Sarea - This Is Not Goodbye (2014)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I have to be honest about two things.  First, my initial reaction to This Is Not Goodbye 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.

78/100

Here's the official video for Sarea's song "Downfall".

Repossession: A Christmas Album (2014)

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".

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.

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.

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 Starry Night, 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.

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!

Monolith - Voyager (2013)

For bands, artistic growth can often be like walking a tightrope.  If you have developed a distinctive soundscape or style, modifying that sound too much can often mean alienating fans.  Not modifying it enough means stagnating artistically, or sounding as though you're trying to replicate a successful formula, usually with diminishing returns.  The most balanced approach is to develop nuances and variations within the style to expand its range, while keeping the core of the style present so as to retain a commonality from album to album.  This common thread serves as a link between releases, while allowing the artist to continue to develop and grow, and for the overall sound to change in some fashion from one record to the next.  Monolith has the dubious position of following up their excellent debut, but are they up to the task?  I'd say emphatically yes!  There are elements of the band's sound that seem to have changed to meet the requirements of the new material, but the core of what makes Monolith what they are is still present.  The band still plays a tight combination of symphonically informed melodic death metal, metalcore and "extreme metal", combining a growled vocal and melodic/sung vocal approach, they still have a chunky guitar sound with catchy riffs, and still have the songwriting chops to pull it off.

The biggest change on display here is in the cleanly sung vocals. No longer are they handled by guitarist and songwriter Colin Parrish - now all vocals are handled exclusively by vocalist Mike Gallant.  Gone are the highly processed clean vocals, and in its place are a similar vocal approach that at first, doesn't sound that much different than what Colin brought to the table, but with more range and emotion present due to the vocals not being so "effected" in nature.  Also noticeable is that there is a bit less emphasis on the split between the symphonic elements, and those that are overtly "keyboard sounding".  The other thing I noted relatively quickly was that the level of aggression in the riffing and sound seemed a bit subdued as compared with the debut, in part because the songwriting here is slightly more varied in some aspects, using more build-up and melodic intro passages, or because the riffs aren't quite as staccato as those on the debut.  As I said, however, it's still quite recognizable as Monolith, for anyone who is familiar with the debut.

Colin Parrish's guitar still crunches nicely here as it did on the debut, with a good combination of heaviness and clarity.  The guitar sound is a touch less dense this time around, but the underlying bass provides enough weight to compensate.  Colin employs more solo work this time around, so I'm guessing the change in tone was necessary for a bit of clarity's sake.  Speaking of solo work, I'm glad to see Colin branching out in this direction more, as I highlighted that as something I'd like more when I wrote the review for their debut.  I also like that he does more than just a few short bits here and there, but he cuts loose a time or two and it comes off well.  Bass by Mike Gallant is quality, with a nice combination of thumping and galloping, providing both the necessary extra emphasis to the music, but doing enough to not just sound like a piece of the backdrop.  Colin Nafziger once again brings tasteful drumming to the table, employing double-bass when it makes sense, and going for a more groove-oriented or mid-paced take when the song calls for it.  There are some nice flourishes here and there that aren't flashy or too overt, but just little cymbal bits, fills or transitions that are just nice.

Vocally, Mike is in good form.  His growls continue to be powerful, yet understandable, with that mid-range tonality that works well with their sound.  Mike's clean vocals are an interesting counterpoint to the growled vocals, and often come off understated and muted compared to the growls.  I also like the group-shouted vocals in "Endurance", as I think they accent the song appropriately.  Lyrically, the band is a bit more obtuse this time around, using somewhat less obvious themes of Christianity, and mixing in some mythology and history, as well as songs that have faith at the core, but where the lyrics take a more subtle approach.  I like the slightly more personal approach, and I applaud the band for stepping out of the obvious topics and into some interesting lyrical material.  The way the lyrics are written versus the phrasing that Mike uses at times is also used to interesting effect, as things aren't always sung (or growled) the way you'd expect them to be when reading them off the page, so that makes for a nice change.  I also like the whispered vocal during one brief spot in "Desolation", which is a nice touch.

The thing about the debut that I miss is that it was a bit heavier overall, but honestly, the two records aren't all that different in terms of the balance between crunch and melodicism.  Mike's clean vocals change the sound enough to be noticeable, but not so much that it distracts or detracts from the experience.  There is use of more extended intros on tracks like "Onslaught" and "Desolation", as well as the use of a "faux vocal" in "Initiation" that give additional flavor to the album where the debut was a bit more straight-forward.  "Voyager" is a worthy follow-up to the debut, and improves upon its predecessor enough to say the band is growing, even if some of the impact of the debut is lost in the additional elements present.  Still, I think this is the appropriate direction for the band to go, and where I think their sound was most likely to have evolved to after the debut.  As before, I'd like to see Mr. Parrish continue to hone his guitar skill and give us more solo work, and would love to see the band expand the range of material so there are even greater contrasts between heavier, faster & more frenzied spots, and those of a more mid-tempo, melodic, "hooky" nature.  As it stands, an excellent follow-up, and because it's free to download, fans of the band and of the style have zero excuse not to check it out.  Highly recommended.

