Track List:

CD1

1. Spectrum of Eternity
2. Memories Confined
3. This Momentary Bliss
4. Tongue
5. The Living Infinite I
6. Let The First Wave Rise
7. Vesta
8. Realm of The Wasted
9. The Windswept Mercy
10. Whispers and Lights

CD2

1. Entering Aeons
2. Long Live The Misanthrope
3. Drowning With Silence
4. Antidotes In Passing
5. Leech
6. The Living Infinite II
7. Loyal Shadow
8. Rise Above The Sentiment
9. Parasite Blues
10. Owls Predict, Oracles Stand Guard

Soilwork are another one of those phenomenal Swedish melodic death metal bands alongside the likes of In Flames that are the most easily and memorably associated with the scene and are one of the longest standing acts in that scene too forming in 1995 bringing their current career up to 18 years thus far. Originally their music was extremely heavy and would blow your face off in the days of “Figure Number Five” and “The Chainheart Machine” but in recent releases we have seen the band incorporating softer and more melodic influences into their material which has broadened their horizons and the depth of their sound, whilst I like the material and enjoy it I do feel that I prefer their heavier material, time to see if their latest instalment excites me in a special way.

A double album you know, I always find them extremely impressive and if a band is putting one out it’s a huge achievement but with that comes a lot to live up to, sometimes the only half of it is really productive material leaving the rest as less impressive filler tracks. As far as CD1 goes I’ve found that one an incredibly enjoyable listen with songs like “Let The First Wave Rise”, “Spectrum of Eternity”, “Tongue” and “This Momentary Bliss” forerunning the assault of thick distorted riffs harmonising with clean melodic counterparts and a combination of many different styles of vocal work (I mean Just spin “The Windswept Mercy” a few times and feel the strain you’ll have in your neck afterwards).

CD2 then has its chance to shine; I must say that they don’t lose sight of the goal as the tracks still have their own drawing points and are not filler pieces in the slightest which was a very refreshing change to the status quo I must say. There is still drop dead heavy power amongst the likes of “Leech”, “Long Live The Misanthrope” and “Rise Above The Sentiment” are just as infectious and easily just as memorable as anything you can find on the first album if not a little heavier.

Progression and survival can take many forms and take many things to pay off, manipulation of style and redirection some pay off, some do not, and all have the same risk involved. This one has definitely paid off as I haven’t really been a big Soilwork fanatic for a few years and this has pushed then back on my radar, fantastic effort.

[9/10]

Track List:

1. Lights, Camera, Action
2. The Way I See Things
3. I Said It
4. Left For You
5. International Crisis
6. Another Mistake
7. That Day
8. Pandora’s Box
9. Go Time
10. Independence Day
11. Temper
12. Ashes

Nonpoint have been kicking around the Nu-Metal scene since 1997, which makes their career thus far around 16 years. Alongside those 16 years they’ve put out (including this new one) seven full length studio albums and to be fair that’s not to be looked down on. Saw them perform at download 2011 and I thought they were good but a little bit annoying, you never see them touring the UK and if they do it’s a one off date or the promotion is awful so nobody knows about it.

I’ve seen posts around stating that these guys are slowly selling out into the mainstream alongside the likes of Nickelback, Limp Bizkit and other acts that have developed their style into more popular pastures of the music industry but in all fairness I love both Nickelback and Limp Bizkit because yes I can see what people mean but I still think what they do sounds great so who cares! Same rule applies to Nonpoint’s latest self titled album, sure it doesn’t quite have the same spark that their past records did have which was all rooted in their dirty tones over heavy riffs, that has been toned back a bit but still after the intro of “Lights, Camera, Action” you can feel that the heart is still there. I mean songs like “Temper” and “Go Time” are just as powerful as ever so the comments I’ve been seeing in my opinion aren’t completely justified, thick tone with nice riffs which is exactly what Nonpoint have always been about.

To lay it on the line, I like it and that’s the end of that, people can say whatever they want in regards to albums “selling out” or “being crap” which I do on a daily basis, does not mean they are suitable for other people, its just 1 persons opinion, go grab a copy, give it a listen and if you like it nice one there’s some new tunes for you, if not flog it to somebody else or trade it in, music makes the world a happier place at times.

