Despite an enticing opening few minutes, their debut album ‘Buried In Hell’ wanders along with no real direction. While they constantly slow down to a more groove-oriented speed, there is little actual groove or melody to be found. Instead, most of the tracks are collections of lacklustre thrash riffs slowed down until they have no real impact on the listener. The mix doesn’t exactly help in that area either. It’s hangs around in the neutral middle-ground between dirty thrash and polished groove, burying the riffs a bit too much behind the decent drum sound.

The only aspect of the album that really stands out to me is the vocals. Josh Smith is a dead ringer for the oh-so awesome Testament vocalist Chuck Billy, both in the ‘Low’ era deep growl and the earlier, higher thrash style. The power in Smith’s voice is huge, and he absolutely dominates the other instruments. There are a couple of great choruses too (see opener “Severed Thoughts” in particular), which serve as some of the only remarkable melodies on the album.

Despite all of that, ‘Buried In Hell’ isn’t necessarily a bad album, it’s just bland. The songs are decently structured, and there aren’t any horrible transitions or any of the other mistakes that often plague debut albums. But nor is there anything that really gives Maniacal any sort of identity or attitude. Maybe it will come with time, this is only their debut album after all, but until it does, there isn’t much worth listening to here. 5/10

Band: Maniacal
Album: Buried in Hell
Year: 2009
Genre: Thrash
Origin: South Australia
Label: Independent
http://www.myspace.com/maniacalportpirie

Tracklisting:
1. Severed Thoughts
2. Live Or Decay
3. Drowning Yourself In Blood
4. Suffocated
5. Hypnotic Fear
6. Feed the Darkness
7. Whore
8. Broken From Death
9. Buried in Hell

Before I heard this album, I was reading reviews and every one of them was hailing this as a masterpiece. Being familiar with their earlier work and knowing that when treat is good, they are VERY good, I knew I had to track down a copy of this album, hear it for myself, and make up my own mind about it.

Really, the name says it all. This album is a “treat” from star to finish. Very rarely does a disc come along in the melodic rock / AOR genre that is all killer from start to finish, but this is exactly what Treat have done with this release after 18 long years away from the scene. In my opinion 18 years may be a long, long, long time, but “Coup De Grace” is definitely worth the wait (take note Axl).

As a bit of a background for those who may be unfamiliar with Treat, they play some of the finest melodic hard rock you are ever likely to hear. After a decent debut in “Scratch and Bite”, they released one of the genres finest (and most underrated) albums “The Pleasure Principle” in 1986. All of sudden the Swedish bands star was set to explode when a relatively little known band released an album / song called “The Final Countdown” thus rendering any momentum any other Swedish band had that time null and void. Despite releasing classics like “Dreamhunter” (1987) and “Organized Crime” (1989) the band never really got the recognition they deserved despite being so much more interesting and superior to many of their contemporaries. In terms of style, if you like your melodic rock with huge chorus’, catchy riffs, and songs that are going to lodge themselves in your head long after the cd is finished….then you are going to love Treat and “Coup De Grace” in particular.

Every track on this album is fantastic and offers something a little different to the rest of the album. “Coup De Grace” sees the band take a heavy approach (Roar) at one moment and then shift gear to lighter AOR moments the next (We Own the Night). At the same time we get to experience some of the very best straight-ahead rockers (Skies Of Mongolia) to ballads that would make Jon Bon Jovi and Jani Lane hang up the boots (A Life To Die For).

A track-by-track run down of this album is useless as every track on offer here is a sure fire winner. However special mention has to be made of a few of the songs we are “treated” to.

Skies Of Mongolia – At this point of the year, if I was to pick a “song of the year”. This would be it. This is as “experimental” as Treat get on this disc. The guitars take on an almost progressive approach with the song itself taking on a very eastern feel overall. As soon as the very present yet understated keyboards kick in as a prelude to the vocals you can tell this track is going to be an absolute monster of a song. Think “Out Of This World” era-Europe mixed with keyboards you’d hear on a Nightwish album and you may be part way to discovering the masterpiece at hand. If Treat wrote every song like this (and not many are far off from being on the same level on this disc) then surely they’d pick up a whole new generation of fans and would be hailed the masters of melodic rock. Enough babbling, this song is worth the price of the cd alone, just the fact that there are at least 7 other tracks that are just as good is a bonus.

Paper Tiger –This song is so overwhelming that it actually challenges your senses, pounding drums and smashing guitars compliment each other perfectly and build up the biggest chorus this side of “The Final Countdown”. This thing MUST be heard to be believed. The lyrical content of this song is remarkably upbeat and sends a very good message about not letting others hold you back or get to you because most of the time it’s just jealousy. This adds to the overall impact of the song. On a disc that commands to be listened to from start to finish without skipping a track, this is the one song I would pick to listen to a few times before (hesitantly) letting the cd continue. Music in this genre doesn’t get much better than this.

A Life To Die For – As soon as I heard the piano intro and acoustic guitar, I knew exactly where this was going to go. Take the best ballads Europe, Bon Jovi, Gotthard, Warrant, etc have ever come up with and multiply the result by 10. This song brings back memories of everything we all loved about power ballads (even if we are in denial about it). This song has a very Scorpions feel to it in the way they approach their ballads, but better. With huge a chorus, big backing vocals, brilliant vocal lines, melodic guitar solos, this is everything that a power ballad should be and then some. Tip for the guitar players out there, learn to play this on an acoustic and you’ll have that special someone roped in hook, line, and sinker. If you like this, then check out “We Won The Night” for some more melodic rock / AOR gold.

