Locrian & Mamiffer - Bless Them That Curse You (2012)

Band: Locrian/Mamiffer
Country: Chicago, Illinois/Seattle, Washington
Style: Blackened Drone/Post-Rock
Label: Utech/Profound Lore/SIGE/Land of Decay

What we have here is a collaboration between two of the most interesting and exciting groups within the underground (insert genre names here) scenes today. Both Locrian and Mamiffer released great records last year (both of which wound up within my end of the year list by the way) and exhibited musicians at the peak of their musical creativity and performance abilities, so to hear this was coming about after those stellar releases did nothing more than make my heart just about jump out of my chest in anticipation. I don't think there was a fan of either band who will come into this with anything less than the highest of expectations, does it meet them?
I have to admit that until earlier today when I was listening to the album through in my car, I really didn't get the whole collaborative vibe of this record, then, it just snapped and hit me. It was like a revelation and I finally heard it, I could hear what both bands were bringing to the table on a given track. Before, while I certainly enjoyed the album, without question, I did feel like there were some spots that did just feel like both bands were kind of doing their own thing, with opener In Fulminic Blaze being the only real point where a collaborative nature felt palpable. The title-track made me think more of Locrian's blackened drones that kind of took off from where The Crystal World album left off while the closing epic Metis/Amaranthine/The Emperor felt more or less like Mamiffer and House of Low Culture. Like I said, none of it was bad in the slightest, but the air of collaboration didn't hit me until earlier today.
Aside from that one problem which I have overcome, I do feel like this album's true potential has just been thrust upon me and I am only now seeing it for the masterpiece that it truly is. Since this morning I have been listening through this album, being sick and staying home does have some perks since I've been able to listen and ponder over this album for pretty much the entire day, I believe I have only scratched the surface of the majesty that this album evokes. It is truly a spectacular listen with both sides coming together and really creating something extraordinary. Like I said above, I had initially viewed this more as a handful of odds and ends kind of material that didn't really reflect a collaboration, but that revelation revealed to me that air and those traits that neither band on their own really has. The air that just permeates these six tracks just pushes the album into a realm that I do believe neither band could have harnessed on their own, despite how amazing they both are. It is that air that holds these tracks together in my opinion since no one piece is exactly like another on here.
In my opinion, it honestly feels like working with each other kind of reigned in both group's tendencies to kind of craft long and winding epic pieces of music. The music on here doesn't have the intensity or brutality that Locrian have been able to utilize in their work, but it isn't as noir or sensual as Mamiffer, and not as free-minded as I personally believe House of Low Culture is on their releases, but it provides a sense of melancholic calm within the listener while listening, and I don't think I have ever felt such a feeling when listening to an album before. The entire atmosphere that surrounds this album, from the artwork to the music, is deeply chilling, and I don't mean that in a bad or cheesy way, but more in the way that the music really does sound like how the cover looks, bleak and haunting, memorable, but instantaneous, natural but controlled. If this is the void staring back at you, don't ever look away from it because it is a magnificent sight to behold. Though it probably isn't the most going to be the most obvious choice, I actually found that the shortest track, Lechatelierite, was possibly the most effective track at harnessing emotion from me. It's cold and somber instrumentation combined with an overall quiet and simplistic performance really struck a chord with me and hit me in a way that no other track on here did.
I expect that those who dislike freeform and structureless music will most likely hate this album, which is a real shame because this is one of those albums that I truly believe works best when you aren't trying to find something to like about it. In my mind, I see it more as a sort of shapeless album that is able to morph itself into whatever you happen to be feeling when you listen to it. I don't mean for it to sound like it will conform to you, but depending on how you approach will shape what you hear in it, and that is a truly rare and magical thing to find in music. It would be a shame if you didn't take the time to listen to this album, it's beautiful and haunting in all the right ways and I don't anticipate many other albums coming anywhere close to this one if a very long time.
Overall Score: 10
Highlights: Every Track Is A Highlight

The Devin Townsend Project - Ghost (2011)

Band: The Devin Townsend Project
Country: New Westminster, Canada
Style: New Age/Folk
Label: InsideOut Music

