Devin Townsend Project - Epicloud (2012)

What is this? Was not Devin Townsend Project supposed to be a 4 album series? Well it was, but I have not found out why Devin chosed to continue under this name even after the four albums (if any of you know, feel free to inform me in the comment section). Anyhow, "Epicloud" was conceived during a time where Devin felt he was over thinking and over doing things, especially in the work of "Z2", so he had to make a record that was "naked". A simple record that he could make while on autopilot.

This is indeed a simple album. Very few solos, few places for any of the band members to hide, but that does not have to mean that the music is flat. On the contrary, it is just as epic as the title suggest. Devin has surely created some lovely tunes, and together with the gospel choir, the music reaches epic heights that should be impossible to reach. I also like that Devin uses former The Gathering singer Anneke Van Giersbergen as much as he does (that sounds very wrong).

Even though I would say that this is a pop metal album, "Epicloud" has some heavy moments. The two fast songs "Liberation" and "More!" comes with an impressive assault with great riffs and an intensity that is hard to match. Then we also have "Kingdom", which some of you might recall from "Physicist". Compared to the original, I like this version better since it has a cleaner production and it also feels more epic now then what it did on "Physicist". No matter what, I like this song, and I like that Devin wanted to bring it up in a album he does not hate.

Besides from the heavy part, "Epicloud" displays other sides of Devin. The single "Lucky Animals" shows a really silly side of Devin that is almost worthy of being a Monty Python sketch, while the more epic "Save Our Now" feels like a song that could easily go well in the clubs. Then we also have more calmer songs like "Where We Belong" and "Divine". But it is the epicness that stands out in this album, and boy, there is some epic tunes here. And even if most of these songs are cheesy and has lyrics about love, Devin does a great job with the music. For instance, "Grace" is the grandest of the grand with the screaming choir and heavy riffs, while "Hold On" instead relies on Anneke's strong, emotional vocals.

"Epicloud" truly deserves the name that it has been given. Sure, the lyrics are corny and far from perfect, but the pure epicness makes you forget all about that. Devin, Anneke, the choir, everyone makes an amazing effort to make this pop metal album one of the best Devin Townsend records up to date. This album makes you happy, and I can almost guarantee that not even Ebenezer Scrooge could listen through this album without smiling. Effervescent quality!!!

Songs worthy of recognition: Liberation, Lucky Animals, Where We Belong, Save Our Now, Kingdom, Grace

Rating: 9,5/10 Angels

The Omega Experiment - S/T (2012)

Whenever I miss a album from last year that is "Best of the year list" quality I get freaking pissed. I start smashing walls and starts swearing here and there. Ok I may have over exaggerated my reaction there but I do that in my mind whenever this happens to me. That is exactly what happened inside my head when I first heard the self-titled debut from The Omega Experiment. They impressed me with their highly experimental progressive sound that reminds me of Devin Townsend, a resemblance that have been somewhat of a curse to the band. Most of the metal community has ignored this band only for the similarities with the Canadian mad man. I only see that resemblance as an upside since there are very few acts in the world that even comes close to making this style of music. I can, however, agree on that the vocals can be distracting since they are also very similar to Devin's style.

Anyhow, the music in "The Omega Experiment" is heavy but still uplifting and epic. And the musicality is sometimes not perfect but still really impressive for a band that is relatively new. It is especially the keyboards that is impressing the most when they drift of into infinity and beyond.

The spectacle begins with the happy tune "Gift" that could easily be a theme song for the track Rainbow Road in Mario Kart. It is uplifting but it also have that special outer space touch. But this track is probably not for those of you who wants heavier stuff. No you should instead check out the following giant "Stimilus", a track that is a progressive metal fans wet dream. Epic intro? Check! Tempo shifting? Check! Crazy ass parts where the band goes ape shit? Surprisingly, hell yeah check!!! "Stimulus" is a ten minute ride that makes sure that no one gets out bored or unsatisfied.

The outer space feeling continues through the easily accessible "Motion" and the calm and soothing "Tranquility" until we get blasted with the clearly hardest song on the album, which is "Furor". Here we get crazy blast beats and scary keyboard notes thrown at us in high speeds while the singer Dan Wieten puts on his most aggressive voice. It is an aggressive assault and I should be terrified but just cannot stop smiling every time this song goes through my speakers. Cause in all that anger we have a small light of hope which just increases the awesomeness this song is sending out. I am not sure if the mastermind Devin Townsend himself could have done "Furor" better, this is probably as perfect as a song can be.

The remaining songs on this album are pretty pale compared to "Furor" but they still have their moments. I Like the heavy "Karma" for its attitude and its speed and also "Terminus" has its moments with a sound that is very similar to the sound you find in the Devin Townsend Project album "Epicloud". The last song "Paramount" is not my favourite from the album but it is a uplifting and fitting ending on one of the best debut albums in the 21st century.

As I said in the beginning of this review, this album would have easily made it into my best of 2012 list if I discovered it at that time. It may not have made it into the top five but it definitely would have deserved a top ten spot. But I am still happy that I have experienced this fantastic progressive album. This band has a really bright future ahead of themselves.

Songs Worthy of Recognition: Furor, Stimulus, Karma, Motion

Rating: 9/10 Gifts

Damned Pilots - Spaced Out EP (2012)

Now I do not normally review EP's but if a band wants me to review it I am more than happy to do so. And if you are wondering why it is so it is because I feel that EP's is just an excuse for being lazy in the song creating process. I can understand that newcomers like Italian quartet Damned Pilots would release an EP so they can give a taste to future fans and record companies of what to come. But it is completely useless that a already famous and well established band would release an EP since they have the resources to release a full-length album, something that would make the fans much happier than a short EP. Sorry for going out of subject but I had to get it out of my system.

Anyhow, Damned Pilots comes from Italy and consists of Don Nutz on drums, Johnny Angel on guitar, Pino Space on bass and Ote on vocals and guitar. So how would I describe the bands sound? Well, they have a solid mix of doom and groove metal which reminds me a lot of The Sword, a band that I only liked sporadically. Damned Pilots first offering to the world is the 6 songs long EP "Spaced Out".

