Blood Prophecy - After Life (Review)

I don’t really like to discuss singles: they don't always fully reveal the author’s idea - that’s historically so. But the first release of a new band always arouses my interest, moreover, regardless of the format. And today I will tell you what interest I had in a project from Tokyo called Blood Prophecy.

My Rating: 74/100 Best song: Get Freedom

Here you can hear patterns characteristic of melodic death metal on a extended-range guitar and bass. After the phrase “Melodic Death Metal”, I'm already triggered. For me, the reference sound is the In Flames band from 1996 to 2002. And those who know already realized that the word “Trigger” I inserted for a reason.

However, I will continue about the guys from Tokyo. The general idea is pretty harsh and sharp, although the songs are nice to listen. However, I like the fact that they did not become just another copy of some famous Scandinavian band - for this they have special respect. These are not my fantasies, such cases really happened, for example, with band Devil Within.

The album structure is as follows. First track is a high-tempo song with three types of blast beat. Second track is a song with alternating tempo and slow solo. And at the end - a song with a groove riff and a brakedown. At first glance, the overall picture looks exactly as it should. But I am haunted by the implementation shades. I get the impression that initially there was one very powerful composition and one that was made for quantity. And the second one came up with a sequel (in the form of the third track) with a groove riff. I can’t say that this is a good idea, although the performance looks interesting.

Vocalist also looks interesting. Lyrics are poorly distinguishable - this does not mean poor pronunciation, it indicates the correct recording of extreme vocals. In general, the vocalist showed himself well - it's very difficult to find fault with something.

Instrumental parts look cool. Instrumental parts structures are not particularly complex (if you don't take into account the fast scales in second track), however, they significantly affect emotions. Guitar riffs are simple - I realized how this is played during the first listening. Lead guitar parts also don't differ in anything supernatural. I will not hide the fact that I was expecting a part in the style of some Alphoenix when I saw a extended-range guitar. However, I can say that the work of the guitarist is interesting. And, as you already noticed, I liked the main riff from the third song more. Now about the rhythm section. It's noticeable that a lot of attention is paid to the rhythm section. Bassist doesn't have very complicated parts, but he looks cool. Drums also look cool. Here the composer really did everything for a change - here you have several types of blast beats and standard heavy metal drumming. Accordingly, the drummer will not make you bored either.

Despite the fact that this is a new project (since 2019, that is, recently), the members noticeable serious abilities. Technically, the album is not very complicated. Also, I don’t really like some of the shades of the general idea - in this regard, I would like something else that would somehow balance the general rigidity. But I can say that this album is nice to listen. There is still a lot of work to do, but overall, the release is good.

BLOOD STAIN CHILD - AMATERAS (Review)

Blood Stain Child - after this name comment is always redundant - not all people live such a long as this guys play interesting music. However, this time the situation is somewhat more complicated.

My Rating: 81/100 Best song: 8bit Blackhole

Here situation is complicated by the side project Yuzukingdom. New album has already received crushing criticism from me for the release of previously released songs and strange methods for solving artistic tasks. However, I will not find fault with the intricacies of their strategy, I will get down to business.

This guys really did something interesting in this release. And these interesting things start from the very beginning. Very first thing I would like to note is a great general idea. It's difficult to see it the first time, although mastery is always felt. Yes, I don’t really like the naming of some songs. But overall, the album looks interesting.

Unlike the general idea, composer's work is not so straightforward. Here you can hear patterns characteristic of death metal with a lot of melody, a little hardcore influence and a synthesizer. This is a good idea. In general, album sound is very powerful. However, the downside is the lack of something very special. This upset me a bit, as I expected something special from these guys. Well, the album is interesting without bells and whistles. Although in some compositions you can see quickie, for example 3 track. By the way, an interesting idea: to start an album with two very powerful tracks, and then insert quickie - this minimally spoils the impression of album.

The vocalist is good. He perfectly copes with both classic and extreme techniques. It's difficult to say more, because feels high skill and professionalism.

Instrumental parts are quite powerful and diverse. However, as expected. First thing you can hear is guitars. Usually I write a lot about guitar parts, but here I can't write a lot of words. It’s hard for me to single out something specific - album itself is powerful. Yes, this is such an interesting feature: sound is powerful, but there is nothing special to highlight. Bassist also does not lag behind: sound is impressive. Although bassist also has nothing special. However, the other part of rhythm section - drummer - sounds very cool. Here's an interesting set of patterns. The only thing that I did not quite understand was the logic in the selection and sequence of patterns in 3 tracks. Otherwise, the sound is cool. And, of course, synthesizers must be noted. The sound of the synthesizers is quite diverse - this makes each composition unique. Perhaps the entire instrumental is drawn due to additional instrument that bring something special to this album.

What can be said at the end? I think it would be better if the Blood Stain Child was engaged in the Blood Stain Child, and not Yuzukingdom. Because nothing good will come of Yuzukingdom anyway, and at least they will do something more like high art. These two albums show that it's impossible to do everything at once and of equal high quality - you must sacrifice something. I can’t know how they work, but these guys most likely sacrifice the Yuzukingdom. I believe that this is correct: they, of course, do it well, but when you look at their ways, you start to feel a little sad. Well, specifically, this work was done well and it's highly appreciated.

