Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Reviews
White Zombie - Astro-Creep: 2000 - Songs of Love, Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head (1995)
White Zombie was known as one of the first ever groove metal bands alongside Pantera, as fully demonstrated in La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One, though they hadn't yet reached the mainstream. They finally got their commercial success with their killer final album Astro-Creep 2000! But to say this album is groove metal is bullsh*t, or at least my ears think so. This is more like industrial metal/hard rock. Sure it has some heavy riff groove, but I wouldn't count on groove metal being a primary genre here...
I can very well enjoy most parts of this album to the f***ing death. I'm an open-minded metal listeners, unlike those close-minded purists out there. I'm a fan of industrial metal, but not much of Rob Zombie's material. Still this album is something I like, more than Hellbilly Deluxe. Whether this is more rock or more metal, it's still great.
"Electric Head Pt. 1 (The Agony)" starts the album with awesome rock/metal riffing. There's intense speed, though not in faster metal levels, giving the track mighty power. This album and Fear Factory are great examples of industrial metal getting you higher than stoner metal listeners, without ever having to use drugs. "Super-Charger Heaven" is a greater thrash-rock highlight. The drums have wicked kicks! The only downside is Zombie's vocals not sounding as aggressive or deep as they should. Still it's one of the best songs here! However, "Real Solution #9" isn't really something I like here. There are hip-hop-ish drums like some proto-nu metal sh*t, and too much reliance of movie samples. "Creature of the Wheel" is a slow crazy headbanger, with more audio samples. Killer vocal aggression here, though not much off there either.
"Electric Head, Pt. 2 (The Ecstasy)" is more groove-laden, and having more of a disco-like beat. Hold up... DISCO THRASH METAL!?!? Who knew that was a thing!? Cool catchiness, though I prefer "Part 1". Next up, "Grease Paint and Monkey Brains" is probably one of the least popular songs amongst the earlier metalheads. Being the young modern metal listener I am, I like it. There's more of a Static-X vibe here which isn't too bad. One of the most metal songs in the album! "I, Zombie" returns to the earlier speed. Nothing special, but a much better fight song than Rachel Platten's excuse of one.
"More Human Than Human" is one of the best tracks to mix catchy and heavy in a way that I love. This is one of those songs that I can't let my metal-hating mother hear. I can't believe I did not hear anything from this band until when I included this song in one of the Sphere playlists. A good track for Halloween, if you imagine the moaning in the intro as ghost noises. "El Phantasmo and the Chicken-Run Blast-O-Rama" is a song I can have an awesome blast with. One of the best songs to love here! After a heavy headbanging, the speed slows down, while still having its greatness. "Blur the Technicolor" is another fun track. The vocals help out the catchiness in this simple groove tune. I like it, but it's a little behind the highlights. "Blood, Milk and Sky" is one of the most haunting and hypnotizing tracks I've ever heard, and I'm talking strongly mesmerizing. I love it! Then after 3 minutes of silence comes the hidden track, "Where the Sidewalk Ends, the Bug Parade Begins". A peaceful yet heavy swansong for this band!
Despite a few downers, and sounding more rock than metal in some places, I dig this White Zombie album. There's still some great aggression as the album progresses in improvement, but even a few heavy parts don't work out too greatly. Still it's the best way for the band to make their exit, before Rob Zombie's solo Hellbilly sh*t.....
Favorites: "Electric Head Pt. 1 (The Agony)", "Super-Charger Heaven", "Grease Paint and Monkey Brains", "More Human Than Human", "El Phantasmo and the Chicken-Run Blast-O-Rama", "Blood, Milk and Sky"
Genres: Groove Metal Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1995
For those who enjoy Ministry, would you like a bit more sauce for your industrial metal dish? Skrew adds in some thrashy vocal fuel. The band has been well-known and well-touring since their debut Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame. I haven't yet listened to that album, but perhaps I will after this one! Dusted shows the band, unlike some other industrial metal bands, focusing less on experimentation and more towards guitar heaviness from frontman Adam Grossman. He has truly mastered the guitar, vocals, and songwriting. Interesting that he let a death growler took over vocals in their recent comeback album though...
Grossman is very much responsible for keeping his band going and giving them a more metal sound that some industrial rock bands can't get away with. In some ways, they can be similar to Ministry in terms of the use of samples and overdubs. But hey, scr*w that comparison! This is Skrew we're talking about, and they done their industrial metal sound better than most other bands of the genre in the first half of the 90s.
"In Tongues" starting the album with audio samples and noise is a similar idea to the beginning of Embodyment's Embrace the Eternal. Of course, instead of early deathcore, there will be melodic industrial metal not too far off (in terms of style, not time) from Deathstars. That sound can be found in "Seeded". Then "Picasso Trigger" shows that this band is probably slightly more underrated than Ministry. The intro f***ing kicks a**! I'm sure Beavis and Butthead fans would recognize this song. Also in a slightly higher level than Ministry is "Albatross", which is quite a monster within those chords.
"Jesus Skrew Superstar" cranks up the thrash, the way Fear Factory and Strapping Young lad would the following year. "Skrew Saves" adds in a bit of experimentation that gives the sound more in common with Mushroomhead than Mnemic. "Season for Whither" bursts out with rich groove all over. However, there's more of that groove in some of the later highlights here...
"Sour" has more sludgy groove throughout these 7 minutes, pretty much their own different take on Ministry's epics. "Mouthful of Dust" is another great kick-A track pleasing industrial metal fans, filled with monk-like chanting. "Godsdog" is the closest we have to a Godflesh-like sound, at least what Godflesh would have in the late 90s.
Need some anger to cure you from anger? Industrial metal fans can pick up Dusted any f***ing day! It's a stage set for more refreshing levels the band would reach later on. I don't know if it's any better than their debut, likely because I've not tackled that one, but I got the motivation I needed from their second album Dusted. It's not too impressive, yet highly innovative. For the greatest industrial metal listeners, this one's a keeper....
Favorites: "Picasso Trigger", "Albatross", "Jesus Skrew Superstar", "Sour", "Mouthful of Dust"
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1994
I just realized my long-lasting digging for older industrial metal and metalcore albums from the 90s will soon reach its end. I've pretty much tackled almost every essential 90s release from those two genres! Another album to tackle in the industrial metal part of my list is this one from the side-project of a couple extreme Horde bands. Meathook Seed is an Obituary/Napalm Death side-project than turned out to be pretty great in the debut album Embedded. It takes on an aggressive industrial death metal sound, in which some of the elements would be re-used by Napalm Death next year, even having a bit of Napalm Death's grind. There's barely any relation in sound to Obituary, showing how adventurous that side of the project can be. Performing in a style from the main bands is a risky fire-player, but ultimately it works out quite well.
Embedded has some grace in their deathly industrial metal assault, adding in the repetitive yet amazing sound of Ministry and Godflesh and twisting in with deathly heaviness, alongside memorable riffs to keep you hooked. Mitch Harris has the guitar fury of Napalm Death that actually works better for me in this album. Donald Tardy drums through pummeling destruction, but he gets paired with a drum machine in some tracks, which is OK since he just obliterates it! Trevor Peres' vocals are killer, ranging from growling to shouting, though I prefer the former.
The crushing opener "Famine Sector" is, without a doubt, one of the best songs of this industrial death metal blend! I don't have much to describe its greatness. "A Furred Grave" has the best of Peres' vocal alternation. They continue to roll in "My Infinity", though a bit monotonous. "Day of Conceiving" viciously punches through in sludgy grind.
"Cling to an Image" is the second-best song of the album (behind its opener), in which dynamic beats intertwine with the complex guitar. "A Wilted Remnant" is a bit more electronic, though this is the industrial/noise kind of electronic sound, nowhere near as trance-y as bands like The Browning. The most talented Harris has been in this offering is "Forgive", where he breaks down the structural walls to let his riffs run wild in different directions without any tiring guitar solo.
"Focal Point Blur" has more power in the beats and riffs to get you buckled up for the ride. It can be bumpy for the inexperienced listeners, but once you get more experience, you can be able to cope and understand. Let it immerse you or not! The title instrumental gets on my nerves, but it's still decent. "Visible Shallow Self" is one more metal track with the electronics displayed that are far closer to the industrial of Fear Factory than the trance of Iwrestledabearonce. "Sea of Tranquility" is just 14 minutes of full-on industrial, complete with ambient loops, simple drums, and noisy feedbacks. Is that where the name of that website Sea of Tranquility came from? Probably...
Meathook Seed themselves have even manned the production for the album, and it's at a Colin Richardson kind of professional level. The rich sound lets you hear all the guitars, drums, and electronics there are, despite the layers of the latter sounding a bit buried. It's given this industrial death metal album the right atmospheric vibe. Works well for a run through an old abandoned factory in a mutant zombie apocalypse. Bummer the lineup that made something this pleasantly deathly wasn't meant to last....
Favorites: "Famine Sector", "A Furred Grave", "Cling to an Image", "Forgive", "Focal Point Blur", "Visible Shallow Self"
Genres: Death Metal Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1993
3 bands, Godflesh, Ministry, and KMFDM, started in the early 80s, but did not start metalizing their electronic/industrial sound until the late 80s (Godflesh and Ministry) and mid-90s (KMFDM). In between, Pitchshifter was formed in the same year as the release of Godflesh's Streetcleaner, as one of the first bands to fully start as industrial metal, with their 1991 album Industrial! Don't think of this band as a Godflesh rip-off though. They've worn their influences on a sleeve, rather than an entire suit.
One thing to make sure Pitchshifter isn't simply copying Godflesh is, they're closer to thrash-ish territory. The Godflesh-like sludge and the Killing Joke-like punk is blended with other sounds for something unique...
"Landfill" is a prime example of using Godflesh's industrial metal formula. They just repeat the same riff throughout, and even the lyrics are minimal. It's just "Hate, I hate, hate, I hate you motherf***er, drown, bleed, I wish you could." They even mix in a few samples with slow guitars/drums. Despite the repetition, I enjoy that one. Fear Factory made their own cover of that song over two decades later. Truly brutal in the bleak yet pleasant rhythm is "Brutal Cancroid".
"Gravid Rage" is another highlight of industrial metal machinery with convincing growls by Mark Clayden. Oh yeah, Mark is the bassist of the band, but he also performed vocals in this album. His brother J.S. would take over on vocals from their Submit EP onwards, though he's done additional vocals in their debut. Next song "New Flesh" continues the downtuned guitar riffing, alongside vocal samples talking about murder and prison. "Catharsis" is another standout, in which black metal-ish guitar tremolos plays over doomy sludge, maintaining the industrial mix.
"Skin Grip" has some of Pantera's forceful groove, but it's still a pummeling crusher like in Fear Factory's debut album next year. "Inflammator" has some riffing that nicely give you the feeling of a crash test dummy in a test car slamming into a wall, without actually experience it of course. "Eye" is an ominous ending for the album, with the usual unique crushing riffs that can let industrial metal fans see eye-to-eye.
Any Godflesh fan can enjoy this debut album from Pitchshifter. While they have a slightly better sound in their next album Desensitized, Industrial shows how influenced and influential they've been. They started out pretty great, but they would have a more solidified sound a couple years later....
Favorites: "Landfill", "Gravid Rage", "Catharsis", "Skin Grip"
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1991
In the first half of the 2000s, metalcore was on the rise in the hardcore punk part of the rock spectrum, whereas the extreme metal part condemned it as mediocre. Bands at the time like Between the Buried and Me, Burnt by the Sun, and The Red Chord sound so original to the more hardcore ears, yet the originality is invisible to metal purists. This band, Premonitions of War had just been signed to popular hardcore label Victory after releasing an EP via Goodfellow records. That EP, The True Face of Panic was a massive boost in maturity compared to the disaster that was their debut EP. And I think there's more maturity to come in their sole full album...
Sounding like an attempt to revive Coalesce's sound during that band's hiatus, Premonitions of War had leveled up their quality slightly more in Left in Kowloon. With the album at the hands of Victory, the more extreme hardcore fans can really dig into the action. It's really short at just 26 minutes, following the hardcore trait of studio albums as short as EPs. Their intentions was short sweet songwriting, and they've achieved that goal!
