The Silverblack - Self-Titled (Remixed and Remastered) (2016)

This very short remastered and remixed version of the industrial goth rockers debut album feels more like an EP release than a debut. Even though there are ten songs featured here, it feels more like a smattering of ideas that was further realized on the group's next effort. There are obvious references to The Deathstars here, especially right in the vocal tone of album opener “Chimera.” Throughout the album we are introduced to a very dark vocal croon in the background, which would definitely have to be Disarmonia Mundi's Claudio Ravinale and could carry the weight of the record completely on it's own. Unfortunately, this is technically Neroargento's main band with him performing the leads, samples and the majority of the vocals, which are a bit more focused towards lighter and more fragile territory which doesn't work as well for me. For instance, there's a section in “Dandelion” where a clean vocal is used, which feels a bit closer to Manson and far from that deep tongued Bloody Kisses Pete Steele vibe that Ravinale is going for. Aside from that, you're going to find a very interesting mix of guitar and electronica here, which is often as bouncy as it is gothic. It often feels like both vocalists are struggling for supremacy here, as one fellow prefers a harsh approach to the clean approach of the other – you can only imagine how this comes off on the recording, sounding not unlike an utter mess. Less is more, and there is just too much going on as far as the record is concerned. The Silverblack need to find a way to separate vocal duties in this act, or someone needs to go. That's not to say that heartwrenching number “Someone like you” or the catchy “Once Again” (by which the harsh/clean approach is used effectively) are not worthy of merit, but there are definitely some slips and slides here. The most aggravating track on the record is called “B.B.N.C.” which quite literally feels ruined by it's gimmick of a cellphone scammer. I will say that if you're looking for a mix of goth rock and heavy industrial with an almost melodic death metal flair to the vocals, you can't really go wrong with this. It reminds me a little of early Blood Stain Child (are they even still a band?) and that's a good thing. I also need to mention that this disc sounds a bit different from The Grand Turmoil and comes across with more of a bite.

Remember that this version of the band's debut is different from the initial release and may come off better or worse than that version, depending on taste. Some of you might feel that the original mix was better, but I can't confirm or deny that, not having heard it. I will say that even though the record is pretty short, it does feel a bit longer than it does due to all of the different ideas utilized within each track. As the record literally overflows with differing structures, there exists a brand of substance that you just won't hear in similar bands. Perhaps this might even come across as a heavier version of industrial era Linkin Park, which is not a problem for me, because even if Neroargento is going for something like Chester Bennington with the cleans (who actually always wanted to emulate Ministry during their With Sympathy days – did you know?) the rest of the album features so much more bite than anything I've heard from the experimental alternative pop rockers in years. I'd definitely recommend this one over that style of music, even though I am admittedly a fan of some of their music as well and do not recognize boundaries when it comes to music. Perhaps one of my favorite tracks on the album would be it's closer “Blessed By A Curse” where we get a nice bit helping of frightening dark vocal tones, something that I feel could have been utilized better on the album as a whole. Even so, you're never going to hear anything like that on a Linkin Park album. Speaking of, the band just jumped the shark and is getting hammered by people for putting out a very lackluster track and this might be just what you need to cleanse your palette and get the fucking taste out of your mouth. As a secondary defense, I'll also state that NeroArgento's clean lines are not as whiny as Chester Bennington's often come off. We can be rather thankful for that. I was on the fence during the first listen of this recording, but sometimes it's the second listen that really allows the material to sink in. I would certainly recommend it to those looking for a good mix of many genres, set to a bouncy and brackish musical backbone.

(10 Tracks, 34:00)

7/10

Spreading Dread - Age Of Aquarius (2016)

Though you may not have heard of them, (and the only review that exists in English is a three-star from Metal Temple) this is actually the sophomore release from the Czech based power/thrashers. (Am I reading that right, Metal Archives?) So the idea of this review is pretty simple. Should I go along with what the temple scribes consider to be a realitively decent record, or should I look a little further? First of all, this record seems about the furthest thing from power/thrash. It sounds instead like more of a mixture between melodic death metal and modern metalcore. Except for the fact that it changes from that quickly after album opener “Devolution” and mutates into a more neo-classically influenced style that reminds me of a mixture between the music of Castlevania and Undertale. Of course, that's just the long intro. We later get clean vocals and more of a Gojira or Tesseract progressive metal feel to the music that I just wasn't expecting at the start. This is much better than the opening note and I personally think they should have thrown that one in the garbage.

