Sweden this, U.S.A. that. Its always the same countries churning out the metal that lands on the cluttered desk of Steel Druhm. Sure, every now and then a Middle Eastern or Asian act tosses a spiked glove in the ring, but it’s predomiantly Europe and the Americas tasked with carrying the metal standard these days. That’s why its such a treat when we get a promo from someplace new and exotic. Nothnegal clearly qualifies, since they hail from the tiny Maldive Islands, way out in the Indian Ocean (their location is actually listed as an atoll, which counts as mega-exotic). Decadence is their first full length and its all about modern melodic death with loads of keys, bells and whistles. They take the basic melo-death concept and mix in semi-industrial Fear Factory-like riffing, loads of electronic effects, keys and even synthesized guitars. The big mystery is how this remote isle act wrangled drum services from Kevin Talley (Six Feet Under, ex-Hate Eternal, ex-The Black Dahlia Murder) and keys by Marco Sneck (Poisonblack, ex-Kalmah, ex-Charon). Sounds interesting so far, right? Well, it may be interesting, but sadly, it ain’t too good. Despite the endless array of interesting keyboard noodling and effects, things never really work out and Decadence quickly sinks below the waves of mediocrity. This is a real shame, since there are some interesting ideas on hand and some talented folks involved. But, as the saying goes, no band is an island (sorry, island jokes are rough going).

As soon as things kick off, two big problems become all too clear. The first being an overproduced, glossy, nu-metal guitar tone which sounds awful generally, but especially when put through an endless series of Fear Factory-style staccato, machine gun riffs. They started annoying me before I could spell “nu” (and I’m a fast speller). Right alongside the bad guitars are the equally bad vocals of Avo. Mr. Avo goes for a hybrid of a “screamy” style and a more “true” death grunt. It doesn’t work for me at all and drags the whole enterprise down to Atlantis. Tracks like “Salvation” and “Claymore” have legitimately cool musical ideas and at times, sound like left-overs from Omnium Gatherum‘s epic New World Shadows, but the vocals and the metalcore chug-a-lugging come chug-a-lugging along to kill everything. Songs like “Janus” and the title track never seem to go anywhere and just drag along with sub-par, screamy vox and mindlessly mechanical chugging.

They shake things up a bit with some Exodus-like thrash on “Armageddon” and then  throw a big curveball with the last two songs, which adopt clean singing and totally different styles. “Sins of Our Creations” isn’t much different from what Redemption is doing these days, while “Singularity” is spacey, semi-proggy, light metal. While they get points for diversity (and retiring the  death vox), it seems a strange way to end the album and it leaves things feeling a bit disjointed.

As mentioned above, the quasi-death vocals are terrible and trigger a reaction in my medulla oblongata not unlike road rage. The guitar work from Hilarl and Fufu (ha ha ha, Fufu) is painfully metalcore-ish, samey and boring for most of Decadence. They do uncork some interesting leads and solos here and there (“Claymore,” “Armageddon”) but it isn’t frequent enough to overcome the weight of the extensive chuggery. The keyboards by Marco are quite solid and keep this from dropping into the total shite zone (though some of the effects sound like they belong on a Stabbing Westward album). Sadly, they also serve to highlight what might have been if the rest of Nothnegal elevated their game accordingly.

While not a winning debut, these islanders have the beginnings of a cool sound. If they can fix the vocals and ditch the brain-numbing riffing, they may be ready for primetime. Until then, they sound like a third-rate, core-ish version of Omnium Gatherum, best relegated to cast away status and forgotten. As harsh as this review may seem, I’m pulling for these Maldive metallers to  bounce back strong, like Wilson, the smiley soccer ball! We need more exotic metal these days.

Related posts:

1. Decaying – Encirclement Review
2. Eradication – Dreams of Reality Review
3. Insomnium – One for Sorrow Review

So, last year (also known as last week) we introduced this thing called the “Top Records We Wish We Could Unhear” and I’ve already gotten to my first nomination for the year of 2012. Dies Irae (no, not that one, the Mexican one) is apparently an old melodic death metal band that has remade itself in the image of “post-metal” (no, not that kind of post metal, the kind from 1999) and got themselves signed by Chaos Records, who otherwise have pretty good taste in bands. Secret Veils of Passion is, therefore, the first of the band’s new, updated versions of itself and it is a remarkable record to behold. But no, not that kind of remarkable. Think more like: I am remarking upon it. 

