STONE SOUR: HOUSE OF GOLD & BONES PART 1 REVIEW

 Stone Sour's fourth album is part one of the House Of Gold & Bones storyline. 

  The story follows a character simply called "The Human" who awakens in a strange world. He must find the house of gold and bones and complete the conflagration ritual to either save or damn him. He is met by the good spirited Peckinpah, the antagonistic Black John, and the malevolent but mysterious guide Allen. There's also the cult like group of citizens called the numbers, who are led by Black John. (The full summary is best found on the Wikipedia page). 

  Lyrically, the story is murky without reading about it. However, these songs still evoke the dreary and nihilistic feeling of the world by themselves. While a good portion of the lyrics show the band's maturity ,especially their first two records, there are still moments where they're borderline hard to listen to. 

 Musically is where this band shines here.  Corey's vocal work is heightened by being able from conveying the anger of some characters to the melancholic nature of others. The guitar work here is both memorable and appropriate for the part of the story happening. 

  However, the latter half of the album gets tiresome with some of the songs. Even though they are crucial to the plot, there is a couple that are fitting when listening to the album all the way through but not by themselves. It does close on a fairly good note with the fast paced "Last Of The Real". 

  While this album could be better told as a novel instead of a record, it's still highly addictive. It is a great example of what a concept and a double album should be. 

  Rating: 8 out of 10

  Notable Tracks: 

    "Gone Sovereign"

    "Absolute Zero"

    "My Name Is Allen"

  

THE REANIMATED: THE NECRO FILES REVIEW

  While most people think of horror punk as a bunch of goth kids ripping off the misfits, it's always nice to see a band that'll prove them wrong. Cincinnati based band The Reanimated are that band. 

  The vocal work of James Bondage (hah get it) is soaring and melodic while delving into a more metal style of growling when the time calls for it. He creates his own murderous hellscape to add a sense of believability to the lyrics. 

  Opening up is the catchy "Ghouls In The Mortuary" which has a fast paced sound that creates the vibe of being chased by a killer. Following that however is "LV-426" which is the biggest misstep on the record being boring and repetitive. After the crunching "Slit Your Throat" is the title track. That song really shows off not only the vocal talent but also the songwriting abilities of the band. It closes off with a cover of The Sonics' "The Witch" which has a very different feel than the rest of the record. 

  If you dig horror films, punk rock, and a decent singer this EP is definitely the place to start. 

  Rating: 4 out of 5

  Notable Track:

    "The Necro Files"

OVERKILL: WHITE DEVIL ARMORY REVIEW

  34 years and seventeen albums in, it's good to see that New Jersey thrashers Overkill are still waving the metal flag proud. 

  Following up on their recent string of high quality albums comes "White Devil Armory". Barely breaching the 50 minute mark, almost all of the 11 tracks are quick bursts of thrash. Opening up with the intro"XDM" then coming right out of the gate with "Armorist" which has one of the best chorus' on the record. The stampede of adrenaline based riffs continue throughout the entire record without even having a mid tempo song. 

  The vocal delivery of Bobby Blitz is the same as it has always been which I really enjoy. However, I know a lot of people who are turned off by this band because of his voice.  Despite his age though, his snarl is still up and kicking in full form. 

  The instruments here are incredible. Especially thanks to (bassist) D. D. Verni. The biggest drawback here is the lyrical content. It's full of macho man bravado and aggression but it comes off as cheesy as a Hulk Hogan movie. 

  This album is repetitive and isn't as strong as their past slew of releases but it is still a fun, fast beat down that should be in amy thrasher's collection. If you're a fan of this band, buy it. You'll enjoy it. If you're trying to check them out for the first time, this may not be the best starting point. 

  Rating: 7 out of 10

  Notable Tracks:

    "Armorist"

    "PIG"

    "King Of The Rat Bastards"

    

SEVEN KINGDOMS: THE FIRE IS MINE REVIEW

  Every so often an album will come along, completely out of the blue, and remind me of why I love metal as much as I do. This third record by the Floridian Power Metallers is one such album. I discovered this on pandora radio ( my Kamelot station I believe it was) and I felt a shiver run down my spine.   

