Philippe Leconte – Power Of Metal.dk

Beheaded – Only Death Can Save You

Philippe Leconte — Sun, 21 Apr 2019 10:21:12 +0000

Although I am an atheist, it breaks my heart to see flames destroying Notre-Dame and burning cultural heritage. As I have been watching live coverage from Paris during hours, I receive a message from Thomas about the new Beheaded, allowing me to get away from this drama.

The Maltese quintet was one of our best surprises as we enjoyed Aalborg Metal Festival in 2013, supporting their record Never to Dawn (2012) www.powerofmetal.dk/reviews13/live/AMF_2013.htm

They now give us a successor to the intense Beast Incarnate (2017).

The concept behind Only Death Can Save You is what happens in our human mind when we are facing death: a very full agenda!

Almost quoting somebody we highly miss, the opening song seems to scream: ‘We are Beheaded and we play death metal!’. This is strong, effective and does not need more than four minutes to meet the requirements, as all the other tunes.

The second shot could have been composed in the early nineties with its irresistible bridge. The band was actually formed in 1991 but has no wrinkle after 28 years and various line-up changes. The new record shows no quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns: tradition and modernity get the same space here.

If you do not feel an uncontrollable urge to headbang on ‘A greater terror’ riffs, I cannot do anything for you.

‘Unholy man’ and ‘Embrace your messiah’ could have the caption ‘From Napalm Death (…but with a melodic guitar solo) to Morbid Angel’: absolutely enjoyable!

The papist devil is a steamroller at full speed, suddenly interrupted by a slower and heavy part. This formula (fatal to the flesh?…) has been used many times but why do without when it works so fine.

The blackened instrumental ‘Gallows walk’ could be the background for a black mass.

The title track reminds me of ‘The Blessed Dead’ by Nile, but do not misunderstand this subjective comparison: this song is excellent and not plagiarism at all.

You will get no compromise from ‘From the fire where’ it all began in conclusion of this excellent record, tailor-made for your stereo this summer and definitely for upcoming live performance.

Equipoise – Demiurgus

Philippe Leconte — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 21:28:23 +0000

After an impressive EP, ‘Birthing Homunculi’ (2016), the virtuoso guitarist Nick Padovani strikes again and delivers with a dream team this album, ‘Demiurgus’, to make the universe out of primal matter!

Allow me to quote Nick: ‘Demiurgus is the culmination of 3 years of refinement packaged into 63 minutes of thoughtful compositions. The 14 tracks found within will take you through a journey inspired by the anime series, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’. That is a good summary of the deep work and the lyrics.

In order to be tasty progressive-technical-whatever-death-metal has to follow a sophisticated, demanding and delicate recipe, as straightforward demonstration and shredding can be rather indigestible.

The basic ingredients for this exacting musical genre are musicians who master their instruments (obvious!), tough growls and screams, a balance between finesse and strength, sharp rhythm guitars and smooth fretless bass (Hugo is back, only a few months after the last Beyond Creation masterpiece), drums from an alien, voluble and majestic guitar solos; last but not the least, rich compositions that grab and make you travel far, far away. These requirements are more than satisfied with ‘Demiurgus’.

The plus here, from ‘Illborn Augury’ and all along the record, are the piano and nylon string guitar parts, a touch of classic or flamenco. As the music is dense, intense, complex, the balance I was referring to is even better with these cool, inspired and atmospheric pieces.

Always in motion, never stifling, this album is complex and catchy as well; or memorable should I say (Desmond Child did not compose it…). Equipoise is more than a super group, more than an addition of talents. These guys enjoy what they do and succeed to share their passion.

Beyond Creation – Algorythm

Philippe Leconte — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 09:26:05 +0000

Do you know the opposite of elevator music? It is ‘paint your cladding’ music! This kind of painting takes eons to do it well, with cerebral activity close to braindead. In order to deal with it, without becoming a vegetable, you need not just a simple background, but rich music which penetrates and stimulates you.

I had to paint a lot this summer, on house, not canvas, listening to the whole King Crimson discography before their great show in Oslo. I am still doing this boring activity, helped by the new Obscura, Voight Kampff, Animal As Leaders, many more, and of course, Beyond Creation, with The Aura (2011), Earthborn Evolution (2014) and now Algorythm.

Four years between two records could be regarded as a long path for a young and active band. The bassist Hugo Doyon-Karout joined and the time flowed quick as they were almost always on tour. They used this period to enhance their osmosis and to go further (or beyond…) in terms of composition.

The result is commensurate with the quartet’s ambition and patient work. They do not use their stratospheric technique to impress, but to create. The quality of the songwriting is the aim, with balance between power and delicacy, strength and grace.

