Review – Power Of Metal.dk

The Haunted – Strength In Numbers

Wade Reitz — Fri, 25 Aug 2017 03:43:57 +0000

Very few bands held the thrash banner high in the 90’s. One of those bands was The Haunted. Their self-titled debut may have pinned them as not much more than a Slayer clone musically, but Adrian Erlandsson and Patrik Jensen had other ideas. Powered by the barkings of Marco Aro, The Haunted plowed through two more albums before Aro’s departure and a reunion with original vocalist Peter Dolving. This is the version of the band that caught my ear, as Revolver turned me into a fan. Aro eventually returned to the fold on 2014’s Exit Wounds, along with Erlandsson, and Ola Englund from Six Feet Under as the band’s new lead guitarist. Now on August 25, 2017 via Century Media, comes the second installment from this rejuvenated line-up, Strength In Numbers.

Intro ‘Fill The Darkness With Black’ is the first and last time you have something easy to listen to on Strength In Numbers. Aptly titled true opener ‘Brute Force’ is a solid punch in the face. Aro barks along to Erlandsson’s blast beats, asking the universal question “Should I kill myself, or everyone else around me?” ‘Spark’ brings the tempo down a bit, but cranks up the groove in something of a of pre/Peter Dolving era combination. ‘Preachers of Death’ crushes with a foot stomping/head banging riff reminiscent of their classic song ‘D.O.A.’ This stomp carries through to the title track, where the band even drops a breakdown, a ’la Lamb of God. Jensen blasts the listener with some crunchy riffs through ‘Tighten the Noose.’ ‘This is the End’ is a purposeful dragger, again evoking some Dolvingesque memories. After another LoG-like track, ‘The Fall,’ ‘Means to an End’ brings back that patented The Haunted punishing groove as we take Aro’s “demons for a walk.” ‘Monuments’ closes out the album with a thumping swing, crushing you all the way to the end.

For The Haunted, Exit Wounds was a definite return to form, especially compared to the semi-disappointing Unseen. Strength In Numbers is head and shoulders above Exit Wounds. Its combination of thrash, groove, and Swedish death metal, that is still full of hooks, make for a much more memorable album. The mark III version of the band has created a sound that mixes their past, along with a few new influences, to create a promising future. So don’t pass on Strength In Numbers, because this might be the best version of The Haunted yet.

Mr. Big – Defying Gravity

Matt Fabi — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 14:14:05 +0000

Mr. Big return with their new album Defying Gravity, the follow up to the very well received 2014 release, …the stories we could tell.

The album was recorded in six days – no, that isn’t a typo. When you think of waiting eight/ten plus years for household name, stadium and major festival headlining bands to get their act together and make something new instead of living on their past, Mr. Big really put things in to perspective with their third high quality offering in the last seven years.

I’m going to start with the ballad of all Mr. Big Ballads. No, not their number one hit ‘To Be With You’, not ‘Just Take My Heart’ or 2010’s ‘All The Way Up’ or any other. In my humble opinion they have surpassed these. I refer to ‘Forever and Back’. A man regretful of past words and actions such as gambling and drinking, now begging for forgiveness having apparently recognized his mistakes. Recently single blokes would be crippled by the intensity of this ballad, which I am not presuming is or isn’t intentional. I don’t care if you’re the Night King from Game Of Thrones, you’ll melt. The backing vocals in the chorus compliment Eric Martins lead vocal performance so well by being so very subtle. A simple, meticulously well-placed “ah-ah-ah” can be magic if used in the right places. Don’t take my word for it, listen to the official audio channel here instead.

‘1992’ is something of an enigma to me. At first it sounds a lot like it could be on a Paul Gilbert solo album. It develops in to something you wouldn’t see coming. The different sections in this song could all be expanded in to different songs in their own right. Such is the diversity. If you heard snippets of each part I’m not sure you’d be able to see how it goes together. It’s really great how it all does. The title is reference to the year they had their biggest hit, and speaks of the events leading up to and following that time.

