yes.

Just curious as to the opinions on my newest Mayhem review. Been a while since I wrote one, improvements/mistakes? Do you prefer this one to my old ones, or vice versa?

I'd like some real criticism, outside of not liking the damn thing.

anyone?

Stop writing reviews, for one.

You don't really describe the music when you say great riffs, great drumming etc. What about the riffs and the drumming?

From your review I get the sense it is aimed at people who are not into extreme metal yet and are into the nu metal bands with cleaner vocals which is not a good approach on a site like this. I picked this up mainly from that last paragraph.

whaddya guys think about my newest one?

http://www.metal-archives.com/review.ph ... 8907#56817

I would like some feedback on any of my reviews. Anyone?

Going to bed now and the site won't let me submit reviews ATM, so I guess I'll post my new one here in the meantime. Maybe have it improved a bit by the time I actually get to submit it tomorrow.

EDIT: tried submitting it again, but I'm still getting crap. In any case, even if I do manage to submit it, comments are still welcome and will not go unnoticed.

The Dogma - Black Roses (2006)

I've never written a negative review before (not this negative, anyway). Thoughts?

Protest the Hero - Kezia

10%

"commercialus metallicus"

Just read them all, they're all very good. The musical description is elaborate, detailed and clearly in center as it's supposed to be, with no bullshit anywhere to be found. I see your reviews are mostly for BM, but even as a non-fan of that sub-genre, I had no problems understanding anything. Good writing and formatting also; a bit rough on the Melissa review, but that was your first one and you obviously improved in this area later on.

A few small gripes:

In your Mayhem review, the second paragraph has me a bit confused, are you talking about the song DMDS or the album? Obviously the song, but it looks a bit confusing initially. I'd also like it if you elaborated a bit more on why you don't like the songs before that one, aside from having weak vocals, and why the album strikes you as "pretentious". I read the review several times, but never quite gathered why you think that way.

Your review for The Black House ends a bit abruptly - in my eyes it seems to be lacking a conclusion/final words sort of paragraph at the end. The last sentence is a great and stylish way to end a review though, so keep that one tacked at the end.

This section taken from your Steetcleaner review:



This is what I call the MettleAngel style of writing, and his reviews are just about the most annoying thing on this planet. You certainly don't go anywhere as over the top as he does here, but similarity is definitely there. Maybe it's just me, but I find it cheesy as all hell.

All in all though, keep up the good work!

Hmm. You've convinced me to check it out. Very well written review.

Nice to see someone else likes The Dogma Pity their 2nd album was a letdown.

Thanks.



Because of this?







:(:( But I did like what I heard on myspace...just gonna have to wait and see, I guess.

I have to admit that was the first thing that stuck in my mind, actually. But you said it actually had good riffs and was well played power metal, so that will draw me in. I'll check em out soon.

Thanx for the Blaze review whoever that did it. Yes it's a very underrated album form a very underrated band.

Well, I've spent the last day or two going over many of my reviews, and I ended up extensively modifying quite a few and completely rewriting several others... and now that I read over them again, they still seem oddly uneven.

It just seems like I have a problem with reusing specific terms and phrases far too often, revisiting terribly similar references and analogies, and other things of that nature. I also try to look at my reviews from the perspective of an outside reader, and they often seem to not flow very effectively... like I just gathered up a bunch of ideas and poured them out into a multi-paragraph jumble of words. In other places it's like I start off in a given direction, meander around for a bit, and then change the subject completely without any kind of closure. I get the impression that if these reviews were somebody else's and I was reading them, I'd grow bored halfway through and simply skim through the rest. Though, when I try to figure out ways to remedy this, I kind of fall flat.

Or perhaps I'm just being too critical of myself. So, I was curious if anybody around here could take a look through some of my reviews and provide some thoughts and/or opinions on how to improve? It would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

I'm waiting till I finish up all the reviews I'm working on to submit them, but, can anyone give me some feedback for this?

This is my first review and I want someone to help me polish the text and correct my bad grammar.

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - Black Sabbath Rating - 95 %

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - the fifth album by Black Sabbath, a pure perfection of heavy metal, the most progressive and creative record of Black Sabbath. I described it in one sentence, but I will made a big and detail description. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is as I already told the most progressive and creative Black Sabbath’s record and it has a keyboard and orchestral arrangements on some tracks so that thing make Sabbath Bloody Sabbath even more progressive. However, their previous record Black Sabbath Vol. 4 was not successful and they did not have any ideas for their new album (though this album is not bad to me), so they lock themselves away to focus on composing the songs. Tony Iommi got an idea for one riff, a riff of the title track Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (this riff called “the riff that saved Black Sabbath”). After they complete the song Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, they have an inspiration for the rest of the songs.

