Conor Fynes 'Penumbra Diffuse' - Canvas Solaris (7/10)

'Penumbra Diffuse' comes hot on the heels of one of my favourite tech metal albums ever; 'Sublimation'. Throughout their career, Canvas Solaris have been incredibly consistent since their debut, each time pursuing a very cerebral brand of instrumental music, complex and rife with atmosphere. When compared to the album that came before it, 'Penumbra Diffuse' is a marked step towards favouring the atmospheric side of their work. Although not quite reaching the mind-boggling intensity of 'Sublimation', the greater variety of styles and dynamic is an effective development.

Having become quite familiar with the Canvas Solaris records 'Cortical Tectonics' and 'Sublimation', the technical prowess of the band is virtually taken for granted this time around. Of course, and as their labelled style might imply, the complexity of the music is its greatest selling point. Not only is the trio of Sapp, Simpkins and Ginn performing at the level of masters, but the compositions themselves enjoy a thick sense of composition and arrangement. Nathan Sapp's multi-disciplinary style of guitarwork is quick to alternate between rhythm and lead playing, and though the music feels chaotic at times, there is never a moment when the band is not performing in a meticulously pre-calculated unison. Although 'Penumbra Diffuse' will still come as a system shock to the uninitiated listener, the complexity itself has been toned down from 'Sublimation'. Instead of the endlessly perplexing mathematical sequences they went through there, Canvas Solaris have taken a more moderated approach with the use of 'atmosphere'. A fairly broad term yes, but one that seeks to encompass most of the fresh things the band are doing here. From acoustic guitar sections to harmonic explorations and keyboard textures, this exchange has brought them a more balanced sound, although I think I prefer the return to madness that the next album 'Cortical Tectonics'' sought to achieve.

It would be unfair to rate anything by Canvas Solaris less than an impressive score. Although the intensity of their compositions may vary slightly depending on the album, there's no denial that each musician is at the top of their class with their respective instruments. The only weakness- if you can call it one- that Canvas Solaris' music suffers from is its pure attention to the complex and mechanical, often coming off as cold on the emotional spectrum. As such, the awe and admiration I have for their music is tempered when part of me feels less than it should. Of course, taking into consideration the 'mission' of the band to create inhumanly complex music, it is clear that Canvas Solaris have chosen to take a path that most musicians would buckle and cower underneath. In the case of 'Penumbra Diffuse', the emphasis on atmosphere may not be quite as effective as the unrelenting metal attack of the album prior, but it does give a greater feeling that may have been missing from the band's earlier work.

Conor Fynes 'Visions Fugitives' - Mekong Delta (9/10)

Prior to the release of 'Visions Fugitives', MEKONG DELTA had been no stranger to classical music. Their style of thrashy progressive metal exuded the influence of many a composer, particularly those with a darker sound to their orchestral observations. When it came to actually performing classical music however, the band up to this point had more or less limited themselves to using neoclassical tricks within their metal context, even doing a cover or two. With that in mind, 'Visions Fugitives' and its centerpiece 'Suite For Group And Orchestra' was quite a long time in the making. Although some may go to criticize the band for never going as far as to use a real-life orchestra in its recording, few albums within the 'thrash metal' umbrella have engaged me so much. Throw in a few pieces of cerebral prog metal to flesh things out, and you have a piece of work that would make the old giants of progressive rock proud.

Although 'Suite For Group And Orchestra' is planted right in the middle of the album, there is still a clear division here between the ornate classical 'epic', and the more traditional songs. Like RUSH's '2112', or FATES WARNING's 'No Exit', MEKONG DELTA follow prog metal canon by giving listeners a clear cut of both gears, although every track on 'Visions Fugitives' falls firmly within progressive metal territory. As they have in the past, MEKONG DELTA shares the neighborhood with VOIVOD and WATCHTOWER, in that their brand of thrash favours the cerebral over the speedy riffage of many of their contemporaries. Besides band founder Ralph Hubert, MEKONG DELTA has been a revolving door of musicians since their inception, and 'Visions Fugitives' is no exception. Mark Kaye brings a guitar performance to the band that fits their mission statement like a glove, fusing technicality with the sort of frantic atmosphere MEKONG DELTA had been capitalizing on with prior records. As far as MEKONG DELTA's metal edge is concerned, Douglas Lee's vocals may be the most controversial aspect of the sound. Although the complex vocalizations at the end of 'Them' declare that he is definitely has the ear for singing, his vocals have a tone to them that would fit much more comfortably in prog rock rather than thrash. Fortunately, MEKONG DELTA's metal side is never far ahead of the 'prog', and his performance here works just as well for the context as Wolfgang Borgmann's did on their debut.

The classical aspect of 'Visions Fugitives' is without a doubt the most important part of the album. Though the four progressive metal songs are too worthy of being deemed masterful in their composition, 'Suite For Group And Orchestra' takes up a damned half of the record, and a listener's appreciation of the record will brink largely on their openness to heavy metal being crossbred with classical music so openly. Although classical music has been going steady with metal since the days of YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and even long before, it rarely gets to the point where the two sounds are mixed to the extent where neither is the dominant force. This is the case with 'Suite For Group And Orchestra', an elaborately composed twenty minute piece worthy of the highest commendation. Here, MEKONG DELTA mimic the atmosphere of Romantic-era classical music rather than the erudite complexity of composers before, the result being a piece with plenty of epic melody and variety, not to mention a fair deal of room for the band to incorporate their rock instruments into the fray. The soothing acoustic 'Introduction' leads into an eerie 'Preludium', complete with low horns and eerie bells to make it sound like something out of the haunted mansion in Super Mario Brothers. 'Dance' and 'Fugue' bring the piece into less frightening and more proggy, technical realms, often letting the band play powerfully without getting in the way of the orchestration. As far as the composition itself goes, it's remarkable to hear how many places both emotionally and sonically MEKONG DELTA can take a listener within a twenty minute period.

In terms of flaws, the use of a computerized, or 'fake' orchestra may not hurt the compositions or music, but there is always the feeling throughout listening to 'Visions Fugitives' that things could be even more impressive, had the band had the resources to make a full orchestral rendition of their music a reality. A less-than-excellent production quality carries over to the prog metal songs as well, with the vocals sounding somewhat muffled and less mixed than they rightfully should have been. None of these studio issues are ever enough to take away from the excellence of the band's 'vision' however; it might even be said that the muffled sound and artificial instruments even add to the atmosphere. MEKONG DELTA have long been one of the most engaging acts to come out of German thrash metal, and 'Visions Fugitives' sees them finally realize their dream of bringing classical music to the thrash realm. Even still, it feels as if this project left open room for improvement, but if MEKONG DELTA never tops the majesty they have created here, I won't be one to complain.

Conor Fynes 'The Jilemnice Occultist' - Master's Hammer (10/10)

The black metal 'golden age' of the early 1990's seems to almost exclusively inspire fans to think of Norway, with particular regards to the whole 'murder, church-burning, suicide' game of musical chairs that made the genre a seasonal favourite for media sensationalists, and a mark of concert for conservative Christian mothers worldwide. Of course, the appeal and mystique of black metal was by no means limited to Northern Europe, and as some might argue, it wasn't even the place where the best music was being made. Cut to what is now known as the Czech Republic; a band called MASTER'S HAMMER recorded their debut 'Ritual' in 1991, creating some well-deserved praise for a band that was doing some fairly sophisticated things with the then-youthful genre. By the next year however, much attention in black metal had scopes on Norway. Although 'The Jilemnice Occultist' (or 'Jilemnicky Okultista' in the original Czech) did not receive the degree of recognition and awe that it deserved, MASTER'S HAMMER took the style of black metal into progressive depths then yet unexplored by any others. 'The Jilemnice Occultist' is arguably the most accomplished black metal of its period, and even today holds the title for one of the most effective uses of keyboards in the style.

The band find their sound rooted in a meeting between thick VENOM sounding riffs, theatrical vocal work, and symphonic flourishes that many have tried to emulate, but none have managed to execute as well. The edge of the keyboards never attempts to mimic a full orchestra- something often doomed to fail within the context of a limited budget- instead, the keyboards are either used to provide spooky piano rolls over the guitars, or back up the guitars themselves to flesh out the rhythm. In taking their moderated approach with the keyboards, MASTER'S HAMMER evade the greatest fault I find with much symphonic metal, in that the keyboards will too often weaken the intensity of the guitar. Vlasta Voral's keyboard work is among the most distinctive aspects of the album however, and while it is primarily aimed to support the guitars, it adds a wholly new melodic dimension to the music that actually compliments the spooky occult atmosphere of the album. MASTER'S HAMMER's sound is incredibly vast for a black metal album released in this era, with the recording's only blight being the fairly weak sound of Mirek Valenta's drum kit. The musicianship itself is without weakness across the board, and though the songs themselves may not be as distinguishable as they are on MAYHEM's 'De Mysteriis,,,' record (this period's go-to black metal masterpiece) the songwriting on 'The Jilemnice Occultist' is remarkably consistent, although the second track 'Among The Hills, A Winding Way' may be my favourite cut off the record.

MASTER'S HAMMER hold alot of 'firsts' in black metal with 'The Jilemnice Occultist'. Most notably, this is the first time a black metal record was ever tied together with a storyline. Similar to KING DIAMOND's penchant for horror storytelling, the album has a plot where dark magic takes the centerstage, creating a complex tale that would not look out of place in Gothic horror canon. For better and worse, the lyrics are all rasped in the native Czech tongue, meaning that many English-inclined won't get to experience the storyline firsthand. Although this leaves many listeners to explore the storyline through online summaries and booklets, the phonetics of the Czech language sound absolutely diabolical when sung by Franta Storm. Although he already took his place as one of my favourite and most distinctive black metal vocalists with his powerful rasp on 'Ritual', 'The Jilemnice Occultist' has his vocals go wild, running from his traditionally dramatic and high-energy performance to griefridden sprechsegang that sometimes sounds like it could be Gollum shrieking. His very distinctive style may have some questioning whether they love it or hate it, but I can mention few black metal frontmen with such an eerie sound to their vocals.

The fuzzy classic metal riffs, ingenious symphonic touch and undeniable vocal brilliance of the band's frontman make 'The Jilemnice Occultist' still one of the greatest black metal albums even today. The band's debut had much of this same charm and occult atmosphere to it, but MASTER'S HAMMER's experimental risk here pays off in full. While the folks in Norway may have outshadowed the rest of the world with their antics, MASTER'S HAMMER matured the sound of black metal here to such an extent, that it would take other bands nary half a decade to catch up to them. A virtually flawless record.

Conor Fynes 'Youniverse' - Dynahead (6/10)

Along with their fellow countrymen in MINDFLOW, DYNAHEAD give me the impression that Brazil's progressive metal scene is one marked by the eclectic approach of its bands. This is not to say that this group contrasts polka-funk-ambient with metal and traditional gamelan instrumentation, but rather that they find influence from a number of different sounds within the progressive metal genre itself. Although one might like to think of 'prog' as something inherently forward-thinking, metal is one place where the sound is really showing its age, and it's almost canon nowadays for a new band to sound either like Dream Theater, Opeth, or- to a lesser frequency- Pain of Salvation. If it's any slight innovation, DYNAHEAD incorporate all three of those bands into their blend, and while this does make for a more interesting listen than another Dream Theater clone, nothing about DYNAHEAD's second album particularly excels.

Technically proficient musicianship is virtually a pre-requisite to be labelled a 'prog metal' band at this point, and that is something that DYNAHEAD do not fail to deliver. Thankfully, their music never devolves into an indulgent exploration of scales as at least one of their influences are infamous for, but DYNAHEAD demonstrate their talent within the confines of fairly concise songwriting. Although the band touches upon virtually every popular style of progressive metal, their compositions are built around a thick rhythm guitar. Reviews I have read of 'Youniverse' describe it as a thrashy guitar sound, but it's given a fair bit more restraint than that genre-tag might imply. Keeping in line with the band's metal sub-genre surfing, Caio Duarte's vocals tread the border as well, simultaneously melodic and gruff. During the closer 'Onset'- DYNAHEAD's grab at Opethian death metal- he even growls, and it actually tends to fit the band's dark style more than his conventional heavy metal vocals do.

Although DYNAHEAD emulate the OPETH sound best of all, that approach is fairly fleeting on 'Youniverse'. Djent, or 'the MESHUGGAH sound' is also dabbled with on songs like the particularly heavy 'My Replicator', and demonstrates a real promise for DYNAHEAD. However, in constantly comparing this band to others, it may also be implied that they are lacking an identity of their own, and this is where 'Youniverse' is truly held back. Although the band is graced with a tight performance and fair production standards, it's difficult to get an impression on what this band is about, even after several listens. The ground is fertile for something cool, but unless DYNAHEAD plants something firm, their potential will remain untapped.

Conor Fynes 'Where Distant Spirits Remain' - Falloch (7/10)

Much like Alcest, the pair of Scotsmen in Falloch are making a gateway to black metal. Much like marijuana and energy drinks can open up youngsters to drug addiction, and holding hands can lead to sex, the music that Falloch makes could very well lead some to the dark side. Although there are the blastbeats and tremolo picking that fans of the black metal genre might instantly cite as being indicative of their chosen genre, Falloch bring a much easier sound to bear. Although 'Where Distant Spirits Remain' might lack the pleasant challenge that much post-black metal aims to offer, Falloch have crafted a tasteful journey that provides a perfect opportunity for people who don't like the 'growls' in extreme metal to enjoy some of its beauty.

Back to the concept of being a 'gateway band', I remember a few years ago hearing an album called 'Blackwater Park' from a pack of obscure Swedes, and it changed my life. Before then, I had not been able to appreciate growls or 'screaming' as an enjoyable source of expression. However, it only took one experience and hearing the growls mixed with such coherent beauty to change my mind. I feel that this is much the same opportunity that Falloch offers on 'Where Distant Spirits Remain', although they are seeking to give people a step inside the world of black metal. Andy Marshall's vocals are almost entirely clean, with a real focus on melody that one rarely sees in this style. Besides that, Falloch falls firmly within the sort of post-black metal we have been seeing lots of in recent years. Alcest, Agalloch, or Primordial would all make for decent comparisons; although the clean vocals do earn them a small step apart from most black metal, the work as a whole does not feel all that different from what's been done before.

