Archspire - The Lucid Collective Review

Archspire - The Lucid Collective [Technical Death Metal]

With a grand total of 21 strings in the band (8 string guitar, 7 string guitar and 6 string fretless bass), this album is the winner for the ultimate wankfest in technical death metal for this year.

Let me put this straight out, this is the fastest album I have heard this year. It's fast (the vocalist even raps out his growls!), brutal and has some of the best guitar solos I've heard in a while. Hell, the bassist is faster than 90% of lead guitarists out there. The vocals have some sick moments, namely in the opening song (such a powerful chorus) and in 'Fathom Infinite Depth', which he opens with a rap. The guitars are literally everywhere, and the drums need only to be able to keep up with the rest of the band (he doesn't really do much else).

However, for most of the record, the instrumental showmanship is quite detached from the rest of the songs. I won't say it for all of them, but there are times when the solo sections could be interchangeable with those from other songs. At such high speeds, some songs do start to sound alike. It's good that the album is relatively short, but it does not have a very high replay value because the musicians' technical prowess completely overshadow their songwriting capabilities. In short, it's an album you remember only for its solos and not its songs.

That's not to say it's a bad album, its perfect for instances when I feel my coffee isn't enough. It's exhilarating as fuck.

As always, the production is quite horrendous to me. At a paltry DR4, it's terribly compressed. It's a clean sound overall, but I hear too much guitar and not enough rhythm and bass. While the guitarists are undeniably good, Jaron Good is one of the best bassists the genre has had to offer and it's disappointing to hear his sounds with so much treble and little resonance. The drums also suffer from this thin, hollow sound. I understand the theme of transcendence is the reason for this sound but it does not strike me as particularly effective (the black metal dudes achieved with much muddier production). Some of the songs are obvious filler here, with only some powerful guitar noodling to save it.

It's a great album for technical prowess, but the band has yet to catch lightning in a bottle with their songs.

★★★☆☆

Rings Of Saturn - Lugal Ki En Review + Commentary

Rings Of Saturn - Lugal Ki En [Technical Deathcore]

This album asks an interesting question about the state of technical death metal today - which takes centrestage, skill or composition?

For those who haven't been familiar with the extreme metal scene over the last few years, Rings Of Saturn is band that became notorious for alleged cheating in the studio. Former members have come out to expose the band's secrets, accusing main guitarist and songwriter Lucas Mann of using Guitar Pro II to speed up his insane riffs and sweeps on the album. While he continues to defend his skills, the resulting sharp, computerized sound is definitely outstanding. It is obvious that many of the album's sounds have been tempered with upon listening (for this latest album, since I won't bother about the previous two for now), but does that impair the listening experience of the album?

Whether or not the musicians have been honest, it's hard to deny the fantastic compositions on the album.. Lucas Mann's pacing and direction are breaths of fresh air in this overcrowded sub-genre, and the alien themes shine brightly in every song. The music comes across as passionate and downright inspired (especially the fantastic instrumental in the middle and at the end of the album). Sure, genre problems are abundant here, I am not too fond of deathcore riffage and breakdowns, which has always been detrimental to my appreciation of bands of this ilk, but the sweeps, codas, guitar solos and the fantastic rhythm section truly cement the songs here. Every song has its own different feel and motif, which is a lot more than I can say of the interchangeable songs in most of today's technical death metal scene.

So how would one go about analyzing the album? People do value honesty, but even if the band members did one day admit that the whole thing has been a fluke, and they have been computer wizards the whole time, what then? Sure, half the thrill of this genre is showmanship, but the band makes up for this with much better songwriting than most bands out there. It is by no means a perfect album even by that merit alone (cue production complains, DR4, argh), but it is nonetheless, a strong album. The band is still in its early stages (they are like, what, 4 years old?), and they are still far from their prime years ahead.

Anyway, I am not going to go ahead with any numerical rating for the album since I doubt a number can ever confirm my full opinion on this band for now. Perhaps, after a closer listen to their previous albums. The vocals are still pretty generic, if serviceable. The melodies are infectious, and the closing instrumental 'The Heavens Have Fallen' could give even the best of Animals As Leaders' a run for their money. The band's compositions are unique, but it keeps production and vocal approach, and the annoying use of breakdowns pretty close to mainstream standards. Doing away with these could make this the perfect album of the year for me.

Revocation - Deathless Review

Revocation - Deathless [Death Metal / Thrash Metal]

We had the pleasure of watching Revocation live on Monday night here in a little building off Armenian Street (Substation), and I will start proper by saying that the band kills it live. They sounded good despite a shitty soundtech crew. Another bonus was Jon Rice (ex Job For A Cowboy) filling in on drums since original drummer Phil Dubois was injured. Needless to say, the real star of the show was band leader David Davidson on guitar.He played with grace and vigour. The band played two songs from this album, the title track and 'Madness Opus', which sounded fantastic as the band closed the gig. Regardless of what you think of this album, this reviewer highly recommends checking most of the band's discography if you love riff-centric metal.




As for the album, a track-by-track review:

1. A Debt Owed To The Grave - The opening track leaps out without wasting a single second. The song is straightforward, but with great riffs and audible bass (which was missing on the last album). The ending is power-metal influenced. Davidson's vocals have improved considerably. A good song.
2. Deathless - Title track which sounds a bit flat now that I have been spoilt by the live version. Still a very strong song with minimal use of clean (autotuned) vocals and a fantastic solo. All the songs on this album have a fantastic solo.
3. Labyrinth Of Eyes - The main riff is a little complex, and this song ought to please fans who prefer their metal with a little different time signature. Coming from the band, this is anything but complex, but I guess being mainstream has a price. Autotuned vocals make another comeback, but they fit the song better here than they do on the previous track. There is a very headbang-able jam session in the middle of the song.
4. Madness Opus - One of my favourite songs on the album for many reasons; great vocals from fellow guitarist Dan Gargiulo (whom, I realised, was the better vocalist live), a fantastic riff (pre-chorus) and a rather progressive approach at the song's midpoint that toggles between jazzy and heavy in a jiffy. The section of course translated very well live, and it's a clear sign of self-aware songwriting. It is a relatively simple song that is more than the sum of its parts.
5. Scorched Earth Policy - A return to lively riffs, with an almost power metal-ish introduction. The main riff is again highly memorable, and there's a drum solo somewhere i the middle (sort of). 
6. The Blackest Reaches - Halfway in and Phil Dubois-Coyne is really starting to shine. Some intricate drumming on this song, some nice guitar licks here and there. Again the solo here is pretty well done. The music is written by Dan Gargiulo here and if anything, he's no slouch on song-writing either.
7. The Fix - Another song written by Dan Gargiulo, it's another more direct song with many short but sweet solos. Dan Gargiulo must love black metal.
8. United In Helotry - You know it's back to Davidson on songwriting when the main riff has a funky time signature. The clean vocals were a bit of a surprise when they kicked in, but they flow seamlessly with the song. Fantastic solo.
9. Apex - Customary instrumental per album. I feel this has to be one of their stronger instrumentals, with a heavier emphasis on melody than the other songs. The jazzy interludes are back, and its surprising how progressive the album has been thus far.
10. Witch Trials - Closing track brings Revocation to NWBHM territory, something that's pretty wild for the band. Not that it is devoid of harsh vocals, but it is noticeably different from the rest of the album, and a well-placed experiment for the band. The song sticks out in a good way, excellent riffage, a catchy verse and some more NWBHM soloing as the song ends. Some may not like the different direction, but I welcome the diversity.

