Oceans of Slumber - The Banished Heart (2018)

With their sophomore effort "Winter", Oceans of Slumber became a nice little darling in 2016 for most metal lovers, including myself, falling instantly in love with the band's unique version of extreme progressive music. However, I felt that the band had more to give, that we only got a small taste of their true potential on "Winter". So when the band unveiled their new release "The Banished Heart", I flung myself to my Spotify account, and downloaded that shit immediately. Let us hope I did not jump the shark (or however you use that saying).

Well, it did not take very long until I understood that the band had indeed taken their music to the next level. The opening song "The Decay of Disregard" is just a beautiful 9 minute monster that takes its time to develop, but everything is just so carefully placed to get out maximum effect. Unfortunately, my brain is kind of stupid, so it ruined the song by taking the line "It fuels a nightmare" and twisting it into "Feelings of nutmeg". I still love it, but cannot listen to it without singing along with my own lyrics, it is completely engraved in my head. It does make me wonder though, can nutmeg have feelings? Probably not.

Fortunately, my brain was kind enough to not ruin anymore songs, and thank god for that, because this whole album is filled with tracks that have that perfect mix of beauty and darkness, and that is balanced perfectly by singer Cammie Gilbert. Her vocals are so incredibly precise in every single syllable, hitting the right spot every time to give the already atmospheric music another level of emotion. And also thanks from really solid instrumentation work from the remaining five members of the band, we get a chemistry that is simply astonishing.

Sound wise, the band is definitely in a league of their own, but they do have a fair bunch of visible influences on their sleeves. The bands that first comes to my mind is Novembers Doom and Paradise Lost, mostly because they also have a keen sense of getting some grand emotions out of the music. There is also some The Project Hate MCMXCIX and Ne Oblivscaris to be found here, with the intense brutality, complex song structures, and mix of beautiful and crushing harsh vocals, which is best displayed in the brilliant and epic "At Dawn".

It is certainly apparent that the band has done its homework, because "The Banished Heart" is much more consistent than "Winter", with each one of the eleven songs having a purpose of being there. The title track is an emotional power house that just gets bigger and bigger the more we get into the song, while the double sandwich "Etiolation" and "A Path To Broken Stars" are technical masterclasses by guitarists Sean Gary and Anthony Contreras, with drummer Dobber Beverly (nice name dude) laying down some sweet fills in the background. Even the distant closer "Wayfaring Stranger" is very nice, with its mellow atmosphere and naked instrumentation, it is just so god damn impressive.

There is very little to dislike about this album, maybe it is a tad bit too long, and some more vibrant diversity could have been needed, but "The Banished Heart" is still a fantastic record from start to finish. It got it all, brutality, melodies, calm moments, fast moments, it just delivers a smorgasbord of progressive technicality that a prog lover can sit around for hours and stuff themselves silly. Oceans of Slumber is certainly not slumbering anymore, they are awake, and they are delivering some magnificent metal to the people, with some delicious nutmeg sprinkled in for some extra flavour.

Songs worthy of recognition: The Banished Heart, The Decay of Disregard, At Dawn, Etiolation

Rating: 9/10 Wayfaring Strangers

oceansofslumber.com/
twitter.com/OceansofSlumber

Bell Witch - Mirror Reaper (2017)

We are officially in December, so that means it is time for me to do two things. One is to begin working on my "best of" lists, and another is to catch up on music that I might have missed over the year, albums that a lot of people would consider to be the best of the best. One of those albums that got such a buzz was the third album by the funeral doom band Bell Witch, entitled "Mirror Reaper". While I did get the word on them quite early (mostly because of that Dark Souls inspired cover, one of my favourites of the year), I was not sure if I would really enjoy the record, this genre is not exactly my wheel house.

