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Arsis – We Are the Nightmare (Nuclear Blast Records)

David E. Gehlke
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Arsis – We Are the Nightmare (Nuclear Blast Records)

Arsis may not quite be Death yet, but if anyone can lay claim to the neo progressive death metal tag for this generation, it would be James Malone and co. Their previous two efforts, 2004’s A Celebration of Guilt and 2006’sUnited In Regret were promising stabs at melodic prog death, but lacked any sort of staying power. Perhaps best known for their “The Face Of My Innocence” number (which rules, by the way), Arsis appears poised to carve a niche all its own with We Are the Nightmare.

Right off the bat, Malone, who handles vocals and guitars, should be commended for actually using the song titles in the actual songs. While that idea has somehow been lost on most extreme metal bands, Arsis works it to its advantage, giving these already memorable songs something to identify themselves with, i.e. the fabulous title track and “Sightless Wisdom.” When combined with Malone’s very discernable rasp, Arsis’ jams take on much more immediate form.

Lots to digest here, as the band weaves and winds numerous barbs of technical riffage and short bursts of melodic fury. This is most evident on album highlight “Failing Winds of Hopeless Greed,” a song that touches the base of classic melodic death metal and steamrolls via an unrelenting assault of hummable melodies and nimble drum work courtesy of Darren Cesca.

Arsis’ technical prowess gets a major workout during “Overthrown” and the monstrous “Progressive Entrapment,” which may or may not be an self-worthy ode to just how advanced these dudes are.

Outside of Quo Vadis, who seriously need to release another album, no one is approaching progressive death metal in such a forward-thinking and expansive manner. Arsis is undoubtedly Nuclear Blast’s best find in years; a band that should and will be developed to their fullest potential.

There’s still some hope for real American death metal, progressive or not. Arsis should be huge by year’s end. Kudos, gentlemen…

 www.myspace.com/arsis

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Firewind – The Premonition (Century Media)

David E. Gehlke
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Firewind – The Premonition (Century Media)

All-star guitarist Gus G.’s burst of productivity has carried over into ’08, barely a year after Allegiance was released. Sorta surprising why more bandsdon’t do this – it was commonplace in the 70’s and 80’s and now a mini-milestone when it happens today.

Nevertheless, The Premonition is front-loaded with some quite Dio-esque numbers (i.e. “Head Up High” and “Angels Forgive Me”), especially in vocalist Apollo Papathanasio’s delivery. G. is top form, doling out catchy, melodic daggers in opener “Into the Fire” and lead single “Mercenary Man,” which could not be more infectious and poppy.

Back to Papathanasio. His gravely take during “Mercenary Man” is pure gold, loaded with saccharine and is hard to resist, as is his reflective tone on “My Loneliness,” a song that would be trash on most power metal albums. Even the near-disastrous cover of “Maniac” (from the movie Flashdance) is at least tolerable because of our man, Apollo.

A marked improvement over the already-excellent Allegiance, The Premonitiontakes modern power metal back to the 80’s, amplifies the hooks, pours some sugar on (ok, ok, I’ll stop), and emerges as the real gem of Firewind’s near decade long career.

www.firewind.gr

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Kreator – At the Pulse of Katipulation DVD (SPV)

David E. Gehlke
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Kreator – At the Pulse of Katipulation DVD (SPV)

Kreator. Pre Coma of Souls, post Berlin Wall. Shot in early 1990, right after the fall of Communism, At the Pulse of Katipulation shows a very hungry and inspired Kreator, who were just getting ready to jump off the pure thrash bandwagon a mere two years later. However, we’re treated to a scorching live set with 15 of the band’s early classics in front of a rabid audience.

From a pure quality standpoint, Katipulation is professionally done, even though guitarist Frank Blackfire’s guitar is way low in the mix. The shots focus primarily on singer/guitarist Mille Petrozza, who exudes raw charisma and vitriol. Drummer Ventor, notorious for his defiance of a metronome pounds away with unbridled intensity throughout the set, even getting his own drum solo, which is pretty cool.