I did not get a chance to hear the bonus Morbid Angel cover.

Overall, it's a surprisingly strong album from Revocation with hardly any filler, putting it far above the band's previous two albums. However, there are still issues that prevent me from awarding the album all five stars:

Production by Zuess and Alan Douches isn't underwhelming (at DR 7), but could have been vastly improved to sound more dynamic. The mostly monotonous vocals may take a bit of getting used to. And love it or hate it, the band is still unmistakably the same at its core. Despite the variations in songwriting, those who didn't like the band before aren't going to like it now either.

★★★★☆

Triptykon - Melana Chasmata Review

Triptykon - Melana Chasmata [Doom Metal]

RIP H.R Giger

The sophomore record by Tom G. Fischer's new band wastes no time in expanding on the ideas explored in the debut record, Eparistera Daimones. This is a pretty late review, so bear with me. For the uninitiated, Tom G. Fischer was the frontman of Celtic Frost, a band with an ambiguous mix of thrash metal, death metal and black metal, and eventually doom metal on their final album Monotheist. Confining this new band to a genre has been quite a headache for me, and the two genres stated above serve only as a teaser to the sound of Triptykon, because noone else sounds like them right now. Song - by -song:

1.  Tree Of Suffocating Souls - A powerful introduction that also highlights the songwriting merits of the band, starting off with double pedals and guitars with a thick, suffocating tone. The vocals are fantastic; intelligible, coarse and always human. I love the guitar solo after the first time the chorus is played here.
2. Boleskine House - A ballad this early may throw many casual listeners off guard, but it's a beautiful song with guest voalist Simone Vollenweider supporting Fischer's low baritone.
3. Altar Of Deceit - Third song goes further into doom territory. The solos here are quite interesting, as they bask in atmospheric melancholy instead of a direct assault. May not be that much of a song for the more hot-blooded listener, but it's satisfactory filler.
4. Breathing - This one is a thrasher. Fischer's vocals are really versatile with any of the styles the songs choose. The riffs are simple yet catchy, and only elevated by the excellent production on the album. Slayer fans will be in for a treat on this one.
5. Aurorae - A surprisingly heartfelt song in the midst of all the madness. It's almost post-metal in nature. A definite standout on this album. Seriously, the guitar solos on this album are amazing.
6. Demon Pact - Features Michael Zech on guitars, this one is another doom-y song, but plays around with minimalist sounds. It's ominous and heavy. Fischer's vocal once again come into the spotlight with some great raspy screams peppered across the track. Elsewhere, there is some refreshing industrial instrumentals on the track. It's the diversity of the record that keeps it fresh. This song truly sounds like it's a pact with Satan.
7. In The Sleep Of Death - This one features more vocals from co-guitarist V. Santura. Not sure what's their beef with Emily Bronte, but this song is chilling. Strong vocals and depressive guitars, straight out of a horror film.
8. Black Snow - Features vocals by A. Acanthus Gristle, presumably on the chorus (hard to tell because Fischer's voice has a pretty big range). A slow burning epic, it's not a favourite of mine though I know many love this one. It's far too long, but it's got the right tone and atmosphere for a lonely night.
9. Waiting - Female vocals again. This one caught me off guard. It's hard to describe the song, it's almost psychedelic and completely different from the previous tracks. It's probably the only positive sounding song here (lyrically also), and it's a respite from the depression-fuelled songs that occupy most of the album. I doubt this is a foreshadowing for things to come on future albums, but I am glad this record ends on a positive note.

There's a Japanese bonus track that I didn't get a hold of, but I doubt it will be important. The sound quality of the album is fantastic even at DR6, it's crushingly heavy without compromising on the subtleties like atmosphere and vocals. Every band member is audible (save for bass). In all honesty, the band doesn't need much dynamic range, but it will be interesting to see how the sound goes given a wider soundstage.

This is a great album, and while not necessarily my favourite album from Fischer, it's not surprising to see this one land on so many best-of lists. I would say it's well deserved.

★★★★☆

Future Islands - Singles Review

Future Islands - Singles [Synth-Pop]

Here's a band that shot to fame with their performance of 'Seasons' on the Letterman show, and it's not surprising to see why. Samuel T. Herring reams with energy and passion on every word he belts out, so much so that the sudden death metal vocals he executes near the end of the song don't sound that out of place (ha, now that's something that should challenge metal bands!). I've been listening to this album repeatedly since its release in April and I have to say it's one of the better pop albums of the year.

I won't go through song by song since most of the songs follow the same pattern. The other band members, keyboardist Gerrit Welmers  and guitarist William Cashion don't actually do all that much to stand out. Herring is the man who carries the entire album through, elevating otherwise cheesy lyrics (though not terrible) with his theatrics and confidence. Arresting moments like that screams on 'Falling From Grace' are the ones that make this album.

Sound-wise, it's at a mediocre DR5, again pretty strange for an otherwise minimalist album. Since Herring's voice is the centre of attention, there isn't much else to add. The synth sounds are pretty well done in my opinion.

On a side note, I really must find more things to say on non-metal albums. This has been a great pop album that I am sure other metalheads may love.

★★★★☆

Bloodbath - Grand Morbid Funeral Review

Bloodbath - Grand Morbid Funeral [Death Metal]

The big news on this one is the replacement of Mikael Åkerfeldt by Nick Holmes of Paradise Lost. For many fans (co-blogger Jing En included), this is a serious downgrade. For me, he's a definitely a step down from two of the best death metal vocalists in business (the other being Peter Tägtgren, the better Bloodbath vocalist). However, I would like to add that there is a distinguishable quality to Homles' voice, he isn't very good at grunting out words in a rapid manner, but his long,growls are sufficiently executed. His presence has possibly also prompted the band to touch on Gothic soundscapes, more on which I shall explain in the respective songs:

