The Sorrow: Misery-Escape (2012)

Oh God, the Horror

Review by Metallattorney. He is the law.

Maybe it's time to actually look into some of the bands that I am asked to review before agreeing to it. I had no idea that there still were bands like this. I might have really liked this seven years ago or so back when I liked Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage, and the like. If you have not figured it out yet, this is metalcore tinged with melodeath. Most metalcore bands by now have changed their sound somewhat, but this is definitely early 2000's metalcore sound.

All Hail the Yeti: All Hail the Yeti (2012)

Abominable

A lot of you are going to hate All Hail the Yeti. I’m going to drop a few names here that don’t exactly inspire good feelings amongst extreme metal fans. This band is radio-ready. They’ve got plenty of obvious metalcore in their sound. But I like it anyway.

The L.A. band takes poppy Southern sludge a la Mastodon’s The Hunter, strips it down, and goes the extra mile toward mass appeal with a radio-metalcore template and huge helpings of Slipknot. The only part of that sentence I don’t like is the “metalcore” aspect. I’ve made it no secret I’m a fan of Slipknot. And I think Soilwork’s best, uh, work was in Stabbing the Drama and Sworn to a Great Divide. With my credibility at an all-time high, I ask you to read on.

Unbodied: Unbodied (EP 2012)

They're from The Ohio

Ohio's Unbodied contacted me with a review copy of their self-titled debut EP. It has some gorgeous, colorful, psychedelic artwork that recalls some of John Dyer Baizley's best works, like Phantom Limb and Kvelertak. As anyone who's gone blind buying knows, cool cover art is a strong indicator that the music will be cool as well.

Their Bandcamp page has a grocery list of different genres name-dropped, but as the Baizley influence might suggest, their main influences are sludge and grind. They also have a little bit of metalcore in the sound, but really, doesn't every young band have that these days? And apparently, they don't even realize it, because that's about the only genre they don't use to describe their music. Thankfully, metalcore is not an overpowering influence.

Unleash the Archers: Demons of the AstroWaste (2011)

Review

Quite some time ago, I reviewed the debut album of Canada's Unleash the Archers. I praised their unselfconscious brand of power/thrash/melo-death because of its balls-out intensity, catchy songs, and the powerful singing of frontwoman Brittney Hayes. She remembered that positive review, and provided me with a copy of their sophomore effort, Demons of the AstroWaste. The prospect of any improvement in this already excellent band had me practically frothing at the mouth.

Then I listened to it, and was reminded of the so-called sophomore slump. It's not that the new album is bad. The elements of great singing, great riffs, catchy choruses, and high intensity are all still there. Some of the songs are great, too. The metalcore leanings I mentioned in the first review have been emphasized, but that's not necessarily such a bad thing. But there is something different, and in a bad way.

The Approach & the Execution: The Blood March (2011)

Review

I was contacted by the bassist of Cleveland "epic metal" band The Approach & the Execution with a copy of their self-released debut, The Blood March. A sizable concept album about a medieval philosopher whose beliefs are unpopular, featuring a full band (including keyboardist) and three vocalists (including a female) using a variety of vocal styles, this was certainly an ambitious first attempt.

To be quite honest, I've been putting off this review for some time. It is impressive in many ways, and there are parts of it I like. But in the end it's not my kind of thing. Maybe it's yours.

A Wanted Awakening: Rebirth (2011)

Summary Judgment

A Wanted Awakening describe themselves as a "melodic deathcore" band from Massachusetts. They asked me to review their new EP, Rebirth, and I warned them that I've never said anything positive about deathcore. They asked me to go ahead anyway.

I warned them.

The first time I listened to it, I got to the 1:09 mark in the first song, and turned it off. You see, I usually listen to an album at least three times before writing a review, but I decided I'd just put it off until I was ready to listen to it just once and then write the review.

I then started listening again, a few days later, and got to the 2:20 mark in the second song.

You see, we have nasally metalcore vocals, a guy who sounds like he needs to take laxatives because he's straining too hard, gang vocals, boring riffs, guitar nonsense that doesn't even qualify as riffs, and that's about all I can take. This doesn't even have any of the positive aspects that I did find when I reviewed Whitechapel or The Famine. Those were just boring, but this is annoying.

I find that a full trial is not necessary to issue judgment against the band in this case.

Bring Me the Horizon: There Is a Hell Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven Let's Keep It a Secret. (2010)

Heavy Week, Part 6

Review

Bring Me the Horizon is the subject of a whole lot of hate in the metal world. But I'm going to chalk that up to the general closed-mindedness of the average metalhead. I listened to There Is a Hell Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven Let's Keep It a Secret. out of sheer morbid curiosity, since everyone seems to think it's the worst album ever released, and I was pleasantly surprised.

