I am an unabashed fan of Nightwish, and indeed many of their female fronted, symphonic gothic rock/metal contemporaries, Lacuna Coil, Epica and the like. It undoubtedly comes from the fact that I love heavy and metal music, and symphonic music, and few other genres combine the two to such  convincing and dramatic effect. Nightwish’s incredible 2004 album Once is an absolute landmark release in the genre, it’s the one where everything came together for them compositionally, and it broke them on a worldwide scale as well. Whilst they decided to part ways with their incredible lead vocalist Tarja Turunen prior to its recording, and replace her with the slightly less classically accomplished Anette Olzon, 2007′s  Dark Passion Play was an extremely strong  follow up.

It’s been another very lengthy wait for Imaginaerum. It’s a concept album, based upon the memories of an old composer who is facing his death. There is also an accompanying movie to go alongside the album’s release. Needless to say it’s a ridiculously ambitious and dramatic undertaking, in true Nightwish style.

This however may be the album’s downfall. In reaching for more of a ‘music theatre’ type of feel, they may have overreached themselves slightly (which is extremely difficult for a band such as this), and sacrificed a little of the sheer, over the top bombast that they do best and are best known for.

That’s not to say there’s not a solid wack of pomp and ceremony going on here. There certainly is, and a first time listener probably couldn’t help but be blown away by the sheer size, scope and ambition of the record. Bands regularly suffer in comparison to themselves, and their previous triumphs though, and Imaginaerum falls a little short, especially of Once and even Dark Passion Play.

In constructing an album that is also a story, they have come up with a bunch of songs that maybe aren’t quite as fully realised as they were on Once, since they’re having to serve the storyline as opposed to simply standing alone. Listening through to the end of Imaninaerum, there are far fewer moments that make the blood tingle and the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.

Viewed in isolation, this is a fine symphonic metal concept album. It has many fine moments. Once, and to a slightly lesser extent Dark Passion Play, set the bar insanely high for these Finnish masters however, and Imaginaerum comes up slightly short.

Rod Whitfield

Some people have just got it. In music (as well as other fields of course), there are some people who can seemingly do it all, play multiple instruments at a high proficiency, write great songs, record, produce, mix, master and all the rest. These people bring out mixed feelings in the rest of us mere mortals: we are jealous and angry at them for being so prodigiously talented, and you can’t help but stand back and admire their work, especially when one such individual channels his talents and energies into creating riveting, soaring, progressive djent orientated instrumental metal.

That man in this case goes by the name of Paul Ortiz, and what’s more he does it all from his own home in Colchester in England (and apparently also composes movie, TV and video game soundtrack). Can he sing as well? I bet he can’t!  ;-)

Ortiz releases his instrumental works under the name Chimp Spanner, and he has two previous, full length album releases already under his belt. Both are mature, superbly written and realized pieces of instrumental metal, and All Roads Lead Here, a six track EP, takes over where 2009’s At The Dream’s Edge left off. It’s the theatrical and melodic sensibilities that set him apart from other bands/artists ploughing similar musical terrain. He obviously draws upon his extensive knowledge of soundtrack composition to give his pieces that dramatic and grandiose edge, and consequently his songs soar to the heavens and lift the spirits at the same time as display blinding technical wizardry.

That’s not to say all of his works sound like cheesy soundtracks to movies like Top Gun. He gets heavy and twisted when the mood takes him as well. He gives fans of Meshuggah and Periphery something to sink their teeth into, and since he has now apparently put a live band around himself, hopefully we will get to see it done in a live setting in its full glory at some stage soon.

Even further to this, he knows when to get a little funky (Cloud City), and has a beautiful sense of ambience and dynamics to break up the bombast as well. This bloke can just about do it all.

My only complaint with All Roads Lead Here is that a six track EP is simply not enough, especially after two previous full length releases. But at this point I just can’t stop listening to it. A very early candidate for my best releases of 2012, this EP is a progressive metal guitar lover’s wet dream.

