Angry Metal Guy

Iron Fire // Voyage of the Damned
Rating: 3.5/5.0 — Space metal equipped with a death ray
Label: Napalm Records
Websites: ironfire.dk | myspace.com/officialironfire
Release Dates: EU: Out now! | US: 02.07.2012

Historically speaking, I think the main reason our esteemed AMG hired me, the ever humble Steel Druhm, as a reviewer/minion [I prefer the term "bitch," actually - AMG] was to make me the resident power and traditional metal nerd (my amazing prose and rugged good looks didn’t hurt none either). While I’m predisposed to drool over most old school stuff (cause I’m old), I’m actually quite the elitist snob when it comes to power metal. There’s some good in that genre, but there are way more generic, bad and monumentally awful things lurking in the ether. Case in point, I’ve had a love/hate/meh relationship with Iron Fire over the years. Their Thunderstorm debut was decent and moderately rabble rousing, but things have been inconsistent since then and their discography reads like the good, the bad and the WTF? After being unmoved by their past few releases, I hoped for more from their seventh release, Voyage of the Damned. Turns out, I heartily appreciate the new lyrical slant toward outer space themes, as it’s a nice diversion from the usual “dragon ate my wizard’s maiden” schtick. It’s also safe to say, this is much better than expected and it slowly won me over, despite initial doubts. Roping in elements of Gamma Ray, Stratovarius, Grave Digger and Metalium, this features some highly enjoyable  Euro-power with some surprisingly heavy moments. It also delivers far less generic freight than past Iron Fire shipments. While not exactly a “must hear” album, Voyage ends up being a solid release from a band with a spotty track record.  Continue reading

Arch Enemy // Khaos Legions
Rating: 3.0/5.0 — Less death but more heart
Label: Century Media Records
Websites: www.archenemy.net | myspace.com/archenemy
Release Dates:  EU: 2011.05.31 | US: 06.07.2011

Looks like the Amott brothers are back in town. That town being Gothenburg (as in the “Gothenburg style”) and their band is the long running Arch Enemy, purveyors of slick, polished, (and some would say soulless) melodic death. Khaos Legion is their eighth full length and the first since 2007′s Rise of the Tyrant (not counting their 2009 re-recording of material). I was a supporter during their early years but with the Wages of Sin album, things took a turn and never felt the same. Although I gave subsequent releases a spin or two, by and large I wasn’t interested in their overly clinical, sterile and generic brand of death metal for the unwashed masses. With this track record of vaguely condescending ambivalence, I approached Khaos Legions with low expectations and much to my surprise, this isn’t all that bad. It’s certainly going to raise some eyebrows though because its much more melodic, mellow and restrained. While there are a few “heavy” songs, this is almost like a power metal album at times (albeit with death vocals). While there’s nowhere near enough death here to satisfy most fans of that genre, the more family friendly approach results in some enjoyable, lightweight quasi-power metal that will amuse some (while royally pissing off many). Continue reading

Tarot // Spell of Iron
Rating: 3.5/5.0 — Up the I-ruhns!!
Label: Nuclear Blast [EU | US]
Websites: wingsofdarkness.net | myspace.com/tarot
Release Dates: EU: 2011.05.06 | US: N/A

Ah, nostalgia. My very first review upon joining Angry Metal Guy Industries was Tarot‘s 2010 release Gravity of Light. Now, just about a year later, Finland’s longest running metal act returns with a re-recording of their 1986 debut Spell of Iron to mark the album’s twenty-fifth anniversary. Much like fellow countrymen Amorphis, they apparently decided these ancient songs would benefit from a sonic face lift using modern recording technology and the modern day Tarot stylings. In the spirit of full Angry Metal Disclosure, as with many metallers, I wasn’t aware of Tarot back in 1986 and didn’t discover them until founder and front man Marco Heitala rose to worldwide prominence with Nightwish in the early 2000s. Therefore, Spell of Iron isn’t some sacred talisman album in my mind as it may well be for long time Tarot fans. That said, I’ve spun it on and off over the years and found it a very solid, highly engaging slab of traditional metal falling somewhere between Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and W.A.S.P., while always maintaining a unique sound (largely due to Marco’s excellent and distinctive vocals). Also worth noting, it’s one of their most consistent albums from start to finish and less plagued by the Filler Gremlin™ than their subsequent releases were. With the housekeeping done, let’s see what’s in the cards shall we? Continue reading

