Home Blog Page 2066

Ex Deo – Romulus (Nuclear Blast Records)

David E. Gehlke
-
0
Ex Deo – Romulus (Nuclear Blast Records)

A lazy person would dub Ex Deo as “Kataklysm without the hyper-blasts,” but it’s not that way at all, dude. Sure, all four current members of Montreal-based DM mongrels comprise Ex Deo, yet this is very much vocalist Maurizo Iacono’s baby and it’s as good, if not better than anything Kataklysm has done since 2002.

Based around Rome and its demise, Ex Deo is as well-researched and put together of an album as they come. Proposed to fit under the epic metal banner, Romulus proves to be an easy sell for both that target audience and even crosses over into death metal territory at various points, especially on “In Her Dark Embrace.”

Vocally, Iacono stays not very far from his Kataklysm comfort zone, which come to think of it, would be a mistake if he did, as the epic undertones the bulk of Romulus call for the man’s hearty belch to be intense, which it is. Plus, guest spots from Behemoth’s Nergal, Nile’s Karl Sanders and Keep of Kalessin’s Obsidian C. can’t hurt either.

Keyboards abound everywhere, courtesy of Blackguard’s Jonathan Leduc who plays about a prominent role as Iacono on the title track and “Storm the Gates of Alesia.” Continuing on with Kataklysm’s song-first approach, Ex Deo is also littered with some choice riffage, most notably on “The Final War” and album highlight “Legio XIII” which boasts a driving main riff that is awfully infectious.

One of the better side-projects to emerge the past decade, Ex Deo is proof positive that the Kataklysm team is not one to be messed with…in Canada…in Rome…wherever.

www.myspace.com/exdeo

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Tyr – By the Light of the Northern Star (Napalm Records)

David E. Gehlke
-
0
Tyr – By the Light of the Northern Star (Napalm Records)

We’re barely a year removed from the quite excellent Land and here comes the even more excellent By the Light of the Northern Star. It’s no coincidence that Tyr are perhaps the preeminent Viking/folk/Pagan/whatever metal band – they continue to forge their own imitable, striking stamp on a sound that is growing increasingly stale. With By the Light of the Northern Star, Tyr injects some much-needed vigor into a steadily rotting creative corpse.

Still operating without gimmicks or a schtick, Tyr’s understated bombast is in full-force here, as singer/guitarist Heri Joensen leads the charge through nine songs, all keepers, no duds. Even the partially hokey, hurky-jerky opener “Hold the Heathen Hammer High” (that chorus makes one want to do a jig) is charming.

Where Tyr has always made its bread is in the valiant, heroic sonicscapes of songs like “Into the Storm,” which is a definite album highlight, stocked with full-bodied melodies and a monster chorus. We could also make the same case for “Northern Star” which starts with some cool chanting and “Turid Torkilsdottir.”

Even as the album progresses towards it latter stages, Tyr manages to keep things interesting. There’s a certain depth and inherent accessibility to these songs and if we have to make this distinction for the 800th time, we shall do so – Tyr is to this era as Borknagar was to the late 90’s post-black metal/quasi epic metal scene. When songs possess such craftsmanship and gusto (see: The Archaic Course), one can’t help but continue to champion Tyr’s cause. Right on, lads.

www.myspace.com/tyr1

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Alestorm – Black Sails At Midnight (Napalm Records)

David E. Gehlke
-
0
Alestorm – Black Sails At Midnight (Napalm Records)

Avast, this be pirate metal of the highest order mateys. Hang on, of the highest order? Anyway you get the gist. You’re not going to get anything groundbreaking or too mentally challenging with Alestorm, but what you do get is good time, fun trad metal with a nautical twist, from three Scots and an Irishman. Did you expect anything else? Even if you’re not a fan then you know at least one person who is and you should probably buy this for them ‘cause they’ll have spent all their money on grog.

With a flurry of galloping riffs and trad instrument keyboards beneath waves of heavily, Scottish accented vocals about epic voyages, drunken brawls and general swashbuckling they’re off. Songs such as “Leviathan” have plenty of rustic charm, like a tall tale told in a windy, ramshackle fisherman’s pub late one stormy night. Mastodon it certainly ain’t. That said, Alestorm are no slouches when it comes to their instruments. This is a tight crew, who inject a little toned-down Dragonforce into their solos and the keyboards give a much-needed depth, especially during the intros. You can’t make them walk the plank for not giving it their all. There’s even a tribute to the lovely Captain Morgan’s Old Spiced Rum on here, “That Famous Ol’ Spiced.” Mix that up with a dollop of Cola and you’re on your way. Then listen to “Keelhauled” while you’re out of your skull.

What we need is for these guys and Swashbuckle to team up for a tour of epic, boozing, water-faring proportions. When you think about it Alestorm is a brilliant name isn’t it? Imagine being caught in a storm of ale. Joy.