No Way Without You – Probably one of the more up-tempo songs. This song recalls the best of “Dr Feelgood” era Motley Crue and mixed it with some of the finest work of Gotthard. It also contains yet another fantastic chorus with a very anthemic feel to it. This is a downright fun song to listen to and is placed perfectly on the album with the preceding 10 tracks being outstanding and taking the listener through a myriad of emotions, its good to take a step back and just hear this track…though it is just as masterful as the rest of the disc.

I could go on and preach how great each track on this album is, but when all is said and done this is an album that people really MUST listen to from start to finish if you have any interest in melodic hard rock or some AOR.

“Coup De Grace” touches on some very relevant lyrical topics as well with politics, war, in-fighting, and standing up for your beliefs all touched upon at some stage. The musicianship on this disc is simply amazing and everything blends together so well that you can’t help but be drawn into the album as a whole. This is bought out even further by the best production I have heard on a melodic hard rock disc in quite some time where each part of the song and instrument is allowed it’s own space to breathe without getting lost in the mix or becoming muddy.

The only downside to this album is that it is relatively hard to find as it didn’t really get the local distribution here in Australia that it deserves. To that end I highly recommend a store like Realm Of Kaos in Melbourne if you want to track this disc down.

Really not enough good can be said about this album from me. Perhaps the highest acclaim I can give it is that is streaks ahead in my own “Album Of The Year” poll so far and is going to take some beating to be knocked off that perch. I sincerely hope that metalobsession.com readers give this disc a chance too and make up their own minds about it. For me however, this is as close to a perfect disc as I could find this year. 10/10

Band: Treat
Album: Coup De Grace
Year: 2010
Genre: Melodic hard Rock
Origin: Sweden
Label: Frontiers Records/Riot!
http://www.treatnews.com/

Tracklisting:
1. “Prelude – Coup de Grace”
2. “The War Is Over”
3. “All In”
4. “Paper Tiger”
5. “Roar”
6. “A Life To Die For”
7. “Tangled Up”
8. “Skies of Mongolia”
9. “Heaven Can Wait”
10. “I’m Not Runnin’”
11. “No Way Without You”
12. “We Own The Night”
13. “All For Love”
14. “Breathless”

Reviewed by Nick Tevelis

———————————————-

The older metal heads and rockers out there may well remember a Swedish band going by the name of Treat from the 80s, when hair metal was at it’s climatic point of glory, and the grunge revolution was still only an idea formulated in garages around Seattle. The younger crew may have heard of Treat from more recent times, after they reunited in 2006 with their comeback album Weapons of Choice, having broken up in 1993. It’s not an easy thing for a band to rise up from the ashes of their own glory and try to reach that high point again, and given the current trends in metal, it would be wrong to suggest that Treat can do that. But I was surprised at how damn close the band have come with their new album Coup De Grace.

Given the title and artwork, I was expecting a concept album concerning itself with the art of war, and the opening intro did little to make me believe otherwise. Quotes and speeches from modern history have been clipped together with an epic orchestral background, with inclusions from Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King and various radio presenters reporting on the wars and tragedies of the past century. But the concept goes no further than this, and a lot of the other tracks on the album are more reminiscent of hair metal’s glory days, concerning rock, girls and love.

Whilst the band have retained their hair metal attitude, the sound has been merged with European melodic rock that reminds me of bands such as Gotthard, whilst the obvious influences such as Motley Crue and WASP are there.Roar and We Own the Night are two of the greater highlights of the album. The previous is a provocative song with powerful lyrics that shout “Ready to Roar!“, whilst the latter is not so hard rocking, but it has a fast paced rhythm and some beautiful, graceful guitar overlying it.

It wouldn’t be a Treat album without some beautiful acoustic ballads, and A Life to Die For fulfils this well, with some well placed lead guitar weaving it’s way amongst the acoustic guitar making it even more enchanting. My only real dispute with the album is that I was hoping for a conclusion as strong as the introduction, but the final trackBreathless didn’t come close to fulfilling that hope.

This isn’t the album that will herald the return to the glory days of hair metal, but it does prove that it can still kick arse in a metal environment very different to that of the 80s. This album lives up to its name as being a Coup de Grace. Buggered if I know what it translates to, but the album is gracefully pulled off with stylish precision. 8/10

Reviewed by Steven Inglis

Admittedly, most of that is thanks to the keyboards. They’re the ultimate factor boosting this band above being just an ordinary modern metal band. From start to finish, they are used impeccably to give each track a completely different mood than it would without them; alternating between the lead instrument and atmospheric backing. There are times where it’s got that holy, epic feel of power metal, times where it’s going for a more electronic post-hardcore sound, and times when it heads for a more classically influenced feel, ala Fleshgod Apocalypse. More often than not, you’ll find all of those variations within each individual track.

Now I’m not saying that the other instruments are completely lacking. There are some great solos and riffs throughout the 53 minute album, and some well-used acoustic guitars. The drums are often nice and varied, constantly changing and flowing with the rest of the music rather than just creating a solid backing behind everything else. But it’s hard to imagine the music having any real depth or feel without those keys.

