Surtur Rising - Amon Amarth

Surtur Rising

Viking metaller’s Amon Amarth return with their follow up to the mighty Twilight of the Thunder God. In a recent interview with the band they mentioned that on this new album their were finding a new sound for the band, experimenting with keyboards and acoustic guitars this album is a departure from Twilight.

The band is famous for their relentless riffs and guteral growls of vocalist Johan Hegg, something which is not lost on this album. Songs such as War of the Gods, Slaves of Fear and Live Without Regrets are testament to this. The album however seems very monotonous and doesn’t flow very well which its predecessor did with such fury and elegance. Some of the songs seem to drag and are very repetitive such as Destroyer of the Universe which in my opinion is probably one of the worst songs I have ever heard by the band. The Last Stand of Frej contains a rather strange drum sound something reminiscent of Metallica’s St. Anger, the song also contains some rather strange synth work. For some songs the slower beat works such as Wrath of the Norsemen which is a great step in a good direction but it is not good enough to save the album. The musicianship on the album is very good and as every other Amon Amarth album it features ridiculous guitar solos which are only rivalled by Children of Bodom.

Overall the album is a mixture of sorts. At points it is a great album but at others you are left wondering why the band have moved from such a great sound which they were famous for. Slaves of Fear is my personal highlight of the album as it follows off the same foot of Twilight but that is really it.

Surtur Rising – Amon Amarth 7/10

Edge of the Earth - Sylosis review!

Sylosis – Edge of the Earth

When we heard late last year that Sylosis vocalist Jamie Graham had left the band we were eager to see what would happen to the band. Lead guitarist Josh Middleton took up the position and has arguably done a better job than his predecessor. The band have bounced back and released their second album Edge of the Earth.

Procession calm and serene start gives way to Sylosis’ sheer power. The song is full of great harmonic break downs mixed with some of the heaviest riffs out there. This song sets the tone for the rest of the album which follows in much of the same vain. Although it is a fairly long song you don’t lose interest due to the many time changes and various different feels. Sands of Time picks up where Procession left off however the song is quite a bit faster but as with Procession the song has many brutal breakdowns. Empyreal was made available on youtube before the release of the album and was one of the first songs I heard by the band. With its insane guitar solos/harmonies and a heavy rhythms Empyreal is a true modern great. Empyreal part 2 is really just a short clean outro to such an epic song. A Serpents Tongue is to be summed up by saying: Fast, snappy, melodic and great harmonies. Songs like these make you see that a lot of effort has been put into the writing and production of this album and that it has paid off. Awakening brings slower more chunky riffs to get your hands around before going back to the wondrous guitar solo’s that we have become used to. A clean singing section shows the true depth of this bands musical talent and is slightly Machine Headesque. Kingdom of Solitude starts with some great Trivium styled tremolo picking and easily sounds like it could have come off Trivium’s Ember to Inferno, so if you like Trivium but want to go slightly heavier then Sylosis is definitely for you!

Where the Sky Ends (an instrumental) reminds me a lot of the band Scale The Summit. The song is slower but has such a great feel with such guitar mastery which is unparalleled. This song is definitely entering into the realms of prog but in such a great way certainly a feel good song. Dystopia starts with an acoustic intro before being plunged into a brutally heavy main riff. Although very different from the previous song this song is testament to the bands skills whilst being super fast there are also super precise melodies. Apparitions is one of my personal favourites and has everything that I personally look for in a song: Great intro, Solid riff, great harmonies, bridge and immense solos this song has it all! Altered State of Consciousness is a straight up fast paced song with a great guitar line which is (as previously mentioned) a lot like Trivium. Like Apparitions this song has a great bridge/break down before going back to that great guitar line. Beyond The Resurrected although slightly slower in tempo has a great beat which will have your head bobbing and if this doesn’t then I don’t know what will. This is another song with a great clean section before returning to distortion for another fantastic new beat. Eclipsed has a slightly odd intro because of the choice of notes but for me its something that works well and the band have used it well to structure the rest of the song which follows this pattern, its very funky but is clearly metal. From the Edge of the Earth is another on of the albums longer songs which has a great clean intro before going into what I call the Metallica section as there is a certain riff that sounds similar to that of Orion from Master of Puppets before completely changing tack. This song perfectly combines metal and clean styles with the result being a brilliant progressive, dark and brutal song.

There are no real faults with this album; it is also spot on from a production side! For an upcoming band on their second album there is no greater that can be done that what they have just produced! This album is a stunner and we expect great things from this band.

Edge of the Earth-Sylosis 10/10

Iced Earth New singer, tour and album new!

Iced Earth have just announced a variety of amazing things for the next year. Firstly Matt Barlow recently revealed that he was to retire from the band, so we were curious to see who would replace him. The band have announced that taking Barlow's place is Into Eternity singer Stu Block. Jon Schaffer the foundation stone of the band said that he was amazed by Block's range and asked him if he wanted to join the band. On the back of this announcement the two of them have announced a European tour and preparations to go into the studio for a new album! Dates below:
Iced Earth have just announced a variety of amazing things for the next year. Firstly Matt Barlow recently revealed that he was to retire from the band, so we were curious to see who would replace him. The band have announced that taking Barlow's place is Into Eternity singer Stu Block. Jon Schaffer the foundation stone of the band said that he was amazed by Block's range and asked him if he wanted to join the band. On the back of this announcement the two of them have announced a European tour and preparations to go into the studio for a new album! Dates below:

