Alright,
well here it is! My albums of 2009 blog (a few of these may be from
2008). I will be continually adding to this until I have put in all
the records that I feel fit, so keep a look out. I hope this helps you
discover some new bands, and maybe re-discover some old ones as well,
so please enjoy!
Disclaimer: These are my opinions and my
opinions only, so if you disagree please do not take anything in this
blog personally, or as fact.
Also, these are in no order whatsoever.
Conducting From the Grave - When Legends Become Dust I debated whether or not I should get this album for a long time. The previews seemed alright, but not overwhelmingly amazing. Boy was I wrong. When Legends Become Dust is a solid metalcore release from start to finish. The guitars are the highlight here. The riffs are all over the place (but not spastic or wanky). The lead work is very melodic and the breakdowns are heavy but not overdone. Instrumentally this disc is executed very precisely and memorably. My main problem, however, is the vocals. The vocalist's highs are fine, but his lows are just plain terrible. He needs to change or get out of the band. After many listens he still bothers me. He doesn't completely ruin it, though, since I still listen to this fairly often. I'd highly recommend this to fans of the members' previous project, With Passion. Rating: 7/10
Born of Osiris - A Higher Place I had the chance to see Born of Osiris at Summer Slaughter this year, and they were quite impressive live. Their first cd (which is short enough to be an EP) The New Reign is very easy to listen to and I spin it all the time. It is legitimately technical (especially the drums) and is filled with really cool keyboard parts to change the mood. 2009's A Higher Place returns with the same goal, but doesn't quite accomplish that goal as effectively as The New Reign does. After several spins the songs still sound the same, although there are a couple stand outs. The instrumentation and vocals are great, but it's slightly predictable in places and the flat production doesn't help the band out. It's a solid effort, but just doesn't deliver like it should. Rating: 6/10
Augury - Fragmentary Evidence Wow. Canadian progressive/technical death metal outfit Augury are a stellar band. A lot of sophomore efforts of 2009 have been let downs for me personally, but Fragmentary Evidence goes against the grain, providing quite the opposite of a disappointment. The vocal delivery in particular is addicting (the vocal interlude of Brimstone Landscapes has to be heard to be believed). Soaring, spacey guitar leads are abundant, and the acoustic/clean sections are executed as if the band has been around for decades. I originally wasn't very impressed with the group's debut, Concealed, but after hearing Fragmentary Evidence, I have gained a new respect for it. Rating: 8.5/10
There are many more discs that I picked up (and thoroughly enjoyed) during 2009, but unfortunately I do not feel like reviewing the rest of them. Thanks for checking out these blogs, and I'll see you next year with (hopefully) a new pile of great albums!
Alright, well here it is! My albums of 2009 blog (a few of these may be from 2008). I will be continually adding to this until I have put in all the records that I feel fit, so keep a look out. I hope this helps you discover some new bands, and maybe re-discover some old ones as well, so please enjoy!
Disclaimer: These are my opinions and my opinions only, so if you disagree please do not take anything in this blog personally, or as fact.
Also, these are in no order whatsoever.
Xerath - I I always love hearing new things. Using previously unexplored methods of writing music and molding genres into one new idea. This is exactly what Xerath does on their debut album I. Meshuggah-esque guitars and rhythms are combined with epic keyboards into what the group calls 'chugscore' (I love cheese!). I would never have thought the two sounds could work so well and smoothly together. Xerath does a wonderful job here, and has made a very enjoyable album. The material does grow rather repetitive, however, as the riffs are rather simple (though catchy). By the closing songs I find myself yawning a few times, but if you can keep yourself attentive through the entire album, you will find some wonderful moments of fun, enjoyable metal. Rating: 6.5/10
Within the Ruins - Creature "What the hell?" was my initial response to this band, as my first experience with them was seeing the crazy album artwork. I was actually a bit afraid to listen to them. Don't let the vibrant pink and green venus fly trap fool you, though. These guys are very serious about their music. Creature is 10 solid tracks of technical metalcore, and is honestly one of the best releases of 2009 for me. The cd cuts right to the chase with "The Book of Books" and keeps going with fast paced, hectic stop-and-start guitar work until the finish, with some enjoyable acoustic/piano breaks taking place during "Jump Ship" and "Victory". The guitarists are extremely talented and never fail to amuse, the drums fit perfectly into the mix and are very impressive, the vocalist puts a lovely icing on the cake, and the bassist has his moments (there are only a couple, but his lack of presence doesn't take away much, I promise). Virtually every single riff, lick, and lead is harmonized on here, which makes this just so much better. Creature is a very fun listen. I strongly advise you to check this one out! Rating: 9.5/10