Yes, another record from Devin, but I'm sure you already know about what this one sounds like from the samples already. My dedication to the metal genre has faded over the years and it is no longer exclusive, allowing me to broaden my horizons and listen to other styles. For the most part, metal bands tend to be loud and bombastic, so my appreciation for quieter and softer music has led me to enjoy quite a bit of new age and ambient music.
To some extent, I was probably looking forward to this record more so than "Deconstruction," simply because the samples I had heard both live and from various clips had a sound that took me to the softest moments of "Ki" and into realms of "Terria," my personal favorite Devin album. What this album has is that atmosphere that I am absolutely in love with from Devin. This is big, ambient, and quiet but is also full of life and sound, and this record just comes to life in such a way that it almost makes me want to cry at time for how beautiful it is. I know by this time, most people have at least heard the song Feather, either live or from Youtube, and know that that track is pretty much one of the most beautiful things Devin has ever released.
This is not a record that will make you pay attention to it, it's one you have to give your time and attention to in order to really appreciate. This is also not a record that's dark, it's a very sobering record that's more calming and laid back than almost any other record in Devin's discography. You'll also find lyrics that are a lot more loving and peaceful than hateful and angry, as if you probably didn't already guess that by now. I have to say that the woodwinds that are used on this album just bring a whole new vibe to this record. I know that Devin recorded and used some realer sounding reverbs to record on this record, and it really pays off, hear a track like Heart Baby. Though I'm sure people expected the folk and ambient and new age stuff from Devin, but influences from even country music emerge on tracks like the title-track, Ghost, or Blackberry which, though it might be surprising to some, is actually really really good. There's also elements of electronica on here on a track like Texada where the main melody is played by a keyboard instead of guitar or woodwind, this is also the closest thing you'll get to a rock song on here.
If you're looking for an album that is in direct opposition to "Deconstruction," this is the best you'll get from the man who made that record. The beauty of this record is undeniable, and in my opinion, untouchable, once again, some spots almost made me want to start crying. No doubt, pick this and it's accompanying album up, this is top quality stuff.
Overall Score: 10
Highlights: Every Song Is A Highlight

The Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction (2011)

Band: The Devin Townsend Project
Country: New Westminster, Canada
Style: Symphonic/Progressive Metal
Label: InsideOut Music

Yes, Yes, I know this has been out for a while on the Internet, but I waited till I could fully appreciate it and till I could hear it's companion as well. This beast of an album really has nothing in common with any other band, it is pure Devin. I've seen reviews and comments from all sides of this one, from people claiming it to be another masterpiece to utter trash.
Depending on what you like about Devin should ultimately impact what you like about this album. If what you love is the experimental nature of his sound, you'll probably like this, if you like brutality and ultra heaviness, you'll probably like this, if you love tons of guests from the upper echelon of metal acts, you'll probably like this, if you like simplicity, seriousness, and the softer side of his sound, chances are this release is not for you. This is definitely one of the man's most schizophrenic releases to date, what the number of guests, the orchestra and choir, and his natural sense for theatrics and taking things over the top, yeah, this is gonna be a duzy of a record. If you're looking for an easy in with Devin Townsend's stuff, this is not the place to start.
Personally, and I'm totally gonna ruin this review here for some of you, I find this to be one of the absolute best things Devin has ever done. It really blends everything he's done in the past with both Strapping Young Lad, The Devin Townsend Band and Project, and his solo work together and just throws in everything he's never done into a blender and this is what came out, elements of black, thrash, death, prog, symphonic, heavy, and doom metal all in one record, how can you go wrong. The production is immaculate, as always, and just full of life, there are moments where you have total metal bursts while other times it sounds more like a John Williams orchestral piece, hear Planet of The Apes, or Danny Elfman film score, Summaria. Now, I'll say this will take time to grow on a listener, cause you certainly will not hear everything on this record on your first listen. I have to say that there are tons of one-liners on this album that are totally awesome, one of my favorites being in Stand, "Some find heaven in sevens and elevens," but that's just me, the epic The Mighty Masturbator has plenty of those as well. That track in particular, The Mighty Masturbator, is also the track where things go off the most into realms of hilarity and is really where the seriousness of the record begins to wane thin, it climaxes in the title-track, Deconstruction, where you basically get a nine-minute long realization that life is nothing but a cheeseburger, but the main character is a vegetarian, EPIC FAIL (then hear the song); but having said that, it's also the track that mixes all of his sounds the best into the prog-metal hat, you even have electronic dance beats in here of all things.
So I suppose at this point you're wondering, is this a good record, to me anyway, well that's hard to answer, there are some points on here where I could only describe what's occurring as genius, while other moments sound like they came off of a very childish comedy album. For all of his faults and flaws, Devin is a human being and he made an album that is one of the few that actually captures that. This is the metal album that describes the nature of humanity in about 70 minutes. So yeah, this is a killer album.
Overall Score: 10
Highlights: Every Song Is A Highlight

