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First of all: This is the first whole album I hear from this former black metal cult band. I have heard a few songs here and there from there earlier albums (and they are not sounding like this.....).
There is a trend in the extreme metal scene right now: Electronic. Dødheimsgard, The Kovenant, Ulver, Mayhem to mention a few, have dived into that direction. They were all pure black metal bands before but changed their musical direction. You might think that I dislike that trend, but I dont. Maybe Ulver´s choice was a bit scary, they made it too complicated......
Well, this is a very nice album: Many effects, nice keyboards, guitars, distorted voices and catchy melodies. It´s all there. It is not much to be said about this album, but I hope that they not tries to make it more complicate on the next album, cause there are a few elements on this album that I dont like.....but just a few.
Ranking: 7 / 10
The debut album....some people compared this one with early Emperor, but I just cant see, or hear why....The sound is raw. Very raw in fact, with the guitar sound buzzing in the background. They use keyboards (or at least I think so) in some songs, giving the it a chilly atmosphere. It´s quite slow also....not for speedfreaks.
A very strong album, with no weak songs. The production, as I said, is raw. Not a like a demo sound, but close. Anyway, it fits the lyrics very well.
Ranking: 9 / 10
SATYRICON
The Shadowthrone
This one follows the footstep from the previous album, but the sound is much more cleaner. At the end there is an instrumental song, which is the perfect end of this album......
The only problem with this one is that it is too short. I want more of this! The opening song just blows your head of....(almost), with its riffs and grim lyrics.....
Ranking: 9 / 10
SATYRICON
The Forest is my Throne
This is a split with Enslaved, and contains some early songs, with one new. The sound is pretty "demo"....The Enslaved songs are even more demo, but the feeling is there...so who cares.
The material isn´t that good I think, and should not be compared with the rest of the Satyricon albums. But you can still hear that it is Satyricon playing.
Ranking: 6 / 10
SATYRICON
Nemisis Divina
A long awaited album. The sound is differenet, and they have a new look......
This one brought Satyricon to the elite of Black Metal......but I must say that "Nemesis Divina" is a bit overestimated. Yes, there are some very great songs ("Dawn of a new Age" etc), but I dont know....It is hard to describe why. I loved this album when I first heard it (maybe cause I waited so long for it), but after a while it wasn´t that good that I thought.....well....make your own opinion about this one.
Ranking: 7 / 10
SATYRICON
Rebel Extravaganza
A completley different sound and lyrics. It´s hard to describe, but it´s more filthy....uglier....faster, and rebelish.....The best album of 2000!
The songs are all perfect with a clean, but at the same time dirty, atmosphere.
The songs are more complex and there are more instruments, as well some industrial
influences. But the overall feeling you get from this album is: Brutallity!!!!
There are no songs where you can catch your breath....great!
Ranking: 10 / 10
SATYRICON
Volcano
It was about time...The waiting was hard. Well, Satyricon surprise me once again. The ultra brutal, filthy sound is gone. This time the songs are more straight-to-the-bone like, if you know what I mean...If you remove all the effects you find on "Rebel.."and slow it down a bit, you get pretty close to the sound of this one. The pace is pretty normal and it feels like Satyricon built this album on a clean, heavy and simple atmosphere. Sometimes the songs reminds me of "The Shadowthrone", specially the opening track "With Ravenous Hunger". Sometimes the tracks goes old-school, like "Possessed", and sometimes the songs are epic and slow, with long heavy passages ("Black Lava" & "Suffering the Tyrants"). So, yes, the album is very varied. And great. You will not be bored of this one...
Satyr and Frost have once again recorded a masterpiece, and they are still exploring the dark path of music, always finding new wonderful, and sometimes strange, things....
Ranking: 10 / 10
SAXON
The Best of: 1979 - 1984
Saxon is a band I haven´t been so impressed by. The only song that is stocked in my mind from my early teens is the bombastic "Crusader". And thats the only good song on this Best of album.....The rest are just riding-bikes-dressed-in-leather songs.
Ranking: 6 / 10
Another nice Finnish band (all great music comes from Finland nowadays). This band started as a death metal band and today they play, well, it´s hard to describe, but heavy/gothic metal is the closest word I can find. But it´s easier to compare the band HIM, if you have heard them you can make a picture of what I mean.
This album is all about suicide. How great it would be to but the barrel into the mouth and just shoot. Or how to take that shiny razor and make it bleed.....Thats all.....Painfull and melancholic, with a touch of beauty.
