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robgoblikon · 10 years ago

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ALBUM REVIEWS!; New Music From Deathbreed, Atomicide, Black Cilice, Callisto, Blind Guardian, U.D.O., Exhumed, Adrenaline Mob, Marduk, Call Of The Void, Finsterforst, The Dreaming, Thulcandra; February 12th 2015

HELLO EVERYONE!

Since last week was slow, I've compiled records from last week and this week for this post. Which of courses gives us tons of new music from the likes of Marduk, Finsterforst, Atomicide, Callisto, U.D.O., and more! Plus the new release from supergroup Adrenaline Mob featuring the likes of Symphony X frontman Russel Allen and Twisted Sister drummer A.J. Pero, and a re-recording of Exhumed's famed "Gore Metal", now titled "Gore Metal Redux: A Necrospective".

On top of that, the return of the mighty Blind Guardian in the form of "Beyond The Red Mirror", which from what I understand, also acts as the sequel to their famed "Imaginations From The Other Side" from 1996. Spoiler alert: its awesome.

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"New World Order" by Deathbreed

Technical Death Metal

Released February 03rd 2015

Deathbreed clearly have a lot of love for all the styles of death metal, which is certainly admirable, but it shows a little too much on "New World Order" as they often sound a little too much like Soreption and pre-"Sun Eather" era Job For A Cowboy. From a technical standpoint, the album is crisp and sound: the music is tight, produced well, and has a strong balance of meaty riffs, technically-laced solo's, and powerful percussion, the latter noted in the chunky Whitechapel meets Suffocation slams of title track 'New World Order'. But even then, it's impossible not to make comparisons and have a sense of deja vu (hell, I just did), as Deathbreed doesn't bring anything new to the table. Ultimately, the record just needs a boost, something to help it stick out amongst the swarm of death metal bands out there. As it stands though, Deathbreed is certainly a fine record. There's no filler, no big problems, and is incredibly consistent in its delivery. Less picky fans of death metal and extreme metal will find plenty to like here.

Rating: 3/5 (Decent)

"Chaos Abomination" by Atomicide

Death Metal/Black Metal

Released February 03rd 2015

"Chaos Abomination" is exactly what it sounds like - a dark, ugly, stinky mess of thrash-infused death metal that relishes in the old-school tropes and styles of the genre. Musically it resembles a fiery mix of Toxic Holocaust and Massacre, be it through the blackened rage of 'Is Vis Pacem Para Bellum', the Cannibal Corpse-esque insanity of 'Under The Spell Of Destruction', or the extreme metal slab that is 'Pestilential Hammer Blows', as Atomicide dig way back into the first wave of black metal for tracks, adding a powerful atmosphere to equally powerful death-thrash. Its produced to a surprisingly clear crisp too, but not without taking from the raw production stylings - the sound is incredibly rough and sharp like a knife, but every instrument is in the forefront, making every riff all the more potent. Perhaps the albums only concern is that some ideas are repeated, but it's hard to argue when the end result is so tough as nails. DEFINITELY a must have for those of you who love death, thrash, and early black metal.

Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

"Mysteries" by Black Cilice

Black Metal

Released February 03rd 2015

I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's the truth - "Mysteries" literally sounds like noise. This Portuguese one-man band has succeeded in making an album of undeniable static and feedback-laden black metal, which I'm hoping is intentional. Regardless of intention though, this sound mix presents "Mysteries" biggest problem: it's really difficult to listen to. There are some strong melodies and synth-driven melodies hiding underneath the static if you listen close enough AND have the right set of speakers, but if you don't you're pretty much boned. 99% of the time, the record will come off as pure blackened noise, as melodies bleed into lo-fi sound mixing and are lost amongst the records garage rock-worshipping sound. I can already tell that this album is going to be a HUGE hit in the underground metal scene, and I can see why, but its simply impossible for me to listen to something that is so... well, inaudible. The few melodies and riffs that I can actually make out are really cool, but an album's worth of blatant noise and static doesn't do a damn thing for me, regardless of how 'kvlt' and 'raw' it is. Mayhem was raw as fuck, but I can still understand them, y'know?