So why was I so hesitant with "Mirror Reaper"? The first clue is in the line up, which consists of Dylan Desmond on bass and vocals, and Jesse Shreibman on drums and vocals. Yep, no guitars on this band, and the vocals are kind of a side thing too, which means this is basically a big rhythm album. And I really mean big, because another thing that made me uneasy is the length of the album, which is 1 hour and 23 minutes, all "divided" into one song. Yes, it is one of those albums, a single, long ass song, without any guitars and very little vocals, all in a style that is very dark and dense. Jesus Christ, we are in for a special experience folks.

Like all of this was not enough, the album has even more meaning to it with the fact that one half of the original band died in between albums. The death of Adrian Guerra was untimely for sure, but it does add an extra layer of emotion to "Mirror Reaper" that simply would not be there otherwise. It is like he still is a part of the album, in every possible way. It is a great homage to a fallen brother.

A warning first to anyone who wants to try this album out, make sure that you have no other disturbances outside, because this is an album that demands its listener to be in a very calm and collected mood so that everything can be taken in. Also make sure that you have time, this is not an album that you just plug in and swallow quickly. To make it justice, you have to give it respect, sit down, and just relax. Once you do that, every carefully placed note, every drum hit, every line of vocals will hit you just right. It is an album that really deserves every bit of attention.

At the same time though, it is pretty difficult to keep your attention on this album. The whole album consists of long, slow notes that do create an amazing atmosphere, but because the entire album is more or less around the same wave length, it does become very tiring after a while. The struggle to keep your concentration levels in check is certainly real here, and for some, this album could just be outright boring. It does pick up some momentum towards the final 20 minutes, but that might be too little too late for most, and the change is not that significant either.

Unfortunately, I will most likely not listen to this album ever again. It is not that "Mirror Reaper" is a bad album, it is an emotional album that has an amazing atmosphere and well thought out writing that goes beyond the boundries of what metal can be. However, this is simply not an album for me, it is not an album that you can enjoy all that often, it requires certain specific moments to do so, and those moments are few and far between in my world. The length is excruciating, making it incredibly difficult to get through in one sitting. In the end though, I highly recommend this album to everyone, experience it at least once, it is most certainly one of the highlights of the year. Maybe not "best of" worthy, but it is a special one.

Songs worthy of recognition: Mirror Reaper (obviously)

Rating: 7,5/10 Mirror Reapers

bellwitch.bandcamp.com/
twitter.com/BellWitchdoom

Novembers Doom - Hamartia (2017)

I am not the biggest doom fan out there, but it is a genre I have taken to me more and more in recent years, and when a doom record is done right, it can be really freaking good. But for me to enjoy a doom record, I need some melody put into it, or a lot of emotions that comes through in wave after wave, making me feel the despair deep within me,and that is something that I think is really hard to accomplish. Somehow though, Novembers Doom seem to know their shit, because they keep releasing great stuff time and time again.

In 2014, they ended up on my top 20 list with the album "Bled White", an album that had a lot of speed for a doom record, but was still gloomy as hell, while also incorporating some great melodies. It just hit all the notes just right for me, so the expectations for "Hamartia" was obviously high, and wouldn't you know, they lived up to the hype, delivering another stellar record.

"Hamartia" is a slightly different record for the band, yet very familiar. We do not get as much of the death part of their music, and the clean vocals takes a greater role, but the sound is still undoubtedly Novembers Doom, as always filled to the brim with raw emotions that will leave no one untouched. Most of these emotions are created by the vocalist and only remaining original member Paul Kuhr, mixing his harsh and clean vocals perfectly to set the mood he wants, giving the songs extra depth and weight.

It is a pretty lengthy album, but the 57 minutes goes by fairly fast actually, not only because the quality here is so high, but because the songs are in just the right sized chunks, except for the last song "Borderline", the only track that goes over the 6 minute mark. Even with fairly little time per song (for a doom band at least), Novembers Doom manages to pack in a lot in each track, details that truly elevates the music, whether it be flawless execution from the rhythm section, or just a great build up. It also helps making "Hamartia" very diverse, never becoming stale and boring.

