Galar – Til Alle Heimsens Endar (2010) Review 8.9/10

Galar is a two man act from Norway. They are classified as “viking metal” but they bring a lot more to the table than that. They mix a in little black metal and even a little neo-classical. Til Alle Heimsens Endar is their second release. It has a bigger sound than Skogskvad (their first release) and is a bit more melodic as well.

The thing that I really like about this music is the variety of instruments they use and the way one section flows to the next. Marius Kristiansen takes care of the vocals, guitars, and bass guitars while Are B. Lauritzen does the clean vocals, piano, keyboard, and bassoon (they use a session drummer in the studio).  There are also some female vocals on some of the tracks as well.

They are smart enough not to mix the bassoon into the heavier parts of the music. Instead we have songs that transition from the blast beats and Windir style melodic guitar lines into more classical moments. On paper this might not sound like it would work. It seems like two different styles just slapped together, one beginning where the other stopped but Galar’s music transitions beautifully from one to the other. The voice of the songs remains the same even though all the instruments have changed.

They have more finesse now and this is surely a more beautiful piece of work than Skogskvad. However, I feel that there was a bit more raw energy on Skogskvad and in ten years I will remember it more than Til Alle Heimsens Endar. It’s not a bad album at all, it’s just that Skogskvad is one of my favorite albums of all time and therefore very hard to top.

8.9/10

Between the Buried and Me – The Great Misdirect (2009) Review 8/10

Here is a band I have a love hate relationship with. Between the Buried and Me is (musically) one of the best progressive death metal bands out there. The Great Misdirect is their sixth studio release and they have reached new heights on this album.

The music that flows out of this band is just insane. This is what Bach and Beethoven would have written if they had distortion. One guitar will start a line and the other will compliment with a different line. Soon we have multiple voices Read more

Kalmah – 12 Gauge (2010) Review 8.8/10

Something new just arrived from the swamp.  Kalmah’s sixth studio album, 12 Gauge, is here. The melodies are instantly catchy, the aggression is there, the guitars sound thick, and the singing is just as intense as ever. If there is one thing Kalmah is it’s consistent.

If you are new to Kalmah (where have you been?), these Finnish swamp lords play a technical breed of melodic death metal.  You can also hear a little black metal influence here and there, particularly in some of the vocals from Pekka Kokko and some of the more aggressive guitar lines.

I have this friend who doesn’t really listen to metal (he is still stuck on grunge) and the last few times he has stopped by I’ve been listening to Kalmah. Each time he asked, “What is this, some kind of video game death metal?”

The hooks are so strong and catchy that they sometimes do sound like something that would work in a video game. Mario would be so much cooler if he rocked out to Kalmah.

Let’s analyze for a moment: On their first few albums the sound was epic and aggressive. It was slightly raw despite the prominent keyboards. The songs were catchy but the hooks weren’t as defined as they were on their last album, For the Revolution. To me, 12 Gauge brings back some of the older Kalmah style and mixes it with the new sound. It’s epic and aggressive while featuring amazing riffing and catchy melodies. I also like that this music does not insulting the listener by being predictable or watered down. It’s Kalmah all the way through.

They do love to use the keyboard (as usual). Their keyboarding is always there to add depth and thicken the already catchy melodies. One of the beauties of it is that it never overpowers the guitars or weakens the sound. This is one of the few melodic death metal bands that can tear your head off.

I don’t think this is their best work to date. There are better songs on just about every Kalmah album to date. We do have some amazing songs here and an album worthy of the “Kalmah” name. I believe someone mentioned that they knew about Kalmah but never really looked into them. This is a good place to start and after you “get it”, go back and explore their older material. Thank me later.

8.8/10

Carach Angren – Death Came Through A Phantom Ship (2010) Review 9/10

Carach Angren is back wih their second full length album. The first was a dark and ghostly trip and this one improves on it in almost every way.

This  ”symphonic black metal” act from the Netherlands puts as much emphasis on theatrics as they do on song writing. And this is a very cool thing. I would say they are quite unique in what they do.

For that reason I don’t really like to classify them as symphonic black metal. They do share musical similarities with bands like Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir, but they are not exactly similar them or other bands in this specific genre. They are more theatrical, more haunting, more avant garde, and more about telling a story.

