Review:
3 bands pops into mind while listening to this album, Symphony X, early Dream Theater and Angra. 2 guitarists overlapping each other w good riffs n great solos, but its still vocalist Matt Smith that shines on this record, giving us memorable vocal lines. Highly Recommended.
Album musicians:
Matt Smith - vocals, guitar, keyboards, orchestration
Shawn Benson - drums
Jonathan "Jon" Hinds - guitar
Val Allen Wood - guitar
Jared Oldham - bass
Tracklist:
I Am
The Master Storyteller
Nailed
Hide In The Fairytale
The Gift Of Music
30 Pieces Of Silver
Drown
Altar To The Unknown God
Light Of The World
As the World Bleeds
Previous records:
Theocracy, 2003
Mirror Of Souls, 2008
Review:
A fast-pacing hard-hitting album w good melodies. Unlike other deathcore bands i listen to there rnt that many soft passages on the album. I rly like the harsh vocal of Phil Bozeman, as he contributes much to the sound of the band. N w 3 guitars this is definitely a guitar based album w some rly good guitar riffs n solos.
Album musicians:
Phil Bozeman - vocals
Alex Wade - guitar
Ben Savage - guitar
Gabe Crisp - bass
Zach Householder - guitar
Ben Harclerode - drums
Tracklist:
Make It Bleed
Hate Creation
(Cult)uralist
I, Dementia
Section 8
Faces
Dead Silence
The Night Remains
Devoid
Possibilities Of An Impossible Existence
Previous records:
The Somatic Defilement, 2007
This Is Exile, 2008
A New Era Of Corruption, 2010
Recorrupted(EP), 2011
Review:
Its been a long wait since their self-titled debut masterpiece. Wintersun is finally back w enough material for 2 cds, Time I n II, w number 2 coming next year.
The album contains mainly of 3 songs clocking around 10 minutes each n 2 shorter instrumental songs.
This is epic folk metal, giving us great progressive melodies.
Recommended
Album musicians:
Jari Mäenpää - vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass
Kai Hahto - drums
Teemu Mäntysaari - guitars
Jukka Koskinen - bass
Guest musicians:
Mikko "Ilmarinen" Salovaara - choirs
Heri Joensen - choirs
Olli Vänskä - choirs
Mathias "Warlord" Nygård - choirs
Jukka-Pekka Miettinen - choirs
Markus Toivonen - choirs
Sami Hinkka - choirs
Alpha Valtias Mustatuuli - additional growling
Review:
Hard-hitting deathcore w 2 vocalists overlapping each other, both singing harsh n clean, n also do some choir. The softer passages goes more towards jazzy prog-rock, w some stand-alone guitar-parts.
Album musicians:
Collin Duffy - guitar, vocals
Casey Parent - drums
Geoff Whitaker - bass
Patrick English - vocals, guitar
Chris Aguirre - guitar
Review:
A for the most parts a fast-pacing album w good melodies. I would say they mainly play death metal, but w strong black metal influences.
Album musicians:
Sammy Duet - vocals, guitars
Louis Benjamin Falgoust II - vocals
Zack Simmons - drums
James Harvey - bass
Tracklist:
Collapse In Eternal Worth
When Steel And Bone Meet
Parasitic Scriptures Of The Sacred Word
In Deathless Tradition
Judgement Of The Bleeding Crown
Embodiment Of This Bitter Chaos
Beyond The Spell Of Discontent
Death To The Architects Of Heaven
An End To Nothing
My Name Is Frightful Among The Believers
Previous records:
The Eclipse Of Ages Into Black , 2000
Funeral Dirge For The Rotting Sun , 2003
Epoch Of Unlight / Goatwhore [Split] [EP], 2003
A Haunting Curse , 2006
Carving Out The Eyes Of God, 2009
Review:
I rly tried to wrap my head around this record, n been listening to it since it came out just be4 summer. It consist of some rly talented songwriting n melodies, n its no surprise it does rly well on several top lists.
Recommended.
Album musicians:
George Kosmas - vocals, guitars
Shaun Sykes - guitars
Jimmy Vanden Broeck - drums
Steven Merry - keyboards, piano
John Richardson - bass
Guest musician:
Megan Sykes - flute
Tracklist:
Abeyance
Remnants
Fraught
Absit Omen
To Stir The Sea
In Parting
The Dream And The Waking
By Moon And Star
Previous records:
The Frail Tide, 2007
Stone's Reach, 2009
Review:
Rly good melodic american prog metal band who released their debut full-lenght last month. they use clean n harsh vocals. Closest influence i would say is Opeth, even though they dont sound like them . Some passages goes towards sludge/stoner.
