I guarantee you the guys from Soen have to brace themselves for every review they’re going to read for two reasons. The first of these is that this band contains Steve DiGiorgio—heavy metal’s best bassist and best fretless for hire—and oh, right, Martin Lopez who we last saw as a member of Opeth. I have to say that I’m partial to these two guys as musicians (nothing against Ax, but Lopez is a special drummer) and so when I heard that this record was coming out I did some begging and got me a copy for review. Apparently there are other musicians in this band, but we don’t actually care The rest of the band is made up of by two Swedish guys—Eklöf, the vocalist and Platsbarzdis, the guitarist—for what is a four piece of alternative or kind of groovy progressive metal. Not progressive like Opeth or Vintersorg or Porcupine Tree but progressive like Tool. And by that I mean, they sound exactly like fucking Tool (that’s the second reason). 

It is undeniable, no matter how much one wants it to be, that this is a band that just simply sounds like Tool. You gotta get that out of the way. This Joel Eklöf sounds a lot like Maynard (though his accent totally reminds me of Åkerfeldt, whose accent I’d never thought about before). And frankly, the guitar work and the writing reminds me of Ænima and Lateralus a lot. There’s a lilt to the guitars and a slow groove to the bass. The fretless bass differentiates it a bit, but the tone and the production is really similar. And, frankly, Lopez is the kind of drummer who can also pull off Danny Carey’s tribal style as a backup—but of course still have his own style. He does this deftly and some of the most enjoyable parts of this album are performed on the drums and percussion which are outstanding.

So it’s with a bit of cognitive dissonance that I rate this as highly as I do, but sometimes you cannot deny good songs. And, well, these guys write some great fucking songs. There’s the groove stuff—straight up Tool worship like “Savia” and “Fraccions” which has a guitar part that is totally a “Schism” rip off. There’s the parts where they really break out the heavy end—not super often but it does happen like the life alterningly crushing riff from “Slither” after the acoustic breakdown or the beginning of “Oscillation” (or on “Canvas”). And then there’s Eklöf’s vocal proclivities. While he undeniably sounds like Maynard, one of the things that he does amazingly well is melody and harmonies. The end of the aforementioned “Fraccions” has some of the most heart-breakingly beautiful harmonies I’ve heard on a record and they’re simply amazing. The following track “Dalenda” has a chorus where, again, he shows off these harmonies and by the time I made it to the next track down the line “Last Light” and he broke ‘em out again, I was pretty much convinced.

In fact, it is the vocals that take this record from pretty good to great (or maybe even excellent). The songs are well-constructed, but highly derivative. And while the vocals are veeery Maynard, Eklöf’s performance and harmonies are the glue that hold all of this together. Unfortunately, the lyrics seem like they’re a little on the not-so-interesting side which is a shame. Instead of ripping off Tool‘s schtick and writing about philosophy and high-minded mumbo jumbo, they mainly seem to be writing about drugs. I might be wrong, but no one gave me any lyrics to check it out, so there you be.

In its totality, though, Cognitive is a pretty damn great record. While it is too derivative and it’s too easy to point out the source they’re plagiarizing (creativity is just well-disguised plagiarism—or like we used to say in my old band “People think we sound original because we rip off Amon Amarth, Ulver and Iron Maiden all at once!”), and so it’s hard for me to give this a higher score because of what I see as a lack of originality, there is an x factor here that bands that are just ripping someone else off simply do not have. The songwriting is great and it is a testament to Eklöf’s performance that I focused on him in a band where he’s playing with Martin Lopez and Steve DiGiorgio. So check this out and don’t write it off when you say “Oh, man, this sounds like Tool.” Give it some time and maybe the dissonance will give way and lead to bliss instead.

Related posts:

1. Spiritual Beggars – Return to Zero Review
2. Ihsahn – After Review
3. Amaranthe – Amaranthe Review

Loch Vostok

So, normally when I do these, I try to find records that are really the crème de la crème that we’ve simply just missed. This record isn’t quite there. But it is really solid progressive and/or power metal record with some death metal influences that sound quite Gothenburgy. With a vocalist who sounds like.. well, kind of every Swedish progressive or power metal vocalist ever, they deftly wander between Dark Tranquillity or Scar Symmetry kind of melodic riffing and choruses and more traditional prog/power sound. Tracks like the ripper of an opener “A Mission Undivine” even hint at an almost black metal influence at times before settling into riffing that is reminiscent of Nevermore or maybe a bit of Symphony X.