Starting the disc on a note like “Oil Stained” (it comes with it's own intro) would have been a great way to open the performance as a whole. I know for certain that there are a few reviewers who have admitted to only listening to the first track on a record to see if they like it. Do you understand what that means, guys? I know it sounds pretty pathetic, but because some people can't be bothered to check out more than one track on a damn record, they probably missed out your more interesting material due to that unnecessary opener. As I continue listening to the rest of the album, it only gets more interesting and features more venturing out into different realms far beyond the normalcy of the opener. “Conspiracy” begins with a hypnotic riff as it goes into what I could consider something of a hefty death/thrash and then builds into a sort of atmospheric rock. Spreading Dread show us that yes, you can go from a death/thrasher into atmopsheric rock, but it's not common. Then the track carries us right into a core-influenced death pummeler that is far more brackish than the death/thrash offered in the beginning. They could have opened the album with this one as well. “Karmic Wheels” rolls right into technicality, as well as what could be a sort of filtered vocal.

You've got to hand it to these guys as they really are trying to make a complex record, which is exactly what Metal Temple reviewer Lauren Fonto had an issue with. She said, “I think they are trying to do too many things with one song.” Good thing there are second opinions, right? You see, the one thing that Fonto seemed to not care about, is what attracted me to this act. Sure, they seem to go a little bit radio on some of these cuts, but I like that. I still think that they should pretend that they never wrote “Devolution” because it doesn't really mirror the mostly progressive nature of what has been achieved here, the mostly technical nature of what has been achieved here – and even though there are sections of modern and core influence, much has been accomplished in forty minutes than a slew of similar acts have tried for in the past.

Once again, I do believe that more people probably would have picked this one up if they had put the melodic deathcore track on the bottom and gave writers a real example of their talent. I'm not going to mince words here though, as I've never been a fan of core atmospheres, especially a disc that crunches so heavily on deathcore when it wants to be heavy. I'd have to be a fool not to see that there was something promising budding out here, and Fonto seemed to say the same thing in her review of the disc. We both seem to agree that these guys have potential, but she thinks they're too rambunctious and I think they're just too damn core. Did you forget that death metal existed? If they would fuse with death metal, there might be more of an applicable palette for me, but all of these breakdowns and such can even take away from the wonderful progressives and astonishing solos that these guys manage to pull off. Spreading Dread didn't really get the respect they deserved this time around, and maybe if they decide to switch the tracks around next time (and I honestly do recommend several bands to do this, because it is true of several reviewers – this is why the single is normally the first or second track on an album) on the promo, they'll get more coverage. I definitely that you give Age Of Aquarius a listen though, as it is a real diamond in the rough that can cause as much surprise as cringe. It just depends on how you like your metal, because this record is a buffet of sorts.

(8 Tracks, 43:00)

7/10

Fliptop Box - Catch 22 (2016)

Recommended for fans of Alice In Chains, Danzig, Volbeat and Therapy? (Seriously? I'll provide some better influences later in the review) these Grecian metallers are about to release their sophomore disc sometime in late October. In all honesty, I would compare the sound of Fliptop Box to being a combination of Deftones as their lightest and The Cult at their most melodic. There are also some growls here and there, but they feel kind of forced. This band doesn't need growls, (but they appear on a track called “Sirens”) as there's no sense in it and it more or less weakens the performance. These guys don't have to growl to reach a metal audience, they seem to do a fine job playing their instruments as is. Maybe there's even a little bit of Sentenced's melancholy rock here, which isn't a problem either.

Frontman John P. handles the vocals here, sometimes going into a bit of a Danzig croon, but it's a bit lighter and somewhat a bit post-punk depending on the cut. Perhaps the accent is still a little bit rough, but the spirit is there. He also handles the guitars, where he composes a sort of airy, yet thunderous rock. Again, I'm thinking of the Deftones at their lightest, maybe Saturday Night Wrist or Koi No Yokan. There are also some rather notable solos on the record, but I can't tell if John or (secondary axe) Stavros is responsible for them. Additionally we'll also hear backups on the record, where drummer Captain Frikis and Christina accentuate the choruses. This is most notable on opener “Blast” even though John handles his own on “Borderline” quite well too. While the Volbeat influence may very well be there, I can say that John's vocal approach is far more spirited and much less obnoxious than that of Michael “liked you better in Dominus” Poulsen. He really knows how to bring it home and pile on the melody at the same time, which equals out to several memorable songs.

The record is extremely well written and feels like it has a bit more going for it than just some mainstream modern rock sound. There's definitely a slight feel of Goth here, but it's closer to early Goth rather than Dracula Goth. I take no preference with either, but hearing a little bit of The Sisters Of Mercy is not something I'm going to take an issue with. All in all, the Greeks have made a rather strong record and I'd certainly recommend giving it a listen. I'm a little torn between a decent seven and a solid eight, because some parts of the disc are rough while others are quite well produced. I will say that after the third time of listening to the disc, I still find it a very strong disc where anything could really be touched on and often is. The listener won't expect some of the territory that is traversed here, but it will all be worth an ear if you're willing to give these guys a shot.

Fliptop Box are a bit more inventive than what we might expect for alternative rock, and there are enough metallic elements here to interest those who might be on the fence. Even so, this is a rock band and they should be respected as such. I never claimed that Fliptop Box were one of the heaviest bands in the world, but they don't need to be either. They're doing their own thing and I think that given time, these guys will really start to grow on me. Quite refreshing.

