"The Pathology of Morbid Curiosity" or, Gore Metal and where do you draw the line at "art"?

In the mid 1980's, the "satanic" extreme thrash of bands like Slayer and Possessed metamorphosed into a more extreme form of metal that took the intensity of thrash and upped the ante, creating a darker, heavier, and more dense sound that came to be known as Death Metal.  While some early Death Metal bands took the occult-themed and/or anti-Christian imagery and amplified it (Deicide & Morbid Angel are early examples), others took a more "horror movie" approach, using campy zombie lyrics and images of gore to shock listeners.  The majority of these early bands have a cartoony approach, making the lyrics less shocking when read and understood in context.  Others appeared to take the gore approach much more seriously, with imagery (album art, primarily) and lyrics so blatantly gory and brutal, the uninitiated might question the sanity of the bands, which meant that the bands accomplished one of their goals - to shock & offend.

Fascination with death is nothing new.  Morbid Curiosity is perhaps best defined as a curiosity, fascination, preoccupation, or intense interest in death.  Wikipedia has a good paragraph on the subject, though that only just scratches the surface.  This topic has been the subject of some metal songs (thrash bands Detritus and Heathen tackled it at one point), and death as a whole has been a near-constant theme in the more extreme metal genres, Death Metal in particular.  Death is a recurring theme in nearly all media.  Stories and books for generations have centered on death, or stories that are built around some kind of murder.  Indeed, murder mysteries are often New York Times best-sellers.  TV has had plenty of murder mysteries, from Perry Mason to Murder She Wrote, or more modern hit shows like CSI or the Law & Order suite of shows.

Yes, I hear the "bong bong!" noise in my head too.

From the small screen to the silver screen, death in a myriad of forms is a central theme.  From the routine murder mysteries to powerful films about overcoming the aftermath of death (i.e. people and families moving on after the death of a loved one), to horror films where plenty of on-screen death occurs.  Going on up from there are the overt slasher films where killing sprees and high body counts are the norm.  Folks who think Friday the 13th is distasteful or far too preoccupied with death obviously haven't seen Cannibal Campout or other, similar horror/gore films.  And for every B-movie/horror fan who revels in the over-the-top slasher films, there is usually a point at which those fans draw the line as to what they will watch.  These lines can be totally arbitrary, or sometimes they can be clearly defined, stemming from some deeper moral center or even just what they personally can stomach.


I remember hearing an interview with Alice Cooper where he was commenting on a tour with Rob Zombie.  Metal fans know Rob as the frontman and chief architect of the now-defunct band White Zombie, the comically silly "horror metal" band whose mostly benign "horror" lyrics were a parody of b-movie horror films, a tradition which Rob carried into his solo career.  Alice said something to the effect that Rob "gets it" with regard to horror films, that horror movies are actually comedy.  If you're balking at that statement, think in context - most b-horror movies are overly acted, "chills and thrills" cinema experiences that shock or scare the average person.  But for someone who understands that horror movies are just that, movies, it's easy to see where Alice (aka Vincent Furnier) is coming from.  While death is a fact of life, gory death by some sadistic killer in a maniacal way is far less common than dying in a car wreck or a home accident.  Much like the fear of flying, and the connected fear of dying in a plane crash, the fear of being eaten alive by a zombie, buried alive by some fiendish killer, or attacked in one's sleep by an otherworldly being can be as exhilarating as it is scary.

C'mon, I'm a big teddy bear!

In the world of extreme metal, this preoccupation with death, horror and gore is pervasive.  One might even say it's too pervasive.  Early death metal bands were shocking when they wrote lyrics about zombies hacking up corpses and eating them, but how is that different than the mainstream horror movies of the time?  In today's world, horror movies have splintered in two, somewhat distinct directions.  The mainstream horror films are generally more in the "thriller" genre, using sudden loud noises, various camera and lighting tricks, and other methods to keep the suspense of the film going until the end.  On the other end are the more independent films, from the ultra-campy gore of the Troma Studios films to even more unsavory offerings (depending on your viewpoint) from other independent studios, reprising the "slasher film" genre of the 1980's and offering the audience more death, gore, blood, guts and entrails than you can shake a stick at.  This more independent film approach is the tack used by goregrind and gore metal bands as their primary lyrical approach.


The salient question, then, is simply this: where or how do we draw the line?  Is there any societal value in extreme goregrind or gore metal with lyrics about snacking on the entrails of your victim while sodomizing a corpse?  What entertainment value can be gleaned from music whose lyrics are rife with pseudo-first-person accounts of hacking up a village full of people and then pleasuring oneself among the wreckage?  Before arbitrarily answering those questions one way or the other, consider the context within which these works are contained and understand their place among society as a whole.  If you're deeply offended by the thought of a zombie creature molesting corpses, you may need to adjust your priorities.  Perhaps the plight of homeless war veterans roaming city streets isn't offensive enough to take precedence.  If listening to unintelligible lyrics about a mass murderer hacking his victims into pieces gets you riled up, consider for a moment the thousands upon thousands of starving children in foreign countries who haven't asked for that life, but have been handed that existence because of the mistakes of their parents and the generations before them.  When you put these things into context, it suddenly makes the overly silly and "shocking" nature of such lyrics seem trivial by comparison.


