REVIEWS |
 |
|
|
|
|
ANNIHILATOR
"Metal" (Steamhammer / SPV - provided by Target) - 1½ out of 5 points - |
|
This is the absolute weakest Annihilator album I have ever heard! I was really anticipating this disc, as the title was really cool and was a statement that Jeff Waters would take no more shit from anyone. Boy, am I disappointed? 10 songs, with one song that comes close to being recognizable when spinning the disc the 3rd time. Waters and company have included a lot of guest musicians on the album, without gaining anything from it. The lack of good ideas and the cruise control lamp that is turned on 90% of the time is just not enough to justify giving this album a decent rating. I do like my Annihilator collection a lot and I have been positively surprised a couple of times, when the band has taken new paths and tried out some crazy shit, but this album is just boring. I watched Jeff and the guys do a pretty good job, when warming up for Trivium a month ago here in Copenhagen, so the band is still able to bang heads in a live situation, but for the future of writing, they really need to sit down and think hard about putting in a larger effort instead of using the auto-pilot.
|
|
Lars
|
|
|
|
|
AT VANCE
"VII" (AFM Records - provided by Target) - 1 out of 5 points - |
|
Okay, the days of At Vance being one of the cool melodic power/neo-classical heavy metal bands are long gone. With "VII" the band has really lost it! Guitarist Olaf Lenk has built up a completely new band with a new drummer (or should I say drum-computer? The jury's still out on that one…) and new vocalist. The guitars, bass, keyboards and production are apparently done by the man himself. I mentioned a new vocalist, and that's really where the album looses all it's charm (since the music is 100% like it's always been - take that for the good or the bad). Vocalist Rick Altzi simply doesn't have any power whatsoever in his little tiny voice, and although he tries his best to emulate Mats Leven and Oliver Hartman by creating vocallines close to those the other 2 guys used to sing, he completely falls flat on his ass as a third- or fourth-rate singer. As said, the music is still what it is, but the drum-computer and boring production, topped by a no-balls vocalist makes this a really crappy release.
|
|
Claus
|
|
|
|
|
BLITZKRIEG
"Theatre Of The Damned" (Armageddon Music - provided by Target) - 2½ out of 5 points - |
|
Blitzkrieg is one of those NWOBHM bands that really didn't have anything to offer on the scene, and they would have disappeared into total obscurity if it wasn't for two facts: vocalist Brian Ross went on to Satan (the band :-)) and more importantly Metallica covered their song "Blitzkrieg". Besides that the band has done absolutely nothing worth mentioning! Armageddon Music has for some obscure reason decided to sign the band, and are thus releasing the "Theatre Of The Damned" album, which although being totally new, sounds like something that could have been released 20 years ago. Simple heavy metal songs with nothing to write home about if it wasn't for a certain "charm" to it. I can't put my finger on what it is that makes me actually like parts of this album, as I really should hate how badly produced and ridiculously basic the songs are composed, but there's just something about it that brings a smile to my face. Perhaps it's Brian Ross' voice that reminds me of just how great Satan's "Caught In The Act" was, perhaps it's the "this-one-goes-to-eleven" guitar solos of pure Spinal Tap magnitude, or perhaps it's just that sometimes we all need a bit of classic heavy metal in our lives? This album proves that eventhough the production is extremely old-school (a nice way of saying that it's in fact horrible) and the songs are very simplistic, it's still possible to deliver a quite decent release.
