Freedom Call - Master of Light (2016)

There is no question that power metal is a stand out genre in the ever growing metal tree, because it is close to the only one that genuinely sounds joyful, rarely using any darkness at all. There is no other band that shows this better than Freedom Call, the happiest metal band in the universe. Whenever I feel down or sad, I just put on this band, and their angelic anthems instantly brings a smile to my face. It never fails.

"Master of Light" follows on the same tracks as its predecessors. It is fast, powerful, epic, and cheesy, exactly what you would expect, and want, from a new Freedom Call record. The Germans certainly does not disappoint, this album will get your head banging and force your frown to turn upside down, even if you like it or not. Seriously, how can you not smile to this? It is like telling a kitten that it is ugly, it is just impossible (unless it is a hairless cat, then it is a little bit easier).

But what is it that makes Freedom Call so different from other power metal bands? What is it that makes them this happy pill? Personally, I think it is a combination of two things. The first one is the choruses, that are not only really catchy, but the band often uses choirs to amp up the epicness even further, and it works so god damn well. The other part of this recipe of happiness is the band's passion. You can truly feel that the band love what they are doing, giving 110% in every millisecond of this record. That passion is highly infectious, and a big reason to the drive of the record.

With that said, there is one thing that makes me a little bummed out over "Master of Light", and that is that it is nothing special. The band has done this before, showing little to no evolution in neither music nor lyrics. It is quite obvious that the band is comfortable in their sound, and that they have no intentions on changing it any time soon, but write some different lyrics at least, just do something to stir the pot up.

The monotony is annoying, but there are still several songs in here that stands really strong, showing the band's full potential. All you Liverpool fans will love "A World Beyond", where singer Chris Bay states that we never have to walk alone in a really inspirational way. We also have "Ghost Ballet", where the loud keyboards intertwine with some really heavy guitar riffs, creating a play that would make "The Swan Lake" look ugly. "Metal Is For Everyone" goes without saying that it is a metal anthem that should be sung for the ages, it is a potential fan favourite just for the title itself. And while I personally do not like it, "High Up" ends the album with one of the cheesiest vocal melodies I have heard in a long time. Some of you cheese lovers might appreciate it.

Despite looking like a discount Manowar album, "Master of Light" is Freedom Call through and through. It is happy metal at its best, energetic stuff that has the power to power entire cities for weeks. Yeah, it is not much different from any other record the band has done, but it gets the job done well. It is simple and epic power metal that might not stick in your mind for all too long, but for the moment, it is a happy pill with a 100% success rate. If you excuse me, I need to take my recommended daily dose now.

Songs worthy of recognition: A World Beyond, Metal Is For Everyone, Ghost Ballet

Rating: 7/10 Masters of Light

www.freedom-call.net/

Oddland - Origin (2016)

The life of a band is not a dance on roses all of the time, just take the Finnish progressive metal band Oddland as an example. Formed in 2002, the band have won several different music contests over the years, but they started the band just for fun, not with any intentions of doing this more than a hobby. Somewhere along the way though, the band got more serious, involving more metal into their progressive rock, eventually landing a deal with Century Media in 2010. Now, the band has evolved into one of the most interesting progressive metal bands in recent years.

"Origin" is the band's second effort, and it is just as mysterious and intriguing as you would expect from the band. The melodies are perfectly cooperating with the more heavy beats, creating a captivating sound that twirls around you in a calm whirlwind. It would be just too easy to call this music... odd, but it does describe it fairly well, even if it does not skew all too much from the typical progressive formula.

It is kind of hard to compare this band to other bands, because their sound has a little mix of everything, fusing into something that you have not heard before. The singer Sakari Ojanen does have some similarities to both Mikael Åkerfeldt and Daniel Gildenlöw, but he has a darker tone that works extremely well with the sound, hitting the right buttons both here and there. As for the sound, it got some Tool, some Orphaned Land, some Opeth, and some Persefone, all blended into a dark and grand production that gives the sound great power. But as stated before, even if Oddland borrows influences from several other bands, it is not really fair to compare it to any of them, because they stand on their own platform.

Most of the exciting stuff of this album can be found on the first three songs. The opener "Esotericism" has a really heavy djent opening, not all that far from Mesuggah, but with more epic and clean vocals. The rest of the song is grand, taking up a lot of space in its three and a half minute run time. "Thanatos" is much calmer in its approach, but that changes around the half way point when the band does this small part where it feels like hell is raining down. The rest of the journey is chaotic, yet controlled in an interesting way. "Penumbra" ends the tri-fecta, and it is way more straight forward, where Sakari delivers some emotional vocals, and he is backed up with some neat guitar work from himself and Jussi Poikonen.

Those songs dominates the record, because the rest of "Origin" is good, close to great, but not very memorable. All songs have flashes of brilliance in them, whether it be a melody line, chorus, or a beat, Oddland knows how to engage the listener, pushing the right buttons. However, take out the songs individually, and they do not have the strength to hold up on their own. The epic "Faraway" may be the only exception to this rule, staying at the back half of the album and generating a great mood that is dark and scary, yet captivating. Ultimately, all of the songs work together, creating a cohesive and enjoyable album, but I would have liked more songs that I could just turn on without listening to "Origin" in full.

It is obvious that Oddland still has some way to go before they can go up against the big guns of the progressive metal scene, but they are heading on the right direction. "Origin" is a really nice sophomore effort that has its own cool sound, a dark sound that stands out strong. It still feels unpolished, but this is definitely a release that the progressive metal lover would not want to miss. It would not surprise me one bit if the next album the band releases ends up as a future classic.

Songs worthy of recognition: Esotericism, Thanatos, Faraway

Rating: 7/10 Skylines

www.oddlandband.com/
www.facebook.com/oddland

Metallica - Hardwired... To Self-Destruct (2016)

The day that never comes is finally here. After 8 extremely long years, the thrash legends of Metallica finally released their tenth full length album "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct". So what has the band been doing all of these years? Well, after releasing "Death Magnetic", the band has started their own record label called Blackened Records, started a short lived festival called Orion Music + More, made a full length movie called "Through The Never", made a collaboration with Lou Reed that no one expected (or wanted for that matter). They played countless of tours and shows, including one in Antarctica, and they have been bragging and teasing us about how many ideas they have had for this album (even losing about 250 riffs along the way), which is also why this album is 77 minutes long and spans up to 2 CDs (or 3 LPs).

My expectations for this record were, not surprisingly, big, for several reason. The first reason is that I highly enjoyed "Death Magnetic", and its mix of modern metal and old school thrash. It was a fresh breath of air that rejuvenated the band in a way I did not see coming. Second, the band have had a long time to perfect this album, and the longer you have to wait for new music, the higher the fall could be if it does not kick ass. Third reason is an obvious one, it is Metallica we are talking about, one of the most important metal bands in history. No matter if you love them or hate them, your eyes and ears will be on them when they release new music. Okay, enough rambling, let us talk "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct".

Before the last couple of days before this album's release, the band had given us three tastes of the album already, and all three songs is found on the first half of the first record. The title track "Hardwired" opens things up, and this is as thrash as you can almost get. It is fast, have tons of cool riffs, and an in your face attitude that many thought Metallica had lost over the years. It is also a very short song, and it works in favour for the band, giving the album a kick start that we have not heard since "Blackened". Unfortunately, this is the only short song of the album, with the remaining 11 songs spanning between 6-8 minutes, so it does not represent the album very well. The other pre-tastes do though. Both "Atlas, Rise" and "Moth Into Flame" borrows elements from the predecessor "Death Magnetic", showcasing some incredibly fun guitar work and arena friendly choruses. Hell, the chorus to "Moth Into Flame" is one of the most melodic I have heard from the band, and Hetfield kills it so god damn well. A very impressive start from the band.