These guys also have a slower speed to them as well, and that’s a bit of where I lose them a bit. “Navigator” is kind of a mid-paced rocker/borderline ballad that has some good melodies, but it so unabashedly 80s hair band that I have a bit of trouble with it. The other issue I have with these guys is that the lyrics get a bit ESL and/or preachy at times. I get that it’s tough to write good metal lyrics, particularly in progressive metal and in another language, but sometimes the lyrics here are just, well.. bad. Not good. Obra. But these moments are mostly few and far between, honestly. And really, I’ve heard worse and even the best bands (*cough* Pain of Salvation *cough*) have shitty lyrics sometimes. It really only kills one song for me, “Taste the Flame” which just.. stinks.

With the notable exception of “Taste the Flame” though, this record is really great. It’s got some great songs, some excellent ideas and lots of awesome choruses. I personally love the tracks “Disconnection,” “A Mission Undivine” and “Repeat Offender” and the album feels a little front heavy, but there are some good moments on the back end as well. Overall it’s something worth checking out for fans of progressive metal, melodic death metal fans and all the fanboys of modern Swedish metal who love poppy, catchy tunes and aren’t expecting these guys to be rocking Liquid Tension Experiment chops when one talks about being “progressive”. Did I narrow that down too much? Just check the shit out.

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2. Things You Might Have Missed 2011: Mythological Cold Towers – Immemorial
3. Things You Might Have Missed 2011: Immolation – Providence

Steel Druhm doesn’t ask for much. Beyond undying devotion to the Angry Metal Guy website and Steel Druhm personally, I expect so little. In a rare moment of selfishness however, I deigned to demand more innovation in the field of black metal music. Predictably, much brouhaha ensued and I was labeled a rabble-rouser, blasphemer and enemy of the scene. Happily, I can now report my heartfelt demand has been masterfully answered by a crew of Aussie upstarts by the name of Vyrion. Never heard of them? Don’t feel bad, I didn’t either until I stumbled upon them quite by chance. It was a fortuitous stumble indeed, for their self titled debut is a mammoth slab of progressive blackness with scads of death, doom, traditional metal and post rock blended in seamlessly. After only a few minutes of listening, I knew this was something special. Across the length of this interesting creature are myriad surprises, twists and turns and the end result is an exceptionally well done and very heavy slice of innovation. For those who regard black metal as a static art form, immune to the fickle influences of time and trend, this will be like a loathsome disease. If however, you agree with me that the genre is badly in need of a newness injection, don’t let this one fall through the cracks.

After a suitable moody intro, “Ever Rising Platform” introduces you to the regal, yet heavy style Vyrion will be pummeling you with. They employ an eclectic mix of traditional Scandinavian black metal mixed with death gurgles, gruff and clean singing and copious doom influences. On this track in particular, the gruff, tortured semi-singing sits exceptionally well alongside the bleak, discordant dirge segments. These in turn are broken up by blast beatery and ugly trem riffs. The back and forth and give and take is disorienting at first but wonderfully conceived and powerfully emotional. Followup “Mortal Frame” is based more around traditional black metal but mixes in some death influence in the vocals and riffing akin to the Florida Death Metal sound. One of the stranger cuts comes with “The Decider,” which bounces between black and death while featuring a melodic, cleanly sung chorus and goth-metal sensibilities. Post-rock rears its minimalist head in tracks like “Winter Vector” and “The Silence,” and both have a slight Agalloch vibe floating in and out of consciousness. The oddest duck in the row is likely “Disengage,” which blasts and burns with furious black metal but drops in an unexpectedly uber-melodic chorus and later brings in guttural death vox and Gothenburg style guitar-work for added insanity. Also worth noting is the moody heaviness of “The Decision” and the creepy tension of “Sole Remainder.” The songs are all heavy enough to please extreme music fans and a few rage like tigers and rhinos trapped together in a sack.

Although all the songs appear to be patchworks of divergent styles at first, the genius of Vyrion becomes readily apparent in the way they stitch the pieces together into effective, memorable songs. With so many ingredients dumped into the pot, it would easy to wind up with a soupy, incoherent mess. Fortunately, this is far from that. The elements flow together smoothly and while the transitions do surprise at times, they make total sense after a few listens.

The diverse vocal styles are handled by Dale Williams and Chris Cox and although I don’t know who does what style, they both deserve big respect (I especially love the gruff singing). Similarly, the guitar-work by Williams and Mark Boyce is top-notch and compelling. They craft a series of compelling black and death riffs and even work in some sedate, almost jazzy moments that work well. The album’s sound is a bit empty and hollow like a black metal release, but it fits with the music well enough.

I love being blown away by unknown bands and that’s exactly what Vyrion did. This is a band to watch and watch closely. If you like your extreme music served with original and innovative ideas, this will be a welcome surprise for you as well. Given the non-existent buzz and geographic isolation facing this release, the word must be gotten out to the Angry Metal Hordes! Give it a listen and if you like it, spread the news far and wide. Steel Druhm demands that you support quality underground metal! And I ask for so little.

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Here’s a band I bet most haven’t heard of and some actively avoided due to their “christian metal” tag. Well, its time you heard of them and stopped worrying about such silly tags. However, for those diehard, anti-christian, pagan warriors of Wotan, try replacing “christian metal” with “white metal” or “good metal.” Okay, that probably didn’t help AT ALL but the point is, Theocracy is a really good band and their third album  As The World Bleeds is an exceptional dose of progressive power metal. Once a one-man project helmed by Matt Smith, Theocracy is now a fully functioning band and these altar boys can really play! Sounding like a mash-up of Avantasia, Axenstar, Balance of Power, Eden’s Curse and Shadow Gallery, they deliver hyper-polished, super-slick, technical, proggy power with a ton of melodic hooks and a fair amount of heavy edge to boot. Songwriting is first-rate, musicianship is very impressive and heck, God will appreciate you listening to it. When was the last time you hordes of miscreants could honestly say that? Yeah, that’s what I thought, sinners! In all seriousness, this is a great power metal album, regardless of religious inclination. If you dig melodic metal, follow Steel Druhm through the desert of this review and he’ll deliver you to the Angry Promised Land.

Whether you cotton to their divine viewpoint or not, there’s no denying Theocracy have some serious brass by leading off with the longest track possible. “I Am” clocks in at a whopping eleven minutes and most bands not named Moonsorrow would be loath to challenge the listener so quickly. However, Theocracy has a guardian angel on their collective shoulder and it really works! This winding epic really draws you in and introduces you to their songwriting abilities and musicality without feeling overlong or tedious. As you would expect from such a lengthy piece, it’s dramatic, features a boatload of moods and textures and allows the band to flex their chops. What makes it work is a combination of great lyrics, excellent vocals and surprising twists and turns. Matt Smith’s vocals morph from commanding to soaring, soft and powerful as the story unfolds and it all feels natural and unforced.  The guitars are upfront, plenty heavy and scatter rich, fluid solos throughout. Song highlights include the unexpected lurch into a jaunty Irish jig-like piece at 5:20 and the progression into thrash territory as things unwind (including a cool Voivod-like stutter step thrash riff at 7:45). After the epic opener, there are brilliantly catchy, power-prog nuggets like “The Master Storyteller” (the guitars and vocals are both addicting), a sojourn into the crunchy and aggressive with “Nailed” (big chorus and insane guitar-work) and compelling guitar twists, turns and tricks on “Altar to an Unknown God” (I love the mega-cool string thingee that first pops up at 2:00).

Although this is a VERY melodic prog-power outing, there are plenty of heavy moments interspersed. Even the most mellow tracks like “The Gift of Music” and the title track eventually segue into thrash metal segments. This heavy/melodic dichotomy enhances the impact of the songs and gives them valuable metal credibility. No song is completely soft and all have diverse tempos. Matt Smith’s vocals are stellar throughout and the extensive use of vocal layering gives everything a big, rich, choral sound like late-period Savatage (but thankfully, way less Broadway jazz-handsy).  The guitar mastery of Val Allan Wood co-headlines with Smith’s vocals and the man makes those strings burn like hades fire. Every song is bursting with his big leads and inventive riff-work. The whole ensemble brings a formidable A game and this is a technically satisfying release from start to finish.

The production is crisp, clear and polished, as is the music itself. The lyrics can, at times, be a bit pious, a tad preachy and slightly judgmental but how many HAIL SATANs have you listened to this year alone? Stop drinking the Devil’s Kool-Aid and give the other side equal time, for Christ’s sake! Steel Druhm ain’t exactly the biggest church-goer in heaven’s green garden but the lyrics didn’t hamper my enjoyment of this excellent material, so they shouldn’t for you either.