90/100

This album can be downloaded in its entirety directly from the band's website:
http://www.monolith2012.com/

The Gamut - music giveaways tonight!!!

The Gamut is back again, and also back are the giveaways!  I've got a CD copy of Rehumanize's "Resident Apostasy" album, a furious collection of grindcore!  Also in the giveaway tonight is a fun little cassette-only EP by Swine Suicide!  You don't want to miss out on the giveaways, so tune in at 9 PM EST and listen in via http://www.sanctusgladius.com !

Tonight's playlist!
A Hill To Die Upon - Adept In Divinity (Black/Death Metal)
Angelica - Walkin' In Faith (Commercial Metal)
Terraphobia - Soldiers of the New Millennium (Extreme Thrash Metal)
AD - Progress (Progressive Rock)
One-21 - Individuals (Punk)
GeistkrieG - Spiral of War (Black Metal)
Docile - Closed Eyes, Opened Arms (Melodic Death Metal)
Teramaze - Once Lost (Progressive Metal)
Forsaken - Dominaeon (Doom Metal)
Nothing's Sacred - The Price Paid In Blood (Grindcore)
Hero - Gasoline (Metal)
Once Nothing - Gunfire Is the Sound Of Freedom (Southern Metalcore)
Swine Suicide - Abolishing the Foundations of Hell (Black Metal) - Cassette Giveaway!!!
Hundredth - Caving (Hardcore/Metalcore)
Havitance - Burial (Thrash Metal)
Circle of Dust - Course Of Ruin (Industrial)
The Throes - Grieve (Alternative Rock)
Our Fathers Were Blind - Banner Bedsheets (Screamo)
Magdalen - Sad Sister Alchemy (Bluesy Hard Rock)
Discern - Grace (Death Metal)
Zaxas - Revolving Door (Power Metal)
The Prayer Chain - Sky High (Alternative)
Trytan - Genesis (Progressive Metal)
Rehumanize - Psychopharmacologist (Grindcore) - CD Giveaway!!!
Audiovision - You Are the Reason (Melodic Metal)
Wrench In the Works - Project AK-47 (Metalcore)
Halcyon Way - Revolution Is Now (Progressive Metal)
Arnion - Obtenetration (Thrash MEtal)
Eowyn - Crashing (Female-fronted Modern Heavy Rock)
Mirror of Dead Faces - The Horde of Swine (Death Metal)
Reflescent Tide - Gluepot (Alternative Rock)
Thresher - Raptor (Thrash Metal)
How To Avoid Art - Control (Industrial)
XT - Carry On (Commercial Metal)
Seventy Sevens - Flowers In the Sand (Alternative Rock)
Oh, Sleeper - To Flagship (Metalcore)
Inevitable End - Dreamsight Synopsis (Technical Death Metal)

Don't forget to visit http://www.sanctusgladius.com during the show to login for station chat
(you can sign in with your Twitter or Facebook account!) and chat with me and other listeners
during the show!

For Today - Breaker (2010)

Every now and again a band comes along that is just captivating.  They're not the best in their genre, the most skilled, or the group that is lauded the most highly by their peers or fans, but when you go see them live, you just know it - they are the real deal.  There's nothing fake about them, no pretenses or anything getting in between the band and their fans, other than the usual obstacles (money for touring and recording, etc).  For Today is one of those bands.  They make good music, sure, but they're not the top metalcore band around, or even the best or most talented band on their label (or former label, Facedown Records).  They are acclaimed in some ways, but their music is seen by some industry pundits and metalcore bashers as generic and uninspired.  How one could listen to their music and think it's "uninspired" is a mystery to me, but then I'm biased because I've been following the band since shortly before their Facedown debut was released, and have seen them live on 4 occasions.  "Uninspired" isn't a word I'd use to describe For Today in any stretch of the imagination.

For Today's inspiration is much more intense than many of their contemporaries, in that their undying devotion to God and Jesus Christ is what fuels their music, and with this record in particular, the spiritual warfare that is at work in the world today, with the battle for the souls of man being waged in the hearts and minds of people, especially the youth.  Now before you stop reading this review and accuse me of being a "bible thumper" or some such, just know that while I have faith in God and believe in Jesus Christ, I don't consider myself a "model Christian" by any means.  I have my own faults and shortcomings (don't we all?), and would in no way be qualified to pass judgment on anyone without examining myself first.  Having Christian faith isn't essential for the enjoyment of For Today, but it helps when you can connect with the lyrics because of the powerful connection the lyrics have with the material and with the players.

"Breaker" is the band's 3rd full-length album overall, and as of this review, their final release for Facedown Records.  This, like their 2nd album, is a concept record, of sorts.  The album's lyrics reflect the spiritual warfare going on, mostly from the perspective of the victorious Christian who is aware of and actively engaging in said conflict.  The spoken word bits are all excerpts of the poem "Breaker" by Jose Palos, and are voiced on the album by Jose himself, a nice touch.  These portions (with the exception of the final section, "The Breaker's Commision") all communicate the hopelessness, pain, fear, anxiety, and abuse that young people feel and experience in life.  These present as interesting contrasts to the bold declarations of spiritual fulfillment in most of the tracks, and make for a unique juxtaposition.  There are times when the poem and lyrics intersect, such as in "Arm the Masses" ("The frontlines are littered with the bodies of the unarmed!"), or "The Breaker's Encounter" where the writer recalls an earlier time of suffering and is now expressing hope and deliverance through Jesus.  Powerful stuff if you believe, and even if you don't, it makes for an interesting ride.

