Opeth - Deliverance (2002)

With the success that "Blackwater Park" produced, Opeth was obviously on a roll, and the band made sure to keep up with the momentum. To do so, the Swedes opted to quickly enter Studio Fredman once again, this time to make a double album release, something that their current record company, peaceville records, was not willing to do. So it became a compromise, the double album was split into two separate records that were released 5 months apart, both being recorded at the same time.

We will eventually get into the twin brother "Damnation", but first up was "Deliverance", a pretty sensible follow up to "Blackwater Park" that saw the band continuing with their unique style of progressive metal. This album focused on the long version of the band, containing only six songs, and all of them (except for a small instrumental titled "For Absent Friends") were over the ten minute mark, making "Deliverance" pretty meaty with a solid run time of just over an hour.

This album is also one of the band's heavier efforts, almost completely ignoring their rock influences that has become such a vital part for them. It is kind of a risky move that surely makes this and "Damnation" a nice double dipper in a long listening session, but on its own, it becomes a little stale. Not to say that this album is a complete waste, the quality is surely there, and it definitely sounds like Opeth from start to finish, but it just does not have that gut wrenching punch that normally turns a good Opeth record into a magnificent one.

As said though, there is still a lot to like about "Deliverance", especially the title track that is just pure Opeth candy. The second half is almost purely instrumental, with a really catchy rhythm as the main star, digging deeper and deeper into your brain for every cycle it repeats. That song is worth the price of admission alone, but there is a lot of great instrumentation in this album, you just need the patience to find it, because they are mostly buried in the middle or end of the songs. Some of the best bits can be found in both "Wreath" and "A Fair Judgement", making the first half of the album really excellent. Of course, Mikael does another stellar vocal effort too, but this is his most anonymous performance to date.

But even if the album is only six songs long, I still find two that are more or less unnecessary. The short instrumental "For Absent Friends" has no real meaning to it besides giving a comfortable break, and while "Master's Apprentices" is a fairly nice track, it take an obscene amount of time to get somewhere. I am all about opening long songs slowly, but this is just flat out ridiculous. Then we have the ending song "By The Pain I See In Others", which has the opposite problem, the final four minutes is more or lest silence, which is not a good way to end an album. Still really like the song though.

Ultimately though, "Deliverance" is a neat little album that has some good Opeth magic to it, but I do not think it is enough of it for it to be able to match the band's previous works. The rift between the first and second half is quite big, and only getting 5 and a half songs is not really worth it in the end. Still, there is enough meat on the bone to really appreciate what Opeth did here. After all, it is the first half of a double header, with the second one promising some more proggy goodness from the Swedes. A nice appetizer for what is hopefully the main course.

Songs worthy of recognition: Deliverance, Wreath, A Fair Judgement

Rating: 7/10 Absent Friends

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Motörhead - Hammered (2002)

There is no real secret that Motörhead is at their best when they just go full on caveman mode when it comes to emotions. Sure, they can write emotional stuff, but it is the songs about booze, sex, and drugs that we know them by, and that we love them for. The same goes for their musical approach, when it is at its simplest, it is usually at its best. We are ultimately quite lucky that this band was not too much into experimenting with their formula.

However, there are albums that they have done that are more moody, that either tries something different or simply reflects what the band is going through at the moment. While I cannot really pin point what was going on with the band during the time they recorded "Hammered" (maybe they were, as the title suggests, drunker than usual?), the music tells a story that something was a little off, something was not quite right.

Not to say that "Hammered" is a bad album, but it is one of the stranger ones in the band's discography. A lot of songs in here are really underwhelming, either trying to be more groovy than heavy, or not going on full speed. It almost feels like the band is trying to hold back, like they might even be a little tired after the steam roller they created previously, and that they took this opportunity to relax a little more.

Now, this is ultimately a Motörhead record, so we obviously do get some true heavy metal here, it just is not in the quantity that we are used to. "Brave New World", "Voices From The War", and "Kill The World" all bring some intensity, and they all are fairly enjoyable songs, but once again, they feel like they are holding back a little, not going full throttle. Actually, we do not get a true mauler until the very end of the album, with the dark "No Remorse" and the crazy "Red Raw". The latter one is definitely much needed, but why is it back here? Please put it earlier in the album so that raw anger can be released before it becomes too much to handle.

It certainly feels like "Hammered" is more of a standard hard rock record, with all of the PG decisions that have been made here and there, and a lot of these tunes are questionable. Like, why does "Down The Line" has such a dull chorus that do not make we want to sing it? Why do we have keyboards in "Mine All Mine" that make it sound like a dated Van Halen song? Why is there a close to two minute spoken word part called "Serial Killer" inserted in this album? And why, oh why, is such a cool title as "Shut Your Mouth" given such a boring structure, one that not even a nice Phil Campbell solo can save?

