Category: Album Reviews 2017

Marty Friedman – Wall of Sound

Marty Friedman has been making a bit of a comeback as of late with some new solo material that “keeps up with the times,” so to speak and maintains his signature sound and phrasing. This album is packed with dynamics, melody, and aggression. I had the pleasure of seeing him on tour for this album in Chicago, and I can honestly say, for instrumental prog/shred, He has to have one of the tightest, high energy bands I’ve seen. They play as if they were playing a packed arena. Now let’s get to the album shall we?

Self Pollution: opens the album with some pretty cool riffing. Something that stands out about this album is that although it is a “Guitar Virtuoso” album, it has riffs for days. It’s very focused on composition. This track kind of throws a little bit of everything at you to give you a taste of what’s to come.

Sorrow and Madness: is easily one of my personal favorites. This track is loaded with melody and dynamics. The composition is very moving. And Marty’s signature sound is very apparent here, all those beautiful bends from out of the key that go into the key. Lots of emotion here.

Streetlight: Also packed with incredible dynamics, really shows that in a short period of time tons of versatility and ground is, has, and will be covered on this album.

Whiteworm: is an absolute rocking track, loaded with some flashy playing. It also has some very cool Latin vibes at certain points with the melody and rhythm. It has a very pretty chorus theme with a bit of an 80’s neo classical feel. Definitely a fun track.

Pussy Ghost: kind of changes things up with almost a black metal/death metal set of progressions. It’s a bit darker and atmospheric, but really interesting. It’s harmonically a bit reminiscent of some of the Cacophony material that was released way back.

I won’t give anymore away here, but I will say this. Go listen to this and buy it. It will be worth your time. I also recommend seeing him live, if you get the opportunity because it will be an enjoyable experience.

Cavalera Conspiracy – Psychosis

After the worldwide touring success performing Sepultura’s iconic opus “Roots” Max and Iggor Cavalera, joined by talented guitarist Marc Rizzo, decided to record Cavalera Conspiracy’s new album “Psychosis” which is definitely inspired by their past work in Sepultura but features also a rather entertaining industrial twist.

“Insane” marks an absolutely fierce beginning that sees the band in excellent shape as precise punishing drums and infectious guitar riffs craft a thrash oriented wall of sound while sharp guitar melodies & solo add nightmarish vibes through the claustrophobic rhythmic blasts.

“Terror Tactics” doesn’t take a break as groovy old school thrash rhythmic dynamics trigger subtle nostalgic vibes. Max screams with renewed passion through the deadly marching patterns while chaotic atmospheric accents lead to a tribal riffing style and intriguing guitar work.

On “Spectral War” Iggor’s drumming keeps alive a certain tribal force and while the main rhythmic section maintains a quite heavy attitude there are few interesting industrial influences that generate modern atmospheric tonalities and enigmatic vibes.

Feeling violently dizzy “Judas Pariah” has a traditional death metal essence that requires relentless rhythms, monolithic guitar riffing and vicious growls that follow an almost breakneck speed with immense fury that suddenly yet seamlessly evolves into a more atmospheric somber sonic assault with remarkable haunting nuances.

Despite its chaotic noisy end “Excruciating” initially feels almost comfortable with an overdose of fiery distortion and crushing rhythms meant to generate intensely irrational moshpits and in the midst of this monumental groove Marc delivers a cathartic moody guitar solo that matches the mystical atmospheric background.

Listening to the massive energy behind “Psychosis” you will notice that the Cavalera brothers truly made efforts to deliver music diversity on this album fairly channeling the glorious early years of Sepultura as well as some modern underground metal flavors.

The Tangent – The Slow Rust Of Forgotten Machinery

With a pretty extensive catalogue for the period of time that they’ve been around, The Tangent release quite a lengthy album.

Two Rope Swings: is a little more straightforward, if you can even say that. This track sort of gives you a little bit of everything, setting a nice tone for the rest of the album, to prepare you for what’s to come.