|
|
Claus
|
|
|
|
|
DEADLOCK
"Wolfes" (Lifeforce Records - provided by Lifeforce Records) - 4½ out of 5 points - |
|
Until now I have lived my life happily and completely oblivious to this German act called Deadlock. But now that I know of them I am confident that I can now predict the next big thing on the metal scene. Don't let the rather silly and unattractive name and cover fool you, but let the music speak for itself. For what kind of music does Deadlock play? Well… I just don't know. This band is so varied that while I at times think "oh, this sounds like (insert band)" then they other times sound like a completely different band. But when Deadlock does it they are not confusing up the genres as they make it flow so well throughout each track. Deadlock has released 3 full length albums prior to this one, but according to my information this is the first time where they use female vocals as a main ingredient in their music. They have vocals switching from brutal death metal growls to female vocals. Do not be fooled though, for this is not your typical beauty & the beast band as we already have too many of on the scene like Tristania and Battlelore. We are here dealing with a woman; let's call her Sabine, and Sabine doesn't use the typical female clichés in the heavy metal genre, and by that I mean that she does not use this operatic voice as heard too many times before, nor does she try to be a rock-bitch ala Doro, she has found her own middle ground. Even though she is a female she has attitude to go along with her beautiful voice. The style of Deadlock changes from track to track. The opener "World Domination" starts out with some death metal ala Cephalic Carnage which later gets the addition of melody due to the bands use of Sabine and atmospheric keys. The track "We Shall All Bleed" offers some melodic death metal in the vein of late Dark Tranquillity, again with Sabine to give it this new fresh touch. The hit song (song radio friendly) of the album "Code of Honor" offers some melodic death metal along with a very pop chorus that pretty much reminds me of Within Temptation, and thus making the song very accessible and commercial. These are just the first 3 tracks of the album, and then imagine an album that uses thrash, melodic metal, classic metal, metal-core, techno (!!!, don't be scared) hard rock and pretty much every thinkable genre to throw into their stew of brilliancy. Many acts have tried mixing up genres, but rarely this many, and even more rarely have they made it all sound like their own. But apparently mixing genres into their own brand is what Deadlock do, and they do it damn well. It is needless to say that the musicianship of the guys in the band is stellar. I am not saying this is a total show off album, but when required they add that extra touch in the rhythm section. The solos go from melodic and heartfelt swansongs to storming blizzards. They keep it relatively simple when required, but still know how to blast your head to hell from time and again. The production on Wolfes is quite good as well. To suit my taste perfectly I would have liked the lead melodies to be a bit louder in the mix during the very fast and heavy death metal parts, but not a bad job in my humble opinion. The album does have a drag however. While the album develops very naturally, and keeps you wanting more and more, I just can't stop feeling that after many listens some songs are not as interesting as when you heard them the first time. The album rocks from when the first brutal tech. death metal riffs sets in till Sabine sings the album out in the ballad "To where the Skies are Blue", I just don't think all the songs are THAT good, especially on the later tracks of the album. "Bloodpact" however, second last track, is the best song on the album for sure as it has this cool melodic thrash vibe to it along with raw power and a grandiose sound; Just brilliant. Even though the album isn't as much a "grower" as I had hoped I cannot stop giving praise to this band and the label LifeForce for once again bringing another awesome asskicking metalband to me. Fans of metal; I appeal to your better judgement to check this album out. For this is a masterpiece and if there is any justice will be considered a milestone in heavy metal because Deadlock enters new musical territory and hits for the homerun. Unique, devastating, intriguing, diverse… Masterpiece!!!
|
|
Mads
|
|
|
|
|
DREAM THEATER
"Systematic Chaos" (Roadrunner Records - provided by Bonnier/Amigo) - 5 out of 5 points - |
|
What a year for progressive metal 2007 is turning out to be. Not only have the big ones of the genre (Dream Theater, Symphony X, Pain Of Salvation and Threshold) delivered new albums, some better than other of course, but also "young" acts like Redemption, Serenity, Circus Maximus and Spheric Universe Experience are all coming out with superb additions to the prog metal scene. Of course most of the focus will be placed on Dream Theater as they are by far the biggest name on the progressive metal front, and with good reason. Here's a band that has delivered one fantastic album after the other, and I'm proud to call myself a true DT-fanboy, who has liked all their releases (well, besides perhaps "Falling Into Infinity"…). "Systematic Chaos" is a faulous Dream Theater disc, and I'd go as far as saying that this is my favourite DT disc ever since "Awake". Yes, big words, but in my opinion this one has everything I want in a DT-release: huge melodies, aggression, huge melodies, brilliant production, huge melodies, lots of technical show-off, huge melodies, progressive parts borderlining rock and metal, and most importantly (if I haven't mentioned it already) huge melodies. From opener "In The Presence Of Enemies Part I" it's clear that Dream Theater has raised the aggression bar a notch. Besides "Awake" and "Train Of Thoughts", this is the angriest I've ever heard this band sound. There's almost a thrash metal ring to many of the songs. "In The Presence …" is however a typical Dream Theater song in many other ways, with the great interaction between John Petrucci's guitars and Jordan Rudess's keyboard runs. Brilliant opener to this disc! "Forsaken" takes it all a step down in terms of pace, focusing more on the groove, and is carried forward by James LaBrie's superb vocals. This song is a potential hit single and I'm sure Dream Thater will put that to use. "Constant Motion" is Dream Theater as we know them best; progressive metal with lots of small