She-Ra: Princess of Power

Being a geek all my life, I grew up with the Masters of the Universe and She-Ra cartoons, comics and toy line. Of course, when it was suggested that I might enjoy a listen from a metal act that combine my love of both heavy metal and geekdom, I couldn’t resist. Low and behold, we have the debut EP from the band aptly named; She-Ra. The album: “Princess of Power”. I know, it’s not exactly the most original title, but hey, it’s as true to the source as you could possible get, right? Anyhow, She-Ra is a one-man project headed by, Richard Weeks and as you might suspect, the three song EP is immersed in the subject matter of the show She-Ra: "Princess of Power".

As for the music itself, Weeks describes the band as playing a raw thrash mixed with death metal and although the trash elements are inherently present, the death portion is only mildly felt as a whole. Take the opener, “She-Ra”; it opens with a very catchy riff that sounds almost like a blend of 80’s video game music and thrash metal. It’s fun and really sets the mood in a cartoon fantasy world. The song then shifts to powerful chugging riffs and strong drums, that in my opinion really drive the music forward. The bass pops along in the background and really makes it presence known throughout the song as well, which was nice. The next song, “The Great Rebellion”, shifts sounds altogether. The song opens with a slow, melodic intro, which then transitions into very distorted, down-tuned doom oriented chugging riffs. The drums plod along slowly, matching the slower doom vibe. There is a short solo near the end of the song that, reminds me of the guitar sounds of the band Countess; very thick, distorted and played in the basement, if you get my drift. Finally, the last song, “Hordak’s Whores” is a straight trash attack. Powerful and intensive riffs with the speed to match. This would be the only song that has much of a death sound blended into the band’s music and it’s done quite well.

So, overall, I was impressed with the band’s first showing of musical capabilities. I felt the leads were, perhaps not the most original, but they were well done in their own right. The rhythms displayed such as the solo heard in “The Great Rebellion” and the opening of “Princess of Power” were nicely done and very catchy. The drums and bass were incorporated adequately and both added to the overall sound and had their own identity.

That being said, my only complaint would be the vocals. First and foremost, I say this with pure constructive criticism, not distaste. The vocals, at least on the first song, simply felt out of place. On “Princess of Power”, they lacked the power and intensity that either thrash or death metal fans would come to expect, which in my opinion held the song back from reaching its full potential. The vocals on “The Great Rebellion”, I felt were a nice representation of the sound and theme of the song, by the song itself felt a little out of place. Perhaps on a full length, it would have fit into the overall sound or story of the album much more seamlessly, but nonetheless, the song and the vocals work well with each other. “Hordak’s Whores” is the one song that the death like vocals came through on the EP and although I felt they were the only vocals that carried enough intensity for the trash/death label, they themselves could use a little fine tuning. That’s not to say they were bad, or not enjoyable. Far from it, but they were a little rough around the edges.

I think, with a little polish and a few tweaks to his sound, She-Ra, could really create some nice geek laden deathrash in the future. With lyrical themes and album concepts set in the world of either Etheria or Eternia, you would be hard pressed for me not to get excited for a future listen.

Rating: 2.5

Dan Swanö: Moontower

Dan Swanö needs no introduction in the metal community. He has had a long and successful career playing with various bands and producing others while dabbling in a variety of other projects. That being said, his most notable work would have to be with the band, Edge of Sanity. The band was one of the early pioneers of death metal in the Swedish scene and although their sound is most often described as progressive death metal, in my eyes they have plenty of melodic elements to be considered as much. Anyhow, the band released their debut in 1991 titled “Nothing but Death Remains” and continue to make waves in the Swedish scene until 1997, when Swanö would leave the band. (Although EOS would put one album out without Swanö). Much has been speculated about Swanö’s departure, but many believe it had to do with musical differences and the overall quality of music. Whatever the cause, Swanö, in his hiatus, formed a one man project aptly titled “Dan Swanö” and would release one full length album titled “Moontower”. Many would consider the album, the next album that Edge of Sanity would have release, had Swanö not departed, which is easy to assume once you hear “Moontower”.

Yes, this sounds like Edge of Sanity. I mean, Dan Swanö is, Edge of Sainty. In fact, after this release, he would return to the band, but as a one-man group and handle everything on his own for Edge of Sanity’s final album. So, naturally, “Moontower” was destined to sound like Edge of Sanity, but there are aspects that distance this project from the former. Swanö himself has stated this album would be what Rush would sound like if they played death metal and perhaps that’s not far off, but in any case, the sound Swanö creates on Moontower is a heavily keyboard driven sound played over Edge of Sanity’s brand of death metal.

As with many Edge of Sanity albums, Swanö’s iconic voice is on full display on this album and is one of two major sounds featured on “Moontower”. His dark growls carry a certain gloomy, yet peaceful tone with his faded rasp that has an almost echo sound in their foundation. He has the ability to add a level of harshness when certain passages transition to a heavier, guitar led sound, or he can slow his pace to match the progressive melodic sections of the keyboards, which give them more substance as the lyrics are fueled with much emotion. Swanö does exhibit some use of clean vocals such as on the track “Add Reality”, which remind me a bit of his cleans on “Infernal”, Edge of Sanity’s album prior to his departure, but they are seldom used on “Moontower”.

The second, most noticeable sound on “Moontower” would no doubt be the keyboards. Although the foundation of Edge of Sanity may be present throughout the album, “Moontower’s” use of keys certain distances itself from the former, not simply by including them into the sound, but just how much they are featured. The keys are the driving force on the majority of songs and for the most part, Swanö creates enough harmonious passages to allow the death metal side of his vision blend nicely with the proggy, synth side of things. His ability to weave the keys with the guitars make for some nice tradeoffs between the riff and solos, which he plays admirably on both instruments for that matter. There are times when the keys tend to overwhelm the song, but again, they are meant to be one of the main players of the album, so I suppose that was bound to happen. In any case, despite a few instances of what might be deemed ‘over use’, the keys give off one beautiful passage after another, displaying their technical and progressive abilities.

That being said, with keyboards being a focal point of the album, other areas would ultimately see a bit of a reduced role. The riffs for starters are well done and create a number of excellent leads throughout the album, but they sound excellent behind the layer of keyboard. What I mean is that, although catchy and rhythmic, the leads are essentially playing Robin to the keyboards Batman. They work well together, but the leads by themselves would need a little more polish if they had been the focal point of the music. The same could be said about the guitar solos, as, they are present, but not as much so as a typical Edge of Sanity album. Those that are however, are placed well within the song and are executed nicely.

The drums, also suffer a similar setback due to the keyboards, often being pushed into the background.  That being said, they are varied enough to create their own identity and do often play right along with the guitars to create a nice harmony during most songs. And the bass too, well, you get the point.

