Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Reviews
Last year (as of this review), sometime after I made another attempt of cutting contact with power metal, I met a new outside-world friend of mine who is in a band and enjoys heavy/power metal. Thanks to him, I discovered some new power metal bands I haven't heard before like Beast in Black (though it was my brother recommending one of their songs to me that peaked my interest), Tungsten, and of course, Grailknights!
This band I would've loved to bits if I was in my stronger power metal phase 10 years ago, and this album would've been no exception. It's a pretty great album for those who wish to explore superhero-ish medieval fantasy in metal.
"Into the Abyss of the Grail" is a battle-ready intro with synthesized brass/orchestra not too far off from the RuneScape soundtrack. Then the first actual song "Pumping Iron Power" is filled with anthemic power metal. No matter how the cheesy the blend of 80s synths and metal instrumentation sounds, you'll be all pumped up and headbanging in no time. Guest vocalist Joakim Brodén of Sabaton provides his signature baritone vocals for perfect contrast with Sir Optimus Prime's tenor voice. "Cthulhu" sounds closer to classic heavy metal while continuing the one-two punch leveled up by heavy riffing and a catchy chorus worth singing along to. "Black Spider’s Web" emphasizes the guitars more than the keys. The heavy instrumentation all leads up to the breakdown where the knight battles that giant spider.
"Grailskull Asylum" continues that spooky horror vibe with its synth intro. The more extreme instrumentation and harsh black metal-ish vocals will certainly get fans of the band's earlier melodeath sound excited, while having the Helloween vibe in the lyrics and the more melodic parts. "March of the Skeletons" fits well for a fantasy-themed Halloween dance party. Clean and harsh vocals continue to blend well together, while the marching breakdown has great potential in a live show. "Shadow of the Mountain" is another heavy/power metal highlight, even sneaking in a powerful melodic scream! "Laser Raptor 3D" has catchy 80s laser synth fitting greatly with the metal heaviness.
"Ghost Town" travels further down the past to the 60s with Western-style guitar and drums galloping like a horse. Nice guitar soloing there! Next up, "Book of a Hero" is the closest thing we have to a ballad. Though it's more of an OK attempt at clean cinematic folk as the hero rides off into a perilous journey. The title finale rises from soft whispers into an epic headbanging assault of guitars and synths, with lyrics to sing along to all the way up to the final march.
I can't say I would ever love Grailknights as much as I would have 10 years ago, but this is a prime example of the fun side of power metal done right. I will have to thank my outside-world friend for his help in reviving part of my power metal interest, and he and I can have a good power metal time....
Favorites: "Pumping Iron Power", "Cthulhu", "Grailskull Asylum", "Shadow of the Mountain", "Knightfall"
Genres: Power Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2018
Genitorturers is a band I never thought would intrigue me, considering their notorious BDSM themes in the music and shows. However, their 90s material is actually worth enjoying and listening to, at least remotely. But how does their comeback album Blackheart Revolution work out? Not quite as well...
I shouldn't be too surprised. After all, they were trying to restore their earlier provocative imagery, but it was a sign that they needed to move on with the times. Their dance-y industrial/alt-metal sound does not have the same spark in the 2000s as it had in the 90s. Around that time, people had already moved from the latex and leather aesthetic, and the only people to still get their ideas were the band's die-hard fans.
"Revolution" starts the album with some rock crunch, but the depth just isn't the same as it was in their earlier material. The next track "Kabangin' All Night" isn't too bad, but it has too much of a rockabilly sound. "Devil in a Bottle" totally rocks out with its Rob Zombie vibe and makes up a lot for the album's earlier fails.
"Louder" is a KISS-like rock-out anthem to get you pumped. I enjoy the nice soloing there. Then we have another nice alt-ish anthem in "Falling Stars" that's more melodic while still heavy. The guitar distortion of their 90s material is blended with an old-school rhythm that can easily be tapped by tambourine. "Take It" has some more of the catchy heavy rock melody that has made a little optimistic about where this album might lead. Unfortunately, the next track "Confessions of a Blackheart" goes to back to the album's lower quality, trying its hardest to show Gen's spooky persona but ends up falling flat.
I don't wanna talk much about "C*m Junkie", which is just a techno-pop sh*tter. They were so much better than that! However, "Vampire Lover" restores the album's earlier greatness with the best Gen's gothic vocals. "Tell Me" is another perfect rocker that I think any rock/metal fan should at least try. iTunes bonus track "2 Faced Traitor" is rather pointless, being another dance track that's 4 minute long, followed by 6 minutes of silence.
All in all, the stylistic tendencies of Genitorturers were not fully fulfilled in Blackheart Revolution. Having not grown well and losing some relevance in their sound, this is only for the true longtime fans of this band. The new fans would wonder where the band's spark has gone....
Favorites: "Devil in a Bottle", "Falling Stars", "Take It", "Vampire Lover", "Tell Me"
Genres: Alternative Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2009
Mr. Bungle are known as one of the most weirdly diverse bands around. The tracks all contain a mix of different genres, each track different from each other. Bands like Incubus would try that experimentation in the mid-1990s before sticking firmly to a different style. The talented skill of Mr. Bungle is in great display here!
Their 1991 self-titled debut was certainly unexpected at a time when grunge killed the glam star. No one before Mr. Bungle had ever dared to go full-on experimental, except John Zorn with his band Naked City. Zorn would also perform saxophone on one of the tracks in this album. But there's more than just jazzy saxophone. Here we have an avant-garde metal exploration through noise, funk, thrash, and circus music. Just far how can they go to reach the experimentation limit?
The spooky opener "Travolta" was named after John Travolta, but due to trademark conflicts, the song name was later changed to "Quote Unquote". It's truly the soundtrack to a spooky Halloween night at a carnival, though not as disturbing as its banned music video that shows clowns hanging on meat hooks. "Slowly Growing Deaf" is the best example of the band's metal, while exploring the carnival's house of mirrors. Brass-fueled "Squeeze Me Macaroni" is also amazing. That's where the album sounds best when blending lightness with spookiness. Chords are played around in "Carousel", which is actually slightly more normal. You're having fun in the funfair and riding the carousel, but it's too much to take for your motion sickness, and you throw up right in front of all the clowns that laugh at you.
"Egg" is one of two 10-minute epics in this album, this one having some playing fun before a bit of chaos that then leads to a few-minute segue to the next track. "Stubb (A Dub)" is a 7-minute track, but that includes a two-minute outro of audio samples for a nice atmosphere. Still if you want to listen to this track on its own, you might wanna just listen to the 5 minutes of actual music. "My A** is on Fire" is another more normal song, though the title is not one you would find in every album. I like the drums here, but I'm not too sure the Blue Velvet samples click.
"The Girls of Porn" has some groovy bass. "Love is a Fist" is about spouse abuse. The vocals and keyboards shine the most in "Dead Goon", the closing second 10-minute epic. Now this story might not be for the easily weirded out... An asphixiophile clown finds desire in choking himself to escape his own misery. He wasn't planning on committing suicide, but he did in a hanging accident. For a song with such a dark theme, the chorus has such a clean pop vibe.
All in all, Mr. Bungle's debut is the kind of album that someone who was a rebellious troublemaking high school kid can hear and be like, "Wow, that is musically like what I was as a kid." If the human equivalent to this album's music is around, I would hang out for some time with this cool guy whose name is... Mr. Bungle!
Favorites: "Slowly Growing Deaf", "Squeeze Me Macaroni", "Egg", "Stubb (A Dub)", "Dead Goon"
Genres: Alternative Metal Avant-Garde Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1991
OK, an EP may not be the best way to discover a band, but it's what I've chosen after stirring up some curiosity from the stoner/speed metal sound of Mutoid Man's new album Mutants and that band's new bassist being part of this one. And it really paid off! I never knew until now how perfectly mesmerizing it is to blend stoner/sludge metal with speed/thrash metal, despite me going the Straight Edge-like path of staying away from drugs (you know what the deal is about stoner rock/metal).
High on Fire has been active for over 25 years and inspired many metal bands including Mastodon who first formed in one of High on Fire's earliest shows. This Oakland band won a Grammy award for the title track of their 2018 album Electric Messiah, so what's next? A 3-track EP consisting of an instrumental and two covers, that's what!
Bat Salad starts with its title instrumental which, as if the title's reference to that Black Sabbath instrumental isn't enough, pays great tribute to that band with blend of sludgy heavy/stoner metal. Absolutely nothing wrong there! The band's cover of "Into the Crypts of Rays" by Celtic Frost (whose album cover for To Mega Therion is parodied for the EP) does proper justice to that band's earlier sound and is an excellent cover, sealed by the gravelly voice of frontman Matt Pike (also the guitarist for Sleep). Another cover, "Don't Bother Me" from Bad Brains' demo album Black Dots is another terrific thrashy cover that shall certainly delight fans of that band.
So what we have is a stoner/sludge instrumental and two thrashy cover songs. The two sounds aren't combined together, but when put into the same EP, they perfectly fit side by side. Totally worthwhile and smashing for a short EP!
Favorites: all 3, but I certainly enjoy the title instrumental
Genres: Sludge Metal Stoner Metal Thrash Metal
Format: EP
Year: 2019
Some of the best albums I've encountered come from bands that have been around for a long time, like a decade or a few. I never heard a song from this band until an outside-world friend showed me one that was a total rocker (we will get to that soon). Boy, was I hyped up! Here we have guitarist/vocalist Stephen Brodsky (Cave In), drummer Ben Koller (Converge), and bassist Jeff Matz (High on Fire). Talk about a powerhouse lineup! Mutoid Man has often been considered a stoner metal band, and well, I won't say that's inaccurate, but their sound is more like a hodgepodge of different styles, ranging from rockin' and rollin' to heavy and doomy.
Mutoid Man first formed in 2012 as a collaboration project between Brodsky and Koller. They've really driven through in the guitars and drum rhythms, not to mention how pulverizing ex-bassist Nick Cageao sounds when he plays his instrument. Brodsky knows how to make sure his vocals catch up with all that heavy technical speed. The lineup created two albums, Bleeder and War Moans, released in 2015 and 2017. Then after a Covers EP in 2018, not much activity spawned from the band. The members focused on their respective main bands, with Brodsky mourning the loss of his Cave In bandmate bassist Caleb Scofield (RIP). In 2023, one year after Cave In's Heavy Pendulum, Mutoid Man make their comeback in their new album Mutants, with Matz joining in as their new bassist.
Blasting off this kick-A offering is the energetic "Call of the Void", the song my outside-world showed me that made me up to checking out this album. The band sprint guitar screeches and drum tapping as Brodsky lets out more of his emotion to cope with the grief from the fallen bassist who is Scofield. Beach Boys-inspired choral melodies and hyper technicality are blended together at ease in this hard rock/speed metal piece of art. "Frozen Hearts" is another haunting highlight with darker lyrics, "I don’t wanna know anything right now, 'cause I would probably go anywhere right now". Lots of brooding speed/hardcore darkness there! Then we really slow down in "Broken Glass Ceiling" for some mid-tempo stoner metal in the groovy verses before speed up for some more of the thunderous hardcore/speed metal, heavy as ever. So far, we have a lot of hardcore speed going on, only slowing down for their stoner sound when necessary. And there's more of this diversity to come...
"Siren Song" is another top-notch highlight. It offers a bombastic blend of stoner metal and Sabbath-esque heavy metal with some technical speed and progressiveness at times. The catchy lyrics fit well with the synergy the musicians have. "Graveyard Love" returns to the hardcore/speed metal, sounding like a more metallic Ramones to go with the fun lyrics. The heavy sludgy "Unborn" is a total stoner head-beater that soon speeds up into one of the more progressive tracks, similar to early Mastodon.
Then "Siphon" kicks off having some of the math-ish metalcore instrumentation of Converge and The Dillinger Escape Plan then continues on in progressive/sludge metal again as the vocal harmonies and growls blend together. "Demons" has more of an old-school hard/pop rock vibe that then becomes more progressive to hook you up in a whirling banger. "Memory Hole" is a straight stoner/sludge metal song. It's quite good, though a little more of a silver gem in golden treasure. The 6-minute finale "Setting Sun" summarizes everything in this album, starting with slow stoner metal, then speed up into the usual hardcore speed, with lots of progressiveness added when necessary.
Mutoid Man have provided a special delivery of stoner/hardcore/speed/progressive metal! There are so many high points spawned from the consistent flow of Mutants that makes me want more from this band. It's awesome enough that Koller and Brodsky, already two legends from the metalcore scene, know how take care of business together, but Matz is the missing piece of the puzzle for their masterpiece of solid power. Hope you're in for an incredible trip through a strange yet exciting universe!
