Sonata Arctica – The Days of Grays
Nuclear Blast Records

Rating:

In my opinion, Power metal is one of the best styles of Metal you can find and one of the bands that has been a round for a while to represent that style is Sonata Arctica. In their newest/sixth full length release entitled The Days of Grays, Sonata Arctica continues to represent the Power metal style as well as continuing to add some of the Progressive metal style just as they have in some of their other newer releases. One thing I really like about this album/band is the fact that the vocals of singer Tony Kakko really fit well with the music made by the rest of the band. Power metal bands are under a lot more critique by me since I love the style so much and since it’s hard to find really great vocalists to make the band whole. Sonata Arctica has no problem with the combination of music and vocals, and The Days of Grays is only one piece of proof. Getting more into the tracks, the one track that really jumped out at me as a favorite track is “Flag in the Ground” (Track 4), but that certainly doesn’t mean the rest of the album is bad. In fact, some of the other tracks I would recommend listening to for a great listening experience are: “Zeroes” (Track 6), “No Dream Can Heal a Broken Heart” (Track 9), and “Everything Fades to Gray (Full Version)” (Track 12) (Everything Fades to Gray (Full Version) is the “full version” because Track 1 is an instrumental version). Each of these songs brings different elements of the bands talents to help create a great album. Overall, The Days of Grays is an album I would certainly recommend to any Progressive metal and Power metal fans as well as anyone looking to get into either of those two styles and expand their metal arsenal.

Epica – Design Your Universe
Nuclear Blast Records

Rating:

Symphonic metal band Epica is back with their fifth full length release, entitled Design Your Universe, and they still sound phenomenal! The mixture of the epic and heavy music, the beautiful singing of Simone Simons, and the screams/growls of guitarist/vocalist Mark Jansen is excellent! This band really lives out their name, putting the “epic” in Epica. Design Your Universe includes 13 tracks on the Standard Release version of the album and lasts approximately 1 hour and 14 minutes with two songs lasting over 9 minutes (“Kingdom of Heaven” is approx. 13:35 and “Design Your Universe” is approx. 9:29). Within the 13 tracks, it’s definitely hard to find any stand alone tracks since all of them flow well together and support each other while keeping their own identities and being great as individual tracks, but there are certainly some I would recommend for a great listening experience before hearing the whole album. Some of the tracks I recommend include the two aforementioned tracks “Kingdom of Heaven” (Track 6) and “Design Your Universe” (Track 13/Title track), “Unleashed” (Track 3), “Tides of Time” (Track 9), and “White Waters” (Track 12) which features Tony Kakko of Sonata Arctica. Again, each of these tracks are excellent, but they all have their own identities and serve their own purpose in making Design Your Universe such a great album. Overall, I would suggest this album to any Symphonic metal fans, people looking to get into Symphonic metal, and previous Epica fans.

Pan.A.Ce.A – We the Broken
Susquehanna Entertainment

Rating:

Pan.A.Ce.A is back with their follow-up album to their February 2009 release All Or Nothing entitled We the Broken, and they are back with a vengeance! Weighing in with 13 brand new tracks, We the Broken picks right up where All Or Nothing left off and packs a good punch. The overall sound of this album is definitely melodic, but it’s also not shy on the “Hard” in Hard rock, and really, the balance between the melodic aspects and the heavier aspects couldn’t be better. One thing in this record that kind of popped out for me is the relationship between the bass parts by Matt Jaffin and drum parts by Kevin Harry. The overall musical and vocal qualities are excellent all around and they mix perfectly, but on this record, I got a lot more drums and bass (which I enjoy, being a bassist myself). The first taste of this relationship you get jumps right of the speakers in the first fifteen seconds of the first track “Too Little Too Late” with a great drum roll/fill at the start, then the bass becomes prominent as the verse begins with the vocals. From there, the musicianship stays at an excellent skill level and, again, Tim Farley’s vocals really mix well with the music (even coming in with a mid range scream near the end of “Too Little Too Late” and later in “No More Secrets”). As usual, there are some tracks on this album I would recommend for your listening pleasures. The recommended tracks from We the Broken include: “Too Little Too Late” (Track 1), “Stay” (Track 4), “No More Secrets” (Track 8), “The Fix” (Track 11), and “Everything Is Different (When I’m With Her)” (Track 12). Now, these are recommended tracks from the whole album, but really, all of the tracks on this album are solid and worth listening too. Overall, We the Broken is an excellent album I recommend to any previous Pan.A.Ce.A fans as well as any Hard rock fans out there.