"Mother Night Revisited" opens with an explosion of the aforementioned The Red Chord/Burnt by the Sun influences, sounding punishing yet inspiring. "Layover" is a short slaying track. The one-minute "Night Soil" is an impressive short achievement. In the incredible "Stolen Breath", There are precise changes in the tempo and rhythm.
One track "One Constant Volume" is a bit funny when it comes to the title and the Cookie Monster-esque death growls. Then we have the longest track of the album, the 5-minute highlight "Black Den", taking the brutal sludge of the first two Isis albums. After that is another 5-minute track, "Cables Hum Overhead". However, that's just a noise track that broke the flow from the previous song. I feel up to skipping that sh*t! "Citizen" has a bit of the progressive that Northlane would have later, to add to the deathly mathcore sound Premonitions of War is known for.
Showing a bit of the sludge of Mastodon at that time is "The Octopus" (interesting foreshadowing of Mastodon's "Octopus Has No Friends"). "Covered in Blood" has some slower experimentation while obviously not as experimental as Dog Fashion Disco. "Capsule Hotel" shows how much different a Revolution band can be compared to, say, Enter Shikari. And finally, we have the stoner-ish "Dim Light District".
I would find more enjoyment in Left in Kowloon if not for the band's the attempt to extend the album's short length with a noise track that lowers its f***ing memorability. Nonetheless, Premonitions of War had set up the greatness of the genre that was in the first two EPs, especially the first. Well done, PoW! Please come back soon.....
Favorites: "Mother Night Revisited", "Night Soil", "Stolen Breath", "Black Den", "Citizen", "Covered in Blood"
Genres: Metalcore
Format: Album
Year: 2004
It's strange how whenever For the Fallen Dreams reach the perfect top for one or a few albums, the next one loses its steam and would have to build itself back up again. Although their new self-titled album isn't the worst they've done (that entitlement goes to Wasted Youth), the drop in quality is more understandable, show the band as a more alt-metalcore band than metalcore. Still around half of the album is worth it...
For the Fallen Dreams has been active for over 20 years, often hit by lineup changes, while founding guitarist Jim Hocking does what it takes to keep his band alive. The band's new album is their first in 5 years and with a new label, Arising Empire. As good as this album is, it doesn't stand a chance against most of their earlier discography.
It's clear how determined the band is, straight from the opener "Re-Animate". The massive chorus will hook you up from the get-go, as dramatic energy flows. "What If?" takes on rapid drumming, while adding interesting variety with rapping verses. "Last One Out" turns the aggression up to full gear. Yet within the heaviness is the melodic emotion to put everything in splendid balance.
"Without You" has more heartful effect. The riffs and leads make something so crushing yet sentimental. "Testify" is filled with moshing aggression. Intricate drums lead to a massive breakdown. "Searching..." has too much of a familiar formula. Impressive but not really amazing. "Suprapersonal" has more faithful tones and stealthy chaos.
"No Heaven" cranks things up in headbanging power. You also get to hear some fist-pumping soloing. "Sulfate" has ravaging grooves to tear you apart. With momentum in the heavy/melodic contrast kept steady, another highlight has been scored. The metalcore sound is given an industrial treatment in "Lavender" as drama and violence collide. "Chemicals" closes the album with the last bit of their fire and fury here.
For the Fallen Dreams has made some more of their good solid tunes in this self-titled offering of passion despite more derailment than most of their other releases. Some songs could've used more elevation for something different. Still they know how to ride the modern metalcore tides....
Favorites: "Re-Animate", "Last One Out", "Testify", "No Heaven", "Sulfate"
Genres: Alternative Metal Metalcore
Format: Album
Year: 2023
20 years ago, people were thinking of hardcore as a "dead" genre, but I found some releases that show how mighty the genre was (and still is) back then. One example is Animosity's debut, a short yet strong assault of thrashy deathgrind/hardcore! Not as chaotic as The Red Chord, but quite vicious in the hardcore riffing.
Shut It Down is perhaps one of the most brutal extreme metal albums that I really enjoy. That's helped out by the caustic guitar, not the over-prominent snare. While not too devastating and definitely not melodic, metalcore riffing gets morphed into deathly monsters. The growls are too harsh for emocore kids, while the screams are too shrill for death metal fans. However, it's all balanced out, so people can mosh and stomp around during shows. The deathly hardcore grind will blow you away!
The 45-second "Intro" builds up the metal strength smoothly. Then the nearly 3-minute long "Grey Skies" unleashes the might of their deathcore groove from the two different coasts, even having some Undying-like melody. There aren't any acoustic ballads in this album, unlike albums from other hardcore bands, just brutal deathly weight. "Instilling the Affliction" has the brutal deathcore of Make Them Suffer, but with obviously no symphonics at all. "Saved" has the most deathly breakdown of the album in the second half, and d*mn it's cool! That proves that some deathcore breakdowns can be worth enjoying.
"24 More" has some metalcore riffing to remind me of Living Sacrifice. "Leashes" has some more deathly music unleashed. "Fake Blood" continues their deathgrind/core sound while almost being as mathy as Car Bomb.
"Anti-Kingdom" sounds like the kind of song to give you more excessive caffeine than coffee. "Terminal Existence" is absolute death metal punisher. Surely you can't find anything more deathly from this band than in that song. "Life Advocate" is the final track, and one more to be 3 minutes long, having some of the deathcore of Despised Icon and early Upon a Burning Body.
Any of you open-minded extreme metalheads out there should get this album. You can hear how brutal this band can be, and they were only in their high school teens. One other deathly band that started that young was Decapitated, and you might think of Animosity like a more hardcore take on that band. Young and wild!
Favorites: "Grey Skies", "Saved", "Fake Blood", "Terminal Existence", "Life Advocate"
Genres: Metalcore
Format: Album
Year: 2003
I f***ing hated the 2000 self-titled debut EP by this band Premonitions of War. It was just deathgrind-infused deathcore f***ed up much more than Damaged and Deformity's Misanthrope EP, enough for me to put it down with a rare one-star rating. That made me hesitant in reviewing another one of their releases...until I decided to check out their second EP. And let me tell you, it's not too great, but a much better improvement that sh*tty debut EP!
Premonitions of War really stepped up their game of math/deathgrind/hardcore. It is a relentless pummeling assault, one that has worked out better than that Mouthbreather EP for me. And so this war begins...
The opening title track fights through this fury, with a quick break in the middle. "Correspondences" has some of the most metal blast-beats I've heard from a metal/hardcore band. The deathgrind sound has some abstract chords, opening a wide tunnel with devastating chaos at its end. "The Best Day Ever" is not really the best here.
"Abomination" is close to a doomy sludge track, though maintaining the usual chaotic hardcore and electronic experimentation. "Hanging Man" continues the mechanical contrast between chords and riffs, ending with industrial beats. "A Minor Correction" is a brief one-minute deathgrind track that has only made a minor impact. The 6-minute closer "I'd Settle for Sleep" makes a bleak ending after scorching growls.
What a wonderfully brutal EP this is, though a small bit of the weakness of the debut EP still remains. The True Face of Panic might just make up for checking out their sole album Left in Kowloon. When I check that one out a few days from now, maybe it would have some massive hardcore destruction....
Favorites: "The True Face of Panic", "Correspondences", "Abomination"
Genres: Metalcore
Format: EP
Year: 2002
Well sh*t! Once again I've fallen into the trap of expecting The Dillinger Escape Plan, only to stumble upon 7 tracks of far too brutal math/grindcore each with an average length of one f***ing minute, some of which sound like they can be seizure-inducing. The two tracks that I can stand are "Sex Coward" and "Born Dead", the latter having Daughters-like early 2000s mathcore I prefer. I shall get my mathcore elsewhere rather than taking it to some grinding experimentation sh*t....
Favorites (only ones I can stand): "Sex Coward", "Born Dead"
Genres: Metalcore
Format: EP
Year: 2017
Enslaved is another band I really need to revisit! In Times is known as one of the greatest albums from the band's 2010s era, and was a masterpiece for me when I was still listening to them. But in the past year or so, I've only listened to a couple songs from the band when suggesting some songs for the Infinite playlists. With this nice revisit, let's see what I still think of this album...
I can still hear some greatness from this band. They've never stopped recording and touring yet, and the amazing quality shows. With this album In Times, the band keep up their fearless ascension of their classic progressive black metal sound through the modern age.
"Thurisaz Dreaming" immediately attacks with some black metal blasting, then the dynamic assault calms down for some clean singing. With this mid-tempo groove and melody, you can't go wrong with considering that song a blend of the band's earlier black metal and Dream Theater-like progressive metal. A perfect example of that mix with more progressive emphasis is "Building With Fire" which has proven the power of that sound from as early as Isa.
"One Thousand Years of Rain" roars through the extremeness of black metal while in a progressive mix with hard rock, similarly to that Stone Healer album. A personal highlight for me, "Nauthir Bleeding" has the best of the clean vocals by keyboardist Herbrand Larsen, who would end up leaving the band a year after this album.
The nearly 11-minute title epic continues the line between the complex melody of progressive metal and the violent extremeness of black metal. You can headbang through the leads and riffs in sync with the screams of Grutle Kjellson, and the rest during the ambient breaks. Kicking off "Daylight" is some unusual chord delivery, and the rest of the song pretty much discards much of the band's black metal roots, other than the vocals, for their progressive progression.
There are those purists out there who need to know that just because a band switches from extreme to progressive, doesn't mean they become softer. The progressiveness is blended together with their black metal roots. A beautiful and beastly offering like In Times needs some attention!
Favorites: "Building With Fire", "Nauthir Bleeding", "In Times"
Genres: Progressive Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2015
The black metal that I often prefer is the more melodic/progressive kind, which includes clean singing and no focus on the satanic references the genre is notorious for. That's one of the metal genres I've been shooting for in the last few years (except for a break from that genre for nearly a year). Stone Healer might just be what I need to boost my motivation, with their album Conquistador!
It's very cool how they can connect extreme metal to more accessible pieces of post-metal and folk rock. The result? A solid progressive black metal album with cohesive variation. There may be some wounds here, but they're nicely healed.
"One Whisper" starts acoustic before adding in distortion. Then there's a melodic verse with background cowbell. After the accessible calm comes the shredding black metal storm with vocal intensity. An excellent blend of dynamic and extreme! Next up, "Whence Shall I" has some brutal black metal tones. The drumming and melody often brings things close post-metal at times, which deserves some great praise.
11-minute epic "Surrender" can stun you with its mix of metal aggression and rock melody. The distorted texture is sometimes put aside for an acoustic passage, like the one 4 minutes into the song. The somber melody breaks up the intense action. Then it smoothly evolves back into some more thick metal sections. The instrumentation reaches its ending climax with a bit of Vektor-like thrash. The jazzy guitar of 90s-era Atheist starts "Torrent of Flame" peacefully. Despite laying back, it only lasts for a short while before some strange catchy riffing and more of the progressive black metal sound.
"Until My Will Is Gone" also starts clean in the guitar and vocals, followed by more of the metal fury. Then we have short interlude "Twenty Two". And finally, the closing "Into the Spoke of Night", a fantastic intense finale for this offering. Hell breaks loose in the riffing, in a progressive balance with the band's more melodic side. Talk about a kick-A closing summary of their progressive black metal!
Conquistador shows the band's sharp progressive mix of black metal and elements of melodic rock. Most of the songs naturally evolve with different surprises, and they can be carved into the extreme progressive metal stone....
Favorites: "One Whisper", "Surrender", "Torrent of Flame", "Into the Spoke of Night"
Genres: Progressive Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2021
Modern metalcore seems to have discard the hardcore side of the genre, but bringing it back is the perfect triumph of For the Fallen Dreams' 6th album, aptly titled Six! You'll definitely want to stay awake for this d*mn glorious offering. This band founded in Michigan by guitarist Jim Hocking, has had almost as many lineup changes as Canadian thrash band Annihilator since forming in 2003. Their first two albums, Changes and Relentless are two of the best metalcore albums I've heard, though their quality would fall out of line in the poor Wasted Youth. They've toured and borrowed parts of their sound from bands like A Day To Remember, The Ghost Inside, and Norma Jean.