After that though, the album starts to lose its way, trying out several different angles and sounds that just ends up feeling more random than well thought out. "Dream No More" tries to act like it is the next "Sad But True", with some inspiration from the "Necronomicon", but the way Hetfield sings this is so god damn weird. It sounds more like Zakk Wylde, without the guitar wanking. "Confusion" is... well... confusing... and sluggish. Then we have "Here Comes Revenge" and "Am I Savage?", both very forgettable songs that does not stick out in any way.

The song that makes me rage the most though is "ManUNkind", not only because the title is stupid as hell, but simply because this song makes no sense what so ever. It got some groovy riffs here that are nice and all, and Trujillo gets some moments to shine here, like the intro, but it is a very unappealing song overall. The chorus is extremely boring, the overall sound is very monotonous, and it just does not fit the record at all. It has some Mercyful Fate mentality in it (which explains the music video, which is just footage from some black metal concert), but it is as demonic as me. In other words, not at all.

And that is probably the main problem with "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", that it just does not seem to have any direction at all. The album has a little of everything that Metallica has presented us with over the years, some "Kill 'em All", some "Black Album", and, believe it or not, some "St. Anger". The roots are still planted in "Death Magnetic", but all these new angles just makes the album confused, missing a clear cut personality. And it does not help the fact that several songs just goes on for too long. Even if I am not bothered with the length, I know a lot of people will get annoyed by it (because that was the main complaint with "Death Magnetic").

Fortunately, there is enough brilliance here to make the album enjoyable. I have already mentioned the first three songs that was released as great material, but I also want to mention "Halo On Fire", which is a fantastic semi-ballad that goes in the same spirit as "Fade To Black" and "The Unforgiven", mixing some great guitar work with swell emotions, and Hetfield is once again utilizing his voice in a fantastic way. I also like the Lemmy tribute in "Murder One", where the band makes several references to famous Motörhead songs, and the final song "Spit Out The Bone" ends the album in the same way it started, with fast, rifftastic thrash (or thrashified skate punk if we are picky). Such a shame that we do not get to hear more of this in this record, because this is Metallica at their best, and I am not saying this to act like a "old school" Metallica fan, I say this because they show the most fire and passion in these songs, bringing out their youthful spirit.

So let us sum it all up. "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct" could have absolutely been better if the band had tightened up things a bit, by either cutting some songs or made them shorter, and the classic Metallica problems are still there (production that is far from perfect and Lars' drumming), but the album is still good. It has a fire that burns strong, and the band is showing a versatility that they have not shown since "The Black Album", and some songs here are really strong. The inconsistencies does force me to put this album below "Death Magnetic" in terms of overall quality, but there is enough good stuff here for the common Metallica fan here to enjoy. So even if it may be a confusing mess (just like the cover art), it is still an entertaining mess. Maybe not worth 8 years of waiting, but it is at least far from shit.

Songs worthy of recognition: Halo On Fire, Hardwired, "Atlas, Rise!", Moth Into Flame

Rating: 7/10 Savages

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Thomas Giles - Velcro Kid (2016)

Well, this was unexpected. I did not anticipate a new solo release from Between The Buried And Me singer Thomas Giles Rogers this soon, but what is even more surprising is that "Velcro Kid" is a very different album from "Modern Noise". That album was pretty straight forward, showing off Thomas' less progressive side. Here though... I am not really sure where he went with this.

"Velcro Kid" is most certainly not a metal album. Instead, we get to experience some atmospheric electronic music that wants to create a full picture of the album. Thomas Giles takes his opportunity to expand his writing to more unknown territories, making sure that no one can connect this to his main band. This also means that fans of BTBAM might not enjoy this record at all, but I believe that every fan should give it a fair chance, even if it is a big step out of ones comfort zone.

The best real comparison to "Velcro Kid" I can do is the more ambient releases of Devin Townsend, because even if it does not sound anything like "Devlab", "The Hummer", or "Ghost", it is an album that does not have a lot of structure, is very calm, and is far, far away from what we are used to hear from Thomas. Speaking of Devin, he does make a guest appearance on the track "Gazer", and he uses his smooth silent voice to give this ethereal track even more ethereality (is that even a word?). Every time the Dev appears, greatness happens. Another guest is Jake Troth, whom I have never heard of before, and while he does add his touch to the song "Devotion", it is more than likely that I will not look more into that guy's career (mostly because he makes pop music... yep).

The whole sound is very soothing and relaxing, but there is very little in here that sticks with you in an instant. The preaching propaganda in "Strangers In A Paranoid Mind" certainly breaks up the album in a neat way, making it easy to remember, but the album overall is kind of a big blob. It is all the same theme, same tempo, and since the song transitions are smooth as silk, it makes it harder to notice where they start and end. At the same time though, it acts like a strength, making the album feel unified, well welded into a solid structure that will not crumble.

If I had to choose a favourite, I would go with "Slow Gold Becoming", not because it skews off an awful lot from the rest of the material, but because the subtle things in this track are simply exquisite. The tingling keys that taps on the music like light rain, Thomas' soft vocals, and the sporadic drum pattern, they all help in making this song really cool. Other sweet highlights are the before mentioned "Strangers In A Paranoid Mind, the opener "Immersion Highway", and the symphonic "Future of The Year".

In the end though, the question is if "Velcro Kid" is an enjoyable album, and I would say that it is. While it may not have the strong songs like "Modern Noise" had, it instead impress with solid performance and a nice sound that works nicely for those who just wants to wind down for a moment from the hectic life that we all live. The lack of metal is of course one point that might make the most of you to ignore this album, and I totally get that, but give it a fair chance instead of dismissing it instantly. After all, Thomas Giles made a lot of effort to get out of his comfort zone, so doing the same is the least you can do.

Songs worthy of recognition: Slow Gold Becoming, Immersion Highway, Strangers In A Paranoid Mind

Rating: 6,5/10 Gazers

www.thomasgilesmusic.com/
twitter.com/tommybtbam

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In Flames - Battles (2016)

In Flames' transformation from being one of the pioneers in the Swedish melodic death metal scene to a more mainstream metal band is more or less complete now with the release of "Battles", the Swede's 12th studio effort. Now, why was it not already complete? Because they have shown some of their roots in their previous efforts. Maybe not to a great extent, but enough to recognize the band and its past. The last two albums, "Songs of A Playground Fading" and "Siren Charms", may differ massively in pure quality, but both have some small grains of the old In Flames in them. "Battles" does not.

Even without the hints of death metal, "Battles" is not pure trash, a album that should be instantly thrown away as a eye (and ear) sore. Sure, it is not the best side I have seen from the band, but they have created a solid entity that follows the red line with ease. Most of the focus here are on the choruses, where all of them being really catchy without being annoying. Just take the first single "The End" for example, a epic chorus that has been stuck in my mind ever since the first time I heard it. It even have a children's choir (something the band uses a couple more times in the album) that oddly fits, but it is not something I would want to see as a common thing in the band's sound.

While the album excels in its choruses, it fails miserably in what might be the most important thing in In Flames' sound, the twin guitars. The production is really flat, giving you the illusion that the band only utilize one guitarist, which ultimately makes the music feel empty. The only time where the guitars actually sounds good is in the solos, and the solos are great as always (thank god), but it is not enough. I wanna hear Björn Gelotte and Niklas Engelin's crunchy and melodic riffs, but "Battles" won't allow me.

