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In some ways a cult black metal album, and in some ways a shitty album. Low budget black metal, forged in a shit studio, released by a shit record company. And it´s sounding like shit too.......
Ranking: 1 / 10
This was the first album I´ve heard from this Norwegian cult group. And I was amazed how they could play so f**king fast!!!! They must have been on some drugs or something, cause it sounds....well, it´s a killer!
It is hard to find the proper word for an album like this, but many of you have probably heard Immortal and know how they are sounding.....
Ranking: 10 / 10
IMMORTAL
At the Heart of Winter
Demonaz left the band after "Blizzard Beasts" and you can hear that too, The songs are a bit slower and the sound is different. But not bad at all. No, instead they built the music on guitar melodies more than speed this time. And they managed to that in a great way. Well, what could we expect? They are a professional bunch of guys.....
They only problem with this is the Iron Maiden rip-off in the song "Solarfall" which sounds exactly like "Where Eagles Dare". I dont know if it´s meant to sound like that or not.....
Well, is it necessary to say that the production is excellent?
Ranking: 8 / 10
IMMORTAL
Damned in Black
Pretty much in the same style as "At the Heart....". Big and squeezy guitar melodies in a mid paced tempo. The cover is also a classic: The three Immortal guys posing in a black metalish way!
The lyrics are standard Immortal: Snow, battles, ice-landscapes, all written by Demonaz, who are the bands manager now.
Immortal are with this album taking them self's to the elite, if they not already are there.
Ranking: 7 / 10
IMMORTAL
Sons of Northen Darkness
Immortal continues to throw out quality music from the cold domains of Bergen (even if this one, as the last two album, is recorded at...yes...the Abyss studio in Sweden). And once again the three immortal warriors pose on the front cover with their corpsepaint and some battle axes and swords. Just the way we are used to, and as we want them to be.
The music is no surprise either. Abbath still makes some great riffs, and this
time the drummer Horgh helps him out with the song writing process. Demonaz
(former member) still writes the lyrics, and no surprises: Battles, demons,
snow, Northland etc, etc.....
But I can hear some changes: It seems that the guys are looking, or listening,
to their old albums ("Blizzard Beats", "Battles in the North")
this time, cause the sound and feeling is all from that period, which is a very
nice thing. The sound from "At the Heart of Winter" is gone, and the
songs are faster and more brutal. But still they have some epic and cold songs
like "Tyrants" and "Beyond the North Waves", which are wonderful
songs!
This album is contains no surprises, just Pure Holocaust.....Pure Immortal. A Great album which I will remember for a long time!
Ranking: 9 / 10
Sounding like early At the Gates, and thats not so fun to hear. This is a typical Gothenburg album: Long and big guitar melodies in mid-paced songs. In Flames haven´t found them self's yet I think, cause this sounds like everything else. And Anders Fridén´s voice aren´t what we are used to on the later In Flames albums.
But this was just a taste for what to come!
Ranking: 3 / 10
IN FLAMES
Whoracle
This is much better! After some line up changes, In Flames are back again. This time with a much more advanced aggressive heavy metal (thats the most fitting word, I think). The first song ("Jotun") is a real killer song which nails it self inside your head for hours. Mr. Fridén`s voice/screams are much better as well, and together with the music this is almost a masterpiece.
I had some trouble with this album when I first bought it, but it keeps growing after every listening. Even today I can find things on this album that I didn´t thought of/heard before. Buy this one if you like soft death metal/aggressive heavy metal with nice melodies.....
Ranking: 10 / 10
IN FLAMES
Colony
A year after the previous one they return again (1999). I had high expectations of this album, and I must say that I am a little dissapointed....but not much. But there is of course hard to create an album that is better than "Whoralce". I think that this album is like a rollercoaster: Some ass kicking songs together with some bad ones (well, not bad..not so good songs maybe). And unfortunately the not so good songs dominate this album. But I can forgive them since the title track is the best song of `99. (Together with a couple of more)
Ranking: 6 / 10
IN FLAMES
Clayman
This album has the same problem as "Colony": Great songs mixed up with not that great songs. This album could be called "Colony part II", cause the sound and the song structure is almost the same. You can tell from the very first riff that this is In Flames (well, nothing wrong with that. Not at all). But something is missing again.
