Against Tolerance –
Undefined
Against Tolerance is a Brazilian group who followed me on Twitter, so I figured I could at least listen to their music.
Undefined was available for a free download (in exchange for a tweet about it) so I figured it was worth a listen, and well, I would have paid for it. The album presents an eclectic mix of musical styles, ranging from jazz to polka, with metal. Yeah, that’s right, polka. There is an accordion incorporated in their music (at least I THINK it was an accordion). Anyway, if you’re in the market for something different, definitely get this. 8.5 /10
Mastodon –
The Hunter
Mastodon’s follow-up to
Crack the Skye didn’t exactly sit well with me in the beginning. However, as I listened to it more and more, it grew on me. Spectacular guitar work and Brett Hinds’ haunting vocals provide for an insane musical experience that is not of this world. I still don’t like this as much as
Crack the Skye, but at least this album isn’t Bullet for my Valentine’s
Fever. 7/10
Trivium –
In Waves
Trivium is one of the biggest names in metal. Well, at least they WERE until they released
In Waves. I got this album, fully expecting it to be as good (if not better) than
Shogun. Lo and behold, it gets my award for the biggest disappointment of the year. The album starts out pretty heavy, the way Trivium should sound. “Capsizing the Sea”, despite being a bit too long, is an impressive intro track, flowing seamlessly into the title track. The song “In Waves” itself is a journey into the realm of deathcore, having a simple yet hard-as-hell main riff. The next two songs are also very typical Trivium fare, but after that, the album just goes to shit. “Caustic Are the Ties That Bind” sounds more like Rise Against than Trivium, and I’m just going to stop there because I hate this album. Oh, “Shattering the Skies Above”. It’s a bonus track, recorded for the God of War III soundtrack, but still a good listen. 5/10
The Devil Wears Prada –
Dead Throne
After hearing last year’s
Zombie E.P., my expectations from DWP were pretty high. Well, they met them, exceeded them, and drove them into the ground. This album is full of those breakdowns for which they are renowned, but there is also a new maturity to their sound. “R.I.T.” is definitely one the heaviest songs they have ever written, incorporating the “djent” sound into their music. 9/10
August Burns Red –
Leveler
August Burns Red’s latest release was heavily anticipated by many, me included. What they put out, however, left me feeling very unsatisfied. Sure, by their standards,
Leveler may have been a good album. The album felt like any other ABR album (that isn’t
Constellations), which is my issue with it – it’s trite and overdone. In the past, this would have been original. Sadly, almost every new metalcore band sounds like this now. If I want to hear that shit, all I need do is venture on down to Hot Topic; no, they play shitty pop music there now. 5/10
The Black Dahlia Murder –
Ritual
Ah, The Black Dahlia Murder. Their past releases have all been fairly mediocre in my eyes, but they took their game to the next level with
Ritual. This album is what the gods fornicate to. It is a perfect balance of melodic-ness and brutality. If you haven’t listened to BDM before, this is a great album to start with.
Ritual far surpasses what they have done in the past, with most of the songs being heavier and more well-written and the vocals being much better than in the past. 9.5/10
Textures –
Dualism
Textures is a band that Sylosis’s Alex Bailey told me to listen to, and dammit, when a guitarist as good as he tells you to listen to a band, you’d better fucking do it. Well, the essential sound of the album is 50/50 (or 55/45 if being nitpicky). That means 50/50 ratio of clean to harsh vocals, 50/50 ratio of heavy parts to soft parts and a 50/50 ratio of brain-breaking grooves to fantastically listenable riffs. There are very few bands breaking the mold of using the same chords/scales in their songs, and after a while it can get boring, almost depressingly so. But the stuff Textures has written for
Dualism is above and beyond fantastic. 9/10
Sylosis –
Edge of the Earth
I recently had the pleasure of seeing Sylosis open for As I Lay Dying (and sadly, they were also opening for inferior bands Iwrestledabearonce, The Ghost Inside, and Of Mice and Men) and it was a treat. A wonderful group of guys whose music is the ideal for the metal genre,
Edge of the Earth has helped them cement a place in my favorite bands list. Josh Middleton is possibly one of the most talented frontmen of today, assuming the roles of lead guitarist and vocalist, and neither one of those aspects suffer live. Their drummer puts many others to shame, as his double bass is like a machine gun. There are maybe two drummers I’ve heard that are faster, Samus (formerly of Abigail Williams) being the only name that comes to mind. My point – if you have any taste in metal, you will get your hands on this album, and their previous albums. 10/10
Iwrestledabearonce –
Ruining It for Everyone
