The sounds of Brooklyn make their mark on Chapel Hill…

On March 27, 2009, Brooklyn, NY based band Appomattox and TK Webb & The Visions played at the Local 506 in Chapel Hill, NC. Unfortunately, you just about count the number of people in the building (including the bands) on two hands, but that didn’t stop both bands from playing a great show and using the freedom to present new material and get everything straight.

The first band to play was Appomattox. These three guys hit the stage and starting playing and you could feel the atmosphere change even with only a few people there to watch. Even with the situation they had presented to them, Appomattox really put on a great show and it was to experience them in the setting I did because they were free to just have fun and not even stick to a set list. Guitarist/Vocalist Nick Gaynier would just call put whatever song they were going to play and they played it. It was great! Also, after the show, I got to hang out and talk to this guys fairly in depth and they are a great group of guys to hang out with and to hear their great music. As far as I’m concerned, this band is really bringing out what the underground music scene has to offer and I wish the best of luck to them in future endeavors!

The second and last band to play was the reason I was there in the first place, TK Webb & The Visions. This was the second time I got to see these guys play and they impress me every time I see them. This particular time, they actually only played a song or two from their last release Ancestor and actually played a lot of material that will be on their next album due to the circumstances of the show. Just as with Appomattox, I got to hang out with and talk to TK and the guys for a while and they, too, are a great bunch of guys with a great sound in their music that should be heard by more people. I hope they come back to NC soon and I can’t wait for their next album release!

Overall, the circumstances of the show played out in a fortunate and unfortunate way all at the same time. Because there were few people there, the experience was more laid back and I had a lot better time than if the place had been packed out. Both of these bands are really great and certainly underrated on the overall scale. All in all, I wish both of these bands the best of luck in the future and I can’t wait until either of them comes back around!

On a side note, both of these bands were also better than the “dance party” that took place after they played. As far as I’m concerned, both bands should have been able to play for as long as they needed. Just my opinion…

Dååth – The Concealers
Century Media Records

(4/5)

Armed with a new vocalist, a dueling pair of guitarists, a solid bassist, and one of the best Metal drummers in the scene, Dååth has recorded their third full length album entitled The Concealers! This album is the first Dååth album I’ve experienced, but I can see right away that these guys bring an aggressive approach to their sound. With a mixture of Thrash metal, Death metal, Progressive metal, and more included, The Concealers has an overall sound that is heavy enough to shake the earth beneath your feet as you listen to it. As heard on the album, this quintet really fuses together well to have the Metal sound unlike any I’ve really heard before. All of the tracks on this album have their individual features that make them great, but some of the ones I really enjoy include “The Worthless” (Track 3), “The Unbinding Truth” (Track 4), “Wilting on the Vine” (Track 6), and “Day of Endless Light” (Track 8). Again, each of these tracks have their individual aspects that make them awesome, but these four provide a great overview of the album. One of these tracks that really sticks out over the rest of the album for me is “The Unbinding Truth”. This song really showcases some of the talents of this great band with the winding fret work of guitarists Eyal Levi and Emil Werstler along with the technical drumming of ex-Chimaira drummer Kevin Talley and the aggressive vocals of Sean Z. Also, the overall song has a really interesting sound to it that you don’t hear much outside of, maybe, Black metal. It’s actually hard to explain; it’s just one of those tracks you have to hear the track for yourself. All in all, this new Dååth album The Concealers is a great metal album that can be enjoyed by Metal fans who really like a variety of Metal styles created by an all-star line-up.

Sirenia – The 13th Floor
Nuclear Blast Records

(5/5)

Just, as it seems, as most other Symphonic metal bands, Sirenia is not unaccustomed to line-up changes (particularly with singers), but they are pushing on and making excellent music exemplified by their newest album The 13th Floor. The new female singer for the band is Spanish singer Ailyn, and she sounds fantastic! Backing her up vocally is band founder/guitarist Morten Veland who adds clean male vocals to the mix as well as his guttural screams and growls. Together, these two make an excellent vocal pair to lead this band with the help of new guitarist Michael S. Krumins and drummer Jonathan A. Perez. On the album, Morten plays bass, but the current live bassist is Kristian Olav Torp. As stated by Morten, “…it’s the strongest Sirenia line-up to date…” Digging more into the album, this is the first Sirenia album I have experienced, but it will certainly not be the last, or even the last Symphonic metal album, as this style has been popping up in my music arsenal more and more. Generally speaking, The 13th Floor is vocally dominated by Ailyn, but Morten does get his chance to shine in the ninth and final track “Sirens of the Seven Seas”. Either way the vocals go, both members are excellent and really compliment each other and the music. Besides “Sirens of the Seven Seas”, other great tracks on this album include “The Mind Maelstrom” (Track 3), “The Seventh Summer” (Track 4), and “Winterborn 77″ (Track 8). There have only been four tracks mentioned, but in all honesty, the entire album is great. The overall feel is one that is entirely epic and before you know it, you’ve listened to the whole album five times. All in all, this is a fantastic album that should be had by any Sirenia fan as well as fans of bands such as Lacuna Coil, Nightwish, Epica, Therion, and more.

Samael – Above
Nuclear Blast Records

(3/5)

With 8 full length albums and 2 EPs previously released, Samael is back with their eleventh overall release Above! Typically, I’m all in for Black metal bands/albums, but Above didn’t quite hit me as well. The overall album is good, but the drums make it really difficult for me to truly enjoy this album. The two main reasons the drums are such an issue fore me are the excessive use of blast beats, and the overall mix for them. When I listen to Black metal, I like a good mixture of styles in the music as the case is with bands like Dimmu Borgir and Satyricon, but when the drummer puts in a lot of blast beast, it becomes too close to Death metal, in my opinion. Now, that’s not a huge issue since I also listen to bands like Behemoth who has a pretty brutal form of Black metal, but the mix does present a bigger problem. In my opinion, the drums on this album are too loud. This may not sound like a big deal, but when the drum track overpower the other tracks on nearly every song, it makes it hard to listen to everything and truly enjoy the album. Despite these issues, Above still is a great album for Samael fans and general Black metal fans alike. Some of the best tracks on the album include “Black Hole” (Track 2), “Earth Country” (Track 4), and “In There” (Track 7). Of those tracks, “In There” is my favorite, providing more difference from the other tracks. All in all, this is a good album by a great band and it helps keep Black metal a dominant force in the Metal world.

1. Who are your main influences for your musicianship and composition?

There are many bands and artists that have influenced me over the years, especially in the start. I began my career back in 1992, forming a band playing a straight forward kind of Rock n’ Roll, influenced by bands like Guns n’ Roses, Mötley Crüe, and that kind of stuff. After a short period of time, I got introduced to the UK Gothic rock scene and bands like The Sisters of Mercy, The Fields of the Nephilim, and The Mission. I was really drawn to the dark and melancholic atmospheres that these bands were able to get across. At the same time, I was getting interested in harder Metal bands and got into the idea of combining the atmospheres of the UK goth scene with Melodic metal. This was back in 1994. Afterwards, it has been all about perfecting my style as a musician and composer.

2. When/how did you decide to become a guitarist?

I have always been very attached to music, ever since I was a little kid. And the interest was just growing and growing with the years. I did my first attempt playing guitar when I was in the 4th grade, I took some classical guitar lessons but it never quite did the trick for me so I quit. Then I picked it up again at the age of fourteen, but with an electrical guitar this time. And then there was no turning back.

3. How would you compare playing in Sirenia to playing with Tristania?

Playing in Sirenia is like a dream come true in many ways, it felt the same way with Tristania too in the beginning, but that was about to change. Hehe.

4. What are your thoughts on the final product for The 13th Floor?

This time I wanted to write an album that kind of reflected what we have done musically with Sirenia so far. I mean that there is material on the album that has strong parallels to what we have done on all our previous albums in addition to some new stuff that the listeners might not have heard from Sirenia before. There’s a lot of variation in there, and it feels like taking 3 steps behind and one forward in the same time. My personal opinion is that there should be stuff on The 13th Floor that will please all our fans, whether they prefer At Sixes and Sevens, An Elixir for Existence, or Nine Destinies and a Downfall. It can be a problem for some listeners when a band goes through changes in their line-up, but in this case I find it hard to believe that people will get disappointed. When I listen to the final product now I feel very satisfied with every aspect of the album; I feel that we were able to achieve what we set out to achieve.

5. How would you compare the line-up for The 13th Floor to Sirenia band line-ups?

I am very happy with the line-up we got today. We have a great feeling in the band and we focus on the music and enjoying the ride. Everybody is really devoted to the music and we all take a lot of joy and pride being a part of the band. The line-up just feels right in every way – both musically and socially. Personally, I think it’s the strongest Sirenia line-up to date, and I really hope that we are able to keep it this way for a long time.

6. While touring, do you prefer touring Europe or the US?

Touring is something that we really enjoy doing. So far we did not tour the States yet, so this is something that we hope we’ll be able to do very soon. It’s always exciting to tour new places, as you never really know what to expect. That being said, I personally think that a US tour would be extra cool, there are a lot of places over there that I would like to see. And you know I grew up listening to a lot of US bands, and there a lot of legendary clubs over there I’d like to see, or even better play.

7. What can we expect in the future from Sirenia?

First and foremost, I think people can expect a lot of great music in the years to come. Furthermore, you all can expect a lot of great live shows. As I already mentioned touring is something that we really enjoy doing, and we’ll do our very best to tour as much as possible in the future. We would like to make it possible for everyone that wants to see us live actually gets the opportunity to do so.

8. Lastly, do you have any advice for aspiring guitarists and/or bands?

I think the best advice I can give is to never give up and to believe in your own thing; don’t get too caught up in what others tell you, but go your own way musically. And enjoy the ride at all times, do things in a way that allows you to enjoy it.

HammerFall – No Sacrifice, No Victory
Nuclear Blast Records

(4/5)

HammerFall is back with their newest studio release since 2006′s Threshold entitled No Sacrifice, No Victory! With eleven fist pumping Power metal tracks, No Sacrifice, No Victory is yet another great HammerFall album that proves that line-up changes can’t bring this band down. This new album introduces new guitarist Pontus Norgren as the first new guitarist since 1997. Although Stefan Elmgren’s decision to leave the band to focus more on his career as a pilot is a big change for the guitar duo that includes Oscar Dronjak, HammerFall is forging on as Power metal masters!

Continuing on with the album, No Sacrifice, No Victory keeps with HammerFall tradition as far as cover tracks go with Track 11 being “My Sharona” originally by The Knack. Just as any of the previous cover tracks represented on the 2008 compilation release Masterpieces, these guys did a great job with “My Sharona”, making it a very entertaining track to listen to. On top of “My Sharona”, there are a lot of great songs to listen to on this album including “Any Means Necessary” (Track 1), “Punish and Enslave” (Track 3), “Hallowed Be My Name” (Track 6), “No Sacrifice, No Victory” (Title track/Track 8), and “Bring the Hammer Down” (Track 9). Each of these tracks help provide more proof of how amazing this band is musically and the high level of vocal ability Joacim Cans has. Honestly, it’s not hard to see why this band is one of my favorite Power metal bands. Their sound just speaks for itself! All in all, Stefan Elmgren will be missed, but Pontus Norgren is a great replacement and I can’t wait to follow his future in HammerFall! So far, his start is excellent and he helps make No Sacrifice, No Victory an album that should be had by every Power metal fan!

Lamb of God – Wrath
Epic Records

(5/5)

The kings of Groove metal are back and they have taken it, once again, to another level! This newest Lamb of God release is titled Wrath and it would seem like the band is taking its wrath out upon lesser styles of music. As mentioned before, this album has proved that Lamb of God is continually stepping their game up from album to album, and presenting different styles in each album along the way. They aren’t one of the biggest bands in newer Metal for nothing! Although I like the overall sound of the album, I would suggest listening to the combination of “The Passing” (Track 1) and “In Your Words” (Track 2) as well as “Grace” (Track 6) and “Broken Hands” (Track 7) to get a good feel for the new record. each of these songs helps show the slightly more raw production of the album combined with the cleaner guitar tones and Randy Blythe’s sick vocals, and how these changes help take this album to that higher level of amazing. Speaking of the guitar tones, Mark Morton and Willie Adler really outdo themselves on this album as far as their riffs and solos go. These two guys are true guitar masters of new Metal and continue to show the world why on each album! Helping push the guitars and Randy’s voice is the combined efforts of the band’s rhythm section that includes John Campbell on bass and Chris Adler on drums. These guys are also incredible musicians and Chris continues to, somehow, step it up every album along with the other guys. I honestly don’t know how Lamb of God keeps outdoing themselves! Overall, Wrath is a tremendous Metal album by an excellent band. This is definitely one of my top choices for any Metal fan’s arsenal!

