tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59372969892811339942024-02-07T06:22:57.924-06:00MetalFRO's MusingsThis is my musings on music, pop culture, geekdom, movies, video games, and whatever it is that happens to be on my mind. It's a veritable cornucopia of stuff coming out of my brain.MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.comBlogger268125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-42665188147033857142014-12-10T18:30:00.000-06:002014-12-10T18:30:00.442-06:00Harmony - Theatre Of Redemption (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2yvAg_JHQnnFDvpK3eLQupmT94AnKUw36WzhBTKrU9Sf4XZiPy39OHnMBMoMpJLJOuUWLsmDj1JHme_9lbZ8NSEZ6BlvV7SV_mvBLLFJ8UxQtxpRpyDsI59U7vMCmIXzojKb5iip92rxF/s1600/Harmony_artwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2yvAg_JHQnnFDvpK3eLQupmT94AnKUw36WzhBTKrU9Sf4XZiPy39OHnMBMoMpJLJOuUWLsmDj1JHme_9lbZ8NSEZ6BlvV7SV_mvBLLFJ8UxQtxpRpyDsI59U7vMCmIXzojKb5iip92rxF/s1600/Harmony_artwork.jpg" height="396" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm always nervous when a band comes off a really strong release, and then for whatever reason, makes a big change in the line-up. These changes are often necessary, either due to stability (or lack thereof) within a band, or sometimes, a member needs to leave a group for various personal and/or professional reasons. Whatever the impetus for change, fans of the band in its previous incarnation either have to hope that the band will carry on and be as good (or better) than they were, or perhaps even fold, since they'll have little chance to match what they've done in the past.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm a big Harmony fan. I dug the <i>End Of My Road</i> EP, and the subsequent album <i>Chapter II: The Aftermath</i>. I'd say more than enjoyed, because <i>Chapter II</i> is one of my favorite power metal albums of all time, and I rather thought vocalist Henrik Bath was a perfect fit for the band's sound. Truth be told, I preferred his work with Harmony to what he's done on the flipside with Darkwater. I've always felt as though Darkwater is just shy of greatness, but the songs just haven't quite hit me the way that Harmony's material did. So if Henrik left Harmony to focus on Darkwater, let's just hope that he brings his "A" game on the next album, because his departure from Harmony hurt my heart a little.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having said that, Harmony scored a major win with Henrik's replacement, former Lost Horizon vocalist Daniel Heiman. It's not clear whether or not he'll be joining as a permanent member or just provided session vocals, but it's no secret that in the early 2000's, Lost Horizon set the power metal world on fire with both "Awakening the World" and "A Flame to the Ground Beneath". They were to be the "next big thing" in the power metal scene, after Hammerfall helped to resuscitate the genre in the mid-late 90's. Twas not to be, however, and Daniel lent his vocal talent to both Heed and Crystal Eyes in the mid 2000's. He's been relatively quiet since then, doing an occasional guest vocal, but without a major project to attach his name to. After hearing his performance on this latest Harmony album, I'd recommend he stick with these guys.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Immediately, the recognizable guitar sound of Markus Sigfridsson is present. He has cultivated a great guitar tone that perfectly combines a heavy, crunchy sound, while retaining a clarity that allows the riffs and melodies to really shine. It also gives his solos a great sound that hearkens back to the golden age of metal (I'll say that's the 1980's). He also employs a nice acoustic guitar sound in "You Are" as well, and uses a couple other textures throughout the album where there's less distortion (or at times none), for a nice effect. Thundering bass is handled by Raphael Dafras (Almah), and he's solid as always. Harmony's production (handled by the band, as well as Fredrik Nordström & Thomas Johansson) doesn't lend itself to overly audible bass lines, and relegates it to more under the radar, but there are moments (like during the post-chorus section of "Hands Of Time") where the bass takes more center stage. Drumming is handled by one Tobias Enbert, and as usual, he brings solid drumming that stresses rhythm over technicality and speed, but he ramps up the pace when necessary, and provides consistency throughout the album. Newcomer John Svensson does a fine job on keyboards, adding the symphonic bits here and there where they make sense, and adding that additional melody line in places where the guitar is spending more time on driving riffs than establishing the base melody. He does a fine job here with the material.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vocally, Daniel Heiman is on point, though noticeably more reserved than we heard him on either Lost Horizon album. I doesn't sound as though his voice has lost a step, so perhaps he (and/or the band) didn't feel the material here called for quite as flamboyant a performance as before. He sounds excellent here, however, with a fair degree of dynamics, range, and emotion on display. He goes up quite high on several occasions, and his smooth voice really blends well with the material on this album. He's no stranger to Harmony, having contributed some backing vocals to the previous album, as well as a guest spot on the <i>Chapter II</i> song "Inner Peace". Daniel's vocals are a different breed than Henrik's, so it will take some getting used to, but he really does a good job of putting his own stamp on the Harmony sound with his performance here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My biggest hangup with the album is going to be the loss of Henrik Bath as vocalist for the band, because I really felt as though his unique voice was one of the strengths of Harmony that set them apart from the rest of the power metal pack. Adding Daniel Heiman gives them the band a boost of name recognition, and he does a great job, but I'm left wondering what this material might have sounded like with Henrik singing atop the songs. In addition, the delineation of sound between Darkwater and Harmony has always been that Darkwater was the band for the more mid-paced, progressive material, and Harmony was the band for the more straight-forward, European power metal material. The lines are slightly more blurred here, as this material leans ever so slightly back in the prog direction, though only as compared to its predecessor. This is either a good thing or a band thing, dependent on whether you like Harmony best as a prog/power band, or a straight up power band. For me, I lean toward the more power side, as their progressive leanings have not been a draw from my perspective. In addition, the songs here just don't hit me the way those on <i>Chapter II: The Aftermath</i> have. Of course, that album came at a time when I was seeking out power metal in quantity, and it stood out from the pack. Having reviewed a number of albums in the genre in the last several years, and purchased several, as well as receiving review copy of nearly that many, I've been deluged somewhat by the genre. That may be coloring my opinion of the album as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the end of the day, this is a high quality release from Harmony that just misses the mark for me personally, but should please fans of the genre. Power metal aficionados should already be familiar with the Harmony name, and with the addition of Daniel Heiman at the vocal helm, that additional name recognition should help boost the band's profile beyond its current reach. The songs are all well done, though they're not sticking with me quite as quickly as the band's previous material has, though admittedly that's partly my own disappointment in the vocal changes. Still, Harmony's 3rd album is one they can and should be proud of, and will continue to draw accolades and expand their listener base. As a fan of the band, I'll continue to follow what they do. They just need to shore up the vocal side of the house and either get Daniel to stick around, or find someone who fits their sound & style who can carry the band into the future. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">82/100</span>MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-72026454554182077232014-12-10T18:00:00.000-06:002014-12-10T18:00:00.431-06:00Black Fate - Between Visions & Lies (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6v2e2Vrz-T5ypONZ0NFGXXB6qZmTOW3i8Y6Ntfzp1Fs8EsPp3PxWHg-c1Tvl-dbro8sSd6Th981ec9jwkLjg_HDzvel0dtpm_b3_yBUs6BPA2pt0gXy5Fmk81Fn9lTnCR1TSqtbTaafsu/s1600/BlackFate_artwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6v2e2Vrz-T5ypONZ0NFGXXB6qZmTOW3i8Y6Ntfzp1Fs8EsPp3PxWHg-c1Tvl-dbro8sSd6Th981ec9jwkLjg_HDzvel0dtpm_b3_yBUs6BPA2pt0gXy5Fmk81Fn9lTnCR1TSqtbTaafsu/s1600/BlackFate_artwork.jpg" height="396" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I like a challenging, or even frustrating listen once in a while. I like for a release to give me something other than what I was expecting, even if it's not what I wanted. We need to be challenged in life from time to time, or we don't grow and learn from our own insular, and often myopic perspectives. To be able to glean something new from something you thought you already knew is a sign of maturity. I can safely say that Black Fate's "Between Visions & Lies" was not what I was expecting, or even hoping for.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Truth be told, I was only mildly excited for this release. Ulterium Records hasn't really let me down yet, though a couple releases haven't quite met expectations (I'm looking at you, Ivory Moon and End of September). For that reason, even with a band like Black Fate, who I had not heard of, prior to seeing "coming soon" posts on the Ulterium Records Facebook page, I had to be at least a little excited, if not just intrigued. After all, this is the label that brought us Harmony's "Chapter II: The Aftermath" (one of my favorite power metal albums EVER), Theocracy, and a slew of other great bands and releases over the last several years. That said, Black Fate challenged me more than I wanted, but it's my own fault: sometimes I get in my own way a bit too much. Having only heard the teaser stuff, I was expecting a middle-of-the-road metal album with hard rock influence, some power metal influence, and perhaps a hint of prog metal for good measure. What I got was nothing like that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because I've not heard any Black Fate material prior to this, their 4th album, I have no reference as to the sound or quality of their earlier albums. If they're anything like this, however, I'd describe them as vaguely Savatage-inspired prog/power metal with a penchant for vocal harmonies. The first few spins of the album were uneventful, because I thought maybe it was going to be faster, perhaps a touch heavier, and was expecting the vocals to be a bit more "soaring" than what Vasilis brings to the table. Truth be told, I had already made my mind up as to what the album was likely going to sound like, so when it didn't grab me right away, I kind of dismissed it as perhaps less than what it was. I count that as a mistake, however, because after about 10 or 12 listens, something started to click with me, and I started to hear this album for what it actually was: a solid, semi-progressive metal album with some power metal stylings injected in, and a fair bit of personality under the hood.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Musically speaking, this is solid stuff. Guitars, provided by Gus Drax (briefly a part of metal legends Paradox) are driving and interesting. He provides a riff-oriented style that is melodic enough without losing its edge, but not so intent on "chugging" that variety is sacrificed. "Lines In the Sand" is a good example where it's not all bar chords and chugging. It's a combination of that and alternate chording, providing a nice balance between an aggressive, heavy feel, and a melodic base that keeps the songs listenable beneath the surface. There are a few nice touches here and there, like a couple pinch harmonics, some good solo work that isn't too flashy and retains tunefulness. Bass guitar is provided by Vasilis Liakos. His work isn't overly audible in the mix, but it's present and serves more as a driving force underneath the guitar to help propel the sound. What I'm hearing sounds good, though it's nothing groundbreaking. Still, it sounds good alongside the guitar work. Drumming by Nikos Tsintzilonis is quite good, with a good sense of when to speed up and go nuts, and when to slow down and let the song breathe. Very seldom does Nikos go full-bore with double-bass and fast rhythms, however, because the material's more medium-pace doesn't call for that much. Instead, he keeps time, injects the occasional fill, and creates interest in subtle ways. He does a fine job matching the material's feel and level of aggression well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vocalist Vasilis Georgiou is not what I was expecting. Generally, with Ulterium bands fronted by a man, you get a fairly powerful male voice with highs, occasional lows, and a fair sense of drama. Not that I was expecting a clone of any of the label's other vocalists, but for some reason, Vasilis' voice just struck me funny after listening to the record the first time. It took me a bit to warm up to his voice for some strange reason. He's a talented singer with a sense of dynamics, he makes good use of vibrato here and there, has a good tone, and uses inflection in places where it fits. I'm not sure what my hang-up was initially, but I like what he's bringing to the table here, even if he doesn't have the presence of some of his label-mates.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My biggest issue with the album is that, while the songs are all well-constructed, and reasonably memorable, they still took a long time to take hold for me. Yes, part of this may be my issue, but still, I'm looking for something a touch more immediate in a band of this type. I'd prefer the band pull a bit of a "bait and switch" and give me a meaty, anthemic opening song to get my attention, and then weave the more complex songs in as the album goes along to help solidify what's going on. It all sounds good while it's playing, but other than the chorus of "Call of the Wild", or bits of "Lines in the Sand", I'm not humming these songs after listening to them. When I play the album 3 or 4 times in a row, I expect to have some of the material stuck in my head several hours afterward. I'm not getting that here, and it speaks somewhat to the material itself. It's not vanilla, by any means, but it's not something that has stuck with me at all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mileage on a release like this is going to vary. If you're a big fan of the semi-progressive latter Savatage material, you'll probably get a big kick out of this record. At the very least, you'll appreciate the musicianship at work, like I did. If you prefer your progressive metal a bit more grand, you'll find this lacking. Either way, I would encourage the members of Black Fate to tighten up their songwriting so that the next album has a stronger batch of material with more of an immediacy to it. That will help the songs grab hold much faster, and get ingrained in the listener's consciousness that much more effectively. As it stands, they've crafted a solid, highly listenable, and enjoyable release that just misses the mark in the songwriting department. I'll tentatively recommend this to prog metal diehards who have to have everything in the genre, or Ulterium Records devotees like myself who have enjoyed everything the label has done thus far.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">75/100</span>MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-27984639326582345492014-10-30T18:30:00.000-05:002014-10-30T18:30:00.973-05:00Neonfly - Strangers In Paradise (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp44dUynWAzOGdTFjCdIV4BIlYrmfhM2dRneoX3DuANvrK7kqk7xEiouFwq-9pRHqOinHNjX1jCguKsBwNijFQaYzqyk6wP0RmN8Y1s7pscq_dysANfnA6meEu__-lGAvnD7JNlEKjB3MO/s1600/Neonfly_artwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp44dUynWAzOGdTFjCdIV4BIlYrmfhM2dRneoX3DuANvrK7kqk7xEiouFwq-9pRHqOinHNjX1jCguKsBwNijFQaYzqyk6wP0RmN8Y1s7pscq_dysANfnA6meEu__-lGAvnD7JNlEKjB3MO/s1600/Neonfly_artwork.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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When metal leans toward the super-melodic, it can often result in sounding watered down or just lack that element of heaviness that gives metal much of its appeal, and not be much more than just really syrupy sounding hard rock. There's nothing wrong with that, per se, because there have been a number of heavier metal bands lately that have taken that ultra-melodic, hard rock-influenced metal sound and made it successful. Most of those bands tend to wear thin, however, once the novelty of the sound combo wears off, unless the songs are really good and stay with you. The melodicism helps, but ultimately, the songs need to be memorable or make an impact to stay with you beyond the few minutes after listening to the album. How does this apply to Neonfly? Read on, gentle reader.<br />
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I'd not heard of Neonfly prior to receiving a review copy of <i>Strangers In Paradise</i>, but upon first listen, I enjoyed what I heard. It reminded me immediately of the most recent material by Random Eyes, in that it's highly melodic metal that has some crunch to it, but has a bit of a hard rock bent without leaning too far in that direction. Vocalist Willy Norton reminds me a bit of Random Eyes vocalist Christian Palin as well, because he rides that line between silky smooth and reasonably gritty and can transition between the two seamlessly. Random Eyes is also a touchstone as to the band's sound, because <i>Strangers In Paradise</i> sounds a fair bit like Random Eyes' latest album, <i>Light Up</i>, due to its overt melodicism, and the way it straddles the line between hard rock, melodic heavy metal, and power metal at times.<br />
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Right away, it's evident that these guys can play and have major talent. Guitarists Frederick Thunder and Patrick Harrington have the chops, and interweave a real interesting web of riffs, rhythms, licks, and leads throughout the course of the album. The guitar sound is, what I would describe, as "semi-heavy" through much of the album. Other than on the barn-burner "Highways To Nowhere", the riffs and rhythm playing don't get super heavy, but do contain a sufficient amount of crunch when the songs maintain a heavier feel. Other times, clean playing, such as on the ballad "Rose In Bloom", or during the intro to "Aztec Gold", propels the songs in a way that belies the band's metal roots a bit, but not sacrifice the overall feel. As for the leads, they're the expected melodic fair, but there are some nice bits (like in "Aztec Gold" where the guitars veer slightly away from the melodic, and into mere soundscape, which is a nice touch. Bass work by Paul Miller is competent and sounds good here, though a tiny bit low in the overall mix. Drumming is handled by Boris Le Gal, and he does a standout job of providing propulsive rhythms, dynamics, and really has a handle on how best to serve the song with his playing. The review copy didn't include any info as to who provided the keyboard work on the album, but it's also quite good at times, with some nice symphonic elements here and there.<br />
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As I said before, vocalist Willy Norton reminds me of Christian Palin from Random Eyes, and that's a good thing, because Palin's voice is one of my favorites in recent years. He can be heavy and menacing when he wants to be, such as with "Highways To Nowhere", and he can be super melodic and nimble as well, as with "Chasing the Night". He has a nice tone, and just a real smooth sound to his vocals that complement the material well. I do like it when he goes for a grittier approach, and I'd like to hear more of that from time to time, but honestly, his performance here can hardly be faulted, because it's very exact, while maintaining an emotional component. In other words, he's on point when he sings, but it doesn't sound as though he's rehearsed the material too much for it not to sound as though he's putting himself into the songs. It's a balanced performance that does him proud.<br />
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I wasn't entirely sure what to make of this record when I initially listened to it, because at first blush, it seems a bit unfocused and disjointed. After repeated listens, I think it's just a band with many strengths, and they're trying to play to all of them as much as they can. I'd caution against doing that too much on future records, if only because the songs have to be really good in order to ensure that they can back that ambition up with the material to match. Still, aside from a few less than memorable moments, it's a solid record that truly shows a band with multiple personalities, and yet, those personalities all meld into one another much more completely than a band who might try their hand at varying styles or sounds and can't seem to get a handle on them. The symphonic elements are a nice touch, and give the record a slightly progressive feel that the band should maybe try and capitalize upon, and yet, when they go straight-ahead and just rock out, they also sound excellent. If the band can find their direction a tad more specifically and continue to hone their songwriting craft to make things even more memorable, they'll be a contender in the melodic metal field. As it stands, this is still a really solid and highly listenable effort that deserves some attention, and should be heard by fans of the genre. Recommended.<br />
