Eluveitie - Everything Remains As It Never Was

We Must Save The Motherland.

Eluveitie is a folk metal band from Switzerland. Unlike most folk metal bands though, Eluveitie combines more traditional folk instruments and melodies together with melodic death metal. One of the few bands doing this style, they have a different take on folk mixed with melo-death than a band like Ensiferum.

The band's take on melodic death metal and folk, as already mentioned above combines folk melodies with screamed vocals and heavy instrumentation. While guitars, bass and drums provide the metal aspects by providing the heaviness to the band's sound, the more traditional folk instruments give the band a more unique sound. Instruments like the hurdy gurdy, bagpipes, violins, and pipes and whistles are all used in to create an atmosphere that brings one back to the times of old.

The heavier elements of the band are not overly heavy sounding, being fairly standard riffing and drumming. More simplistic riffs and grooves are used more as a backdrop to the vocals and the melodies provided by the other instruments. While not mind blowing, they create a heavier sound that appeals to a wider audience of people due to it's take on the style. Though there are certain songs where the guitars are much more mixed in with the overall band's sound, and these are the songs that sound the best, examples being Lugdunon or (Do)minion.

The more traditional elements of the band are what make this band more unique though. While these are used for more melodic and catchy hooks in the band's sound, they also provide a very large sound. When listening to a single song, at some points it can sound crowded due to all of the instrumentation going on within a given track. But these instruments add a very old sound and vibe to the band.

The vocals are quite different when approaching a folk metal band. As already stated, again, one of the few bands who did this sort of approach to folk metal before Eluveitie was Ensiferum, but they mixed more black metal elements with their music, where as Eluveitie mixes more death metal. The main vocal style is a semi-death growl, this style makes the vocals very clear sounding and understandable to the average listener, but a few more tricks are utilized in the band's sound. Besides Chrigel Glanzmann, the main guy in this band and the performer of vocals and most of the odd folk instruments, like the mandola, bodhran, gaita, or several flutes and whistles, many of the other members of the band contribute to vocals as well. On the title-track, Everything Remains As It Never Was, female vocals are utilized in the chorus while on The Essence of Ashes has elements of various members singing along with Chrigel.

On this album, there are probably more interludes than many other bands would use, but they work in Eluveitie's favor. On instrumental interludes, the more traditional folk sound of the band comes out, on tracks like Isara or Setlon. These tracks remain mostly acoustic and without vocals, but explore a more traditional sound to the band's sound.

One track that stands out among the rest is Qouth The Raven. This track contains a sound similar to that of a more recent Dark Tranquillity song, containing clean female vocals during the chorus and more melodic and catchy riffs with a strong violin in the background. This track stands out for it's more modern and more metal based sound.

Overall, this is a strong album with some great melodic hooks. Any fan of melodic metal will find this is a welcome addition to their collection. While nothing on here is entirely mind-blowing, there are several track that are well performed and make this band stand out among all the other folk metal bands.

Overall Score: 8

Highlights: Thousandfold, Nil, The Essence of Ashes, Kingdom Come Undone, Quoth The Raven, (Do)minion, Lugdunon

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

Ov Hell - The Underworld Regime

Black Metal Masters Do What They Do Best (Make Black Metal).

Ov Hell is what some, or many, would consider to be a super-group. Vocalist, Shagrath comes from Dimmu Borgir while bassist, and main songwriter, King, is the ex-bass player for Gorgoroth. This is nothing you won't find on another black metal record, you just won't find the all-star line-up that played on this one.

While King and Shagrath are the two main members, King got players that will make any black metal fan salivate. On guitars are Teloch, who has played in Gorgorth and Orcustus, and Ice Dale, from Enslaved. On drums is the BM legend, Frost, who has played in numerous projects, the main ones including Satyricon and 1349.

The music on here, for some, will have that Gorgoroth feel to it, and that's because this music was originally written to be the next Gorgoroth album. When King and Gaahl left Gorgoroth, after the trial (you read that for yourself), he was going to use this music for God Seed. When Gaahl decided to leave metal music, King had all the music composed but no one left to help him manage it, so to speak. He then got Shagrath to come in and perform the vocals, I believe the instrumental portions were already completed at the time he came in, and finish the album up.

There isn't much on here you wouldn't have heard from Gorgoroth or another black metal band. Keeping it kvlt, it has a very traditional sound without much tampering into other styles and genres of music. The riffs are very fierce sounding and create the dark atmosphere that black metal was founded on.