These chaps have toiled away in relative obscurity for years and with As The World Bleeds, they’ve released their crowning glory (their previous two platters are also very good). This looks to be one of the best prog-power albums of 2011 and a certifiable Myrrh Record. You would be stupid to skip this because of some anti-religion mumbo-jumbo, so Steel Druhm demands you open your mind and listen. But, DO NOT download this illegally! Most of you are in enough trouble with the man upstairs as it is. Blasphemers!

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3. In Solitude – The World. The Flesh. The Devil. Review

Lance King, like Elvis, is everywhere. He’s sang for a ton of bands (Balance of Power, Pyramaze, Avian, Empire etc. etc.), he runs Nightmare Records and still found the time to record and release his first solo album, A Moment in Chiros. For those unfamiliar with his body of work, Mr. King is the quintessential prog-power metal singer. His voice is versatile, powerful and his range is impressive. He sounds equally at home alongside melodic power metal and thoughtful prog-metal. For his debut solo project, he’s brought in elements of both and made damn sure everything is super-duper melodic, even symphonic at times. To assist him in this endeavor, he recruited a mighty host of friends, including members of Anubis Gate, Beyond Twilight and Adagio. The final product (which was apparently written and recorded in only three months) will remind many of Empire-era Queensryche mixed with elements of  Dream Theater, Pagan’s Mind, Anubis Gate and of course, Lance’s other units, especially Balance of Power. There are moments where Lance and company shine as bright as the sun and there’s some interesting material here for fans of power-prog. However, A Moment in Chiros struggles with the consistency of quality and this ultimately hurts things, which is a real shame.

Although a Moment in Chiros is a concept album revolving around the 11:11 time prompt phenomenon, I won’t waste anyone’s “time” trying to explain it. Dammit, Steel Druhm’s a reviewer, not a Scientology wonk! Things begin quite solidly with “A Sense of Urgency,” which is a nice introduction to the variety of melodic metal Lance specializes in. It’s laid back, with low-key guitar work. The keyboards give it a slightly symphonic flavor and Lance’s vocals sound classy and smooth as silk. Thereafter, things ramp up with a suite of great songs including the poignant and memorable ”Awakening,” the more aggressive “Manifest Destiny” and the impossibly hooky “A Given Choice.” All are top-notch examples of modern-day power-prog with moments of emotion and beauty (3:37 of “Manifest Destiny” is one). Other quality moments include the title track and “Dance of Power.”

Sadly, as the album progresses, the quality trails off and later tracks feel slapped together and rather bland (“Joy Everlasting” and “Sacred Systems”). Other songs, while not bad, don’t really grab me (“Transformation” and Infinity    Divine”). Another problem involves the spoken word, “new agey” segments that pop up throughout the album. They serve to advance the concept in the most general way but they come across as cheesy and annoying.

Complaints aside,  A Moment in Chiros has a great sound. It’s rich, warm, lush and polished as all hell. While never overly heavy, the guitars do have a decent crunch. Although the keys are very prominent, this always feels like a metal album, albeit a very melodic one. Lance sounds great throughout and showcases the versatility and range of his pipes. He even elevates a song or two from average to good. The good stuff here is so good, it makes me wish they spent more time refining the writing so this could have been a better album. The first half is 4.0 worthy, the back-end, not so much.

As a fan of Mr. King’s work, I wanted this to be better but it does have about half an album’s worth of strong, enjoyable material. I love the guy’s voice and I’ll support whatever project he’s involved in. I hope next time he can churn out an entire album of the same high quality as the first half here. Fans of classy prog-power and melodic metal should check this out and see for themselves.

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2. Brainstorm – On the Spur of the Moment Review
3. Pagan’s Mind – Heavenly Ecstasy Review

The Binding Cycle is the first full-length album by Norwegian quintet, The Fallen Divine. Founded in 2009, and with one EP under their belt, the band worked with King Diamond guitarist Andy La Rocque at his studio, Sonic Train, to produce the album. And he produced the fuck out of them. The sound on this album is so clean it sparkles. Which is as it should be, because there is a lot going on and The Fallen Divine don’t want you to miss any of it. A self-described progressive metal band, they have a lot of influences and only one shot at showing you that they’ve mastered them all. Fortunately, they pretty much have.

