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

2011, really, was a gigantic disappointment. The records I was really looking forward to this year definitely let me down. The new Opeth was nothing to write home about, the new Amon Amarth was the same ol’ same ol’, the new Symphony X left me underwhelmed, while the records that the scene kids got boners over were stuff that isn’t really my thing. There were some really good albums this year, but they came from very unexpected places. In other words, I could never have predicted that this list would have looked like this at the beginning of the year.

So here’s to the disappointing year that was and hopefully to a much more interesting (musically) 2012. May we all see out the end of the year!

(ish): Comorant // Dwellings (Self-Released) — This record hasn’t been out long enough for me to declare it as one of my top 10 records, but I have to say that it has all the makings of a record that I will be listening to for a long, long time. It’s a good blend of melodic deathy vibes and modern strains of black metal. I love the production, the feel and the depth of this music. Only time will tell, but I’m giving this record my (ish) because it at least deserves a nod for being in strong contention.

#10: Yggdrasil // Irrbloss (Grandmaster Music) — I have to tip my hat to a member of the Vintersorg forum for tipping me off to this album, actually. She said it was one of her most anticipated records of the year and, well, I’d never really listened to the band at all. So I checked it out when it came out and was very surprised. In a year when good ol’ fashioned Swedish folk melodies have swayed my opinion a lot, Irrbloss nailed it. The musicianship and writing on this album are both outstanding and I am pleased to say that it earned its place here. The logo is also super sexy.

#9: Leprous // Bilateral (InsideOut) — So this album was definitely one of the coolest discoveries for me of the year. Wandering that fine line between extreme metal and Faith No More, Norwegian Leprous (who also double as Ihsahn‘s backing band), produced one of the most unique progressive records of the year. Eschewing of traditional progressive metal tendencies, Leprous constructs instead an alternate view of the direction of prog with this outstanding release. This is a stupendous release that has grown with time.

#8: Absu // Abzu (Candlelight) — I’m not sure how Absu continue to produce such excellent material regularly, but Abzu is definitely a serious winner in my book. While the scene consensus seems to have decided that this is the lesser son of greater fathers, I just don’t see where they’re coming from at all. Call it Reign in Blood disease, but this record’s balls to the walls attitude and short length made for one of the most enjoyable listens of the year for me. Looking forward to Apsu (so if 2011 is any kind of precedent, I’ll hate it).

#7: Falconer // Armod (Metal Blade) — I don’t take back my review of this record, but by the end of the year its fallen a bit down the rankings. Still, despite me not being nearly as rabid about it being the best album ever written, it is still a really awesome and enjoyable one. This is a record full of fantastic folky festivities, excellent writing and arrangements of traditional Swedish songs and vocal performances that make Angry Metal Girlfriend cringe just so. A great album and one definitely worth your consideration as the year comes to a close.

#6: The Black Dahlia Murder // Ritual (Metal Blade) — OK, this is the year’s “come back” album if ever there was one. I liked these guys’ first two records a lot, but I felt there was a bit of a dip in quality. With the addition of former Arsis guitar player Ryan Knight, everything about this band got taken up a notch. The guitar work on this record is ridiculous, and easily some of the best guitar performances that I heard this year. The writing and the riffing got kicked up a notch, too, with amazing tracks like “On Stirring Seas of Salted Blood” and “Blood in the Ink”. Apparently all that D&D™ has led to greatness.

#5: Vintersorg // Jordpuls (Napalm Records) — Well, this is another album that could class for “come back of the year, ” as well. As a non-fan of Solens rötter I wasn’t sure what to expect. But it was clear to me from the opening notes of this album that this was a return to form. It might not outclass the classics of Till fjälls and Ödemarkens son but it is every bit as enjoyable as those records were, and it is one of my favorite albums of the year. Fans of progressive and melodic metal should check this out.

#4: The Human Abstract // Digital Veil (Steamhammer) — This record was a huge surprise for me. I wasn’t expecting it to be that good. Hell, I didn’t even get a promo of it, I actually ended up hearing it streaming on AOL music. I actually purchased it immediately and went against my own policy of not reviewing records that I didn’t receive a promo of. I love this album, while I hate the scene it comes from and the production is way too manufactured, I cannot argue with the neo-classical approach and the great vocal performances. This is a fantastic album, and one of the best of 2011.

#3: Shining // Född förlorare (Spinefarm) — At first I wasn’t really convinced. But Född förlorare has shown a growing potential that I didn’t expect. The tracks keep drawing me back and the flow of the album is really perfect. It’s the kind of record you want to listen to all the way from start to finish, and the only bad moment on it is the little Swedish girl singing “You Are My Sunshine” at the beginning. After that, it settles into Kvarforth’s schtick: annoying the crap out of Angry Metal Girlfriend. The guest appearances are great and the Landberk cover is excellent. Also, this is definitely the best Opeth record of the year.

#2: Omnium Gatherum // New World Shadows (Lifeforce Records) — The new Omnium Gatherum record did for me what Insomnium was always supposed to do: it livened up a pretty stale melodic death scene by putting out a killer record that I couldn’t stop listening to. And man did I get blindsided. From the opening moments of this album I was stuck, and while “Ego” is probably my favorite song on the record (and one of my favorites of the year), every song is genius. This is melodic death metal done right. And such a damn powerful record. Well played.