The singer sings with a clean voice, almost sounding like James Hetfield of Metallica. There are some nice melodies and riffs here and there. Not so complicated at all. Very simple in fact. And after a while you get pretty bored of it, cause all the songs are built up the same way......But if you just take one song and listen to it, you will probably not get disappointed. But as a whole album: Not so fun.
Ranking: 5 / 10
SENTENCED
The Cold White Light
Sentenced are still suicidal. As they should be. the sound haven't changed
much since "Frozen". I missed the album "Crimson" which
was released before this one.
So whats new? Not much. Sentenced are still pretty boring to liten to. The music
is more clean, more well produced this time, but it doesn't help. I get the
feeling that Sentenced have drowned in thier own creativity. They are stocked
in it. They must take a giant step forward to catch my interest.....
An average album. Not more. Listen to it one time...then the risk to forget it is very, very high.....
Ranking: 4 / 10
SHADOWS FALL
The Art of Balance
It's not very often I hear a band that mix so many different styles on one
album. Shadows Fall from the US manage to do that. The opening song "Idle
Hands" could easily appear on any of The Haunted's album. The second song
are a mix of hardcore and heavy metal, with a catchy chorus ala German power
metal. But the main style on this varied album are thrash, and it's not hard
to hear that the inspiration comes from Swedish bands like The Haunted, In Flames
etc. And here and there are in fact some Metallica. My impression from this
mess is that Shadows Fall are a bunch of guys that can't decide in which style
the want to make music. Well, it's not a mess, but it would be a more pleasant
experience if Shadows Fall
concentrate on one style instead of 40...
But, after all, it's nice to hear a thrash band from the US that have some skill. But, the trophy are still in Sweden.
Ranking 6 / 10
Corpse painted fools trying to look evil.....I am so tired of this. Standard "early Dimmu Borgir" black metal with a female voice here and there. And thats the only nice thing in this album, cause she sings very well. The rest sucks.....
Ranking: 2 / 10
Kimberly Goss , who appears in almost every Nordic metal band nowadays, is the lead singer in this Finnish/American/Swedish band. Well, not Swedish anymore, but on the previous album ("Beware the Heavens"). And she can, as we all know, sing.
The music is heavy metal, and if this was a ordinary heavy metal band, with a male singer, I guess it wouldn´t be anything special at all, but since Kimberly handles the vocals it turns out to something completely different. A very nice album! But at the same time: Nothing special at all......strange.....
Ranking: 7 / 10
Was looking forward to this one but I was a little disappointed after all. The album sounds and feels alot like the previous one, but I cant find the nice little things that "From Hell...." have. The songs just passes by. It´s not sounding bad and it´s not sounding good. Just music that leaves no impression.....
Some songs are of course better then others, like the opening track "Spit on your grave" which reminds me of the opening track on "From Hell..." ("The Bitch is back"). Same style, same straightforward pulse. But after that song I lost my interest. But it is always nice to hear Kimberly´s great voice. And that raises the marks a bit.....
Ranking: 5 / 10
I wonder how many reviews of gothic bands from Finland I have reviewed the last six months...? Well, here is another one that tries to sound like Type O Negative sometimes. Specially the singer who's voice is not a real one. Yes, there are some filters on his voice. You can call it sheeting or what ever. But that's it.....
Well, 69 Eyes have been playing for a while. They began as a rock n´roll
band like Hellacopters, Turbonegro etc., and ended up like this. Maybe they
want to ride the Finnish gothic wind which is blowing for the moment (not forever
I hope).
The music reminds me of all the other bands in Finland, specially HIM, but the
closest compare is Type O, and that's because the voice: Dark, deep and beautiful....(but
fake).
Even if I want to dislike this band I just couldn´t do it. If you have read other reviews of similar bands you know that I am pretty weak for this kind of music. And that's the story when it comes to The 69 Eyes also.....Sad, isn´t it? The band have a fake image. They have not a own sound. They looks like idiots (eyeliner, dark hair...). But I like it. Just as I like pizza. You never get tiered of it....even if it tastes the same every time you eat it.
Ranking: 7 / 10
SLIPKNOT
Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)
I have never been really interested in Slipknots music. One reason is the image of the band. Another reason is their music: neo-metal. I can hardly take the word in my mouth without choking. I had those narrow-minded thoughts before I heard a whole album from the clowns. After I saw the excellent DVD "Disasterpieces" I changed my view and admitted that Slipknot are an okay band, after all. I have never seen such an excellent show in violence, insanity and raw power! That live show from London made me change my mind and I decided to look the next Slipknot album up.
So, here I am today with the latest Slipknot album. The last one if the rumors are true(?). Anyway, as I said before: Slipknot are violence and insanity to me, and they live up to those wonderful words...on just two or maybe three songs on this album! What's going on here? I thought Slipknot where madness personified! There are 5 ballads on this album. That's NOT Slipknot as I see them. The ballads are okay, that's for sure. I like them a lot, but I didn't expect Slipknot writing those songs. If Metallica did it I wouldn't complain. The only time Slipknot delivers blood, sweat, madness and pure violence are on the songs "The Blister Exists" and "Three Nil". Those songs are the absolute highlight of this album. I am on the floor after those two songs, bleeding...And I like it a lot. But that feeling are all gone on the rest of the album. The disappointment is big. Really big. Are Slipknot aiming for a seat next to Britney Spears on the next MTV Music Award?
Cute Slipknot, really cute!
Ranking 5 / 10
Power metal from Finland.....what will that sounds like? In fact very nice. But singer aren´t so great in English: his native language shines through here and there, but thats only make it funnier.....
The music is standard power metal, and it feels like I dont have to explain that. And there is a nice love ballad too......Cute
Ranking: 5 / 10
SONATA ARCTICA
Silence
The second release from the Finnish power metal act. Pretty much in the same vein as before, but maybe they have taken a step from the traditional power metal, and thats nice......
The music is also more varied this time: fast songs (power metal fast...), slow songs, ballads, piano songs and more, so it gives me a good time listen to this and I dont get bored.
Ranking: 6 / 10
SOPOR AETERNUS - And the Ensemble of Shadows
Dead Lovers Sarabande (Face One)
A really strange album, which is pretty hard to get through. Sometimes the lyrics are in English and sometimes in German. And I better tell you that this is not a metal album. I would call it goth....or something, cause it´s really strange. There are choirs, violins, cellos in a creepy, dreaming and strange way. And on top you have Sopor Aeternus voice which sounds like nothing else.
I cant tell you more, cause this album you must experience for your self. But maybe it´s too long for my taste. Too much annoying intros with strange effects.....But thats what mr. Aeternus wants to achieve. Thats the feeling he want one to feel.
Ranking: 5 / 10
A real cult metal album from 1989. An album that inspired many groups out there. Specially Type O Negative I can imagine: the deep n' dark voice, the buzzing guitar and the lyrics are things that brings the two bands together. There isn't much to say about this heavy/doom/goth masterpiece... A must have album for those who like Type O, and everyone else out there with some metal taste. Sweden's Stillborn belongs for sure to the elite in the metal history!
Ranking 8 / 10
Satyr (Satyricon), Fenriz (Darkthrone) and Kari Rueslåtten (The 3rd and the Mortal) got together to show their love for Norway. They took some old folk music and spiced it up with guitars and drums, with Fenriz and Kari singing. The feeling is a bit demo (as always when Fenriz is involved), and it sounds pretty simple. But it is a "fun" album after all. Not bad, not good. But I think this album fits those who are fan of Satyr and Fenriz. Or for those who lives in Norway.....the lyrics are all in Norwegian.
Ranking: 5 / 10
A Swedish rock/heavy metal band, playing modern metal in a great way. The songs are simple, but performed great. These guys can really put songs together without making it too complicated. And thats a problem with many band today I think.
They have some effects in the songs to fill up some empty spaces in the music, and that add more feeling to the songs.
There is a sad and painful feeling in the sound and lyrics in almost every song, and the music is mid-paced and sometimes slow. Unfortunately I haven´t heard much about this band, and I dont know how many album they have released, but I hope I will be able to hear more from them.
Ranking: 7 / 10
Normally, I would hate this kind of music, Neo-metal or whatever it is called. But this group is different in manyu ways. First of all they dont have a fake image (you know, Limp Bizkit etc. etc....), the songs are both funny, intelligent and nice to listen to (which is ofcource a importent thing when it comes to music...). And the frontman and singer, Serj, is also funny to watch. And he sings very good, which not makes this worse.
It is very hard to compare this band, but they build their music from both punk/grunge and ordinary metal. The guitar riffs are sometimes very heavy, which appeal me.
So, if you are tired of black, death and ordinary metal (like I sometimes am), look for this outstanding group!
Ranking: 8 / 10