It’s not so much that instruments suffer from creativity or execution, nor do they song suffer from poor songwriting. The fact is, Swanö wanted his solo album to be keyboard-centric to provide his idea of the ‘Rush+Death metal’ sound and if the keys had been cheesy or poorly handled, it could have been a huge disaster. But, c’mon, this is Dan Swanö. He has he golden touch of Midas upon anything he’s involved within. He not only created and executed the sound he envisioned, but did so in an interesting and unique format that allowed fans of Edge of Sanity to enjoy said vision, but also reach out to those who enjoy a heavy dosage of keys in their metal as well. Overall, a fine album that only adds to the legend of Dan Swanö’s work.

Highlights: “Sun of the Night” “Patchworks” “Uncreation” (not a bad song on the album)

Rating: 4.5

Damageplan: New Found Power

Following the release of their 2000 album “Reinventing the Steel”, Pantera would endure internal disputes and eventually, called it quits around 2003. Being a huge Pantera fan, I was quite bummed. However, I learned that Phil Anselmo would continue on with one of his current side projects, Down (which would recruit Rex Brown after the band’s breakup), as well as another called Superjoint Ritual. Now, I enjoyed both of these bands’ 2002 releases, which, although not Pantera, was still a nice dose of Phil nonetheless. Meanwhile, the Abbott brothers were busy putting together their country metal project, Rebel Meets Rebel, that although seemed to have some success in certain circles, I for one couldn’t get into it as much. At the time, I had hoped that Vinnie and Dimebag would try and get something off the ground that would try and capture the magic they had in the early to mid-90’s, but for a while it seemed like they were content where they were. Then, in 2003, word began to spread that the Abbotts were putting together another band called Damageplan. This act was said to play a heavy slab of groove metal, but would not simply try and recreate the sound of Pantera. Needless to say, I was excited to hear the news. I figured, at worst, this would be a Pantera wannabe and after hearing the single “Breathing New Life”, I was convinced their sound would play along the lines of Pantera lite. Truth be told, I was okay with that and was ready to give their debut, “New Found Power” a spin.

Let me begin by saying, I wanted to enjoy this album. I really did. In fact, I listened to it a few times to simply try and force myself, perhaps through some use of subliminal hypnotizing, to enjoy the album, but at the end of the day, I was left disappointed. I figured with the Abbott brothers and Patrick Lachman (although he was on vocals, but played guitar in Halford) on board, the album would get at least a passable grade. So what went wrong?

Well, for starters, this was slated to be a slab of thick, groove metal, which I and many others figured would be in vain of Pantera. What is considered groove on this album is actually, Nu metal, albeit with some groovy influences. Now, I know most metal heads balk at the name of Nu metal, but I grew up in the era of its dominance and enjoyed a number of bands during that time, so I could care less that they dipped into the genre. The problem here is three fold.

One, the Nu metal sound had already begun to decline in 2002, so steeping your sound in such a genre in 2004 seemed past its prime. Two, even if Nu metal wasn’t well received as a whole, just as every genre of music, there solid efforts and crap releases. If you’re going to immerse your sound into a genre that is already considered the fat free version of metal, you need to at least produce the best tasting Nu metal sound possible. I mean, ‘I can’t believe it’s not butter’ is not the real deal, but it’s a pretty close alternative. “New Found Power” gave us a vegan version of fake butter (no offense to the vegans out there), resembling nothing even close to the best sounding Nu metal, let alone heavy metal. Finally, the third and most likely reason this album failed in my eyes, was that, it seemed to be built on the principle of trends rather than the music. The trend of Nu metal (albeit fading) combined with accessible and radio friendly tunes, was just about as trendy as you could get in the early to mid-00s, which to me, was more shilling out than anything else. This much is evident in both the songwriting and musicianship heard on the album. The name "New Found Power" is literally ironic, as there is much power to be had on this album.

The riffing anarchy and soloing madness that I had come to admire from Dimebag is simply nonexistent. Again, I had hoped at best, this would be Pantera-esque chugging grooves that would at least try and capture the magic of the 90’s groove giants. Instead, the majority of the album is spent playing one or two chord riffs, that even for Nu metal, tend to sound uninspired and boring. Some of the songs, like “Breathing New Life” and “Crawl” do mix in an extra pinch of groove metal to their sound, but other than that, the album as a whole leaves a lot to be desired from the leads. As for the rhythms, or lack there or I should say, the scant solos that are present sound tacked on for the sake of simply having solos. None leave much on an impression and worse, the don’t exactly flow with the sound of the songs. They just seem to be there, rather than serve a purpose.

Over to the drums. Vinnie Paul has always been one of my favorite, but much like Dimebag, his sound of old is missing. The drums here simply play along with the guitars, hammering away with a mid-paced tempo and few alternating beat patterns that although not horrible, create nothing that stands out in the least. The man is capable of much more than a garage band drummer, but unfortunately, the overall sound of the album called for essentially the bare bones version of rhythms and power, which is what we get from the percussion.

As for “Bobzilla” on bass, well, all I can say is they should have put more time incorporating the bass guitar rather than working on his nickname. For the most part, the bass is almost inaudible unless you try and seek out its sound and even if you managed to catch it, it won’t leave an impression. For a groove metal outfit, the bass can often provide some excellent crunchy and reverberating sounds to help amplify the leads and rhythms (like Rex Brown did in Pantera), but they are no go here.

That leaves, Patrick Lachman, who I thought did a decent job playing guitar with Halford, but he would be handling vocals on “New Found Power”. I will say that, if he vocals on “Breathing New Life” and “Crawl” (which sound like Phil Anselmo lite) were simply emulated for the entire album, that alone would have brought the score up a few notches. But, like everything else, they become stale and do not carry much power or intensity whatsoever. Even the crappiest Nu metal outfit generally had someone screaming or yelling with emotionally fueled aggression, that although may not have sounded great, at least had some balls. Not so much for Lachman here.

I also much mention the guest appearances of Corey Taylor and Zakk Wylde. Being a big Slipknot fan, I was intrigued to see what Taylor would add to the album. He indeed adds a heavy dose of Nu metal shouting and his version of clean vocals to the song “Fuck You”, but the song is completely out of place compared to the rest of the album. If the whole album sounded like that one song and had Taylor guest star, then it would have made sense, but this was like having a Slipknot song appear on an Edge of Sanity album. It stuck out like a sore thumb. And what about Zakk Wylde? That’s not a rhetorical question. I’m asking you what was his role was. I mean I saw his name in the credits, but nothing on the track “Soul Bleed” which he provided backup vocals or “Reborn” where is apparently plays guitar, resembles anything that of his long and successful career. Another swing and a miss. I assume adding their names to the sticker that had the name PANTERA in bold letter on the front cover helped sell a few extra copies, but other than that, it provided little to the overall experiment.

