XI Metal Church 2016 Nuclear Blast Records Metal Church are a relatively unique band, they manage to balance the line somewhere between a Thrash Metal band and a decent classic Heavy Metal band. Bearing this in mind, Metal Church easily able to appeal to most die-hard fan of both Thrash and Heavy Metal. XI is the follow up to 2013’s Generation Nothing and being the 11th studio album it is aptly titled. XI is also the first album to feature the return of vocalist Mike Howe since 1993’s Hanging in the Balance. As with the latest Flotsam And Jetsam album, XI is produced by Chris Collier alongside long term Metal Church guitarist, Kurdt Vanderhoof. Between them, they have made a great sounding album, XI sounds both heavy and melodic dusted with a modern 80’s sound, whilst still being able to keep up with the Thrash sound of their youth. However, when listening to XI through headphones, there is a high vocal track in the mix behind the main vocals at times. This higher vocal track seems to drag out slightly longer than the actual vocal and can be quite irritating and can be heard quite clearly on Reset through a decent set of headphones. XI opens with Reset, a song that was previewed on YouTube prior to the release of XI. Reset takes a few listens to get into it, mainly due to the issue raised above, but a lot of the songs, as decent as they are, suffer from being instantly memorable and lack that last immediate killer hook. However, don’t like that put you off, there are some good tracks on XI. No Tomorrow, Killing Your Time and Shadow are all great examples that Vanderhoof can still write a great song. Vanderhoof even strays into Alternative Metal territory with It Waits having a vibe of Faith No More with its same chord repeating to a powerful rhythm. Even though XI is unmemorable at times, that doesn’t detract from the songs and XI will have you subconsciously nodding in rhythm to the of the beat. Jeff Plate is a stalwart drummer, capable of making even the most simple beats sound bombastic and heavy hitting. Plate’s drumming is relentless throughout and provides the perfect anchor for the bass of Steve Unger to play his solid lines behind the twin attack of Rick Van Zandt and Vanderhoof’s guitars. The departure of Ronny Munroe after 2013’s lacklustre Generation Nothing wasn’t a big surprise. The surprise was the return of Mike Howe to vocal duties after a 23-year absence. Howe’s voice sounds as good as it did on 1989’s Blessing in Disguise and has lost none of its famous screech. Howe’s voice now sounds more worn in, older and wiser, yet songs like Signal Path show that he could give his younger self a run for the money with its Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider type verse delivery. XI is a decent Metal album, it is great to see Metal Church pick themselves up after Generation Nothing, the departure of Munroe and the return of Howe has only enhanced the sound of XI. XI isn’t the best album that you’ll pick up this year, but it is certainly nowhere near the worst and is definitely worth purchasing. 7/10 Adam No Tomorrow (Vanderhoof/Howe)
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II Lords of Black 2016 Frontiers Records II is the 2nd release by Spanish Power Metal band Lords of Black and their first on Frontiers Records and is the follow up to their 2014 self-titled debut album was released independently. Lords of Black have a very classic Power Metal sound infused with guitar sound that is comparable to the likes of Ritchie Blackmore and Yngwie Malmsteen. This is also aided by Ronnie Romero’s strong, powerful voice which is reminiscent of Ronnie James Dio and Jorn Lande, whilst still sounding different enough to not being a straight up imitation. As with Lords of Black, guitarist Tony Hernando has produced II with ex-Helloween and current Masterplan mastermind, Roland Grapow. Between them, they have once more produced a great sounding album. Having a Power Metal veteran such as Grapow involved in the production of II has only added to the sonic quality and the overall feel of II, in particular the acoustic guitars that begin Ghost of You sound beautiful. II has plenty of dynamics to offer, the build-up through Malevolently Beautiful leading into Merciless sets the tone for the rest of the album. Merciless has some very nice keyboard sounds that eerily float in and out of the mix before drummer Andy C kicks in with a pounding double bass beat. Andy C is flawless throughout, his drumming is a powerhouse and is relentless throughout. C’s drumming is perfect for Lords of Black, providing the perfect anchor for new addition on the bass, Javi Garcia to lay down some great melodic runs. However, it is the voice dynamic voice of Ronnie Romero which steals the show for Lords of Black. Romero at times sounds so much like the late, great Ronnie James Dio that it is uncanny. Romero is another little guy with a big voice, just by opening his mouth, Romero can change the feel of song, from a heartfelt ballad to a soaring Power Metal surge. As well as singing for Lords of Black, Romero also fronts the reincarnation of Rainbow and as you know, Ritchie Blackmore doesn’t pick anyone mediocre to work with and that is not only a testament to Romero as a vocalist, but as a person. The craftsmanship of the songs on II is very good, however, in parts the album feels a little dragged out and stale but, Hernando’s playing throughout is second to none and the guitar solo from Ghost of You is breath taking. The song which follows Ghost of You is The Art of Illusions Part III: The Wasteland and has an opening minute that has a sound of 90’s Helloween, no doubt from the influence of Grapow at the production helm. Other highlights from II are the subtle piano notes which begin Everything You’re Not building into an extremely catchy song and possibly the best on the album to the Dio style swagger of Cry No More. The fact that music videos were produced for these songs sum up what Lords of Black are all about. II is a decent Power Metal album, it has its flaws, but songs such as Everything You’re Not and Merciless certainly make up for it. The musicianship throughout is flawless and in particular Romero’s voice. Romero is a fantastic gem in the modern metal world and deserves a lot more credit to his name, as do the rest of Lords of Black. II is a good start to life on a major label and can only signal Lords of Black going from strength to strength. 6/10 Adam Everything You're Not (Hernando/C.)
The Fall of Hearts Katatonia 2016 Peaceville Records Katatonia hail from the metal hotbed of Sweden and are definitely not to be confused with Catatonia, the Welsh Pop band from the 90s! Katatonia are an extremely talented band and over the 23 years of their professional career have managed to release a decent catalogue of music that stretches from Death and Doom Metal to a much more recent progressive sound without losing any of their melancholic feel. The Fall of Hearts is Katatonia’s 10th studio album and their first since 2012’s Dead End Kings. The Fall of Hearts is a slight change of pace from Dead End Kings and moves towards a Progressive Rock sound in a similar move to their peers in Opeth. The talents in Katatonia don’t just stop at their instruments as The Fall of Hearts follows the trend of Katatonia’s recent releases and is produced by vocalist Jonas Renske and guitarist Anders Nyström. The Fall of Hearts is beautifully produced, each instrument sounds exquisite and crisp, a perfect example of a modern Progressive Rock sound that at times does sound a little too much like Opeth or Porcupine Tree until you realise that the lyrics are wrought with melancholy, forlorn and sorrow. As an opening track Takeover begins quite odd as the entire band is all in, vocals included, unlike a lot of Progressive Rock which relies on an elongated introduction, usually of complex time signature changes and each instrument being able to show its capabilities. Takeover begins with an arpeggio repeating motif that gives way to another repetitive guitar tapping part under the vocals which under normal circumstances wouldn’t fit, however, Katatonia make this gel and work with fluidity and ease. It is at times difficult to accept that this is the Katatonia of old, as with time, Katatonia have definitely mellowed, gone are any traces of Death Metal, replaced by a much more spacious and even ambient feel at times. Shifts contains a pitch shift/siren type wail in the background of the mix that gives a reminiscent feel of something from Animals by Pink Floyd, whilst the rest of the album contains far too many of the same repeating patterns. However, there are some gems, the ambient feel and bongos of Pale Flag is very peaceful whilst Decima, Takeover, Last Song Before the Fade and Passer are all highlights of The Fall of Hearts. The musicianship on The Fall of Hearts is second to none, Renske’s vocals add to the progressive feel of the album, but by the same token, they don’t feel as if Renske is challenging or pushing himself. This feel is reciprocated by Nyström, who’s playing, although fantastic, seems very safe at times. After the departure of long time drummer Daniel Liljekvist, Katatonia’s new drummer Daniel Moilanen plays exceptionally well, a powerhouse of a drummer who seems to fit the Katatonia mould very well. The Fall of Hearts is a long album, clocking in at near 1 hour 10 and it is difficult to keep your attention as a lot of the songs seem to fade and blend in with each other. The dynamics on The Fall of Hearts don’t seem to change that much and only add to the overall feeling of similarity. However, The Fall of Hearts is a mature sounding album with some excellently crafted songs showing that Katatonia have a different side to them and a band that aren’t afraid to change their sound to a style of music that they feel more comfortable playing at this point in their life. 6/10 Adam Shifts (Renske/Nyström)