Iron Maiden From Fear to Eternity 1990-2010

Iron Maiden have just announced that they are to release a best of CD called From Fear to Eternity The Best of 1990-2010. The CD will be two discs which spans from Iron Maiden's No Prayer for the Dying right up till the bands latest release The Final Frontier which the band are currently touring in support of. The CD will be released on May 23rd and the track list is as follows:

DISC 1
1. The Wicker Man 4.36
2. Holy Smoke 3.49
3. El Dorado 6:49
4. Paschendale 8.28
5. Different World 4.19
6. Man On The Edge (LIVE) 4.40
7. The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg 7.22
8. Blood Brothers 7.14
9. Rainmaker 3.49
10. Sign of the Cross (LIVE) 10.49
11. Brave New World 6.19
12. Fear Of The Dark (LIVE) 7.41

DISC 2
1. Be Quick Or Be Dead 3.24
2. Tailgunner 4.15
3. No More Lies 7.22
4. Coming Home 5.52
5. The Clansman (LIVE) 9.06
6. For the Greater Good of God 9.25
7. These Colours Don't Run) 6.52
8. Bring Your Daughter... To The Slaughter 4.44
9. Afraid to Shoot Strangers 6.57
10. Dance of Death 8.36
11. When the Wild Wind Blows 11.02

Live at the Aragon - Mastodon

Since the release of 2009’s Crack the Skye, Mastodon have been riding on a crest of good reviews and amazing live shows. When we found out that Mastodon were to release a live album with Crack the Skye played in its entirety we couldn’t wait to get our hands on it! So here’s what we think:

The album is played straight from start to finish with only brief pauses for guitar changes. The sheer epicness that is encapsulated in this DVD is amazing. Both top quality playing and top quality production make this live album an instant classic. Certain points that stick out are The Last Baron, The Czar and Divinations but it is so hard to mention specific parts as this DVD is amazing. The visual display is spectacular to say the least with a different movie for each song and a light show that nobody can match. Live at the Aragon also features some great older songs by Mastodon such as Circle of Cysquatch and Mother Puncher which show Mastodon’s broad musical influences from thrash to prog.

A few slight hiccups such as a buzzing drum tone and slight feed back but nothing drastic. The album takes you from start to finish making you wonder where that time went! Nothing else but good things can be said about this live performance and if you get the chance to see Mastodon live DO NOT pass up the chance as you wont be disappointed!

Live at the Aragon – Mastodon 9/10

Relentless Reckless Forever

Children of Bodom are back with their seventh album Relentless Reckless Forever. The band comprised of wonder guitarists Alexi Laiho and Roope Latvala set out on a mission to sonically bombard you and take no prisoners.

Not my funeral’s eerie intro sets the spooky vibe for the album. Mesmerising guitars guide you through this mixture of senses. One minute your hardcore the next you’re listening to poppy guitar leads. An unusual combination that seems to work well but might not be everybody’s cup of tea however there is one thing that you can rely on Bodom for, their insane guitar/keyboard duals. Shovel Knockout thunders into life with its pounding bass line and we are launched into an insanely fast song. The song is quite hard to get your head around and feels like it has been thrown together quickly and doesn’t flow very well. This might be what they are trying to achieve but it just doesn’t feel right but, as previously mentioned a great solo sustains the song.

Roundtrip to Hell and Back starts in a much better vain. The song takes you on a dark journey but again the vocals are awkwardly placed before ending abruptly. Pussyfoot Miss Suicide has a funky groove to start off before going back to a typical Bodom fast paced jaunt. This is a much better song and more what I had expected from the album. Relentless Reckless Forever takes you by surprise and draws you in with some catchy keyboard/guitar duals and then throws you off course amazingly reflecting its title well. Ugly is a welcome relief from the rest of the album. The song manages to be very heavy whilst also has a very progressive feel which is an interesting combination. It also has a very catchy chorus which will have you shouting “SO GODDAMN UGLY”.

Cry of the Nihilist has a great eerie feel to it which is comforting before the very quirky Was it worth it? The first single from the album was a delight to hear and was one of the things that got me interested in Bodom. The songs short sharp bursts and catchy guitar line get you hooked from start to finish with another insane solo, for me this is certainly the peak of the album so far. Northpole Throwdown is a fast paced song however, again not a strong point on the album.

Overall the album is very patchy and in some parts the songs don’t fit well. Pussyfoot Miss Suicide, Ugly and Was it Worth it? Are really what make this album good. There are no faults with the production everything is spot on apart from the songs with the exception of the above. Advice to those who liked the single Was it Worth it? Don’t go and buy the album on the strength of this song check out the others before buying to see if you like it to avoid disappointment. This album is certainly one for the hardcore COB fans.

Relentless, Reckless Forever – Children Of Bodom

6.5/10

Big Four Sweden

Yes thats right the Big Four are coming to Sweden and guess what ... the SAME WEEK that Maiden are playing Sweden in the same venue. To clear that up Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax (known as the Big Four of Thrash metal) have announced that they are going to be playing at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden on 3rd July. This is the first time they will have played together in Scandinavia and so is something that is NOT to be missed. If that wasn't enough Iron Maiden are playing at Ullevi just two days before. So get your tickets for a week of metal mania in Sweden!

tickets for the Big Four show go on sale 07/03/2011 at 9 AM Swedish time.

Iron Maiden tickets are already on sale so hurry up!