I also get the feeling that the setting in which this album was recorded (Hollywood, California) had some influence to its sound. No, none of the songs in "Battles" is straight up film music, but it is a more glamorous sound picture that the band is presenting us. It is something that will divide the fan base even further than before, which is kind of an amazing feat since it is already divided quite a bit.

Even with this softer sound, In Flames made sure to pack "Battles" with several killer songs, with great melody and strong punches. Songs like "Save Me", "In My Room", and "Trough My Eyes" is straight up knock out punches that will leave bruises on your skin, remembering what happened when you encountered them the first time. "Through My Eyes" especially stands out by being the heaviest song, using a very tough attitude, some very groovy riffs, and another ultra epic chorus where Anders Fridén actually delivers some stellar clean(ish) vocals, an already proven weakness for the front man. Another stand out is "Wallflower", a more progressive song that is the longest of the record (just over seven minutes). There is a lot of instrumental bits here and a very calm mood that is not like the band at all, but it works really well, ending up as one of my favourites from this album.

But then we have the duds that should not be here at all, and they are close to making me mad (not in a "Siren Charms" level though). "Here Until Forever" is some weird metal core crap that I associate more with Bring Me The Horizon, Bullet For My Valentine, or any other similar band. It just does not suit the band well at all, and especially not Anders. No other song is as bad as "Here Until Forever", but "Like Sand", "Before I Fall" and "Drained" are just boring, and the over use of the children's choir in "The Truth" is very close to cringe worthy. Yeah, "Battles" have more good sides than bad, but it is still obvious that this is far from the best album the band has made.

Despite the poor production, the softer sound, and slight quality inconsistencies, "Battles" is actually not that bad of an album. The melodies are there, and so are the choruses, carrying the album towards the finish line in determined fashion. I might consider myself as one of the more stubborn In Flames fans out there, because while this albums shows so many flaws, it still has enough resonance in me to give me my much needed kick out of it. For me, "Battles" is an okay album, but I am sure that most of you will at the very least dislike it, especially if you do not like the modern version of the band. Still, this is a better and much stable album than "Siren Charms" will ever be, so give it a chance if you dare, do not be afraid to take up the battle that this album brings.

Songs worthy of recognition: Through My Eyes, The End, Wallflower

Rating: 6/10 Truths

www.inflames.com/
twitter.com/inflames_swe

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HammerFall - Built To Last (2016)

With the release of "Built To Last", Swedish power/heavy metallers HammerFall have finally reached their tenth release, a milestone that many bands wish to reach. It is proof that the band's determination and hard work have really payed off, building a grand fan base and a reputation of quality that has stood with them ever since their first couple of releases. It has become a stronghold that is guarded by their loyal hero/mascot Hector, and will most certainly stand tall for a lot more albums to come.

With that said, the band has had a nasty habit of almost being safe in their song writing. If we look back in their catalog, it is easy to see that the band are comfortable in their style and themes, but rarely want to go away from them (and when they do, they mostly get hammered by the Templars). The same story is told here in "Built To Last", we get a lot of familiar themes here that we almost expect from the band, songs about warriors, steel, and battles. I know the guys can tell these stories well, but it can turn to cheese quite easily, and there is a lot of it on this record. But then again, what would a HammerFall record be without some cheese? The answer, a boring one.

The music is very familiar too, we got several classic HammerFall tunes here that are surely enjoyable, but far from any future classics. We got some pure power songs that gets you pumped up, some slower and catchier songs with classic battle choirs, and also that pesky ballad that the band forces into every album. There is no song in this record that seems to steer away from what HammerFall has been doing since the start, which is truly a shame, especially since "(r)Evolution" had a couple of songs, like "Wildfire" and "Origins", that may have borrowed a lot from other power metal bands, but was new and exciting to HammerFall. Simply put, the innovative energy is not here in "Built To Last".

That is not to say that there is no energy here though, because there is plenty of it. "Dethrone And Defy" has some good pounding double bass, chugging guitars, and a force that gives the whole album a needful spark. It still lacks in star power when compared to the fantastic "Hector's Hymn", but the solo itself makes it a clear highlight that cannot be missed. "Stormbreaker" and "The Star of Home" continues in the same fashion, but the plot thickens in the final song "Second To None", a fresh finisher that has a really nice mood, and some great performances in this semi ballad. It is the cherry on the top of a tasty second half.

Unfortunately though, the whole album has a problem with lasting all the way through, forcing you to skip some songs. We have a clear Accept rip off in "New Breed" that shows that the band has not lost their more traditional heavy metal vein, but it just does not work this time, and "The Sacred Vow" is just sluggish, having a hard time catching my interest. And of course, the ballad "Twilight Princess" is also very forgettable, being one of many bland HammerFall ballads that is not even close to reaching the heights that "Glory To The Brave" reached. So overall, the quality of "Built To Last" is decent, but far from spectacular.

One thing that is always spectacular though is the band's performance. Joacim Cans and his high voice is on point as always, and the twin guitar attack of Oscar Dronjak and Pontus Norgren is as solid as ever. My worries were with the new drummer though, especially since David Wallin comes from a different spectrum, playing in the industrial metal band Pain. Fortunately, he does a good job, maybe mimicking Anders Johansson a little too much, but he does what he is asked to do, so job well done.

While I do believe that "Built To Last" is a good album overall, it has some dents that needs to be taken care of. Some songs are really enjoyable, but the album as a whole feels like one big deja vu, not adding anything that we have not already seen from the band. If you are a fan, this album will go down smoothly for you, it is classic HammerFall stuff that seems to never grow old. For you others, you better just ignore this one.

Songs worthy of recognition: Dethrone And Defy, Stormbreaker, Second To None

Rating: 6,5/10 Hammers High

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Avenged Sevenfold - The Stage (2016)

There were probably no one that was not surprised over the sudden album release of Avenged Sevenfold (except those who do not care). After releasing the first single entitled "The Stage", there were rumours that the new album would be called "Voltaic Oceans" (a very weird title if you ask me) and that it would be released some time in December. Fast forward two weeks, and the band drops the new album out of nowhere, with a very interesting cover and a totally different, and more boring, name in "The Stage". I like that there are some bands that goes away from the regular album promotion cycle, being spontaneous and give everyone some jaw drops, but you better believe that the material have to hold up, or it was all for nothing.

Let us first talk about the first single, "The Stage", which certainly got my attention when it was released. First I have to say that I do not like the music video, it is simply boring and ugly. The song itself is intriguing at least, having a length of 8 and a half minutes, and is not as direct as regular A7X singles are, and not as catchy too for that matter. "The Stage" grows on you, and it has some neat moments here and there, like Gates and Baker's riffing, but it is not the exciting opening that I hoped for.

After hearing it, I thought that the title track would be a odd track on the album, but instead, it is actually a good representation of the whole album. "The Stage" is a fairly long, fairly complex album, going away from the more mainstream and linear style that A7X is more well known for. It still sounds like A7X though, and that is a big sigh of relief, since the last album, "Hail To The King", was a huge disappointment, acting more like a cover album than an original piece. Of course, this is no Dream Theater level of complexity, but do not expect any catchy hits like "Bat Country" or "Afterlife" here.

