No. 10. NITA STRAUSS – THE CALL OF THE VOID: The long-time Alice Cooper guitar slinger delivers her second solo album, this time shaking things up with a whole host of guest artists (including the boss), as well as some incredible instrumental pieces. The songs with guest stars do tend to take on the flavor of the guest’s band, but that’s honestly not a problem at all as it brings great variety from the melodic death metal influence of “The Wolf You Feed,” featuring Arch Enemy vocalist Alissa White-Gluz, to the quirky nu metal of “Dead Inside,” featuring David Draiman of Disturbed, to the all-out hard rock of “Victorious,” featuring Dorothy. But it’s not just guest vocalists that Strauss brings on as we get a shredder's dream collab with Marty Friedman on “Surfacing,” to close the record. Call of the Void is a solid album that should appeal not only to guitar fans, but fans of great rock songs.
Standout songs: “Summer Storm,” “The Wolf You Feed,” “Victorious,” “Winner Takes All,” “Kintsugi,” “Surfacing”
It’s not often these days that I’m a latecomer to a band. All the music in the world is at my fingertips, and I’m pretty much willing to give anything at least one listen. But somehow, I missed the boat on Avatar.
Back in my newspaper days, I remember them playing a local club. I checked them out, thought it wasn’t my cup of tea, and moved on. I’m not sure what album that was or what songs I listened to, but having spent the past couple of weeks catching up on their catalog, I feel a little silly.
The song that sent me down the Avatar rabbit hole was “Child” from their latest release Hunter Gatherer. I’m not sure what made me click on it after steadfastly ignoring the band for years, but I’m glad that I did.
The super-creepy little ditty about a young child whose mother has been buried alive bounces between a manic, showtune-like verse and a bashing, screaming bridge that leads to an infectious chorus melody straight out of a horror movie – the good kind. It was love at first listen for me, and after running through the song a few times, I had to hear the rest of the record.
I always imagine what the conversation with friends might have been like when Amaranthe decided to get together.
Friend: So are you guys going to be a pop act, a prog metal outfit or a melodic death metal band?
Amaranthe: Yes.
The band has made a decade-long career out of mixing things that shouldn’t go together, and their sixth album, Manifest, continues the tradition. The vocal trio of Elize Ryd, Nils Molin and Henrik Englund Wilhelmsson all give the music a different perspective. Ryd brings the pop hooks and looks, Molin delivers the power and mystery, and Wilhelmsson hammers it home with his death-style growls. Guitarist and primary composer Olof Morck plays them all masterfully in an irresistible genre-blending brand of metal.
When I first heard the title track to Archon Angel’s Fallen back in December, this immediately became one of my most anticipated albums of the year.
“Fallen” could have fit perfectly on Savatage’s Edge of Thorns album, giving me hope for something that I’ve been wanting for years: New music from one of my favorite bands, or about as close as we’re going to get anyway. I’ve long since given up hope that we’ll ever get a reunion or another record from Savatage. Founder/vocalist Jon Oliva has had health issues in recent years and hasn’t released any new music since his 2013 solo project, Raise the Curtain. I also think producer Paul O’Neill’s death a few years ago probably put those possibilities to rest.
Still, Fallenproves that at least one former member wants to keep the sound alive: Zak Stevens, who took over vocal duties for the band when Oliva moved into the background in the early 1990s, has put together a group of talented musicians here and delivered something that, while not quite a Savatage record, is certainly an homage to his former band.
After three of the first four songs released from In Flames’ latest showed a lot of promise, I was hoping to party like it was 2002 with great albums from both Soilwork and In Flames again. In the end, though, it’s a mixed bag with some really strong songs, but quite a few skips.
What’s Hot?
Fans of the band’s earlier work should be pleased that there are heavier songs on this record than they’ve done in a while. It starts with album opener “Voices,” which definitely has some Clayman feel in the verses. That’s followed with the title track, which is an absolute banger. After that, things get spottier. There’s heaviness to be found in “I Am Above,” “Burn” and the addictive riffing of “Deep Inside,” which does a really good job of blending their styles. Yes, the heavy songs here do have more melodic, mainstream choruses, but in most cases, they’re very catchy.
Unfortunately, evolution can be a difficult and dangerous thing for a metal band. Any change in sound in the genre is often met with a swift and ugly response from a large portion of the fan base.
If there’s a template for the way to evolve gracefully, it might belong to Soilwork. That’s not to say that they haven’t seen the backlash as they’ve moved from the Gothenburg death-metal sound to something more melodic and accessible, but they’ve weathered it better than others and continue to pump out great albums. Their latest, Verkligheten (which translates to Reality in English), is no exception.