Yakuza - Of Seismic Consequence

The Growing Waves That Eventually Consume.

Yakuza is a jazz metal band from Illinois. The band was formed in 1999 mixing influences from everything ranging from Napalm Death to Neurosis to Pink Floyd to John Coltrane. The band have become known for their unique sound that is reminiscent of bands like Mastodon, but utilizing brass instruments as well.
Yakuza is a band that has never just created "songs," instead making each track it's own musical journey; and in that respect, this album is no different. Each track on here has it's own sort of landscape that the music carves out for itself while Bruce Lamont's (vocals, saxophone, clarinet) vocals provide each track with it's own story. While none of this is really out of the ordinary compared to the band's previous work, the songs on here are much more fluid and seem to move into each other, in one single journey as opposed to separate ones, on here.
The tracks into and of themselves though range from aggressive and pounding metal songs, Thinning The Herd, to open, almost post-rock soundscapes, Be That As It May, and everything in between. There is a lot of variation on this record and it only adds to the experience. As much as people will probably dislike this comparison, it does seem to fit, this album could be compared to Negură Bunget's 2006 masterwork "Om," as both records do feel like an out of body experience and journey through time as well as soul.
What's been said in other people's remarks about this album is that the vocals are slightly too weird for their liking and often ruin it for them. This is all opinion though, as the vocals, for me at least, are perfect for setting a mood of melancholy or anger. Lamont's croons manage to set a mood that really opens some songs up, while his growls are a bit average for the sludge style, they do fit the band. The sax work on here is really the thing that has been what has taken people aback when listening to Yakuza for the first time, as it's not usually associated with the metal genre, but definitely is something that really makes this band original for a reason.
The other members of the band, Matt McClelland (guitars, vocals), Jim Staffel (drums, percussion, keys), and Ivan Exael Cruz (bass), manage to channel so much within each song, sometimes remaining in a metal base, thrash, death, doom, and black, or moving into the already mentioned realms of post-rock, jazz-fusion, and world music. The beautifully constructed Farewell to The Flesh moves so fluidly throughout it's 11 minute course moving through post-rock into pure doom proves to be a trip in itself. This track juxtaposes the aggressive death-trash of Good Riddance (Knuckle Walkers) which is one of the most aggressive songs on this album.
Overall, this is a fantastic record full of twists and turns, ups and downs, that prove to be a roller coaster ride when listened to from start to finish. This is a challenging listen, as it does involve a mindset where you are open to this record and you can be engulfed by it, but there are still moments where you can bang your head if you wished for this record to be just that. Definitely one of the best records to come out this year, check this out if you want a listen that is unlike what you've heard before.
Overall Score: 10
Highlights: Every Song Is A Highlight

Triptykon - Eparistera Daimones

A Hammer Onto It's Tomb.

Triptykon is the incarnation/super-group under the control of Celtic Frost's front-man, Thomas "Warrior" Gabriel Fischer. As he has stated in the past, Triptykon is what the next Celtic Frost record would have sounded like, if he had not quit the band back in 2008. This is one of the most anticipated metal record for 2010, it is up to you whether it is worthy or not.

This is a super-group of sorts, as just stated above; this group features people hand picked by Thomas to accompany him in making this project a reality. As Thomas plays guitar and lead vocals, lead guitars are performed by V. Santura from Dark Fortress, who played with Celtic Frost during their reunion, bass is by one of Thomas' close friends Vanja Slajh, and drums are performed by Fear My Thoughts drummer Norman Lonhard, who was suggested to Thomas by his manager. These four create one of the heaviest sounding records in recent years.

