Trollheart

Heretic --- Morbid Angel --- 2003 (Earache)


Yeah, I'm tapping into all The Batlord's favourites for this little excusion into death metal, aren't I? His Batship raves on about these guys being "bitchin'", which I can only assume means I'm probably going to hate them, but then, this is all about pushing boundaries so let's have a shot. As most of the albums I've listened to up to now seem for reasons best left undisclosed to have been recorded in the nineties, I wanted to take something a bit more recent, a little more contemporary, and so this is Morbid Angels' seventh and most recent-album-but one to be released.

I'm a little worried to see that there are fourteen tracks on this, even moreso as the opener, "Cleansed in pestilence (Sword of Elohim)" goes right for the throat with a massive metal assault on the guitar. But that's nothing compared to the vocals of Steve Tucker, who makes Chuck Schuldiner sound like an operatic soprano! THIS is the kind of vocal I absolutely LOATHE! I can't make out a word. Not one. It's all just growling. And the music doesn't really appeal either; way too fast and not at all technical, though I'm told Trez Azagthoth is considered the most technical guitarists in death met --- oh hold on. That was a pretty fine solo. Hmm.

Okay, well to be fair I'm basing my initial and immediate dislike of this band on one track, so far, and there are (God preserve my soul!) thirteen more to go, so let's see if my opinion changes as the album progresses. I do have to say it's a very short sigh of relief though when the opener ends, and then "Enshrined by grace" is a slower, doomier sound with some heavy, hevay drumming and grinding basswork, and a churning, snarling guitar with a whole minute before I'm subjected to Tucker's gutteral growl again. Jesus! The guy could be singing his shopping list for all I know ---- Chainsaw, duck tape, rope, bodybag, bottle of milk --- it's just impossible to figure out what he's singing.

A great solo from Azagthoth lends the song a semblance of class, even if it comes across as a little indulgent, but other than that I have nothing good to say about this track. The third one is more of the same, and I really don't see any miraculous transformation about to happen here that will change my mind about this band. Problem is, everything's heavy which is fine, but to these ears it's all fairly similar and apart from the odd decent guitar solo I can't pick out anything I really like or can talk about. I know, Batlord: go do something useful, girl, like clean your makeup brushes or hang your knickers up to dry! Yeah well, you know, as I say this just is not my thing, okay?

Deep breath then: let's try to review this properly. If we can. We're now up to "Praise the strength", which I sigh to see is over five minutes long. Okay, here's a good solo from Azagthoth but it's only short, and the blinding guitar and drum assault resumes, trying to bludgeon me into submission and take advantage of me while I'm down. It can, cos I have no defence against this. If I wasn't reviewing it for the journal I would have turned this off long ago, about three seconds into track one. There's another great solo to end and then we hit "Stricken arise", the first song to feature a writing contribution from drummer Pete Sandoval --- hey, I'm trying to write something interesting here --- with the previous all having been penned by Tucker and Azagthoth.

Nah, don't see any difference in this one. Loud, crashing, manic drumming, pounding, churning guitar and a ragged, growly vocal. Same as everything else on the album to this point. Well, interesting drum solo, if you can call it that. Then, just when you think it's (blessedly) over, it picks up again for the final minute with screeching guitar, hammer drumming and a scream from Tucker. The next two tracks are both written by the axeman on his own, and "Place of many deaths" has some interesting effects in it at the start, sounds of voices crying and laughing, doomy drumbeats, a sort of high-pitched feedback on the guitar. At least this is different.

Is it an instrumental? Well, at just over four minutes I would have said no, but we're now into the second and there has been no appearance from Tucker yet. Perhaps he's gone to have a flesh sandwich and a glass of blood --- newborn, of course! Yeah, we're heading into minute three and it's still just music, so that's definitely a plus. Seems like it is an instrumental. Not half bad if a little confused. The next one is much shorter, minute and a half, and it's called "Abyssous". This is definitely an instrumental, almost laidback by Morbid Angel's standards --- hell, almost a ballad!

And then we're back to it, as Steve Tucker carves the last slice from their roasted human captive, drains his human skull goblet and picks up the mike to launch into "God of our own divinity", at which point I almost wet my knickers, seeing this is over six minutes long! Oh dear lord no! It's back to mach 2 drumming, pulsating axework and that voice, but at least we're getting near the end, with only five tracks to go. Less than twenty minutes and I can put this behind me forever.

But what's this? A rather nice, almost but not quite introspective guitar piece? I had never expected to use that word in the same sentence as death metal, and certainly, given what I've heard of them to date, with Morbid Angel! But it takes off then into a soaring metal solo, which I have no problem with, and the longer it goes on the less I have to hear Tucker's --- oh. He's back again. How long to go now? Just over a minute. Okay. Next up is "Within thy enemy" (should that not be "thine"?) and Tucker doesn't give us a second's respite, growling like a wounded beast all over the first few seconds and then taking control of the track.

Decent rhythm to it, and I have to admit to surprise to see my fingers tapping to it, but this ain't finding its way onto my ipod any time soon: it'd massacre all my poor Marillon and Arena albums, and kick the crap out of Rod Stewart, then blame it on Stratovarius! At least the last few tracks are all around the three minute mark, and as Tucker snarls the ending to this one an acoustic guitar and piano (???) open "Memories of the past", the first of three tracks penned solo by Sandoval, and on which he plays the piano and keyboards. Piano? Keyboards? Did I read that right? Maybe there's some small shred of hope for Morbid Angel to win me over after all...

I very much like this. With a sort of Russian feel to it this instrumental track is stark and lonely, sad and despairing but something I can listen to. Finally. If all his compositions are like this then the ending of this album could be a big surprise indeed. Well, "Victorious march of reign the conqueror" (unnecessarily long and complicated title but let's not split hairs) has a very dramatic feel to it, with solid synthesiser and powerful piano, a triumphant aura and best of all, no singing! With a title like "Drum check", you probably know what to expect from the penultimate track, and indeed it's a storming drum solo, but I still prefer it to hearing Tucker sing. The final track is "Born again", which for me brings up uncomfortable associations with Black Sabbath, but this is nothing like that, starting off with a guitar riff almost out of the Trogg's "Wild thing", believe it or not, and continuing as a serious runthough on the guitar, showing what Trez Azagthoth can do, and why he is considered such a giant in his field.

TRACKLISTING

1. Cleansed in pestilence (Blade of Elohim)
2. Enshrined in grace
3. Beneath the hollow
4. Curse the flesh
5. Praise the strength
6. Stricken arise
7. Place of many deaths
8. Abyssous
9. God of our own divinity
10. Within thy enemy
11. Memories of the past
12. Victorious march of reign the conqueror
13. Drum check
14. Born again

Look, I went into this knowing that Morbid Angel were the litmus test. If I could handle them, I could handle anything. If there had been some sudden epiphany as I listened to the album and I realised I actually liked their music, I could take off this dress and throw away my stiletto boots. But I really didn't expect that would happen, and from the moment Steve Tucker opened his mouth I knew the chances of my ever listening to this band again had shrunk to virtually zero. Unlike Death, who I could take in small doses, the raucous, gutteral, unintelligible at all times vocals of the frontman made it impossible that I would ever listen to Morbid Angel again, never mind enjoy their music.

I'm sure fans of the death metal genre will rise up and say I haven't a clue what I'm talking about, that I'm a pussy and so on, and they're probably right. This kind of music isn't my cup of rose-scented tea. It never was, I never claimed it to be and it never will be. There are some bands and genres I just know to stay away from, and with good reason. Still, at least I can say I listened to one of their albums, even if I hated it.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm late for a bra fitting.

