Metal in Video Games

Whether you believe it or not, metal is pretty prominent in video games. You gotta hear it to believe it. Let's take a look.

1. Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 (Sonic Adventure DX Director's Cut and Sonic Adventure 2 Battle for the Nintendo Gamecube) both feature a slew of great hard rock and metal tracks. While numerous artists and talents were chosen for the soundtracks (not only limited to metal/hard rock), the one that stands out, in particular, is Crush 40. The band is home to Johnny Gioel, vocalist of Axel Rudi Pell, and accomplished guitar player Jen Senoue, both of which have considerable experience in the metal and hard rock world. Without Sonic, I'd wager Crush 40 wouldn't have the level recognition they've had thus far. The tracks featured in both Sonic games are a little bit reminiscent of melodic heavy metal ala Pretty Maids, Fifth Angel, and some hard rock bands.

This music takes me on a trip down memory lane. I logged countless hours into both during my middle school years (still do sometimes), so the music will always be etched into my brain. I have the actual soundtrack to Sonic Adventure 2 as well, so... It's too bad the Sonic games that followed have really been a let down music-wise and gameplay-wise.

2. This next one is essentially a given. The Guilty Gear series has always been home to skull-bashin' metal tracks, which is quite fitting as the games are of the fighting genre. What surprised me the most is the classical influence that many of the tracks have. It's not something I would have expected from a video game's soundtrack, let alone a movie's, and because of that, it's pretty slick. Subgenre-wise, the tracks almost always have a heavy power metal influence. I've only played one Guilty Gear game for the Nintendo DS, but I plan to try out the others as soon as possible. It's odd to say I've heard the soundtracks before I've actually played the games.

3. Metal Saga is a bit of an oddball. The game takes the mentality of an old school RPG, with no boundaries, no rules, no guidance, no nothing. You often have little idea of where to go next or what to do. I like that in a game, but that's beside the point. You're probably thinking, "If the game's called Metal Saga, it must be pretty metal, right?" Kinda. There are certainly some metal-inspired tracks, but the music roster features a large array of genres from metallic stuff to piano-centric pieces. Needless to say, it's fantastic. "Battle with the Wanted" (alternatively titled "Wanted Person Battle" or simply "Battle") is featured nearly every fight. It's adrenaline pumping and perfect for when you launch a couple rounds from your tank at the enemy, blowing him to smithereens. Oh, I guess I forgot to mention that the game is military-based. Metallic music + tanks, planes, and even a dog with a gun mounted on his back? Awesome.

In spreading metal to other places,
The Metal Advisor

Metal Rant: Arsis - We are the Nightmare

Hello. We are Arsis and we hope to bore you with our wanky technical skillz. Admittedly this is the only Arsis album I've heard in full, but it will be the last. I picked this album up sometime in high school because I thought the title track was pretty decent. I figured the rest of the album would be on the same level. Boy was I wrong.  
We are the Nightmare is one of the most uninspired pieces of trash I've ever let grace my ears. Truth be told, there are some good ideas floating around, but they're never utilized in quite the right way and the music comes off as pretentious noodling. The worst is the drumming because it's sloppy and all over the place. I strongly believe that if their drummer (Cesca was on this album) wasn't so set on showing off his playing could be tightened up. Aside from the title track, the guitar "riffs" (mostly leads) have few hooks and little staying power with me. They're instantly forgettable, but I think many technical death metal bands in the vein of Arsis suffer from this. For a catchy and quality take on the subgenre, Gorod is an excellent band to look into. Unfortunately, Arsis isn't Gorod. Vocally the album is very weak and makes for a further uninteresting listen. There aren't any redeeming qualities to this album, and if you try to go past the surface you'll be met with a whole lot of nothing. It's that superficial.

In a nutshell, this album isn't worth a look, not even a glance because there are better bands in the subgenre that you should give your precious listening time. It's really too bad because Arsis is obviously a talented group; they just don't know how to construct a technical death metal song, let alone make something worth listening to.

Here's to a big group "meh."

In ranting,
The Metal Advisor

Oh yeah, and here's the only decent track on the album.

Discoveries of the Week Part 1

Hey cool cats, I think it would be neat to use every Friday to showcase my discoveries of the week. There's nothing better than sharing new music, right?

1. Power metallers Johansson have just now popped up on my radar. I'm really digging the classical influence, but then again, I'm a sucker for that stuff. This is a very good song, nice vocals and a great instrumental section, but I have one complaint. The drums are overbearingly loud. I'm not sure if it's the YouTube video or the actual production, but I shall find out when I get some of their material. In the mean time, let's all rock out to this one.

"Samurai"

2. I touched on Evil Survives in my last post. "Die like a Samurai" (No, I didn't purposely include another samurai song) captures the spirit of Maiden-influenced heavy metal perfectly with its harmonized guitar parts and galloping riffs. Again, I'm a sucker for this type of stuff. Vocals might take a little bit to get used to, but they're actually pretty charismatic. At least he's trying.

"Die like a Samurai"

3. Debauchery is a band that I've always neglected to check out based on their tasteless album covers and their claimed similarity to Six Feet Under (who, to be honest, are terrible). Today, I decided to look into them and I'm somewhat glad I did. The band is best described as a mix of AC/DC-oriented hard rock, heavy metal, and death metal. A strange combo, to say the least. I find the vocals to be extremely thick and generally unsuitable for a hard rock sound, but after a while of listening, it became clear that I could get used to it. Their vocalist also uses a higher vocal range that is much more suitable for hard rock. Check parts of "3 Riff Hit" as example.

