Half Time Review 2012

It's that time again; June, halfway through the year, the summer solstice. Half the year done with already, but what a cracking half a year it's been, musically speaking. Some surprises, few disappointments, many new and exciting things.

Getting straight on with business, here are my top 5 albums of the year to date. These are the albums I've got most excited about, tweeted about, played over and over and over, and generally got "in to". So, in no particular order:

Cormorant - Dwellings

A complicated mix of progressive black metal, a touch of folk and a good dose of hard rock. Starting the year with style, Dwellings was the first album I bought this year, and is still one of my favourites.

Anathema - Weather Systems

Anathema doing what Anathema does best, following nicely on from We're Here Because We're Here but improving in almost every respect. Heavier, noisier, calmer, cooler, and perfectly orchestrated.

Woods Of Ypres - Woods 5: Grey Skies And Electric Light

Doom, gloom and epic riffs. A collection of utterly miserable, yet somehow wonderfully listenable songs. More than a passing nod to the style of Type O Negative, throw in some black metal influence and add an oboe. Perfect.

In Mourning - The Weight Of Oceans

In Mourning create precisely the sort of melodic death metal I like. From the strident, monumental opening track to the more progressive latter half, this is as much a musical journey as it is an fantastic listening experience.

Krokmitën - Alpha/Beta

Why have multiple songs when you can have a single 46 minute death metal opus? When I first heard of the multimedia event that is Alpha/Beta I was fascinated. Then I heard it, and was amazed.

Of course, the problem with choosing the top five in a year like 2012 is that there are loads that don't quite make the cut, while still being great albums. Some honourable mentions include: Bloodshot Dawn, a cracking death/thrash explosion with some amazing artwork, Sanguine, with their self-titled debut hot on the heels of last year's Bloodstock New Blood appearance, Mortad, female fronted politic death metal with some clout, Gwynbleidd, proving that prog metal really can be all heavy, all the time, and Alcest, whose soporific blackened folk still chills me in two senses of the word.

There are a few albums who I would have liked to have heard this year but haven't. Maybe I'll get round to it later? A.A. Lucassen's Lost In The New Real is definitely on my to-get-round-to list, as is the new Before The Dawn, Phoenix Rising, conspicuous for its lack of clean vocals.

So, that's my quicky round-up for the first half of 2012. Marvellous. And now, on to Bloodstock, where much metal, mayhem and mild inebriation await!

Interesting Things

There have been a few albums released recently that I consider ... interesting. For various reasons, here are a bunch of albums that could prove intriguing.

Before The Dawn - Rise Of The Phoenix

Before The Dawn in a post about interesting things? Aren't they just doing what they always do? Well, no, actually. Hot on the heals of last year's Deathstar Rising comes Rise Of The Phoenix, complete with absolutely no clean vocals at all. Indeed, gone are the duelling growls and cleans that have defined the band's sound.

After the tumult and anguish the band went through before the release of Deathstar Rising, which saw vocalist Lars Eikind and drummer Atte Palokangas leave the band, it seems that Tuomas Saukkonen wants to take the band in a new direction. Perhaps he felt that the band's previous sound had run its course and it was time for something new and exciting to come out. A phoenix rising, indeed, but this time heavier, blacker and bleaker. I've given it a quick once over and it sounds good to my ear, but we shall have to see if the infectious choruses of earlier albums translate to this new sound.

Moonspell - Alpha Noir / Omega White

Moonspell are not a band that have really been on my radar. Hailing from Portugal, they started out with a folky, gothic black metal sound but have transitioned to a more death/doom style over time. What makes their new album interesting isn't so much the album itself, Alpha Noir, but the special edition that comes with a "twin" album in the form of Omega White. While Alpha Noir seems like a mix of gothic and death metal, Omega White is the polar opposite, a sort of ambient doom. The band's press release labelled Alpha Noir as "an incendiary album", while Omega White is an album of "pure atmosphere and shadow".

This is the band's first release on the Napalm label, and their first double album (although you can get Alpha Noir on its own if you'd prefer). I've yet to find any way to really give it a listen without buying a copy, which somehow feels odd in this world of internet releases, bandcamp and Spotify.

Arjen Anthony Lucassen - Lost In The New Real

If there's one man that always deserves a spot on a list of interesting things, it's Arjen Anthony Lucassen. After some mind-boggling work on his Ayreon project, he has now produced the solo album he has aspired to for a long time. While being similar to Ayreon in many ways, it's a separate story, although the influence of Ayreon is evident.

Set in the far future, our protagonist, Mr L, wakes up and is astonished at the new world before him. Throughout the album, his advisor helps him adjust to the "new real". This advisor is voiced by Rutger Hauer and is named, somewhat amusingly for fans of Blade Runner, Voight Kampff.