Read more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morbid_Angel

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CANDLEMASS: One of the first Doom Metal bands, from Sweden, hugely influential on the subgenre. Candlemass - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

CARCASS: Exteme Metal band from the UK, known for their obsession with hardcore gory lyrics and lurid album covers. Carcass (band) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

CELTIC FROST: Extreme Metal band from Switzerland, who had a big influence on the subgenre, as well as others. Celtic Frost - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

CHILDREN OF BODOM: Finnish Melodic Death Metal band, considered one of the top in the subgenre. Children of Bodom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

CLARKE, "FAST" EDDIE: Guitarist with Motorhead. Eddie Clarke - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

COHEED AND CAMBRIA: Progressive Metal band whose albums all follow the storyline of a science-fiction graphic novel written by the vocalist. Coheed and Cambria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

CRADLE OF FILTH: English band who began as Black Metal but have changed to encompass elements of Gothic and Symphonic Metal in their music, allowing it to become more commercialised and accessible. Cradle of Filth - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Outcast --- Kreator --- 1995 (Gun)


One of the big three German thrash bands, Kreator's vocalist utilises that sort of hoarse screaming that makes you wonder what kind of problems he's going to have with his throat when he gets older, but at least it's intelligible. "Leave this world behind" kicks the album off in fine style with a big grinding metal guitar assault, and while it's not as fast as your average thrash metal band it's no slouch either, and heavy as hell. "Phobia" gives me a real sense of mid-eighties Maiden, chugging drums and screaming guitars and quite a lot of fun really. "Forever" is another slow and grindy song that I must say complements Mille Petrozza's voice perfectly.

"Black sunrise" is another slow one, but this time Petrozza's voice is "normal", very understated and low-key and you begin to wonder if this could be a balla --- nah. Silly thing to think really. It's a slow, crunching, brooding grinder sort of in the mould of Tiamat, but with edges sharp enough to draw blood. Nice guitar solo too. "Noncomformist" is the first time I've heard these guys hit any sort of groove and even then it's not as fast as I would expect a thrash band to be: Annihilator for example were much more heads-down than this. Great roaring guitars though and a good vocal, with a lot of energy and power.

"Enemy unseen" stomps all over the place with anger and frustration, but again it's a slow, in general, song, with none of the fretburning, fingerscorching guitar histrionics and galloping drums of other thrash metal bands. The title track is another slow grinder, quite Sabbath in its feel, and I'd have to say my favourite so far along with "Paranoia", while things finally kick up a gear with the uptempo "Stronger than before". Odd to hear vocoder, of all things, used on "Whatever it may take", though the song is a good heavy puncher, and the tempo hits up again with "Against the rest", another fine guitar-chugging track but ends more or less as it began in a slow, powerful grind with "A better tomorrow".

TRACKLISTING

1. Leave this world behind
2. Phobia
3. Forever
4. Black sunrise
5. Nonconformist
6. Enemy unseen
7. Outcast
8. Stronger than before
9. Ruin of life
10. Whatever it may take
11. Alive again
12. Against the rest
13. A better tomorrow

I'm not quite sure how to take Kreator. At least on the basis of this album they seem more almost doom metal than thrash; certainly few of their songs hit the kind of speed even Maiden practice, and I always thought (correct me if I'm wrong Batlord) that thrash metal was traditionally played as fast as possible?

That said, this is a pretty fine album and I'm glad I listened to it. I may sample more of Kreator's catalogue (should that be katalogue?) in time, and find this not to be typical of their output: perhaps their other albums are fast and heavy and deserve the description of thrash. For now though I'm thinking more a sort of slightly more uptempo doom, but certainly very impressive.

Read more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kreator

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For a band who have been around since 1994 Solsitice have a depressingly small catalogue, with only two studio albums to their name. Why? I don't know, but it seems (according to the rather small entry on Wiki) that they suspended operations in 2002, although it's not said to be an actual breakup. They plan to head back into the studio this year, but you would have to wonder if their fans are still going to be interested, given that their last album was in 1998? However metal fans are notoriously loyal to the point almost of stupidity, so perhaps their fanbase is intact.

As there are only two albums to choose from, we may as well go with their debut.

Lamentations --- Solstice --- 1994 (Candlelight)


There's an interestingly gothic opening not-quite-instrumental, with choral vocals almost reminiscent of the sort of thing you hear at those classical masses, then we head into the first real track, "Neither time nor tide", and it's as slow and crunchy as you would expect, with the vocals clear but almost mournful as Simon Matravers sings, his voice nowhere near as powerful as Candlemass's Messiah Marconius, but well able to handle the registers. Some good rocking-out guitar from Rich Walker and Gian Piras, and there's a something of an Iron Maiden feel to "Only the strong", though it's still slow and grindy.