To be frank, I still find their album covers to be tasteless, their lyrics to reek of stupidity, and their overall image to be odd, but somehow it just works because their music is mindless and fun. I'll post two tracks.

"3 Riff Hit"

"Death Metal Warmachine"

- TMA

Traditional Heavy Metal Revival! Praise the Metal Gods!

Over the past few years, the metal scene has experienced an explosion of heavy metal bands, forming a movement coined as the traditional heavy metal revival (though it kind of contradicts itself because bands never stopped playing this type of music). Personally, I'm ecstatic that these bands have popped up because pure heavy metal has been rather stagnant as of late with most bands residing underground among the ranks of Satan (just kidding, but seriously). These bands are from just about anywhere like Sweden to the U.S.A. to Canada and play metal in the vein of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Saxon, and others.

Based on Enforcer's first album, they combine elements of speed and thrash metal with heavy metal. It's a great combo. "City Lights" is an adrenaline rush of an instrumental, quietly wrapping things up with nice bluesy section for an outro. Don't ya get an Iron Maiden - Killers vibe from this song? I sure do.

"City Lights"

 

Hailing from Canada, Skull Fist might just be my favorite new wave heavy metal band. They have a distortion-y edge that draws me to their music and I love the shred-centric riffs their guitar players have come up with. The band's E.P. is constantly in my rotation because it's an easy, great listen and it's fun. Not to mention the cover is boss.

"Heavier than Metal"

Yet another group from Canada, Cauldron formed from the remains of heavy/doom metal band Goat Horn. While the band has had two very good albums, I find it odd and somewhat disappointing that they dropped thrash/speed influence in the transition from their first to the second. Burning Fortune is still a worthwhile listen, but it shows some weaknesses against Chained to the Nite.

"Conjure the Mass"

Oh my. EVIL SURVIVES. I've only recently discovered these guys, but they're impressive. Let's get them on the radio (eh, wishful thinking for any of these bands). Nevertheless, this is what metal is all about!

"Resist the Exorcism"

Chistian Mistress... well, are they Christian? To be perfectly honest, I have no idea, but their music rocks. I like the raw production on their E.P. because it feels genuine among today's products of a fake musical society. Okay, so I went a little bit far with that one, but many of today albums are overly computerized. Now that's certainly another discussion for another time!

"Black Vigil"

Last but not least, I couldn't forget to include White Wizzard. These guys are total pros.  They know how to create an authentic heavy metal experience, one that doesn't feel forced or fake. Their E.P., High Speed GTO, is very good, while their album, Over the Top, is even better.

"Strike of the Viper"

I suppose six bands is enough. Rock on, and listen to metal the way it was originally was, you know, before it found itself accompanied by various subgenres.

Remember kids, this could be the future of metal.

-TMA

Say What? Judas Priest was on American Idol Last Night?

Yeah, that's Halford and the rest of Priest (minus K.K.) performing with an American Idol contestant.

I'll be honest with you all. I was appalled that Judas Priest chose to perform on American Idol last night. Sure, it's understandable why they did it (money, tour promotion), but it disappointed me greatly to see one of the metal greats "sell out" like that (They've sold out before, but that's a discussion for another time.). On top of all that, their performance was abysmal with little emotion and featured a lackluster vocal performance. Rob, you just don't have it anymore. That said, is Priest's retirement a good or bad thing? Just some food for thought.

-TMA

Best Metal Album of 1984

I've decided to do a new series of posts where I'll highlight my favorite metal album from a certain year. Originally I wanted to do these in chronological order, but now that I think about it, it really doesn't matter how I go about them. I will only be crowning one album as best from a particular band for these posts, meaning they will be exempt from further winning. For example, Iron Maiden cannot have more than one album win, so I will not be picking another album from a band even if that album is a top pick for a specific year. Trust me, this is a hard choice because Maiden's golden years albums (1980 through 1988) are some of the best metal albums in existence.

Without further adieu, I present Powerslave by Iron Maiden, the holy grail of metal albums. In all honesty, I've never listened to an album as perfect as this one, attesting that it's the only album I would ever give a perfect score of 100%. Its got all the characteristics of an archetypal heavy metal album, plenty of harmonized lead guitar parts (a Maiden trademark), an Egyptian-sounding metal song (tapping other influences), excellent artwork, galloping bass lines, hot guitar solos, fantastic instrumental passages, and one of the most recognized metal epics ever, "Rime of the Ancient Mariner." Okay, so this might seem a bit cliché because any half-decent heavy metal band can attempt to do something like this, but nobody and I mean NOBODY can do it like Maiden. The quality is there, the emotion, the crunchy, stampeding riffs, the colossal feeling of epicness, it's just perfect.  Eddie and the boys really put their all into this one. When someone asks, "Hey, what's a good heavy metal album?" this one will be my recommendation every time. With as much passion as I have for Powerslave and the history its had with me and my life, I can't afford not to review it in full sometime.

Runner-Ups and Notable Albums
- Bathory - Bathory
- Celtic Frost - Morbid Tales E.P. and Emperor's Return E.P.
- Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers (While not strictly metal, Deep Purple has been an undeniable influence on the genre, thus it makes this list.)
- Dio - The Last in Line 
- Grim Reaper - See You in Hell
- Jag Panzer - Ample Destruction
- Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith
- Lizzy Borden - Give 'em the Axe E.P.
- Mercyful Fate - Don't Break the Oath
- Metal Church - Metal Church
- Metallica - Ride the Lightning (A decent enough album, but pales in comparison to Kill 'em All and Master of Puppets. I'm including it based on the impact it has had on metal.)
- Omen - Battle Cry
- Queensrÿche - The Warning (My personal favorite 'rÿche album.)
- Ratt - Out of the Cellar (Mainly hard rock, but with obvious metal overtones. Very worthy of being included here.)
- Saint Vitus - Saint Vitus
- Sodom - In the Sign of Evil E.P.
- Trouble - Psalm 9
- W.A.S.P. - W.A.S.P.

