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If there's one thing that most of our regulars would know about me by now, it's that I call 'em purely as I see 'em & I don't give a fuck what the general consensus is. I like to make up my own mind about things & won't be swayed by what the cool crowd thinks. With that in mind, this week I decided that I really should have an informed opinion on one of the most successful yet heavily divisive metal acts on the global scene in Florida's Limp Bizkit. I'd never heard a full record by them before as I'd always assumed that they'd be none of my business up until now but, you know what, this shit ain't half bad. These dudes certainly know how to write a catchy hook, how to play their instruments & how to create a throbbing mosh pit anthem.

I was surprised at how many of the fifteen tracks I knew as there was clearly a whole slew of hits taken from this record but it wasn't always the well-known stuff that I found the most appeal in. Another thing that I perhaps wasn't prepared for was just how good a rhythm section Limp Bizkit had at the time, particularly the bass guitar which really drives a lot of this material. I don't think there's any doubt that front man Fred Durst's personality is what turns off most metalheads & I can see why as his message can often be summarized as meathead fodder but his macho posturizing can't disguise the obvious Eminem influence in his whiny rapping which I would suggest comes across as nothing more than tolerable. In fact, the rap component in Limp Bizkit's sound is really significant (perhaps more so than most nu metal bands) & that's usually the element of the subgenre that I struggle with the most but I've somehow managed to overlook it here, despite Durst being one of the more overt exponents of the craft. And once I managed to look past his immature personality to the groove-laden music behind him, I discovered that Limp Bizkit had more creativity in their kit bag than I'd ever given them credit for.

All of the hits are pretty enjoyable to tell you the truth with "My Way" being my pick of the bunch but it's the strength of some of the album tracks that surprised me the most with "The One", "Getcha Groove On", "Boiler" & particularly the outstanding album highlight "Hold On" really getting under my skin. Unfortunately, the album is book-ended by some much weaker material though with opener "Hot Dog" falling victim to Durst's idiocy, the Urban Assault Vehicle version of "Rollin'" being a total mess & the almost ten minute "Outro" track being absolutely pointless & a complete waste of your time. The remainder of "Chocolate Starfish & the Hot Dog Flavored Water" is well worth hearing though & provides further proof that you shouldn't believe everything you read. Perhaps I won't go running out to indulge in the remainder of Limp Bizkit's back catalogue any time soon but I can honestly say that this record isn't any worse than the majority of the subgenre, even if it doesn't compete with Linkin Park or Korn's best work.

For fans of Korn, System of a Down & P.O.D.

Katatonia have a special place in my listening habits nowadays.  The album Fall of Hearts has been of recent importance as it guided me through some of the darker times of a relationship breakdown over the past year.  The Dance of December Souls is also one of my favourite records of the sub-genre of the time, and whilst I cannot pretend to be massively in love with everything the band releases, a new release from them will certainly wind up on my rotation list for a period.  With a couple of singles circulated ahead of the main album release, I was already prepared for more of the same from modern day Katatonia.  Progressive elements, fused onto a main hull of alt-metal seem once again to be the order of the day.  Pace and tempos do vary but there is still that lumbering undertone to their sound that scratches some of that Fallen clan itch for me.

My favourite element of the band’s sound, Jonas’ pained vocals, are in fine form here.  Never getting into the pleading territory, nor are they bleating about unfairness or uncertainty, they paint a melancholy picture without grating.  For their largely monotone presentation, this consistency could easily end up grating, yet they compliment the darkness inherent in Katatonia’s sound so perfectly.  The other element that stands out this time are the superb guitar leads that haunt the record at various intervals.  Just as harrowing as the vocals, they are the perfect accompaniment.  Also, there are some quality riffs happening here on Nightmares of the Waking State.  Add in the power of the drums and you soon find yourself in that strange atmosphere of a subdued, yet deep and thoroughly entertaining experience.

The infectious (yet somehow not catchy) chorus line of ‘Temporal’ is a genuine joy that sticks in my head for days afterwards.  ‘Efter Solen’ is a sullen and moody track with a sneaky build that grows subtly in the background of the dreamy vocals and keys, exhibiting a crawling ambience as it goes along. There is a variety to album number fourteen from the Swedes, that we all absolutely expect by now, but it is all so mature sounding, without being boring.  The predominant colour of Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State in my mind after multiple plays is still grey.  That monotone is filled with bursts of white, some of them brighter than others, yet there is no real burst of vibrant yellows, oranges or even reds and that is absolutely fine for me.  Another chord struck with me here.

From surreal performance art YouTuber to experimental popstar to metal screamer, Poppy, born Moriah Rose Pereira, has revolutionized both the internet and music scene. However, I've barely encountered any of her work, only knowing her collaborations with her highly acclaimed collaborations with Bad Omens and Knocked Loose. So now it's time for me to dive into her diverse world...

Her 3rd album I Disagree marked her transition from electropop into experimental alt-metal. The album's themes are empowerment and destroying the destroyer. It's clear that a lesson to learn is to disagree with life's conventionalities that can drag you down.

"Concrete" shows Poppy reinventing the pop metal wheel, by combining anime-style electropop with metal shredding. Two different worlds collide as catchy hooks battle against brutal breakdowns. At one point, an audience chants her name which then leads to a pop rock bridge and the last of the metal shredding. Truly an energetic banger! Then the title track shows more of her creativity. The chorus is quite playful as Poppy sings like an angel, telling us to "let it all burn down, burn it to the ground". After which, her devil side strikes back against her manipulative ex-collaborator Titanic Sinclair, "I disagree with the way you continue to pressure me". She can burn away her abusive past and walk away without batting an eye. "Bloodmoney" takes on some electro-industrial, leaning into a bit of hardcore dubstep.

The electronic side continues on in "Anything Like Me", which also drifts into cacophonic metal and continues the directly empowering lyrics, "sorry for what I’ve become, because I'm becoming someone." Then "Fill the Crown" encourages liberty for all, "you can be anyone you want to be, you can be free". The edition of this album I'm reviewing includes a bonus cover of "All the Things She Said" by t.A.T.u., and interestingly enough, this is one of my favorite tracks here, fitting in the "metalizing covers" category by adding in dark alt-/industrial metal drama while staying true to the original. If that isn't Poppy's most emotional moment, I don't know what is! After that, "Nothing is Need" dives into dreamy soft pop, like something Ariana Grande would make. There's not much metal there, unless you count some lead guitar melodies. As a heavier listener, I find that one bland, though not a total disaster.

Poppy can let her ideas run loose in "Sit/Stay" with lyrics against having to obey like an animal. She wants to show that she is an independent individual and motivates us to have that same feeling of freedom. Then we have the explosive "Bite Your Teeth" with its straight-on metallic energy. "Sick of the Sun" is one of the more ethereal tracks here. 6-minute closing epic "Don't Go Outside" has a soft acoustic intro, and... I know this album fits well as an alt-metal release, but this track is the closest to that genre, maybe even the post-grunge style my brother likes. The music and lyrics revisit many of the earlier tracks, most notably the title track, "Let it all burn down, we'll be safe and sound".

I Disagree is a fine example of the experimental creativity Poppy has, expanding the boundaries of modern music. Although it's too poppy (no pun intended, maybe) for me to listen to on a regular basis, she deserves some great appreciation from fans. And we will disagree with the haters....

Favorites: "Concrete", "I Disagree", "Anything Like Me", "All the Things She Said", "Bite Your Teeth", "Don't Go Outside"

Released in 2017, ‘Bloodlust’ is the sixth studio album by rap metal band Body Count, the metal project formed by hip hop legend Ice-T. After an eight year hiatus, the band struck back with 2014’s ‘Manslaughter’, an album that was arguably the heaviest thing they’d ever put out, and instantly helped the band gain momentum with their return. This brings us to ‘Bloodlust’, which follows on exactly where its predecessor left off.

Once more pushing the boundaries with how heavy they can get, ‘Bloodlust’ is a non-stop assault of absolutely massive guitar riffs, rapid-fire lyrics spewing pure vitriol and frustration, all packed into 41 minutes of anger, aggression and political statements. 59 year-old Ice-T hasn’t mellowed with age, in fact, he sounds more pissed off than ever, rapping about crime, violence, corruption, and all the usual subjects that he’s been rapping about since the late 80’s, yet sadly, are still as relevant today as they ever were.

It’s insane how monstrously heavy this thing is. Having ramped up their sound and production to fit perfectly with the modern metal landscape, songs like ‘The Ski Mask Way’, ‘Civil War’, ‘All Hope is Lost’, ‘Black Hoodie’ and the title track itself, show a band who are pulling no punches and taking no prisoners. Particular highlight, ‘No Lives Matter’, is probably one of the best songs Body Count has ever written, probably one of their most relevant too. And along with guest appearances by the likes of Dave Mustaine and Max Cavalera, and a cover of the Slayer classic, ‘Raining Blood’, it’s clear that ‘Bloodlust’ is not for the faint of heart.

While there may be a couple of tracks I find fairly passable, overall, this is a very solid album from start to finish. Ice-T and co. have proven that they’re here to stay, and showing with ‘Bloodlust’ that 25 years since their debut, and getting heavier with each release, they still have plenty to say, and are just getting warmed up.

This is a fantastic live EP by forgotten nu metal quartet the Union Underground. Released in 2002, it features six tracks and flies by in 20 minutes, but it’s an adrenaline-packed 20 minutes that doesn’t let up for a moment.

The Union Underground only ever released one album, 2000’s ‘…An Education in Rebellion’, and that was literally one anthem after another, and this live performance perfectly reflects that, with the band smashing through a number of songs, full of energy and youthful vigour. They should have gone so much further than they did.

The sound is really good, the performances are tight, and the set list is great, including such bangers as ‘South Texas Deathride’, ‘Killing the Fly’, ‘Revolution Man’ and their biggest hit, ‘Turn Me On. Mr. Deadman’, but overall, this EP isn’t really worth owning unless you’re a big fan of the band. Their only studio album is an absolute gem from the nu metal scene at the turn of the century, and it’s cheap enough too, so just get that instead.

I seem to have inadvertantly developed a knack over the years to avoid a whole slew of bands that others seem to consider as metal 101. Helmet are yet another of those. Now that is a real shame because this is a really good album and I think if I had stumbled across it twenty years ago I may even have proclaimed it a masterpiece. Lots of punky influence go into this alternative metal recipe, but despite the post-hardcore tag I feel a number of the tracks take more influence from some of the 1970's proto-punks like The Dictators, The Stooges, The Heartbreakers and The New York Dolls rather than Black Flag or Minor Threat. I love the riffs, the guitar sound is bang on point and the vocals are extremely well-judged, but what I dug the most about this was the drumming - John Stanier's performance adds that little bit of X-factor to what is already an impressive album. The flow is also excellently judged, the length is just about perfect and the production job is superb, it absolutely nails the band's sound.

I have been informed by many different subsections of the metal community that I am supposed to hate Sleep Token. That first statement alone is heresy since some don’t even consider Sleep Token to be metal at all! Sleep Token are a plant; a piece shoved into the spotlight by RCA records to bring heavier sounding music to the masses with the inclusion of smooth synths and trap beat percussion instead of the standard symphonic strings and glitchy industrial embellishments. I’m told to hate them because of their appearance; their anonymity and the world that they have created through their music videos, comic strips, visual novels, etc. I’m told to hate Sleep Token because Vessel’s vocals sound devoid of harsh screams and intensity, and the instrumentals are not these technical showpieces with blistering solos and relentless percussion. And, most of all, I’m told to hate Sleep Token because of their poser fanbase.

Sleep Token are an enigma, combining the universe building of Coheed and Cambria with the insufferable fanbase of Taylor Swift. This band has somehow managed to become more than just their music, while still living in a fantasy world that is isolated from our own. Audiences want to know more about the people behind the masks. Vessel and company are a lot like wrestlers; they need to live and breathe the character that they portray in the ring even when they are not wrestling to not break face. Imagine a meet-and-greet with a heel wrestler and they turn out to be the nicest guy in the world. Wouldn’t that…sour the image for you?

Anonymity becomes ever more important in 2025 with the rise of artificial intelligence and deepfakes. And Sleep Token, despite their best practices, still managed to get doxed by a parasocial fanbase prior to the release of Even in Arcadia. Some do not value other people’s privacy, and it does leave a bad impression on the rest of the Sleep Token fanbase that’s for sure, but what does Sleep Token have to do with it? They were the ones who were the most affected. Why should they be held accountable for their own audiences’ actions?

I’ve spent a lot of time talking about the entity of Sleep Token and not their music to start this review off (kind of proving my own point there), so let me just say this: Sleep Token are a better progressive band in 2025 than Dream Theater. Those who saw my review of Parasomnia know what I mean, but to those who missed it: Dream Theater have been running on autopilot for the last twenty-five years and have not done anything remotely progressive since Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. Meanwhile, Sleep Token have taken a genre known for intensity, technicality and anger, and transformed it in a way that is atmospheric, moody and calm. Some elitists will suggest that Sleep Token need to be gatekept, but they aren’t really a metal band so what is there to gatekeep? Progressive music should defy categorization after all.