Favorites: "Call of the Void", "Frozen Hearts", "Siren Song", "Siphon", "Setting Sun"
Genres: Stoner Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2023
Less than a year after Between the Buried and Me's Colors II, another sequel comes in; Neurotech's Symphonies II! Neurotech is perhaps one of the most prolific yet relatively unknown cyber metal projects besides Mechina. After returning from hiatus with his previous album Solace, Neurotech founder Wulf was determined to make something ambitious, another Symphonies collection. The way he makes these Symphonies albums is, he releases 4 long grand instrumental epics that are dubbed, you guessed it, "symphonies" as singles, and then releases a collection of them. And unlike his first collection, in which each symphony was released once per year, for his second collection, he released one symphony per month, and that has really caused his listeners to be excited and pumped up for this offering...
Also different is the length of each track. Symphonies I had really lengthy epics that are each an average 17 minutes long. In Symphonies II, each symphony is EXACTLY 10 minutes long! That's quite impressive, though not as much as David Dobrik making each of his YouTube videos an exact length of 4:20. If you're aware of the typical style of Neurotech, you know there's gonna be the usual ambient electro-industrial metal sound going on. However, to accompany the whole "symphony" vibe, the vocals are entirely absent and replaced with symphonic strings and synths. Still you can hear the metal blasts expected from the guitars, bass, and drums.
Rolling into epicness right away is "The Prophetic Symphony". I can truly connect with the strength spawned with the keyboard synths in the first third, the heavier metallic instrumentation blasting through in the second third, and emotional violin and percussion to start the final third. All the elements fit their respective tones and produce something beautiful. "The Seraphic Symphony" is heavier, blasting in with fury after a minute of climatic synths.
"The Draconic Symphony" has some more strength to feel, but the speedy blasts blended together with laser-powered electronics ends up a bit repetitive. Finally, the riffing tones and melodies in "The Messianic Symphony" is much nicer. Guitars are more prominent and play out better together with the electronic keyboards. Fantastic!
All in all, Symphonies II is what the second decade of Neurotech needed after having already done Symphonies I in the first decade. Although a couple symphonies in the middle sound a bit odd in places, the collection continues this unique approach Wulf has taken for his project. I would be happy to hear an edition of this with vocals and lyrics. But of course, the beauty lies in the sounds of the music. The music of a symphony....
Favorites: "The Prophetic Symphony", "The Messianic Symphony"
Genres: Industrial Metal Symphonic Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2022
So, where do I begin when describing such an ambitious band? Mechina is known for their series of concept albums and singles with a massive saga covering them all. Think about it like Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe combined and played out like Rhapsody of Fire's conceptual sagas. Their 2005 debut The Assembly of Tyrants started off as a one-off story, but their second album Conqueror, released over 5 years later, started turning the story into a saga. The mastermind behind this project, Joe Tiberi can perform digital guitar and construct epic orchestration to flow well with the storyline in a bombastic style of extreme djenty symphonic/cyber metal!
Acheron continues their style in logical creativity. Their ambitious motive was a risk that paid off almost entirely well. Here we have the djent pioneered by Meshuggah, blended with the progressive groove of Xerath, the industrial tendencies of Fear Factory, and the cinematic symphonics of Two Steps From Hell. The rhythms and percussion band together with the riffs and keyboards for a unique combination that sometimes breaks into different territories. And f***ing h*ll, Tiberi's sonic guitar is really what the instrumentation needs as the engine for the machine. It is all in digital construction, and in many strings of the guitar, maybe beyond 8, like 9? 10?! The notes shall devastate and never drone, all in the equality of sound...
"Proprioception" is one of the best ways to open an album. There isn't any technical music, but rather a scene that sounds fresh out of an epic sci-fi movie that builds up and gets you geared up for the action, as a true concept album would. The engines ignite and the spaceship blasts off in "Earth-Born Axiom", an extensive epic in which electronic synths and cinematic orchestra prevails over the heavy djent instrumentation. Tiberi knows how to combine all that with a landscape of sci-fi dystopia that Neurotech can also achieve. "Vanquisher" is another powerful highlight, this one working well separately from the concept as a pre-release single. I don't know if they perform live concerts, but "On the Wings of Nefeli" would certainly be an interesting setlist staple. The female chanting and simple yet epic keyboards and in full prominence while the riffs have their moments, all that could easily fuel up the live crowd.
"The Halcyon Purge" sounds ominous from the name. It has some of the best writing I've heard in the album with emotional diversity. The haunting chorus is sung by Mel Rose, who first appeared in the non-album single "To Coexist is to Surrender" and would become a full-time member in subsequent albums. Absolutely spine-chilling! It's interesting how the shortest non-interlude song has the best lyrical writing. The instrumental "Lethean Waves" has nearly the same length as the previous track, but as cinematic as it is, it's rather pointless and doesn't have much value. That kinda reduces the high quality the album has. Regaining balance is "Ode to the Forgotten Few", though despite Mel Rose's vocals sounding serene, they can be tiring. Nonetheless, kudos to Tiberi for expanding his boundaries with more than just hammering heaviness.
"The Hyperion Threnody" is a massive beast of an almost 10-minute epic that works as the soundtrack to a massive space battle. There's a lot of epic power in both the title and the song that's nothing but true galactic carnage. This extensive track is so interesting and prevails as a glorious highlight. The more obvious interlude "Adrasteia" is another atmospheric track, and it's a bit boring and purposeless as well. All it's good for is being the soundtrack to a video game's main menu. "Invictus Daedalus" goes all-out fast and furious, but a bit of the interest factor has worn off. Closing this interstellar adventure is "The Future Must Be Met", a good outro but nothing worth mentioning.
And just like that, we have a bold ambitious offering with profuse variety. Acheron is a journey through the greatness of combining electronics, symphonics, and metal into one. Tiberi has had great potential that he has fulfilled and has kept his ideas going through more of his works. Although I probably would've enjoyed this more when I still into highly epic melodic styles of metal, and the second half could've been improved, Acheron has memorable moments that shall last through time, space, and reality....
Favorites: "Earth-Born Axiom", "Vanquisher", "On the Wings of Nefeli", "The Halcyon Purge", "The Hyperion Threnody"
Genres: Progressive Metal Symphonic Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2015
I'm not gonna lie, when I initially gave the new Persefone EP some listening, I thought I was hearing their melodic deathly progressive metal in full force, enough to give it 4.5 stars. But now that I've listened more thoroughly for the sake of reviewing, let's just say, the rating dropped a full star. This is the band's usual sound shining throughout their discography, so what went wrong?...
The problem here is the vocals (by new vocalist Daniel Rodriguez Flys, replacing longtime vocalist Marc Martins Pia) and the riffing. They both often sound closer to metalcore (though not enough for The Revolution). Now I love metalcore, and I know where the genre should stand. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
Even during the intro, "Sounds and Vessels", the unfitting modern influences cause things to go down in sh*t with pointless filter. The first full song "One Word" makes up for that hard, and the clean chorus is a much better representation of their metalcore-ish experimentation. "The Equable" also has that kind of chorus but more unstable. There's more of the usual deathly progressive chaos going on, but when it's blended with the metalcore-infused riffing, things can sound a bit out of place. Of course, the guitarwork can still be good at times when it's performed more properly.
The best riffing comes on in the title track. Here we have some great guitar soloing to level up the surrounding riffing and give the EP some redeeming value. This definitely throws back to the band's better earlier material. Although the verses and choruses can sometimes get me ticked, they're still at their best here. The cleans should've been slightly reduced though. "Abyssal Communication" is a cool outro, but I should say no more.
Lingua Ignota: Part I is slightly disappointing compared to the band's previous releases, even Metanoia. It's not horrible, but it doesn't show the strength Persefone had early on. While there are a couple highlights, this new blend of deathly progressive metal with metalcore elements, which sounded cool in theory, better be improved for Part II....
Favorites: "One Word", "Lingua Ignota"
Genres: Progressive Metal
Format: EP
Year: 2024
Stortregn started off as a melodic black/death band before dumping most of their black metal elements for more of a progressive/tech-death style. Their new album Finitude sealed their sound, and even more so since their signing to The Artisan Era, a record label that has published dozens of releases of technical death metal or symphonic black metal. Lots of melodic shredding to be found in this offering!
Finitude is the 6th full-length by this Swiss band, and it has some solid high-quality detail. Many of the songs are quite excellent and have brought this extreme technical style up for its fans to be pleased.
Crashing in is the title opener, with a great amount of furious shredding and flamenco-style soloing. "A Last Battle Rages On" indeed rages on in high aggression, perhaps higher than most people would expect. Expect the unexpected! Standing out well is "Xeno Chaos" that bursts out more than a human-killing Xenomorph (unrelated). It truly is special as the progressive tech-death rises up in melody.
Flamenco elements continue to cover tracks like the blazing "Cold Void" in the acoustic outro seguing into the next track. The blistering "Rise of the Insidious" has more of that neoclassical soloing going on beyond belief.
The ominous doom in "Omega Axiom" begins to show a sign that the band is starting to slow down towards the end of the journey. I guess it is good for the band to steady themselves so they don't get tired out too much before a final impression. Well, that sign is highly true, as the stellar "De Inferno Solis" has killer blast-beats in contrast to the melodic guitars. "The Revelation" ends it all with the best shredding you can find here.
Here we have a polished melodic/progressive/tech-death album in which the band attempt to spice it up with elements from the outer music realms. It's almost like a more brutal Persefone on steroids, though a bit pompous here and there. All good as long as they know what they're doing....
Favorites: "A Last Battle Rages On", "Xeno Chaos", "Rise of the Insidious", "The Revelation"
Genres: Death Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2023
Adding symphonic/black metal elements to deathcore was something barely existent in the late 2000s/early 2010s. In the mid-2010s when Winds of Plague started fading out of activity, and Make Them Suffer and Betraying the Martyrs discarded their earlier deathcore roots, it seemed like that idea was going to die out. But then the late 2010s saw the rise of Shadow of Intent and Lorna Shore, with the latter causing a massive spike up in the early 2020s, and spawning a league of younger bands of that style...
Alongside Mental Cruelty and Dragoncorpse, Drown In Sulphur has entered the symphonic blackened deathcore league with their second album Dark Secrets of the Soul! Deathcore brutality has been placed together with technical complexity and symphonic melody.
"Adveniat Regnum Tuum" (Thy Kingdom Come) is a disturbing intro of alien noises. Odd start there. Then a crushing modern blackened riff commences in "Eclipse of the Sun of Eden" with spectacular growling vocals. "Buried by Snow and Hail" adds orchestral depths in contrast to the extreme heaviness. The drumming speed is absolutely nuts, and it's an important aspect for deathcore chaos.
Continuing the previous songs' direction, "Unholy Light" offers metallic breakdowns in the blink of an eye. Things change a bit in "Lotus", a dark ballad that starts acoustic then builds up in heaviness and emotion. The emotion bleeds into the title track before raging on in the riffs, vocals, and orchestration.
"Say My Name" is a more obscure track, while still being a perfect slow banger. The atmospheric "Vampire Communion" is a nice interlude to get you ready for the album's massive ending... Final track "Shadow of the Dark Throne" is the perfect summary of all the band has done in the album. This is spine-chilling symphonic blackened deathcore for only the bravest and/or darkest souls.
Drown in Sulphur's second album is both a dark and beautiful offering. Dark Secrets of the Soul proves the band's place in the symphonic blackened deathcore league. I say this disturbing yet underrated style of deathcore shall be in good hands as the decade progresses....
Favorites: "Buried by Snow and Hail", "Dark Secrets of the Soul", "Say My Name", "Shadow of the Dark Throne"
Genres: Metalcore
Format: Album
Year: 2024
In my journey to find new and undiscovered releases, there have been many ups and downs. This also counts for releases that have been recommended to me. I always appreciate the help I receive for my journey, though reviewing them is always about giving an honest opinion. Sometimes I end up loving a band to bits (Ryujin), and sometimes not so much (xNOMADx). And this one is somewhere in between...
Circuit Circuit perform a promising sound of experimental mathcore. After their self-titled EP, they made another one, Body Songs. And here we have some great powerful mathcore that leans into nu metal.
Opening the EP is "I Dream the World Awake", with a guitar riff loop before vocals crash in. Then the guitar halts for a bit of drum tapping before exploding into total riff noise. The riffing basically mashes together the early 2000s eras of Converge and Linkin Park. "Slander Eats Slander" is the most nu metal-ish song here. The sound is once again blended with mathcore in the guitar groove to make this track quite haunting.