Vomit the Soul - Apostles of Inexpression Italy brings us Vomit the Soul, a slam death metal band that really slays. Apostles of Inexpression, their new album, is 32 minutes of non-stop pounding, chugging, and dare I say slamming riffs that absolutely destroys my speakers. There are no breaks whatsoever from the carnage, which despite making the album extra brutal, makes it extra forgetful as well. No songs really stand out to these ears. I don't listen to very much (well any, really) slam death metal regularly, so I don't know if this style is regular to the genre, but I find that if I treat the album as one long song, it is much more enjoyable because I forget that all the songs are pretty much the same in the end. On another note, the production is top notch and works for their style in my opinion, and the artwork is rather sweet as well. If you like the really heavy stuff, check this out. Just don't expect to have any particular section stuck in your head. Rating: 5/10
Persefone - Shin-Ken Hailing from Andorra, Persefone blends a heavily Opeth-influenced style of progressive death metal with some nice keyboards and melodic death metal flair. Their first two albums, 2004's Truth Inside the Shades and 2006's Core (pronounced kor-ay) absolutely blew me away, especially the latter. Core is over and hour long, and is composed of three twenty-or-so minute songs cut into pieces, and revolves around a very interesting lyrical theme (that you history buffs will really dig). I consider it nothing less than a masterpiece. Obviously, going into 2009's Shin-Ken, I had really high expectations, and was not expecting to have them met. It turns out, however, that these Europeans have let me down much more than I thought they would. The album still has what the band is about, but takes influence from many other styles (such as metalcore) that I don't feel is necessary to their sound. There are several filler tracks, and my attention is never held for more than a few minutes. The production is flat, the vocals aren't very good, and the song structures are quite simple. I'm very disappointed with this one, but am hoping these guys will find their identity again for their next release. Rating: 3.5/10
Obscura - Cosmogenesis Hey look, a technical death metal band from Germany that isn't Necrophagist! Obscura does contain members of Necrophagist, but doesn't sound all that much like Mohammed Suicmez and his clique. That doesn't mean much, though, as Cosmogenesis is a very enjoyable album. I checked out this band a year or two ago and thought they were okay at best, but the release of this disc has changed my view. Fast riffing and melodic soloing, a very strong (fretless) bass presence, and lots of sweep picking fill the band's sound. Song structure is solid, albeit a bit predictable, and production is good as well. There are several acoustic sections scattered throughout, and a couple bass solos, which give some variation to the band's naturally aggressive behavior. My main problem is the singer, whose yelling style doesn't really fit the music in my opinion. The rest of the group is too strong to allow him to take away though, so in the end it's all good. Cosmogenesis is an impressive album, and I will be keeping a close eye on these guys. Rating: 7.5/10
Molotov Solution - The Harbinger For me, deathcore is definitely a love it or hate it genre of music. In the case of Molotov Solution, love it applies. When I bought this I didn't really know what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised on first listen. This thing packs a punch (and a big one at that). The production itself gives this band a HUGE sound. The vocals are powerful, and the breakdowns are crushing. The drums are a pretty simple, but work out fine in the end, because the songs are surprisingly memorable. The lyrical content on this one is quite interesting, in the fact that it deals with politics, overthrowing governments, and things like that. There are some very catchy vocal lines over some of the breakdowns, as evident in "Warlords". The use of the tritone occurs way too much in my opinion (especially in the breakdowns), and the last track, "The Dawn of Ascendency", seems pointless in my opinion, because its only real purpose is to convey "look at us, we can do melody too!" to listeners, but overall, this album is very enjoyable to listen to. It makes car rides fun as well. Rating: 8/10
Inferi - The End of an Era Inferi is an American melodic death metal act that, quite frankly, loves solos (second to only the Absence in the shredding region of American mdm I'd say). The End of an Era is absolutely filled with the things. Guitar solos, bass solos, more guitar solos, etc. Malcolm Pugh, the lead guitarist, is great at what he does (check out his technical death metal project A Loathing Requiem as well), and compliments his noodling with frantic riffing that after many listens, becomes memorable. What do I mean by this? Well, after some thinking I've concluded that this album is simply too long. All the songs are good and all, and the delivery is excellent and full of energy (especially from the vocal and drum departments), but there is just too much material and too much to take in at once. Towards the end, I find myself going "MUAARRGGHHH is it over yet?" just because of the material, which despite being solid, is simply too overwhelming. There are some stupendous tracks, however, such as stage-setting intro "The Ruin of Mankind" and eight-minute instrumental track "The Warrior's Infinite Opus" (which still makes my jaw drop). As they always say, quality over quantity. Inferi have provided both, but perhaps a little too much in the quantity region. Buy this album, the band needs money! Rating: 7/10
Gorod - Process of a New Decline I love French jazzy technical death metal. Why? Because of Gorod, and their 2006 album Leading Vision. I still spin that disc regularly, because it's so good. Not only is the guitar work out of this world, but the drummer (who is no longer a member of the band) is a girl (and one of the best drummers I've heard), and the cd is lyrically a concept album! You can probably tell where I'm going with this. Similar story to Persefone (see review in this blog). I was expecting great things, but didn't quite get what I asked for on the band's third official release. Process of a New Decline is boring and redundant. The production is flat, the vocals aren't delivered nearly as well as on Leading Vision, and all the songs blend in with each other. Sure, the guitar work is still amazing, and there are some standout songs, such as "Disavow Your God", but that doesn't really mean anything considering all the downsides to this album. If you're a fan of the band's other releases I'd say pick it up, but don't expect much. Rating; 4/10
Fleshgod Apocalypse - Oracles I've already talked about the molding of genres into new creations in this blog. Guess what? I'm going to talk about it again, because Fleshgod Apocalypse combines fast-paced, unrelenting brutal death metal with classical music to create great music. Oracles is quite the experience. Pummeling one minute, and relaxing the next as pianos, strings, and choirs glide in and out of crazy riffs and neoclassical guitar solos (which there are plenty of). The vocalist delivers a powerful effort, and the drummer is insane, blasting his way into the horizon. Crisp production and sweet album artwork seal the deal on this one. One of the best brutal death albums of the year. Rating: 8.5/10
The Faceless - Planetary Duality 2006's Akeldama saw California's The Faceless playing a progressive style of deathcore that gained them many strong supporters. The band's sophomore effort Planetary Duality depicts an intriguing genre change, with the band evolving into a very mature powerhouse of technical death metal. Michael Keene has some of the most spacey leads I've ever heard, which really fit the album art. Some Psycroptic-esque riffs are also present, but mostly The Faceless's own version of chord play and snaking riffs, combined with sweeping leads and some slower clean breaks. I really love the production on this album. Gives it a very full sound. There isn't really much at all to complain about here. The Faceless have hit home twice in a row now, and I will be anticipating for a hat trick on their next one. Rating: 9/10
The Eyes of a Traitor - A Clear Perception I'm not really sure what to say about this one. The Eyes of a Traitor are a borderline metalcore/deathcore band from England, and they're good at what they do. The guitarists are full of great ideas and the leads are often stuck in my head. The vocalist is a bit of an acquired taste, but he really does a solid job of reflecting the rest of the music. Song structure is nicely put together, with the most important motifs being repeated a perfect number of times with the right amounts of variation. The track Decorus is a bit of a waste of time, but it's quite emotional after several listens. This album never gets old. The Eyes of a Traitor have made a very memorable disc with A Clear Perception and I hope they keep it that way in the future. If you like this, check out the group Painted in Exile. Rating: 8.5/10
Despised Icon - Day of Mourning The guys in Despised Icon know what they are doing. Day of Mourning is their fourth studio disc, and they have pretty much perfected their brand of deathcore. Huge, lurching breakdowns combined with the dual vocal forces of Alexandre Erian and Steve Marois, added to light speed drumming make for a really heavy band. In fact, The Ills of Modern Man is probably the heaviest deathcore album I own (which is partly due to the massive production). Day of Mourning brings the same furious tendencies to the table, although slightly different in some spots. I don't like this quite as much as Ills, although I'm not sure why. It really is excellent, and enjoyable as hell, but Ills just can't be topped I suppose. Perhaps it is because of the rather lame closer Sleepless, which doesn't at all compare to Fainted Blue Ornaments. Either way, I strongly suggest getting this if you own any of the band's other releases. Rating: 7.5/10
Darkest Hour - The Eternal Return Darkest Hour's been cranking out quality metalcore for years. I listen to Undoing Ruin and Deliver Us all the time, although more so the latter. Obviously expecting great things once again, I bought The Eternal Return without much suspicion. After the first listen, however, I knew something was up. All the songs pretty much sound the same here, which I think is mainly due to guitarist Kris Norris's departure from the band. After several listens I still have trouble telling tracks apart. There are some spectacular moments such as the sweep guitar solo on The Tides, but the lack of drum variation and non-pedal point guitar riffs throughout the album really gets meticulous after a while. If you're a long time DH fan I suppose you should pick this up, but otherwise I'd start with their older material. Rating: 6/10
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