Summary Judgments, Vol. 2

The same drill as last time: Here are five releases that I began listening to, but decided that either I wouldn't enjoy listening to much more, or that I wouldn't be able to write a decent review. The number assigned (X out of X) is how many songs I got into the record.

Hero's Fate: Human Tides: Black Light Inception (2012)
(4 songs out of 12)

I sampled a little of Human Tides: Black Light Inception by Hero's Fate and heard one of those melodic metal ballads with some Amorphisms, and thought I might like it. As I got further into it, I realized that's all it was: melodic metal ballads, packaged as melodic death metal purely because of the vocals. In truth, it's a dull, slow- to mid-paced rhythm section with morose leads and growled vocals. A song or two would be OK, but a whole album of this?




Red Hot Rebellion: Red Hot Rebellion (2011)
(4 songs out of 10)

If you like raunchy hard rock with pentagrams, I honestly can't relate to that. I don't even think I could tell you what Mötley Crüe sounds like anymore. Red Hot Rebellion is a pay-what-you-want full-length of that style of rock (I think), with a southern inflection and way too much gang vocal for my taste. It also comes with a comic book, so . . . if you're into that. They list Motörhead several times in their list of influences, but I'm not hearing it.



Red Hot Rebellion

Entartung: Krypteia (2012)
(2 songs out of 6)

Black metal of the tinny variety, Entartung's Krypteia is something you've heard before, and you can already tell from that much whether you're inclined to like it. I only have so much love for this kind of music, and this one isn't quite making the cut for me. I dig the triumphant, epic feel of it, but the vocals are just killing it for me. They're croaked, a bit like Inquisition's Dagon, but they grate on me. That they're too loud in the mix, and have a poor sense of timing and rhythm, doesn't help.



World Terror Committee

Keoma: The Journey (2011)
(2 songs out of 4)

Keoma's The Journey sounds like modern rock radio gone through a filter of all things prog. Tool influence, nice synthesizer touches, and it's actually pretty heavy at times. It's just that the radio-friendly vocals and occasional metalcore-ism are a big turnoff for me. It might appeal to you, because as far as songwriting goes, they're mostly not bad.



Seremonia: Seremonia (2012)
(4 songs out of 10)

Seremonia is a Finnish band who play some old-school psychedelic rock with female vocals, and it sounds promising. Except that the production is lifeless, making the performance feel flat. The vocals are mixed way too prominently as well, and while her style should be giving it a weird psych air, at excessive volume it makes the music sound even more dull. There's a gem under here, but it seriously needs to be polished.



Svart Records