After a 4-year gap, the band consisting of Chad Ruhlig (vocals), Jim Hocking (guitars), Brandon Stastny (bass), and Navid Naghdi (drums) have gone back up to the top while standing by their new direction. There are 10 songs here that will get you pumped up and feeling strong, one of which is actually how I discovered this band, which we'll talk about it once we get there.
The explosive first track/single "Stone" is worth singing and screaming along to, especially in that massive chorus with layers of power from their heavy metalcore/hardcore sound. It is a true blessing to remind us about what metalcore used to be and revive the earlier scene. Stomping in is "The Undertow" with sonic synths to fit in with the pummeling heaviness, in a similar vein to the mid-2010s Bring Me the Horizon and The Word Alive. Moving along is "Unstoppable", which I find more motivational and catchier than that Sia "anthem". Headbanging verses and anthemic choruses will make you feel invincible.
Another stomper, "Forever" can turn a hellish nightmare into a heavenly dream with the bass and synths enhancing sludgy breakdowns. A mix of dark, ethereal, and heavy, all in one! Soaring through is "Burning Season" in the chorus that alight an upbeat yet melancholic flame. "Two Graves" has more sonic atmosphere, as the verses stampede into serene choruses that drift into different dimensions.
"Ten Years" is the song that caused to be interested in this band, via one of my earlier Revolution playlists. Holy f***ing h*ll, I love this furious fire! My brother has listened to a few songs from this band around the time of this album's release, but somehow I never got around there until that playlist. Exploding into some more of the catchy melody is "Hypnosis". Also blasting in is "Void" with a catchy chorus for the live crowd to sing along to, "Some days you feeling like running away". Then we have one final metal storm in "The Storm", having explosive fury that then calms down with gentle piano in the end.
The 2010s was really when metalcore was having far more emphasis on metal than hardcore, but don't get me wrong, I love that kind of metalcore too. Thanks to For the Fallen Dreams, the hardcore side of metalcore that was lost after the early 2000s is in the process of restoration. The modern atmospherics of Bring Me the Horizon and The Word Alive fit perfectly with the b*lls-out hardcore of early Eighteen Visions like a glove. Altogether some killer heaviness not to be skipped!
Favorites: "Stone", "Unstoppable", "Forever", "Ten Years", "The Storm"
Genres: Metalcore
Format: Album
Year: 2018
For the Fallen Dreams still have heaviness in their hearts. It was about time they made a great return to roots. They learned from their mistakes and were ready to show their true talent to those who missed it...
The Michigan metalcore warriors made it big with their glorious debut Changes. They continued the perfection in Relentless, with a different vocalist to replaced the talented Chad Ruhlig, Dylan Richter who could also scream well. Back Burner was also amazing, but lacked the perfect spark of the first two albums. Then Wasted Youth was a total decrease in quality that left fans wondering "What the h*ll just happened?!" With Ruhlig back on board in Heavy Hearts, you know there's gonna be a return to true form.
Kicking things off hard is "Emerald Blue" with Chad's destructive voice booming back in with a growl of "FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE!!!" A great start! "Choke" has similar vibes to Vision of Disorder and Bury Tomorrow, and the band can do it all well without choking. "Lights" continues the anthemic metalcore vibe of Bring Me the Horizon at that time.
The Color Morale vocalist Garret Rapp appears in "Dream Eater", performing cleans that sound a bit odd but don't affect too much there. They should've saved the cleans for guitarist Jim Hocking, who started doing clean singing after Richter's departure. 5th track "Bombay" is a total attention seeker in a great way. The blend of heaviness and melody throws back to Changes, albeit in a lower tuning. Perhaps their best song since the late 2000s! However, the lyrical quality seems to drop a bit, so it's still far from the perfect glory of that era. Hocking's stellar are some of the best to accompany Chad's vocals. "Mimic" has the brutality of Upon a Burning Body at that time.
"Endless" deserves more attention as Ruhlig's vocals and Navid Naghdi's drumming make a solid combination. Hocking can perform great clean singing while doing his usual technical guitar melody. Bassist Brandon Stastny doesn't shine much though. Also worth mentioning is the upbeat "Amnesia", having solid lyrics, guitar melodies, and drums. "Unfinished Business" has a similar groove to Every Time I Die. Closing track "Smelling Salt" has a great clean passage by Landon Tewers of The Plot in You.
For the Fallen Dreams managed to ascend back up to the Michigan metalcore throne. Although it can't reach the glory of their first 3 albums, it is a strong return to what they had in those albums and a promising sign of what they've become....
Favorites: "Emerald Blue", "Choke", "Bombay", "Endless", "Amnesia"
Genres: Metalcore
Format: Album
Year: 2014
Wow... I never thought a metalcore band that was at the top of their game in the first 3 albums would drop down in quality like this. They would've had the potential to keep up their fantastic style of adding melody to the heaviness and metallic hardcore, but Wasted Youth had really disappointed their fans, having gone too far from what they're known for, overdosing on melody and clean singing. I'm sure those fans have migrated to listening to The Ghost Inside where their ex-drummer Andrew Tkaczyk is at now...
Back Burner had a much better balance clean singing and melody with brutal growls and heaviness. Wasted Youth went too deep into the former side. After producing Back Burner, Tom Denney decided to give the band a different writing path that includes emo-sounding choruses which are more suitable in his former band A Day To Remember. They make emo choruses, For the Fallen Dreams make heavy breakdowns. Denney took advantage of the production by making the guitars and harsh vocals sound muddy, while the cleans get more clarity. Now those cleans by Dylan Richter sound forced and lack their earlier power. No wonder Tkaczyk prefers to stay with The Ghost Inside!
Opener "Hollow" sounds promising with the band's heaviest riffing at the time. The melodic chorus and the brutal breakdown are in a better contrast here. Richter's clean in "Resolvent Feelings" sound like they been run through autotune. "Please Don't Hurt" is where Dylan Richter attempts to add a punk edge to his cleans but ends up sounding whiny and turning that song into a draggy disaster. The heavier riffing comes back on in "Until It Runs Out" that can make you feel the moshing adrenaline.
"Sober" is a decently catchy song. "Living a Lie" sounds like it's written the way A Day of Remember had back in their first two albums, and it works quite well. The poppy hooks in the beginning of "Always About You" sound great here and make that track another highlight. "Moving Forward" doesn't really move forward at all, attempting to mix A Day to Remember with As I Lay Dying but ultimately falling flat on the face. Then we have the album's heaviest entry "Your Funeral", yet the guitars and vocals sound too bland and not reaching the heights of their earlier albums.
"When Push Comes to Shove" has some nice surprises that end up spoiled by those d*mn vocals. Interestingly, "No One to Blame" makes a solid highlight despite heading closer to easycore. It has a catchy chorus of gang vocals, and the screams sound more decent. Listening to the short two-minute "Waking Up Alone", I'm appalled by how tone-deaf Richter is even the softest moments. "Pretending" closes this ill-fated album quite heavily, including a powerful breakdown to remind me of what they were.
There's not much that sounded right for this band in their incoherent weakest link, Wasted Youth. But don't worry, For the Fallen Dreams will become better again when the professional writing skills of their former drummer make a comeback in the next round....
Favorites (only songs I really like): "Hollow", "Until It Runs Out", "Living a Lie", "Always About You", "No One to Blame", "Pretending"
Genres: Metalcore
Format: Album
Year: 2012
Founding drummer Andrew Tkaczyk had been in For the Fallen Dreams throughout the first 8 years of the band's activity. He left the band in early 2011 shortly before the recording of this album Back Burner and joined The Ghost Inside. When Chad Ruhlig returned a couple years later, so would Tkaczyk, albeit in the songwriting department. Another couple years later, Tkaczyk lost his leg in a tour bus crash involving The Ghost Inside, but he's still going strong in his current band.
Despite Tkaczyk's departure from For the Fallen Dreams, the band still have plenty in store in Back Burner! You can't ignore the pounding anthems they've made in this 2011 album to make you join in on the ride.
"Say What You Will" kicks things off with more of the band's heavy metalcore/hardcore determination. The production by Tom Denney, former founding guitarist of A Day to Remember, strikes with gigantic depths. It has helped with the band's much-needed epic tone. "Deep Down Inside" keeps up the idea of spicing up the mundane verse-chorus structure with destructive breakdowns. You'll certainly be hooked by "Complicate the Situation" with your veins pumped up. The live crowd will certainly be fueled up by the riffing, anthemic chorus, and a brutal breakdown to shake the arena. "Only Unopened Arms" shows the band's evolved writing that they put out with all their heart, without having to resort to the usual crushing metal breakdown.
"My Anthem-Like Symphony" continues the idea of adding in an anthemic chorus and heavy breakdown. Crying out for hardcore speed is "The Big Empty" in which the chorus is quite catchy, yet the lyrics are a bit less mature. "Bottom Feeders" is the most unexpected track of the album. It's a soft ballad to act as an intermission for the album. It's actually a good song worth a few listens. "Don't Give Up, Don't Give In" blends fast beats with melody similarly to The Ghost Inside, and it's a massive anthem to burn things up around here. They'll never give up or in!
"The Human Collective" has some solid modern metalcore a bit like Bring Me the Horizon at that time. Ditto with "Let Go" that is basically one of Asking Alexandria's breakdowns at that time turned into a full song. "Yellow" welcomes in the mainstream melodic metalcore of early Atreyu, enhanced by the cleans of Lower Than Atlantis' Mike Duce, while staying in the heavy realm. "Fist Fight" ends the album as a heavy mosh-monster. Let the bodies hit the f***ing floor!
In just less than a year, I'm already a big fan of For the Fallen Dreams. Though in Back Burner, it seems like they're losing a bit of the originality of Changes. Despite that, their amazing blend of heaviness and melody continues. With massive hooks, riffs, and breakdowns, this album might just convert you fully to the metalcore lifestyle!
Favorites: "Say What You Will", "Complicate the Situation", "My Anthem-Like Symphony", "Don't Give Up, Don't Give In", "Yellow", "Fist Fight"
Genres: Metalcore
Format: Album
Year: 2011
Having not started listening to For the Fallen Dreams until last year, I knew I couldn't miss out on the incredible music this band creates. They've already proven their achieved potential in their debut Changes. It was clear from that album that they still had a lot of strength and talent, proven in their continuation of perfection, Relentless!
As awesome as Changes is, shortly after its release there was a change of vocalists. Chad Ruhlig stepped away from the mic for 5 years, and during then, Dylan Richter took over. You might not notice that immediately from the growls, until you hear something that wasn't used in their debut, clean singing. The heavier fans might be turned away, but for me, they give this album a better melodic edge.
"The Call Out" is a soft intro to invite you into another metalcore journey. Abstract guitar segues into "Perceptions", filled with heavy aggression. The heaviness would then fade down to let the melody shine. With that interesting blend in the drums, guitars, and vocals, you can definitely hear what other bands have like Parkway Drive, Misery Signals, and even Emmure in the breakdowns. "A Plethora of" has more of the clean vocals, in nice contrast to the heaviness. Same thing with "Nightmares", but the chorus has someone else doing the cleans, that someone being A Day to Remember vocalist Jeremy McKinnon. I was already a fan of that band and his guest appearance in an August Burns Red song, so that's a great treat. Both Jeremy and Dylan's clean vocals help make the album's sound more complete there.
"December Everyday" is another interesting track. The intro sounds close to Misery Signals and gets you hooked up, then the music continues to evolve from there. The vocals fit well in unpredictable variation, despite mostly being brutal growls throughout that song. It even leads to an atmospheric solo. "Defiance" continues the focus on brutal growling. "Smoke Signals" continues the perfect blend of heaviness and melody in the riffing. "In Sincerity" can be considered a polar opposite to the previous 3 tracks, having just clean vocals and melodic harmonies in the instrumentation. A sweet mind-blowing highlight!
