Synesthesis blog: presentation of original musical ideas and songs, Album reviews and commnets (new album reports, column: drum and guitar exercises, best metal albums, video myspace and youtube links,and many more), Various acumen of world happening
------------------------------------ 11. Ulcerate - Everything is Fire 12. Black Dahlia Murder - Deflorate 13. Nile - Those Whom the Gods Detest 14. Despised Icon - Day of Mourning 15. Born of Osiris - A Higher place 16. Animals as Leaders - Animals as Leaders 17. Lamb of God - Wrath 18. Diablo Swing Orchestra - Sing-Along Songs for the Damned & Delirious 19. Isis - Wavering Radiant 20. Scar Symmetry - Dark Matter Dimensions
1, Ripple Of a Tear 2, Time And Its Changes 3, Asurim 4, All that Surrounds pt. 1 5, Waves of Thought 6, The Path 7, All that Surrounds pt. 2 8, Embrace The Unknown 9, An Elusive Need
Tymon Kruidenier - guitar (also in Cynic) Michel Nienhuis - guitar (also in Sengaia) Stef Broks - drums (also in Textures) Robin Zielhorst - live bass (also in Cynic)
Exivious - the higher level of intelligent music
What is the jazzfusion genre? Guitar solos, riffs, which have roots in blues e.g. in pentatonic scales and rock rhythms with jazz harmonies, approaches are in general defines as jazzfusion. Ideas who helped to build first steps of jazzfusion was created by stunning jazz legend Miles Davis in his later musical portfolio, kind of unconventional jazz thinking musicians Chick Corea and Al Di Meola with solo albums and together with band Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra with lead guitarist John McLaughlin anddrummer Billy Cobham , unusual guitarist Alan Holdsworth, ethnic music influenced Weather Report, versatile Frank Zappa, progressive Rush with talented drummer Neil Peart, King Crimson, Pink Floyd and many others e.g. mainly funk oriented musicians.Many metal bands in the recent two decades tried to combine death and thrash metal with jazzfusion and one of the most representative and most influental records was "Focus" composed by band Cynic in 1993. Who metal fan did not know the "Veil of Maya" or "Sentiment" ? Exactly Exivious bandcore consists of two persons from Cynic line up, then drummer from dutch progressive metal band Textures (band name is derived from Cynic song) and guitarist from Sengaia. Exivious has released 2 demos already in 2001 and 2002. After seven years they finally come with full record material. The musical philosophy of Exivious are partly the the next level of Cynic progressive metal music, however they came with other and more interesting proportion of musical knowledges and skills included extra virtuosity, jazz improvisation and instrumental approach. They have sense for creating the real authentic, complex and resourceful atmospheric music. This is the case when talented people joined all mentioned items into one entity the result is magnificent. They have created well marked musical stream which depicts the story from the beginning to the end. Exivious music has ambition to leave the very strong impression for listener. This music put your mind softly up into the infinite universe in non-violently way and you will be surrounded by the most emotional melodies and ambient sounds. Of course the imagination of story and daydream projection can be individual. How it works if you submerge your fantasy into the emotive songs without distorted guitars called "All That Surrounds part 1" and "All That Surrounds part 2"? Authors in title "Waves of Thought" probably operates with imagination too. Imagine, that you listen this track and relax somewhere in calm place with closed eyes and you get engulfed by the waves of thoughts. Rough palm distorted guitar parts will turn your thoughts from beautiful form into bitter reflections of the possible reality. Also "Embrace The Unknown" has contrast sound concepts because of sorrowful verses and happier choruses. "Asurim" is probably the most jazz track here because of less metal riffs, and expressive jazz structure and improvisation. Introductory fretless bass tones flow into the background theme and guitar solo with massive high pitched tone effects. Then track tranverses to complex rhythm sections where the apex is excellent improvisation section of bass and drums. Drummer Steff shows that he grew on traditional jazz drum school, by using his typical slow and middle tempo metal beats. Tymons and Robins guitar and bass phrases are prime but notable and Cynic fans will recognize them. "Time And Its Changes" can be described as track with more technical metal elements and disharmonic chords. It is naturally, because every track on this record hasdifferent jazz - metal ratio. Frequent changes, where one part slides into another with carefully chosen transition is the reason that you will not get boring feeling. When we compare Exivious with Canvas Solaris, Panzerballett, Animals As Leaders we find out that they inserted less technical metal elements in undistinguished way. Are you ready to gain real brilliant musical experience? Are you curious how will work your fantasy with this ear-flattering music? I recommend to listen their demo from year 2002, where are four excellent songs called "Eyesight", "Without your name", "The Innerchild" and "Shapeless Thoughts".