I probably forgot something, but this list makes me realize that it was indeed a very fine year for metal.

- TMA

Follow Me into the Black Forest of Witchery

Today, I want to give a shout out to Ceremonial Castings, one of the "few" black metal bands from the U.S.A. The band utilizes a traditional black metal sound fused with symphonic elements, so you can count on riffage and melodies that will stick in your head for hours on end. Vocals are a mix of death metal-esque growling and your typical black metal screeching. As with all other good things, Metal Archives introduced me to the band during my senior year of high school. I liked them so much that I used their song "Barbaric is the Beast" in a music analysis project for my electronic music class. Let's just say that that was one of the most fun projects I've done because, most obviously, it involved metal, and a good portion of the class thought I was a freak. My teacher even coined me as the evil metalhead or something like that. Good times.

To get yourself started, check these two tracks out.

Rock on,
The Metal Advisor

Revisiting Versailles Through Their Debut Noble

Because I was so impressed with Versailles' song, "The Revenant Choir," I grabbed their debut album off Amazon and have had it in my hands for about a week now. Let's just say I'm pretty enamored with it.

If you're looking for power metal in the vein of USPM, you should probably pass Noble all together, though it does have a fair bit of thrash influence. That's not say it doesn't have any power, but it's deeply rooted in European power metal sound, something that metal fans either seem to love or hate. Despite that, it definitely isn't cheesy in any way; those looking for an album full of songs to bash heads to should avoid the majority of it. There are some exceptions, however, like "To the Chaos Inside" and "Zombie," which are pretty darn headbangable, making you want to punch someone in the face. Actually, many of the songs are perfectly easy to rock out to, while at the same time being headbangable, just not overly so. 

That being said, my first and foremost favorite part of the album are the guitar riffs and leads that embrace neoclassical influence and don't let go. Imagine sitting in an opera or symphony hall, only to see a symphonic/neoclassical metal band burst onto the scene, blowing your face off. Yeah, that. The riffs are played with the up most precision and care, meshing extremely well with the layered synth parts, giving the songs a massive feel (see "Aristocrat's Symphony"). Often they're memorable, not to mention heavy, and have a sense of technicality without being over-the-top. If that doesn't make any sense to you, use technical death metal bands like Necrophagist as a reference. Bands in that vein are technical, but they often have very little substance to their music (I'm not specifically pointing at Necrophagist here. They seemed like a good example to use.). I find Versailles to be the complete opposite (albeit less technical), as they should be because they're a completely different subgenre of metal all together. Contrasting that, the guitar solos are ultimately on a different level. They manage to be lightning fast without loosing their sense of melody, which can prove to be quite a feat as some players are nothing more than soulless shredders.

Now, I'm not a drummer, but I have a good understanding of what's going on behind the kit and mechanics used to play it. The drumming on this album is nothing short of impressive, being precise, yet speedy and due to the fact that the patterns are frequently switched up in an effort to avoid getting stale. There are fills all over the place, crashing cymbals and the like that really just make me want to pick up drums and learn to play. This type of frantic playing only benefits the massive sound and doesn't get in the way of any other instrument. If the production was different, placing an overemphasis on the drums as many modern metal productions do, then maybe it would have irked me, but that isn't the case here. The drums are clear, having a pretty balanced sound. The bass playing is also very good, frequently deviating from the guitar, while at the same time being audible. I find that to be refreshing because the bass is usually buried under a mass of distortion commonly called guitar riffs.

If you recall, I was initially turned off by the vocals. Well, it turns out I've grown accustomed to them and have few qualms. They're totally emotional and, while a bit odd for a metal band, suitable for classically-influenced stuff like this. Lyrically, there is some going back and forth between English and Japanese, with the majority being in Japanese, but that personally doesn't bother me as A) they're tough to understand just by listening and B) the music is great. An abundance of English lyrics would be akin to a cherry on top, totally unnecessary for enjoyment, but an enhancement to the experience nonetheless.

Variety is this album's specialty. While every song has neoclassical or symphonic influence to some degree (a little or a lot), it's fitted to different arrangements like a custom-tailored suit. "Nah, that's a little too much here. Oh wait, we need more here." Get my drift? There's the heavily symphonic and classically-influenced "Aristocrat's Symphony" and "Second Fear -Another Descendant-." Then there's total bashers like "To the Chaos Inside," "Zombie," and "Suzerain." On the opposite, there are some slower and lighter tracks like "Windress." I find that this keeps things feeling fresh, likely to keep listeners interested for the duration of the album.

Let's admit it, this album is pretty awesome, but it isn't without its problems. For me, the obvious downfall was the rerecording of "The Revenant Choir."  Quite frankly, it's inferior to the version Versailles released in 2007 in both sound and power, and when put side by side, it just sounds weak. Nevertheless, it looks like I'll be inserting the version from 2007 in place of this album version. In addition to that, I found the song writing to be a bit quirky at first. For example, the main intro riff at 11 seconds in "Antique in the Future" should have been used more throughout the song. It only returns once, which is a shame because it's so good. The band favors a lighter, clean section in the middle of the song instead. Not what I wanted to hear, but the song writing eventually clicked with me or I simply got used to it.