Normally I’m not a fan of instrumental shred albums or guys that have too many strings on their guitars. Every so often, though, a record comes along that I make an exception for, and Stephan Forte’s The Shadows Compendium is one of the best I’ve broken my unspoken rule for in a long time.
I’ll admit that my aversion to these things springs, at least a little, from jealousy. I love playing guitar, but I’ve struggled and fought for every note that I’ve ever wrung out of the instrument — and truth be told, most of those notes probably should have stayed in it. So, when I see guys like Forte, whose fingers fly across the fretboard with preternatural grace and seemingly little effort, it raises in me this odd mixture of disgust and complete fascination.
As Lacuna Coil’s sound has drifted more and more commercial, my opinion has been here and there on them. I love Comalies, but the bouncy, nu-metallish stuff of Karmacode didn’t connect with me. The catchy melodies of Shallow Life, though, managed to win me over despite the fact that it was easily the poppiest release in the band’s catalog.
Dark Adrenaline blends all of those elements. There’s some of the bouncy stuff, there are some very commercial numbers, and there’s a little bit of that goth rock slipping back in around the edges.
Things start well. First single and first track “Trip the Darkness” is probably the best song Lacuna Coil has recorded since Comalies.
Upon hearing In Flames’ Sounds of a Playground Fading, one of my esteemed colleagues at Teeth of the Divine dubbed it Sounds of a Career Failing. I’m sure many fans will feel the same, but being the contrarian that I am, I’ve got a slightly different take.
I’ll say off the top that I happen to be a big fan of Reroute to Remain, which, I realize, automatically invalidates my opinion among a segment of In Flames fans. So, hardcore In Flames fans look away while I don my flame retardant suit and wade in.
After having essentially given up on Amorphis after 2001’s Am Universum and 2003’s Far from the Sun, which I just didn’t get at all, I’ve been very pleased by the slow and steady comeback they’ve launched since. The introduction of the powerful voice of Tomi Joutsen in 2005 was a step in the right direction, putting them back on the map with 2006’s Eclipse, which was the first Amorphis record I had liked in years. Silent Waters in 2007 improved on the formula a little more, seeing the return of a few death growls here and there in the mix. But the comeback was complete with the release of the 2009 masterpiece Skyforger, which saw the band once again at the height of their creative powers and rivaled anything they’d done in the past.
That release set a high bar and even higher expectations for the band’s latest effort, The Beginning of Times.
Jorn Lande makes his return to Masterplan on their latest effort, Time to Be King, and it makes all the difference.
The band’s 2007 outing, MKII, without Lande at the helm, was an OK effort, but he was definitely missed. This record makes the absence obvious. With Lande on the mic, they’re a much more powerful outfit.
Projects that feature a who’s who of artists from a genre usually disappoint me. No matter the gathering of talent, it usually just doesn’t quite gel. One exception to that rule in the past has been Tobias Sammet’s Avantasia. Once again, for the most part, he overcomes that with the double release of The Wicked Symphony and Angel of Babylon. A big difference is that Avantasia remains Sammet’s vision, rather than taking on the characteristics of the other artists.
What he doesn’t overcome is the curse of the double album. Typically, they only contain enough really good material for about one record and some uninspired filler. It could be because I started with Angel of Babylon and was just tired by the time I got to the middle of The Wicked Symphony, but Angel seems to be the much stronger release of the two.
The other half of Tobias Sammet’s two-album Avantasia release, The Wicked Symphony, doesn’t fare quite as well as its counterpart Angel of Babylon. It, too, has its moments, but overall seems just a little too generic power metal in places.
Like its companion piece, The Wicked Symphony opens with a longer, more epic number in the title track. This is one area where this record is better. The song opens with some symphonic adventure movie orchestration and features some dramatic riffing. It’s far better than the forgettable opening track of Angel of Babylon.
After being particularly impressed by Elis’ Catharsis recently, I was anxious to check out the latest from Siegfried, Nibelung, featuring vocalist Sandra Schleret from the Elis record. It also didn’t hurt that I happen to be a fan of Wagner, the original metal musician, so I was intrigued by the theme of the record.
This record is, apparently, the third in an attempt to do a metal version of Wagner’s operatic treatment of the epic German poem Nibelungenlied.
Any package that includes releases from Napalm Records always gives me mixed feelings. On the one hand, I’m pretty sure that I’ll enjoy most of them, on the other, I know I’ll have to deal with voiceovers on at least half the songs. (Come on, guys, the watermark is sufficient for most everyone these days). It’s particularly frustrating on a record I really like, such as Elis’ Catharsis.