Rating: 10-10 ...If I could give eleven I would certainly do it:)
This is the best metal album released in 2009 with technical death metal masterpiece "Process of a New Decline" from french act Gorod.
1."Visceral" 03:41 2."Isolate Gravity" 03:21 3."Sleeping Ground" 03:41 4."Engineering The Rule" 04:16 5."Wall Of Lies" 03:36 6."Violent Calm" 04:38 7."Life Suffering" 03:44 8."Corrosive" 03:18 9."Mindlock" 04:11 10."Splinters Of Change" 03:50
Advanced technical drum patterns based on jazz creativity and improvisation, high pitched screaming vocal, catchy progressive bass rhythms with the thrash atmosphere, extreme fast solos riffs and melodies with harmonizer effects on guitars... Do you have a strange feeling that almost similar concept was used somewhere in the past ? Yes, you are right if this record reminds you technical/progressive thrash/death metal legend Atheist. They have disbanded in 1993 and announced the reunion in 2006 and nowdays they are working on fourth studio album. We can call Gnostic as the 3/5 of Atheist. Their talented drummer Steve Flynn, created Gnostic after couple of years of musical hiatus with Sonny Carson and Chris Baker. These two guitarists became in 2006 after reunion the regular members of Atheist. This record is based on known arts of past which have roots in Atheist era, but new people take in this music productive value of musical ideas and directions. Stephen Morley did solid bass work in the breakdown parts of some songs e.g. title track "Engineering the Rule" "Life, Suffering", "Violent Calm" and "Visceral". He plays decent but I can not compare him with aces like Roger Patterson (bassist of Atheist who died in car accident in 1991) and latin jazz influenced Tony Choy . Kevin Freeman has very strong voice here that fits in this music because high pitched screams are very good musical contrast to guitars, bass and drums of this combination but his interpretation sounds weak and artificial. Maybe he was a lot influented with metalcore or screamo singers. It is pity that Gnostic on this first record have changed clean singning vocals from some songs which are on demo releases. "Mindlock" arrangements sounds much better on the demo "Splinters of change". Sometimes is good not to change the original songs motives, because results are then excessive technical arrangements. On the other side songs from demos gained on "Engineering The Rule" almost perfect sound look. The most engrossing tracks are certainly "Corrosive", "Mindlock", "Violent Calm" and "Life, Suffering". What can I eke? I hope that Atheist new record will be much better. I expect more suprising arrangements (depends mainly on Tony Choys musical /composing skills), less selfstealing motives and better vocals (I assume that Kelly Shaefer will not dissapoint). rating: 8/10
1"Blood Oath" – 3:56 2"Dismal Dream" – 3:18 3"Pray for Forgiveness" – 3:41 4"Images of Purgatory" – 3:28 5"Cataclysmic Purification" – 4:55 6"Mental Hemorrhage" – 3:56 7"Come Hell or High Priest" – 4:08 8"Undeserving" – 4:11 9"Provoking the Disturbed" – 5:20 10"Marital Decimation" – 4:17 11"Pray for Forgiveness" - instrumental version
Almost everybody knows that Suffocation is the supporting element of the brutal death metal music. This is their sixth record and third after the reunion in 2002. I have to confess that I have predicted and expected only Suffocation typical tunes with some little suprises somewhere in between. I was right ! The main concept of this listenable record called "Blood Oath" is strategic, because it is in the essence the selfstealing. But its naturally. Philosophy is clear ! It is about two points. Try to use the best from own past materials and add something other but it have to sound similar because fans like it this way. And then do not the lose the trademark of the past originality.If you have listened their first record "Effigy of the Forgotten" from 1991, you know that i mean with word "selfstealing" on this and previous afterreunion records. They were probably first who presented low pitched death growls featuring vocalist Frank Mullen, jazz influenced guitar solos (but in different subgenre as their mates from Atheist or Cynic in that times ), and their drummer Mike Smith is considered as the inventor of fast drum "blast beat" technique called "Suffo-blast". They have inspired hordes of death metal, grindcore and deathcore bands and they still reject the meaning of changing their music in experimental way.
"Blood Oath" offers traditional song structures with technical rhythms, typical lyrical themes and they did not deflected far from previous stuff. The main place where they are focused their attention album by album is the production and precise mixing of the album. Their oldest albums suffers with weak and terrible recording (bands Death, Atheist, Cynic, Cryptopsy and many more had the same problem). "Marital Decimation" from album "Breeding The Spawn" were recorded again because of this reason. More editions of "Blood Oath" contains instrumental version of "Pray for Forgiveness".
