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Edenbridge - My Earth
Dream (Napalm) Review by Steve Green |
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Edenbridge... now I'd
completely forgotten about this lot. I reviewed Aphelion back
at the start of 2003 and although I liked a lot if it, I ended
my review by stating that I'd wished they'd cranked the
guitars up a little, as, at times, the album was a little
poppy. So here we are 5 years, and a few albums later, and
have Edenbridge got any heavier?
I have to say, it's a resounding yes. Ok, this is still
slickly produced Power meets Symphonic Metal and it's still as
melodic as can be, but now Edenbridge have their feet firmly
entrenched in Metal. Sabine Edelsbacher still sounds
fantastic, particularly on Shadowplay, which starts off quite
nondescript, but reaches its zenith, with a truly stunning |
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chorus. Which is something I remarked upon with Aphelion. As
was the cheesy ballad syndrome. I still don't understand why
bands think the ballad is still relevant in today's music and
Whale Rider is as abhorrent a cheesefest as you could ever
imagine. It really is a horrible song, and thankfully, the
only blight on this record. Although the overblown pomp of the
six part, Myearthdream is so over the top, that I have to
applaud the bands audacity in creating such a smorgasbord of
cheese for its listeners to feast upon. Those with a love for
Power Metal and symphonic female fronted Metal, will no doubt
lap this up.
www.edenbridge.org |
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Everon - North
(Mascot Records) review by Sam Thomas |
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Everon are (allegedly) one of Germany’s main prog rock bands
(call me ignorant, but I can’t think of a huge list for
comparison purposes), who have apparently taken six years to
produce their latest album, “North”. And it just gets better…
Apparently, songwriter Oliver Philipps retired to the North
Sea coast of Holland for five weeks in winter 2005 (the only
surprise being that he didn’t slit his wrists, and that the
album isn’t called “Bleak”). As if that wasn’t enough, he then
went back a year later to a Dutch island to finish the lyrics.
The artwork is very reflective of this writing process:
sepia-toned pictures of ancient vessels, complete with
icebergs on every page. |
After this introduction, you would naturally expect to find
that the music would be rather dour, possibly Katatonia style
misery with a Germanic heaviness. Wrong again! It’s actually
some of the most catchy, upbeat prog that I’ve ever heard in
my life. Normally, it takes several listens for an album to
imprint itself on my brain: with this album I was happily
humming along to it the second time that I heard it. I
particularly liked the lyrics, which were quite clearly
autobiographical at points, and always thoughtfully written.
This is especially true of “South of London”, which on the
surface is a pretty little tune, meandering harmlessly along,
but, when you listen carefully, is in fact a scathing
indictment of George Bush and his War on Terror.
Musically, this is prog, but catchy prog, without the
overblown passages that can lead to boredom. The
aforementioned Oliver Philipps is responsible for vocals,
piano, keyboard and guitars with the other three band members
getting a look in on drums, guitar and bass. Strange
instrument of the piece award goes to the cello on the fourth
track, and wussy waste of time goes to penultimate track
“Islanders”. Then again, maybe you need one weak track to
emphasise how good the rest of this album is. The extremely
faint foreign accent only adds to the appeal of this release,
making every pronouncement sound very serious and considered.
Overall, this CD is not at all what I expected from the
packaging and the press release – it will definitely be
featuring on my “Best of 2008” list. Catchy, well-written and
beautifully performed prog – it really doesn’t get much better
than this.
www.everon.de |
www.mascotrecords.com |
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Forever Slave - Tales For
Bad Girls (Wacken Records) Review by Steve Green |
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Despite being a fan of (1st album) Evanescence, (pre-Karmacode)
Lacuna Coil, and various other female fronted bands, this
one's maybe a little too commercial for my tastes. Although
with saying that, I don't really have a bad word for this
album. Front woman, Lady Angellyca has, at times, a very
beautiful voice. I can't really nail who she sounds like, but
I'd say it's a mixture of Liv Kristine, Sharon den Adel and
maybe Amy Lee. I guess it's the more commercial aspects of the
music that don't quite win me over, mainly as I've heard it
all before. The songs themselves are definitely geared for the
kiddie crowd, as I hear a lot of similarities with Within
Temptation's latest material, and of course, Evanescence. And
it's |
actually, for what it is, very good indeed. Electronic touches
and male backing vocals are used to good effect and they've
actually taken the time to write about serious subjects,
rather than the throwaway shit my teenage daughter normally
listens to. Forever Slave tackle AIDS, sexuality, forbidden
fruits as well as harsher subjects such as the mistreatment of
women. So at least this album has a degree of sophistication,
which goes someway to make up for the bands lack of
originality in the song writing department. I'd recommend this
to fans of modern day Within Temptation and Lacuna Coil, as
well as the more mainstream Evanescence.
