Posts Tagged ‘roadrunner’
Monday, April 1st, 2013
Disarm the Descent (Roadrunner)
In what is hailed as one of the most anticipated albums of 2013, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE finally drops their comeback album with original vocalist JESSE LEACH. When you approach an album that has high expectations such as this one, it’s always interesting to see if a band, especially an established on can rise to the challenge. Not only has KsE turned in a great album, but one that will rank among their finest when their careers are over. If you loved Jesse’s first turn in the band, you will love this album. If you came on board with HOWARD JONES, you will find a lot to enjoy also. If you never liked this band in the first place…move along, nothing to see here and have a nice day.
The very first thing that will impress you about the album is how balls out heavy the band sounds, compared to the last batch of KsE albums. Either as a by-product of being rejuvenated by Jesse’s return, or if they were heading back towards a heavier style, it works. From the opening screaming howl of “The Hell In Me” and the main riff battering your ears, you can just feel the energy coming off the track. Jesse sounds terrific whether he screams or lets his great melodic chops shine. The song sounds exactly like it could have come off of Alive of Just Breathing for many reasons: killer riffs, Jesse’s voice, half-time breakdowns, great chorus etc. Even the lyrics are excellent, it is pretty much as flawless track. The song is over before you know it and you kind of wish it would go on and on.
“Beyond The Flames” keeps up the melodic Metalcore style of The End of Heartache with a cool driving guitar part and great vocals again from Jesse. The chorus is classic harmonized KsE vocals and the Melo-Death inspired licks the band is known for. The contrasting harsh vocals between Leach and ADAM DUTKIEWICZ are just golden. You can tell the band worked on these songs for a long time, because there are few redundant parts and little fat on these tracks if any. ADAM D’s track record as a perfectionist in the studio is also obvious from the crisp nature of the tracks. The mix was also handled by the venerable ANDY SNEAP (EXODUS, TESTAMENT, OPETH, ARCH ENEMY). “The New Awakening” ratchets up the heaviness again for its brutal opening, harmonized leads and blastbeats. The track also has the best guitar solos on the album and Adam D and JOEL STROETZEL kill it on just about every song. The first single “In Due Time” is solid, but actually the most straight forward song on the album. I recall hearing it the first time and hoping the entire album would be cut from this cloth. They certainly exceeded that hope. Either by way of its key or intensity, “A Tribute to The Fallen” sounds like the earliest work of the band. Backing death growl vocals, chugging and urgent riffs and a raw delivery that will take you back about ten plus years. “Turning Point” is just brutal and sounds like a classic MIKE D’ANTONIO/Adam D composition. “All we Have” is another evil ripper of a song. If they played this in a live setting, I can already envision the mosh pits and the bloodbath that follows. As gnarly as the begging of the track is, the chorus is pretty, but not too pretty if you know what I mean. “You Don’t Bleed For Me” is lone track that has the sound of the more recent KsE affairs. It doesn’t bring the album down, but it is a slight notch below all the rest of the songs to my ears. Fortunately “The Call” brings it right back to focus on the heavier aspects of the bands’ sound. Still, it’s a pretty catchy song which as to be expected from this album. Drummer JUSTIN FOLEY plays some over the top blastbeats on this song, but maybe goes to the well a few times too many. Perhaps people were expecting a re-do of the straight up melodicism of the TIMES OF GRACE album, but that is not strictly the case here. “No End In Sight” starts out with slow, head nodding grind and picks up the beat a little bit more over the course of the song. This is definitely a more mature KsE song. “Always” is the longest song on the album and is a much more laid back affair than I care for. I’m not crazy about the song overall, but it is fairly heavy and has some interesting choices in the writing. “Time Will Not Remain” closes things out in great fashion and rebounds a little bit from the previous few songs. For a final track it has all of the trademark sounds from the band that you want. This would be another song I’d like to hear live.
While far from perfect, the album’s strongest points make a case that this band still has a lot left in the tank and much more to say.
 KILLSWITCH ENGAGE: Same as it ever was…. GRADE: B+
By Keith (@Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: Adam Dutkiewicz, andy sneap, blastbeats, catchy chorus parts, Disarm the Descent, drummer Justin Foley, great vocals, harmonized lead guitars, howard jones, joel stroetzel, Killswitch Engage, Melo-death inspired riffs, metalcore, Mike D'Antonio, roadrunner, Times of Grace, vocalist JESSE LEACH
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Thursday, January 17th, 2013
 WINTERSUN makes a masterpiece… or half of one. 21. WINTERSUN- Time I (Nuclear Blast)
22. GOD FORBID - Equilibrium (eOne Metal)
23. NEUROSIS - Honor Found In Decay (Neurot)
24. OVERKILL - The Electric Age (eOne Metal)
25. NILE – At The Gate of Sethu (Nuclear Blast)
26. SOEN – Cognitive (Spinefarm)
27. PALLBEARER – Sorrow & Extinction (Profound Lore)
28. SHADOWS FALL – Fire From The Sky (Razor and Tie)
29. STORM CORROSION - Storm Corrosion (Roadrunner)
30. VAN HALEN – A Different Kind of Truth (Interscope)
31. BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME - The Parallax II: Future Sequence (Metal Blade)
32. KREATOR – Phantom Antichrist (Nuclear Blast)
33. BLACK BREATH – Sentenced To Life (Southern Lord)
34. UNISONIC - Unisonic (EarlMusic)
35. RUSH – Clockwork Angels (Roadrunner)
36. ANATHEMA – Weather Systems (The End Records)
