Modern vs. Older Material

Disclaimer: Lack of time has kept me from fully developing this post. Look for revisions and edits in the near future.

One thing I've tried to find a regular balance between (in my blog) is modern metal, and metal that predated it. Presently, I haven't done a very good job of staying true to that, as I've posted far more recent material rather than the older, sometimes classic, landmark releases that we all (well most) know and love. In fact, I have a great deal of hidden gems from the older era that I'd like to include in my blog in the future. It's just a matter of which gets posted first.

What I'd like to do with this post is show the parallel between modern work, and ones that are a bit older. Whichever one you favor is up to you, and no one else can make that decision for you. It's personal, and a matter of musical preference. However, it would be nice to get the older crowd to appreciate modern bands and their work, instead of the far too often notion that typically says no decent music has been released past the mid '90s. I'm not saying every metalhead is like that, but I've seen a fair number of dudes who refuse to listen to anything released after give or take a few years 1995. Conversely, there's the contemporary metal listener who refuses to listen to the older, revered material that indeed influenced their pride and joy music of modern day. I'm not trying to change anyone's musical taste, but it would be neat to see both sides appreciate what they specifically dislike or supposedly "hate."

As metal is encompassed by so many subgenres, it's quite tough for me to do this with two songs. Because of that, I'll pick the two songs from the same metal subgenre. It wouldn't be fair for me to pit a modern death metal song against a traditional heavy metal song because they're aesthetically different. The easiest way for me to do this is with an old school death metal (OSDM) song vs. a more modern, "brutal" death metal track. I think I'll chose something from Morbid Angel and Hour of Penance. I mean, why the heck not? Old school vs. modern death metal brings up heated debates all the time. Some argue modern death metal has no creativity and is an unfortunate product of Pro Tools. Others argue early death metal is dated.

First, we'll take a look at Morbid Angel's "Chapel of Ghouls." Back in '89 when Morbid Angel stormed the scene with Altars of Madness, they were the most aggressive, evil, and gritty thing anyone could think of. The dudes were literally Satan's spawn. The band (and "Chapel of Ghouls") was something original, something that produced countless imitators, and something that defined (and defines) death metal to many metallers. At this point, it's really hard for me to believe this track is 21 or 22 years old because it's still so fresh. Death metal's been around for over 20 years? YOWZA! Unfortunately, I wasn't around when the track was first released, but I would have loved to see the revolution that this and other OSDM created. Simply put, old school death metal has a special atmosphere about it that I love.

Next up we have Hour of Penance with...wait for it... "Paradogma." Surprise! I'd wager this is the band's most well-known track, and rightfully so because of the epic orchestrated intro that explodes into a dosage of metal madness. This track threatens to rip listeners' faces off with blazing speed and heaviness that essentially kicks one in the teeth. Sure, it's been done before, but hasn't most everything in metal at this point? Go create something new if you're going to whine about it!

Decide which one you like better for yourself, but hopefully you can appreciate both because they are each great pieces of music. "Classic" and modern work each have their places in a metalhead's collection; it's merely a matter of acquiring a taste for both, or being able to understand the music going on around you. Or, you know, you just dislike one or the other.

-TMA

New Chthonic Album Takasago Army Streaming

Just as a heads up, Chthonic's new album Takasago Army is available for streaming over on AOL music. I'm new to these Tawainese metallers and am giving it a full listen right now. Should be interesting.

Hear it here. Scroll over on the list to find it.

Let's hear your thoughts,
The Metal Advisor

A Slight Reflection and Possibly the Best Album of 2009: The Few Against Many - Sot

One band that deserves more attention is The Few Against Many. Consider this: throw a hint of Scar Symmetry (only in regard to vocals), a hearty helping of melodic riffage and symphonic elements, and a dash of pure aggression into a pot. See what you get. That melting pot of ideas will likely result in something that has been done before, but that's no surprise because, at the moment, fresh ideas are a bit stagnant in metal, with everything conceivable seemingly done already. Despite that, you'll still get something that's fresh....somehow. The Few Against Many present melodic death metal in a way that I've seen no other band do before. It's entertaining, addicting, and, yes, amazing.