Nice bassy opening to "Absolution extreme", with soft percussion and much less snarling guitar. I'm already liking Solstice better than Candlemass: even the last song, which ran for eight minutes, didn't bore me in a way shorter ones from the Swedes did. I can see how it was said about these guys that they could cross over through the metal sub-genres, as they're not what I'd consider --- with my admittedly limited knowledge of the genre --- typical doom metal. They seem to have a lot more tricks up their sleeves, and it's a pity they didn't get the chance to release more albums than they have. Great solo in this from Walker, but despite another one in "These forever bleak paths", the song doesn't really move me in the way the others have.

I do however like the strummed intro to "Empty lies the oaken throne", very Dio-esque, very middle ages. And now I realise there's a good chance this is an instrumental, as we're halfway through its four-minute length and there have been no vocals. And as it continues on I become convinced that it is instrumental, and so it proves, a nice laidback break from all the doom metal, and rather unexpected. Quite introspective, almost pastoral. Very nice. Then we're back to business with big heavy churning guitar and plodding, pounding drums for "Last wish", the vocal strangely buried in the mix this time, little hard to hear or at least make out. It gets a little better as the song goes on, Simon Matravers a bit easier to hear, but whether it's a problem of production or he just isn't singing as powerfully as up to now I don't know.

The volume of everything seems to go down then as "Wintermoon rapture" begins, so I think I'll have to conclude that this is a production thing. A good hard song though with a somehow soft vocal and some really smooth guitar work which again shows how Solstice could easily cross from doom metal to prog metal or maybe even just standard metal with ease. Very versatile indeed. Great guitar ending to the song, and on into the longest track on the album. At just over nine minutes, "The man who lost the sun" again starts off on lonely bass joined by very slow, almost ponderous but deliberate percussion, and a dark "evil" voice narrates the first few lines before growling as if in agony or rage, then the proper vocal from Matravers comes in and it seems the production problems that possibly plagued the last two tracks are thankfully absent here, as everyone is clearly audible and can be understood.

It's great how Matravers's voice complements the music the band play: it never seems at odds with it, struggling against it or overpowering it as happens in some metal. Solstice seem to be a very balanced band, and again I voice my regret that they have such a tiny discography for a band who have been in existence for as long as they have. It's an indication of how good they are that this song, nine minutes and change, is almost over and I haven't even realised it. Certainly did not drag or seem to never end, as some songs of this length have done for me. The album closes on a short track, in fact, the final two tracks are the longest and the shortest respectively, with "Ragnarok" not even hitting the four minute mark. It is in fact another instrumental, a much heavier, crunching one than "Empty lies the oaken throne", and forms a sort of end-credits theme to bookend the filmic overture that began the album, complete with dour tolling bells. Sheer class!

TRACKLISTING

1. Lamentations IV
2. Neither time nor tide
3. Only the strong
4. Absolution extreme
5. These forever bleak paths
6. Empty lies the oaken throne
7. Last wish
6. Wintermoon rapture
9. The man who lost the sun
10. Ragnarok

I guess I've been shown two different sides of doom metal then. Candlemass, despite their mass (sorry) appeal and importance in the sub-genre didn't really appeal to me that much. Well that's not fair: I liked their music, just thought it all sounded a bit the same and lost interest about halfway through the album. There is however something different about Solstice. I really enjoyed this album and I would be interested in listening to more. I'll have to hunt down their second and, so far, only album in due course.

Hopefully they'll come roaring back, as they seem to intend to, with a great third album this year. For fans of the band it's been a long time coming, and I, who have only just heard them for the first time now, find that, rather surprising myself, I'm joining the clamour and starting to hope.