Single "Deleted Skin" has more of that punishing guitar groove. All of that groove leads to a destructive breakdown with screams of "STUCK IN MY HEAD?!? OF COURSE NOT, OF COURSE NOT!" How killer is that?!
"Blood in My Eye (Holy Human)", like the opening track, starts with a guitar riff loop that then squeals its way into speed. The vocalist's impressive range blasts in before another killer breakdown and some more riff crunch. Disorienting, but a better track for the band's nu metal-ish side. Then it segues into "Null", beginning with slow riffing from the bass and eventually guitars that continue to loop. "HOW POINTLESS IS IT?!?! THE END OF THIS WORLD WILL BE SOON!!!" A true chaotic mathcore attack!
Well this EP could do without the abrupt cut-off at the end. Nonetheless, Body Songs is a solid offering of nu-mathcore. Guitar grooves and shouted vocals have surely united two separate realms from the early 2000s in the present. The circuits these guys have will keep you wired....
Favorites: "I Dream the World Awake", "Deleted Skin", "Null"
Genres: Metalcore
Format: EP
Year: 2023
At times when he's not recording or performing with his main band, Trivium frontman Matt Heafy has experimented with his own projects of different styles. Having been interested in black metal bands like Dark Funeral, Darkthrone, Dimmu Borgir, and Emperor, he wanted to explore more of the genre. Heafy also used some of the mythological lyrical influences heard in Shogun and In the Court of the Dragon to set an interesting theme for Rashomon, here based on Japanese folklore...
The end result is a blackened progressive metal album that's basically a whole different Trivium! Alex Bent's drum skills are heard throughout the album alongside Heafy's vocals, guitars, and bass. Guitarist Corey Beaulieu and bassist Paolo Gregoletto appear each only in one guest appearance. Trivium's formula of heavy screaming verses and melodic clean choruses are around with thick guitars and technical drum blasts. Heafy has a lot of vocal confidence, especially in the cleans. Adding to the uniqueness is the epic Eastern folk influences later used in Ryujin. All part of the extreme prog channeling Heafy's inner Enslaved and Opeth.
The waltzing intro "Hakanaki Hitsuzen" (Ephemeral Inevitable) starts off the album with Eastern symphonics and choir, but it doesn't have the epic feeling that I got from the latest two Trivium albums. Pretty much the only major negative part here. But then we crash into "Kagutsuchi", an incredible piece of violent yet melodic blackened prog-metal. How did I not hear this until now??? "Ibaraki-Dōji" can be considered the project's theme song. Lots of kick-A gold as Heafy brings out his Ihsahn influences in the guitars and vocals. An excellent underrated song, though it can do without the softer bridge that covers the 3rd quarter of the track. Steering away from the Trivium direction a bit, "Jigoku Dayu" (Hell or High Water) sounds closer to some of Opeth's softer classics.
"Tamashii no Houkai" (Destruction of the Soul) is another perfect extreme highlight with an epic chorus. "Akumu" (Nightmare). has Polish lyrics growled by Nergal from Behemoth, but it later has a strange marching bridge riff. "Komorebi" (Sunlight Filtering Through the Foliage) has a similar but more satisfying progressive structure.
"Rōnin" is the climatic 9-minute epic of the album to hook you up high. There's a long folk bridge, and in the heavier sections, Heafy has given unclean vocal duties to Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance. And HOLY F***!!! Gerard can perform memorable shrieking vocals more vicious than other black metal vocalists out there! One more heavy track, "Susanoo no Mikoto" has guest vocals by Ihsahn who also performed guitar in a couple previous tracks. "Kaizoku" (Pirate) is a fun accordion ballad to close the album.
Matt Heafy has not given up on his mythological ideas after In the Court of the Dragon. He used some of those ideas in the debut album of his own project Ibaraki. It has turned out well-done, though not as perfect as Trivium's 2020s albums. Rashomon has taken Trivium's incredible glory and gave it more adventure in its writing and lyrical theme of Japanese legends. I would probably have mixed feelings for this album if it came out when I was still a teenager who preferred melodic over extreme. The themes of Shogun have matured more in this project that shall be heard by any extreme progressive metal fan!
Favorites: "Kagutsuchi", "Jigoku Dayu", "Tamashii no Houkai", "Komorebi", "Rōnin"
Genres: Progressive Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2022
My New Year's resolution, as it has been for the past few years, is to discover more metal music. And it's not easy when having to juggle between that, family, and writing books. Looking for new or undiscovered metal bands/releases is a never-ending journey that is worth precious time for me. Once I learn how to drive, I'll pop in some metal tunes and listen all the way on the road. Napalm Records has never ceased to amaze metalheads with their diverse roster. Many of my favorite metal bands are signed to that record, including this newfound favorite... RYUJIN!
Ryujin's self-titled album can be considered a debut album from a whole new band, but there's more history to uncover if you're curious about their previous incarnation Gyze and the band's founding brothers Ryoji and Shuji Shinamoto. Formed in 2009 as Suicide Heaven, the band changed their name after it was deemed inappropriate following the 2011 earthquake. Gyze had since made 4 albums throughout the 2010s, then in 2023, renamed themselves after the Japanese dragon god Ryujin and started making their first offering under their new moniker. I was not familiar with this "samurai metal" band or any of its incarnations until this album was recommended to me, and it just blew my mind! I might just head back to the death metal realm with this fantastic epic extreme blend.
The short intro "Hajimari" (The Beginning) begins the album with sounds of a battle in the Eastern Lands. Then the extreme thunder is unleashed in "Gekokujo" (Lower Door Extermination). The Eastern atmosphere blazes through the music, alongside the metal force of Shuji's drumming and Ryoji's guitar riffing/leads and screamed/growled vocals. More of the Eastern elements come in nice and early in "Dragon Fly Free". The catchy oriental flute shines over the riff rhythms of In Flames. A cool highlight worth repeated listening! The intro chorus of "Raijin & Fujin" already brings in a standout element for the album, the occasional guest vocals of none other than Trivium frontman Matt Heafy, who is also Ryujin's manager and producer. His clean singing give the band more of a power metal vibe to their thrashy melodeath than ever before, alongside the melodies and rhythms. Killer riffing, leads, and symphonics, help truly shape this masterpiece!
"The Rainbow Song" has more of Heafy's clean singing in a catchy mid-paced power metal tune. The singing takes the place of much of the usual growling, and the guitar melodies help make the song another winning highlight. Some more of the power metal side of the sound comes in the speedy "Kunnecup". Then "Scream of the Dragon" returns to the heavier melodeath, while having a soaring chorus. "Gekirin" (Search) blends a bit of the death metal of Pestilence with the epic symphonic melodies of Epica.
"Saigo No Hoshi" (The Last Star) is more of a radio ballad, but it's quite exceptional. The chorus actually hooks you up with memorable beauty. There's an English version of that song, which we will get to soon. The 7 and a half minute epic "Ryujin" can practically be considered the band's theme, not just in the title but also how it exemplifies the whole album's sound. "Guren No Yumiya" (Crimson Bow and Arrow) is a cover of the song by Linked Horizon for the anime Attack on Titan, and it has the same mighty power as Epica's cover. The aforementioned English version of "Saigo No Hoshi" has more of the vocal talents of Matt Heafy that you just gotta love.
I highly recommend Ryujin for anyone willing to hear epic Eastern metal. I have absolutely nothing to complain about for this perfect product of fresh ideas. You get to enjoy almost an hour of Eastern-folk-influenced melodeath/power metal. And if anyone that I recommend this album to say otherwise, what matters is, I had fun, and I want to play this some more. I feel like headbanging in joy right now. A true piece of Eastern metal!
Favorites: "Dragon Fly Free", "Raijin & Fujin", "The Rainbow Song", "Gekirin", "Ryujin", "Saigo No Hoshi" (English version)
Genres: Death Metal Power Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2024
Melodic hardcore/metalcore has indeed been underappreciated in the present when bands have gone the more djenty route. As rare as it would be to find an EP like this one from xNOMADx released in this decade, I personally don't think of On Skylines of Embers as the legendary classic that people in the future will consider it. It's quite decent, but it's missing the spark that similar-sounding bands had in the 2000s such as Shadows Fall, For the Fallen Dreams (especially their debut Changes), and Unearth.
The songs here are good with their melodic heavy riffing and vicious vocal fury, but not enough to make highlight territory. The one exception is the sick "Acephale", with its otherworldly riffing and clean/scream duet at the end, both marking this song a perfect gem. But the rest of the EP? Not really the best, but worth a try....
Favorites (the one highlight to really stand out for me): "Acephale"
Genres: Metalcore
Format: EP
Year: 2023
The comic strip Pearls Before Swine has a book collection titled "Rat's Wars", with the cover parodying Star Wars. So I guess that's a good excuse for me find the name of this album amusing. However, the album itself is quite dark and serious...
Rat Wars followed the second part of Health's Disco4 album series from the previous year, and they've been known for their industrial/noise rock sound with influences from electronica and metal. The latter has been put forward more prominently in their new album, along with more cohesive focus from Slaves of Fear. The lyrical themes of trauma and lack of young love flow smoothly through the complex production.
"Demigods" begins the album as vocalist Jake Duzsik sings those lyrics while kicking through drum reverb and riff crunch. "Future of Hell" hammers through the fury of a futile search for a lost soul. The more aggro-technical "Hateful" has swift synth-work by Sierra. "(Of All Else)" segues in with some dance beats.
"Crack Metal" has a sound than can be considered like Nine Inch Nails but with more metallic torment. Still they're not afraid to blend their industrial metal with other genres. "Unloved" comes out almost like a Depeche Mode ballad. "Children of Sorrow" is a powerful jam of dark synthwave metal. It stands out with metallic riffing performed by Willie Adler of Lamb of God. Then "Sicko" follows as another highlight, sampling Godflesh's "Like Rats", specifically its noise-powered bridge ("You breed...like rats!!").
"Ashamed" has more emotional vocals by Duzsik and deep catchy synths. "(Of Being Born)" segues from there as a sweet yet ominous conclusion. "DSM-V" charges through with Rammstein-esque industrial metal rhythm. After using up their last bit of power, it all ends with the soft brooding "Don't Try", striking through intimate perfection.
I wouldn't say Rat Wars would make too high of an impact for the future of industrial rock/metal, but it sounds like they have what it takes. Personally, I think a few of the softer sections could use a little more oomph (NOT the NDH band) so I won't be easily distracted and can stay in attention. Almost two decades into their career, and Health is already branching out further into metal territory while discovering the darkness of one's mental health....
Favorites: "Future of Hell", "Crack Metal", "Children of Sorrow", "Sicko", "DSM-V", "Don't Try"
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2023
I didn't feel too bad about severing my ties with heavy/power metal. However, recently this band Beast in Black became popular among some of my metal-loving friends and even my brother who recommended one of their songs to me, so I knew I had to check out their music. I was blown away by the 80s pop-influenced synths, riffs, and solos by founder Anton Kabanen. He was part of a similar band that's more keyboard-focused and female-led, Battle Beast before he left in 2015. Now I can hear his masterful writing again in a different band. His stylistic antics can be heard in the brilliant new Dark Connection!
Ever since Kabanen left Battle Beast, that band ended up descending into a more hard rock-ish direction. Their earlier thunderous 80s-inspired metal would be brought back up by Beast in Black, though here they have a male vocalist named Yannis Papadopoulos with high Halford-like shriek-singing to go with his power metal delivery. The earlier synth prominence now takes on a cyber-electronic vibe, which fits well for the 80s sci-fi themes in many of the songs. You may already know that theme just from the cover art with the cyborg woman in a computer realm. The songs in the album focus a little more on atmosphere and don't force in too much heavy impact, and that's the kind of blend I'm looking for, with elaborate lyrics to match.
Opening this offering is "Blade Runner" (an obvious nod to a certain 80s sci-fi film) punches through with the fury of Kabanen's time with Battle Beast, adding in some Accept influences in the impressive vocals and guitar shredding, in addition to sweet keyboards. Having a little more groove is "Bella Donna", with more of the Accept-infused riffing combined with 80s techno-pop hooks to sing along to. "Highway to Mars" pays tribute to Total Recall with an anthem of rage and rave, as Yannis continues his power metal vocals delivery. The song title "Hardcore" made me think there would be some hardcore/metalcore influences, but NOPE, none of that. Still pretty cool though.
The techno-fueled single "One Night in Tokyo" combines the band's metal heaviness with ABBA-like pop synths that can almost fit well in Mortal Kombat. The slow long keyboard cruiser "Moonlight Rendezvous" has more of a synthwave vibe that sounds fresh out of a 90s sci-fi anime. Killer soloing appears in "Revengeance Machine". The technical speed goes wild in the power metal, enhancing the catchy melody of this band and genre. "Dark New World" continues the headbanging metal.