Doctor Livingstone (I Presume): opens with a cool lead synth melody that has a great tone, followed by some tasty lead guitar playing. Lots of tasteful playing going on here that’s very “well thought out.” There’s a big jazz influence that sneaks in all over the place with the chord voicing and phrases. You get hit with tons of dynamics. There’s solo, after solo, after solo, with the parts constantly changing. What more could you ask for?

The Sad Story Of Lead and Astatine: has a very melancholic opening. It sort of pulls everything down. Then it picks up with a bit of quirkiness that leads into more of a smooth jazz type of verse. But… That verse is loaded with some pretty crazy playing. The dual vocals add a really nice feel to this. It fills in some really nice space in the overall mix. I really like that these guys aren’t afraid to show off. There’s no need to hold back and, they know it. There’s a bass solo in here that is absolutely awesome, we’ll just put it that way. These guys all have a lot of clarity in their playing. And again, solo, after solo. There’s even a drum solo. Yes you heard right, a drum solo. And it works very well with the song. Trust me. I won’t give anymore away. You’ll just have to find out the rest for yourself. But if this intrigues you, then you will not be disappointed.

Auðn – Farvegir Fyrndar

Iceland is quickly becoming a burgeoning center for extraordinary underground metal and Auðn might have what it takes to be one of the leaders of such fervent movement with the new melancholic blackened album “Farvegir Fyrndar”.

Immediately “Veröld Hulin” evokes wintry mesmerizing atmospheres with arcane drum beats and soft arpeggios leading straight to a primordial ensemble of blackened guitar riffs and distant ominous growls that never truly overpower the inner melodic nuances.

“Lífvana Jörð” channels immense melancholy with ethereal guitar melodies bearing a remarkable crestfallen mood that continues to emerge throughout the entire song even if enraged vocals and faster guitar driven patterns often acquire particularly obscure tonalities.

“Haldreipi Hugans” continues to balance darkly poetic melodies and a mysterious blackened force as slow gentle harmonies are simply entwined to a massive dosage of aggressive guitar riffs and drums.

With similar bleak yet charismatic melodic textures “Ljósaslæður” gains hypnotizing power through surreal minimalist guitars and gloomy atmospheres that simply surround the harsher blackened core.

With crispy instrumental clarity “Skuggar” features a graceful crescendo of darkly captivating melodies genuinely evoking a rather emotional sonic palette that persists even through the scattered traditional black metal ferocious moments.

Channeling absolute darkness and multifaceted atmospheric black metal “Farvegir Fyrndar” holds the beloved Nordic mix of ethereal melodies and cold heavier sonic assaults as Auðn carefully weaves the elements of an essential winter soundtrack.

Antisect – The Rising Of The Lights

Anarcho- punk band Antisect has not released new music for over thirty two years yet suddenly has returned to the music scene delivering the powerful new album “The Rising Of The Lights” proving to be a relevant band with renewed energy and ideas rather than just a nostalgic trip.

On “Spirit Level” there are hints of fury and unstoppable anger with opinionated screams and untamed borderline aggressive guitar riffs that maintain a gritty punk attitude even if the whole instrumentation showcases a more modern catchy sound with additional metal elements.

With bold straightforward metal grooves “Acolyte” seems to lose the old school punk drive except for the chaotic screams and also delivers scattered pleasant melodic phrases.

“Welcome To The New Dark Ages” can be extremely melancholic with minimalist contemplative acoustic melodies but is also ready to pick up speed and distortion with monolithic guitar riffing and fierce vocals surrounded by a rather ominous atmosphere.

“Black” stands out for the intense & catchy grooves built by powerful bass lines and crunchy guitar riffs following familiar energetic metal dynamics while vocals shift to baritone delivery matching the general gloomy mood.

“Scared To Die” feels like an almost apocalyptic soundtrack starting with somber atmospheric nuances that suddenly give way to a more aggressive guitar driven rhythm deeply fueled by controversial punk attitude.

Inspired by strong political views and a will to survive despite the inevitable demise of human race Antisect delivers the visionary album “The Rising Of The Lights” with vibrant unrestrained artistic freedom.