The overall sound on this record could be described as oppressive. This record would be best categorized within the doom genre, but features all the elements that Thomas has help to found over his career, including death and black metal. But the heaviness of the record has more in common with the last Celtic Frost record, "Monotheist," more than anything else in his past; though Thomas did say that Triptykon would sound as close to that as possible.

The guitars simply hammer down upon the listener as the bass and drums create a wider spectrum of sound. Thomas' vocals are rough and throaty sounding, but are perfect for the mood that this album creates. As the record has many ups and downs, through melodic and atmospheric risings to declining storms of heaviness.

Most of this record focuses on heavy and doomy riffs, that build on top of each other into monolithic sounding metal pieces; this basically describes the opening and closing track, Goetia and The Prolonging, respectively, both being over 10 minutes in length. Some of the shorter tracks like A Thousand Lies and the last minute of Descendant features more of a blackened thrash sound to it, but those are just some of the few faster pieces. One thing that must be said, is that the overall vibe of this record is dark, but clear; every instrument can be heard.

Even though this record is very much metal, you have the inclusion of some more electronics. In the latter half of the album, especially on My Pain. This track in particular utilizes dark ambient music with female vocals that perfectly sets the mood for the final track.

The final track, The Prolonging, combines everything on this album together into a dark and solid riffs. Moving from doom into thrash into sludge and everywhere else seamlessly and fluidly. This track lives up to it's almost 20 minute length.

Overall, this is an extremely powerful and ruthless sounding record filled with hate and mercilessness, but also beauty and tranquility. Fans of extreme music will find this record irresistible, and it may take a while to get into, but it is worth it. This is one of the year's best records.

Overall Score: 10 - Classic

Highlights: Every Song Is A Highlight

Meshuggah - Destroy Erase Improve

They Said It Best, "Future Breed Machine."

Meshuggah, a metal band from Sweden. I say metal because their style combines aspects of more and less then metal styles. While creating a style which no one has managed to best them at yet.

"Destroy Erase Improve" is the record where Meshuggah found their sound. Though their first album, "Contradictions Collapse" had traces of originality, it still clung to it's more groove and thrash based origins like Metallica and Anthrax. This record took those thrash roots, pulled them out of the ground and threw them into the blender with everything else (including the sink). What came out was something that was completely unheard of and unique sounding.

The sound on this record somehow manages to combine that groovy thrash metal sound with more technical aspects of jazz-fusion and progressive rock. While the main ideas are undoubtedly still metal, they are much more technical and mechanical sounding than anything else from the metal scene back then. Sounding very much like Metallica and Fear Factory had a baby that just did not want to fit in with all the cool kids at all and did what he wanted.

Guitar players Marten Hagstrom and Fredrik Thordendal showcase an extreme talent for crafting machine-like grooves that can make heads spin. While some songs exhibit more technicality than others, every song never sounds like the another on the album. From the wildly technical Future Breed Machine to the more mid-paced Soul Burn, and everything that comes after them, groove just falls off them and no pattern seems to repeat itself.

As a lead guitar player, Fredrik makes each and every solo on "DEI" sound unique among everyone else. Distancing himself from more straightforward solos or mind-blowing speed metal solos, he does what very few were doing, if anyone in the metal scene at all was doing, making his solos extremely technical and clean sounding. The tones on guitar solos here is surprisingly clean sounding, without the assistance of more metal distortion.

Drummer Tomas Haake adds to the band's sound odd tempo shifts and also functions as the main lyricist. The abstract topics he covers seem to range from technological mass control to more spiritual and conceptualize beings. Drumming wise, he combines odd poly-rhythms that mix extreme metal tempos with more jazz timing. From the furious tempos on Vanished to the slower tempos on Inside What's Within Behind, he can add little things that can make any drummer stop and hit repeat.

Vocalist, Jens Kidman, is also a natural for Meshuggah's sound. Vocally being somewhere between early death metal grunters at the time and more hardcore punk/thrash metal shouting, he helps the music to achieve that almost mechanical sound. At this point in time, this helped to differentiate the band from others like Machine Head or Slayer.

Nothing on this record can really be described perfectly without listening to it first hand. For many this record can seem repetitive due to that machine-like groove, Suffer In Truth, jazz-fusion breaks, Acrid Placidity, and constant shifts in the time signatures, Beneath. But those who can actually look past the simplistic angle to which many might see from, you will find those little parts in guitar or drum patterns that differentiate themselves from the last.

