Metal Briefs: Live Albums, Part 2

As I mentioned with the first part of my Metal Briefs: Live Albums, I don't normally care for live recordings. They're usually just imperfect versions of what you get in the studio, and they don't feel like true albums. Still, I will get a live album if it's a band I really love. Just like last time, I'm not going to give them a rating, but just discuss them.

Opeth: The Roundhouse Tapes (2007)

The Roundhouse Tapes was recorded near the end of Opeth's tour in support of their masterpiece Ghost Reveries. (I suppose it doesn't mean a whole lot to call an Opeth album a masterpiece, when that's what they're in the business of creating, but GR is nonetheless one of their three most perfect albums.) Since it's at the end of the tour, you might expect them to seem worn out, especially on vocals. But that's not what you'll find. Mikael Åkerfeldt's vocals are inexplicably as good as they ever are, despite the difficulty of switching back and forth between his ferocious death growl and his vulnerable clean vocals. It clocks in about 96 minutes on two discs, with 9 tracks total, almost all of which are between 8 and 11 minutes long. The track list is good, spanning their entire career, though as with any fan I wish they would have played my personal favorite. Their music is not exactly the live-friendly material you'd get from, say, a thrash metal band--it's much more introspective--but they get the audience fully involved and emotionally invested. The recording is excellent, with the band and crowd balanced well in the mix. This is, surprisingly, one of the best live albums I've ever heard.

At the Gates: Purgatory Unleashed - Live at Wacken (2010)

Recorded during a brief reunion tour in 2008, the incredibly influential melodic death metal band At the Gates proves they still have it with Purgatory Unleashed. Fully half the tracks are from Slaughter of the Soul, so even casual fans will recognize the songs, but the rest of their catalog is represented as well. The performance is high quality: the vocals suffer slightly live, but the extra-tortured sound actually works quite well. The recording is also top-notch (bass fully audible!), but you can't always hear the crowd when it seems like you should. This album could serve either purpose of a live album, i.e., it's gravy for hardcore fans, but it could also serve as a greatest hits album.

Nevermore: The Year of the Voyager (2008)

Finally, we have Nevermore's The Year of the Voyager (also on DVD and combo pack). This one is an absolute monster on two discs packed full (19 tracks total), but Nevermore is one of few bands with a catalog to support a great live set that long. The performance is fantastic and the song choices are, too. Dane's vocals are suprisingly only slightly less amazing compared to the studio. The production lets you hear the crowd very well, but it is a bit quieter than I'd like. This is a must-have for any Nevermore fan, and could serve as a greatest hits album if you didn't want to get their whole collection.

Intronaut: Valley of Smoke (2010)

Review

Rising metal stars Intronaut released their third full-length last week. In case you're not familiar with them, they are to sludge metal what recent touring companion Cynic is to death metal. In other words, jazz-influenced progressive sludge.

Valley of Smoke is a major evolution from 2008's Prehistoricisms. It takes the jazz even further, and introduces airier compositions and clean vocals to Intronaut's repertoire. The vocals this time around will draw immediate comparisons to Baroness, and since they're both progressive sludge bands there are other superficial similarities. The songwriting is quite different, however.

First and foremost, bass aficianados will be very pleased by the prominence and excellence of Joe Lester's work. Those who think sludge needs to always be heavy will be turned off by the lightness of some tracks (especially "Above"), but heaviness is here in many places (like opener "Elegy"). There's also a lot of variety in drumming and guitar styles.

It's not an album built around catchy songs. This album seems based in the same school of thought as 1970's progressive rock, at a time when progressive always went hand-in-hand with psychedelic. It's meant to be listened to in its entirety, alone, with headphones in a quiet room, with no distractions. I rarely get that kind of luxury, so I can't get in the right frame of mind to listen to it. Even so, I can tell it's quite good.

The Verdict: Intronaut will continue to be a rising star in the metal scene if they keep producing albums like this, and pushing themselves into new territory. Being so airy and trippy, it's not exactly my kind of thing, but it's good enough to earn 4 out of 5 stars from me.

Happy Birthday . . .

. . . to my mom!

Celeste: Morte(s) Nee(s) (2010)

Review

Celeste is a French black metal band (formed in 2005) with some hardcore punk elements. The combination is growing in popularity (see Black Anvil). That seems to perplex people who have followed the scenes for a long time. But it makes perfect sense to me, since both styles traditionally put message over music, resulting in a large number of crappy DIY bands in addition to the greats.

As I've mentioned before, the French metal scene has continued to impress me, and Celeste does not disappoint.

Their sound is, at its most basic, Watain with an industrial guitar tone and sprinklings of The Dillinger Escape Plan discordant weirdness. It never goes quite as wacky as DEP, so each of the songs holds together. It's heavier than black metal usually tends to be, and several tracks (like instrumental "(S)") go at a blackened doom pace for at least part of the song. Others, like opener "Ces Belles de Rêve aux Verres Embués", are much faster.