And tell a story they do. It’s clear that the narrative is the most important part of the experience. I won’t go too far into the themes but we mainly have stories of ghosts… and pirate ghosts! The music is only there to act as a soundtrack to this black metal symphony of the macabre. It rises and falls. It blasts then everything is removed except a piano and some orchestration. The story changes and the soundtrack becomes sinister. It’s deviously beautiful. It’s chaotically sinister.

I recommend listening to this straight through, as a whole (especially for your first listen). The lyrics are clear enough to totally understand as well. Take it in as you would a good movie.

If you are up for something more theatrical with a sinister twist check out Death Came Through A Phantom Ship. It’s surely one of the most interesting albums of the year. To me, this is far more entertaining anything Cradle of Filth has ever released.

9/10

New Releases: Catamenia, Trauma, Carach Angren

There are a few new releases out today they everyone might want to check out.

Trama - Archetype of Chaos

These guys are my favorite technical death metal band. So far, from the preview track floating around online, it sounds like they are staying true to their sound.

If you like technical death metal with a dose of groove, this is for you. It’s not the typical “blast as fast as you can” style of tech death. They do blast, but only when it fits.

Read more

Rotting Christ – AEALO (2010) Review 8/10

Rotting Christ’s latest effort, AEALO, is meant to be taken as a whole, as an experience, or single piece of art. This is supposed to be what a soldier goes through in battle. Read more

Oskoreien – Illusions EP (2009) Review 9.5/10

In European folk mythology, the Oskoreien were a phantasmal horde of dead souls who roamed the land, often portrayed as being led by Odin, the Norse god of poetry and war.

In Pagan lore, the Oskoreien (loosely translated “The Wild Hunt” ) were the only connection between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead. Led by Odin, the Norse God of poetry and war, the souls comprising the Oskoreien would travel the land bringing both joy and sorrow, as it was deserved, to the realm of humans.

Oskoreien is a North American ambient black metal band that incorporates folk elements. The Illusious EP only has two songs but is still close to 25 minutes in length. You can download the songs  here: http://oskoreien.bandcamp.co

The music is thick with atmosphere. There is a subtle beauty to it and each song is a journey on it’s own. At first I felt like I was alone in the forest, or climbing to the top of the mountain to look over land. Then the music took me into a dark city with empty streets. The ground was wet and the lights were reflecting and bleeding into one another. Does anyone else listen to music this way? If so, put this on and let me know where your mind wonders.

It’s also extremely impressive when you take into account that it was all created by one guy, Jay Valena. He recorded everything except the harsh vocals. Currently he is looking for musicians. If you live in LA and are interested check out his post here: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=37020019&blogId=529388302

I would instantly recommend this to fans of Agalloch, Wolves in the Throne Room, and the older Shining work. Check it out.

9.5/10

In Mourning – Monolith (2010) Review 6.5/10

In Mourning plays very modern sounding progressive melodic death metal. Some of their more progressive moments bring to mind Opeth. This is about as good as they get on this album.

I really want to like this music more. There is a lot going on here and the subtly is there as well. That is something that really sets one band apart from another. The nuances. The atmosphere that builds. The layers of intrigue. Sadly, most of the material on this album is more monotonous than interesting.

I guess the biggest let down is knowing that the band is extremely talented. They know how to create atmosphere. I’m mostly passive about what is going on but here and there something will catch my ear. This when I know they can do better. They created something interesting and beautiful for 30 seconds and then it disappeared back into a fog of nothingness.

The Smoke is a great song. If you pick up the disc, start there. Again, I hear a lot of Opeth here.

I also want to note that the cover art was designed by our friend Travis Smith (he created the flaming earth logo for RazeTheWorld). He also does the cover art for Opeth… See where I’m going here.

Let’s hope that they get a bit more creative and dynamic with their songs next time. I know this band can be amazing, but here it is only slightly amazing.  I’d check out the new work from bands like In Vain, Be’lakor, or even Martriden if you are looking for something in this style.

6.5/10

New Kalmah Album Released Today in Japan (Europe on March 3)

Kalmah has a new album out today in Japan.  It will be released in Europe on March 3rd. I hate when they stagger the release dates. It makes no sense. The album will be online today.

The album is called 12 Gauge and it is filled with close to 43 minutes of their of blackened melodic death metal!

Here is a random video from their studio:

Finntroll – Nifelvind (2010) Review 8.9/10

There be trolls about. Finntroll is back with another frolic through the darker parts of the Finnish forest. Nifelvind is a lot more fun than their last album, Ur Jordens Djup.

