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Review: TesseracT – Altered State

Revolver Magazine — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:00:35 +0000

Usually, the bigger a prog band’s bag of tricks, the more impenetrable the music becomes. So how is it that TesseracT becomes more accessible even as its music grows increasingly ambitious? It’s tempting to credit new vocalist Ashe O’Hara, given that his densely layered vocals often define the music’s melody and mood, but he’s only part of the equation. TesseracT’s real strength is that they focus on the whole instead of getting bogged down with the intricacy of the parts, and that keeps their blend of heavy guitar, heavenly vocals, juddering rhythms, and dense harmony from seeming a sonic jumble. J.D. CONSIDINE

Check out Altered State in its entirety below:

Album Review: HIM – Tears on Tape

Sarah B. Koenig — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:00:34 +0000

“A moment of calm before the storm,” main man Ville Valo declares on “All Lips Go Blue,” the first single off of HIM’s highly anticipated new album, Tears on Tape. After a three-year hiatus, the Helsinki “love metal” quintet is back with a vengeance. Composed of 13 songs, Tears on Tape may leave the HIM diehard a bit baffled, disappointed, and curious as to the new direction the band seems to have taken–but the truth is that the typical HIM fashion is always to move forward, even if it leaves some fans behind.

In concept, Tears on Tape is a heartfelt, delicately composed mixtape. Drawing inspiration from the musicians that inspired the band, Valo & Co. has drawn together lingering elements of Black Sabbath, Roy Orbison, Elvis, Paradise Lost, and the earlier incarnations of HIM themselves. For instance, on “Love without Tears,” the band teleports the listener back to both their seminal Love Metal album and Roy Orbison’s Mystery Girl album, elements of which have been seamlessly fused together with guitarist Linde Lindstrom’s clean, Iommi-inspired guitar solo and a variety of layered vocal tracks, which range from doo-wop era “ooh”s and “aah”s to Valo’s infamous baritone hum, which murmurs out a moving plea for his ever-mysterious muse to “Love without tears, go on and prove me wrong.”

The heaviest tracks on the album are the trifecta of “Lucifers Chorale,” “W.L.S.T.D.,” and the outro to the entire album, “Kiss the Void,” which wrap up Tears on Tape with the sound effects of the end of a cassette tape and the familiar sound of a cassette tape stopping (those who yearn for the good old days of mixtapes will be moved). “W.L.S.T.D.” is reminiscent of the band’s 2007 album Venus Doom with touches of Type O Negative and Paradise Lost. A very cold and dreary tune carried by a thundering bass line and nightmarish keyboards, the song comes together with deep vocals that almost sound like Valo has finally succumbed to his inner demons, concluding with an apt scream that ultimately defines the key line in the chorus: “Violently soothing and warm.”

On top of all its proper songs, the album also contains four instrumental tracks, which are meticulously placed throughout as interludes and outros; one, “Unleash The Red,” even starts Tears on Tape off. The track is a full 1:07 of spooky keyboards, trance-inducing drumming, and heavy guitars. (The song actually made it’s mystery debut as the band’s intro at HIM’s annual Hell-done Festival in late December unbeknownst to most who attended.)

Reminiscent of a classic record, the cover and booklet artwork are just as cryptic as the songs. Illustrated by Daniel P. Carter (The Bloodhound Gang, BBC Radio Host), the 12 accompanying images are complete with ancient languages, optical illusions, and symbolism that beautifully inter-fuses the “Trifecta” concept it’s supposed to.

Suffice it to say, Tears on Tape is a sentimentally sweet, sonically stunning, and beautifully packaged album. Despite some snippets that have been leaked, one is cautioned to listen to the entire album first before coming to a decision as to what exactly HIM has unleashed upon them: a mixtape dedicated to new beginnings or a bittersweet yearning for the past. Either way, Tears on Tape is a powerful collection of music (very much worth the three-year wait) that will appeal to music lovers of all eras and, of course, those in the Golden God category they are nominated in: Most Dedicated Fans. SARAH B. KOENIG

Check out the title track from Tears on Tape below:

Review: Amorphis – Circle

Paige Camisasca — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:00:22 +0000

Few metal bands have gotten more lyrical mileage out of the Kalevala, Finland’s national myth, than Amorphis. Yet on their 11th studio full-length, the Helsinki-based sextet diversifies with lyricist Pekka Kainulainen’s original narrative about an outcast hero. Complementing the story, the superbly orchestrated music sweeps the listener away. It’s easy to appreciate vocalist Tomi Joutsen’s soulful melancholy on epic tracks like “Mission” and “Hopeless Days,” as determined guitars and chiming keyboards evoke a vast northern landscape. Drummer Jan Rechberg offers perfectly timed accents worthy of Dream Theater on “Into the Abyss.” This circle is complete. LUCAS AYKROYD

Sample all the tracks on Circle below:

Review: Niacin – Krush

Paige Camisasca — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:00:41 +0000

As one would expect, fusion super-trio Niacin deliver all-star chops on this sixth album. But when keyboardist John Novello, bassist Billy Sheehan, and drummer Dennis Chambers do their thing, like when Sheehan’s nimble four-string weaves in and out of Novello’s Hammond B3 and Chamber’s grooving beat on the title track, you’ll likely mutter “great song” rather than “great lick.” One of the best tunes is “Stormy Sunday,” which features proggy, ELP-like arrangements that glow with Novello’s Keith Emersonesque organ work. Another is “Car Crash Red,” a high-octane thrill ride that channels Edgar Winter and reveals three jazz/rock monsters having loads of fun. JEFF PERLAH

Check out the title track off Krush below:

Review: Drowning Pool – Resilience

Paige Camisasca — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 14:00:32 +0000

