Vuur – In This Moment We Are Free – Cities – Album Review

Artist: Vuur

Album Title: In This Moment We Are Free – Cities

Label: InsideOut Music

Date of Release: 20 October 2017

Now here’s a record that I have been looking forward to for some considerable time. Vuur is the moniker given to the band created by Anneke van Giersbergen to be the outlet for her heavy side.

Over the years, I have made no secret of my admiration for the talent of van Giersbergen. Whether it is in her earlier days with the sensational The Gathering or more recently via her exploits with Devin Townsend or Arjen Lucassen, she has always had the ability to make me stop and listen. I’m pretty sure that I have referred to her voice as that of ‘an angel’ and may have even suggested that I’d listen to her if she was reading the telephone directory.

Well, I can now put that statement to the test because I have to reluctantly report that I am just a little underwhelmed by the final Vuur product.

This conclusion is all the more disappointing considering the musical talent with which she has surrounded herself. Joining Anneke in Vuur are drummer Ed Warby, bassist Johan van Stratum, and guitarists Jord Otto and Ferry Duijsens. These guys pack a collective punch, at least on paper, as they are counted amongst some of the most talented heavy metal musicians that the Netherlands has to offer. I mean, any line-up that can collectively boast working in some capacity or other with the likes of Stream of Passion, Ayreon, Gorefest, Elegy, ReVamp and Leave’s Eyes can’t be sniffed at.

Then there’s the artwork that adorns this album. I have documented many times that I can be swayed by a beautiful front cover and this is one of those prime examples. It is bold, beautiful and very clever, catching my attention the moment it was released.

I even love the idea behind the record, to name each song after a place that has had an impact upon Anneke’s life. It means that the listener is quite literally taken on a journey around the world, to hear Anneke’s musical interpretation of cities as diverse and interesting as Berlin, Beirut, Helsinki and Mexico City.

If only the music was as diverse though as the cities that are portrayed on this record. Instead, I cannot shake the belief that ‘In This Moment We Are Free – Cities’ is a little too one-dimensional and unremarkable, with very little going on to hold my attention for the long term. Indeed, I find my mind wandering far as I listen and, on occasion, I have thought twice before playing the album again in order to offer a fair review.

That being said, ‘In This Moment We Are Free – Cities’ is not completely devoid of charm and it isn’t a bad album. I want to make that clear at this juncture.

For a start, we are treated to eleven new tracks where Anneke’s serene voice is allowed to roam free. This is her musical endeavour, so it comes as no surprise to learn that you get to hear the very best that the Dutch songstress has to offer. She soars over each song with clarity, richness and passion. She has invested a great deal of effort to bring these songs to life and it does show within her personal performance. Whether it is belting out the powerful notes or reining things in to offer something more introspective and delicate, Anneke is the consummate pro. The notes linger over the music that sits beneath them, giving them the fullest opportunity to work their charm and magic.

Then there are some of the compositions that stand out just that little bit more. I’m a big fan of ‘Freedom – Rio’, thanks to more variation within the tempos and intensity. Plus it has some of the strongest melodies anywhere on the album and features a really cool lead guitar solo in the second half that has real character. I also like the opener, ‘My Champion – Berlin’, which benefits from an expressive lead guitar line as well as a demonstrably more urgent and up-tempo pace at times.

‘The Fire – San Francisco’ is another ear-catching track because it has an energy about it that I like as well as some really striking vocals that truly hit the heights at times. Plus I also enjoy the more symphonic and grandiose output of ‘Your Glorious Light Will Shine – Helsinki’.

But in spite of all the positives, I keep coming back to the Achilles heel that mars ‘In This Moment We Are Free – Cities’, thus preventing it from becoming the unmitigated success that I was sincerely hoping it would be. And that’s the lack of variety overall within this album. The overriding mid-tempo that most of the songs inhabit is a real disappointment as far as I’m concerned. It leads to the perception, in me at least, that this is an album that plods along and fails to get my pulse racing, not helped by the fact that many of the tracks are unnecessarily, overly long. A judicious edit would definitely help because at well over 60 minutes, ‘In This Moment We Are Free – Cities’ is simply too long given the content.

I also don’t think that the chosen down-tuned guitar tones help the situation; neither does the frequent guitar chug that is often all I can hear beneath Anneke’s vocals. Lastly, I have to be honest and say that, for the most part, the vast majority of the melodies are just not consistently memorable enough.

So ultimately, ‘In This Moment We Are Free – Cities’ is a frustrating listen. There is a lot to like and as far as it goes, it is a solid debut for the Vuur franchise. It allows Anneke van Giersbergen to scratch her metal itch and there will be many who will think it a triumph. Sadly, as far as I’m concerned, the negatives threaten to undermine the positives, leaving it a very inconsistent and disappointing hit and miss affair.

Score of Much Metal: 7.25

If you’ve enjoyed this review, you can check out my others from previous years and for 2017 right here:

2015 reviews
2016 reviews

Power Quest – Sixth Dimension
Iris Divine – The Static And The Noise
Daniel Cavanagh – Monochrome
White Moth Black Butterfly – Atone
Jag Panzer – The Deviant Chord
Vulture Industries – Stranger Times
Anubis Gate – Covered In Black
Protean Collective – Collapse
Cradle Of Filth – Cryproriana – The Seductiveness of Decay
TDW & Dreamwalkers Inc. – The Antithetic Affiliation
Caligula’s Horse – In Contact
Nocturnal Rites – Phoenix
Arch Enemy – Will To Power
Threshold – Legends Of The Shires
H.E.A.T – Into The Great Unknown
Dyscarnate – With All Their Might
Subterranean Masquerade – Vagabond
Adagio – Life
Paradise Lost – Medusa
The Haunted – Strength In Numbers
Serious Black – Magic
Leprous – Malina
The Lurking Fear – Out of the Voiceless Grave
Prospekt – The Illuminated Sky
Wintersun – The Forest Seasons
Witherfall – Nocturnes And Requiems
Tuesday The Sky – Drift
Anthriel – Transcendence
Decapitated – Anticult
Cosmograf – The Hay-Man Dreams
Orden Ogan – Gunmen
Iced Earth – Incorruptible
Anathema – The Optimist
Solstafir – Berdreyminn
Dream Evil – Six
Avatarium – Hurricanes And Halos
Ayreon – The Source
Until Rain – Inure
MindMaze – Resolve
God Dethroned – The World Ablaze
Bjorn Riis – Forever Comes To An End
Voyager – Ghost Mile
Big Big Train – Grimspound
Lonely Robot – The Big Dream
Firespawn – The Reprobate
Ancient Ascendant
Pyramaze – Contingent
Shores Of Null – Black Drapes For Tomorrow
Asira – Efference
Hologram Earth – Black Cell Program
Damnations Day – A World Awakens
Memoriam – For The Fallen
Pallbearer – Heartless
Sleepmakeswaves – Made of Breath Only
Ghost Ship Octavius – Ghost Ship Octavius
Vangough – Warpaint
Telepathy – Tempest
Obituary – Obituary
Fen – Winter
Havok – Conformicide
Wolfheart – Tyhjyys
Svart Crown – Abreaction
Nova Collective – The Further Side
Immolation – Atonement
The Mute Gods – Tardigrades Will Inherit The Earth
Ex Deo – The Immortal Wars
Pyogenesis – A Kingdom To Disappear
My Soliloquy – Engines of Gravity
Nailed To Obscurity – King Delusion
Helion Prime – Helion Prime
Battle Beast – Bringer Of Pain
Persefone – Aathma
Soen – Lykaia
Exquirla – Para Quienes Aun Viven
Odd Logic – Effigy
Mors Principium Est – Embers Of A Dying World
Firewind – Immortals
Slyde – Back Again EP
Sepultura – Machine Messiah
Deserted Fear – Dead Shores Rising
Kreator – Gods Of Violence
Borealis – World of Silence MMXVII
Pain of Salvation – In The Passing Light of Day

BlogOfMuchMetal – metal news – 22 July 2017

Hello and welcome to the latest post in this series after a bit of a hiatus, where I bring you the latest confirmed news within the world of rock and heavy metal. This series does not require the use of a crystal ball, which can sometimes malfunction with embarrassing results. No, this is a series that works on facts, on the news that I know to be true and which I bring you because I found it exciting and I’m therefore sure that you will find it exciting too.

Today’s post focuses on some of the new songs that have been revealed ahead of the full album release later in the year.

And if you’ve missed any of my previous posts in this series, links can be found at the bottom of this post.

Threshold – Legends of the Shires
Release date: 8 September 2017
Label: Nuclear Blast

Well, if you’re going to release a new song and an accompanying video, it might as well be a ten-minute monster mightn’t it? Especially if you are prog as all hell eh? So that’s what Threshold have done. Not content to compose a double album for the very first time, the UK progressive metal band have also announced a change of singer, ditching Damian Wilson in favour of a return to Glynn Morgan. And now they have released the first track off ‘Legends of the Shires’, the monumental ‘Lost In Translation’. If, like me, you are a massive Threshold fan, it’s a great time to be alive.

I’ve only listened to this song about 17 times, so I’m in no way able to dissect it quite yet. For that, you’ll have to wait until my full review later in the year. However, for now, all I can say is ‘wow’. Morgan sounds really good on this track, giving the music a whole new dimension. The prog elements are really pronounced which I like, particularly in terms of the changes in tempo, tone and with the bold keyboard sounds in places. But that chorus. Those melodies. Boy, oh boy is this one hell of an anthem. Just take a listen and tell me that you disagree. On the strength of this track, I have such massively high hopes for the full album, it’s ridiculous.

Subterranean Masquerade – Vagabond
Release date: 1 September 2017
Label: ViciSolum Productions

In typical Man of Much Metal style, about five minutes after I publish a blog post, one of the bands featured releases the first track off their new album. The culprits this time are Subterranean Masquerade, with ‘Nomad’, taken from their upcoming release, ‘Vagabond’.

In keeping with their last record that I thoroughly enjoyed, it will take some time to get fully to grips with the music that this band creates. However, a couple of listens in and the signs are extremely positive. I hear echoes of Amorphis in parts of this track but despite this, the final result is definitely unique. Complex and ambitious yet catchy and unexpectedly immediate with a smooth and rich sheen, Subterranean Masquerade may just have hit upon a winning formula, one that may pull me deeper under their spell. I can’t wait to hear more and bring you my considered thoughts nearer to the release of ‘Vagabond’.

Paradise Lost – Medusa
Release date: 1 September 2017
Label: Nuclear Blast

UK veterans Paradise Lost have to be one of my all-time favourite bands. Beginning my love affair nearly two decades ago with ‘Draconian Times’, I have never looked back…well, except for delving back into the Yorkshire gloomsters back catalogue of course. In so doing, I discovered the monumenatal ‘Shades of God’, a huge game-changer for me. I may not have liked the more ‘Goth’ or ‘pop-infused’ era, but of late, their albums have been tremendous, really harking back to their earlier halcyon days.

Cue ‘Medusa’, which is apparently inspired by another foray into the historic vaults. And, if this new track, ‘The Longest Winter’ is representative of the vibe and direction of the new record, we’re in for one heck of a heavy and doomy affair. Activate sarcasm mode: Oh no, how horrible.

Arch Enemy – Will To Power
Release date: 8 September 2017
Label: Century Media Records

Long term followers of my blog will be sick of hearing my thoughts on Arch Emeny. Whilst their stock has risen over the past decade or so, my liking for the band has nose-dived and I make no bones about the fact that ‘xxx’ is their last chance as far as I’m concerned. I’m sure Michael Amott is quaking in his boots at the thought of losing a slightly overweight and balding Englishman from his ever-expanding fanbase but I’ll be genuinely disappointed if I have to call it a day with a band that was so important to me at the time they released the majestic ‘Stigmata’.

So now we have ‘The World Is Yours’, the first track to be aired from the new album ‘Will To Power’…and it feels like Arch Enemy might have returned from the brink. There are still things that I don’t like so much, but in general, this feels like a proper song, something more akin to the music that the band can write when they put their mind to it. It goes without saying that the drumming and the guitar work is utterly insane and of the very highest order – the inclusion of Jeff Loomis is a BIG deal as far as I’m concerned. But more importantly, there is more to this song than just instrumental noodling and histrionics just for the sake of it. On the strength of this song, I’m feeling more hopeful than I was fearing…

Previous updates:

28 March 2017
23 March 2017
11 March 2017
5th March 2017
26th February 2017
13th February 2017
3rd February 2017
30th January 2017
21st January 2017

Avatarium – Hurricanes And Halos – Album Review

Artist: Avatarium

Album Title: Hurricanes And Halos

Label: Nuclear Blast

Date Of Release: 26 May 2017

‘Hurricanes And Halos’ is the title given to the third studio release from Swedish doomsters Avatarium, a band that was formed in the minds of Leif Edling (Candlemass) and Marcus Jidell (ex-Evergrey, Soen) before becoming a reality in 2012. Their sophomore album, ‘The Girl With The Raven Mask’ was released in 2015 and, quite rightly, it garnered much critical acclaim. If the world was beginning to take notice of Avatarium, this record catapulted the quintet into the full glare of the heavy metal spotlight.

But much has changed in the world of Avatarium since the releae of ‘The Girl With The Raven Mask’. The band is now a sextet of sorts, but the back story is much more complicated than a simple addition to the ranks. Leif Edling has now stepped away from the bass but remains involved and can claim the song writing credits to six of the eight tracks on ‘Hurricanes And Halos’. Into the vacated bass slot therefore, comes Mats Rydström and he is joined by fellow newbie and organ player Rickard Nielsson who has replaced keyboardist Carl Westholm. The rest of the band remains the same however, with co-founder Marcus Jidell on guitars, Jennie-Anne Smith behind the microphone and Lars Sköld on the drums.

Given the comings and goings behind the scenes, it could have been easy for Avatarium to take their eye off the ball and deliver a new album that wasn’t up to the standard of their last. But to think in such a way would be a mistake and would be to do the members of Avatarium a huge disservice. When you have musicians of the calibre of Jidell, Smith and Edling, you’re almost certainly not going to get anything substandard. If anything, ‘Hurricanes And Halos’, which features a bigger song-writing contribution from the handsome couple of Jidell and Smith, is another confident step up for this band.

When I reviewed ‘The Girl With The Raven Mask’, I remarked that it generally takes a lot for me to get excited about an album that has one foot firmly planted in the realm of doom. Well, that statement remains true but Avatarium prove once again that they one of the few bands that can manage this feat. There’s something about this band that speaks to me.

This becomes even more unfathomable in many ways when I add in to the equation that Avatarium are also heavily steeped in 1970s nostalgia as well as seemingly professing an admiration for blues, classic rock and an occasional dalliance with psychedelia. If I take a look at my personal music collection, I have a hard job finding very much that fits within any of these genres. And yet, I love Avatarium. And I love ‘Hurricanes And Halos’. Go figure.

In trying to do just that and figure out why I have such a connection with this band, I have hit upon many possibilities.

Firstly, there is the raw honesty and genuine depth found within the compositions themselves. You get the distinct impression as you listen, that nothing has been left at the door with these guys – it is all or nothing. When Jennie-Anne sings, she sings with such passion and richness that you can’t help but listen, rapt as she delivers her gritty monologues with finesse and such resonance. This is most definitely Jennie-Anne Smith’s best performance so far and at times, she threatens to steal the show entirely, such as within the chorus of the opener, ‘Into The Fire – Into The Storm’ as one of many examples.

With lesser musicians behind her, that might have easily happened. But not in Avatarium. In Marcus Jidell for example, Avatarium are blessed with one of the very best guitarists that I know of. I must have said all this a hundred times over the years, so once more couldn’t hurt. His style is not to belt out lightning fast lead runs or to show off with fancy gimmicks. Instead, he has a grace and elegance that means that he can convey an emotion or a thought with one carefully crafted note or a series of well thought-out chords.

As demonstrated in the aforementioned heady opener, ‘Into The Fire – Into The Storm’, Marcus has not forgotten how to rock out either. The song begins with a strong 70s doomy riff that gets things off to a bold and striking start. The Hammond organ of the equally impressive Nielsson joins the party briefly before becoming an integral part of the grand chorus and later, offers an indulgent but entirely fitting lead solo.

‘The Starless Sleep’ is another superb track, one that underlines the doom credentials of Avatarium as well as underlining the strength of the oft-unsung rhythm section. Skold’s drumming is precise but has a loose, carefree feel to it, whilst bassist Mats Rydström delivers a really satisfying low-end rumble to inject gravitas to the music.