What was meant in the title above is that later in Meshuggah's career, many new bands will find them and try to copy them. Bands ranging from citing Meshuggah as an influence to just outright coping their style. Though these bands all take something from Meshuggah, none of them will ever match the style that has made this band such a force in music today.

Overall, this record contains songs that do take a little bit longer to get into than most band's do, but also contains songs that are completely original and can stick in your head. The songs on "DEI" are more complex than most metal bands, especially at the time it came out, but is also what makes these songs so great to listen to over and over again. Do not live your life without hearing this record.

Overall Score: 10 - Classic

Highlights: Every song is a highlight

Cynic - Focus

Modern Prog-Metal's Birth Place.

Cynic is a progressive metal band from Florida. At this stage in their career, the first record until 2008, they were one of the first and pioneering bands of progressive death metal. Considering their influence on modern metal, from regular prog to technical death, "Focus" is the birth of that sound.

Cynic, starting as a more death/thrash band with their early demos evolved into the sound that many will consider legendary. Cynic was the first band that had begun mixing outside sources of music with death metal. While main-members, guitarist/singer Paul Masvidal and drummer Sean Reinert, had previously played in death metal pioneers, Death, on the "Human" record, their contribution to that record showed where more odd tempos and technical playing abilities began to surface in the death metal community.
On "Human," more progressive melodies and tendencies began to mix with the extreme metal that Chuck Schuldiner had created. Cynic took where that record went, and reversed it. Where extreme metal was the basis of the sound on "Human," odd melodies and heavy emphasis on jazz-fusion was what replaced it in "Focus." Heavy vocals were still in the mix, as was some of the more death metal sound, but the influence of jazz had infected Cynic's sound and created something that was unlike anything else at the time.

While most death metal bands at the time had made use of the extreme vocals as a priority, Cynic relied less and less on the heavier growls and more on Paul Masvidal's use of a vocoder style of singing. The use of this instrument gave the early "jazz-metal" band an even more alienable sound. While Cynic was still able to tour with a band like Death or Cannibal Corpse, they were not received well due to this more alien sound of jazz and vocoder singing.

Another thing that had stylistically separated the band from even bands like Dream Theater or Fates Warning, at the time, was not only how the members of Cynic played, but the presence of each player. While previously mentioned bands all had each member show off, Cynic was never one of those band's that did show off in the context of a solo or extreme technical riffs. Though the playing abilities of every player on here is felt, with guitars standing side by side with the bass in the mix.

Drums features the standard odd-timing for jazz, but Reinert adds more to his double-bass work than many drummers did at that time, mixing odd poly-rhythms with double-bass footwork. While bassist, Sean Malone stands alone in his incredible bass technique. His playing in Cynic made them stand out with his use of a chapman stick and just the presence of the bass in the overall sound of the band, showcased in Veil of Maya. While guitar players Paul Masvidal and Jason Gobel are no slouches on their instruments. Displaying a use of technical riffs while never seeming to show off in the form of a fast guitar solo, though they do appear, most notably in Uroboric Forms, or long song structures. Every song on this debut is under the 6 minute mark. Never seeming go extend into unnecessary parts of self-indulgence.

Opener Veil of Maya, has become a song that has become somewhat of a legend in the progressive community for it's unique atmosphere and the heavy instrumental prowess of it's players. While songs like Celestial Voyage and Textures have influenced countless numbers of newer bands that have come out in recent years. But no band has since created a record that has stood the test of time like "Focus" has.

Overall, "Focus" could be nothing but a classic album. It's influence on bands, both new and old shows the staying power of this record. From the progressive death metal approach on Veil of Maya to the meditative power of Sentiment to the jazzy instrumental Textures to the incredibly catchy How Could I..., "Focus" will forever be held in a class unto itself.

Overall Score: 10 - Classic

Highlights: Every song is a highlight

Orphaned Land - The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR

Israeli Metalheads Take A Trip Into Steven Wilson's World.

Orphaned Land is a progressive/oriental metal band from, you guessed it, Israel. Their new record, "The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR," has been in the making for just about 6 years. This is after the groundbreaking success of their previous album "Mabool" was released. So for this record they lured in produced extraordinaire, Steven Wilson.