Musically, this is pretty monstrous and heavy metalcore going on.  Guitars are the heaviest they've been on a For Today release, in terms of sheer weight and crunchiness.  The band also uses a bit more texture here, by including more acoustic and clean guitars, and by having more chording here and there that takes them out of the "chugga chugga" metalcore realm and into more varied territory.  The inclusion of some more old-school hardcore punk bits (like in the fast, group-shout in the album's centerpiece, "Seraphim), the melodic "Breaker" interludes, and the continued use of varied time signatures and semi-technical dual-guitar leads helps continue to push the band's sound forward.  Bass guitar is a welcome sound here as well - rather than being totally buried in the mix, you can actually hear what's going on and while not virtuosic, certainly provides the necessary element to the mix.  Drumming remains a strong point in For Today's musical arsenal.  David Morrison isn't the best drummer in metal, but he knows when to go full-bore with double-bass and fast rhythms, and when to slow things down for effect, as well as adding nice cymbal flourishes and interesting fills often enough to let you know he's contributing to the overall package.  Mattie sounds great here, providing an impassioned vocal performance that he hasn't matched on record thus far.  He provides even greater range than before, with a combination of deep growls, mid-level throaty yells, higher pitched raspy vocals (in that Dan Weyandt, Jeff Walker vein), as well as adding some more hardcore-styled shouts and bits that seem to move from spoken word (or shouted) to hardcore to more gruff vocal in the same breath.  Jose's spoken-word performance is also passionate and well done, as are the clean vocals, gang shouts, and the big chorus of voices on closer "The Breaker's Commission".

One thing I'll say that I don't like here is the overuse of 808 bass drops.  I love a good breakdown here and there, but I thought "Portraits" was a bit too judicious with the use of 808s.  "Breaker" steps that up a notch and includes a few too many of them for my tastes, even as a long-time seasoned fan of the metalcore style.  I just think that when the bass drops are so intense that it sounds too distorted, even on CD, it's time to peel it back a bit.  When my nice Infinity sound system in my van is screaming for mercy if I crank this album up too far, it tells me that this is perhaps over the top.  Some of the riffs are more repetitive than in the past as well, which is less an issue for me, since I understand that metalcore is as much about the rhythmic aspect as it is the riffs.  However, I would encourage the band in the writing process for their next album to bring in some of the melodic sensibility from their debut, and combine that with the crushing heaviness that "Breaker" brings to the table and they'll have a winning combination.  Also, with only 8 actual structured songs, the album is a bit short on content.  This is less detrimental in this case, because I feel the overall set of songs is stronger than that of its predecessor, "Portraits".  But however visceral, it still makes for a short listen.

At the end of the day, this is quite possibly For Today's most accomplished release.  I still really love their debut, and "Portraits" stands as a great album in its own right, but with "Breaker" I feel the band is moving in the right direction by making their music even heavier, and by continuing to expand their palette with new elements and textures.  I wouldn't recommend this as an introduction to the band if you're unfamiliar with them, as the concept of the record may come across a little weird, so I still tell people to start with either "Ekklesia" or "Portraits" first.  For established fans of the band, this album will be a must-have, and has received a LOT of play from me over the last year.  I look forward to their Razor and Tie debut, as are most of their fans, and recommend this wholeheartedly to the For Today faithful.

86/100

Hands - Give Me Rest (2011)

When I listen to hardcore, I am usually listening for one of two reasons.  One, I am listening for the primal energy and heart that comes from more old-school hardcore, where it's early punk rock made angrier and heavier because they just needed it to be more in-your-face due to whatever it was they were trying to express.  Two, I am listening for the simplistic heaviness and "oomph" of modern hardcore with its down-tuned guitar sound, overly bassy tones, intense group shouts, and powerful presentation.  And while there are certainly crossovers between early hardcore and what is considered hardcore in today's world, the aesthetics are still often separate between the two.  Hardcore bands of today are often striving to be faster, heavier, and more "brutal" than their hardcore brethren of yore, sometimes neglecting one of the elements that makes hardcore so vital, so intense: unbridled passion.


Now, hardcore isn't the only form of music teeming the passion.  No, there is plenty of passion to go around in nearly all forms of music.  The difference, though, is that sometimes hardcore music can be almost entirely carried by the passion injected in and through it.  Not that hardcore musicians are limited musicians, because many of them create catchy, interesting riffs and songs that stay with you, not just content to simply pummel you with loud audio.  But there are hardcore bands whose musical aesthetic is faceless and nameless, and their acclaim is solely based upon their chosen "platform" or lyrical bent, and the copious amounts of passion they put forth in their work.


