Swedish icons In Flames are ready to begin a new successful musical journey with the highly anticipated album “Foregone” which clearly represents the future of the band exploring wider modern metal territories without necessarily forgetting their glorious melodeath roots.
Listening to “State Of Slow Decay” you can perceive the massive heaviness of the earlier days as the monolithic rhythmic section goes on a savage rampage to create harsh dynamics enhanced by the insanely aggressive growls.
“Foregone Pt. 2” features recurring sorrowful arpeggios emphasizing the passionate clean vocals nevertheless guitars have the chance to acquire heavier tones generating powerful rhythmic blasts.
The mellow passages of “Pure Light Of Mind” highlight a sophisticated melodic composition as the crispy guitar phrases smoothly unravel around Anders Fridén’s impeccable vocal performance.
As the title suggests there is a darkened essence lingering through “In The Dark” relying on the strength of the fierce guitar riffs yet all the mighty grooves ultimately lead to a rather catchy chorus.
With a loud & groovy rhythmic core “A Dialogue in b Flat Minor” is meant to be played live and please a big crowd as guitars fully embrace a luminous modern sound especially evident in the radio friendly chorus.
“End The Transmission” closes the album returning to angered themes that demand vicious growls and unrestrained guitar riffs to build a generous dose of hostile rhythmic patterns reminiscent of an old school formula.
With the release of “Foregone” In Flames definitely appear in excellent shape working hard to perfect their distinct songwriting style combining memorable guitar driven grooves and elegant melodic motifs.
Category: Album Reviews
The 69 Eyes – Death Of Darkness
Beloved Helsinki Vampires The 69 Eyes proudly keep the gothic rock scene alive with the irresistible dark allure of the latest full length “Death Of Darkness”.
Embellished by decadent atmospheric arrangements the title track creates a memorable blend of nocturnal melodies and wild grooves that naturally lead to an irresistible chorus emphasizing Jyrki’s haunting vocal delivery.
The title explains it all as on “Gotta Rock” the band focuses on a super catchy chorus and sleek guitar phrases to celebrate the glorious days of rock ‘n roll but always adding a touch of cold darkness.
“Dying In The Night” unfolds like a bittersweet dream and Jyrki’s captivating voice emerges from a shadowy realm flourishing within mellow goth pop soundscapes enriched by refined guitar leads.
“Something Real” reveals a sultry melodic essence as guitars and keyboards acquire deeply melancholic tonalities around Jyrki’s hypnotizing baritone vocals reaching the acme with a soothing harmonious chorus.
“Sundown” features a mid paced gothic rock grandeur as once again the delightful guitar melodies and the crunchy riffs naturally become entwined ultimately leading to a rather uplifting chorus.
“Outlaws” marks a perfect album closure as a shroud of darkness surrounds Jyrki’s seductive vocal performance enhanced by loads of shimmering keyboards and bewitching rhythmic dynamics, as a result we must dress in black permanently now.
As The 69 Eyes reach another crucial milestone still driven by genuine passion “Death Of Darkness” delivers a simply addictive collection of gothic rock anthems that make you wanna dance in a graveyard under the moonlight.
Witch Ripper -The Flight After The Fall
Witch Ripper aim to grab your utmost attention telling a pulp science fiction story through the sludgy cosmic grooves of the sophomore record “The Flight After The Fall”.
“Enter the Loop” opens a portal to another dimension as the surreal atmospheric intro leads the way to magnetic guitar riffs and consequent crushing rhythmic dynamics but you can easily perceive an epic melodic spirit.
In the beginning “The Obsidian Forge” unravels eerie tonalities and gradually the monolithic rhythmic section will acquire strength & speed to build hostile grooves fueled by the unrestrained gritty riffage and enriched by a fancy guitar solo.
Listening to “Icarus Equation” you can appreciate the intricate songwriting as the band carefully blends hypnotizing melodic motifs and inflamed rhythmic patterns relying on the heavier sludge tones of the charismatic guitar work.