When I first heard 'Where Distant Spirits Remain' last year upon its release, I remember raising an eyebrow at the name and general aesthetic of the band, thinking them a shameless bandwaggoner on the success that Agalloch has recently achieved. On top of that, Marshall's vocals felt brittle and lacked the sort of power that would have sold me on the cleans- an issue I still have with the album. Although it may have taken me a year to get off the high horse and revisit it favourably, many of my gripes still exist to some extent. The music is a crisp take on atmospheric post-black metal, with the occasional Celtic instrument thrown in there to mixed results. Falloch's instrumentation treads the worn path, but the quality of the performance, and- above all- the melodies brings it to life. The epic climax to 'Where We Believe' captivates me each time with its cinematic flow and grandeur. The closer 'Solace' feels like a bit of an afterthought, but it makes for a beautiful piano piece, set to some fitting rain samples.

Although this last criticism is coming from a fairly seasoned black metal listener, Falloch's music is perhaps less interesting than it should be, if only because it implores nothing of the listener. There is no challenge in this string of pleasant-sounding ideas. From start to finish, Falloch create a convincing mesh of post rock and melodic black metal that's downright beautiful when the mood is right. It's not among the top tier of recent black metal output, but for someone who has always wanted to experience the vast atmosphere and emotional power of black metal without caring too much for the vocals, this album is a dream come true.

Conor Fynes 'Fire Make Thunder' - OSI (8/10)

Although OSI began as a supergroup pairing between Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos and former Dream Theater keyboardist Kevin Moore, a string of critically successful records has gone to establish the band with a sound that is all its own. Although it's undeniable that a great deal of OSI's initial recognition and exposure was due to Matheos and Moore's history with two of prog metal's titans, they have since developed a fairly signature sound for this project. 'Fire Make Thunder' is the fourth journey from this collaboration, and while a similar sound to those of past OSI material is still strongly evident here, the album feels no less relevant to progressive rock in 2012. Even for listeners who are not already a fan of either musician, 'Fire Make Thunder' should make for an impressive listen.

Although OSI is typically labelled as 'progressive metal', the sound is far-flung from Fates Warning's calculating fury, or the early Dream Theater's technical showmanship. The music on 'Fire Make Thunder' has some of the qualities of metal, but there is a decidedly ambient approach to the way these songs are produced and arranged. As has been the case for OSI since their debut however, the most distinctive aspect of what the band does is the unique combination of Matheos' proggy songwriting, and Moore's more laid-back sensibility. Musically, OSI here feels like a continuation of what Moore once did with his solo project Chroma Key. The sound is warm and vibrant, but the mood, more often than not, is one of melancholy and reflection. Matheos' dark instrumental ideas compliment Moore's dynamic very nicely. To top things off, virtuoso drummer Gavin Harrison (of Porcupine Tree) offers his talents as well, making for the best drumwork yet heard in an OSI record.

'Fire Make Thunder' is not much different stylistically from the ambient metal direction of what has come before for OSI, but there is a greater emphasis on the guitars than before, solving an issue I had when first listening to the band (with the album 'Free') where it felt like Matheos was not being represented as much as he should be. That being said, Kevin Moore's contributions still feel the most distinctive and indicative of OSI's overall style. Although Matheos does the songwriting, Moore's melancholic quirk weaves its way through everything he does, particularly the lyrics. Poetic and mysterious are two terms that might best describe the lyrical impact on 'Fire Make Thunder'. Kevin Moore's voice is a love-it-or-hate-it thing for metalheads, and while his delivery sometimes feels the constraints of his limited range, the warmth of his voice compliments his style very well.

OSI certainly isn't a typical progressive metal band, but fans of Fates Warning and Dream Theater likely won't be disappointed when they hear this. Even outside of that fanbase, OSI has created something that feels fresh, modern and relevant. Although the sound runs the risk of sounding a little too similar to what the band has done in the past, 'Fire Make Thunder' is an impressive, lasting, and deceptively laid-back record that should make some waves in the prog community.

Conor Fynes 'As The World Bleeds' - Theocracy (8/10)

As a genre that is quite well-known for its vehemently anti-christian stance, it takes some balls to boldly stride into metal and preach the word of God. Matt Smith and his aptly titled Theocracy project seek to bring Christianity to the power metal masses, and I will open up my review by stating that this is a double-edged sword. While Smith's conviction to this belief system has resulted in a passionate performance and musically excellent album, there will be a great many metalheads who will turn up their noses upon learning that this band is rooting for the other team. That is really a shame, because Theocracy's 'As The World Bleeds' may very well be the best power metal album of the year.

This American power metal act's sound finds a tight resemblance to Edguy, and the sort of upbeat, technically virtuosic, neoclassical melodic speed metal that is so popular in Europe. Theocracy's debut featured only Matt Smith as the musician for every aspect of the band's sound, and 'As The World Bleeds' shows the project being upgraded into a full- blown band. This has certainly upped the quality of the musicianship. Theocracy delivers a killer performance, as intense as it is catchy and melodic. Smith's vocals in particular are spectacular, pulling off both operatic falsettos and intelligent harmonies. The songwriting is a step above much of the gimmicky power metal I have heard this year, as well. 'I Am' is an eleven minute epic of a song that builds up wonderfully, filled with memorable melodies and epic pay-offs.

The production polishes the work beautifully, and it is clear that 'As The World Bleeds' has been a work of labour. As power metal goes, it does not go quite as far as to reinvent the genre, but it packs quite a punch within the confines of the style. As great as Theocracy's work here is, there are a few issues. First and foremost- as many would have predicted- the lyrics will stand in the way of many listeners' full appreciation of what Theocracy are doing, including my own. While it may seem hypocritical to have no problem with themes of Satanism in metal and proceed to lambast Christian themes; it's largely the way the themes are dealt with that irks me. The contrast between the tender themes of Jesus' love and redemption that Smith sings about, and the dark sound of the guitars and 'badass' inflections he sometimes works into his vocal delivery won't do much but feed the detractors. Christian listeners of Theocracy's work will not have the same issue with this, I would imagine.

Another, smaller issue is the matter of flow and length. While the quality of musicianship and composition is top notch for power metal, there is a lack in variety that makes the hour length of 'As The World Bleeds' seem about ten minutes too long. The album's highlight is offered first, and from then on, it's more a case of following formula, as opposed to surprising the listener. Of course, power metal is not the hub of diversity in the metal world, but hearing a quirk here and there would have kept me as much on my feet as I was when the first intense moments of 'I Am' came flooding in. It will undoubtedly cause controversy among metal fans, but Theocracy is undeniably good at what they do; excellent, even. 'As The World Bleeds' has its weaknesses which keep it from being stellar, but it stands as being the most impressive thing I have heard from power metal this year.

Conor Fynes 'Supervillain Outcast' - Dodheimsgard (9/10)

On Dodheimsgard's third record '666 International', this once-orthodox Norwegian black metal band revolutionized their sound by adding a challenging layer of experimental electronics and industrial influence. As rocky a listen as it was, the inventiveness of that record is as alive today as it was when it first came out. Naturally, now that Dodheimsgard had turned black metal on its side, they would be expected to explore this new idea further, and that's exactly what happens with 'Supervillain Outcast'. In effect, Dodheimsgard refines their style into something that feels much more realized and intense than they sounded earlier before. The industrial element of their sound has been extended far beyond a gimmick, now only serves to add to the bleak atmosphere that the music creates. It still has its roots in the straightforwad black metal that Dodheimsgard once played, but 'Supervillain Outcast' stands as being one of the most challenging metal albums I have ever listened to.

It is not often to hear Darkthrone-esque black metal propped up against avant-electronica and something I might only be inclined to call Satanic dance pop. Just as '666 International' was, 'Supervillain Outcast' is a diverse, multi-faceted work, and for any who have heard '666 International' before and could not find anything to love, this one may not be any better. That being said, there have been some stark improvements in the way Dodheimsgard executes their sound. The production is given a much livelier tone, and while variety is ey to what the band does here, the music flows comfortably from one avant-garde nightmare to the next. Kvohst takes his place as the new vocalist for the band, and his performance really adds to the feel of the music, both in regards to his growls, and a clean, eerie croon, not too unlike Vicotnik's performance with Ved Buens Ende. The lyrics here are vividly powerful, often using sick, often disturbing metaphors to convey the imagery. Suffice to say, it very much reflects the distorted, deranged sound of the music.

Musically, Dodheimsgard's sound is incredibly chaotic, and certainly jarring to hear upon the first listen. Although there are some more traditional vocal melodies and harmonies to help balance out the more aggressive aspects of 'Supervillain Outcast', listeners can expect to hear a flurry of all things strange, eerie and wonderful, with sounds being drawn from circus music, dark ambient, and even porn samples, to name a few. On that note, the strength of this album lies greatly in the experimental nature and avant-garde approach that the band takes, and as a result, the more traditional black metal elements of the band often don't feel quite as powerful on their own as they would have outside of this context. 'Supervillain Outcast' may grind against a listener's taste at first, but there is a vulgar genius at work that surprises and bewilders me. '666 International' showed the vast potential of this band, but they take the sound and make it real with 'Supervillain Outcast'.

Conor Fynes 'Nothing (Re-Recording)' - Meshuggah (5/10)

Meshuggah are one of the most influential metal bands to ever exist. The mere guitar tone o Fredrik Thordendal has inspired an entire 'djent' scene in modern metal, after all. They are a band whose detractors even acknowledge their sheer talent and accomplishment as musicians. Sadly, I would have to include myself as one of those detractors. While their (at the moment) latest album 'ObZen' wowed me, most of their discography passes me as being painfully monotonous, without much in the way of surprises or emotion. Despite a fancy re-cording, Meshuggah's re-recording of their album 'Nothing' still does little for me. Their music is technically impressive and they do brilliant things with the one apparenty musical idea they work with, but as a whole, there is something about 'Nothing' that is sorely missing.

Anyone who has heard Meshuggah will know that the band has a very clear sense of style, and they are rarely keen on deviating from their chosen course. In Meshuggah's case, their music revolves around chugging guitars, heavy drums, and the robotic, aggressive vocals of Jens Kidman. Occasionally, Thordendal will throw in a brilliant jazz solo, but this concept of having the entire band function as a rhythm section is what drives Meshuggah forth. In the case of this re-recording, Mesuggah sought to redo 'Nothing' due to poor circumstances revolving around the recording of the original. At the time of the original 'Nothing' recording, Meshggah did not have the 8-string guitars they wanted for the job, so they had to settle with something less bass-heavy. The result was a less meaty sound, and while other measures have been taken to polish up the sound of the album- including a redone drum production- 'Nothing' remains very much the same album that listeners will have possibly heard before.

Performance-wise, Meshuggah are a group of musicians who know what they want, and pull it off with flying colours. Despite the legions of soundalikes, there is not a band out there that really sounds like Meshuggah. On the other hand, Meshuggah's sound here is quite narrow, almost never straying from the prescribed chg-chug rhythms. The band's music has inspired a joke that they have only ever used one note in their entire career, and while that's obviously an exaggeration, it makes a bold point. The rhythms of Meshuggah are powerful, but it comes at a total loss of melody and emotion. Jens Kidman's soulless bark does not help things any; despite philosophically sound lyrics, the shock value of his aggressive vocals wears off within minutes. 'Nothing' is a technically impressive album, both in regards to the old and new version, but much of what I enjoy most about music seems to have been overlooked by Meshuggah.

Conor Fynes 'VI: Klagopsalmer' - Shining (9/10)

2007's 'V: Halmstad' was a landmark album for the Swedish 'suicidal black metal' act Shining. To date, it was their boldest departure from the raw black metal sound the band first played. As many bands do when following up a defining record, Shining builds upon the ideas and sound of 'Halmstad' with their sixth album, 'VI: Klagopsalmer'. Although not quite as warmly received as the modern classic 'Halmstad' by many, 'Klagopsalmer' further refines the sound of Shining, tuning out some of the excesses that their fifth album was rife with. 'Klagopsalmer' is not as much of a jump for Shining, but musically speaking, it may be their most underrated and tasteful record to date.

Without a doubt, 'Klagopsomer' seems to suffer from the younger child syndrome. In retrospect, it is seen as something of an extension of what Shining struck home with on 'Halmstad'. To a degree, this is true, but 'Klagopsalmer' takes the Opethian light/heavy dynamic they were working with and makes it more melodic, and more subdued, rather than the progressive onslaught that largely defined its predecessor. Several listens into 'VI', I was surprised that I was actually enjoying it more than 'V', seeing as Shining's classic had long been one of my favourite black metal records. On its own, 'VI: Klagopsalmer' is a beautiful work that sparks comparisons of some of my other favourite metal artists, including Opeth, Katatonia, and Blut Aus Nord.

For those who have not heard the band before, Shining has a unique sound of their own; one that is rooted in black metal, but strikes with a beefier guitar tone and vocal delivery. At this point in Shining's musical development, they have become very good at incorporating beautiful melodies into the guitars. Shining is also distinct for their use of some incredibly soft and tender passages. Contrary to the acoustic worship that Opeth employs, Shining will more often take to the piano and cello, as is best demonstrated on the album's epic final track, 'Total Utfrysning'. Anyone who can read Swedish will know by this point that while Shining's music can be sweet and soft at times, their lyrical themes rarely stray out of the darkness. In short, Shining are not called a suicidal black metal band for nothing, and even sparing the band's twisted and controversial history, the music here can feel incredibly dark.

Shining's grasp of atmosphere on 'VI: Klagopsalmer' is impeccable. They are able to pull off soft and heavy sections incredibly here, while on 'Halmstad,' I felt that their strength lay largely in the lighter passages. One of the most noticeable improvements here is the vocal performance of Niklas 'Kvarforth' Olsson. On the previous album, it was clear that he had a hell of a voice when it came to screams, but his distinctive delivery was often taken far overboard, often to the point where I would show friends the band, and they would smirk whenever it came time for Kvarforth to belt out. Kvarforth has a slightly more black metal approach to his vocals here, while maintaining his unique vocal style. The compromise has led to a more listenable performance.

'VI: Klagopsalmer' may be doomed to slumber underneath the shadow of 'V: Halmstad', but for me, this may be the best thing to ever come out of Kvarforth's head. The music is intense, but not so much that it becomes a mockery of itself. The overwhelming negativity of past releases gives way- albeit only slightly- to more conventionally melancholic sounds. Make no mistake though, this is still a very dark, disturbing brand of metal that should only be experienced and appreciated by those mature enough to handle the emotions, and don't be surprised if the sky outside looks a little grayer than usual.