#1: Moonsorrow // Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maasa (Spinefarm) — Well, I called it the year’s first perfect record. And really, I think it was the year’s only perfect record. Sure, I gave out either high scores (some I regret), but this album doesn’t lose any of its luster a year later and that’s saying something. Moonsorrow really is at the top of their game and Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maasa is an epic journey through darkness and cold that makes it seem like the band boiled down the essence of a Finnish winter and got it into a multi-tracking machine. This is easily the year’s best album. Incredible.

Honorable Mentions:
Anaal Nathrakh // Passion — This record made it really close to being number 10. This was basically bottled insanity, with just enough melody to keep me entranced.
Black Sun Aeon // Blacklight Deliverence — Tuomas Saukkonen hits home again after a pretty banal Routa. Good stuff, and worth a listen if you haven’t heard it.
Kebnekajse // Idioten — Not a perfect album, but a really enjoyable prog rock record from these Swedish veterans. Fans of Swedish folk would be well advised to check it out.
Vomitory // Opus Mortis VIII — Didn’t make the final list, but this is a good fucking album. It was definitely in the running all the way along.
Ulcerate // Destroyers of All  — This is a really unique and solid death metal album. It’s techy, misanthropic and leaves the listener feeling very uneasy. Not for the weak, but definitely one of the year’s best.

Biggest disappointment:
Primordial // Redemption at the Puritan’s Hand – Maybe someday I’ll understand what everyone sees in this record, but as of today I still get lost right in the middle and can’t keep listening. I was so looking forward to this album after the band’s previous output, but just can’t. A really serious bummer. I wanted to like it, but just couldn’t.

Related posts:

1. Angry Metal Guy’s Top 10 Songs from 2011
2. Angry Metal Guy’s Top 15(ish) of the 2000s
3. Angry Metal Guy’s Top 10(ish) of 2010

#10: “Storytime” — Nightwish — While the record wasn’t exactly the greatest thing I’d ever heard, “Storytime” totally got me really fucking stoked to hear the album. This song is just everything Nightwish is and should be sort of boiled down to a fine paste. And man, they did such a good job of it. This track is like the unholy union of ABBA and Nightwish, thereby creating an Angry Metal Kryptonite that I fall victim for every time I hear it. It’s like I don’t want to listen, but then suddenly I’m knocked onto the floor singing “I am the voice of Neverneverland!” Due to these sort of obsessive compulsions, I cannot deny that this track belongs on this list. But know that it’s grudging.

#9: “The Violation” — Fleshgod Apocalypse — Alright, so I wasn’t blown away by this album as everyone is aware. But man did I love this song. I don’t have a ton to say about it beyond “wow, listen to those orchestrations!” So, wow! Listen to those orchestrations! While the drums kind of piss on the production a lot, the chorus was definitely cool and the song writing was smart, concise and enjoyable. This is just a kick ass song that definitely ranks among the best and most memorable of the year. By the way, it would have been just as (or more) awesome if all that melody had been played on the guitars instead of keyboards. Just a thought.

#8: “FFF” — Shining — I cannot explain why this song really stuck with me more than the others on this album (or this year), but it just did. I think partially it’s because I turned the chorus into a bit of a joke with Angry Metal Girlfriend when she wanted me to do things I didn’t want to do (“Jag säger nej [NEJ!] till diskandet!”) but this track with its creepy 70s sounding keyboards and its creeping pace just settled in under my skin and stuck. The riffs are memorable and slick, and while the solo is maybe even a tad much, the acoustic parts and melodies are just fantastic. There’s a bit of an Opeth vibe going on here and I straight up dig it.

#7: “Frost upon Their Graves” — Crimfall — By now it should be well known that I think that Helena Haaparanta is the most talented vocalist in metal. It’s tracks like this that make me feel that way. While Crimfall‘s newest album was not as good as its previous one, this song definitely kept me coming back and back.. and back…. and back again. This was everything that I was looking for from this band—melodic, epic and well-constructed, and making you want to do a folk dance. I love, too, that it builds up to a crescendo right at the end. So powerful. Just let it sink in for you as you listen. Folk metal lives! And Crimfall is its name!

#6: “On Stirring Seas of Salted Blood” — The Black Dahlia Murder — Holy shit. The riff on this track is just crushing. I think that this was the song that kind of showed that Ritual really was a different beast than earlier albums and this is the song that I come back to when I want to show people how fucking awesome this record is. The chorus is also awesome with the bass work and Trevor growling the words “On stirring seas of salted blood…” Oh right, and the fucking solo. Seriously, this is just a stellar track. Good on these guys for switching it up and writing some amazing stuff this year.

#5: “Antebellum” — The Human Abstract — I wholly expect Digital Veil to be a one shot, now that the vocalist is already no longer in the band and the guys seem to have gotten their neo-classical bug out of their system. But it’s too bad, because this record produced some of the best material of the year. While the production is really not my style, Travis Richter nails home the vocals in a way that sort of walks the fine line between pop punk vocals and Muse and the melodic structures and melodies are awesome. Combine that with amazing guitar work and some progressive composition and this little epic piece is one of the best songs of the year.

#4: “Fight ‘em ’til You Can’t” — Anthrax — OK, rarely do I fall for the single track from an album, but man this one just rocked my socks off. I’m not even a huge fan of Anthrax or a big fan of Worship Music, but this song with its trend-hopping zombie apocalypse theme and still adorably mulleted vocalist just worked its way into my brain like some sort of… zombie song, and stuck there. Eating. My brains. … OK, that analogy sucked, but this song didn’t. Seriously, it was just everything I wanted to hear from these guys and it really worked. So congrats to the boys from Anthrax.