Since the 2002 death of original lead singer Dave Williams, this Texan quartet has endured a revolving door of singers and yet managed to produce consistently killer albums with an unmistakable sound. This continues with album No. 5, featuring vocalist No. 4 in new guy Jasen Moreno. His bark propels stompers like “Anytime Anyplace,” “Life of Misery,” and “Broken Again,” which blow through the front door like an angry bull. The weakest songs here are the singles: “One Finger and a Fist” is full of unconvincing declarations of being “hardcore,” and “Saturday Night” is an awkward attempt at a party song. Otherwise, Drowning Pool prove resilient once again. JEREMY BORJON

Check out “One Finger and a Fist” off Resilience below:

Review: Senses Fail – Renacer

Paige Camisasca — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 13:00:19 +0000

Forget what you think you know about Senses Fail because Renacer sees the band burying their pop tendencies beneath breakdowns so brutal that even Hatebreed fans will be sated. Recorded with Far guitarist Shaun Lopez, the album sees vocalist Buddy Nielsen screaming like an NYHC veteran as the band mirrors his aggression via the sonic assault of tracks like “Holy Mountain” and “Courage Of The Knife.” That’s not to say Renacer doesn’t have its share of melodic moments such as the intro to “Snake Bite,” but ultimately these well-place segues are but a welcome respite from the pummeling power of the riff. JONAH BAYER

Check out “The Path” Off Renacer below:

Review: Kvelertak – Meir

Christopher Krovatin — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:01:25 +0000

A couple of years ago, Revolver reviewed the self-titled debut by Norway’s Kvelertak for this website and gave it a rather average rating; our feeling was that the album’s brand of muscle rock-cum-black metal was overhyped and needed discipline. Over time, though, the rambunctious tone of the record grew on us, leaving us, like many, interested in what the band would do next. And on Kvelertak’s much-awaited sophomore album, Meir, the band has spun off in many fascinating new directions. Bizarre and multi-faceted, Meir sacrifices the band’s fist-pumping classic-rock gallop in return for a progressive, and endlessly interesting, break in form.

What makes the album unexpectedly enthralling is how little it conforms to the formula to which so many would love Kvelertak to adhere—big riff, chorus, bridge with awesome lead, back again. Opener “Apenbaring” starts with traditionally tasty lead, but is more of a prelude, the song itself lasting about as long as its intro. “Spring Fra Livet” showcases bright, blast beat-laden choruses that seem to reside where Rush meet Liturgy. “Trepan” and “Nekrokosmos” are as kvlt as the band has ever sounded, utilizing crushing riffs, throttling percussion, and creepily droned choruses to infuse them with genuine Scandinavian darkness. Meanwhile, tracks like “Braune Brenn” and “Evig Vandrar” pack that big stomping torque the band is known for. Some tracks, like “Manelyst” and “Snilepisk,” are slightly interchangeable, but even the band’s name-check song (that’s right—it’s called “Kvelertak”) at the end is damn entertaining, just not predictable.

This record may get savaged; something this different from a previous hit has little choice but to get murdered by fans feeling betrayed. But screw them—Meir rules. It’s weird, it’s creepy, it’s unstable, but man, there’s art here, something that few bands can boast. On their debut, Kvelertak were a riot; here, they’re a storm. CHRIS KROVATIN

Review: Mortillery – Origin of Extinction

Paige Camisasca — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:00:49 +0000

Unlike the many retro-thrash bands that accompany adrenaline-injected passages with strangled screams and growls, this Canadian quintet are as driven by raw-throated melodies as by speedy, crunching riffs. Not that singer Cara McCutchen lacks aggression, she just expresses it in a way that’s more memorable than most of her peers. Mortillery’s second full-length is a well-crafted balance of unrelenting force and tuneful hooks that should bowl over fans of early Overkill and Testament. “Cease to Exist” hits full boil with hyper-caffeinated rhythms and skull-rattling vocals, and “F.O.A.D.” is a foul-mouthed rally cry of rebellion and self-empowerment that suggests Mortillery won’t be sidetracked from their chosen path. JON WIEDERHORN

Check out “F.O.A.D.” off Origin of Extinction below:

Review: Iron Reagan – Worse Than Dead

Paige Camisasca — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:00:03 +0000

Featuring Municipal Waste vocalist Tony Foresta and bassist Land Phil (on guitar) alongside two former members of Darkest Hour, Iron Reagan revive the pissed-off political punk/thrash crossover of the ’80s, exhuming none other than the Gipper—every punk’s favorite presidential punching bag—for their namesake. Worse than Dead packs 19 short, sharp shocks like “Eyes Piss Tears,” “Drop the Gun,” and “Eat Shit and Live” into under 25 minutes, leaving absolutely no room for filler—or even breathing. Loaded with monster mosh riffs and airtight thrash gallops crowned with Foresta’s rapid-fire delivery, Iron Reagan deliver a circle-pit soundtrack for the ages. J. BENNETT

Review: Tear Out the Heart – Violence

Paige Camisasca — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Violence is certainly an apt title for this St. Louis metalcore troupe’s debut full-length. There’s a genuine whiplash threat on these 11 tracks, which either charge forth at blitzkrieg speeds (“Crucified,” “Eternal Shadows”) or lumber along with the earth-shaking quality of a Brontosaurus wearing chain mail (“Infamous Last Words,” “Coffin Eyes” featuring Story of the Year’s Dan Marsala). With his wide range—from netherworld growls to heavenly clean vocals—frontman Tyler Konersman is the star of the show, but his bandmates certainly push his performance through sophisticated but still fierce arrangements. Pacifists need not apply. GARY GRAFF

Check out “Undead Anthem” Off Violence below: