illusionist's Reviews

Much better!

Mastery sounds heavier and more dynamic in production than Lancer's preceding efforts. Isak Stenvall's over-the-top vocal style still isn't always my cup of tea, but his performance is much-improved too. The instruments are tighter and more skillful. Perhaps most of all, the sophistication of Lancer's songwriting has progressed noticeably since 2013.

Sure, there is still some stereotypical chorus-centric power metal fare like "Dead Raising Towers" and a few duds like "Iscariot" and "Envy of the Gods"... but songs like "Mastery", "Follow Azrael" and "Freedom Eaters" have more interesting twists, turns and melodic complexity than I expected from the band I first heard in 2013. I'm even reminded of prime 90s Gamma Ray in places, particularly "Freedom Eaters" with its big backing chorus. There's also "World Unknown", which nicely breaks up the pace with its slow jazzy intro and funky rhythm that builds up to a quirky sing-along chorus. It doesn't sound like anything else on the album.

"Victims of the Nile" is my favorite song, with its towering chorus and passionate, vaguely-eastern-flavored melody. Lancer never reach Somewhere Out in Space levels of epicness and probably never will, but if you enjoy that type of Euro-Power, you will find some stuff to like here.

I think Lancer have a great 4-star album in them somewhere. This isn't quite it, but it's much closer. Maybe next time...

Subtle, enchanting warmth

Lör's sound is a gust of warm autumn air to the face. Refreshing and exhilirating.Halfway through "Dusk" I knew I would love In Forgotten Sleep even though the opener barely scratches the surface of everything packed into this debut.

Best described as a smooth blend of the best characteristics of folk metal, prog and power metal, this album should immediately lift Philadelphia-based Lör to the top of the burgeoning U.S. folk and progressive metal scenes. That said, an apt comparison is actually Danish vets Wuthering Heights because of the manner in which Lör simultaneously integrate prog technicality and subtle folky melodicism into the "Epic Power Metal" framework. At the same time. Think of this album as Wuthering Heights but with even more straight-up prog metal moments and much less fantasy cheese. And smoother clean vocals. And occasional screamed vocals. And a warmer, more modern-sounding production. Okay, okay, so maybe they're not so similar after all!

In fact, I think Lör have discovered a fairly unique sound already on only their first album. They'll remind you of the relaxed folk metal vibe of Skyclad at times, Dream Theater at others, and Equilibrium or power metal like Sonata Arctica or Stratovarius still at others. Lör can effortlessly trade off between tranquil keys and fast/furious shredding, between soothing lullaby melodies and fanatical yells... and even between bass-popping prog grooves and spirited folk-metal swings. Yet, somehow, all of this is not scattershot. These songs very much sound like they were destined to be played together, in this precise order, despite the large amount of stylistic ground they cover. Seamless from front to back, united by that lovely warm atmosphere (it matches that damn cover perfectly) and wonderfully emotive vocals/lyrics.

The way it's all crafted together makes the songs grow and feel alive. Combined with delightfully catchy melodies and what seems to be an overarching lyrical theme of fighting through struggles (personal or otherwise) to find a sense of purpose and you have a truly compelling and victorious album.

PURE old-school Power/Speed Metal. Epic songwriting!

From the opening lines that paint a nostalgic picture of ancient auburn hills to speedy barnstormers like "Raining Gold" and "Nothing But Blood" to epics that fuse medieval acoustic guitars with bombastic and passionate vocal melodies like "The Queen of All Cities" and "Antioch", there's something here for all varieties of speed or power metal fans!

I was slightly underwhelmed at first by what seemed like a decent but watered-down attempt to emulate early 90s Blind Guardian, especially following the personal and heartfelt journey that was At the Expense of Humanity, my introduction to the band. The aforementioned predecessor was a raw and imperfect experiment, but its proggy detours, smoother sound and increased melodicism seemed a promising new direction for the band. On first listens to The Last Emperor, nothing was gripping me in the same way as songs like "How Long Can You Live Forever" or "At the Expense of Humanity". But over the span of three weeks, I was compelled to keep listening and gradually enjoyed The Last Emperor more and more without realizing it... until one day it hit me in the face how good the whole thing is. Now I see it for what it truly is: a legitimately great album of this genre and the pinnacle of what Judicator has aimed to achieve since its inception. 

John Yelland's vocals channel some of the greats of the genre while still maintaining a unique character, and Tony Cordisco on guitar shreds like nobody's business across this whole record. Hansi Kürsch even joins Yelland on "Spiritual Treason", but it still would've been a great song even without the Power Metal godfather himself. The astounding acoustic and electric guitar parts in the instrumental first 45 seconds are golden and would've been right at home alongside the other masterpieces on Imaginations From the Other Side. And then the album ends on a very strong note with "It Falls to Jerusalem" and "King of Rome", two complete journeys and well-written songs that incorporate elements from all the previous tracks described above. 

Better yet, there is much less of the frustrating inconsistency, or shaky moments, or extra fat, that plagued previous Judicator albums. It's obvious that the songcraft was honed with utmost love and care as well as a new level of professionalism in the production and attention-to-detail. Congrats Judicator, you're doing it! You're achieving the potential I always suspected you had somewhere within you since Sleepy Plessow! This is very close to being a 4.5 and deserves to be enjoyed by all fans of classic speed/power metal of both the European and US varieties so that the band can continue on their remarkable path of improvement. They might still have another level in them yet, which would truly be something to behold.

Favorite Song: "Antioch" <3 (Blind Guardian A Night at the Opera fans will smile with delight)

Next-Favorites: "The Queen of All Cities", "Spiritual Treason", "It Falls To Jerusalem", "King of Rome"

A Glorius Return

Månegarm sound more fresh in 2015 than they have since 2009. I didn't dislike Legions of the North as much as some fans did, but even I was delighted to hear a return to their beloved 2000s sound. The violins are back, the Swedish is back, and so are the more vibrant songs and memorable folk melodies. It's not Vargstenen, but it's damn good.

Highlights include: "Blodörn", a dark, brooding "epic" to kick things off. Not one of their very best, but a very strong track. "Odin Owns Ye All" , the obvious lead single. It's catchy as all hell. Melodeath heaven. "Vigverk del II" is the slightly more emotive and catchy of the two ballads (the other being "Blot", which is also good).  "Call of the Runes", a fast and catchy melodic folk metal romp - the Månegarm specialty -  as well as "Kraft", a heavier, mid-paced song to march into battle to. Those are songs for the true Vikings out there. Finally, the most 'extreme metal' song on the album "Månljus" is also a highlight for its hard-hitting riffs, hearkening back to the band's black metal roots. A short, fast burst of pure adrenaline.

The best Folk/Viking Metal album of all-time?

Each of the 12 songs is full of such a potent dose of the vibrant pagan spirit that I scarcely know what to do with myself when I listen to the whole album. My lungs are bursting to sing/roar along throughout the duration... every time!

