Angry Metal Guy

Loch Vostok (ViciSolum Productions) is a Swedish progressive metal band from Uppsala, Sweden. This was enough for me to take a look at it [Tjena grannar!] because, well, there aren’t a ton of metal bands from Uppsala, really. Not that they don’t exist or anything, but they’re just few and far between and most of them aren’t playing progressive metal. Apparently these guys, who I’ve never heard before mind you, formed in 2001 and Dystopium is their fourth record. And yeah, for fans of progressive metal, Swedish death metal and more modern sounding metal might really dig this disc.  Continue reading

Voyager // The Meaning of I
Rating: 5.0/5.0 — In space, no one can hear my fanboyism.
Label: Sensory Records
Websites: voyager-australia.com | myspace.com/voyageraustralia
Release Dates: October 11th, 2011 [Worldwide!]

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.

Continue reading

Scar Symmetry // The Unseen Empire
Rating: 3.0/5.0 — Good, but uh, what the hell happened?
Label: Nuclear Blast [EU | US]
Websites: scarsymmetry.com | myspace.com/scarsymmetry
Release Dates: EU: 2011.04.15 | US: 05.17.2011

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. Continue reading

Amaranthe // Amaranthe
Rating: 0.5/5.0 — Slick, Catchy, Soulless.
Label: Spinefarm
Websites: myspace.com/amaranthemetal
Release Dates: EU: 2011.04.13 | US: 04.19.2011

Amaranthe has three vocalists. Just let that sink in for a while. From what I can tell, not one of those vocalists plays an instrument. Instead, they found three “attractive” people to do vocals for them. The first is a woman, who sounds like a pop singer (think E Type) and who I guarantee you cannot name a Slayer record. The second is a screamy dude. He’s got a beard (’cause he’s tough and angsty, you see) and he screams, but not too much (he must be very, very, very bored on stage). And then there’s the ‘power metal’ vocalist (Berg from Dream Evil) who’s just as over-produced as the chick vocalist and is there to get 14 year old girls all silly over his perfectly groomed dreadlocks. Behind them are several soulless session musicians (from Mercenary, Dragonland and Engel). Though, frankly, this is a band that is functionally made of session musicians, since integrity seems to be lacking. Continue reading

Soilwork // The Panic Broadcast
Rating: 3.0/5.0 — Commercial as hell…
Label: Nuclear Blast (EU | US)
Website: soilwork.org | myspace.com/soilwork
Release Dates: EU: 02.07.2010 | US: 07.13.2010

Wow. So, it’s been like 10 years since I’ve listened to Soilwork and it turns out that they don’t sound at all even remotely the same. Sometimes a band falls off your radar and you don’t even think about them at all and honestly, Soilwork is one such band. Now, it’s probably not a surprise to anyone else but I was in utter shock when I turned on The Panic Broadcast to discover that the Gothenburg sound had totally been replaced by eurocore! See, now you’re laughing at my ignorance, but I’m a bit surprised. See, in Angry Metal World™ the last record that Soilwork released was actually The Chainheart Machine in 2000. And back then, these guys were playing a not-entirely-novel, but very, very good version of the Gothenburg sound. Turns out in the much lamer real world Soilwork has had a bunch of records and gotten a new vocal style, a new sound and hyper-produced. Continue reading

Kaipa // In the Wake of Evolution
Rating: 4.5/5.0 — An outstanding album..
Label: InsideOut
Websites: kaipa.info | myspace.com/kaipa
Release Dates: EU: 12/15.03.2010 | US: 03.16.2010

The name Kaipa might or might not strike a bell for you, depending on where you’re from and how old you are. The band technically been around for a very long time, as they were a part of the Swedish prog scene which in some ways really differentiated itself from what non-Swedes think of when they think of prog. While prog from England, the US or Canada was often times very much about technical expertise, drug induced trips of fancy or philosophically complex ideas and theses, Swedish prog was a very lefty, ideologically communist movement. It’s not something that this Angry Metal Guy has been particularly well-informed about, so instead we called Angry Swedish Prog Correspondent to inform us about this whole fascinating phenomenon. There’s a lot one can say about it, but let us formulate it like this: Swedish prog was dirty, lefty hippies giving even the most talentless member of their friends group the right to play, despite them not having any talent at all. Kaipa wasn’t like this, on the other hand. Instead, they were much more akin to Yes, Genesis, Rush and other progressive rock bands. As a consequence, they were never quite accepted as part of the Swedish scene, but became more internationally accepted. However, unlike the communal-living types like National Teatern, Kaipa reformed in the early 2000s and has been producing records since with just one original member, Hans Lundin.