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76/100MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-54122559545368345232014-10-06T18:30:00.000-05:002014-10-13T13:50:03.822-05:00Sarea - This Is Not Goodbye (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Metal fans can be a finicky bunch. Metalcore is often decried by anyone who feels that the style has no business being associated with heavy metal. Those fans sometimes go so far as to take offense to said metalcore bands being classified as "metal" in any fashion. I understand this viewpoint, though I disagree with it in most cases. I think "metal", as an over-arching genre, is far more vast and diverse than some folks would like to admit or recognize. Sarea is a good example of a band that skirts that line and makes a case for something that stays within those boundaries while pushing at them pretty forcefully.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If I had to make a comparison, I'd say Killswitch Engage is a good comparison, but then that doesn't do this band's sound justice. The most melodic of KSE songs is where we find the closest match to what Sarea is doing, but their sound is more expansive than what that description would lead one to believe. I also hesitate to compare them to Five Finger Death Punch, mostly due to the combination of clean and screamed/growled vocals, and the tendency of the material to sound heavy while giving off a modern hard rock vibe. Think of post-metalcore stuff that rides the line between modern hard rock and semi-progressive modern metal. Add a healthy dose of keyboards and vocals that vacillate between a more rock-oriented style of singing, and a layered vocal that combines a deep, relatively throaty growl and a higher-pitched hardcore/metalcore styled yell/growl, and you get something that begins to defy genre tags just enough to be annoying. This combination of elements generally serves Sarea well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Right away, it's obvious that the album owes a great debt to modern hard rock, because many of the melodic touchstones take cues from other bands who have taken the metalcore and/or modern screamo sound and moved in a more rock direction, and the keyboards just exemplify that shift. There are still spots where the faster tempos and riffing cling to the heavier side of the metalcore coin, however, and the addition of a few well-constructed guitar solos and the lack of traditional breakdowns make it hard to label this metalcore. Instead, it falls somewhere between a modern, melodic hard rock, and a modern, melodic metal sound with extreme metal elements. If I can be cheesy for a moment, can I call this "rockcore"? That would best describe the sound in a single term. That's not to say that there isn't plenty of metal moments present, because there are. In particular, "The Catch 22" has a nice dual-guitar lick and some heavy riffing alongside a speedy tempo, a fast drum rhythm, and mostly shouted/growled vocals, and a real nice solo half-way through.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Guitars have a nice tone to them - not too heavy to take away from the rock influences, but heavy enough that when the riffs are hanging out on the lower string and in the lower chords, there's plenty of bite to them. The guitar solos sound good as well, with enough grit to them so they sound more metal than hard rock. Overall, Johan Alexsson and Alex Dzaic do a good job on the album. Bass is handled by Johan Larsson, and is solid throughout, though I didn't recognize anything overly complex coming from his neck of the woods. Still, he provides the necessary thump and bump in the mix. Drumming by "Charlie D" is good, alternating nicely between simple rhythms and fast-paced, more metal-oriented playing. He certainly has a handle on rolls, because he uses them quite a bit throughout the album. Special mention should be made of the keyboard work by Martin Persson, because he shines quite a bit throughout the album. The additional atmosphere he provides gives the album much more personality than it would have without his presence here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vocals are handled by Chris Forsberg, and seeing as he handles both the singing and screaming, he does a pretty good job switching between the two styles. His singing voice appears to have improved between "Alive" and this new release, and while his ability to scream and growl is by no means top-tier, he does a good job expressing the energy of the material. I'd put him on par with someone like Howard Jones, though perhaps he has a bit more range (if you want to call it that) with regards to his screaming, in part because he can get slightly guttural at times, and has an element of that "sing-scream" at times, too. His singing is competent, and improved over the previous release, though he lacks the power and emotion of someone like Howard Jones in the clean vocal category. Still, he does a good job overall.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have to be honest about two things. First, my initial reaction to <i>This Is Not Goodbye</i> was very mild. It sounded good on the surface, but I wasn't sure if I was going to like it long-term. Second, Metalcore as a style has become very watered down, and many bands trying to move past the style either sound utterly wimpy, or they become bad imitators of either the deathcore scene, or the Gothencore style. I wondered whether or not Sarea could weather that downturn in the credibility of their chosen sound/style. Upon repeated listens, Sarea surprised me with some level of range, a sound that wasn't too devoid of heaviness so that it still piqued my interest, and a good enough range of songs that I feel like the band has a real future with what they're doing. Doolittle Group has an interesting road ahead with this signing, because it departs significantly with what they've done thus far. I hope they can do well by the band and get them marketed properly so they can have some impact, because I think they have a solid thing going. Recommended for the melodic metalcore and post-metalcore fan-base.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">78/100</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's the official video for Sarea's song "Downfall".</span></div>
MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-91296463820925368912014-10-06T18:00:00.000-05:002014-10-06T18:00:01.241-05:00MindMaze - Back From the Edge (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS5wHKvg2EQcJ9btz0W2vPtL7f6Y9DGn1H8InEqWyB3M285LXP1HTXSNp-ilg3zVNm8vVAhWSVrypfQ8GVA6kIpXNpy_VlCrzCauH9zxtggGtUTvfG9FLGIxQgA2tq2DssI9Vo6qp8qk3w/s1600/MindMaze_artwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS5wHKvg2EQcJ9btz0W2vPtL7f6Y9DGn1H8InEqWyB3M285LXP1HTXSNp-ilg3zVNm8vVAhWSVrypfQ8GVA6kIpXNpy_VlCrzCauH9zxtggGtUTvfG9FLGIxQgA2tq2DssI9Vo6qp8qk3w/s1600/MindMaze_artwork.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Female-fronted metal is a growing field, as I mentioned previously in my review of Vandroya's debut. In fact, with bands like Benedictum, Kobra and the Lotus, recent output by White Skull, Epica, Serenity, and the solidification of Floor Janssen as Nighwish's new vocalist, one might say the future is bright for bands taking that direction. One might also say that since women fronting metal bands has become so trendy that the field is quickly becoming crowded. Standing out from the pack is essential for an album to really go anywhere or make any kind of impact. MindMaze is well poised to get some positive attention, at the very least.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having been unfamiliar with MindMaze prior to receiving review copy, I did just a bit of research to find out more about the band. According to the press release, the band had already received acclaim for their previous album, "Mask Of Lies", and so far, the reviews I've skimmed over seem to solidify that claim. Jeff and Sarah Teets, along with drummer Kalin Schweizerhof were apparently also in an earlier incarnation of the band called "Necromance", dating back to 2005, so these guys have toiled in the underground for quite some time trying to make a name for themselves. I'd have to say that MindMaze is a more fitting moniker for the band, given the lyrics, musical style, and overall feel of the music.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Right away, it's evident that this is a tight production with talented players. Guitarist Jeff Teets does a great job with his axe, playing interesting riffs and choosing chording that strays from the usual power chord-only chugging you often get in standard, off-the-shelf power metal. Dare I say, there's a progressive metal vibe all over this CD, and the riffs exemplify that by keeping things interesting. Of course, some chugging is present, and helps with the heavy factor at times, but overall, Jeff's riff writing skills are impressive. Drummer Kalin Schwezerhof is proficient as well, with a good sense of rhythm, and a feel for playing in a way that enhances the material without hogging the spotlight too much. The album's production by Brian J. Anthony helps this as well, because the drums are at the right place in the mix. Bass guitar is handled by none other than Symphony X bassist Mike LePond. He does a great job here, as can be imagined, and his bass work is a treat on this album, especially in tracks like "Moment of Flight" where he gets to take the spotlight during the intro and at various points throughout the track where you can hear him doing more than just keeping pace with the riffs. The same can be said for his work in "The Machine Stops" - he really shows that the bass guitar is an instrument unto itself and not just part of the rhythmic feel of the music.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vocalist Sarah Teets has a great voice, and utilizes it well throughout the album. She has good range, though she generally sticks to the alto and lower soprano areas for the bulk of the album. She apparently knows her voice and limitations, and does well to shine within that framework. One thing I'll note is that while I enjoyed the tone of her voice immediately, the subtlety of her performance was something that I didn't latch on to right away. Power metal is usually rife with inflection and overwrought vocal manipulation, and there's very little of that with Sarah's performance here. Granted, the material doesn't suffer much because of it, but I would suggest she have a listen to some of the current female metal vocal powerhouses like Liv Kristine or Floor Janssen and take some cues from what they're doing for future reference. Her most spirited performances are probably album highlights like "Dreamwalker", the epic, progressively tinged "The Machine Stops", or "Consequence of Choice". She also does a great job with the vocal harmonies she records for the overdubs, and the background vocals she records to accent the material. That stuff all adds quite a bit to the overall sound and feel of those songs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overall, this is a solid album of progressively-minded power metal that is a bit of a grower. I enjoyed this from my first listen, but like Vandroya's debut, I felt like it sounded a touch generic at first blush. Repeated listens have broken that opinion down, however, in part because I've grown to appreciate Sarah's voice, as well as Jeff's penchant for interesting riffs and solos that combine melody and technique so as to make them more memorable. Unlike a lot of power metal bands who try and make long songs that meander and never go anywhere, or are just painfully repetitious, both examples of longer songs on this album are well done, and are highlights. I'm not asking for a full album of said material, but if the band continues to write longer tracks of this caliber, they will certainly be welcome additions to future albums, and should be considered a strength. I do feel that the songwriting could still use a bit more work, if only because only half of the songs were playing repeatedly in my head hours after listening to the album. That's no slight, either; most bands are lucky if they get 1 or 2 tracks that you remember after spinning the album. My only production gripe is that the cymbals sometimes sound a bit muffled in the mix. I noticed this mostly sitting at my desk at work playing this CD over and over, but even listening via headphones, I felt like cymbal crashes especially sounded a touch weak. As I mentioned before, Sarah should try and diversify her vocal approach a bit, and keep pushing her instrument to achieve the most from it. Those 2 elements, along with her perhaps a talented permanent bassist, would help this Pennsylvania collective rise to the top of the female-fronted prog/power metal heap. For now, I'd say this is recommended to all fans of progressive power metal looking for a good album to sink their teeth into. Inner Wound Recordings was smart to snap this band up - they should have a bright future ahead of them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">82/100</span>MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-49769025243852134202014-09-11T18:00:00.000-05:002014-09-11T18:00:00.874-05:00Repossession: A Christmas Album (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVzggocFMT564c_In_PWv7VQy55prtlaNaLyKqMGG30dgEMagYsHrK65K2ZH5_AAoTwoPH7RKFUyyi5v3GWBucbtbWZoLAbyYydUGXekvzNjaw08rGms3wlUDpNs0fEqNUrVZ8rmN75I1/s1600/folder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVzggocFMT564c_In_PWv7VQy55prtlaNaLyKqMGG30dgEMagYsHrK65K2ZH5_AAoTwoPH7RKFUyyi5v3GWBucbtbWZoLAbyYydUGXekvzNjaw08rGms3wlUDpNs0fEqNUrVZ8rmN75I1/s1600/folder.jpg" height="358" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Christmas music is one of those things that you either love or hate, there's generally no middle ground. Some people, like my boss, can't wait for the day after Thanksgiving, because they can break out the vast array of Christmas-themed CD's and play them to their heart's content without anyone thinking they're strange because of it. Playing those CD's in the middle of June, however, will usually elicit strange looks. But for those who love Christmas music, there are hundreds of albums and compilations to choose from to whet the appetite. For the metal fan, however, there's very little Christmas-themed metal, aside from the occasional single, some Trans-Siberia Orchestra, or the occasional full album of metal by an artist, like Rob Halford's "Winter Songs".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm a bit picky when it comes to Christmas music. If I'm in the mood for it, I really like it and enjoy listening to it, even if it's kind of cheesy. But I gravitate toward either classics like Mannheim Steamroller's 1st 2 albums, some good old Bing Crosby, or some of the other Christmas-themed music I grew up with. The idea of hard rock and metal Christmas music is one that I like, but very few bands have done much with the idea, other than a few modern acts like Theocracy or August Burns Red. There have been some attempts at gathering this material together in the past, like the 2002 Sound of the Dead Records' "A Brutal Christmas - The Season In Chaos" compilation. That was a good collection of songs, but this new collection takes things to the next level by further diversifying the mix of genres and bands, as well as offering two full-length, long CD's chock full of fun tunes. We have Metal Blessing Radio to thank for bringing all this goodness together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This compilation brings together a number of familiar metal Christmas songs, as well as a handful of relatively obscure tracks. In part, a large percentage of the tracks from "A Brutal Christmas" appear here, as well as tracks previously released as free downloads or EP/album tracks like Theocracy, Grave Robber, Paramaecium, Frost Like Ashes, and Deliverance. Then there are some bands/artists I've never heard of, like Derek Close, Jonathan Simpson (who gets to open and close the album), Anschluss Amor, and Forfeit Thee Untrue. Stylistically, this is fairly diverse. We have everything from shredding hard rock/metal like Pastor Brad or Derek Close, to the gothic rock of Leper, the horror punk of Grave Robber, and the grooving sounds of Faithbomb, to the more extreme, such as the doom death metal of Paramaecium, the melodic death metal of Immortal Souls, the brutal death metal sound of Tortured Conscience, the metalcore of Second Thief, or the black metal of Erlosung or Flaskavsae, or the grindcore of The Right Wing Conspiracy. There's some more experimental stuff here as well, like Kekal's awesome take on "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", Amelioration's "Redirection Christmas", Anschluss Amor's industrial "Christ's Mass", or the always bizarro Frank's Enemy with "Coventry Carol". You certainly won't be bored listening to this release.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One thing I noticed immediately is that the volume level is quite low. That's probably due to the various volume levels these tracks were recorded and mastered at from various sources, so it was a smart decision to "normalize" the songs to a lower volume to accommodate that divergence, and make the listening experience a bit more even across the board. If you want to crank it, just turn he volume up a little higher and jam out. One thing I'd suggest to anyone thinking about assembling a compilation of this type in the future - mix up the tracks a bit more if you have multiple tracks by a single band. It's a bit distracting to hear all 6 Erlosung tracks all in order, even though I know they're all quite short and similarly constructed. It would have been more interesting to hear those songs interspersed throughout the entirety of the compilation. Same goes for Second Thief or Pastor Brad - they only had 2 tracks, but it might have been nice to have 1 of each from both respective bands on each disc, just to help improve the flow and keep things interesting. It's a minor complaint, however. Also, I have to mention the packaging for the limited first edition digipak - it's a quality double-fold digi with nice hard cardstock as its base, and a nice matte finish. The cover artwork, as you can see above, is a nice parody of Vincent Van Gogh's <i>Starry Night</i>, and doesn't overwhelm the original work with changes, just subtly gives it a humorous Christmas theme. The first pressing is hand-numbered, and limited to 300 copies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The other nice thing here is that the proceeds from the sale of these CD's will go to benefit an organization called MPact Events. They will be using the money (100% of it, according to the press release I received) to purchase Christmas gifts for kids via the CASA program (Court Appointed Special Advocate) - so these gifts will be going to foster kids who may not get any gifts from their birth parents. Being that my wife and I spent several years doing foster care and have a heart for kids, I'm on board with this, and this worthy cause is dear to our hearts. I was blessed to get a review copy of this compilation, but I would encourage anyone out there who is a metal fan and wants some Christmas-themed metal to jump on this, because it's a good cause, and a great deal. You get 37 tracks of awesome Christmas music for $13 in a stunning digipak that will no doubt become a collectible in the years to come. I'm not one to push my readers into buying stuff, I just try to give my opinion on a band when I review their CD. But this is the exception to the rule - fans of metal should be checking this out post haste, and anyone else looking to support a good cause and/or for a Christmas music curiosity for their collection, go buy a copy from the Metal Blessing Radio website. Highly recommended!</span>MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-83478559018599914932014-09-04T18:30:00.000-05:002014-09-04T18:30:00.560-05:00Bloodwork - World Without End (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpn4kH0fdumYJXurZ_TjHPI3TlYtdiIuU8SBjlBKYyXW77fWU-Bhge9-8FZyGQUwOs00jCET2_8okykgXb4OJ8TuF8jFe93dwC62bjrnWL_By_Uq0g07hHuFXAkU0usRvhYf0E4g9S8LNy/s1600/Bloodwork_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpn4kH0fdumYJXurZ_TjHPI3TlYtdiIuU8SBjlBKYyXW77fWU-Bhge9-8FZyGQUwOs00jCET2_8okykgXb4OJ8TuF8jFe93dwC62bjrnWL_By_Uq0g07hHuFXAkU0usRvhYf0E4g9S8LNy/s1600/Bloodwork_cover.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Death metal has changed quite a bit since its formative years in the mid-late 1980's. What started as a more extreme extension of thrash metal quickly developed into its own form in the early 1990's, and has taken on a number of iterations in subsequent years. The early-mid 90's saw the rise of technical death metal like Gorguts, Atheist, Cynic, and latter-day Pestilence, as well as more brutal death metal like Suffocation or Dying Fetus. Death metal mixed with doom metal became prevalent as well, with acts ranging from My Dying Bride, early Paradise Lost, and early Anathema to Paramaecium and Orphaned Land. The 2000's and beyond have spawned more modern distillations of the death metal sound with ever-improving production values, which sometimes make the music sound more "in your face", but sometimes take away from the raw, unadulterated sound of what death metal was in the beginning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last 5 or 6 years has seen a major resurgence in the sound of early death metal, now referred to by most as "old school death metal" or OSDM. A fair number of indie and underground music labels are putting out cassettes and vinyl releases for a number of bands, and many are retreating from over-produced, sterile sounding records to something more raw and organic, recalling the early 1990's where good production was possible, but the raw sound of the music wasn't compromised by the production, mixing, or mastering. Endtime Productions has wisely snapped up UK death metallers Bloodwork, and given the vinyl (and CD) treatment to their full-length debut <i>World Without End</i>. It stands as a shining example of OSDM done right in the modern age.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Right away, I hear many hallmarks of early death metal in the sound. The guitars are downtuned, like most albums from that early period, but not so far that there's no definition in the guitar tone or in the riffing. The guitar sound isn't so deep and sludgy that it forsakes some level of bite; indeed, this record's guitar sound is heavy and has plenty of teeth. There isn't much in the way of solo work on the record, but lots of fast-picked rhythms and segues that really show off the abilities of all 3 guitarists in the band, James, Jeff, and Michael. There are some nice spots, particularly in the title track, where dueling guitar lines are used to great effect to produce a layered sound that works well. Other times, it sounds as though 2 or 3 guitars are playing the same rhythm so as to pummel you into oblivion as you listen. Bass, as provided by relative newcomer Ben, is well played and is prevalent enough in the mix that you feel the rhythms, but can also hear what he is playing, and he chimes in alongside the riffing quite nicely. Drummer Jon Rushforth has quite an impressive number of bands he has provided drumwork for, and he shows considerable skill here on the album, with lots of blast beats, groove-oriented bits, and really solid, accurate rolls and fills. Some death metal drummers sound like they're barely keeping pace with the music, but Jon doesn't miss a beat (sorry, pun intended).