"Before I Regret" has catchy heavy riffing. The drumming technique has more to do with As I Lay Dying than Between the Buried and Me, filling with interesting groove without going all-out technical. "Two Twenty Two" has a brutal intro closer in common to The Acacia Strain. The riffing builds up and breaks down in a h*ll of a monstrous breakdown. "Resurface the End" rolls with gigantic punches. "The Pain Loss" ends things with nice clean passages.
All in all, Relentless is another masterpiece by this incredible band. It actually isn't entirely perfect because it lacks a small part of the charm of Changes, so the percentage rating is a little over 95%. Nonetheless, if you're a metalcore fan like I am, this is something to love at first listen!
Favorites: "Perceptions", "Nightmares", "December Everyday", "Smoke Signals", "In Sincerity", "Two Twenty Two"
Genres: Metalcore
Format: Album
Year: 2009
Metalcore does not get as much respect as it deserves, especially not from metal purists out there. One of the more underrated bands of the genre is For the Fallen Dreams. Their debut Changes is one of my favorite metalcore debut albums, with many of the songs have a perfectly equal blend of melodies, riffs, and breakdowns. If masterpieces like this are getting little attention nowadays, changes shall be made!
This perfect balance is what makes this band so unique. The breakdowns are made beyond imagination and they would make you get on your knees and beg for more. You'll find a lot of this awesomeness if you give the album a go.
"Brothers In Arms" references soldiers in distress at war, "Where were you, when I needed you?!" Next song "New Beginnings" has amazing riffing and a total mindf*** of an awesome breakdown midway through. The tempo slows down for the breakdown going deeper than the Mariana Trench (not to be confused with that August Burns Red song), perfected by the guitars not touching down immediately. "Hopeless" has an amazing riff verse surrounding the one-minute mark, and the ending breakdown also rules.
"Last Dying Breath" has an epic final third that adds positivity to the earlier violent lyrics, "My last dying breath, I'll bleed for you, my last dying breath, I'll die for you!" The first of two 2-minute interludes, "This World Around Us" actually has a small lyrical verse, and those few lines are quite great. "Never Again" is quite strong in the music and lyrics. The final third of that song is interesting as it starts an amazing bridge riff that leads into a brutal breakdown that's slightly forced but still punishing as f***. The title track is the second interlude, this one being an instrumental. That shows how beautiful the band can make their music without having to rely on lyrics.
"Vengeance" is perhaps the most aggressive track here, and I especially love the final 30 seconds, when a growl of "STEP OFF!!!" kicks off a pulverizing breakdown. "Falling Down" has more lyrical maturity. "Through the Looking Glass" is an awesome 6-minute epic. The one-minute intro is beautiful, but not as much as the final two minutes of epic glory, concluding the song and the album with synthesized strings that fade into a solitary snare drum, as the war ends and the surviving soldiers march home...
I could probably write a novel about the war depicted in the album that can be used as its soundtrack. This band and album was missing in my life until last year, and I would love to continue listening to Changes any time. A true masterpiece in my ongoing metalcore quest!
Favorites: "New Beginnings", "Last Dying Breath", "Never Again", "Vengeance", "Through the Looking Glass"
Genres: Metalcore
Format: Album
Year: 2008
It's no surprise that the more hardcore fans of hardcore/metalcore know a bit of Strongarm. With powerful songs and Christian lyrics, the band helped developed the Christian hardcore/metalcore scene. Their debut Atonement marks a decent heavy start...
The music is on top, though the production is a bit amateur and thin, which causes a decrease in quality stamina. That's too bad because when the band performs, it's as if the instruments were a gift to the members from God. Ex-vocalist Jason Bergerren has some inspiring roaring vocals like he was blessed with such a voice. However, as furious as his vocals sound, they sometimes come out as plain and lose some lyrical clarity. Nonetheless, he's got intense talent.
"Division" protests against blind ignorance that spawns hate. "Trials" opens up on Christian struggles, "Again and again I struggle with myself, my shortcomings. My strength, my soul, so weary of this. I have to face the pain of my fault. Within these tests, these trials, the marks I miss." The purpose and strength isn't revealed until the end.
Because of the flawed production, there are some songs I don't like that I won't mention, but "Stand Together" is one of my favorites here, saving the album's grace with a message of never giving up on grace. "Count the Cost" motivates Christians to overcome the burdens of who they are. This can stick to me long despite me not being a Christian. After those songs about inner struggles, "Innocence Lost" takes on the despair of abortion while turning it around with hope, "a life of regret, still grace abounds". That's a good example of setting awareness to abortion rights. "Strengthened in Faith" is a moving finale with a perfect reminder of strength and power.
The lyrics in Atonement are pretty much the standout aspect of the album. They're very well-thought in the Christian realms. Any Christian listener can realize their strength to prevail, given to them by the Lord. Recommended for Christians and hardcore fans! Though it would be much better if they improved on the sound production....
Favorites: "Trials", "Stand Together", "Count the Cost", "Strengthened in Faith"
Genres: Metalcore
Format: Album
Year: 1995
August Burns Red has one of the most solid discographies to come from a metalcore band. They've made great albums in their career, including the perfect Constellations. I've always wondered if there would ever be another August Burns Red that as much of a masterpiece as Constellations. Well I shall wonder no more with their new offering Death Below! And how is it as awesome it is?...
The album is a much further throwback with their fast pacing in songs that I can consider total bangers. Plus a few songs each have a guest appearance from a vocalist or guitarist of another well-known metalcore band, and that's often a grand treat. With that, you're gonna find the most exciting dynamics from August Burns Red in a long time!
The haunting spoken intro "Premonition" sets you up for the chaos that would soon come... "The Cleansing" clearly shows the band's relentless heaviness from their earlier days with drummer Matt Greiner firing away with blast-beat machinery. That's one of two nearly 8-minute epics in this album that are the band's longest, not including the closing epic of their 2005 debut, and it's full of stylistic transcendence. Landing in the first guest is "Ancestry" with Killswitch Engage vocalist Jesse Leach, whose cleans greatly complement the growling of Jake Luhrs. The song displays the album's main lyrical theme of struggle and resilience during the pandemic. "Tightrope" includes a wicked heavy guitar solo from Jason Richardson (of All That Remains, formerly of All Shall Perish, Born of Osiris, and Chelsea Grin).
"Fool’s Gold in the Bear Trap" starts as soft as a bunny in the first half, then switches as heavy as a bear in the second half. Bringing back memories of Messenger with the new album's first single, "Backfire" showcases the killer wonders of this album that you can't help but look back at in future generations. "Revival" is a brutal crusher similar to their earlier era. Also winning back some fans is innovative guitar work by JB Brubaker. "Sevink" is another interlude, this one being a instrumental break, sounding beautiful before the brutality bursts back in the next song...
"Dark Divide" puts the guitars at center, unleashing the band's rage at their heaviest. "Deadbolt", while staying brutal, has some classic metal-like sections to shout along to through dark loss. From the intro up, "The Abyss" (with Erra's JT Cavey) increases in intensity. Then it ends with the second 8-minute epic, "Reckoning". I know you metalcore fans wanna hear Underoath vocalist Spencer Chamberlain unleashing his vocals as furious as early Bring Me the Horizon. Those make the best moments of this album!
All in all, Death Below can show you how to overcome the dark struggles of this decade and look into the light, through heaviness and despair. August Burns Red's 10th album can very well be their greatest, most ambitious work yet!
Favorites: "The Cleansing", "Ancestry", "Backfire", "Revival", "Dark Divide", "Reckoning"
Genres: Metalcore
Format: Album
Year: 2023
One of the most popular extreme progressive metal bands to come from Australia, the band who was hiding in the unknown in the 2000s propelled into fame with 3 albums in the 2010s. They've taken on a progressive frenzy of extreme metal genres and classical/Latin influences including symphonic violin. They still have their perfect magic in their next album Exul. Though I would subtract a few percentage points from perfection is due to less of the eccentric fun. However, their cohesive focus is still intact. So while it's slightly behind the perfect 2010s trio of gems, Ne Obliviscaris is continuing their journey as the masters of Aussie progressive metal!
4 out of 5 dentists- I mean, members of the band from all 3 of their previous albums have returned for this one. The odd one out, drummer Daniel Presland left a year before its release, but long after recording his parts. Though he had been with the band since their unknown years of the 2000s (except for a break in 2012), the pandemic, which also halted this album's recording and release, and his commitments with his new band Black Lava, were two reasons for his departure. The other difference in lineup is, they have a new bassist Martino Garattoni, who's been with the band since Urn's release. They all really create something phenomenal! According to harsh vocalist Xen, the music is darker while maintaining the usual abstract lyrics, a journey through destructing and despair.
Opening with guitar riff/rhythm fire, the 12-minute "Equus" shows the band staying as glorious as ever! The song and its video is dedicated to the victims of the 2019/2020 Australia wildfires that affected many people and animals there.
The two-part polar-opposite 17-minute epic "Misericorde" begins with "As the Flesh Falls", filled with tech-death fury and progressive metal glory! "Anatomy of Quiescence" is a mournful classic track, sounding beautiful while staying unpredictable. There are barely any vocals there, and that kinda makes things sound longer than should be. Still all this exceptional chemistry is what makes that part stand out.
"Suspyre" doesn't have the diverse surprises I was expecting in a 10-minute track, or in a Ne Obliviscaris song, but it still rules. "Graal" is mighty impressive, with the soloing by Benjamin Baret really blowing your mind. What's more impressive is, violinist/clean vocalist Tim Charles let his daughter guess appear on violin during the last few minutes. The outro finale "Anhedonia" is the perfect ending to this trip. Here we have a morose blend of piano, symphonics, and Charles' vocal chanting. A disturbing yet peaceful ending after all that progressive heaviness.
Exul is, while not as 100% perfect as their 2010s gems, probably both the bleakest and most beautiful offering they've ever done, combining brutal with somber. It can be quite an adventure for any listener, so you have to really be up for those texture-filled arrangements. In wild effortless triumph, Exul can surely make sure that the band's shining legacy continues on!
Favorites: "Equus", "Misericorde" (both parts), "Graal"
Genres: Progressive Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2023
One man, one guitar, 3 other guys to back him up with their own instruments... This is Vinnie Moore, known as one of the heroes of metal guitar shredding besides Yngwie Malmsteen! Anyone who keeps comparing the former is a direct rip-off of the latter should stop f***ing around and pay closer attention to his debut.
Mind's Eye has some superb shredding throughout the album. Just because Vinnie Moore came after Malmsteen is no reason for this man to be deemed a clone to that key developer of neoclassical metal. This album is much more than that! Mind's Eye has emotional aggression, and it's more progressive, with the neoclassical side being saved for more of just the soloing technique without being the main genre. The progressiveness is helped out by the spacey keys of Tony MacAlpine.
"In Control" starts the album heavy in the riffing just before the catchy leads enter the picture. After two minutes, MacAlpine performs astonishing synth soloing, having the complex velocity of the leads that return shortly after. "Daydream" comes in as one of Moore's most well-known tracks. It's more mid-paced, while the listener can marvel through his melodic leads. Over 3 minutes on, there's more spacey synth soloing from MacAlpine, sounding so f***ing mesmerizing, you'll be hypnotized within the first few seconds. Heading on into "Saved by a Miracle", acoustic guitar opens the track before some great leads, followed by aggressive drum soloing by Tommy Aldridge!
"Hero Without Honor" is an honorable standout, a 7-minute epic that showcases the best of both the progressive (in the keyboards and complexity) and neo-classical (in the soloing and some melodies) worlds. "Lifeforce" almost reminds me a bit of DragonForce's leads and solos. Same with "N.N.Y.", though with some slight weakness.
The title track really displays Moore's pioneered mix of progressive/neoclassical metal, similar to how Rorschach invented metalcore and Meshuggah invented djent, though obviously in a different genre. "Shadows Of Yesterday" can be considered the album's power ballad. "The Journey" is a recommendable end of this amazing journey. I think I hear some of the song's progressiveness and melody in later bands like Persefone. No wonder that band had the idea to cover a song by neoclassical metal duo Cacophony.