  What makes this album so different is the vocal work of Sabrina Valentine. Her voice is grandiose and melodic without delving into the over saturated opera stylings of most of her female peers. The melodies she creates are both memorable and unique as she breathes life into the songs. However some notes she hits do occasionally get obnoxious. This is especially apparent on the chorus of "Symphony Of Stars". Her voice really shows what it can do on the ballad "Kardia". It slows the record down enough for a quick break and some emotional depth. 

  The lyrics here are definitely game of thrones worship with the first song (after the intro) being about Bran Stark. A moment here that made me all to excited was the title track, which is about Khaleesi. It feels as if she is singing it herself to her deceased husband (read/watch the damn series). They even go so far as to have a spoken segment based on the series which is the albums biggest misstep as it adds a good amount of pm cheese to the record. 

  Instrumentally, the songs rarely distinguish themselves from one another but there is a thrash/power vibe akin to Iced Earth to add some much needed heaviness to it. They are all very good at the or instruments and surprisingly enough, all get time to demonstrate their abilities. 

  Honestly, I'd recommend this to any metal head to at least check out but definitely to any fan of PM. Hell, for the Game Of Thrones fan in us all its worth a listen or two...or twelve. It's been far to long since a record has hit me like this.  

  Rating: 9 out of 10

  Notable Tracks:

    "After The Fall"

    "The Fire Is Mine"

    "In The Twisted Twilight"

CAPTAIN BLOOD: FOR SAIL REVIEW

  "For Sail" is the first album (and only so far") by Denver based horror punks Captain Blood. 

  The record opens up with the energetic but overly long intro "Glow N The Dark" then goes into the more gothic feeling "Last Ride. Continuing through the record is very similar to a haunted house in the sense that it's a fun ride drenched in the blood of all things horror. Although the album does slow down for the almost love song "Dawn Of The Dead" which is as close to a ballad as you're gonna get. 

  Musically, it's punk stirred up in a cauldron of surf rock and the riffs similar of Calabrese. The stand out part here is due to (frontman) Markula. He forgoes the cliche swoon of Danzig for a more melodic style similar to that of Michale Graves. You'll definitely find yourself singing out loud.  

  One thing that they do right is capture the fun and humor of the genre. With songs such as "Where Are My Bones", the tale of a ghost that comes back to his  grave only to find his bones have been taken, to the purrfect "Black Cat". Plus, there's a song about The Toxic Avenger and c'mon, how can you not love that. 

  Are you looking for something to add to your Halloween playlist? Maybe something to tide you over while you wait for the Misfits to release something that doesn't suck (cough Devil's Rain cough)?  Then look no further. "For Sail" is available on iTunes for those outside of the Denver area. 

  Rating: 8 out of 10

  Notable Tracks:

    "Where Are My Bones"

    "Hangman"

    "Come Alive"

KAMELOT: SILVERTHORN REVIEW

  "Silverthorn" is the tenth album and first to feature (Seventh Wonder frontman) Tommy Karevik. 

   The album opens with "Sacrimony" which features (Arch Enemy vocalist) Alyssa White-Gluz playing one of the lead roles. Following that is "Ashes To Ashes" and " Torn" which continue the high paced feel of it. The record slows down with "Song For Jolee" which showcases the emotional qualities of Karevik's voice. Only to pick back up for the rest of the album. The last half is along the same lines with each track having memorable choruses and verses alike. The only track that is forgettable is the epic close "Prodigal Son". 

  Musically, the record follows the same lines as the past three with its keyboard driven riffs. The major change here is the guitars are both more prominent and heavier than there past recordings. 

  Vocally is where this record really shines. Tommy Karevik (once again, fangirl moment) has his own distinctive qualities while maintaining the style by previous singer Roy Khan. Truth be told, one who doesn't know the band's history would assume that Roy is still with the band. Tommy's voice is very polished and really holds the gothic feel akin to "The Black Halo". The melodies he creates remain in your head for days keeping each song unique and memorable. 

