Insomnium - Winter's Gate
For years, Insomnium has been a band for me to explore further, but it hasn't happened until the release of their seventh studio album, Winter's Gate. A concept album with just one song in 7 parts and 40 minutes. This is a masterpiece of melodic death metal. I have no complain, it's one amazing song with powerful riffs, amazing melodies, full of hooks, variations, tempo changes and all very well produced with a dynamic range of 7 and a great mix. A serious candidate to album of the year.
Testament - Brotherhood Of The Snake
This is the 11th album by the thrash legends from the bay area. After the successful start in the 80's with 2 classic thrash master pieces The New Order (1988) and Practice What You Preach (1989), the band went through some ups and downs in the 90's but finished with another masterpiece The Gathering (1999) in which Testament added some Death Metal elements to their classic thrash roots. Due to a series of health issues and line up changes the band went into a hiatus that finished in 2008 with the release of The Formation of Damnation. A highly successful album and Dark Roots of Earth (2012) was no different. Therefore Brotherhood Of The Snake is received with high expectations. Especially when we learned that bass master Steve Digiorgio was returning to join drummer Gene Hoglan, meaning, Testament has again an all-star line up. The musical skills of this group did not compromise heaviness and speed. Actually, clocking at 46 min and featuring 10 tracks, the album is very direct and in your face thrash.
The title track opens the album and right out of the gate shows that Testament 2016 follows the path of the previous albums. Powerful thrash riffs with death metal singing elements, lots of hooks and melodies and great guitar solos. The 2nd track and video single "The Pale King" keeps up the tempo and quality of the title track. "Seven Seals" is a bit slower tempo with a modern metal feel to it and a nice groove. "Centuries Of Suffering" is fast and furious, the heaviest and shortest track of the album. "Neptune’s Spear" features some of the album’s best riffs, what a classic! The album rolls nicely and there are no “bad” songs, but closer “The Number Game” is a missed opportunity to try something different and more memorable. In 2016, Megadeth, Anthrax, Destruction, Death Angel, Sodom and, now also Testament are still around and making good thrash metal 30 years after the birth of genre. Given that Metallica is expected to release their best album since the Black Album in November, 2016 is going down as one of thrash's greatest years. And Brotherhood Of The Snake one of the top albums of the year and likely the thrash album of 2016.
Meshuggah - The Violent Sleep of Reason
This is Meshuggah as we came to love with slightly additions of new elements, but mostly sounding very much like the last couple of albums. With that said, the deepness and heaviness are just mesmerizing and addictive. I couldn't stop listening to it for days. No surprises to anyone that all musicians are superb and obviously amazing drumming by Mr. Tomas Haake. But still I was very impressed by the guitar solos, take "Nonstrum" and "Born In Dissonance" solos for example. The Violent Sleep of Reason is a lesson of extreme progressive metal and pure art.
Neurosis - Fires Within Fires
Despite the fact that this is the 11th studio album by the post-metal american band Neurosis, I haven't yet invested the time to listen to their back catalog. However, my positive experience with 2016's Fires Within Fires is about to change that. This album features only 5 songs in 40 min which means no bad songs, no fillers. Despite the long songs, they grab your attention and time flies when you immerse yourself into them. This is a album best enjoyed with headphone and quality medium. There are several subtle noises and melodies going on throughout the record showing Neurosis' influences from dark ambient and industrial music. The album also balances very well soft passages with heavy doom riffs and singing. So it's not surprise to conclude that with a DR of 8, this is one of the highest range I've heard this year. I can't comment how this record stands when facing their previous releases, but within 2016, Fires Within Fires is a top album.
Dream The Electric Sleep - Beneath The Dark Wide Sky
This one came as a big surprise to me. My friend Michael gave me the tip to check those guys out and he was right. While clearly influenced by Pink Floyd and Rush with some pop touches from the likes of U2 and MUSE; Dream The Electric Sleep excels at composing music that is novel, exploring new territories while somehow also evoking familiarity. Most likely my Progressive Rock album of the year.