Imagine the Black Sabbath with Pink Floyd’s elements and you have this album. This can see from great production and uses of many instruments. Classic line-up added the Rick Wakerman to play keyboards, piano and synthesizer. Album has an acoustic guitar on some songs too.

The first song that opens the album is a Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. It is a fantastic song with a heavy main riff and with even heavier part after solo. This song is also the most traditional type song of the Sabbath, but it also got some experimentation like acoustic guitar track in the chorus.

Next song called A National Acrobat has a very catchy and great melody, and unlike the Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, it more base on melody then on rhythm.

The third song is an instrumental Fluff. In Fluff, acoustic guitars do the most of the work and the piano and harpsichord only contribute the song to become more progressive, but we can also find the bass too. This is a really great and progressive instrumental, although a bit repetitive.

Right after Fluff, we have a Sabbra Caddabra. This song is a very bluesy orient, and it has some keyboard play parts too. This song is a highlight on the album with Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, National Acrobat and Spiral Architect.

Killing Yourself to Live continues the album. This song is a great metal song and it is the most technically advanced song on the album and whole Sabbath’s discography too. Its need to mention that there is a great “twin-guitar” solo after a second chorus.

“Who Are You?” is a bad song with an annoying synth sound which stops in the middle of the song and then it starts again after about 45 seconds.

Looking for Today has a very happy atmosphere and a part where flute takes a big role. Although this song does not sound like a Sabbath song, it is a good song anyway.

Finally, the last song on the album is a Spiral Architect. This song is some kind of a short epic song. As already told, this song is one of the highlight on the album. This song is hard to describe so I will advise you to buy this album and heard what a masterpiece is.

This album is an essential, not only for a Sabbath fan, but also for any true metalheads.

All right, the English is a bit shaky and choppy, but there are people who can give you much better advice in that respect.

That review would probably not be accepted even if it was written in perfect English. The contents are not up to it. That's essentially a track-by-track, as mentioned in the guidelines, and exactly the kind of stereotypical one at that. The essential overall description is concentrated in the short second paragraph, the rest is either history or tidbits on the individual songs. The contents just don't carry this very far, I'm afraid.

To further complicate the matters, you wrote this on a classic album with 19 more or less good reviews already approved. Anyone willing to write on Sabbat Bloody Sabbath should reconsider, unless he/she really has something original to say. Otherwise it's just equal to flogging a dead horse.

I usually add a footnote to rejections I write on this kind of reviews: please consider reviewing something else. There are thousands of bands without a single review in the archives, and writing something on their works is more useful for you, the band AND the Metal Archives. You have a grasp of the music, shaky but improvable English skills (proof-reading by some software might work) and the formatting is OK, so I don't see any reason for you not to succeed in reviewing. Just refocus on some other release and the bar for acceptance will be considerably lower.

PM me if you want more help, I'll do what I can if you think you can accept some intrusive help on your reviews.

Can someone help me with improving this review?
--------------------------------------------------------
Slayer Has No Boundaries! - 93%
Written by Human666 on April 12th, 2007

It's almost unbelievable how this album has been recorded so quickly and was such a hit back then, and still remains a classic album these days! The story goes like that: Slayer performed as opener for 'Bitch' in Woodstock Club and a guy named Brian Slagel saw them when they performed Iron Maiden's 'Phantom Of The Opera' cover, he offered them to record a song for the Metal Massacre III compilation which gained a popularity for the band in the underground scene, and then in november of the same year (1983) they entered studio and recorded this classic, and only three weeks after the whole tracks were completed, it was snatched from the shelves and sold worldwide more than 40,000 copies! And believe me, they really deserved it...

'Show No Mercy' has a wide influence from Venom, but it sounds like innovative album back then, this is one of the first thrash albums ever and this is a very satanic one (that's why some people tend to call it black metal, but it's far away from that) with lyrics that talks about the antichirst, death, hell, satan, war and other related things...oh,spooky!

The production considers by many people to very bad, because the low budget they had and that it was only 1983 then so the recording level wasn't pretty good.
In my opinion it's great like that, it sounds raw and evil and this is exactly what this album need. And otherwise, I've heard a lot albums with much more worse productions...so if it's really that annoy you, you can fuck off and listen to some plastic and cleaner power albums..hehe..

Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King (both guitar players) wrote all the songs here. They both wrote the riffs, the solos and the lyrics. They are also sharing with the lead and rhythm parts...seems like they don't have an ego problem within the band, how nice. Tom Araya is a beastly vocalist! He shouts the lyrics with his raw voice and makes the songs sounds pretty brutal and evil. But, when he sings on high tones
(in 'Die By The Sword' for instance) his voice sounds torn and it's feel like he force himself to reach the high tones but his voice just can't reach it. But most of the time he sings like a lion, so there is nothing really bad with him except some of the higher parts. Dave Lombardo is a pretty decent drummer. This album almost didn't had cymbals because it did a lot noise and the producer thought he couldn't clear it with the load they had. But eventually everything was alright and the cymbals were in the album. They are a bit weak in the mix, but they sounds alright overall.

'Evil Has No Boundaries' is a killer opener track! It begins with heavy and fast riff and then the drums comes in and so the lead guitar with a creepy solo and some shrieks from Mr.Araya. The verse uses the same riff and then the chorus is pretty catchy when they shouts 'Evil!!' together with Gene Hoglan's backing vocals. It's a catchy and really evil track with some overwhelming shredding solos and solid riffs. 'The Antichrist' has a more NWOBHM main riff and it's less aggressive. The mid break is also overwhelming with a sweeping lead guitar and intense riffs.
'Fight Till Death' is my favorite one! It begins with kinda developing riff and then it becomes straightforward with fast picking and brutal vocals. The chorus has the opener riff and the lead guitar uses a variety of different scales, which makes it sounds pretty killer. The lyrics also makes you feel like you are in a real battle
("Prepare for attack, death will arrive, your orders are clear, no way to hide, FIGHT TILL DEATH!") and delivers you a merciless scene of a destructive ambush. Awesome track, and one of the best songs from Slayer!

Each song here is overwhelming (except for 'Final Command' which sounds less intense but it's still a great song, I mean, when get used to so many awesome tracks in one album and you get a great song but not in this album's standard, it sounds less attractive.) and it's a damn killer album with a unique feeling and original approach for these years, and it has an important historical value as one of the first thrash albums ever. So get this classic album right now, or die in hell!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And by the way, I feel that I just can't write anymore good reviews.
Most of these I sent in the last days has been rejected, and lately I feel that after I wrote 35 reviews I've lost all my muse and it just feels more difficult for me to write reviews.
Anyone can give me tips how to improve? Or to check some of my reviews and tell me what's my problem?

Did you receive any of the emails I sent you, Human666?

Nope.
I suggest you to send me a PM instead.

OK. I’m ready to give reviewing a go. I would like to get some critical feedback from the experts here to develop my skills before jumping in full time. Thank you for the consideration!

Hi I recently wrote a review for MA for the Kult ov Azazel album, Triumph of Fire. (Some of you may recall I was asking for this album on the trading board.)

Anyway, the review was rejected which is fine. The staff said the content was fine, but the formatting was a problem. I read the email several times but was still unable to determine what was wrong. So can you please give me a few pointers on how to fix this review.

Thank you.

Here is the review:

"Over the years black metal has not surprisingly..."changed". From its early beginnings where raw production with no synths or keyboards were the norm, to the now, where polished production and keyboards are the commonly accepted in black metal. Unfortunately, this came with a price. I think it’s a real shame that most black metal bands have added keyboards and synths and done away with raw production, favouring the crystal clear production. So what exactly has been lost? Well, to be frank I starting to wonder if there were any bands out there that had stayed true the origins of the genre, as most black metal bands nowadays either have clear production, added some sort of melodic touch to their sound, or both. Don't get me wrong, as alluded to in the previous section keyboards can give the music a very nice melodic sound but there are times when you just want, pure, raw in your face black metal.

And Kult ov Azazel perform just that! Triumph of Fire offers 11 tracks off aggressive, cold and hate filled black metal and because there are no synths at all to be found on here, it's a pleasant break from all the melodic black metal which is around today.

This album gets a lot of criticism for all the songs sounding all alike. Well, that just isn't true. There is a lot of variety in this album; there are separate riffs for every song. I can understand where they are coming from when people say "this is crap, all the songs sound the same" because you will need at least a few listens to fully appreciate all this album has to offer. It's so fast and aggressive that the first listen might just seem like a blur and if you dismiss it as just that, then it's your loss.

Another area where this band has coped criticism for is for, the lyrics. OK, I'll admit it, in some parts the lyrics are a little bit cheesy, but they are never lame with a capital l or anything. I mean, if you want lame lyrics just go read the lyrics to a slipknot (AKA slipshit) album. And hey, at least these guys are genuinely Satanic, unlike so many other BM bands out there now who just say they are in order to conform to the genre.

I thought I might as well dedicate a paragraph to the vocals because they are so damn good. The vocalist does a pretty good job, suiting the fast and insane pace of the music. Like the music, they are cold and hate filled. I think it's very important in the metal genre in general, to get a vocalist who suits the style of music you play; otherwise it can detract from the music itself.

So how come I'm only giving this album 80? Well, although this album is good there is nothing mind blowing on here. Sure, it's fast, heavy and aggressive but this album will never be considered a landmark black metal album. The reason being that this sort of album (albeit not as good, at least from my experience) was done by other black metal bands when the genre was in its infancy. However, I would recommend this album to any black metal fanatic, especially if you’re getting tired of all the melodic black metal around.

Highlights: The whole album, from start to finish this album was excellent."

BAH.

I'm never writing reviews in the MA window again. I had a good one written for Tyrant's "Too Late to Pray", then accidently hit one of my quick links ... and well, the review was lost!

So a few hours later I went back and tried to restart my unfinished work, but it didn't turn out too well. I'm not sure if this review is good or not, maybe a bit lacking, a bit fanboyish, so I figured I'd post it here. Its one of my favorite albums so a polished review would definitely be good.

I also tried going with some kind of theme here, but eh ...?

Xeogred - heh heh, you may want to throw some cold water on the thing. I like the heart and reverie you've thrown into the review, but it comes off, well, kinda over the top. Take the review's tone down a notch or two so that it doesn't sound like your standing on a stack of the album while writing it .

You also may want to tighten it up a bit by making sure you're not saying the same thing twice in one sentence..."Rocky Rockwell slices through his enemies with his endless arsenal of rhythms and pierces through them with his shredding solo's...". Also, watch for punctuation, especially the second paragraph...There is practically nobody else out there to compare him to(o). His range and power(,) is endless..

When you go to rewrite it, print it out on a piece of paper, put it on the table, and walk away from it for a few hours. Take a day if you must. Look at it with new eyes, then with a writing utensil cross out and write in what you want to get rid off/add (this way you can see what you've done without totally deleting it). This is what I do. Also, write your review in Microsoft Word or Notepad or something with a save feature. Hell, I even change fonts to fit my mood.

Thanks.

And yeah, I think when I go back over this I'll read through it while not listening to the album. Probably had an effect on my silly writing there, heh.

I've now submitted and had accepted two reviews. I've never really written reviews before these two, so if you guys could give a little feedback on my style and content that'd be great.

Thanks in advance...

This is an incomplete review of Windir's album, Arntor. A sample of whats to come, any suggestions?

"Despite what many people would say, I do not believe this is Windir's crowning achievement. I would say that would have to go to one of their later sounds, either 1184 or Likferd.

Valfar was a very talented musician. Although he did not play all the instruments on this album, this album was composed entirely by him. For many (including myself) this was the album which started the whole fandom of Windir, as all of their previous releases before this are highly inaccessible. It is easy to see how this album got most Windir fans. The album contains: very fast complex songs, likewise with the drumming and all other musical elements on this album (for instance the synths). However, there are no real easy listening/intermission parts on any songs on this album. However, the album contains Windir's only listening song: The Beginning.

Throughout the entire album, the album switches from both excellent to just good songs. For instance, Arntor was an excellent song but then the album progresses to Kong Hydnes Haug, which is only a good song and so on. This is why I do not believe that this album is the jewel in the crown of Windir's achievement, nevertheless, however, it is a solid peice of black metal.

The vocals here are slightly more high-pitched (both clean and black metal wise), probably because Valfar was younger on this recording.

ASIDE: You could be forgiven for thinking this is a concept album, as their is an intro song called "The Begginning" and a song at the conclusion called "Ending". Futhermore, there are two songs on the album Kampen (The Struggle) and Saknet (the longing), which seem to be related. However, this is not the case."

Something feels lame about this one I just wrote, for Bathory - Hammerheart. Tear it up.

---

I can appreciate the 'fuck the posers' mindset that might lead one to record their albums in a basement, or a garage. At some point, though, you have to realize that the basement aesthetic just isn't complementary to every style of music. In short, if you're making bombastic music, you need a bombastic production job.

Sadly, Hammerheart doesn't get this treatment, and ultimately suffers as a result. In particular, the drums lack the kind of thumping punctuative power that they need. Also, the guitar tone is rather bland and indistinct. The bass I'm not sure about. Who cares, I don't pay attention to bass anyway.

