Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Reviews

Think about this album in this scenario... One night, you're just lying down on your bed trying to sleep, when a brilliant bright light shines through the window. You look out the window and see a giant spaceship! You run outside and enter the spaceship, and it's a special spaceship that can give you an actual tour from Earth to the edge of the Solar System. Cool scenario, right? But that's NOT what Terminal Redux is about! This concept album is about something different but a cool sci-fi theme...

Almost 5 years after Outer Isolation, Vektor shows a new piece of sky-high expectations. Terminal Redux is their first ever concept album, telling the story about an astronaut using immortality to gain vast power and ends up in existential crisis, and a great metaphor about the space-thrash band themselves.

"Charging the Void" is a great epic to prepare for the incoming elements of this album. New elements are mixed with older ones from previous albums. Another thing new is clean singing, here being sung by what sounds like a soul choir, bringing to mind Disney film soundtracks such as Frozen and Moana. Fortunately, that does NOT cause harm to the band's music and instead adds more atmosphere. Of course, the other new element is the superb concept, but we'll use the scenario I made up throughout this review. The spaceship you are in blasts off from Earth and begins the tour to the edge of the Solar System. "Cygnus Terminal" is the first example of calmness mixed brutality in this album. In the original concept, this song lets you know more about the all-controlling Cygnus Regime with the astronaut's power rising within. Meanwhile in my scenario, the spaceship passes Mars during the Solar System tour. "LCD (Liquid Crystal Disease)" is one of my personal favorite tracks in the album and the most aggressive one too. It is the fastest track here and has some of Vektor's sickest riffs yet. There's a stellar breakdown after the first 3 minutes, like what?! Wicked! That song has lyrical commentary about how the world is dependent on technology nowadays.

"Mountains Above the Sun" is a well-placed melodic instrumental break for anyone who wants to take a breather. The only heavy part is the last 15 seconds, though it sounds a little too bluesy. Meanwhile, the spaceship makes a quick pit-stop near Jupiter to get gas. Get it?? It's a gas giant, LOL!! "Ultimate Artificer" is NOT the ultimate Vektor song, but it definitely makes up for that boring interlude. In the original concept, this song is about the astronaut's ultimate goal to restore order for the galaxy in a matter of life and death. Meanwhile in my scenario, heavy gravity of Jupiter begins to pull the spaceship down and everyone on-board has to flip switches to activate hyperspeed. "Pteropticon" is another aggressive song and a better contender for the ultimate Vektor song. The spaceship breaks free from Jupiter and hyper-speeds through the rest of the Solar System, continuing the tour. "Psychotropia" is another psychotic highlight. "Pillars of Sand" is another song that starts calm before the chaotic storm. After the spaceship passes Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, a shocking discovery has been found; Pluto is destroyed and reduced to numerous asteroids (a good theory about Pluto no longer becoming a planet). Then some missiles appear out of nowhere and begin hitting the spaceship. You put on an astronaut suit and helmet with tons of air supply and shoot yourself out of the airlock. You manage to escape just in time for the spaceship to be hit enough to collapse and explode.

"Collapse" is, in my opinion, probably the weakest track of the album, maybe even by the band, while still standing strong. The first half is a cheesy power ballad with David DiSanto's attempt in clean singing that isn't so great but doesn't affect it too much. In my scenario, after watching the spaceship explode with everyone in it perishing, you float in the remains of Pluto and lose hope in returning home. As jazzy clean guitar strumming plays and the growling coincides with the clean singing, you begin wondering what those missiles were about and why they destroyed the spaceship. When the heaviness returns, which greatly makes up for that unstable first half, you notice another spaceship run by an alien army from another galaxy who are planning on destroying the Solar System from Pluto to the Sun. You don't know what to do about it, but luckily there's an asteroid heading your direction, so you land safely on it and begin riding the asteroid.

The epic finale "Recharging the Void" is what you're all here for. This is my #1 favorite of this album, maybe even by the band! Every single element of Vektor are compiled smoothly here. What's even more interesting is the small samples of many of the previous songs in this album to remind of your amazing adventure so far. Well currently, you're riding the asteroid and you find another giant missile following you, and riding that missile is the alien army leader. You find a Lightsaber-like weapon in your astronaut suit pocket, and the alien leader also has a Lightsaber-like weapon. You and the alien leader engage in epic Lightsaber battle until you manage to cut off a fin of the missile, causing the missile to turn the other way and hit his spaceship, destroying it and killing himself and his alien army, accidentally. As the soul-like singers and David's clean singing return in a softer ambient part, you feel relaxed and confident, glad to be on your way back to Planet Earth. As the song builds back up to heaviness, you realize that considering the speed and size of the asteroid, it might actually end up destroying Earth. You start to panic, again not knowing what to do. As the guitar riffing comes in at 3 minutes left, you find a keytar in another pocket on your astronaut suit and start playing the sh*t out of the keytar to over-energize the asteroid in an attempt to destroy it. That climax is BEYOND epic, almost reminiscent of some of the greatest Wintersun epics ("Starchild", "Sons of Winter and Stars", etc.). When the asteroid is about to break, you jump off as it explodes into small chunks floating in other directions. You saved the Earth!! However, you're still in the same speed as the asteroid and heading toward Earth, so you have no choice but to accept your impending doom as you enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn into dust and ashes as you fall fast. Right at the final "YOU!!!" ending, your ashes hit the ocean and sink into nothing. And then you wake up from that epic dream, lying on your bed, all fine and everything. End of scenario!

Following the perfect streak of the first two Vektor albums, Terminal Redux might actually be one of my favorite metal albums of 2016. This is a true tech-thrash masterpiece with as much sci-fi as Star Wars. Metal and Sci-fi shall NEVER DIE!

Favorites: "Charging the Void", "LCD (Liquid Crystal Disease)", "Pteropticon", "Psychotropia", "Recharging the Void"

One super easy and interesting technique in looking for new bands is to find them on websites such as Google, YouTube, Wikipedia, and of course, this website Metal Academy. And let me just say that Vektor is one of the greatest bands I've ever found in 2020. They manage to unleash progressive riffs and thrashy blast beats, alongside lyrics bringing to mind one of the greatest sci-fi movie franchises of all time, Star Wars! And this album is the second part of the band's own trilogy!

Outer Isolation helps listeners visualize the story of ONE MAN, floating in space, thinking about life and the surrounding cosmos. You might think a story like that would be boring, NOT helped by generic thrash and lengthy progressive solos you might be tired of. No way! Vektor has recreated all of that into something new and fresh through eight thrash tracks with sci-fi themes. After the awesome fast Black Future, Outer Isolation features a few slow passages that are almost symphonic to keep the listener interested and let them know that there's more than just chaotic speed.

The 10-minute (a length more common in progressive than thrash) opening track "Cosmic Cortex" begins with one of said slow passages, welcoming the listener to the future sci-fi imagery the album creates. That atmospheric spacey intro really lets the clean guitar chords fly until they're fractured by tech-thrash riffing you can find in bands Voivod and Coroner. After that retro-thrash instrumental third of the song, it speeds up as David DiSanto screams his way into the song beginning his shrieking vocals. There are a few sections in the song where the guitars and bass interlock before heading into separate sections, then return for the furious blasting chorus. "Echoless Chamber" shows some tension building as tempos rise and fall. At over the 3-minute mark, we end up in a valley of solos similar to classic Megadeth, and the brilliant drumming helps bring excellence to the song. "Dying World" is another bone-breaking progressive thrash track.

"Tetrastructural Minds" is one of 3 tracks in the album re-recorded from their demo Demolition, and man is it chaotic! The song starts sounding decently like Slayer, even including a Tom Araya-esque b*lls-grabbed scream before beginning the vocals. Then we take a break from the speedy riff action with a counter-balancing beautiful instrumental passage, before the chaos continues again. "Venus Project" is the second song here originally in Demolition. It starts with another beautiful soft intro before unleashing the usual heaviness. Once again, there's a strangely superb sci-fi-ish guitar solo before a jazzy chill out, then after that, more killer chaos! "Dark Creations, Dead Creators" is shorter (at only over 3 minutes) and more direct, but it still has some violent speed similar to Death Angel.

"Fast Paced Society" is the third and probably the least superior of the 3 Demolition tracks and a good way to describe the modern fast thrash scene. Vektor has proven to be in that society with their fast blast-beats between flashing dexterity and frantic procession. The rare dissonant chanting vocals are a little weird, though. The title track is the other epic for this album (this time, over 8 minutes) and a great description of what the band is, deep and considerate while going over the edge of head-exploding pace of madness. It's a shame they've never re-recorded the remaining song in Demolition, "Moonbase", because that's a longer epic that would've made this album more complete.

I wish I could rate this album more than 5 stars because of the album being so abstract and standard-surpassing. What an album Outer Isolation is! I can't wait to review the next and last (for now) part of the Vektor saga, Terminal Redux, and see how that goes. The band's career may seem short-lived, but let's hope Vektor can live longer!

Favorites: "Cosmic Cortex", "Tetrastructural Minds", "Venus Project", "Outer Isolation"

The metalcore scene is a bit strange, only being as relevant as nu metal from 20 years ago. It becomes much harder to be taken seriously by people outside the scene, and it's rarer to any metalcore classics released in the 2010s than in the 2000s. Experimentation with other genres is a route used by many current metalcore bands to try to gain more attention, and unfortunately, that causes some initially metalcore bands like Bring Me the Horizon to switch to mainstream pop rock, replacing diminished breakdowns with massive powerful chorus. Parkway Drive is one of the bands who have done that but they still have their metal!

Parkway Drive released Ire in 2015, and that album began their mainstream direction, just by adding classic heavy metal elements without losing heaviness. That resulted in Ire being an impressive metalcore classic, but for the heavier metalheads, not as awesome as their albums before it. The band thought perhaps their new album Reverence would strike up more revered success. Sadly, it marks their transition from most of their metalcore into classic heavy/alt-metal.

But that doesn't mean there can't be an incredible opening track of promise, "Wishing Wells"! It starts with an acoustic intro that soon transforms into classic-sounding metal with the metalcore elements of furious riffs and brutal vocals, along with more poetic lyrics than other metalcore bands have attempted. Like I said before, that's the song my alt-rock-loving brother suggested I listen to despite being part of their least metalcore album that made me interested in this band. Thanks bro! "Prey" continues that classic melodic sound with a shuffling beat and riff with epic harmonic guitars in the bridge. That song, along with the more powerful mixed up "Absolute Power" deals with the theme of political fame and fortune. "Absolute Power" is similar to the earlier Slipknot in the riffing.

"Cemetery Bloom" is a somewhat cheesy progressive ambient ballad/interlude with ominous strings and chanting. That track is a tribute to Winston McCall's wife and her selflessness. Seguing from that intro is "The Void", an Avenged Sevenfold-like modern metal track with a melodic chorus too similar to Five Finger Death Punch. That guitar solo is a sweet touch, though. "I Hope You Rot" sounds more like epic power metal in the guitar melodies and melodic chants, while the lyrics describing a case of child abuse in a Catholic church. Sadly, the song fades out at the point when the guitar gets really good.

"Shadow Boxing" introduces something different to the band; clean vocals and piano! It's a dark epic song, despite the strange rapping vocals throwing me off. "In Blood" is another strong track, though not as remarkable or expanded in the sound. "Chronos", at 6 minutes and 20 seconds in length, is both the longest track of the album and the longest one ever made by the band. The first half of the song is the typical metalcore fare before that half is wrapped up by a killer guitar solo. Then there's an ominous soft break before the second half really begins with a strong guitar melody building up to a climatic guitar solo followed by symphonic strings. Now that's epic! Sadly it all fades out when it's at the point of greatness, but it might as well because we don't want it to run for so long. That's what fade-outs are for, right? Closing the album is the outro ballad, "The Colour of Leaving", leaving behind clean guitar and orchestral strings, alongside Winston McCall clean singing and talking before walking off into the unknown.

Overall, Reverence has both great strengths and not-so-great weaknesses, but when it comes to experimentation, they really managed to avoid the direction their metalcore peers took which was betraying their own sound by changing to pop rock. Instead, Parkway Drive continues their metalcore heaviness of their previous works while having this new melodic classic sound that continues their quest to find a better experiment. For now, this album would surely get mixed reactions, both from the mainstream and classic listeners who would recommend it to their peers and the heavier metalcore listeners who would avoid it at all costs. Reverence is pretty much of a step down from Ire and other previous albums, but if you're more open-minded, lots of good things can be found here....

Favorites: "Wishing Wells", "Prey", "I Hope You Rot", "Shadow Boxing", "Chronos"

Since their 2003 formation, Parkway Drive have garnered international fame from large tours and festivals. Each album showed a change of sound while sticking to their main metalcore style. However, this next sound change is gonna be quite different...

Ire shows a great progression for the band into a straighter heavy metal sound overpowering their previously defined metalcore, emphasizing the metal in metalcore. But they haven't completely moved away from hardcore elements such as breakdowns and harsh vocals. Still the band has what it takes to make a decent 11-track album giving you 48 minutes of refreshing heavy metal/core!

"Destroyer" gives the album an epic start with marching drumming, riffing, and a repeated chant of the word "destroy", rising from soft to powerful. The song is so original and interesting, and it sets the stage for the rest of the album. "Dying to Believe" is much rawer, bursting through the great gates of aggressive metalcore similar to Trivium. "Vice Grip" is a much stronger metalcore song than most of the album, and it's an excellent choice for the album's lead single; a catchy anthem about perseverance rebelling against opposition. "Crushed" is the album's second single, starting with a monk-chanting intro before turning a groove track with heavy guitars and drums. The lyrics are political but used in a powerful way, especially in the first verse.

"Fractures" is another good track with the band's earlier metalcore sound, but it's not personally interesting for me. "Writings on the Wall" is different from the rest with a soft symphonic marching sound and whispering vocals, all similar to some Mushroomhead ballads. I love that piano outro! The heaviness returns with a "GO!!" in the mid-paced "Bottom Feeder", starting with an interesting 30-second riff intro. The guitars, drums, and vocals are all in interesting interplay, especially in the gang chorus that makes that song a phenomenal track. "The Sound of Violence" has violent fury that sounds exciting for the band to play live.

"Vicious" starts with Eastern Asian-like melodies before entering the portal into the mid-paced metal realm. There's an interesting relaxing solo before a vicious breakdown. "Dedicated" shows the band's last bit of dedication to the earlier brutal metalcore. Winston McCall screams, "YOU CAN'T BREAK ME!" a few times throughout the heavy groove among other angry lyrics. "A Deathless Song" is a killer 6-minute finale, opening with an uplifting acoustic intro before the melody transcends into heavy overdrive. The lyrics are as epic as the song while having a few hilariously cheesy lines like "Let me be your drum of war and love." I still like it! The deluxe edition has a shortened version of "A Deathless Song" with guest vocals by Jenna McDougall of Tonight Alive, along with a couple other bonus tracks.

I kinda like the new direction in Parkway Drive's sound; keeping their metalcore roots while sounding less restrained due to the straighter addition of heavy metal elements. It's works nicely on most cases, but falls flat on its face in a few moments, like those funny cheesy lyrics in that last song. Well hey, you win some, you lose some....

Favorites: "Destroyer", "Vice Grip", "Crushed", "Writings on the Wall", "Bottom Feeder", "Dedicated"

G'day mate! Welcome to Australia, the "land down under"! I have a few friends who live there, in this website and in the outside world, but I hope they can survive the HUGE bugs and creatures that can eat you up and swallow you whole. Anyway, one of the best things in Australia for me are the bands, and one of those bands is Parkway Drive! I'm sure metalcore fans would think of this band whenever they think of even Australia itself. They've been dominating the metalcore scene in both Australia and America.

Atlas is Parkway Drive's 4th full-length album and once again might be an honorable mention for the top half of Parkway Drive's discography, possibly one of my favorite metal albums in 2012. I've been a Parkway Drive fan for a few months now and I can see their improving progression throughout their tenure which is kinda hard for a genre that hasn't been progressing. Their previous album Deep Blue is something different; a concept album with different production. Many fans love it while others hate it and prefer their first two albums. I'm in both of those fan categories! Either way, you're gonna love Atlas as much as their previous albums.

The intro track "Sparks" opens the album with a classical vibe; acoustic guitar over an orchestral march. Soon it starts building up in heaviness before crashing into the next track, "Old Ghost/New Regrets" begins the metalcore action with a killer 30-second riff/verse. That song's lyrics are about past war creating present atrocities in our world ("Bleed the earth, bleed her 'til her heart no longer beats"). "Dream Run" sounds really cool in the beginning rising from lo-fi to high-quality originality. "Wild Eyes" has epic background chants and a cool bridge. The lyrics continue the theme of was from the past causing atrocities in the world today, this time in an anthem that you can sing and shout along to. VIVA THE UNDERDOGS!!

Then it segues to "Dark Days" with lyrics about the sustainability on the Earth. Sounds cheesy but convincing! Next song, "The River" can be considered the long middle epic of this album, a bit like the previous album's "Alone", except there's a longer song later in this album. The intro sounds similar to that song's intro, this time with clean female background vocals. After that intro, the next couple minutes with the riff, verse, and chorus are a great blend of epic and extreme. More clean female vocals come later in this song. "Swing" really swings through the heaviness of their previous albums, continuing the theme of world issues, here about politicians corrupting the world. Make it turn or burn! "The Slow Surrender" opens like a song from the Don't Close Your Eyes EP, but it's much slower like as slow as a power ballad. The bridge has Winston McCall's vocals record-scratched up like a DJ, like WHAT?! I didn't think Parkway Drive would ever add anything the band can't replicate live!

The title track is more progressive, once again having the classical vibe of acoustic guitar over orchestral background. "Sleight of Hand" starts with a slow intro similar to a couple songs in the previous album, then we get into another killer verse riff. Once again we return to the lyrical theme of world atrocities in the past and present. In "Snake Oil And Holy Water", the verse riff is a more diverse flashback to the band's first two albums. "Blue and the Grey" is the true album epic, once again opening in slow dramatic orchestration behind the heaviness. Sometime after the 2-minute mark is a great chord progression of notes. It also has my favorite lyrics in the album, combining all of its present themes in a very poetic manner.

Atlas is an extraordinary album filled with great riffs, drums, and vocals. They really took the time to write note after note and lyric after lyrics, and even though they might sound similar to some songs in earlier albums, they still sound great when you really listen to them well. Both fans from the very beginning of the band and new fans will love this album. There's almost nothing that needs to be changed, and that's how much I enjoy this album. Parkway Drive is truly a metalcore powerhouse and with this album, they still managed to stay on top. This album is worth every single cent! However, we got a much different future for the band in our hands....

Favorites: "Old Ghost/New Regrets", "Wild Eyes", "Dark Days", "The River", "Sleight of Hand", "Blue and the Grey"

I would never exaggerate when I say that Parkway Drive is one of the most popular metalcore bands outside America. They have a highly original stylistic mix of catchy melodic riffs and aggressive brutal breakdowns perfect for moshing. After gaining global success throughout an EP and two albums, the band knew they had to continue doing what they do best; creating original music, going on relentless tours, and building a worldwide fanbase. Continuing the ante, they crafted a follow-up to the excellent Horizons, though that album can never be surpassed. Out of the deep blue rises the album Deep Blue, also known by vocalist Winston McCall as "The search for truth in a world that seems to be devoid of that." An honorable mention for the top half of Parkway Drive's discography, but the guitars and vocals wouldn't be totally same...

