Trollheart

All right then. We've looked at Doom Metal. We've listened to Death Metal. We've had a peek at Thrash Metal and we've even ventured into the murky, scary, noisy world of Black Metal. There is of course plenty still to come, but right now I want to feature the kind of metal I generally like, Power and Progressive. So coming bang up to date with one of the big names in the field of the former, here's the very latest from Finland's finest.

Nemesis --- Stratovarius --- 2013 (Edel)

One of the leading power metal bands in the Finnish scene, and acknowledged as one of the greats in the world, Stratovarius have been around since 1989 and have released a slew of albums during that time, making them synonymous with the power metal and symphonic metal genres.

A big guitar chord and rippling keyboards with choral vocals kick us off as "Abandon" opens proceedings, and the familiar hard and heavy rhythms we associate with this band are there in abundance. Great backing vocals really up the dramatic stakes and like most Stratovarius songs this one has a great hook to drag you in. Superb keyboard solo as even from Jens Johansson, matched by burning fretwork from Matias Kupiainen and it's a great start, matched easily by "Unbreakable", which is the first single released from the album. Beautiful lonely little piano line and synth backing is quickly joined by hard guitar and the tempo ramps right up. Easy to see why this was chosen to lead in the album: extremely catchy without being poppy, rockets along but still very airplay friendly and with a hook that lodges in your head and just won't let go.

Singer Timo Kopipelto has just the right shade of an accent in his voice, not annoying but not sounding too Americanised either, and it's certainly a powerful voice. "Stand my ground" is the fastest track so far, with a touch of industrial thrown in there, just a smidgeon, the vocal sort of mechanised in parts. Again it's a winner of a chorus as Timo sings "No-one can bring me down/ I will defend my beliefs" then a fast and dramatic progressive-style piece in "Halcyon days", with Johnasson excelling himself on the keys. Each track just seems better than the last, and this certainly continues that trend. So many hooks in this album I had better be careful not to snag anything!

Strange little industrial sounds on the synth again, dark voices and then choral vocals as the song hammers to its conclusion, taking us into "Fantasy" with a big keyboard intro and punching guitars but somehow with a sense of electonic pop about it in the keyboard riffs. Could be another single. This album is just jam-packed with great tracks. The stately, majestic, anthemic "Castles in the air" has power and pomp, opening with a deceptively laidback neoclassical piano line, and should go down well onstage, while there's more almost electropop synth in "Dragons", though with plenty of hard rock guitar from Matias to keep it firmly in metal territory.

A slow rock cruncher then in "One must fall", again very anthemic with dark synth and grinding guitar, and a very nice bluesy end section with slow guitar and warbling keyboard, again very progressive in feel. Finishing on a big chorus and sharp guitar it leads into the only real ballad on the album, "If the story is over". Opening on soft acoustic guitar and fluty keyboard it has a gentle vocal from Timo and is a perfect power metal ballad. Orchestral synth swells in the background while choral vocals add in to the mix, and a stronger, more passionate vocal takes the song as it reaches its climax. Definitely see this featuring in "Velvet Fist" at some point.

The title track is the closer, and it does not disappoint, delivering a final wake-up slap upside the head in case you were falling gently to sleep after the last track. A big bubbly excited keyboard intro, choral vocals and hammering guitar rock along at a great pace for nearly a minute before Timo comes in with the vocal, strong and powerful. To be honest, I would have preferred this track to be at the opening of the album, as it's a little unsettling to have such a rocker after a ballad which I think should really have closed it. Nevertheless it's a great song and certainly ensures you'll be singing the title cut as you switch off the computer, pack the album away, or shut down your ipod.

TRACKLISTING

1. Abandon
2. Unbreakable
3. Stand my ground
4. Halcyon days
5. Fantasy
6. Out of the fog
7. Castles in the air
8. Dragons
9. One must fall
10. If the story is over
11. Nemesis

Although it's only been two years since their last album, it seems like ages since we heard from Stratovarius. In their absence there have been pretenders to the throne, but now they're back in a big way. Another triumphant album full of songs you can sing, pump your fist to, shake your head to. So move over, Sonata Arctica, Wintersun and Nightwish, and make way, cos the boys are back in town, and they never sounded better!