If I were to describe Månegarm's sound to a newcomer, two aspects would stand out to me: the vocals and the violins. Månegarm's vocalist has a unique deep-throated raspy roar that's perfect for this genre of music, able to convey both ferocity and heartfelt passion across several different styles (cleans, growls, screams, yells, chants). I don't understand the Swedish, but every word and note is delivered with utmost conviction. I can feel what he's singing. The violin plays a bigger role than ever before on a Månegarm album too, near-omnipresent alternating between frantic, devilish riffs and more delicate melodic lines.

From sections of furious black metal to rockin' midtempo folk metal sections to even the beautiful acoustic folk interludes and everything in between ... this album is pure pagan gold. The songwriting has taken a step up from previous albums, most notably the band's command of melodies. It is far better and more consistent here than on anything they did before or after. Warning - many of these melodies are addicting. But never cheesy like some of the more accessible folk metal bands. This is authentic Viking stuff right here.  

Some bands have that one gem of an album where everything came together perfectly. This is that album for Månegarm. 

Highlights: Ur själslig död, En Fallen Fader, Visioner Pa Isen, I Underjorden, Vargstenen, Vedergällningens tid, Eld

Stepping stone   

There are a few noteworthy songs such as "Havets Vargar" and "Den sista striden", but despite an obvious great effort, Månegarm is not entirely convincing on their second album.  They are a band caught in transition between sounds here.

This not the spine-tingling primal melodic black metal found on Nordstjärnans tidsålder nor the ferocious swashbuckling viking metal found on Dödsfärd. It is stuck in the middle, as the band are still unsure of what exactly they want to be. As a young band with a new vocalist, this is not surprising. As such, Havets vargar lacks cohesive identity and the band seem to almost be experimenting and playing with ideas throughout, trying to find a formula that works for them.  

Fortunately, there are some traces of the greatness to come. "Vargtörne", for example, contains ideas Månegarm would immediately expand on to massive success on Dödsfärd, Vredens Tid, Vargstenen, et al.

Though an inferior experience to both albums that bookend it, Havets vargar is nevertheless an important stepping stone in the stellar Månegarm discography and worth hearing for fans of the band as a crucial link in their evolution. It may be the mighty Månegarm's least compelling album, but it will still please genre fans and outwit (or behead) most of its contemporaries.

Terminal Redux is the sweeping sci-fi metal epic I always suspected Vektor were capable of. 

What stands out most to me about this album is how it blends songwriting that could be called "ambitious", "progressive" or even "artful" with a simultaneously unrelenting technical assault. The balance of both sides of the metal coin that Vektor achieve here is one that very few bands have ever pulled off, and the subtle black metal textures just make their sound even more unique and otherworldy. 

Aside from the overarching lyrical story, Vektor take some bold musical risks on this album. And they ALL pay off...thousandfold. The purposeful inclusion of things like clean, female and chanted vocals add a layer of tension, build-up and pure climax to Vektor's sound that wasn't there before. These elements are placed so perfectly within the progressions of the songs that they just feel so incredibly natural and impactful. For example, the subdued clean lead vocals in "Collapse" are surprisingly emotive and offer a respite that enhances the impact of the album's grand finale "Recharging the Void", which is my song of the year and also the closing statement of this band as we have known it. The 14-minute thrash opus throws together all of the aforementioned elements that are touched on separately throughout the album into what can only be called an epic. Words cannot express my love for the chanted female backing vocal melody near the end, utilized perfectly to forge a sonic bridge back to the album's opener "Charging the Void" and enhance the grandiosity of the biggest moments. The song is a roller coaster through time and space, with highs and lows building up to a climax that explodes into your ears like a star going supernova. The closest comparison I can think of would be the Fall like a burning star! section of "Starchild" off Wintersun. 

While the epics that bookend Terminal Redux are amazing and innovative and surefire classics, this is not an album that loses much steam in the middle either. "Cygnus Terminal" is interesting conceptually and includes an absolutely beautiful guitar solo that sort of springs forth out of nowhere and unfolds like a majestic tapestry of stars. "LCD (Liquid Crystal Disease)", "Psychotropia" and "Pillars of Sand" are more traditional Vektor thrashers, fast technical masterclasses chock-full of awesome headbanging riffs and memorable, kickass vocal parts. "Ultimate Artificer", which was a huge grower for me after a few months of skipping it, sits somewhere in the middle, shorter than the proggier songs but with a sprawling blackened climax that hints at the heights of "Recharding the Void" to come. The only song that still does not do much for me is "Pteropticon", which just feels a little forgettable and by-the-numbers compared to all the other extraordinary songs on offer. Without it, this might be a 5-star album. 

Whatever the future of Vektor may or may not hold in light of the band's recent announcements, Terminal Redux would be one hell of a way to go out. In addition to being Vektor's greatest achievement, Terminal Redux is also one of the greatest achievements in all of technical/thrash metal and 2010s metal. This album should be cited as a classic and influential landmark release for decades to come.

Congratulations Vektor and thank you for turning many a nighttime stroll into blast-offs through stars and across aeons.

With this righteous album, Ulver smashed the standards and barriers set by the black metal bands before them and created their own playbook.

One that none have managed to entirely recapture since (perhaps The Mantle came closest in spirit). Bergtatt is simultaneously raw and celestially atmospheric, seamlessly integrating the grim Norwegian Black Metal template with lush acoustic and sparse Scandinavian folk sounds. There is wonderful contrast in that. For example, between Garm's angelic chants and his otherworldy shrieks. The clean vocals are a surprisingly perfect fit for the music, with "I Troldskog Faren Vild" being the best showcase of this - an absolute classic. With the repeating outro guitar melody, you will be ascending, spinning towards the stars. 

"Soelen Gaaer Bag Aase Need" and "Graablick Blev Hun Vaer" are equally good. The soundscapes captured here make one feel like a wayward soul wandering across a mountainous landscape under a full moon. This music is truly serene yet sinister and enchanting. The interludes of Nordic folk music that Garm adds, like the beginning of Capitel III, most of Capitel IV and the end of Capitel V, augment the already splendid and innovative black metal fare in a way no one had done before in the genre. This creates some deliciously abrupt yet purposeful dynamic shifts, completing the spiritually transcendental experience that is Bergtatt.

Oh gosh, I'm going on and on like a fanboy. Oops. I'll just let you go listen to it in the mountains for yourself and stop spoiling everything. One of my favorite and most spiritual pieces of music of all-time.

It's pretty clear that these are leftovers from the Old Mornings Dawn sessions. After the success of that album, this lighter-weight offering follows a few years later even though it took Summoning *10 years* between the prior two albums. If these songs weren't OMD cuts, then they're just rushed and underdeveloped.