1. Let The Stillborn Come To Me - A decent first song with a catchy riff. There's really nothing more to add (do people expect complexity from Bloodbath anyway?)
2. Total Death Exhumed - This song features guitarist Eric Cutler from Autopsy (he plays lead guitar on four songs here). Needless to say, the guest solo spot is not wasted here. At this point, Martin Axenrot's drums start to stand out. Having played subtle jazz rhythms on Opeth's latest, he plays death metal with relative ease and confidence, and enough touches of pizzazz, exactly the style needed for a band whose theme is old metallers relieving the yesteryears of this genre.
3. Anne - This one has a nice chorus, and a hint of atmosphere. Nothing much else to add.
4. Church Of Vastitas - This one ventures into doom metal territory. Nick Holmes sounds underwhelming here though (some might complain he sounds underwhelming in general).
5. Famine Of God's Word - This one's a serious headbanger. One of the faster songs on the album
6. Mental Abortion - Second song with Eric Cutler on leads. It's quite weird that a session musician has the biggest impact on the band (as opposed to you know, the band writing proper songs by themselves).
7. Beyond Cremation - Another headbanger, this is an outstanding song with riffs that come straight from Slayer's hey-day. Holmes sounds a bit more comfortable here. The Goth (and sludge) elements come back in the bridge of this song. Overall, quite well-written.
8. His Infernal Necropsy - Death metal by the numbers. This has blastbeats (which have been pretty rare o the album).
9. Unite In Pain - The first single, and the one that had fans outraged by Holmes' vocals. On the other hand, I am ecstatic with Cutler's contributions here, from the solo in the introduction to the main riff, THIS is old school death metal.
10. My Torturer - The last song to feature Cutler, who goes out with a serious bang with one hell of a guitar solo at the end. The chorus is definitely memorable, this is one of the best songs on the album.
11. Grand Morbid Funeral - Save the best for last, eh? This time, the song features Chris Reifert, the vocalist/drummer of Autopsy. If anything, this album proves how much of a better band Autopsy are than Bloodbath. Reifert comes at the end with the strongest vocals on the album, with a mad, ferocious approach that is unforgettable.

As you can see, I am not very favourable to this album. One thing that seriously undermines everyone's performances here is the production, it's not jut the paltry production at DR5 (why compress sounds if you are going for old school?) it's the tones and the mix, which make the guitars sound extremely dull and powerless (save for the Autopsy guys). Some effects on Holmes' voice could have been nice, everyone knows the previous two vocalists had effects on their vocals, given how good they may be.

Overall, there are a few good songs here and there, but I will definitely be returning to the older Bloodbath records.

★★☆☆☆

Foo Fighters - Sonic Highways Review

Foo Fighters - Sonic Highways [Rock]

The cover art to "Sonic Highways" (seen above) is laden with information about the album's background. The distinctive '8' figure in the middle represents two things: firstly, that "Sonic Highways" is Foo Fighters' eighth studio album and secondly, that each of the eight individual tracks was recorded in a different city. The city-scape seen here is an amalgamation of the eight cities in which the band did recording work for the album.

Frontman Dave Grohl explained this move as being aimed at allowing the band to draw inspiration and creative input from each of the different cities. According to him, the idea was for each track to contain features of each city's 'style' while simultaneously retaining the classic, guitar-heavy Foo Fighters sound that fans and critics alike have grown familiar with. The presence of guest artists on every single track appears to accord with this idea.

A track-by-track analysis will reveal if the band succeeded in its aim:

1. Something From Nothing (Chicago, Illinois): The album opens on a sour note. The first few lines set the tone for what turns out to be an extremely bland grunge number. I'm not sure what element of Chicago the band was trying to channel here - if anything, the band might as well have recorded this track in the UK, given that the main riff to this song is an unapologetic rip-off of the one in 'Holy Diver' by Dio.

2. The Feast And The Famine (Arlington, Virginia): This piece is more typical of the 'classic' Foo Fighters sound; it starts off with a lightly overdriven guitar hook, bursts into a rather louder verse section and is punctuated by Grohl's trademark raspy chorus-ending yells. However, it lacks the punch that made many of the band's earlier singles memorable.

3. Congregation (Nashville, Tennessee): This is the first track which immediately gives away what sound the band was trying for (if not the exact city in which the band recorded). The song opens nicely, with a country-rock feel, but falls flat around halfway through. All momentum is lost in the brief and totally random musical interlude in the middle, and Grohl's subsequent screams of "No false hope!" do more to provide irony than to save the song.

4. What Did I Do, God As My Witness (Austin, Texas): More country-rock here - it is clear from the first few tracks that this is the most comfortable 'new' territory for the band. Further, unlike 'Congregation', the softer ballad section in the middle complements the rollicking opening fairly nicely. The song is probably about 1 1/2 minutes longer than it needs to be, though - the ending bit adds nothing to the song at all.

5. Outside (Los Angeles, Calfornia): Replace the guitar hook in 'The Feast And The Famine' with a bass intro, change the key and take away Grohl's screams and you get 'Outside'. This is another track in which the opening makes the listener anticipate an all-time great Foo Fighters number and the chorus kills any such anticipation with certainty and finality.

6. In The Clear (New Orleans, Louisiana): New Orleans is considered as one of the cities responsible for the early development of jazz. The track notes list The Preservation Hall Jazz Band as guest artists on this piece. Unfortunately, this piece turns out merely average and has no hint of jazz in it. Worse still, the sounds of the Jazz Band's wind instruments are shunted to the back end of the mix. This track is not bad in and of itself, but disappoints considering the range of possibilities that having a jazz band around could have brought about.

7. Subterranean (Seattle, Washington): This drab, ho-hum number is comfortably the worst track on the album. Ben Gibbard's backing vocals add nothing to the track.

8. I Am A River (New York, New York): The album concludes with its longest track, a draggy piece with lyrics clearly inspired by the Taylor Swift manual of lyricism ("I ... I ... I am a river" - really now?). Grohl's voice is in fine form on this track, but it is wasted on thoughtless lyrics and an overall extremely flat and lifeless musical setting which is not helped one bit by the presence of a string ensemble.

Overall, the album comes across as more like a collection of hastily-assembled ideas rather than a coherent whole; how so many of the songs start well and then careen into uninspired endings is evidence of this. There is an eclectic mix of guest artists, but their individual and collective impact on this album is negligible - one wonders whether the band roped them in just because it could or the guest artists bugged the band into giving them featured credits.

This has to count as one of the band's blandest and most disappointing releases. 

Rating: 1.5/5

Ne Obliviscaris - Citadel Review

Ne Obliviscaris - Citadel [Progressive Metal]

As an album, I can't say I enjoyed this more than their debut. Blastbeats and clean sections come marching in with no endpoint, and it's clear that the only direction this band has is in its non-metal movements. The metal sections are too generic for me. Vocals are far too monotonous. You will be forgiven if you haven't heard this band because they are relatively young. Their debut 'Portal Of I' was only released in 2012, but it's novelty of implementing a violinist into semi-Opeth soundscapes seemed to please many metalheads around the world. I enjoyed some of the songs there, though not initially. Till today, a fair portion of the album seems too self-indulgent. The violin, while providing some beautiful moments, never struck me as a 'metal' instrument. What I mean was that it seemed superimposed onto the progressive metal sound, and played mostly like a guest instrument rather than part of the song-writing process. An example of what I consider a great addition to the metal sound is Jørgen Munkeby's saxophone on Ihsahn's album 'After', which I implore you to listen to if you haven't already.