Hands 3rd full-length release doesn't suffer from this disease of indistinguishable (or passionless) hardcore, for a myriad of reasons.  First and foremost, while the band started off as a reasonably melodic, passion-filled hardcore band, their earliest material was devoid of any defined personality or lasting impact.  Indeed, "The Everlasting EP", while being a good listen from beginning to end, is hardly memorable.  Its songs are too "samey" and often go on far longer than they need to.  By all accounts, though I don't yet own it myself, "The Sounds of Earth" was a major step up for the band, with a more muscular sounds that retained the melodicism of the EP and brought more atmosphere along with it, as well as more succinct songs.  "Creator" was another step in the right direction, offering better riffs and a more honest, gut-level take on the proto-progressive hardcore the band was attempting to play on their debut.  With "Give Me Rest", the band has thrown away the "hardcore handbook" entirely, creating an altogether unique and engaging listening experience.  While traces of the hardcore-infused sludge/metal are still present, they are tempered with loads of atmosphere and feeling.


Immediately noticeable is the fact that the music presented is so spare.  This is not to be taken as a bad thing following how "Creator" made ample use of guitar riffing and melodic playing.  Rather, it is a seemingly deliberate attempt at making more out of less, as if the simple melodies and instrumental passages were meticulously constructed.  No drum hit or cymbal crash, no bass string pluck or guitar strum is wasted in any way.  Each note is purposeful, doing its job in constructing the bare minimum necessary to propel the song.  That's not to say there aren't a few more complex riffs, because there are.  But those riffs seem to be specifically placed every 2-3 songs to build momentum, only to allow the atmosphere of the surrounding tracks to be the dominant theme.  All instrumental performances here reflect that minimalist ethos, and the album is stronger for it overall.  Of particular note is the drum work by Josh Silbernagel - his rhythms and playing here may seem overly simplistic at first, but it's deceptively so - it makes sense in context of the material and makes for the perfect accompaniment to the bass and guitar, as well as the vocals.


Lyrically, the album is very personal, but not so much that it's difficult to glean meaning or purpose from the songs.  This album appears to reflect a spiritual journey that seemingly starts during a crisis of faith, a point at which the narrator is both wrestling with his own faith and questioning the moral center of the world around him.  The story shifts into a mode of recognizing one's own "filthy rags", then repentance for said indiscretions, then into a somewhat militant view of the world (typical with young Christians judging the world through what they perceive as the eyes of their Creator), and then a more softened perspective at the end, much more at peace and harmony with their faith and their environment.  It's a fantastic journey that is at times tense, other times quite subtle and serene.  Vocalist Shane Ochsner is in fine form here, with both emotive and accurate clean singing, as well as a combination of more hardcore vocal sounds, from a higher pitched scream to a lower toned, more "throaty" growl, reminiscent of the heavier material from "Creator".  His performance on this album is impeccable.


All in all, this is my contender for hardcore album of the year, even though truth be told, it's probably more post-hardcore in aesthetic and execution.  Still, when I have the CD in constant rotation in my van for 2 weeks straight, including a day trip 2.5 hours away from home where I ended up listening to the CD 5 or 6 times in a row on the way home, it's fair to say that once you "get" what this band is serving up, you'll be addicted to this album like I have the last few weeks.  The one caveat I would have is, purchasing the album on CD or digitally is probably the best choice.  I am a vinyl enthusiast and will definitely be purchasing the vinyl version when I get a chance, because the songs here flow so well together and so seamlessly at times, listening to the album from start to finish, uninterrupted is the primo way to experience this opus.  Highly recommended to all fans of hardcore - this is what hardcore music can be when you think outside the box and allow creativity to rule versus merely "following the script".


90/100

RetCon Ruminations – Modern Extreme Metal

Musical elitism bothers me.  With a form of expression and entertainment such as music, as wide-ranging as music is and can be, there are “genre elitists” or purists that feel their particular chosen style, genre, or sub-genre is somehow “sacred” and should be exempt from tampering or cross-pollination with other styles or forms.  Unfortunately, this attitude is pervasive in the heavy metal community, with purists thinking that anything not meeting their arbitrary set of criterion cannot be considered a part of the heavy metal musical “family”.  Traditional metal fans despise what is referred to as “nu-metal”, and extreme metal fans don’t like too much melody or other musical styles influences their beloved death and black metal.  Black metal can’t have lyrics that don’t concern themselves with satan, the “Old Ones”, or some other mythical “evil” figureheads.  Otherwise it has to be “post-black metal” or some other description.  Heaven forbid (or hell, perhaps?) that this musical style have anything to do with Christianity or any other religious form of expression.  Same for death metal, which apparently is supposed to be all about death and cannibalism and horror, even though the tech-metal band Cynic is revered for their overtly technical death metal and purposely obtuse lyrics.  It’s all arbitrary, and as far as I’m concerned, this practice just STINKS of elitism and hypocrisy.

I don't think Korgul cares what constitues metal, as long as he can crush, kill, destroy.