Flashing back to my freshman year in college, I remember shooting the breeze with a few fraternity brothers with my guitar in hand, and a newly arrived package from Amazon. At that point, I only had one idea on my mind: to put my guitar down (gently, of course), and viciously rip open the package in order to retrieve my copy of Sot, the debut album from The Few Against Many. Saddened about Christian Älvestam's departure from Scar Symmetry, I was hoping the vocal genius would pop up somewhere else, and pronto. As I popped the Sot disk out of the case and into my stereo, all sorrow flew out the window because Christian was in prime form with TFAM. His growls were and are my favorite in all of metal, a rich, deep, aggressive variety that completely blows away any comparable competition. You won't find any of his trademark clean vocals on this disk; vocals are exclusively guttural, and quite ferocious at that.

I can't give all the credit to Älvestam, however, as The Few Against Many would be nothing without music. Unsurprisingly, there are no shortages of riffage on Sot, with most falling into the more melodic spectrum of things, while still retaining a certain sense of savageness backed by relentless drumming. If you hate this, you're probably not a metalhead. In all seriousness though, the music's overall atmosphere melds exceptionally well with the symphonic overtones that pull the music together in a way unlike any other that I've heard before. More often that not, synth and symphonic elements are bit iffy, but in the case of The Few Against Many, they are essential in retaining a trademark sound. Without them, I would still enjoy that band, but to a lesser extent.

If my recollection is correct, Sot took precedent over the other albums I got in the mail that day, and rightfully so. For a debut, this disk is nothing short of amazing, and is worth a look from anyone that likes melodic, yet aggressive music. I can't recommend it more. And lest I forget it, all lyrics are in Swedish, which is a bonus for me because music in other languages fascinates me.

-TMA

One cut is best. You won't be able to resist checking out the full album after.

The Few Against Many - "Bränd Mark"

No Discoveries This Week, But...

...let's take a flashback to a relatively unknown heavy metal/USPM band of the '80s. Leatherwolf is one of my favorite metal bands out of the US metal scene, and while they had the appearance of a glam/hair act, their first record (and others) was of a straight up heavy metal variety. I absolutely adore the debut Endangered Species beacuse it has all the right ingredients: crunchy, speedy, and harmonized riffs, fantastic drumming, and over-the-top vocals. All of that, and the cover kicks a lot of butt. 1985 was a great year!

-TMA

Leatherwolf - "Leatherwolf"

Leatherwolf - "The Hook"

Leatherwolf - "Endangered Species"

Underground Cut: "Let Go"

Over at a metal website a visit frequently, a member posted a few shoddy recordings (captured from a cellphone) of an obscure heavy metal/hard rock song from the '80s asking us what it was. I was all set to identify the song, of course, because that's what I do best. Based off of the short samples he provided, it sounded vaguely familiar, but it wasn't something I could pull out of the depths of my mind right away, in part due to the fact that I hadn't slept well the night before. Well, after a little research, I was able to ID the song as Q5's "Let Go."I knew I had heard the track, it just wasn't something that stuck with me because it is rather generic. Don't get me wrong, though. It's still good.

In any case, I figured I'd share it with you.

-TMA

Q5 - "Let Go"

A Few Words About the Obscure Demetori...

The cover of 曼衍珠汝華 ～ Nada Upasana Pundarika is a tasteful blend of art and destruction.

Prior to my summer vacation, I was blissfully unaware of the music phenomena going on in Asian countries, namely Japan and South Korea. Regardless of language, the music coming out of these nations has been addicting and relatively innovative to my ears. While not every single artist I've ran into has been strictly metal, I will say the more metallic acts have been among the best.