After a quick opener called "Believe Me Now" (originally made by Electric Light Orchestra), which only works as a complaining intro, Damned Pilots gives us "My Word", a groovy song that may not have extraordinary works on either of the instruments but is still a solid song that keeps my head rocking back and forth. It also has a calm but  good solo that works surprisingly well with the rest of the song. Also love the roughness on Ote's vocals this particular track. The following song, "Make My Day", is more melodic but still keeps a groovy rhythm that is keeping my interest where it should be. Unfortunately I feel that this song does not have enough strength to be one of the best on "Spaced Out" but it is certainly not the worst of the material. That award goes to the song that comes next, which is "Believin' In". It is the calmest song on the EP and sadly also the song that has the same effects as a sleeping pill. Whisperings, some acoustic guitars and slow motion mode on. I swear that I nodded of a couple of times when listening to this song.

After waking up from my nap time I get thrown in to the cover of the W.A.S.P song "Sleeping In The Fire" (that title fits more on the previous song). Compared to the original version I would say that the band did a great work here. Damned Pilots really made this song their own with a darker touch and the musicianship here is some of the best on the entire EP, especially the guitar solo. I definitely thinks that this version is worthy a small recognition but as always, you simply can not beat the original song. The EP ends with a more or less useless track called "The Masonic Rite of Ynnoc O". I mean what is the meaning with this song? It is only some simple guitar riffs and some strange background sound. I simply do not get it so I will just let it be.

I personally think that a band potential can only be evaluated correctly through a full-length album but after hearing "Spaced Out" I definitely thinks that Damned Pilots may be up for something interesting. There are not many established bands in this genre and if the band can keep it up on the song writing there is a chance that they could make it in the music industry. "Spaced Out" is a valid effort that could have been better without the sleeping pill and the useless outro but the potential is there and I for one is excited of seeing where this potential may end up.

Songs worthy of recognition: My Word, Sleeping In The Fire

Rating: 7/10 Masonic Rites

Bandcamp: http://damnedpilots.bandcamp.com/album/spaced-out
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Damned-Pilots/177425625676655
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/damnedpilots?feature=watch

Tiamat - The Scarred People (2012)

2012 has been a great year for Gothic metal. Bands like Katatonia, Woods of Ypres and Gojira (Gojira is not completely Gothic but they have their tendencies to slip into the genre) have released some of the best albums in their carriers. But for some reason I totally missed out on another great Gothic release. "The Scarred People" by the Swedish band Tiamat was released in late October, a busy time in music every year. During that time I listened to new releases by Cradle of Filth, Parkway Drive, Kamelot, Cauldron and Geoff Tate (all albums also reviewed on this blog) but totally missed this great release from one of Sweden's finest metal bands. Well that is what late December and early January is for, looking back on the albums you have missed during the past year.

Anyhow, during the bands 23 year long carrier Tiamat has gone from being one of the bands that founded black metal to a more Gothic style of metal. Personally I am more fond of the later version of the band mostly because the music is more well composed and more emotional. It may not be very unique but the band is doing their music with such finesse that it works just great.

"The Scarred People" starts off in a great pace with the title track. A great epic that sets the bar very high for the coming songs. The mood and darkness is just delicious. A feeling that is preserved through the entire album. But something that not every song has is the same pace. Most of the songs in "The Scarred People" are cool, slow songs which is more Gothic but there may be one too many of them here. Fortunately, most of these songs are actually quite enjoyable like the bonus tracks "Born To Die" and "Paradise".

It is the more mid-paced songs that is stealing the show in this record. Besides the title track I also love "Love Terrorists" (note: I do not love terrorists) and "Thunder & Lightning". There is a groove in these songs that I am digging. But there is not all good on "The Scarred People". I got a hard time remembering most of the songs on this album mostly because they are either very anonymous or they are just plainly mediocre songs. Such a shame that there are quite a few songs like that cause this album had a huge potential.

Overall I like "The Scarred People" but it is not the strongest album from 2012 in the genre. It is a uneven album where the highs are like mount Everest and the lows are about half the depth of Grand Canyon. But I do not think the band should be dissapointed with this album. It is still an enjoyable album and the band is solid in their work. But I think they could have done a little better with this release.

Songs worthy of recognition: The Scarred People, Paradise, Love Terrorists

Rating: 7,5/10 Winter Dawns

Malice - New Breed of Godz (2012)

With a murdering competition during the mid-80's there was bound to happen that several heavy metal bands would eventually just give up. And who can blame them. Standing up against Metallica, Iron Maiden, Slayer and several other great names is not something you would look forward to. But time's have changed and has given another chance for these older, forgotten bands to rekindle their flame and once again stand up for their music. One of these bands are the American band Malice, a band that have released two previous albums in the mid-80's. But the band's popularity was only mild at best and surely enough they broke up after the EP "Crazy In The Night" in 1989. Now the band is back and re-united since 2006 with new vocalist + drummer and with their third album entitled "New Breed of Godz" the band is once again trying to reach greatness in the music industry.

Even though this is a new full-length album there is only four newly written songs on this album. The rest of the material is re-recordings of old songs. The new songs are the title track, "Branded", "Winds of Death (Angel of Light)" and "Slipping Through The Cracks". Out of these four I would say that the title track is the only one of the new songs that holds a high standard. The song is overall exciting and the instruments cooperate pretty well here. But there is no doubt that it is the older songs that are the stars of "New Breed of Godz". Songs like "Hell Rider", "Against The Empire" and "Sinister Double" definitely shows how good Malice was back in the day.