2023’s Take Me Back to Eden was a challenging listen. I really dug the promotional singles like “Chokehold” and “Vore” and ended up turning around on “The Summoning” later. However, the back half of that album was far too safe for the experience that the band was trying to portray, so I ended up enjoying it, but not over the moon for it. Even more so, the pop fusion made for a truly troubling experience, since pop and progressive music are not really known for their bountiful crossovers. Even in Arcadia had me worried with its promotional singles since I didn’t really like any of them, especially “Caramel”. I was worried that, like with Architects some three/four years ago, my defense of this band was going to be crushed by a lackluster project and that my review would be discarded in a cesspool of “sLeEp tOkEn aReN’t aCtUaLlY mEtAl” whiners.

The album opener, “Look To Windward” is perhaps the perfect encapsulation as to why so many people have a distaste for Sleep Token as a musical act. As a pop song, eight minutes is way too long for casual TikToker’s to stay engaged without a Subway Surfers video in the background, and as a metal song, the guitars and thall breakdown take up less than one-third of the song length. “No matter how you approach Sleep Token, everyone loses!” seems to be the consensus from both commercial and critical positions. But doesn’t that defeat the progressive argument? What happened to “it utilizes unorthodox songwriting featuring complex harmonies, multiple sections […] additional instrumentation such as keyboards, and influences outside of metal music?”

When I revisited the singles prior to this album and I tried figuring out why I didn’t enjoy them as much, I quickly realized that it was Vessel who was the problem. My favourite Sleep Token moments are the ones that use dynamic range, like on “Dangerous” to draft a story. So much of Even in Arcadia falls into this very monotonous vocal delivery that does not contribute in the way that it once did, even when the instrumentals are djent-y. Part of the reason I had to stop reviewing hip-hop albums on a regular basis was because not one could tell me a good story through the music. I understand that hip-hop is a very different genre from rock/metal since the words are given more importance than instrumentals, but if that’s the case, then why not just make it spoken word?

Getting back on topic, the instrumentals are a mixed bag. Songs like “Past Self” have okay introductions and set high expectations, only for the direction to just sit idly like a drone or doom metal album, not really evolving past its fundamentals. “Caramel” has this colossal soundscape that transitions from reggaeton beat, to a pop/djent chorus before concluding with alternating blackgaze riffs with double bass drum, open power chords and harsh screaming. Those screams are surprisingly quiet, but it beats the alternative of sounding like an auditory mess. Piano and strings are on the menu during “Even In Arcadia” as the albums interlude before the album takes on an uplifting texture the rest of the way. I for one was very surprised by main guitar lick on “Gethsemane” and reinvigorated the optimism for the final two songs on the album.

I for one am very appreciative of Sleep Token for how unapologetically not metal they are. The guitars serve more as textural emphasis in the same way that vocals work on an Unreqvited album. However, Sleep Token’s songwriting has taken one major setback on Even in Arcadia. This album has a lot of dynamic variety, but it always goes in one direction: soft to loud. This album has nothing like “The Summoning” or “Vore” which start intense and diminish in volume and intensity as the tunes progress. This is either a gross miscalculation on the part of the band and Carl Brown, or a lame excuse for songs to get more attention on streaming platforms like TikTok. Imagine the sheer horror on the face of some young teenager who just discovered Sleep Token through some viral trend, only to look up more of their music and be walloped across the face by “Vore” or something equally as intense. So, the formulaic calm opening to every song does feel like a wasted opportunity.

I liked Take Me Back to Eden two years ago but ended up going into Even in Arcadia with mixed emotions. And I came out the other side perhaps more mixed than when I went in. Is Even in Arcadia a good album? Yeah, probably. Is it as good as Take Me Back to Eden? Certainly not. And yet I want it to be. Not because it deserves it: the album is littered with curious design and ignorant omissions. But because of the inevitable push back this album is going to get. I discovered Sleep Token five years ago not through Tik Tok, but through metal forums that I frequent filled with people that would not shut the fuck up about them. Even going into this album, forums were littered with violent screeching from grown children who know metal music so much better than you or I. And you know what? Despite the album’s quality, I’m going to recommend it anyway!

This will be one of my most polarizing scores I’ve given to an album in quite some time; chances are I will look back on this review when the next Sleep Token album comes out and I still will not agree with the rating. Perhaps it is a bit of Stockholm syndrome on my part, so please consider this recommendation with some caution, but Sleep Token are making metal music for a new generation. It will not be for everyone, but in a great depression of Octane metal, with Sleep Token coming out and making something completely original, it deserves respect, if not admiration.

Best Songs: Dangerous, Gethsemane, Infinite Baths, Emergence, Even in Arcadia

Engine are an alternative metal supergroup, consisting of Ray Alder from Fates Warning, Joey Vera from Armored Saint (and also Fates Warning), as well as Bernie Versailles from Agent Steel, and Pete Parada, at the time in a band called Face to Face, but would eventually go on to drum for bands such as Halford and even The Offspring.

Released in 1999, ‘Engine’ is their self-titled debut album. Considering the progressive metal background of some of the musicians involved, it’s surprising that this is a very stripped down, laid back affair, focusing on a more groove metal sound that fits in with the nu metal-influenced scene at the turn of the century. I guess sometimes these guys just want something nice and easy to rock out to.

And rock out, they do! ‘Engine’ is brimming with plenty of heavy and grooving guitar riffs, Ray Alder’s fantastic vocals work great with this style of music, and the writing here is very polished. The band plays together very well, almost feeling like a “proper band” and not a “side project”.

Standout tracks from the record include ‘Tree of Life’, ‘Falling Star’, ‘Monster’, ‘Alone’ and ‘I Don’t Need’, but in all honesty, at barely 44 minutes in duration, this is a solid listen from start to finish. Engine might be a pretty obscure band for the casual metal listener, but if you’re a fan of any of the musicians involved, or like your metal simple, without endless noodling and complex melodies, then you can’t go wrong by giving this a go.

Here we are again. Another Machine Head album, another handful of tracks to unpick, another round of discerning if Robb has settled on any direction this time around. By now notorious for injecting virulent amounts of nu-metal, alt metal and even rap metal into their music, any new record from MH certainly gets greeted with the guard somewhat up. My absolute horror at the shitshow that was Catharsis from seven years ago was probably the peak of my derision with Flynn’s continued dilution of their core groove metal sound. Sitting here in 2025, I felt kind of desensitised to anything that Unatoned could throw at me, and so listening to the usual plethora of styles being blended across a lengthy twelve tracks did have me once again rolling my eyes in frustration that the skip button was out of reach.

Graphic Nature was formed in 2018 to add another aggressive modern dimension to the ever-expanding UK metal scene. They began releasing singles in 2019, and the singles they've made when compiled in two short EPs. It wasn't until 2022 when they started performing shows with other well-known bands (the wait partly due to the pandemic) and recording a full-length album, A Mind Waiting to Die.

The album's release date was pushed from late 2022 to early 2023 to avoid competition with Slipknot's album The End So Far. Still there were several singles from Graphic Nature's album released in advance. And once the full album dropped, it was time for listeners to enjoy the full experience...

The intro "404" welcomes you to this brave new world. "Sour" punches through with heavy drumming, riffing, and Harvey Freeman's frantic vocals, pounding you down like a thousand baseball bats. The F-bomb is dropped as the breakdown explodes from drum 'n' bass to brutal djentcore fury. Next up is one of the singles, "Into the Dark", which is a bit disjointed but has an ultraviolent breakdown. Strange didgeridoo aside, "Killing Floor" is a total ravager, with not much techno from the rest of the album.

Listeners won't object to "Sleepless" with its heavy music and lyrics of anguish, "I'm dying to leave this Hell". It's not meant for easy listening, instead for tearing things apart. Furthermore, "White Noise" has relentless guitars that fit well with the lyrical narrative, "Just give me some space to hide, somewhere else that isn’t my mind". Then we have a breakdown full of hardcore hellfire than can get the live crowd moshing. Another interlude "90" is short but might not age well for my metal mind. Second single "Bad Blood" fires away in hyper rage. The heavy guitars and slight turntables are not for the faint of heart. After that, things get a bit draggy in "Twisted Fear".

"Headstone" also seems to lose some steam. Next track "Deathwish" is another solid aggressive piece, though a bit of the high quality has fallen. Next up, "A Twin" is an emotional electronic interlude-ish track with spoken vocals and atmospheric keyboards. It reminds of how Linkin Park's first two albums each have a penultimate track like that. Closing track "The Downpour" strikes with brutality and emotion, "I lost it because I trusted you". The best saved for last that shall leave listeners wanting more!

A Mind Waiting to Die is a relentless start to Graphic Nature's nu metalcore adventure. Everything's so heartful and intense at the same time. The heavy aggression is only for those who are prepared and experienced, both of which I already am....

Favorites: "Sour", "Killing Floor", "Sleepless", "White Noise", "Bad Blood", "The Downpour"

Some fifteen years ago, after I had taken a brief break from metal altogether, I picked up Diamond Eyes on iTunes as my reintroduction back into the scene. I was not a fan of the band prior to this but reconciled to go back into the metal world with something different. During my brief dalliance with nu-metal in the early noughties I had become aware of 'Back to School' (from White Pony) which was all over Kerrang TV at the time, and to be honest I had never really been all that bothered by it. I didn’t love it, and I didn’t hate it either, it just passed me by because of over-exposure, I guess. Coming back to metal with Diamond Eyes (now I revisit it in retrospect) seems like an odd choice therefore, but I guess the non-metal elements here, the dreamy, hazy sensibilities helped ease me back in. That having been said, some of the riffing here is right up my alley still.

I recall now, as I write this review (triggered by seeing Daniel’s thoughts earlier this week) that it was the single 'Rocket Skates' that brought me to the album in the first place. That auditory assault of frenetic riffage and those screamed vocals “guns, razors, knives!” still prove to be a real adrenaline trip to this day, which is the sign of a great song, that it can invoke the same reaction from an older, much more underground dwelling metalhead, some fifteen years after they first heard it. However, there was much more to savour on the record once I had got past the frenzy of 'Rocket Skates'. Opening with the title track, the album seems to bring together all the elements that I now know to be contained across the album into one track. Bruising riffs, dreamy and yet also scathing vocals, dense atmospheres, balanced percussion and a constant murky, seedy undertone.

There is a darkness inherent in Diamond Eyes. It is a theme that is not always obvious. For all its pleasantries, its indistinct tranquillity, its promise of peaceful and soothing music, there also lies the sharper, more jarring, less subdued emotions of someone barely containing these more troubling emotions. It is an album written by a band who always sound on the fucking edge. I am reminded of one my cats that I miss dearly. She could be adorable, playful and outright loving one moment and in the next you had claw marks across the back of the same hand that she was just nuzzling mere milliseconds ago. That’s what Diamond Eyes is like. It is forty-one minutes of a false sense of security, and I fucking love it.

Album highlight for me here is the sultry and brooding ‘Beauty School’. The way the bass and the drums work together here to set the boundaries of the atmosphere is great. The lyrics are full of covert sexual connotations as fans of the band will come to expect, yet it plays like a modern ballad to the uninitiated. The bass once again is a key component on ‘Prince’, alongside those chiming keys and that down tuned guitar it makes for one of the more intense tracks on the album. I can only point to one criticism of Diamond Eyes and that is that it is a shade too long in the sense that once we get to the last couple of tracks it just starts to sound like the same ideas being rehashed in some regard. Forty-one minutes is not a long album runtime by any means of course, but when you get involved with it, properly in amongst the songs, that immersion does make elements of repetition standout even more I find. Still so glad that I came back to it this bank holiday weekend though, in so many ways an important album for me as it turns out.

The Place After This One can be considered Underoath's very own Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit. It's their 10th album and the one where they take on more of an alt-/industrial metal sound. This is where the band adds in more electronic experimentation than before, taking some cues from bands such as The Prodigy and early 2010s Linkin Park, signifying a new future for the band.

Don't worry, longtime Underoath fans! You can still hear some of the melodic catchiness of They're Only Chasing Safety and Define the Great Line, along with the anthemic metalcore of their subsequent albums. All in solid bangers, though there are a couple disappointing tracks...