Turning the page leads me to Demetori. You may remember that I blogged about the two-man band when I first discovered them, which left me extremely impressed. Demetori is actually very interesting because they don't write their own music, instead opting to base their craft off of compositions from a Japanese video game series called Touhou. The results are astonishing instrumental metal covers that make me want to listen over and over and over. Because I've never played this game series, let alone laid my eyes on screenshots, I have yet to hear this so called "godly" game tunage. Despite that, I don't find myself wanting to because Demetori does a heck of a job of writing punch-in-the-gut metal riffs spliced with blistering guitar solos and powerful, stampeding drumming. However, at the core remains the Touhou music. If I didn't know any better, I'd think Demetori was an original instrumental band.

Naturally, because I've been so "into" Demetori, Masaru Taramae has effortlessly climbed the ranks, filling the position as my favorite guitar player. I'll totally admit that my favorite always changes, but Masaru has held the position for quite long time because I love the way he strings riffs together, his overall technique and sense of melody, and his ability to lay down a scorching hot guitar solo. Stylistically, he weaves in and out of power metal, power-thrash, and heavy metal with a dash of djent and progressive metal.

Is that a Vigier guitar I spy?

Sadly, it's near impossible find physical copies of Demetori's albums outside of Japan (and even on the internet), so I've had to look to other means to hear their tunes. As of now, I've heard four of the full-lengths, leaving me with another album and a split to grace my ears. I think I'll let the four I've already heard sink in a little more before I piece the rest of the puzzle together, as I savor every moment I get to listen to this instrumental duo. Lengthening the experience is key.

If you haven't heard Demetori by now, shame on you. Do yourself a BIG favor and start with Il Mondo dove e finito il Tempo, Offering to the Sukhavati, or 曼衍珠汝華 ～ Nada Upasana Pundarika. I find it difficult to fault any of those albums because they are instrumental masterpieces in every sense of the word. Sure, that might sound cliché, but I don't see how anyone could hate the band's stylistic blend of metal.

I sincerely hope the Demetori crew releases some new material as soon as they can; better yet, original material because I know they're capable of it.

Someday, just someday, I will get my hands on a physical album, no matter what it takes.
The Metal Advisor

Demetori - "神さびた古戦場 ～ Suwa Foughten Field"

Demetori - "Greenwich in the Sky ~ Deep P Sky"

(Check out the section of the organ solo they lifted from Deep Purple's "Highway Star." What a tribute!)

Demetori - "霊知の太陽信仰 ～ Nuclear Fusion"

(The song that got me into Demetori)

Demetori - "Oriental Dark Flight"

Demetori - "平安のエイリアン ～ Crazy Xenomorph"

(So many amazing tracks, yet I want to limit myself to five. Enjoy!)

Tossin' a Bone at Ya...

It's not normal for me to fall behind in blogging past a few days, so I'll toss a great track at you. I'll try to get on the regular blogging schedule again as soon as possible. Bear with me!

-TMA

Sigh - "Bring Back the Dead"

FANTASTIC TRACK!

Just What is Metal to the Average Person?

One thing that's recently struck a chord with me is how the general public views metal. Ask any "normal" music listener to describe metal, and they'll likely give you a bunch bologna saying it's all noise and screaming. Because of that, I find myself wondering where that stereotype originated. Back in the '80s (and for that matter the '70s), the most mainstream of mainstream metal had clean vocals or something similar to it. Harsh vocals were, for the most part, something that only appeared with the more extreme thrash metal acts and the death metal bands that started to surface in the mid to late '80s. I've even had people tell me something isn't metal because it has clean vocals. Just when did this ignorance start? Plenty of metal has clean vocals. Clean vocals are a de facto metal trait.