Cloak – To Venomous Depths

Georgia based young band Cloak is eager to enter the chaotic realm that is the current metal scene with the promising debut album “To Venomous Depths”.

“To Venomous Depths/Where No Light Shines” dwells in the darkest limbo where rock and black metal meet and inevitably embrace. Cloak doesn’t refrain from crafting deliciously addictive guitar driven grooves that bear the malevolent heavy dynamics of doom and dark metal while fully embracing a mystical grim atmosphere that continuously fuel the song’s melodic core.

The compelling darkness of “Within the Timeless Black” is constantly enhanced by a similar black ‘n roll attitude that influences the whole instrumentation as the galloping mid paced rhythmic sections are naturally entwined with highly somber melodic passages filled of monolithic dark atmospheres.

There is an enchanting gothic feel on “The Hunger” reminiscent of the unforgettable early days of gothic metal. Here guitars focus mainly on the creation of melancholy infused melodies that reach a cathartic acme in a dreamy yet quite dreadful breakdown.

“Beyond The Veil” begins with a hymn to the darkest shades of metal and remarkable doom accents that will contribute to craft a more dramatic mood in the suspenseful introspective breakdown while a fair dosage of crunchy riffing and faster drumming keep an unrestrained blackened core obviously enhanced by proper vicious growls.

“Deep Red” starts with comforting somber melodic guitars that recall the ethereal darkness of Cascadian black metal but soon Cloak delivers a charismatic blast with entertaining classic heavy metal riffage and  gradually build loads of energetic rhythmic dynamics characterized by monumental blackened flavors.

While “To Venomous Depths” displays the expected rough edges of a debut album you can readily perceive the refreshing passion for dark music behind the work of Cloak and certainly we can expect much more on the band’s next endeavor.

Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats – Vol 1

There was a time when Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats was still simply unknown and the very first music effort “Vol 1” was recorded on a low budget and pressed in small numbers. As the story goes, this album ended up acquiring a cult status and now songwriter Kevin Starrs has decided to re-release this charismatic D. I. Y. project finally mixed and mastered.

Maintaining its fashionable inner raw essence and rough recording style “Crystal spiders” introduces the vintage mixture of psychedelic and occult rock that characterizes Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats  as acidic guitar riffs build a series of massive retro rock bluesy grooves that lead to a glorious spacey guitar solo.

“Lonely And Strange” feels particularly irresistible with a deliciously spooky organ intro swiftly followed by full blown ‘60s-‘70s dazed psychedelic energy enhanced by spacey melodic guitars and vocals that will lead to a simply tremendous neverending trippy guitar solo surrounded by a moody melancholy.

“Vampire Circus” stands out for the entertaining dizzy & creepy guitar riffing that sounds like music straight from the ‘70s, absolutely not watered-down, and a guitar solo that holds an unpolished raw trippy psychedelic power.

The exquisitely groovy “Wind Up Toys” might have hints of retro doom that will inevitably make you space out as addictive galloping guitar riffs and a simply catchy chorus build up strength culminating in a visionary psychedelic rock par excellence guitar solo.

Initially released in 2010 “Vol 1” used to be a mythical item, a mysterious work of music and now all Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats loyal fans have a chance to finally own it and gain insight on the early days of the band.

Rikard Sjoblom’s Gungfly – On Her Journey to the Sun

A solo album from the frontman of the band Beardfish, takes the listener on quite a journey. This album is loaded with tons of great, memorable vocal melodies and very 70’s prog influenced sections.

Of the Orb: opens the album with over 10 minutes of music. What would a prog album be without that? Lots of cool vocal melodies happening here with some very nice chord progressions. There’s a pretty cool long solo section towards the end that’s very entertaining.

On Her Journey to the Sun: starts off with a bit of a Latin chord progression, followed by some very full and interesting sounding vocal melodies. The vibe I get is that the vocals play a very important role in this music. Everything fits together very nicely. The bridge is very pretty!

