Rock In Review

Equilibrium - Sagas
Nuclear Blast Records

* * * *
4 Stars

The mythological side of Metal is striking Rock In Review once again with Equilibrium’s Nuclear Blast Records debut album entitled Sagas. Equilibrium could be put into a few different categories because of the different influences they put into their music, but I think Viking metal or Symphonic Black metal suits them best. However, Folk metal and Pagan metal are not too far off because of their use of flutes, strings, and riffs that reflect traditional Germanic melodies. Either way, this band is awesome! Just like Eluveitie, Equilibrium is on the heavier side of the more Folk style of Metal using lots of electric guitar parts, double bass, and the screaming style of vocals. As far as the tracks on the album goes, I would suggest listening to “Snüffel” (Track 6), “Die Weide und der Fluß” (Track 9), and “Mana” (Track 13). These three tracks are good examples of how Equilibrium sounds. Out of the the three, “Mana” is probably my favorite because it’s just over 16 minutes long and it really shows the band’s musical talents since it’s completely instrumental. Overall, Sagas is a great album for fans of Viking metal, Pagan metal, Symphonic Black metal, and the heavier end of Folk metal.

Hammerfall - Masterpieces
Nuclear Blast Records

* * * * 1/2
4 1/2 Stars

Hammerfall has done it again! Technically, this is the first time they’ve put together an album constructed of all their covers (including a few that were previously unreleased), but Masterpieces should not be looked at as any less of an album than any of Hammerfall’s other great albums. Honestly, this is the first time I’ve reviewed or even heard an album that was all covers, but you can’t go wrong with Hammerfall. Masterpieces is made up of an all-star track list that has songs by bands including Judas Priest, KISS, Skid Row, Twisted Sister, Dio, Helloween, and many more! The overall final product of this album is excellent, but there are a few songs in particular I really like. Most of these songs are on the list because I’ve heard their original recordings and I like the way the cover came out. The songs are “Breaking the Law” (Track 10), “Detroit Rock City” (Track 13), “Youth Gone Wild” (Track 17), and “Child of the Damned” (Track 1). “Child of the Damned is the one on the list that I’ve never heard the original recording (originally recorded by Warlord), but I really like the way it sounds. If I had no idea that this was a cover, I would swear that this was written by Hammerfall in the first place. “Breaking the Law” (originally recorded by Judas Priest) is on the list because of the great way it turned out and the fact that the band members switched instruments to give the recording a special feel. This cover in particular was hard for the band since everyone knows the original sound, but I think it sounds great either way. Once again, the overall final product of Masterpieces is awesome and I definitely recommend it to any Hammerfall fans like myself!

Bleed the Sky - Murder the Dance
Nuclear Blast Records

* * * 1/2
3 1/2 Stars

Putting Bleed the Sky into a category is a bit harder than most bands because of the styles represented in their most recent full length release Murder the Dance. According to my “standards” for these categories, I would have to put BTS into the heavier side of Metalcore because of the use of more screamed vocals than clean vocals. Honestly, I like this album. Not all of the clean vocals are my favorite, but Noah Robinson’s screams have an aggression to them that seem to strike a good chord in my mind. As far as the music, the changing of the line-up seems to have been a good thing. I haven’t heard any of BTS’s older material, but Justin Warrick, Rob Thornton, and Ryan Clark seriously wail on this album with Austin D’Amond killing it on drums. These four guys seem to work together well to help Noah with vocals and provide very energetic and aggressive music for him to rip his vocals to. Overall, this is a great team. Getting more into the album, I’d have to suggest “Murder the Dance” (Track3/Title Track) and “Poseidon” (Track 10) as my “Top 2″. “Murder the Dance” simply has great heaviness and aggressiveness that will make you want to mosh till you can’t mosh any more and “Poseidon” just has a great groove to it (which is never a bad thing in my book). Overall, Murder the Dance is a great album that shows the great range of skills from the guys in Bleed the Sky.

Whitechapel - This is Exile
Metal Blade Records

* * * *
4 Stars

You want gruesome, all-American Deathcore? Here it is! Just two tracks into Whitechapel’s newest album This is Exile, I could tell this album had what it takes to be a sick album! If I’ve said it once (or multiple times as it seems on this site), Deathcore and Death metal are by far not my favorite styles, but that may be changing with bands like Whitechapel and Carnifex. The overall level of brutality is THROUGH THE ROOF! The excessive amounts of blast beats always throw me off, but that is made up with the sickness of the other parts of the material. On top of the musical aspects, Phil Bozeman’s vocals are absolutely killer and accent the music very nicely. As far as the tracks on the album go, definitely check out “Father of Lies” (Track 1), “This is Exile” (Track 2/Title Track), and “To All That Are Dead” (Track 4). These three tracks are three small of examples of the true brutality that is Whitechapel! My advice to fans of Deathcore and Death metal is to get a copy of This is Exile as soon as possible and definitely check these guys out live; they are sick live!