Kicking off the action right away is "Generation No Surrender" which attacks with lead vocalist Spencer Chamberlain's frantic screams. It's practically like their late 2000s era on steroids, especially in the riff-wrath. Everything sounds so fresh and natural, staying true to what you remember them to be. "Devil" comes up next with electro-industrial synths by longtime keyboardist Chris Dudley, almost heading into trancecore territory with his synths and the guitarwork. Drummer Aaron Gillespie sings his wonderful cleans to remind you about the band's fresh unique sound. The chaos doesn't end there, as "Loss" blends hardcore screams with melodic cleans, alongside fast drumming speed. After those 3 tracks, "Survivor's Guilt" keeps up the anthemic streak, more melodic in the chorus while going wild in the verses.

Another trance-y track "All the Love is Gone" has more experimentation on their plate. The vocals rise slowly in intensity in the first verse, letting out all this energy in the chorus. It all leads up to a fist-pumping breakdown in the bridge. The more formulaic "And Then There Was Nothing" still has something, with nothing but guitar/vocal aggression. However, I feel like it could've extended with some melodic sections to make it a more balanced killer banger. Really pulling my leg is "Teeth" which really shows something different. It grabs my attention but in a bad way. Choppy glitch-hop just isn't my thing. Fortunately, the boost of heaviness at the end saves that track from being a total sh*tter. What can really get the live crowd dancing and headbanging is "Shame", a big highlight with cinematic electronics. The riffs and vocals will make you jump along to the beat. The synths and guitars are in such a sweet blend.

The blazing "Spinning in Place" is like a better more electronic take on one of the weaker songs from Define the Great Line. The rapid pace isn't that bad, but seems kinda like rushed towards the end, another short track that should've been extended for better closure. One of the band's most industrial highlights yet, "Vultures" is a killer track that can really punch its way to Hell and back. The ethereal leads grab my attention as much as the heavy chorus, "How’s it feel now that you circle with the Vultures?!" The chorus isn't the only massive hooker here. We also have the dark heavy bridge featuring Troy Sanders of Mastodon and his gritty singing. Truly a "take no sh*t" kind of highlight. Next, "Cannibal" continues switching between heavy and melodic. The vocals in the chorus are quite huge, though the drop into a soft bridge kinda breaks the flow. Still I love that harmonic vocal power, "CANNIBAL!!!!" Final track "Outsider" marks the grand end of the journey. Aaron Gillespie sings solo in this track, and that helps it being an easy track to end with. The perfect way out, with more to expect in the future!

The Place After This One is a strong transition from the past to the future for the most part. While a few odd tracks may bring this album down to almost average status, Underoath still have their boundary-pushing passion in album #10. The keyboards really take the frontstage without losing much of the riff variation. The screams and cleans are in great balance, adding cool effects without damaging the vibe. If two or 3 songs from the middle of the album were slightly improved though, the quality would be much larger. With such powerful compositions, Underoath has never ceased to amaze the world. We don't know what will come next after this, but I can't wait....

Favorites: "Generation No Surrender", "Survivor's Guilt", "All the Love is Gone", "Shame", "Vultures", "Outsider"

Released in 2000, ‘Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water’ is the third studio album by American rap rockers Limp Bizkit, who, having gained mainstream recognition with their previous outing, really stepped up the ante on this one, and produced an album that totally defined an era. Not just in music, but in pop culture.

It’s crazy to think how big this band was back in 2000, but Limp Bizkit were literally one of, if not THE, biggest band on the planet. ‘Chocolate Starfish’ produced five chart-topping singles, a memorable soundtrack to a huge, Hollywood blockbuster, the music to one of the most highly revered Wrestlemania events of all time, and had mainstream appeal thanks to cameos by hip hop superstars DMX, Xzibit and Method Man.

And in all seriousness, it holds up well to this day. I know it’s cool to hate this band, and it’s cool to hate this album… but whatever, I love it! It’s just pure energy and attitude throughout, whilst never taking itself too seriously, nor coming across as a parody. The band have a sound and style that they stick to, and don’t care what anyone thinks. Fred Durst’s lyrics are often daft, but always memorable, and Wes Borland’s unique guitar playing is taken to a whole new level here. The production is fantastic too, and this sounds as fresh and exciting as it did way back at the turn of the century.

Need proof of how awesome this is? ‘Rollin’’, ‘Take a Look Around’, ‘Boiler’, ‘My Generation’ and ‘My Way’ are all the massive anthems that everyone knows, but in their shadows are some fantastic tracks such as ‘Hotdog’, ‘The One’, ‘Getcha Groove On’ and ‘I’ll Be Ok’. This is an incredibly well put-together album. If you’re looking for something deep and introspective, this isn’t for you. Neither too serious nor too daft, this album hits all the right spots if you just want to rock without a care in the world.

Back in 1999, drummer Tommy Lee quit world-famous glam rockers Mötley Crüe, to embark upon a new endeavour delving into the (then) increasingly popular world of rap metal. The result was a smorgasbord of genres and guest appearances known as Methods of Mayhem.

Personally, I love rap metal. I think the worlds of metal and hip hop blend together perfectly. Both in musical terms, in attitude, and in image, the two were made for each other. And this album is a fine representation of that. With an excellent production and very polished writing, this album is nonstop adrenaline and energy.

Besides Tommy Lee, this album features the likes of Fred Durst, Kid Rock, Snoop Dogg, Lil’ Kim, Phil X, Chris Chaney, The Crystal Method, and Mix Master Mike. There’s a true mix-up of rockers and rappers, but somehow the album flows coherently, as though everyone is all operating under the umbrella of this being one very legit band, rather than a whole bunch of guest appearances for the sake of it.

Sadly, there are a couple of songs that are kind of passable, but for the most part, this is a solid album, and when the band get it right, damn, they really smash it out of the park! ‘Hypocritical’, ‘Who the Hell Cares’, ‘Get Naked’, ‘Proposition Fuck You’, ‘Anger Management’, ‘Narcotic’ and ‘Crash’ are all absolute bangers that make this album a more than worthy addition to any rock, metal, or hip hop collection. The only real shame is that it would be ten years until the next album.

A Dark Halo made a second album after 17 years in the void. And this time, they have a full 5-member lineup to make a solid cyber/alternative metal offering. A phenomenon that has sadly yet to caught on...

For those wondering what this blend would sound like in A Dark Halo's perspective, imagine the electronic/metal mix of Fear Factory put together with the mainstream gothic-ish tendencies of Evanescence. Vocalist/bassist Dave Lowmiller and guitarist Jonesy have continued the project with guitarist Abe Robertson, drummer Kaye Papale, and vocalist/guitarist Mel Rose (from Mechina) by their side. You can also expect some melodeath, djent, and pop-core here, a similar cauldron to Amaranthe.

We start off strong with the great "Thin Be the Veil" with splendid vocal melodies. The glorious "Starfall" is my favorite of them all. Nothing I can say can do that perfect song justice. "Vector Unknown" is darker and heavier, featuring Anna Hel. The softer cleans and heavier screams alternating between each other sound so haunting. It's like a lurking menace in the space of tranquility, turning it intense and bleak. The cleans still shine, along with the creativity in the music. The band is never afraid to explore the unknown, and as a result, we have another wonderful standout!

"Flame Betide" can also please me with some influences from Fear Factory and Scar Symmetry. The one track I would consider somewhat weak is "I, Revenant", the only song here that's under 4 minutes.

"It Never Sleeps" is another one of my favorites, sounding haunting while having the lovely clean singing of Mel Rose. The beautiful ballad-ish track "Afterworld" practically combines the late 90s eras of Paradise Lost and Fear Factory, while having some deathly heaviness. The album ends with the 6-minute epic "The Disquiet", filled with hammering metal to remind you that the journey was worth it.

The only things I would object to in this great album is one or two tracks having some slight weakness, and there probably could've been a couple more tracks added here. Nonetheless, I approve of this long-awaited comeback album for A Dark Halo. Maybe the future flame of cyber metal never be extinguished....

Favorites: "Starfall", "Vector Unknown", "It Never Sleeps", "The Disquiet"

Ah yes, A Day To Remember. How could I ever forget? One of the 2010's most mainstream and pop friendly metalcore bands. They have returned with their first album since 2021's abysmal You're Welcome and showed just why ADTR (A Day To Remember) are so unnecessary  in 2025. Here we have a band doing the exact same thing that Architects tried with their last album as they sheepishly modulate back-and-forth between modern metalcore trends, while staying close to their comfort zone that made them so popular with Homesick. And I guess on a purely sonic level, Big Ole Album Vol. 1 can be a promising listen. Unfortunately, ADTR have forgotten the most important part of easycore, which is the pop adjacent choruses. They might still be here in practice, but in execution, they are severely lacking. Some of them are okay (i.e. "Flowers" and "Miracle"), but more often than not this album turns into monotonous mush. Whether it be the painfully generic breakdown structure, the weak electronic percussion, the poor low end in the mixing, or the atrocious volume modulation that persists throughout the entire album! There is no way that anyone who has worked with a rock band before (or ever recorded anything in their life) would think that consistently adjusting a tracks volume in the middle of recording/mixing was a good idea. But, like Architects, it butchered whatever good graces the last three albums may have had, and mostly does the same here. The bands intent to not be taken seriously is at least a more promising takeaway than Architects, or any other modern metalcore act, but it does become less fun when the songs are this formless. 

P.S. "Die For Me" is a poor excuse of a country rock crossover, probably due to the Hardy collaboration a couple of years ago. I would call it bad, but that would be too generous.

Best Song: Flowers, Silence

‘Extreme II: Pornograffitti’ is the second album by American hair metal band, Extreme. Released in 1990, it came out at a time when there was a sense of change in the air. While grunge hadn’t yet completely taken over the world, there was certainly a feeling that a lot of the glam and party antics of the 80’s were becoming dated, which is unfortunate for this Boston quartet, as they had just released what could arguably be considered their best album.

I’ll never understand why hair metal was on such a decline back then, with energetic showmen traded for angsty introverts and flashy guitar solos traded for three chords. Perhaps people were just sick of the image of it all, or just not being able to relate to the lyrics? But regardless, the musicianship was still truly spectacular. For Extreme in particular, praise must go to guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, whose absolute ferocity on the guitar is insane, and vocalist Gary Cherone has an incredible and charismatic voice that totally fits the funky shred style of the riffs.

And I won’t leave out drummer Paul Geary and bassist Pat Badger, who are absolutely solid as a rhythm section, providing plenty of groove and funk.

There’s an absolute abundance of hits on this album, but particular highlights for me include ‘Decadence Dance’, ‘Get the Funk Out’, ‘It (‘s a Monster)’, ‘When I’m President’, the frantic shred-fest that is ‘He-Man Woman Hater’, soft ballad ‘More Than Words’ (which was actually a massive hit for the band), as well as the title track itself. But in all honesty, this album is just non-stop banger after banger, and if you can shake off the 80’s glam stigma, this is an incredible album, and an essential addition to every rock or metal collection.

Released in 1989, ‘The Real Thing’ is the third studio album by alternative metal band Faith No More, and is notable for being the first to feature vocalist Mike Patton. With former frontman Chuck Mosley gone, it’s the addition of Patton that helped the Californian’s truly find their sound and establish themselves as a huge name in the rock and metal world. A certain hit single didn’t hurt, either.

Further pushing the boundaries of where they could take their music, Faith No More’s chemistry as a band really started to pay dividends here. Blending metal, funk, and even pop and disco elements, with a variety of singing, rapping and growling, the band really hit a creative high with their unique sound and unique singer.

Of course, the main focal point of ‘The Real Thing’ is arguably the bands most well-known song and their biggest hit, ‘Epic’. A song that still garners endless radio rotation to this day! Along with ‘Epic’, there are other great tracks, such as the energetic ‘From Out of Nowhere’, the funky ‘Falling to Pieces’, the heavy ‘Surprise! You’re Dead!’ or the title track itself. Though, I must admit I do feel halfway through the album there’s a decline in quality. While the songs are easy enough to sit through, I generally find them quite passable.

Still, overall, this album is regarded as a classic, and rightfully so. It really put Faith No More on the map as mainstream superstars for a short time, and while their brief flirtation with commercial music wouldn’t last long, this record still holds up pretty well to this day, and definitely belongs in the collection of every rock and metal fan.

When discussing music, there will always be the topic of underrated or forgotten artists. For me, when it comes to the nu metal scene from the late 90’s to early 2000’s, there’s always one band that comes to mind. And that band is Stuck Mojo.

After that, it’s The Union Underground!

‘…An Education in Rebellion’ is the first (and to date, only) studio album by Texas quartet, The Union Underground. Released in 2000, this is an absolutely fantastic 34-minute slab of nu metal. Full of short, energetic anthems, there’s no messing around here, just one banger after another.

The band have their sound absolutely nailed, with amazingly heavy and crunchy guitars and some fantastic vocals that perfectly blends clean singing and shouting, but with enough aggression to mesh the two together flawlessly. This is all emphasised by the incredibly polished song-writing and punchy production that puts these guys ahead of so many of their contemporaries, and produces one of the best sounding and most pumping albums from that era.