To close, this album is sure to stay in my frequent listening pile for quite some time. It's got all the makings of something great and I'm rabidly looking forward to the Versailles' other material. Noble should be on your short list if you're looking for something different or something layered with all sorts of moving parts. Oh yeah, and even though all the members of the band dress like women, they're all guys. Figured I'd point that out.

Catch you on the flip side,
The Metal Advisor

("Aristocrat's Symphony" is an excellent example of moving parts, while the other two are rockers/headbangers.)

"Aristocrat's Symphony"

"To the Chaos Inside"

"Zombie"

Initial Blabbering About Uriah Heep's Into the Wild

If you didn't know that Uriah Heep recently released an album called Into the Wild, then you better get in the loop. Initially I found it to be less engaging than Wake the Sleeper (another recent album), but now I'm reconsidering that thought because the album literally just clicked with me today. You know the feeling when you "get" something? That feeling.

You must be thinking, "Is Uriah Heep really a metal band?" Well, yes and no. The band has undeniably had some metal material and, on top of that, their influence on the genre has been massive. I consider them very relevant to my blog. To be clear, Uriah Heep is essentially in the same league as bands like Rush, Thin Lizzy, and Deep Purple when it comes to the impact they've had on the genre and when it comes to classification as metal (or not).

I was recently asked what my favorite song on the new album is. At that point in time I wasn't exactly sure, so I declined to answer; however, with certainty I can now say that it's "Southern Star." Much like the rest of the album, the song clicked with me (I've played it at least 10 times today.). I specifically like the intro guitar riff and the clean section that follows, along with an excellent chorus that has the ever-so-important hook.

I haven't fully formulated my thoughts on the album yet, but I suspect that I will return to it for a blog post. But first I have to get to the other things I've said that exact same thing about. As always, stay tuned.  

-TMA

Phantom Witch - Phantom Witch

Local bands (to my area) have always piqued my interest, but each time I check them out, I am habitually underwhelmed, although I have found a few gems, namely Phantom Witch. Believe it or not, I ran into the band on eBay back in 2008 and decided to give them a try based solely on their name. Simply titled Phantom Witch, their E.P. has a no frills, plain Jane cover inscribed with their logo. Because of that, I have no idea why I picked the band aside from the fact that they were described as thrash metal for fans of the old school.

For the first review I ever wrote on Metal Archives, I ended up choosing this very E.P., giving it an 84%. It really is quite good considering it sounds like a "polished" demo and given the status of the band as newbies. Overall I was pretty satisfied for the price I paid ($5 or something like that). Actually, I still am despite the it having little staying power with me. It's not something I can listen to on a whim, but rather when I'm in the mood (Cue Rush - "In the Mood" right here. Just kidding.). Musically, the guitar riffs are fairly neat and well thought out with some black metal overtones. The solos are pretty maniacal, but they're messy and have little thought to placement. Conversely, drumming and bass playing aren't particularly spectacular, but they get the job done. Vocals are characterized by a gruff, tough guy sound. Very fitting for the band. A conclusion I can ultimately come to is that, for a demo-like E.P., everyone's playing sounds pretty tight.

Phantom Witch had me looking forward to great things from the band. Every once in a while I would check up on their status, only to be met with few signs of life. Eventually they broke up without a word. Disappointing to the say the least, but I'm not heartbroken or anything like that. The band wasn't exactly groundbreaking or anything new, but it was pretty nifty to have them around locally. Alas, sometimes things are too good to be true.

The songs on the E.P. don't stray far from each other and sound pretty much the same, but they're all good. You should get a sufficient feel of what to expect from the song I'm posting.

Signing out,
The Metal Advisor

Come Worship in the Church of Metal (Is it the End of an Era?)

Possibly my biggest metal-related regret was when Metal Church broke up because I never got to see them live. The news shocked me considering the band had recently released their album This Present Wasteland, and it seemed like they still had a lot of life left. Touring proved to be problematic because their record label at the time (SPV) collapsed right out from under them causing any promotion to fly out the window. This Present Wasteland only sold 900 some copies in its first week making the situation worse (in case you're wondering, I bought one). Yes, that's absolutely abysmal. Further obstacles plagued the band, but they were never clear on what they were. I guess all the bad stuff happens to the good guys.

I have always admired the church of metal due to their ability to stay together in the face of various lineup changes and because of their slew of excellent, yet unrecognized albums only a select few seem to talk about.

As a side note, one will often see Metal Church classified as a thrash metal band. That's only partially correct. Metal Church was a melting pot of styles from heavy to power (think USPM, not the wussy, cheesy variety) to thrash. I find them fairly unique considering the subgenre they were and are always lumped into.

Much like Dio, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest, Metal Church is a band I vividly remember helping me develop my own personal music taste. Now that I think about it, only one of those bands is still truly going strong. Dio and Metal Church will never please the Metal Gods again with new music. Judas Priest I'm hopeful for, but with the recent departure of K.K. Downing and a complete cut-back on touring, I'm not particularly optimistic. At least we still have Maiden to count on; but despite that, it really is the end of an era. The most influential and experienced bands are starting to call it quits due to age or other problems. Who will fledgling metalheads look up to now? It's time to consider who will take their place. Depressing, isn't it?

I'll leave you with this, a memorial of sorts to Metal Church. Just make sure you go worship in the church of metal while you listen.

