When Megadeth released Endgame in 2009, I was noticeably effected. This was Megadeth like we hadn’t really heard them since (arguably) Youthanasia, and for more fans, much earlier than that. It was a refreshed band with excellent writing and guitar work that matched the Marty Friedman days. The songs were well written, catchy and the record was tightly edited and honed down to perfect vinyl length. Honestly, Endgame was a record that I don’t think anyone but the most idealistic of Megadeth fans could even have been expecting. And though at the time I joked that we should make sure that Mustaine wasn’t stockpiling fertilizer, (I still hold firm to that belief) the record has aged pretty well. That, of course, means that there are some expectations for Th1rt3en. Expectations that this record, for example, will not suck. Continue reading
Disclaimer:Knowing how to review this record has been very difficult for me because I’m a big fan of the band and I have no desire to try make my opinion seem bigger than the band’s work. I understand my subjective position as a reviewer very well. But this record suffers from pretty major issues that it make it very difficult for me to enjoy and that show off the weakness of the band in its current incarnation. I am aware that there will be a good amount of whining and gnashing of teeth over this review, and you’re welcome to it. Just remember that I 1) am not invested in Opeth playing death metal; 2) like plenty of bands that have changed their sounds; and 3) enjoy progressive and abstract music of all stripes very much.
It’s hard to believe that we’re actually looking at Opeth‘s 10th full length studio record now in 2011. It’s amazing how the little progressive death metal band that could is a global powerhouse of extreme and progressive music that is signed to one of the biggest labels in the metal world. Heritage was billed as a bit of a ‘look backwards,’ in a sense, with main man Åkerfeldt saying that he thought extreme metal was boring and that he has thought that for a while and so this was going to be something else. As a long time fan (who has regularly been called a fanboy), I think it’s obvious to me that Opeth was outgrowing their roots. While I think that Ghost Reveries is a genius album, Watershed was definitely not. It felt uninspired and rushed. So the big question for me coming into all of this was: would having more time and freedom make Heritage feel fresh? Would it be a record that would change Opeth for good—and also for the better? Continue reading
Cavalera Conspiracy // Blunt Force Trauma Rating: 2.0/5.0 — Not the Sepultura record you’ve been waiting for… Label: Roadrunner Websites: myspace.com/cavaleraconspiracy Release Dates: EU: 2011.03.28 | US: 03.29.2011
It is unfortunate, but reasonable, that I should start this off by saying the obvious: this is not the Sepultura record you’ve been waiting for. While the Cavalera brothers have been reunited in the band named after them, this is not Beneath the Remains II or hell, even Roots II, this is something different and if you hadn’t figured out that this was going to be the case by now, then you are a naïve and probably very easily disappointed person. While I respect your optimism, I think that optimism becomes stupidity if you hold out too long. And I think we’ve all held out too fucking long. Continue reading
As one of the elevated culprits who took guilty pleasure in bringing the so-called ‘female fronted’ symphonic metal genre to fame, Within Temptation has often been right next to the milestone names of Tristania, Theatre of Tragedy, Nightwish, After Forever and the like from this infamous subgenre [Also known as "Chick Metal" by this member of The Patriarchy - AMG]. This is often accompanied by blunt comparisons, senseless ‘expert’ statements and, of course, rabid hate from people who just can’t appreciate chicks in metal [Example: my earlier comment. - AMG]. But hey, life goes on and so does the music industry. Whatever the case, unlike their colleagues who have gone through hard time line-up changes that have proven catastrophic at times, Within Temptation has continued to add new chapters to their own story. Through times of war between legions of Tarja and Anette die-hards, crazy Vibeke rumors in the air, Floor & Sander drama break-ups, the flame of Within Temptation continued to burn ever brighter, offering fascinating music with each release. Continue reading
