This is the second EP from US Melodic Metal band Deathwhite.
We’ve met these before on their début EP Ethereal. Katatonia, Paradise Lost and Anathema remain prime influences but once again Deathwhite put their own spin on things.
The songs have a confidence and maturity about them that belie the band’s youth; these are the songs you would expect from a group that had been together for many more years than this. These are well-written tracks that wear their influences on their sleeves and yet don’t sound derivative.
I can easily imagine these tracks being played on a large stage. The melodic nature of the band stands up to scrutiny well and this is a memorable, catchy collection of songs.
It’s all very easy listening and just seems to melt out of the speakers. The singer’s voice in particular is soft and enticing.
My only complaint with solitary Martyr is that it could do with a little more variety as it relies a little too much on the heavy/light approach that was so popular in the late 90s/early 00s, but this is really only a minor thing as ultimately these songs are very enjoyable.
This is the second album from Nergard, a solo project from Norway that features a multitude of guest singers and musicians from bands such as Aeon Zen, Amaranthe, Pagan’s Mind, Primal Fear, Withem and others.
The songs are Melodic/Power Metal with a side of quality Rock.
The combined experience and talent of the various singers means that there’s no issue in the vocal department. The myriad styles of the different vocalists all add something to each track and no guest is wasted or under-used. It’s not a complete testosterone-fest either, as we are also treated to a few female singers whose presence raises the bar.
The multiple singers give the album a diverse feel while the music and production gives it a cohesiveness that is necessary to avoid it sounding like a compilation. The singer of Aeon Zen appears on many of the tracks, either doing main or backing vocals, so he remains a familiar thread throughout, too, helping to keep things stitched together.
The songs are well-written and are chock full of hooks, catchy melodies and harmonies. Each song has its own character and personality, and this is further enhanced by the vocal variety.
The brain behind the outfit plays drums, bass and keyboards, with everything else being handled by one of the many guests. The musicianship is first-rate and there are enough solos included for the guest musicians to get their teeth into.
At 45 minutes in length it doesn’t outstay its welcome and overall A Bit Closer to Heaven is a really enjoyable listen. The songs grow on you even more upon repeated listens and I know I’ll be spinning this again and again in the future.
Yonder Realm are from the US and this is their début album. They play Folk/Melodic Metal.
This is music that combines the bite of Melodic Death Metal with the jauntiness of Folk Metal, resulting in songs that have Folk Metal’s quirkiness and Melodic Death Metal’s seriousness but without going too much in either direction; reminiscent of Ensiferum.
The harsh main vocals have a good presence throughout whilst more epic cleans are used very sparingly.
The violin is a strong component of the band’s sound and juxtaposes against the more Metal guitars in a way that is pleasingly disruptive yet separate from the main music.
The Folk melodies are a constant companion to the Metallic riffing. Yonder Realm are interesting in that usually the guitars of bands like this follow a Folk theme as with the rest of the music. The Old Ways is a bit different in that it’s almost as if two bands are playing; a Melodic Death Metal band and a Folk instrumentalist group. It’s like the two aspects of their sound just happen to fit into the same song structures.
Although this is potentially a recipe for disaster, Yonder Realm avoid this simply by having the two styles fit together and compliment each other. If you removed the violin and keyboards, etc. you’d still have a perfectly serviceable Metal band, but with the Folk instrumentation it’s better than it would be without.
This is a rare case of the Folk stuff sounding just tacked on to a Metal band and it actually working in the band’s favour. How on earth they managed this feat is anyone’s guess. I call black magic.
Overall I’ve enjoyed Yonder Realm’s début. They have a harsher edge than some bands of this style, which I appreciate. The very-Metal core identity of the band is simply enhanced by the Folk inclusion and the album as a whole is a rocking good listen.
Jaded Star are based in Greece and play Melodic Heavy Metal. This is their début album.
Featuring former members of Iced Earth and Visions of Atlantis, you know straight away that this is going to be competently and professionally played before you even hear it.
This is modern Melodic Heavy Metal with a state-of-the-art recording and songs that are catchy and memorable. Electronic enhancements are subtle and don’t detract from the Metal core of the band.