(8 Tracks, 38:00)

7/10

Chronic Hangover - Neo Inferno Italiano (2016)

Chronic Hangover are an Italian act that seem to mix what I'd consider a bit of rock, thrash, and other modernisms into the mix – one I particularly do not care for. But it's not the mix in general where the problem lies, it appears to be in the frontman's approach to screaming. Or I should say, his constant screaming. I also found it quite ironic that his name is Jacopo, who is also the name of the character in the visual novel The House In Fata Morgana that I always hated, even during the redemption stage. Odd remembrances aside, I'll agree that these gentlemen do pack quite a punch with their oblong approach to rock music which even reminds me of an act like The Murderdolls. There's definitely some air of a punk rock vibe going on here, but with more of a thrash edge and some surprisingly rocking solos courtesy of Mattia. In a way, it's more of a punk rock/thrash, except when it's not. Some unexpected blues rolls into “Sociopatia” and equals out to a punky blues, but still retains a hard-edge. Even though I don't like Jacopo's vocal approach at first, I feel that it does go with the act and after awhile, perhaps I could enjoy it. During this second listen, I'm finding that it isn't necessarily unlistenable and Mattia handles the guitar well-enough to keep my attention in spite of the vocals. The band almost feels a bit like grunge rock, but they don't really seem to play too often by the rules and it does make for a performance that shouldn't grate on one's ears. A track like “Regreludio” even features some non-screamy bits from the band's howling frontman, which is a welcomed paced after so much of his voice in my ears. At least he's got spirit though, which is going to count in spades when these guys take the show on the road.

Getting back to the record, we also get a bit of psychedelic doom (or that's what it seems to me at least) in “Alamut 2112” which seems to continue into an untitled instrumental piece towards the end. If I could sum the whole thing up, I would basically consider Chronic Hangover to be the kind of band who mix in rock with a little bit of grunge, punk, doom, blues and whatever else they feel is necessary. They're the kind of act that definitely have mainstream potential, but I just can't quite get over the vocal edge. Even so, there's enough intrigue within Mattia's guitar compositions, Fabrizio's thick bass chugs and Charlo's proficient drumming to make this an act worth checking out. Yes, you heard me right – even though I'm not entirely crazy about some of the lengthy vocal howls utilized here on the piece, I wouldn't shy this one away from rock fans due to the sheer amount of effort put into it. It comes in at forty-three minutes of playing time, which tends to stretch out a bit further when you listen to it, for better or for worse (depending entirely on the listener.) Go listen to a few tracks on their ReverbNation page and give it a listen for yourself to see if you dig it. There are about three tracks from this release here, though I am not sure if they were mastered the same way. Even so, it should give you just enough to chew on before you decide to take the plunge and pick up the record when it comes out later this year.

(10 Tracks, 43:00)

7/10

Celestial Ruin - Pandora (2016)

You might wonder why I'm covering a Vancouver based rock and Gothic metal band that has been tagged for fans of Nightwish, Evanessence, Delain, Kamelot, Within Temptation and others. There's a simple reason for that, which is mainly that I found the record very catchy and rather enjoyable. Aside from Larissa Dawn's potent vocal prowess on the microphone, we have the pounding drums of Adam Todd as well as some notable leads and solos from Eriz Crux. Ruben Wijga performs the keys here, which add much of the bombastic atmosphere you'll hear on the disc, far different than what you might expect on a regular female fronted rock record. These guys are actually taking the term “metal band” seriously, which definitely warrants the Kamelot comparison, regardless of how much the Delain tag fits as well. It's actually not too out of character to consider Celestial Ruin a more thrash-influenced and bombastic version of Evanessence, but not Nightwish. There's nothing operatic here, but there are about ten tons of sing-along choruses to be found on a disc that's surely just the start of something larger and more commercial. I would just hope that as Celestial Ruin matures as a band, they won't decide to sand down the metallic elements here in favor of giving people easier to digest fast food music with only the pop choruses intact. It's kind of funny that the single for the EP is “Sense Of Exile” even though “Nevermore” is about ten times more commercially viable and would make the band stick out far more among casual rock listeners. Then again, in listening to the two cuts side by side, I've noticed that the chorus numbers sound nearly identical to each other in tone. But whatever sells, right? In any case, this act is an absolute goldmine and I'm quite sure that it doesn't even need a small site like mine to promote it. After all, there was something of an interview with the frontwoman over at the AXS TV website, and that's Mark Cuban's channel. He has way more fans than I do here, or than I could ever dream of here. He's actually making money, and enough of it to sell me into slavery if he wished. In any case, I actually found this record extremely catchy and I'll bet my bottom dollar that this isn't the last we'll be seeing from this act. An EP today, a Grammy tomorrow... but to do that, they'd have to kill the metal, wouldn't they? Yep. It'll be interesting to see how much they're willing to sacrifice in the future.

