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Review: The HAARP Machine – Disclosure

David McKenna — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:34:06 +0000

Named after a secretive U.S. military research program, this Sumerian-signed band packs a political message into its Meshuggah-esque sound. But these themes are overshadowed by the music–complex riffs, odd meters, and even sitar interludes make for a lively 34 minutes on the UK progressive metal quartet’s debut album. The record’s best moments are usually its most unabashedly metallic, like on “From Vanity to Utility.” Another standout is the album’s closing track, “Machine Over,” which features an epic outro guitar solo. Sitars and echoed clean signing layered over distorted guitars give some tracks a psychedelic texture, but such esoteric flairs often detract from well-written riffs. Fans of progressive metal and “Sumerian-core” will enjoy this diverse, if imperfect, debut record. DAVID McKENNA

Check out “Pleiadian Keys” off Disclosure below:

Review: Chelsea Grin – Evolve EP

David McKenna — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 17:54:23 +0000

Utah deathcore quintet Chelsea Grin blends technicality, melody, and a heaping scoop of breakdown-fueled brutality on their new EP, Evolve. With the addition of former Born of Osiris guitarist Jason Richardson, the band puts its technical chops on greater display, crafting sweeping riffs reminiscent of Richardson’s former group. There is also greater emphasis on melody on this EP, with plenty of eerie orchestral effects throughout. The band doesn’t rely so heavily on one-dimensional breakdowns, and standout tracks like “S.H.O.T.” and “The Second Coming” reveal how much Chelsea Grin has matured since their last full-length, My Damnation. Living up to its title, Evolve will definitely please fans and probably surprise others who are bored with deathcore. DAVID MCKENNA

Check out a preview of Evolve below:

Review: Storm Corrosion – Storm Corrosion

David McKenna — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:53:05 +0000

Storm Corrosion is the long-awaited collaborative project from Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson and Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt—but you might not guess it from listening to this debut album. Rather than playing the progressive metal associated with those bands, the duo crafts dark, cinematic orchestral music closer to the experimentation of Univers Zero or Scott Walker. Perhaps the strongest track is “Lock Howl,” an odd folk song that sounds dreamy and dreary. Many Opeth and Porcupine Trees may be disappointed with the lack of heavy riffage, but those with open minds will find much to enjoy in this dense, atmospheric album. DAVID McKENNA

Check out “Drag Ropes” off Storm Corrosion below:

Review: Bleeding Through – The Great Fire

David McKenna — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:13:03 +0000

The melodic black metalcore churned out by Orange County sextet Bleeding Through once sounded fresh and unique. Sadly, in a world of Winds of Plagues and Abigail Williams, that is no longer the case on album No. 7, The Great Fire. The record is filled with 14 short tracks that reconfirms the band’s occasionally powerful fusion of hardcore aggression and metallic evilness. As they have in the past, the symphonic atmospherics provided by keyboardist Marta liven up many of the songs, which would otherwise sound like unoriginal chuggy metalcore. In fact, the album’s best moments come when melody and aggression collide head on, like on “The Devil and Self Doubt” and “Trail of Seclusion.” Overall, however, there is little evidence here that the band is trying anything different than what’s worked for them before. While this will probably please Bleeding Through’s fans, sticking with the path most traveled doesn’t result in a particularly memorable record. DAVID McKENNA

Review: As I Lay Dying – Decas

David McKenna — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:41:26 +0000

Decas celebrates the 10-year anniversary of metalcore stalwarts As I Lay Dying. The EP contains three new songs, four covers, four remixes, and a re-recorded medley track. The new songs sound similar to those on the the band’s last full length release, The Powerless Rise: “Paralyzed” is filled with melodic guitar hooks, pummeling verses, and a soaring chorus. The one standout is “From Shapeless to Breakable,” which is a much less melodic, heavier, and quicker track, featuring blast beats and frenzied shredding. Of the covers, the band’s rendition of “War Ensemble” by always anti-religious speed-metal legends Slayer is particularly good (although slightly ironic coming from this vocally Christian band), as they reinvigorate the thrash standard with a new level of heaviness. The remixes, meanwhile, aren’t exactly noteworthy. The “Confined” remix, in particular, seems almost like a mockery of the band’s classic song, slowing its tempo and adding cheesy synths. Nevertheless, As I Lay Dying fans will enjoy the EP’s new material and covers. Happy 10th anniversary, guys. DAVID McKENNA

Review: Century – Red Giant

David McKenna — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:31:12 +0000

Red Giant is the third full-length album from Lancaster quintet Century. The band packs hardcore fury and dissonant metal riffs into a brisk 30-minute package. When they’re on, they’re really on. “Obelisk” is a standout that features oddly timed riffs and pummeling double bass, which will impress hardcore and metal fans alike. But Century aren’t afraid to experiment, too, and echoes of early Cave In show up throughout the album. It’s a juxtaposition that works to their credit. Carson Slovak’s vocals sound as angry as ever, but the clean singing on tracks like “Dry Bride” is somewhat reminiscent of the Mars Volta’s Cedric Bixler-Zavala. Despite these creative moments, Century occasionally fall back on clichés, and the lyrics sometimes approach self-parody, but nevertheless Red Giant demonstrates both the band’s innovation and raw aggression. DAVID McKENNA