Inglorious Inglorious 2016 Frontiers Records Inglorious is the first studio album by UK based Hard Rock band Inglorious and contains ex-Trans-Siberian Orchestra vocalist Nathan James. Inglorious have a sound that is very Joe Lynn Turner era Rainbow and their music is steeped in Blackmore-esque guitar passages and oozes with melodic rock vocal tones that feel as if Inglorious could have fell straight out of 1981. As mentioned above, Inglorious seem to worship at the altar of guitar legend Ritchie Blackmore with Inglorious at times feeling as if they have been raised on a steady diet of Deep Purple, Rainbow and Whitesnake and Inglorious make several, if not intentional, allusions to these bands back catalogue. Inglorious have forsaken a producer to produce Inglorious themselves and they have done a great job. You get the feeling that the sound that Inglorious have gone for is the sound that they exactly wanted. Inglorious sounds like a good old fashioned Hard Rock album released in the 80’s, however, Inglorious also has a modern touch which can help it stand strong with other more recent Melodic Hard rock releases. Lyrically, Inglorious keep within their boundaries. As mentioned above, Inglorious makes a few nods at different bands, for example, from the obvious, the opening to Until I Die sounds as if it is about to burst in Highway Star from Deep Purple’s Made In Japan. Until I Die is awash with an opening of Hammond organ and a marching beat on the snare drum before stopping dead and kicking into the very Blackmore style riff. To the sublime, the title track of Inglorious makes references to a tower of stone, forged from flesh and bone. A perfect nod to Rainbow’s epic masterpiece Stargazer. There are a few songs that fall straight out of the Joe Lynn Turner song book and that is not a bad thing, High Flying Gypsy, Holy Water and Girl Got a Gun are fantastic examples of this, they’re soulful, meaningful and have the ability to get stuck in your head. The vocals of James are extremely talented, rising from mournful high to soulful low notes, it’s no wonder that James sang with Trans-Siberian Orchestra and was chosen to sing for Uli Jon Roth. Nothing shows off the raw talent of James more than the sorrowful ballad Wake. Wake is wrought with emotion and even has the magic touch of a Thunder ballad, which all the more adds to Inglorious. However, James seems to struggle to hit the real high note on You’re Mine, his voice seems to break and feel scratchy. That aside, to praise James so highly would be to take away from Inglorious themselves, the band features Andreas Eriksson and Wil Taylor on guitars, Colin Parkinson on bass and Phil Beaver on drums and no song showcases their talent more than the title track Inglorious. Inglorious begins to border on the lighter side of Progressive Metal with its melodic harmonic tones giving something reminiscent of Symphony X. Inglorious is a great debut and fantastic starting point for Inglorious. Inglorious sound hungry, up for it and feel like they’re giving it their all. Each band member plays exceptionally well and what they have crafted is a decent Hard Rock album that would appeal to any fan of Hard Rock old and new alike. 7/10 Adam Holy Water (Inglorious)
Times of Pride and Peril Holy Grail 2016 Prosthetic Records Times of Pride and Peril is the third studio album by American metal band Holy Grail. Holy Grail are great at what they do, they play a form of Heavy Metal that has its roots in classic Metal. However, it is a little different, Holy Grail tweak their sound with Power Metal style vocals, whilst the music flirts between Thrash Metal and at times Death Metal. Holy Grail sound the best when they’re on top notch Power Metal form and Times of Pride and Peril is full of Power Metal style anthems that hark back to a medieval era of kings, knights, castles and crusades. The sound of Times of Pride and Peril is very late 1980’s and is produced by John Spiker. Spiker manages to give Times of Pride and Peril a huge retro feel whilst Holy Grail themselves add a very modern twist to their sound that would make Times of Pride and Peril appeal to both old metal fans and the newer generation. As an album Times of Pride and Peril is easy to listen to, the songs are done in a true Power Metal style which makes them full of hooks and memorable. Crystal Kings, Sudden Death, Those Who Will Remain, Descent into the Maelstrom, No More Heroes and Pro Patria Mori are all highlights from Times of Pride and Peril, each song contains a mountain of talent and a sound that carries the album on its own. The only song on the album that doesn’t seem to fit is the final track, Black Lotus. Holy Grail decide to swap out 40 minutes of Power Metal vocals for a 10 minute record that contains some excellent twin guitar harmony work that would make Iron Maiden proud and finish the song with Death Metal growls and as much as it works, it doesn’t fit the overall theme of Times of Pride and Peril. As a band Holy Grail is formed from ex-members of White Wizzard. Vocalist James Paul Luna, and drummer Tyler Meahl are ex-White Wizzard alumni and are joined on Times of Pride and Peril by bassist Blake Mount and guitarists Alex Lee and Eli Santana. Holy Grail stretch out on their own and should definitely not be compared to White Wizzard, the new additions to Holy Grail bring their own metal elements to the band giving a different sound. Luna’s vocals are maybe not suited to Power Metal, but they work, his vocals manage to be high and soaring whilst still having that modern and almost scratching in his throat, this sound gives Luna the sound that he really has a passion and cares about what he sings. Holy Grail offer something else on Times of Pride and Peril and it comes from the musicians themselves. As mentioned above, Holy Grail give a modern twist to their songs and certain songs, such as Psychomachia and No More Heroes manage to make Lee, Santana, Mount and Meahl nod back to …And Justice For All era Metallica whilst giving it the modern sound of post-millennium Slipknot with breakdowns that contain a great concentration on time signature changes, exceptional tom work and blast beats on the double bass. However, Holy Grail manage to make this sound like their own and perfectly blend their mixture of Power Metal with a modern twist perfectly. Times of Pride and Peril is a good album. It is Power Metal for the 21st century, cutting and pasting from different genres to create a very modern sound that is bound to appeal to metal fans both old and new alike. 7/10 Adam No More Heroes (Holy Grail)
Too Loud to Live, Too Drunk to Die Gehennah 2016 Metal Blade Records Too Loud to Live, Too Drunk to Die is the fourth studio album by Swedish metal band Gehennah, not to be confused with the Norwegian Black Metal band Gehenna. Gehennah stick true to the roots of metal, there’s no farting about with elongated musical passages of time signature changes, there’s no talk of love and no sword and sorcery themes. What you get with Gehennah is oil stained denim jeans and beer soaked leathers, raise your fist in the air and destroy. Gehennah stylistically fit somewhere between New Wave of British Heavy Metal style Venom and picks up where Motorhead left off. Too Loud to Live, Too Drunk to Die is what it says, it’s not just Heavy Metal; it’s Street Metal. It’s fast and dirty, it’s loud, crude and chewing its face off on amphetamine. Produced by Martin Ehrenkrona, Too Loud to Live, Too Drunk to Die sounds exactly like it is meant to. It’s produced very well, but not overproduced. Too Loud to Live, Too Drunk to Die is raw, it’s so raw in fact, it’s still bleeding. You get the feeling that Gehennah turned up with Venom’s Welcome to Hell and Black Metal, played 13 songs and said right that’s enough, let’s go get pissed and by the way, we’d like it to sound like those albums. Gehennah and Ehrenkrona have given Too Loud to Live, Too Drunk to Die the sound that if you was to listen to Gehennah live, this is exactly what you’d get. As mentioned above in the review, the lyrics for Too Loud to Live, Too Drunk to Die are as you expect. They’re crude and simple, but don’t let that put you off because they’re catchy too. Gehenneh do one thing perfectly and that is loud, in your face lyrics which make you want to throw your fist in the air and chant with Gehennah at the choruses. Life Metal Must Die, Too Loud to Live, Too Drunk to Die, Low on Cash, High on Speed and All of the Decadence, None of the Success are great songs that are perfect examples of simple, catchy songs that gives Too Loud to Live, Too Drunk to Die the need to be turned up to max on your stereo. A personal favourite lyric from the ‘Cause we’re a Street Metal Band is: “Live life like a fucking bulldozer”. Genius. Gehennah are awesome for the fact that they have amusing stage names, it’s been awhile since I saw anyone called Mr. Violence! Speaking of Mr. Violence, his vocals suit the music of Too Loud to Live, Too Drunk to Die perfectly, at times of a lapse in concentration, you could swear that you are listening to Cronos, as Mr. Violence is a dead ringer for him at times. The rest of Gehennah is made up from Rob Stringburner, Charley Knuckleduster and Hellcop. Knuckleduster and Hellcop make up a rhythm section that at times could be straight from Overkill by Motorhead and the way Knuckleduster plays his bass like a guitar only helps Gehennah’s sound. Stringburner’s guitar sound is great, he doesn’t overplay, he lets the music talk, little fills that once more a reminiscent of Motorhead before ripping forth with a 10-12 second guitar solo burst. Too Loud to Live, Too Drunk to Die is an album which is just a full on enjoyment, it’s not pretentious or trying to be something it’s not. Too Loud to Live, Too Drunk to Die is a good, honest album from a bunch of street urchins all about having a good time whilst making some music, to quote Gehennah directly; All of the Decadence, None of the Success and you know what? I don’t think they fucking care! 7/10 Adam Too Loud to Live, Too Drunk to Die (Gehennah)
Flotsam And Jetsam Flotsam And Jetsam 2016 AFM Records As with a lot of Thrash Metal bands beyond the so called ‘Big Four’, Flotsam And Jetsam fall into the category of overlooked due to not being part of the ‘Big Four’. However, that is a huge mistake, Flotsam And Jetsam’s output, as with a lot of their peers has been excellent and consistent over the years. Flotsam And Jetsam’s self-titled album is their 12th studio album and their first release for AFM Records. Flotsam And Jetsam is their first album since 2012’s Ugly Noise, however, Flotsam And Jetsam is a much better album giving the feeling that Flotsam And Jetsam have found their stride again. A trend that seems to be developing is that bands are more than happy to use a producer whose name seems unfamiliar and Flotsam And Jetsam is no different. Flotsam And Jetsam is produced by Chris Collier and just like various other albums released this year, Flotsam And Jetsam is produced well enough, yes it is true that the production on Flotsam And Jetsam is nothing special and does what it sets out to do; Collier has produced a modern sounding Thrash Metal album that still manages to nod at Flotsam And Jetsam’s past. Flotsam And Jetsam begins with one of the best tracks on the album; Seventh Seal and really does set the pace for the album, lyrically, as you could guess, Seventh Seal deals with themes surrounding the Book of Revelations, the pseudo religious themes also continue on L.O.T.D. and Creeper. The irony is that a Christian book provides so much material for metal bands. Suck on that! The rest of Flotsam And Jetsam is a pure slab of Thrash, Taser is straight out of the metal songbook and there’s nothing wrong with that. Every song on Flotsam And Jetsam makes you feel your head subconsciously nodding in rhythm with the beat with Michael Spencer’s bass and Jason Bittner’s drumming providing a formidable rhythm section. The bass on L.O.T.D. is superb and the drums only serve to augment the music. Eric ‘AK’ Knutson’s vocals are spot on throughout the entire of Flotsam And Jetsam, his vocals are able to tread the line between top end Thrash Metal singer and a good Metal singer and nothing showcases this ability more than he best track on Flotsam And Jetsam. Iron Maiden is aptly titled and you guessed it, as it sounds just like a homage to the great band themselves. The music is very The Number of the Beast and Piece of Mind era Maiden with Knutson’s vocals soaring and it makes you realise that it is a massive understatement to say Knutson is a great vocalist, another example of this is Time to Go where Knutsford his high notes easily being able to imitate the vocal of Bruce Dickinson. Flotsam And Jetsam is a great Thrash Metal album, yes there have been better Thrash albums released this year, however there are some excellent songs on Flotsam And Jetsam, a few bits of filler, but all in all, Flotsam And Jetsam is definitely worth buying. 7/10 Adam Iron Maiden (Flotsam And Jetsam)
Ride Forth Exmortus 2016 Prosthetic Records Exmortus are a great underrated American metal band. Towing the line between good old fashioned Thrash Metal and Neoclassical with Death Metal style vocals. Ride Forth is Exmortus’ fourth release and their second since their move to Prosthetic Records. The sound of Exmortus is fantastic, imagine Jeff Becerra from Possessed singing for Yngwie Malmsteen and you start to get an idea of how Exmortus sound. Lyrically, Exmortus revolve around battles, barbarians and heroic deeds and that is absolutely fine, sword and sorcery themes are brilliant when done correctly and Exmortus manage to easily bow to the likes of Manowar and continue where they left off. High praise indeed. Ride Forth was produced by Zach Ohren, a name