Vinnie Moore's debut is quite solid throughout. Even though it's not really one of the most unique albums I've heard, most of the songs have interesting freshness in every bite. If you're up for a progressive mix of neoclassical solos and spacey synths, this album shall enter your mind!
Favorites: "Daydream", "Hero Without Honor", "Lifeforce", "Mind's Eye", "The Journey"
Genres: Heavy Metal Neoclassical Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1986
It's amazing how when a band ends up missing earlier recording/release deadlines due to issues like the pandemic, the result is still wonderful. Although some other bands like Trivium record an album right after releasing the previous one, Kamelot took the time to strengthen their songs into perfection, barely having any rush. With that, the wait was definitely worth it with their first album in 5 years, The Awakening, released on March 17!
I guess you can consider this album Kamelot's reawakening. As amazing as this is, I find some slight disappointment that knocks a half-star off the otherwise perfect score that would've made it the band's best release since Ghost Opera. See, the minor issue is, the band has modernized their symphonic metal sound in two of the albums from the era of current vocalist Tommy Karevik such as Haven and The Shadow Theory, as they try to reinvent the genre's wheel. While there's a slight bit of that in The Awakening, the rest of what they have now is a return to their earlier majestic melodies and emotions. They've awakened after 5 years of silence and brought back their roots!
The "Overture" is the instrumental intro that serves as an epic setup for the symphonic power metal action to come... The grand "Great Divide" kicks it off and rides like a cinematic rollercoaster. Kamelot is indeed back! Heartful single "Eventide" has restored the joy and confidence I've had for this band that has allowed me to still follow their power metal along with DragonForce. The anthemic "One More Flag in the Ground" pulls you straight through power metal, though I must admit, my thoughts there are mixed. "Opus of the Night (Ghost Requiem)" has reminded me of the band that got me into the symphonic metal part of my epic metal taste 10 years ago. The guitar harmonies and orchestra make a fantastic combo. The song itself is like a sequel to the title track of Ghost Opera! Tina Guo performs beautiful cello soloing. An unbelievable single!
"Midsummer’s Eve" is a beautiful atmospheric Celtic ballad. A warm addition to that track is some more of the cello/violin by Tina Guo. "Bloodmoon" works well in the storytelling lyrics, though a bit faulty. Then there's the emotional yet heavy "Nightsky". That's followed by a progressive favorite, "The Looking Glass".
A true world-building anthem "New Babylon" shows you the Kamelot you know to love. The guest contributions by Simone Simons (Epica) and Melissa Bonny (Ad Infinitum) add in stellar dynamic. Wow, that's like "Sacrimony" all over again! Another piano ballad, "Willow" has the delicate passion of Nightwish's ballads, but it's a bit forgettable. "My Pantheon (Forevermore)" has the most impressive guitar and drums in killer balance with the earlier softness. The outro "Ephemera" is a pleasant orchestral finale.
With all that said, The Awakening marks a full comeback for the signature elements of Kamelot, with the best moments worth praising. However, it would've been perfect if a couple tracks didn't sound too recycled in the chorus and melodies. That was the small problem I've had with most power metal bands recently, which is why my revisits to the genre ultimate didn't pay off. Cliche tropes aside, The Awakening proves that Kamelot is a respectable band with all their wonderful grace. They're still on top of the game when it comes to European power metal to America. I'm glad this reawakening worked out so well!
Favorites: "The Great Divide", "Eventide", "Opus of the Night (Ghost Requiem)", "The Looking Glass", "New Babylon", "My Pantheon (Forevermore)"
Genres: Power Metal Symphonic Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2023
Isn't it sometimes strange to start your journey through a band's discography with their uncommon debut, unless you intend to go chronologically? Yes or no, I can find some mature drama here. ...And Life If Very Long is an unforgettable burst of pounding energy in the riffs, rhythms, and vocals! There's also a bit of light mathcore experimentation in the time signature changes and breakdowns, along with slow melody that was once considered unusual for deathcore. The music sticks to your mind with powerful aggression. Thick production and nihilistic writing shows what the fans love along with diverse rhythms. It's the start of their ambitious evolution!
You can still find something worth appreciating in the over two decades since this album's release. Truly you can keep up the headbanging and stomping around. The lineup is different from their later albums, and only frontman Vincent Bennett remains from the original lineup, so basically the instrumentation from this album would never be the same as in subsequent releases. While this album never received the impact of attention it needs, there is a lot to expect from metal/deathcore.
"Cable Ready Techno Sl*t" has a bit of a Mushroomhead-like groove, while staying in their usual deathly metalcore sound. Definitely a highlight, though what stands out for me is the audio sample of what the force spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi describes Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi, "He's more machine now than man." I'm a Star Wars fan, what can I say? The title interlude consists of another audio sample, this one from Norman Stansfield in Leon the Professional, "I take no pleasure in taking a life if it's from a person who doesn't care about it." The melodic outro of "Roadhead Road" is a fun way to end this song of hardcore/deathcore music and vocals.
"The Widowmaker" has more of what to expect from the album, though the entire first half is instrumental. "All She Wrote" was re-recorded from a demo that was put out shortly before this album, and the guitars in the intro verse remind me a bit of The Number Twelve Looks Like You. "Why is a Raven Like a Writing Desk?" punches through with some groove, though the chaotic mid-section has some riffing that's slightly out of place, while not detracting the album's perfection.
"Killing on Empty" slows things down with a breakdown, where the vocals have more energy and the tone has aggressive variation. Despite being uncommon, it really shines with rage. "Noah Will Be Your Grave" crushes you painlessly with full-on grooves rolling like a speeding train. "Doppleganger" without a doubt serves as an intersection between several of the hardcore/metal genres from earlier and later bands; the hardcore of Strife, the metalcore/melodic metalcore of August Burns Red and Parkway Drive, the deathcore of Chelsea Grin, and the melodeath of Avatar. Fantastic! The finale "Sloth Loves Chunk" is well-performed. A bit bizarre while having the aforementioned powerful aggression. It's not as diverse and epic as the previous track, but it still works as a great ending to this mighty offering.
Serving up some kick-A metal/deathcore, ...And Life is Very Long has admirable greatness to make the album stand out strong despite its lack of attention. With the production and sound varying from atonal heaviness to melodic softness, The Acacia Strain had already shown what's needed in any hardcore fan's life!
Favorites: "Cable Ready Techno Sl*t", "Roadhead Road", "All She Wrote", "Killing on Empty", "Doppleganger"
Genres: Metalcore
Format: Album
Year: 2002
Sometimes I think about metal bands that are more popular but have yet to suit my interest and wonder, "Why the f*** am I overlooking a band that's so famous in one of my favorite metal genres?" I've listened to one other album and a few other songs from Killswitch Engage, but they did not hit the point of perfect enjoyment for me. It was hard for me to find the appeal of this band...until now!
This was before Killswitch Engage started taking on a cleaner modern approach in which the whiny choruses in some songs may be the reason why they don't hit me hard. The debut's sound apparently continues that of bassist Mike D'Antonio's previous band Overcast. There is very unique structure compared to the generic sh*t of what I heard.
Like the movie Michelle Yeoh won the Best Actress award for shortly before this review, everything everywhere all at once kicks through in "Temple from the Within". Without an intro, the instrumentation hits you non-stop. A great mid-paced start to this perfect experience! A good thrashy track, "Vide Infra" has more spoken/shouted cleans to fit with the screams. The brutal blasts of "Irreversal" level up the intensity, defining the sound to expect in the album.
"Rusted Embrace" has some awesome vocals here. "Prelude" is quite g****mn good for an instrumental. It's too bad not a lot of the more serious metalheads give the earlier material like that track more appreciation. It segues to "Soilborn" which is really solid.
Next track "Numb Sickened Eyes" is a killer track worth listening to. However, its ending a bit annoying and I feel the need to skip it. Still it doesn't affect the album's perfect score that's still staying steady. "In the Unblind" has more effective mixing. The powerful screaming, guitar soloing, and drumming is a great reminder of the album's strength. The outro track "One Last Sunset" ends the album smoothly, though they probably could've added some clean singing. Still a nice exit...
Although not everyone would ever enjoy this band's debut, I consider it a fantastic experience. Several years after a previous album review attempt, I finally found what makes the band one of the best of the genre, despite its difference from their later material. This is true melodic metalcore fans of the genre should enjoy. Greatly recommended!
Favorites: "Temple from the Within", "Irreversal", "Rusted Embrace", "Soilborn", "In the Unblind"
Genres: Metalcore
Format: Album
Year: 2000
Metal's entryway into the hardcore in the 90s was often sadly forgotten. From the beginning to the end of that decade, metalcore bands back then failed to make global impact, only leaving behind templates for recent bands to use. I'm glad to be following this scene despite being 20 years too late. Spread the Disease's debut We Bleed from Many Wounds is an interesting emphasis on the metal in metalcore. Though it's not without a few hardcore screamo tricks that a few of the more metallic bands use...
I would certainly consider this album early metal/deathcore, but it's not enough. There are plenty of black/death metal structures and background keyboards without being pinned into both genres. The vocals are filled with gravelly hellfire to the likes of other bands in the extreme metal/hardcore category. Spread the Disease's riffing style is different though. While a few riffs sound punky, the rest of them show a lot of their Slayer influence. Most of the hardcore association actually comes from the band being signed to Eulogy Recordings, run by Morning Again's John Wylie. I'm guessing he must've given Spread the Disease the idea of a few hardcore riffs added to their metal.
"Quarantine" would've fit well for me 4 months before this review when I was in COVID quarantine, and it has the early deathcore sound later used by Despised Icon. "In Progress We Swallow" has some parts that remind me of the more early hardcore side of Candiria and Sikth, while unleashing the usual deathly metalcore. Midway through "Her Severed Head" is some Possessed/Slayer-like riffing, alongside occasional tremolos. The breakdowns hit hard without ever ruining everything.
"Shatter the Bolt" is a true 7-minute epic highlight. It has a bit of the melodic part of the sound planting a seed for Unearth and Trivium. Starting "Hymn for the Unheard" is some black metal riffing. "Origin" has a more technical deathcore sound that would spawn deathly bands like Origin and more hardcore bands like Born of Osiris.
Things get quieter in "Ephemerae" in the middle of its chaos. I really like this balancing contrast. "A Love Song" brings in some melodic metalcore/deathcore riffing that would be like a instrumental mix of Memphis May Fire and Chelsea Grin over a decade before those bands began their careers. "Common Grounds" is one last look towards the metalcore/deathcore sound that's much different from that of Attila.
We Bleed From Many Wounds is a pretty good debut for this band. A nice appealing way to add extreme into metallic hardcore in the late 90s ahead of time, though you might get a little sick of it in repeated listens. Sadly, this band remains deep in the forgotten hardcore/metal limbo. They distanced themselves from the plaguing trends of bands going as hardcore as Rorschach and Deadguy or as metallic as Slayer and At the Gates. They only take a bit of the energy of those bands enough to solidify their unique dark metal/hardcore sound. It's an interesting spawn point for the genre deathcore, and much better structured than their second and final album the following year....
Favorites: "In Progress We Swallow", "Shatter the Bolt", "Origin", "A Love Song"
Genres: Metalcore
Format: Album
Year: 1998
From the ashes of his previous band White Zombie, this ghoulish metal man formerly known as Rob Straker began to rise with his own solo career in 1998. Rob Zombie started going solo, but why? Mostly because the course has run and each member moved into their own direction...
Hellbilly Deluxe is often considered a continuation to White Zombie's sound evolution that varied album by album, from noise rock to heavy metal then groove metal and finally industrial metal. Zombie had already proved right from the band's split that he's a solo guy, when he was banned from one of Korn's tours. While there's no chance that White Zombie will ever continue, Rob Zombie would become one of the most recognizable musicians in industrial metal!
The ominous intro "Call of the Zombie" has Zombie's future wife Sheri Moon reading a disturbing nursery rhyme, "Away ran the children to hide in their beds, for fear that the devil would chop off their heads". Then you can shout along to the highlight "Superbeast" and its gang-infused chorus. I saw the music video for that song quite long ago. And you can get pumped up with the single "Dragula", which I know because of a remix appearing in the Matrix, and Motionless in White's cover. That would work well for a teen to blast this song while driving their parent's car in a Halloween joyride. The title of "Living Dead Girl" is hard to take seriously despite the venomous music.