As stated before though, the fewer amount of death metal elements here might put off some fans, but the moments that are in here are pure awesome sauce. The opening track "Devils Light" has a great engaging intro, and a haunting chorus that will surely give you the chills, and "Apostasy" has some great speedy instrumentation by guitarists Marchese and Roberts. These songs are fantastic when put together with the calmer song as a contrast, like the title track and "Ghost". We can also add the epic "Miasma" and the curve ball known as "Zephyr", where bassist Michael Feldman steals a few tricks from early Muse, as great tracks that helps making "Hamartia" really special.

In the end, this is just an astounding effort that Novembers Doom is presenting us with, a heavy album in both spirit and soul, mixing death with beauty in an amazing manor. The ending of the album could have been a little more polished, but there is enough high quality music in "Hamartia" to make it a contender at the end of the year. The band continues to evolve while staying true to their unique melodic death doom sound., and the way that they bring out the emotions is just so god damn good. Just go listen to it straight away, and let the emotions take over.

Songs worthy of recognition: Apostasy, Devils Light, Hamartia, Zephyr

Rating: 9/10 Ghosts

www.novembersdoom.com/
twitter.com/NovembersDoom

Katatonia - The Fall of Hearts (2016)

For every album that has passed, Katatonia has become more progressive and less aggressive in their sound, starting out as a blackened doom metal (with the members having black metal names and everything), all the way to where they are now, a more calm, gothic progressive metal band that relies more on melodies than brutality. It is a journey that other bands have done (Opeth, Amorphis, etc.), but Katatonia stands out as the only band that probably have left their roots on the attic. Okay, it was a long time ago they did the major change, but still, hearing this, their 11th studio album "The Fall of Hearts", and comparing it to their debut record, "Dance of December Souls" from 1993, and you would think that it was two different bands that made these records.

The first thing I notice about "The Fall of Hearts" are the guitars, which are calmer and quieter, and I am not sure if I fully like it. Sure, it creates a mood that fits the band really well and gives the album a nice personality, but they take away a lot of the only thing that kept Katatonia being a metal band. It continues mostly in the style of "Dethroned & Uncrowned", which is the acoustic version of the amazing album "Dead End Kings", and while I personally disliked "Dethroned & Uncrowned" for ruining "Dead End Kings", I knew that the style on that album could work with music that was specifically written for that album. Well, here we have it.

With all of that said, I still think the guitar work is excellent, and the few heavy bits that are in fits well, and are not thrown in for the fan's sake. The rest of the performance is as expected of the band, high quality work, with everyone contributing in creating a magical and emotional album. Jonas Renkse has one of the smoothest vocals in the industry, and you easily get mesmerized when you listen to him singing, and the drum work by Daniel Moilanen are spiritual and uplifting.

As a reviewer, it is hard to listen to "The Fall of Hearts", because you get easily entranced by its magical sound, making you forget all about space and time, and when it all is over, it will not feel like it has gone 1 hour and 7 minutes, but more like a half hour. This is the sole reason to why I have not finished this review earlier, because I just let go of my focus and start to relax, a reflex that still is there, even after 10+ listens. I am of course a little frustrated over this, because I wanna get this review done, but at the same time, I am okay with it, because I highly enjoy the feelings that this album gives me, and to still experience them after several repeated listening sessions is incredible.

Now, I usually try to point out a few songs that stands out in the album, but the truth here is that there are no true stand outs on "The Fall of Hearts", every song is just as strong as the next one, and while none of them might be too memorable, they work extremely well together and creates a big, solid entity. The song writing is just so superb, so fluent, so soothing that you could wash away all of your sins with it. The only track that steers off on its own is the final song "Passer", which is without a doubt the heaviest song on the album, but it fits into the rest of the songs seamlessly, so it almost seems like the heavier tone does not really matter here, it is just a added bonus. This is ultimately an album that should be listened in its entirety, any other way is simply not doing it justice.