But to completely understand how the band has evolved during the 25 years since the last full length album I had to go back and compare how the old and new versions stands against each other. The production is of course better now than it was back and there is a significant difference between the singers styles but other than that I feel that there is no great differences between the originals and the re-recordings. I have to say though that "Against The Empire" feels more epic and grand in "New Breed of Godz" than it did on "License To Kill" which is a great improvment. But I think the only meaning with bringing these older songs on this record is to make the younger listeners backtrack to the bands previous album and then get hooked on the band. Did it work on me? Not quitly but I got at least a little interested in the band and I will follow them in the future.

If "New Breed of Godz" did not have the older songs I think this would have been an album that would have reached up to 7 in the rating scale but since the majority of the songs have already been released I am lowering the rating for this album despite the good production and the powerful singing from James Rivera. But if the band is tempted to continue what they have started I would gladly follow them and see what they could do with an album filled with only new material. So let us consider "New Breed of Godz" as a warm up for Malice and instead look forward to what they will bring next.

Songs worthy of recognition: Against The Empire, Sinister Double, New Breed of Godz

Rating: 5/10 Hell Riders

Green Day - !TRÉ! (2012)

So here we are, the third and last album in the trilogy by the pop-punk band Green Day. The previous two albums was both having minor punk intentions and some horrible choices when it comes to expanding the bands sound. In other words, the two predecessors to "!TRÉ!" was far from impressive. So it is now up to the band to man up and show that they still have some great puns left in their yet unreleased musical catalog.

Now this album was supposed to be released in approximately January or February next year but the band chose to push the release a little earlier since the compilations with Billie Joe and the drugs. For fans of the band it is a blessing from above. But for me it is just a faster way to get rid of the pain of listening to this trilogy. But I remained positive before listening to "!TRÉ!", and thank god for that. I cannot imagine how angry I would have become if I heard this album when I was in a bad mood. So where should I start? Well, "!TRÉ!" is at least not expanding the bands horizons as much as the two previous albums. You will recognize Green Day in this album. Unfortunately, it is more pop than punk in these songs and even worse, you probably have heard these songs before. No innovative riffs, recognizable drumbeats and deja-vú moments everywhere. It just bores the crap out of me. It is like the band just did not care to make new songs and just copied old songs and putting in new lyrics. That is probably as low as you can get when you get to creating songs.

Let us now look at the songs that did the most impression on me. First of is "Dirty Rotten Bastards" which reminds me of a long and tempo shifting song from "American Idiot" (like "Homecoming" or "Jesus of Suburbia"). A pretty decent song that is one of few bright spots on this album. Another one of those bright spots is the following track "99 Revolutions", the only song that shows some speed. But otherwise there is nothing that is showing as an advantage for Green Day. For instance, did you know that the concluder, "The Forgotten", is on the soundtrack for the latest Twilight movie! That is enough for me to loose all respect for the band (well not all but at least 90%) and a perfect reasong to give this album a low rating.

I think Green Day has bitten more than they can chew. Releasing three albums in such short notice is a bold, but foolish, thing to do. "!TRÉ!" defenitely shows that the band was running out of ideas at the end. There is only one advantage with "!TRÉ!". It does not have any horrible songs like the last two albums had. But just because it does not have songs that makes the ears bleed it does not mean that it can get away with having dull deja-vú songs. Finally, if you are going to make another album trilogy Green Day please take your time and make sure that you make three different albums instead of three similar ones.

Songs worthy of recognition: 99 Revolutions, Dirty Rotten Bastards

Rating: 3,5/10 X-Kids

Dr. Living Dead! - Radioactive Intervention (2012)

During the 21st century there has been a new wave of thrash metal that has not only lifted the genre itself but has also made the old legends in the genre come back with incredible strength (Overkill, Testament, Anthrax with more). But these new bands is giving the old men a run for their money and one band that is in the top is the swedish quartet Dr. Living Dead!. They may be a little ridiculous since all of the members have fake alias (Dr. Rad, Dr. Ape, Dr. Toxic and Dr. Dawn) and that they perform wearing skull masks but the thrash music they are making is nothing to laugh at. Their self-titled debut album from last year was powerful and insane and showed that even Sweden has some skilled thrash metal musicians among their approximately 9 million citizens. But now the real test is here. Would this interesting project deliver an equaly strong follow up to last years success?

Now for those of you that are true thrash metal geeks you may be wondering what type of thrash metal does Dr. Living Dead! play? Well, it is a sort of dead thrash metal which means that the band plays short songs with a lot of room to riff, scream out the lyrics and, of course, to make an incredible and big mosh pit! Some great names in that category are Suicidal Tendencies and Municipal Waste. But does Dr. Living Dead! keep up with the big boys? Yes, I would definitely say that this band keeps the same standards as the giants in this type of music. One thing that makes the band stand out (besides the fact that they wear skull masks) is that the band has a little more groove on their sound. Especially on the songs "Signs From The Other Side" and "Suffering". Both songs reminds me of Anthrax for some reason which is a good thing since I love Anthrax. And another upside with this bands music is that it has some good variation, something many bands in this genre does not have.

Unfortunately, just like most of the albums in this genre it can be a little too much of the good stuff on "Radioactive Intervention" and the short, intense songs have a tendency to wear themselfs out pretty quickly. For instance, I was somewhat bored by the songs "They Live" and "You're Lost" already after a couple of listens. Fortunately, the band did not include a lot of those songs in "Radioactive Intervention". Otherwise I love the riffing and the speed the band is bringing. Just the intensity you would expect from a band like Dr. Living Dead!.

So yeah, Dr. Living Dead! delivers some great thrash but these guys are still relatively new in the game. "Radioactive Intervention" is a good album that deserves it recognition. But the whole picture is not there yet. With some experience and a little more maturity I think that we will see some big albums coming from these guys in the future. But for now this will do. And I do not complain.