Conor Fynes 'IV: The Eerie Cold' - Shining (9/10)

Shining are a band that are consistent, if anything. Although I was not too keen on their debut, this band has gone on to release some of the most powerful and unique black metal out there. Often labelled as a 'suicidal black metal' band, Shining are a far cry from anything warm or cheerful, and while their music's tone is almost unrelentingly bleak and negative, they have managed to stir some profound emotions in me. 'IV: The Eerie Cold' is arguably the album where the band starts taking hold of their more progressive tendencies, a move that would thrust them into the highest echelon of modern Scandinavian black metal.

Much of the knowledge of this band surrounds the unending black metal shenadigans of frontman Niklas 'Kvarforth' Olsson, a man who I would have dismissed as a petty attention whore, were it not for the brilliance of his music. From self-inflicting harm, to advocating suicide to faking his own death, don't let Kvarforth's behavior trick you into thinking that Shining is merely a gimmick band attempting to cash in on the notoriety of black metal. The idiosyncratic behavior has undoubtedly introduced some to the band's music, but Shining's work stands above the context. 'IV: The Eerie Cold' is a less refined work than what they would later do with the excellent albums 'V: Halmstad' and 'VI: Klagopsalmer', but it is equally as powerful and emotionally stirring. The music is rooted in an emotionally volatile breed of black metal labeled as 'depressive black metal', gearing the atmosphere of the music to reproduce feelings of total desolation and despair. Atmosphere is Kvarforth's main aim here, but there are some guitar riffs that pack alot of punch. Kvarforth's vocals have not yet achieved the distinct sound they would have on 'Halmstad' and beyond, but they are grim and diverse, ranging from a soft whisper to a maniacal howl.

As would be the case with 'V: Halmstad', the aspect of the songwriting that really stands out as being incredible are the band's more laid back sections. 'The Eerie Cold' is rife with spoken word samples, one monologue most notably taken from the film American Psycho. Incidentally, Christian Bale can now proudly declare he has offered guest vocals on a black metal album. In seriousness, these spoken word pieces could have been handled horribly, but the music never feels cheesy, and Kvarforth is clever enough to pick source dialogue that was powerful to begin with. When a woman heard towards the end of 'Nagonting Ar Javligt Fel' says she's going to slit her throat, there are no smirks or ironic laughter, and especially within the first listen, these sections come across as profoundly disturbing.

Even for black metal fans, Shining's music is not recommended to all. They will not be fast enough for some people, and on the other hand, they may be too heavy for the atmospheric crowd. Shining have become one of my favourite black metal bands for the fact that unlike so many black metal acts out there, they have managed to find a unique sound. 'IV: The Eerie Cold' is a perfect introduction for a listener looking to find out what this band is about; a powerful combination of their progressive latter era material and more straightforward early work.

Conor Fynes 'III: Angst, Självdestruktivitetens Emissarie' - Shining (5/10)

Before Shining went on to release some of the most devastating depressive black metal albums of all time in the form of 'IV: The Eerie Cold', 'V: Halmstad' and 'VI: Klagopsalmer', this suicidal band played a less refined, more straightforward brand of black metal. 'III: Angst, Självdestruktivitetens Emissarie' shows Shining at the end of their early stretch of albums, and the potential that would later go to be realized a couple of years later is here. All the same, while this music was evidently inspired by the same dark feelings that would fuel the masterpieces of this band, Shining's third album does not yet demonstrate Shining's now- trademark emotional intensity, although it is a certain step up from their origins.

More or less, Shining's 'Angst, Självdestruktivitetens Emissarie' is a depressive black metal album on the more aggressive side of the spectrum. Much like Burzum, Shining at this point delivers repetitive, somewhat hypnotic songwriting through atmospheric riffs, subtle melodies, and blastbeats aplenty. Of special note to any black metal enthusiast; the legendary drummer Hellhammer delivers a percussion performance here, and his skill with the double kick brings a power that I was sorely missing on the band's debut. In comparison to the more modern Shining that more people are evidently familiar with, the songwriting here lacks the same heavy-to-soft dynamic that draws so many comparisons to Opeth, although a few passages see the black metal riffage take a step back in favor for some cleaner tones, at times. The production is a small step up from your run-of-the-mill black metal.

'III: Angst, Självdestruktivitetens Emissarie' has some very good ideas in regards to some guitar melodies and keen drumwork at the hands of Hellhammer. The songwriting on this album is still somewhat immature, and like the earlier two albums, a generic production holds the band back from excelling in their field. It is too repetitive and monotonous for my tastes, but there are enough intriguing ideas planted throughout each of the songs to merit a listen.

Conor Fynes 'II: Livets Ändhållplats' - Shining (5/10)

I have previously expressed that while I deem Shining to be a highly consistent band, I did not care much for their debut, 'Within Deep Dark Chambers'. While it would take until their fourth album for Shining to hit their stride, 'II: Livets Ändhållplats' shows Shining already moving in an interesting direction with their music. That being said, the band is not yet out of a Burzum worship phase with this record, and and like the first and third album from this band, does not tend to stir me in the same profound way that the best material from this band does.

Although the highly negative lyrical content is still here as it always would be for Shining, the band's way of expressing their hatred of life and others is channeled through a more straightforward black metal sound. Shining's 'III' would see the identity and individual style begin to peer through, but at the stage of 'Livets Ändhållplats', do not expect Shining to go beyond the call of duty. Shining plays a brand of depressive black metal that isn't unlike Silencer, complete with drawn out compositions, washed out guitar tones, and Niklas Kvarforth's near-inhuman wailing. In terms of atmosphere, 'Livets Ändhållplats' does not grab me like the titans of the depressive black metal style, but it draws me in. Burzum is another act that Shining could be compared towards at this point. Along with Burzum's firm grasp of atmosphere, a problem I had with much of Burzum's music has also transferred via the influence, that being the highly repetitive songwriting structures. The sensation of hearing these drawn out chord progressions play in a loop has the effect of mildly hypnotizing a listener, but they don't overcome their influences on this one.

The music is not challenging perse, but it is difficult for me to get into. I am not opposed to a lo- fi rendition of depressive black metal, but the conflict between the need to concentrate in search of subtle melodies, and the inclination to simply 'let the music wash over me' makes 'Livets Ändhållplats' an album that leaves me a little underwhelmed, despite demonstrating the band's great potential. I feel that if the compositions had used their ideas better, I would have found myself loving what Shining offers on the second album. Alas, I will have to look to their fourth album and onwards for a fulfilling experience.

Conor Fynes 'Submit To Self-Destruction' - Shining (5/10)

Recorded and released while Niklas Kvarforth was still making his way through the angsty teenage years, 'Submit To Self-Destruction' opens the journey of Shining on an exceptionally lo-fi note. As a self-produced, adolescent demo, this is a far cry from the professional, progressive act that the band would evolve into less than a decade later. As a thirteen minute sample of Shining's music, there is not much to write about here. 'Endless Solitude' takes a more emotional approach when compared to the more riff-oriented title track. The musicianship is fairly amateurish, but not sloppy. The production of 'Submit To Self- Destruction' is incredibly muffled as one would expect from a black metal band at this stage, and in order to listen to it properly, I found it necessary to turn the volume knob far past what I'm used to. It is a quiet, unclear wave of sound, but the songwriting on Shining's demo makes this a small slice of the band's work that deserves to be checked out by the band's fans. Kvarforth's vocal delivery is tortured and impressive, especially considering he was in his teens when this was released. It won't inspire a great deal of admiration outside of Shining's fanbase, but as early demos go, I've been pleasantly surprised by Shining.

Conor Fynes 'Through Years Of Oppression' - Shining (6/10)

Although I was expecting some sort of ultra kvlt 'greatest hits' collection, Shining offers a compilation that has some good merit to it on its own. In essence, 'Through Years Of Oppression' collects some of the band's apocryphal recordings, including unreleased tracks, alternate takes, and the highly rare 'Submit To Selfdestruction' demo. Normally, this would be the sort of thing that I could only recommend to hardcore fans of the band, but it benefits from being released in a very interesting stage of the band's development. Released right before their big transition album 'The Eerie Cold', 'Through Years Of Oppression' is an intriguing crossroads of the band's past, present, and future.

The first two tracks of this compilation is a reprise of 'Submit To Selfdestruction', a 1998 demo that the band did when they were teenagers. While recorded primitively, Shining give a powerful, albeit generic display of depressive black metal. Things get a little more interesting with the ambient track 'Manipulation Session', a none-so-cheery ode to suicide where Kvarforth openly asks his fans to do him a favour and kill themselves. Perhaps this was too 'extreme' a message for a full-length album, or maybe its mellow focus on atmosphere didn't fit the flow, but it was left off of the band's second album. 'Black Industrial Misery' is an alternative take from the band's third album, an instrumental version that gets a good grasp of the misanthropic sound despite the absence of Kvarforth's vocals.

While the first four tracks of the compilation show Shining developing from an adolescent depressive black metal act into a more serious project, the final two tracks would show Shining as they were at the time of the compilation's release, and even a sneak peek at the new album. As most fans of Shining would hopefully agree, 'IV: The Eerie Cold' was the album in which Shining finally matured as an act, incorporating healthy doses of progressive rock into their sound. 'The Claws Of Perdition' ends the compilation with a look into the future. Although this is a more primitive recording than the near-perfect version that would end up on the full-length album, one can definitely get the sense that Shining had done alot of thinking in between the third and fourth records. 'Through Years Of Oppression' may be something of a fans-only item, but as a fan item goes, it is very insightful into the development of this band. It's a good thing that these tracks were released.

Conor Fynes 'Split' - Shining / Den Saakaldte (3/10)

Sometimes coming across a release, I try to understand that it probably isn't as good as it was outside of its context. This is a split live recording from two nights at Inferno Festival 2008. Swedish 'suicidal black metal' band Shining and Norwegian Den Saakaldte (a band named after a song by the great Ved Buens Ende) each throw in a recording of a song they played at the concert. This release was then sold in highly limited supplies, with an exclusive t-shirt to boot. What I'm thinking is that this was meant both as a souvenir and collectible for the hardcore fanbase of either band. It's nice to hear a rare live recording of Shining, and the music of Den Saakaldte has been pleasant to encounter, but there is one huge weakness with this split that leads me to believe that there wasn't much effort involved in putting it out.

In short, the sound quality for this live recording is, shall I put it, lacking. To elaborate, the performances of both- which sound well played in any case- are muffled, fuzzy, and barely audible over the cheers and conversations of the crowd. In other words, there is nothing done to hide the bootleg quality of this album. To its benefit, it does a much better job of giving a 'real' concert experience, and that's something I usually don't find with polished live albums. Even so, the performance here is difficult to enjoy when I'm hearing a recording of concertgoers talking overtop as well.

In terms of the actual music, Shining plays one of the songs off of their then-new record 'Halmstad', an album that is considered a modern classic of black metal by some. Den Saakaldte is the band here that I'm less familiar with, but they fare a little better on the split, thanks largely due to their inclusion of a horn section. Both bands evidently play well, but I get the impression I have missed out on alot of the details in each band's performance. For those that attended Inferno Fest in 2008, this would make for an amazing souvenir. For everyone else, this is an underwhelming and amateurish live recording.

Conor Fynes 'Split' - Dolorian / Shining (7/10)

As a band that exercises a philosophy of hatred towards every living thing, you wouldn't think they have many friends. That hasn't stopped them from making a split EP however, here with the Finnish doom act Dolorian. Although many of Shining's earlier releases have passed me as being somewhat bland when compared to the hordes of other bands within depressive black metal, this split sees them stepping up to the plate. Each of the two bands delivers one song,and as short as this split is, each track is strong enough to warrant a solid recommendation for lovers of ambient black and doom metal.

First is Dolorian's offering, a plodding doom mini-epic called 'Ekstasis'. It begins with a flood of clean guitars and a slow, intentioned pace. Eventually, Dolorian burst into a crushing display of ambient funeral doom, with vocals and instruments nearly garbled by the effects and atmosphere. To be honest, I had never heard of Dolorian's work before hearing this split, but I know I will have to listen to them in the future. Their music here is profound and full of rich, sad atmosphere. While not as impressive, Shining's 'Through Corridors Of Oppression' is a beautiful track that sounds a little more pleasant on the ears than what Shining typically produce. Like Dolorian, it has a doomy feel to it, but follows a more conventional structure. Kvarforth's vocals here are clear-sounding, filled with grief but never going over the top like he usually does.

Dolorian's half is arguably better than Shining's track, although both are strong and memorable. I do not usually expect much from these one-off releases that bands churn out, but the Dolorian/Shining split proves to be one of the better ones I've come across.

Conor Fynes 'The Sinister Alliance' - Shining (5/10)

Unlike other splits that Shining has done, 'The Sinister Alliance' is actually a split with another one of Shining frontman Kvarforth's bands. Funeral Dirge is a two man partnership between him and the musician Missfall. For some added bonus, the Polish dark ambient artist Mrok adds a handful of atmospheric interludes to give 'The Sinister Alliance' the semblance of an actual full-length. While it goes past the call of duty in many respects as far as splits are concerned, 'The Sinister Alliance's musical selection rarely proves to be more than mediocre. Kvarforth has done much better than this.

The Shining side of the album is simply a reprise of their 1998 demo 'Submit To Selfdestruction', a fairly good two song release that the band did when they were in their teens. Funeral Dirge's two track offering on the other hand comes from their EP 'The Silence Ebony'. On Shining's side, the music is fairly straightforward depressive black metal. Kvarforth's screams are tortured, and the performance is muffled through a lo-fi black metal production that gives it a slightly surreal, albeit generic atmosphere. Funeral Dirge's music is not quite as good, a less atmospheric brand of black metal fueled by more clearly defined riffs and distorted vocals. The two bands have a similar vibe to them, but there are enough differences to set them clearly apart.

Although both Shining and Funeral Dirge bring enjoyable music to the table, there is nothing they offer that is exclusive to 'The Sinister Alliance'. Ironically, the best music on the album is from the dark ambient Mrok, scoring a trio of interludes that bookend the album and separate the two bands. These pieces are dreary and vast, and might be described as an arboreal symphony. Seeing as the Shining and Funeral Dirge tracks were recorded in 1998 and 2001, I am not sure why 2007 was thought to be the year to release something like this. This was at a time when Shining was in their progressive 'Halmstad' stage, and the early primitive black metal was left behind. In any case, 'The Sinister Alliance' is not a great album, but as splits go, it's gifted with a sense of flow and 'togetherness' that is not seen all that often.

Conor Fynes 'The Darkroom Sessions' - Shining (4/10)

'The Darkroom Sessions' is a rare compilation from Shining, a band who are definitely at the top of my favourites list when it comes to suicidal, misanthropic Swedish progressive black metal. Barring the darkly eccentric nature of their frontman Niklas Kvarforth, the band has made some incredible music. Although it is a compilation, 'The Darkroom Sessions' is not a best-of, or even a collection of unreleased tracks,as was the case with their earlier 'Through Years Of Oppression'. Instead, this compilation offers alternate takes of tracks from their early albums, specifically instrumental renditions. Likely used as demos to sharpen up the instrumental quality of the compositions, these demos show the songs in a (more) raw form, but the lack of anything really fresh or new makes the album feel somewhat unnecessary.

The only real perk that 'The Darkroom Sessions' has over other releases is the lack of Kvarforth's vocals, an aspect of the band which helped distinguish them as a whole. To be fair, these longwinded compositions are functional without the human element, and parts of this- particularly the epic 'Svart Industriell Olycka'- work even better in the instrumental format. However, in general, 'The Darkroom Sessions' does not offer a listener much more than a sombre, tedious listening experience. Keeping in mind that I was not a big fan of Shining's early material to begin with, the compilation does little to augment my appreciation for the work. 'The Darkroom Sessions' is easy to sit through, and enjoyable at times, but it would sooner send me to sleep than haunt my dreams.

Conor Fynes 'Verwüstung / Invoke the Dark Age' - Abigor (6/10)

The early 90's were arguably the golden age for black metal, as anyone remotely familiar with the genre will attest. Abigor were a band that jumped on the bandwagon in 1993, and by the following year, their debut 'Verwüstung', or 'Invoke the Dark Age' was released. While much of the black metal years before had not amounted to much more than blastbeats and speedy chord work, Abigor used that mainframe to create something a little musically deeper. This Austrian trio takes the black metal aesthetic to the next level on the debut, although the journey is wrought with faults.

Some black metal bands who did something 'new' with black metal could be often defined in one word. Emperor, for example, brought the 'symphonic' sound to black metal. Abigor are not truly innovators, but they are taking a number of different fresh elements and sweeping them together. Among those, Abigor brings Teutonic chanting, orchestral flourishes and folky acoustics to light. Each of these is done fairly well, particularly in regards to the acoustic guitar playing, which remains subtle. Sadly, the rest of the progressive ideas that Abigor brings to the table are somewhat gimmicky. The fake orchestra sample only appears for a brief moment, and jarringly so. It's moments like this that rob the excellent concepts of Abigor of some of their prowess.

In terms of songwriting, 'Invoke The Dark Age' is best defined by a series of great moments and ideas, rather than overall structure and composition. Abigor's sound is divided between the unconventional elements, and a straightforward black metal sound reminiscent of their Norwegian contemporaries. In regards to atmosphere, Abigor lack the resonance of Mayhem, or the epic gloom of Burzum. One aspect Abigor does excel in is their performance, however. The production is painfully typical, but the guitars and drums play beyond many second wave black metal acts. Thomas Tannenberger displays a profound use of the doublekick, and Peter Kubik's use of melodic guitar lines and powerful solos is very beautiful. 'Invoke The Dark Age' is a very good black metal album, but as one could guess, Abigor would still had much to learn here.

Conor Fynes 'Ash Nazg' - Abigor (2/10)

Forming earlier that year, Abigor's 1993 'Ash Nazg' demo was the Austrian black metal outfit's first semi-official attempt to get their musical ideas onto a recorded medium. While Abigor's first full-length 'Verwustung' would demonstrate a firm grasp of the black metal style, this demo sees Abigor rotting in a barely audible lo-fi dungeon. While I would say that 'Ash Nazg' will satisfy the diehard fans of the band, it will likely repulse anyone and everyone else.

In terms of songwriting, each of these three tracks does have potential. The central riff of 'Dance Of The Dead' has got some beauty to it, and the band's use of medieval samples creates an interesting atmosphere. As is normally expected for a demo, the sound quality and performance here is poor. What makes 'Ash Nazg' verge on the brink of 'unlistenable' is its recording standard and sound. Black metal often prides itself on a bleak, lo-fi sound, but the music is almost entirely obscured by blatant recording errors, and a mushy mix that turns T.T's drumwork into a disappearing act. 'Dance Of The Dead' is the only song of the three which manages to get out alive, although it is scarred, bruised, and badly beaten.

The music here would show potential if it was not murdered by a painfully weak execution. The dreadfully out-of-tune guitars and washboard production far outweigh the mildly interesting acoustics and samples Abigor has to offer here.

Conor Fynes 'Orkblut - The Retaliation' - Abigor (6/10)

Caught in between the dedication necessary to come out with another full-length, and the quick one-take demos they had done so many of, Abigor released 'Orkblut - The Retaliation', a mini- CD that met some acclaim and success when it was released in 1995. Although being little more than twenty minutes long, a similar quality to that which Abigor would employ on their full- lengths is here, making the album a good, condensed equivalent to a typical forty minute journey with the band. Abigor do not innovate much here, but there are enough fresh and exciting ideas woven into their traditional style to make 'Orkblut' stand as an engaging listen to this day.

Most notable of a sound for this band are their use of flutes throughout the EP. Split into a number of smaller interlude tracks, flutist Rune adds a tranquil, arboreal tinge to what is otherwise a fairly dark piece of melodic black metal. With half of the songs on the album being over within a minute, there is the sense that 'Orkblut' is meant to be listened to from start to finish, and in that respect, it works quite well. Abigor have created an interesting sense of flow for their music. Emperor would be a good comparison for the black metal sound of Abigor; although maintaining a dark atmosphere throughout their music, Abigor are able to weave some nice melodies into it, through use of guitar. The melodies are not particularly memorable, but they are a nice contrast to what would otherwise be a pure descent into darkness.

'Orkblut' is one of the band's first truly good releases, and they would get better from here. Abigor don't have the same innovative awe as a band like Emperor or Mayhem, but this Austrian act commands a similar sort of power in their music. 'Orkblut' is not an excellent album, but at last, their talent as musicians is finally able to shine through.

Conor Fynes 'Energetic Disassembly' - Watchtower (7/10)

At a time when 'being thrash' usually amounted to little more than playing fast and gurgling into a microphone, a band from Texas sought to change everything. Called by some to be the first prog metal album, and many more to be the first 'tech' metal album, Watchtower's debut 'Energetic Disassembly' was a piece of music on another level than virtually everything else that was calling itself heavy metal at the time. For that, this album can be considered one of those ahead-of-its-time classics. Indeed, the work here impresses, although there are some issues with the sound that would thankfully be worked out with the band's near-perfect sophomore 'Control & Resistance'.

Although Watchtower is best known for its later lineup of Alan Tecchio and Ron Jarzombek, the sound of Watchtower here is not any different. The music here is fast, blistering, ferociously technical, and overtly flirting with progressive structure. Even compared to today's thrash metal, Watchtower are fiercely technical performers. Billy White's style of riffage is rooted in the same thrash style as a band like Slayer, but there is much more activity within the passages, and it doesn't let up. Rick Cocaluca's drum work shows signs of jazz influence, but the sound of his set is booming. Doug Keyser's contribution with the bass is the most subtle of the instrumentalists, but it sports a technical prowess that almost parallels the guitars. And, of course, the vocals of Jason McMaster are here as well. Although he would be latter replaced by the superior Alan Tecchio (a dead-ringer for McMaster), Jason's high-pitched falsetto is a core trademark of the band. The way he belts his voice makes Watchtower a truly all-encompassing technical band. Although McMaster's vocals are undeniably powerful, the unrelenting high-pitched shriek can wear thin for me, and this is an issue I suspect many listeners will have when listening to 'Energetic Disassembly'.

The songwriting brilliantly incorporates the technical virtuosity of the band, but ultimately, the songs are not very distinct from each other, and it's not uncommon to feel a sense of deja vu within the second half of the album. As well, I cannot help but keep comparing 'Energetic Disassembly' to the band's second album 'Control & Resistance', and my awe of that one. To me, it feels like the band improved virtually every aspect of their sound with that one, from the replacement of vocalists, to more clearly defined songwriting, and the trademark guitar work of Ron Jarzombek. Here, some of the things I loved most about the second album had not yet been injected into the band's system, but the core elements of what make Watchtower so great are here in full. A great technical thrash album from a classic band.

Conor Fynes 'Not One Word Has Been Omitted' - From A Second Story Window (4/10)

The genre of mathcore has never been something I've been much enthused by, and From A Second Story Window is no exception. Here is a band who brand themselves as 'music for attention-deficit people', and if nothing else, they live up to their name. Although their debut EP 'Not One Word Has Been Omitted' is broken up into five tracks, From A Second Story Window takes the handful of musical ideas they have and tosses them into a disjointed mess. Barring the cringeworthy vocals and tendency to lean towards the breakdown-reminiscent guitar chugging, the EP could have been great, but some serious problems hold this talented act back.

Although they play a style of music I am usually averse to, FASSW are certainly skilled musicians. Even when it comes to the chug-chug guitar lines, the music is played tightly. There are even sparse sections throughout the EP where the band gets quite technical. However, these moments of grace are made few and far between, instead giving it to a fairly consistent sound that falls somewhere between deathcore, grind, and math rock. The tempo is not quite slow enough to be called a 'breakdown', but that's the impression I get from many of the band's rhythms. The distorted adolescent scream of Sean Vandegrift does not help things either; in fact, the vocals here are one of the chief elements that can make the EP difficult to listen to, at times. They are garbled to the point where they would not sound out of place in a cybergrind project, but still maintain the soulless wisp of 'core' vocals that I dislike so much.

Thankfully, there are aspects that indicate to me that From A Second Story Window are a pretty talented group, regardless of shortcomings. As I've said, the music is performed quite well, and when it comes to their math rock sounds, FASSW incorporate dissonance moderately enough into their sound to make it work. 'No Word Has Been Omitted' is not an entirely hopeless effort, but there are enough negatives to have me think twice before returning to it.

Conor Fynes 'The Size Of Matter' - Watchtower (Single)

Released as a teaser in anticipation of a new album that may, or may not come, Watchtower's 'The Size Of Matter' is a new song from a band who has laid dormant for over twenty years. In that time, Ron Jarzombek has gone on to other great things with his music, and if the direction on this track indicates, he seems to have taken creative control over the band. For the first minute or so of play length, 'The Size Of Matter' rolls and jerks onward like a typical Jarzombek tech fest, not unlike what he currently does with the Blotted Science project. When Alan Tecchio's vocals come in however, the listener is reminded that Watchtower is back. The song takes a thrashy turn from there, bringing back to light their proggy leanings. The lyrics explore a range of mathematical and scientific concepts,and it does a good job of creating a spacey vibe for the song. Watchtower don't sound like they used to anymore though; Tecchio's vocals have aged, and while still powerful, don't sound capable of hitting those brilliant highs. 'The Size Of Matter' is less thrashy, and more tech-oriented than the Watchtower of old, and if these guys decide to go somewhere with the plans of a third album, it's sure to be a blast.

Conor Fynes 'Kind Of Saltz' - SOT (8/10)

Salt is a useful thing. Historically, it was used as an imperial currency, and today, we use it to season fries. Salt now also has the distinction of being the apparent inspiration between Salt of Tusj, a remarkable new act from Norway. Better known as SOT, this left-of-centre jazz trio's debut album 'Kind Of Saltz' dropped at the end of 2011, and what a way to wrap up the year it is. Although jazz fusion is a fairly well-traversed style of music now, SOT replaces the typical trumpet or saxophone fare with a tuba. Combining that with an already experimental sensibility, 'Kind Of Saltz' is both fun and challenging. It is good to hear such a unique take on jazz.

SOT will undoubtedly draw comparisons between other acts who pursue an avant-jazz format. The apocalyptic quirk of Univers Zero first comes to mind, but SOT is an entity of their own. Thanks in large part to the tuba playing of Lars Andreas Haug, SOT is a sound of jazz fusion, taken from a different angle. Although the tuba is the defining trait of this band's music, each band member brings something equal to the table. Skjalg Reithaug's guitar tone borders on metal at times, and Anders Hunstad is not afraid to caffeinate his jazzy drum patterns with an equal measure of energy and charm that conjures images of Animal from The Muppets. Much of SOT's sound goes down this avant-garde, energetic route, although there are also times where they gear their sound towards something softer. These dynamic changes are often quite drastic; for one, the prog freakout track 'Støtten' is pushed up together with the mellowed out 'End Of Saltz'.

SOT does tend to travel around the board, but 'Kind Of Saltz' has a solid sense of flow and cohesion to it. Reithaug's guitar tone does not change all that much throughout the album, sticking primarily to a pair of clean, or distorted tones. The production is consistent, but dry and lacking resonance, and this is one of the few weaker areas of the album. Although there are usually a couple of recurring ideas floating around in each song, much of the playlength shows the band members playing off each other, and this is the primary strength that SOT boasts. Although some of the songwriting can feel jagged and transitions between ideas rough in patches, the musicians' 20 years-plus experience making music is very evident. Although the instrumental lines aren't technically boggling on their own, the fact that SOT are able to perform so tightly as a group makes 'Kind Of Saltz' work.

Conor Fynes 'The Sham Mirrors' - Arcturus (8/10)

With another album, there are new developments for the avant-garde metal act known as Arcturus. This now-legendary band is something of a Norwegian black metal supergroup, with members collaborating here from, among others; Ulver, Dimmu Borgir, Mayhem, and Emperor. What comes as a surprise is that despite these musicians' background, the music here is not black metal, but rather a highly theatrical brand of progressive metal. 'La Masquerade Infernale' first planted Arcturus' flag in the sand, taking the dreary atmosphere of black metal and channeling it through what may have been described as astral circus metal. 'The Sham Mirrors' sees this project continue own the avant-garde path, but this time around, things are a little lighter, melodic, and- dare I say- <.I accessible. No matter, in many ways, Arcturus have improved this time around, creating yet another excellent and memorable landmark of avant-metal.

My memories of 'La Masquerade Infernale' focus largely on the diabolical atmosphere that the music created. While it was far from being black metal in nature, the vibe that came across was not unlike something a frostbitten black metal band would convey. Garm's brooding voice was subtle and disturbing, and there were plenty of tritones for the devil worshipers to dive into. As is even evident from the album artwork, 'The Sham Mirrors' is a departure from the darkness, in favour of something a little more melodic. The riffs are faster and more harmonious, and Garm's vocal performance has been swept up from the gloomy basso into a higher-register, theatrical wail that I.C.S Vortex first introduced to the band with his memorable vocal performance on 'The Chaos Path'. All of these changes are best represented on the album's opener, 'Kinetic', which is incidentally the greatest thing that the album offers. 'Kinetic' opens up with fast paced chords and a steady build, with ambient vocalizations, programmed drum beats, and an array of 'sci fi' electronic noises. While Garm did not impress me a great deal on 'La Masquerade Infernale', his voice blows me away this time around. It is as if his voice has been let off its chain, and is now allowed to traverse the depths of his range, which is quite impressive. It is a disappointment that there is nothing else quite as astonishing as 'Kinetic' on the rest of the album, because it is one of the greatest progressive metal songs I have ever heard.

Arcturus may have made their sound more melodic, but it is still very forward thinking and weird. There is a symphonic element brought in via the keyboards, making Arcturus sound like an avant-garde incarnation of Dimmu Borgir, at times. The songwriting has plenty of hooks, but it rarely relies on a chrous structure. However, most of the experimentalism is brought on through the way the music is performed and executed. Garm's vocals are intense and dramatic, as if he was performing in an opera. The dense electronic ambiance also gives the music a coat of production that makes it sound weirder than it would otherwise. The production can get ambitious past its means at times, although the amount of work that's been put into fleshing out the sound is acknowledged and evident in the music. The one musician here who doesn't seem to get a chance to exploit his full talent is drummer Hellhammer, whose normally inhuman grasp of the double-kick and blast beat is muffled and drowned by the dense production, not to mention the thick presence of programmed beats in the album.

'The Sham Mirrors' is another challenging album from Arcturus, although it is nowhere near as shocking as 'La Masquerade Infernale' was for me. This is arguably the best thing that Arcturus has released in any case, and it is a shame they stopped making music together at the peak of their work. As it is with many avant albums I come across, there are aspects of this album that don't sit totally right with me, but these are easy to overlook in the face of the resounding strengths the album boasts. An excellent, inventive album.

Conor Fynes 'Bellowing Sea - Racked By Tempest' - In Lingua Mortua (6/10)

In Lingua Mortua is a Norwegian black metal band led by Lars Fredrik Frøislie, a man better known for his contributions to the Scandinavian symphonic prog scene than anything traditionally grim or frostbitten. Although he may be considered to be something of an outsider given his status as a prog musician, Frøislie and company perform a fairly convincing take on Norwegian black metal here. The music is well-performed, but painfully typical of the modern Norwegian black metal scene. Despite some interesting steps attempted to set In Lingua Mortua's sound apart from their compatriots however, 'Bellowing Sea - Racked By Tempest' does not pass as being much more than a clone of the once- great Dimmu Borgir.

Although Norway may be best known in black metal for a string of controversial crimes and classic albums from the early 90's, the bleak sound of the black metal second wave has generally given way to something more polished, melodic, and less offensive to the masses. Although the merits and demerits of this evolution could be talked about for weeks, it's clear that the sound is no longer aimed towards being completely dark and obscure. Some bands- like Dimmu Borgir and Ihsahn- have prospered under these new conditions, releasing stuff that rivals, if not surpasses what they first did. Of course, there are now legions of copycat acts, and despite their talent, this is an unfortunate pigeonhole I fear In Lingua Mortua falls into with 'Bellowing Sea'. Like Dimmu Borgir, In Lingua plays a highly refined style of black metal that gets infused with the undertones of a symphonic orchestra. Although the orchestra itself is programmed, there are instruments playing in 'Bellowing Sea' that are quite irregular for black metal, including the saxophone, violin, and flute. For the short amounts in which these instruments are used, they contrast the heavier black metal elements quite nice, but they are used too scarcely to effectively change my view of the album.

Although a programmed orchestra can often range from being cheesy to downright terrible, the orchestrations here are rich and effective. Frøislie is evidently a veteran of the 'symphonic' sound, even regardless of his history with progressive acts White Willow and Wobbler. Although all of the seasonings show plenty of potential, it is the core black metal sound of In Lingua Mortua that feels a little lackluster. The music is played with precision and refinement, and there are plenty of synth arrangements to give the guitars a greater feeling of depth.Although a polished production is usually not an issue, here, the incredibly clear sound leaves little to the imagination, and while In Lingua Mortua has many of the things I love in black metal- eerie keyboards and guitar melodies, for example- the way they are tossed together screams emulation over innovation.

Conor Fynes 'Amesoeurs' - Amesoeurs (7/10)

Best known as a side-project of Neige from post-metal darlings Alcest, Amesoeurs is something of a blackened shoegaze supergroup, with members of Peste Noire and Empyrium coming together with Neige to create something quite nice. I am a huge fan of Alcest, and really liked the first Amesoeurs release with the EP 'Ruines Humaines', so I had high hopes for this one. Sadly, 'Amesoeurs' is not the masterpiece debut album that I hoped for at the back of my mind, but it has manages to achieve a sound of its own, which for a supergroup, is a rare achievement in itself.

Although Amesoeurs has long been labelled as a black metal band, the self-titled debut does not embrace the style completely. 'Ruines Humaines' hinted at some pretty fierce depressive black metal, but here, it is as if they decided to go in a different direction than what the EP teaser implied. Instead of being 'black metal', or even metal in general, 'Amesoeurs' might best be compared with alot of shoegaze and post-punk bands. Upbeat drum beats, melodic guitar leads and Audrey Sylvain's soft voice are about as far from black metal as mandarin oranges are from devastating oil spills in the Pacific Ocean(?) Regardless, for those craving a harder edged sound, there are some faster-paced sections that verge on the tremolo picking of black metal, although things rarely get any heavier than Alcest's work with 'Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde'.

Amesoeurs definitely feels like the work of a couple of musicians who each have their own ideas of what they want the band to be. This results in a shift between graciously mid-tempo tunes, more upbeat post-punk parts, and the occasional return to the black metal sound of 'Ruines Humaines'. Whoever wanted Amesoeurs to go the mellow route seems to have prevailed however, because this album favours the lighter side more than anything else. 'Video Girl' and 'La Reine Trayeuse' emphasize an almost-ballad sound to the music, where Audrey's voice takes over with some melancholic melodies and distinctively French lyrics. The execution of 'Amesoeurs' is impressively consistent from the black metal elements to their lightest segments, but the way they approach this dynamic does not sit well with me. Amesoeurs have a strong sound to them, but the lean towards slower songs can lead the album to get a little more tedious than it should have been. Of course, 'Amesoeurs' should not be approached as a metal album, and as long as one isn't expecting a dark black metal record a la Peste Noire, there is impressive beauty to digest here.

Conor Fynes 'Desert Call' - Myrath (7/10)

Barring Antarctica and the Lovecraftian horrors that live there, Africa is the least prolific continent when in comes to heavy metal and progressive music. To most, this will come as an established fact rather than speculation; despite a wealth of culture, modern strife has kept Africa back from letting its voice out. There are exceptions however, as Myrath proudly indicates. Hailing from Tunisia, Myrath plays a polished style of progressive metal, in the style of Dream Theater and Symphony X. What sets Myrath apart- and thus makes them worthy of mention- is that they use sound of traditional Arabic music and fuse it into the metal sound. Similar in this respect to the more established Orphaned Land, Myrath has an exciting and epic sound, and 'Desert Call' will appeal to anyone looking for a progressive metal curveball.

Although metal is a community which often prides itself on being progressively-thinking and open-minded, too much metal gives the sense of deja vu; that it's already been done before, and will be done again. Ironically, progressive metal is a central offender for this, as it sometimes feels every band calling themselves 'prog metal' these days is either a Dream Theater clone, or a melodic hard rock group looking for an added edge in their marketing. Myrath fits the glove with the sound of current progressive metal, but they are made memorable by their defining trait; that is, there is a strong sound of Middle-Eastern music running in tandem with metal. Much like the bands Kamelot or Nightwish merge their metal elements with Western classical music, Myrath does the same with their own culture, and the outcome is impressive. Myrath are a very capable prog-power band regardless of the Middle-Eastern sounds, but without this new angle, I would not have such a vivid memory of them.

Importantly, 'Desert Call' does not use these traditional Arabic sounds as a gimmick, but beefs them up so that they're an integral part of the music and sound. Malek Ben Arbia's guitar playing is firmly rooted in the school of John Petrucci and Michael Romeo, but Zaher Zorguatti's vocals are keen to switch between acrobatic power metal wails and a signature Islamic holler, often within the course of a single vocal line. Seif Ouhibi's drums find the balance as well, at times delivering the powerful metal pummel, but also occasionally conjuring a beat that sounds like it could score a cinematic chase through Baghdad. The songwriting's greatest strength is their near-seamless ability to work the Middle-Eastern sounds into the music, but the more power metal-oriented aspects can exert a certain level of cheese. Many of these songs have memorable melodies and song structures, but I often felt that by the end of most tracks, I had heard a run-through of the chorus one, or two too many times. Bring into focus a lackluster sense of flow and possibly overdone length, and 'Desert Call' begins to lose its status as the 'metal revelation' it could have been.

Myrath's signature style was born with their debut 'Hope', and it continues to run strong in the blood of 'Desert Call'. Although the current trends of progressive metal are starting to die out, Myrath's ambitious pledge to bring the sounds of their home culture to metal gives a refreshing new perspective on a style that has rarely managed to hold my attention in recent years. Its cheesy power metal theatrics aside, 'Desert Call' is worth an easy recommendation.

Conor Fynes 'Towers Open Fire' - Guapo (3/10)

The 90's in rock music represented a bitter rebellion against the overproduced glitz of the decade prior. Although few bands would take the dissonance and fuzz as far as Guapo, it was not unprecedented for an artist to give their music a darker atmosphere. In the case of Guapo's experimental rock debut 'Towers Open Fire', the best word to describe it may be 'jarring'. Bringing in a bevy of sounds from every corner of the ugly spectrum, this is a difficult and inaccessible listen. That does not mean however, that there is much depth to the sound. Although Guapo's ambition to hurt their listeners' ears is admirable, with each listen to 'Towers Open Fire', the failed mixture of noise, hardcore punk, and jazz fusion only gets more irritating to listen to.

Guapo's sound may be compared to 90's era King Crimson, without the technical proficiency. They most reminded me of the Japanese noise rock act Zeni Geva, however scarce of KK Null's samurai yell and distinctive charm. For a three piece, Guapo can certainly get a lot of sounds going at once. Sadly, none of them are particularly well done, and many are downright unpleasant to listen to. Matt Thompson's vocals are not so much 'singing' as what I might liken to the sound of a drunk British teenager yelling at authority figures. The bass sparks an interesting thought or two- an eerie passage on 'Ceasefire Ends' illustrates this- but it's more than usually flooded over by guitars and waves of sharp electronic noise. Although 'Towers Open Fire' is unsuccessful as an album overall, many of the guitar ideas are quite interesting. Despite being executed in a rough, untuned, punk-like style, there are jazz fusion chords at work. It makes for a surprising dichotomy.

Had Guapo simply been composed of a bass, guitar, and uncoordinated drums, I would dismiss the work as amateurish and mediocre, but not 'bad'. Where 'Towers Open Fire' really goes wrong is with the electronic 'ambiance'. Dissonance has alot of untapped potential for emotional impact and power, but the noise here evokes only a dull pain inside my skull that some people like to call a headache. Not only that, but the ideas come together in such an incoherent way; although Guapo may repeat ideas, they're never concise enough to make for memorable songwriting, and never drawn out enough to create a sense of atmosphere. In short, 'Towers Open Fire' has ambition, but it falls short on virtually every front. To many people, this will be unlistenable, but even for someone open- minded enough to confront the ugly textures and freeform structure, it is difficult to recognize any depth underneath the shell. I won't say that Guapo's debut is utterly terrible, but for the effort a listener will have to put into this album, there is very little payoff.

Conor Fynes 'Gamma Knife' - Kayo Dot (7/10)

Since the days with maudlin of the Well over a decade ago, Toby Driver has been a consistent force in delivering some of the most powerful avant-garde music of the new millennium. With each album, this group of musicians has approached a different angle with their music, as if Toby and co. are browsing through a cosmic buffet, taking the flavours they fancy most, and making albums out of them. Especially in the case of Kayo Dot, I have felt that each album has a binding musical theme behind it. While 'Choirs Of The Eye' may have been defined by it's atmospheric surrealism, and 'Coyote' by is dreary jazz overtones, Kayo Dot's latest album 'Gamma Knife' is a little more difficult to pin down. Not that its sound is any more abstract than what has come before, but the music on this latest release is more diverse than I would have expected. For the sake of a bottom line, however: Kayo Dot has brought the metal back into their sound.

You might not guess that 'Gamma Knife' is a return to heavier times from its opening track 'Lethe'. The album opens on a very dreamy note, with bells chiming and Vangelis-like electronic orchestrations shimmering. This, and the titular closing piece, both show Kayo Dot in a very laid-back, even ambient frame. Even with Toby's signature brittle vocals, the music does more to capture a memorable feeling than to have particular ideas get stuck in the listener's head. When 'Lethe' closes, the more definitive traits of 'Gamma Knife' start to emerge. 'Rites Of Goetic Evocation' sounds like it could be a track from a black metal band, and it may as well be; the three songs that make up the body of 'Gamma Knife' are rife with growls, screams, blastbeats, and dissonance. The opening chords of 'Rites' sound more like late-era Deathspell Omega than anything else, as big a surprise to me as any, considering the band's music was being compared to Sigur Ros not too long ago.

It's not quite metal in the traditional sense, but Kayo Dot have certainly brought back a much heavier sound to their music. For one, the guitars are back, although the most distinguished instrument in the sound is the saxophone. Yes, the saxophone is there to beckon in the heaviest, darkest moments of 'Gamma Knife', and yes, it works. Take the albums defacto climax at the end of 'Ocellated God', for example. Overtop a fury of distorted screams and intense drums, the usually-jazzy sound of what I think is a saxophone layers over itself and repeats to create a very jarring and off-putting lick. Many more traditional metalheads may label this music as many things before metal, but it is undeniable that Kayo Dot has become heavier this time around.

