 7 Sins out of 10
Here is the first single released 'Summoning War Majestic'
Anybody that visits Hook in Mouth should be familiar with the above artwork and possibly the band. A first look it could be assumed upon first impression that Hemoptysis is a pure death metal band. Well you would be wrong.Hailing from Phoenix, Arizona and led by Masaki Murashita, Hemoptysis is actually more akin to a blackened thrash band with death elements. Basically they are an extreme band that takes multiple elements and fuses it together to make riff oriented music that should please everyone that likes speed,thrash,and death metal. More on this after the jump.
Misanthropic Slaughter is the first full length album following on the heels of their 2009 debut EP Who needs a Sheppard? Set to be released on March 8 it's filled with 11 tracks and 50 minutes of some of the best extreme music I've heard in awhile. The songs range from just pure speed riffs with catchy hooks to fantastic leads to hitting melodic grooves, sometimes in the same song. Masaki is the lead vocalist/guitarist and his vocals have the fine balance that I like where it's harsh and raspy but comprehensible and fits nicely with the riffs in the background. The album was produced Ryan Greene who had also worked with Megadeth and Authority Zero and and it's apparent that a seasoned veteran is involved with this as it sounds great. Every part from the drums to the guitars to the bass are distinct.
Is it a perfect album? No and there really isn't any such thing as a perfect album but in an arena where bands tend to start sounding the same Hemoptysis manages to snap you from the at times sameness to some interesting parts that does not make this a dull listen.Bottom line is that this band has put together an excellent album for extreme music fans and needs to be heard. Currently they are unsigned but after what I've heard there should be no reason a label does not pick these guys up. The amount of effort in putting together such a good package needs to be rewarded.
The track list is as follows:
1. Misanthropic Slaughter – 4:37 – Explicit Lyrics
2. Hopeless – 5:24
3. M.O.D. – 6:20
4. Impending Doom – 3:46
5. And The World Dies – 4:19 - Explicit Lyrics
6. Interlude - :45
7. The Cycle – 2:58
8. Blood Storm – 5:33
9. Shadow of Death – 5:09 (Video Available)
10. Hadephobia – 4:14
11. End of Sorrow – 6:54
You can also go to their Myspace page or their official page for more information.
It's been a long time since I've wanted to introduce myself to a band based on an album cover. Check out that cover there. It's like something off a fantasy novel I'd read. But don't let it fool you, the music within has nothing to do with swords and sorcery. Artas is a band based out of Vienna,Austria and according to Napalm they are labeled modern metal. Whatever that's supposed to mean. What you are actually going to get from Riotology is a solid melodic thrash album that actually reminds me in alot of parts of Susperia in their current form. At times it flirts with metalcore but never hits the annoying levels of that genre.You will also on some tracks find hints of death metal influences as well.
There are some unique things about this release. First of all even though they're in Austria there are some songs done in other languages. 'Rassenhass' I believe is in German. 'No Pasaran' is in Spanish.'Le Saboteur' is in French. Yet the rest of the album is in English. Being ignorant of this band I assume that is due to a mixed heritage of the band otherwise I really don't see the point of this.There is even a short ballad on this though it does seem out of place in the middle of all the other tracks.
Regardless no two songs sound the same on Riotology and this is a good thing. Mainly because it keeps the interest high though there are a whopping 16 tracks. The musicianship overall is good if not great. The production is heavy and punishing with emphasis on double bass and bass guitars. I think the guitars could actually sound crunchier in the mix but that's nit picking. Hannes, the vocalist does have a great range from roars to harsh melodic singing to clean. And of course being bilingual and being able to maintain the same vocal style for the foreign language tracks is no mean feat.
Overall this is a solid release and enjoyable if you like various forms of thrash metal. I'm actually curious to hear what their debut 'the Healing' sounds like now.And I think that is any bands goal when being introduced is to make people want to hear more. Artas Riotology does just that. Expect a release on 1-28-11 through Napalm Records.