(4 Tracks, 24:00)

8/10

Black Absinthe - Sounds Of Denial (2016)

A mix of thrash, blues rock, alternative and even death metal, we have something rather unexpected from Canada's Black Absinthe. Apparently this is a bit of a new direction for the guys as their Metal Archives definition is considered to be Heavy Metal/Punk Rock and I'm hearing something completely different. Let's take, “Is This Life” for instance. It starts up almost with a Metallica style thrash, but then rolls into something that sounds more like chorus friendly radio rock. Maybe a little like Fozzy. Then you've got the fiendish death growls which seem to come out of nowhere. Technically this doesn't make them death metal, but there are a lot of thrash bands out there with death metal vocals. “The Wild” opens the disc with a sort of southern blues rock, while we hear a sort of progressive touch on “Berj Khalifa.” Maybe it's a bit more melodic, like the Police. Whatever the case, there's definitely some experimenting going on here and it's working for them. Jack Cerre isn't the best vocalist in the world by far, but he's a great guitarist and really seems to be stepping out of his comfort zone with this one. “Now” definitely shows one of his best sing-along moments, proving that this debut (it's not actually an EP) has the band with their feet in the right direction. No one needs to point it out, they're already there. I have a really funny feeling that an act like Black Absinthe could become very popular due to the type of formula they have here. Now this is just me speculating, but I'm going to break it down for you.

First, I've noticed that these guys have a very commercial vibe when it comes to compositions, but they still manage to stuff it with just the right amount of raw meat in the vein of extreme metal (Winter) to appeal to the metal community. Those heavy parts, as sparse as they might be on this disc, are just enough to appeal to metal fans and will make the act loosely fit the metal genre tag. Cerre even employs a darker tinged sort of riffing in sections that kind of sounds like black metal and that's usually enough in itself. That being said, they still have that very commercial, very marketable aspect and could have some songs play on alternative rock radio. “Now” would work for that, which brings a very catchy chorus right into the hands of new listeners that will more or less purchase the disc just for it. But none of these casual listeners would expect the band's powerful display of darkness in “Winter” which hopefully is a sign of much greater things to come.

Early Signs Of Denial is the kind of disc that can reel you in and keep you entertained on mid-era Metallica/latter-Trivium/current Avenged Sevenfold style pieces, but will also come with a slight bite in the realms of more evil metal (some of the people that unexpectedly hear these utterances will not be familiar with them and will consider them evil, after all I just had a guy ask me if Stephen King was the devil at work earlier this evening) which many of those casual listeners might not be expecting and will open up to. It's a possibility, just as BabyMetal has opened the doors to an entire genre for non-metal listeners. Necessary evils, I'd think. While not quite as extreme as you like, or not quite as family friendly, you'll definitely get a great variety of material here with the record and it's definitely not the kind of record that would upset members of your religious congregation. These guys are very much in the same vein as Metallica as far as I'm concerned and they're mostly quite harmless. Just be careful, because it does bite.

(6 Tracks, 27:00)

8/10

Pearly Gates - Unchained (2016)

Though we haven't heard a new Tool record since 2006's 10,000 Days, it seems that the band have been alive and well in Finland. Really. The frontman sounds like just like Maynard did back when he was playing on Lateralus and Aenema, with “Sink Hole” sounding like a Tool track that they left in the vault somewhere. These guys have played over a hundred gigs since they've been together and being a Tool fan, I can definitely say that I enjoy the approach here. I'd actually love to break into the local radio station, put “Sink Hole” on the radio and see how many people start drooling because they think Tool just released a new single. I can just hear it now. “But that's not Tool!” “I don't care, it's fucking Tool enough for me!” As we keep going, we're going to hear something completely different though, and that's the calming acoustic ballad “Unchained” which is performed here live. It's not really my thing, but I will admit that it's pretty mellow and I'd probably enjoy it more if I was a bit stoned. “Free Fall” sounds more like classic progressive rock in a way, with a decidedly dreamlike feeling that certainly doesn't sound anything like Tool. Though it starts out pretty weak, as with any good prog track, it has a tremendous instrumental buildup that proves to be worth it's weight in gold. There's also another track on here by the name of “Glass Eyes” which sounds like an alternative rock track by another name, so ignore the cool tagline. Unfortunately, these guys seem to only be really good at emulating other bands and there's little here that seems to be of their own style. I could jam “Sink Hole” hundreds of times, but the rest of this stuff just doesn't cut it as much. I think listeners are going to be a bit confused, as am I. But one really awesome song and pretty good one at the end isn't necessarily a bad thing, is it?

(4 Tracks, 20:00)

7/10

Haken - Affinity (2016)

I felt that London's Haken might have been wearing out their welcome a little after 2014's The Mountain and the Restoration EP that came after it. I know that some of you liked these discs because of the 89% and 90% I see from reviewers on Metal Archives, but for me these guys have been a hard sell after what I'd consider a landmark in Visions. There's no doubt about it that these guys play a very modern style of progressive metal for a new generation and I think that they're trying to go for Dream Theater's torch, (but why not? Someone's got to try for it eventually) yet there are some truly intriguing pieces on this record that I feel are more than worth their weight in gold. One of these in particular, might be one of the single best progressive metal tracks that I've heard in recent memory. But let's start off at the beginning. 

“Initiate” didn't really hit me as anything really special, and other than a bloated sort of Karnivool feeling, I didn't really catch it. However, that's where the silly “buy me” stuff ends and the real meat of this monster begins. Now I know that someone might use the hipster tag when I talk about how much I love this throwback to the glory days of progressive rock music, but surely “1985” is something of a masterpiece to me. When I listen to this track, I can't even believe that it's fucking Haken. These guys could literally do an entire record like this if they wanted to, and prove that they have the classic formula down. Not only does frontman Ross Jennings have an incredibly crystalline vocal falsetto, but Richard Henshall's keyboard work really helps to make this track the kind of time-traveling experience that it needs to be. For an act like this to even attempt to delve into this kind of territory might at first seem like they're biting off a bit more than they can chew, especially with the thumping modern grooves that separate the track from a completely eighties feeling – but when you look at it through my eyes, I see this is a re-imagination of that classic age through the minds of a much different generation. If you want, you can even throw Haken the “hipster” tag, but there's no doubt that the feel of this piece brings me back to the days of Hulk Hogan, The A-Team and Miami Vice. Also Rush, because, of course! During the instrumental freakout section, there are also a lot of parts that remind me of Dream Theater's legendary instrumental experiences (yes, they really are experiences) that definitely perk my ears up a bit. Saying little more about this one, “1985” definitely put them back on the map for me. That being said, this isn't even the song I'm talking about. Yes, for there is even a much grander track on the record right after “Lapse” that literally blew my fucking mind to the point where I couldn't discern fantasy from reality. Fitting of it's over fifteen-minute mark, I'm still a bit shocked as to why “The Architect” is not the disc's closer and merely it's fifth track. I feel that such an invigorating moment placed at the end of the disc would be a perfect finale, leaving it's awesomeness sketched firmly upon the minds of all who've experienced it in it's entirety. The band instead opt for a relatively decent piece called “Bound By Gravity” that comes off as something altogether different, and certainly not as pulse-pounding. Between these moments, we do have other tracks which deliver in a more commercial prog standpoint, something that the radio would play (and why doesn't it?) due to their short track lengths, but feature a bit more exploration than much of the catchy bubble-gum rock acts that you hear churned out by multi-million dollar labels on a day to day basis. Even if the same very well may be true of giants Century Media who released the album, I can say that they seem to give a little bit more a damn and would rather give us quality material like this, rather than signing a band like Nickelback (looking at you, Roadrunner.)

Now that my yammering has ended, let's get right down to it. “The Architect” begins by allowing the band to immediately show off what they can do on an instrumental front. We already know that this is going to be a colossal masterpiece of musical might from the very start of the piece. The song quickly throws Jennings headfirst into a quick set of lyrics and a familiar chorus, much like some of the shorter numbers. Yet that's not the part I'm getting off about. While it's definitely a noteworthy chorus line that you'll end up mouthing along to after awhile, it just adds commercial viability to a piece that soon goes outward into infinity, and this my friends, this is what we want. After the Maynard worship has ended, the piece goes into a brilliant atmosphere of sorts, where Chris Griffith and Richard Henshall can truly show their skills on the guitars and keyboards. We enter into a sort of technological cyberpunk world that these guys might have seen while either being absurdly high or playing an installment of Shadowrun Returns, but in any case, this is where Jennings performs a level of almost unintelligible vocalizing that brings an almost ethereal quality to the performance as a whole. I don't care what he's singing about, just the feeling behind it. Then without warning, an Opeth inspired guitar solo just appears out of nowhere (reminding me much of personal favorite, “The Drapery Falls”) along with some harsh vocals that I don't recall ever having heard from this act. That doesn't mean that you can just throw the progressive death tag on them now, because they're still just what they always were – a couple of growls don't change anything. The odd mixture of djent and keyboard sections actually make me take notice of a style of riff I had come to hate due to it's overuse. Then I'm then thrown into familiar Dream Theater instrumentation, which features one more utterance of the chorus before the track slows to offer some shredding. These guys are really piling it on thick with this one, and Jennings is doing his best to really top such a piece (which is by now in realms of complete grandiosity) with a memorable refrain that should easily cement the final thoughts of such a piece right into your cranium.

After that one, they sort of take the gears down a little and go back into something a little more down to earth, fittingly called “Earthrise” (I'm not going to lie to you, it starts out just like a alternative rock song) and then a little meditative piece called “Red Giant.” It might sound like they've run out of awesomeness by this point, and as the rest of the disc goes on, that seems to be the case. But what can you really do after putting everything you have into “The Architect?” Not that the other songs are completely forgettable as they do feature some memorable atmospheres (more than the others though, oddly enough – these could almost be seen as a type of filler for songs that in essence might only be about three or four minutes without this type of excursion) as well as some really nice keyboard solo efforts, particularly on “The Endless Knot.” They're definitely listenable pieces, but they don't carry as much weight as some of the earlier numbers. As I said, the disc's closer “Bound By Gravity” goes for something much different than you'll hear on the rest of the album, which is an extravagantly extended ballad of sorts. It culminates into a jauntier piece where Jennings is now in full-focus, ending the record right there. Admittedly there are some beeps and bloops at the end of the record, but that's all unnecessary filler for what could have been a far grander moment.

At the end of the day, modern prog fans will enjoy Affinity, but I don't think that there's enough here for fans of the genre's heyday. I guess if you're glued to the early days of the genre, you'll find something pretty special in “1985” but despite the grandeur of “The Architect” it still contains an awful lot of commonalities in heavy metal music and may turn some listeners off. Oddly enough, the band nearly kick out the metal elements entirely for the rest of the record, opting for a more modern progressive rock feel that isn't really here nor there. Affinity sees Haken trying to appeal to both fans of progressive metal and rock equally, while also introducing some of the more commercial and accessible elements they've been toying with as of late. Even though “1985” and “The Architect” are some rather bold moments, I can't give the record a perfect score or even a great score based on two extremely interesting pieces. This being said, I still feel that Affinity is a relatively good record and Haken fans should be pretty pleased with it.

(9 Tracks, 61:00)

8/10

Gigantic Brain - Self-Titled (2016)

Gigantic Brain are back after a long time of silence, and despite being a very experimental act, one might think they're having a little bit of an identity crisis? I know that's odd coming from a man like me, who revels in all things obscure and unique, but I'm not really sure what's going on here. The previous recordings from Gigantic Brain were all very much rooted in a much heavier vein of death metal, but this Self-Titled seems like a reinvention for the band. There are still loads of electronic elements, vocal filters and harsh vocal elements. I see what they're trying to do here, but it seems lessened a little bit. Most interestingly is the inclusion of clean vocals, which I haven't heard on any of their records prior and seems a little bit off-kilter for the band. This is almost as big a change as when Ulver quite playing black metal to pursue electronica. Gigantic Brain were very death metal and were rooted mainly in experimental brutal death, but this... well, this almost sounds commercial. There are even a couple of tracks on the disc that go a little over the three minute mark, which is pretty uncommon for these guys. Even the death metal portion on “Leaking Out Of Your Mouth” sounds more like modern groove-influenced death metal, rather than you know, the kind of stuff they had been playing. Most of the cuts mainly offer a short atmosphere here and there and just add a little more wind to the album, but when we get to “Our Dam” I'm very closely reminded of industrial alternative rock/Nu-Metal acts like American Head Charge or The Deftones. One might really wonder as to what in the hell these guys are doing, but there's no doubt that the music encapsulated here could appear to a big-wig in the recording industry, as soon as he decides that the band be ever further watered down to the point where they literally are just an Industrial/Nu-Metal act and 9/10 songs sound just like the aforementioned. Though I will commend the band on continuing to experiment, this record shows that they are going in a more accessible direction with their music. One thing can be ascertained from the listen though and that's the band want to be more of an electronic rock act than a metal one, period. Even closer “I Fly The Unicorn” uses programmed drums, short acoustics and piano pieces instead of any real guitar influence. It still sounds like Gigantic Brain in some sense and it still has merit, but I think people are going to be more interested in their early work after the band become commercially famous from whatever proceeds this. IwrestledABearOnce showed us that a band can still be as experimental as hell and get signed to a big label, so I think these guys could very much end up the same way. This Self-titled is definitely out there, but it's still pretty simplistic and a little more straight-forward than some of their past work has been. It's not anything I would have personally expected from the band and shows that they're really not sure what in the hell they want to do yet. I really hope they find out, or go back to doing what they do best. Maybe they'll release some more material to give us a better understanding as to what they want to do, because I'm going to admit that I'm kind of lost.

(11 Tracks, 25:00)

7/10

BabyMetal - Metal Resistance (2016 Bonsai Bonus)

Well, it's April Fools and I guess you think I'm joking regarding this BabyMetal review, right? Well, I'm definitely not joking (and we'll have the regularly scheduled Church Of Misery up for the next Bonsai Bonus) as the record came out today and I've just finished listening to it. You might remember my review of the debut, in addition to a little bit of history about the band and how they're technically the product of a Japanese talent agency. I feel no need to get into that right now, but what I will say is that most of the songs on the BabyMetal debut album went all of the way back to 2006 if not further, and were virtually “old” material. Well, Metal Resistance changes all that with something we've all wanted from this fucking band – structure. As much as I love the experimental Japanese scene, that record was literally all over the place and it felt as if they had just thrown a bunch of shit together and called it a day. Apparently the several musicians responsible for this project decided that they wanted to make a more cohesive record, that closer resembles that of the current Japanese and western metal scene and offers a slightly different approach with each track. We get that here, but we also get evolving songs that slowly allow for other pieces to come into play, rather than making us play WarioWare with their music, which simply didn't work all that well. In other words, I can solidify that BabyMetal have made a more mature album that pushes their silliness aside and further showcases not only the impeccable musicianship of the band, but the ever-increasing awesomeness of the band's J-Pop idol, Su-Metal. Let's just face facts, Suzuka is absolutely incredible. She's definitely up there with some of the very best female vocalists I've heard in the country, and she really belts it out on this record. But let's go track-by-track here, so that I can explain to you just what has done here. As a word of full disclosure, you are reading this article as a fan of Japanese female fronted music, whether that be J-Rock, J-Pop or J-Metal. Covering Japanese acts is nothing new for us here at the Tower and I'm glad that I am once again able to do so. If you do not like female fronted Japanese music, you will not like this record in any way, shape or form. You absolutely must be a fan of this genre of music to even be able to grasp what I'm going to be talking about for the majority of this review.

The first song, “Road Of Resistance” was originally offered as a bonus track on their last one, but I never heard it – and if I did, I don't remember it sounding like this. What the band have done here is to channel Dragonforce and with what I'd consider a one-hundred percent musical emulation. The beginning of the album starts out with the sort of grandiose feeling that one might get from a Japanese power metal act, like Dragon Guardian for example. Interestingly enough, despite the Dragonforce emulation (or is that really Herman-Li, I can't tell?) this track actually features a great duet between the harsh and clean vocals that also opens up for an incredibly Japanese power metal influenced chorus (think Iron Attack) as well as what really might be a solo section from Herman-Li. At this point, I literally can't tell, and the vocalizing from Suzuka completely accents the piece beyond expectation. People might laugh at you, but the song definitely kills. “Karate” came next, which is definitely a djent piece, but there's something interesting about it, which doesn't really begin until Suzuka starts singing. I never thought the J-Pop influenced chorus melody and vocal style would work so well with the grooves, but they do. We are soon reminded that there are two other girls in the band at this point and they prove that they simply shouldn't exist in this project to begin with. I would have rather heard more lines from Suzuka than to be exposed to their silliness. An atmosphere actually comes into play towards the end of the song, and it continues after one hard-hitting chorus and solo combo. There's apparently a video for this and I'd really like to see it myself. Especially how they tackle the part with the piano, the vocalization and the mist. That's fucking beautiful.

Moving on, we get into “Awadama Fever” which doesn't work for me at all. I see what they're trying to do here with the industrial drum n bass, but it's a little bit too Studio Ghibli for me. The track evolves into some heavier sections with electronic whizzes, but I just don't think it works for me. I appreciate the experiment, it's very cohesive and doesn't feel like a mess, but it's just not palatable for me. I guess it is pretty catchy though. “Yava” however, felt a little more interesting. Now this kind of electronic experiment felt a little more authentic to J-Rock and if you've heard as much of it as I have, then you're going to notice that immediately. It's a very dancey track, with an obvious surf-rock flair that is soon decorated with some heavier sections. The chorus is strong, the harsh vocals provide little backing shouts. I guess it's alright, but the harsh vocal element almost feels unnecessary. It's extremely catchy and only gets catchier with time. “Amore” comes next, feeling like a ballad at first, but it's not time for that yet. Instead, we get a very traditional (Iron Attack) female approach to power metal that has some classical influence. So basically, Iron Attack, right? Yeah but hell, most people have never heard this stuff and if it gets them into Japanese power metal, then great. The solo is performed rather well, just as we'd expect. I mean, it's a Japanese power metal cut. We know what we're getting and I'm fine with that. I love it. Now here's where things get interesting, as “Meta Taro” is a triumphant folk-influenced war march. Yes, you heard me right. What it makes me think of, is the possible scenario that could occur should all of our Japanese produced wifu robots decide to rebel against their human masters. What you're hearing might sound like a happy little march to war, but when I think of wifu bots readying tanks and blasting this out of loud speakers at human troops, I shiver a little bit with fear. Ladies and gentlemen, “Meta Taro” could literally be the war march that signals our demise. I can literally hear the sounds of marching boots in the background as “Meta Taro! Meta Taro!” resounds like an alarm in my head.

