THE BEST ALBUMS 2013

THE BEST ALBUMS 2013

Soilwork – The Living Infinite

Hans Zimmer – Man of Steel

	Fleshgod Apocalypse – Labyrinth

	Dark Tranquillity – Construct Atli Örvarsson – The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones Protest the Hero – Volition   Scale the Summit – The Migration   Arsis – Unwelcome    The Black Dahlia Murder – Everblack     Joe Satriani – Unstoppable Momentum     Shade Empire – Omega Arcane     Orphaned Land – All Is One   Serj Tankian – Orca   The Ocean – Pelagial

Fleshgod Apocalypse - The Labyrinth - recenzia - the review

 Fleshgod Apocalypse - The Labyrinth

Po dvoch rokoch zase prichádzajú rímski symfonici v zaprášených frakoch aby ponúkli nasledovníka chválami, ale aj kritikou ovenčeného diela Agony. Labyrinth z lyrického pohľadu našiel svoj koncept v mytológii a ten alegoricky páni zasadili do kontextu aktuálneho spoločenského diania vo svete. Prvá skladba Elegy vypustená do éteru približne mesiac pred oficiálnym vydaním albumu avizuje, že nové skladby budú štafetou na Agony minimálne po technickej stránke, kde v štruktúre skladieb dominoval orchestrálny element.

Evidentným mínusom Agony však bolo prehnané zakomponovanie symfonických prvkov, ktoré určite a vďaka slabšej produkcii a mixu pohltili aj zvuk rytmických gitár. V ostatnom rade to bola "frajerina" na bicích, kde bravúrne odohrané "klepačky" v neuveriteľne rýchlom tempe tvorili cca 70 percent bubnovania na celom albume. Pozitívom bol však zaujímavo vytvorený novátorský prístup kde orchestrácia tvorí nosnú časť po celej dĺžke timingu konceptu nahrávky.

Labyrinth

Fleshgod apocalypse síce nedisponujú neoklasickým cítením ako gitaristi z Necrophagist alebo s dokonale vycibrením zmyslom pre tvorbu neobarokových skladieb s duchom Bacha, Handela Vivaldiho ako u Spawn of Possession. Početné tremolové vyhrávky a apreggiá v klávesoch a orchestrácii však zdôrazňujú vážnosť, estetický formát a grandióznosť náročnej a tvrdej muziky. Takto orientovaný hudobný produkt popri tradičných esách death metalovej kuchyne elegantne s ľahkosťou a noblesou otvára starobylé portály bájnej starobylej Kréty, kde Minotaurus zápasil so svojim strachom a blúdil tmavými chodbami labyrintu v Knossose.

Ako prvé mínus registrujem absenciu epickej hororovo ladenej symfonickej inštrumentálky, ktorá otvárala predošlý počin Agony. Skladba Kingborn sa rozbieha celkom svižne za doprovodu chorálov a duniaceho orchestra. Spomenuté klasickou a filmovou hudbou inšpirované arranžmány však nezakryjú kováčsky verš skladby, ktorý trpí masívnym nedostatkom kreativity. Pozitívne znie ženský operný vokál, ktorý je na albume vo viacerých skladbách. Na druhej strane rušivo pôsobí opäť basákov vysoký falzet. Aj Minotaur pokračuje v epickej atmosfére, ktorá na kvalite zvuku FA len pridáva. Gitarové riffy sú v porovnaní s Agony viac počuteľné, výraznejšie a prekvapivo aj bicie sú variabilnejšie. Za živelné vyvrcholenie skladby by sa nemusel hanbiť ani Hans Zimmer alebo Howard Shore ak bol úryvok v ich produkcii.