[7/10]

Track List:

1. The Aftermath
2. 4Ever Loko
3. Feel The Flames
4. Hopeless
5. Retaliation
6. Exposed
7. Nothing Remains
8. Die Alone
9. Consequences Of Life
10. Departure

Incite is a little band from Pheonix, Arizona whose frontman is the stepson of legendary thrash icon Max Cavalera, they’ve been together since 2004 but Richie Cavalera is now the sole original member in the current line up. They’ve released 1 EP and 2 studio albums, “The Slaughter” coming through in 2009 and then followed through with 2012’s “All Out War” which I’m about to break down and pick through its elements to see if it’s any good or not.

I didn’t think I would but I’m actually really digging this stuff, it’s packed full of power riffs and aggressive tones strewn together through a exhilarating 10 tracks with no build up, break or cool down at all. Their new guitarist has really pushed this material up in quality as he can blast those licks and hooks out like no one’s business, “Feel The Flames” would be the best place to start if you need any convincing. Growing up on the heavy metal scene Richie Cavalera is very well educated on what needs to be done and it shines through immensely during this album, barking out those screams and growls with ease and mixes well with the harsh tones provided by the guitars to really capture aggression and anger in its purest form. Opener “The Aftermath”, “Nothing Remains” and “Die Alone” are my favourites as they are extremely diverse, use alternative tricks and styles to expand their horizons and make for some beasty tunes.

So youngsters can live up to legends if they really put the effort in, this much is clear from this album alone as they may have used the Soulfly/Cavalera Conspiracy links to bump themselves up but hey when you have the tools you might as well use them! Once you get past their musical heritage and links they are a ferocious little beast of a unit and have earned their praises on their own merit.

[8/10]

Track List:

1. Exordium
2. Cyanide
3. Spiritual Genocide
4. Renegades
5. City of Doom
6. No Signs of Repentance
7. To Dust You Will Decay
8. Legacy of the Past (Guest Version)
9. Carnivore
10. Riot Squad
11. Under Violent Sledge

Celebrating their 30^th anniversary as a band, legendary thrash act Destruction have reached an impressive milestone in their career which sure as hell deserves admiration and respect from peers and fans alike, 30 years in the business and this album marking their 13^th studio album since 1984’s debut “Sentence of Death”. This new release is the first to feature their new drummer Vaaver and has some very special guests; Ol Drake from Evile, Tom Angelripper from Sodom and Gerre from Tankard, all of this heat should really push this material up and beyond what fans should be prepared for.

Some of my favourite songs are “Renegades” which is bouncy fun to let your hair fly around too and sing along, “Legacy of the Past” as the guest musicians get their input down and “Under Violent Sledge” for the sheer aggressive adventure it takes you on. There’s no real standout material though that will make people pick this as the best Destruction album they ever heard in years to come but at least it’s consistent and true to the bands trademark, there’s no real risk with it it’s that predictable you know what you’ll get and you’ll sure as hell know how much fun you’ll have with it but there’s no thrill from pondering for months on how good it will be then getting it and it blowing you away.

In all fairness you know what to expect with a thrash metal release the trademark techniques and unmistakable trademark sound so it’s hard to really push it to be fresh anymore and as expected this record isn’t really a landmark amongst its peers but it’s got some great twists and turns with some fantastic tricks and additions to keep it fun and fresh which with how thrash has become these days is all you can ask for

[7/10]

Track List:

1. Earth Rocker
2. Crucial Velocity
3. Mr. Freedom
4. D.C. Sound Attack!
5. Unto The Breach
6. Gone Cold
7. The Face
8. Book, Saddle, And Go
9. Cyborg Bette
10. Oh, Isabella
11. The Wolf Man Kindly Requests…

This review is one that I’m actually extremely nervous about writing, I absolutely idolise iconic southern rock band Clutch and have done for quite a significant amount of time now. Got into them back in college around 5/6 years ago saw them perform at Download Festival and most recently on the road with Thin Lizzy which I must say have been positively unforgettable experiences because of the sheer simplicity their setup requires but the energy they manage to exert during a set is plainly incredible. I have always wanted to be able get up there with the hardcore journalists tackling the long standing heroes and iconic bands of the past so this will be a test to my ability, I apologise if this flops but at least I tried my best and whatever the outcome its all still my own honest opinion.