This record explores more areas then on the previous record did in terms of conceptualized worlds and soundscapes. From the concept of a journey of life inside this ORwarriOR person in a coma, trying to be awakened by his friends and family. Where the music explores territories entered on "Mabool," but explored more in depth. From progressive rock, oriental folk music, tribal chants, and to an extent, even black and doom metal.

From the very folk influenced opener, Sapari, this album begins to unfold with influences that twist around each other. Even the second track, From Broken Vessels, combines styles in a very fluid manner, combining death metal, folk music, and prog together in a very melodic way. This moves into Bereft In The Abyss, an acoustic interlude track that sounds very epic unto itself with Kobi Farhi's melodic and woeful vocals over the acoustic passage.

This album contains those melodic parts that will get stuck inside your head, the heavy parts to get your head banging, and the mellow parts to get you back to ground-level before your paralyzed from the neck down. This album is the accumulation of styles and visions that hold it head-and-shoulders above many other releases in the past decade. An easy assumption would be that this album is just the next "Mabool" album, while it contains the elements found in that record, it is far beyond it's double. This record could be compared to Opeth's "Blackwater Park" or Evergrey's "Recreation Day" records in that these are all records that made the band and where everything just clicked.

As already stated, Steven Wilson, of Porcupine Tree fame, is the producer on this fine album. Giving it the warmness of any record he produces and those soft and delicate features of a SW production. This production is as fabulous as ever, allowing every instrument to be heard clearly in every song, and with so much going on, this was also in part to the mix that he provided as well, it gives you the opportunity to hear the vision the band was working to achieve. Also adding those famous progressive keyboards he's so famous for having on his work, adding that small flavor of psychedelia to an already progressive band's unique sound.

This is another album that I can't give enough praise to for being so different and reflective at the same time. Showing a sonic journey that hasn't been captured in perfection in a long time, while also showing you different sides to a single individual, or band. This record is firing on all cylinders and doesn't stop for an instant. Every song shows a different aspect to the Orphaned Land sound.

From the use of Arabian and Turkish insturments like the santur, shofar, nay, or kawala flutes to the use of violins, pianos, and more traditional percussion makes this album sound different. As already expressed by the band themselves, their music is to bridge the gaps made by religion and bring people together. The use of different culturally musical instruments allows people from the US to Israel to Iraq to Australia to Germany to understand the music and be brought together in unison.

The 8:30 minute centerpiece of the album, Disciples of The Secret Oath II, is the song that will be brought into a progressive classic on day. Taking a song from "El Norra Alila," their second album, and expanding upon it for this album. Mixing styles of folk, death and black metal, progressive rock, classical music, and almost hardcore chanting for a section, this song is a definitive piece of music.

The final aspect to this record is the fluidness of every track that leads into the next. This is once again thanks to SW's production and mix, but seamlessly melds all of these tracks into a single culmination piece of music. Though almost 80 minutes in length, if feels little longer than half an hour thanks to the strength of the songs themselves and the way the songs sound.

Overall, this record stands alone as a category of music unique to itself. No other album has as definitive a sound as this record does. From the concept to the sound of different colliding styles to the mix and production of it, this record comes to life and breathes life into the listener. This is a record that everyone must hear.

Overall Score: 10 - Classic

Highlights: Every Song Is A Highlight

Dark Fortress - Ylem

Heirs to The Celtic Throne Make Their Title Known.

Dark Fortress is a black metal band with influences from all side of the metal spectrum. All these sounds are melded into the black metal standard sound for them. "Ylem" is a statement in the dark that will silence the rest of the metal community with it's unique sound and impressive lyrical content.

"Ylem," as described by vocalist Morean, is the state of the elements before the big bang and this album is supposed to describe the state of the world after the end. Like the rest of the band's previous works, this is not the simple end of the world topic that most bands do, they make it interesting. Using more descriptive lyrics and topic that aren't as easy to decipher upon first listen, this band is separating themselves farther and farther away from the rest of the black metal pack with these unique lyrical style.