As far as the highlight goes, “Rains Ablaze” grabbed me on first listen and is still easily my choice. There is some truly creative writing involved, with little nuances creating a really interesting track, and a main keyboard melody that’s utterly unforgettable. “Brother of War” sounds huge with its slower pace thickened nicely by a generally epic atmosphere. There are a couple of instrumental interludes that aren’t anything great on their own, but work well when listening to the whole album, and the 11 minute title track that closes the album certainly isn’t half bad either.

‘Where Loyalties Lie’ is an interesting album where even the blandest sections are boosted by those keyboards (which I clearly haven’t mentioned enough already), and one which is likely to have an audience of half metalheads and half hardcore kiddies. Whichever you are, give this a shot. 7/10

Band: Satoria
Album: Where Loyalties Lie
Year: 2010
Genre: Melodic death metal
Origin: Adelaide, Australia
Label: Independent
http://www.myspace.com/satoria

Tracklisting:
1. Burrows
2. Rains Ablaze <- Reviewers choice
3. At the Feet of Giants
4. Insurrection
5. Brother War
6. Flock
7. Godspeed
8. Slumbers
9. Where Loyalties Lie

Mnemic have always seemed to be a band that had some promise, but never quite got there. Their interesting form of groovy industrial metal has always had a lot of potential, and many times they get there and nail a really good song, but throughout their career they have always seemed to drop the ball and fall short of creating a great album. In short, Sons of the System (2010) is another such album. For those unfamiliar with the band, musically speaking, Mnemic kind of sound like what Meshuggah might have if they hadn’t decided to be insanely technical, primarily due to the pounding 7-string chug-heavy riffs. Add in the entertainingly diverse vocals and you have kind of a hybrid between Mudvayne and Meshuggah. Sons of the System is the fourth album by the Danish outfit, and the second to feature vocalist Guillaume Bideau after the much-mourned loss of star singer Michael Bøgballe.

Upon first listening through Sons of the System it seemed that Mnemic had finally got the formula right, for the first several tracks were quite catchy. Unfortunately, by the album’s end it was clear that Mnemic had made half a good album. Indeed, this is precisely what seems to be the case: the first six songs of the album, from the thrashy introduction of the title track through to the close of the more morbid “March of the Tripods” provide some very quality metal. These tracks feature plenty of groovy riffs to bang your head to, some nice melodic feel courtesy of the keys and synths that successfully complement the sound rather than destroying it (as results from some industrial outfits) and a wide variety of both heavy and clean vocals. However from there the album rapidly falls downhill. The second half of the album seems to reflect exactly the sort of problems that have plagued Mnemic in the past: sung choruses that are irritatingly poppy, guitar riffs that just go nowhere, and long passages of bland metal. What’s worse is that these tracks, ranging from barely average to quite irritating, come after such a good run of songs, easily some of Mnemic’s best.

That being said, in all fairness the first half of the album had some good quality metal. The quasi-djent riffage of the band’s guitar duo ranges from thrashy to good mid-paced groove metal, plenty to keep the head moving, though their simplicity may fail to appeal to the technically-appreciative metalhead in the long term. It is in the vocal department however that Mnemic’s true strength has always lied. Former vocalist Michael Bøgballe (aka Brad Pitt- seriously, check out the video for “Door 2.12”) had an impressive vocal range, capable of a collection of high and low shrieks before moving seamlessly into sung choruses where he could easily hold his own against some of the best. His replacement first came on 2007’s Passenger in the form of Guillaume Bideau who clearly showed potential on many songs but unfortunately came off as poppy and cheesy on too many. Sons of the System showed a clear step forward in this regard,with Bideau actually sounding much more like his predecessor,to good effect,  with the powerful sung choruses often being the highlight of the songs, most notably on “Mnightmare”, “The Erasing” and “Climbing Towards Stars”- in fact these three are probably the highlights of the album.

However, despite some impressive vocal performances on a few good songs at the album’s start, there is no escaping what Sons of the System truly seems to be: half a good album. If you have liked Mnemic’s music in the past then their latest release is worth a look, but if not then half a good album is probably not worth your money. Understandably I hope, half a good album gets an obvious score. 5/10

Band: Mnemic
Album: Sons of the System
Year: 2010
Genre: Industrial Metal
Origin: Aalborg, Denmark
Label: Nuclear Blast/Riot! Entertainment
http://www.myspace.com/mnemic

Tracklisting:

1. Sons of the System
2. Diesel Uterus
3. Mnightmare <- Reviewer’s Choice
4. The Erasing
5. Climbing Towards Stars <- Reviewer’s Choice
6. March of the Tripods
7. Fate
8. Hero(in)
9. Elongated Sporadic Bursts
10. Within
11. Orbiting

Disciples of the Unseen

The album opens with a short instrumental entitled “Ars Almadel” which gives a pretty good indication of what the album contains as a whole- Middle-Eastern sounding voices ringing over similarly styled strings and tribal drumming before a very interesting drum beat takes over in concert with a pounding guitar riff. This gives way to the speedy introduction to the deliciously heavy “Angel Horned” that manages to maintain the band’s distinctive oriental atmosphere without sacrificing an ounce of brutality, as does most of the album. All through the album crushing riffs, most of them on the fast end of the spectrum, combine with interesting guitar leads often leading into very impressive guitar solos that are at once shred-happy and melodic, showing these guys have the talent to back up their creativity. Loudiy’s vocals also have a good range to them, weaving between a low roar strongly reminiscent of Nergal from Behemoth to a very strong, soaring baritone clean which he puts to good use through most of the songs on the album. Indeed, one of the album’s highlights would be “The Coronation of Seth” which predominantly features clean vocals but is a very powerful song nonetheless with some awesome guitar soloing to cap it off.