I quite enjoyed Cast Away by Visions of Atlantis, but it suffered under the shadow of the mighty Nightwish. I never heard them after that. Fast forward 11 years and The now ex-singer of Visions of Atlantis has come into her own and the performance on Memories from the Future is faultless. She has a great voice that combines power and melody in the right amounts to bring these songs to life with anthemic vigour.
She also doesn’t play it entirely safe, as she injects more variety into these tracks than a lot of similarly-styled singers try to do. Commendable.
Musically you might expect Metal-by-numbers, but the sound, although professional, is surprisingly organic and fresh for a band within this genre. The musicianship certainly is first rate and there are enough leads and solos to provide a meaty feast but without becoming ostentatious as can be the case with some European Power Metal.
These songs are energetic bundles of hummable Metal that don’t commit the cardinal sins that a lot of bands of this style do – overly commercial, weak guitars, generic songs, etc. – Jaded Star avoid all of these by providing a much more personal take on a style that is, by now, well-worn at best.
This kind of music is never going to be innovative or new, but that’s not the point; there is, however, a much needed injection of individuality and true passion into the genre, as a lot of bands of this ilk can sound same-y and boring. I’m extremely pleased with Jaded Star though as they remind me of what I first loved about female-fronted Metal when I first started listening to it in earnest over a decade and a half ago, (gulp!).
Jaded Star have reaffirmed my love for this kind of music and I can honestly and heartily recommend Memories from the Future. Had your fill of this style? Weary of the same old stuff? Give Jaded Star a try and watch your passion re-ignite.
Caelestia are from Greece and this is their second album. They play Melodic Metal.
Well this is interesting. Superficially another Gothic/Operatic European Metal band, there’s actually more to Caelestia than that.
They combine elements of that sound with Melodic Death Metal and Progressive Metal to create an altogether more interesting beast than what you, (or me), might have been expecting.
The album is a mixture of these aforementioned styles, meaning that Beneath Abyss is not a listen that gets stale. This is a bigger than normal compliment actually, considering how easy it is for Gothic Metal bands to be quite generic. But of course, this is where the other influences come in.
Another very positive thing about the band is the main female vocals; the singer has a strong voice that definitely has her own personality stamped onto it and manages to avoid simply aping some of the bigger female vocalists out there. She has a versatile and powerful voice that oozes professionalism and quality.
Her voice is joined by choral backing vocals and harsher male shouting, as well as a guest spot from the singer of Soilwork.
These are enjoyable songs and the combination of the European Metal styles into one package gives Caelestia an identity of their own that differentiates them from the majority of their peers who play similar styles of music. It also lends the songs more depth than they’d otherwise have if the bite of the Melodic Death Metal or the musicality of the Progressive Metal were removed.
A very good listen. Check them out and see if you agree.
This is the latest EP from Ghost Season who are from Greece. They play Modern/Alternative Metal.
The band have a strong, professional sound and waste no time in grabbing the attention of the listener.
This is Modern/Alternative Metal with clean vocals and easy harmonies. Imagine a Heavy Metal band that were more influenced by Modern Alternative Metal and the New Wave of American Heavy Metal than anything from the European scenes and you’ll have an idea of where Ghost Season are coming from.
In fact, the only real nod to the European scene is Ghost Season’s inclusion of a good amount of guitar solos, which is something that’s less prevalent in the previously mentioned styles and something that I’m very glad they incorporate into their sound.
Don’t let references to the NWOAHM fool you though, as apart from the occasional backing vocal there’s no real shouting, nor is there any angry pseudo-Hardcore breakdowns here; the singer has a fluidly melodic voice and the music has a good, hearty Modern Rock influence to it.
These songs slip out of the speakers like they wouldn’t harm a fly, but then Ghost Season’s intention isn’t to threaten. The band aim to make music that’s melodic and polished without losing its passion and vibrancy. For the most part it succeeds and Ghosts Like Her is an enjoyable collection of tracks.
The band sometimes remind me of a modern interpretation of 90’s Alternative Rock and even with the thoroughly modern sheen of Ghosts Like Her I can’t help but feel vaguely nostalgic when listening to it.
Give them a listen and see if they hit that right note for you.
Arcturon are from Switzerland and this is their latest EP. They play Melodic Metal.
With this EP they give us 4 tracks lasting a total of just under 17 minutes.
This is upbeat Metal with a modern slant and added keyboards/effects. Think Dark Tranquillity as well as bands like In Flames, Arch Enemy, Soilwork, Darkane, etc.
