Sonata Arctica | Stones Grow Her Name

by Joe Mis
Staff Writer –

Stones Grow Her Name is the latest evolutionary step from the Finnish power / progressive metal beast called Sonata Arctica. Evolution is the key word, as Sonata Arctica now blends almost equal parts symphonic metal in with the more familiar power / progressive styles that have been the band’s trademark through their six prior releases. This 11 track masterpiece is an amazingly unique sonic journey that for the most part is free of the stereotypical clichés of symphonic metal.

Since releasing Ecliptica back in 1999, Sonata Arctica has built a huge following in Europe, but unfortunately the band has mostly stayed under the radar in the US. Led by vocalist, keyboard player Tony Kakko, Sonata Arctica delivers everything from the expected power metal to soft balladic anthems without any signs of discomfort. Fellow keyboard artist Henrik Klingenberg delivers many amazing riffs, but surprisingly the music on Stones Grow Her Name is very guitar-centric. Guitarist Elias Viljanen pulls out all the stops on a number of tracks, putting out big hooks, catchy riffs and soft passages with equal aplomb and ability. Bassist Marko Paasikoski and drummer Tommy Portimo are the perfect rhythm section, providing the backbone and continuity to hold the diverse stylings of the album together.

Lyrically, Sonata Arctica moves far from the typical power-metal themes of war, conflict and nuclear apocalypse. Their songs focus on more personal issues such as justice, sanity and relationships – thus broadening their appeal to the non-power fans. The band is tight and their performances are flawless whether doing a soft ballad or galloping along at full power.

“Only The Broken Hearts (Make You Beautiful)” opens the album with a nice sing-along chorus, power–ful but not overpowering keyboards and strong guitars. This track deals with broken relationships, and finding the strength to cope. The very gritty rocker “Shitload O’Money”is a cautionary tale of personal corruption, and features some amazing guitar work and great gang vocals. Light Neo-classical keys open “Losing My Insanity” before the track become a rousing drum and guitar-driven power metal track. The brutal “Somewhere Close To You” licks the listener in the guts with powerful bass, intense guitars, manic drumming and bitter lyrics. “I Have A Right” is a powerful call for justice across the world with an effective spoken passage based on the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child. This track presents the finest vocals on the album, heartfelt and passionate.

Bluesy acoustic guitars and vocals open “Alone In Heaven” as the band ponders the conventional vision of the afterlife, but the track becomes an upbeat, almost commercial rocker. The album’s title is inspired by the band’s description of a graveyard as “the field where the stones grow dead names.” “The Day” is a heartbreaking, bittersweet song that tells the tale of a man who loses his family to a natural disaster – no doubt inspired by the tragic tsunami that struck Japan. This track has to be one of the most emotionally powerful metal tracks ever performed, and is the standout on the album. Touches of bluegrass and southern rock make “Cinderblox” quite different from the rest – it is a kicky and upbeat song but the band does not sound 100% comfortable moving this far from their core. The simple and soft ballad “Don’t Be Mean” highlights the strength of Tony Kakko’s voice, and the vast range of talents that make up Sonata Arctica – fine performances from all make this track a special one. The lyrically deep “Wildfire, Part: II – One With The Mountain” deals with prejudice, exile, fear, and conflict – and brings the band fully back into the progressive power metal zone. “Wildfire, Part: III – Wildfire Town, Population: 0” is part anti-war song, part eco-green anthem and a plea for corporate responsibility, and is 100% awesome. The track wraps with a quote from British naturalist and filmmaker David Attenborough: “Instead of controlling the environment for the benefit of the population, perhaps it is time we control the population to allow the survival of the environment.”

There are no negative elements on Stones Grow Her Name. The musical performances are top notch, the songs are well-written and always melodic, and the engineering power metal precise. The band delivers an eclectic and diverse mix of music with a great sense of depth, emotion and fire, making Sonata Arctica’s latest release one of the finest albums of 2012.

Very highly recommended to fans of power metal, progressive metal and hard rock.

Genre: Power Metal

Band:
Tony Kakko (vocals, keyboards)
Elias Viljanen (guitar)
Marko Paasikoski (bass)
Henrik Klingenberg (keyboards)
Tommy Portimo (drums)

Track Listing:
1. Only The Broken Hearts (Make You Beautiful)
2. Shitload O`Money
3. Losing My Insanity
4. Somewhere Close To You
5. I Have A Right
6. Alone In Heaven
7. The Day
8. Cinderblox
9. Don’t Be Mean
10. Wildfire, Part: II – One With The Mountain
11. Wildfire, Part: III – Wildfire Town, Population: 0

Label: Nuclear Blast

Website: www.sonataarctica.info

Hardrock Haven rating: 9.5/10

Nightwish | Imaginaerum

by Joe Mis
Staff Writer –

Imaginaerum marks the return of Finnish symphonic metal pioneers Nightwish to active duty – their seventh studio release overall. Although they’ve been in existence since 1996, realistically this is the second album of the revamped post-Tarja Nightwish, so perhaps it should almost be considered a sophomore release.