He Held an Axe: kind of brings things down a notch, but in a very good way. The story telling vibe really comes through here. Again there’s no shortage of very nice chord progressions here. Very well done, with some nice dynamics

My Hero: If you enjoy 70’s Genesis, well you’ll love this track. I know I sure do. There’s definitely a modern feel thrown in as well. This track really stood out to me.

Polymixia: This is prog done right. We’re just going to leave it at that…

Over My Eyes: is very dynamic, and haunting. The song almost pulls you into it, to the point that you forget where you are and become fixated with feeling. I guess that’s what music is supposed to do. This song adds some nice variety to the feel of the album.

Honeymoon Disease – Part Human, Mostly Beast

As the retro rock revival continues to trigger interest worldwide Swedish rockers Honeymoon Disease are ready to release the sophomore album “Part Human, Mostly Beast” generously packed with healthy rock & soul grooves.

“Doin’ it Again” obviously focuses on energetic guitar driven dynamics characterized by a lovely vintage sound and the song has enough catchiness and vibrant melodic quality to keep the listeners entertained.

“Only Thing Alive” keeps a straightforward electrified vibe with danceable quality as guitars and vocals keep up with the adrenaline infused rhythm that culminates with a readily enjoyable wild rock guitar solo.

The emotional warmth of “Rymdvals” delivers a pleasant change of pace as sincere vocals elegantly flow through guitar melodies that acquire soul tonalities and guitar solos are in charge of providing a wilder retro rock style with fashionable intensity.

With frenetic entertaining rhythmic patterns and lovely vintage lead guitar work “Four Stroke Woman” is another amusing track fueled by the unforgettable hard rock energy that still influences the current music scene worldwide.

Night By Night” adds a hint of melancholy to the raw high energy guitar driven grooves provided by the expected cohesive series of rock riffs and sparkling choruses.

“Coal Burnin” gradually builds rhythmic strength with loads of fuzzy riffs and a catchy melodic core always enhanced by intriguing guitar leads performed in proper traditional hard rock style and charismatic vocals.

At the very first listening “Electric Eel” feels sweaty and gritty as every hard rock anthem should with galloping guitars and thick bass lines focusing on the creation of quite accessible fuzzy rock grooves.

Even if “Part Human, Mostly Beast” doesn’t feel memorable all the way through, it would be enjoyed best if you play it loud with a party mood as Honeymoon Disease certainly demonstrate to have the ability to channel the dazed energy of the glorious ‘70’s.

 

Dawn Of Disease – Ascension Gate

German death metal act Dawn Of Disease has crafted the newest release “Ascension Gate” keeping in mind the band’s primordial extreme metal influences and offering a more modern melodic approach inevitably fueled by introspective melancholy.

At the very first listening “Perimortal” gives you a taste of the melo-death attitude that dominates this album. The remarkable guitar work should never be ignored as the crunchy fast paced rhythm always leaves space for loads of dreadful refined melodies carefully embedded in the entertaining solos.

The title track feels like a melancholic melodic death metal anthem as it begins with solemn atmospheric quality that simply embraces the intense growls cutting through a soulful crescendo of dramatic guitar melodies.

On the darkened track “Akephalos” you can definitely perceive the weight of Swedish death metal influence as the accelerated rhythmic patterns acquire harsh tonalities yet guitars also provide absolutely vibrant melodies.

Staying true to fashionable Nordic melancholy “Fleshless Journey” might be the most emotional song of the album as, despite being filled with extreme grooves, melodic guitars maintain a primary role crafting several contemplative moments with pleasantly impressive musicianship and sonic clarity.

“Mundus Inversus” certainly features a fair dosage of unrestrained rage with massive guitar driven grooves and tight rhythmic patterns yet, as it often happens throughout the album, guitars reach a terrific gloomy acme constantly and confidently creating deliciously sorrowful melodies.

Overall, “Ascension Gate” manages to include some of the brutal fundamental elements of traditional death metal yet Dawn Of Disease skillfully raises the bar introducing epic vibes and exquisite melodic textures.