At its base, Secret Veils of Passion could actually be a really interesting and engaging record. It is obviously the work of dudes fluent in metal and moving away from it, so it is quite reminiscent of mid-era Katatonia or Anathema. Though, it should be noted, that at times the band is much heavier than anything the aforementioned bands ever did during their later careers. When Dies Irae goes into its melodic death metal moments, like on “Hate” or “For” this material is actually very good. There’s a thrashy Dark Tranquillity or Hypocrite vibe to the material that wakes up the slumbering desire for late-90s Swedish metal. The screams are raw and vicious, and while the guitar tone itself is remarkably kazoo-like, and the drums are obviously a drum machine, there is an appeal.

Even when the band wanders into other material, the music itself is not always predictable (or even very metal). The track “Fight”  actually reminds me of more traditional Mexican pop music I’ve heard before and “Sex” has an Alice In Chains vibe that works pretty well. In these areas, the band is obviously pulling themselves away and striking off into unfamiliar territory. This means that at times the guitar work, which has several remarkably deft shredding passages, sounds almost amateurish and off. But even then Dies Irae actually does well on a lot of these tracks, combining styles of music you wouldn’t expect to sound that great together into a dour cocktail of sadness and exhibitionistic depression.

All of that praise said, this record is entirely destroyed by one of the worst vocal performances I’ve ever heard in my entire life. Very few things can be said objectively when talking about music, but I can definitely tell you one thing: Dies Irae does not have a member of the band who can sing. And apparently they’re all fucking tone deaf, too, because the record was released. And it’s not just the overly dramatic and pompous, but remarkably amateurish delivery: it’s that they’re obviously out of key. On the aforementioned “Fight,” for example, the harmonies in the chorus are gratingly bad. They make my skin crawl. In the not pronounceable and stupidly entitled “E7en,” (Eh-seven-en?) the vocalist utters some of the ridiculously bad lyrics in what appears to be a melody… that is not actually in the same key as the guitars underneath him, if it’s in a key at all.

This entire record is one tragically bad vocal line after another and it kills me (and we’re not even talking about the lyrics). Because while I probably would have commented on the production and said “Wow, I like Katatonia a lot, too!” or I would have called the writer a pretentious naval gazer, this record should be much better than it is. I’m not sure if no one in his surroundings has told him he’s a bad singer, or what the hell the label is thinking that signed them—but this is just bad. This is not a matter of taste, either. Unless what you like is out of tune vocals… but then that’s a bit like enjoying necrophelia. Your thing, but you can’t really expect the rest of us to follow along with you, you know?

So, don’t, under any circumstances, check this record out. Save yourself the time and effort. And hopefully next time Dies Irae will find themselves a vocalist.

Related posts:

1. Anaal Nathrakh – Passion Review
2. Serenity Dies – Hacksawcracy Review
3. Things You Might Have Missed 2010: Vex – Thanatopsis

Once considered the ”other Amorphis“ due to the style and sound of their well regarded debut In the Halls of Awaiting, Insomnium have since evolved into one of the premier melo-death units in operation. Along with fellow Fins Omnium Gatherum, they’ve been steadfastly keeping the melo-death banner flying and the style alive and viable. In fact, no one is doing this style better, as One for Sorrow and Omnium Gatherum‘s ginormous New World Shadows  amply demonstrate. Both albums employ hyper-melodic guitar-work alongside sub-woofer blowing death vocals and both shroud everything with the melancholy and sadness that seems to seep from the very ground of Finland. Over the course of four albums, Insomnium has churned out consistently high quality melo-death of this nature with very few stylistic shifts or changes. This has, at times, made their material feel a bit samey and can give the impression of roaming over well worn ground. While this was never a big issue for me personally, those concerns are still present here as they continue to hone their tried-and-true sound to a razor edge. Insomnium gives you ten new tracks of excellently melodic death that incorporates doom and elements of old Amorphis, classic In Flames, Brave Murder Day era Katatonia and Noumena. While there are no surprises, this is some great, emotionally powerful music and exactly the kind of listening material to stockpile as we head into the cold gloom of winter. 