www.foreverslave.com |
www.myspace.com/foreverslavemusic |
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Hollenthon - Opus Magnum
(Napalm Records) Review by Marco Gaminara |
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From the opening bars of this amazing album, with its
orchestral brass attack and choral on "On The Wings Of A Dove"
to the fading out of "Misterium Babel", there is absolutely
nothing on this album not to immediately be moved by. "To
Fabled Lands" is a bit like a very angry Therion, with the
full choir complementing Martin Schirenc's gruff vocals and
making them appear even angrier. Martin Schirenc and Martin
Arzberger's guitars battle melodically to the counterpoints of
Mike Gröger's drums and Gregor Marboe's bass on "Son Of
Perdition", which moves along so beautifully one might think
it a ballet, and Elena Schirenc's female vocals are haunting
to say the least. Check out the vid if you don't believe |
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me:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNi1oLlG2Hw Putting the classical
overtones to the background on "Ars Moriendi", works really
well, as the song just gets a far more metallic edge to it
that way, and the lead solo doesn't have to compete against
other stringed instruments, but it does against a soprano.
Carrying on with chunky guitars accompanied by Middle Eastern
instruments on "Once We Were Kings" bring to mind epic desert
battles in ancient Persia, in a similar way that Septic Flesh
manage. Actually I think comparing these guys to Therion and
Septic Flesh is about as much of a complement as I can give
them, as I adore both those bands and these guys shall
certainly become a fond favourite very quickly. "Of Splendid
Worlds" moves along to crashing cymbals and brass, over a
steady drum beat and driving guitars. Slowing everything down
to balladic proportions on "Dying Embers" allows you to be
sucked in and have your head ripped off when it gets into full
swing with blasted drums and crushing guitars. The final epic
track is "Misterium Babel" which is 8 and a half minutes long
and moves from Arabian vocal melodies, to moody clean vocals,
to caustic growled ones, and then mixing them around to
prevent a pattern from emerging. The music follows a similar
pattern of airy and light to dark and foreboding, and
exquisitely done at that. And now that Pungent Stench has
split and this is a full time band rather than a project, I
certainly hope to get a lot more releases from them.
www.hollenthon.com |
www.napalmrecords.com |
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Klone - All Seeing Eye
(Season of Mist) Review by Metal Mark |
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It’s obvious from the start that no matter how much else they
add, French band Klone are a metalcore band at their root.
Quite honestly they are a fairly average one at that, but they
do try to get beyond that to a point. They try to spice things
up occasionally with saxophones, chimes and other instruments
to add some well needed layers to their somewhat clunky
approach. Also, once they get in the album a ways, they begin
to add more styles of music including thrash, doom and as
others. I admire the attempt, yet for the most part, this just
serves as a distraction more than an enhancement. The dark
feel to their |
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album helps, but the styles and sounds all too often come
across as awkward more than anything else. Klone are trying
hard to be diverse, but it’s as if nothing quite meshes
together enough to work. They are also not really chaotic
enough to completely create the mood I think they were hoping
for. It’s like someone pushed a bowl bland mush in front of me
and no matter how matter interesting condiments I squeeze onto
it, it still comes across as being overall bland. |
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Seven Tears - In Every
Frozen Tear (Locomotive Records) By: Joe Florez |
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From Sweden comes a new act with a debut offering. I am a huge
AOR fan and this disc gives it everything they got. “Twist Of
Fate” is a perfect blend of melodic mid pacing, riffs , groove
and rhythm along with killer harmony vocals. Lead vocalist
Zoran has a voice that is smooth yet has a bit of grit to it.
This track is catchy as hell with licks that will remain in
your head for a while. Great solos are inserted here too.
“Faded Memory” has a very 80’s feel which many will say in
other words is “dated”, but it’s more modern than you think.
This is a synth heavy song, but it’s accented in all the right
places. What I like about ST is that while most of the songs
are light and fluffy, they do manage to add a little bit of
oomph to |
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their compositions be it in the guitar licks or sometimes
heavy drumming. “Hollow Ground” is proof positive. As always,
you have to throw in a ballad or two and “All Alone” is on tap
here. There is no new ground to be tapped into here, but it’s
fun. This specific genre is on the rise again despite it being
more of an underground thing this time around and not getting
as much exposure as in the 80’s. Sure, some of the music here
is a bit cheesy, but if you take it in stride it’s all in good
fun. The one thing I would change in the band is the length of
the songs. In reality, an hour of this can bog you down after
a while and lose it’s appeal. 45 Minutes would be more than
suffice and the average song length for this genre should be
in the three and a half to four minute mark…max! Other than
that, this is a fun journey to be on. I can’t wait for them to
trim the fat off the next record and deliver something equally
as good as this, if not better. Cheers.
www.locomotiverecords.com |
www.seventears.se |
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Trigger The Bloodshed -
Purgation (Rising Records) By: Dave Schalek |
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A band name consisting of three words these days immediately
screams, “Metalcore!” Luckily, that’s not the case with Great
Britain’s Trigger The Bloodshed, a four-piece issuing their
debut full-length, entitled “Purgation”, on Rising Records.