Arsis - We Are the Nightmare
Nuclear Blast Records

* * * 1/2
3 1/2 Stars

If you are looking for another influential Death metal album coming from the East Coast, you better get your hands on a copy of Arsis’ newest release entitled We Are the Nightmare! With the skills of lead vocalist/guitarist James Malone, guitarist Ryan Knight, bassist Noah Martin, and sick drum master Darren Cesca all combined, We Are the Nightmare certainly scores high on the list of brutal Melodic Death metal albums I have heard as of late. There are quite a few tracks on the album that prove this over and over again, but there are a few specific tracks I would recommend over the others. These tracks include the likes of “Progressive Entrapment” (Track 7), “A Feast for the Liar’s Tongue” (Track 8), and the title track “We Are the Nightmare” (Track 1). Whilst these tracks are not ALL of the best, these are the ones I enjoy the most. “We Are the Nightmare” serves as a great intro to the album and starts off with its own great intro that builds beautifully into the song. When the song does hit, you know it! As far as “Progressive Entrapment” and “A Feast for the Liar’s Tongue” go, these two tracks are just heavy. Hands down. There’s no arguing that they show great variance and great examples of the more Death metal side of Melodic Death metal. Overall, this is a great album that I would suggest to any Death metal or Melodic Death metal fan, so if you fit into one of those categories, go out and grab a copy of We Are the Nightmare!

Seregon - A Future Expired EP
Unsigned

* * * *
4 Stars

Why is Seregon still unsigned!? Somebody get these guys a contract! Seregon’s new EP (or Mini CD as the band likes to call it) A Future Expired is a great two track example of how strong the “underground” Thrash metal scene is. Honestly, I think this EP is awesome. When I listen to it, I get a sense of a young Testament from England. One thing I like about these guys is the variation in the songs. It may not be quite as much as I normally like, but that’s probably because there’s only two tracks. But compared to some of today’s newer Thrash acts, these guys really rank high in my books. Like I said before, get these guys a contract! Their overall skills are great and I couldn’t ask for more togetherness in an unsigned band. As far as the EP goes, it’s difficult to decide between to the two tracks as to which one is my favorite, but if I had to choose, I’d say “Replicators” (Track 2). “Replicators” shows a good amount of the variance noted above with powerful guitar attack, excellent double bass and drum beats, and a bass line that really outdoes itself. This is a great example of pure Thrash metal! All in all, I have to say, look out for our boys in the UK. If Seregon shows any indication to how their Metal scene is, expect good things in the future. So, watch out for when this EP is available and go out and support good Thrash metal!

Carnifex - The Diseased and the Poisoned
Victory Records

* * * 1/2
3 1/2 Stars

No matter what you call Carnifex’s new album The Diseased and the Poisoned, one thing can be agreed on by everyone. This album is BRUTAL! Normally, Death metal and Deathcore products are not in my list of favorites, but Carnifex has shown that a little bit of variance can go a long way. One aspect that Carnifex brings to the table in The Diseased and the Poisened is their use of breakdowns. And when I say breakdowns, I mean “breakdowns so good they make you want to slap yo’ mamma!” Seriously, these breakdowns helped me get over the use of obsessive blast beats (which I normally don’t like), bringing a new element into this type of brutality. On top of the breakdowns and sick musical aspects, Scott Lewis’ vocals are on point and fit perfectly. I couldn’t ask for a much more perfect fit. As far as the tracks on the album go, I recommend listening to the title track “The Diseased and the Poisoned” (Track 6), “Innocence Died Screaming” (Track 5), and really, just about any other track on this album. I certainly recommend this album to any aspiring Deathcore or Death metal fan who is looking for something to scare the crap out of thier parents. On a more serious note, go get a copy of Carnifex’s The Diseased and the Poisened ASAP!