"The Fall of Hearts" is a very reasonable follow up to "Dead End Kings", taking its magical sound and develop it even further. Katatonia keeps delivering some stunning music that is easy to swallow, and even if this barely would be considered a metal album, it is just heavy enough to make the most out of it. It might even be one of the best Katatonia album ever made, holding the high quality that the band has put out during its career, and you will most certainly love this album if you are into gothic doom metal. A fall of hearts, but certainly not a fall from grace.

Songs worthy of recognition: Seriously, just take them all in, they deserve it

Rating: 9,5/10 Seracs

Black Sabbath - Sabotage (1975)

After some experimentation in both "Black Sabbath Vol. 4" and "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", Black Sabbath chose to go back to the rock sound they had in their earlier albums. Their 6th effort, entitled "Sabotage", is a more straight forward album from the band, a album that let the band pull off some steam since they were being sued by their former management during the time they recorded the album. This difficult time weakened the band in general later on, but it might have strengthen the band in this perticular album.

It feels again like the band is making music they want to play, and you can definitely hear it. Tony Iommi's riff are not only memorable, but they are groovy as well. Ozzy does a good job on the vocals and Bill Ward's drumming is just how you want it to be like. Could have wished for more of Geezer's bass, but it does not bother me that much.

Altough there are no songs in "Sabotage" that has gotten a world wide recognition, the album still has some nice gems in it. The most famous song from this album is probably the 9 and a half minute long "Megalomania" that is almost two songs merged into one. It starts of in a slow psychadelicmood which eventually evolves into more of a straight forwards rock song with a nice groove and an awesome riff. Also kinda like the keyboards in the end. Another personal favourite is the fast and thrilling "Symptom of The Universe", which is probably the fastest song the band has made during that time.

Those two songs stands out a little extra in "Sabotage", but the album itself contains 7 high quality songs ("Don't Start (Too Late)" not included since it is a useless intro track) that have different personalities and strengths. "Supertzar" is a spiritual instrumental with cool riffs and a heavenly choir, "Hole In The Sky" is a simple riff based song with no complications, and"The Writ" is a long smooth song that closes the album in a fine way. These are just some of the types you will encounter while listening to "Sabotage", and this versatility makes "Sabotage" a very exciting album, that just presents surprise after surprise. No songs are the same, but no song really skew off from the general direction the album is heading towards.

Except for the clothing choices on the album cover, everything works perfectly fine in "Sabotage". The good selection of songs and the more straight forward approach makes this one of the best Black Sabbath album up to date. There is very little to dislike about this rock album, and I can also feel that the band itself was very pleased with making this record. Definitely one of the band's finest records during the Ozzy era.

Songs worthy of recognition: Megalomania, Hole In The Sky, Symptom of The Universe, The Writ

Rating: 9/10 Supertzars

Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)

Continuing on the road that "Black Sabbath Vol. 4" created, "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" is more of a lighter Black Sabbath album compared to the band's first three releases. But this album is more of a Black Sabbath album than its predecessor since it does not experiment with other types of sound (even though things like synthesizers was experimented in here as well as in Vol. 4). You can expect to find some fine Black Sabbath rock when you will listen to this album, even if it is not as dark as I would have liked it.

The most notable track is of course the title track that has a very catchy riff and a nice doomish middle part. It brings the album to a great start with its nice Black Sabbath groove. And even if the remaining 7 songs do not come up to the same standards as "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", there are still some songs that makes me appreciate this album more. The ending to "A National Acrobat" is a chaotic beauty in disguise and the technical "Sabbra Cadabra" makes my head move here and there. I also enjoy the diversity in "Killing Yourself To Live", the uplifting "Looking For Today" and the orchestra in "Spiral Architect".