#3: “Klippor och skär” — Vintersorg — So, for the first time in a long, long time Vintersorg reclaimed his ability to write some of the best melodic black metal or.. whatever the fuck this is. Anyway, back in the day we all fell for Vintersorg choruses like “Astral and Arcane” and “Till fjälls” and “Klippor och skär” continues this tradition in fantastic form. While the track may be a tad busy at times (as I complained in the original review), it still inspired me to go and frolic in the forest and has been on constant rotation all year.

#2: “Ego” – Omnium Gatherum — Omnium Gatherum‘s New World Shadows came as a big surprise to both myself and to my colleague Steel Druhm. Neither of us expected the tour de force that was this Finnish melodic death record. But while he was impressed with the title track, the song that I got stuck on immediately was “Ego,” a 4 minute rocker with some of the catchiest melodic guitar I’ve heard in a long time and a fairly straight forward chunkity chunk chunk going on. I never saw the lyrics, but the chorus is like the ultimate pep song for a person on the brink of something (“SO DO IT!”). Add a sweet solo and smart segues and a Eurovision key change in and this is a recipe for success. This song could’ve been #1, but there’s just one that I like just a tiny bit better.

#1: “To the Shoreline” — Pain of Salvation — As I commented upon in the review, this song outshone the rest of the record in its geniusity. That’s right, geniusity. It’s like the unholy combination of Camel and Ennio Morricone. Then, make it about as awesome and catchy as possible and you’ve got “To the Shorline”. The biggest problem with the song is that it is short as hell, but actually that might be part of why it was so good. In any case, I’ve listened to this track about a bajillion times this year and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.

Ok, so there were of course more than 10 tracks that deserved to be mentioned here. So I decided that I would mention 5 songs here. Three non-metal songs that I really enjoyed, and a couple of tracks that weren’t quite good enough for the list but that I thought deserved a special mention.

Kyarypamyupamyu — “PONPONPON” — That’s motherfucking right. This song just totally rules and if you don’t like it, well, that’s probably pretty understandable.

The Dear Hunter — “She’s Always Singing (Yellow”) — So this year, these guys put out a huge vinyl box set that they released with a number of EPs in the colors of the rainbow. This track is probably my favorite from the whole collection and has a nice 1960s surf rock vibe to it. I dug, dug, dug it. And still really dig it. The guy who writes this stuff is a seriously talented musical omnivore and I’m always impressed by the stuff he’s doing.

My Brightest Diamond — “Be Brave” — Angry Metal Girlfriend turned me onto this lady and I have to say I’m really impressed. This track is dark and progressive and fascinating. The video is weird and hard to watch, but it’s worth giving a shot if you’re a fan of that kind of stuff.

Falconer — “O tysta ensamhet” — So, this didn’t deserve to be on the list because the band didn’t write it, but man this track really rocks my world. It’s originally a traditional song and there are a ton of different arrangements of it and stuff, but I actually loooove this version of it. It totally kicks you in the junk once the guitars kick in. Great stuff.

Shining  — “I nattens timma” — This is exactly the same as the previous Falconer track. It was written by another band in the 1990s, and Shining just did a really great rendition of it. Again, in my time of darkness and horrible burnout, this is a song I was listening to quite a lot.

Related posts:

1. Angry Metal Guy’s Top 10(ish) of 2011
2. Angry Metal Guy’s Top 10(ish) of 2010
3. Angry Metal Guy’s Top 15(ish) of the 2000s

20. Nile – In their Darkened Shrines – “Unas: Slayer of Gods” — Oh, motherfucking Nile. How beautiful your Egytian themed death metal is. While In Their Darkened Shrines isn’t the band’s best record ever or anything, but this is also one of the band’s best and most memorable songs in my opinion. Not only that, it’s really just a fucking colossal track. It clocks in at 11:43 (and apparently no one can get that full track on YouTube) and the riffing is immense, the solos are rad and… and I just never got over it. I think this is probably the most listened to Nile track in my collection and one of the most frequently listened to epic death metal tracks I own. Oh, the drums are fucking rad, too.

19. God Forbid – IV – Constitution of Treason – “Into the Wasteland” — Oh, this is gonna ruffle some fucking feathers. I love this track. And, you know what else? I think that God Forbid is actually one of the best things to come out of the ‘metalcore’ thing, largely ’cause I don’t think that they’re metalcore at all, but a modern thrash outfit and a fucking good one at that. It’s always been baffling to me that they never have gotten bigger than they are given their writing and playing. But actually, again, while this record isn’t their best, this track just fucking rules. The riffing is fantastic, the vocals are tremendous and most importantly the last minute of the song is goddamned incredible. Credit where credit is due, that was Jason Suecof who produced the record playing at least one of the solos there and if that doesn’t land in the ‘pure metal’ category in spite of some chug then you and I have very different definitions of what makes metal awesome.

18. Type O Negative – Slow, Deep and Hard - “Unsuccessfully Coping with the Natural Beauty of Infidelity (I Know You’re Fucking Someone Else)” — It’s hard to remember, but 1991 was a bad time for metal. There was good metal coming out, actually, the underground was pretty awesome in the early 90s, but popular metal? Oh man. And while these guys never hit the big time with this record, they did make awesome metal that was pretty accessible for a kid whose only metal experiences up until that point had really been Metallica and Iron Maiden (and the like). And really, Type O Negative was a gateway band back to metal for me. Of all their material, though, it’s the first three records (particularly the first two [sans live record]) which I think are the best. And of all of that, the crowning jewel is this track. I just don’t think it gets a lot better than this. It has everything that defined the band—the dirge and the humor—and was just so damned good. Listen and if for some reason you haven’t heard it, enjoy.