Yuzukingdom - Dadaism (Review)

And again, Blood Stain Child with his side project. Four months - and now in the stores a new album, moreover, full-length. Such a regularity would deserve respect. However, here the case is somewhat different.

My Rating: 47/100 Best song: -

I was disturbed by the fact that the second full-length was released quite quickly. Indeed, quite often a large amount of work is performed due to its low level. And something like that I can say about this release. First, half of the tracks in the album had previously been released. Question: why? There was no inspiration, but should it be released? The mere fact of having such questions looks strange.

Then what do we have? Composer's work? It seems that here the composer is just a formality. In new songs, composer's work is kind of sluggish. That is, the instrumentalists performed their parts well - there are no complaints. But the feeling remains that the original idea is somehow weak. Because of this, overall sound is not perceived so brightly. Because of this, I will not even describe the album structure. Also, I don’t like different volume level of the songs, and the volume level of individual instrumental tracks raises some uncomfortable questions (for example, guitar track that do sweep picking in 3 tracks).

Now the vocalist is good. In the mix you can hear some tricks in the spirit of Steven Slate and this is a nice detail. Contrasts game is also interesting: extreme vocal techniques are replaced by a cute voice in a second. However, even the vocal parts have a feeling of not fully developed idea.

Instrumental parts are difficult to discuss for a long time. Here you can hear patterns typical for death metal with a lot of melody, a lot of synthesizer, dropped guitar tuning and a strong influence of pop music. It would seem that it's very difficult to spoil the work in such a framework. Well, if you don't take into account the fact that not all the songs are original, then we can say that the instrumentalists did a good job. However, the sound of instrumental parts as a whole is not so bright. I could describe guitar parts from beginning to end. However, in this album it's not necessary. On album Genesis, the guitar parts sound good. Here they just sound. Now the rhythm section, which in some places is not as intense as we would like. In previous release, even pop patterns sounded bright. And here? The only thing worth paying attention to is a synthesizer. Although, most likely, due to the fact that you don't expect much from this.

So, this is not an album. These are some album bits that were roughly paste together and put into the store. Okay, nobody's perfect. However, this work is completely incompatible with the high status of its participants. Disadvantage of previous release, I found a somewhat strange fit of instrumental to the lyrics. But this album is one continuous disadvantage. Instrumental is good, but when you start looking at the shades of composer's work, you want to turn it off. Yes, they do something like a game of contrasts, but you can’t get far at this trick. I cannot order them, but one thing I can say for sure: need more original material. Don't be afraid to create even if it will be quickie - any creativity is always held in high esteem. So, work is done.

Gyze - Asian Chaos (Review)

I think will be a superfluous to reminder of who these serious guys from the north of Japan. However, previous full-length album did not make a very clear impression on me. Although it would seem that professionals of this level do everything and are always great. But recently guys released new album. And now I will tell you what's interesting here.

My Rating: 85/100     Best Song: Asian Chaos

First you need to clarify that the versions for different markets are different. I listened to "World Edition" from German label Out of Line, which was released on July 12, and now I am writing a review on it.

The first thing that can be said about this album is that it turned out to be quite racy. Composer had a task to make an oriental sound - and it turned out excellent. Composer's work is incredibly difficult. It's noticeable that the composer performed an impressive amount of work. Although, it would seem, here not all the material is new. Nevertheless, it should be noted that a lot of work and ideas were invested in the composition. Although I don’t like the whole album. First thing I don’t like about the composer’s work is contrast between 2 (11) and the rest tracks, which is strongly felt. Because of this, it seems that the bulk of attention was directed to 2 (11) track. I also don't quite understand what this instrumental for track 4 is for and what it is for. Otherwise, composer's work is excellent. Even a cover at the end of album does not look superfluous.

Now, about vocalist. Extreme techniques sound cool. Although it is noticeable that this is not the best side of the leader. Also worth mentioning is the presence of other participants. This is Mark Hudson (Dragonforce) in track 8 and some female voice, performing several lines in Russian in track 2 (11) (not included in line-up).

Instrumental parts sound great. Good sound at high speed is a separate topic, as high speed effectively hides some flaws. However, there is a high skill level. First thing that causes these feelings is guitar. More precisely, guitars - two guitarists can be felt. The rest is not possible to describe, since the level of skill is too high for my knowledge. I can only say that guitar parts are good both in terms of technic and in terms of emotions. Bassist is also good, though not everywhere. Bassist has several interesting segments, for example, in main riff (6 track), but the rest is not worth attention. However, another part of rhythm section - drums - sounds much better. Here is a very high speed and very high intensity. Drum patterns are hardly interesting, however, it can be said that the drummer did a good job. There are also additional instruments. In track 2 (11) there are a lot of traditional Japanese instruments. Also, track 4 consists entirely of a piano and flute. But in the rest of the tracks, additional instruments are not enough - a synthesizer in track 5, a piano in track 7, as well as a flute and shamisen in track 10.