You might recall that I like long titles, like the titles to Demilich songs and the name of Lightning Swords of Death. The brilliantly titled There Is a Hell Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven Let's Keep It a Secret. is actually a great album, never mind the fact that having two sentences in the name kind of interferes with discussion. The album is, first and foremost, one of the heaviest to come out in recent memory, which is only enhanced by their judicious use of keyboards to provide contrast. Both a visceral scream and enchanting clean vocals are to be found, as well as some of the best riffs and tightest drumming on either side of the Atlantic. I usually hate breakdowns, but the ones on here get my blood pumping so I just want to karate kick everything in sight.

I don't really know how to describe why I like There Is a Hell Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven Let's Keep It a Secret. so much. I just can't stop banging my head. I advise you do the same, while checking out this badass video, featuring all kind of kvlt like neck tattoos, vampires, and killer haircuts:



The Verdict: I can't understand the hate. There Is a Hell Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven Let's Keep It a Secret. is incredible. Not quite perfect, but damn close. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

UPDATE 4/2/2011: April Fool's!

Obscure Bands: Still Breathing

While I was in college, my mom bought me the occasional CD from the local Christian bookstore. These tended to be more miss than hit, but on occasion there would be something good.

Still Breathing's 2002 album September is one of the good ones.



First, I have to talk about the obligatory obvious thing: a female vocalist in a metalcore band. But she's a good female vocalist. She has an excellent, pissed-off mountain lion kind of scream, with the occasional clean vocal thrown in here and there. Having formed in late 2000/early 2001, this must have been one of the first metalcore bands to go that direction.

While I'm not particularly a fan of metalcore, they are one of the better ones. "Scars for Tomorrow" is a perfect example of how breakdowns can actually be interesting, every now and then, though they do let the whole breakdown thing get a bit out of hand on "Only This". Their sound is thrashy (despite the lack of solos) and more aggressive than your average metalcore. It does have some slight nu metal influence (see "Forsaken"), but it's minimal.

Other songs of note on the album include the more melodic "One Kiss", the excellent "Sweet Wound Sour", and the Living Sacrifice cover "Threatened". Of course, being a Christian metalcore band, covering Living Sacrifice was not exactly a surprise, and they do a good job of it. The problem is that the track is more interesting than the rest of the album, so it makes the rest of it seem worse than it really is by comparison.

In all, it was a good album, and I give it 3 out of 5 stars. As I write this, Amazon's best price is a penny plus shipping (99 cents for a new copy), so if you have any interest it's not exactly a big commitment.

I had heard that the band broke up several years ago, but it seems they now have a web site and a new demo, and have recently played some shows. I'm not quite sure it's the same band, but I think it is--the vocalist now appears to go by "Dacia" instead of "Dacey", and none of the other members appear to be the same, but I think it's the same band.

Too bad they suck now:

Kingdom of Sorrow: Behind the Blackest Tears (2010) Review

I finally got around to Kingdom of Sorrow's sophomore release Behind the Blackest Tears. In case you didn't already know, KoS is the side project of Hatebreed vocalist Jamey Jasta and Crowbar/Down guitarist Kirk Windstein.

I've already hinted on this blog that I am not a fan of Hatebreed. A friend of mine started getting into them several years ago, and I tried to like it. But every song is the same simple crap. And they're not about hate at all--it's borderline homoerotic brotherly love. So, I was surprised a few years ago when I kept hearing this amazing track on Internet radio called "Grieve a Lifetime", and found out Jamey Jasta was involved.

That was of course their eponymous debut, which was OK, but nothing else on the album came even close to that track. I'm happy to say the second time around is much better.

They seem to have come into their own, instead of following the "Crowbreed" sound of the first release. (Incidentally, I think that's an awesome name for a band.) It's much heavier than any of the other projects the two have been involved in, and it works much better when it's mid-pace or slower--check out the title track. The mood they're best at is a blend of sorrow and agonized, festering rage, with the other standout track "From Heroes to Dust" the best example. On the other hand, things don't work very well when they speed up (e.g. "Sleeping Beast").



The Verdict: Kingdom of Sorrow works really well on a mood they have claimed as uniquely their own. But when they try to explore other territory, it sounds too much like Hatebreed. In all, it's a worthwhile sludge metal release, but with all the worthwhile sludge releases this year it doesn't stand out for anything besides star power. I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Norma Jean: Meridional (2010) Review

Norma Jean is perhaps the best-known Christian metal band in today's scene (if you don't count As I Lay Dying, since they don't want to be counted as a Christian band). They've released two albums peaking at number 1 on the Christian music charts and a third peaking at number 2. Their fifth album (and the first for new label Razor & Tie) Meridional came out this week.

Despite the fact the group has a very dedicated following, especially among Christians, I only had their debut before getting this one. It was good, but I wasn't so crazy about it to get their next two albums. So, you can be sure this review is neutral.

