|
|
|
|
|
Eureka - Shackleton’s Voyage
(Inside Out)
By: Joe Florez |
 |
This is a prog rock project put together by German multi
instrumentalist Frank Bossert. He handles the guitars,
singing and bass. Little did I know was that this band was
constructed back in 1997 and this is his fourth outing.
Joining him for the ride on this journey is Billy Sherwood
who sang with Yes. More on that later. This is a true life
concept story about Sir Ernest Shackleton and his journey to
cross the Antarctica via boat, and a large one at that,
between 1914 and 1916. The disc opens up with a narrator
explaining what’s about to come for the next hour. After
that, we are treated to a heavily synth intro that sounds
very new age. “Departure” is something that belongs on a
Yanni CD. There is some bass |
action, guitar work and drumming, but it’s rather tranquil.
Some of the Celtic influences with the bagpipes are
showcased here. After three minutes of the intro, we are
treated to the first song featuring Billy Sherwood. “The
Challenge” is a peaceful song that’s got a very mature and
sophisticated tone. What comes to mind is Yes and Genesis
without all the heaviness that they once possessed. The
guitars performed on here are not riffs, but melodies.
They’re soft and delicate. After back to back interludes,
which happens quite often on this disc, filled with more synths, moog’s and tribal drumming, we
strike gold of sorts with the progressive rock tune of
“Going Home” which hits all of the notes nicely. You get
some rich bass pluckings, sensitive yet progressive drumming
and Billy Sherwood once again at the mic. This definitely
has a Genesis meets Yes vibe. Very entrancing thanks to the
synths once again. The heaviest track on here doesn’t occur
till basically near the end with ‘In Search Of Relief.” It
starts off soft, but picks up steam soon enough and bounces
back and forth.
This disc took me at least three listens
before I understood it for the most part. I hated it in the
beginning, but warmed up to it the second time around. This
is a very ambitious project that’s perhaps a little too
sophisticated even for the true prog rockophile. It’s not
something you can pop in at any given moment and enjoy. This
is a really dreamy like record where you will want to just
pass out once you pop it in. It’s rich in sound, but very
gentle with not a lot of heavy hitting moments like complex
drumming or ambidextrous finger work on the guitars. The
music is rather consistent in terms of pacing with some dips
and valley’s along the way on this voyage. Even for the
biggest die-hard fan of the genre, I would approach with
caution. www.insideout.de
| www.eureka-music.de |
| |
|
Forest Stream - The Crown Of Winter
(Candlelight) Review by Steve Green |
 |
I'm pretty sure I have Forest Stream's Tears of Mortal Solitude 2003 debut
somewhere amongst my ridiculous stash of promo cds and from my memory of
that 1st album, this a much more happy affair.
For a lot of the time, the album is very chilled out and full of calming
melodies, but Forest Stream like to mix things up and venture into the
realms of Death/Doom and as well as more symphonic territories. Imagine
if you will, Katatonia mixing it up with a melodic Death/Doom band with
a few Dimmu Borgir elements thrown in for good measure, but without the
misery normally inflicted by Jonas Renkse.
With the majority of the tracks clocking in at around the nine minute
mark, the album is not |
|
recommended to the casual listener who wants a quick fix of
Metal. Forest Stream constantly move from one style to the
next and you never know which direction they are going to
take next, but the end result is very satisfying, with a
surprising natural flow.
www.forest-stream.com
|
| |
|
Geff - Land of the Free
(Metal Heaven) Review by Dave Baynham |
 |
This is the debut from Swedish melodic hard rock band Geff.
Most of the band members are familiar, having worked with
Yngwie Malmsteen, Hammerfall and Brazen Abbot among others.
However it is the one newcomer, guitarist Ralf Jedestedt,
who is the centre of gravity around which the band works.
