The Top 20 Best Metal Albums of 2019 by BeMetalways Editor

2019 brought us some huge comebacks such as Tool (after 13 years), Sacred Reich (after 23 years) and Candlemass with its original singer. Let's see where those landed on my list! Notably, this year we said (supposedly) goodbye to Slayer after their massive farewell tour. I caught them during the summer and it was awesome. I also saw their movie on the release day of the DVD in a movie theater, it was a unique experience. They will be missed!

As always the "listmania" tradition continues to inflate the internet and magazines around the world during the month of December. And I love them! I have compiled and aggregated 19 "best of 2019" lists posted in the last few weeks by major blogs and magazines. My conclusions were that the trend is similar from the last few years. While individual lists are very diverse, when you aggregate them the big names are winners (Tool, Slipknot, and Rammstein in 2019). Then you have the critics darlings such as Opeth and Baroness doing well. And finally the heavier, more underground and newer bands that everyone seems to include in their list. This year the chosen ones being Blood Incantation and Tomb Mold. Tool headed 4 of the 19 lists and is already part of many best of the decade lists as well. Below you can see if those bands made it to my own list.

Personally, 2019 was a very different year when it comes to how I handled, bought, listened and reviewed music. For starters, I finally gave in and fully adopted Spotify premium and that was the main driver for change. I bought much less CDs and I expect that moving forward, I will only buy CDs for some specific reasons. For example for completeness of some discographies. I did however bought still quite a few albums in vinyl. That will also go down as prices are going up, I'll be even more selective.

Another 2019 experiment that stuck was the way I managed this blog. Firstly, I created a schedule to review from 1 to 3 albums per week with 1 full review and the others as "quickies". That worked well and except for December and a week of vacations during the summer, every week a new review was posted. To cover the quickies, 4 quarterly compilations were posted covering those. In order to prioritize quality over quantity, I finally achieved my goal of reducing the number of albums that I listened in a year  to my goal of 100.

Finally, I posted other special reviews like important/best of songs, throwback reviews, best of a past year and discographies. Those are certainly kind of posts that I want to do even more in 2020. As I said, I expect that reducing buying physical copies will continue. On the other hand, going to concerts and supporting bands with merch purchasing and Spotify usage will consequently increase.

I hope you get something useful out of this, so seat back and enjoy the read!

50.In Flames - I, The Mask
49.Darkthrone - Old Star
48.Mayhem - Daemon
47.Fallujah - Undying Light
46.Steel Panther - Heavy Metal Rules
45.Abigail Williams - Walk Beyond the Dark
44.Obscure Infinity - Into the Vortex of Obscurity
43.Numenorean - Adore
42.Possessed - Revelations of Oblivion
41.Full of Hell - Weeping Choir
40.DragonForce - Extreme Power Metal
39.Death Angel - Humanicide
38.Queensrÿche - The Verdict
37.Children of Bodom - Hexed
36.Blind Guardian Twilight Orchestra - Legacy of the Dark Lands
35.Avatarium - The Fire I Long For
34.Abbath - Outstrider
33.Sanhedrin - The Poisoner
32.Misery Index - Rituals of Power
31.Baroness - Gold & Grey
30.Stormwarrior - Norsemen
29.Dream Theater - Distance Over Time
28.Periphery - Periphery IV: HAIL STAN
27.Amon Amarth - Berserker
26.Exhorder - Mourn the Southern Skies
25.Spirit Adrift - Divided by Darkness
24.Nile - Vile Nilotic Rites
23.Ray Alder - What The Water Wants
22.Insomnium - Heart Like a Grave
21.Whitechapel - The Valley

20.Gatecreeper - Deserted 
Deserted is the best new old/classic Death Metal (DM) album I listened to recently. Surprisingly the album opens with a NWOBHM-like intro as part of the title track that evolves into classic DM. Most tracks are groovy and mid-tempo such as the awesome "From the Ashes", sometimes flirting with Doom (e.g. "Sweltering Madness") and at other times picking up on hardcore speed (e.g. "Ruthless"). If you want classic no-frills DM with touches of Hardcore, you came to the right album.

19.Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind

We Are Not Your Kind is a very tight, well-written record. I also like the fact that they experimented and tried new things. I do love the drumming, the production, Corey's performance, the guitar riffs and the fact that the sampling and scratching sounds are really reduced to the minimal needed. Why not higher on this list then? Because a lot of the songs sound very similar to each other and to previous records. It's a thin line between their signature sound and repetition. With that out of the way, what a great record!

18.Devin Townsend - Empath

Empath is a unique music experience. For a long time prog fan this album is a delight. It's like a modern heavy version of a classic 60's/70's prog rock band. The album flows like a walk through valleys and mountains, where the very heavy parts inject some adrenaline at times in contrast to some very soft moments. The symphonic elements are used with elegance. None of the choices in Devin's arsenal is overused, creating a very crazy but balanced musical experience. The very clear and dynamic production is another highlight. For less seasoned Devin fans, like me, I can see how it can get overwhelming as it can be noisy and chaotic at times, and it runs a bit too long. Hence why not higher.

17.Vanden Plas - The Ghost Xperiment - Awakening

Vanden Plas did it again, the band has no bad records in their 25-year old discography and Awakening is not changing that accomplishment. Old fans will dig this and for new ones this is as good as any Vanden Plas album. The band and musicians individually are highly underrated and this band should be getting much more attention from prog critics and fans. Breaking the double album into two, makes part one very digestible and pleasant.

16.Avantasia - Moonglow

Tobias Sammet continues to deliver great records under the Avantasia banner with another great power symphonic metal record that will add some amazing tracks to an already fantastic setlist to look forward to. As always, Tobby songwriting is great and tailored to the singers involved. In addition to old Avantasia voices, Moonglow also introduces new collaborators Hansi Kürsch of Blind Guardian, Kreator’s Mille Petrozza and Blackmore’s Night frontwoman Candice Night. Fantastic!