Songs worthy of recognition: Signs From The Other Side, Dead New World, Suffering

Rating: 7/10 Mental Warzones

Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Spellbound (2012)

I wonder why the swedish guitar virutuoso Yngwie Malmsteen even bothers to put the words Rising Force in his project any more. This is more of a solo album to me, not an album by a band. Yngwie writes all his music himself and he even sings on this album now that Tim "Ripper" Owens (Ex-Iced Earth, Ex- Judas Priest) has left Rising Force. Anyhow, "Spellbound" is Yngwie's 18th studio album and the first album with yours truly on vocals. A wise decision? I am not sure. Yngwie is not a terrible singer but he does not have the same strengths in his voice like Owens have. But one pro with Yngwie being a singer is that we may finally have some continuity when it comes to the vocals. The singer that lasted the longest was Doggie White and he lasted only 6 years (about 1/6 out of Yngwie's musical carrier).

But do not expect Yngwie to wear himself out on the vocals. Just like in "Relentless", the instrumentals has the majority of space on this record. A pretty big majority. Only three out of the thirteen songs have lyrics in them. In other words, Yngwie is letting the riffing do the talking instead of the vocals. A seemingly good decision since Yngwie is not so familiar with the singing. But I got to say that he does a really good work on the singing section, especially on the slow and delicate "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie". His voice is ruff at some spots but with some work I think that Yngwie will master that too. The other two songs ("Repent" and "Poisoned Minds") are good but nothing really special.

Well, how good are the instrumentals then? They are what you would expect from Yngwie. A solid mix of crazy ass shredding and slower, but more well composed, song structures. And the sound is, as usual, a neo-classical sound. A sound that Yngwie masters extremely well. But overall there are 3 instrumentals that is standing out from the rest. The title track has probably the best and unique riff in the entire album and the speed on that song is nice. Then we have "Majestic 12 suite 1, 2 & 3", a nine minute long epic that holds surprisingly well for a song of its size. Otherwise instrumentals that is around this length tends to be pretty boring and repetitive. The third and last instrumental on "Spellbound" that deserves a recognition is the album closure "Requiem For The Lost Souls". This song ends the album in a brilliant way with its beautiful sound and well organised structure. But there is one more instrumental that I would like to point out. "Iron Blues" is something I wish was never even in this album. I mean really? Blues? You may have taken a bit more than you can chew Yngwie. Please, no more of that kind of music in the future.

All in all I feel that "Spellbound" is the best album Yngwie has done since "Perpetual Flame". "Spellbound" has some really interesting instrumentals and the fact that Yngwie made literally everything for himself makes this album even more impressive. It is not a fantastic album but clearly above average. But for next album I would like to see less instrumentals and more of Yngwie's voice (if he is going to sing more in future albums).

Songs worthy of recognition: Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, Requiem For The Lost Souls, Spellbound

Rating: 7/10 Repents

The Very End - Turn Off The World (2012)

Last year I encountered a lot of new artist I have never heard about. One of these bands was the very interesting band called The Very End. These germans impressed me on their latest release ("Mercy & Misery") with a solid mix of true heavy metal and a sense of darkness in both the lyrics and music. So my expectations for "Turn Off The World" was fairly high since the band hooked me right away in their last offering. And sure enough, they hooked me again on this album.

"Turn Off The World" is a lot like its predecessor but the band has taken their music one step further. This album with the song "Splinters", a song that switches between the english and german language while thundering on a heavy groove. I did like the music but was there really necessary to mix their native language with english? Would it not be better if they followed through with one language instead of two? Well fortunately, this was the only track with german lyrics (no offense Germany). After that we got "Iron Sky". A song that shows what The Very End is all about. Heavy riffs, a good mix between harsch and clean vocals and an addictive chorus that you will instantly like. And to top it off, we also got a beautiful and great guitar solo. Such a great song.

Is the band slowing down after that starting onslaught? Hell no! Instead, they keep pressing that pedal to the metal. "Infidel" is a simple but effective song that is probably the catchiest in the entire album, "Dreadnaught" is a slower track but does a great job to catch the attention and then we have the amazing and emotional "Maelstorm Calling", probably one of the best songs I have heard all year. Now there is not only great songs in "Turn Off The World". We got two speedbumps in this otherwise smooth and fast road. The first one is "The Black Fix", a song that tries to be as heavy as possible but fails with that goal. The second bump is "Gravity", the only song on this record that uses only harsch vocals. Now I have nothing against Björn Goosses vocal abilities but I like it more when he mixes his styles on the tracks. Just like in "The Black Fix", "Gravity" tries to be really hard but does not succeed with its task. They are not horrible songs but they are clearly the weakest on this album.

The Very End goes from strength to strength. "Turn Off The World" takes the band one step further in their development and one step higher on the heavy metal ladder. This album is very even and strong and if the band keeps it going on this rate I will not be surprised if they get really big in about 5-10 years. I really hope they do 'cause they deserve it with their unique style and power. And by the way, that is one of the coolest cover so far this year.

Songs worthy of recognition: Maelstorm Calling, Iron Sky, Infidel

Rating: 9/10 Splinters

Destruction - Spiritual Genocide (2012)

Germany is probably the greatest country when it comes to teutonic thrash. My mouth starts to water when I hear band names like Kreator, Sodom and of course, Destruction. "Spiritual Genocide" is the band's 12th offering in 30 years. But for some reason I had a bad feeling about "Spiritual Genocide". I did not know why I felt like I did, I just had a hint that this album would not be as good as its predecessor ("Day of Reckoning").

Anyhow, you can not take away the fact that the band is very skilled at what they are doing. Mike is riffing his ass off and he does it good. Too bad that most of the riffs on this album is pretty similar but I think it is the production that should be the blame for that. Vaaver is blasting his way through the tracks behind his drum kit and Schmier's voice is as thrashy as ever. Great stuff. Unfortunately, the bands sounds somewhat dull. That is because the production is not what it should have been. I am sorry, but the producer did not suceed of unleashing the full potential of the band. I mean, the music on "Spiritual Genocide" is great but the semi-poor production drags the music down. It is truly a shame since this album could have been one of Destructions best albums up to date. I am, however, not surprised that the production is substandard because the band started recording this album as late as in August this year. You can really feel that the finished product has been rushed to make the dead line.