Mind you, I'm not throwing a tizzy fit about this. For the most part, I don't care what people think of my coveted and holy music. But sometimes I feel the need to go out of my way and educate the uneducated. It's just in my nature. On a more serious note, we surely can't thank death metal for this stereotype. ...or can we? The general public views death metal as relentlessness noise and screaming, but, contrary to the popular belief, there's very little screaming in death metal. Most vocals are done gutturally or with the diaphragm, creating a vocal technique called "growling." Naturally there's screaming here and there, but what subgenre of metal doesn't have a bit of screaming? Rob Halford has been at it for 30+ years (even if he can't do it anymore...). Sheesh.

I'm sure we can also "thank" the metalcore and deathcore scene for this wretched stereotype because that's the "metal" that has broken through into modern mainstream culture. Typically, bands in those subgenres fall into two categories: ones that are actually metal, and ones that are not. I commonly find many of these bands lean towards the more hardcore side of things with too many chugga chugga "riffs" and one note action breakdowns. Contrary to that, there's the other side that takes the majority of their influence from metal, but splices it with hardcore elements. All of these bands fit under their respective umbrella, yet they're still distinctly different. So just what am I getting at here? Hardcore and anything that's heavy and abrasive is labeled as metal by the mainstream and normal, everyday people. Fundamentally, that's where we encounter the misconception that all metal is screaming, noise, and generally musically deficient. Quite interesting, to say the least.

It's pretty unfortunate that we can't all go out and educate that masses about our favorite music. But that's just it. Metal isn't for the masses, and we're going to find stereotypes floating around. Heck, I'm not as educated as I'd like to be on every subject, but I'm not about to go around and make some sweeping generalization about whatever it may be. I guess I'll end my rambling here, but I just find this an interesting phenomenon, one that can often be frustrating. 

Peace out,
The Metal Advisor

Throwing Together a Playlist...

Hey metalheads,

I'm currently in the process of throwing together a playlist to jam to as I head back to school for another loooong year. I figure I'll be blogging quite a bit more once I'm at school, so expect the pace to pick up. Unfortunately, preparation has taken up a good portion of my time, so I haven't gotten to blog as much as I would have liked to lately. However, you should expect to see stuff on the playlist that I've discovered this summer, bands like Carpathian Forest, Kvelertak, and the tried and true stuff I've always dabbled around with. Maybe I'll throw various electronic music and electropop into the pot as well... Who knows?

I'll post up the playlist with some commentary in the coming days. Actually, I hope I get a chance to sit down and give it a good "think" tomorrow. For now, I'll toss random songs your way and you can jam out to them.

Carpathian Forest - "The Pale Mist Hovers Toward the Nightly Shores"

Agalloch - "Falling Snow"
(probably the band's most well known song)

Iron Maiden - "Deja Vu"
(Gotta get some Maiden in here)

Communic - "My Bleeding Victim"

Snakebyte - "She's a Witch"

Vader -"Come and See My Sacrifice"
(Track from the upcoming album. Album art looks old school, but very Nazi inspired. Odd because the band isn't Nazi in any way [that I know of].)

That ought to do it.

-TMA

Why You Hatin', Bro? TMA Takes a Look at Kreator's Endorama

It's always puzzled me how much hate Kreator's Endorama gets. I won't argue that it wasn't a complete change in style from their normal, revered material. In fact, nearly all '90s era Kreator experimented with different sounds, and largely deviated away from thrash metal roots. Sometimes experimentation can be a success, though most of time it results in an outrage of sorts from fans (see Morbid Angel's newest record for an example of a failure). For the most part, I view Kreator's various sound changes as a victory, particularly this album.

It's safe to say Endorama is a hook-filled journey through the realms of hard rock and skillfully infused with gothic influences. The album does have at least two metal tracks called "Shadowland" and "Soul Eraser," but that's the closest you're going to get to a thrash metal sound. Endorama marked the return of Ventor who was responsible for bashing the skins on the band's deservedly labeled golden age material, so a good majority of Kreator's fans were hoping for a true return to form. Well, crap. I guess I just answered my own question there. That's why some fans dislike it so much. Anyway, the hooks scattered throughout this album are quite sublime and really aren't characteristic of Kreator in any way, shape, or form. You're not going to find aggressive chorus lines and verses here, but rather pop-influenced catchiness that's just downright infectious. You shouldn't fret though, as this isn't outright pop; it merely rivals the genre in memorability and sensibility.

