Conor Fynes 'All Gods Are Gone' - Appearance Of Nothing (6/10)

One of the most recommended prog metal albums for me this year was this LP by Swiss group Appearance Of Nothing. Setting aside my fatigue with the somewhat stale nature of modern prog metal, I have looked into it, and while I still cannot set down my distaste for what this once-glorious sound has now become, it is clear to me that some albums of this sound stand out more than others. With a handful of guest appearances from some big names in metal, 'All Gods Are Gone' appears to be this band's breakthrough record; a refreshing escape from the Dream Theater worship that many prog metal bands fall into. The bottom line; Appearance Of Nothing have made themselves a fine record to beckon the listeners of 2011 in.

Appearance Of Nothing tends to fall towards in a comfortable middle ground of the prog metal spectrum, both knowing how to be technical and wild at times, but also narrowing in on that feeling of the 'epic' that much power metal aims for. Appearance Of Nothing are a very melodic band, albeit without necessarily being catchy; the strength of this band instead lies in the way they have been able to throw a bunch of different ideas into the mixing bowl and have them come out as something relatively cohesive. Know that 'All Gods Are Gone' is far from the most refreshing listen in prog metal that's come out lately, but I will say that they do more with their sound than most. Here, I am hearing the sounds of symphonic, death, and power metal, and even distinct sounds of electronica, which still sound a little jarring amidst the rest of the more traditional sounds.

As far as musicianship goes, this band is a winner, and the arrangement and layering of the compositions is excellent. Appearance Of Nothing has an eclectic sound to them, with heavy riffs and growls being contrasted with jazzy interludes, power metal choruses and a few surprises here and there. The style is certainly not new, but the band keeps changing up the sound and pace of the music, so it stays fairly interesting. Also, an intriguing addition here are the vocals of Dan Swano and Devon Graves, the former being a hero of mine for death metal. Although the vocals of neither are used particularly well, they are refreshing cameos, and give Appearance Of Nothing a stable position in the prog metal network.

A very good album, and even great for the mere fact that its eclectic style makes much of the output by similar bands seem dwarfed in comparison. Even still, the sounds of melodic prog metal seem like they're getting too mixed in with AOR, and- not to mention the lyrics- there is a certain level of cheese here that might turn off the more serious listeners. All that being said, here is an album with good writing and excellent musicianship, a great introduction to this Swiss act.

Phonebook Eater Appearance Of Nothing is a new progressive metal band from Switzerland, quite an unusual place for metal music. Even though this is their second album, being their first released in 2008, “Wasted Time”, the band has received a lot of attention among the prog metal scene, being considered to be one of the best prog metal albums of this year. Maybe I’m losing a bit of my prog metal love, but I can’t agree with this statement: in fact, I was a bit disappointed, to my surprise.

“All The Gods Are Gone” is much pretty straight forward prog metal: heavy guitars, complex rhythms, with some power metal influences, rich and powerful sound, keyboards, fast-paced solos. There are some elements in this album that aren’t a rarity in this type of music, but still without being a distinctive and essential characteristic: the epic sounding melodies, the pretty frequent use of growl vocals, some techno/heavy synth use, some use of acoustic guitars and piano here and there for thickening the sound a little more. The production is probably the best thing about “All The Gods Are Gone”; almost perfect sound and great mixing, which are key principles of a good Progressive Metal record.

For your and my sake, I’m not even going to mention the lyrical content of the songs, since, for what I hear, it sounds pretty pathetic and corny to the extreme. Better just to focus on the music. The first part of the album isn’t my favorite; those first two songs have some pretty weak moments; however, the melodies can be pretty memorable at times. But the best part of this album is it’s the centre, with “Sweet enemy” and “Destination”, the two longest tracks. There are some great, bad-ass sounds and memorable melodies along pretty much both the songs. But the fifth track, “The Call Of Eve”, is my favorite, even though that heavy techno synth could turn many people off. But the musicians are at their top, the music is extremely enjoyable throughout the whole song. However, the last songs of the album pretty much make me cringe, especially “….I Said Silence”, the worst song of the album, some times it gets alsmot unbearable for me, because of the huge amount of cheese, which, I didn’t mention earlier, is kind of a distinctive trait of the album. Actually I don’t mind the last song, the instrumental “The Rise And Fall Of Nothing”, it definitely has its moments and it’s probably the most progressive song on the album, even though being paradoxically the shortest.

An album I enjoyed partially, I had more than a few issues with it. But I can see why people are liking this, maybe I’m getting a little tired of that epic metal sounding prog metal. Begging for some Dream Theater here.

The Block The rise and hopefully not the soon fall of a great prog metal band

So far this year, and at the end of last year, there has been a plethora of bands that have gone with the flow, and sounded like every other prog metal band out there. But, Appearance of Nothing has shown that not all bands strive to be normal. With a great group of guests that include Dan Swanö of Nightingale and Edge of Sanity, and Devon Graves of Psychotic Waltz and Deadsoul Tribe. This album is a great mix of genres that include prog and hints of power metal. Though it’s early in 2011, this has a huge chance to make my top ten, or even top five albums of the year.