The lengthy final track “Everlasting in Retrograde Pt. I & II” embodies an intense musical journey often focusing on the nostalgic tonalities of the fascinating guitar melodies to create a deeply contemplative mood enhanced by the spacey atmospheric arrangements yet the colossal drumming can generate plenty of majestic grooves.
Certainly “The Flight After The Fall” is an ambitious work of music as Witch Ripper entertain the audience with shape shifting dynamics and massive sludge metal elements without sacrificing a soulful melodic essence.
Metallica – 72 Seasons
Metallica is one of those bands that every metal fan in the world is familiar with and either loves them or hates them. Because of this I feel that before I delve into my thoughts on “72 Seasons” it is probably best to know my background with the band. I admit that I was a late bloomer in Metallica’s career and in metal in general. My first metal album was in fact the controversial “Black Album”. That aside I have come a long way since then. Although I do enjoy some of the songs on the “Black Album” and the other albums that followed (except St. Anger), they rarely get airplay from me and if I do find myself listening to Metallica it’s usually something from one of their first four albums.
That being said, I did enjoy a few songs on the band’s 2008 release, Death Magnetic and I think one song on their follow-up “Hardwired to Self-Destruct”. Overall though Metallica is one of those bands where I constantly have high hopes that they’ll release something great again, but am more frequently disappointed.
As far as “72 Seasons” is concerned, I gave the album a fair listen and with all of my history aside, I found the album to be mediocre at best. Two songs stood out to me as the better songs on the album. “Screaming Suicide” and “Lux Æterna” kept me more interested as the two faster songs on the album. The title track, also named “72 Seasons” wasn’t bad either, but overall I found the majority of the album to be slow. “Sleepwalk My Life Away” did just that, it made me want to fall asleep. Maybe I’ve just been exposed to too much faster, heavier stuff in recent years, but for a band that is so widely known in metal, I’d expect to hear some faster drumming (maybe even with some double bass) and more technical guitar work. I could compare them to the remaining bands that started off around the same time in the 80’s Thrash Metal scene and state that although Metallica is the only one that slowed down their music, they’re also the only one that sells out arenas and stadiums on their own (at least in the US). But that just points to them being more Hard Rock than Metal.
I’m sure that I’ll get some hate for this review as there are millions of “Metallica” fans out there that would eat this album up as they have done with all of the bands releases from the preceding years. To me though similarly to their preceding release it kind of seems like each song rolls into the next and sounds like one really long song. Though I don’t write like this lightly. I would love to see “Metallica” release an album that would really drive it home, I just don’t really have my hopes up for them in that aspect anymore. I did still buy tickets for their show (in a year and a half?!?!?!) But, similarly to when the band opted out of doing “The Big Four” tour in the United States, it’s things like that, that make me question how much the band actually cares about their fans) I guess I’m just hoping that one of the two nights features some of their older, heavier material. I guess we’ll see is all I can say there.
So on to recommendations. If you’re a die hard fan that loves the music that the band has released in recent years (and don’t worry, I still wouldn’t include St. Anger in that count) then you’ll probably enjoy this album. However, if you’re the kind of person that is looking for the early days when “Metallica” still played Thrash Metal, do yourself a favor and skip this album and go check out Overkill’s new release that came out on the same day.
Downfall Of Gaia – Silhouettes Of Disgust
During their fifteen year career Downfall Of Gaia have been exploring diverse musical territories and the result of such evolution today generates the sixth studio album “Silhouettes Of Disgust” lyrically revolving around the struggling lives of people in a fictional metropolis.
Throughout “Existence Of Awe” the super fast drums inevitably lead to blistering rhythmic patterns while guitars have the chance to add slow burning melodic phrases to create profoundly contemplative passages.
On “While Bloodsprings Become Rivers” the ferocious rhythmic section bears the mark of classic black metal and the poetic melodic tapestries clearly channel a bleak post-metal inspiration emphasizing the emotive aspects.
