Angry Metal Guy

Arch/Matheos // Sympathetic Resonance
Rating: 4.0/5.0 — The Fates have been generous!
Label: Metal Blade Records
Websites: http://www.archmatheos.com/
Release Dates:  EU: 09.09.2011 | US: 09.13.2011

Steel Druhm needs to ramble on for a bit so kindly bear with me, or else! As a life long metal fan, I can look back and pinpoint those few truly special albums that blew me away upon release and continue to feel magical after decades of listening. Right at the top of that very short list are two classics by Fates Warning. Hailing from Connecticut, they released three albums in the early to mid-80s that really embodied the American take on the traditional NWOBHM ethos and at times sounded quite like vintage Iron Maiden. Of those three albums, 85′s The Specter Within and 86′s Awaken the Guardian were their masterworks and any fan of classic metal really needs to hear them immediately if not sooner. After so many years, both easily stand the test of time and I find myself going back to them frequently. The main draw, aside from the expert songwriting,  are the vocals by John Arch. The man had a one-of-a-kind voice, killer range and the ability to write hyper-intelligent lyrics. When he left the band following Awaken the Guardian, Fates Warning sank into mediocrity and I lost all interest. Arch himself left the music business entirely and I always hoped he would resurface and grace us with his voice again. He finally did in 2003 with the short but excellent Twist of Fate EP, which I hoped was the start of a serious comeback. Well, it took another eight long years but he finally has resurfaced again for a collaboration with his old Fates Warning guitarists Jim Matheos (OSI, Gordian Knot), Frank Aresti and other Fates alumni, bassist Joey Vera (Armored Saint, Anthrax, Seven Witches) and drum lord Bobby Jarzombek (Halford, Riot, Iced Earth, Rob Rock). So does this mega reunion bring back any of the potent magic from days long gone? Well, it seems that isn’t a fair question since Sympathetic Resonance is quite a different animal than Fates Warning. It’s way more modern, proggy, convoluted and heavier than anything their old unit attempted (I was actually surprised how heavy some of this material gets). Overall, its very polished and aggressive progressive metal from old dogs that obviously have plenty of life left in them. Continue reading

Well, here it is folks. The final 10 [Here's the first 40: 50-41, 40-31, 31-20, 20-11 and Steel Druhm's: 50-41, 40-31, 30-21, 20-11, 10-1]. And this is going to ruffle a bunch of feathers, I guarantee it. These are, for the most part, not widely considered “favorites” and would never make fan-voted lists, but these tracks all got onto this list pretty easily. I’m not as angry about the whole Gibson list anymore, and I’ve lost a bit of steam because of that, but these tracks are all fucking fantastic, top-o’-the-line kind of shit. I hope you enjoy the list and I look forward trolling you soon. U MAD BRO!? Continue reading

Pharaoh // Ten Years
Rating: 3.5/5.0 — Feels like ten years since their last damn album!
Label: Cruz Del Sur Records
Websites: myspace.com/pharaohmetal
Release Dates:  EU: 2011.06.10 | US: 06.07.2011

Pharaoh, for those not in the know, are one of the best of the new retro wave of traditional heavy metal (NRWOTHM™) bands out there. Over the course of three releases these Philly phenoms have consistently blended the 80′s style of Iron Maiden and Saxon with modern American metal like Jag Panzer, Iced Earth while adding a smattering of Slough Feg. The results have been catchy, classy, surprisingly heavy and far more modern sounding than what people normally expect from a “retro” act. Their last opus, 2008′s Be Gone was a great album loaded with excellent yet tasteful guitar wankery and memorable vocal hooks and it left me wanting more. While the interminable wait continues for their next full length, Pharaoh has graced the good people with a six song EP entitled Ten Years. Featuring four tracks left over from the Be Gone sessions and two covers, its clearly a stopgap release but its a solid and entertaining one that continues the Pharaoh quality streak. Continue reading

Aeternam // Disciples of the Unseen
Rating: 3.5/5.0 — Solid debut, can’t wait for more!
Label: Metal Blade
Website: myspace.com/aeternammetal
Release Date(s): EU: 15.02.2010 | US: 02.16.2010

Egyptian metal is apparently a genre now! I didn’t have any clue! I just thought it was kind of a thing that Nile did. And then it was Nile and Behemoth. And then it was Nile, Behemoth and SepticFlesh. And now it’s Nile, Behemoth, SepticFlesh and Aeternam! I think that counts as a genre! So, that’s pretty cool in and of itself. Oh, and it turns out that Aeternam is pretty cool themselves, leading to a generally all around happy feeling for a few fleeting moments before the general irritants that keep me so angry all the time come crashing back in.