intricate parts all woven together nicely in a big carpet of sound. The song grooves, then changes pace completely, finds itself at a different rhythmic groove, stays there for a while, and then moves on to the next one. The song also pays a lot of respect to Metallica, which I think is an overall aspect of "Systematic Chaos", especially in the vocal lines on the verses, which has that staccatto rhythm that Metallica used on "Master Of Puppets" and "And Justice For All". The same style of staccatto vocals continues on the next tune, the groovy and quite straight-forward "The Dark Eternal Night". Perhaps Mike Portnoy wanted to get that stuff out of his system, as a fanboy of old 'tallica? It also looks like Mike finally got around to finish his "story" about the 12-step programme initiated by AA. As always this is dedicated to Bill W and all of his friends, with Bill W being the famous William Wilson who founded AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) 80 years ago. The final step in Mike's storyline here is repentance, which he illustrates by having some of his friends and musical collaborators doing a spoken-word session where they apologise for something they've done or haven't done in their lifes. The effect of this spoken-word section is huge, and it rams the point right into our minds. I actually felt like someone was talking TO ME, or even better like I was talking to someone else of my own experience (eventhough I'm not an alcoholic by any mean). Impressive and very thought-provoking. I sincerely hope that Mike Portnoy has been able to get rid of his inner demons and won the battle he obviously has been fighting. "Prophets Of War" is my personal favorite on the album, with it's quirky keyboard layers, fantastic vocal lines (James LaBrie is one of the very best vocalist in progressive metal imho, no matter how many "haters" there are out there!!!). "The Ministry Of Lost Souls" is an epic Dream Theater tune that could just as well have been on "Scenes From A Memory". The way it shifts from acoustic parts to full-band power and back again is 100% classic Dream Theater. Here you have the big melody up front and it won't let go of you. The solo parts are crazy, with Jordan running up all of the sounds on his keyboards, while John Myung and Mike Portnoy are grooving happily in the background with some cool bass and drum patterns. John Petrucci of course rips it all apart with some blistering guitar shredding. Classic! The album ends almost were it began, with "In The Prescence Of Enemies Part II", which lyrically and musically wraps all up full circle. For some reason this song has the thickest bass line of the entire disc, almost as if John Myung said "hey guys, it's my time to be heard" - brilliant move on his part if you ask me, 'cause he is definitely underappreciated in the band. The entire song is a prime example of how a progressive metal tune should be written, and all the elements I mentioned up in the beginning of this review that a Dream Theater album should contain are used to full extent in this one song. There you have it; "Systematic Chaos" is an absolute hammer of a disc with one impressive song after the other, written as only Dream Theater can write it.
|
|
Claus
|
|
|
|
|
EXCALION
"Waterlines" (Limb Music / SPV - provided by Target) - 3½ out of 5 points - |
|
Finland is one of the world leaders when it comes to produce commercial metal. They have highly successful acts a many. From the top of my head I can mention; H.I.M., Stratovarius, Nightwish, Children of Bodom, Apocalyptica, Sonata Arctica etc. And now Excalion is predicted to be the next big thing. And for once this has been claimed with good reason, because this very young band knows how to write catchy melodic power metal. Vocals are delivered with power and a new and fresh approach. He reminds me a bit of Tony from Sonata Arctica, but with a much harsher and more "metal" voice. The compositions are simple, and all are packed with great riffs, nice choruses and solos that always fit the moment. This is a band that knows what it is, a very good and promising power metal act and they don't try to be anything else by flashing their skills or by making huge pompous 20 minute long ridiculous epics, just pure metal. They are not that original though. You can clearly hear their inspirations in Sonata Arctica and Nocturnal Rites, but maybe with their next album they can make a little distance to their inspirations and become the next big thing on the Finnish metal scene? They surely started out well.
|
|
Mads
|
|
|
|
|
FARERI, FRANCESCO
"Secrets Within" (Lion Music - provided by Zink) - 2½ out of 5 points - |
|
OH MY GOD!!! This man is freaking nutcase on the guitar! This is the first time I have ever heard about Francesco Fareri but this is his second offering. I can honestly tell this man is master at what he does. Playing the guitar myself I can only be impressed of Mr. Fareris technical skills. From the very beginning I begin to wonder how the hell he does this. He must use some obscure techniques that I can only dream of ever mastering. Of course this is only when speaking of pure speed and shred, for that is pretty much what this guy does. If you want a guitar player with feeling, then don't listen to this guy, because he only knows of the pure brilliance of speed. The album is divided into two sections, one for electric guitar and one for acoustic guitar. It is quite black and white as they are not moulded into each other, but more separated into two halfs. The electrical part is rather generic. Despite Francescos awesome technical abilities and insane speed he has absolutely no idea of how to write a catchy melody or an interesting composition which makes it very hard to digest. His sound reminds me a bit of Satriani, but mr. Fareri has taken extreme overdose of speed and he doesn't have the flair for creating good melodies and atmospheres like Satriani has. Personally I prefer the acoustic part as it is goes easier on your mind compared to the more or less constant high speed shredding. I have however heard MANY much more talented guitarists on the acoustic, and also on the electrical (besides speed). The man is very fast, granted, but when it comes to compositional skills he still has a lot to prove. All in all an impressive disc musically but too much showing off becomes boring without the occasional melody, but if you are guitarfan of either electric guitar or acoustic this is definitely worth a listen or two.
