·Release of the week
The Haunted
·Other
albums this week
Anorexia Nervosa / Dragonland / Daysend / God Lives Underwater / Heartplay / Mike Longo
and the New York State of the Art Jazz Ensemble / Pig Destroyer / Riverside / Safe Heaven / Silver / Valerian
Singles/EP’s this week
K-Again / Peachcake / The Lord
Henry
· All releases are out now unless otherwise
noted
· All reviews written by Hans Jįkup Eišisgarš
Release of the
week:
The Haunted; rEVOLVEr
Century Media
(Provided by Target Distribution)
I’ve praised at least
two other death metal albums earlier this year as the best ones to have been released this year, but let’s just clear
the table right away, shall we? Because Swedish super melo-death/thrash outfit is ready with their fourth full-length and
it’s freakin’ brilliant. It’s the best that has been released thus far this year and quite expectably the
best that will be released all year and beyond. These guys pull no punches, kicking off this album with an incredible energy
and an unbelievable technical musical capacity, while maintaining that feeling throughout. You have to own this one. (JJJJJ-)
Release date: 18th October 2004
Other albums this
week:
Anorexia Nervosa; Redemption Process
Listenable Records
(Provided by Target Distribution)
After their break with Osmose Productions
last year, French symphonic black metallers Anorexia Nervosa are back with their first album in three years and fourth album
all in all after having signed to Listenable Records earlier this year, making Listenable being the bands third label over
the course of four albums. As far as symphonic black metal goes these French white-faced gentlemen are top-notch and should
have most of their Norwegian contemporaries looking nervously over their shoulders. (JJJJ--)
Release date: 12th October 2004
Daysend; Severance
Locomotive Music
(Provided by Target Distribution)
Hailing from Sydney, Australia, Daysend
is a melodic death metal band that began their career as recently as in 2002 (although having played in different bands before).
Judging upon that, it’s actually quite impressive how well-playing and technical these guys really are, but perhaps
it’s unfortunate for them that I just listened to the new The Haunted CD before I listened to this one, because judging
on that it’s obvious that these guys still have some maturing to do. But this is definitely a good debut that finally
sees a release in Europe, a year later than in the homeland. (JJJJ--) Release date: 25th October 2004
Dragonland; Starfall
Century Media
(Provided by Target Distribution)
Century Media has been releasing a steady
flow of great albums lately in practically every hard music genre imaginable and the release of Dragonland’s “Starfall”
is no exception, although it would be understandable if you expected just another melodic metal album based on the lack of
imagination when choosing a band-name. But, really, this Swedish six-piece is as good a melodic metal band as any these days
with their well-put-together arrangements. I like the vocals. They’re of the typical melodic metal variety, but they’re
not as pushed as so often within this genre. I also like the small portions of progressive metal that comes to the surface
every now and then, adding sort of a Dream Theater-feel when needed. (JJJJ--)
Release date: 25th October 2004
God Lives Underwater; Up Off The Floor
Locomotive Music
(Provided by Target Distribution)
God Lives Underwater is one of the many
bands that Rick Rubin discovered in the 90’s after ending up with a demo of theirs in his hands. Later these guys also
released their debut album on his label, American Records, before signing with major-label A&M Records and releasing yet
another album in 1998. After having been with the majors, toured with the likes of pop-ska sensation No Doubt, ska-legends
Sublime and over-the-top metal-band Deftones, these guys finally find themselves back on a small label, but that doesn’t
stop them from writing good quality hook-laden and metallic rock music with pop-sensibilities. Definitely worth checking out.
