Emil Bulls - XX (2016)

German alt/nu-metal rockers Emil Bulls have been around for twenty years, yet this is now the first that I'm ever hearing of them. In order to commemorate the band's twenty year anniversary, this “Greatest Hits” compilation was made in a very peculiar way. At first, not having known anything about the band prior, I was going to say that such a disc was a horrible marketing attempt for a brand new recording. But XX is simply not that. Instead of giving you a “Greatest Hits” collection of sorts, the band decided to record many of their songs in a much sappier, lighthearted tone as you'll witness here. It actually sounds kind of goth, to be honest; definitely a mile's difference from the kind of material you'll hear during the much upbeat “Hellfire versions” as they are titled. This, is in essence the band's actual “Greatest Hits” disc, which fans will have to purchase as a special limited edition digipack, of which I am not fond of. If you're going to release a “Greatest Hits” album, then it should come with these lighter “Candlelight versions” to begin with, rather than making people spend extra money for what is the actual product.

Of the many tracks offered here, I'll mention that there is very little difference between the lighthearted (some might say darkhearted) version of “Dear Sadness” and the slightly more upbeat original. The same could be said for “Dancing On The Moon” of which the differences are nearly vacant. However, the differences between the fiercely brackish Hellfire version of “Way Of The Warrior” and the Candlelight version of the track are so much like night and day that it's amazing how it works. It's almost like Emil Bulls have transformed into a completely different band, not unlike something to the tune of Coldplay or U2. The same might be said of “Hearteater” which takes an almost Mudvayne meets Soilwork approach and turns it into a nearly romantic ballad. Look, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't heard it for myself. Then we have a thrasher with a clean chorus in the form of “The Most Evil Spell” that completely changes shape. I actually had to listen to see if “you fucking coward” was in the piece, which it was. There's actually quite a few F-bombs in this poppy number, making me think of something from Gotye, Finger Eleven or Maroon 5 with a little more bite. I think it's “Worlds Apart” though, that had the greatest effect on me. Though the Candlelight version is quite expectable for such a composition, I really like the balls-out Soilwork influenced Hellfire version of the track. I wish I'd heard that one years ago.

As you can see, XX is definitely something different, but it actually works and I have to say that I'm quite fond of it. From what I've heard on both discs, I can see that Emil Bulls are indeed an act to be reckoned with and it's very surprising that these guys never made it to the US. I can see fans of acts like Breaking Benjamin, Chevelle, Soilwork, Five Finger Death Punch, Motograter and Linkin Park really getting into the material presented here. Just think, twenty years have passed and I had no idea who these guys were and just how damn catchy their tunes are. Sorry folks, but we don't have all the great rock bands here in the states. Give this one a listen to see what you're missing.

(2 Discs, 29 Tracks)

8/10

Manimal - Trapped In The Shadows (2016)

Having not heard the band's previous record, I'm going completely off what I've heard here from the Swedish power metallers. The disc claims to be a mixture of Painkiller-era Priest with a touch of Queensryche at their best, and I can say for the most part that the definition is true. The riffs certainly remind me of thrashy Priest, while the melodies and progressions clearly remind me of Queensryche. I could never get into Queensryche and may have mentioned that I still can't get into the legendary Operation Mindcrime album. It's not that I haven't tried though, I've given that record five listens at least and just never felt it. Trapped In The Shadows is a completely different story however as the record comes forth with the Priestly power evoked on “Irresistible” (6:02) and charges right into the proggy “March Of Madness” (4:36) which both show fantastic highs from Samuel Nyman, and pure firepower from axeman Henrik Stenroos. Both pieces are literally catchy as hell and should have nearly every classic metal fan with their horns raised in the air. “The Dark” (4:58) seems to stand in the way though and almost feels a bit out of place. Though Nyman hits the highs in chorus, the track just sort of plods for me and you'll see what I'm talking about. The title cut (4:12) comes next though, seeming like a variation of “Painkiller” as it quickly changes to a more melodic note, by which a fantastic and very memorable chorus number escapes. There's even a nice little solo on the piece. “Invincible” (5:20) follows right in thick chugs, as background keyboards and clean harmonies really bring the chorus home. So far, I can say that this record has far more hits than misses, and when it does hit, it hits hard. Additionally, these guys like to texture their songs a little more than other bands in their genre, giving me something more to listen to than verse chorus. The bridge sections really deliver, allowing them to really bring it on home with the finale. Love them or hate them, Manimal are one of the best power metal acts I've heard in a very long time. Can they keep this up?

A Swedish interviewer on MA says that around “Man-Made Devil” (5:27) things started to slow down for him. While I can see what he's talking about, I can't completely agree. Even Painkiller had it's slower cuts, like “Touch Of Evil” for example. But there's not a damn thing wrong with that, especially noting how memorable the cut was. With this song however, the band seem to go into an almost theatrical state that brings with it more chunk later on in the piece. There's a piano section, as well as a really interesting theremin type effect that creates an otherworldly atmosphere to the track. It's different, but different is always good. If these guys made nine more copies of “Irresistible” then I would have irresistibly thrown the disc into the waste bin. We need to allow musicians to experiment and evolve, which is what they've done here. “Silent Messiah” (6:02) really comes off like Helloween, which certainly isn't a problem, especially when you're catching Nyman's amazing highs in there. The track adds some electronic effects and orchestration (to which some might utter, what?) which adds a little bit of possibly unneeded longevity to the piece. Though the much shorter cut, “The Journey” (4:13) takes things into a more balladic nature as the legendary Udo Dirkschneider guests on a much different piece than we might expect from the Swedish metal act. It's another experiment, which should appeal to fans of Udo's previous work. “Screaming Out” (4:17) continues the experimentation, as a backing children's choir backs Nyman's chorus. It strikes me as a bit odd, especially seeing that the track is quite punchy. The final note here is “Psychopomp” (5:15) which features an unexpected harsh vocal chorus in lieu of the familiar heavy metal heat. It feels like a bit of an afterthought and doesn't really accomplish anything that hasn't already been accomplished on the earlier cuts.
Having taken the entire album into observation, I can honestly say that it began as a really promising piece. But I feel that after “Man-Made Devil” things just sort of fell apart. The last couple of songs just kind of felt like outcasts and didn't really strike the impact that we felt with the first half of the disc. When you first hear this disc, it's going to feel like a giant has punched you in the face. But as you continue listening, it's going to feel as if that mighty giant has walked on to greener pastures. I liked the fact that they were experimenting, but perhaps it became too much of an experiment at the end, sounding like a band that perhaps got a bit confused or maybe even rushed. Trapped In The Shadows is still worth a listen, but it's a classic example of starting out with a bang and ending with a whimper.

(10 Tracks, 50:00)

7/10