  The lyrics here are well written and very poetic. To me lyrics are a huge factor of making a band go from good to great and in this aspect, they are great. The story is about a rich family who loses their only daughter In an accident. It portrays the bereavement, guilt, and the lies told by Jolee's family. The problem is the story feels anti climatic especially for a band of this caliber. The saving grace is each song stands on it's own rather than needing to be listened to at one listen unlike most other concept albums. 

  My personal opinion is this is Kamelot's best record and certainly their first great record since the aforementioned "The Black Halo". Anyone who has enjoyed their previous records must listen to this one. It is also a great starting point for a new fan. After buying both the (deluxe edition of the) CD and the (double disc, blue) vinyl, I'd highly recommend the latter. 

  Rating: 9 out of 10

  Notable Tracks:

    "Ashes To Ashes"

    "Song For Jolee"

    "Falling Like The Fahrenheit"

ANTI-MORTEM: NEW SOUTHERN REVIEW

  The south will rise again! The debut record by Oklahoma metallers Anti-Mortem comes In fairly strong. 

  The opening track "Words Of Wisdom" pretty much sets the mood of pissed the fuck off that continues through much of the record. The groove laden tracks that follow have a mix of metal and southern rock obviously influenced by Pantera and Texas Hippie Coalition with Lynyrd Skynyrd thrown into the mix. The best way i can describe it is a heavier version of Blackberry Smoke. One of the best tracks of the album is "Black Heartbeat" which is definitely the most melodic of the album. It feels like a Saving Abel song but enjoyable. The following ("I Get Along With The Devil") sounds almost identical to a Mudvayne, or more accurately a Hellyeah song. 

  The latter half of the album is fun but pretty run of the mill until it gets to "Stagnant Water" where it picks back up.  "Truck Stop Special" has a more country feel to it, definitely bringing the southern vibe to the forefront. Closing it out is a cover of Mr. Big's "A Little Too Loose" most likely based due to it's setting I'm Oklahoma City, which is a good rendition but definitely a filler track. 

  What stands out here are the vocals. When,frontman Larado Romo, doesn't feel the need to be purely aggressive without any trace of melody it is incredibly effective. 

  While this may not be a record of the year, it is a hell of a debut. It does show promise and I'm excited for album two.  However, it is more for fans of southern rock more so than metal. Yee Haw!

  On a side note, look at that cover. It's the Grim Reaper riding through the civil war. That's fucking metal. 

  Rating: 7 out of 10

  Notable Tracks:

    "Black Heartbeat"

    "Stagnant Water"

    "Truck Stop Special"

GHOST: IF YOU HAVE GHOSTS EP REVIEW

  The first EP by Swedish ghouls "Ghost" is primarily a cover album. Definitely tying in with their "Infestissumam" album. Even with two of the tracks being bonus tracks from the aforementioned album. 

  It opens up with the Roky Erickson cover (title track) which delivers a haunting feel similar to their first album while creating a sense of chaos and danger. Following that is a cover of Abba's "I'm A Marrionette" which has a good melody but can't maintain interest enough due to it's repetitiveness and seeming to drag on. 

  The third track "Crucified" (originally by Army Of Lovers) is the standout moment here. This song fits right into the Ghost sound and vibe. Also adding a bit of heaviness to the current sound. Closing off the covers is a version of Depeche Mode's "Waiting For The Night." Ending the album is a live version of their previous single "Secular Haze". 

  The song choice here blend well with the band's style of darker lyrics. However these songs feel like bonus tracks. While entertaining for its quick time length of just under 25 minutes. It's definitely needed for people who love the band but easily skipped by casual listeners. 

  Rating: 3 out of 5

  Notable Track:

    "Crucified"

ACCEPT: BLIND RAGE REVIEW

  I may be the first to say this but, I think Mark Tornillo is a better frontman than Udo. ( nothing against him of course). This album solidifies that for me. 

  It's good to see that even on the fourteenth album, Accept can still put out quality records. It opens with the balls out  single  "Stampede". Track two however ("Dying Breed") is one of those praise metal, let's name drop every classic band/song we know. It has a good sound but gets annoying real quick. It picks back up with "Dark Side Of My Heart". Track six "Wanna Be Free" is the lowest point on the album. There's a good message of let's achieve peace to it but the lyrics get cheesy to a point of making it unbearable. Given, it's a traditional metal album so the lyrics aren't expected to stand out and unfortunately they don't. 

