The Hunter - Mastodon

The Hunter – Mastodon

Following the progtastic Crack The Skye Atlanta metallers Mastodon have unleashed The Hunter. The Hunter is very different from Crack The Skye in terms of the flow of the album, on Crack The Skye everything flowed and fitted but as the band have said the writing process was different on this album. It was a lot more spontaneous so there was no concept. In many ways this is a good thing as there are heavy songs such as “Blasteroids” or melodic songs such as “The Sparrow”. This is a great album for new fans as they get to see the many sides of Mastodon, fans of the first few albums will not be disappointed as there are some fast thrashy elements e.g. “Spectrelight” or the proggy fans will like “Creature Lives”. The best song on the album for me is “Curl Of The Burl” it has this classic rock feel (Sabbathesque) which really entraps you and a brilliant music video as well (see below). As for production on the album everything is perfect and crisp sounding, the best part of the mix is a huge sounding drum kit which adds huge depth. Overall The Hunter is full of different musical flares and is an exciting listen and will grip you from start to finish, the only tiny problem is could there be too much to take in? Give it time and you will love it!

The Hunter – Mastodon 9/10

Unto The Locust -Machine Head

Unto The Locust – Machine Head

The follow up to the album of the decade is finally here! After much anticipation I can tell you that it lives up to its predecessor if not surpasses it! As stated in many interviews by the band it is not The Blackening 2 and it is clear listening to it that the band have moved on from it in a positive way.

Unto The Locust features the traditional MH 7-minute epics, which the band has become famous for. With only “Be Still And Know” coming in under 6 minutes this album is full of long instrumentals duelling solos. Many of the riffs on this album are based off harmonies, which are the core on this album “This Is The End” is testament to this. The album also features the obscure ballad like “Darkness Within”, which is my personal favourite , because it is different, it has a very moving spooky feel to it. The only song for me that doesn’t fit is “Pearls Before The Swine”, it just doesn’t feel right in terms of the rest of the album, compared to something like the starter “I Am Hell” it just doesn’t feel right.

However overall this album is almost perfect, the production is good but not perfect, had Colin Richardson been able to complete it then it would have been utterly amazing. Apart from that, it is by far the best album of 2011 so far! And I cant wait to see what they do next!

Unto The Locust – 9.5/10

A Dramatic Turn Of Events - Dream Theater

Dream Theater – A Dramatic Turn Of Events

Well finally the review is here after (excuse the pun) A Dramatic Turn Of Events. This album is the first by Dream Theater to not feature founding member Mike Portnoy. No matter what your view is on Portnoy’s departure it is clear to see from the efforts on this album that Dream Theater are soldering on with out him. The infamous Mike Mangini takes over on the drums, but stays true to Mike Portnoy’s style giving the album a very familiar feeling. “Build Me Up, Break Me Down” features a very strange techno intro/verse, which feels out of place but it the song is stabilized by having a classic Dream Theater chorus. In terms of how the album feels it is reminiscent of their older works fused with some newer styles, e.g. “Lost But Not Forgotten” sounds like it could have easily come off “Black Clouds And Silver Linnings”. A Dramatic Turn Of Events is a definite progression from the previous album, it is very broad in musical variety for example “Outcry” goes from almost ballad to 7 string heavy riffing from. As an album it feels more connected than some of their recent releases however there is something missing, some parts of the songs feel disjointed although there are some fantastic solos from Rudess and Petrucci. I feel that James La Brie could have pushed himself a bit further on this album as the passion is not there (apart from on “Far From Heaven”)

Overall this is a solid album and is much better than its predecessor but, you do get the feeling that had Mike Portnoy had an influence what could have it been like. Mike Mangini fits in well and as usual plays to perfection, but I think Portnoy’s influence could have made this album a lot stronger. The album is for fans of the bands older works, I think newer fans will struggle with this album but overall a solid effort.