That doesn’t mean this is all guitar solos. As a whole it is
well crafted songs, written around great licks. The overall
feel is often that of late Deep Purple, sometimes soulful,
sometimes bluesy, but always rocking. There is the
occasional foray into Malmsteen territory, such as the
uptempo title track, which has a great duel between the
guitar & keyboards. Most of the albums keyboards are handled |
brilliantly by Mats Olausson, on top of which there is also
one solo contributed by Jens Johansson. The classic,
slightly funk tinged, hard rock groove of the album is
helped a lot by the vocal performance of Goran Edman. While
he sometimes comes across like Glen Hughes & occasionally
Doug Pinnick, throughout the whole album his vocals are
delivered in just the way each track needs. Despite being a
group of people known for playing in other outfits, this
album feels like a band having fun together, playing classic
hard rock. If you like music that grooves without having to
show off too much and is based around the song this is for
you.
www.goranedman.net
| www.metalheaven.net
|
| |
|
Infinite Missiles / Talk Sick Earth -
Split cd (Rusty Axe) Review by Steve Green |
 |
I can never understand while the split cd isn't more popular. Most albums
are too long these days, so why not give each band half the time of the
cd and the listener gets 2 bands for the price of 1. Well, as long as
both bands are actually any good.
First up with we have Illinois based retro Thrashers Infinite Missiles.
Banging out their 9 tracks in double quick time, they remind me of a
Jello Biafra fronted Suicidal Tendencies, covering SOD songs. It's old
school all the way, including the production, which sounds very 80s, but
in a good way and a song about Freddy Krueger, which I remember a
certain Billy Milano fronted band doing way back in 1985. |
The 2nd half of the split is taken up by Jacksonville, Florida's Talk
Sick Earth, who veer more towards the Crossover / Hardcore side of
things, with, to me at least, a nod towards the skater sound of early
Suicidal Tendencies circa, Institutionalized and I Saw Your Mommy. And
while the production isn't the greatest, the energy levels more than
make up for this. Again, everything is banged out in double quick time
and the whole cd features 21 songs in about 33 minutes.
This is a short, sharp blast in old school fun and it took me back about
25 years, so thanks to both bands for reawakening a few old memories.
www.rustyaxerecords.com |
www.myspace.com/infinitemissiles |
www.myspace.com/talksickearth13
|
| |
|
Lay Down Rotten - Gospel Of The Wretched
(Metal Blade) Review by
James Davison |
 |
Gospel of the Wretched starts rather worryingly. You
wouldn't be singled out for thinking it was earmarked for
the next Domino's advert! Why? Well, among the melodic
brutality of these heavy-hitters is a heavy dose of cheese.
The first track would have you tucking into the latest,
cheese topped audio pizza pie! Which is not always a bad
thing, and is somewhat enjoyable in this instance. However
we all know too much cheese induces bad dreams!
It does improve as the album progresses, and the cheese is
quite slowly replaced with some quite impressive riffs, at
alternating tempo. Lay Down Rotten seem to have made a |
rather moody and miserable slab of death metal, which
although relatively heavy, is also easily quaffable and
melodic. As you devour the track list, you realise your air
guitar has been out for 5 minutes, without you even noticing
and your head has been taken over! “Hours of Infinity” was
the point this happened for me - completely and utterly
depressing and energetic at the same time. It has a similar
sound to the kings that are Amon Amarth, but with more
direction changes and grittier vocals. Suffice to say I was
still undecided at this point. I liked it and there was no
denying that, I just didn’t know why. They don't do anything
particularly stand-out and their music isn't going to blow
anyone away in terms of musical ingenuity, but it is still
catchy enough to hold onto your lobes. Quite handy really
otherwise I may have missed “Beyond Damnation!”. This is an
absolute cracker! Dark, heavy, simple, direct and expertly
satisfying. The similarities with Amon Amarth are present
throughout and maybe this could be the reason I stayed along
for the ride!