Rod Whitfield

Progressive or experimental Thrash are words often not heard together. I’m not sure if there’s any kind of official genre that goes by that name. Maybe it exists in relative obscurity. Thrash metal sprang from the early eighties, and many of its exponents sound like they are still trapped in an 80s timewarp. By its very nature thrash is a non-progressive genre, its unrelentingly fast, gnarly and brutal and few bands break new ground within its limiting parameters.

So when a band does, it makes you sit up and take notice. The music of the strangely named A Million Dead Birds laughing features many of thrash metal’s signature attributes: it’s regularly played at breakneck speed, interspersed with some big, fat grooves; the songs are ultra short and very much to the point; the vocals are relentlessly screechy and melody-free (aside from the occasional more droney vocal interlude); and the production is enjoyably harsh on the ear. It ain’t pretty sounding music. In fact, these guys even stray beyond the realms of thrash into grindier territory at times. But at the same time they inject a quirky progressiveness into their sound that really begins to set them apart from the thrashy/grindy crowd.

It’s obvious that quite a large amount of effort has been put into giving the songs some strong, individual flavour and character, despite the brevity of the songs and inherent nastiness of the material. They pack more than enough off kilter, flat knacker rhythms and idiosyncratic vocal lines in to one to two minute songs to seriously maintain the interest, where a more traditional thrash/grind approach may have become rather tedious and undynamic.

The musicianship is as fast, precise and powerful as you’d expect in this kind of music. Ultimately, with the level of  skill on display here, these guys could probably take their sound significantly further into the directions that they’ve begun exploring on this, their debut album, on their next record. And then charter  some different musical terrain from there. Maybe wind their songs out by a minute or two and throw some different type of soundscapes into the mix. It would make their sound even more interesting than it already is.

Ultimately though, this is an enjoyable and audacious debut from these Melbourne boys. The door is open for these guys to go in any direction they want, and if they manage to stick together, following their career could make for fascinating listening.

http://www.myspace.com/amdbl

Rod Whitfield

More solid metal from Adelaide. The back cover of ‘Worship the Bled’ depicts hundreds of nasty looking bombs/missiles hurtling to earth, bent on annihilation. And this is very much the effect of this record. It’s all about destruction.

This writer prefers a little more dynamics and melody in the metal, but this record will appeal very strongly to those who enjoy their metal unrelentingly brutal and uncompromising. There’s minimal time or space wasted on clean vocals and soaring choruses, quieter passages, soundscapes or ambience, or anything even resembling progressiveness, this is a wall to wall, mind numbing thrash assault on the senses that barely lets up for a single second. And this is the way many heavy music fans love their metal.

Best track honours go to the titanic, call to arms chorus of ‘Hunt All Heroes’. The tiniest hint of haunting, gothic atmosphere is attempted on ‘The Great Waste of Flesh’, before the track descends into mayhem once more. ‘Summon Abyss’ slows down, and fattens up, the groove slightly and closes the album in pretty devastating fashion.

Unlike a lot of metal these days, the musicianship on Worship the Bled is actually quite functional and directly serving of the song, and the production is kept deliberately raw, gnarly and brutal.

This album is possibly a little one dimensional to become a real favourite for this metal fan, but it’s more than well put together enough to appeal to metal heads to whom harmony, light and shade and variation mean little. And there seems to be a lot of those out there, so there is a definite audience out there for these Adelaide heavy hitters.

http://www.truthcorroded.com/

Rod Whitfield

Here’s an Aussie metal institution that has been through a number of changes/evolutions in sound and style over their decade and a half of existence. These changes have coincided directly with the tenures of their three singers: original vocalist Adam Glynn (who went on to front Five Star Prison Cell) brought a real quirk factor and a slightly more avant-garde approach. They then morphed into more a straight up, groove based metal act with the inclusion of second singer Adam B Metal. Current howler Dan McDougall brought an injection of anger and more or a punk/thrash vibe, and this is where they reside today. And very happily too, by the sounds.