Algorythm is a progressive death metal record, fully from 2018. But by the multiple sensations it brings, its variations, ideas, atmospheres, this album reminds me as well the unique vibes I get from some progressive rock or metal masterpieces, these records you are still listening from A to Z, not just picking a song here and there, and always find something new.

Algorythm is coming just after The Wake, the new Voivod creation. Mes cousins du Québec, they are still ruling!

Two years after their memorable show at the Aalborg Metal Festival (https://powerofmetal.dk/live-reviews/aalborg-metal-festival-2016) I will have again the pleasure to enjoy Beyond Creation live at the same place in November. See you there!

Sinsænum – Echoes of the Tortured

Philippe Leconte — Sun, 24 Jul 2016 11:52:32 +0000

Almost one year after the great thrash of Metal Allegiance, a new supergroup arises, worshiping a glorious death metal past which has never been so present and so alive. That is the difference between passing fads and strong musical styles.

The mastermind and multi-instrumentalist back Sinsænum is Frédéric Leclercq, bassist and composer in DragonForce, sharing here the guitars with Stéphane Buriez and the bass with Heimoth. Joey Jordison takes care of the drums, showing brilliantly he has won his battle against transverse myelitis. A duo of screamers’n’growlers completes this force of evil: Sean Zatorsky and Attila Csihar.

‘Splendor and Agony’ and ‘Army of Chaos’ are a jab in your face and the guarantee of pits running amok. Cool songs for sure, but two trees that hide a dark, dangerous forest. Check out the furious ‘Inverted Cross’, the time bomb ‘Dead Souls’, ‘Final Curse’ from its first notes, as a tribute to Morbid Angel, ‘Condemned to Suffer’ which gathers all you need in extreme metal, the drop-hammer ‘Sacrifice’, ‘The Forgotten One’, ruthless for any sane mind, the progressive ‘Anfang des Albtraumes’, the blackish and majestic ‘Echoes of the Tortured’, the colossal ‘Gods of Hell’, where Leclercq and Buriez work wonders again: this album is also a great dual lead guitars record.

The atmosfearic transitions between each song give barely time to catch its breath: remember Pestilence ‘Testimony of the Ancients’. Horror movie directors should contact Leclercq for their soundtrack.

Sinsænum is not only a sum of talents, but a real osmosis. We get here a broad spectrum of creativity and musicianship, disturbing, brutal and so enjoyable. Let’s hope and pray Azathoth that Leclercq & Co. will find time to make Sinsænum more than a side project.

Tracklist:

Materialization
Splendor and Agony
Excommunicare
Inverted Cross
March
Army of Chaos
Redemption
Dead Souls
Lullaby
Final Curse
Condemned to Suffer
Ritual
Sacrifice
Damnation
The Forgotten One
Torment
Anfang des Albtraumes
Mist
Echoes of the Tortured
Emptiness
Gods of Hell

Playing Time: 61:47

Release date: 29. Juli, 2016

Label: Peccatum

Website: www.sinsaenum.com

Ihsahn – Arktis

Philippe Leconte — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 08:19:57 +0000

After the pleasure of a new Obscura album, then enjoying Voivod’s terrific EP, I have just received my copy of the ‘Arktis’ digibook, an ode to Fridtjof Nansen’s journeys, and more widely, themes related to the septentrion.

‘Das Seelenbrechen’ was a kind of transition, based on improvisation. Let us see what Vegard Sverre Tveitan offers us in 2016, still in good company with the drummer Tobias Ørnes Andersen.

Irresistible is the word which comes to my mind when the first notes of ‘Disassembled’ are thundering into my ears, a dynamic riff à la Ihsahn. Verse and chorus, but also thousands of ideas, as this unexpected melo bridge where Leprous’ Einar Solberg‘s voice does wonders.

The next songs keep the momentum: the bombastic ‘Mass Darkness’ where Matt Heafy from Trivium gives his ‘give in’; the groovy ‘My Heart Is of the North’, with Nicolay Svennæs Tangen’s keys and organ, Robin Ognedal’s six or maybe more strings, and a guitar sound which reminds me of Flotsam & Jetsam’s ‘Drift’; the hypnotic ‘South Winds’ and its final words: ‘Cancel all flights to the promised land’. Headbanging guaranteed and a great musical journey: could not be better.

Based on a simple melody, ‘In the Vaults’ overflows also with a thousand glorious details. The riff of ‘Until I Too Dissolve’ could have come from Eddie Van Halen’s 82 Kramer.

‘Pressure’ is dark, majestic, and yet again a thousand details and ideas, which make ‘Arktis’ unique. What about ‘Frail’, then ‘Crooked Red Line’ (saxophone by Jørgen Munkeby, of course), full of opposite feelings and atmospheres, oppressive or light, as the polar world, hostile and magnificent.

‘Celestial Violence’ with Einar Solberg, or ‘Why are we?’, ‘What are we: a simple dust in the Laniakea, where cosmic monsters produce gravitational waves’.

Ihsahn knows how to include his numerous influences in his own world, how to magnify them: metal, progressive, classic, jazz, pop, electro, whatever… A huge but clean production (Jens Bogren for the mixing and the mastering) serves this masterpiece well, written, composed and performed as a symphony.

Not a single note can be thrown away, not a single voice harmony can be lost. It is indeed a great anniversary celebration, ten years after ‘The Adversary’.

NB: this limited edition has an unusual bonus track: Hans Herbjørnsrud recites ‘Søppelsolen’, a poem by Tor Ulven; first the piano whispers, then the distorded arpeggios scream. Lyst til å lære norsk?

Tracklist:
1. Disassembled
2. Mass Darkness
3. My Heart Is of the North
4. South Winds
5. In the Vaults
6. Until I Too Dissolve
7. Pressure
8. Frail
9. Crooked Red Line
10. Celestial Violence
11. Til Tor Ulven (Søppelsolen) – bonus track

Playing Time: 57:26

Release date: 15. April, 2016

Label: Candlelight/Spinefarm

Website: www.facebook.com/ihsahnmusic

A day with VOIVOD – Aalborg Metal Festival

Philippe Leconte — Fri, 13 Nov 2015 18:31:18 +0000

Thomas is finally back from the United States and thus ready for day two of Aalborg Metal Festival. He travelled not far from areas dear to H.P. Lovecraft. We take som fresh air near the Studenterhuset venue before the first show. Suddenly, behind us, Mister Michel ‘Away’ Langevin is going out to see what Aalborg looks like. Alert!

No problem with him: Michel is a nice person, calm and cool, but so enthusiastic to live this Voivod second life. We take pictures (not selfies!).

I ask him if he would mind if I join him a bit on his walk, showing him a picture with Piggy, Eric Forrest, him and your humble servant, taken just after the show in Paris at the Arapaho 27^th November 1995, during the ‘Negatron’ tour. Time goes fast and it is not just a cliché, but the passion for music never goes down. Having the same mothertongue makes an easy contact even easier.

We talk about Piggy, of course, a brother to him, an immortal musician to me. We talk about the fantastic work done by Daniel ‘Chewy’ Mongrain and Dominique ‘Rocky’ Laroche and their crucial part in Voivod’s return. And we talk about the future, with many good news. After the Deathcrusher tour, Voivod will return to the studio to record an EP we should get at the beginning of 2016, just before the first part of their U.S. tour with Vektor in February. A new record should also be released in 2016, 2017 at the latest.

A few minutes later, I am so happy to also meet Denis ‘Snake’ Bélanger for a picture and a promise is given: Voivod is back for good. I know that mon cousin du Québec is a man of his word.

During the Spiders show I meet Daniel Mongrain. Chewy is an experienced guitarist, who played with many bands and artists. He was a member of Martyr, Gorguts, Capharnaum and works as a music teacher, but above all he is a fan of metal and many other kinds of music; and he is of course a Voivod die-hard fan, who knows Piggy’s parts and style like the back of his hand, who loves, feels and understands Voivod’s compositions and musical world.

Fun fact, we discovered Voivod in 1987 the same way, by watching the ‘Ravenous Medicine’ video and acquiring ‘Killing Technology’. Daniel decided to play guitar from this time. When I saw this mad video after midnight on French TV, I remember asking myself: ‘Who the hell are these guys?’. The rest is history, like this unforgettable show on the 10^th July 1993 at Élysée Montmartre in Paris during ‘The Outer Limits’ tour.

Talking about ‘The Outer Limits’, as a never satisfied fan, I notice that no song from this (also) masterpiece has been played during the Deathcrusher tour. Chewy had actually a dream come true in a reformation show, when he played live for the first time the whole ‘Jack Luminous’.

Daniel met Jean-Yves ‘Blacky’ Thériault in 2002. They played together, became friends. Blacky introduced Dan to Away and Snake, they held an audition in 2008 and he joined the band. Their first show was at Montreal – Heavy MTL festival on the 22^nd June 2008. Another show in Montreal, this time in december 2009, was recorded and released as ‘Warriors of Ice’ CD in 2011. Then, show after show, festival after festival, touring around the world, they decided to take the next step: starting the compositions of a brand new album, with Blacky and Chewy putting first some riffs together. ‘Target Earth’ was released on the 22^nd of January 2013: a new era.

The challenge was to find the best balance between the legacy of the band and the fact that Dan had to be himself: it would have been absurd to try to be the clone of a unique musician like Denis ‘Piggy’ D’Amour. He had no problem to fit with the original trio, as he was already friend with Blacky and so welcomed by Away and Snake; and Voivod has always been his favorite band. So the excitement gained the upper hand over the stress he could feel in the beginning.

Are you ready for Voivod live?
We get in our faces ‘Ripping Headaches’ from ‘Rrröööaaarrr’, then ‘Tribal Convictions’ from ‘Dimension Hatröss’ perfect for headbanging.
Kluskap O’Kom comes from ‘Target Earth’, but it is already a hymn for the band.
‘Dimension Hatröss’ is back with ‘Chaosmöngers’: irresistible!
And now comes ‘The Prow’ from ‘Angel Rat’, an album which did not receive a reception as good as expected when it was released in 1991. It became cult later and it is fully deserved: it is a masterpiece of alternative/progressive/psychedelic rock. Some idiots just could not stand it was different from the previous discography, even if its predecessors ‘Dimension Hatröss’ and ‘Nothingface’ were as progressive as they were fantastic.
Back to the roots and wildness: have a nice ‘Overreaction’ from ‘Killing Technology’.
‘Forever Mountain’ is the new song from the vinyl split single (with Napalm Death – ‘Phonetics for the Stupefied’). It could have matched on ‘Target Earth’, or on ‘Nothingface’ as well: out of time, pure Voivod, I love it.
When I listen to ‘Target Earth’ which IS a Voivod record, when I am seeing now Daniel ‘Chewy’ Mongrain playing past and present Voivod songs on stage, I am definitely sure he was and is the right choice – or I should say the only choice – for Voivod to make the impossible possible: having a guitarist in Voivod who is not Piggy. I am not forgetting the top choice of Dominique ‘Rocky’ Laroche who had the overwhelming responsability to replace Blacky at short notice, when he decided to leave the band for personal reasons.

What kind of drummer is Away? Thrash metal? Progressive rock? Jazz? I have been listening to Voivod for soon 30 years: I just know that Michel Langevin’s groove is unique, as his artwork. He is the backbone of Voivod, always been in the band. It is a full pleasure to listen to him and watch him live right now.

Melodic or dissonant as Voivod guitar chords can be: that is my humble description of Snake’s thrash-punk-progressive-one-of-a-kind voice. He has presence, charisma and sense of humour. The show is full of intensity and fun, with four talented musicians happy as young kids to play together, and a thrilled crowd.

Voivod’s anthem ‘Voivod’ from ‘War and Pain’, naturally dedicated to Piggy, is closing a terrific 45-minute gig, a bit short for me after twenty years. But I appreciated each of these essential 2700 seconds. The party is not over: Napalm Death, Obituary and Carcass! What a glorious day!

Memento Waltz – Omicron – Official Videoclip

Philippe Leconte — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 19:04:58 +0000

Posted on Memento Waltz’s Facebook page:

Hi all,
Omicron: The official videoclip produced by Jolly Roger records!
We hope you like it!

Division By Zero reissued on CD, in October 2015 by Jolly Roger Records together with the reprint of the previous Ep “Antithesis of Time”. Vinyl formats (LP limited edition) of Both albums will be released in the first months of 2016.

Sadist – Hyaena

Philippe Leconte — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 10:38:55 +0000

I am enjoying Symphony X and Between the Buried and Me these days, both serious contenders for the title of best record for 2015, digging Cradle of Filth and its bloody grand cru, banging my head to Fear Factory, and waiting for no less than Slayer and Maiden on my CD player in a couple of days. Do I have time for Sadist? Would it be foolish to ignore this ‘Hyaena’?

Africa and progressive rock, it is of course Toto IV. For the death metal, I can refer to Nile, geographically and thematically specialized. Talking about progressive death metal, this new Sadist focuses on the laughing carnivore, omnipresent in many African cultures, ridden by the devil: look at this beautiful front cover by Luca Orecchia.

In terms of effects and atmospheres, the keyboards could have been used better. In my humble opinion, that sounds a bit dated with two much reverb. The screaming’n’growling vocals are strong and varied, no doubt about it.

But the real pleasure lies elsewhere, in the perfect interaction between bass, drums and guitars. We reach a dimension of high quality and creativity, in line with the great artwork. From extreme metal riffs to jazzy fretless bass, from masterclass drums to inspired guitar soli, all the ingredients are mixed for a great tracklist.

