Theli, by Therion.

*****

Words are tricky things, and I’m finding it hard to summon the right ones to do sufficient justice to this album. Listening to Theli isn’t just an audio experience, it’s piece of art to be absorbed with your full attention. Grandiose choirs lilt and rise against a carefully woven architecture of majestic strings, stirring keyboard melodies and marvellous guitars that are highlighted just so with neoclassical tones to both contrast and blend with these beautiful arrangements, all underpinned with sterling rhythm work that keeps the metal quota of this record firmly in the foreground, never to be over-swamped by the orchestra or choir. Christofer Johnsson is the Mozart of metal, blending his keen love of classical music and heavy metal with careless ease, a master artisan sculpting a tour de force that after twelve years, even Therion themselves have yet to better, never mind the competition. A complex and demanding listen this no doubt is, but one that avoids alienating upon your first listen through the sheer quality of musicianship on display and the artful, catchy hooks that are littered throughout this towering giant of an album. Further listens lead you on a wondrous journey to discover all the intricacies of this paragon of symphonic metal. Rousing, heartfelt, beautiful and essential, praise is something this album could never get enough of.

Formulas Fatal to the Flesh - Morbid Angel

*****

I didn't know what to expect going into Formulas Fatal to the Flesh. Was I going to find a healthy progression from the atrocity that was Altars of Madness? Or was I going to find more of the same? Thankfully, I didn't have to clog my ears with cotton wool this time round. Formulas is a three-man effort by Morbid Angel, featuring new vocalist and bassist Steve Tucker, who brings a deep, aggressive vocal assault on the classic Morbid Angel formula of wild guitar solos, detuned riffs and blistering double bass. Formulas is a much more refined and clean record than Altars of Madness, while maintaining the speed and brutality, in essence showing the maturing writing style of Azagthoth, who writes well over half of the songs. The solos are, in typical Azagthoth fashion, chaotic, with a shedload of whammy abuse and two-handed tapping. Formulas is a very underrated album, but definately lives as one of Morbid Angel's classic albums and one worth checking out for the Death Metal connoisseur.

Must Download: "Heaving Earth", "Bill Ur-Sag"

On the Wings of Phoenix, by Symbyosis

*****

Technical, hook laden riffs.
Check.
Articulate, note perfect solos (No really, they are perfection!)
Check.
Beguiling, complementive bass lines.
Check.
Stylish, jazzy, impressive drum work.
Check.
Excellent definable death growls and understated, memorable keyboard and choral flourishes.
Double check.
Symbyosis are definitely ticking all the right boxes here and straight from the get go, the progressive touches of On the Wings of Phoenix set out to challenge you while remaining extremely listenable, producing a sonic medley of melodic death metal ingenuity that commands your full attention. If I was to mention nothing else, I simply must make note of Nikos Kevorkian and Franck Kobolt, a rather formidable guitar duo. While you can hear various influences in their fret work, they sound fresh, very much with a sound all their own, which is something to be commended in a market full of factory made melodic death. In fact every member of this band puts in a stunning, virtuoso performance. Whats more, this is a double album, with the second disc, titled Phoenix Ashes, containing some very entertaining covers, B Sides, remixes and most importantly the continuation of the “Crusades” saga, a masterpiece suite of songs started on their fist EP, The Fluid. This is nothing more or less than truly distinguished, absorbing metal of the highest order that while deceptively simple, remains hard for me to describe, leaving me with no more words to say except if you don’t check this out, you’re depriving yourself of something extraordinarily special.

