Megadeth: Dystopia Review

Megadeth are my favourite thrash band. There I said it! Dave Mustaine is a wally there can be no denying that but my god he's a talented musician.

Look at their recent back catalogue, The System has failed, United abominations, End Game, Th1rt3en, even with the miss step of Super collider (nowhere near as bad as some made out but certainly a pedestrian effort) the band have shown they are far more in touch with what their fans want and they unlike some bands who shall remain nameless *cough*metallica*cough* they have not become so bloated with success that their quality control goes out the window.

But yes the last release was a miss step so how does 2016 find the band? Treading water? Back on form? Happily I can attest that 2016 is off to blistering start.

Sometimes the best art emerges from times of tragedy or upheaval, and that has certainly been the case here. Already spurred on by a newfound sense of mortality following Jeff Hannemans tragic passing,  death would raise its face far closer to the Megadeth camp with the death of Mustaines mother and Ellefsons brother. Soon after Mustaine and Ellefson would find themselves the only remaining members of the band as Shawn Drover and Chris Broderick departed the band. Fuck.

Some bands would have folded or gone on an extended hiatus, in this case thankfully it appears to have spurred them on and injected a sense of urgency and the additions of Chris Adler and Kiko Loureiro have added a vibrancy to the band missing on the last release.This album lives upto and indeed exceeds all my most optimistic expectations and delivers exactly what I want from a Megadeth album. Snarling political charged lyrics? Check. Shredding? Check. More shredding? Check. Fast? As fuck. Musicianship? Off the chart. Is it angry though? Angrier than a Catholic at a gay wedding.The jury is out as to whether Adler will be a longterm member but both he and Ellefson are on fine form here and Kiko and Mustaine play off each brilliantly, producing neck wrenching riffs and intricate tempo changes with disturbing ease.

Mustaine as always is the key and with recent personal events already mentioned and the current state of the world, the fire has been well and truly re-ignited within him, lyrically and vocally he is back to his absolute best. No I dont agree with his politics but what matters is the music and this is the finest collection of songs the band have produced in years, time will tell how this is remembered in relation to their back catalogue, but is this right up there with Peace sells, Rust in peace, Countdown and Endgame? Absolutely.

9/10 Thrashy goodness.

Listen to: Posionous Shadow, Death from within, The Emperor

Further down the Elvenpath

A look back at 19 years of Nightwish

For a band who have always had a least one foot in the world of fantasy fiction, it is fitting that they were formed around a campfire, there have been stylistic changes and no little commercial success. Today they still remain true to the vision created by principle song writer, keyboard and piano player Tuomas Holopainen there is no doubt that Nightwish is his band, a fact punctuated with his ruthlessness relating to vocalists, Tuomas is now on his 3^rd singer Tarja Turunen thought to be irreplaceable was ejected in 2005 a decision which stunned their fans, Tarja had seemed utterly irreplaceable, that proved not to be the case and Anette Olzon flourished in the role releasing  2 albums before herself being replaced in equally surprising fashion in 2012. Now 3 years on and 2015 is looking to be a huge one for the Finish Symphonic heavyweights, this year sees the debut of Revamp vocalist Floor Jansen with the upcoming release of Endless forms most beautiful the bands 8^th studio album (which I will be reviewing next week), the jury is still out on this new addition with leaked single Elan receiving mixed reviews, so before we look forward to the new release let’s look back at what has come before.

Angels fall first (1997)

The opening salvo from Tuomas and company almost didn’t happen, this album was never intended to be released, indeed it was only sent to future record label Spinefarm as a demo to show what the band could do, the executives at Spinefarm however thought it was perfect and put it out with no further production, so was it any good? Well how you feel about this record depends very much on how you view folk metal, although all Nightwish albums have folk undercurrents running them, on this album they are far more prominent which is understandable when you understand that the band where initially envisioned as an acoustic folk band, this album is one of their more diverse efforts and though it has become a fan favourite it is does feel unfocussed with a lot of ideas thrown at the listener, also Tuomas musical mastermind he may be but compelling vocalist he is not and his vocals are the weakest on the album. But that being said it’s still a good album and really brave debut, the album and is at its best when it’s at its most overblown and over the top and tracks Elvenpath, Beauty and the beast, The Carpenter are huge moments and to this day are big fan favourites, Tutankhamen and Nymphomaniac Fantasia are over looked gems as well, special mention has to go out to Tarja Turunen who sounds absolutely stunning and it’s easy to see why she seemed so irreplaceable. This was a real sign of things to come and it was a lot more interesting than a lot of the other bands around the scene at the time.

6.5/10

Oceanborn (1998)

1998’s release Oceanborn saw a departure for the band doing away with the folk and ambiance of the 1^st record and release and all out Symphonic  power metal album, making full use of their most prominent weapon the effervescent Tarja Turunen. On this record realising what they have, they make far more use of Tarjas incredible vocal range, as with all the band early works there is a strong fantasy themed undercurrent running through the album, which includes a surprising cover of the Snowman theme song Walking in the air, in the hands of other bands this could of ended badly but Nightwish go all in on this one and it just fits them like a glove. The album over all is an improvement on Angels and sees the band beginning to establish the signature sound that has proven to be so successful, although the album listened to in its entirety doesn’t have as much variety as its predecessor there are some massive tunes on here and Stargazers, Passion and the Opera, The Pharaoh Sails to Orion and Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean are all excellent tunes, the album is packed with drama, memorable riffs, and Tuomas wisely stays away from vocal duties instead opting for Sethian front man Tapio Wilksa to assume to satisfying effect.

7/10

Wishmaster (2000)

Nightwish waited for album no.3 for their first great record, with Wishmaster the band continued to develop their Symphonic Power metal sound, but there is more emphasis on melody and atmosphere as opposed to speed and heaviness, it’s also the most fantasy themed Nightwish album containing multiple references to the Lord of the Rings and Dragonlance, it’s not all Elves and Goblins though Kinslayer was inspired by the tragic Columbine school shooting and FantasMic is about Disney. The album feels even more epic than Oceanborn there are some absolute belters on this album She is my sin is a great opening track and sets the tone for the album, Kinslayer is a great tune, Wishmaster is absolute classic Nightwish song and slower tunes Dead boys poem and Deep silent complete just sound gorgeous whilst the Disney based FantasMic is an absolute epic in every sense of the world. Strangely despite this being to this point their strongest record Tumoas was never really as happy with it as you would expect, saying that this album felt like the most distant and least personal of their albums, despite this disconnection the title track Wishmaster is still a staple of their live shows and rightly so, overall Wishmaster is a great album and a must purchase for anyone who is a fan of symphonic metal.

8/10

Century Child (2002)

There’s no departure here, business as usual but done with real style, there’s more of a movie score feel to the music here, it all just sounds huge! This album saw the introduction to my favourite beard in metal and the bass player attached to it Marco Hietala who shares a duet with Tarja on Dead to the world and his vocals proved to be a great addition to the band. There are plenty of standout moments here Bless the Child, Dead to the World, Ever Dream, Slaying the Dreamer are fantastic particularly the Ever Dream which is a Nightwish tune in the vein of Nemo from Once, the album closes with two songs that send us off in epic fashion with a goosebump inducing cover of Andrew Lloyd Webbers Phantom of the Opera and the 10 minute Beauty Of the Beast which is sumptuous epic encompassing so much of what makes Nightwish such a great band the album is worth buying just to here this one song, Century child is another must purchase and to this point the best Nightwish album.

8/10

Once (2004)

Ahhh I will always have a soft spot for this record, this was the album that really got me into Nightwish and it was the same for thousands of others as with this record the band truly went from being a mid level act to one the biggest bands in the world and with good reason. Once at the time of its release was the most expensive album to ever come from Finland costing a whopping 250,000 Euros to produce, money well spent in my book.  Though in some ways it’s a more streamlined accessible affair this is also their most creative daring release yet, the symphonic elements are taken to a whole new level as the London Philharmonic Orchestra feature on 9 of the 11 songs,  there’s not a single dull moment on the whole record Dark Chest of wonders is a storming symphonic rocker, I wish I had an Angel is catchy as hell, lead single Nemo is just a wonderful song, Planet hell and Romanticide are surprisingly heavy and feature Tarja dueting  with Marco again to great effect, but what really made me fall in love with this band is the incredible Ghost Love score this song is the most heavy orchestral number and it is absolutely stunning to this day this song still gives me goosebumps. Sadly this proved to be Tarjas last Nightwish album, I would love to have her come back one day but if she never does she has left on a perfect note, she sounds stunning on this album.