It seems a sad fact that when one anticipates something and really looks forward to it, the chance of being disappointed increases exponentially. After Grand Magus unleashed their wildly impressive Iron Will album in 2008 (which was one of my favorite albums that year), I was extremely stoked for a follow up by this cadre of Swedish metal mongers but wondered if they could match or top the quality of that massive platter. Now that I have the anxiously awaited follow up in the form of their fifth album, Hammer of the North, my fears of being let down seem silly, because once again Grand Magus shows that they know how to craft top quality traditional heavy metal songs with a slight doom tinged edge. Continue reading
Megadeth – Endgame Rating: 4.5/5.0 – An excellent and pleasant surprise, but someone make sure this man isn’t stockpiling fertilizer! Label: Roadrunner Preview the Album:myspace.com/megadeth Release Dates: EU: 14.09.2009 | USA: 09.15.2009
Megadeth became the coolest thing since Metallica the year that I turned 9. The band’s big mainstream breakthrough Countdown to Extinction was a classic record in many respects, because it took thrash metal that hadn’t been produced by Bob Rock and turned it into a mainstream thing. I still love that record and it’s follow up Youthanasia but I have a long-standing dislike for Dave Mustaine as a person, musician and I’m sure that those of you who know me or have read this blog know how I feel about Megadeth‘s discography. If you don’t, I’ll clarify: Megadeth stinks. All-in-all, I think that the band’s discog is totally spotty, the writing has always been mediocre, I think that Friedman was an overrated player and I’m surprised that Megadeth didn’t go away for good after Mustaine’s wrist injury fiasco.
So I must say that I am incredibly surprised to tell you that Endgame was posted online on the Megadeth myspace, and it has accomplished two amazing feats: first, it has justified Roadrunner picking up the band, which I thought was a total mistake at the time; and secondly, it seriously impressed me. Gone are the annoying stoppy riffs and sloppy solos that have marred the band in this post-Friedman period. Now, the riffing is great, the solos are outstanding and the drums are full on excellent (and if I could hear the bass, I’d suspect it’s awesome, too).
Not only that, but the tracks are stand-out, memorable and heavy (with a couple of notable exceptions). “Dialectic Chaos” is an excellent lead-in, which rolls into the unrelenting “This Day We Fight,” and the record doesn’t let up after this awesome build up. Tracks like “1,320′” and “Headcrusher” (which is the weakest track on this album, in my opinion, I’m actually really surprised they released it as a single) will thrill the classic fan, while fans of later Megadeth (say the Youthanasia and Countdown to Extinction era, like myself) will also dig on tracks like “How the Story Ends” and “The Hardest Part of Letting Go…”. This record has it all.
And really, it’s not just that the songs are good, but they’re way more polished and smart than they used to be, as well. Sure, the band tried to wander into commercial territory (because, G-d forbid Mustaine not imitate Metallica), but Mustaine could never produce the kind of catchy, smart choruses that show up in “The Right to Go Insane”. Unfortunately I don’t have access to the writing credits and stuff, but I wonder if much of this improvement has to do with the involvement of Chris Broderick (ex-Jag Panzer). Broderick’s solos are stellar, and a lot of the improvements sound like things one would expect to find on a modern power metal record, and not only that but there are a few places where keyboards show up. I might be wrong, but the sound is just way fuller and balls-to-the-walls than I was expecting—and Broderick is the change that shows.
It’s good to see a classic band be able to pull out the chops when it matters most. United Abominations was widely considered to be a success, but I still thought it was a lackluster album. Endgame doesn’t disappoint. In fact, the only thing about Endgame that disappoints is Dave Mustaine’s continued wanderings into “wing nut” territory. Endgame wanders into the political conspiracy theorist end of things that make me worry about Mustaine and whether or not he, too, has been watching those 9/11 truth videos and has succumbed to the “New World Order is going to implant chips into us in order to develop a worldwide monetary system thereby controlling mankind with CREDIT!” side of his (relatively) new-found faith. The whole lyrical clusterfuck that shows up on the title track is impressively nutty, going so far as to include reference to this whole “concentration camp” kerfuffle that has the lunatic fringe of the right wing having cows. Though, granted, this isn’t entirely new territory for him, but I’m worried that he might think that health care reform is just an excuse to “pull the plug on granny.”
But honestly, aside from his ridiculous lyrics and his “I’m getting older” vocal performance, Megadeth hasn’t sounded this confident since Rust in Peace, and I think that this is a better album (but I know that I’m probably alone in that). But my argument goes like this: the songwriting is more mature, more confident and the playing is just way better. Megadeth has gone forward instead of backwards, or stagnating and managed a feat I never expected of them: they produced a pretty kick ass record.
OK, so the first album that I did in my “classic albums” section was Type O Negative, which of course, was one of my favorite bands at the time. But they also turned me onto Roadrunner Records, which for those of you too young to remember, was kind of one of the few places even putting out metal in the US during the 1990s. Sure, in retrospect, a lot of that stuff wasn’t that great. But there were a few bands on that label that put out some good records. Sepultura had Chaos AD which I loved, and one band that stands out for me to this day, and that I really loved as an angsty teenager, was Life of Agony.
Life of Agony was one of those precursors to nu-metal that should have implied the trend was on the move, but still were a lot heavier and better musicians than any of the bands that followed them. While they weren’t exactly the worlds best musicians, they were able to make a really groovy album that spoke to everything that pissed me off as a kid. Singing along to choruses like “You got time but you ain’t got time for me! Got time but you ain’t got time for me!” and empathizing with the main character in the whole story whose life just sucks.
The whole band was perfect for the moment, and really Life of Agony never put out a good record after River Runs Red. But this album is a classic, in my book. Sure, your average death metal guy probably wouldn’t be big into it, but if you like doom metal at all. Or groovy metal with clean vocals, this record is fantastic. The vocals are deep and powerful, the lyrics are dark and anguished and the groove is so thick you could cut it with a knife. In many ways, these guys had a similar sound to Type O, but they took themselves a lot more seriously and weren’t funny or tongue in cheek at all. On the contrary, they were serious dudes producing a serious album that seriously kicked ass.
Listening to the album again, the only thing on here that I don’t really like now are the story pieces with the bitchy lady screaming and the fighting. The dude killing himself at the end is a little bit more painful to listen to now then it was then. But, the music stands the test of time in my opinion. Its down-tuned hooks still grab me, and the lack of solos doesn’t bother me, and I still love the vocals and lyrics. Incidentally, I also have always been a huge fan of concept albums, and this one was no different. Apparently something about a story in the music just grabs me and pulls me in.
Of course, one man’s nostalgia is another man’s pain (See: Queensryche). There’s no guarantee that anyone who didn’t grow up on that record would really dig it. But if you want to get an idea of what metal was like in the US before nu-metal hit, before bands like At The Gates broke the ocean barrier and blew young death metal fans away and before a lot of the labels that are huge today started really setting down their roots (Century Media, for example), then take a listen to Life of Agony. Let the groove and teen angst wash over you.
I make no bones about it, I am not a big Megadeth fan. Remember that part of Lord of the Rings where Gandalf calls Théodin “the lesser son of great fathers?” Yeah, the way I see it: Megadeth is pretty much the same way. Overrated, not very interesting and pretty much just kind of annoying. And they’re certainly past their prime. I DID, however, have to check out the new track (and land myself on the band’s mailing list—I do try to keep up-to-date) and I was highly amused. First, torture? What were the chances!? The American zeitgeist strikes again.
Anyway, Head Crusher is not a bad song, actually. Mustaine is less annoying than usual (probably because he’s been mixed down) and I don’t remember the guitar ever being this good on a Megadeth (RIP is highly overrated, anyway). So, yeah, I think these guys are actually better than they were in the past—and good for Mustaine. On the bright side, he did finally beat Metallica in some way: he out-metalled them. So good on him. But head crusher? Why is it that all I can think of is this…?
It’s been a long time since I’ve taken time to go back and listen to classic albums that totally influenced me and lead me down The Path that Rocks! (As opposed to the Path of Righteousness.) But it’s something that I should do more often, and it started today when a buddy of mine over at the WMA Forums posted his now playing: Type O Negative – Bloody Kisses. I was suddenly overcome with a compulsion to go back and listen to this masterpiece of metal from when metal wasn’t even remotely cool, from a period where having long black hair and digging Iron Maiden meant sort of living in the closet–well, at least if you were a middle-school kid in the Midwest, anyway.