With that said, that does not mean that "The Stage" has some good, memorable songs in it. Several songs, like "Sunny Disposition" and "God Damn", shows a lot of aggression and power that comes straight from the finger tips of Synyster Gates and Zachary Baker, spitting out some insane riffs here and there, and mixing it with more mellow stuff from time to time. Together with new drummer Brooks Wackerman (what an awesome drummer name), bassist Johnathan Seward, and rough edge vocalist M. Shadows, the band plays with fire and passion, something they truly lacked in the predecessor.

But most of the album are reflected in the album cover. The structures of the song can be best described as space like, feeling very distant and mysterious, which somehow works really well. In "Creating God", we got some really cool riffing starting up, but the song evolves multiple times, and the chorus is long and sweeping, a very interesting transformation indeed. And there are several other calmer parts of this record that either work or do not. One really confusing song is "Simulation", which is basically Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in musical form. It opens up with a very calm, almost ballad like opening, then suddenly, we get some demonic and very heavy riffing together with a frightening Shadows. This shift between personalities goes on for the entire song, making it very confusing.

The whole second half of the album is very peaceful and slow, which is another thing I did not really expect, but it is done with enough finesse so that it does not become stale. Songs like "Fermi Paradox" and "Higher"are extremely soothing, yet enjoyable, and I know that A7X have done some slow song in the past, but these songs are more refined, not as cheesy. Another surprise can be found at the end of the album, a whooping 15 minute and 41 second track called "Exist". While I do think it is cool that the band tries their hand on songs with mastodon length, but this was a failed attempt, close to 16 minutes of wasted space. There is a lot of instrumentation here, performed well for sure, but it does not add anything, it is just senseless jamming, and it does not get better towards the end, where the last third of the song is the same melody line over and over again, together with some mumbling from Neil DeGrasse Tyson in the background. I definitely love me some science, but this is so god damn unnecessary! If we scratch the last song, we got roughly an hour of quite good material.

"The Stage" is not your typical mainstream Sevenfold. Instead, we got a band that is expanding their horizons, trying to evolve their existing sound. This is a big step forward from "Hail To The King", but it is also obvious that the band still has some way to go in their new direction. Because even if "The Stage" is a good album overall, it is still too long, and it needs some more meat on its bones. The stage is certainly set for more greatness in the future, so let us wait and see if the band can give us an unforgettable show.

Songs worthy of recognition: Creating God, God Damn, Higher

Rating: 7/10 Sunny Dispositions

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twitter.com/theofficiala7x

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Testament - Brotherhood of The Snake (2016)

So far, 2016 has been a fantastic year for thrash metal. We have seen great releases from Anthrax, Megadeth, Death Angel, Flotsam And Jetsam, and Vektor. And like that was not enough, we are still highly anticipating the new Metallica album that comes out later this month. But until then, we have another big thrash release to feast on, the 11th effort from Testament, entitled "Brotherhood of The Snake". The band has been on a roll after Chuck Billy's return, releasing two fantastic records in "The Formation of Damnation" and "Dark Roots of Earth". Needless to say, I had a lot of expectations entering this release.

It does not take long to realize that we are in for a big treat. The title track opens it all up, and does so in classic Testament fashion, with extreme speed, frenetic guitar work, and a Chuck Billy that simply crushes everything in his path. We have heard similar songs from the previous two albums, but that certainly does not mean that we get tired of them, especially when the instrumentation is so god damn great.

Surprisingly, that is the only true steam roller that "Brotherhood of The Snake" offers us. We do got some fast songs here and there, but nothing that really blows you away. Fortunately, the band has other aces up its sleeve, because even if this album is more contained than its two predecessors, it still has the same determination. The music is truly top notch, hitting you in a lot of levels, showing off an impressive diversity that we have not seen in some time. Does not matter if the music relies on melody, heavy attitude, or simply the beastly drumming of Gene Hoglan, it still holds a very high quality.

As for the main theme of the album, I stand indifferent about it. The whole idea of this ancient society that more or less controls the world is kind of meh, but the band do make the best out of it, creating some interesting content. And the diversity shows off even here, with the band singing about drugs, gambling, and even aliens. While not being a pure concept record, "Brotherhood of The Snake" does have a solid theme to rely upon.

So now the question is, does this album stand up to its newer brethren? It most certainly do, even if I feel that the song material is not as memorable. Sure, we do got some songs that stick with you, like he very melodic "Neptune's Spear", the infectious rhythm of "The Pale King", and the slow pace chugging of "Born In A Rut", but both "TFoD" and "DRoE" was packed with memorable tunes. However, I do feel like this album have a longer life length, not waring down as easily, so that is a sure plus.

So in conclusion, it is Testament, you know this rocks. "Brotherhood of The Snake" more than well holds its own against the other 21st century records from the band, and does so with impressive width and pin point accuracy on the instrument department. This is yet another proof that this has been an amazing year, not just for thrash metal, but for all metal. So go listen to it now, because this is some sweet ass thrash candy that will last for a long time, or at least until that Metallica album finally comes out.

Songs worthy of recognition: Brotherhood of The Snake, Stronghold, Centuries of Suffering, Neptune's Spear

Rating: 8,5/10 Pale Kings

www.testamentlegions.com/
twitter.com/testament

Korn - The Serenity of Suffering (2016)

Ever since Brian "Head" Welch got back into nu-metal legends Korn, the band has been on a seemingly never ending path towards their glory days, regressing their music back to the 90's, while still holding a toe or two in the present. Their latest album, "The Paradigm Shift", was a cool little experience that dragged the band out of the mud, and into the shower. It certainly got my hopes up that the band would get into their second wind, releasing a bunch of great records.

The first signs definitely pointed towards the positive. When "The Serenity of Suffering" was announced, one could instantly recognize the nostalgia of the cover art, taking us back to the album "Issues", in which it borrows elements from. Like that was not enough, the first two tracks from the album, "Insane" and "Rotting In Vain", have tons of familiar Korn elements in them. We have to voodoo beat boxing, the crunchy and groovy riffs, and that mental feeling that the band nails so good when they are at their best. Both tracks are great, and opens up the album perfectly.

However, you could just as well just listen to those two tracks, because the rest of the album is more or less the same music being repeated over and over again. It is of high quality, but close to all songs have the same tone, sound, structure, and theme, so it is extremely easy to get lost, not knowing which song you are listening to. This makes "The Serenity of Suffering" a very dense album, one that feels much longer than its relatively short 40 minute play time. For a die hard Korn fan, that might actually be an advantage, but to me, it just feels like a chore.

There are though several small details that do make some songs more manageable, and more enjoyable. We got a small guest appearance from Corey Taylor (Slipknot, Stone Sour) in "A Different World" where he contributes with his own creepy vibe and some emotional screaming. Then we have "Everything Falls Apart", a song that is not driven by the riffs or a groove, instead it is the whole picture that drives the song forward, creating a cool mood that bursts out into a very repetitive, but effective, chorus. A very interesting song that truly stands out. Or how about "Next In Line", that contains one of the more melodic choruses that I have heard from the band in some time, mixed with some classic Korn breakdown goodness of course. It is weird at first, but it tickles your nerves just about right, forcing a smile onto your face.

While it does not have the same versatility as "The Paradigm Shift", "The Serenity of Suffering" is still another proof that the return of Head and the old school sound is still going strong with this band. It is a very dense record to get through, but the quality is there, and that is honestly good enough for me. The band is doing their thing, and they are doing it well. Now, I do need to see some more diversity in the next album, but until then, I am gonna enjoy the best tracks, because they do bring me serenity.