So does this album deliver? Song-by-song... which is tricky since the whole album is mostly three very long songs split up into 6 tracks:

1. Painters Of The Tempest (Part I)- Wyrmholes: Piano and violin. A well-written introduction. 
2. Painters Of The Tempest (Part II)- Triptych Lux: Two minutes of death metal suddenly interrupted by a jazz section with classical guitars and violins; it's jarring but not shocking to those who have already heard their debut. I wish, however, that the death metal moments of the song were written with more variety. It seems to be the same pattern of blastbeats and generic screams. This one song alone is further broken down to three very distinct parts, and surprisingly, they flow well. The abrupt changes are mostly within the individual parts. My favourite section has to be the last one, entitled 'Curator'. It's clearly marked out with hazy guitars and a pulsating bassline. The violin melody is actually well written in this one, which is more than I can say for half the songs on the debut. 
3. Painters Of The Tempest (Part III)- Reveries From The Stained Glass Womb: A flamenco instrumental. Again, the clean sections of the album are the only outstanding one's so far. While a great display of musical knowledge and prowess, it's mood is very different from the first two parts of the song. Not a fan of the inconsistency. 
4. Pyrrhic: Second full song on the album. This was a pretty good song throughout. Great riffs, an obvious motif with the violin and the rhythm section does a great job here. The violin is well-integrated, though not necessarily in a 'metal' way. Song has a sudden ambient moment, which doesn't feel forced, and in fact goes on to the violin-led end of the song, one of the stronger moments on this album. 
5. Devour Me, Colossus (Part I)- Blackholes: By this time the album verges on fatigue. Unlike bands like Opeth, who write structurally coherent songs without losing progression, this band seems to be more monotonous. Nothing seems to stand out in this song. 
6. Devour Me, Colossus (Part II)- Contortions: instrumental with the same piano notes from the first song. Well, it's still a pretty nice melody.

Also, the production is terrible. The mix does nothing to make the guitars sound heavy (possibly why the metal sections sound terrible), the drums are overproduced and have a thin sound. The violin is clear, but perhaps too clear; it's too jarring and steals all the limelight when it comes into place. Only the bass is done well. The DR8 is deceptive, seeing that the album has many instrumental/atmospheric moments that would skew the dynamic range towards the higher numbers.

The instrumentals are great, and 'Pyrrhic' is a good song, but the two other songs, 'Contortions' in particular, have far too little in them to justify their lengths.

★★★☆☆

Taylor Swift - 1989 Review

Taylor Swift - 1989 (Pop)

Taylor Swift's 5th studio album, titled 1989, is set to be released later in 2014. Quoting Swift herself, "[the album has] already evolved into a new sound, and that's all I wanted". 

Swift also stated in an interview that the choice of album title was meant as a tribute to the popular music made during and around her birth year. From the artist herself: "I have a few artists in the late eighties who I think made the most incredible, bold, risky decisions as far as pop music goes ... like Annie Lennox and what Madonna was doing ...".

Any expectations of an "incredible" or "bold" direction, to say nothing of a "new sound", are however quickly dampened by the opening track, "Welcome To New York". The song opens with a bunch of annoying synthesizer sounds - the kind you hear when walking by some kid gleefully hammering the keyboards on display at any Yamaha outlet. Then, Swift's irritatingly bland vocals eventually kick in, and you wish that you really were in your local Yamaha store hearing that kid mashing that $99 unit. 

The album continues in largely the same vein until the sixth track and lead single, "Shake It Off". To her credit, Swift has always actively participated in writing her own songs, and "Shake It Off", considered as a whole, appears to be a worthy song at first glance. It speaks of brushing off criticism and negativity - a positive message which I endorse wholly. However, upon hearing the song, one immediately understands why, as Swift eloquently pens, "haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate". The track starts off okay enough - with a drum intro - and then Swift's trademark awful, auto-tuned vocals barge into the soundscape, never to let up (or, perhaps, improve).

It is not explicitly stated whether this song is meant to be taken from Swift's own perspective ("I go on too many dates/But I can't make 'em stay" - input from Taylor Swift fans appreciated!); it would be a sad thing if it is, though. It's one thing to approach 'hate' with confidence and positivity; it's another to be oblivious to your own shortcomings (whether in music or otherwise) and blithely dismiss others as critics or haters.

The song that follows immediately after, "I Wish You Would", somehow proves to be even more irritating. As with "Shake It Off", Taylor Swift draws inspiration from the legendary lyricists (of 1989?) and manages to come up with all-time great lines like "I, I, I, I wish, I wish, I, I, I, I wish, I wish". 

The writing credits for this particular track are given to Swift and one Jack Antonoff, who is also responsible for the dreadful "Out Of The Woods". Perhaps unsurprisingly, the chorus to that song goes like this:

"Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods yet?

Are we out of the woods?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?

Are we in the clear yet?"

However, lest there be any confusion, the blame for such brainless and repetitive lyrics must fall on Swift and not Antonoff. This nonsense has been a recurring theme throughout her career; Swift defenders who are unaware of this are in trouble, trouble, trouble, for they might have amnesia.

Overall, the album is standard Taylor Swift fare: run-of-the-mill music, sub-par vocals and lyrics that kindergarten students would scoff at. There are literally no saving graces to be found here. I've done my dues and listened to the album once through, and boy am I glad to finally be out of the woods.

☆☆☆☆☆

Blut Aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta III: Saturnian Poetry Review

Fantastic artwork by Kristian “Necrolord” Wåhlin

Blut Aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta III: Saturnian Poetry [Black Metal]

I don't understand why Blut Aus Nord isn't as popular as it should be, these guys are far ahead of the pack in the black metal genre, rivaled only by fellow French black metallers Deathspell Omega. This is Blut Aus Nord's third release of the year (Buckethead thinks this is cute), and sees them returning to the Memoria Vetusta series. The first of the trilogy is a black metal classic, the second was divisive but has a generally favourable consensus. This series shows off Vindsval's (the one man behind Blut Aus Nord) melodic side.

1. Prelude - Well, yeah.
2. Paien - First proper song, and it sets the bar really high. The music is straight forward, and new drummer Thorns brings a welcome change in Blut Aus Nord's sound (this is the first live drum album in god knows how many years), but the focus has always been Vindsval's guitar melodies. Even his auto-tuned vocals are used minimally, something that's hard to find in metal. That melody from the 2:30 mark onwards.... And it does not drop in quality for the next five minutes.
3. Tellus Mater - Starts off with a great melody (seriously, this guy's melodies are nuts). It's a warmer song than the first. The composition is especially strong here; Vindsval builds tension, let's it dissipate, builds it up again. He lets a melody linger on for jut enough time without sounding repetitive.
4. Forhist - Again, another triumph in composition. It starts off with the usual, but slowly melts into an acoustic interlude, not in the jarring way that most bands are doing these days. It is unexpected, but still sounds natural. Also, shout out to the amazing production. A lot of the choruses here are chanted out, which is an excellent use of auto-tune. Some strong guitar melodies toward the 7 minute mark.
5. Henosis - Who would have thought you could find passionate, religious lyrics this far into a black metal album? This song uses the most clean vocals, but it's interesting to note that he incorporates them as melodies intertwined with the music rather than a mouthpiece for lyrics. 
6. Metaphor Of The Moon - One of  the stronger songs on the album. Well produced drums, this song chugs mostly at mid-pace. Several transcendental moments here.
7. Clarissima Mundi Lumina - Save the best for last? The clean vocal chorus is very new to Blut Aus Nord's soundscape. This one also boasts my favourite lyrics on the album. There is enough variation and all, but I wish the song were longer. It's the kind of ending that leaves a lasting impression.