Iwrestledabearonce are indiscernible noise at its finest. Live, this Louisiana-born quintet is terrible. Their music, however, I don’t feel was made to appease every metal fan. They carry a lot of hardcore and electronic influence, and it shows. Krysta Cameron definitely has one of the most powerful and dynamic voices of any female metal vocalist, putting many male vocalists to shame with her maniacal screams and becoming the envy of many women with her soulful cleans. That being said, their latest album,
Ruining It for Everyone, is mediocre at best. IWABO has found a formula for their music and fails to stray away from it: frenzied madness -> pretty clean part -> frenzied madness. It gets old after a short while and fails to capture my attention. However, this isn’t a terrible album by any means, and there are a couple good songs (i.e. “Karate Nipples”). 7/10
Winds of Plague –
Against the World
Another band I have had the pleasure of witnessing, Winds of Plague brings a sound so heavy, it must have been spawned in the bowels of Hell. Sadly, this heaviness is really only heard live, as the album’s mixing takes away a lot of the bass, which takes away from the intensity of their music, which is really the only thing they have going for them. Suffice to say,
Against the World has nothing on
Decimate the Weak, in any aspect of music. 6.5/10
Born of Osiris –
The Discovery
DJENT! It’s not just for Meshuggah anymore. Many a band attempts this fairly new sound, and many a band fails. Born of Osiris is not one of those bands. They nail it, and add plenty of polyrhythmic goodness. And, unlike Meshuggah, Born of Osiris has a keyboardist, which adds they’re own distinct flavor to the sound. This album is high-powered metal from the get-go with “Follow the Signs”, and they rarely take their foot off the gas. 9/10
Arsonists Get All the Girls –
Motherland
I was mildly surprised when I first heard this album. Looking at their name, I figured it’d be some ridiculous hardcore band. Not the case. Arsonists Get All the Girls is of the same vein as Born of Osiris, bringing high-octane, synth-infused metal to the table. Unlike Born of Osiris, their music wears on me. This album was good for a listen or two, but it gets bland after a while. Still a solid listen though. 7.5/10
Black Tide –
Post Mortem
Black Tide is a band that has so much potential, but with
Post Mortem, they went backwards from their debut
Light from Above. Really, that can be said of any band that involves themselves with Matt Tuck. Honestly, this album is rubbish. The vocals are horrendous and NOTHING like their previous album, and the same can be said of the guitar work. Previously, this band was like 80’s hair metal but good. Now, they’re just shit. But, it’s also not an album I have waited for anxiously, so it’s of no importance to me. 5/10
Chimaira –
The Age of Hell
For those who are unaware of the bands recent history, the bassist, drummer and keyboardist have all left the band for personal reasons. This leaves just the two guitarists and vocalist left intact. Luckily for Chimaira fans, these people are the main song writers of the group, meaning that the sound fans have come to know and love has remained intact. Furthermore, in an attempt to not alienate fans, the lasting band members decided it would be best to use their newly recruited replacements on stage for now, and get them into the studio for their next album. This means bass duty went to the guitarists and drumming duties went to their drum tech. Smart move on their part. However, I have yet to hear a Chimaira album that just stuns me. Still, it’s a solid album. 8/10
All Shall Perish –
This Is Where It Ends
All Shall Perish has come a long way since their first album, with their music getting much more mature with time. The addition of Francesco Artusato has given ASP something they have lacked – a shredtastic guitar player. With the addition of Artusato, ASP gained an element of melodicism that has put their music on a level above that of most deathcore bands like Job for a Cowboy and Suicide Silence without losing their brutality. 10/10
Suicide Silence –
The Black Crown
I don’t like Suicide Silence. I never have, I never will. Their vocalist is a beast, but that’s about it. My hopes for this album were nonexistent. My opinion of this album is as apathetic. It’s nothing special, nothing new. Same Suicide Silence – hectic, chaotic, and busy. It borders on intangible noise. 6/10
Unearth –
Darkness in the Light
Traditional metalcore (i.e. anything like Killswitch Engage and All That Remains) is a rarity these days. Unearth’s 2011 release
Darkness in the Light was really a light in the dark for this subgenre. Picking up where they left off with The March, Unearth has truly unearthed a sound that metal fans everywhere can appreciate, with vocalist Trevor Phipps’ vocals being the best they’ve ever been and the guitar shredding ways of Buz McGrath and Ken Susi enveloping rhythmic and melodic mastery. 9/10
In Flames –
Sounds of a Playground Fading