Lead off “Inertia” welcomes you back to the cold, and at times fragile and beautiful sound Insomnium trades in. It begins with haunting, somber guitars and spoken word vocals that both slowly build the tension before blossoming into their typically melancholy death sound. The leads at 2:55 are melodic, mournful and excellently done. Things get more urgent with “Through the Shadows” which sounds exactly like material off New World Shadows and showcases that same style of frilly, trillingly melodic guitar harmonies alongside guttural death vox and clean singing segments. As melodic as it gets, there’s that ever present feeling of sadness and doom that have become the calling cards for Finnish melo-death. Its a great song with top-notch riffing and melodic leads. “Song of the Blackest Bird” keeps the quality flowing with more beautiful harmonies juxtaposed with Amon Amarthy battle riffs and nods to Tales From the Thousand Lakes era Amorphis (check out the harmonies at 2:o2 and the morose soloing beginning at 5:31). “Only One Who Waits” mixes extra aggression with an H.I.M. influence and it works exceedingly well. Other highlights include the surprisingly catchy “Regain the Fire” and the plodding and emotional title track. All the songs are classy and scream quality melo-death. There’s a ton of emotion in the writing and playing and as with prior works, that emotion is sadness and despair. This is music perfectly suited for days spent staring out the window watching the falling snow whilst lost in dark reflections.

As far as musical performance, 90% of the success and appeal of Insomnium depends on the ability of Ville Friman and Ville Vanni to craft a host of memorably melodic riffs and solos. They accomplish that mission   admirable and One for Sorrow is relplete with hooks and winning guitar riffery. Every song has its share and the album has a nice ebb and flow from faster to slower, more doomy material. There’s enough shifts in tempos to keep things interesting and more than enough atmosphere. Niilo Sevanen’s death roar is well done and always sounds great laid over the melody lines. His clean singing isn’t the best ever but it adequate and doesn’t hinder the material. The production is exceptional but not too clean or polished. The instruments are clear, the guitars sound great and the vocals are mixed in perfectly.

While I’ve enjoyed every Insomnium album, I admit to being a little underwhelmed by 2009′s Across the Dark  (as was AMG). One for Sorrow is a solid step forward and in my opinion, a superior album. It may not redefine what they’ve been doing or offer something new but it’s them at their best and that’s enough for me. If you liked their prior platters or Omnium Gatherum‘s New World Shadows, buy this with confidence. Then, get thee to a window and await the impending snowfalls. Winter is coming.

Related posts:

1. Insomnium – Across the Dark
2. Omnium Gatherum – New World Shadows Review
3. The Man-Eating Tree – Harvest Review

There’s nothing quite like Danish melodic death/folk, right kids? What’s that you say? You don’t know what Steel Druhm speaks of? For shame! By now you probably should know of Svartsot and their heavier than thou approach to folk metal since they’ve been churning it out since 2007. I was a big fan of their quirky debut Ravnenes Saga and was equally amused by the follow up Mulmets Viser  (as was AMG himself). Both featured heavy but very catchy and anthemic folk metal with very deathy vocals. Their sound can almost be summed up as Korpiklaani meets Cannibal Corpse after too many ales. Its a weirdly festive and danceable style (yes, you may want to dance around like a spazz to some of their tunes) that somehow remains bruisingly heavy at the same time.  Because their approach is so offbeat and unique, it struck a nerve with me and I had high hopes that nerve would continue getting struck with Maledictus Eris, their third release. I’m happy to report this is more entertaining, beer stein swinging, gnome jigging, renaissance faire approved folk metal. All the elements that made the previous albums work are present and if anything, this may be more catchy and fun than before. Now, their admittedly quirky style might not be everyone’s cup of grog. It requires a little tolerance for folk-infused camp and silliness but if you can handle the oddness, its more fun than a barrel full of forest gremlins.

After a short intro, Svasrtsot brings down the folk hammer with “Gud Giv Det Varer Ved!” and its stacked with folksy riffing, deathly croaks and flutes, lots of flutes. In fact, there’s more flute on here than on Yanni at the Necropolis or the average Zamfir record. While there’s other typical folk instrumentation present, the flute takes a lead role on most songs and plays harmony off the riffing. Tracks like “Dodedansen” and Om Jeg Lever Krieg”  put it to good use and both have a cheery, driving pace that will keep the head nodding and the stein swinging. The bagpipes in “Holdt Ned Af En Tjorn” sound great alongside heavy, crunching riffing and low death gurgles and this ends up being a standout ditty. For me, the big hit is “Spigrene” with its laid back acoustic feel and emotive clean singing. There’s something quietly powerful, beautiful and epic about it though it never gets heavy or aggressive.  Although all the lyrics are in Danish and therefore beyond my understanding, they revolve around the Black Death ravaging Europe. While that is a great topic for metal, a lot of the songs feel too festive for such a dark concept and most sound far more like drinking songs than “bring out your dead” songs.