The stripped back and darkly textured ‘Road To Jerusalem’ is the perfect song to act as contrast to the higher-octane opening tracks. It also showcases the beautifully organic and honest production to ‘Hurricanes And Halos’. This is not an album to be smothered in clever, modern effects or polished to within an inch of its life. Instead, in keeping with the music itself, producer Marcus Jidell alongside David Castillo (mixing – Katatonia, Opeth) and Jens Bogren (mastering – Soilwork, Sepultura) have created a living, breathing, colourful beast that loses none of the music’s potency along the way.

The icing on the cake with ‘Hurricanes And Halos’ is the surprising amount of variety on offer. Already I’ve described the full-on power and the more subtle sides of Avatarium, but there’s more to uncover along the way.

‘Medusa Child’ is a thoroughly engrossing piece of music that begins in commanding and heavy fashion. The hooky chorus then comes out of nowhere, at an almost complete right-angle to the more aggressive and potent music that surrounds it. And then, at the half-way mark, it morphs again. An eerie child’s voice sings the chorus lyrics whilst underneath, the band veers into almost ambient, post-rock territory as a quiet, subtle melody begins to build into a rousing finale, almost threatening to implode as it does so.

‘Hurricanes and Halos’ is as far as I can tell, as much an exercise in creating interesting and multi-faceted soundscapes as it is about crafting intelligent doom-infused rock music. This point is proven eloquently via the brooding ‘When Breath Turns To Air’ with its exquisite and melodic fragility. But it is then hammered home by the closing title track which is quite different in construction and tone, but is equally poignant and captivating.

For me, it is the perfect way to end the record, a record that has impressed and moved me in equal measure right from the off. I can think of no other band in the modern era who does this kind of thing better than Avatarium. That in itself should speak volumes about just how good it is. I doubt I’ll hear a more compelling doom-infused rock album all year.

The Score Of Much Metal: 9.25

If you’ve enjoyed this review, you can check out my others from previous years and for 2017 right here:

2015 reviews
2016 reviews

Ayreon – The Source
Until Rain – Inure
MindMaze – Resolve
God Dethroned – The World Ablaze
Bjorn Riis – Forever Comes To An End
Voyager – Ghost Mile
Big Big Train – Grimspound
Lonely Robot – The Big Dream
Firespawn – The Reprobate
Ancient Ascendant
Pyramaze – Contingent
Shores Of Null – Black Drapes For Tomorrow
Asira – Efference
Hologram Earth – Black Cell Program
Damnations Day – A World Awakens
Memoriam – For The Fallen
Pallbearer – Heartless
Sleepmakeswaves – Made of Breath Only
Ghost Ship Octavius – Ghost Ship Octavius
Vangough – Warpaint
Telepathy – Tempest
Obituary – Obituary
Fen – Winter
Havok – Conformicide
Wolfheart – Tyhjyys
Svart Crown – Abreaction
Nova Collective – The Further Side
Immolation – Atonement
The Mute Gods – Tardigrades Will Inherit The Earth
Ex Deo – The Immortal Wars
Pyogenesis – A Kingdom To Disappear
My Soliloquy – Engines of Gravity
Nailed To Obscurity – King Delusion
Helion Prime – Helion Prime
Battle Beast – Bringer Of Pain
Persefone – Aathma
Soen – Lykaia
Exquirla – Para Quienes Aun Viven
Odd Logic – Effigy
Mors Principium Est – Embers Of A Dying World
Firewind – Immortals
Slyde – Back Again EP
Sepultura – Machine Messiah
Deserted Fear – Dead Shores Rising
Kreator – Gods Of Violence
Borealis – World of Silence MMXVII
Pain of Salvation – In The Passing Light of Day

MindMaze – Resolve – Album Review

Artist: MindMaze

Album Title: Resolve

Label: Inner Wound Recordings

Date of Release: 28 April 2017

The progressive power metal subgenre is large and highly saturated these days, which may go some way to explain why MindMaze have flown under my radar to date. Weeding out the wheat from the chaff in such a burgeoning scene can be difficult for fans and journalists alike. But it can be equally tough for bands themselves to find a way to thrust themselves out of the masses and be noticed.

With their third full-length release entitled ‘Resolve’, MindMaze may have done just this however. And interestingly, whilst this latest effort is the American quartet’s first ever concept album, it does not rely on gimmicks alone to achieve this higher level of attention. Instead, in my view, the fact this is a conceptual record plays a secondary role to the music itself. The same can be said when considering the fact that MindMaze are a female-fronted band. I hate that phrase at the best of times, but MindMaze have managed to create music that is strong enough to ensure that the voice of Sarah Teets isn’t the most important thing. Sarah has a great voice, full of power and she attacks the material throughout with full-on commitment and style. But she remains only a single piece in the overall jigsaw that is MindMaze 2017.

What I particularly like about ‘Resolve’ is the way that the compositions grow with time and the clever way in which the song writing has allowed plenty of different ideas and influences to flavour this particular melodic progressive metal dish. As the press release rightly states, ‘Resolve’ is made all the richer and more varied thanks to the inclusion of elements of melodic rock, power metal, symphonic metal. It all comes together cohesively but there is no denying the fact that the overall product is more dynamic, textured and multi-layered as a result.

Referring back to the conceptual nature of ‘Resolve’ for a second, it is gratifying to report that MindMaze have foregone the opportunity to go off on a fantasy or science-fiction tangent in this regard. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for swords, magic, spaceships and dragons in my heavy metal, but not at all times. ‘Resolve’ instead hones in on personal struggles and human emotions. It gives the material more of a gritty edge which I think plays to its strengths.

The album opens in a blaze of glory via the instrumental ‘Reverie’. It begins with a subtle acoustic guitar that delivers a very pleasant and welcoming melody before exploding with wailing lead guitars, nice and chunky heavy riffs, a tinkling piano and rich synths, all courtesy of Sarah’s brother, the highly talented Jeff Teets. The drumming from Mark Bennett and bass work from Rich Pasqualone provides a driving beat and backbone, thus completing the composition of MindMaze.

The speed, power and sheer force of MindMaze continues without a pause for breath courtesy of ‘Fight The Future’ where the speed of power metal meets the attitude of thrash and the exuberance and dexterity of progressive metal. It creates a heady, often frenetic cocktail, but one that is thoroughly enjoyable, capped by a commanding vocal performance from Sarah Teets.

After a quick interlude, ‘Drown Me’ takes over with some seriously meaty and muscular guitar riffs. Reminiscent in tone to ‘Monday Morning Apocalypse’-era Evergrey, they carry some serious potency. The synths are quirky, slightly futuristic-sounding but entirely in keeping with the ambitious composition that experiments with light and shade to great effect thanks to a quieter, more introspective mid-section as well as a re-introduction of acoustic guitars nestled within the fierce and groovy chugging riffs that cannot fail to get the head bobbing enthusiastically.

With almost any album that contains as many as thirteen tracks and an overall running time of 68 minutes, I have to report that there are a couple of moments where the word ‘filler’ enters my mind. It’s hardly surprising really and, to be honest, it doesn’t significantly derail my overall enjoyment of the album. I understand the slightly theatrical aspect of the instrumental pieces for example that are nestled within the record, but I’m not sure they add an awful lot to the album. Future releases might benefit therefore from a little more ruthless editing.

But to return to the highlights and there are several to pick from. I really like the urgency and the full-throttle assault of ‘Abandon’ which once again flirts around the edges of thrash metal, whilst delivering some great riffs and a strong chorus. Almost subconsciously, the name Triaxis flutters in my mind during this dominant and forthright track but then so does Iron Maiden thanks to a striking melody that briefly lurks in the latter stages of the song.

The bass playing and drumming that features with ‘True Reflection’ is worthy of a mention, as is the unusual but clever fading in and out of the acoustic guitar at times. Again, the melodies are strong as is the structure of the track.

Sarah Teets’ voice shines within ‘Release’, a ballad of sorts that builds from a quiet acoustic base to end rather appropriately with a wailing lead guitar. And then there’s the 11-plus-minute closer ‘The Path To Perseverance’ which wraps things up in a suitably bombastic manner. For my money, this song delivers some of the strongest melodies anywhere on this album as well as creating a rich and vibrant listening experience, full of twists and turns and bursting with energy, led once again, by the effervescent lead guitar histrionics of Jeff Teets. The return to the album’s opening acoustic melody at the death is a really nice touch too, bringing a neat sense of closure to the record.

Overall, ‘Resolve’ has impressed me far more than I ever expected and it should no doubt propel MindMaze to the next level within the echelons of melodic progressive metal. However, as good as ‘Resolve’ is, I confidently predict even bigger and better things for MindMaze in the years to come.