Although Kayo Dot's latest is heavy, doomy, and metal-ly, I have also said that 'Gamma Knife' is more difficult to pin down than Kayo albums in the past. This is in large part due to the fact that there are five tracks here, and two of them are in stark contrast to the other three. There is certainly dynamic in earlier releases, but this time, the melancholic and soft is ostracized from the brutal and dark, as if it were a musical apartheid. It gives the album a cyclical sense to it, but my impression of 'Gamma Knife' is split in two. Be it dark or light, the music here is inventive, challenging, and often very powerful, with particular regards to the darker-edged material on the album. That being said, 'Gamma Knife' does not feel like a full album to me, at least not the way 'Choirs Of The Eye' or 'Coyote' did. For one, the album barely scrapes the half-hour mark, and leaves me wanting more than what the short length offers. I'm left feeling the same way I did about Radiohead's 'The King Of Limbs' from last year; though the musical quality in itself is quite high, there isn't enough meat on the bones to give it a lasting impression. In that sense, it is much like chicken wings. Had it been made at least ten minutes longer and given a little extra polish, 'Gamma Knife' would have almost certainly left me in total awe.

Conor Fynes 'Ã?cailles De Lune' - Alcest (9/10)

Throughout post-metal circles, the name of Alcest has been one that is chatted back and forth alot lately. A French one man black metal project that incorperates the starkly mellow and ethereal sounds of shoegaze psychedelia, this band has become one of the more highly regarded bands in the genre, even after only two records produced. With frontman Neige's second effort with this solo project, the sound of Alcest becomes more defined, and what we have with 'Ã?cailles De Lune' is a beautiful piece of emotionally stirring music that carries quite a bit more emotion that your typical heavy metal record.

In a sense, it may be unfair to consider this album 'metal,' the energy generally infused with the genre is sacrificed for a much more introspective sound. While there are maybe one or two sections throughout the album that make liberal use of blastbeats and Neige's high pitched shriek, 'Ã?cailles De Lune' relies very heavily on it's mellowness and quiet beauty. The main focus of the music is on the beautiful textures of the guitar work, and Neige's clean vocal work, which may sound a bit too fragile for some, but works with the emotionally vulnerable mood of the music.

The first half of the album is dominated by the two part title track, 'Ã?cailles De Lune.' While the first two songs here share the same name, they can generally be considered separate compositions. They do, however make up the heaviest and darkest component of 'Ã?cailles De Lune,' and maintain a clear distinction from the rest of the album. The best moments on the album are when Neige takes things to their most mellow and beautiful; the latter half of 'Ecailles De Lune II' and the absolutely blissful closer 'Sur L'Ocean Couleur De Fer' make use of both the tastefully spacy guitarwork and the higher-key vocal work. While the lyrics here are in French and cannot be understand merely from listening, the lyrics have a very poetic resonance to them, and carry well with the ethereal nature of the album.

The album keeps a generally dark, melancholic sound throughout. The only exception to this is the uncharacteristically cheerful and upbeat 'Solar Song,' which is really the only moment on the album that feels out of place, despite it being a decent alternative rocker. Barring that, 'Ã?cailles De Lune' is an incredibly moving and beautiful release. The brooding nature of the music can wear thin at times, but there's no doubt that Neige is a talented and distinguished member of the post-metal scene. A perfect album to listen to at night.

Conor Fynes 'Tristesse Hivernale' - Alcest (4/10) Now one of the most legendary and revered names in the blackgaze and post black metal circles, Alcest has developed into quite a unique entity since first starting off here. When Alcest frontman and mastermind Neige was only 15, he began his work with Alcest with 'Tristesse Hivernale', an incredibly raw piece of atmospheric black metal. Here, Alcest is still a band as opposed to a solo project, and fairly typical for most black metal. Although incredibly poor production values (even for black metal) rob 'Tristesse' of being a wholeheartedly enjoyable experience, there is promise shown here that would be fully realized in later works.

'Tristesse Hivernale' is made of twenty minutes of howls, rough electric guitar work, somewhat simplistic blastbeats and some of the worst production values I've ever heard from a band I care about. The saving grace here though is in the composition of the music itself, which while hard to listen to at times, still really shows a grasp of the genre that many of the bigger names at the time were getting recognized for. It may be difficult at times to hear the riffs unless one listens closely, but even this early on, it is possible to hear the emotional impact of the riffs. Although there is very little of Alcest's shoegaze elements to speak of here, things do get mellow from time to time, which is much less hindered by the weak production than any of the heavier material.

Certainly a demo only for the fans of Alcest or black metal purists, but as weak a listening experience as this may be, the potential can be heard here.

Conor Fynes 'Souvenirs d'Un Autre Monde' - Alcest (7/10)

When Alcest's second album 'Ecailles De Lune' came out, I became instantly enamoured with the music of this French post metal band. Now backtracking through this project's earlier work, I have heard them back when they were a pure black metal act with the demo 'Tristesse Hivernale'. Having a solid context and knowledge of how Alcest has developed over the course of a decade, I can appreciate 'Souvenirs d'Un Autre Monde'- Alcest's debut- for what it is; the project's frontman and mastermind taking several steps back from the metal vista towards his more atmospheric influences. Make no mistake, the music on 'Souvenirs' is not black metal, as is the genre that most associate with Alcest. Instead, this debut album takes the listener on an uplifting and dreamlike journey, played in a style called shoegaze. Although 'Souvenirs d'Un Autre Monde' is driven by a very tame palette of sound, the emotional gravity of the work is undeniable.

Although it is quite clear that Neige took the Alcest project to a new echelon with the sophomore, 'Souvenirs d'Un Autre Monde' already has many of the things I first fell in love with the band for' incredible melodies, dreamy textures, and the distinctively mellowed and effete vocals of Neige himself, which are typically washed into the mix in fair shoegaze fashion. Each track here is quite simple in construct and performance for the most part, often relying on uplifting chord progressions and added layers of string plucking or leads to add to the richness of the sound. Although the songs rarely change their direction much from where they first set off, the songwriting here is indeed very pleasant, even if it is a little on the simplistic side. Neige has a naive way of executing the music here as well; his vocals can sometimes sound a little amateurish, but they do manage to strike a feeling in the listener; the closest comparison may be Jonsi of Sigur Ros, but Neige does have a particular sound to his voice that would certainly be difficult to find anywhere in the metal genre.

All of the music on 'Souvenirs' flows much like a dream, and perhaps the only major flaw to the album is that it all flows in the same direction, at the same pace. Very rarely does a song ever throw in an unexpected curveball at the listener, or even cover much of an emotional variety. Instead, Alcest is deadset on one particular sound, then milks it for all its worth throughout the course of the debut. The debut feels quite novice, but the beauty and heartfelt nature of Alcest's music is heard deeply here. Although now in the shadow of the vastly superior 'Ecailles De Lune', 'Souvenirs' remains a pleasant debut from a band who seems fixed on bringing dreams to life.

Conor Fynes 'Les Voyages De L'Âme' - Alcest (7/10)

For a genre of music which is infamous for often basing its content on male bravado, gore, misanthropy and depression, it takes some serious balls to be a metal band that looks to fairy tales and uplifting emotion in their music. Alcest may have once been a typical black metal band a decade or so ago, but this project has since dissolved their ties to a dark sound, now gravitating towards an atmospheric mix of post metal and shoegaze. Led by frontman Neige, Alcest's sound culminated in 2010 with the masterpiece 'Ecailles De Lune', an album which ranked as my unlikely favourite of that year. Although I rushed to the opportunity of hearing a sample from this follow-up to 'Ecailles' about a month ago, the song 'Autre Temps' had me worried that Alcest had now fallen into a strict formula for their music, and that I could not hope to be surprised by the band any longer. Although 'Les Voyages De L'Âme' is a worthy follow-up to my favourite album of 2010, my fears are sadly confirmed; Alcest's third record feels like a reprise of ideas and sounds from their past. While 'Souvenirs D'Un Autre Monde' and 'Ecailles De Lune' took their listeners to two separate- albeit similar- realms of fantasy, 'Les Voyages De L'Âme' is a nostalgic return to the second.

People will cry the familiar 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' rationelle, but I think 'Les Voyages De L'Âme' might have felt more otherworldly and atmospheric if it didn't sound so damned familiar from the first listen onward. Alcest's music is full of vast reverb, emotionally stirring guitars, and the presence of seemingly out-of-place drum blastbeats; an homage to the time when Alcest was a straight-up black metal act. Neige's voice is the most distinctive sound of the band, a soft clean vocal that often wanders about the higher register rather loosely. There are also black metal shrieks, but there are even less of those this time around than on 'Ecailles'. With a conventionally beautiful sound that is instantly pleasant to the ear, Alcest will attract listeners who don't usually like metal. The black metal elements are scarce, but they are there, and it makes them a perfect potential gateway to heavier, darker sounds. Although Alcest have spawned a legion of clones, their sound remains individual and unique. Even at the most intense moments of 'Les Voyages De L'Âme', things never feel dark; there is always a soaring melody to keep the listener planted firmly in the light.

'Les Voyages De L'Âme' is a move for Alcest that reminds me much of what Wolves In The Throne Room did with their last album 'Celestial Lineage'. Instead of experimenting with something new, they chose to further develop the ideas of their best work and see where it went. For Wolves In The Throne Room, that album of inspiration was 'Two Hunters'. In Alcest's case, 'Ecailles De Lune' is the most obvious palette from which Neige draws his brush. 'Les Voyages De L'Âme' is a sequel in every sense of the word; a slightly different angle of what is essentially the same thing. In terms of differences, 'Les Voyages De L'Âme' is more optimistic than the often melancholic 'Ecailles'. The listener is meant to feel light and hopeful the entire time through. Although this album achieves that feeling in me, there is nothing else in the music to contrast it; no conflict, no tension. As a result, 'Les Voyages De L'Âme' does not have that same lasting emotional impact that 'Ecailles De Lune' was graced with, despite being nearly as successful in terms of its musicianship and composition.

'Les Voyages De L'Âme' will always be compared to its predecessor, and in the end, I think it will be 'Ecailles' that enjoys the status of a 'classic'. This album has all of the traits that have made Alcest great in the past, and 'Les Voyages De L'Âme' is good, but there isn't much here to set the album apart as an independent work. My insistent complaints aside, this is a great way to star the year.

Conor Fynes 'Flight Of Fancy' - X-Panda (7/10)

X-Panda is a new band from Estonia that largely represents everything that is great, and everything not-so-great about the current state of progressive metal. Although many of these potential up-and-comers have Dream Theater calibre skills, the similarities with Dream Theater do not tend to end there, with many bands coming off as copycats. One could never accuse X-Panda of being poor musicians or even composers, yet despite this set-up for brilliance, they possess an utter lack of originality that confirms many of my doubts surrounding this scene in progressive music.

With that having been said, I cannot deny that X-Panda are a fantastic ensemble of some of the most promising new musicians I have heard in the past year, speaking in regards to their skill, of course. On the prog metal spectrum, X-Panda lean towards a melodic and even catchy sound for the genre, using many of Dream Theater's typical tricks, but framing them within a song structure that embraces hooks. It should also be mentioned that X-Panda are a largely instrumental act, with bassist Tamar Nugis only singing for a few less involving pieces that may have felt empty otherwise. The instrumental format was an excellent choice for X-Panda, and while their songwriting is accessible enough to incorporate a voice without it feeling too crowded, the choice to go without puts a greater focus on the skills and details of the musicianship. X-Panda are certainly not in the golden books for originality, but choosing to convey the melodies through guitar make 'Flight Of Fancy' feel a little different than the typical prog-power metal bands that pop up eight days a week.

Although each musician and instrument contributes an important part to the sound, the guitar work of Risto Virkhausen is my favourite thing about X-Panda. Although he sounds a little close in sound to Dream Theater's John Petrucci, he is able to go from highly technical displays, to emotional leads and catchy hooks, often without the frame of one song. I would have no problem calling him one of the best new guitarists out there, had he and the rest of X-Panda not sounded as if they were not so blatantly copying the sound of one particular band. Now, very few bands ever find a sound that is entirely their own, but to my chagrin, there were elements across the board throughout X-Panda's sound that I felt as if I could trace back to some point in Dream Theater's career; be it a guitar tone, a odd-time riff, the way the solos are structured, and so forth. At worst, it is unintentional plagiarism, but X- Panda is only one of many bands within progressive metal that look to Dream Theater for a template. Although it keeps 'Flight of Fancy' from receiving a full-fledged recommendation, the talent and skill here go without question, and the use of beautiful melodies and hooks makes X-Panda's debut something of a winner in the modern prog metal canon.

Conor Fynes 'Touchstones' - Subsignal (8/10)

Although German progsters Subsignal have been assigned to the label of the middling neo-prog style, this band has much more up their sleeve than the typical act of that scene. In fact, it may not be such a stretch to call Subsignal a progressive metal band; after all, their two founding members Arno Menses and Markus Steffen are formerly part of metal powerhouse Sieges Even. Seeking to continue their music together after leaving Sieges, the pair enlisted the help of other musicians, and thus, Subsignal was born. 'Touchstones' is this band's second album, and here, Menses and Steffen have realized the potential of their new melodic aims. To be honest, there were so many prog albums throughout 2011 that- while not necessarily 'poor'- never sought to move me. More often than not, they were albums which went the melodic route with prog rock, using the 'epic' format as more of a gimmick, and replacing technical achievement with bland AOR tropes. What I'm getting at is that while I was practically setting myself up to dislike 'Touchstones' without knowing a thing about the band, they have created a remarkable piece of progressive, melodic metal here. Although 2011 is now over, I suspect that 'Touchstones' would have crept its way up my year end list, had I only heard it a couple of months earlier.

The sound of Subsignal reminds me greatly of modern prog darlings Haken, and their collision of epic progressive metal and softer melodic atmosphere. For those more invested in prog rock terms, both of these bands merge progressive metal and neo-prog together, creating something that manages to sport strong melodic hooks and clean sound without sacrificing the complexity or technical display of the musicians at work. As any fan of Sieges Even could have bet, the musicianship on 'Touchstones' is levelled at a very high standard. The compositions are focused primarily on melody, and while you won't hear the ten minute instrumental indulgences made infamous by Dream Theater, there is never any doubt that these are some of the best musicians in progressive music today. Roel van Helden's drum work was pleasantly reminiscent of Mike Portnoy's wild style. Menses and Steffen get the limelight throughout virtually the entire album. David Bertok's keyboards are the most inconspicuous aspect of the sound, adding atmosphere and depth to the sound, but rarely stepping forth. Although I would have cared for a few more spotlight's on Ralf Schwager's evidently impressive bass work, Subsignal never feels dominated by any ego from anyone.