As you can see, I have almost nothing bad to say about this album. The sound is wonderfully mixed and mastered, at DR9, which is heaps above the industry standard. You can hear all the elements, but the album still retains some warm buzz without sounding ultra-clean. Strong, minimalist lyrics all round without moronic blasphemous lyrics. If anything, the only complaint is that this album isn't as good as other Blut Aus Nord albums, but that an artiste has no competition besides its own catalog is the highest praise it can receive. An excellent record, and the second time I bestow a perfect rating on a Blut Aus Nord album on this website.

★★★★★

Babymetal - Babymetal Review

Babymetal - Babymetal [J-Pop / Djent]

Japan has heard your cries for weirder bands and has answered promptly; Babymetal is a project that fuses djent instrumentation with J-Pop melodies. The girls in this 'band' do nothing but sing and execute synchronized dance steps like any other pop outlet.

The unique thing here, however, is that neither of the aforementioned genres are watered down. I've been seasoned to bands like Dir En Grey and Maximum The Hormone (which remains one of the most kick ass weird bands from Japan) and I have have to say that none of that has prepared me for anything from this album. Suffice to say, the album's outrageous, and in a good way. The contrasting styles actually work really well together, and producer Kobametal (it's okay if you don't want to reveal your real name bro) has been sensible enough to mix up various styles throughout the songs that keeps you guessing.

1. Babymetal Death - kicks off with some decent riffs and double pedals, and ends with a tasty solo after introducing the three girls. 
2. Megitsune - Fully flexes its J-Pop sensibilities, with synths taking over after a brief folk instrumentation. The chorus is especially catchy. The song takes a sudden black metal turn in the bridge, and it sounds so tightly written. 
3. Gimme Chocolate!! - A personal favourite from the album, this song ventures further into djent territory with staccato vocals and heavy instrumentation. As with the second song, has a catchy chorus. It still has space for thrash metal solos at the end. 
4. Iine! - Another weird as hell song, with a heavy disco backdrop that somehow accommodates death metal vocals and a sudden rap break (what?!). This song was obviously written as a single to completely shock audiences, which ins't that bad in Japanese context. As of onw I am still unsure what to feel for this song, but it's seriously not bad. 
5. Akatsuki - one of the faster songs on the album, and less weird. This one borrows a bit from power metal, with soaring vocals and keyboards. I did not enjoy this song so much but it may appeal more to the power metal purists. It does have a glorious NWOBHM solo section in the middle, though. 
6. Doki Doki ☆ Morning - A shameless djent song that actually is enjoyable. The Japanese have this quality to their guitar work that is quite hard to put a finger on- in that it's heavy but still sounds friendly. It could just be the production but it's something I have observed in their music and anime-soundtracks. 
7. Onedari Daisakusen - A rap song. Not too big on rap songs, and this doesn't change my stance much. The cute vocals don't work well for rap, in my opinion. 
8. Song 4 - Another great track with rhythmic verses. The guitar work is especially great here, and it fucks with your mind while alternating between easy-listening and death metal. It's an idea that would fail on paper but turns out to be quite kickass here. 
9. Uki Uki ★ Midnight - A strange hybrid of metal and dubstep. Not that it's done before, but it hasn't been executed with such disorientation as it has here. It's a meh kinda song to me, but it does not let up the flow of the album. 
10. Catch Me If You Can - A very strong song, a lot faster than most of the songs here. Great instrumentation, great incorporation of electronic and dubstep nuances, and somehow still allowing space for death vocals. I love the upbeat tempo (that ending...). 
11. Akumu no Rondo - By far the strongest song on the album. It's tonally different, in that it's serious as opposed to all the cute antics elsewhere in the album. Su-Metal's voice is heavily auto-tuned here (well no, they are all heavily auto-tuned throughout the album). This is a production decision that baffles me, since the three are of them are more than competent live. f it were a decision to sound cold, perhaps? Either way, if you have no time for all the gimmickry, listen to this one song, 
12. Head Bangya!! - Another melody-driven song. Not very heavy, but it has an especially sweet chorus. It's a good song. 
13. Ijime Dame Zettai - The album closes with an above average song. If anything, this and 'Head Bangya!!' seem to be placed at the end to wash off whatever aftertaste 'Akumu no Rondo' left behind. It's a song that borrows heavily from power metal, which I already said I am not a fan of. It's tolerable enough with some more strong instrumentation. 

All in all, I enjoyed more than half of the album which is more than I can say for a lot of metal records this year. It's refreshing, and it deserves all the hype it's been receiving, be it on the charts or a chance to play with Lady Gaga. This is not going to appeal to those who prefer their grim metal, but hey, lighten up. On the downside, I did find the production to be very bland, almost hollow, after which I discovered the album has a dynamic range of DR5. It's not loud, it just feels like it could be made fuller. Or maybe that's my metal insecurities acting up.


 ★★★★☆

Reviews: Scott Walker + Sunn O))) - Soused & Sunn O))) + Ulver - Terrestrials

Scott Walker + Sunn O))) - Soused [Doom / Drone / Experimental]
Sunn O))) + Ulver - Terrestrials [Doom / Drone / Experimental]


This is a curious affair here. Three legendary artistes, two of whom left their metal backgrounds while the latter completely dethroned his own baroque pop beginnings for some truly twisted music in the past decade. In that sense, there seems to be some common ground between all of these guys, but the collaborations leave a lot to be desired.

The point of a collaboration is for either artiste to fuse their best efforts with the other, to offset their different styles to see if there is some harmony.

Terrestrials was released earlier, so I will review this first.

1. Let There Be Light - An 11 minute long opener may not be strange considering the bands' catalogues. It's mostly an atmospheric track that builds a steady momentum from virtually nothing. Sunn O))) isn't very dominant here, providing a few bassy notes here and there. Ulver's typically weird instrumentation with trumpets and keyboards is here. There is progression at the end... but nothing else?
2. Western Horn - The baton is passed to Sunn O))) here. A lot darker than the first track from the get go, I am not sure about the collaboration at this point because the roles of the bands are basically just reversed here, with Ulver doing the background this time. It's not too shabby a song, in fact, I did enjoy this one.
3. Eternal Return - A closer which finally brings the two bands together. A strangely emotional and heartfelt piece with violins, deep droning guitars. Kristoffer Rygg from Ulver provides his vocals for the second half of the song, and they are quite haunting.

Overall, one boring song, one okay song and one saving grace for the end. It could be mistaken for an EP with just three songs, but length seems to be an issue. I know both bands usually release songs at this length, but time isn't utilized as effectively in this collaboration. At DR10, there isn't much to complain about the production. That's an expected value given the bands' minimalist approach to music anyway. It's not that bad an album, but save for the last song, doesn't really accomplish anything.