Treťou piesňou Elegy, zaujali silným barokovým motívom už v úvode. Verzia je opäť slabším článkom kovového defilé ako v prípade prvej skladby Kingborn. Agresívna pasáž pre refrénom sa snaží tento nedostatok minimalizovať, ale komplexný dojem skladby pôsobí rozpačito najmä tým, že Elegy postráda dej. Atmosféra by sa dala prirovnať k viacerým záplatám na jednom kuse odevu. Aj na predošlom albume boli skladby, ktoré ťažili z jedného dobrého riffu a príťažlivo spracovanej orchestrácie. Towards the Sun zaujme klavírnym backgroundom a hovoreným slovom, ktoré vnášajú dúšok invencie do produkčných vôd FA. Dojem naruší našťastie len niekoľkosekundový falzet a skladba ponúkne decentnú porciu dobre vyváženého pomeru progresívneho ovocia a sláčikovo-klavírneho inferna. Sóla sa začínajú čím ďalej, tým viac podobať ako vajce vajcu, možno to bol zámer. Vynikajúci apex v podobe operných výšok gotickej speváčky robí túto skladbu jednou z tých lepších čo klaustrofobicky pôsobiace koridory zamotaného labyrintu ponúkajú. Warpledge neurazí, ale škoda že ani ničím neohúri, snáď len tým, že druhá časť skladby ponúka zopár pasáží, ktoré vám utkvejú v pamäti. Pathfinder je menej transparentne progresívna, technicky sýta a polyrytmicky elegantná skladba. Imitácia francúzskeho rohu v druhom verši je impozantná, gitary a bicie režú kvalitný materiál až do zaujímavého orchestrálneho konca. The Fall of Asterion je solídna skladba, ale Agony pripomína najviac tým, že klávesy a ostatná orchestrácia udusí hlavne gitary, ktorých tóny vo viacerých vrstvách symfonickej cibule len ťažko rozoznať. Situáciu však na okamih zachraňuje gitarové sóly. Aj napriek spomenutým chybičkám skladba je jednou z najtechnickejších spolu s predošlou Pathfinder. Prologue to je samostatná kapitola. Výrazné plus, že počuť jemné podmanivé tóny akustickej gitary. Je predohrou k najkontrastnejšej a možno aj najlepšie technicky a hudobne zvládnutej skladbe na tomto albume Epilogue. Prirovnať by sa dala k dramaticky gradujúcej balade Forsaking, ktorá má miesto na predošlej doske skupiny. Kontrast Epilogue je hlavným znakom štruktúry skladby a tá ponúka pestrú paletu toho najlepšieho čo sa dalo zo štôlne FA vydolovať. Melancholická orchestrácia a operný ženský vokál strieda trvdšie majstrovsky zvládnuté úseky. Progresivita nechýba ani tejto skladbe a ponúkne štavnatú pasáž so sólom na violončele. Under Black Sails otvárajú timpany, skladba sa však ďalej uberá v rytmicky podobnom smere a ponúka priemernú štruktúru a melódie, ktoré nikoho neurazia avšak ani veľmi nezanechajú extra dojem. Na albumoch FA som si zvykol tešiť sa na záver a tak som bol plný očakávania. Po asi najlepšej klavírnej sonáte Oracle zostali verný tradícii a posledná skladba nesie názov albumu. Labyrinth je príjemná klavírna pieseň so silnou atmosférou. Jedinou zmenou je, že ku koncu sa nečakane pridajú ku klavíru sláčikové sekcie a na pozadí chorály. Skladbu dramaticky zvýraznili, atmosféru ani dojem neeliminovali, avšak konzervatívny fanúšik by povedal, že nabudúce by to chcelo opäť rýdzo klavírne ukončenie.

Komplexné zhodnotenie materiálu, ktorý bol vsadený do bájneho labyrinthu v ktorom blúdil Minotaurus je nasledovné:

Začiatok slabší, pri čísle 4 (Towards the Sun)sa to začína uberať lepším smerom, skladby obsahujú niečo aj pre liberálne orientovaných poslucháčov (invenciu)aj pre tých konzervatívnejších(typické úryvky pod signatúrou tohto zoskupenia). Čo sa týka kvality, vyvrcholenie príde niekde pri skladbách Prologue a Epilogue. Záver (Labyrinth)si však renomé opäť vylepší v porovnaní s predposlednou a my tak môžeme konštatovať že taliani to tento rok zvládli chválitebne.