New Tune from One of My Favorites: Man Must Die - "Hiding in the Plain Sight"

I'm a bit late to the party blogging about this because it's been out since the beginning of August, but I can assure you I made it a priority to give it a listen right when the band released it. Really, the dudes in Man Must Die are as strong as ever, though I think the new album will have huge a hurdle to jump to top No Tolerance for Imperfection, which totally fits into my category of most crushing albums of all time. That album is stellar, stellar slab of hardcore-influenced technical death metal and should be on anyone's listening list.

The new track called "Hiding in Plain Sight" looks to continue the typical Man Must Die trend, but it has more melodic hooks ala "Reflections (From Within)." I'm a-okay with that, too, because that track is one of my favorites from the previous album. However, it should be noted that the new track isn't ashamed to be openly political. Normally, I don't care for any type of political lyrics in my metal (and I suppose music in general), but, in this case, I'm willing to make an exception because the track is so good. Man Must Die is just one of those bands that isn't afraid to be blatantly open about their viewpoints. I wouldn't want it any other way because they probably wouldn't be the same band without that characteristic.

If you like the previous record, you're sure to like this track. It's a demo/preproduction, so try to listen without expectations. I'm sure the final product will be even sweeter.

-TMA

Man Must Die - "Hiding in Plain Sight"

Discoveries of the Week Part 10

To think I almost let Moonshine pass me by... While browsing through a list of countless metal bands, I spotted Moonshine, who really didn't look too much different from anyone else, but I randomly chose them as a candidate for new music. I'm extremely happy I did because they blend melodious black metal and symphonic elements, which makes for an engaging listen.

Hailing from South Korea, the band is an oddity because the primary music scene is composed of pop, electropop, and anything catchy that will get your spirits up and moving. As a general rule of thumb, anything harder is shunned and pushed to the back of society's collective mind. I suppose that isn't any different than metal in the USA, but in South Korea it seems to get even less of a chance to shine. A shame really.

I'm particularly drawn to Moonshine because the symphonic elements accent the already catchy riffs and force the music stay with you, as opposed to going in one ear and out the other. Considering what I've heard is the band's debut, I'm mighty impressed. As always, let's let the music do the talking, shall we?

-TMA

These are the only two tracks I can find on Youtube. They aren't necessarily my favorites from the debut, but they are still very good.

Moonshine - "The Memorable Tide"

Moonshine - "Wake Up the Moon"

Review: Velvet Cacoon - Genevieve

You wanna go into that foggy woodland alone? I didn't think so.

Genevieve achieves its dark atmosphere by means of production and particularly sloppy instrumentation intertwined with hissed and whispered vocals that take backseat to music. It creates a certain level of dissonance that's as scary as it is addictive. Clearly, this is the perfect album to play on a dreary, overcast day. It laughs in the face of modern death metal and makes it look tame. It's hideous.

Since I'm stuck at home because I can't find my wallet, now is the perfect time for me to blabber on this infamous Velvet Cacoon album. I say infamous because, from what I can gather, this band has brought up some strong controversy throughout the metal community. As this record was hitting shelves in 2004, many people criticized Velvet Cacoon for being unoriginal and described them as hoax because a number of their releases were apparently stolen from another band or actually didn't exist at all. On top of that, the two man project probably had a fake and varied history. What would Velvet Cacoon have to prove by adding false releases to their discography? Beats me. Of course, there was also the other side of the spectrum filled with people that loved the band and their minimalistic style of ambient black metal. I fall somewhere in the middle, as I don't know the whole story and don't particularly care to know because it might spoil my listening experience. As long as these guys aren't a NSBM band, I'm unlikely to care or shun them.

I should warn you that Genevieve is not for the lighthearted. The production is dry, gritty, raw, and generally very dirty. It aims for an exceedingly opaque atmosphere mixed with ambiance that is repetitive, yet strangely addicting. Protip: Don't play this in the car with your friends unless you want to get cussed out or be viewed as a freak. I can't say I favor overly repetitive music, but due to the gloomy, melancholy sound of Genevieve, the tracks don't get immediately stale. The first time I spun the record, I will admit I wasn't terribly impressed. In fact, it felt as if I was listening to a shower with an extremely faint beat in the background. But there's something about it that draws you in. Maybe it's the repeating guitar riffs that give a listener something to latch on to? Maybe it's the overall attitude? I can't be certain.

The most interesting aspect of the album are the ambient passages smoothly woven in and out of the more traditional drum and guitar sections. By no means is it original as I can think of countless black metal bands that blend ambiance with harshness, but for Velvet Cacoon it works better than anything else in recent memory. Take fellow USBM band Chaos Moon for example. Their ambient sections are usually keyboard-based with some pleasant, unoffensive chord patterns. Velvet Cacoon contrasts that with wind blowing, low rumbles, whispers, you name it. This could be characteristic of ambient black metal in VC's vein, but I'm no expert, so it seems relatively fresh. Heck, the last track "Bete Noir" is an epic 17-minute journey through the realms of little to no noise. Ambiance indeed. Is it filler? You decide.
  
A thought that has crossed my mind (and apparently many others) is if the two guys were tripping out of this world when they wrote and recorded the material. I definitely think it's possible because the music is pretty out there and much of it is very poorly performed. But like I said earlier, this type of incompetence only benefits the attitude the record was likely aiming to get.

Let's be clear here. This record won't make any top 40 lists. It won't ever become mainstream and it won't ever appeal to the run-of-the-mill metalhead. It isn't accessible. At all. If you're open minded and ready to search out musical qualities in something any normal music lover would call noise, put this on your list. It rewards dedicated listeners with little treats on every play. I've found something new hidden in the depths of Genevieve each time I've put it on. This isn't an album I will play daily, but will certainly keep in my stack of stuff to go back to. Overall, this is a very good record.

If only I could find a copy on vinyl,
The Metal Advisor

Velvet Cacoon - "Fauna & Flora"
(my current favorite track)

Potential Concert: GHOST / ENSLAVED / ALCEST

Words can't explain how excited I am that I may actually get to see Ghost in concert. Ever since Satan's children released their debut last year, I've been a pretty avid fan, following their every move from merchandise to concert listings. If you remember, one of the first entries (here) in my blog was about Ghost just as my enthusiasm for the band was at its peak. Now that I have a potential chance to see them, I think the obsession has renewed itself.

There are two venues I could see the band at. Naturally, I had to work around my college schedule, so those two dates fall on a Saturday and a Sunday. On Saturday October 1st, the band is playing in Columbus, Ohio at a place called Outland Live. I've never heard of it. Similarly, I haven't heard of the venue they're playing (the next day) in Chicago called Bottom Lounge. Does it matter? Nah. My guess is Saturday will be the hot pick.

It's safe to say I'm excited for the band that isn't headlining. I'll bet you a hefty sum of money that Ghost will open for Alcest and Enslaved making their setlist somewhat short. Ah well, I've been meaning to get into Enslaved for some time, and Alcest, well, they haven't ever piqued my interest. I suppose now is as good a time as any to check those two bands out.

Now I'll just sit back and imagine how awesome this concert will be. Hopefully I'll see you there.

All hail Satan's children,
The Metal Advisor

Discoveries of the Week Part 9

I typically do this writeup every Friday, but I decided to postpone it in favor of an album that was supposed to arrive, hoping it would be prime material for this post. Luckily for me, my order got canceled TODAY five or six days after I placed it. Grand. In addition to that, I had another album coming that I would have liked to include, but the seller sent me a DVD by mistake. He did, however, take all responsibility and refunded my money. Seems there are still decent people in this world after all.