Consisting mostly of a brutal death metal base with a few nods
to grindcore with short songs and some high pitched screams,
Trigger The Bloodshed relies heavily on all out blasts, fast
riffing, and guttural vocals. The odd breakdown or two makes a
periodic appearance, but, for the most part, metalcore is
thankfully absent.
Considering that Trigger The Bloodshed have been together for
less than a year and whose |
prior output consists merely of a three song single (all of
which appear on “Purgation”), “Purgation” is a vicious beast,
indeed, with a bottom heavy production that flattens the
listener. The album’s 17 short tracks blow by quickly as you
scratch your head (what’s left of it), and wonder what the
Hell happened.
Naturally, this sort of album is mostly right up my alley, but
I do find some fault with “Purgation”. To some degree, the
albums suffers from a bit of sameness, as many of the short
tracks all blend together and tend to sound the same. In
addition, although powerful, the drums are a bit hollow and
definitely sound triggered and mechanized (I’m reminded
somewhat of “Dissimulate”). This lack of an organic quality to
the drumming detracts from the blasts.
However, these quibbles are minor and are, undoubtedly, the
product of a band that’s only been together for a short time.
In short, “Purgation” is a promising debut.
www.risingrecords.org |
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Warmaster - First War
(Dutch Metal Records) By: Dave Schalek |
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Damnit, yet another album thrown my way that I really want to
like! Dutch band Warmaster’s debut full-length, “First War” on
Dutch Metal Records, is so obviously up my alley from the
first glance that I was really looking forward to hearing the
album. Immediately obvious as a death metal band performing
the simple, slower style of Bolt Thrower, Six Feet Under, and
Obituary, I really wanted to hear another great band in this
niche genre that appeals so very well to the old school death
metal nutcase that resides in all of us.
All of the signature elements of the genre are expected and
present in spades. Mostly |
coming across as a Six Feet Under clone, Warmaster hits all of
the simple riffs, mid-paced tempo, and Chris Barnes- carbon
copy vocals that you would immediately look for in a band
treading through this genre. But, damnit, two things are
sorely lacking here on the debut full-length. First, the
production is just not quite up to par. Sheer power is almost
everything in this genre, and the production just lacks to an
ever so slight degree that necessary heft and flattening
crunch that bands such as Obituary and Bolt Thrower have
perfected.
In addition to a slight lack in power, the songwriting is just
not all that great either. Considering the relative simplicity
of the genre, catchy riffs are an absolute must to draw in the
listener, and Warmaster is just, once again, not quite up to
par to noticeably begin to compete with the aforementioned
giants, let alone some noted clones such as Finland’s Torture
Killer.
Still, there’s a lot of potential for growth here and I would
fully expect Warmaster to rise to the challenges I’ve put
forth with an increased studio budget, perhaps, and greater
devotion to the writing of riffs. Overall, not a bad debut,
but Warmaster has some maturing to do.
www.warmaster.nl |
www.dutchmetalrecords.com |
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Your Highness Electric -
The Grand Hooded Phantom (Longhair Illuminati)
Review by Metal Mark |
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If
you grabbed a hold of a big old handful of Black Sabbath style
sludge, threw in some Led Zeppelin grooves then you would have
a strong foundation. Let's say you took that foundation and
then had the original Alice Cooper band arrange it in their
oddly brilliant manner and then push in some early 80's style
punk vocals and attitude. Okay, now you really have a whole
mess of styles that sound as good working with each other as
they do when working against one another. Just take all that,
shake it up and set it on it's side and you might begin to
have an idea of what this CD sounds like. It's like they take
chips from different genres and then kind of rotate around
using bits of each in equal doses without |
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over or under using any of them. It doesn't matter so much
whether it's metal, stoner rock or punk because what matters
is the album works and oh, it probably it is all of the above
if you feel the need to have a label slapped on it. Now, it's
not exactly perfect though I am afraid. I know this band would
hate me for saying so, but there were definite moments when
these guys sounded like a less hip version of Wolfmother. Now
I like Wolfmother alright, but I think that Your Highness
touch on being a little more accessible than maybe they were
hoping to. The other thing is I think they could open up and
be a little crazier, it was like they seem to start to go a
little wild and then they would reel it back. That's not to
say they are predictable, but I think they could both handle
and benefit from being a tad more unpredictable. Those are my
minor complaints though because this is really a very
intriguing album that does a lot and makes it all look rather
easy.
www.myspace.com/yourhighness |
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