I think the best way to describe this album would be to call
it a half price 'Fate of Norns'. Not as good, but we all
love a sale don't we?
www.metalblade.com/uk/content.php |
| |
|
Leaves' Eyes - My Destiny
(Napalm)
Review by Steve Green |
 |
As a precursor to their new Njord album, we have this 6 track EP, My
Destiny, from one of my favourite bands of the past 5 years Leaves'
Eyes. The lead track, My Destiny, actually sounds like it was conceived
at the time of the Atrocity, Werk 80 II recording sessions, but with the
classic Leaves' Eyes sound taking centre stage. The Battle of Maldon
isn't on the new album and is worth the price of this EP alone. Liv
Kristine sounds as amazing as ever and her delicate tones are a perfect
foil for Alexander Krull's more tortured growl. A filler, this song most
definitely isn't. An acoustic version of the traditional classic (made
famous by Simon and Garfunkel) Scarborough Fair is next and it's
stunning.
|
The new album will feature the full plugged in version of
the song, but I doubt it'll be as good as this version as it
fits the Leaves' Eyes sound perfectly.
Northbound, which also features on the new album doesn't quite fit in
sandwiched between Scarborough Fair and non-album track, Nine Wave
Maidens, with the latter possessing a medieval feel, which compliments
the folky feel of the earlier cover version. Which just leaves a remixed
version of lead track My Destiny, which to be honest, is just filler,
but it's still a value for money EP which is an essential purchase for
all fans of the band.
www.napalmrecords.com |
| |
|
Liturgy - Renihilation
(20 Buck Spin Records)
By: Dave Schalek |
 |
Not to be confused with the brutal death metal band from
Chicago with the same name, Liturgy are a Brooklyn-based
quartet playing a version of black metal without any of the
usual genre aesthetics. “Renihilation” is Liturgy’s debut
full-length, released on 20 Buck Spin Records, and sort of
comes across as a blackened version of nihilistic grindcore
as most of the album is a whirlwind of a blur. Fast, simple
chord progressions with production emphasis placed upon the
loud guitars, lightning fast blasts with occasional
punctuated snare hits, and incoherent screaming typify the
music on “Renihilation”. This sort of approach to black
metal seems to work best as a means of lulling the listener
into sort of a |
trance complete with navel contemplation. Adding to the mix
are a few slower parts with some chunky riffing that periodically make appearances, but are not
nearly as effective, or as interesting, as the blackened
grind that repeatedly wears you down. An atmospheric track
or two are tossed in for good measure, as well.
I’m somewhat reminded of Wolves In The Throne Room by
Liturgy, with a grinding approach to the music as well as a
lack of genre aesthetics. For example, Liturgy astride the
stage for shows in basically summertime street clothes,
sport haircuts that veer dangerously close to emo territory,
and have no obvious connections to black metal whatsoever.
However, unlike WITTR, Liturgy’s music is rather basic and,
although quite promising, is not nearly as mature, or as
layered. I did find Liturgy to be intriguing, though, and
the band, along with acts like Krallice, may become an
integral part of the newer wave of USBM (did I just coin a
new sub-genre?). Recommended.
www.myspace.com/liturgynybm
|
www.20buckspin.com |
| |
|
Longing For Dawn - Between Elation
And Despair (Grau Music) Review by Steve Green |
 |
This is album number 3 for Canadians Longing For Dawn and its 4 tracks are
set over a sprawling 52 minute duration. The music of choice is
Atmospheric Doom and they do both parts of their chosen genre very well
indeed. The whole atmosphere of the album is a cross between, scary as
hell (it could easily be the soundtrack of a horror film) and of a
stark, cold, beauty. So maybe the backdrop to a snow covered forest
would be an apt way of describing how the atmosphere of the album feels
to me and what images it conjures up. Musically, this is ultra slow
Funereal Doom with growled, tortured vocals and is, as you'd expect,
utterly miserable. The balance between the music and the often
minimalist |
atmospherics is just about right. No part overstays its
welcome, and considering a couple of the songs clock in at
about 15 minutes, the time just seems to fly by, which is
kind of perverse considering the utterly slow pace of each
song.
So this is obviously one for all the miserablists out there and also one
for those who like a bit of brooding atmospherics. I fall into both
camps, so it definitely gets my seal of approval.
www.grau.cd
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