  What does stand out is the sound itself. Tornillo crafts some incredible melodies that fit along with the instruments. The guitar work here is will either make you bang your head to it or get a speeding ticket to it. And that's exactly what we want with an album like this

  However, there's not much originality here and some songs do start to blend together. At just over an hour long, it would've greatly benefited to shave off a couple of tracks because it does feel like it drags on a little too long. Despite the bad things here, it's still a fun, exciting album.  

  Rating: 6 out of 10

  Notable Tracks:

    "Stampede"

    "Dark Side Of My Heart"

    "200 Years"

VADER: TIBI ET IGNI REVIEW

  Hail Satan! Vader's tenth album is pretty much full with that message. 

  The album opens with a pseudo-symphonic part then blasts the gates open with "Go To Hell". Continuing on for nine more tracks of expected polish dm. There is definitely a thrash element here especially on the fist-in-the-air "Triumph Of Death. Closing out the record is (the aptly titled) "The End", which between the spoken word aspects and the bass line that carries the tune is highly reminiscent of Megadeth's "Dawn Patrol". 

 (Frontman) Piotr "Peter" Wiwczarek hasn't sounded as good as he does here in a long time. Definitely bringing this album up with his rough yet intelligible vocals. 

  Lyrically it's the same open the gates of hell, praise the devil, etc as always but does anyone listen to Vader for their lyrics anyways?  

 At just under forty five minutes long, it's short but it needs to be otherwise it would've felt drawn out. 

  This album is along the lines of the rest of their catalogue. It doesn't break the formula but it didn't really need to. I'm sorry there's not much I can say that hasn't been said about the last twenty years of their work. However if you want some good satanic death metal that's better than Deicide, then look no further. It ain't anything new but it sure is good. 

  Rating: 8 out of 10

  Notable Tracks:

    "Triumph Of Death"

    "Abandon All Hope"

    "Light Reaper"

AVANTASIA: THE SCARECROW REVIEW

  The Scarecrow is the third album and first of the wicked trilogy by Tobias Sammet's Avantasia project. 

  As with the previous and current records, this album has a bunch of guest musicians playing different parts in typical metal opera styling. The story is about a man who feels alone and different from the world. While trying to find happiness he experiences heartbreak and turns to the devilish side of life. While these songs tell a whole story, they are relatable on a track by track basis which is part of what makes this album so great. 

  The album opens up with "Twisted Mind" with Roy Khan (Kamelot) playing a therapist talking to the scarecrow. Considering Kamelot is my favorite band it's safe to say I fangirled a little bit here. It's too bad that Roy was only used on the one track. Following that is the epic title track. Other great moments are the ballad "What Kind Of Love" featuring the incredibly talented Amanda Sommerville, the poppier "Carry Me Over" and "Shelter From The Rain" to the hard rocking numbers "Another Angel Down" and "I Don't Believe In Your Love" (which sounds closer to a Whitesnake song than power metal.)  Closing the album is the single "Lost In Space". The instruments here add to the atmosphere and winds the album down finish on a high note

  The stand out moments here are the guest vocalists. That includes people like Jørn Lande and Michael Kiske. Alice Cooper guests on "The Toy Master" which is great with Alice doing a top notch performance, but seems to throw the story off a bit. It's too bad both he and Roy weren't used more than one track each on this entire trilogy. While no song here is bad, the only track that is forgettable is "Cry A Little" but with only one "ok" song, that's still a pretty good album. 

  The lyrics here convey the emotion perfectly aiding to Tobias Sammet's desire to feel the story rather than understand it. Sadly, this is the best Edguy album without being Edguy in recent years. 

  Fans of any of the singers or power metal in general must hear this record if you haven't already. The guests here all sound at their peak with incredible vocal delivery and the songs are catchy and memorable. 