Imaginaerum was conceived and written for the most part by founding member and keyboard player Tuomas Holopainen. It was conceived as a “concept album” and a film, and with that come all the pluses and minuses of both. The story is a simple one, the reminiscences of youth by old composer on his deathbed. In the works for a number of years, Imaginaerum is an ambitious work, with a mix of styles, tempos and tones. Of course there is a massive amount of orchestra and choral work – the Nightwish traditional approach – but there are a few tracks with no orchestration at all. Musically the album jumps from symphonic metal to folk to classical and back again at dizzying rates, and is not a stylistically as cohesive as older Nightwish releases – perhaps as an offshoot of the concept film.

As one would expect from Nightwish, the album is beautifully recorded and warmly mixed. The musical performances are flawless, and the lyrics image laden and thought-provoking. The orchestra and choral vocals are well done and are an integral part of the release. There are intense metal riffs, soft atmospheric passages and a bit of Gothic feel to the album, but the constant changes make it difficult to appreciate the album as a whole. It does sound like a movie soundtrack album, with many of the tunes wildly different and little connection between them other than the overriding theme of the album.

“Taikatalvi,” (meaning means “magic winter”) sung fully in Finnish by Marco Hietala with nice choral and orchestral support, opens the album as an almost lullaby and blends nicely into the second track. “Storytime” is a much more intense track with a catchy chorus, heavy riffs, booming drums, and fine vocal performances, and is almost a summary of the album’s story. “Ghost River” follows with a very intense guitar opening and quickly becomes a very odd and Tim Burton-esque theatrical – a strange song well suited for a fantasy film soundtrack. “Slow, Love, Slow” is a beautiful piano and bass driven track with a bluesy and smoky atmosphere. It features a stunning vocal performance by Anette Olzon and a fine guitar solo. The transition to the hard rocking “I Want My Tears Back” is rather jarring and abrupt, but this track is one of the strongest on the album and probably the most comfortable listen for long-time Nightwish fans. Troy Donockley’s pipe work is amazing and makes for a great counterpoint to the guitars. “Scaretale” is a very creepy song about nightmares, but fun a fun listen thanks to a very solid arrangement and excellent orchestration – very theatrical.

The driving rhythms of the instrumental “Arabesque” transition from nightmare to ballad, leading into the soft and gentle folk tune “Turn Loose The Mermaids” – a vocal masterpiece. It builds in intensity and then drops into the heavy and booming “Rest Calm” – an everything but the kitchen sink almost doom/goth metal song with great vocals and a slick guitar line. This track just keeps building in power thanks to complex vocal and orchestral layering. Another jarring transition hits the listener with the pop/folk/ballad “The Crow, The Owl And The Dove” – a great sing-along soft rock track with nicely done acoustic passages. The listener is once again jarred into the very intense and rollicking “The Last Ride of the Day” – a roller coaster track if there ever was one.

The epic 13-minute plus “Song Of Myself” showcases Nightwish at its best. Good lyrics, good performances, a variety of styles/tempos and tons of energy. Unfortunately the song ends with a long winded spoken section which totally breaks the flow, mood and momentum of the song – perhaps needed for the film but out of place here. It fades into the nicely done orchestral outro and title track “Imaginaerum”. This well done track is a traditional reprise of elements from all of the preceding tracks – a great Broadway-style closer.

This album will definitely appeal to hardcore Nightwish fans, but it may be too esoteric (and perhaps even “highbrow”) for the casual metal fan. While musically excellent and classically influenced, Imaginaerum jumps from style to style so often that it is difficult to properly classify. Nightwish is truly an excellent band, but perhaps with this release they are pushing themselves a bit too far from their comfort zone. Over-the-top symphonic metal – Epica does it better. Folk metal – Leaves’ Eyes does it better. Folk rock – Blackmore’s Night does it better. Movie soundtracks –Disney does it better. However, you will not find any act that can span all of these genres as well as Nightwish. Perhaps the album fully works as a counterpart to the film, but if considered on its own it falls victim to its own diversity.

Recommended for Nightwish fans without a doubt, Imaginaerum is an interesting and diverse sonic journey and covers a vast amount of musical territory. A bit more broad and less focused, yet heavier than previous releases, Imaginaerum will provide a little something for everyone to like even though the album as a whole might not be as appealing to fans of a single genre.

Genre: Symphonic Metal

Band:
Anette Olzon (vocals)
Tuomas Holopainen (keyboards)
Emppu Vuorinen (guitars)
Jukka Nevalainen (drums)
Marco Hietala (bass, vocals)

Guest musicians: Troy Donockley (uilleann pipes, tin whistle, vocals, bodhran, bouzouki), Dermot Crehan (hardanger fiddle), Dirk Campbell (sorna), Guy Barker (trumpet), Paul Clarvis (ethnic percussion), Stephen Henderson (ethnic percussion), Pekka Kuusisto (violin), The London Philharmonic Orchestra – orchestration by Pip Williams.

Track Listing:
1. Taikatalvi
2. Storytime
3. Ghost River
4. Slow, Love, Slow
5. I Want My Tears Back
6. Scaretale
7. Arabesque
8. Turn Loose The Mermaids
9. Rest Calm
10. The Crow, The Owl And The Dove
11. Last Ride Of The Day
12. Song Of Myself
13. Imaginaerum

Label: Nuclear Blast

Web: http://nightwish.com/en/

Hardrock Haven rating: 8/10

Epica | Requiem For The Indifferent

by Joe Mis
Staff Writer –

Requiem For The Indifferent is the latest release from veteran Dutch rockers Epica. Founded in 2002, this female-fronted symphonic-orchestral-progressive-death-Gothic-metal group continues to refine and perfect its somewhat over-the-top sound in what is the band’s 6th release. Epica normally blends in a bit more of the darker side of metal and thus comes across a little “heavier,” but this new album is a bit different in tone and style.

Epica’s lineup remains unchanged, featuring guitarist and vocalist Mark Jansen, Simone Simons (lead vocalist – and fine mezzo-soprano), Coen Janssen (keyboards), Yves Huts (bass), Isaac Delahaye (guitar), and Ariën van Weesenbeek (drums). The stability of the core lineup only adds to the performances of the band, as their teamwork is outstanding throughout. Simone Simons has an amazing voice that combines the operatic ability of Tarja Turunen (Nightwish) with the power and flow of Amy Lee (Evanescence). Requiem For The Indifferent allows her to sing in a more conventional style, forsaking some of the operatic power, although she calls upon it on many occasions. Mark Jansen is the second vocalist as usual, handling all the death metal grunts, groans and growls. His voice contrasts nicely with Simons’ smooth flow, and keeps the dual vocals the real keystone of Epica’s sound – although on this release they are perhaps more akin to the “beauty and the beast” style, rather than that operatic metal / death metal. The remaining members of the band are all excellent musicians fully capable of handling the over-the-top bombastic style and contrasts of Epica’s music, although the tone of Requiem is a bit softer and calmer than their previous CDs.

Fans of Epica’s last release Design Your Universe may be a bit surprised by the change in tone. Design was intense and almost brutal, in-your-face and totally over the top. Requiem is a much more controlled album, featuring many more symphonic passages, vocal subtleties – more orchestral elements overall. Their musical arrangement continues to be complex and technical, but the tone is much more introspective, almost a redefinition of Epica’s sound. However, the contrasts of fast/slow, light/dark and rough/smooth continue to be the real keys to Epica’s music. The progressive traditions of tempo changes, intense riffs and instrumental passages are there, but they now tend more towards the softer end more than the super-heavy.

The first three songs (“Karma,” ”Monopoly On Truth” and “Storm The Sorrow”) have more of the old school Epica sound, although the vocal balance change is apparent. Simone’s sings more often away from her operatic style, and there is a greater emphasis on choral vocals. The band is tight, with the dual voices of Simons and Jansen leading the rest of the band through its paces. The guitar lines are strong and intricate, the bass line wonderfully complex, keys and synths are lush, and the drums manic but appropriate. Of particular note are Simone’s outstanding vocals and the great drum work on “Storm The Sorrow.” The first major departure from Epica’s core sound is the beautiful ballad “Delirium.” The track opens in epic style with some choral humming, fades into some superb keyboard work by Coen Janssen and amazing soft and sweet lead vocals – an excellent song from every aspect. Normal intensity returns on “Internal Warfare” along with some excellent death vocals by Mark Jansen, while Middle Eastern tones, many prog tempo changes, and tight guitar riffs permeate the epic title track “Requiem for the Indifferent.”

The quick keyboard “Anima” leads into the darker “Guilty Demeanor” – a more conventional symphonic / progressive track with a driving rhythm line. A mellow orchestral opening and moody lyrics makes the fluid “Deep Water Horizon” an interesting and powerful song that builds in intensity until it reaches a huge booming finish – symphonic at its best. “Stay the Course” is the heaviest track with more emphasis on Epica’s death metal roots thanks to Jansen’s lead vocals-grunts-roars. “Deter The Tyrant” has a very choppy guitar line and tidy drums, and “Avalanche” seems to be a soft and peaceful ballad until Jansen’s roars kick in at mid-point – another vocal masterpiece. The album closes on a high with the epic “Serenade Of Self-Destruction.” This one track embodies all of Epica’s trademarks and continues their “over-the-top-everything-but-the-kitchen-sink” style – quiet then roaring, slow than fast, clean then death, keys, guitars, orchestra, bass, chugging riffs, blast beats, opera…Whew!

