Projected Twin - Earth Vs. World (2013)

This is the second album from Projected Twin, the brainchild of Adelaide local Shaun Holton. Following on from the similarly titled, self-produced debut Earth to World, Earth vs World was made possible by the increasingly successful Pledge Music organization. For those unfamiliar, Pledge and similar organizations take donations towards the cost of recording upcoming albums and, in a nutshell, donators are essentially paying for their copy of the record before it's even produced. It's a brilliant concept and many artists are now following this path including Ben Folds.

But never mind about jolly old Ben for now. Projected Twin is the focus here, and more specifically, Earth vs World. Kicking off with a chiming guitar intro, the opening track "You Threw the Stone" is a lilting piece of calming melancholia that gives glimpses of Holton's guitar prowess and powerful singing voice. In a way, this track lulls the listener into a false sense of security, as the second track "The Ritual" crashes to life with heavily distorted guitars, thumping bass and drums and eerie choral vocals that lend it a rather epic weight. On the first listen, I was like "What the hell? That first track was so pleasant!", but rather than being issonant and spiky, this track (while a surprise after its floaty predecessor) gives the listener a shot of adrenaline and rams home the point that Earth vs World has more than ethereal niceness. It has balls. It has eclecticism, and it has drive and vision. There's far more to this track (and its parent album) than mere heaviness though. It's a ten minute tour de force that draws on metal, folk, prog-rock and pop sounds, and it ends with a soaring crescendo that leaves you breathless . Despite the track's myriad influences, there's no frantic genre hopping. All the different styles segue into one another with taste and precision. This track is really quite indicative of the album as a whole. Even though there are heavy moments, there's no way you'd call it a metal album. Nor it is a pop album, despite the melodic and structural sensibility. It's a rock album. Hard rock, folk rock, pop rock, prog rock, whatever....in fact it's all of the above.

There is a real depth and bravery to Holton's songwriting. While much of it is accessible and will undoubtedly appeal to a mainstream audience, he's clearly following his own musical vision and is unafraid to experiment with different styles, rhythms and instrumentation. "Divine Intervention" (not the Slayer album, relax) features a surprising....and surprisingly effective trombone part interwoven with the chugging guitars. "Sirens" is also noteworthy, not only because of its rhythmic complexity, but also because it features the lovely lead vocals of Ms Cat Johns. It almost sounds like Radiohead if they were fronted by Beth Orton!

Speaking of Radiohead, fans of the same and indeed fans of any epic progressive music will enjoy this record. There are elements of Tool, Cog, Karnivool, Opeth and, dare I say it, even Pink Floyd present here. Reading through that list may make some of you think that this is mere art-rock wankery. It most certainly is not! As mentioned earlier, there are plenty of quieter and poppier moments to suit less experimental tastes.

Holton's voice is very impressive for the most part, and this brings me to the only downside of this album. There's obvious autotune on the lead vocals (unless Holton is the best rock vocalist since Freddy Mercury) and the production, while sufficiently clear and weighty, is very slick and polished. It almost sounds like it's coming out of an FM radio already! Wait! Before you PT fans crucify me for my insolence, the fault lies not with the album's personnel, but with the status quo of the music industry and what albums are "supposed" to  sound like. Even though it's a little clinical for my tastes, the average listener won't be concerned with the autotune or the production, and nor should they be as there are far too many positives to this release for anyone to be bothered about dwelling on such drudgery.

The instrumental performances are exemplary. Luke Whelan's drumming is powerful yet tasteful and Chris Lau's bass playing is simply monolithic! Holton and Lau share the guitar duties and there are some great riffs, solos and harmonized parts. These elements would be good enough on their own, but add the trombone, keys and Holton & John's effusive vocals and you have an album that is quite special. On the subject of guitars, the album was exclusively recorded using Adelaide guitar manufacturer Lauda Guitars' instruments and it's great to see local artists and manufacturers supporting each other. The two real standout tracks are "The Ritual" and "Sirens" for the reasons I mentioned earlier, but the rest of the tracks stack up extremely well and the record works seamlessly as a single entity.

To use a tired and hackneyed cliche, I wouldn't be surprised if Projected Twin is "the next big thing" in Australian music and it's perfectly poised to fill the gap left by the now defunct Cog. Fans of prog-rock, metal, pop or just any good music whatsoever, I urge you to check out Earth vs World. While it's a little shiny and ever so slightly meek in parts, it's a mightily impressive effort for what is essentially a self produced record. Highly recommended!

7.5/10

-Stewart Hall

Official Site - http://www.projectedtwin.com/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/projectedtwin

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Philip H. Anselmo & Warbeast - War of the Gargantuas (Split) (2013)

Have you ever looked at Bigfoot, and thought that he looked kind of familiar? One look at his likeness on the cover of "War of the Gargantuas," and his face may seem oddly so. Whether or not he is, in fact, the fabled Sasquatch aside, Philip Anselmo of Down, Pantera, Superjoint Ritual fame is posied to release his first solo album ever. And while these tracks won't be found on that disc or anything other, it was a prime opportunity to show off before the time comes. Paired with him this time around are Texas based thrashers Warbeast who, for their own part, have built quite the following since the release of their debut album in 2010. With two tracks from each gracing this disc, the drool might start to roll down your chin, in anticipation of what both parties have coming down the pike.

Anselmo brings his signature voice immediately on "Conflict," with help from his backing band, The Illegals. But more than that, it sees him tread new ground musically. The southern grooves that he had become known for get moved to the back burner. Instead, you have an all out thrashing affair in the short term, a unbridled aggression that he has yet to front. With top notch guitar work all throughout the track, it is a treat to hear contrasting styles come together this way. Each verse sees high speed, looping riffs; the chorus and bridge sections take the tempo down, and lean heavily on massive distorted riffs. And while his second track, "Family, 'Friends', and Associates" is not as overly beastly, it sees Anselmo more in the comfort zone we have grown to know of him. The work of his band, with Jose Manuel Gonzales at the drum, deserves boat loads of praise, delivering on every level. The only drawback here is the length of the track, clocking in at only three and a half minutes. With a mix this packed, it would seem like a five minute run might suit it better.

For their part, Warbeast bring a massive amount of distortion to the party on their two tracks. "Birth Of A Psycho," a tell tale track title, is a thrash masterpiece. The sheer speed and precision of the guitar work is enough to convert a lot of fans. With the vocal delivery coming through raw and unrefined, it is easy to find yourself focused more on the instrumental. But don't lose track of the big picture, because everything has a place here. Guitarist Scott Shelby is a bonafide virtuoso in his own right, with his riffs coming at break neck speed. And while "IT" is more of the same, it is not to be ignored. The breakdown section here steals the spotlight, giving you some of the most intensely heavy, but technically sound, guitar work that will ever grace a thrash track.

With both bands looking forward to the release of their respective albums, a split of this nature is an appetizer before the main meal. For Anselmo, he considers these two songs to be "Tame" as compared to what the first solo album of his 30 year career will bring. And while “Walk Through Exits Only” has been pushed back to an early summer release, this should be enough to wet your whistle until then. For Warbeast, you know exactly what to expect from their sophomore effort, titled "Destroy," when it sees the light of day in March: unrestrained, deranged riffs with a side of blissful devastation. If their efforts here are any indication, they might be the cause of the next great natural disaster.