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Echoes of Eternity – As Shadows Burn
Nuclear Blast Records

(4.5/5)

For years, Heavy metal has been a male dominated style of music, but Progressive metal band Echoes of Eternity is one of the many bands out today that are proving that there is certainly a place for women in Metal. Echoes of Eternity’s place amongst the ranks has been proved through the release of their newest full length album As Shadows Burn. Combining several different styles of Metal, As Shadows Burn’s 9 tracks nearly jump through the speakers as you listen to them with a subtle “epic” feel behind the pounding combination of double bass drums, Death metal style blast beats (used occasionally), and the speed of the guitar riffs behind the beautiful voice of Francine Boucher. The outcome is nothing short of incredible. Now, as great as each track is on this album, there are a few I have to make mention of for a good example of the album’s overall power: “Ten of Swords” (Track 1), “Descent of a Blackened Soul” (Track 5), and “Funeral in the Sky” (Track 9). Each of these tracks portrays the diversity used by Echoes of Eternity to make their mark on the Metal world. Overall, These tracks combined with the other 6 tracks make As Shadows Burn a great record I would recommend to Progressive metal fans as well as Power metal fans and even some Symphonic metal fans. All in all, it’s a great album for your Metal arsenal!

Oh, Sleeper – Son of the Morning
Solid State Records

(4/5)

Since the first time I heard Oh, Sleeper, they have been in the top of my list of favorite Metalcore bands and with releases like their newest full length album Son of the Morning, it shouldn’t be hard to see why they have stayed there! On top of being a great Metalcore band, the fact that Oh, Sleeper is a Christian band is a plus in my book, but either way, the onslaught brought by the 10 tracks on this album makes a hard argument for anyone to deny them despite whatever religious affiliation you may or may not have. Moving on to the tracks in the album, all 10 tracks bring their own identity to the table and make this album as great as it is, but there are a few I would recommend to get a really good preview of the overall album. The list of tracks I really enjoy consists of “Son of the Morning” (Track 1/Title track), “Breathing Blood” (Track 4), “World Without A Sun” (Track 6), and “The Finisher” (Track 10). Once again, the entire album is excellent, but these four tracks provide an excellent example of the overall talent this band has. Overall, if you’re already a Metalcore fan or you’re just getting into Metalcore/Oh, Sleeper, I certainly recommend Son of the Morning to help beef up your arsenal.

When Summers Gone – December
Self-Released

(4/5)

Rock music is a genre that has lasted throughout the years because of great bands and their ability to write enjoyable music. Today, Rock music is spread out over a wide variety of different styles that separate them by their different sounds. What does a smart band do? Break down the borders and transcend having to be labeled as one specific style of Rock. That’s what When Summers Gone has done with their debut album entitled December. Formed of multi-instrumentalists Dave Graziani (Vocals/Guitars/Piano) and Chris Lepri (Drums/Bass), When Summers Gone has combined the sounds of multiple bands including Alice In Chains, Incubus, and Sevendust with some more influence by bands such as Machine Head, The Deftones, and even some Bruce Springsteen and created Hard rock that brings back meaning to the genre. On top of that, December is a concept album that combines 8 individual tracks to create a story about “a character who loses a friend at a young age and is forced to deal with complex emotions, all while growing up”. I have a feeling that this story will hit home to more than one person who listens to this great album. As mentioned, this album is made up of tracks that can act on their own as well as being part of the story, and though each one is as important as the others, there are a few I would recommend listening to to get a good feel for When Summers Gone including, but not limited to “Welcome Home” (Track 2), “Hangover” (Track 4), and “10/6″ (Track 7). Each of these three tracks shows a different sound that When Summers Gone is bringing to the table and that shows the relationship of all of their influences. All in all, December is a great album for Hard rock fans and I suggest it to anyone looking for some more Hard rock for their music arsenal.

Korpiklaani – Karkelo
Nuclear Blast Records

(4/5)

Calling all Folk metal fans of every decent! Korpiklaaini is back with their sixth full length release entitled Karkelo and it’s another one for those drunken nights spent amongst friends. Based off of the Folk metal sound Korpiklaani presents and song titles such as, but not limited to “Vodka” (Track 1), “Juodaan Viinaa (translated “We Drink Liquor”)” (Track 5), and “Bring Us Pints of Beer” (Track 8), there are no arguments that my previous statement is correct. But whether you have those drunken nights or not, it’s also easy to see that Korpiklaaini is a band that anyone can enjoy. Moving on, when you listen to all 12 tracks it’s hard to really choose favorite tracks because the whole album is excellent, but there are a few I would personally suggest. Other than the 3 tracks listed above, I’d suggest listening to “Mettänpeiton Valtiaalle” (Track 4), “Vesaisen Sota” (Track 10), and “Kohmelo” (Track 12). All of the tracks listed in this review bring their own “personalities” to the mix, but they all mesh well with the other 6 tracks to make an overall excellent album. So, all in all, I love this album and would suggest it to any previous Korpiklaani fans, previous Folk metal fans, or any new fans to either Korpiklaaini or Folk metal.