Songs worthy of recognition: Everything Falls Apart, Insane, Next In Line

Rating: 7/10 Different Worlds

www.korn.com/
twitter.com/korn

More reviews of Korn
The Paradigm Shift

Amaranthe - Maximalism (2016)

It feels like a long time since Amaranthe released a new album, when it has only been around two years, your standard time length between albums. It might have felt that way because the band has been busy, riding on the success wave that they started  with their debut record, back in 2011. The following two albums, "The Nexus" and "Massive Addictive", were released in 2013 and -14, giving us all a big dose of the band. Hopefully, this break has done good for the band, because the band sounded like they were running out of steam in "Massive Addictive".

With a title like "Maximalism", one would think that the band would max out their music to the brink of light speed, and they do in the beginning. The two openers, "Maximize" and "Boomerang", are both fast and catchy songs that are true to the Amaranthe formula. It is poppy, has its fair share of cyber music, and contains a impressive blend from all three vocalists of the band. It is classic Amaranthe stuff, and it got the power that one would want to hear from them.

After that though, everything goes downhill. It is not like the band is doing awful, just uninspired stuff all around. They glisten in small parts here and there, like in the accelerating "Faster" and the epic "Fireball", but most of the songs here are just flat out boring, or even worse, face palm inducing. It is clear that the band does want to try some new things, but most of them lean more towards the pop part of the band, and that is of course not something that appeals to me or you. Several songs here could work really well in Eurovision, and one potential winner could have been "Limitless", a power ballad with a lot of bass and oomph. This does remind me, why isn't Amaranthe competing? They would fit right in that mad world!

So that only annoys me ever so slightly, but there are some rage inducing things in "Maximalism", things that simply cannot be ignored. "That Song" (yes, that is the name of the song), is a simple, catchy song with a memorable beat. There is only one problem... THEY STOLE IT FROM QUEEN!!! "That Song" is basically "We Will Rock You", but with worse lyrics and a more annoying tone (oh, and no Freddie Mercury, that sucks too). I can see that they tried to make a homage to Queen here, but it ended up being a complete rip off, a disgusting one. That is not the only time in the album they do this though. "Supersonic" has a choir that is taken straight from "Bohemian Rhapsody", and it does not help that this song has one of the most awkward lyric lines I have heard in a long time (We are not ironic/We're supersonic). Please, leave Queen alone.

But can I honestly say that this is a bad album? Well, not really. As a metal release, yes, it is kind of meh, but if we just look at the music, "Maximalism" is not half bad. It is well produced, it got catchy songs, and the performance from the band is spot on. The trio attack of Jake E, Henrik Englund Wilhelmsson and Elize Ryd is the driving force of the band, taking them to the next level every album, and the real sole reason to listen to the band in the first place. They mix it up real nice, giving each other enough space to work with, and making their own performances stand out. Without them, Amaranthe would just be a mediocre trance metal band.

The 90's kid in me do like this album, and it is definitely a more passionate effort than "Massive Addictive", but the ideas are too few and too far apart for me to really take this to my heart. It just does not reach up to the standard that the first two records set. The two year absence has worked out as planned, presenting us a refreshed band that tries to max out everything from their unique sound, but the evolution in the sound is still minimal, so they might have benefited with a little more time, just so that every idea gets its chance to develop nicely (and so that the band do not have to steal from Queen). Overall, a neat effort, just not as maxed out as the name suggested.

Songs worthy of recognition: Boomerang, Maximize, Faster

Rating: 6/10 Fireballs

amaranthe.se/
twitter.com/amaranthemetal

More reviews of Amaranthe
The Nexus
Massive Addictive

The Dillinger Escaple Plan - Dissociation (2016)

It is always sad when bands are ending their run way too early, especially if they are at the top of their game, on the verge of being a part of the biggest in the industry. That is exactly what is going to happen with The Dillinger Escape Plan, the New Jersey *call it whatever you want* core output that have kept reinventing themselves in close to every album since their debut in 1999. After this final touring cycle, they are breaking up, despite being as popular as ever (as guitarist Ben Weinman said, they are pulling off a Seinfeld).

The band's last album, "One of Us Is The Killer", was quite organized and simple, with more of their jazz influences involved and more "normal" song structures. Well, there is nothing of that in "Dissociation". In this record, the band goes full weird, unleashing a final chaotic assault that is sure to leave every listener with a mind blown and a dropped jaw. DEP takes their sound and tries to stretch and bend it as far and wide as possible, doing everything in their might to leave with as loud of a crash so no one will forget that this band has been here.

It is certainly safe to say that "Dissociation" will be an album that will be remembered, not because of the old strategies that most other band uses (catchy choruses, awesome riffs, long ass solos), but because this album has so many layers and corners so you can get dizzy by just looking at it. We got crazy breakdowns, soaring vocal passages, sudden tempo shifts, and tons of different effects that alters the sound immensely. The most eye brow raising part though is one specific song called "Fugue", which is a fully instrumental song, consisting only of electronic sound! This is completely nuts, and the weirdest part is that it sounds great, fitting very well with the rest of the album. Man, that is something I never thought I would write about a techno song.

What really defines "Dissociation" and makes it excel is the band's performance, which is extremely precise and wild. The two guys that stands out the most though is the drummer Billy Rymer and singer Greg Puciato. Rymer's rhythms and beats are literally all over the place, in a good way, accentuating the defining parts of every song. Greg though, is a complete lunatic, taking his vocals to the limit in such extreme ways, never taking the foot from the gas pedal. Just listen to him in the opening track "Limerent Death", where he screams his lungs out in several different ways and tempos. Incredible how much the human vocal chords can sustain. The guitarist Ben Weinman gets his moments too, especially in "Nothing To Forget" where he opens up the song with an almost futuristic riff, drenched in effects. It is weird as fuck, but also cool as fuck.

The chaos in this record is intriguing as hell, keeping you busy for several hours in your journey to discover every corner of it. All of these incredible details could have easily been lost with the production, but the band has made sure to get everything right here, their swan song. While the album is chaotic as a full blown war, it still feels controlled and organized, carefully planed into the slightest detail. The band wanted to give the fans a helluva final album, and the fans got it.

While "Dissociation" is a unique DEP album, but it still have tons of familiar elements that we recognize from the band's career. The chaotic nature of this record is fascinating, and I am sure that it will stand the test of time, going to history as one of the finest DEP releases. It was hard to take in at first, but it managed to evolve the more I listened to it, making more and more sense. This is a fantastic record, and it is really sad that this closes the chapter that is known as The Dillinger Escape Plan

Good bye you technical and complicated guys, you escaped way too soon, and we will all miss you.

Songs worthy of recognition: Nothing To Forget, Limerent Death, Symptom of Terminal Illness, Dissociation

Rating: 9/10 Honeysuckles

www.dillingerescapeplan.org/

More reviews of The Dillinger Escape Plan
One of Us Is The Killer

Sonic Syndicate - Confessions (2016)

When Sonic Syndicate burst out into the metal scene in the mid 00's, they quickly became the hottest thing since sliced bread. You could not listen 15 minutes to your regular rock radio station without hearing the band. After releasing three album in a rapid pace, the band had established themselves as a force to be reckon with (a very predictable force, but still). After that though, everything went wrong. "We Rule The Night" was a huge step in the wrong direction, and is still today considered as one of the worst albums from the 10's. The self titled and four year younger follow up gave the band some credit back, but they might have fucked up even greater now. How they did it? Beats me, but they did.