All the songs have their own charm and appeal whether heavier or mellower. There’s nothing rotten among these Denmark tunes. However, their writing style can sometimes lead to an overly repetitive approach within   each song. Its almost like folk-groove metal. They lock into one very cool, fun riff and just keep recycling it. For the most part it works well and the songs are short enough where they end before any tedium sets in. As with prior material, the guitars are the main focus and the various medieval instrumentation plays second fiddle (sorry, couldn’t avoid it). This helps ensure things remain heavy and crunchy and that’s one of the things I like about these guys. The best part about the sound is the croaking from Thor Bager (coolest name ever). While largely employing a low-register death groan, he does at times switch to a more traditional viking metal blackened rasp. His vocals make this heavier than most folk music and therefore, they stand out in a pretty deep genre. Well done Thor Bager, well done!

With three albums of top notch folk metal under their leather belts, Svartsot is one of my favorites in the genre. If you like folk metal or viking metal, I have to imagine you will enjoy this. Its a little different, very catchy and fun to listen to. Just don’t be surprised if you end up dancing around like a drunken fool (especially if you get drunken whilst listening).  I don’t know what the word Svartsot actually means, but to me it means fun!

Related posts:

1. Svartsot – Mulmets Viser Review
2. Arkona – Stenka Na Stenku Review
3. Falkenbach – Tiurida Review

I know I’m late. Sure, this review isn’t coming out weeks ahead of time, and pretty much no one is looking for In Flames reviews now as it was leaked early and most everyone has already had a chance to hear the new record Sounds of a Playground Fading. For me, however, this is a record that needed some reviewing. See, I used to be a big In Flames fan. Their early albums rate among my favorite melodic death metal records of all time and they really defined and did that sound—their sound—as well as it can be done (I guess that’s a little redundant). But I, like many fans, became remarkably disillusioned with the band after Reroute to Remain. There is an irony that the year that record was released, Gothenburg took Ozzfest by storm—as well as a host of metalcore bands that sounded just like In Flames… had.

Since then, I’ve been remarkably unimpressed with the band’s output. The movement back towards a heavier sound has not been particularly successful, and the sickly sweet melody that really defined the band’s sound through Colony kind of disappeared along the introduction of a distressingly oversized dose of Anders’ new Jonathan Davis-like whines. But every time they release a record, I always feel a bit of nostalgia and hope. A hope that maybe this time In Flames will regain that magic they once had. With a name like Sounds of a Playground Fading, though, one gets the feeling that this record will be anything but.

Yeah, that gut instinct you had? It’s right. Sounds of a Playground Fading is exactly that. If In Flames‘ early material was their playground—the place where they spent their youth, crafting friendships and getting drunk on the merry-go-round—this record is one step further towards the old folks home of metal. Joining Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Slayer and a myriad of others with releases that lack fire, spunk, new ideas or anything beyond a few minor glimmers of what once was there. Still, what may be more frustrating about Sounds of a Playground Fading is that there are some really good moments and some very shiny glimmers of hope that really make this album even more painful than the last couple have been for me.

For me, the biggest, most heinous negative on this record is Anders’ vocal performance. He really topped himself for bad on this album. With the exception of a few screams here and there (kinda on “The Puzzle,” “Darker Times,” “Enter Tragedy” and a smattering of others), most of this record is made up of his monotone scream-sing. I cannot think of a vocal style that is more boring or distracting from what is otherwise passable music. When he actually sings it’s actually less annoying than it used to be, he’s even momentarily good on the closing track “Liberation,” even if the track does wander a tad too far into stadium rock for my tastes. But he really doesn’t do a lot of singing, instead he sort of drones-screams on a tone. This creates vaguely tonal melodies that inspire a desire for ear plugs and not much else. And why does he do this? Because melodic death metal requires screams. See, when melody is carried on a guitar it’s very hard to sing over it. But when you sing, then the guitars need to be more simple and chord based. Anders clearly doesn’t want to scream anymore, but neither does the band write music that allows him to actually carry melody with his voice (with the exception of “Liberation”). This leads to a conflict that kills almost every single song on this album.

The songwriting here, for me, is a step up from the last few releases. There are some truly interesting parts on here, particularly when they break out that almost Hendrix style tone and do a little guitar noodling. I love the experimentation with strings on “A New Dawn,” which mind you, also has some of the best heavy riffing on the record. The aforementioned “Liberation” sees the band experimenting with pop rock and the track is pretty good, while the single “Deliver Us” and its follow-up “All For Me” have some sticky, memorable riffs—the currency of In Flames in dreamy ages past. Of course, a shout out for good memorable solos is in order—as In Flames‘ solos have rarely disappointed and they haven’t started now. There really are glimmers of hope on every track. But then there’s a whiney lumberjack droning over top of them. Hitting that message home again and again: “The merry-go-round is broken. Go the fuck home.”