Because of the fact that Lundin is the only original member, it means that he’s been able to fill in the band with new members making Kaipa a fantastic, talented group of musicians who are really producing music and playing on the plane that one really expects of excellent prog. This demonstrates itself in the varying styles and places Kaipa takes the listener on this long and winding journey. From the eternally happy sunshine land, for example, of the opening and title track on the record, “In the Wake of Evolution”, to the neo-folk “Folkia’s First Decision”. There are moments that are reminiscent of reggae, 50s Rock n’ Roll and, of course, jazz fusion. Of course, the fact that Per Nilsson (Scar Symmetry) is playing guitar on this record is evident through some very metal guitar solos, as well.

In the Wake of Evolution isn’t just musically varied—Lundin and company take us through an emotional roller coaster sonically and the effect is great. Every track on the album stands out as a dynamic, self-contained cosmos of fascinating ideas and emotional expression. Despite the fact that the songs range between two and half and 17 minutes long, there is definitely a sense of balance and unity between the separate tracks. However, there are a lot of pieces written in major keys and some very, very happy music on this record. This, of course, makes this Angry Metal Guy a little uncomfortable because it’s just so… HAPPY.  But particularly when you hit the later sections of the record that are a bit more orchestrated, the emotional downs stand out as well. I don’t think you can be an aging progger without having a little bit of pent up sadness and anger.

There are very few things to complain about on this album, actually. Sometimes the composition can feel a little forced, but the biggest problem for me personally are the vocals of Aleena Gibson, who has an incredibly sharp voice. Not like she’s not in tune, but instead she just has a very harsh sounding tone. While she has a unique sound and she blends well with Lundin and Lundström in the harmonies, on her own she can be a bit grating after a while. Instead let us end this here by saying that there are very few progressive bands who are composing music that really carries the same feeling of experimentality and curiosity about blending music into a cohesive whole that is at once intellectually stimulating, catchy and engaging. Kaipa embodies this feeling of progressiveness on their new album and I suggest that open-minded fans of progressive music check this out, because it is a fascinating ride.

Well, everyone else under the sun has been releasing their Top 10 lists, and for those of you faithful readers out there I’m sure you’re also interested in what I’m going to say about the best records of 2009. First, let me say that for the first half of this year I was not indeed Angry Metal Guy—but instead, I was just a normal guy buying my metal and hoping that it was going to be fucking awesome. Now I’m a bitter critic. As a bitter critic I hear a lot more, but this year has still been characterized by some of the biggest bands on the scene for me. Mainly, Amorphis, who in my opinion have released the finest album of the year, if not the finest album of their very distinguished career. But, let me get to that later. There have been some great records this year, but there has been a lot of mediocre shit. Think of this list as being two-tiered—top 10 and then top 20. The top 10 are the records that I think were really awesome, elite albums, the second 10 are records that I think are great and worth your time and effort. Note that I haven’t heard certain albums that I’d like to hear due to that whole poverty not being offset by stealing music thing. With this, I hope to launch AngryMetalGuy.com into the new year on a new note: one where bands suck less.

#1: Amorphis // Skyforger — Amorphis is cooler than your favorite band. Honestly, they just fucking are. They have somehow managed to keep themselves excellent and relevant after all these years by producing some of the finest mainstream metal that the world has ever scene. Not only that, but their new vocalist has brought a life and energy to this band that after Tuonela I, frankly, had never expected to see again. Honestly, more power to these guys. They are a truly fantastic band on a roll. I look forward to new material from them in the future.
#2: Obscura // Cosmogenesis — Yeah, sure, everyone can say that it sounds like a bit of a blend of a Cynic/Necrophagist rip-off, but I honestly don’t give a shit. These guys are fucking phenomenal musicians who make really convincing and awesome metal and I have listened to this record way more than I was anticipating when I first got it. I am especially moved by the bass on this album which is just seriously awesome—a trait that many metal bands just, frankly, suck at. This album is balls-to-the-wall and awesome.
#3: Fleshgod Apocalypse // Oracles — Seriously some of the best tech death metal I’ve ever heard. What I love about this album is how good it is at being deliciously melodic and really subtle about it. Honestly, these guys are so much better than your average tech death metal band. I have trouble seeing why they haven’t gone over better, but I know that there’s another one of those ripoff memes out there about these guys. Anyway, this album totally ripped my goddamn face off and I totally loved it. They need a real drummer, though.
#4: Guilt Machine // On This Perfect Day — I’m going to be listening to this album for years. Partially it’s just that the vocals of this record keep drawing me back, but it really is one of the few albums that really drew me back over and over again this year. Super awesome melodies, amazing vocals and just perfectly composed. I might not be a huge fan of Ayreon, but I’m never going to insult the Dutch mastermind behind all these projects because Guilt Machine is an epic masterpiece of progressive rock/metal.
#5: Megadeth // Endgame — Oh man. This record is not a record I ever expected to end up on my top 10 list. It was so much fucking better than I expected and I hate myself for saying that because Dave Mustaine is the planet’s biggest douchebag. But man, this record is great. Easily among the best records for the year. Though, it’s getting close.
#6: Riverside // Anno Domini High Definition — Polish prog that really does something me. It’s a good blending of progressive metal and modern rock and has some amazing stuff in it. I love the sort of Opeth-y parts, of course, but everything about this record screams “listen to me again and again and again!”… and I did.
#7: The 11th Hour // Burden of Grief — Great fucking Dutch/Swedish doom. Honestly this is one of those records that I wish would’ve gotten more play as I think it’s actually on the up side of bands that have gotten a ton of play this year (mainly Ahab) from the underground metal guys, but I honestly think that this is the best doom to be released this year. The vocals are fantastic, the writing is amazing and all-in-all I’m pleased with this album.
#8: Indukti // Idmen — More excellent Polish prog that totally kicked my ass. This band is really fucking interesting and the songs on this album are well-crafted, fun to listen to and just all-in-all worth a spin or two. I think it will definitely be one of the albums that stands out for me from 2009 because it was something I’d never heard before and I was really, really impressed with it. Well, shit, I still am impressed!
#9: Ghost Brigade // Isolation Songs — Another album that I had to get on my own, but wow was it worth it. This record is basically like Katatonia meets.. well, sludge. They do all of those things that Sólstafir, Hanging Garden, etc., are trying to do, but they do them with tact, grace and a smart pop sense that those bands totally fucking lack.
#10: Scar Symmetry // Dark Matter Dimensions — I’m almost embarrassed to write this. This album totally jumped out and kicked my ass. Honestly, the new vocalists make them great and the new material is fantastic. The songs are very, very good and the catchiness kept drawing me back. I feel like a sucker because this stuff is so fucking commercial I can hardly help myself. If death metal could be gummy pop, it would be Scar Symmetry. But man… Oh man.

Honorable Mentions:

Fejd // Storm
Claws // Absorbed in the Nether Void
Black Sun Aeon // Darkness Walks Beside Me
Be’lakor // Stone’s Reach
Cobalt // Gin
Ulcerate // Everything is Fire
Marduk // Wormwood
Havok // Burn
Gorod // Process of a New Decline
The Chasm // Farseeing the Paranormal Abysm

Scar Symmetry – Dark Matter Dimensions
Rating: 4.5/5.0 – Excellent, but formulaic
Label: Nuclear Blast (EU | USA)
Website(s): scarsymmetry.com | myspace.com/scarsymmetry
Release Date(s): EU: 02.10.2009 | USA: 10.20.2009

I remember the first time I heard Scar Symmetry very clearly.  I was checking out some stuff on MySpace when I saw that they were going to be playing the House of Metal festival and I was blown away. Not blown away with how good they are, though talented one cannot deny they are, but how sickly sweet their melodic stuff is.  I sat their and listened to it with my mouth agape thinking “really?  Does this pass for death metal these days?  How are these guys not a Top 40 band?” The answer to that is actually quite obvious: instead of dropping the death metal vocals, these guys have blended death metal vocals in with what I think is probably the most pop sensible writing I’ve ever heard in a metal band.

I was unimpressed at the time, but upon receiving Dark Matter Dimensions my opinion has changed quite a bit. This could be for a couple of reasons, though. Shortly after Holographic Universe was released, the band kicked out its old vocalist (Christian Älvestam) due to personal conflicts and touring conflicts. In essence, however, they had wasted an entire touring cycle and, reading between the lines, it didn’t sound like the prettiest of internal conflicts. The decision to go with two vocalists seems to have been the right one, as the vocal approach on Dark Matter Dimensions is fantastic.  The growls are low and brutal and the clean vocals go between good, high clean vocals and sounding like Ville Laihiala (Sentenced, Poisonblack).

Musically Dark Matter Dimensions is fairly formulaic, while not being too formulaic to enjoy (see: Threat Signal and Killswitch Engage).  The tracks are heavy, fast and fairly technical sometimes, but launch into huge, catchy choruses with clean, beautiful vocals over them.  It’s not often that metal bands write poppy choruses like Scar Symmetry though.  These guys have a special talent for melody.  On the second time through this record I had already started singing along with the choruses as though I’d heard them a hundred times before, and its that catchiness and familiarity that make the band so accessible.

On the other hand, technical music geeks will still get a kick out of some of the tracks on this record.  ”Mechanical Soul Cybernetics,” for example, is a technical circus, showing off the highly skilled guitar work and writing talent and even bordering on tech death.  This band is a beast musically, and that comes through more on this record than it did on Holographic Universe.  The band’s growing edge was a question of whether or not they could produce metal that felt edgy and heavy, despite being poppy and having sweet hooks.  Dark Matter Dimensions definitely shows that Scar Symmetry was up to that challenge.

This Angry Metal Guy has been getting into technical, amelodic stuff a lot lately because of the fact that melodic death metal seems to be really hashed through and done.  Scar Symmetry shows that this isn’t the case.  Melodic death metal can be done well and originally: it just takes a novel approach and extreme skill to piece it together. Scar Symmetry has both and they have outdone themselves with Dark Matter Dimensions.