Though, really, Egyptian Metal doesn’t describe much except the mode the band plays in all the time, so as a responsible reviewer it is my job to elucidate what exactly it is that this band is doing and what they’re doing well (and not-so-well). Like many other bands, Aeternam is fundamentally a melodic death metal band. Though, they border the line into what I would call “progressive” death metal, due to the use of acoustics, tribal drums and other not-necessarily-metal kind of things to build atmosphere and songs in general. But fundamentally Aeternam still whips out the melody, guitar harmonies and mid-paced riffs and growls enough to make you feel comfortable calling them melodic death metal. The other side to the band’s sound is a blasty death metal style that is definitely Nile influenced. However, due to differences in production and writing style (an ear more towards melody and drums much lower in the mix), the band manages to differentiate itself from the Egyptian metal giants pretty easily.

The writing on here is solid and dynamic, as well. Not only is the band obviously influenced by death metal bands, there is a pop sense and power metal sensibility on here that very rarely shows up in death metal. On tracks like “Esoteric Formulae” and “Goddess of Masr” you can definitely hear power metal influences (the two that spring to mind repeatedly are Iced Earth and Symphony X). One could say that this is partially due to the band’s vocalist, who has a great baritone range and is not afraid to show off his pipes. However, he’s also not overly showy with his vocals and they only grace a few tracks on the whole album, keeping them sparse and effective. However, there is a distinctively power/classic metal guitar approach on a lot of these songs.

Disciples of the Unseen is a fantastic debut record for this Canadian quintet. While the band isn’t breaking a whole lot of new ground, they are melding some sounds into something that is definitely their own! The more melodic take on Egyptian Metal with the fantastic grooves (like on “Ouroboros”) and excellent vocal performances, as well as a great band performance is definitely a recipe for success.  Some of the tracks on here (most notably “Through the Eyes of Ea”) are a bit too spotty, in my opinion, but in general the flow and consistency of Disciples of the Unseen are very good. In an era when metal is desperately seeking a new take on melodic death metal to take it into the future, a band like Aeternam might just have what it takes to work us in that direction with work like Disciples of the Unseen.

Charred Walls of the Damned // Charred Walls of the Damned
Rating: 3.0/5.0 — Music is really great, but the vocals just kill this record for me
Label: Metal Blade
Website: charredwallsofthedamned.com
Release Dates: EU: 29.01.2010 | US: 02.01.2010

Charred Walls of the Damned has two distinct honors from the get-go: not only is it the longest band name EVER, but it’s also the first thing in which excellent drummer Richard Christy has surfaced in since going to the Howard Stern show and leaving American power metallers Iced Earth in the dust. I think everyone was wondering when he was going to jump back into metal, myself included. It’s hard to imagine that the former Death and Iced Earth drummer was just going to leave everything behind. Given his background it was only a matter of time. And not just his background: homeboy has contacts, too! He brings with him the mighty Jason Suecof, mostly known for his production (Trivium, Luna Mortis, God Forbid and so on), but who is also a fucking wicked ass guitar player (seriously, dude can shred). On bass, of course, is the mighty Steve DiGiorgio who played with Christy in Iced Earth and Death. How can this project possibly lose?

To answer that question, enter vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens. I have a bit of a grudge against this guy—and it’s not because of the fact that he replaced any big vocalists. I gave him a chance in both Judas Priest and Iced Earth and I have come to a conclusion: he was never meant for a vocal life beyond cover bands. His voice is thin and his tone is really frustrating, but most of all his phrasing is really terrible and he borders on torturous because his vibrato is so wide that he goes flat, so his harmonies just send shudders up my spine. He is not the dude who should be doing vocals on this record and it is an absolute shame.

The reason it’s a shame is pretty simple: the music on this record is awesome traditional/power metal. Christy’s writing and playing are unparalleled and I love the blending between the death metal style blasting on which the album starts, and the more straight metal that pounds out throughout the album. The guitars, of course, are fantastic and Suecof is a star, ripping it up with the best and giving some of the coolest arpeggiation (that’s right, Angry Metal Guy likes to verb!) and harmonies that I’ve heard and Steve DiGiorgio is Steve DiGiorgio: probably the best bass player in metal.

So I have good news for fans of Ripper Owens, which there are some out there, this is unequivocally the best project he’s ever been involved with. The song writing is awesome, the band is tight and powerful and if you’re a fan of his vocals then you will absolutely love this album. If, however, you’re like me you will feel a great sense of grief  coupled with anger every time he opens his mouth. Because instead of adding power to the arrangements and making this record what it should be, he basically adds a generally frustrating, tuneless siren over every song. I’m going to give this record a 3/5 because I think that it deserves the respect for the musical content in spite of the vocal performance.. but man, I personally can’t fathom why anyone would ever use him as a vocalist.

Unfortunately, the up-and-coming Madison, Wisconsin progressive metal act Luna Mortis has been dropped by Century Media. There’s a lot that I can say, but I think honestly that Century is not only making a mistake here, but I think just in general that labels are unwise to not let bands develop. Honestly, the business is so cut-throat and retarded sometimes. These guys are seriously talented, and I hope they get picked up by someone who gives them a chance. Especially since Century signed fucking Iced Earth and gave them how many records to get good?  Seriously…

This is from the blog on MySpace:

Hey everyone,

First and foremost I would like to say that this is Mary writing, and I am giving you guys an update on what’s going on with Luna Mortis at this time.
As a lot of you guys have noticed, we have been announced as the direct support for Primal Fear in North America from the end of May-June of 2010. This is true, we are really excited about the tour, I am going to post the dates today. It’s going to be a great tour, covering more of the US this time, including Texas and some southern areas we have never played before. We look forward to going out on the road with Primal Fear, who are an excellent band and terrific musicians.