Speaking of the performance, I cannot tell if the band phoned this one in or not, because they are not given any real chances to shine. There are times in this record where Lemmy cannot hit the right notes with his vocals, something that I have not heard so obviously in a Motörhead record before. And Mikkey Dee, who usually is killing it, does more or less a great job here, but he is not given the material to let out his talents. It feels like Phil is the only one who tries to spice it up with some cool solos, but unfortunately the riffs drown it out, hiding his performances too.

So yeah, this is a very, VERY underwhelming record. It has some nice songs here and there, but close to everything in this record is simply forgettable. I do not really hate any of the music here, but I cannot find it in me to care about it either, because there are so much better material from this band out there. Ultimately, it is a pretty harmless record that clocks in just under 46 minutes, a reasonable length. Fans of the band should give it a shot, maybe there are some songs you can get out from it, but in the grand scheme of things, "Hammered" does not drop the hammer, it could not even pick it up from the start.

Songs worthy of recognition: Voices From The War, Walk A Crooked Mile, Red Raw

Rating: 5,5/10 Serial Killers

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Halford - Crucible (2002)

After the retrospective tour known as "Resurrection", Rob Halford set out his sight for the future instead in his second solo project record, which got the name "Crucible". The album is much more modern and darker in its approach, containing very few elements from Halford's career. Even if it is a different sounding album, "Crucible" is still a smooth evolution, still keeping a heavy core of crunchy riffs and soaring vocals, mixed with some slower creations as well. So yeah, the fans were definitely in for a different, but still familiar journey.

Now, the album was released back in 2002, but was re-released in a remixed and remastered version in 2010 (the same was done to "Resurrection"), and for once, the remaster is better. The main difference here is the track list, that does not only include the four bonus tracks from the limited and Japanese version, but they have also scrambled the order quite a bit. The title track for example starts off the album in the original version, but is on the second half in the remaster. I find the flow to be better on the remaster, the album cover is much cooler, and three of the four bonus tracks are quite enjoyable, so job well done there. Should still be mentioned that my ultimate opinion is about the original version, in case you were wondering.

"Crucible" is certainly more experimental than its two year older brother, Halford trying different ways to utilize his voice and song writing ability. The same goes for the production, which is grittier and rougher than what it was on the predecessor, and yeah, it does not suit the band well at all. It is something about this production that drags this album way down, to the point where it just hurts to listen to. We all know the man's potential, and it goes without saying that it is wasted here, unfortunately.

But if we look past the dreadful sound picture, there are some great hidden gems in here that not only are fantastic metal anthems, but might even be considered as some of the best songs written by the Metal God. "Wrath of God" has the perfect title, it is 3 minutes of pure fury that only Kratos from the "God of War" games can match, while "Sun" uses some really interesting techniques, both on the guitars and the song structure, making it really intriguing even if it holds the same tempo for most of its run time. We also have "Handing Out Bullets", a song where the drums dominate with an infectious beat, something Halford only enhances with his mighty vocals. And for those who missed the old school force that "Resurrection" had, then the gladiator story of "One Will" and the furious "Betrayal" will most certainly satisfy your needs.

As for the more experimental tracks, they are mostly filler, but we can find some good one too, like the previously mentioned "Sun", "Heart of Darkness", and "She". But several songs on "Crucible" are just bland or uninteresting. Songs like "Weaving Sorrow", "Golgotha", the title track (and its weird oriental vibes), and the bonus track "Fugitive" are just incredibly pale, lacking personality and momentum. Now, I do not wanna point finger at anyone, but I wonder how much of an influence the other 4 guys of the band were, and how much they contributed in the writing process. Not blaming them, just saying that they might have led Halford into this path, which in itself is not bad, it just needed some more polished songs to go along.

It is obvious that Halford wanted to do so much with "Crucible", trying to spread out his wings as much as he could here, but the end product falls kind of flat. There is some great material in here that displays the band's true potential, squeezing out every bit of metal goodness that is possible, but the production and good amount of fillers kills the experience for me. Halford did a Icaros here, he flew too close to the sun, eventually giving himself quite a burn that hurts him badly. "Crucible" had potential, but never lived up to it.

Songs worthy of recognition: Wrath of God, One Will, Sun

Rating: 6,5/10 Crystals

Amon Amarth - Versus The World (2002)

Almost every band has a point in their career when their music and recognition reaches the next level, a album or a certain event that changes the band's future for the greater good. For the Swedish melodic death metal band Amon Amarth, that point was around 2002, with the release of their fourth full length effort, entitled "Versus The World". This is where all of the hard work the band has put through the three previous records has led up to, a unique, captivating sound that is melodic, demonic, and outright awesome. This is when the true ability of Amon Amarth was born and shown to the world.

The first thing that strikes you instantly is the production, that is beating the crap out of its predecessors. Peter Tägtgren and the rest of the gang finally got it right to make Amon Amarth stand out as much as possible in the disc format. It is as clean as it could ever be without losing the much needed edge to give the music its toughness, and finally, you can really hear how talented the guys really are. The slamming beats of Fredrik Andersson, the beautiful and technical effort from Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Söderberg's guitars, the steadfast bass by Ted Lundström, and last, but certainly not least, Johan Hegg and his amazing viking voice. OH, THE SHIVERS!