For me, Damageplan’s “New Found Power” was a huge let down. Not just because the former groove brothers had fallen into the Nu metal trend, but rather because the album as a whole simple lacked any creativity or ingenuity. I would have been okay with a Nu metal album as long as is it actually seem inspired or genuine. This on the other hand, sounds like a bunch of guys had some beers while randomly playing some tunes in a studio that happened to be recording at the time. From there they decided, what the hell, it’s already recorded, let’s add a few songs and slap the Abbott name onto it and watch it sell. To be fair, given my Pantera love, I was willing to give the band one more attempt in hopes that maybe they would alter their sound, but sadly Dimebag was murdered shortly after the release of the album. With that being said, Damageplan would come to an abrupt end and hopeful fans of the return of the Dimebag of old would be forever lost, leaving us with this bitter taste on our pallets.

Highlights: “Breathing New Life” “Crawl”

Rating: 1.5

Cattle Decapitation: The Harvest Floor

Technical deathgrinders, Cattle Decapitation have returned with their 5^th full length;  “The Harvest Floor. As with many successful bands, we’ve seen a steady pace of growth, development and refinement to Cattle Decapitation’s overall sound, songwriting and execution since their early workings on “Homovore”. The years of hard work and practice have paid off in dividends as, “The Harvest Floor” is an amazing piece of deathgrind that displays how far the band come and how much they have matured over the years.

To my ear, the most noticeable improvement over the band’s career, has to be the guitar playing. Josh Elmore has created some real magic over the years, but what he displays on “The Harvest Floor” truly shows off his brilliance. First, the riffs on this album are truly astounding. They seem to combine elements of grindcore, death metal, black metal and even a punk vibe can be heard as well. One moment your caught up in a chugging death metal riff, then suddenly, the insane speed and high pitch sounds of grindcore enter the fray and throw you for a loop. Another time, you’ll be listening to a simple, but catchy bassline riff, which will then transform into a thick and heavy breakdown, followed by an unusual time shift that grabs hold of your attention before changing things up once more and churning out another blistering riff. There are even elements of a down-tuned progressive presence to be heard at times as well, that only deepen the well of combined sounds.  This style of eclectic tempo and genre mashup is present throughout the album and although on paper it sounds like something more fitted for a mathcore band to practice, it works perfectly in creating the sounds of insanity Cattle Decapitation sought for this album. The solos are another aspect on this album that are a thing of beauty. As if the eccentric riffing and bouts of insane melodies weren’t enough, we hear the same eccentricities bleed into the solos. They range from powerfully distorted sounding chords, to thrash metal shredding, to a melodic sound with progressive touches incorporated. Their execution in and of themselves are fantastic, but their timing within the song really allows the solos to be much more than simply a display of musicianship, but rather serve as a binder, bringing the amalgam of sounds together to create a harmonious atmosphere.

The bass is very prominent on this album as well. Its crunchy grooves can be heard strumming along with the guitar, adding to the overall complexity and technicality of the string department. One thing that is partiality noticeable is how often the bass keeps up with the ferocity and speed of the riffs, which creates an interesting a speedy vibrating overtone. Another string element that I didn’t even realize was on the album until reading the liner notes, was the use of an electric cello. At first, I thought the peculiar sound was either the byproduct of synths or some unique bass technique, but I was wrong. The sound adds an interesting and (now that I know what it is) fun aspect to the songs it has been added to, which only furthers the band’s varied style and nature.

David McGraw’s drumming is a splendid display of technicality and fury as he creates a harsh and energetic layer of sound. His pace can match that of the guitars, which create an excellent flow of harmony, while his tempos and beats add to the complex layer of rhythms created on the album. Of course, this is deathgrind, so you’ll get a heavy dose of powerful cymbal crashes, blast beats and bass kicks, but they are used in conjunction with a variety of fills and timing, which gives them their own identity however, never steps out of tune with the rest of the instruments.

Travis Ryan’s vocals are once again monstrous. He utilizes his ability to sing with deep growls, intense shrieks, harrowing yells and putrid gurgles that make for a truly disgusting listen. His level of brutality has really grown since the band’s early days and the expansion of sound the band has incorporated is clearly heard in his voice. The most impressive aspect of Ryan’s vocals is the level of consistency through the album. From start to finish, his voice is a battering ram pure brutality and never seems to fade in intensity.

The production on “The Harvest Floor” has done a very good job of creating that, ‘trapped in a slaughterhouse vibe’, with just enough distortion and touch of hollowness to create a horrific atmosphere. All of the instruments and vocals seem to come together nicely, ensuring each gets their fair share of attention, but remain as a cohesive sound throughout the album. The additional use of keyboards, electronics and samples add the cherry on top, as their presence add another subtle layer to the overall sound.

“The Harvest Floor” is a wonderful display of technicality, ferocity and brutality, that any fan of death metal or grindcore should be able to enjoy. I was most impressed with hearing the level of growth and maturation of sound Cattle Decapitation have put into their sound throughout the years, which in my opinion, has reached its pinnacle on this album. If the band continues to embrace their current sound and zeal for improvement and creativity, I can only salivate at what’s to come for the band’s future.

Highlights: “Regret and the Grave” “The Gardeners of Eden” “The Product Alive”

Rating: 4.5

Cattle Decapitation: Humanure

Cattle Decapitation, the US vegetarian based deathgrind act has been producing their brand of animal over man metal for nearly twenty years. They play a furiously paced style of death metal that blends a multitude of grindcore elements into its DNA. Although I had heard a number of their songs via sampler CDs and through various mediums, my first true experience with the band would occur with their 2004 release “Humanure”.  Just one look at the album cover will tell you what you are in for. The music here is brutal, intense and contains enough break neck speed to cause whiplash.

 The guitar work was the very first sound that jumped out at me on “Humanure”. They are a display of technical griminess and eclectic musicianship. Josh Elmore uses a variety of time shifts, shredding speeds and progressive variations to create a number of catchy melodies and successful hooks throughout the album. His riffs are fast and blistering, while he often employs short, but vivid fills that successfully bridge portions of a song from one level of intensity to another. His solos show a nice level of songwriting as they enter the fray at just the right time, capping off a section of a song that is building with a certain profoundness and then suddenly, the solo comes in and finishes the slaughter. The bass, although not a staple of their sound, can be heard, cutting through the guitar madness from time to time with a thick clanky sound.