Despite "Un Miroir pur qui te Rend Misérable" getting repetitive toward the last couple minutes, there is no low point on this album. The most interesting offer is closer "De Sorte que Plus Jamais un Instant ne Soit Magique", a 13 minute progressive affair featuring strings, tempo changes, and lots of great discordant atmosphere.

Other reviewers have said their first two albums are better, so I'll definitely be checking those out as well. And, since their entire catalog is free on their web site (including this one), you can't go wrong.

The Verdict: It reminds me a lot of a black metal version of countryment Eryn Non Dae, especially toward the end of the album, although with more restrained tendencies toward weirdness. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Death Metal Toddler: "Daddy Music!"

2010 Family Photos

All photos taken by me, with the help of a tripod and 10 second timer.

Click the picture to see a larger version.

Go Huskers!

Let's just play for regulation 60 minutes this time.

East of the Wall: Ressentiment (2010)

Review

East of the Wall got a great review in Decibel for their newest album, Ressentiment. After listening to it, it's easy to see why.

When I say that, it's not because I agree with them. I don't. But they combine some of the sound and unpredictability of the likes of The Dillinger Escape Plan with some of later Mastodon's prog--minus the sludge--and both of those bands are the critics' darlings. And they compare it to Fugazi, who are apparently a well-known punk band who've been getting referenced by critics a lot lately.

The overall effect is like a punk version of Between the Buried and Me, with all the death metal elements sucked out of it. To some people, that may sound like a good thing, and they should buy the album right away. To me, that's definitely not a good thing.

To be fair, I like the album opener "Ladders" and its follow-up "Salieri", with their sheer oddity and disjointedness, and I also like a couple tracks near the end. But most of it (especially the middle of the album) is far too airy, punk, and altogether non-metal for my tastes. It could have been listenable if the tracks were shorter, but when they extend past 6 or 7 minutes, I need something heavier. And the shorter tracks sometimes veer dangerously close to muzak.



The Verdict: From now on, when a reviewer mentions a band I will be sure to look them up before buying the album reviewed. And if Fugazi is mentioned, I'll just skip to the next review. This is definitely not my kind of music, even though it does have some redeeming moments at the beginning and end of the album. I give it 1.5 out of 5 stars.

In Silentio Noctis: Fragments of Christianity (2010)

Review

Who among us hasn't wished for a band that combines the bombastic black metal symphonies of Dimmu Borgir with the bombastic gothic metal symphonies of Nightwish? What? You haven't? Well, me neither.

But that's just what Finland's (big surprise!) In Silentio Noctis set out to do. Or, at least that's how the label is billing it. I thought it would be a nice companion review to Abrahadabra, so I picked it up.

Tremolo picking and pro-devil lyrical/image content aside, their debut Through Fragments of Christianity is decidedly more for fans of Nightwish than of Dimmu, with its ultra-polished production and generally more gothic style of writing. But at least they're not another faceless Nightwish clone like the seeming thousands of others (Epica, Within Temptation, Leaves' Eyes, need I go on?).

But I've been known to listen to a little Nightwish, and most of us have even if we won't admit it. And In Silentio Noctis isn't all that bad. Highlights include "Libre Satanas", the ultra-dramatic closer "Signum Crucis", and especially "Funereal Verses".



The Verdict: Far too polished and artificial to be black metal, but it does have influence from the style, In Silentio Noctis has created a style that is at least distinguishable from others in their scene. And the album is enjoyable. I give Fragments 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Dimmu Borgir: Abrahadabra (2010)

Review

Dimmu Borgir's latest, Abrahadabra, just came out, and it's been generating a lot of hype. It's said to bring the "symphonic" part of their symphonic black metal to its logical conclusion, with over 100 musicians contributing to the recording. Does it live up to the hype, or crumble under its own weight?

It definitely takes the symphonic element to the extreme, beginning with an appropriately dramatic intro and "Born Treacherous". That track is excellent: It's classic Dimmu Borgir augmented with a full orchestra and restrained use of choir. But they blew their wad a bit too early, as that's easily the best track. "Dimmu Borgir" is another highlight, although it has some triumphant moments you might not expect from such a dark band.

The rest of the album seems like it was written too much with the symphony in mind, keeping the metal to a minimum, with forgettable song after forgettable song. Most of it is more orchestra than metal, and sometimes they just try to do too much, like on "Gateways" (a good song, but you'll get the idea when you listen).



The Verdict: You have to appreciate the grandiosity of the whole thing, but that's really all this offers. It's clear that after 2007's somewhat lackluster In Sorte Diaboli and this new album, these Norwegians are past their prime--still making good music, but nowhere near where they used to be. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.