While this would be a great album for most aspiring atmospheric black metal bands, the fact that the mighty Summoning name is attached makes it a disappointment. They can do much better. That said, the signature Summoning atmosphere is still here and I'm a sucker for it, so I can't knock the rating below a 3.5 or strong 3. And the title track, admittedly, is a true keeper.

Summoning's best and most consistent album since Stronghold

Ah, Old Mornings Dawn. I remember this was one of my most anticipated releases of 2013... and boy did it deliver!

With each listen, I come to love this album more. It's definitely a grower. The band present their trademarked sonic textures (evoking ancient enchanted woods, etc.) as powerfully as ever, with each song sending you into a spellbinding journey through the misty valleys and dark forests of the album cover to discover forbidden wonders. Flammifer, Caradhas and Earthshine will join songs like "Land of the Dead" and "Long Lost To Where No Pathway Goes" in the elite group of Summoning's best.

Some superb lyrics from the duo once again, performed passionately alongside melodies that will make you weep and guitar chord progressions to send shivers down your spine. I also love their increased use of choirs and brass instruments in this album. They are used frequently, in just about every song in fact, but not overdone or tacky - in a way that reminds me of neofolk/darkwave artists like Dead Can Dance or Sopor Aeternus. 

I also must note that the second half of Earthshine is the best thing ever. If you like any of Summoning's previous or future work, just do yourself a favor and get this album. 

Highlights: Flammifer, Old Mornings Dawn, The White Tower, Caradhras, Earthshine

Metal as fuck

When someone says "metal", Reign In Blood is what I think of first. It is the quintessential metal album. Visceral, aggressive music in its purest form. One continuous ten-track onslaught of fast, bloodcurdling riffs and unrelenting violence. The playing (especially the drumming) is incredible and Araya's snarling rasps and screams give the music an an additional pointed edge that is instantly-recognizable. Not a trace of filler to be found - just about every unholy second is immaculate.

Guaranteed to please any fan of recent Sigh work, blending the styles found on In Somniphobia, Scenes From Hell and Hangman's Hymn. I would place Graveward alongside the likes of In Somniphobia and Scenario IV: Dread Dreams in my top three or four albums by the band.

A demo of "Out of the Grave" was leaked several months prior to release, and I immediately thought it was awesome. I had been looking forward to the rest of the album ever since - and it did not disappoint. "Out of the Grave" is still one of my favorites, with its fun classical guitar parts and saxophone solo reminiscent of "The Transfiguration Fear". But it's awesomeness is matched and even exceeded by several other songs. "Kaedit Nos Pestis" with its bombastic chorus, sinister atmosphere and technical guitar playing. "The Tombfiller" with its shamelessly cartoonish melodies that are just so much fun. The winding adventure that is "The Forlorn". The epic "Messenger From Tomorrow" and the haunting vocals and eerie instrumentation in "The Trial By The Dead". The traces of Italian Horror influences that are scattered everywhere across the album, popping up in the most delightfully surprising of places. I could go on. The only disappointing track is "Dwellers In A Dream", which is just really generic and uninteresting and has no business being the album closer. But at least it's short.

I've seen several complaints about the production online. While it is a bit different than previous albums, I actually like it. It gives Graveward a distinct character and didn't really take any getting used to. They make great use of symphonics, odd sound effects and different instrumental tones in many of the songs. They are all blended in perfectly and feel like they fit well. Sometimes the rhythm guitar is a little low in the mix while the lead guitar and synth are a little loud, but it's not distracting or anything. Overall, I think the album sounds superb and really grandiose at times. 

One of my favorite albums from 2015.

Scattered moments of brilliance

I was roped in by some of the online buzz around this album when it came out, even hearing words like "masterpiece" and "AOTY" thrown about. Plus "Schammasch" is basically a palindrome, so I was helpless to resist. 

It took me over a week to sink my teeth into this ambitious triple album and, surprisingly, I actually found the Tribal Ambient third disc the most gripping. There are some truly cathartic moments on that one. Rich and detailed atmospheres you can easily get lost in, and (most of the time) the songs actually feel like they're going somewhere. Though the first disc is rather good as well. It's the most Black Metal in style with highlights "Consensus" and "In Dialogue With Death" calling to mind "The Satanist" in their scope, occult themes and fearsome demonic narration. The second disc is easily the weakest, in my opinion, with only "Above the Stars of God" really standing out as a noteworthy composition. And it IS stellar, once you get through the thirteen boring minutes on the disc that build up to it. 

Overall, despite some great songs, I think the tiring 100-minute length and inconsistency (a seemingly useless song for every impressive one) of Triangle prevent it from being a 2016 highlight for me. However, it is definitely worth hearing for anyone out there who likes grandiose, ritualistic black metal with a modern production and experimental tendencies. And as a painstakingly complex album, there is an obvious potential for it unravel itself for me more as the time goes on.

Highlights: In Dialogue With Death, Consensus, Above the Stars of God, Cathartic Confession

This album removes any trace of doubt...... Scar Symmetry are still as BRILLIANT as ever! 

The greatness of the first act of The Singularity saga rivals that of Holographic Universe in just about every way. If the final two parts can maintain the quality established here, the Trilogy will displace Holographic Universe as Scar Symmetry's crowning achievement. I was as skeptical as anyone when the band moved on without Christian Alvestam, and never thought I would love anything they did quite as much without him... until this album. Yes, it's that good. Per Nilsson, it seems, was always the heart and soul of their music. As long as he remains, I trust in this band ardently.

The guys have mastered their sound here. The vocalists sound amazing and their chemistry with each other and the rest of the band has improved by leaps and bounds. The pacing is perfect. The production is immaculate. They nailed the futuristic atmosphere they were going for and it goes hand in hands with the interesting lyrical concepts about transhumanism. The songwriting sees Scar Symmetry at their most progressive and creative, without sacrificing an ounce of the catchiness and sing-along choruses the fans love. All in all, this is exactly what I wanted out of a Scar Symmetry album in 2014 - and I can't wait until the next two installments!

Highlights: Every song is top-quality material, but I like Neohuman, Neuromancers, and Technocalyptic Cybergeddeon the most.

Weak, limp, and boring. 

I like slow and brooding 80s doom metal, but Born Too Late just isn't... good. 

Each song repeat the same stale riff with the same lackluster vocals and unmemorable squealing guitar solos. Not to mention the bad guitar and drum sound. The title track manages to be fairly memorable and even enjoyable, but even that song suffers from the many of the same weaknesses as the others. I cannot understand why Born Too Late is considered a doom metal classic.

A breathtaking album that seamlessly blends the pride and suffering of Irish/Celtic history with black metal and doom metal.

All of the music on To The Nameless Dead is full of emotion, gravity, and a salt-of-the-earth brand of epicness. Not "epic" in the overblown manner of some folk metal bands... It's just pure soul-crushing epic music. 