The bass for the most part just follows with the guitars, providing the low-end. The guitars, as already stated, are ferocious and sound like buzz-saws, while certain track stand out like Krigsatte Faner or Invoker, that contain melodies within all the aggression. The drumming on here is pretty standard for black metal, mostly double-bass and blast beats, nothing on here is really going to blow your mind.

Shagrath really does a good job on his vocals though. Diversifying himself enough to keep you and the songs entertaining by shifting or adding something different to each track. While nothing on here is all that different from his main band, it fits this style almost better, due to it's lack of fluff and show. Tracks like Invoker or Perpetual Night showcase a little bit more of a range of style then your average kvlt screams.

The song-writing on here is really good as well. Keeping it very basic and standard without trying to make everything look flashy or evil. King has proved before that his songwriting is what makes him such a handy guy to have in a band. The quiet, soft-spoken man creates music with hooks while never seeming to "sell-out" with more mainstream melodies and keyboards.

Overall, while not mind blowing, "The Underworld Regime" is a record with a lot of good songs. Fans of any of the bands that performers on this album are from will find this record a welcome addition to their collection. For newer fans to black metal, this would also be a good record to start with as well. Definitely worth a listen.

Overall Score: 8

Highlights: Devil's Harlot, Ghosting, Acts of Sin, Hill Norge

De Profundis - A Bleak Reflection

Extreme Influences Create Extreme Bands.

De Profundis is a progressive extreme metal band from the UK. As with most extreme metal bands, they pool influences from progressive rock into black and death metal and meld them together. Though this is nothing new, what De Profundis is doing with these influences creates a unique blend of old and new elements that give them a sound that is unlike many other newer bands today.

After the brief opening track of The Ephemeral Burden, which is an acoustic passage with strings and piano following in the background, things get going with Ablaze In Autumn Fire. The first thing that will hit you in this track from the beginning is the bass. The tone and playing style of the bass is extremely well placed in the mix and adds a very unique sound to the band.

The bass, as already stated, is very unique and brings to mind bass players like Lars Norberg, from Spiral Architect, Jeroen Thesseling, from Obscura, or even Sean Malone, from Cynic. The bass is audible to the point where it is near the front of the sound with the guitars. The overall tone brings to mind an almost jazzy flavor to the band.

Vocals also stand out. Bringing a cool fusion of death metal growls and black metal screams. Though this is not really all that original, the way in which he performs it makes him stand out among many others doing the same thing. This style compliments the doomy moments of De Profundis' music perfectly, shown on a song like Cease to Be for example.

The guitars bring a very Opeth meets Ihsahn's solo work vibe. The guitars carry a large amount of melody to the sound, which counteracts the aggressive picking that goes on. While the basis of the style that the guitars carry with them is largely black metal, elements of acoustic/folk, doom, and death all come in to play in certain songs.

While the riffs played are not as much a highlight as the bass or vocals, the soloing that goes on this record is a highlight in itself. Exploring different styles throughout the record allows different solo techniques to be explored as well. From more melodic and soulful solos on Nocturnal Splendor to the more thrash-n'-fast solos on Crimson Black Bleeding.

The band truly comes into their own when they're not trying to write complex long songs, but more flowing tracks like Crimson Black Bleeding or Nocturnal Splendor. When they can mix melodic and progressive elements into their music fully without looking like their showing off. That's not saying that their longer songs are bad, but that your mind can wander while listening to those tracks.

The last 2 tracks are perhaps the most interesting on the album. Longing is an almost 6 minute long instrumental. Though it sounds boring on paper, elements of the acoustic come in, but are combined with elements of latin-jazz-fusion, giving it an almost Caribbean feel before moving into more traditional prog-metal. Solos are used throughout the entire song, later on even including a bass solo.

The Mourner is one of those songs that perfectly sums up what the band is in a single track. Utilizing all the elements found on previous songs and putting them all together in an extremely catchy way. From the jazzy middle sections to the more melodic black metal riffs that carry the song to the doom elements found throughout the chorus. Though I already stated that longer songs from this band could make your mind wander, this track is the exception to that, being one of the most progressive tracks on the album.

Overall, I could see this album being an underground album that many will enjoy. From the Cynic and Opeth tones that are used to help define this band's sound to the song's compositions themselves, this is definitely an album to look for and check out. Though this album will surely not get them love from everybody due to their move extreme side, but those who approach it with an open mind will find the elements mentioned above and more.

Overall Score: 8.5

Highlights: Nocturnal Splendor, Cease to Be, Crimson Black Bleeding, The Mourner

Shaolin Death Squad - Five Deadly Venoms

Ninja Warriors Decend Like Night (And Leave Just As Quickly).

Shaolin Death Squad is a progressive metal band from Texas. Though from Texas, their songs focus more on oriental themes. "Five Deadly Venoms" is their second release and demonstrates improved song-writing abilities.

Opposing their debut, this new record features much less extreme metal influences, sounding much more like traditional metal and prog-metal bands. Opener Centipede sounds very much like an old Queensryche or Fates Warning song. Though traces of more extreme music are still found frequently, they are not as much fused to the band's sound as it was on their debut.

Songs on this new record also show much more consice song-writing abilities. On their debut record, songs moved into the 7 and 8 minute territories, though never boring, the band seems to have focused more on consice song structures. Songs on "Five Deadly Venoms" are short and sweet, with only Snake moving into 6 minutes. But with shorter songs also creates more memorable hooks, that's not always true, but rings true here with songs like having soaring choruses.

Even with shorter songs, the band still manages to explore multiple territories within songs. While the opening track, Romanza is just a more or less ambient folkish track that leads into Centipede, a song that is pure metal and just ozzes influence from Queensryche and Fates Warning. Scorpion on the other hand brings a more jazz-fusion influence to the more classic Iron Maiden styled song with more dissonant riffs coming into the picture along with a more death metal influenced guitar sound. Lizard comes off as a more old-school, Metallica styled, technical thrash metal song but moves into an almost funk rhythm during it's bridge.

The main influences in this band are more old-school heavy metal and prog-metal bands for sure, but newer influences still make their way in to the band's sound. Toad sounds like a song from Porcupine Tree or Riverside for example. These influences appear throughout the album with others.

The centerpieces of the album are Centipede, Snake, Scorpion, Lizard, and Toad. These tracks flow together in a rather unique way, all of them express the idea of "Five Deadly Venoms" but don't focus on it directly, using them more as personality traits more than anything. After these tracks, the album moves into more obscure directions.

With following tracks sounding very much akin to that of a Mr. Bungle-esque track. Bringing in sounds and influences that bring more movie score and soundtrack vibes to the songs. Especially on the instrumental tracks Mischief and Epiphany and Peace Be Upon You.

Overall, this record is a great new record for fans of progressive metal, both old and new. While the influences of this band are most definitely old and bring the band an old-school sound, the band still sounds very fresh and modern sounding. Definetly worth checking out and highly recommended.

Overall Score: 9

Highlights: Centipede, Scorpion, Lizard, Toad, Let Us Welcome The Actors, Farewell

Oranssi Pazuzu - Muukalainen Puhuu

A Hole Left Where They Once Were.

Oranssi Pazuzu is a progressive black metal band from Finland. Formed after the demise of vocalist/guitarist Jun-His' previous band Kuolleet Intiaanit, Oranssi Pazuzu is considered to be a black metal version that band. Combining elements of more 70's oriented music with black metal.

The sound found on this debut is curious. Featuring what some would consider either progressive or psychedelic black metal. While the metal bits are found, as one reviewer said it best, those moments where the guitars are being tremolo picked, it has much more in common with surf rock rather than black metal. But the atmosphere found on here, as well as the vocals bring the vibe of black metal.

Guitars feature a more, almost improvised, approach toward their playing style. Featuring a sound more akin to that of a heavier Pink Floyd or Genesis. The playing gives the psychedelic and 70's vibe while the riffs are very fluid and open sounding, which also adds to the theory of improvisation.

While heavy moments are found throughout, it is where the more progressive and psychedelic passages come in, that the music seems to come alive. Songs like Danjon Nolla contain more aggressive metal features, but seem very cold in comparison to Kangastus 1968. The latter track containing elements found in Pink Floyd while growing into a more King Crimson-styled angular riffs.

As with the more progressive passages being the most enjoyable sounding on the record, so are the longer songs. While shorter songs like Danjon Nolla or Myohempien Aikojen Pyhien Teatterin Rukoilijasirkka feature the more aggressive side of the band, the longer song provide more exploration and an enjoyable listen. Songs like Dub Kuolleen Porton Muistolle and Kerettilainen Vouhi, the 2 longest tracks, provide the listener on miniature journeys through roaming realms of experimentation, the likes seen more on a Pink Floyd track.