Rating: 2/5 (Poor)

"Secret Youth" by Callisto

Post-Metal/Sludge Metal

Released February 03rd 2015

"Secret Youth" is a bit of a mixed affair. On one hand, Callisto have begun to really push themselves with new sludge and prog-metal influence to mesh in their ambient post-metal aesthetic. On the other hand though, a lot of ideas feel repeated - I can't help but shake the feeling I heard the same neo-psychedelic guitar chords throughout the entire album. Melodies are soft, heartfelt, and swift alongside the wildly complex noise rock percussion work and the dreamy synths, even if the singer comes across as a mix between Brandon Flowers and your average hardcore vocalist (a weird mix, but a damn good one). Guitar work however is quite repetitive, and unfortunately, a genuine lack of endearing hooks prevents moments from standing out, and the final sound mix feels flat - I can tell there's a lot of cool stuff going on despite the guitar's repetitive tendencies, but I want to hear it all to the full. Had Callisto stretched a touch more, "Secret Youth" could have been a strong release, but its certainly interesting for what it is.

Rating: 3/5 (Decent)

"Beyond The Red Mirror" by Blind Guardian

Symphonic Power Metal

Released February 03rd 2015

The arguable originators of power metal are still kickin' around, and whether you like it or not, they're still Blind Guardian. This latest record is actually the sequel to their 1995 masterpiece "Imaginations From The Other Side", with a story bordering science fiction and fantasy as it describes a mirror that acts as the gateway between dimensions, the last of its kind, which must now be protected and saved from apparent danger. The exact details and characters are imbedded into the music, and discovering them is a joy thanks to the albums intense music - the hooks are massive, the orchestration is complex and endearing, and the guitar work is STUNNING. The drums in particular sound very natural and fluid, not nearly as mechanic and bold as your typical power metal drumming. The combination is quite captivating, via the bright chorus of 'Twilight Of The Gods', the powerful symphonic build-up of 'At The Edge Of Time', the pure cut-throat speed metal of 'The Holy Grail', and the massive and cinematic scopes of album closer 'Grand Parade'. I've found that the actual quality of the sound changes depending on your speakers, but hey, its fucking powerful nonetheless. As far I'm concerned, it should just give you a reason to buy yourself an amazing speaker system so you can hear every glorious melody and riff that Blind Guardian consistently dishes out. Well done guys.0

Rating: 4.5/5 (Incredible!)

"Decadent" by U.D.O.

Heavy Metal

Released February 03rd 2015

U.D.O. is Germany's answer to AC/DC - led by ex-Accept frontman Udo Dirkschneider, the group has been punching out the same predictable heavy metal since Udo left Accept back in the late 80's. Imagine if Accept just repeated "Balls To The Wall" 15 times, but if the group was only Udo: thats basically U.D.O. At this point you either like these guys or you don't, and I don't - "Decadent" is a bore from start to finish, with predictable speed metal gallops, gruff hooks, and piss poor hard rock tropes infecting the lyrics at every turn. Udo in particular is just BAD: his attempts at proto-power metal hooks via the likes of 'Pain' or 'House Of Fake' are nasally, rough, and grating when Udo reaches for higher notes, and his band, while certainly not terrible, don't offer anything aside from strict guitar chugs and occasional bursts of bland NWOBHM-worshipping harmonies and guitar solos. And that's without addressing the cheesy semi-ballad that is 'Secrets In Paradise', which feels awkward and forced, like an attempt to be as nostalgic as possible simply for the sake of being nostalgic. With "Decadent", U.D.O. is asking you to listen to a poor man's version of "Balls To The Wall" for the 16th time, and the answer takes about an hour to get to, should you decide to stick around. Seriously, Udo, time to throw in the towel.