However, despite doing the opening theme for WWE Raw for a number of years, and being hand-picked to tour with Marilyn Manson, The Union Underground just never really took off. From what I recall, they were never heavily featured on TV or radio, never really received much (if any) magazine coverage, nor were they prominent in any major tours or festivals. And it’s a shame, because they certainly deserved to be much bigger than they were.

With an abundance of unforgettable anthems, such as ‘South Texas Deathride’, ‘Bitter Man’, ‘Until You Crack’, ‘Drivel’, ‘Natural High’, ‘Revolution Man’, and their biggest hit, ‘Turn Me On Mr. Deadman’, it’s a travesty that we never heard more from these guys, as this album truly is an absolute gem from the nu metal days, and still sounds as fantastic today as it did back in 2000.

After 2000’s hugely successful ‘Infest’, and it’s follow-up, 2002’s ‘Lovehatetragedy’, Papa Roach, like many, shifted their sound away from the dying nu metal subgenre, and became more grounded in hard rock or post grunge (or whatever style all the nu metal bands became once the fad died down). It was around this time that I lost touch with Papa Roach, a result of my own musical tastes changing, so I was keen to revisit these superstars from my teenage years to see what they’ve been up to since I left off.

‘Getting Away With Murder’ sees Papa Roach do away with a lot of the metal elements in their music, with the most notable being that the guitars don’t quite sound as edgy or aggressive. There’s less focus on rapping vocals, and the lyrical content itself is nowhere near as bleak or angst-ridden as before. The songs are a lot more poppy and radio-friendly, with vocalist Jacoby Shaddix displaying more singing ability than he’d done on previous releases.

But none of this is a detriment. Sure, it’s not quite the same Papa Roach that caught everyone’s attention by ‘cutting their life into pieces’, but there’s still some good, well-written rock songs that show a band maturing and evolving. I might have been disgusted at this change back in 2004, but now, I can see it for what it is. And I’m glad to be making up for lost time.

‘Take Me’, ‘Getting Away With Murder’, ‘Scars’, ‘Blood (Empty Promises)’ and ‘Be Free’ (which features an amazing vocal performance) are all great radio rock songs that demonstrate the band changing with the times whilst still maintaining a high quality of writing. And while ‘Getting Away…’ is far from their best work, it’s still a solid album which definitely has its share of unforgettable tracks.

BREAKING NEWS: Architects are heavy again.

This really shouldn't be news to anyone considering how poor Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit was. I had low expectations for an Architects album already and then Sam Carter and company dropped the biggest non-effort I've heard this side of the 2020s. It was right up there with Bastille as my worst albums of 2022 and for good damn reason. It was a record that promised accessibility, but butchered whatever character Architects may have had. Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit did not sound like an Architects album, but rather a procedurally generated alternative metalcore album that could be replicated by anyone.

The issue is not that Architects are going back to a heavier sound. What matters is will Architects actually sound like Architects? And so, The Sky, the Earth & All Between does show signs of improvement. Segments of "Elegy" and "Brain Dead" show the band embracing more of a hardcore sound. "Whiplash" and "Everything Ends" are closer to the mainstream accessible sound the band has been playing with for the last couple albums, while "Evil Eyes" has some decent hybrid action going on. The biggest issue with this album is that it lacks consistency; I like "Evil Eyes" and the opener "Elegy", but then the album hits you with "Broken Mirror", which I swear just sounds like a rejected Bring Me the Horizon song. 

The back half of The Sky, the Earth & All Between is so safe that I don't really have anything to say about it. The Amira Elfeky feature on "Judgement Day" could have been a bright spot for this record, until the main riff enters and it reminds me of AI generated metalcore again. The worst part about it is that none of these songs have anything ear catching; whether that be a catchy chorus, guitar solo, or compositional change of pace. They all do the same thing and a record that started off with potential gradually loses that momentum in quick fashion.

Now, I understand that it is unfair to criticize The Sky, the Earth & All Between by comparing it to Holy Hell, the band's 2018 record that served as a farewell/lament to their bandmate, Tom Searle. I really question just how much weight that must have carried because while this album does certainly sound like Architects, it also does not contain the same passion. And even then, this album is showing signs of a group desperate to stay relevant, and will incorporate as many modern trends into their music to do so. Some of them work, while others just...don't. Perhaps it is poorly outlined expectations by people like myself that an artist does not need to completely revamp their sound every album. Sleep Token are Sleep Token, and they do not need every 2010s metalcore group mimicking their style to maintain relevancy. Instead of being good at just one thing, Architects' The Sky, the Earth & All Between includes The Sky, the Earth & All Between, and isn't really good at any of it.

Best Songs: Elegy, Brain Dead, Evil Eyes

Spiritbox have returned with their second full length album following The Fear of Fear EP from 2023. The first thing that strikes me on the new record is how much heavier this is than Eternal Blue. The promotional singles for this record did not leave me with much hope. The promotion for Tsunami Sea was showing signs of this band continuing down the more accessible path with "Perfect Soul" being thee prime example. While not a bad song, it does sound eerily similar to some of Eternal Blue's weakest songs. 

So having been on vacation for the last week, I've had the chance to listen to this record freely for longer than most, and I was quite impressed with the result. This is by far the best project that Spiritbox have released since the 2017 EP. Even though the record does still implement many of the talking points that I've previously mentioned (most notably the "musical grab bag"), Spiritbox have claimed an identity and they are sticking to it throughout the entire album. The bands hybrid personality has become apart of their unique sound and that carries into the songwriting itself. This album has such a eclectic palette of song styles, song compositions and directions. And while some of them don't work (i.e. "Crystal Rose"), other songs like "Keep Sweet" and "A Haven With Two Faces" are very good.

Tsunami Sea is adding a few more electronic and industrial elements, which is new for the band and plays into that "grab bag" personality the band is presenting for themselves. In a way, this album can be seen as some kind of culmination of taking Iwrestleabearonce and making it accessible. On their own, none of these songs scream progressive or event avant-garde, but as a whole, Tsunami Sea does so much to change up from track-to-track that it gives off the passing impression of a progressive metal epic.

"But Saxy" I hear you moan, "what about the breakdowns? This is metalcore after all and you are a notorious hater of breakdowns." And while that may be true, it is only because modern metalcore bands do not know how to include breakdowns into a tune; insert a percussion buildup, a vocal break where the title of the song is shouted, band returns with a breakdown groove that is not connected to the chorus. And while Spiritbox do employ this mechanic here, it is breakdowns like on "A Haven With Two Faces" that make me think this band really are metalcore geniuses. The pure bliss that was felt as Courtney LaPlante sings "I watch as it floats backwards to me" and the seamless recurrence of the main band is the highlight of the album for me. 

Like I said off earlier, I think Tsunami Sea is the best Spiritbox record since the debut EP. The songwriting has improved tremendously, the album has a great variety of song styles, both in their aural presentation as well as the physical compositions. LaPlante's vocals are tremendous their range and delivery, and while the compression of the mix is a questionable choice, I feel like it adds to the groups dynamics during the records softer moments, as the heavier moments can sound tremendous at times. Like with all metalcore, the best waves are the ones that make you savor them.

Best Songs: Fata Morgana, Keep Sweet, A Haven With Two Faces, No Loss, No Love, Deep End

It is with Architects' new album The Sky, the Earth & All Between that their earlier metalcore roots are in a stand-off against their recent alt-metal sound. I'm just glad they didn't lose most of their metal like they did in the dreaded Here and Now...

If I were to rank this album with the rest of their 2020s era so far, I say it's as good as For Those Who Wish to Exist, maybe a few points higher, and better than The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit. Still those 3 albums can't beat the great Holy Hell and the glorious mid-2010s era before that. Producing the album is Jordan Fish who had just departed from Bring Me the Horizon. His production skills give this offering more meat to bite down on.

Opening track "Elegy" is an epic track to kick things off, with their alt-metalcore sound going soft to hyperfast in no time flat. "Whiplash" is another f***ing ground-breaking banger to make sure the band isn't dead. "Blackhole"is another f***ing h*ll of a headbanging single with some of the greatest vocal intensity from Sam Carter. Adding to the perfection is the drumming by Dan Searle. That shall get the live crowd going! But then everything changes with "Everything Ends". It's a poppish song that lowers some of the quality. Nonetheless, the guitar melodies have great variety, sounding dark and uplifting at the same time.

"Brain Dead" cranks the metalcore speed back up with pit-inducing riff storms. Electronicore duo House of Protection steps in with vocal fury to make things more intense. And there's more to explore in the tracks that aren't previously released as singles... "Evil Eyes" concludes the second half of the album with the band's typical blend of aggressive verses and serene choruses, all the way up to its ending throwdown. "Landmines" has a sonic duel between synths and drums. Nothing is overused, and the mighty chorus rules along with the vocal distortion in the verses. "Judgement Day" features Amira Elfeky in this more industrial track. Her vocals work out nicely behind Carter for a perfect chorus. That shall boost up the album quality a bit!

"Broken Mirror" is a more brooding song. Carter sings nice and soft before rising into his usual screams. It's so emotional and almost a power ballad that you're bound to get your lighters up. Just remember to turn them off before the heavy bridge so you don't set the place on fire while headbanging and moshing. "Curse" is another banger that apparently is in the soundtrack of WWE 2025. So f***ing underrated, with choruses that sound like the choruses they're meant to be. Plus a bit of Bring Me the Horizon vibes here and there. "Seeing Red" is the first single, released as early as late 2023, proving that the band hasn't lost any of their earlier heaviness in this awesome highlight. Lots of raw rage from beginning to end with gang vocals by the Choir Noir. Ending it all is "Chandelier" (not a Sia cover) that once again starts calm and peaceful before rising up in climatic heights. Some screamed vocals and guitars remind you that the band is still what they're known for, and it all ends as you look forward to more.

The Sky, the Earth & All Between, I would put in the highest part of the 3.5 star tier, and consider it the album metalcore fans wanted after Holy Hell. New aspects are brought to the band's usual sound in album #11. They might just reach have more live opportunities come up. A good offering for anyone who likes it loud and soft and all between...

Favorites: "Elegy", "Whiplash", "Blackhole", "Evil Eyes", "Judgement Day", "Seeing Red"

After my poor revisiting experience with Karmacode, I decided to skip ahead nearly two decades through their discography into their new album Sleepless Empire. Ever since my move away from the more melodic metal bands 7 years ago, I hadn't listened much to this band at all, apart from several Gateway playlist submissions. The latest two albums I've heard from this band were Broken Crown Halo and Delirium, two albums that my brother enjoys for their alt-metal sound. I've almost completely missed out on Black Anima, which I've heard has a more metalcore tinge, and Comalies XX, a 20th anniversary re-recording of their breakthrough album. Well if I wanna hear female-fronted modern metalcore-ish alt-metal, In This Moment is currently my go-to band. But let's see if Lacuna Coil would become that again with their new album...

Now this is a great blast to the past! Sleepless Empire shows the band returning to their gothic metal roots while leaving their modern alt-metal path intact. It's almost like this was an unreleased album from 2004, literally a bridge between Comalies and Karmacode, finally seeing the light of day with a modern revamp. Honestly, I might just be up to finally checking out Black Anima and Comalies XX later on, maybe even Within Temptation's two new albums that I've also missed out on mostly. Not all of Sleepless Empire is exciting though, since a couple tracks/singles are a little weak for me. Still there are many songs that really brought back my memories from 10 years ago.

The "bridge between Comalies and Karmacode" theory sounds about right in "The Siege" with its memorable riffing, though the metalcore-ish growls of Andrea Ferro are different for sure. But then we get to the poor-quality "Oxygen", which sounds closer what they have Delirium but ends up being quite a letdown. The growls by Andrea Ferro sounding similar to Matt Heafy of Trivium are actually quite killer and don't make the song a total loss. Despite continuing that poor riffing in "Scarecrow", it is brushed aside by the electro-dance pace that can almost work as "Closer 2.0". We hear more of the vocal balance between Cristina and Andrea in "Gravity", which is pretty good, although the verses by Andrea could've had better execution.

"I Wish You Were Dead" is a single that got me pumped up for the album, and it's a true highlight, perhaps my favorite here! Again it connects the bridge between Comalies and Karmacode, maybe even a more dramatic take on a song from Shallow Life. It's a little short, being under 3 minutes. Maybe a guitar solo before the final chorus would make it better, but I still enjoy it as-is. An absolute must-listen! "Hosting the Shadow" really shows the band firing through, another great highlight! And even more so by the vicious growls of Lamb of God's Randy Blythe. You also gotta hear the massive soloing that comes up "In Nomine Patris" that makes an otherwise good song awesome.