“Eyes To Burning Skies” instantly hypnotizes the listeners with an alluring hazy atmospheric ensemble embellished by Lulu Black’s delicate vocal harmonies but an intense blackened force is destined to arise through the malevolent growls and the hostile guitar riffs.
On “Unredeemable” the understated atmospheric layers and the cold melodic guitar work convey a sorrowful mood that will inevitably evolve into enigmatic and often belligerent rhythmic blasts.
“Optograms Of Disgust” brings closure with refined atmospheric arrangements that naturally enhance the overwhelming melancholia expressed by the desolate guitar tonalities yet once again the band is ready to gain speed and deliver the expected violent dynamics.
Within the sonic realm of “Silhouettes Of Disgust” Downfall Of Gaia have the freedom to craft an intricate dreamy atmospheric ensemble but also successfully maintain their primal extreme metal influences.
Hypno5e – Sheol
French avant-garde metal outfit Hypno5e reaches another milestone with the ambitious new album “Sheol” demonstrating a striking creative force that ultimately generates a series of fascinating cinematographic soundscapes.
Listening to “Sheol – Part II – Lands of Haze” you can perceive a multitude of contrasting emotions as the band skillfully shifts from a heavily distorted rhythmic momentum fueled by dissonant guitar tones to ethereal arpeggios evoking pure tranquility.
“Bone Dust” could take you to a distant parallel dimension where bittersweet melodic guitar phrases and wistful vocals flow gently through a hazy atmosphere while the impeccable rhythmic section gradually builds density through the savage riffage and the extra speed.
“The Dreamer and his Dream” fully manifests the band’s visionary approach as the haunting string section creates a mystifying atmospheric realm where guitars can freely put the spotlight on luminous acoustic passages and sweeping melodies yet you can expect a fair dosage of borderline chaotic heavier rhythmic patterns.
Following an elaborate musical pathway “Slow Steams of Darkness – Part II – Solar Mist” can sound absolutely ferocious focusing on abrasive guitar driven grooves and desperate screams yet the inner melodic essence is destined to emerge through the enchanting guitar work that instantly conveys immense melancholia.
The omnipresent cinematographic elements throughout “Sheol” elegantly adorn the complex songwriting style as Hypno5e shape a unique artistic identity combining harsh dynamics and evocative melodic motifs.
Host – IX
Nick Holmes and Greg Mackintosh of legendary Paradise Lost finally found the time to resurrect the Host project delivering the new full length “IX” evidently inspired by the glorious New Wave and Goth music scenes.
“Wretched Soul” instantly manifests a seductive goth vision as Nick’s haunting vocals flow smoothly through the hypnotizing multilayered synths spiced up by dreamy guitar phrases.
“Divine Emotion” is bound to spellbind you with an impeccable mix of melancholic piano melodies and rich atmospheric textures ultimately leading to a rather addictive chorus.
Throughout “Hiding From Tomorrow” guitars become more dominant crafting steady riffs and sorrowful harmonies enriched by the futuristic electronic elements.
You can appreciate the eclectic synths of “A Troubled Mind” maintaining a gloomy yet dancefloor friendly mood in proper darkwave fashion while guitars can add some crispy melodic accents.
Everything feels bleak on “Inquisition” due to the slower rhythmic patterns and the constant hazy synths surrounding Nick’s contemplative vocal delivery.
The atmospheric arrangements of “I Ran” might sound darker and a bit surreal but the rhythm seamlessly shifts from softer introspective moments to super catchy dynamics.
It’s easy to notice the strong connection between Paradise Lost album “Host” and “IX” as Nick and Greg here have the freedom to experiment following a different musical pathway that naturally leads to fascinating melodies and darkened atmospheres.
Memoriam – Rise To Power
Founded by former Bolt Thrower singer Karl Willetts and Benediction bassist Frank Healy, Memoriam have been unstoppable and the latest release “Rise To Power” is bound to solidify their musical identity within the extreme metal scene.
