DIVINITY DESTROYED - Eden In Ashes

DIVINITY DESTROYED
Eden In Ashes
Screaming Ferret Records
7.5/10





Combining melodic death with folk music has been attempted in the past, but none have faced these two contrasts with as much success as you will hear on “Eden In Ashes”. With this release, Divinity Destroyed touches upon a sound that is wholly different, with a strong emphasis placed upon varying musical textures, resulting in an album that is a divisive stroke toward an entirely new musical journey.

Vocalist Mark Ward imparts an approach that strives toward originality, his vocal timbre giving Divinity Destroyed a sound which is refreshingly tuneful, while delivering enough aggressiveness to keep the tracks powerful. Many of the instrumental passages are very much similar to early Thought Industry, with the group paying particular heed to deft arrangements which keeps their compositions from becoming boring.

Divinity Destroyed does not however, muddle the mix with so many odd time signatures that it makes it overtly difficult to follow the music, instead, keeping a surefooted balance between progressive instrumentation and sound harmonic structure on tracks like the engaging “Borealis” and the intensely captivating “Sweet Heresy”, a song in which some Gothenburg influence accents the track’s over all folk metal nature.

Drummer Dan Leonard delivers a standout performance, taking abstract beats and accents and making them fit the varied patterns of the music’s diverse arrangements very well.

At once progressive and powerful, “Eden In Ashes” is the manifestation of a highly original act which more than deserves the attention of those who can appreciate poignantly brilliant metal songcrafting.

Written By: Digital VonNerdly

WOLVERINE - The Window Purpose

WOLVERINE
The Window Purpose
Earache Records
8/10





Wolverine is a group that manages to fuse the epic nature of power metal, the melodic aspects of traditional heavy metal, highly modern experimentation and a slight amount of death metal which is used for emphasis, resulting in a potent combination that makes for an engaging listen. On this re-release of the group’s debut full length, fans have the opportunity to discover the roots of this highly dynamic and talented sextet.

“The Window Purpose” was originally released in extremely small quantities and it is wonderful that Earache Records has decided to put this material out there for the public en masse, because this is on all levels, an engaging effort that stands up to anything else in the genre quite well. “End” seethes with an imposing darkness that many bands of this nature are unable to achieve.

Stefan Zell is a truly a fantastic vocalist. His singing is filled with melody and he has an excellent range that suits the band’s compositions perfectly. Possessing an excellent range and a commanding presence, his performance here rests with the finest output going. Moreover, the instrumentation is top notch, the sans vocals melodies of “…” offer rich textures and make for a decent interlude between pieces. “Leaving Yesterday” is filled with emotion as the group embarks upon an impressive foray of varied moods, punctuated by the tasteful addition of keyboardist Andreas Baglien’s crystal clear piano break. If radio programmers could think outside of the very narrow box they impose upon the public, this song could be enormously popular.

“Towards Loss” is vibrant and aggressive, with Stefan Zell’s highly emotive vocals pushing this track into the stratosphere as the band employs an extremely dark take on modern rock rhythms and harmonies. Wolverine is amongst the most creative and talented of bands playing this progressive style of music today, and quite likely the darkest of them all. “The Window Purpose” does not fail to disappoint as any fan of the group’s current direction will find this to be a highly entertaining release that offers up everything that fans of this genre love. Highly recommended.

Written By: Haystack McLovin'

LIFEND - Innerscars

LIFEND
Innerscars
Cruz Del Sur Music
5/10




Lifend takes the male/female, dual vocal approach on “Innerscars”, a record that features well crafted songs and some of the most interesting compositional approaches in recent memory, but which often suffer from a jumbled sounding production during the album’s heavier sections. The guitar tones lack the thickness and edge that they deserve and vocally, things are at times too loud in the mix.

There are some quite original things happening on tracks like “Blood-Red-Pain” and “Absence” that are worthy of a listen. The title track finds vocalists Alberto and Sara combining for a style that is reminiscent of Orphanage, while “Absence” kicks off with a beautiful acoustic passage that is nicely complimented by the soothing vocalizations of Sara. However, for this type of music, the heavier parts are mixed a bit chaotically. The group throws in some truly jazzy parts here, emphasized by a smooth saxophone sound.

Axe-wielder Andrea is a very skilled player bringing slick arpeggios and frantic riffing into the foray. During the breakdowns he performs some excellent classical styled acoustic playing, using nylon strings in order to give the tunes warmth. If you dropped Alberto’s voice in the mix a bit, these songs would sound much better. It is not that he delivers a poor performance, but his raw style at times overpowers the other players. “In Darkness I Bleed” is a tuneful interlude that focuses on the impressive technique of Andrea as the continuing saxophone theme gives the cut a different dimension. “Shattering Assurance” opens with synth tones that lapse into chaotic blasting. The songs on “Innerscars” are very well written and the band carries an impressive presence performance-wise, but the production is often very challenging throughout the course of the album.

There's a great deal of potential for this band to broaden the horizons of extreme music with their entertaining arrangements and unique ideas. If you can get past the mix, there’s a lot that’s great about this release, especially the immensely original concept of adding the sax sounds.

Here’s looking forward to some great things from this band in the future as Lifend is an ensemble that show a high degree of potential to do some truly great things from a purely artistic, experimental standpoint.


ERIN FOX © 2005 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

BEARVSSHARK - Terrorhawk

BEARVSSHARK
Terrorhawk
Equal Vision Records – 2005
6/10




Edginess makes all of the difference, a sharp, slicing sensibility which lives deeply within the soul of the music that Bearvsshark create, but this edginess alone cannot stop the bands drawn out and downright dull songs from becoming boring.

People figured out long ago that there is more to music that beating on instruments formlessly. The key to a great song lies in its performance, memorability and originality, but Bearvsshark come off like the drunken guy that’s up trying to sing karaoke at 1:55 am.

While they do manage to make a spectacle of themselves, it’s not exactly the type of attention that they may have been seeking to begin with. “Terrorhawk” lacks direction; its loose flowing jams might make it with a more talented singer but the noodling ends up as completely vacant without a frontman that can bring it all together.

Essentially abstract crap for the college kids to waste time with, the songs here are without focus and the distinct amateur feel imparted by jams like “Heard From Bug, “They’re Coming To Town” gives you the impression that these dorky melodies were drummed up in a drugged out haze in a studio somewhere that had little better to do that organize a jam for locals.

Ultimately, this record does not signify that this act is anything that people would be willing to check out for anything less than free. Bearvsshark might be honed in at pulling any old thing directly from their ass, but it takes much more to make music interesting than that. Duller than dull.


ERIN FOX © 2005 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

ATROX - Orgasm

ATROX
Orgasm
Code666 Records - 2004
7.5/10




Blend atom smashing riffs, colorful operatic female vocals and some commendable sonic experimentation and you have Atrox.

For those who like their metal a bit on the weird side, the band show here that they can deliver a very powerful performance on tracks such as ‘Methods Of Survival’ and ‘Tentacles’. Lapsing between ten ton metal riffs and dream state clean passages with ease, this is a band of extremely skilled players that have a passion for odd time signatures and bizarre noises.

Devotees of Mr. Bungle, jazz metal and plain old weird music in general will flock to this like bums chasing a dollar on a string. Definitely different and undeniably unique, Atrox can blow your backyard black metal project off the stage.

Check it out if you like to hear bands that are completely original, there is no mistaking that Atrox indeed rocks! The album cover alone is enough to send most music listeners on a long, strange trip from which they may never return.


ERIN FOX © 2005 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

AINA - Days Of Rising Doom

AINA
Days Of Rising Doom
Transmission Records
10/10




Of all of the ensembles to attempt a metal opera, Aina succeed like none other with “Days Of Rising Doom – The Metal Opera”, a massive collection of wonderfully arranged symphonic metal tracks that would be appealing to fans of just about any type of metal that can deal with actual singing.

The thunderous strains of “Revelations” flow perfectly into the starkly beautiful “Silver Maiden”, a cut which sounds as if it were lifted directly from a big budget film. With tremendous string arrangements and a decidedly folkish passage that is emphasized by a soaring refrain, Aina manage to manifest a tremendously dynamic effect. “Flight Of Torek” is perhaps the definitive power metal anthem, featuring passionate vocals and a torrid double bass pacing that launches this track directly into the stratosphere.

“The Siege Of Aina” is one of this record’s highlights, with its chanting choirs and relentless pace. This song’s chorus is perhaps the best on the entire album, as the story unwinds into a stunningly dramatic chorus. The breakdown in the center section of this track is simply killer, providing an impression of the massing of a dark army before launching into a blisteringly torrid guitar solo. The sting arrangements which grace this track are top notch as well and lead into a superb duet which brings this piece to coda.

The most appealing aspect of this record is the amount of thought and creativity that it took to construct a project of this scope. Packaged to appear as a book, the complete collection includes two full discs and a DVD which documents the making of the entire affair.
This album is so comprehensive that it is literally too much information to list, but rest assured, not only does this superior effort contain excellent production, songwriting and performance, but it also includes an extremely involved story which threads throughout the entire effort and a massive host of guests that include some of the most respected names in the field.

If you consider yourself to be a fan of progressive or power metal and you do not own this thrilling, fantastic achievement, you really are doing yourself a grave injustice because this enormous, well put together and produced collection is nothing less than mandatory listening.

If you own any one album in the genre at all, this should be the one.


ERIN FOX © 2005 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Prototype - Continuum

Prototype
Continuum
Nightmare Records
8.5/10




Riff-wise, there’s a lot of Megadeth influence happening on “Continuum,” but Prototype fleshes out these ideas to a large degree, balancing their sharp rhythm attacks with plenty of progressive leanings. Kicking things off with a furious opener in “The Way It Ends,” Prototype delivers exactly what fans of the style are looking for, solid vocals, meaty riffs and technical ability. Vince Levalois handles vocals and guitar duties for the group, bringing a convincing presence to cuts like “Probe” and “Synthespian,” which features a blistering bout of rhythmic flair. It’s easy to get excited about a band that delivers with such assertiveness. Prototype not only has the skill, they have the emotion that needs to compliment such brilliant technical displays.

There’s a lot of depth in the group’s songwriting as they fluctuate from a slow-paced, shimmering sensation during “Devotion,” explore a multitude of sounds during “With Vision,” and reach toward warm acoustic sounds on the acoustic aside of “Sea Of Tranquility.” In balancing their progressive outbursts with focused thrashing and plenty of melody, Prototype creates songs that are quite memorable, even while often being highly complex and removed from the norm. You won’t find any immodest wankery here, just excellent musicianship issued with an eye toward the big picture – the actual song itself.

All in all, “Continuum” is quite a strong showing from a band that appears to be headed places within the realm of progressive metal. Futuristic, abstract and undeniably heavy, Prototype has what it takes to make minds think and heads bang. What more could you ask for from this type of group?


ERIN FOX © 2007 – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED