My Dying Bride - For Lies I Sire CD Review

My Dying Bride

For Lies I Sire

Peaceville
2009

My Dying Bride return with the full force of doom on this epic record. I had not heard much other than their "A Line of Deathless Kings" album, which in it's own was great. For Lies I Sire was practically and impulse buy, and now it has definitely peaked my interest in this band. The special UK guitar edition pack even came with an extended booklet, a custom pick with the My Dying Bride logo on it and a 12 page guitar tab book! Never before have I heard of a band releasing their music with tab (or sheet music) to accompany it.

The album kicks off with the first epic, My Body, A Funeral, which sets the mood perfectly for the album to come. There's a mixture of instruments that make appearances throughout, including a piano interlude in Echoes From A Hollow Soul and cello in My Body, A Funeral. The album is full of memorable moments with riffs that play over and over in my head even long after hearing them. Santuario Di Sanguine is one of my most memorable songs, and rightfully so. It contains an interesting interlude with violin and sounds of horses and people, before going back into the most epic riff/vocal line I can recall.

The second last song in the album, A Chapter In Loathing, is completely different to everything else on the CD. It's fast, aggressive, and completely scream vocals. It reminds me a of of Diabolical Masquerade for some reason I cannot put my finger on, only that that must be a good thing. The production is flawless, and sounds great! Everything on this record is awesome, the artwork looks amazing in the extended booklet. I can't think of anything they could have done better, which is a rare occasion. I only wish they'd tour to Australia, but that's a topic for another day.

My Dying Bride - For Lies I Sire is out now through Peaceville Records, I recommend it for any fans of decent metal.

Track List:
My Body, a Funeral
Fall With Me
The Lies I Sire
Bring Me Victory
Echoes From a Hollow Soul
ShadowHaunt
Santuario di Sangue
A Chapter in Loathing
Death Triumphant

Total running time: 59:51

Priest Feast Tour - Manchester Apollo 17th Feb

Testament: Unfortunately, due to the wonders of the M62 traffic jam, we only caught the tail end of Testament’s set but what we did see was simply awesome. The band are as good as they’ve ever been, perhaps better, and the strength of the new ‘Formation of Damnation’ material compared to the classics of yore is simply stunning. This is probably the best line-up Testament have ever had – Chuck Billy is a commanding, mountain of a frontman, Alex Skolnick is playing as good as ever and with the addition of ex-Slayer man Paul Bostaph behind the drum kit, Testament now have an extra edge to their performance. If only their upcoming special “evening with…” show was up north…
Setlist: For The Glory Of…, Over The Wall, New Order, More Than Meets The Eye, Persecuted Won't Forget, DNR, 3 Days in Darkness, Practice What You Preach, The Formation of Damnation

Megadeth:Undoubtedly the band of the night for me (and judging by the crowd’s reactions, most people). Yes, people can make all the ‘MegaDave’ jokes they like but the fact remains that Megadeth has always been Mustaine’s creation and they’ve always had an ever-changing line-up. And what the detractors certainly cannot deny is that Mustaine has more often than not surrounded himself with some brilliant musicians and the current line-up is no exception. Shawn Drover, James Lomenzo and ex-Nevermore guitarist Chris Broderick play the set flawlessly and from the opening notes of ‘Sleepwalker’ to the finale of ‘Holy Wars…’ what we get is an unrelenting and constant assault of some of the best metal songs ever written. Mustaine keeps his in-between song chatter to a minimum, preferring instead to let the music do the talking and its hard to argue with the quality of classics such as ‘In My Darkest Hour’, ‘Hangar 18’, ‘Symphony of Destruction’ and the rarely heard but criminally underrated ‘A Tout Le Monde’ which was a welcome surprise in the set.

Megadeth always put in great performances as the whole band, particularly Dave, play each show like it’s their last and that they really have something to prove. This is ironically one of the best things about a Megadeth performance but is also one of the most saddening things about Mustaine himself. Never one to miss a swipe at his former bandmates, Mustaine introduces ‘Mechanix’ by announcing that ‘it is NOT the Four Horsemen’. Seriously Dave, it’s been over 25 years. And with performances like tonight, Mustaine has nothing to feel second best about.
Setlist: Sleepwalker, Take No Prisoners, Wake Up Dead, A Tout Le Monde, Washington Is Next, In My Darkest Hour, Hangar 18, Symphony of Destruction, Peace Sells, Mechanix, Holy Wars

Judas Priest:Priest are among metal’s elite and rightly so. The band don’t put on a bad show but anyone who saw them in 2005 upon Halford’s return will probably walk away feeling a little disappointed tonight as the metal god himself is beginning to show his limitations. Don’t get me wrong, even a slightly deflated performance from Halford is better than most screaming nerks that pass themselves off as ‘metal’ frontmen could muster these days but it’s a shame when you know it could’ve and should’ve been better. His voice is beginning to fail him ever so slightly (but only compared to his previous high standards, not to anyone else’s) and you get the feeling that his slow movement on stage and the fact that he sings one song entirely seated is not just for effect…

And those who saw Priest last year at numerous festivals will no doubt have left tonight feeling a touch of déjà vu given that both the setlist and the stage show were exactly the same which is somewhat disappointing when you consider the wealth of material they have to choose from. Still, the setlist is far from predictable and we do get to hear some rarely aired Priest songs such as ‘Rock Hard, Ride Free’, ‘Eat Me Alive’ and an awesome rendition of ‘Sinner’. And of course no Priest show is complete without classics such as the mighty ‘Painkiller’ (which seems to get heavier each time the band play it and remains a lesson to all young bands in how to really be ‘heavy’), ‘Hell Bent For Leather’, complete with Halford riding the Harley, and ‘Breaking The Law’ which is still probably the most fun you can have singing along at a concert. All in all, it’s a very good performance from Priest without being great and if Megadeth had not been on such fine form, they may have nicked it. But tonight, it’s Mustaine, not Halford, who walks away with the spoils.