In Sorte Diaboli by Dimmu Borgir

*****

In Sorte Diaboli by Dimmu Borgir

In Sorte Diaboli is by far the bands’ most powerful and epic debut to date. In Sorte takes the band to the next step after Death Cult Armageddon and features the same line up of talented musicians. More guitar driven than its predecessor lacking the use of full symphony but none the less epic and also is the bands first fully conceptual album, following the story of a priest who witnesses the unfair killing of innocent people and becomes “Antichrist” following him on his journey up to the point of his burning at the stake. The opener “The Serpentine Offering” starts up slow and then erupts into full fury taking the album to a powerful start. Shagrath’s vocals are in perfect form providing his best performance to date. Galder and Silenoz’s duo guitar work shows off epic writing while ICS Vortex holds the line down with powerful solid bass work and little bits of his operatic singing style. All the while the best drumming to date on a Dimmu album provided by none other than Hellhammer of Mayhem. This album begins hard and just gets heavier and more epic with the only stop being the haunting intermission track “The Fallen Arises”. However the tempo is immediately picked back up by the thundering “The Heretics Hammer”. I believe In Sorte Diaboli provides Dimmu Borgir’s most memorable songs since Stormblast. An absolute must have for any old Dimmu fans however I also recommend it to people who are not fans as I have heard many people say they do enjoy this album even if they are not typically Dimmu Borgir fans. Without a doubt this is an example of symphonic black metal at it’s best.

Must Listen: "The Serpentine Offering", "The Sacrilegious Scorn","The Foreshadowing Furnace"

Bathory, Self Titled

***

Bathory, Self titled

Bathory’s self titled debut is a solid blast of heavy thrash inspired early black metal much in the vein of Venom, and I can’t help but say is similar though much less complex than modern Skeletonwitch. Though the early touches of black metal are lyrically obvious I would venture to say that this album really has more in common with dark thrash than modern black metal. Vocally a early style of black growl is combined with more evil sounding thrash vocals to create a pretty good balance accompanied by simple yet effective thrash guitar riffs, and solid but standard drumming and bass make this album very enjoyable but not very life changing. Though I suspect it would have had a much greater effect when it was released than it does now.

Must Listen: Storm of Damnation, and Armageddon

Traces Of Nothingness - Svartsinn

****
Ever thought what about what the soundtrack of a troubled mind would sound like? Or sonic reflections about being in that state? How about musical soundscapes about the turmoil and tribulations in life? Well there's an artist known as Svartsinn who not only thought about this but actually succeeded in composing such soundscapes in the form dark ambient music. Traces of Nothingness is the grand morbid finale in the Svartsinn trilogy, the previous two releases being Devouring Consciousness and Of Darkness and Re-Creation respectively. Devouring Darkness deals mainly with troubled times in the life of the artist and Of Darkness and Re-Creation sees the artist contemplating those times of turmoil. With Traces of Nothingness Svartsinn gives a dark overview on the struggles of life in general, and one hell of view at that i might add.Traces of Nothingness for one thing breaks the cycle in the typical dark ambient cliche. The complexity and diversity in in the overall sound shows an achievement in sonic evolution and musical maturity in the genre of dark ambiance. The listener is immediatly transported to a world of desolation where feelings of loss, grief, loneliness, despair and depression create the atmosphere. One of the most remarkable aspects of this grim creation is it's ability to permeate the listener with these feelings; you feel what Svartsinn felt in this album. For almost one hour spanning eight tracks you will a captive in the dark realm that Traces of Nothingness takes you to. Highlights on this morbid masterpiece include Traces of Nothingness, Misanthropic Odyssey and Through Apathetic Eyes. I suggest that if bleak and dark ambient music is your desire, desperately seek out Traces of Nothingness and take a 'misanthropic odyssey' with Svartsinn.

Must Downloads - Traces of Nothingness, Misanthropic Odyssey

Voimasta Ja Kunniasta - Moonsorrow

*****

I've always heard the word 'epic' used frequently in music to describe a band or album but i never gave it much thought; that abruptly changed when i first heard Voimasta Ja Kunniasta by Moonsorrow. Personally i think the definition of epic does not even begin to describe the sheer greatness of this band's stellar blackened viking/folk metal release.
Voimasta Ja Kunniasta which basically means ' of strength and honor' starts off with a beautiful piano intro called 'Tyven', very short and sweet and instantly sets the mood of the album. Immediately after this is an immensely catchy battle hymn called 'Sankariha' which kicks off with perfectly executed raspy scream. Amazing guitars of great harsh vocals make this a most enjoyable listening experience. It should be noted however that this song is the template for the following songs, so if you don't like it you may not like the album at all. Now comes the more folk sounding 'Kylan Paassa', again great guitars and the signature scream. Following is 'Hidenpelto including Hapean Haijaiset Vedet' which one of my favorites on the album it is a much slower and darker piece than the previous tracks, here some good drumming and guitar work(some acoustic as well) augment perfectly with the harsh vocals and the background keyboard effect that adds a lot of the ambience throughout the entire album. Some great riffs can be found here, i especially like the one that starts at around 4.05. There's a nice instrumental interlude just before the end of the song. Awesome stuff! 'Aurinko ja Kuu' starts with an acoustic intro, the guitars and scream kick in at around 0.32. Nice chorus of deep clean vocals punctuate this one, superb instrumentation as well. Finally comes 'Sankaritarina' my other favorite and arguably the best track, as well as being the longest, being 13.50 in length. It starts off with the sound of wind and waves and within a few minutes of you hear how atmospheric and epic this track really is. One might comment about some of the repetitive aspects of the album. I'll admit that even though the basic formula of the songs are sort of repetitive, the music and overall feel is in no way boring, even though the songs are pretty long.
Veteran fans of viking/folk metal will love this, also highly recommended to those new to this genre and want an excellent album to start off with.
Must download - Hidenpelto, Sankaritarina

Burnt Offerings - Iced Earth

*****

Genius. Masterpiece. Inspired. These mere adjectives fail to attest to just how stunning this album truly is. When legendary talents such as Matt Barlow and Jon Schaffer combine, the results are always near as damn it going to be universally magnificent, but this, Iced Earth’s magnum opus, is where they really shined. Dark and theatrical, it remains their heaviest work to date and Burnt Offerings majestically ascends to another level under its menacing, galloping assault. Schaffer will never, ever, be able to “masturbate” his guitar as say the likes of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai do with such elegant ease, but his riffs are something wondrously special. It’s a testament then, to just how towering this record is, that those thunderous riffs aren’t even the highlight of this audible delight. Matt Barlow must surely qualify as the greatest singer to grace the world of metal. And that is no overstatement. What must be lungs of iron allow him to burst forth in a baritone boom that demands your immediate attention, yet he can also call upon some mighty falsetto screams that are a joy to hear. Simply god like. Rod Beasley, who makes his one and only appearance as Iced Earths drummer doesn’t get left in the dust either. His double bass work is perfection, and it’s a shame he never got to record again with Schaffer and Co. Special mention is to be made about one particular song to. The epic “Dante's Inferno”, a 16 minute swirling ride into the depths of hell that has to be heard to be believed. Just buy this album and let yourself be blown away.

Must Download - "Dante's Inferno", "Burnt Offerings"

The Apostasy by Behemoth

****

The Apostasy by Behemoth

This was another album I bought highly recommend and I was not disappointed.

From a bombastic opening track this mix of black/death metal quickly begins to take shape pounding your skull in with lightning guitars, thundering bass, and drumming that could signal the apocalypse. Apostasy is an incredibly hard hitting album that in just moments made me a firm believer in Behemoth. Nergal shows amazing skill with both his vocals and guitar work. He performs a powerful form of death grunt while still managing to keep speed, understandability, and tone. The split guitar work between Nergal and Seth (session guitarist) is very tight knit and powerful with both their rhythm, solos, and intro work (I.E. the Spanish sounding intro to “At the Left Hand ov God”) that keeps the album from falling into the trap of sameness that befalls a lot of death metal bands. Orion holds the deep end of the album down with very powerful bass work that cannot be ignored while at the same time does not interfere with the guitar or drums. Inferno manages to impress as one of the best drummers I have heard recently pounding out both speed and technical annihilation with his drums. All in all this was an amazing purchase that left me wanting more as my only complaint was that at 39:43 this album is just too short. Behemoth indeed is a band I will be continuing to explore later on.