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vocally, the album has a lot going on. Much of the vocal work is a high-pitched, almost rapsy growl that sounds more like black metal than the typical raspy death vocals of Jeff Walker or similar growler. But similar to an early Carcass album, you also have a deeper, more mid-range to low guttural growl that is layered in with the higher-pitched rasp, creating a good contrast. Sometimes the vocals are relatively understandable, other times the layering obscures them enough to where it's difficult to make out the lyrics, but it's not overly distracting. Both sets of growls are quality, though, because there is some inflection and variation throughout. I didn't get a lyric sheet with the review copy, but based on the band's previous material, it's not hard to guess that the lyrics are based on Christianity, and in a couple spots fairly obvious cries to God for help/deliverance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are 2 distinct qualities at work here that keep me coming back to this release. First and foremost, the album has some level of variety in the songwriting. There are the usual blast-fest songs that go at full speed throughout, but there are moments of real atmosphere (like the outro of "Shadow Aspect"), as well as slower-paced moments interspersed throughout that give the songs additional flavor. Also, there are spots where some real groove is present, which keeps the album from veering too far into brutal death metal territory, and help it identify with some early death metal pioneers like Obituary, while surpassing them with a heavier, more brutal overall sound. Secondly, the album is short and sweet. Despite the variety present, there's only so much aural pounding one can take before an album wears out its welcome, and this release is long enough to feel like you've been sufficiently been kicked in the teeth when it's done, but not beaten to a pulp and feeling like you need to chase it with something far less heavy or insane. It's well balanced, well produced, and well constructed overall. It's also a major improvement over the band's earlier material. I had previously heard the "Insufficient Flesh" EP, and this sounds like a whole new band, in a good way. While that EP had the typical markings of a demo-quality band in the studio for the first time, this sounds like a group of seasoned professionals, staking their claim on the metal landscape and putting out a quality album with no filler. Hats off to Endtime Productions for scoring this release, as well as for making it available on vinyl. The vinyl has made its way to my short-list, and that says something, especially given the limited income I have to purchase music with these days. Highly recommended for the death metal enthusiast.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">80/100</span>MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-15312230197932766842014-09-04T18:00:00.000-05:002014-09-04T18:00:00.980-05:00Cinema Fancy - Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1uAT1psk2bOyNKphtLPxWpMoQ3o40NGu4EpLCuj3rKLscfDsa4X2C2uYk6ydvCmXiLSHYyVE4-rO0t5_1c-PZKQjO9_nvs2z8bsg5FhpRBqMRfddzmtRRWwyftTWh2FPT_vl-HTmzo0/s1600/logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1uAT1psk2bOyNKphtLPxWpMoQ3o40NGu4EpLCuj3rKLscfDsa4X2C2uYk6ydvCmXiLSHYyVE4-rO0t5_1c-PZKQjO9_nvs2z8bsg5FhpRBqMRfddzmtRRWwyftTWh2FPT_vl-HTmzo0/s1600/logo.png" height="163" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've mentioned it here on my blog before, but I was never a comic book kid. I always thought they were cool, and would sometimes go stand in the magazine aisle at the grocery store and read through X-Men or Superman comics on occasion, to gawk at the artwork, and to see what I was maybe missing by not being a comics devotee. But as a kid, my energies were focused almost solely into computer & video gaming. As such, while I was a casual fan of Spiderman, X-Men, Superman, and Batman, I never delved into those universes any further than what I was getting on TV, in movies, and through video games. The origins of those characters didn't matter as much to me as the idea of them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fast forward about 20+ years, and as an adult, my favorite TV show comes to an end. After 7 seasons, <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i> ends its run on television. Though saddened by its end on TV, it was a logical place to stop, and I was satisfied with the end. A couple years later, when I heard that the story-lines would continue via comic books, I became intrigued. During a business trip about 3 years ago, I purchased a whole stack of comics for the <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i> Season 8 run, and the rest is history. That started by interest in comic books, and I've been collecting ever since. However, I've not delved into many of the major characters or mythologies, because some of them have histories so long and complex, it's hard to know where to start. A friend, and major DC/Batman fan suggested that I start with Batman (another character I have much interest in) by getting the short <i>Venom</i> trade paperback because it is the immediate predecessor to the rather epic <i>Knightfall</i> series, which birthed the whole "Bane breaks Batman's back" mythos.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">I have this edition of <i>Batman Venom<b> - creepy!</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite my lack of comic book knowledge and general story familiarity with much of the known comic book universe, I do have interest in many of the characters. I watched, and enjoyed the X-Men cartoon from the 90's, I have played numerous comic book character video games (and own a fair number of them as well), and have seen and enjoyed most every Marvel or DC comic character-based movie made in the last 10-15 years. So, while I don't feel as connected to these universes as some might be, I have an appreciation for the mythologies that have been built over the last 50-60 years or so. Having said that, I'd not even heard of the <i>Guardians Of The Galaxy</i> characters or comic prior to reading an announcement about the (then) up-coming film. I was intrigued, so I patiently waited for my opportunity to see the film and judge it on its own merits. I was careful to not delve into that universe much prior to seeing the movie so I could let it inform me about the cast of characters.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**SPOILER ALERT!!!**</span></b><br />
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For the uninitiated (much like myself), I'll give a brief synopsis of the film's story. Young Peter Quill is a boy losing his mother to cancer in 1988. Unfortunately, he spurns his mother's affections at the time of her death, due to his own fears and sense of loss. Right after she dies and he freaks out, he is taken out of her hospital room and subsequently runs outside and cries. Within seconds, he is captured by aliens. The film immediately jumps 26 years into the future, and Peter Quill is a self-described 'legendary space outlaw' going by the alias Star-Lord. He is attempting to steal an item of great value (an ancient orb) so he can hock it on the rare antiquities market. He is briefly taken into custody by a small band of men, but escapes and returns to the planet Xandar to sell the item, only to be turned down by The Broker when he discovers that the item was also being pursued by the Kree zealot Ronin. After this encounter, he runs into Gamora, who is attempting to get the orb for herself, under the guise of stealing it for Ronin. As she and Quill trade blows over the orb, Rocket and Groot (a robotic-ally enhanced raccoon, and a walking tree/plant) attempt to capture Quill for the rather large bounty on his head. As one can imagine, hilarity ensues.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As one can already tell from the movie trailers and previews, these 4 colorful characters get captured by the Nova Corps (GotG's own intergalactic police force), and are sent to a prison colony to serve time for being so doggone disruptive. There, they meet Drax, who attempts to kill Gamora due to her affiliation with Ronan, a fanatical Kree who killed Drax's wife and daughter. Quill talks Drax out of it, however, and ultimately, the 5 team up temporarily to attempt a prison break so they can escape and take the Orb to Gamora's buyer for a giant fortune. As the story progresses, the characters poke at one another verbally, occasionally scrap over minor issues, but ultimately, form a loose bond that strengthens as they go through various situations with one another that require them to rely upon one another, despite any misgivings they have in doing so. Without spoiling the whole story, the characters eventually decide to team up in a more official capacity to stop Ronan from committing genocide against the Xandarians by using the Infinity Stone that was encased in the Orb that Quill originally stole, which was stolen from him by Gamora's "sister" Nebula (on loan to Ronin from universal overlord Thanos). If that sounds complicated, it's really not - I'm just boiling it down to keep from revealing the entire plot.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">What do you mean, you don't dance?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The common thread between all the recent Marvel universe movies is that they've all had heart. Even the entries in the series that have taken some flack (particularly Iron Man 2 and 3) are still fun affairs, in part because they continue the story and character development of the hero(s) and surrounding cast, but also because they have all had a certain amount of heart. They have all been made with the understanding that they can't compile months worth of comic book story arcs into a single 2+ hour film, and simplify things enough so that those of us who haven't followed those plot lines can still get in on the action. As well, they've all been done in such a way that they don't take themselves entirely seriously, so there's a playful feel to them as well. That has helped to elevate the films from the schlock of the early-mid 90's comic book movie flops like Captain America or The Punisher, but also saved them from the imbalance that caused franchises like Batman to go from great heights (the first Tim Burton-directed film) to utter tripe (<i>Batman and Robin</i>, an utter disaster of a movie). It has been a smart move through the entire canon of recent Marvel movies to inject them with enough humor to undercut the seriousness of the events unfolding to a point where each "episode" doesn't feel overwrought like a SyFy Original Movie often does.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In particular, <i>Guardians of the Galaxy</i> uses humor more than the previous films, but it does so to its advantage. It's not a big stretch to think of Captain America getting buff due to a super serum, or even the Hulk getting his powers in a similar fashion through science. It's a far greater stretch to think of a team of aliens and a human being the baddest dudes in the galaxy and taking on an enemy far more menacing than what a group of misfits should be able to. Anyone watching the film should know that while the individual members of the team have skills and training to prepare them for many things, the obstacle before them is so large that it seems insurmountable. The film's humor helps to diffuse some of the feelings that the task at hand may be too large, without ignoring that fact. The scene where Quill talks his fellow shipmates into taking on Ronan with him, even though there was little hope of them succeeding, and maximum probability of death, is a prime example of this balance. Those few moments are serious with an underpinning of humor, and despite the finality of what they're resigning themselves to, Rocket ends the scene with humor to level the mood out. Save for the movie's opening scenes, the entire movie strikes a good balance between moderate doom & gloom, and humorous dialogue and situations to help temper the movie's overall feel.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Ronan is a lot like the Power Glove....he's so bad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for the acting in the film, I felt everyone did a good job. I'm already a fan of the 2 "primary" characters' actors, in Peter Quill's Chris Pratt (of <i>Parks & Recreation</i> fame), and Gamora, portrayed by the current queen of science fiction, Zoe Saldana. Pratt is his usual comical self, and transitions into an action role well enough, especially in this context. Saldana continues to show her range, from the emotional, warrior-like Neytiri (<i>Avatar</i>) to the stalwart, strong Uhura in the recent <i>Star Trek</i> reboot films, to Gamora, who is somewhere in between. Bradley Cooper shines as Rocket, and Vin Diesel is surprisingly effective as Groot, despite limited vocabulary and few opportunities to actually speak, he brings a warmth to the character one wouldn't expect. Dave Bautista works well as Drax the Destroyer also, because he doesn't have to show a large amount of range - the fact that, as Rocket says, his race is completely literal and incapable of understanding the nuance of metaphor. This works in Bautista's favor, because he can simply play it straight. He does, however, use that to comedic effect in a few instances, and his large presence on screen does give the character additional weight. Lee Pace is convincing as Ronan, Benicio del Toro is good as The Collector, Michael Rooker is good as always, and the list goes on. Some performances were understated, most likely due to the nature of the character and/or the small amount of lines or screen time, but I wasn't disappointed with anyone's performances overall.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As with all the Marvel movies thus far, the animation and special effects are outstanding here. The space locales are believable and varied, from the rock planet where Quill finds the Orb, to the Knowhere outpost and its almost post-apocalyptic feel and lush nebula-like appearance from the outside. I have a soft spot for practical effects and make-up, so I'm glad to see that at least the costumes and make-up weren't totally CGI-based, but had some basis in actual construction and implementation. Ronan's ship was an ominous, impressive craft, and was a good fit for the character. By contrast, Quill's ship, the Milano, is a stylish and elegant craft, appearing much more nimble and maneuverable. The Nova Corps craft was an interesting design as well, one which shows true later in the film. All the sets were interesting, and the variety of humanoid-based alien species was reasonable for a film this size and scope.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">One example of breathtaking scenery in the film.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I enjoyed <i>Guardians of the Galaxy</i> enough to go see it twice in the space of 2 or 3 weeks, and I may go see it again at a 2nd run theater if I get the opportunity. It reminded me a lot of the other Marvel films, but not to the point where it felt like a retread. Being that this is a motley crew of bandits and ne'er-do-well types, it was good that we weren't asked to believe that this band of 5 twits was supposed to take on Ronan, his entire security force on his ship, AND the entire fleet of attack vessels that spawned from his giant warship in the same manner that the Avengers took on the whole Chitauri fleet in their film debut. The fact that the Guardians had the help of the Ravagers and also the entire Nova Corps fleet is a sign that perhaps future GotG plot lines will potentially see them teaming up with either or both camps, or perhaps other allies is a good thing. The audience would be hard-pressed to buy that this small contingent is taking on Thanos or some other other-worldly menace all by themselves. It did feel slightly rushed that the 5 characters go from practically wanting to kill one another to being friends in such a short time, but such is the nature of film.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps the highest praise I can give the film is that, like <i>The LEGO Movie</i>, it gave me a child-like sense of fun watching it, and has made me want to go back and revisit many of my childhood and early adulthood favorites. Movies like the original <i>Star Wars</i> trilogy, <i>Tron</i>, <i>Krull</i>, <i>Dune</i>, <i>Karate Kid</i> and its sequel, <i>The Last Starfighter</i>, <i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i> (the original live-action film, not the Michael Bay train wreck), and even <i>The Fifth Element</i>. These are movies that I've watched countless times, and practically know by heart. <i>Guardians of the Galaxy</i>, like <i>The Avengers</i>, is a movie I can see myself coming back to multiple times and enjoying thoroughly each time. Regardless as to whether it offers more each time I see it, it's a feel-good scifi romp that has interesting characters, relatable story elements, and good pacing, not to mention a fun and memorable soundtrack. All of those elements will keep me coming back to the film, and it will be at the top of my "to buy" list when it's released on Blu Ray. If you are at all a fan of Marvel movies, science fiction/fantasy, action movies, or just really well done ensemble cast films, you should go see <i>Guardians of the Galaxy</i> at least once, because it's a rollicking good time. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">80/100</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>**NOTE TO PARENTS**</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would NOT recommend parents take their small children to this film. I saw some small kids at the theater both times I went, and cringed both times. Sure, it's more light-hearted and less intense/serious than other films of its type, and these are comic book characters that kids can read about, but there's a difference between what is illustrated on the page and that illustration "coming to life" on screen. There's enough colorful language in the film to justify not taking small kids, but the amount of violence (stylized and sterilized, though it is) in the film makes it more intense and pronounced even than the original <i>Star Wars</i> films. Add Quill's "Jackson Pollock painting" bit and some of the other innuendo, and there's enough adult content here for me to say safely that young kids shouldn't probably be seeing this film. Yes, the MPAA is sometimes very arbitrary in their ratings, and the validity of the PG-13 rating has been debated hotly for some time, but this is a prime example where I think it fits and is correctly applied. As long as your child understands that what they're seeing is fake and aren't prone to acting out what they see on screen, I'd say 10-12 and up should not be a major problem for most families.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">"I am Groot....again!"</span></div>
MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-14549091148216854762014-08-19T18:30:00.000-05:002014-08-20T14:03:55.678-05:00Devil's Heaven - Heaven On Earth (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Devil's Heaven is an interesting collaborative of musicians. According to the Press Release I received, you have 2 guys that are in AOR bands, 1 who has worked with Prog Metal/Rock titans and is in a well known prog band himself (Flower Kings), 1 from a fully prog metal background, a guy who has dabbled in jazz, pop, and metal, and a dentist who apparently plays guitar. I think perhaps Mötley Crüe needs to give up their name and find a new moniker, because these guys might be more suited to it. To be fair, it would seem that, because of some of the members other, more full-time commitments, this would be a side project, so perhaps Vince and company can keep the name after all. Still, an odd bunch of players to get together.<br />
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With a name like Devil's Heaven, you could go just about anywhere lyrically or musically, but this project kind of walks the line between sleaze metal and a melodic, traditional 80's heavy metal approach. I can only assume this is a side project for the talent involved, so this is most likely a batch of tunes that these guys couldn't necessarily have recorded (or have wanted to record) with their primary bands. Chief among those I would say would be Jonas' Flower Kings, as there would be little or no place for this material on a Flower Kings record. That's not to say this material isn't musically sound, because it is, but based on the fairly straight-forward hard rock and metal sound here, we won't be hearing any of these songs show up at a Flower Kings gig any time soon.<br />
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Musically, this is solid stuff, and with the players involved, it ought to be. The instrumentation is all quite good, and the riffing is heavy enough, if not always that memorable. The guitar sound is somewhat modern without being overproduced, and sounds appropriate for a band of this type updating an older hard rock and metal sound. Solo work is also quite good, with a lot of good leads and licks over the course of the whole record. As expected, bass guitar is well done here, though it's not as high up in the mix as you'd think it would be, given the band he hails from. Still, he's audible and you can hear him doing his thing. Drumming is also pretty good, with dynamics where the songs call for them. His performance is solid overall, and he occasionally cuts loose with real fiery double-bass work (especially in the opening track, "Welcome II the Show") and rolls. One thing about the drums is that I didn't think the bass drum sound was loud enough, as sometimes it seemed to get buried by the bass guitar. Keyboard work on the album is quite good, with organ sounds, piano, and the usual keyboard tones in place where you'd expect them. They don't take center stage much, but they add a nice layer of interest to the songs.<br />
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Vocally, Marcus Nygren sounds quite good. His accent makes some word pronunciations a bit odd, but overall, he makes things relatively easy to understand with his lightly gravelly tone. For a guy that sings in a couple AOR bands, you'd think his voice would be smoother, but then again, I haven't heard his other material. His voice works well for the material in question, however. One thing I'll mention is the lyrics - some of them are pretty good, well thought out narratives about various topics, but there are a handful of songs where the lyrics are PAINFULLY bad. Chief among them are the single "Demerital Action, "Hot Sex" and album closer "Wine Me", which tries to be clever with its story, but ultimately falls flat. Another song that doesn't quite work is "Mean Street City" - it just seems to try too hard to sound like it's being sung by a real tough guy, but I don't buy it. Other lyrics are surprisingly meaningful and emotional, such as the short poem used for "Stillborn", "Touched By An Angel" about death, or the heavy track "Riders In The Sky". All in all, the lyrics on the album are a mixed bag.<br />