They come out swinging on “Dissension,” throwing everything they’ve got into these seven and a half minutes. The resulting aggregation of technical riffery, proggy keyboards and a jazz interlude comes off a little like a snowboard movie—not so much a continuous composition as a series of really cool tricks strung together. Depending on your outlook, this balls out eclecticism is either off-putting or impressive. “Dissension” is only a slight exaggeration of the rest of the album’s almost fifty minutes (which in this case is only a few minutes longer than you want it to be).

While you’ll find bits and pieces of just about everything on here and all of it is well done, tempo and rhythm changes are pretty much the point (think Dream Theater on crack, or more precisely, John Zorn’s Naked City). The whole album is chock-full of hooks, great riffs, and melodic lead lines but they never dwell on a single theme long enough to really develop the idea. The keyboards provide some atmosphere but are kept firmly in check and never come to the front. For the most part, vocals take the form of screams in the style of Dark Tranquility, and, you know, everyone else. But some whispers and an occasional pleasing slide into deeper growls hint at the potential for more versatility there in the future. When I remembered to notice, the lyrics seemed hold to a general theme of outsider angstyness – which is good. Occasionally, a little bubble of Les Claypool-worthy bass rises to the surface of the mathematical stew; midway through “Shades of Oppression,” some lead bass steps forward. These flashes of bass brilliance are always unexpected, but never incongruous. I kept wishing they’d let the bass player loose more often.

After “Dissension,” the rest of the tracks are uniformly strong, with consistently catchy lead lines. “Northern Lights” stands out as a little more cohesive. It feels like the ideas here have more room to stretch and breathe before diving into something else.  Just past the five minute mark there’s a jazz interlude that’s less disjointed than others scattered throughout the album because they manage to pull the flute (probably actually keyboards) through into the anthemic metal riff that follows.

They close with the title track, which has the most overtly progressive sound on the album. Where “Dissension” tended to showboat, “The Binding Cycle” showcases some of the best elements from the other tracks, offering up a piano intro paired with an acoustic guitar break reminiscent of Pantera’s “Cemetery Gates.” There’s also more bass in here and some jazz piano followed by chugging guitars that introduce the closest thing to guitar solo on the album. After some of the lower-range screaming on the album, The Binding Cycle ends – not with a bang but a whisper. And a piano. And some acoustic guitar.

The Fallen Divine have put together a respectable and enjoyable first album that is absolutely worth a listen. Despite some compositional weakness, all of the pieces are strong enough to stand up by themselves, and the album never completely falls apart.  They clearly love playing with different techniques and linking a wide variety of sounds.  As they mature, and their focus shifts from proving what they can do towards creating something whole out of the pieces, their music will only get more engaging. I’m already more interested in listening to their next album than this one – especially if they let the bass player off his chain.

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Few obscure, under-ground bands find the level of respect and reverence that San Francisco’s Hammers of Misfortune has. These avaunt-garde weirdos have been doing things their way since 2001 and slowly building appreciation and acclaim along the way. Deftly defying genre tags and easy (lazy) categorization by reviewers like myself, they’ve churned out a uniquely progressive amalgam of NWOBHM, folk, doom and ’70s rock. So unusual is their sound, the only truly comparable band is sister/brother act Slough Feg, with which they’ve swapped influences and members over the years. It’s a pretty safe bet if you like the Feg, you’ll dig what the Hammers are cooking too. Of the two, the Hammers were and are the weirder, more experimental outfit and under the leadership of guitarist/vocalist John Cobbett (ex-Slough Feg, ex-Ludicra), they’ve traveled some strange roads but always packed truckloads of melody and quirky charm. After an overly long wait since 2008′s Fields/Church of Broken Glass, we’re finally treated to their fifth album 17th Street and its a reassuring blast of sonic strangeness, musical eccentricity and refreshing innovation. Although not crushingly heavy or shockingly aggressive, its plenty metal, hugely melodic, catchy and most importantly, original! If that doesn’t sound good to you, go read my diatribe about black metal!