So while there is some good that can be taken away from this, I’m left cold. Will fans who liked the last few records like this record? Probably: though, I’ve heard some rumblings that the vocals piss people off. But I think that if you have liked post-Clayman In Flames, this record will probably appeal to you. If, however, you’ve been standing around waiting for In Flames to rediscover their pre-Clayman fire, it’s time to look back to your record collections, because Sounds of a Playground Fading is just one step further away from the days of yore. I honestly can’t think of a band that more accurately titles their albums than In Flames. I guess, that’s a positive.

Related posts:

1. Manilla Road – Playground of the Damned Review
2. The Top 5 Records of 2011 that We Wish We Could Unhear
3. Arise – The Reckoning Review

Ah, it’s that time again. A new The Black Dahlia Murder record, full of At The Gates riffs and Trevor Strnad’s dynamic and characteristic vocals! Right? RIGHT!?!? Well, let me start with what I said last time in reference to the current trajectory of the band given their longevity and discography:

[W]hen does it become unnecessary to buy new albums from these guys? When do they fade into the [well known] obscurity of a band like Cannibal Corpse or Slayer that produced excellent records, but many people are of the opinion that all you really need to own is a Butchered at Birth or Reign in Blood and South of Heaven and you’ve pretty much heard their entire discography. As of now, I think these guys are on the top of their game. Line-up changes haven’t stopped them, I doubt that they’re going to sit around worrying about stagnation either: but they might want to think about it in the future.

The obvious outrage ensued from both sides. From the one side there was the claim that the band hadn’t stagnated and from the other side was the claim that no one thinks that Cannibal Corpse or Slayer have stagnated. Yeah, well, the first is arguably defensible—the second, less so. In any case, it appears that Ritual is the rebuttal to my critique. A powerful rebuttal. 

By a powerful rebuttal I mean, of course, that Ritual is The Black Dahlia Murder‘s best and most experimental record. The riffing has taken a turn for the more technical at times, in tracks like “On Stirring Seas of Salted Blood” there’s almost an Ulcerate kind of vibe. “Conspiring with the Damned” has a great techy riff as a lead in before moving into more traditional TBDM territory with At The Gates-inspired guitar harmonies and thrashy feel. “Malenchantments of the Necrosphere” is another groovy, downtuned tech piece that may be my favorite track on the whole album and that sounds nothing like what the band has done previously, instead placing them more in Abysmal Dawn territory.

The other big change is the use of strings, which shows up on “A Shrine to Madness” as an intro, but on “Blood in the Ink” more broadly and to excellent effect. The use of acoustic strings creates a unique feeling that almost borders on Septic Flesh‘s new material without going to the same lengths. “Carbonized in Cruciform” also uses a piano and acoustics to create a creepy horror movie kind of vibe before ripping your face off with some trem-picked riffing and blast beats. These changes are welcome and they break open a lot of new possibilities for the band.

But the songwriting hasn’t just changed and improved, what stands out here is the guitar work that has been taken to a whole new level. Ritual starts with the tracks “A Shrine to Madness” and “Moonlight Equilibrium,” which don’t exactly break the mold of earlier records, but what stands out to me on both of these tracks are the retarded guitar solos. And by retarded I actually mean fantastic, in case you were wondering. The guitar solos on this whole record are just fucking silly. “Moonlight Equilibrium” has a solo that borders on jazzy at times, where as “A Shrine to Madness” is like 80s thrash-shred done just right. And the solos stand out on almost every track on this record, including my favorites: “Carbonized in Cruciform” again showing off almost jazz-influenced melodic structures; “Malenchantments of the Necrosphere” shows the excellent knowledge of when to shred and when not to; “The Graverobber’s Work” has a legato solo with some silly tapping that just rips your face off; and to top it all off on closing track “Blood in the Ink” the solo segues perfectly into the string laden verse. This record is special just for this because these aren’t just “fill in the gaps” solos, these are genuinely interesting, musically substantive solos that serve a purpose in the song. Fantastic.

Even when the record isn’t breaking open new ground for The Black Dahlia Murder, the more traditional tracks are really just some of the best they’ve ever written. “The Window,” for example, has some of the coolest melodic work under the verses. “The Graverobber’s Work” sounds like it could have been on Unhallowed, but it’s just a kick ass song. And by now you get the picture.

So here are some final thoughts. First, congratulations to TBDM for nailing it as hard as they have. There’s nothing bad I can say about this record (except the drum sound—SUUEEECOOOOOF!!! *shakes fist*—and the bong hit over the solo on “The Burning Nullifier”. Cheesy.). It’s 45 minutes, so it’s not too long, the cover art is really great (and it reminds me of the artwork for Dragon Age) and they’ve upped the ante for melodic death metal in the new decade, as well as raising the bar for themselves. Second, if you’ve previously written off TBDM for any reason, this is the record to give them another chance on. By breaking the mold, I think they’re going to appeal to people who may have had mixed feelings about them in the past. It’s true that “haters gonna hate,” but I think the move into more techy death metal is going to maybe hook a different crowd. Also, the addition of Ryan Knight may well have been the best thing that ever happened to this band. Total fucking win.

Related posts:

1. The Black Dahlia Murder – Deflorate Review
2. Interview with Trevor from The Black Dahlia Murder (2009)
3. Interview with Trevor from The Black Dahlia Murder

A couple years ago I reviewed Scar Symmetry‘s Dark Matter Dimensions and to my surprise I thoroughly enjoyed it. While I gave it a very good score at the time (4.5/5.0), I made the comment that the band was a little formulaic. It seemed to me that the Scar Symmetry could have worked harder to break out of the mold that they seemed to be trying (very hard) to fit into. That mold, otherwise known as “tech-meets-Soilwork” is basically techy death metal with big, catchy choruses. And, while I admit that Scar Symmetry is an much better band than Soilwork as far as writing catchy melodies, there are times when the music feels like it’s just built around this structure. I suggested that the band try to break out of that mold and build on the techy side.

Turns out the guys from Scar Symmetry don’t read my blog. This is hard to believe, as I certainly am the most important person in my universe. But in any case, if they do read my blog they’re very bad at taking my excellent advice, because The Unseen Empire actually has taken steps away from the techy and is moving far more towards the Melodifestivalen side of the spectrum. This isn’t unrestrained pop-bullshit like Amaranthe, but this is certainly not as technical, heavy and smart as Dark Matter Dimensions and I found that to be a pretty major letdown. So let’s just get that out of the way.

That said, the result is basically a lot more like Scar Symmetry meets To/Die/For and I enjoy this quite a bit. The melodies are excellent and catchy, and when the band does break into the technical side of things the death metal vocals are amazing and the riffs are stellar. As a whole, the guitar work from axemen Jonas Kjellgren and Per Nilsson is still remarkable on this album. Those cats can, as they say, play. And when the band does choose to show off their technical muscles like on “Illuminoid Dream Sequence,” “Astronomicon,” and “The Draconian Arrival” it is put to excellent effect. And almost every song features a guitar solo that would make most bitter among us sigh with contentment.

On the other hand, this record features a hell of a lot more of a blend Goth rock à la To/Die/For and 80s anthem rock. The opener “The Anomaly” as well as the closer “Alpha and Omega” and “Domination Agenda” in between all feature what feels like a distinctly “Eye of the Tiger” kind of feel to it, while mixing it with the mid-ranged vocals of singer Lars Palmqvist. And there’s a hell of a lot more “chug” on this record than I remember from previous albums, as well… though, that might just be something I’m noticing now as the record feels a lot more chuggy and lacks the kind of off-time craziness that were to be found on “The Consciousness Eaters” and the chuggy but techy “Mechanical Soul Cybernetics” and “Nonhuman Era.”

Now, I don’t know what happened in the Scar Symmetry camp during the two years they were away, but I can tell you that while I enjoy this record it leaves me feeling a bit off or empty when it’s done. I guess, it’s like the difference between having sex with a hot woman you meet at a bar and having sex with a hot prostitute. They both leave you satisfied, but only one of them leaves you feeling a bit dirty and used afterward. Unfortunately, at this stage anyway, The Unseen Empire sorta falls into that latter category. It’s possible that like its predecessor it will grow on me—it certainly is a good record and I like it a lot better now than I did at first blush. But it’s hard to imagine it landing on my top 10 like its predecessor did.

Related posts:

1. Scar Symmetry – Dark Matter Dimensions Review
2. Above Symmetry – Ripples Review
3. Soilwork – The Panic Broadcast Review

Steel Druhm once loved the retro thrash wave and rode it for all it was worth (as he talked of himself in the third person). However, like all waves, trends and scenes, too much becomes too much. As my passion for that movement fades, I find myself quite eagerly embracing the retro Swedish death metal wave that seems to be gaining momentum. Interment and Entrails already have quality retro death metal albums out and now Blood Mortized is set to contribute more excellently time challenged carnage. Composed of vets of the Swedish extreme metal scene and including former members of Amon Amarth and Crypt of Kerberos, Blood Mortized‘s four track EP Beastial is a scabby, crusty slab of rotten and fetid death just like Entombed, Dismember and Grave used to make circa 1990-1992. Clearly inspired by the “Sunlight Studio” days of yore, these songs will take you back in time before the days of “melodic death metal” and “death with clean singing.” Yes, this is raw, filthy old school death and it sounds gory and glorious!

