MicShazam

Some fresh new tracks:

DIR EN GREY - 人間を被る (Ningen wo Kaburu)

My boys Dir En Grey just released a new single two days ago. It's typical of the band to release a single without immediately revealing if an album is actually on the way, so I'm still scratching my head on this one. One can only hope.

It's the single edit, most probably, so I'm hoping that the chorus doesn't feel so shoehorned in when an eventual album version drops.

Judging from the style of this track, they're staying the course from the last album, Arche, and I'm cool with that.

KOBRA AND THE LOTUS - Losing My Humanity (Official Lyric Video) | Napalm Records

I loved their 2017 album, Prevail I - and now they're already out with the sequel album. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on this one soon, so I've chosen to not actually hear anything at all from the album. I trust these guys to get it right. I don't even know what I'm posting here.

CRUACHAN - THE HARP, THE LION, THE DRAGON AND THE SWORD | TROLLZORN

In what is nothing more than a total coincidence, Cruachan has a new album out. I just posted about the band above and then I bump into this a week later. Huh. Anyway, cool beans. I'll look forward to hearing the album, even if I have no idea if the band has developed for better or worse over the years. I only know their early material. This one sounds alrright.

In This Moment - "Black Wedding feat. Rob Halford" [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

Ok, so this is cheating as the album is from last year. I only got into this band recently though, and this music video is new. Kind of a weird track. Sounds like Katy Perry and has a stolen Billy Idol hook. Not sure what I think of it - but I know I don't hate it.

ZEAL & ARDOR - Waste (Official Audio)

I'm still not sure what to think of this group, but I've got a feeling they'll grow to be well liked in music nerd circles.
Right now, they're only starting to catch some attention, having been around since 2014.
If nothing else, I think they're pretty unique. Every track I've heard seems like something a bit different.

MicShazam

My Mind on Metal - A top 100 of great metal tracks: Part 1

Well, not a top 100 since I don't know how many will be on it and since I won't bother ranking anything. So it's a bunch of great metal tracks as selected by a guy whose perspective on metal doesn't align with anyone else's in here. That will make this list both relevant and profoundly disagreeable to you all, but hey, it's not my fault that most of the stuff people rave about is boring as hell. I'm not really that interested in most traditional types of metal bands. Straight forward death metal, straight forward thrash, heavy metal, black metal... you get the idea. I like metal bands that mash things up a bit. Or a lot. Although a few very genre bound bands will appear on the list. No rules without exceptions!

Now on to the list! I'm gonna start at one since I don't know how high it will go.

(1) Stam1na - Valhe

Oh dear, this is one pretty metal song! The icy guitar chords, soft bass underpinning, those vocal harmonies, the dynamic song progression, the melodies... I love it.

(2) Waltari - On My Ice

Pop thrash alternative? Whatever it is, it's good. One of my all time favorite metal tunes. There's just something about the vibe of this track that hits me right in the... I don't know. Whatever spot that makes me like music. If you don't want to hear the whole track, at least check out the progression from 2:50 and onwards.

(3) Dir En Grey - Juuyoku

I'll probably never be able to shut up about this band, so sorry about that if you're sick of them at this point. I love the weird combo of vocal style and musical style. Can't think of any other band that sounds like this. I guess what I often fall in love with about a band is their overall "feel". I use the word "vibe" entirely too often when describing music, but that's because in the end, it really comes down to something very difficult to put into words for me.
Why I love a specific band so much more than another will have a lot to do with how it feels to listen to their music, rather than something that can be objectively described, such as a band being innovative, instrumentally complex or whatever. This song is an example of the unique vibe of this band and it's not necessarily going to be truthful if I try to explain why I love it in terms of composition or whatever.
The specific sound of the guitars and the other instruments, the combo of vocal styles, the singer's voice, etc... it all combines in a way that sounds like magic to me... for whatever reason. Music is alchemy.

(4) The Agonist - Dance Macabre

Stop rolling your eyes right now! I really, honestly love this track. Again, music is alchemy and blah blah blah. I love the riffs, the vocals (she took a while to adjust to, but now I just think she clicks perfectly with the music), the subtleties of the bass track, the energetic and highly mobile drum patterns... I think it's a great example of modern metal when it evolves into it's own thing that no longer feels much like any of the old, foundational metal genres.

(5) Arkona - На страже новых лет/Na Strazhe Novyh Let

I'm not generally fond of black metal or folk metal, but this track has elements of both and I love it. This track sends chills down my spine every time. I think the singer pulls off a pretty much flawless performance here (she's one of my all time favorite vocalists of any genre btw).
There isn't anything about the sound of this track that I don't adore. Perfect from an aesthetic standpoint. Loaded with atmosphere and fantastic musicianship. The drummer stands out to me as well, with a performance that's as extreme metal as it's subtle. The bass player has a pretty unusual approach too and I can't think of any metal bassist that sounds like this guy does.
Very unique from a folk metal standpoint as well. I really love the direction the band took with this whole album.

MicShazam

My Mind on Metal - A top 100 of great metal tracks: Part 2

A long, long way to go, so I'll try and speed things along (hah! as if I don't fail to return to 90% of the things I say I'm gonna do).

(#6) Symphony X - The Accolade

Actually, I dislike this band. This song is an example of how sometimes, a band just makes that one song you can really get along with for whatever reason. I owned the whole album once and I thought it was lame as hell, but this song has all sorts of good things going for it.