I am not forgetting the percussions of the special guest Jean N’Diaye, and a really nice touch of hypnotic oud.

Two thumbs up can be given for the production and the mix by Tommy Talamanca at Nadir Music Studios: powerful and clear as well.

Sadist was formed a quarter of century ago and belongs to the generation of Death, Cynic, Atheist, Pestilence. If these bands and their heir apparents mean something to you and if you like musicians who deliver more than good music, you can blindly follow this feliformia.

Despite long breaks and line-up changes, the Genoan quartet has still a lot to offer, and ‘Hyaena’ deserves a place among the best records of summer-autumn 2015.

Tracklist:

1. The Lonely Mountain
2. Pachycrocuta
3. Bouki
4. The Devil Riding the Evil Steed
5. Scavenger and Thief
6. Gadawan Kura
7. Eternal Enemies
8. African Devourers
9. Scratching Rocks
10. Genital Mask

Playing time: 45:20

Release date: 16. October, 2015

Label: Scarlet Records

Website: www.sadist.it

DREAM THEATER – Wrightegaarden, Langesund, Norway – 14th July 2015

Philippe Leconte — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 20:34:10 +0000

No time to storm the Bastille today: I have another appointment at the typisk norsk Wrightegaarden in the quiet Langesund. So quiet? We will see…

Pagan’s Mind had just to drive half an hour from their hometown Skien to play here tonight. I have to admit I appreciate more their progressive side than their power metal side, but it is just a question of taste: the frontman Nils K. Rue and his friends deliver a good mix of both and a solid performance.

But now, introduced by ‘False Awakening Suite’, Dream Theater is ready to hit the stage!
Shall we review the troops, from the left side where my friend Albert and I are standing for our fifth concert together (after Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson, Al Di Meola, Steve Hackett and Fish), to the right?
We start with the always smiling Jordan Rudess and his waving keyboards: an authentic virtuoso. I would love to see and listen to him, playing a grand piano in a concert hall, taming a piece like the Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor by Rachmaninoff: should be a piece of cake for him.

I can read in Wikipedia (is it cool or not?) that in a poll conducted by Music Radar in 2010, John Myung was voted the greatest bassist of all time. We are talking about music here, not world record in Olympics, but still, he is for sure among the best. Few minutes after the concert opening, we can already enjoy the legendary bass tapping from ‘Metropolis’: j’aime!

I discovered Mike Mangini in 93 with the album ‘Set the World on Fire’, then live, when he joined Annihilator. In 2010, Dream Theater had to carry out an impossible mission: replace Mike Portnoy. The DVD in the limited edition of ‘A Dramatic Turn of Events’ shows the auditions and the chosen one, Mr Mangini, the right choice (Marco Minnemann plays drums at a stratospheric level too, it has to be said). You can also see it on youtube: an epic drama. Then, what about Mangini live tonight? Well, having him on stage is a delight for the ears and the eyes!

Dream Theater usually plays some epic and long instrumentals where James La Brie has the possibility to catch his breath. But during this tour, the band focuses on shorter songs, changing moods between ballads and metal, where the Canadian vocalist has almost no break; and this evening, his voice is not 100%. Anyway, he is a great singer, an experienced musician. He knows himself perfect and always finds the right modulations: not ‘Caught in a Web’.

I have been playing (‘trying to play’ seems more appropriate) guitar for many years and I worship many guitar heroes from many musical horizons. Among them, John Petrucci is for me THE progressive metal guitarist. He has the magic touch which is not just technique, and can take us where he wants, for a cool walk or a trip to the stars at speed of light, from dark and complex riffs to bright, colorful soli.

Dream Theater is not only the addition of world class musicians. It is a perfect alchemy, with and without Mike Portnoy.

I discovered the quintet in 92 with ‘Images & Words’. I saw it live for the first, and definitely not the last time, at L’Élysée Montmartre in Paris 13^th March 1995, 20 years ago, during the ‘Awake’ tour. In 2015, Dream Theater celebrates also an anniversary with this summer tour, especially the founding members John M and P: 30 years!

The concept of their birthday party is simple: picking a song from each album, in chronological order. Simple and so exciting: we had a great evening. And the story goes on: I will rush on their new album in 2016, as I always do.

Rating:

Tracklist:

01. Afterlife
02. Metropolis Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper
03. Caught in a Web
04. A Change of Seasons: II Innocence
05. Burning My Soul
06. The Spirit Carries On
07. About to Crash
08. As I Am
09. Panic Attack
10. Constant Motion
11. Wither
12. Bridges in the Sky
13. Behind the Veil