After the ambiguous album, this guys still released a really decent work. I can say that album will take not the last place among best works of this year. Yes, this album is not ideal everywhere: it's felt that in some segments they sacrificed intellectual value for the sake of production speed. Well, the masters of such a high level don't have to be clear to everyone. The result is an album that is difficult to discuss - such work is better just to listen.

Devil Within - Dark Supremacy (Review)

Supergroup is always a controversial point for critic. On the one side, these guys already know what to do and how. On the other side, they can fall into the “trap of success” - this happens when a creative project uses a certain model (consisting of a composer, producer and stylist's work) and, seeing its popularity, don't change the overall concept (and sometimes don't change anything) .

My Rating: 72/100 Best song: Born From Tears

I started this idea because all members had already gained fame in other projects. The project involves vocalist from MergingMoon, guitarist and drummer from UNDEAD CORPORATION, guitarist from THOUSAND EYES and bassist from HELLHOUND. These are very serious guys who are not on their first year on the stage. Therefore, the expectations of them will be very high. However, if we talk only about the result of the work, then everything is not so simple.

Here you can hear patterns typical of melodic death metal with a little hardcore influence. Compositions's structures are rather complex - I am inclined to see a positive point in this. However, the diversity is somewhat strange. That is, here you can hear something tough and something melodious, and even there is one song with a piano. But all the time you hear something familiar, as if the yard is now the end of the 90s - beginning of 00s. Nevertheless, it can be said that the composer did his best: compositions are surprisingly easy to fall on the listener's ears.

Vocalist also performs well. Here is a very strong voice. So strong that I even began to think about the strong handling of some parts of the range. Yes, the voice is good. However, the variety of vocal techniques is rather weak.

Instrumental parts - there situation is twofold. On the one side, instrumental parts are very complex. On the other side, all the time tormented by the feeling of deja vu, because of which the album really can't hear. The sound of instruments can be described like this: Imagine that the composer listened to such albums by In Flames as Colony, Clayman and Reroute to Remain for a long time and then took the heaviest riffs from there and made something of their own. Seriously, here you can find similarities with songs Embody The Invisible, Colony, Pinball Map, System, Dismiss The Cynics, Watch Them Feed. Do we need to talk about how the guitars sound in this album? I think this is superfluous. Nevertheless, it's worth noting that guitarists have a fairly high level of skill. However, one thing is not entirely clear - the difference between the lead guitar and the rhythm guitar is very blurred. It’s not quite clear why this was done this way, because you can simply record one guitar with a quad track. Also noteworthy is a very intense rhythm section. This can be completed, since all this has already been heard, and, far from once.

These guys give the listener exactly what they want to hear. This is a good idea: to combine technical complexity and attractiveness for the listener. However, in the pursuit of common patterns (even if they are significantly complicated), an album came out that flies past: the album’s memories end with the last track. That is, the album itself is good, but no aftertaste. It's like, instead of a full meal, just to eat bread - you will be full, but will there be full-fledged pleasure from it? I hope this question will not remain without answer.

IScream Never Ground - Runners High (Review)

And again band IScream Never Ground is releasing a album. Such regularity deserves respect. However, such regularity can also cause concern.

My Rating: 73/100     Best song: Endless Relay

Most often, a large amount of work is performed due to its cheap level. And when you remember that pop patterns are also used in their music, the desire to listen further decreases. Here you can again hear melodic death metal / metalcore with a lot of synthesizer, but now pop music influence has increased even more. Many tend to see this as a negative color and this can be understood. However, it's not so simple.

Composer's work is good. Composer decided to play on contrasts: on the one side - pop patterns with a synthesizer and a high voice, on the other side - extreme vocal techniques, low guitar tuning (Drop C) and very, very, very heavy riffs. However, the advantages don't end here. Vocal and instrumental parts are interestingly composed: they are not complicated, but are structured so that the listener never gets bored. Another evidence in favor of the high professionalism of composer. The only inconvenient moment: in 2 tracks, structures of instrumental parts are too simple. It seems that composer no longer had any ideas, but the work plan had to be carried out. Interestingly, this song is located after on 2nd position after powerful introduction - listener will be still impressed by this moment.

Vocalists also do their jobs well. There are quite interesting structures of vocal parts that are not repeated in the next song. These structures are hard to hear from the first time and this is a nice detail. Here you can hear three voices - 2 male (with a different range) and 1 female, and, for a female voice, the parts are small. Some interesting ideas should also be noted. For example, the abundance of reverb after changing the composition in 1 track.

Instrumental parts can hardly be called complex. But the patterns are structured so that it looks interesting. There are very simple patterns here - I understood how it's played while listening. However, here you can see a large number of different shapes, which are also not repeated. This is all I can say about the instrumental parts, since the limit of 5000 characters does not allow describing everything in detail.

Still, I was right - this project has changed. Yes, change is not always a sign of development. But if we compare it with another cow group (for example, we take the Nocturnal Bloodlust), then here we can really see a development. But I doubt that initially there was just such an idea, which can be seen in this release. I don't presume to say that they were just lucky - band has too much talent to be able to state this unequivocally. And nevertheless, I am tormented by doubts because of how the vocals from previous releases will be performed - project format has changed a bit. Well, we'll see it later. In the meantime, I can say that the work is good.