There are not a lot of significant negative things to say about this album, but there are a few little things. The main problem is that occasionally, only occasionally, the group becomes a bit preoccupied with its Middle Eastern sounds and forgets about the metal. While that might be alright for short periods of time it’s a bit annoying when an entire track, in this case “Iteru”, is spent that way. However, this is not a huge issue, but the integration of their distinct styles is something that can be bettered in later releases

For anyone looking for something very different to hit the death metal scene, or metal in general, Aeternam are well worth a look as they have a very different take on these ideas but sacrifice very little in the way of quality metal in order to achieve it. 8/10

Band: Aeternam
Album: Disciples of the Unseen
Year: 2010
Genre: Melodic Death/Progressive Metal
Origin: Quebec, Canada
Label: Metal Blade/Riot!
http://www.myspace.com/aeternammetal

Track Listing:

1. Ars Almadel
2. Angel Horned
3. Esoteric Formulae
4. The Coronation of Seth <- Reviewer’s Choice
5. Hamunaptra
6. Iteru
7. Goddess of Masr
8. Ouroboros
9. Circle in Flames
10. Through the Eyes of Ea <- Reviewer’s Choice

What is instantly apparent as opening track “To The World” crashes through the speakers, is that there is multiple elements that separate Nyvosus apart from most of the new breed of metal bands in the local and national (and even international) scene. Rather relying on the super brutality and technical coldness from the Deathcore genre or the overtly poppy choruses and clichéd breakdown worship of Metalcore scene, the band take the best of both worlds and leave the fat on the rehearsal room floor.

The songs feature plenty of complex riffs and hectic drum beats – there’s no doubting that – but Nyvosus’ ability to douse the guitar passages with subtle hooks and melodies is a talent far beyond their years. There is no point on this six-track EP were the songs feel overloaded with exaggerated complexities or dumb downed with pointless breakdowns or fast breaks.

While at the time the band was a full five piece, “The Rebirth” was recorded as a basic three piece, with guitar wizard Christian Hemingway handling all the guitar and bass tracks. Lyrically the songs are far from the most original, with themes of the downfall of man prevalent on many tracks, but do the job regardless. Frontman Bradley Hemingway’s vocal attack varies multiple times across the tracks, with low growls to high screams helping stop things becoming stale – his ‘hardcore’ yells, however, don’t really add anything to the songs or the band’s sound.

The almost-instrumental “Enigma” is Christian Hemingway’s shining moment with his hugely impressive licks encompassing swept guitar runs to tight, melodic harmonies and a delicate acoustic intro.

With the right break and some good luck, Nyvosus have the potential to make a serious dent in the Australian metal scene – and if this debut EP is any sign of things to come, one should definitely keep an eye firmly fixed upon this young band.

Band: Nyvosus
Album: The Rebirth
Year: 2010
Genre: Death Metal/Deathcore
Origin: Brisbane, Australia
Label: Self released
www.myspace.com/nyvosus

Track listing:

1. To The World <- reviewers choice
2. The Ode
3. Enigma <- reviewers choice
4. Execration
5. Wayward
6. The Rebirth <- reviewers choice

Comparisons can readily be made to their countrymen Unleashed as both found their beginnings in the infancy of the Swedish death metal scene, both have found their unique takes on death metal and both bands continue to release albums on their own terms regardless of what trends may come and go. (And yes, both bands have also had a couple of relative duds in that time as well!)

Album number nine was once again recorded, mixed, mastered and produced by guitarist/vocalist (and sole original member) Ola Lindgren at his studio, Studio Soulless, and it has resulted in a dirty, raw and primal sound that fits the band perfectly.

Most of the songs are four minute acts of violence though there are also a couple of lengthier songs such as “Dismembered Mind”, which features lyrics contributed by Dismember front man Matti Karki, and the title track which closes the album in convincing fashion.

It is reassuring to see that, even with the current resurgence in bands reverting to the original death metal sound that came out of Sweden in the early nineties such as Fatalist or Karnarium to name just a couple, Grave continue to be relevant and have something to offer despite being in existence for over twenty years.

If you like any of Grave’s previous works then there is little to fear here and, conversely, if this wasn’t the case then it is highly unlikely that the forty minutes of “Burial Ground” will change any views that have already been formed on their music but I doubt that the band would have it any other way.

Of course this kind of death metal is where I really discovered extreme music, their debut “Into The Grave” was one of the first CDs I ever bought, so I am probably not entirely unbiased here but what I said at the start of this review still stands, this is a typical Grave album from start to finish and that is really all that needs to be said. No frills, no surprises just pure death metal from one of the bands that helped create the style as we know it and still do it so very well. 8/10

Band: Grave
Album: Burial Ground
Year: 2010
Genre: Death Metal
Label: Regain/Riot! Entertainment
Origin: Sweden
www.myspace.com/gravespace

Track Listing:

1. Liberation
2. Semblance In Black
3. Dismembered Mind
4. Ridden With Belief
5. Conqueror
6. Outcast
7. Sexual Mutilation
8. Bloodtrail
9. Burial Ground

Helstar

Even though Helstar didn’t reach the dizzying heights of the band’s mentioned before, they did however reach a certain cult like status with the underground thrash metal movement. Thanks to their widely successful first four releases.