17. Arcturus – La Masquerade Infernale – “The Chaos Path” — The unholy vocal union of Garm and Simen on this track just hooked me immediately. The crazy circus sound, too, was something new for me and I fell in love with it. And really, this whole album is fucking amazing. Arcturus is a band that people still can’t get over, either. Despite what I see as being a spiraling output later on, they have diehard fans and they are still iconic for a reason. And that reason is best embodied by “The Chaos Path” which was something that metal had never heard before and hasn’t really heard since done in the same way.

16. Ulver – Nattens Madrigal – “Hymne I – Of Wolf and Fear” — Here’s another one of those tremendous songs that are undeniably among the best metal songs ever written and performed. I’m particularly fond of this one because it combines the sound from Kveldssanger in with the ultimately spiky, icy cold riffing that no band has ever really been able to mimic and make work. This track has some amazing riffing, some audible bass, and a feel that will never be matched again. Also, Garm is the best black metal vocalist of all time in my opinion. I just don’t think it gets better than him. And it hardly gets better than this.

15. Vintersorg – Ödemarkens Son – “När alver sina runor sjungit” — OK, so I have to admit it. I’m a big Vintersorg fanboy, and for me it was Ödemarkens Son that got me into the band. “På landet” and “Svältvinter” still stand out for me from the record, but “När alver sina runor sjungit” is definitely the take the cake moment on the record for me. The chorus is tremendous, the writing is awesome and the whole song is representative of what Vintersorg was (is). I mean, if you think about it, in this day of post-black metal, Vintersorg is the first post-black metal band. Focused entirely on non-Satan related things, while taking Ulver‘s Bergtatt formula and perfecting it. Ödemarkens Son, and particularly this song, stand(s) as a testament to that period in metal music. And is so fucking win.

14. Shining - V: Halmstad – “Besvikelsens dystra monotoni” — This song is fucking amazing. I love, love, love the introduction and when I complained about Shining “losing” the same kind of feel that they had on previous records, it’s really this track that I think of. Kvarforth sounds genuinely tortured here. While the production is perfect, the writing is crushing, the bass work is excellent and I love the song as a whole—this is the first (and last) “depressive black metal” that has ever moved me emotionally for real, because Kvarforth’s vocals are so fucking sick. This song is just fantastic and it ranks among my favorite tracks ever.

13. Theatre of Tragedy – Velvet Darkness They Fear – “And When He Falleth” — This is another track from a record that is almost entirely perfect. For me, Theatre of Tragedy is the one band that truly nailed the “beauty and the beast” vocals and fuck did they nail it. This record is just such a good feel, with beautiful, delicate vocals from a young Liv Kristine and before the growler decided that it’d be way cooler if he just talked all stupid. While there are a number of songs that could go in this position, this track takes the place because it’s the best example of the style as it was and the samples are perfect: “There is also love and life and hope!” “Very little hope I assure you. No. If a God of love and life ever did exist, he is long since dead. Someone… Something! Rules in his place…”

12. Ásmegin – Hin vordende sød & so – “Til rodenfolkets herskab” — Holy motherfucking excellent folk metal. This is, basically, as good as it gets. Yeah, that’s right, folks, I rated this song above Vintersorg and Otyg. In fact, I rated this song #12 OF ALL because the vocals are so incredible. Yeah, that’s Lasare from Solefald and Borknagar and a bunch of people from out of nowhere, but this song is simply one of the best I’ve ever heard. I can’t tell you how many hundreds of times I’ve listened to it. Probably thousands. And, much like one poster at YouTube, it once caused me to rip off all my clothes, run out into the woods and kill a bear with my bare hands. It’s some powerful stuff.

11. Emperor – Anthems to the Welkin Dusk – “Ye Entrancemperium” — Yeah, so Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk is Emperor‘s crowning glory if you ask me (and since you’re reading this, you asked me). I know that most people don’t agree with me about that, but they probably also don’t agree with me that “Ye Entrancemperium” is the best track on this CD, or the 11th best heavy metal song of all time. Well, they’re motherfucking wrong. This track is awesome, and I remember how it just gripped me by the throat and wouldn’t let go the first time I listened to this album. A highly addictive opening track is a very necessary part of one of the most successful albums of all time. And this track has it all—amazing riffs, amazing riffs, some more amazing riffs, oh right, some amazing riffs and Ihsahn’s least embarrassing clean vocals during the entire Emperor tenure. Oh, right, also amazing riffs. Though, honestly, you can’t go wrong with any track on this album.

Yup. That’s that.

Related posts:

1. Angry Metal Guy’s Best Heavy Metal Songs of All Time 30-21
2. Angry Metal Guy’s Best Heavy Metal Songs of All Time 40-31
3. Angry Metal Guy’s Best Heavy Metal Songs of All Time 10-1

Yggdrasil is a new band to me, though Irrbloss (“Will-o-wisps”) is their third album. I know that there are a ton of folk metal bands out there, which makes actually going out and looking for new folk metal a very challenging endeavor. Like any underground scene there’s going to be a lot of shit, so sifting through that all sometimes is more effort than its worth. Fortunately for me, there are others with more patience than I who directed me to Sweden’s Yggdrasil and I am very glad that they did so.