That's not to say that artistic responsibility isn't valid - it most certainly is.  I would say it's nearly as important as artistic integrity.  Writing songs about such death, gore and destruction can be a positive thing if they're cathartic and give the composer some level of peace through that process.  But gore for gore's sake is no art at all - it's just lip service to fans of the genre, in the same way that making hip hop music just to get rich, or Japanese anime dedicated solely to "fan service" is devoid of any real artistic merit.  There's nothing wrong with getting paid, but when that's your primary motivation, you've crossed the line into mere commercialism.  Now in the rather niche world of gore metal, "getting paid" means you might make enough on a gig to pay for your gas money and you're footing the bill yourself for the recording of your CD, so money isn't really a motivator.  But recognition from ones peers and the listening audience is such a motivator, and if that's the reason your talents are being directed in this manner, I would simply caution those to be mindful of what they're putting down in paper and in the studio.  Use the gore and horror as commentary for the failures of society and mankind in general.  Allegory of that kind is far more chilling and effective than simply "shock comedy", and will make a bigger long-term impact than just trying to one-up a fellow band.

In the end, I choose to weigh in on this topic only to prompt discussion and critical thought.  I'm not sure there's a "right" or "wrong" answer here.  Ultimately such genres are niche enough to fly under the radar of much of society, and that's generally the point.  Only those who understand such lyrics in their proper context are going to get a kick out of such things.  Like anything, they can be seductive to weak individuals who can't separate the lyrics from reality.  I would caution writers of gore metal or goregrind to simply be cognizant of their audience, and to strive to make their lyrics allegorical of something greater or larger than the small world they've constructed.  After all, are you saying something important in a subtle way through a complete lack of subtlety, or are you saying nothing at all as loud as you can?

Golden Resurrection - One Voice For the Kingdom (2013)

I can admit when I'm wrong.  I'm a big enough man to recognize when I've made a mistake and need to take responsibility for it.  The consequences are sometimes unpleasant, but I've found it's better to take your lumps and move forward than to try and string things along until they end up worse.  Sometimes one has to take a bruise to one's pride as well, which isn't fun, but builds character.  Thankfully, what I'm admitting to being wrong about is the direction of Golden Resurrection's last album.  In my review for it, I said I felt like the mid-paced approach suited them and was a good direction for them to go in as opposed to the speedier, more neo-classical approach of the debut.  Well, I was wrong.

While I stand by my review otherwise, and think that "Man With a Mission" is a solid album, I'm glad that Golden Resurrection has elected to go back to a speedier approach with "One Voice For the Kingdom".  This latest release has what I feel is potentially the strongest set of songs the band has released thus far, and has begun to solidify what could be the Golden Resurrection sound - a mix of neo-classical metal, European power metal, and traditional metal with a knack for melody, keyboards to spare, and catchy hooks.  I also like that the focus, vocally, has shifted more toward Christian Liljegren's direction.  Don't get me wrong, I like Tommy ReinXeed's vocals, and I think he uses them perfectly in his main band, ReinXeed.  But this project "feels" like a Christen Liljegren band, so his vocals as the focus are part of the attraction.

If you've heard the band's debut, or even "Man With a Mission", you know what you're getting here in terms of instrumentation.  Guitar work by Tommy is as strong as ever, with more of the faster-paced playing and speedy riffs he has become known for with ReinXeed.  His penchant for neo-classical playing comes through in several spots, from the intro to "The Temple Will Remain" & the bit in "Spirit War" where he echoes a classical piece, to the instrumental "Heavenly Melodies".  The guitar sound is just about perfect for the music as well, with a very "clean" distorted sound, if that makes sense.  There's not so much distortion in the guitar tone that it feels too heavy, but this is obviously metal music through and through.  And as always, Tommy's guitar solos are excellent, balancing fret board pyrotechnics with melody and some degree of soul, especially on the album's closing instrumental, "Moore Lord" (another reference to the late Gary Moore, perhaps?).  Bass work by Stefan is solid, and is nicely placed in the mix.  Bass is present and audible, you can hear what it's doing and where it's going, and it adds weight without dominating the proceedings.  Drum work by Alfred Fridhagen is excellent, and the drum production is pretty good.  A punchy snare drum sound accompanies thick and full bass drums & toms, and cymbals ring out when necessary, though they do lack a bit of emphasis during moments when a bit more cymbal would make sense.  Keyboard & Hammond organ work by Svenne Jansson is solid, adding that touch of faux-symphonic sound when fitting, and providing an extra melodic layer in the background much of the time.  The eponymous track even has some nice interplay between keyboard and guitar, trading licks/solos and propelling the song forward.