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Listening to this album, it occurs to me that this is exactly the kind of record I'd expect to hear from a group of guys, mostly from other bands, that want to put out something that doesn't fit into the scope of music they'd normally be writing or playing. It's all well constructed and reasonably enthusiastic, with good performances and fairly good production. My biggest gripe is that the album feels uneven, stylistically. It doesn't bother me that they did 3 or 4 "sleaze metal" tracks, 2 or 3 emotional ballads, and a handful of "barn burner" type songs. What bothers me is that it doesn't necessarily flow together that well while listening to the album. There's nothing technically wrong with the material, but as an album, I don't think it gels the way it should. Add the inconsistency of the lyrics and the fact that it feels like the album has been pieced together from 2 or 3 different bands' material, and it's just not as cohesive as I'd like it to be. It's a solid debut, but I can't say it's anything more than that. I'd encourage the band to write more songs next time and really work on choosing the best material before they compile the album and record it all. If you can't get enough 80's styled hard rock and metal with a modern feel, give this a listen, it just might be for you. Otherwise, this is definitely a try before you buy kind of CD.<br />
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65/100MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-18337895239027539872014-08-18T18:30:00.000-05:002014-08-18T18:30:01.238-05:00Voyager - V (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Progressive Metal has become a crowded field. In order to stand out, you really have to do something special, unique, or just be so insanely talented that people sit and listen to your album with their jaw on the floor, much like most of us did when Dream Theater first hit the scene and were wowing us with their level of playing talent. Now that they've spawned a generation of copycats and gone toward a sound increasingly concerned with solos and individual playing, but have forsaken actually writing great songs about 50% of the time, other bands have more opportunity to showcase their talents and get noticed. While Voyager has been releasing albums since 2003, I've only become aware of them recently, and "V" is my first exposure to their sound.<br />
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Upon first listen, I was taken aback at how much I felt their sound was at once unique and also quite familiar. They remind me of some other recent semi-progressive bands playing a vaguely modern hard rock/metal sound with a unique vocal approach. LA's Clandestine comes to mind, especially since their single "Disappear In You" has a similar hard-hitting yet melodic approach that opening track "Hyperventilate" has. If you can imagine Orphan Project making an album immediately after listening to a couple Halcyon Way albums, that might give you a small idea of what this sounds like, but only hints at what you can expect on this record. Their sound isn't that far removed from the likes of Souljorners or Ascension Theory either, though with a focus on songwriting and pop sensibility, perhaps a bit like Mehida. One-time Canadian outfit Asher is another audio touchstone. If you like progressive metal of the highly melodic and subtle variety, you're in for a treat.<br />
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It must be said immediately that this record sounds very "clean". Those who like some level of grit, grime, and dirt in their metal will find almost none of that here, save for the distortion in the guitar tone, which is bassy and heavy. Even so, the heavy, distorted guitar lines still sound "clean", in that they're processed and produced to get the sound and tone without any aural artifacts. Don't think that diminishes the heaviness factor, because it doesn't. The riffs sound meaty, and the solos have some bite to them when need be, and a real smooth feel to them at other times. There's a fair bit of clean guitar work present, and it often creates a good balance between achieving a melodic center to the song and providing the listener something they can sink their teeth into before ramping up the heavy and knocking them around a bit. The solo work also has a balance between complex runs and licks, and melodic lines that make them more memorable and tuneful. I'm not sure who does more soloing, Scott or Simone, but hats off to whomever takes the reigns on that front, because the solos on this record are interesting and highly listenable. Alex's bass work is good throughout, though he doesn't often get the opportunity to shine like some prog bassists do. And drumming by Mark Boeijin is quite good, with a lot of niceties here and there, and it sounds like he gives the drums a solid pounding. The bass drum sound is also nicely up front, with that satisfying thump you expect out of a modern sounding record. Keyboards aren't overdone, and there are some songs where they aren't included at all, but used as an accent in some areas, and a focal point in others (especially the piano work in "Summer Always Comes Again") they work really well and are an integral part of the sound of "V".<br />
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I can't describe Daniel Estrin's voice without first stating that it's just so stinking smooth. A lot of vocalists have an ability to transition seamlessly from gritty, gravelly vocals to a "smooth as butter" kind of sound, but the latter is Daniel's default setting. There are a couple moments where his voice gets just slightly raspy, but on the whole, his performance is really even. That doesn't diminish the emotional impact, either, because he has a nice sense of when he needs to be loud and frantic, and when things should get quiet and be a bit more plaintive. He has a real nice tone to his voice, and his annunciation and phrasing have a bit of a unique feel to them. Per the press kit, Chino Moreno of the Deftones likened Daniel's voice to that of Simon Lebon from Duran Duran, and I can hear a resemblance and similarity in the richness of their voices, though I'd say Daniel's voice has a richer, "thicker" tone to it. All in all, this guy can sing and sing well, and I thoroughly enjoyed his performance throughout the record. I also really liked in "A Beautiful Mistake" where guest vocalist Zemyna Kuliukas and Daniel were layered together harmonizing, because they really fit with the pop-infused progressive metal vibe on this CD. Whoever she is, her voice is lovely and needs to be heard by more people. I also enjoyed the occasional light sprinkling of mid-range growls, because they add just another minor ingredient to the mix.<br />
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I was pleasantly surprised by the album, and frankly, quite shocked that I'd only heard of the band before and hadn't heard their music. Having gone back and listened to the previous 2 releases to get a frame of reference, I can safely say this is the best of at least the last 3 albums, and if the band continues in this vein of a hyper-melodic, pop-tinted semi-progressive metal sound, I see great things ahead. Both singles thus far (opener "Hyperventilating" and "Breaking Down") exemplify the core sound of the band, and represent the album well, but only tell a small portion of the story that is "V". I probably listened to this album 40 or 50 times in preparation for this review, and was honestly dreading writing the review. Not only can I not put into words how excellent this slab of music truly is, but it also means having to move on and listen to other, likely less worthy music for a while until the next truly awesome album comes my way. Until then, I'll have to pull this one out again on occasion, because the songs have been stuck in my head for weeks. Highly recommended, if not downright essential.<br />
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90/100MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-7863176453135385912014-08-18T18:00:00.000-05:002014-08-18T18:00:03.942-05:00Blog Update - I'm on Mach Riders!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I just wanted to give a short update that I will now be contributing to the Mach Riders retro game review website. All reviews will be posted in full here at MetalFRO's Musings, but I'll be linking to those reviews from Mach Riders and will have entries there that link back here. It's exciting for me, because I'm inspired to branch out more and do more writing about video games, and Mach Riders is a nice, open platform for me to do more of that. Because of my love of old video games, Mach Riders is a great place for me to link any retro-themed reviews here, which will hopefully drive additional traffic to the blog in general. It is my hope that through playing and reviewing retro games for this purpose that I can begin to tackle the giant backlog of games I have. I've been seriously collecting for the last 15-16 years, and have WAY more games than I realistically have time to play, so this should be some level of motivation to seriously play through some of them that have languished in my collection for years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for general game reviews, I'll be doing more than just retro stuff, so those posts will remain here exclusively at this blog. Being the proud owner of a shiny Wii U console, and already having built a nice small library of games for the console, I'll be working my way through that batch of games (including my take on Duck Tales Remastered, which I already did here a few months back). That doesn't include my small PS3 game collection, or my growing library of Wii games, so there will be more modern games I'll be looking at. I may tackle a handful of PC games and/or indie titles as well. I may do some newer game "retrospective" write-ups based on newer games I played through a while ago, and offer my thoughts months (or even a year or so) after having played them. I think it could be an interesting read, to go back and play a game after not having touched it for months or years and see if my initial impressions still hold true, or if I've changed my mind as to what I think of the game.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I may also dedicate a few reviews as Mach Riders exclusives, and simply link to them from this blog as well. In addition, I'll have to determine whether or not I want my </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6th gen console reviews (GameCube, Xbox, PS2) </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">for the Mach Riders site, or if I should stop at 5th gen (Saturn, PlayStation, Dreamcast) for that site. Because my Xbox and PS2 collections have become quite sizable, and my GC collection continues to slowly grow, those reviews could end up being exclusive to this blog as well for the time being, which just means more content on this site for everyone to enjoy. I'll make that determination as I go along, and may make an announcement here prior to posting my first review specific to that line of thought.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In any event, please enjoy my blog as always, and I hope you'll enjoy reading about my gaming experiences and some of what I've had fun playing over the last 30+ years.</span>MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-82879628445284895462014-08-09T11:40:00.001-05:002014-08-09T11:40:19.914-05:00Review a Bad Game Day - Contra Force (1992)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdoJLjWD-rdK8z3PQ3RXJiuQnu5zrA1FOyGoFQBivAIcTh-eOLYfAGy4xK3poCrRoFIjM4ALxStQVWSOSOMMUOU2Hv_nUSPQ-RHn_s_Vhyphenhyphennn6dTVkT5eajCq-aBCq3M6hlu2Q0q20gkTU/s1600/Contra+Force+(U)+%5B!%5D_002.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdoJLjWD-rdK8z3PQ3RXJiuQnu5zrA1FOyGoFQBivAIcTh-eOLYfAGy4xK3poCrRoFIjM4ALxStQVWSOSOMMUOU2Hv_nUSPQ-RHn_s_Vhyphenhyphennn6dTVkT5eajCq-aBCq3M6hlu2Q0q20gkTU/s1600/Contra+Force+(U)+%5B!%5D_002.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">If you press the Power button, you go back to sleep and </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">forget </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">all about this game. If you press </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">the Start </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">button, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">you see how deep the rabbit hole goes and find out </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">just what a nightmare you're in for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Konami had a good thing going with the <i>Contra</i> franchise in the late 80's and early 90's. They had 2 successful arcade titles, a pair of wildly successful (and critically lauded) conversions for the Nintendo Entertainment System, a solid Game Boy iteration of the <i>Contra</i> formula, and had just celebrated the release of <i>Contra III: The Alien Wars</i> for the Super NES console, which was both an excellent game and a technical marvel on the platform, showcasing the hardware's abilities. In development was the Sega Genesis follow-up, <i>Contra Hard Corps</i>, which ended up being another excellent entry in the series. As many already know, the franchise would go completely off the rails a couple years later with 2 rather poorly designed (and poorly received) PlayStation titles that Konami saw fit to outsource to an outside team. It wouldn't be until years later with <i>Neo Contra</i> on the PlayStation 2 and <i>Contra 4</i> for the Nintendo DS that the series would find its footing again in some meaningful fashion by getting back to its roots.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's a bit of a forgotten chapter in the <i>Contra</i> series, however, and that is 1992's <i>Contra Force</i>. Released only in North America, this game saw Konami using the <i>Contra</i> name for a game that tried its best to emulate the <i>Contra</i> formula to a certain extent, while adding new elements and changing up the play stile a bit to add something fresh to the gameplay. To be fair, this game was originally developed in Japan to be called Arc Hound, but was never released there. Instead, Konami slapped the <i>Contra</i> name on it and released it in the US to cash in on the series' popularity and sales numbers. It was a poor decision from a company that was usually pretty good about what games it localized. Why couldn't they have skipped this and given us the excellent Crisis Force instead? I digress.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The game starts out innocently enough, with the familiar <i>Contra</i> logo on the title screen, with the word "Force" directly underneath, conspicuously in a different font, a whole different feel, look, and aesthetic than the logo it's paired with. Still, one can easily overlook such trivialities if the game behind the title screen is good enough. The first problem is that the title screen is only available for about 2 seconds, possibly less. If you don't "PUSH START BUTTON", as you're invited to, within that short window of time, you're immediately pushed into the "attract mode" for the game. Rather than a couple looping examples of gameplay, we get what is supposed to be a snippet of back story for the game and its main character, Burns. Unfortunately, even though the gist of the plot can be discerned quickly from the 2 or 3 screens displayed, it's very stilted and not well done. Ninja Gaiden had better cinematics and dialogue 3 years prior, so Konami was obviously phoning this one in. In addition, with what limited "story" we are presented with, we find that we're not controlling muscular Rambo types to take on a large alien horde, but are part of what appears to be a spy/special ops division taking on human terrorists. Who cares that we've had 4 wildly successful titles in the series prior to this installment, all based on alien invaders. No, let's throw the baby out with the bathwater and abandon the successful formula that has propelled our product to great accolades and sales by slapping this popular name on a game that has NOTHING to do with our franchise and tarnish its name and reputation. Someone at Konami USA back in 1992 clearly needed to be slapped upside the head. In any event, you can identify 3 flaws with the game within 30 seconds of powering up your NES console. I wouldn't consider that a good start.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">"This is the crack team that's going to take down my organization?<br />This is going to be easy, boys!" - Random Video Game Terrorist</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first thing you'll notice after you hit Start and begin the game is that you're presented with 4 different characters to choose from: Burns (the leader of the special forces squad), Smith, a typical 90's 'tude character, complete with manly 'stache and hip glasses, Iron, a tough looking dude who can wield what looks like a bazooka, given the right power-up, and Beans, a skinny fellow who also appears to have 'tude. I mean, look at his cool hair! All kidding aside, another minor issue crops up at the Player Select screen: rather than pressing Down on the D-pad to select the first character (traditionally the top-left), you press Up. If you press Down, you get Beans instead of Burns. In addition, rather than the ability to use the full D-pad to select characters by moving Left, Right, Up or Down, you simply press either Up or Down to cycle through the list, and it goes top-left to top-right, then bottom-left to bottom-right, assuming you're pressing Up. Reverse that if you're pressing Down instead. As I said, it's a minor issue, but since the game's stock is already plummeting at this point, it's a noticeable design flaw that becomes more glaring in context with the game's other flaws.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once you select your character and press Start, the next thing I noticed was that the character walk animation is really goofy. Kudos to the design team for at least trying to make something semi-realistic, but it really looks somewhat unnatural. Not to be too cliche or gauche, but the walk has that "trying overly hard to pass gas" kind of look to it. All 4 characters have that sort of walk animation, so you can't escape it. It might seem to be nitpicking on my part, but it's noticeable enough to mention. Here's a GIF animation to illustrate:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBGFfe0CiZQNmcqTg54e3SQJ0j0ZkvAA8awhReG8_5NXekdi1kbbCHtf6Y7FY0ouRVYI1nMNOmC2al855t90OreEmN7UhN1cET0XGid1uNdJIBPN6264KKzF6kt9EZKBAW4nyPVz5L-I7t/s1600/Contra+Force+(U)+%5B!%5D.zip.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBGFfe0CiZQNmcqTg54e3SQJ0j0ZkvAA8awhReG8_5NXekdi1kbbCHtf6Y7FY0ouRVYI1nMNOmC2al855t90OreEmN7UhN1cET0XGid1uNdJIBPN6264KKzF6kt9EZKBAW4nyPVz5L-I7t/s1600/Contra+Force+(U)+%5B!%5D.zip.gif" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">It might be hard to tell from this GIF, but the walk is</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once you get into the gameplay, things seem normal at first, as many of the usual Contra elements are present. You can fire upward and diagonally, as well as downward and diagonally downward while jumping. You walk from the left to the right and blast baddies. You start with the usual single-shot "pea shooter" weapon and can collect power-up icons. However, the first change you'll notice is that the screen can scroll back to the left, which should be a good thing. However, one of the game's fatal flaws creeps in because of this new found directional movement. Namely, that once you stop running to the right and go back left, sometimes it doesn't scroll correctly when you start running to the right again. You'll need to backtrack to the left and move right again. The screen's scrolling point of origin fixes on your character at whatever spot on the screen you're at, so if you're an inch from the right side of the screen, that's where it will scroll from and you'll be rushing into danger. You can correct this by going left again to roughly the middle of the screen, then turning around and resetting this point of origin, but the fact that you have to do this at all is a major design flaw. How did this issue get past beta testing? Worse yet, if you're all the way to the right and you're on a small platform, you'll have no room to move back left, so you may have to jump or maneuver back across multiple platforms (which may or may not be available) in order to create enough area to reset the point of origin. That, or you're forced to move left and right in tiny increments to keep resetting the position until you can feel safe enough to move on and have a larger area from which to reset it comfortably. This is a huge design issue that should never have been included in a final product.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If that wasn't bad enough, the hit detection is also dodgy. There were times in the first level where I was clearly shooting at a bad guy, but he didn't fall. Sometimes it took 2 or 3 shots to take them down, even when the previous play through of the stage only took a single shot. There's a spot in the first level where an enemy is on a moving conveyor belt (though he is conspicuously NOT MOVING), and if you shoot the belt underneath his foot level, sometimes you'll take him out, sometimes you won't. 3 of the 4 characters crouch when you press down on the D-pad, but Beans does the full lay on the ground maneuver like the previous installments in the series. However, sometimes bullets that are CLEARLY travelling above his body will clear him, and other times it will register as a hit. The lift truck in the first level moves normal at first blush, but if you get behind it, it does this bizarre thing where it moves toward you when you're walking toward it, but purposely moves away from you if you're walking the opposite direction. That sounds strange, I know, but you can tell the truck is actually moving, not just that you're walking toward or away. Some ledges cannot be trusted as well: I was standing near the edge of a ledge where some boxes were dropping from the ceiling, and though my character wasn't touched by a box, he slipped off the edge though I wasn't touching the D-pad. This happened more than once, so I'm fairly certain it's another design flaw.