These guys formed in 2001, which means that they’ve had 10 years to perfect their craft and Irrbloss is definitely a step in that direction. The music is black metal based, in a way, but more rock beats than blast beats and most of it is punctuated with flutes, jawharps and harmonized clean vocals in 3 to 5 parts (mostly male voices and a single female voice) which give it a choral feel that adds to a mystical sound. The lead vocals are largely screamed in a bit of a tame rasp, but these extreme vocals are offset by the fact that the music is beautifully melodic and laced with gorgeous melodies and harmonies. It’s funny, because in a sense it’s very hard to be extreme when your music is so damn pretty.

Every song on here walks a fine line between Bathory, Vintersorg, Otyg and Fejd. This is a fine lineage of musicians to be compared to, to say the least. The chuggy black metal is obviously in the vein of veins of Bathory, and best illustrated by songs like “Tokikvad” and “Skaldefader”. The Vintersorg and Otyg feels are separate, of course, but the ubiquitous folk melodies carried on guitar and the use of female vocals, which litter the album, are reminsicent of the latter, while blending this into sort of Ulver influenced black metal is definitely more along the lines of the former like in the track “Bergtagen”. And finally, the instrumentation, use of flute and the general coming together of parts is really reminds me of Fejd, which I think is about as high a compliment as one can get in the Swedish folk metal scene, but especially the track “Norrland” really reminds me of those folk metal masters.

That said, Yggdrasil does have a sound all their own that doesn’t feel too overtly derivative, even if it’s not exactly breaking new ground. I can say that I equally enjoyed all the songs on here, though I liked “Skaldefader” the least and I liked “Norrland,” “Uppåkra” (especially the vocal harmonies) and “Tokikvad” the best. I think these guys get the best when they really get further into the black metal side of things. It offers an excellent contrast to the beauty of the melodic structures that they offer, and I find that to be pleasing. Without pain there would be no pleasure, and here the beauty of the folk melodies stands out from the heaviness and rawness of the material. That said, I do think it’s kind of cute that a band from Skåne is writing a song about Norrland.

So fans of folk metal, this is definitely something you should check out, because Irrbloss is excellent folk metal. While some of the music feels a bit simplistic at times, these are basically just folkvisor (simple folk melodies or songs) mixed with black metal, so it’s hard to not just let yourself get taken into the mood. I think this is where the band truly succeeds as the record continues on. At 43 minutes it’s a perfect length to really just sit and enjoy the mood and the feel. There is a natural melancholy to Swedish folk music because of the use of harmonic minor, and Yggdrasil uses that to their advantage in painting aural images of Swedish history and the countryside. Väl gjort!

Related posts:

1. Unleashed – As Yggdrasil Trembles Review
2. Fejd – Eifur Review
3. Svartsot – Mulmets Viser Review

I’ve actually been having a bit of a problem this year. While this is supposed to be the big year for all the big-named metal bands that I love, I can’t help but get the feeling that no one is putting out records that are even nearly as good as they should be. OK, I really got into the new Vintersorg, but I thought Septic Flesh was a letdown, as was the new Amon Amarth. There are others that I can’t mention yet, but let me just say, I’m disappointed with pretty much all of my favorite bands this year. So when I got Vomitory‘s Opus Mortis VIII and popped it in, I can’t say that I was expecting much more than that same ol’ same ol’ feeling of apathy. I was beginning to think, frankly, that this was my problem. But Vomitory helped me realize something—this is their problem, not mine.

Opus Mortis VIII is definitely exactly what I was looking for. It’s a brutal death metal record that has all the gore, brutality and awesome that we expect from a good death metal band, plus a feel similar to that of Torture Division or Bloodbath, the combination of a bit of grind, but also lots of traditional Swedish death metal melody and heaviness. But don’t get confused, this is not a retro death metal band by any stretch of the imagination. Vomitory has been at this since the early 90s (when they were putting out demos) and they have perfected this riffy, brutal but slightly melodic sound to an art. Opus Mortis VIII is one more piece of proof of this.

I’ve not listened to the band’s whole discography, unfortunately, but I started listening to them back with 2007′s Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize and also enjoyed 2009′s Carnage Euphoria. What I can say for Opus Mortis VIII, which only clocks in at about 37 minutes, is that it doesn’t seem as blasty as the previous two. I might just be imagining things, but there feels like a bit more groove and riffyness going on.  The production here, too, bears mentioning because this record has a bassier sound than the last two. While the drums still sound replaced, the whole production is just meaty like a hammer getting smashed into your ears when it starts up. This lends to this more Bolt Thrower or Demiurg kind of feel to the production, and that’s no insult.

I have trouble escaping this aching feeling that someone is going to complain about this album, however. Because it’s not as straight-forwardly br000tal as maybe some of the band’s previous work, I think it might get panned within the death metal community to some extent. However, if you like groovy death metal there is absolutely no reason that you wouldn’t also love this. I suspect that fans should get into this, but certainly the sound is a tad different from Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize at least in that respect. But the things that they’re doing on Opus Mortis VIII are things they have been doing on previous albums as well.

So break up your new-sound and follow-up monotony with some death metal done the way its supposed to be done (that is, like Vomitory does it). If tracks like “They Will Burn” and “Combat Psychosis” don’t move you, then you need to get your hearing aid fixed. Sure, this isn’t super techy death metal, but it’s got a good, honest feeling that is desperately needed in this day and age. Oh, also it’s catchy, brutal and just as good as everything else I’ve ever heard from these guys. So go forth and purchase. I deem Vomitory Opus Mortis VIII Record o’ the Month for April, 2011.

