Under-rated albums/artists: Part 4

Ok...so, I have decided to type a whole piece on under-rated music containing a number of bands and albums I think deserve more recognition. Those of you who have read my previous blogs will be aware that i have usually dedicated one blog at a time to each of these, but this time I have decided to save time (and capitalise on my current inspiration) by including a few bands at the same time in this one.

Earthtone9:

Ok, so I have said (along with many in the music press) for many years that this band deserved so much more recognition than they ever received. I was always baffled that this band never quite managed to capture the imagination of the collective metal audience despite releasing a string of top quality albums/EPs.  It’s even more strange when you consider that they were (rightfully) the darling of the UK metal press for a while back in the late 1990’s/early 00’s. The “Arc’ Tan’ Gent” is/was a flawless metal/prog masterpiece and still stands up as an all time classic even now. Imagine a less boring and self-indulgent Tool, but with, dare I say it, Nu-metal influences (does anyone remember Kilkus?), then I think you will have an idea of how this sounds. You can imagine my delight then, when I discovered a few weeks back that they have decided to reform. Let’s just hope that they have a little more success this time round, because if any band deserves a little credit and respect it is these workhorses of the UK metal scene.

Standout tracks: Tat Twam Asi; Star Damage For Beginners; Yellow Fever.

The Duskfall:

This sadly defunct Swedish group took their inspiration from the predictable and somewhat obvious source for a Swedish band - melodic death metal -  but then added their own slant/take on the well worn and familiar sub-genre and infused it with a healthy dose of thrash/groove metal. Unlike many bands within the scene, The Duskfall managed to make each song sound unique and interesting, and even though their albums retained a fairly strict melo-death (easier to type) blueprint, they bolstered this with classy, memorable riffs,  top quality songwriting and almost annoyingly catchy choruses (without being cheesy). The vocals are very much in the vein of Mikael Stanne or Peter Dolving, so don’t provide much in the way of inventiveness, but they work perfectly for this style of music.  While, they are certainly not for everybody, if you are a fan of bands such as At The Gates, The Haunted,  Skinlab, Dew Scented, etc... I would recommend these guys very highly indeed.

Standout tracks: The Wheel and The Black Light; Sealed With A Fist; The Option And The Poison.

Before The Dawn:

There is not a whole lot I can say about this Finnish band that would really do them justice. If I start mentioning influences, style, etc, then you will probably decide that you already know how they are going to sound. Whilst this is, for the most part, melodic death metal, Before The Dawn bring a slightly more Finnish sound to the Swedish dominated genre. This is especially evident in the vocal style (which is both harsh and clean in pretty much equal measures), and in the guitar melodies. These guys are absolute masters of the hummable/singable chorus, and some of these songs will be stuck in your head for days. I could list influences all day, but people will always judge for themselves anyway. I will, however, say that I hear a little Amorphis, Dark Tranquillity, Insomnium and even Dark Age in their sound, but I will stress again, that this is all wrapped up and presented nicely in a style that is more than merely the sum of its parts.  Overall, it could be said that BTD have a far more polished sound than many of their contemporaries and benefit (or suffer depending on your view) from a top notch production which allows the band to shine and to show off their, not inconsiderable, songwriting muscle.

Standout tracks: Exile; Painless; Deadsong.