One of the charms of the mighty Bok is that on the surface their music is unrelentingly vicious, ugly and in your face, but there is also an underlying tongue in cheek vibe that is very entertaining. They obviously take the writing and recording of their music very seriously, but they don’t take themselves too seriously, which is very refreshing. Their music is loads of fun, at the same time as being gnarly and angry, and this sets them apart from the thrash pack. It also comes across best in their live performances, where they rein absolutely supreme.

That’s not to say that The End of All you Know isn’t a worthy recording. In fact it’s an absolute ball-tearer. It’s typical latter day Frankenbok, some tracks are a flat knacker, death thrashing fury (first single Dine in Hell for example), others are fatter and more groove based (see Bring the Temple Down). And all are super catchy in their own way.

McDougall attacks some pretty serious and angry topics in his lyrics. He gives his opinions on certain political, religious and social issues in no uncertain terms. Even the cover artwork is a statement about a desire to tear the establishment down and establish a new and more equal order in the world.

Despite this however, the aforementioned sense of fun in the metal remains. You can’t help but crack a smile as you thrash the fuck out to this record. And whilst the musicianship is somewhat primitive by today’s astounding metal standards, the playing is still vibrant and tight as a clenched fist. Especially from drummer Mick Morley, who is an absolute pocket sized dynamo, and a very underrated drummist, even on the Australian scene.

This album isn’t reinventing wheels of any kind. What it is doing is bursting out of your speakers, thrashing you all over the room and putting a big fat cheesy grin on your face. And that’s what music is all about….sometimes.

http://www.frankenbok.com/

Rod Whitfield

This sure as hell ain’t no run of the mill extreme metal release. There is a quirky ‘avant-garde-ness’ to this Melbourne five piece’s sound that sets them apart from the extreme pack.

Don’t worry, narrow minded ‘brutal’ metalheads reading this, there is still plenty of crushing, blast beat driven fury within the grooves of this album, it’s just that these guys take a slightly different approach, and they are way better off for it. A lot of the idiosyncrasy comes from the vocals, which owe as much to Mike Patton and Adam Glynn of Frankenbok and Five Star Prison Cell fame as they do to a Glenn  Benton or a George ‘Corpsegrinder’ Fisher. But there’s also a twisted and unconventional vibe to the rhythms and overall delivery of this band’s peculiar brand of metallic lunacy.

So fans of extreme death metal, and those who favour something a little more left of centre from their heavy sounds will find something to like on Crossing the Rubicon. Plus, almost needless to say, the musicianship has all the precision and power required to deliver such extreme music with such conviction. This band is the real deal.

The production is typically in your face as well, straddling that fine line between rawness and clarity that this style of music needs. It ain’t too pretty or overproduced, but it still manages to sound great anyway. No surprises when you open the cover and see the name Ren from Reich records, this time on mixing and mastering duties. The man is a Melbourne heavy music icon. Kudos must also go to Nick Rackham and the band themselves, who shared recording and production credits.

Song-wise, their tunes take a lot of dynamic twists and turns, and their arrangements are highly non-traditional, and so it takes a number of listens for their songs to weed their insidious way into your psyche. But give this album your time and your patience, and each individual track’s unique charms with become apparent in time. Especially a tune like ‘End Game (G.O.D)’, which injects some twisted melody into the mix amid the chaos.

If it’s immediacy and instant gratification you seek in your sounds, best you look elsewhere. But if you favour a little strangeness in your extreme music of choice, then do yourself a great favour and check out these Melbourne boys. They’re doing the avant-garde thing as well as anyone right now.

http://houseofthumbs.net/

Rod Whitfield

Adelaide has started to produce some high quality heavy acts in the last five or six years, and this four piece are no exception. Their debut album utterly destroys all in its path, and then some.

These guys do straight up modern heavy metal precisely the way this writer likes it: balls out; ultra-aggressive but with a little melody thrown in; massive fat grooves everywhere; precision, muscular musicianship and ultra-meaty but crystal clear sound (partly courtesy the great man Forester Savell, who mixed and mastered it. Is there anything this man can’t do?).