I can almost consider the title track an actual blend of the 2020s eras of Memphis May Fire and October Tide with female cleans. "Sleep Paralysis" once again has amazing soloing that you wouldn't expect from a modern band. Pretty much all the band's albums can be heard stylistically throughout these 5 minutes. "In the Mean Time" is great but not all that special, except for the guest vocals by Ash Costello to break up the repetition. Ending track "Never Dawn" is the first ever single for the album, originally recorded two years prior for Zombicide: White Death, and giving me a feeling of hope for what this album would have later. The gothic strength of Comalies and the groove-metalcore-ish sound of Delirium actually become one! It might be disappointing for old-school fans, but it's much stronger than a big chunk of Karmacode.

Sleepless Empire is an enjoyable comeback for the band, with some memorable hits. It's a much better blending of old and new sounds that In Flames' Foregone, and hey, maybe I can check out Dark Tranquillity's new album Endtime Signals and see if I can find a similar result. I can never regain the perfect glory I experienced when I was a teen who was into the more melodic stuff, but those highlights are some of the band's best songs in years. I'm still torn between whether or not I should finally listen to Black Anima and Comalies XX, as it's another case of love it or hate it amongst the fans. Nonetheless, Sleeping Empire has much better songs to offer than Karmacode, and it has reminded me of how much I once enjoyed Comalies and their mid 2010s albums. And while I scored big in the metalcore realm with last year's new releases by ERRA and Make Them Suffer, I can still look back at this gothic/alt-metal band still going on for 3 decades. Lacuna Coil have returned with a true blessing....

Favorites: "The Siege", "I Wish You Were Dead", "Hosting the Shadow", "In Nomine Patris", "Sleep Paralysis", "Never Dawn"

It's not unusual for something you loved 10 years earlier to end up being abysmal to your ears today. After all, that happened to me when I revisited DragonForce's cover of "Ring of Fire". So what do I think of Lacuna Coil's switch from gothic metal to alt-metal that I was given a chance to revisit after all these years? Well, I still love some songs here, but for everything else, [insert metalcore BLEGH of disgust here]. And this was the band whose success came from their previous album Comalies.

See, I like alt-metal enough to be worthy of my time in the Gateway clan. However, it's hard for me to get used to the more mainstream albums. Maybe the reason I liked Karmacode more in my teens was because of how melodic it is. Well, there are good surprises here in the same amount as the bad ones...

Talking about only the tracks I like or find OK, "Fragile" is a catchy start. As in every Lacuna Coil album, there are the raging shouts of Andrea Ferro and the calm singing of Cristina Scabbia. However, here those vocals are used more equally. "Our Truth" is close to a f***ing incredible highlight! Even though I moved away from this band during my departure from gothic metal, after listening and reviewing a couple Evanescence albums, they might be some hope in returning to Lacuna Coil in the future. Maybe if I check out a different album later. "Within Me" is a great song for post-breakup woes of loneliness, bringing back good memories of when I used to listen to this band full-time.

We hear some earlier chanting by Cristina in "You Create", which would've been a highlight if it wasn't an interlude. "What I See" is another track I enjoy with more of Cristina's magical vocals. Ferro's vocals sound a little off here, but they don't break that track's glory. "Closer" is an amazing song that actually has some Europop vibes that might've influenced Amaranthe. Years since my last full listen of this song, and it remains immortal in my memory. I enjoy the bad-a** bass intro and outro, though the guitars are still worth bringing in. These lyrics hit me like a train in this awesome song, especially when the first chorus starts at the one-minute mark. This might be tied with Disturbed's "Stricken" as two historical modern alt-metal songs for me, and they still have that energy in subsequent decades. Guitar Hero players know that song for sure...

The rest of the tracklisting is just weak and forgettable. It's tough when the music doesn't hit me as well as it once did. And don't ask me that Depeche Mode cover that I now find f***ed up (I prefer It Dies Today's cover). I'm glad I still enjoy a few songs in the album, preventing it from becoming as awful as Metallica's St. Anger. I heard Lacuna Coil has made somewhat of a return to their gothic roots in their new album Sleepless Empire. I should check it out and hope for the better....

Favorites (only true highlights): "Our Truth", "Within Me", "What I See", "Closer"

With all due respect to the bands previous catalog, it really is nice to hear Lacuna Coil returning to their roots of Comalies and not trend chasing. The bands previous number of records have all been plagued by trying to be something that Lacuna Coil is not. Whether it be the nu metal on Karmacode, or the atrocious metalcore breakdown chasing of Delirium. 

This is not to say that Sleepless Empire isn't a little bit indulgent. "Scarecrow" does begin with a very metalcore-esque riff, but Lacuna Coil are confident enough in that riff to make it a foundational piece instead of your typical ping-pong of riffs and never sticking with one. Cristina Scabbia's vocals are pretty bland if I'm being honest; while certainly some good moments, the main vocal melodies of quite a few tracks are monotonous. What that means is a lot of the main hooks come from the instrumentals. The riffs still have that metalcore foundation, but the inclusion of synthesized strings and orchestral arrangements do bring back images of the bands strong gothic roots. 

But the harsh vocals are a lot to take in. They add some intensity to the record that only appears in short bursts on records like Karmacode, but now they are a big part of the tunes. Reminds me a bit of Color Decay by the Devil Wears Prada and does run its course after a while and becomes predictable. The real issue though is when you have a Randy Blythe feature ("Hosting the Shadow") and it doesn't really need to be here. Sleepless Empire is already close to 50/50 on vocal splits, so the appearance of a guest vocalist (with a very similar vocal timbre might I add) is just odd choice and adds nothing. The track itself is one the albums faster paced tracks (good) and the one that exhorts the least amount of gothic metal energy (not good).

In the end, Sleepless Empire would be best described as an album in much a similar way. For every step forward the band takes (i.e. gothic revival, decent choruses, solid production), Lacuna Coil are just as likely to take a step back (i.e. 50/50 vocals, metalcore trend hopping). I think that the album does more good than bad, which is why I'm giving it a more generous score, but some really foundational issues continue to hold this band back from their true potential. 

Best Songs: Scarecrow, I Wish You Were Dead, Sleepless Empire

White Pony is revered as one of the greatest Alternative Metal albums of all time, and as a big fan of certain strains of the genre, I gave this album a very fair chance. The potential for masterpiece is there, but overall I was left wondering what makes this so great in the eyes of the world.

By rights, the highs are magnificent. It’s got a couple great songs that kept me coming back again and again. But I soon found that most of the album just consisted of anticipation for those few tracks, while the majority didn’t do anything special for me. Why was this?

For me personally, it’s because White Pony just doesn’t go far enough in any of the things it sets out to do. It’s an eclectic album with a good balance of influences, primarily Alt Rock and Alt Metal, but also spreading across Nu Metal, Shoegaze, Post-Hardcore, Dream Pop, and even some artier moments of Downtempo and Glitch. Problem is, it doesn’t exactly excel at any of those things. The heavier, Nu Metal tracks are not heavy enough nor aggressive enough, the darker songs aren’t dark enough, the clean songs aren’t catchy enough, the emotional songs aren’t passionate or evocative enough… you get the idea. If I wanted heavy Nu Metal, I’d rather throw on Slipknot. If I wanted cleaner, more passionate Alt metal, give me modern Katatonia or In flames. If I wanted atmospheric stuff… give me actual Shoegaze or Post-Metal.

The highlights of this album are found in those couple great tracks where everything comes together perfectly. As shameful as it is, I’m unfortunately talking about the same tracks that everybody else likes, the lead singles “Digital Bath” and “Change (In the House of Flies).”

Wow, is “Digital Bath” something special. That was the only song that immediately gripped me the first time I heard it. When Chino goes higher and passionate with his vocals and the gazey chords come in, man, it’s perfect. That moment in the middle of the song where you can actually hear something that sounds like electrical water… godly atmosphere. It’s catchy, it’s passionate, it’s moody, it’s atmospheric, and it’s got a hell of an interesting lyrical concept. AND it manages to capture all of that perfectly with the quirky song title.

“Change” was much more of a grower. Didn’t stand out immediately, but got a lot stronger each time I came back to the album, full of great symbolic lyricism and a dark, ominous mood that works really well with the simpler guitarwork. I will also give a shout out to “Knife Prty” which is just shy of a fantastic song thanks to a bit too much meandering and a slightly lamer concept idea, but the energy and mood of the song is great.

All of these aforementioned songs share something in common; they are cleaner, technically simpler, denser and more atmospheric. They focus on mood, and more evocative vocals. Deftones can do this sort of style pretty damn well. But when they try to do something else, they don’t succeed, and here’s why; the riffs suck. They are incredibly boring, mostly dissonant, not catchy, not creative, not evocative. Ditto for the rhythm section; it’s simple, boring, not energetic enough. Chino’s harsh vocals aren’t very convincing either. For this reason, the band falls flat when they try to go heavier or more energetic. None of the heavier Nu Metal songs left any impression on me. The only other song I can really remember is “Teenager” and that’s because it’s so damn different, being a full on Glitch/Downtempo track. And they do that one decently well too! They just were really not meant for Nu Metal.

‘Boombox’ is the eighth studio album by American hard rockers Fozzy. Released in 2022 and coming off of the huge success of their 2017 release, ‘Judas’, the band, who have been on a constant upward trajectory since their 1999 conception, have played it pretty safe with this one, and followed in the same vein as their previous album.

The brainchild of wrestling superstar Chris Jericho (the best in the world at what he does), and Stuck Mojo mastermind (and my hetero man-crush) Rich Ward, I don’t think anyone back in 1999 would have expected the band to still be around doing this as long as they have been. But they’ve overcome comedy cover band antics, being named after one of the Muppets, and being more than simply “Chris Jericho’s band” to become a very legit, very authentic group of musicians.

But while the last few albums have been absolute bangers, it feels with ‘Boombox’ the songs just aren’t all up to par. And I don’t mean that to sound horrible (and I don’t want to make the list!!!), because Fozzy are one of my all-time favourite bands! Literally every album they’ve released has been of exceptional quality, and while this one certainly has its moments, I do find myself preferring to go back to any of their previous outings instead.

Still, the likes of ‘Sane’, ‘Nowhere to Run’, ‘I Still Burn’, ‘My Great Wall’ and ‘Purifier’ are all remarkable songs, and with an excellent production and a pretty sick sleeve artwork, this is still a very solid album. And while it may not their best, it’s still definitely worth owning for rock and metal fans, and plenty worthy of the name Fozzy.

I absolutely love and miss Pete every day. He is a huge influence on the musician and song writer I am today. Type O Negative was an incredibly important, influential, and innovative band. Pete was always a huge fan of the Beatles, sometimes referring to Type O as the "drab four" in mirror of the "fab four" moniker the Beatles wore. More than any other Type O offering, the Beatles influence is felt here, it's slightly more conventional and slightly more optimistic than the rest of their catalogue-SLIGHTLY being the operative word here. It's still every bit a Type O Negative album, and Type O Negative albums are damn good.

By 1994, metal in the mainstream was dead. Grunge had taken over, and other than a select few torch-bearers keeping the flame alive, most metal bands had either gone underground, gone grunge, or simply gone away. Then a band from Bakersfield, California came along, and changed all of that.

There’s no denying the impact Korn had on the metal genre. They were ahead of their time, and pioneered what would become nu metal, thus given heavy music a lifeline and appealing to a whole new audience. Their sound captured the angst, moodiness and self-loathing of grunge, but combined with the heaviness and attitude of metal.

But listening to this today, damn, this hasn’t aged well!

Back during my teenage years, I, like many newcomers to the metal and rock genre, loved Korn! They were edgy, dangerous and exciting, and any school kid who was bullied, felt rejected or left out could relate to them. Their low-end guitar riffs, percussive rhythm and Jonathan Davis’ unique blend of singing, shouting, rapping and scatting (is that what it’s called?) were totally unique! And that album cover is still as striking and eerie as it was back in 1994.

But listening to ‘Korn’ today, I’m surprised how quickly I got bored by it. Sure, it’s got classics such as ‘Clown’, ‘Shoots and Ladders’, and of course, ‘Blind’, with its famous opening line. But honestly, I really struggled to sit through this all the way. Every song just sounds the same and plods along. And I know that’s kind of common for most Korn albums, but I just seem to remember loving this when I younger. I guess I’m just not that young anymore. Sorry guys…

I’ll give Linkin Park credit. For a (at the time) young band, they really were getting their money’s worth out of their debut release, ‘Hybrid Theory’. As if they hadn’t already sold millions upon millions of copies of the album, and probably millions of hit singles (back when artists could actually make some money out of singles sales), now they were going to make millions upon millions with a remix album.

But is it any good? Actually, yes, it is. I feel bad rating it a two, because it’s actually a pretty decent album. This is, in some ways, what ‘Hybrid Theory’ would sound like if it was more hip-hop oriented. With plenty of guest vocal appearances by numerous rappers and nu metal singers, as well as some remix credits by a number of notable industrial artists, it’s quite a varied and interesting line-up of contributors.