Setlist:Dawn Of Creation (Intro), Prophecy, Metal Gods, Eat Me Alive, Between The Hammer And The Anvil, Devil’s Child, Breaking The Law, Hell Patrol, Death, Dissident Aggressor, Angel, The Hellion/Electric Eye, Rock Hard, Ride Free, Sinner, Painkiller Encore:Hell Bent For Leather, The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown), You’ve Got Another Thing Coming

CD Review: Futility

Futility

Futility
Unsigned
2009

Futility are one of Australia's premier Doom metal bands, and this year they released their debut self titled album, which includes a full listing of 6 reasonablylengthed songs. Futility hail from Canberra and are doing their best to mark their own section in the Australian metal community. In my opinion Futility are yet to meet their peak, but that doesn't mean that this album isn't good, infact it's quite the opposite. This album will likely be one of my most played Australian albums throughout 2009, and I can see this band being one of few I follow that keep getting better.

Futility released their album alongside Ironwood at the show in Canberra, which was a blast. Their live performance is pretty spot on, and the new album reflects that perfectly. What you hear on record is what you get live, which can be the aim of many bands, but also the downfall of many more. One of the most difficult objectives for a band.

Futility is full of solid riffing, flawless drumming and brutal vocals. The power behind some of these songs is just awesome, the intro to "My Sickness" makes me want to headbang like crazy, which, might I add, can be quite rare for me. They've got an original twist to their music which I can't put my finger on, butsome of their songs remind me of a few European bands, like Katatonia meets October Tide with a slice of In Mourning on the side. But since I hate comparing bands to others, I'll just say that as far as I can tell, Futility's sound is their own.

The production on this album is great. For another 2009 independent release from Australia's (often unappreciated) metal scene, these guys have done a great job on bringing the quality back to our metal! The performance on this album is absolutely flawless, it's not overdone with production, and as a result you get a nice raw sound. This really is how the band sounds live, which is a great accomplishment.

As many are probably aware, Katatonia's Brave Murder Day album has added a pretty decent influence to the community of decent doom metal bands we have around today, and Futility are no exception to that. Infact, this album even includes a cover of "Murder", from that very album of Katatonia's. Some may say this is a fatal mistake, to include another bands song on their own album, but I think it's awesome! It's always interesting to hear other bands interpretations of some of my favourite songs ever (which Murder fits into), and Futility have done a great job of recording this song.

Those who have no hope in the Australian metal scene, give this band a listen and see if you still feel the same after hearing it. And anyone else who is into decent metal, give Futility a go. This album has not disappointed me at all!

Futility - Futility
Track Listing
...Failed
Saline Oasis
My Sickness
Fallen
Nothing
Murder (Katatonia Cover)

Playing Time: 43:35

Check them out here:
www.myspace.com/futilitycanberra

Review of the Futility launch show:
Click Here

Cd Review: Ironwood :Fire:Water:Ash:

Ironwood

:Fire:Water:Ash:
Unsigned
2009

Ironwood's debut album, :Fire:Water:Ash:, is most likely one of 2009s best unsigned releases by far. These four awesome musicians from Sydney have yet again outdone themselves with this release. Since hearing their debut EP I have been waiting anxiously for this album to come into the light, and I must say, it's certainly refreshing to hear something so different to everything else that I hear these days.

:Fire:Water:Ash: is THE album to get if you're into metal with a twist like this. The music drifts through heavy and softer sections flawlessly, often flicking between both in one song. It caters to just about every musical need you may have. Some of the vocals on this album are very different from what I'm used to hearing from other bands, particularly the low sung ones. The Raven Song, and Tide Of Memory both contain beautifully sung harmonies, another of the many vocal techniques you'll hear throughout this album.

The bass is still as impressive as it was on the EP. Henry plays it much like a 'real' guitar (for the elitists), often with complicated bass lines. A few bass solos pop up here and there also (Like a bass should be played), which are quite impressive, particularly when the bass is usually forgotten by the listeners, and poorly played by the musician. Ironwood proudly bring the bass back towards the listeners attention with this. The guitars are also very well played, with many switches between electric and acoustic, and rightfully so. The musicianship on this record stands out really well, and you can really tell that these guys enjoy what they do, and have done for a long time.

Jarnvidr Gallows, a 12 minute epic, holds one of my favourite Ironwood moments towards the end of the song, with a half sung, whispered vocal line along a guitar part that'll send shivers down your spine. Audio clips are used cleverly all through this album also, with sounds of rain, birds, and other ambient noises popping up all over the place. River of Fire was known as "Yggr" on the EP, and it has returned with great triumph. This was my favourite song off that recording, and sounds heaps better with the new production. The second longest song on this epic album, and possibly the most epic.

The production as a whole is great, everything is flawless and sounds awesome, and the artwork is definitely something else to behold. For an independent release, it can't get much better than this, particularly with an Australian band. Ironwood is definitely worth checking out if you haven't already. :Fire:Water:Ash: is out now and worth every penny!!!

Track Listing:
Önd Ascending
The Oncoming Storm
The Raven Song
Jarvindr Gallows
The Serpent Seeks It's Tail
Tide Of Memory
Love In Death
River Of Fire
Eihwaz Descending

Playing time: 70:35

Available from:
http://www.ironwoodsound.com.au/

www.myspace.com/ironwoodband

Metaholic review of the :Fire:Water:Ash: launch show.