Album musicians:
Brad Trinkl - guitars, synth, glockenspiel
Chris Gochis - guitars, vocals, piano
Ben Chipman - bass, vocals, mandolin
Matthew Chipman - drums, percussion
Review:
I think this is very melodic ep, mainly delivering soft jazz/rock fusion, but also heavy influenced by progressive metal. It is the guitar thats in focus, w Plini delivering some rly good, varied techniques.
Album musicians:
Plini - guitars
Allen - keyboards, piano
Review:
Second release from this talented guitarist. Like his first album, this got his guitar in the center w surrounding soundscapes. Good melodies n progressivity throughout.
Album musicians:
Sithu Maung Maung Aye - guitars, mixing
Review:
A young girl w a 8-string guitar...how can it go wrong? =) This is for most parts tapping n experimental music, in the grey-zone between jazz n metal, djenting along musical structures. Truly a guitarist to watch out for.
Review:
This is a varied ep, ranging from relaxing, atmospheric parts, to more metalcore/progressive metal. The vocals, ranging from harsh to clean, singing mostly in english, but also japanese.
Recommended
Album musicians:
Hayato Imanishi - all instruments
Review:
Not many bands manages to blend metal n rap in a good way. This uk act may have found way, mixing groovy metal w a rap duo, having a third high-pitch clean vocal contributing in some passages. The music got a good punch to it, but i do miss some harsh vocal.
Recommended
Album musicians:
J Hurley - vocals
Ben Marvin - vocals
Timfy James - guitar/electronics/vocal
Josh Gurner - bass
Rich Hawking - drums
Review:
Converge was maybe the band that got me into metal. I got their 'The Broken Vow' on a The Wire Tapper-cd, n i rly liked their raw expression, explotionious vocal n great melodies. Even though it still took me a couple years to rly appreciate the various styles of metal, because at that time i was into...yea, the wire stuff, which will say exprimental n avant-garde stuff, n moving more into prog-rock, it did set a spark in me. Im allways changing in music styles, n in 5 years from now, i dont know what ill listen to.
Now they've released their 8th full-length, n i think its more back to basic, compared to the records they released between this n their Jane Doe album, which in some cases is more streamlined. They r back w this raw, dirty sound n their 'fuck you'-attitude. This record will definitely grow on me, so check it out;)
Album musicians:
Jacob Bannon - vocals
Kurt Ballou - bass, keyboards, guitars, percussion, theremin, vocals
Ben Koller - drums
Nate Newton - bass, vocals
Tracklist:
Aimless Arrow
Trespasses
Tender Abuse
Sadness Comes Home
Empty On The Inside
Sparrow's Fall
Glacial Pace
No Light Escapes(bonus)
Vicious Muse
Veins And Vails
Coral Blue
Shame In The Way
On My Shield(bonus)
Precipice
All We Love We Leave Behind
Runaway(bonus)
Predatory Glow
Previous records:
Halo In A Haystack, 1994
Petitioning The Empty Sky, 1996
When Forever Comes Crashing, 1998
The Poacher Diaries(split ep), 1999
Jane Doe, 2001
You Fail Me, 2004
No Heroes, 2006
Axe To Fall, 2009
On My Shield(ep), 2010
Converge/Napalm Death(split ep), 2012
Review:
Norwegians veterans Enslaved is out w their 12. album. Like allways its quality throughout. Strong, progressive melodies n an instinct sound. No wonder young bands from around the globe draw alot of their influences from this band. Highly Recommended.
Review:
This is very varied album, with influences from black metal, death metal, folk metal, different kinds of progressive metal. Dave Dubenic got a very versatile voice, doing both clean n harsh vocals. The harsh parts he sings more death/black metallish, clean his all over the place, i even think he resembles Mike Patton in some passages.
Album musicians:
Dave Dubenic - vocals
Matt Motto - lead guitar
Logan Wright - keyboard, rhythm guitar
Craig Hamburger - bass
Drew Goddard - drums, percussion
Review:
Came across this one-man band from Poland the other day. Really good guitardriven, spacey prog metal. It reminds me alot of Derek Sherinians work.
Album musicians:
Piotrek Gruszka - guitar, programming