Bloodbound // Unholy Cross
Rating: 2.5/5.0 — Bloodless (and Breedless)
Label: AFM Records
Websites: www.bloodbound.se | myspace.com/bloodboundonline
Release Dates: EU: 2011.03.18 | US: 03.29.2011

When I first heard that super talented metal vocalist Urban Breed had left the excellent Tad Morose I was very unhappy. When he popped up in the strangely corpse painted but great classic metal band Bloodbound for their 2006 debut, I was happy again. Then he left, then he came back, and now he’s left yet again. C’mon man, what the hell are you doing? As the ever fickle Mr. Breed contemplates his career options, the boys in Bloodbound soldiered on without him and are set to release their fourth platter Unholy Cross.  With vocals now being handled by Patrik Johnansson (Dawn of Silence), Unholy Cross finds Bloodbound bouncing back and forth between their usual classic metal sound and modern Euro-power metal similar to Edguy, Mystic Prophecy and Stratovarius. Gone is the slick blend of classic and modern metal they explored on 2009′s excellent Tabula Rasa and sadly, a lot of the overall excitement seems leeched from their sound this time as well. While still worthwhile, this is inferior to their earlier material, especially Tabula Rasa. Continue reading

Omnium Gatherum // New World Shadows
Rating: 4.5/5.0 — A whole new world…
Label: Lifeforce Records
Websites: omniumgatherum.org | myspace.com/omniumgatherum
Release Dates: EU: 07.02.2011 | US: 03.01.2011

There was a time when melodic death metal was every breath I took. While it’s been a long time since that was the case, I certainly can say that I spent the late 90s and early 00s listening to my fair share of melodic Swedish death metal and loving it. But since then melodic death metal has kinda fallen off a cliff. This is partially due to the dawning of metalcore and the co-opting of Swedish thrash and death metal by hardcore kids, but I think it’s mainly because just like every scene after a while you start growing tired of the sound. Every new album that gets released gets a “Yeah, well, I’ve heard this before.” While there have been some notable melodic death metal records in the last couple of years—Barren Earth and Be’lakor come to mind—only the former has really stuck out as truly remarkable. That is until I checked out New World Shadows from Omnium Gatherum. Continue reading

Stratovarius // Elysium
Rating: 3.0/5.0 — Needs more brute, less fruit
Label: EarMusic/Edel Records
Websites: stratovarius.com | myspace.com/officialstratovarius
Release Dates: EU: 14.01.2011 | US: 01.18.2011

Stratovarius is a name synonymous with European power metal and right up there with Gamma Ray and Helloween. Over the course of their long recording history they’ve created stellar examples of the style and several of their albums reside on my all time power metal playlist (Destiny, Visions, Episodes, Fourth Dimension, Infinite). Along with these past successes, Stratovarius had their share of ups and downs, including their infamous and acrimonious split with founding member/guitarist/chief songwriter Timo Tolkki (Revolution Renaissance). Both before and after this split, Stratovarius released some uneven albums and went through a phase where they indulged in bloated, overly orchestrated symphonic styles and for many long time fans, this was regrettable (Elements Parts I  and II). While 2009′s Polaris seemed to right the ship, Elysium shows considerable backsliding toward these past missteps. While still a decent album with some great moments, it fails to rise anywhere near the level of past triumphs and ultimately bogs down amid ponderous pacing and overwrought orchestration. Continue reading

Revolution Renaissance // Trinity
Rating: 3.0/5.0 — The Revolution ends with a bang
Label: Napalm Records
Websites: myspace.com/tolkkimusic
Release Dates: EU: 26.09.2010 | US: 10.05.2010

Wow, Timo Tolkki just can’t catch a break!  First, the founder, mastermind and guitarist of long running power metal institution Stratovarius had to leave the fold due to personal problems and private demons.  Now problems have forced him to call it a day with follow-up band Revolution Renaissance, shortly after releasing Trinity, their third album. I was only lukewarm about their debut and actively disliked the slow and soupy mess that was Age of Aquarius. However, after spending time with the band’s swan song, I have to admit, it’s a shame to see them pack it in.  This is a solid slice of melodic European power metal and a clear improvement over the prior Revolution Renaissance outings.  While nothing on Trinity is genre defying or “revolutionary” in a musical sense (it actually sounds A LOT like his former band), it’s well done, enjoyable and contains some moments of exceptional power metal songwriting sure to please fans of the style. Continue reading

Avantasia // The Wicked Symphony
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Label: Nuclear Blast (EU | US)
Websites: tobiassammet.com | myspace.com/tobiassammet
Release Dates: EU: 03.04.2010 | US/CA: 05.04.2010

So here we have The Wicked Symphony, one of two new albums released this week by Avantasia, the brainchild of one Tobias Sammet  (Angel of Babylon being the companion album).  Many of you likely know Mr. Sammet as the singer of German power metallers Edguy.   Avantasia is his long running mega-sized side project where he collaborates with varied musicians across the metal/hard rock spectrum and experiments with moods and sounds that might not necessarily fit within the paradigm of the more straightforward Edguy.  Wicked Symphony and Angel of Babylon complete the trilogy started by 2008’s Scarecrow album.  For an easy point of reference, think of Avantasia as a more metalized and less (but still quite) self-indulgent version of Ayreon.

Upfront, I will admit that my humble take on musical projects with numerous guest musicians is that they tend to be  dicey propositions and keeping a sense of consistency, flow and unity from track to track can be tough to pull off.  Therefore, with all relevant biases identified for your benefit, my cynical self approached this with suitable caution, suspicion and skepticism.

After a very Conan the Barbarian-esque opening, the festivities kick off in fine form with the title track, a rousing, stomping number with Tobias engaging in very effective dueling vocals with Jorn Lande (Jorn, ex-Mastermind) and Russell Allen (Symphony X).   Even at nine plus minutes, the song never gets boring because of the sheer quality of songwriting and musicianship on display.  This is 100% epic, bombastic power metal with memorable hook after hook.  If I were forced at gunpoint to compare it to a more established band, I would have to say Episode era Stratovarius.

From there we get Tobias accompanied by the legendary Klaus Meine of Scorpions fame on “Dying for an Angel” (the first single and video) with Meine’s vocal lines really sounding classy and oh so familiar and adding a real legitimacy to the proceedings.   Thereafter we get “Scales of Justice” with the mighty Tim “the Ripper” Owens sounding extra mighty and in full air raid siren mode.  This track sounds like it could have been lifted right off of Judas Priest’s Jugulator (if that album didn’t suck) and is pretty damn heavy!  Both songs benefit from the trade off vocal approach and catchy songwriting with big choruses that really get stuck in your head after one or two listens.

What makes this album (and Angel of Babylon) work is the fact that Tobias is a gifted songwriter with a knack for wringing the maximum power and drama from his guest’s performances as well as making things memorable and catchy as hell.  It is important to note that the musical focus of all the tracks is centered around the vocals rather than the guitar.  This works because Mr. Sammet clearly did his homework and selected some major metal talent to join the campaign and his hired guns do not disappoint.  At times it sounds like each is trying to outdo the others for the title of Lord of Metal Pipes (with Jorn usually winning by sounding like he just gargled moonshine before recording his vox).  A perfect example of this vocal combat is Runaway Train where Tobias, Jorn Lande, Bob Catley and Michael Kiske (of old school Helloween fame) all hurl vocal lines at each other over the course of a slowly building eight minute plus epic power ballad.

Despite featuring different singers and musicians from track to track, the entire album manages to feel like one cohesive whole and that whole kicks a whole lot of ass!!!  If there is a downside, it’s that a few songs lack the power and punch of the previously mentioned standout cuts, though none are complete throwaways.  If you forgive the minor filler, this is a standout vocal driven power metal album that really lets the vocals do all the talking! Highly recommended to power metal aficionados.

Kiuas // Lustdriven
Rating: 3.5/5.0 – Toughen up, boys!
Label: Spinefarm
Websites: kiuas.net | myspace.com/kiuasweb
Release Dates: | EU: 31.03.2010 | US: ?

As a young lad, my dear mother strove to teach me two important things: first, don’t be an angry metal boy/guy, and secondly, never judge others. Well, as an angry metal guy reviewing albums I’d say I’m a major disappointment, but I really can’t say that I’m as big of a disappointment as the meaning of the Finnish band Kiuas‘ name. Kiuas is a Finnish word that roughly translates into sauna stove or stove of sauna. So, in essence, this band is called… SAUNA STOVE? These guys lose Angry Metal Points™.