(JJJJ--) Release date: 25th October 2004
Heartplay; Where The Deadens Meet
MTM Music
(Provided by Target Distribution)
There are lots of these bands in Sweden
it seems and MTM Music always seems to find them. Heartplay is yet another fairly well-playing and rather catchy melodic rock
band that definitely will have fans of the genre smiling from ear to ear. Unlike a lot of the other bands of this kind that
have been releasing stuff lately, these guys don’t have any star-players on their team, but it doesn’t seem to
bother them much. They’re good. (JJJJ--) 11th October
2004
Mike Longo and the New York State of the
Art Jazz Ensemble; Oasis
Consolidated Artists Productions
(Provided by The Creative Service Company)
Here’s a 13-track and 75 minutes long
big-band CD, which is the 18th album of pianist Mike Longo. It’s not swinging big-band jazz as you might
expect, but instead be-bop and jazz. There’s a 13-peice horn section in this 17-piece big-band. It’s no doubt
that this is the work of a man who knows what he’s doing. (JJJ---)
Pig Destroyer; Terrifyer
Relapse Records
(Provided by Target Distribution)
How typically grindcore is it that Pig Destroyers
new album, “Terrifyer”, features 21 tracks but only clocks in just about half an hour? But honestly, that’s
one of the most positive things I can say about grindcore lately, because that way you don’t have to spend that much
time on the CDs. Generally speaking, I mean. Most of you have probably noticed that I’ve picked on a lot of grindcore
albums that have landed on my desk, but for some reason I kind of like Pig Destroyer. Perhaps it’s the fact that they
actually try and mix other things into their fast and furious grind-songs, which gives them the slightly more interesting
twist so many grindcore bands are desperately in need of these days. (JJJJ--)
Release date: 25th October 2004
Riverside; Out of Myself
The Laser’s Edge
(Provided by Intromental Management)
Supposedly inspired by the likes
of Porcupine Tree, Anathema, Opeth and Pink Floyd, these Polish newcomers surely don’t intend to shy away within the
progrock scene. Personally I am hearing more Porcupine Tree and Pink Floyd here than Anathema and Opeth, which is fine by
me because this is quite an impressive debut just as it is. Definitely worthy of any serious psychedelic progrock fan’s
attention. (JJJJ--)
Safe Heaven; Safe Heaven
MTM Music
(Provided by Target Distribution)
This
not really my idea of Heaven, but it’s definitely what I’d call safe. Safe melodic hard rock featuring former
Yngwie Malmsteen singer Michael Vescera and former Jeff Scott Soto bassist Chris McCarvil. This is pretty basic adult oriented
rock featuring both hard rockers and lighter ballads, but judging from the thousands of CDs like this that are already out
there, these guys find themselves somewhere in the middle. Average. (JJJ---) Release date: 18th October 2004
Silver; Addiction
MTM Music
(Provided by Target Distribution)
So I put this CD on, right –
thinking it will be just another melodic rock album from MTM Music, because oftentimes they sound pretty alike. You know,
like 40-year-old long-haired men that never got out of the 80’s? But damn it and spank me ‘til I scream I was
wrong about this band. This is the best melodic AOR album I’ve heard all year – there’s no doubt that about
it. The band is made up by members and ex-members of bands like Deep Purple, MSG, H-Blockx, Ozzy Osbourne, Poul Gilbert, Rainbow,
Whitesnake, Gary Moore and more, which probably explains how it can be that these guys are so freakin’ good... And they
don’t even sound that much like all the other AOR bands on MTM. These guys are head and shoulders over the rest. (JJJJJ-)
Release date: 25th October 2004
Valerian; Intimations of Sorrow
City Canyons Records
It’s good to hear that Finland are about other things than all things metal. That’s not to say that
newcomers Valerian aren’t wearing a few metal-influences on this, their debut-album out in November on City Canyons
Records. No, actually they are, but this is far from a metal album. It’s more of a modern melodic indie and alt-rock
album with crunchy guitar-riffs and souring solos. So there’s more modern rock in Finland than The Rasmus? Hmm. I like it. (JJJJ--) Release date: 2nd
November 2004
Singles/EP’s
this week:
K-Again; Memories of an evolution
Self-released
Hot on the heals of their “UltraVIOLENCE” release from last year one should think that these guys
would have a much better product in their hands this time around, especially given the fact that ex-Soulfly/Machine Head member
Logan Mader produces it this time around. I am not saying that it’s bad or anything, because it’s not... Far from
it. it’s just that I don’t hear these Italians having matured over the past year. Or perhaps it’s just the
fact that nu-metal is getting tiring? For fans of the more aggressive side of nu-metal. (JJJ---)
Peachcake; Chain Letter EP
Self-released
First off, you gotta love a title-track like “I Fell In Love With You While Listening To My Favoirte Morrissey
Album”, don’t you? Secondly, you have to take notice when a band that has already shared the stage with major
bands such as Junior Senior and IMA Robot as well as other big names within rock. This is their first EP featuring four tracks
primarily sounding like 80’s synth-pop but also mixing in a bit of indie-pop for good measure. Not quite frontpage material
just yet, but they’re going there. (JJJ---)
The Lord
Henry; Voila
Self-released
These Americans really have a lot of things in common with The White Stripes. First of there’s that
“The” in the name. Secondly they fit really nicely into that whole retro-rock garage-revival
thing that was totally in for a few minutes back there somewhere. Should I go on? Okay, they’re a duo. One of them plays
guitar and sings while the other one plays drums and sings. Lots of things, huh? Someone said that these guys were like The
White Stripes meeting The Strokes except with better songs and I am willing to say that that’s not far of. But they
don’t have quite the some hit-potential, though. (JJJJ--)