I’ve always felt that, Deathgrind is much more than simply unlimited blast beats and endless double bass kicks. Unfortunately, many bands tend to either fall into this conundrum to make up for the lack of intensity on an album or simply fail to properly create a niche for their drums to shine. This is not a problem on “Humanure” The drumming on this album are an excellent showing of technique and energy. Michael Laughlin displays an awesome ability to create the bombastic atmosphere often associated with the genre, but provides more grace in their sound. The tempos and paces of his strikes and cymbals crashes are methodical and well timed. The combination of blasts beats and bass kicks are present, but they are played with precision that allow each to add to the atmosphere of the drums, not simple become a wall of incomprehensible noise. The drums here truly add a layer of rhythm that play very nicely with the guitar rhythms and create a harmony of speed and brutality.

Travis Ryan’s vocals are truly gruesome as his voice carries a deep and guttural sound to them. The vocals are another aspect of the band that comes through in layers. Ryan can keep an intense pace of growls and grunts, or he can slow things down without losing a step in his vicious sound. He does an excellent job of harmonizing with the tempo of the guitars and drums. Never at a point do you think that he either can’t keep up with the demanding pace of a song, nor do they sound artificial as if added or enhanced with studio magic. His sound is very natural and grotesque, which is perfect for the atmosphere of the album, image of the band and the sound of the genre.

“Humanure” is a fine display of deathgrind with a level of technique that both accentuates the horrific atmosphere of the album, while also being a testament to what sound songwriting can bring to the table. In a genre that otherwise, has numerous of bands whose sound tend to get lost in the shuffle, Cattle Decapitation’s “Humanure” distances itself from the rest of the pack. The incorporation of all the instruments and vocals (as well as solid production) create a harmonious effect that give this album its own distinction and identity. This may not be a perfect album, but it has a lot of replay value and if it is any indication of what the future holds for the band, things should be looking bright moving forward.

Highlights: “Applied Human Defragmentation” “Lips and Assholes” “Polyps”

Rating: 4

Casey Jones: The Few, The Proud, The Crucial

Hailing from Jacksonville, Florida, Casey Jones play a straight forward, no nonsense straight edge hardcore. The songs are short, fast and in your face with tons of anthemic shouts, pit dancing breakdown, sing along choruses and strong stance of “just say no”. TMNT references noticeably absent, the band incorporates a number of samples from pop culture such as Family Guy or The Karate Kid, which adds some fun and humor into the mix on their debut "The Few, The Proud, The Crucial."

There are plenty of simple, yet catchy riffs that play nicely with the sound, as well as some melodic rhythms to help create some nice melodies along the way. The breakdowns tend to be the focal point of the majority of the songs, which is nothing out of the norm, but they don’t seem tacked on for the sake of staying true to the mantra of the hardcore sound. The bass guitar can be heard plucking around in the background, which is always a nice layer to be heard in this kind of hardcore.

The drumming is fast and plays along with the guitars, adding enough force to make themselves known, but otherwise, they’re rather vanilla in flavor. The vocals tend to stay in the realm of straight up screams and don’t try to deepen into wither deathcore or beatdown core sounding vocals, which allows them to fit perfectly with the sound and tempo of the album.

If you’re into the scene, this is a solid pickup. If you’re a casual core fan, I’d recommend this album, as it’s nice to see a more classic hardcore punk sound style in the 2004, not to mention, it’s a pretty solid effort of Casey Jones’ part.  

Highlights: “Just Another Day in the FLA” “Strike Hard” “Pigs is Pigs”

Rating: 3

Carnage: Dark Recollections

Carnage was a Swedish death metal band that released one album in their lifespan: “Dark Recollections”. To say that this album (which in its own right is historic) holds a lot of history and influence in the Swedish death metal scene is an understatement.  Carnage, was most notably known for being comprised of members that would eventually go on to form the band, Dismember. However, Carnage would also showcase Micahel Amott, who would go on to join Carcass and Johan Liiva, who with Amott, would form Arch Enemy (and Spiritual Beggars). Some members also had their hands involved with the band, Entombed during its earliest stages.  Quite a lot of name dropping, no?

Now, if you think that just because Carnage’s members are mostly consisting of future Dismember members that “Dark Recollections” would sound similar to a Dismember album, well, you’d be right. “Dark Recollections” is chock full of the down-tuned, buzz saw riffs that create the trademark distorted sound that Dismember have played during their career. In addition, the groovy and bluesy sound of Entombed come through on many of the rhythms throughout the albums, which given the connection of the country of origin and former band ties, comes as no surprise. There are a number of melodic hooks at beginning of most songs that capture the listener and then transform into heavy, gloomy riffs that carry both the Swedish death metal sound as well as a steady pulsating beat that drive the songs forward. Melodies not dissimilar to Entombed’s bluesy, death are heard, picking away over top the ripping leads while solos pop up from time to time. Some are short and sweet, while others are merely guitar fills that add a quick burst of flair to a song.

The drums at times may see a little straight forward, but they display plenty of crushing power, blistering speed and add a great deal to the rhythms. Their murky sound plays wonderfully with the distortion of both the guitars and the vocals, which allows everything to harmonize into the creation of a dark and harsh atmosphere. The bass lurks in the background and at times, can be heard, but only when the guitars tend to either fade out or simply step back and allow the bass to come forward, which only occurs for briefs stints. The use of synths is sparse and add an extra hint of despair on a few songs, but are not by any means a major influence on the overall sound.

Matti Kärki’s vocals, as you might image, bring about sounds of Dismember, but there are something about the sound of his voice that differs between the two bands. The similarities are many, but on “Dark Recollections” Karki seems to have a darker and grittier sound than they would on “Like an Ever Flowing Stream”. Either way, the vocals inspire a sort of madness that reflect the mood of the album and bring the imagery of the cover art to life.

At any rate, one might say that, reading a review of “Like and Ever Flowing Stream” or “Left Hand Path” would sum up this album succinctly and while the similarities are palpable, “Dark Recollections” is more than an amalgam of said bands. One way or the other, Carnage may have only survived for one album, but it is a solid slab of Swedish death metal whose sound would spill outward onto the Swedish scene. I’ve always felt “Dark Recollections” has an important place in the history book of heavy metal and is an album I always recommend to those getting into the melodic/Swedish side of death metal.

Highlights: “Death Evocation” “Dark Recollections” “Torn Apart”

Rating: 4

Benediction: The Grand Leveler

Crushing death metal from the UK, Benediction play a death metal remnant of classic Autopsy and Bolt Thrower. They released their debut in 1990 titled, “Subconscious Terror and would quickly release their follow up a year later titled; “The Grand Leveler”.