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">"Why is it that I gotta keep moving, but these two guys</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">can stand on moving platforms and not move? - Beans</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Less a design flaw and more a casualty of innovation without careful planning, the power-up system in this game is somewhat uneven and problematic. The <i>Contra</i> series has seen its share of less than useful weapons (the flamethrower from the 1st game comes to mind), but some of the weapon choices in this game just don't make sense. Adding a Gradius-esque power-up system was a cool idea, but the secondary and tertiary weapon choices are a bit off in some cases. Burns can power-up to either a hand grenade, or a machine gun. Go for the machine gun, because the grenade can be difficult to use and not very handy against enemies some distance away. Beans has a landmine you can use, but BE CAREFUL with that, and plan to use it for areas where it could be useful. There are spots where you have to overcome landmines, and if you jump and shoot diagonally downward at the mine, you can destroy it. Good luck taking out enemy mines by attempting to drop your own. Some of the other special weapons are handy, but nothing as awesome as the original game's spread gun, or <i>Operation C</i>'s cool homing gun. Playing devil's advocate, I can see how managing the power-ups provide an element of strategy, but it becomes very easy to paint yourself into a corner when you have only one weapon available at any given time, and it's one with limited range. Speaking of limited range, why would they make the bullets disappear at a certain range? This is a projectile weapon, not an energy weapon. Not to get too scientific, because this is just a video game we're talking about, but any 8-year old playing a video game should be able to discern that bullets fired from a gun don't just disappear into thin air after 12 feet, they keep going until they hit something.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now that I've completely trashed the game, let me point out a handful of good things about it. The graphics are actually pretty good, with interesting level graphics, some decent moving water in the background of the first level, and nicely animated stuff like the mashers in the first level. Equally awesome is the fact that many of the background objects and things can be shot at and destroyed, which adds an additional element of realism. Rather than having to try and run through the mashers (not possible), you can simply shoot them at the top and destroy them. Partially broken pieces of scenery and be blown away, and even some other bits that look just fine. It's a nice touch in a game riddled with so many flaws. The music, while not very memorable, at least retains most of the Konami signatures such as the pacing, energy, as well as the general sound and feel. In addition, despite the fact that it's not well implemented, the strategic element and augmented weapons system was at least Konami doing something different in this type of game.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">"Now you see them.......now you don't!" - Iron</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps my biggest issue with this game is not with the game itself, but the fact that Konami saw fit to localize it as a <i>Contra</i> title. Before everyone cries foul and we get into an endless <i>Doki Doki Panic!</i> and <i>Super Mario Bros. 2</i> debate, let's take a step back and remember that DDP began its development life cycle as a SMB title, and was changed to something different partway through. This was never intended to be a <i>Contra</i> title, insofar as I've been able to discern through various Internet resources. This was a shameless cash-grab on Konami's part, and unfortunately they only figured us stupid Americans would fall for it. Thankfully, we responded in kind and the game didn't perform well. I remember renting this game with a friend as a kid and being frustrated with it, and finding very little fun factor compared to <i>Contra</i> or <i>Super C</i> on the NES. None of my other NES-owning friends rented or bought it, and I don't know anyone else who owned a copy as a kid, at least not that has told me they actually spent money (or their parents did) on a copy. The existence of <i>C: The Contra Adventure</i> and <i>Contra: Legacy of War</i> tells us that Konami didn't learn their lesson here, unfortunately. We can still take solace in the fact that poor sales of those titles helped to steer Konami back in the right direction with more recent <i>Contra</i> games, however. Had this been released as anything other than an established franchise here in the US, it may have performed okay and been recognized as a game with good ideas marred by some bad design choices. Or perhaps it could have spent more time in development and localization to work out those bugs before going to market. We'll never know, and that's okay, because this game can stand as a good example of poor design and marketing choices. This is most definitely a "try before you buy" kind of game, so take no shame in emulating it before you plunk down your hard-earned cash. This one's not easy to find on the cheap.</span>MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-53930400143156135152014-08-06T18:00:00.000-05:002014-08-06T18:00:00.653-05:00Dragon's Kiss - Barbarians of the Wasteland (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Heavy Metal as a genre takes on many forms. Add fast rhythms, start/stop dynamics, and chugging riffs, and you have thrash metal. Intensify that even more with blast beats, faster rhythms, hoarse shouts or growls and you've got the makings of death metal. Add speed, extra melody, soaring vocals and a bit of grandeur, and you may have some power metal. But the sound that birthed the genre, "heavy metal" itself is often harder to define, simply because what constitutes the sound of heavy metal has changed since its inception, and isn't always agreed upon. Though it sounds somewhat arbitrary, the sound of heavy metal is one of those things that seasoned listeners can discern, as in, "I know it when I hear it."<br />
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Despite the myriad sub-genres of this thing called heavy metal, the constants include distorted guitar riffs and rhythms, guitar solos that do more than just ape the base melody, and vocals that reach out of the speakers and slap you across the face. Heavy metal also includes thumping bass lines, and hard hitting drum rhythms that make it obvious that someone is doing much more than just tapping the drum heads with wooden sticks. To that end, Dragon's Kiss meet all the requirements for the essential Heavy Metal sound. The question is, do they do it well? That depends on your viewpoint of what real good heavy metal truly is.<br />
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Dragon's Kiss is a project by Dawnrider guitarist Hugo Conim and Adam Neal of The Hookers (formerly of about a half-dozen other bands). Adam's pedigree is as much hard rock as it is metal, but Hugo seems to have been in the metal scene for a number of years. Either way, I don't think anyone could deny this album's metal credibility, because this stuff sounds a bit like Motorhead crossed with early American metal and early NWOBHM. There's a lot of energy on this record, and a fair bit of attitude as well. Whether that energy and attitude carry the record will ultimately be up to the listener.<br />
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The first thing that hits you right away with the album is that although it has a classic heavy metal sound, the production is fairly dense. Bass guitar pulsates quite a bit in the mix, and the guitars have a good crunch, and have a feel to them that is at once modern and classic at the same time. It's hard to describe, really, but one listen to the album and you'll likely pick up on it. One thing's for sure, Hugo plays with gusto, and is no stranger to a classic metal riff sound and feel. The drumming on the album also merits some mention, because it's quite solid. Other than the cool roll during the intro, it's not overly complex or notable, but certainly gets the job done. Vocally, Adam is all gravel, sounding like he's channeling Udo Dirkschneider, if Udo was channeling Lemmy. Adam lacks the tunefulness of Udo, but his enthusiasm and attitude do give his performance a bit of charm it would otherwise lack.<br />
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My biggest problem with the record is that it's just not very memorable. I appreciate the classic sound these guys are bringing to the table. I think them covering two relatively obscure bands (Marquis de Sade's "Somewhere Up In the Mountains" and The New Order's "Rock 'n' Roll Soldiers") is a good thing, and will help bring additional recognition to some songs that perhaps never got their due. But when the covers are the most memorable tracks on the album, that's a problem for me. If you can't write melodies that will get stuck in the listener's head, it diminishes your music's ability to become a regular part of their listening experience. At best, the album is a solid batch of tunes that sound great while you're spinning them, but are relatively forgettable unless you're listening to the album over and over and over again. I make that kind of investment to write reviews, but the average listener may not be willing to, even a seasoned NWOBHM fan who has separated the proverbial wheat from chaff among the countless bands from that era. Dragon's Kiss need to step up their game and write more memorable material that has staying power, and Adam should try and develop his vocal approach just a little, to try and include a bit more melodicism in his singing. If they could do that, it would go quite a ways in helping their next record have more staying power. These guys are talented, and this CD shows that. Now they need to hone their song craft and give us a release with tunes that get stuck in our heads. If they can accomplish that, they'll be on their way to securing a place in metal Valhalla. As for now, they're toiling in Purgatory.<br />
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68/100MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-6519700145723795842014-08-04T18:00:00.000-05:002014-08-05T09:12:21.211-05:00Fallen Angel - Crawling Out Of Hell (2010, 2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Traditional heavy metal has had a bit of a resurgence in the global music scene in recent years. Anyone who has paid attention to trends in metal over the last 20 years or so knows that power metal has enjoyed a long, relatively healthy surge in popularity ever since bands like Hammerfall, Rhapsody (et al) and Blind Guardian have made the style more popular again, along with somewhat newer sensations like Sonata Arctica, Kamelot, Firewind, and Evergrey. But more traditional "heavy metal" has stayed a bit more underground, toiling in relative obscurity through the last 2 decades. More recent bands like 3 Inches of Blood, Wolf, and White Wizzard have exemplified the return of the genre's core sound at some level of commercial significance in the modern age. With any resurgence in a classic sound takes place, there will be casualties; bands who simply don't have the talent to make an impact, despite having the right ingredients in the formula. Thankfully, Fallen Angel is positioning themselves to avoid that pitfall.<br />
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Fallen Angel is an interesting band, consisting of 5 individuals who use pseudonyms instead of their real names. All the band members paint their faces and clothe themselves in a manner vaguely reminiscent of King Diamond. They also play a style of heavy metal that reeks of that King Diamond, Mercyful Fate kind of early speed/power metal, without the usual trappings of the European power metal set. A more modern comparison would be Iced Earth, though they're definitely not clones. Their music has a real early-mid 1980's throwback feel to it, in a good way. Utilizing modern production techniques without sacrificing the classic sound and feel, Fallen Angel have struck a good balance between staying true to the genre's roots and bringing a modern touch to the style.<br />
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Musically speaking, the band has really solid and energetic performances that showcase some degree of range. Guitars provided by "The Man In Black" (aka Robb Lotta) and "The Dark Lord of Democales" (aka band mastermind John Cruppe) are very well done, and hearken back to a bygone era of metal where the performances oozed passion and energy. The guitars are heavy and crunchy, and have some real presence to them, without the overly bass-heavy tone you would expect from a modern metal album. So while the album sounds modern because of the production, the guitars don't sound like they were played through a bass amp and recorded through a vocal mic membrane. Guitar solos are excellent throughout, with loads of energy, but without forsaking a melodic sensibility. They are just what you would expect from a band playing a style of metal that recalls the genre's glory years. Bass guitar is also suitably present but not so high in the mix it overpowers everything. It sounds good alongside the guitars, and works especially well during acoustic and/or clean guitar sections where it provides the right amount of weight underneath. Bass is provided by Sodominous - The Lord of the Flesh (aka Joe Surace, recently replaced by Bob Embury). Drumming by "The Darkness" (aka Frankie Quaggs) is quite well done as well. He has a real sense of dynamics, and knows when to go full-blast versus when the songs need something more nuanced, and when to change that up within the song. A good example of that would be transitioning from the verses to the chorus in "Sad Wings". All in all, the instrumentation on the album is very well done.<br />
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Vocals are provided by Caleb - The Teller of Tales (aka Steve Seniuk). I'll get it on the table right away so folks can make their judgments, as I'm sure they will: Steve sounds an AWFUL LOT like former Iced Earth vocalist Matt Barlow. He's not a copycat, because his slower passages and screams differ a fair bit, but his mid-range to high vocals sound more than a little like the famed singer. Of course, Matt himself often bore more than a passing resemblance to Paul Stanley, so take that as you will. Personally, I think he sounds great on the record, with impassioned screams, suitably dynamic quieter passages, and loads of emotion in his delivery. He sings the lyrics convincingly, and really conveys that he cares about the story being told within the album. If you're a fan of any of the recent Iced Earth vocalists, i.e. Matt Barlow, Tim "Ripper" Owens, or Stu Block, you'll feel right at home with Caleb, er, Steve's vocal work.<br />
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Speaking of story, apparently this album is the 1st in a trilogy of concept albums that follow along with related novels. I wish I knew what novel(s) this trilogy is based upon, and whether it's a work of fiction by Cruppe himself, or another series of novels already out there. While I didn't have a lyric sheet or copy to go by, the lyrics themselves aren't hard to discern. The story is one of war and sacrifice, and the protagonist seems to go through a lot of emotional turmoil as a result of all the chaos. The album's multitude of segue tracks are apparently also integral to the story within the album, as they're based in some fashion on the story being told, as much as instrumental interludes can be. Being able to read the novel might help give me additional context based on the titles of those tracks, or where the story is moving in between the main narrative from each song with lyrics.<br />
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Other reviews have stated that the album is a bit too "busy", and while I can see that, I don't know that I necessarily agree. Yes, there is dual-guitar action, often with dueling solos or layering, and there are various keyboard effects and accouterments here and there, as well as a handful of sound effects to aid in presenting the story, but I don't think those things are very obtrusive. If anything, listening via headphones gave me a bit more clarification as to the context of some of those sounds, but the experience was quite similar to that of jamming the album through my desk speakers. I initially thought the mix was a bit weak, but after several listens, I believe it perfectly suits the sound the band is trying to achieve. Some have said that Steve screams too much and relies on that too heavily, but if you compare what these guys are doing to Iced Earth or Mercyful Fate, you'll find that they're quite similar and in that context, I don't believe it's overdone. Most criticisms I've read of the album focus on these items, along with the inclusion of too many interlude tracks. I was initially put off by them, and found them distracting, since they don't all perfectly transition one track to the next, but upon multiple listens, they make sense within the framework of the album and now I think I'd miss them if I nixed them from the album playlist.<br />
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I was quite surprised, and honestly taken aback at the sheer quality and force of "Crawling Out Of Hell". The musicianship is top-notch, the performances are all spirited and high quality, and the idea of a trilogy of concept albums, while not entirely original, is not something that has been done before in metal, at this level. The songs all have catchiness and staying power (with the possible exception of the repetitive "On and On") that makes for good replay value, and ensures that many of the tracks will be playing in your head long after the CD has stopped spinning. Killer Metal Records has done quite a service to metal fans everywhere by re-issuing this album, originally self-released by the band in 2010. I would love to see a vinyl issue of this release as well. I look forward to the album's forthcoming follow-up, "Crawling Out Of Heaven", and wish guitarist/band leader John Cruppe a full recovery from his recent health issues, which you can read about on the band's Facebook page. Highly recommended!<br />
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87/100MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-50016297375838302952014-06-24T18:30:00.000-05:002014-06-24T19:37:35.602-05:00Edge Of Thorns - Insomnia (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I thoroughly enjoy writing music reviews. One of the small pleasures in life for me is getting exposure to a whole host of new bands I may otherwise have never heard of, or perhaps overlooked, because I get a review copy of a release. Sometimes I get albums that go nowhere and feel like a waste of my time, but most of the time I at least enjoy what I get. Sometimes, however, I get a diamond in the rough, something that I can be truly happy about receiving. Edge Of Thorns is just such an example.<br />
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To be honest, I'd never heard of Edge Of Thorns before, but the name immediately made me think of Savatage. Indeed, the band's moniker was inspired by the Savatage song/album, so of course, aural comparisons at once begin to take shape. That's a mistake, however, because Edge Of Thorns really sound very little like the metal heroes they fashioned their name after. Rather than a mix of American power metal, progressive hard rock and straight up metal, Edge Of Thorns take a different path. Their sound is steeped in the modern, heavy European power metal sound, and that's a good thing, because the band has a knack for the style.<br />
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Right away, I'm enthralled by the guitars. Longtime (founding?) lead guitarist Dave Brixius, and newcomer Jani Näckel bring the heat, big time. Jani brings home driving hard riffs that not only hit hard, but are sprinkled with variety throughout. It's not all chugga chugga stuff, but there are moments where the notes ring out, and other times when rhythmically, she makes things interesting. Dave's solo work is fiery and blistering, bringing an exciting element to the songs during each solo break. Some guitarists' solo playing can be too technical, or too basic, but Dave transitions back and forth nicely from song to song between highly melodic playing (such as some of the solo work in "The Seven Sins Of Arthur McGregor"), and all out fret board fireworks. In all, the guitar sound is chunky and heavy, the way it should be in a band playing this style. Bass provided by Achim Sinzinger is competent, and though not prominent in the band's sound, provides some necessary weight. Drummer Joachim Lichter is on-point and provides a nice, meaty drum sound to the album. He handles mid-tempo and basic beats like a champ, and his double-bass and faster drum work is impressive as well. He brings a minor sense of dynamics as well, which is always a plus.<br />
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Vocally, Dirk Schmitt is a strong addition to the band's sound. He has a very gritty tone that reminds me a lot of Udo Dirkschneider (ex-Accept), though with a bit less gravel. Dirk has that sound where it sounds like his epiglottis is reverberating at 100 mph, so it's a "cleaner grit", if you will, than what Udo projects. Dirk has a powerful voice, good range, and he uses his instrument well on this album. The one bothersome thing I noticed about his vocals is more of a delivery issue than a problem with his voice. Any time a word begins with the letter "i", he adds an artificial "r" sound, i.e. when he says "Insomnia" in the title track, or particularly in the last track, "Is This The Way It Is". It's a minor issue, but as strong as his performance is here, it's a bit distracting to hear him say "Rrrrrinsomnia!" several times in a row during an otherwise great performance. On the plus side, having fellow German Ralf Scheepers provide guest vocals during "Metal Unity" certainly doesn't hurt matters any.<br />
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Having not heard the previous 2 releases, I can't speak to the quality here versus past material, but what I can say is that this is a solid set of songs performed with enthusiasm by a talented bunch of performers. What I'd really like to hear from the band on their next outing is an even tighter batch of tunes, with even catchier riffs and choruses. Other than a bit of minor tightening of the vocal attack and a want for slightly more memorable batch of material, there's very little I can fault this album for. This CD is a testament to the collective talent and drive of the band members, and I commend them for giving us a work as cohesive and consistent throughout. Recommended.<br />
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83/100MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-79602198973445873262014-06-13T18:30:00.000-05:002014-06-13T18:30:00.782-05:00Game On! - DuckTales Remastered (Wii U)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZfTp_bxPqnAFLZn8AfYKt9gGGJ3ZefnG-WsxpZXQW8iGv42KG-x8HfDo1Q3BZeb6r9K0EebF6Ek6T88OgIZaw7VxKRXAs8DPhg4Y2JJRBktBaMWm0248COuQGaMJpy69SbjggTjOi6Kq/s1600/DuckTales+Remastered.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZfTp_bxPqnAFLZn8AfYKt9gGGJ3ZefnG-WsxpZXQW8iGv42KG-x8HfDo1Q3BZeb6r9K0EebF6Ek6T88OgIZaw7VxKRXAs8DPhg4Y2JJRBktBaMWm0248COuQGaMJpy69SbjggTjOi6Kq/s1600/DuckTales+Remastered.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Image shamelessly stolen from the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CCgQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fuser%2FCapcomUnityVideos&ei=G7YPU-2BLsjcyQGk_YDQBA&usg=AFQjCNG5okndxuMijFCgvquU1QilKmhYCQ&sig2=CFym9x2s5Ti9EZ969DnZhg&bvm=bv.61965928,d.aWc" target="_blank">Capcom Unity YouTube page</a>.</span></div>
