Down in a black hole...

Genre: power metal

Vindictiv is one of those progressive metal bands that I was always curious about, but never got around to checking out. With "Cage of Infinity", I figured that was my chance to check out one of Sweden's premier prog metal bands.

And, the timing couldn't be worse, because apparently the band have decided to make a change of musical direction, abandoning their progressive sound and in stead adopting a straightforward power metal sound.

Although I can imagine that a lot of their prog-loving fans are disappointed with this album, I must say that we are still dealing with pretty good metal music. Embracing heavy guitars and crushing riffs, Vindictiv's new sound has more of a US power metal to it than a Euro one, and each song is virtually an onslaught of relentless guitar attacks in the form of both riffs and leads (many of which reflect a very high level of guitar virtuosity). With double bass drums at the bottom and soaring vocals on top, delivering memorable chorus lines, the picture is complete. While the progressive element is gone, the melodic element is retained, and particularly found in the vocals and in some of the less shreddy guitar leads.

While probably a disappointment to prog metal fans, Vindictiv's "Cage of Infinity" has a lot of elements that should appeal to fans of US power metal. And, while not what many people have expected it to be, the album comes out on top in the power metal genre and is a likely candidate for power metal album of the year.

You've been body-slammed...

Genre: traditional metal

Pro wrestling fans may recognize the name Brute Forcz as the name of the tag team that starred the twin brothers Jammer and Slammer. And, well, the metal trio Brute Forcz is pretty much identical to the wrestling tag team, as it stars Jammer on bass and vocals and Slammer on drums, the added element being the British guitarist Will Walner. So, if you happen to be a fan of both metal and pro wrestling, then "Out For Blood" must be your wettest dream come true.

The tracks on "Out For Blood" are straight up traditional metal and just as 80s as pro-wrestling is. And, well, let's face it, if there were two cool things in the 80s, it was pro wrestling and traditional heavy metal. Drawing on the likes of Judas Priest and Motörhead, Brute Forcz have opted for relatively simple heavy metal songs, driven by solid drum beats and tight, rocking guitar riffs. Some tracks, like 'Thrill Queen', 'Out For Blood', 'Metal Injection', and 'Torture Chamber' are more in the vein of a simplified Judas Priest or Running Wild, while 'Sex Machine' and 'Leather N Chains' draw more on Motörhead, which also applies 'Live For Speed' although it has more of a Discharge feel to it.

Whether one wants to consider "Out For Blood" a simplified Priest/Motörhead or a refined Midnight, there is no doubt that Brute Forcz's music captures, well, brute force, it is simple, straightforward and in your face like a dropkick. The Jammer-Slammer rhythm section provides the minimalistic and rock solid rhythm section, while Will Walner's guitar solos are blazing and face-melting the old school way. Jammer's vocals do become a bit monotonous in the long run, and sometimes sound more like talking than singing, but they have a raw edge and gravelly harshness that suits the music quite well.

If you like straight-up old school heavy metal characterized by minimalistic brute force and blazing guitar solos, then "Out For Blood" is an album you should not miss out on.

The lions of Scotland...

Genre: extreme folk metal

Cnoc An Tursa is a Scottish so-called pagan metal band. To be honest, I generally think that so-called pagan metal is ridiculous, but every now and then I come across a band within this genre, who proves to me that so-called pagan metal does not have to suck per se. And Cnoc An Tursa is one such band.

Their combination of extreme metal and folk elements is perfectly balanced, and one of their main fortés is that they make virtually no use of folk instrumentation, meaning that the folk melodies are performed on the traditional rock instrumentation. One of my pet peeves when it comes to folk metal is that the rock instrumentation often takes the backseat, simply providing power chords while the folk instruments perform the folk melodies. But not on this album. Cnoc An Tursa let the guitars do the talking. They use keyboards, and some melodies are performed on the keyboards, but they only serve to enhance the music, not to drive it. Cnoc An tursa make considerable us of black metal aesthetics, which goes perfectly together with the Celtic side of their music. In a way, they are alike an extreme metal version of Slough Feg.

In terms of musicianship, the four Scots know their way around their instruments, and their specific approach to so-called pagan metal allows them to actually show that. The only thing I do not really like are the harsh vocals, which are a bit on the metalcore side.

Other than that, The Giants of Auld is a very well put together album, and fans of Primordial in particular should be very likely to dig Cnoc An Tursa, too.