The problem in the album does not lie in the song quality, it lies instead in the instrumental quality. I feel that the band does not get out their full potential into the song. I think that could be because of the massive amount of drugs that the band has been using during the recording of the album, but it could also be the fact that the band chemistry is not as strong as it was in the previous albums. No matter how you twist and turn the question, it is still pretty clear that the band was not 100% fit when they created "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath".

Black Sabbath's 5th offering is all in all a very consistent album with no real low points in sight. It may not be as dark as I want a Black Sabbath album to be, but the groove in the album is so nice that it makes up for most of the lacking darkness. I would not consider this to be the perfect Black Sabbath album, but it could have been the best one so far if the band chemistry was as good as it was in the beginning of the band's career. But hope is the last thing that leaves you, and the music in "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" gives me a lot of it for the next set of albums.

Songs worthy of recognition: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Sabbra Cadabra, Killing Yourself To Live

Rating: 8,5/10 Fluffs

Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath Vol. 4 (1972)

The fourth installment from Black Sabbath would have been titled "Snowblind", but that was refused since it referred to the band's love for cocaine (the band was doing a lot of cocaine during the making of this album). So instead, the album was given the very original name "Black Sabbath Vol. 4", which is not the only problem with it. The band has later admitted that it was during this time that things started to look bad for the band chemistry, and I think that it shows a little on the album.

"Black Sabbath Vol. 4" differs quite a lot from its three predecessors. It is more of a sensitive album with not so much darkness, and it also comes with some surprises, like Tony Iommi's decent piano skills in "Changes". I do not know many Black Sabbath fans that would rather enjoy a more joyful version of the band, and I am certainly not one of them. The darkness in the music was what made Black Sabbath so unique and mysterious. It made it stand out against the rest of the bands during that era.

The music itself has some bright points that makes me smile. There is some nice groove in "Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener" and "Supernaut" while songs like "Tomorrow's Dream", "Cornucopia" and "Under the Sun/Every Day Comes And Goes" brings more of the real Black Sabbath sound to the table. So it is obvious that most of the songs on "Black Sabbath Vol. 4" is of rather good quality, but most of them also does not feel like real Black Sabbath tunes. Take for example "Changes", a classic Beatles inspired ballad that only consists of Tony playing the piano, Ozzy singing and some violins in the background. This is not a Black Sabbath song. This is more fitting in a The Beatles album. So why is it in "Black Sabbath Vol. 4" then? I have no idea, and I will probably will never know.

"Black Sabbath Vol. 4" is far from a bad album, and I can see why some fans love this new side of Sabbath's music. But Black Sabbath to me is when the band embrace the darkness in their music and make some sweet early doom metal. This album is more of a normal rock record, which in it self is perfectly fine, but it gives me the feeling that the album lacks that extra something to really lift it to the top of the mountain..

Songs worthy of recognition: Supernaut, Tomorrow's Dream Under The Sun/Every Day Comes And Goes

Rating: 6,5/10 Cornucopias

Black Sabbath - Master of Reality (1971)

Seeing the cover to Black Sabbath's third album, "Master of Reality", you would think that the band was high when creating the album. Then you would be partially correct. The first song on the album, "Sweet Leaf", was recorded while the band was stoned and the song itself is an ode to marijuana. Also, the coughing you hear on the intro is in fact Tony Iommi, who started to cough a hell of a lot when Ozzy offered him a joint. Well, high or not high, "Sweet Leaf" is still a pretty sweet song to listen to.

I do not know however if the rest of the album was created under the influence of marijuana, but at least it follows the same lines as in its predecessor "Paranoid". "Master of Reality" stands steadily on a foundation of groovy beats, sudden tempo shiftings and dark riffs. And even if the play time of the album is once again pretty short, the band is making the most out of it with a good variety of songs.