Now on to the collaboration with Scott Walker:

1. Brando - Song opens on a completely strange note, perhaps a throwback to Walker's younger days. Sunn O))) comes in within a few seconds, but the production here is a lot less accommodating. Producer Peter Walsh has dedicated most of the soundstage to Walker, and the guitars sound completely underwhelming. It's not a bad song, but it goes on for far too long.
2. Herod 2014 - Actually an annoying song. What instrument is that at the chorus- is that even a chorus? Even more annoying is that this is the longest song on the album. The collaboration sounds off here, neither Scott Walker nor Sunn O))) seem to fit each other's style.
3. Bull - The song that was used for the teaser. Not a bad song, actually. It has an accessible chorus, which seems uncharacteristic for Sunn O))) anyway.  This song actually carries the menace that both artistes have embodied in their most recent work. The second half is pure Sunn O))), but with Walker's production. Not cool.
4. Fetish - Continuing with more menace, the only song with actual variation in this album. Drums come at the last part and Walker tries to be melodic here. However, as with the third song, the 'collaboration' seems to be just alternating between the two artistes rather than marrying them.
5. Lullaby - one hell of a repetitive closer. If there's one thing this record achieves though, it's tension. Both the artistes are maniacal in delivery, and this particular song is particularly creepy. Walker uses his higher register for the chorus, and his wailing is frightening. Again, length is a serious issue here.

Too long, too little variations and poor production on Walker's part. Again, not bad, but very underwhelming.

I would recommend you to listen to the artiste's better works though. I only listened to these albums because I hold the individual artistes in high regard.

Terrestrials - ★★★☆☆

Soused - ★★☆☆☆

Decapitated - Blood Mantra Review

Decapitated - Blood Mantra [Death Metal / Groove Metal]

1. Exiled In Flesh - First song starts off with a pretty angry riff. The main riff is nice, but it does not really climax. Right off the bat, I am pretty taken aback by the speed and heaviness of the band on this song alone. Song ends with some atomospheric intuerlude, giving you just a little breath before-
2. Blasphemous Psalm To The Dummy God Creation - Despite the hideous title, this song is even faster than the first (well done to whoever ordered the songs here). Rafał Piotrowski is actually a pretty strong vocalist, metalcore or not. His lengthy screams on the chorus are orgasmic. Meshuggah vibes are quite obvious, but they are not bland carbon copies. Młody steps up to the late Vitek's drums with a lot of vigor, his drums lead this song.
3. Veins - By now you should be aware that Decapitated have thrown away their technical side in favour of groove-laden songs, and the groove on this album packs a serious punch. This song even has a heavy breakdown, and as with the first song, suddenly has a slow section with introspective guitars. This has been a curious theme for this album (another influence from Meshuggah's Koloss?). It's a decent song, and almost ready-made for weight lifting sessions. Skip the interlude if you are doing some power lifts, though.
4. Blood Mantra - Surprise; a melodic chorus! It's a catchy song, and cruises with just enough variation to keep going. Vogg's guitars and Młody's drums really compliment each other well.
5. Nest - The beauty of this song is in its latent complexity It appears simple and groovy but has quite a bit of polyrhythms going on. The solo isn't so much a solo as it is an interlude, but it does help to break the staccato.
6. Instinct - Some crazy riffing over here. A fantastic song. Enough said.
7. Blindness - A personal favourite song on this album. Another example of polyrhythms (guitars are 3/4 while drums are 4/4). This also another very Meshuggah-like song, but goes further to add a more personal tone to the songs. It's Meshuggah with a lot more raw emotion and introspection. Excellent execution. A slow Decapitated song would have been thought a joke ten years ago., but this is probably one of the best songs Decapitated has ever done.
8. Red Sun - Seems like it's following what Meshuggah did with 'The Last Vigil', but it's not the album closer. Again, smart move by whoever structured the album sequence.
9. Moth Defect - The band ends on a very interesting note. The song is mid-paced and is not as long as it seems (bloated by atmospherics again). Some crazy snare rolls in the chorus, and some pretty experimental songwriting.

In all, I would have to say I am pleasantly surprised by this album. I did not enjoy 'Carnival Is Forever' as much as their back catalog, and was worried if the band had hit its creative peak. With nearly every member replaced in the band for the second time, it's good to see that Vogg continues to churn out some memorable guitar-driven songs here.

Production-wise, the band does just okay. It's mastered very loudly at DR7, but it's not brickwalled. The mix is fantastic though, the guitars and drums are very thick here. Bass is almost inaudible, but I suppose that's also because bassist Paweł Pasek isn't doing much anyway.

As for the album itself, it might be a bummer for those expecting their earlier material. It's a very steady, mid-paced album, and I appreciate the maturity in songwriting. It seems like the logical direction too, and I am happy to say that I find this album much more enjoyable than their previous one. Very well-written death / groove metal.

★★★★☆

Cannibal Corpse - A Skeletal Domain Review

Cannibal Corpse - A Skeletal Domain [Death Metal]



As usual, song by song:

1. High Velocity Impact Splatter - first of five songs written by guitarist Pat O'Brien, it's actually surprisingly easy to tell who wrote which song here. A very powerful introduction, and some fantastic vocals by George Fisher (who would have thought, huh?). O'Brien's riff in the verses is fantastic.
2. Sadistic Embodiment - again, written by O'Brien. This however, is a very average song, which only picks up when the tempo drops.
3. Kill Or Become - first of two songs written by the other guitarist Rob Barrett, and he seriously brings the grooves on this album. Why he has not written more is a topic of discussion for another blog, I guess. Fantastic solo, great galloping riffs, and a surprisingly exhilarating moment when Fisher screams "FIRE UP THE CHAINSAW!". One of the best songs on the album.
4. A Skeletal Domain - third number by O'Brien. So far not stopping the momentum of the album, groovy sections interlaced by blastbeats. The emphasis of this album is groove, as opposed to technical mastery on 'Torture, the band's previous album. Whatever was done to Fisher's vocals in the mix is really working so far. This song is also considerably sinister.
5. Headlong Into Carnage - first song on the album written by bassist and founding member Alex Webster, and it really shows, since Webster was the main writer on previous albums. An average mid-paced song though. I would not count it as filler straight away, it does well enough to be above that, but isn't is memorable as the first four songs.
6. The Murderer's Pact - again by Webster. Very black metal-ish vibes around the chorus. The riffs here are so tight. This song caught me off guard, quite a variation from Cannibal Corpse's standard fare. A very strong song.
7. Funeral Cremation - More Webster. It's clearly filler. You start to wonder why Webster hasn't sprung out on any bass solo yet.
8. Icepick Lobotomy - second song by Rob Barrett, and my personal favourite of the album. Great riffs, catchy chrous, and a great change of pace in the middle. Cannibal Corpse can't get better than this.
9. Vector Of Cruelty - Webster's fourth song. Very uninspiring.
10. Bloodstained Cement - The last Webster song. Tapped my foot a bit here and there, but there is really nothing much to add. Again. Webster's refusal to break into bass wankery confuses me, that would have been a lot more interesting that this song.
11. Asphyxiate To Resuscitate - Co-written by Barrett and drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz. This song is a little more vicious, and as with Barett's other songs, there is a hell lot of groove. Not a bad song, though it does leave something to be desired.
12. Hallowed Bodies - O'Brien's last song ends the album on a rather high note with an absolutely ferocious riff. Guitar driven and brutal, this wipes any bitter aftertaste left by the previous few songs.