In my opinion songs like "Blood Oath", "Pray for Forgiveness", "Come Hell or High Priest" or "Cataclysmic Purification" and others are evidence of fact that also from selfstealing can man create the decent songs. I still appreciate the guitar work of Terrance Hobbs (solos in "Blood Oath", "Provoking the Disturbed" ). His guitar solos are absolutely stunning where you can hear the pure jazz roots. Of course Mike Smith did another great job on drums there. The most memorable for me were after first listening the intro of "Pray for Forgiveness" and "Blood Oath". These two mentioned talented afro-americans created what Suffocation makes SUFFOCATION. If you are dissapointed with this album you have to understand that some bands do not need to change their musical image. And if they are remaining the same that does not mean that they are boring only not very original in a sense.
rating: 8/10
Enjoy the interview on youtube link with vocalist Frank
Tracklist : 1. Disavow Your God 05:02 2. Programmers of Decline 05:11 3. Diverted Logic 04:58 4. Rebirth of Senses 04:05 5. The Path 03:44 6. Splinters of Life 05:20 7. Guilty of Dispersal 04:23 8. Gilded Cage 03:25 9. A Common Hope 04:16 10. Watershed 05:05 11. Almighty Murderer 04:35
I have to confesss that I was really enrapted when I listened Gorod for the first time in may 2006. "Neurotripsicks" (2005) and "Leading Vision"(2006) certainly brought new elements to the underground death metal musical sphere. These french guys have mixed very good known death, progressive, technical, thrash, groove metal and jazz elementswith the new kind of stance. I can write absolutely frankly that Gorod is not ordinary death metal band. Their music is based on the highest level of mature musical skills in every way. It is pity that they are still very underrated in comparison with Spawn Of Possession, Necrophagist, Suffocation, Immolation or Cryptopsy. Gorod is very rare not only from the musical point of view. They had female drummer in band. Sandrine left the band last year when guys were preparing new material. Sandrine is a very creative and talented. She put a lot of syncopation patterns to "Neurotripsicks" & "Leading Vision". She deflected from the typical death metal drumming and that was very positive and inventive. In my subjective opinion New drummer Sam did the only one negative thingwhich I reproach to "Process of a New Decline" record. He plays very good, powerful, fast and technical but he prefers frequentlyblast beats and all that typical death metal stuff. He quite changed Sandrine jazz-death style but apparently Gorod wanted to do it wilfully. But In final consequence this fact do not lose on the quality at all. Now I can begin to express the mass of praises. Record after record Gorod has better production where every challenging listener can be really content with their fat sound. Arnaud, Mathieu and Barby was preparing soon three years the excellent material where riff by riff on every instrument is so carefully composed and arranged. "Disavow your God" will crawl into your ears by the first listening with harmonic and disharmonic alternations. I do not know more creative band which is so technical, progressive, brutal and melodic in the most accurate equilibrium how Gorod are. The choirs and orchestration experimental motives in the song "The Path" sounds decent, atmospheric and are suitable as the intro for the song. Maybe this track could make better impression for the listener as the first track on the record, not fifth. Song "Watershed" have really suprised me. Song starts with very nice deep-felted tones in the slow tempo. Clean whisper vocals with effect,interesting bassline and soft clean guitars turns into jazz metal leads which evokes Atheist or Cynic for a while. Then song progression leads to transition to the death metal stuff which "wins all the awards for me". Excellent work ! This is the first album where Gorod begin to make experiments with clean vocals by the growling. They can make every experiment successful. Do you remember the "Hidden Genocide" outro from "Leading Vision" album? It really sounds like "reincarnation" of a the guitar legend Django Reinhardt. I found the jazz and swing syncopation rhythms also in the greatest song on this record called "Programmers of Decline". Structure of guitar solos make Gorod always different from jazz influenced guitar solos from Suffocation, Martyr, Pestilence, Immolation and others. Reason? They focus more in not difficult melodies and harmonies where they aproach closer to older jazz (dixieland jazz, swing, bebop, cool jazz influences) as others mentioned take ideas from later jazz (free jazz, hard bop, jazz fusion) and classical music. Riffs consists of frequently harmoniser and octaver effect elements and tapping techniques. Gorod did the excellent job what deserves deep bow. First time I give full score and let me write that THIS is the most perfect , aesthetic, impressive, inventive, the most interesting metal album of year 2009.