37. INVERLOCH - Dusk…Subside (Relapse)
38. BIOHAZARD – Reborn in Defiance (Self Released/Nuclear Blast)
39. THE MELVINS – Freak Puke (Ipecac)
40. PERIPHERY – Periphery II: This Time It’s Personal (Sumerian)
41. ENSLAVED – RIITIIR (Indie Recordings)
42. WORM OUROBORUS - Come The Thaw (Profound Lore)
43. TITANS EVE – Life Apocalypse (Self-Released)
44. PARADISE LOST - Tragic Idol (Century Media)
45. MY RUIN – A Southern Revelation (Self-Released)
46. THE CONTORIONIST – Intrinsic (eOne Metal)
47. NACHTMYSTIUM – Silencing Machine (Century Media)
48. MUNICIPAL WASTE – The Fatal Feast (Nuclear Blast)
49. ABORTED – Global Flatline (Century Media)
50. CATTLE DECAPITATION – Monolith of Inhumanity (Metal Blade)
by Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: A Different Kind of Truth, A Southern Revelation, aborted, anathema, At The Gate of Sethu, between the buried and me, biohazard, Black Breath, cattle decapitation, Clockwork Angels, Cognitive, Come The Thaw, Dusk...Subside, EarlMusic, ENSLAVED, eOne Metal, Equilibrium, Fire From The Sky, Freak Puke, Global Flatline, God Forbid, Honor Found In Decay, Indie Recordings, Interscope, Intrinsic, INVERLOCH, Ipecac, kreator, Life Apocalypse, METAL BLADE, Monolith Of Inhumanity, municipal waste, MY RUIN, nachtmystium, neurosis, Neurot, Nile, Nuclear Blast, Overkill, Pallbearer, paradise lost, periphery, Periphery II: This Time It's Personal, Phantom Antichrist, profound lore, Razor and Tie, Reborn in Defiance, Relapse, RIITIIR, roadrunner, Rush, Sentenced To Life, Shadows Fall, Silencing Machine, SOEN, Sorrow & Extinction, Southern Lord, spinefarm, STORM CORROSION, Sumerian, THE CONTORIONIST, The Electric Age, The End Records, The Fatal Feast, The Melvins, The Parallax II: Future Sequence, Time I, TITANS EVE, Tragic Idol, UNISONIC, van halen, Weather Systems, WINTERSUN, WORM OUROBORUS
Posted in Top 10 Lists | No Comments »
Friday, December 21st, 2012
Here is Keefy’s final Top Ten from his overall Top 40 Metal Albums of 2012 list! Enjoy!
#10. CRYPTOPSY- Cryptopsy (Self Released)
To paraphrase comedian Chris Rock, I’m tired of apologizing for CRYPTOPSY. I was in the minority among people when I loved The Unspoken King. I’m sure as people are reading this; they are scratching their heads again. No matter, CRYPTOPSY has silenced all their critics with an album that matches the best work of their career. A brutal slab of technical death metal on every level the album is great for all the reasons that made the band stellar in the first place. Obviously, people talk about the inhuman level of Drummer FLO MOUNIER. However, the real strength of the band is returning guitarist and writer JON LEVASSEUR and mainstay guitarist/uber producer CHRISITAN DONALDSON. The songs they wrote are superb. I was nervous about Oliver Pinard being able to replace ERIC LANGLOIS on bass, but even he was great too! Lastly, MATT MCGATCHY‘s performance provides the shut the fuck up moment of the year to all the haters. Well done sirs!
#9. PRONG- Carved Into Stone (Long Branch Records/SPV)
I thought my birthday came early this year when PRONG’s new album came out. PRONG has always been one of my favorite bands and all of their recorded output has been always been strong. Carved Into Stone is actually the bands best album since 1996′s Rude Awakening. Not only is the album full of sick tunes, but over the top, guitar playing in general is terrific. TOMMY VICTOR (DANZIG, MINISTRY) has been known for two things in his career: great songs and being a riff master general. The album displays an unexpected depth for any record in 2012. Packed with just the right touch of technical mastery and catchy songwriting to please and the hardcore soul, which hearkens back to Tommy’s NYC metal roots. The performances from TONY CAMPOS (SOULFLY/ MINISTRY/STATIC-X/ASESINO/POSSESSED/OTEP) and ALEXI RODRIGUEZ (ex-3 INCHES OF BLOOD) are matched perfectly too, making this one of the baddest power trio’s around.
#8. GOJIRA – L’Enfant Sauvage (Roadrunner)
GOJIRA albums, when they come out, are an event. The metal world waits with baited breath and the results are always stellar. Armed with a new deal from Roadrunner, the band put out L’Enfant Sauvage over the summer to roars of approval. Perhaps, even I was too cynical to believe that GOJIRA would continue to get increasingly popular as they stayed true to who they were? L’Enfant Sauvage is a great blend of the Progressive Rock/Metal, Tech Death, old-school Death Metal and Thrash influences they are known for. Then there is their subject matter: they are one of the most thoughtful and socially conscious bands around, lyrically. The album hits the right mood on every level, every time and has the musical confidence of a band much more senior in years. Songs like “Explosia”, “The Axe” and “Liquid Fire” are going to be talked about in metal head circles for years to come.
#7. CANNIBAL CORPSE- Torture (Metal Blade)
Like a beautifully marbled steak or a legendary work of art, CANNIBAL CORPSE truly does get better with age. It seems likely that much like SLAYER, the death metal godfathers will keep right on trucking on to oblivion, making skull splitting, gore filled albums for as long as they can. Torture is perfect in every way and all of the things you love about the band are in the mix. Perhaps due to being the most collaborative written album in the bands history, the sound from song to song is quite eclectic. Not like Dubstep, power-ballad eclectic, mind you, but the band has figured out how to blend different song styles seamlessly. Inventive new chord structures and riffs, hard to fathom bass lines and stupendous drumming are all topped off by GEORGE “CORPSEGRINDER” FISHER‘s impeccable voice from hell. Plus, don’t forget the grooves. Oh those crushing grooves! Nobody writes a grooving-ass, brutal riff better than ALEX WEBSTER. The band continues to be the yard stick by which all death metal music and consequently, all death metal bands are measured.
#6. C.O.C. – C.O.C. (Candlelight)
That C.O.C. was able to make a comeback as a trio at this point in their career is not a surprise. The fact that they reunited to make an amazing album is not even a question. What I am surprised by, is that it seems like the rest of the world has caught up to the sound of the band and the love from fans and the press is over flowing. When last we saw C.O.C. as a trio it was the 80s and they were mostly an underground phenomenon. Lots of bands like to say they were influenced by the Sludgy, Crossover Doom masters, but in this age of the Internet; flattery goes a long way to help a new bands rep.To hear WOODY WEATHERMAN tell it, the reunion circuit was totally un-interesting to the band, unless they were gonna make new music. C.O.C., the album has more quality and vitality than many of the upstarts of the genre they helped put on the map. MIKE DEAN‘s bass is full of fuzz and style; Woody‘s soloing is on fire and REED MULLEN, back for the first time in over decade, drums and sings like a man possessed. Let us not forget the poignant political lyrics, much welcomed in these troublesome times of a divided America. You might say the metal world needed C.O.C. to come back, as much as they needed to make a comeback themselves.
#5. MESHUGGAH- Koloss (Nuclear Blast)
What can you say about MESHUGGAH that hasn’t been said already? It’s not hard to run out of superlatives when talking about the most influential metal band of the last fifteen years. Whether Koloss was going to be great or not was likely not debatable. What was up for grabs, was what direction these geniuses would take the iconic music we have all come to expect. The results were stunning. Can you change things up, and still be the same band? By definition no, but that is MESHUGGAH for you. Koloss is a collection of songs much like the rest of the bands’ storied catalog: brutal, and complex. Most of the songs feature a pulsing groove that has come to the fore in the bands work of late. Every beat and riff is a maelstrom of twisting delight, overlapping time signatures and finger-defying licks galore. Most of all, the album sets another technical high water-mark for guitarist FREDRICK THORDENDAL and drummer TOMAS HAAKE.
#4. TESTAMENT- Dark Roots Of Earth (Nuclear Blast)
The return of TESTAMENT to their former level of greatness is nothing short of a triumph for all of metal. 2008′s Formation of Damnation was an excellent comeback album, after almost a decade of no new music. In the interim years since getting back together, they have toured tirelessly around the world, reignited their chemistry and fulfilled the promise of their early career. Dark Roots of Earth takes the concept of the old-school Thrash style, added a modern sensibility and took it all one step further. Only EXODUS and ANTHRAX have been able to pull of the feat of making new music for modern ears, staying true to their past and begin able to add a level of panache. ERIC PETERSON finally got his dream come true by getting GENE HOGLAN to write and record drums for a TESTAMENT album. The unrelenting bottom end of the songs gives the band a new power they have never had. Every song is a gem. “Native Blood” is one of the catchiest, yet grooviest songs I’ve heard in ages. The chorus is also the best of 2012. CHUCK BILLY‘s ageless voice carries the day and ALEX SKOLNICK displays the chops that verify his legions of fans. Even GREG CHRISTIAN is heard from, with some excellent bass lines. Dark Roots of Earth is all killer and positively no filler.
#3. BARONESS- Yellow And Green (Relapse)
One of the most anticipated albums of 2012 did not disappoint when BARONESS dropped the latest in their color-themed recent discography. The band made no pretense that this album would be not be metal and frankly, that was OK by me. If you have been following the band, they have been less concerned with the trappings of fitting in, in their career up to this point. They instead stayed true to their artistic authenticity. What BARONESS delivered is a double-album of incredible songs, displaying great chops and the best dynamics overall of any album on this list. Some of the songs are quite heavy, but more often than not, that heaviness never came the expense of melodies or tones. “Take My Bones Away” was my out and out favorite song of the entire year. “March To The Sea” was another stone cold rocker, the likes that haven’t been heard since the heyday of QUEEN or THIN LIZZY. Some of the best moments are the most unexpected ones; like the freak-out synth work in “Cocanium”. All of the keyboard work is stellar as is the bass playing, which band leader John Baizley played all of too. “Back Where I Belong”, “Eula” and “Board Up The House” will also rank at the top of the bands’ song book for years to come. The “Green” side of the double set is equally tuneful and more mellow, but no less mint song-craft wise. Finally, tying it all together is the brilliant cover artwork, the years’ best; also by Baizley once again.
#2. DYING FETUS- Reign Supreme (Relapse)
DYING FETUS is such a great band in its current incarnation that one almost forgets there were entire years in their history marked by upheavals and departures. The present day lineup has been intact since 2007 and the comfort level they have together creating the most brutal Death Metal possibly known to man is sky high. Through it all, JOHN GALLAGHER has been the one constant: constantly growing as a guitarist and writer and constantly writing pissed the fuck off, baffling and sick lyrics. Reign Supreme might be remembered years from now as one of the top three releases of the bands’ career with its non-stop violence inspired songs. GALLAGHER and his p-i-c SEAN BEASLEY crush it out of the park on the guttural vocals. Beasley, who was always an underrated bassist for the genre, plays some of the best passages ever recorded for the instrument in the context of technical death metal. TREY WILLIAMS also one-ups his performance from Descend Into Depravity, being a might less technical, but still precise as fuck and bludgeoning as all hell. His blasts are far and away my favorite of any drummer on album this entire year. The album is a masterpiece of death metal brilliance, and that is really saying something considering how deep the sub-genre is these days.
#1. IHSAHN- Eremita (Candlelight)
In what was a high quality year at the top of the heap of metal music, IHSAHN‘s fourth solo outing is my choice for the album of the year. It’s not the sexy choice compared with typical years past, but it is the best choice, by far. Eremita is a sprawling, ambitious album full of musical twists and turns, yet perfectly coalescing into a sensible piece of art. In an interview I conducted with him for Metal Army he talked about the creative process as a continual evolution, a death followed by a rebirth. That would just begin to cover the emotional and lyrical depth in the music. In many ways, this is the album that IHSAHN, famously known as the legendary front man of EMPEROR, has been building up to for his entire career. His mastery as a composer, guitarist, vocalist and lyricist is without equal at this point in his career. Musically the songs cover the gamut of emotions and styles and reveal a complexity that mirrors the artist himself. Songs like “Arrival”, “The Paranoid”, “Something Out There”, “The Eagle And The Snake” and “Departure” are among the best of the year. Topping off the package are the guest performances by the likes of DEVIN TOWNSEND, JEFF LOOMIS, EINAR SOLBERG (LEPROUS), JEFF MUNKENBY on sax and IHSAHN’s wife HEIDI S. TVEITEN‘s enchanting vocal turns, which sends the quality of the album into the stratosphere.