Vocally, Christian Liljegren is in fine form.  I still believe his most impassioned and strongest performances have been with Divinefire, but honestly, what he's doing here is a close second.  He brings some of the grit he employs with Divinefire while maintaining a clean, melodic sound through much of the record.  I also believe that Christian gets better with age.  Some of his earliest neo-classical and power metal material suffered from  vocal control problems, but over time Christian has really come into his own, having developed the ability to control his instrument much more effectively.  He has also increased his range, or at least flexed his vocal chords enough to utilize the upper range and give us those high-pitched wails.  Christian's voice is much of the draw of Golden Resurrection because it's fairly unique and distinctive, so if you like it, you'll appreciate what he's doing here.  Lyrically, this record is no different than what the band has already done, though a couple of the songs might be slightly less overt than what came on the previous record.  If lyrics based upon Christianity turn you off, these won't win you over.  If you enjoy such things, you'll be edified despite Christian's somewhat limited abilities as a lyricist.  This isn't poetry, but it's not Reader's Digest, either.  The lyrics are appropriate for what the band is trying to communicate.

With everything coming together so nicely on the album, there are a couple minor complaints.  I enjoy "Heavenly Melodies" and "Moore Lord" quite a bit, but honestly, 2 instrumental tracks is a bit much for an album with only 8 vocal tracks.  Perhaps the band is trying not to overstay their welcome in your CD or MP3 player, which is good, but I would maybe have included either 1 less instrumental, or perhaps added an additional vocal track in between them so it didn't seem like instrumental work was dominating the second half of the album.  Be that as it may, I would hope the band would play "Heavenly Melodies" during concerts to give Christian a breath-break and showcase Tommy's skills.  Also, I agree with a couple of the other reviews I've read that the title track is a bit weak and disappointing.  It's not bad, per se, it's just not title track material in the same way that the title tracks for the 1st 2 albums were.  It's just a bit nondescript and less memorable than much of the rest of the material.  Overall, however, this is a contender for the band's strongest release, and certainly worthy of the name they've made for themselves.  Recommended.

83/100

Pylon - The Harrowing of Hell deluxe edition (2013)

Doom metal is one style that I've not taken to as much as other traditional styles of metal.  I'm a big lover of thrash, progressive, power, & death metal, as well as a fair bit of NWOBHM, classic metal, and even a lot of "glam metal", if you will.  But for some reason, though I enjoy listening to doom, it's not a style I've invested a lot of money or time into.  I own a handful of doom albums, most notably the 1st 3 Forsaken albums (vinyl re-issues), but otherwise my collection remains largely devoid of good doom metal.  I really dig bands like Solitude Aeturnus, early stuff by Trouble ("Psalm 9" is a MONSTER record), Candlemass, and so forth, but generally when it comes time to part with my hard-earned money, I opt for something a bit faster, more energetic, or more "immediate" in terms of getting more of that instant audio gratification.

As such, my knowledge of the band Pylon comes only from hearing of them over the last few years, seeing mention of a new release here and there, and briefly checking out samples, but never investing any money into any albums.  I've been concentrating more on a combination of building my vinyl collection, as well as keeping up with newer releases from bands I follow closely, and regaining a number of albums I sold off years ago in a music purge, or at least those that I miss and wanted to have in the collection again.  As this is my first true Pylon listening experience, I hope I can be forgiven an unfamiliarity with their previous efforts.  As it stands, this is a band I think I could get into.

"The Harrowing of Hell" has an interesting sound to it, because it combines the darker, slower doom of bands like Candlemass with a more traditional doom vibe and presentation, like Trouble.  So you get something that is mostly slow and plodding, with occasional energetic bursts, with a production that belies the heaviness of the material by not pounding the listener over the head with a real "thick" guitar or bass sound, and a drum sound that is somewhat understated.  At first blush, it sounds like an album that might have been recorded some 20 years before its time, and perhaps that's what the band was going for.  This is classic doom in sound and approach, so the production values match that.  Apart from the layering of a few elements here and there, like piano/keyboard, & the obvious chorus effect on the vocals, most of this sounds like it could have been recorded "live in the studio" with very little doctoring on the back end.

