Delain - The Human Contradiction

Melodic/Symphonic Metal
Napalm
2014








1. Here Come The Vultures
2. Your Body Is A Battleground
3. Stardust
4. My Masquerade
5. Tell Me, Mechanist
6. Sing To Me
7. Army Of Dolls
8. Lullaby
9. The Tragedy Of The Commons

Delain are the sort of band I was hoping would rebound going into this release. I really enjoyed the bands first two albums of melodic metal with symphonic touches, but We Are The Others kinda dropped the ball. It just sounded too mainstream rock and lost a lot of the little symphonic nuances that made their sound. Really what I was hoping was the band would take a step back from the chuggy riffs and modern sound and get back to the sort of smooth, flowing, majestic music that made them good on the first couple of releases.

It seems in wondering if they'd go with more of a modern rock sound or a more atmospheric, majestic sound I missed another consideration. That is that Delain would just write a completely different album with an identity all it's own and come out sounding fresh and re-energized, but that is exactly what the band accomplishes here. The Human Contradiction is just a totally different Delain experience as the heaviness is really turned up and the music often sounds surprisingly dark. The sound is thick, but less in the chuggy alt way that the last album went with and more in the way a band like Epica dialed up the heaviness on Design Your Universe. This isn't as epic as that, but it's a comparable shift in terms Delain's own sound. This still has the melodic/atmospheric quality, but some of these riffs are thick in the way that a band like Nevermore managed to pull off. Reminders of Within Temptation's shift from their lighter melodic fare to something a bit more upbeat melodic also come to mind. When listening to this album I just have absolutely nothing to complain about. The vocals soar, the riffs sound thick and heavy, the atmospheric and symphonic nuances are there, the guest vocals from Marco Hietala make a reappearance, and the album is just loaded with memorable hooks. Hell in terms of the vocals I even like the death metal guest vocals from George Oosthoek and I am not exactly the world's biggest death metal fan. All the pieces here just fit together really well and form a hell of a soundscape. I never really thought of Delain as a band who could pull off this kind of heaviness and still keep their identity, but this is a most welcome expansion of their sound.

Song highlights include Stardust which has a great driving energy. If you don't get pumped listening to this one I'm not sure I understand you. Beyond that the front is loaded with some of the best songs which include the dark, haunting, yet majorly heavy Here Come The Vultures and the symphonic yet attacking ride that is Your Body Is A Battleground. Also well worth noting is Sing To Me which is made by a simple, but completely infectious chorus and the potent combo of an extremely catchy rhythm and piano touches that make the track Lullaby.

Simply put this is way, way better than I was expecting. Delain just managed to go from a band who's future I was uncertain about to a position as one of the more promising female fronted metal bands out there. Seriously, I never saw this album coming and it turned my perception of the band back around 180 degrees. I was really excited when I first heard April Rain and suddenly I remember why. This is far from being another April Rain though. It is better and more unique than that. Not to mention a hell of a lot of heavier. If you dig symphonic/atmospheric female fronted metal with some edge and a whole lot of catchiness then you want to hear this album. This is really top form and I richly enjoyed every song. At minimum this one is bound for album of the year consideration. Do more of this Delain. Please.

Highlights: Stardust, Here Come The Vultures, Sing To Me, Your Body Is A Battleground, Lullaby

Rating - 4.5/5

Within Temptation - Hydra

Gothic/Melodic Metal
Nuclear Blast
2014








1. Let Us Burn
2. Dangerous
3. And We Run
4. Paradise (What About Us?)
5. Edge Of The World
6. Silver Moonlight
7. Covered By Roses
8. Dog Days
9. Tell Me Why
10. Whole World Is Watching

It would be hard for me to overstate my excitement early on about this album. Within Temptation is a band that has been steadily climbing up my list of favorite bands. The band's last couple of albums have been nothing short of spectacular in my opinion and I could not wait to hear more. Then upon hearing the jaw dropping single Paradise, my expectations just grew higher. It is not without a smaller hint of concern I listened to this one though. I mean the band has set a pretty high bar, so that is one thing, but there's also something else that gave me pause as I heard more about the album in advance of it's release. The sheer number of guest vocalists is noticeable enough, but far more concerning than even that is the choice of vocalists. Sure Tarja is a fine inclusion, but choices like metalcore vocalist Howard Jones or particularly rapper Xzbit are much more questionable. To say that good metal and rappers don't mix is an enormous understament and the commercial influence this speaks to is a bit disturbing. Still, the band has been on a hell of a roll so I was definitely ready to give Hydra a shot. Even if I had to disregard some rap experimentation... much like I do with Anthrax.

Let Us Burn openers the album up well in familiar fashion with a solid melodic approach and that underlying majestic quality I tend to like about the band. This one is pretty typical of their last couple albums, but that is no kind of complaint. After this one we head into a run of three tracks with guest vocalists though and I had to consider this a bit of a test of the album... so let's dive in deeper shall we?

Dangerous with Howard Jones (formerly of Killswitch Engage) does not start this experiment off well. It's not a terrible track musically, but Howard Jones adds nothing to the song at all. In fact his vocals are pretty distracting and don't seem to suit the music or blend with Sharon Den Adel's vocals in harmony. Everything that worked about Keith Caputo of Life Of Agony on What Have You done is wholly absent from this track. There's nothing subtle about the delivery here as Howard Jones virtually shouts through the whole song. It's not harsh hardcore shouting or anything, but it none the less has the subtlety of a donkey hee-hawing as loudly as possible to music. Needless to say, this song is kind of ruined by the guest vocalist presence so that's strike one. Well, on to And We Run with Xzbit which is instantly nothing like I expected. The song actually starts off slow with piano and way more of a classical influence than I would have expected from a song with a rapper on it. The strings and piano are nice and actually gave me a bit of hope... and then it was crushed as soon as Xzbit came into it. I seriously want to know what kind of potent drugs whoever decided Xzbit should be on this track was on. I can't even comprehend the level of meth addled insanity that could lead to a song such as this. If this yo yo shit doesn't make you puke I'm tempted to revoke your metal card. What a fucking trainwreck this one is. Switching from heavy classical influence to ghetto tough guy rapping is the most confusing thing I think I've ever heard in my life. I realize I'm writing about these tracks a lot though so I should move on before dwelling on them too much leads to an aneurysm.

Now that I'm free of that garbage I can tell you what I already knew about the third guest vocal appearance. Paradise is a masterpiece of a song and ranks up with the best this band has ever produced. This is everything Within Temptation should be with it's heavier riffing mixed with fantastic melodies and incredible vocals. Tarja's performance hear is nothing short of fantastic and hearing two of metal's best female vocalists together is a virtual dream come true. I can not say enough good about this song and it's just a confusing stark contrast to the last couple of turds. How does one even rate an album that goes from a zero star song to a five star song in the span of one track? At this point I was already entirely confused about what to make of Hydra. Mixed feelings would be an understatement.

From here on out things get more normal which is a welcome return to sanity. Silver Moonlight establishes itself a definite highlight with it's melodic sound coupled with an energetic pace. There are some backing death vocals on this one which is a slight nod back to older Within Temptation, but they're pretty subdued and don't distract from their newer sound. Roses follows it with a similar sound (minus the death vocals) and has just as much success with it, becoming another highlight. This is exactly the sort of material I like from Within Temptation. Majestic, powerful, and catchy with a good rhythm. The shame is that I had to suffer through some pretty hard to swallow songs to get here. After that the mellower Dog Days is alright, but not incredibly memorable and the riffy Tell Me Why is likewise not a real standout, but not bad either. After that comes the final guest vocalist in the form of Dave Pirner from Soul Asylum who does better than most of the singers here. This song is a little sugary sweet, but a melodic alternative rock vocalist is a better fit for Within Temptation than Howard Jones or Xzbit. I don't love the track, but this not being a disaster is enough considering the shit I heard earlier on in Hydra.

Thinking about this album, Hydra is probably an appropriately named one. Each song is a distinct head of this beast... unfortunately at least a couple of the heads are brain damaged and some of the others have fallen asleep. This is probably one of the most challenging albums I've ever reviewed to rate. One one hand, 4 of the tracks here are worthy of the last couple of albums (Paradise, Silver Moonlight, Roses, and Let Us Burn), but on the other hand... Xzbit and mediocrity dominates 6 out of 10 tracks. The highlights just can't save that kind of ratio even if only one of the tracks is truly atrocious and one kind of annoying. It would have taken a total effort to redeem this one and some of the more mediocre tracks fail to give the album that kind of a recovery. Over half the album is a bit much to forgive and this just isn't an exciting release from Within Temptation. I can't honestly see myself listening to the album, as a whole , very much in the future. This is just a middle of the road album between it's high peaks and deep valleys and those valleys are awfully hard to deal with.

Highlights: Paradise, Silver Moonlight, Roses, Let Us Burn

Rating - 2.5/5

Masterplan - Novum Initium

Power Metal
AFM Records

2013

1. Per Aspera Ad Astra (Intro)
2. The Game
3. Keep Your Dreams Alive
4. Black Knight Of Magic
5. Betrayal
6. No Escape
7. Pray On My Soul
8. Earth Is Going Down
9. Return From Avalon
10. Through Your Eyes
11. Novum Initium

Masterplan's latest, Novum Initium, is the kind of album that makes me just a little nervous going in. The band has been on shaky ground with the member changes, particularly when it comes to their on and off again experience with Jorn. Mike DiMeo, who I do in fact like, failed to quite fill Jorn's shoes and oddly when Jorn came back he failed to live up to his own previous work too. The bottom line for me is that the past two albums were not as memorable and haven't really stuck with me. Given yet another shakeup in the vocal department here I had to approach this one with a bit of caution. I do like Rick Altzi though so that is a plus.

Novum Initium does start off pretty well with a solid sound that fuses power metal and melodic rock again in a way that is fairly smooth yet heavy. Rick Altzi also seems like a good fit for the band as he has a similar approach and sound to Jorn. In terms of overall sound and first impressions I found myself optimistic about Novum Initium really. The thing is that despite a pretty good sound, the whole thing ended up ringing just a little hollow for me. Something is missing here and I think it's imagination. This is an acceptable Sound, but I found in the end that the song experience blended together and I didn't find myself particularly latching onto the material. It's like the band knew what made the first couple albums good, but they tried so hard to replicate it that they made an album of B grade mimics of what came before. Something's off here and I'm pretty sure what's missing can be chalked up to a really safe album that lacks creativity. Certainly, this could have been worse and the band weathers the storm of member shifts, but the experience viewed as a whole just underwhelmed me.

I guess the verdict on this has to be the band manages to bring the Masterplan sound back together, but there is nothing here that brings anything new or adventurous to the table. I can sort of understand why the band tried to be safe with a new singer and the band on shaky ground, but this is just too safe to be interesting. Novum Initium is just too cookie cutter to be exciting or all that memorable. I have to give this a mediocre rating because really because it's all flash and no substance. A smooth, well produced melodic power metal sound is nice and all, but you have to have more original songs and creative flare to back it up. This just doesn't. This reminds me a bit of a cover band of the Masterplan who put together the first couple of albums and my patience is running a bit thin with the band.

Highlights: Black Knight Of Magic, The Game

Rating - 2.5/5

Timo Tolkki's Avalon - The Land Of New Hope

Symphonic/Melodic Power Metal
Frontiers

2013

1. Avalanche Anthem
2. A World Without Us
3. Enshrined In Memory
4. In The Name Of The Rose
5. We Will Find A Way
6. Shine
7. The Magic Of The Night
8. To The Edge Of The World
9. I'll Sing You Home
10. The Land Of New Hope

I'm not really sure how much I expected going into a new Timo Tolkki project. There was a time when I probably would've been excited by the prospect, but that was before Tolkki kinda went off the deep end and there was all the Stratovarius drama. Not to mention nothing he has done since Stratovarius has been very noteworthy, while that band has continued on to make some good albums. Still, there was a time when I really enjoyed his neoclassical style and songwriting so I felt the need to take a look into this. The vocal power he's enlisted in Rob Rock, Elize Ryd, Sharon Den Adel, Tony Kakko, Russel Allen, and Michael Kiske is also intriguing.

I have to say this is much better than I was willing to hope it would be. The Land Of New Hope is exactly what Timo Tolkki can do well in that it's focused on good melodies and in kind of a happy power metal style. There is some backing symphonics, but it's really the melodic guitar and good vocal performances that make this album. This just sounds like a good ensemble of musicians that complement each other well and it makes me want to sing along. All in all, I think this kind of metal opera project suits Tolkki and is a very worthy comeback by him. I would not mind at all him continuing in this vein and it is nice to hear something I like from the man again. Back around Visions through Infinite particularly I really did enjoy this man's songs and maybe now I can again. I think this is the kind of album that could be pretty satisfying to Stratovarius fans of old as it does show a lot of the trademarks that made his better albums with the band memorable. This isn't the showiest thing in the world in terms of neoclassical shredding and the like, but I do hear a lot of the catchiness of Stratovarius. As far as the vocals go, I do find Elize Ryd steals the show and her powerful female vocals suit this kind of catchy, light-ish power metal beautifully. Rob Rock also turns in a very worthy performance though and I like the vocal variety here.

I wouldn't have predicted it, but I'd say this album is actually more solid than the last release by Stratovarius. I think if you take anything away from this review though, it should be that there is room for both to succeed. The best case scenario from a band split is you get two good products out of it and that seems to be what's happening now. This is one album, and I'm not quite ready to call it yet, but this is an extremely promising restart for Timo Tolkki. A nice debut from an old favorite.

Highlights: Enshrined In Memory, Shine, We Will Find A Way, The Magic Of The Night

Rating - 4.0/5

Amorphis - Circle

Gothic/Melodic/Folk Metal
Nuclear Blast

2013

1. Shades Of Gray
2. Mission
3. The Wanderer
4. Narrow Path
5. Hopeless Days
6. Nightbird's Song
7. Into The Abyss
8. Enchanted By The Moon
9. A New Day

Going into this new Amorphis album I was fully expecting good things, but wondered if I'd be getting great ones. To this point, since the vocalist change to Tomi Joutsen, everything has been at least good and that is not a small accomplishment. Losing a vocalist and recovering is always a challenge and the band has done a good job in moving forward. Credit where credit is due. That being said, I did not like The Beginning Of Times as much as Skyforger and it hasn't really stuck with me. I guess it just didn't have those big highlights like Skyforger or Eclipse that made me want to go back again and again. That being said, Silent Waters was similar so the band has alternated between good and great albums since the change.

Well, after listening to Circle I'd say this falls just a little short of what the band is capable of again. Maybe things have just gotten a bit static and predictable for a band who basically based their identity on being shapeshifting. What Circle brings to the table is a somewhat familiar formula at this point of melodic, gothic music and deep vocals mixed with earlier death metal vocals and influences. The songs are competent, flowing, and enjoyable, but don't really break the established molds to stand out strongly on their own. I don't want this review to come across as all negative because the band sounds good and there's never a time I don't like this album. I just feel like the songs could be a bit more adventurous and like this is lacking those songs that Really grab your attention with something unique.

The best tracks of this album comes when the folk influence the band has incorporated at times takes center stage. Narrow Path and Mission are good examples of this and they do have nice energy and melodies. Even these are relatively predictable though and blend together just a little too much. Certainly, the folk melodies they bring in are nothing new to metal. Basically, this album just lacks a Two Moons, House of Sleep, Silver Bride, Sky Is Mine, or even a Silent Waters to get me really excited.

Overall, I like this and the band does well with their sound. I'm looking for the next level though and Circle doesn't quite give it to me. This is just a little too safe to get me really excited and put this in the running among the top albums of the year.

Highlights: Narrow Path, Mission, The Wanderer

Rating - 3.5/5

Circle II Circle - Seasons Will Fall

Power/Prog
earMUSIC

2013

1. Diamond Blade
2. Without A Sound
3. Killing Death
4. Epiphany
5. End Of Emotion
6. Dreams That Never Die
7. Seasons Will Fall
8. Never Gonna Stop
9. Isolation
10. Sweet Despair
11. Downshot
12. Only Yesterday

It's been awhile since I've listened to a Circle II Circle album so you can't really count me as much of a fan. The last album I reviewed from them was Middle Of Nowhere in 2005. I remember thinking they were OK, but I was never very interested. The band just didn't have that certain extra something to me. Competent, but the songs never quite grabbed me. Really, the main draw/claim to fame this band has is Zak Stevens and I was never much of a fan of later Savatage either. This is more the sort of album I go into hoping to be pleasently surprised by than one I was expecting a lot of.

Listening to Seasons Will Fall, nothing really surprised me much. This sounds like melodic rock with a bit more heaviness and the song structures are pretty familiar. Nothing here sounds bad and the band's sound isn't bad, but there's not a lot to distinguish Circle II Circle from the pack of bands who draw on melodic rock/AOR influences. I can't help but also think the vocals are a bit overly melodramatic as Zak Stevens trys to pump more feeling into the songs than they actually have/warrant. That really about sums up this album and band for me. Melodic and easy to listen to (maybe a little too easy/unchallenging) with a pretty good, but sometimes flamboyant vocal presence.

Seasons Will Fall feels like the sort of album I could listen to and not feel like I have to turn it off, but it's also the sort of album I couldn't see myself choosing out of all the metal out there. Not exactly a rave review, but basically they don't suck. This might be worth it for fans of melodic rock/metal and probably worth it for Zak Stevens fans, but in the grand scheme? Barely a blip on the metal radar for me. My opinion of Circle II circle remains more or less unchanged.

Highlights: End Of Emotion, Epiphany

Rating - 2.5/5

Unisonic - Unisonic

Melodic Metal/Rock
earMUSIC

2012

1. Unisonic
2. Souls Alive
3. Never Too Late
4. I've Tried
5. Star Rider
6. Never Changed Me
7. Renegade
8. My Sanctuary
9. King For A Day
10. We Rise
11. No One Ever Sees Me

Unisonic make for an interesting event in the metal world I must say. I mean you have to at least take notice when two people like Michael Kiske and Kai Hansen of Helloween fan reunite in a new band. It's something a lot of fans of Helloween have wished for for some time. Granted I've never been as huge a fan of Kiske Helloween as some, but I did enjoy some of their material together and this was at least worth a shot.

Well after listening to this, the best one word to describe this debut from Unisonic is anticlimactic. The sort of gimmick of these two back together aside, this is a pretty plain release with no real substance. Unisonic is not even close to the sort of material old Helloween fans would love to hear these two doing again so don't get your hopes up on that one.

Unisonic's debut is basically made up of the kind of run of the mill melodic rock that Kiske seems to favor these days. I don't even really get why Hansen would want to divide his time with this other than maybe nostalgia in working with Kiske again. I mean, I'm not opposed to doing something different, but Gamma Ray (or classic Helloween) is far superior to what can be found on this release. The material here tends to be melodic to a fault and lacks any real punch or heaviness. The closest it usually comes to picking up the pace is not really at all in metal fashion. For more upbeat songs you get stuff like Never Too Late and Never Change Me which are more like bouncy rock and grate on my nerves. Not at all the sort of material I enjoy and entirely lacking in heaviness. There is a slight hint of edge to the first two tracks, Unisonic and Souls Alive, but even these are relative lightweights.

Basically, The songs on this album conjure up comparisons to the project Allen/Lande's more mediocre melodic tracks, bouncy pop rock, or Helloween after they started to drift from power metal on albums like Pink Bubbles Go Ape and Chameleon. You know... the kind of stuff that nearly did the band in before Michael Kiske left. Seriously, try doing a side by side with some songs from those albums and this one. This kinda reminds me of what Helloween could have become if Andy Deris didn't step in and save the band from the brink.

The overall impression I got from this release was boredom punctuated by moments of annoyance. Kinda like having a fitful sleep. I really could not get into any of the material here. I could compare this stylistically to Axel Rudi Pell, Allen/Lande, etc but it's sort of a disservice to those bands in terms of quality. Those bands bring an epic flair, heaviness, and power that this album just doesn't possess. I wouldn't really recommend this to anyone but the most diehard Kiske fans. Unisonic's debut is bound to be a mere trivial footnote in Kiske and Hansen's careers. Did the metal world really need more Kiske material that conjures up material of Helloween's darkest days? I'm of a mind to say no to that one.

Highlights: Souls Alive

Rating - 1.0/5

Lullacry - Where Angels Fear

Melodic/Gothic Metal
EMI

2012

1. Antidote To You
2. Still An Angel
3. Thousand Suns
4. Feel My Revenge
5. Bad Blood
6. All Behind
7. Gone Are The Days
8. I Am
9. Broken (Into Pieces)
10. Where Angels Fear
11. Stay
12. Love & War

Where Angels Fear is a fairly anticipated album for me as it has been awhile since I had a new Lullacry fix. Not since 2005's Vol. 4 has the world heard some new Lullacry and that album did leave me wanting more. This band just brings good energy and plenty of catchy songs to latch onto. Their simple and catchy approach just works very well for them basically.

Well, nothing has changed here and that is just fine. This is probably the first album to meet my expectations this year and it's actually refreshing to hear a band just charging out with their signature sound and making it work again for them. Experimentation and expanding one's sound has it's place certainly, but with a band like Lullacry I just want them to rock and they deliver. Everything sounds like it should without sounding rehashed and that is just fine by me. All the songs have great energy, an almost pop-punk catchiness that totally works, and a sort of gothic atmosphere that adds a bit of substance and feeling along the way. This has just the right blend of a frontwoman with personality, melodic hooks, upbeat energy, and slow down moments.

Lullacry are a band who just do what they do and do it well. Nothing surprising here, but a lot of highly enjoyable music. If you liked Lullacry before then you'll dig this album too. If up tempo, energetic melodic metal with a gothic vibe sounds good to you than you should give Lullacry a shot. I doubt you'll regret it.

Highlights: Thousand Suns, Where Angels Fear, Still An Angel, Bad Blood

Rating - 4.0/5

Driver - Countdown

Melodic Metal/Rock
Bad Reputation

2012

1. Return To The Sky
2. Rising Son
3. Countdown
4. Hollywood Shooting Star
5. Thief In The Night
6. Cry Of The Wounded
7. Always On My Mind
8. Feel The Fire
9. Destiny
10. Running From The Darkness

Driver are a band who are new to me on listening to this album. I'd heard of them and meant to check them, but somehow I never got around to the first full album, Sons Of Thunder. This band is the old band of Rob Rock & Roy Z and considering I like their work in Rob Rock's solo band I figured this was worth checking out. The only thing that gave me a slight pause is reading some of the cheeseball song titles like Hollywood Shooting Star and Always On My Mind. Those are the sort of titles that give me just a little hesitation.

After listening to this one, the basic verdict is it pretty much sounds like Rob Rock. Maybe just a little bit more melodic rock/metal in tone with a bit of an 80s feel at times, but not all that out of line with what he normally does. That being said, I don't feel like this is either as powerful and heavy as his solo stuff or as intricate and attacking in the guitar as Impellitteri. This is a bit similar to his stuff with Axel Rudi Pell, but it really is a mix of his other bands that doesn't come off quite as good as any of them. Not bad for what it is, but there's no real danger of Driver stealing a lot of time from me listening to Rob Rock or Impellitteri. If you like melodic rock/metal than this is pretty decent stuff. It doesn't quite stand out from the pack though. One problem is the songs do blend together a bit. Hollywood Shooting Star is the surprise here as it has heavier guitar and is not what the song title would've had me thinking. Thief In The Night also has a catchy groove that sets it apart from the rest. In terms of a negative standout, Always On My Mind is about as cheesy of a ballad as I expected it to be.

Seeing as this one just never really establishes a particular need for this extra band, I can't rate it too highly. It's not a Bad release, but it fails to be a particularly noteworthy one. If you're big into Rob Rock than I'd give this a listen. Otherwise, this is probably not a must listen.

Highlights: Hollywood Shooting Star, Thief In The Night

Rating - 3.0/5

Delain - We Are The Others

Melodic/Alternative Metal
Roadrunner

2012

1. Mother Machine
2. Electricity
3. We Are The Others
4. Milk and Honey
5. Hit Me With Your Best Shot
6. I Want You
7. Where Is The Blood
8. Generation Me
9. Babylon
10. Are You Done With Me?
11. Get The Devil Out Of Me
12. Not Enough

New Delain is something I've been looking forward to for awhile. Ever since April Rain and seeing them at ProgPower USA I'd count myself as a fan. The first album was pretty good, but the second really put them in the 'up and comer' category for me. April Rain just had nice melodic atmosphere and singing to it along with very memorable songwriting. Reminded me a bit of Within Temptation. Similar brand of female fronted metal and brought to you by the ex-keyboardist of that band.

Now onto the new one, We Are The Others. There were some warning signs before I even listened to this that I couldn't ignore. The main one being the fact that the backing, guest vocals of Marco Hietala that appeared on the first two albums are absent and in it's place is one track with Burton C. Bell of Fear Factory. More than a slight drop off in quality there and I couldn't help but think it was probably a signal of the sound and audience they'd aim for here.

Sometimes, I hate being right. From the first listen, I had trouble latching onto this release. It still sorta sounds like the Delain of the first couple albums and they've always had a 'well produced' sound, but this one did not have anywhere near the impact April Rain had on me right away. A large part of the problem here is that the guitar has become more chuggy and I get this overall impression of radio rock. Sometimes it's a fine line and when you cross it things go south in a hurry. I'm feeling like this is the influence of being on Roadrunner records too long. I don't find this one has as much of a symphonic touch and the riffs just aren't what I want to hear.

Songs worthy of note include We Are The Others which seems to have more of that lighter, symphonic charm to it and Get The Devil Out Of Me which finds a really catchy riff that reminds me of Lullacry or later Nightwish. Also worth mentioning, in less positive fashion, are the crappy duet by the name of Where Is The Blood and the overly poppy sounding Are You Done With Me. All in all, the lows are a lot more than the highs and many of the songs are pretty mediocre. Most of these songs just don't hold a lot of appeal to my metal ears.

Overall, this is the band hitting a low point. I can't help but wonder if this band peaked quickly with it's second album. I hope I'm wrong really, but I'm doubting it. I really like Charlotte Wessels voice and the sound they had going, but this is not my kind of metal. I wouldn't really recommend this to anyone who likely reads these things. Is it just me or are a lot of female fronted bands flopping lately?

Highlights: Get The Devil Out Of Me, We Are The Others

Rating - 2.5/5

Within Temptation - The Unforgiving

Symphonic/Gothic/Melodic
Roadrunner

2011

1. Why Not Me
2. Shot In The Dark
3. In The Middle Of The Night
4. Faster
5. Fire And Ice
6. Iron
7. Where Is The Edge?
8. Sinéad
9. Lost
10. Murder
11. A Demon's Fate
12. Stairway To The Skies

Within Temptation set a high bar for me with the last album. The Heart Of Everything really did strike all the right chords with me as it was passionate and epic... beautifully symphonic yet completely metal. Really this band has been like a fine wine for me and has improved with age. I've always liked them, but that last album sealed the deal in a serious way as it just seemed heavier and more intense. The questions for me had to be if they could maintain this new standard they had set and where the ceiling was.

Well, I'm still not sure where the ceiling is because the arrow is still pointing upwards. The Unforgiving does not disappoint at all and the band continues to grow in sound. This is not just a rehash and once again the band finds a new sound within it's own trademark. This is the kind of thing I love to hear. Familiar in that it won't alienate fans, but not just the same old.

While The Heart Of Everything seemed to focus on being larger than life, this one takes a little different approach. There's still a big feel to this one as it is a concept album with varied moods, but at the same time this seems smoother and more geared at being catchy. I might add that this album absolutely succeeds at it. The choruses are addictive, the rhythms are energetic, and the hooks grab you. Really, I think the songwriting and production of this album are completely top notch. The nuances are great as well. A prime example would be the perfectly placed acoustic solo section in Lost that brings a lot of feeling to the tune and just gives it that extra something to push the song over the edge. Also worth noting is the great feeling some of these songs bring to the table and I have to point to a song like Murder for atmosphere. That song's creeping nature is positively dark and I love it.

Some of the songs surprised me a bit by being more upbeat than I'm accustomed to as well. An example of that would be In The Middle Of The Night which just moves along with a pace I'm not familiar with from this band. Very fast paced with some nice symphonic touches that give this a serious metal punch. I can't stress enough how gratifying it is when a band branches out to give you something new and interesting while not forgetting their own sound.

In conclusion, this a new high for Within Temptation who really set quite a high standard with The Heart Of Everything. In a way this album feels slightly more commercialized with more single ready tracks, but the songs work and the band does not lose who they are. This album kinda reminds me of Lacuna Coil's Comalies in a way. Not so much in sound as much as the point of the band's career. Great ideas and songs stepped up with smooth production that benefits this kind of a band. Let's just hope they keep remembering who they are and where they came from better than Lacuna Coil. I may be a bit of a Lacuna Coil apologist and still like their music, but I wouldn't deny they've strayed and were better in the past. Remember your fans Within Temptation... and they will keep loving you.

Highlights - In The Middle Of The Night, Shot In The Dark, Faster, Murder, Lost

Rating - 4.5/5

Evergrey - Glorious Collision

Melodic/Dark Metal
Steamhammer/SPV

2011

1. Leave It Behind Us
2. You
3. Wrong
4. Frozen
5. Restoring The Loss
6. To Fit The Mold
7. Out Of Reach
8. The Phantom Letters
9. The Disease
10. It Comes From Within
11. Free
12. I'm Drowning Alone
13. ... And The Distance

Evergrey are a band who I really like when they're on top of their game, but not a band which I have liked every album. I guess the word for this band in my book is 'potential'. Every album brings the possibility of something great. The last album, Torn, I enjoyed a great deal so I was hopeful for this one going in.

One thing about Evergrey is they're sort of difficult to classify in terms of genres. I've seen the term 'dark metal' tossed around which I think is a decent, if a little vague classification. Certainly, this band does have a sort of dark melancholy feel to them... especially so in more recent times. In times gone past I would've called this band progressive, but now they more focus on a strong melodic sense and hooks than much of anything progressive. Not a bad thing in my book.

In comparison to Torn this one is similar, but maybe a little more melodic and a little less heavy. I wouldn't call this one light, but the flowing melodies do seem more important to the songs than driving riffs. This doesn't really bother me as I find their moody atmosphere and the emotion of Tom Englund to be the main selling points of the band anyways. This band is just great at creating this sort of dark & depressing atmosphere while staying in a melodic metal vein and not a gothic metal one.

To sum this one up, if you like the direction Evergrey has headed in the years towards a melodic and somewhat somber band than this should be to your liking. Another solid release from Evergrey and I think fans will be pleased with it so long as you're not looking for anything particularly progressive. Personally, this is pretty much what I wanted from Evergrey.

Highlights: Wrong, Restoring The Loss, The Disease, ...And The Distance

Rating - 4.0/5

Amorphis - The Beginning Of Times

Gothic/Melodic Metal
Nuclear Blast
2011

1. Battle For Light
2. Mermaid
3. My Enemy
4. You I Need
5. Song Of The Sage
6. Three Words
7. Reformation
8. Soothsayer
9. On A Stranded Shore
10. Escape
11. Crack In A Stone
12. Beginning Of Time

Amorphis has been a pretty solid run for me for awhile now. Looking back, it's funny to think I was very worried about a new singer in Amorphis. While Pasia Koskinen remains my favorite vocalist of Amorphis and likely will always be so, Tomi Joutsen has done an admirable job. All of the 3 albums to this point with him on vocals have been very enjoyable, so I had no reason going into to expect this to be any less.

Well, for some reason this one just didn't hit it home on listening to it. Don't get me wrong, The Beginning Of Times, is a good album and the rating will reflect that. For some reason though this album just doesn't seem as memorable. I largely blame the fact the songs seem to be more oriented towards story telling and less at melodic, catchy tunes that build to great choruses. Simply put, this album seems to try too hard.

That being said, this is a pretty good overall experience. The music has some good, subtle melodies. Overall the guitar is good, the sound is solid, and the vocals aren't bad. The biggest strike though is the lack of big choruses and Tomi cutting loose with power. Overall, he actually seems pretty subdued here and blends into the music more than leads it.

I guess you could say I consider this a pretty listenable album, but not the sort that will end up as a highlight of 2011. It falls a bit short. I don't doubt that Amorphis fans will find some good stuff here though.

Highlights: You I Need, Song Of The Sage, Mermaid

Rating - 3.5/5

Royal Hunt - X

Progressive/Melodic Metal
Frontiers
2010

1. Episode X (Arrival)
2. End Of The Line
3. King For A Day
4. The Well
5. Army Of Slaves
6. Shadowman
7. Back To Square One
8. Blood Red Stars
9. The Last Leaf
10. Falling Down
11. Epidose X (Departure)

Royal Hunt's last album, Paradox II: Collision Course, is one of those albums I'd probably rate higher in retrospect. The thing with reviews is you can only have so much time with the albums before you want to write a review and get it out. Then there is that 'growth' factor which can take awhile. The bottom line though is that I loved the last album, even if it took a bit for Mark Boals to fully click with me in particular.

With this album the band had stated they wanted to draw on some of their roots/classic rock influences, etc and I can hear a lot of that in the finished product indeed. I think the combination of being on Frontiers (which is in large part known for it's melodic rock/metal), having Mark Boals in the fold, and this conscience effort to draw on older rock influences all led the band in the same sort of direction. You can still hear Royal Hunt's sort of touch to the music, but in large part this one feels much more like a melodic rock/metal album than the epic progressive album that Paradox II was. I find X a pretty good listen, but it does lack that extra something in both creativity and power that the last one had and that's a little bit of a let down for me. This seems to focus more on smooth melodies than ever really kicking ass or even grand atmospheres. That being said there are some catchy groove riffs, like in the song Army Of Slaves, which I dig. Really the all out melodic rock songs have some solid hooks at times, even if they're not exactly what I came into this looking for.

The bottom line would be that this just isn't as grand and epic of an experience as Paradox II was, but it is none the less not a bad album. Just not as classic as the previous. I'm sure this is still worth picking up for Royal Hunt fans.

Highlights: Army Of Slaves, Back To Square One, End Of The Line

Rating - 3.5/5

Masterplan - Time To Be King

Melodic Power Metal
AFM

2010

1. Fiddle Of Time
2. Blow Your Winds
3. Far From The End Of The World
4. Time To Be King
5. Lonely Winds of War
6. The Dark Road
7. The Sun Is In Your Hands
8. The Black One
9. Blue Europa
10. Under The Moon

Masterplan are one of those bands who I enjoyed for a couple albums, but then the frequent killer of bands happened... a vocalist change. This was actually unexpected as I really like the replacement they chose, Mike DiMeo, as vocalist, but something just didn't seem to click when he tried to sing for this band. Something just didn't seem to sync and the chemistry/sound of the band suffered. Basically, the magic of the first two wasn't there.

That being said this album brought the new encouragement of Masterplan putting the last album behind them and getting back together with Jorn Lande. Certainly, this was an encouraging prospect. That being said one did have to wonder on some level if the last album sunk because of the vocals or because the band was just loosing steam. Hard to say until you hear the band back in their original form.

Fans can rest assured that this album does sound much more like the band we know and love. The sound is definitely back in form and Masterplan comes up with a pretty solid release here. Of their other two albums with Jorn, this one probably sounds more like the first release than the second as the guitar is more prevalent and heavy. The music is still melodic and flowing with Jorn being a big factor in that, but the album is not as subdued or AOR sounding as Aeronautics. Personally, I'm a big fan of Aeronautics and the gripping melodies it presented, but I also like the debut so this is not a big deal.

The thing with this album for me is that it doesn't have as many big stand out tracks as either album. Neither the heaviness and uniqueness of tracks like Soulburn or the catchy melodies of Enlighten Me present themselves here in as big of a way. Time To Be King sounds like Masterplan, but maybe not quite as strong as either of the other two albums. Certainly, there's nothing here I didn't enjoy and I find this an overall enjoyable listen, but the other two have to be presented as a bit of perspective. This one seems just a wee bit more typical power metal I guess. I would still say that fans will find much to like here... especially after the last album kinda broke the formula and sank. I'm certainly satisfied and consider this one a move in the right direction.

Highlights: Fiddle Of Time, Time To Be King, Lonely Winds of War, The Dark Road

Rating - 3.5/5

Praying Mantis - Sanctuary

NWOBHM/Melodic Metal/Rock
Frontiers

2009

1. In Time
2. Restless Heart
3. Tears In The Rain
4. So High
5. Lonely Way Home
6. Touch The Rainbow
7. Threshold Of A Dream
8. Playing God
9. Highway
10. Sanctuary

Praying Mantis are one of those bands that I've heard of in the past, but never really checked out. As this is my first experience with the band, all I really had to draw on was the Iron Maiden connections. In the past I had heard of various early Maiden members being in and out of this NWOBHM band.

Well I wouldn't go into this one expecting too much in terms of heaviness. This is by no means a purely metal album and is sort of reaching in terms of what I normally review. I have done some vaguely outside metal ones in the past though and this has enough metal in it and connection to the genre. A friend described this band to me as sort of a lighter weight Incubus and I can definitely hear that. There is a very melodic approach to these songs and they are more about creating smooth atmospheres than rocking out. This review seems a bit light on detail as I write it, but basically I think melodic rock covers this album's sound and you've probably heard something like it. Certainly this is not the most original sound in the world, but this band has been around awhile and the songs stand up on their own. Think of something along the lines of lighter Y&T maybe.

Basically if you like catchy melodic songwriting that crosses over between metal and rock than this might be an album for you. I review this one because I really do think it has some good songs and is worth the promotion.

Highlights: In Time, So High, Threshold Of A Dream

Rating - 3.5/5

Delain - April Rain

Symphonic/Melodic Metal
Roadrunner

2009

1. April Rain
2. Stay Forever
3. Invidia
4. Control The Storm
5. On The Other Side
6. Virtue And Vice
7. Go Away
8. Start Swimming
9. Lost
10. I'll Reach You
11. Nothing Left

This is one that's been out for a little while now, but I thought it deserved a review upon listening to it. I recently checked out this band's new album since I saw they were on next year's ProgPower festival, which I will be attending. This is Delain's second release.

April Rain opens with the title track which is a great start as it shifts between melodic vocal passages and heavier guitar that adds a bit of bottom heavy muscle to the mix. A definite highlight and a great lead off single. The sound of this band could best be described as the sort of 'semi-gothic', but more atmospheric and symphonic style that seems to be popular with female fronted bands right now. The combination of polished heavy riffs, a melodic female singer, and symphonic undertones is pretty familiar, but the songs themselves are good and that is enough. Other standouts include Stay Forever which follows a similar style and Control The Storm which is boosted by some good guest vocals from Marco Hietala of Tarot and Nightwish fame. Some death vocals also show up on Virtue and Vice, but these are pretty minimal on the album.

April Rain is by no means anything to reinvent the wheel as this is a familiar style and approach, but it's a good listen for those into this sort of style. I am reminded particularly of Within Temptation and that is not such a bad thing. A worthy release that's a good listen from start to finish.

Highlights: April Rain, Control The Storm, Stay Forever

Rating - 3.5/5

Amorphis - Skyforger

Gothic/Melodic Metal
Nuclear Blast

2009

1. Sampo
2. Silver Bride
3. From the Heaven of My Heart
4. Sky is Mine
5. Majestic Beast
6. My Sun
7. Highest Star
8. Skyforger
9. Course of Fate
10. From Earth I Rose

Skyforger marks the third album from Amorphis since the vocalist swap to Tomi Joutsen and the stylistic shift the band has taken. Of course, stylistic changes are not a new thing to Amorphis and their name has suited them. The band has seemed to have settled into something of a more gothic vein since the vocalist change however.

Skyforger picks up in very much this vein, but reminds me more of Eclipse than Silent Waters. The death vocals have very much taken a backseat again where as they seemed more dominant on Silent Waters. There are moments and some songs have more growls than others, but really the band seems to be leaning far more on smooth gothic atmospheres and powerful emotive vocal deliveries than aggression. This is ok with me as the album has a lot of great melodies and the finnish folk touch they have become known for. Really I don't have too much to complain about regarding this album. Maybe this isn't as creative as Amorphis at their experimental peak of Tounela and Am Universum, but there is some pretty memorable songwriting, especially early on in the album. I do notice this album seems to have packed it's most memorable, single worthy songs at the front of the album as labels tend to push for. Hook them early is the idea. I don't sense any weak tracks, but if all the songs were as incredibly powerful as tunes like Silver Bride and Sky Is Mine then you'd see a higher rating. Silver Bride in particular is a song of the year candidate as it's heavy, energetic, and has some awesome vocal deliveries.

Overall, this is another strong effort from Amorphis. I think some people were ready to count them out when Pasi left the band, but they really have been able to find a rhythm with Tomi. As usual, I look forward to more from this band in the future. I would recommend this album to fans of smooth, flowing gothic metal. Finland as a country does seem to excel in this area.

Highlights: Silver Bride, Sky Is Mine, Sampo, From The Heaven Of My Heart

Rating - 4.0/5

Ride The Sky - New Protection

Melodic Power Metal
Nuclear Blast

2007

1. New Protection
2. A Smile From Heaven's Eye
3. Silent War
4. The Prince Of Darkness
5. Break The Chain
6. Corroded Dreams
7. The End Of Days
8. Far Beyond The Stars
9. Black Cloud
10. Endless
11. Heaven Only Knows
12. A Crack In The Wall

Well what a surprise... another new Uli Kusch band in the melodic, emotive & catchy sort of power metal style. This is becoming a little redundant with Masterplan and Beautiful Sin still out there, even if Uli is no longer a part of Masterplan. Well none the less, here is their debut so I'll give it a shot.

The bottom line here is as predictable as I'd figured it would be really. This band could've easily been called Masterplan 2 or maybe Plan B. Bjorn Jansson (also of Beyond Twilight) sounds very much like Jorn Lande and the music seems similarly structured to Masterplan with an emphasis on over the top emotive vocal delivery and short and catchy songs full of hard rock/AOR inspired hooks. There really is nothing much new here but comparisons and similarity gripes aside the music is catchy and enjoyable.

All I can really say is that if you liked Masterplan with Jorn and what Uli's style has been lately with everything he's been involved with than you'll probably like this too. You just won't likely be wowed by it as it has essentially been stylistically done before. It's a good sound with cool songs so I can't complain too much. I just kind of wish Masterplan had stuck together and we just had one version of this band making good music. There's a slight air of ridiculousness about all these projects at this point.

Highlights: New Protection, Far Beyond The Stars

Rating - 3.0/5

Pink Cream 69 - In10sity

Melodic Power/Rock
Frontiers

2007

1. Children Of The Dawn
2. No Way Out
3. Crossfire
4. I'm Not Afraid
5. A New Religion
6. The Hour Of Freedom
7. Stop This Madness
8. Desert Land
9. Out Of This World
10. It's Just A State Of Mind
11. Wanna Hear You Rock
12. My Darkest Hour
13. Last Train To Nowhere

Pink Cream 69 are veterans in the scene, but honestly not a band that I've paid much attention to. For some reason I just never really gave them the time of day... perhaps the name has something to do with it.

Well what we have here is a sound that's fairly familiar... especially to Frontiers. Basically, it's power metal fused with hard rock elements and a slick production and tendency toward writing catchy anthems that brings to mind 80s glam at times. Seems to be a common formula, but if you're looking for a straight out catchy rocker than you could certainly do worse than this album. The songs are constructed simply but well, the musicianship is solid, and the vocals are a pretty talented in that familiar coverdale-esque vein. Throughout listening to this I was reminded of fellow slick power metal rockers like Masterplan and At Vance.

If you like this sort of style than this stacks up pretty well with similar albums. Nothing that will turn a lot of heads or go down as a classic, but pretty good simple, catchy metal. To Pink Cream 69's credit they have been doing this sort of sound for longer than most so I wouldn't count them among the many clones of the style. I'm not sure I'd call any of the songs on here brainfood at any rate, but they don't necessarily need to be.

Highlights: No Way Out, Children Of The Dawn

Rating - 3.0/5