Each track is layered with complex arrangements of standard rock instruments, orchestra instruments, choir vocals; everything that should be in symphonic metal and then some. As usual for Epica, this mélange somehow comes out well balanced, with no particular aspect of the music dominating the album. The production and engineering are excellent, as one comes to expect from a symphonic metal recording.

Epica’s new sound might take some of their fans by surprise, but the change only further separates them from the pack of imitators. Epica has proven that they are maturing in tone and skills while continually exploring (and pushing) the boundaries of the genre they helped to create. Fans of orchestral or progressive metal will enjoy this release. Requiem For The Indifferent is an excellent album, and a fine example of pure symphonic metal.

Genre: Symphonic Metal

Band:
Simone Simons (vocals)
Mark Jansen (guitars, grunts & screams)
Isaac Delahaye (guitars)
Coen Janssen (keyboards)
Yves Huts (bass)
Ariën van Weesenbeek (drums)

Track Listing:
1. Karma
2. Monopoly On Truth
3. Storm The Sorrow
4. Delirium
5. Internal Warfare
6. Requiem For The Indifferent
7. Anima
8. Guilty Demeanor
9. Deep Water Horizon
10. Stay The Course
11. Deter The Tyrant
12. Avalanche
13. Serenade Of Self-Destruction

Label: Nuclear Blast

Website: http://www.epica.nl/

Hardrock Haven rating: 9/10

Cradle of Filth | Evermore Darkly EP

by Nikiforos Skoumas
Staff Writer –

In the international music industry of today, releasing a standard CD is all that is expected. Single or EP releases seem a thing of the past for metal in particular, but really it has more to do with the band in question. A lesson learned through the case of Cradle of Filth’s latest release is that an EP still has a place in the contemporary market as a superlative audio-visual complement to an album as opposed to a two-song selection.

Following the release of their latest album Sparkly Darkly Venus Aversea and the subsequent world tour, is this EP entitled Evermore Darkly. Well, this EP comes in a thick book-like digi-pack featuring an 8-track CD and a DVD featuring a rockumentary, a promo video, and a live performance.

The CD features two new songs, plus extended or elder version of five songs originally found on the Sparkly Darkly Venus Aversea album. A rich CD though a tad predictable; shock rock themes, thick guitar riffs, theatrical vocals and the ever-present double-bass attack that defined Filth’s latest studio album, all recreated here.

The rockumentary takes you through the process and events of their latest European tour, including interviews with all band members and Danny Filth in particular along with stage-footage. Note that the film is far from the handicam-put-on-DVD video; it is professionally shot and produced by filming crew and director Ross Bolidai, therefore it should provide a satisfying journey through Filth’s latest endeavors.

Also you have got to love Danny’s sarcastic commentary on the booklet, in his own words he describes this release as “…a total rip off, there’s no mistake to be had about that”. Provided you reach a copy of Evermore Darkly at a reasonable price, this is definitely not a rip-off; it is a complete as it gets package for every fan of Cradle of Filth. Now the only trouble is, with an EP as complete as this, who needs studio albums?

Genre: Blackened Speed Metal, Horror Metal

Line up:
Dani Filth – Vocals
Paul Allender – Guitars
Dave Pybus – Bass
James McIlroy – Guitars
Marthus – Drums
Caroline Campbell – Keyboards, Vocals

Track List:
1. “Transmission from Hell”
2. “Thank Your Lucky Scars”
3. “Forgive Me Father (I Have Sinned)” (Elder Version)
4. “Lilith Immaculate” (Extended Length)
5. “The Persecution Song” (Elder Version)
6. “Forgive Me Father (I’m in a Trance)”
7. “The Spawn of Love and War” (Elder Version)
8. “Summer Dying Fast” (“Midnight in the Labyrinth” breadcrumb trail)

Label: Peaceville, Nuclear Blast

Hardrock Haven raring: 8/10

Rage | 21

by Nikiforos Skoumas
Staff Writer –

German heavy-melodic-metal legends Rage are back with their brand new album 21, that’s how many studio works they have put out since their formation in 1985. One has to hand it to Rage, they have been through the various twists and turns of the music industry for the better part of 27 years and despite changes in line up, contracts and popularity standards, they have been undeniably consistent in their releases putting out a studio album almost every year, or, every second year.