But let us set the production a side for a moment and instead focus on the music itself. Just like in "Day of Reckoning", the best songs on "Spiritual Genocide" are those songs that has speed, innovative riffs and striking choruses. There are a couple of them on this record but I felt that there could have been at least two more songs of that kind on this album. In other words, we got fillers on this album. One filler is "Renegades", a songs that seems to be going nowhere. There is no stable ground for this song to stand on and even though the solos are sweet they are way too short. Another filler is the pretty slow and predictable "Carnivore". But there are songs that is rising to the occasion like the ending song, "Under Violent Sledge". A perfect example on how Destruction's music should sound like. Fast, heavy and so thrashy so you feel it in to the bone. Without a doubt the best song on the entire album. Other fine moments are the title track whcih delivers a knockout of a chorus and the tempo shifting "To Dust You Will Decay".

 So yeah, Destruction keeps on rolling after 30 years of loyal hard work. Even though I would not consider "Spiritual Genocide" as the band's finest moment, this album is probably one of the best the band has released during the 21st century. A solid pack of heavy and thrashy songs. But next time I would appriciate that the band took its time to complete their next album. "Spiritual Genocide" could have been better if the band took at least another two or three months to develope the production and the mixing. Oh well, here's for the next 30 years!!!

Songs worthy of recognition: Under Violent Sledge, To Dust You Will Decay, Spiritual Genocide

Rating: 7,5/10 Carnivores

Geoff Tate - Kings & Thieves (2012)

So, Geoff Tate finally got kicked out of Queensrÿche. Well I could definetely see that coming. Even though Geoff is an extremely talented singer he was literally suffocating his former band these last years. Have you listened to their latest album ("Dedicated To Chaos")? If you have not then I highly recommend that you stay away from that album. "Dedicated To Chaos" is so dull and uninspiring that I wanted to kill myself. Well, now have Geoff released his second solo album (the first one was released in 2002 and was self titled). An album that will show in what direction Geoff will take from now on. Will he continue on what he started on "Dedicated To Chaos" or will he take on a completely different route to develope his music?

After one full listen of "Kings & Thieves" I started thinking. "Is it even worth listening to this album at least one more time?". "Kings & Thieves" has so many influences from "Dedicated To Chaos" that it just bugs the hell out of me. It is almost like they were identical twins. But there are a couple of things that makes "Kings & Thieves" superior to "Dedicated To Chaos". First off, the overall quality is a bit higher here and the consistency is better. Then I also think that "Kings & Thieves" has more guitar in the sound, something "Dedicated To Chaos" lacked a lot of. One thing that this album does not have  that "Dedicated To Chaos" had is a great song. Yes, one song on that album stood out and that song was "Retail Therapy". A great song that is catchy and groovy.

The only songs on "Kings & Thieves" that stands out is some of the more worse songs. One of these are "The Way I Roll". An complete embarrasment to the name Geoff Tate. Nothing more to say there. Other songs that you should stay away from is the boring and wailing "Tomorrow", the weird and awkward "Take A Bullet" and the completely empty "In The Dirt". There is actually only one song that is worthy a listen and that song is the opener of this album, "She Slipped Away". An acceptable groove whit a good chorus. Also like the keyboard on this song.

Well after listening to "Kings & Thieves" I can assure that Queensrÿche made a good decission on dropping their lead singer. He is good but the songs are not. So slow and sluggish that it actually encourages the listener to shoot himself. It is not as bad as "Dedicated To Chaos" but that does not mean that it is a good album. No it is horrible and it belongs in a thrash bin. So screw you Geoff. I am going home and I am not taking this album with me.

Songs worthy of Recognition: She Slipped Away

Rating: 3/10 Tomorrows

Green Day - !DOS! (2012)

So here is the second of the three albums that Green Day is releasing this year. The first album had some speedy intentions but did not deliver all the way. And if you are going to believe the classic "count up your reasons law", this album should be the worst of the three ( for those of you who are not familiar with this law, you speak your second strongest reason first, then your weakest reason and finally, your strongest reason is saved for last.), something the cover may be hinting. On the cover we find the basist Mike Dirnt. And you all know that the basist is the more anonymous band member in 9 out of 10 cases. Well, hopefully this album will be the exception that proves the rule.

Just like its predecessor, the sound of "!DOS!" is reminding me of the "American Idiot" era. It was a good era but an era that led to the bands downfall. A downfall you can clearly hear on this album. The band is trying and trying but I can not find any signs of originality. It is like they have copied the songs from "American Idiot" and "Warning!", changed the lyrics and put these songs in three seperate albums. The only thing that could have saved this album is that the songs was above average against what they have released during the 21st century. Some songs are above and some songs are below. But there is one song that is at rock bottom. The song "Nightlife" is probably the worst piece of s**t I have ever heard from Green Day. What the hell were they thinking? First off, Billie Joe sounds like he is on drugs (is this the reason why he is on rehab?). Second off, the beat is slow and really boring. But the worst thing is that in the middle of the song a singer called Lady Cobra (also appears on the song with the same name). Horrible and slow singing. Where did they found this girl? Please, take her back to where she came from.

Otherwise, the songs on "!DOS!" are very similar to the ones on "!UNO!". Nothing surprising but it would be nice with three different albums instead of three albums that are alike. Show us that you are truly creative and versitile instead of showing what you are comfortable with. Think outside the box. Even though there is no shock in this record, the overall sound of the album (except for "Nightlife") is okay. It is typical Green Day punk-pop. But just as I predicted, this album is more anonymous than "!UNO!". I have a harder time remembering the songs and the riffs which is always a bad sign. The band is doing their job like a self playing piano. Good but nothing we have not heard before from the band.

If we compare "!UNO!" and "!DOS!", I would put "!UNO!" higher than "!DOS!". A better overall performance and higher tops is the dealbreaker. Just like the "reason law", the second album from Green Day's three album series is probably the weakest (we will find that one out when "!TRE!" is released) of the three. Mostly because it has the worst song made by any band that is even near punk but also because of the lack of individuality. Step it up boys. Let loose on the third album please.