The best albums of 2012

 The best of 2012 : metal albums
Spawn of Possession - Incurso

Gorod - A Perfect Absolution

The Faceless - Autotheism

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I

Abigail Williams - Becoming

Carach Angren - Where the Corpses Sink Forever


Beneath the Massacre - Incongruous


Be'lakor- Of Breath and Bone

Cradle Of Filth - Manticore and the other Horrors

Epica - Requiem for the Indifferent

 Lunatic Gods - Vlnobytie

Arsis - Lepers Caress

 Mors Principium Est...and Death Said Live

Between the buried and me - Parallax II: Future sequence

 Wintersun -  Time I

Gory Blister - Earth Sick


The best of 2012: soundtrack, score, trailer, neoclassical, ambient


Michael Giacchino - John Carter

James Newton Howard - Snow White and Huntsman

Ramin Djawadu - Game of Thrones-  Season 2

Nightwish - Imaginaerum (The Score)  

Arcana - As Bright as a Thousand Suns

 

Arsis - Starve For The Devil

Arsis - Starve for the devil - the review


1. Forced to Rock
2. A March for the Sick
3. From Soulless to Shattered (Art in Dying)
4. Beyond Forlorn
5. The Ten of Swords
6. Closer to Cold
7. Sick Perfection
8. Half Past Corpse O'Clock
9. Escape Artist
10. Sable Rising

I still can't get out of my head very memorable forerunner "We are the nightmare" with the same title leading masterpiece. This band is certainly candidate for the best melodic death metal act made behind the atlantic in the last years. Arsis are known for the fragments of strong roots of Schuldiner signatures, mixed with nowadays influences founded in modern thrash/progressive metal /Mastodon, Lamb of God, Machine Head/.

On the new record has returned the original drummer Mike Van Dyne and probably fans have expected the fab results. Arsis relatively eliminate technical points and also decelerate the speed minus some beats pro minutes what has impact in counts of negative criticisms. On the other hand you can listen during the whole record diversiform drum beats, sophisticated tempo changes, rich rhythm banks, excellent riffs , harmonies and guitar solo equipment of skillfull leader Jimmy Malone. When man in the band makes two functions it alomst always goes hand in hand with negative consequences somewhere inside. /Malone is excellent guitarist but person with the weak, drab vocal performance/. Exception in this way was certainly Chuck from Death.

Record opens the shortest track "Forced To Rock" that is the place of larksome heavy metal sounds changing with crazy fretboard finger dancing . "A March For The Sick" is the most balanced, accurate and compex composition belted very tight with the past musical concepts. "Beyond Forlorn" with feelingful verses and "Closer to Cold" with melodic main theme present the positive fruits for this starving devil. Blast beats with melodic guitars will always leave impression. It's like beauty with the beast on the dancefloor. "Escape Artist" will get into your ears very easy, but after advanced analysis you detect that it is composed very shallow, slovenly. If you are looking for some rare, innovative stuff you would have find very carefully, maybe guitar solos will be the direction to seek. This is all about the modern approach of making extreme metal music which attaches many bands as some undefined phenomenon with bad influence.
Finally, in comparison with previous "nightmare" this records panicly signals the loss of technical figures as we were habituated on previous stuff which relatively means the enter to the mediocre waters where music is fading to black.

Rating: 7/10

Soilwork - The Panic Broadcast

Soilwork - The Panic Broadcast - the review

genre: Modern metal

release date : July 2010

tracklist:
1. Late For The Kill, Early For The Slaughter
2. Two Lives Worth Of Reckoning
3. The Thrill
4. Deliverance Is Mine
5. Night Comes Clean
6. King Of The Threshold
7. Let This River Flow
8. Epitome
9. The Akuma Afterglow
10. Enter Dog Of Pavlov
11. Sweet Demise - bonus track

In the last three years when the previous record "Sworn to a great divide" has released, more things happened. These personal changes are reflected
naturally to their music. The founding member Peter Wichers came back into the crew, his uncle Ola Frenning and temporary guitarist Daniel Antonsson left the band in 2008. The missing second guitarist were replaced by talented Sylvain Coudret from superb french progressive death metal act Scarve. Dirk Verbeuren, the active drummer of Soilwork plays also in that band. Peter Wichers took by composing material also the role of production and he deserves only praises for his work. In the beggining of album review I will write few lines of syllabus where Soilwork definetely disavowed from their orginal genre.