‘The Identity’ is a collection of 12 bruising, blistering metal tracks guaranteed to melt speakers and melt faces. These boys are absolutely set in their direction, that of Pantera/Machine Head/Lamb of God influenced metal, and they pull it off with absolute conviction and strength. However they are also forging an identity that is all their own. There are thrashier moments, melodic elements, some tasteful melodic and shredding leads and real dynamics thrown into the mix amid the groove based carnage. And virtually everything works a treat.

The album opens with absolute maximum impact, first track ‘Catch 22’ blasts out of the speakers with pure screaming fury, putting one in mind of the way Pantera’s ‘Great Southern Trendkill’ opens. And the sledgehammering effect of the record barely lets up for a second from there. Each and every track has something to offer the listener, with best tune honours probably going to ‘Shot Down’, with its steam train momentum and killer, rumbling, double kick driven chorus that is catchy as all hell. ‘Drones’ is also worthy of mention, all off-kilter melodies and rhythms, it builds in a menacing fashion to a howling, devastating climax.

Yet another highlight of this band’s sound is singer Matt Kavanagh’s voice. Extremely mature in his technique and delivery, every note he hits, from the low end to the screams to the soaring melody is absolutely dead on the money. He channels Anselmo, Flynn and even Fafara at different times, but also makes it absolutely his own. A real vocal talent.

This album is the best meat and potatoes metal record these ears have heard in a long, long time. Australian or otherwise. I have absolutely nothing against Adelaide, it’s a beautiful city with a great passion for beer, wine and the best kind of football. All very important things in their own right. But it’s a bit of a dead end for heavy music acts, so one can only hope these guys, and others of their ilk, can break out of the city of churches (also very inappropriate for metal) and bring their brand of musical mayhem to a slightly more appreciative locale. Going by ‘The Identity’ they’re one of the best heavy acts in the country at the moment, they just need to get themselves heard more.

http://www.myspace.com/isawband

Rod Whitfield

Well, here it is ladies and gentlemen one of the most anticipated metal albums of the year… and um… it’s not all metal. See, Nightwish have gone down what they call the ‘concept album’ route, although you or I may actually call it recording a soundtrack for the film Imaginaerum that band member, Tuomas Holopainen wrote the story for.

As any good soundtrack does Imaginaerum tackles a lot of different genres, which I must give credit to Nightwish for as they pull it off sensationally well, but unfortunately I can also see this alienating a lot of the fans they have managed to make over the years.

Imaginaerum opens with something foreign for most Nightwish fans, an actual intro song titled ‘Taikatalvi’ (which is in Finnish… something else that is rare amongst Nightwish’s back catalogue. The track itself sounds like a musical box but then comes the first single from the album, ‘Storytime’ which kicks in with some brute force.

‘Ghost River’ sees Marco Hietala join Anette Olzon with the vocals and the track works sensationally well, but then comes ‘Slow, Love, Slow’ which is Nightwish doing 1930s club style jazz (yes I can hear some fans hitting the ‘skip’ button already). ‘I Want My Tears Back’ finds Nightwish heading into a 1980s metal sound (which a little Van Halen infused in there as well)… and to be honest it sounds great.

Olzon produces some manic vocals on ‘Scaretale’ a track that sounds like the soundtrack to somebody dipping into insanity… although it would have been a perfect track for Tim Burton to have used in Alice In Wonderland.

It’s here that Imaginaerum does yet another U-Turn. ‘Arabesque’ is symphonic instrumental while ‘Turn Loose The Mermaids’ sees Nightwish mix a real folk sound with some heavier rock (its not quite metal) and then the metal returns with ‘Rest Calm’ which is Nightwish at its old sound.

‘The Crow, The Owl, The Dove’ is a dip down into some folk rock (with some drum beats adding real atmosphere) while ‘Last Ride Of The Day’ will again appease the metal fans. ‘Song Of Myself’ keeps the metal going and the album closes with its title track, a piece of orchestral film score.

Taken as an album on its own Imaginaerum is a masterpiece… I’m just not sure that metal fans will feel the same way.   

