CANNIBAL CORPSE Violence Unimagined | Weekly Heavy Metal Album Review

   

Released by Metal Blade Records on April 16th, 2021

Quick Background

Cannibal Corpse needs no introduction, the American death metal band has been around since 1989 and has released fourteen studio albums before Violence Unimagined.  As of 2015, they achieved worldwide sales of two million units for combined sales of all their albums, making them the top-selling death metal band of all time. They have had several lineup changes since their inception, with Bassist Alex Webster and drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz as the only constant members. Chris Barnes was the singer on the first four albums and then replaced by Corpsegrinder who debuted on 1996's Vile. 

Violence Unimagined

Violence Unimagined is now their fifteenth studio album. It is the band's first album in nearly four years since Red Before Black (2017), the longest gap between two records in Cannibal Corpse's career, and the first studio album to feature producer Erik Rutan on lead guitar, replacing Pat O'Brien in February 2021 after nearly two years of filling in for him on tour. Violence Unimagined is features 11 tracks and clocks in at 43 minutes. The album has of course two album covers for censorship reasons, given that the striking artwork from Vince Locke depicts a mother eating her own baby. 

The album opens with "Murderous Rampage" a 4 minute relentless fast tempo carnage. In the absence of a title track the song features the lyrics 'Violence unimagined' in its bridge. Which I find it always a cool thing. "Surround, Kill, Devour" is one of the heaviest songs and featuring one of the most memorable choruses. That's a very nice stamp of the album while very consistent on the surface, when paying attention to the songs each one has its own character and something distinct about them. The common thread is indeed the heaviness and how memorable the songs are. For example, "Necrogenic Resurrection" is almost a thrash metal song, what a cool riff and a breakdown and a solo Slayer inspired. Same goes for "Bound and Burned", also very thrashy and featuring several short guitar solos. "Follow the Blood" is very cool song and will do wonders live. It's very groovy but then as he screams 'Fire at will', it goes double speed and you can just imagine the crowed going nuts. It's a almost a prog death metal song with tempo changes and some subtle but cool base lines. 

Lyric wise, we know what to expect songs like "Cerements of the Flayed" says it all. "Slowly Sawn" feels like a description of a horror movie scene and it works, cause it's frightening and forms a scary picture in your head. "Inhumane Harvest", a song about organ harvesting and trafficking, was the first single. So, you get the picture.

The new member Erik wrote three full songs and while slightly different, they are trademark Cannibal Corpse. "Condemnation Contagion" which marks another song of thousands to come about the pandemic. It's not a gruesome lyrics but it works and I like the groove of the song, certainly bringing some diversity to the album flow.

The Picky Guy

But I must say that the two other songs "Ritual Annihilation" and "Overtorture" are actually my least favorites from the album. For no particular reason, but both fell flat for me despite the very demanding drumming. This is actually the most drum-intense album I've heard from the band. .

Wrap Up Opinion 

For those who like Cannibal Corpse, there's nothing really to complain here. The album is just more of the same but in style and well done it. Cannibal Corpse is known for consistent albums and for playing safe. And yet this is another high quality album at par with other recent releases of the band and therefore a worthy addition to the long and successful discography. A good 81/100 album that will please the fans but won't change anyone's perception of the band.

SCORE: 81/100

Genre: Death Metal

Released by Metal Blade Records on April 16th, 2021

Rating System

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

wordcount = 640

WHEEL Preserved in Time | Weekly Heavy Metal Album Review

   

Released by Cruz del Sur Music on April 9th, 2021

Quick Background

Wheel is a Doom Metal band formed in 2006 in Dortmund, Germany. The self-titled debut was released in 2010 and the successor Icarus came out 2013. The quartet has been a stable line-up with the exception of singer Arkadius Kurek taking a sabbatical in 2018. Wheel makes true, epic doom in the vein of Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus (most notably) and Trouble.

Preserved in Time

Preserved in Time is therefore Wheel's 4th full length studio album and first studio album in eight years. It runs for 48 minutes featuring 7 proper tracks. No intros, short instrumentals or anything like that. Just 7 mid to long proper traditional dooms songs. 

In recent years we were blessed with new albums capturing the Doom roots in both Europe and the US. Even the godfather themselves, Candlemass, came back with original singer and a good full length album. Sorcerer put out a very good album last year, but on the other hand Pallbearer was one of my disappointments of 2020. Preserved in Time is the first proper Doom album to hit my playlist in 2021. Overall the album is more in line with Sorcerer than American new Doom bands. Wheel do not lean towards death doom at all. The vocals are clean and mid range. "Hero of the Weak" is a small exception as it is heavier and darker than the rest of the album. It's actually one of my favorite, but it doesn't get anywhere close to Death/Funeral Doom. They also don't go too proggy, the longest track is the closer "Daedalus" running at 9 minutes. The other songs being around 7 min on average are extended due to the slow tempo and not because of long instrumental passages or solos. Actually, Wheel are very economical when it comes to guitar solos, maybe a missed opportunity. "At Night They Came Upon Us" opens the album with a nice riff reminding me of Rainbow. It's indeed not-so-slow song and it has a Mediterranean flavor due to the main riff and also a hint of Ghost. In sum, while still Doom, it's very traditional metal as well. The single "She Left in Silence" also works very well. Nice groove, doomy riffs and melody. Another favorite of mine is "Aeon of Darkness" and its moody acoustic intro is a nice touch 

The Picky Guy

None of the songs blew me away, even though most of them are good tracks. My specific problem were with songs number 2 and 3 which also caused an album flow problem for me. "When the Shadow Takes You Over" is very slow tempo and super doomy but it doesn't catch my attention. Then "After All" has this traditional Sabbath feel to it which is always a good thing, but the song title is repeated so many times, it gets annoying. Personally.

Wrap Up Opinion 

Wheel's Preserved in Time is a good alternative for those who can't get enough of traditional epic Doom classic albums. It won't bring anything new to your pallet, but it will satisfy the Doom hunger in you. Therefore it is a difficult album to grade. It's certainly well written, executed and produced, but it won't change your world. So that leads me to give it 80/100, a good album worth checking for Doom fans, specially those who favor Solitude Aeturnus.

SCORE: 80/100

Genre: Doom Metal

Released by Cruz del Sur Music on April 9th, 2021

Rating System

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

wordcount = xxx

Quickies: First Quarter 2021 Releases included ASPHYX, SOEN, TODD LA TORRE and EVERGREY

ASPHYX Necroceros (01/22)

Formed in the Netherlands in 1987, doom-laden death metal masters Asphyx returns after the previous and much acclaimed studio album Incoming Death from 2016. With a stable line-up for some years, the Asphyx of 2021 is a machine ticking like a clock with riff after gruesome riff, and very heavy ones! Paul Baayens (guitars) did not hold back in putting out a collection of ferocious riffs, one after the other. Martin Van Drunen (vocals) has a voice and style that reminds me a lot of At The Gates specially in the last two albums. It's death metal, but it's understandable. 

Recorded during lockdown, the band’s tenth studio album Necroceros is heavy and vicious! No room for fillers, just 10 heavy tracks in 50 minutes. It also sounds great, clear and bombastic. Necroceros was mixed and mastered by Sebastian "Seeb" Levermann who typically works with power metal bands. There's just something so captivating about this album from the first to last track. It's a very consistent album no songs stand out as the best or as a filler, it all flows perfectly. Is it a revolutionary album? No, but it'w very well written, executed and produced. From the get go the groove of "The Sole Cure is Death" gets you hooked and headbanging. But like in the whole album Asphyx blend classic Death Metal with Doom Metal. We hear that in this album opener as we reach a slow section in the middle of the song. By the time you reach track 2 "Molten Black Earth", you already know you are in for a journey, those intro riffs followed by the catchy verse is just phenomenal. Some other songs on the album will rely more on the Death Doom side of the band, such as in "Mount Skull" (great chord progression between verses with a relentless drumming underneath), the magnificent epic "Three Years of Famine" (positively reminds me of Metallica's "To Live is To Die"). Others are centered around 90's Death Metal including "Knights Templar Stand" and "Botox Implosion". The album closes with the monumental title track. Very heavy Death Doom song with some prominent drums. That's the cherry on top of this very heavy cake. The best album of January 2021 and probably will stay at the top of 2021 list. 