Starting with the title track, Blood Mortized dive right into the pummeling mayhem. This is a gruesome, full speed rager with nasty, guttural vocals. The closest reference point would probably be the earliest work of Entombed. Although Mattias Parkkila sounds more like Martin Van Drunen (Asphyx, Pestilence, Hail of Bullets), he does channel Entombed‘s L.G. Petrov at times too. The songwriting style is very reminiscent of the material off Entombed‘s Left Hand Path. The guitar work by Andres Biazzi (ex-Amon Amarth) is sludgy and has the classic down-tuned, fuzzed out Swedish death tone. It isn’t flashy but that wouldn’t fit anyway. The solos are very minimalist and strive for a creepy mood more than virtuosity. Rather than remain at full throttle, “Of Dust and Doom” dials things way back to ponderous, grinding death doom. Although never getting out of first gear, it remains interesting in a weird dirgy way and has the charm of classic Hellhammer. “Shadow of the Quarter Sun” goes back to blasting death and its brutal and effective with interestingly creepy solos showing up again. Closer “Rekvium” is steeped in a morbidly dark atmosphere, it ranges from dirge to mid paced rumble, its filthy and evil sounding (until the oddball ending with chanting and bongo drums, weird but cool). I’m left impressed with all four tracks and I want more!

The production mirrors the early 90′s sound of all the prime Swedish death albums down to the detail. It essentially sounds like an early Grave or Entombed release. That’s exactly what they were aiming for so its a success. If you loved that period of time and that sound, you will eat this up.

Blood Mortized are shamelessly retro death metallers and know exactly who and what they are. As with Bloodbath and Death Breath, these guys are trying to keep the classic Swedish death sound alive and doing a really great job. I’ll be looking out for their upcoming full length and expecting good things and so should you. Steel Druhm shall ride the retro wave once again. (And even I have hopped on this little bandwagon. Bestial comes recommended from me as well! – AMG.) Bandwagon jumper!

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Well, we can’t be expected to love everything that comes out this year, although it seems at times like we have been. Although I really enjoyed the earlier releases by Denmark’s Mercenary (especially 11 Dreams and  The Hours That Remain) and was looking forward to this release, the massive upheaval that led half the band to flee after 2009′s Architect of Lies has clearly taken its toll. After losing their drummer, keyboardist and singer, they were forced to retool and regroup and I’m sad to report that the 2011 incarnation of Mercenary is only a shadow of what it once was. While their sound always had elements of the dreaded metalcore style, it was merged with many other influences and thereby rendered tolerable. On Metamorphosis, they’ve emerged from their cocoon as a full blown metalcore-melo-death butterfly, just like the eight million others out there (I know the cover shows a phoenix but this is way closer to butterfly, trust me). Gone is the intriguing blend of death, power, thrash and progressive metal that graced their earlier material. Gone is that special something that made their songs so impactful and addictive. Now it’s generic metalcore with poppy, radio friendly choruses all day, all night. While fleeting moments of the old sound can be heard here and there, overall this is a very different entity and to these ears, a much lesser one. In fact, this is inferior to their previous work in every possible way.

With lead track “Through the Eyes of the Devil” it quickly becomes apparent the band is going in a more commercial, mainstream-core direction. The vocals are now being handled by bassist Rene Pedersen and he brings a 100% average screamo/core style to the microphone. For the choruses he naturally goes clean and while he can clearly sing, he sounds too emo for my taste and he is nowhere near the level of former singer Mikkel Sandager, who is sorely missed. While some decent riffing is offered and things are predictably poppy/catchy, it feels very stale, generic, predictable and average. Tracks like “The Follower” recall older Mercenary with their structure and riffing but eventually lapse into full fledged metalcore and get tedious and tired. More than half the songs are painfully derivative, dime-a-dozen metalcore with nothing to set them apart from all the myriad bands doing exactly the same thing. That’s frustrating when you realize that these guys had their own unique thing going for awhile. Now they’re just another face in the core crowd. A few songs stand out as better than average like “Memoria” with it’s more impassioned vocals and feeling and “Velvet Lies” with it’s gothic melodrama (although it goes on way too long and gets aimless toward the end).  Elsewhere, “Shades of Gray” is completely ready for alt-rock radio and likely would be a minor hit. From beginning to end everything here is less interesting than the previous material. The writing, the playing, it’s all bland and average and run of the mill.