 Genius level achieved. KEEFY PREVIOUS TOP METAL ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
2011: TOMBS- Path of Totality
2010: EXODUS: Exhibit B
2009: MASTODON: Crack The Skye
2008: OPETH: Watershed
2007: MACHINE HEAD: The Blackening
2006: MASTODON: Blood Mountain
2005: MESHUGGAH: Catch Thirty-Three
2004: MACHINE HEAD: Through The Ashes Of Empires
Tags: 3 Inches of Blood, alex skolnick, Alex Webster, Alexi Rodriguez, Anthrax, Asesino, Avant Garde, Baroness, C.O.C., Candlelight, Cannibal Corpse, Carved Into Stone, chuck billy, cryptopsy, Danzig, Dark Roots Of Earth, death, Death Metal, descend into depravity, Devin Townsend, djent, doom, Drummer FLO MOUNIER, drummer/vocalist REED MULLEN, dying fetus, EINAR SOLBERG, emperor, EREMITA, eric peterson, EXODUS, FREDRICK THORDENDAL, Gene Hoglan, George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher, Gojira, GREG CHRISTIAN, guitarist JON LEVASSEUR, guitarist/uber producer CHRISITAN DONALDSON, HEIDI S. TVEITEN, Ihsahn, Jeff Loomis, JEFF MUNKENBY, John Gallagher, Koloss, leprous, Long Branch Records, L’Enfant Sauvage, MATT MCGATCHY, Meshuggah, METAL BLADE, mike dean, Ministry, Nuclear Blast, Otep, Possessed, power groove, prog, Prog Metal, Proggressive Death Metal, Prong, Queen, reign supreme, reviews by Keefy, roadrunner, rock, SEAN BEASLEY, slayer, sludge, Soulfly, spv, Static-X, tech death, testament, Thin Lizzy, Thrash Metal, Tomas Haake, Tommy Victor, Tony Campos, Top Albums, Top Ten Metal Albums of 2012, Torture, Trey Williams, woody weatherman, Year End Best Metal Album Lists, Yellow and Green, “Native Blood”
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Monday, June 25th, 2012
L’Enfant Sauvage (Roadrunner)
There are bands happy to exist in metal eager to carve out a little niche for themselves and stay there. There are bands that spend their careers catering to the whims of their fans or changing to gain a wider appeal. GOJIRA is a band that does neither of these things, yet somehow manages to be in the elite of artistic ideals, yet maintain a growing, popular following. I prefer to think that all credit due for this goes to the band, rather than the changing tastes (for the better) of the sweaty masses of metal fans. No matter, GOJIRA has crafted another masterpiece album that again defies convention and changes the course of heavy music. Just as they have done with each release of their career.
L’Enfant Sauvage translates from French as “The Wild Child”, but the title is not meant in a strict literal sense. The feral nature of humanity and their constant affect on their surrounding world is closer to the real concept of the piece and it is in that savagery that the music and lyrics are represented to the fullest on this album. All of the colors and emotions that make up the struggle of life, become articulated from the intro seconds until the very last notes ring out. The opening track “Explosia” comes with the trademark sound of the band intact. Syncopated riffs, over the top drumming and vocals that have brutality and melody together seem like they are in the DNA of these guys. Then there is the little hook of the repetitive harmonic lick that flows in and out of the song. Double time blast beasts, swinging grooves and impressive guitar work really punctuate this great opening salvo. The title track follows next and is equally harsh. Intricate melodic riffing captures your ear and I doubt anyone can hear this song and not bang their head in agreement to the beat. The early star of the album is drummer Mario Duplantier. As expected, he has turned in one of the top drumming performances of 2012 on this album. Of course in tandem with the talents of his brother Joe, they are the driving force behind the band. “The Axe” is another face melting track with a stellar main riff, top-flight vocal lines and deep lyrics. I can just envision entire crowds screaming along with the chorus live. In the same sense of the best modern metal bands, GOJIRA doesn’t need to rely on guitar solos to express different themes, they just come up with textural guitar work to bring in other flavors and sounds. “Liquid Fire” brings more of the same power and majesty you are accustomed to. To offset the driving beat and impressive guitar work is the return of the vocorder heavy lines that dotted the bands’ other releases. This brings in the prog influence which always goes hand in hand with their sound. This shows that you don’t have to get softer to change sometimes, just weirder.
When the band is finally done kicking your head in from four tracks in a row of punishment, “The Wild Fire” changes things up. With a whimsical tapping riff and a light beat, this little interlude warms your ear up for what comes next. “Planned Obsolescence” might be the best over all track on a perfect album. GOJIRA makes potentially raw chaos sound coherent with clever writing, tempo changes and dynamic sweeps in the singing. The interplay of the guitar parts between Joe and Christian Andreu is also sublime. Intense and full of little surprises, this is the best kind of writing elite metal bands have to offer. “Mouth of Kala” grinds out riffs and pummels, but never plods tempo wise. In addition to the standard rough hewn verses and sing-along chorus parts, there is a cool mellow section that lulls you into a chill space before decimating you again. “A Gift of Guilt” switches things up once again with a slightly lighter chorus and more tapped out central riffs, which is another Duplantier perfected technique. The verses are a heavy as anything that has come out this year on a record. “Pain is a Master” is another killer tune too. “Born In Winter shows the true prog face of the band. This is a track that could pass for a TOOL or even a new RUSH song if you didn’t know what band it was. For any other band this could be a misstep, but again and again this band takes chances that ultimately pay off. More than half the track is gone before a massive chorus comes in, but when it does, it rules. Bassist Jean-Michel Labadie, often the unsung hero of the group gets to shine here and on a few other tracks with his tasteful playing and thick tone. “The Fall” closes out the album in epic style. Brutal vocal flourishes are blended with yet another powerful, modern dirge of a riff.
Singular in vision, particular of taste and supremely talented; GOJIRA is nearly unrivaled in modern metal excellence.
 GOJIRA: Heavy as a unique and heavy thing.
GRADE: A+
by Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: blast beats, Death Metal, double-bass drumming, Gojira, metal reviews by Keefy, modern metal, Prog Metal, roadrunner, Rush, tool, www.metal-army.com
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Friday, June 1st, 2012
Storm Corrosion (Roadrunner)
Many years from now when nerds everywhere look back at the year 2012, they will fondly remember it for many things. Will it be remembered as the year for geek movies like The Avengers, Prometheus, and The Dark Knight Rises came out. IPhone 5 perhaps? Or maybe when Diablo 3 was released? The Facebook IPO? Nah. It will go down at the year MIKAEL ÅKERFELDT and STEVEN WILLSON put out their long teased about Storm Corrosion album. It sounds neither truly like OPETH or PORCUPINE TREE which were the groups that brought these great artists together. Nor does it sound too much like Wilson’s solo high quality work. While there are hints of the talents and styles of each titan, the blend of the two is something new, if not unexpected. It is definitely not the progressive rock masterpiece fans (amd I) have dreamed of and that likely is either a plus or a minus depending on your taste.
The album as a whole is more like a series of emotional peaks and valleys rather than the bombastic riff fests these two are better known for in their earlier, more metal-related careers. “Drag Ropes” begins as a somber affair sonically with some gentile keyboards and guitar. ÅKERFELDT’s chant like delivery of pastoral chords sets the table mysteriously. When Wilson’s voice comes in later it is magical. They contrast and compliment each other well as they have for years. There is also some interesting guitars that resemble neo-folk sounds almost like a movie sound track. In fact it does almost sound like the sound track to one of the past Diablo games. Trippy! Further along the music draws you into a mantra like chant like classic music cannons. Not only are these masterfully done parts of songs, the melody’s will stick with you for days. Some sparse drumming is provided by PORCUPINE TREE ace Gavin Harrison and the track fades back to the beginning after some interesting restrained guitar solo/synth parts. Overall the production is as neat and crisp as you could imagine from this pairing. The title track is next and even though is never gets beyond a hush volume wish, it can be described best as epic and jazzy. The lyrics are thoughtful and also as delicate as the performances. Wilson’s voice leads first with his partner in crime second. Their jazz harmonizing is on a special level. Wilson in particular shows off a surprising amount of soulfulness vocally without falling prey to a rote blues style that another might try. The guitar and keys interplay is again intricate and tasteful. There is a bit of early GENESIS/PINK FLOYD style music-concrete in the end of the track that adds some horror movie tension. “Hag” is almost like listening to two different songs A-B tested against each other. Åkerfeldts’ voice leads here and you have another piece that builds up into something special. From a eerie, creeping tone poem into a bit of a waltz the track definitely takes you out of yourself. You wonder what the faint laughter is about in the background. Fancy dinner party or insane asylum. You never know with these guys. “Happy” is anything but happy sounding. It is very sad and foreboding even with the la-Dee-dah vocalese at the end adding a ray of hopefulness. “Lock Howl” is an all instrumental piece that also sounds like the soundtrack with no movie. Without falling into a gallop beat, it definitely has the feeling of the road traveled, rhythmically and sonically. The final cut, “Ludjet Innan” is a spacial, shoe gazer that will even call to mind good 1980s Brit pop! More great guitar work and peaceful bass and drums. The tones just call to you with remnants of 60s and 70s psychedelic references. Although there is no ceiling on what these fellows can do, it is their stylistic and musical choices that really make this album a winner. It is about as far from metal as they can get collectively. But if you, like them, love great song writing and story telling, this album is for you.
 STORM CORROSION- Men at work. Photo by Naki Kouyioumtzis © 2012
GRADE: A
by Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: Brit Pop, early GENESIS, metal army america, metal reviews by Keefy, MIKAEL ÅKERFELDT and STEVEN WILLSON, Opeth, PETER GABRIEL, Pink Floyd, pop, porcupine tree, prog, psychedelia, roadrunner, rock, shoegaze, STORM CORROSION, synthesizers
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Tuesday, March 13th, 2012
Enslaved (Roadrunner)
For album number eight since leaving SEPULTURA, Max Cavalera has continued to expand on his vast musical legacy. To his credit, just like his first notable group, every album has been different from the last while retaining what can be called his signature tribal metal sound. Some of their albums are more hardcore flavored, others have been more focused on world music and more recently he has guided the band back to his thrash roots. All of these elements are at play and added to the mix are a heavy influence of classic death and black metal for the first time in this band. Although not a wild stretch for Max and company to pull off, the new sound and direction has invigorated their sound and helped to make Enslaved one of their finest efforts to date.
