I've heard this album before, but I've never been completely sold on it and I'm still not. It seems like a lot of people really like these guys, but eh, chalk up these guys to one more 80s band I can't get into. The riffs are good and crunchy, but the production is weak, the vocals are pretty lacking in personality and the song just feels too long, wearing out its welcome without enough dynamic to really sustain the length. I appreciate the gist of what they're going for, and I always like a good classic band, but Flotsam and Jetsam just don't do it for me. If I were to suggest ways they could improve, I'd say they need a vocalist with more bite and power to him and some heavier guitars that actually get my head banging. I know a lot of people will probably call BS on this, but hey, what do you want. Can't like every band from the old days.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvzuvXQy ... re=related

Re: Awesome & Jetsam


@Necro/Empy: Again? Okay, guess my placeholder no longer holds, then.

Yo Emp, are you aware that the song you posted is the song of mine that you just reviewed?

Whoops. Must be the third time I've done that...here you go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiInUMGcPuU

LegendMaker

Machinae Supremacy - Dark City

I'm just going to go right ahead and get this out of the way: It wasn't my cup of tea, so to speak. I get a load of hard rockish vibes from this song, and I don't necessarily hear a whole lot of metal in here. Except for the intro, finding riffs of any sort is a challenge here, thanks to the fact that the guitar players resort to simple rock chords for most of the song. The singer does a good job here, he can definitely do his job, and his work here has a catchy sing-along quality to them. So much so that I'd jump in if I wouldn't get demented stares from the rest of my family, who happen to be in the room. All the instruments mesh together perfectly here, from the guitars and vocals, to the sporadic synth use and the inoffensive drums and bass, creating a very smooth bit of music where nothing feels out of place at all. While I probably won't give a shit about this band when I'm done here, I can no doubt see the appeal behind this and the band's possible other works. In fact, I do know some people who will like this, and they'll know about it, alright.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ0vNxfE1LM

@Empyreal



So... Melodeath meets EuroPM, with a fair bit of MTV metal influences (or something-core, or nu-metal, or groove, or whichever term best suits one's fancy for "post-blackalbumization, neutered, radio-friendly chugging" and "modern pop ballad elements"), huh? Well, the mixture doesn't convince me, and some of the ingredients clash with one another something bad (I'm already pissed off at standard EuroPM bands for inserting Santa metal choruses into otherwise badass power songs, so it's no surprise that having Evanescence moments and BloodBath moments in the same fucking song isn't going to float my boat). The song structure is lacking, with the more deathcore aspects being, unsurprisingly, the more out-of-place here, as the bulk of the song remains closer to a soft power metal song than anything else. There actually was potential for a really good song in that style, as the singer is really good in his cleaner style, both technically and emotionally. Lose the my-10yo-niece-can-nail-that-shit death metal growls parody and the Nickelback-ish sugar-coated-envelope-lacking-any-actual-content moments; go easy on the theoretically impressive showoff solos that don't sound any good, as well as the death metal 101 stock chromatic riffs that will only impress people unfamiliar with proper death metal; and metalize the catchy chorus just a notch (try adding some distorted rhythm guitar for instance, you never know)... and you might have yourself a good mid-period Sonata Arctica song, there. In the meantime, fuck off, grow up, and maybe try to get some perspective on your influences to figure out which work together and which don't.

Here it comes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZBiXJyGBBI

Tristiania - ...of ruins and a red night fall

So right away a decent enough riff plays and it becomes apparent the production is very polished and accessible. What we have here is about as mainstream as extreme metal you can get without being watered down metalcore. Not that I'm necessarily against mainstream, just thought I'd point it out. For a lot of the song there is a black metal style rasp, which is adequate. There is also a more guttaral harsh vocal, although not very raw. This one fits into the typical "beauty and the beast" type of vocal dynamics, as there is also a female singer, who is almost operatic. This has tinges of gothic throughout, and keyboards play an important part. Its certainly not ambient, being an important melody maker, often creating very creepy lines. In the end I think the song is good for what it is, but I'm not digging the style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9h_au-NweY

The Atlas Moth - Holes In The Desert

The Atlas Moth, a band that I never devoted enough time to. I recall listening to their last EP (can't remember when that was) but never got around to checking out the latest LP. The sound is a mixture of doom, sludge and stoner elements. The vocals are a successful mix of screams and beautiful cleans which feel right in place with the mellowish guitar sound and melodies. Some keys found in the middle of the song enhance the atmosphere in a fitting way, creating some extra sorrow. I get the same feeling that all of the post- bands evoke for me, mainly Isis and Neurosis. Actually this song might come off as a combination of the two aforementioned bands. A great song with a dense atmosphere by a band which always interested me. I'll be sure to check out the rest of the album!

http://youtu.be/aBaAGln2k2U

Thou Art Lord - The Era of Storms

We're greeted with a fairly creepy, though enthralling keyboard intro, which sets up what's to come nicely. Then we go head-on into lo-fi black metal mode with no deviation from it at all. Nothing here really stands out as being offensive or even noteworthy, though. From the clearly programmed drums to the seen-it-done-a-million-times-before rasps, to the condemned-to-background bass (except for one part which I'll get to), everything is just sort of... there. The guitars do weave a bit of melody into the song, though, sort of like Sweden's Dawn used to do. Again, it's been done plenty of times before. In fact, the only part of the song that stands out at all is a nice little break after the solo which lets the bass shine a little. I wasn't expecting it, and it did make things a little better for me. Just another trip into the world of middle-of-the-road black metal, if nothing else.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLBZ9Pb2yTU

Dave_o_rama

'Where the Kind Lives' - Cannabis Corpse.

Yeah, it's kind of a homage/running teen-movie-esque-weed-gag on Cannibal Corpse and certain other early American death metal bands ('Where the Slime Lives' being the other obvious pun). I'm not even that familiar with Cannibal Corpse but even I recognise the references here, especially the noodly bass part before the first verse ala 'Hammer Smashed Face'. Musically, it's not entertaining nor do the lyrics appear to be anything particularly humourous. The production is very clean and click track-y, you can really hear how rigid everything is... surely, their parody would be better with an old-fashioned Scott Burns-esque production? I dunno, there's not a lot to say; it's rudimentary death metal with a tongue-in-cheek appeal. But that's all! It's not a good song, the performances are adequate, not outstanding and there's the obvious weed-related lyrics. I seems like it's just a band stretching out one stoned evening's worth of laughs ("Hurr, Cannabis Corpse") into a career, which, to me, seems completely and utterly pointless (much like their related retro-thrash act). Fuck off, it's neither funny nor clever!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3chM3CRwK4

Pungent Stench - Games of Humiliation

Ah, yes, Pungent Stench, a band that I've been meaning to dive into for quite some time. Everything here is, appropriately, as filthy as it gets, and it feels wonderful to revel in the filth. Oh, the mucky, mid-paced death metal filth. The guitars sound as raw and as heavy as they would if I were sitting in a basement hearing the band play this song for the first time. To make it better, they're crystal clear and as tight as they can be. They don't make use of much variety, though, as two riffs dominate most of the song. Two crushing, haunting riffs, that is. The vocals are delivered in such a way that sound like a dying monster puking up his guts... Graphic and probably too imaginitive? Yes. Was it what the band was going for? Yes. Does it work? Of course it does! While I get the impression from this song that this band may not have been the "promised land" that it was made out to be, I'll still be looking for more, provided there are no more of those stupid and pointless acoustic parts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOxZo3NUOYc

Dawn - Svarter Skiner Solen

ahh, Dawn. One of the great Swedish melodic black metal bands (along w Vinterland, Sacramentum, Dissection, etc...). I managed to get a copy of Slaughtersun a while ago, but this release has alluded me so far

anyways, to the song. starts off with some nice tremelo picked melodies and some non standard drumming....pretty good actually. I've never found the vocals in Dawn to be as good as a band like Sacramentum, but they do the job and he does manage to vary them in terms of emotion so they don't get monotonous. I really like the melodic riffs in this song. although tremelo picked, you can here each note fairly clearly. I like the section at 4:00...everything comes to a halt and then slowly builds up, with some nice drum fills at 4:20 and of course great melodies until the end of the song

great song and band! (just need to find the CD now)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T1fv9DSoLM

Hieronymus Bosch - The Human Abstract

Never heard of these guys before, but this is really cool shit. Weird death metal with perhaps a hint of prog. In the end, it usually comes down to the riff, and these dudes succeed spectacularly. We have some pretty cool leads too, often slow, they add a lot feeling and emotion. The songwriting here really took me by surprise. Some parts of the song are weird, its largely riff based and theres a ton of solos, but the songwriting totally is solid, it all has flow and makes sense relative to the other parts and none of it ends up feeling like pointless wankery. Also, thats some damn cool/unique album art. I'll definitely be checking out some more from these guys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lurmZamBoo

@dystopia4

@dystopia4

@ Tron

Neurosis -To Crawl Under One's Skin

I've heard of these guys alot...and maybe the odd song, but never really sat down and listened. Definitely a big build to start the song. some good melodies but something creates an odd atmosphere during this first build section. the tribal like drumming in the section starting just before the 3:00 mark until the vocals start are really cool. The yelling vocals aren't normally something i like to listen to, but its suited for this song...as if they blend into the atmosphere created. I wouldn't say anything stands out in terms of guitar riffs or godly drumming, but combined into one song, that odd atmosphere comes across as quite unique and in away catchy. The few softer sections in the songs are done well..melodic yet transition to the more Chaotic sections very well.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CEhn5WeXVU

This started out pretty damn awesome, with the flourish of eastern scales descending into a fairly solid, heavy riff. The vocals are good as well, evocative and clean singing a paean to the glory and power of Amon-Ra. The production is suitably weighty, with the guitars given a nice tone and plenty of bottom end while still retaining clarity. We are in pure prog/power metal territory here, but one that doesn't completely bore me to tears. There are plenty of small meanderings to found within the middle of this, bits of piano and quieter sections, that are well used (if a little simple) to add extra feel. The chorus section for me though was underwhelming, reminding me of Toto or similar, as it was rather weak and sugary. Swano's drumming can't be faulted either, but that's not surprising as he's never really pushed here as it rolls along quite sedately, or languidly, as one would expect if pushing leisurely up the Nile. Towards the end though my attention wandered, as it never contained enough variation throughout it's overlong seven minute running time to keep one riveted. Not bad, but not what I will need.

My go.

Matricide - Holy Virgin

While I was initially put off by the 8 minute 23 second running time and undeniable repetitiveness of this one, it's pretty good when you actually sit down and really listen to it. From the word go we're definitely immersed in the world of pain and torture this song creates. This is done mostly to the... I'm not sure what the proper term is, but the guitar tone is very atmospheric and mesmerizing, without being overbearing. The vocals also help, with a sound falling somewhere in between Dead's iconic rasps and Attila's DMDS-styled possessed vocal work. Not to mention the fact that they're pulled off pretty well. All the little gems that keep this song from being 8 and a half minutes of generic tremolo picking-filled black metal are hidden deep beneath the surface, with some effort to pick them out. They're obscured to the point where I miss them even if I'm writing this review, and not fully paying attention. These nice little bits are well-executed guitar rhythms that add that much more to the song. That being said, this song isn't for everyone, but those willing to fully immerse themselves in it will be rewarded.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgryEOl00Rk

Cromlech - The Vulture Tones

Hey, this is great. Swedish black/death with technical and melodic flairs, eh? Me likes it, and first of all I want to remark how surprisingly screechy the vocals are for death metal (that's were the black metal influences seem to shine the most), being highly reminiscent of Sadus' Darren Travis, with the man's howling, throat-tearing screams. Classy. And hey, the guitar work is pretty sweet too, being composed mostly of highly melodic, Dissection-esque tremolos, although there are straight melodic riffs aplenty (kudos for that creepy, slightly dissonant section that starts around the three minute mark). These people really know how to make this kind of riffing work, in the best tradition of the most vicious Swedeath. The drummer? Guy knows his stuff, for sure. More than once he blasts his way through the song, but his repertoire is not limited to that, varying his beats pretty often, playing around with his double bass and cymbals and just all around being fun to listen to. He isn't the best drummer ever, sure, but he's highly proficient at his job. And so, we got great players, but how about the songwriting? Well, the piece is positively catchy (or at least as catchy as this stuff can be) and memorable, with a nice pace (that is, a fast one) and many different sections. The only problem is that the aforementioned sections seems to not gel entirely, as the transitions are a bit rough. Kinda like what happens so often with Opeth. BUT, aside from that incovenient, this kicked ass. Cheers.

Now, it's time for something much more, let's say, BRUTAL.

Kronos - With Eaque Sword

Would someone be so kind as to explain to me how the hell these guys wound up getting the "brutal death metal" tag stuck on them? Because this sure as hell sounds nothing like any brutal death metal I've heard. Unlike the pointless sloppiness and godawful snare action of that subgenre, these guys use actual riffs and... uh... musicianship. And they do it awesomely, too. It's clear that these guys know what they're doing, thanks to their tight playing and great songwriting. There are loads of riffs packed into just this one song, all of which are clear and memorable without giving up any heaviness. I even heard a little bit of tremolo picking throughout the course of the song. All of that, packed neatly into one smooth package, and I can't help but see this as a guitar tour de force. While the other instruments may not live up to the riff machine that dominates most of this song, they're good for what they're worth. The bass is actually audible, and the drums mostly just blast along for the ride. The vocals... well... let's just say you can tell this guy was a fan of None So Vile and Blasphemy Made Flesh. All this is hardly offensive at this point in time, but it's as good as it needs to be. Long story short, this is fucking awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEmp9puzXaE

Not much to say about this, some nice keyboard build-up leads into some choppy brick-walled riffage that would probably sound way better if it wasn't for Youtube's god-awful quality. The atmospheric stuff in the beginning is nice and sets a mood, but the song is too short to sustain that as well as the riffing, and so when the riffing starts and then just fades out, the whole thing feels incomplete. I assume this is the intro to an album, and if so, I've heard a lot better. Needs more dynamic and drama - songs that just fade out at the end are never good, and always leave the listener feeling short-changed. In the case of most intros I've heard like this, it's usually better just to leave it off and start with the first real song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9Fh8mlTlFc

Celesty-Unreality

I've never been much too fond of overtriggered drums in power metal, and Celesty are no exception to the rule when it comes to this (Only Satan's Host has managed to pull it off. Regardless, the first 37 odd seconds were intense even if they don't match the slowed down moments where the vocalist and keyboards come in before the slowdown around 1:24. The song never returns to the intensity of the first few seconds, changing gears from a few faster-paced moments to the horrible chorus and key section around 3:53. In defense of the band, they vary the track out with everything from an acoustic part to some progressive-esque keyboard footling and a great solo. Overall, a good effort though the song was a bit uneven, I suppose they are slightly better than your average Europower band. 3/5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgC6ozEwyvM

Axis of Advance - Evanescent Judgement of the Last Era

I dunno, man. Theres nothing really wrong with this, but it just doesn't do that much for me. I guess I would call this a slightly melodic mix of black and death metal (although more death) with a high thrash influence. The riffs and melodies are adequate enough, but they don't really blow me away. The filthy snarl is pretty well suited for this, but this is where my personal bias comes in - I just don't really like this type of vocal. The drums I feel are a bit too ever-present, often drowning out the guitar, which doesn't really work for this sound. I think it would bother me less if the drummer did something more interesting. I guess the whole military snare thing is a bit cool, but otherwise the drummer just isn't that interesting. I know I might be coming off a bit harsh, this isn't really that bad. I didn't mind listening to it at all, and maybe it would grow on me with subsequent listens. My first reaction, though, is indifference.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Dyq0WAPrPI

Teitanblood-Seven chalices of vomit and blood

I've never quite understood the hype surrounding this band. Stylistically, the bands aren't too different. Teitanblood has a few doomier passages such as the opening Hellhammer-esque chords, and the death metal influence takes cues from some of the darker and sludgier death metal acts. The faster portions are ripped straight from the likes of Blasphemy, and the doom parts I guess distinguishes them from other bands. Aside from the speaking parts that add a bit of occult atmosphere the band does little for me, most of what they do they've copied and pasted from other bands. I can understand the lure of their music its dark and sounds and is slightly different from other war metal type bands, but for me its just been done before and is just like listening to any black/death metal band.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGMTdAf6FCk

Funebre - Walls That Held Scream

This is a bit of a strange one for me. It has everything I could possibly want from my old school death metal... Heavy as fuck guitars, somewhat melodic riffs on said guitars, unrelenting and uncompromising drums, deep, cavernous vocals, and hell, even the bass is audible. You can even hear influence from 80's thrash and even a bit of doom metal in one part about 18 seconds or so in. However, it just falls flat, and I've tried multiple times to get into this song. There are plenty of riffs here; problem is, really only one of them hangs around long enough to imprint itself in your mind. They come as quickly and suddenly as they go away. I've got no problems with having loads of riffs thrown at me, though. They just need to stick, and they don't. Something like this should leave me with an aching neck due to excessive headbanging, but instead, just kind of falls short of that mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfxQ8NA8pH8

When Nothing Remains - A Portrait Of The Dying

When I first saw the song title, I was just like "Oh hell yeah!". I saw the album art and was so ready for the song to start (it takes a second since my computer is so slow). Once the song started I was NOT let down in the slightest. I wasn't expecting a slow death/doom song, but I'm glad they did it this way. This song leans more to doom than death metal though. The vocals are really powerful right from the start, very easy to make out what he's saying. You hear a variety of instruments in the song (piano, violin, and the usual guitar and drums of course). The instruments flow in such a peaceful yet powerful way, almost contradicting yourself. Its quite an easy listen. The clean vocals really overtook me. Icing on the cake. Perfecting the masterpiece. Honestly, the end of the song was probably the best possible way to end the song. Most doom songs don't end the song right in my opinion, but these guys did it perfectly. Overall, a great song. I'll be checking these guys out and definitely be picking up the album. 10/10.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2R-W5_7Ppk

Brainstorm: "Free for Sin!"

...The hell was that? Are you a fan of this band or...I just don't know. Starts off sounding a bit like a really downtuned and drugged up Hellhammer or something with garbage disposal vocals. Then the spacey noise comes in: Somebody drunkenly twiddling a knob back and forth on an old synth perhaps. Then the guitars stop and there's a little creepy tune played on a string patch. And that's it. I guess it was cute, but there wasn't really much meat there for me to get an impression other than, "ah, these guys are kind of goofy".

Maybe some of you will think this belongs more in the other thread, but the band is here and some of their stuff is undeniably metal, so...:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MenMNZA5yk