Related posts:

1. Luna Mortis Dropped by Century Media
2. Bodyfarm – Bodyfarm EP Review
3. Entrails – The Tomb Awaits Review

Bullshit. First, even by that logic, tracks from At The Gates and Blind Guardian, having been released in the mid-90s could easily have made that list. But I think the other thing that people forget is how metal is no longer as unified then and therefore it’s much harder to come up with newer songs that unify large buying publics. There’s a reason that it’s Korn and Tool that make those lists and not Opeth or Primordial (though arguably Opeth is one of the most popular metal bands in the world today), and it’s because metal doesn’t have the same kind of commercial power that it maybe once did. But does that mean that we should cloister ourselves in stupidity and only pay attention to records that went gold and songs that even people who don’t like metal have heard? This Angry Metal Guy says “Hell no!” And thus I have presented this list (here’s: 50-41 and 40-31) parallel to Steel Druhm’s lists (50-41 and 40-31) with an eye to what has happened in metal since then. Of course not everyone is going to agree—but that is simply because we live in a post-modern metal world, where not everyone is able to get the same metal.

But ask yourself this; which of these bands will be looked back upon fondly, and which of them will be looked back upon with shame. There’s a reason that Warrant and Stryper didn’t make Gibson’s list, and it’s the same reason that Korn shouldn’t have and Papa Roach wasn’t anywhere near it: because these were trends, they were bad, they were cheesy and they are to be looked upon with proper contempt and shame for having ever existed. The same cannot be said of Ulver or Opeth or Primordial or Vintersorg. These are united in excellence and artistic expression, even if they don’t all reach the same listeners.

So my goal here is not to construct the list of the most accessible stuff, it’s the stuff that I see as the best. That means when it comes to songwriting, presentation and, of course, memorability. And now, 30-21.

#30: Manowar – Kings of Metal – “Hail and Kill” — This, my friends, is fucking heavy metal. While Manowar‘s discography is choppy (at best) and I’m pretty sure that Joey DeMaio is a high-functioning psychopath (from everything I’ve read and given his history of fucking bands who work for him in the ass), that doesn’t mean that these guys didn’t write one of the best heavy metal songs of all time. Because man, they really did. This is a song that I would love to see live just so I could chant along with it in the chorus and headbang like mad. This track and “Thor” are pretty much the best thing the band ever did, but when they hit the ball they really hit it out of the park. Extra points for the line “May your sword stay wet like a young girl in her prime.” Ha! — Also, RIP Scott Columbus.

#29: Bloodbath – Nightmares Made Flesh – “Eaten” — The first time I heard this song, I just had to laugh. And then I had to listen to it again. This is everything that old school death metal should be, except being done with an amazing sensibility that I think is hard to find in the death metal scene. The riffs here are amazing, the chorus here is hilariously awesome (“Eaten! My one desire, my only wish is to be eaten! The longer I live the more I’m dying to feel the pain!”) and the feeling is extreme, heavy and creepy. This song is total win and I love it. When turning people onto more traditional death metal I actually think that starting with Bloodbath is a good way to go because they’re oddly “poppy” for a death metal band. As has been made abundantly clear with this song.

#28: Morbid Angel – Covenant – “God of Emptiness” — Morbid Angel is a band that has an undeniable legacy in death metal and “God of Emptiness” was a bit of a gateway record for dudes like myself who were exposed to it and went “Whoa. That was fucking evil.” The final clean vocals are great, the video is awesome and the song is just crushingly heavy. Some may debate whether or not this is Morbid Angel‘s best stuff, but I think it definitely ranks up there and it’s got added nostalgic value. In fact, I think it’s one of the best death metal tracks ever and it puts into perspective how much thrash metal changed death metal over the years, doesn’t it? This shit was sloooow. Oh, and Azagthoth is a ridiculous guitar player.

#27: Taake – Over Bjoergvin Graater Himmerik - “IV” — Probably the best Norwegian black metal band since early Ulver, Taake‘s first three records are fucking phenomenal, but one track just stands out of me on this one. With its icy cold riffing and its intelligent melody, while having great bass work and feel, this song gets stuck in my head whenever I listen to it. So there isn’t a ton more to say, but the writing is magnificent, the riffing is outstanding and the mix of extremity and melody with sort of a NWoBHM sensibility makes for what is one of the most enjoyable metal songs ever written. The riff that starts at 4:07 is largely why this record stands out for me. Two of the best minutes of black metal ever written.

#26: Blind Guardian – A Night at the Opera – “Battlefield” — So, when A Night at the Opera I fucking hated it. I really did. Even all these years later, I don’t like it as well as the band’s earlier stuff. But there is one song on this record that has stuck with me since then and has never let go and that is the track “Battlefield,” which is just epic in proportions that I cannot even begin to express. You just need to listen to this song to get a sense of how huge it is. And at the same time, it’s got this Celtic Riverdance kinda feel to it and it.. fucking works. The guitar solo is excellent, the arrangements, too, are awesome and this is just a powerhouse of a song. “Battlefield” stood heads and shoulders over the other songs on that record, and earns a well-deserved place on this list.

#25: Faith No More – Angel Dust – “Land of Sunshine” — I guess it’s hard to choose when it comes to the record Angel Dust, but one thing that shouldn’t be denied is that these guys had a sound all their own that was kind of post-metal but oh-so-metal at the same time and Mike Patton is such a unique and cool vocalist and the whole “self-help” talk that goes through this song makes it awesome. I love the maniacal laughter and the guitar solo, the bass heavy approach, and.. well.. ALL of it! These guys were really ahead of their time and really underrated, despite having had some big hits and having been pretty popular. And this is my favorite FNM track and one of the best metal tracks ever written.