The most notable song is of course "Children of The Grave", not because it is one of Black Sabbath's most famous songs, but because of the darkness in it. The doom like riffs, the dark lyrics, the heavy groove and the down tuned bass makes this song special in oh so many ways. But "Children of The Grave" is far from the only reason to why "Master of Reality" is one of Black Sabbath's most acclaimed albums. We also have "After Forever" that blends doom metal vibes with melody loops that could have been very fitting in a Sonic The Hedgehog game. Then we have the smooth and soothing "Solitude" that just cleanses your soul with its flutes and smooth Ozzy vocals (who would have thought that he could sing so smooth). I also have to mention the last song "Into The Void" that is just a typical Black Sabbath track. A simple, but effective, riff, Ozzy singing with the beat and some cool tempo shiftings.

I do think that "Master of Reality" is slightly overrated, but it is still a pretty cool Black Sabbath album. This album helps defining the band's style and does so with a couple of effective and groovy tunes. This album got a very high low point, but not so high high point, which could be seen as strange since the band was stoned during the time of making this album.

Songs worthy of recognition: Children of The Grave, Sweet Leaf, Into The Void

Rating: 8/10 Embryos

Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970)

After only four months since the release of their debut album, Black Sabbath went into the studio again to write the material for the sophomore album. This album was initially meant to be named "War Pigs", but Warner stopped it since the title was a critical remark against the ongoing war between Vietnam and USA. So instead, the album was named "Paranoid", after the last song that was written for the album (took around 25 minutes to create according to the band).

This is probably the most well known Black Sabbath album, mostly because several of their biggest "hits" are in this album. "War Pigs", "Paranoid" and "Iron Man" all make an appearance on this album and they all deserve the praise that they have gotten through the years. "War Pigs" is an excellent song about corrupt politicians that sends out the poor to war instead of themselves, "Iron Man"'s simple riff and epic ending makes it irresistible, and "Paranoid" is just groovy as hell. It stands clear, only after one or two listening sessions, that this album would be a lot more boring without this magical trio of songs.

But just like with Iron Maiden's "The Number of The Beast", "Paranoid"'s strength is also its greatest weakness. The three well known songs are almost so good that the listener can easily forget the rest of the tracks, which is a shame since "Paranoid" has some other sweet songs that makes this album very diverse. Take for instance the soothing melodies in "Planet Caravan" or the infectious beats in "Hand of Doom" and "Fairies Wear Boots". I am sure that this album would not have its status if these songs were replaced by some bad copies of "the big three".

The only thing I do not get along with in ""Paranoid" is the instrumental "Rat Salad". First off, what kind of a name is "Rat Salad"? Secondly, all I can think of when listening to this song is how much of a show off the drummer Bill Ward can be during this song. The random drum solos just makes the song sound like a broken record. And even if the song is the shortest in the album (2:29), it still feels like it is too long. Remember kids, when you are going to make an instrumental, do not let the drummer be the main attraction.

I can honestly say that "Paranoid" clearly deserves its legendary status, but it is not only because of "Paranoid", "War Pigs" and "Iron Man". It is because this album has an impressive variation and a timeless sound that both young and old metal heads can enjoy. It is impressive that this album was release within a year after the band's debut album, but what is more impressive is the significant development that has happened to the music during that short time. The music is more well constructed and the length of the album is not too short. So if "Black Sabbath" marked the birth of metal, "Paranoid" is a prediction of what great things this genre was about to unfold.

Songs worthy of recognition: War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man, Fairies Wear Boots

Rating: 9/10 Rat Salads

Black Sabbath - S/T (1970)

Known as the band that more or less created heavy metal, Black Sabbath was conceived in 1968 under the name Earth Blues Company in Birmingham, England. Looking to escape a boring life of working in a factory, Anthony Frank "Tony" Iommi, John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne, Terence Michael Joseph "Geezer" Butler and William Thomas "Bill" Ward started to play together, but it wasn't after Butler's brief encounter with the black arts that the band found a mysterious and interesting direction to follow. After that, Black Sabbath continued as the sort of polar opposite of The Beatles. Instead of happy melodies, the music was darker and more progressive. And the rest is, as we call it, history.