Like many bands wanting to improve their greatness, Parkway Drive continue improving their formula and while Deep Blue is not as supremely groundbreaking as Horizons, it's still a well-written album that can please both longtime and new fans. Deep Blue continues the band's superiority of phenomenal battling harmonies and almost perfect melody. Deep Blue has higher accessibility than previous Parkway Drive albums, maybe because they down cleverly written glorious yet gruesome (NOT in a death metal way) lyrics and instead sound distinctly unique with each song having an average 3-minute length.

The album opens with "Samsara", a smooth intro track setting up the tone. It starts quietly before a crescendo into heavy guitars and drums and the first of Winston McCall's vocals. Then it snaps into "Unrest" a short brutal song. Winston's growling vocals of angst for crowds to sing- sorry, SHOUT along as the chaotic instrumentation stomps through. Up next is the album single "Sleepwalker", which is nothing like the previous album's "Boneyards" while still having excellent riffing and amazing ending soloing. "Wreckage" is more calm and melodic than the previous songs so far, while still wrecking harder than a wrecking ball. The tapping after the midway point is so mesmerizing! "Deadweight" really packs a punch with its driving tone with soaring guitars and vocals.

"Alone" has similar elements than that other "Alone" song from the Bullet for My Valentine album; they're both the 6th and longest track in their 2010 third album considered metalcore. Coincidence?? Probably... Anyway, it blends riffing and vocals worth singing along to with a meaningful yet strange slow chorus. "Pressures" continues the catchy songwriting that comes to mind more than anything else in that song. "Deliver Me" is a brutal yet simple fan favorite to keep the live crowd energized. The next track, "Karma" is another album highlight with excellent riffing and a superb solo that would suffocate you with its technical aura before a monumentally memorable moshing breakdown.

The powerful anthem "Home is for the Heartless" can really drain some emotion. It's almost similar to the previous album's "Carrion" with a crowing sing-along chorus too nice to ignore. The third-to-last song "Hollow" is a recording of an old pre-EP song "Hollow Man", now with new and improved production and the chorus much angrier than in the original. That memorable song is so underrated! And now for the best song of the album, "Leviathan I"! It's a supreme anthem!! Why is this song never in live shows?! The music is absolutely superb, storming through a winning chorus with better vocals and percussion than anything else in this album. Finishing the album in a great bang while not being long enough is "Set to Destroy". Not bad, but what makes this song less powerful is the short length. The riffing is songwriting is interesting but, at a measly length of one and a half minutes, seems like a meaningless anti-climax.

It's interesting to see that with all this critical acclaim Parkway Drive has been receiving, the reception is kinda mixed in many of their albums. However in this album, the songwriting and sound is much more mature than previous albums. Deep Blue is a metalcore album that has proven how much good potential this album has its ideas can be leveled up. This is certainly not as super awesome as Horizons, but for anyone who likes heavy music and vocals, you got yourself a metalcore winner!

Favorites: "Sleepwalker", "Alone", "Deliver Me", "Karma", "Hollow", "Leviathan I"

Once again, it was my alt-rock loving brother who discovered Parkway Drive that made me interested in this band. He suggested that I listen to the song "Wishing Wells" from their new album Reverence. But that album was when they were heading into a classic heavy/alt-metal direction. So I listened to that song along with "Boneyards" from one of their metalcore albums, Horizons (this one!), and while they're both great songs, I definitely love "Boneyards", which I'll talk about later in this review.

It is actually almost the entire Horizons album I love. Horizons is one of my recent favorite metalcore albums! Those Aussie metalcore guys have reached global fame with this album, beginning their tradition of anthems that would never be abandoned.

The album begins with the intro prologue "Begin", featuring nice ambient guitar over drum shuffling. A nice one-minute intro to set the mood! Then it's on to the first actual song, "The Sirens’ Song" featuring a shredding intro to take you through a hyperspeed metalcore rollercoaster ride. The greatest rollercoaster ride of 2007 besides the first Phineas and Ferb episode! The audible bass prepares for a brutal harmonic breakdown at the end. "Feed Them To The Pigs" is a song worth moshing, starting fast-paced before a fun groove slowdown. Then the fast tempo comes back to continue assaulting the listener. It makes you want to move with the drums, bass, guitars while fearlessly avoiding losing the heavy path. The massive impact of "Carrion" makes thousands of metalheads in the audience shout along from beginning to end. It has heavy fury together with incredible melody, combining into an emotional mix. The growls of angst from Winston McCall and beautiful guitar melodies from Jeff Ling will keep you headbanging even at the album age of over a decade.

"Five Months" sounds like a mix of two other metalcore bands, Misery Signals and Unearth, in a great way of course. The guitarist leads the band through high notes and progressive tremolos. Breakdowns are more evident, while the varying hooks are something to love. The screaming vocals are haunting yet catchy ("The hours have become irritations!!") After all that heaviness, there a nice soft clean part with no need for singing melody. Then the whirlwind of powerful melody comes back. The aforementioned "Boneyards" is indeed a brutal bruiser with urgent uptempo bursts! A killer flashback to the heaviness of their debut! The finger tapping in "Idols & Anchors" is a great reason why that song is a fan favorite. "Moments in Oblivion" is a great moment to feel like you're on a pirate ship in Arctic oceans. The time changes and grooves range from fast to slow, from relentless to soothing. But don't worry, there's most brutality to come.

The more technically advanced "Breaking Point" has more shredding and finger tapping action as the pirates end up in an Arctic ocean battle with the vikings. However, the song itself is has a little more repetitive feel while keeping the hostile environment and heroic guitars. "Dead Man's Chest" starts as a slower sludgy song with deep riffs and monstrous vocals before picking up speed. The pirates manage breaking into and take back what the vikings stole, the Dead Man's Chest! "Frostbite" is still as great as the rest of the album, but I can't really get into it. The melodies and fast parts are too distant for me. Most of the pirates suffer from the Arctic frostbite. However, the title track finale has everything including hardcore grooves, uplifting melodies and gang shouts, making it one of the most epic metalcore songs ever heard. Bring me those Horizons!

There are only a few albums that can really push the boundaries of metalcore in both the metal and hardcore sides, all in fun and heavy value while in mesmerizing technical power that's difficult to match, and one of those albums in Horizons. There are many other metalcore bands I enjoy, but the one I think is the closest in value and power is August Burns Red. Besides this album and the August Burns Red album Constellations, there's no other metalcore album that can blend beauty and chaos so flawlessly. Horizons is indeed a perfect metalcore album. More horizons await!

Favorites: "The Siren's Song", "Carrion", "Five Months", "Boneyards", "Dead Man's Chest", "Horizons"

Formed in Byron Bay, Parkway Drive began their metalcore journey with two EPs, a split CD with I Killed the Prom Queen and their own EP, Don't Close Your Eyes. After those two EPs, they were all set to record their first full-length and, thanks to Adam Dutkiewicz (Killswitch Engage) in production, it really started their path to fame. Killing With a Smile gave them a huge ongoing fanbase and established the band to be one of the greatest metalcore acts outside America. But why is it so good?

Killing With a Smile was released in 2005, right before deathcore exploded into the face of metalcore shortly afterwards. Surprisingly, most of the members were never really influenced by metal at that time. For a band like that, they can remarkably understand metalcore and do their best to match it.

The opening track "Gimme A D" hits you hard with their prevalent attitude of wrath. It has all that listeners can be ready for; fast riffing, solid drumming, fantastic screaming, and heavy breakdowns. They have it all! "Anasasis (Xenophontis)" merges inventive riffing with brutal vocals. In the breakdowns, crushing guitars and vicious vocals make sure to maintain the melody in front, a common trait. "Pandora" is another high-quality metalcore song, but they wouldn't hit their stride until the next track. "Romance is Dead" is a 5-minute fan-favorite and a fine Parkway Drive moment. It's a true metalcore gem in every quality a metalcore song can possibly have plus the band's unique furious sound and attitude.

Momentum is gathered to attack the listener with "Guns for Show, Knives for a Pro", referencing a quote from the film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and sneaking in a quote in the first 10 seconds from another film Die Hard 2, "Yippee-ki-yay, motherf***er." That song is short but a heavy hitter. And when the song stops abruptly, you think it's over, but BOOM!! One more brutal breakdown hits you in the face! Taking things further than in their EPs, "Blackout" sounds closer to deathcore. "Picture Perfect, Pathetic" sounds a bit pathetic at first when reusing riffs from other metalcore bands, but the extreme heavy breakdown is wicked! "It’s Hard To Speak Without A Tongue" is a standout track beginning with a simple clean guitar riff before drilling drums and thunderous bass come in followed and impressive solo-like melody. The melody fades into a quieter riff to fit it with the growling. That melody is used again the chorus section. An unusually well-balanced song for Parkway Drive!

"Mutiny" begins with another film quote sample, this time from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, "The deepest circle of Hell is reserved for betrayers and mutineers." It's a good song with great songwriting and riffing. Another fan favorite "Smoke 'Em If Ya Got 'Em" was re-recorded from the Don't Close Your Eyes EP, now with better production and more intense sound. Once again, it sums up everything the band has; crushing riffs, heavy breakdowns, melodic leads, technical drums, and emotional intensity, the latter especially in the ending lead and riff. "A Cold Day In Hell" (not to be confused with the Winds of Plague demo EP) has a catchy lead/riff.

The technical drumming and solid vocals fully showcased are what Parkway Drive is known for, whereas the breakdowns and rough lyrics might not be at its best for most people. But with the album's overall hard energy, every metalhead should give it a listen. A killer metalcore starter pack!

Favorites: "Gimme A D", "Romance is Dead", "Guns for Show, Knives for a Pro", "It’s Hard To Speak Without A Tongue", "Mutiny", "Smoke 'Em If Ya Got 'Em"

Australian metalcore band Parkway Drive started their career with two split EPs; one with I Killed the Prom Queen, and the other with bands Think Straight and Shoot to Kill. After reviewing the latter release, I've realized that I still haven't done the same with their first non-split EP, Don't Close Your Eyes. Considering what a heavy brutal EP this is, having paved the band's way to their first two full albums, I knew I had to share my thoughts about like I had with every other release by the band...

Parkway Drive was formed in Byron Bay and named after the street they lived in, aspiring to connect hardcore and metal together like any other metalcore band. I guess you can say the rest is history, but again I promised myself to talk about this piece of history and what I think of it.

The intro track "..." is certainly a frightening intro in the atmosphere. Asuka from The End of Evangelion repeatedly whispers "I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die..." with voices creeping up behind her, leading up to a final scream, "I DON'T WANNA DIE!!!" Then enters "Smoke 'Em If Ya Got 'Em", in which vocalist Winston McCall yells "DIE! DIE!! DIE!!!" almost like he segued flawlessly from that intro. This fan favorite was re-recorded for their debut album Killing with a Smile. It sums up everything the band has; crushing riffs, heavy breakdowns, melodic leads, technical drums, and emotional intensity, the latter especially in the ending lead and riff. Next track "Dead Dreams" starts with the message tone beep of an old Nokia phone then launches into relentless heaviness, though it can't beat the previous track. The usual catchy breakdown comes in with Winston's vocals, though the lyrics of drugs and loathing seem to be unfocused. "Flesh, Bone and Weakness" can very be my favorite song in the EP. Haunting bass kicks in followed by the drums. The growls and harmonic singing (the latter by then-bassist Brett "Lagg" Versteeg) work well for a melodic spice-up that might remind some of Evergreen Terrace. Awesomeness continues to be found in the catchy yet heavy breakdown, along with more of the audible bass riffing.

After all that chaos, the relaxing guitar interlude "The Cruise" can be played at the beach. "You're Over" is another one of the best songs of the EP and the band's early career. The sound is filled with different layers that end with another deep pulverizing breakdown. Now, "Looks Like Yoda"... The metalcore Force is strong in this one. Played live, it can be. So heavy, breakdowns are, but melodic, guitars are. Hmmm... Fast, the drums pound, and brutal, the vocals sound. OK, enough with the Yoda talk! I must admit, the song is a bit repetitive, but it's still great. The title track ends with another metal track memorable until the end of time. Lots of fast extreme bass and drums to fill things up.

The 2006 reissue comes with some bonus tracks, the first two of which are from the band's split EP with IKtPQ, starting with "I Watched" that is a must-listen. Though not as much as "Swallowing Razorblades". With some of the most brutal riffing from the band and more of Winston and Lagg's vocal contrast, it would be hard for Parkway Drive to make an awesome song like that again. You already know what I think of the What We've Built songs, so I'll say no more there. One more track, "Hopeless" is also very solid.

So yeah, "Don't Close Your Eyes" is pretty great for a true start of the band's catalog. With its powerful energy, it's no wonder the release has reached the Aussie album charts. If you enjoy heavy metalcore, you should definitely check out Parkway Drive, starting from this killer EP and working your way through the rest....

Favorites: "Smoke 'Em If Ya Got 'Em", "Flesh, Bone and Weakness", "You're Over", "Don't Close Your Eyes", "Swallowing Razorblades", "Hollow Man", "Hopeless"

When you switch your music taste out one part of a style to another part, some of you might completely forget about that part and focus entirely on the new one. That's a little sad because you would no longer think about the one thing that started your entire interest and shouldn't be taken for granted. Well even though I'm already into the modern progressive/melodeath/metalcore taste, I feel like I shouldn't completely leave behind the one power metal band that started my entire metal interest, and that band is...DragonForce! Formed in the same year I was born and the same year my current favorite band Trivium was formed, 1999, out of the ashes of Demoniac, who are from New Zealand rivaling to the melodeath/black/power metal sound of Children of Bodom at that time, DragonForce has their own extreme signature sound. NOT the kind of extreme usually heard in a Finnish-like melodeath/black metal style (though a few of those elements would be more prominent in a couple songs from their previous album Reaching Into Infinity), but a more extreme expression of the power metal likes of Helloween, along with a few other of my favorite power metal bands at the time; Gamma Ray, Stratovarius, and HammerFall, and even late 80s heavy/power metal band Nitro. DragonForce did it faster and fancier, complete with a cartoonish stratosphere.

For years, DragonForce has been given an equal balance of criticism and praise, and the guitarists have probably overthrown Kai Hansen as the Guitar Heroes, especially when their songs ended up in Guitar Hero with thousands of players of that game pushing their skills to the limit trying to play those songs. However, there are some metal purists who dismiss the band thinking they're a parody of power metal whose guitar shredding is fake. But it's NOT fake, it's real!! That controversy caused the end of the earlier ZP Theart era. ZP Theart was the South African former vocalist of DragonForce, and when he was with the band, the sound was right at a less accessible but more successful level. Of course, we have the lengthy guitar battles between the two founding guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman and the synth sound made by keyboardist Vadim Pruzhanov (who recently left the band and that's why he's not in this album), bridging together metal and 8-bit video game soundtrack similar to Machinae Supremacy, but most of the songs from those earlier albums go over the 6-minute mark. With the exit of Theart and the entry of Marc Hudson, the sound became more restrained with accessible songwriting and more songs under the 6-minute mark than over, while being equally balanced with the usual wild technical tempos and shredding. This album, the band's eighth album and the fourth in this new era, is where they really find themselves, hence their style and this album's name, Extreme Power Metal!

The album kicks off in a glorious start with "Highway to Oblivion". After a beautiful one-minute synth intro with Hudson's vocals, the guitars come in, and then BOOM!! We go right into the song itself reminiscent of the band's mid-2000s sound; an almost 7-minute cruiser blending melodic greatness with speed metal riff-rage, bringing back some Inhuman Rampage nostalgia. I personally think that's the band's best song since "Through the Fire and Flames"! The next song "Cosmic Power of the Infinite Shred Machine", despite the long title, also has said mid-2000s sound but cooler musicianship and measured songwriting along with symphonic synths similar to Rhapsody of Fire and Epica. Oh wait, it IS Epica! ...Kind of. Epica keyboardist Coen Janssen steps in as a temporary member for this album, giving many songs here a more epic touch. Then after a small orchestral verse, then it's one and a half minutes of blazing video game synths and a bit of guitar shredding, mixing metal with Darren Porter-like trance. Right after that, the solo crashes in, activating the Shred Machine! More of the musicianship and songwriting come in with "The Last Dragonborn", an epic ballad which, as you can probably guess, is directly about Skyrim. Janssen continues to shine his keyboard skills with Japanese-inspired orchestration over crushing groove riffing that might as well turn this into a Kamelot song. But the intro riff sounds a lot like the one from "Rise of Evil" by Sabaton.

"Heart Demolition" is a more mid-paced structured song with an 80s rock sound mixed with their usually power metal. I'm guessing they're a little inspired by their spin-off band Power Quest. I use to also like Power Quest as much as DragonForce, so I'm all in for that. "Troopers of the Stars" starts with a brutal blast-beat thrash intro, then the vocals come in a verse a little similar to Japanese anime rock theme music (for example, Asian Kung-Fu Generation), and the rest is a nice typical DragonForce song. "Razorblade Meltdown" is another song that looks back at the past, but with more energy and strangely different lyrics, including a bit of Finnish swearing in the verses. Does that count as the first DragonForce song with swearing? Maybe, but I heard once that the band never usually add swear words to their lyrics and "swearing isn't epic" or something like that. "Strangers" is a mid-tempo song that once again comes out as an 80s-inspired power metal song similar to Power Quest and Galneryus. The robotic choral vocals are a little odd and probably not the best for longtime DragonForce fans.

"In a Skyforged Dream" really packs a high-octane melodic thrash punch. I guess you can consider this song a sequel to "Land of Shattered Dreams" (from Reaching Into Infinity) because of its similar song title and vibe. "Remembrance Day" is another tear-jerking ballad, once again reminiscent of Sabaton, this time lyrically. The lyrics are a tribute to soldiers who have fallen in wars, and an epic uplifting chorus that is a little like adding "Fury of the Storm" vocals to the last 30 seconds of "Ants of the Sky" by Between the Buried and Me. The bagpipe intro made me think of that Alestorm cover of the Scottish song "Flowers of Scotland". Also, that verse right after the solo is far more epic than anything DragonForce has ever done. What's really amazing is the band's cover of the Celine Dion hit song "My Heart Will Go On". After a 30-second 8-bit intro, the chaos booms in as the band plays the cover, sounding nearly twice as fast as the original Celine Dion song! That's way better than their cover of "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash from Maximum Overload. The Japanese edition bonus track "Behind the Mirror of Death" features the last contributions from bassist Frederic Leclercq before parting ways from DragonForce; his lyrics and songwriting, his own guitar solo, and awesome bass work. Also, that chorus sounds a bit like the one from "The Tower" by Avantasia.

Throughout the band's 20-year existence, they have made a unique run through their similar yet signature sound of speedy power metal. But I have a feeling that sometime after this album, this second 4-album era would come to an end and a third era would start. The band is on a search for a new bassist and keyboardist or someone who can play both instruments, since the band still has no permanent keyboardist and Leclercq is out of the band. Now that I think about it, Leclercq has quite an over 25-year metal history. Before DragonForce, he was in another power metal band Heavenly. Recently, he formed blackened death metal side-project Sinsaenum. And now he's with Euro-thrash legends Kreator! INCREDIBLE!!! Yeah, he left DragonForce to join Kreator. It's been an extreme joyride so far, but soon will be a whole new decade, and the band will eventually find a couple new members. Will a new third era commence? I don't know, but we will have to wait for the fate of the heroes of EXTREME POWER METAL!