Some things to note when viewing the album as a whole; nothing to expect from George Fisher, he is serviceable here. Guitar directions are surprisingly welcome on this album, bass springs through every note played here. Great mixing, terrible mastering at DR4 (highly compressed). However the production itself isn't bad when discounting the numbers. Paul Mazurkiewicz's drumming pulls the whole band down because he plays the same repetitive thing again and again. Bummed because he was getting better on the last few albums.

Still not as good an album as 'Torture', still not as good as 'The Bleeding' (the best Cannibal Corpse album ever made). Not a bad album per say, but not close to being a good one, seeing as half the songs were filler.

★★★☆☆

Opeth - Pale Communion Review

Opeth - Pale Communion [Progressive Rock]

It's kinda interesting to review this album. I have been a huge fan of Opeth, though that slowly diminished over the years (subtle hint). As with the last few albums, I will go through this one song by song first:

1. Eternal Rains Will Come - Not everyone's a fan of the abrupt introduction? I'm neutral to it, it doesn't really hamper the album in the long run. This song is actually a really good first impression on the album. For one, it's dynamic, a quality that was seemingly lost on Heritage (at least to me).
2. Cusp Of Eternity - The lead single of the album. This song is kinda meh for me. Mikael's crooning at the chorus is quite a nice touch, although he's been overusing this style ever since he discovered it in Watershed. It's in this song that you start to realize that Steven Wilson's production on the album is terrific, one of the best for this year. Song ends with a gorgeous guitar solo.
3. Moon Above, Sun Below - Things get quite tricky here. This song is terribly disjointed. The irony is that this song is structurally the most similar to the death metal style we've all loved in older Opeth. Mikael's vocal patterns here are weird, it's hard to put a finger on it. His technique is admirable, but his singing voice isn't convincing for the hard-rock approach they've tried to incorporate here. About the meandering, some nice bits here and there, otherwise a very skippable song.
4. Elysisan Woes - A ballad that's almost a wholesale copy of King Crimson. Wailing to keyboards. Not that it's a bad thing, but it's not the best execution here.
5. Goblin - My personal favourite on this album. It's a tribute to the 70s band of the same name. It's one the few times that everyone in the band plays with synergy, not just playing their parts but interlocking them. Very intricate songwriting, the kind of thing I expect from a PROGRESSIVE band. Martin Axenrot is on fine form for this whole album. I hardly find it surprising that my favourite song turns out to be an instrumental.
6. River - A surprisingly beautiful song on the album. Again, another hallmark of Opeth songs was the level of emotions invested in their songs. This song has a lot of that. It's heartfelt and earnest, and thankfully kept to a coherent 7 minutes.
7. Voice Of Treason - Another song that seems underwhelming to me. Mikael's singing is off (again because he doesn't seem to be able to input some personality in his 'rock' voice). Song meanders on and on, one or two riffs that stand out. Nothing else.
8. Faith In Others - Very reminiscent of their 'Damnations' era. A decent closer, but doesn't provide anything more interesting than the album's first half. I enjoyed the crooning at the end this time though.
9. I will not talk about the two bonus live songs, but they are pretty decent to listen to even if they do not contribute to the actual album.

As a whole package, the album feels much more fully realised than Heritage, but doesn't do anything to dissuade audiences who prefer their death metal era. Not that it's a matter of taste, but I find that Opeth's progressive rock era doesn't offer anything new. It's great 70s prog worship, but as with Heritage, I would rather hear actual 70s prog than this. The band has followed the textbook closely, and offered some intricate songs, but most of the songs are self-indulgent re-imaginations of the yesteryears. Mikael Åkerfeldt's vision is clear, but his execution is not there because he does not have a commanding voice. Quite the contrary, he has a beautiful, angelic voice well suited for acoustic passages and mournful songs, not the ballsy-attitudes he tries to bring to the table here. It's also deeply ironic that he gave up death metal for this kind of singing (although recent live shows reveal a more important reason- he has lost his growl). Martin Axenrot has to be praised for completely changing his game, his methodical death metal drum work has matured a lot, and his drumming is almost unrecognizable here. He inserts many fills throughout the songs, and he accounts for a large part of the tight playing here. Martín Méndez's hasn't done a great job here, he's probably still adjusting to the band's change of genres. Bass has been a hallmark of 70s prog and it's a letdown that he hasn't bothered to step up, even if he's been in the background for the most part in his Opeth career.

I am still trying to figure out how Fredrik Åkesson (guitars) and Joakim Svalberg (keyboards) contribute to this album. The latter especially, the keyboards are almost background fillers, automatic cues for a sappy ballad or a 'sad' moment in the song.

As mentioned earlier, the production is ace, at a whopping DR11. You wouldn't need to read this statistic; the magic is in the attention to detail when you hear it. Steven Wilson has been on a roll with his production duties lately, even if his singing is not up to standard in his own projects (huehuehue-).

So with all these said, it's with a heavy heart that I bestow this album a:

★★★☆☆

It's actually more of a 3.5, but we don't know enough coding to write that in. It's a decent album, but far from this band's best work.

Scar Symmetry - The Singularity (Phase I - Neohumanity) Review

Scar Symmetry - The Singularity (Phase I - Neohumanity) [Melodic Death Metal]

 

Listening to this album has rendered me temporarily unable to express my thoughts in coherent, structured paragraphs, so here goes:

1. The vocals on this album are a huge letdown. Hopefully this doesn't become part of a larger post-Christian Alvestam trend; if the work on "Dark Matter Dimensions" was forgivable at least, the material here certainly isn't.

2. The band has taken their trademark 'corny' shtick a tad too far this time round. It worked in the past - see, for example, the music video for "The Illusionist" - because it contrasted so starkly with how everything else about their material was more than worthy of being taken seriously. Now, the cheesy synth effects, when taken alongside the often-clownish vocals, produce the exact opposite effect.

3. The drum work is solid, but nothing new.

4. The guitar work is, as expected, top-tier. The solos, in particular, are immaculate, allowing the listener to conclude nothing other than that a lot of time, skill and thought must have been put into their creation and execution. Per Nilsson is one of the best things to have happened to music in the past decade or so.

5. However, this only goes a small way towards salvaging an album that starts off oddly (via the strange 53-second piece "The Shape of Things to Come") and never stabilises. There is no "best" or "signature" track to this album (the track closest to this honour being "Spiral Timeshift"), which might be a good thing if the album was a masterpiece, but unfortunately is not the case here given that it falls far short of such a standard.

6. Scar Symmetry has long banked on these things to keep itself relevant: (1) creative guitar work, (2) strong vocals and (3) that unteachable ability to create songs that linger in the listener's memory. As regards The Singularity (Part I), element (2) is rather in question, and element (3) is unquestionably missing. This is not the band's finest moment.

