The Unseen Empire and Dark Matter Dimensions were good albums in their own right, but this album has removed any traces of doubt from my mind......Scar Symmetry is still as BRILLIANT as ever!

The greatness of the first part of The Singularity rivals the greatness of Holographic Universe in just about every way. If the final two parts can maintain the quality established here, the Trilogy will displace Holographic Universe as Scar Symmetry's crowning achievement. I was as skeptical as anyone when the band moved on without Christian Alvestam, and never thought I would love anything they did quite as much without him...until this album. Yes, it's that good.

The band has clearly mastered their sound. The vocalists sound amazing and their chemistry with each other and the rest of the band has improved by leaps and bounds. The pacing is perfect. They nailed the futuristic atmosphere they were going for and it goes hand in hands with the interesting lyrical concepts about transhumanism. The songwriting sees Scar Symmetry at their most progressive and creative, without sacrificing an ounce of the catchiness and fun choruses the fans love. All in all, this is exactly what I wanted out of a Scar Symmetry album in 2014 - and I can't wait until the next two installments!

Highlights: All the songs are top-quality stuff, but I like Neohuman, Neuromancers, and Technocalyptic Cybergeddeon the most.

Elvenking blasts back into the forefront of the power and folk metal scenes with The Pagan Manifesto, a triumphant return to form for the Italian veterans. Their debut Heathenreel is a magnificent album with a special place in my heart, but none of their subsequent albums capture the same magic. Sure, they are all competent and have a few good songs each, but none of them left me with the jubilant, fulfilled feeling that Heathenreel always delivered.

The Pagan Manifesto has changed that. It's not going to dethrone Heathenreel, but it's their first album that truly lives up to the legacy of the debut. The band sounds fresher and more exciting than they have in a long, long time. There is not a single weak track to be found here, as each one is overflowing with that vibrant pagan spirit we all love and is filled with countless infectious melodies (including a cameo of the guitar melody from Heathenreel's "White Willow" on track 2). Indeed, after only two full listens, I can already recite the chorus to almost every track at the top of my lungs.

The Pagan Manifesto not for everyone - the cheese factor is quite high and it's a fun-oriented album that doesn't take itself too seriously. But if you have ever enjoyed anything by Elvenking, do yourself a favor and get this album. From the epicness "King of the Elves" and "Witches Gather" to the unbridled energy of "Elvenlegions" and "Pagan Revolution" to the heartfelt emotion of "Towards the Shores" and "Twilight of Magic", this is as consistent and memorable of a folk/power metal album I've heard in a while. I will rate it at 4.0 for now, though it may rise to 4.5 with further listens.

Cormorant proves they can still be Cormorant without Arthur Von Nagel. The new vocalist fits in perfectly and has better range than Von Nagel, allowing the band to go after a more black metal-oriented sound than before. However, Cormorant's identity is still very much intact. If you loved their story-based lyrics and ambitious compositions, you will find more of that on Earth Diver.

The first five tracks are very strong and were on pace to earn this album a 4-star ratings, but the final three tracks were weaker and seemed to drag in comparison. None of the tracks stand out as masterpieces, but "Sold as a Crow", "Waking Sleep", and "The Pythia" are the highlights.

For me, Earth Diver is actually a slight improvement over Dwellings, but doesn't quite live up to the brilliance of Metazoa, which is still my favorite Cormorant album.

Surprisingly Brilliant

Unhuman's self-titled 2013 album is one of the most formidable slabs of progressive death metal to be released in years. I wasn't expecting much when I checked it out on a whim, but this album's musicianship, songwriting, and variety completely blew me away. The imagination of experimental metal has been perfectly fused with the precision of technical death metal to create songs that pack a relentless heavy punch, yes, but also are all very memorable and dynamic with lots of delicious little melodies mixed in. And of course, this review wouldn't be complete without mentioning the vocalist. I don't usually pay much attention to the vocals in death metal, but this vocalist can do some insane things with his voice and it really adds to the alien-like aesthetic of their sound. I look forward to hearing more from this promising band in the future. I highly recommend this album to anyone who is interested in new and unique variety of death metal from a band that needs and deserves recognition.

Highlights: Chaotic Equilibrium, Douces Pensées..., Mutants War, Sécheresse, Once Again, (In)human Being, Individual Timeless Reality

Manifest Decimation is a top-notch crossover thrash album from Texas' Power Trip. The band blends influences from a jumble of prominent bands, especially Cro-Mags and Slayer. It is not often that you come across crossover albums in 2013 that sound like they would've fit in perfectly in the late 80s. The constant barrage of neck-snapping riffs, energetic vocals and raw (but not too raw) production make this album an instant winner among fans of this sound and among people who are looking for an album to rock out/mosh too.

However, it is the band's debut album so it's not surprising that there are a few flaws. There is not much variety to differentiate between the songs. The album does come off as very samey. Since the best songs are the first three and the last two, it really drags in the middle. The hardcore and thrash influences are not always seamlessly mixed. One of the songs basically stole the drum intro from Slayer's "Criminally Insane" before jumping into a very Suicidal Tendencies-like groove. I look forward to seeing how the band improves in the future as they continue to develop their sound and hone their songwriting.

This album has its pros and cons, but in the end, it has a lot of good things going for it. All of the songs are enjoyable (though not always memorable) in their own right and the band brings an undeniable energy to the table. Recommended for anyone who enjoys some well-done, angry crossover thrash, because that's exactly what this album is.

Standout tracks: Manifest Decimation, Power Trip, Conditioned to Death, Hammer of Doubt