Rating:

Dave Griffiths

It is surprising how many people out there sing out for something new and then when it is delivered they kick it in the head with the full strength of steel-capped boots. Every year I hear metal fans say “everyone is doing the same thing”, yet now Korn have had the courage to go out and tinker with their Nu-Metal sound by bringing in some dub-step artists to spice things up I’m quite expecting to hear some strong howls of protest. Maybe instead of being quick to judge we should take a listen, because after all it seems as though Korn maybe a band ahead of their time with this new sound… and at least the band are saying “hey, this is our new sound”, and not trying to promote Path Of Totality as a remix-special or some crap like that.

The new sound does hit you pretty hard with opening track ‘Chaos Lives In Everything’. Skrillex’s dub-step sound comes through your speakers with force, but Korn’s traditional melodic sound is there and that is more than enough to keep me happy.

‘Kill Mercy Within’ is mellower and to be honest you barely notice the work that Noisia have done on the track at all. ‘My Wall’ is again the classic sound of Korn and once again the dub-step sound doesn’t detract at all, then along comes the amazing ‘Narcisstic Cannibal’ which had a much faster beat (thanks again to Skrillex) but believe it or not that actually enhances Jonathan Davies’ vocals.

My major gripe with Path Of Totality is the fact that ‘Illuminati’ and ‘Burn The Obedient’ are plain and kinda boring to listen to, but that is soon forgotten because the second half of the album is one hell of a listen.

The faster beat of ‘Sanctuary’ actually brings some life to the album after its dull-patch, and it is quickly followed by ‘Let’s Go’ a track that proves that the Nu-Metal mix with Dub-Step sound actually can work a treat. And the great tracks then just keep coming. Next is the aggressive ‘Get Up’ and then comes ‘Way Too Far’ and ‘Bleeding Out’… these see Korn at their very best with the latter also consisting of the band’s trademark bagpipe solo.

If you’re lucky enough to have the Special Edition you also have the aggression return with ‘Fuels The Comedy’ and then the haunting (but also comedic in parts), ‘Tension’.

I understand that some metal purists out there will run a mile from Path Of Totality, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion. To me the dub-step beat works with the metal sound and hey I can remember a few years ago when people were saying classical music had no right to be infused with metal as well… and look how popular groups such as Nightwish and Within Temptation are these days. Congrats to Korn for being cold, and for me the new sound works!

Rating:

Dave Griffiths

There will be those of you out there who will flee as soon as I mention that Sydney five-piece Hemina skirt that fine line between metal and progressive rock, but it will be those who are judgmental who will miss out learning that their new album Synthetic announces these guys as one of the most exciting groups in the Aussie metal scene.

Sure, this album won’t be everybody’s cup-of-tea but if you’re still listening after the very Gothic opener that is ‘This Hour Of Ours’ then you’re in for something special. However, to be honest ‘To Conceive A Plan’ doesn’t promise much. Sure the orchestrial sound is impressive but after a mega-long opening the tracks builds up so much that when the vocals do hit they sound disappointing, but it is then that Synthetic really picks up.

‘The Boy Is Dead’ reveals some better vocals from Doulglas Skene while the guitar playing reaches another level again. By the time the smoother sound of ‘For All The Wrong Reasons’ swung around I was certainly hooked.

‘And Now To Find A Friend’ sees Hemina mix together a really 80s style of metal with the modern symphonic sound while ‘With What I See’ reaching some epic heights with yet some more brilliant guitar playing. Hemina prove their worth when some sweet vocals are an absolute highlight on the slowed down ‘Hunting Is For Women’.

‘Even In Heaven’ sees a much more brutal side to Hemina and it is hear that you realise these guys are one of the best symphonic metal acts that Australia has released. The slowed down and very-Gothic sounding ‘Conduit To The Sky’ will be skipped by some, but it did find a place in my heart.

Synthetic then closes with two great tracks. ‘Haunting Me!’ sees Hemina working together beautifully while ‘Divine’ sees them reach their epic best yet again.

If you’re searching for something new from the Aussie metal scene that you certainly must check out Hemina, you won’t be disappointed with Synthetic.

Rating:

Dave Griffiths