The songwriting on 'Touchstones' is consistent, although the overbearing length and somewhat singular approach of the album tends to make the songs run together. The eleven minute title track 'Touchstones' earns my vote for the highlight, though. Although it is a fairly long song, the time is used well; those minutes aren't wasted on instrumental noodling, but instead work towards developing melodies and atmosphere. It is here where Subsignal's symphonic undertones come out most brightly as well, with a beautiful symphonic instrument acting in sharp contrast to the otherwise gloomy sounds of the guitar. Barring an album length that could have reasonably had twenty minutes shaved off, this is among the greatest melodic prog/metal albums to have come out in 2011. It's a shame I didn't get around to hearing it earlier, but there's little doubt in my mind that I will be enjoying this album well into 2012.

Conor Fynes 'Elvenefris' - Lykathea Aflame (8/10)

Although Lykathea Aflame only released one album before caving in and changing band names, it is rare to see an expanded list of the 'greatest death metal albums of all time', and not see their work present. Despite virtually universal acclaim across the board, Lykathea Aflame have never achieved that more widespread recognition, although that may be for good reason. Although death metal fans (and metalheads in general) tend to lean towards some side of the spectrum- be it melodic death or brutal grind- 'Elvenefris' sees this talented group touch upon the lightest and heaviest elements of the style, often propping up next to each other. The end result is an incredibly chaotic and challenging record, but also one filled with beauty, precision, and listening satisfaction.

For those already familiar with death metal, Lykathea Aflame's heavier elements lean towards the niche of 'brutal death metal'; a pummelling brand of death metal that is best represented by its low guttural vocals, and- as one may have guessed by the name- a hyberbolic sense of brutality. Although the incredibly low vocals of Radim Matìjka plant Lykathea Aflame firmly within that particular school of death metal, there is much more to 'Elvenefris' than brutal riffs and blasts. What has made this album stand the test of time is the fact that Lykathea Aflame introduce strong melodic hooks, and even mellow moments of atmosphere amidst the crushing heaviness. These atmospheric melodies are often based in Middle-Eastern music. Although they are from the Czech Republic, 'Elvenefris' carries an Egyptian theme in the music. To illustrate; 'Land Where Sympathy Is Air' opens the album with a jarring melody that sounds plucked out of oriental music. The combination of these widely contrasting sounds is challenging to hear at first, but as a listener becomes more used to the distinctive death metal sound that Lykathea Aflame plays, the risk pays off.

The guttural vocals are a bit hard to handle at first, even for someone who is fairly versed in the death metal genre. However, they are mixed very well into the rest of the sound, never overpowering the instruments. Radim's very low growl makes it virtually impossible to hear what he's saying for the most part, and the vocals virtually become a blanket of heaviness that compliments the feeling that the metal elements bring. For an album of this aggressiveness, 'Elvenefris' does run a tad long, going several minutes over the hour mark. When one considers that the last track is an unnecessary piece of synth-laden ambiance, it's clear that some of the music here could have been shaved off, without losing any of the meaning. Lykathea Aflame's album does not strike me as the flawless masterwork that some claim it is, but I can certainly appreciate why they would think that about the music here. In a style that is most plagued by generic bands, 'Elvenefris' stands out, and still sounds as fresh today as it did a decade ago.

Conor Fynes 'The Fragile Art Of Existence' - Control Denied (8/10)

Towards the end of his legendary musical career and life, Chuck Schuldiner sought to shift gears a bit from the death metal he had been doing since his teens. Granted, his brand of death had changed drastically over the years, but there was only so much the man could do with Death. Clean vocals were something that would not have gone over well with Death's fanbase, so Chuck formed a new band to fulfil this dimension of his music. Control Denied only put out one album before Chuck passed away, but it has stood the test of time, and has even been met with love by the extreme metal crowds. Although Control Denied shows Chuck Schuldiner venturing into progressive power metal territory, there is little difference besides this and prog-era Death barring the fact that clean vocals now lead the music. In other words; this was Chuck beyond Death.

From the very first few seconds of 'The Fragile Art Of Existence', it is clear that this is Chuck Schuldiner's work. The music is incredibly similar to what Death was doing with their final three albums, particularly 'The Sound Of Perseverance'. It could be said that Control Denied is more of a band-centric effort however, with a much heavier bass presence than was heard with Death. The style of composition is definitely by Chuck's own hand and in his distinctive style, with plenty of room for technical riffs, dark hooks, and space for his signature guitar solos. Although Chuck is seen as a death metal guitarist, it is interesting to see how much differently the style he plays can sound with only changing the vocal style. Performed here by Tim Aymar, he has an intensely technical voice that isn't afraid to shriek out. Aymar's vocals are much like Rob Halford of Judas Priest; a band that Chuck was very fond of. Aymar evidently has an impressive range, although he generally sticks to the higher end of the spectrum. Many of the vocal passages he pulls off here are as technical as Chuck's guitar work.

Although there are clean vocals here, they are actually used quite similarly to how Chuck used his own voice in Death. They have great range to them, but they tend to go for power over melody. Aymar's delivery is always impressive, but the vocal melodies are less convincing than the epic riffs Chuck and axemate Shannon Hamm are playing. Although Control Denied is fine evidence that Chuck Schuldiner was a man whose musical vision extended beyond the reaches of death metal, the clean vocals do not work as well as Schuldiner's rasp in his music. All the same, Aymar's vocals are impressive, and the instrumentation and songwriting is as impressive as any Death album. It is well-worth checking out for anyone even slightly invested in Chuck's music. Rest in peace!

Conor Fynes 'Death Of A Dead Day' - Sikth (9/10)

Let's make it clear; "mathcore" is most definitely not my thing. Sure, a band can be talented as all hell, but if it comes off sounding needlessly chaotic and adolescent, I tune out pretty quickly. Of course, there are bands that manage to justify the sense of chaos with exciting ideas and intelligent songwriting. Sikth are a progressive metal band that shares the same scene as acts like Protest The Hero, and even Between The Buried And Me. What sets them apart however, is their devotion to pushing the envelope as much as they can. Bordering on avant-garde absurdity, Sikth's second and final album 'Death Of A Dead Day' may be a slight move towards consolidating their sound, but it is as mad and sporadic as just about anything you will find in metal today.

When I first heard of Sikth a year or two back, I did not think much of them. I thought them to be part of the scene that sought to encroach hardcore upon progressive metal, and regardless of their playing abilities, that sound has never been for me. I'm glad I decided to check these guys out again though; while aspects of 'Death Of A Dead Day' don't align perfectly with my tastes, I cannot help but be impressed by what they are doing here. In terms of comparisons, Sikth are somewhat similar to Protest The Hero, although Sikth are quite a bit more challenging and 'out there'. System Of A Down also comes to mind. The vocals here are chaotic and diverse, much like avant-metal champions UneXpect. In truth, the sound of this band goes everywhere, and in itself, that creates a firm impression. Although none of these songs are ones that will be getting stuck in a casual listener's head anytime soon, I don't hear many modern progressive metal bands who are able to keep their music consistently exciting and even downright fun to listen to.

Instrumentally, this band is wild. The compositions they write are highly demanding, and the band pulls it off remarkably. The vocals, while conveying some of the adolescent screams that turned me off from the band to begin with, are about as technical as the instruments, fitting odd lyrics around complex time signatures. Sikth will not appeal to a large demographic of people, even among metalheads. Even after several listens, it's difficult to find a rosetta stone to 'crack' this album, although that constant sense of being 'out there' is part of the appeal. Even when concentrating heavily on the music, 'Death Of A Dead Day' comes across as being extremely chaotic and quirky, but it's pulled off in such a way that that it becomes incredibly fun to listen to, in the same sense of a roller coaster. Sikth don't take themselves too seriously, but their music is executed with precision and leaves me feeling wowed.

Conor Fynes 'The Trees Are Dead & Dried Out Wait for Something Wild' - Sikth (7/10)

There is alot to be said about Sikth, a band from the UK that is now defunct. Although they fit into a particular sound of music that I have rarely been attracted to, I've been lately infatuated with their incredibly chaotic sound and adventurous musicianship. Although their second album would perfect their work, the verbosely titled debut brings a distinctive melange of styles to the table. 'The Trees Are Dead & Dried Out Wait for Something Wild' is quite a mouthful, and way do well to describe the feeling the music gets across. Sporting some of the best musicianship modern progressive metal has seen in the new millennium, Sikth balance off their jackhammer instrumentation with incredibly quirky left-of-centre compsoitions, and creates an aggressive piece of math metal that often flirts with the avant- garde.

I will say first that Sikth's music is not for everyone. In fact, most people will find the incredibly dense and diverse style that they play to be virtually impenetrable.Sikth's first fit into a label will likely be 'mathcore', sharing the same out of control style and screamed vocals that The Dillinger Escape Plan and Protest The Hero use. This is a style that I have historically found inconsistent at best, and distasteful at worst, but I've been proven here that there is gold in every mound. Of the two albums that Sikth put out when they were still together, this is the more mathcore-based, and less melodic of the two pieces. However, the sense of sporadic shifts and diversity is here in full. 'The Trees Are Dead & Dried Out Wait for Something Wild' introduces the band's style in all its glory. There is intensely technical musicianship that rivals many of prog metal's most inventive acts. The most challenging aspect of this band however, are their vocals. With two vocalists, it's granted that there will be some more diversity to the voices here than is usual for band, but the vocal element goes all across the board. From nutty shrieks and high-pitched screams to clean singing, growls and avant-garde spoken word poetry, it's as if Sikth hired the local asylum for the criminally insane's house choir, told them to patch together some lyrics, and deliver them in whatever way they see fit. It's strange, and the pieces do not always fit together, but it keeps things wildly interesting.

'The Trees Are Dead & Dried Out Wait for Something Wild' is a very ambitious effort, but some ideas are taken far beyond where they should have stopped. 'Tupelo' and 'Can't We All Dream?' are a perfect example of this, taking an altogether sixteen minute respite from the chaos to build up a couple of odd vocal ideas. Although 'Tupelo' succeeds in conveying an eerie tribal feeling, the following track ends up becoming irritating long before the end. Hearing the track title shouted countless times after the music ends would have been a disappointing end to the album, but to make it worse, it's lodged in the middle of it. Through this, 'The Trees Are Dead & Dried Out Wait for Something Wild' has a fairly weak sense of flow to it, and even feels like it should have ended much earlier than it does. 'Death Of A Dead Day' is superior in virtually every way, but as debuts go, SIkth gives a remarkable experience here. It's a shame that we will only ever hear two albums from them, because there is not a band that has a sound just like theirs.

Conor Fynes 'Probing Tranquillity' - Sleep Terror (5/10)

Playing in the instrumental tech metal style that has picked up speed over the past decade, Sleep Terror is a one man project of guitarist Luke Jaeger. Although it was once a full band, Sleep Terror fell apart, but Luke decided to keep going with his music under the same name. Although I have not heard Sleep Terror in its full-band incarnation, I imagine that a host of musicians may have benefited the music on 'Probing Tranquillity' over one guy doing everything. Luke Jaeger's guitar work is impressive, but the composition here seems like a playground for his shredding ability and technical skills rather than an artistic fulfilment.

Eeking just over the half hour line, 'Probing Tranquillity' is a short, unrelenting dive into jazz- influenced shred metal. Although the album is split into a number of two minute tracks, it all flows as one running composition. However, speaking it terms of its structure, 'Probing Tranquillity' never feels like a well composed epic, but rather drawing comparisons to a sample catalogue. There are no recurring melodies; nothing that will hook a listener in. Although Luke Jaeger is evidently trying to create a tongue-in-cheek caricature of instrumental tech death, it would have benefited the musical experience if there was something more to it.

Although the ideas are sporadic, they are often very similar. Sleep Terror's sound falls in between Malmsteen's school of shred metal, and an energetic slant of rhythmic metal that could be compared to Meshuggah or a slew of modern technical death metal bands. In short, the sound is something I have heard many times before. Where Sleep Terror works well however, is Luke Jaeger's performance itself. 'Probing Tranquillity' feels a little one-sided in its devotion to guitar, but that's where Luke's talent lies; in the guitar. He is able to solo in both the jazz and metal styles quite well, but as my impression of Sleep Terror indicates, there is more needed than musical skill to foster lasting enjoyment in an album.

Conor Fynes 'Suspended Animation Dreams' - Subterranean Masquerade (8/10)

I had been hearing some great things about this album for a long while before I got around to listening to Subterranean Masquerade's 'Suspended Animation Dreams', and once again, my my musical network has not let me down. Although often called a progressive metal, or avant-garde metal band, there is alot about them that does not fit any of those labels. Suffice to say, 'Suspended Animation Dreams' is an eclectic effort, but it ultimately gives off a lasting impression that keeps me coming back. Although aspects of the band's sound feel somewhat half-baked in comparison to the sheer perfection they reach with others, Subterranean Masquerade's first- and to date, only- album deserves an invested experience from any adventurous listener.

You may have heard of the death metal elements that Subterranean bring to their music, but a listener who may be turned off by death growls should not be thwarted. Of the hour or so length, only a fraction is lent to metal, or heavy things in general. As a whole, Subterranean go for a prog rock sound that's hard to pinpoint in any prog trend. Their music can be acoustic and folky, or jazzy. As one may guess from a track title lie 'Rock n' Roll Preacher', there are also straight up 'rock' moments, where there's nothing particularly weird going on, and the music has an upbeat feel to it. Often, the mellower side of the band could draw comparisons from Pink Floyd. No mistakes made, however; 'Suspended Animation Dreams' is a challenging album, and there is not much out there that sounds like it. Although a listener will likely not confront something they perceive as being totally 'abstract', the fact that the wide range of sounds are all within the course of one album makes the album quite a handful to digest all at once.