Probably the best thing about the entire record though is the bit you’re not going to hear. The promo version has a voice-over on some of the tracks. Normally this would go something along the lines of “You are listening to the new blahblahblah album, insert title here.” But these guys go all out: “Yargh! You’re listening to the new Alestorm album Black Sails At Midnight. This songis called ‘Keelhauled.’ Remember piracy is a crime,” – all delivered in a pirate voice. Genius.

www.myspace.com/alestorm

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Entwine – Painstained (Spinefarm Records)

David E. Gehlke
-
0
Entwine – Painstained (Spinefarm Records)

Entwine’s 2005 effort DiEversity remains a pop Goth metal hit in the Gehlke household, a domicile that is usually not very forgiving of such meanderings. Then again, those luscious, seductive hooks and muscular riffs heard on jams like “Bitter Sweet” and “Still Remains” are simply too catchy to be ignored, thus warranting further investigation into Entwine’s catalog and future releases. Suffice it to say by the rating above, Painstained is a let down.

The Finns have opted for a more up-tempo, rock-based approach, which is understandable, but there is a dearth of hooks across the board. Opener “Soul Sacrifice” sounds forced, as does “Dying Moan” and neither of them have a chorus to go nuts for, which is practically Entwine’s calling card.

Singer Mika Tauriainen’s voice sits softly atop gentle, bobbing guitar work during “Beautifully Confined,” yet comes dangerously close to grazing the wasteland of modern rock radio on “Lost In My Denial,” a failed attempt at a commercial song that would best be suited for someone like Burn Halo. Similar territory is tread on “Dead By Silence,” but this track has some redeeming qualities, in spite of Taurianen’s clichéd and hackneyed lyrics.

We’ll cut Entwine some slack, for they’ve been at the Goth metal game for over a decade now and have exhausted practically every avenue possible on six albums and numerous EP’s. However, the fact of the matter is Painstained is a bust and is hopefully not indicative of things to come for one of Finland’s forerunners of all things dark, romantic and brooding.

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Amorphis – Skyforger (Nuclear Blast Records)

David E. Gehlke
-
0
Amorphis – Skyforger (Nuclear Blast Records)

Is Eclipse not the best “return-to-form” album of the past decade? It is, right? Seriously, Amorphis’ 2006 opus has proven to have more staying power than most albums with that “hey, we’re going back to our old sound” characteristic, so why not stay in tow with that? Said release’s follow-up, 2007’s Silent Waters followed suit, but was a notch below and to be frank, Skyforger is another notch below that. Not that Skyforger isn’t without merit, ‘cause it is, but Amorphis might be getting a wee bit comfortable with their settings.

The third album with singer Tomi Joutsen (who our own MetalGeorge gives “savior” status to), Skyforger maintains that sinewy, gentle ebb that Eclipseushered in. There’s no real aggression here, save for the direct knock-off of Opeth’s “The Grand Conjuration,” “Majestic Beast” which is a clunker. But for the most part, Skyforger rides Joutsen’s er, majestic voice, and Esa Halopainen’s lead guitar lines.

Some graceful moments pop up during the chorus of “Sky Is Mine” and the opening strands of “From the Heaven of My Heart,” which have a nice, Tuonelafeel to them. Probably the same can be applied for “My Sun,” which doesn’t leave much of an impression. “Highest Star” and “Course of Fate” do recall the more glorious moments of Eclipse, which emerge as the more redeeming moments on the album.

Fact of the matter, is that Skyforger was probably a comfortable album for Amorphis to make. They’re past the debacle that was Far From the Sun and now fully distanced from former singer Pasi Koskinen, so the outcome of Skyforger doesn’t come as much of a disappointment or surprise. It’s gratifying, yes, but no landmark, which you can’t expect every time out…unless you’re a demanding prick…

www.myspace.com/amorphis

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Battlefields – Thresholds of Imbalance (Translation Loss)

David E. Gehlke
-
0
Battlefields – Thresholds of Imbalance (Translation Loss)

A boggy, almost stagnant doom concoction, Battlefields are yet another in a long line of sludge doom bands that like to make impatient people (read: me) wait for good things to develop. More often than not, they do, which perhaps is the whole trick behind Thresholds of Imbalance, but it’s hardly gratifying. It’s an album you have to work for, devote time to, nurture, so we’ll leave it up to you doom-heads to figure it out.

The methodical nature of this album is obvious from the get-go, as opener “Disacknowledge” gradually builds up a wall of muddled guitars after a soft intro. “Blueprint” (which is probably the best jam of the bunch) is similar, but has a lovely Isis-esque mid-section that is executed flawlessly…after five minutes of build-up and waiting and waiting.

One could make the argument (and distinction) that Battlefields falls in line with the whole post-metal gang (Neurosis, the aforementioned Isis, Rosetta, etc.), but a deeper dive into Thresholds of Imbalance sorta dispels that notion, as hard as songs like “Quake and Flood” and closer “Majestic” try. There’s no true correlation here; Battlefields belongs in the sludge/doom fray.