Read more here[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solstice_%28UK_doom_metal_band%29]/url]

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Seven churches --- Possessed --- 1985 (Relativity)


Normally a band with a name like Possessed would have me running in the opposite direction, but I'm reliably, I think, informed this band is not Black Metal but Death Metal. Oh joy! Thank Satan for small mercies, eh? But since I've already heard a few Death Metal records this can join them. It's also said to be one of the most influential on the genre, and the band are credited with, whether intentionally or not, coining the very phrase "death metal", perhaps in the same way that Venom unleashed the idea of "black metal" some years prior.

It's comforting, and yet not, to have the album open with the famous Mike Oldfield theme to my most hated of all movies, this time on the guitar, then all hell breaks loose as "The Exorcist" punches its way out of the album, and remarkably, I hate Jeff Becerra's vocals even more than those of Steve Tucker! Whereas the latter was a slow, grindy, growly voice, ths guy is all about speed AND growl, which makes it even less possible to make out what he's singing. The guitars are fast too, more in speed metal territory than death I would have thought, but what the hell does this girl know?

I envisage settling back and doing other things while I try to pick out any good points about this album, of which I venture to predict there will be few if any. Ten tracks, most of them around the three minute mark, equals around half an hour of pure misery for me. Oh well, all in the cause, all in the cause... And a big satanic growl introduces us to the delight (!) that is "Pentagram". Sigh. I've heard punk music that's more melodic than this, though no doubt I'll be told that death metal is not about melody, which would generally seem to be true. If then it's all about noise, power, speed and aggression, then this album has it in spades.

Good guitar solo there, but the fretwork in general seems to fly off into kind of confused territory. There are certainly enough song titles that would make me think this was a black metal album --- "Satan's curse", "Holy Hell", "Fallen angel", the title track of course and "Burn in Hell", which is up next, all seem to point to a fascination with the occult. Though maybe it's a tongue-in-cheek thing? I could make a guess if I could understand any of the lyrics. I can't. This one's a little slower, though not much. Touches of Sabbath or Dio around it, but more a nineteenth-cousin twice removed sort of relationship than anything really solid. Okay well it just picked up ten gears and headed off at supersonic speed again, so I guess they can't stay "slow" for very long.

"Evil warriors" (see what I mean?) showcases the talents of guitarists Larry LaLonde and Mike Torrao, the latter of whom seems to write the lion's share of the songs here: nine out of ten are his solo compositions with the other one being a collaboration with his fellow axeman. No wonder the songs are all so guitar-centric! A blazing fast solo from one or the other of the guitarists as the song heads into its final minute, and we're at the title track, and mercifully for my girly ears, halfway through the album. You know, now that I listen to his style, Becerra sounds like a much faster, more insane and less decipherable version of heavy metal god Lemmy. I see the similarities in the gruff growl. But I can usually tell what Lemmy's singing, whereas here? Could be anything.

"Seven churches" doesn't add anything new to the mix. It's the same nuclear assault of guitars and drums with Becerra belching fire and smoke over everything vocally, like some fiery demon risen from the Pit, intent on revenge. His footsoldiers, the two axemen, fire off riff after riff in his honour as he swoops and dives, bringing death and destruction to all he touches, and revelling in the carnage he creates. "Satan's curse" takes off like a rocket and doesn't come down, probably deemed safer to explode somewhere outside Earth's atmosphere, while "Holy Hell" almost has some melody in it, and is so restrained in comparison to the rest of the album that I can actually make out some of the words Jeff Becerra is singing! Not all of them, of course, but a line here, a phrase there, more than I could up to now.

Well, we've only got three tracks to go, and so far I'm still alive, though you can be sure the volume knob is down quite low; couldn't take this on high volume. What? Yes my new bra fits very well, thank you Batlord! Oh no! "Twisted minds" is five minutes long! I may just have to nip to the Ladies... No letup in the speed or power, and we're back to completely roared and unintelligible vocals, so normal service has been resumed. Actually, this seems to have almost a kind of boogie beat, if such a thing is possible in Death Metal? At times the odd melody leaks through, though the guys are quick to catch it, throttle it and toss it in the river before it can grow. Can't have that!