Rating: 1.5/5 (Bad)

"Gore Metal Redux: A Necrospective" by Exhumed

Death Metal/Grindcore

Released February 11th 2015

Re-recording albums is almost never a good idea - Exodus's "Let There Be Blood" was about as necessary as a brain aneurysm and Testament's "First Strike Still Deadly" almost made me stop listening to Testament. Sometimes albums are great despite a lack of production value because of what they stand for and what they represent in the history of music, and "Gore Metal" still stands as being one of grindcore's greatest moments. Unfortunately, despite Exhumed's best intentions, "Gore Metal Redux: A Necrospective" feels dishonest, and while its new polished look gives it much more depth on top of a genuine kick, it simply doesn't have that same raw power that made "Gore Metal" so great, and the tropes of Exhumed have even found their way to the forefront in the new sound mix (take a shot everytime something sounds like a Carcass song. I dare you). Don't get me wrong, 'Casket Crusher' still rips like The Hulk, and 'Open The Abscess' will still ignite the gnarliest of mosh pits, but at the end of the day, you're still just paying for a prettier version of an album that was never meant to be pretty, and even then isn't all that much prettier to begin with.

Rating: 2.5/5 (Mediocre)

"Dearly Departed" by Adrenaline Mob

Heavy Metal

Released February 11th 2015

At this point, I'm convinced Adrenaline Mob are OBSESSED with making covers - "Dearly Departed" acts as the groups second covers release in a 4 year span, unless you count the non-album covers they've done which could probably make a third release, proving once and for all that while Adrenaline Mob are not shy on enthusiasm, they are dry on ideas. Before I continue, I should correct myself: there aren't just covers here, there are also the same bloody tracks from previous albums. 'Angel Sky', 'Crystal Clear', and 'Angel Sky' are all featured again as bland acoustic numbers, and even 'Dearly Departed' shows up again, with the only difference being some of the lyrics and the tracks overall length (spoiler alert it still sounds like a bad Foo Fighters song). As for the covers, nothing spectacular, as the Black Sabbath melody lacks any of the emotion and power of any of the respective original tracks and Adrenaline Mob's version of 'The Devil Went Down To Georgia' sounding like a shorter version of the same cover from "Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock". Top that off with more overly flashy solo's from Mike Orlando and REALLY over-processed hard rock hooks from Russell Allen, and you've another pointless stinker of an album from a pointless stinker of a supergroup.

Rating: 1.5/5 (Bad)

"Frontschwein" by Marduk

Black Metal

Released February 11th 2015

Marduk's unrelenting storm of black metal has been raging for quite some time now, and "Frontschwein" unleashes that same storm with cut-throat vitality, encompassing rage, and the spirit of Satan himself - the album opens up on a fiery note with huge screeching blasts and blatant extreme noise and that themes carries even through the albums minor experiments, like on the bouncy death n' roll inspired 'The Blond Beast', the Watain-esque fury of 'Wartheland', or the brooding static doom of 'Doomsday Elite'. And that's all without addressing the absolute monster that is 'Thousand-Fold Death', which almost takes from grindcore as drums, guitars, and bass go wild in an almost incomprehensible way, and Mortuus absolutely roars into his microphone. It's almost hard to believe the track has a relation to black metal until tremolo riffs burst in. "Frontschwein" certainly isn't original per say, but it's another incredibly consistent and enjoyable burst of extreme metal from one of the genre's finest.

Rating: 4/5 (Great!)

"Ageless" by Call Of The Void

Grindcore/Sludge Metal

Released February 11th 2015

Modern hardcore is really beginning to show its teeth, and Call Of The Void. Following in the footsteps of Xibalba, All Pigs Must Die, and Trap Them, Call Of The Void pull from the dark, sludgy, and the infuriatingly black spectrums of metal music with a base of potent and righteous hardcore punk, creating a volatile mix that continuously bangs. After the slow and brooding opening riffs of 'Old Hate', the album explodes in an insane storm of grinding punk, with the cut-throat charges of 'Trust In Bone', the wild headbangin' riffs of 'Black Ice', or the Napalm Death-esque rampancy of 'Long Knives'. A lot of heart and soul went into this record too, from its constant drive to its sharp lyrical whips cracked Pig Destroyer style, highlighted with a powerful sound mix that wisely pushes minor sounds to the forefront like feedback or the actual plucking and strumming of the guitar strings. It gives the record an incredibly authentic and natural feel to complement the insane attitude of the music, and makes Call Of The Void all the more vicious, if even possible. By the time "Ageless" is over, you'll probably need to take a nap.