Having listened to the thing a few times I’ve managed to calm down as I’ve got a fairly good feeling that I can do this now; well enough stalling, here goes..  I’m not going to break into a description of all of their albums as I will sit here for weeks on the subject I’ll just use their most recent album “Strange Cousins from the West” from 4 years ago as comparative reference; this record retained the twangy tone crossed of old school southern rock and country rock styles, infectious riffs and lyrics which together made for some foot tapping heaven which I have got (and still do get) many hours of pleasure out of, what “Earth Rocker” is though is an adrenaline injection of pure rock straight into this winning formula. Reading up on interviews with the bands frontman, (striking beard bearing Neil Fallon) he has stated that what they’re striving for with this record is a straight up rock record as he feels recent years have lacked just that. Well it’s abundantly clear what they were driving for when you spin it even for the first time as the material is so much heavier and has a gritty veil thinly layering over the top of the twangy southern rock/country rock trademark they’ve made a name with; “Earth Rocker” and “Crucial Velocity” blew straight out of the water buried themselves deep inside my brain and I can’t see them leaving any time soon, I was going to go into every song but this thing is going to end up too long because I adore the freaking lot of them. “D.C. Sound Attack!” is a classic groovy track, “Mr Freedom” has that irresistible chorus, “Gone Cold” reels off a man bearing his soul with dramatic acoustic accompaniment, “Cyborg Bette” is a display of sheer aggression. See I tried to go through them all and this thing is getting so long!

So still after 10 albums and 23 years in the business, Clutch can still put damn near any other act to shame and trump any excuses bands can have for ever releasing a bad record, 23 years and these guys ain’t slipped up even once! It also shows just how dynamic they can be, it would be bad for me to say they have a vast range because they pull themselves out of their element completely to dish out some of this material. My jaw is dropped, there is drool and my parents are very unimpressive with the level of noise my feet are making, there is nothing more to want.

[10/10]

Track List:

1. Godiva
2. Land Of The Upright Ones
3. Die Sturme Rufen Dich
4. Fallen
5. Hunters Will Be Hunted
6. You Will Be Godless
7. Valhalla
8. Antagonized
9. Like Gods Among Mortals
10. 53 Nations
11. Beyond Redemption

I still declare to this day that Heaven Shall Burn are the 2^nd best musical import Germany has ever had to offer, falling just short of Rammstein for the number one spot (hell depending what day you ask me, HSB sometimes edge them out for the number 1 spot). First clocked hold of these guys when they released their split EP with fellow German metal band Caliban a very long time ago and I’ve been hooked ever since; finally living my dream of seeing them perform supporting As I Lay Dying a few years ago and at long last in 2012 by sheer chance along got to see them perform a UK headline set when British act Rise To Remain had to cancel the Reading date of their tour at which HSB were the main support when they went ahead with the show and bumped themselves up to an hour and a half headline set. Anyway enough of my little fanboy stories there are pressing matters at hand here; previous album “Invictus” was an absolute diamond within the already outstanding back catalogue of these sheer brutal attack on the ear drums which pushes through this irresistible urge to pull an angry face bearing my teeth and bang my head so aggressively it may one day reach my private area, a place which ones face should never be.

This album starts off in true to form fashion with “Godiva”; a beautiful sounding little clean riff that reels off into a gradual transition of distortion and power, the beautiful of HSB’s distinctive style is they are able to have this ridiculous speed and aggression with their drumming and guitar work but also have an overlaying low tempo melodic riff flowing through each song because it takes a very talented act to make that fit. Also it is a great thing to see that they remember where they come from by writing a song in full German (“Die Sturme Rufen Dich”) which after ploughing through their back catalogue seems to be a first for them. Going to take time to now mention their cover of Blind Guardian’s “Valhalla” which makes for a decent listen as they’ve managed to well adapt it to become one of their own like they’ve done countless times before (most successful of which being “Black Tears” by Edge of Sanity) but it is nowhere near as strong as their own material. You can say that it follows on from “Invictus” as more of the same but in another sense you can’t as it’s got similar structures and writing styles but there is experimentation with lower tempo songs like “You Will Be Godless” and “Beyond Redemption” as they are musicians after all and all enterprising musicians love experimentation and furthering their ability.

So there you have it, another exceptional album by a consistently extraordinary act and I cannot flaw it, whilst the cover song may be lesser than the other tracks its still a great tune to check out. I meant that I don’t have a single critique on the record as I think they’ve found their core sound and stuck to it for a very long time, adding and subtracting small merits here and there to keep it fresh and entertaining. Definitely another candidate for album of the year here and I think I will still be rearranging my face by the time I post my top 10 in December, nice job lads or should I say fantastische arbeitauf denneuen rekordwertjungs!