Lordi at Sheffield Academy - 16th Feb 2009

This being my first trip to the relatively new Sheffield Academy, I was intrigued to see what it would be like and I’ve got to say it’s one of the best venues of it’s size that I’ve been in. The stage is great, there are almost no viewing obstructions from what is quite a large and wide floor area and there’s a circular bar at the back which I’ve always felt was a great idea providing the logistics of the venue would allow it. The venue is also handily located about 5 minutes from the train station too.

So, on to the band. Well, there’s not much left that can be said about Lordi that hasn’t already been said since their record-breaking Eurovision win almost 3 years ago. But suffice to say that if you haven’t seen this band at least once yet, then you really are missing out (though I’ve no idea who in their camp thought £30 for a t-shirt is justifiable – I know the pound is bad at the moment but not that bad!).

Lordi will always be more about the live show than their recorded output but as any Kiss fan will tell you (myself included), if a band can put on one hell of a show then they are more than half-way there. It’s just a shame that more people aren’t here to witness this (the academy seems about half-full tonight), possibly due to the far-more publicised Children of Bodom gig over in Manchester on the same night. Alas, it is the Bodom fans that are missing out tonight as Lordi do indeed put on one hell of a show. From the moment they walk on its GWAR meets Kiss with a touch of Alice Cooper thrown in – fake blood, monster costumes, decapitations, ticker tape and a sloth-like gimp creature that is given his five minutes of fame before running off stage (no, I’m not sure what that was about either) are just some of Lordi’s stage props and theatrics tonight – and the fans lap it up right until the end.

You could say that once the theatrics and the costumes are stripped away that Lordi don’t have a great deal of good songs and that may be true. Their albums do tend to have a few standout tracks on them surrounded by a lot of filler and tonight the response to most of the songs is fairly placid when compared to the enormous cheers that greet ‘Would You Love A Monsterman’, ‘Devil Is A Loser’, ‘Blood Red Sandman’ and, of course, ‘Hard Rock Hallelujah’, but I ask you, when the lead singer is stomping around in a monster costume with giant wings sprouting from his back, does that really matter?

An Evening Of Sonic Misery

I made the two something hour trip from my home town to Canberra specifically for this event, and left very satisfied. The show was entitled 'An Evening Of Sonic Misery', but to me it was an evening of total awesome! It was also the debut album launch for bands Futility and Ironwood, and they certainly delivered.The turnout could have been a lot better, for a Saturday evening it was rather shameful actually. I had higher hopes for Canberra metal fans. But despite that all the bands played very well.

First band up was Tranquil Deception for their very first live gig. For a trio, two guitarists and a drummer, they had a great sound. Using controlled feedback quite a lot alongside some pretty awesome riffs, they were a great warmer for the evening. I was quite impressed when one of the guitarists used the feedback and a flange, or phase pedals to change it's pitch to what the other guitarist was playing. Looking forward to hearing what these these guys pull off.

Futility were awesome tonight. Their set was a decent length and included songs from the new album, which also includes a Katatonia cover of the song Murder from the Brave Murder Day album. From up the front the sound was awesome, and I caught a decent view of the energy these guys put into their show. Even though I had seen them live before, I still wasn't prepared for the great-ness of this show. Each song was played spot on, and the band wasn't uptight in the sense that whenever they made a mistake they cringed, infact they laughed about it. That was quite refreshing to see. It was worth the trip just for these guys!

The Veil put on an okay set aswell, although there were some aspects of their music that I couldn't handle. Just picky stuff like how some of the vocals weren't to my liking, but other than that they were great. I couldn't really hear the keyboards during the heavier sections which was a shame, but other than that the sound was awesome. They all played well, or so I could tell from where I was getting some much needed rest on the couch.

Ironwood were definitely a highlight of the evening. For an album launch show, this was amazing. They played awesomely all through their set, and what a talented lot they are! The mixture of heavy and clean works so well, even live. They played a few songs I recognised from the self titled EP, some of which feature on the new album titled :Fire:Water:Ash:. Ironwood are certainly by no means, one of those bands that needs to be constantly heavy, fast and aggressive to be good. They do have those moments of aggression, and even when played on stage you can see the emotion in their playing. It's refreshing to see, rather than another band of statues.

Some sections of their music uses external sounds, like rain, birds etc, and this was used live with great precision. I'd notice their rhythm guitarist, Matthew, cuing the sounds with what looked to be a portable audio device. This worked well, since the band had full control over this part of their music. In a live setting the dynamics of the bands sound really stand out, particularly with their song "The Oncoming Storm", where it goes from a soft section straight into fast riffs and solos. This was pulled off flawlessly, like the rest of their set.

One of the highlights for this set for me was 'The Raven Song", which is one if their ballads, but a very powerful one at that. And again, like last time I saw them, during one song Dan (drums) got out of his chair, picked up Matt's guitar and played a bit while Matt sang, and played a quick crescendo on a cymbal. Definitely impressive to see, since most drummer hide behind their kit almost all the time during a set.
I'll definitely make a trip like this again for a gig like this one, although I don't recommend driving home after the show ends aswell. Perhaps a hotel would be a good idea for next time.

Be sure to check out all of the bands mentioned, and give Futility's debut self titled album, and Ironwood's debut :Fire:Water:Ash: albums a listen.