"To the Last Drop of Blood" is the song my brother recommended to me that finally made me cave in and explore what's all the rage between my metal-loving friends, to fantastic results! The 80s-rock-powered riffs and hooks punch through again with easy 80s action film potential. "Broken Survivors" has more of the 80s synth beauty. The serene symphonic closing ballad "My Dystopia" is actually one of the most memorable songs here. So beautiful! Two bonus tracks appear, starting with a cover of Manowar's "Battle Hymn", maintaining the smooth epic metal march and militant lyrics in a better fashion. Then another cover, this one of Michael Jackson's "They Don't Care About Us". Yannis makes an impressive impression of the King of Pop's falsetto, though I'm a little surprised the original lyrics that were deemed derogatory to Jews were kept in.
What a massive perfect album Dark Connection is! This blend of melody and heaviness complete with 80s sci-fi vibes has made me up for another attempt in reviving my on-off relationship with power metal. Nothing can get more modern and retro simultaneously than this offering!
Favorites: "Blade Runner", "Highway to Mars", "One Night in Tokyo", "Revengeance Machine", "To the Last Drop of Blood", "My Dystopia", "Battle Hymn" (Manowar cover)
Genres: Heavy Metal Power Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2021
As someone who prefers melodic/technical death metal and other metal genres, I don't really consider brutal death metal my thing in most cases. MOST. With that said, I like this album. This is killer brutal death metal right here! Neuropath recorded two demos in 1995 before disappearing into oblivion, though those who have been in this website for a long while would know Daniel's journey in the decades since the band's demise.
Although there were a few recent shout-outs to the band and their music here, it wasn't until this album compiling the two demos was released by Sphere of Apparition Records in late 2023 that their material would finally hit the stores. And how can a more extreme metalhead not like this pure brutal strength!? All of the band's members are talented, though the two who really deserve the spotlight in my honest opinion are Daniel with his massive guitar skills and Mark Wangmann with his vicious death growls. The new mastering by Bjorn is certainly a true enhancement to the production.
This whole compilation works well as a powerful extreme journey, so describing its songs won't do them justice, though I can mention the songs I enjoy the most in the usual favorites section below. I would love it slightly more if I loved brutal death metal more. Still this is a great well-done example of the genre, and I'm not just saying it to be nice. Mandatory for Horde members and death metal fans in general! Great support comes with true rewards....
Favorites: "My Bleeding Mortality", "Copulation of Insanity", "Vulgar Rebirth", "Rectal Pulpation"
Genres: Death Metal
Format: Compilation
Year: 2023
On December 15, 2019, Finnish melodeath legends Children of Bodom performed their final concert then split up, with 3 of the members taking the rights to the band name with them. Remaining members Alexi Laiho and Daniel Freyberg formed their own project Bodom After Midnight, which abruptly ended after the tragic passing of Laiho at the end of 2020. He was a rising star in the Finnish metal scene with his vocal fury and guitar wizardry. A Chapter Called Children of Bodom was released exactly 4 years after their final show which was recorded for the release, for fans of the band and melodeath to hear them perform for the last time...
The band really show their roots as they primarily play songs from their first 5 albums plus at least one song from each of their other 5. They know how to add elements of other genres in their Finnish melodeath. They can make things epic or electronic, without soiling the sound they're known for. Those, along with distinct melodies, are what really display the band's innovation.
Opening the show is "Under Grass and Clover" from their final album Hexed, which actually has the best lyrics I've heard from the band. The saddest too, considering the tragic circumstances the lyrics hinted at. Still that's incredible metal from Laiho and co. Heading straight into "Platitudes and Barren Words", you get a catchy chorus with a rare case of true rawness in Laiho's vocals. "In Your Face" doesn't waste any time loading up the riff crunch, slamming hard in your face! The earlier fans will truly headbang through the straight-on heaviness. Amazing metal blasting from the guitars without much of the fancy leads! "Shovel Knockout" seems to have some trouble getting up in the riffing that sounds uninspired. Despite that, there's excellent keyboard work. Don't let the humorous title of "Bodom Beach Terror" trick you. This is a serious fast-paced track that blends upbeat melody and crushing brutality. It really shows the band's sound at their best level.
The crawling atmospheric "Every Time I Die" is a true classic. It kickstarts the band's trend of adding at least one slower song to each release. Mid-tempo songs with distinct melody like that are true highlights, taking a break from the harmonic technicality for atmospheric melodic leads. It is an essential part of the melodic side of extreme metal that wasn't fully explored until Children of Bodom first entered the scene. "Halo of Blood" heads straight into some of the fastest black metal-ish riffing they could perform. The interesting "Are You Dead Yet?" starts off with thundering riffing sounding almost Egyptian, over pummeling drums. The verse riffing zooms through your head like a gunshot. "Blooddrunk" adds more prominence to the keyboards. Janne Wirman shows his amazing key evolution. "I Worship Chaos" is more repetitive, but the hooks are OK.
Getting things up better is "Angels Don't Kill" with thoughtful lyrics, though not too amazing. Still it's another well-placed ballad to break up the speedy intensity. For "Follow the Reaper", the leads in the chorus are definitely worth starting a moshpit. "Deadnight Warrior" jumps out of thunder into fast keyboards and guitars, as the harsh vocals make great contrast with those melodies through this fast pace. You'll definitely enjoy that killer neoclassical solo as much as I do. The more melodic-ish and spoken parts of Laiho's vocals is best exemplified in "Needled 24/7" to add great variety.
Henkka Blacksmith rolls in with some audible bass in "Hate Me". Taking the hate further is "Hate Crew Deathroll" which is so g****mn extreme and vulgar yet a true anthem. "Lake Bodom" has legendary keyboard/guitar dueling intro than is worth practicing anytime. The complexity is so intense, as is the rapid soloing from both instruments. The melodic "Downfall" is the final song performed in the concert. It shall be appreciated as kick-starting the band's atmospheric side that they had displayed ever since.
A Chapter Called Children of Bodom is truly the final chapter for perhaps the most iconic band of Finnish melodeath. They had truly shaped the scene since their inception 30 years ago. Their legacy is something we shall never forget!
RIP Alexi Laiho
Favorites (one track per album): "Under Grass and Clover", "In Your Face", "Shovel Knockout", "Every Time I Die", "Halo of Blood", "Blooddrunk", "I Worship Chaos", "Deadnight Warrior", "Hate Crew Deathroll", "Downfall"
Genres: Death Metal
Format: Live
Year: 2023
Sum 41... One of the more popular punk bands... In Metal Academy?!? Who would've thought that was coming?! Well they have announced their intentions in spicing up their punk sound in metal, and 13 Voices has it all clear! Their upcoming final album Heaven :x: Hell will balance out their sides of the sound with their pop punk Heaven and metal Hell. The band will retire after a final tour, which almost didn't happen when frontman Deryck Whibley suffered from COVID-related heart failure and subsequently recovered.
Whibley is no stranger to almost reaching Death's door. While in the pre-production stage for this album, he nearly lost his life to liver and kidney failure caused by excessive drinking, ending up in a coma. That really caused his ability to walk and play guitar to take a toll, but he slowly regained those abilities. It was a fall and rise documented in 13 Voices, a comeback album of bleak intensity. If people thought 2004's Chuck was the heaviest the band has gone, the full power of 13 Voices is here to prove them wrong. Whibley, guitarists Dave Baksh and Tom Thacker, bassist Jason McCaslin, and drummer Frank Zummo shall take you on a rollercoaster ride of punk gone alt-metal!
Beginning this offering is the grim "A Murder of Crows", with slow dark punk similar to AFI. The political cynicism fits well for the bleakness of our world. Desperate anger sears through the fantastic "G****mn I'm Dead Again". I saw the music video for this on MTV and it adds to the killer power of the song. My own scenario for this would be an epic battle between punks and metalheads in a mosh pit as the band performs, especially during a whole minute of Bullet for My Valentine gone DragonForce guitar soloing. And there's more of their metal side to come... "Fake My Own Death" has more of the blazing heaviness mixed with beautiful emotion. Other new elements here include symphonic strings in "Breaking the Chain", another true anthem. Fans of the band's earlier punk sound can get a kick out of "There Will Be Blood".
The title track also stands out for fans of their earlier work, albeit their heavier side in Chuck. Yearning for emotion is "War", reaching for anthemic heights as Whibley details his sober fight for his life, and encouraging others having a similar problem to know they're not alone. Next up, "God Save Us All (Death to POP)" adds more atmosphere. Same with "The Fall and the Rise", which you know is about if you know the life-threatening sh*t Whibley went through. "Twisted by Design" is the band's longest song and their only one to surpass 5 minutes. The blend of punk and emotion is something already experienced in Linkin Park's The Hunting Party. Beautiful!
The deluxe edition comes with a few bonus tracks, starting with the short "Better Days". Then "Black Eyes" makes up for some of the losses in the album's quality. I never said the album is perfect, despite having many great tracks, but those two tracks could've actually made it better because of how great they are. Of course, I wouldn't say the same for the acoustic versions of "War" and "Breaking the Chain", which are OK but don't have the anthemic magic of the originals.
It seems like the band can really mix gloom, fun, and chaos in their metal-punk arsenal in 13 Voices. Whibley's battle to save his life has resulted in this album hitting hard with a lot of the drama and sincerity there is to offer....
Favorites: "G****mn I'm Dead Again", "Breaking the Chain", "13 Voices", "War", "Twisted by Design", "Better Days", "Black Eyes"
Genres: Alternative Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2016
The Swiss masters of industrial metal have diversified their sound, starting off as black metal in the first 3 albums from the first half of the 90s, up until the style they're known for today. Reign of Light continues the heavy/melodic industrial metal blend first solidified in Passage and Eternal. Their skills are so appealing despite a more pop-ish direction here. They certainly started off their time in the 21st century quite well.
It should be said that most of the highlights in the album make up its first half. It's during the second half when the quality drops more than Eternal, with only a couple songs there being good. So let's begin with those better tunes...
The opening track "Moongate" is a pretty good start. Now as a Muslim, I know that when a relative tells me to say hi to my family for them, I say "Inch'Allah". That song has tense verses, but the chorus it builds up to is a slight letdown. Still it's a strong highlight. "High Above" seems to drag in the rhythm, while the oriental vibe from the female singing is enjoyable. The title track starts with keyboard synths before some heavy riffing. The chorus builds up from the verses and better and leads to a strong bridge.
Then comes "On Earth", having the most melody here, as he rhythm matches with the harmony. While having dreamy lyrics, the rough vocals balance them out. "Telepath" symphonic industrial metal sound bright and clear, in need of more attention than Rammstein. Unfortunately, the oriental elements in "Oriental Dawn" sound too pompous.
Next song "As the Sun" is a f***ing embarrassment. The 80s electro-synths are too cheesy, and Vorph attempts to sound like a rapper in the verses, but it doesn't work at all. We get one more highlight in "Further". Its slow relaxing sound is as great as the heaviness of the other standouts. Things get sinister in "Heliopolis". More of the oriental vibe starts things off before getting heavy. The female vocals once again add to that vibe. Final track "Door of Celestial Peace" isn't too bad, but I don't have much to say about it.
Despite the album's bumpy second half, Reign of Light has great heavy production. Samael knew how to make their atmosphere vary with more than just industrial, with the instruments and vocals dominating together. So come, step into the light....
Favorites: "Inch'Allah", "Reign of Light", "On Earth", "Telepath", "Further"
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2004
Hearing a single from the upcoming Madder Mortem album made me excited for that album and up for more of this band. The frontwoman Agnete M. Kirkevaag has a lot of talent within her vocals, and you can almost consider this band a metal resurrection of Siouxsie and the Banshees. Honestly, I would go mad if I don't have this band's music in my life! And their doomy debut brings me to a fantastic beginning of their discography...
The only thing I hate about this album is the fact that I overlooked this overlooked masterpiece. There are some people who aren't fans of female-led metal bands, thinking they're incapable of "real metal" and more focused on commercial success than actual talent. Now that kind of opinion is unfair, not to mention sexist. I don't listen to a lot of the more popular female-led metal bands like Nightwish and Epica as much as I used to, but the fact that those bands' lead vocalists are female is not even close to the reason. For Madder Mortem, their debut Mercury is pure creative heaviness, and Agnete M. Kirkevaag profusely enhances it with her vocal talent and lyrical originality.
From the start, "Undertow" opens the progressive doom gates. The more melodic "Under Another Moon" adds some subtle autumnal folk elements. Same with "He Who Longed for the Stars", as the doom has slower emotion.