Favorites: "Highway to Oblivion", "Cosmic Power of the Infinite Shred Machine", "The Last Dragonborn", "Troopers of the Stars", "In a Skyforged Dream", "Remembrance Day", "My Heart Will Go On"

If you've already read my earlier Make Them Suffer reviews, you know what I think of Neverbloom, their kick-A debut despite some slight repetition that is probably my favorite album to be considered deathcore. But in Worlds Apart, they ditched their symphonic blackened deathcore for a more dominating progressive metalcore sound.

One notable part of the sound that sets this album apart from the previous Make Them Suffer albums is the style of riffing. Their Emperor-influenced aggression is barely even present anymore, having been mostly replaced with Architects-esque riffs that are never bad at all. Those new riffs ranging from melodic to heavy to djenty can successfully dominate. They do their job well and never repetitively. Take that, other metalcore/deathcore bands!

"The First Movement" is not an intro movement at all, unlike in other albums. It's...well, the chorus sung by new keyboardist/vocalist Booka Nile explains what the song is, "It was a beautiful song, the first of many to come , but meant the start of a bond, precious only to one". Indeed, that heavy yet beautiful song is a great hint to the progressive metalcore sound coming up in this album. "Uncharted" has hyper-melodic energy. "Grinding Teeth" is full of grinding riffs, stellar keyboard atmosphere, and crystal-shining female singing. Booka's vocals are much more commonly used than Louisa Burton's vocals in the previous two albums.

If you pay close attention to "Vortex (Interdimensional Spiral Hindering Inexplicable Euphoria)", the part where vocalist Sean Harmanis screams "A-A A-A-A A-A-A-A A-A A", that's actually Morse code for the subtitle's acronym "ISHIE". Cool, right?! The slight Deftones-ish shoegaze influence can be heard in "Fireworks". CAN YOU BRING THEM?!? The soft ambient symphonic intermission tradition continues with the interlude "Contact". Then it segues to "Power Overwhelming" with overwhelming djent power.

After that is the groove-ish "Midnight Run". Next song "Dead Plains" starts soft with mysterious ambiance to open a fresh atmospheric dimension, then the dynamic instrumentation and screaming kick in to help with the variation. "Save Yourself" is the album's epic closer. It is another great way to recap an album with djent-core instrumentation, exquisite growls and screams, and rising female cleans, the latter making that song a more complete closing recap than the one for Neverbloom. Ending that song is an amazing preacher-like spoken word section over more of those female cleans. A massive ending!! SO D*MN AWESOME!!!

You never expect a lot of bands to have greatness excelling in every album, but Make Them Suffer is definitely like that. Every member has great musical talent proven by the album's sparkling production. If you love symphonic/progressive metalcore, I absolutely recommend this album for you!

Favorites: "The First Movement", "Vortex (Interdimensional Spiral Hindering Inexplicable Euphoria)", "Fireworks", "Dead Plains", "Save Yourself"

SOULS. Whenever people see the title of an album or anything that ends with the word "Souls", they immediately of the Dark Souls video game series and its prequel Demon's Souls. Those games are great and the best and all but...f*** it, people! Can't we focus on something else that's great?! The second Make Them Suffer album Old Souls!! Though their music would make a good soundtrack for that game series...

Old Souls is as f***ing amazing as what video gamers think of the Dark Souls games, but it can't beat its predecessor Neverbloom. Their debut album still reigns with heart-felt emotion, brutalized epicness, and glorious intensity. Sadly, many Make Them Suffer listeners only cared about a few great songs enough for the band to continue playing those songs live today. Neverbloom is such as underrated album and I hope they play it entirely for its 10th anniversary tour a couple years now. Anyway, Old Souls is full of songs you can never forget, despite having less of the epic nature from Neverbloom.

The slow melancholic instrumental "Foreword" combines piano and strings, once again having the same epic vibe as Audiomachine/TSFH, except for the deep screams of Sean Harmanis. Then it blasts off into "Requiem" initially sounding like symphonic black metal with its blast beats before gnawing down into killer symphonic deathcore to die for. Then there's "Fake", which is never fake. It's a real punishing song with sharp riffs and menacing views towards hypocrisy and indoctrination that basically say "To h*ll with religion!" A great standout! Next song "Let Me In" has more melodic vocals and emotive lyrics in an effective tale of the throes of redemption. The lyrics are similar to their debut, but their music ain't! Keyboardist Louisa Burton continues her clean singing in more common usage than in Neverbloom.

"Threads" has some more of their earlier brutal delivery. "Through The Looking Glass" is a good break from relentless aggression as a calm electronic-orchestral interlude. You have a bit of time to catch your breath before you get hurled back into the glorious modern metal. "Blood Moon" is a mysterious track with more of Burton's clean vocals.

"Scraping the Barrel" has solid vocals in a mentally stable range from low growls to high screams, making that song another standout. Same with "Marionette" where Harmanis' unclean vocals fit well with Burton's cleans. Burton takes full stage in "Timeless", both in the keyboards and vocals, making this an interesting dynamic song. Finally, the title track has Harmanis and Burton growling and singing together over epic extreme instrumentation, sounding like a heavier brutal Nightwish.

Make Them Suffer have done another great album! Old Souls continues the poetic lyrical nature, driving blast beats, and symphonic/orchestral elements, now towering over the earlier growls and breakdowns for a more interesting soundscape. Many of the songs maintain the fast neck-twisting pace. The emotional intensity is mixed well with the top-notch production. The album might even have more layers and textures than many other metal albums out there. There's so much to love with these 40 minutes. Stop living under a f***ing rock, you can't miss this!

Favorites: "Fake", "Let Me In", "Scraping the Barrel", "Marionette", "Old Souls"

If people are gonna hate deathcore for its unoriginal blend of death metal and metalcore, they should at least try a hybrid between that genre and other influences. One of those hybrids is symphonic deathcore, with bands such as Winds of Plague and...oh yeah, Make Them Suffer!

With the deathcore scene rising and the metal community protesting over that scene because of lack of variation and talent, it can be hard for a deathcore band to actually get people to enjoy the genre. Australian band Make Them Suffer knows just what to do try to get some metal purists to give deathcore a try. The symphonic deathcore idea has already been created by Winds of Plague, but Make Them Suffer really unleash it to the world with a mind-f***ing gem, their debut Neverbloom!

The album starts with a calm symphonic "Prologue" complete with grand piano. It is the Audiomachine/TSFH-esque symphonic calm before the brutal storm. Then it fades away... and explodes into the massive title track! It starts with actual riffing instead of just the overused breakdown. The song is so epic and brutal, and even though it still has the breakdown, the one used in this song is the best in the entire album. There's a lot to progress in this 6 and a half minute monster (a couple more of those long epics would appear later in the album). I love how the bass doesn't cause the rest of the music to be heavily distorted. The piano is also great! It sounds so real, even though it's probably just the electronic keyboard. Keyboardist/pianist Louisa Burton is really talented, offering great soft piano contrast to the deathcore breakdowns and riffing, playing actual piano melody instead of just a few keys. She also provided background vocals in this song, similar to Skillet drummer/vocalist Jen Ledger in their album Awake. Both her piano and vocals add the melodic beauty of their sound. That epic has the essence of perfection! Next song "Morrow (Weaver of Dreams)" has a formula that would be followed later on the album. It has perfect groove-influenced. Once again, piano blends well with the riffing. The bass is really great as well. Excellent song! "Elegies" follows that formula, this time adding poetic songwriting never before heard in deathcore, a genre plagued by sh*tty generic lyrics. The vocabulary is quite large, not just swearing but also a great deal of fantasy terms usually heard in symphonic/power metal.

"Maelstrom" is an absolute f***ing storm of epic and extreme, and I'm not saying it like a brown-nosing fanboy. This is more true epic deathcore power! A breakdown here might seem simple but it's another one of the most powerful in the album. It is the second of the three 6 and a half minute epics. Once again, the lyrics are so poetic that they can be published as poetry without the music. Those beautiful poetic lyrics are brutalized by the powerful screams of lead vocalist Sean Harmanis with a mighty voice ranging from black metal shrieks to death metal growls. The guitar work here is incredible too. The drumming is great, but it drowns out the bass. "Oceans of Emptiness" is another little calm symphonic interlude that serves as a great break from the brutality. Louisa Burton once again sings a bit of soft clean vocals. "The Well" continues the same formula; groove-ish riff-wrath, powerful breakdowns, blast beats, and well-played piano.

"Weeping Wastelands" was re-recorded from their brutal demo EP Lord of Woe, and is the band's longest song at nearly 7 minutes. It's not as special as those other two epics (the title track and "Maelstrom"), but it's still listenable by any means. Album highlight "Widower" has great use of metaphorical imagery in the lyrics combined with instrumental atmosphere. It truly is a descent into nightmarish chaos! In the distorted keyboard intro, you wake up in the weeping wasteland from the previous track having no clue what happened that caused the disaster. Then your memory comes back into your mind in clarity and terror as the music starts with Harmanis screaming "WILL YOU REMEMBER ME?!?!" beginning a vortex of desolated despair. The technical drum speed and ability is best presented in the epic closer "Chronicles". The song itself pretty much summarizes the entire album, taking pieces of everything from previous songs and putting them all into an epic extreme cauldron in just 6 minutes. 6 minutes of epic symphonic deathcore glory! Too bad the female vocals don't return until the next album. Then throughout the ending climax, it sounds pleasantly similar to the title track, and the outro matches the intro, stirring up the theme of everything ending where it began. What an epic ride this has been!

Overall, Neverbloom is a fantastic display of what the band has in store, and they helped deathcore continue going the right direction. The symphonic elements are excellent, never out of place, and they use actual riffing so they don't have to keep monotonously overusing breakdowns. The vocals are great, so are the guitars, the drums are good, and the bass is excellent though needed to take the spotlight more. Their band name is cool too, but they kept insisting that it didn't come from the similarly titled Cannibal Corpse song, much to some belief. Great album worth listening to for some of the most epic deathcore in the world!

Favorites: "Neverbloom", "Morrow (Weaver of Dreams)", "Maelstrom", "Widower", "Chronicles"

HA!! You didn't think I would forget which music video my alt-rock-loving brother recommended I watch and listen that made interested in this band, did you?! Well I'll tell you now before we go deep into this review. That video is "Stabbing in the Dark"! I care more about the music than the videos, so I skipped the video and went onto the song which is incredible! There's also a recent acoustic version featuring Matt Heafy from Trivium whom I think would fit better in the originally heavy version. Anyway, enough personal talk, let's get going with the review!

Ice Nine Kills' previous album Every Trick in the Book gave the band more success than they ever had in previous albums, taking classic dark literature and revamping into modern metalcore. Now the kings of theatrical metalcore are back, with The Silver Scream, an offering of songs based on horror films. This approach is more challenging and easier at the same time. Movies have a more clearly distinct tone than novels because the music can really fit well with the visuals, almost enough that it should've been those movies' soundtracks. This might be less of a challenge for Ice Nine Kills, but that's good because it's easier for people who are more familiar with films than novels to see the band's love for films. So with this delicately balance of talent and skill, did Ice Nine Kills achieve this? The Silver Scream! Coming...right now!!

"The American Nightmare", based on A Nightmare on Elm Street, opens the album with advise about sleep in a radio broadcast, waking you up in a hospital after a long coma following that encounter with Carrie at the end of the first part of this story (from my review for Every Trick in the Book). During the insistent drum beat with smooth vocals by Spencer Charnas, you notice a doctor looking over you. When the loud fast guitar riff and screaming vocals come in, the doctor reveals himself to be Freddy Krueger! The high-speed beat, hooks, and vocals alternating between Charnas and Justin DeBlieck create an otherworldly vibe as Krueger chases you through the hospital maze. Another strong solid album start! You outrun that deranged killer and escaped the hospital. Once your memory gets clearer, you realize it's FRIDAY THE 13TH!!! ("Thank God It's Friday") That's right, it's October 13, 2017! The song continues the tempo and execution in epic chaotic atmosphere, as you end up in a summer camp and get chased through there by Jason Voorhees, until you fall down a gorge and get knocked out. Then you get waken up by a clock ticking and bells in an insane asylum on Halloween ("Stabbing In The Dark"), where you learn that there's a violent villain out to kill patients in the asylum until he finds his target. After the music transits from soft and beautiful to a brutal onslaught of growling vocals, intricate guitars, and heavy drums, you realize...YOU'RE NEXT!! You get chased again by Michael Myers, but you outrun him and escape the asylum. After that, you find out that you're in Texas, but you don't know that someone's spying on you (hint: the camera shutter effect that starts "Savages"). This song, "Savages" is less obvious in the horror inspiration, but if you're a true horror film fan, you might get that this is based on The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Once again in the loud intensity, you get chased around Texas by Leatherface, but then you trip on a rock and knock yourself out.

You wake up, all chained up in a large bathroom with another man (Randy Strohmeyer of Finch). Despite the chaos of the song "The Jig is Up", based on Saw, it's actually the weakest point of the album, with a lot of elements mixed together like a jigsaw puzzle without any focus on actual strength. At least they captured the atmosphere of Saw successfully. The Jigsaw Killer orders you and the other guy to battle to the death, and the winner gets to escape. Fortunately, the other guy is a master hacker and assassin, so he hacked into the system, takes Jigsaw's remote and shocks him with the remote, and escapes with you. "A Grave Mistake" is a tender emotional power ballad based on The Crow. In a plot twist, the guy tagging along with you reveals himself to be Eric Draven who is revived to find the murderer of his wife and avenge her. He offers you to help him, and you accept it on the condition that you protect from anymore attackers. You reach the Atlantic coast of Texas and sail away on a boat. "Rocking the Boat", based on Jaws, features original member Jeremy Schwartz, name-drops all of the band previous albums and The Burning EP, and has a killer metalcore breakdown. A murderous shark attacks the boat you're sailing on, but fortunately your assassin partner, who is a professional shark hunter, blows the shark up with an RPG. You both decide to return to the coast and travel to the Rocky Mountains where you find the remote Overlook Hotel. "Enjoy Your Slay", based on The Shining, was originally released a year before the rest of the album, featuring film director Stanley Kubrick's grandson Sam Kubrick. But then you both find out that one of the residents, Jack Torrance is trying to find his family to kill them and is killing other residents. Jack kills your assassin partner and chases you out of the hotel in an early December snowstorm. Fortunately, you have some snow clothes and put them on before heading out in the freezing cold, misleading Jack who didn't care about what he's wearing and ends up freezing solid. You climb down the Rocky Mountains and continue your journey.

You end up in a town of outcasts each waving high their "Freak Flag" which, based on the Rob Zombie-directed film The Devil's Rejects, is the simplest song here, but still a good Revolution anthem. The catchy powerful chorus empowers the audience to sing their lungs out. Love at first listen! The Devil's Rejects is more of a gothic horror film, causing this song to be a nice break from the slasher destruction. But then slaying the matriarchy is Edward Scissorhands (Tony Lovato of Mest) (the emotionally beautiful "The World in My Hands"). He decides to tag along to protect you. Then you both find out it's Christmas! "Merry Axe-Mas" is based on Silent Night, Deadly Night, and filled with jingling bells, hard fast music, growling vocals, and heavy guitar riffs, in contrast the upbeat melodic chorus, as Edward fights "Killer Santa" but ends up losing that fight. You run off before Killer Santa could have the chance to find you. You're stuck hiding in a dark alley alone until someone bites you, it's a werewolf girl (singer/actress Chelsea Talmadge)! "Love Bites" is the actual ballad of the album based on An American Werewolf In London, with a nice catchy chorus. Then the full moon appears and you turn into a werewolf, forming a werewolf duo, you and the wolverine girl. You are now ready for the final horror...

The final song is the chaotic crown of disturbing glory, "IT is the End", and I think you already know what it's based on. It has many elements but they're used much better and features a few final guest vocalists, Peter "JR" Wasilewski and Buddy Schaub of Less Than Jake and Will Salazar of Fenix TX. It is indeed the craziest and most horrific of the album, and I love it! You notice a boy named Georgie talking to a Pennywise the clown in the sewer drain. Pennywise bites Georgie's arm and drags him into the sewer, and you and the werewolf girl tag along with them. You find an underground sewer circus arena, where you are surrounded by all the villains from the scenario of this review and the previous one; the Animal Farm rebellion, Dracula, the cannibal zombies from the plane wreck, the angry mob of Romeo and Juliet's feuding families, the war soldiers, Carrie, Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Leatherface, the Jigsaw Killer, Jack Torrance, Killer Santa, and Pennywise. Throughout the epic ska-metalcore chaos, you and the werewolf girl end in a brutal battle against all of those villains, and during the climatic post-chorus finale, the only villains that haven't been slain are Dracula, Carrie, Killer Santa, and Pennywise. Killer Santa stabs you and the werewolf girl each through the heart, reverting both of you back to normal. While the now normal girl bleeds to death, you're still alive but still bleeding. Pennywise bites your limbs off, Dracula drinks your running blood, and to finish you off, Carrie mentally stops your still beating heart. You lost your life and the villains prevail... Then you wake up in a movie theater. That two-review scenario was all just a nightmare, and you slept through a horror film. You start heading towards the theater exit, glad that the nightmare was over...OR WAS IT?!? (see front cover)

Well that was an epic scenario I've just made in this review and the previous one, but this album is epic as well! The Silver Scream has everything to define the sound of Ice Nine Kills, and it continues building up the elements from Every Trick in the Book into a monstrous feast. The Silver Scream is way more of a complete horror soundtrack than just an album. If you love Ice Nine Kills, heavy metal, and/or horror films, this album is definitely for you, though I'm not into the latter subject. Enjoy this slay!

Favorites: "Thank God It's Friday", "Stabbing in the Dark", "Rocking the Boat", "Freak Flag", "Merry Axe-Mas", "IT is the End"

It's gotta be an amazing feat to adequately adapt classic literature and revamp them for a modern metalcore album. The immense mystique to too difficult to compare. First you read the novel, then you watch its film adaptation once it comes out, and you're so tempted to see find out what other possible way to adapt a novel without having to write a full story or act it out. Thankfully, you don't have to make a film to retell a great novel. Music is an underrated capability to adapt great stories into greater modern works of art. Ice Nine Kills has done every trick in those books to make the haunting books-turned-into-songs album, Every Trick in the Book!

Back in the 2000s, Ice Nine Kills was originally a hybrid of ska, pop punk, and post-hardcore. In the 2010s, their sonic identity became fast theatrical metalcore. The hard work making this masterpiece really paid off, causing the band to headline a couple Warped Tours and currently sit in the main roster of Fearless Records after years in the self-released underground. With this album, you get to hear the best literature you had to read in middle school, composed into enjoyable new-generation metalcore.