In Flames - I, the Mask (Review)

When we say “modern Swedish metal band”, we mean a lot of different bands, but not In Flames. Nobody expects anything from this band because the period from 2006 to 2015 is a dull tune-up, rarely diluted with something interesting. And only album Battles (2016) showed that these guys still know how to create something really interesting. And now we see their new album.

My Rating: 69/100      Best song: Deep Inside

No, I will not discuss all cause and effect - all this has long been done. I'll just start discussing the album. I'll start with composer. There is little variety here. Methods for solving artistic tasks can be called interesting, but their use is too simple, trivial. It seems that initially it was not planned to release an album, but there was a desire to somehow remind the whole world that the group still exists. Here you can hear something melodious, but on a very low guitar tuning (Drop A#). Also about half of the album is occupied by modern patterns.

Vocalist's work is superb. I usually confine myself to a few words when discussing such great specialists. This case is no exception. Here is not just a good job with all the accompanying shades. The only awkward moment is a weak variety. Here extreme techniques on a verse and clean on chorus.

Instrumental parts are monotonous. Work is great, but it's also difficult to hear the diversity. An intense melodic part in tracks 3 and 7, as well as an acoustic guitar in tracks 5 and 12 - that's all you need to know about diversity. In this album, guitar riffs can be divided into two types: more similar to metal (1, 3, 8, 10, 11 tracks) and more similar to metalcore (2, 5, 6, 7, 9 tracks). However, this separation is not very obvious. Maybe because of a very low guitar tuning, maybe due to the fact that initially there was one or two drafts. Anyway, this detail turned out to be pleasant. Rhythm section - here the diversity is even less. The bass, as usual, is hard to hear in the mix. Bass was marked only in track 10, where you can hear a strong attack. However, with drums, things are better. Very intense patterns pass through the entire album from beginning to end, giving listeners a wild pleasure.

Such a great talent is not afraid of change - he himself creates them. However, it's high time to recognize that they will never repeat their best work - album The Jester Race (1996). Now they are just following the already known path, following the current trends. Yes, after the album Come Clarity (2006) this release looks relatively fresh. But I see no reason for positive review.

Yuzukingdom - Pandemic (Review)

Blood Stain Child is a world-class band. However, there is something that prevents to fully see the talent. In this case - side-project, which has a lower priority than the main.

My Rating: 73/100      Best Song: Memento Mori

itunes.apple.com

The first release of band Yuzukingdom looked very interesting, very fresh, very promising. The natural result was the increase in popularity. In this album, we again see the same ideas and the same mistakes. So that you understand the album structure, I will inform you that at the very beginning the listener is met by a very powerful song. But the rest of the album is a medium-rated mallcore in the style of late Bullet For My Valentine, but with more complex scales and strong pop music influence. Here you can hear patterns characteristic of a metalcore with a rather large amount of melody and small synthesizer inserts. This is a very promising area of ​​thought. However, the initial idea looks weak: it creates the feeling that some song lyrics were originally created, under which instrumental was subsequently adapted.

Composer work is exactly the same as in the previous release. Moreover, the work is so similar that even the compositions are similar. For example, song 2nd is a slightly modified Eyes Shut Tightly. On this song I wanted to quit listening to the album, but I continued. I cannot say that the composer surprised me greatly, but his work is well done.

Vocalist is good. There is a very powerful voice and a wide variety of vocal techniques. Contrasts game looks very interesting: extreme vocal techniques, and in a second - a children's voice. It's noticeable that all the songs are built around the voice and lyrics.

For this reason, a few words can be said about instrumental parts. In this album, the instrumental is an ambiguous thing. It's noticeable that in general, the instrumental parts are quite complex. However, it is difficult to see the uniqueness in shades of performing techniques. The very first thing you can hear is a dropped guitar tuning. The guitar abundance of complex and fast scales. Here you can also hear “zeros”. In general, guitar parts look very powerful, but not very interesting. Rhythm section can also surprise with high intensity, complexity and variety. Here the drummer did a good job - here are the pop patterns and standard heavy metal drumming, blast beats, booty-camp beat.

Well done guys - work is done perfectly. But they forgot one small detail: a similar idea is good for the mass listener. Aesthetic person will have a little listening pleasure. Apparently, the main project has a higher priority than this. Well, they again showed a high skill level. But it should be borne in mind that the mass listener, who so wants to win this project, remembers only the best.

Nameless One - The Gates of Shambhala (Review)

Nameless One is one of the bands that make good music from the first day of activity. But it was this year that they released something really powerful.

My rating: 86/100

I'll start with the most important feature of this album. When you listen to this album, you forget about time. A few famous projectscan boast this feature. For example, you can bring any new this year from Japan - everywhere there will be the same feeling that you are tracking every bar. Here we hear a melodic death metal with a synthesizer. At first glance, nothing special. But this is refuted after the first listening. Here are some interesting ideas, but a pretty powerful overall structure. The album flies through the listener, leaving only amazement.