Must Download: At the Left Hand ov God, Prometherion, Inner Sanctum (featuring: Warrel Dane of Nevermore)

Now, Diabolical - Satyricon

**
I bought this album highly recommended, but let me first say I was sadly disappointed in what in this purchase. Now before anyone sends me a bomb, let me explain my reasoning. The album starts off pretty decent and holds strong with a good catchy - dare I say groove oriented - guitar and drum sound and pretty well near negligible bass lines and easy to understand well enunciated black metal vocals at a near talk speed. But this is exactly the problem - almost every song on the CD has the same profile. While there really are no bad songs there aren’t any really good ones either and it gets old around the half way point. Satyr has an amazing voice that he really doesn’t use and basically talks his way through the entire album. I assume that if he really tried he could be a good guitarists but he pretty well keeps it simple and writes catchy but ignorable guitar and bass rhythms. For all the skill Frost seems to have as a drummer he seems to pretty well keep the same simple formula through the entire album as well making it pretty boring after a few tracks. I have tried to listen to this album several times but I for one am not a believer in the power of Satyricon and will think long and hard before I dare to buy another album.

Must Downloads - Now, Diabolical, K.I.N.G., To the Mountains.

Adagio - Solitude Aeturnus

***
Adagio is an album that I actually got in a CD grab bag so wasn’t one I purchased on my own and really isn’t my type of metal but none the less grew on me in an odd way so I decided to review it. Upon the first few listens the thing that immediately strikes me are the powerful vocals. Which are powerful and over the top at moments yet angry and menacing. The guitars also stand out slower but powerful riffs and solos that are pretty memorable. The album as a whole has a fusion sound about it like classic metal, doom, and stoner fused together in a very Sabbath like way. The drums also stand out as being very prominent without just being overbearing. The songs all have a bit of a mystical ancient vibe about it reminding me oddly like Nevermore and Nile. The album rounds off with a same like consistency but it fits the music well and doesn’t become horrible or boring and is finished with my favorite cover of “Heaven and Hell” that I have ever heard which almost in its self makes this album worth buying. In closing it’s an album I enjoy a lot when I listen to it but for my personal tastes its not one I choose to listen to constantly.



Must Download: Believe, Never, Heaven and Hell (Black Sabbath Cover)

Advent Parallax - Averse Sefira

****

Neither as bitterly harsh nor as brutally technical as their last opus, Tetragrammatical Asytgmata, Advent Parallax instead focuses on something different: Musicianship. An album of well constructed and supremely executed songs, songs that breathe and bloom, expanding under Sanguine Mapsama’s carefully woven, cyclonic riffs and backed by the storming yet articulate drum work of The Carcass. Sanguine’s vocals are also to be commended, for while they follow the stereotypical rasping screams of most Black metal, he inflects them just so, making them much more discernable than most. The bass too deserves praise for while Wrath Sathariel Diabolus’s lines may not be of the highest order, they are mixed perfectly and carried out with competence. Do not however, take all this to mean this is another bland dose of Melodic Black metal. It’s full of all the abrasiveness and ice bitten edge you could want, it’s just given room to grow under excellent production and crafty, superior writing. Forget that Averse Sefira are American, and just bask in the glow of this glorious album. Recommended.


Must Download - “Refractions of an Unexploded Singularity”

Amanethes - Tiamat

****

I've been a fan of Tiamat since their 1990 début Sumerian Cry. To me Tiamat represents one of the most influential bands in metaldom period. It’s been five long years their last full length 2003's Prey. I could go so far as to say I was 'praying' for a new Tiamat release! Let me make this very clear, this year's Amanethes was well worth the wait. First off I find Amanethes quite outstanding and different from Tiamat's past albums. The blueprint for this is a unique musical structure, which intertwines perfectly with the melancholic lyrics. This coupled with sonic sophistication and diversity is what sets this album apart from the rest. Listeners may say they hear similarities between this and previous albums, and technically this would be correct. Amanethes does have similarities to the other albums but is very different on closer examination (multiple listens). The album is for one thing definitely darker and heavier than the others. Interestingly enough vocalist/producer Johan Edlund's voice has morphed into a morbidly harsher tone that adeptly compliments the music. One thing I’ve always admired about Tiamat is that they are always constantly trying to evolve their sound, and I think they have reached the pinnacle of that with Amanethes. Hey don’t take my word for it just listen to tracks like Misantropolis, Until the Hellhounds Sleep Again, Equinox of the Gods, The Temple of the Crescent Moon and you'll understand what I mean, musical mastery! If there's one album worthy of purchase this year its this masterpiece. In conclusion as the name suggests (Tiamat is a giant serpent/dragon creature in ancient Babylonian mythology) the beast Tiamat has once again risen in 2008, ready to annihilate all inferiors!


Must Downloads - Until the Hellhounds Sleep Again, Misantropolis

Legion - Deicide

**

Legion, Deicide's second release, follows a more technical, clean approach, sounding a lot like modern-day Psycroptic and tech-death, rather than a raw death metal release. This works in its favour, because in all honesty, Deicide's work is mediocre, and were it not for the riffs and guitarwork, they wouldn't have anywhere near as much exposure as they do. Benton sounds atrocious, utilising no proper death growls or squeals, instead resorting to a very low-pitched shouting, which makes every moment when his voice is inaudible a memorable moment. Most of the instrumentalists on this album are throwaway, and in the end, with the exception of the Hoffman brothers, who boldly churn out riff after riff overlapped with intricate solos, nothing about this album is even remotely interesting, and unless you can pick this up for a low price, stay away from Legion at all costs.

Must Downloads - Repent to Die, Trifixion

Gods of the Earth - The Sword

*****

There’s something very refreshing and extremely comforting about the old school metal reverie found on Gods of the Earth. It connects you to that youthful, joyful place in your conscious that demands you nod your head along to the beat of every song. Riffs and lead harmonies that crawl into your mind and have you tapping your feet to their catchy, bombastic simplicity. Light, high register vocal melodies that will have you humming along in no time. Apply a stoner edge to the proceedings, and you have a weight that will near cave your skull in, just for good measure. The Sword aren’t original, aren’t groundbreaking, but they do have that intrinsic knowledge of what metal is really all about, and it shines throughout this superb record like “The Fire Lances of the Hyperzephyrians” they sing about. Truly outstanding.

Must Download - “The White Sea”

Focus - Cynic

***

Technical death metallers Cynic's landmark 1993 release "Focus" is widely regarded as a defining example of the genre, and rightly so. In a bold effort, drummer Sean Reinart plays no blast beats, instead taking his drumming style from popular jazz to create a unique mish-mash of two different genres. With such a solid line-up featuring two ex-Death members, the expectations are high. But while Focus is a landmark release, there is no doubt that it has its flaws. For one, some of the synth effects are very poor, and the vocals feel like a cheap imitation of Jeff Walker's work with Carcass. Fretless bass played by Sean Malone, sounds far too prominent, and sometimes, with so much going on, it's easy to get overwhelmed. Regardless, the sheer magic that's made when two genres collide and intertwine so beautifully is enough to warrant a purchase for any death metal fan who wants to hear something new.

Must Downloads - "Veil of Maya", "Sentiment", "Uroboric Forms"

Evolution Purgatory - Persuader

*****

This, my friends, is something very special. This is Power Metal as it should be. Forget your overwrought keyboard melodies and pansy choirs. Layering intense, thrashy riffs and a solid rhythm section against Jens Carlsson’s sublime vocals, Persuader are Power Metal by virtue of the strength with which this album blasts through your speakers as much as by any particular musical stylings. Vocalist Jens Carlsson packs a mighty punch, a divine voice that very much resembles Hansi Kursch of Blind Guardian fame, but delivered with such frothing, righteous anger, as to go to a whole new level. Vibrant, throbbing riffs courtesy of Emil Norberg and Daniel Sundbom really roar at you, and while there is little in the way of lead guitar work, the quality of the riffs on offer more than compensate for the lack of solos. Bassist Fredrick Hedstrom and Drummer Efraim Juntunen aren’t slouches either, creating a very strong rhythm section. This is a powerhouse record with no let up, taking what is heaviest and best about bands like Blind Guardian and forging it into a triumphant display of real metal, and not a mention of a dragon to be found!

Must Downloads - "Godfather", "Strike Down"

Deliverance - Opeth

**

While it is touted as Opeth's "heaviest" record, Deliverance follows the Opeth formula very strictly, and bar a more prominent drum playing and a few less piano interludes, Deliverance is very much an "Opeth" record, which is a credit in itself, but also a criticism. The novelty of hearing Akefeldt's growl seems to have worn off, and in Deliverance, it seems so done to death, that it seems to have lost it's appeal. The rawer and more brutal atmosphere almost compensate for the sparsely placed solos and bland guitarwork, showing a polished, yet at the same time, primitive album which, while succesfully displays Opeth's roots, fails to stand up on it's own as a death metal effort, relegating it to only the hardcore enthusiasts.