|
|
Mads
|
|
|
|
|
FREDERIKSEN / DENANDER
"Baptism By Fire" (Frontiers Records - provided by Zink) - 4 out of 5 points - |
|
It's funny how an album can appeal to you so much just based on the cover artwork that you really want to grab it from the pile of CDs, eventhough there are more albums there that you know you should rather spend your time on before getting to this. With Frederiksen/Denander's "Baptism By Fire" album the cover artwork simply got this touch of beauty that appeals totally to me. It looks classy! So what about the music - is it any good or is it a turd in a nice packaging? Well, I'm happy to say that this is 100% great AOR created by the 2 most busy men on the melodic rock / AOR scene in recent years: Fergie Frederiksen (Trillion, LeRoux, Radioactive, Mecca and Toto) and Tommy Denander (Radioactive, AOR, Sayit, Deacon Street, and 93.422 other releases). Musically this is a straight ahead AOR disc somewhere between Survivor, Journey, Balance and Toto, and it's really great craftmanship. I'm happy I made it past the wonderful cover artwork and found something of equally high quality inside.
|
|
Claus
|
|
|
|
|
ICED EARTH
"Overture Of The Wicked" (Steamhammer / SPV - provided by Target) - 2 out of 5 points - |
|
This 4 song single CD is highly irrelevant. It contains 1 new song from the forthcoming Iced Earth album as well as 3 re-recorded songs from "Something Wicked This Way Comes" (the trilogy from that album). The 1st song "Ten Thousand Strong" is a boring school example on how power metal should not sound in 2007. The drums are simply put the most boring drumming I have heard in a long time and I suspect Iced Earth of having used computer drums for this. The guitar is monotone and without nerve and aggression, which used to be the band's trademark. The re-recorded trilogy is even worse, as I (as well as a lot of other Iced Earth fans) consider this sacrilege. What was a fantastic trilogy of fantastic musician skills and great performances, produced better than most other albums of the 90'ies, is now a flat, horrible sounding shadow of what once was. Matthew Barlow fit Iced Earth's music. Ripper, though being blessed with a great voice and singing talent, does not fit this music. Period. Sorry, but Iced Earth has seen better days and have lost the magic.
|
|
Lars
|
|
|
|
|
KOTIPELTO
"Serenity" (AFM Records - provided by Target) - 2½ out of 5 points - |
|
Stratovarius singer Timo Kotipelto releases yet another of his horrible solo albums. Or, so I thought. After releasing a couple of absolutely horrible albums he finally got his act together on Serenity. We are still dealing with Finnish melodic metal, but this time around we get an album that is solid all the way through. I do not think this anything above what I consider to be mediocre, but it is enjoyable from start to finish, and it is certainly better than anything he has done solo and also better than the last Stratovarius album. So if you are a hardcore fan of the genre or of Stratovarius then this is worth your time and money.
|
|
Mads
|
|
|
|
|
LAST WINTER
"Under The Silver Of Machines" (Lifeforce Records - provided by Lifeforce Records) - 3 out of 5 points - |
|
Last Winter is a band I definitely never would expect LifeForce to sign to their roster. With their MTV friendly sound Last Winter is bound to be the most commercial outfit on the label. The music of Last Winter is targeted towards a new generation of kids whom we so popularly have named EMO (emotional hardcore). Do not be fooled though, for while the genre offers a lot of boring bands there are still some jewels among them, and this is where Last Winter comes into the picture. Last Winter is relatively new band hailing from Florida, and they have gained somewhat of a local following and has achieved some MTV airplay etc. While Last Winter is being compared to bands like Panic At The Disco, and My Chemical Romance I also see a big reference to one of my very favourite bands on the contemporary rock scene; Coheed & Cambria. The compositions of Last Winter has this special touch that mixes the very listenable sound of the more commercial bands like PATD and MCR while having the musicianship of C&C. There are some very nice melodies and some awesome vocal lines. Especially the first 3 tracks of the album are very strong, but then the album begins to loose ground, and we get a lot of meaningless fillers, which is never a good thing in my book. So despite some great tracks with awesome melodies and heavy riffs I just can't ignore the totally bland and meaningless tracks late on the album. Still a very good release though if you like teenage music with a bit more to offer, and I definitely see myself listening to this in 5 years because of the very good tunes that are to be found on this album.