But I digress – I myself have been guilty of some form of musical elitism over the years, though markedly less blatant or purposeful.  Most of my guilt comes from occasionally slagging on a band or album for mixing musical styles together that either don’t make sense, or usually for bands that try to do something along those lines but just fail miserably because they don’t have enough musical know-how to pull it off.  I don’t see this as a bad thing, since a band should have more than a working knowledge of the styles they’re trying to marry before trying to sell their recorded works to the public.  In the grand scheme of things, this is a relatively small issue, compared with the more widespread genre elitism that takes place in the rock and metal world daily.

With that in mind, I have considered the idea of a “Musical RetCon”.  In effect, this would look at a modern style of music and then turn back the clock 20 years to see if the responses to this genre or style would be the same.  Not that we can accurately determine that now; that’s simply not the point.  Rather, I just posit the idea that if said style had originated alongside some of the more revered styles, would they have been accepted in their infancy just as their parent styles were, or would they have been as reviled then as they are (by elitists) today?  I submit before the court the question of metalcore and deathcore – would those styles have been as widely panned by metal purists had they been introduced during the height of thrash metal, the initial stages of death metal, and ultimately the first embers of what became black metal?

Firstly, let’s start with a couple definitions, just to clear the air.  Personally, I see metalcore as a melding of hardcore music (in a more modern form versus early hardcore like Minor Threat or early Agnostic Front) and heavier forms of music like thrash and death metal.  While the conventions of thrash and death metal are nearly always eschewed for a hardcore aesthetic, the music is generally heavier than hardcore music, resulting in something that retains a hardcore basis but is heavy enough to be considered metal music.  Likewise, deathcore is an extension of the metalcore sub-genre, itself taking on the characteristics of metalcore but leaning further in the direction of death metal with greater emphasis on downtuned guitars, guttural vocals, and overall “brutality” in the sound.  Just to make sure my own personal feelings aren’t on trial here, I have opted to link to the Wikipedia articles on both styles to ensure that their origins are understood.

Knowing that, based on these definitions, there is a healthy amount of metal influence in these sub-genres, it would seem on the surface that metalcore and deathcore would be welcomed into the metal fold with open arms.  That would be all too easy, however, as the so-called “metal elite” is often far too self-absorbed for that kind of open-ended thinking.  For a genre that rages against conformity and praises individualism, metal is often victim to its own set of arbitrary rules and regulations, with websites like Metal Archives (aka Encyclopaedia Metallum) leading the charge for metal conformity and uniformity.  When did heavy metal become a genre of rules and regulations?  When did the style of music that was supposed to shake the foundations of the world become old news and succumb to the weight of its own self-imposed law?  I thought metal WAS law?

Metal IS in fact law, case closed!

So while I say some of this in jest, sarcastic tongue planted firmly in cheek, it isn’t without some frustration that I call for this move toward sanity.  Metalcore and deathcore may both be trendy right now, but consider how long these styles have already been in play.  Metalcore has been around in some form since the mid-1990’s when bands like Earth Crisis and Living Sacrifice started blending hardcore elements together with crushing metal sounds.  And to me, the roots of deathcore stretch back more than 10 years with some of the more modern death metal bands at the time (like Embodyment, with their “Embrace the Eternal” album) beginning to incorporate elements that drove some of the deathcore sound, regardless of the presence or absence of hardcore-styled breakdowns.

Let’s look at another example closer to home.  Thrash metal started in the early 80’s and didn’t truly catch on outside the underground until the mid-late 80’s when Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Slayer, Testament, Exodus, Overkill, etc. started to gain major fan-bases by touring and releasing solid albums.  So while the roots of the style can be traced back to late 70’s and early 80’s British metal and punk (Motorhead, anyone?), it took a few years before the style started to gain favor in the metal community.  By the late 1980’s, thrash bands from the San Francisco “bay area” were popping up left and right, with even more aggressive bands cropping up in Europe (i.e. Destruction & Kreator) and abroad.  From 1988 to about 1991, before the grunge explosion, one might have said thrash metal became trendy.  One might even say thrash has become trendy once again, with a lot of retro-thrash metal bands popping up, old bands re-uniting and making great records (Testament comes to mind with their latest album), and a lot of young, hungry metal bands making classically-styled thrash records that sound as if Overkill or Exodus were channeling their 1980’s output into a new generation with better production values.

We are NOT the babysitting service!

By the same token, death metal became “trendy” in the mid-late 1990’s when metal was in a more underground state, with tons of death metal bands popping up and emulating early output by Death, Morbid Angel, Bolt Thrower, Deicide and Cannibal Corpse.  Some bands did their own unique things (like Atheist, Pestilence or Gorguts), while some bands opted for a straight ahead, no-frills approach.  Likewise, black metal has in some way become trendy or fashionable.  Indeed, when college-age guys dressing like hipsters are playing (often quite well) their own take on the black metal aesthetic, it’s obvious that it’s not just a bunch of guys wearing corpse paint and burning churches any longer.  The gig is up, and while the large number of “bedroom black metal” bands won’t overtake Immortal any time soon, the age of “true” black metal which is all about Satanism (in whichever form you prefer) is pretty well over.  This brings to mind the subject of “the music is the message, the message is the music” which I also disagree with, though I will tackle that subject at another time.