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

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All is one --- Orphaned Land --- 2013 (Century Media)

Known for fusing the music of their native Israel with progressive, death and doom metal, Orphaned Land are one of the best known metal bands in that country, and their efforts to help bring about a peaceful solution to the Arab/Israeli conflict has led to calls for them to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. At the time of writing, this has not yet happened, nor really is it likely to. But it shows the deep committment and passion the band have not only to peace as an end, but to ridding their homeland of hatreds and prejudices that have hung over the Middle East for almost seventy years now. I really like the cover, with its melding of three religious symbols: the Star of David, the Turkish crescent and of course the Cross. Says so much with one image, and really brings the idea of the title of the album to life.

There's no mistaking the arabic influences on the opener, and title track, and there's a real progressive metal punch to it as it rocks along with hard guitar and keyboards along with some other instruments I can't name but are probably ethnic to the region. Great vocal choir adds a sense of drama and triumph to the song, and the singer, Kobi Farhi has a nice clear voice. I think it's bouzouki, or oud maybe that opens "The simple man", a slower, more restrained piece with chugging guitar and measured, military drumming. Then it hits its groove and it's very arabic indeed. I believe Orphaned Land use belly dancers on stage, and I can see one gyrating to this certainly.

The first ballad is also I think the B-side of their current single; "Brother" sways along nicely with a sort of orchestrated feel, while "Let the truce be known" is also slow but more of an anthemic feel to this, with eastern keyboard touches and riffs, a lot of power and drama and a sense of building frustration I would think too. "Through fire and water" has some very ethnic instrument opening it, maybe oud or saz, or even chumbush, if I had any idea what any of those are! Well, I know an oud is a sort of lute-like guitar, and saz? Another guitar/lute thing. Chumbush I don't know. But there are great female vocals and some orchestration with what sound like Israeli lyric making this one of the standouts on the album so far.

A hurried, angry spoken vocal to "Fail" over harsh guitar and a rising sense of tension, with for the first time growled vocals and I have to say they don't grate; they actually fit with the overall atmosphere of this song. I don't mind them because I know the singer can and does sing, so on this occasion, though I probably would have preferred not to have any, I can overlook death growls. Excellent work on the guitar from Chen Balbus or Yossi Sassi, can't say which as they're both axemen in addition to Balbus playing the piano and, er, xylophone! Sort of Iron Maiden feel to the guitar here, and of course a very arabic sound.

I must say I'm really enjoying this album, a lot more than I thought I would, though I had a feeling I would like it. I'm listening to it on Spotify for this review but I intend to buy it for myself. Next up is an instrumental, the only one on the album, and it's a mixture of guitar, oud and saz from what I can hear, called "Freedom". Impressive. The next two tracks are in either Arabic or Israeli, don't ask me which, but it's definitely a language with a lot of squiggly lines and dots! "Shama'im" is a slow traditional-sounding song, not too much of the metal about this: almost puts me in mind of Eurovision songs, though it's not that bad! Great effort again from the choir, and if I could speak whatever this language is I could tell you what it's about, but I can't so I can't.

There's certainly a metal influence in the second one though. "Ya benaye" is driven on hard guitar and with a kind of crooning, chanting vocal from Farhi. "Our own messiah" then takes us back into English, with a snarly, gutteral vocal for a few seconds before it settles down in a hard rock grinder with some really nice vocal harmonies and keys. We end on "Children", the longest track at just over seven minutes and with a really nice lush keyboard introduction, very classical sounding which then explodes with both hard guitar and what sounds like violin but I think may be synth, stomping drumming and a great vocal. Excellent buildup near the end with a choir and vocal harmonies then a superb guitar solo and the whole effect is really of something coming to a triumphant close, which is definitely how I see this album.

