HATEBREED Weight Of The False Self | Weekly Heavy Metal Album Review

 

Released by Nuclear Blast on November 27th, 2020

Quick Background

Hatebreed is an American metalcore band from Bridgeport, Connecticut, formed in 1994. Until now they had released seven studio albums, the latest being The Concrete Confessional in 2016 which I considered a good album. Their musical style blends influences from hardcore punk and heavy metal. They are considered important to the development of metalcore. I personally enjoy Hatebreed quite a lot, their concerts are always very energetic and fun. They exhibit the energy and attitude of the hardcore scene, but their guitars are quite metallic, to me it's a great balance. 

Weight Of The False Self

Weight Of The False Self is Hatebreed's eighth, full length album. The 12-track album clocks in at 35 minutes. This is pretty much their format of choice for many albums. So no surprises there. I'd prefer 10 songs, but no big problem. I have always loved how metallic their guitar riffs sound, particularly in the last two albums. The first single and album opener "Instinctive (Slaughterlust)" brings that feel and it was the right choice for the single as it is one of the best songs on the album. But it doesn't stop there,  I agree that "there’s no shortage of beefy-riffs and adrenaline-fueled-drums on this record". Some of my highlights are "Set It Right (Start With Yourself)" and "A Stroke of Red". The title track is also a good song but it sounds very familiar, something like "I Will Be Heard". There are also some sparkles of difference, like the nice guitar solo on "Cling to Life" or the intro of the longest track (with 3:18) and album closer "Invoking Dominance". Those were modest variations but nice touches. 

Not by coincidence, the album production is no different from previous efforts, as Weight of the False Self was produced by frequent Hatebreed collaborator Zeuss. The album artwork was created by Eliran Kantor who has recently been creating some fantastic covers (e.g. Iced Earth, Havok)

The Picky Guy

Am I a big fan of the self-help lyrics? Not really, but it doesn't bother me too much either. My main problem is the fact that I enjoyed a lot the previous two album because of their crunchy metallic riffs and bass riffs. But Weight of the False Self was a bit of a step back for my taste. But that's just me, it's possible that the big fans of the early albums will enjoy this one more than I did. It's closer to their earlier albums than to the last two.

Wrap Up Opinion 

Overall, you won't find many surprises on this record, and any old timers wouldn't expect to anyways. Weight Of The False Self features all the elements that Hatebreed is known for. In a way, it combines some of the ingredients of the last two records, but rely mostly on the older material. So, it's a good record with some songs that will bring a new flavor to their set-list. I'm giving the album 79 out of 100, a good album for what it wants to accomplish that will work for fans looking for more of the same. If you were not interested in Hatebreed before this release, it won't change your mind. If you want to give them a chance, I'd start with a playlist featuring their live favorites, that's where Hatebreed shine.   

SCORE: 79/100

Genre: Metalcore

Released by Nuclear Blast on November 27th, 2020

Rating System*

99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

* slightly adapted on May 24th, 2020 due to statistical review
wordcount = 553

KILLER BE KILLED Reluctant Hero | Weekly Heavy Metal Album Review

 

Released by Nuclear Blast on November 20th, 2020

Quick Background

Killer Be Killed is a super group featuring Greg Puciato (Vocals/Guitar) (The Dillinger Escape Plan), Max Cavalera (Vocals/Guitar) (Soulfly, Ex-Sepultura), Troy Sanders (Vocals/Bass) (Mastodon) and Ben Koller (Drums) (Converge, All Pigs Must Die, Mutoid Man). The band began when Max and Greg ran into each other at a Los Angeles benefit show for Chi Cheng. The two discussed doing a project, which led to a demo. In late 2012, Puciato was telling Mastodon’s Troy Sanders about the new band. Before too long, Sanders and Cavalera met, they all got together and that resulted in their self-titled first-album released in 2014. The debut was on my top 20 list of that year but honestly I did not expect they would ever release another album. That surprised me because I don't like super groups. However, I love all the original and current main bands of all members. More importantly, I like bands with multiple singers and here the three vocalists are fantastic and have some of the most recognizable voices in heavy music. 