|
|
Mads
|
|
|
|
|
LILLIAN AXE
"Waters Rising" (Locomotive Records - provided by Target) - 4 out of 5 points - |
|
I've never been a big fan of Lillian Axe, in fact I think the only discs I've got are their self-titled debut from 1988 and the follow-up "Love + War" from 1989, and those 2 discs were quite typical melodic metal (hair metal, glam/sleaze, whatever you want to call it) of their time. However, one of my good friends is a HUGE fan of their other albums, and he has been telling me time and time again that I really needed to get into those discs. Well, I'm guessing now is as good a time to start doing that as any, 'coz the band is now releasing their first new disc in 14 years, and it's a really strong album, that doesn't have much "hair metal" sound to it. Musically we're somewhere close to the melodic metal of Saigon Kick with a heavy crunch to it (think a less crazy Freak Kitchen), a bit of semi-progressive metal (anyone mentioned Radakka?) and lots of multi-layered vocal parts (reminds me in places of how Enuff'Z'Nuff does it). Guitarist and song-writer Steve Blaze is the only original member left, and he really shines on the material with his awesome riffing, great leads and brilliant understand for writing the big melody. Vocalist Derrick LeFevre does a really good job, and since I don't have a "connection" with their older material, it doesn't bother me the least that he is now the frontman of Lillian Axe. "Waters Rising" is full of great tunes, with my personal favorites being the groovy "Quarantine", the semi-progressive "Fear Of Time", the weird ballad "Fields Of Yesterday" (which has a touch of Psychotic Waltz meets The Beatles to it), and the full-throttle instrumental closer "5". This is more than just another melodic metal album, this is art, and I am right now slapping myself on the ever-balding forehead in frustration over me never getting into this band.
|
|
Claus
|
|
|
|
|
MACHINE HEAD
"The Blackening" (Roadrunner Records - provided by Bonnier / Amigo) - 4½ out of 5 points - |
|
THRASH !!!!!!!!!!! Machine Head is a band quickly rejuvenating themselves. They made their big splash on the metal scene back in 1994 with the awesome "Burn My Eyes", but then went all the way down with a triplet of quite boring, or at least irrelevant, albums ("The More Things Change", "The Burning Red", "Supercharger") and it wasn't until 2004's "Through The Ashes Of Empires" they were on the way back to the top of groovy thrash metal. "The Blackening" is another step forward, and although it might not reach the classic status of "Burn My Eyes" it's still on heck of a great album. This is thrash metal like it's meant to be, fast and furious but with enough groove and class to also appeal wider than to the skaters and punk-brats out there. "The Blackening" has everything you need in a metal album of today - from the classic Metallica influenced parts, to the retro-thrash riffing of bands such as Phil and Robb's old act Vio-Lence, the power-groove of Pantera to a modern day Chimeira or Trivium sounding form of nu-metal … but all in all it's 100% Machine Head. The production is huge, done by Robb Flynn himself and mixed by Colin Richardson, and it's one of those productions that sets the standard for how metal should sound like in this day and age - a lot of producers out there should take notice of this! I love this disc, and if it wasn't for the fact that I still think "Burn My Eyes" is just a little tad better, I would have given this a 5-rating.
|
|
Claus
|
|
|
|
|
MASTERPLAN
"MK II" (AFM Records - provided by Target) - 3 out of 5 points - |
|
Hmmm … it's taken me a long time to get around to write my review of this disc, and it's not because I've not been listening to it; in fact, I've spent countless hours trying to figure out if I like it or dislike it. I'm somewhere in between still, but I must admit I find it hard not to enjoy the no-commotion-metal of Roland Grapow and his band. This isn't progressive intricate music that you need to be in a certain mood for, neither is it happy-happy power metal. Rather, it's somewhere in the middle ground of classic hard rock, power metal and lots of cool guitar parts. Musically it's a return to the sound of the debut album and a step away from the more dark sound of the "Aeronautica" disc, which I think is a wise move in terms of selling discs, but also a wise move considering the vocal-range of new singer Mike DiMeo, who landed the tough job of jumping in after such an incredible vocalist as Jorn Lande. Luckily Mike is an amazing singer in his own right (just listen to his performances over the past 15 years with Riot), and he proves it here in Masterplan by delivering a top notch job, that nobody should be pointing their fingers at. Mike is a classic power-house vocalist, and he fits right in. However, and this is my reason to be torn about this disc, there just isn't anything "new" or "daring" in any of the songs, and the let's-play-it-safe attitude gets worn out after a while.
|
|
Claus
|
|
|
|
|
MEGADETH
"United Abominations" (Roadrunner Records - provided by Bonnier / Amigo) - 4 out of 5 points - |
|
I am what is considered a Megafan; a guy who really, really loves the music of Dave Mustaine and his Megadeth. The new album "United Abominations" however is a really great album that pretty much follows the musical foundation laid on "The System Has Failed" from 2004, but it also brings back some of the elements found on the classics "Countdown to Extinction" and "Youthanasia" with its many memorable melodies and catchy choruses, which is pretty evident on songs like "Gears of War", "Never Walk Alone" and the title track. The fact that the entire line-up, yes, even original member Dave Ellefson is no longer in the lineup, has been changed this time around hasn't affected the music at all. But when Mustaine writes all the music and has such prominent musicians as the Drover brothers from Eidolon and James Lomenzo from White Lion a.o. to back it all up. Lyrically Mustaine maintains his political messages and continues to argue world politics with his own trademark charm and enthusiasm. Agree or disagree, but you cannot argue the charm in the way it is delivered with all its sarcastic messages. Megadeth delivers a very good album on par with many of previous masterworks, but if it is classic only time will tell. Either way it is bound to satisfy even the pickiest of Megafans.