And together with these fantastic performers, "Versus The World" displays some high quality tunes to make it a really powerful record. Starting off with "Death In Fire" and its heavy double bass, the album instantly takes command over your ears, blasting them with all their power. "Death In Fire" certainly sets the bar high for the remaining 8 songs of the album, and fortunately, it is not overly high that it seems like the highlight of the album already has been passed. However, since the album is so even throughout, I cannot simply point at one song and say that it is the absolute highlight of the album, so I rather look at the entire album as one humongous highlight of its own.

But there are some songs that do stand out a little more than the others (although the difference between the best and the least best song is very slim). "Across The Rainbow Bridge" stands out a lot thanks to its more beautiful approach, focusing more on creating a sort of sad, but still hopeful mood instead of pounding heavily. A real beaut of a song. Then we have the title track that uses the patented Amon Amarth riffing so perfectly that it makes me drool floods, and the same can be said in "Where Silent Gods Stand Guard" and "Thousand Years of Oppression". I also have to mention the final track of the album, called "...And The World Will Cease To Be", a track that has great, memorable riff, and an overall structure and mood to perfectly close this show so the listener leaves as happy as possible. What and amazing end to "Versus The World".

Sadly, I do find some flaws with "Versus The World", not any big flaws, but noticeable enough to scratch its silky smooth surface. I said earlier that the album is incredibly even in its performance, and that is like an double edged sword. While it does make it a great album, it does have slight tendencies to becoming stale when you are listening at it for too long, especially since the songs are pretty similar to each other. I also miss some catchy choruses, or something else that does make the memorability factor higher in this album.

No matter what, this is where Amon Amarth's journey truly takes off into infinity, finalizing their transformation to a world class act. "Versus The World" has the quality, the power, the width, and the intensity that all of the other Amon Amarth albums have strived for, but never really reached. With 9 fantastic songs, and five band members who are at the top of their game, this album delivers the goods in such a way that it would make Odin fall off from his throne in Asgard. Amon Amarth 1 - The World 0.

Songs worthy of recognition: Across The Rainbow Bridge, Death In Fire, Down The Slopes of Death, ...And The World Will Cease To Be

Rating: 9,5/10 Bloodsheds

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https://twitter.com/amonamarthband

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Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (2002)

With one of the best concept album made by any band behind them, Dream Theater went in to the 21st century as one of the biggest bands in progressive metal. But there was one problem. How would they top "Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From A Memory"? Well the band thought that the only way to follow up such a fantastic conceptual album is to write a bigger conceptual album. "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" is over one and a half hours long and extracts itself into two separate discs. Although there is only six songs on this albums the title track takes up one disc itself with a length of 42 minutes which makes this song the longest song the band has ever written. So yeah, this album is not for the weak listeners.

The overall concept of the first half of the album is the struggles we sometimes face in life which includes alcoholism, death, self-isolation and more. In the second disc, we get to follow the journeys of six individuals with different illnesses. I definitely dig the concept but I feel it is still a little weaker than the concept on "Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From A Memory". It just does not have the same dazzling strengths. Never the less it is still a concept worthy of digging deeper in to.

Out of the two discs I would say that the second disc is the stronger but the first disc has it moments. It starts of great with "The Glass Prison", a dazzling song that continues on where the last album ended (literally since "The Glass Prison" starts with the same roaring Noise that ended "Finally Free"). Such a great epic and a perfect way to kick of this album. The following song "Blind Faith" also makes a decent impression on me with a good structure and fine work on the keyboard by Jordan Rudess. But after that it goes somewhat downhill since no other song on the first disc holds the same standards. Do not get me wrong, the tracks 3-5 is no horrible songs but you will probably not be blown away by them. For instance, "Misunderstood" is overall a good song but it feels like some kind of a whining is going through. Also add a annoying ending that is completely useless. There are some good intentions in all these songs on disc 1 but no one (except "The Glass Prison") reaches all the way through.

So let us all jump in to the second disc instead. It is there the magic truly lies. And if you can not stand a song that reaches over 10 minutes then you will probably be pleased to hear that the title track is divided into 8 individual songs that together creates one of the meatiest songs known by man. Individually the songs differ from beautiful and spiritual slow-tempos songs ("Solitary Shell", "About To Crash") to more fast paced and technical metal ("War Inside My Head", "The Test That Stumped Them All"). A good mix of songs that makes the whole disc diverse and unpredictable. Just as we all want it to be. I think that the faster songs are the better parts of the title track since they really reflect on the struggles that the characters on the songs is experiencing. It is also on those song where the band is showing a great amount of skills.

A great overall concept but I am missing that true Dream Theater magic that we experienced on the bands greatest albums. The overall quality of the songs is lower than normal and I have a really hard time to enjoy this album completely. But I still think this is a valid effort from the band but with the quality Dream Theater possesses I know that they got an extra level or two to put in to their music.

Songs worthy of recognition: The Glass Prison, The Test That Stumped Them All, Blind Faith

Rating: 7/10 Solitary Shells

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