21 is the third studio album to feature the established line up of founder bassist and vocalist Peter Wagner, long serving guitar virtuoso Victor Smolski and drummer Andre Hilgers.

During the world-tour for their previous album Strings to a Web, Wagner made clear that Rage will be following a new business, artistic model in the way they put out music. It goes something like this; each year they will be marketing a straightforward heavy metal album (in their traditional ‘80s, early ‘90s style) followed by a second album which will feature all the symphonic, experimental elements that have become a key part of their identity since the late ‘90s.

Well, as you would expect, 21 falls in the first category being a full-on heavy metal attack that takes no prisoners. It is just about the thickest and heaviest release Rage have come up with, though thankfully not obscenely fast in tempo. 21 is strictly a guitar-bass-drums-vocals affair with minimal use of background keyboards and no orchestral arrangements. Still experimentation seems to be in Rage’s DNA so clearly the trio tries to make the best out of these four instruments.

It is perhaps surprising for one to find that Hilgers is the one pushing the envelope further on this new album. Andre comes up with really unconventional drum patterns and fills while retaining the metal-drumming identity and this effectively grants 21 a musical personality of its own. On the other hand, 21 is far from Victor’s best guitar performance, baring in mind his virtuoso status, while Wagner is back to the usual vocals/bass business while choosing to sing one of the songs on growls (which clearly does not do the tune any justice). That is not to say however that 21 does not feature standout material; “Concrete Wall,” “Black and White,” “Destiny” and the superbly melodic “Feel my Pain” are prime examples of Teutonic heavy metal a-la Rage.

Bottom line: 21 will definitely not let down long term fans of Rage, particularly those who have followed their career over the decades. On the other hand new admirers might be startled at the rawness of 21, that’s Rage after all.

Genre: Heavy Metal, Melodic Metal

Line up:
Peter “Peavy” Wagner – vocals, bass
Victor Smolski – guitar
André Hilgers – drums

Track List:
1 – House Wins
2 – Twenty One
3 – Forever Dead
4 – Feel My Pain
5 – Serial Killer
6 – Psycho Terror
7 – Destiny
8 – Death Romantic
9 – Black And White
10 – Concrete Wall
11 – Eternally

Label: Nuclear Blast

Web: http://www.rage-on.de/

Hardrock Haven rating: 7.5/10

Battle Beast | Steel

by Nikiforos Skoumas
Staff Writer –

And just when you thought major labels no longer invest on newcomer acts, comes Battle Beast. The plainly titled Steel is their debut album, issued by Nuclear Blast in an attempt to increase their slice of the pie labeled as New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal.

Battle Beast are a female-fronted metal group from Finland and though this kind of profile might sound all too familiar, Battle Beast, as mentioned above, sound nothing like the average Scandinavian female fronted band. At the same time, however it is important to note that Steel is not quite the stereotypical traditional metal release either.

The best way one finds to describe their music is a mixture of Lordi and Dream Evil; Battle Beast combine the commercial elements of the former (keyboards, melodic guitar lines, straightforward songwriting) with the attack of the latter (up-front rhythm section, high pitched vocals, and extensive shredding solos).

Clearly, the protagonist instrument on Steel is the guitar and obviously the lead vocals; Nitte Valo is capable of carrying the vocal melodies at the top of her range, yet her vibrato might come out as rather funny, depending on the listener’s taste and orientation. At the same time one can not fail to give credit to the guitar partnership of Anton Kabanen and Jusso Soinio who deliver on every song, making each guitar solo a musical piece at its own right. The rhythm section of Eero Sipila and Pyry Vikki drives the main body of the song though but the performance is nothing out of the ordinary. Also very significant is the contribution of their keyboardist Janne Bjorkroth who dressed the songs with orchestral arrangements which reinforces the depth of the overall composition and performance.

Moving to the lyrical concept, well, between the cover artwork and the song titles you already have a pretty accurate picture of Battle Beast’s direction; “Enter the Metal World”, “Justice and Metal,” “Steel,” “Victory,” “Stay Black” and the single “Show Me How to Die” say just about everything regarding this newcomer band. Yes, Steel lies at the heart of Metal cliché and can grow a bit tiring after consecutive plays, obviously not due to its technical aspects (the songs are very well arranged after all) but because of the repetition of certain motto’s and words.

For fans of traditional heavy metal enjoying the current resurgence of the genre, Battle Beast is bound to give them another reason to smile this month. Steel is classic sounding heavy metal with no shame but with great production that should probably reach all international metal communities.