These four songs are well-written and well-presented tracks that are on the more commercial side of Metal but if you don’t mind that then there’s a good amount of enjoyment to be had from them.
The singer has a good voice and switches between shouting and singing with ease. It’s designed to promote emotive responses and as long as you’re amenable to the genre it does the job.
This is the kind of band I could imagine getting a good degree of success if they have the right backing/are in the right place at the right time/etc. They have this particular genre of Metal down pat and inject enough variety and personality into the formula to make it work.
Orbseven is a solo project from the US and this is the third album of Experimental Black Metal that the project has unleashed.
This is a combination of electric Black Metal, sleek Post-Black Metal and ambient/avant-garde darkness. It’s an interesting combination and the resulting album is an exploration of state-of-the-art Blackness and atmospheric expression.
Darkened sounds and interesting effects enhance the tracks in a way that’s subtle enough to not steal any thunder from the main driving force of the guitars but has enough impact to be noticeable.
The songs are propelled by Blackened melodies and experimental sound structures, but there’s also enough Post-Black Metal wanderings to allow the room for shades of both light and dark. They’re well written, have great dynamics and are potent affairs.
.ismos. fosters an atmosphere that’s vaguely mechanistic but overtly malevolent and mysterious. Everything about this album from the music itself to the album cover deals in these mysteries and although there are no answers forthcoming the search for them is what’s important.
The vocals are a curious and varied affair. Multiple styles collide as spoken/distorted words, barely audible pseudo-ethereal sounds and subtle cleans all appear at various times during the tracks.
If you think along the lines of Dødheimsgard, Aborym, Red Harvest and Arcturus then you’ll have a good idea of the basic building blocks of the Orbseven sound. There’s even a couple of riffs here and there that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Mastodon album.
Orbseven is a creative and novel approach to what Black Metal should sound like in 2014. Taking the basic Black Metal template and building/distorting it is common enough, but the always interesting thing is where the band ends up once they have done this. In the case of Orbseven we end up with Experimental/Post-Black Metal that rolls smoothly out of the speakers.
Tantal are from Russia and this is their second album. They play Progressive Melodic Death Metal.
This is upbeat and Melodic Death Metal in the vein of Arch Enemy, In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, Nightrage, etc. Tantal differentiate themselves though by having more of a Progressive edge to their sound.
The vocals consist of harsh male screaming and clean female vocals pairing off against each other. Both sets of vocals are performed admirably and the clean melodies in particular are quite enjoyable and remind of classic Lacuna Coil back when they were still a rising power to contend with.
The band’s progressive influences mean this is a relatively lengthy album and the songs have some good meat on them due to this. Everything is played well and the songs make an impression.
This has a strong European flavour to it, (despite originating in Russia), and takes me back to a time when European Metal still sounded quite exotic and had a unique flavour to it. Although this is still quite true in many respects, it no longer feels new to me any more, having heard it for decades now; Tantal remind me of a time when it all was still new and exciting, so that alone endears me to them even before you take into account the fact that they actually write good songs too!
If you like the more modern, melodic style of Heavy Metal yet eschew the more commercial tendencies of a lot of bands that play in this genre and want something a bit meatier to sink your teeth into, you could do a lot worse than check out Tantal.
Spontane are from Poland and this is their second release.
It starts with a riff, and a good one at that. In fact this release is peppered with them. Riffs fall like mana from the sky and our job as good listeners is to be thankful and eat them all up quickly.
This is high-energy Melodic Metal with a healthy Hard Rock attitude and liberal use of Stoner Metal touches. The riffs come thick and fast and the melodics back this up well.
Vocals are in Polish and are shouted out with vigour and passion. The main vocals sync very well with the backing vocals and the music to create a cohesive delivery that is very well done indeed.
The band seem to have an easy talent for creating catchy, memorable songs with plenty of hooks. This is a great set of tunes and a very strong album.
The relative obscurity of the band and their Polish delivery will probably limit their international appeal somewhat, which is a real shame as this is a very good band. I see no reason why Spontane shouldn’t be primed for big things in the Metal world on the back of this release. It has attitude, style and songs; a dangerous combination.
Listen to Spontane loud and get ready to Rock out hard.
This is the second EP from US Melodic Metal band Deathwhite.
Wonderbox Metal 