The sound on the “The Grand Leveler” showcases the epitome of what OSDM was all about at the time: one dimensional, gruff vocals with thick and catchy riffs played over a hefty dose of pounding drums. The song writing and structures of the songs here allow for the OSDM elements to be showcased adequately, while also providing the proper medium to display some of the band’s more technical traits as well. The album is steeped in a dissonant and hazy sound, one that gives off an almost underground feeling to the music. However, this is a byproduct of the excellent production, which creates such a gritty atmosphere all the while, giving each musician their fair share of the limelight.

The guitars carry a simple sound, yet Peter Rew and Darren Brookes do a wonderful job creating a number of well executed harmonies. The leads on this album are numerous and have the ability to quickly captive the listener attention. One listen to riffs on “Gravewurm” or “Senile Dementia” give a perfect examples of the thick and distorted sound of the era, but they are so much more than single note chugs that simply plod throughout the song. Instead, the riffs, which by themselves are quite memorable tend to be broken up by well-placed guitar fills. These fills, provide both an equally catchy display of guitar work, but also serve as a nice alternating rhythm and pace that prevents the songs from becoming redundant. There are also some short and almost thrash like solos to be heard throughout as well, that go hand in hand with the ferocity of the main riffs and up-tempo drum beats.

Speaking of drums, if I’m being honest, I would say that they sound as though they are just a rise and repeat version of themselves on most songs. Don’t get me wrong, their presence is more than felt throughout the album, as they hammer away upon the listener each song. It’s just that, there are not many uses of double bass kicks, nor much in the way of furious blast beats that were all the rage at the time. Not that either are required for s successful sound, but other than some snare blasting and cymbal pounding, the drums come off as very one dimensional. That being said, what they lack in their addition to the rhythm department, they more than make up in sheer force. As I mentioned, the production of the album allows every instrument to come through on its own and this holds true with the drums as their powerful sound, albeit lacking diversity, is easily detected. The bass is another instrument to benefit more from the production rather than songwriting. For the most part, the bass can be heard plucking along with the guitars, but they don’t really mix things up too often, but again the production brings them into the light, allowing their thick and bouncy sound to help compliment the leads.

The vocals here are dark, deep and gruff. They bring a no nonsense attitude to the table that really bring the sound of the entire album together. Dave Ingram’s voice carries a certain raspy, bleakness that make them sound almost like elongated growls. They truly are scary in nature, which fits perfectly with the OSDM sound. Like everything else, the production puts Ingram’s vocals center stage, which keeps the listener engaged as they are heard over top the many riffs and melodies the “The Grand Leveler” has to offer.

If you are looking for a prime example of what OSDM can accomplish with a simplistic concept, strong song writing and competent musician, then look no further than “The Grand Leveler” Benediction shows just how far the basic elements can take an album and that not all death metal needs to be overly complex or a mind altering experience to be enjoyed. Aside from a few minor quips with the drums and bass, this is a fine showing of OSDM done right and any fan of the sound will not be disappointed.

Highlights: “Gravewurm” “Senile Dementia” “Opulence of the Absolute”

Rating: 4

Betrayer: My Twisted Symphony

When it comes to heavy metal from Israel, bands such as Orphaned Land or Melechesh are often mentioned, but, like any other country on this M class planet, there many acts that slip under the radar. Betrayer happen to be one such act. Hailing from the city of Ra'anana, Betrayer play a brand of thrash metal with a heavy influence of melodic groove metal and a dash of death to complete their sound. After a few demos, the band released their sole EP in 1998 titled “My Twisted Symphony”

This music on this little EP (5 songs (one being an instrumental) and clocking in under 19 minute) is structured around medium paced riffs that for the most part border the edge of thrash and death metal. Although the riffs offer a heavy dosage of chugging, there are a number slower, down tuned riffs that hook the listener and serve as nice “stop and go” style of tradeoffs between the tempos. Even though the leads may not be anything groundbreaking, there are some nice rhythms that develop within the songs, which either culminate into a short, but catchy guitar fill or an interesting solo, both of which fall within thrash sounding territories.

The drumming is blissfully simple. Adding a steady supply of double bass kicks that flow in the background of each song, that unfortunately, never show off anything other than vanilla sounding beats. The same can be said for the bass, as, you can hear it, if you seek it out, but it isn’t featured enough to make an impact. I must say though, that the use of keyboards as a nice layer to the overall sound. Often, the keys kick in behind the guitar solos to give off a vibe of dissonance that plays very nicely with the guitars. A good example would be on “Battles Within” or Gardens of Memories” Yishai Sweartz vocals leave a lot to be desired, as they seem to lack much enthusiasm and tend to sound more muffled than perhaps the harsh and gruff sound he was shooting for.

All in all, “My Twisted Symphony” may not have garnered enough interest to move forward with their career as sadly, this would be their final output. Despite some of the flaws on vocals, drums and production, I felt the guitars showed a lot of promise, that with a little more work in the studio, could have fine-tuned their sound into something more. Unfortunately, things don’t always work out as they were intended. I can’t say this EP has a lot of replay value, but the potential was there and I think this is definitely worth a listen for fans of the early to mid-90’s thrash.

Highlights: “Garden of Memories” “Battles Within”

Rating: 3

A Perfect Murder: Unbroken

The early to mid-2000’s was prime time for hardcore and metalcore bands alike to gain the attention of record labels looking to capitalize on the movement. One of the bigger labels of the time, Victory Records, had a strong stable of stalwarts during this period and sought to add to their growing roster by adding Canada’s A Perfect Murder.

Much as any era in the metal continuity, be it thrash, death or glam, you will inevitably have a number of bands that simple copy the formula of what’s currently popular and try to emulate the sound as best as possible. This was no different during the Core era, where it seemed out of the dozens of new albums being released each month, only a handful stood out amongst the rest. A Perfect Murder happened to be one of those standouts, as they added enough flair to their metalcore sound, giving their music its own identity.

Yes, the music on “Unbroken” is first and foremost metalcore and with it, a number of breakdowns will be present. That being said, it is a trademark of the genre, but there are other layers to their sound that will appease both the core crowd and metalheads alike. The most noticeable influence would be the groove sounding guitars ala Pantera on a number of their songs. Not only that, but there are elements of thrash to be heard here as well, which reminds me a bit of Machine Head around the time they released out “Through the Ashes of Empires”.

The double guitar approach works very well for A Perfect Murder’s style. We receive a hefty supply of heavy, chugging riffs steeped heavily within Pantera sounding grooves, but there are also a number catchy, melodic riffs as well. The rhythms add a nice layer to the metal aspect of their brand of metalcore, incorporating well timed guitar fills and sections that serve as an interchanging of sounds to bolster said metal aspect. The mixture of riffs provides a nice ebb and flow of sound that allows for certain segments of songs to carry the metalcore aggressiveness commonly heard at the time, while the rhythms help the songs transition seamlessly into melodic passages that keep them from getting stale. There are also a number of well executed solos to be heard, that may not shred your face off, but do provide a nice splash of thrash metal to the overall sound. Now, solos in metalcore is not completely out of the norm, but generally those who incorporated them into their albums tended to have a more distinct sound and a stronger replay value. (God Forbid, Shadows Fall). In any case, the solos are a welcome addition to the already strong foundation most of the songs are built upon.