The Score of Much Metal: 8.5

If you’ve enjoyed this review, you can check out my others from previous years and for 2017 right here:

2015 reviews
2016 reviews

God Dethroned – The World Ablaze
Bjorn Riis – Forever Comes To An End
Voyager – Ghost Mile
Big Big Train – Grimspound
Lonely Robot – The Big Dream
Firespawn – The Reprobate
Ancient Ascendant
Pyramaze – Contingent
Shores Of Null – Black Drapes For Tomorrow
Asira – Efference
Hologram Earth – Black Cell Program
Damnations Day – A World Awakens
Memoriam – For The Fallen
Pallbearer – Heartless
Sleepmakeswaves – Made of Breath Only
Ghost Ship Octavius – Ghost Ship Octavius
Vangough – Warpaint
Telepathy – Tempest
Obituary – Obituary
Fen – Winter
Havok – Conformicide
Wolfheart – Tyhjyys
Svart Crown – Abreaction
Nova Collective – The Further Side
Immolation – Atonement
The Mute Gods – Tardigrades Will Inherit The Earth
Ex Deo – The Immortal Wars
Pyogenesis – A Kingdom To Disappear
My Soliloquy – Engines of Gravity
Nailed To Obscurity – King Delusion
Helion Prime – Helion Prime
Battle Beast – Bringer Of Pain
Persefone – Aathma
Soen – Lykaia
Exquirla – Para Quienes Aun Viven
Odd Logic – Effigy
Mors Principium Est – Embers Of A Dying World
Firewind – Immortals
Slyde – Back Again EP
Sepultura – Machine Messiah
Deserted Fear – Dead Shores Rising
Kreator – Gods Of Violence
Borealis – World of Silence MMXVII
Pain of Salvation – In The Passing Light of Day

Anticipated music in 2017 – an update – 5 March 2017

Things are moving fast in the rock and metal worlds at the moment, with new music being released left, right and centre. But also, it is a busy time for those of us who are trying to keep up with the new releases that are due in 2017.

Plenty of bands are now issuing confirmation of 2017 releases and others are now releasing a song or two off their new albums, or further updates. Here’s another quick round-up for you to save you the trouble of having to keep up with what’s going on. It is keeping me busy, that’s for sure.

Solstafir – Berdreyminn
Release date: 26 May 2017

It doesn’t seem like five minutes ago that from my favourite Icelandic band released confirmation of a new album along with the title and cvover artwork. And now the mighty Solstafir have recently released a new song off their anticipated follow-up to the awesone ‘Otta’, ‘Berdreyminn’. Based on this track, ‘Isafold’, they might just push ‘Otta’ very close in terms of quality and enjoyment levels.

Take a listen and see what you think…

H.E.A.T. – TBC
Release date: TBC

I have no problem in admitting that melodic rock is one of my musical vices. When I normally listen to brain-bending or very harsh and heavy music, I need some escapism sometimes. Alongside a little classical music, I find that a few melodic rock anthems usually do the trick.

And one of the best exponents of this type of music these days is Swedish band H.E.A.T. So, when it was confirmed that they are heading to Thailand this very week to record their new album, a smile spread a smile across my face. Their last album ‘Tearing Down The Walls’ was almost flawless, so they have much to live up to this time around. But if anyone can, H.E.A.T. can

Leprous – TBC
Release date: TBC

“New Leprous studio album to be released in 2017! Stay tuned.”

Now this was the news from the horse’s mouth that appeared just a couple of days ago, which I had been hoping for. A new album from Leprous is a thing to be ecstatic about for anyone who likes properly progressive metal that challenges and delights. Fortheir entire career, the relatively young Norwegian band have simply been getting better and better.

With a maturity that defies logic and a combined skill set that’s frightening, theirs is an output that is likely to only improve. And given how amazing their last few records have been, the mind boggles as to how good this new album might be. It isn’t confirmed when in 2017 the album will be released but for now, let’s just rejoice in the fact that it will happen relatively soon.

Labyrinth – Architecture Of A God
Release date: 21 April 2017

Just like Solstafir above, within days of finding out there’s definitely a new Labyrinth album in 2017, we are treated to a track off the upcoming record. It is called ‘A New Dream’ and, despite not being the best quality in terms of sound on this Youtube version, to these ears, it nevertheless sounds like a winner. Melodic, vaguely progressive and ultimately rather memorable, it has the feeling of a ballad but more importantly, it hints at the quality of music that we are to expect from Labyrinth in 2017.

Have a listen and see what you think…

Avatarium – Hurricanes And Halos
Release date: 26 May 2017

Fronted by the wonderfully talented Jennie-Ann Smith, Sweden’s Avatarium are one of the few doom bands that get me very excited. I loved their previous album, ‘The Girl With The Raven Mask’, thanks to the blend of heavy doom riffs, dark oppressive vibe and some excellent melodies, both subtle and more immediate. Avatarium are a band that know exactly what they are doing and what they want to achieve, but that’s hardly surprising given the musicians involved including the guitar maestro Marcus Jidell and bassist Leif Edling.

Early reports suggest that the new album will be called ‘Hurricanes And Halos’ and will see the light of day on 26th May 2017 on Nuclear Blast Records. I’m looking forward to this one.

If you missed it, here’s a taster of Avatarium’s music from their last album…

Voyager – Ghost Mile
Release date: TBC

The ubiquitous Voyager update, but I make no apologies for it, because this is one hell of a special band. I’m not sure I’ve come across anyone who doesn’t like their blend of modern melodic, progressive metal with pop sensibilities. This is a band that are well and truly on the up, spearheaded by a live show that is apparently one of the most fun and energetic experiences on earth. I say ‘apparently’ because I’ve yet to witness it. Damn it. But that will change in the near future for certain, I guarantee it.

For now, here’s a video that offers us a taste of the new album, their sixth, whilst also demonstrating the whacky, quirky nature of Voyager to the fullest.

Previous updates:

26th February 2017
13th February 2017
3rd February 2017
30th January 2017
21st January 2017

Helion Prime – Helion Prime – Album Review

Artist: Helion Prime

Album Title: Helion Prime

Label: AFM Records

Release Date: 24 February 2017

Science-based power metal. These four words will go a long way to determine whether or not you carry on reading the remainder of this review. It is a description that it likely to either draw you in like a tractor beam or send you scurrying away faster than you can say ‘Higgs Bosun’. See what I did there?!

Personally, I have a big soft spot for power metal in general so long as it is done properly. That was definitely the impression I got when I heard ‘Life Finds A Way’ on the Internet and so therefore, coupled with the striking cover artwork that borders on the silly, I found myself intrigued enough to give this self-titled debut album from Helion Prime a proper listen.

By way of background for the uninitiated like me, Helion Prime are a Sacramento, California-based quintet comprised of guitarist and founder Jason Ashcraft, lead guitarist Chad Anderson, bassist Jeremy Steinhouse, drummer Alexander Bosson and brand new vocalist Kayla Dixon. The band are now signed to AFM Records and as part of that contract, they are re-releasing this self-titled debut that originally saw the light of day in 2016. The fact that many of us were blissfully unaware of this album clearly meant that the initial release did not come with a great deal of pomp or fanfare, something that this re-release will no doubt hope to address.

Personally, I’m really glad this decision was taken. Normally, I’m a little cynical about such things, questioning value for money and such like. However, here I think it is justified because this is a band that have plenty of potential and they deserve to be brought to the attention of the wider world before a second album is released in the next year or so.

Forget the science aspect for just a moment and concentrate on the music. On this score, the output is bound to find favour with plenty of fans of power metal but more than that, it is likely to appeal to those who delve into the worlds of melodic metal and classic heavy metal, even those who prefer the thrash genre, although this is slightly less pronounced perhaps.

What you get is ten songs full of sharp, chunky riffs, lots of groove and strong choruses with enough hooks and melodies to keep you entertained without diluting the metallic intent of the compositions. And then on top of that, you have the voice of Heather Michelle, who has since departed. Despite a proliferation of female singers in metal in recent years, the genre of power metal is still largely a male dominated world, so this is a welcome ingredient to the Helion Prime recipe.

More than just a unique selling point or novelty aspect, Heather has a truly wonderful voice, one that I personally really like. It is more than powerful and plenty rich enough to compliment the beefy music that sits behind it but she also sounds strangely seductive and very feminine. It is difficult to explain but I can’t get enough of her voice; there’s just something about it. I hope her recent replacement Kayla Dixon is as good.