Genre: Heavy, Epic Metal

Line Up:
Nitte Valo – Vocals
Anton Kabanen – Guitar, Vocals
Pyry Vikki – Drums
Juuso Soinio – Guitar
Eero Sipila – Bass, Vocals
Janne Bjorkroth – Keyboards, Vocals

Track Listing:
01. Enter The Metal World
02. Armageddon Clan
03. The Band Of The Hawk
04. Justice And Metal
05. Steel
06. Die-Hard Warrior
07. Cyberspace
08. Show Me How To Die
09. Savage And Saint
10. Iron Hand
11. Victory

Band Website: http://www.hypeproductions.fi/battlebeast/

Label: Nuclear Blast

Hardrock haven rating: 7.5/10

HammerFall : Infected

 

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Weird. To hear the opening track “Patient Zero” on HammerFall’s new release, Infected, is just plain weird. Known for being one of the most galloping and triumphant composers in all of Power Metal, this somewhat new direction will take longtime fans by surprise. And why the new logo? Not that metal fans are control freaks, but knowing you can “count” on something — like your favorite band not turning their logo from a sword into a scab — is not the same as wanting to control it. All that weirdness aside, it’s HammerFall, and Infected is still going to end up being a success … maybe even in spite of themselves.

A female voice opens the album on “Patient Zero,” with sirens wailing in the background, as she says “Contamination breach in sector 7G. Evacuation protocols for Project Legion in effect. Emergency shutdown in five seconds.” Instead of spirited riffs and soaring vocals, you get a near Candlemass dirge, a doomy, mid-tempo construction with Joacim Cans singing with his fathomless talent but at a much more metered and measured pace. While it’s a great track … it’s nearly uncomfortable as you wait for them to double or triple the speed. And they don’t, not here, not yet. Obviously, there’s a bit of a concept here, with Patient Zero being infected with Project Legion, meaning, there’s a lot more than one person/soul/being inside the body. Still …

HammerFall had little choice but to get back on track with the second song, or risk losing people. “Bang Your Head” is probably how most people expected the album to begin. Here, you’ll get tempo changes and those insane vocal melodies so germane to HammerFall’s legacy. Of course, Dronjak’s solo is as vivid and effortless as expected, and everything new is old again.

“The Outlaw” is a chaotic and cool barnburner. The riffs are complicated, and Anders Johansson’s drumming is a marvel. It’s mostly unfair how much talent this band wields in every facet. While the music is intense and interesting, the lyrics and the way the vocals are delivered don’t measure up; were they trying not to let the vocals get in the way of the musical mastery? Or is this just an uninspired lyrical and vocal moment?

Again, just when you start questioning the band, they come at you with the majestic and heartfelt “Send Me a Sign.” Maybe HammerFall is just so damn good they have finally started screwing with their fans — as in, expect the unexpected, metalheads. With deft acoustic picking, haunting and masterful vocals from Cans, “Send Me a Sign” blazes near the end and then fades to an acoustic end. Not weird.

Getting back to the Patient Zero theme, the uplifting “666 – The Enemy Within” is one of the highlights of the entire release. With a more reminiscent song structure, the tale speaks of a man awakening to a bloody trail, spouting poetry like “There’s an echo in the mirror, of a man I do not know, staring back at the scar on my neck, and the numbers are screaming … 666!” The entire song crescendos near the close, changing pace and becoming both glorious and vile all at the same time.

Whether this is a concept record or really an album with a running theme (you say potato, they say potato gun), the narrative from “Immortalized” to ”Lets Get It On” to “Redemption” is the album’s denouement. In the keyboard-crazy “Redemption,” you will experience sorrow-laden musical passages, metallic orchestration and overall, it’s a madly fitting way to close the pages of Infected.

In fairness, you can’t expect HammerFall NOT to grow as musicians, even though historically they’ve shown little interest in doing so. Wake up call — they are interested now. Infected is darker, more intense and perhaps more thematic than anything they’ve ever composed. That means little if it isn’t a good album, but it is. Whether this is a one-time “off the beaten path” journey or an indication of what lies ahead, HammerFall is still a force, albeit a weird one this time around.

Band:
Joacim Cans – Vocals
Oscar Dronjak – Guitar
Anders Johansson – Drums
Fredrik Larsson – Bass
Pontus Norgren – Guitar

Tracklist
1. Patient Zero
2. Bang Your Head
3. One More Time
4. The Outlaw
5. Send Me A Sign
6. Dia De Los Muertos
7. I Refuse
8. 666 – The Enemy Within
9. Immortalized
10. Let’s Get It On
11. Redemption

Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Online: http://www.hammerfall.net/  

Hardrock Haven rating: 7.7/10

Korpiklaani Ukon Wacka

by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer

It’s hard to believe that the members of Korpikaani have been gracing us with their brand of Finnish polka-metal for over 10 years now (counting the Shaman days, of course). Time flies when you’re wasted and having fun. Maintaining a release schedule reminiscent of the ’80s metal days (really, how many bands actually put albums out almost every year anymore?), Ukon Wacka serves as the forest tribe’s 7th full length, and helps cement their reign as one of the top polka-metal bands on the scene.