It’s a shoe-in this will be accepted by doom throng; it’s got everything you want and more, including retro-Sabbath riffs, slo-mo tempos, and lots of pedestrian happenings. Call it a matter of preference, but this one’s a marathon. Make sure you pace yourself.

www.myspace.com/battlefieldsdoom

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Stratovarius – Polaris (Armoury Records)

David E. Gehlke
-
0
Stratovarius – Polaris (Armoury Records)

A Tolkki-less Strato, eh? That’s like a Mustaine-less Megadeth or a Schaffer-less Iced Earth (which might be a good thing). Now finally beyond the soap opera that led to the axeman’s apparent dissolution of the band in early 2008 to its subsequent reformation with new guitarist Matias Kupianinen, Stratovarius returns with Polaris, a very safe and deliberate album that lacks the bombast and zeal that Tolkki so adorned the band with.

Songwriting duties are now splint amongst the remaining band members (who include singer Timo Kotipelto, drummer Jorg Michael, bassist Lauri Porra and keyboardist Jens Johansson) and while there’s slightly more variety this time out, there’s nothing on par with Visions and/or Infinite. Granted, “Falling Star” is a top-notch mid-tempo power metal rocker and the Johansson-led “King of Nothing” is a winner, but whereas Stratovarius used to dazzle and go over-the-top, they now appear to be willing to fall in line with the rest of the power metal world.

Johansson emerges with the best track on the album, the kinetic “Blind” which is right out of the band’s over-used, beaten to death sound of the late 90’s…and is awesome. Kotipelto should be given more material to belt like this, as opposed to the meandering, predictable “Forever Is Today” or “Higher We Go.” He does, however, work some magic during “Somehow Precious,” the first Strato-ballad in years that doesn’t come across as contrived drivel.

Considering this scribe torn on Polaris. On one hand, it’s cool to see the founding fathers of Finnish power metal carry on, seemingly at ease with one another, yet on the same token, it was Tolkki’s occasional moments of insanity-driven brilliance that propelled Strato to the top of the power metal heap. This isn’t 1997 anymore and Stratovarius realizes this, but one has to think this might be one of those rare instances where totally plagiarizing one’s previous work would do the trick.

www.myspace.com/officialstratovarius

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Trail of Tears – Bloodstained Endurance (Napalm Records)

David E. Gehlke
-
0
Trail of Tears – Bloodstained Endurance (Napalm Records)

It’s not like we throw a 9/10 rating around here every day, but the unbridled vitriol and contrasts on Bloodstained Endurance practically begged for this mark. All this, after Trail of Tears nearly split up in late 2006 after the well-publicized departure of four out of six band members, including clean singerKjetil Nordhus. Yet mainman Ronny Thorsen has proven to be one resilient dude and the results on Bloodstained Endurance speaks for itself: this is the Goth metal album of 2009 to be reckoned with.

Returning to the band is female vocalist Catherine Paulsen, who was last heard on 2002’s A New Dimension of Might. Paulsen, a soprano, fits right into the band’s very-aggro, death metal-tinged approach. This is most notable on “Once Kissed By the Serpent (Twice Bitten By the Truth)” which might be the band’s most significant song to date, as Paulsen turns in a passionate, cut-throat performance during the chorus topped off by feverish melodies.

Paulsen’s mark is all over this thing, mainly during the chorus sections. She shines during “Bloodstained Endurance,” “Triumphant Gleam” and “A Storm At Will” and does a tremendous job of keeping this album out of typical Goth metal territory.

In terms of riffs and arrangements, Thorsen and co. have emerged with a litany of bone-jarring, subtlety melodic riffs, of which are in full force during “In the Valley of Ashes” and “Take. Aim. Reclaim. Prevail.” Combine that the vitriolic, vengeful nature of the lyrics (it’s not a stretch to say most, if not all of this are in direct response to the lineup debacle of ’06) and it’s just one seething album that – like we mentioned earlier – pulls away from typical Goth metal conventions.

Always thought of these Nords to be of the upper-echelon of Goth metal bands and the inherent strength of Bloodstained Endurance supplants, if not destroys that notion. A pure gem.

www.trailoftears.no

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Endstille – Verfuhrer (Regain Records)

David E. Gehlke
-
0
Endstille – Verfuhrer (Regain Records)

Lots of blasting here, almost too much, even for an album with nine songs. Being one-dimensional is not necessarily a band thing in black metal, but with variety not being Endstille’s forte, Verfuhrer bogs down pretty quickly. The Germans did make some headway with last year’s mostly enjoyable Endstille’s Reich, yet it came almost as fast as it went. One has to think the same fate will befall Verfuhrer.

There’s a prominent Gorgoroth influence (think the more extreme moments onIncipit Satan) that gives Endstille a familiar touch. Just reference the whirling riffage on “…Of Disorder” and the idea is solidified. Some choppy, note-dense, standardized black metal riffage makes up the core of the album, set to the tune never-ending blast beats. One of the exceptions to this is “Hate Me…God?” which reeks of classic Gorgoroth and could be the best song here.

Beyond that, Endstille doesn’t go out of its way to separate any of its songs. Sure, there may be more than a few good ideas behind most of these jams, but in this day and age where we’ve heard every variation of blast-attack black metal, it’s just not going to cut it.

www.myspace.com/endstilleband

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

1...2,0652,0662,067...2,086Page 2,066 of 2,086

© Copyright Dead Rhetoric 2025 All Rights Reserved