Songs worthy of recognition: Ashley, Makeout Party

Rating: 4,5/10 Lazy Bones

Green Day - !UNO! (2012)

First off, NO I do not know how to turn one of those explenation marks upside down. That is why I just said f**k it and made both explenation marks normal. Enough of my incompetence on the keyboard. "!UNO!" is the first of three album released in 2012 by the american pop-punk band Green Day. Really not sure why they would make three albums in such short amount of time. Maybe they had to many ideas in their heads that had to get out. Maybe it is a concept series (which I highly doubt). Maybe they got this idea while getting high. I do not know and I do not care. Ever since the mega success called "American Idiot", Green Day has been riding a spiral that leads the band towards the pop world. I do not even see the band as punk anymore. They have totally lost it. So my expectations for "!UNO!" was very low, especially since their last album, "21st Century Breakdown", was a complete mess.

There was a tiny part of myself that hoped that the band would go back to their glory days. The days where they actually were a punk band. Not surprisingly, that little part died as soon I heard this album. It is not an horrible album but it is certainly not punk. The song that is closest is probably the first song on this album ("Nuclear Family"). It is a good catchy song that has a decent amount of speed. Another song that catches my good side is the fun, but very repetetive, "Let Yourself Go". But there ends the fun stuff. Most of the other songs are either boring or just completly weird. Take my advice and do not listen to these following songs. "Oh Love" (never heard a more boring first single ever. And first singles are usually boring), "Sweet 16" (lyrics is just complete garbage) and last, but certainly not least, "Kill The DJ" (WTF!! This is not Green Day. It is something from a shitty teen movie). I am pretty confident that Billie Joe, Mike and Tre was very high when writing these songs. And btw, I wish Billie Joe all luck when he is on rehab. I though have to admit that what he did at the Iheartradio festival. Yeah right he is no Justin F*****g Bieber. He deserves so much more (Billie Joe, not Bieber).

But if we look in the overall picture, "!UNO!" is an album that fits in the middle of the pack. Despite having three of the worst songs Green Day ever has put out on an album, "!UNO!" is like a light version of "American Idiot". It has some hit songs but the material on this album is not enough to bring it all home. I am very curious what the upcoming albums "!DOS" and "!TRE!" has in store. Hopefully they bring more to the chopping block than "!UNO!" did. But one thing was good with this album. It was better the the bands previous one.

Songs worthy of recognition: Let Yourself Go, Nuclear Family

Rating: 5,5/10 Rusty James

I Am I - Event Horizon (2012)

Recognize the name ZP Theart? You should if you are a fan of power metal. He is the former singer of Dragonforce. You know, the band that is famous for having a s**t hard song on Guitar Hero and making music that is over the top (especially the guitar solos). Even though his previous band was very uneven in its delivery, I really enjoyed his singing voice. It is powerful and fits perfectly in the power metal genre. But now has ZP moved on and formed the band I Am I. So is it a Dragonforce Jr? No. It is still power metal but gone are the crazyness and in comes a more well constructed and a more solid form of power metal. Something which should count as an advantage for not only ZP but also the band as a whole.

Together with ZP we also got Neil Salmon on bass, Paul Clark Jr on the drums and Jacob Ziemba guitar. A pretty unknown group of soldiers that supports the former Dragonforce singer. Fortunately, the lads are doing a solid job on their positions. It is not overwhelmingly awesome but the guys are doing what they are suposed to do which is good enough. How about ZP then? Well, he does not put in as much effort as in DF but it is not because he has lost power. No, it is because he does not need to go 100% to get the most out of the songs on "Event Horizon". You wont hear ZP soar over the tracks like some huge airplane. Instead, you will notice that ZP is more earthbound than he has ever been. Which is not surprising since there are few parts on this album that acquires a soaring voice.

The music overall on "Event Horizon" is on the edge between mediocre and good. It is nothing really shocking on this album. Nothing that will make you say "Hey, I have never heard this before". But there are some great songs on this album. "Wasted Wonders" has a chorus that is catchy and actually makes me shiver (also, love the guitar and drums on this one). Other good songs that stands out are "Cross The Line", "Dust 2 Dust" and "Kiss of Judas". Most of the songs on "Event Horizon" are very modern and quite enjoyable. There are not so many songs that I can complain about. But if I had to chose one it would have to be the boring and unimpressing ballad "King In Ruins". I just can not get any feeling from this song.

I got to say that I Am I has surprised me. I was not expecting this clean and modern power metal from ZP & Co. "Event Horizon" is not an album that makes a straight impact on you. Instead, it grows on you. Most of these songs are good and are great examples on how good modern power metal should sound like. I would not say that I Am I is complete yet but I think the band has a bright future ahead of them.

Songs worthy of recognition: Wasted Wonders, Silent Genocide, Dust 2 Dust

Rating: 7/10 Kings In Ruins

All That Remains - A War You Cannot Win (2012)

What does it take to become a band of legendary proportions? I think that you have to have at least these five factors. 1. A huge fan base. 2. Consistency. 3. Make great live performances. 4. A good band chemistry. And 5. an urge to keep challening and evolve the music your creating. All That Remains has all those factors... except the last one. Ever since the amazing "The Fall of Ideals",  which contains three of the best songs from the 21st century ("Six", "This Calling" and "Not Alone"), All That Remains has just been stomping in the same spot for the last 4-5 years. The albums "Overcome" and "...For We Are Many" was dull and so far from groundbreaking as you can get. I hopped that "A War You Cannot Win" would show that the band still has something new to offer the world. I was wrong.

"A War You Cannot Win" is just like its two predecessors. Good in production but horrible in innovation. It is deja-vu through the entire album. In other words, IT'S BORING!!! But I gotta say that the album started promising. The songs "Down Through The Ages" and "You Can't Fill My Shadow" is some of the better songs from the era after "The Fall of ideals". Good structures and some good singing. Unfortunately, they can not hold up the entire album.