“Resistance” kicks things off with a punishing double kick drum part and frenetic riffs. The main lick sounds kind of like an alarm of sorts, announcing the musical terror that is to come. The first track is short and to the point like some of the original SOULFLY and it works. Very punk meets death metal feeling. The single “World Scum” alternates between grindcore-esque blast-beats and Max’s trademark stomping chorus parts. The song is full of rage, but not without melody and the co-production by Max and Chris “Zeuss” Harris let’s everything shine. “World Scum” was apparently the first song Max wrote with new drummer David Kinkade (ex-BORKNAGAR) and this sets up the vibe for the album with brutal guitar parts of sick death and black metal inspired beats. Adding to the ill sound of the song is Travis Ryan of CATLE DECAPITATION on guest vocals. He is a good match for Max’s sound and makes the track even better. “Intervention” is another furious paced track with more of the great lyrical and vocal work Max is known for. The slowed down ending of the track just crushes. Fortifying the band is the addition of bassist Tony Campos (STATIC-X, PRONG, MINISTRY, ASENSINO). Tony adds a lot of low end heft that the band relies on. He is especially valuable on the most brutal passages since he has a great picking hand for speedy riffs.”Gladiator” is another top track made for mosh pits and screaming along to at a show. The vocals are again top notch and sound fierce as ever. “Legions” is a old-school feeling track that could have been from the Arise-era. Lead guitarist Mark Rizzo shreds all over the place and provides plenty of melody against the grinding chords. Lyrically and philosophically Max sounds anguished by trying to cling to his spirituality in the face of organized religion. Without being too preachy he is able to drive his point home to the listener. “American Steel” is a bit more on the experimental side with some chilled out elements, but still has that crunch you want to hear most of the way through. “Redemption Of Man By God” continues the religious theme and features strong guest vocals by DEZ FAFARA (DEVILDRIVER/COALCHAMBER). When Dez and Max trade off lines with each other it sounds like pure, evil magic. “Treachery” might be the most brutal track on the album and is one of my favorites by far. Insane battle drums, sick guitars, black metal motifs and some inventive grooves that inspire a lot of headbanging. The middle section of the song could fool people into thinking they picked up a spacey sounding MASTODON album for even more added texture. “Plata O Plomo” is an amalgam of thrash, power groove, flamenco guitar, and even some melo-death lead guitars. There is also a rap en Español vocal by Campos that is excellent. Other top tracks include “Slave” (the Berimbau is back!) “Chains”, “Revengeance” which features Richie, Zyon and Igor Cavalera Jr. and the latest chapter in the bands’ eponymous beautiful instrumentals, “Soulfly VIII”. SOULFLY has managed to condense the soul of their entire history into these vibrant, rebellious songs while still pushing boundaries of what heavy music can be.
 Max Cavalera leads the charge on one the best SOULFLY records yet. GRADE: A
Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: arise, ASENSINO, Berimbau, black metal, borknagar, CATLE DECAPITATION bassist Tony Campos, Coal Chamber, Death Metal, devildriver, Dez Fafara, drummer David Kinkade, ENSLAVED, experimental, flamenco guitar, Grindcore, guitar melodies, hardcore punk, Igor Cavalera Jr., lead guitarist Mark Rizzo, Mastodon, Max Cavalera, melodic death metal, metal reviews by Keefy, Ministry, passages, power grooves, producer Chris “Zeuss” Harris, Prong, rapping en Español, Richie Cavalera, roadrunner, Sepultura, shred, Soulfly, space rock, Static-X, thrash, tribal metal, violins, vocalist Travis Ryan, Zyon Cavalera, “Soulfly VIII”
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Monday, October 31st, 2011
Th1rt3en (Roadrunner)
MEGADETH have been keeping up a hellacious schedule the last few years. Riding high on the successes of relentless world tours, pumping out several albums in a row, The Rust In Peace 20th Anniversary Tour, a live DVD, the massive Big 4 shows and all that it goes with. One started thinking that all of this began to take its toll on the veteran thrash out fit this summer. Front man Dave Mustaine was injured for the last third of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival and nearly pulled out of the New York Big Four show in September when Dave’s doctor advised him against playing with severe neck and arm injuries. Dave’s epitaph has been written many times and he is still here, kicking ass. Much like Mustaine’s entire career, the band has been driven by the need to excel professionally and musically. I worried if the time constraints on making the new MEGADETH album (according to drummer Shawn Drover when I interviewed him over the summer) would affect the quality. Shawn said no in spite of being the shortest time in the studio ever. Two months seems like an awful short time for my favorite Virgo perfectionist to make a new album, but everyone around the band echoed the same sentiment that it came out awesome. Still, I remained skeptical when I learned that some of the songs were demos and already released tracks from past albums, perhaps in a bid to save time. Then again my head told my metal heart that MEGADETH is MEGADETH and they do not compromise, ever.
The first track “Sudden Death” was leaked a few months ago and sounded impressive then, but more so now. The song is very much in the vein of recent Deth albums, full of shredding solos,tight arrangements, fast tempos and fine singing from Mustaine. The chorus has a very Countdown to Extinction catchy feel to it. I actually predicted a year ago that the band might eschew overt complexity on their next record for finer song-craft. I loved Endgame, but I felt it leaned to heavily on technical playing. “Public Enemy #1” which is about Osama Bin Laden, has also been a recent staple of the bands’ live shows. It kind of sounds a bit like “Hanger 18” in a way and is another catchy track. One of the upgrades in the sound of the band is the return of David “Junior” Ellefson to the fold. No disrespect to other guys who have held the job, but it just doesn’t sound true without Junior on bass and backing vocals. “Who’s Life (Is It Anyway?)” was the first really new track that I heard and was impressed with its urgency and originality. It has an old-school thrash and NWOBHM kind of vibe to it that I love with more cool solos from Mustaine and Chris Broderick. “We The People” is in the tradition of the the band that gave the world “Peace Sells….But Who’s Buying” and “Foreclosure of A Dream”. Of course Dave Mustaine in1986 was a lot less conservative and the this new song calls out American politicians in general, not one party. Drover really puts his stamp on this record as a top flight drummer and the right choice of player behind the kit for this band. Broderick again proves to be one of the finest axe-slingers in the game and reels off blistering lead after lead. Plus he has to keep up with Mustaine, who chips in a strong solo of his own. “Guns, Drugs, and Money” is another political jab aimed at the Mexican drug war. The pre-chorus has a great main riff, but I could care less for the pontificating nature of the lyrics. “Never Dead” is another song that was released early for a video game and is the thrashiest song on the album in the vein of the Rust In Peace album. This is the track that bears the most friuit from the bands experience playing that legendary album live for a year straight.