In Ur Jordens Djup, Finntroll really reached a dark point in their music. I don’t mean that in a bad way, I mean that their music much more diabolical and sinister. It was like a rainy day filled with necromancy. The sound is much the same in Nifelvind. It’s still dark and somewhat evil sounding, but this time it’s more darkly mischievous than sinister.  I can definitely drink ale to this.

They have introduced some new instruments on this album. I am loving the sound of the xylophone on some of the tracks. It brings to mind images of trolls dancing about in torch-lit caves. There is also some banjo on this album. I would rate this as one of the “folkier” Finntroll albums just because there are a lot of acoustic instruments and a bit less keyboard than one is used to.

As for the production and performances… The production is nearly perfect. It seems hard not to find a well produced album these days. The performances are quite good as well. The guitar is just as complicated as it needs to be. The effects and folk instruments are all well placed. I especially like the background vocals. We hear chanting and even some epic choruses.

I do prefer some of the more upbeat Finntroll albums like Nattfödd, but I am really enjoying this trip through the darker parts of the forest.

8.9/10

Line-up:
Vreth – Vocals
Routa – Guitars
Skrymer – Guitars
Tundra – Bass
Trollhorn – Keyboards
Beast Dominator – Drums

1. Vindfärd / Människopesten 05:36
2. Eliytres 03:46
3. Fiskarens Fiende 03:47
4. Trollhammaren 03:33
5. Nattfödd 04:51
6. Ursvamp 02:03
7. Marknadsvisan 02:00
8. Det Iskalla Trollblodet 03:54
9. Grottans Barn 04:37
10. Rök 02:23
Total playing time 36:30

Enfold Darkness – Our Cursed Rapture (2009) Review 8.8/10

Enfold Darkness released their first studio album last year. Take somewhat technical death metal, add some great melodies, thrashy chord progressions, amazing guitar lines, and just a touch of black metal and you get Our Cursed Rapture. This music is a hell of a ride.

I am almost shocked to hear this kind of music come out of Tennessee. I know some hillbillies like to rock (I’m from Kentucky), but Tennessee is where most country and Christian contemporary music comes from. This is about as far as you can get from that rubbish.

When compared to similar bands, this album has clocked more playtime in foobar than the latest Arsis or The Faceless album. That is not to say that it is better, just more solid from start to finish. That is really my favorite thing about it. I can put this on and leave it. The only time I have to run back to the computer is during the track, “Exaltations (Part II: The Epitome of Grief)”. I always need to crank it up for that one. I should buy a damn remote.

Some of the guitar lines and intense energy sometimes remind me of Mors Principium Est (just not as epic or melodic). These guys shred. Fans of modern sounding technical death, thrash, or melodic death metal should pick this one up.

8.8/10

1. The Rise of the Greatest Fornicator 00:58
2. In the Galleries of the Utmost Evil 03:01
3. The Benefits of Your Demise 03:45
4. Our Cursed Rapture 05:48
5. Dead in the Brine 05:41
6. Exaltations (Part I: The Entrance of Hecate) 03:57
7. Exaltations (Part II: The Epitome of Grief) 03:16
8. Altars of Perdition (Instrumental Interlude) 01:59
9. The Sanctuaries 08:30
Total playing time 36:55

February has Been an Epic Month

Eluveitie, Rotting Christ, Borknagar, Finntroll, Dark Tranquillity, Martriden, Burzum, Kawir, Whispered, Embryo, Shaolin Death Squad, De Profundis, Scythia, Daysend, Throes of Dawn, Jack Slater, Ov Hell, Nydvind, and Immolation have all released CD’s.

I’ll try to give you a one or two sentense preview of each one: Read more

Eluveitie – Everything Remains As It Never Was (2010) Review 9.8/10

Everything Remains As It Never Was is here! Eluveitie is playing some of their heaviest and most melodic music. After one listen I have placed this beside Spirit as my favorite Eluveitie album.

I’ll get my complaining out of the way Read more

Martriden – Encounter The Monolith (2010) Review 9.8/10

Martriden came out of nowhere (Montana) in 2006 with a self produced album that sounded about as clean as any death metal album I’d heard before. The album will filled with awesome riffing and the tracks rocked. Some of my old “Logan’s Inbox” videos used their riffs as intro music (I sent them a Read more

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