Yes, I still live in my mom's basement.

Seasons change, and so do opinions over time, but I am in awe at how vehemently the metal elite continues to enforce this ruling against metalcore and deathcore upon the metal community at large.  It would seem to me a much more fitting and “metal” thing to do is to leave the determination of what is and is not metal up to the metal fans themselves, rather than dictating that to us instead.  Given that metal is (supposedly) all about rebellion, non-conformity, and “doing your own thing”, it appears a major double-standard to decry the hardcore-influenced metal bands and deny them “metal status” when earlier crossover acts (MOD, SOD, DRI, etc) are generally considered as metal as the thrash bands that inspired part of that sound.  Why don’t we re-draft the definition of metal to be a little more expansive?  I say we go both ways – let the “glam metal” bands be metal, and let the metalcore and deathcore bands be metal.  You don’t have to like them all, and you don’t have to acknowledge them all with the same reverence or status, but they can all still be metal.  But at least this way metal can be a bit less exclusive and a bit more open minded, which is part of what metal is supposed to be all about.  At least, that’s what I’m told…

For the uninitiated, the term ‘RetCon’ is short for “Retroactive Continuity”.  In terms of television, movies, books, comics, etc. it is the practice by some writers or Intellectual Property holders to retroactively add storylines or modify things that happen either prior to or during an established timeline for that particular medium.  For example, a movie trilogy is established, then perhaps a later work of fiction or TV series related to that movie may retroactively insert details into the original trilogy storyline that were not present in the original medium.  It is a literary device used often to make what is happening now (in the current storyline) relevant or connected to the prior or existing story or events.

Convalesce - Decisions EP (2009)

When bands are just starting out, often times they will play a style already well-entrenched into the current music fan's consciousness because they want to be noticed.  Sometimes, it's because they simply like the style that's currently popular.  Other times it's simply because that's what they have learned to play and are just trying to do the best they can with what they know while they are developing their style.  The bands that are smart about their early releases wait until they've done some developing of their sound so they can do something that's at least partially original or different so as to stand out from the crowd a bit and to be a bit more memorable from the get-go.  Convalesce is a relatively new band and does just that.

While highly percussive metalcore is nothing new, that style doesn't usually combine crushing heaviness, melody to spare, and that the percussive elements are primary electronic in nature, i.e. high-speed drum rolls or distorted noises that remind one of highly percussive industrial music.  This element is a key part of the Convalesce sound, at least as it pertains to this EP.  The primary hook here is not the "brootal" breakdowns that some metalcore bands are known for, but rather, the interesting way they weave these electronic percussive elements into their sound, which separates them from the average metalcore band.  That's not to say they don't have plenty of breakdown action for the fan looking for that element, because they do, but they strike a nice balance between crushing breakdowns, melodic passages, fast spots with plenty of double-bass drumming, and slower parts that show the bands penchant for layered production and intertwining guitar lines.  This reminds me of a studied version of Kingston Falls, in some ways, though without the overt sense of humor found on that band's debut full-length.


Guitar sound is great overall, with a nice heavy tone during the breakdowns and lower riffing, and clarity enough during the slower sections or more melodic bits that you can tell what's going on without having to turn it way up or listen over and over to figure out what's being played.  As with much extreme music, bass guitar isn't overly distinguishable in the mix, but provides that nice thump in the backdrop here and there, and serves its purpose by serving the songs.  Drumming is well done, with nice transitions between fast sections and various rolls and cymbal works to transition to slower sections or breakdowns.  Breakdown drumming is fairly non-descript, the usual cymbal sound over some thumping double-bass and occasional snare work. Vocals are more than the usual monotonic fare, with high and low-pitched growls/screams in the mix, sometimes with interplay between the two that has a bit of a "call and response" feel to it.


Lyrics are fairly straightforward and understandable, some quite bold in their proclamation of faith, others a bit more personal, written from the perspective of someone struggling with their faith or expressing humility because they know they are fallen.  The strongest track here is the opener, "Enemies", wisely put at the front of the CD to grab listeners and pull them in.  The rest of the tracks are no slouch, to be sure, but "Enemies" is definitely the centerpiece here.  "Unrested" is a strong closer with good melodic elements, a good anthemic lyric, and a fairly thunderous breakdown 2/3 of the way through, followed by a melodic line that helps bring the EP down and to a close.


One of the strengths of this release is also a weakness - the songs all kind of run together.  It's a strength from the standpoint that it doesn't let up, so if you're looking for intensity and non-stop action in your music (ADD, anyone?), this will do it for you.  However, that also works against the songs and the EP because unless you're paying attention to the album and listening intently, it all runs together so much that you might forget there are individual tracks or songs until the EP is done.  This may have been by design, seeing as how there are barely any transitions between songs, so I can't criticize too much, but it seems like with a style as compact and dense as this, a little "breathing room" is a good idea on occasion.  "Efileno" ("Onelife" backwards, perhaps?) appears to try and serve this purpose, but it, too, seems to fade out right into "Shelter" with no real respite moment.