In keeping with the scientific-based lyrical content that spans space exploration, prehistoric times and a nod to science-fiction, the album opens up with a futuristic-sounding intro where synths lay the foundation for a sampled spoken-word diatribe that hypothesises that we are not the only intelligent life in the universe.

After this dramatic opening, things get going properly with a duo of monstrous tracks. ‘The Drake Equation’ bounces along in up-tempo fashion, leading to an instantly catchy chorus that lays down a marker for what Helion Prime are all about. The rhythm section is impressively robust and dominant and the lead guitar work that enters the fray in the latter stages is extravagant, but not overly so. In fact, thinking about it, this is a feature of Helion Prime; they could have gone all-out bonkers and over-the-top but instead, they have chosen to craft a set of songs that are nicely honed and which don’t take things too far.

The chorus to ‘Life Finds A Way’ has to be my favourite on the entire record. It is catchy as hell, epic-sounding with a galloping rhythm. Instantly likeable, it is compounded by a cool lead guitar solo and more strong riffs that are addictive and bring a smile to my face.

‘Into The Black Hole’, raises the pace even further and has a vaguely prog feel as it features a slightly quirky vocal line within the verses, only to be replaced by another great sing-along chorus and no-nonsense riffs that wouldn’t sound out of place on a traditional heavy metal record.

Elsewhere on this debut record, ‘A Place I Thought I Knew’ dials the intensity down a notch to good effect whilst ‘You Keep What You Kill’ delivers more of a speedy thrash vibe, incorporating some deep growled vocals and some prominent keyboard embellishments.

‘Oceans Of Time’ is arguably the first time on the record where the band delve a little into indulgent territory as keyboards and guitars trade blows during an extended solo section whereas ‘Apollo (The Eagle Has Landed)’ has the feel of the band letting go just a little more. It has another big chorus but flits between all-out speedy power metal and thrash and even flirts ever so subtly with progressive elements.

To round things out, Dream Evil’s Niklas Isfeldt appears on closer ‘Live And Die On This Day’ to deliver some male lead vocals. It’s a nice touch and ends the album with an interesting and welcome twist.

All in all, I have a strong feeling that Helion Prime might prove themselves to be a class act. This debut is slick, well put together, nicely proportioned and a lot of fun, without ever descending into silliness as their self-created tag line might suggest. ‘Helion Prime’ is a cracking debut and sets an impressively high benchmark for future releases by this talented bunch of Californians, beginning with their sophomore effort, along with their new vocalist, which is due to see the light of day in late 2017/early 2018.

The Score of Much Metal: 8.5

If you’ve enjoyed this review, check out my others from previous years and for 2017 right here:

2015 reviews
2016 reviews

Battle Beast – Bringer Of Pain
Persefone – Aathma
Soen – Lykaia
Exquirla – Para Quienes Aun Viven
Odd Logic – Effigy
Mors Principium Est – Embers Of A Dying World
Firewind – Immortals
Slyde – Back Again EP
Sepultura – Machine Messiah
Deserted Fear – Dead Shores Rising
Kreator – Gods Of Violence
Borealis – World of Silence MMXVII
Pain of Salvation – In The Passing Light of Day

Album of the Year 2016 – number 22

Welcome to day nine of my ‘Album of the Year 2016’ top 30 countdown. Are you all still with me? I certainly hope so.

If you have just discovered this blog or this particular series, please feel free to check out the previous entries – my picks for 23-30 can be found via the links at the bottom of this post, along with links to the previous years as well. It should keep you busy for a few hours I should think.

So far, this year’s list has contained everything from prog metal to melodeath and from thrash metal, to avant-garde black metal. What can I say? My tastes really do encompass most styles of heavy music and that’s firmly reflected by this list. And now today, you can add ‘melodic metal’ to the list as I give you my choice at number 22…

Number 22

 

Universal Mind Project
The Jaguar Priest
Inner Wound Recordings

 

“It is actually quite difficult to describe the musical output of Universal Mind Project succinctly because it features so many different elements. It is progressive, powerful, symphonic and highly melodic, almost veering into mainstream music territory on more than one occasion. There are dual male and female vocals plus a fair few extreme metal growls as well as demonstrably heavier moments that arguably belong more to the more extreme genres of metal than to anything else.

The list of guest musicians…is quite something too and includes Nils K Rue (Pagan’s Mind), Johan Reinholz (Andromeda), Mark Jansen (Epica, Mayan), Charlie Dominici (ex-Dream Theater), Emanuele Casali (DGM) and Diego Valdez (Helker).

Enhanced by a lyrical content that generally avoids genre clichés, striking cover artwork and a hugely impressive production…Universal Mind Project have delivered the full package. Remarkably consistent, hugely engaging and expertly crafted, it has come out of nowhere to blow me away.”

Read the full review here

Credit: unknown

OK, so Universal Mind Project have not quite made it into my top 10 as I suggested it might via my review earlier in the year. At the time, I had no idea just how strong the year was to be overall. Nevertheless, it is still an impressively strong release that deserves a place in this list without a shadow of doubt. It certainly came out of nowhere to make a huge impact, even more so given that this is the debut album under the Universal Mind Project moniker.

Every song delivers something just a little bit different, be it the involvement of a guest artist or an injection of greater prog or cinematic overtones. However, what nearly every song has in common with each other is that the quality is consistently very high and there is always a catchy melody or hook somewhere to grab me and pull me under its spell. In some ways, ‘The Jaguar Priest’ could be referred to as a ‘feel good’ album, an dose of superb, grandiose, over-the-top heavy metal that does one thing: puts a huge smile on my face. Oh, ok, two things: it also makes me bang my head and sing out loud too.

Is there anything else an album like this needs to do?

In case you’ve missed any of the other posts in the 2016 series, here they are for you to explore and enjoy:

Album of the Year 2016 – number 23
Album of the Year 2016 – number 24
Album of the Year 2016 – number 25
Album of the Year 2016 – number 26
Album of the Year 2016 – number 27
Album of the Year 2016 – number 28
Album of the Year 2016 – Number 29
Album of the Year 2016 – Number 30

And from previous years:

Album of the Year 2015
Album of the Year 2014
Album of the Year 2013
Album of the Year 2012

Delain – Moonbathers – Album Review

Artist: Delain

Album Title: Moonbathers

Label: Napalm Records

Date Of Release: 26 August 2016

I must apologise for the tardiness of this review. However, I do have my reasons. When I first listened to ‘Moonbathers’, the fifth album from melodic symphonic metallers Delain, I was not overly impressed.

I have, over the years, grown tired of female-fronted melodic symphonic metal to the point where I rarely listen to it. Bands like Universal Mind Project have sprung up out of nowhere to make an impact this year but in terms of the more tried and trusted genre favourites, nothing has really grabbed my attention for quite a while. Whether I’m being grossly unfair or not, I got the feeling that it was ‘same old, same old’, re-badged and released to the faithful. Delain were one of the bands that fell into this category.

However, a week or two ago, I found myself in Norwich, watching Delain headline at the Waterfront and I was shaken from my apathy. I was in attendance purely and simply because of the inclusion of Evergrey on the bill. However, I stayed in the venue to watch Delain and I am so glad that I did. It may not have changed my opinion of all female-fronted music of this kind but I heard and saw something in Delain that compelled me to go home a re-listen to ‘Moonbathers’.

I think with hindsight, it was two things that stuck with me. Firstly, it was the sense of fun and love of what they were doing that made me realise that the sextet formed by keyboardist Martijn Westerholt and fronted by Charlotte Wessels deserved a second chance. The enthusiasm, the smiles, the interaction with the audience; it all came together to create a special atmosphere, one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Secondly, the following morning, I awoke with two distinct earworms running through my head and they were both Delain songs from the new album as it turns out. This rarely happens, particularly when my all-time favourite band were also on the bill the night before.

Since then, I have listened to ‘Moonbathers’ with fresh ears and a fresh, unbiased perspective. The result? I cannot help but really fall under the Delain spell, via what must surely be their most satisfying and accomplished release to date.

In 2016, the aforementioned Wessels and Westerholt are joined by bassist/vocalist Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije, guitarists Merel Bechtold and Timo Somers and drummer Ruben Israel. Each member of the band, be they longstanding or new to the fold come together really well to create the Delain sound. And that sound is highly melodic, infectious heavy metal with big choruses and bombastic, grandiose orchestration, which adds drama and a theatrical, cinematic depth to the songs. The majority of the music is generally around the classic mid-tempo with a strong beat and satisfyingly chunky riffs. I think it’s fair to say that Delain are not a complex listen but then that’s not the end result that they are going for, far from it. In fact, if they dallied with more complicated ideas and structures, it might even detract from the overall impact.