Tranquil Deception: www.myspace.com/tranquildeceptiondrone
The Veil: www.myspace.com/theveilau
Futility: www.myspace.com/futilitycanberra
Ironwood: www.myspace.com/ironwoodband

Photos © Mat Newton 2009

CD Review: Sword Toward Self - Dissolution Mantras

Sword Toward Self hail from the innards of one of Australia's best cities, Sydney. The band features Dan Nahum (Ironwood, Bleakwood) on drums, Phil Brown (Ironwood) on guitars & vocal duties and Henry Lauer (Ironwood, Intorment Black) on bass. The band takes influences from such artists as Meshuggah, Emperor, Pestilence, Axis of Advance and Suffocation to produce an epic EP titled Dissolution Mantras.

The EP comes in at just under 17 minutes, and is pure metal glory! Full of solid riffs, epic solos and precise drumming, this is a great start for Sword Toward Self. The first track, which is named Sword Toward Self, is a great example of the awesomeness this band is capable of. The first half is a covenant of awesome riffs and melodies, which then takes an unexpected, although not necessarily bad, turn and continues into a nice acoustic section with clean singing vocals and a bass solo, which all fit together quite nicely.
The bass is great to hear, since it's doing more than just play root notes. The inclusions of the mini solo in the self titles track was a great showcase of the talent that Henry possesses. Even on the faster, tremolo picked parts you can hear the bass play every note along with the guitar.

The other two songs, Regress/Regret and Iridescent Wings of the Ungods, continue with the heaviness at more epic levels with more kickarse riffs and awe inspiring fills. This is definitely an great CD to headbang to, and an excellent start for Sword Toward Self. the musicianship on this EP really grabs you to the point where you can tell that these guys have been playing for a long time, and take their music seriously.

Do yourself a favour and give these guys a listen, buy the CD from them, it's definitely worth it. Check them out at these following sites:
http://www.myspace.com/swordtowardself
http://www.swordtowardself.com.au

Live Review: Opeth - Sydney 6-9-08

Well, they did it again. Opeth sold out an entire tour across Australia, and, yet again, held their largest headlining show in Sydney, again, with a rumored number of around 3400 tickets sold for this event. A pretty awesome feat for a metal band in a country rarely recognized for it's huge dedication to music.
The day was cold and wet, but that didn't stop people from lining up outside the venue starting at around midday (with doors to open at 7pm). I arrived with my party at around 2:30 and met a few people and had a good ol' chat while waiting for the doors to open at 7pm.

The support act was self acclaimed goth/metal act Virgin Black from Adelaide, who didn't really seem to go down too well with most of the crowd. Like Opeth, they were diverse in style with a heavy/not-so-heavy moments, but they lacked something in between. Their intro needs a bit of working on. The crowd pretty much laughed at the track they had playing as the band entered the stage. They were interesting but couldn't keep my interest for long. Perhaps if I knew their stuff better. For Opeth's one and only support, I think they could have found a better local band.

Opeth were next, of coarse, and it couldn't have come (and gone) any quicker. They were tight as ever, I didn't even notice the lack of Peter! Fredrik did a great job, as did Axe. The whole evening was just an abundance of awesome. They opened with a Watershed track, Heir Apparent, and later they played The Lotus Eater which was flawless, as expected, and it sounded great live.
I'm still unsure if this year's set list was better than the one played in 2006. Both have their strong points. Combined, they'd make the best Opeth show ever, almost. This night's set also included Serenity Painted Death, The Night And The Silent Water, Master's Apprentices, Deliverance, and the one song that got me into Opeth in the first place, The Drapery Falls, amongst many other of coarse. The addition of Demon of The Fall was a highlight for me since we missed out on that song last tour.
During Bleak Mikael's amp decided it had enough, so while the tech crew were sorting that out, the audience got treated to a drum solo (which Axe decided to do to cover Mike's a*s), a bass solo, guitar solo and keyboard solo! A nice little treat despite the abrupt end to the song, which was continued anyway. See below for a video!

The venue, Big Top in Luna Park, was okay, same one as their sold out '06 tour. The sound from where I was (front row to the left of stage) wasn't so good, but I expected that since there was no balance and I was right in front of the bass speakers, but everything was still understandable and it came with a great view all through the show. It's an interesting setting for a metal gig though, right in the heart of an amusement park, but it is a popular choice for a lot of bands that come out these days.

All in all, it was a great night, Opeth were every bit as amazing as I would have expected, and I'm sure most of the crowd would agree with me there.

Here is the set list from my memory. Possibly not entirely correct in order, but close.

Heir Apparent
Master's Apprentices
The Baying Of The Hounds
Serenity Painted Death
To Rid The Disease
The Lotus Eater
Bleak (5 min intermission with solos all around)
The Night And The Silent Water
Deliverance
Demon Of The Fall
-----------------
The Drapery Falls

Review: A Fragile Hope by Devil Sold His Soul

Artist: Devil Sold His Soul
Title: A Fragile Hope
Release Date: August 5, 2008

One of the more unique aspects of the metal genre is all of the subgenres therein. It never stops with just "metal." There's Black Metal, Death Metal, Power Metal, and of the myriad "-core's." It's also interesting to see the lines that sometimes get drawn in the sand between fans of the different genres, and it's not often you see many arms reaching across the aisles.

But sometimes, a band comes along and creates a sound that infuses all of the right elements at all of the right times while breaking boundaries and blurring lines and turns out something so unique and powerful that it will send chills up the spine of the most rabid of Anathema and Opeth's fans as it will devotees of Converge and Mouth of the Architect.

Devil Sold His Soul have done just that.

"A Fragile Hope" is a thick, heady, epic exercise in thoughtful ferocity that incites rage inasmuch as it tugs at our softer nature. At times, the sound can be harsh enough to start one's head banging in a frenzy, while at others it maintains its expressiveness without venturing too far into "emo" territory.

The dry-lung screams wrap themselves around a barrage of crashing guitars and thudding basslines while higher-end (but not too high....Iced Earth fans, I'm talking to you) clean vocal and softer guitar interludes move in and out amongst the organized chaos. The interplay of the two styles is so in-tune with the music and the emotions expressed that it's almost "too good."

"The Starting" is the album's most popular track (they have a video available for it, anyway) and perfectly encapsulates DSHS's overall sound, while "At The End of the Tunnel" probably has the sharpest teeth.

But the high point of the album is "Dawn of the First Day," a groovy, emotionally-charged, crushing song that basically eludes every adjective in my vocabulary. Let us just say that the song is best enjoyed at a volume just below "bleeding ears."

"A Fragile Hope" is an amazing album, and even as I listen to it now, I find myself wondering how I even managed to put into words my adulation of this achievement when I could have summed it all up in one word:

Incredible.

Country: United Kingdom

Label: Eyes of Sound Records

URL: www.myspace.com/devilsoldhissoul

Ironwood - Debut EP Review

Ironwood are a self acclaimed progressive folk metal band from Sydney, Australia. I picked up a copy of their debut self-titled EP featuring the three songs Yggr, The Tree and Song Of The Danes. This 24 minute EP is a great starting point for Ironwood, with Yggr starting out on a softer note, with rain and thunder sounds under some clean guitar (is it more metal of me to actually have listened to this during a real storm here too? I sh!t you not) and progressing into some nice aggressive metal. It's sometimes a hard thing to go from soft to heavy so smoothly, but these guys have the transition working perfectly, and with the sound they have it makes it a very enjoyable listen.
Track two, The Tree is a wonderful 'ballad' so to speak, since it is all clean instruments. Although the next song, Song Of The Danes, returns to the aggressive heavy sound of the previous song in full force. But this song is not without it's softer moments aswell, with a nice break about 2 mins in. This song includes the most awesome solo you'll hear on this CD, although I can't help but think it was too short.

The vocals themselves are something I haven't heard much before, and in relation to the music, it's f!cking awesome. The bass guitar does more than play root notes here aswell, I can actually hear some technicality within the rhythm section. Something that more bassists should do way more often. It has a sort-of Steve Harris galloping sound to it, and although this band doesn't sound much like Iron Maiden, it does kind of remind me of them (which is a good thing). But, if you're after full-on comparisons here, you're not going to get any. I honestly can't think of any other band I've heard that sounds like them. A feat very little accomplished in the metal scene these days.

Basically, this EP works as an introduction to the band, a great introduction that is. after listening to it all through, I can't wait for more. The production isn't that of 'professional' quality, and by that I mean it's not over-produced, which is no bother for me. Everything was still understandable and sounded great to my ears. The Nordic themes give it some extra credit points for me aswell, as it's a subject I enjoy thoroughly (enter epic lightning bolt here). Basically, this is a band that everyone should give a listen at some point, I hear very good things about their live show aswell. Other reviews that I have read only act as support to my statements that this band is destined for something good in the near future.

Check them out now! And keep an eye out for an album sometime soon.
http://www.myspace.com/ironwoodband

http://www.ironwoodsound.com.au

Releases You May Have Missed - Opeth "Ghost Reveries"

“Ghost Reveries” is the 8^th studio album from Swedish progressive metallers, Opeth. The album was around a time of great change for the band. After the collapse of Music For Nations, Opeth found themselves without a label, but were soon snapped up by Roadrunner Records.

There was also a change to the line up in the band, which saw keyboardist, Per Wiberg, becoming a full time member of the band, rather than just a touring musician. It was also to become the final album in Opeth for guitarist Peter Lindgren and drummer Martin Lopez.

The album itself had great commercial success, with the band finally getting the recognition they deserved, with a brand new following of fans. The band found themselves with their first video, “The Grand Conjuration”, being shown on various music channels.

Commercial success is one thing, but what was the album really like in comparison to their previous works?

I was personally disappointed by this album. Though it may be a good album on its own, it’s not one that I frequently play. It has got some very strong tracks on it, such as “Baying Of The Hounds”, “Ghost Of Perdition”, “Hours Of Wealth” and “The Grand Conjuration”, but I found the rest of the album rather weak and lacking the sparkle they’ve had on previous albums.

However, I wouldn’t fully dismiss this album. It wouldn’t be the one I’d recommend to a new listener, but it does earn the right to be in any Opeth fan’s collection for the handful of good tracks which frequently appear in live set lists.

Watershed, A Second View

Ahh, so, We all saw it coming, a new album from Opeth, and it's what all Opeth fans have been waiting for since Ghost Revries was played out (but not worn out). As most people probably already know, Watershed is the title of the new album, and is the first one to feature the drumming of Martin "Axe" Axenrot (Bloodbath, Satanic Slaughter, Witchery), and the epic guitaring of Fredrik Åkesson (Krux, Talisman), and of course features noise from Per Wiberg, Martin Mendez and the one and only Mikael Åkerfeldt.
As to be expected the album was leaked to all a few weeks before the release date, which is always a shame. I find it ruin the experience of cracking open a newly bought album, an flicking through the booklet as I hear the album for the first time. Almost feels like christmas, especially when it's a band as awesome as Opeth, and an album as good as this one!

At first fans didn't seem all too happy about the different sound, those that 'acquired' it started talking about things that were wrong with it. The criticism started with the live recording of Heir Apparent, which I saw the day it was out, and as expected, it boosted my excitement for the album more than you could imagine. Of course it was the bands first live show since Peter's departure, so you can't really blame the band if they weren't playing 100% on a brand new song, while on a boat out at sea with a lead singer who apparently suffers from a bit of sea sickness.
The sound on the video wasn't the best, but what I heard within that recording was just amazing. and now that I finally have the CD, I must say the album is precisely what I was looking for.

The opener, Coil, is a short, clean/acoustic number featuring the vocals of Nathalie Lorichs alongside Mikael. This also marks the first time for a guest vocalist to be featured on an Opeth record, and yes, I do know that Steven Wilson has done vocals on previous albums, but nothing as 'solo' as this. Already we can tell this is going to be a completely different Opeth album, but in a very good way, to be sure. As coil Coil bids farewell, an epic introduction to Heir Apparent sounds.
This song sounds so different on the record if you compare it to the live recording that surfaced in April. Those who decided to judge the album from that alone are truly fools. Again this album follows the same old Opeth rule, with the mixture of clean and heavy sections, but, as I'm sure many people will argue, it's not the same as the other records! Sure, they follow the same methods in pretty much all of their albums, but there's always a new twist added to make it somewhat different to the previous albums. I could go into a futile attempt to explain all the differences between albums, but this isn't a review of all their albums, just this one.
This alum certainly features a lot of different, experimental endings. Heir Apparent finished with an interesting medium to high pitch feedback sound, while irritating to some, it does add to 'dramatic effect'.

The Lotus Eater, has itself a rather interesting beginning. Basically Mike singing along with some of pers playing, before going straight into heavy guitars and blast beats. Now that's what I'm talking about! Continuing the traditional Opeth-ness with a mixture of growls and clean singing, brutal heavy metal and a very mellow middle section. What I thought was a nice touch was something I never really thought I'd hear in a Opeth record, but it reminded me a LOT of camel, so I suppose it's feasible. Towards the 6 minute mark there's a rather proggy keyboard interlude which sounds remarkable like something you'd expect to hear on a 70s prog record. Certainly a different twist for a record such as this. The ending again being different, loads of speaking with keyboards and screeching violins. Interesting.

Burden begins with a piano playing, before continuing into pure Opeth ballad. A very nice touch indeed, with a pretty long solo section and an ending that you will either love, laugh at or just absolutely hate. It ends with a nice acoustic Melody and solo over the top, then it decays in a way I would never have thought of. As the Melody is played, the guitar is tuned down constantly, occasionally sounding way off, but damn if it isn't interesting.


Porcelain Heart, released officially before the album as a digital single, which I personally would have preferred as a physical release, but you can't always win. This was their second song to be featured in a dodgy Roadrunner film clip. It was quite hilarious in parts, with a few moments of 'what the hell is that all about?', despite all that, it's a very decent song in the end. It features what could have been an updated or re-vamped version of The Grand Conjuration form Ghost Reveries, using the same sort of chord structure, but in a slightly more creative manner and with a nice melody over the top.

Hussain Peel is the only song to extend more than 10 minutes on this record, and it begins with a very jazzy acoustic bit which goes down nicely. They added a bunch of 'hidden' messages, within some reversed vocals. There's probably a bunch of videos on Youtube regarding the matter, and a few extensive topics on the official forum about it all. Some speculate the section around the 2 mins mark, to be a take on Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven since it mentions "My Sweet Satan", which was part of some freakish words present when one part of the song was played in reverse. But, of coarse Opeth's version differed and was intentionally done.
After some soft moment it goes into some awesomely heavy guitars, perfect for insane headbanging.

Hex Omega, begins heavy and awesome and progresses into another softer ballad, which I quite liked. There's some really creative ideas amongst this 7 minute epic masterpiece, kinda hard to explain really, but it makes a wonderful ending to this already amazing album.

Watershed is a whole new step in possibly the right direction for the band as far as popularity goes. Watershed debuted in the top 25 of the U.S. charts, number 7 in Australia and number 1 in Finland. Pretty good for a band that hardly anyone had heard about 2 years ago. They've been experiencing sold out shoes, and people going crazy just to get a taste of Opeth. About damn time too.
All up, this is an album you'll either love, or absolutely hate and wonder where they went wrong. For me, its an album that I absolutely love. It's different to the older Opeth, so it's not another remake of Blackwater Park or Still Life, which I believe their intention is with each new record. If you haven't heard this album yet, buy it as soon as possible. The bonus content in the Special Edition DVD was a Nice addition too, with a 5.1 mix of the whole album, interviews with the band, bonus songs and some jam room sessions.


And as most people probably already know Martin Mendez became a father not too long ago. Noak Mendez Artigas came into this world on the morning of June 14. Many congratulations to Martin and Sandra!

Counter Review: In Flames - A Sense Of Purpose

I saw things a little bit different than Mental Infestation so I thought I'd write my own review on the new In Flames album.

A Sense Of Purpose is the follow up to 2006's highly successful (yet dissapointing to this writer's ears) Come Clarity. At the first couple of listens, the album seemed a bit underwhelming and more of the same. But after repeated listens it revealed itself as much more focused and not as forced as Come Clarity did. The production and sound is much better than the last few albums. The guitar melodies and solos are also much better, similar to 2000's Clayman. Vocalist Anders Frieden has improved a lot as well. He's developed a sort of half scream, half sing style, so there is rarely any of the 'whiney' type vocals that fans like to complain about.
The album kicks off with the first single 'The Mirror's Truth'. With a big, catchy chorus and a great guitar solo, it gives you a pretty good indication on what's to come on the album.

One thing that myself and I'm sure many other fans have missed from In Flames are their acoustic guitar work that they're so good at. Well there's a few songs on here with nice acoustic guitar melodies. The third track 'Sleepless Again' starts out with a pretty acoustic melody, then quickly becomes a great song that blends In Flames' old and new style quite well. Another highlight is the fourth track, 'Alias' which is probably the catchiest song the band has done since the song 'Only For The Weak' from Clayman. It has a great chorus that I'm sure will get crowds singing along in concert, and in the middle of the song it features another amazing acoustic guitar melody that sounds like it could have come from 1994's Lunar Strain! Amazing tune.

