Keep of Kalessin: Reptilian (2010) Review

You may already be familiar with the story of black metal band Keep of Kalessin entering the Eurovision contest (something like an international battle of the bands crossed with American Idol). They went to great pains to explain that they weren't selling out. I'm inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt, because I subscribe to the philosophy of Dethklok's Nathan Explosion. When Dethklok were performing a coffee jingle, a reporter asked them if they were selling out. He responded, "We are here to make coffee metal. We will make everything metal. Blacker than the blackest black, times infinity!"

As I said, I'm inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt. But the song entered in the contest, "The Dragontower", sounds like NSYNC in corpsepaint, or to be a little more generous, perhaps a gothic Linkin Park. I have a hard time believing this song was not intentionally crafted to reach a larger audience, and as a result it is terrible.

But the rest of their new album, Reptilian, makes up for that trainwreck. At its core, this is Dimmu Borgir-style black metal, with toned-down keyboards instead of the Prague Philharmonic. The DB style is most evident on the hard-driving "The Awakening". But the sound is also clearly influenced by power metal: there are rasp/sung choruses on several tracks, like the slower "Dark As Moonless Light", and a lot of power metal style guitar embellishments on tracks like "Judgement" [sic]. Even the fantasy-themed lyrics are present throughout, and "Leaving the Mortal Flesh" has swordfighting sounds in the background.

It's a very strange juxtaposition, and works at times, like the killer opening track "Dragon Iconography". At other times, though, it seems a little disjointed and awkward. And that awful "The Dragontower" comes in at a really bad time, disrupting the album's flow.



The Verdict: Keep of Kalessin has a unique, power metal influenced black metal style, and they clearly have talent. When it works, it's really amazing, and when it doesn't, it's still pretty good. But the flow is disrupted midway through by the single, and their authenticity will definitely be questioned. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

The Search for the Perfect Headphones: Sony Studio Monitor Series

Because of the annoying head noise experienced with earbuds, I decided I needed some nice headphones to use at work.

Luckily, my wife had a pair she wasn't using. They are Sony Studio Monitor Headphones, similar to the ones shown at left. The sound is actually quite good, especially for the under $25 price range. They are also fairly comfortable. Even though I wear glasses, I can wear these for about six or seven hours before they start to get irritating (I don't wear them during lunch, so there is a break in there).

The annoying thing about these--for me--is that the cord is very long and thick. I have to stuff several feet of it in my pocket, and since it's thick this is kind of awkward. For a stationary device like a stereo, this is probably a plus, but when you're using a portable device that fits in your pocket (like an iPod) it's a big downside.

On the plus side, though, they comfortably fit around your neck when you need to take them off for a minute.

These worked very well for me for quite some time. Then, we all got shuffled up at work, and I ended up in a cubicle near people who talk too much and have voices that carry very well. Then I realized that these headphones do absolutely nothing to block out sound.

The Verdict: Despite this shortcoming, they are a good choice if you're in a relatively quiet environment. I give them 3 out of 5 stars.

Moi Dix Mois: Beyond the Gate (2006) Review

Beyond the Gate is a 2006 EP by Moi Dix Mois, a band with a uniquely Japanese sound: They combine gothic metal with J-rock. The result sounds like it could be the theme music from an anime series about vampires.

On this album, many of the musical themes are centered around Edvard Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King," using synthesized organ and harpsichord to provide atmospherics. It makes for an interesting, very gothic sound--but not particularly authentic. It's really all visual kei posturing, the work of someone trying metal on as an image rather than the work of someone with metal in his blood. There also isn't a lot of variation. If you're not paying close attention, you might think you heard the same song twice in a row.

The Verdict: Despite its shortcomings, it's got a unique, interesting sound, and it is only an EP, so it's cheaper. I probably wouldn't like to listen to it for the duration of a full-length album, but for about 25 minutes it makes decent background music. I give it 1.5 out of 5 stars. Like I said, it sounds like it could be the theme music from an anime series about vampires. If that sounds like a good thing to you, I'm sure you'll love it, but to me it has all the authenticity of a television theme song.