The debut record from Fool’s Game is a promising collection of melodic metal tunes, if at times frustrating. The clear strength of the record is in the guitar work of Matt Crooks and Matt Johnsen of Pharoah fame. The six-string mastery is the foundation that the band is built on and is solid enough to cover up the record’s biggest weakness, the vocals of Lars Larsen.
The songs here draw on influence from some of the biggest forces in the melodic and power genres. The material seems to be heavily shaped by Blind Guardian, but you’ll also hear nods to Savatage, Nevermore and other bands.
Reality Divine blasts into action with opening cut “Mass Psychosis,” which showcases the guitar work with some impressive lead and nice riffing. Larsen’s vocals hover somewhere between Zachary Stevens and Matt Barlow, but with notable weaknesses. There are occasional notes that just sound off and his “death growl” is almost painful. He’s in better territory on “When the Beginning Meets the End,” with a Hansi Kursch-like delivery. There’s a cool 1970s prog synth line at the beginning and some nice atmospherics lurking just below the surface of the song.
The vocals and the record reach a low-point on “As the Field of Dreams was Abandoned,” where the early vocals are really bad and then Larsen attempts to do more than he’s capable of on the chorus. Fortunately, it’s the only real mess here, and is quickly made up for with the next track.
Perhaps the highlight of the records is “The Conqueror Worm,” featuring a vocal appearance by Tim Aymar of Control Denied and Pharoah. There’s a cool, funky opening, and some of the best guitar work on a record that’s impressive in that area. The vocals are steadier here than on any other track, and while it doesn’t quite achieve the epic feel that it’s going for, it’s still a great tune. There’s a nod to thrash on the opening of “Sowing Dead Seeds,” but it doesn’t stay in that territory long. It moves into a sort of dreamy power ballad and settles back into prog-power mode.
Much of the record, though, is up and down, blending some impressive bits with a few blahs. “She Moved Through the Fair,” for example, has some outstanding riffing early, but the verse is a power metal number that we’ve heard countless times. The intro to that song, however, is solid with a dark pianos and big, dramatic blasts of power a la Savatage. “The Wild Swans at Coole” isn’t bad, but doesn’t really have anything to recommend it, either. Album closer “On Endless Plains of Ignorance” features a catchy riff and lead, but I’m not sure I’ll remember much about it.
Reality Divine does offer quite a bit of promise. It’s an entertaining, occasionally impressive, record from a band that, musically, seems to have unlimited potential. I’ll be interested to see what they do in the future.
I've got a bit of a love/hate relationship with new projects from Savatage members. On the one hand, I have a massive amount of respect for most of the musicians that have been part of that band over the years (hence the name of the site), and I always look forward to their new efforts. On the other, it always reminds me how long it's been since we've had a new Savatage record and how unlikely it seems that we'll ever get another.
Now that my gripe session is out of the way, we'll get on to Machines of Grace, the new project that features former Savatage singer Zak Stevens and drummer Jeff Plate. Surprisingly, the band's debut record has very little to do with Savatage, and a lot more to do with good, old-fashioned melodic hard rock. There are certainly some metallic moments to be found through the album, like the undeniable guitar riff of second track "Psychotic," one of my personal favorites, but more often than not there are heavy overtones of 1970s and '80s arena rock. Machines of Grace has all the hallmarks of that genre: big memorable guitar licks, catchy melodies and just a little bit of dramatic flair.
As I understand it, this is a reunion of sorts. Stevens, Plate and guitarist Matt Leff played in a Boston-based band called Wicked Witch in the late 1980s. Apparently the songs here are a combination of reworkings of some of the original Wicked Witch tunes and all-new material. The 1980s influence is definitely present, particularly on the ballads like "This Time," which despite some tasty guitar work from Leff, still has a bit too much of the hair metal power ballad to it. But misses in the 14 songs here are few and far between.
The record opens with a rock-solid set of four big, fist-pumping rockers. "Just a Game" opens with a very cool (if a bit too brief) swinging blues rock intro before blasting into full hard rock mode with a version of the same lick on steroids. That's followed by the chugging riff of "Psychotic," which worms its way into your head and won't go away. The first taste of the progressive sounds Stevens and Plate explored in Savatage comes on "Fly Away," which wouldn't have seemed out of place on that band's "Edge of Thorns" or "Handful of Rain" albums (despite the fact that Plate didn't play on either of those records). The blues influence returns a bit on the grooving intro to "Innocence." The song is largely acoustic, but rocks just as hard as some of the heavier tunes.