Look out! There it is again! Catch it quick before --- ah! Thought we had a problem there for about thirty seconds, but we're back on track now. But what's this? "Fallen angel" opens on pealing bells, which do add to the atmosphere of the song, but take away from the general speed and anger of Possessed's music I would have thought. They do work well though here, so well done to the guys for utilising them. Oh and look: the album closer is called ... "Death metal". So they did coin the phrase. And I suppose they'd want the track to live up to that description. And it does. Unfortunately.

TRACKLISTING

1. The Exorcist
2. Pentagram
3. Burning in Hell
4. Evil warriors
5. Seven churches
6. Satan's curse
7. Holy Hell
8. Twisted minds
9. Fallen angel
10. Death metal

What a surprise that I didn't like this album. My ears feel like they're bleeding, my brain has I think been shook loose from its moorings and my whole head feels like it's just undergone some rabid, rampant, brutal sex attack. No doubt Batlord would say these are all signs of having just listened to a "bitchin'" death metal album. Yeah well, girly as it may make me seem, I'm just glad it's over and I think I can safely say I won't be listening to any more Possessed!

Read more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Possessed_%28band%29

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Anteater

Loving all these reviews so far Troll! I'm assuming you decided to start off with death metal, black metal and thrash stuff genre-wise for the month? Do you have some particular order of metal styles you'll be reviewing or did you pre-select/write up the reviews for all the albums beforehand?

Although I'm assuming you've already got all your ducks in a row, feel free to ask me or Batlord (and perhaps Lee as well) if you need recommendations to review depending on the metal genre.

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Anteater's 21 Fav Albums Of 2020

Anteater's Daily Tune Roulette

Trollheart

Thanks Ant! Yeah, I started off with subgenres --- Doom, Death, Thrash etc --- and planned to do maybe four albums of each. Then I grabbed a few random albums and bands, then opened the latest Metal Hammer, jotted down some names and added more to the list. I think I have about forty albums pre-reviewed now, so not too bad.

I'm just worried I'm hitting too many updates at once but I hope the mods understand this is a one-off; if only they'd let me approve my own entries! Oh well. Plenty more to come... enjoy! And welcome! There's a tab running for you at the bar, of course...

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Oh, there have been the odd weird team-up over the years between Metal bands/artistes and, shall we say, those from totally different genres? The obvious one to go for would be Lou Reed's collaboration with Metallica, or Aerosmith's teamup with RunDMC, but here at the Playlist of Life we don't like to take the easy or obvious path, so a little Googling unearthed this rather embarassing pairing. Who would have thought that the lead guitarist from one of the dirtiest, loudest, fastest and angriest Thrash Metal bands, one of the "Big Four" themselves, would align himself with rap icons The Beastie Boys?
Kerry King and the Beastie Boys --- No sleep till Brooklyn

When he guested on the song "No sleep till Brooklyn", apparently the script for the video called for Kerry to be thrown offstage by a giant gorilla. In typical Metalhead fashion, he refused: "If anyone's gonna fucking get thrown off stage it'll be that gorilla!" he snarled. Ah, Kerry, that's why we love ya! Here's the video anyway. For some reason they're all cartoon characters, which is fine, but why Kerry is depicted as a hot chick is somewhat beyond me.

And, worryingly, something of a turn on...

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Morning star --- Entombed --- 2002 (Koch)

Time to move across the Atlantic and head towards the cold lands, by which I mean Scandinavia, not some madeup/copied country like in a certain member's journal ... Apparently the death metal scene is or was pretty well developed in Sweden, and Entombed are supposed to be one of the big noises (probably literally!) over there, so let's grab us some of that.

For twenty seconds all you hear is a bass note repeated, to simulate a heartbeat, then some guitar notes followed by a crashing chord, back to the bass which reminds me of the opening to the seminal "Black Sabbath", and then the drums crash in and the guitars get going properly. It sounds quite epic, even gothic to me as "Chief rebel angel" starts in earnest, and compared to other death metal vocalists I've endur --- er, listened to recently Lars Goran Petrov is a lot more palatable and understandable. Yes, he roars, yes he growls but I can make out what he's singing.