And that history could just as well have been released today. "Black Sabbath" sounds just as good as I think it did in 1970. The production is dark and mellow, and together with some blues influences scattered here and there, "Black Sabbath" is just as underground as you almost can get. I can only imagine the amount of jaw drops when the people got a hold of this new type of music.

The most notable song is without a doubt the legendary "N.I.B." (loosely rumored as Nativity In Black) which shows the band's ultimate potential. A groovy and simple riff together with Ozzy's psychedelic voice gives this song a special mood that we today know as the typical Black Sabbath groove. And I swear to Lucifer, if it was not for the amazing riff and solo work of Tony Iommi, then this song would be so much worse.

But it is the darkness in this record that makes it truly stand out. The demonic vibes in the title-track just chills my bones, while the ballad like "Sleeping Village" is something out of this world. Then the band also finds other ways to impress, like with the harmonicas on "The Wizard" or making the songs "Evil Woman (Don't Play Your Games With Me)" and "Warning" sound like their own creations (originals made by Crow and Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation)

However, this album is only 38 minutes long, and if we take away the two covers, the play time of their own songs reaches a length of around 24 minutes, which makes me longing for more. I know that it only took one day to record this album and that the band played it live together, but did they not have anything more to fill up the album with?

This self-titled debut saw the light of day the 13th Febuary in 1970. 44 years ago today. It is hard to believe, especially since the band is still active today, that some youngsters from Birmingham would create the greatest music genre in the history of mankind. But when you are listening to "Black Sabbath", it is all starting to make sense. It may not be the perfect album, but it had that special "it" factor that laid the foundation for heavy metal.

Songs worthy of recognition: N.I.B., Black Sabbath, The Wizard

Rating: 7,5/10 Sleeping Villages

Katatonia - Dethroned & Uncrowned (2013)

It was only a mere year ago since the Swedish gothic doom band Katatonia released a album. That album was "Dead End Kings" and was a excellent display of the band's capability. Before I listened to this new record entitled "Dethroned & Uncrowned", I had to go back to "Dead End Kings" and remember the songs from there. Why? Because this album is practically "Dead End Kings". Katatonia has taken the song names and the lyrics from "Dead End Kings", got rid of the drums and the heavy guitars and given the songs a acoustic sound. Yes, these are re imagined versions of the songs in "Dead End Kings".

What are my thoughts of this album? Well I personally feel that the band is covering them self. It is a pretty neat idea, but I feel that the band should be focusing on writing new material instead of reinventing their old. Then again, it is exciting to see two sides of the same coin I guess.

To continue this review, I thought why not have a battle, song versus song. Sounds good? No? Well fuck you too. My blog, my rules. Here we go.

The Parting Vs. The Parting
This song was pretty good in both albums, although I think that the guitar part near the end of the song has more effect with the string instruments on Dethroned. A very close fight that Dethroned wins in Sudden Death.

The One You Are Looking For Is Not Here Vs. The One You Are Looking For Is Not Here
This is one of the more boring songs on both of the albums, so I am going with the version that has the most "action" in it. So the winner here is the original from "Dead End King".

Hypnone Vs. Hypnone
This is a powerful song, and I think that powerful songs like this need a clean and determined guitar to really pop out. So this is a no brainer for me. "Dead End King" version wins.

The Racing Heart Vs. The Racing Heart
Very few differences between these two songs. There may be some faster beats in the end of the "Dead End King" version, but it is not enough for me to see them as two individual versions. So this match up ends in a tie.