Rising from the Grave gives us a short, but very entertaining ride during the band’s time with Metal Blade records, which only lasted three records.  Even though this compilation doesn’t cover the first two releases Remnants of War and Burning Star, it does give us A Distant Thunder and Nosferatu in a lovely re-mastered, single packaging box set with all the bells and whistles included.

Also included in this neat little package is the revised live DVD edition of Twas the Night of a Hellish Xmas, which I unfortunately was unable to view for this review. The footage was recorded at the Backstage Club in Houston, Texas on December 25, 1989 and features original Helstar members James Rivera on vocals along with Larry Barragan and Jerry Abarca.

Most of the material included in this package is straight forward 1980’s speed metal. Its short, fast and at times a little repetitive, but well within the bearable limitations of my mind. There is a distinct elevation throughout the both albums which do mix up certain elements and separates Helstar’s material from many of the more well known speed metal act during that time period. Many commercial thrash metal acts stuck to a common formula, Helstar on the other hand mixed things up by creating a mishmash of influences from Anthrax, Exodus, Testament, Overkill and even Suicidal Tendencies into their fold. The final result is a whirl wind of tracks which will surely keep the most die hard thrash metal fans enthusiastic and content.

If your a fan of old school thrash with a distinct rough around the edges style, similar to that of early Testament and Mortal Sin, while offering a wide variety high pitch whaling and screams resembling that of early Anthrax and Suicidal Tendencies vocalists, Joey Belladonna and Mike Muir, then Rising from the Grave will surely win by default as it offers you a plethora of tracks for a cheap and reasonable price.  6.5/10

Band: Helstar
Album: Rising from the Grave
Year: 2010
Genre: Thrash/Speed Metal
Origin: USA
Label: Metal Blade
http://www.myspace.com/helstar

http://www.helstar.com

Tracklisting:

Disc 01
01. The King is Dead
02. Bitter End
03. Abandon Ship
04. Tyrrannicide
05. Scorcher
06. Genius of Insanity
07. (The) Whore of Babylon
08. Winds of War
09. He’s a Woman, She’s a Man

Disc 02
01. Rhapsody in Black
02. Baptized in Blood
03. To Sleep, Per Chance to Scream
04. Harker’s Tale (Mass of Death)
05. Perseverance and Desperation
06. The Curse has Passed Away
07. Benediction
08. Harsh Reality
09. Swirling Madness
10. Von Am Lebem Desto Strum
11. Aieliaria and Everonn

DVD – Twas The Night Of a Hellish Xmas
01. Swirling Madness
02. The King is Dead
03. Evil Reign
04. Abandon Ship
05. Baptized in Blood
06. To Sleep Per Chance to Scream
07. Harker’s Tale
08. The Cursed Has Passed Away
09. Scorcher
10. Angel of Death

From the end of the intro to the start of the outro, the drums power along with a mechanical intensity, and the guitars gallop with melodic leads sneaking in here and there to give a few seconds rest. Keiran’s deep, smooth growl is huge and the power really kicks up a notch when he comes in. And hiding in the background are some simple, yet brilliantly used synths. They’re subtle, never taking over, but adding a level of atmosphere that makes everything sound that bit more sinister. It’s a sound that doesn’t really change, but never drops in quality either, which is more than likely going to be a deciding factor in how you listen to the album.

Each track is a beauty. There honestly is no low point. However, chuck the album on from the very start and your attention may wander by the end. Again, that has nothing to do with the latter tracks being any lesser, but it’s just one of those downfalls of consistently balls-to-the-wall metal.

Likewise, highpoints are tough to pick. Opener “Initiate” has a surprisingly addictive chorus, and it’s hard to resist air guitaring to the short, recurring Arch Enemy-esque riff in “Obliteration”. “What Lies Inside” kicks the melody up a notch, moving closer to that previously mentioned Dark Tranquility sound, which is definitely a welcome change by the time that track rolls around. But for me, closer “Prophecy” is the track that really gets me. It’s thicker and bigger than anything that precedes it, and is just blatantly monstrous.

Anno Domini have propelled themselves up to the top tier of Australian death metal with this one. While a bit more variety wouldn’t go astray, ‘Atrocities’ is an awesome album that death metal fans should definitely get their hands on. 8/10

Band: Anno Domini
Album: Atrocities
Year: 2010
Genre: Death metal
Origin: Sydney, Australia
Label: Independent
http://www.myspace.com/annodomini

Tracklisting:
1. Atrocities (Intro)
2. Initiate
3. Static
4. Breathe Deep The Ash
5. Obliteration
6. Leading the Blind
7. Enter the Void
8. What Lies Inside
9. Prophecy
10. Of Man… (Outro)

John 5

While there certainly is a decent chunk of the usual, full-on shred here, it is counterbalanced by his love of acoustics and melody in general.  “Portrayed as Unremorseful” and opener “The Nightmare Unravels” are the usual John 5 affair with a combination of heavy, stomping riffs and speedy solos but it’s tracks like “Can I Live Again” that show his true versatility with a slow, acoustic groove that’s full of the passion that creates precisely the type of mood needed to even out the tone of the album. That’s not to discredit his heavier tracks though. There are some seriously infectious melodies included in there; “The S-lot” in particular. Just like on his last couple of albums, the rockabilly influences are out in full force with several hillbilly shred fests (“The Art of Malice” and “Steel Guitar Rig” to name a couple), used as segues to break up the heavier material. “Ya Dig” brings a bit of classic prog rock into the mix, and rightfully so considering Billy Sheehan is on bass duty for that one. And it’s all topped off with a note-for-note cover of Ace Frehley’s “Fractured Mirror” which might not be anything great, but is definitely a surprise.