Atop the instrumentation is the not so secret weapon in Charlotte Wessels, a striking lady that has an even more striking voice, not to mention an infectious love of what she is doing. Wessels’ range is impressive, but more so is her effortless power that creates a formidable cocktail when combined with her softer, more emotional delivery. And her phrasing as well as her innate sense of melody helps to transform a good composition into something great, even magical at times.

I realise that I am making a rather huge u-turn in my opinion of Delain and ‘Moonbathers’, from where I was after a first couple of spins. However, something has simply clicked and as is the beauty of music, sometimes things happen that cannot fully be explained. When all is said and done, I honestly don’t think that there is a weak track to be found on ‘Moonbathers’, such is the consistency of the material.

The album begins with ‘Hands Of Gold’ which opens with a short cinematic intro before launching into one of the most urgent songs on the entire album. The track bounds along at a decent lick, built on a strong foundation by drummer Israel, bassist Schimmelpenninck and guitarists Bechtold and Somers. The composition builds up to a hook-laden chorus dominated by Wessels’ rich and honest voice. The verses are laced with full-on orchestration to accent a central riff with bite. There is even the inclusion of gruff vocals from bassist Schimmelpenninck to increase the extremity and inject a ‘beauty and the beast’ element which I can’t help but like.

The delightfully named ‘The Glory And The Scum’ follows swiftly and, if anything, it ups the heaviness and the bombast. The orchestration is front and centre, acting as a counterpoint to some genuinely cracking riffs. And the enormous chorus is closed out by a gorgeous vocal melody from Wessels, one of those aforementioned magical moments. This was one of the earworms that wouldn’t let go after the gig.

‘Suckerpunch’ is a more immediate hit of aural saccharine. It begins with an 80s synth-pop vibe before delivering one of the most infectious choruses on the album. By this point, I’m well and truly being sucked in to the energetic vitality of the record and I’m loving it. After an extended cinematic workout, there’s a quick guitar solo before the chorus takes us breathlessly to the close.

The second earworm from that fateful night came courtesy of ‘The Hurricane’, an altogether moodier and more emotive song. The atmospheres take centre stage alongside a sprawling chorus where Wessels can once again shine beautifully. The same can be said of ‘Chrysalis’, a delicate ballad which builds in intensity, allowing Westerholt to show off his considerable talents in the process.

The heaviness is ratcheted up again via the up-tempo hard rocker ‘Fire With Fire’, a stadium-friendly beast if ever there was one. It is a bit of a grower but thanks to an insidiously infectious chorus and some unusual vocals from Wessels, it has slowly become one of my favourites.

Other highlights include ‘Danse Macabre’ thanks to more uniquely compelling vocals from Wessels, some subtle lead guitar work from Somers and the use of some bold electronics. And I also particularly like the initially brooding and sombre ‘Turn The Lights Out’ that again launches into a memorable, sing-along chorus.

Even the cover of Queen’s ‘Scandal’ is handled well – it’s not as good as the original, but then no-one could realistically better or match the original.

Ok, so this is the part where I once again admit that I was wrong. ‘Moonbathers’ is a monster of a record that delivers some of the most enjoyable and compelling female-fronted melodic metal I have heard in a while. The music itself is strong in its own right but what makes it even stronger is the knowledge that Delain genuinely love what they are doing. It comes through in the music, creating an honest and well-crafted set of songs with honesty and heart; and with killer choruses of course. You can’t really ask for more than that can you?

The Score Of Much Metal: 8.75

If you’ve enjoyed this review, check out my others via my reviews pages or by clicking the links right here:

Arcade Messiah – III
A Sense Of Gravity – Atrament
Devilment – Devilment II: The Mephisto Waltzes
Maschine – Naturalis
Brutai – Born
False Coda – Secrets and Sins
Pretty Maids – Kingmaker
In Flames – Battles
The Neal Morse Band – The Similitude Of A Dream
Memoreve – Insignia
Enbound – The Blackened Heart
Blind Ego – Liquid
Dark Tranquillity – Atoma
Hammerfall – Built To Last
Testament – Brotherhood Of The Snake
Crippled Black Phoenix – Bronze
Riverside – Eye Of The Soundscape
Hanging Garden – Hereafter
Theocracy – Ghost Ship
Arkona – Lunaris
Oddland – Origin
Sonata Arctica – The Ninth Hour
Edensong – Years In The Garden of Years
Meshuggah – The Violent Sleep Of Reason
Alcest – Kodama
Opeth – Sorceress
Negura Bunget – ZI
Epica – The Holographic Principle
Amaranthe – Maximalism
Eye Of Solitude – Cenotaph
Seven Impale – Contrapasso
DGM – The Passage
Pressure Points – False Lights
In The Woods – Pure
Devin Townsend – Transcendence
The Pineapple Thief – Your Wilderness
Evergrey – The Storm Within
Dream The Electric Sleep – Beneath The Dark Wide Sky
Periphery – ‘Periphery III: Select Difficulty’
Karmakanic – Dot
Novena – Secondary Genesis
Witherscape – The Northern Sanctuary
Eric Gillette – The Great Unknown
Tilt – Hinterland
Cosmograf – The Unreasonable Silence
Fates Warning – Theories Of Flight
Wolverine – Machina Viva
Be’lakor – Vessels
Lacuna Coil – Delirium
Big Big Train – Folklore
Airbag – Disconnected
Katatonia – The Fall Of Hearts
Frost* – Falling Satellites
Glorior Belli – Sundown (The Flock That Welcomes)
Habu – Infinite
Grand Magus ‘Sword Songs’
Messenger – Threnodies
Svoid – Storming Voices Of Inner Devotion
Fallujah – Dreamless
In Mourning – Afterglow
Haken – Affinity
Long Distance Calling – Trips
October Tide – Winged Waltz
Odd Logic – Penny For Your Thoughts
Iron Mountain – Unum
Knifeworld – Bottled Out Of Eden
Novembre – Ursa
Beholder – Reflections
Neverworld – Dreamsnatcher
Universal Mind Project – The Jaguar Priest
Thunderstone – Apocalypse Again
InnerWish – Innerwish
Mob Rules – Tales From Beyond
Ghost Bath – Moonlover
Spiritual Beggars – Sunrise To Sundown
Oceans Of Slumber – Winter
Rikard Zander – I Can Do Without Love
Redemption – The Art Of Loss
Headspace – All That You Fear Is Gone
Chris Quirarte – Mending Broken Bridges
Sunburst – Fragments Of Creation
Inglorious – Inglorious
Omnium Gatherum – Grey Heavens
Structural Disorder – Distance
Votum – Ktonik
Fleshgod Apocalypse – King
Rikard Sjoblom – The Unbendable Sleep
Textures – Phenotype
Serenity – Codex Atlanticus
Borknagar – Winter Thrice
The Mute Gods – Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me
Brainstorm – Scary Creatures
Arcade Messiah – II
Phantasma – The Deviant Hearts
Rendezvous Point – Solar Storm
Vanden Plas – Chronicles Of The Immortals: Netherworld II
Antimatter – The Judas Table
Bauda – Sporelights
Waken Eyes – Exodus
Earthside – A Dream In Static
Caligula’s Horse – Bloom
Teramaze – Her Halo
Amorphis – Under The Red Cloud
Spock’s Beard – The Oblivion Particle
Agent Fresco – Destrier
Cattle Decapitation – The Anthropocene Extinction
Between The Buried And Me – Coma Ecliptic
Cradle Of Filth – Hammer Of The Witches
Disarmonia Mundi – Cold Inferno
District 97 – In Vaults
Progoctopus – Transcendence
Big Big Train – Wassail
NightMare World – In The Fullness Of Time
Helloween – My God-Given Right
Triaxis – Zero Hour
Isurus – Logocharya
Arcturus – Arcturian
Kamelot – Haven
Native Construct – Quiet World
Sigh – Graveward
Pantommind – Searching For Eternity
Subterranean Masquerade – The Great Bazaar
Klone – Here Comes The Sun
The Gentle Storm – The Diary
Melechesh – Enki
Enslaved – In Times
Keep Of Kalessin – Epistemology
Lonely Robot – Please Come Home
The Neal Morse Band – The Grand Experiment
Zero Stroke – As The Colours Seep
AudioPlastik – In The Head Of A Maniac
Revolution Saints – Revolution Saints
Mors Principium Est – Dawn of The 5th Era
Arcade Messiah – Arcade Messiah
Triosphere – The Heart Of The Matter
Neonfly – Strangers In Paradise
Knight Area – Hyperdrive
Haken – Restoration
James LaBrie – Impermanent Resonance
Mercenary – Through Our Darkest Days
A.C.T. – Circus Pandemonium
Xerath – III
Big Big Train – English Electric (Part 1)
Thought Chamber – Psykerion
Marcus Jidell – Pictures From A Time Traveller
H.E.A.T – Tearing Down The Walls
Vanden Plas – Chronicles Of The Immortals: Netherworld

Live gig review: Delain, Evergrey, Kobra And The Lotus – Norwich Waterfront 15/11/16

No words are required!