that was unfamiliar, until after some research and Facebook stalking. Ohren has produced Ride Forth well enough, although nothing special, Ride Forth is pleasing to listen to sounding as if it was 1988 with a modern touch. Each instrument can be heard clearly, showcasing the talent that Exmortus have within their ranks and that is a testament to Ohren’s production. Exmortus kick off Ride Forth with an absolute blinder. Speed of the Strike sets the tone and bar for the rest of the album and it is no doubt why Exmortus chose Speed of the Strike. Speed of the Strike is laden with hooks, but what makes the record is the stop-start when Conan growls the speed of the strike! Although, For the Horde does contain Whiplash! Hackslash! All is burned to ash! Pure metal goodness. Ride Forth pardon the pun is relentless, each song gallops forward and Hymn of Hate oozes classic Malmsteen. The middle section in Hymn of Hate is fantastic, although, it has overtones of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and that took awhile to figure out, but it’s great, it has you humming along subconsciously and other than Speed of the Strike, Hymn of Hate is easily the best song on Ride Forth. No album of this genre or stature would be complete without an instrumental and Appassionata is an absolutely brilliant piece of talent, easily the best instrumental in the last 5 years, possibly more. The guitars of Conan and David Rivera work in tandem, playing off each other, trading off, taking turns and with harmonies that made Iron Maiden so loveable in the early 80s. The bass of Michael Cosio accents and melodically drives the guitars forward without just bashing the root notes and once more, done in a style that would make Steve Harris proud. Appassionata gives way to Death to Tyrants and once again is a show case of the fast harmonies that Rivera and Conan are capable of playing and is a pure joy to listen, it wouldn’t be a surprise if you found yourself playing air guitar at all with Ride Forth playing. Ride Forth has a wicked album cover, as do all Exmortus album covers to be honest, it is reminiscent of Manowar whilst having overtones of Games Workshop’s Warhammer models for the Vampire Counts. Which leads to me to ask the question, is the song For the Horde a nod to the Horde faction on World of Warcraft? Because if so, kudos. Once more Exmortus have come up with the goods, as mentioned at the start of the review, Exmortus are a massively underrated band. Just like Blaze Bayley’s Infinite Entanglement, Ride Forth is another dark horse for a contender for a top 10 album of the year slot. It has been an absolute pleasure to purchase and review Ride Forth, hopefully on the back of Ride Forth, Exmortus will release some UK and European tour dates. 8/10 Adam Let Us Roam (Exmortus)
The Astonishing Dream Theater 2016 Roadrunner Records The Astonishing has been 3 years in the making, it is Dream Theater’s 13th album and the follow up to 2013’s eponymous album Dream Theater. Dream Theater are no strangers to concept albums and The Astonishing is another Dream Theater album which follows this format. The Astonishing is an ambitious project, conceived by guitarist John Petrucci and spreads itself over 2 discs covering a mighty two and a half hours music. BEWARTH THE DOUBLE DISC ALBUM! Sonically, The Astonishing is probably the most polished metal album that will be released this year. Petrucci has done on an amazing job producing the album, each instrument is crisp and clear, the acoustic guitar and orchestral parts are particularly impressive. In fact, The Astonishing is so produced that it sounds far too clinical at times and massively calculated. It wouldn’t be wrong to assume that there won’t be many pop chart singles released this year that will sound as produced as The Astonishing. The concept of The Astonishing is set in a dystopian future and tells the story of a place where music is only made by machines called NOMACs. The story of The Astonishing can be cut down its bare bones, a man called Gabriel who can sing and play, through the power of love and music, causes the evil tyrant Nafaryus to turn off and shut down NOMACs for good. The Astonishing is quite a difficult album, not only to listen but also to get into properly and relate to. As with all Dream Theater albums, the musicianship is impeccable, Petrucci’s and Ruddess’ playing in particular is fantastic, well thought out and as always, flawless. However, as fantastic as the instrumentation is, the concept seems rather flat and overdone. This transposes into the songs themselves, The Astonishing feels like 2 and a half hours of boring songs that don’t really seem to change dynamic or particularly go anywhere and that’s not what is generally