But the thing with ‘Reanimation’, is that, while the album flows well and is easy enough to listen to, there’s only two tracks I’d really consider coming back to. All the others, well, I’d rather just play the actual ‘Hybrid Theory’ album. And while I don’t really mean this as a detriment, this has been on my playlist long enough with me being uncertain what to rate it. So I really can’t judge it any better than “it’s okay”.

Still, the two songs I like, ‘Wth>You’ and ‘My<Dsmbr’ are both fantastic, and can stand by their own merit as more than just remixes. The rest… well, they’re good, but passable. In all honesty, I just don’t know what else to say. This definitely belongs in every Linkin Park fans collection, I just don’t think I’m likely to listen to it very often. If ever.

In Defense of St. Anger.

User  @ZeroSymbolic7188  wrote "It was an unpleasant, misguided experience that nobody, not even the band, enjoyed." and " BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG"

But I am here to speak today to say  NAY to this heresy against St Anger. I am here to speak of its good qualities. That I think many are unwilling to look into in order to join in with the masses and stand among the crowd who gathers to throw their stones as it is the 'cool' thing to hate this. but as it says in the song Dirty Window , I'm judge, I'm jury, and I'm executioner too.  And perhaps I myself drink from the cup of denial when I say that St Anger, is not a bad album. Is it a great album? No. I'm not insane. I love Metallica,  but I am not speaking with an uncritical bias ( you can miss me with And Justice For All. but that is a topic for another review.)  But I don't believe it deserves the hate  people lobby at it. This album  take elements of classic Metallica sound that a fan who enjoys them would be able to recognize and enjoy, but also has some new and different elements. Trying out some grungier, dirtier less polished sounding elements  in the tones and instrumentations and throwing more dirt on the lower end and yes, that drum set tone, was  a definable shift. but I can't say I hate its distinct sound. In fact my own less than professional grade set sitting in my basement right now sound VERY SIMILAR, is it a little broken? yeah. Do I still play it all the time in a band? yeah. Does it feel relatable like when I hear James calling out INVISIBLE KID  while it bongs on the tracks? yeah.  

Its an album that I can say I have listened to more songs from it and have come back to more times to listen to or discuss than many other so called " better " albums . with other individuals who say they do no not enjoy it. yet them so "wait you have to hear this' to others... To which I say,  isn't it a sign of the music's importance and relevance if you believe everyone should hear it? Even if Frantic is the only song you bring up,   (you cannot say its just for the silly lyrics because James has many many songs on many other albums with less than intelligent lyrics)

There are many very potent lines from this album that are relatable and striking yet only the silliest are brought up,  but are you  familiar with the ending of My World when  James starts singing "  God it only feels like it only rains on me,  into  I don't even know what the question is into ENOUGH is ENOUGH is ENOUGH is ENOUGH!

This album feels very heavy to me both thematically and sonically and I am a big fan of that. I am here because I LIKE heavy metal, and being a fan of noise music, perhaps that's why I'm quick to forgive what many deem are unforgivable sounds when to me it makes many of the tracks sound heavier when the large hits drive in emphasis on the beats. 

If you have only listened to this album with the ear's of a listener ready to take the piss out of it  then I encourage you to take another listen to it.

Listen to it as someone ready  to see a band trying to come together and express some raw and powerful thoughts and emotions to you. Back to a band who is just picking up their instruments and playing. Not trying to churn out the shiniest piece of metal, but something raw and infiltered and heavy. And if you still can't get past it, so be it. But you're not cooler for hating it. You're just, basic. which is fine,  but there's no medal for it. remember, Your lifestyle determines your deathstyle.

I've been hearing a lot about the hate and controversy towards Metallica's 2003 album St. Anger, and I finally decided to give it a shot. And I'm probably one of the many people thinking, "THIS is the band that made Master of Puppets?!?" Yes, it's as awful as many say it is, but there are still some parts I enjoy about it. Though we're gonna start by pointing out all the mistakes the band made for this album. For one thing, the band distanced themselves further away from their thrash roots and even the hard rock/heavy metal of Load/Reload. Now it's generally just alt-/nu metal that takes some groove metal/metalcore from some of my favorite bands and botches it up hard. Heavy verses and catchy choruses are a cool blend but end sounding more suitable for alt-music radio than in line with the band's 80s/90s thrash/heavy metal peers.

It ends up being quite strange hearing the occasional guitar and blasts of yore when most of what's going on is closer in sound to Drowning Pool. The guitars would've been a lot more interesting if there were any solos. Now I've heard a lot of solo-less metal music over the years, but when the songs drag on for a long time without variety... C'MON MAN! And of course, we can't forget about the SNARE. The only other band who had a oil-can snare drum that I'm aware of is Cold as Life, based on one of their songs that I heard in a Revolution playlist. There's also no bass at all. And the vocals by James Hetfield make me cringe when trying to doing some nu metal shouting.

The first third of this 75-minute album is the part that's not all bad, as we have the raging anger of the title track. Plus, "Some Kind of Monster" is a monstrous 8-minute epic that should be re-recorded with the improved production the band would have later, guitar soloing, audible bass, and none of the G****MN SNARE. When the worst offender "Invisible Kid" comes in, that's when everything sounds too similar and makes the remainder of the album a f***ing migraine-inducing mess.

So yeah, St. Anger is bad, though only two of the first 4 songs are good enough to score some points. While there's nothing wrong with experimentation, it doesn't often pay off as it should, and it has tainted the history of metal. You can't win it all from this band....

Favorites (only songs I like): "St. Anger", "Some Kind of Monster"

User Shadowdoom9 (Andi) writes "Interesting review, Zach. Now I'm curious about your thoughts on Metallica's other highly hated album St. Anger. I haven't listened to that one but I'm aware of the amount of hate it has received." In response to my review of the much maligned Lulu project. 

Well, ask and ye sha'll recieve...

The late 90s and early 2000s saw the emergence of nu-metal acts such as Slipknot, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Disturbed, System of a Down, and so forth. That context is important when trying to understand Metallica's St. Anger, Megadeth's Risk, or Slayer's Diabolus in Music. These albums aren't the worst things ever made, but they are widely considered to be missteps in the discographies of otherwise legendary thrash metal bands of the 1980s. The effect was kind of like a lame dad trying to relate to his angsty teenage son. It was uncomfortable and a little awkward because "dad just doesn't get it." The old legends were a bit out of their element is what I mean. In Metallica's particular case add on top of it that the band and it's members were a mess at the time-if you have not seen the rockumentary "Some Kind of Monster" it's kind of a mandatory watch, and explains a lot about why this thing came out the way it did. Then of course there is that god forsaken snare tone BONG BONG BONG BONG.

Let me explain how that snare makes me feel, as a young man I once rented a video game called Turok Dinosaur Hunter 2: Seeds of Evil. The game is recently remastered, and worth playing for nostalgia or if you enjoy "boomer shooters". Why do I bring this up? The game features a weapon called the Cerebral Bore. You fire the Cerebral Bore at an enemy and it drills into their skull then explodes, blowing the head off in gory fashion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CaiXVbFZXI That is what the snare drum on this album does. It gradually bores it's way into your brain until your mind explodes-no not in the fun way, but rather in the dentist drill during a root canal kind of way. It's damn unpleasant, and it doesn't stop. 

The best thing about this is album is the opening track "Frantic", because it contains an absolutely goofy chorus FRANTIC-TICK-TOCK, TICK, TICK-TICK-TOK! and the line "My lifestyle determines my death style." Which I've been internally and externally debating if it is brilliant or the absolute stupidest fucking line in a song ever sang. I think it's very cheesy like a goofy Doctor Seus thing, but James is singing it with his whole heart like it's the deepest shit he ever wrote, and damned if I don't want to hear him do it from time to time. That track is responsible for 0.5 of the 1 star I gave this album.

The title track is a weird metaphor that just doesn't work. St. Anger-he's bustin' out, he's bustin out... it's dumb as all hell, and yet I constantly reference it in near daily conversations with my wife whenever a student at work (we are teachers) or our family dog becomes clearly irritated with something we can't explain-it's St. Anger.. he's bustin' out, he's bustin out! That's another .25 of the single star rating.

The remaining .25 is for "Purify" which would be great if it was about 1/3rd as long as it is. 

Everything else on this album is a waste of time. 5 of the remaining 7 songs are over 5 minutes long, some getting up around 7 or even 9 minutes in length, and there was not a single idea on this album worth expressing for more than 3... no 2 and 1/2 minutes. Shave these songs down to their best parts, and make a punk album and hey I could see it... except BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG. There is no saving that snare tone, and listen I know that snare tone is a running gag in the metal community, but it really is some unholy torture device if you listen to this album in one sitting. I can not remember a single memorable thing about any of those songs, not a single thing, not line, not a riff, none of it. I remember the BONG BONG though, the goddamned BONG BONG BONG.

Without the context of Some Kind of Monster, you would think this album was some kind of sadistic hazing ritual on Robert Trujillo. "Welcome to Metallica now play the shittiest music you've ever played", but it wasn't-nobody is that sick and cruel. 

It was an unpleasant, misguided experience that nobody, not even the band, enjoyed. This is not the album Metallica wanted to make, this was the album that Metallica had to make at that time, and it plays like it.

I remember reviewing one of The Old Dead Tree's albums for The Fallen Gothic Metal Modern Era clan challenge almost 5 years before this review. I've forgotten all about that band since falling out of The Fallen a couple years later. That is, until the band's new comeback album appeared in the Metal Academy 2024 Awards Gateway Gallery thread. So now's a good time to give this band another chance, and see if its cover artwork will head home with its award.

Second Thoughts is the band's first full album after a long 17-year gap, as a result of a 10-year hiatus, apart from a couple reunion shows. And it sounds like their dark progressive/alt-metal melancholy can still practically reign in triumph! Their haunting legacy isn't withering any time soon.

First off, "Unpredictable" is a soaring composition of life's struggles. Vocalist Manuel Munoz and the rest of his team give the heavy instrumentation lots of emotion. "Don’t Waste Your Time" is a nice blend of dark and light. "The Lightest Straw" takes you through the depths of existence in the lyrics, as the music gets more dynamic. Manuel's vocal power allow you to experience the melancholy while finding the hopeful side of things. There are a couple trilogy suites in the album, one of them being "The Secret", starting with the short acoustic "Better Off Dead". The second part "Within a Second Thought" continues this story of regret and loss. "Luke" finishes this dark mini-saga with the most haunting and heaviest they have to offer. This emotional lyrical theme is not often heard in progressive tempo-changing arrangements like that one.

Another standout comes in "Story of My Life", which is more accessible while staying strong and anthemic in the lyrics. That shall get the live crowd moving! Then comes the other trilogy, "The Hunt", beginning with another song of clean melancholy, "Fresh Start". The second part, "I Wish I Could" is a highlight that's both hopeful and hopeless. It charges through in emotion and heaviness while having some grand atmosphere for a complex structure. The dramatic concluding part, "The Trap" has modern melody to please many of its listeners.

"Solastalgia" stands out in layers of rage and despair, despite being more of a power ballad. "OK" packs some killer heavy punches, as almost a polar opposite to the smooth wonders of the previous track. "The Worst is Yet to Come" is not as much of a classic as the similarly-titled song by, Still Remains, but it's a decent end to this personal journey, promising a more steady evolution for the band to come...

Creating and listening to music is a good way to let out your grief, as exemplified in Second Thoughts. This dark alt-metal sound is better executed than Swallow the Sun's attempt in their new album Shining, although that one's not as bad as people say it is. With this magical ride, The Old Dead Tree is far from dead!

Favorites: "Unpredictable", "The Lightest Straw", "Luke", "Story of My Life", "I Wish I Could", "Solastalgia", "OK"

From Kent, England, Graphic Nature is another addition to the rising nu metalcore scene. Since releasing their first album A Mind Waiting to Die in 2023, they've become a main attraction in the more popular rock/metal festivals. They've also had Cancer Bats and Vended by their side in their tours!

17 months is around the same time difference between the births of me and my older brother. It's also how long it took after the debut's release for the band to unleash their second album to the world, Who Are You When No One Is Watching? The album is so emotional, with lyrics of showing one's true self. This concept stemmed from around the debut's release when vocalist Harvey Freeman was randomly assaulted during a train ride, and the PTSD Freeman has subsequently suffered.

The intro "Who Are You?" is quite exciting for something heavily distorted. "Locked In" kick-starts the action in massive impact, from both the music and vocals. "Blinded" has great heaviness, with some Spiritbox vibes. "Human" has more melodic synths, while blending it with heavy guitars, a balance already mastered by Sleep Token. "Something I'm Not" is a true highlight. It's more of a rap-ish nu metal track, though Freeman's rapping actually works quite greatly. That's the song with the most inspiration from the train trauma, with the lyrics rapped and screamed in emotional pain.