It might have been a cold and wet autumn evening, but it isn’t every day that my favourite band tours within an hour’s drive of my house, not when I live in what feels like the middle of nowhere. It felt like a lifetime of watching clips and seeing photographs from the preceding five weeks of the European tour but finally, Evergrey had arrived in Norwich alongside their touring partners, openers Kobra And The Lotus and the headliners Delain. I’m not going to make my usual comment about Evergrey and the fact that they should have been the headliners…oh, damn, I just have. Oops.

I left work early, gave my children a quick hug and then scampered off up the main road that links Ipswich to Norwich. Huge metropolitan cities these are not, so it was an after-dark journey dominated by single carriageway roads, punctuated by pockets of heavy rain and occasional slow-moving farm vehicles. Welcome to East Anglia!

But it was all worth it because on arrival, I get a message from Evergrey founder Tom Englund to say that the band are heading to a local restaurant not far from the venue. Apparently, I’m invited, even though it means that everyone has to move tables to accommodate some imposter to the group. Warm greetings are exchanged with every member before we get down to the important stuff: eating, chatting about music and trashing each other’s football teams of choice.

After the meal, Tom, Rikard and Johan all wander back to the venue whilst Jonas and Henrik head off in a different direction, in search of ice cream or some such. I’m invited onto the tour bus to have a more in-depth chat about the world of Evergrey before I join a gently increasing queue outside the venue. I make it in to the Waterfront just in time to witness Canadian metal band Kobra And The Lotus take to the stage.

Having never really investigated the sounds of Kobra And The Lotus before, I was pleasantly surprised with what I witnessed. Altogether heavier than I was expecting, they had some solid beats, riffs and solos as well as a definite stage presence that kept me interested throughout, albeit through the fog and mud of a less-than-stellar sound. Nevertheless, it is always exciting to hear a new band on stage and the hard rock/heavy metal sounds of Kobra And The Lotus were good enough that I have since delved into the band’s back catalogue to discover more.

Frontwoman Kobra Paige was a striking focal point, dressed in figure-hugging gold attire and covered in tattoos. The visuals were complimented by a delivery that was full of attitude and explosive energy, and not just from Paige. All members of the band contributed to the enjoyable opening salvo, including the Lemmy look-alike bassist Brad Kennedy and golden-haired guitarist Jasio Kulakowski, who together breathed life and an honest grit into some well-crafted heavy metal songs.

At a mere 30 minutes, the set was short and sweet but in that time, it appeared that the growing crowd liked what they heard.

And with that, it was time for the main event, at least as far as I was concerned. The lights went down and five shadowy figures took to the stage before launching into a blistering rendition of ‘Passing Through’, one of two excellent new songs from the Swedish dark melodic progressive metaller’s latest opus ‘The Storm Within’.

I may have been in the photo pit, but I couldn’t concentrate on taking pictures. Besides, I’m rubbish at photography and had an entirely inadequate lens on my camera. So, I just made use of having the best seat in the house to witness guitarist/vocalist Tom Englund, guitarist Henrik Danhage, keyboardist Rikard Zander, bassist Johan Niemann and drummer Jonas Ekdahl blast the crowd away with a blend of hugely powerful and emotional music performed with a level of skill and professionalism that spoke volumes.

Before I went into the pit, I happened to mention in passing to the friendly security chap how important Evergrey are to me. Quite unexpectedly then, after the three opening songs were up and I was ushered from the pit, I was invited with a smile to watch the rest of the show at the side of the stage. Talk about VIP treatment.

I have seen Evergrey countless times over the past 12 years, but I have yet to see the band deliver anything other than a quality, breathless performance. And this gig was no different. I would have dearly loved a longer set than 45 minutes which equated to just eight songs but what Evergrey lacked in length of set, they made up for in quality.

As is common place, Tom’s inter-song self-deprecating humour and dry wit was a joy to hear, getting the crowd on-side almost immediately by making them laugh openly on a frequent basis. However, it was the music itself that made the greatest impression on people if the rapt faces in the crowd, the parting applause and the queues to meet the band after the show were anything to go by.

Alongside another new song, ‘In Orbit’, we got to hear, amongst others, the up-tempo anthem that’s ‘Broken Wings’, the darkly progressive magnificence of ‘A Touch Of Blessing’, the utterly sensational and highly melodic ‘Black Undertow’ and the blistering intensity and grandiosity of ‘King Of Errors’, one of my favourite songs of 2014.

The sound wasn’t perfect, but that had more to do with the unique acoustics of the venue than anything else. And yet, the majesty and strength of the material shone through as well as the subtlety created by Zander’s atmospheric keys. The superb rhythm section of Ekdahl and Niemann never missed a beat, Englund’s vocals were on point and my spine tingled when Danhage took centre stage to deliver a soulful and heartfelt lead guitar solo at the midway point.

‘Wow, they were superb’, said a friend to me when it was all over. I’d banged on to them for years about how good Evergrey were, but it was this live show that convinced them. All I could do was smile knowingly, maybe even smugly and utter ‘that’s why they are the best band in the world’.

If truth be told, I was considering making an exit after Evergrey as Delain are not normally my particular cup of tea. I like some of it but in general, I have grown tired over the years of the female-fronted symphonic melodic metal genre. However, after having a chat with a couple of friends I’d not seen for months, and because I wanted to say cheerio to the Evergrey chaps, I was in the venue as the Dutch band took to the stage.

And, as it turns out, I am glad I stayed. Within seconds, I found myself smiling as the sextet bounded onto the stage with an abundance of energy and enthusiasm. There were perhaps as few as 400 people in this small venue in Norfolk, but Delain did not care, as they set about entertaining the hardcore that were there and were ready to have a party.

Bedecked in a sparkly mini dress and flowing black and red hair, Charlotte Wessels looked every inch the rockstar to lead the band but it was her warm smile that caught my attention most of all. In fact, everywhere I looked on stage, all I could see were smiles.

Celebrating their 10 year anniversary, Delain were like an undeniable force of nature, able to sweep the crowd up and carry them along for the ride without any apparent effort whatsoever. In a live setting, many of their better-known tracks made more sense and sounded that little more powerful and I will admit to being one of those that was ultimately swept away.

It’s fair to say that Delain are not the most technical or complex of bands. What they do is create memorable music full of big choruses and melodies. And they do it very well. Neither are Delain, Wessels apart, the most striking of bands visually. In fact, from the back-to-front baseball cap wearing drummer Ruben Israel, to the minute new rhythm guitarist Merel Bechtold, they are a somewhat incongruous sight. That said, watching the interaction between the band members and their rapport with the crowd was an utter joy.

The polished and thoroughly entertaining set included the vast majority of latest release ‘Moonbathers’ as well as older numbers like ‘Stay Forever’ and ‘The Gathering’. And I must admit that earworm tracks like ‘Hands Of Gold’ and ‘The Glory And The Scum’ sat lodged in my head well into the following day, a sign of the impact that they had on me throughout the night.

And then it was all over. I said a quick goodbye to the guys in Evergrey before heading off in search of my car and a misty, cold drive home. The smile plastered on my face almost exclusively over the following day or so was testament to a genuinely fun and highly entertaining evening, both on and off the stage.

Epica – The Holographic Principle – Album Review

Artist: Epica

Album Title: The Holographic Principle

Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Date Of Release: 30 September 2016

I’m nothing if not honest – ‘beauty and the beast’ symphonic metal is a genre that I have lost a lot on interest in. Subsequently, I’ve not been sufficiently invested in this seemingly saturated loose sub-genre order to follow the scene intently over the last few years.