If they didn´t recorded "Whoralce", this album would probably be a masterpiece, cause I can´t help compare every new In Flames album with that album.....And maybe that´s the problem.
Ranking: 6 / 10
IN FLAMES
Reroute to Remain
I've been skeptical about In Flames for a while now. I haven't heard this new album until now (Mars 2003) and it has been around for a while now. The reason for this is because I didn't want to hear it simply....During the time In Flames won some TV awards, they appear on music channels next to Britney Spears und so weiter. So.....I finally listened to the album that brought In Flames to the "people". As we all figured out now, In Flames has gone "radio-friendly", but some songs are still sounding like the "Clayman" album (average songs like the title track). Some songs are more electronic ("Cloud Connected). Not so exciting. It takes a couple of songs until I hear something that was really good: "Dawn of a new day", which feels like it could fit on the "Whoracle" album. An acoustic hymn with clean vocals and a catchy chorus. After that the shit continues again: the standard In Flames songs with aggressive verses and a melodic, clean voice chorus... I have to wait until the last two songs to find something nice again: "Metaphor" which is in the same way as "Dawn of a new day", and the last song "Black & White" which is a real hit song. Just listen to the final chorus.... These guys should really try their talent in the Eurovision Song Contest some day.
Ranking: 4 / 10
IN FLAMES
Soundtrack to Your Escape
The last album was the huge breakthrough for In Flames. And in my opinion, and many others who followed the band through the years, their weakest album. Sellout or not, but that album was not a good one. With "Soundtrack to your escape" In Flames try to take back their loss of fans that left with "Reroute to Remain". In Flames goes back a couple of years and stops somewhere between "Colony", "Clayman" and "Reroute to Remain". And that's a good move. Now In Flames will attract the fans from the "old" era and still have their "new" fans left. The perfect move... And this album are miles better than "Reroute to Remain", but not "Whoracle" or "Colony" class. But that's a fact we must get used to. In Flames are not as they used to be, and I don't blame them. They have to develop as everybody else. It would be quite boring if they did five "Whoracle" in a row, wouldn't it? But even if development is a nice thing, it's not obvious that everybody likes it.
Anyway, As I said before this album has influences from past In Flames albums, like the song "In Search for I" which reminds me of "Episode 666" from the "Whoracle" album. "Superhero of the Computer Rage" are also an "oldschool" In Flames song with "Colony" elements. The single hit "The Quiet Place" are a typical follower to "Reroute to Remain": Vocalist Anders Fridén sings/talks with a clean voice in the verse. But the most of the time Fridén screams with his ear-cutting voice. That's how I want In Flames. But unfortunately there are too many dull songs on "Soundtrack to Your Escape", just like the "Clayman" syndrome. But even so, In Flames are better 2004 than 2002. And I haven't give up on them....yet.
And by the way: In the chorus in "Dial 595-Escape" I want to scream "They call us problem child, we spend our lives on trial"...
Ranking: 6 / 10
IN THE WOODS
Heart of the Ages
A Norwegian group, playing sometimes soft, and sometimes screaming black metal. Nothing special at all. There are some Viking influences....yes, all the standard things.
Later on, this group changed their music quite a lot, but unfortunatley I havn´t laid my hands on their newer albums. But I must admit that I am very curious about this group. But as I said: forget this album though.....
Ranking: 2 / 10
INSISION
Beneath the Folds of Flesh
I like highspeed deathmetal when I actually can hear the drums. On too many albums the guitar, the bass and the drums just float together, in one mess. Nile and Hate Eternal are both examples of bands that manage to create a great sound when it comes to highspeed metal. Another fine example are Immortal, with their album "Battles in the North". The production isn't the best one, but the drums are as clear as crystal! You can hear every single hit, anywhere on the drumset, even if the music itself reach the speed of light.
As you probably figured out, Insision, from Sweden, have a great "drumsound" on "Beneath the folds of flesh"! Listening to the album today (2004) reminds me of Metallicas "St. Anger". There are some similarities between these albums when it comes to the sound of the drums. Well, Insision isn't Metallica on blastbeats, not at all. Insision delivers pure Swedish death metal in an American way!? It is not the typical Swedish sound that we are used to. Instead there are mostly American influences, and some thrash metal elements as well. But the music is best described as pure-straight-forward-technical-deathmetal with no strange trips. Just as we want it...
There are only one problem with this: the growl. The voice are not in my taste. It sounds like the ordinary death metal voice performed in a beer can. Almost like Nile, but more dull. Well, hard to describe, but the perfect death metal voice, in my opinion, is to be found in Cannibal Corpse; Mr. Corpsegriner. With a different screamer this album would be a real killer!
Ranking: 6 / 10
What a debut album! At this point I am only three years (1980), so the sound
of Maiden didn´t reach my ears until a couple of years latert....
Steve Harris (who wrote most of the songs) knew that something big was going
to happen: Here is the classic songs like: "Running Free", "Transylvainia"
och "Phantom of the Opera", which still going strong. And the bassguitar,
which is a well known mark, is very loud in the background....as it should be
(on later albums the bassguitar is "drowning" at bit, I think). The
cover was made by Derek Riggs, who drawed all the covers, exept the ones with
Blaze and "Fear of the Dark". The production is brilliant: a little
bit raw (perfect) but also clean.
Lineup: Drums - Clice Burr Bass - Steve Harris - Guitar - Dennis Stratton Guitar - Dave Murray - Vocals - Paul DiAnno
And as you can see; Only Steve and Dave left from the orginal line up....
Ranking: 8,5 / 10
IRON MAIDEN
Killers
This one is at the same level as the debut: raw and full of power....The production is the same (recorded at Battery Studios, Londom). Almost everything is the same exept that Adrian Smith had joined the band.
There isn´t much to say about this one, it´s just a great album. Just listen to the title song and you will understand. But there is one bad thing: the album is too long. They could have taken away a few songs (like Genghis Khan)....The debut was strong all the way through.
After this album something happened with Paul DiAnno. I have heard that he drinked too much, but I dont know for sure why he left the band (or why steve kicked him out), but after all: Who cares?
Line up: Same as above except Adrian Smith instead of Dennis Stratton.
Ranking: 7 / 10
IRON MAIDEN
The Number of the Beast
The first album with Bruce Dickinson, who earlier handle the vocals in Samson. This was the mayor breakthrough for Maiden. With the song "Run to the Hills" they climbed the charts all over the world (but I think that, that song is one of the weakest on this album, exept for "Invaders"...but it´s a classic!).
This one is recorded at Battery Studios as well, but the sound is completley
diffrent. And I must say that I prefer the earlier sound. But something more
has happened: the songs are diffrent. It´s not that raw, like Killers.
Maybe it´s because Bruce helped Steve with the song writing.But after
all, this allmost sounds like Maiden do today (which is not bad). The riffs
are more advanced, and Bruce got a wonderfull voice (just listen to the "Running
loooooow" part at the beginning of "Hallowed be thy name"....puh).
Like on Killers, this album contains a few weak songs: "Invaders"
and "Gangland", but when songs like "Children of the Damned",
"22 Acacia Avenue" and "Hallowed be thy Name" are played,
it doesn`t matter.....
The line up are the same as on Killers.
Ranking: 9 / 10
IRON MAIDEN
Piece of Mind
This is it! The ultimate album! There isn´t one weak song on this album.
The opening track "Where Eagles Dare" is amazing......and directly
after the blizzard comes "Revelations" which is a softer song, and
I think this is the greatset Maiden song of all time.....(well, I dont know,
but it´s a great song). This one Bruce wrote all by him self.....Other
great songs is ofcourse "The Trooper", and its´s not much to
be said about that hymn.
This is the debut for drummer Nicko McBrain, so this is the line up: Voclas - Bruce Dickinson Guitar - Adrian Smith Guitar - Dave Murray Bass - Steve Harris Drums - Nicko McBrain
One funny thing is the "hidden" message in the beginning of "Still Life". This is a classic heavy metal thing.....backward messages, I say no more......
Ranking: 10 / 10
IRON MAIDEN
Powerslave
Just a single year after "Piece of Mind", "Powerslave" hits the earth. This one is also one of the better albums, but it could contain a few more songs I think, instead of the instrumental "Losfer Words". It feels like they were in a hurry to make this record, and didn´t have time to write a couple of good songs, instead they make a poor instrumental song to fill the space......But what a hell! "Aces High", which opens the album, makes me forget things like that. Like on "Piece of Mind" there is a long track at the end of the album. This one, "Rime of the ancient Mariner", is even longer, and it is very great song.
This one is redorded on Bahamas, at Compass Studios, as well as "Piece....", and after the recording, the"World Slavery Tour" hits the world. I dont think I have heard a cooler name of a world tour before. Just taste it: "World Slavery Tour"........ahhhhh
At this time the line up was steady....and Maiden have found them selfs, like the rest of the world, as the kings of the metal scene (Maybe Manowar took that title latar on....)
Ranking: 8,5 / 10
IRON MAIDEN
Somewhere in Time
After a shorter break, Maiden is back again. Now with "Somewhere in Time". You can sit for hours just looking at the cover and still see things you haven´t seen before.....Well, this one.....I dont know. The sound have changed, but I cant put the finger on what it is. It just sounds different. Not that big different like "Killers" vs "Number of the Beast", but you can still hear it. The songs are both great and some not. Like "The lonliness of the Longdistance Runner".....a long song, with now peak. The underestimated "Sea of Madness": a great song, and I love the beginning of "Alexander the Great" with that cold wind and the spoken part.....shiver......
This one also recorded at the Compass Studio, with the same lineup as before....
Note the awfull pictures in the CD booklet.....the ones when each member are poseing in a "space" car.......
Ranking: 8 / 10
IRON MAIDEN
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
This is a album where all the songs are connected with eachother, and thats not all the news: no, Maiden uses keyboards on this one.....Just listen to the intro of "Moonchild", and you can hear it in other songs as well. And I dont think it´s a bad thing. The album is totally Maiden anyway, with some very strong songs ("The Evil that Man do", which is a live classic. "Infinite Dreams" etc). A very strong album, with no bad songs (well. is there any bad Maiden songs??). This is just another Maiden album......
Line up is the same as before, but at this time Adrian Smith is getting a little bit tierd of it, so he left the band before "No prayer for the Dying".
Ranking: 8,5 / 10
IRON MAIDEN
No Prayer for the Dying
This is the weakest Maiden album (with Bruce). It contains too many songs that not are Maiden standard, like "Holy Smoke, "Public Enema Number One" etc.....And the sound they used on "Seventh..." is gone. Now it´s the ordinary Maiden sound, but it doesn´t help. The material aren´t that great, even if there are some diamonds here, like "Bring your Daughter....." and the title song. But thats it.....the rest, well they dont suck, but they just passing by my ears...in and out.....nothing I will remeber.
This one is Jannick Gears first album, and Adrian Smith is now gone (but as we all now: to return in the future...)
Ranking: 6 / 10
IRON MAIDEN
Fear of the Dark
The last album with Bruce......but before he left the band they made a couple
of world tours. One with "Fear of the Dark", and then the "Goodbye
tour", when they recorded the "A Real Dead/Live One" albums.
This album, from 1992, have THE perfect opening song "Be Quick or be Dead",
one of the greatest Maiden songs ever. But after that some poor songs just passing
through my head ("Fear is the Key", "Weekend Warrior" etc...).
But there are also some very strong and typical Maiden tracks as well. Just
listen to "Afraid to shoot Strangers" and the live classic "Fear
of the Dark". But on whole, there are too many songs that aren´t
Maiden enough.....Yes, I know, I might be a little hard here, but thats it.
Some might say that this is the ultimate Maiden album, but I dont agree. It
has it´s daimonds but "Fear of the Dark" doesn´t reach
up to the "Maiden" level......And they have a love ballad on this
one as well......
So, goodbye Bruce. A whole world is in tears....But they didn´t know what to come.....
Ranking: 7 / 10
IRON MAIDEN
X-Factor
Okay.....Blaze Bailey is the new Maiden singer.....and I must say that I, and
probablly some more, were a bit sceptic when the pretty ugly cover where thrown
in my face. The Maiden guys tried a new concept this time. I heard the single
"Man on the Edge" before the album release, and that song is in fact
a very nice one. Not the real Maiden, but anyway......
The opening track "Sign of the Cross" is a true Maiden song. Maybe
too true.....But when Blaze begins to sing the feeling is gone. This isn´t
Maiden anymore, but execpt that it´s a good album. And I think it not
should be compared to the earlier albums, and if you just think of this as a
ordinary heavy metal album; it`s in fact a good one. There are some very nice
songs here, and some bad....Too many bad.
Ranking: 5 / 10
IRON MAIDEN
Virtual XI
Ohhh....how awfull!! Just listen to "When Two Worlds Collide" (note the nice rimes in the chorus.....) and "The Educated Fool"....
The only good thing about this disaster is: Derek Riggs made the cover after a couple of years of vaccation. The last track is in fact a good one.....Thats it!
Ranking: 2 / 10
IRON MAIDEN
Brave New World
Bruce is back....And what a comeback! The people of the world are united hand in hand, singing Maiden hyms. This cant be true, they are thinking. But it is!!! "Air-raid Siren" is here to torture your ears again!
No need to for a review.....
And how great the Blaze songs are sounding live with Bruce. Is it possible that one single man can change the world?
Lineup: Vocals - Bruce Dickinson Guitars - Adrian Smith - Jannick Gears - Dave Murray Bass - Steve Harris Drums - Nicko McBrain
Ranking: 10 / 10
IRON MAIDEN
Dance of Death
Okay, the honeymoon is over. My greatest fear with this album was that Maiden did the ultimate comeback with their last album and could now just sit back and enjoy the ride, knowing that they could release an just "okay" album and still sell millions of copies. My point is: everybody knows that Maiden are the greatest heavy metal band on earth. They have nothing more to prove. They did it on "Brave New World". So I was worried. And when I heard the first single "Wildest Dreams" I became more worried. But at the same thinking that "The Wickerman" (first single on "Brave...") was the weakest song on "Brave...". Even so, that album was a great one. So I was....afraid. But still trying to tell myself that in the end, everything will turn out the Maiden-way.
And it did. Maiden proved that they still can kick as, and that "Brave..." was not just a comeback-album. So this time we all can focus on the music, and not the fact that Bruce is back.
"Dance of Death" contains more songs like "Blood Brothers", "Brave New World" and "The Clansmen". That is; more epic and dark songs. No filler songs like half of the "Fear of the Dark"-album offered. No, each and every song are strong (except "Wildest Dreams"). The highlight are "Montségur": an old-school Maiden song, reminding me of the early days. On "Journeyman" they take the epic concept a step further and showing the world that Maiden also can perform an acoustic song. Reminds of something that could be on Bruce's solo album "Balls to Picasso". Well, anyway, this time I just can relax and listen to Maiden. The last time we all became spellbound by Bruce Dickinson's return.
Ranking: 8 / 10
Fenriz, from Darkthrone, second solo album under the name Isengard. This is a Norse, nature romantic album with a catchy rhythm (almost like Storm), with folklore influences.
The sound is as you can guess, since it is a Fenriz product: not as clean as
others.....
Well, the songs are all in Norwegian, except the two last ones, and Fenriz sings
with a clean, deep voice in almost every song. I liked this album a lot when
it came out, but today there are hundreds of bands doing this type of music.
But back then this was a new experience.
Ranking: 7 / 10