  Rating: 9 out of 10

  Notable Tracks: 

    "Carry Me Over"

    "What Kind Of Love"

    "I Don't Believe In Your Love"

SUICIDE SILENCE: YOU CAN'T STOP ME REVIEW

  The fourth album by Suicide Silence and the first to feature Eddie Hermida (Ex All Shall Perish) after the tragic passing of Mitch Lucker in 2012. 

  The thing I liked most about these guys is Mitches' voice so i was skeptical about the change. While Eddie does both make it his own and continue in the style of SS, there's something missing. The musical aspect is still very them and up to par with the previous records. The thing that made the last album as great as it was, was the groove. Which is unfortunately taken out for a more straight up deathcore approach here. 

  This whole album is pretty much a tribute to Mitch. With the intro "M.A.L." (Mitchell Adam Lucker) leading into "Inherit The Crown" which is about Eddie taking over the position. The Title comes from the last song Mitch wrote which is recorded with Eddie Here. 

  Lyrically it's the same as on the last three records which has always been the weak point for the band. The guest vocals of Corpsegrinder ("Control") and Greg Puciato ("Monster Within") both stand out here and are very welcome. They rerecorded "Ending Is The Beginninng" from their debut EP which is good but doesn't beat the original  

 The bonus tracks "Blue Haze" would've fit right along with the rest of the record and the Hatebreed cover "Last Breathe" actually does a pretty good rendition. In a scheme of Marketing Genius, the other song "Dogma:I Am God" is available on random copies of the record ( which I got on the first try) causing fans to buy more copies to get it. 

 While this record doesn't hold up to the previous three, it is still better than a good majority of the deathcore bands out there at the moment. Fans of both SS and All Shall Perish will probably enjoy this album. 

  Rating: 6 out of 10

  Notable Tracks:

    "Cease To Exist"

    "Control"

    "Monster Within"

AMON AMARTH: DECEIVER OF THE GODS REVIEW

  Praise the allfather! We have received a blessing in the name of Amon Amarth's ninth album. I'll be honest, they are getting to the point of you've heard one album, you've heard them all. It's not a bad thing though since they've all been consistently good. It shows why they're not only one of the biggest metal bands right now, but also why they're leading the Viking metal charge. 

  Both the instruments and vocals here are top notch with anthemic choruses and catchy riffs. Plus former Candlemass frontman Messiah Marcolin appears on the song "Hel". It's an odd combo but it works extremely well. 

  While you would think that the Viking metal scene as a whole would run out of ideas, these guys continue to keep their songs interesting. From the brutal "Blood Eagle" to the epic closer "Warriors Of The North" there is enough diversity and melody to make each track stand out. It is actually to the point of if someone asked me to tell them what song they should check out I'd have to tell them the whole album. 

  The only drawback is the fact that it does sound much like their past few albums. If you don't mind that though, this is definitely an album that needs to be heard. 

  Rating: 8 out of 10

  Notable Tracks: 

    "Blood Eagle"

    "Hel"

    "Warriors Of The North"

ALESTORM: SUNSET ON THE GOLDEN AGE REVIEW

  Ahoy! The pirates have come back to deliver more metal to plunder to. The fourth album by these guys is like the ocean. Sometimes it's smooth sailing other times it's a typhoon. 

  The silliness from their last album comes through on this one very clearly with most songs being humorous. Some of them, it works for and some it doesn't. However, as they predicted on album three, there are moments where it seems they're scraping the barrel for creative ideas. 

  The music is still very them with the strong key based riffs and sea shanty melodies. The vocal work here gets experimental though (for them) by adding death growls and rapping. Yep, they rap on a song ( I'll get to that in a minute) 

  As aforementioned, some of the songs are a little bit bland and feel like they're recycling ideas they've already used. Sadly, that makes this album drag on a little bit. That said though, there are some good songs on here that'll stand up to the rest of their catalogue. Plus, this is still a fun album which it needs to be for pirate metal. 

  One of the best songs on here is "Hangover". It's a cover of Taio Cruz feat. Flo Rida. Yeah, it's odd to think ain't it?This is the track with the rapping and it works in a weird way.

 

  As for the bonus tracks, there's five of their old songs recorded acoustically. They're interestingly done but I feel like they would've been better suited as a stand alone EP. The last bonus track is called "Questing Upon The Poop Deck". It's a moment where the humor really shines and should've been on the album itself instead of the unbearable "Wooden Leg". Although, it surprises the hell out of me that it took em four albums to make a poop deck joke. 

  The sun may have set on their golden age,but it is still fun and if you like the band is definitely worth the listen. Just don't expect any boundaries pushed.  

  Rating: 6 out of 10

  Notable Tracks: 

    "Quest For Ships"

    "Hangover"

    "Questing Upon The Poop Deck"

HEATHEN FORAY: FOREST - EP REVIEW

  The first release and my first foray into these Austrian folkers, the Forest EP comes in at 21 minutes and four tracks. 

  As a whole these guys are considered folk but, there's a lot more to them. The vocals are along the lines of melodeath while the instruments and lyrics have more of a power metal feel. Unlike most of their contemporaries, they don't use antique instruments or a sense of atmosphere in their sound. 

  The guitar lines here are traditonal power metal riffs that would fit right in on a Hammerfall record. This not only adds the melody but blends perfectly with the fantasy tinged lyrics. This gives the sense of killing dragons or sieging a castle.

  The vocal work of Robert Scrholl is your

standard melodeath along the lines of Dark Tranquility. While he may be unrefined, you can understand every lyric which makes this album a whole lot better. The problem is the group chanting on "The Wizard's Life" but it is easily dismissed despite sounding like a demo tape. 

  If you're looking for a new band to listen to or an addition to you Skyrim playlist look no farther. This record doesn't break new ground on any level but damn, it's enjoyable. For fans of folk metal or Children Of Bodom, your collection isn't complete without this. 

  Rating: 4 out of 5

  Notable Track

    "Dragon's Eyes"

SABATON: HEROES REVIEW

  

  Power metal is back on the front lines! A band that has had a consistent release of quality records have now released their seventh album. The notable difference here is that the lyrics focus on individual soldiers rather than the battle themselves.

  On the musical side of this album, this is the most diverse record they've released thus far. There are small traces of thrash and folk metal incorporated and there's even a ballad on here. While the ballad ("The Ballad Of The Bull") May be pushing the limits of (singer) Joakim Brodén's voice, it's a nice change of pace with great lyrics. 

  On the note of lyrics, as always the songs do their best to accurately portray the history and work incredibly well on making it understandable without knowing war history. The songs are memorable with more hooks thrown in than a boxing match. Plus there's a song about an American soldier ("To Hell And Back") so I have to feel a little proud. 

  The signature sound of Joakim is still there in a full frontal assault. At most parts, you can understand him. If you can I recommend you get all of the bonus tracks. With "7734" and "Man Of War" ( a tribute to Manowar, yep) available on all special editions. The last 3 bonus tracks are covers of Metallica's "For Whom The Bell Tolls", a Raubtier (?) cover "En Hjältes Väg, and a cover of Battle Beast's "Out Of Control".  Yes, they covered Battle Beast (mentally think "Fuck Yeah!"). 

  This is one of their best albums yet and if you like war history and/or power metal this is a must own. Between the sound and the interesting lyrics, I've probably spun this album 11 or 12 times since it's release a few months back. 

  Rating: 8 out of 10

  Notable Tracks:

    "Inmate 4859"

    "Soldier Of Three Armies"

    "Hearts Of Iron"

EDGUY: SPACE POLICE-DEFENDERS OF THE CROWN REVIEW

  Coming in at ten tracks, the eigth album by power metal jokesters follows their current flow of recent releases. Most of the songs here are lighthearted with a touch of 80's rock. The humor and silliness does wear on you a bit but the sound keeps you pushing through with, well, sabre and torch. 

  Most of the songs here have the strong guitar leads one would come to expect and most of the riffs are memorable. With fast tempo songs mixing in slow parts when needed the musical writing is spot on.  

  As previously mentioned, the songs do take a more fun and silly side most of the album which works in places ("Love Tyger") and become tiresome and almost dumb enough to piss you off ("Do Me Like A Caveman"). However, one thing this album does is have very catchy, anthemic chorus'. Especially on the track "Space Police", I haven't a heard a chorus that good in PM in a long while. What stops that song from being perfect is the part where (singer) Tobias Sammet tries making space noises. That's one of those moments where the dorky side of them is irritating. The cover of "Rock Me Amadeus" is both a good rendition and a welcome edition to this album. 