The music is also much more, well, restrained compared to their American counterparts. It's heavy, grindy but at least on this first track not headsplittingly loud or necksnappingly fast. Not yet anyway. Alex Helid on guitar seems to have it very much under control and there's definitely a sense of epicness about this. In fact, the song is over before I realise it, unlike the last few death metal albums where I was praying for it to end, and we're into "I for an eye" (see what they did there?), a faster song but still plodding compared to Morbid Angel or Possessed. Great solo here too from Hellid, and while Peter Stjarnvind is a powerful drummer he's not hammering the skins every microsecond like the others I've heard. He, too, has it under control.

And again before I even realise it we're on "Bringer of light", which again is heavy and powerful but not just a mess of noise. In fact there's rather a nice little relaxed guitar passage halfway through, which even the silly "dark evil" voice put on by Petrov can't ruin. The guitars pick up then as the song charges towards its conclusion, and then the pace kicks into high gear for "Ensemble of the restless" but despite the speed there's still a feel of control and direction here. "Out of Heaven" is almost like Entombed trying to be Black Metal but failing because it's so funny in comparison, which is to say they can play and despite the gutteral voice Petrov can sing.

"Young man nihilist" is a bit more messy, with Hellid going a little crazy on the guitar intro and not too much structure to the opening part of the song, but it settles down fairly quickly, powering along with great anger and passion, but a technical expertise that seems to be missing from much of the death metal I've so far heard. Perhaps the Swedes can teach the Americans a thing or two? "Year one now" is less than two minutes long, fast and furious, with hammering guitar and thundering drums, while "Fractures" is another hard and heavy pounder.

To be fair, there's not an awful lot of originality here, nor that much difference from track to track, but of the death metal I've had to listen to thus far this is probably the album I would, if forced, spin again. The next three tracks, which precede the closer, are all short, just over two minutes each, and "When it hits home" has a nice little guitar riff running through it, and it's quite (dare I say it?) melodic in its way, while "City of ghosts" punches its way along with a very headshakingworthy rhythm and even some eastern influences in the tune, sort of "Powerslave"-era Maiden. Although if there are any ghosts in this city they're likely to be scared off by that bellowing voice!

Another heavy assault for "You're about to die", wherein I'm sure I hear Petrov accuse someone of "Playing like a woman" (!) then the album ends on a slow grinder, as "Mental twin" shows the darker, grindier side of Entombed. But I still prefer them to Morbid Angel!

TRACKLISTING

1. Chief rebel angel
2. I for an eye
3. Bringer of light
4. Ensemble of the restless
5. Out of Heaven
6. Young man nihilist
7. Year one now
8. Fractures
9. When it hits home
10. City of ghosts
11. About to die
12. Mental twin

You can't I suppose say this is a more relaxed form of death metal, because I guess if it was relaxed then it wouldn't be death metal, would it? But this is definitely less frantic and manic than the US version, and there's a lot more structure and melody in the songs. I can understand the vocalist, even though he growls, so it's obvious he can sing, whereas I could not say for certain others like Steve Tucker or Jeff Becerra can: just cause you can growl doesn't mean you're a singer, not in my book anyway.

But before I earn the undying enmity of Morbid Angel and Possessed fans, and other diehard death metalheads, I'll just say that although I don't think I'd ever be into death metal as a genre, or sub-genre, and would never listen to it for pleasure, if you were to strap me into a chair and stick a gun at my head and force me to choose, I would choose Entombed.

The lesser of two evils. And quite possibly, to me, a case of the pupil becoming the master.

Read more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entombed_%28band%29

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Sounds of a playground fading --- In Flames --- 2011 (Century Media)


Let's stay in Scandinavia for now --- who needs the blistering heat of the sun? --- and check out a band I once listened to but discounted immediately I heard that growl. Seems in later years In Flames toned down the growling and the screaming that had characterised their music for a long time and began to use more recognisable vocal options, so perhaps this, their so-far latest album, may be a but more accessible to a weak little girl like me.