SOEN Imperial (01/29)

Swedish drummer Martin Lopez (ex-Opeth, Amon Amarth) joined forces with vocalist Joel Ekelöf to make music that is "melodic, heavy, intricate and different." Their debut album Cognitive was released on February 15, 2012. Fast forward to 2021 and Imperial is already their 5th studio album. From the get go I must say: Imperial is such a joy to listen to. With just 8 songs in 43 minutes, the album flies by with a whirlwind of emotions due to the intricate network of melodies submerged in a bliss of melancholy.  Don't get fooled by the almost Slipknot intro of "Lumerian". Despite being one of the heaviest tracks on the album, it's still trademark Soen sound. A mix of Opeth (it features none of the guttural vocals or Death Metal influences though) and Tool.  

The ability of Lopez and Ekelöf to create catchy and emotional melodies is something quite impressive. But their trademark sound goes beyond just that, it is also how they seamlessly mix those melodies and softer musical passages with some very heavy guitar riffs. Guitar solos are not overused but in some instances they are quite interesting such as in "Monarch" and "Modesty". One of the most distinct guitar songs is the bluesy "Illusion". The drumming on this album, not surprisingly, is just suburb but specially on "Antagonist", what a drum masterclass that is! And when you thought the album was quite emotional already, we get the closer "Fortune" which is a powerful emotional track like no other before. It is impossible not to be touched by it. You can feel the hearts of the band from the first to the last note. What a vocal performance and of course a guitar solo with so much feeling. 

The only misstep for me on Imperial is "Modesty". It came across a bit lame to me, even if it's nota bad song at all. And the only concern with the album is the fact that it is very similar to the previous one. Other than that, no complains at all. It sounds great and beautifully melancholic. It's subtle, but the elegant use of violins here and there brought a new dimension to some tracks. 

Soen sure isn't an instantaneously accessible music but with a bit of listener patience, album after album they proved to be one of the most prolific creators of rewarding pieces of progressive music today. Quiet honestly, I prefer any Soen albums over any Opeth album after Watershed. Ok, I said it, I know the critics fan-boys will shot me for this, but it's true, it's how I feel. You can't argue with personal preferences!  

TODD LA TORRE Rejoice In The Suffering (02/05)

Rejoice in the Suffering is the debut solo album by Queensrÿche vocalist Todd La Torre. Todd teamed up with longtime friend and collaborator Craig Blackwell (guitars, bass, keys), alongside Zeuss for mixing and mastering. The first four songs on the album are just great. A punch in the face! It's a pure metal overdose. Todd showcases all his vocal abilities. It's nothing like Queensrÿche, he sounds like Halford with hints of Bruce Dickinson and still keeping moments where he sounds more like in Queensrÿche and previously Crimson Glory. The album also displays a southern metal sound reminding us of Pantera or Black Label Society. But for better or worse, it is also a diverse heavy metal album that draws influence from different styles. Other songs are mid-tempo semi-ballads such as the single "Crossroads to Insanity"  and the closer and track #10 "Apology". The 10 songs run for about 45 minutes, so it's a pretty fun record to listen to. Additionally, the deluxe version of the album features 3 bonus tracks. While I appreciate the diversity of the record, I personally wish more songs were on the style of the opener "Dogmata" and the best song on the album "Pretenders". This one could easily be a 90's Judas Priest song. Throughput the album, the guitars are thick and riff driven, but not a lot of shredding. Overall, very good album that left me with wish for more. It's impressive and surprising how Tood can sing those songs. I hope he can influence Queensrÿche songs more prominently in the future and I'll be waiting for the sophemore release. 

EVERGREY Escape of the Phoenix (02/26)

The Swedish progressive metal band Evergrey 12th album named Escape Of The Phoenix is an ambitious and mostly energetic effort. A relatively long album running for one hour featuring 11 songs. The album brings what you would expect from this guys, including some missteps. The first couple of songs bring on the more metal side of the band which was almost absent from the previous effort The Atlantic. But already in track 3 "Stories" we get a very mellow ballad-ish song that to me breaks the flow of the frist songs. Despite the recovery with the good "A Dandelion Cipher" right after we have a big misstep with another mellow song featuring the annoying vocals of Dream Theater's James LaBrie on the song "The Beholder". Now I am a DT fan and never had a problem with his vocals, but with the years I am either getting more allergic to it or he is getting worse with age. And it's not because the song is slow tempo or mellow that I won't like it, for example "In the Absence of Sun" is another softer song but this one works with epicness and energy, not to mention a strong guitar solo leading to a powerful ending. Overall, the songs are more direct so sometimes I missed the progressiveness of early albums which we get a spark with this song. "Eternal Nocturnal" which is one of the best on the album and the tile track are two other powerful songs. "Escape of the Phoenix" would actually be the perfect album closer. But the album extends its welcome with three more songs and that definitely hurts the overal experience. While Escape of the Phoenix is a step up from the previous efforts and brings a more powerful album, it still features some issues. While not perfect though, there's a lot to enjoy here, so fans should be satisfied. 

SACRED OATH Return Of The Dragon | Weekly Heavy Metal Album Review

 

Released by Angel Thorne Music/SRGILS/Virgin/UMG (Independent) on April 2nd, 2021

Quick Background

Sacred Oath is an American heavy metal band from Connecticut. The band was originally formed in 1985 and released their debut album A Crystal Vision in January 1988 becoming a cult-classic as one of the pioneer efforts of the American power metal movement. But the band disbanded in December 1988. Sacred Oath reformed and re-recorded the songs from that album, releasing them as A Crystal Revision in 2005. Since then the band has been active and releasing new studio and live albums.

Return Of The Dragon

Return Of The Dragon is their 8th studio LP featuring 10 tracks and clocking in at 52 minutes. Now what's been interesting about this release is that the band streamed 5 album tracks at regular intervals along with original artwork, lyrics and video content before the full album was out. Meaning, 5 singles with cool specific visuals in advance. You can check the artwork here. The first one to be released was the title track which became song number 3 on the album. It's an interesting song starting with a slow piano melody that goes into some modern sounding guitar licks and jumps into the mid-tempo verse. The chorus is also unexpected with high pitched soft singing. The overall feeling is of a high quality hard rock / glam metal song. Now the best part is that it builds up into a heavy track half way through it, and by the way it is the longest song on the record with close to 7 min. I really dug this one, it's different and bold. "Hammer Of An Angry God" was another single and sounds very different from the title track. A 4-min headbanger more on the power metal veins with chugging guitars and catchy chorus. Back in January this was a good sample of the album because it is a diverse album. And I like it for it. There are no rules or expectations fixed. Each song is unique with its own character and choices. It does give the impression that choices were made in pro of the song regardless of where it was taking the sound of the band. Don't get me wrong it is still very concise and it feels like a cohesive band. And this combination is probably the greatest achievement of Return of the Dragon. Take the song  "At The Gates" for example, not sure if the name of the band is related, but the song is a very modern sounding one due to proggy djent guitar work.  On the other hand the closer track and 5th single "Root Of All Evil" is a power prog metal song, starting with acoustic guitar arpeggios and slow tempo singing that quickly builds into some heavy riffs and screaming. It's also a longer song featuring the coolest guitar solos on the album. 

The bass work is subtle but appreciated. Some Harris influences but not too much, the opening track and 4th single "Cthulhu Wakes" is a good example of some cool bass lines. Overall a very catchy song and good choice as opening track. And also the ending is typical Maiden, very nice reference. 

"Empires Fall" lyrics are at least intriguing, no it's not about Rome or anything like that, it's actually about heavy metal with the lyrics making references to Iron Maiden, Metallica and many others. Now I am not sure if they are implying that metal is dying or it will eventually die? Overall not my favorite song on the album and certainly the worse of the 5 singles. But still enjoyable.

The Picky Guy

Now my only complain about this album is actually quite unfair and personal. Rob Thorne's voice sometimes reminds me of Volbeat's singer and I hate it. But gradually I am getting over it and used to hear it for what it is without bad associations. With that said, I would like to actually have more of his harsher voice, for example in "Last Ride Of The Wicked Dead" his screams are so raw and energetic. It's one of my favorite songs on the album. Final critique, the second half of the album looses a bit of steam, but recovers will by closing with "Root Of All Evil"

Wrap Up Opinion 

Return Of The Dragon is a very good pure metal album without any frills and yet diversified with no creativity boundaries. While not super original, Sacred Oath creates an interesting mix of styles that captures the attention and it's lots of fun. For all those reasons I'm giving it 82/100, if you just want some good old traditional metal with touch of modern metal, then Return Of The Dragon is the way to go.

SCORE: 82/100

Genre: Heavy Metal

Released as Angel Thorne Music/SRGILS/Virgin/UMG (Independent) on April 2nd, 2021

Rating System

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

wordcount = 780