The title track of this album starts it with a large, and rather impactful, bang. Ylem feature catchy riffs and roaring vocals that will start this album on a rather high note. While the following song, As The World Keels Over, is much more melancholic sounding, building slower into the heavy sections. These two opening songs are better sounding than most band's entire albums.

Guitar players V. Santura and Asvargyr do an excellent job at providing parts that don't have an average sound to them. Their playing style is filled with little quirks that make the guitars very melodic sounding, but also have the edge into progressive and doom territory. Solos are galore in this album, and are very catchy and melodic sounding for a band whose sound is rooted in extreme metal to have such catchy solos.

Bass is audible in the mix, something that can't be said for a lot of black metal bands, or bands in general. The bass has it's parts in the sound, not trying to stand out during most parts, but coming out into others like on the song Evenfall. The keyboards have a similar effect. Where they remain in the back for most parts, but do emerge in the forefront of the sound during a song like Osiris. The keyboards offer a lot of dreamy effects and atmosphere to the sound of "Ylem."

Drummer Seraph displays his ability fully in the song Redivider. Nothing played on this album would sound as good if you have an average sounding blast beat, constant double-bass sound to these drums; Seraph makes these song accessible to drummers that are into more "sophisticated" drumming styles that are not found in everyday extreme music. Though more typical moments are found here, this is showcased when it almost feels like there should be.

Vocalist Morean has another thing going for him besides being a superb lyricist, he is an excellent front man and vocalist. Adding different colors to the sound of Dark Fortress with styles that vary according to song. From the more traditional black metal scream on the Ylem, the death growls on The Valley, almost chanting like speaking and melodic singing on Evenfall, or foreboding bellows on Silence. Morean has added a lot to this album with his unique take on vocal variations.

The last two song on this album bring it together in an almost book end style. The Valley takes Celtic Frost like heaviness to a new level of intensity. This track hammers you down to about as low as you can go before finally dissolving. While the final track, Wraith, brings this album to a conclusion. Starting with very beautiful guitars then moving into dark metal territory. Morean displays his clean vocals on this song, giving it that extra color that makes this track stand out even more. The clean vocals display a more melodic style unlike that of any other metal singer out in the scene today. This could be the most melodic and progressive song on "Ylem."

One song on this album can't give you an overall sound of this album. This is possible on of the most diverse sounding albums I've listened to from the black metal realm, with parts that defy this band from sounding like anyone else. The only comparison that this band could be drawn to is the legendary Celtic Frost, but that isn't even a bad comparison because that sound similarity isn't even that close to how this band sounds.

This is possibly one of the best albums of the year so far, if not for the whole thing. This album is definitely worth checking out for a fan of extreme music, progressive music, or people who like variety in their music. The successors of the legendary Celtic Frost have taken hold of their crown and have made their statement clear. This is a defining moment in extreme music. Check this out or die.

Overall Score: 10 - Classic

Highlights: Every song is a highlight

Mirrorthrone - Carriers of Dust

Mirror His Disgust With Beauty and Perfection.

Mirrorthrone is the one-man band created by Vladimir Cochet. Though he has many other projects, Mirrorthrone is by far his most expansive in terms of music composition and creativity. "Carriers of Dust" is a masterpiece of modern metal, combining aspects of the past, present, and future into one.

For those unfamiliar with Mirrorthrone's unique take on metal music, it is a journey into those styles of metal and classical music. Vladimir's influences combining the aspects of black metal taken from bands like Emperor, Abigor, or Ulver with the neo-classical approach of bands like Dream Theater of Symphony X; this by itself is fairly creative, but adding the elements of late Baroque and Romantic period classical music into his own musical compositions. "Carriers of Dust" takes the brutality and intensity of metal in general and blends it with the atmospheres created by the orchestras.

A 4 track affair, "Carriers of Dust" is its own journey in every song, from the brutality of 4 minute Mortphose to the progressive swirlings of the 22 minute epic of Ils Brandiront Leurs Idoles. This album is an algorithm of different concepts and ideas that create new paths into unknown musical territories. Vladimir has accomplished this epic alone showing his talent for writing and composing unique musical soundscapes.

Probably the most famous song on "Carriers of Dust" is the opener A Scream to Express The Hate of A Race. This song, being the only track fully in English, expresses a take on humanities own self-destructive tendencies and a disgust towards them. Being tagged as a neo-nazi or white power lyric driven song, it has been treated as an undeserved tag for Mirrorthrone. Vladimir rectified the situation with a statement after hearing of these tags and rumors.