The rest of the songs should not even be mentioned. Those tracks has dissapointment written all over them. No innovative riffs, no great build ups and it does not even feel like the band is trying. They are just running on stand by. I have nothing against any of the band members but for god sake show some balls. Try a different angle. Think outside the box. Do something completely different. Just stay out of this line and take another direction. One thing you could try is to have one song with only harsh vocals. Try to show more of that hard side.

I think this is the last album from All That Remains that I will listen to (if I do not decide to listen to their previous albums again). The band must make some drastic changes to get their carrer up and running again. As it is now, the band is just stalling and living on previous merits. So come Oli, Philip, Mike, Jeanne and Jason. Time for you to shake things up.

Songs worthy of recognition:  Down Through The Ages, You Can't Fill My Shadow

Rating: 4/10 Non-believers

Dethklok - Dethalbum III (2012)

For being a band that emerged from a cartoon series, Dethklok has really made an impact on the metal world with its highly enjoyable death metal music. The fourth season of the series, Metalocalypse, has finished and now has the band presented their third offering with the not so imaginative title "Dethalbum III". This album contains songs from the last three seasons of the show (season 2-4) so you who follows Metalocalypse will probably recognize most of these songs. But I have not even watched the show (shame on me) so these 12 tracks will be a new experience for me.

Just like in the previous records, Dethklok brings forth an onslaught of brutal but still melodic death metal. You can clearly hear the aggresive drums (not as aggresive as last album though) and the screams from Brendon Small (named Nathan Explosion in the show) are jsut great. It is practically the same band as always but the songs are not as uneven as the ones in the previous albums was. The difference between high and low has been significally shortened. You can definetely tell that the band has become more tight in their playing.

But just because the band has become better it does not mean that this album is perfect. I feel that the production of the album could have been a little better and the band has yet to bake in more variation in their music. What I missed was a song that takes you up and slaps you into the next millenium (like "Laser Canon Deth Sentence"). Other than that, the songs hold a high standard. The music is interesting and grappiling. Especially the songs "The Galaxy" and "Impeach God", two songs that both have great guitar work and sticks out from the rest of the tracks.

I promise to you all, I will some day watch every episode of Metalocalypse and follow the bands ride towards glory (or whatever the story of the show is). If the show is as good as the music then I am already sold. Dethklok show a good temper and aggresion that most of the bands are missing. Just keep on working and you will become better for each album you make.

Songs worthy of recognition: Impeach God, The Galaxy, I Ejaculate Fire

Rating: 8/10 Skyhunters

Parkway Drive - Atlas (2012)

Metalcore is a very odd genre. Despite that it contains odd riffs, harsh vocals and often has a song construction that is confusing as s**t, it has almost become somewhat main stream in rock circuits during the 21st century. It is a genre that I have a hard time to really appriciate since most of these bands just makes their music more complex than what is necessary. That does not mean that I do not have any favourite bands from the metalcore world. Bands like The Devil Wears Prada, All That Remains, Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall and Bullet For My Valentine (how the hell did they got labeled as a metalcore band?) have pushed the genre forward and made some huge success both in the music world and in my listening world. But there is no other band in this genre that is rising faster than the Australian band Parkway Drive. So they are now up to test me and trying to convince me into their side. Let us see if they have suceeded.

So let us run the checklist for casual metalcore parts on "Atlas". Complex song structures? Not that complex. Harsh vocals? Oh yeah. Odd riffs? Some here and there but not to many of them. Breakdowns? Pretty few for a metalcore band. So as you see, Parkway Drive is not that metalcore but all (or at least the most) of the elements are there which is enough to label the band as metalcore.

I would consider "Atlas" as a mash up between a sligthly heavier version of Darkest Hour and the latest album from Between The Buried And Me, "The Parallax II: Future Sequence". It is heavy but has a kind of outer space feeling during most of the album, which I like. And the album got a pretty good variation as well. For example, we have mostly heavy songs but in the middle of the heavy stuff we find a soothing track called "The River". A surprisingly great track that shows a more laid back side of the band. Something you do not see every day when it comes to this genre. The band has skill but I feel that even though the singing is powerful it can be a little repetitive. Fortunately, that is the only weakness for Parkway Drive when it comes to the musical abilities.

All in all I see why Parkway Drive has become as popular as they are now. A heavy sound that is also melodic and easy to follow up on have made the band to a gang that you can count on. "Atlas" is a great album filled with songs that would make most of the bands comeptitors envy. The only thing that the band has to improve is the singing and maybe also making the entirety better through out the album. An exciting band that makes good music but nothing breath taking... yet.

Songs worthy of recognition: Old Ghost/New Regrets, The River, Wild Eyes

Rating: 8/10 Dark Days

Cradle of Filth - The Manticore And Other Horrors (2012)

First off, I have to confess something. I am very much of a noob when it comes to more extreme kind of metal. I listen to some of it but I have not really sunken my teeth completely in the genre yet. But there are two bands out there that has made me look a little more into this type of music. The first band is swedish The Project Hate MCMXCIX and the second band is the almost legendary Cradle of Filth.  So now has the time come for Cradle of Filth to release their tenth album "The Manticore And Other Horrors". Only the second album by the band that I have listened to. The first album was their latest, "Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa". An album that I mostly enjoyed. Still I was not sure if I would enjoy this album as much as "Darkly". Maybe I was still scared of this kind of music or it was just that feeling whenever you are about to listen at something outside your comfort zone.

Very well, I have now listened to "The Manticore And Other Horrors" and I can gladly say that it was a good decision I made. "The Manticore..." contains a handful of mysterious and punch effective tunes. Every song on this album is groovy and dark but also catchy. Most of the songs are very easy to remember. For instance, "Succumb To This" is the only song with female vocals included, "Frost On Her Pillow" has a inner beauty that is admirable and "For Your Vulgar Delectation" has an fantastic riff work. The guitar overall on this album is great. The sound that six string is making fits perfectly in the songs and helps to create the mood that the band is striving for. Actually, the only instrument I have a problem with is the bass. The bass is so baked in behind the other instruments that you can rarely hear it. And when you do hear it, it is not anything extraordinary. It is as plain as it can be.