The musicianship here is strong, though lopsided. Taking a look at the 'cast' for this album can go to indicate how many instruments are actually at work here. There are horns, saxophones, and harmonicas. Considering that this is a metal album, it takes some memorable songwriting to have it all fit together well, and Subterranean Masquerade do not disappoint on that front. Some of these instruments make a cameo for a moment only, and then leave, and it would have been nice to hear some of the most promising elements, such as the harmonica, a little further developed. There are Paul Kehr's vocals are arguably the most distinctive aspect of this band, a lower-register voice that carries alot of emotion and warmth to it. Where Subterranean Masquerade ironically loses some of their intensity is actually the metal portion of their sound. The metal guitar tone sounds a little weak, and it generally feels less well-executed and powerful than its mellow counterpart. Although they are labelled a 'prog metal' group, 'Suspended Animation Dream's greatest feature are the warm, often acoustically driven prog rock they make. Thankfully, that's where the band devotes most of their time, making Subterranean Masquerade's debut a winner.

Conor Fynes 'Huxwhukw' - Serious Beak (5/10)

Austrailian tech metal act Serious Beak is new to the scene, but they have already been sparking some waves amongst the progressive metal community. Being a major fan of bands like Blotted Science and Canvas Solaris, I often jump at the opportunity to hear a band that takes the aggression of metal and channels it through precise composition and instrumental fury. 'Huxwhukw' was released in 2011, and while only now coming to my attention, it is clear that the band's more dissonance-centric style has plenty of potential. That being said, 'Huxwhukw' has not stirred me in a way tech metal has not already done many times over.

Serious Beak is much like fellow tech metallers Dysrhythmia in the sense that they channel their musical skills into creating slightly jarring compositions, as opposed to the sort of virtuosity that flows over the listener. Serious Beak does not innovate anything in their sound that comes across as being entirely fresh, but 'Huxwhukw' is a different breed of animal than a lot of technical metal you may have heard. There is a stark post-rock feel to Serious Beak whenever they are exercising dynamic, and when they are heavy, they convey the sort of chaotic energy I normally expect from mathcore. There is not much middle ground for Serious Beak; they are either tweaking out and chucking ideas into a listener's ear at a hundred miles a minute, or they are gently letting their instruments whisper softly to each other. More than often, the transitions between these two aspects is sudden and jarring, and although the first few times is a bit of a shock, the rocky switches become ironically predictable.

Serious Beak have plenty of energy to them, but their sound comes off as feeling a little plain. Although this is more a cause of the recording rather than the musicians' performance itself, I found that 'Huxwhukw's fairly dry recording and slant of 'predictable chaos' ran the music into the depths of monotony within a few listens. Although 'Huxwhukw's mathy angle does not fit my tastes however, the band's energy is enough for me to say that Serious Beak could go somewhere very cool with their sound in the future. I'm just not quite feeling their sound at the moment.

Conor Fynes 'Fluid Motion' - Alarum (6/10)

As is the case for many progressive death metal acts, Alarum began by playing a more straightforward brand of metal. With the debut 'Fluid Motion', this Australian jazz metal band performs a striking mix of thrash energy and death heaviness. The degree of complexity that would come with later work is not yet here, but as it stands, 'Fluid Motion' is a competent thrash-death crossover record.

Alarum sound readily influenced by the pioneers Death, in the sense that Death made their first strides by combining death metal and thrash together. For anyone mildly familiar with either genre, it's granted that 'Fluid Motion' will not appeal to many outside the metal community. This is largely due to the style, but also due to the impression that nothing in 'Fluid Motion' particularly stands out. Save for a slight flirtation with progressive jazz elements, Alarum's debut passes me as being competent, but little more, at least at this stage. Instrumentally, Alarum typically switches between straightforward thrash rhythms and contrasts it with more technically admirable passages, sometimes reminiscent of death metal, and other times sounding like they could be paying tribute to prog-era Voivod. The song 'Could This Be Real?' provides a bit of a refreshment, giving the listener a jazzy angle. There is a good variety in the vocals as well, with clean singing, Schuldiner-esque growls, and a marriage between the two, at times. Where 'Fluid Motion' begins to buckle is that none of these numerous elements ever excel. The clean vocals seem to run flat, the growls lack distinction, and as technically skilled as the musicianship is, there's nothing here that blows the competition out of the water.

In short, 'Fluid Motion' is a fairly ambitious, and ultimately decent output from a band who would go on to become one of the leading forces of jazz metal. It lacks the flow and tact of an excellent album, but there's nothing bad about this one at all.

Conor Fynes 'Nespithe' - Demilich (8/10)

The only album released by death metal warlords Demilich is one that is best appreciated in its context. The early 90's were the period in which death metal- not to mention extreme metal in general- reached its artistic peak across the board. Mayhem graced black metal with the genre's resounding classic 'De Mysteriis Dom Santhanas,' and the envelope of death metal was being pushed towards techy, progressive territory at the hands of Death and Atheist. Little known among these pioneers is Demilich. Although they only released ever released this one album, 'Nespithe' could be said to be ahead of its time. With a firm grasp of the newly formed technical excellence that death metal was beginning to demand, Demilich fused that with a much darker sense of atmosphere, as well as a particularly jarring style of vocals that would go on to foreshadow an entire sub-genre of death metal. 'Nespithe' may not have the dynamic approach that would have made it a masterpiece in my books, but there's no denying this album's place as a classic.

The style called 'brutal death metal' may sound a little kitsch to outsiders of metal, but it indeed refers to a very specific trend of death metal, defined largely by its 'crushing' sound, and very low, gurgled vocals. On that latter note, vocalist Antti Boman can be said to have pioneered the incredibly low gutturals, whereas much death metal of this period was more of a scream. Although the instrumentation is incredibly unique on it's own, it is Boman's vocals that will plant Demilich on the map of death metal for eternity. Even after death metal has been popularized and populated by thousands of bands, I have not yet heard a vocalist that is able to reproduce a vocal gurgle like his, without the gratuitous use of effects. Granted, Boman's very demonic style of growling will not be for everyone, but it, among other things, helps to set 'Nespithe' apart.

The music of Demilich is heavy and incredibly dark, and it stays that way throughout the entire album. The guitars here have a unique style of riffing; although the thought won't pass a listener upon their first experience with it, the quasi-melodies and licks that Demilich build their sound with would not be out of place in jazz music. Demilich are not a 'jazz metal' band in the vein of Atheist however; far from. The music here features no softer moments where they exercise their finer elements. 'Nespithe' is an unrelenting plunge into hellish depths. As was noted by a friend of mine, the closest modern day equivalent to this band would be Portal, in the sense that they are able to take the ingredients of death metal, but do something with it that makes them unique and atmospheric. The music on 'Nespithe' conjures a diabolical sense of impending doom. Even though the lyrics are virtually obscured by Boman's vocal intensity, it's quite simple to evaluate the subject matter, if only based on the stark sense of 'evil atmosphere' that 'Nespithe' creates. Death metal has not always been a style of music I find myself moved by; particularly the technical brand of it. All the same, Demilich's sound is truly one of a kind, and listeners with an ear open enough to extremity should do well to listen to it. It sounds just as extreme today as it would have twenty years ago.

Conor Fynes 'OV' - Orthrelm (2/10)

Although it is obviously my number one goal in music to find the best work and new sounds to digest, a side-project of mine has also been to fine albums that either completely contradict my concept of taste, or strike me as not only being bad, but downright unlistenable. Although Orthrelm's 'OV' has quite a few people who have found something 'great' in it, it is one such album that completely goes against how I enjoy music. Of course, the possibility is always left open that an album of this nature will revolutionize my views on music. In the case of 'OV' sadly, shred drone metal is not the pick of the day, or tomorrow, or probably ever. Comprised of a single forty minute composition, Orthrelm takes a handful of sloppy shred metal ideas, and draws them out to such a length and level of repetition that sanity may be lost half way through.

Usually, I would have plenty to say about the slight nuances and themes that pervade a forty minute piece. After all, they are usually a work of labour and love, and often meticulously crafted. Orthrelm may have put a lot of effort and care into creating 'OV', but my concerns lie with how the music has translated into the result I have heard, and am hearing. A two man group armed with nothing more than a handful of guitars and a drumkit, Orthrelm is not aiming for the lush arrangements and instrumentation that a typical progressive metal band has. You either have the chaotic drumming, or an unrelenting shred pattern that does not seem to give up. 'OV' opens up promisingly enough, with a bass note that pumps along, as if it were building up to something epic. By the time the overdrawn intro is up, a listener will have been filled in on virtually everything that transpires within the album. The bass disappears, and in its stead, there is an ear-piercing guitar shredding pattern. I cannot say it is even a 'guitar lick', because what comes out from the guitar does not sound like notes. Instead, three, or five, or ten minutes into hearing the exact same pattern sweeping up and down, Orthrelm's guitar sounds much less like an instrument, and much like a winged insect with baby-making on its mind.

I could say that there are more ideas to 'OV' than the shred idea, but that might imply that there is any sense of variety to this. Occasionally- and I do mean only occasionally- Orthrelm will break out of the shred to amp up the noise with some chaotic riff-chugs plucked right out of the math rock handbook. After being virtually condemned to the notion that nothing else would ever change in the sound, it is a pleasant shock to hear them do something else, but after a few seconds, the listener is treated to a variation on the same bloody shredding . By the end of this catastrophe, headaches were inevitable. Now, to those listeners who have found solace and enjoyment in 'OV', I do understand that the seemingly endless repetition does attempt to reach that feeling of being lured into a trance and hypnotized, and as unlistenable as this entire album was, the drumming remained fairly intense. However, when an album becomes a labour of willpower to properly sit through, it becomes clear that Orthrelm's music won't be appealing to me any time soon.

Conor Fynes 'Dance Of Death' - Iron Maiden (7/10)

'Dance Of Death' marks the second chapter in Iron Maiden's six-piece lineup. Although changes within the ranks and the addition of a third guitarist would normally be something only fans would be interested in, it did mark a musical shift for the band. Starting with 'Brave New World'- an album that's been since considered one of the greatest metal albums of the new millennium- Iron Maiden brought their distinctive style back to the forefront, and haven't looked back since. Most notably, singer Bruce Dickinson was back with them, but there is also a progressive edge to the songwriting that makes this period in Iron Maiden's history arguably their most exciting. 'Dance Of Death' balances out between their classic style and more intricate composition, and despite the relatively weak album art, Maiden makes it clear that they are far from exhausting their artistic spirit.

There will certainly be those who argue that Iron Maiden have 'barely' changed their sound over the decades, but comparing their early, punk-infused energy to the symphonic grandeur of the title track on 'Death Of Death', it's undeniable that Iron Maiden have picked up some new tricks. Perhaps moreso than 'Brave New World', Iron Maiden balances two distinct approaches on this album. The first is their classic brand of songwriting, one that often uses the signature 'guitar gallop', biting solos and choruses that could get a stadium's worth of metalheads singing along. 'Rainmaker' stands out particularly in this regard, with a futuristic main riff and pleasant vocal leads from Dickinson. 'Montsegur' is arguably the most traditional Maiden track here, a song somewhat reminiscent of 'The Trooper' that could have snuck onto an earlier Maiden album without arousing much suspicion.

As many of Maiden's fans might agree however, the highlight of Iron Maiden's recent work lies in the 'epic' songs they have been focusing on. Although they flirted with longer song structures as far back as their debut album, 'Dance Of Death' truly indicates their recent preference for involving, progressive composition. Without the slightest doubt, the two highlights on 'Dance Of Death' are the occult-themed title track, and the cinematic 'Paschendale'. The first of these sees Iron Maiden going down a familiar route of storytelling, about a man abducted and taken to an undead ritual. 'Paschendale' is a tribute to the eponymous battle in WWI, attempting to give the same sense of grim reality that 'The Trooper' gave the Crimean War. Musically, both tracks represent some of the most powerful songwriting I've ever heard Iron Maiden do, opening gracefully, and dramatically building to something powerful and even symphonic. As has become the standard for Maiden, the lyrics are handled with sophistication, generally falling upon history or philosophy for inspiration.

'Dance Of Death's weakness comes in the form of songs that come close to being called 'filler'. 'No More Lies', 'Gates Of Tomorrow' and 'New Frontier' are all pleasant enough Maiden tracks, but even after giving 'Dance Of Death' many enjoyed listens, I found nothing stirring about them. Thankfully, the is more excellence than disappoint on 'Dance Of Death', and while I could have asked for a greater consistency and flow, Iron Maiden's progressive material here is some of the best work I've heard them play.

Conor Fynes 'The Number Of The Beast' - Iron Maiden (7/10)

Long held to be Iron Maiden's immortal, classic contribution to the world of metal, Iron Maiden has undoubtedly had brighter musical moments than this, but its place as a go-to essential is not unfounded. Graced with some of the band's most recognizable songs, 'Number Of The Beast' lays down a foundation for all of the Maiden work to come. With galloping rhythms, acrobatic vocals, aggressive speed and relative lyrical sophistication, Maiden's third album is a great place to start with this band's illustrious career.

As part of the NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) movement, Iron Maiden has a very signature sound to them here, one that's likely already indelibly etched into many a metalhead's mind. Twin-harmony guitars and a rhythm section that achieves a rolling pattern, akin to the galloping of a horse, are the two distinguishing traits of the band's music. Although these songs are quite catchy, there is a technical sense to the riffs. Speed metal is obviously a factor here, although it's used moderately enough for the music to be melodic and memorable. The two most famous tracks off the record are the title track, and the crowd pleaser 'Run To The Hills'; a song that features everything that fans love about Maiden. Here, the lyrics revolve around European conquest of the New World; an ambitious topic in comparison to the bawdy 'sex and drugs and sex' themes that many metal bands of the time were into.

Iron Maiden had been a capable act with singer Paul Di'Anno, but Bruce Dickinson's voice really brings the band's sound to a new level of distinction. He is one of those singers who manages to impress in a lower range, as well as a blistering falsetto. The epic closer and highlight 'Hallowed Be Thy Name' is most indicative of this. Beginning quite slowly, Bruce is able to set the scene of a dark holding cell, then raises the intensity as it becomes clear that the protagonist is doomed to be executed. Iron Maiden's sense of refined aggression is matched perfectly with this dark subject matter, although there are certainly more upbeat moments on the record, such as the tongue-in-cheek '22 Acacia Avenue'.

'Number Of The Beast' really is a perfect place to start with Iron Maiden, even more so than any best-of compilation. Although I think the quality of music would get higher as they tread towards more progressive domains, the classic quality and consistent songwriting makes this album a winner.