While Ukon Wacka is far from a stylistic departure for Korpiklaani, it packs enough punch and originality to break the somewhat “been there heard that” sound that the last couple albums carried. Perhaps the unusual two-year break from 2009’s Karkelo gave the band some time to refine their songs and escape the monotony.

While there truly isn’t a throwaway track on the album, there are a couple of standout highlights. Opener “Louhen Yhdeksäs Poika” mixes in an almost country feel to the usual Korp fair, and features and excellent fiddle solo. The rapid fire vocals, sung in Finnish (as if that wasn’t clear from the title), sound great, but ensure most non-Finns will stand nary a chance of actually learning the words.

“Tuoppi Oltta” boasts a flute solo that far outdoes Helloween’s recent flute experiment (see “Raise the Noise” from 7 Sinners) and proves that flutes aren’t exclusively made cool by Ian Anderson. On that note, how cool would a Korpiklaani/Jethro Tull crossover be? “Songs From the Wood” + the Forest Tribe = the greatest medieval rock/metal ever.

“Tequila” stands out as the most interesting track here, blending Latin rhythms with the Finnish polka and creating an even more bizarre—yet extremely effective—party metal hybrid. It seems there would be a huge number of fanbases this might appeal to, but then again, maybe the mix is too much for most people.

Title track “Ukon Wacka” slows things down a bit, with vocals that invoke images of Korpiklaani’s cover-art mascot traipsing through the forest singing of his surroundings. He seems to act as some sort of heavy metal Yoda, providing guidance and insight to his bretheren. Perhaps he will one day become the “Eddie” of folk metal.

Ukon Wacka only features a single instrumental, the fast-paced “Vaarinpolkka.” Lead by Juho Kauppinen’s accordion, the song is as close to a dictionary definition of polka metal as one will likely get.

So to reiterate, Ukon Wacka may not be a breakthrough record for the genre it falls into, or for metal in general; Korpiklaani already carved that niche years ago. For a band churning records out at the frequency Korpiklaani does, though, it is still an excellent piece of danceable metal. Like it or not, this is full-on party metal, and should be treated as such. Does it border on the cheesy at times? Sure, but every metal band tends to do that at some point. What makes Korpiklaani so great is that they embrace it and deliver.

Genre: Polka Metal

Band:
Jonne Järvelä (vocals, guitar)
Jaakko “Hittavainen” Lemmetty (violin, jouhikko and woodwinds)
Kalle “Cane” Savijärvi (guitar)
Matti “Matson” Johansson (drums)
Jarkko Aaltonen (bass)
Juho Kauppinen (accordion)

Track listing:
1. Louhen Yhdeksäs Poika
2. Päät Pois Tai Hirteen
3. Tuoppi Oltta
4. Lonkkaluut
5. Tequila
6. Ukon Wacka
7. Korvesta Liha
8. Koivu Ja Tähti
9. Vaarinpolkka
10. Surma

Label: Nuclear Blast

Website: www.korpiklaani.com

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.9/10

Amorphis Magic and Mayhem – Tales from the Early Years

by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer

There has been a noticeable trend in recent years for established bands, especially when there is a significant lineup change, to rerecord their older material with the new lineup. In most cases, these rerecordings are totally unnecessary. The adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” comes to mind. Sometimes though, the rerecordings show the old songs in a totally new light (Anacrusis did this particularly well with their Hindsight collection). Now Finnish progressive death metal band Amorphis is giving it a try with their new collection Magic & Mayhem – Tales From the Early Years. Now that vocalist Tomi Joutsen has a few albums under his belt, and Amorphis has built a new sound around his distinctive vocals, it makes sense for them to revisit some of their earliest recordings.

If you’ve heard any of Amorphis’s recent albums, you know that Joutsen is an impressive clean vocalist, but excels at the death metal growls. If you’ve caught them live, you know that he absolutely nails the older songs like “Black Winter Day.” Hearing the band take on the heavier, more purely death metal songs from The Karelian Isthmus and Tales From the Thousand Lakes is a revelation. It’s been nearly two decades since the band’s earliest recordings, so obviously they’re a lot better at what they do, plus they’ve developed a unique sound over the years. Hearing that combination of talent and progress (plus of course Joutsen’s monstrous growls) lends a more elegant brutality to songs like “Vulgar Necrolatry” and “Magic & Mayhem,” and is almost like hearing the songs for the first time. The pre-Elegy songs should be more than enough to convince the skeptics, and are well worth the price of admission.