Starting off with the quasi-martial strains of “317,” the listener is quickly introduced to and regaled by quality riff work from Cobbett and new guitarist Leila Abdul-Rauf that sticks to the brain like Crazy Glue and is so metal you can almost see the polished chrome as they play (check out the cool climbing riff at :49 and the slippery solo at 1:08). While it’s a fairly slow-moving piece with limited vocals, the guitars do the talking and keep things interesting. Things get much more energetic with the romping, stomping title track, with an infectiously bouncing, galloping swagger and great interplay between the raucous, near-thrash picking and a rocked out Hammond organ. Cobbett’s distinctive vocals are teamed with Leila’s and those of new vocalist Joe Hutton and things work oh so well! The big highlight comes with “The Grain,” which is a highly emotional, powerful number loaded with feeling and texture. Starting off with a simple riff accompanying heartfelt vocals, it quickly blossoms into a hugely soaring, poignant chorus that will stick with you and keep you hitting the repeat button ad nauseam. It’s probably the single finest moment of their impressive catalog and of 2011 for that matter. Other gems include the hook-laden, hyper-theatrical weirdness of ”The Day the City Died” (it sounds like a manic mash-up of Savatage, Thin Lizzy,  and Jethro Tull), the vintage Exciter meets Deep Purple attack of “Romance Valley” and the multi-faceted “Going Somewhere,” with its reflective lyrics and all-over-the-place moods.

Musically, there’s a lot going on here but this isn’t some thick, overwritten techy wank-o-thon. Quite the opposite actually. It’s a richly layered album that still manages to feel stripped down and simple. It’s chock-full of intriguing and memorable guitar work from Cobbett and Abdul-Rauf (especially on the title track and “The Grain”) and rich, haunting vocal harmonies. There’s also some brilliant organ/keyboard work from Sigrid Sheie and great bass playing from Max Barnett. When you toss in some thoughtfully downcast lyrical themes dealing with the bleakness of  life, you end up with something dark but truly special.

Sound-wise, this is in keeping with the classic Hammers style. It’s warm, organic and far from over-produced. It sounds great but retains a raw, garage-band urgency and power. I especially like the thick, punched-up drum sound. Production aside, the material here is significantly heavier than that on their last few albums and there’s no denying they’re a metal band here.

Whether or not you’re familiar with the Hammers, you should definitely check 17th Street out ASAP. In a year with a lot of solid releases, this is going to end up on many “best of” lists and in all candor, it should. These folks are true musicians and they’ve crafted an intriguing, complex, enjoyable album that overflows with mood and emotion. After a week of listening, it continues to grow on me and reveal itself and I think it’s the magnum opus of their exceptional career. If you believe in supporting quality, cutting edge music, set the GPS to 17th Street and plan on staying awhile. Hail to the Hammers!

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Here’s another overlooked and underrated gem for those of you searching for new (but old) listening material of high quality. Damn the Machine was the creation of original Megadeth guitar-wiz Chris Poland following his dismissal from Camp Mustaine. Though they only managed to release this self-titled opus, the quality is such that most listeners will ardently wish they’d been more prolific. Forsaking his Megadeth-era roots, Poland steered DTM into thoughtful, progressive metal waters with hints of jazz-fusion sprinkled (sparingly) throughout. He was also wise enough to surround himself with some seriously talented musicians (including his brother Mark on drums) and the result is nothing short of phenomenal. Not overly fast nor crushingly heavy, it successfully walks a fine line between balls and brains and echoes such better known acts as Queensryche, latter day Fates Warning, Black Album-era Metallica and even Kings X.

Lead track and album single “The Mission” encapsulates what’s so interesting about the DTM sound. Its energetic and almost thrashy but so melodic and accessible it makes you do a double-take. Its also enjoyably technical as they effortlessly vault from linear playing to techy jamming, fusion and back into the main compositional structure in a flash. Poland flexes his chops, as does fellow axeman Dave Clemmons and bassist David Randi but the songs are songs, not wank-fests. On top of the rich, techy goodness, Clemmons’s vocals are unique, unusual and great (though he can be an acquired taste for some). Together, they created a sound all their own. Standouts are legion but those worth particular mention include the poignant and melancholy “Fall of Order” (where the vocals really shine),  the epic and mammoth “Lonesome God” (which has a chorus you may never forget),  and my personal favorite, the showstopping ”Russians” with its endlessly addicting bass/quasi-Spanish guitar trilling (and Clemmons’s impassioned delivery). Every song is masterful and memorable and what’s more, the album hangs together so well as a whole, you almost have to let it play through. Until the new release by Voyager, no other album even came close to rivaling the feeling of cohesion and oneness this has.

Since this is Chris Poland’s baby, you know there will be plenty of interesting guitar pyrotechnics. However, this isn’t an album of hundred-mile-an-hour, string burning solos. Its far more restrained and tasteful. The solos  are always impressive to be sure, but there’s a real sense of quiet dignity and decorum that you won’t hear on many “metal” albums. They play for feel and mood, never for fury or intensity and man, it really works well. Check out the languid playing on “Silence” and see what I mean (especially at :52). Besides the great guitar-work, David Randi’s bass is all over the place and you can hear every little nuance to his playing. The man can really slappa the bass, mon! This is one tight crew and the more you hear, the more you’ll curse the Metal Gods that there’s but one album showcasing their abilities.