The story begins in an Animal Farm, the inspiration for "The Nature of the Beast". A circus ringleader (lead vocalist Spencer Charnas) invites you to the act that opens the album. Spencer and co-frontman Justin DeBlieck sing the evocative chorus for the first time, as you begin to realize that the audience aren't people, they're animals! As Spencer begins his screaming, the ringleader reveals himself to be a wild boar, and you've been tricked into a trap by the animal rebellion. Throughout the twisting and turning epic chaos, the animals chase you all over the farm, determined to seize control and destroy any humans who get in their way. A compelling start to the album! You manage to outrun the animals and escape the farm, then you find a little girl who looks lost ("Communion of the Cursed"). Right when you're about to ask if she needs help, the heaviness begins when you find out that the girl is possessed by a demon! The devil is in the frightening details of this track. The unclean screams segue into a strong clean chorus and a punishing breakdown. During all that, while being chased by the demon girl, you find a couple priests in a church who offer to help exorcise the demon. You accept the offer and despite the demon-girl's (screaming) demand, "I CANNOT BE CRUCIFIED!!!", they crucify her and exorcise the demon out of her. You thank the priests and continue your journey with the girl who's now back to normal by your side. Next location: Transylvania ("Bloodbath & Beyond")! The band puts a unique twist into the story; Dracula is a young brooding vampire similar to Edward from Twilight though slightly younger and the girl's "boyfriend". You'll see why I added quotes to that last word in a second. The girl and young Dracula kiss each other, the girl being unaware that it's actually a "crimson kiss" to poison the girl to death. The superb drumming travels through the great choruses and ravaging near-end breakdown. During that breakdown, you get chased by Dracula but you outrun him and escape his castle.

Then you find a plane wreck with dead bodies...or ARE they dead?! ("The Plot Sickens") The vocals switch from unclean to clean, from low to high, in rapid pace. The "dead bodies" wake up and are actually cannibal zombies threatening to eat living humans, all repeated the line "We'll make it out alive", even though they're half-dead. You manage to outrun the zombies and make it out alive. Then you end up in a medieval kingdom and find one of two "Star-Crossed Enemies", Juliet, who tells you that she wants herself and Romeo to "make like shadows and disappear". Juliet asks you to find some crimson blood to add to a potion drink to hypnotize Romeo into falling in love with her. Fortunately, you have some crimson blood stained on your sleeve and let it drip on her drink. Unfortunately, you forgot that's the same blood from Dracula's poisonous "crimson kiss". So when Juliet gives Romeo the crimson potion drink, he dies. Heartbroken, Juliet takes his dagger and stabs herself to join him in death. Right then, their feuding families were watching the whole scene, and they blame you for their deaths and chase you out of town. After escaping that town, you meet a nice man Jekyll who suddenly has an evil personality, Hyde. "Me, Myself & Hyde" is one of the most entertaining and struggle-focused songs in this album. You ask Jekyll what's wrong, and he says "Go ask Alice," and Hyde shouts "AND GO AWAY!!" You easily find Alice in no time flat. "Alice" features some of the best clean singing from Spencer Charnas he has ever done, while still doing some screaming. Alice is a teenage drug addict who ran away from home to find Doctor Jekyll who knows her well who can help cure her drug addiction. However, Jekyll completed his transformation into Hyde, but he was still able to cure her. Alice and Hyde thank you for the help, and you continue your journey.

Now you're in a frightening war-zone with a girl hiding in a bunker. "The People in the Attic" is a dark melodeath composition based on The Diary of Anne Frank, with strong driving guitar groove and emotional clean/screaming vocals in the perspective of Anne Frank. The girl named Anne Frank is suffering from the typhus epidemic, and she asks you to take her diary writings and publish them. Then she succumbs to the typhus and dies, her last words being an inspirational line, "The path that God has lit grows ever darker though my faith goes further now." You run out of the war, narrowly dodging bullets. "Tess-Timony" is a ballad that initially starts with piano and strings, then before guitar soar in towards the end aside haunting passages that look back in your journey so far ("And for this, I was willing to die, it was all I could do to survive"). Sorry, no "Tess of the d'Urbervilles" action here, too sexual. You finally make it back to your home town, safe and sound...or so you thought! "Hell in the Hallways" closes the album with gore and chaos. As the band uses the last of their guitar energy, you find a bunch of dead bodies and a living girl named Carrie who uses her telekinetic powers to mentally stop your heart. The last thing you hear when you're at the brink of death is Carrie cackling, "WHO'S LAUGHING NOW?!?" To be continued...

This. Is. INCREDIBLE!! Ice Nine Kills has made a remarkable accomplishment. They traveled through time to dig up compelling written works of literature and composed songs based on them, creating a perfect adverse effect and a promising future for both literature and music. But the greatest Ice Nine Kills show of all would come in 2018, when they released the cinematic The Silver Scream. But besides that, Every Trick in the Book is a glorious masterpiece. Forget your middle school summer reading lists, listen to this monstrously well-written album instead!

Favorites: "The Nature of the Beast", "Bloodbath & Beyond", "Me, Myself & Hyde", "Alice", "Hell in the Hallways"

I forgot to mention in my last review that Ice Nine Kills in another one of those bands I started listening to because of my usually alt-rock-loving brother. He recommended one of the band's music videos for me to watch and listen (I'll tell you which one it is in a later review). Well I didn't watch the video but I listen to the song and made me interested in this band, and I shared the rest of their discography with my brother. Thanks bro!

So after a couple albums and a couple EPs, Ice Nine Kills released another EP The Predator, then it becomes the prey... The Predator Becomes the Prey features a couple songs from the Predator EP and shines through some of their strongest material yet, until their next two theatrical albums.

The album bursts into heaviness right away with "The Power in Belief", summing up everything from the first two Ice Nine Kills before what's coming next. It has everything including a catchy chorus, heavy tone, and the best screaming vocals. Plus, there's a killer guitar solo that really levels up the metal in metalcore and keeps the tight structure beyond interesting. The band continues emphasizing their heavy side with the vicious "Let’s Bury The Hatchet...In Your Head". The first track taken from the Predator EP, "The Coffin is Moving" fits nicely as if was meant for this album, but the cheesy zombie chorus ("We are, we are the walking dead") could use more work.

"The Fastest Way To A Girl’s Heart Is Through Her Ribcage" continues the metalcore cliche of long titles, while the song itself is dark and theatrical. The lyrics are once again cheesy, this time spoofing Twilight in a seductive manner ("You’d be just as sexy bleeding"). "The Product Of Hate" was originally a standalone single released the previous year for charity for the Boston Marathon bombing and it really fits greatly. It's the bomb (sorry if it's too soon)! "Connect The Cuts" is probably the heaviest song the band could ever do, sounding closer to dangerous deathcore. Chaotic heaviness before the softer side... "Jonathan" is not totally soft, but it's more touching with lyrics about a friend of the band who suffered a disease that made him almost completely blind.

"What I Never Learned In Study Hall" is the second track from the Predator EP, and the third and last part of the "What I Learned in Study Hall" series of songs that started in Last Chance to Make Amends and The Burning EP. Unlike those other "Study Hall" songs, this one is a heavy pop punk song instead of acoustic. It has guest vocals by Tyler Carter of Issues and one of Ice Nine Kills' best hooks. The next two songs before the finale are my least favorite parts of the album while not deducting the 4.5 star rating, starting with "So Long Steven Long" (shout-out to journalist/crime-novelist Steven Long). That song is a little boring despite the brutal parts, and it probably should've stayed in the album's demo sessions. "What Lies Beneath" has a brief addictive riff before the screams get a little irritating that the instrumentation can do without. "My Life In Two" is an uplifting song reminiscent of Chasing Safety-era Underoath with a redeemed message screamed and a beautiful chorus ("I only promise I’m not giving up today").

In the attack of the metalcore clones, Ice Nine Kills shines with a great example of uniqueness metal fans want and metal bands need nowadays. The band would continue in a greater more theatrical direction, that would make metalcore fans say "A Day to Remember WHO?". Ice Nine Kills shall remain a great recent part of metalcore history....

Favorites: "The Power in Belief", "Let’s Bury The Hatchet...In Your Head", "The Product Of Hate", "What I Never Learned In Study Hall", "My Life in Two"

Ice Nine Kills is a band that never really gets mentioned much in the metal community, and I can see why. They started as a pop punk/ska band recording a demo in 2002 that wasn't released until 2009 and their 2006 debut Last Chance to Make Amends. Then their 2007 EP The Burning marked the beginning of their current sound, though still not getting the deserving worldwide exposure. Fortunately, the acquired fans still enjoy that exceptional release in the modern screamo/post-hardcore scene.

With the lineup getting refreshed with the only remaining original member being main vocalist Spencer Charnas, you might think there would be another change of sound from that EP. Yes, but not drastically! The newer incarnation of Ice Nine Kills released their second and first major-label album Safe is Just a Shadow.

"Proximity Mines in the Complex" is one of my favorite songs of the album, and it's the beginning of the modern Ice Nine Kills style you know and love. Spencer Charnas' harsh vocals are now in higher prominence. This song is heavier than anything you would ever hear in their self-released debut and EP, almost impossibly heavier than anything I've heard. That marks the beginning of the band's new life as a metalcore band. I also enjoy "Buildings Burn, People Die" though not enough to be one of my favorites but enough to continue my love for this band. They really developed their sound into something new and modern. I appreciate the heavy riffs, pulverizing vocals, and amazing lyrics, all sounding relevant! "Chris Brown's Latest Hit" (referencing Chris Brown assaulting Rihanna the previous year) has soaring hooks in catchy choruses.

"Newton's Third Law of Knives to the Back" continues the post-hardcore/metalcore strategy of brutal long song titles, while the song itself sounds like a mix of songs from all Spencer Chamberlain-era Underoath albums at that time mixed into one song (another kick-A Spencer!). "So This is My Future" is what I think of the coronavirus situation as of this review, fearing a future of a world of plague and having to stay in our homes to survive. Epic metalcore song! Then we come to the epic 3-track album suite, starting with "Acceptance in the Waves" which is really amazing for the most part. The next part of the suite, "Red Sky Warning" has killer vocal harmonies especially in the right after the midway point. "The People Under The Stairs" is my favorite part of the suite, and another album favorite. It starts with a My Dying Bride-like synth-orchestral intro, but instead of gothic doom, you get blasted by the usual metalcore, in which the epic extreme sound makes otherwise generic verses glorious.

"The Greatest Story Ever Told" (re-recorded from The Burning) is not the greatest song ever heard, but it is a great favorite for me and other Ice Nine Kills fans with fun vocals and dark yet modern lyrics. Every IX fan would really sing along in any live show that has this song. This is a fun song to headbang to the rhythms and sing along the unique enchanting lyrics. Again, NOT the greatest song on earth, but one of the strongest songs in the band's history. "Evidence on Fire" has the last of the hype from this album, containing dark lyrics, melodic vocals, and heavy riffs. After that gripping closing song, listeners would definitely want more!

Fans of Ice Nine Kills' older pop punk/ska sound might end up covering their ears from the metal sound worth a Warped Tour they can't stand, but it's no problem for the heavier metalheads. With the inclusion of breakdowns and vocals that range from harsh screaming to clean whining, those not-so-brave punk fans might see them as a step backwards, whereas the metal fans see them as a leap forward. It looks like Ice Nine Kills gained exposure for this stylistic progression, so let's hope they continue to rise....

Favorites: "Proximity Mines in the Complex", "Newton's Third Law of Knives to the Back", "So This is My Future", "The People Under The Stairs", "The Greatest Story Ever Told"

There's no better way to celebrate the release of Kamelot's new album than with a blast to the past with their live album One Cold Winter's Night! It's their second live CD but their first live DVD, showing the next chapter of their evolution. Throughout their 2-CD setlist, they've played songs from their best era; the albums Karma, Epica, and The Black Halo, and one song from The Fourth Legacy. And it was the best time to record a live album after the immense success gained from The Black Halo.

They play most of the incredible songs well, and the production is in clean balance. Vocalist Roy Khan unleashes his singing energy, while guitarist Thomas Youngblood soars with his impressive leads, as the other members follow.

The Italian cabaret intro "Un Assassinio Molto Silenzioso" (A Very Silent Murder) has no use except being part of the original story. The driving title track of The Black Halo is one of the best ever Kamelot songs. "Soul Society" has a radio-friendly chorus while soaring through epic progressive sorrow. "Edge of Paradise" isn't as fast as the first two full songs, but it's worth heavy headbanging. The haunting orchestra and choir from the first interlude returns before the solo, all surrounding by mid-tempo riffing and drumming. Then "Center of the Universe" brings back the fast heavy action, but then it slows and quiets down for a melodic piano bridge with Khan singing alongside Mari. Then the heaviness comes back for the soloing and final chorus. What an epic banger to introduce us to the world of Epica. Then it segues to a nostalgic favorite of mine, "Nights of Arabia", continuing the Middle-Eastern themes and reliving the story of Shahrazad. The female vocals by Cinzia Rizzo mark the first of many guest vocalists Kamelot would have over the years.

"Abandoned" is a true power ballad, far greater than Blind Guardian's overrated "The Bard's Song (In the Forest)". The vocals of Roy Khan are good enough in the first half, but when the song builds up towards the end, his vocals pour out in heavenly grandeur that most other bands try to accomplish but ends up becoming wishful thinking for them. Returning from Epica, Thomas Youngblood's wife reprises her role as Helena, (SPOILER ALERT!!) Ariel's true love who drowned herself in Epica. Then comes a personal favorite of mine, the fast "Forever", still remaining a live staple for the band, though it's messed up a bit by the extension for audience participation, while not as long as in the other live album I Am the Empire - Live From the 013 (2020). After that is a "Keyboard Solo", in which keyboardist Oliver Palotai shows off his impressive classical piano skills on his keyboard. "The Haunting (Somewhere in Time)" is the most likable single here, a nice melodic contrast with the heavier tracks. The character Marguerite is sung by Simone Simons from Epica, that band who named themselves after the previous Kamelot album. I would enjoy this live version more if it wasn't the radio edit. "Moonlight" starts with an ethereal ghostly touch before stomping through the heaviness the listener wants more of.

That concludes the first disc of the CD version, and the second disc starts with "When the Lights are Down" with a catchy chorus with background choir, once again accessible yet dynamic! It sounds more ambitious and complex than anything the band could've done in Karma, having a Symphony X-like feel in the crescendo of melodies. Then we have a soloing battle between Oliver Palotai (in place of Jens Johansson) and guitarist Thomas Youngblood. Then the 3-part 12-minute epic suite "Elizabeth", based on Elizabeth Bathory, begins with the atmospheric "Mirror Mirror". The female vocals return in the second part "Requiem for the Innocent" which I still enjoy as much as a lot of the album. The catchy final part of the suite and album, "Fall From Grace" ends it all on a fast sinister note. Continuing magnificently is the pounding "March of Mephisto" showing both intricate sound layers and dark aggressive Iced Earth-like mid-paced riffs, as well as complex melodic vocal construction. More detailed yet more accessible! Dimmu Borgir vocalist Shagrath does some growling as Mephisto, lip-synced and acted by Snowy Shaw. But for some reason, they didn't include the progressive keyboard solo originally played by Stratovarius' Jens Johansson. Either keyboardist Oliver Palotai doesn't know how to play it himself, or AGAIN they are just playing its radio edit. Better not be the latter!

The female vocals shine again in the title track of Karma and sound quite eerie. Nonetheless, it's my ultimate favorite of the album, and one of the best Kamelot songs I still enjoy. After that, drummer Casey Grillo performs a wild "Drum Solo" before the grand finale... "Farewell" also starts fast with crushing riffs and drums. When Khan's beautiful vocals come in for the verses, it goes slow before speeding up again. Now that's a finale that you can say farewell to! The "Outro" is where the end credits play, along with a mostly instrumental version of "Abandoned" with the only vocals appearing being the female singing from Mari.

Fans of Kamelot will certainly have a nice treat despite the radio edits and the unnecessary extension in one of the songs. Whether you get the CD and/or the DVD, it's one of the most essential releases for fans of Kamelot and progressive/power metal!

Favorites (one per studio album in each disc, plus new track, despite its radio-edits and unnecessary extensions): "The Black Halo", "Center of the Universe", "Nights of Arabia", "Forever", "March of Mephisto", "Karma", "Drum Solo", "Farewell"

For 25 years, Kamelot delivered some of the most first-class power metal I've heard in my epic taste 5 years before this review. After their first 3 albums that barely shook the world, The Fourth Legacy was established a fast bombastic part of the power metal legacy, Karma had new and improved songwriting, and the epic Epica is a concept album that starts the story based on Goethe's Faust. So what did Kamelot do next? They continued the story in one of the best power metal albums in 2005!

Let me just clarify that after 6 albums in the underground, their lucky 7th album The Black Halo is what brought them to higher fame. And I can understand why, this album is so amazing, one of the absolute best in the power metal genre. No exaggeration at all! It's great, it's powerful, and it reminds us of the importance of liking music. Some Kamelot fans don't think this is their best album, and while I used to like their other albums as well, I don't agree with those fans, and the magnificent talent of this album and Epica surpasses many of their other albums by far. Kamelot's Faust albums are the sun in the band's solar system!

The album has a magnificent start with the pounding "March of Mephisto" showing both intricate sound layers and dark aggressive Iced Earth-like mid-paced riffs, as well as complex melodic vocal construction. More detailed yet more accessible! Dimmu Borgir vocalist Shagrath does some growling as Mephisto, and Stratovarius keyboardist Jens Johansson plays a progressive keyboard solo. Next song "When the Lights are Down" has a catchy chorus with background choir, once again accessible yet dynamic! It sounds more ambitious and complex than anything the band could've done in Karma, having a Symphony X-like feel in the crescendo of melodies. Then we have a soloing battle between Jens Johansson and guitarist Thomas Youngblood. "The Haunting (Somewhere in Time)" is the most likable single here, a nice melodic contrast with the heavier tracks. The character Marguerite is sung by Simone Simons from Epica, that band who named themselves after the previous Kamelot album. "Soul Society" has a radio-friendly chorus while soaring through epic progressive sorrow. The first interlude "Del Gratia" is a nice break that would've been pointless if it wasn't part of the story.

"Abandoned" is a true power ballad, far greater than Blind Guardian's overrated "The Bard's Song (In the Forest)". The vocals of Roy Khan are good enough in the first half, but when the song builds up towards the end, his vocals pour out in heavenly grandeur that most other bands try to accomplish but ends up becoming wishful thinking for them. Returning from Epica, Thomas Youngblood's wife reprises her role as Helena, (SPOILER ALERT!!) Ariel's true love who drowned herself in Epica. "This Pain" is a wild song that starts syncopated, then later explodes into a thrashy soloing mindf***. "Moonlight" starts with an ethereal ghostly touch before stomping through the heaviness the listener wants more of. The Italian cabaret interlude "Un Assassinio Molto Silenzioso" (A Very Silent Murder) also has no use except being part of the story.