I have never taken a shine to In Flames, but the Swedish metallers consistently put out technically mesmerizing music. The reason I can’t stand In Flames? The vocals. I have never liked their vocals, and this trend continues. But, I must look beyond the vocals and let their music stand out. It’s fantastic. But, it’s the same In Flames, and that sound is becoming rather trite. 7/10
As Blood Runs Black –
Instinct
This album starts off with a bang, but, like any virgin, it’s a one and done deal. The intro track, “Triumph” had me excited. It sounded like The Black Dahlia Murder. But, little has changed about the band, except for maybe the amount of notes they're willing to shove into a given amount of space. And unsurprisingly, it's all the same notes, just played in different orders. Anybody who has either spent far too much time listening to metalcore or is critical of the modern scene (I guess I'm both) will know what I'm talking about when I say these guys abuse the "0-8-7-5" riffs. Some of their new songs literally sound like their old songs played backwards. And don't get me started with the breakdowns. I love a good breakdown, but I hate a needless one. Overall, this album is the same As Blood Runs Black as 2006. It’s solid, but lacks creativity and is far too repetitive. 6.5/10
The Human Abstract –
Digital Veil
Digital Veil is The Human Abstract’s third studio release, and it could not have come at a better time for them. With their second release,
Midheaven, leaving a sour taste in many of their fans’ mouths, The Human Abstract was joined once again by guitarist AJ Minette, who had been finishing his master’s degree. Minette had recorded THA’s first album, but not the second due to his studies and his education has definitely shown.
Digital Veil is a work beyond anything I have heard in a long while. The album starts off with “Elegiac”, which is a beautiful piece of music. However, my favorite off this album is definitely “Antebellum”, a song following the format of classical sonatas. If you’re into classical music, you’ll like it. If you’re into metal, you’ll like it. 10/10
Becoming the Archetype –
Celestial Completion
Genre ambiguity seems to lead to many an internet flame war these days; hardcore kids get upset when their favorite band adds a guitar solo or a clean guitar part and death metal kids bash the hardcore bands for their lack of said solos. With
Celestial Completion, Becoming the Archetype throw caution to the wind and create an album that breaks plenty of genre boundaries. Most importantly, it worked. It’s still the same ol’ BTA we have come to enjoy, but more experimental. This experimentation, while many fans may be against it, it undoubtedly a sign of musical maturation and a key element of their evolution as a band. Having said that, one must approach this album with an open mind, be ready for anything whether it be breakdowns, solos, clean vocals, brass sections, riffs, and some great screamed vocals. In other words, this album has something to offer to just about anyone. So many elements can lead to a sudden change of pace, which can be quite off-putting if one is not ready for it. Overall, this album is possibly the best album they have released. 10/10
Protest the Hero –
Scurrilous
Now before this review actually begins, a quick word to the wise: crank your stereo and watch out, because this album explodes. Immediately. Opening track “C’est la Vie” (a French expression for “that’s life”) bursts with hectic guitars from the moment you push play, and things don’t really change. On the whole, Scurrilous is not as good as
Fortress, but it is still a very, very good album. 8.5/10
Arch Enemy –
Khaos Legions
Archy Enemy's insistence on slowing things down makes
Khaos Legions a memorable album, and much of that is due to the Amott brothers' guitar madness. There is a creative element to Arch Enemy that renders the band both success and failure. It is a pity that this type of music will never reach the masses, because Arch Enemy is a musical force to be reckoned with. This is an album for fans of music, and if Angela Gossow's vocals aren't for you, at least download the instrumentals. Still, this album is no
Doomsday Machine. 8/10
Within the Ruins –
Invade
Within the Ruins is a truly unique band. Their metalcore roots are easily disguised with excellent guitar work. On their last album, Creature, this was also very apparent, but on
Invade, they have really stepped it up a notch. Their complex guitar harmonies are sure to please any shredder, and their rhythms can appeal to almost any drummer. If this album is any indicator of their musical direction, Within the Ruins is sure to be a mainstay in the tech metal world. 9/10
Devildriver –
Beast
If you want your ass handed to you for 12 songs and roughly an hour, then you’ve come to the right place with DevilDriver’s
Beast, a snarling, saliva-dripping-from-the-chin growler of a record. DevilDriver has released four albums prior to
Beast, and the band isn’t straying from the formula that has worked best, which is guttural vocals, hardened guitars and some of the most thunderous percussion to crawl out of underground metal in ages.