Composer's work is good. Composer wanted to do something really powerful - and he did it. After the first audition, you don't understand what's happening. Second audition gives an understanding that this is something interesting. And only after 6 and 7 auditions begin to see flaws. The album is very powerful, many flaws are visible immediately. But it didn’t go without the reverse side: the structure of compositions in some areas seems overloaded and too difficult to understand. However, professionals are not required to be understood.

Vocalist - here only extreme technics with a weak variety. But voice is strong. It seems that vocal parts were not strictly written. That is, vocalist just went up to microphone and did his job. I don't quite understand what the vocalist was hoping for. But it turned out well.

Instrumental parts are something incredible. I have a very long time to describe all advantages of instrumental parts. But I will try to do it. First of all, I would like to mention a large number of wind instruments. This is an unusual combination, since strings are usually used here. Nevertheless, this decision well underlines the overall concept of ​​album. Guitar parts are incredible. There is nothing complicated here - mainly scales and power chords. But guitar parts are great. It's a pleasure to listen. But a very big surprise for me was the weak underlines of bassist. However, rhythm section continues on drummer - here you can see a wide variety of drum patterns. In this release, the drummer did a really good job. Why do I say “tried the drummer” instead of “tried the composer”? There are a lot of shades in drum parts, and this makes the rhythm section superb.

I noticed these guys in 2015. Before listening, I had only one question for this album: will the project be able to use all its prospects and turn it into something useful? Yes, they do it. I did not regret that I had followed them for a long time. In general, there are a few remarks here, but release is great. I hope they will become famous over time.

My favorite riffs on 7 string guitar

Despite the fact that I listen to a lot of music, few of my favorite bands play on 7 string guitars. In this post I will list my favorite riffs on a 7 string guitar. I think this would be a logical continuation of the “My favorite %itemname%” lists. As usual, I will list them in the format:

• Project name - Song title (genre, guitar tuning)

So, let's begin.

• Rie Aka Suzaku - Dreaming Eyes (Heavy / Power Metal, Standard B)

Let's start with something easier. The first experience with a 7 string guitar - and immediately a great song. Excellent talent.

• HETEROGENEOUS ANDEAD - Demise of Rein (Melodic Death / Thrash / Symphonic Metal, Standard B)

I consider the newest album of this band controversial and ambiguous. However, I liked one riff.

• SoundWitch - Suzy the Mouth (Industrial Metal, Standard B)

I categorically don't recommend this band for listening. But I liked one of the riffs.

• Amiliyah - Serpent (Gothic / Industrial Metal, Standard B)

I included band Amiliyah for a very cool overall concept. But most of all I liked the riff of this song.

• Alphoenix - Give Me Fire (Melodic Death Metal / Metalcore, Standard B)

But I have been listening to these guys since the time when they were called MyProof.

• Isao - Gravity Core (Progressive Metal / Instrumental, Standard B)
• Cube-Ray - Golf (Progressive Metal / Instrumental, Standard B)

Phrase “instrumental progressive” often gives rise to a lot of jokes about “zeros”, especially when the guitarist plays on extended range guitar. But Fujita-sensei is one of the few who really knows how to play such music.

• Levrage - End Of Time (Thrash / Groove Metal / Metalcore, Standard B)
• Levrage - Lost Nation (Thrash / Groove Metal / Metalcore, Standard B)
• Levrage - Playing With Fire (Thrash / Groove Metal / Metalcore, Standard B)
• Levrage - Life Is Calling (Thrash / Groove Metal / Metalcore, Standard B)

One of the few bands from USA that I constantly listen.

• Inescapable Dehumanization - Dishonored (Brutal Death Metal / Deathcore, Drop A)

“East" is not only Japan. An example is this band from Kazakhstan.

• Nocturnal Bloodlust - V.I.P. (Metalcore / Deathcore, Drop A)
• Nocturnal Bloodlust - Malice Against (Deathcore / Djent, Drop G)

And I could not miss the real masters of their craft.

This time the list turned out to be more voluminous - 13 pieces.

IScream Never Ground - Zenryoku Natsugasshuku (Review)

Before discussing the new release of IScream Never Ground, I want to leave my small idea in introduction. This is second release for the year. It's very difficult to produce two or more high-quality (from composer's point of view) release for the year, this ability is possessed only by "Iron" Chino. For the rest, regularity looks like this: a large amount of work is done at the expense of its simplicity.

My Rating: 71/100

Source: artist.aremond.net/ing

And when you listen to this album, you understand, due to what the composer composed a few more songs in such a short time. Here we again hear a melodic death / metalcore with a moderate amount of synthesizer. But in this release you can hear a stronger (compared to previous release) pop music influence. Apparently, they chose what I was most afraid of.

Composer's work is pretty good. Here composer plays on contrasts, opposites. But here the elements of pop music and metalcore are about the same amount - in this form this is a very dangerous game. I don't like this composer's decision. Nevertheless, composer showed a fairly high level of skill - here you can hear many shades, which testify in favor of masterful work.

Vocal parts are diverse. Not even the fact that there are two vocalists here - male and female. Here, clean, growling, recitative and even guttural. Vocalists are very much focused, and the lyrics emphasize strong emotions.