Accept - Blood of the Nations (2010)

One of the best albums released last year came from German heavy metal band Accept. I've blared it many a time in my car and had sufficient time to form an opinion on it. On second thought, it might actually be the very best album released in 2010. Because the band was missing singer Udo Dirkschneider, who to my knowledge refused to rejoin, Accept recruited Mark Tornillo, former T.T. Quick vocalist, to take over the job as front man. To be honest, I prefer Accept with Tornillo, as his vocals are a trillion times more powerful and convey a better sense of emotion--Udo can only hope to match him. Tornillo screeches, screams, yells, hacks and slashes his way to the top. To be clear, he's pretty darn impressive. I suppose it's hard to explain, but better heard. Udo may be regarded as legendary by fans, but he pales in comparison to Mark on technical abilities like range. Remember, this is coming from someone who started listening to Accept with their classic albums like Restless and Wild, Balls to the Wall, Russian Roulette, and Metal Heart. Mark is no joke.

According to my recollection, Blood of the Nations was met with much acclaim, hailed as Accept's return to the metal world. After all, Accept released their last album in 1996, so that was, what, 14 years? It was way too long and the support for it was well deserved. The most surprising thing about the album is the production by Andy Sneap, who is known for his production on numerous metal albums today. I would have never expected Sneap to work with Accept; nevertheless, his production is perfect for the band because it gives the songs the power and drive that they need to smash heads and take no prisoners. This ain't your grandma's music.

I won't bore you with descriptions of how each individual instrument sounds, but each provides a tip-top performance. I wouldn't predict anything less from a veteran band like Accept (Tornillo is a metal veteran as well... T.T. Quick formed in '84). Think of classic Accept on steroids, but way heavier and punchier with rampant double bass on more than a few songs. When all is said and done, the band proves that the old guys can run with the new guys. I can only hope that the mainstream takes more notice of Blood of the Nations, slotting it with current metal playlists (let's burn the metalcore and deathcore bands first, though!!). It would be fantastic to hear tracks off this album on a local radio station, but that's probably wishful thinking. Oh wait, maybe it isn't. I've played a track or two from this album on my radio show before.

Do yourself a favor and run to your local record store as soon as possible and pick this album up (provided they have it, less than likely). You won't regret it and you'll be supporting one of the greatest heavy metal bands of all time. I won't hesitate to say that this record truly encompasses what metal should be all about.

Until tomorrow,
The Metal Advisor

Random Thoughts on Scar Symmetry's Past Situation and The Unseen Empire

There's no doubt about it, my favorite melodic death metal band is Scar Symmetry. The band has always had the right combo of tasty guitar playing and vocal talent to keep me satisfied. However, once Christian Älvestam (vocals) left the band, my interest began to wane, even if he held virtually no song writing credit. The man is one of the most diverse and talented vocalists in metal, churning out heavenly clean vocals to the lowest of growls. Because of his departure, Scar Symmetry replaced him with two vocalists, one who would assume clean vocal duties, the other harsh. Both are actually very good, but not in the same league.

I still purchased the band's first album without Älvestam. Though the majority of the songs were instantly recognizable as Scar Symmetry, I came away disappointed because I felt the band had incorporated a little too much - core influence with the addition of some breakdowns. Suffice to say, without Christian the band wasn't the same. I simply shelved the album and followed his numerous musical projects instead (which are fantastic, by the way). Fast forward to 2011, Scar Symmetry proposed another offering, The Unseen Empire, to ravenous fans such as myself. Thankfully, upon my first listen, the album rocks hardcore. Per Nilsson is still a bona fide guitar god (I can't give him all the credit. The rest of the band sounds great too.). The Unseen Empire is really a return to form, one that will surely keep me interested for a very long time.

I know I don't have a lot to offer postwise, but out of excitement I *had* to write something about Scar Symmetry and this album. Perhaps I will have a recap after I've fully absorbed the record. For now, let's listen to the most accessible song. Even people who claim to hate metal won't be able to turn it down.

First Thoughts on Morbid Angel's New Track "Nevermore"

After an eight year hiatus, death metallers Morbid Angel are finally back. Even though "Nevermore" has been streaming for about a week, I'm just now getting around to listening to it. According to various posts, there appear to be two opinions concerning the song: those who call it the greatest comeback ever and those who call it complete rubbish. I fall into the latter. I find the track to be rather forgettable, a feeble attempt to recapture glory that the band once had. It's only wishful thinking that Morbid Angel will match the material on their debut or Covenant.

Despite not being impressed with the song's overall package, Trey's guitar work is as good as it has ever been with some fairly nice riffs and grooves scattered throughout. The problem is that it suffers from a huge lack of hooks, making it highly unmemorable. The production sound, while decent for the guitars, sounds incredibly artificial for the drums further hindering any potential enjoyment. While I have no doubt that Pete is capable of playing his drum parts out of the studio, the fake sounding aura that surrounds his playing is just downright insulting. To be honest, I prefer an unclean, yet clear production rather than a polished, "perfect" one that Morbid Angel has employed here. An extremely polished production such as this is not suitable for the band. As if things couldn't get any worse, David's growls sound weak, a far cry from his golden days. It's disappointing to see your favorite death metal band in a predicament like this. Here's to hoping that "Nevermore" is a grower and that the rest of the album easily tops it, ridiculous track listing and all (the song names for the album are ridiculous and not in a good way).

Click this link to take a listen to the song for yourself. No comment on how the band looks these days.

 http://www.decibelmagazine.com/featured/streaming-morbid-angel-nevermore/

Edit: So it has been pointed out to me that Pete did not drum on this album (or song). Thanks for the heads up! Looking it up, I see that Tim Yeung (of Divine Heresy) took over skull-bashing duties. Not exactly who I was expecting, but interesting nonetheless.