Barren Earth: Curse of the Red River (2010) Review

Barren Earth is a supergroup formed of members / former members of Amorphis, Swallow the Sun, Kreator, and more. Their first full-length, Curse of the Red River, was released recently. Decibel's review said it sounds like a mix of the styles of those groups. Before you go on, reflect for a moment on how absurd it is to say that anything sounds like a mix of Amorphis with just about any other kind of metal. Amorphis is a mix of nearly every kind of metal.

Regardless, they definitely do sound a lot like Elegy era Amorphis, the incarnation of the group when they achieved a balance between their melodic death metal origins and their later progressive leanings.

The songs are well-written and memorable, with notable highlights being the title track, "Flicker", and "Cold Earth Chamber". The production is tight as well, but the keyboards may be turned up a little too much in some spots.

The only member of the group I don't think fits is vocalist Mikko Kotamäki (of death/doom outfit Swallow the Sun). While his death growls work extremely well, his clean vocals tend to get overpowered by all the different things going on. And because they sound so much like Amorphis, it's tough not to make comparisons to Tomi Joutsen, who has a much stronger clean singing voice.



The Verdict: It's really a very good album, but it's tough to know exactly how to feel about it. There was already an Amorphis out there--do we really need another one?

Those who like the progressive direction Amorphis has taken will probably do better to leave this one alone. But those who like the old Amorphis better should be all over this one. I give Curse of the Red River 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Dark Fortress: Ylem (2010) Review

Ever since I heard Lo-Ruhamah, I have been on a black metal kick, especially the more progressive or experimental forms of it. And, after I heard Triptykon's debut album, I did more research on the members of that band, finding a connection with the German black metal group Dark Fortress.

Though not progressive per se, their latest album, Ylem, is definitely experimental, bucking such black metal cliches as poor production and total reliance on atmospherics instead of melodies. The result is stunning.

Their sound is more bottom-heavy than the average black metal, and you can actually hear the bass. The rhythms are interesting and sometimes even bouncy (notably on "Osiris" and "Hirudineans"), perhaps taking a page from Mercyful Fate. This is often balanced by high lead guitar, the part for which is often rather unusual (particularly on the amazing title track).

They also buck black metal convention by writing some songs which are in whole or part slower than the average (see "As the World Keels Over" and "The Valley"), even including some breathing room between notes.

On top of that, they close the album with two rather unusual offerings. "Wraith" would seem more appropriate coming from a gothic metal band, with its slower tempo and depressing clean vocals, and "Sycamore Trees" is an atmospheric dirge more appropriate to a death/doom band.



The Verdict: From reading other reviews of the album, it seems Dark Fortress has come of age in recording Ylem, and their prior work isn't nearly as worthwhile. But if you like black metal and want to hear something a bit different--or hate black metal because of its usual insistence on keeping the bad traditions with the good--then you can't go wrong with this one. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Unleashed: As Yggdrasil Trembles (2010) Review

Despite the scary-looking, black metallish cover art--all black and white with skulls and an almost illegible band logo--Unleashed's latest As Yggdrasil Trembles is surprisingly accessible.

Once you get past the album cover and into the music itself, you quickly realize Unleashed has nothing to do with black metal. This is pure, old-school death metal, something you might expect from a band who have been doing death for twenty years. And just in case you didn't believe their dedication to the old school of death, they included a bonus track--a cover of Death's "Evil Dead". That's a lot of death in one paragraph.

The music generally chugs along at mid-tempo (well, mid-tempo for death metal, which is pretty fast), though it does have a bit of range into some faster and slower territory. The instruments create a wall of sound, but it's not so thick that you could get lost in it. The vocals, done in a halfbreed rasp/growl, are actually understandable, but at least the lyrics aren't ridiculous: They focus on Norse mythology and war.

All the other elements are good, but the lead guitar is what stands out. Often, it strays into melodic death territory, and the solos are extremely well-composed, fitting seamlessly into the rest of the music.

Top tracks on the album include "Wir Kapitulieren Niemals", "So It Begins", and "Return Fire".



The Verdict: One of the oldest practitioners of death has proven that death is not dead, as some would have you believe. It's simply biding its time to reign ascendant over thrash and black metal once again.