Beyond the obvious problems in musical direction, Metamorphosis is saddled with that big, clean, over-polished modern metalcore production and it helps drain the life from the album. Overproduction is a blight and whatever bite some of these songs might have had is robbed by it. In addition, this thing is mastered too loud.

This isn’t any different musically than Killswitch Engage, All That Remains or the new Lazarus A.D. If you’re a metalcore fiend, this will make you happy. If you liked the older Mercenary material, you likely won’t enjoy this very much. After a few days soaking in the reality of what these guys have become, the mass exodus of band members looks like a pretty smart move on their part. Stick a pin in this thing, it’s done.

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AHHHH! The war drums are sounding the return of the dragon ships at last! One of the most anticipated releases of the new year is finally here. Since my Amon Amarth geekdom is second only to my slavish Amorphis fanboyism, to say I’m excited to get my hands and ears on Surtur Rising simply doesn’t cover it.  Lately it’s seemed these war-like Swedes could do no wrong and their past two albums have been monstrous platters of crushing melodic death metal of the highest caliber. If you were expecting something different here, you’re obviously an idiot because it clearly ain’t broke so why fuck with it? Thankfully, Surtur Rising picks up where Twilight of the Thunder God left off and delivers another size fourteen viking boot to your Asgard with their trademark precise, powerful style. This is heavy as hell, metal as fuck and the perfect soundtrack to pillage, maraud and rampage to. Amon Amarth has done it once again and given their track record, no one should be surprised by how good this is.

Opening track “War of the Gods” immediately tells you all is right in the nine worlds as Johan Hegg and crew bring back the tried and true Amon Amarth sound. This is a classic track, with Hegg’s huge death bellows and the legendary riffing style of Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Söderberg. Once again they provide huge, heavy battle riffs mixed with quick trem picking and mournful, emotive solos and show they really know their craft inside and out. An amazing lead off and I can only imagine how great this will sound live. “Tock’s Taunt – Loke’s Treachery Part II” is the sequel to “Hemrods Ride to Hell” off With Oden On Our Side and proves a very compelling counterpoint to that classic. Mid-paced but bursting with energy and anger, it’s also very hooky and memorable in that odd Amon Amarthy way. You’ll find yourself growling it in public and people will quickly move away from you. Later we get “Destroyer of the Universe” and The Last Stand of Frej,” both tell the tale of the epic battle between evil fire god Surtur and Norse hero Frej from different perspectives. While “Destroyer of the Universe” is a raging, thrashed out killer, “The Last Stand of Frej” is a slight departure for AA with a ponderous, mournful doom metal style as Frej laments his upcoming death. Both are outstanding tracks. Elsewhere there’s a balls to the wall thrasher (“A Beast Am I”), anthemic rallying songs (“Live With No Regrets,” “For Victory or Death”) and the biggest surprise, the slightly orchestral and downtrodden ”Doom Over Dead Man.” All work and all are addictive additions to the AA catalogue. No filler, no duds, just pagan war metal the way we like it.

A lot of what was working so well on previous albums is wisely continued here. That isn’t to say their sound has stagnated. They do try some new things like the orchestral segment in ”Doom Over Dead Man.” The doomish style of  ”The Last Stand of Frej” is also a little different than their usual fare. This is a heavier album than Twilight and features some of the fastest, most aggressive songs Amon Amarth has done in a long time. Also, Hegg’s vocals are more raw, deep and guttural than they’ve been in awhile, at times making it harder to follow the lyrics without a sheet (during “Wrath of the Norsemen” his vox wander into grindcore territory at times). This combination of heavier songs and more deathy vocals makes this ever so slightly less accessible and immediate than Twilight but fear not. As always, the element that makes these guys so great is the guitar work and Surtur Rising is another fantastic fret feast. Every song has its huge riff or memorable lead line. This is how melodic death metal is done and I couldn’t ask for anything more.

Another album, another triumph for these dependable viking warlords. This is on par with Twilight of the Thunder God and only a notch below With Oden On Our Side. Are these guys starting to recycle their ideas and sound somewhat? Yes, but so far it’s still working very well and I’m totally OK with it. This is the album I wanted from Amon Amarth and I’d be totally happy with a few more in exactly the same style. Now, build a viking bonfire, celebrate Midvinterblot and rage until your neck feels Thor (yep AMG, I like puns).

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