15.Killswitch Engage - Atonement

With 11 well-crafted, selected and sequenced songs in just 40 minutes, Atonement is a pure metal pleasure to listen to. The guitar work is superb and the vocals top notch. The bass and drums do a fantastic job holding it all together. The formula is not different from previous albums, great riffs, catchy melodies combined with hardcore heaviness and the balanced clean and screaming vocals. While Jesse's performance is probably his best on record, the album is elevated another notch by the two songs with guest singers: "The Signal Fire" (Featuring good old Howard Jones) and "The Crownless King" (Featuring Chuck Billy of Testament).

14.the Offering - HOME

I love good modern metal bands like the Offering that sound nothing like older bands and yet use metal elements that I learned to love over the years. The Offering does genre gymnastics like very few bands can do it and yet were able to create a signature sound with brutality, sing along melodies, fist pumping guitar riffs, headbanging grooves and complex arrangements. From the thrash nu metal extravaganza opener “Waste Away” to the epic 14-minute title track, HOME is intelligent, vigorous, uncompromisingly fresh and addictive. The best debut album of 2019.

13.Gloryhammer - Legends From Beyond the Galactic Terrorvortex

Terrorvortex is a worthy addition to Gloryhammer's discography following the same formula that got them here, but also creating a distinctive feeling. In terms of song writing, creating memorable melodies, hooks and catchy choruses, Legends from Beyond the Galactic Terrorvortex is as good as the band has ever been. There's no doubt that fans of the band will dig this and so will fans of symphonic power metal in general. I'm looking forward to see them live again and for their continued success. For the eternal glory of Dundee!

12.Arch/Matheos - Winter Ethereal

Winter Ethereal  was one of the best sonic experiences I had in 2019. The production is clear and well mixed. Yes, it could be shorter, but I don't really know where to cut it from. The guitar work, the emotions, the powerful and catchy singing, the song writing and drumming are all perfectly combined in a unique display of emotion and uncompromising creativity that only Arch/Matheos can deliver.

11.Candlemass - The Door To Doom

While it's pretty much a "back to the roots" album, The Door to Doom is not a retro affair. The production is modern, the vocals are powerful and clear (sometimes reminding of Jørn Lande or Dio). Throughout the record we can hear the diversity of Leif experiences influencing his song writing with precise execution and different colors out of Mr. Edling doom pallet. You can count as a comeback of Längqvist or as the newest release in almost seven years, the fact is the album is a superb addition to Candlemass' celebrated discography.

10.Swallow the Sun - When a Shadow is Forced into the Light

When a Shadow is Forced Into the Light is a grower. For the goth/post-rock songs and passages, you need time and focus to fully appreciate the emotions pouring from them. Mikko Kotamaki (vocals) performance is quite impressive on how he goes from beautiful clean singing into black metal screens, deep funeral doom growls with perfection. Musicianship and production are flawless. All in all, a few days may not be enough to fully appreciate this beautiful dark emotional record.

9.Cult of Luna - A Dawn to Fear

A Dawn to Fear is a huge accomplishing from the band following the masterpiece Vertikal. They prove themselves as a leading band within their genre. The result is an artistic musical journey difficult to digest but quite rewarding once you get your head around it. Experiencing it live, bumped this album much higher into this list. It's the perfect soundtrack for a cold and dark season.

8.Cattle Decapitation - Death Atlas

Death Atlas is a statement delivered via the metal music channel. It's an eclectic piece of extreme metal bringing influences from different sub-genres of Death/Black Metal and Grindcore. It's powerful, it's bleak and masterfully delivered.

7.Myrath - Shehili

Shehili was a pleasant surprise and a fantastic album to listen to. From song writing to production, Myrath delivers their unique take on power prog metal fused with Middle-Easter music with great musicianship and powerful catchy metal gems. Shehili has the potential to put this competent Tunisian band once and for all in the international prog map.

6.Soilwork - Verkligheten

The first big release of the year has been hovering my top albums list since January and it stood the test of time. Soilwork new phase has reached stability and creativity peak. People will recognize the musical elements this formation has created in the latest two albums, but they've taken the sound even further by trying new elements and not discarding the success of NFO. A powerful combination and one of their best albums. 

5.Beast In Black - From Hell With Love
From Hell With Love is a sequence of jewels fusing modern and retro 80's from start to finish. In this context, there are no bad tracks. Anton Kabanen is a master of creating catchy music and via Beast In Black he won't apologize or contain his love for the cheesiness of the 80s. I mean, if you grew up in that time, you won't believe that this album is being released 30 years later. His music writing combined with Papadopoulos vocals is a magical combination. In every song Papadopoulos displays his powerful and versatile pipes singing irresistible melodies that will get stuck in your mind. At the end of the day, the combination of love and believe in what you do with skillful song writer and talented musicians makes Beast In Black a breath of fresh air while paradoxically being retro. 

4.Sacred Reich - Awakening

Awakening is a thrash metal bonanza that feels to be straight out of the late 80's. I like the production values and specially what  Dave McClain delivers on the drums (that "Salvation" drum intro followed by the guitar riff is Sacred Reich's Painkiller). Mr. Rind voice apparently hasn't aged as he sings as well as back in the day. The album is straightforward and after just a couple of spins, I was singing along and fist pumping in the air. What else could I ask from a thrash record? An album that was highly anticipated is now highly recommended. 

3.Atlantean Kodex - The Course Of Empire

Atlantean Kodex makes epic doom metal by the book. Even thought there are intervals, the the album functions as one piece of music with one song flowing into the next perfectly. The production is dynamic and clear. The band uses several samples to immerse us into this medieval Europe of empires and kings. The musicianship is solid with a shout out to drummer  Mario Weiss. While the range and versatility of singer Markus Becker is rather limited, he has a beautiful voice and he is proficient within his boundaries to deliver a convincing performance. It helps a lot that the vocal melodies are epic, catchy and beautiful. 

2.Soen - Lotus

Albums like Lotus are the reason I keep checking more than 100 new releases every year. It’s that magical moment when you connect deeply with the music and find something truly special. There’s so much to like here, from the beautiful and yet powerful Joel Ekelöf's singing, the incredible drum work by Martin Lopez, one of the best bass sound I’ve heard in a while or the solid guitar riffs and solos. But Lotus is much more than a collection of great musicians, Soen is a band in harmony playing a complex but cohesive piece of music. At the end of the day the music writing is phenomenal and that makes all the difference.