8/10

Philip H. Anselmo
Official Site - http://www.philanselmo.com/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/philipanselmo

Warbeast
Official Site - http://www.warbeast.org/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/warbeast1

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Dilmun Gates - News Of The New World (2012)

It is hard to deny the jealousy we feel at this time of year. Buried in snow, below zero temperatures, and no end in sight. Yet the people of Spain bask in the sheer beauty of their surroundings for 365 days every day. Not only do they have the more enviable climate, but their budding metal scene continues to grow, day by day, pushing new bands to the surface at an alarming rate. From Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Dilmun Gates have become the beneficiary of this extended consciousness. Formed in 2006, the current incarnation, as it were, does not share anything in common with the original except for sound. With four new members, the absence of keyboard, and a clear love of all things melodic death, "News Of The New World" is an album that is long overdue.

With the first distorted guitar notes, "Enemy Of Time"  rattles into action. The greatest strength and weakness are immediately apparent, with the incredibly detailed and catchy guitar lead falling victim to a poor placement in the mix. With the rattling black metal themed drums in the verse taking the top spot on the totem pole, it leaves some of those riffs buried. When they do peak out, they impress time and time again with both their speed and accuracy. Vocalist and bass player Volko sees his voice engulfing all that listen, his gurgling screams enough to make the hair on your neck stand up. But it is the guitar tandem of Jose and Conny that steals the show with a flurry of wild riffs in the bridge. Almost as if they are attached, we run directly into "Before Dying" without as much as a breath in between. Many of the production issues that plagued the opening track have been corrected or masked. The pulsing percussion is joined by a string of clean vocals, but with just enough grit to make the transition easy. It can't be overstated how important the dueling guitar action is to the track and the album on the whole. Equal parts catchy and captivating, the lead riff provides the perfect platform for a vocal that is growing in strength.

Taking a step toward more basic chugging progressions, the band lays down a heavy dose of distortion to open "Handle It." The combination of the basic rhythm section and the more dynamic lead is well conceived, but falls flat at times with a mix that isn't quite up to the challenge. But for all of the shortcomings the production work has as it pertains to the guitars, it more than makes up for with the booming clarity in the drums. Each set of Álejandro's double kicks rings through your speakers with tone and definition. As the breakdown section erupts, you are reminded that there is a dark side to the track that can't be contained. The title track holds the explosion you have waited all year for. All of the pieces fall into place for a five minute barrage of no holds barred death metal. But when it seems as though they have chosen in favor of a one dimensional offering, the guitar melodies kick in, and give you a twist that you may not have expected. Even the outro holds some rich elements. For a brief moment, the guitars sync together on "Next Time I'll Say No" in such a way that you may feel inclined to dance; but only for a moment. That jolly riffing aside, they have now settled into a melodic death groove. The production woes of the first half are gone, finding a perfect balance between all of the moving parts.

Perhaps the most boisterous track on the album, "The Immortals" sees Volko at his best, screaming and growling his way through nearly five minutes of crushing reverb and sizzling cymbals. Through a series of stops and starts, and a set of tempo changes, the band shows a versatility that may have seemed conspicuously absent earlier. Throw in a two headed breakdown attack, and you have something that is sure to please some picky fans. For all of the slower paced moments here, you get as many high speed thrash elements in "You," with a seemingly never ending stream of melodic riffs and bass lines dominating the track. And while the chanting chorus sections may come off as cheesy, they are immediately offset by tremendous growls. And with a run time that falls just shy of four minutes, it moves quickly from A to B. The trio of tracks that ends the albums are all similar, but so different. There is a a distinct groove to be had in "Remain," despite being buried beneath a few layers of thrash metal design. But it is "Turn Into Rage" that best embodies its title, filled with machine gun drums and wild, flailing solo work. Straightforward, heavy, and to the point, it stands out as the most in your force track on the album. A combination of the two can be found in the finale, "The Intriguer." One part brutal beatdown, one part soothing melody, two parts top notch musicianship.

Metal doesn't have to be rocket science. The desire to make great music so often gets trumped by the desire to do something crazy or never heard before. For Dilmun Gates, they wisely chose the former and provided an album that is as strong as possible, without sounding repetitive and dull. While there are mixing issues scattered throughout the early part of the album, they all but fade away by the last notes. And with those miscues aside, there is an overwhelmingly satisfying array of guitar riffs, bass strings, and drums to keep you listening. It may not be exactly what you expected when you first hit play, but after fifty some odd minutes of brutally heavy instrumentals and vocals, it would seem that the "News Of The New World" is positive.

8/10

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/Dilmun.Gates
Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/dilmungates

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The Podcast: Episode 68 (Raw, yet refined)

With the music industry back in full swing for 2013, the amount of albums flooding into the headquarters is, in a word, staggering. So there will always be a mix of good and bad, every step of the way. This week, Entities made a promise they couldn't keep, while City Of The Lost and Miseria Visage impressed us with their new albums. But the real quandary this week is the difference between raw and refined, dirty and polished. New bands have the advantage of doing things on their own, and their little imperfections give the albums character. When does that change?

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Miseria Visage - Vanish Into Dark (EP) (2013)

Think about the way we, as music fans, break down an album. First, we see the artwork. Then, we hear the music. But the third part is what separates the best albums from the forgettable ones. When the album is all said and done, and music is gone, we have to feel something. What that something is varies from style to style, album to album. But whether it is happiness, sadness, morose, or triumph, it will define where that album fits into our lives for years to come. So, when Theta, the sole member of avant symphonic black metal band Miseria Visage records an album, there is a certain degree of emotion to be conveyed. His ability to translate those feelings of misery into a wide variety of instruments makes his work so ambitious. His success, then, won't be known until the final notes of "Vanish Into Dark" have faded away.

Right from the onset of "Phantoms of the Unhallowed Crypt," there is an immediate emphasis on symphonics. Taking the drum patterns from the typical black metal fare, it is an interesting mashup of styles. On one side of the mix you have high speed drums and raw screaming vocals; on the other, you find light use of synthesizers and piano. And while it may seem like a bizarre combination, it comes together well, thanks to the middle ground of the guitar work. The main riff is a good one, easily whistled along to. It is in the title track, "Vanish Into Dark," that you get a more in depth look at Theta, the musician. A strong bass line permeates the mix, sometimes darting up and down the neck, other times moving with grace. Haunting synths form the backdrop here, while raw, unaltered vocals take the fore. It is also here that you get a taste for how the production work takes shape, allowing the layers to remain balanced, while still giving off the unpolished feel you would expect. Perhaps the most exceptional track on the album, "Luciferian" seems endless in its appeal. With church organs ringing out in all their glory, and a detailed guitar lead, momentum is at a high. His voice cutting through your ear canal as if Satan himself is whispering to you, Theta spins his dastardly tale. The high energy segments are incredible, with machine gun drums driving everything forward, while the rest of the instrumental follows.And the outro leaves you chilled.

Serving as the first official single, "Offering" is a heavy handed piece that incorporates some elements of thrash into mostly blackened exterior. It is this extra dimension that takes things in a new direction. It isn't often that black metal gives you catchy guitar riffs, but that is exactly what you trip and fall into here. Pushed backwards in the mix, the drumming makes way for some interesting instrumentation; whether that be the synthesizers or effects laden guitars, the reverse order is a nice touch. A standout track, "The King's Incantation" may be the man at his best. The verse sections are particularly strong here, something that overflows into bridge and chorus. Keyboards fill a starring role here, leading to a brilliant portion just before the two minute mark. The true genius is in the balance between light and dark, something that comes into play in the latter stages, when a string melody is greeted by a deep growl. The closing track, "Paths," takes the raw vocal to a new level, standing out completely from the backing instrumental. Coincidentally, the instrumental itself may be at its strongest here. A constant presence in the background, the synthesizers are so important when it comes to holding things together. Whether in full out assault mode, or the down tempo atmospheric passages, that airy element is key. The bridge section, hovering around the four minute mark, shows the versatility Theta has as a musician, something not wholly common in black metal.