Fortunately, the anonymous bass playing is made up by the rest of the musicians. Especially Dani Filth and his horrific and awesome singing voice. It would not be Cradle of Filth without the Filth himself. With that voice he makes every song an experience by itself. But not even the fantastic singing can make up for the few misstakes that this album is showing. The main problem with "The Manticore..." is that it is a little to much of the good stuff. I mean that there are a little to many deja vu feelings on this album, especially when it comes to the singing. Even though I love the singing it can be a little to much of it in a couple of tracks. So for the next album Dani, try to lay a little low on some tracks and let the instruments do the work so you wont wear yourself out.

After listenening to "The Manticore..." I must confess that I am from now on a fan of Cradle of Filth. I will try to look more into the bands earlier work and I promise to look more inte the more extreme kind of metal that exists out there. Cheers to the Cradle and to their tenth studio album. A perfect way to celebrate Halloween 2012.

Songs worthy of recognition: Succumb To This, For Your Vulgar Delectation, Frost On Her Pillow

Rating: 8,5/10 Sinfonias

Cauldron - Tomorrow's Lost (2012)

By just looking from the front cover, you may think that Cauldron is more of a black metal band than what they really are. Cauldron is instead a band that combines heavy riffs with 80's influenced metal. A pretty good mix if you know what you are doing. My expectations was some what high since the canadian trio did an excelente job on their latest album ("Burning Fortune" from last year). The only real problem I had with the previous album was the production that sounded dull and unfinished. Did they improve it on "Tomorrow's Lost"? Sorry, but no. The production is still making the band sound like they run on 80% strength. Oh why must it be like this?

Well despite the lack of the production that the band deserves, the guys are doing a swell job out there.the material that the band is putting out are of top quality. Most of the songs on "Tomorrow's Lost" have at least on catchy riff, a solid song structure and some pretty cool solos. Ian Chains really know how to handle his guitar to get the most out of its power. That does not help the singer/basist Jason Decay. Sorry bro but your singing voice is not among the best I have heared. Jasons voice sounds a little weak. Almost at the edge of wimpy. I do not know why but maybe that is because he has worked as a gardener for Rush frontman Geddy Lee (saw that trivia on Encyclopaedia Metallum. Do not know if it is true or not). So there is room for improvment on the singing area but I have a feeling that Jason will develop his abilities in time.

There is no real weak link on this even, but short (around 39 minutes), album which is a good thing. Only problem is that there is no real super strong link either. The closest one would probably be "Nitebreaker" or "Fight For Day" but they really does not stand up as strong as "All Or Nothing" did on "Burning Fortune". Speaking of, one of the tracks is actually called "Burning Fortune" on "Tomorrow's Lost". Did they forget to put it in their last album or couldn't they write a song with that title until now? I do not know and I do not care.

At the end I would consider "Tomorrow's Lost a step back for the band even though it is a small step. The lack of a real killer together with the remaining problem of the poor production. It is still a good album though and I like what I hear in my headphones. The riffs are good and heavy and the band know what they are doing. Hopefully they will not get lost on the way. The album cover is cool but that does not make up an album that could have been so great but instead became above average.

Songs worthy of recognition: Nitebreaker, Fight For Day, Tomorrow's Lost (Sun Will Fall)

Rating: 7/10 Endless Ways

Sturm Und Drang - Graduation Day (2012)

There are few bands that had a carrier like the finnish band Sturm Und Drang. The band became famous pretty quickly after releasing their debut "Learning To Rock" (2007) and the fanbase increased even more after releasing "Rock 'n Roll Children" (2008). The most remarkable thing about the lads was the age (the band had a middle-age around 15 in "Learning To Rock"). But what happened after that? Well, the basist Henkka Kurkiala left the band 2010 and it took a while to gather a replacement. Finally, it was Joel Wendlin who joined the band. But also the guitarist Alexander Ivars left the band (he was replaced by Jani Kuoppamaa). So now, four years since the last album, the rising sons are back with their third offering of straight forward heavy metal.

The album is called "Graduation Day" and just as the title may hint, the material on this record is more mature and more thought-out than the bands previous albums. You will not find a real power monster like "Break Away" or "Alive" but instead you will discover more delicate tracks on this album. One great example of that is "Dark Little Angel of Mine", a song with a really good build up and a solo that is both "shredtastic" but also well constructed. Probably my favourite track in the entire album. Unfortunately, there is not so many of these kind of tracks on this album as I wished it would have. There are a couple of songs that just seems pointless to put up in a album. So I just going to point them out so you does not have to listen to them. The songs are "Molly The Murderer", "Goddamn Liar" and especially "I Hurt Myself". That last song sounds more like Dead By April to me (DBA plays pop-metal, a horrible genre).

Now the guys may be young but they sure know how to handle their instruments. The timing is spot on and the instruments sounds loud and clear. But I miss that level of difficulty. Of course, you do not have to play ultra complex to make a great album but I want the band to show that they hav not only grown in maturity but also in technical skills, which they do not do in "Graduation Day". The only time they are showing their skills is on the guitar solos and there is the only place I notice their quality. Can't they bake it in their riffs and fills as well? It is not like they have to but it would be nice if they did that.

So do Sturm Und Drang deserve to graduate from " The University of Heavy Metal"? Yes, they would pass the class but not with all A's. The band is young and has a fantastic future ahead of them but to continue on this streak the band must keep on working and develope as musicians. I would consider "Graduation Day" the bands best offering up to date together with "Rock 'n Roll Children" but I bet these lads will make bigger and better albums in time. So the last words I will give to the band before they accept their diploma. No more fillers, just make killers.

Songs worthy of recognition: Dark Little Angel of Mine, Fatherland, Light Years Apart

Rating: 7/10 Goddamn Liars