One Year Since the Passing of a Legend: Ronnie James Dio

Let's take a moment to remember the greatest heavy metal singer to ever walk the Earth. A year ago today Ronnie James Dio passed away from stomach cancer. The night of the day of his death I had a bit of a Dio marathon, including all of his work from Elf to his solo project. You name it, it was there. His passing hit me (and a lot of other metal fans) very hard, especially because he was a primary influence in my musical development, anything from playing an instrument to establishing personal musical taste. Bar none, Dio will continue to be one of the biggest influences on music with the message of his legendary work living on to be introduced to budding metalheads by their veteran peers.

Often a musician is only universally recognized as great when he or she dies. Take for example Dimebag Darrell or Jimi Hendrix: both excellent musicians, yet not fully seen as great until their deaths. Defying all of that, Dio was already seen as special. Even when he was living, he was labeled as the greatest metal singer in existence. Very few musicians can claim to have held that type of status.

Let's take this moment to remember Dio through his music.

A metal classic, "Holy Diver" should be used to introduce youngsters to metal until the end of time.

1976 was a sensational year because Rainbow gave us Rising. "Stargazer" is just a mere glimpse at what Dio had to offer us.

After Ozzy was booted from Black Sabbath, Dio took over vocal duties. You might not agree with me, but that was best thing that ever happened to the band. "Heaven and Hell" is an obvious choice to represent Dio's output with Sabbath, but every single thing he recorded with them is amazing.

Elf is not a metal band. The group shows a different side of Dio, one that more people should be aware of because it is indeed special.

I still get teared up when I think about how Dio is not with us anymore. Luckily, we still have his music to enjoy, music that will continue to inspire musicians for many more years to come.

In remembering Ronnie James Dio,
The Metal Advisor

Is This Really the Final Frontier?

I sure hope not. As much as it pains me to say, Iron Maiden's latest album, The Final Frontier, is somewhat of a disappointment. While I'm postive the band hasn't run out of steam (Maiden is currently the most popular they have ever been!), it feels like they are slowing down because they opted for a more progressive sound--that's NOT what I wanted to see, and a lot of other diehard fans will agree. Unfortunately, Bruce Dickinson's vocals sound strained and coarse on more than a few tracks, so I always find myself wondering, "What's the deal, bro? You still sound fantastic live, so where's your oomph in the studio?" The bottom line is, I really wish the band would have taken more time recording the album because, though instrumental parts sound great, Bruce could have stood to improve his vocals. It sure seems like he did everything in one cut.

Another chief complaint I have involves the production. Shirley, you need to push the guitars up higher in the mix. I want to hear them instead of having all three rhythm guitar parts stuck in a giant blob. As a whole, the production sounds dry and uninspired.

I think the most effective way to voice my opinion is with a short blurb on each song. Should be fun.

 1. "Satellite 15.....The Final Frontier" - So what the heck is this "experimental" intro? All right, I get the fact that it's supposed to simulate flying through space dodging meteors, aliens, and all that other junk. However, it's just pure filler. Throw that crap out the window. At the 4:35ish mark the actual song starts. Yeah, okay, it's catchy and fun, but it sounds like a hard rock song ("From Here to Eternity" Part II anyone?). This isn't Maiden. Overall, a decent track, especially because of Adrian's guitar solo, but not what I was expecting.

2. "El Dorado" - Sweet digs, man. This is picking up! We have some actual galloping riffage, you know, the stuff that Maiden is known for. Instrumentals are top, Bruce sounds good. Nothing to hate here.

3. "Mother of Mercy" - Let me tell you, this sounds fantastic at first. It really does. Some great clean guitar playing and it really gets going when the distortion comes in, but the prechorus and chorus are a disaster. Bruce sounds TERRIBLE. Vocals sound strained, copied and pasted into the song. In short, the music is fantastic, but Bruce's vocals kill the song for me.

4. "Coming Home" - Highly enjoyable, minus some cheesy, over-the-top synth parts. Seems like this could have been on one of Bruce's solo records. Sometimes his vocals sound a little shaky, but a good song.

5. "The Alchemist" - The introduction includes a signature Iron Maiden harmony guitar part, so far, so good. Sadly, Nicko's drumming is boring and Bruce still sounds shaky on a few parts. Ugh. This song has some great melodies and is really close to being great.

6. "Isle of Avalon" - Best song on the album. Period. I'm consistently impressed with this one. It's creative, imaginative, and addictive. It effectively portrays the feeling of flying through space, aliens giving you nasty death glares as you navigate through their territory. Bruce sounds good and the melodies are something that I wouldn't have expected from Maiden.

7. "Starblind" - As expected, a clean intro. Is this really Maiden's idea of proggy? They've done it too many times for it feel fresh. Nevertheless, the distorted guitar riff that comes in is fantastic. Bruce sounds strained, but not enough for me to dislike this song. Additionally, there are some bluesy parts that give me an "Infinite Dreams" vibe. Awesome! Great chorus, great listen. Second best on the album.

8. "The Talisman" - Yet again another clean and quiet intro. Okay, so the clean guitar part is interesting, but we've heard this stuff before. This sounds like the "The Legacy" 2.0. Distorted guitar riff comes in as usual. Actually, this song is pretty good, but then Bruce opens his mouth. He sounds strained. ARGGGGGGGGGGH!!!!!!!!!!! I can't listen to this, even if the music is great.

9. "The Man Who Would Be King" - Freakin' great song. Great riffs, great vocal melody, and an interesting midsection with some slide guitar (gives me the dodging comets effect). Well, you're certainly getting "proggy" on me, Maiden. By chance, did this come from Dance of Death writing sessions? If so, please give me some more.