One of our special American tracks here is a weird electronic rock thing called “From Dusk Till Dawn.” It sounds like a Celldweller piece with hushed vocals, and feels a bit thrown together. The Japanese get something far different and I'd really like to hear it. It's called “Syncopation” and you can bet that I'll be hunting it down. “GJ” however, sounds like a mix of djent, rap and silliness that I absolutely hated with a passion. The track didn't work well for me at all and even the chorus couldn't save it. The next track feels a little unfair. It begins with some sort of evil robotic voice and goes into brutal death metal territory. Suzuka has a strong chorus here, but the approach just doesn't go with the song at all, especially being as damn heavy as it is. This is the kind of thing we'd hear from an act like Cryptopsy and it doesn't fit with this vocal style. I think a lot of heads will be very upset with this one and it might make them hate the band even more than they do. I just don't think it worked and other Japanese bands like Undead Corporation and Merging Moon do a much better job with this stuff. I'm all for experiments, but you might really fucking hate this one. It all depends on your tastes. After such a heavy piece, we're given what sounds like the ending music to a great visual novel. “No Rain, No Rainbow” is a J-Rock ballad. There is absolutely nothing metal about it and that is fine. This song is purely why I absolutely love J-Pop and J-Rock, because nothing to date has been more passionate in my ears. Whether it is a male vocal, or female vocal, the Japanese express love in a way that musically astound me every time. I should mention that this is a solo track from Suzuka and I'd personally love to see an entire record with just her on it. I'd certainly pick that one up. With every great Japanese rock ballad since the days of X-Japan, there is a simply incredibly solo piece there to accent it as well. This damn piece nearly brings me to tears and it's one reason I believe there is hope for this band yet. Absolutely fucking beautiful. I'd love to hear this in an anime, game, visual novel or something. It should decorate a wonderful piece of artwork, a powerful romance, something that touches me as much as I have been touched by other Japanese works.

The band is not finished yet though, as one of the most musically complex songs that I've ever heard from the band comes up next with the astonishing “Tales Of The Destinies.” Now, I know you're going to hate it when the other two girls come into vocalize silly lines before Suzuka comes in, because it kills the musical compositions for me. I feel as if they're defecating over extravagantly good pieces and such vocal sections simply seem out of place. The piece is hugely progressive, think Dream Theater for sure – and it exercises that a great deal through the song in ways that I can't even describe. There's even a really awesome keyboard solo piece, that goes into an even more awesome guitar solo. It's wonderfully constructed and you're not even going to believe that it's BabyMetal. They do try to put a little bit of Japanese power metal influence into it, which is something that I'd consider purely Japanese. Amaerican or European acts wouldn't do that, yet they do pump some pop style elements into their own music. Dream Theater have done this several times and I've little complained. The finale of Metal Resistance comes in the form of another exclusive bonus track called “The One.” It's interesting to note that the Japanese version of this track is “unfinished.” Yet here we have a finished version in English, which is actually much better than I've heard from Japanese to English vocal translations and seems vocally competent. She almost sounds like a western singer. The piece is a ballad, but it's a very well performed one and could also be used in a game/anime exc. Perhaps that would be the Japanese version, though. The song is the longest on the record (and there's a video for it, which I'll have to check out) and it allows the band to experiment a little beyond the ballad nature of the original piece. Not so much though, as it's very chorus heavy. The guitar leads for the chorus definitely decorate the piece rather well and escape into the misty end, where it goes into a rather tasteful vocalization. This is a piece that people will be playing for years, as well as the whole album itself.

Observation concluded, it's safe to say that with an album this strong and musically competent, BabyMetal aren't going anywhere. I actually expected this to be awful, so you can only imagine how shocked I am. Hell, I'll almost believe in God, Christ, Heaven and Hell at this point; because I can't believe that such a record exists. I feel as though I'm in The Twilight Zone and I'm being presented with a record that should not be. This is the literal thing that should not be, folks. I feel that God is going to reveal himself and say to me, “April Fools! This isn't the real BabyMetal record” as he hands me something that I expected, which would have been more random silliness and slapped together metal. Though facts are facts and what I've heard definitely does the Japanese metal scene justice. It's not Sigh, it's not Kadenzza, Flagitious Idiosyncrasy In The Dilapidation, Dir En Grey or Boris, but it definitely pulls it's own weight amongst some of those Japanese greats. BabyMetal have certainly cemented themselves and I'd certainly consider this record as memorable as that of Unlucky Morpheus's Rebirth Revisited and Yousei Teikoku's Shadow Corps(e). Its further proof that they have a place here in metal, regardless of what some listeners might think. They've done justice to the genre and have redeemed themselves in my eyes, which is all that I feel is important. I still feel that Suzuka is the main vocalist of the act however, and as “No Rain, No Rainbow” shows, it should be that way permanently. In any case, I definitely recommend you pick up Metal Resistance, though only if you are a fan of Japanese female fronted music. If you don't like the base element, you won't enjoy it being thrown into metal, electronic and various rock realms. Without question, Metal Resistance is one of the most unexpected albums I've heard this year, as well as one of the biggest surprises that I've had from an album for as long as I've been doing this kind of work.

Edit: Dragonforce's Herman-Li is featured on the opener, "Road Of Resistance."

(12 Tracks, 54:00)

8/10

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