Carl Bouchard channels a great deal of anger and contempt through his vocals, which have a nice raspy sound when he shouts. (shouts being the majority of the vocals) Many times on this album, his voice sounds very comparable to that of Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed, carrying the same hatred fueled aggression of the legendary hardcore icon. The drums provide a steady rhythm through the album and have a very tight sound to their beats, but otherwise, they do not make a lasting impression, but provide more than enough power for the metalcore sound. The bass can be heard, playing right along with the guitars in the background, which is hard to detect at first, but once you hear it, the sound comes through. Production wise, aside from the bass, everything sounds clean and crisp. No one instrument hogs the limelight, while Bouchard’s vocals never seem overbearing.

As I said, in 2004, you could have easily stumbled across any number of rinse and repeat core acts going with the flow and trying and strike gold. However, as the popularity of the sound began to wane, those who were unable to distance themselves from sounding like just another face in the crowd, quickly became an afterthought. Fortunately, A Perfect Murder’s blend of groovy metalcore served as a nice intermediate sound to please those both in the core scene, but also draw the interest of metalheads who enjoyed a heavy dose of chugging grooves and thrashy solos. Either way, this was a nice find at the time and still holds up well today.

Highlights: “Possessed” “Another Day, Another Plague” “Save the Clock”

Rating: 3

A Perfect Murder: Strength Through Vengeance

A year after their debut on Victory Records, Canada’s A Perfect Murder released their follow up titled “Strength Through Vengeance”. Their previous album, “Unbroken” saw the band play a traditional sounding metalcore sound popular around that time, but spiced things up with an extra infusion of groove metal that channeled their inner Pantera influence. “Strength Through Vengeance” would see the blend of metalcore and groove continue, but the band would add even more depth to their sound.

The duel guitar approached was a success on “Unbroken”, but their tandem abilities really shine on this album. The first addition to their sound comes from the leads. Although “Strength Through Vengeance” still dwell within the chugging Pantera grooves, there are now plenty of thrash sounding riffs to be heard as well. The riffs remind me a lot of Trivium’s “The Crusade” another metalcore album that was given a high octane thrash infusion as well as Machine Head’s “The Balckening”. This time around, the band is able to cycle between thick and groovy riffs, while also unleashing a quicker, more aggressive riffs effortlessly that, in my opinion, sounds a lot more heavy metal, than most metalcore acts. The rhythms are another area where the band fine-tuned their sound. Once again, they offer some nice displays of technicality and melodic passages throughout the album, but on this album, they create a much more harmonious atmosphere with the leads. The solos are also turned up a notch on “Strength Through Vengeance” as there are some serious thrash segments to be heard on this album. Plenty of catchiness from hooks, to leads to solos will enter your ears throughout the album.

I’ve mentioned Pantera enough already, but one simply cannot ignore the similarities Carl Bouchard vocals have to that of Phil Anselmo. Combined with many of the chugging grooves on some of the songs, you would think you were listening to the minor league version of Pantera, which is by no means an insult. That being said, the Jamey Jasta, Hatebreed influenced is still heard in his voice as well, particularly when he belts out some of his harsh yells, which keep his sound rooted in the core scene.

The drumming is another area that has been bolstered. Not that they were lackluster by any means on “Unbroken”, but on “Strength Through Vengeance” they add much more to the rhythm section with a very thrashesque sound, but never losing their metalcore roots in process. This results in a heavy, pulsating tone set by the drums, which on their own, could drive most of the songs forward, but fortunately, all the instruments harmonize very nicely as to drive the music forward as a team. The only let down for me and I tread lightly here, would be the bass. The bass, once again, tends to get lost in the background most of the time, but I will attest that after listening to both albums, the lack of bass does not take away from either album’s success. That being said, it would have been interesting to hear what the bass may have added to these albums. Given their thrashy and groovy nature, an extra punch of bass may have added an additional layer to their sound for the better.

At the end of the day, I felt “Strength Through Vengeance” surpasses their predecessor with the additional sounds added and the polish slapped onto their musicianship. This may be metalcore to its bones, which I know many metalheads tend to shy away from, but A Perfect Murder offer more than your standard metalcore sound. “Strength Through Vengeance” would be a nice listen for any fans of Pantera, Machine Head or Trivium, but also any thrash enthusiast who isn’t afraid to have one foot in a world not often accepted.

Highlights: “Deceit of Man” “Slay the Masses” “Strength Through Vengeance”

Rating: 3.5

A Gruesome Find: The Fire That Burns In Hell

Hailing from the US, A Gruesome Find play a brand of melodic black metal in vain of Emperor or Rotting Christ, but also include touches of death metal into their sound as well. “The Fire the Burns in Hell” is my only experience with the band and although, I’ve heard mixed reviews about their other work, I must say I was rather impressed with what this album had to offer.

The music on “The Fire the Burns in Hell” is built on the foundation of melodic hooks that peak the listener’s interest which are followed by a bevy of thick and heavy riffs that command your attention. The riffs are generally a mixture between tremolo picking and melodic death metal similar to those in the Gothenburg scene. This combination makes for some catchy and powerful leads that remain in the spotlight for the majority of each song. The structures of the songs are generally comprised of one main riff, which then has a short, but melodic passage, then transition into another, distinct riff, which essentially serves as the main rhythm of the guitars. A good example would be “...as the Wind Blows in Darkness”, where the songs opens with a short, but strong hook, which then descends quickly into a exchange of heavy riffs throughout the song.

The drums are tight sounding and offer plenty of blast beats, snares and cymbal crashes to create an atmosphere of dissonance and destruction. Although the vocals punch quite a bunch and are aggressively in the forefront of the music, they are, what one might say, run of the mill in originality. That, by no means, belittles their overall sound, nor do they sound bad in any manner. They’re just, a sound that you’ve heard many times over before. The bass is noticeably absent for the most part, but the band does flirt with the aesthetic a little by add some pianos as can be heard on “Summoning of the Nocturnal Spirit”.

There is a double edged aspect to the album that must also be pointed out. Each song is a minimum of five minutes and upwards to nine plus. On one hand this allows for some of the songs’ riff exchanging to take it effect and create an enjoyable listening experience as you immerse yourself in the melodic death tinged black metal sounds. On the other, a few songs suffer from over staying their welcome just a little too long. At some points, instead of a riffs sounding like they’re changing hands, they sound more like, simply recycling the same notes over and over.