The passion Primordial has for their music and for their history (the primary lyrical subject) is readily apparent and is what makes this such an enticing listen. The vocals, the glorious guitar riffs, the engaging songwriting...all of it comes together to make this beautiful album work. This is what every folk/pagan band wishes they could be. Each and every song is a masterpiece, save the pointless interlude.

Now I shall end this review with a closing remark:

I'm a HEEEEATHEN!!!! SEARCHING...FOR HIS..... SOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUULLLLLL!

A top-notch Texas crossover thrash album.

Power Trip blends influences from a jumble of prominent bands, especially Cro-Mags and Slayer. It is not often that you come across crossover albums in 2013 that sound like they would've fit in perfectly in the late 80s. The constant barrage of neck-snapping riffs, energetic vocals and raw (but not too raw) production make this album an instant winner among fans of this sound and among people who are looking for an album to rock out/mosh too. 

However, it is the band's debut album so it's not surprising that there are a few flaws. There is not much variety to differentiate between the songs. The album does come off as very samey. Since the best songs are the first three and the last two, it really drags in the middle. The crossover and thrash influences are not always seamlessly mixed. One of the songs basically stole the drum intro from Slayer's "Criminally Insane" before jumping into a very Suicidal Tendencies-like groove. I look forward to seeing how the band improves in the future as they continue to develop their sound and hone their songwriting.

This album has its pros and cons, but in the end, it has a lot of good things going for it. All of the songs are enjoyable (though not always memorable) in their own right and the band brings an undeniable energy to the table. Recommended for anyone who enjoys some well-done, angry crossover thrash, because that's exactly what this album is.

Standout tracks: Manifest Decimation, Power Trip, Conditioned to Death, Hammer of Doubt

Versatile Swedish metal mastermind Dan Swanö at his most eclectic and creative.

Ominous, cryptic, fantastical, ritualistic, avant-garde, complex, atonal, scary, mysterious, surreal. Yes, definitely surreal. This record is bizarre. Alien. But inspired by very real faults and trappings of the human mind.

Pan.Thy.Monium came out of nowhere and grabbed me by the horns in the summer of 2016. I chanced upon "The Battle of Geeheeb" while skipping around a Relapse Records Anniversary Sampler that I had downloaded forever ago and forgotten about. At first, it simply struck me as a curiosity. Its 12 minutes of mazy, bipolar death metal stuck out like a sore thumb from the heapings of conventional Goregrind and Sludge Metal in the sampler. I didn't even know the band was a side-project of Edge of Sanity mastermind Dan Swanö. That is, until occasional scattered listens over the next few weeks finally allowed me to wrap my head around the brilliance of the song, pushing me to research Pan.Thy.Monium further.

Turns out Swanö anonymously created Pan.Thy.Monium to work through a personal identity crisis. This album, Khaooohs & Kon-Fus-Ion, sets to music the final saga of a dreamworld-war between dark god Raagoonshinnaah and light god Amaraah (representing conflicting parts of Swanö's mind). But there are no lyrics. The growls are completely gibberish, probably intended to convey the same fictional language as the god names and song titles. I found all this completely fascinating and immediately sought out the rest.

After about a week of nonstop listening to this masterwork, I think it might just be my second-favorite thing the Swanö brothers ever did after only Crimson (sorry, Purgatory Afterglow). As a longtime admirer of the aforementioned 40-minute opus, I'm surprised I never heard about Khaooohs & Kon-Fus-Ion sooner. It's a concept album of similar scope, split into just two main tracks. It's significantly shorter than Crimson, but without any of the recycling of certain passages, structure or dramaticism. Pan.Thy.Monium bounce freely and haphazardly from one idea to the next, alternating between crushing Swedish Death Metal (the centerpiece), abstract Zeuhl-esque breaks, hard rock melodic guitar leads, doomy passages, xylophones, saxophones, squeaks, squeals, screams and other assorted madness. Sometimes at the same time. Yet, as much as there is going on, it all works and feels like a cohesive composition. And it all rocks. Given all that I just said, the album is surprisingly accessible. The riffs are super engaging and groovy. Each one, though they don't stick around too long, makes a huge impact.

Khaooohs & Kon-Fus-Ion really does personify the chaos of an internal war, with all the schizophrenia, triumphs, confusion and mood-swings it entails represented in the music. "The Battle of Geeheeb" is still my preferred of the two main parts by a slight margin ("Behrial" is a mellow instrumental epilogue in the aftermath after good-guy Amaraah wins the war and "In Remembrance" is silence). But the both are absolutely must-listens for anyone who loves the highly avant-garde, progressive and unorthodox in Extreme Metal. And even if that's not usually your thing, the riffs and melodies are strong enough here to reel in most metalheads. These are the same guys that brought us Edge of Sanity, after all. Just give it a few listens to wrap your head around all that's on offer.

The overall sound Pagan's Mind aims for is an ambitious sci-fi blend of power metal and progressive metal. The songs are quite long with a lot of progressive elements, keyboards and complex riffing, but the vocals are of the operatic sort more often heard in power metal.

That said, there is a nice variety incorporated into this blueprint. There are the slower, more melodic songs like "Through Osiris' Eyes" (now one of my favorite power metal songs of all time with its epic chorus) and blazing-fast heavier songs like "The Seven Sacred Promises". Perhaps the most technically impressive sequence in Pagan's Mind's entire career is the two-part Back To The Magic of Childhood instrumental. "Part 2: Exploring Life" in particular is stuffed full of sheer awesomeness and great riffs. It was nice to heard this band just do its thing and shred and make wonderful music without relying on Nils K Rue. 

The album art, lyrics and Stargate theme work and tie everything together as a worthy final product. When this thing is good, it's REALLY GOOD.

Opeth's Masterstroke

For me, My Arms, Your Hearse is the pinnacle of Opeth's career. Each preceding album had improved incrementally, but this is where Opeth truly become Opeth. This is where they truly earn their reputation as the titans of modern progressive metal. 

That's not something I would've written a few years ago. If you had asked me during my teenage years of wholehearted metal exploration, "hey what do you think of Opeth?", I would've half-heartedly smiled and informed you that yes, I do, in fact, like them. But if I was completely candid, I would've also told you that I didn't really understand the magnitude of praise and adoration they received. Their music just didn't consistently speak to me like it seemed to for others. Sure, I loved a few gems here and there such as "Lotus Eater", "Forest of October" and "Bleak", but many of their songs felt dull and impenetrable. Some still do (particularly the albums following this one). I'd had the Opeth discography sitting on my computer for years and I always dreaded going through an album because, even though they were enjoyable enough, it usually left me with an aftertaste of frustration for not feeling them with the intensity that everyone else did. But "My Arms, Your Hearse", shortly after my 20th birthday, changed things. It was the first Opeth album that came to life for me, from front to back, with each song making a lasting impression without forcing it.