(review originally posted at seaoftranquility.org)

Cold...

Genre: traditional heavy metal

Queensrÿche were once one of the world's premier progressive metal bands, releasing sophisticated yet accessible classics like "Operation: Mindcrime", "Empire" and "The Promised Land" among others, but after "Hear in the Now Frontier", which took a more grunge-oriented turn things went downhill with only a couple of interesting releases amidst a mass of, compared to the classics, boring albums. As we all know, the post-"Frontiers" era has been turbulent and ended with Queensrÿche being slit into two: one consisting of the founding members plus Todd LaTorre and Parker Lundgren, and one with Geoff Tate and essentially a bunch of hired hands.

With both versions of Queensrÿche aiming to release an album in 2013, there was a bit of a race going on to release first, I think - a race which Tate won with the release of "Frequency Unknown" way before the other Queensrÿche released their album. But is the release of "Frequency Unknown" really a victory? Is it enough to just release an album before the other Queensrÿche?

Well, no. The album will of course also have to be musically interesting? And, to be frank, "Frequency Unknown" does not strike me as interesting. It features music which is more in the vein of post-"Frontier" Queensrÿche - that is, more alternative metal with grunge and groove elements, and very few, if any, progressive elements. There are some heavy moments to be sure as in 'Slave', 'Running Backwards' and 'Dare'. While there are some good moments on the album, such as many of the guitar solos provided by guest musicians like Lita Ford, K.K. Downing and Chris Poland, "Frequency Unknown" simply is not interesting musically. I am biased, I know, but the Queensrÿche that appeals to me is the Queensrÿche that made albums like "The Warning", "Rage for Order", "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Empire". And "Frequency Unknown" is nowhere near the level of brilliance that characterize those albums. So "Frequency Unknown" barely qualifies as a Queensrÿche album to me.

"Frequency Unknown" has been criticized for being badly produced, and I have to join the ranks of the critics here. It sounds tinny and imbalanced - like the production was really rushed, so the album could be released as quickly as possible. The guitars are fuzzy and the drums sound thin, as do Tate's vocals. Only the lead guitars sound pretty good. The tinny production detracts immensely from the listening experience, and it really shines through in the re-recordings of the classics 'I Don't Believe in Love', 'Empire', 'Jet City Woman', and 'Silent Lucidity'. The four tracks should probably never have been re-recorded as they reveal all the weaknesses of "Frequency Unknown".

An okay alternative metal album, to be sure, "Frequency Unknown" is, in my opinion, nonetheless not worthy of being marketed as a Queensrÿche album. It simply lacks all things that I consider Queensrÿche qualities. If the intention with this album was to beat the other Queensrÿche, then "Frequency Unknown" has also lost that race, because it has just made me look even more forward to the release of the other Queensrÿche's (or, dare I say, the real Queensrÿche's) album.

Rise and fall of the Harlequin...

Genre: traditional heavy metal

After a very productive 2012 during which they released no less than two EPs and a full length, the American metal power trio Corners of Sanctuary initiated 2013 by released their second full-length in January.

"Harlequin" is a massive concept album telling the tale of a street performer who rises to fame in the Royal Zanni Elite, but at great personal cost. Now, this type of concept obviously leads one to expect either avant-garde or epic music, but Corners of Sanctuary play old school traditional heavy metal, proving that it is not impossible to combine this time-honored genre with narrative lyrical concepts.

Stylistically, "Harlequin" offers metal music along the lines of Judas Priest and Anvil with a touch of NWoBHM inspiration. And Corners of Sanctuary definitely know how to write rocking traditional metal with loads of emotional expressive power.

Sadly, while the musical aspect of "Harlequin" is more than satisfactory, the production leaves a lot to be desired. Normally, I do not mind rough productions, but the production of this album is, I think, unnecessarily lo-fi. It is fuzzy, tinny, and imbalanced with the vocals and bass dominating the rhythm guitars completely. Corners of Sanctuary have probably opted for this type of production because of its retro value (the fact that their other releases have the same type of production seem to indicate this), but it does a huge disfavor to the music, greatly diminishing the listening experience.

If you like top quality traditional metal and do not mind bottom quality production value, then you might enjoy this album immensely. For my money, it is a case of unnecessarily lo-fi production detracting heavily from otherwise well-written and well-performed music.