10. "When the Wild Wind Blows" - Holy crap. Is this left over from when Blaze was in the band? This sounds EXACTLY like some songs from that era. This is good, but not amazing.

In sum, this album pales in comparison to other "reunion" albums like Brave New World and Dance of Death, both of which I thoroughly love and enjoy. It's about on the same level as A Matter of Life and Death, not what a lot of Maiden fans wanted to hear. I suppose I just need to face the facts--this type of music is what Maiden wants to do now, the kind that's drawn out and progressive-ish. On a positive note, Eddie looks as deadly as ever and I really adore the album cover art. I still need to grab it on vinyl solely for that reason.

Overall, as you probably can already surmise, Bruce's vocals and a lack of metal rockers that Maiden is known for threaten to kill the experience for me. If you want to take a look into this album even after reading through my picky thoughts, then by all means do so. This album is not bad. In fact, other bands would kill to have output like this.

I'm happy to say this is most definitely not the final frontier.

Thoughts on Versailles

Japan: the land of technology, high-end watches, and pretty much everything odd looking. I've got to hand it to the Japanese, they know how to make an excellent product, no matter what it is, including a neoclassical power metal band called Versailles. You can consider me thoroughly impressed.

Extreme theatrics appear to be second nature for the band and an essential part of their identity. To be honest, I feel like I'm taking a step back into the 17th or 18th century when I watch their videos. Baroque-era looking clothing and theatrics combined with neoclassical power metal? Yes please. Initially I found myself wondering if the band members are male or female...it's too darn hard to tell. But you know what? Who gives a flying crap? Their genders don't effect their music in any which way, shape, or form.

First off, the guitar playing is absolutely freakin' fantastic! These dudes (or girls) know how to lay down a scorching guitar riff with a nasty lead part on top. In addition, drumming and bass playing are top notch, tight and rhythmically inclined. The layered synth parts are like icing on the cake. Sadly, I read that their bass player, Jasmine, died a few years back, which is usually an indication that the grim reaper will appear with his scyth, ready to create havoc on a youthful band such as Versailles; however, they seem to have quickly recovered, ready to crank out some more neoclassical madness.

(Did I mention that these guys have been around for only 4 or 5 years? I feel like I'm listening to a seasoned veteran band!)

If you know me even a little, you'll know that I can't listen to anything without finding something small to nitpick about. My tiny qualm with the band is their vocalist. I couldn't care less that I can't understand his singing because, quite honestly, I'm not listening to this band for lyrical content, but musicianship (The majority of the lyrics are in English, but they seem to get lost in translation). I find the band's vocalist to be a tad monotone, though his pipes aren't boring enough to make me kick the band to the curb, denouncing them as a disgrace to my ears. It only took one listen through a song to accustom myself to his vocals.

I STRONGLY encourage you to watch the video I'm posting or, at the very least, simply listen if it's too weird for you. Passing up this band based solely on their looks will deprive you of pure musical bliss. Skip to about 2 minutes in if you don't want to watch or listen to the spoken intro.

I feel it's safe to say that Versailles has earned a numero uno spot on my "To Fully Check Out" list.

Here's to happy listening,
TMA

F.K.Ü. Will Show You the Guiding Light

...that is if you're a total poser. Okay, so maybe they won't show you the light, but they'll mosh you to death until you listen to something worthy. No, that can't be it. This song is a parody, right? That's how I see it. It's like a parody of the the thrashers in the '80s who viewed "hair / glam" metal as a total bastardization of what heavy metal was about, as the majority were watered-down hard rock or pop (Please don't make me rant about the terms "glam / hair" metal again. I've put them in quotations for a reason. They're inaccurate labels, not a music genres!).

F.K.Ü. is part of what many coin the new wave of thrash bands. Thrash kinda went underground after the early '90s, but it's always been around. It never died. I don't care what you say. Recent thrash metal bands ('00 and beyond) are often deemed as unoriginal and as copycats because more than a few pay close homage to their idols. I won't disagree with those negative nancies, but I do think it's a little too harsh on bands that want to bring thrash back in full force. Let's be honest; thrash has been underground since that time in the early nineties. Bands like Kreator, Megadeth, and Sadus put out their last hurrahs (arguably their best albums...) before they either fell apart or conformed. Of course, there were always a few bands that stayed true to their roots, but still... My point? Thrash needs to make a comeback.

Be happy. F.K.Ü. is here to provide you with some thrashin'. "The Pit and the Poser" is guaranteed to get you moving, your head banging with its groovin'. It's catchy, rifftastic, and, most importantly, fun. Contrary to the popular belief, not all metal is about killing, satanism, and all that other good stuff. In reality, that's only a small chunk of it. F.K.Ü. proves that.

Listen and think about what I've said. Is this song parodying thrashers' views in the '80s or is it aimed at making fun of scene kids today? Your call.

Shhhhhh! Come on, just act like everyone else. You'll fit in just fine.

I thought this title was fitting. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to include some hard rock in a metal blog, as many bands frequently cross back and forth between boundaries of the two genres. In truth, the line between hard rock and metal is sometimes tough pick up on unless one has considerable listening experience.

Well, what should I say here? Oh yes... Firehouse is one of my absolute favorite hard rock bands, but that shouldn't surprise you. Pretty much everything I've blogged about so far is something I enjoy. Don't worry, I'm going to bash some things later. Stay tuned... Firehouse formed at the tail end of the '80s ('89 to be exact), so they were taking quite a chance playing a style of music (i.e. metal and hard rock) that was rapidly going out of style in the mainstream. Grunge ultimately proved to an unbeatable enemy unless, say, you were Metallica, but don't get me started on how they sold out. Good lord.