The ability to go off the beaten path at will makes Theta intriguing as a musician, and makes his Miseria Visage project all the more enjoyable. He hasn't reinvented black metal, nor do I think he is trying to; but by bending the rules over the course of the album, he keeps his sound fresh without be careless. And while the genre does have a signature production sound, the mix does well to honor the classics while still moving a step into the new generation. More than that, though, is the ability to translate the misery of the artist into real, tangible emotion for the listener. On that front, they couldn't have done it much better than "Vanish Into Dark." By the time the last notes fades away and the album comes to a close, you may feel added weight on your mind. That is perfectly normal, and absolutely expected.

7/10

Bandcamp - http://miseriavisage.bandcamp.com/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/MiseriaVisage

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Holy Grail - Ride The Void (2013)

Sophomore albums are always an interesting proposition.  Not only because they are supposedly "difficult", but also because they often give a more realistic representation of a band's sound and future direction than their debut.  Many bands skew off in a radically different direction on their second albums, eager to avoid stereotype and accusations of regression.  However, if a band's second album is similar to their first, then you can bet that's their signature sound and they're happy to stick with it.  The latter is definitely the case here.  Born out of the ashes of White Wizzard in 2008, Holy Grail quickly developed their own sound and an enthusiastic fan base after the release of their 2010 debut Crisis in Utopia.

So then, what of Ride the Void?  While it's most definitely a metal album, there are many elements to it that give it a wider appeal than its genre would suggest.  There are plenty of great riffs and finger amputating solos for sure, but the songs have quite a pop-like construction.  James Paul Luna's lead vocals are clean and melodic (besides the odd death growl) and while he doesn't quite possess a particularly powerful and rich voice or the ability to hit REALLY high notes, the lyrics and vocals come across as honest, without a hint of auto-tune and he sounds as if he's really enjoying himself!  This is something that sets this band apart from many of their power metal contemporaries.  While many exponents of the genre preen and pose with unintentionally hilarious sincerity, Holy Grail have an entirely different element to their sound.  FUN!

Rather than plod along with mid paced tedium, they have worked a good deal of old school thrash and metalcore riffery into their sound.  The riffs are chunky, the dual harmonized solos of  Eli Santana and Alex Lee are furiously quick and melodic and the songs have an almost pop sensibility in their structure and sing-a-long-catchy choruses that make listening to this record an enjoyable experience. I'm not sure how the band would feel about this upcoming statement but this is metal for the masses.  Most anyone will enjoy this album at least on some level.  If there's a fault to be found with Ride The Void, it's that, despite its fun factor and undoubted musical proficiency, it's not very threatening, aggressive or particularly awe inspiring.  In fact it's almost pop-power metal.  There's nothing that gives you shivers up your spine or feelings of  empowerment. There's no brooding intensity . There's no grandiose perversity or apocalyptic rushes of visceral adrenaline.  It's all very....accessible and nice.

The preceding paragraph notwithstanding, the album's best moments are contained within the more thrash inspired up-tempo numbers.  "Bestia Triumphans" is a great opening track (Besides "Archeus" which is more of an intro) with some great riffing, enthusiastic soloing and powerful drumming from Tyler Meahl.   It also builds to one of the few real mosh along crescendos on the album in its final strains. 
"The Great Artifice" and "Take it to the Grave" are the other two standouts on Ride The Void.  Both feature killer riffing and "The Great Artifice" in particular features interesting Phrygian melodies and both possess great uplifting vocal and guitar harmonies.

While this is a fairly lightweight metal album overall, it's not bad by any stretch of the imagination.  Great playing, great hooks and good times abound within the grooves and its fairly enjoyable for the most part.  However much like their debut, it just fails to make any real hard hitting impact.

6.5/10

- Stewart Hall

Official Site - http://holygrailofficial.com/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/holygrailofficial

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City Of The Lost - At The Edge (2013)

Our experience with bands from in and around Russia is limited, and probably slightly skewed due to the sample size. But rarely have we encountered a band from that corner of the Earth that didn't fall squarely into the Viking or melodic death realm. In typical metal fashion, we have been shown the light time and time again. This time, Moscow gave unto us a band that is as far from those brutal styles as one band can be without leaving the genre entirely. City Of the Lost have three albums to their credit, with only 16 months separating them. Impressive as that may be, not a single one of them has been anything less than stellar. Their third album, "At The Edge" seems the Russian three piece going to new highs in the quest for the melodic post metal that can make the world see the Russian metal scene differently. And in the eight tracks contained herein, they may have already done it.

While "A Coming Storm" may be exactly that, it doesn't take long before you reach the eye. With an instrumental presence that could only be described as smooth, the entire song revolves around a central melody. Bass driven but guitar fueled, things speed up and slow down several times throughout the track, but always keep the same lighthearted tone. It becomes easy to dismiss this from your metal radar after a song with very little in the way of distortion, but it begs you to keep listening. Your reward, in the early stages, is "The Nightingale." Boasting some of the most clean, crisp production that the post styles can offer. More than that, though, is how expressive the lead guitar can be. You get a lyrical quality to the way the notes dart in and around you. It is a wonder that they find a balance between the light, vocal mirroring notes and the distorted, chugging ones time and again, a harmony of sounds that makes the track as memorable as it is impressive. The first of two parts, "Omen, Pt.1 (Temple Keepers)" manages to stand out from the rest of the album in a number of ways. There is something explosive about the way the instruments are layered together, a spring loaded cannon of percussion and quickly strummed notes. Focused on the intricacies of the lead, the band creates a very deep soundscape, one that is dangerously so. But the emergence of a flurry of double kicks is enough to solidify the sound, strengthening the low end.

Not to be confused with the movie of the same name, "Back to the Future" does share something in common with the cult classic. A whimsical quality inhabits the track, mainly a credit to the songwriting process. Rather than cloud the mix with needless distortion and nonsensical changes in time signature, the band sticks to a formula, in the best way possible. Uptempo, high energy, and rooted in the lighter side of things, they manage to give you extra doses of detailed guitar work. Sadly short and flooded with added effects, "Rise as One" may be the most memorable track on the album, albeit the shortest one. It all starts with the drums, a constant beat that is anything but boring. Small touches of cymbals and kicks make it all feel so new every time the measure rolls around. This allows the guitars and bass to focus on the task at hand, crafting a workable riff that can carry the listener on its back. Unlike the tracks before it, "86 Days of Despair" sees that care free sort of feel leave temporarily. You can feel that extra weight in the melody, a downturn in the energy that brings with it an emotional change. It becomes a welcomed wrinkle on an otherwise shiny album. By no means is it brooding or depressive; it just lacks that smile that the other tracks possess. There is an electronic element present here that helps to shoulder some of the emotional weight as well.