Khemmis - Hunted
Metallica - Hardwired…to Self-Destruct
Darkthrone - Arctic Thunder
This is another classic band that I haven't had the time to explore fully. So I came to their 16th album with no "baggage" and to me sounds f* amazing. As far as I understood, The album marks a return to the band's familiar black metal style, and probably that's why I liked so much. Great riffs, up tempo, catchy and well written. I actually don't know why the reviews were not that good. The album is 40 min and 8 songs, like the classic 80's albums. There are only a couple of tracks that are a bit slower and less memorable: "Inbred Vermin" and "Throw Me Through the Marshes". For the rest, I really dig it.
Dark Tranquility - Atoma
Atoma, the 11th album and follow-up of the very good 2013's Construct has surpassed all of my expectations. DT is one of the longest-standing bands from the original Gothenburg metal scene. They crated a distinctive take on the melodic death metal by incorporating a bit of Gothic sound into their music. Despite being only 50 min long, Atoma features 12 songs which is a bit too much. Therefore, we find some low points, but overall the high points make it a very strong album. I like how they balance some keyboard riffs like in "Encircled" and "Atoma" with thick guitar riffs like in "Forward Momentum" and "The Pitiless". Additionally the subtle electronic samples give a special flavor to the overall experience. But most noticeably and well executed is the variation between heavy melodic death metal parts with slower melodic parts. And while still using clen vocals as a tool in their arsenal of musical tricks, Mikael Stanne doesn't abuse of it and the vast majority of vocal lines are with the death metal growl. Atoma is wake-up call to those who were loosing their faith on melo-death metal.
For years, Insomnium has been a band for me to explore further, but it hasn't happened until the release of their seventh studio album, Winter's Gate. A concept album with just one song in 7 parts and 40 minutes. This is a masterpiece of melodic death metal. I have no complain, it's one amazing song with powerful riffs, amazing melodies, full of hooks, variations, tempo changes and all very well produced with a dynamic range of 7 and a great mix. A serious candidate to album of the year.
Testament - Brotherhood Of The Snake
This is the 11th album by the thrash legends from the bay area. After the successful start in the 80's with 2 classic thrash master pieces The New Order (1988) and Practice What You Preach (1989), the band went through some ups and downs in the 90's but finished with another masterpiece The Gathering (1999) in which Testament added some Death Metal elements to their classic thrash roots. Due to a series of health issues and line up changes the band went into a hiatus that finished in 2008 with the release of The Formation of Damnation. A highly successful album and Dark Roots of Earth (2012) was no different. Therefore Brotherhood Of The Snake is received with high expectations. Especially when we learned that bass master Steve Digiorgio was returning to join drummer Gene Hoglan, meaning, Testament has again an all-star line up. The musical skills of this group did not compromise heaviness and speed. Actually, clocking at 46 min and featuring 10 tracks, the album is very direct and in your face thrash.
The title track opens the album and right out of the gate shows that Testament 2016 follows the path of the previous albums. Powerful thrash riffs with death metal singing elements, lots of hooks and melodies and great guitar solos. The 2nd track and video single "The Pale King" keeps up the tempo and quality of the title track. "Seven Seals" is a bit slower tempo with a modern metal feel to it and a nice groove. "Centuries Of Suffering" is fast and furious, the heaviest and shortest track of the album. "Neptune’s Spear" features some of the album’s best riffs, what a classic! The album rolls nicely and there are no “bad” songs, but closer “The Number Game” is a missed opportunity to try something different and more memorable. In 2016, Megadeth, Anthrax, Destruction, Death Angel, Sodom and, now also Testament are still around and making good thrash metal 30 years after the birth of genre. Given that Metallica is expected to release their best album since the Black Album in November, 2016 is going down as one of thrash's greatest years. And Brotherhood Of The Snake one of the top albums of the year and likely the thrash album of 2016.
Meshuggah - The Violent Sleep of Reason
This is Meshuggah as we came to love with slightly additions of new elements, but mostly sounding very much like the last couple of albums. With that said, the deepness and heaviness are just mesmerizing and addictive. I couldn't stop listening to it for days. No surprises to anyone that all musicians are superb and obviously amazing drumming by Mr. Tomas Haake. But still I was very impressed by the guitar solos, take "Nonstrum" and "Born In Dissonance" solos for example. The Violent Sleep of Reason is a lesson of extreme progressive metal and pure art.
Neurosis - Fires Within Fires
Despite the fact that this is the 11th studio album by the post-metal american band Neurosis, I haven't yet invested the time to listen to their back catalog. However, my positive experience with 2016's Fires Within Fires is about to change that. This album features only 5 songs in 40 min which means no bad songs, no fillers. Despite the long songs, they grab your attention and time flies when you immerse yourself into them. This is a album best enjoyed with headphone and quality medium. There are several subtle noises and melodies going on throughout the record showing Neurosis' influences from dark ambient and industrial music. The album also balances very well soft passages with heavy doom riffs and singing. So it's not surprise to conclude that with a DR of 8, this is one of the highest range I've heard this year. I can't comment how this record stands when facing their previous releases, but within 2016, Fires Within Fires is a top album.
Dream The Electric Sleep - Beneath The Dark Wide Sky
This one came as a big surprise to me. My friend Michael gave me the tip to check those guys out and he was right. While clearly influenced by Pink Floyd and Rush with some pop touches from the likes of U2 and MUSE; Dream The Electric Sleep excels at composing music that is novel, exploring new territories while somehow also evoking familiarity. Most likely my Progressive Rock album of the year.
Khemmis - Hunted
Just last year, the Denver-based quartet of Khemmis released their debut Absolution. Less than 2 years later, 2016 brings us Hunted. A new masterpiece with only 5 tracks averaging 7:30 min each, except for the title track, an epic 13-min journey. "Above the Water" is the opener and my favorite track. After a slow intro, it dives into a heavy Sabbath-like riff. The clean and melodic vocals deliver a very cool verse and what I love about it is the guitar riff duo pretty much Maiden style."Candlelight" has a very straightforward start with a thick slow guitar riff and diving into a melodic clean singing verse, on the same lines as the previous track. But there's a curve ball, at mid point the song gets very slow and a funeral doom vocal sings over a guitar solo. This singing feels a bit out of place to me, but the instrumental is nice. The dominant clean vocals come back with an epic verse to bring the song to an end with a guitar solo."Three Gates" balances the growling and clean vocals very well, performing nice epic melodies. Again the guitars sound thick and heavy. "Beyond the Door" highlight are the guitar melodies that open the song before giving place to an up tempo guitar riff which is followed by the verse. Second time around the up tempo riff is the base for the nice guitar solos. The final minute alternates growling and clean vocals before concluding the song on an awesome riff sequence. Title and final track is pure epicness! Long instrumental transitions, tempo changes, guitar solos and once again clean melodic vocals. Here some of the catchiest vocal lines. An stellar release and probably Doom album of the year, and remember it's just their sophomore.
Metallica - Hardwired…to Self-Destruct
Metallica long-awaited 10th studio album, "Hardwired … to Self-Destruct" is finally here. It's a double CD with 12 songs in 78 minutes.
"Hardwired" was the first single and is the first track. It's a good song with a vibe from the first albums. But the the drums are too loud in the mix ( a problem thought out the record) , the guitar solo is really bad and the lyrics are over simplistic. The second song "Atlas, Rise!" was the 3rd single and so far one of my favorites. More progressive and better mixed than the first single. "Now That We're Dead" could've been in the Black Album, made me think of "Sad but True". It has an 1m30s intro with a nice groovy riff and a very good vocal melody follows. Overall the guitar work is great and it's another favorite of mine. The second single and track #4 "Mouth Into Flame" is a very good song as well. Albeit progressive, it still has the same old school vibe but more melodic, even power metal-ish at points. The double album syndrome is first present with "Dream No More" as this track drops the ball. The longest track of the album with 8:15 closes the first CD, "Halo On Fire" is a good progressive song. "Confusion" opens up CD2 in good style, it's not as thrashy as most of CD1 and drags a bit. "Manunkind" and "Here Comes Revenge" are bluesy and almost Sabbath, great riffs and grooves, specially the latter. "Am I Savage?" is expendable. "Murder One" is the ode to Lemmy while not a bad song, it doesn't offer anything new. Don't we love when the album closer is something special? After about 30 min of more progressive mid-tempo songs, "Spit Out The Bone" brings back the thrash with full power.
I don't care for anything they have put out in the last 25 years and I am not head over hills for this album. But, Metallica's recent attempts to bring new music have been so below average that "Hardwired … to Self-Destruct" sounds really good. It's their best since ...And Justice for All. The album is full of great riffs, grooves, hooks and melodies that will make old and new fans very happy. At least 4 songs are really awesome. The production is not too bad, for one, we can hear the bass and most of the songs have a DR of 6, so not too loud. Those are all good news. But the album is too long and there are ups and downs. There are also problems with the mix (drums are so loud!), many uninspired guitar solos and a boring album cover. If they had worked harder to produce it better and made it an 8 song album, it could've been fantastic.
"Hardwired" was the first single and is the first track. It's a good song with a vibe from the first albums. But the the drums are too loud in the mix ( a problem thought out the record) , the guitar solo is really bad and the lyrics are over simplistic. The second song "Atlas, Rise!" was the 3rd single and so far one of my favorites. More progressive and better mixed than the first single. "Now That We're Dead" could've been in the Black Album, made me think of "Sad but True". It has an 1m30s intro with a nice groovy riff and a very good vocal melody follows. Overall the guitar work is great and it's another favorite of mine. The second single and track #4 "Mouth Into Flame" is a very good song as well. Albeit progressive, it still has the same old school vibe but more melodic, even power metal-ish at points. The double album syndrome is first present with "Dream No More" as this track drops the ball. The longest track of the album with 8:15 closes the first CD, "Halo On Fire" is a good progressive song. "Confusion" opens up CD2 in good style, it's not as thrashy as most of CD1 and drags a bit. "Manunkind" and "Here Comes Revenge" are bluesy and almost Sabbath, great riffs and grooves, specially the latter. "Am I Savage?" is expendable. "Murder One" is the ode to Lemmy while not a bad song, it doesn't offer anything new. Don't we love when the album closer is something special? After about 30 min of more progressive mid-tempo songs, "Spit Out The Bone" brings back the thrash with full power.
I don't care for anything they have put out in the last 25 years and I am not head over hills for this album. But, Metallica's recent attempts to bring new music have been so below average that "Hardwired … to Self-Destruct" sounds really good. It's their best since ...And Justice for All. The album is full of great riffs, grooves, hooks and melodies that will make old and new fans very happy. At least 4 songs are really awesome. The production is not too bad, for one, we can hear the bass and most of the songs have a DR of 6, so not too loud. Those are all good news. But the album is too long and there are ups and downs. There are also problems with the mix (drums are so loud!), many uninspired guitar solos and a boring album cover. If they had worked harder to produce it better and made it an 8 song album, it could've been fantastic.
Darkthrone - Arctic Thunder
This is another classic band that I haven't had the time to explore fully. So I came to their 16th album with no "baggage" and to me sounds f* amazing. As far as I understood, The album marks a return to the band's familiar black metal style, and probably that's why I liked so much. Great riffs, up tempo, catchy and well written. I actually don't know why the reviews were not that good. The album is 40 min and 8 songs, like the classic 80's albums. There are only a couple of tracks that are a bit slower and less memorable: "Inbred Vermin" and "Throw Me Through the Marshes". For the rest, I really dig it.
Dark Tranquility - Atoma
Atoma, the 11th album and follow-up of the very good 2013's Construct has surpassed all of my expectations. DT is one of the longest-standing bands from the original Gothenburg metal scene. They crated a distinctive take on the melodic death metal by incorporating a bit of Gothic sound into their music. Despite being only 50 min long, Atoma features 12 songs which is a bit too much. Therefore, we find some low points, but overall the high points make it a very strong album. I like how they balance some keyboard riffs like in "Encircled" and "Atoma" with thick guitar riffs like in "Forward Momentum" and "The Pitiless". Additionally the subtle electronic samples give a special flavor to the overall experience. But most noticeably and well executed is the variation between heavy melodic death metal parts with slower melodic parts. And while still using clen vocals as a tool in their arsenal of musical tricks, Mikael Stanne doesn't abuse of it and the vast majority of vocal lines are with the death metal growl. Atoma is wake-up call to those who were loosing their faith on melo-death metal.