My stomach started to turn over "Confessions" almost instantly when I got my first glance of the cover art. Oh, sorry, I should have written "art". Not only is this a bland, half assed photoshop project, but there is nothing in it that says this was made by this band. I expect covers like these from pop artists, or your latest house DJ, but not a metal band. Even worse, the band logo (which I think is one of the cooler ones out there) is changed to one of the most generic fonts I have ever seen. They could have made it with Comic Sans instead, and it would have been an improvement. God, it is like they want everyone to not buy this record.

Thank god they did though, because the music is just as the album cover. I do not really know what it is, but it ain't metal. The band has completely abandoned ship, left their Gothenburg metal roots, and done a pop album instead. Yes, I am serious, dead serious. This is not a metal album. In fact, it is the complete opposite. It is just bland crap. I cannot see anything from the old band in this album. There is nothing heavy, close to no riffs, the harsh vocals are thrown out of the window, and so is every ounce of dignity the band still had.

As soon as the title track starts off the album, you get struck by a keyboard melody that is very reminiscent of some typical house song, a feeling that is only enhanced with the choir. 30 seconds in, and I want to turn it off already. Unfortunately for me, I have to torture myself through this and 11 more songs, and all of them are in the same style. Even if "We Rule The Night" was bad in itself, it at least had metal in it, a urge to expand their existing sound into something new, while still maintaining (some of) their past. This is nothing like that, this is just dumb. If it was a new project under a different name, it might have worked, but they did this because the brand was there. Nobody wins here.

But wait! I might have found a small grain of hope here, a track called "Still Believe", with a guest artist, someone named Madyx. Never heard of her, but I will give it a cha... aaaaaaand it is another pop song. Madyx sounds like a decent name, but this woman is closer to Taylor Swift (or P!nk judging by the photos I googled up) than Doro Pesch, which of course means that we got a romantic duet on our hands. GOD... DAMN... IT!!! This is even blander and more awful than the rest of the material (how that now is possible), and once again, I cannot believe that this is Sonic Syndicate we are talking about. This hurts sooooooo bad.

And the lyrics. The Lyrics. THE GOD DAMN LYRICS! What the hell is this? This is as unimaginative as possible, topics that are generic and boring, telling no interesting story what so ever. It is love, despair, a little more love, and some more love. It is so awful, not even fitting for pop music, which this basically is. You get tired of hearing it before you even get a chance. They truly went full pop, so that is... a thing.

But there must be something good about "Confessions", some little meaningless thing that is of redeeming quality, right? WRONG! There is nothing in this record that is worth your effort. The only thing I can think of is that the choruses are at least catchy, but they are still as disgusting as eating paste. I did my research to get an answer to why this sudden change happened, how something can go so wrong in just two years of time, but all I could find was that they changed bassist and that this was "a new beginning" for the band. If you could see me right now, you would probably see the deepest face palm the world has ever seen.

Sonic Syndicate is officially dead. The band that we all knew 10 years ago is completely gone and have turned into a band that should never be associated with metal ever again. It is like they have given up, said "Fuck it, let's hope the pop fans are dumb enough to love us". This album is so offensively bad, it truly makes me angry for all the wrong reasons. I have only given out one 0 rating ever in this blog, and that was to "Devlab", but there is a difference between these two zeros. "Devlab" did not sound like music, more like an ambient experiment, but this does sound like music, really crappy music.

My final confession is that this is hands down the worst album that you will hear this year. Actually, scratch that, make this album the worst album that you will NOT hear this year. You can thank me later.

Songs worthy of recognition: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH...

Rating: 0/10 Closures

Sonata Arctica - The Ninth Hour (2016)

I really do not know why, but I had a good feeling going into "The Ninth Hour", the conveniently named 9th record of Sonata Arctica. Do not know if it was the album cover, or maybe the fact that the last album, "Pariah's Child", was a neat little record that had its moments, but there was certainly something that filled my heart with hope for this album. The band has delivered some mixed results in later years, so deep down, I knew that  everything could happen, but still, cheerful as ever, I pushed play and let "The Ninth Hour" wash over me.

So what is the first wave that hits me? A nostalgic sense of the late 80's/early 90's in form of "Close To An Animal". There is something about that twinkling Klingenberg keyboard that just oozes of nostalgia, something my parents would put on in my younger years. That has always been a thing with the band, they can create some great music, but also some odd things that makes it really cheesy and awkward. While it works nicely here, it goes the wrong way on the following song, "Life", an uplifting song where the lyrics are full fondue like. "Life is better alive"? No shit Sherlock! Life would be pretty shitty if you were dead, did you also find out that water is wet?

The cheesiness aside, the start to the album is very uplifting, making me happy and maybe also a little high. It feels wrong to go "La la la", but at the same time, so right. "Fairytale" continues on that track, a corny song that is just what the name suggests, a fairytale, but the music is nice, some cool power metal techniques are used, making it worth while. Sonata Arctica truly knows how to take out your corny side.

But eventually, the cheese just becomes too much, and while all of the music in "The Ninth Hour" is more or less on the bright side, it just gets too much for me. Remember that I said that the latest Twilight Force album "Heroes of Mighty Magic" was like Disney metal? Well, this could also be counted as that, but I would rather describe it as story metal, something the Grimm brothers or Hans Christian Andersen would create if they were around today. It just works so well in that type of environment, especially the song "Till Death's Done Us Apart" that literally is a fairytale.

While the album does have a lot of the same themes throughout, it is not a true concept album, which I initially thought when listening to it. I am actually kind of bummed out that this is not a true concept album, because even if I think that I would not have enjoyed it, it still would have been cool to see the band attempt it. It really felt like they had a well thought out and grand idea here, but it was just a small one.

The overall quality is not spectacular, but it is good enough. Most songs are just not sticking to me, but I do give in to some of them after some listens, making "The Ninth Hour" an album that holds up quite well over time. The music is an expected continuation of what we were offered with in "Pariah's Child", more old school Sonata Arctica, and less of the progressive version (it is still there, just in a small dose). Songs like "Fly, Navigate, Communicate" and "Rise A Night" could have easily be in "Reckoning Night" with their rough edge attitude.

The band does their parts in a good way, as always. Tony Kakko knows how to bring out the right emotions from his vocals, the riffs may not be memorable, but Viljanen makes them fit nicely in the songs, and Kauppinen and Portimo handles the rhythmic sections with great honor. Just a swell performance overall, just what you would expects from these veterans.

In the end, I am kind of torn apart. "The Ninth Hour" is certainly not a bad album, it has some nice work here that shows the band's quality and experience, but at the same time, the lyrics and the whole theme is just so god damn cutesy that it is close to cringe worthy. This H.C. Andersen metal is not something I would want to listen to every day, but it might work as a good closure to the day, just laying in bed and letting your imagination run wild and free. It certainly is a nice experience, an album that stands out, but its flaws keeps it from being complete brilliance. Oh well, all is well that ends well. The end.

Songs worthy of recognition: "Fly, Navigate, Communicate", Closer To An Animal, Rise A Night

Rating: 7/10 Fairytales

www.sonataarctica.info/
twitter.com/SonataKemi

More reviews of Sonata Arctica
Pariah's Child

Meshuggah - The Violent Sleep of Reason (2016)

Ah, Meshuggah, the band from the northern Swedish city of Umeå, the effervescent entity that seems to be 5 steps ahead of the rest every time, the band who do not know what the word "simplicity" means. To say that these guys are unique is an understatement, there is simply no band like these masterminds. Every time I hear these guys, my thinking cap comes on, because it takes every bit of power from my brain cells to even comprehend everything that these guys present. So a real workout awaits every time a new album comes around.