Reluctant Hero

Reluctant Hero features 11 songs and clocks in at 48 minutes. Pretty decent length and a balanced album. The new endeavour is quite melodic and groovy while keeping that aggressiveness that we can expect from these guys. It builds on the latest efforts of the band members. Puciato uses a lot his clear voice and melodic approach that were prominent in the last two The Dillinger Escape Plan albums. The same goes for Sanders who have also doubled down on his melodic side on the last couple Mastodon albums. Cavalera brings the heaviness with his trademark guttural vocals. This combination of Max voice and the melodic groove underneath made me think a lot on Killswitch Engage. Specially on the first couple of songs. Like the fantastic single "Dream Gone Bad".  

Most songs are straightforward and are around the 4 minute mark. There are 3 exceptions though. "From a Crowded Wound", the ferocious "Animus" which is a 1-minute hardcore punch in the face and the album closer and title track which is a slow tempo 6-minute melancholic curved ball. It's a interesting experimental way to close the album with a unexpected touch. But I want to come back to "From a Crowded Wound" which beautifully splits the album into two. It's a nice way to catch the breath with a mid tempo build up following the heavy songs that come before. It's a 7-min sludgy song with some of the coolest drums and bass sections of the album. Actually all the songs leading into this one are my highlights of this album. "Filthy Vagabond" is one of the most hardcore songs on the album, but I do not like the Oh Oh Oh on the chorus, it almost ruins the song for me. Other than that nothing complain. 

Koller's drumming throughout the album is a highlight by itself. The aggressiveness and grove combined with some cool fills is just great. Reluctant Hero is not a guitar album. Mostly no solos and rather simple riffs, but usually, very effective and groovy. And that's OK, with three amazing singers, the guitars are an enabler and not the focus.

The Picky Guy

 I feel that the album loose a bit of steam on the second half. I can't really specify why. It is just that the songs are less memorable and less interesting. It's a song specific problem, it's the blending of it all. Of course it's not an innovative or different album. And they don't have always to be. Because it is fun.

Wrap Up Opinion 

Listening to Reluctant Hero made me not only go back to the debut album but also put The Dillinger Escape Plan, Mastodon and early Sepultura back on my playlist. It follows the same direction as the debut album and the quality is at par or slightly above. So, it's a 80 out of 100 good album and if you like those guys in their bands or the debut album, this is guaranteed fun.  

SCORE: 80/100

Genre: Thrash Metal

Released by Nuclear Blast on November 20th, 2020

Rating System*

99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

* slightly adapted on May 24th, 2020 due to statistical review
wordcount = 671

AC/DC PWRϟUP | Weekly Heavy Metal Album Review

 

Released by Columbia Records on November 13th, 2020

Quick Background

Unless you are an alien researching humankind, AC/DC needs no introduction. It is one of the biggest bands on the planet. They have sold more than 200 million records worldwide, making them the 16th best selling artist worldwide. To give you an idea, Back in Black, their 1980 album post Bon Scott death, has sold an estimated 50 million units worldwide, making it the highest-selling album by any band. It's even more impressive when they are "blamed" for making the same album over and over again. The band name even become synonym to qualify a band that doesn't change their sound, e.g. the AC/DC of thrash metal. So, will Power Up change that? Let's find out.

PWRϟUP

Power Up (stylized as PWRϟUP) is the seventeenth studio album by the Australian rock legends. It marks the return of vocalist Brian Johnson, drummer Phil Rudd and bassist Cliff Williams, all of whom left AC/DC sometime after their previous album Rock or Bust from 2014. This is also be the band's first album since the death of co-founder and rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young in 2017 and serves as a tribute to him, according to his brother Angus. The album features 12 tracks, all of them are about 3 minutes long, give or take. So it clocks in at 42 minutes.  

Track number 3 and video single "Shot In The Dark" is a great song and the right choice to bring the band back after all those years. It is best in class AC/DC trademark track. And the video is pretty cool as well. And so is the opener "Realize", in fact all first seven songs are very good. Some of them like "Through The Mists Of Time" have a vibe of late 60's / late 70's rock. So in a way, it feels like they revisited their roots. "Demon Fire" is one o my highlights and the most unique song on the album. First is the fastest tempo song on the album going at 160 bpm, also Brian Johnson uses different registries and drive for parts of it. The guitars are also slightly different with a nice lick from Angus. Another tracks having a different touch is the groovy "Kick You When You're Down" which displays a southern rock vibe specially due to Angus' riff and solo. And then "No Man's Land" doubles down on the southern style. On the later part of the album, I love "Systems Down" which is maybe the heaviest and darkest song on the album (by a small margin though). It also features one the coolest vocal melodies on the bridge before the chorus.