Favourite songs: almost whole record rating: 10/10
In 2008 announced reunion two metal legends with very similar genre progress during their existence. Musical evolution of Atheist and Pestilence began with thrash metal influenced with Slayer and Metallica continued with death metal which was later enriched with jazz fusion elements. The straight connection of both bands is bassist Tony Choy who played in the Pestilence already on the record Testimony of the Ancients (released in 1991) and on Atheist albums Unquestionable Presence (1991) and Elements (1993). He is nowdays in both bands. Albums Spheres (1993) and Elements are considered as the top in their career however the albums were the swansongs. I can manifest that Resurrection Macabre reflects the return to the death metal genre period in some places too similar to the songs on Testimony of the Ancients and Consuming Impulse. Engineering and production is made on very high level but on the other side some of compositions on Resurrection Macabre have deficiency of invention - especially creative and experimental material. Frontman Mameli have changed the technique of vocals which have now more deeper tone. In my opinion Darkane drummer Peter Wildoer did here the best work and Choy was in the large extent confined by Mameli. Mameli composed typical death metal where got lost all jazz fusion features except some relics in short guitar solos. Frankly, I have to confess that I awaited more from this record. Although album have some technical rhytmic structures, it has monotone and repetative character. This fact assigns Resurrection Macabre between dozens of the same death metal albums but in the recent age will find a lot of fans who like modern metal music.
Cannibal Corpse - Evisceration plague - the review
"The blackened city calls out, enter the temple of sin, you must enter the temple of sin, ..."
These are the first words of vocalist Corpsegrinder on the new Cannibal Corpse album called "Evisceration plague" in the song "Priests of Sodom". I always laugh at their lyrics, its pure brutality which has no limits. I admit that I can not imagine Cannibals without gore, killing, raping, putrefaction, guts and necrophiliac themes. But the eleventh album of this legend brings some new musical ingrediencies which exclude the symptoms of another boring death metal album. Direction is evident ! Technical and progressive elements make the music more inventive, heterogenous and it expresses by the typical death metal song structures somekind of musical evolution. The man who has the greatest inclination to mentioned musical skills is the bassist Alex Webster. I saw the visual documentation process of recording this album and talented Webster plays there breathtaking odd time signatures in song "Carrion Sculpted Entity". This guy collabored also with technical death metal project called Blotted Science which leads the Spastic Ink and Watchtower guitarist Ron Jarzombek. Cannibal Corpse members still hold the tradition of no keyboards in their music. Ex-guitarist Jack Owen used to said that keyboards bury the guitar music.
Songs on this album have very intellligent adjustment. Middle tempo thrash motives and then changing into higher tempo tremolo picking guitars and blast beats with slow tempo breakdown are used also in the same track. It is good point for this album. It often depends of production team how they make order of songs, five tracks in the same tempo consecutive can couse the boring effect. O'Brien and Barrett did not leave the frames of the cannibal guitar sound. I consider the riffs and solos better than on the previous album Kill. It is admirable likeFisher can create that monster growling in fact that he has not so low and deep voice, as I could listen in the documentary. Drummer Mazurkiewicz could do more creative work on the drums, otherwise his drumming left some impression in my ear. End of "A Cauldron of hate" is most memorable moment on this album. Next engrossing riffs starts after 2:13 in the "Priests of Sodom" and the beginings of "To Decompose" and "Skewered from Ear to Eye".
Rating: 8/10
Comparation of this "good musical plague" with old CC stuff? Nothing can reach oldies like The Bleeding (my favorite album from them) and Tomb of the mutilated, but if they will add still more technical, progressive and groovy stuff album after album maybe I change the actual opinion.
Visions for CC in future? They have strong portfolio and twenty one years old base in the underground metal stream, so if they are not going to follow the "dead band"In Flames, every new Cannibal album will gain a lot of intelectual death metal fans from new generations.
To the present day this album is with Pestilence "Resurrection Macabre" the best what have been released already in early 2009, but we are expecting the new albums from Atheist, Gorod, Carcariass, Dream Theater, Spawn of possession, Anata, Suffocation, Gory Blister, Martyr and many more. So these ones certainly shuffle the cards.
Evisceration plague song list
1. "Priests of Sodom" 3:31 2. "Scalding Hail" 1:46 3. "To Decompose" 3:03 4. "A Cauldron of Hate" 4:59 5. "Beheading and Burning" 2:15 6. "Evidence in the Furnace" 2:48 7. "Carnivorous Swarm" 3:36 8. "Evisceration Plague" 4:30 9. "Shatter Their Bones" 3:35 10. "Carrion Sculpted Entity" 2:33 11. "Unnatural" 2:22 12. "Skewered from Ear to Eye" 3:49
best songs on this album: A Cauldron of hate, Beheading and burning, Evisceration Plague, Carrion Sculpted Entity
next review in preparing is Pestilence and Mastodon 2009 albums.