Despite the goofy name, Kiuas has been thrashing about since 2000 and its members hail from the Finnish extreme metal scene. Their previous platters have featured an intriguing, oddball amalgam of power metal infused with doses of folk, viking, black and death metal. Indeed, it is difficult to categorize Kiuas, which is to their credit as artists. Branding them as power metal simply doesn’t do them justice since they have so little in common with the Gamma Ray, Stratovarius, Sonata Arctica, Weenie Happy Metal bands that have come to define that genre. Kiuas is not a happy sounding band and have opted to put the power back in power metal with crunchy, thrashing guitars and dramatic, aggressive vocals that run the gamut from clean to rough all the way to death metal roars.

Lustdriven is the band’s fifth crusade and marks a turning point in the band’s direction and approach. Gone are the death metal vocals and in their place is an increased emphasis on mood and melody at the expense of aggression. This is a less furious and speed oriented affair and sometimes that works very well while at other times it doesn’t. Things get off to a blistering and self-referential start with “KiuasAssault” (translation: sauna stove assault and all the awful images that may bring to mind). This is classic Kiuas complete with ripping guitars, pounding drums and aggressive singing and screaming from Ilja Jalkanen, who is an extremely gifted metal vocalist who does a lot of interesting things with his range and vocal dexterity. This is a great opener!

However, what follows the classic, ripping opener are several far weaker songs. “Cry Little Angel”, halts the forward momentum because of its painfully sappy  lyrics and mediocre chorus. While the gothic stylings of “Of Love, Lust and Human Nature” partially sets the record back on course, it, too, is followed up by other weaker tracks. It isn’t until track 8 that we get the blockbuster of the album in “The Quickening.” This is a brilliant metal song that shows what Kiuas is truly capable of. Powerful, epic, heroic metal that makes you want to lift the family war hammer and charge directly into hell. This one truly grabbed me on the first listen and when Ilja sings “I was scorched once by the fire, on one of those long trips to hell” I was ready to rock and rumble. And while the album closes out quite strong with “Summer’s End” and “Winter’s Sting,” which are both solid tracks that showcase Kiuas’s folk metal elements, none of the other tracks quite measured up to the mighty standard of “The Quickening”.

Overall, this is a solid album by a very talented band with what is likely a bright future ahead of them. Sadly, I cannot say Lustdriven is as strong as 2008’s The New Dark Age and there are several songs I wish were left on the recording studio floor. However, as the album marinates inside your head, it does get better and better and fans of top notch musicianship and powerful music are encouraged to seek this out for a listen. Check out “The Quickening” if nothing else because this song is an early candidate for metal song of 2010 and should not be missed. Bring back the death vocals next time boys and rethink that damn name!”

You may, actually, have missed that Jani Liimatainen (ex-Sonata Arctica) actually has a new band! For those of us who are long time fans of Sonata Arctica, this was great news! However, the bad news was quickly assessed when I realized that Tim Kotipelto had, in fact, done the vocals on this record. So, good news and bad news. Well, I gotta say that Cain’s Offering didn’t end up being a bust, but I gotta be honest with you—I still fucking hate Timo Kotipelto’s vocals more than almost anything in the world. He just can’t quit sounding thin, irritating, annoying, whiny and.. generally crappy ALL THE TIME. His lyrics aren’t very hot either, honestly, nor is his understanding of English (though honestly it’s hard to blame him for fucking up prepositions and prepositional phrases given that Finnish has no prepositions at all and English is his second language…).

In any case, the record includes some pretty badass power metal in the vein of Stratovarius, old Sonata Arctica, and well, you know: Eurometal. There are some serious highlights on here, particularly the track with “Dawn of Solace,” which despite bad lyrics is ridiculously catchy and awesome. But there are some pretty bad tracks too: “More Than Friends” is a serious joke, it’s hardly a good song and Timo’s vocals really just give it a deathly pall. “Into the Blue” shows that power ballads are still alive—but seriously on life support and should probably have it pulled.

You a fan of old school Sonata Arctica and miss it? Well, Cain’s Offering has bested both Strat and Sonata Arctica this year as far as solid power metal releases go—but honestly it’s no Reckoning Night.