Rating: 4/5 (Great!)

"Mach Dich Frei" by Finsterforst

Folk Metal/Black Metal

Released February 11th 2015

Don't get me wrong, I'll always love the likes of Korpiklaani and Alestorm for giving folk metal a fun and upbeat side. But alas, Finsterforst are still the masters of this, as "Mach Dich Frei" packs a whallop with huge grand soundscapes of guitars, strings, and raspy double harmonies. After the grandiose, almost power metal reminiscent scope of the titanic album opener 'Schickals End', the album dives into prodding blackened folk metal romps. The attitude and spirit of traditional folk music is there, but Finsterforst's added symphonic and blackened edges give "Mach Dich Frei" a huge boost akin to the likes of Shade Empire, with trumpets and horns in particular charging into the forefront of the sound, accompanied by beautiful clean chants and huge thumping riffs - both 'Zeith Fur Hass' and title track 'Mach Dich Frei' are stuffed with huge fist-pumping moments thanks to the fantastic interplay between horns and guitarwork, while drums blare in the background like a demented German battering ram. The decision to perform in their native tongue as well adds to the natural mystique implied by the music, and while this makes it difficult for me to analyze the lyrics, it does showcase Finsterforsts love for their heritage and their uncompromising stature towards art (I mean, Sabaton recorded two copies of "Carolus Rex" for fucks sake). "Mach Dich Frei" is a stunning album, and arguably Finsterforst's best work yet, and that says a lot.

Rating: 4.5/5 (Incredible!)

"Rise Again" by The Dreaming

Alternative Metal/Industrial Rock

Released February 11th 2015

The past few years have seen a resurgence in popularity for alternative and nu metal, with acts like Limp Bizkit, Korn, Mushroomhead, and P.O.D. re-emerging out of the white trash stuffed holes of middle America. And that, is where bands like The Dreaming come in - clearly obsessed with Three Days Grace, Sixx: A.M., and Static-X, The Dreaming stand out at the least for their clear hooks and weirdly Tool-esque atmospheric bits, particularly in the verses of 'Alone', but thats it (and for the record, I hate myself for making that comparison). "Rise Again" is despite these bits an incredibly bland and dated affair that ultimately doesn't offer anything new for this genre, as evident by the highly edited Phil Collins-worshipping hard rock of 'Afraid', the auto-tuned melodic nu metal of 'Blink Of An Eye', or the incredibly over-produced electronic pop rock of 'Empty Promises', which is EASILY the corniest track on the album thanks to an abundant use of shitty synthwork and stale pop hooks. Top that off with moody lyrics of loneliness, heartbreak, and adolescent rage and spirit, and you've got a winning recipe for un-inspired alt. metal.

Rating: 1.5/5 (Bad)

"Ascension Lost" by Thulcandra

Melodic Black Metal

Released February 11th 2015

It's a shame more people don't know about Thulcandra, because their brand of melody-infused black metal is a true force to be reckoned with - heavily focused on tight traditional-ish black metal with sweeping guitar harmonies, icy vocals, and some powerful atmospheric bits, achieved without having to steep to the cheesy symphonic levels of acts like Dimmu Borgir or Cradle Of Filth. It's a solid formula, and its put to use via the thrash dynamics of 'The Last Rebellion', the icy tremolo-filled hooks of 'Deliverance In Sin & Death', the folk metal-esque subtle melodies of 'Exalted Resistance', or the brooding scope of title track 'Ascension Lost'. There is some repetitiveness here and there, and some tracks come across as filler alongside some of the larger and bolder compositions, but Thulcandra wisely placed some interludes to break the monotony and add to the atmosphere of the record. Fans of Thulcandra are in for another strong & moody ride here.

Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

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