I’m not sure if it has to do specifically with choosing producer Johnny K (known for records by STAIND and DISTURBED), but every song on Thirteen has a cool sing-a-long chorus made for live performances. “New World Order” is another thoughtful song about the affairs of state and another stylistically typical Deth track. The rhythm section of Drover and Ellefson are particularly awesome here. This song also contains great gang vocals and several memorable leads. “Fast Lane” is exactly that; an uptempo jam. There is some awesome Mustaine right and left hand technique stuff here that knocked me out, as usual. The guy still has it where it counts. “Black Swan” originally appeared as a bonus track on United Abominations. The song has definitely been upgraded in its new form, but it is essentially the same tune with new and better playing on it. Although I love the song, I do feel like it is a bit of a re-tread at this point. “Wrekker” is a slick and heavy track in line with the bands’ most commercial leanings until the chorus kicks in. “Millennium of the Blind” apparently comes from a left-over demo from the Countdown-era and wound up released as a bonus track from Youthanasia. Starting off like a ballad and grounding down in to a metal/rock song it is the least compelling song on the album. However, some terrific lead playing redeems it before its over. Another left over track, “Deadly Nightshade” is about one of Mustaine’s favorite topics: Mrs. Wrong with whom he has a lot of experience with. Once again the signature Ellefson bass depth and tone reigns supreme, standing tall. Closing out the album and perhaps a wistful recap of their entire career, “13” has the dramatic weight Mustaine thrives on. Building up slowly like a geyser, the song rocks before long and has some fine down picked, chugging riffs that fans come to expect. Overall the album is solid and even great in some places, but I do feel as if the revamped tracks diminish the overall quality when compared to the last few albums by the group.
 MEGADETH: 13 to the power of Dave Mustaine.
GRADE: B+
By Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: age and injuries, bassist David “Junior” Ellefson, catchy chorus parts, conservative politics, Countdown to Extinction, drummer Shawn Drover, existing demos, guitarist/singer Dave Mustaine, Keefy. United Abominations, lead guitarist Chris Broderick, left over tracks, Megadeth, metal reviews by Keefy, NWOBHM, producer Johnny K, reconstituted songs, roadrunner, rock, RockStar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, rust in peace, shred, technical playing, Th1rt3en, the big four, thrash
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Thursday, October 6th, 2011
Heritage (Roadrunner)
 The cover will make sense to you, eventually. OPETH is one of the most revered names in all of metal and has been for nearly twenty years. For over ten of those years OPETH has been evolving slowly away from the brilliant death metal of their earliest origins and into an elegant progressive metal swan. Not the most inspiring analogy to original fans, I know. The media serves a weird function in music too (or thinks it does), and typing those words cements the fact that I am a mere spoke in that wheel. People were dismissing the album before they ever heard a note which is silly. If OPETH is suffering from anything on Heritage it is the myopia of metal fans and critics who think they can dictate to a band what is best for them. Human beings are creatures of habit and hate the idea of changes to what is comfortable. Mikael Akerfeldt has always followed his own muse and fortunately he ignored all the negativity. I’d rather him follow his heart rather than make an album that is death metal for the sake of it, but be lackluster because he doesn’t care. From my first few listens all the way through the album, we are not talking about a departure like METALLICA’s Load albums or even a CELTIC FROST’s Cold Lake. We are talking about emphasizing an element of the band that has always been there and diminishing another. Granted, I am the guy whose first concerts were RUSH and YES in the 1980s, so I accept that I maybe I am one of the droids OPETH is looking for.
 Mikael Akerfeldt journeys to the center of his mind on Heritage Fittingly the album begins with the title track, which is a mournful piano solo. Performed by the now departed keyboard player Per Wilberg it is a cool way to kick things off. The first full song is the single, the much talked about cut “The Devil’s Orchid”. A full out, progressive rock (barely metal) work of the highest degree, the song is brilliant. It is however, not heavy, not in the traditional sense. There are no growls to be found here or anywhere on this album. Not blasts of brutality. At all. Still, going through several time signature and chordal changes over nearly seven minutes, Akerfeldt’s sinewy tenor permeates the melody lines adding soulfulness. Musically he has let his prog jones fly free completely. The interplay between the keys and guitars recalls early EMERSON LAKE AND PALMER (amazing how much they are being borrowed from in metal lately). The heaviest thing about the song is probably the Nietzsche-ian chorus refrain of “God Is Dead”. Next track “I Feel The Dark” has a lot in common with the material off of the Damnation album. Akerfeldt and his warm vocal croon, synth strings and lovely ostinato bass lines by Martin Mendez are the highlights. Some trippy Mellotron notes buzz in your head like a stiff drink. The middle section vamps up the heaviness some and the resulting dynamic swings which are excellent. Drummer Martin “Axe” Axenrot is almost the star of the album with his ability to play jazzy one minute and rock out the next. He also employs some inventive double-kick work. “Slither” starts with a string skipping riff and an old Hammond B3 Organ sound. Typical of most of these tracks, the song is shorter and more direct than previous efforts too. The track almost sounds like a cross between prog and earlier IRON MAIDEN, which is an awesome mix by the way. A gentile classical guitar outro closes things out nicely. “Nepenthe” is mellow and highlights the jazzy guitar work of Fredrik Akesson. Known for his reputation as a tasteful shredder, Fredrik has used his time in OPETH to really explore every facet of his prodigious talents. The song has a certain mid-era PINK FLOYD vibe to it that is unmistakeable and also more brilliant lyrics from Akerfeldt. The brief mid-song freakout is a nod to bands like KING CRIMSON and GENTLE GIANT. The wild solo is as good as anything on this opus. “Haxprocess” is another amazing track that is decidedly un-metal with all of its nerdy goodness. Starting with flutes and what sounds like West African rhythms, “Famine” is an expansive meditative journey into song craft. A little self-indulgent perhaps? True. Is this too far away from the bands’ history to be appreciated? I say no. The bewitching bass lines and Mellotron work of “The Lines In My Hand” are complimented by terrific flamenco inspired guitars. More of Axenrot’s beat perfect, in the pocket drumming surfaces. By the end of the track it has transformed further slowly up the rock ladder to a full on thrash freak out. “Folklore” is another track that almost sounds like the mellower moments of AGALLOCH or WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM’s new album. It does rise up dramatically with a fairly tasteful and urgent guitar solo and rocks out a bit by the end. “Marrow of the Earth” caps things off in an instrumental fashion and is once again lost in the polyester age. The record is a masterpiece of writing and playing, but not very metal at all I’m afraid to report. Although that will cost the band some fans in the short term, anyone who has been along for the ride up to now may not complain all that much.