Then there are the songs from Elegy. Elegy was the album where Amorphis brought in clean vocalist Pasi Koskinen and moved dramatically in a more progressive direction. Elegy is considered by many to be the band’s best album and an essential metal release. It’s as close to an untouchable release as you’re likely to find, and tinkering with these classic songs is risky. The band did a decent enough job with them, but didn’t really add anything the way they did with the earlier material. They’re not bad, and they do grow on you, but they’re not on par with the original versions.

The only real blunder on Magic & Mayhem is revisiting the Doors’ classic “Light My Fire.” Covering that song was a mistake the first time around, and is just as dreadful all these years later. Making it through that stinker a second time around takes a supreme effort of will.

Old school Amorphis fans may cringe at some of these rerecordings, but for the most part the songs on Magic & Mayhem are very well done, and provide an interesting new perspective on some classic metal songs. Fans of the later Amorphis albums should definitely enjoy hearing the new lineup revisit the classic material.

Genre: Death Metal, Progressive Metal

Band:
Tomi Joutsen (v)
Esa Holopainen (g)
Tomi Koivusaari (g)
Santeri Kallio (k)
Niclas Etelavuori (b)
Jan Rechberger (d)

Track Listing:
1. Magic & Mayhem
2. Vulgar Necrolatry
3. Into Hiding
4. Black Winter Day
5. On Rich and Poor
6. Exile of the Sons
7. The Castaway
8. Song of the Troubled
9. Sign from the North
10. Drowned Maid
11. Against Windows
12. My Kantelle
13. Light My Fire

Label: Nuclear Blast

Website: www.amorphis.net

Hardrock Haven rating: 7.5/10

Dimmu Borgir Abrahadabra

by Alex Barbieri
Staff Writer

Dimmu Borgir which means “dark cities” or “dark castles/fortresses” in Icelandic, Faroese and Old Norse, is about as mainstream as black metal gets. Back in 2007, they became the first black metal band in history to have a number one album in their native country of Norway for In Sorte Diaboli. And in the U.S., the band has an exclusive marketing deal with Hot Topic, a mall chain store that caters to kids into, well, chains.

Recorded in Sweden and Norway, Abrahadabra features Dimmu Borgir’s three (hard) core members: Shagrath, Silenoz and Galder, along with an army of guest musicians, including Snowy Shaw on bass, Daray on drums and Gerlioz on keyboard. The album is their first to feature a full ensemble orchestra, the Kringkastingsorkestret (Norwegian Radio Orchestra), as well as the Schola Cantorum choir, which totaled more than 100 musicians and singers. The orchestral arrangements were conducted by Gaute Storaas. The cover art — designed for maximum creepiness — is by Joachim Luetke. Like all great heavy metal album art, the cover intrigues and looks like the album sounds.

Dimmu Borgir is symphonic black metal. Their music is epic, gothic, intense and darkly beautiful. It would make a perfect horror movie soundtrack. (Here’s a tip, Hollywood: Make a horror movie called Dimmu Borgir with Abrahadabra as the soundtrack!) But you must be in the mood for this music. Because of its relentless brutality and maze-like arrangements, it is taxing on the ears and brain after a while. That said, when you are in the mood to release your inner demon, it is incredibly thrilling and invigorating. Some highlights, or this case lowlights, of the album are “Xibir,” the grotesque opening that sounds like Satan burping, the first single, “Gateways” and “Ritualist” the song that finally delivers a chorus you can clench your fist and chant along to.

Dimmu Borgir and bands of their ilk are a necessary evil. They maintain the musical balance in the world. They are the dark to Disney pop’s light. And they are a perfectly decadent guilty pleasure. Norway won’t be the only place this album will go to No. 1. Pick up a copy of Abrahadabra, play it loud Halloween night and watch the neighborhood kids tremble. (Dark, sinister laugh.)

Watch the video for “Gateways” on YouTube.

Order Abrahadabra from Hot Topic.

Genre: Black Metal/Death Metal

Band:
Shagrath – Vocals, Keyboards
Silenoz – Guitars
Galder – Guitars

Guest members:
Snowy Shaw – Bass, Clean Vocals
Daray – Drums
Agnete Maria Forfang Kjølsrud – Female Vocals
Kristoffer Rygg – Vocals
Kringkastingsorkestret (The Norwegian Radio Orchestra), conducted by Gaute
Storaas
The Schola Cantorum Choir

Track Listing:
1. Xibir
2. Born Treacherous
3. Gateways
4. Chess with the Abyss
5. Dimmu Borgir
6. Ritualist
7. The Demiurge Molecule
8. A Jewel Traced Through Coal
9. Renewal
10. Endings and Continuations

Label: Nuclear Blast

Online:
http://www.dimmu-borgir.com/
http://www.myspace.com/dimmuborgir
http://www.reverbnation.com/dimmuborgir

Hardrock Haven Rating: 8/10

Next Page »