As I said, the guitar sound on this album is a bit "thin", though it rings out with sufficient reverb and tone to get the job done.  Andy La Morte & Matt Brand do a good job of creating that slow atmosphere with the right repetition in the riffs, melodic solos where fitting, and the occasional mini-jam to break up the monotony and add a bit more interest to the songs.  Bass by Jan Thomas is quite good, and I felt myself listening more intently to the bass riffs more than the guitar riffs in some cases, because the bass sometimes is more complex or has more "movement" than the guitar riffs.  This makes things a bit more interesting at times, and creates a nice interplay that gives the songs more weight.  Bass sounds good here as well, with a fair bit of presence in the recoring.  Drum work by Andrea Tinner is good, though the production has the drumming back in the mix a bit too far.  As many opportunities as the louder cymbal/bass drum or cymbal/snare hits had to create more impact, they are squandered due to the drums sounding a bit too weak in the mix.  In the end, it still works, because the more spare drum sound doesn't mean they're inaudible, but I feel like they didn't quite get enough room in the mix to shine.

Vocally, Matt Brand is a bit of a mixed bag.  His style fits the music, with a gritty delivery that has a fair bit of natural wail to it.  There are times when I think he's being a bit too "loose" with his singing and needs to tighten up his vocals, but I know that a bit more loose approach fits the doom metal aesthetic quite well, so that's more a personal contention rather than a direct criticism.  His vocal delivery can verge on monotonous at times, and there really isn't much he's doing here that stands out all that much, other than noting the emotion in his voice.  Otherwise, I'd say it's a fine performance that gets the job done without wowing the listener.  Lyrically, much of what you'll get is right from the Bible, most specifically, "Psalm 139 A" and "Psalm 139 B".  Other songs are indicative of biblical themes, but from a more personal perspective.  Religion and specifically, biblical themes, are common in doom metal, so if you're used to that you'll be right at home here.  The band's cover of Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" obviously culls from a different perspective.

I rather enjoyed their take on "Paranoid" and found it to be a refreshing approach.  Black Sabbath is not only credited with basically inventing Heavy Metal in general, but also as the chief influence of most bands that fall under the doom metal moniker.  "Paranoid" being the short, frenzied rocker that it is, takes on an interesting, slightly more twisted air when slowed down to the level it is in this interpretation.  It evokes images of a more deliberate, sinister presence than the more manic, lightly psychotic person depicted via the original version.  For the deluxe edition, 2 bonus tracks are added that weren't available on the original vinyl version, that being "Golden Voice" and also "Lines".  The 2 additional tracks have improved production over the original tracks, and showcase a tougher, "meatier" sound that I think fits the band a bit better than the more hollow, distant production that the rest of the release bears.

I've listened to this release all the way through a number of times now, and while I enjoy it each time, I can't say the songs are overly memorable or stick with me much past each listen.  The anguished vocal wail of "You Have Been Warned" tends to play back in my head for a while, and the relatively familiar words of Psalm 139 tend to linger on after listening, but these tracks aren't playing in my head for a while after listening.  "Returnal Etern" (one assumes a play on the words "Eternal Return") is a solid track with some interesting stuff going on, but despite the overall quality present here, the material itself just doesn't stick with me as much as I'd hoped.  I've experienced that with other doom metal too, however, so mileage will vary.  Ultimately, if you're a fan of slow doom metal and want more for your collection, you could do a whole lot worse than this CD re-issue.  If you're not into this style, this release is unlikely to convert you.  Recommended for doom diehards, everyone else should probably consider this a "try before you buy" scenario.

75/100

My Love Affair With Lightening Force, part 1

You beautiful Engrish, you.

In the summer of 1992, I was the proud owner of a brand new Sega Genesis console, complete with Sonic the Hedgehog pack-in cartridge.  I had previously played Sonic, and indeed a Sega Genesis, via a casual friend from school.  He was the guy that lived with his grandparents and seemed to have a limitless supply of new cool stuff to show off to the other guys in school.  So when the Sega Genesis came out and was the "next big thing" in video games in our little corner of the world, he was the first one in town to have one, and we were all lined up at his house to watch in awe as he booted up Altered Beast with its then-awesome graphics, sound, and presentation.  Those huge characters!  The beyond-awesome transformation screen completely with cheesy/cool fire effect!  Those big bosses!  It was magical.  And even though hindsight tells us differently, Last Battle was even impressive those first few times we played it.  I was witnessing the beginning of something incredible.

Thankfully, this wasn't indicative of the future of gaming.  Except the blood part.

Fast forward a year or so later, and this same guy had come home with a new game that was highly anticipated: Sonic the Hedgehog.  Once again, we all lined up to play, and when I finally got my chance at the control pad, I was awestruck at the incredible graphics, fun music, great level design, and simple but effective mechanics.  By the time I had played long enough to get through the Green Hill Zone and reached the Marble Zone, I was sold on the game.  Once I saw the Labyrinth Zone and how much variety there was in the game, I absolutely knew I just HAD to have the game, and a Sega Genesis system to play it on.  My mission was clear: attain a Genesis console by any and all means necessary, within my Jr. High kid's allowance limits.  Unfortunately, that meant waiting until I had nearly graduated, if I was to go at that pace.  Thus, I made the difficult choice to sell my Game Boy system I had bought just 3 years earlier, along with all my carts, to earn enough money to go in half-way with my younger brother to purchase the Genesis console, along with a used TV to play it on.  My parents never allowed me to purchase or own the NES console, because they said I would monopolize the TV, and they were right.  By the time the Genesis came into the picture, my parents at least told me I could get a TV to play it on, since my brother and I could purchase this stuff together.

I spent weeks pouring over Sonic the Hedgehog, playing until I had mastered each level and got through the game all the way.  I then went back and played through again while gathering all of the Chaos Emeralds and perfecting my technique.  After that, my younger brother, a friend, and myself all played the first couple levels doing "speed trials", seeing who could complete the first couple stages the fastest.  I held the record for Green Hill Zone stage 1, at just 30 seconds.  I don't know that I've ever been able to complete it that fast since, but it sure was a rush zooming through tubes, around loops, and spinning through the air propelling toward the end of the level.

Run, blue hedgehog, run!

So why all this talk about Sonic the Hedgehog?  What about Lightening Force?  I'm getting to that, gentle reader, but I feel it's necessary to set up my history with the Genesis console, and just how much it meant to me as a young lad to finally have my own, having only played at friend's houses for years.  Point being, I spent an awful lot of time on Sonic.  I also clocked a lot of hours on the puzzle game Columns.  I played Quackshot starring Donald Duck a lot, and dumped a heap of time into Decap Attack too.  I played Strider a ton until I finished it, then set it aside and didn't touch it again for some 10 years.  I (mistakenly) sold Fantasia and Toki after finishing them.  But I don't think I spent more time on the Sega Genesis with ANY game outside of Lightening Force.

I had read positive reviews for Thunder Force II and Thunder Force III, but hadn't actually had the pleasure of playing them.  Matter of fact, I hadn't even had the joy of playing a Sega Genesis shoot-em-up yet, because I didn't own any, and no one I knew that had a Genesis had one at that point.  Guys were too busy with Sonic the Hedgehog to invest time in yet another scrolling shooter.  But when I saw Lightening Force (known as Thunder Force IV outside of the US) on the shelf at Kay Bee Toys, despite the humorously misspelled name, I knew that was a game I had to have.  It was a similar reaction to the box art, screenshots, and description as my first reaction to the Genesis when I played it, or Sonic when I first laid eyes on the game.  I was filled with a complete wonderment and desire to jump right in and play.  So a few months after I bought my Genesis, I plunked down the $40 I had been saving up to buy a new game and took it home, anticipating what an incredible game it was going to be.  I had made my mind up already that it was going to be great.

Say what you will about "Western" box art, but I think this is just as effective as the Japanese artwork at communicating just what's in store.

Thankfully, when I actually got it home and plugged it into my console, it was just as magical as I had hoped.  My clunky old 19 inch tube TV crackled with incredible music and vibrant colors, and I was wowed at the parallax scrolling, fast moving game play (Blast Processing!), interesting locales, and intuitive weapon system.  I was struck at the Mega Man-like ability to choose the order of the first four stages, which lent an element of strategy and planning that I hadn't previously seen in a shooter.  I was immediately sucked-in when my ship suddenly went underwater in the Strite stage, presumably to face off against the giant battleship, only to discover that was but a ruse.  I was thrilled with the giant Blade weapon, and awed by the powerful Rail Gun.  When I made it to the Ruins level, I was impressed with the Hunter weapon, a truly useful homing weapon that made things easier, but still no cakewalk.  This was the shooter I had waited all my gaming life for.  Gradius had entertained me, and R-Type 2 had impressed my socks off in the arcade (my local bowling alley!), but this...THIS was the game that all those previous shoot-em-ups had teased me about, the game that would be the culmination of all that had come before it.  At least in my 15-year old mind, it would.

The thing to understand about Lightening Force is that, it was the penultimate scrolling shooter game on the Genesis, and rivaled even the Super NES for sheer quality.  The SNES port of Gradius III was plagued by slowdown.  Super R-Type wasn't quite the conversion of R-Type 2 many had hoped for, and was just a slow game overall.  Axelay was impressive, but the 2.5D overhead perspective of some stages was confusing and it was difficult to judge the perspective.  And other than Mode 7 effects, it didn't offer anything more impressive than what Lightening Force was already doing.  And the ill-fated Thunder Spirits, a SNES port of the arcade conversion of Thunder Force III (aka Thunder Force AC), was a mediocre translation of Thunder Force III that was actually inferior in many ways to the Genesis original.  That doesn't mean these games are inherently *bad* by any stretch, but compared to Lightening Force in terms of all it has to offer, all it can do, and all the entertainment value it brings, they just don't add up.  I feel the same way about the rest of the shmup library on the Genesis as well - there are plenty of gems like Gaiares, M.U.S.H.A., Robo-Aleste, Android Assault, and the Japan-only releases of Gleylancer and Eliminate Down, but I still believe Lightening Force stands tall above the rest due to its sheer quality and execution.

So now that you've read an entire novella of me gushing about the game, how about reading some more on the subject?  Because I'm far too emotionally connected to this title to do a proper, objective review, I'm simply going to break it down into various components and talk about the game at length.  I'll do a whole part on the music, as that was highly influential for me, and talk about some of my obsessiveness over same.  I'll do an entire section on the graphics, and may delve a bit into the technical details that prove why this game was head and shoulders above the competition for the Genesis.  I plan on writing a portion on the game play and level design, because I think it bears exploring more specifically.  I will also likely write a piece musing about my memories of playing, beating the game, discovering the "omake" music tracks, the "99 lives" trick, and more.  I realize that is a lot of content to write about a single game, but I feel like this game often gets skipped over when people talk about the best games the Sega Genesis has to offer, and that's a shame, because it's an absolute gem.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this series!

Death Dealer - War Master (2013)

Any time you get a bunch of musicians together from various bands into a new project, the word "Supergroup" tends to be thrown around somewhat frequently.  When that happens, expectations naturally soar, and if the final product isn't everything fans hope for, it's usually branded as a terrible album, often unfairly.  Fans don't like being disappointed when the metal gods don't deliver the goods, after all.  Death Dealer is one band in danger of being tagged this way because of their pedigree.  When you have Sean Peck (CAGE), Ross the Boss (Manowar, or did I even need to tell you that?), Stu Marshall (Dungeon, among others), Rhino (more bands than you can shake a stick at), and Mike Davis (Lizzy Borden & Ozzy!), people will naturally begin to think the music the group makes should be the best thing since sliced bread.

Thankfully, with Death Dealer, the pedigree comes through and gives us what is at least a workmanlike effort, if not something more.  As one might expect, given the bands these players have been involved in, this is a speedy and reasonably "epic" power metal album that doesn't stray too far from what you would expect.  In this case, it echoes Sean Peck's main focus, CAGE, and is in quite the same vein.  That shouldn't dissuade non-CAGE fans from checking this out, however.  There's enough quality here that power metal fans in general will get a kick out of the album.

Guitar work by Ross the Boss & Stu Marshall is generally excellent, with a tone that nicely marries equal parts crunch and clarity.  It's a bit strange hearing Ross in this context, because Manowar's music was generally a bit slower and more deliberate in nature, so at times, it doesn't feel as if he's even on the record.  I must admit, however, that I'm unfamiliar with his work outside of Manowar, so this could just be my perception.  But overall, you get what you'd expect here, with a combination of speedy solos, chugging riffs, and a sufficient degree of muscle in the guitar sound.  Bass playing by Mike Davis is good throughout, audible enough to know he's not just part of the backdrop, but not so much that it distracts from the centerpiece guitar work.  Mike doesn't do anything flashy, but the playing pretty much follows the songs and provides enough underlying weight to do the job.  Rhino's drumming is on-point throughout, with plenty of well executed double-bass, precision timing for snare & cymbal hits, and nice fills and transitions here and there.  There's nothing new here, but what he does fits the music and sounds good over the course of the album.

Vocally, Sean Peck could perhaps be the weak link of the album, but that is a minor complaint.  Sean has that "reach for the sky" thing going on vocally, much like Tim "Ripper" Owens during his time with Judas Priest and Iced Earth.  I've read reviews of "Jugulator" where Tim was accused of going for the high notes too often, and always at the time when it would be both most logical to do so, as well as most contextually annoying.  I never felt like that was the case with "Jugulator", and I enjoyed his performance on that record.  With "War Master", there are definitely spots where Sean struggles to reach the note he's aiming for, so he ends up being slightly flat.  It's not all the time, as sometimes he's on target, but there are instances where he should either have done additional takes, or opted for a different note or key.  I also feel like when he's transitioning between notes and is scaling upward, there are times when he sounds flat or off-key in transition.  That could just be the grit in his voice being too ever-present, or just my perception, but it is a slight distraction.  Non-vocalists may not notice these subtle things, but for those that do, it could be a minor hit against the release.  Lyrically, the album slogs through the usual power metal topics of fantasy, war, unity in metal, and so forth.  The lyrics do occasionally verge on overly clichéd and rote, but in context, they make sense and can be forgiven.

Having spun this some 30 times in the last couple weeks, I can say that I have roughly the same impression of it I had as about 20 or 25 plays ago.  That being, this is an enjoyable, if derivative journey into modern power metal with a decidedly American PM slant.  Again, shades of CAGE are present, but this is its own entity.  More distracting than the similarity to CAGE is the fact that with tracks like "Hammer Down" having too much a Hammerfall lyrical vibe, "Children of Flames" sounding like Sean is channeling David Wayne during the quieter vocal moments, or Sean's aforementioned propensity for "Ripper" like wailing, there's nothing wholly original or that you haven't heard before.  The same could be said for a lot of power metal, but when the songwriting doesn't hold interest through 100% of the album, or there's not enough of a hook to keep one listening (other than the general quality of performances), it's a hard sell in terms of choosing this over, say, the next CAGE album or any number of other power metal releases coming out each day.

Kudos to these guys for making an album that has an American Power Metal vibe to it, and unabashedly so.  I just don't think this is in the same league as many of the bands they'll likely be compared to, which is a shame, because there's a lot of talent on display here.  If Death Dealer does another album, my recommendation would be that Sean utilize a greater overall range and not always go for the high notes, as well as developing the songs just a bit more so they're more memorable.  By the time I reach "Heads Spikes Walls" I'm beginning to check out because the last 2 tracks aren't as interesting as what came before.  And though I've had the choruses for "Death Dealer", "Warmaster" and "Curse of the Heretic" stuck in my head for a couple weeks, I know that's more of hearing Sean's wailing with a bit of vocal hook going on, and the actual chorus melody isn't stuck there with it.  If the melodies were strong enough, I'd be hearing the entire chorus or verse section, and that's what I'm missing from the album.  That doesn't mean I'm not having fun listening to this stuff, because I certainly am.  I just wish the end result was a bit stronger overall.  Recommended for power metal nuts who can't get enough, or are looking for something with a bit more of an American power metal bent to it.

75/100

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/

Prong - Carved Into Stone (2012)

Some bands, as they age, show signs of slowing down.  Not necessarily in terms strictly of speed, either in how fast they play, or how fast albums come out, but in terms of the quality & vitality of their material.  Other bands just get better with age, continuing to hone their core sound while massaging it and adding elements as they release a new album.  Prong, while thought to be lost after 1996's "Rude Awakening", came back to mixed reception in 2002, and then went on an extended break again after Tommy Victor joined the Danzig ranks for touring.  2007's "Power of the Damager" was a ray of light, offering hope that Tommy hadn't abandoned his audience, and it was a fiery assault worthy of the Prong name.  2012 saw the band return after another 5-year break, to some fanfare.  Some hailed it as the best thing they'd done since their magnum opus, 1994's "Cleansing".  Does it hit that mark?  Almost.

I will qualify that statement by saying that if you're not a fan of anything Prong has released since 1996, you'd do well to check out both this album and its predecessor for quality Prong material.  If you have and you're still not digging it, you couldn't call yourself much more than a casual fan of their material.  While I agree that "Cleansing" remains their most consistently captivating and quality effort, they've reached highs with their 2 most recent albums, from differing angles.  "Power of the Damager" is a powerful (excuse the pun) record with a lot of grit, energy, passion, and Tommy's signature riffing.  "Carved Into Stone" follows that aural assault up with a slightly more studied approach that is no less entertaining, just a bit more subdued and restrained.

Where "Power of the Damager" went for the jugular more often than not, "Carved Into Stone" prefers a more melodic approach.  There are definitely moments of ferocity, like the muscular opener "Eternal Heat", "Keep On Living In Pain", "List of Grievances" or the punchy "Subtract".  The bulk of the record, however, veers toward the more mid-paced, melodic territory of the material on "Rude Awakening".  Before the haters cry foul, let me say that while I don't think "Rude Awakening" is a bad record by any stretch, I recognize that it's not Prong's best work.  But on the whole, that album was all about mid-paced, groovy, melodic songs versus a more diverse approach.  This same approach is used here, but to greater effect, as the set of songs is stronger overall.  Where "Rude Awakening" had a number of songs that ran into one another without a lot of individual identity, "Carved Into Stone" corrects those mistakes with better melodies, more memorable songs, and improved pacing.

Tommy's signature guitar crunch is in tow here, and the production values highlight that by giving the guitar a very "up front" kind of position in the mix.  The guitar tone here is a bit different than that of "Damager" and has a touch less bite overall, but is a little meatier at the same time.  As always, Tommy's guitar riffing takes center stage, and he sounds great here.  Something that we get to hear Tommy do far more on this record than he's done before is solo - a number of the songs have guitar solos.  These aren't all just short blasts, or the "follow the vocal melody" variety either, as there are a couple extended solos.  Hearing this on the record was at first a bit jarring, and felt a bit "tacked on" or out of place, but after having spun the record numerous times, it makes sense and comes off more naturally than at first listen.  In addition, assuming I even have to say it, Tommy's pinch harmonics sound as awesome as ever.  Vocally, Tommy sounds good, though he is admittedly less energetic than on "Damager", which had a lot of interesting vocal things going on.  But he sings melodically and gets the job done.