I can't explain the sudden change. The first few times I listened to MAYH, it came off as typical Opeth affair - occasional moments of interest sprinkled throughout lengthy passages of monotony. Then all of a sudden, on a rainy summer night in Dallas, a haunting vocal melody popped into my head. "...Run away, run away..." It was somewhat familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it. "…Just one second…" And it wouldn’t go away. "…And I was left with nothing..." Eventually a google search revealed that the ghost in my head was apparently “Demon of the Fall”, a song from an album I'd previously deleted from my library for being “forgettable”. Funny how a song can subconsciously worm its way into your heart and lay there dormant for months, only to resurface at a seemingly random time. 

I gave “Demon of the Fall” another try and was immediately hooked. I decided to give the rest My Arms, Your Hearse another chance. And it was like I downloaded an entirely different album this time. I took a midnight stroll despite the drizzle, listening with an open mind and letting it envelope me. Each song, one after the other, came to life as I walked through the dark. They unfolded their beauty before me, as if finally rewarding me for my long-suffering attempts to understand Opeth. The melancholic clean vocal melodies. The cathartically powerful screams/growls. The all-consuming riffs. The haunting acoustic passages. The tragic tale of a ghost separated from his still-earthbound lover. They all combined to create an intoxicating atmosphere that perfectly matched the gloomy, damp weather outside. I soaked it up in all its dark majesty. 

Rarely have I ever felt so one with an album. That black metal-tinged riff at the beginning of “April Ethereal” lifted my spirits and I couldn’t help but start running down the path with one fist raised. Mikael Akerfeldt’s screams pulsated energy through my body, evil yet triumphant (It was me, peering through the looking-glass!). My neighbors, if any happened to peek out their windows, would’ve thought me high, insane or both – simultaneously sprinting, headbanging and stomping through the downpour. But it was pure joy. Anyone who has ever had intense emotional connection with music will understand. And it only got better as it went on. The entire section from I will enduueueuuure to the end is simply breathtaking, one of my favorite conclusions to a piece of music ever. When Akerfeldt wails The rain was waving goodbye!, I stopped running and turned my face up at the falling rain, yelling maniacally along with him, arms stretched wide. And just when I thought that was the climax, Opeth ramp the intensity up to a whole other level when Akerfeldt rips out his perhaps highest and most emotional scream ever: TAKE ME AWWAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!! Then these perfect harmonized guitar melodies segue in on top and close out the song with crushing contrast. It was one of my cherished musical experiences, that first enlightened re-listen to "April Ethereal", and is still amazing every time. I must've listened to that song 40+ times in two weeks.

But my iPhone didn't sense how awestruck I was, and simply rolled on to the next songs. Though it doesn't reach the heights of the opener, "When" is another dynamic, emotive song that builds up to a big final passage (When can I take you from this place?). "The Amen Corner" immediately pummels you with the heaviest riff on the album. You can feel the narrator spirit's seething anger in the lyrics and vocal performance, perfectly matching the chaos of the instruments. The way Opeth effortlessly switch back and forth between clean/harsh and soft/heavy in this song is something to behold. They go from a The Mantle-esque whispered/acoustic line (Eerie circles upon the water) to sounding as chaotic as Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk in about two seconds as the ghost's love is consumed by hate. The ballad "Credence" slows things down after the violence of "Demon of the Fall" and has really grown on me lately. Opeth's lullaby-style songs usually put me to sleep, but I have a soft spot for this one. It's just so haunting but oddly catchy (Deserted again...). The acoustic outro is pure gold. Then we close things out with "Karma", a fitting conclusion that sees the ghost resigning to his fate of eternal aimlessness (You have nothing more to find, You have nothing more to lose.). 

As if that wasn't enough, there are two excellent covers as bonus tracks: Iron Maiden's "Remember Tomorrow" and Celtic Frost's "Circle of the Tyrants". These are probably Opeth's two best covers of their career, here on the same disc. They both do exactly what covers should do: stamp on their own unique identity and ideas while still remaining true to the spirit of the originals. Hell, I probably prefer this version of "Remember Tomorrow" to the original.

All of Opeth's strengths come together on this one. The musicianship and performances are top-quality as usual, but My Arms, Your Hearse seems much more cohesive and memorable than other albums. Perhaps it's because Akerfeldt is focusing his songwriting into one concept/story that he clearly feels strong passion for. Perhaps it's because they did away with the long-winded "epics" found on other albums. Perhaps it's because the production is vastly improved. Maybe it's all of these things combined with some magical golden "it" factor that has mostly eluded them ever since. But it doesn't really matter why. My Arms, Your Hearse has almost everything I want in music and is, for me, far and away Opeth's finest hour.

An extremely underrated work in the Opeth discography. This is one of their jewels.

"In The Mist She Was Standing" is a full-blown epic in the vein of "Black Rose Immortal" and is a sure-fire Opeth classic. "Forest of October" is my personal favorite track because of the haunting acoustic melody that begins and finishes the song. The instrumental interludes "Silhouette" and "Requiem" are dark and majestic and add significantly to the atmosphere of the album. The bonus track "In The Frost of Winter" is a raw black metal demo that reveals a different side of Opeth. The riff in that song topples mountains.

My strongest memory of this glorious, beautiful album is listening to it on repeat as I spent an entire 12-hour day reading "Inheritance", the final book in the Eragon saga.  Deserves more respect and recognition that it gets compared to other Opeth albums.

Tale of Two Halves.

Overall, the sound is much more atmospheric and modern production-driven than on the classic death/doom of Rain Without End. Very little emphasis on riffs this time around. Sounds like a slowed down version of melodeath band In Mourning, essentially. It works powerfully at times. The potential is there, but... too much filler in the back half.

Tracks 1-4 are excellent but 5-7 bore me. This could've been an amazing album if all seven tracks were as good as, say, "Deplorable Request". 

Captures the cold & evil atmosphere of Dissection but with a more sraight-ahead mentality, a harsher bone-snapping crunch.

There are none of the drawn-out epics or hypnotic song structures you will find on an album like Storm of the Light's Bane, because Darkside is designed to simply offer quick bursts of aggressive melodic black/death excellence. Necrophobic just want to be evil and menacing, with no delusions of being particularly artistic. And the results are POTENT. There are no weak points on this album. The songs are all remarkably compact - quickly striking the perfect balance between the wintry grimness of black metal, the ferocity of Deicide, and the catchiness of At The Gates - and then ending and charging onwards to the next before you have a chance to catch your breath.

Some of my favorite moments: The melodic acoustic passage and subsequent scream on "Black Moon Rising", the intro to "Darkside" (SATAN TAKE MY SOOOUUUL!), the frantic furiosity of "Nailing the Holy One", the verses of "Bloodthirst" that always make me bob my head, and finally, the gorgeous piano interludes.

Highly recommended for fans of Dissection and old-school Death Metal or Black Metal. For fans of atmospheric and headbanging metal alike. Hell, any real metalhead should enjoy this masterpiece!