The driving title track is one of the best ever Kamelot songs. "Nothing Ever Dies" is another killer song, enough said! But the real gem is "Memento Mori" the band's longest single-part song to date at almost 9 minutes. This is probably my favorite Kamelot song ever and one of my favorite songs ever in my old power metal taste. It's an incredible epic that packs a punch in various places such as the story-writing and marvelous riffs and melodies stacked together for you to keep your eyes on the prize. It also has one of the greatest sing-along choruses I've ever heard. Shagrath and Mari reprise their roles one more time as Mephisto and Helena, respectively. Then when it's all over, we hear Mari's last whispering calls for Ariel. Then the interlude "Midnight - Twelve Tolls for a New Day" reveals that the whole story is a playset as part of a New Year's festival. Then we have one more song, "Serenade" which has a fired-up chorus storming through flowing melodies. And there's no denying that you would want to replay this album again.

Kamelot have created a well-thought melodic power metal album that truly unfolds their talents and concepts to a broader audience. I got nothing else to say about The Black Halo, other than it really speaking for itself. Cheers to one of the best power metal experts, Kamelot. Nothing in this album will ever die!

Favorites: "March of Mephisto", "The Haunting (Somewhere in Time)", "Abandoned", "This Pain", "The Black Halo", "Memento Mori", "Serenade"

It was their 6th album, and Kamelot was still a barely recognizable underground power metal band. Nonetheless, their 2003 album Epica would reach the ultimate pinnacle of their sound and lead them to a more prominent record label that would release their next album The Black Halo in 2005 and propel the band to global prominence. What do those two albums have in common? Well they both tell a tale based on an old play, Goethe's Faust. However, while they're both two of the best Kamelot albums, Epica is darker in atmosphere and smoother when flowing through songs and interludes, in the same kind of ratio as Blind Guardian's Nightfall in Middle-Earth. With heavy power metal tunes, amazing ballads (yes, they're awesome), and deep lyrics, Epica is the most underrated work. Vocalist Roy Khan sounds like HIM's Ville Valo trying to sing as high and operatic as Tarja from Nightwish, and that's good because it adds a unique edge to the singing. Perfect vocal talent to fit well with the atmosphere! Guitarist Thomas Youngblood has more talent in heavy riffing, beautiful solos, soft acoustics. His awesome skills help keep Kamelot and its music alive. Bassist Glenn Barry also has talent, and often while drowned out in the guitar waves, still shines in some tracks. Drummer Casey Grillo is also talented pummels in a well-flowing fashion through the beauty of the riffs and melodies. The album is filled with guest members, but two of them definitely need to be mentioned. Miro provides the keyboards, piano, and orchestration that have the most effect in the ballads, while enhancing the heavier songs. Mari Youngblood (Thomas' wife) sings beautifully in a few tracks, in great sync with Khan's vocals.

After all this talk about the team who made the music, it's time to explore the world create for the tale, the world of Epica. Love and loss spreads throughout the saga. A man named Ariel has a great amount of wealth and power but often gets cocky and overconfident. His fate is in the hands of the dark demonized angel Mephisto, intending to lead Ariel into trouble. Helena is a beautiful Maiden whom Ariel is in love with, though Mephisto's sinister mind-games would ultimately cost her life. There's much more depth in the detail in Epica than in The Black Halo, and there's much more interaction between the characters. Some minor characters each appearing in only one song include the Master of Ceremonies and a River Spirit (both voiced by John Wilton). There's also a choir to go along with the orchestration.

The adventure begins with a one-minute "Prologue" filled with static and samples from later tracks that almost causes a Disney-like feeling. Then "Center of the Universe" begins the fast heavy action, but then it slows and quiets down for a melodic piano bridge with Khan singing alongside Mari. Then the heaviness comes back for the soloing and final chorus. What an epic banger to introduce us to the world of Epica. "Farewell" also starts fast with crushing riffs and drums, but when Khan's beautiful vocals come in for the verses, it goes slow before speeding up again. "Opiate Soul" is the first of 4 interludes, and adds some haunting orchestra and choir with the one-minute length.

"Edge of Paradise" isn't as fast as the first two full songs, but it's worth heavy headbanging. The haunting orchestra and choir from the first interlude returns before the solo, all surrounding by mid-tempo riffing and drumming. Following this is "Wander", the first semi-acoustic ballad here. Simply just soft guitar, smooth bass, and beautiful singing. Soon, the chorus adds back some of the metal along with vocal harmony. One of the best tracks here and a rare ballad that I truly enjoy! Second interlude "Omen" is where the beauty dies out for the sound of thunder and soft piano. Afterwards is "Descent of the Archangel", starting with fairy-like synth twinkles before a riff onslaught. Then enters the devious Mephisto, who makes a deal to help Ariel on his quest and claim his soul after death. Rhapsody of Fire's Luca Turilli plays a killer neo-classical solo.

The 3rd interlude "At the Banquet" is where Ariel enters a grand feast as crowded as the Last Supper, with the Master of Ceremonies introducing him. However, Mephisto enters as the "13th guest". "A Feast for the Vain" adds melody to the heavy riffing, as Mephisto makes his introduction. Oh I should note that Roy Khan voices Mephisto here, unlike Dimmu Borgir's Shagrath in The Black Halo. Anyway, that song has some of the best lyrics and heaviness in that song. Then "On the Coldest Winter Night" breaks the heavy tie with another ballad, starting with church bells and soft acoustics. The song is slow in a ballad-like pace, and Khan sings mostly in the Ville Valo-like lower octave as opposed to the Tarja-level falsettos in other songs. It's a good song, but not as much as the other semi-acoustic ballad from earlier. "Lost and Damned" is light on the piano, but a war drum march adds some dark suspense that is leveled up by guitar heaviness after a minute of building up, probably the heaviest here. Another notable track!

"Helena's Theme" includes a pivotal event that would gets us all set for The Black Halo. Helena is pregnant after sleeping with Ariel, but he is still determined to continue his search, and leaves despite her not wanting him to. Heartbroken and wanting to love Ariel after death, Helena commits suicide by drowning in a river, taking the unborn child with her. The River Spirit helps guide her soul to Heaven. Though the town crier in the 4th and last interlude "Dawn" announces otherwise. "The Mourning After (Carry On)" is the first of the great final pair of songs in this album that would define what will happen in the next, with riffs balancing catchy and heavy, and an awesome chorus. Ariel is devastated and angry at himself for what he has done to cause this predicament. "III Ways To Epica" is the last part of the first half of this enchanting tale, where Mephisto convinces Ariel to continue his journey. So that's what he does, as Helena watches over him. The structure in this song is a bit odd, but it's still a perfect way to go out in a bang before continuing in the next album.

All in all, Epica should really be checked out for fans of Kamelot and especially their album The Black Halo, if they wanna hear the band's sound at the best and what leads to the part of the story they know more of. The more global part of Kamelot's journey may have begun after being signed to a greater record deal for their next album, but Ariel's journey is only halfway through. Can he continue his quest with a guardian angel and guardian devil by his side? Stay tuned, and hope you enjoyed this epic album of Epica!

Favorites: "Center of the Universe", "Farewell", "Wander", "Descent of the Archangel", "A Feast for the Vain", "Lost and Damned", "Mourning After (Carry On)", "III Ways To Epica"

Kamelot have been active for around 3 decades now. I've heard of them for over 8 years now, as one of the first ever power metal bands I've listened to and in my personal power metal Big 4 (besides DragonForce, Power Quest, and Dragonland). Their journey began with the underground trio of Eternity, Dominion, and Siege Perilous, which are pretty great but not perfect. It was The Fourth Legacy and this album Karma that brought in the perfection I still love to this day, that continues in Epica and The Black Halo!

The vocals in many of Kamelot's albums are the best I've heard in power metal. Those male clean vocals by Roy Khan are slightly better than Sonata Arctica and Rhapsody of Fire. Khan shines with his great vocal range that stays in key. Also the female vocals that appeared in a couple songs from The Fourth Legacy can be found in this album...

One of the greatest power metal album intros I've heard is "Regalis Apertura", a superb epic overture without going too bombastic. Simple yet excellent! Then comes a personal favorite of mine, the fast "Forever", still remaining a live staple for the band. "Wings of Despair" is another one of the most triumphant songs in power metal, also fast with the guitars leading the way. The chorus really drags me in with its catchy delivery. "The Spell" is enjoyable with spooky keyboards.

The ballad "Don't You Cry" was written in memory of the late father of founding guitarist Thomas Youngblood. The soft music is big on the strings played by a string quartet. It's not weak by any means, but it can take a while to get used to it. The aforementioned female vocals first appear in the title track and sound quite eerie. Nonetheless, it's my ultimate favorite of the album, and one of the best Kamelot songs I still enjoy. "The Light I Shine on You" shows nice guitar crunch and soloing. The guitars in "Temples of Gold" range from acoustic to electric. It's actually a better ballad than the other one here and one of my favorite ballads from the band, though I'm a more "upbeat" listener.

"Across the Highlands" is often confusing and a bit unlike the other songs here. Not really the strongest, but maintaining the album's grandeur. Then the 3-part 12-minute closing epic suite "Elizabeth", based on Elizabeth Bathory, begins with the atmospheric "Mirror Mirror". The female vocals return in the second part "Requiem for the Innocent" which I still enjoy as much as a lot of the album. The catchy final part of the suite and album, "Fall From Grace" ends it all on a fast sinister note.

The album itself ends with nearly 7 minutes of silence in an attempt to round off the band's 5th album's length at exactly 55:55. That pointless aspect aside, Karma keeps up Kamelot's peak streak, though the greatness started with The Fourth Legacy. You can find greatness in the vocals, choruses, and medieval-sounding melodies, all in perfect production. Even the artwork is amazing! Karma remains one of the best power metal albums even after distancing away from the majority of the genre. I would recommend this to fans of Sonata Arctica, Rhapsody of Fire, and Pagan's Mind who like those other bands more than I do. Any metalhead should enjoy this grand offering!

Favorites: "Forever", "Wings of Despair", "The Spell", "Karma", "Temples of Gold", "Elizabeth" (complete suite)

Seeing a review appear here for this album made me remember what a brilliant power metal band Kamelot still is. They're part of my personal power metal Big 4 alongside DragonForce, Power Quest, Dragonland that has shaped my like for the genre and metal in general. Despite moving away from most of power metal, I know my metal taste wouldn't have been how it is today without those bands. They'll forever be my never-forgotten heroes! And this is the first of 4 albums that would prove Kamelot's worth....

1999 was power metal's pinnacle year, along with the year I was born. DragonForce and Dragonland were formed, Freedom Call released their debut, and Rhapsody (of Fire) already had two masterpieces. While Kamelot only had their breakthrough 5 years after, The Fourth Legacy is what allowed this band to ride the notable tide of the genre.

The grand keyboard-symphonic intro "New Allegiance" is a bit pompous for me now, but I still like it. Great hint at their later symphonics! Then the power metal action bursts in with the energetic title track. The amazing singing by Roy Khan speaks of Viking adventures, and there's a Latin choir in the bridge, a first for the band at that time. Epic for an opening full song! Then more variation comes in the mystical "Silent Goddess", showing more of a storytelling side in the lyrics.

"Desert Reign" is an interlude where keyboards reign supreme again, this time conjuring a scene from BC Arabia or Al-Kharid (from RuneScape). I liked the Eastern music-metal crossovers better in my power metal teens, but it still sounds cool. Then it segues to a nostalgic favorite of mine, "Nights of Arabia", continuing the Middle-Eastern themes and reliving the story of Shahrazad. The female vocals by Cinzia Rizzo mark the first of many guest vocalists Kamelot would have over the years. The keyboards are still dominant in the more upbeat highlight "The Shadow of Uther", adapting King Arthur's legend. The haunting love ballad, "A Sailorman's Hymn" is an emotional tear-jerker.

The catchy "Alexandria" explores another legendary character, Alexander the Great. That song and "The Inquisitor" has more progressiveness present in their writing, and it's really great, especially in the latter song that helps builds the album's strength. The history of Crusades is looked back upon in another heartfelt ballad "Glory", which isn't the best of the bunch, but it certainly beats the similar "Bard's Song" by Blind Guardian. The agitated "Until Kingdom Come" stands out with powerful keyboards similar to what Sonata Arctica would have with their debut the same year, and what Freedom Call wish they would have. Well, Kamelot would not have a full-time keyboardist until after The Black Halo. The cyber-synth-powered progressive 6-minute epic "Lunar Sanctum" is one of the best album closers for Kamelot!

All in all, The Fourth Legacy is a h*lla amazing power metal album and it came at the right time when the genre was really rising. And I already knew that 15 years after that year, when I was 15. Such great memories back then of the impact power metal received on the year I was born. A progressive-ish power metal must-have!

Favorites: "The Fourth Legacy", "Nights of Arabia", "The Shadow of Uther", "The Inquisitor", "Until Kingdom Come", "Lunar Sanctum"

Having been around for over two decades, DragonForce had achieved unique veteran status, but they've already achieved that status with this album Reaching Into Infinity! But first, let's recap the beginning (again)... Despite having their overly unique style belong to the golden European power metal scene, their ultra-melodic speed metal style, that Helloween once had dominating Continental Europe in the mid-80s, is more exaggerated in the aggression. Not to mention the legendary guitarists Sam Totman and Herman Li's background in black metal New Zealanders Demoniac. However, they made their commercial breakthrough at the same time as other metalcore bands that were also formed in the year I was born (1999), such as Trivium (the band that switched me out of my initial epic metal taste into the modern heavier metalcore) and Killswitch Engage, that were on top. Despite the double-edged sword, from the being lone mainstream ranger of power metal, their popularity from both their mainstream and underground worlds are high and steadfast, though some haters bringing up false stereotypes about the band might disagree.

Leading up to this album, the band has gone through many lineup changes (at least one per one or two studio albums) and lots of the trends mentioned above, stylistically evolving with self-reflection, and have gotten to the point where they're recognizably the same but different from the entire ZP Theart era. They still have their extreme power metal persona, but here it was time to emphasize the "extreme" in the term while keeping the technical exaggeration in front. Bassist Frédéric Leclercq has taken over most of the writing, and has added influences from bands like Heavenly, the power metal band he was in as guitarist and his recent extreme side-project Sinsaenum. You'll be hearing a lot of his influences from thrash, progressive, death, black, and classic heavy metal, more than any of their other albums with the overall structure being more concise. Leclercq has been writing music with the band since his first album with them Ultra Beatdown, and now it shines all the way, rivaling Sam Totman's writing by 80%.

The spacey title prelude is both the band's first intro and title track since the ones in Valley of the Damned, presenting beautiful atmospheric keyboards and military drums as the Iron Maiden-inspired guitar builds up. Then "Ashes of the Dawn" crashes in with an iconic symphonic homage to Helloween. The signature guitar shredding has its flag to mark while the driving concise melody has quite an epic vibe from the early 2000s eras of Gamma Ray and Freedom Call. Leclercq sure knows how to write an anthem that channels both the rest of his era his past in Heavenly. Though the black/death influences aren't around until much later. In the meantime, enjoy the insane shredding of Inhuman Rampage throwback "Judgement Day" that also includes Sam Totman's songwriting credit shared with keyboardist Vadim Pruzhanov (who would leave the band after this album, leaving the permanent keyboardist position empty to this day). That song's ending is EPIC! More of Leclercq's brilliant songwriting continues in "Astral Empire", very closely reaching the hyperspeed of the previous album's "The Game". Next song "Curse Of Darkness" follows the formula again with a bit of progressive direction in the haunting organ keyboards while having DragonForce's usual triumphant power.

"Silence" is a somber ballad that marks a notable change in songwriting. Leclercq wrote that one about a friend who died by suicide. That song resembles a Dream Theater ballad with a neo-classical solo. Then its back to happiness with a melodic speeding flashback from Sonic Firestorm, "Midnight Madness". The blazing speedy thrasher "WAR!" starts with a wandering dissonant atmospheric intro before the heaviness hits. The verses and chorus are filled with Marc Hudson sounding rougher in the vocals.

Totman writes together with Leclercq once again in "Land of Shattered Dreams" which is another shredding extravaganza hinting at their earlier era. With all those memories from their earlier albums, there's gonna be something new, something unique, something big...the 11-minute gigantic epic "The Edge of the World", beating Sonic Firestorm's "Soldiers of the Wasteland" by over a minute as the longest song DragonForce has done! All of Leclercq's influences from both his classic and extreme eras are compiled into this progressive piece of epic glory. Throughout the song, the pace marches similarly to mid-tempo heavy metal classics like "Heaven and Hell" and "Holy Diver", while offering a killer death/black metal section in the middle. The "epilogue" track "Our Final Stand" brings moderately fast old-school punches close to Manowar territory.

The special edition comes with 3 bonus tracks, and while I especially love the epic symphonic Rhapsody of Fire-inspired "Hatred and Revenge", along with "Gloria" which is a cover of a semi-Japanese song only available in the Japanese edition, their great remake of Death's "Evil Dead" seems out of place. Well of course I enjoy that power metal attempt of covering an old-school death metal song with the shredding speed faster than that of sound, and the vocals keeping most of the brutality of the original, but it just doesn't fit between those other two bonus tracks. They should've put in that cover right after "The Edge of the World" as a regular track.

All in all, Reaching Into Infinity is an impressive evolution the DragonForce's active career, sounding much different than in the last decade back when naysayers kept dissing them. Any speed/melody-loving adventurers will not regret this rewarding journey, as the haunting villains of Leclercq's past battle these British power metal heroes!

Favorites: "Ashes of the Dawn", "Judgement Day", "Astral Empire", "Curse of Darkness", "WAR!", "The Edge of the World", "Our Final Stand", "Hatred and Revenge" (bonus track)

Welcome back to my small series of power metal band compilations from my earlier epic metal taste with new scenarios to fit with the songs, this time it's a compilation from the one band that started my entire metal interest, DragonForce! Their compilation Killer Elite is just like what the subtitle says, "The Hits and the Highs", with the first disc containing successful singles and well-known hits, and the second disc containing songs that are higher level of epic and extreme. There's also a bonus disc called The Vids with every DragonForce music video up to the compilation's release. I can even write some scene ideas for each song. A world of dragons and guitar solos await!

The album kicks off with their most popular song, and the complete start of my entire metal interest... "Through the Fire and Flames"!! If it wasn't for this song, or for my dad and brother both finding it, I wouldn't have been interested in metal, or maybe I would via a different song. Yes, this is indeed my own metal "big bang" (NOT the K-pop boy band, the universal beginning I mean). From the intricate guitar lines and solo plus strange Pac-Man noises to the amazing vocals and fantasy lyrics, this song burned away my horrid radio-pop future and replaced it with a glorious metal one. And I can't believe it was just 8 years ago when it all started. So thank you DragonForce, along with my dad and brother! For that song's scene idea, it would be the main title and opening credits.

The second track "Holding On" is the opener of the band's first album with their new young lead singer Marc Hudson, already heard from the intro with an immense power metal scream that might remind some of Michael Kiske in Helloween's Keeper of the Seven Keys albums. Then the usual power metal comes on with Hudson's vocals. For that scene idea, the intro would be the march into battle, then the battle begins throughout the rest of the song. The single "Heroes of Our Time" keeps up the verse-chorus structure I find boring in most other bands, but for soloing, there are so many random changes that you can't tell what's next. Brilliant! As the heroes fight the enemies, the generals duel each other. The slower but still epic "Cry Thunder" is another one of my favorite DragonForce songs, and my favorite with their new vocalist Marc Hudson! An amazing song worth playing air-guitar until your fingers break and headbanging until you sprain your neck. Its mid-tempo pace (unlike their usual faster songs) reminds me of Irish folk and especially the Skyrim theme. This would fit well for when Thor has his own army to lead him into war and fight. Seriously, it's that awesome!! You can't miss this! It fits well not just for Skyrim or Final Fantasy but also for any MMORPG that has ever existed. I agree with anyone who says this is nice and beautiful. It's really good for when medieval dragons face off against space aliens. An epic hit that has established DragonForce as one of the greatest modern power metal bands besides Alestorm. Well done, DF! There's an epic ride of the reinforcements into the ongoing battle at the last second.