Contrary to the previous track, "Basilisk" takes a decidedly heavier turn, yet another twist in what seemed to be a straightforward collection of songs. The added distortion on both sets of guitars does wonders for the overall sound of the song, turning it into a giant buzzing wave. The punch of the kick drum is like a hammer on a nail, hitting it squarely on the head with each resounding thud. Not to be forgotten, the bass is steadfast and on point, hitting every note along the way. But when the keyboard segment kicks in, your jaw may very well hit the floor. Not only does it resonate with a touch of beauty, but it sets the table for the most aggressive portion of the album, a blitz of high speed drums and riffs. The final track, also completing the pair, "Omen, Pt.2 (The Stargazer)" seems to be an introspective one at that. Hovering in the space between light and shadow, the band put an exclamation point at the end of this eight track sentence. You are left with a lost to think about, and even more to come back to. The last 45 seconds of darting guitars is enough to solidify this one as a repeat candidate.

What more can you say about an album that so perfectly describes itself? Through simple plucking and strumming of a guitar or two, City Of The Lost manage to show more emotional attachment and involvement in their music than many bands can with a singer and lyric sheet in tow. Even more than that, each track is an individual idea, sharing little to nothing in common with the ones surrounding it. That alone would be worth a metal, especially when it comes to a post rock/metal album of this caliber. Well written, well executed, well played, "At The Edge" is everything you could want from a melodic instrumental album, without all of the bells and the whistles that drives lesser bands off the tracks. Kick drum period.

9/10

Bandcamp - http://cityofthelost.bandcamp.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cityofthelost

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Entities - Aether (EP) (2013)

Much like the gun running days of the 1980's, even the most rebel professions need rules. There has to be a structure in place to keep people from going off the tracks and denigrating their entire brotherhood. Somewhere along the way, the founders and proprietors of the djent movement forgot that. With hundreds of bands coming out of the woodwork every minute, there has been a lack of oversight by the bands and fans to keep the style from going too fast, too soon. The result is an influx of copycats; djent bands adding their own "accent" to the pot and instead hurting the movement. And while Entities haven't done damage to the bands to come, they made a promise on "Aether" that they weren't prepared to keep; a new wrinkle in the formula that sees ambient electronics sharing space with the tenets. With flashes of brilliance scattered over seven bizarre tracks, it is hard to think this is the next logical step.

While the foreground sounds on "Primordium" may seem to scream basic djent style, it is those ambient electronic touches throughout that keep you holding on. Present are the chugging guitars and pulsing drum beats that you know. But the space age sound effects in the background provide a glue that holds it together in a surprisingly intriguing way. Some of that intrigue is lost immediately upon entering "Hadean," when recycled screaming vocals suddenly dominate the mix. In their absence, you find a band that isn't breaking the rules, but bending them in a controlled fashion. By adding in the synthesized foundation, it creates another layer of melody to keep the track grounded. The vocals, however, let down the mix on the whole, adding little depth of sound in their sporadic grunts and screeches. It isn't until the somewhat ambitious "Lines Of Descent" that we see the band in full form. Clocking in well over the five minute mark, it is a much more complete cross section of talent and vision. The instrumental grows, both in complexity and competence. A seemingly endless barrage of drums and percussion can be overbearing at times, but they find a home here. Even the much maligned vocals of the previous track are more at ease, trying less to "brutal" and more to just fitting into the overall arc of the track.

Perhaps the most complete melody can be found on "Revival," at least in the instrumental sense. There is a great deal of talent to be had here, with a three headed guitar attack making their presence known. The ambient backing returns as well, leaving you feeling as though you may be traveling through time and space, propelled by distorted riffs. They go so far as to take the starring role in the outro, leading a chorus of chugging chords. The two minute "Ontogenesis" removes the vocal element from  the equation and doles out 120 seconds of pure djent. from the ringing harmonics to the syncopated drum beats, this is the entire style, condensed into one blitz. Wearing one influence, in particular, on their sleeves, "Between Polarities," comes off as an homage of sorts to North Carolina's own Between The Buried And Me. With the vocals divided into short, yelling bursts of words and phrases, it overshadows much of the guitar work. When the vocals drop out, the mix returns to a balance of melody and distortion. And while "Streamlined" may be the wrong title for the closing track, it could serve as a piece of advice to many bands to come. Picking up where "Polarities" left off, and then going off on several tangents along the way, this five minute finale seems like six or seven separate tracks merged into one. The only constant here is the gallop of drums, padded out by intermittent periods of chugging and shredding. And despite being a non factor through most of the second half of the album, the ambient soundscapes are called upon to close things out.

There are bound to be bands who don't want to follow the beaten path and wait for the time to exit. And to be clear, there is nothing wrong with innovation, as long as it has as much to do with the music as the idea itself. Entities took the first exit off of the djent highway, choosing to infuse that bit of electronica. For that, they deserve credit. But to abandon it or bury it beneath three solid layers of guitar and distortion seems counterproductive. Perhaps it's more of a conflict between being a progressive instrumental band, rather than a vocal heavy one, a possibility that you can't rule out after this effort. When those grunting vocals are removed in the instrumental version of the album, also available on their Bandcamp page, you see a different band entirely. And therein lies the rub. Do you stay on the back roads and build a life for yourself, or get back on the highway and go where everyone else is going?

Whole album - 6.5/10
Instrumental version - 8.5/10

Bandcamp - http://entities916.bandcamp.com/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/Djent916

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The Podcast: Episode 67 (Good metal is always good)

With January more than halfway over, the time seems to fly by from week to week. Darrell recaps the major reviews for this past week, giving you yet another reason to believe that metal is always on the rise. Even more than that, it is time to welcome new faces into the Sorrow Eternal fold; one this week, and one the following week.

Don't forget, grab a copy of the Sampler, Volume 1 on our Bandcamp site today, for only $3 plus shipping when you use the code "grundle" at checkout.

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Wandersword - V Ozhidanii Bojny (2012)

There is something about a band from the coldest reaches of the Earth that makes their home spun take on melodic death metal all the more intriguing. Hailing from Saint Petersburg, Russia, Wandersword need only a few short seconds of your time to rope you in. This four piece outfit, with influences ranging from Wintersun to Amorphis, embody the icy cold riffs of their viking heroes. But while they might share things in common with those bands they hold so dear, they also have a unique and refreshing appeal. Perhaps it comes from their geography; or maybe even from their clear vision of their sound. Whatever the case may be, "В ожидании войны" (or "Waiting For War," as the translations go) is far more advanced than you would have expected from a new band, and much more intense.

Serving as the intro track, "В ожидании войны" gives the impression of a much more seasoned band. The pounding of drums forms the base for a myriad of horns and flutes. There is an adventurous spirit to it, something reinforced by the first moments of "Доблестный Викинг." The kick drum sound is immense, a loud, booming thud bursting through your speakers with ever beat. The lead and rhythm guitar riffs lift each other up over the rattling low end. Singer and bassist Andrey Anikin roars his way into the mix on both ends, with vocals and fingers giving their own depth. A sudden burst of speed comes in the latter half, with tricky finger work picking up the pace. The band follows suit, with speed and precision coming together in harmony. As one track fades, the next begins with a delicate clean guitar opening "Алый закат." From that comes the main melody, one that permeates throughout the entire track. For one that is so raucous, it is also surprisingly well constructed. When things slow down, leaving a clean, though yelling, vocal to take command, it all falls into place. Nothing is out of sorts, nothing goes awry. A bridge section emerges, stomping and pulsing ahead with reckless abandon.