The next thing that a few of you have messaged my personal profile about is the fact that we now appear listed in the “alumni” list of the Century Media website. This is because we are in fact, being dropped by Century Media and will not be releasing another record with them. Does this mean Luna Mortis will not be releasing another album? No. It just means that soon, we will be label-less and have a few decisions to make about what our next move will be and what we’d like to do in regard to the future of the band.

Those decisions will take us awhile to figure out, so for now, we just thought we’d update you on what’s going on and we look forward to seeing you guys out on the road in the spring!

Mary Z
Luna Mortis

Well, I hope that the tour and everything helps them get out. Because if you missed their debut The Absence then you missed something great.

More proof that Schaffer wishes he were in Iron Maiden...

Iced Earth – The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part II
Rating: 3.0/5.0
Band Website: http://www.icedearth.com
Label: SPV Records

When I finally got my hands on a promotional copy of this record I was very excited because of the obvious news that tinges this record: the return of the mighty Matt Barlow to the Iced Earth fold! As everyone knows, it’s very hard to stay out of music and I’m pretty sure that Barlow’s experiences in the horribly silly cop band that he was in probably increased his desire to keep doing professional vocals. When he surfaced again in Pyramaze in 2006 I was convinced that he would be back to the fold eventually–thankfully I was right. Barlow is back and Iced Earth is restored.. sort of.

The Crucible of Man is a tour de force for this, the face of American power metal around the world. Let’s start with the strengths of this record–the first, and most noticeable difference from the first record in this series (and earlier singles) is the power of the production. Much fuller and thicker, Schaffer managed to avoid the thin, sterile and lifeless production that haunted the first of these two albums (plus, the thin, sterile and lifeless voice that shrieked over the first record is also gone–bonus). However, not only is the production improved but the songwriting is distinctly un-Iced Earth-ish. In the past, when one thinks of Iced Earth, one thinks of stripped down thrash metal with soaring vocals and ripping riffs. These days, that is quite the opposite picture from the Iced Earth displayed on The Crucible of Man. This new Iced Earth is one of many layers, sometimes pounding together 4 or 5 guitar tracks with choirs, orchestrations and a sound that gets bigger and more epic with every moment. Schaffer once said that when he became a good song writer was when he realized that not every song needed to be epic–he seems to have backed away from this on The Crucible of Man.

Of course this brings us to the next, and most important aspect of any record: the songwriting. The Crucible of Man suffers from something that I don’t think anyone would’ve seen coming: a lack of really outstanding or memorable songs. In the past Iced Earth has been very capable of putting out a record with 5 or 6 kick ass tracks that would stick into your memory and haunt your sleep. Sure, there was some filler and some of the worst ballads that anyone has ever heard–but Schaffer had a way of writing memorable, kick ass tracks. This whole album flows really well, from the opening choir track to the epilogue, every song works well with the next–but none of them really stick with you. After my third listen through I was surprised to notice that I really hadn’t hooked on to any one moment throughout the album–except in the track “Something Wicked (Part 3)”, wherein they recapitulate a riff from the original trilogy. The one song I had really noticed was the penultimate track, but that was only for it’s absolute 80s buttrock cheese (possibly one of the worst songs Schaffer has ever produced).. that’s not the best sign.

I think there are two things going on with this–first; Schaffer was tied up mentally when he was writing. He was tied up in telling a story that might well have been just too large for him, and secondly it seems like vocally he was still writing for Ripper Owens which is a major weakness. Barlow’s strength is his personality, not his voice. His voice is great, but all the chorus choirs (which filled out Ripper’s thin vocals) actually detract from the strength and sheer force of Barlow’s tremendous vocals. Now I don’t have a window into how they used to write in Iced Earth, but I was always under the impression that there was a teamwork aspect to things between Barlow and Schaffer, something that doesn’t really seem to exist on this record.

However, of course, in the end the strength of Barlow’s voice and the epic lengths to which this record goes really do overpower the weaknesses. While maybe IE is beginning to sound a bit more like Demons & Wizards than the Iced Earth we remember (given all the chorus choirs), there are still the strengths of a good thrashy IE record–despite the weight of the project nearly snapping the writing. Because the album flows so well, it takes the edge off the lack of super memorable songs, and you can tell that these guys are working their way back to true form. With Barlow back in the fold and hopefully back in the writing process for the next album–I expect to see an amazing record for the next one. I simply wonder if the sheer scope and size of this massive undertaking wasn’t too much for Schaffer, who is a bit of a one trick pony when it comes to songwriting. All-in-all The Crucible of Man doesn’t disappoint–but it doesn’t exactly blow one away either.