About instrumental parts also have something to say. The first thing you can notice is synthesizer. Synthesizer's parts are very diverse. You can also notice that there is a moderate amount of synthesizer here and this is a good solution - there are usually a lot of it. Guitar riffs are difficult to call diverse, although there is an obvious attempt to portray diversity. There are very brutal breakdowns with "zeros", there are also many riffs with power chords and some hint of melody, sometimes you can even hear scales. Bassist has some areas with a slap in 4th track. That's all. But rhythm section continues on drummer. Here a wide variety of drums - hook pattern, standard heavy metal drumming, blast beat and booty camp beat.

Yes, this release is also more complicated than it seems. And maybe I could not describe the whole charm of this release. But one thing I can say confidently: they have chosen a bad path. Pay more attention to simple patterns and release many songs in one year - this is not what we expect from experts of this class. This does not cancel the members's talent, but it will be better if the composer is more selective in relation to the methods of solving artistic tasks.

Dragdown - Zangetsu (Review)

July 15 band Dragdown releases a fourth release (the third for this year). Amazing performance. But it's not so simple.

My Rating: 78/100

In previous release, I noticed one regularity: if they originally played deathcore, then this and previous release is more melodic. Well, this is right decision: it will not work for a long time to stake on heaviness, listeners need variety. There is also a strange decision here: to release a song that was previously released. Yes, here is a retake version that sounds better. But the best solution would be to include a new song in new release.

Nevertheless, composer's work is good. Earlier I wrote that the overall structure has not changed since the days of Kanimega. And here I can say about the same thing. Here the first track is very similar to melodic death metal, but very very evil. Second track can be described as a deathcore, but with very complex riffs. Songs are not alike and it's a nice detail.

Vocalist is again excellent. Here, too, you can see the diversity. But this time something else was invented. In first track there are two voices: male (extreme) and female (clean). You can also notice that vocal parts structure in both compositions is different and this is a positive moment.

Instrumental parts can also be called good. Here again we hear very heavy guitar riffs on Drop B tuning. The main advantages of first track are a lot of melodic guitar and power chord in chorus. Second track is mostly very complex riffs. In general, it gives a great impression, which is difficult to describe in words. Rhythm section is also interesting. In 1st track it's hard to find something interesting - here is standard heavy metal drumming. But in 2nd track, drums sound particularly interesting - there is a very large amount of blast bits and this is inserted in the right places.

What can I say at the end? Here I expected a slightly different result. But guys has a interesting ideas and performance at highest level. I can not write very much, since much has already been written in review to previous release. But I hope that later the result will be better.

Dragdown - Shion (Review)

The split-up of band Kanimega was a very sad event. Well, we must continue to live on. And the result of this decision was band Dragdown. This band already has 4 releases. All releases are formally listed as mini albums, but three of the four contain 2 tracks - this is typical for singles. Today I will tell you about the 3rd release.

My Rating: 82/100


3rd release I liked more than the 2nd, so I will discuss this. Nevertheless, to release gradually and gradually is an interesting idea: less likely that listeners will forget you, although the efforts will be the same. But content is the main thing.

Overall structure looks cool. In general, the overall structure has not changed since the times of Kanimega - a simple base, but a cool result. Here the sound is very heavy. Here you can hear guitar riffs on Drop B guitar tuning and patterns that characterize for deathcore. This idea is not new, but it's a good performance. Here you can also notice that composer makes a big bet on 1st track, and 2nd continues to impress the first one. Nevertheless, 2nd track is rather melodic and it also sounds good. Both tracks are unique and don't resemble each other, which is a positive thing - usually in such releases the second track is a slightly modified first track.

Vocalist is good. Here the vocalist is brutal version of Kuroneko. I don't know why I had such an association - the style is very different. Nevertheless, nothing new was invented here, their abilities were just shown here. And it turned out perfectly. Quite a rare combination - classical and extreme techniques sound equally well.

Instrumental parts can not be called very complex. There is a bet on the overall structure and lyrics. Nevertheless, about the instrumental parts have something to say. 1st track hooks the listener through a delightful main riff. About this riff can be said a little, because emotions are caused by minimal means. A real master, there's nothing to say. And in 2nd tracks you can hear a melodic structure. Rhythm section also sounds good. Bass has a good underlined attack - it can be heard on the top of the tone. Yes, it can be better, but it sounds good. Bass line also can not be called very complex. You can also notice a wide variety of drums - this is also a positive moment.

Just a few months ago, they were a futile copy of early The Agonist, Her Name In Blood and Crystal Lake, and today - an independent, full-fledged project. It's worthy of respect. Although I liked Kenji's solo album. But here, too, quite interesting. This work is good and if they continue their activity in this direction, they will necessarily grow to the world level.

6 japanese metal songs that never officially released

I think many of us have faced a situation where you do not have time to do some things. It's the same with musicians - bands are created, bands split-up, and songs that did not have time to write remain. In this entry, I want to tell you about quite interesting songs that, due to various circumstances, have never been officially released. So, let's begin.