"Perversion 99" is a creepy exotic interlude, almost like a continuation of the last song of White Zombie's final album. "Demonoid Phenomenon" prevails in dark anarchy. "Spookshow Baby" is a little too spooky for me. Though not as disappointing as "How to Make a Monster", which sounds good yet hiding too deep in the low mix.
The disappointment is made up for by the punishing highlight "Meet the Creeper". Next up, "The Ballad of Resurrection Joe and Rosa W***e" sounds a bit ridiculous in both the song and the title, and who would argue with me there? "What Lurks on Channel X" is another disappointment. Same with "Return of the Phantom Stranger" which sounds too close to Marilyn Manson territory. The closing track "The Beginning of the End" is a bizarre industrial noise outro.
Zombie conjured a d*mn entertaining industrial metal spell with Hellbilly Deluxe. Pretty much most of the more well known half of the amount of songs are hard-hitting classics, with the lesser known side being disappointing and worth ignoring. Rob Zombie's solo debut has burnt his name onto the industrial metal shrine of fame....
Favorites: "Superbeast", "Dragula", "Demonoid Phenomenon", "Meet the Creeper"
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1998
As with Dead World, I was determined to complete my review journey through this band Lard. The band would go on hiatus in 2000 to focus on other projects, though there have been a few reunion shows. The core members Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys) and Al Jourgensen (Ministry) recently announced plans to record via email contact. So another album in the future might be possible, we'll see...
Pure Chewing Satisfaction shows the band taking a look at the dark side of America, sounding apocalyptic without the music being too bleak or extreme. Jello gives the songs unique lyrics with strange phrases you wouldn't find in other bands.
Fans of Dead Kennedys and Ministry will be lucky to hear the catchiness of "War Pimp Renaissance". However, "I Wanna Be a Drug-Sniffing Dog" is a true classic that I would rate slightly higher than the first track. Just don't sing it out loud if you don't want your parents worried. Those unique phrases appear in "Moths", an eerie tune mentioning Al Jolson and Kool-Aid, despite the lyrics centered around trying to get a job.
"Generation Execute" has fascinating heavy riffing alongside the creepy yet fun signature vocals of Jello Biafra. Apparently, the riffing was reused from what was scrapped in the Ministry Psalm 69 sessions. Give me more, all day all night! "Faith, Hope and Treachery" looks back at baby boomers and relationship failures.
"Peeling Back the Foreskin of Liberty" is catchy in the riffing, yet repetitive in the beats. While the lyrics reek of political anarchy, it ain't serious, with lyrics mentioning Jews and Hillary Clinton. Still it's quite fun with a simple structure. "Mangoat" is filled with madness, with lyrics written by Jourgensen about someone who's half-man half-goat and shaves people. Biafra shines greatly with his vocals there! "Sidewinder" has lyrics told in the perspective of a snake after environmental catastrophe.
The sound of Lard is developed from what Ministry has, which includes real/fake drums and menacing guitar machinery. Pure Chewing Satisfaction is kind of in the middle, between the quality of their other two major releases, while still pleasing Biafra fans. The abstract lyrics dive through the industrial rock/metal light....
Favorites: "War Pimp Renaissance", "I Wanna Be a Drug-Sniffing Dog", "Generation Execute", "Mangoat"
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1997
1996 was around the year when heavy metal was completing its 5-years descent away from popularity. There are bands that experimented with was all the rage back then, just repeated the same sound without variation, or just outright split up. Dead World did not want to repeat their sound, but they had their own experimentation going on before splitting up a few years later. John Canady's project even switched from the big record labels to smaller labels...
For this album, Thanatos Descends, there has ended up being two different styles, the earlier deathly industrial metal and ambient noise. The ambient "Thanatos" tracks were recorded two years before the metal tracks, during the Dead World era in 1993, in collaboration with David E. Williams. That is quite a difference!
I would say this is a similar format to Spread the Disease's Sheer Force of Inertia, but of course, the heavier tracks, rather than being black/death metal/hardcore, are the dark industrial metal of Fear Factory at that time, and great highlights too, including the hammering "Warhammer". When I refer to songs like "The Scourge" as deathly industrial metal, I don't mean Pestilence gone industrial, but rather industrial metal with a deathly vibe. The other two are really good, but don't reach the greatness of the first two.
Also similarly to Spread the Disease, John Canady's project ended after this album, dissolving in 1999. The Dead World project is dead, but not before this great yet unorthodox way to end. And with all this talk about Spread the Disease, I have one more album from that band to get through after two more albums from industrial metal bands.....
Favorites: "Warhammer", "The Scourge"
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1996
Broken, the only Nine Inch Nails release accepted into this site besides this EP, is a pretty good industrial rock/metal EP for fans of the genre and the band. Now I'm heading to this other EP where most of those tracks are given the remix treatment...
And it's an intense process too! Those creations are recreated and twisted into darker doom. NIN founder Trent Reznor collaborated with other expert remixers such as JG Thirlwell, Butch Vig, and the two members of Coil Peter Christopherson and John Balance (RIP both). The tracks that are guitar-focused became more industrial-focused. The beats and drums are added to the front of this sinister mix while doing the powerful original compositions justice.
"Gave Up" remix is a great example since the guitar riff blasts are still around despite the industrial parts. The 9-minute remix of "Wish", the most well-known single of Broken, is given a minute-and-a-half long drum beat intro that crescendos into the dominating main riff. "Happiness in Slavery" remix has a new touch, though still not so great.
There are 3 more remixes, starting with "Throw This Away", combining "Suck" and "Last". Now why combine the worst track of that EP with a good one? Or at least that's what I feared until I gave it a listen and it comes out decent. Another remix for "Wish", "Fist F***" has samples of Timothy Leary. I actually love it better than the first remix! Unlike the second "Happiness in Slavery" remix "Screaming Slave", which has samples of Bob Flanagan's torture in the Broken film, and is far more electronic than what I like.
Though not as vicious as the Broken EP, Fixed can nonetheless impress fans of industrial remixes and Nine Inch Nails fans who are up for hearing their songs remixed. I think it would be slightly better if they remixed the awesome "Physical"....
Favorites: "Gave Up", "Wish", "Fist F***"
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: EP
Year: 1992
Just one week after In Flames released their new album Foregone, another Swedish melodeath-gone-alt-metal band Avatar released a new album. However, instead of making almost a full return to their melodeath roots, they kept their experimental groove-ish alt-metal sound going. It's slightly better than Foregone, but here there's more pleasant weirdness, and the heavy-melodic ratio is slightly more balanced...
Avatar is not as super popular as the second movie in the film franchise Avatar, yet they can tour and support bands, as active as they could during the virus. They already heading into album #9, Dance Devil Dance! Is the music fitting for their circus-like aesthetics?
Stomping right in is the opening title track with a thunderous country-like march. Though the riffing is repetitive, the song is redeemed by the solid Judas Priest-like chorus where vocalist Johannes Eckerstrom really shines. Perhaps my favorite since the title track of Hail the Apocalypse! "Chimp Mosh Pit" is much heavier. The two guitarists battle it out with their shredding towards the end. The more frantic "Valley Of Disease" has the heavier growls of Eckerstrom. The synths spice things up before the climax.
Anyone discovering Avatar for the first time will be confused by "On the Beach", especially when the style changes in the pre-chorus. There are bands like Avatar that like to switch genres in some songs. Then the relentless "Do You Feel in Control?" takes control. "Gotta Wanna Riot" is quite jarring. The switch from Soil to Soilwork to surf music will make you be like "What the f*** is this piece of sh*t?!" The more poppy "The Dirt I’m Buried in" has better catchy groove. There's fantastic soloing in the bridge. Heaviness stomps back in with "Clouds Dipped in Chrome". Eckerstrom's crazy vocal range from screaming to singing is what makes him such a unique metal vocalist.
"Hazmat Suit" can definitely get the crowd running when performed live. It would certainly make a moshing vortex that can almost turn into a black hole. Nick Cave-like soft blues takes over in "Train", riding slow and steady in the verses before a chaotic derailing in the bridge. Powerful closing track "Violence No Matter What" features vocals from Halestorm's hard rock siren of a vocalist Lzzy Hale. With her vocals, it adds epicness to this anthem that kicks a**.
Dance Devil Dance has what Avatar like to do best, all in a mix of heavy and weird. They know what people love and they add different ideas into their cauldron. Only a few tracks are floppers, but the rest make a pretty smooth album from these hard-at-work experimental groove-ish alt-metal stars....
Favorites: "Dance Devil Dance", "Chimp Mosh Pit", "Do You Feel in Control?", "The Dirt I’m Buried in", "Hazmat Suit", "Violence No Matter What"
Genres: Alternative Metal Groove Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2023
In Flames followers wanted the band to return to their earlier melodic death metal sound, and they've finally done it in their 14th album Foregone! Part of the motivation might have been from The Halo Effect, a new band formed by former members of In Flames to revive the old-school melodeath. I was looking forward to returning to listening to In Flames after a couple-year break, especially since my brother likes one of the album's singles. However, the album is a bit disappointing...
Now don't get me wrong. There's actually some positive light in this offering. After all, this marks the band's return to melodeath form that was strong in the late 90s. The band currently led by guitarist Björn Gelotte and vocalist and Anders Fridén still have a bit of sweetness in the music, and not the good type, more like a mushy love poem. The poppy metalcore part of the recent sound is no longer fully around, and when it does appear, it's in a more interesting balance with the heaviness. It's quite strong and sensible, but again, too sweet for a melodeath album.
"The Beginning of All Things That Will End" is a two-minute folk-ish acoustic intro that's nicely sentimental. The action kicks off with the single "State of Slow Decay", which pleasantly surprised fans with heavy riffing, drumming energy, and metal soloing, bringing back the glory of the band's earlier era and At the Gates. This is straight on metal heaviness that's entirely different from their previous album I the Mask. And that's the single my brother likes from this album. Absolutely strong and promising! "Meet Your Maker" is another excellent metal track. "Bleeding Out" works out quite well in the chorus. There are two title tracks that tricked me into thinking it was two-part suite when it ain't, starting with "Foregone, Pt. 1" which is the best throwback to the Jesper Strömblad era of melodeath fury with a memorable chorus. Though I wish it was longer...
"Foregone Pt. 2", on the other hand, is far too sweet, though not as weak as their previous two albums. That sh*tty composition has nothing to do with the first title track! And look, another stinker, "Pure Light of Mind"! The next track "The Great Deceiver" is pretty great, adding true heavy strength to the melody. "In the Dark" is a big shining moment for their new rhythm guitarist Chris Broderick, formerly of Jag Panzer, Megadeth, and Nevermore, as he adds technical color to the soloing.
"A Dialogue in B Flat Minor" continues the sound of Sounds of a Playground Fading as a heavier sequel. "Cynosure" is quite bad though, I'm not sure what they were thinking there. The deeper growling vocals work well in the "End the Transmission", better than the rest of the album. Unfortunately, the clean singing sounds sh*ttier than the rest of the album there. And why is "Become One" only a bonus track? That's probably the best non-single song, with the great riffing and soloing of melodeath, along with a catchy chorus. For that amazing song to be left out in many editions is a total bummer.
A band making almost a full return to their roots after a couple decades is rare, but that happened with the new In Flames album Foregone. While some songs still show the band at their worst, there's a good amount of positive surprises. They can show how capable they are in their melodeath return, despite the overpowering mainstream....
Favorites: "State of Slow Decay", "Meet Your Maker", "Foregone, Pt. 1", "The Great Deceiver", "In the Dark", "Become One" (bonus track)
Genres: Death Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2023
I've heard about this band Dog Fashion Disco, having listened to a couple songs from them, and even tried listening to and reviewing one of their albums but I couldn't finish due to its experimental wackiness. I've never heard their 2003 album before this review, so I felt up to giving it some listening and a review to see if the band really is worth adding to my metal arsenal, as part of the Infinite review draft...