TRACKLISTING

1. All is one
2. The simple man
3. Brother
4. Let the truce be known
5. Through fire and water
6. Fail
7. Freedom
8. Shama'im
9. Ya Benaye
10. Our own messiah
11. Children

Like many of the bands reviewed here this month, this is my first taste of Orphaned Land. They've immediately impressed me, both with their humanity and dedication to peace, and with their musical talent. I have a feeling I will be ordering some if not all of their albums before long. Israel is not usually a country you look to when discussing heavy metal: the Middle East is generally religiously and politically predisposed against such music, from what little I know of the region, viewing it both as "the devil's music" and being of "western influences". But if those who put the music down would only stop and listen to the lyrics, they might manage to see beyond their own blind prejudices and preconceptions, and realise that in a wounded, orphaned land, music can be the healing agent.

You know, in the end, it may not be presidents or the United Nations or even Bono who brings peace to the Middle East. If they could only get all these guys to strap on strats and jam together, well, you know, music is the universal language, and sometimes it can just about make miracles happen.

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

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Key

To the In Flames post:

Very good album. It was a good listen when I heard it for the first time. I've heard some of the songs live when I saw them at Mayhem, and they perform so well!

To the Opeth post:

Easily one of my favorite Opeth albums. If you want another one like it, check out Heritage.

The Batlord

Just a heads up, if you ever need to know what the best albums of a metal band's back catalogue are just go to the Metal Archives and look at which albums have the most reviews. Not the highest scores since the number of reviews tends to bring down the rating where as an album with only one or two reviews might have a 100% for no apparent reason.


Says the guy who predictably hated the death metal albums he reviewed.



You have pleased me. If I had to pick a fav metal band, along with Hammerfall and Manowar, I'd probably have to go with Bathory. When they play black metal, there isn't any extreme metal I like better, and when they play viking metal they are one of the most unique metal bands I've ever heard and there are none more epic in any musical genre I've ever heard. Fantastic stuff. You'd probably want to stay clear of their first four albums though. If you hate black metal then there is nothing for you there. If you dig Twilight of the Gods though, Hammerheart, Blood On the Ice, and the two Nordland albums are well worth your time. They're all truly quality.

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Trollheart

Thanks Batty. When I say predictable I of course don't mean my reactions, which are all expected --- though some albums did surprise me, such as In Flames and Doomsword, to name but two --- but the expected choice of album. I mean, if I reviewed Motorhead everyone would expect "Ace of spades", "Overkill" or "Bomber", in fact I plan to review "Bastards". I know nothing of the album but like the title, and the fact that I know nothing of the album. Some of the choices were invariably down to title, as in the Bathory one, others were taken in order to move along the timeline: I'd reviewed an album from the 90s, so the next one would be one from the 80s and then one from the 2000's and so on, so that it didn't get too stale. Then of course there are the too-obvious, like Metallica's Black album or Master of Puppets, or Sababth's Paranoid. Sometimes I prefer to veer a little left when choosing albums.

Doesn't always work of course. Go off the beaten path and you could find an album everyone hates, that is totally misrepresentative of the artiste's work, or just plain sucks. But using Wiki or RYM was just an easy out to me, although I did research the bands on Wiki, and in general if I saw an album by say a death metal or thrash metal band and the entry said it was less aggressive or with less death growls than previous ones, I would usually choose it. But, and it's a big but, I stayed with "Seven churches" for Possessed and "Heretic" for Morbid Angel, so I tried not to always take the cheaper, easier-on-my-ear way out if I could.

At any rate, hope you're all enjoying it and there's plenty more yet to come...

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The Batlord

Two things. One, I seem to remember you digging In Flames, but their newer stuff is kind of crap. Not that I'm making a dig or telling you to listen to their more "death metal" records, but if you like their melodic side then their are albums far superior. Clayman was the first album by them I ever heard and I have a soft place in my heart for it. It's no more death metally than their newer stuff, so that shouldn't be a problem, but it has much more of a Maiden vibe. It also reminds me of a vaguely extreme metal version of Cheap Trick with it's relatively simple, poppy approach to metal. This should make your head bang as well as your toe tap.





And secondly, all of the Bathory albums I suggested are about vikings. It was sort of Quorthon's thing.