With excellent songwriting, they've created an album that doesn't have to innovate to be good. Unleashed still has it, after 20 years. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

The Search for the Perfect Headphones: Earbuds

I recently purchased and returned a number of different headphones in my search for the perfect pair. Since I listen to music all day at work, this is especially important to me.

Years ago, I got a second generation iPod. At that time, they came with earbuds which would actually stay in your ears, most of the time, and had listenable sound quality. They also came with covers. I would give them 1 out of 5 stars.

With newer iPods, they changed the design (shown at left), apparently in favor of designing them to fit in the ears of some other species. They certainly weren't designed for the human ear. This is an even worse problem with the new iPod Shuffle, since you have to use the buds that came with them or buy expensive replacements. I give the newer iPod earbuds 0 out of 5 stars.

Those are absolutely awful, so when I got my iPod nano, I had to get some new earbuds.

I settled on the Sony MDR-EX35LP model. They are billed as having better bass than other earbuds--and headphones are known for having poor bass due to the small speaker size, so this is important. They also have two different colored rubber cushions, which is nice because you don't have to look very closely to decide which goes in which ear. They are also comfortable, and stay in your ears as well as any earbuds.

The problem with any earbuds with the rubber plugs--a necessary feature for a secure fit--is noise from the cord. Though they isolate you from outside sound very well, any slight bump or move of the cord makes annoying sounds in your ears. There really is no alternative for working out, and the portability is unsurpassed.

The Verdict: I give the Sony Bumpin Buds 3 out of 5 stars. At the under $20 price range, I don't think you can do any better.

I wasn't happy with this option for work, though. Next week I'll review the first set of headphones I tried.

Veggie Tales: Dismemberment

My son is really into the Veggie Tales series. I actually happen to like it, because they have a quirky sense of humor I can relate to.

In their first movie, Jonah, they close with the song "Jonah Was a Prophet" (a "big musical number"), which contains the following lyrics:

Jonah was a prophet, but that's not why he's remembered
They tell the tale, Cause in a whale he nearly was dismembered!

I just wanted to observe that any song with the word "dismembered" is worth a listen.

Godsmack: The Oracle (2010) Review

Godsmack has always inhabited that murky borderland between hard rock and heavy metal. Their 1998 debut incorporated obvious influences of two other groups which lived in that same region, White Zombie and Alice in Chains. In 2000, their sophomore release Awake saw them developing a more original, and decidedly more metal-oriented sound, and 2003's Faceless was more of the same, though slightly less inspired from a songwriting perspective.

Perhaps sensing a decline in their songwriting, the band recorded the all-acoustic EP The Other Side the following year (much like AiC). Without massive sound and distortion to hide behind, it forced them to approach songwriting differently. They used these lessons well on 2006's IV, which incorporated blues-rock elements. Though extremely well-written, that album didn't have quite the energy and punch Godsmack was known for; instead of leaning toward metal, it leaned much further toward rock.

After four long years of nothing but two new tracks (one original and one cover) and a compilation, The Oracle represents Godsmack's triumphant return. To prepare for this review I listened to it, then their entire back catalog, and then listened to it again.

Anyone put off by the relative mellowness of IV can breathe easy. The album has no acoustic tracks, and it's as heavy as their debut. At the same time, they've managed to keep the high-quality songwriting of their last album, including some of the bluesy parts. In fact, it seems they've drawn on all the elements that made their prior albums work, and built on top of it: compare "Time Bomb" to "Saints & Sinners", "Situation" to "What If?", the instrumental title track to "Vampires", "Make Me Believe" to "War & Peace", or "Speak" to "Cryin' Like a Bitch."

This is not to say they're simply rehashing old material; instead, it feels more like they've built a new album firmly on the foundation of their past. If you're looking for a truly new addition, "Devil's Swing" has a jazz scat kind of rhythm to it, and "Love-Hate-Sex-Pain" is a total original.

The production is also of much better quality than IV--more on par with Awake or Faceless. My only quibble is it seems like they've turned the instruments down slightly during the verses in favor of louder vocals.