Another album highlight is "These Mortal Sins" with its Trail of Tears-like faster gothic metal sound. "The Grinding Silence" sounds more obscure, yet it gives the distant sound a more mysterious atmosphere. It's a great balance between the soft acoustic piano and the heavy electric guitar. Another killer favorite here is "Loss", having catchy heavy rhythm to headbang to.
More of the heavy riffing appears in "Remnants", right in the face, after the rest of the instrumentation lurks around subtly yet sinisterly. "Misty Sleep" has more effective vocals from under the deepest depths, rising in forlorn grace. Agnete's brother guitarist BP provides occasional background vocals that sound deep in contrast to Agnete's vocal harmonies. Ending things eerily is "Convertion". The closing epic perfectly summarizes the desolate Autumn atmosphere of the album and artwork. The distorted guitars, technical doomy drums, soft acoustic guitars, dreamy keyboards, and calm yet powerful vocals are all there. Truly hypnotic!
Before their heavier progressive metal sound, Madder Mortem took on melodic progressive doom. With gentle vocals and ethereal riffing, Mercury would have no trouble being part of the rare progressive doom club that included Atrox, The Foreshadowing, and The 3rd and the Mortal's Tears Laid in Earth. I wouldn't say this album is gothic as some people would consider it, though it has the bombastic drama of the genre at some points. The album is from a time when gothic/doom's pinnacle decade of the 90s was reaching its end, as Paradise Lost and The 3rd and the Mortal already discarded their heavier roots, and Theatre of Tragedy and Type O Negative each made their last doomy album before a more mainstream sound. Madder Mortem ended that era with a bang. With Mercury's influential melancholy, this bleak sound shall never die!
Favorites: "Undertow", "These Mortal Sins", "Loss", "Misty Sleep", "Convertion"
Genres: Doom Metal Progressive Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1999
A simple interesting experiment can sometimes lead to great success. Indian nu/rap metal band Bloodywood started as a cover band performing Bollywood hits. Then when Linkin Park released their first single from their pop-rock final album One More Light, "Heavy", the negativity that single received inspired Bloodywood to make a metal cover of it, considered "what Linkin Park's Heavy should have sounded like". Spawning international popularity as a result, Bloodywood recorded some more covers for their first release Anti-Pop Vol. 1. Fast forward 5 years, the band made their first original album Rakshak, a wild blend of revived nu metal with Indian classical music.
Anyone can appreciate any band by going to their live shows, but I can appreciate them as well at home by experiencing the full beauty of their music from the original studio recording. Rakshak certainly grants me that magic. Their formula of heavy groove-ish nu metal can entertain you when they add in their native influences. So if there's ever a Bollywood movie centered around a metal band, you know what you might expect in its soundtrack!
Feast your ears on the explosive "Gaddaar" (Traitor), a 5-minute metal monster of riffing and percussion worth partying to. The dynamic impact will bring life to the crowd in concerts, especially in breakdowns. "Aaj" (Today) follows with some EDM-gone-metal similar to Korn's The Path of Totality, albeit with mystical Indian flutes and more poppy hooks. There's no doubt at all that you'll enjoy "Zanjeero Se" (These Chains) and its Linkin Park-like emotion to break away from their more hardcore side occurring later on... The ravaging "Machi Bhasad" (Expect a Riot) is my favorite here. A friend of mine showed me that song, which got me into checking this album out. I gotta thank him for that!
"Dana Dan" (Give a Beatdown) takes on rap metal's earlier days with a modern technical spin. The band shall not be responsible for anyone getting injured when playing this song in live shows. Having a more traditional melody, "Jee Veerey" (Live Brave One) knocks off the heaviness a bit. Though they bring it back in the anthemic "Endurant".
"BSDK.exe" has more of a slam-deathcore vibe blended with trap beats that turns this party demonic. "Yaad" (In Memory) bites down with excellent emotion, though they're kind of behind on the punch some of the other songs have. Saving the album's grace is the noisy closing track "Chakh Le" (Rise Up). Once again, the modern metal revolution has allowed those Bollywood elements up in the front.
Although Alien Weaponry is my go-to band for blending modern metal with native influences, Bloodywood has displayed their own Indian nu/rap metal sound that shall make great history in the metal community. So how about that? Add your country's sounds to metal and watch the magic happen....
Favorites: "Gaddaar", "Zanjeero Se", "Machi Bhasad", "Endurant", "Chakh Le"
Genres: Alternative Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2022
Industrial metal is not a genre that you would expect all metalheads to enjoy. Many of them often get turned away by the excessive amount of keyboards, riff repetition, and drum machinery that all leave no space for any guitar solos. I only just started loving industrial metal a couple years ago, and being the open-minded person I am, I've taken a dive into this brief side-project by Max Cavalera of Sepultura and Alex Newport of Fudge Tunnel. 6 months after Chaos AD came the sole Nailbomb album Point Blank. The sound is an underrated blend of industrial groove with F***ING HARD THRASH!!! The aggressive riffing will definitely remind some of Sepultura's pre-Chaos AD albums!
Cavalera continues to display his political side, and I know some people aren't into politics. I'm not either, but I am familiar with it through the more hardcore bands I've listened to out there, and it fits well for the thrash madness. Although this industrial sound stands nicely between Skrew and Ministry at that time, the riffing is more varied than those two bands. All in the name of deathly thrash!
Right from the start, "Wasting Away" blasts through speedy riffing and Max's signature growls, "Carve your rights into your arm so that they don't get taken away". HOLY SH*T, that's the kind of raging hate you would expect from Arise. It has made me positive that the album is filled with more anger than I've ever heard before. Also great in the instrumentation is "Vai Toma no Cú" (Go Take It in the A**). Then "24 Hour Bullsh*t" continues blending Sepultura's thrash with the industrial metal of Godflesh. Same with "Guerrillas" which is another one of my favorites here.
"Blind and Lost" is a shorter song of energetic hardcore with a message of "F*** mentality". Electro-infused "Sum of Your Achievements" is pretty worthless. "Cockroaches" stands out as another favorite, having some of the highest quality here. "For F***'s Sake" continues the well-done industrial thrash mix. Absolutely fantastic instrumentation!
"World of Sh*t" brings out more of the industrial experimentation of O.L.D. at that time. The vocals in their cover of "Exploitation" by hardcore band Doom come out as weak, though the instrumentation continues to rage on. The punky attitude is maintained lyrically in "Religious Cancer". Screamed rants about church and religion flow through dark industrial metal. "Sh*t Pinata" does nothing for me at all. "Sick Life" has the last bit of industrial metal for me to enjoy. 10 minutes of silence lead to an awesome hidden jam.
In between the extremeness of Sepultura and the mainstream of Soulfly is an album full of f***ing aggressive riffing and a sh*t-load of killer industrial. You can't deny how much this Nailbomb album can kick a**....
Favorites: "Wasting Away", "Guerillas", "Cockroaches", "For F***'s Sake", "Religious Cancer", "Sick Life" (including hidden track)
Genres: Industrial Metal Thrash Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1994
It's a little tough finding a good Sphere band that didn't have a feature release last year, but ultimately I decided on the new album from this underrated band that never really gets talked about here often. Omen X continues the journey Turmion Kätilöt has had for 20 years, starting off on a perfect note with Hoitovirhe, plummeting down in quality in Perstechnique, and in subsequent albums, slowly climbing back up. The ascent continues with Omen X, another album in the perfect height of Universal Satan!
The band, consisting of vocalists MC Raaka Pee and Shag-U, guitarist Bobby Undertaker, bassist Master Bates, keyboardist RunQ, and drummer DQ, continue what MC Raaka Pee started with ex-guitarist DJ Vastapallo. All going according to plan in Omen X, their 10th album and second one released by Nuclear Blast.
"Totuus" (The Truth) kicks off the album hard with its trance-y industrial metal energy, with the vocals and riffs making a festive combo, though it makes me think too much of Electric Callboy. "Gabriel" has more of a marching pace. Aggressive vocals and cinematic keyboards fit together like a glove. "Vie se pois" (Take It Away) has ominous intro that leads to the music soaring through darkness.
The energetic "Pyhä kolminaisuus" (Holy Trinity) can get you excited with its catchy chaos from the electro synths and riff groove alongside background choirs. After that, "Puoli valtakuntaa" (Half the Kingdom) starts with soft melancholy then immediately launches into the usual riff/vocal aggression. "Verestä sokea" (Blood Blind) has some heavy groove to please some metalheads. Still staying effective despite entirely using Finnish lyrics, "Isä meidän" (Our Father) has some eerie children's choirs leading into aggressive insanity. Tell me it's not a dream!
The heavy fun "Sormenjälki" (Fingerprint) bounces through different riffs and keyboards for a great time, though the vicious vocals question its suitability for parties. "Käy tanssiin" (Go Dancing) has massive darkness as the keyboard melodies get their kicks. "Kun kesä kuoli" (When Summer Died) once again blends heavy rhythms with catchy beats that guide you into a spine-chilling chorus. Wrapping things up is "Kuolettavia vammoja" (Fatal Injuries) which, despite its softer vibe, is a perfect way to go out.
Without a "To Be Continued" track, this raises some questions, like is Omen X the last part of the band's saga since Technodiktator? Will there ever be more? I hope so. And I already have that hope since becoming fully ready for this band just a few months ago. There's no doubt Omen X will get you hooked into dance-y industrial metal. Party on!
Favorites: "Gabriel", "Pyhä kolminaisuus", "Verestä sokea", "Sormenjälki", "Käy tanssiin", "Kuolettavia vammoja"
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2023
The previous Turmion Katilot album Universal Satan marked their first album with new co-vocalist Shag-U joining the team consisting of Mc Raaka Pee, Master Bates, Bobby Undertaker, RunQ, and DQ who have all banded together since the 2000s. They've toured in different countries and with other bands from their country like Beast in Black and Nightwish. These guys will get you pumped up, that's a warning. A Global Warning! Especially with the unique lyrical blend of philosophical and partying.
Global Warning is an album title that's almost relevant to the world at the time, though the album was written and recorded before the pandemic. Despite the English title, all songs are sung in Finnish. I may have trouble understanding the lyrics without translating, but the music and vocals are highly enjoyable enough to not make that a big issue.
The fantastic "Naitu" (Married) is a fast, catchy, and bad-a** starting highlight with some oriental folk elements. There's some amazing industrial-trance metal to love here! "Kyntövuohi" (A Plow Goat) plows through in heavy darkness and pummeling drumming. "Sylkekää siihen" (Spit on It) starts off sounds like a dark twist to a nursery rhyme as keyboards and drums rise up for you to dance to the beat. The brutal vocals make an astonishing contrast with the cinematic classical strings and choirs. "Viha ja rakkaus" (Hate and Love) has a bit of Rammstein vibe, and would be even more like that if it was sung in German. The dark vocal duo shines well here. And you can hear more of that aspect in "Turvasana" (Safe Word).
"Kuoleman juuret" (The Roots of Death) keeps the vocal strength going further with more brutal energy than Rammstein. Also part of the songwriting team, keyboardist RunQ (Janne Tolsa) performs golden melody in the chorus. "Syvissä vesissä" (In Deep Waters) is a good throwback to the band's earlier material from the 2000s. "Sano kun riittää" (Say Enough) might fool you into thinking this might be a ballad in the first half-minute, but then it descends into darkness in the vocals, guitars, and keyboards, all while maintaining the dance beat. "Jumalauta" (Oh God) has more of the humor of Rammstein while staying catchy.
"Revi minut auki" (Tear Me Open) once again takes you back to the band's beginnings, especially their debut Hoitovirhe with the perfect spark of their earlier sound. Perfect for party rocking, despite the lyrics I don't dare to mention. "Syntisten laulu" (Song of sinners) starts off sounding dark and sinister in the guitars, though the keyboards have more uplifting light. "Ikävä" (Tedious) greatly mixes together dance-y hypnotic keyboards with dark brutal guitars. The rough vocals here make up for the otherwise monotone chorus just chanting the song title. "Mosquito à la carte (To Be Continued 5)" continues the experimental "To Be Continued" closing tracks, this one starting with what sounds like Spanish flamenco before launching into more of the Rammstein-like sound. In terms of the saga, I say this song is in mid-quality between the poor half in Technodiktator and Diskovibrator and the better half in Dance Panique and Universal Satan. It's also the last song of the saga, since their next album Omen X doesn't continue that trend.
The aforementioned warning depicted in Global Warning is more than just a warning. It's a promise that's been rightfully fulfilled. Another commendable recommendation for anyone in the industrial metal Sphere!