Throughout “Never Forget, Never Again (6 Million Dead)” the doom elements remain fundamental evidently amplifying the sorrowful lyrical themes through the crestfallen guitar tonalities while the hostile rhythmic section delivers intense grooves.
“I Am The Enemy” definitely stands out for the enthralling guitar work that effortlessly creates a deeply gloomy melodic flow emphasized by the slower rhythmic patterns but the gritty riffage naturally leads to faster and more aggressive dynamics.
“All Is Lost” doesn’t waste any time focusing on the colossal drums and the visceral riffs to consistently channel old school death metal influences but also you can appreciate the tasteful guitar harmonies.
The title track is another solid effort as once again the band skillfully combines charismatic guitar melodies and venomous rhythmic blasts further enhanced by the guttural growls.
Besides the massive guitar driven grooves “This Pain” manifests a strong doom inspiration featuring slower pensive passages where forlorn arpeggios flow gently through an eerie atmospheric ensemble.
Undoubtedly on “Rise To Power” Memoriam craft some memorable songs demonstrating the ability to seamlessly blend the heavy weight of doom and the brutality of classic death metal.
Enslaved – Heimdal
It all started with the infamous Norway’s black metal scene three decades ago and since then Enslaved fearlessly have been exploring diverse sounds and concepts to reach another crucial milestone releasing the thrilling 16th studio album “Heimdal”.
The esoteric journey begins with the ceremonial horn of “Behind The Mirror” which grabs your attention with a complex composition putting the spotlight on the sharp guitar riffs and the consequent majestic rhythmic rampage carefully embellished by soothing clean vocals and surreal atmospheric nuances.
“Forest Dweller” shifts the focus to a compelling melodic grandeur featuring ethereal acoustic passages accompanied by the poignant vocal delivery nevertheless a sinister blackened force is bound to take over through the colossal drumming and the ravenous growls.
Throughout “The Eternal Sea” the fascinating clean vocal harmonies and the crispy guitar tonalities create an epic melodic flow while the galloping riffs lead to a dramatically heavier momentum ultimately channeling the band’s obscure black metal roots.
The title track opens a portal to an ancestral realm as the intricate synths arrangements meticulously craft a perennial mystifying aura around the elaborate rhythmic patterns fueled by the proggy guitar leads and groovy riffs.
Within the kaleidoscopic world of “Heimdal” Enslaved once again demonstrate an eclectic songwriting approach revolving around the most mysterious entity in Nordic mythology and skillfully combining rich prog dynamics and inflamed black metal elements.
…And Oceans – As In Gardens, So In Tombs
Finnish symphonic black metal band …And Oceans begins a new immersive journey in search of enlightenment through the gloomy soundscapes of the new record “As In Gardens, So In Tombs”.
On the title track a sinister atmospheric intro leads the way to a solid series of savage rhythmic patterns featuring relentless drums and clearly showcasing strong black metal roots while the slower passages also add modern synths layers conveying a dystopian feel.
“Within Fire and Crystal” naturally continues to focus on furious blackened dynamics enhanced by ravenous growls while the eerie orchestrations and the guitar leads create frostbitten harmonies.
“Carried on Lead Wings” immediately unleashes a fiery blackened force through the unrestrained guitar riffs but once again the winning combo of surreal synths and cold melodic phrases evoke an overwhelming melancholia.
Throughout “Cloud Heads” the decadent orchestrations maintain a fundamental role surrounding the malignant growls and the vicious rhythmic ensemble fueled by extra speed and venomous riffage.
Within the gelid sonic realm of “Inverse Magnification Matrix” you can still perceive a mournful melodic flair and the blackened rhythmic assault seems unstoppable until the enigmatic synths generate a pensive atmospheric breakdown.
The final track “Ambivalent God” definitely embodies the album’s contemplative themes as the rhythm often slows down to put the spotlight on the crestfallen melodic guitars without sacrificing the harsh black metal momentum.
“As In Gardens, So In Tombs” constantly evokes tormented feelings as …And Oceans focus on a compelling melodic grandeur and at the same time successfully channel a primal black metal essence.
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