Perhaps nothing is as frustrating as unrealized potential and this sole release by a mega-talented band stands as a stark monument to what could have been. File this under “Thoughtful and Restrained Metal” and then track this platter down as if your life depends on it. If you do, I think you’ll join me in feeling grateful for what we got but always wishing there was just a little bit more of it. Damn the machine for not giving us more Damn the Machine! Yeah, it’s that good.

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2. Retro-spective Review: Wargasm – Ugly
3. Austrian Death Machine – Double Brutal Review

3 was one of my favorite discoveries of the year 2007. The End Is Begun ripped me out of my progressive complacency and reminded me that well-written, well-performed progressive rock or heavy metal, can be some of the most interesting and effective music. In a world dominated by polyrhythms and breakdowns, 3 was a refreshing blast of melody, piccolo toms and some of the most creative and unique guitar playing and song writing that I’d heard in a very long time. So I guess it’s fair to say that I have been anticipating their follow up, The Ghost You Gave to Me with no small amount of anticipation. 

The Ghost You Gave to Me eases out the door with something that sounds just like… well, 3. This is one of the bands that like Opeth has a very distinct sound, with a specific use of certain types of rhythms and phrasings that just sound like 3. The opener “Serenum Scropuli” is an acoustic bit, emphasized with a neat little arpeggio before the end of the phrase, and vocalist Joey Eppard’s recognizable, tenor washed out with a ton of reverb. This is the perfect opener, before wandering into a track with a power rock chorus (“React”) and the bands characteristic acoustic work.

While I’m not a huge fan of the band’s pre-The End Is Begun material, this record picks up where its predecessor left off. At times it is undeniably and ridiculously poppy, like on “Pretty” which actually has the techno beat (un-cha-un-cha-un-cha) on the chorus, or “Sparrow” (or “Afterglow”) where the band wanders into Coheed & Cambria territory with what sounds like a pop punk backbeat. On the other hand, the acoustic work and delicate melodies may be what the band is best at. “One with the Sun” shows that off with a catchy vocal melody and acoustic work supported by fantastic drum and bass work. “Only Child” is another one with fantastic bass, drum and guitar work that probably stands out as the most progressive on the record, as well. It’s mysterious and sexy and a fantastic track.

But the third part of this band, and the reason they’re signed to Metal Blade, is that they write great metal riffs as well. “It’s Alive” rips out the door with a powerful riff, before wandering into 70s prog territory and bringing it back out on the chorus, with Eppard’s “It’s alive!” chorus. One of my favorite parts on the album is actually about 3 minutes into the track “Numbers” where they break out a riff that could easily have come from a death metal or black metal band. This riff is pure thrash groove and it could have been a Behemoth or Septic Flesh riff. Honestly, I could’ve used a bit more of the heavy stuff on this record. It’s well done and the mentioned tracks, the title track and a spattering of other moments give this a nice feel, but it’s never quite as heavy as I’d like it to be.

Of course, the key to a lot of this material is Eppard’s vocals and use of harmonies. Again, like Coheed (and Blind Guardian and Bad Religion) there seems to be a desire to build great vocal melodies, but also fantastic harmonies. Eppard is probably a first tenor, so that places him on the up end of vocal ranges for men (in case you don’t know), and that means that he is able to offer a lot of texture to his vocal backings and it really fills out the sound of these tracks. I hadn’t really noticed it before, but in this case it works remarkably well. So well, in fact, that it distracts from the fact that these lyrics are basically non-sensical children’s rhymes. It kind of drives me nuts, because when the gnawing end-rhymes dig their way through my barrier, they really annoy the hell out of me. While they’re more creative than the “die”/”cry” crap that others are guilty of, Eppard has a very specific pattern that he likes to use (“I like to rhyme / All the time / that I’m singing this song. It’s good fun / when the sun / isn’t exploding and killing us all.”) and it gets repetitive and frustrating. I know that progressive rock isn’t about the lyrics, but cut your fucking listeners some slack, huh? If you don’t care about writing lyrics, find someone else to do it.