“The Fire that Burns in Hell” may not be on the level as anything released by the likes of Rotting Christ, Cradle of Filth or Dimmu Borgir, but their deathy, USBM sound was a welcome addition to the many symphonic black metal acts at the time. Instrumental blemishes and length issues aside, “The Fire That Burns in Hell” would be a welcome addition to any black metal fans collection.

Highlights: “...As the Wind Blows In Darkness” “Bring Forth” “The Fire That Burns In Hell”

Rating: 3.5

Haunted Garage: Possession Park

At one of my many trips to the second hand music shop, I always made it a point to spend a few minutes to peruse the dollar bin, which was just a large basket of unorganized CDs. Everything from metal to gospel albums could be found in that mishmash of a bin and every now and then, I’d find something that would peak my interest. One day, while tossing aside CD after CD, I stumbled across one with a peculiar album cover. I looked like some sort of demonic carnival with two ghouls enjoying a roller coaster ride from hell. With a name like Haunted Garage, I wasn’t sure what to make, but with the cover art alone, I figured this might be some form of heavy metal. When I noticed the Metalblade Records label, I figured I couldn’t go wrong, especially for only a buck. Or so I thought.

To get right into it, Haunted Garage play a blend of punk, hard rock. On their sole album, the combine the elements of punk, thrash and hard rock with some bluesy overtones to create a crossover thrash sound. The guitars, for the most part, are minimalistic and dry. The riffs are simplified down to a single chord or two, offering little in the ability to hook the listener, while they also show much in the way of rhythm or crating any catchy harmonies. The drums, sounding more on the hard rock side of the spectrum, may not be anything groundbreaking, but provide the only sense of rhythm for the songs. The bass is surprisingly audible, but for the most part, it simply plays right along with the guitars, preventing it from standing out in any way. The vocals, performed by Dukey Flyswatter (Michael Sonye) has a nice raspy voice for this kind of punky crossover sound. He sings with a lot of speed and intensity and at times his rasps remind me of Steve Souza or even Bobby Blitz. Their spunky nature certainly adds to the overall humor of the album and provides a much needed punch that most of the songs lack.

The only two times where I can say safely that everything comes together as a well-rounded effort would be on “Little Green Men” and “Party in the Graveyard”. Both are punk driven, crossover sounding songs, with catchy choruses. The drums and guitars actually play together and produce a few decent rhythms while Sonye’s vocals on full display, showcasing the sound and humor within each song.

Overall, Haunted Garage play similar humor metal that fans of Green Jello and old GWAR and if you’re into the theatrics of such shtick, you might get a kick out of. For my tastes, the album lacks much in the lasting effects department, but the overall fun and humor that this style of metal is all about has its place, just not in my collection. At the end of the day, unless you truly love humor mixed with punky-crossover, “Possession Park” proves that sometimes, if it’s in the dollar bin, it belongs, it’s there for good reason.

*The band can be seen in the Sci-fi flick, "Cyclone", while Sonye has acted in the film Surf Nazis Must Die.

Highlights: "Party In the Graveyard" “Little Green Men”

Rating: 1.5

Vindkaldr: Ambient I

Vindkaldr is an interesting band that has dabbled in both the realms of Ambient/Dungeon Synth as well as black metal. Now, those two genres mesh very well together and has such been the case for nearly 30 years. That being said, for the release of "Ambient I", Vindkaldr would put aside everything else on their plate on focus all their attention on creating this masterpiece.

Using only synths to create such a musical journey is no small feat, but Ambient I shows just how complex and layered the genre can sound with the proper songwriting. The complex structure of the songs rely on various pitches of synths, with a varying degree of tempos and pace. Vinkaldr use long drawn out notes that resonate for long duration, while other times they use bouncy and psychedelic sounds that add pep and rhythm to an already complex sound. The sounds created from the synths range from keyboard sounding notes, 8-bit sounds and, I suppose what can only be described as synth sounds. The music is soft at times, while others it is fun and upbeat. There are dark passages of progressive brooding tones and there are light and inspiring sections as well. I will try to explain how Ambient I did just that, but it will be more in the form of expressionism.

I'm having a hard time trying to write my feelings about this album. On one hand, I feel as though I could write an epic that would rival "War and Peace". On the other, I cannot in good conscious, express how I feel about this album, knowing that those feelings change with each listen. The music is pure expressionism. Expression of sound. Expression of emotion. Expression of life. Upon my first listen of "Ambient I", I was completely unprepared for the amount of pure emotions that would surge through my body. I found myself in a state of mourning then,  in a state of ecstasy. I felt pure elation and yet, utter sorrow. I was on the brink of crying, but was quickly smiling from ear to ear.

"Ambient I" is not just music, it's a journey through the deepest parts of your conscious and subconscious. A revelation of self contemplation. It will transport you to worlds that never existed, while conjuring memories and images of your past, present and future. The moment the distant sounding synths kick in on "Moon Snatcher" begin, I found myself reminiscing about both good times and bad throughout my life. I could envision myself within scenarios that could become become reality, while seeing others that were pure fantasy. When the gentle yet sorrowful opening to "The Fairy That Disappeared" begins, I all can say is, you better be prepared for a emotional roller coaster. It may very well be the single greatest piece of music I've ever heard. Likewise "The Lonely Steed" will have you mind pulling at every direction as the synth employs its rhythmic and elongated sounds that will have you dwelling in one form of emotion for the duration of the song.

The greatest aspect about "Ambient I" is that, each listen, offers a completely different experience. Depending on your mood, you may find yourself contemplating the meaning of life as you listen. Then next time around, you may feel pure elation as you allow your mind to be swept away into a far distant fantasy. I have experienced very few pieces of music that can have not only such an overwhelming effect on my emotions, but one that seems to have infinite "first impressions" as each listen conjures a different mood. 

I think I've said enough about how I feel about this album, but that's only because there's no actual limit to those feelings, at least not in one sitting. In my opinion, Ambient I sits within the upper echelon of the Dungeon Synth genre. The only negative thing about this release is that it is now my gold standard. Now, every other ambient or dungeon synth album will forever have to try an live up to this release, which unfortunately for them, may be unattainable. Fans of ambient or dungeon synth must give this a listen, but I encourage anyone to give it a try. This album would make an excellent sleep aid as well as a method of relaxation for someone felling a bit stressed.

(Be sure to turn down the lights, turn off all electronics (no phone interruptions) and remove all distractions before you listen in order to experience the full potential)

Highlights: The entire album, each time you listen.