Unfortunate series of events aside, I have come across quite a few interesting bands lately, mostly due to the help of a new found friend on Last.fm. I am extremely well-versed in just about every metal subgenre, but I will totally admit to being somewhat lacking in the area of black metal. I've certainly been exposed to it throughout the years from a high school friend and by the handful of bands that I like, but there are countless groups in the subgenre that have oddly eluded me.

Enter Carpathian Forest. These guys are one of the "original" Norwegian black metal bands from some of the earliest days of the subgenre's development. Upon getting the record in the mail, I was expecting a ballistic, frenzied black metal attack akin to something like Darkthrone, but instead I got heavily (and I mean heavily) punk influenced black metal. Punk has always played an essential role in influencing metal of all types, but here it seems to coexist peacefully and mesh with metal seamlessly. Through Chasm, Caves and Titan Woods blends traditional style black metal vocals, punk, and metal on tracks 1, 2, and 4; tracks 3 and 5 are from a previous release and give off a subdued and darker atmospheric vibe. Originally, I thought those two tunes threw the flow of the EP off, but after quite a few listens, I appreciate them, decidedly deeming them as worthy of being part of the record. Overall, I highly recommend that anyone gives this brief little EP a listen as it was likely a pillar in early black metal and because it is pretty darn good on its own anyway.

-TMA

Carpathian Forest - "Carpathian Forest"

Random Rant: The "Big Four"

Ever thought about the term "big four" which is supposed to encompass the American thrash bands Anthrax, Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer? No? Okay. Let me break it down for you and give you my thoughts on the label.

I don't know where or why the the term originated (Did it happen after the '80s?), but I think it's quite (for lack of a better word) stupid. It feels as if an unknown at an incompetent magazine coined the label and it caught on with both metalheads and the mainstream. If I could, I'd throw it out a proverbial window. When you think about it, all four bands have absolutely had influential music and at least a couple albums that have been incredible, but at some point they fell into a state of stagnancy and decline. If I were to coin the term, I would include consistently quality bands under the label, even thrashers that aren't American.

Don't get me wrong; all four of these bands have a string of albums I really love, but they all have a number of stains in their discography that I just can't ignore. Slayer after 1996's Undisputed Attitude can be put under a car and ran over multiple times. Mustaine has recently redeemed Megadeth with Endgame, so I suppose I can cut the band some slack, but stuff like the oddball Risk and god awful United Abominations (among others) I can't ignore. Metallica, well, I don't like anything after Master of Puppets. Anthrax? A total joke after 1990.

Personal thoughts are welcome and, please, don't be afraid to challenge me. This a completely open can of worms straight from the head of Mr. Cynical a.k.a. The Metal Advisor.

-TMA

Rant: Queensrÿche - Dedicated to Chaos

How did Queensrÿche replay their new "masterpiece" and think it was fit for public consumption? I didn't think the band could get any worse after their last record, but they've done the seemingly impossible. I've just finished listening to the group's newest album Dedicated to Chaos, and it effectively seals the deal that the band has slid into an even deeper hole they are never going to be able climb out of. The record has absolutely no drive; it sounds tired with a complete lack of inspiration, and truth be told, there are some really odd influences floating around that just aren't typical Queensrÿche.

Okay, so the band hasn't been "typical" for a very, very long time. They've been in a downward spiral for nearly 20 years. It's a darn shame because at one point they were metal innovators in the concept album realm, crafting one of the finest ever: Operation: Mindrime. I can't even say the band is parodying their former selves either. This is that bad. The good name they built their golden age material on is soiled to the point of no return. Clearly they need to hang it up or get Chris DeGarmo rejoin, but I'm doubtful anything good would come out of his return.

Save your money and your ears,
The Metal Advisor

Maybe you still want to hear something off the album, so I'll give this. This is really the only "listenable" track. Sadly, it's still awful.

Queensrÿche - "Get Started"