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Unknown Soldier

This was the point that I was making earlier on with you. For example, you've chosen not to review the really well known Motorhead albums but instead have gone with one of the lesser known ones. The simple fact is, you know the Motorhead discography and so you know how "Bastards" relates to the rest of it. Whereas with Sepultura you don't know and avoided the albums most representative of the band. It's ok veering left of field but it will hardly give you the true picture of the band, if you weren't already familiar with them.

Nice review and I normally call them Alternative Metal (that complicates stuff though as so types of modern metal can fall under this) I still wish you'd give a mark or quick indication of how good you think the album is, as you do on your bite size journal.

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Metal Wars

Power Metal

Pounding Decibels- A Hard and Heavy History

Trollheart

Okay, now somebody is messing me about! What are the chances that on three separate instances I could come up with three separate random bands, all from Brazil? Well it's happened: here's another one, and yes, they're unsigned.

However there is literally no musical output mentioned from them, despite the fact that they have been together since 2001! So moving swiftly on, and this time we have our first Russian band, this time an actual signed band, but I would think the chances of getting any music from them are slim to say the least.

Daemonlatreia have one album, released in 2002, and then a compliation released in 2005 --- hold on a moment! How can you compile from one album?? Well, as expected there's nothing to be had from them, so on our way we go, and the next one up is another unsigned band, this time from merry old England, little closer to home.

Sadly, Taurea only have two demo tapes and the chances of any of their music being on YouTube are, as expected, minimal. Sigh. Fourth time lucky?

Doubt it. We're back in the land of Mardi Gras, with a death metal band who have one EP to their name. Oh cruel Metal Gods, why do you mock me? Is it because I hate death vocals so much, or laughed at Morbid Angel?

Well... surprisingly, I see YouTubes! So let's see how much of it there is. Meh, about three vids. Not enough to even review their one and only EP. Well, from the sound I'm not too disappointed that we can't sample the full delights of "Danse macabre". But here are two videos to give you an idea what Dissidium are like.

Yes, very nice guys but we have places to be, people to meet. We must move on. So push the button baby!
Okay, our last foray into the world of random bands brings us to Italy, and though these guys have an album (released this year) I can't find it and there are only two YouTubes available, which I'll drop in here.

They're shown as "progressive melodic death metal", and hail from Venice. They've been together since 2009, and look to be a sixpiece.


So that's it for another week. Total failure this time around: didn't find even one band with a catalogue, album or EP I could review. Still, took us a little around the world, eh? Yeah I know: you've gotta smile, otherwise you'll be firing up the chainsaw and heading out looking for victims! Ah well, one more week to go. Perhaps we'll have better luck in the final week of Metal Month.

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Trollheart

Yeah, but that's cos I know Motorhead reasonably well. If I knew Sepultura I could have chosen a better/more relevant album, but since I didn't, and time was after all pressing on me, I looked in most cases for something that just drew me to an album: I like bright shiny things! Sometimes it's a sleeve, sometimes a title, sometimes the subject matter. Then again I often go for debut or last album, or as I already said it could be that I need an album recorded in a time period different to the one for the album I've just reviewed, ie I don't like to review three albums from the 80s together, or whatever.

Also, I'm not trying to build up a picture of any band I don't know, just attempting to include as many diverse bands and subgenres as I can, so that nobody can say they were left out. Though of course some will --- "Why no pirate metal? Why no stoner doom? Why no ---" SHUT UP!!!

Thanks! I pretty much hated that album I must say. Had no idea what to expect, which is an interesting position to be in when reviewing. I'm not sure what way you do it, but for new albums, generally, I tend to review on the first listen, so I get all my first impressions down from the word go. Probably not the best way to do it, but it works for me more often than it doesn't.
Oh, okay okay! Watch this space...