Overall it all sounds like AC/DC and no big surprises. Angus is soloing nicely all over the album, but all very concise. The rhythm section is solid and basic, but it does sound good. We can hear and feel the bass throughout the album and the groovy drums do their job. 

The Picky Guy

The complain is a the cliché but true one, the songs sound a lot like each other. They are all similar in length, tempo (all but 4 are between 110 and 120 BPMs) and level of heaviness. No songs are very heavy but also no ballads or mid-tempo ones. Specially on the second half of the album it all blends together. The good thing is that the song writing is still very good, the energy high and the melodies catchy enough that after a few listens you star to "get it". 

Wrap Up Opinion 

I mean it's AC/DC, so I wasn't expect a jazzy progressive rock or whatwever, what I did want is a very energetic and catchy rock n' roll album. And that my friends, we got it. Is it comparable to the 70's albums, of course not. But in 2020, this is a very good album.2/3 of it is actually excellent for what it is. But it's not perfect as the other third gets repetitive, so at the end of the day, I am giving Power Up 82 out of 100, meaning a boarderline very good album. If you like them, you will like this, maybe even more than other of their recent records. So crank it up, sorry, power it up and have fun.

SCORE: 82/100

Genre: Hard Rock

Released by Columbia Records on November 13th, 2020

Rating System*

99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

* slightly adapted on May 24th, 2020 due to statistical review
wordcount = 709

FATES WARNING Long Day Good Night | Weekly Heavy Metal Album Review

 

Released by Metal Blade Records on November 6th, 2020

Quick Background

Formed in 1982 by guitarist Jim Matheos, Fates Warning have been a formidable presence in progressive metal for more than 35 years. A pioneer of the movement, they have been referred to as one of the "Big Three" of the genre, along with Queensrÿche and Dream Theater; namely, the bands who are most responsible for progressive metal's creation, development and popularization. It is one of my favorite bands and I found their previous album Theories of Flight, the best album of 2016. So the wait has been relatively long and the expectations high for their 13th studio album.

Long Day Good Night

They return in 2020 with Long Day Good Night, the longest album of their discography. Featuring diverse 13 songs totaling 72:22 (do the math). So indeed they purposely inflated the album to generate this cool play with the number 13. While that's cool it has some unwanted consequences, but more on that later. There are plenty of progressive and heavy sings on Long Day Good Night to keep old fans happy. In a way the album revisits different stages of the band history while pushing the boundries in new direcations. Track 12, "The Longest Shadow of the Day" is an example of doing it right. An amazing epic 11:30 minute long prog jewel where the band goes into jazz fusion territory while soundin like FW. While the songs are different from each other and explore different avenues, the trademark sound of Matheos guitars and Alder vocals, give the album a consistent feel and sound. In that sense is not a departure from the previous record but a logical next step. The band has aged and matured, the vocals are more contained and while there are also some pretty heavy songs, there's a lot of calmer and mid-tempo songs or passages. There are some songs with electronics and some with a nice ethereal feel, a couple of tricks that are not often if at all used by the band before. And “Under The Sun” sees the band incorporating a full string section for the first time. There are also some pretty heavy songs and they are some of the best on the album such as "Shuttered World" and "Liar". The very good album opener, "The Destination Onward", combines as masterfuly as always progressiveness with heaviness.

Guitarist Jim Matheos wrote the album working closely with Alder. Long time members Joey Vera (bass guitar) and Bobby Jarzombek (drums) complete the line-up. The record also features guest appearances from touring guitarist Mike Abdow who contributed with 5 solos in 3 songs, plus Porcupine Tree/The Pineapple Thief drummer Gavin Harrison plays on "When Snow Falls". Production is top notch as always and it ticks like a clock. Always love the guitar tone from Matheos and the prominent bass from Vera.

The Picky Guy

As I mentioned, reaching 72:22 minutes means it's a very long album. The the mid-session is loaded with very mellow songs. I appreciate the effort and the songs are not bad but a couple of them simply don't appeal to me. I learned how to enjoy "The Way Home" and "Under the Sun", both still progressive and with ups and downs. But the single "Now Comes the Rain" and "When Snow Falls" are way too pop music for my taste. At the end of the day, I ended up with 8 to 9 songs totaling about 45 minutes in my playlist which, in my opinion, is the ideal record length. Of course the track 13, "The Last Song", feels like their wild card they use to complete 13 tracks and adjust the album length. But it worked.

Wrap Up Opinion 

If I am critical to this band is just because I love them and have all of their albums. So putting expectations and history aside, it is a very good album despite the length and some missteps. When Mateos, Alder and comapny hit the ball, it's a home run. There are enough great tracks here to get new and old fans psyched about FW in the new decade. That assuming the album title and the last song title are not foreshadowing the end of the band. Please come back in 3 or 4 years! As an almost very good album, I am giving Long Day Good Night 81 out of 100. Make sure to check it out.

SCORE: 81/100

Genre: Progressive Metal

Released by Metal Blade Records on November 6th, 2020

Rating System*

99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

* slightly adapted on May 24th, 2020 due to statistical review
wordcount = 729

THEM Return to Hemmersmoor | Weekly Heavy Metal Album

 

Released by Steamhammer Records/SPV on October 30th, 2020

Quick Background

THEM was originally formed in 2008 by vocalist Troy as a King Diamond tribute band, the project started to evolve when Troy came up with a concept idea in 2014 and molded a story, band, album and show around it. The result was THEM, a theatrical Heavy Metal band comprised of musicians from around the globe. THEM's debut concept album, Sweet Hollow, caught my attention as I can't get enough of anything that sounds similar to Mercyful Fate. They released their follow up entitled Manor of the Se7en Gables in 2018. I didn't like it as much as the debut, so the third album is a defining moment for my relationship with the band. THEM not surprisingly sound a lot like King Diamond, but there's a hint of more power metal acts, specially Powerwolf. They also use thrash elements that add speed and aggressiveness  to some songs.

Return to Hemmersmoor

With Return To Hemmersmoor, THEM continue the concept of combining the horror/fantasy theatrical piece with (thrash/power) metal. This is actually the third part of a trilogy that was launched back in 2016 on the aforementioned Sweet Hollow and continued  with Manor Of The Se7en Gables. Return To Hemmersmoor definitely sounds more mature, both from a songwriting and production perspective. It's also a heavier one. After the intro track, which is a bit too long, we get two short and thrashy punch in the face songs: "Age of Ascension" and "The Tumultous Voyage to Hemmersmoor". The former is when Metallica meets King Diamond, special touch the very impressive guitar solo. I also like how Troy doesn't hold back on the falsettos. The latter track almost merge together but with less high pitched screams, it goes more into the Powerwolf territory. Later on "Waken", THEM combine the aggressiveness of those first tracks with melody and epicness. Another early on highlight for me is the pair of high energy, super melodic and epic songs "Free" and "Field of Immortality". Great songs, very catchy and fist pumping. I also love the bass sound, it's not in your face but it is there and you can feel the ferocious beat throughout the album. But specially on "Field of Immortality". 

Despite being a theatrical album, I am happy the number of narrations and transition tracks is rather limited. which make the 49 minutes an ok length for the album, more on that later. Only 6 minutes of those are with the three narration based songs (the intro, "Memento Mori" and closer "Finis"). The single "Battle Blood" is another good song and I am happy it is placed at the final moments of the album. It makes it more interesting and gives us something to strive for as you heads towards the end. The last proper track "Maestro's Last Stand" is also an engaging closer.

The Picky Guy

Not that it's a surprise, but sometimes it is a bit too much King Diamond-like, for example the "The Thin Veil" with Miranda instead of Melissa. It's almost funny. The other thing "Return to Hemmersmoor" does get a bit long at the later part. A couple of tracks don't work as well. For example "Hellhounds".

Wrap Up Opinion 

I was positivily surprise with Return to Hemmersmoor when comparing to the previous records. The full packadge is top notch from the album cover to the production. It's all very well written and executed. Yes, it's nothing original but it is a lot of fun. Balancing those two sides, I give Return to Hemmersmoor 81/100 which means a confident good album. Having finished this trilogy, I hope they will build from here and maybe spread there wings and fly beyond the Kind Diamond framework.

SCORE: 81/100

Genre: Heavy Metal

Released by Steamhammer Records/SPV on October 30th, 2020

Rating System*
99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

* slightly adapted on May 24th, 2020 due to statistical review
wordcount = 614