Following in the footsteps of the great neoclassical shred guitarists, Danish axeman Niels Veljyt has taken time away from Infinity Overture, My Empty Room and his own online guitar school to release his sophomore album Sthenic, a marked improvement from début The Predator in both production and composition. It’s relatively short at 40 minutes, but full of proof of his abilities, mixing in various metal styles such as heavy, melodic and progressive.
Enlisting the help of Kris Gildenlöw (ex-Pain Of Salvation) on bass and Jakob Vand (Infinity Overture) on drums, Vejlyt sets out to explore various fretboard techniques such as arpeggios, taps, sweeps and sustained notes, akin to his forefathers Satriani, Vai and Malmsteen, but unfortunately also succumbs to one of their faults: there are very few of the simpler chord progressions and riffs themselves, which means the songs are more divided sections that are repeated, such as in “Rain”. His guitar is like a vocal instrument rather than a stringed instrument, forming complicated and meandering lines that are less memorable than the power-ballad-like sustained notes such as on opener “Heads Up”.
To give the other musicians their credit, Gildenlöw and Vand hold up their ends very well. The bass is audible in several parts, including one multi-layered guitar section in “Die Today” which is particular chaotic. The drums play an interesting role in “My Little Rascal”, opting for a slow groove while Vejlyt flies quickly with tap after sweep, slowing down only when “Kajsa” commences, an interesting ballad intertwining just piano and guitar, and then finishing with the lengthy closer “Winter”, a relaxed acoustic riff and floating bassline that abruptly breaks out into the heaviest song of the lot, in a vibe reminiscent of Symphony X. Certainly an attention-grabbing finisher, but it unfortunately makes the middle tracks slightly forgettable in the build-up.
The world ‘sthenic’ means “possessing a high level of strength and energy”, and that is certainly the case here. For those that enjoyed John Petrucci’s Suspended Animation or the work of Michael Romeo, this comes highly recommended, as well as for any guitar enthusiasts or newcomers to the shred style.
01. Heads Up 03.23
02. Die Today 05.12
03. Rain 04.28
04. Samurai 04.46
05. Meteors 04.47
06. My Little Rascal 04.16
07. Kajsa 04.19
08. Winter 09.16
Beyond the Labyrinth – Chapter III – Stories (2011)
Jan 11, 2012 11:54
Heavy Metal |Power Metal
Before receiving Beyond The Labyrinth's third and brand new release I knew it involved a hard rock vibe in general, but that was all. Truth be told, I didn't know the band before and I was prepared for some dirty tunes, on the contrary though, the album holds a varied aesthetic in terms of expression.
So, Beyond The Labyrinth hail from Belgium and despite the fact they have been around since 1996, they appeared in official discography during 2005 with Signs. Their new attempt's name is Chapter III - Stories and clocks around an hour's time. It is consisted of 12 compositions and each one takes its time to expand, infusing a wide variety of references, influences, genres and sounds, making the sound of the band affected, but not over-abused in terms of technique. We're talking about melodic heavy metal/hard rock with the adjective "melodic" playing a really important role. Apart from the generic but main core of the aforementioned description you will witness generic power metal references that transform into light symphonic metal, progressive metal in the vein of Dream Theater's Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory aura, melodic ballads etc.
The good thing is that this album's vast sound territory can please different listeners of the same core, in combination with the gentle production that doesn't disarm the melodic dynamics of such an album. Along with the eloquent heaviness, the non-exaggerating, beautiful solos, the atmosphere-evoking keyboards and piano parts, the well-accompanying rhythm section and melodic, clean vocal lines that enrich the ambiance the way they should. Also, it's nice witnessing that the compositions work well together as a whole and at the same time they hold a personality of their own. You can see the album like a story book, as the title says, a whole series of stories, but the stories themselves can stand on their own. The bad thing now, 60 minutes may tire a bit, but this can always change according to one's musical tastes, so don't actually count it as something negative, but as a personal array.
Concluding, Chapter III- Stories is a well-performed album deflowering heaviness with melody and at the same time carving the edges of melody with heaviness. It's a balanced work with respect and affection on their influences and what they want to present. Had it been released a few years earlier it would definitely deserve more attention, as for now, if everything you read intrigued you enough and you feel nostalgic you should give Beyond The Labyrinth a shot.
01. The Girl With the X-Ray Eyes
02. Where Kindred Spirits Meet
03. Hidden Agenda
04. Oceans Apart
05. Fear's the Killer
06. The Darkest Page
07. Saturation Point
08. Stories Waiting to Be Told
09. Raise the Horns
10. Hypersensitive
11. The Peter Principle
12. Strength
Band Glister Info: Hit Job Style: Hard Rock / Rock & Roll Years: 2009 Info: mp3 VBR 270 Info: 88.6 mb Upload: Depositefiles Info: USA
Ever make a woman so mad she sends someone out to kill you?
Hit Job is rock'n'roll like it used to be. Strippers, hitmen, drinking, and gambling found their way into the lyrics and music of this heart-pounding record. Recorded and engineered at Bell Labs, Norman, Okla. by Trent Bell. Additional recording and engineering by Dave Spindle of 20 Sparrows Recording Service, Oklahoma City.
Tracklist:
1. Back Alley Baby
2. Bad Bad Dream
3. She Won't Back Down
4. Knuckles up
5. Leave 'em Sore
6. Hit Job
7. One Night
8. Make Her Dance
9. Lone Wolf
10. Give Us Our Money
Band:
Josh Todd – Lead Vocals
Keith Nelson – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Stevie D. – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Jimmy Ashhurst – Bass, Backing Vocals
Xavier Muriel – Drums, Percussion
“Christmas Is Here” is an exclusive digital single that was released in November 2010 just in time for the holiday season. I bought my copy through iTunes but it’s available at all major digital music stores.
There’s really not a whole lot to say about this single other than I like it a lot. I’m a huge fan of Christmas music (mostly the traditional tunes sung by crooners like Crosby, Sinatra, Cole, Como, Martin, Mathis and even Michael Buble) so when I found out Buckcherry was releasing a Christmas song I was very excited to check it out since BC is one of my favorite bands.
Honestly though I wasn’t expecting much, thinking this was basically going to be a throwaway track but I loved the song upon first listen. It’s not a rockin’ Christmas song like “Run Rudolph Run” or “Jingle Bell Rock”, instead BC takes a jingle jangle mid-tempo pace. It’s a laid back, feel good Christmas rock ‘n’ roll song. I think a lot of contemporary Christmas songs fall flat but “Christmas Is Here” is a modern classic and a song I’ll be playing for many holidays to come. Makes me feel all warm ‘n’ fuzzy inside and positive about the entire season and isn’t that what a great Christmas song should do? I hope it’ll be issued as a bonus track at some point on a CD.
So, is there anything these guys can’t do? Kick-ass rockers, great ballads and now great Christmas music. Best band from the last 15 years easily.
According to the Van Halen News Desk web site, VAN HALEN's new single will be titled "Tattoo" and it will premiere on January 10. The band's much-anticipated new album — which will be its first with original singerDavid Lee Roth in 28 years — will arrive on February 7.
VAN HALEN's upcoming tour will kick off next month in Louisville, Kentucky, with tickets set to go on sale on January 10.
01. Overture
02. Quest for Fire
03. Primordial Enigma
04. Oracle
05. Gate to Tri Hour
06. Zone of Silence
07. Time Dilation
08. Polarity Shift
09. Illusion Land
10. Crystal Caves
11. Twilight Insomnia
12. Resolution
13. Playing the Game
Kim Bendix Petersen (born June 14, 1956 in Copenhagen[1]), better known by his stage name King Diamond, is a Grammy Award nominated Danishheavy metal musician. As a vocalist, he is known for his extensive vocal range, in particular his usage of falsetto. He is the lead vocalist for both Mercyful Fate and the eponymous King Diamond. In 2006, Hit Parader voted him as the 85th greatest heavy metal vocalist of all time.
01 King Diamond: "LOA" House
02 King Diamond: Voodoo
03 King Diamond: One Down Two To Go
04 Mercyful Fate: Buried Alive
05 King Diamond: Help!!!
06 King Diamond: The Trees Have Eyes
07 King Diamond: The Storm
08 King Diamond: The Wheelchair
09 King Diamond: Spirits
10 King Diamond: The Ritual
11 King Diamond: Blood To Walk
12 King Diamond: Never Ending Hill
13 King Diamond: Mirror, Mirror
14 Roadrunner United: In the Fire
15 Probot: Sweet Dreams
16 Mercyful Fate: Evil 2009
Rage – Best Ballads (compilation by Dark Dragon) (2012)
Jan 9, 2012 12:10
Heavy Metal |Power Metal
Rage are a German heavy metal band, formed in 1984. They were part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene to emerge in the early to mid 1980s, along with bands such as Helloween, Running Wild and Blind Guardian.
01. Shadows (Instrumental) 00:56
02. All This Time 05:32
03. Through Ages 02:05
04. Black (Instrumental) 00:52
05. Fading Hours 06:28
06. Beauty 03:55
07. Fortress 03:57
08. Deep In The Night 04:08
09. More Than A Lifetime 04:28
10. In Vain (I Won't Go Down) 05:19 37
11. Vanished In Haze 05:01
12. Incomplete 05:10
13. Tomorrow's Yesterday 06:57
14. Home 03:14
15. All This Time (Orchestral Version) 04:04
16. After The End 04:45
Benighted Soul describe their music somewhere between progressive and symphonic metal. They say they have found their own path through metal. They claim to go from pop/rock all the way to heavy metal, supported by powerful riffs and rich orchestrations. I, as usual, disagree. Of course it would be ideal and great to have found your own path of metal after making music for nine years. They have also produced three demos and two albums, so yes, having your own style by then would be awesome.
This band are talking about their own path when everything I hear is so predictable. Things that have been done many times before, blindly copied without making any effort to make it their own. The lack of variety in instruments and effects simply give the effect you think you have already heard a song three times, while it has been a different song all the times. The choral pieces in this album are beautiful and have a very rich and full sound. They have a fine atmosphere and they are well finished off, the production itself is not quite so bad at all. The sound is overall quite full and pleasant, until Géraldine opens up her mouth and tries to create a powerful sound. The moment she does so, her voice sounds shrill and downright horrible. Besides the fact her vocals are not really powerful, she is simply not pleasant to listen to.
All in all, this seems like a very ordinary thing, and I think it is. They should break loose of all the predictable gothic things in their metal, they should add more atmosphere to their music and Geraldine needs to work on the sharpness in her voice. Apart from that, I am guessing this band will be just fine.
Rating: 58/100
01. Broken Icons 06:02
02. Edge of Insanity 08:07
03. Wrong Reflection 03:49
04. Falling in Sin 07:04
05. Ticking Time Bomb 06:39
06. Stranger Me 05:33
07. The Seventh Cage 04:58
08. Evergreen 05:59
09. Start from Scratch 07:13
10. My So Called Friend 06:02
11. No Warning Signs? 07:54
Doro Feat. Onkel Tom Angelripper – Merry Metal X-Mas (2011)
Jan 8, 2012 00:07
Hard Rock Heavy Metal |Power Metal
Band Doro Info: Merry Metal X-Mas Years: 2011 Info: Germany Style: Heavy Metal ??????|Tracklist: MP3 CBR 320 kbps
01. Merry Metal Xmas
Line-Up:
Doro - Vocals
Onkel Tom Angelripper - Vocals
Joe Taylor - Guitar
Oliver Palotai - Guitar
Bas Maas - Guitar
Nick Douglas - Bass
Luca Princiotta - Keyboard, Guitar
Johnny Dee - Drums
1. Creators of the Downfall
2. Burning Wings
3. Vengeance
4. Fight for the Cross... Die for Jerusalem (live)
5. The Realm of Hell (live)
6. Path to Glory (live)
Vertical Mass Grave's cover depicts a widely known, in the world of science fiction "geeks" and cinema lovers, object. It's a Monolith. In Arthur C. Clarke's complex universe, Monoliths are advanced machines built from extraterrestrial species that appear in the solar system, triggering evolutionary shifts in human history. They are really bad-ass objects - anyone who witnessed the terror of those hominids in Kubrick's film can tell. Now, to those who already came up with a metaphor about how groundbreaking the band is, let's make it clear: Czar is a modern metal band that brings nothing new to the table. Should this be a reason to condemn Vertical Mass Grave to oblivion?
Definitely not.
Raised from the ashes of the industrial metallers Acumen Nation, Czar have created an amazingly massive sound which follows the learnings of Meshuggah and their latest immit...(ough), followers. The trio from Chicago isn't all about the bulkiness though. There's pretty much going on even when the heavy riffing doesn't engross all the attention. In "Diapers", melodic passages balance the storming, whereas coiling leads add brushstrokes of melody in the rather frigid and polyrythmic construction. The dialogue between the industrialized heftiness and the robotic sentimentality echoes through most of the songs. Still, it isn't melody nor rawness that drives the album, but rhythm.