In a true show of strength, "След чужих кораблей" boasts all of the heavy duty guitar work and intelligent design of Insomnium. It may sound raw at first listen, but there is a certain refined quality that makes it easily digestible. It could be said that the songs to this point all follow the same formula, with a high speed opening, slowing to a crawl around the bridge. And while this isn't a bad thing entirely, it does leave room for lateral movement. Melodic sensibilities return on "Властители Мира," which sees the band taking a very cinematic approach to their craft. But as you enter the first verse, you may hear other similarities to their instrumental. There are pieces that echo the work of Dethklok, though with a more rounded use of synthesizers and keys. Anikin has a voice that contains the breadth and range of some of the best in the business, while drummer Alexey Krasnov does enough to leave you feeling dizzy. And after all of this thrashing about, they still have the ability to go to a fading wave as the outro, soothing in sound. In perhaps their most inspired effort, "Мирный страж" is a gem waiting to be discovered. This is the perfect track for a melodic death or folk album to be built on. Layers are formed perfectly, placed on top of one another in such a way that everything shines through in perfect harmony.

Without skipping a beat, the band launches into "Сорок Воинов," with double kicks aplenty. Guitarists Alexander Manukhin and Albert Osmolovsk do serious damage here, crushing riffs flying from every direction. Chanting vocals see the light of day as well, which only strengthens the screaming, dirty vocals that have been weighing on you all this time. What is even more staggering in all of this heavy handed playing is how catchy each and every piece of the puzzle can be. The short interlude before the bridge sets the stage in such a way as to allow the return of distortion to knock you back, unsuspectingly. With an album of this sort, there is no better way to end it than with a thumping call to arms, exactly what "Северные Врата" seems to be. The beating of drums is joined by keys and plucked guitar strings, before evolving into something far more fierce. Each the music fades, and those drums return, it is a chance to catch your breath for the coming assault. While not the most balanced effort on the album, it is certainly one of the most heavy. Once again, the two guitar attack yields serious benefits.

Maybe it's the cold that helps to forge such dynamic young bands. You would be hard pressed to find a single moment on this disc that would have you believing this wasn't an aging, seasoned band. Truth be told, Wandersword could easily be passed off as a titan of the genre, or a former star under a new name. It becomes so easy to get lost in their sound, in the way they write an construct song after song or pure, unadulterated melodic death metal. This is also one of the few debut albums you will find where the pieces, on their own, are equal. There is no weak link, no one piece that could cause the entire operation to come crumbling down. this is about as good as it can get. And all without being able to understand a single word.

9.5/10

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/Wanderswordband

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Prevenge - Rorschach (EP) (2012)

For most new, up-and-coming bands, the debut EP is a make or break proposition. Create an amalgam of your influences, nail down a style, and start the march for glory. But for Stony Brook, New York based Prevenge, there is nothing conventional about their approach. Hovering in the middle of a multitude of genres and boasting a wide variety of influences, their debut EP, "Rorscach," could just as easily be renamed "A Tale Of Two Bands." With six tracks, only two of which contain vocals, you are treated to a bizarre Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of progressive elements and core essentials. And much like the visual test for which it is named, this offering is open for interpretation, for better or worse.

The identity crisis begins with the bombastic, minute and a half "Bound By Fate." Despite a disjointed and wildly inaccurate intro, the track does gain some semblance of cohesion in the latter stages, with guitar scales a plenty, all played at a fever pace. It runs head first into "The Despair Embodied," a evil instrumental that seems to capture the band at their best. With two guitars tangled into one, you get an added depth of sound that helps move things along. But much like before, there are hits and misses scattered throughout the track. The verse sections are well played and well conceived, while the breakdown is about as out there as can be. What is amazing is how a period of off timed guitar chugging can switch over to a bluesy riff so easily, leaving you scratching your head. But it is the outro that best represents the track on the whole, devolving into chaos. The spoken word portion that begins "Aglaophotis," a nod to the Silent Hill series, sets a mood for the track that comes. But where that portion ends and the music begins, there is a disconnect that overshadows nearly everything. It is the drumming that stands alone, fast paced and furious. It is only when things slow to a soothing crawl that you get a few memorable moments to digest. Clean guitars build to distorted ones, finally giving rise to more accessible musicianship.

One of the two tracks with a dedicated vocal line, "Lazarus Syndrome" is either the reason you'd want this band to remain voiceless, or the reason you will continue to follow them. With a deep growl that seems to coat everything in a crusty layer of filth, things take a turn for the simplistic, choosing heavy over complete in the verse sections. It does, however, provide a bit of contrast when you compare the sound in those vocal heavy sections with the free instrumentals. After the final guttural scream fades, the clean guitars of "A Journey Far, Far to the North" echo into place. Hidden inside five plus minutes here is a well composed piece of progressive metal. It isn't perfect, but there is a common theme that ties most of the movements together. The only drawback comes later in the track when songwriting gives way to some ill conceived shredding. It robs some of the momentum that had been gathered; momentum which, until this point, had been sorely lacking. By the time "Zephyr" fades in, the transformation to metalcore band is complete, resorting to dense chugging and constant double kicks to drive an otherwise flat track. The appearance of electronic elements is a pleasant surprise, albeit sparing in use. After a short, but calming interlude, chaos reigns supreme.

In their quest to defy genre tagging, Prevenge can claim a convincing victory. However, that alone does not make a band, nor an album, work. It's as though they are leading a double life; cohesive prog metal act by day, hyperactive shred band by night. Despite all of their audible flaws, there are enough bright spots to make you want to give them another chance to make it work. This isn't the proverbial "train wreck" scenario we have all experienced where it is so bad that you simply can't look away. Instead, the more you listen, the more the album changes and morphs into something completely different. Whether that change is a good or bad one is completely up to you. But if a doctor showed me this album cover, I see an EP that is confused but bright.

7/10

Bandcamp - http://prevengemetal.bandcamp.com/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/prevenge

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Fen - Dustwalker (2013)

When dealing with extremes, no one is as equipped and impressive as London based three piece Fen. Throughout their career, which is now going into it's seventh year, they have shown time and again that they have a penchant for taking what you expect, and giving you the opposite. Rather than follow the same path, they buck the trend of predictable tempo shifts and changes, and go from one extreme to the next, minute to minute, song to song, and album to album. With "Dustwalker," their third full length album, they take themselves even further, writing and recording an hour's worth of wild twists and turns, that will leave you scratching your head and trying to figure out how in the world the path from A to B got this complex, and this fucking good.

While the band wastes no time injecting a touch of frightening aggression on "Consequence," it is far from one dimensional. There is a melodic presence to be had, albeit a subdued one. Though it is mainly based in the guitar and low end bass work, there are fleeting moments where depressive chanting takes hold of you. Screeching vocals take most of the reps in the first half, giving way to more versatile and varied cries in the latter stages. But it is the musical accompaniment that garners most of the praise here, volleying back and forth between high speed chaos and downtrodden melodies. The latter forms the framework for "Hands Of Dust," a softly played piece of clean guitar starring in a calming introduction. It's in these more drawn out pieces that you find the most complete works, as the band allows the track to build organically from nothing into something massive in scope. A nearly four minute passage of lightly tapping drums and crooning vocals lays the ground work for the initial explosive scream. While it may be a stretch to categorize anything present here as "atmospheric," the main guitar riff does contain a certain piece of hazy quality. It is in the more raw moments where the bass work shines brightest, anchoring the entire track in a perfect, steady hand. It is a credit to the band how seamlessly they manage to go from one segment to the next, laying out a more cohesive track than simply pieces that were strung together.