And let me tell you, they've really done their job well in this album, Committed to a Bright Future! It shows the band's talent at a nice pace, and it has given me the motivation to continue exploring this band instead of just giving up after part of it.
"Love Song for a Witch" opens as a fast pounder, creeping in with keyboards. The guitars and drums go almost as fast as thrash! "Rapist Eyes" is good, but d*mn these lyrics are so odd, not saying that odd is bad or anything. There's also great jazzy bass. "Dr. Piranha" continues the fast speed and cool keyboards, with a circus-like vibe. Vocalist Todd Smith really nails the bridge here. "Fetus on the Beat" was re-recorded from an earlier album The Embryo's in Bloom, having cool atmosphere.
"Worm in a Dog's Heart" starts with carnival-like keyboards with some cool bass bounce. The chorus sounds as progressive as Voivod's Nothingface, while the verses are weird in a good way. "Plastic Surgeons" is quite cool, though the xylophone soloing sounds odd in some places. Still great enough to keep the album's perfection! "Pogo the Clown" was re-recorded from another earlier album Experiments in Alchemy, a jazzy track graphically describing the murders committed by John Wayne Gacy. In saying that, the track is so amazing and versatile, with great bass! "Castaway" is a song I love so much, no words can describe it.
"Nude in the Wilderness" is a great track with a progressive bridge. Mike Patton would be proud. "The Acid Memoirs" would make Frank Zappa proud. It's so diverse! Though the bizarre lyrics are a bit bad, yet still not detracting the album's perfect score. "Deja Vu" is another jazzy re-recording from Experiments in Alchemy, this time with some atmospheric saxophone, cooling down for those who like John Zorn. Now, "Magical Band of Fools"... Is that funk?!? D*mn, the bass is so catchy, and so is some more sax!
The album has a couple hidden tracks ("Scores for Porn" and a cover of the theme for the musical/film "Grease"), but they don't hit as much as the awesome main release. Committed to a Bright Future can pretty much be one of my top 10 releases in alternative/avant-garde metal. Any fan of rock or metal should look into this bright future!
Favorites: "Love Song for a Witch", "Dr. Piranha", "Worm in a Dog's Heart", "Pogo the Clown", "Castaway", "Magical Band of Fools"
Genres: Alternative Metal Avant-Garde Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2003
I just realized another thrash band I haven't reviewed an album from yet, Testament. And reviewing this album The Formation of Damnation is a good leap from Slayer's Repentless since drummer Paul Bostaph stepped in to play drums for this Testament album at a time when Dave Lombardo (who also recently rejoined Testament) continued his time with Slayer. I also remember guitarist Alex Skolnick performing with Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
Testament is known as one of the SECONDARY Big 4 of thrash, alongside Exodus, Overkill and Death Angel. As famous as this band is, there's some truth that needs to be known. The greater fans of thrash stay with this band's music for their debut The Legacy, and I can kind of understand why. The quality here in this album, The Formation of Damnation, varies in lukewarm ways. Some songs are brilliant, others are just uninspired. It's a bit frustrating when one half of the album is great and the other is more average. But hey, it's not as sucky as what occurred in Slayer's Repentless...
The intro "For the Glory of..." starts the album with pompous guitar energy similar to that of Repentless. "More than Meets the Eye" crashes in with headbanging guitars. It's more mid-paced compared to the faster side of thrash, but it has strong melody and a catchy chorus. Fans of the band's debut will love this! The thrash isn't too infernal and instead more mature while sounding a bit menacing. Great start! "The Evil Has Landed" has a similar sound but slightly darker, especially in the lyrics, which deal with the most catastrophic day in the US, 9/11. The title track sets aside the earlier midtempo, replacing it with fast harsh aggression. It's a brilliant highlight if you're like me and wanna spice things up with speed.
Such a shame that "Dangers of the Faithless" lose the skill the band had in that earlier part of the album. "The Persecuted Won't Forget" is an exciting thrash storm, though as it goes on, it becomes much less exciting. The better "Henchmen Ride" drives through with slight speed in the bass and drums, and what makes the song memorable is the smashing chorus. It really makes up for the two previous tracks while still not regaining their earlier skill. "Killing Season" has longer guitar soloing, but it just lacks anything memorable and comes out as pretty much aimless.
"Afterlife" is more melodic while staying in heavy aggression. While a couple of the other songs in the album attempt that mix and fail, it sounds much more original in this one. It's cool and straight with being a total face-basher. "F.E.A.R." (False Evidence Appearing Real) doesn't fall flat on its face, just driving through with a bit of gloom in the pre-chorus. Not as triumphant as the first few tracks, but a solid highlight. "Leave Me Forever" is pretty much a ridiculous stinker, especially in the floppy verses.
All in all, The Formation of Damnation has a few soulless tracks while the rest is really good. The flawless highlights are certainly worth listening to, especially for thrash fans. Yet a few poor tracks leave me ending another encore to my Ultimate Pit Test with a slight foul taste in my metal mouth....
Favorites: "More than Meets the Eye", "The Formation of Damnation", "Henchmen Ride", "Afterlife", "F.E.A.R." (False Evidence Appearing Real)
Genres: Thrash Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2008
As I've said before, Breaking Benjamin is one of the first rock/metal bands I had slight interest in over a decade before this review when my brother was (and still is) listening to this band and other bands. I mentioned that their debut Saturate had a post-grunge/hard rock sound, but I think this was only based on a few tracks I still remembered. With this album now fully in my mind after thorough listening, I've realized that it's a little more than just those two genres...
This was back when the nu metal scene was still on top, and Breaking Benjamin was part of it. However, they sound heavier than the songs from nu metal bands that are played on the radio, while their choruses are still worth singing along to.
"Wish I May" starts heavy before a Linkin Park-like singalong chorus. "Medicate" is similar, but closer to a grunge vibe. "Polyamorous" is the album's first single. It shows vocalist Benjamin Burnley having his ability to sing and perform background screams. A catchy tune that I still remember throughout all these years! "Skin" is more radio-friendly, once again mixing heavy and catchy in the choruses.
Modernizing the Bush sound of post-grunge is "Natural Life". However, the best song here for me is "Next to Nothing", despite sounding softer, which deserves as much fame as those 3 singles. I should also note that two of those singles ("Medicate" and "Polyamorous") were originally in the band's 2001 self-titled EP, and another one of the songs from the EP is "Water". This one starts with an experimental intro that almost made me think this would lead to an Atheist-like track, but it leads to this band's usual sound that's like a heavier Matchbox 20. Another song from the EP, "Home" is a heavier track I still remember and enjoy, with lyrics based on the Wizard of Oz.
"Phase" is a little more stripped down while still shining in heaviness, with a bit of tribal percussion. "No Games" has more of the mainstream Lifehouse/Calling side. That's the kind of style I want when balanced with the heavier stuff. "Sugarcoat" has more of that heavy potential. "Shallow Bay" is the last song to be re-recorded from their EP and the best of the heavier songs, which I still remember today. "Forever" is a soft hidden track ballad that's OK, but kind of an afterthought.
Saturate is a pretty good start to Breaking Benjamin's active career (active despite their hiatus throughout the first half of the 2010s). They have a great amount of songs with potential, though some of them miss that mark. This is worth picking up for the highlights and playing it loud and proud....
Favorites: "Wish I May", "Polyamorous", "Next to Nothing", "Home", "Phase", "Shallow Bay"
Genres: Alternative Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2002
I decided to, after listening to and reviewing Hell Awaits, jump ahead from 1985 to 2015, sort of like Marty, Jennifer, and Doc in Back to the Future Part II. So here I am reviewing their final album Repentless, which is also their only album without founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman after his untimely passing two years earlier. Also absent was their mighty drummer Dave Lombardo. Does this album work without them? Eh, not so much...
Jeff Hanneman was known for his creative thrash songwriting. He knew how to add in spooky experimentation to the band's songs, while the band's other founding guitarist Kerry King wrote the typical upbeat tracks. With King in full control of most of the songwriting in this album, you might think this would be full-on fast thrash.
You might certainly think that with the first few tracks offering a promising start, beginning with the intro "Delusions of Savior", which I think is actually a better title for this album than that of the next track. The actual title track really sums up humanity in a nutshell. Bad-a** thrash right here! "Take Control" has just what longtime fans expect from this genre, fast riffing and aggressive soloing. Then the songs after that is just low-tuned mid-tempo groove metal, unfitting for what I expect from this band.
However, one song "When the Stillness Comes" is a pleasant surprise. King tries to add in the earlier scariness, which isn't too bad. Fantastic riffing appears in the last minute. There really should've been more after that, like enough to extend the song by a couple more minutes, but no, it's just an abrupt anti-climatic ending. So sad... Fortunately, there's more speed in "Implode", which was oddly released over a year earlier. "Piano Wire", the only song in the album to be posthumously written by Hanneman, is different from the other mid-tempo tracks, but it's still stuck in the middle.
"Atrocity Vendor" is also thrashy yet uninspired. The album's true highlight for me is "You Against You", having the mighty side of thrash sounding as fresh and f***ing p*ssed they can be. "Pride in Prejudice" ends the album (and the band's discography) blandly with one more groove song, though slightly more interesting than the others.
Some songs in Repentless are quite enjoyable. Guitarist Gary Holt does some great soloing work as if he has learned from Hanneman himself. Drummer Paul Bostaph is also good, while not the same as Lombardo. King performs some of the greatest riffing in thrash. Tom Araya continues his experienced aggression in the vocals and bass. And while Repentless is not how I thought they would end it all, I recognize the earlier Hell Awaits as a classic essential enough for my potential in The Pit. So long, Slayer.....
Favorites: "Repentless", "Take Control", "Implode", "You Against You"
Genres: Thrash Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2015
Two of the UK founders of industrial metal, Godflesh and Pitchshifter started their journey in 1989, the year the former released their debut and the latter was formed. It's clear that those bands are contributing to the branching out of music from the birthplace of rock/metal pioneers, England. Industrial metal was created in the late 80s, not just by Godflesh, but also American bands Ministry and Malhavoc, both of whom add some Amebix-like hardcore thrash elements. A few years later, German band Die Krupps would start their own brand of industrial metal straight from EBM. And how does Pitchshifter make their industrial metal sound?...
It's a little hard to explain. Pitchshifter entered the 90s with a more deathly industrial metal style, and as the albums went on, they branched with pieces of groove, thrash, and alternative metal, the latter especially in their final few albums. There's more of a depressive soundscape in the earlier material. The band released their debut a couple years Godflesh's debut. After that, they submitted a very good EP Submit. Then comes the dividing lines between their two eras, Desensitized!
"Lesson One" begins the album with a short droning spoken sample. Then we head to the right start with "Diable", loud and dynamic while marching through riff-patterns for strangely good atmosphere. The grand "Ephemerol" has the band's earlier sludgy sound in the intro. The spacey vibe is much more catchy than depressing. It doesn't beat the next track though... "Triad" is an impressive hymn with catchy rhythm. It kind of hints at their later dance-y material while staying in their earlier heaviness. This kind of blend really works in songs like that!
"To Die Is Gain" can be considered pure industrial metal, but the samples and vocals overlap with each other, only saying the song title. "(A Higher Form of) Killing" reveals the thrashy side of the band, though it's mixed up with what they usually have. "Lesson Two" is a similar interlude to the intro, though it's just a man saying "Listen to me. Listen to me!" The complex "Cathode" is a thrash-ish monolith of tempo variation.
Another short interlude "N/A" can be considered "Lesson Three", though it's quite random. "Gathering of Data" has hypnotic dissonance in the riffing. JS Clayden can add his usual abrasive vocals to the melody that sometimes goes quiet. More samples appear in "N.C.M.", as the riffs jump around in dynamic speed. "Routine" finishes things as a rather unrelated-to-music track. It is then followed by 23 minutes of silence, after which a hidden track appears. It's a re-recording/sequel to "Landfill" from the band's debut Industrial. It's a great highlight, I don't know why we have to wait 23 boring minutes for that cool track.
