fredag 21. juni 2013

Shade Empire - Omega Arcane





















Band: Shade Empire
Album: Omega Arcane
Country: Finland


Release date: May 3, 2013
Genre: Symphonic Black Metal
Existed since: 1999

Review:
This is an absolute killer album. I could of course compare them to Dimmu Borgir, but there are light years of quality between DBs latest album and this one. Maybe its closer to Death Cult Armageddon.
The symphonic elements are well thought out, n fits the music perfectly. I have yet to find a dull song here, and after 20 spins or so, i still find parts i havent noticed before. My favourite song at the moment is Slumbering Giant, great transition after the excellent guitar solo.
This will certainly be found on several top lists at the end of the year.

Highly Recommended.


Album musicians:
Juha Harju - vocals
Olli Savolainen - synthesizers
Juha Sirkkiä - guitars
Janne Niiranen - guitars
Aapeli Kivimäki - guitars
Erno Räsänen - drums
Eero Mantere - bass


Tracklist:
  1. Ruins
  2. Dawnless Days
  3. Until No Life Breeds
  4. Ash Statues
  5. Disembodiment
  6. Malicious Winds
  7. Traveler Of Unlight
  8. Devolution
  9. Slumbering Giant
  10. Nomad
  11. Omega Arcane

Released records:
Sinthetic, 2004
Intoxicate O.S., 2006
Zero Nexus, 2008



tirsdag 18. juni 2013

Shining - One One One


















Band: Shining
Album: One One One
Country: Norway


Release date: 2013
Label: Indie Recordings
Genre: Avantgarde Metal, Free Jazz, Fusion, Death n Roll, Industrial, Jazz/Metal
Existed since: 1999

Review:
This record is less free jazz influenced than their 2010 release, though there is still some present, mainly in the parts where the saxophone is present. The music is focused in a fusion between death n roll n industrial metal, think SYL. I also get a sense of breakbeat in the sound.

Recommended.


Album musicians:
Jørgen Munkeby - vocals, guitar, saxophone, electric wind instrument
Torstein Lofthus - drums
Tor Egil Kreken - bass
Håkon Sagen - guitar


Tracklist:
  1. I Won't Forget
  2. The One Inside
  3. My Dying Drive
  4. Off The Hook
  5. Blackjazz Rebels
  6. How Your Story Ends
  7. The Hurting Game
  8. Walk Away
  9. Paint The Sky Black

Released records:
Where The Ragged People Go, 2001
Sweet Shanghai Devil, 2003
In The Kingdom Of Kitsch You Will Be A Monster, 2005
Grindstone, 2007
Blackjazz, 2010






lørdag 8. juni 2013

Leprous - Coal


















Band: Leprous
Album: Coal
Country: Norway


Release date: 2013
Genre: Progressive Metal, Avantgarde Metal
Existed since: 2001

Review:
Most of the music on this album follows Einar Solbergs voice, which he uses to experiment along progressive melody-lines. I think they on this album goes in completely other directions than other prog metal bands ive listened to this year.
Worth mentioning is that the drummer n the bassist has joined Atle Pettersen of Aspera/Beyond Symmetrys new project The Scheen.

High Recommended.


Album musicians:
Einar Solberg - vocals, keyboards
Tor Oddmund Suhrke - guitar, vocals
Øystein Landsverk - guitar, backing vocals
Tobias Ørnes Andersen - drums
Rein T. Blomquist - bass 


Tracklist:
  1. Foe
  2. Chronic
  3. Coal
  4. The Cloak
  5. The Valley
  6. Salt
  7. Echo
  8. Contaminate Me
  9. Bury
  10. Foe (remix)(bonus)

Released records:
Silent Waters (ep), 2004
Aeolia, 2006
Tall Poppy Syndrome, 2009
Bilateral, 2011