|
|
Mads
|
|
|
|
|
MENDOZA, MARCO
"Live For Tomorrow" (Frontiers Records - provided by Zink) - 2 out of 5 points - |
|
Boring hard rock / westcoast AOR from Marco Mendoza (the awesome bass player from Whitesnake, Blue Murder, Soul Sirkus, Ozzy, Thin Lizzy etc) … not really what I had hoped for or expected considering what a great musician he is. Then again, this proves that just because you're amazing at playing your instrument it doesn't immediately make you a great songwriter. Having such illustrious guests as Richie Kotzen, Steve Lukather, Ted Nugent, Doug Aldrich and Tommy Aldridge doesn't help raise the bar either - it's a boring album and I don't have more to say about it.
|
|
Claus
|
|
|
|
|
MORSE, ALAN
"Four O'Clock And Hysteria" (Inside Out / SPV - provided by Target) - 3½ out of 5 points - |
|
So now the second of the Morse brothers, also known from progressive rock act Spock's Beard, decides to go solo. Unlike his brother, Neal Morse, Alan hasn't abandoned Spock's Bears but just decided to go for an instrumental album to "stretch out". With him he has a lot of musicians, and among them are his brother Neal Morse and Spock's Beard keyboardist Ryo Okumoto. Musically we are here treated with an progressive rock album that draws many references to a.o. jazz, fusion and funk. The compositions are as good as could be expected with such prominent musicians working on the project. You do however miss the thrill and the important stuff that makes you come back. I really enjoy this disc, but I just don't see myself coming back. If I ever want to listen to this music I am much more likely to pick up an album by Spock's Beard where you also get vocals. But if you are a big fan of fusion prog rock and can live without vocals then this is a very good album.
|
|
Mads
|
|
|
|
|
NOESIS
"When All Colours Are Dead" (Self Financed - provided by Noesis) - 2 out of 5 points - |
|
Noesis is a very new band from Spain… I suppose! Noesis plays something in the landscape between industrial metal, goth metal and melodic stoner rock. Imagine Rammstein, late Katatonia, Marilyn Manson, H.I.M. and Kyuss going together and doing something that is similar. Sounds weird? Well… it is a bit weird. The band doesn't do much for me, but they do come up with their decent melodies once in a while. The vocals are horrible, and the entire sound on the album does not fit with the music presented. This is boring me a lot, and I am moving on.
|
|
Mads
|
|
|
|
|
PLANET X
"Quantum" (InsideOut / SPV - provided by Target) - ? out of 5 points - |
|
I have said it before and I am saying it again: I HATE Jazz music and so I really am not the right person to review this album. When I say I hate jazz, I am understating…I actually don't understand it! Planet X plays jazz in a heavy metal way that doesn't appeal to me at all. I have no doubt that all musicians involved are really great and can probably play a 16½ / 5 note in XYZ major/minor with a twist of lemon, but that does not make them able to write a song that I, in my simple Neanderthal brain, can remember. I'm sorry as I feel this disc has been handed to the wrong person, but I am giving up on it, so I'll just add that if I were a jazz head, I'd probably go apeshit about this release - meaning…if you like extreme prog or jazz….go BUY this one. I will stay away and grab a fix of power metal.