  Vocally, Tobias sounds great with his mix of Bruce Dickinson-esque power vocals and the more Rock N' Roll rasp. 

The two bonus tracks are obviously the right choice as bonus tracks. "England" is a fun, albeit cheesy, song about how England is better because they have Iron Maiden. While the other one, "Aychim In Hysteria" is about the bands roadie put to a similar musical sound of Def Leppard's prime. 

 

  While I wouldn't recommend this to someone who's not a fan of power metal, but if you are this is a good record to check out. It may not hold up to Edguy's earlier work, or Tobias' Avantasia project for that matter, it's a fun and simple record. If you're in the mood for silly fun but burnt out your Manowar collection, go get this. 

  Rating: 6 out of 10

  Notable Tracks:

    "Space Police"

    "Love Tyger"

    " Shadow Eaters"

 

SONATA ARCTICA: PARIAH'S CHILD REVIEW

  The eighth album by power metal giants Sonata Arctica looks pretty good right. It's got amazing cover art, the old logo, oh and look at that, a wolf is back. I was skeptical after their previous album (Stones Grow Her Name) considering it sucked. Once I put the album on, the first track (Wolves Die Young) made me think "awesome they're back to their old sound". However after the album continues you start to realize it's not quite that. 

  There's a few of there joke songs on here which get annoying real quick. There's a song about drifting cars which might be the most random topic for power metal. Plus the definition of blood is spoken because people apparently don't know what blood is. Seriously guys. The lyrics are cheesy even for PM standards and some of the odd vocal effects Tony Kakko does are incredibly weird to put it mildly. However there are moments where the vocals are some of the best I've heard from these guys too. For better or worse, these melodies will be stuck in your head. Seriously, I woke up with "Cloud Factory" stuck in mine. The ballad "Dad, What Did You Do In The War" is supposed to be emotional but the band doesn't put much conviction into the portrayal. And while "Love" is incredibly cheesy, it's a nice change of pace to hear a slow, simple love song like that in metal. 

 The instrumental sections here are par for the course PM. They're good enough to get by but not super memorable. What stands out on this album is the last track "Larger Than Life". The story about an actor  who spends his life trying to get to the top only to realize he focused only on his work and not his personal life seems like it might be a confession from the band. Either way it's a deep song with lots of orchestral parts and good but  odd tempo changes. 

  While this album isn't one you're gonna go back to specific tracks for the most part, it's enjoyable when played all the way through. Does it hold up against "Silence" or "Ecliptica"? NO! Is it better than "Stones Grow Her Name"? Yeah. 

  Rating: 6 out of 10

  Notable Tracks: 

    "Wolves Die Young"

    "Cloud Factory"

    "Larger Than Life"

ONSLAUGHT: VI REVIEW

The sixth album by thrashers Onslaught comes with the aptly titled VI. Yeah I know clever. The follow up to 2011's "Sounds Of Violence" is a short but sweet thrash outing.

  Comin in at just under the forty minute mark with eight tracks (and an intro). The lyrical content is your typical war, anti religion, etc that permeates the genre. However there are stand out lyrical moments in tracks like "Chaos Is King" and "Children Of The Sand".

  As far as the music goes, it's a very riff

driven album. While the music isn't the be all-end all of thrash, it flows rather well with the album. You'll definitely find yourself moving your head to the guitar/drum parts though.

  The vocals on this record is what shines. Frontman Sy Keeler carries these songs with aggression and a groove. There's a certain fist pumping feel the chorus of these tracks. Especially the track " 66 'Fuckin'6". That song In particular surprised me because it isn't as cheesy as it sounds. 