The Verdict: The Oracle proves that the multi-platinum hard rock/metal band still has it. They've captured the songwriting prowess of IV and combined it with the heavy intensity of their debut. Because they don't explore much new territory, it's unlikely to win any new fans, but it will definitely please anyone who's already a fan. I have been one for 12 years now, so I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Deftones: Diamond Eyes (2010) Review

The Deftones released their latest today, Diamond Eyes. I listened to it twice, and formed a mediocre opinion of the album. Then I read another review, which confidently stated it was the best Deftones album yet. I thought I might be missing something. So I went back and listened to their entire catalog in chronological order, ending with a third listen to the new album.

On Adrenaline, they had a simple but elegant approach to nu metal, faintly tinged with industrial influences. But it was aggressive, particularly on songs like “7 Words” and “Engine No. 9”. With Around the Fur, they gave us their first hint of the direction they were ultimately headed, incorporating some more mellow songs (like “Mascara”) and some mellow passages in a few tracks. These mellow passages proved that metal didn’t just have to be aggressive, exciting, depressing, or scary—it could actually be sexy. (No one else has managed to do this, to my knowledge.) But they kept that aggressive streak intact throughout most of the album, and clearly matured as songwriters.

In 2000, they released their masterpiece, White Pony. The album expanded on those hints of sexy metal with excellent tracks like "Digital Bath" and the wildly popular "Change (In the House of Flies)". They were sexy tracks, but there was also a lot of tension, and there were still aggressive tracks like "Elite". White Pony was brilliant because the sound was completely unique, all the songs were varied, they went somewhere, and they evoked a variety of emotions, some of which don’t normally go together.

Their follow-up self-titled album appeared to be an attempt to combine the sound of White Pony with their earlier work, but it generally seems forced and uninspired. They tried to blend the mellow parts with the more aggressive parts instead of alternating, with the result that it seems flat. “Minerva” is a perfect example. There are a few good tracks on it, such as "When Girls Telephone Boys" and "Bloody Cape", but for the most part it’s uninteresting.

Things started looking up again with Saturday Night Wrist. "Beware" and "Kimdracula", for example, seem to capture that White Pony flavor by going back and forth between softer and harder-edged sections before finally building up to a heavy conclusion. It still isn’t a great album, but it’s very good. They tried to follow up on this improvement by beginning work on Eros, which is supposed to be the next White Pony (well, they weren’t going to call it the next Deftones, were they?). But when bassist Chi Cheng fell into a coma, Eros was put on hold indefinitely.

Enter Diamond Eyes, which the band has all-but-officially termed a stopgap release. Superficially, at least, all the elements of the Deftones post-Pony sound are there: Catchy, heavy guitar and bass riffs interspersed with mellow sections, the soulful, off-key singing and (to a much smaller extent) strained screaming of Chino Moreno, and a subtle backdrop of industrial atmospheric elements.

It opens with the title track, which is kind of a sad song--something new for the group--and it’s not too bad. It’s got very heavy parts, but the vocals are sad nearly the whole way through. The bad part is, though, that this sets the tone, vocally, for much of the album.

“You’ve Seen the Butcher” is the highlight of the album, with its extremely catchy riff and overall infectious, sexy groove. “Rocket Skates” is the other top track, with a cool, heavy verse, unusual vocal moves, and a bridge that’s the angriest part of the album. Other offerings, like "CMND/CTRL" and "Risk", have good parts, but seem less than fully realized. Most of the rest is just boring, though--especially "Sextape" and album closer "This Place Is Death".

It’s very difficult to pinpoint what’s not working here. But when you compare it to their earlier material the answer is clear. The Deftones are at their best when the verse has tension, the chorus aggressively releases that tension, and the track builds up to an even more aggressive conclusion. On Diamond Eyes, many of the tracks have good tension in the verses, but the choruses are wimpy, and there is no satisfying conclusion. The anticipation builds up, but there’s no release.



The Verdict: This is definitely a stopgap release. It has some good elements, and even a handful of good tracks, but overall it feels unfinished and way too whiny. Unless you’re an absolutely die-hard Deftones fan, you’d be better off waiting for Eros, if it ever comes out. I give Diamond Eyes 2 out of 5 stars.