Rating: 5

40 Grit: Heads

40 Grit emerged from the San Francisco Bay area, forming in 1996 and releasing their first album in 2000 titled; Heads. Being the year 2000, Nu metal and alternative/radio metal had all but taken over the mainstream scene and as such, record labels began pumping out as much material as possible, even traditionally metal based staples such as Metalblade Records (which is who released this album).

As for Heads, the music here consists of large, groove laden riffs akin to Machine Head or Skinlab. The drums offer the bare essentials in the rhythm department and provide just a glimmer of spunk to the overall sound. The song structures are simple and rely on catchy leads and metalcore like vocals, which best resemble Matt Holt from Nothingface. Most songs are built on a mid tempo baseline that slowly broods until the chorus hits and the energy explodes. It’s a basic formula for the successful Nu/alternative metal acts at the time such as Spineshank or Powerman 5000; Nothing groundbreaking, but the genre wasn’t meant to be as much. It’s simple, catchy and has replay value. A successful formula for a record deal at the time. All in all, not a bad listen if you enjoy the genre.

Highlights: “Fade Into You” “Serving Time” “Spit”

Rating: 3

A Forest of Stars: Beware the Sword you Cannot See

A forest of stars is what would be effectively know as avant-garde, but play to my ear what is a blend of progressive black metal with elements of folk peeking through from time to time. The music on Beware the Sword You Cannot See is an amalgamation of sounds and emotions which is accomplished through a variety of instruments including; flute, violin, keyboards and piano, as well as harsh and clean vocals, spoken word and female vocals. To incorporate such a vast amount of elements into a cohesive sound is no easy task and as such, would require complex song structures and adept songwriting to be successful.

Such complexity (and success I might add) can be heard right out of the gate on the opener “Drawing Down the Rain.” This nine-and-a-half-minute mammoth, should be viewed more so as a listening experience rather than simply a song, in that the various passages and changes throughout the song inspire a number of moods and emotions.

We begin with a soft and melodic opening, creating an inviting atmosphere to lull the listener into a sense of calmness. Then, the violin kicks in and adds a bit of upbeat folky nature to the sound before suddenly, tremolo picking and blast beating drums erupt sending the listener spiraling into another world. After the initial assault, the mood shifts into an Edge of Sanity style echoing passage that installs a hope in the listener that the violence has finally subsided. Shortly after, we hear the introduction of the female vocals which have an almost siren effect to ease the tension, which then transitions into a long, winding path of dissonance as the song shifts to an almost Gothic sounding overtone. The lonely section carries on until finally, a sorrowful violin caps off the song, marking the end of your trudging experience.

Dramatic? You bet, but in order for an avant-garde act to successfully convey their thoughts and ideals onto the listener, they have to be able to install such an effect. Complex structures and layered instrumentation cannot simply be viewed as a singular entity, but rather as Aristotle once said “The Whole is Greater than the Sum of its Parts”. Once you sit down and hear all the finer details that is put into this type of music, the appreciation of such a diverse and intricate sound can be attained. Songs such as “A Blaze of Hammers” and “Hive Mindless” are no less diverse than the opener in that they are, in and of themselves separate listening experiences, but each are unique in their own right.

Now, that being said, just because you simply jam a bunch of instruments, tempos, passages and musical genres into an album, doesn’t’ necessarily mean result in a successful outcome. The juggling of some many layered sounds and effects requires a level of competence that can only be attained through concise songwriting and a dedication to the finer details of one’s vision. This is an area where A Forest of Stars excels as, each of the songs is equally complex, but at no point becomes redundant nor do either of the songs sound too much like one another. Even the monstrous Pawn on the Universal Chessboard, which albeit is broken into six parts, is essentially one long story being told that, maintains its core sound across all six songs, yet each part carries its own identity.

It is very difficult to put into words the listening experience of what Beware the Sword You Cannot See offers, as I believe, every person will experience it differently. This is a complicated album in which one needs to keep an open mind while listening, but I will say that one or two listens simply will not be enough. Once you hear the album on its fourth and fifth time, you’ll continually discover new sounds that will only enhance your experience.

Highlights: “A Blaze of Hammers” “Draw Down the Rain” “Pawn on the Universal Chessboard”

Rating: 3.5

A Canorous Quintet: Silence of the World Below

A Canorous Quintet hail from Sweden and as such, play a brand of Gothenburg melodic death metal directly associated with their homeland. Their debut Silence of the World Beyond, landed in 1996 and at the time when fellow countrymen In Flames, Dark Tranquility and Gates of Ishtar were gaining a lot of momentum within the melodic death scene. The movement as a whole had been gaining speed since At the Gates and Hypocrisy lit the world on fire with their early works in the genre and the time was ripe for new bands to show off their chops.

The music on Silence of the World Beyond is a combination of At the Gates and Dissection; a blend of death and black metal that dwells in the sounds of macabre vocals and melodic instrumentation. As with most melodic death, the guitars take center stage and immediate hook the listener with strong and catchy leads. The riffs keep the focus on the melodic nature of the music, while the rhythms provide a powerful display of time shifts and solos. The use of tremolo picking adds to the ferocity of the album and makes for an excellent harmonization when guitars play side by side. The bass guitar, although makes its appearance throughout the album, is not necessarily featured as the twin guitars tend to garner most of the attention. When the bass is heard, it makes its presence known by churning out thick and bouncy chords that add an extra layer to the music.

The harsh and raspy vocals are not uncommon to the genre, but they offer more than simply a standard sound. With such beautiful melodies created by the music, the shriek like echoes of the vocals provide a bitter sweet contrast to the melodic atmosphere, which results in a pleasant yet frightening experience all in one sitting. Yes, they are familiar to the scene, but remember, a voice is an instrument and much like blast beats are almost always associated with death metal, raspy vocals go hand in hand with the Gothenburg style. It’s the shtick of the style and on Silence of the World Beyond not only are they well sung, but they mesh well with the other instruments creating a cohesive unit.

The drums are manned by Fredrik Andersson, who is best known for his work with Amon Amarth, which now that you know that, will note the similarities. I don’t mean to say that this sounds like Amon Amarth in the purest sense, but the powerful and deep bass sounding drums that would appear on Amon Amarth are clearly present on Silence of the World Beyond. Here they help add to the rhythms and inject a nice punch to the overall intensity of the album, but also provide a nice base sound for the guitars to flourish over top.

A Canorous Quintet’s debut although not dissimilar to many other releases rooted in the Gothenburg sound at the time, is well executed slab of Blackened melodic death metal. The speed of the guitars, power of the drums and furious vocals will satisfy fans among various genres of black and death metal like. Fans of At the Gates, Gates of Ishtar and Ablaze My Sorrow should not miss out on Silence of the World Beyond.

Highlights: “The Orchid’s Sleep” “Spellbound” “In the Twilight of Fear”

Rating: 4