Disqualia - Guilty Of The Crime

Initially, quite an interesting project quickly going to pop. I don't know if it's right to say this or it's a ordinary template, but I think I'll be understood. Of course, then the leader in an interview with Metallion magazine admits that the band did not plan to play metal. Nevertheless, the apogee was EP right NOW, where the pop patterns were compensated only with pathos. So could not last long, after which Ibuki - author of all songs, - go out of this bisness. Of course, this did not happen instantly - the band continued their activity and composed new songs. The most interesting of them - Guilty Of The Crime - is already impossible to find anywhere, since a large number of concerts were not recorded.

Coma Countess - Incitement White

Officially existed only 10 months, band Coma Countess still managed to leave a small, but still a trace in history. Officially, only three songs were released on demo-single, but they performed six at concerts. You can see the fulfillment of the most interesting of them now.



Yes, you are not mistaken, here are two past members from Destrose - Miho and Miki.

Albion - Innocent Lilly

Band Albion - is an attempt to grab the maximum amount of popularity, - this was very lacking for Tengusakura. Attempt was unsuccessful. Yes, for me the album Campanula was the most anticipated album of 2014. But, apparently, it did not turn out as the members wanted, and soon project split-up. Moreover, the project split-up gradually, but this is another story. Now I want to say that a song was written with the name Innocent Lilly, which they did not have time to release.



As you can hear, it's about the same thing you can hear in full-length.

A Drop Of Joker - Liar

A Drop Of Joker - Scream For Me

The next point we have at once two songs from one composer. Period from 2014 to 2015 for the band A Drop Of Joker was the peak of activity: release of full-length album and EP, a large number of concerts and a lot of PR on Twitter. But guitarist Mi-ya, in the end, chose not skill, but popularity and activity suddenly stopped. But Mi-ya left a little material, which was intended for this band. Later these songs found their place in band Lovebites. But the difference is significant: A Drop Of Joker played a melodic death / metalcore (at the last concerts already went djent elements), and Lovebites play heavy/thrash/power metal. Accordingly, the original was intended for 8 string guitar, and Lovebites plays on 6 string guitars with a standard E tuning. Yes, it's better than nothing, but it's impossible to hear the original.

Kanimega - Wake Up

Despite the fact that even a whole MV was released for this song, team split-up due to problems with bassist. So they did not have time to release a new release.



Yes, Kenji has a solo project and I hope that it will be much better.

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GYZE - Ryuugin / The Rising Dragon (Review)

Band GYZE are so great masters of their craft that they make a large impression with every one of their actions even outside the limits of artistic task.

My Rating: 79/100

Prior to this release, band released only full-length albums. No singles or EP. This tradition did not last long - after third full-length they still produce less work. Third album was also interesting and powerful, but was not completely understood. And now guys, realizing that they can be completely forgotten, are releasing EP. I came to this idea when I looked at tracklist and structure of their arrangement. There are four songs, but two new ones, one is another version of the 2nd track and one is taken from a live.

Here we again hear melodic death metal at high speed. Work as a whole looks very powerful: noticeably large (for EP) the amount of high-quality work. Of course, there is nothing supernatural here. It's noticeable that they did not try to come up with anything new - a lot of composer's work was aimed at the perfect compatibility of elements and that's why everything is quite predictable. However, interesting ideas are also present in this release.

Vocalist is good. He does not get a good performance of classical techniques - it became noticeable even in 2nd albums. But extreme - excellent. Actually, it's hard to discuss, because only listening gives a complete impression. Also in 3rd track there is voice of Marc Hudson (Dragonforce), and he sings in Japanese. European, singing in Japanese - this is hardly anyone you can surprise, if, for example, remember bands such as In A Scar, Connect (both - Spain), Akado (Russia), ect. But idea is still interesting.

Instrumental parts are quite predictable - there are a lot of melodic guitar and an intensive drums. But it looks interesting. About Ryouji it's hard to say something - usually a talent of this level speaks everything on stage. Nevertheless, it's worth noting that guitar parts are excellent. You can also mark solo in 1 track using the whammy bar. You can also notice abundance of various synthesizers, which in an interesting way emphasize the general design. This is a very interesting idea. Rhythm section is, basically, three or four types of blast-beats, a little diluted with a standard heavy metal drumming. That's all.

After listening, I had the impression that there was a task to release anything, if only they were not forgotten after the ambiguous third full-length album. So, the rule of first two releases (first two are done under the power of inspiration, and after that only abilities remain) is applicable even to great masters. But even this was done magnificently. Band once again confirms its high level, albeit with the help of this not an ideal release.

10 guitar riffs that changed my life

Recently saw Jared video, in which he talks about the 10 guitar riffs that changed his life. Today I decided to tell you about it too. So, 10 guitar riffs that changed my life.

1. X-Japan - X (Power Metal/Speed Metal).
2. Slayer - Black Magic (Thrash Metal).
3. Trivium - Pull Harder On the Strings Of Your Martyr (Thrash Metal/Groove Metal).
4. In Flames - Artifact Of The Black Rain (Melodic Death Metal).
5. Lamb Of God - Redneck (Groove Metal).
6. Bullet For My Valentine - Hit The Floor (Metalcore).
7. Bullet For My Valentine - Ashes Of The Innocent (Thrash Metal/Metalcore).
8. Killswitch Engage - My Last Serenade (Metalcore).
9. Periphery - Insomnia (Groove Metal/Progressive Metal/Djent).
10. Kino - Peremen (Post-Punk, New Wave)

I will not describe all causes and consequences - this will not be enough for one blog entry. The only thing I notice is that at first the complexity gradually increased, then the notion "genre" ceased to exist for me at all.