As if being masters of the blackened arts weren't enough, the opening stanza of "Spectre" shows a mastery of the progressive ones as well. Sounding like a song ripped from the psychedelic seventies, you are treated to something that, from what my ear can tell, is completely fresh and new. The subtle guitar plucking and cymbal taps are the icing on a cake that is as solid as it is sweet. They somehow find a middle ground between the blistering double kicks and raw distortion, and the use of clean vocals. With a melody that is sure to remain rooted in your frontal lobe for days, this is a track to hang your hat on for any fan of heavy music. And after such a blissful awakening, it only makes sense to tie things together with a short, and simple interlude like "Reflections." The waxing and waning of sounds comes and goes, erupting into the first notes of "Wolf Sun." All of those subtleties that made the last two tracks so enticing don't go out the window, but take a back seat to some more direct musicianship. There are portions here where it would seem as though Blue Cheer has been brought back, fronted by a more mellow Varg Vikernes. The resulting combination is one to behold, throwing a barrage of drums in your general direction. It is also here that you get a true sense for the production work; a step above raw, a step below polished, it provides a very unique sound to both drums and guitars. As furious as some moments are, the outro is as delicate as you could ever get.

I hesitate to call "The Black Sound" a straightforward offering, simply because it has so many twists and turns. Just when you think you are in for a ten minute blackened doom song, you make a sharp left, and wander off into something else entirely. Softly plucked bass strings lead a whispered vocal section that is completely isolated from the screeches that precede and follow it. It is this complex web of styles that makes a ten minutes run time seem like nothing, as you float in a tide that experiences both the ebb and flow of tempos and tenacity. But it is in the outro that you find something even more special, as the harshest of screeching vocals runs hand in hand with a catchy riff. As a finale, "Walking The Crowpath"  is perfect; it leaves that lasting impression that all bands hope to achieve with their closer. But in any other context, it would still be as powerful. It serves as a microcosm for the album as a whole, showing off that uncanny ability to be grave and meaningful without being a slave to one method. It also serves as a message that black metal vocals need not be incoherent messes of raw feed distortion. There is a story in these words, one that deserves to be heard with all of the emotional value that goes into them.

If you were to read a bio of Fen, or merely skipped through the album in leaps and bounds, you might not leave the experience being overly impressed. But the devil, as they say, is in the details. There is not a wasted minute, let alone second, on "Dustwalker." At no point will you think that a song could have ended sooner, or should have been split into two or three separate tracks. It is the construction and placement that makes everything so profound. Remember, it isn't enough to stay on target within each track; you must also stay the course from song to song, to create momentum and moods. And throughout these seven tracks, this three piece do exactly that, while all the while showing that there are many faces under this moniker. Never straightforward, always intriguing, and sometimes haunting, "Dustwalker" may be one of the finest moments in the extreme metal scene in a very long time.

9/10

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/fenofficial

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The Podcast: Episode 66 (Now with 50% more awesome)

For every mediocre release, there are always twenty great ones to offset it. In this case, the week was plentiful, with two amazing new releases from Harakiri For The Sky and Unbowed, hiding the failings of the debut EP by Visions Of Tragedy. With some new faces joining the operation soon, things are on the verge of getting bigger and better.

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Unbowed - Unbowed (EP) (2013)

There is always a major difference in bands who do it for the love of the game, and those who are looking to get fame and notoriety. In an industry that is flooded with the latter, however futile that pursuit is, it is always refreshing to find some of the former. Canadian six piece Unbowed fit squarely into that category, playing an uptempo variety of metal that is just as easy to listen to as some of the more mainstream acts of today. This isn't about money or fame, something that is evident throughout their debut EP; they play the music that comes naturally, a modern mix of thrash and melodic death metal where storytelling is just as important as the deathly growls that become the vessel. And despite a few minor glitches in production and mixing, this five track offering is bigger than you would expect.

An expected injection of rich symphonic opens "Shadow Of Dark Decay," joined soon after by a bevy of heavy instruments. There is a noticeable groove in the guitar work, separating it from standard death metal fare. However, an uneven mix leaves the guitar riffs falling somewhat flat in the pecking order. Overpowered by the orchestral elements and devastating drums in the chorus, they fall to the back of the line. Vocalist Ioan Tetlow asserts his dominance every step of the way, particularly with his scream that bridges verse to chorus. "March Of The Giants" is exactly that; a larger than life death metal stomp that is sure to ignite the smallest flame. A basic, downtempo chugging session allows Tetlow to spin his tale, a skill that is on display in the lyrical quality. This is a full band effort led by some great keyboard work, courtesy of Connor MacPherson. But to say that the drumming is relentless doesn't do it justice. Forming the backbone of this melodic death style, Nick Lennox proves to be a force here. If there was a single track that could be used to bring you over to the dark side, "Gwyn Ap Nudd" might just be that track. Between the crushing guitar riffs and the flowing synthesizers, it is both aggressive and accessible, a combination that is hard to come by. The track continually walks the fine line between viking and black metal, all with a deep seeded melody.

Don't fall into too deep a trance at the light beginnings of "The Prophecy Foretold," despite lightly strummed guitars and keys. The initial blast of distortion will knock you backwards, setting into motion a stampede of thrashing guitars and drums. It would be so easy to get lost in all of the great musicianship on display, but don't make the mistake of ignoring the vocal lies and lyrics. Woven into each gritty scream and growl is a story that you would be sorry to miss; one that is of battle and victory. That entire air of triumph is captured so well in the outro section here, reinforcing the strength of the writing process. And despite the fact that you can't actually bend space and time, no matter what Doctor Who tells you, "As Winter Claims My Soul" is a four minute track tat seems to fly by in a matter of seconds. The main keyboard melody anchors the entire offering, going up the scale and back down amidst a flurry of percussion and guitar chords. The bridge section alone might be enough to bring a crowd to their feet. The guitar team of Alex Snape and Trevor Rice are at their absolute brightest in this track, carving out a lead and rhythm riff that is second to none on the disc.

The 2013 music industry is a fickle one, still heavily leaning towards pop stars, boy bands, and generic radio rock. It is hard to say where metal fits into that landscape, though it doesn't really matter. For bands like Unbowed, there will always be an audience. Through sites such as Bandcamp and Facebook, metal fanatics from across the world can stumble on their work, and give them support from thousands of miles away. And while that will never help them to land a million dollar advance, or $10,000 to film a music video, it will leave them with something that is a lot more rewarding. By making the music they want to make, doing it their way, and doing it on their own, no one will ever be able to take their pride. And their legacy will always be intact.

8.5/10

Bandcamp - http://unbowedofficial.bandcamp.com/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/UnbowedOfficial

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Harakiri For The Sky - Harakiri For The Sky (2012)

In the more recent influx of melodic black metal bands, very few stand out from the rest. After all, it can be a near impossibility to tell most of them apart. But following closely behind France's Alcest, there are a host of outfits looking to make a lasting impression on the genre. For Austrian two piece Harakiri For The Sky, their impact on the scene is a certainty, it would seem. Comprised of songwriter and multi instrumentalist M.S., and harsh vocalist J.J., they have begun an ascent to the top of their craft on this, their first official release. Braiding together the most raw elements of black metal with subtle touches of light and beauty, this five track debut is anything but a flash in the pan success. After listening to nearly forty minutes of beauty meets beast like this, and you will be counting the days until part two. 