The first true ballad comes with "The Moment," a big, dramatic number with an opening in the vein of King's X. It's grown on me, but hasn't quite overcome my aversion to ballads. There's some more tasty guitar work by Leff on "Prelude," which ranges from acoustic to some slightly exotic licks to progressive in its minute or so running time before leading into "Between the Lines," with its big, memorable chorus.
Later in the album, the more metallic side of the band returns for "Breakdown" and "Soul to Fire." Both have a great mix of heavy riffs and unforgettable melodic bits. The star of "Breakdown" is this huge 1970s-style chorus refrain that's unstoppable. "Soul to Fire" brings the progressive back, big-time -- it's easily one of the best tracks here, along with "Psychotic" and "Fly Away." There's also another little nice surprise waiting in the final tracks with the Thin Lizzy-influenced rocker "Better Days," that at first seems a bit out of place with the rest of the record, but is just too upbeat to dismiss.
Stevens' voice is as good as it's ever been. The vocals are less dramatic and over-the-top than his work with Savatage, but the style fits perfectly with the music. Leff comes up with some huge riffs and tasteful leads. The rhythm section of Plate and bassist Chris Rapoza lays down solid grooves. It's a strong debut record from start to finish.
Whether you're a fan of Savatage or just great melodic hard rock/metal in general, do yourself a favor and check this one out.
When you play in a group of extremely talented musicians who are all trying to grab their piece of the spotlight, it’s no surprise that, at some point, you’d want to do your own record and put yourself in the spotlight. Already considered one of the best vocalists in metal, Warrel Dane now indulges his own tastes a bit to showcase that voice outside the confines of Nevermore. He’s recruited ex-Soilworkers Peter Wichers (who also recorded and mixed the record) and Dirk Verbeuren and Matt Wicklund, formerly of Himsa, to back him on a record that, while not alien-sounding to Nevermore fans, allows Dane to stretch his horizons.
It’s an easy and obvious comparison, but Praises to the War Machine is somewhat similar to a Bruce Dickinson solo record, in that it’s a record that allows Dane to be the star of the show without having to share time with other band members. Like Dickinson’s records, in some ways this one is almost superior to Nevermore. There’s certainly a bigger focus here on song structures and songwriting than technicality. Not every song needs a blast of virtuosic performance, not even from Dane himself. It also gives Dane a chance to show more of his range from the warbling vocals Nevermore fans are familiar with to some nice lower register work which is surprising in spots.
The record is, at times, a bit indulgent, but that’s really the point of a solo record. There are certainly things you’d never hear on a Nevermore record, like a fairly faithful cover of the Sisters of Mercy’s “Lucretia My Reflection” - one of the highlights of the record - or the melancholy, almost gothic “Your Chosen Misery” or the sort of bluesy feel of the opening of “This Old Man,” both of which showcase a lower, more subdued side of Dane than we’re used to hearing. Many of the slower songs here are a bit morose and there seems to be an obsession lyrically with the death of a family member that runs through several of the songs. Even the slower songs provide some moments of undeniable power, though, like the soaring chorus of “Brother.”
There’s also a conscious effort here to not alienate fans of Nevermore, as evidenced by opening tracks “When We Pray” and “Messenger” (featuring Jeff Loomis on guitar), neither of which would cause fans to bat an eye if they appeared on his regular band’s next record. Perhaps the most surprising moment on the record is an unexpectedly heavy, very Nevermore-ish cover of Paul Simon’s “Patterns,” which is another highlight of the record. He closes with a bang, delivering the pounding, crunching sound of his main band on “Equilibrium.”
Praises to the War Machine is not a huge departure from what we’ve heard Dane do before. While it gives him a chance to show some things we don’t normally hear in his regular gig, the music here is more like Nevermore than unlike. The big difference is that it’s arranged to showcase the vocals and, yes, deliver up perhaps a few more accessible moments to those who aren’t obsessed with virtuosic performances. It’s hard to get choruses like the one from “The Day the Rats Went to War” (which brings in the title of the record) out of your head, and maybe the songs here are, at times, a bit catchier than the average Nevermore fare. But fans of the band won’t be disappointed, nor will fans of great melodic metal in general. This one’s easily a top 10 release for the year.
Despite a rotating cast of musicians, no one in the melodic/power metal realms has produced more consistent records over the past several years than Firewind. Their latest record, The Premonition, is the second record for Century Media and the second with the same lineup, a first in the band’s history. While it doesn’t bring any major shifts in direction, it does find the band beginning to mesh better.