|
|
Lars
|
|
|
|
|
PORCUPINE TREE
"Fear Of A Blank Planet" (Roadrunner Records - provided by Bonnier Amigo) - 1½ out of 5 points - |
|
Fact: Porcupine Tree is without a doubt one of the most successful progressive rock acts on the current scene. Their signing with mighty Roadrunner especially underlines this (How Roadrunner will handle this new type of band in their roster only time will show). Opinion: Porcupine Tree is also one the most overrated bands on the current progressive rock scene, and I will tell you why I think so if you continue reading. Prior to this release I had only listened to the album "Deadwing" which I found boring to all extends. Everything on that album bored me, or put more sensitively; nothing caught my attention. In fact I even had problems hearing that these guys are *that* good musicians as their many fans claim them to be. But since I was chosen to review this album I thought it would only be fair to dig a bit more into the band so that I won't get slammed for not "listening (yes… listening, apparently there is a difference) properly to the album" and not "listening to their best album". So, I asked one of their many fans; "What is the best album by Porcupine Tree to a common Porcupine Tree fan" and he replied "In Absentia". I then borrowed a copy of "In Absentia" and I *listened* to it. Funny… same thing happened as with "Deadwing". Nothing caught my attention whatsoever. However I could hear some compositional skills once in a while. At least they tried to be Pink Floyd. Well… now that you know my opinions on two of their albums, one of them being their "masterpiece" (not MY opinion) I might add, I don't think you will be surprised about my rating of this album. I honestly think this is as uninspired as progressive rock can be. I like the idea of trying to bring back the glory of the 70's progressive rock and add a modern touch, but when you do it as it is done on "Fear Of A Blank Planet", then I cannot find many positive things to say, no matter how deep I dig. Not even a prominent guest musician from one of my all time favourite bands - Rush - can make up for it. The compositions of Porcupine Tree can even make a brilliant guitarist as Alex Lifeson sound weak… Have they no shame? The weakest link in the band however is the vocals and lyrics though. I listened to the entire album while reading through the lyrics, because I thought that this band must have great lyrics then. This was not the case however as this band writes rather stupid lyrics. In the same song he praises X-Box (I agree on this though) but in the same verse says his mom is a bitch. Then later he is letting down pornography because the acting is and I quote; "lame". Wow… I am stunned on the insightfulness of Steven Wilson. What the hell did he expect… honestly? The album is pretty much how bad his mommy and daddy were to him, how they projected all their problems onto him, and he, as the innocent and helpless victim accepted the terms, he is then depressed and not even TV (not even porn?!?!) or pills can help him. Or well, the TV is okay when the X-Box is connected. Well… normally I don't like self pity lyrics, but when they are sung with a lot of emotion that shows you really mean it. That can make a huge difference; just take Fate - Burned Child as an example for this. But this is not the case with Mr. Wilson. He has this digital monotone and boring voice that is bound to drag you down into his black hole of self pity, if it wasn't so horrible to listen to that is. There is no display of stellar musicianship either in the technical exposure or in the compositions which all sound rather simple and easy listening. The production is where they get points though. I have absolutely nothing to point my fingers at on the overall sound of the album. Every instrument is clear, and they all fill their specific role in the sound at the right time. The guitar gets more attention when required and the same counts for everything else. Absolutely stellar work behind the buttons on this one, but unfortunately it has all been done in vain, because "Fear Of A Dead Planet" is uninteresting, indifferent and just as boring as can be. Avoid this album if you want your progressive rock to be something more than the work of some wannabe depressed guy who likes X-box. Take this from a wannabe super star critic who also likes the X-box.
|
|
Mads
|
|
|
|
|
REQUIEM
"Premier Killing League" (Massacre Records - provided by Massacre) - 4 out of 5 points - |
|
Despite not producing many internationally known metal bands, Switzerland often delivers high quality bands such as Celtic Frost and Coroner and now Requiem. I guess you can say they make use of the saying "quality over quantity", just like with much else they do (cheese, knifes and watches to mention some). Requiem is band that combines thrash, punk and black metal into a absolute poisonous cocktail of devastating and neck crushing death metal. I had my first encounter with Requiem on their previous and second album "Government Denies Knowledge" and I loved every damn bit of it, just like I do with this new offering called "Premier Killing League". Their qualities lie in their uncompromising sound, their aggressive riffing and ballbreaking rhythm section. "Premier Killing League" takes off just where their last album left off, and that is, despite its huge quality, also the bands letdown. You don't feel any evolution in the band. They have basically created an album they might as well be able to have called it "Government still denies knowledge". Their distinctive song writing is still many killing leagues above 95% of other death metal acts out there, and you can really tell the difference between each track on the album. The musicianship is superb and you basically just don't get it much better in the genre. Buy this killer of a death metal offering and get ready to bang your head harder and faster than you have done in a long time.
|
|
Mads
|
|
|
|
|
SAGA
"Worlds Apart Revisited" (Inside Out / SPV - provided by Target) - 4 out of 5 points - |
|
It seems like this might be the last album of the classic Saga line-up with Michael Sadler at the microphone, (since Michael now have decided to go solo and leave the band behind after 30 years), and what a way to leave us all hanging! A double live album (also released as DVD by the way …) with a show evolving around all the songs from their 1981 hit album "Worlds Apart", which was the album that gave the band their definitive break-through in USA. All the great songs are here: "On The Loose", "Wind Him Up", "Framed", "No Stranger", "Time's Up" … Oh yeah, you'll also get other Saga songs, such as "The Pitchman" and "Scratching The Surface" from "Heads Or Tales", "Don't Be Late" from "Silent Knight", "Humble Stance", "How Long", "Ice Nice" and "Give 'em the Money" from their selftitled album, "See Them Smile" and "You're Not Alone" from "Images At Twilight" and so on. A fabulous 2-disc set that proves why Saga was, is and always will be the most brilliant exponent for pompous symphonic rock!