The title track is fun to listen to, but my suggestion would also be to most definitely watch the accompanying music video as well. I’m not sure if others would agree the song has a ‘flying through space’ feel. Most people who know of Paul Gilbert also know of his space suit, maybe that’s influencing me. The duality of vocals and guitar on the same melody at the end of the verses is beautiful, but so is the swap from lead vocals to lead guitar during the verses.

The opening bluesy ‘Open Your Eyes’ has a nice little homage to their eponymous debut album from 1989 that I won’t spoil. The riff is quite catchy and Paul has one of his well placed but, crucially, never over-used shred master moments.

The last track ‘Be Kind’ is also a blues ballad with some nice that has in my opinion the best backing vocals. Personally it is a favorite, and it’s nice to have that message of respect in a classic soft rock blues style. A nice surprise at the end too but I don’t know how to describe it so I wont try.

Overall Defying Gravity is much more bluesy than it’s more hard-rock predecessor but that’s no criticism. It’s enjoyable and definitely worth having. Don’t take the brief insight from one guys review though. Have a listen, have a look, hopefully pick up a copy.

Mr. Big finished a North America tour before the release of this album and are now on tour in South America, heading to Asia and then on to Europe. You can get details on their official website which also includes VIP packages. I have mine for their London show which I look forward to with great anticipation.

Thy Art Is Murder – Dear Desolation

Wade Reitz — Fri, 18 Aug 2017 11:52:07 +0000

Sometimes, taking a break from something can be helpful. A work issue, home project, or homework can all look different after walking away and coming back later. I’ve heard this can also be beneficial in relationships, though I can’t see how, especially in any I have had. In most cases, just walking away is the best thing. This is what CJ McMahon was thinking when he left Thy Art Is Murder in December of 2015. Luckily, his departure was not permanent, as he rejoined the band a year later. They have now released a new album, Dear Desolation, on August 18, 2017 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

Anyone who is aware of Thy Art Is Murder knows they have long been one of the premier deathcore bands on the scene. This is especially significant considering just the number of quality deathcore bands coming out of their native Australia. Therefore, the level of anticipation for a new album from these guys is pretty high. This, combined with CJ’s return, make it even higher. This is where the preamble about taking a break comes into play. During the writing process for Dear Desolation, the other band members had already completed a tour without CJ, so they assumed they were moving forward without him. This uncertainty of TAIM’s future seems to have pushed the music in a new direction.

The ten tracks of Dear Desolation definitely have more death than core in the mix this time around. Whereas previously their songs would typically be focused on the breakdown, this album is more focused on the riff. Opening track/single ‘Slaves Beyond Death’ is a great example. Instead of running the opening riff into a breakdown, the tempo is actually kicked up a notch. Sure, there’s still a breakdown at the bridge, but they don’t dwell on it. Second track/single ‘The Son of Misery’ takes it one step further, elevating the opening riff to a blast beat, and barely breaks from it the entire song. This pattern continues throughout the album, with each track being built more from a riff than a breakdown. Not that guitarist Andy Marsh didn’t write smoking riffs before, but they just seem to be more prominent on Dear Desolation versus the breakdowns. Don’t worry folks, the breakdowns are still there and just as brutal as ever. ‘Death Dealer’ and ‘The Skin of the Serpent’ are proof. There are times where you think TAIM will fall back into their old pattern, like in the opening moments of ‘Man is the Enemy’ or ‘Fire in the Sky’, but then they never fully commit or cut left. This keeps things more interesting and the listener doesn’t get lulled into a breakdown trance.

Thy Art Is Murder has taken a nice step forward with Dear Desolation. By pushing their music in a more deathly direction, the songs have become more focused and sharp as ever. They are more angry than evil, like on the previous album, Holy War. Apparently, sometimes taking a break is a good thing, because that’s exactly what it took for Thy Art Is Murder to create their best album to date.

Thalamus – Hiding From Daylight

Reinier de Vries — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 09:20:56 +0000

I have to be honest; I never listened to a song (as far as I can remember) from the band Thalamus before. Hiding From Daylight is their fourth album and they don’t play a style I would usually listen to. In fact, the music is a mix of several styles. Groovy heavy rock with slower doom parts, influenced by 70’s rock with a progressive touch. Especially the Hammond organ and keyboard parts see to it that there is a big 70’s feeling throughout the album.