Good enough, but not the classic follow-up that was hoped for

While Myrath's Legacy sounds fantastic with the increased production budget (those violins!), the songs themselves mostly fall short of the brilliance of Tales of the Sands, or even Orphaned Land's All Is One for that matter. They all manage to be at least pretty good, but they just don't feel as lively or inspired as most of the songs from the last album. As big and "epic" as they sound on a surface level, I detect a hidden lack of substance. 

I don't mean to sound too negative because this is a decent effort, it really is. Maybe it's too much balladry for my tastes, or maybe it's just that they refined their sound and toned down the progressive elements. I don't know. But what it comes down to is that, with the notable exception of "Believer", the melodies here just aren't striking me as particularly memorable even after several listens. That's the heart of the issue. Myrath won me over with their passionate melodies on Tales of the Sands and I'm just not getting enough of that from Legacy.

That said, "Believer" is almost worth the price of admission on its own. Easily the most infectious song Myrath have written to date, it's one of those tracks you can just listen to on repeat all day. Never gets old. Jump on the band-vagon! The "Believer" music video is already hands-down going to be my favorite music video of 2016. When the video first came out, those soaring Arabic violins at the beginning blew me away on first listen. Unfortunately, it set my expectations too high for the rest of Legacy, leaving me with a slight feeling of disappointment now that I've digested the whole thing. "Get Your Freedom Back" and the last three are probably the picks of the rest, but sadly I don't think I would go out of my way to add any of them to my library if I didn't already own the whole album.

Nevertheless, I think they will win a lot of new fans with such a strong single and professional-sounding album. I still love their sound - how they infuse their proud Tunisian heritage into accessible prog metal with stellar vocals. Even though the songwriting here underwhelms me, Myrath are still extremely unique and a band I will follow closely in the future.

Rewarding! Superior to Master of Puppets in the long run!

This album sees Metallica take a more technical and progressive approach to songwriting, and I love how it turned out. "One" is sheer brilliance and the rest of the songs are overflowing with great riffs and an dark, angry vibe that Metallica never had before. This album's sophistication rewards repeat listens and has steadily climbed up my Metallica album rankings in all the years since I've been a fan.

...And Justice for All is better than the [slightly] overrated Master of Puppets and perhaps on near-even footing with the inspired Ride the Lightning. If the bass was more audible and "The Shortest Straw" was replaced with a song as great as the other eight, this would easily be a five-star album.

With Dead End Kings, Katatonia continue their "melancholic rock" sound from previous albums. Jonas Renske's subdued, often pained vocals are enchanting, and the guitars, though featured less often than in previous albums, really make the most of it when they are. Songs like "Leathen" even include fabulous guitar solos, something of a rarity for Katatonia. While this album does grow on you with repeated listens, it's still something of a middling album relative to the rest of the band's work. A step up from the prior release, but not quite in the same league as a Viva Emptiness or Great Cold Distance, and a bit lacking in heaviness to these ears.

It's a safe album. More of the same of what Katatonia's been doing for awhile now: quality melancholic rock/metal. With less of the "metal" this time. They haven't evolved at all, but I'm just fine with that as long as they keep putting out albums that meet the standard of Dead End Kings. There's enough here to please the fans.

Favorite Song: Probably "Hypnone", with its beautiful chorus (I need the sound of the rain...)

Intronaut quickly emerged as a pioneering band in heavy music in 2008 with their breakthrough opus Prehistoricisms. Their acclaimed 2010 follow-up Valley of Smoke solidified their place as one of metal's most innovative up-and-coming bands. Their primary genre is often described as "atmospheric sludge metal", but they include audible influences from genres as diverse as jazz, progressive rock, doom metal, and Indian, African and Asian rhythms. Their songs often include both heavy metal portions with aggressive guitars as well as softer progressive, jazzy interludes. 

But Intronaut refused to be predictable, adding new elements to their sound, including soft, clean vocals and increased experimentation with post-rock atmospheres. As a fan of Valley of Smoke, I was eager to hear Habitual Levitations for myself. 

The album begins on a high note, with three consecutive great songs. However, the remaining six songs are largely mediocre and contain none of the memorable moments Intronaut are usually so good at producing. All of the musicianship is top-notch, as always, but the music itself was lacking this time around for Intronaut. Habitual Levitation is as good as neither of the two albums that precede it. If you're interested in this band, start with one of the aforementioned albums. Intronaut is an incredibly talented band, but 2013 is not their year. The changes they have made, while respectable, do not suit them (Intronaut vocalist, you are not Maynard Keenan!). The new album comes off as a little too dull and a little too flat and a little too linear, with the shining moments too few and far between to merit listening to it all the way through more than a couple times.

Overall Rating: 3.2/5

Standout Tracks: Killing Birds With Stones, The Welding, Steps, The Way Down and THE BASSIST ON EVERY SINGLE FUCKING TRACK

'The New ITW' hit their stride with sharpened songwriting

In the Woods...'s 2016 "comeback" album, Pure, featured an almost entirely new band, with drummer Anders Kobro the only returning member from the Omnio era. If you're going to resuscitate the ITW name - dormant for 15 years but still gold-tinged in the extreme and prog metal undergrounds - the new material had better justify it. Did it? Well, kind of. Pure was generally well-received, but for me, it mostly just blurred together and left me feeling lukewarm, with only a couple standout songs.

While Cease the Day continues the introspective yet grandiose prog-doom sound that Pure established, it takes a major step forward in the songwriting department and re-introduces the Black Metal element - not heard in this quantity since HEart of the Ages. That first scream in "Empty Streets" might just take you back to their self-titled song! In The Woods... have never ever repeated themselves, for better or worse, so it pleases me to see progression from the new incarnation of the band as well.  

Anyways, Cease the Day succeeds where Pure struggled in creating a memorable full-album experience from front to back.  

And I mean "front to back" literally, since the shining example of this mindful songcraft is a recurring lullaby melody that bookends the album on a unifying somber note. This haunting, softly-sung lullaby sets the somber stage for "Empty Streets" and is reprised brilliantly for the wistful closer "Cease The Day", the lyrics masterfully switching as the melody is recalled. It's a musical moment that hit me hard on my first listen - the type of impact moments that I loved about 90s ITW. I could already imagine myself reflecting on the lyrics while stargazing in the mountains or walking the empty city streets on the album cover. 

Between these poetic bookends is plenty of memorable stuff as well. After only one or two listens, each song on this album had already taken on its own distinct identity in my head, rather than running together as a big blob that, yes, sounds good, but loses impact as a full experience or individual replay value. Whether it's the return of harsh vocals, James Fogarty bringing better vocal melodies, or just simpler, more refined songs... In The Woods must be commended for largely eliminating this tonal "saminess" problem that has sometimes plagued them - even on my favorite release of theirs, Omnio.  