#24: Helloween – Keeper of the Seven Keys Pt. II – “I Want Out” — Actually, I probably should’ve gone with something else from Helloween but I can’t help myself. I love this song (and I love Sonata Arctica‘s cover of it a hell of a lot, too ’cause it’s faster), and despite the band having other great tracks, it’s important to remember that Helloween is basically entirely at fault for what we think of as Europower in its modern form. Now you can debate whether or not that’s good, but you can’t debate that these guys have had a massive influence on that movement and bands like the aforementioned Sonata Arctica, Stratovarius, Nocturnal Rites and so forth. Let the mid-paced catchiness seep into your soul. [Also, while it's not a part of this list, you should definitely check out their overlooked and mightily awesome, but heinously cheesy, Mr. Torture.]

#23: Lost Horizon – Awakening the World – “Sworn in the Metal Wind” — “Hey man what is this? Sounds like wail of a wimp. Did you let loser side take command? Where’s the warrior in you and the spirit he got? You say lost? No! It’s somewhere inside. And you know there’s a force that unites all of us, leave the wasteland we, together, will! If you’re broken remember you have with us! Take now your next deep breath, and revive your old strength!” What more do I actually have to say than this? How about this? “Don’t forget you are metal, not some ass kissing whore!”

#22: Slayer – Reign in Blood – “Angel of Death” — Oh holy fuck did this record change my life. I mean, you can’t argue with Slayer. And for me “Angel of Death” was always one of the songs that did it for me. The riffing is awesome, the chorus is great and the track really manages to piss a lot of people off. And actually, for Slayer this song even shows a remarkable amount of sophistication, given that the rest of their stuff on this record wasn’t quite as… techy. It’s actually funny to go back and listen to this and think about how blown away I was by the extremity of this record, and how now it seems kinda tame when I compare it to other bands that I love now. But “Angel of Death” is a song loaded with great riffs, an awesome sound and maybe two of the least painfully shitty solos that the band ever wrote. Someone should’ve confiscated Kerry King’s fucking whammy bar years ago.

#21: Opeth – Still Life – “Godhead’s Lament” — Well, this song probably needs little introduction from me. Anyone who has listened to metal since forever knows that Opeth is pretty much one of the best bands ever and anyone who reads this blog knows that I’m a pretty die-hard fan. But coming in at number 21 and very deserving of doing so is “Godhead’s Lament,” which I think is the finest track from this record. Unfortunately, the only copy I could find on YouTube is peaking so I’m assuming that this is a remaster. In any case, the whole song is amazing: the riff at 1:43, the solo and the cleans that follow (at 3:27), actually I’m just going to stop. This entire song is just goddamned incredible.

Oh yeah, that’s pretty rad, innit? I thought so. But wait: there’s more! Coming soon!

Related posts:

1. Angry Metal Guy’s Best Heavy Metal Songs of All Time 20-11
2. Angry Metal Guy’s Best Heavy Metal Songs of All Time 10-1
3. Angry Metal Guy’s Best Heavy Metal Songs of All Time 40-31

March has really been one hell of a month, hasn’t it? To think after Amon Amarth and Vintersorg we get to follow it all up with Obscura‘s Omnivium. If any record counts as the most-anticipated of the year, Obscura is probably getting pretty close to that level. Having released in 2009, what was really a hell of a surprise for most listeners (including people who’d purchased their previous record) in Cosmogenesis, these technical death metallers built on their Necrophagist cred (and sound) and on the legacy of the mighty Death with their technical, progressive death metal—complete with awesome fretless bass attack. So, while this isn’t really a record that can fall victim of the sophomore slump (being the band’s third record), it certainly is an album that could fall victim to overly heightened expectations. And, I must admit, this Angry Metal Guy certainly had heightened expectations.

Omnivium is actually not what I was expecting, however. In some ways this was a little disappointing, and in some ways this was very invigorating. Let me try to explain. Cosmogenesis was a front-loaded record, in my opinion, and it was excellent when it was riffy, fast and techy. But the record almost underplayed the technical aspects of the band because, realistically, compared to their genre-mates I think that Obscura is quite easily accessible. It’s like taking something that should take some effort to get into (see Ulcerate or Defiled) and turning it into something that could make Gibson’s shittiest list ever made. And reality has it that Obscura is about the hookiest tech death band out there. But Omnivium? Omnivium is different.

While there is definitely still that “The Anti-Cosmic Overload” style of attack, the band starts out showing that this record will be different from the acoustic strains of “Septuagint,” which while it does get heavy, is never quite so hooky. And Omnivium feels like a band that’s still sort of experimenting to some extent, drawing from the legacy of Death to even landing in Morbid Angel territory on “Ocean Gateways” and stealing the vocoder straight out of Cynic‘s playbook on “Prismal Dawn” and “Celestial Spheres.” Omnivium even ends up in Ulcerate or Necrophagist territory on the track “Velocity,” which is probably the most difficult to digest track on the record—and certainly different from anything on Cosmogenesis. This is not to say that the hookiness that existed on Cosmogenesis doesn’t exist here, it’s just more buried in technicality than before.