  While this isn't an instant classic, it's still a very solid album. For fans of trash, this record will sit nice with your collection 

Rating: 7 out of 10

Notable Tracks:

  "Children Of The Sand"

  "66'Fuckin'6"

  "Dead Man Walking"

SEVENTH WONDER: THE GREAT ESCAPE REVIEW

First let me start this off by mentioning Tommy Karevik is one of my favorite singers and yes I totally fangirled here (this will be important on later reviews I do). OK background time. The Great Escape is the fourth album by this Swedish power/prog band. The album's thirty minute title track is based off of the Swedish poem "the Aniara". The opener (Wizeman) is connected as well like a sort of prequel.

  You get all the proggy goodness that you'd expect from theses guys. Oddly enough the length of these songs isn't really noticeable though. They maintain enough variety to hold your interest all the way through. Each instrument is given plenty of time to shine and the production is good enough to make each one distinguishable.  The only minor problem on the instrumental side of things is there are moments they seem to be recycling themselves, especially on solos an the bass parts. Each song has a mix between mid to slow-tempo sections which gives a bit of diversity to them.

  Lyrically this is an odd one. There are moments where the lyrics are beautiful and poetic then there are times where they get to be cheesier than a dairy farm. Despite that, they are still very convincing and don't seem to get in the way of the enjoyment factor.

  And now my favorite part. VOCALS! Sorry, fangirl moment. Tommy Kareviks voice mostly feels like your expected prog singer however he occasionally delves into an almost Rock N' Roll rasp. There's a very dramatic feel to him when the time calls for it which makes you feel the emotion he's trying to sell. This is highly apparent on tracks like "Wizeman" and "Long Way Home''. The melodies he conjures on this record make each song incredibly catchy and memorable.

  The lengthy epic title track may not be the most accessible but is super rewarding for it's portrayal of the "Aniara" (given I've never read it but the lyrics makes it understandable as a story). Along with Karevik's wife or sister(?) Jenny guesting on it who is equally as talented. As for the rest of the songs go each is memorable and distinct in it's own right. The only song that is less than (seventh) wonderful is "Move On Through" which isn't a bad song in any way but just doesn't keep up with the rest of the record. This album stays in pretty constant rotation in my listening choices and for good reason.  This album isn't really heavy in anyway so that might deter a lot of metal fans but any progressive fan really should have this one in their collection.

RATING: 9 OUT OF 10
NOTABLE TRACKS
  "Wizeman"
  "The Angelmaker"
  "Long Way Home"

REIGN OF FURY: WORLD DETONATION REVIEW

 

My first impression of this by looking at the cover was "Alright another run of the mill new thrash act". While that is definitely embedded in this record there is more than meets the eye here. The Full length debut starts with the three minute long intro track (Goodbye Mother Earth) then the album kicks right into the thrashing. The thing that caught me WAY off guard was the vocals.

 

  Vocalist Bison Wrathbone has something in his voice that I haven't heard in thrash in a long time...melody. At times his voice delves into a almost punkish sound (think early AFI, Koffin Kats). The melodies he creates are incredibly catchy and easily digestible, which yes I know is an oddity in the current state of the genre, He utilizes intelligible death growls sparingly enough to act like a sort of treat to the listener. truth be told, I think the vocal work and delivery here is what separates these guys from the rest of the retro-worshipping pack.

 

  The musicianship here is has the speed and technical prowess to stand up with the rest of their contemporaries. They really are good players, the problem being they love to play too much. Out of the eight tracks, three of them breach the eight minute mark and then there's the three minute intro. No instrumental intro should be three freaking minutes long!

 

  Especially considering the punk vibe to these songs, they should be short and sweet. The long periods of guitar work start to make this album start to slug on a bit. If the filler of the string work was condensed and another song took the place this would be a near perfect album.

 

  The production of this alum is fantastic as you can distinctly make out almost every cymbal crash. The only thing is at points the mixing makes the guitars over power the vocals. All in all though you'll be singing these chorus' for days too come. So if you're looking for a new thrasher to hold you over 'till Metallica releases a new album (ya know in eight more years lol) this album is definitely worth purchasing. There is a lot of showcasing for promising talent by album two so go out, buy it, and bang your fucking head!

 

RATING: 7 OUT OF 10

NOTABLE TRACKS:

  "Heaven Awaits/ Hell Takes"

  "Born To Die"

  "World Detonation"