Weekly Round-Up: June 8th 2014

Equilibrium

While the long-awaited return of Germany's Epic Folk / Viking metallers finds them in familiar territory, it is also a marked improvement on 2010's disappointing "Rekreatur" which saw the band struggling to break in a new vocalist. Four years on and said vocalist, Robse has found his place in the band and has become confident and comfortable in the role. For those familiar with the band, "Erdentempel" should tick all of the necessary boxes and will be a reassuring return to the sound the band pioneered on their first two (classic) albums "Turis Fratyr" and "Sagas".

In Flames

I have to admit that I am a little torn with this one. On one hand, the band has moved their sound forward (yet again) and this song has a monster chorus, but on the other "Rusty Nail" sounds a little messy - as if the band threw every idea they could think of at it and hoped something would stick. The finished result is a song that struggles to get going and never quite seems to gel, but I will reserve final judgment until the full album is released in September. For now, have a listen and decide for yourselves.

Falconer

Although I'm not (and never have been) a fan of Power Metal, I have always had a soft spot for Sweden's Falconer and the new album doesn't disappoint. The vocals still have that 'medieval bard' charm and the songs are still annoyingly catchy, but the last couple of albums have seen the band introduce a darker streak to their upbeat Folk Metal sound. New album "Black Moon Rising" continues on this path with Maiden-esque leads and stomping riffs playing off against swathes of virtuoso keyboards and some syrupy chorus vocals and the result is most definitely a triumph - albeit a guilty pleasure of a triumph. Power Metal fans should find plenty to enjoy here and the rest of you will too - even if you won't want to admit it.

Hoth

They might be named after an icy planet in the Star Wars universe (and have a logo reminiscent of a Tie-fighter), but there is nothing geeky about Hoth's brand of Melodic Black Metal and incidentally, their name is actually the Anglicised version of the name of the ancient Norse god, Höðr. Musically, the band share a lot in common with the Folk-tinged Blackened Metal of Forefather, both in their use of melodies and the way that blast beats and icy riffs give way to acoustic passages and vice versa. That being said, "Oathbreaker" is a revelation and, despite some similarities with other acts in the genre, Hoth are very much visionaries who are taking the sound of Folk Black Metal forward.

Sonic Syndicate

Although I have followed Nathan (not in a stalker way) since his Hollow Earth Theory days, I'm sorry to say that I found his first album with Sonic Syndicate to be a terrible disappointment. Filled with clichéd half-riffs and radio-friendly pop Gothenburg Metal songs. I'm not saying any of this was Nathan's fault and as a live band Sonic were and are still a force to be reckoned with. This time around, the band have, for the most part, dispensed with the pop sensibilities and Nathan has been given the platform to shine that I don't think he was given the first time around. It would appear, from the two songs that I have heard so far, that lessons have been learned from the misguided (and apparently record label driven) change of direction of the last album. I just hope that it isn't too late for the band to win back the fans that they alienated with said album. I'd urge you all to put "We Rule The Night" down as a blip in the band's discography and we can all move forward.

Weekly Round-Up: June 1st 2014

Avatar

When I saw that there was a new album on the way from Sweden's Avatar, I was prepared for more of the same Melodic Death Metal as they delivered on their last album, 2012's "The Black Waltz". Instead what I hear is more of an Industrial / Nu-Metal stomp with the added quirkiness of Dog Fashion Disco / Mr Bungle and the ear for a melody of Faith No More or even Mr. Serj Tankian. This really is a most welcome change of direction from Avatar and is one that has every chance of propelling them into the realms of the more mainstream end of Metal. Not that this is a complaint. Far from it. This is a great album and is one that deserves your full attention. Remember this name. You'll be hearing it a lot more in the future. I guarantee it.

Body Count

What did I expect to hear from a new studio album by Ice T and his "Metal" band, Body Count in 2014? Well, I wasn't sure, but I certainly expected a LOT more than this cringe-worthy embarrassment of an album. Body Count had their 15 minutes back of fame in 1994 with the decent enough "Born Dead" album - but that was then and this is now...and thankfully things have moved on a lot since the early 90's (other than Ice T, it would appear). "Manslaughter" (in my case man's laughter) is so bad that it would have sounded hideously dated in 1995 and is so cliché-ridden that you would be forgiven for thinking that it was actually a parody Rap / Nu-Metal album. Sadly though, this is 100% serious. If I woke up from a 20 year coma, I think I would be wishing that I hadn't. In fact, I DO wish that I hadn't heard this turgid drivel. I actually didn't even make it until the end of the second track, so it could get better. But somehow, I doubt it. Avoid. At all costs. If you really must hear a "song" from the album, be my guest:

Mushroomhead

Mushroomhead always got a raw deal back in the day. Much better than they were given credit for, they were always unfairly maligned for "copying" Slipknot's masked gimmick. Regardless of who did it first (it was Mushroomhead, trivia fans), this backlash was always inevitable. Which is a real shame as if you look beyond the costumes and masks, you will find a band with a real knack for writing a catchy tune. They may not really have moved forward, musically, in the past decade, but if you are a fan of the band, then this is a good thing. New album, the oddly-titled "The Righteous & The Butterfly" ticks all of the same boxes as the last album "Beautiful Stories For Ugly Children", with it's Avant-garde take on Industrial / Alt / Nu-Metal.

Vallenfyre

Essentially a super-group comprising members of British Doom Metal bands, My Dying Bride (Hamish Glencross) and Paradise Lost (Gregor Mackintosh) along with Swedish drummer Adrian Erlandsson - himself a former member of such Metal luminaries as At The Gates, The Haunted, Deathstars, Cradle Of Filth and many more - Vallenfyre are as close to Doom Metal perfection as you could ever wish for. The combination of Gregor's distinctive, mournful lead work with that of Hamish's sorrowful, wailing guitar sound is nothing short of beautiful and with Gregor's vocal delivery being in a similar vein to that of early Paradise Lost, you really are in the presence of something very special here. The sorrowful, tectonic-plate paced guitars are bolstered by some ferocious Death Metal riffing and absolutely spot on song writing, At times, the music may well be reminiscent of bands such as Celtic Frost, Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, Obituary etc, but it is so much more. This is classic Doom / Death Metal reinvented for the modern era and this, the band's second album is nothing less than essential for fans of the genre.

Shores Of Null

Up next we have some Melodic Death / Doom from Italy's Shores Of Null. "Quiescence" would be a great album by pretty much any standards, but that it is actually the band's debut is nothing short of astonishing. Here is a band that takes influences from past (and current) masters and blends them with fresh, innovative ideas all of their own to create something of a modern-day masterpiece. The influences are often clear for all to hear, but Shores Of Null have just raised the bar.