Beast consists of mostly five minute, all guns blazing songs that don’t waste time with clean vocals or radio friendly parts. DevilDriver doesn’t have time for that; they are too busy taking your head off. 9.5/10
Children of Bodom –
Relentless Reckless Forever
Relentless Reckless Forever has been met with some indifference by the metal community. It’s not that Children of Bodom doesn’t have the chops – they simply don’t have anything more to offer with the release of this album. It might include some excellent pieces, but it is more or less the same Children of Bodom we have come to know, and quite frankly, I’m tired of them. 7/10
Machine Head –
Unto the Locust
The standard edition of the album has 7 tracks, but the deluxe collector’s edition has 10 tracks, and this is the copy that I have and am reviewing. The guitars are heavy, fast and tight throughout the album with some great riffs. The drums are powerful and well mixed. There are interesting instrumental interludes woven throughout the songs of the album. The lyrics, at times, were a little heavier than they may have needed to be for the song, but not by much.
Unto The Locust is very probably going to be on my top 5 list for albums released in 2011. While I haven’t historically been a HUGE Machine Head fan, I’ve always been conscious of them at least peripherally and enjoyed their music in passing. 9.5/10
Fleshgod Apocalypse –
Agony
In the advent of Jersey Shore, who knew Italians were actually good for something other than pasta and saving princesses from giant turtles? Well, fear not, for Fleshgod Apocalypse more than makes up for Jersey Shore AND adds “metal” to the list of things Italians are good at. The most notable part of their 2011 release
Agony is bassist Paolo Rossi’s haunting clean vocals that sound ripped from a demented opera. Their drummer, Francesco Paoli, is an absolute machine, but does very little creatively. Their guitar work is amazing, as most technical death metal bands feature these days, and the screams and growls are masterful. Despite their skill, they lack creativity, which causes most of their songs to sound identical. Don’t let that deter you from listening though, as this is a solid album. 8/10
The Harrowing –
Blood of the Sands
First and foremost, it should be noted that these guys are my friends and I am trying to write this review as unbiased as I can. Quite honestly, this album only begins to show what they are capable of, and about half of the album had been written for over a year before its completion. With that being said, half of this album sucks (Darkness Falls, Torn, Possession, Seas Will Rise) in comparison to the other half (The Storm, Purging the False, Blood of the Sands, Forever Damned, The Prayer). I don’t count the intro track because, well, it doesn’t matter. Frontman Colton Deem’s vocals leave a lot to be desired on many tracks, often straining on lows. His highs, however, are ear-piercing. Deem and lead guitarist Mitch Pegg’s guitar parts are great…on the good songs. On the bad songs, well, they’re not. The drums aren’t anything spectacular, but they do a great job of complementing the melody. And, well, no one cares about bass. Fortunately, The Harrowing is a band that has finally figured out their sound, which will be beneficial on any subsequent releases. 6.5/10
Korn –
The Path of Totality
Korn were at the front of the nu metal movement back in the late 90s and really faded into obscurity as of late. However, it seems they found a breath of fresh air in Sonny Moore, former vocalist of From First to Last, better known these days as Skrillex.
The Path to Totality features five collaborations with Skrillex, including the wildly popular “Get Up”. The addition of dubstep to their sound has taken a band that was on the brink of going the way of other late-90s nu metal acts, like Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park, and sent them back into the realm of cultural relevance. However, Skrillex collaborations aside, this album is mediocre, as has everything they have released since guitarist Brian “Head” Welch left. Still, Skrillex’s additions make this album worth your money. 7/10
Album of the Year: Sylosis -
Edge of the Earth; All Shall Perish –
This Is Where It Ends
Disappointment of the Year: Trivium –
In Waves
Worst Album of the Year: Metallica/Lou Reed –
LuLu (I didn’t review it. I couldn’t listen to it all the way through without wanting to puncture my ear drums).
Newcomers of the Year: Sylosis (technically, they aren’t new, but they’re new in the States and are finally getting recognized)
Most Improved: The Black Dahlia Murder
Guilty Pleasure of the Year: Korn/Skrillex