"The Violent Sleep of Reason" is the title of the band's 8th studio effort, and it rides along on the same basic concepts that "Koloss" was based upon. To put it simply, it is violent, extreme, progressive, and colossal metal that hits you straight in the face with tons of force. One major difference though is that this album was recorded like a live show, which means that the band played it together, and not individually. It certainly feels more cohesive and organic, so I would say the change of approach here has been a successful one.

As per usual, it is the bass and the drums that is the driving force of Meshuggah, the engine to the vehicle. Dick Lövgren and Tomas Haake spits out these extremely technical and complicated beats like nothing, it is second nature for them, and it truly is their technicality that makes Meshuggah so mesmerizing and intriguing. At times, it is mind boggling how a regular human being can create these beats and rhythms without dislocating every possible joint in the body. The band chemistry has to be spot on for all of this to come together, and it certainly is.

The album starts off really strong with "Clockworks", a song that works just like its name. It is 7 minutes of heavy, technical goodness that never seems to end, creating some controlled madness that only Meshuggah can create. "Born In Dissonance" keeps the momentum going, with ultra heavy riffs that gets your groove on, and with its short play time of 4and a half minute, it is one of the catchier songs of the album. The great songs keeps on coming, with "Monstrocity" that goes up and down the scale in an amazing style, the title track that certainly uses the odd rhythms to its full advantage, and a "Stifled" that relies more on atmosphere and melodies than pure chugging (something that the band rarely does).

But while this album is diverse and extremely impressive in a lot of ways, it still feels kind of meh, especially when compared to earlier Meshuggah releases. To me, there are three things that drags this album down the drain. First off, there is not many parts from this album that is too memorable, probably because the riffs are kind of hollow most of the time. Second, the production is kind of a let down, not being as massive and grand as "Koloss", something this album might have needed for it to generate more power. Finally, the album is hard to get through because of its massive density. The songs are great, but put them together, and they make a massive block that needs determination to drill through. Do not get me wrong, this is a really cool album, it just has some flaws that keeps it from matching up with the band's impressive history.

While "The Violent Sleep of Reason" ends up as kind of a disappointment, it is still Meshuggah. This album is technical as it can be, and the band performs like highly advanced machines, perfect in sync with each other (which makes it even more impressive that this was recorded like a live show). The band stays firmly ahead of the curve, and while not being as innovative as before, they are still maintaining a position that most other bands only can dream of. So while I might enjoy albums like "Koloss", "Destroy Erase Improve", and "ObZen" much more than "The Violent Sleep of Reason", I will still do a Jens Kidman while listening to it. In other words, bring out my lower jaw, roll my eyes back to my skull, and bang my head to the infectious rhythm.

Songs worthy of recognition: Clockworks, Born In Dissonance, Monstrocity, Stifled

Rating: 7,5/10 Ivory Towers

www.meshuggah.net/
twitter.com/meshuggah

Alter Bridge - The Last Hero (2016)

It is hard to imagine that Alter Bridge was risen from the ashes of Creed, bursting out as a colorful phoenix that took classic American hard rock to a whole new level. The band has done some great work over the years, releasing 4 albums that all had something to offer. And for every release, the band has turned up the heaviness factor a little bit, and it reached its climax with the 2013 release "Fortress", one of the best hard rock albums in several years.

"The Last Hero" is not that much heavier from its predecessor, but the quality of the craft is still high as hell. The band takes the momentum that they created from "Fortress", and rolled with it, creating a very suitable follow up. Sure, all of the Alter Bridge albums have a similar feel to them, but it really feels like the band stepped up their game significantly after "AB III", marking a new era for the band.

There are tons of material here that is easy to appreciate, mostly for the same reasons, the guitars and vocals. Myles Kennedy is one of the most recognizable voices out there and he delivers them with pin point accuracy, while Mark Tremonti adds a lot of personality to the songs with his nicely executed riffs and solos. Those two certainly makes most of the band, but the other guys (bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips) pull their weight as well with honor and pride, completing the puzzle.

The 1 hour long album does have one clear highlight, and sadly, it is at the very beginning. While it is a shame that the band tops the album with its best song, there is no doubt that "Show Me A Leader" starts off the album in the best way possible. It is a 5 minute long song that contains a really cool opening (where Tremonti just goes full Sonic), a intriguing melody, a powerful chorus, and a classic Iron Maiden trick, some "whoa-oh whoa-oh-oh-oh"'s to make the listener sing on impulse. It is a heavy hitter that sits firmly in place after the first listen, and it is topped off with a fast paced killer of a solo. Blown away from the gates.

While "The Last Hero" never reaches the same highs again, it still shows a lot of quality and versatility with its song library. Some slower and mellow tunes in "You Will Be Remembered" and "Cradle To The Grave", some aggressive in "Island of Fools" and the magnificent "The Other Side", and some catchy sons of bitches like "Crows On A Wire", "The Writing On The Wall" and "Losing Patience", making "The Last Hero" a diverse record that rarely gets boring, despite its lengthy length. So yeah, this album has a lot of cool and interesting songs to offer, and I could almost mention every song on this album, because it is consistent as hell.

But then we have the cliches, those songs that are more American than apple pie. As a Swede, these songs do not sit right for me (for obvious reasons), but I do get why the band do them. This is just a cultural preference, but my firm opinion is that "My Champion", "You Will Be Remembered", and the on going theme about heroes is not only weak, but kind of cheesy. So do not take these criticisms seriously, I am just here for the stuff that makes Alter Bridge stand out from every other American hard rock bands.

While it may not be as rock solid as "Fortress", "The Last Hero" will still most likely be the best hard rock album that you will hear in 2016. It got more or less everything that you want from a Alter Bridge album. It is heavy, versatile, and really professional. It is obvious that Alter Bridge is in a good place right now, rolling hard with their momentum in just the right way, and it looks like they will not stop any time soon. It may not be a straight on bull's eye, but "The Last Hero" is still on target.

Songs worthy of recognition: Show Me A Leader, The Writing On The Wall, The Other Side, Island of Fools

Rating: 8,5/10 Crows on a wire

www.alterbridge.com
twitter.com/alterbridge

Epica - The Holographic Principle (2016)

Once a band has created its own unique sound, it is hard for said band to further develop it, taking it to the next level in each and every new album. While Epica is a part of those bands that has not taken huge steps in their evolution, they have still steadily built from their foundation, taking their skills and knowledge  further and further into the future. That is even more evident in "The Holographic Principle", a album that measures up to a length of 1 hour and 12 minutes, containing 12 songs, which is a little less than half that the band has written over the course of the past year. The band is going big, and I could not expect anything less from the Dutch. 

The first thing that strikes me with this album (besides that beautiful album cover, easily the best one from this year), is that sense of familiarity, yet still containing enough freshness to not feel like a deja vu. Yes, we still have the epic choir, the grand sound, the heavy guitars of Mark Jansen and Isaac Delahaye, and the incredibly stunning vocals of Simone Simons, one of the premier female singers on this planet, so there is really nothing ground breaking over "The Holographic Principle", but why fix something that ain't broke, just perfect it even further instead.