Sonic Syndicate - Only Inhuman [Tour Edition]
Nuclear Blast Records

* * * *
4 Stars

Swedish Metalcore is still making an impact as Sonic Syndicate released the Tour Edition of their second full length album Only Inhuman! Two things I have to point out about this band that I think are interesting are the use of two vocalists (Richard Sjunnesson and Roland Johansson) and the fact that Richard is the brother of both guitarists (Roger and Robin Sjunnesson). Together, the four of these guys join with bassist Karin Axelsson and drummer John Bengtsson to create an amazing Metalcore sound whether it be live or on an album! As far as the album side of the band is concerned, Only Inhuman is definitely an awesome album that should grace every Metalcore fan’s collection. Out of the 12 tracks (the 12th being a bonus track for the Tour Edition) on the album, I certainly would have to recommend all of them as being great ones to listen to, but there are a few I would promote a bit more than the others. The ones I most recommend looking at are “Blue Eyed Fiend” (Track 2), “Double Agent 616″ (Track 4), “Enclave” (Track 5), “All About Us” (Track 9), and “Freelancer” (Track 12) if you have the Tour Edition. These five songs provide a great range of styles and sounds you’ll get in listening to Sonic Syndicate material. Again, for the overall final product of the album, this is a great album to add to your collection if you are a Metalcore fan. These six individuals are all very talented and I certainly can’t wait for the next album to come out!

Scar Symmetry - Holographic Universe
Nuclear Blast Records

* * * *
4 Stars

Scar Symmetry can be called a band of many talents, and their newest full length release entitled Holographic Universe helps defend that statement. Whether you want to call this album a Metalcore album, a Melodic Death metal album, or a Progressive Death metal album, everyone should realize that Scar Symmetry has some major skills! Between Christian Älvestam’s beautiful clean vocals and brutal death growls and the sick guitar skills between guitarists Jonas Kjellgren and Per Nilsson, the melodic aspects of this album are absolutely spot on. However awesome these three guys are, the overall heaviness and pure musical sound would not be complete without the help of bassist Kenneth Seil and drummer Henrik Ohlsson (who also writes lyrics for the band). Putting all these skills together have made a difficult decision as far as picking favorite songs, but the one I would most recommend is the title track “Holographic Universe” (Track 10). This track happens to be the longest track on the album at a time of 9:05 and I think it truly shows the wide range of talent these five guys posess. It takes you through futuristic synth effects, Meshuggah style heavy guitar and duble bass, and some massively brutal Metal. One cool aspect Scar Symmetry implements into the track is the Progressive sound just before battering you with heaviness and blistering guitar solos once again. Overall, this is a great track to catch a fairly large sized glimpse of Scar Symmetry’s true power. Other than “Holographic Universe”, I recommend listening to “Artificial Sun Projection” (Track 4), “Fear Catalyst” (Track 7), and “Prism And Gate” (Track 9). All of the tracks have their unique greatnesses, but these are a few of my favorite songs. All in all, I say Holographic Universe is definitely an album to add to your metal arsenal. The overall product is one that you will be listening to nonstop until the next album comes out!

Tiamat - Amanethes
Nuclear Blast Records

* * * *
4 Stars

Tiamat is back from a five year hiatus and they have released an album that shows that they still mean business! Whether you want to call Tiamat Goth, Electronic, Folk, Experimental, or any other genre that can be found in their music, the one thing that can be agreed on by everyone is the darkness that isn’t hard to find in the music from beginning to end of Amanethes. Personally, I would categorize this band under Goth rock or Goth metal to properly cover every aspect put into the mix including clean guitars, keyboards, choir vocals, and even double bass drums. No matter what you call it, Amanethes turned out to be a great album! Led by the gruff vocals and guitar/keyboard work of Johan Edlund, Tiamat takes you on a musical journey through 14 tracks that all have their unique styles and aspects that make them all vital to Amanethes‘ magnitude. To mention a few favorite tracks of mine from the 14, I must say I like “The Temple of the Crescent Moon” (Track 1), “Until the Hellhounds Sleep Again” (Track 3), and “Lucienne” (Track 5). My most favorite is “Until the Hellhounds Sleep Again” for its slow and heavy guitar riff that backs up Johan Edlund’s deep and lulling voice. Together, the two elements create a very “dream-like state” effect and are accented by the keyboards in the background. Overall, the track is an excellent one. “Lucienne” has a very similar affect, making it my, close, second choice for favorite track. Overall, Amanethes is a great, very dark album that has sparked my interest in this style of music. If you are a fan of Goth rock and darker styles of music, definitely go and pick up a copy of this album!