GRADE: A-
Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: 1970's vibes, Agalloch, barely metal, bassist Martin Mendez, classic rock, Death Metal, drummer Martin “Axe” Axenrot, EMERSON LAKE AND PALMER, flamenco guitars, GENTLE GIANT, Hammond B3 Organ, Heritage, Iron Maiden, Jazz, Keefy, King Crimson, Mellotron, Mikael Akerfeldt, Moog, Opeth, Per Wilberg's swansong, Pink Floyd, Prog Metal, progressive rock, roadrunner, Rush, space rock, Steven Wilson, thrash, vocalist/guitarist Fredrik Akesson, West African music, wolves in the throne room, yes
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Friday, September 30th, 2011
Some of the writers here love ‘Heritage’ and some, myself included, are a bit bored by it. It’s undoubtedly the most hotly contested release of the year with fans lining up on both sides of whether it’s a prog masterpiece or a metal misstep. One thing’s for sure, OPETH’s new video for “The Devil’s Orchard” is absolutely incredible! Just take one look and you’ll be as hooked as I am.
Now the question remains, are you a fan of the record? Or, like me, do you see it as a misstep in the band’s illustrious career?
Tags: alice cooper, Anthrax, Billboard, bush, charts, Dream Theater, Heritage, Opeth, Primus, roadrunner, sales, Staind, the devil wears prada, We Came As Romans
Posted in The Bunker | No Comments »
Friday, September 23rd, 2011
OPETH is projected to sell 15,000 copies of ‘Heritage’ in it’s first week and, while that’s a really solid number for any metal band, it appears as though Roadrunner could wind up being disappointed with that number seeing as the band’s last (more metal) release shifted 19,000 copies. The questions will turn into “did OPETH change their sound TOO much?” Something that I think is actually true, speaking from my own personal tastes at least! OPETH seemingly abandoned every shred of metal they had in their sound and this could very well be the reason that the sales number dipped a bit – something I blame on diehard fans and purists not being able to come to terms with the band changing the style that they once clung too.
However, let’s not kid ourselves, selling 15,000 copies of an OPETH record (or any record, honestly) in this day and age is very impressive and shows that our scene is still alive and kicking despite debates over whether people still buy music. Well, of course they do, and they’re buying metal CDs in droves now. Just take a look at the Billboard charts this week, I’m sure you’ll be just as surprised as I was!
#5 Staind, ‘Staind’ (Atlantic), 47,370 sold
Some my say STAIND isn’t metal enough, but they are part of the hard rock/heavy metal scene so we’re counting them here.
#7 Dream Theater, ‘A Dramatic Turn of Events’ (Roadrunner), 35,750 sold
A slight drop from the sales of their last album could be seen as Portnoy’s diehard fans boycotting the record but this is, no doubt, an incredible debut for the prog legends’ 10th album!
#9 The Devil Wears Prada, ‘Dead Throne’ (Ferret), 32,420 sold
Like them or not, you can’t deny that this band is one of the most successful metal bands of recent memory! Kids are buying this record and will continue doing so thanks to a heavy touring schedule and a skull-crushing live show.
#11 Anthrax, ‘Worship Music’ (Megaforce), 28,470 sold
This is the first time the band has made the Billboard Top 20 since 1993. In fact, their last record didn’t even crack the Top 100, selling less than 10,000 copies in its first week. Renewed love of Anthrax and I’m sure those Big 4 shows certainly helped raise the profile as well!
#14 Primus, ‘Green Naugahyde’ (ATO), 24,370 sold
This is the first album the band has made in more than 10 years and they’re still going strong! Again, I know some of you may say that Primus isn’t metal enough, however they’re a great ‘hard alternative’ band and I’ll count them in here.
#18 Bush, ‘The Sea of Memories’ (eOne), 20,000 sold
Bush is one of my favorite rock bands in the world and to see them come back and still be as relevant as they are is really impressive. Seeing as how this is the band’s first album in several years and their first with an indie label, I’m sure this is scene as a big success.
#20 We Came As Romans, ‘Understanding What We’ve Grown To Be’ (Equal Vision), 19,160 sold
Considering that this band is on a rather small label, this is a huge feat! Don’t get me wrong, WCAR has become one of the biggest touring bands in the metal scene these days but this number is just monstrous for them and I’m sure everyone in their camp is really stoked!
#21 Alice Cooper, ‘Welcome 2 My Nightmare’ (Universal), 18,490 sold
Alice’s returning album is a big hit apparently. I had no idea that this record would sell this many copies but hats off to a true legend of our scene.
There you have it! This week, there are 8 artists from our scene in the Top 21 spots. That’s more than 1/3 of the top 21 selling albums in the country and that’s really huge for our scene as a whole. I’m happy to see that people are becoming even more accepting of metal and listening to some really aggressive and interesting music. So, while everyone is bitching and asking “what happened?” with OPETH this week, just remember 15,000 is still a great number and our scene is doing really well right now. Enjoy it!
Tags: alice cooper, Anthrax, Billboard, bush, charts, Dream Theater, Heritage, Opeth, Primus, roadrunner, sales, Staind, the devil wears prada, We Came As Romans
Posted in I Spy Metal, The Bunker | No Comments »
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