On the plus side, there are moments during the fast sections where I'm reminded of Afterimage - that's a good thing.  They have created a melodic, yet intense style mixing metal and hardcore with great aplomb, so if Convalesce can perhaps increase the divide between the melodic sections and the more heavy, brutal bits, they can have an even more varied and interesting sound overall.  Ultimately, the way this EP is put together with the songs in the set and the intensity presented in this fashion works well.  It's just long enough and has just enough variation to let you know what the band is all about and give you a hint of what they're capable of, without too much left-field experimentation.  I would recommend before the band finishes recording their full-length (which they are purportedly doing as of this writing) that they expand their musical palette enough to make even stronger, more interesting songs.  And I'd say they need to explore and expand the electronic percussive elements even more, because that is the major element that really separates them from the pack.  Otherwise, for 6 bucks, this is a solid contender for your musical dollar.  Recommended.


70/100


Video Review:

Darkness Before Dawn - King's To You (2009)

In the infancy of the internet, one of the fun things to do was to get into Internet Relay Chat (IRC) to seek out others like yourself who shared common interests. You could find chatrooms on a varying number of interests, and discuss topics with people in realtime. It was a leap over Usenet, where everything was threaded (like a forum), and people could have real conversations in a short amount of time. Of course, the proliferation of profanity & kiddie pr0n over IRC has lessened its appeal somewhat, but it's still a fairly happening place. You can find a chatroom on nearly every subject known to man: talk about fly fishing, how much you miss your moon boots from 5th grade, or rail on the latest Hollywood blockbuster & how much of a cash-grab it is.

But I digress. When IRC first became popular, a common practice for folks to give each other a hard time was to invoke a command on IRC systems or in the software to throw up a message that effectively told everyone in the room that you were slapping another user with a trout (or some other relatively stout fish). If you hadn't experienced it yet, the first time was somewhat jarring. Granted, they were but words on the screen, but if you didn't fall out of your chair laughing at how ridiculous the concept was, you at least sat up and paid attention to the user who "slapped" you around with the fish, as it was often a sign that you had said something stupid & were being branded a noob.

Such is the case with Darkness Before Dawn's debut full-length CD, "King's To You". Despite the somewhat dubious spelling of the title, and the overly dark cover that should have been lightened significantly before going to the presses, the music contained herein was a "slap with a trout" for me in the same figurative manner. I had heard about the band about a year before, having visited their Myspace site and heard a song or two from their earlier EP. It was competent, if unremarkable metalcore with a fair does of metal in the sound, and despite liking what I heard and sending them a friend-request, I never followed up with a purchase of the EP, relegating it to "I'll get to it later" status. Thankfully, when the money was available for me to make a large purchase from Divine Metal Distro in recent weeks, I didn't skip over their debut LP. I had heard clips from the new songs & was surprised by the transition from metalcore (emphasis on the "metal" part) to a more technically adept melodic death metal sound that still retained some of the modern touches & metalcore elements (the occasional breakdown, similar melodic leanings) that their earlier material had. However, it was possible that this album would be lost in the shuffle with all the other great stuff that was released on Bombworks Records in 2009. Would this album even stand a chance against heavyweights like Seventh Angel, A Hill To Die Upon, Dark Lay Still, Bloodline Severed, or In Grief? There are plenty of great choices for people to get their extreme metal fix from Bombworks this year, but I challenge everyone making a purchase of extreme metal to give this album a chance. I'm certain they'll find a similar experience to what I had.

The first thing I noticed when listening to the lead-off track "Monster Condo" (interesting name) was the Castlevania-esque keyboard sounds, which just drew me in, being an old-school gamer. Also, the guitar sound is heavy without being overbearing, and the vocals were brutal without being completely indecipherable. When the song really kicks in, it starts to pick up and you begin to really feel the music. This song is perhaps a bit more metalcore in construction & nature than many of the rest, but the melodic death metal elements & metal soloing are still in full force. In addition, the constant sound of the keyboard gives it another layer that adds quite a dimension to the sound. "Undeserved Hatred" appears to rage against religiosity as well as hypocrisy within the church, and musically is where the album really starts to pick up speed. Great double-bass drumming, great riffing, and that ominous keyboard sound keep this track rolling at full speed ahead. Great bridge section with some change-up in the guitar approach to bring in more melody & great harmonized guitar licks. Sweet solo toward the end of the song as well. "Mobious Strip" starts with a cool lick combo and some cool drum/cymbal work, and that underlying layer of keyboard to give it some atmosphere. The interplay between speedy double-bass drumming & fast riffing, and slower, more melodic bits is cool, and the driving, groove-laden riff as the song transitions is quite cool, with pinch-harmonics in tow. There is a bit of a breakdown section here, but it works well within the context of the song and makes sense. At about the half-way point I like the inclusion of a more Jeff Walker-esque raspy vocal with the deeper death vocals; it provides a good contrast. Once again, a strong solo here as well. The bridge at the 4 minute mark is very goove-oriented, and brings a nice dynamic to the song with a bit of a hardcore/metalcore flair. Great lyrics about failure and persistence in your faith through all of it. "The Slain Reunion" Starts out with some sweet guitar work, and a nice riff, along with some cool high-intensity snare drum. Once again, the keyboard fits in nicely in the background to provide that "extra something" to the sound. Dual-guitar harmonized riffing is the order of the day here, and it works to great effect. Cool lyrics that bring the book of Revelations to mind, and a nice transition at around the 2 minute mark to a fast riffing section and extended instrumental jam. Simple, but effective breakdown with some good double-bass drumming near the 3-minute mark, as well as a bit of fancy fretwork with some dual-leads going on. The title track really ups the ante with super-fast double bass & riffing, and is the fastest thing so far - it's no wonder they named the album after this song! Quite intense and driving, this song benefits from the constant onslaught of vocal interplay, driving double-bass work, and driving riffs. I like the variety of vocals in the song, from deeper death growls to the higher-pitched stuff. The solo work beginning near the 2-minute mark is cool, melodic, and neatly harmonized. I like the keyboard sound during the breakdown after the solo - it gives this section an interesting dynamic. I also like the change-up of the drum patterns during the verse sections, which gives the song an interesting flow as well as nice variety.