Favorites: "Naitu", "Sylkekää siihen", "Kuoleman juuret", "Sano kun riittää", "Revi minut auki", "Ikävä"
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2020
Dance Panique continued the phenomenal Finnish industrial metal sound of Turmion Katilot. However, it turned out to be their last one with longtime vocalist Spellgoth (the band's other vocalist besides MC Raaka Pee), who left the band in the time between the 2017 album's recording and release. He wanted to focus on his black metal Horna and general Satanism, but he's still with Turmion Katilot as a graphic designer. Later that year, they found a new singer with the stage name Shag-U (a name as ridiculously entertaining as MC Raaka Pee). With their new co-vocalist, the band got to work on their new album, one that should really hit universal acclaim, Universal Satan!
You know how after my least favorite Turmion Katilot album Perstechnique, they started regaining their earlier strength in subsequent albums, each one stronger than the last? Universal Satan is mighty as h*ll, and they're finally back to perfection of Hoitovirhe! This may have something to do with Shag-U having heavy vocal skill, almost more than that of Spellgoth. He and MC Raaka Pee can certainly team up to guide the instrumentation that's heavier and more violent than ever.
"Verenperintö" (Blood Inheritance) starts off with spooky organ and the first glimpse of Shag-U's vocals, then launches in the band's usual dance-y industrial metal. "Itseensäsekaantuja" (Self-Interfering) is worth letting the crowd dance along. Single "Sikiö" (Fetus) is one of the best songs I've heard from this album and the band's discography. Holy h*ll, what a total gem, and a genuine reason for the album's full 5-star rating! The only track better than that is "Love is Dead", all vicious and out for blood. Like a wolf, the song grab you by the neck and never let go from start to finish. The instrumentation thunders through alongside the excellent vocal duo. With upbeat music and English lyrics to desire, you can't skip it!
"Viimeinen matka" (Last Journey) has some fast melodeath riffing you can almost hear from Omnium Gatherum and Persefone, but the sound is mostly a more melodic take on the industrial metal of Mnemic. Another gem is "Helvetin torvet" (Horns of Hell). You can hear some of the most diverse lyrics from the band, all fitting well with the music they're known for. What "Rangaistus" (Penalty) has is catchy melody that the band can perform without any shame. Also great and powerful is "Suurempi voima" (Greater Power), a strong industrial metal march.
"Saatanan siunaama" (Blessed by Satan) is another true blessing. The second track here with English lyrics is the fun "Faster Than God", which is the first ever track I found from this band when assembling the Sphere playlists. I enjoy it, but it's overthrown by the earlier highlights. A special track, "To Be Continued 4 Je T'aime" (I Love You), experiments with jazz fusion, featuring Finnish actor Heikki Kinnunen. A wonderful work of art, though I like the previous album's "To Be Continued" track slightly better.
Universal Satan has surpassed the previous trilogy of Turmion Katilot albums and is their best album since Hoitovirhe. This highly recommendable offering would certainly make it close to the top in my best metal albums of 2018. Whether buying or downloading, you just gotta get it!
Favorites: "Sikiö", "Love is Dead", "Helvetin torvet", "Suurempi voima", "Saatanan siunaama", "To Be Continued 4 Je T'aime"
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2018
Turmion Katilot is still on an ongoing journey with their Finnish industrial metal sound. They started off gloriously with their debut Hoitovirhe and since went on a steady path to keep their greatness going, with the only slight drop in quality being their 4th album Perstechnique. But now it sounds like the band is slowly building back up to the perfection of Hoitovirhe, and this album Dance Panique is get real close!
Finding out info about different bands and albums used to be difficult, but thanks to YouTube and the evolution of the internet, practically everything about them is provided right where anyone can access. 2017 barely arrived when the band already released two singles, one of which ("Itämaan Tietäjä" (Knowledge of the East)) is only a separate single. Dance Panique was released in March, after a one-month delay due to MC Raaka Pee getting sick. Another amazing album! After the electro-dance-y Technodiktator and Diskovibrator, Dance Panique brings back a lot of the earlier metal heaviness, enough to be the missing link between Hoitovirhe and Pirun Nyrkki.
The title track is so mystical! The electro-dance and industrial metal sides are in a perfect blend. With gravelly vocals and driving rhythms, it's an unforgettable experience. "Veren maku" (The Taste of Blood) starts with some heavy drop-C riffing to remind me of Shadows Fall, but the rest of the song is the usual industrial metal. The one pre-release single that made it to this album, "Surutulitus" (Fireworks) has many great details.
Representing a bit of a downside is "Kyynelten tanssi" (Dance of Tears) which is a little more mediocre but doesn't affect the album's high quality. "Uhriveri" (Sacrificial Blood) may seem like an extreme metal song title, but the actual song is nothing like that. Beautiful melodies make "Vihko" (Booklet) another standout.
"Pienet pirut" (Little Devils) continues the dance-y industrial metal sound similar to Deathstars. "Viha" (Anger) is good in some parts, but a bit monotonous in others. If that song and "Kyynelten tanssi" was given some improvement, this album would've been perfect. "Kuoleman marssi" (Death March) has some more industrial experimentation like Motionless in White at the time. "To Be Continued Act 3" is much better than the first two acts, sounding more like a real song or epic. Nothing bad about that one at all!
Dance Panique can very well surpass Technodiktator while still inches behind the perfect glory of Hoitovirhe, though they would actually get there as we roll into the new decade. This really made the band's mark in industrial metal in 2017. Recommended for all fans of the genre!
Favorites: "Dance Panique", "Surutulitus", "Vihko", "Pienet pirut", "To Be Continued Act 3"
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2017
The first 3 Turmion Katilot albums, especially their debut Hoitovirhe, already showed the band's sound soaring sky high. Then a bit of the quality dropped in Perstechnique. And after that, Technodiktator made a promising boost back up to the greatness of their starting trilogy. They've proven that metal and techno synths can fit together like a glove. What can be greater than that?
Well, there were some fans fearing the possibility of the band discarding much of their industrial metal for a more electro-dance sound, since Technodiktator had more electro prominence. But once this album Diskovibrator came out in 2015, there's no longer a reason to worry! Their earlier industrial metal roots are put together with the electro-dance aspects that they've had lately. The album managed to reach the top of the Finnish Charts. They are #1! The strengths of their previous album and Hoitovirhe have stirred up a balanced blend of electro-industrial dance-metal, with each side of the sound deserving its place up front.
Kicking things off with an impressive song is "Kirottujen karnevaalit" (The Carnival of the Damned). "Aina arki" (Always Working) has the usual industrial action to expect from the band. "Hyvissä höyryissä" (Good Buzz) is more emotional and experimental. At times you can hear what sounds like dark rockabilly. The idea of borrowing different styles has worked out much better and spawned another standout.
"Sinä saatana" (You B****rd) turns out to be another pleasant hit. "Ranteet auki" (Slit Wrists) has more atmosphere, though it loses a bit of originality. "Lataa ja varmista" (Lock and Load) is another strong track from this band.
"Hiiltynyt runko" (The Charred Trunk) has some lyrics worth hearing, while shining in the keyboards and synthesized choir. My ultimate favorite in this album is "Vastanaineet" (Just Married). It's filled with steady speed that works well for their sound. "Sinulle" (For You) can be considered a love song, though it's not a ballad. "To Be Continued Act 2" is not as bad as Act 1. It's more bearable throughout its nearly 8-minute length, and they don't end it with 4 minutes of silence. Nonetheless, it's still not the best.
Lumpy parts aside, Diskovibrator is another excellent album. The blend of industrial metal and electro-dance is back to evenness after bringing back a bit of the former. Another superb offering for anyone on the search for dance-y electronics in metal!
Favorites: "Kirottujen karnevaalit", "Hyvissä höyryissä", "Lataa ja varmista", "Hiiltynyt runko", "Vastanaineet"
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2015
At this point, Turmion Katilot released 4 albums in which each one reached higher into the Finnish charts while losing a slight bit of appeal. The band was determined to keep climbing up to the charts, but their mission and their career was almost cut short by a near-disaster for one of the band members...
December 2012 may not be the end of the world, but it almost was for vocalist Petja Turunen who suffered a stroke that caused the band to take a break for over a month for MC Raaka Pee to recover from that health-scare. Then they went back onboard to record a new album released later on in 2013. Technodiktator hit #4 in the Finnish charts, but is it worse than Perstechnique? Nope! It is stronger than U.S.C.H!, and having the band's best sound since Hoitovirhe. Not reaching the debut's perfection, but very close.
Opener "Silmät sumeat" (Blurry Eyes) is a great track to start, and it's hard not to see its appeal. "Antaa palaa" (Let It Burn) maintains the intensity while in a slower tempo. With that, there's more emotion with the techno-synth-filled instrumentation. Everything's balanced here, except for the odd usage of saxophone that's not used often and it just comes out of the blue near the end. "Nimi kivessä" (Name Engraved in Stone) once again has what the previous song has but slower. The instrumentation focuses less on the techno-synths that only support the heaviness in the drums and guitars. It's a bit overwhelming, but not shocking.
The track that I consider my favorite here is "Pyhä maa" (Holy Land). This is a fantastic track I would revisit quite often as the techno beats are blended well with some of the heaviest riffing by the band. "Jalopiina" (Noble Torment) is a bit strange. It takes on a more Wild Western vibe in the drums and guitars, and sometimes they would teleport to the Eastern Lands within the instrumentation. If there was a music video for that, it would show the band travelling to different edges of the world. "Elävä koneeksi" (Living into a Machine) shows the band make a perfect tribute to 90s dance, combined with fast relentless metal instrumentation. The beat would sweep you away all over the dance-floor like a moshing tornado.
"Rehtori" (Principal) is where things get even stranger. The speed changes happen in bizarre times, going from fast to slow in no time flat. A bit of a hiccup there but still fine. I would say the same about the lyrics that seem to be about school principals. "золото/Beibe" (Gold/Baby) is one of the best examples of the band's industrial metal here. "To Be Continued Act 1" is a bit confusing. Not just in the name, but it's also the band's longest song. Now I like long epics, but this one would've been better if they removed the 4-minute silence at the end and shortened the rest to around a length of 6 minutes.
If we're only counting the first 5 Turmion Katilot albums, Technodiktator would be my second-favorite behind Hoitovirhe. They throw back to the best aspects of the debut while having their heaviest work at that point. This would certainly fit well in both a nightclub and a metal concert, and it's guaranteed that you would move to the music. Keep calm and party on!
Favorites: "Silmät sumeat", "Antaa palaa", "Pyhä maa", "Elävä koneeksi", "золото/Beibe"
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2013
Turmion Katilot made it big with their earlier fanbase via their first 3 albums. They mark an amazing start to their journey, with their debut being the best of the trio. Alas, things end up getting a bit bumpy when they reach album #4...
Perstechnique was released in early 2021, and it's tied with their previous album U.S.C.H! as their highest album in the Finnish charts. It's strange how the higher charting the band's earlier albums are, the less appealing it is for me. However, there's nothing totally wrong with Perstechnique, it's better than albums by some bands from the alt-side of metal. I just think there isn't as much impressive fury as in their surrounding albums. My least favorite Turmion Katilot album, but still great.
The opening track "Grand Ball" is my favorite here. While the bizarre lyrics from their previous album return, they sound better and add in a better dose of humor. The theatrical vibes of OOMPH!/Rammstein give "IHMISIXSIXSIX" more life with cyber-powered riffs. "Suolainen kapteeni" (Salty Captain) enhances their industrial metal sound with both the symphonic keys of Alestorm and a bit of the 8-bit synths of Sky Eats Airplane. "Hanska" (Glove) has more brutal heaviness and speed that greatly contrast with retro synths like destruction taking over an 80s movie scene.
"Hellbound Earth" unleashes some more of the dance-y industrial metal like a nightclub in Hell. "Lapset ja vanhemmat" (Children and Parents) has more of the cyber wrath of love and fire. The metal is replaced by pure electro-dance in "Herran toinen tuleminen" (The Second Coming of the Lord) for something more festive.
Having more of the stereotypical catchy industrial metal is "Verta sataa" (Raining Blood) that fuel the cyber sounds of The Kovenant and Deathstars. "Rukoukset rattoisat" (Merry Prayers) has pretty much all of the industrial metal you can already hear in bands like PAIN, In This Moment, Motionless and White, and Circle of Dust. Another awesome highlight! Finally, "Vedetäänkö vai ei?" (Should We, or Not?) is a bit anticlimactic and it indeed makes you wonder if they should stay in their path...or not.
As I've said, there's not much about Perstechnique that's bad, though it still remains my least favorite one by Turmion Katilot. I would recommend it for fans of the band and industrial metal, but no one else....