There is something intrinsically pleasing about the sound of rain when it collides with guitar chords, evident in the opening movement of "Lungs Filled With Water." With a constant melody in the instrumental, it is up to a gritty vocal track to provide contrast, something J.J. accomplishes immediately upon entering the fold. His agonized screams, when paired with the array of guitar, bass and percussion, are able to cut right to the core of you. While being rocked by the well balanced musical mood, his pain has no resistance. Add in the fact that the recording here is a cut above their peers, and you have a track that is as pressing as the name suggests. That storm that we heard earlier has not ended, providing the sound of slowly pattering rain drops on "02:19 AM, Psychosis." With a more powerful opening blast, you are taken directly to the meat of the song, with a single, beautifully orchestrated guitar melody dominating the mix. It is had to find any comparison for what you are hearing here, taking some of the more aggressive black metal constructed vocals, but softening their effect with perfect touches of light and dark. There are similarities to the work of Alcest worked into this track, in particular, but an evolved take on that melodic post black formula. So much can be made about the clarity of the mix here, and rightfully so. It is in the layering of sounds that you find the true beauty in the gray areas.

The last thing you would expect is exactly what you get on "From Yesterday To Ashes." Forming the foundation of the track to come, light piano chords echo through your speakers. And while the resulting guitar work may seem basic, at best, it see instrumentalist M.S. at his best. Woven into the bending, swaying melodies, are windows of opportunity. Those gaps allow for artistic license, such as the thunderous burst of double kicks or the building mountains of distorted guitars. This is also one of the first appearances of a more traditional black metal style, one that ends this track and leaks into the next, "Drown In My Nihilism." With a change in the overall tempo, this is a pace setter. The kick drums seem endless, flanked by slamming snare drums and the sizzle of one cymbal crash after another. But this is also where the bass work shines brightest, giving an added low end to the whole operation. Saving the best for last, "Dancing On Debris" is a closing track that will not only satisfy your senses, but will leave you drooling in anticipation of what happens next. With a true fusion of the agonized and the sublime, you would be hard pressed to find a track that so well represents both sides of the coin. Throughout the eight minute run time, you are taken from some of the brightest highs to the darkest lows of the album. There is a weight to the mix, one that manages the heavy hands at the drum kit with the subtle touches of guitar. 

It is our craving for opposites that makes albums like this one so enjoyable. Salty and sweet, black and white, high and low; The marriage of opposites present in the five tracks here is astonishing at first. But as you move along, it all seems to make perfect sense. Harakiri For The Sky have taken beauty and pain, and merged them into a dynamic duo of metal delights, but not simply from a musical standpoint. Engrained into each song is an emotional investment that, alone, would be worth the price of admission. And unlike so many of their peers and predecessors, the entire package is wrapped in a crisp, clean piece of production work that only heightens the entire listening experience. One can only hope they continue down this path; and this album is one huge leap moving from point A, to point B.

9/10

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Harakiri-for-the-sky/220458994697569

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Visions Of Tragedy - Visions Of Tragedy (EP) (2012)

Before you ever hit 'play' on any album, there is a wave of information that you must get through. The name of the band can speak volumes, or even give you an indication of what their sound is formed by. Visions Of Tragedy; strong, firm, deep. Then, you come face to face with the album artwork. A city in ruins, a world returning to nature. With those two pieces in place, there may be a certain level of intrigue. But what lies ahead is a mixed bag of progressive metal and sometimes uninspired prog rock from a Spanish four piece that has all the right ideas, but the wrong execution. In three tracks that span over thirty minutes, there are highs and lows, rises and falls. But on this, their debut self titled EP, the name might as well be Generic, and the album art blank.

With a strong statement, "Rebellion" is the album's opening track but may also be it's most telling. With an immediate impact made through the use of keys and synthesizers, you get a well constructed layered effect to the mix. That electronic touch is key here, anchoring a catchy if not basic guitar riff in the verse. Vocalist Javier Vidal holds his own, stacked up against a fairly massive backing band. His part is made more dynamic by the use of a great backing vocal harmony. The only stumbling block is the track length, as compared to the time it takes for the first shift. As you get to the midway point, there is an excellent collection of sound bytes and spoken word, infusing a political message into the music itself. By tackling the "occupy" movement, the band make the track more personal. But it here where things pick up, starting with some deft keyboard work. Trading licks between keys and guitar, you begin to see some of the more prominent influences shining through it all. It would be unfair to say the track, as a whole, lacks punch, but there could be a case made for a more condensed layout.

Showing a bit of versatility, there is a distinct classic prog rock vibe in "I'll Be Born Again," complete with a swaying chorus. But much like the track before it, much of the run time is consumed with simple, almost ballad-esque guitars that gain little to no strength as they go along. Minus the bridge section, which stands out from the more drab sections, you have something that is luke warm, at best, and falls short of the initial vision. Having digested the first two songs, a nearly fifteen minute closing track is a daunting challenge. The band does their best to change the overall arc of the album with an acoustic guitar intro, and a whimsical one at that. But as spacey synthesizers provide the lead in, you are right back where you started, standing in the middle of repetitive riffs and a keyboard, furnished by Andres Fernandez, that does its best to shoulder the load. But without an infusion of energy, things just begin to drag and fall flat. It isn't indicative of a band that lacks the ability to do right, but more of a band that lacks a direction. The guitar tandem of Victor Camacho and Gorka Oya show flashes of brilliance throughout an extended breakdown and bridge section, but lose their teeth when the vocals return. Without their presence, it becomes exceedingly difficult to ride this one out.

Every band in the formative years needs to establish their strengths. Figure out what you want to accomplish, and highlight what you do best. For Visions Of Tragedy, their niche is in their musicianship. On the flip side, their weakness is their inability to use that talent to create something that stands out to the average listener. Long, droning tracks may be what the new wave of bands think you need to do to be "progressive." But when you are expanding a five minute idea into a fourteen minute experience, you do both yourself, and your fans, a disservice. And more than anything, that is what plagues the thirty plus minutes of this self titled EP. The short twinkles of intense instrumentation are quickly extinguished by returns to the simple, overly structured main course. There may be more to come from this Spanish band, but their future is uncertain.

6/10

Bandcamp - http://visionsoftragedy.bandcamp.com/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/visionsoftragedy

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The Podcast: Episode 65 (Jazzy, folk, blackened, death, post math podcast-core)

Another week of reviews has come and gone, and there is a disturbing trend developing early in this new year. Buzz words, meaningless labels, and derivative styles are dominating the first week of 2013, and it begs to be addressed. But not all is bad. Dan Klyne has managed to remind us of the power of the one man band.

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Appalachian Winter - Ghosts Of The Mountains (2013)

No promotion. No shameless pandering. No catering to the masses. In the world of Appalachian Winter, the lack of music business nonsense has never been a problem, but rather a strength. When that moniker graces the cover of a new album, you can be sure that you are getting 100% of the artistic integrity that sole proprietor Dan Klyne has to offer. Whether it is his propensity for wild instrumentation, his ability to balance the rough edges of black metal with melodic folk influences, or the honest lyrical content on display, Klyne is living proof that a one man band can flourish under the right circumstances. And on his new home grown album, "Ghosts Of The Mountains," Klyne and Appalachian Winter take you deeper into the Pennsylvania wilderness.