Not being a real fan of this style makes it difficult for me to review. Personally I like the song ‘The Painter’ because it has some fast parts and nice Hammond organ and keys. Less interesting, I find ‘Someday’, a slow epic, almost doom track, but I can imagine that this will be others favorite song! The vocals of Kjell Bergendahl are okay, but his singing sometimes sounds a bit whiny, which bothers me a bit.

Nevertheless, Hiding From Daylight that will be liked by a lot, especially when you like 70’s groovy rock with nice Hammond organs. If you are one of them, you can add at least one devil to the rating.

Rancid – Troublemaker

Reinier de Vries — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 11:39:29 +0000

Every now and then, I get out of my comfort zone, to review something other than thrash, power, death, or progressive metal. I have a soft spot for Rancid, their punk based music is something I like very much, especially when it is almost holiday, and the weather is nice. The combination of the music, the sun, and the idea that there is some free time ahead does make life good. Their music is so addictive and it is impossible not to sing, dance, and shout along.

Troublemaker will sure spin a lot of rounds in my car stereo this holiday. The songs are catchy as hell, and the recognizable lazy singing style of Tim and the gang shouting sounds again very contagious. Fans of … and Out Come the Wolves and Indestructible will hear many tunes that made both those albums great. Like always, the songs are quite simple, and of course, there are some fine ska parts. The strongest songs are in my opinion ‘Ghost of a Change’, the punk rocker ‘An Intimate Close Up Of a Street Punk Trouble Maker’, the ska-pop song ‘Where I’m Going’ and the fast rocker ‘Buddy’. The only thing I have to carp about is that all these songs are on the first part of the record. The songs in the middle are just a little less exciting and less interesting. Fortunately, the last couple are again better, which prevents Troublemaker from fading out like a night candle.

With seventeen short songs on the regular album and two bonus tracks on the digital download, it is over before you know it. That is also the power of Rancid, short songs, easy to follow, and straight to the point!

Origin – Unparalleled Universe

Haydee G. — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 11:43:18 +0000

Origin was incidentally introduced to me just a couple of months ago when one of their songs was put on the speakers. I was immediately struck by it – my mouth and eyes agape with astonishment. When the song ended, I asked a few questions about the band and got some unexpected answers, “Oh, they’ve been around for quite some time.” For someone who dabbles in technical death metal (Spawn of Possession, Cryptopsy, Hour of Penance, Necrophagist, Nile, Psycroptic etc.) I’m surprised at not having crossed them before and it made me wonder why they haven’t made their way into my playlist. I then decided that I would listen to more of their songs in the future, and try to familiarize myself with their music.

June arrives and a fresh list of bands are posted for all of us here at Power Of Metal to see. Lo and behold, Origin is sitting there in a queue, waiting for me to take notice. Its position was close to the bottom of the list that it was very near deletion, never to be listened and reviewed by any us (we receive a lot of albums, you see). Luckily, I had spotted it before it could be permanently discarded from the list. And so my review of Origin‘s “Unparalleled Universe” begins…

I am glad I got the chance to listen to “Unparalleled Universe”. It’s been an interesting way to get to know a little bit of the band. I must say, the album is rather different from the impression I received when I heard the one song, it’s not the sound I was expecting. It is not entirely bad, but I’ve found this album not to be for my liking. I’m now realizing that I must’ve listened to a song different from their current era of sound. I later found that the song was off of their 2008 album, “Antithesis“.

In conclusion, Origin‘s new sound doesn’t really appeal to me. There is no ambivalence in its technicality, for sure, but it is lacking some elements that truly demonstrate its innovation – leaving “Unparalleled Universe” a bit bland with, in my opinion, no memorable experimentation. Typical blast beats galore with sustained aggressiveness and intensity that becomes superfluously ambiguous and arbitrary the longer you listen to them. There is no doubt that others will enjoy “Unparalleled Universe”, but it doesn’t do much for me. It seems I may have better luck finding tunes I could enjoy from Origin’s older releases, or simply from “Antithesis“. That’s something I would be willing to look into.