Favorites: "Grand Ball", "IHMISIXSIXSIX", "Lapset ja vanhemmat", "Verta sataa", "Rukoukset rattoisat"
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2011
The first two Turmion Katilot albums brought their sound to great heights, but there ended up being some trouble between the band and Spinefarm Records over the income. The band sued Spinefarm and settled the lawsuit, LEGAL END OF STORY. They were then signed to a different label, Raha Records, to make a free downloadable mini-album U.S.C.H! in 2008. The next year, it was released as a full physical edition adding 3 new tracks, and it overtook Pirun Nyrkki in the Finnish charts by a close second.
U.S.C.H! stands for Ultimate Synthetic Corrosion Helter-Skelter. The album is slightly stronger than Pirun Nyrkki, bringing back a bit of the perfect glory of Hoitovirhe as they continue their industrial metal blend. You can never forget the rhythm! This band can do what other modern industrial metal bands can't.
"Vuosi 2008" (Year 2008) is a weird yet interesting intro, filled with distortion in everything. One other band that can go all out experimental like that is Candiria. Now this might shock some of you, but the title track is my least favorite song here. They seem to go the Bohemian Rhapsody route lyrically with nonsensical words, and it seems odd when this song is filled with bizarre darkness and Rammstein-level weirdness. The greatness of the album starts in "Pakanamaan kartta" (Map of Pagan Land).
"Kuolleitten laulu" (The Song of the Dead) is another spooky interlude. A strange assortment of laughing noises start another brilliant highlight, "Paha musta veri" (Evil Black Blood). "Minä määrään" (I Command) is another excellent song that never disappoints.
"Destination Hades" is the third interlude, though it's more of a short song with some distorted vocals. "Kuoleman päivä" is the greatest highlight in the original edition of the album. The industrial metal sound is rightfully balanced. "Arise" continues the Drop C riffing that almost makes me think of melodic metalcore bands like Miss May I, but the sound is still firmly industrial metal. Their cover of the Kikka hit "Shuttle to Venus" blasts along in catchy fun.
The physical edition's extra tracks start with "Hades" which emphasizes 8-bit-style electro-industrial and traditional Finnish singing in the first half for a jaw-dropping good time. "Alternative Ending for Your U.S.C.H!" is a brief synth interlude, but the full album doesn't end there... My favorite song in the entire full album is the closing "Million Dollar Business". The lyrics target Spinefarm Records with a big "scr*w you" to the business that tried to f*** with their signed band. Proud lyrics and aggressive music show that nothing can go wrong with their fired-up rant.
U.S.C.H! wraps up the band's amazing 2000s streak. Anyone who's a fan of industrial metal has to get the starting trilogy of Turmion Katilot. Whether you wanna download it or buy it, this album is all yours!
Favorites: "Pakanamaan kartta", "Paha musta veri", "Minä määrään", "Kuoleman päivä", "Shuttle to Venus", "Million Dollar Business"
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2009
Hoitovirhe marked the perfect start for the journey of a Finnish industrial metal band. It showed the band's sound at a promising height that made fans of the genre up for the action. And more of that action awaits...
Following some touring in support of their debut, in 2005, Turmion Katilot were all set to record another album. And in early 2006 came their second album Pirun Nyrkki (Devil's Fist)! The attitude the band had in their debut has become more aggressive and heavier. They put more emphasis on the METAL in industrial metal, though it ended up causing slight unevenness. Strangely, this album went higher up in the Finnish charts than Hoitovirhe.
First track "Maše veri evakei" (Where the Blood Escapes From) sets the dark tone for the album. However, the horror-filled title track is the first true highlight, combining speed with industrial synths, almost like a blend of Strapping Young Lad and Deathstars. "Messu" (Mass) is one of two interludes here.
It segues to "Eläköön!" (Long Live) with an explosive spark to break the monotony. "Tirehtööri" (Ringmaster) has more of a Middle Eastern vibe. Another one of the best tracks here and something worth playing in a nightclub in the Middle Eastern region. "MTV/DNA" breaks free from the metal heaviness to let the industrial machinery shine, but I'm sure it will still cause some positive feedback if it ends up on MTV. "Härkä" (The Bull) is so short yet unpredictable. It also has some of the fastest sections in the album that practically blast through, all while keeping the techno pace.
"Illuusio musiikista" (Illusion of Music) is another short interlude. Seguing into "Irstauden ilosanoma" (The Gospel of Lubricity), the guest vocals by Jessi Frey of Velcra and the chorus are both actually a bit annoying. Making up for that is "Piiloviestien neitietsivä" (Nancy Drew of Hidden Messages), which is a short yet pleasant return to full form. The remix of "Verta ja lihaa" (Blood and Flesh) is a little pointless, but I guess that remix was done so the album wouldn't be an under-half-hour-EP. The original is still better.
None of the tracks here are bad at all, although a couple tracks near the end threaten to be. Not even the interludes that work well to add atmosphere. Pirun Nyrkki has amazing strength, though it can't beat the perfection of the debut. Once again, the band can get you moving at both a rave and a moshpit!
Favorites: "Pirun nyrkki", "Tirehtööri", "MTV/DNA", "Härkä", "Piiloviestien neitietsivä"
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2006
And so it begins, an incredible interesting journey through Finnish industrial metal (NOT Neue Deutsche Härte, that's for German bands). Hoitovirhe (Malpractice) is the first album by Turmion Katilot, released in 2004. The band was formed by vocalist MC Raaka Pee (Petja Turunen) (his stage name could gain some laughs) and former guitarist DJ Vastapallo (Lassi Kauppinen). Their debut shows an equal blend of metal riffing fury and industrial beats. This album is for both metalheads and nightclubbers!
No amount of words can do these perfect songs justice, but I can talk about the best ones, starting with the honorable "Teurastaja" (Butcher). Fantastic industrial beats and metal instrumentation are worth taking it to the dancefloor. No matter how much of the Finnish language you can understand (I can't), the great intense vocals of MC Raaka Pee never betray. "Verta ja lihaa" (Blood and Flesh) has a chorus that will be stuck in your head for ages. Ballad "Pimeyden morsian" ("Bride of the Darkness") (yeah, I'm including a ballad in the highlights) sounds both delicate and funny at the same time, and pays off very well.
There's nothing bad here, really. Hoitovirhe is the perfect place to start for the band. If anyone is up for both headbanging and dancing, this is the album for you. There's more of this sound to come, so hold on to your seats!
Favorites: "Teurastaja", "Verta ja lihaa", "Pimeyden morsian"
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2004
I felt up to facing one of my worst enemies, the heavier side of death metal. This is the kind of devilish aggression I'm normally in a feud with, and yet I can't help but take it on. The chaotic nature smashes me around and leaves me breathless. It's so horrifying yet so good!
OK, I have to agree that this isn't death metal per se. Imagine blending together the standard death metal that you might find in 90s Hypocrisy and Bolt Thrower with the sludgy side of Neurosis and Will Haven, and a bit of Entombed's Wolverine Blues. You end up getting an excellent extreme death 'n' roll/sludge/groove metal sound, that barely any other band has tried.
The heavy opening track "Misery" has a dynamic groove sound, especially in the chorus. The first verse will let you know what you're in for, "Hey you, place called earth! Let me explain to you who I am! I’m your worst nightmare!" Then "Believer" continues the excellent deathly groove. It's one of the most monstrous songs here! You even get to hear some clean singing at the end that works like a charm. "Survive" is slower, though it rises back to the mighty groove. "All or Nothing" has annihilating bass and drums and inhumane vocals, though enjoyment is slightly futile.
"Denial" is entirely slow and melancholic, showing the album's sludgy side. Wonderful vocals and guitars here! "Assassinate the Scars" brings back the groove, this time in a brutal combo with a more death 'n' roll form. The bass and drums are more deathly, though things get more melodic by the end. "Recession" has killer slow riffing. And just when you think the sludge isn't going further...
"Living Wreck" once again has the slow sludgy melancholy. "Humiliation" reigns with the last bit of the deathly sludge/groove sound. The "Outro" is rather pointless, but it's an ominous end to this satisfyingly pummeling experience.
Disbelief seems like the kind of band to really crank up the heat with dark riffing as destructive as a kaiju monster apocalypse. Worst Enemy is an album with the kind of sound I would love to hear more of after gaining the bravery to start off here. So get ready to face a true powerful beast!
Favorites: "Misery", "Believer", "Denial", "Assassinate the Scars", "Humiliation"
Genres: Death Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2001
Sabaton was one of the most energetic power metal bands I've heard back when I was a full-time listener of that metal genre. They stand out with their historically themed lyrics as opposed to the fantasy fiction other bands of the genre are known for. However, when I check out one of their albums today, I've realized they're not as memorable now as they were back then. The Last Stand was my last Sabaton album before I made my switch from power metal to heavier modern genres, and I thought it was a great follow-up to the excellent duo of Carolus Rex and Heroes. Today, not so much. Though I do like the concept of "last stand" battles...
That's right, history class students! I, Mr. Andi, will teach you about all the different ancient battles in Greece, Scotland, Japan, and worldwide (haven't forgotten about the World Wars). Your homework is to study for a history test, but not by reading all those boring textbooks, instead by listening to Sabaton's albums. This test covers "last stand" battles, so make sure you memorize all you need to know from this album, all while enjoying the music... Well, half of the music, anyway.
The epic bombastic "Sparta" has all to expect from a historical metal anthem that includes catchy keyboards and an epic chorus filled with chants of "SPARTA! HELLAS!" You definitely wanna become a horse-riding Spartan warrior and charge into a battle, though some of the later songs aren't that exciting... Exhibit A being the horribly cheesy "Last Dying Breath". There's some more cheese in "Blood of Bannockburn" but it's a much better, tastier cheese that makes this one of the best songs here. Adding bagpipes and hammond organ to heavy/power metal and lyrics encouraging you to "rally all the clans" and "join the Scottish Revolution"?! H*ll yes!
"Diary of an Unknown Soldier" is a short interlude about the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, with Iced Earth guitarist Jon Schaffer narrating in the perspective of a soldier in the war. It sounded like a promising buildup to "The Lost Battalion", but that song ends up sounds too much like it was recorded in the Heroes sessions. "Rorke's Drift" is a better highlight, having a couple alternating tempos and energetic momentum to keep things going. That song and the title track have more well-thought lyrics.
"Hill 3234" is just plain bad. For starters, it ends up sounding too much like a Metallica song. Absolutely unfitting! This band seems to have trouble trying something different and the idea ends up sounding weird or forced. However, the catchy "Shiroyama" makes up for these earlier problems with its mighty chorus, "It's the last stand of the Samurai!" I might actually be up to researching samurai battles much further, thanks to that highlight. "Winged Hussars" is a song I remember because of its cool structure, chorus, riffing, keyboards, and lyrics related to Polish history. But then another thing I remember is... It's just like "Uprising" from Coat of Arms! Still pretty solid though. "The Last Battle" has catchy triumph to close the album, showing that simple rhythms can easily prevail.
All in all, The Last Stand is quite decent. However, the ideas seem forced and recycled at times, despite this cool unique concept of historical last stands. There's just so much similar to the 4 albums before this one while blending it all with new aspects. The highlights work well though and are worth traveling through history....
Favorites: "Sparta", "Blood of Bannockburn", "Rorke's Drift", "Shiroyama", "The Last Battle"
Genres: Power Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2016
Having had a good experience in checking out Limp Bizkit's Significant Other, I thought I would skip ahead to another one of their albums with a song that I'm familiar with. Now before we get to that, let me just say that a lot has happened since between those two albums. The funk/hip-hop/punk/rock/metal cauldron known as nu metal was on the rise during the start of the new millennium. You can mosh through simple song structures and offensive rants (though Linkin Park's lyrics were clean in their two nu metal albums), though metal purists certainly won't. After a few years, the genre faded out, and Limp Bizkit went on hiatus, until they made their return to form in the early 2010s....
Limp Bizkit showed the world that it's never too late to revive what to love or hate about nu metal. With Gold Cobra, they can still strike like that giant cobra behind 3 bikini babes in the cover art, unleashing their loud abrasive violence suitable for my brother to listen to in one of his car drives. Though it's more like a half-baked resurrection that at least never gets highly experimental, unlike the electro-rock of Linkin Park's A Thousand Suns or Korn's dive into dubstep in The Path of Totality released later that year.
"Introbra" is an ominous intro with a distorted siren in the background of Durst announcing the band's return. It's definitely a different start compared to Significant Other and having a similar vibe to Slipknot's album intros. However, things start off anticlimactic with the annoying "Bring It Back" that would work better in a club than a metal concert. The title track is a much better single, having their typical modern nu/rap metal/rock sound. I'm familiar with that one because I've seen its music video on TV when I was younger. "Shark Attack" continues their nu metal attack. The choruses in "Get a Life" has more rage, though the verses have gone back to simple hip-hop.