|
|
Claus
|
|
|
|
|
SONIC SYNDICATE
"Only Inhuman" (Nuclear Blast - provided by VME) - 3 out of 5 points - |
|
Sonic Syndicate has been hyped by their label Nuclear Blast quite a bit. Why they have chosen to focus on Sonic Syndicate is pretty obvious; they create melodic metal with attitude and LOTS of commercial potential. The music however is highly unoriginal, and it has been done before, and done better. A good example is label mates Scar Symmetry who makes their songs the very same way. Sonic Syndicate mixes melodic metal with a typical Finnish sound along with American nu-metal compositions. However, for a newcomer band this is a very strong release from a band that does live up to the hype and does deserve a lot of attention. They just need to evolve a bit in their own direction and make their own sound as they already do a bit on this album. It would also help if they would throw in a solo now and then, like Scar Symmetry. Hopefully this will be a force on the metal scene in the future.
|
|
Mads
|
|
|
|
|
SWEENEY, MARK
"Slow Food" (Pie Music - provided by NL Distribution) - 1 out of 5 points - |
|
Mark Sweeney is mostly known for fronting Crystal Ball, but apparently also for producing and as a background singer for an act such as KISS. This is not metal however; let us just get that straight. It is hardly even rock. Imagine current Bon Jovi… and then soften it down to something that reminds you of an 80's version of Paolo Nutini. The production screams pop and mainstream radio friendly airplay. Now, that wouldn't bother me if we were talking quality. I don't like Mark Sweeney charismatic boyish voice, nor do I like this extremely boring and absolutely soulless album called something as stupid as Slow Food. All the songs have a boring chorus, and when he keeps repeating the same damn thing over, and over and over again you begin to think this album is nothing but absolutely pointless.
|
|
Mads
|
|
|
|
|
TRW
"Rivers Of Paradise" (Frontiers Records - provided by Zink) - 1 out of 5 points - |
|
Michael Thompson, John Robinson and Mark Williamson have gotten together to create a new melodic rock trio inspired by Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, Journey and Toto (well, that's at least what the press-sheet says …). In my opinion this is boring west-coast rock with a bit of bluesy stuff, a tiny tiny bit of southern rock (ok, perhaps not, but one of my friends said when we listened to this disc "it reminds me of Molly Hatchett", hehe) and has absolutely no bite whatsoever. Next …
|
|
Claus
|
|
|
|
|
VIRGIN BLACK
"Requiem - Mezzo Forte" (Massacre Records - provided by Massacre) - 2½ out of 5 points - |
|
Wow ... what a hard nut to crack. I have often heard the name Virgin Black but always thought of them as being a power metal band from Sweden. But now that I have to review this new album by them I stand corrected. They are a symphonic gothic band from down under. Dear old Oz has produced quite a few brilliant bands, but I don't know what to think of Virgin Black. On one hand they are quite unique with their real symphonic orchestra and their compositions which draw references towards classical composer Wagner but also to doom metal with their heavy riffs. Their attempt at making very theatrical and grandiose music works quite decently, but it never moves anywhere and the same counts for their more gloomy and dramatic parts. I never feel a certain rush, or that a part is especially brilliant. It is rather dull and bland experience. I really like the idea behind the band, but they just don't capture me in any way at all. I will give credit for being original, but as stated above this just doesn't do anything for me.
|
|
Mads
|
|
|
|
|
VISION BLEAK, THE
"The Wolves Go Hunt Their Prey" (Prophecy Productions - provided by Prophecy) - 3 out of 5 points - |
|
Pompous, symphonic metal somewhere between death, black and progressive metal is what The Vision Bleak is all about, and as such it doesn't surprise me one bit that they have been chosen as support band to Therion on their upcoming European tour, as TVB will surely hit right home with the Therion fans out there. However, and this is quite important, TVB has a much darker and more "in-accessible" sound, that makes it very difficult to just call them a Therion clone. In fact, TVB is in my opinion more original (in the true sense of the word) than Therion, who for some reason is playing it quite safe as of lately. It's almost as if TVB has decided that there should be absolutely no boundaries on their music, except that the end product should be huge and pompous - so when they groove one minute, and the next one go totally goth just to return in a more metallic version, it's all part of the same road to results. Within the music of The Vision Bleak you can find parts that reminds you of Therion, Empyrium (well, Ulf Theodor Schwadorf from Empyrium is one of the 2 guys behind TVB), King Diamond, Moonspell, Dimmu Borgir, Orphaned Land or Lacrimosa, and it does make for an interesting, although also rather confusing output. And that is where the big problem lie for TVB - it's too damn confusing and the band doesn't feel equally at home with all the things they try out. For TVB to reach further than just some underground status, I think they really should get more focused on what it is they want to say with their music and cut away some of the unnecessary stuff.
|
|
Claus
|
|