Musically, Vlad mixes heavy guitar biased melodies found in more melodic metal genres with brutality of death metal or black metal. The neo-classical element is also found in his guitar playing, especially in his solos, bringing a new element into otherwise more orchestral biased songs. The bass is present, but not overall present in the songs. Drums are programmed, and are never overdone as some bands do. The drumming programmed into this album fits every song, never going overboard into gravity blasts or 500 BPMs per minute.

A strong presence in this album is the keyboards/orchestral programming, taking a large part of creating both atmosphere and melodies. As stated before, these works are influenced by the late Baroque and Romantic eras of classical music. The more grandiose playing of these more orchestral parts take over as much of the mix as the guitars, if not more.

Vlad's vocals are also very diverse, showing the ability to do black metal screams, death metal grunts and roars, as well as just performing more classically performed cleans. A highlight in this album, in terms of vocals is in the song A Scream to Express The Hate of A Race, about half way in the song, all the music stops and Vlad sings in an almost a capella choir styled performance.

Overall this album is a masterpiece of modern music. Combining element of metal and classical for sure, but also the elements of folk, progressive music, and choirs. A definitive album that has been overlooked by far too many people. This is must buy.

Overall Score: 10 - Classic

Highlights: Every track is a highlight

Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors

Welcome to Space.

As with every other Arcturus release "The Sham Mirrors" has a sound unto it's own and is unlike other "metal" records. Though put into the metal category, this release takes elements from genres outside of metal and mixes them together into a sound that is unlike any other "metal" sound and has not been replicated since this album.

This is considered the classic Arcturus line-up with Knut M. Valle on guitars, Tore Moren as a touring guitarist, Dag F. Gravem on bass, Hellhammer on drums, Steinar Sverd Johnsen on keys and sound-effects, and Garm on vocals. This combination at this point in time created a near flawless record. The previously spoken elements outside of metal can be best showcased in a song like Nightmare Heaven, where elements of metal, not black metal, ambient, and trip-hop music, and during the last 2 minutes, a bit of a 70's rock vibe. A hard album to put into a genre, it is usually put into the Avant-garde Metal genre or Space Metal.

The previous album "La Masquerade Infernale" featured a much more "exotic" and theatrical performance. The album featured a blend of what could be a mish-mash of the bands the members were a part of and where they were going into with Arcturus. But this album is much more "progressive" in terms of the transitions in songs and how the different styles are melded together with one another. For To End Yet Again is one of the few songs that best showcases this progressiveness in full, with strong guitar riffs, piano solos, and a big chorus.

As always Garm has delivered a very unique performance which no one can replicate. The way he layers his vocals is consistently top notch. Delivering different presentations of vocals in every song, whether the more straightforward styles on Ad Absurdum or the more meandering Kinetic. It is also well shown how he can both deliver a more bass and lower octave notes while still being able to sing in a very strong falsetto, like in Collapse Generation. A song where all of his talent is best shown is For To End Yet Again, the longest song, one with an actual chorus.

Instrumentation is performed very differently than in most metal bands, where the guitar is usually up front with the vocals. It seems where on this album, the keyboards and pianos take the front with the vocals seem to bring a melody and the guitars provide a heavier back round to the very neo-classical performed keys. The drums and bass lying in both very capable hands and prove that the rhythm section does not have to be performed techy to show technical playing. Hellhammer's technique on "The Sham Mirrors" seem to be very layed back, rarely bursting out into a black metal blast beat or long stretches of double-bass. The bass is showcased very well without being overpowering in the mix, providing the low end for an album where the bass of guitars, drums, vocals, and low-keyed piano is used a frequently.

For people expecting an electronic version of "La Masquerade Infernale" they will be sorely disappointed. This album, as already stated, rarely breaks into a heavy section. It is only on songs like the mostly instrumental Collapse Generation or the more black metal song Radical Cut with guest Ihsahn on lead vocals, where the metal is brought out. This is an album best listened to with an open mind. Prepare for the journey through space and time.

Overall Score: 10 - Classic

Highlights: Every song is a highlight