All of this is done with the technical expertise that few other bands have, even among technical death metal bands. Guitarist Christian Muenzner is a total beast, ripping out some solos on this thing that should make his fingers melt and that will make your brain boil, and if this guy is anything as consistent live as he is on tape he should be hailed as one of the best in the business—and, while I don’t have a list of who’s playing what, Steffen Kummerer isn’t a slouch either from the sounds of it. The other stand out musical element of this record is the bass of Jeroen Thesseling, which laces every track with impressive licks and a sound that I just can’t get over. I think the sound and approach of the fretless attack is one of the things that keeps drawing me back to Obscura. Check out the bass solo in “Celestial Spheres,” it’s fucking sublime. Hell, even the extreme vocals here have even improved in a lot of ways, though there is the use of vocoders and filters feels a tad silly at times, and there’s a of a lot more clean vocals than I was expecting. I enjoy that, but this might piss off a purist or two.

This is a dense record full of stuff that fans of technical death metal will love if they haven’t already decided that Obscura is too trendy (or derivative) to dig. I think the songwriting feels a little directionless at times (see the second half of “Velocity” and “A Transcendental Serenade,” for example), so it’s not perfect but this is a technically amazing record from one of death metal’s premier bands. I certainly look forward to hearing more from this band, and I certainly look forward to seeing where this record ranks on my end-of-the-year list, because it’s hard to imagine that something this epic and technically impressive wouldn’t end up there. Then again, predictions have a way of going awry. And 2011 certainly does seem to be turning into a banner year for metal, doesn’t it?

Related posts:

1. Pestilence – Doctrine Review
2. Abysmal Dawn – Leveling the Plane of Existence Review
3. Defiled – In Crisis Review

After a wintry silence of 4 years about a new solo record, Vintersorg is finally releasing the long awaited follow-up to Solens Rötter. If you consider the early solo career of Mr. V, this is actually pretty surprising. His fecundity has been next to almost none, producing a record a year, as well as having a myriad of other excellent projects (like Otyg, Waterclime, Havayoth, Gravisphere, being in the mighty Borknagar and I’m sure someone will correct me on something I’ve missed). But for this Angry Metal Guy the new record coming has been a worrisome thing, as the taste that was left in my mouth by Solens Rötter was a bit bitter. To date, the record is my least favorite of everything that has been released under Mr. V’s solo moniker and the decision to ditch the amazing Steve Digiorgio and Asgeir Mickelson and bass and drums, respectively, was definitely felt. So I guess the question for Jordpuls was… what next?

Fortunately for fans of the band, this has apparently not been four wasted years. In fact, for traditional fans of the bands (the ones who like everything up through Cosmic Genesis) this will probably be a welcome return to what Vintersorg was best known for—folk-influenced black metal, made with an eye towards nature, natural sciences and with a sense of wonder and awe. And while this record maintains some of the more progressive things that have been added to the sound in the later years, more 70s-influenced harmonies, layers of instruments and the occasional musical non sequitur, it is remarkably straight forward and direct for a band (loosely speaking) that has been moving away from those two adjectives since Visions from the Spiral Generator hit.

Jordpuls really bursts out the door with the best, catchiest tracks since Cosmic Genesis with “Världsalltets Fanfar” and “Klippor och Skär,” both of which sport choruses that sing more to the soul than anything Vintersorg has released in a while. For me, actually, the first listen through of the record was almost disappointing after hearing “Klippor och Skär” the first time, because the chorus is so damn incredible and memorable that the tracks after it actually kind of paled in comparison. But upon a second, third, (fourth, fifth, [...] twentieth, twenty-first) listen, the rest of the album came into focus as well and has really stuck fast. Not to give away too many secrets about the record, because you really should get it yourself, the thing that stands out for me about Jordpuls is that this is the record where Mr. V has recaptured the elusive, addictive choruses that were ubiquitous on the earlier records but seems to have slipped away a bit since moving into the more progressive era.  This becomes evident as, despite almost feeling a tad front-loaded with excellent songs, when you reach the end of the record you’re still getting excellent tracks like “Palissader” and “Vindögat,” and they’re all addictive in their own right.

I do have a few mild complaints about Jordpuls, however. This record doesn’t quite live up to a “perfect” album for me because there are a couple of things I miss. While the bass is passable and the programmed drums are fine, I really will never understand why Vintersorg dropped Steve Digiorgio and Asgeir Mickelson from the line-up. Both musicians are cream of the crop players who added a dimension to the music that would have been just as welcome on this record and Solens Rötter as they were on their predecessors. Secondly, I sometimes feel like the music is too busy. While the layers can be highly successful (like in the aforementioned “Klippor och Skär” where some of the vocal harmonies are playful and amazing), there are times when the keyboards and other instruments feel a bit like they’re missing some direction and were just recorded on a whim and never touched.

All of that said, though, Jordpuls is a great success. Reclaiming the beautiful and heartwarming melodies, the fantastic choruses and the rawer production make this album feel like it should sit alongside Till Fjälls, Ödemarkens Son and Cosmic Genesis instead of Solens Rötter. For the poets among us, Jordpuls is a record that should speak to your own joy at the world that surrounds you. Tracks like “Klippor och Skär,” “Mörk Nebulosa” (which you can hear over at MySpace along with the “Världsalltets Fanfar”), “Skogen Sover” and “Vindögat” are the kind of music that deserves to be listened to while wandering through the blooming forests of spring. It’s not exactly angry, but it’s definitely excellent and old fans and new alike should be pleased.

Related posts:

1. Världsalltets Fanfar Streaming at MySpace
2. More Vintersorg News
3. New Footage of Vintersorg Recording Vocals!

The record can (and should) be pre-ordered over at Napalm Records’ webshop!

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2. Killswitch Engage (II) Available for Streaming on Myspace
3. Baroness – Blue Record Streaming