With the soft/clean to harsh/piercing dynamics of "Empty Streets", the pointed darkness of "Substance Vortex", the Woods of Ypres-esque melancholic anthem "Respect My Solitude", the doomy harmonies of "Cloud Seeder", the fist-raising catharsis of "Strike Up With the Dawn" and climactic barnstormer "Transcending Yesterdays", this is some of the most song-to-song diversity I've heard on an ITW album. A few of the songs fall short of true greatness ("Still Yearning" sticks out as the weakest to my ears), but at least they're all memorable. It's not a long album, and every song feels vital and few moments are wasted. 

While the band are not really innovating or making one-of-a-kind music anymore, Cease the Day holds up better to the vaunted ITW back-catalogue than most skeptics (myself included) would have expected and proves that "the new ITW" can still be highly relevant and one of the leaders in their corner of the metal world. Recommended to fans of any previous In the Woods... album - even those who did not particularly love Pure - as well as those who know they typically enjoy this very Scandinavian fusion of the dark, melancholic and avant-garde. 

Favorite songs: Empty Streets/Cease The Day reprise, Cloud Seeder, Strike Up With The Dawn, Transcending Yesterdays

Gothernburg's crown jewel

Long Long Ago, In Flames were not just another alt. metal band, but rather a titanic pioneering force in the realm of Melodic Death Metal. With this seminal release, they combined the aggression and atmosphere of the extreme metal underground with the accessibility of 80s melodic heavy metal more seamlessly than any band before them. Some scorned the band for "polluting" death metal with their unrivaled melodic sensibility, but what they started on this album could not be stopped.

Even In Flames' most ardent detractors cannot deny that the band had a knack for b e a u t i f u l heartfelt melodies. This shows up in the acoustic passages (Moonshield, Jester's Dance), the guitar leads & riffs (Dead Eternity, December Flower), and even the solos (Wayfaerer, Dead God In Me). During In Flames' five-year heyday (Subterranean through Whoracle), literally every guitar melody they crafted was solid gold. And even though Anders Friden probably isn't as talented as Subterranean vocalist Henke Forss (let alone Mikael Stanne), he sounds better on this album than he ever has since (he actually has a low register with some legitimately powerful death growls here!). Jesper Stromblad is one of my favorite guitarists and he is consistently great on this disc as well. The band is going at full force and you can just tell they were really enjoying writing and playing this music together. The production isn't as pristine and polished as on successor albums, which I actually count as a plus. It lends the music a sort of mystique they would lose later, though I love the next few albums as well. From "Moonshield" (one of the best album intros ever with its folky acoustic passage and how it transitions into the sorrowful melodic riffing) to the epic closer "Dead God In Me", every song here is instantly memorable and could be listed as a highlight.

The Jester Race, along with At The Gates' Slaughter of the Soul, inspired legions of imitators over the next decade and still today. But THIS album was the original - and remains a work of unique inspiration and quality.

This is actually my favorite Immortal album. DFM has a unique character and level of charisma to it that is unmatched by any of their other albums. I personally have great memories of headbanging to this whilst walking my frozen college campus during wintertime. Makes one feel like they're marching fearlessly into a blizzard, warmed by internal fire.

" The Call of the Wintermoon", despite its ridiculous music video, is memorable as hell and arguably Immortal's best. "Unholy Forces of Evil" is packed full of killer riffs and ferocious vocals. "Cryptic Winterstorms" keeps the frigid atmosphere going with some brilliant acoustic sections. The drumming in "Blacker Than Darkness" is insane. "A Perfect Vision of the Rising Northland" is an unexpected treat - a true epic in the vein of viking-era Bathory that takes you on a nine-minute journey, a level of ambition Immortal would never really show again. This song also contains the most climactic ending to any song in the band's discography (a gloriously sloppy guitar solo knocks you off your feet).  

All in all, this is a beast of a 90s black metal release. Most of all, it's FUN to listen to and doesn't take itself too seriously. Highly recommended.

Nasty, grimy, rotten early 90s death metal that sounds like a formless beast emerging from the depths of a swamp.

Ah, the Gorguts debut. The riffs on this album will turn your brain to slush with just how purely evil they sound. Not to mention the classic cover art. Yet I also love this album because Gorguts did something that very few other bands in the genre did at this point: Show that you could play death metal with a touch of restraint and creativity that actually adds to the uncanny atmosphere without compromising your heaviness. They would obviously expand on this idea in their later albums.

The vaguely folky intro begins the album on an eerie note and it doesn't let up from there. I love the bass and the drumming on "Disincarnated", which immediately jumps out as a standout track. Gorguts saves the rest of the album's highlights for the end. The instrumental song "Waste of Mortality" is one of the best death metal instrumentals I know of. "Haemetological Allergy" and "Inoculated Life" -- the finale two tracks -- are the best on the album. If you close your eyes and listen to Track 9, the music will give you the sensation of ants crawling up your body.  

Fucking evil, man. Gorguts.

Essential for black metal fans and a great introductory experience for those newer to the genre as well

Penultimate track "(Under) The Pagan Megalith" is a neck-snapping banger of a black metal song and closer "Maaneskyggens Slave" contains one of my favorite passages in the entire history of music... Pitch-black and cathartic.

Yep, the last two songs are the clear standouts. Gorgoroth crafted the rare album where each and every song is better than the one before it, culminating with a grand finale of epic proportions. It's a short album with not a wasted moment, which means the momentum builds very quickly, creating a perfectly-executed upward climb or crescendo to those final two tracks. Very much recommended.

Death 'n' Roll, Baby

Need a blast of adrenaline straight to your bloodstream and your head? This album pumps you up more than chugging four 5-Hour Energies.

Entombed's third release is a departure from the classic Swedish death metal style embodied on Left Hand Path and further refined on Clandestine, but the band still kicks just as much ass (if not MORE) on Wolverine Blues. 

All the songs are loud, aggressive, balls to the wall METAL songs first and foremost, filled with dirty bluesy riffs, pummeling drums and raw UUNNNGGHH vocals. There might not be a better pump-up album in Death Metal. You'll be running up brick walls (or smashing them).

FROST!

These demos are worth seeking out for "Frost" and "White Storm" alone, which are two of the best Ensiferum songs EVER despite never being released on a full album. It's Ensiferum at their most 'Viking Metal', in the case of "Frost" complete with some fairly dissonant riffing and a haunting acoustic section in the middle a la Bathory or Dissection, building back up to a piercing Jari Mäenpää scream ("Frooost!") and customary upbeat finish.  

Throw in rawer versions of my very favorite Ensiferum songs ("Old Man" and "Little Dreamer") and a decent (though unspectacular) mid-paced number in "Knighthood" and you have one hell of a worthwhile compilation. If the very first thing your band ever trots out is this level of quality, chances are you're going to be pretty great.