expected from Dream Theater. Vocally, James LaBrie has a fantastic voice. LaBrie has an amazing vocal range that lends itself perfectly to Dream Theater with LaBrie capable of using his voice not just deliver lyrics, but like all good vocalists, LaBrie is able to use his voice as an extra instrument. The concept of The Astonishing seems to constrain LaBrie, forcing him to sing more melodically than he normally. Dream Theater have never shied away from ballads, in fact some of their best work has been ballads; for example, Under a Glass Moon from Images and Words, but The Astonishing seems to have more than its fair share of ballads, making The Astonishing feel more like a 2 and a half hour dirge. However, there are a few gems in amongst this collection of ballads, such as Dystopian Overture, Lord Nafaryus, A Savior in the Square, The Road to Revolution and the title track; Astonishing show glimpses of the Progressive Metal that we know Dream Theater are capable of producing. The Astonishing is best described as a movie soundtrack and at times sounds more a radio-friendly Disney series rather than a serious Progressive Metal album, with a collection of songs that could be dropped in and around the acting. The Astonishing is a rather poor show from Dream Theater, arguably their worst album since 1997’s Falling into Infinity. If you want to listen to a decent album with a dystopian theme, stick with Rush’s 2112 and if you want a decent Progressive Metal album this year, save yourself some cash and time and buy the new Fate’s Warning album instead. 4/10 Adam Our New World (Petrucci/Rudess)
Under Attack Destruction 2016 Nuclear Blast Records Destruction are one of the big players of the German Thrash movement with the Teutonic sound being much more aggressive and intense than their American peers. German Thrash doesn’t give up, it ploughs through at breakneck speed and Destruction are one of the best examples of this movement. Under Attack is the Destruction’s 14th studio album and the long-awaited follow up to 2012’s Spiritual Genocide. Destruction have managed to keep the same line-up since 2010 with Schmier on the vocals and bass, Mike Sifringer playing the guitars with Vaaver on the drums. With this familiar and strong line-up in place, Under Attack continues in the same vein as Spiritual Genocide. Under Attack is sounds very good and has been produced by Destruction themselves. Destruction have done a great job of allowing all the instruments to be crisp and clear. There are no annoying snare drum sounds and Vaaver’s double bass pounds throughout. Schmier’s vocals can be heard clearly above the rest of the band and Under Attack sounds fresh without losing what makes Thrash so appealing in the first place. Under Attack is crafted well with Schmier’s vocals being strong and angry throughout. Schmier’s bass blasts along throughout which only serves to augment Vaaver’s double bass beats. Vaaver is a powerhouse throughout, he does what is needed and his fast double bass blasts drive Under Attack forward. Sifringer has been a stalwart of Destruction for the last 30 years and his guitar sound is as recognisable as Schmier’s vocals, both of which make up what gives Destruction their signature sound. The album begins with the title track, which starts a clean electric repeating pattern that builds up until the familiar distortion and the usual sound of Destruction explodes through. Under Attack starts off the three punch combo, followed by Generation Nevermore and Dethroned. Dethroned is a great record that takes a cynical look at how self-destructive the human race is and contains the line “this race devours its own”. Lyrically, Schmier and Sifringer are on fire with Under Attack being possibly the best sounding Destruction album that has been released in years. There are other highlights on Under Attack. Pathogenic is an onslaught against the culture and the obsessions of social media whilst Second to None also contains the genius lyrics “backseat drivers, pseudo MacGyvers”. Under Attack is closed by Stigmatized which is a throwback to the German bands past and sounds as if it wouldn’t be out of place on Eternal Devastation. Under Attack has been a long overdue album and certainly does not disappoint. However, after initially thinking Under Attack is a fantastic album, some of the tracks wear a little thin with multiple listens and begin to feel a little bit like filler, such as Stand Up for What You Deliver and Conductor of the Void. All this aside, Under Attack is decent album, it just falls below other Thrash albums released this year, but if you’re a fan of the genre, it is definitely worth picking up. 7/10 Adam Under Attack (Destruction)
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