Amon Amarth – Twilight of the Thunder God
Metal Blade Records

(5/5)

The kings of Viking metal are back and better than ever! Amon Amarth’s newest Metal Blade Records release, Twilight of the Thunder God, is amazing! I didn’t think it could happen, but Amon Amarth has proved, once again, that they can take themselves to a whole new level of awesomeness. The first thing I have to point out in this newest album is the use of guitar solos. I can honestly say that this is the first time I’ve ever heard distinct guitar solos as well as the beautifully written rhythmic patterns. This new addition really adds a whole new dimension to the material and helps separate this album from all the rest of Amon Amarth’s material. Another good point for this album is Johan Hegg’s vocals. Absolute brutality. That’s all there is to it. As far as overall tracks go, I have to say my two favorites are “Twilight of the Thunder God (feat. Roope Latvala of Children of Bodom and Sinergy)” (Title track/Track 1) and “Guardians of Asgaard(feat. Lars Göran Petrov of Entombed)” (Track 3). These two tracks really continue the true rhythmic style of Amon Amarth and also utilize the well placed guitar solos. As an overall album, I definitely love it and recommend it to anyone who needs to feel closer to the Vikings of old!

On a side note, I must say that the cover art for the album is the one of the tops from Amon Amarth as well. It definitely accents the overall feeling of the album.

Bayside – Shudder
Victory Records

(4/5)

Although the Alternative/Emo category of music doesn’t normally strongly appeal to me, I have to say that Bayside’s newest release Shudder is one of the few albums in the genre I’ve heard that I really like. The different styles presented in each of the 12 tracks on this album all give different reasons as to why there is a spark of hope within this style of music. It sounds funny come from a full blooded metalhead, I know, but it’s true. The tracks I find to be the best on this album have to be “What and What Not” (Track 4), “A Call to Arms” (Track 5), and “Moceanu” (Track 12). “What and What Not” has to be my favorite because of its overall feel and message. I believe the message within the lyrics can really speak to someone who has decided to solve their problems with physical self-affliction (particularly females in this category). I think that the message is one that should be heard to show that there is a better solution and hope for the future. “Moceanu” is another one of my favorites for its overall sound as well. It just has a nice “Folky” bouncing groove to it and I like how vocalist Anthony Raneri spells out some of the words in the song. It definitely gives another dimension to the lyrics. Overall, this is an excellent album and I recommend it to fans of Bayside, The Audition, and anyone who likes Alkaline Trio material around the Crimson time of their career.

Nuclear Blast Records was well represented as the Death By Decibels Tour made a stop in Raleigh, NC…

On October 5, 2008, Kataklysm lead the Death By Decibels Tour in a hellacious attack on the non-Metal scene in Raleigh, NC! The supporting group of bands involved in this brutal show was constructed of local opener Edward Teach, Norway’s own Keep of Kalessin, Dying Fetus, and Eluveitie from Switzerland. Altogether, these five bands put on a great show!

The first band to play was Edward Teach from Chapel Hill, NC. Although they are not directly connected to the Death By Decibels Tour (except for this show), they were certainly the right band to kick off the show. Even though I’m not a follower of the Death metal genre, I did enjoy a good part of this band’s set. One thing I liked was their rhythm that was similar to that of the great Death/Viking metal band Amon Amarth. The, almost, overuse of blast beats did throw me off a bit, but other than that, Edward Teach played a great sounding set.

The next band to hit the stage was (as Obsidian Claw refers to them) Epic Extreme metal band Keep of Kalessin. I was stoked to finally witness the power that is Keep of Kalessin live, and I was certainly not disappointed! With a set containing material from, but not limited to, their albums Armada and their newest release Kolossus, these four guys showed why their popularity is growing and that their current line-up is solid. Overall, they played an awesome set and I enjoyed their great stage presence.

Next to hit the stage was the band I was the most excited to see live. This band, of course, is the eight piece Folk metal Eluveitie. To be honest, this was my favorite band to see during the entire show because of the great stage presence between all eight members of the band and I love the mix of Traditional Celtic Folk music and a more modern style of Metal that Eluveitie presents. Also, this was the first time I’ve ever seen someone hairspin while playing a hurdygurdy much less play one in general! Overall, this band was great to see live and and I was pleased with my overall experience with them personally and watching their liver performance.

Playing fourth was the most brutal band of the night, Dying Fetus. With a preceding reputation for pure brutality in their music, this three piece proceeded to blow me away with their set. Just as with Edward Teach, I’m not a big fan of their style and I’m certainly not familiar with their material, but I would recommend their live show to anyone who is. They really did put on a good show and they keep my hope for successful power trios alive!

The final band to give a proverbial punch to the face to all that is not Metal was Canada’s own Kataklysm! I must admit that I’m not as familiar with Kataklysm’s material as I probably should be, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying my second time seeing them live. These four guys really do put on a great show and they’re definitely a cool group of guys to hang out with and talk to. I do believe that the most of their set was from their newest album Prevail, but I can’t confirm that the entire was. Either way, they played a great show and were definitely the right band to headline this excellent tour!

Overall, I had yet another great night of Metal in Raleigh and I definitely can’t wait for the next one! To anyone who are fans of any of these bands from this tour, if you haven’t seen them live, do it! It will be well worth your time, energy, and money!