Pretty stellar vocal and guitar performances, especially. It's probaly the song I like that has the most obvious, stylistic ties to old school prog rock.

(#7) Blind Guardian - Bright Eyes

Another band I'm not crazy about. Totally listenable, but this is the one Blind Guardian song I need to have on my HD. Listen to this one a few times and realize what a cool, well constructed progression it goes through. Massively fun to listen to.

(#8) Savatage - Tonight He Grins Again

While we're at it: Yeat another band I don't really like that did one really good song. It's kind of cheesy, but I can't deny that I enjoy the hell out of it. Those high notes especially. The best kind of old-school metal cheese.

(#9) Metallica - Where The Wild Things Are

This might be the only Metallica song to make this list. I'm not even sure it's my favorite, but right now, in this very moment, it is the one I feel like listening to.

(#10) Crisis - Bloodlines

This is more like it! I like those other songs a lot, but this band is one that I honestly really love. Her histrionic vocal performance lends a crazy energy to the track and the drumming is invincible. I love listening to this one LOUD.

Anteater

I'd rethink that opinion on Symphony X. The title track from Paradise Lost is fabulous, and there are scattered cuts from some of their other albums that I think are well-written too.

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MicShazam

I've heard 4-5 full albums from the band, including Paradist Lost, and I felt like the really good moments were few and far between. I remember liking some riffs here and there on Paradise Lost, but jost not really "feeling it" otherwise. That song, The Accolade, is the only Symphony X song I felt taking with me as I moved past Symphony X again.

But then, Prog Metal isn't really my thing 9 times out of 10.
When I like prog metal, it tends to be of a much more modern variety.

MicShazam

More new music:

Alice in Chains - The One You Know

Seems they'll have an album coming out later this year? I guess so, unless it's just a one-off iTunes single or something.
Never been a fan of AIC as such. I'm surprised how much I like this new track. It's really damn good, actually.

Ihsahn - Arcana Imperii

Ihsahn's first 5 albums are invincible, Arktis was allright. Don't know where his new album, Ámr will fall in his discography, but I'm not feeling super hyped based on this single. Is it just me, or is the guitar tone sort of limp?
Plus it's really business as usual. Hopefully he isn't running out of ideas already.

Thy Catafalque - Sárember

New album out from this Scottish avant-metal band. It's an odd mix. I know, because I listened to the whole album on Spotify yesterday. Not sure what to make of it, but it's something unique, that's for sure. I quite like this single. Very unusual vocal and music combo. Also very nice sound quality and production style to everything. I wish I had some real quality headphones.

Lake Street Dive - I Can Change

New album from this American pop-soul band. Sounds very different from the album of theirs that I have heard. I might just give the album a chance anyway and buy it. I just hope this isn't the best song on the album.

MicShazam

Been a little while since any substantial additions were last made to this journal, so I feel like I gotta reach into my pocket and see what I've got:

STAM1NA - Elämänlanka
From an as-of-yet unnamed upcoming 2018 studio album.

Feels kinda flat to be the only one in here who's going to be super hyped about this band's new single, but here it is. Can't wait for the album, but I'm probably going to have to wait until after summer.
I like the direction this single takes. Way less heavy than I'd have expected. Feels very poppy and very "Nordic", in some odd way.
EDIT: The original link was an illicit upload of a Spotify rip. The band put up the official lyric video today, so I've replaced the song link with that.

Dir en Grey - Ash
Not sure there will be an album... but I'll know before 2018 is over.

This is a B-side from the band's new single. It's a remake of a very old song of theirs, from before their debut album. I really like it when it starts sounding more like rock a bit into the song.

Graham Bonnet Band - "Meanwhile, Back In The Garage" (Official Audio)
From the upcoming album of the same name.

Never cared about this guy or his bands ever before, but this new single is kinda fun to listen to. Plus the guy is in his 70's and still belting out stuff like this. Impressive!

Suzanne Ciani - The Velocity Of Love (full album)

Don't remember where I found this, but it's got quite a vibe to it in some places. It's from 1986 and damn it, does it sound incredibly 80's or what!
EDIT: Listened to it a bit more. I'm in love! I simply have to buy this on CD

Anteater

I think I might like that STAM1NA single more than anything I heard on their last record. Never heard of Suzanne Ciani either: interestin'

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Anteater's 21 Fav Albums Of 2020

Anteater's Daily Tune Roulette

The Sane Psycho

I'll have to start reading this journal. I keep hearing how good it is and how much effort you put into it, and you have good and eclectic taste from what I've noticed around these parts.

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MicShazam

I don't think Stam1na have been catching on a lot of places yet. Most of their fanbase is either Finnish or otherwise European. One of my favorite bands for sure, but they've been a hard sell on this forum!
I really like their approach to melodic metal. It sounds very modern; very forward looking to me. But it's hard to explain why exactly I'm so into their music.

That Suzanne Ciani album was just a complete chance encounter. I think I just stumbled over it on youtube, as a related video to another, or one step deeper. The cover seemed to suggest something like Celine Dion, but then you notice the huge synthesizer. Couldn't figure out what it was, so I had to check it out.

There's not actually a whole lot of writing in this journal. I put in the majority of the effort into checking out new singles and other music. The main idea with this journal is to simply post interesting/good music that I find. There's the odd deviation from that, but it's 90% about new and random discoveries that catch my eyes.
The writing is secondary. What I really want people to do is just listen to the music