Review: August Burns Red – Leveler

David McKenna — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 13:00:57 +0000

Over the years, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, quintet August Burns Red have crafted a signature brand of metalcore that challenges the genre’s status quo, and the band’s fourth album pushes the envelope even further. Leveler sees the band returning to (and exceeding) the heaviness of their 2007 album, Messengers, while crafting its most ambitious songs to date. The second track here, “Internal Cannon,” begins with the group’s distinctive oddly timed breakdowns and technical guitar work, but then transitions into a Latin-sounding clean section. As strange as this might sound, the fusion of influences is done artfully and comes across great. The song, for which the band has filmed a music video, is the most daringly experimental on the record, and may also be the album’s best track.

Unlike many of his more showy peers, lead guitarist JB Brubaker shreds tactfully, playing memorable melodies on “Cutting the Ties,” “Poor Millionaire,” and “Pangaea.” Drummer Matt Greiner also delivers his best work to date, pounding furious blast beats and seeming to be everywhere around the kit at once. The result of it all is a more diverse effort than the band’s last release, 2009′s Constellations, as the songs really stand apart from each other this time around. August Burns Red have set their own bar even higher on Leveler, and have done so for all of their scene in the process. The album is certainly among the most memorable releases so far this year. DAVID McKENNA

Check out “Empire” from Leveler below:

Review: Arch Enemy – Khaos Legions

David McKenna — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:00:54 +0000

Veteran Swedish death-metal quintet Arch Enemy—led by fierce frontwoman Angela Gossow and former Carcass guitarist Michael Amott—pack an impressive variety of hooky melodic riffs on their eighth studio album, Khaos Legions. This release finds the band slowing down some of the speed and pulling back on the furious intensity of their last original studio album, 2007′s Rise of the Tyrant, and emphasizing melody more. Standout tracks include “Through the Eyes of a Raven” and “Cruelty Without Beauty,” which demonstrate the band’s trademark mix of dark heaviness and catchy, soaring guitar lines. Many of the tracks feature huge anthemic leads over more down-tempo riffage than the band has previously cranked out. But while the group’s increasingly mid-paced heaviness reduces the number of showy frills and demonstrates a matured sense of melodic chops, it does make songs sound slightly repetitive by the album’s end. Nevertheless, Khaos Legions will please longtime fans and probably find a few new ones for Arch Enemy. DAVID McKENNA

Check out “Yesterday Is Dead and Gone” off Khaos Legions below:

Review: Dark Castle – Surrender to All Life Beyond Form

David McKenna — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 13:00:07 +0000

Surrender to All Life Beyond Form is the second full-length album from Florida co-ed doom-metal duo Dark Castle, and it’s an exercise in gloomy cacophony and failed experimentation. Dark Castle attempt an eerie tone of hopelessness throughout the record by blending droning sludge riffage with noise rock, black metal, and industrial metal, but the mix is mostly uneven. After the genuinely eerie, distorted grooves on “Stare into the Absence,” the band transitions into a classical guitar piece on “Create an Impulse,” which is inexplicably–and distractingly–recorded over the sound of thunder. The chants on “Spirit Ritual” and industrial synth tones on “To Hide is to Die” also sound jarringly misplaced. All the uneven experimentation only serves to bury the band’s knack for a solid, stoner riffs, as exemplified by the album’s title track and the band’s more stripped-down 2009 debut, Spirited Migration. Overall, however, Surrender to All Life Beyond Form is a jumbled mix of influences that won’t impress any of the different subgenres’ fans. DAVID McKENNA

Review: For the Fallen Dreams – Back Burner

David McKenna — Wed, 25 May 2011 13:00:24 +0000

Michigan trio For the Fallen Dreams’ third full-length album, Back Burner, doesn’t exactly bring anything new to the table in terms of the now well-worn metalcore formula. But the band does manage to create material that will, at times, engage even the most jaded heavy-music listener. Tracks like “Complicate the Situation” and “The Human Collective” blend original riffs and catchy choruses with blistering breakdowns, and they throb with genuine passion and energy. Even the somewhat cliché soft track “Bottom Feeders” sounds great, and is well-placed in the middle of the album, where it provides a replenishing respite from the overall assault. Nevertheless, the band’s consistent use of clean-sung choruses comes across as uninspired and forced, and it only serves to break up their better heavy verses. The group also relies too much on by-the-numbers breakdowns throughout the album. Back Burner is hardly the year’s most memorable record, but it will please fans and should surprise listeners who think that nothing good can come from metalcore these days. DAVID McKENNA