"Breathe" is more electronic, yet makes room for more of the ravaging nu metalcore. "Session24" is a pleasant interlude. It's basically TDEP's "Weekend Sex Change" given a BMTH/Enter Shikari twist. The hardcore heaviness shines the best in the short "N.F.A." Same with "Fractured", though it could've used some slight fixing.

"Low" is filled with heartful emotion, as Freeman lets out lyrics of his mental health to relate to those listening. Single "To the Grave" lacks some impact, but it still works here. "When No One is Watching" hits it high as the heavy metalcore sound is given a good taste of drums and bass. The final track "For You" perfectly summarizes all the band has given you in this album.

Who Are You When No One Is Watching? is another blessing for 2024 in the nu metal and metalcore realms. The amazing production and relatable lyrics should please many listeners. This shows that Graphic Nature can stand out in the nu metalcore crowd!

Favorites: "Locked In", "Blinded", "Something I'm Not", "N.F.A.", "When No One is Watching", "For You"

My relationship with Katatonia has been distant at best. As documented in my review of their debut, it took many, many moons before I finally got to grips with it. In terms of the rest of their discography, well, I was approaching it at the same pace that I had the debut until recent life events led me to look for some music with a little more of an emotional connection to reflect my strife. Soon, The Fall of Hearts was not only on consistent rotation, but it more or less immediately adorned a spot in my vinyl collection.

I do not often listen to alternative metal, and although I get the connection here, still I do not feel The Fall of Hearts is necessarily justified of this tagging. Playing as a progressive rock record in the main, the album is certainly not my usual bag of extreme metal listening. Its more challenging aspects are still what draw me in though. That awkward structuring that forbids catchiness without sacrificing memorability is a welcome inclusion for me. Similarly, the expression of feelings, without the grandiose and minus the tedium is an honest share that I can acknowledge and respect in equal amounts. There are still some big riffs in here that inject real depth into tracks, often unexpectedly. A solemn and yet obvious bass presence also has great effect on proceedings, keeping the mournful and sorrowful themes of the album true against a background of solid if not all that remarkable drumming.

Vocally, I should not get on with Jonas Renke’s vocal style, having a usual disdain for clean vocals sung by a less than tuneful vocalist. However, his monotone style with those occasional harmonies that only half work is well suited and only adds to my enjoyment. The lyrics are what speak to me more however in terms of their content, seeped heavily in themes of uncertainty and turmoil, Jonas’ vocals only seek to enhance the appeal for me. I was not looking for something soulful, more the need was for an honest, rawer expression without the instrumentation necessarily leading this for once.

Suffice to say that this album struck the correct chord with me at the perfect time, standing out from the wealth of other music I was going through at the time to try and find some connection with. There truly is no greater feeling than finding such a record and on reflection I can honestly only say that this has happened on a handful of occasions over the years. Getting on for nearly forty years of listening to music, this has been a very unexpected yet incredibly rewarding find.

I've seen the name Future Palace float around, especially when my brother was listening to one of their songs and I liked it enough to submit it to a Gateway playlist earlier this year (as of this review). Now I decided to check out and review one of their albums. I think I've gained the incentive after Saxy's review for their new album Distortion appeared on the site. Of course, the album I've chosen isn't that, but the one that starts with that song...

As the 2020s train rolls on, modern metal bands are not afraid to tear down the barrier between metal and mainstream even further. Future Palace has helped out with their metalcore-ish alt-metal style. With clear production and consistent sound, their second album Run is a lot of fun! (cheesy rhyme, I know)

"Paradise" is that song I've hinted at above. Nice glitch-ish effect to go with this female-led alt-metal/rock sound. Once we get into "Dead Inside", I thought it was going to lead into Trivium-esque melodic metalcore of last decade, but then I'm reminded that this is a different band with the charging vocals of Maria Lessing, placed together with the powerful guitarwork of Manuel Kohlert and drumming of Johannes Frenzel. The members have all done their part well and in-sync. "Flames" sounds catchy and exotic at the start before switching into strange electro-trap verses. Fortunately, the strong rock-on chorus makes sure this song is impossible to hate, especially when it gets heavier in the bridge. The heavy punky balance is exemplified further in "Locked". I suspect songs like that are a key influence to the heavier tracks in Linkin Park's From Zero.

Next track "Heads Up" has taken some ideas from the more recent releases of Bring Me the Horizon, plus some of the greatest vocal aggression from Maria. Then things slow down in "Sleep Tight" as Maria sings through a dark dream, allowing listeners a chance to unwind after all that heaviness. "Defeating Gravity" brings the heaviness back in a blend of catchy and vicious. "Roses" can sound so melancholic and malicious, sometimes at the same time. This dynamic track is one of, if not THE, best of the album. However, other songs may fight for that position...

Case in point, the following track "Wounds" has some rawness as the lyrics warn you about internal weak links of a relationship. "A World in Tears" puts forward the band's ideas into a dreamy state while jumping through another strong chorus. With "Loco Loco", the listener is pulled through between melody and heaviness. The finale "Fever" reminds you of how fun modern metal can be. Rather than going all-out heavy, a dance beat leads to upbeat instrumentation for a great catchy ending.

Run is filled with hooky energy that is bound to make you up for more rounds. No matter how much electronica/hip-hop is added to their rock/metal sound, even the classic metalheads can make their turn into the modern scene here. An answer to the question of what a heavier rapping-free take on Linkin Park's From Zero would sound like!

Favorites: "Dead Inside", "Flames", "Heads Up", "Roses", "A World in Tears", "Fever"

From Germany, I was surprised when I was going through my year end lists for 2024 and noticed that I had not reviewed the Future Palace album, Distortion. I found this very surprising because one of this albums promotion singles, "Malphas" did cross my desk last year and I figured that would be enough to at least have this record come to light. Better late than never I suppose.

However, I'm not sure that is a net positive for Future Palace since I've now spent half of the year with Reliqa and it leaves Distortion feeling hollow. If it isn't the production sounding super thin and tinny in the guitars, or the predictable song structures, it's the album structure slowing the album to a crawl by its conclusion. They are able to save it with "Amethyst," if only barely. I don't like how this album thinks it's more epic than it actually is. The inclusion of synth strings on a number of tracks (i.e. "The Echoes of Disparity" and "They Take What They Want") feel forced and unnecessary for an album whose main guitar contributions are wall of sound trance grooves. I do like the vocals from Maria Lessing and the variety that is on display here, as she alternates from warmer singing style to harsh metalcore belting. The rap vocals aren't bad per se, but compared to Monique Pym of Reliqa they act like they've been given forced intensity and it loses some grandeur. And I can admit that Future Palace do know how to write a good chorus once in a while. But once in a while doesn't cut it when the rest of the album is cookie cutter octanecore. Beyond a couple of early album singles, Future Palace turned out to be much more forgettable than I would have hoped.

Best Songs: Malphas, Dreamstate, Amethyst

Holy sugar honey iced tea! System of a Down's Shavo Odadjian decided to go on a more metalcore route with his new band in which the title is an acronym for his first name, Seven Hours After ViOlet. He has formed a solid lineup that includes American Idol runner-up Alejandro Aranda and members of deathcore bands Left to Suffer and Winds of Plague to create a good album of alt-metalcore, released via Sumerian Records a couple months before this review.

Shavo still has what it takes in the nearly two decades after System of a Down's last duo of albums. His latest entrance into metalcore has given the scene more exciting light. A creative impact has marked this territory...

Kicking things off hard is the heavy "Paradise" in which fast rhythms and grooves stick together with some clean melodies. Then we have "Alive" which marks a wild melodic metalcore standout. After that one-two punch, "Sunrise" doesn't impress me so much when the heaviness and melody lack balance. At least the clean/harsh chorus keeps it interesting. Still it's not really a track to start with on a whim.

Now we really go hard in "Go!" which, f***ing h*ll, is so insane! Lots of speed and destruction from the music and vocals, with a fun anthemic chorus. Then "Float" floats by with forced melody that comes out a little too plain. But I love the short intense beast that is "Glink". Forget "Cry...", it's too much of a dramatic sh*tter.

Stomping through is the mesmerizing "Abandon". The grand "Radiance" can lure any listeners in, and you can't escape its grasp of power. As we reach the album's final leg, "Gloom" sounds compelling though doesn't reach its potential strength. Neither does the finale "Feel" while still having some power to engage listeners. Pretty much a decent ending for this cool offering.

Any fan of System of a Down would be curious enough to discover this band and album. It's a love it or hate it kind of album, but for me it's somewhere in the middle. I'll see you all later, perhaps after Violet....

Favorites: "Paradise", "Alive", "Go!", "Glink", "Radiance"

This is undoubtedly Poppy's most consistent album since leaving the world of pop behind. A large portion of that must come from how the album feels like a large culmination of sounds of the past; the songwriting of Poppy Computer, the heaviness of I Disagree, and the cleaner sounding metal production of Flux. Negative Spaces also has the distinction of having a handful of synth heavy tracks interspersed throughout the tracks. To go along with the calmer interludes tracks, they pair well and help with building the album up instead of feeling like an all out romp. Poppy's vocals are without a doubt, the albums biggest fault as her screams are... lacking to put it lightly. I think that the variety of timbre on this album however saves the vocals from becoming grating as they do on an album by say... Knocked Loose. I'm not expecting many to appreciate this sound the way I do, but as a full album experience, this space is more positive than expected.

Best Songs: They're All Around Us, Vital, Crystallized, The Center's Falling Out, New Way Out

Not these guys again...

There was a time in my youth when I'd have loved the quirkiness of a band like Primus. With their obscure sense of humour and their blend of rock and funk, there's truly no other band like them. But what makes them so unique is also what pretty much puts so many people off of them.

And to put it bluntly, it's mostly boring self-indulgence.

While the musicians themselves are all incredibly talented, and certainly adept at thinking outside the box, the music itself is very hard to follow, and definitely requires the listener to be equally open-minded. There's very little singing, with vocalist Les Claypool preferring more of a spoken-word type of vocal style, and a lot of the music itself tends to plod along with no real memorable melodies that stick out. As a whole, it's just a complete mess.

If I had to pick out some highlights, it'd have to be 'Tommy the Cat' and 'Jerry Was a Race Car Driver', most probably because these are the notable singles from the album, and while they do have some infectious grooves in the music, as per usual with this band, the spoken babble that is the lyrics kind of ruins them.

I'm sure there was a time when I loved this band, especially as I seem to recall asking for some of their albums as Christmas and Birthday presents in my early twenties. But I listen to 'Sailing the Seas of Cheese' now and it bores the life out of me. Primus really are in a league all of their own when it comes to "keeping an open mind", sadly, it's just not a very good one.

It would be an absolute understatement to say that Primus is an acquired taste. Their music is incredibly obscure, with some of the most random musical passages and the most quirky lyrics you could think of. And so it is, that their debut album is a convoluted mess of ideas thrown together with no real sense of direction, other than being random for random’s sake.

While the musical ability between all the members is of a high calibre, especially bassist, singer and all-round main man Les Claypool (story goes that he was once turned down to join Metallica for being "too good"), the general compositions seem rather unfocused and boring. Nothing really stands out in this 52-minute smorgasbord of random guitar riffs and vocal melodies, which usually are delivered via something more akin to talking or just completely random noises.

If I really had to pick out any notable highlights, 'John the Fisherman', 'Too Many Puppies' and 'To Defy the Laws of Tradition' could be considered alright, but honestly, this album as a whole just gets rather boring and repetitive fast. I'm sure there are people that love songs that randomly go into renditions of 'Humpty Dumpty', but to me, it's just not cool, it's not funny, and it's not really all that clever either.

A Harsh Duet

Lacuna Coil have turned into one of those bands from my early music listening that I've come to regret somewhat. It's not that I was ever a massive fan or anything, it's just that their 2002 album Comalies gave me a bit of false hope that persisted for much too long. Comalies still holds up to me as an interesting and dreamy set of Gothic tinged Metal that has a very unique feel and atmosphere to it that, while not superb, hasn't been replicated too often. From then on, however, Lacuna Coil have wandered down the straight and narrow Alternative Metal path which is filled with straightforward songwriting and generic djenty chugs that have been done a million times over. Starting with Dark Adrenaline in 2012 they've found their formula and stuck with it to a ton of commercial success, but I can't say it does much for a seasoned listener who still insists on checking to see if this band decided to go back to their original, more unique sound. 