1.Tool - Fear Inoculum

Tool delivered a uncompromising record, they are on that career stage in which they can do whatever they feel is right musically without worrying to please audiences. The band’s songwriting pushes and challenges listeners and it will take weeks or months to completely unpack this present. Initially I had a problem with Fear Inoculum because the first five songs run quite long and are very similar to each other. But I realized we can't take this album as a collection of singles because it's basically one long song. That's how Tool invite us to experience it. It will be interesting to see how the mainstream audience will react to this complex album where the only possible singles are over ten minutes long. While Fear Inoculum  didn't blew my mind at first, after a couple of months now it does every time I listen to it. 

Biggest Disappointments:
Crypt Sermon - The Ruins of Fading Light

Twisted Tower Dire - Wars in the Unknown

Astronoid - Astronoid

Favorite Album Cover Art:
Avantasia - Moonglow 

Cattle Decapitation - Death Atlas
Abigail Williams - Walk Beyond the Dark
Mgła - Age of Excuse
Blood Incantation - Hidden History of the Human Race

Favorite Guitar Solos:
Soilwork - The Nurturing Glance 
Dream Theater - Room 137 
Obscure Infinity - Grostesque Face 
Myrath - Darkness Arise 
Arch/Matheos - Never in Your Hands 
Suicidal Angels - D.I.V.A  
Tool - 7empest 
Crypt Sermon - The Snake Handler 
Exhorder - Asunder  
Opeth - Minnets Yta 
Ray Alder - The Killing Floor 

Top 5 songs:

Book of Shallows by Avantasia
Lascivious by Soen
7empest by Tool
Fall Into the Light by Dream Theater
Weightless by Evergrey

Favorite Shows:
Slayer at Graspop
Beast In Black at 013
Between the Buried and Me at Trix

Disappointing Shows:
Grand Magus at Graspop

Quickies: Fourth Quarter 2019 Releases included GATECREEPER, AIRBOURNE, BLIND GUARDIAN and STORMWARRIOR

Between October 4th and December 6th, there were some very decent releases that didn't get a full review but deserved my attention anyway.

GATECREEPER Deserted (10/04)
Gatecreeper caught me completely by surprise. I was not anticipating this release but after reading good reviews and listening to the video single, I got interested in it. I can't comment how this album relates to the 2016's debut album, but Deserted is the best new old/classic Death Metal (DM) album I heard recently. Surprisingly the album opens up with a NWOBHM-like intro as part of the title track that evolves into classic DM. Most tracks are groovy and mid-tempo such as the awesome "From the Ashes" sometimes flirting with Doom (e.g. "Sweltering Madness") and sometimes picking up on hardcore speed (e.g. "Ruthless"). If you want classic no-frills DM with touches of Hardcore, you came to the right album.

AIRBOURNE Boneshaker (10/25)
Here a fun game for you, while listening to the 5th Airbourne album, try to match each song and/or riff to an AC/DC song. The band has never hidden their AC/DC worship and their debut album 2007's Runnin' Wild was breath of fresh air displaying a very fun and competent version of  good old 70's AC/DC. 2013's Black Dog Barking showed a bit of diversity and some other rock influences and I appreciated that. But by now the formula is wearing out and even the lyrics are not as fun as they used to be. Boneshaker is more of the same but it is fun. I'll continue to see Airbourne live as they put out a great show. I'll adjust my playlists accordingly and enjoy it very much. But a full album like this won't add much to me.

BLIND GUARDIAN TWILIGHT ORCHESTRA Legacy of the Dark Lands (11/08)
First things first, I thought it was a wise decision to launch this album with a slightly different band name. If you look on Spotify, it is not under the regular Blind Guardian discography. Why do I say that? Because despite the Blind Guardian feeling due to Hansi Kürsch vocals and similarity to their more symphonic songs, this is a soundtrack album and arguably not even metal. The most important musicians here are the Prague Filmharmonic and get this, there are no guitars whatsoever! With that aside, do I like it? Yes, I do. It sounds great and the band deserves a 10 out of 10 for the effort and ambitiousness. I can only imagine the complexity and hard work to put this all together.
It's impressive. Legacy of the Dark Lands is a concept album that takes a fusion of Nightfall and At the Edge of Time to a whole new level. It's a monumental project: 24 tracks in 75 minutes. But notice that 13 of them are narrations or short interludes. Which leaves us with 11 full anthems with unforgettable choruses. In that sense Hansi singing and the vocal melodies are pure Blind Guardian. On the other hand, I must say I spent 74 min waiting for those guitars to kick in and as they never did, I was left with a bittersweet taste.

STORMWARRIOR Norsemen (11/29)

This was quite a late surprise from a band that I did not know. But they have all the elements that make the part of my heart that melts for good power metal. We have Gamma Ray meets Iron Maiden with the spirit of Amon Amarth. And even though it reminds me a log of those bands, surprisingly it didn't bother me. It's well written, executed and catchy as hell. Songs like "Norsemen (We Are)", "Storm of the North" and "Odin's Fire" are already stuck in my head. The album follows my rules of a good album, just over 50 min, 8 proper songs, no ballads and even an 11 min epic closer. If you are into Viking Power Metal, you can't go wrong with this!

Album Review: CATTLE DECAPITATION Death Atlas (11/29)

Cattle Decapitation is an extreme metal band from San Diego, California, formed in 1996. The line-up has suffered a few changes but Travis Ryan – vocals and Josh Elmore – guitars have been the driving forces and drummer Dave McGraw has already been with the band for 12 years. The bass has been less stable. In 2019 the band officially added a second guitar on the hands of  Belisario Dimuzio. Interesting fact, while the band started with an entirely vegetarian lineup, only two current members are vegetarian, namely Travis Ryan and Josh Elmore. No surprise that the band's lyrics are largely concerned with human impact on the environment, the ethics of eating meat and animal rights. Musically they started as really focused Grindcore but more recently Progressive Death Metal influences have become very prominent.

Death Atlas is the eighth studio album and comes more than four years after their masterpiece 2015's The Anthropocene Extinction. At just under 55 minutes, it is their longest album to date. 14 tracks (4 being intros/interludes) including the 9 min final title track. Vocalist Travis Ryan comments: "Musically and lyrically, there is a lot of grief, anger, hate, passion, and emotion poured into this one". I do like how they structured the album in basically 4 almost equal parts. Each one with an intro song full of samples of news reports. It's really difficult to define the metal sub-genre, we may as well just call it extreme prog metal. There's a little bit of everything: Melodic and Symphonic Black Metal, Tech Death, Deathcore, Death-doom, Thrash and even a hint of traditional heavy metal such as Accept.

Travis vocal is one of the most versatile in extreme metal today. From high pitched black metal screams to deep death metal growls and everything in between. The guitar work is focused on fast guitar picking and short but powerful solos. But you can also find some death metal riffs here and there. The drumming combines super fast blast beats and moments of more groove. The album is very dynamic with unconventional song structures.

I have not much to complain and there are only a couple of tracks that failed to catch my attention. And I must mention The title track being this "grand finale" of this bleak and dark album. It's a 9m15s epic closer.  I'd also highlight that I'm usually not a fan of intro tracks, but in Death Atlas they work well. Those 4 instrumentals break the brutality and give us a minute to breath. They also create those 4 parts which makes the album more digestible.

Death Atlas is a statement delivered via the metal music channel. It's an eclectic piece of extreme metal bringing influences from different sub-genres of Death/Black Metal and Grindcore. It's powerful, it's bleak and masterfully delivered.

SCORE: 82/100
Genre: Progressive Death Metal / Grindcore
Released by Metal Blade Records on November 29th, 2019

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Rating System
98 - 100 Perfect
92 - 97 Excellent
86 - 91 Great
81 - 85 Very Good
77 - 80 Good
69 - 76 Mixed
58 - 68 Bad

Album Review: AVATARIUM The Fire I Long For (11/22)

Avatarium is a Swedish progressive rock / doom metal band from Stockholm, founded by Candlemass songwriter Leif Edling in 2012. It has been a very interesting journey to see this band flourish so fast. Jennie-Ann Smith voice added a new touch to Edling's typical heavy doom riffs. While not touring with the band Leif still write some songs for their albums. However, with the release of The Girl with the Raven Mask (2015) and specially Hurricanes and Halos (2017), singer Jennie-Ann Smith and guitarist Marcus Jidell contributed more and more to the songwriting and consequently their music has shift the Doom focused from the self titled debut album into a progressive doom/rock sound.

Now with The Fire I Long For, Avatarium's fourth full length studio album, the band is back and from the get go "Voices" brings back the doom sound from the debut album but here infused with the 70s rock vibe from the later albums. Other songs such as "Rubicon" and "Porcelain Skull" display the same direction. I specially like the guitar work in "Porcelain Skull". Not only the riffage but also the best solos on this record. In fact, I really like how distinctive the guitar tone of this album is. It’s really dirty sounding. "Epitaph of Heroes" is my favorite song out of The Fire I Long For. It feels as a lost track from the fantastic debut album. It's certainly the heaviest classic doom song here.

"Great Beyond" is a more emotional slow tempo song which also works very well and paves way to the title track which is another highlight of the album. It’s also slow tempo and an emotional song. Here Jennie-Ann Smith deep and bluesy shine. The album closes with an interesting track that sounds like a song being played in a piano bar at 2am.

While I really liked this album, I do miss the progressiveness of the first album. Longer songs with more variety, more in the lines of "Epitaph of Heroes". Also the album is not riff focused throughout and at moments lack of heavy doom riffs gives me the feeling of emptiness. For example "Shake That Demon" is a rocker almost like a Whitesnake song, and feels out of place. And "Lay Me Down" is not a bad track but it’s too slow to be number three and breaks the album flow.

Avatarium's The Fire I Long For solidifies the bands sound as a mixture of their Doom roots with the progressive 70's rock influences. You add to the mix the unique voice from  Jennie-Ann Smith, the proficient Marcus Jidell guitars and production values and Edling's typical heavy doom riffs and you have a good album for the old and new fans to enjoy.

SCORE: 79/100
Genre: Doom Metal
Released by Nuclear Blast Records on November 22nd, 2019

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Rating System
98 - 100 Perfect
92 - 97 Excellent
86 - 91 Great
81 - 85 Very Good
77 - 80 Good
69 - 76 Mixed
58 - 68 Bad

Album Review: ABIGAIL WILLIAMS Walk Beyond the Dark (11/15)

Abigail Williams is an American black metal band. The band's name comes from a girl who played a significant role in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Between 2008 and 2015, the band released 4 albums via Candlelight Records. The group has suffered numerous line-up changes, vocalist/guitarist/songwriter/bandleader and former vocalist for The Faceless, Ken Sorceron being the only original member remaining. The band was somewhat controversial for their early musical style, which was a fusion of metalcore and symphonic black metal. Abigail Williams eventually dropped their symphonic elements and adopted a traditional black metal sound.

2019's Walk Beyond the Dark is the first album in four years and now via Blood Music. Only seven songs running for just over 55 minutes, the album is a mesh up of different black metal branches. "Ever so Bold" and "Into the Sleep" are the shortest tracks and feature a more straightforward black metal with blast beats and guitar picking. The other five songs are longer and more progressive. The album opener and my favorite "I Will Depart" is a very dynamic progressive black n' roll song. There's a nice balance between groove and relentless speed. Overall fantastic drumming and metallic guitar work. "Sun and Moon" (also fantastic drumming including a tribal beat) and "Black Waves" bring the more emotional and atmospheric side of Abigail Williams. The longest track, "The Final Failure" closes the album with its eleven epic minutes. It's the closest song to their symphonic early days. It also features one o the best vocal melodies in the album, not to mention the rare, but nicely done, use of clean vocals.

This is the first time I take the time to listen to Abigail Williams and I'm happy I did it so. It's a diverse black metal record that shows different sounds and styles the band has previously experimented with . The production is dynamic and well balanced. I love the sound of the drums and the tasteful use of strings in small doses. The album cover is also a plus. I personally think that the longer and more progressive songs work better than the couple of short ones. Moreover, I can't say that the album is bringing something really new to the table. But overall, it's an entertaining extreme metal album to get us through the cold winter. I don't like many black metal albums, but every now and then one calls my attention. Walk Beyond the Dark is certainly one o the best in the genre that I've heard in 2019.

SCORE: 80/100
DR: 7
Genre: Black Metal
Released by Blood Music on November 15th, 2019

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Rating System
98 - 100 Perfect
92 - 97 Excellent
86 - 91 Great
81 - 85 Very Good
77 - 80 Good
69 - 76 Mixed
58 - 68 Bad

Album Review: QUIET RIOT Hollywood Cowboys (11/08)

Quiet Riot was the first band of Randy Rhoads with whom he released their first two albums. But interestingly the band is actually known for their first album after Rhoads departed to join Ozzy. Metal Health released on March 11, 1983, supported by the MTV hit "Cum On Feel the Noize" is notable for being the first heavy metal album to reach the top spot on the Billboard 200. The album went on to sell more than ten million copies worldwide. The song "Thunderbird" is dedicated to Rhoads. After that huge success, the band never came close to anything like it and they have had so many line up changes. In fact, 27 musicians have been part of the band over its 44 years of existence.

Now the veterans are releasing their fourteenth studio album Hollywood Cowboys as the the follow-up to 2017's Road Rage. Singer James Durbin quit almost immediately after the record was completed and was immediately replaced with Jizzy Pearl, who previously fronted the band from 2013 until 2016. Hollywood Cowboys is a good hard rock album bringing 12 relatively short tracks in 45 minutes. It features the 80's vibe that they are known for but never going glam metal or too cheesy. The musicianship is quite high level from all member. Durbin has a versatile vocal range, more technical and more operatic than original and late singer Kevin DuBrow. The drum and guitar work are excellent and the bass very competent and well positioned in the mix.

The album starts well with the single and rocker "Don't Call It Love" and the next four songs keep it up on the same line. Interestingly when "Roll On" started I was fearful that the mandatory ballad was coming, but to my surprise it is a very nice bluesy song reminding me of 90's Great White. Yes it is slow tempo but not cheesy and features nice guitar work. The track order was well crafted because right after the heaviest songs follow "Insanity" (fantastic drumming and nice headbanging speed) and "Hellbender" (nice groove). After that, unfortunately, the last four tracks loose me. They are somewhat of fillers being less inspired, lower energy and more pop/cliche. Maybe crafting two songs a bit further and cutting a couple would make the album stronger till the end.

All things considered, Hollywood Cowboys is a hard rock album worth listening to. Especially the first two thirds. Those first eight songs can work well live, particularly during summer festivals. If you are looking for good old 80's rock n' roll fun, look no further, Quiet Riot has the answer.

SCORE: 79/100
DR: 6
Genre: Hard Rock
Released by Frontiers Music Srl. on November 8th, 2019

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Rating System
98 - 100 Perfect
92 - 97 Excellent
86 - 91 Great
81 - 85 Very Good
77 - 80 Good
69 - 76 Mixed
58 - 68 Bad

Album Review: NILE Vile Nilotic Rites (11/01)

Nile is a four-piece American death metal band formed in 1993. Vocalist/guitarist Karl Sanders is the only original member and main song writer. Their music and lyrics are inspired by Ancient Egyptian history and Lovecraftian horror (named after American author H. P. Lovecraft). Nile's music is characterized by speed and brutality combining traditional and technical death metal. Their debut album Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka (1998) is considered to be their breakthrough record and often regarded as a top influential death metal record.

Vile Nilotic Rites is the ninth studio album following 2015's What Should Not Be Unearthed. It is the band's first album with Brad Parris on bass/vocals and Brian Kingsland on guitars/vocals. This time around while all lyrics were written by Karl Sanders, long-time drummer George Kollias co-wrote virtually all tracks. Additionally the new members also contributed in some songs. The team spirit can be heard as we have a very energetic and coherent album from beginning to end. My initial impression was of a mix of influences from early Opeth and Meshuggah which is a very good thing.

The albums opens with 3 relatively short tracks two being the singles released as lyrics videos, "Long Shadows of Dread" (displays a good balance between speed and groove) and the title track . Another short powerful song is "Snake Pit Mating Frenzy" which is already being played live. While there are longer tracks and one short instrumental, the album is very cohesive, a clear consequence of the band spending so much time crafting Vile Nilotic Rites. The record comes out with a big bang, Brian's scream followed by relentless drum fills and guitar riffs. The drumming will continue to be top-notch throughout the record (check "Where Is the Wrathful Sky"). Rarely Kollias relies on blast beats for too long and some songs sound like a very long drum fill. "That Which Is Forbidden" depicts the contrast of the fast drumming and groove. I also love the vocal work. It may be difficult to point out, but the three singers are alternating vocal parts during the whole song and the rest of the album. It brings contrast to the songs as we hear deep guttural singing and also higher pitched screaming. It's like Mikael Åkerfeldt and Chris Barnes were in the same band. Other tracks are more progressive and bring to the front the Egyptian sound influence via sound samples and other instruments. "Seven Horns of War" and the fantastic "The Imperishable Stars Are Sickened" being good examples of it.

With Vile Nilotic Rites, Nile focused on laser sharp music writing and cut all the fat and excess. Every passage, riff, sample and vocal line serves a purpose. The album ticks like a clock but without loosing its emotion and energy. The quartet found a good chemistry on their first record together and I certainly hope they can further evolve this fruitful collaboration. Nile, and tech death in general, is not for everyone and requires some focused time to get into it. Vile Nilotic Rites is a highlight of this genre in 2019 and deserves this investment.