If you're a fan of Mr Lucassen's work, you're pretty much guaranteed to like this. The style is instantly recognisable, the narrative and lyrics immediately accessible to any fan of Ayreon or Star One. And I'm sure it'll be just as mind bending.

Here's the title track. It seems that somebody has uploaded the entire album to Youtube if you want to listen to it, but obviously it would be better listened to in a decent quality with a properly acquired copy!

Doozr's Bi-annual Review, part 1

Yes, it's that time again. July is almost upon us, the longest day has been and gone, and it's all downhill from here. So it must be time to take stock of the first half of the year. What has taken my fancy, and what has left me flat.

It's not been particularly tricky to pick the top 10 for this, the first half of 2011. I had some hard decisions to make around about numbers 8, 9 and 10. Some stuff that I would have liked to be in there was just pipped to the post and got left in the "honourable mentions".

Top 10

Overall, it's not been a terrible year for music. Some new stuff coming out of nowhere, some long standing greats continuing to be great, but some other lacklustre performances. So without further ado, and in no particular order, here are my top 10 of the first half of 2011.

Sylosis - Edge of the Earth
One of the earliest albums of the year, this monstrous melodic thrash/death metal epic had me hooked immediately. It was a shoo-in for the top spot on this first top 10 of the year. Nothing has budged it yet, except maybe the atmospheric stylings of ...

Moonsorrow - Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maassa
Another epic album, and another that I would consider a perfect production. Four massive, immersive tracks of tragedy, doom and despair that carries you along whether you like it or not.

Wolverine - Communication Lost
A bit of a grower, mostly due to it being the follow up to Still, a simply magnificent record. I was both tremendously excited, and very nervous about it. Fortunately Wolverine have more than lived up to their own potential and produced this emotive, progressive masterpiece.

Chaos Divine - The Human Connection
A slow grower, this one. Took a couple of weeks to really get into the frame of mind required. In fact, I was rather disappointed with it at first. But when it clicks, it sticks. Great prog noodling complements death growls and hard metal riffs.

Amorphis - The Beginning Of Times
Described variously as "epic", "magnificent", "awe-inspiring" and "tinkly tonkly", this is a definite for my top 10 of 2011, even if it hasn't quite reached the heights attained by its predecessor, Sky Forger. I have also gone and bought a copy of the Kalevala, from which the last 4 Amorphis albums draw their inspiration. It's a very strange tale, but has inspired some great metal.

Devin Townsend Project - Ghost
Possibly the most relaxing, chilled out experience so far this year. It's taken me several goes just to listen to all of it and not fall asleep in some kind of tranced out bliss.

Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction
The soundtrack to going insane. Densely packed, massive in scope and scale, and by the time you've got to the end of this album you won't know where you are or what you're doing. You will want a cheeseburger, though.

The Decemberists - The King Is Dead
Folky Americana courtesy of the band who brought you The Hazards Of Love. Completely different in sound, and with a similar outlook to Fleet Foxes. A rather pleasing, gentle interlude to all this shouting and hard riffs in the rest of the list.

Before The Dawn - Deathstar Rising
A good but of straight up melodeath. Good riffs, good vocals, both clean and growled, and good songs that it's easy to sing along with. Apparently it hasn't gone down well with all critics, but I find it a very enjoyable record to listen to.

Ador Dorath - Adon Nin Edelith Ador Dorath
Perhaps the strangest sounding operatic death metal band on the planet. If you can understand more than 1 in every 10 words you're doing well, but even in its barely comprehensible state it's a roaring, bombastic gothic metal album with loads of good riffs and heavy, chugging beats.

Honourable Mentions

The Top 10 is quite a decent list, I think. These records have had plenty of play time over the last few months. But as I previously said, not all of the good records can be in the top 10. That would be silly, because there are more than 10 of them. Here are a few that didn't quite make the cut, but deserve a mention anyway.

Silent Stream Of Godless Elegy - Návaz
The latest album from these Czech doom/folk metallers does away with some of the doom and adds more Moravian dance. A great record, but a little disappointing to lose some of the better sounds of Relic Dances.

Sanctorum - Semper Fidelis
Sanctorum return with a third album that, while great, suffers from a couple of tracks I just couldn't get along with. Having seen some of it played live I can attest to greatness of the rest of it, though.

Anvil - Juggernaut of Justice
14 albums, 1 riff. Tried and tested, and if it works, keep on doing it. 34 years in, and still going strong. Picked this album up from the Corporation during their UK launch tour. A bit of heavy metal fun. Not too taxing, but just enough rocking.

Kabát - Banditi di Praga
Another Czech band, which makes 3 in this post. This one I actually got from a holiday to Prague, after deciding to try something that might not be available in the UK. I was not disappointed. A sometimes confusing set of songs (all in Czech, of course) but each with an infectious rhythm and great riffs.