So yeah, it is pretty obvious straight from the start with the short instrumental "Eidola" and "Edge of The Blade" that Epica is not here to go wild and crazy, they are more or less as close to safe as one can be. "Edge of The Blade" is vintage Epica, a catchy and beautiful melodic song where all major elements gets their chance to shine. Yeah, you have heard it before, but it is still fine quality to it. The same can be said to the first released song, "Universal Death Squad", a song that I did not give too much about in the first place, but has really grown on me lately, with its interesting structure and great, but subtle, riffing.

And the album gets even stronger with "Divide And Conquer", a fairly complex song with lots of layers, and several cool stuffs going for it. It is one of few songs that Mark Jansen and his harsh vocals gets some room, and he kills it, cooperating with Simone in a fantastic way. But it is the chaotic ending, and the bone chilling choir that really makes "Divide And Conquer" a big highlight of this album. The goosebumps will surely hit you hard here.

After that though, the album takes a plunge. Not that the drop of quality is all the way down to the rock bottom, but it is a drastic one still, a bland mix of slower songs and uninteresting ones makes "The Holographic Principle"'s middle part a very dull one. It is a shame that this dip comes, because the band has good track record when it comes to consistency, and just hearing the band sounding like The Gentle Storm from time to time is not good at all.

The band does get back into shape towards the end with "Tear Down You Walls" and the 11 and a half long title track. The title track is especially interesting, because Epica is not well known for their mastodons, even if they have tried it before (like in their last album, "The Quantum Enigma"). "The Holographic Principle" was intriguing at the first few listens, but failed to grow. Still, a valid effort that ends the album in a good way.

"The Holographic Principle" is a beautiful record, but there is some smudge here and there that takes away some of the album's overall quality. The uneven quality hurts the album quite badly, and while the grand production masks some of the flaws, it cannot cover them all. The sound is still there, epic as always, but it might be time for the band to either evolve it, or just minimizing it, making the most of every second. "The Holographic Principle" is after all a fairly long record that does not last all the way through, and does not hold up against Epica's grandest creations. Still a good album, just not brilliant.

Songs worthy of recognition: Divide And Conquer, Edge of The Blade, Tear Down Your Walls

Rating: 6,5/10 Universal Death Squads

www.epica.nl/

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Opeth - Sorceress (2016)

The transformation of Opeth continues with the release of "Sorceress", the band's 12th studio effort, and the 3rd that many would consider to be a part of the new era of the band, an era without harsh vocals and more rock elements. Say what you want about this change, but the band has adapted well, without losing their keen sense of making stunning and magical music. It is still Opeth, even if it is a different Opeth from before.

As per usual when it comes to Opeth, much of the magic in "Sorceress" lies within the vocals. While I do think that Mikael Åkerfeldt does not have one of the most unique vocals in metal, but he certainly knows how to utilize it in the best possible way, all to give the music that extra dimension. Those vocals makes a song like "Will o The Wisp", a fairly slow acoustic song, way more magical than what it normally would be. A truly beautiful piece of art.

And that is most of the first half of "Sorceress", a good pack of songs that are more magical than the next one. Most of these songs have its roots in 70's prog rock, and even some jazz fusion is brought in here to spice it up a bit. The only exception to the rule is "Chrysalis", a up tempo song that has a lot of groove in it, and aggression as well. It is without any doubt the most memorable song of the album, and for really good reasons. The tempo changes, the melodies, the instrumentation, yes everything about this song is simply great. A clear highlight of the album.

After "Chrysalis" though, things go from exciting and interesting, to sleep mode. "Sorceress 2" and "The Seventh Sojourn" are both extremely slow paced songs, completely killing the mood that the first 5 songs had helped build up. It is a weird break in the album that just does not fit at all. It ruins the album completely, just putting in two songs that are just wasting valuable space with practically nothing. It is boring, boring, and a little more boring.

Fortunately, those two songs are the only duds in "Sorceress", because we are right back on the saddle again with the longest track of the album, the just under 9 minute song "Strange Brew", a very progressive songs that is built with a lot of different layers, from slow mood building parts, to extremely technical (and close to confusing) madness. I really could not think of a better title for this song, because this is indeed a "Strange Brew", but a very tasty one, offering some really neat and interesting stuff, and also the heaviest parts of the whole record. It is kind of strange that this is the longest song, and I think it reflects "Sorceress" nicely, because it is not all that progressive, it is more direct in its approach. This is something that some may like, and some may dislike, but I think that most will be indifferent about it, as long as the music works (and it does).

While the ending of the record is kind of forgettable, it is still a nice listen, and it fits nicely with the image of the  album. A nice, spiritual sound that is experimenting a little here and there with all kinds of tricks, but never goes overboard with it. All in all, I think that the band has created a really nice record that is varied in its sound, yet cohesive. "Sorceress" is a good continuation down Opeth's mellow path, but it is not without its twists and turns. The uneven song material is hurting the album badly, and keeps it from reaching the same heights as its predecessor "Pale Communion". As for the lack of metal in it, I could not care less about it, because Opeth has evolved with dignity, transforming their sound that is reminiscent of the past, yet groundbreaking and interesting. Nonetheless, it is still a good album that is a worthy corner stone of the Opeth legacy, even if it is still a below average Opeth album.

Songs worthy of recognition: Chrysalis, Will o The Wisp, Strange Brew

Rating: 7,5/10 Wilde Flowers

www.opeth.com/
twitter.com/officialopeth

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Source - Return To Nothing (2016)

Are you just like me, sick of waiting for the new Tool album? Then you better go check out Source, the ultimate medicine for metal heads who suffer from Tool abstinence. This new band from Boulder, Colorado comes out of nowhere and delivers some prime progressive metal goodness, all in the mysterious spirit of Tool. "Return To Nothing" is the band's debut record, and it knocked me out completely with its keen sense of fine song writing and delicate, yet challenging, instrumentation.

Now, you could easily go out and say that this album does not have a chance to match the quality that Tool has, and you would be right, because Source is still in the early stages of their career. This is the first step for these guys, and it is most certainly an impressive one. The instrumentation is extremely delicate and precise, delivering sweet riffs and groovy beats that makes the whole album very enjoyable. I especially love the fact that the bass is high in the mix, really giving the sound more depth.

The thing that really defines "Return To Nothing" though is spirituality. It is mind cleansing music that is flowing really well, especially thanks to the singer Ben Gleason, who utilizes his vocals in just the right way, transferring the listener almost to a hypnotic state. It is just a great feeling to listen to his angelic voice, and the rest of the band (bassist Dan Crisafulli and drummer Georges Octobous) help enhancing it even more.

The only real criticism I can give "Return To Nothing" is on its consistency. It is way too much of it. The album is one, really dense blob of the same emotions and sounds, and it does not really help that close to every song are over 8 minutes long. The variation is there, but it is so subtle that it can easily be missed. Fortunately though, most of the music here is of high quality, and most songs are very strong on their own. "The Essence" is a real favourite of mine, with its technicality and catchy melodies. Other real standouts are the title track, "Forgiveness", and "The Serpent", but there is really no weak track on this records, which makes this debut even more impressive.

"Return To Nothing" is a very interesting debut record, and the perfect antidote for those who have Tool abstinence. It captures the emotions in a very cool and interesting way, and while the comparisons to Tool are all too obvious, it still does not take away the fact that this band has a good future ahead of them if they play their cards right. They still have some growing to do, but this is a great first step into making a full fledged career. 2016 is more and more becoming an amazing year, and the good amount of great debut records really solidifies that statement.

Songs worthy of recognition: The Essence, Foregiveness, The Serpent

Rating: 8/10 Quadrants

www.listentosource.com
twitter.com/listentosource

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