A Dramatic Turn Of Events – Dream Theater: 7/10

Anthrax - Worship Music

Well its taken three line up changes but Worship Music is finally here. Although it has taken a stupendous amount of time for this album to be released you won't be let down when you hear it. Joey Belladona is back in front of the mic and sure gives it all he's got on the album. Worship Music is not strictly thrash but more straight up metal with speed just playing a small part in this, but do not let this put you off, this is the best i have heard the band. Worship begins with a small intro before the blast beats kick in with "Earth is on Hell". Straight away you are drawn in to this monstrously heavy song which doesn't let up. The key player in "Earth is On Hell" is Belladona whose vocals cut through the noise with precision and elegance, by having that slightly high vocal range Joey gets all the notes with great affect. Other great songs on the album are "In The End" which features a guitar riff very similar to that of Trivium's "Chaos Reigns", "In The End" is one of my personal favourites as it shows you just how diverse the band is crushingly heavy but then again so harmonic. "Crawl" is another favourite featuring a very catchy chorus both lyrically and musically with the riffing of Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano. Anthrax are also famous for their large bass lines which Frank Bello produces effortlessly on this release. The album also features two instrumental "Hymns" which help to link the album together, these are effective and build the tension for the next song. "Judas Priest" is a brilliant piece of music showing off all the bands talents: thunderous drums, huge guitar riffs, a powerful bass line and harmonic vocals and a must listen for any Anthrax fan. My only gripe with "Worship Music" is that some of the songs are just a bit too long for a thrash band, but as previously mentioned you can't really class this album as "thrash". Apart from this the album is brilliant, whether you like Anthrax or not any metal fan will enjoy this album!

Anthrax - Worship Music 8.5/10

Ambersand - Intro's and Adverts

From the leafy suburbs of Surrey comes Ambersand, their unique brit rock vibe mixed with 90's 00's American pop punk gives them the scope to create a whole new genre. Many people would argue that all that old pop punk stuff sounds the same but with intuitive thinking and broad musical talent Ambersand overcome this, and the result is phenomenal. Their EP starts with "Felicity" which features a instrumental intro which flicks my mind back Scale The Summit (technical instrumental band). The catchiness of old pop punk is there but there is a definite rock 'n roll feel to it. "Esteem on Ice" explains this well, an intro reminiscent of the early 00's indie scene but then the pace picks up with that pop punk feel. Ambersand are so different to any other style but then again have this familiar feel by pinching from so many different influences. If they were to have a catchphrase it would be "American influenced, unmistakably English". If there is just one song that you listen to from this review make it "Control We Thought We Had Lost", it will blow you away: 60's brit rock, reggae bounce, post pop punk and an incredible vocal line which the band should win an award for, the song is simply a switch on feel good song. The talent that is on offer here should not be passed up as each song holds a new surprise, "Coma State" is a prime example of this. You think you have heard it all but the band deliver completely unique songs every time. "Streets I Roam" starts slowly but builds into a fast paced chorus and then a ballad like bridge, this shows you the diversity of the band and how well they change from one style to another in no time at all. "Breaking Books and Paper Planes" is the last song on the EP has a more straight up rock vibe which the band are great at doing. This is a brilliant debut EP for such a new band! So if your a fan of 90's, 00's pop punk, rock and roll give Ambersand a listen!

Ambersand - Intro's and Adverts 9-10

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Rise To Remain - City Of Vultures

London based Rise To Remain have come out with a solid debut album in the form of City of Vultures. If you have heard their Bridges Will Burn EP this follows in that same vain, however you can tell that in the year since that EP was released they have matured and have become a stronger band because of it. Their recent signing to EMI has given them that boost which they needed propel them to the glory they deserve.

City of Vultures is a delight to listen to, full of meticulous guitar leads from Ben Tovey and Will Homer which almost border djent with their technicalities ("Illusions" is a prime example of this). Austin Dickinson belts out both super clean vocals and crushing screams, his talent is phenomenal, being able to switch between the to effortlessly is carried off live as well as on the album ("City of Vultures" shows this brilliantly). It is common in most metal bands that you can't hear the bass very well but this certainly not the case here Joe Copcutt is the key to the rhythmic blasts which lock in with Pat Lundy on the drums. Fans of the EP will not be disappointed with this effort and older tracks "Nothing Left"and "Bridges Will Burn" have been slightly been reworked and cleaned up a bit. The strengths of this album are certainly the fantastic guitar work and pristine audio quality however there are a lot of synths and effects through out the album which i personally feel are not necessary.

Overall this is a solid debut album and we are sure to be hearing a lot more of this band in the future. Check out Rise To Remain on their headlining UK tour NOW for tour dates check out www.risetoremain.com

City Of Vultures - Rise To Remain 8/10