Anyway, on many of their songs, Firehouse has metallic elements, particularly in the guitar playing, which isn't unexpected because they were influenced by a number of bands that ranged from metal and hard rock, among other things. The guitar tone on their debut is superb, big meaty riffs with a nice distortion-y sound that isn't compressed. It's hard for me to find a fault on their debut as well, but if I had to choose a weak spot it would definitely be "Love of a Lifetime." The world be a better place without so many ballads.

Now, if I find you calling Firehouse glam or hair metal, I'm going to punch you. Seriously. Glam / hair metal isn't even a real genre of music! It does nothing to describe a band's musical qualities, only their appearance. Well, how can a word (genre or subgenre to be exact) describe musical qualities? In all truth it doesn't, but common musical attributes are eventually associated with whatever the word is. What does hair / glam metal describe? NOTHING. Too frequently bands were unfairly lumped under that label. You want an example? Tesla. Tesla had zilch to do with that. Hair / glam bands could be a plethora of different things, like heavy metal, power metal, hard rock, or even pop... (Yes, I'm looking at you Poison. You're disguised as a hard rock band, but you're little more than sugar-coated pop.). Firehouse is simply a hard rock band that gussied up their hair a little bit. Nothing extreme and no make-up. Thank god.

To end my obnoxious ranting, I'll post my favorite Firehouse song (and it's from their debut). No, it was never a hit, but it slays anything they ever did that was well known.

Loudness - "Like Hell"

"Like Hell" is one of my favorite Loudness songs. It's catchy, has great riffs, and the classically influenced lead parts in the middle of the song are superb. Akira Takasaki has loads of fans around the world and rightfully so. He is one heck of a guitar player.

Loudness was one of the first, if not the first, Japanese heavy metal band to gain recognition in the United States, and by doing so, they paved the way for other Japanese metal bands to pursue worldwide awareness for their music. Loudness's influence on Japanese metal is effectively unparalleled.

Take a listen to "Like Hell." I doubt you'll be able to resist the awesome riffs and guitar playing. I know I wasn't.

Initial Thoughts on The Absence

Melodic death metal is a hard subgenre to stand out in these days because nearly every idea has been exhausted. While they aren't exactly unique, The Absence still can be an enjoyable band (based on what I have heard) despite performing a cliché brand of melodic death metal. From the songs I have heard, which, in all honesty, isn't many, "Dead and Gone" stands out, while songs like "Enemy Unbound" are somewhat boring due to uninspired drumming (although the chorus is quite catchy). Despite shortcomings, The Absence is home to two very good guitar players, both of whom clearly draw their influence from melodic guitar shredders from the '80s and other projects that have popped up since; listen not only to their lead guitar playing, but also take a look at their guitars. Yeah, the pink tiger stripe guitar looks like something George Lynch would have used. I know he has a similar yellow one. Overall, it's going to take some time to form a real opinion on the band, meaning taking a closer look at their material and hopefully, just hopefully, the band has some tricks up their sleeves on their albums.

- TMA

Kreator - "When the Sun Burns Red"

I'm buried in the books right now because I have two exams tomorrow, so this is all you get today. It's from the album Coma of Souls, which is an absolute thrash masterpiece.

Enjoy.

Breaking My Promise...

I'm not going to post another NWoBHM song right now, simply because I don't feel like it.

I just now ran into Isole, a doom metal band, that I discovered some time ago. Funny how I forget bands and then find them again... Here's a taste of the band from their newest album, along with an older track released a few years before. I'm definitely picking up one of their albums next week.

Discovery of the Century!

Okay guys, I just found a NWoBHM band called Overdrive through a song called "Nightmare." My jaw pretty much dropped upon hearing it because it's so darn catchy, yet haunting at the same time. Just listen to that organ part!

It's a shame that I can't find the original version on YouTube, so we'll just have to settle for the version the band rerecorded in 2005 (the original was released in 1981). Not as haunting, but awesome nonetheless. I reccommend you listen to the original if you can. It's amazing.

Rock Goddess - "My Angel"

Continuing with the NWoBHM songs...

A band with girls?!?!?!? Yep. I'm including a live version of the song as well, the exact video that got me into the band a year or two ago.

Studio

 Live

Demon - "Liar"

It's finals week, so I'm keeping my posts relatively short. I'll be posting a song from the NWoBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) movement for each day remaining in the week.

Rock out, do whatever you cool kids do to metal and hard rock songs. You'll miss my extensive commentary for a few days, but you'll have to deal with it!

This one's called "Liar" by Demon. Released in 1980.

"Passiondale" or "Paschendale?"

Whether you realize it or not, The Battle of Passchendaele was a major battle during World War I, and perhaps the bloodiest. Interestingly enough, it has become a hot topic in metal because God Dethroned and Iron Maiden have written songs about it.

Detailing the horrors and effects of Passchendaele, neither song is a particularly nice waltz in a meadow. But what did you expect? Iron Maiden's "Paschendale" has some of my absolute favorite lyrics in metal, and when paired with music, creates a surreal experience that I can't describe through a blog. God Dethroned's "Passiondale" is an excellent song as well, creating a melancholic, yet frenzied experience, exactly how the battle was. I can easily give Iron Maiden the nod here. Why? Well, I'm not going to tell you my full reasoning because I want you to decide your favorite for yourself.

"A serenade in lead
For all those who died
Wartime atrocities
No sign of life"

 VS

 

"In a foreign field he lay
Lonely soldier, unknown grave
On his dying words he prays
Tell the world of Paschendale"