The next song "Black Fire" is another greatly fitting song where the amazing duo Herman and Sam shine with their guitar skills, alongside ZP's amazing vocals. And the chorus is so great! Also, part of the soloing is sampled from a Double Dragon theme. This song fits well for the climax of the battle with the arrival of dragons during the soloing to finish off the enemy army. "Dawn Over a New World" is an uplifting power ballad, though not as great as the first 5 songs of the compilation. The heroes' leader rides a dragon over the lands to the next point of the story. "Fields of Despair" sounds great with lots of unique soloing, but why did they include the live version from Twilight Dementia?! Back then, they downtuned to E-flat tuning for touring which ended up being an epic fail! They should've used the studio version and put it before "Dawn Over a New World". Oh well... The leader's dragon gets shot down by a thousand arrows, result in them both getting killed. The rest of the army know another battle is coming...

A shorter hyperspeed thrash assault, "The Game" is their fastest song at nearly 240bpm. The action kicks off with NES synthesizers, blazing guitars, and a cliché but cool chorus which, if it was at the usual 200bpm, would've been an Ultra Beatdown side. There are also some sick background growls by Matt Heafy from Trivium, the band that made me initially turn my back on power metal for a new heavier modern style of metal. Another battle begins, and the heroes fight the enemies for the former's fallen leader.

"Operation Ground and Pound" is another single and would probably be my 7th favorite song (the first 6 being those first 5 songs and "The Game"). It has excellent verses, an amazing chorus, incredible soloing, and even the music video is awesome! The battle is still raging, but it seems like it might end soon.

"Seasons" is a more mid-tempo song (compared to their usual faster works) that sounds inspired by the radio singles of Gamma Ray and Stratovarius, and also borrows some of that slow tempo from Ultra Beatdown. The battle seems pointless for the heroes to continue without their leader, with the villains' victory being inevitable.

The really kick-A "Reasons to Live" shows creative difference in tempo, writing, and melody. It's so great hearing DragonForce trying something different yet staying true to what they are. Anyone who thinks DragonForce is better off performing what they have done in their first 3 albums should really listen to Ultra Beatdown and this compilation to change their minds. It can be h*lla shocking, but you'll find a fantastic experience as always. The surviving heroes retreat and the bad guys win the battle.

"Soldiers of the Wasteland" is a true epic! This song was DragonForce's longest song for over a decade at nearly 10 minutes, as opposed to their 7-minute song length. The song has everything DragonForce can do; swift vocals, epic lyrics, some of the longest and most impressive soloing ever done by the band, and a slower midsection that builds up for the soloing and ending to be more epic once you get there. That slower section ends with those grand awesome vocals to prepare you for the epic soloing. The bad guys making ultimate plans to level up their strength, while the good guys have their own plan; finding a new strong leader. Can they do it? Find out in Act 2...

The power metal action of the second disc kicks off in "Valley of the Damned"! It has amazed me for like 7 or 8 years now. You already start to hear the amazing voice of ZP Theart in the first verse that rises from soft and deep to excited and high-pitched. The music has faster speed than Sonic in the exciting atmosphere. The real treat is in the middle of the song when you get the mesmerizing soloing from guitar wizards Herman Li and Sam Totman. They're the greatest guitar duo still intact in the present day, a greater blend of melody and speed than Slayer! After the final chorus, ZP does a majestic falsetto scream that starts a glorious melodic solo by Sam to conclude the song on an uplifting note. Back to the scenario, The heroes have finally found a strong enough warrior to lead them for the upcoming final battle. They are now ready... "Fury of the Storm" is another favorite of mine and other DragonForce fans'. It has a good chorus and the usual shining guitar playing. The heroes begin a friendly practice battle with the villains before the real thing so that they could all be prepared for a fair war. Then we have another awesome song "Revolution Deathsquad", though this one is a bit generic. It's got catchy verses and a glorious chorus, along with background harsh vocals. However, the long guitar soloing could've been better shorter. One of the heroes ends up getting killed in the practice battle. Some of the heroes wanted to start the actual battle right there, but the leader suggested not doing so. They agreed but are still a bit mad.

"Wings of Liberty" is the longest song in The Power Within at the formerly typical 7 and a half minutes, while all other songs in that album are each in an average 5 minutes. To be honest, it actually sounds like a wimpy take on their past material and doesn't have that past glory. It sounds really satisfying though. The practice battle is over, and there's some emotional talking before the real battle.

"My Spirit Will Go On" is another live fan favorite, though not as much as the song following this one in the original album ("Fury of the Storm"). This one is pretty straight with a catchy chorus and a progressive midsection. The vocals are the star there while, of course, have their spotlight. There's a spirit-lifting rousing pre-battle speech to troops.

"Three Hammers" ushers in a rare combo of mid-paced epicness and ultra-fast heavy soloing. There's quite some asymmetry involved, but Marc Hudson's vocals are clean and operatically high to enough shatter glass. They used the live version from In the Line of Fire, but that's OK, that live album is better than the one with ZP Theart, though I still prefer if they used the studio version. The armies make their final preparations, and once the fast soloing begins, the battle is on! "Symphony Of The Night" has a handful of predictability, but there are new symphonic elements to make up for that such as baroque instruments and neo-classical progressions to fill up their stylistic toolkit. As the armies fight, both leaders have a final duel to the death.

"The Last Journey Home" also has different changes compared to their earlier material, including being more mid-paced and progressive. While this is one of the best from Ultra Beatdown, it still can't beat the band's greater hits. The enemies' are all defeated and the heroes march to their homes while fighting monsters in different pathways.

Then we have the ballad "Starfire" (wow, they really named a couple songs after one of the Teen Titans, Starfire and her evil sister Blackfire). It opens with cool atmospheric piano with background rain. I don't usually love a lot of ballads, but I love this! Though not the live version from Twilight Dementia, you know the reason. It's all over. The war has concluded, the heroes won and are back home. All in all, a happy ending to this story... OR IS IT?? Back in the enemies' king's throne, the king regains consciousness and wakes up, hinting at a sequel... "Heart of a Dragon" is an amazing uplifting song that serves as a happy ending to this compilation, but its scene idea is...the end credits.

Whew! Another long story to fit as the soundtrack for this incredible power metal compilation. If you already have the latest two DragonForce albums Reaching Into Infinity (the next album I would review to bridge the gap) and Extreme Power Metal, and you want the rest of their discography but can only afford one more album, then this is the album to get for the best of their first 6 albums. Hope you enjoy the best of what was the best power metal band for me, and its unofficial accompanying story I just made!

Favorites (one per album for each disc): "Through the Fire and Flames", "Heroes of Our Time", "Cry Thunder", "Black Fire", "The Game", "Soldiers of the Wasteland", "Valley of the Damned", "Fury of the Storm", "Revolution Deathsquad", "Wings of Liberty", "Symphony of the Night", "The Last Journey Home"

The two albums after DragonForce's awesome starter trio, Ultra Beatdown and The Power Within each took on different creative directions; the former longer and more progressive, and the latter shorter while adding new variety. The Power Within definitely showed the band rising again...

Maximum Overload continues that direction, including the songs each lasting between 4 to 6 minutes. Once again there are many memorable songs, and only a couple of them threaten to be fillers. Sure the lyrical themes continue to vary, but they sometimes throwback to the landscapes of war and fantasy, complete with dragons. DragonForce keeps pleasing their fanbase what there is to love!

A short opening hyperspeed thrash assault, "The Game" is their fastest song at nearly 240bpm. The action kicks off with NES synthesizers, blazing guitars, and a cliché but cool chorus which, if it was at the usual 200bpm, would've been an Ultra Beatdown B-side. There are also some sick background growls by Matt Heafy from Trivium, the band that made me initially turn my back on power metal for a new heavier modern style of metal. "Tomorrow's Kings" has some awesome catchiness. However, the big triumph is put on hold by the overwhelming "No More", which is only under 4 minutes long and isn't so strong, despite more of Heafy's background vocals. "Three Hammers" ushers in a rare combo of mid-paced epicness and ultra-fast heavy soloing. There's quite some asymmetry involved, but Marc Hudson's vocals are clean and operatically high to enough shatter glass. "Symphony of the Night" has a handful of predictability, but there are new symphonic elements to make up for that such as baroque instruments and neo-classical progressions to fill up their stylistic toolkit.

The brooding 6 and a half minute "The Sun is Dead" doesn't have any problems, and the two guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman show their skills without just f***ing around. The battle-ready anthem "Defenders" is once again emphasized by Heafy's background vocals. "Extraction Zone" actually makes think of "Through the Fire and Flames" but shorter and replacing half of the soloing with an electronic bridge. I'm not sh*tting, there's a calm 8-bit electronic bridge that is surprising to the fanbase, but that's not enough to prevent the song from being slightly forgettable. "City of Gold" is a much more pleasant and diverse highlight to listen to with great depth. The weakest of the bunch is their cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire". The notes are mangled in the riffing, failing to do the original justice. Now get this, I actually used to enjoy this song when I enjoyed power metal at the time of the album's release, long before becoming the serious heavy modern metalhead I am today. The interest comes and goes...

The deluxe edition comes with a whopping 5 or 6 bonus tracks, starting with another glorious power metal anthem "Power and Glory". That's almost "Cry Thunder" 2.0, and I mean that in a great way! However, "You're Not Alone" is a weak ballad, but it might have a chance of memorability in a live setting. "Chemical Interference" is the best of the bonus tracks, hinting at what they were aiming for in the next two albums. "Summer End" is exclusive to the Japanese special edition, and is another brooding ballad, though not as weak as "You're Not Alone". Next, "Fight to Be Free" is one more track re-recorded from Totman and ZP Theart's side-project Shadow Warriors, and stands out far more than that Johnny Cash cover. "Galactic Astro Domination" is a one and a half minute soloing instrumental originally recorded for a Capital One commercial.

OK, before I end this review, I'd like to once again say that my interest in power metal is really taking a toll. That's why there are a couple of songs in this album that I used to enjoy 8 years ago that I consider weak today, such as that Johnny Cash cover. That's also why I made my move out of all power metal bands except the ones I consider the true heroes that started my metal interest, which are DragonForce and Kamelot. Only time will tell if I ever regain my tolerance and decide to revisit all those other power metal bands. But for now, Maximum Overload is a great continuation of the new direction started by The Power Within. Most of it is worth your money!

Favorites: "The Game", "Tomorrow's Kings", "Three Hammers", "Defenders", "City of Gold", "Power and Glory", "Chemical Interference", "Fight to Be Free"

After 4 years in oblivion, DragonForce have made their comeback with what the band believed was their most diverse album yet! With a promise like that, fans were expecting a continuation of the unexpected progressive power of Ultra Beatdown. Yet for this album, The Power Within, the blazing guitar/keyboard solos, catch choruses, and high vocals that are to be expected are all still around. The band maintain their killer streak with some difference in lyrical variety, among other new things...

While I'll dive into more of the different aspects as the review goes on, one thing I should note is the bass sounding audible enough to have its own solos. It's quite incredible! Though the guitars and keyboards never back down from their soloing parts.

The vocals definitely add a whole new dimension to the band sound, as the opening track "Holding On" introduces their new young lead singer Marc Hudson, replacing their earlier vocalist ZP Theart. You can already hear Marc in the intro with an immense power metal scream that might remind some of Michael Kiske in Helloween's Keeper of the Seven Keys albums. Then the usual power metal comes on with Hudson's vocals. More of his superb scream-singing occurs in "Fallen World", which was their fastest song at that time (220bpm), reminding me of the Sonic Firestorm bonus track "Cry of the Brave". The slower but still epic "Cry Thunder" is one of my favorite DragonForce songs, and my favorite with their new vocalist Marc Hudson! An amazing song worth playing air-guitar until your fingers break and headbanging until you sprain your neck. Its mid-tempo pace (unlike their usual faster songs) reminds me of Irish folk and especially the Skyrim theme. This would fit well for when Thor has his own army to lead him into war and fight. Seriously, it's that awesome!! You can't miss this! It fits well not just for Skyrim or Final Fantasy but also for any MMORPG that has ever existed. I agree with anyone who says this is nice and beautiful. It's really good for when medieval dragons face off against space aliens. An epic hit that has established DragonForce as perhaps greatest modern power metal band ever. Well done, DF! The incredible bass marks an excellent addition before the soloing in "Give Me the Night", which is another of my favorite songs in this album.

"Wings of Liberty" is the longest song in the album at the formerly typical 7 and a half minutes, while all other songs here are each in an average 5 minutes. To be honest, it actually sounds like a wimpy take on their past material and doesn't have that past glory. It sounds really satisfying though. "Seasons" is a more mid-tempo song that sounds inspired by the radio singles of Gamma Ray and Stratovarius, and also borrows some of that slow tempo from Ultra Beatdown. "Heart of the Storm" focuses much less on the screaming side of the vocals, and more towards the cleanliness and aggression of Marc's vocals, specifically in the verses. This shows that his massive vocal range is closer to Kiske than Theart. That's once again proven in the excellent "Die by the Sword". The usual structure can adapt to the changes in the song length. You can still hear the usual guitar riffing fury without sounding so forced despite the shortening. The final actual song in the standard edition, "Last Man Stands" starts cheesy in the intro, but the rest has uplifting catchiness, though I think it could've been extended to a better 8-minute epic than "Wings of Liberty", if they didn't trim so much of the soloing bridge.

All editions of the album have an acoustic version of "Seasons", which is pretty good but takes away the power metal that has made the original song great. It should've been just a special edition bonus track or at least turned into a different original ballad. Either way, that would've increased my percentage rating for this album from 90% to 95% (100% if they save the extension of length for "Last Man Stands" instead of "Wings of Liberty"). The special edition includes a few bonus tracks, starting with the Japanese edition-exclusive "Power of the Ninja Sword", a powerful song that's another track originally recorded by Theart and one of the guitarist Sam Totman for their earlier side-project Shadow Warriors. There's also a live rehearsal version of "Cry Thunder" that does justice to the original song but is still rather pointless. An alternate version of "Heart of the Storm" includes a different chorus with a slight change in the keyboard soloing bridge while still awesome. "Avant La Tempête" is just a useless acoustic instrumental.

I think the production is another thing that needs slight improvement, despite having clear brilliance. While the instruments can be greatly heard, they could've used some real intensity. The 2018 remastered edition would fix some of those issues. Nonetheless, this incredible comeback shows DragonForce has never ceased to amaze me!

Favorites: "Holding On", "Cry Thunder", "Give Me the Night", "Heart of the Storm", "Die by the Sword", "Power of the Ninja Sword", "Heart of the Storm" (alternative version)

It has dawned on me that I still haven't finished reviewing the entire DragonForce discography, and I plan to do that to complete that journey and have a Spotify playlist filled with my favorite songs. And this is a great place to start, the band's final album in the ZP Theart era, Ultra Beatdown!

For those of you taught to never judge a book or album by its cover, try not to laugh at the cover or cheesy name, and try not to turn away from this band before listening. Inhuman Rampage is my favorite DF album and the album that got me into metal in general, but I've learned that not a lot of people liked it. Ultra Beatdown has more likeable variation. There are more of the slow parts than before, including a slower non-ballad song. And in a few songs, ZP and keyboardist Vadim Pruzhanov take the spotlight.

The magnificent opening single "Heroes of Our Time" keeps up the verse-chorus structure I find boring in most other bands, but for soloing, there are so many random changes and lead harmonies that you can't tell what's next. Brilliant! The end of the song is f***ing impossible not to sing along. Beginning the new variety is the following track "The Fire Still Burns" with an infectious chorus of high near-falsetto vocals as the "darker days go by". The bridge would've been better without too much echo. The really kick-A "Reasons to Live" shows creative difference in tempo, writing, and melody. It's so great hearing DragonForce trying something different yet staying true to what they are. Anyone thinking DragonForce is better off performing what they have done in their first 3 albums should really listen to Ultra Beatdown to change their minds. It can be h*lla shocking, but you'll find a fantastic experience as always. "Heartbreak Armageddon" more prominent riffing, plus a slow part of the soloing.

The slow non-ballad song "The Last Journey Home" also has different changes compared to their earlier material, including being more mid-paced and progressive. While this is one of the best from Ultra Beatdown, it still can't beat the band's greater hits. The actual ballad "A Flame for Freedom" is OK, but it can't beat the ballad from their debut Valley of the Damned. "Inside the Winter Storm" is another 8+ minute track, speeding things up and adding more riffing. "The Warrior Inside" might just be one of the most uplifting power metal songs. Though it may be too happy for the more serious metalheads, like I've become lately.

The special edition of the album has a few bonus tracks, not just one, starting with "Strike of the Ninja". It's the shortest track in the ZP Theart era, being just over 3 minutes long, and sounds closer to 80s glam metal, especially in the chorus, but in a way that I still like. That's actually a re-recording of a song made by Theart and one of the guitarists Sam Totman for their side-project Shadow Warriors. "Scars of Yesterday" sounds like it should've had some potential in the standard album, but there isn't much that I would consider a standout for that song. "E.P.M. (Extreme Power Metal)" only appears in the Japanese special edition really should've been part of the standard album. I mean, holy sh*t, Vadim really shows what he's got, from the video-game sounding intro to his own searing soloing. What a treat!

So to recap what I think of the Theart era, nothing beats Inhuman Rampage, though Valley of the Damned is a prime example of their power metal side. Ultra Beatdown is in the same level as Sonic Firestorm, though having more variation. And the special edition bonus tracks are what make this mighty beatdown more complete!

Favorites: "Heroes of Our Time", "Reasons to Live", "The Last Journey Home", "Inside the Winter Storm", "Strike of the Ninja", "E.P.M. (Extreme Power Metal)"

Well, here we are, the album that began my metal path. Without it, my metal interest wouldn't have existed...unless it starts different. Inhuman Rampage!! Despite being out of my earlier epic power metal taste that includes this band, DragonForce is a band I would always love in my heart and appreciate. It's really cool how they're called "extreme power metal" even though they're power metal but not extreme metal. The label makes sense because of the band's extremely cheesy lyrics (the type of cheese I like), extremely fast guitars, and extremely fun choruses. If you're not a power metal fan, then...why are you here?! If you are, then scr*w the haters and check this band out!

The haters think DragonForce make the same d*mn song over and over, but I don't think so. The songs only sound same-ish, which doesn't bother me. This is the first album where the band experimented with a nice touch of harsh vocals, performed Lindsay Dawson of Demoniac (the former band of guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman before DragonForce). There's nothing else different about the album, but that's fine because it still rules, slightly better than the slightly generic Sonic Firestorm.