Songs to make note of include “Under the Guilliotine,” “Flag of Hate,” “Riot of Violence,” “Betrayer” and perhaps Kreator’s best song, “Love Us Or Hate Us.”

A documentary detailing the fall of the Berlin Wall and metal in East Germany is included, with some vintage shots of youngsters shedding off years of oppression to get a glimpse of their thrash heroes. Additionally, the Kreator “Horror” movie, Hallucinative Comas is worked into the DVD set. Quite the find this is, Hallucinative Comas tells the story of the Coma of Souls cover subject Dr. Wagner and his descent into darkness.

It’s great seeing bands dip back into the vaults and unearthing classic footage and this DVD/CD set (same tracklisting as the live show) is Kreator in its early 90’s glory. Across the board, this set screams quality, with a new nugget around every corner. Makes the wait until the band’s next studio album, due later this year a little more easy to swallow.

 www.myspace.com/officialkreator

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Engel – Absolute Design (SPV)

David E. Gehlke
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Engel – Absolute Design (SPV)

Static-X and several key players from the Swedish metal scene just don’t mix. It won’t work in Sweden, Germany, and definitely not in the States, where boneheaded Nu-metal is on the outs for the time being.

The lineup itself, featuring ex The Crown axeman Marcus Sunesson, former In Flames/Gardenian guitarist Niclas Engelin, bassist Michael Hakansson formerly of Evergrey and former Lord Belial drummer Mojjo is enough to make any fan of Swedish metal drool. Just think about it: combine the burning speed of The Crown and Lord Belial with the melodic savvy of In Flames, and the grace of Evergrey – what a combo that would be.

Unfortunatly, we can only dream of such a happening, as Absolute Design is a mediocre smattering of post-industrial metal, with shades of Engelin’s Passenger project with Anders Friden.

Singer Mangan Klavborn certainly has that “nu” vibe to his vocals, especially during the chorus of “Casket Closing” and “The Hurricane Season.” When combined with simple, downtuned riffs as in the case of “In Splendour,” “The Paraclete” and the very Static-X infused “Trial and Error,” the results are not only head-scratching, but a bit demoralizing given the people involved.

All the talent and experience assembled can’t rescue the obvious lack of quality control demonstrated by Engel. This project sat on the sidelines for a few years before it was picked up – now we know why.

 www.myspace.com/engelmusic

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Burzum – Lord of Darkness: Anthology (Candlelight Records)

David E. Gehlke
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Burzum – Lord of Darkness: Anthology (Candlelight Records)

Ole Varg is still hanging around some jail in Norway, as his sentence for slaying Euronymous has been extended thanks to a failed escape in ’03 that saw our Pagan lunatic brandish a bazooka and other honing devices sure to ravage a Third World Country. Nevertheless, this is not the first Burzum compilation bearing the Anthology tag (the first appearing in late 2001) and quite frankly, this one misses the mark by a lot, begging to ask, who put this thing together?.

Culling from each of Burzum’s five proper studio albums, Anthology hits on a couple of gems, namely the mystical “Lost Wisdom,” which boasts one of Vikernes’ most grueling riffs. The epic-to-end-all-epics “Det som Engang Var” is placed smack dab in the middle of the album when it should be the first song. A 14-minute classic that builds and builds and builds via a majestic flow of melodic, but churning riffs, “Det som Engang Var” has yet to be replicated in any black metal realm.

Two Filosofem songs: “Jesus Tod” and “Gebrechlichkeit II” are included, and show Vikernes’ writing style at its peak, as both songs are a smattering of his tortured vocals and steady, evolving arrangements. The last album to feature any sort of distorted guitar work, Filosofem remains the most unheralded Burzum album, but deserves its just due.