*Note: Track listing are based off of the standard CD and not the 13-track digipak version of Karkelo.

Peacemaker – The Reconstruction of the Ossicular Chain EP
Red Rocket Entertainment

(4/5)

Just when you think Rock could be at the end of its rope and not have much new material left to offer, it’s always nice to find a newer band that proves you wrong. Peacemaker’s EP The Reconstruction of the Ossicular Chain proves that they are one of those bands. With the mix of mainstream Hard rock, a little bit of Southern flavor, and a dash of Stoner rock grit all thrown into a blender, Peacemaker is a great band in my book. Getting right into it, with 4 songs on this EP, it’s hard to choose an overall favorite, but each song does bring a similar sound, but their own individual qualities as well. For example, “Trip the Light Fantastic” (Track 2) has a fairly similar groove to the other 3 tracks, but it’s the only song on this EP that really slows down to a Pink Floyd-like softness/groove that includes a guitar solo that drips with emotion. There are other great solos, but none that slow down like that particular one.

Overall, Peacemaker has a great sound and their EP The Reconstruction of the Ossicular Chain is a great example of it. I recommend this band to anyone who likes straight forward Hard rock with Southern and Stoner groove to it and I can’t wait to hear the full length album that comes from this EP!

YesMisterBloodVessel – Racing The Relapse
Self-Released

(3.5/5)

Ok, Rock fans, if you like bands such as Nine Inch Nails, The Beatles, U2, and Filter all combined, you’ll definitely dig YesMisterBloodVessel’s debut album entitled Racing The Relapse. YesMisterBloodVessel is the solo project of Christian Peppas who, according to this album, is a great multi-instrumentalist and a great songwriter. In the 8 tracks that are on Racing The Relapse, it’s easy to see that Christian does pull inspiration from many different styles and bands (as mentioned above) and puts them together well with the additional help of various other musicians to round out the sound. With each track on this album being individual and bringing their own style, it’s hard to choose favorites, but there are a couple that I would recommend listening to. The tracks I like the best are “Victim” (Track 1), “Aries & Leo” (Track 2), and “Relativity” (Track 6). My overall favorite track is probably “Victim”, but like I mentioned before, each track has its own identity, so all 8 tracks are vital to making this album what it is. All in all, Racing The Relapse is a great Rock album that I would recommend to anyone who likes different Alternative rock styles that are put together to make a very individual album.

Face Time Police – The Definition of Deviation EP
Self-Released

(3.5/5)

When looking at music today, it’s easy to find music that can be labeled in multiple styles, but no bands that truly transcend genres as the “Pop Macchiato” (Pop music marked or “stained” with other elements) band, Face Time Police with their new EP entitled The Definition of Deviation! Honestly, there’s no true way to explain this EP without including some version of the word “diverse”. Each of the five tracks brings out a different style including a sort of bouncy Pop-Rock track, a thumping club mix, an acoustic ballad, etc. In my extensive arsenal of music, I have NEVER heard a band that changes so much. It really takes “play what you want to play” to a whole different level. However, it pays off; this album is great! Out of the five tracks recorded on this album, my I really enjoy “None of the Below” (Track 1), “Nothing Left to Break” (Track 3), and “Of Man and Monster” (Track 5) the most. These three tracks seem to be the ones that fit well together with “None of the Below” being a pretty heavy/bouncy Alternative Pop song, “Nothing Left to Break” being the heartfelt acoustic ballad, and “Of Man and Monster” an Alternative-Punk-Metal mix. With this mix (plus the club thumping song “Seashells” and the Alternative Hip-hop track “Minute Made”), FTP is really freeing themselves of categorization and limitation. This is a smart move as far as I’m concerned.

Overall, liking 3/5 of the songs makes The Definition of Deviation a great EP in my mind. FTP have proven to be a great band with a lot of potential! On a side note, I have some extra respect for this band because they are a 100% DIY band. These guys write all of their music, record all of their own music, design the logos, they produce their own stuff, they do all the marketing, shoot and edit their own music videos…everything. Honestly, this is the first band I’ve heard that does EVERYTHING by themselves, and I commend them for it.