★★★☆☆

Maroon 5 - V Review

Maroon 5 - V [Pop]

Having declined to record for Maroon 5's previous album, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael rejoined Adam Levine and company to put out the band's fifth studio record, V.

He might as well have stayed home.

The keyboard and synth work on this album sounds like it could have been put together by any casual GarageBand user - and this is not close to the biggest problem with this album.

Adam Levine hasn't been a credible album artist for a few years now, as his inability to reproduce his songs at original key live suggests. This album does nothing to dispel such an assertion. By and large, Levine sleepwalks through this album, putting out vocal line after bland vocal line - and when he does try to reach high, it sounds whiny and painful (as heard in songs like 'Animal', 'New Love' and 'Sugar'). Also: Auto-Tune.

The band cannot even rely on the idea that they roped in guitarist James Valentine way back in 2001 to steer them towards a new musical direction; there is nothing to suggest that when joining the band, Valentine, a legitimate jazz and rock musician, had in mind playing the same few chords every song only to be shunted to the back end of the mix to accommodate annoying electronic beats and Levine's awful nasal screeches. 

Dare I say this, then: the band has made so much money over its time in the spotlight that its members have long stopped putting effort and thought into making their music. The one song on V with any musical value, 'Feelings', is duly ruined by Levine's misguided forays into vocal ranges far too high for him in the previous decade, let alone now. The collaboration piece with Gwen Stefani does the album no favours either.

This is the latest episode in a steep and sudden decline that began in 2010 with the disappointing "Hands All Over" album. The days of "Songs About Jane" are well and truly gone, only to be taken over by the same soulless drivel this band appeared to set itself apart from all those years back.

★☆☆☆☆

Fallujah - The Flesh Prevails Review

Fallujah - The Flesh Prevails [Post Death / Atmospheric Death]

Such tasteful album art

If you haven't already heard the shitstorm that has been generated over the unbelievable amounts of compression on this album's production, I'd suggest you go over to sites like AMG or Metal-Fi. I will try to talk about the music at hand.

Moving past the terrible production, I quite enjoyed the ambivalent mix of technical showmanship and quite space (which then reroutes to the production, but oh well). This is my first entry to the band that started out with deathcore-ish elements and moved on to the more atmospheric 'The Harvest Womb' EP last year.

One thing that stands out is the outstanding songwriting by the band. With little maneuvering within the songs, the band has managed to spice up the stale tech-death structures which many bands tend to overuse. One technique is the use motifs, sprinkling the melody throughout the song in short bursts and different time signatures rather than using the melody as a main theme, a small but highly effective move that elevates the hooks on a song, hell, on every song here. Atmospheric sections are still grounded with heavy drum-n-bass, as opposed to full out atmospheres, and this gives the songs fluidity- without making it monotonous (yes, all you tech-death bands sound the same).

Another thing that comes out right off the bat is the heavy emphasis on melody - in technical death metal! Many of the songs are highly distinguishable, the most important being 'Sapphire', a song with a thick melody that never seems to tire out for all five and a half minutes because of how well the band has paced it. The ending track, 'Chemical Cave' simply overwhelms with you with melodies (not -solos-) that are instant and accessible despite the intricate musicianship, something I've found highly commendable on this album.

I'm still going to give this many spins, and my opinion may change as December draws nearer. As for now, I am highly impressed with the band's use of atmosphere and melody, something that may have been tried by many bands in the past, but never executed as well as the tracks on this album. The songs are peppered with numerous jam sessions that seem to have been written on the fly, but work well within the song itself without sounding too self-indulgent. Many times, bands of this genre forget that music is not about technical mastery of the instrument, but to express emotions with it. With most bands, I feel like I am listening to a bunch of robots, but not here.

I cannot give an official rating since the production still bothers me. It would be about 4.5/5 without taking sound into account. It's a 3/5 for me because of this production. What a bummer.

Ed Sheeran - x Review [The Buona Vista Musician]

Ed Sheeran - x [Pop]

Most of my reviews are of metal albums - not a surprising thing, mind, since I would more readily listen to a metal record (and then be able to review it) than one from almost any other genre. However, there are times when, compelled by hearsay, hype or other strange self-created reasons, I bite my tongue, step out of my comfort zone and put myself through an entire album of music that I don't usually listen to. Sometimes the results are pleasant, and other times they aren't. This is one of those "other times".

I gave this album a shot mainly because people close to me have been riding the Ed Sheeran hype train really hard. This guy isn't like those other pop artists, they say, attempting to convince me that, assuming there are multiple types of pop artists, Ed Sheeran isn't of the type that I readily profess to dislike.

Sad to say, though, that this album has not given me any reason to afford Sheeran any more respect than I would most other pop artists (that is to say, not a lot of respect). In fact, I could quite easily break this down:

Vocals: My immense disdain for auto-tuned vocals and the reasons behind such disdain are all old hat by now; I won't go any further down that road than mentioning that this album contains fairly liberal use of pitch correction. That matter aside, the vocals are delivered alright (not fantastically, as many people would have you believe). The usual crooning and bluesy runs are there, best observed on tracks like "Don't". Sheeran tries to spice things up with rap-like vocals on "Runaway" and "The Man", which appears "creative" and "original", except it isn't, even in the context of pop music, given that other artists like Jason Mraz and Train  have used vocal stylings like these fairly frequently (and arguably more adeptly than Sheeran). Overall, the vocals aren't terrible, but neither are they amazing. "Bland" would be an appropriate word here - so much for Sheeran being some other kind of pop artist.

Lyrics: There isn't a whole lot going on here aside from the usual done-to-death drivel about puppy love and teenage rebellion. I fully understand that the primary target audience of pop artists like Sheeran is not seeking the musical equivalent of William Wordsworth (nor indeed should it); however, this gives Sheeran no reason to slap together all the cliches he found while listening to 2000s records and repackage them, as he appears to have done here.

Music: Musically speaking, the album plays largely to expectation; Sheeran made his name in the mainstream arena as an acoustic artist and, aside from a couple of tracks, does not deviate much from his tested formula. This creative decision was Sheeran's to make and is mine to critique: much like his 2011 album "+", there is again nothing noteworthy happening here, unless one considers strummed and occasionally-fingerpicked major and minor chords noteworthy. If Sheeran was trying to sound new and improved, it didn't come through; if he was content to make bank off his die-hard fans by simply regurgitating old ideas, then balls to him.

Overall: This album isn't quite the shit show that "+" was. "+" was so bad largely because its radio hits - "Lego House" and "Give Me Love" - were complete garbage. The song with arguably the most airtime on "x" is "Sing", which is a fairly annoying  song (especially because of the unnecessary howling in the choruses) but not quite "Lego House"-level bad. However, that by no means suggests that "x" is anything to write home about - on the contrary, it is bland, uninspiring and unoriginal (and, again, THERE IS SO MUCH AUTOTUNE) which, if you may, classifies it as just another run-of-the-mill pop record.

★☆☆☆☆