A loud thunder of drums and soaring chants open the album and "Rebellion Within the Young Nation," a thunderous battle cry that awakens every one of your senses. Klyne wastes no time injecting his unique use of traditional instruments into the mix, a subtle yet successful bending of the tenets of metal. His vocals enter with a rousing scream, layered and earth shaking in their power. The background use of keys and horns creates a solid cloud of atmospheric elements, one that heightens the entire track to near flawless levels. In a surprising change of pace, "Patriarchs" rises from a clean guitar to a massive epic wave of sound. Combining his clean vocals with coarse screams, Klyne runs the full gauntlet of vocal styles. The air of triumphant and emotional that surrounds the entire track is one that will ignite a fire in you; it may cause your fist to go up or your head to start moving. And with lyrics as passionate as you will find in modern metal, the holy trinity is complete. It may not be until "Ancestors Of The Lake" that you feel a growing flame inside you, incited by spoken words over an extremely well composed piece of piano and synthesizer. But when the first kick drum hits your ears, that flame will burn more intensely, fueled by a symphonic gasoline.

With use of the full orchestra, as on "The Town Old Man Schell Built," Klyne oftens makes you forget that this is a one man show. The depth of sound he achieves here is unreal at times, balancing the house of cards with thought and precision.It isn't just the command of the heavy elements that makes this all work, but the mastery of the melodic. The way the keyboards find themselves tangled with strings and horns makes it hard to think of them as separate entities, but parts of the same whole. And even as "Keystone" makes the shift from light instrumental to blaring symphony of horns and drums, it never loses the unique flavor that Klyne's own rural Pennsylvania lifestyle brings to the party. Swaying masses of strings and the pounding of drums, merged together to form a metal lullaby. It would be nearly impossible to ignore the cinematic quality of a track like "The Great Battle," something engrained into every sweeping guitar riff. Klyne is at his lyrical best here, telling a story with not only his words, but the manner in which they are delivered. There is a connection made between the man and his listeners, one that transcends the music itself. His deafening screams convey all of the emotion that goes into each verse, followed by the rattling of snares.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Klyne soars to the top of his range and lets out a high octave cry. And thus begins the march of "Pennsylvanian Fire." One part opera singer, one part diabolical screamer, you get a stark contrast of styles from one moment to the next. Musically, he hits every mark. Each layer comes through with clarity and power, yet they fit together like pieces of a puzzle. They are in sync with one another, each occupying a slice of the same melody. Unleashing the beast in earnest, the opening gallop of drums on "The Great Flood of 1889" is an exercise in versatility. Combining elements of black, folk, death, gothic, symphonic and power metal into one pounding affair. In a turn that is an Appalachian Winter staple, the use of chants invigorates the song and every ear it touches on its way, bringing men to their feet. But as the album winds to a close, there is a moment of quiet reflection, in the form of "The Cemetery where Slaves Lie Buried." The intro portion puts you at ease, while the first explosion lies dormant. But what the blast comes, Klyne unleashes some of his best guitar work to date. Every chugging moment is crisp and clear, laying down a foundation for clean vocals to rise upon. This is the signature type track so many bands work their whole careers to write. It displays what Klyne, and his Appalachian Winter moniker, are all about.

A good album makes you forget the world around you for a predetermined amount of time. A great album takes you away from it all, and transports you to some place else entirely. For some 50 minutes of "Ghosts Of The Mountains," I ceased to be in my office, at a desk. For that period of time, it felt as though I was seeing the world through a different set of eyes. Whether it be in the Pennsylvania countryside or not, it is hard to say. But it would be nearly impossible to say there has ever been  a stronger sense of imagery and depth to an album that I can remember. With each release Dan Klyne betters himself, as a musician and a composer. And despite the beauty of his last release, the nine tracks on this disc are miles ahead of anything, and anyone, in the genre. It's new without losing the old; thought provoking without being pretentious; heavy without being muddled. Simply put, this is an album you have to hear.

9.5/10

Bandcamp - http://appalachianwinter.bandcamp.com/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/appalachianwinter

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Tidings - Tidings (EP) (2012)

We've all done it. In your car, on the train, on the plane; we've all been there. You lean your head against the window and for a few glorious seconds, the world around you is a feature film, centered on you. In your head, you construct the perfect soundtrack for that perfect moment. For Tidings, a four piece post metal project from Edinburgh, UK, it would seem that every scene is the perfect fit for their own unique style of instrumental metal. Hidden within each track is a cinematic quality that lends itself so well to any daily event, that you can probably see it all right now. And while the beautiful combinations of heavy and light that do battle here may have you thinking your life has become the next "Hobbit," it may, indeed, be best for you to leave the film-making to the professionals.

There is something eerily familiar about the opening to "Proteus," as if it was ripped from a song in another life. But with two guitar melodies layered atop a tom beat, the imminent explosion seems so close, yet so far away. When the first wave of hastily played distortion comes crashing down, you realize you may have not been prepared at all. It's how the band dial back that aggressive that makes the track so successful, keeping you afloat between flourishes of cymbals and blaring guitar chords. Caught in the middle of the building waves is a delicately constructed skyscraper of guitar melody; it rises from the ashes time and time again, climbing higher and higher each time, anchored only by the resounding thump of a kick drum. It becomes more intricate as time goes by, adding the most subtle touches here and there. But like a sandcastle on the beach, it is only a matter of time before the tide rolls back in and lays waste to it all. And so it happens, right around the eight minute mark. With a shift in tempo and tone, and a slight loss of precision, it all comes to a head in a matter of minutes. Complete with a pouring outro, filled with sound and fury, ringing feedback ends it all.

Only slightly shorter, and no less ambitious, "The Oxygen Tank" shares very little in common with the previous effort, minus the humble beginnings from which it rises. Each movement brings another piece to the party, as if scoring a blossoming epic film. It takes more than three minutes for the tracks main guitar line to settle into place, which, depending on your viewpoint, is either too long or not long enough. It all seems so basic when you hear each individual element on its own, but the way they unite is refreshing. This is more about imagery than anything else, choosing the serene guitar melodies to a raucous breakdown. It isn't until nearly three quarters of the way through that the first signs of life emerge, as a echoing set of cymbals ring in the background for seemingly endless periods of time. But what it leads to is incredible; a triumphant, albeit slow, conclusion punctuated with an ethereal, light guitar outro.

When a title says so much in so few words, it increases the pressure to deliver. On "Finding A Way Out Without Running Away," you feel as though you have been launched head first into a story, but you are missing all of the details. What follows, then, is a song that bears the weight of great responsibility. In a nearly ten minute framework, it not only manages to get you up to speed, but almost make you feel as though you were there the entire time. With each pat of the tom, every flicker of a clean guitar chord, the band are inviting you in. There are heavier moments to be had, like the initial blitz at the three minute mark, that remind you the sheer power of a distorted chord. Not lost here is the bass line, one that really drives things to and from the destination. It could be described as "smart," for both finding a niche and knowing when it can stand out from the rest of the mix. With nearly thirty minutes behind you now, there is a lingering feeling that it has all been building to one moment; a single event that will tie all of the pieces together. In a few slamming chords, a flurry of crashing drums, it all starts to make sense.

Music has always been, and will continue to be, a very personal experience. You hear what you want to hear, and you interpret things the way your mind tells you to. So when listening to Tidings, don't be surprised if your listening experience is completely different than your friends. You might envision an indie film, with this set of three tracks as the main score, whereas he or she may see an epic movie about dragons and knights. Hell, it may just be the soundtrack to your drive home from your day job. Either way, it all works. That added cinematic element is what makes this EP special, and will keep you reaching for it time and time again.And the fact that it will remain open for interpretation, with no lyrical content to cloud your unique vision, it is sure to grow ad evolve right along with you.

8/10

Bandcamp - http://tidings.bandcamp.com/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/TIDINGSband

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