[10/10]

Track List:

1. V
2. The Great Deceiver
3. Never Say Die
4. Wasted
5. Time
6. Blueprints
7. Reach Up

The UK has been home to many great bands and seeing bands from my own country thrive brings me excessive amounts of pleasure, so that there then leads me to this new album from Reading based bruisers Malefice; “V” is new for 2013 and I must say as much as I love them a 7 track album feels just a tad stingy but never the less it’s all about quality not quantity, they have always had their own distinctive style it displayed leaps and bounds in regards to technical writing and the dynamics of some of their material has been unreal at times.

The title track here opens up the album and I must say holy fucking shit! Excuse me but where the hell has this come from?! They’ve always been fantastic writers but the production value and sheer quality of tone they have going on here is next level to anything they’ve put out so far, with the keyboards and what not I can feel a sense of American act Still Remains but far past anything they could have ever hoped to produce, they fall between tech metal and metalcore as here you can hear the breakdowns and drops but… I don’t know what to say because I pure and simply was not prepared for something like that, it fits into the route that a lot of British acts have been taking as of late such as Bleed From Within and BMTH; instead though of simply follow the status quo they’ve retained the aggressive technical side of themselves that is what I loved, they’ve  mixed that with some gnarly sub drops and dirty breakdowns to bring forward a new era of Malefice material. There are even clean vocal lines on some songs as well bringing together the full metalcore package wrapped in a tight film of impressive musical ability (“The Great Deceiver”, “Wasted” & “Blueprint” for reference).

I am completely and utterly gobsmacked; so much in fact that without a moment of hesitation I can safely say the quantity vs. quantity comment I originally made can be tallied up successfully to say quality by far overpowered the quantity but my God, I wish there was more to this record. Top notch material that definitely warrants this being on my list of considerable album of the year candidates.

[9/10]

Track List:

1. Abandon
2. Unbreakable
3. Stand My Ground
4. Halcyon Days
5. Fantasy
6. Out Of The Fog
7. Castles In The Air
8. Dragons
9. One Must Fall
10. Fireborn
11. Hunter
12. If The Story Is Over
13. Nemesis

In my opinion the most musically gifted and renowned power metal legends Stratovarius had been on a bit of an undeniable fall from grace over the past few years, in the UK at least they haven’t exactly been raking in the fortunes. They brought out “Polaris” in 2009 which was absolutely fantastic, “Elysium” in 2011 and now fresh in 2013 we are having “Nemesis” pushed upon us of which I have high hopes as always. I think their problem is that everyone is beginning to think they’ve done it all, they have so many albums and have experienced such fame they really have done it all musically and otherwise, if they can really find a way to defy the odds and bring out an album that has even a glimmer of hope that they aren’t old dogs set in their ways they may be able to rejuvenate their career and reignite a passion with new fans and such. Only question is right now, is “Nemesis” going to be that blessed album?

“Halycon Days” hits, this track has an extremely interesting ominous electronic presence and it is actually a shocker as it’s not a technique you would associate with these old school veterans, it’s quite dark as well in tone and the sinister harmonies extenuate that; not only this but “Fantasy” and “Out Of The Fog” continue off with this ominous electronic presence that really gives that little bit of added drama, this is a drastic yet phenomenal step up to a different time in music. The first couple of tracks on the album as well transition from the last album with its upbeat style bit by bit through “Abandon” and the tremendous headbanger “Unbreakable” into “Halycon Days”. Drifting away from the heavy metal breakneck songs and into songs like “Castles In The Air” which have that sort of face a man would pull listening to some extremely groovy southern rock, as it’s got the sort of dirtier sounding distortion as opposed to crunchy alongside a clearer lower tempo riff.

To sum up, after listening to all 13 tracks which includes 2 bonus songs I can safely say that these guys aren’t giving up without putting up a fully fronted assault, power metal is a much smaller scene than it used to be with gigs getting smaller in size and bands selling barely anything compared to what used to be. They’ve always had the craft but now more than ever it appears that they really do have the drive to keep the flame alive and whether it pays off or not doesn’t really bother me as I’ve seen them perform in their prime and we’ve been gifted with this material and that in its own right is worth fighting for, to answer the question will the be the quintessential album that marks the rejuvenation of an icon? Perhaps not, but it’s definitely a leap in the right direction!

[8/10]