My favorite track here "Shotgun" attacks with the band's earlier humor and heaviness of Significant Other. Anyone here caught off-guard by the awesome rare guitar soloing? There's more rapping present in "D****e Bag", "I'mma f*** you up! F*** you, f*** you, f*** you up!" Then "Walking Away" has more of a modern rock sound that actually works well. Same with "Loser" that also has some rapping in proper use.
Attempting to parody an aspect often thought atrocious in music, "Autotunage" has Durst singing in autotune, and that never really suits him well at all. "90.2.10" is almost at the brink of being a waste of time similar to the previous track, but the awesome drumming by John Otto's acts as the song's saving grace. "Why Try" displays Durst's lyrics advancing into admirable territory. "Killer in You" shows Wes Borland performing some riffing similarly to Black Sabbath but more grinding. With that and the song's immense kick-A midsection, this track is a total closing highlight.
Gold Cobra is a decent offering with songs to entertain you and make you nostalgic, all in a pleasant comeback. Still it's slightly behind Significant Other in quality, and it doesn't change the fact that they're one of the most hated bands around. It might make you glad that nu metal was dying out. Nonetheless, you can definitely rock out to the highlights. No matter how much the band might f*** things up, Limp Bizkit will have at least several open-minded listeners to please....
Favorites: "Gold Cobra", "Shark Attack", "Shotgun", "Walking Away", "Loser", "Killer in You"
Genres: Non-Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2011
Our prayers for the masters of underground deathly thrash metal Sadus to return have been answered! Many fans of the band can deem their beginning trio of Illusions, Swallowed in Black, A Vision of Misery true classics. While they lost their earlier spark in Elements of Anger and Out for Blood, their music has never disappointed me.
After going on hiatus sometime in the 2010s, the band began recording their first album since 2006. However, their trio is down to two. Talented bassist Steve Di Giorgio left to focus on Testament. Vocalist/guitarist Darren Travis is still determined in keeping Sadus alive, taking over bass duties, while still having longtime drummer Jon Allen by his side. The duo continue ripping through their highly praised extreme sound in The Shadow Inside, bringing back their earlier fury while having some technicality.
The headbanging "First Blood" starts ominous in the ambient intro before the feral riffing and tight speedy drumming is unleashed in hellfire. Travis still has his skin-shredding shrieks staying as strong as he had 35 years ago with the band's first two albums. An extreme start for the band's comeback offering! Leveling up the fury is "Scorched and Burnt". That song and "It's the Sickness" greatly display the band's dark thrash riots. The latter is the album's first single and a true gem. This will certainly have the band competing with Kreator for some of the most vicious thrash possible. Insane dark riffing and percussion will get you hooked to the band's talented passion.
Attacking again is "Ride the Knife", another intense single that shall make an instant classic. "Anarchy" is a hellbent two and a half minute blaster with the closest they have here to the death metal of Vader. On the flipside of brutality, "The Devil in Me" explores mid-paced territory with a catchy chorus through Travis' tortured-ish screams.
Slowing down further is "Pain" which has more sinister atmosphere. "No Peace" brings back the speed and tempo changes that continue to show the genius minds of this duo. Travis' guitar lead melodies thunder through in harmonic rage. "New Beginnings" is a mysterious instrumental to set you up for the grand finale... The closing title track builds up in slow doom before letting out the last of their earlier velocity, melodic soloing, and vocal ferocity.
The older fans of Sadus who have heard of this band for over 30 years will have a delightful dose of nostalgia in The Shadow Inside. A new era has begun for the masters of deathly thrash. Maybe the thrash scene too if bands like Coroner, Dark Angel, Demolition Hammer, and Sabbat have their comeback albums ready. For the future of thrash!
Favorites: "First Blood", "It's the Sickness", "Ride the Knife", "No Peace", "The Shadow Inside"
Genres: Thrash Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2023
Limp Bizkit is a band that has gained quite some hate over the years. From their name, to their nu/rap metal/rock sound, to the scathing vocal anger of vocalist Fred Durst, to their live performances causing violence in crowds (one show causing the death of a teenage girl)... The band even covered a George Michael single as their entry into fame. Basically they're like an extra-cheese-coated biscuit, and I can bite down on that biscuit more than those who give up after a nibble.
Their debut Three Dollar Bill Y'all first came out as overlooked, but they entered the late 90s nu metal scene after touring with their earlier peers Korn and Deftones. As much as album #2 Significant Other may repel many music listeners, I actually find it pretty good. Almost like a Korn/Eminem collaboration but with more interesting creativity.
In the "Intro", a deep distorted voice says, "You wanted the worst, you got the worst: the one, the only, Limp Bizkit." Then "Just Like This" kicks off with the guitar attack of Wes Borland and the rapping of Fred Durst, alongside melodic groove and harmonic singing. This dynamic range can be listened to in cool excitement. Bouncing in is "Nookie", the album's first single, less mature but still catchy in the mix of beats, guitar, and turntables. Full-on haters can take their hate and stick it up their (yeah!). "It's just one of those days when you don't wanna wake up, everything is f***ed, everything sucks", raps Durst in "Break Stuff", an angry anthem that really shows how rap metal should be done. This song, and the rest of the album, is inspired by Durst ending a longtime relationship with a girlfriend, showing him taking his aggression out on his ex, "I pack a chainsaw, I'll skin your a** raw". A couple more things about that song: 1. It's notorious for being the cause of a violent revolution in Woodstock 1999 when Durst encouraged the crowd to not mellow out, which is "what Alanis Morissette had you motherf***ers do", and even telling them not to let anyone get hurt only caused them to get hurt in the chaos. 2. The song is my brother's new ringtone. Then we switch to the ballad-ish "Rearranged", which almost made me sleepy like a lullaby, but it's still a great highlight.
"I'm Broke" battles against "friends" who borrow money without paying back. "Nobody Like You" is filled with dark nu metal with guest vocals from Korn vocalist Jonathan Davis and Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland (RIP). Weiland sings his pained vocals while Davis creeps in, and the music has a bit of an industrial vibe from Nine Inch Nails. That definitely shows the better side of Limp Bizkit. "Don't Go Off Wandering" seems to wander off a bit despite continuing the darkness and heaviness. "9 Teen 90 Nine" is another killer track, reminding me of the album's release year and my birthyear. Another one of the best here is surprisingly "N2gether Now", a more hip-hop-fueled track. I find the "Shut the f*** up" loop over the harp amusing, and Method Man's rapping is nice and smooth, "It ain't easy being greezy in a world full of cleanliness".
Hypocrisy of "friends" is what "Trust" warns you about. The weird "No Sex", featuring Aaron Lewis of Staind, shows Durst confessing his recreational sex past that he felt ashamed of, "Shoulda left my pants on this time, but instead you had to let me dive right in". After that, "Show Me What You Got" is just a lame attempt at thanking cities, bands, and fans in a rap metal song. "A Lesson Learned" doesn't bring back much metal, but it really strikes me well with its emotion. The "Outro" is just a pointless extension of the intro. The hidden tracks featuring Matt Pinfield and Primus' Les Claypool are a bit interesting, especially the former's ironic rant against chart-toppers.
Significant Other is a bit problematic towards the end, so I can understand the hate. But as obnoxious as this band may seem, some of their rap metal tracks are quite pleasant. Even I hesitated to call this album good, but I have to tell my true opinion. And what can I say? I'm an open-minded person....
Favorites: "Just Like This", "Break Stuff", "Rearranged", "Nobody Like You", "9 Teen 90 Nine", "N2gether Now", "A Lesson Learned"
Genres: Alternative Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1999
Arcturus' widely-praised debut album Aspera Hiems Symfonia marked a new symphonic ascension for black metal. After that, the band switched gears to a different avant-garde style. I love La Masquerade Infernale (The Infernal Masquerade) as much as their debut, here because they didn't repeat their earlier sound unlike most other symphonic black metal bands. You can still hear the great keyboard melodies and guitar leads that they can play without going too extreme.
As with Garm's other project Ulver, he was starting to move away from the black metal aggression and having more focus on expanding his singing variety. His vocals can range from electronic to operatic. And that's an epic aspect that makes this offering worth your time!
The guitar skills by Knut Magne Valle provide atmosphere for "Master of Disguise". Vocalist Kristoffer "Garm" Rygg can sing well in low beauty. There are some samples here, but I think Garm could've easily sung them. Simen "ICS Vortex" Hestnaes (guest vocalist who would later replace Garm full-time) sings in higher contrast with his operatic tenor. All in all, one of my favorite tracks here and the best opener! The neo-classical instrumental "Ad Astra" fits well in the album, but not as early as being the second track.
The more circus-y "The Chaos Path" has excellent vocals by Vortex. The title interlude has mysterious sound effects used as percussion to go alongside the somber piano melody. Blast-beats kick off "Alone" with a great boost.
"The Throne of Tragedy" has melodic bliss before jumping into melodic caverns. "Painting My Horror" is a true highlight, surpassing the opening track by a notch. Garm's vocals are awesome, even sounding eerie towards the end. "Of Nails and Sinners" is a killer closing track. Garm starts off with low operatic vocals, before rising into a nice chorus. A cool way out of the inferno!
All in all, any metalhead who wants to explore a more diverse, clean, classical side of the genre should get this release. It is an infernal carnival show not to be missed. A high recommendation for the open-minded!
Favorites: "Master of Disguise", "The Chaos Path", "The Throne of Tragedy", "Painting My Horror"
Genres: Avant-Garde Metal Progressive Metal Symphonic Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1997
14 minutes is a short amount of time, and you can do anything during that amount of time. You can write something, do a small drawing, maybe have a call with someone, OR... Listen to music! See, I can spend 14 minutes of free time listening to music, but it's mostly just a progressive epic that long. I prefer to indulge in a journey rather than one of those grindcore speed-runs. Though I find great enjoyment in the Killwhitneydead debut release Inhaling the Breath of a Bullet, speeding through exactly 833 seconds.
See, I'm not usually a fan of this metalcore/deathgrind kind of sound, nor the grindcore aspect of really short songs. However, this release is an enjoyable exception, along with Daughter's Canada Songs. Something unique here is the amount of film samples they use, which is more of an industrial metal aspect. But d*mn it's quite interesting, and with up to a few samples in each song, that can almost outshine industrial metal bands when it comes to that aspect. Now I have a positive feeling about how well they perform the instrumentation. You can really hear those virtuoso guitar bursts!
"If It Ain't Johnny Cash, It Ain't Country" opens with well-done riffing brutality, complete with catchy speed. "I Already Have Enough Friends" have pretty much the same thing, quickly moving through your skull and brain faster than a bullet. "Hold Me Closer Tony Danza" starts with the same American Psycho quote as the one used by Children of Bodom between "Bodom Beach Terror" and "Angels Don't Kill" in Hate Crew Deathroll a year later.
"Another Tragic Case of the Rock Star Syndrome" strikes with blast-beats, vocals, and riffs, filled with bloody carnage. The structure isn't too complex or too simple but just right. The dark disturbing atmosphere works well for those riffs and samples. And there's a lot more in the two and a half minute highlight "Starring Robert Downey Jr. As 'The Addict'". Also standing out is "It's Like Eating a Little Piece of Jesus (A Murder's Communion)" that continues the crazy riffing/vocal brutality that summarizes the band's sound. Much of their talent appears again in "Is That My Blood or Hers?", with great vocals and guitars not too far off from Psyopus.
Even "Why Smile When I Am Carrying This Gun?" can have a similar amount of complex brutality to Within the Ruins. "Mikey and the Apartment of Misfit Porn" has some slight earlier standard metalcore of Hatebreed and Earth Crisis. "Killwhitneydead vs. The River Bottom Nightmare Band" has great sublime groove. "My Favorite Two Shades on You Are Black and Blue" ends the album with the last bit of crazy blasts and riffs and some last words from Patrick Bateman, "I think my mask of sanity is about to slip."
The sanity of this band has already slipped from the start, as they let their mad metalcore/deathgrind sound run wild and free. This is the kind of the madness worth 14 minutes of your life, if you're truly ready!
Favorites: "If It Ain't Johnny Cash, It Ain't Country", "Another Tragic Case of the Rock Star Syndrome", "Starring Robert Downey Jr. As 'The Addict'", "It's Like Eating a Little Piece of Jesus (A Murder's Communion)", "Is That My Blood or Hers?", "Mikey and the Apartment of Misfit Porn"
Genres: Metalcore
Format: EP
Year: 2002