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Game Title: DuckTales Remastered<br />
Platforms: Wii U, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC<br />
Released: August 13, 2013<br />
Formats: Digital, Retail/Boxed (console only)<br />
Players: 1<br />
Online Content: N/A<br />
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Any time a property is up for a 'remake', things can be dodgy. How many times has something from the 1980's been remade in the last few years with mixed results? How about when bands re-record old hits or entire albums? Often, the results aren't exactly what fans wanted, and sometimes even what the artist had envisioned for the re-record. When something is remastered, it usually means that the original source material was simply cleaned up and made to look or sound better, sometimes with the occasional tweak or change based on an artist's original vision. Though "remaster" isn't a term one normally would (or should) apply to a complete remake of a property, but that's what Capcom decided to do with DuckTales Remastered, a completely new, modern take on the classic Nintendo Entertainment System (and Game Boy) platform game.<br />
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That Capcom was able to either retain rights, or secure them again for the purpose of this remake, is quite a feat. Most companies let their licensing rights lapse, and then obtaining those back can often be tricky business. Thankfully, for Capcom, the DuckTales property was no longer a hot commodity, and they were able to put out this fine remake of the classic original NES title. I feel compelled to make the distinction that, even though this game is labeled as a 'remaster', it's far more in the 'remake' category. There are similarities to the original in some of the level design, and the music is the same, albeit redone in a more modern fashion, but this is a brand new game that re-imagines the original in a modern context.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Screenshot shamelessly stolen from <a href="http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/wiiu-eshop/ducktales_remastered" target="_blank">NinteodoLife</a></span></div>
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First and foremost I must mention the fact that unlike the original, this game has a defined story. Sure, the original gave us a vague notion of a treasure hunt, but then, Scrooge McDuck was always out for treasure. Anyone who watched the cartoon knew that. And why is that relevant? The original voice cast returned to provide voices for the game, save for the voice of Fenton Crackshell, aka Gizmo Duck. Unfortunately, original voice actor Hamilton Camp passed away in 2005, otherwise I'm assuming they'd have tapped him for the part. Instead, we get relative newcomer (in context with the original cast) Eric Bauza, who has an impressive voice over resume already. For anyone who enjoyed the original cartoon and playing the NES (or in my case, Game Boy) game was that small window into "playing" the cartoon, then the new game will be practically a revelation, because the dialogue in the game will take you right back to your childhood and make you truly feel as if you're playing the cartoon. Bits of voice acting throughout the levels also add to the immersion, with Scrooge occasionally commenting on a gem you find, or making little comments here and there - my favorite among them is when Scrooge says, with full accent in tow, "I dinnae get to be the richest duck in the world by backin' doon!" In addition to the excellent voice acting, the soundtrack has been re-imaged as well by Jake Kaufman, who said in interviews that he'd been a fan of the cartoon and game. He did a marvelous job taking the original tunes and simply bringing them into a modern context with full instrumentation and "big" sound, but following the original melodies and templates. There's an option to hear the original chiptune versions as well, which some will revel in.<br />
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The graphics in this game are absolutely beautiful. If you're going to make a 2-D game in the modern age and not make it "retro" styled with obvious pixel art, THIS is the way to do it right. Stages have lush backgrounds with lots of detail that look like they've been hand drawn, and the character animations are well done and look like they could have come straight from the cartoon. Scrooge McDuck looks great as you run and pogo-jump around, climb ladders, swing your cane like a gold club, and more. The look on his face when you touch an enemy or dangerous piece of scenery is priceless, and really reflects the cartoon animation well. The stages all echo the original levels, but at a vastly more detailed level, and even the more mundane locations look fantastic.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB47z6mNYAZjD9xPDKPQYTJ5W9QVUWivT2HNGIIEt8AQL0P9wVbID6Q04p2AvOY9qpUJQOdgI-4rUg6N24N7_VQg-rEOi2Cn2opEIyYwQbInyI9jKgLMaeYZwiQ_tVY_se0qjyaviEIS91/s1600/DuckTales+Remastered+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB47z6mNYAZjD9xPDKPQYTJ5W9QVUWivT2HNGIIEt8AQL0P9wVbID6Q04p2AvOY9qpUJQOdgI-4rUg6N24N7_VQg-rEOi2Cn2opEIyYwQbInyI9jKgLMaeYZwiQ_tVY_se0qjyaviEIS91/s1600/DuckTales+Remastered+02.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Screenshot shamelessly stolen from <a href="http://www.xblafans.com/ducktales-remastered-review-xbla-70297.html" target="_blank">XBLA Fans</a></span></div>
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The game takes the original's 5 areas and retools them to make the layouts and progression a bit different, as well as making them longer and more challenging. The game also adds 2 new levels. There's an intro level that unveils the plot of the Beagle Boys trying to filch Scrooge's gold from his Money Bin, so you get to play through that at the beginning. Then you can select from any of the main stages via the oversize computer in Scrooge's office. Once you've completed all areas and found all 5 priceless treasures, you travel to Mt. Vesuvius to confront Magica (and Glomgold, incidentally) for a final showdown. I actually quite like the layouts of the stages here, as they're fairly linear, but still can be explored quite a bit, and some of them (particularly the icy Himalaya or Transylvania stages) require a bit of searching and sometimes backtracking to complete and find all the treasure. Rather than the pixel-perfect platforming of the original, with the new art style it becomes more of judging where McDuck is standing relative to the edge of a platform or area to size up the jumps.<br />
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The ability to save your progress and not have to replay stages each time you come into the game is a plus, because with the changed layouts and enemy movements, the difficulty has ramped up quite a bit from the original to this remake. Admittedly, my platforming skills aren't what they were when I played through the original on my Game Boy back in Jr. high school, I had quite a time getting through the game - it was definitely no cakewalk. There were several stages I tried multiple times to get through, and had to perfect the jumping and pogostick mechanics quite a bit to get through the game. In particular, the final part of the Mt. Vesuvius stage required some really well-timed jumps and maneuvers. If you die in that spot and lose all your lives, you'll have to continue from the beginning of the Vesuvius stage, and that's a fair bit of game to have to play through again to complete the game, including the final boss. It's not a huge complaint, but just something to be aware of. It definitely still has the "Nintendo hard" feel of an 8-bit platformer. A minor complaint that I assume plagues all console versions (I only have the Wii U version) is that the cinema/dialogue portions can't be skipped by simply pressing a button. You have to pause the game, and choose 'Skip cinema' and then it will skip it. Not a big deal, but for every time Launchpad flies the chopper to a new stage or area, you'll find yourself skipping that sequence a lot. The same goes for some of the in-level cinemas - once you've seen them once or twice, you'll be skipping through them to get back into the action.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Screenshot shamelessly stolen from <a href="http://wiiudaily.com/2013/08/ducktales-remastered-review/" target="_blank">Wii U Daily</a></span></div>
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The special features are nice, but are a touch hit & miss. The ability to swim around in the money pit is cool, but it loses its appeal within a few seconds. How many of us dreamed of diving into Scrooge's money bin and swimming around through all the cash and gold like he does? Sadly, it's a VERY limited experience, and feels very tacked on. On the plus side, with all the cash you earn my collecting gems and treasures throughout the game, you can unlock bonus content like concept artwork, sprites, character or location designs and sketches, and more. If you get enough of the first category of art unlocked, you can start unlocking the next category until you get to the end. Once you've unlocked enough, you can get some video, which is nice. Of course, in order to get enough cash to unlock everything, you'll have to play through some of the stages more than once, which you can do once you've completed the game and downed the final boss. The ability to choose the 8-bit tunes is nice, even though Jake Kaufman's score is great, so that's a welcome addition, but I kind of wish that Capcom and WayForward (who handled the design) would have included a way to unlock the original game. That would have been a killer feature, and it seems odd that they didn't include that.<br />
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All things considered, this is a really nice update or the original game, and a real treat for fans like myself. If you're a modern gamer, this title might be worth the budget price to get an idea of what a good platform game is in the modern era. If you were never a fan of the show or the original game, this may not be the game for you, but as a fan of both, I thoroughly enjoyed myself while playing this, despite the slightly steep jump in difficulty. If you are at all a fan of the cartoon or the original game, I recommend checking this game out, because it is the closest thing available of any game I think I've ever played to truly capturing the spirit and fun of the cartoon it's based upon, while also offering a solid, fun, and highly replayable gaming experience.<br />
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<br />MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-53038071112028590582014-06-12T18:30:00.000-05:002014-06-12T18:30:00.823-05:00Morning Dwell - Morning Dwell (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxn5Q2ldQFir94iPaXYPuanumYq2JNQfvXC1FYaTnVc1mLcITDe8rkG-tA-RSMi7VDVASG1haU2C97qoYlHfNOtbyEq2B-6a_ApRosP8NfMnqk15DLcey_dhS6DDLBX3wIYimY9pyE0Nf/s1600/MorningDwell_cover_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxn5Q2ldQFir94iPaXYPuanumYq2JNQfvXC1FYaTnVc1mLcITDe8rkG-tA-RSMi7VDVASG1haU2C97qoYlHfNOtbyEq2B-6a_ApRosP8NfMnqk15DLcey_dhS6DDLBX3wIYimY9pyE0Nf/s1600/MorningDwell_cover_1.jpg" height="396" width="400" /></a></div>
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As previous reviews have indicated, the metal sub-genre known as Power Metal is hopelessly overcrowded. Making an impression among the glut of bands is difficult. You either need to grab folks by the throat and knock their socks off, or do something that is interesting enough to warrant their time. In the case of a band blatantly aping their influences, they need to bring their "A" game in order to have any hope of being seen as anything other than just a copycat. In the case of Sweden's Morning Dwell, one can say that they at least make a good go of it.<br />
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Reading through the band's bio, it's apparent that at least the man behind the group, Petter Hjerpe, has had a reasonably legitimate power metal education, having purchased Hammerfall's seminal "Legacy of Kings" album, then discovering (through his father), the wondrous "Keep of the Seven Keys: Part 2" by Helloween (on vinyl, no less!). And as you listen to the album, you'll hear Petter's Helloween fetish in all its glory (or lack thereof, depending on your take). The album gains credibility when you find that drummer Alfred Fridhagen (Golden Resurrection, ReinXeed) is on board, along with production from CJ Grimmark (Narnia), and artwork by Andreas Marshall. With a formula of Helloween-worship with talented players sounds like a winning combination, at least on paper. How does it translate on disc? Read on!<br />
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For a band trying to ape the Helloween sound, Morning Dwell sounds about like one would expect. The guitars have some level of crunch, but they're relatively smooth as well, with a balanced amount of grit coupled with slick production. Michel Barréra and Ulf Zetterman do a good job with the axe work here, cranking out reasonably good riffs and solos that follow in the Helloween tradition, but lacking some of the fire that made the "Keepers" albums so special. Still, they play well, and get the job done. Bass is present and audible, though Martin Erneström generally just keeps pace with the guitar in terms of what he's playing. He is solid and in the pocket, and provides a nice underpinning for the guitar. I do like that there's a real separation of guitar and bass, which isn't always the case with modern metal production. And of course, drumming by Alfred Fridhagen is spot on, with his usual skill and energy.<br />
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Petter Hjerpe is a relatively new vocalist, as outlined in the band's bio, so don't expect to hear the next power metal wunderkind when listening to the album. He's relatively solid, with some minor range issues. He also has what I'll call a minor "transition" issue, where when he's sliding from one note to another, his voice squeaks a bit, not unlike puberty. This generally happens only at the top of his register, and it's not all the time, so it's somewhat forgivable, but it's still a noticeable flaw. It's interesting to note that Petter had some vocal coaching by producer Frippe Eliasson. Again, this is another reason the minor issues with vocals can be seen as less of a detriment to the album's impact.<br />
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The more troublesome aspect of the album is that the songs just aren't that memorable. They contain all the elements one would expect, and they're fun to listen to while the album's playing, but other than the chorus of "Unlock All the Doors", or perhaps bits of "The Pirate Song", none of the material sticks around in my head after the album is done playing. It's not inherently poorly written, per se, but the hooks just aren't strong enough to keep me engaged beyond the listening experience. That, combined with the vocal issues I mentioned, will keep this release from blowing up the way the band might want it to. Still, with as much Helloween worship as is going on here, and the fact that there's plenty of potential on display, Doolittle Group may have scored a minor coup by signing the band, because with time, writing, and touring, they can only get better. They don't have a "Keeper" album here (sorry, pun intended), but it's a solid, inoffensive slab of power metal that is at least enjoyable to listen to. Recommended for Helloween nuts and absolute power metal devotees; all others try before you buy.<br />
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68/100MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-57479655136149259032014-06-12T17:24:00.002-05:002014-06-12T17:24:10.103-05:00Pylon - Homo Homini Lupus (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6BoVSobQ2O0MlKpRguqoqfm9tk4TmNX9Pp9x0OsW50ZHcjEahPo13V4KgL0XWfiGldZopEFUkbcRHnGotwIMyNm2OdW9TsCCJk7N41GiGuarSLeTXb00y3L-DwSZcoh4YViZetazlFd2P/s1600/Pylon+2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6BoVSobQ2O0MlKpRguqoqfm9tk4TmNX9Pp9x0OsW50ZHcjEahPo13V4KgL0XWfiGldZopEFUkbcRHnGotwIMyNm2OdW9TsCCJk7N41GiGuarSLeTXb00y3L-DwSZcoh4YViZetazlFd2P/s1600/Pylon+2014.jpg" height="400" width="398" /></a></div>
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Pylon has made a name for themselves in the Doom Metal space over the last several years. Beginning in 2004 with "Natural Songbirth", the band's 5 full-length releases and 2 splits (one with the mighty My Silent Wake), Pylon come to 2014 with their 6th LP, "Homo Homini Lupus". That's Latin, loosely translated as "man is a wolf to [his fellow] man", which I would have to agree with. Man is oft a cruel beast, and as people we are frequently self-centered, narcissistic, and tend to ignore the feelings and needs of others, if it conflicts with our own interests. I have to admit I'm as guilty as the next person of such behavior, and it makes me reflect on my life when I think about what kind of impact I'm having on the world.<br />
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I reviewed Pylon's last release, "The Harrowing of Hell" last year, and found it to be a solid, if somewhat uninspired release. Pylon has made some changes to their line-up and sound, and I think those are for the better, because "Homo Homini Lupus" is a quality album that I think reflects the kind of growth a band should see when they really put the effort into writing material from one album to the next. One of the things that "The Harrowing" needed desperately was stronger songs. "Homo Homini Lupus" rectifies this quite a bit by having a nice mix of material, and more interesting and catchy songs.<br />
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On the instrumental front, the guitars sound a LOT better here than they did on the previous release. The CD release of "Harrowing" had a couple bonus tracks that hinted at the improved sound, and here it's even better. Gone is the tinny, thin tone, and in its place is a thick, warm, crunchy tone that is far more befitting of the doom metal here. The guitar production is improved all around, as clean tones sound much better as well, so kudos to whomever produced the album, because it sounds so much better. Bass is nicely placed in the mix, with a full sound that rumbles and provides a lot of low end. It doesn't get lost in the mix, and while not blazing a unique path within the music, at least sounds great throughout. Drum work is pretty good as well, keeping time with the shifting tempos from song to song. The cymbals are a touch buried in the mix, but the bass and snare drum sounds are all punchy at the right level.<br />
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Vocally, the addition of Jordan Cutajar from Nomad Son was the right move. Matt Brand was a serviceable vocalist, but this change really gives them a leg up, because Jordan sounds at home here as much as he does with Nomad Son. His strong voice and raspy, emotive tone are a welcome addition to the Pylon sound, especially with the improved production. Jordan's inflections, passionate delivery, and attitude all come through, which gives the material that much more weight. The addition of some Hebrew and Latin in the lyrics also spices things up.<br />
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I like the material on this album a lot more than on its predecessor. Firstly, the songs shift tempos more and the moods change throughout, which keeps things fresh and interesting. The choice of Slayer's "South of Heaven" is also a great one, as I think the band brings their own little element to the song and do it justice. In addition, the songs themselves are just stronger than the previous release, because they don't get old on repeat listens, and when I go back to the album after not having listened to it for a few days, I immediately know where I'm at with each song and find myself smiling and bobbing my head with the groove. Overall, this is a quality album that, while relatively short (just shy of 37 minutes if you don't count the cover), is a marked improvement over the previous release. If you've not checked out Pylon before, do yourself a favor and jump on the bandwagon now, because this album shows they've got the chops and songs. Fans should eat this up, and doom fans in general should enjoy this fairly thoroughly. Recommended.<br />
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80/100MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-65011230945498722302014-05-23T18:00:00.000-05:002014-05-23T18:00:00.642-05:00Silent Voices - Reveal the Change (2013)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There are many fields of music that are overcrowded, due to years of a particular style or genre gaining popularity and then seeing a glut of bands enter the market playing that same style. Some fans can't get enough of a certain style or genre, and will buy up nearly everything of that style they can get their hands on. But aside from that small, core group of fans, bands that enter crowded markets really need to do something to separate themselves from the other groups of that genre to really stand out and make an impact. That, or they need to combine familiar elements in a unique or interesting way that warrants more than a cursory listen. To my ears, Silent Voices is doing the latter, with positive effect.<br />
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Being unfamiliar with Silent Voices prior to hearing this record, I wasn't sure what to expect, other than some vaguely progressive metal. In fact, based on the cover art alone, I figured it would be a middle-of-the-road combination of progressive hard rock with a few solos littered about, and just enough grit in the guitar to call it metal. I was pleasantly surprised, then, that I was only right to an extent of roughly 20%. Yes, there is some material here that touches on the progressive hard rock spectrum, but I would argue that the overwhelming majority of stuff here is squarely on the metal side of the fence, and the other touches give the sound a bit of an expansive feel beyond the basic tenets of the sound & framework. How they mix in the various elements of their sound is what gives the album validity.<br />
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The instruments on this album are all well produced and have decent separation w/in the sound. Guitars sound good overall, and have plenty of weight with the lower chords, so riffing is often fairly heavy sounding. I would assume the guitars are overdubbed in many places, given that this is a one-guitar band courtesy of Timo Kauppinen. I like the guitar sound and how it shifts seamlessly between the heavier, low-end riffing and the higher scale runs and solos. Not all guitar tones can move from one to the other without one sounding weak, or giving up some level of heaviness for clarity, so I think this is a good compromise. I like how as a soloist, Timo swings back and forth effortlessly between highly melodic playing and absolute shredding. It provides another nice contrast in the sound. Bass guitar has a nice meaty feel to it, with a lot of low-end and providing not only the necessary thump under the guitar, but also having enough definition in the mix to be a vital part of what's going on. Bass playing by Pasi Kauppinen is more than solid, and is a good example of how bass can be done right in metal so it's not buried in the mix, but up front enough to really do its job fully. Henrik Klingenberg provides the keyboard work for the band, and I consider it quite superb. He exists in that space between the tasteful Kevin Moore style, and the more all-out style of someone like Jordan Rudess. He can help keep the melody buoyant when necessary, and go nuts with runs, solos, and effects when the song calls for it. Drumming by original skinsman Jukka-Pekka Koivisto (apparently no longer with the band) is well done and has some nice juxtaposition within some of the songs between fast, double-bass propelled rhythms, and more syncopated, thought-out pieces. Here's hoping newcomer Jani Hurula does the material justice in the live setting.<br />
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Vocally, the album is a mix of folks following the departure of original vocalist Michael Henneken. In the vocal slot, there is Mats Levén, Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica), Mike Vescera (Obsession), and Mike DiMeo, along with newcomer Teemu Koskela (who is apparently now a full member). There's plenty of variety, and the range of voices work well over the course of the album without sounding too disjointed. I'd be curious to hear how Teemu pulls this stuff off in a live setting, though with Pasi and Henrik likely dedicated most of their time to Sonata Arctica, who knows how much this stuff will get played live. Specific to the album, however, everyone sounds pretty on-point from a vocal perspective. I think the vocalists that were chosen for each song were also chosen wisely, because the songs all sound as though they fit the vocalist singing in that track.<br />
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One thing I like here is that while the band is clearly influenced by Dream Theater, they're not aping the sound. To me, it sounds like a power metal-influenced version of what might be the meeting point between the overly complex progressive metal sound of Dream Theater, and the more subdued, lightly progressive sound of, say, Orphan Project. Both bands are progressive in their own way, but at different extremes in the genre. Silent Voices exist somewhere in the middle, and it works well for them. The songs aren't overly memorable, which is a bit of a detriment, but they're not throw-away filler, either. They do well enough to keep your attention while they're playing, but you won't have these tracks running through your head for weeks after you listen to them. They're solid compositions that play to the band's strengths, but don't quite reach the level of stronger songwriting that would propel the album to instant classic status. To sum up: Silent Voices doesn't bring anything new to the table, but they certainly do what they do well enough to justify checking them out at this point. I can't speak for their back catalog, but this album is recommended to prog and power metal fans who enjoy both styles and enjoy the middle ground between the two.<br />
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80/100MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-24893299277038749972014-05-22T18:30:00.000-05:002014-05-22T18:30:00.020-05:00Taker - It Is Finished (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As a music fan, and a metal fan, I love to dig into the history of bands and find out where they came from. I enjoy hearing early demo material from well-known bands, because it's often indicative of whether or not the band's musical prowess or abilities are their own, or whether their early records needed a lot of "studio magic" to make them sound good. It's also interesting to hear demo material from bands that never quite got to that place where they got a record deal, so all that is available is studio demos, live recordings, basement tapes, etc. Either way, an interesting historical perspective.<br />
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In the case of white metal band Taker, the latter is the case. Taker never quite got off the ground, and as a result, all we have are demo recordings to understand where they were at. Originating in Virginia, this band never got a record deal, and officially only 2 demo recordings exist with any level of distribution. Thankfully, we have Roxx Productions to dig up recordings like these and make them more widely available to the underground music enthusiast like myself. Not all recordings like this are going to be at a level of quality that warrants repeated listens, but thankfully, Taker is at least an interesting enough case to be worth checking out.<br />
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Taker plays the traditional American style of melodic, 1980's heavy metal sound. There's a bit of NWOBHM influence here and there, with some fast riffing in songs like "He Is The Light" or "Living By Faith", and big, anthemic choruses that try and get a hook stuck in your head that you'll be singing long after the song is done playing. As this is a collection of demo material, the quality varies from song to song, especially because much of this is likely tape transfers, so there is a bit lost in the analog-to-digital conversion. In addition, there are a couple tracks where some damage to the tape(s) was apparent, as there are spots where the song sounds garbled or cuts out briefly. This is to be expected from archival releases like this, but it's unfortunate that a better quality or less-played copy wasn't available for use. Still, all things considered, it sounds pretty decent, and is in some ways a step up from some of the previous archive stuff Roxx did early on (like Eternal Ryte's demo material).<br />
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As expected with demo material, not everything here sounds fantastic, especially the first 4 or 5 tracks from the band's 1st demo and rehearsal tapes. The guitars are crunchy and distorted enough, even on those tracks, so they get the job done, and you can tell the players have talent and have clearly rehearsed the material, because it's generally well-executed. Things pick up near the middle of the CD when you get to the tracks that the band did for an Image Records session. I could see Taker fitting well on the Image roster alongside Zion and Dreamer, but it never quite happened. The recording quality steps up quite a bit from that point forward, and it helps give the material a bit more weight and presence. You can also hear the consistency in performance between the early versions of "Open Your Heart" and "He Is The Light" between the 2 recordings as well. Bass guitar is present more on the later tracks, and though standard for the music, sounds good given the time frame of the recordings. Drumming is powerful and solid, and there are a few spots (especially in the re-record of "Yesterday, Today and Forever") where some studio wizardry gives the drums a bit of extra flair.<br />
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Lyrically, being from the 1980's, white metal, and following in the Barren/Neon Cross vein, you know what you're going to get here. Unapologetic expression of love for and faith in Jesus Christ are the bread and butter here, and for the most part, it works well, except when things get a bit clumsy, like "The Measure" or "Look Into His Eyes". But then metal lyrics from that era aren't known for being highly poetic, so this should be no surprise. Vocally, Kevin Potter sticks out to me as the weak point of the band. He can scream and hit higher notes, but there are times when I feel like he's just a bit flat, and other times when he dips into a-melodic territory in places where it doesn't make sense. He just doesn't quite hit all the rights notes when it counts, which is something that might have been able to have been ironed out with more rehearsal, more studio time to get the right take, etc. It's not a huge detriment, given that this is demo material, but it does detract somewhat from the songs.<br />
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Ultimately, this is going to be a release that is mostly of interest to hobbyists like myself who are interested in the history of "Christian metal". If you're looking for the next Barren Cross, you won't find it here, but this is mostly a good listen from start to finish, minus a few embarrassing lyrical and vocal bits, and the fact that about a third of the material is repeated on the CD more than once. The songs aren't overly memorable, though I did find myself humming the chorus of "Open Your Heart" a few times during the course of listening to this CD for the purposes of review. This stuff would never have set the world on fire, but it does show a solid band that, with a little more practice and time, could have made a bigger impact. Recommended for the collector and enthusiast.<br />
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60/100MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-25944764980819578502014-04-11T18:30:00.000-05:002014-04-11T18:30:00.176-05:00Azoria - Seasons Change (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Power metal is a vastly overcrowded field. If you're going to get noticed, you have to do one of two things. Either do something unique and bring your own flavor to it, or do it very, very well. When you can't do one or both of those things, chances are, you're going to go largely unnoticed. There are a lot of groups that become nothing more than a footnote in metal history, if they make enough impact to even accomplish that.<br />
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Where does Azoria fit into this spectrum? At this moment, they're in the minor footnote category. To be fair, this is only their debut, and they can only go up from here. Still, it's disheartening to hear bands with talent and skill that just can't rise above the mediocrity of the material. It's even more disappointing when you have a talented host of vocalists guesting on the album that should elevate the material.<br />
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First and foremost, I must talk about the guitar tone. I'm not sure if it's Alex Oriz, or Simon J, but the riff tone is kind of flat. This is an album that mixes traditional and power metal styles, so I can understand why they're not going for an overly crunchy sound, but this just isn't as heavy as I would expect from an album like this, especially in the year 2014. It's got some weight to it, but I just don't get the same satisfaction from the guitar sound/feel as I should. It sounds fine, but I want more than "fine". I want the guitar to grab me, because that's the crux of the metal sound, but this just doesn't. I'm not sure whether the guitar is just over processed or over produced, or just what the issue is, but it bugs me. Guitar solos sound good, generally, and are reasonably well done, but they're not resonating with me much, either. Bass guitar by Christopher Davidsson is, thankfully, not buried in the mix, and it does its job, but not much more than that. Drum work by Emil Eriksson is solid and well played, but like most metal drummers that serve the songs and don't branch out much, his work is mostly indistinguishable from a dozen or so other trad/power metal drummers.<br />
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Vocally, the album should be an exciting prospect because there are 6 different vocalists that lend their talents here. Unfortunately, this is a mixed bag. Tommy ReinXeed's performance feels "phoned in", like he did his quick take in the studio a couple times and called it good, so for the 1st 2 songs on the album, it's vocally a bit weak, considering the guy handling much of the singing. Mark Gunnardo brings a lead vocal to "Inside My Heart", but when you take a weak power ballad and add vanilla vocals singing relatively banal lyrics, you don't get much back. Mikael Dahl sound reasonably good here, but the title track doesn't do much for me, though it's perhaps a bit more anthemic and memorable than the rest of the material. "Prophecy" and "To The Land of Glory" have Mike Andersson (Fullforce/Cloudscape) on vocals, but the songs aren't lighting a fire under me like they should. "When You Sleep" brings things up a notch, both because the song is more well written than previous tracks, and because vocalist Matilda Eriksson sounds pretty decent here. Mark Gunnardo sounds a bit more commanding on "Love It Loud", and as a typical "hail metal, metal rules" kind of anthem, it works, even if it's a bit too Manowar-esque. Snowy Shaw provides vocals on the final 2 tracks, "Starlight" and "Peace of Mind". I like the unique sound of Snowy's voice and his odd timbre, so at least vocally he closes the album out with something a bit more exciting than before, and it sounds as though he put some effort into the performance, which helps the relatively mediocre material rise above a bit.<br />
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Sadly, Azoria are in danger of being swept under the rug. There's nothing inherently "wrong" with "Seasons Change" as an album, but the songs just don't stay with me at all. I expect that from brutal death metal and some black metal, because those genres can get by at times on sheer heaviness, atmosphere, and attitude. Traditional heavy metal and power metal require a bit more effort in the songwriting, because when you have someone singing words that will generally be discernible with a cursory listen, the songs need to be strong, the vocals need to have passion and power, and the performances need to resonate. I don't feel that at all with this album. Other folks may disagree, but I didn't get a kick out of this at all. I'd consider it sub-standard metal, from a band that is obviously talented, but needs to put a lot more effort into the songwriting, performance, recording, and overall feel of their material before it will really leave a mark. If you can't get enough metal and have to have everything you can get your hands on, you may enjoy this, but certainly don't add it to your list over anything that the heavyweight bands are releasing this year, and certainly not over past releases that have garnered praise that you just haven't picked up yet. Not recommended.<br />
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50/100MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-30898676797150058682014-04-08T18:30:00.000-05:002014-04-17T08:47:53.354-05:00ForChristSake - Apocalyptic Visions Of Divine Terror (2013)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's always exciting to get a new album from a relatively new band that has started strong and has room to grow. One always hopes that the band has wisely used the time in between releases to strengthen their sound, tighten their approach and songwriting, and generally improve. When they do, it's gratifying for fans who have expected great things from the band. When they don't, it's equally frustrating for fans who feel they know the band is capable of more. What is, perhaps, more frustrating, is when a record comes out that shows the band has grown in ability or talent, but issues outside the songs make the new record a less than fulfilling experience.<br />
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That's my take on the new ForChristSake release, "Apocalyptic Visions Of Divine Terror" (quite a mouthful!). It's a quality record, from the standpoint that the band is branching out a bit from the extreme death/thrash of the debut EP and including some black metal elements that weren't as present on the EP. They also add even more keyboard work, including some nice flourishes here and there that give the album a lot of atmosphere as compared to the EP. In addition, the album's dense sound and production give it a real "suffocating" feel to accompany the atmosphere, which just adds to the tension of the listening experience. However, there are some elements of the production that make the album a frustrating listen, which I'll expound upon in the writing below. Ultimately, it leaves me as a fan partially unfulfilled.<br />
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Let's get to the good first and foremost. While the EP had a split focus of thrash and death metal that was nicely blended, this release has more of a death metal attack with some thrash mixed in, as well as some black metal elements peppered in for good measure, mostly in some of the layered vocals and atmosphere. The album's dark, foreboding tone is palpable, and it makes the whole thing work more effectively with the heavy lyrical bent. There's some interesting guitar work going on, with some nice harmonized licks and leads here and there, and some oppressively heavy riffing at times. Vocalist Ben does a nice job continuing to expand his vocal approach with nice variation on his mid-range growl, plus a couple spots where clean vocals are utilized ("Deliver Us From Evil" in particular), and then the higher-pitched growl/shrieks and awesome "throaty yell" which brings a thrash element. The album barely slows down to take a breath from a few seconds after hitting play until roughly half way through, as many tracks flow directly into the next, so if you're looking for maximum punishment from your death metal, this CD delivers that through the bulk of its material, only stopping to smell the roses a couple times near the end. Ben and Simon on guitar sound good overall, with a heavy, crunchy tone that emphasizes the low end without sounding too modern, and the keyboard bits come through nicely in most instances, giving that little extra element to the sound.<br />
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Unfortunately, the production makes things very muddy, and also creates some real issues with the drum sound and rhythm. Anyone who listens to the EP knows Ignatios can drum and provide a solid, time synchronized attack. My guess is, something happened with the production and or mix/master process to cause some of the drum tracks to be off-time or out of sync, because there are spots where it sounds as though he is going off the rails, or where his playing is just slightly out of time with the rest of the music. As well, the drum production sounds as though the drums weren't mic'd evenly, so some bits have slightly loud cymbal and snare parts, the toms sound hollow and empty on occasion, the bass drum sometimes feels like it's being hit quite limply, and one place where the cowbell is used is hard to hear unless you crank it up or wear earphones. The production buries the bass so far in the mix that it's like white paint on a blank white canvas. You know it's there, and there's evidence of its place in the mix, but you really have to listen closely to pick it out. Some places where there's a lull in the guitar riffing you can pick out the bass much more clearly, but even then it's such a low-end, dense and muddy tone that it's difficult to hear what it's doing. That's a shame, because as evidenced by the EP, Mark can play pretty well. The mix itself is muddy, and as I mentioned before, quite dense and oppressive. That feel works well for the material, but doesn't do the material any favors, as at times, it feels as though the songs are barely held together when things get too fast or go into more complex territory where the band is using odd time signatures, or layering the instrumentation to include multiple guitars, multiple vocals, or a lot of snare hits in short succession. It just sounds real messy from time to time.<br />
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Reading the last paragraph, it would be easy to get the impression that I dislike the album, but that's just not the case. I've listened to this CD a lot over the last several weeks, hoping to glean more of a real understanding of the album's focus and feel. I stand by my opinion that the EP overall had better production, because the separation of instruments is more pronounced there, providing for a listening experience not fraught with the kind of frustration this CD brings. There's nothing wrong with a dense, oppressive production. Carcass' "Heartwork" and Paramaecium's "Exhumed of the Earth" both have oppressively heavy guitar tones, and dense, heavy production that makes the albums sound artificially heavier than they might be if they were played live. With that dense production, however, came separation of instruments to allow each to be heard more clearly and specifically. This CD doesn't afford the listener that chance, however, so it requires repeated listens to get a real sense of what is going on. That, coupled with the troublesome drum production and timing mean that while the band is obviously growing in the songwriting space, it's difficult to hear that full potential when the songs aren't done justice. Though there are more tracks here than I might have anticipated, coming off a 4-track EP as the previous release, the pacing of the album doesn't feel like it drags on forever because of the songs. The production hampers the listening experience enough to make the longer songs a bit of a chore to listen through, which is unfortunate. I also feel as though the album's title track should have been the album's centerpiece, but it gets tacked on nearly at the end of the release. A minor complaint in the grand scheme of things, but one that warrants mentioning, given the nature of the album's production woes.<br />
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All in all, I'm pleased with the album from the standpoint of the band showing that they're growing as an entity and with their songwriting. They're expanding their horizons a bit, adding more elements, as well as making the longer songs more interesting with transitions, breaks, and enough twists to keep me engaged. Where I'm let down is the drum production and sound, and the overall production which keeps the bass buried so far that it's not satisfying, and the uneven production that gives the guitar riffs a dense, oppressive sound but does so in such a way that it makes things sound muddy. I really wanted to love this album, because I really enjoyed the EP, despite its flaws. I do enjoy the album, and have had fun listening to it multiple times over the past 2-3 months in preparing for this review. I just can't give the album as a whole a score that is as high as I would like, because the album on the whole doesn't quite live up to its potential. ForChristSake fans will likely enjoy this, and I did too. I just wish the album had better, more consistent production that played to the band's strengths rather than creating issues that make it sound as if their not ready for prime time, because I believe they are. This CD just doesn't highlight that the way it should. Recommended, with caveats.<br />