But all-in-all The Ghost You Gave to Me is a very good record. It’s got no bad tracks with a lot of variation. I don’t like it as much as The End Is Begun yet, but it’s possible that I will, and the writing is engaging and the band’s playing is lights out. Fans of the band will eat it up and new listeners will become fans. Everyone who has progressive tendencies should check this record out.

Related posts:

1. Three – Revisions Review
2. Arch/Matheos – Sympathetic Resonance Review
3. Devin Townsend Project – Ghost Review

Now here’s something quite a bit different! Australia’s Voyager has been tinkering with their odd blend of progressive space metal for a while now. However, here on album number four The Meaning of I, they’ve really hit on the perfect blend of influences and styles. Taking elements of traditional, power, progressive and even death metal, Voyager fuses it all together and the result is an odd, hyper-melodic and unique album that’s as intelligent as it is catchy (and its VERY catchy). As a big fan of their 2009 release I Am the Revolution, I expected great things and even I was surprised by how good this ended up. With traces of Nevermore, Star One, Tyr, Pagan’s Mind, Scar Symmetry, Vanden Plas and Anubis Gate swirling about in a creative maelstrom, you should certainly expect the unexpected. Despite the plethora of influences, The Meaning of I ends up a cohesive and compelling release with one killer song after another and brains til Tuesday. In case that doesn’t have you interested yet, they may be the only metal band currently using a melodica both in the studio and live. Call them spacey-prog or astral-metal but whatever tag you throw on them, they rock muchly. Can you tell Steel Druhm is impressed? He is.

Any album worth it’s salt has to have a great lead off and Voyager gives us “Momentary Relapse of Pain” and its a fitting introduction to their oddball sound and approach. Featuring heavy, crunching riffs akin to Nevermore, the highly effective vocals of Daniel Estrin and enough spacey keyboard effects to knock Arjen Lucassen right out of his Official Star Trek Captain’s Chair™,  this is one catchy somnabitch (check out that righteous melodica at 2:43). Estrin’s chants of “I feel so empty” have a cold, somber feel and the whole thing really works well. Followup “Stare Into the Night” is even better, with a chorus that simply can’t be unheard or forgotten. Estrin has a strange syncopated way of singing and it results in extremely interesting, memorable moments like this winning chorus. I actually struggled to stop replaying it and get to the rest of the album. Thankfully, there’s tons more quality here like ”Seize the Day” with its huge chorus, surprise death vocals and wild keyboard/guitar work (especially from 2:55 on). Tracks like “Broken” (great pre/chorus and chorus) and “The Pensive Disarray” (great vocal patterns and excellently emotive guitar work) will enthrall and captivate if given the slightest chance to do so.

Every song here has a special mood and magic and perhaps none more so than “Iron Dreams” which is a touching tribute to the late Peter Steele (Carnivore, Type O Negative). Featuring a stylistic departure from their core   sound, this one blends in a lot of the classic Type O sound, including a dead ringer for Mr. Steele joining in on vocals (I’m not sure who performs those vox). It’s quite a bittersweet number for those who loved Mr. Steele’s music. Honorable mention goes to the great ”Fire of the Times” which juxtaposes heavy riffing with a jaunty, bouncing NWOBHM riff and super hooky vocals reminiscient of Tyr.

Across the length of The Meaning of I, there’s a very high level of technical skill and a lot of interesting guitar, key and yes, melodica work. Guitarists Scott Kay and Simone Dow impress on every track and there’s some wild interplay with the keys. Holding all the craziness together are Estrin’s rock-solid vocals. The man has such an interesting approach and delivery and his syncopated vocal patterns are intriguing and always memorable. Besides that, the guy can flat-out sing and has a great tone and range. Sometimes sounding like Geoff Tate, other times more like Jacob Hansen (ex-Anubis Gate). He’s the secret weapon that makes Voyager go.

The Meaning of I  is one of those rare albums that impresses at first listen and keeps getting better with each successive spin. There’s so many little nuances and details littered about, you can listen for days and still hear new things. A triumph of progressive, yet accessible writing and stellar musicianship, this album blows me away and earns the first perfect score of 2011. This is the ideal album to blast as you secretly build your space/time disruption device or interocitor and all lovers of melodic, proggy metal must give this a try (as well as their last album). This is the meaning of kick ass!

Related posts:

1. Retro-spective Review: Damn the Machine – Self Titled
2. Pagan’s Mind – Heavenly Ecstasy Review
3. Arch/Matheos – Sympathetic Resonance Review