The album kicks off with their most popular song, and the complete start of my entire metal interest... "Through the Fire and Flames"!! If it wasn't for this song, or for my dad and brother both finding it, I wouldn't have been interested in metal, or maybe I would via a different song. Yes, this is indeed my own metal "big bang" (NOT the K-pop boy band, the universal beginning I mean). From the intricate guitar lines and solo plus strange Pac-Man noises to the amazing vocals and fantasy lyrics, this song burned away my horrid radio-pop future and replaced it with a glorious metal one. And I can't believe it was just 8 years ago when it all started. So thank you DragonForce, along with my dad and brother! Then we have another awesome song "Revolution Deathsquad", though this one is a bit generic. It's got catchy verses and a glorious chorus, along with background harsh vocals. However, the long guitar soloing could've been better shorter. I still f***ing love it though. "Storming the Burning Fields" has more cheese but still something to love, especially the guitar intro and soloing, the latter being followed by a beautiful "whoa-oa-oah" choir.

"Operation Ground and Pound" is another single and would probably be my 3rd favorite song of the album and the band (behind the first 2 songs). It has excellent verses, an amazing chorus, incredible soloing, and even the music video is awesome! "Body Breakdown" is another cool highlight. A lot of the different instruments play together and apart, sounding weird while staying awesome. The verses start quiet before picking up the heaviness, all while staying fast. That's probably one of the most unique songs of the bunch. Nicely done! While all the songs are awesome, "Cry For Eternity" I'm not so big on. While it has speedy intensity and catchiness, it's just not as much as the other ones. It's also slightly longer at over 8 minutes, but just not as long and epic as the 10-minute epic from Sonic Firestorm. All the 8-minute length does is make this mediocre song more draggy. It's not a horribly bad song in any way (that's why the perfect 5-star rating is still here), but it doesn't have the greatness of the others.

"The Flame of Youth" sounds a bit weird in some parts, but it has a catchy chorus, and the band still shines as always. "Trail of Broken Hearts" is a nice closing ballad for the standard edition of the album. To be honest, that's what they should've done in their previous albums; save their ballads for last. I still like those album's ballads as they are, and slightly better than the one in this album. If you think you've experienced everything in the standard edition, there's more in the bonus track of the special edition that you should definitely get, "Lost Souls in Endless Time"! It's a different uplifting song but still one of my favorites. There's a nice keyboard solo which you don't usually hear from a guitar-solo-dominant band like DragonForce. The higher vocals sing hilariously cheesy lyrics that I still like, along with an awesome chorus. Brilliant!

That pretty much sums up my first ever journey as a metalhead. I can recommend Inhuman Rampage to any power metal fan. It can hypnotize anyone who doesn't like metal to enjoy that genre, at least from my experience. And even though their best albums are with ZP Theart, I enjoy the later albums with Marc Hudson. I love you, DragonForce!

Favorites: "Through the Fire and Flames", "Revolution Deathsquad", "Operation Ground and Pound", "Body Breakdown", "The Flame of Youth", "Lost Souls in Endless Time"

After their successful debut, Valley of the Damned, DragonForce hired bassist Adrian Lambert and drummer Dave Mackintosh, who both helped the band take on darker aggression. But somehow I feel like there's one thing that doesn't pay off for this album. Hmm...

Sonic Firestorm is probably the least well-known album in the ZP Theart era. The monstrous Valley of the Damned has pleased underground metalheads, while the hugely popular Inhuman Rampage has encouraged guitar players worldwide to level up. So where does this leave Sonic Firestorm? Stuck in the middle! However, despite not having the melodic power of the debut and the catchy infection of the third, Sonic Firestorm is still solid and needs higher attention.

"My Spirit Will Go On" is a live fan favorite, though not as much as the song following this one. This opening song is pretty straight with a catchy chorus and a progressive midsection. The vocals are the star there while the guitars, of course, have their spotlight. "Fury of the Storm" is another favorite that my brother (who opened the gateway to my metal world thanks to a certain song from next album, thanks bro) and I enjoy along with other DragonForce fans. It has a good chorus and the usual shining guitar playing. "Fields of Despair" sounds great with lots of unique soloing.

"Dawn Over a New World" is an uplifting power ballad, though not as great as the first 3 songs of the album. "Above the Winter Moonlight" is another song with my favorite chorus of the album. The progressive midsection slows things down a bit for a while, then carries on with the usual soloing and the final chorus before a uplifting ending. "Soldiers of the Wasteland" is a true epic! This song was DragonForce's longest song for over a decade at nearly 10 minutes, as opposed to their 7-minute song length. The song has everything DragonForce can do; swift vocals, epic lyrics, some of the longest and most impressive soloing ever done by the band, and a slower midsection that builds up for the soloing and ending to be more epic once you get there. That slower section ends with those grand awesome vocals to prepare you for the epic soloing.

"Prepare for War" sounds similar to some of the other songs here, even the guitar solos. Not really great, but still decently enjoyable. "Once in a Lifetime" is uplifting, while having the usual speed and not being a ballad, but it comes out as mediocre. Perhaps those last two songs of the album are the weak part that brought this album down to 4.5 stars. Fortunately, the bonus track "Cry of the Brave" is a better, more stunning anthem. I highly encourage you to get the version of the album that has that song!

All in all, Sonic Firestorm has a couple slight weaknesses, compared to the perfect surrounding albums, but it does deserve listening for fans of DragonForce and the rest of European power metal! However, the album after this one is, for me, what started everything....

Favorites: "My Spirit Will Go On", "Fury of the Storm", "Fields of Despair", "Above the Winter Moonlight", "Soldiers of the Wasteland", and bonus track "Cry of the Brave"

What better way to end the power metal part of my Metal Evolution Band Challenge with the one band that started my entire metal interest? That's right, it's DragonForce!! It would've been great to review their third album Inhuman Rampage which has the first ever metal song I loved, "Through the Fire and Flames", but then I decided to review this album. So let's play this album and get this review started!

Scr*w the haters who think DragonForce is fake because of a few poor live performances, this is real! There's absolute nothing wrong on this impressive album. Valley of the Damned is a true power metal classic, showing those guys' potential in creating satisfying works of extreme power metal. This is metalheads who love fast solos!

It starts with a quick windy intro, "Invocation of the Apocalyptic Evil". Then BOOM!! The power metal action kicks off in the title track! It has amazed me for like 7 or 8 years now. You already start to hear the amazing voice of ZP Theart in the first verse that rises from soft and deep to excited and high-pitched. The music speeds faster than Sonic in the exciting atmosphere. The real treat is in the middle of the song when you get the mesmerizing soloing from guitar wizards Herman Li and Sam Totman. They're the greatest guitar duo still intact in the present day, a greater blend of melody and speed than Slayer! After the final chorus, ZP does a majestic falsetto scream that starts a glorious melodic solo by Sam to conclude the song on an uplifting note. The next song "Black Fire" is another greatly fitting song where the amazing duo Herman and Sam shine with their guitar skills, alongside ZP's amazing vocals. And the chorus is so great! Also, part of the soloing is sampled from a Double Dragon theme. "Black Winter Night" continues the amazing guitars and vocals, though the leads sound a little weird in the verses but still OK.

Then we have the ballad "Starfire" (wow, they really named a couple songs after one of the Teen Titans, Starfire and her evil sister Blackfire). It opens with cool atmospheric piano with background rain. I don't usually love a lot of ballads, but I love this one! Next one is another great personal favorite of mine, "Disciples of Babylon". SO FREEZING AWESOME!!! It has the catchiest chorus I've ever heard in power metal! I love the "It's here, it's near" part of the chorus. The brilliant keyboards flow through the guitars and vocals in exciting mood. At the 4-minute mark, once everyone has calmed down from all that power metal adrenaline, there's an acoustic piano interlude that's good and a little jazzy. The soloing is still present, shredding lightning-fast through the otherwise calm interlude. Then the heaviness returns for the last chorus. "Revelations" is another epic song with a nice slower soloing part with a bit of ZP's harmonious vocals. The fast part of the soloing is awesome too.

Another cool track "Evening Star" starts as a slow beautiful ballad for the first 30 seconds, then speeds up to a great fast song. "Heart of a Dragon" is an amazing catchy uplifting song that serves as a happy ending...to the standard edition, this is. I'm sorry if any of you have the original standard edition of this album, because then you would be missing out on the bonus track, "Where Dragons Rule". It's a majestic song that would make any version of this album that has this song complete. It starts with in calm ambiance with cool piano before bursting into heaviness. This is so amazing that I don't why they would ever make it a bonus track. It's a brilliant album closer that would make you want more, and fortunately there is more to come in later albums. Dragons rule! Unicorns suck!!

Valley of the Damned is indeed one of the greatest produced albums in power metal history. The fantasy lyrics have great mood and every member of the band deserves credit. This really surpasses any Blind Guardian album I've listened to. All tracks are great! This is for all you power metal fans out there. May the DragonForce be with you!

Favorites: "Valley of the Damned", "Black Fire", "Starfire", "Disciples of Babylon", "Revelations", and bonus track "Where Dragons Rule"

Bullet for My Valentine was known as an entry point into metalcore 10 to 15 years ago, offering aggressive metal tendencies and mixing it with friendlier elements. There were screams, breakdowns, and riffs of cacophony, offset by poppy refrains and leads of melody. On their sixth album Gravity, the pop influences have infected songs beyond each chorus and most of their deep hardcore roots are gone. All that's left is nu metal from their original Jeff Killed John era with pop elements.

This dreaded sound is part of the band's drastic sound evolution reaching out for wider audiences and bigger popularity. Vocalist/guitarist even admitted that he did the whole "change the sound for bigger audience route" so that his band could headline Download Festival. Glad they can achieve that goal, but that's no excuse!

The first track "Leap of Faith" begins with a pulsing synth intro that continues on through the first verse and the chorus when the rest of the instrumentation leaps in. During the chorus, the synth switches from rhythm to lead. It's as if the synths took over most of the guitar's role! They alternate before a forceful middle breakdown with more lead synth soaring over. "Over It" is too much of an emo anthem. That song and "Letting You Go" are new-sounding yet uninspired radio singles, but the lyrics pack a few small punches. "Not Dead Yet" shows that the new elements are staying where they are.

The lowest point of this album, possibly of the band, is "The Very Last Time", an electronic ballad without any heaviness. It's so dull and uninspiring, and the lyrics sound like an emo teen's diary entry. "Piece of Me" has some breakdowns and screams similar to their older material, but everything else falls into the electronic sea, similar to Asking Alexandria. "Under Again" swims through atmospheric elements while staying a little heavy, reminiscent of That's the Spirit-era Bring Me The Horizon.

Continuing the shameless songwriting is the title track, a nausea-inducing so-called "anthem" that uses a high-octane drive of synths. I think it might have influenced a bit of While She Sleeps' So What? album with the horrendous chorus chant. They think they can sound better adding some cyber-punk rock. SO WHAT?! Another frustrating song is the generic "Coma", too light to make an impact. That's enough to make me fall into a coma! But just when I'm about to lose consciousness, "Don’t Need You" wakes me back up with the much-needed classic BFMV sound that really stands out more than the other songs. They still have their aggression! The final ballad "Breathe Underwater" is just filled with acoustic melancholy and cliched lyrics that close the album on a damp note. I fall back into a coma and don't wake up until hours after the album ended...

I admit that the new formula works in some songs and those songs become catchy and easy to digest. Metal purists would be really frustrated by this album, but maybe this will successfully open a new heavy generation that would motivate the band go back to their heavier roots. There's still hope later after this cruddy gravitational pull....

Favorites: "Leap of Faith", "Not Dead Yet", "Piece of Me", "Under Again", "Don't Need You"

I know that the only Bullet for My Valentine album many metalheads actually enjoy is The Poison, and every subsequent album show their downfall of sound from metalcore to alt-metal... Except Venom! This album actually interrupts that transition right before its nu metal destination, the next album Gravity. Venom marks one more return to the thrash-metalcore sound of The Poison and Scream Aim Fire. They still have their original sound for this album!

Those Welsh metallers' 5th album adds more of the band's defense, offering venomous aggression to last 11 tracks. However, they still have some of the concerning elements diffused from their less even previous album Temper Temper, but I will put those aside.

The short ambient intro "V" starts the album, similarly to The Poison's "Intro". But once you reach the end of the intro and start the next track, there's... "NO WAY OUT!!" Matt Tuck screams his way into the first actual track "No Way Out", as the instrumentation storms through, like a pack of lions knocking down a gazelle and devouring its limbs. It's a venomous old-school-like thrash mix of dueling guitars and burrowing choruses. A perfect opening for the heaviness that follows! "Army of Noise" continues the thrash influence similar to Scream Aim Fire. "Worthless" is kinda aptly titled because while it stays true to the mainstream metalcore revival, it gets a little too clumsy.

The stadium-ready gang-singing "You Want a Battle? (Here's a War)" really shows the band's higher strengths, having some potential as a theme for a WWE wrestling montage. "Broken" is an unbroken flashback to their earlier material from The Poison and Scream Aim Fire. The title track is a slow brooding ballad that isn't really suitable for a title track but still an OK song nonetheless.

"The Harder the Heart (The Harder It Breaks)" is in some ways similar to another ballad, "Bittersweet Memories". It keeps the mid-tempo pace, well-written chords, emotional lyrical subject, and guitar leads, though much heavier with more screams. "Skin" is slower and shows the band's melodic side from earlier albums. Same with "Hell or High Water", the longest song of this album at only 4 and a half minutes. "Pariah" once again shows that even their hooks aren't so...hooky, they really pump you up for a menacing closer to the album. Well done, guys!

Complain about the band's aimlessly trekking template if you want, but they really know how to bring back their earlier roots. With Venom, BFMV have ignited the last of the vital sparks of their early material. They still got their heavy venom!

Favorites: "No Way Out", "Army of Noise", "You Want a Battle? (Here's a War)", "Broken", "The Harder the Heart (The Harder It Breaks)", "Pariah"

Remember in my review for The Poison, I said that the music video for the song "Riot" on TV is what made me eventually interested in this band? Yeah, it's in this album. After the successful album Fever (that's not as awesome as The Poison), the winning formula is never altered in this one, Temper Temper!

This album once again features the Welsh band's metalcore combined with pop hooks and slower ballads like in Fever, though in this album, the metalcore is less prominent to the point where this is just hard rock/alt-metal. Vocalist/guitarist Matt Tuck showed the full-on metal side that I think BFMV should've had, in a different band AxeWound. Now, Tuck is back in BFMV to make an album that would cause both delight and disappointment.

The first 3 songs are the angry kind in both music and lyrics, starting with the opener "Breaking Point". With a metal solo and catchy chorus, it has the muscular accessibility that helps the band's success. "Truth Hurts" is heavier and demonstrates the band's catchy love for metal. The title track really stomps hard, yet it's the most radio-friendly song in the album. It's done quite well pumping up radio listeners. It's a 3-minute hell-blast into radio heaven! However, following the lighter rock rules, the album slows down a bit with the next song being a ballad...

"P.O.W. (Prisoner of War)" is a softer ballad that calms things down a bit. "Dirty Little Secret" continues the calm vein while bringing back the heavier punches. The heaviness fully returns in "Leech" though the pop seems to leech on the metal. "Dead to the World" starts as a classic ballad before becoming faster in the last two minutes.

The anger and fast pace shoots through your head again in "Riot", that song I keep telling you about in which it's music video made me eventually into BFMV. It has the sharp heavy potential from earlier. I love that song so much! "Saints & Sinners" is truly metal! "Tears Don’t Fall (Part 2)" is the sequel to the best song of their debut The Poison. I love that one but not as much as the first part. The closer "Livin’ Life (On The Edge Of A Knife)" ends the album in confident fashion.

Bullet for My Valentine will never be known by metalheads just for this album, but they continue their deep thoughtful lyrics and music strengths for the world. There are very few bands who can keep doing what they like to do....

Favorites: "Breaking Point", "Temper Temper", "Leech", "Riot", "Saints & Sinners", "Tears Don’t Fall (Part 2)"

Something to notice about Fever is, Bullet for My Valentine has moved away from their great thrash-fest Scream Aim Fire, back to their metalcore sound in common with The Poison. However, they seem to mature their sound much more, which the heavier metalheads might not totally like, but I'll explain more along the way. Matt Tuck continues to reign as one of the most popular metalcore vocalists while the band writes what makes them comfortable. The bass in the well-done production has been turned from simple to heavier in the instrumentation. The guitar tone is great and the drums sound powerful in the mix, heard much better than other metal albums I enjoy.

However, the lyrics aren't as strong as in the previous two albums. Some songs' lyrics face the problem of sounding too influenced and cliche. It works well, but not in its best. They could've had metaphorical lyrics to ponder on, instead the lyrics are too obvious and at the very end of the impact the concept would've had. And I've learned in English class what to do when writing stories or lyrics; show, don't tell!

The first track "Your Betrayal" is simple yet killer! It starts with a military marching drum intro for soldiers to prepare for war with a mood similar to a song from The Poison. The simple elements continue on including drop-C tuned guitars, screams and whispers. After the second chorus, the middle section is different from your typical BFMV song. No guitar solo, just siren-like wailing vocals over heavy guitar. It does show some maturity, but it would've been better if the guitar solo does the siren-like wailing. The title track is a song that's more traditional for the band, with lyrics about a raunchy nightclub. It's faster and raw but not the fastest in the album. The vocal harmonies sound a bit sleazy. "The Last Fight" is a glimpse of a driving fighter-attitude. It has the first ever guitar solo in the album. It's my personal favorite song in terms of vocals, most of which is clean singing with background shouting in the chorus. That's a simple but cool mature song. "A Place Where You Belong" has the same slow soft ballad-like pace as The Poison's "All These Things I Hate" with some heavy bits. Unlike that other song, this is quite boring until the guitar solo picks up more heaviness.

In the next song, "Pleasure And Pain", the full heavy power returns even in that opening lyric, "COME TAKE THE SACRIFICE!!" right before the powerful opening riff adds more impact. The song goes on in a similar vein as the title track, only more intense, probably the most intense song here! My favorite lyric in the album is right before the final chorus, the quiet line "You don't want to know the truth." The next one, "Alone" starts with massive guitar tapping over orchestral synths and chord sequence, a nearly similar starting structure to "Your Betrayal", but sounds neo-classical. The synth-strings continue through the verse and chorus in catchy occasion. The guitar solos start with simple melodies transposed to E minor (key changes are rare for BFMV) before modulating back to D minor in time for the final chorus and a crashing finale like no other. The intro plays again in the outro slowing down to crawling before an epic collapse similar to a film or album ending. Yeah, that song would fit better as the album's closing track, but at least it brings us to the second side. "Breaking Out, Breaking Down" has a lot to live up compared to the preceding songs. It's less heavy but has good harmonized vocals in the chorus. That song is nice but never stands out until the simple but effective bridge.

"Bittersweet Memories" utilizes a simpler method of execution. It's basically a lost-love ballad. The song has a profound overall effect. I would never recommend that song to metalheads but instead to emo kids who attempt to cut off some of their own toes in a strange attempt to ease their misery. "Dignity" is a true trip down The Poison memory lane, especially the harmonizing opening riff that sounds similar to the one from "Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow". This song might flip off fans of maturity, but what's majestic is the tight music lined up with vocal melodies, especially in the chorus. Great mix of screaming and singing. One of the best! Next one, "Begging for Mercy" is the heaviest beast in this album. There are massive riffs and a clever chorus, though similar to the slightly less heavy songs' chorus while still monstrously heavy. "Pretty On The Outside" is a dramatic groove closer with the least clean singing in the album. The lyrics are so personal that they're the best in the album!

Fever is a good album, mature and nicely played with good singing. However, the album suffers from more ballad-like songs, while still having stronger tracks. Good album but not as awesome as The Poison....

Favorites: "Your Betrayal", "The Last Fight", "Pleasure and Pain", "Alone", "Dignity", "Pretty on the Outside"

Bullet for My Valentine instantly ascending to fame with their metalcore debut The Poison, then they went on to improve their sound. And it's a heavier improvement before its later downfall into hard rock/alt-metal...

Scream Aim Fire is a strong heavy album where they took the time to structure songs into works of art. They have great potential talent! The guitar tone is also greatly placed in solos and screaming vocals over chaotic drums and thrashy bass. This is certainly a reckless album, one that adds more metal than core. Read that, Metal Archives?! You gotta listen before you make your judging call!

The album starts with the furious title track, containing pounding drums, fired-up screams in the breakdown ("Scream! Aim!! FIRE!!!"), and a signature guitar solo that's #1 in this album! "Eye of the Storm" continues the thrash-metalcore action with a thunderous riff and another signature guitar solo. "Hearts Burst Into Fire" is a bit slower and more uplifting while maintaining the heavy sound. The ultimate extreme metalcore track of this album is "Waking the Demon". This is the heaviest song here with a monstrous riff and a crazy shredding solo. Matt Tuck and Jason James have a total scream-off in the verses.

"Disappear" continues the fast heaviness, though not as heavy as the previous songs. "Deliver Us From Evil" is probably the lightest non-ballad song of the album, and it has the first bass solo to be heard here. Another one of my album favorites, "Take It Out On Me" shows the band taking out an amazing intro riff, Matt's own guitar solo, and the second bass solo of this album that's better than the previous one. Benji Webbe from Skindred contributes guest vocals in that song.

"Say Goodnight" is the ballad- sorry, semi-ballad of this album, starting with acoustic intro then the song gets heavier through the chorus. "End of Days" shows that the earlier days of The Poison have not ended but you might not hear a lot of that kind of sound in later albums. "Last to Know" is an instant BFMV classic for me with a good intro riff and good guitar solo to soar back and forth through your ears. The final song in this album, "Forever and Always" is another slow and uplifting song, this time 7 minutes long. I won't say much about that one, other than not being as great as the previous album's 7-minute "End".

Scream Aim Fire is so unlike most other albums out there. This album and The Poison have remained true BFMV classic albums, though The Poison is the bigger classic. There's everything to love and barely anything for the haters. Sure there are a few acoustic moments, but the extreme side hits you hard and just keeps going until the end. Any metalhead should get this album and listen to the whole thing, maybe even have a backup copy in case you lose your first one. You don't wanna miss this fire!

Favorites: Scream Aim Fire, Hearts Burst Into Fire, Waking The Demon, Take It Out On Me, Say Goodnight, Last to Know

During my original epic metal taste a few years ago, I found the music video for the song "Riot" by Bullet for My Valentine (from the album Temper Temper) on TV, then about a year later, the friend I keep telling you about introduced me to a heavier modern side of metal. I really loved that song back then, and I knew I had to listen to more of that band. I was blown away by more of their songs. The song has great guitar solos and harmonized guitars and fantastic drumming. It's just...great! The guitarists use lots of effects, the drummer really kicks it, and the vocalist has the best singing I've heard in a long time at that time.

The lyrics are interesting, about love and breakups in different ways. The lyrics are metaphorical in a way that sounds good. Matt Tuck is one of my favorite singers and has the best singing I've heard during my transformation into heavier modern metal. His voice is unique, sounding like a Welsh punk teenager (he IS Welsh, but not a teenager), and when he screams, he has great range and knows his timing. Kudos to his ability to sing and play riffs at the same time!

The album begins in the same manner as the first two Trivium album, with an orchestral "Intro". Finnish cello masters Apocalyptica contribute their slow depressing violins for the first 45 seconds before distorted clean guitars and a lead solo comes in. Beautiful intro but slightly misleading. "Her Voice Resides" is a great start to the metalcore action. It can catch listeners off-guard when the soft intro gets cut off by the sudden heaviness. Great riffs, great lyrics, great solo! The heaviest song of this album and an outstanding discography beginning. "4 Words (To Choke Upon)" is another really good song. Excellent lyrics, amazing drums, and a good solo! "Tears Don't Fall" is a definite highlight here for a couple reasons. First off, my brother was listening to this song during the beginning of my heavier modern metal phase and it reminded me of "Riot", NOT similarly, but made me think of that song I was interested in about a year prior. The other reason is the instrumentation; very good riffs and great lyrics like in previous songs. The bridge gets much faster and worth headbanging, then in comes the blazing solo. Best song by the band ever!

"Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow (What Can I Do)" is another song that's so good, that the only thing in the song worth mentioning is the good solo. "Hit the Floor" is another one of the heaviest songs here. There are naturally harmonizing riffs and...no solo. Yeah, that's one of only a few songs in the album without a solo. "All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)" another good song. Still no solo, but still amazing! "Room 409" is a really great song, trust me. Everything's really great including the lyrics, harmonies, solo, and breakdown. I love it so much! Why isn't the title track more popular? It's a very good song that deserves to be a single! It has a good riff and the best solo on this album. The breakdown is better than other breakdowns here but not as awesome as the solo.

"10 Years Today" is never really the best song of this album. No solo, OK riffs, and a slower tempo than most other songs. The lyrics are still good though. "Cries in Vain" is way better! After a phaser intro, the distortion hits you hard. There's also a harmonic ending solo. That's a great song! It is sandwiched between two of the album's worst songs. The second of the two slight downers is "Spit You Out". It's definitely never too bad because of the catchy chorus and awesome breakdown. I really love the ending track "The End". It's a great end to this metalcore journey. More mellow and depressing but still stands out well. The guitar riff is so simple, Matt can focus on more emotion in his vocals in the cleaner verses. I wish he could keep doing that emotional technique but that would mean he would have to drop the guitar full-time. The song gets heavier but once again, there's no solo. Then it returns to the intro riff used as the outro with soft guitar harmony over it as it all fades out. Another personal album favorite!

Overall, The Poison is a great album and part of the start of my heavier modern metal phase. BFMV has made a metalcore masterpiece, and they were just getting started!

Favorites: Her Voice Resides, 4 Words (To Choke Upon), Tears Don't Fall, All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me), Room 409, Cries in Vain, The End

I had a bit of trouble deciding whether to review this EP or the Hand of Blood EP, as both EPs have the same tracklisting except for one track added to the latter. That's why I didn't review this release as early as the other BFMV albums a few years back. Ultimately, I decided to review their 2004 self-titled EP, which marks the beginning of their tenure (not including when the band was originally named Jeff Killed John), and I consider of Hand of Blood to just be this EP's release with an extra track. So here we are...

The style of this album is basically the emo-metalcore of From Autumn to Ashes often put down by metal purist b****rds, blended together with the band's more metallic influences such as Iron Maiden and Metallica for the melodic metalcore sound Bullet for My Valentine would have the potential to cement in The Poison. With some guitar soloing added to the mix, the guitarists can easily show their metallic side from those earlier bands without ripping off. The audible bass sounds great, as does the fantastic drumming. Frontman Matthew Tuck sounds amazing with his vocals ranging from clean singing to hardcore screaming, all while impressively playing his riffs.

"Hand of Blood" has the usual hardcore guitar riffing that stands out in the metal instrumentation. It's so great hearing the cleans and screams alternating between each other in the verses. "Cries in Vain" (re-recorded in The Poison) is way better! After a phaser intro, the distortion hits you hard. There's also a harmonic ending solo. That's a great song! A soft clean intro starts "Curses". That song is OK, but the instrumentation sounds a bit drowned out here. There seems to be a further loss of quality in "No Control". It almost comes out as awful when there's barely anything to get you hooked. "Just Another Star" greatly makes up for that! The multi-vocal choruses are nice and while they sound a little too much when you listen to this song on your own, the greatness of it decimates the poorness of the previous track. The guitars there are so good.

In retrospect, maybe reviewing the Hand of Blood EP would've been better, since the addition of The Poison track "4 Words (to Choke Upon)" is what made me give it a 4.5-star rating, as opposed to the 4-star self-titled EP. Nonetheless, any fan of emo-metalcore should explore its more melodic side with the solid start of this band's career....

Favorites: "Hand of Blood", "Cries in Vain", "Just Another Star"

At the center of metalcore is the twilight zone between heavy metal and post-hardcore. It seemed like Underoath was going to take the post-hardcore direction, but add in a little sludge and both sides were in good balance. The Changing of Times was their last album with Dallas Taylor before Spencer Chamberlain took the band into commercial accessibility with their 4th album that wasn't really in a stellar stylistic direction. They were ultimately one of the most prominent mid-2000s emo acts, and it was a dreadful time in their history, both my thoughts on the album and their touring issues. Luckily, those problems were wiped away in Lost in the Sound of Separation, and the greatness was maintained in their last album before their two-year split, Ø (Disambiguation)! A clever way of self-titling but might confused for Wikipedia users.

It's highly likely that Underoath would never return to the black/death metal-inspired roots of the first two albums (now almost impossible because Corey Steger is gone from this world, RIP), but there's no point to compare these two different eras for different audiences. With that said, death metal purists might not find a lot redeeming in this album, but any hardcore punk fans looking for death metal-like aggression without actually heading to that genre are at the right place. There is a bit of post-hardcore around, while fortunately not in the same poppy level as Define the Great Line and closer to the perfection of Lost in the Sound of Separation.

"In Division" is a superb opener! Aaron Gillespie was absent for this album in both the drums and clean vocals, but Spencer's cleans that he uses with his usual screams keep the manliness factor going. No lie, I watched the music video for this song on TV long ago (at around the same time as "Writing on the Walls") during my earlier epic metal taste, but it was until in the center between then and now when I became fully interested in this band during my current modern heavier era. While I enjoy this exciting sound, I love the band in the albums where Aaron is around, though their older stuff. This album is brilliant killer face-blasting metalcore, though it hasn't reached the epic height of Lost in the Sound of Separation but it's very close. They should definitely have more success than Tool. Christian metalcore for the win! "Catch Myself Catching Myself" takes some composition inspiration from sludge metal acts such as Isis. "Paper Lung" sounds a little more alternative than the rest, but like those other two music videos, this one is also what ignited a slight spark of interest in Underoath that didn't fully began until when a different song from the band was used in a TheOdd1sOut video. This is closer to a sludgy metalcore mix a bit like early He is Legend, especially in the intense last minute. I ain't sorry when I say this is much better than their recent pop rock sh*t.

"Illuminator" comes some of the most extreme intensity since 10 years prior while in their current style. Then we have a one-minute experimental track "Driftwood". Then the guitar tone goes chaotic almost as much as Soilent Green in "A Divine Eradication". That song and "Who Will Guard the Guardians?" continue the post-metal passages of Isis.

"Reversal" is another one of Christopher Dudley's experimentations. It's the band's own Linkin Park "Session"! For the next song, "Vacant Mouth", clearly it sounds like a contributing factor to influencing Dir En Grey's chaotic alt-metal 2010s era. "My Deteriorating Incline" continues that kind of sound but with an acceptably accessible spin. This wild ride of an album ends with the post-metal closer, "In Completion" that almost works as a metaphor for the completion of the band's initial journey.

Ø (Disambiguation) is an album I would definitely return to any time, bringing back a bit of their underground intensity to spice up their current style that they've strictly stuck to. Surely it can please open-minded metalheads enough to forgive the band for their softer phase. It really stands tall as the band's then-final album, with the members taking it to new territories while restoring a bit of the heavier legacy they left behind without actually becoming like that. It's sad that they would split up afterwards for two years and their heaviness stagnated for their comeback album, but it was an interesting journey so far, and I'm grateful for this band. Don't break the Underoath!

Favorites: "In Division", "Paper Lung", "Illuminator", "Who Will Guard the Guardians?", "Vacant Mouth", "In Completion"

If you can look back at Underoath's past in the couple years before this album in a more outer perspective, you can find the era of Define the Great Line to be the highlight of this band's career, with that album reaching a golden spot on the Billboard. However, I only think most of the second half of that album is good, so they could've just made an EP or something, and that album's future wasn't bright for the band either. They dropped out of the Warped Tour due to Spencer Chamberlain's drug abuse and almost split up. Luckily they stood strong and fought those hard times to unleash one of two more albums, Lost in the Sound of Separation!

This is the second album in a row co-produced by Adam Dutkiewicz and Matt Goldman, but now, helping with the mixing was David Bendeth who had also just mixed Paramore album #2 Riot! (coincidentally, Aaron Gillespie would tour with Paramore during Underoath's two-year split). The 11 songs in this album are probably the most massive I've heard from this band, with wide vibes moving you in different directions. Chamberlain's massive growls shake the speakers alongside Gillespie's improved singing and bombastic drumming. One moment there are soothing calm melodies, and the next has the huge guitar riffing from Timothy McTague and James Smith. Grant Brandell’s booming bass and Christopher Dudley's atmospheric keyboards let the instrumentation really pummel away the so-so-ness of Define the Great Line.

Honestly, "Breathing in a New Mentality" can really take you by surprise by starting with riffs, drumming, and screams in a lower volume before shoving heavy loudness through your mouth and throat. This is a far more powerful opener than that of the previous album. Chamberlain's screaming sound demanding while Gillespie's drumming dominates and the guitar chords cuts more sharply than razor blades. "Anyone Can Dig A Hole But It Takes A Real Man To Call It Home" may waste a bit of review space with its long title, but the song itself never wastes any time. I sh*t you not, this was used briefly in a TheOdd1sOut video, and that restored my music video memories of this band and got me to start listening to them full-time. Lyrics like "We always assume the worst!" and "How can I still be alive?!" show the theme of anxiety on a frantic search for hope. Gillespie's cleans enter to start "A Fault Line, a Fault of Mine" with dreamy verse before a mid-paced yet crushing bridge of soaring harmony between the two vocalists.

The more Nine Inch Nails-ish industrial "Emergency Broadcast :: The End Is Near" is a heavy song, one of the heaviest songs in the metalcore scene! The bassline at the one-minute mark builds up until unleashing the chaos. This is probably the most epic song of Lost in the Sound of Separation, especially that 45-second moment with shiver-inducing guitar, one minute after that bassline. The singing by Gillespie helps level up the song, though that album without him after this one is great too. F***ing amazing! The Cult of Luna-like post-metal influence that they had in Define the Great Line can definitely be found in better form in this sick song. Well done with this slow yet hard anthem, guys! "The Only Survivor Was Miraculously Unharmed" is a furious follow-up, stunning you way hard. Once again, what makes that song a highlight is the drumming by Gillespie. That and his singing keeps better album after album, dominating alongside melodic chanting after all that fire and brimstone. "We Are The Involuntary" starts perfectly with the usual noise-metal/post-hardcore blend before falling out a bit with accessible alternative rock. "The Created Void" redeems the quality with Chamberlain's roars and Gillespie's cleans and incredible drumming. Melodic yet heavy, even changing pace with a gentle outro in contrast to the previous tracks' loud endings.

Another fist-pumping track is the not-so-calm "Coming Down Is Calming Down". The single "Desperate Times, Desperate Measures" levels up the audience's desperation for moshing and headbanging, wilder than a rollercoaster that has left its tracks and ends up driving all over the city. "Too Bright To See, Too Loud To Hear" is the first of two separately stylistic ending tracks, a bit of a jamming near-ballad hybrid. Beginning that track is the calm vocals of Gillespie and the soothing static keys of Dudley for an organic vibe. It slowly builds up starting with Chamberlain taking over on singing in a rough tone and handclapping, before a powerful climax of emotional thunder in the chords and vocals that are now at that growling level. Probably the most unique song by the band back then, showing their evolution while still having their metalcore sound. "Desolate Earth :: The End Is Here" is an unpredictable closer of Dudley's electronics, piano, and strings, to cleanse your mind and hearing with beautiful utopia. Then the guitars spin you through the triumphant heaven of Chamberlain's shouts. Just like their previous album, this one of desperate anxiety ends with a glimmer of hope.

If there's one Underoath album to really hype me up, Lost in the Sound of Separation would be that album. All the previous Chamberlain-era albums' clichés have been wiped out for ear-piercing fury and unpredictable melody. Underoath have once fallen into their own dark ages but manage to climb out and make this album with the moral that you are never alone. Lost in the Sound of Separation has stabbed the bleak darkness of their times and quality with a ray of optimistic light!

Favorites: "Breathing in a New Mentality", "Anyone Can Dig A Hole But It Takes A Real Man To Call It Home", "Emergency Broadcast :: The End Is Near", "The Only Survivor Was Miraculously Unharmed", "Too Bright To See, Too Loud To Hear", "Desolate Earth :: The End Is Here"

After the extreme two-parter of Act of Depression and Cries of the Past, they really started changing their times in their 3rd album, and while their second album has great amounts of heaviness, The Changing of Times toned it down, but closer to the fantastic post-hardcore/metalcore I like from this band. This is for the open-minded!

The album title really fits well for a heavily different and slightly improved Underoath. The complexity, diversity, and breakdowns of Cries of the Past are all replaced with a streamline approach that works fine here but was ruined in their next album They're Only Chasing Safety. Overshadowing while pretty good in album #3! The Changing of Times can be considered a 180 turn from Cries of the Past for the most part, while still having their dark atmospheric black metal-influenced kicks in a few songs.

"When the Sun Sleeps" is a pretty great uplifting highlight to start this different chapter. The shorter "Letting Go of Tonight" starts soft briefly before a sudden Sonic powerup sound transition into the heaviness.  "A Message for Adrienne" has pathetically emo-ish Christian lyrics that recall the band's embarrassing lyrical past, "His wrists would bleed, but she would never see, so he took his life at the age of 23." I just turned 23, but I would never take my life! What happened to DIScouraging suicide like in the title track Act of Depression?!? Nevertheless, the great dark instrumentation from that debut is still around. Same with "Never Meant to Break Your Heart", a better highlight.

Now for the title track... UGH, that synth intro is one of the worst things to happen in both the band and the album! F*** THAT!!! The rest isn't too bad though. "Angel Below" once again proves that they still have the darkness of Cries of the Past. Drumming gets busily tight in "The Best of Me", which is f***ing great. One of the best of this album!

One of the best songs of the album is "Short of Daybreak" despite its short length. But the absolute best is "Alone In December". This one keeps up the earlier intensity without ever going highly aggressive, all in a balanced weight or forlorn honesty. The last track "814 Stops Today" is just under a minute of keyboard noise. Not a great ending to my ears, but it's a fine way out.

All in all, The Changing of Times isn't bad at all, other than the lyrics, some keyboard parts, and what people think of the drastic changes. This is kind of what 7 Angels 7 Plagues would sound like if still active, and fans of that band would dig this more than elite metalheads. Recommended if you wanna witness the times that were changing!

Favorites: "When the Sun Sleeps", "Never Meant to Break Your Heart", "The Best of Me", "Short of Daybreak", "Alone In December"