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70/100MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-26317283655298700192014-02-27T18:30:00.000-06:002014-02-27T18:30:00.980-06:00Stryper - No More Hell To Pay (2013)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Every band that has had any measure of success has "that record" that they can't escape, the one that all future releases are compared to, and the benchmark by which fans judge what they do. It's an inescapable part of human nature to set a standard by which all future actions or work will be stood up against to see whether or not it surpasses past glories. For some bands, that is a blessing, as they are able to record material that meets or exceeds the release they are judged by. For others, it's a curse, as fans never seem to be pleased enough with subsequent albums and always fall back to "that record" as their creative peak, even if their songwriting prowess has improved. For Stryper, that record is arguably their 1986 album "To Hell With the Devil".<br />
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I am of the opinion that while Stryper never topped that album, the 1988 follow-up "In God We Trust" wasn't nearly the disappointment that some people have claimed. Firstly, about half of the tracks are among the best Stryper ever recorded, that being the 3 barn burners "In God We Trust", "The Writings on the Wall" and album closer "The Reign", along with power ballad "Lonely" and mid-tempo rocker "Keep the Fire Burning". The other half of the album did sag with lesser tracks, most of which tried to hard to replicate the sing-songy mid-tempo success of some of THWTD's radio fare. In the end, however, it was still a highly listenable and enjoyable release. "Against the Law" took the band in a decidedly more hard rock direction, and they didn't really look back to the more balanced approach of pop metal and melodic metal until more recently, with the 2011's release of "The Covering", a scorching collection of cover tunes of mostly melodic heavy metal classics that the band grew up enjoying. Building on that album's credibility, and the strength of the "Second Coming" CD of re-recorded Stryper classics, "No More Hell To Pay" has momentum to spare, but is it enough to propel the album into becoming a Stryper classic?<br />
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As a longtime Stryper fan, I can answer that with a resounding YES! Michael Sweet has stated in a recent interview that "No More Hell To Pay" was the album Stryper should have recorded to follow up "To Hell With the Devil", and I'd say that's an accurate statement. This record has that classic Stryper feel and sound to it, with an obviously more modern production and including elements the band likely wouldn't have included in an album during the late 1980's. Still, the lion's share of the songs here could have been recorded during that time and sounded pretty good as a follow-up to the band's breakthrough release. There are some updated production techniques, some vocal touches, and slight nods to modern rock here and there that would not have been present, but all in all, this is a worthy successor to their 1986 record. The biggest strength here is the songwriting and consistency of the material. There aren't as many absolute standout tracks here as there were on "To Hell With the Devil", but the album's overall quality from track to track is improved over that release's song list.<br />
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Oz and Michael's guitars have that familiar "Stryper sound", as Michael has expounded upon in videos and interviews, but with modern production techniques, the sound is fuller and thicker than it ever was. There's a touch less bite in the tone because of the increased weight of the overall guitar sound, but it's a good trade-off because it comes across as heavier than the band has been since that time. In fact, the guitar sound here, along with the riffs, and the songs themselves, makes this arguably the band's heaviest album. Solo work is as strong as ever, and while there's a bit less of the band's trademark harmonized soloing going on, everything sounds great and the solos work well within the framework of the songs. Robert's drum work is as good here as anything he's brought to the table before. While Stryper's production has always favored Robert's drums and given him a more weighty sound than many of the band's peers, there's such a balance here that hasn't been struck on a Stryper album before because the rest of the band has as much weight as the drum sound. Robert is still high enough in the mix that his drums are still quite prevalent and punchy, but it's nice to hear the rest of the band's instruments on nearly equal footing. There's lots of energy in Robert's performance here, and he hasn't lost a beat over the years, his playing is as strong as ever. And it's great to have Tim back on bass again, after a number of years out of the band. Tracy Ferrie was a welcome addition to Stryper, but let's face it: if you're going to attempt a "return to form" and sound like your old albums, getting the band back together with original members is always preferred, and adding Tim back into the mix was a good choice. His bass rumbles along in the mix nicely, and he shows why he was a bit underrated during the band's heyday, as he does more than just follow along with the riffs and play one-note rhythms underneath, but adds a bit of harmony at times, and brings a little extra energy when needed, like in "Sympathy".<br />
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Many vocalists who utilized the upper registers of the tenor vocal range often lose that ability over the years, partially due to age, but also often due to destroying their natural instrument through drink (Joe Elliot) and/or drugs (Vince Neil, anyone?). Michael Sweet has, thankfully, avoided most of those pitfalls and remains a top notch vocalist. He can still hit the highs and do the high pitched wails, even if they're a bit tempered now compared to what he pulled off in his younger days. That said, he brings an impressive performance here that has the dynamics and nuance of his solo material, while bringing the energy, grit, and spirit of what he's done in Stryper over the years. Lyrically, the songs are as bold and up front as ever, though there are some additional topics covered here aside from looking to Jesus and love relationships, such as the pain of ridicule ("Sticks and Stones"), looking beyond our mortal lives ("Legacy"), and some Revelations-inspired lyrics with opener "Revelation" and the title track.<br />
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The thing about this album that I appreciate so much is that it's just so consistent. Most every Stryper album before this has had at least 1 or 2 tracks that could be considered filler, or just don't match up to the songwriting of the other material. I feel as though every track here is essential to the experience. "The One" is the band's best ballad, and fits in nicely with the other material. "Sticks and Stones" and "Water Into Wine" are both mid-tempo rockers that follow the album's triumvirate of heavy tracks, "Legacy", "Marching Into Battle" (being arguably the album's centerpiece), and "Te Amo", but they don't feel out of place or lacking when following those tracks. The band has taken heat for their cover of "Jesus Is Just Alright" as being out of place, but I feel like it's a perfect companion to the original material and describes in few words what the band is, and has always been all about. My first impression of the title track was that it was a bit slow and plodding, when they initially released the video, but after repeated listens, it's as stuck in my head as the other melodies on the album.<br />
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If you've never been a Stryper fan because of the cheese factor or because they're just not heavy enough for you, this new record is one that could change your mind ever so slightly, because they've truly made a melodic, yet heavy album that is better and more consistent than the bulk of their discography. Does it scale the same heights as the 1986 album it echoes? I would say it does, though that album has a couple tracks that may help keep it's place firmly cemented as the band's best overall work. Regardless, "No More Hell To Pay" is the best album a Stryper fan could have hoped for in the year 2013, and certainly one that I will be coming back to nearly as often as I get the urge to listen to Stryper. Highly recommended!<br />
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90/100MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-22003553081067557452014-02-25T18:30:00.000-06:002014-02-26T08:29:09.952-06:00Bloodgood - Dangerously Close (2013)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Bands from the 80's coming back and reactivating has become more than a trend in the last few years. Indeed, it has become cliche, to the point where every nickel and dime group that made any impact is getting back together to try and make another run on the 'nostalgia circuit'. Fans of any band can't be faulted for wanting their favorite group to come back and make another record, go on tour, etc. because we all have that desire to 'relive the good old days' from time to time, and old favorites reuniting to record, tour, and so on, help scratch that itch. Most of the time it's a cash grab, and fans eat it up even if they're aware of it, because it's a favorite and they want to support them. Sometimes, though, the comeback is completely legitimate when a band was truly broken up, away from the scene, with little or no indication that something was going to happen to bring that back. I'd argue that Bloodgood is a prime example of the latter.<br />
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Bloodgood broke up in 1993, after an 8-year run, 5 studio albums, 2 live albums, and VHS releases of those 2 live records, complete with theatrical performances, and a compilation of singles and material from several albums. In particular, their "Detonation" album garnered high praise and worldwide acclaim for it's quality songs, high energy, and emotional material. The band moved in a less metallic direction after that, with "Rock In a Hard Place" bringing a more diversified sound, and "Out of the Darkness" continuing with that trend after the departure of original guitarist David Zaffiro. The band's final studio album, "All Stand Together", suffered somewhat from having too many tracks and not enough "rock" in the mix. The band's comeback album, "Dangerously Close", rectifies that by practically forgetting that album exists and providing what could have been a direct followup to "Out of the Darkness", with surprisingly good results after a 22-year hiatus.<br />
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Right off the bat you know this is a modern album by the production, sound quality, and guitar sound, but the songwriting and style hearkens back to an earlier time of hard rock music, not the overly compressed and artificially heavy sound of a band like Nickelback. Instead, we get real hard rock and melodic heavy metal music from a veteran of the sound, and it sounds genuine and real. Too often, new bands that play this style come along with production that makes the music sound too "plastic" to try and capitalize on modern production techniques, but ends up taking away from the music by having too much of an "in your face" sound. This record strikes a nice balance between a modern sound, a heavier guitar element, and that more "organic" sound that helps music like this feel less like a product and more like real art from real artists. Everything here is well produced, the instruments all sound good and come through in the mix (including Michael's bass!), and the levels are appropriate for the material.<br />
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Paul Jackson and Oz Fox's guitars have a nice crunch in the heavier parts, and though they have a modern feel to them, they feels like good hard rock and melodic metal guitar should, with enough whine and wail when the sound calls for it. There's some real nice dual guitar work here and there, with some layered soloing and harmonized riffs that work really well. I kind of wish they had capitalized on that a little more, but what's here works quite well. I also like the fact that it's not just one guitar tone or texture through the album - they use various levels of distortion and crunch, as well as some nice clean guitar work (such as in "Father Father") that brings more variety to the table. Unlike "Rock In a Hard Place", Michael's bass is loud and clear here. In spots, it almost feels like too much, as if the bass is a little too prominent in the mix, but he can be forgiven for wanting to be out there, given the lack of bass in some of their material, and the prominence of bass guitar in modern hard rock and commercial metal mixes. As it stands, he sounds as good as ever, and adds that extra thump as would be expected. Returning skinsman Kevin Whistler provides a solid, workmanlike performance here with a couple nice surprises, such as the double-bass work in "Bread Alone".<br />
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Les Carlsen is in fine form here, and frankly, sounds way better than any rock vocalist at his age has a right to. You'd think he'd lose some of his range or ability over time, and while he doesn't wail at the same level here as he did on "Detonation" or the debut album, the material doesn't really call for that. Instead, he still hits the high notes with aplomb and shows he has a sense of dynamics, as well as adding that emotional resonance that has made past performances so interesting to listen to. His unique vocal sound is still his own, and he continues to bring that element to the Bloodgood sound that helps give the band their own sound and feel. The way he flawlessly double-tracks his vocals as well gives the vocal sound on the album that extra something.<br />
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I don't have any specific criticisms of the album, per se, other than the fact that leading off the album with "Lamb of God" is perhaps slightly underwhelming, given the strength of the other material. It's a mid-tempo rocker with a simple hook, but it's not the strongest track on the album, nor is it the strongest musical statement. Otherwise, the songwriting here is pretty strong, as compared to the band's back catalog, and they've created a winning album here that stands up well against what I'd call the second half of their discography. Comparing this to early works like "Detonation" is like comparing apples and watermelon - two variations of a similar theme, but different enough that they really aren't wholly comparable. If you prefer the more metal side of Bloodgood, spin the first couple records, because chances are, they're not returning to that sound. However, if "Rock In an Hard Place" or "Out of the Darkness" are among your favorites, consider "Dangerously Close" in the same league as those records, and pick up a copy to support the band. These are some catchy tunes that I've been spinning for weeks, and they haven't got old yet. Recommended.<br />
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87/100MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937296989281133994.post-42453266343739170822014-02-10T18:30:00.000-06:002014-02-10T18:30:00.427-06:00Persuader - The Fiction Maze (2013)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Z9tEg_mrMwOGsFO8qUHwdaO3a6Mk-lwYy902sHsagmKjC3YIej16p8Ltk1WnwYSP7rWPdjw0IMtQg47gS9dp5W0zJE-_clNOFIR12TgVyg4CkabvN7bgJGByUopF0C4aCW_pLFhwH-Rs/s1600/Persuader_The_Fiction_Maze.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Z9tEg_mrMwOGsFO8qUHwdaO3a6Mk-lwYy902sHsagmKjC3YIej16p8Ltk1WnwYSP7rWPdjw0IMtQg47gS9dp5W0zJE-_clNOFIR12TgVyg4CkabvN7bgJGByUopF0C4aCW_pLFhwH-Rs/s1600/Persuader_The_Fiction_Maze.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are times when a band is labeled as a copycat, for better or worse. Sometimes they deserve such labeling, and sometimes they make enough of their own mark that such branding is unfair. Either way, being called a clone can often bring attention to a band they may not have garnered otherwise. If the band is truly a knock-off, this extra attention is usually short-lived, unless they continue to push the envelope of carbon copying. If not, and the band has made its own mark, then typically those accusations melt away and the group can win its own acclaim.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Such is the case with Persuader, who at times have been labeled as a bit of a Blind Guardian clone. Truth be told, Persuader was probably not seen as much of a BG clone as vocalist Jens Carlsson's other (former) project Savage Circus, given that band's debut including former BG drummer Thomen Stauch, and Jens' vocals sounding a lot like BG crooner Hansi Kürsch. In fact, at times, Jens sounds like Hansi so much that it's uncanny. Nevertheless, Persuader has paved its own path upon the power metal landscape, and are deserving of their own accolades due to the strength of their material. Their latest album, "The Fiction Maze" shows just why that's the case.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While the band's debut "The Hunter" was a tad raw and rough around the edges, it showed a </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hungry </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">band with energy that was trying to make their mark. "Evolution Purgatory" cleaned up the production and tightened the sound, and "When Eden Burns" pumped up the power and intensity a bit while honing the songwriting skills. In the 8-year interim, these guys haven't lost one ounce of ability, power, or panache. The band's 4th album, "The Fiction Maze", takes the elements of the previous album and tempers the sound ever so slightly while increasing the melodicism and making a fairly memorable set of songs. As far as I'm concerned, this is their best album yet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The album starts out very strong with a triumvirate of songs that play to the strengths they display throughout the album: memorable melodies, hard-hitting lyrics that take the usual fantasy fair of the power metal style into a darker, grittier place, and an absolutely tight presentation. In the weeks leading up to writing this review, I've had "One Lifetime" running through my head off and on at random. The chorus' indelible melody will etch itself into your subconscious if you let it. "War" keeps things rolling with another solid and melodious tune, and "The Fiction Maze" really ups the ante with the band's trademark combo of growled vocals mixed with Jens' gritty tone and excellent range, as well as a relatively epic sound. "Deep in the Dark" also weighs in with a successful formula for the more "power ballad" approach that doesn't sink into endless cheese. The rest of the material follows suit, creating a dynamic and full album experience that doesn't quite reach the heights of Blind Guardian's most lauded material, but still earns a place among the best albums of the last 3 or 4 years, and certainly the best of their career thus far.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As with the previous release, the guitar sound Daniel Sundbom and Emil Norberg bring to the mix is thick, hard-hitting, and crunchy. There are times when the sound is a bit less heavy than you'd expect, but for most of the record, they bring the heavy and then some. The guys have a knack for writing riffs that combine catchiness and rhythmic energy in a way that doesn't take away from the power of the sound. As well the solo work, when present, is skillfully played and melodically inclined, and never sounds like they're just wantonly throwing notes out there. That doesn't mean they don't have flair or style; far from it. Bass work by </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fredrik Hedström is also skilled, with him keeping pace with Daniel and Emil and sometimes adding that extra layer of emphasis underneath things. His bass occasionally gets lost in the heavier moments, but his low end is a welcome addition here. Efraim Juntunen is a talented drummer, able to transition seamlessly between drumming in a groove and belting out lightning fast double-bass and faster rhythms and fills. His drumming fits the material very well, and never feels like he is trying to steal the spotlight or overdo it. I'm not sure who provides </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As mentioned before, Jens Carlsson bears more than a passing resemblance to Hansi </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kürsch of Blind Guardian. This is both a good and bad thing for the band, as it immediately gives listeners a reference point, but may be distracting for some. Personally, I don't think it's a problem, as Jens uses a grittier approach than what Hansi has used in years, and the band's overall sound is heavier and more aggressive than what BG has done of late. In addition, not everything these guys do is of the level of "epic" that Hasni and his cohorts put out, so to some fans who tire of Blind Guardian's overly bombastic approach, this album's mild refrain from that tendency may be a welcome approach. Since there's no indication anywhere that he doesn't provide them, I can only assume Jens handles the growled vocals as well, which is both impressive and shows his vocal ability and stamina being able to move back and forth between the two styles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ultimately, if you're a fan of Persuader's material thus far, you'll enjoy this album as much as what came before, perhaps even more due to the increase in songwriting ability and quality of material here. If you're not, this may not convert you, unless you felt like the band's ability to write songs was somewhat limited, in which case, I would recommend giving this album a listen. For those who think all power metal falls into the "flower metal" category, this album is one that should change that impression somewhat, because nothing here sounds overly happy or cheerful, and the overall tone of the album is darker and more foreboding than much of the power metal out there. It's certainly heavier than a lot of other bands of the style. A few more tweaks to the songwriting and even catchier melodies in the songs and these guys could be considered to be on the top shelf of the style alongside the aforementioned Blind Guardian, Rhapsody et al, Sonata Arctica, Primal Fear, etc. In the meantime, I'd highly recommend this fantastic slab of driving metal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">88/100</span>MetalFROhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01663974489543139174noreply@blogger.com0