The musicianship on this album is top notch. I especially like the guitar style of Peter Berger, which blends in very well with Appearance of Nothing’s great prog sound. One song that showcases this is “The Mirror’s Eyes”. Peter Berger and Marc Petralito show off bursts of electric power that is highlighted by the drums, which back up the vocals very well. The bass lines on this album are also very nice, and thick, backing up the guitars and blending in with the drums evenly. The solo to begin “2nd God” by Peter Berger is superb, and it offers a nice transition into a nice vocal section highlighted by great drumming. This is a testament to how well both the production is and how great these guys play together.

The diversity of this album also sets it apart from other recent releases, and adds to its greatness. Songs like "The Mirror's Eyes", "... I said Silence" and "2nd God" swing between dark symphonic prog metal and death metal. The way Appearance of Nothing was able to incorporate Dan Swanö into “All Gods Are Gone” shows how good they are as a band, too. “The Mirror’s Eyes” is a prime example of the diversity of this album with since it also has hints of power metal in it, too. After the death vocals, it transfers into the power metal section with much faster drumming and resonating lead vocals by Pat Gerber and Omar Cuna. Those two work together so well, that they almost sound like one voice. “Sweet Enemy” changes up the feel of the album, with Devon Graves on lead vocals and a much slower feel with a lot less drums than normal. What’s great about it is that it doesn’t feel out of place at all, it blends right in with the rest of the album. One thing that was unexpected on this album was that it also had techno elements in it. I know many people don’t think that techno would fit in with prog metal, but surprisingly it does. On the track “The Call of Eve” the keyboards start the techno riff, but it is soon taken up by both the drums and guitars. Then it flows seamlessly back and for the between metal and techno until the vocals, which as with every other song are superb.

I can say absolutely nothing about the production of “All Gods Are Gone” because it left me speechless. It is flawless and smooth, another reason to pick this one up.

Some of the best progressive metal comes from Sweden, but now some people will have to turn their attention to Switzerland. Appearance of Nothing has brought everything I love to the table in their newest release; great vocals, originality, great sound. With hints of power, and prog metal they will capture the ears of many listeners. For their grand release Appearance of Nothing gets 4.5 stars.

J-Man Albums like All Gods Are Gone remind me why I love progressive metal so much. Although traditional prog metal has become a dumping ground for uninspired Dream Theater clones lately, an ambitious act like Appearance of Nothing injects some much-needed life into the genre. Featuring guest performances from legends such as Dan Swanö (Edge of Sanity, Nightingale) and Devon Graves (Psychotic Waltz, Deadsoul Tribe), as well as some of the best prog metal music created in the last 10 years, should be enough to convince anyone to give this a shot. Appearance of Nothing has an impressive amount of power and energy, not to mention the unforgettable compositions on All Gods Are Gone. Although 2011 has barely begun, it looks like we already have an early contender for "top ten" material. If you've been writing off progressive metal as a derivative genre that has nothing new to offer, pick this up - you won't regret it.

The music here is undoubtedly progressive metal, but there's plenty of eclecticism and diversity on All Gods Are Gone. You'll hear thrash tendencies (especially on "...I Said Silence"), plenty of power metal (not the cheesy type), some death growls from Dan Swanö, and of course technical prog rock/metal in the vein of Dream Theater. This is a pretty fast-paced album - not like an extreme metal album, but there isn't much breathing room here. There's the occasional softer moment, but most of All Gods Are Gone is a heavy symphonic journey. Cheesy and pompous ballads are nowhere to be found; instead Appearance of Nothing manages to seamlessly blend heaviness and beauty while maintaining a sense of coherence. Songs like "The Mirror's Eyes", "2nd God", and "...I Said Silence" switch moods multiple times without any awkward transitions. As previously mentioned, Dan Swanö lends his death growls to 3 songs here, and Devon Graves contributes on one song. Despite the prominence of the guest singers, the vocals from the core band shouldn't be underestimated at all. The two vocalists in Appearance of Nothing (Patrick Gerber and Omar Cuna) add up to a terrific department with wondrous harmonies and soaring melodies. Instrumentally speaking, AoN is equally as impressive. There are plenty of complicated breaks and mind boggling solos without ever crossing the line between impressive playing and self-indulgence.

The production from Markus Teske and Marc Petralito is absolutely fantastic. The sound is perfect for Appearance of Nothing's music - no complaints here.

All Gods Are Gone really was a pleasant surprise for me. Prior to this album I had never heard of Appearance of Nothing, so calling this a great introduction would be a huge understatement. Modern prog metal doesn't get much better than this - if you want to hear something that's original and captivating from beginning to end, definitely check out this excellent Swiss group. 4.5 stars are deserved here - this is an essential purchase for fans of the genre. It'd be a mistake to let this gem slip through your fingers.