Desensitized is close to a masterpiece, one where the music and sounds fit well with the different times. The band would later evolve throughout the rest of the 90s, while staying within their industrial metal grounds. There's barely anything for me to complain about in this Pitchshifter album, which marks another great contribution to industrial metal. And there's more to find in the happiness in bleakness of the genre!
Favorites: "Ephemerol", "Triad", "(A Higher Form of) Killing", "Cathode", "Gathering of Data", "N.C.M.", "Landfill" (hidden track)
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1993
Now this is a much better improvement compared to this band's debut! The death-doom part of the sound in Collusion became much less in this album The Machine, and they started using a drum machine. Their take on death-doom in Collusion was a bit monotone at times, which didn't help with half of the amount of tracks being interludes. The Machine makes up for that sh*t by a lot, despite some obvious lyrics of social commentary. The music of mid-paced industrial metal is the real deal...
The production fits with frontman Jonathan Canady switching his vocals from growling and talking to just whispering, fitting well with the instrumentation. I like the standard guitar tone and audible bass fuzz. You can find lots of melodic riffs played in downtuned guitar. All of that make up for the somewhat lame drum machine.
First off, "Cold Hate" is perhaps the most aggressive track here. There's a Nine Inch Nails-like intro before Jonathan's vocals enter. During the chorus, the steady drum machine gets toned down for some riff aggression. A nice guitar lead comes in midway through. "Lies" is slower with a similar formula. Although instead of being aggressive, the sound is cold and dreamy. I prefer that one slightly more. "180" is a nicely bleak instrumental highlight.
"Kill" is a pretty good throwback to the earlier doom, though the Marilyn Manson-like lyrics cause some complications, "Football on the TV, beer in the hand, the extent of his rational depth. He's a god fearing man, a wife beating f***, a vacuous flag waving fool." Next up, "Blood Everywhere" has mild ambience before a movie sample appears.
The title track has Voivod-like riffing while staying slow and doom-ish as usual. One more ambient interlude, the 10-minute "Orgy of Self Mutilation" is quite busy despite just letting everything flow in dreamy space. The closing track "El Shaddi" I'm guessing is kind of a sequel to similarly titled track from Collusion. It begins with simple drumming, and is more relaxed than the other non-interlude tracks, making an atmospheric ending to the album.
I would not say The Machine is the ultimate industrial metal masterpiece, but it's really great, and much improved compared to their debut. Any fan of industrial and/or metal should get this offering. Welcome to the Machine!
Favorites: "Lies", "180", "The Machine", "El Shaddi"
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1993
Are there times when legends from two different bands collaborate with each other, but ultimately it turns out bad? Sadly, yeah. But when people first heard about Dead Kennedys' Jello Biafra and Ministry's Al Jourgensen forming their own side-project Lard, they thought "That would be awesome! What can go wrong?"
The project was formed sometime after Jello left Dead Kennedys. He was already in a few other side collaborations. Jourgensen is still in Ministry, and he has done some other side projects as well. When those two innovators join forces for a different project, asking that question, what could go wrong? Practically nothing! The Last Temptation of Reid is an underrated creative album with fast music and politically-fueled lyrics, and a step up from their EP.
Opening with funky bass, "Forkboy" has fast heavy/industrial metal/hardcore fury. A fantastic opening track and the best here, with Jello's unique vocal creativity. Thrash fans might recognize the Flotsam and Jetsam cover. There's a feeling of death and betrayal here, all in a fun listen. "Pineapple Face" is a f***ing mindblower, keeping up the speed of the first track, though there's a slow psychedelic chorus that nonsensical but genius. The crazy political lyrics are odd yet having a deep meaning. Another track that you wanna keep around until the end of time! "Mate Spawn and Die" brings back the earlier hardcore of Dead Kennedys. The lyrics are sung in spoken rhythm. It's not as memorable or energetic as the first two tracks, but it has a catchy charm within the lyrics.
"Drug Raid at 4am" is still a song, but instead of lyrics, there are some samples including the famous "This is your brain on drugs", along with Jello playing the role of a police officer inspecting a house storing drugs, yelling aggressively at the suspect as the fast instrumentation plays. Then ending on a humorous note, the officers says "Oh, sorry, wrong house." Next track "Can God Fill Teeth?" The lyrics are pretty much entirely spoken word. After some conspiracy theory accusations, the guitar and drums speed up as fast as thrash, while painful yet humorous sounds of dental torture come in. Apparently, wires leading to the brain of the patient record all that's happening the appointment. So odd and mesmerizing, yet as creative as the first two tracks! Smooth bass once again starts up "Bozo Skeleton", mid-paced with catchy vocals flowing together with heavy instrumentation. This legendary hardcore/industrial combo continues to impress me!
The most metallic track here, "Sylvestre Matuschka" is quite awesome, and why not? The sinister vocals and chords make this a fun standout worth headbanging to. Then there's a cover of Napoleon XIV's "They're Coming to Take Me Away". Jello does a fun job singing this song. The marching snare fits well with the vocal insanity. Oh, the show-stealing joy! The final song "I Am Your Clock" is somewhat interesting. It's a 15-minute disorganized guitar jam with Jello presenting a speech throughout. I enjoy many long epics, but this one sounds better as a 5-minute track, but it just keeps repeating that d*mn riff with only one or a couple breaks. Really not my thing...
Any fan of Dead Kennedys and hardcore punk and/or Ministry and industrial metal should listen to this offering. The Last Temptation of Reid shows the two most well-known members of those bands at their most creative. Lard would make one more album 7 years later than go on hiatus. Recommended for hardcore/industrial listeners anytime!
Favorites: "Forkboy", "Pineapple Face", "Can God Fill Teeth?", "Bozo Skeleton", "Sylvestre Matuschka"
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1990
There are some industrial metal bands that are better off as studio-only, whether by their own choice or by fan demand, mainly due to heavy usage of electronics and samples as opposed to metal instruments. The band performed at Holiday Star Theatre in early 1990 and recorded it for a live album... In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up! The performance has actually enhanced some songs better than in the studio versions. I'll review the video edition of this album for a more complete experience...
The CD version consists of 6 songs from the albums The Land of Rape and Honey and The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste, 3 songs per album. They selected some of the best songs from both albums, with some of them having good improvement.
Only present in the video edition, "Breathe" has the Jourgensen-sung madness of its original album's first two tracks, this time deliberately more intense! It takes your head off and slam-dunks it back between your d*mn shoulders, caused by driving drums and vocals repeatedly telling you to "BREATHE!!! ...YOU F***ER!!" Then the song tears your head off again like a fish in the kitchen. One of the best here! The keyboard-guitar hybrid riffing rolls in "The Missing", which is mid-paced and can deliberately force your head into a different place. "Deity" is a roaring Metallica-like thrash tune as the drums and riff thunder around.
"So What" is extended from 8 minutes to a massive 11 minutes here, but it's more than an epic, it's an anthem with harmonic guitars and catchy bass as Jourgensen declares, "So what!? it's your own problem to learn to live with. Destroy us! Or make us saints!! WE DON'T CARE!!! IT'S NOT OUR FAULT THAT WE WERE BORN TOO LATE!!!!" This song of the generation's apathy will get you screaming/singing along to an anthem that's unlike any other. After an ambient intro, "Burning Inside" kicks in a propulsive beat and repetitive guitar to keep you awake. This pounding tune is helped out by the vocals. When I wrote this review after waking up this morning, this song fired me up way more than coffee! "Thieves" starts with a hyper guitar riff over a dance beat, then the verse has Al Jourgensen's distorted screams of "THIEVES AND LIARS!! MURDERERS!!! HYPOCRITES AND B****RDS!!!!" Then the chorus stops for a stretched guitar chord until one more scream of "THIEVES!!! LIARS!!!" Then the drums go full-on thrash, but they should've used real drums instead of programming in the original studio version. I'm guessing they couldn't find any drummers going that fast.
One of the best tunes displayed here is "Stigmata" with its fuzzy keyboard riffing. Al would enter the scene with a howl of maximum distortion. The riff and beat drives the song through well. This is where the CD edition ends, but in the video edition, it is followed by Jello Biafra of Dead Kennedys and Ministry side-project Lard reciting a parody of the Pledge of Allegiance. He would later be sucking his thumb and Nazi saluting during the final encore. The title track of the Land of Rape of Honey is a menacing crawler, standing out with its creepy vibe.
It's quite great hearing the songs from The Land of Rape of Honey get the heavier live treatment to suit the band's expanding metal sound. On the other hand, in the songs from The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste, there more weight in the groove rather than tightness. Both separate aspects combined, they foreshadow the sound in their later albums becoming more metallic. Ministry made a great performance showcasing the songs from their late 80s metal era. Not the best live album I've heard, but quite a memorable one in industrial metal....
Favorites (two per studio album): "Breathe", "Burning Inside", "Stigmata", "The Land of Rape and Honey"
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: Live
Year: 1990
I need to catch up with BTBAM again. I really do! The Great Misdirect is known as one of the greatest albums from the band besides Colors, and was a masterpiece for me when I was still listening to them. But in the past year or so, I've only listened to a couple songs from their first two albums when assembling the Revolution playlists. With this nice revisit, let's see what I still think of this album...
Between the Buried and Me can chug through progressiveness faster than a train. Colors was once a true landmark for me. It continues the transition they had through their first 3 albums. With the new lineup of bassist Dan Briggs, rhythm guitarist Dustie Waring, and drummer Blake Richardson maintaining their places, the progressive hints from their earlier albums have evolved into a new essential part of the sound in Colors. The songs are longer and they all transition to each other like a multi-part suite. The earlier heaviness kept going, mixed with some fun wacky parts. Colors was a f***ing masterpiece for me, and so was The Great Misdirect. What do I think of the latter now?
Similarly to Colors' intro, "Mirrors" begins this album as its intro that almost doubles as a short soft song. A bit of the soft wackiness is already hinted in the jazzy bridge. "Obfuscation" can fit well as a single that should've been recorded and released between Alaska and Colors. It also shows the soft-hard blend they've used since The Silent Circus. All in all, a good start to the progressive action!
The best song for me is "Disease, Injury, Madness", having a different execution the same soft-hard blend. It starts in a progressive deathcore frenzy, then switches to soft and clean, all leading up to an excellent bluesy section in the second half. A unique standout! After that, "Fossil Genera - A Feed from Cloud Mountain" is a grand hint at the band's move away from their early metalcore. The first couple minutes show vocalist Tommy Rogers impersonating Mike Patton in a circus-like metal sound, a bit like a heavier The Decemberists. Then the rest is the usual extreme progressive metal before ending with an epic rising climax.
"Desert of Song" is the album's weakest link, though it's a nice bridge before the epic storm to come. It's a 5 and a half minute semi-acoustic ballad with some vocals by lead guitarist Paul Waggoner and well-done bass. It's a good place to breathe before one final adventure you won't forget... The 18-minute epic "Swim to the Moon" is the band's longest song to date, though the length hasn't surpassed Opeth's "Black Rose Immortal" or a few of Dream Theater's epics. I enjoy these progressive epics, but nowadays, I find the song's length to be a bit f***ing draggy. The soloing section has non-stop shredding in both the guitars and keyboards for a few minutes. Impressive, but fits more as a live jam. There's also an Alaska/Colors-like breakdown. Then it ends mellow after reusing the earlier riff. The track is still an epic highlight despite the extensive length.
Despite a bit of error that I now recognize when the band make literally one of their finest hours, it's still not too big of a deal. The transitions are almost never forced, and most of the songs are set up well overall. Tommy's vocals range from explosive growls in better quality to melodic cleans that no longer sound robotic. He appears less while still around a lot, allowing the other members to shine, including Blake whose drumming is so unique and heavy in the patterns. Between the Buried and Me continue the progressive journey they've had since The Silent Circus, and while The Great Misdirect isn't as perfect as I once thought it was, it's their finest hour of coherence!
Favorites: "Disease, Injury, Madness", "Fossil Genera - A Feed from Cloud Mountain", "Swim to the Moon" (despite being a bit draggy)
Genres: Progressive Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2009