However, Epica and I go back a number of years – they were one of the first bands that I met in the early days of my Powerplay career whilst undertaking my first press trip to the Nuclear Blast Headquarters in Donzdorf, around the release of ‘The Divine Conspiracy’ in 2007.

And whilst I have never classed myself as an out-and-out fan of Epica, I certainly admired what they were trying to do, namely offer something a little different from the hordes. Yes they have in their ranks a beautiful singer in the form of Simone Simons who duets with the growled male vocals of Mark Jansen and they like to pepper their music with lashings of keys and symphonic elements to make the compositions as grandiose and over-the-top as possible.

However, in addition, Epica have never been afraid of trying to inject other interesting elements into their songwriting. The output has always, to my mind at least, been harsher and heavier than most. The aforementioned growls are often quite savage-sounding and the guitar work does generally come across as having more bite and menace than others. Add to this a certain understated progressive element and a dramatic cinematic depth and you can begin to see why Epica are so highly rated by many within the heavy metal community.

Having almost entirely missed the last two releases, I come to album number seven with fresh ears and I have to say that right off the bat, I have been left impressed by the sheer scope of this record. The above-mentioned elements all exist from before and there is no doubt as to the intent of the sextet, as ‘The Holographic Principle’ bristles and sparkles like a giant film score to an unknown blockbuster that apparently questions whether we live in a real world or whether our existence is intertwined with some alternate reality.

Opener is a classic intro piece, cinematic and bombastic in scope, an exercise in building a sense of anticipation and tension. It ebbs and flows nicely but if I’m honest, it does little except set the scene for what is to come. It is nice enough but I find myself generally skipping it to get to the meat of the album.

The album starts properly with ‘Edge Of The Blade’ which is a nice starter for ten. With a catchy chorus, plenty of orchestration from ivory-tinkler Coen Janssen, some strong riffs from guitarists Mark Jansen and Isaac Delahaye and the unmistakeable vocals of Simons and Jansen, it is a bombastic and up-tempo composition that grows with repeated listens. ‘A Phantasmic Parade’ follows and is equally as entertaining. Again the guitars crunch and the rhythm section comprised of drummer Ariën van Weesenbeek and bassist Rob van der Loo gallops along at a fair lick. The melodies are memorable too. However, the track is dominated by the symphonics and the vocals which give the song much of its impetus.

The scene has been set and the album then follows a broadly similar pattern for the remaining nine tracks, with bombast and pomp the watchwords throughout.

And, if I’m honest, this is where the problem lies with ‘The Holographic Principle’ and with symphonic metal in general. As dramatic as the opening couple of tracks are, and as grandiose as the whole album is, it doesn’t take too long for the sheen to wear off and for me personally to lose a little bit of interest. Although I have no doubt that Epica are giving their all to create the best material of their lives, it just doesn’t unfortunately equate into a body of work that I feel compelled to listen to time after time.

That said, I love the melodic chorus, huge choirs and the crescendo of ‘Divide And Conquer’, which is a real anthem of huge proportions. I also find ‘Once Upon A Nightmare’ to be a wonderful listening experience. It might be a ballad but I’ve never disliked a really well-executed ballad and here, that’s exactly what we get. It begins with a sombre classical introduction that conveys real emotion and is carried by a sublime performance from Simons. It takes time to erupt but when it does, it does so gratifyingly to complete a top quality piece of music.

Then there’s the ludicrously named ‘The Holographic Principle – A Profound Understanding of Reality’ which has a much lengthier, progressive feel to it that I quite like.

I have absolutely no doubt that ‘The Holographic Principle’ will stand at the top of the symphonic metal tree come the end of the year. Blessed with a slick production, moments of real brilliance and enough bombast to flatten a small village, there will be a huge number of fans delighted by this release and rightly so. For me, though, it doesn’t set my world alight quite enough and I’m left wishing that Epica had been braver and experimented with their sound just a little more. Or maybe I’m just a hard man to please?

The Score Of Much Metal: 7.0

If you’ve enjoyed this review, check out my others via my reviews pages or by clicking the links right here:

Amaranthe – Maximalism
Eye Of Solitude – Cenotaph
Seven Impale – Contrapasso
DGM – The Passage
Pressure Points – False Lights
In The Woods – Pure
Devin Townsend – Transcendence
The Pineapple Thief – Your Wilderness
Evergrey – The Storm Within
Dream The Electric Sleep – Beneath The Dark Wide Sky
Periphery – ‘Periphery III: Select Difficulty’
Karmakanic – Dot
Novena – Secondary Genesis
Witherscape – The Northern Sanctuary
Eric Gillette – The Great Unknown
Tilt – Hinterland
Cosmograf – The Unreasonable Silence
Fates Warning – Theories Of Flight
Wolverine – Machina Viva
Be’lakor – Vessels
Lacuna Coil – Delirium
Big Big Train – Folklore
Airbag – Disconnected
Katatonia – The Fall Of Hearts
Frost* – Falling Satellites
Glorior Belli – Sundown (The Flock That Welcomes)
Habu – Infinite
Grand Magus ‘Sword Songs’
Messenger – Threnodies
Svoid – Storming Voices Of Inner Devotion
Fallujah – Dreamless
In Mourning – Afterglow
Haken – Affinity
Long Distance Calling – Trips
October Tide – Winged Waltz
Odd Logic – Penny For Your Thoughts
Iron Mountain – Unum
Knifeworld – Bottled Out Of Eden
Novembre – Ursa
Beholder – Reflections
Neverworld – Dreamsnatcher
Universal Mind Project – The Jaguar Priest
Thunderstone – Apocalypse Again
InnerWish – Innerwish
Mob Rules – Tales From Beyond
Ghost Bath – Moonlover
Spiritual Beggars – Sunrise To Sundown
Oceans Of Slumber – Winter
Rikard Zander – I Can Do Without Love
Redemption – The Art Of Loss
Headspace – All That You Fear Is Gone
Chris Quirarte – Mending Broken Bridges
Sunburst – Fragments Of Creation
Inglorious – Inglorious
Omnium Gatherum – Grey Heavens
Structural Disorder – Distance
Votum – Ktonik
Fleshgod Apocalypse – King
Rikard Sjoblom – The Unbendable Sleep
Textures – Phenotype
Serenity – Codex Atlanticus
Borknagar – Winter Thrice
The Mute Gods – Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me
Brainstorm – Scary Creatures
Arcade Messiah – II
Phantasma – The Deviant Hearts
Rendezvous Point – Solar Storm
Vanden Plas – Chronicles Of The Immortals: Netherworld II
Antimatter – The Judas Table
Bauda – Sporelights
Waken Eyes – Exodus
Earthside – A Dream In Static
Caligula’s Horse – Bloom
Teramaze – Her Halo
Amorphis – Under The Red Cloud
Spock’s Beard – The Oblivion Particle
Agent Fresco – Destrier
Cattle Decapitation – The Anthropocene Extinction
Between The Buried And Me – Coma Ecliptic
Cradle Of Filth – Hammer Of The Witches
Disarmonia Mundi – Cold Inferno
District 97 – In Vaults
Progoctopus – Transcendence
Big Big Train – Wassail
NightMare World – In The Fullness Of Time
Helloween – My God-Given Right
Triaxis – Zero Hour
Isurus – Logocharya
Arcturus – Arcturian
Kamelot – Haven
Native Construct – Quiet World
Sigh – Graveward
Pantommind – Searching For Eternity
Subterranean Masquerade – The Great Bazaar
Klone – Here Comes The Sun
The Gentle Storm – The Diary
Melechesh – Enki
Enslaved – In Times
Keep Of Kalessin – Epistemology
Lonely Robot – Please Come Home
The Neal Morse Band – The Grand Experiment
Zero Stroke – As The Colours Seep
AudioPlastik – In The Head Of A Maniac
Revolution Saints – Revolution Saints
Mors Principium Est – Dawn of The 5th Era
Arcade Messiah – Arcade Messiah
Triosphere – The Heart Of The Matter
Neonfly – Strangers In Paradise
Knight Area – Hyperdrive
Haken – Restoration
James LaBrie – Impermanent Resonance
Mercenary – Through Our Darkest Days
A.C.T. – Circus Pandemonium
Xerath – III
Big Big Train – English Electric (Part 1)
Thought Chamber – Psykerion
Marcus Jidell – Pictures From A Time Traveller
H.E.A.T – Tearing Down The Walls
Vanden Plas – Chronicles Of The Immortals: Netherworld