"Shattered" brings things down a hair, throwing more groove in the mix, as well as implementing a cool riff that takes the volume down a notch to give the melodic sensibility a chance to briefly shine. The keyboard is more prominent here, but only slightly - it works well in this setting. Cool riffing around the 1 minute mark that is complemented by the frenetic drumming, as well as the nice background guitar riffing. Nice dissonant sound during the breakdown with 2 guitars slightly off from each other, which sounds cool. I like how the song fades out in a wash of keyboards and fading feedback. "Prophetic Heresy" begins with an awesome melodic riff, and a cool echoing guitar effect. Then it kicks into high gear with fast double-bass work and great tom rolls, and great dual-guitar riffing. I like the guitar work around the 1:30 mark as well, with an interesting layered effect of riff & licks. "Battle On" has a nice melodic riff and interesting "bell" sound with the keyboards that gives it a nice extra touch. I like the "winding" nature of the riff - it gives it a minor element of complexity that suits the song well. Great lyrics about leaning on God to find the strength & courage to continue to "fight the good fight" and press on. Cool keyboard work around the 2:45 mark that is the first time the keyboard truly shines on the album, having been relegated to background atmospherics thus far. I like the keyboard solo and think it works well here. I'd like to hear more of this from the band in the future.

"Die To Yourself" begins with some cool dual-guitar licks and nice drum/cymbal work. The driving riff is cool, and the short breakdown around the 1 minute mark works well. The transition into a driving riff section is seamless, and shows nice variety in the song. The galloping riff around the 2 minute mark is a nice touch as well, giving a bit of classic metal influence in the mix. The song is also capped off by a nice solo at the end. "Material Existence" has a nice keyboard/riff intro, and quickly transitions into a fast riff with the cool keyboard pattern as backdrop. Cool dual-guitar work nearing the 2-minute mark, as well as some nice riffing interspersed therein. Another interesting "bell" effect on the keyboards around the 2:45 mark, and back to speedy riffing/drumming around 3 minutes. Closing track "Symbiosis" has a nice heavy intro with plodding riff, and some brief lead work, quickly transitioning into fast riffing with drums keeping the pace steady. Well-placed change-ups in vocals from deep to high as well, with a bit of layering in spots for effect. The song moves quickly from bit to bit, never slowing down to take a breath, but just going in different directions. There are a lot of transitions in this song, which keep it interesting & make the listener wonder just what's coming next. A bit of groove around the 2:15-2:30 mark, and back to faster riffing shortly thereafter. An ultra-low vocal around the 3-minute mark that signals yet another transition to a solo portion, then back to pummeling riffs and double-tracked vocals with fast double-bass drumming to keep the pace. More soloing complements the song near, and after the 4-minute mark, and the listener is pummeled until the last seconds of the song, where the keyboard fades out with the riff to give the listener a chance to breathe again.

Despite being released among a sea of great albums this year, including several label-mates, I must complement Bombworks for taking a chance on Darkness Before Dawn, and I hope fans out there will too. The CD stays interesting throughout by having a number of subtly different approaches, variety in the riffing & songwriting, and a mixture of fairly technical stuff with some more simplistic, groove-oriented material, as well as elements that will satisfy fans of most extreme metal sub-genres. If you're into melodic death metal, metalcore, deathcore, or just extreme metal in general, don't pass this one up. You'll be glad you took a chance on it like me, and perhaps you'll be "slapped with a trout" like I was upon first listen, and will be taken aback by just how good this really is. I daresay, I have spun this at least 10 times in the last 3 weeks, and it hasn't got old or felt like it wasn't fresh, which is a testament to just how strong this release is. I'd say the only shortcomings here are that there should be more variety in the keyboards (too much background, not enough time to shine), and the usual complaint that the bass is difficult to pick out in the mix, which is true of most extreme metal in general. Otherwise, this is a commendable release by a solid up-and-comer who shows a lot of promise. I was certainly "slapped in the face" with surprise as to how good it was, and I suspect others will be too. Recommended.

80/100

Video review: