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Therion – The Miskolc Experience (Nuclear Blast Records)

David E. Gehlke
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Therion – The Miskolc Experience (Nuclear Blast Records)

Only fitting that Christofer Johnsson and co. team up with a full-sized orchestra. Take that, S&M-era Metallica! But seriously, as the last proper release with the now-departed Niemann brothers (Kristian and Johan; guitars and bass respectively) The Miskolc Experience fulfills a career-long ambition of Johnsson and is a fitting segue into the next era of the band.

Comprised of three discs (two live, one DVD), The Miskolc Experience is essentially Therion teaming up with the Miskolc Orchestra in Hungary for renditions of classical songs by the likes of Wagner, Dvorak and Mozart, along with nine Therion songs.

Disc one (titled Classic Adventures) starts with a heart-wrenching version of “Clavicula Nox,” which first appeared on 1998’s Vovin album. With the orchestra leading the way, the song is stripped of its metal-nature and is worked over into a cinematic, emotional piece. From there, the band and orchestra take stabs at familiar classical works, highlights including Mozart’s “Dies Irae” and Wagner’s “Overture from Rienzi.”

Disc two is mightily underwhelming, due to the lackluster song selection. Only the mighty “Blood of Kingu” and “Lemuria” (both from Lemuria/Sirius B) expand upon the original. Obscure cuts like “Eternal Return” and “Via Nocturna” fail to translate with the orchestra, which is a surprised given just how orchestratedTherion’s songs are.

Rounding out the set is disc three, which contains documentary of the experience, along with concert footage from a show in 2006.

Now that the band has flooded the market with live albums (last year’s Live Gothic covered a lot of what was covered here, sans orchestra), it’s time for another studio album, which should see the light of day in 2010. Minus the Niemanns, it’s going to be a daunting task, but Johnsson is one tough Swede to write off…

www.myspace.com/therion

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Caliban – Say Hello To Tragedy (Century Media Records)

David E. Gehlke
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0
Caliban – Say Hello To Tragedy (Century Media Records)

Gotta hand to these Germans – they’re awfully stubborn. Unlike fellow countrymen Heaven Shall Burn or Neaera, Caliban refuse to budge from the melodic metalcore sound they ushered in at the dawn of the decade with the still very potent The Split Program split with the aforementioned HSB. They climaxed with 2004’s resounding The Opposite From Within and since that point, well, we are at that point – Say Hello To Tragedy is neither progression or regression, just another Caliban album.

The band has never been about speed, rather, it’s about the monster grooves and semi-telegraphed beatdowns. The opening 1-2 punch of “24 Years” and “Love Song” are proof-positive of this, as singer Andreas Dörner spews over quasi-melodic riffage and half-time drum patterns. It’s all good and fun, actually, even heading nortward with “End This Sickness,” which is probably the best song of the bunch.

Caliban does manage to douse what little fire they started from the opening with clean vocals, which has and always will be the band’s achilles heal. Whiney, EMO-inspired vocals climb over “Walk Like the Dead,” an otherwise solid, moving number, soiled by Denis Schmidt’s vocal stylings. Such an offense also occurs on “No One Is Safe” and “Unleash Your Voice” to name a few.

For a band so set in its ways, Caliban has managed to squeak out seven full-lengths, all of which that have something of worth, regardless of one’s penchant for metal of the core. By no means world-beating stuff, Say Hello To Tragedy catches Caliban doing what they do, doing things that no one else really does anymore. Works here.

www.myspace.com/caliban

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Theatre of Tragedy – Forever Is the World (AFM Records)

David E. Gehlke
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0
Theatre of Tragedy – Forever Is the World (AFM Records)

Norway’s Theatre of Tragedy plug along through their 16th year of existence and their seventh studio album Forever is the World. My interest in this sextet starts with 1998’s Aegis, and the subsequent stylistic shift into more electro-pop and industrial fields didn’t sit as well with my ears, although their last album, Storm provided a great bridge between their established gothic sound and their current experimental influences.

You’ll soon sway to the darker, mechanical keyboard feel of winning tracks like “Hide and Seek“ or “Revolution” plus the echoing, almost Big Country meets electronic, hypnotic atmosphere for “Hollow, “with main vocalist Nell Sigland holding court with a siren song of a voice. Sometimes the guitar parts recall the Draconian Times Paradise Lost explosive sales period, most evident on the doom-laden “Frozen” where Raymond Rohonyi provide that death growl contrast to the otherwise serene arrangement.

The band excel at adding nuances to a simple riff, whether it be a slight keyboard change, the drummer shifting gears in tempo, or the vocals lifting you off into a new terrain, Theatre of Tragedy know how to keep you engaged from first song to last. It’s not easy in today’s diverse marketplace to churn out an album that satisfies all tastes.

I believe Forever is the World will appeal the biggest cross section of long-time followers and newcomers, so if you miss early Anneke-led The Gathering and acts who love to play doom, gothic metal, Theatre of Tragedy should be on your radar with this 10-song record.

www.myspace.com/pagesoftragedy

(This content was originally posted on Blistering.com)

Vader – Necropolis (Nuclear Blast Records)

David E. Gehlke
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0
Vader – Necropolis (Nuclear Blast Records)

Doubt creeps in when a huge lineup shift threatens the dynamics and chemistry of any band. The doubt can turn into panic though when it’s a long-running veteran death act such as Poland’s Vader. Necropolis features their latest touring lineup on their first studio sojourn with the group, although most ardent followers of the scene will know guitarist Waclaw ‘Vogg’ Kieltyka from Decapitated. Rounding out Piotr’s new lineup are Pawel ‘Paul’ Jaroszewicz and Tomas ‘Reyash’ Rejek on drums and bass respectively.

I should never waver in Piotr’s decision making abilities, as Necropolis aims full throttle from the opening double bass/ snare salvo on “Devilizer” and closes in almost Kreator-ish fashion with the seven minute mid-tempo epic “When the Sun Drowns in Dark.” Even when there can be a brief respite in the action, as the short feedback laden instrumental “The Seal” entails, it’s over in two minutes, eleven seconds before future crowd pit favorite “Dark Heart” rips you limb from limb.

Another quality that defines Vader is the voice of Piotr, as deep and discernable are not two qualities normally associated with Polish metal groups, yet I find this makes the impact of songs like “Impure” and “Anger” that much more forceful. Man, the soloing hasn’t been this fiery and dynamic in quite some years – it’s as if they’ve been studying old Slayer with more technical flash and dash.

I’m sad to say my only disappointment with Necropolis lies in its relatively short duration – 33 minutes can go by so quickly and to have to wait another year or two for the next crushing studio effort makes me impatient. Nevertheless, if you’ve casually been taking a gander at Vader’s latest two or three albums, understand the essential nature of Necropolis now, as they prove The Ultimate Incantation for the 90’s death scene has a parallel for the 2000’s.

www.vader.pl

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Echoes of Eternity – As Shadows Burn (Nuclear Blast Records)

David E. Gehlke
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0
Echoes of Eternity – As Shadows Burn (Nuclear Blast Records)

California’s Echoes of Eternity play a ferocious brand of progressive power metal, separating themselves from the pack with the expansive vocal range from Francine Boucher and the twisted time changes that will go from Iced Earth triplet riff picking into a blast beat rhythmic fest in the next measure. “Blood and Gold” opens with Boucher’s atmospheric, breathy and slightly gothic register while guitarists Brandon Patton and Bryan Eagle lay down some serious jack hammer precision with their harmonies and thick parts.

“The Scarlet Embrace” on the other hand introduces almost black metal-like tones and the aforementioned Kirk Carrison hyper blast snare pounding along with persistent double kick that makes you feel like you are in the throes of the New York stock exchange ticker tape action. Another winning track “Twilight Fire” incorporates more chilling riffs from the underground that contrasts beautifully against Francine’s melodic note sustaining.

Former Machine Head guitarist Logan Mader gives As Shadows Burn a modern, crushing production – you will not mistake anything about this as being less than 100 % metal. Echoes of Eternity prove their approach often parallels the best extreme artists as they temper pushing the boundaries of what’s expected in their style while crafting dynamically moving songs.

My favorites out of the nine include “Letalis Deus” that features back and forth thrash guitar exchanges while the vocals appear to take you on a Middle Eastern journey as well as “Ten of Swords” that brought my cranium back toDigital Dictator-era Vicious Rumors along with the infamous ‘always darkest before the dawn’ lyric that ends its chorus.

In comparison to their The Forgotten Goddess debut, As Shadows Burn shows the group maturing and broadening their sound, going for more of a dark power style that continues where Iced Earth left in the late 90’s and possibly bringing Steel Prophet up in your memory banks. Enjoy the risk-taking – it’s refreshing and hopefully the exploration continues on future records.

www.myspace.com/echoesofeternity

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Skyifre – Esoteric (Pivotal Recordings)

David E. Gehlke
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0
Skyifre – Esoteric (Pivotal Recordings)

One of the more undervalued melodic death metal bands, Skyfire have emerged from five-year break with the quite excellent and sturdy Esoteric. Blurring the lines between Bodom melodic death metal and classic melo-death, Skyfire has continued in their tradition of pushing the technical pedigree forward, all the while spewing forth some memorable melodic moments, all of which make Esoteric a clear-cut winner.

Bolstered by the acquisition of shred-meister Johan Reinholdz (Andromeda, ex-Nonexist, a band he’d be wise to resurrect), Skyfire waste no time in jumping back into things with the keyboard-driven title track and melodically-steeped “Rise and Decay,” which is probably the best song of the bunch.

Black metal-tinged atmospheres drape “Darkness Descending” and “Under A Pitch Black Sky,” while futuristic melo-thrash takes hold on “Let the Old World Burn.” The band is at its best, though, when the pace is tempered, as during the introduction of “Misery’s Supremacy,” a song that no doubt benefits from Reinholdz’s considerable six-string skillz.

Due to their somewhat cult profile, Skyfire won’t be the band to get the instant nod when it comes to melodic death metal. However, there’s nary a dud in the band’s catalog, with Esoteric making a strong case for being the band’s finest hour. Totally worthy stuff, recommended indeed.

www.myspace.com/skyfiremusic

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Threat Signal – Vigilance (Nuclear Blast Records)

David E. Gehlke
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0
Threat Signal – Vigilance (Nuclear Blast Records)

Threat Signal vocalist Jon Howard really does sound like Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington, which depending on who you ask, is a really awesome thing or total detriment. Sorry, but we’re guessing the mall music crowd is not being polled here. However, behind Howard is a very much modern, yet cohesive, melodically-ingrained outfit that knows how to load up a song with streamlined, cyber-melodies, all of which chalk Vigilance up to being a winner.

Branded as a Fear Factory baby band, Threat Signal bear little resemblance to that tag, as state-of-the-art jams like “Through My Eyes,” the excellent “United We Stand” and “Beyond Recognition” rip and roar with Lamb of God-styled riff-mongering and syrupy melodies that fall right into place.

Ballad territory is touched upon with “Another Source of Light,” where Howard gets his Bennington on, yet the song is a charmer, believe it or not. The man’s clean vocals often rule the roost on Vigilance, saved for big, striking choruses (see: “Afterlife,” “Lost” and “In Repair”) that give Threat Signal the option of having more cross-appeal than the typical Strapping Young Lad/Fear Factory cyber metal musings.

At 13 songs, Vigilance can get a little bloated, although Threat Signal rarely runs things into the ground. There’s simply a lot of moving parts here and an absolute improvement over their 2006 Under Reprisal debut. Let us hope this doesn’t get lost in the debacle that surrounds any and all bands related to Fear Factory (i.e. Divine Heresy, Arkaea). It would do this album a great disservice.

www.myspace.com/threatsignal

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Cormorant – Metazoa (Saturnine Music)

David E. Gehlke
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0
Cormorant – Metazoa (Saturnine Music)

In the American acoustic/folk-y/dark-y metal canon, no one tops Agalloch and surely no one ever well. Surprisingly, there are few imitators to this sound, only a handful of like-minded bands willing to bend beyond the standard templates set in the underground (read: Wolves in the Throne Room, Woods of the Ypres, but they’re Canadian). Enter Cormorant, who wields a giant swath of promise on Metazoa.

From purely a brutality perspective (yes, you can be brutal here), Cormorant doles out some crushing body blows on opener “Scavengers Feast.” Credit this to singer Nick Cohon’s deep, sub-growls. Maiden-esque melodies make their way through “Blood on the Cornfields,” but they too are supplemented by a grizzled vocal attack.

Cormorant hits their stride when they open things up and let the jams out. “Salt of the Earth,” (which has some great 70’s prog rock stylings) the 11 minute-plus “Hanging Gardens” and “The Emigrants Wake” all meander into totally unpretentious Opeth territory, culling from the various nooks and crannies of dark and folk metal. No surprise here – these moments are worth savoring.

As far as debuts go, Metazoa is one of the year’s most striking and free-form. There’s lot to build upon here and since the band is so organic in nature, expect a Agalloch-like transformation. You know – the one where a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. A dark, black one…if those exist.

www.myspace.com/cormorantmusic

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Merrimack – Grey Rigorism (Moribund Records)

David E. Gehlke
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0
Merrimack – Grey Rigorism (Moribund Records)

This scribe and several other more BM-inclined writers bought into Merrimack’s 2006 effort, Of Entropy and Life Denial and who wouldn’t have? In terms of primal, yet hardly dated BM, Merrimack shot the gap with a batch of sticky, memorable songs with just a touch of melody to prop it above its contemporaries. Now, the French BM-mongers return with the slightly less than impressive, Grey Rigorism.

Most of what Merrimack is cut from the same no-frills, yet amply-produced realm that Marduk calls home, although Merrimack is slightly more adept at putting together a string of frenzied, yet catchy songs like “Omniabsence,” “Kirjath-Ra” and “La Saintete du Mal,” all of which comprise the meat of the album. This trio of songs goes from groove-oriented (“Omniabsence”) to all-out blast-attack (“Kirjath-Ra”) to atmospheric (“La Santete du Mal”).

Past that, Grey Rigorism sorta flies by, lacking the cold, calculating hooks of its predecessor. Yet in terms of French black metal (which has what, three good bands going for it now), Merrimack appear to be the crème-de-la-crème.

www.myspace.com/merrimackofficial

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

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