Despite frontwoman Cristina Scabbia being the main draw for most, Black Anima is much more of a duet between her and bassist Andrea Ferro as they trade back and forth much more often than in previous albums. Ferro's vocals are also much more harsh centric, with his growls not sounding half bad with Lacuna Coil's heavier and more chug-centric approach this time around. While he's known for his awkward and divisive crooning, Black Anima has sidelined it to a few short moments in "Sword of Anger" and "Veneficium", replacing it with surprisingly inoffensive growls and fried cleans that compliment the heavier riffing style much better than his old standard. Scabbia proves to still be a Swiss army knife in the vocal department, swapping between forceful Power Metal like leads on "Sword of Anger", a more classic and gothic delivery on "Black Anima", and even tries her hand at a more screamy angle on the chuggy "Now or Never". Lacuna Coil were definitely going for a heavier album this time around so the bouncing between harsh and clean works in its favor, something I'm all too familiar with from other female fronted bands. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the two work together given how rough Ferro's vocals have been in the past, so that shows some massive growth for the band, especially this late in their career. Despite the generic nature of the harshes, the interplay between the two is easily the highlight of the album as they do a great job of carrying the energy of each track. 

Sadly that's about the only positive thing I have to say about this album, as the rest of the package falls in some sort of gray area between acceptably generic and downright boring. I can respect Lacuna Coil for trying to dial up the heaviness by incorporating djent-y chugs and even some Metalcore sounding snippets in tracks like "Now or Never" and the beginning of "Layers of Time", but most of the riffs end up falling flat due to being simple and unremarkable or just buried behind the wildly mixed drums and bass. It's just a guess, but it seems like they wanted to have a super punchy and rhythmic mix, but the unison chugs are about the only thing that sound cohesive on the album. The kick drum and bass are blown out to the point where they overtake pretty much every riff, with the bass being scratchy and overpowering in more sweeping sections like on "Now Or Never". Don't get me wrong, I'm a bass enjoyer, but even I was a bit taken aback when the djent chug was completely taken over by the bass throughout most of the album. I can commend Lacuna Coil for taking their style to the more extreme end as I don't think this album is entirely bad, but it leaves much to be desired apart from the admittedly interesting vocals. I'm glad that Ferro stepped up his game in order to be a worthy duet to Scabbia, but it feels like the rest of the band didn't catch the memo as the entire album consists of tracks that are varying degrees of fine and somewhat interesting for a few sections. 

It seems like the longer VOLA sticks around in the progressive metal sphere, the further away from their identity they get. Now this comes with its own sets of residual effects, but for progressive metal, it can sometimes turn into a net positive. But VOLA were never one of these bands that threw away the concept of melody, harmony and motivic development in their music for the sake of elongated song structures, with face melting guitar solos. 

And, wouldn't you know it, the newest VOLA album, Friend of a Phantom, will likely not have the same gradual effect as the band may have intended. If anything, there are more similarities between this and Soen's 2023 record Memorial, as the truly progressive aspects of the songwriting are gone. Now, VOLA sits as a singles band with the occasional djent breakdown to quell the crowd. And that might surprise you, since the first track, "Cannibal" is one of the heaviest that VOLA have ever made. Thanks in large part to the harsh vocals of In Flames' Anders Friden, you would be forgiven thinking that "Cannibal" was going to be an accurate representation of Friend of a Phantom, but that could not be further from the case.

The grimier sound quality continues into "Break My Lying Tongue", but it kneecapped by a distracting synth lead that is persistent throughout the songs choruses. But following that, this album goes into the status quo of VOLA alternative metal. And the hooks are not even as good as an album such as Witness to back it up. It has good moments sure (i.e. "We Will Not Disband" and "Hollow Kid") but they seem more spaced out than ever before.

At least the production is solid. This record has a great sound to it; all of the records most important parts are given center stage during their respective tracks. Whether that be the dogshit synth on "Break My Lying Tongue," or the vocoder harmonies of "Glass Mannequin." Even the albums djent-ier breakdowns are presented with polish and precision and also contain a semblance of motivic growth through them. The structure of the album however is not a strong suit. The album starts heavy, but becomes progressively slower and mellow as it persists and leaves me feeling like it runs too long for its own sake.

I will admit, Friend of a Phantom left me feeling underwhelmed. I'm not quite sure what I expected from VOLA with this album given their track record, but this felt lazy and uninspired. It almost feels like they want out of the progressive metal sphere and would rather take a place in the spotlight as an above average alternative metalcore band. The result however is losing a piece of what made VOLA so popular in progressive forums in the first place. The individual songs might be decent, but it's hard to separate them from the full artwork.

Best Songs: We Will Not Disband, Bleed Out, Hollow Kid

I've come to expect nothing from a new Devin Townsend album. Devin's discography is eclectic from industrial, avant-garde, alternative, country and even broadway musical. So I entered PowerNerd completely blind, which was the right call. And my impressions of it are good, if not a little disappointed. The more accessible stylings of the instrumentation and compositions are solid enough, but lack focus during the albums middle. Melodic development has always been a calling card of Devy and PowerNered is no exception. Instrumentals can be quite dull as the wall of sound production leaves portions without vocals or melodic instrument flat. And the album is bookended in a dumbfounded way. "Ruby Quaker" might be my favourite metal song of the year and no I am not sorry, and "Falling Apart" is great as well, but why are they the first and last songs of the album? Where was this melodic punch through the remaining ten tracks? 

Perhaps it is the persona behind the act, but I expected a little bit more from PowerNerd. There are great moments at this albums beginning and conclusion, but not a lot else in the middle. Maybe Townsend just wanted to play it cool for an album, which is why this sounds so much closer to Addicted than anything else. And I think that is fine for him, but I could use a lot more of that punchy songwriting that I know Devy is capable of.

Best Songs: Ruby Quaker, Falling Apart, Gratitude, Younger Lover, Glacier

For over a decade, I've considered myself to be a metal nerd. Not to brag, but I know a lot about the different metal bands and genres I've listened to all these years. Even when I seem to distance myself from a genre or at least bands from a genre and have done it for a few years, I can still remember many of my experiences with those bands' material. One of those artists is Devin Townsend, a prolific Canadian mastermind in progressive metal.

30 years before this review, he work for Steve Vai, toured with The Wildhearts, and started his own band Strapping Young Lad. Since then, he has made almost 30 albums. Such amazing creativity he has! And now his new album PowerNerd has arrived, serving up his usual prog-metal blended with the alt-metal of his Project album Addicted.

The title opener blasts open the gates of Devin's usual energetic prog-metal, as Hatebreed vocalist Jamey Jasta yells the title, "POWERNERD!!!" The song certainly has that rock-on metal Motorhead vibe, and the lyrics have gotten me hooked too, "Time for life and rock 'n' roll!" After that, "Falling Apart" relaxes into the beauty of Terria, with serene female vocals by Tanya Ghosh. One of the most surprised-filled tracks here is "Knuckledragger", with 80s 8-bit synths and a fun catchy chorus.

"Gratitude" has softer harmony, in contrast to the Hevy Devy business in other tracks. "Dreams of Light" is a short peaceful spacey interlude. It segues to "Ubelia" that drives on as an uplifting anthem. "Jainism" comes back to the modern progressiveness longtime Devy fans know and love.

Power ballad "Younger Lover" continues the motive of exploring a different style. The dramatic grandeur of "Glacier" is quite massive. This throwback to the Sky Blue album shall level up an arena-sized crowd. 6-minute epic "Goodbye" is a joyful rocker in a similar vein to Van Halen, probably done better! That should've been the end of the album, except... "Ruby Quaker" brings back the "comedic bonus track" aspect as a coffee-themed country hoedown. Interesting, though this album would've been perfect without it.

With PowerNerd, Devin Townsend fans are once again reminded of what a progressive metal superhero he is. While I have my own metal heroes, I don't mind revisiting this musical genius once in a while and checking out amazing offerings like this one. Creativity can be anyone's superpower, but he isn't just anyone!

Favorites: "PowerNerd", "Knuckledragger", "Ubelia", "Jainism", "Glacier", "Goodbye"

'Violated' is a six-song EP by rap metal band Stuck Mojo, released prior to the groups second album, 'Pigwalk', and originally intended only for European audiences.

The disc consists of four studio recordings, including early versions of 'Violated' and 'Back in the Saddle' (titled 'U.B.Otch' here), which would go on to appear on the 'Pigwalk' and 'Rising' albums respectively, (and much-improved, I might add). A Black Sabbath cover, and EP exclusive 'Pizza Man' are also included, and these are probably the only reasons to own this disc. Especially the latter, which is actually a really cool song, despite only being just over two minutes long!

Then there's two live tracks. Personally, I'm always sceptical about early rock releases like this with "live" songs. The quality is very raw, and the audience sound pretty fake, but either way, they're not really songs I'm bothered about.

Stuck Mojo are easily one of my all-time favourite bands, and guitarist Rich Ward is one of my absolute heroes as a musician, but overall, this release is one for the die-hard fans (and surely I'm not the only one!). The music is rough and gritty and the attitude and energy is easily apparent, but there's not really anything here that is either relevant or not improved-upon with later recordings.

I watch a lot of baseball in my spare time. And I always find it unusual when a rookie gets the call who is the son of a former major leaguer. In that moment I can feel the wrinkles on my forehead becoming more dense as it means my youth is getting further away from me. It's even weirder when that father was a really good player; perhaps even a hall of famer. How can your son possibly live up to the enormous standards that you set nearly twenty years ago?

Vended is the musical equivalent of this. Founded by Griffin Taylor, this nu metal act has the insurmountable task of bringing nu metal to a new generation...while also having familial ties to one of its greatest figures: Corey Taylor.

And yes, just like those sons of major leaguers, Griffin Taylor does have many mannerisms that are very similar to his father. Vended sounds like if you combined the aggressive, misanthropic lyricism of early Slipknot and merged it together with the heavier groove aspects of a band like Lamb of God, with just a tiny sprinkling of death metal techniques as well. The percussion of this album is closer to that of later Slipknot records like All Hope Is Gone and We Are Not Your Kind, with a more poppier sound instead of sounding like trash (literally).

Besides these deviations, you already know what to expect once you hear about the relationship between Griffin and Corey Taylor. The album has some solid hooks, but they feel disjointed from one another with plenty of filler. The instrumentals are performed/produced well and the vocals are very indebted to Corey, but they also have some death metal grit that even early Slipknot records could not replicate. The albums short runtime is a bonus, but it still feels like a lack of development is taking place, and is not helped at all by a final three tracks that feel like fragmentary ideas.

A lot of my criticisms can boil down simply to "if you like Slipknot, you'll like this." And as someone who has made their criticisms of Slipknot well known in the past, it should not surprise anyone that this really isn't my cup of tea. I can hear interjections within Vended's music that make me believe that they could have a profitable future, but they first need to step out of the shadow of their idols before that can happen.

Best Songs: Am I The Only One, Nihilism, Serenity

From 2011 to 2015, Disturbed was on hiatus. During then, vocalist David Draiman decided to form his own temporary project, Device. If you'd like me to give you a hint at what Device, it's like Disturbed with a more industrial edge...

People already knew Draiman's plan to make more industrial material from some teasers. The industrial side comes from the other member of the project, Geno Lenardo, ex-guitarist of Filter. The heaviness Disturbed fans have expected is blended with electronics for some decent results. It should be noted though that Lenardo was replaced by Will Hunt (Evanescence) and Virus (Dope) for the couple live concerts performed by the band.

Straight into heaviness is "You Think You Know" which rocks out as if Disturbed never had that hiatus, while having a bit of Nine Inch Nails. Draiman's singing is quite strong here, "You think you know but you're horribly blind, you think you know that the story's defined, you think you know, but your heart has gone cold inside." Sounding closer to Disturbed is "Penance". The drumming rhythms and vocal grunts are still around while having some electronic synths. Following this is "Vilify", the best choice for the band's first single. It's a perfect highlight of Draiman's strong vocals.

For their cover of the 80s glam ballad "Close My Eyes Forever", taking the respective places of Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne is Lzzy Hale of Halestorm and Draiman, and the song is given a modern electronic twist. "Out of Line" stands out well as another one of Black Sabbath's members, Geezer Butler performs his audible bass, while Draiman and System of a Down's Serj Tankian both sing their perfect lyrical views of the world. The haunting "Hunted" continues taking on the electronic metal fusion as they've done throughout the album so far, showing that they can do it well without relying on guests. "Opinion" rips through with searing soloing by Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, having more of the spotlight than in Linkin Park's "Drawbar".

"War of Lies" has some of the nu metal riffing of early 36 Crazyfists. "Haze", which has Avenged Sevenfold vocalist M. Shadows, is another solid collab. These guest appearances really help boost the quality of the album in most cases. The last guest vocalist is Glenn Hughes, known for his solo material and his time with Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, in "Through It All", a nice sentimental rock ballad. I don't really like the bonus tracks enough to mention, except for their cool cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Wish".

You just have to admit how much outer thinking Draiman has with his work. He can really expand his boundaries beyond the band he's usually known for. It works well with some solid standouts, though not so much for a lot else. And the project would stop once Disturbed was revived....

Favorites: "You Think You Know", "Vilify", "Out of Line", "Opinion", "Haze", "Wish"