Buildings Vs. Buildings
This is one of my favourites from "Dead End Kings", so I did not expect that the Dethroned version would top it, which it did not. However, I still liked that version very much with its maracas beats and mellow mood. Still, one more point for "Dead End Kings"

Leech Vs. Leech
This is one of my least favourite songs in both versions. Do not like the overall feel that the song brings. But the Dethroned version is better because it feels right too keep the same slow tempo throughout the song. One point for Dethroned.

Ambitions Vs. Ambitions
This is another close match up. Both versions captures the pain and misery that the song stands for in their own unique ways. So the only way to separate them is to see which song is more metal. That win goes to the original version.

Undo You Vs. Undo You
Did not like this song last year, and I do not like this song this year. So no points for neither of the albums.

Lethean Vs. Lethean
The acoustic version is fine, but it is not the same without the nice guitar solo. So it is a easy win for the original version.

First Prayer Vs. First Prayer
This is a pretty bland song, but it gives a even match up between the two versions. Both versions have valid reasons to win so the winner is the one that came first.

Dead Letters Vs. Dead Letters
My favourite song from "Dead End Kings". Really love the Tool vibes I get from this song. How about the Dethroned version? No, it does not have the same powerful effect, so it is another clear win for the original.

Final Score: "Dead End Kings" 8 - 3 "Dethroned & Uncrowned"

Not surprisingly, "Dead End Kings" is the superior of the albums, but "Dethroned & Uncrowned" has its moments where the acoustic sound really makes an impact on the listener. But I still feel like this album is a cover album that comes way too soon after the original. If you liked "Dead End Kings" you will probably learn to enjoy "Dethroned & Uncrowned", but I see it as a unnecessary waste of time for Katatonia and their talent.

Songs worthy of recognition: The Parting, Ambitions

Rating: 4,5/10 Leeches

Kongh - Sole Creation (2013)

Is it just me or is four songs not enough for a full album? Well if you ask the Swedish doom/sludge metal band Kongh then they would say that four songs is enough. I am not going to bitch about the play time (44:44) but even if the songs are about ten minutes long I expect at very least six songs. Other wise you can call your so called album an EP.

Anyhow, Kongh has its origins in Nässjö, Småland and consists only by drummer Tomas Salonen and multi instrumentalist David Johansson. "Sole Creation" is the third album from the band and just as you would expect from a band in the doom/sludge metal genre, we are dealing with heavy song that are slow and dark. But the thing in Kongh's music that is standing out is the impressive guitar work that never sounds to powerful nor to quiet. But there is one problem I always seem to find whenever I listen to stoner metal and that is that the mellow sound can make me impatient since it takes some time before something changes in a song. And when the songs here are over ten minutes I get the urge to fast forward to a more exiting spot. It is this characteristic in me that is the main reason to why I do not listen to much music in this genre but from time to time I try to expand my horizons and listen to this genre for example.

Out of the four songs I would say that "The Portals" is the song that appeals me the most since there is something happening through the entire song. Especially like the guitars and David's vocals on this particular track. The other three songs ("Sole Creation", "Tamed Brute" and "Skymning" (Swedish for twilight)) have their own special charm but they do not impress enough to make a long lasting impression on me. They all have at least one part that is so slow that I fall asleep which definitely ruins the experience for me. The main problem with "Sole Creation" is that it does not keep my interest, it just shows some greatness from time to time but it does not hold a consistent standard throughout the album which ultimately leads to that my attention is focused else where. And no, I do not suffer from ADD if you are wondering that.

You probably will like this album more than me if you are into doom and stoner metal but "Sole Creation" is just not my cup of tea. It is still a listenable album and I have heard far worse stoner albums in my days but the fact that the songs are as slow as a Sunday driver and have the typical length of a Dream Theater song makes me fall asleep before the end of the album. I will still listen to at least a couple of albums a year in the stoner genre in case I actually find something that I like but this album is not the chosen one for me. Sorry stoner lovers but "Sole Creation" is not an album that is memorable to me.

Song worthy of recognition: The Portals

Rating: 5/10 Tamed Brutes

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