The record opens with a bang on the thrasher “Into the Fire.” This track features an obvious homage to classic Metallica. In its opening, you’ll hear elements of “Battery,” “Sanitarium,” “Blackened” and a few others leading into some fast-paced riffing that finally settles more into power metal territory when Apollo Papathanasio begins singing. It’s not the rip-off of Metallica that a few other bands are pushing these days, and perhaps it’s not exactly a straightforward tribute, but it’s certainly a tip of the hat to the influence, and it’s a welcome beginning to a welcome CD.
The Premonition has a nice variety about it. The songs range from pounding power metal numbers to more commercial pieces, like the first single “Mercenary Man,” where the band brings some 1980s arena rock influence. That track also features one of the most memorable hooks to be found here. It’s really a tune to get out on the highway and crank as loud as it will go with that soaring opening and chorus, just set the cruise control if you don’t want it to be an expensive trip. The record keeps going strong with the slashing riffs of “Angels Forgive Me” and a return to the thrash touches that opened the record on “Remembered.” The Police-inspired clean opening of “My Loneliness,” which finds Papathanasio doing his best early Sting, is cool. I was impressed by the choice not to include a ballad on their last record Allegiance, but for the most part I like this one. The verses are cool, but the chorus is not quite as catchy, sounding a bit like a Scorpions throw-away.
There are some rough moments later in the record that make it not quite as enjoyable as Allegiance. After a nice traditional metal opening riff, “Circle of Life” loses its steam and becomes perhaps the most lifeless offering of the 10 tracks here. And I’m not sure what they were thinking when they decided to cover Michael Sembello’s “Maniac.” Yeah, the song from “Flashdance.” They crunch it up enough to make it listenable, but it’s still a real head-scratcher for me. The only thing I can figure is that keyboard player Bob Katsionis really wanted to do the synth line that opens the song and somehow convinced the rest of the band to do it.
Fortunately, they make a comeback after that to close the album strong with “Life Foreclosed.” The song is perhaps the darkest moment on the record, and despite some small lyrical challenges in the chorus, it’s still one of the best numbers here.
With The Premonition, Firewind delivers exactly what I’ve come to expect from them, a set of tasteful, melodic and catchy songs that are well-played and well-produced. Founder and guitarist Gus G. has quickly become one of my favorite players in the current crop, and his chops continue to impress here. While I occasionally think Papathanasio needs a little more grit in his voice, it’s hard to argue with the power he puts into moments like the chorus of “Mercenary Man.” You’d be hard-pressed to find a better band in the current crop of power/melodic metallers than Firewind. While The Premonition doesn’t top 2006’s Allegiance, which stands as Firewind’s best work to date, it’s still a very solid, consistent album and one worth your consideration.
Agonizer has taken the long road to get to their debut album on Spinefarm. A few demos that got good reviews and almost, but not quite, got them record deals. A few contests entered that they almost, but not quite, won. It made me suspect that this record might be almost, but not quite, good.
Surprisingly, the brand of melodic metal that Agonizer dishes out is not bad at all. It’s very reminiscent of labelmates and fellow Finns Kiuas, one of my favorite discoveries of the past few years. Agonizer doesn’t delve into the death metal realm like Kiuas, but the melodic bits here are very similar and singer Pasi Karkkainen’s vocals at times bear more than a passing resemblance to Kiuas singer Ilja Jalkanen.
There’s nothing really original or groundbreaking here. The riffs of guitarists Jari-Pekka Perala and Joni Laine are solid with a satisfying amount of crunch, the keys are not overbearing, though perhaps slightly overused, and the band offers up some memorable hooks. There are traces of Sentenced on songs like “Everyone of Us” and “Hazardous,” which starts as a melancholy ballad, explodes into a big hook and then drops into a classical-inspired dirge.
There are a few surprises here and there. Some work, like the hardcore-style backing vocals on the chorus album opener “Prisoner.” Some don’t, like the more commercial rock beginning of “Sleepless.” The opening of “The Birth and the End” is a mixed bag with a nice piece that sounds like a sitar, but the commercial vocals in the first few moments kind of ruin the effect. Though not particularly unusual, the all-out assault of “Prophecy” is also inspired, ranking it as one of the better moments on the record, along with the aforementioned “Hazardous.”
Is "Birth/The End" a great record? Well, as their history suggests, the answer is, almost, but not quite. The album likely won’t blow you away, but it is a rock solid debut from a band that you’ll definitely want to watch for in the future.