Norma Jean's sound is a progressive kind of metalcore, but usually not chaotic enough to be true mathcore. They seem to blend about two parts The Dillinger Escape Plan with one part Tool to create something uniquely their own. Tracks like "Blood Burner" really show off the Dillinger side of things, while "Deathbed Atheist" will show a little more of the Tool.

Vocally, Cory Brandan has a very compelling off-key voice, sort of like Chino Moreno in his heyday, and he can shift from pissed-off to vulnerable in a heartbeat. He gets to show his voice off a great deal: See obvious single pick "A Media Friendly Turn for the Worse" or the mellow "Falling from the Sky: Day Seven" to get a taste of that.

The formula works very well, and the band shows some very mature songwriting. This material manages to be catchy, complex, angry, and accessible all at once. The album flows extremely well and hangs together as a whole, helped along by two strange interludes (the church hymn-inflected "Septentrional" and the odd "Occidental").

The production is excellent as well. Many bands with this kind of broad appeal will crank up the vocals in the mix, but Norma Jean has shown restraint--a clear indication of their Trve Metal nature.

It does have a couple of slightly weaker moments, like "The People That Surround You on a Daily Basis" and "Bastardizer", but it's never off so far to derail the album for a moment.



The Verdict: I was pleasantly surprised by Norma Jean--this is really great stuff, and they've grown by leaps and bounds in eight years. This is quite likely the Christian metal album of the year, and I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Dirtfedd: The American Nightmare (2009) Review

I mentioned Dirtfedd a while back as I was first researching metal bands from my home state of Nebraska. They are from Lincoln, and I've lived in Lincoln or within 30 miles of it for the last decade--but I don't really do the whole "scene" thing, so I hadn't heard them until recently.

They are a metalcore band with some industrial influences, the use of a keyboard slightly setting them apart from the droves of other groups in the genre (I understand a lot of them are trying this now, but this is the first I've heard it). I'd say the music is mostly a combination of Hatebreed and Slipknot, but influences from other mainstream hard rock/metal groups like Disturbed and Avenged Sevenfold are there too. They are as heavy, angry, and hardcore-influenced as Hatebreed, but have a lot more musicality to their sound, so it doesn't end up idiotic like Hatebreed.

The album starts out fairly strong, and mostly in the Hatebreed vein, with "Salute". The chorus "Drink! Fight! F***! Salute!" should tell you the attitude there. The next few tracks are also decent, and more musical. They take a bad turn on tracks 6, 7, and 8 ("Tonight", "Here I Am", and "Shotgun Romance"), which are way too A7X-sounding for me; I've had enough of modern rock radio, thank you. The album finishes a bit stronger after that, though, so they make up for it a little.



The Verdict: Their style is sometimes better than your average mainstream metalcore, but there's also a lot of crap on the album. I give it 2 out of 5 stars.

Living Sacrifice: The Infinite Order (2010) Review

Living Sacrifice is legendary in the Christian metal scene. They began as a thrash metal group in the late 80's, then started incorporating death metal elements, and eventually released a trilogy of classic Christian metalcore albums (Reborn in 1997, The Hammering Process in 2000, and Conceived In Fire in 2002). They've never made the mainstream like some others on the Solid State label (Norma Jean, for example), but that's due to poor timing rather than any lack of talent. After breaking up in 2003--just as metalcore was exploding--they released a greatest hits album, and didn't get back together until 2008--just as people were starting to get sick of the genre due to oversaturation.

The legends released their reunion album, The Infinite Order, earlier this year. The fact of their recording was on my radar, but somehow I missed when it came out.

Do they still have the talent? The short answer is, no, at least not like they used to. You won't find that answer in a lot of places; most reviews are on Christian-specialty sites, and criticizing LS in that context is like criticizing Iron Maiden to the average metalhead.

They still sound like the same Living Sacrifice (for example, "They Were One" sounds a lot like "Symbiotic"). And you can tell they've been paying some attention to the metal scene in their hiatus: "God Is My Home" incorporates some Amon Amarth-style melo-death and "Rules of Engagement" has a definite Lamb of God flavor. But despite this, the magic seems to be gone.

On their better albums, they've used some melodic interludes to increase the impact of the heavy parts. That's completely absent here. With the exception of the one on "Nietzsche's Madness", the breakdowns seem relatively uninspired. The riffs overall are decent, and there are still some great moments, mostly provided by lead guitarist Rocky Gray (also of Soul Embraced and Evanescence fame). The solos on "Nietzche's Madness" and "Organized Lie" are great (the latter sounds a lot like a Slayer solo). But these great moments don't serve to make up for the weaker moments (the awful backing vocals on "The Training", for instance).



The Verdict: Classic band, disappointing reunion album; this is not the place to start in their catalog. It's still a passable album, but it's not the Living Sacrifice quality I expected. I may be a little hard on them because I expected better, but I give it 2 out of 5 stars.