Must Download - "Wreath"

Alatyr - Self Titled

****
As of late I have been listening to a lot of dark/black ambient music, and have been directed to some very good CD’s and some amazing veteran bands but I must admit that of them all I was most impressed by this new little heard of band. Alatyr’s début self titled CD is in my opinion a must have for anyone who enjoys dark/black ambient for zoning out. It is very well crafted and floats from song to song to black and ambient styles. The musicianship both on the keyboard/synth arrangements and on traditional metal instruments is very well done, calming and impressive. It has both an eerie and soothing tone all at the same time and makes you feel more like you are going on a journey thorough the recesses of your mind rather than a dark forest or a graveyard like most black ambient. The songs are of decent length and are long enough to enjoy without just overstaying their welcome the “into” clocking in at 4:29 and the longest at 8:36. However like most really good albums there is one complaint. Though really more as an add on in ambient than the main concern the vocals are far to low in the mix to properly hear most of the time much less even begin to interpret. That aside however this is a very impressive album from a very impressive band I expect to hear a great deal of good material from in the future.

Must Downloads - Hviezdy, Alatyr (intro), Transylvanian Hunger (Darkthrone Cover)

Give Me Your Soul...Please - King Diamond

****
Without a doubt my favourite release of 2007 the album does not really break any new ground but is a must have for any fans of the King. The album starts with an eerie intro in traditional King fashion. Where you over hear a dead girl and her also dead brother talking. You learn that he is going to hell and to save him she is going to go find a soul to trade for his. She follows the sound of an organ playing (obviously King) and then the album starts. He does something new in the story of this CD by actually being a character himself, however this is all I will tell you story wise so as not to ruin it for you. This CD is just great song after great song with no fillers, solid guitar from Wead and LaRocque, as well as good bass and drums. King takes a slightly different vocal approach to this album preferring to use more traditional singing and uses his falsetto to more of a tease effect By comparison to previous King efforts the production on this album is very good and ruins a bit of the effect of say the slightly rough recording on Abigail, but at the same time gives it a more bombastic sound and feel. So it’s if it’s a good thing or not is up to the listener. Another addition is the use of female vocalist Livia Zita to do vocals as the Girl in the Bloody Dress instead of King doing vocals for the female character. Overall the major change in this album is the move to a larger more guitar driven arena like sound. Like I said before if you have never liked King Diamond this album will not change your mind but if you do this is a must have for fans or lovers of a good horror theme metal album.



Must Downloads - Never Ending Hill, Mirror Mirror, The Girl In the Bloody Dress

Domination - Morbid Angel

**

Domination shows a huge step backwards for Morbid Angel, and in particular, Trey Azagthoth. The formula was simple; razor-sharp riffs and skin-tight solos, mixed in with a sprinkling of screeching and frantic drumming. Instead we find very conventional and downright boring songs with some of the most atrocious solos ever played by Azagthoth. At least four minutes of record time has been wasted on useless instrumental interludes "Melting" and "Dreaming", both of which serve no purpose except to fill the gap between one song to another. The click-track drumming and gurgled vocals, not to mention the overuse of synthesizers to drown out the horrendous production and vocal distorters only make the album even more sinful towards death metal and the loyal fans of Morbid Angel. Avoid at all costs.

Must Download - Inquisition (Burn With Me)

Death's Complete Discography

Liner Notes: This has taken me a month to write, simply because I re-wrote practically every review twice. It's two weeks overdue, but I hope you enjoy it nevertheless.

Scream Bloody Gore

****

Death's signature début "Scream Bloody Gore" effectively invented "death metal" with its raw, "in-your-face" riffs, wild solos and guttural vocals. Standouts such as "Infernal Death", "Mutilation" and "Zombie Ritual" clearly display the early roots of extreme metal and while a sense of "sameism" sets in around half-way through and the highly primitive production hinders the listener from truly marvelling at metal genius Chuck Schuldiner, who actually recorded both the guitar and bass tracks for the album. SBG is a sorely overlooked album, and while it has its share of flaws, it set the standard for death metal albums to come.

Must Download: "Infernal Death", "Zombie Ritual", "Scream Bloody Gore"

Leprosy

***

"Leprosy", Death's second effort tones all the speed and aggression down a notch to provide a more rich, layered sound while still retaining the true "raw" feel of SBG. Although it attempts a matured approach to death metal, the overall feel of the album is more of a step backwards in terms of awfully conventional song structures and Slayer-esque guitar solos. That's not to say that it's a bad album as such, but not even the brutal vocals and lyrics can't compensate for this rather disappointing follow-up to one of metal's most pivotal albums.

Must Download: "Leprosy", "Pull the Plug"

Spiritual Healing

**

Looking back at the Death catalogue, one album sticks out for being the hardest to even comment on, let alone review. This album is their third effort "Spiritual Healing", a real evolution in terms of the actual musical content, but perhaps tarnishing the one thing that gave Death its unique quality; the vocals and lyrics. Rather than continuing on horror-film themed gore, Death decided to write more about political and philosophical ideas, as well as ditching the guttural singing in exchange for a more coherent yet out of place vocal style which presents a stylistic change, and never quite sinks in. But beyond that, Spiritual Healing succeeds in successfully taking Death to a new technical standard never achieved before by a death metal band, while still keeping the brutality of earlier releases. The production is very clean, with the solos being particularly excellent and some very memorable riffs. From what is audible, the vocals are recorded twice and overlapped to give a harmonized effect, but ultimately over-complicates things and ends up being ignored. While Spiritual Healing shouldn't be completely ignored at all, it can't compete with other Death releases in terms of its purity and therefore gets promptly relegated to the "for the hardcore" crowd.

Must Download: "Living Monstrosity", "Spiritual Healing"

Human

*****

With "Human", Death combine everything great about the first two albums; the mindblowing speed and aggression, with the technical proficiency of "Spiritual Healing" to create an epic masterpiece that leaves the listener in awe of Chuck and his genius. One of Death's most solid line-ups features Cynic co-founders Sean Reinart and Paul Masvidal and fretless bass legend Steve DiGorgio, and with such a strong line-up, only an equally strong album can be expected. The first half of the album sees a more straightforward brutal approach, akin to SBG and Spiritual Healing, with the second half laying the seeds for the progressive and technical sound found in later albums. Simply put, Human is an essential title for any metal fanatic.

Must Download: "Flattening of Emotions", "Suicide Machine", "Lack of Comprehension", "Cosmic Sea"

Individual Thought Patterns

****

Two years after their masterpiece "Human", Death recorded Individual Thought Patterns, an album which some consider to be their best, while others ignore completely. While neither is viable, ITP is a damn good album. And why? Because Death tone down the aggression and speed in favour of a very technical approach. Just listen to the two-handed tap-intro to "The Philosopher" or the fret-dancing intro to "Trapped in a Corner" and the reality becomes clear; this is a very different Death we hear. A constantly evolving Death. A Death which can never get stale. Which isn't to say that ITP is perfect by any means; the one biggest problem I have is the bass. It always seems to be letting off wet farts and it really bugs me, especially in the middle of a guitar solo or Chuck's singing. And it's really surprising how Death could allow such atrocious mixing to happen, but 1993 has gone and passed.

Must Download: "The Philosopher", "Destiny", "Trapped in a Corner"

Symbolic

*****

Words can't give Death's sixth effort enough credit. "Symbolic" is what Death has been building up to since 1983; an unrelentlessly angry yet compromisingly progressive album which oozes genius from each pore. It's hard to describe Symbolic without listening to it, but if it were possible, it would go something like this: each riff and solo leave a lasting mark in your eardrum and Chuck's expert song composition is only matched by his brutal yet subtly coherent vocal style and the layered guitar lines along with a perfectly composed bassline. Simply put, you must own this.

Must Download: "Zero Tolerance", "Empty Words", "Sacred Serenity", "Crystal Mountain"

The Sound of Perseverance

****

The Death saga concludes with "The Sound of Perseverance", widely regarded as one of their finest efforts. Listening to Symbolic and TSoP one after another is harshly deceiving, because TSoP is so different from all other Death albums. As a friend of mine said, Chuck sounds like Rob Halford choking on pieces of glass, the solos are yet again excellently performed, and second guitarist Shannon Hamm really "clicks" with Chuck creating a great guitar duo and some brilliant music. The album grips you like a parasite and doesn't let you go till you've heard and appreciated every last riff and growl. Even the instrumental "Voice of the Soul" grasps the listener's attention and demands it fully. The stand-out track is definitely the cover of Judas Priest's "Painkiller", from the opening power metal screech to the completely new guitar solos to the closing "PAIN!", this cover is one that matches the original. Death truly went out with a bang.

Must Download: "Scavanger of Human Sorrow", "Bite the Pain", "Spirit Crusher", "Painkiller"

South of Heaven - Slayer

****

One of Slayer's more "downplayed" albums, and unjustly so, South of Heaven saw a huge change in style for Slayer. But rather than stating the obvious, I'll give you an opinion. Reign in Blood was an aggressive attack on music, but South of Heaven is more of a subtle seduction. It scraps the aggression with a more technical approach, and one that actually works better than Reign in Blood. It showcases King's natural talent; composing and playing riffs, and downplays his weakness; solos. This overall gives a more solid sound and feels like a more solid record overall, with each song standing on it's own. A particular standout is the Judas Priest cover, "Dissident Aggressor" - while it isn't anywhere near as good as the original, it's a worthy tribute to Priest. While the album isn't perfect, South of Heaven is Slayer's most underrated album, and often overlooked. Make sure you don't.

Must Download - "South of Heaven", "Mandatory Suicide", "Spill the Blood"

Ghost Reveries - Opeth

*****

Opeth's 2005 "Ghost Reveries" is one of their more memorable records, since after 7 albums, it's hard to pick out any real high-points. Akerfeldt's growl is still as deep as ever, but it's placed in all the right places to give the songs some sort of proper structure. The drum and guitarwork is much better than that found in previous albums. Some of Opeth's best songs feature on Ghost Reveries, from "Harlequin Forest" to "Ghost of Perdition", and to top it off, the special edition features a cover of Deep Purple's "Soldier of Fortune", a standout cover, and one that rivals the original to a certain extent. Simply put, Ghost Reveries is Opeth's finest effort to this point.

Must Download - "Ghost of Perdition", "Reverie/Harlequin Forest", "The Grand Conjuration"

The Blackening - Machine Head

*

Machine Head's 2007, "The Blackening", is yet another "wannabe-thrash" effort. Nothing has changed from their first record in 1993. Robb Flynn's voice is still atrocious beyond belief, all the solos are bland and boring, the songs are still far too long, and the overly conventional song structure, obviously catering to the "14-year-old scene-kid" crowd, remains prominent. The Blackening tries to pass itself off as an "angry" album, with an equally "angry" frontman, but ultimately fails at what it attempts and becomes too long, generic and not worth the purchase at all.

Must Download - Nothing

Symphonies of Sickness - Carcass

***

Carcass' second effort, Symphonies of Sickness shows a huge musical improvement over Reek of Putrefaction, with the whole band maturing to a more fulfilling degree. The album follows a very solid grindcore structure; a mish-mash of guitars, growling and drums; a theme that continues throughout the whole album. Even though the solos are very poor in comparison to Necroticism, and it doesn't ever tread on any new territory in the same way that Heartwork did, it doesn't really need to. It's a classic Carcass album, and for that reason alone, it's worth checking out.

Must Download - "Excoriating Abominal Emanation", "Exhume to Consume", "Crepitating Bowel Erosion"

Sons of Northern Darkness - Immortal

****

The seventh release from black metal gods Immortal is the rawest and purest yet - simply put this is a clear testament as to why Immortal are the kings of BM. Starting off with a pulse-pounding drum intro and continuing with layer upon layer of rich, textured guitarwork and some fantastic compositions. Although Abbath's vocals are generally very poor in comparison to his previous work, Sons of Northern Darkness is easily recommendable to any fan of Immortal or indeed, Black Metal itself.

Must Download - "Tyrants", "One by One", "Demonium", "Beyond the North Waves"