SCORE: 82/100
DR: 6
Genre: Death Metal
Released by Nuclear Blast on November 1st, 2019

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Rating System
98 - 100 Perfect
92 - 97 Excellent
86 - 91 Great
81 - 85 Very Good
77 - 80 Good
69 - 76 Mixed
58 - 68 Bad

Album Review: LEPROUS Pitfalls (10/25)

Leprous is a progressive metal (early) / rock (later) band from Norway, formed in 2001 with the first album released in 2009. The group was founded by singer and keyboardist Einar Solberg and guitarist Tor Oddmund Suhrke. Both are the remaining founding members left and they are the main songwriters. Since 2015's The Congregation Solberg is gradually dominating the writing process. The band trademark sound is characterized by peculiar singing style, and blending of different genres such as experimental rock, avant-garde metal, and pop..

The follow-up to 2017's Malina, Pitfalls is Leprous' sixth studio album. While Malina was already a divisive record, Pitfalls is even seen as the biggest production and a musical departure for the group yet. This time around, Leprous brought in a cellist, violinist, and classical choir for the production. The first single "Below" opens the album featuring string arrangements, electronic elements, acoustic and organic parts. It has a very emotional and melancholic vibe to it and it sets the mood for the album. Pitfalls was mostly written and composed by Einar Solberg during a dark moment of his personal life. The lyrics and musical direction certainly reflect that state of mind as he used this album as a therapeutic channel. The result is an emotional listening experience across the 9 tracks / 55 min.

Among other highlights is "Alleviate", a great short and engaging single, and "Distant Bells", a 7-min jazzy prog rock track with a beautiful use of the string instruments. Both tracks are good examples of Solberg's great vocal performance. He is using his range and versatility going for those high notes and sometimes putting some drive in heavier parts. While those songs are melancholic with slow tempo passages, they also display good energy and beautiful melodies. It was a good decision to release both as singles before the album was out. "At the Bottom" brigs on the 80's synth giving it a retro feeling during its 7-min with ups and downs. "Foreigner" is the upbeat rock track that even reminds me of Kamelot. I wish we had others like it. It's a nice injection of energy towards the end of the album and before the epic 11-min closer "The Sky Is Red". This song features the only guitar solo of the album. The Pink Floydian interlude using the choral is a very nice touch to finish the album.

Where does it all leave us? The album starts well with "Below" and has a good sequence of songs in its second half , but there's also low points early in the album and during some tracks. Sometimes the drum beats are simple pop groove or the slow parts drag for too long. For example "I Lose Hope" is too poppy for my taste and "Observe the Train" too much of an "ambient song".  Overall, those slow, pop and dragging moments can be very demotivating and leaving me with a sense of wanting more. The problem is that we know Leprous can get us there because of the better songs.

Pitfalls is a leap of faith into a different and challenging territory and, as confirmed by the band themselves, a departure from their previous sound. For me personally, the gap is too wide and Pitfalls sounds more like a Solberg solo album than Leprous. Time will tell if this is the new direction or a one off experiment. But objectively, it's clearly a well written and produced record and very emotional. There are great moments here that will work well live. I suspect a good part of the fans will dig Pitfalls, but like Malina it will continue to be divisive.

SCORE: 78/100
DR: 6
Genre: Progressive Metal
Released by Inside Out Music on October 25th, 2019

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Rating System
98 - 100 Perfect
92 - 97 Excellent
86 - 91 Great
81 - 85 Very Good
77 - 80 Good
69 - 76 Mixed
58 - 68 Bad

Album Review: RAY ALDER What The Water Wanted (10/18)

I'm glad this week we didn't have any big releases of interest to me. So I decided to give a try to Fates Warning (1988 to date), Redemption (2005-2016) and Engine (1999-2002) vocalist Ray Alder first solo album What The Water Wants. It's a very straightforward affair with 46 min and 10 songs which Alder as written with Mike Abdow (Fates Warning touring guitarist), guitarist/bassist Tony Hernando (Lords Of Black) and drummer Craig Anderson (Ignite). Alder said that he "had the ideas for a while" and the Fates Warning break from writing and touring was the perfect opportunity to assemble the album.

While not a Fates Warning album, there are of course several moments of similarity. The vocal lines is what resembles Fates Warning the most: very catchy, melodic and beautifully and skillfully sang by Alder. But overall musically the band sounds different from Fates Warning or Redemption. The guitar playing is very distinct from Jim Matheos and there's a very prominent bass. Alder and friends were able to craft a rather unique sound on their own. But don't get me wrong, songs like "Shine" and "A Beautiful Lie" which are high tempo are where we hear Fates Warning influence the most. And "The Road" sounds like straight out of Parallels. Other moments like "Some Days" and "Under Dark Skies" are low tempo and melancholic relying on great arrangements and impressive bass lines. On the bass subject, the single "Crown of Thorns" is a very different and catchy track based on a bass riff. "Wait" goes very riffy and it's the heaviest song here. It's also good to hear some very good guitar solos in several songs, my favorite being "The Killing Floor" and "Wait".

I suspect any Fates Warning fan of the Alder era will dig this big time. His fantastic and unique voice makes it impossible not to compare to Fates Warning. But still What The Water Wanted sounds different enough to make it an interesting journey on its own.

SCORE: 82/100
DR: 7
Genre: Progressive Metal
Released by Inside Out Music on October 18th, 2019

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Album Review: VANDEN PLAS The Ghost Xperiment - Awakening (10/11)

Vanden Plas is a German progressive metal band founded in the mid-1980s and releasing the first album in 1994. Since then the band has the same line-up which consists of Stephen Lill on guitars, his brother Andreas Lill on drums, Torsten Reichert on bass, Andy Kuntz on vocals, and Günter Werno on keyboards. Vanden Plas can be referred to as "German Dream Theater", but I do think their sound has always been less complex than the american counterparts and Vanden Plas are actually more theatrical. The band has always combined the heavy riffs from S. Lill with the magical keys from Werno and quite often orchestrations. Kuntz vocals are on the high pitched end but never over-the-top. All of that over a very solid rhythmic foundation. This formula has led the band to release 8 studio albums which are all very consistent in quality. The last album was released in two parts. The last Chronicles of the Immortals: Netherworld II was released in 2015 and the band hasn't been on tour since 2017.

Now the quintet is back with the ninth studio album, The Ghost Xperiment – Awakening which is part one of a two part concept album, with the second part Illumination to be released in 2020. The last two part album was highly theatrical with shorter songs, narrations and full of orchestrations. Awakening is a return to the roots while not loosing their evolution of the last years. Awakening is heavier and uses less orchestrations (albeit still there) but it's also slightly more progressive with mostly long songs. All in all, they are truthful to their trademark sound where progressive heaviness meets melody. Those points can be noticed already with the opening notes of the album, "Cold December Night" starts with a heavy guitar riff tone followed by a groovy drum beat. I’m positively surprised how great the drumming is throughout the album (but take "Devils' Poetry" as a fine example ). I also love the guitar work, it’s heavy on the riffs and the solos are great while not overdone. Now the most important thing is how all instruments work so well together, the arrangements are just great. I like when at moments the guitar goes into the background and the bass and keys can also shine. While there’s nothing to really to complain about The Ghost Xperiment - Awakening, somehow I was expecting more. Maybe more epic and catchy choruses? Like I feel that the song "Fall from the Skies" is great but the vocal melody in the chorus is a bit of a letdown. Or maybe what I missed was a really stand out song to blow me away. For now, I didn’t get that, but it could still come with repeated listens.

Those minor observations aside, Vanden Plas did it again, the band has no bad records in their 25-year old discography and Awakening is not changing that accomplishment. Old fans will dig this and for new ones this is as good as any Vanden Plas album. The band and musicians individually are highly underrated and this band should be getting much more attention from prog critics and fans.

SCORE: 82/100
DR: 7
Genre: Progressive Metal
Released by Frontiers Records on October 11th, 2019

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The Top 10 Albums That Shaped My Musical Life Post 2005

In my 2015 post The Top 12 albums that shaped my musical life I covered the first two waves of albums that shaped my life: The very first one in the mid-80's and when I rediscover metal in the mid-90's. Now I want to reflect on waves 3 (mid-2000's) and 4 (early 2010's).

Wave 3: 2005-2007

Christ Illusion by Slayer (2006)

I was living in the US and I was bored with the radio friendly and classic rock that I was listening to there. So I decided to explore heavier stuff. One of the critics that I respected at the time elected this album as one of the best of the year. And even though I had Show No Mercy from back in the day, I never got into it. Well, I loved Christ Illusion and next thing I know I finally discovered Reign in Blood, the whole discography and the rest is history. Since then, Slayer is one of my favorite bands.

The Roundhouse Tapes by Opeth (2007)

A classmate and the guitar player of my band at the time, suggested to me to check Opeth. I got two tracks from the live album from iTunes: "Windowpane" and "Bleak". I remember being so impressed and I was sure they had two singers. Even though I loved those songs for some reason I only came to explore the full discography with the release of Heritage in 2011 (during my fourth wave of discoveries).

Ascendancy by Trivium (2005)
That same friend also suggested Trivium as the "next Metallica" or something. "Like Light To The Flies" became a personal favorite. Luckily I started with what's arguably their best album yet. Other songs are also great. They didn't become as big as we expected. But the most important thing is that it opened my mind to give a chance to new modern bands.

The End of Heartache by Killswitch Engage (2004)

And finally the same guy invited me to see Killswitch Engage live. I will never forget the powerful performance from Howard Jones, Adam Dutkiewicz's killer riffs and most importantly the mix of screens and clean vocals. I was caught by surprise and was really impressed. As a result, Killswitch Engage was a perfect way into this style of metal. Years have passed and to this day is one of my favorite bands.

The Blackening by Machine Head (2007)
I had only heard about the band until they opened for Heaven And Hell in 2007, I think. So I got a couple of songs via iTunes "Halo" and "Imperium"...love at first sight. I had no idea that The Blackening would become such a classic record and until today their best album by far. It was a good start!

Wave 4: 2011-2012

The Hunter by Mastodon (2011)
I had never heard of the band when The Hunter was released and it took me one year to understand it and get into their sound. Better late than never! The thing is, this is one of their weakest album, so you can imagine as I discovered they were even better than I thought. These days it is one of my favorite modern bands.

Koloss by Meshuggah (2012)
I was hypnotized by this album! I listened to "Do Not Look Down" more than 70 times just in my PC. But the real game changer was seeing them live! What an experience that is! After that, they become a favorite band! One of the best metal shows of this decade. Looking back discovering their disco was a welcomed pleasure!

Periphery II: This Time It's Personal by Periphery (2012)
I saw an interview with John Petruci talking about Periphery who were opening for Dream Theater. I watched "Icarus Lives!" on YouTube and was really impressed. But instead of buying the debut, I got their newest release at the time and Periphery II became my album of the year. I really like all the albums that followed it.

The Parallax II: Future Sequence by Between the Buried and Me (2012)
This was actually my first BTBAM album and I love it for that. After getting into Periphery, I bought a ticket for a show of both bands together.  BTBAM was promoting Parallax II. So I listened to it and to Colors. From there I started to dig their whole discography and like all the other bands in this wave, they became one of my favorite modern prog bands.

Atlas by Parkway Drive (2012)
Despite being a fan of Killswitch Engage for sometime at that point, overall I was not yet willing to try bands who were considered "anything-core". But those Aussies' very metallic metalcore convinced me to give it a try. It worked and from there I have embraced their full discography and added a few metalcore bands to my list of favorite modern bands.






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Album Review: INSOMNIUM Heart Like a Grave (10/04)

Insomnium is a Finnish melodic death metal band with humble beginnings back in 1997. Markus Hirvonen (drums),  Ville Friman (guitars/clean vocals) and Niilo Sevänen (bass/harsh vocals) the original members were inspired by bands such as their legendary countrymen Amorphis and Sentenced, early Paradise Lost or Swedish melo death pioneers. Markus Vanhala (guitar) joined in 2011. In 2019, Jani Liimatainen (ex-Sonata Arctica) who had already been a live guitarist became a full-time member. Insomnium sound portrays darkness, sorrow, loss, pain, and nature via melodic death metal with a touch of doom and progressive metal.

After the acclaimed  Shadows of the Dying Sun (2014) and Winter’s Gate (2016), the 8th studio album, Heart Like a Grave consists of 10 songs and over an hour of Finnish melancholy. According to the band, the album "draws inspiration from some of the bleakest tales, lyrics and poems of the north". The album opens with a short melancholic and mid tempo song, "Wail of the North" which builds up from the keyboard alone to an explosion of all instruments. Then half way through its 3 minutes, the vocals come in. It’s a short single and an intro song hybrid. In any case it leads the way to a fast tempo melodeath hymn and first single “Valediction”. This great song relies on clean vocals for all verses but also death metal vocals for the pre-chorus, catchy chorus and bridge. This is actually the song with most clean vocals on this album. There are other moments of melodeath Gothenburg-style such as the In Flames-ish "Neverlast" or the super melodic and groovy “Mute Is My Sorrow” and the headbanger "The Offering" (featuring a great lead guitar).

Throughout the record Insomnium use some elements that make the album dynamic and interesting: Keyboards, acoustic guitars (actually five songs start with acoustic arpeggios) and clean vocals. Those are frequent resources that the band uses but never overdoing it. The title track features all of those and  shows the other side of the album: the mid tempo doomy melancholic Insomnium. Acoustic guitars, a chorus alternating clean and growling vocals , whispering singing and melodic guitar phrasing set the tone of this dark and somber beauty of a song. With just over 7 min Vanhala, who wrote it, still had time to pick up the speed for the final bridge before come full circle to the acoustic guitars closing. "And Bells They Toll" and "Twilight Trails" (which shows a bit of an Enslaved vibe) follow the same line. But the 9-min "Pale Morning Star" shows the more progressive side of the band and kind of mix the two album directions in one song. It starts melancholic, it picks a up speed but then it goes doomy again in the middle section. This song has the best guitar solo of the album and great basslines (even if a bit low in the mix). Talking about prog, the album closes with a 7-min instrumental that, while not adding much, is a nice final touch.

All of that is very positive, there are however a couple of problems with Heart Like a Grave. First, it's a bit too long, Insomnium could've cut two songs out to stay in the 8 tracks and 50-ish min mark. For example, I'd prefer the album to kick-off with the powerful riff of "Valediction". Second, I was not impressed with their originality, nothing really stood out as a step forward. Finally, at times, passages sound too much like Amon Amarth mid-tempo songs e.g. "Under the Northern Star". And that bothered me a bit. With all that said, it's a great album which I played on repeat for days.

While Heart Like a Grave does not stack up to Insomnium 2016's masterpiece Winter’s Gate, it does provide a diverse and versatile journey truthful to their trademark sound. The distinct songs bounce between melodeath and melancholic doom influences with a hint of prog metal. All in all, it's a solid addition to Insomnium's catalog and brings some interesting possibilities for their live setlist.

SCORE: 80/100
DR: 9
Genre: Death Metal
Released by Century Media Records on October 4th, 2019

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Album Review: OPETH In Cauda Venenum (09/27)

Opeth need no introduction. The band from Stockholm was formed in 1989 and released their first LP in 1995. The group has been through several personnel changes. Lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's primary driving force. The band has enjoyed growing success over the years having released masterpieces such as the highly acclaimed 2011's Blackwater Park. In 2011 with Heritage, Opeth abandoned completely the the black metal scream and the death metal growl. The band adopted a retro psychedelic  progressive rock and left metal on second plan. This move has undoubtedly divided fans. But you must get past that because Åkerfeldt has made it very clear that this is how Opeth sound now.

I came to In Cauda Venenum with an open mind. Opeth's thirteenth studio album and forth of this "new era". The title in Latin (translation: Poison in the Tail) was a deliberate choice so that it can be used with both album versions: Swedish and English. The album was written and recorded in Swedish, then Åkerfeldt translated and recorded the vocals again, but now in English. He considers the Swedish version the "original album" and only one song (track 3) "Hjärtat vet vad handen gör / Heart in Hand" he believes is better in English. Given all of that, I am listening and reviewing the Swedish version.

"Livets Tradgard" is a distinctive 3:30-minute intro with a church music meets Pink Floyd vibe and also showcase a artistic choice recurrent throughout the album, the use of samples (from movies and TV shows). Following that, the first part of the record is quite good and certainly better than Sorceress (where the retro thing really bothered me). There are some moments in the first half of In Cauda Venenum that could be from the early 2000's (minus the death/black metal, of course). The songs "Svekets Prins" and "Hjärtat vet vad handen gör" were released in advance of the album as singles. They are indeed some of the best in the record. Inventive, progressive and yet heavy and moving. "Minnets Yta" is another highlight, a very Pink Floydian track (the piano intro is just like "The Great Gig in the Sky") with the most amazing guitar solo by Fredrik Åkesson. The guitar solos by the way are fantastic in almost every song. Overall, the musicianship is, as expected, superb (except the vocals which are just OK) and the production is top notch. Special shout out to drummer Martin Axenrot for his excellent work throughout the record but specially in "Hjärtat vet vad handen gör". "Charlatan" closes the first part of the record with heaviness and very cool groove, it's almost like the follow-up of "Deliverance" (the drumming here as well, wow). Unfortunately, it goes downhill from there. The last part is quite boring. And it's not just because they are slow, I love "Windowpane" for example, it's just that they don't quite work for me. The exception being the closer "Allting Tar Slut" which brings some final epicness.

Like most good prog records, In Cauda Venenum is a slow grower. By now, I am already convinced that this is as good as the previous two records. If it's gonna grow further to become the best of the four "prog not metal" days, time will tell (and by the way, there's no point comparing to pre-Heritage era). I like how we moved a bit further from the super retro feeling from Sorceress. The 70's prog is still VERY much in here, but we do see the band bringing back some heaviness from the early days and experiment more with jazz. Is that enough? Not for me. I still would like to see more aggressiveness maybe other influences and less 70's. It's difficult to dislike such a well written, executed and produced prog record.

SCORE: 79/100
DR: 10
Genre: Progressive Rock
Released by Nuclear Blast on September 27th, 2019

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