|
All That Remains - Behind Silence and Solitude |
|
Written by Chris Slack
|
|
Saturday, 14 June 2008 22:13 |
|
All That Remains hail from Western Massachusetts and “Behind Silence and Solitude” is their debut recording. Their bio lists them as being influenced by such bands as The Haunted, Witchery, Meshuggah, Nevermore, Nile, Cannibal Corpse, Unearth, God Forbid, and Shadows Fall.
This CD seems to belong to a number of metal genres. The title track is almost straight ahead thrash/metalcore, the second song, “From These Wounds”, adds some power metal style riffing and solos to the elements from the first song, and the third track, “Follow” starts out with some Gothenburg flavored guitars then turns into an East Coast style mosh-fest before ending. The only constant throughout the album is the shouted/growly vocals of Philip Labonte. While the vocal tones don’t change much over the course of the album they go very well with the music and the lyrics are intelligible throughout. The music isn’t overly complicated but guitarists Chris Bartlett and Oliver Hebert get in a ton of solid riffs and solos throughout the album. Some of the more melodic riffs seem to weave intricately in and out between guitars in a fashion not unlike older Mercyful Fate or Iron Maiden, a quality not seen too often in modern music. Drummer Michael Bartlett and bassist Dan Egan keep everything in check with a solid beat.
All said this is a pretty damn good debut CD. While I would like a little more variance in vocal styles/tones it doesn’t detract from the overall quality and sounds better than a lot of the stuff coming out currently. I’d recommend this CD highly to fans of the current crop of Swedish death, melodic metal fans who aren’t afraid of harsher vocals and older thrashers who are turned off by the cookie monster vocals of a lot of death metal fans. Those of you who are too evil for your own good might want to avoid this as there are some subtle Christian overtones in some of the lyrics. On a side note I saw All That Remains at the New England Metal and Hardcore fest and these guys shred live. Check them out if you get the chance! Check out their site at http://www.allthatremains.cc/ for more band info.
Track list:
01. Behind Silence and Solitude
02. From These Wounds
03. Follow
04. Clarity
05. Crate
06. Shading
07. Home to Me
08. One Belief
(Prosthetic/Metal Blade) Rating: 8 /10 |
|
|
Written by Chris Slack
|
|
Saturday, 14 June 2008 22:13 |
|
Since 1997 France’s Seth has released 3 full-length albums, a mini-CD, and a split with Cultus Sanguine. One doesn’t think of France when thinking about black metal but make no mistake, Seth is a strong contender in the international scene, especially after signing with Osmose Productions
When I first got this album I didn’t really know what to expect. Would it be like the atmospheric keyboard-heavy “'Les Blessure De L'ame” or the more structured aggressive approach taken on “The Exellence”? To me it feels like a combination of both though the keyboards are virtually non-existent. Tempos vary wildly throughout “Divine-X”, ranging from medium tempoed stuff to full-on blast. One thing I really liked is that, unlike most black metal bands, Seth doesn’t appear to be afraid to play guitar solos in their songs. The solos flow very nicely with the rhythms and don’t come across as musical masturbation but rather make the music seem more whole. Atmosphere is provided by the coldness of picked chords and pained vocals, something that always works when the production is done right.
Seth has continually progressed musically with each release without compromising the aggression or evil feeling of their music. Many bands (I won’t name names) could take a lesson from these guys in those regards! If Osmose promotes Seth correctly they could become a very strong force in the international black metal scene. This is one of the must-have albums of 2002 for anyone who considers themselves to be black metal fans.
1. Evil-X
2. The Sons of Seth
3. Walk on Fire with Me
4. Addicted to Psychotronic Angeldust
5. Cosmic Cursed's Shelter
6. Into the Spheres of Spirituality
7. Satanik Generation
8. Divine-X
(Osmose Productions) Rating: 10 /10 |
|
Ragnarok - In Nomine Satanas |
|
Written by Chris Slack
|
|
Saturday, 14 June 2008 22:12 |
|
Norway’s Ragnarok has been around since 1994 and has four full-length albums out including their latest, “In Nomine Satanas”. While not as well known as some of their Norwegian brothers of darkness they have still managed to collect a decent following in the underground. Their current lineup consists of Jontho on drums, Rym on guitar, Lord Arcamous on guitar/vocals and Jerv on bass.
The first two tracks on the album are chaotic and very fast-paced black metal tunes. Unfortunately nothing really sets them apart from other bands in the genre. Track 3 picks it up a little with some decent melodic parts but for the most part sounds the same as the first two. Track 8, “Angel Corpse” shows some promise but after a few listens it starts to sound like a generic Dark Funeral song. The Abyss Studio production by Tommy Tatgren is great but production alone doesn’t make a good album.
If I’d have heard this five or six years ago I would be really impressed. However this is not the mid-nineties, it’s 2002. Apart from some good folkish riffs (which are few and far between) I get the impression that I have heard this all before, especially after repeated listening. The musicians are talented so there is some promise for the future but for now I have to suggest passing this release over, there’s just not enough originality or creativity on this album to justify shelling out one's hard earned cash for it.
1. In Nomine Satanas
2. The Black Mass
3. A Nights Kingdom
4. The Beast of Madness
5. Under the Wings of Satan
6. In Inferno I Drown
7. Crowned as Prince of Darkness
8. Angel Corpse
9. Encircled by Chaos
(Regain Records) Rating: 4 /10 |
|
|
Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors |
|
Written by Chris Slack
|
|
Saturday, 14 June 2008 22:12 |
|
As evidenced by their last full length, “La Masquerade Infernale", Norway’s Arcturus has never been a band to follow current underground musical trends. It seems as though they always endeavor to stay one step ahead of the crowd in the design and execution of their art and are not in the least bit afraid to try something new. “The Sham Mirrors” is not an exception to that but is not as much of a radical departure from the style heard on their last album as “La Masquerade Infernale" was from “Aspera Hiems Symfonia”.
The album opens with “Kinetic”, a track that flows like water and is very pleasing on the ears. This (as well as most of the CD is very non-threatening and could (or should) easily make it into rotation on mainstream radio. Some might be a taken a bit back by Garm’s vocals, which are very clean and melodic and even venture into some falsetto parts. Things get a little more extreme on “Collapse Generation” where Hellhammer’s double bass gets a little bit of a workout. “Star Crossed” would make a perfect soundtrack to an out-of-body experience, while listening it I can close my eyes and envision floating above the world looking down on both peaceful scenes and the horrors of war. This is some very visual music folks! The ten and a half minute closer “For to End Yet Again” perfectly wraps up the album, its multilayered production and thick atmosphere make it very memorable.
The songs on this album, unlike “La Masquerade Infernale", actually seem to fit together as if they really belong there. If you’re looking for something grim and extreme you’ll want to avoid this one like the plague. If you’re looking for something that transcends the black metal genre, actually the metal genre as a whole, check this sucker out.
1. Kinetic
2. Nightmare Heaven
3. Ad Absurdum
4. Collapse Generation
5. Star Crossed
6. Radical Cut
7. For to End Yet Again
(Voices of Wonder/The End Records) Rating: 9 /10 |
|
My Dying Bride - Voice of the Wretched |
|
Written by Chris Slack
|
|
Saturday, 14 June 2008 22:10 |
|
After a decade or so on top of the doom/gothic metal scene England’s My Dying Bride have finally released a live album. This album features live recordings of My Dying Bride's performance at the 013 Club in Tilburg, Holland, that took place on March 1 2001 as part of the Peacefest shows.
Tracks on this album run through many of the best songs throughout My Dying Bride’s long career. The production is clean, yet not so clean that it reeks of post-production work and overdubs like so many other live albums. It actually seems more like a live Greatest Hits CD than a normal live album. “Voice of the Wretched” gives you a nice 51 minute taste of the melancholic sound of My Dying Bride. I only wish they could have put more tracks on it to fill the extra twenty minutes the format allows.
While I’m not the biggest fan of live albums I am a huge fan of My Dying Bride. Since they’ve never made it to my part of the US it gives me a good taste of what to expect should they ever make it out this way. As far as live albums go this is one of the best I have heard. If you’re a fan of the band buy this CD!
1. She Is The Dark
2. Turn Loose The Swans
3. The Cry Of Mankind
4. The Snow In My Hand
5. A Cruel Taste Of Winter
6. Under Your Wings And Into Your Arms
7. A Kiss To Remember
8. Your River
9. The Fever Sea
10. Symphonaire Infernus Et Spera Empyrium
(Peaceville) Rating: 8 /10 |
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 Next > End >>
|
|
Page 67 of 72 |