If you're looking for energetic music to bang your head to, you might want to look elsewhere. The songs here, all 6 of them, lumber along like mountain giants, sweeping aside everything in their path. The riffs form massive crescendos that build and release tension over and over within the course of a song, aided by staccato percussion at the height of the cycle. The one song that deviates from this, 'Home of Once Brave', opts instead for an implacable militaristic march through generations of fallen heroes.

Speaking of which, the lyrical content is all about viking battles, which fits the music, even while you realize it's totally romanticized and nostalgic. No one around today has any idea what it was like to live among vikings, but Hammerheart sure makes it sound exciting. In another sense, this comes across as slightly vapid; more of a sensationalized comic-book approach rather than being truly inspired by viking culture or history.

But when all is said and done, you have six crushing slabs of monster riffs, soaring vocals, and pounding drums. Metal doesn't get much better than this, and even with the lousy production that robs the music of some of its force, this is the premier example of grandiosity in extreme metal, and the textbook which all other bands in the style would study intently.

It seems to short and the paragraphs don't flow together well. The writing is fine, though.

Your reviews are short but straight-to-the-point, and give a good picture of how the album sounds like. While they would certainly be too light for a well-known release with already many reviews, they work well for those two albums you chose (the second one had no review, and the reviews for the other weren't really longer).

You capitalized the genres in your first review, what always look iffy. Apart from this they're well written, though not particularly imaginative. You could try to develop your future works a bit, by adding some adjectives or comparisons. But keep in mind most people here will always prefer short, informative reviews like the two you wrote to a bunch of senseless idiotic metaphors devoid of any content (see: MettleAngel).

Hey, this review is pretty good. It's not too long, it's descriptive, it does the job quite well.

Although the thing I really want to say is: Where did you get this album from?

hey guys it's ozzeh, drunk and determined to give this album justice. Let me know about this one and what to add/omit accordingly. Haven't asked for feedback on any of my reviews but this is what I got so far (unfinished by all means) ...

Band : Immolation
Album : Shadows in the Light
Genre : Death Metal
Score : 99

"I previously gave Monstrosity's "Spiritual Apocalypse" the vote for my favorite album of the year, but this is one better by a considerable amount. I've always been a fan of New York style death metal in the vein of Suffocation or Immolation, but I'll be fucking godamned if this isn't one of the best death metal releases in recent U.S. death metal history. NYDM to me is more percussive based whereas their fellow death metallers in Florida rely on a more riff oriented approach. Immolation fuses the two genres of USDM to form a perfect equilibrium of violence which also happens to contain some of the most ungodly guitar solos ever known. This is heavy for those who appreciate heaviness as a form of self expression of the most raw and basic kind.

Make no mistake about it though, the production on "Shadows in the Light" is polished and impeccable. The guitar playing on this album seriously blows my fucking mind every time. I can't complain about a single song on this album, every one is distinctive, brutal and fucking godamn genius! The first two songs set the stage for what is to come, but the beauty of this album is that it only seems to get better as it progresses. It's rare to find an album that can maintain the level of pure demonic possession that Immolation display on this modern day death metal opus of magnanimous proportions. Shalaty's drumming has never been more on point and to call his rhythms conventional in any way would be a lie. Shalaty is not your typical death metal drummer, the drumming is brutal yet subdued; it features blast beats, but the sheer complexity of the percussion on this album rivals the insanely complex riffs the two guitarists spew forth but complements them as well.

This is a tight piece of work with a message: society is fucked. Immolation diversify their lyrics a bit (not all of the songs are anti-christian based though musically it's sure as fuck implicitly expressed) and it really helps the overall replay value of this release. I have very high standards for what I consider classic death metal but I defy you to find a better release in the last few years, or decade for that matter. A lot of death metal bands like to throw subtle or sometimes not so subtle nuances into their music. Immolation does not. This is pure death metal of the highest quality. This album flows like molten lava through the depths of Hell. Each structural transition is well thought out and each guitar riff is a fleeting stream of conciousness. While many time changes are implemented and more riffs per song than you can comprehend, this music is not progressive, just parasitic in that it crawls under your skin and mutates into another entity entirely.

"Shadows in the Light" is an armageddon of the soul, apocalypse of your mind, and completely rapes any expectations you may have towards what death metal in the new millenium should sound like. Brilliant in execution, this album lacks any moderate flaws at all. Ross Dolan's voice sounds like he has been drinking battery acid but they are consistently comprehendable. While my review may sound somewhat vague and distant the music on this release will certainly appeal to any death metal fan... and I am not talking about Gothenburg Melo-Death either. I'm talking about Christ-Raping Brutal Death metal of the highest fucking order. Contemplative moments of society appear on here in abundance, though not only in the lyrics but in the music as well. There is nothing stale on this monster. Every individual riff, solo, bass line and drum pattern is executed with more precision than a sewing machine and more brutally than a metal trash can to your head while you're passed out. The riffs are catchy in a way which is memorable but not necessarily accessible per se. By memorable, I mean upon hearing any one of these 10 songs, you'll be able to distinguish them easily. Too often does death metal fall into the fallacy of repetition, and I'll admit Immolation may have been guilty of this flaw to some extent in the past but their latest work shows no such imperfections: every song is it's own brutal rendition of originality unrivaled by any Death Metal band in the world."

Thank you. It's appreciated

I picked it up at Hellride Music

http://www.hellridemusic.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?terms=[T]&category=Bands:+T+Index

Prices are a little on the high side, but that's because Chris stocks rare metal gems. But he bulk rates shipments and has fast, great customer service. Swing throgh there to see if he can get a copy for you.

If anyone could look over the following review and give feedback, it would be much appreciated.

Wow, Dark Tranquillity has pulled it off again. After 2005's superb, come back of sorts 'Character', Dark Tranquillity have once again outdone themselves with 'Fiction', in my opinion second only to Dark Tranquillity's land mark album 'The Gallery'.

For starters Dark Tranquillity do not sound like a typical melo death band, and not like the ‘Gothenburg sound’ many melo death bands typically go for (ironically Dark Tranquillity pioneered the sound back when 'In Flames' albums weren't Nu Metal shitfests and the melo death genre was just emerging). The melodies are guitar based, with backing melody carried by the keyboards. Dual guitar riffs are present throughout, and the drumming is paced superbly. Unlike most Melodic death bands however, their sound is not melody focused, with the drum rhythm and pacing often being the driving force of the song. The keyboards, while not being in the background are not as central as bands like Bodom and Kalmah. This said Dark Tranquillity is still able to produce a brutal album, while being melodic. However compared to 'Character' which the album is most similar to in sound to, the album is somewhat slower and more keyboards based, the drums aren’t as blisteringly fast and as I said before, is less melody based. This change is carried out well, acting as a shift in sound rather than a radical new move.

The album kicks off with 'Nothing To No One' which starts out with a basic drum beat and some base, simple and catchy. The song slowly builds in both intensity and depth as the melody sets in and the drums start to get faster, first one guitar then another are added, each part simple, yet when all the parts are combined they create a rich tapestry of sound. Then Stanne kicks in with the vocals, he has a very unique sound, hard to describe accurately, his voice is raspy and dry and he refrains from screams or grunts, instead going for some throaty growling. The song is a good start to the album and sets the sound and tone for what’s to come.

Overall the album is consistent, there isn’t a bad songs amongst them, however as with any great album, there are of course stand out tracks. ‘Inside the Particle Storm’ stands out for being simply great, with a piano like opening building into a storm of sound. The albums last song ‘The Mundane and the Magic’ stands out as something a little different, featuring some clean female vocals to accompany Stanne’s own, giving a contrast in sound that is perhaps reflect in the songs name (but who’s voice is Mundane and who’s is magical remains unsaid), however it isn’t the chorus that really stands out on this sound for me but the verses, simply amazing and a brilliant finish to the album.

You should defiantly pick up ‘Fiction’ if you liked ‘Character’ or if you simply want some great new and different sound melo death to get into. The album is one of the best Dark Tranquillity have done, and it really is impressive to see how far they’ve come musically and as a band considering the small amount of line up changes and the amazing 17 years the band has been together. This album stands out as a monument to their commitment and proves that they can stand the test of time despite hiccups. Like a good wine, some things are better when their older and Dark Tranquillity is certainly one of those things.

Im thinking of giving it roughly 90%

Can someone please help me with that review?
It has been reject and I really worked a lot about that one.
This is my review:

Every time when the words “Iron Maiden” goes up in my mind, the cover of this album is the immediate thing I see. It presents exactly how Iron Maiden's sounds: simplistic yet quality heavy metal which totally energizes you and sounds like a killer! Their debut album is simply one of the most influential heavy metal albums that ever came out. If it was released today it was still sounds incredible as it is, but it wasn't acclaimed so much because back then in 1980, it was one of the most energetic albums and of course, pretty innovative one. They weren't the first heavy metal band in the world of course, but this album was a big influence for a lot of metal bands which came later, and an important milestone for the metal music. Fact is that even after 27 years from it's release date, it's still one of the most well known heavy metal albums ever, add to it that it was their debut album and you get a classic story of a classic band.

That was the first of two albums with 'Paul Di'Anno' as vocalist. He actually came from the punk scene, but he really sounds awesome in this album. He has something that the later vocalist (which is also praised more) didn't had: I call it sex appeal. No I ain't a gay damnit, I mean that when 'Di'Anno' sings, he does it with much more heat then Dickinson, he sounds kinda like a 'rockstar'.
While Dickinson sings with high tones and has the more epic style, 'Di'Anno' has the more street punk approach and sings on more normal tones. I prefer more his vocals than these of Dickinson which sounds pretty solid but a bit weighty at times. It's well known that 'Iron Maiden' with 'Di'Anno' had a different style than how they will be with 'Dickinson'. In their couple of first albums there were a NWOBHM band, later they became a more epic band and had a more occult image.
For this NWOBHM era, 'Di'Anno' fits much better than Dickinson, and I liked more this era so that's why I prefer more 'Di'Anno' as vocalist.

'Steve Harris' is the bass player and also the mastermind behind this album. He wrote 8 of 9 tracks (which seven of them he wrote completely alone) and he is the only reason for the existence of the band. He began all that in 1975, and never gave up for all these 5 years until releasing this album. In most cases people were despairs for so much years without a stable line up ( they changed twelve times their line up in 5 years!) and without a record deal. Technically, as bassist he isn't outstanding, he plays on average tempo most of the time and don't have any solo's or something unusual, but as a songwriter he is a real artist. He has a simple formula of writing songs, and he doesn't varies much with it, but he still manages to create songs which doesn't sounds like a blend of the same riff, and each one sounds unique and superb.

The album begins with 'Prowler'. It has an energetic power chords picking and then comes the lead guitar with a lively melody. And so the drums comes in and 'Di'Anno' begins to sing. He follows consistently the leading guitar and adding a great intensity within the song. I actually can't think about anyone who fits better than 'Di'Anno' to this song (and I've heard a lot of heavy metal vocalists), it sounds like 'prowler' is sewed for his own voice and nothing can beat him. There is also a nice break after minute and half with a sweeping guitar solo and then rhythm becomes twice much faster as it was and the ecstasy only grows up. Wonderful opener, it has only two verses which repeating themselves for the whole song, but they are so catchy and also the mid break makes this songs not sound repetitive and overlong, this is nothing less then a track which will kick your ass! 'Sanctuary' is another straightforward NWOBHM track. Pretty catchy chorus and the lead guitars from Murray And Stratton are done pretty well. Another memorable song here and also one of Iron Maiden's best songs ever, is 'Phantom Of The Opera'. Clocks out at seven minutes and manages to develops flawlessly within all his moments without loosing any sense. It start with a catchy riff which repeats himself for some seconds and then it gains speed and the drums comes in and so the guitars playing another riff, each one of them is played in a different octave, something which creates a fuzzy touch within the riffing. Then they returns to the first riff and 'Di'Anno' follows it perfectly with his rough rock 'n' roll approach and adds a perfect touch within the song. And again, he sounds like this song has been created especially for his own voice, he just fits perfect this song and I can't imagine this one done with another vocalist and gets even a little close to the perfection and the liveliness that 'Di'Anno' creates here, you must hear it to believe it. Later there is a tempo change and the song becomes more mid paced with a catchy palm muted riff and energetic singing with some backing vocals with it. When this break over comes the 'orgasmic' part of the song, and it's such orgasmic that's it can be even better than porn sometimes! It starts with kinda hypnotizing solo and then there is a nice bass break and the guitars comes in again with another fuzzy soloing which makes you feel on high. Then it's just continues to progress with a load of sweeping solos and intensive riffing and just creates an overwhelming atmosphere for the whole track. Easily one of the best heavy metal songs ever and one of Iron Maiden's best songs ever.

What else there is in this album? 'Transylvania' is one of the few instrumentals that 'Iron Maiden' wrote. Pretty catchy track with solid and pretty fast riffing, the drumming is also very rhythmical and fits perfectly the riffing. It has a main riff which repeats himself for the whole track and every time there are different variations in the song which keeps it pretty interesting. 'Charlotte The Harlot ' also has awesome double guitar work, pretty energetic riffs and catchy lead guitars. The bass is also pretty dominant here and the chorus is amazingly catchy. This is the opener song in the saga of Charlotte The Harlot which will follow this fictional character for another three albums until 'Fear Of The Dark'. Personally I think it's the secondary best track from the whole saga, it's a pretty energetic and catchy, but it doesn't beats '22 Acacia Avenue' from 'The Number Of The Beast'.
And as a close track, we get the almighty classic of the band: 'Iron Maiden'!. What can I say about such a famous song, it begins with incredibly catchy riff and though the verses only contains some simple power chords, it sounds pretty overwhelming. The chorus is one of their best ever, everything just rocks there! The cool lyrics, the magnificent vocals and the exciting rhythm makes this song one of their more straightforward songs ever, and as a close track for such album it's just an unparalleled ending.

In conclusion: 'Iron Maiden' is truly deserved to be called a classic album, as it had a pretty different spirit for it's time and it's includes some of the greatest NWOBHM hymns ever. It isn't a perfect album because there are some flaws here and there, but overall it's just a damn good album. I listened to this album so much times and enjoyed a lot and I still digs it sometimes when I want to remember the old NWOBHM classics. Simply a must have for each metalhead, no matter what is your fucking favorite genre, if you don't own this album-it will owns you!

"Oh well, wherever, wherever you are
Iron Maiden's gonna get you no matter how far “

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Help pls X:

I wouldnt mind some feedback on my reviews. I know they're not the best, but I wouldnt mind hearing what some of you all think of them.

My Review for Katatonia's 'Dance of December Souls':

First of all I'd just like to clear up that I haven't heard such a depressing, sorrowful doom metal album before. It makes My Dying Bride's 'Turn Loose the Swans' and Candlemass’s 'Epicus Doomicus Metalicus' look comparatively happy and upbeat. The aforementioned doom albums are sad, but tend to have lighter, less depressing moments. 'Dance of December Souls' is pure melancholic sorrow from start to finish. Honestly, it ranks up there with albums like Thergothon's 'Stream from the Heavens'.

The guitars sound unique. They are clean and melodic, with little to no distortion, while still retaining a metal feel. Any other guitar tone would have failed here. You can hear each riff and every chord being played here. Mostly the riffs are slow and gloomy, though they are played slightly faster at points throughout the album. 'Velvet Thorns of Drynwhyl' is an example of these faster riffs.

The drums have a crisp, percussive feel to them, and they fit with the riffs perfectly. They are mixed in just below the riffs, and aren’t too loud or quiet.

The vocals, like the guitars, are quite unique as well. They aren't low, guttural growls or high pitched shrieks. The vocals hear are just a harsh, raspy bark, and this allows the lyrics to be heard clearly. Speaking of the lyrics, they are pure representations of sadness and sorrow. The lyrics deal with personal, unresolvable depression, as shown below:

"I stand as I cry
Mourning in the Silent rain
Death will light my Burden
Endless is my Sorrow
Gateways so Dark
All these years of Dying"

There are also lighter tracks scattered throughout the album, such as the short but beautiful keyboard intro 'Seven Dreaming Souls', the short acoustic interlude 'Elohim Meth', which gives the listener some time to recover from the depression that they surely must be feeling by now, and the closing track, 'Dancing December', which is a short track with haunting clean vocals whispering 'Dancing...dancing' in the background.

Overall, this album is about as depressing as doom can get without being a funeral doom band. I recommend this album to anyone even remotely interested in doom metal.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

That's another review which had been rejected, from the same reason of the former one.


'To The Gory End' is a typical old school death/thrash album, and it hit the fans.
Nothing outstanding, but everything here is done great. The riffs are somewhere in the edge between death and thrash metal, played mostly on mid paced tempo but there are also some pretty fast tempo breaks which makes you headbang like a shit. The drums has a special effect sometimes which sounds like a bell, otherwise it's pretty intense and keeping on a brutal approach for the whole album. The vocals are a more inhaled growl than typical death grunt vocals, it sounds a bit feeble for this album but you'll get use to it and really like it after several listenings.

Highlights: "C.F.C." and "To The Gory End" for their extremely catchy choruses and riffs as well, "Die Die" for the lethal backing vocals in the chorus which makes this song sounds brutal like hell, and "Sentenced To The Gallows" which is the best track here because everything (the lyrics, riffing, drumming, vocals) sounds so evil and deathly. Also you can really comprehend the feeling of this song because the lyrics just written pretty well and you can imagine yourself in the mentioned scene of the song.

There are no bad riffs-eveything is just great but still doesn't reaches above the score of 80 or so. Pretty catchy and headbangable album, go to get it!

Please help me, I dunno what happens to me latley, all my review are being rejectd