In lieu of the many qualms centered around the song selection, Blistering has decided to come up with its own to further demonstrate how powerful a Burzum anthology could really be if formatted properly:

1. Det som Engang Var
2. Key to the Gate
3. War
4. Lost Wisdom
5. My Journey to the Stars
6. Jesus Tod
7. Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
8. Snu Mikrokosmos Tegn
9. Gebrechlichkeit II

Perhaps Varg could be consulted next time the idea for yet another anthology is broached. Eh, maybe not. Call me.

 www.candlelightrecordsusa.com

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Children of Bodom – Blooddrunk (Spinefarm/Universal)

David E. Gehlke
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Children of Bodom – Blooddrunk (Spinefarm/Universal)

Three years removed from one of ’05 best albums in Are You Dead Yet?Alexi and his boys of Bodom return with Blooddrunk, yet another high-profile Euro metal album to hit the shelves for April. In relation to Are You Dead Yet?,Blooddrunk is a tad more spikey, aggressive, more akin to Hatecrew Deathroll, but a worthy addition to the Bodom pantheon nonetheless.

Over the years, Laiho has gradually drifted away from his early classical metal leanings, a trait none more evident than here, as his fluid melodies reak more of Euro power metal bombast than anything. When merged with keyboardist Janne Warmen’s lightning-fingered runs (see “Lobodomy”), the result is golden.

The lead single and title track might not be a hit from the get-go like “Are You Dead Yet?” (the song) was, but has some icy keyboard moves from Warmen (this album’s MVP) towards the back end. “One Day You Will Cry” glides with razor-sharp precision, Warmen’s contributions bringing forth the real results, while “Tie My Rope” harkens back to the Hatecrew album, with those tumbling, rumbling riffs picking up major steam at the onset.

“Banned From Heaven” is the album’s obligatory slow melodic number ala “Angels Don’t Kill” and “Punch Me I Bleed.” This is perhaps the most appealing aspect of Bodom outside of their flashy solos and bravado – the gradual and soothing melodies of this song (and the other two) are something Bodom should explore more in the future, as it could open up a few doors commercially.

Blooddrunk falls short in matching Are You Dead Yet?, for it is without those immediate, drunken Maiden songs that keep you coming back for more, but still, Bodom remain the preeminent band in the Finnish metal scene and Blooddrunk is another killer.

 www.cobhc.com

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Indian – Sights and Abuse/The Sycophant (Seventh Rule)

David E. Gehlke
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0
Indian – Sights and Abuse/The Sycophant (Seventh Rule)

More or less a watered-down version of Mastodon and any other well-serving sludgy doom band, Chicago’s Indian don’t appeal on a whole lot of levels outside of the fact they make a lot of noise and rumble and tumble and bumble. Those looking for dynamics in their sludge (see Saviors, Black Cobra and about 80 million other bands) aren’t going to find it here – this thing just hits the wall like a bunch of cookware and never cleans up.

Indian’s gritty, Orange-amp driven tone is both muddled and standard and never allows for any major ‘umph’ to be found. Instead, rather plodding tunes like “Second Death” and the absolutely agonizing “Fatal Lack” leave little to the imagination – Indian must think they’re entire audience is a bunch of weed-laced stoners with plenty of free time on their hands.

At times, Sights and Abuse/The Sycophant reads more like a Bongzilla album in the sense that overall fuzziness and incoherence dissolves any semblance of songs, turning this album into one big mess and yeah, no one should be grabbing a mop anytime soon.

 www.indiandoom.com

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

In Flames – A Sense of Purpose (Koch Entertainment)

David E. Gehlke
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0
In Flames – A Sense of Purpose (Koch Entertainment)

Few can polarize like In Flames; the band’s once flawless underground pedigree has been smeared via a handful of less-challenging and ‘true’ albums, the result of the band growing tired with the simple melodic death metal formula. Fact of the matter is, there are plenty of bands who have picked up that ball and ran with it (most notably Nightrage and The Duskfall), so the notion of In Flames ever making a return to the days of The Jester Race and Whoracle is quite counterproductive.

Wisely shedding the production skills of Daniel Bergstrand, who could not have made In Flames sound more muddy and groggy the last three albums, the band has created a solid, sonically clean compliment to the very-aggro and enjoyable Come Clarity. Where Come Clarity was brute force and speed, A Sense of Purpose is In Flames being more concerted and deliberate, with no less than six tunes here ranking as winners.

Lead track and single “A Mirror’s Truth” is an excellent start, with Stromblad and Gellote sinking these rusty melodic hooks in early, especially during the hard rocking chorus. “Disconnected,” in spite of its very juvenile chorus (“I feel like shit, but at least I still feel something” – c’mon Anders…) is stocked with creamy melodies, as is “Sleepless Again,” which is Friden’s best performanceon the album, with his much-maligned clean vocals getting the layered treatment to great effect.

”Alias” is only effective in the bridge, as a rather kid-like chorus (recognize a trend?) brings this one down. “I’m the Highway” benefits from a patented twin-g attack from the onset and ranks as one of the album’s better cuts, while both “Delight and Angers” (love the little clean guitar break) and “Condemned” are beefy groove-metallers that are quick to cut the chase via immediate hooks in the guitar melody department.

Some derision has been made over the 8-minute “The Chosen Pessimist,” a designed break in the flow of the album. Said track takes a while to develop and never reaches its full potential, although it might achieve its purpose of breaking up the relative monotony of an 12 song album with each song coming in at less than four minutes.

While the band still refuses to flesh out their songs and in spite of Anders Friden’s questionable tactics both vocally and lyrically (perhaps another go ‘round with DT’s Nicklas Sundin is in order?), In Flames can still put together an immediate, gripping album that is easy to come back to and enjoy.

Some, including yours truly still await the moment when the band returns to more adventurous and multi-faceted song arrangements, a veritable touchstone of their mid-years, but it appears In Flames will forever march to the beat of its own drummer and stick with relatively easy and quick songs that get in and get out. Either way, A Sense of Purpose is top-notch, not much of a surprise in these parts considering the high degree in which In Flames’ abilities are held.

 www.myspace.com/inflames

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

Unearth – Alive From the Apocalypse DVD (Metal Blade Records)

David E. Gehlke
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0
Unearth – Alive From the Apocalypse DVD (Metal Blade Records)

Not your run-of-the-mill DVD release, Alive From the Apocalypse is a two-disc set featuring a live set and a cool documentary that takes us from Unearth’s beginnings in the Massachusetts metalcore scene to where they are now – undisputed heavyweights of arguably the worst style of metal since Nu metal. Nevertheless, (and we’ll let that be the only negative aside towards the ‘core’) Alive From the Apocalypse is worthy viewing, especially the documentary portion, which we’ll get to first…

With commentary from a veritable ‘who’s-who’ in the American metal scene, the documentary portion is stocked with old, unseen footage of the band slugging it out in the late 90’s, honing their beatdown-infused brand of metal. ‘Tis cool to see the band’s now infamous stage antics in their early form and to get a feel for just how hard these fellas worked to get to where they are today.

From chats discussing the band’s crazed alcohol consumption (almost on a Pantera level…), to how they ‘coaxed’ singer Trevor Phipps into the joining by tricking him at a rehearsal, this is about as in-depth of a documentary as you’re going to get, something the likes of Maiden has already perfected and hopefully some other bands will employ as well. Videos for all of the band’s current Metal Blade run is tacked on for additional viewing.

The live portion is culled from a show in Pomona, CA, featuring current faves like “Giles,” “The Great Dividers” and perhaps the band’s best song, “Endless.” Stage antics are in full swing (and the crowd loves it), but it’s much, much cooler to see these cats live where their boundless energy overshadows their obvious hard-on for borrowed In Flames riffs and blatant beatdowns.

Very pro, very well-done, Alive From the Apocalypse is going to get a lot of attention from the kids and rightfully so – Unearth are at their arguable peak and can do whatever the fuck they want. Whether that pleases you or not is your call, but this DVD had yours truly coming back a few times just to witness the old times, realizing that while Unearth may never tickle one’s fancy, they sure are quality entertainment.

 www.myspace.com/unearth

(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)

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