Best Ensiferum album in 10 years - no joke

Two Paths was my surprise hit of 2017. I had no anticipation or expectations for it. Heck, I forgot it was even happening until I got a notification from Spotify that it was available. One Man Army was such a huge dud, and Unsung Heroes was really underwhelming before that, so I had little reason to believe that Ensiferum could make me BELIEVE again. The pure magic of Ensiferum or even Victory Songs was gone except in traces.  

But lo and behold, I actually really like Two Paths. It has me coming back to it again and again and finishing it with a smile each time. Imagine that. I'm so very glad to have my doubts proven wrong. This is still one of the premiere bands in folk metal, and this is their strongest album since Victory Songs. They sound rejuvenated, revived, re-energized. The folk elements feel convincing, passionate and full of life again. From the epic shout-along title track to the jubilant melodies and catchy female vocals of "Feast With Valkyries" to the triumphant keyboard-driven "Way of the Warrior" or broodingly heroic "I Will Never Kneel", this album is full of great songs that stand out from one another. Even the swashbuckling Korpiklaani-esque 'fun' rock tracks like "God Is Dead" and "Don't You Say", while somewhat silly, are catchier and more energetic than the rah-rah-rocking counterparts on the past two albums. Even "Hail to the Victor" reminds me of "Treacherous Gods" in parts, which - even though Ensiferum will never match that level again - can only be a good thing. 

But I suppose there's no getting around the elephant in the room: the poor fan reception. People are dumping on Two Paths everywhere I look. I don't know what album everyone else is listening to, but I don't quite see how one could consider this significantly worse than the last album. To these ears, Petri Lindroos' growls and screams sound more convincing than ever and the entire band just sounds more inspired and on the same page overall than they have since perhaps the days of "Twilight Tavern". They sound like they are having fun again, instead of forcing or half-assing it. When I listen to this album, I feel like getting up, ripping off my shirt and running/dancing/fighting through the forests like a true pagan. That's all I want from an Ensiferum album. If you're the same as me, Two Paths delivers. 

Favorite tracks: Two Paths, Feast With Valkyries

A Bit of a Dud

Unsung Heroes was a relative disappointment when it dropped in 2012, but I'll even take that one over this. I wasn't optimistic once the tacky album art and generic lead single were unveiled, and the rest of One Man Army didn't change my mind. Nothing on offer here is explicitly bad except for maybe "Neito Pohjolan", but it's just not at the level of excitement you expect from this band. It's almost like Ensiferum rounded up all of their second-rate unused song ideas lying around from the last two albums and re-recorded them. There are some cool moments sprinkled throughout, but it's just not enough. Not for Ensiferum. The only song that even made me smile was "Heathen Horde". It's okay, they're still a fun live act and we'll always have the first four albums to spin when we need our fix of epic power/folk/melodeath.

Highlights: Heathen Horde

Also Worthwhile: Cry for the Earth Bounds, Two of Spades

Go on an adventure...

Press play and embark on a journey across torrid seas to ancient unexplored lands. A faraway place with brave men, apocalyptic skies and destinies awaiting us all. This album is pure, wondrous fun - an escape from unmagical day-to-day boring life. It takes you to a place where anything in your imagination is possible and the power of music can conquer all enemies, elements, and personal struggles. This album, my friends, is what I like to call EPIC.

But don't take that to mean it's all glory, sunshine and rainbows. Jari, Markus and Jukka have created a work that is epic in the same way as the best Dark Fantasy novels, with excellent tension, pacing and moments of intimate pain and struggle to make the adventure all the more empowering. 

Highlights: Hero in a Dream, Token of Time, Guardians of Fate, Old Man, Little Dreamer, Treacherous Gods, Eternal Wait 

Weak tracks: Abandoned

On Origins, the quality drops off a bit from where we left Eluveitie on Helvetios, which itself was a small step down from Everything Remains as It Never Was, which was yet another step down from the two preceding albums.

You see, Eluveitie was an instrumental band in the development of my music taste. They were my introduction to folk metal. They were one of the first bands with harsh vocals that I developed an appreciation for. However, as much as I cherish them, it is apparent that this band's best days are probably behind them.  

Origins is not necessarily bad... it just rehashes the same exact formulas as their other albums but with even fewer memorable songs resulting from it. It all sounds cookie-cutter, as if any Eluveitie cover band could've made this album. As much as it pains me to admit, their tried-and-true sound is getting tired. They just don't sound as invigorated as they did on Slania or Spirit. The songs sound nice, but they all blur together with few distinguishing features to separate them. (A few exceptions: see 'Highlights' below) 

It is a sad thing to want so badly to love an album by a beloved band but just not be able to. A disappointing (I was on the verge of handing out a 2.5), but not unexpected progression for Eluveitie. Fortunately, their next album is a follow-up to the all-acoustic Evocation I, and finds the band sounding much more in their element. Do check that one out. Hopefully the recent line-up changes will re-spark Eluveitie's metal side going forward too. 

Highlights: Celtos, The Call of the Mountains, King, Carry the Torch

Sounds like a half-assed cash grab, not a five-year project

What a steaming pile of sameness. Not all terrible, but very dull. Disturbed's albums have always been a little repetitive, but I can usually pull out a few really great songs worth coming back to. Not the case here. Maybe my tastes have outgrown Disturbed completely, but I don't think that's the case because I was enjoying "Inside The Fire", "Stupify" and "Stricken" just yesterday. I think Immortalized just fails to be memorable...at all. I mean, it's not even catchy. Pop Metal that's not fun or catchy is just Crap Metal with no redeeming value. 

I count three non-cover songs maybe worth listening to again (Save Our Last Goodbye, The Vengeful One, Never Wrong). Three cringe-worthy bad ones cancel them out (The Light, What Are You Waiting For, Fire It Up) and the other seven are indistinguishable in their mediocrity. Well, that's 45 minutes of my life I'll never get back. When I feel my hankering for guilty-pleasure alt/nu metal coming on, I'll stick with the first four Disturbed albums and forget this one exists.

At least the cover of The Sound of Silence is aiight.

"Night's Blood" wins my personal award for greatest Extreme Metal song of all time.

Oh yeah, and this album has some other pretty damn good songs on it too. "Soulreaper" and "Where Dead Angels Lie" manage to hold their own and not be completely overshadowed by "Night's Blood" (a huge accomplishment), and are bona-fide genre classics in their own right. "Unhallowed" and the title track might be footnotes compared to those three or the stirringly sinister "Thorns of Crimson Death", but even they - the supposed weaker songs - still outclass 95% of metal! That's how great this disc is. No weak spots. No spots that are anything less that fantastic and timeless. "No Dreams Breed in Breathless Sleep" is my favorite instrumental outro of all time and caps the whole wintry experience off perfectly. It is haunting in its simple, melancholic elegance. This whole album is a masterclass in how to make music that is simultaneously sinister, beautiful, melodic, majestic, evil and heart-wrenching. And it contains both my favorite album artwork and extreme metal song ever?? Hellyes/10.