If you swallowed the taradiddles that this new record will be the best, and if you expect the return to the "A Predators Portrait" times, I warn, you will be dissapointed at all. When you have already lost all your hopes with abortive "Sworn to a Great Divide", good news is that on "The Panic Broadcast" you will get partially contentment. The raw comparison with previous records is not very objective , but we can say that they have dropped anchors somewhere in the waters between "Natural Born Chaos" and the "Figure Number Five". It is also wrong to compare e.g. "The Chainheart Machine" with "The Panic Broadcast" because these two records come under different genres where both can reach high quality status in own category. Often happens that bands try to develop themselves musically, lyrically somewhere else, doing compromises where they give space to actualize to every member, making experiments,etc...Soilwork escaped out of melodic death dimensions and joined more thrash metal sound. It was not a bad idea to bend off exactly when the genre became to be boring and all smart ideas were used. Another change, the new chapter began in the "Predators" ages. It was a decision to employ in Bjorns beautiful colour of voice in choruses. They have bet on the contrasts. Aggresive verses and melodic singing choruses, this is how it goes longer and it has success.

The Panic Broadcast - track by track:

"Late for the Kill, Early for the Slaughter" is the one of few promised tracks reminiscent the past of band.
It is clever idea to launch record with real fast energic figure with shower of Dirks blast beats and sharp thrash guitar riffs and catchy chorus. Dirk is very versatile drummer with excellent sense for coordination. Bjorns screaming in verses sounds like Tom Araya from Slayer, but it fits there like the thunder to the storm. Deep bows belongs mainly to the Sylvain and Peter. Guitar solos during the whole record are flawless, it is maybe the strongest drafter on record. Combination of emotive, impressive /Wichers/ fretboard melodies and fast and inventive patterns with disharmonic tone/Coudret/ are absolutely succeed.

And then the tempo is getting down to enliven the memories of early records with the striking force called "Two Lives Worth of Reckoning". This song suitable represents the new album /BTW it was right choice to offer this song first on band myspace site/ because it contains every tasteful ingrediency, and the guitar solo a lá "Bulletbeast" is fine breathtaking surprise.

Next song "The Thrill" is led by typically bluesy riffing conducted by master Wichers. I personally like when Speed is playing with his clean voice and Wichers is probably the supervisor. Devin Townsend voice consulting was not bad but Peters absence was listenable in vocals on previous record.

"Deliverance is Mine" will speak to the older fans again, owns only few seconds of melodic singing and pay attention on heavier sound. Expression of excellent progressive tendencies in song structure will refresh your begging melodic death metal ears. I don't doubt that this technical song is directed by Scarve members.

Slowdown brings another track "Night Comes Clean" in middle tempo mainly focused on melody. One of the reasons why this song was created was to show the colorful spectrum of Bjorns vocal chords.

Acceleration rises above the top in "King of the Threshold". Some riffs and guitar solo section can come attractive for the fan base of "The Chainheart Machine" times when goal was not to create songs with the most sweetest chorus. Whole song is interesting and sounds very decent aside.
But on the other hand I can't help myself I have a feeling that extremly fast parts are very forced. It is pragmatic, probably how to capture older fans who criticise the Soilwork modern metal. Instrumental battle with speed in the end is asking for the few seconds of calm in the form of acoustic guitar strumming and...

...it is transition to "Let This River Flow" which can be considered something similar to "Departure plan" from "Figure Number Five". It sounds very mediocre and average but on the other hand it have something magical inside /harmony, Bjorns voice/. Deeper growls, extreme drums pads and guitar riffs in the later second verse disturbs the atmosphere, does not fit there and it sounds unnaturally. There we can't talk about contrasts. If they wanted to do slow track they should have repeated the shape of mentioned "Departure Plan" or song "Dawn of it All" from Nuclear Blast Out of the Dark compilation.

"Epitome" sounds too much drab and belongs to the weaker compositions on the record. Somebody will maybe appreciate the brilliant singning achievement also in verses. Attention of advanced listener will stop at the keyboards and guitar leads in the interlude and by the riff which breaks the finish tape.

"The Akuma Afterglow" is the masterpiece with the most feelingful choruses on this record. It is opened by keyboard signature of Sven Karlsson, and it is pity that his work remains still in the background on this record. Second verse reversion is elegant and can leave impression very easily. I have written higher about typical soilworkers song contrasts. So this is the distinct example how it goes.

"Enter Dog Of Pavlov" is the most interesting piece on record, because they have chosen here the different approach of composing and creating structures influented by Dirk and Sylvain. First seconds are filled with resourceful clean guitar patterns that grade into melodic distortion guitar instrumental section slightly evokes me Cynic. Do you remember the "Spirits Of The Future Sun" from "The Chainheart Machine"? No these two are not similar I just compare them from the way of instrumental intro and transition to the song characteristics. I hope that this magnific ideas will go hand in hand and they will work with them on the next records. Who knows, maybe Soilwork will mutate into Scarvwork.


Best moments: The Akuma Afterglow, Enter Dog of Pavlov, The Thrill, Two Lives Worth of Reckoning

rating: 8/10

The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis

The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis


This band is in present absolute leader is mathematic hardcore or better labeled as mathcore, and we can say that their concept is extremly influented by technical, progressive metal genre and alternative rock and metal. Young talented bands like Protest The Hero and Between the Buried and Me often take influences from the Dillinger Escape Plan. Singer Greg Puciato is still more influenced with famous singer and showman Mike Patton, known from Faith No More, Fantômas, Mr. Bungle, guest of John Zorn,etc. His vocal style is notable in Gregs voice in more tracks here. Some songs have partly lost typical chaotic extra aggresive DEP sound,but did not lose on quality. First single from "Option Paralysis" is "Farewell, Mona Lisa" where are colliding the two different poles of DEP music. "Good Neighbor" and "Endless Ending" are excellent examples disciple of chaotic-agressive pieces to previous albums. On the other way "Widower" is highly influented with jazz piano music and in vocals with already mentioned Mike Patton, the most notable before the fifth minute of song. The atmosphere of the last piece "Parasitic Twins" is reminding a lot of industrial Nine Inch Nails. Guys make in conspicuous movement in comparison with previous records. It reflects collaboration with known pianist Mike Garson. Songs are saturated with new ideas and tracks got richer arrangements, piano sounds in "Widower" and second half of "I Wouldn't If You Didn't". As a drummer I have to add opinion that on previous "Ire Works" has absented stunning drum job which this record gained back. In the end I just can declare that this ten - pieced "bunch of grapes" is very strong rival to my personally favourite record from DEP - "Miss Machine", and certainly Greg with company did not say the last word to the world of music.

very impressive music: "Widower", "Endless Ending", "Farewell, Mona Lisa"
rating is 9/10

NEWS - Soilwork

New Soilwork record in june 2010

I look forward to listen new Soilwork, I am curious but my expectations are sceptic

They have argumented already in summer of 2007 that Sworn to a Great Divide would be absolutely magnificent return to the A Predators Portrait and Natural Born Chaos times. But they were not right,it was just a marketing trick to attract the older fans. Sworn to a Great Divide is not a record with bad material but it does not reflect return to the older era. Ola Frenning left Soilwork in 2008 and his nephew Peter Wichers has come back to the band after his unexpected departure in late 2005.
They promise again the same, because they want to sell the best. I do not believe in "reincarnation" of amazing Predators Portrait. I have to confess that I am fed up with that kind of mainstream records if the band is lying in the essence of the things. Last Soilworkers record brought only a few good songs. We can mention "The Breeding Thorns", "Silent Bullet", "As The Sleeper Awakes" or "20 More Miles". But they did not take breath, only they are simple little above average. But "Asylum Dance", "Bastard Chain", "Shadowchild", "Structure Divine" or "Needlefeast" is higher above that average. I have read the blog reports from the recording session of the eights forthcoming album "The Panic Broadcast", everything what they have written is fine, but we will listen result already in the three months.