9/10

Dark passion play (2007)

Tarja Turunen leaving Nightwish in 2005 was like my worst nightmare, and a large part of me didn’t want to like this album, I was also legitimately worried about the future of this band, I shouldn’t have been. Annette Olson is an endearing front woman she doesn’t try to imitate Tarja but goes her own way here, and I think she does  an excellent job in an almost impossible situation, she can’t touch Tarjas vocal range but her voice just drips with emotion. However its Tuomas vision that shines through, there’s no easing the listener in with a safe track, the album starts off with the 14 minute epic The Poet and the Pendulum and just like that my fears where grudgingly cast aside, with Tarja gone as a focal point the music is pushed more to the front songs like Bye Bye Beautiful and Amaranth are absolutely brilliant and Bye Bye Beautiful in particular featuring the strongest male vocals on a Nightwish song yet Marco sounds great on this one. The album has a darker tone than the previous releases and is possibly their heaviest album yet, Dark Passion play drips with Cinematic Gothic atmosphere and the closing two tracks 7 Days to the Wolves and Meadows of Heaven see of us off in epic fashion. This is a great album and a real triumph in the face of adversity.

8/10

Imaginaerum (2011)

Annette’s second outing as Nightwish vocalist the bands 7th sees the band most ambitious album yet, the album was produced alongside an album of the same name, Imaginaerum is a concept album telling the story of a old composer on his deathbed reminiscing about his youth, yup the elves and such are left well out of this. The album is the most bewildering, musically diverse and audacious Nightwish album yet veering through a myriad of styles it opens with all finish intro track Taikatalvi before going into more traditional songs Storytime, and the heavier Ghost River but just as you think it’s going to be business as usual you Slow, Love, Slow comes along, it’s a slow paced jazz influenced ballad, yup this is going to be quite a trip, I want my tears back is a straightforward Nightwish rocker, Scaretale is an eerie, schizophrenic tale of nightmares inspired by Enter Sandman and the song Grim Grinning Ghosts the  from the Disney land haunted mansion ride, whilst Arabesque is a welcome instrumental number that breaks the album up well, Turn loose the mermaids is a full on folk number  which is a surprising delight, Rest Calm sees the band exploring a more doom metal sound whilst Songs of myself is a real epic, 14 minutes long and split into 4 parts it was inspired by Tuomas favourite poet Walt Whitman and his poem of the same name, the album ends on a perfect note with the title track Imaginaerum, an orchestral instrumental piece that takes sections from every song on the album and meshes them into one, it just feels epic and it’s the perfect ending to a slightly bewildering journey. On this album there’s just so much creativity on display it doesn’t always work but when listened to as a whole it is utterly compelling and as cliché as it sounds by the end you feel like you have been on a journey, it’s sad that this was the last outing for Annette Olson as she sounds superb here and was really beginning to make the role her own. The album is overblown and crazier than a box full of cats but ultimately it is a success and testament to Tuomas vision.

9/10

I have written Nightwish off before, I won’t be making the same mistake twice, Tuomas has proven that his vision is bigger than anyone member of the band and Floor Jansen has a voice that I think is well suited to the Nighwish sound, so I am looking forward to hearing the new album, on present form it promises to be an exhilarating ride.

Hollywood Undead: Day of the Dead

So 2 years on from their last release the Hollywood Undead are back with their 4th album, it’s been an uncertain time with the group experiencing some challenging times with their label going under. On the evidence of this record they haven't allowed this to hold them back, in fact the loss of their record label appears to of freed them of any inhibitions and they have come back all guns blazing, releasing an album that encapsulates everything people either love or loathe about them.

The band are not without their critics and it’s hard to imagine that this will win any of the 'haters' over, but of course the band don’t care about that, they have released the kind of album they wanted to, channelling a lot of their frustrations. It’s a diverse record veering from the dubstep/metal pummelling of Usual Suspects to the techno infused party bounce of Wildchild to the industrial stomp of album closer Let go the band cover a lot of ground, the song I’ll be there for example wouldn’t sound completely out of place on a Take That album, there are a few more heavy moments on this than on the last album and songs like How we roll and title track Day of the Dead are particularly satisfying, and the Rap/rock tune Gravity is a proper ear worm.

Yes the lyrics are still occasionally juvenile but it’s all undeniably catchy and its best viewed and listened to as party album, the Hollywood Undead are never to going to release a concept album about travelling to Jupiter and neither should they, they have a sound that’s successful, a passionate fan base, a marketable image and they clearly enjoy what they do, listen to this with an open mind and it’s a fun ride, but probably one best enjoyed with a few (or a lot) of drinks to hand.

6.5/10 Listen to: Day of the Dead

Enslaved – In Times

There are certain bands that you just have complete and utter faith in, you know that when they release an album it’s going to be great, you don’t even question it, Enslaved are one of these bands.

I struggle to get across how brilliant and important a band Enslaved are, they hit what was, in my opinion at least, a creative peak on the last record.Riittiirwas a benchmark for extreme progressive music with its sprawling and jaw droppingly brilliant soundscape, no with its long running time it wasn’t the most accessible album in the world but when given the time it deserved it just blew you away, but Spoiler alert they may have outdone themselves here.

With In Times Enslaved once again veer yet further away from their Black metal origins but when they are making albums this good you just don’t care, every track has its own unique identity, there is no sameness and unlike some progressive albums no song really ever outstays its welcome. This is exactly what you want from an Enslaved album in 2015, it’s raging, beautiful, complex and epic, it’s one of those albums that takes you on a journey through a kaleidoscope of musical textures, ideas and set pieces. Like most Enslaved albums it probably not for those with short attention spans, although the album is only 6 tracks long, each track hits at least 8 minutes with the title track an impressive 10.44, but for those of you with the attention span for it, In Times is a joy to listen too, and given its less is more approach to song quantity it is actually a more accessible album than its predecessor.

The album starts deceptively with Thurisaz Dreaming going straight for the jugular, the song comes at you like a blizzard of blackened fury, then the attack abates and Herbrand comes in to soothe the listener, it’s one of the more straightforward tracks on the album and a great starting point. As he did on Riittiir keyboard player Herbrand Larsen continues to feature prominently sharing vocal duties with Grutle Kjellson his emotive, soothing vocal melodies are the perfect foil for Grutles vicious delivery. And building on the positive reaction to the last album Herbrand is allowed to feature even more prominently on this record, this is best highlighted in the next track Building fire in which he carries the majority of the vocal duties and it’s a testament to how he has progressed vocally that this is one of the best songs on the album, the almost rock and roll elements of this track blend seamlessly into the extreme sound-scape that is becoming Enslaved’s signature, and when Grutle comes in with his spiteful delivery it just works brilliantly. One thousand years of rain is a spectacular moment chock full of rage, melody, big riffs and tempo changes, this is the first track on the album where everyone is given the opportunity to shine and it is brilliant, part way through there’s this slow passage where you have cultish chanted vocals that just works so well. Nauthir Bleeding catches you slightly off guard, starting as it does with clean melodic guitars, Herbrand leads the proceedings but things get heavy in a hurry, these two songs in particular boast some absolutely brilliant drumming by Cato Bekkevold he is just ludicrously precise here. Next the title track In Times is an absolute tour de force of everything that Enslaved do so well the 1sthalf of the track is especially rewarding, it starts with one repetitive guitar riff, then gradually a more melodic guitar rhythm comes in laying beneath the main riff brilliantly, it builds and builds drawing you in only for you to be shaken out of your daze by an all out vocal assault on your ears. Finally they saved the best for last and the album ends with a show stopping finale in the form of the blackened shoegazey epic that is Daylight, for me it’s the best track on the album its absolutely incredible, it just sounds huge and it gave me goosebumps when the choir come in singing gently in the background.

Overall this is another predictably brilliant offering, yes you will have some who yearn for the more straightforward sound of the earlier records, but for those of you who like your music challenging and enjoy hearing a band stretch the limits of what extreme music can be in 2015 then you will enjoy this, it’s a hell of a trip and definitely one best enjoyed when listened to as a whole with a bottle of wine.

9/10 – Stunning

Listen to: Daylight

Sylosis - Dormant Heart

I have a real soft spot for the these guys, it’s always nice to see relatively local lads doing well, that being said I think most metal heads would be hard pressed to argue the fact that their record so far has been pretty flawless, 3 releases, 3 great records, so once again and rather predictably this is another absolute rager. At this point part of me wants them to release a stinker, just to spice things up a bit! Maybe an EP of Justin Bieber covers?

Dormant Heart follows the trajectory they have been on to this point in so much as it again marks an improvement in both sonic terms and in relation to the song writing, lyrically and musically this is the strongest set of songs that they have released yet, its HEAVY, and absolutely brimming with crushing riffs and devastating vocals with some massive hooks.

Lyrically you can tell the band have been effected by the turmoil the country is in right now and there is a an abundance of politically charged lyrics. If you like riffs, pounding drums and furious vocals you will be well at home here, Where the Wolves come to die is an absolute rager of an opening tune all driving drums, chuggy riffage and savage vocals, but in truth there are so many highlights on this album, and so many memorable riffs, Leeches, To build a tomb and Servitude are particular highlights for me as is Mercy which has a nice melding of clean and harsh vocals for the chorus.

The album closes in surprising fashion with the melodic and epic closer Quiescent; the track provides a reprieve from the onslaught of the previous 11 tracks opening with clean guitar and vocals which slowly build and gathers momentum building in tempo and vocal ferocity and it’s the perfect closing moment to cap the album off, unless you go the special edition which includes 2 additional tracks there’s the dark, moody Pillars erode which conjures memories of Black Sabbath starting as it does with the sound of pouring rain and then there’s the cover of  The Smashing Pumpkins ‘Zero’  I won’t dwell on this, it’s a cover which doesn’t really add anything to the tune beyond introducing harsh vocals, it’s a track that can’t really be improved but it’s a competent effort.

Ultimately if you like big riffs, big hooks and flesh shredding vocals then buy this immediatel.

8/10

Listen to - Leeches

Periphery Juggernaut Alpha/Omega

Question, you’re a metal band at the fore front of the Djent/tech metal scene and potentially on the verge of commercial breakthrough, what do you do? The answer apparently, if your Periphery at least, is to release a 2 disc prog metal concept album. . . riiiiiiight why didn’t I think of that!

The album has been divisive to say the least, the bands fan base are split on whether its genius or hubris and technicality over content. To a degree I can understand some of the criticism, this is not metal at its most accessible, it’s a work of mind bending complexity and I can only imagine the chagrin of the record label marketers on hearing it. However the album also happens to be a genre defining moment, and a masterpiece if you just give it the time and attention it deserves.

As all good double albums should Alpha and Omega feel very different yet the same, weaving an utterly compelling narrative, the first act Alpha is the lighter more accessible of the 2 with Omega being a suitably darker affair. The complexity you would expect in a prog or Djent album is certainly here but so are some absolutely huge melodies, these are most obvious in tracks like Heavy Heart, Rainbow Gravity and Alpha from Disc one but the brightest moment and the creative peak of the record is saved for last with the 3 tracks on disc 2, with the utterly ferocious Hell Bellow which ends with a  surprising Jazz piano outro that bleeds into the head spinning, Death Jazz masterpiece that is Omega a 12 minute epic that puts all other songs to shame and then the album closes the shimmering Stranger things.

Periphery should be congratulated for having both the bravery for putting this album out there and for having the musical ability to make it work. From front to back there is not a single weak moment on display here, everyone sounds terrific but special mention goes to Periphery mastermind and riff master general Misha Mansoor for his stunning guitar work and vocalist Spencer Sotelo who just sounds absolutely phenomenal, whether he’s screaming or singing his heart out.

Ultimately this is a record that maybe isn’t for everyone, and it is better for that fact, and for those of you who have the attention span to give it the time it deserves it is a hugely rewarding experience. This is the sound of a band out growing the labels they have been shackled with and leaving the competition in their wake, if there is a better album than this released in 2015 I will be very surprised, delighted but surprised.

9/10

Listen to -Omega

The Cancer Bats - Searching for Zero

First off let’s get this out of the way, I absolutely love this band, they are one of the best live bands in the world and on record they have never disappointed me. That being said I have been strangely anxious about this release. The band have been on somewhat of a roll since the release of Dead Set on living they are now more popular than ever, add this to the fact that they are working with Ross Robinson, and I couldn't help but wonder if this would this lead to a diluted product and pandering to gain commercial acceptance?

Thankfully the answer is no, the band have clearly recorded the kind of album they wanted to make, the album feels cathartic at times, anyone familiar with his work will know this is something producer Ross Robinson specialises at, he really knows how to get you to tap into that emotion, there has been a lot of loss and pain for the cancer bats recently and this album feels for want of a better term necessary.

How does it sound? Well on a personal level this is everything I wanted from a Cancer Bats album, massive riffs and skin peeling aggression.  It’s not revolutionary, there’s no re-inventing the wheel here, it’s more about honing what was already there taking the best out of albums like Dead set on living and merging them with the Sabbath Worship of the EP Bat-Sabbath, if you are already a fan then you will love this.

Most of you will of heard the albums lead track and most accessible tune Satellites, a fast tempo number with an immediately catchy vocal hook that you just know is going to absolutely slay live, but there’s a lot more on display here, there’s catharsis of Arsenic year of the snake paying tribute to the losses of 2014 and the Sabbath influence of tracks like Beelzebub and Buds which are both huge moments especially Beelzebub which is an absolute BEAST of a tune, then there’s the faster tempo numbers  like the raging Devils Blood which comes at you like a freight train and the brutal burst of energy that is All Hail, a track that smashes into you, rips your face off and leaves you laying on the floor wondering what in the blue hell just happened.

Ultimately Searching for Zero sounds like an album recorded for the bands existing fan base, whilst it does not feel particularly expansive or the kind of thing likely to bring in new fans who have been sitting on the fence, there is enough here for this album to be able to stand on its own merit alongside the bands back catalogue, if you already buy into this kind of music there’s a lot on offer here, big grooves, memorable riffs and enough aggression to floor a rhino.

7/10

Listen to Beelzebub