While guitars feature prominence along with the vocals, it is keyboardist EviL that creates this band's "signature" sound. Adding layers and textures of delicate piano melodies and lush atmospheres that give the record a different feel from others performing a similar style. When he's not adding atmospheres, EviL is using old-school Hammond and Korg synthesizers to give the music that extra go at 70's psychedelia. Some of his best work occurs during Suuri Paa Taivaasta, where he works those synthes as accompanying guitar melodies or on Kerettilainen Vouhi, where his playing works between adding dissonant pianos and haunting textures.

It is on the final track, Kerettilainen Vouhi, where the band add some newer elements into their sound. Bouncing into areas of post-rock and krautrock, the band's experimentation comes full circle in this finale. Everything builds from a very Floyd-like track into a heavier, more dissonant song that just moves up on the incline as everything builds before a triumphant crash back into reality.

Overall, fans of 70's rock or very experimental music will find this record fascinating. Not really a record many will jump onto immediately due to it's more experimental nature, but those who do will come to enjoy this band immensely. While unknown right now, this band should be watched for what they will do in the future.

Overall Score: 8.5

Highlights: Korppi, Kangastus 1968, Dub Kuolleen Porton Muistolle, Kerettilainen Vouhi

Angst Skvadron - Sweet Poison

War of The World's Distant Cousin.

Angst Skvadron is a psychedelic black metal project by Trondr Nefas, of In Lingua Mortua and Urgehal and many others. Angst Skvadron is his outlet for all of his more out of this world ideas. These topics are focused more on lyrics, which focus on things like suicide, UFOs, and aliens.

Though Angst Skvadron is a project formed by Nefas, he does include others to create records and play live with him. O.M.P. contributes the female vocals, LFF contributes the drums and synthe and melotron parts, and R.M. plays extra guitars. Other contribute to a live setting, Chiron of live bass and M.K. on live drums.

Tracks on "Sweet Poison" range from more progressive and post-black songs to a straighter sounding black metal song. The overall sound though is hard to describe due to the mix of more avant-garde tendencies with black metal. Songs like the opener, Valium Holocaust, is much straighter sounding than it's follow-up track, Aerophobia, which has straighter riffs, but an atmosphere which changes with the riffs and ending in a very off-kilter mood.

What is truely unique to this band alone is their ability to create moods which all differ from each other. While Posttraumatic Stress Syndrome is very disturbing in the vibe it gives off, Dolcontine Blues features a much more melancholic mood. Both of these songs differ from each other, with the latter being much more dominated by the presence of psychedelia and progressive music, the former is much more disorientating from it's aggressive mood-cycles.

Once you get past the first 3 tracks, things begin to move into more avant-garde moods that fit with being abducted. While Posttraumatic Stress Syndrome is the track which first gives off the vibe of a person being abducted, it is on Dolcontine Blues where you first get the mood of a person that has been captured and is unaware of their current surroundings. Fucking Karma is a track that moves through different phases, from more ambient scenes to very aggressive sounding parts.

The U.F.O Is Leaving is an interesting track. Following with the almost story-like concept vibe of the record, this track gives the impression that you have been dropped off on a foreign planet and abandoned. The track itself also leaves an impression with a moody bass oriented song with synthe playing in the back.

The next 4 tracks are where things really get interesting sounding. Rivotril Matja is a track that explores a more traditional song structure that has a catchy bass-line and dynamic guitar work. We Miss Them explores more electronic stylings that mix trip-hop with soundtrack-like orchestration before moving into post-rock territory.

The Eyes Among Stars is the most chaotic song on "Sweet Poison," containing the elements most common to traditional black metal, but of course there's going to be something different in here. Elements of progressive rock still make their way into the structure of the song, moving in and out of traditional black metal and more atmospheric, almost moments of tranquility. Those these quieter moments never really last, it allows the track to move along and settle down before it derails. The finale is the title-track, Sweet Poison. This track contains an almost country/folk styled song with a movie score-like ambiance. This track provides the closure to an album which can leave jaws hanging.

Overall, this record is interesting and very diverse. Creating something that is unique and still has elements that are catchy is a rarity within more progressive extreme music, but Angst Skvadron has done it. Fans of progressive music that explores realms of ambiance and movie-scores will find a lot to love in here.

Overall Score: 8.5

Highlights: Aerophobia, Dolcontine Blues, Fucking Karma, Rivotril Matja, The Eyes Among Stars