Disappointments

While it's been a good year so far, it's not all coming up roses. There have been a few disappointments on the way. These are albums that, for one reason or another, I expected to be much better than they actually turned out to be.

Arch Enemy - Khaos Legions
With a massive publicity campaign, this was supposed to be a magnificent album. It's actually just an Arch Enemy album. And I already have some of those. They even nicked a riff from Nightwish in the process, which I found bizarre.

Scar Symmetry - Unseen Empire
I heard this album before I bought it. On first listen, it sounded pretty good. On each subsequent listen, it got more and more boring, and I cared less and less about hearing it again. I've listened to it 3 times, then gave up. Dull.

Within Temptation - The Unforgiving
A comic book, videos, a massive concept album with a coherent story arc and loads of accompanying extras. It should have been every metal geek's idea of perfection. It actually turned out to be a confusing mass of boring pop-metal and euro-dance. As I said once before; About as metal as plaid, and makes as much sense as fish trousers.

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
I so wanted to love this album. After discovering Fleet Foxes, the debut, I wanted that experience again. All the reviews said it was like rediscovering the band. I wanted it. And, well, it's ok I guess. I just don't get the horrendous cacophony of instruments being tortured to death about half way through. People often say it of metal, and I'm saying it of this; it's just noise!

In the scheme of things, a few disappointments are inevitable. For the most part, I've very much enjoyed this year's voyage of discovery. I've got some great new music and, thanks to an increased list of reading material in my RSS reader and a new subscription to Terrorizer, I'm finding more stuff I actually like and less stuff that annoys or bores me. This is all good.

Before The Dawn - Deathstar Rising

There's something about the Finnish that makes them produce fantastic metal. Before The Dawn are one such band, and they're at it again with album number 6, Deathstar Rising. Not an easy album to find details about, what with Wookiepedia dominating search results, it is nonetheless a fine addition to this band's portfolio.

Before The Dawn have a very distinctive sound. Deathstar Rising is recognisably a Before The Dawn album, but with some interesting shifts in style. Tuomas Saukkonen's harsh growls are offset by Lars Eikind's powerful clean vocals once more, but this time the balance has shifted. The clean vocals come to the fore and, in some cases, overshadow the growls. This works well and gives the existing sound a whole new dynamic.

The songwriting is pretty much standard Before The Dawn fare. Strong riffs and dark themes abound and many of the songs are as dark and brooding as one might expect. The melodic death riffs and complex, precise drumming make for an interesting, immersive sound.

After a short musical opener to set the scene, Winter Within hurtles straight into the thrust of the album. This leads neatly into the title track, Deathstar. The songs are catchy enough to provide many sing (or growl) along moments.

Judgement showcases the gothic elements further, but with an infectious riff running through it. This is one of the tracks featuring primarily clean verses with a growl chorus. Certainly one of the highlights of the album.

If I were to pick fault, which I am loath to do, I would have to say that some of the songs are quite similar. In particular Deathstar and Remebrance seem to run together into one long song. If you're not concentrating and don't notice the song change, you may, as I did, be confused that the chorus suddenly has different lyrics. It's a minor thing, though. Deathstar is such a good song that accidentally having more of it's no a bad thing.

2011 - A Year Of Metal

I suck. I've been far too busy holidaying in Prague to write anything for ages so here is my first attempt to put things right. 2011 is shaping up to be an great year for metal, and these four tasters and teasers should surely prove it.

Before The Dawn - Deathstar Rising

Out now, and available for a free listen on Spotify, this is Before The Dawn's 6th studio album, but their first on the mighty Nuclear Blast label. It's melodic death/gothic metal of the highest calibre, and it shall soon adorn my CD shelf.

Sanctorum - Semper Fidelis

I first discovered these guys when Zavvi, formerly Virgin Megastores, decided to offload a bunch of the band's first album, The Heavens Shall Burn, for three of your English quids. I bought it in jest, expecting something crappy, and instead discovered something awesome. Semper Fidelis is Sanctorum's third studio album, and I've already pre-ordered it. They're currently touring with My Ruin, but I'll be seeing them in Worksop on April 30th at the Frog & Nightgown for a freebie gig with Northern Oak.

Arch Enemy - Khaos Legions

I've not really known much about Arch Enemy before, and that has been very much my loss. 23inertia got into them when she was researching Angela Gossow for our sister blog, Femetalism, and liked it very much. It's melodic, it's death, it's growly and it's loud. Should be amazing, and out by early summer.

Insomnium - Untitled

What is there to say about this one? It's Insomnium. They're recording a new album. I can almost guarantee that it will blow your ears off with shear awesomilitude. Such is the band's dedication to high quality metal, they are having songwriting camps and training sessions to hone their skills. This will be spectacular.