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DEATH: Considered one of the earliest and most revered Death Metal bands. Death (metal band) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

DEATH METAL: Subgenre characterised by rapid-fire drumming, speed guitar playing and growled vocals. Death (metal band) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

DEEP PURPLE: Seminal metal band who defined much of the style of what followed. Notable members were Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore and Dave Coverdale. Deep Purple - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

DEF LEPPARD: Though later scorned as taking the AOR route to commercial fame, Leppard began as a hard rock/heavy metal band and are seen as one of the leading lights of the NWOBHM. Def Leppard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

DeMAIO, JOEY: Bass player with Power Metal band Manowar. Joey DeMaio - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

DIAMOND HEAD: A band who never quite made it but were very popular initially. Still around today but nobody seems to really care. They were, however, an influence on one of the biggest thrash metal bands of the 80s/90s, Metallica. Diamond Head (band) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

DICKINSON, BRUCE: Frontman and vocalist for Iron Maiden. Bruce Dickinson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

DIO: Band formed by Black Sabbath singer Ronnie James Dio which became a massive influence on the metal scene then and afterwards. Still cited as a big influence by most bands. Dio (band) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

DIO, RONNIE JAMES: Creator and founder of the band Dio, Ronnie sadly passed away in 2010. Ronnie James Dio - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

DOOM METAL: A subgenre that typifies slower, more plodding and grinding music, with melancholic or despairing vocals and lyrics usually about hopelessness, dread, death and fear. Doom metal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

DRAGONFORCE: Poster boys for poseur metal, Dragonforce get a lot of stick for "playing at" being metal, running off searing riffs but not really creating much in the way of song structure or melodies, and basically copying other bands. "Metal 101" or "Shredding 101", in other words. DragonForce - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

DREAM THEATER: Progressive Metal band who polarise opinion: you either love or hate them. Known for long, convoluted instrumentals in long, convoluted songs. Dream Theater - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



EDDIE: Massive and often animatronic mascot of Iron Maiden, who has appeared on every album cover since the first one, in various costumes and identities. Eddie the Head - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

ELLIOTT, JOE: Lead vocalist with Def Leppard. Joe Elliott - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

ENTOMBED: Death Metal band from Sweden. Entombed (band) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

EPICA: Progressive Metal band from Holland. Entombed (band) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

EUROPE: "Hair metal" band best remembered for the smash hit "The final countdown". Europe (band) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

EVANESCENCE: US Gothic Metal band who had some chart success initially but have faded mostly away from the public eye now. Evanescence - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

EXTREME METAL: Not so much a subgenre as a sort of catch-all description covering the likes of Speed, Thrash, Death and Black Metal, often taking influences from each.



FATES WARNING: American Progressive Metal band. Fates Warning - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

FEAR FACTORY: Influential Metal band who disbanded in 2002. Fear Factory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



GIRLSCHOOL: One of the first all-female Heavy Metal bands, they were identified closely with Motorhead and flourished around the time of the NWOBHM era. Girlschool - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

GRAVE DIGGER: German Power Metal band. Grave Digger (band) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

GREAT WHITE: American Metal band sadly best known now for the tragic gig they played at Rhode Island in 2003 in which fireworks were used and the place burned down, taking the lives of one hundred people. Great White - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

GRINDCORE: An extreme subgenre of an extreme subgenre, Grindcore takes noise to new levels, with incomprehensible vocals, distorted guitars, blastbeats and songs that are often less than a minute long. Grindcore - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

GUNS N ROSES: One of the most famous recent and most commercial Metal bands --- some would say they weren't even true metal. Possibly more in the Bon Jovi category, whom nobody would class as any sort of Metal! Guns N' Roses - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



HALFORD, ROB: Legendary singer with classic Metal band Judas Priest. Rob Halford - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

HAMMERFALL: Power Metal band from Sweden. HammerFall - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

HARRIS, STEVE: Bass player, songwriter, creative force and founder of world superstar Metal band Iron Maiden. Steve Harris (musician) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

HEADBANGING/HEADBANGER: Also known as Headshaking (though not Headshaker), this is the process by which fans, usually with long hair, shake and sway their heads from side to side and up and down while listening to Heavy Metal music, usually live. Headbanging ranges in levels of ferocity, from gentle swaying to violent, brain-jarring reflexes. Headbanger is also a term for a Metal fan, though these days Metalhead has taken over mostly. Headbanging - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

HELLOWEEN: Revered Power Metal band from Germany, a huge influence on the subgenre and on Metal in general. Very instrumental in the rise of Power Metal as a force in Germany. Helloween - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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