Pan.A.Ce.A – All Or Nothing
Susquehanna Entertainment

(4/5)

The mainstream style of Rock and Hard rock don’t usually sit too well with me, but there are some exceptions out there. Pan.A.Ce.A is one of those exceptions with their full length album All Or Nothing! Packed with the ten original tracks and two new acoustic tracks, this re-release of All Or Nothing combines a Hard rock musical aspect with a strong vocal element creating an overall great experience to listen to from beginning to end. Out of the, now, twelve tracks on this album, the ones I would recommend listening to for their overall quality are “The Blind Lead the Blind” (Track 1), “Move On” (Track 3), “Additive” (Track 5), “Riverbed” (Track 7), and “Nuclear Horizon” (Track 10). The whole album/band’s sound is summed up, in my opinion, by these tracks, but particularly “The Blind Lead the Blind”, “Riverbed”, and “Nuclear Horizon”. These three tracks all bring a strong and heavy edge to the overall album, but also interject the calming Rock style vocal presented in every track. Honestly, it’s a killer combination for breaking into the mainstream Rock scene. Overall, this is a very talented band with a great album for any Rock fan out there looking for that next band to get crazy with!

Avantasia – Lost In Space (Chapter 1 & 2)
Nuclear Blast Records

(4/5)

If you liked Avantasia’s EPs Lost in Space Chapter 1 and Lost in Space Chapter 2, you will love that they have been combined to create this aptly titled album Lost In Space (Chapter 1 & 2)! Featuring Edguy frontman Tobias Sammet as singer and bassist, Avantasia takes a slightly more Symphonic Metal approach to their music as opposed to the Power metal style of Edguy. Incorporated on this album is the help of many talented musicians and singers involving an all-star cast including producer Sascha Paeth on lead & rhythm guitars, Henjo Richter (Gamma Ray) on lead guitar, Michael Rodenberg (Aina and Kamelot) on keyboards, Eric Singer on drums and singing (KISS), Amanda Somerville singing (Aina), Jørn Lande singing (Masterplan and ARK), Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween), and Bob Catley (Magnum) singing. Together, all of these people recorded an amazing set of songs. Included in the tracks for this album are the regular version, and alternate version, and an extended version of the title track “Lost in Space” (Tracks 1, 11, and 12), “Lay All Your Love on Me” (ABBA cover also covered by Helloween) (Track 2), “Another Angel Down” (Track 3), and “Ride the Sky” (Lucifer’s Friend cover) (Track 6). All of these tracks add their own aspects to this great album and help make Avantasia an excellent Symphonic metal band. Overall, Lost In Space (Chapter 1 & 2) is a great album and a great addition to your Metal arsenal!

Edguy – The Singles
Nuclear Blast Records

(4/5)

Having an extensive career dating back to the early 1990s, Edguy has released eight studio albums as well as multiple demos and other albums. This “new” album entitled The Singles is just as the title says; a compilation featuring all singles from the EP’s King of Fools, Lavatory Love Machine and Superheroes(with the exception of the song “Reach Out” from the Lavatory Love Machine). Being a newer Edguy fan myself, this is a great album to have to hear 14 songs that helped launch Edguy into the high ranks of the Heavy metal/Power metal world. Listening to this album over and over again really helped me figure out the humor that this band really brings to their genre with comedic lyrics in songs such as “Lavatory Love Machine” and “Life and Times of a Bonus Track”. It’s really great to see that that kind of stuff isn’t lost in the music business. Although all of the songs on this album are great representations of the great Edguy sound and talent, some of the ones I enjoy the most are “Superheroes” (Track 1), “Judas At the Opera” (Track 4), “Lavatory Love Machine” (Track 7), “New Age Messiah” (Track 11), and “Life and Times of a Bonus Track” (Track 14). All of these songs are great songs in their own manor. Edguy fans who enjoy extra versions of songs are certainly not left out as The Singles also has “Superheroes (Epic Version)” (Track 6) and “Lavatory Love Machine (Acoustic Version)” (Track 8 ) which both offer a different element than in the original version of both of those great songs. Just to keep spicing things up, in “Judas At the Opera”, ex-Helloween singer Michael Kiske pitches in to add more vocal power. Overall, The Singles is an absolute “must have” album for any hardcore Edguy fan or any new Edguy fan who wants a quick look back over the years before purchasing previous studio albums and/or EPs!