Nice jangly guitar sound to open the title track, though I'm waiting for an ambush of course. About a minute in the guitars kick in properly, but holy crap! They're melodic! Then they get a bit more chuggy and the vocal comes in. Well, it's screechy but rather like himself from Entombed I can make out what Anders Friden is singing. Quite easily, actually. The music is also what I would probably have to term the least death metal of what I've heard up to now. The title track is --- dare I say it --- catchy with a great hook in the chorus. Unexpected is not the word. Great guitar solo then from Bjorn Gelotte, very clean and polished, and far reduced in speed to the previous death metal bands I've listened to.

Is that synth I hear? A bassy synth? Oh yes it most certainly is, as "Deliver us" starts, with the guitars joining in and the percussion hard and heavy but not of the skullcrushing or triphammer type I've been getting used to. Another fine hook, which would not be out of place in a power metal song really, and the vocals are less screamed this time. Very effective guitar work, some fine solos and the keyboards definitely add something to the song. "All for me" rocks along in a slower groove, with some nice measured and well-paced drumming, while "The puzzle" is harder and faster, the first song on the album to hit close to that sort of breakneck speed death metal seems to love so much. Even at that though it's still running to catch up, and the hooks are there again, so whereas Morbid Angel or Death just hammer out what is to me fast noise, In Flames are actually making music.

The ending to "The puzzle" is really quite special, a great instrumental ending and then what I think is a high-strung guitar opens the next track. Whereas Iron Maiden once opined that fear is the key, In Flames believe "Fear is the weakness", and this track powers along nicely with a sense of frustrated anger from Landers, the next one quite anthemic with a great marching rhythm and screaming guitars carrying "Where the dead ships dwell". Very low-key and introspective --- first time I've used those words in conjunction with a death metal album! --- for "The attic", with a dark, ominous undertone that belies the music. Very atmospheric, then we're back rocking and headbanging with "Darker times", as Landers rediscovers his growl and his scream.

"Ropes" is a bit more on the standard metal side of things, with more great hooks and superb fretwork, not to mention the clearest vocal from Landers I have heard on this album. Glad to hear he can sing normally too. Mind you, he's back roaring and growling for "Enter tragedy", which seems to again feature some keyboard work, courtesy of guest musician Orjan Ornkloo, then the inevitable "jester" song this time around is "Jester's door". Ever since they put it in the title of their second album the jester head has been In Flames' mascot, and every album since then has mentioned it in one way or another. A kind of clarinet sound on the keys accompanies a dark, spoken vocal as the song opens, very ambient and eerie. The lyric would seem to indicate though that this could be the end of the jester, as he mentions "I love you all/ Thanks for everything" and then announces that he's vanishing through the jester's door.

There's little musical accompaniment to this track, lending more credence to the belief that it may have been the jester's farewell speech. We will see on the next album I guess. This could be further reinforced by the title of the track that follows on its heels. "A new dawn" features, of all things, cello played by Johannes Bergion, and it works well with the uptempo guitar and trundling drums. Some really nice laidback guitar here too, and the album ends on "Liberation" (yet more evidence that the jester is on his way out?) with another very welcome clear vocal and a pretty laidback, almost AOR sound if you can believe that. Very commercial and would make a great single, or a great track to play to your Metalhead friends and confuse them by asking who they think it is, cos it sure as hell don't sound like In Flames!

TRACKLISTING

1. Sounds of a playground fading
2. Delivery us
3. All for me
4. The puzzle
5. Fear is the weakness
6. Where the dead ships dwell
7. The attic
8. Darker times
9. Ropes
10. Enter tragedy
11. Jester's door
12. A new dawn
13. Liberation

Without question, this is the most enjoyable death metal album I've ever listened to. Purists may scoff and tell me In Flames are not death metal, or that I should listen to their earlier material, but I really like this and I don't care what anyone says. It's the first death metal (yeah, yeah!) album that I haven't just endured, prayed to end, or basically kept one ear on while doing other things. This one I really liked. The last track in particular surprised me with an almost prog/pop style, and I wonder if this is a new direction for the band?

Longtime fans may hate this, but I must say I like it a whole lot. If that makes me a pussy, then hand me my tampax, because this is the kind of music I can actually listen to.

Read more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Flames

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