Despite that, however, Type O Negative managed to write one of the most compelling, irreverent and awesome records ever written. I’ve never been a huge fan of doom metal, and yet somehow this album totally has managed to stick with me through everything. Many of the bands that I really idolized from the time period are bands that I don’t listen to anymore at all (Biohazard, Agnostic Front, Sepultura, Korn [at least I'm a big enough man to admit it]) and even have a serious distaste for–yet somehow I go back and listen to Bloody Kisses and all I want to do is scream along with every note, bang my head and I have trouble not laughing my ass off thinking of the antics of these dudes. I remember watching the After Dark DVD, for example and nearly laughing until I was crying through a lot of it (it got even better with the DVD commentary, some will remember–“jackass!”–including much discussion of Peter Steele’s “Ladder Rung o’ Love“).
Bloody Kisses, and even to some extent October Rust, were classic and influential albums in my life (I also was quite fond of Origin of the Feces). For one, it made me think that low vocals were awesome, and it kind of taught me that bands can be awesome without guitar solos–something a lot of new bands could probably learn from, given this focus on the modern guitar hero, despite it being really just boring half the time now. But not only that, these guys just didn’t ever really take themselves seriously. They never got into the rockstar bullshit in the same way other bands did, and I think that shows through their diverse influences in their music, their ability to make jokes about themselves (“Do not mistake lack of talent for genius”) and the reason that this record feels so fresh all these years later.
I’m particularly fond of this record–but I’m especially fond of the second half of the record. From “We Hate Everyone” onwards is still what does the most for me. Going from the joking, impertinent nature of that song all the way to the very serious, doomy “Blood and Fire” and “Can’t Lose You,” the album had a feel that cannot be reproduced–and never has been. And that in spite of the record being 73 minutes long! How many bands can produce a 73 minute record these days that a person honestly wants to listen all the way through these days?
In sum, I’d say that this album, while not my favorite album ever, is definitely still deserving of the first spot in my Classics section because apparently 16 years later, I’m still not over it.
Killswitch Engage is pretty much the institution of metalcore on this planet, having artistically trimmed the genre into a tightly packaged, perfectly polished formula which appeals to the masses. When I first heard them they were opening up for In Flames in Milwaukee and I was peeved that they were above Dark Tranquillity and Sentenced despite them being new on the scene. Their vocalist was solid, but the music wasn’t compelling for me. I was, apparently, kind of alone, as after that tour Killswitch became a metal “household name,” and even the most death metal of dudes I knew were totally digging on them.
Frankly, I lost track of them after The End of Heartache because I didn’t think it was very good at all (today I’d probably give it a 1.5/5.0). However, I’m a metal fan and when I saw that these guys had their new album streaming I figured I’d give it a few proverbial spins and write a review, since that’s what I do.
And honestly, I’m surprised. Despite this being a neatly packaged, highly formulaic and often plastic sounding–it’s enjoyable. Sure, Killswitch is long past being progressive, new and/or groundbreaking, but they have honed this sound to a fine edge and each song powers through the speakers with a groove and a presence that explains why they’re still signed and selling a lot of records. Not only that, but the musical approach is a step up from their earlier stuff even though many of these tracks could be interchanged with earlier albums. It is almost entirely breakdown free, despite having good groove and lots of chunk, and the guitar work is actually super catchy and borderline interesting. The production is, of course, flawless, but it doesn’t feel sterile like a lot of the new bands that are coming out these days–it’s probably too polished for an old-school hardcore fan, but for the Hot Topic types this is perfect.
Howard, the band’s vocalist, deserves his own paragraph because he’s just really that good. This guy is a total powerhouse vocalist. I don’t know if he writes all his own vocal parts, but they’re pretty damn catchy and his screams are tremendous. Not only that, but it’s nice to hear a strong baritone still carrying the metal banner–since these days it seems like most clean vocals are still done by tenors or by guys who are trying to sound like 90s pop-punk vocalists. His vocals are flawless, impressive and he even does the low, soft end really well. If these guys had any other vocalist, I don’t think this record would be as good.
So sure, Killswitch is about as close to “bubblegum” pop as one actually gets in metal. And yeah, they’re not doing anything super amazingly neat or new and yet… I’ve listened to this record about 4 times and I don’t have a headache, I have no desire to teach anyone in the band the meaning of pain and I don’t feel robbed of time or my personal honor. That’s better than I can say for the last record of theirs I listened to, which means that these guys have really progressed as a band. Like I said before, not ground-breaking, but fun to listen to and enjoyable. What more can an Angry Metal Guy really ask for? Well… a lot. But I never expected it from these guys in the first place, so color me pleasantly surprised.
New #metal blog: Aborted Global Flatline Review - Aborted // Global Flatline Rating: 3.5/5.0 — Actually, they haven... http://t.co/FWl7PNL4 - 9 hours ago
OK, *that's* cool. Too bad about the shitty bands, then RT @Metal_Mark: Metallica will be playing Ride The Lightning in it's entirety! WOW!” - 1 day ago
When Megadeth released Endgame in 2009, I was noticeably effected. This was Megadeth like we hadn’t really heard them since (arguably) Youthanasia, and for more fans, much earlier than that. It was a refreshed band with excellent writing and guitar work that matched the Marty Friedman days. The songs were well written, catchy and the record was tightly edited and honed down to perfect vinyl length. Honestly, Endgame was a record that I don’t think anyone but the most idealistic of Megadeth fans could even have been expecting. And though at the time I joked that we should make sure that Mustaine wasn’t stockpiling fertilizer, (I still hold firm to that belief) the record has aged pretty well. That, of course, means that there are some expectations for Th1rt3en. Expectations that this record, for example, will not suck. Continue reading
It’s hard to believe that we’re actually looking at Opeth‘s 10th full length studio record now in 2011. It’s amazing how the little progressive death metal band that could is a global powerhouse of extreme and progressive music that is signed to one of the biggest labels in the metal world. Heritage was billed as a bit of a ‘look backwards,’ in a sense, with main man Åkerfeldt saying that he thought extreme metal was boring and that he has thought that for a while and so this was going to be something else. As a long time fan (who has regularly been called a fanboy), I think it’s obvious to me that Opeth was outgrowing their roots. While I think that Ghost Reveries is a genius album, Watershed was definitely not. It felt uninspired and rushed. So the big question for me coming into all of this was: would having more time and freedom make Heritage feel fresh? Would it be a record that would change Opeth for good—and also for the better? 
It is unfortunate, but reasonable, that I should start this off by saying the obvious: this is not the Sepultura record you’ve been waiting for. While the Cavalera brothers have been reunited in the band named after them, this is not Beneath the Remains II or hell, even Roots II, this is something different and if you hadn’t figured out that this was going to be the case by now, then you are a naïve and probably very easily disappointed person. While I respect your optimism, I think that optimism becomes stupidity if you hold out too long. And I think we’ve all held out too fucking long. 
As one of the elevated culprits who took guilty pleasure in bringing the so-called ‘female fronted’ symphonic metal genre to fame, Within Temptation has often been right next to the milestone names of Tristania, Theatre of Tragedy, Nightwish, After Forever and the like from this infamous subgenre [Also known as "Chick Metal" by this member of The Patriarchy - AMG]. This is often accompanied by blunt comparisons, senseless ‘expert’ statements and, of course, rabid hate from people who just can’t appreciate chicks in metal [Example: my earlier comment. - AMG]. But hey, life goes on and so does the music industry. Whatever the case, unlike their colleagues who have gone through hard time line-up changes that have proven catastrophic at times, Within Temptation has continued to add new chapters to their own story. Through times of war between legions of Tarja and Anette die-hards, crazy Vibeke rumors in the air, Floor & Sander drama break-ups, the flame of Within Temptation continued to burn ever brighter, offering fascinating music with each release. 