While his past solo albums have been in more or less the same vein, ‘The Art of Malice’ sees John 5 hit the balance that he has been aiming for. The main problem with this album though, and it’s one that has plagued most of his releases, is that he can’t quite blend the various different tracks together to create a smooth fifty minutes of music. Individually each track is great, and the styles complement each other nicely, but the transitions between metal and rockabilly are so jarring that the tracks often feel like they’re out of order.

Regardless, it’s a fun, memorable rollercoaster ride that really proves he is a much more talented guitarist, and writer, than his other bands show. If you’re yet to give this guy a listen then ‘The Art of Malice’ is the place to start. You’ll be surprised. 7.5/10

Band: John 5
Album: The Art of Malice
Year: 2010
Genre: Metal/Rockabilly
Origin: USA
Label: 60 Cycle Hum Records/Riot!
http://www.myspace.com/john5official

Tracklist:
1. The Nightmare Unravels
2. The Art of Malice
3. Ill Will of Spite
4. J.W.
5. Ya Dig
6. Can I Live Again
7. Portrayed as Unremorseful
8. Steel Guitar Rig
9. Wayne County Killer
10. Fractured Mirror (Ace Frehley cover)
11. The S-Lot <- Reviewers choice
12. The Last Page Turned

With the impressive success of their last two albums Shadows Are Security and An Ocean Between Us the band have swiftly released their 5th album, The Powerless Rise. The thing about As I Lay Dying is that their songs, and albums for that matter, rarely deviate from their well worn blue print – you know that their songs will include man-mountain vocalist Tim Lambesis screaming his lungs out, a crushingly heavy breakdown section, some tight fast riffing and potentially a clean vocals passage led by bassist/backing vocalist Josh Gilbert.

Short and not-so-sweet opener “Beyond Our Suffering” is one of the most straight up aggressive songs the band has written – the pile-driving drums pushing the tune to its breaking point, before adding in subtle rhythmic shifts. It’s also instantly noticeable how strong the album’s production is, with every kick drum hit and lead break crystal clear throughout The Powerless Rise. “Anodyne Sea” is classic AILD, with a big chorus and hook filled riffing, before descending into a jarring breakdown section and a particularly anthemic sounding outro. “Without Conclusion” swiftly follows, with a classic thrash vibe obviously apparent, with the gang vocals in the chorus harking back to Testament and Exodus.

The album’s second single “Parallels” is a pretty stock standard track, with only a tasty guitar solo and harmony section making up for the fairly unimpressive run through, but the aggression of following track “The Plague” makes up for it quite a bit. The closing track “The Blinding Of False Light” pretty much sums up the record, showing off both the vocalists as well multiple times changes – all wrapped in Adam D’s highly slick and professional production. While Lambesis shows off a wide variety of vocal attacks it’s his impressive high screams and low growls that are most evident on the record. On the other hand Gilbert’s voice becomes slightly repetitive after the first few tracks and by the end of the album his vocals are close to being annoying with his somewhat whiny style.

Yes, The Powerless Rise is hardly different to their previous albums, and it’s hard to imagine that the band’s devoted followers will be disappointed by this release – but this reviewer wishes that the band would ditch the weak clean vocals and embrace their heavier side whole heartedly. 7/10

Band: As I Lay Dying
Album: The Powerless Rise
Year: 2010
Genre: Metalcore
Origin: San Diego, USA
Label: Metal Blade/Riot!
www.asilaydying.com

Track listing:

1. Beyond Our Suffering <- Reviewers Choice
2. Anodyne Sea <-Reviewers Choice
3. Without Conclusion
4. Parallels
5. The Plague
6. Anger and Apathy
7. Condemned
8. Upside Down Kingdom
9. Vacancy
10. The Only Constant Is Change
11. The Blinding of False Light <- Reviewers Choice

Watain have improved their sound and technique with each album and that precedent continues with Lawless Darkness. The blueprint for the new album feels like a combination of ‘Sworn’ and fan-favourite ‘Casus Luciferi’ but there’s also a definite old school metal/thrash element to this album. There are still plenty of blast beats and frosty tremolo riffs on hand with ‘Wolves Curse’ and the awesome ‘Hymn to Qayin’. But within the first few seconds of ‘Four Thrones’ I’m instantly reminded of ‘Innocence and Wrath’ by Celtic Frost (minus the horns) and maybe it’s my imagination but I even feel a little bit of ‘pre-Black’ Metallica, particularly in ‘Kiss of Death’ and ‘Waters of Ain’.