Ministry's Tony Campos does an admirable job on the bass, providing the necessary counterpoint for Tommy's riffing without being overly flashy or doing anything that takes away from the core of the Prong sound, which is the groove and crunch of Tommy's guitar.  Bass sits nicely in the mix as well, being audible and able to be heard as its own instrument, yet providing that necessary thump and thickness to the proceedings.  Drum work by Alexei Rodriguez is a highlight.  He replicates a lot of the groove-based approach that previous drummers have done where appropriate, but he adds a lot of double-bass in places where some previous skinsmen would have just continue to groove on.  It's a nice change of pace, and gives the album a bit more personality in that area than some previous albums have had.  Drums are also placed well in the mix, not overpowering either bass or drums, but sitting quite nicely beside them.

I made mention of the songs here being strong, and they are.  "Eternal Heat" is a great opener, filled with energy and great riffing.  "Keep On Living In Pain" follows that up to complete a one-two punch of powerful material, complete with groovy chorus and strong riff.  "Revenge...Best Served Cold" is the best "single" the band has released since "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck", even slightly beating out the awesome "Controller" from "Rude Awakening".  "Put Myself To Sleep" is a song that marries both the energy and melodicism that Prong is known for.  "List Of Grievances" keeps the record interesting by picking up the pace and giving the listener a kick in the ears, as well as pulling out one of the longer, more killer solos Tommy played on the record.  The title track then slows things down for a heavy dose of groove, but keeps things melodic with a hooky chorus.  "Subtract" also picks up the pace again and provides another strong dose of energy.  The album has no lack of quality songwriting, that's for sure.  Lyrically, Tommy treads the usual murky waters of disenfranchisement, human failing, paranoia, and general distaste for the state of affairs of the world.  So, as usual, there's nothing new here, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

With all this positivity, where's the downside?  I love this record, and have listened to it countless times, but I can't shake the feeling that Tommy is so close to achieving a "personal best" and is just barely missing the mark.  I loved "Power of the Damager" as well, but felt that the album's set of songs wasn't as strong as they could be.  This has a better grouping of material, but lacks the punch, aggression, and urgency of its predecessor.  As I mentioned before, Tommy's vocals on this album are a bit "safe" for him.  He sounds great, but with all he did on "Damager", one wonders if he didn't like the results, or just felt that the material here, being of a more melodic nature, didn't benefit from those flourishes, and I'd agree.  I guess I just feel that if Tommy took the best elements of "Damager" (i.e. the aggression, energy, passion, and a more varied vocal approach), and combined those with the best elements on display here (overt melodicism, strong memorable songs, quality production/mix, pacing), he'd be at that apex where he might be able to match or even exceed "Cleansing".  The other potential hiccup is the production - Prong has sounded good on every post-"Cleansing" album, don't get me wrong.  But "Cleansing" had something in that Terry Date production that gave it that extra push.  That record has this really "dense" sound that gives it an air of heaviness that other Prong efforts haven't quite had.  The foreboding tone of the record lent itself so well to the material that it was the perfect storm of creative songwriting, performance, and production.

Overall, I feel like both "Damager" and this outing have explored separate sides of the same Prong coin, and while I dig the predecessor's urgency and aggression, this record has the edge because of its songwriting and the quality of the whole package.  If Tommy can come off this album and follow it up with something equally strong, yet bring in a bit more variety in the vocal department and more contrasts between the melodic and the aggressive, and hone the production to give the whole thing that extra ounce of power, he just might pull it off.  In the meantime, "Carved Into Stone" is an album I will continue to listen to and enjoy, knowing that at the very least, Tommy isn't resting on his laurels and continues to write and record great stuff.  Just don't take another 5 years to give us a follow-up this time, mkay?  Highly recommended.

89/100

**A word on the vinyl release!  I own both the retail digipak CD issue, and the 2xLP edition.  The vinyl itself sounds great, and while not probably 180g, is at least reasonably weighty enough to feel good when you're setting it on the turntable.  The brown marble platters are a nice touch.  My only gripes are that there are no lyrics on either inner sleeve (lazy design choice), and that there's no indication ANYWHERE on the records, packaging, inner or outer sleeves that these platters spin at 45 RPM instead of the requisite 33 1/3 RPM that most LPs opt for.  45 RPM was the right choice for a double LP, I just wish somewhere it had indicated that.  On the plus side, the vinyl edition comes with a bonus track, a cover of Rammstein's "Feuer Frei!" track.  It's a good cover, sufficiently sounding like Prong but being recognizable as a cover of the original.  It's curious that Prong chose to cover the track, because Rammstein could probably have been accused of being influenced by Prong, so I guess it comes full circle.  It sounds like a song that Tommy could have written, and the performance speaks to that.  Also, the vinyl version comes with the full album (minus bonus track) on CD in a paper sleeve!  So if you're a vinyl enthusiast who likes getting the digital download with purchase, this is even better.  It's a shame that this is the only place outside of iTunes to get the cover track, but ultimately the album itself is the main draw.