It seems a sad fact that when one anticipates something and really looks forward to it, the chance of being disappointed increases exponentially. After Grand Magus unleashed their wildly impressive Iron Will album in 2008 (which was one of my favorite albums that year), I was extremely stoked for a follow up by this cadre of Swedish metal mongers but wondered if they could match or top the quality of that massive platter. Now that I have the anxiously awaited follow up in the form of their fifth album, Hammer of the North, my fears of being let down seem silly, because once again Grand Magus shows that they know how to craft top quality traditional heavy metal songs with a slight doom tinged edge. 
Megadeth became the coolest thing since Metallica the year that I turned 9. The band’s big mainstream breakthrough Countdown to Extinction was a classic record in many respects, because it took thrash metal that hadn’t been produced by Bob Rock and turned it into a mainstream thing. I still love that record and it’s follow up Youthanasia but I have a long-standing dislike for Dave Mustaine as a person, musician and I’m sure that those of you who know me or have read this blog know how I feel about Megadeth‘s discography. If you don’t, I’ll clarify: Megadeth stinks. All-in-all, I think that the band’s discog is totally spotty, the writing has always been mediocre, I think that Friedman was an overrated player and I’m surprised that Megadeth didn’t go away for good after Mustaine’s wrist injury fiasco.
conspiracy theorist end of things that make me worry about Mustaine and whether or not he, too, has been watching those 9/11 truth videos and has succumbed to the “New World Order is going to implant chips into us in order to develop a worldwide monetary system thereby controlling mankind with CREDIT!” side of his (relatively) new-found faith. The whole lyrical clusterfuck that shows up on the title track is impressively nutty, going so far as to include reference to this whole “concentration camp” kerfuffle that has the lunatic fringe of the right wing having cows. Though, granted, this isn’t entirely new territory for him, but I’m worried that he might think that health care reform is just an excuse to “pull the plug on granny.”
Life of Agony was one of those precursors to nu-metal that should have implied the trend was on the move, but still were a lot heavier and better musicians than any of the bands that followed them. While they weren’t exactly the worlds best musicians, they were able to make a really groovy album that spoke to everything that pissed me off as a kid. Singing along to choruses like “You got time but you ain’t got time for me! Got time but you ain’t got time for me!” and empathizing with the main character in the whole story whose life just sucks.
on that record would really dig it. But if you want to get an idea of what metal was like in the US before nu-metal hit, before bands like At The Gates broke the ocean barrier and blew young death metal fans away and before a lot of the labels that are huge today started really setting down their roots (Century Media, for example), then take a listen to Life of Agony. Let the groove and teen angst wash over you.
It’s been a long time since I’ve taken time to go back and listen to classic albums that totally influenced me and lead me down The Path that Rocks! (As opposed to the Path of Righteousness.) But it’s something that I should do more often, and it started today when a buddy of mine over at the WMA Forums posted his now playing: Type O Negative – 
is still what does the most for me. Going from the joking, impertinent nature of that song all the way to the very serious, doomy “Blood and Fire” and “Can’t Lose You,” the album had a feel that cannot be reproduced–and never has been. And that in spite of the record being 73 minutes long! How many bands can produce a 73 minute record these days that a person honestly wants to listen all the way through these days?
Killswitch Engage is pretty much the institution of metalcore on this planet, having artistically trimmed the genre into a tightly packaged, perfectly polished formula which appeals to the masses. When I first heard them they were opening up for In Flames in Milwaukee and I was peeved that they were above Dark Tranquillity and Sentenced despite them being new on the scene. Their vocalist was solid, but the music wasn’t compelling for me. I was, apparently, kind of alone, as after that tour Killswitch became a metal “household name,” and even the most death metal of dudes I knew were totally digging on them.
vocalist. I don’t know if he writes all his own vocal parts, but they’re pretty damn catchy and his screams are tremendous. Not only that, but it’s nice to hear a strong baritone still carrying the metal banner–since these days it seems like most clean vocals are still done by tenors or by guys who are trying to sound like 90s pop-punk vocalists. His vocals are flawless, impressive and he even does the low, soft end really well. If these guys had any other vocalist, I don’t think this record would be as good.