Lawless Darkness kicks off where ‘Sworn’ ended with album opener ‘Death’s Cold Dark’ and for the first few songs it feels like maybe ‘Sworn Part II’. However, things rise to an elite level with the devastating ‘Four Thrones’ and stay there for the remainder of the album. The songs are epic in their complexity and length (most around the six or seven minute mark). The production is exceptional, mix is very well balanced and the musicianship is brilliant – exciting riffs and drum patterns complimented by the raspy clean vocals of Erik Danielsson, this band is at their peak.

Lawless, as with their previous albums, is a grower rather than an instant pleasure. Clocking in at over 75 minutes I thought it floundered a bit with my first few listens. However, when I gave it some honest time it all came together. Don’t try and absorb this album while you’re at the kid’s swimming lessons or folding the fucking laundry. Take a sickie, allocate some real time to this album and you’ll discover a wealth of dark imposing treasures, like the solo in ‘Total Funeral’ (about 4 minutes in), and the cool little guitar lick throughout ‘Kiss of Death’. I won’t give them all away.

It’s hard to pick a standout track. There certainly isn’t anything you need to avoid. I find the chorus in ‘Total Funeral’ a bit annoying, which is just each syllable of the song title drawn out, but the riffs and drumming in this song are enormous and the chorus only makes an appearance a couple of times anyway. My play list would suggest ‘Hymn to Qayin’ and ‘Malfeitor’ as the most played but honestly, this album is an entity and should be treated as such.

If you’re a fan you pre-ordered this album months ago (and probably scoff that I did not award a perfect score). However, if you’re new to Watain this is a great place to start. It’s their best album without doubt; progressive but traditional, epic and sinister. I pray to Satan that ‘Darkness’ will inspire an Australian tour in the near future. 9/10

Band: Watain
Album: Lawless Darkness
Year: 2010
Genre: Black Metal
Origin: Sweden
Label: Season of Mist/Riot!
http://www.myspace.com/watainofficial

Track Listing:
1. Death’s Cold Dark
2. Malfeitor
3. Reaping Death
4. Four Thrones
5. Wolves Curse
6. Lawless Darkness
7. Total Funeral
8. Hymn to Qayin
9. Kiss of Death
10. Waters of Ain

Reviewed by Pete Williams

Majesty and Decay

Immolation’s breed of death metal on first listen sounds like something I really wouldn’t like. Certainly, several listens into the album, this seemed to be confirmed. It was like they had taken all the mediocre parts of each kind of death metal and blended them together to give their own unique, clichéd brew of monotonous, constant sound, without retaining any original, identifiable or classy characteristics that each type of death metal seems to retain. Not quite technical enough to be a good tech-death album, but technical enough to lose interest again and again. Not straight-forward enough to have the crushing simplicity of older death metal bands, but simple enough to lack any variety. It sounded like a losing combination on all fronts.

The production continues with this trend, its ‘clean’ enough so you can hear everything, which I don’t mind at all, considering their music gets a little tricky in sections. But it’s just that – it doesn’t have a crushing edge to it. It’s a strangely quiet, clear-enough-to-be-boring-sounding album. Not well produced enough to make an impression, and not under-produced enough to give it a characteristic vibe. It’s the production that takes a seat in the far corner of the room and doesn’t really show off any of its features, but performs at an average standard.

So this album seems like a compendium of the mediocre. But after several listens, I realised there’s a little bit more. Listening to how all the instruments interact, the rhythm guitars are always well matched and partnered with the drums. The leads are strange yet haunting. On the surface the blend and elements of the album all seem to be chosen in poor taste but beneath the surface there are slight shimmers of interesting work. I would be lying if I said Immolation’s sound is original, but I also find it difficult to list another band they sound very similar to. It’s similar in a big perspective, but specifically it’s difficult to say what exactly the album similar to. Perhaps a ‘unique blend of familiar elements’ has a positive and a negative aspect to it. There are ‘introduction’ and ‘interlude’ tracks, not just your straight up “12 tracks that are brutal from the first second until the last second”. This album seems cliché on the surface, but little bits of interesting and different aspects of the album come out over time.

That’s not to negate the fact that a lot of the album is reasonably unappealing. If I were to compare it to the bar that’s been set by some death metal bands, it can only begin to approach it. But it’s not something that should be instantly tossed away either. 6.7/10

Band: Immolation
Album: Majesty and Decay
Year: 2010
Genre: Death metal
Label: Nuclear Blast/Riot!
Origin: USA
http://www.myspace.com/immolation

Tracklisting:
1. Intro
2. The Purge
3. A Token of Malice
4. Majesty and Decay
5. Divine Code
6. In Human Form
7. A Glorious Epoch
8. Interlude
9. A Thunderous Consequence
10. The Rapture of Ghosts
11. Power and Shame
12. The Comfort of Cowards

To put it simply, “The Panic Broadcast” completely destroys any notions that the band are destined to be merely also-rans. Opening with frankly incredible “Late for the Kill, Early for the Slaughter”, the song shows off everything great about this album, with the pace, heaviness and catchiness of the tune off the charts. An amazing solo section shows off the skills of both Wichers and Coudret, with the pair perfectly balancing melody and shred, while drummer Dirk Verbeuren annihilates his kit with blitzkrieg blast beats throughout.

“2 Lives Worth of Reckoning” features more fantastic musicianship from the band, but with more emphasis on frontman Bjorn Strid’s throaty bellows and exceptional clean vocals. Another jaw dropping solo piece is present, with the guitarists essentially creating a song within the song through their awe-inspiring melodic passages. The more groove filled song “The Thrill” follows, once again showing off Soilwork’s knack of combining heavy verses and extremely memorable choruses with ease. “Deliverance Is Mine” flies by at a ferocious pace, before another blinding solo section carries the song home, while the more streamlined “Night Comes Clean” once again shows off Strid’s highly impressive vocal range, with the singer utilizing high and low notes along with his stock standard screams.

While the acoustic intro doesn’t last long, the slightly commercial sounding “Let This River Flow” screams out as a potential single, with Wichers’ and Coudret’s riffs dancing on the line between melody and aggression with ease. The multiple middle section passages throws in an almost progressive vibe to the song, before moving back into the hook filled chorus. The tune also highlights the interesting lack of keyboards on the album, with Sven Karllson’s contribution on the album almost non-existent on numerous tracks,

Another groove laden track, “Epitome”, appears near the back end of the album, with an almost industrial vibe added to the song with Strid’s low vocals and a minor key backing, before moving into, you guessed it, another hugely catchy chorus. The closing “Enter Dog of Pavlov” starts off almost like an instrumental, with multiple guitar melodies cropping up before the vocals and a faster pace kicks in – but unfortunately it’s probably the weakest track on the album, with the songs seemingly finishing before anything vaguely memorable kicks in.

“The Panic Broadcast” is the album that finally will show the fans of Soilwork that the band has a consistently brilliant full length in them, with almost every song on the record having the potential to be a fan favourite for many years to come. Despite only being just under seven months into the year, it will be very hard for another band to outdo this truly amazing album in 2010. Buy this album. 9/10

Band: Soilwork
Album: The Panic Broadcast
Year: 2010
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Origin: Sweden
Label: Nuclear Blast/Riot!
www.myspace.com/soilwork

Track listing:

1.Late For The Kill, Early For The Slaughter <- Reviewers Choice
2. Two Lives Worth of Reckoning <- Reviewers Choice
3. The Thrill
4. Deliverance is Mine <- Reviewers Choice
5. Night Comes Clean
6. King of the Threshold
7. Let This River Flow <- Reviewers Choice
8. Epitome <- Reviewers Choice
9. The Akuma Afterglow
10. Enter Dog of Pavlov

Taproot

Old school fans are likely to lap up Plead the Fifth, with the record just oozing of that undefinable classic Taproot sound. The album shows little potential to attract new fans, however, with the band having had their sound usurped in recent years by acts such as Breaking Benjamin and 30 Seconds to Mars. Rookie listeners are likely to feel it’s something they’ve heard before, but can’t quite put their finger on.

The album itself is quite inoffensive and has a cohesive alternative rock feel, though some could argue that it all sounds the same. Tracks such as Now Rise, Fractured (Everything I Said Was True), Release Me, Stares, Trophy Wifi and Words Don’t Mean A Thing almost sound as if they’re the same track on repeat, albeit with the lyrics slightly reworked. Each track is littered with the same kind of distorted guitar work, with Stephen Richards’ vocals consistently alternating between Spineshank/Butterfly Effect-esque screaming, and drawn out bars showcasing his vibrato.

The lyrics are also another issue, with Richards singing about life decisions and relationships in an overtly simplistic and almost juvenile manner. Though lyrical content isn’t something this reviewer takes too seriously, Taproot simply aren’t doing themselves justice with sentence structure akin to a first-grader’s journal entry to a teacher about their weekend. Fortunately the complex layering of guitars, distortion and vocal effects add something interesting to the tracks, saving them from sounding too primary school.

While the majority of the album sounds like 30 Seconds To Mars minus the tech-y vibe and Jared Leto’s bad hair, the record occasionally leaps out of its comfort zone and saves it from sitting too firmly in the alternative rock genre. Screaming vocals from Fractured (Everything I Sad Was True) are almost reminiscent of nu metal (albeit less cringe-worthy), while the anomalously heavy intro of Game Over shows industrial influences.

Left Behind’s screams and more aggressive tempo give a metalcore and post-hardcore feel, while the creepy audio clip introducing Release Me, and The Grudge-esque noises at the end of Stolage continue to add interest. The slower melodic pace of 911ost and No View Is True change things up nicely, with the former having an almost flowy vibe. No View Is True is one of the standout tracks from the record, solely because it features almost entirely undistorted singing vocals.

The Verdict: if you’re a hardcore Taproot fan, an alternative rock fan, or you think 30 Seconds To Mars aren’t as spacey and edgy as they think they are, Plead the Fifth may be right up your alley. It won’t be the most original thing you hear all year, but it does alternative rock proud. If Taproot work on their lyrical content and changing up their song structure, they’re sure to attract more than a few fans. 8/10

Band: Taproot
Album: Plead the Fifth
Year: 2010
Genre: Alternative Rock
Origin: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Label: Victory Records
www.myspace.com/taproot

Track Listing

1. Now Rise
2. Game Over
3. Fractured (Everything I Said Was True)
4. Release Me
5. Stolage
6. 911ost
7. Trophy WiFi
8. Words Don’t Mean A Thing
9. Left Behind
10. No View IS True
11. Stares