The band is actually experimenting a little as well. 'The Chosen Pessimist' is an 8 minute song which is already very unusual for In Flames. It sounds like something you might hear from Post Rockers Mogwai or Cult Of Luna. The song starts off slow with just a simple guitar line, then builds up with drums, keyboards, violins and samples to a heavy climax. This is the only slower song on the album.

On the downside, it seems like the band really is struggling to please both their old and new fans at once. There are many songs on the album (I'm The Highway, Drenched In Fear) that start off awesome with good riffage and great guitar leads, but then gets to the big, sing-along chorus and loses the intensity it's built up.

There are 3 other songs they wrote for this album, that didn't make the cut, and appear on the CD single of 'The Mirror's Truth'. I can't figure out why the songs Eraser and Tilt from the single were not put on the album. They are better than any other song on the album, which leads me to belive that they really are trying to make the albums full of 'hits'.

All in all, this is a solid In Flames effort that blends the old with the new quite well. This seems to be the album that they wanted Come Clarity to be, and it sounds like it could have been the album to come after Reroute To Remain. It's got the style of Come Clarity, mixed with the samples and keyboard stuff from Soundtrack To Your Escape, mixed with the guitar melodies of Clayman. Fans who have enjoyed the last 3 In Flames albums will be happy, as well as people who miss the guitar solos and harmonies that the band was known for in their old days.
8/10.

Standout Songs: Sleepless Again, Alias, Delight And Angers

In Flames - A Sense of Purpose Review

A Sense Of Purpose is the ninth studio album from melodic death metallers In Flames. One of the most eagerly awaited new releases of 2008, this is an album that has already caused controversy with people debating their choice of artwork. But can you really judge an album by its cover?

1. The Mirror's Truth is the first single off the album. It's not a very long track, just over 3 minutes, in length. It's not a bad track, just didn't really draw me in like I was hoping. Along the same lines as many a track from Come Clarity, this is a very melodic track that lacks bite.

2. Disconnected sound a little better than the first track. It's still very melodic sounding though. And with some lyrics which would suit Slipknot a bit better, "I feel like sh*t, but at least I feel something". Ouch! Again, I feel this track lacks bite. It doesn't really go anywhere, there's nothing to hook you into it. It's not bad, but it's not up to In Flames standards.

3. Sleepless Again got me worried at first, with a nice little acoustic guitar opening, fortunately the pace did pick up. This is a better sounding track than the first two! Still, this is another very melodic track. It sounds more like the melodic stuff from Reroute To Remain, but no heavier than that.

I'm only on track three, and I'm worried that this album won't produce a nice gritty, more brutal sounding In Flames, but more of a lack luster, softer sister of Come Clarity.

4. Alias I can see being the next single. It's catchy, it's a track I can see people singing back at the band. It's got a bit more growly vocals in it, though still loads of melody, more acoustic guitars in the middle (with nice riffage), this is my favourite track so far. Still, I'm not 100% sure on the lyrics. Maybe I need to read them as a whole to appreciate them... This is more of the In Flames I know though.

5. I'm the Highway is another track which sounds a bit more In Flames like. Hoorah! But if you were wanting it to sound like anything pre-Reroute To Remain, you'll be disappointed. It is however a faster track which would sit happily on Reroute. There seems to be a lot of use of doubling up the vocals to create really nice harmonies on this album, and this track is no exception. Still, we seem to be on the up now from a disappointing start.

6. Delight And Angers sounds too similar to what I've already heard. I am starting to lose my concentration on reviewing the album now. Another track with loads of melody, bits of brutality, but it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Not a particularly long track either. I'm still waiting for the track that makes me go "now THIS is what I was waiting for". I didn't find that in this song.

7. Move Through Me starts off a lot better than the last. Perhaps this is the track I was waiting for. Yup this is certainly more my kinda track. Still loads of vocal harmonies going on, but this sounds on the same level as Trigger. Yes this is more of what I was hoping I'd hear on the album. It has the right balance, and sounds less like a metalcore band that wish they were In Flames, and more like the geniune article!

8. The Chosen Pessimist appears to be the slow track on this album. Now I do like a mellow track, I usually like it at the end of the album. And one of my favourite tracks from Come Clarity was the track of the same name. But this track seems to go on a bit, and a hefty length of a track it is too at around 8 minutes. It shows Anders weaker side, he's far better with his growling vocals than his singing vocals (sorry mate, you're no Bjorn 'Speed' Strid). Cut off the first 4 minutes and it might be a better track, it doesn't actually kick in until around 6 and a half minutes. By this time, I'm sure a lot of people will have skipped on to see what else was on the album.

9. Sober And Irrelevant starts off sounding a bit more like what I was hoping for too! Yes, fear not, In Flames haven't gone completely wussy on us! If I'd heard this track first, I would have told you to go out and preorder your copy now! Now why they didn't do an album with more of a mixture of these heavier sounding tracks, I will never know, but there are still a few left! Fingers crossed that the beginning of the album was just a blip!

10. Condemned is another heavier starting track than what we saw in the first half. I'm starting to come around now. Feeling a little less disappointed than I was in the beginning. It's got everything you would want. It's heavy, it's got melodic bits, it's got a nice solo, it's dark sounding, it keeps your attention. But again, these tracks are all a bit short. It's only 3 and a half minutes long!

11. Drenched In Fear I'm hoping is going to continue on this upward trend! It's a good start... And yeah, another decent sounding track. Why didn't it start like this? It's not going to be an anthem, it's an album track rather than a single, but still, I'd rather have this as a filler than some of the earlier tracks.

12. March To The Shore is another good starting heavy track. Nice melodies in the chorus, nice guitar work. Did they get someone else to write the earlier tracks? Really good contrasting sounding solo section. But again, this is a really short track. I'm feeling a bit cheated.

It's like two different bands on this album. The In Flames I'd grown accustomed to since I first heard Reroute To Remain, and the In Flames everyone was worried they were going to become if they continued on the more melodic melodic path after their last release Come Clarity. I'm all for progression in a band, and trying out new styles and experimentation. Perhaps if the tracks were moved around a bit, so there was a heavier track, then a lighter track, rather than having a really weak start and the second part totally out classing it, it would have worked better as a whole.

If you were hoping In Flames were going to go back to their roots, you will be disappointed. They've moved on from there now, and they're still heading forwards rather than looking back.

I feel I need to give A Sense of Purpose a few more listens before I'm entirely convinced by it. Still, even with the initial disappointed, they did manage to save themselves from what could have been a disaterous album.

I would recommend you do check this album out when it's released through Nuclear Blast on the 7th of April (that's the UK release date anyway), but do so with caution. It won't be to all In Flames fans tastes! And I'd certainly recommend listening to it a couple of times through before you fully decide. I feel I may need a couple more listens before I can fully appreciate it.

I'm now looking forward to see if any of the other guys here on Metaholic have similar reviews and views or if we all have a completely different view on this album...

Mínus @ Leadmill, Sheffield 21st March 2008

Last night I headed out to see Icelandic rockers Mínus (pronounced Mee-noose, or so they told me) playing at the Leadmill in Sheffield. It wasn't a well advertised show, as it was purely by chance that I was talking to a friend about the band, and checked out their Myspace profile and saw they were playing here the following week.

I've been a fan of the band since Halldór Laxness came out in 2004. I've seen them a couple of times before (supporting Amen at the Garage in Glasgow, and headlinging the G2 in Glasgow), and scared the living daylights out of their old guitarist, Frosti, when asking if he was feeling better (I'd heard on the radio he wasn't well, and was just showing concern). The band line up has changed since then (two of the members I spoke to have both left... Ooops), and I hadn't listened to their latest release, The Great Northern Whalekill, because though I knew it was due out (after being released in Iceland last year), it just wasn't advertised!

It was a poor turn out, with a very small queue outside, but we just put it down to it being early when we arrived. We knew Mínus weren't going to draw a huge crowd anyway, they hadn't the last time we saw them either, but I was pretty sure things would get busier later on.

So the first band came out, I have no idea who they were. A local band, who didn't introduce themselves properly, but that was no big deal, they weren't memorable anyway. The guys could play, it was just a shame all their material sounded the same (and it wasn't even that interesting to start with), and that the vocalist didn't know what the microphone was there for, as he darted past it whilst singing in what sounded like a very put on gruff voice.

The second band on, however, really caught my attention. They were another local band, Mybe. Now, they won't be a band that will appeal to a lot of our readers here at Metaholic, they were a happy-go-lucky sounding punk rock band. The Yorkshire/Derbyshire equivalent to Bowling For Soup perhaps (but without the fat dude) or maybe a little more serious (but still funny) Presidents Of The USA, with catchy songs and a load of good humour thrown in. They looked like they were having a lot of fun, mocking themselves in parts (especially when something went wrong with the bassists equipment with few people noticing, their vocalist piping up, "I told you we didn't need you!").

They have been going for a few years, and they did bring quite a large number of people in with them, as the crowd swelled when they were due on. But there was reason behind this, they were pretty damn good, and certainly a band I will be keeping an eye on in future!

As Mybe left the stage, so did the majority of the audience. I have to say, this really did upset me, as they had yet to see the headline act! The numbers got smaller and smaller as Mínus started to prepare the stage for their set. Why go to a show and not stay for the main act?!

I assume Mínus felt equally as deflated by the dwindelling crowds when they finally took to the stage. As I say, I haven't heard the new album yet (and never managed to get into their first album, Jesus Christ Bobby), and I didn't recognise the first few tracks, but it wasn't long until they plowed into their older material. But this wasn't the Mínus I recall seeing back in Glasgow. Perhaps they saw the crowd before they came on and thought they were gaining in popularity in the UK, perhaps it was because those who were left just didn't show much enthusiasm as they asked how Sheffield were. But they lacked the sparkle they had on the Halldór Laxness tour.

Not only was the sparkle gone, but their vocalist, Krummi, seemed to be messing around with vocal effects pedals to an extent where he was missing lines of the songs out. On one of their singles from the last album, Angel In Disguise, they seemed to cut the song in half.

The band lacked enthusiasm, as did the majority of the 20 or so people left in the hall. There was almost no interaction between the band and crowd, and as time approached for the end of the set, the guitarist, in a little girly hissy fit, bounded off the stage, closely followed by the bassist and drummer, leaving Krummi on stage faffing around with the effects pedals. He then took off, leaving a whole load of noise and feedback pouring through the speakers.

I can fully understand the frustration of the band, but with a lack of advertising of the new album and the tour, you can't be surprised by it. And the strop they threw at the end was not only pathetic, but it alienated the already uncomfortable feeling fans, even more.

I was a fairly big fan of Mínus before this show, but I'm feeling a little bit let down by their antics, I don't know if I'll bother to get along to their next tour.

Mybe's Myspace: www.myspace.com/mybe
Mínus's Myspace: www.myspace.com/minus