IScream Never Ground - Raibu Asurito Kyouka Keikaku (Review)

Band Galmet in the last 2 years of its activity has changed greatly: at first there was a noticeable strong hardcore influence, then compositions were simplified, and a large amount of synthesizers appeared. These experiments proved to be a failure and band disintegrated. But vocalist does not stay idle. Now we see a new band, which immediately goes into battle. First work result was released on September 1. March 1 came out EP, about which I will now tell.

My Rating: 79/100

Source - artist.aremond.net/ing/

I will not remember the past. I'll just say that I liked this release. Impression from the previews is negative: there is a very unusual sound - similar experiments are associated with newcomers. But we just have to start listening - and this album will show all the splendor of professional work.

Here we hear melodic death metal with strong hardcore influence, elements of pop music, and also with a moderate amount of synthesizers. An unusual combination. Usually such music is a slightly strengthened standard power metal pattern. But composer's excellent work is noticeable here. Here you can see that composer tried to compose songs that are both interesting from the point of view of emotions (there are many elements of pop music here), and also from the technical point of view. Not that I was afraid of it, but at the same time two opposites are very difficult to fit in one - you always have to choose one thing. It's hard to say what turned out better. Nevertheless, composer performed his work at highest level.

There are two vocalists here - male and female. When you find out about it, you immediately imagine ordinary vocal parts in the style of late Lacuna Coil, where alternately male and female parts are performed. But first seconds of listening deny it. There is a rather interesting and unusual structure of the vocal parts, which is not repeated in next track. Variety of vocal techniques also gives pleasure.

Instrumental is also interesting. First thing you can notice is synthesizer. Here this is a moderate amount and this is a good solution - usually it's shoved everywhere. There is also a wide variety of riffs here. There are quite interesting riffs and "zeros" here. Here also there are breakdowns that are characteristic of metalcore. Also noticeably several drum patterns - simple, blast-beat, booty camp beat, ect. But drum patterns combination is not repeated in each composition and this is a very positive moment - usually this does not change.

It's tempting to say that if Galmet had continued to work, they would certainly have become something similar. But this release is much more complicated than it seems.

Phantom Excaliver - Maboroshi no seiken (Review)

I know many bands that use emotions to hide flaws. Someone does it good. Someone does it bad. Nevertheless, some category of people can't be deceived.

My Rating: 65/100


It's difficult to describe Eastern band with help of Western standards. Initially, in the West, this band was described as: "Melodic Hardcore with Power Metal Influence", although guys only slightly strengthened melodic death metal. And really, my acquaintance with this band was very speedy and showy.

But now it's noticeable that composer took a more serious approach to his work. Now this band has a greater variety of methods for solving an artistic tasks. Now this is not an ordinary grinding at more than 200 bpm with screams of "something sublime." Nevertheless, composer's work remains at low level: fast-maded solutions still occupy most of this work.

We hear an interesting structure of vocal parts. Besides screaming on verse and clean on chorus, you can also hear narrative. Yes, this is not everywhere, but digression from standard pattern is always a good solution. I also feel a very strong vocalist. The only negative point here is strange sound of high notes.

Guitarist also performs more interesting parts. In previous album, the bet on guitar did't justify itself. Yes, playing fast scales is cool, but life does't end there. However, this has been fixed. It became noticeable that guitar parts were changed and now high skill of guitarist perfectly hides poor composer's work. Also we hear a keyboards. But parts of this instrument are fairly simple and appear only in one track.

Rhythm section is pretty boring. But if bassist plays very interesting parts, then drummer's parts are a continuous stream of boredom. In addition to standard (for the heavy metal) pattern, we hear the blast-beat and the "Booty Camp" beat. That's all. I don't want to say that this is something bad - drums keep overall structures well. But you could come up with something more interesting.

What can you say at the end? They are very talented musicians. Also in this album there is a wider view, in comparison with the work of 2015. But in the end we see just ordinary middle-rating metal band. Obviously, they lack something. Hiding flaws with strong emotions with slightly shocking details is all they thought of. Standard solutions can ruin excellent talent - this we saw with band Area51. This we also see now.

Heterogeneous Andead - Deus Ex MacHina (Review)

"Extreme Metal" - as many associations with these words. This is a very convenient platform for many bad musicians - speed can hide many shortcomings. Yes, when you hit the wall at over 200 bpm, then you will not want to notice all shades. For this reason, I'm very reluctant to listen extreme metal. Usually it can be melodic death metal, for example, Nameless One or Galmet.

My Rating: 70/100

Source - amazon.co.jp

But this band interested me. I listened enthusiastically to this album from beginning to end. Really. I did't miss a single second. But my expectations were justified only partially. I assumed that this release would be more interesting. But this does't negate the fact of having a great talent.

As usual, we start with the general. Here we hear thrash / death metal with a lot of synthesizers. All songs are performed at high speed. Last track is an exception. All parts can't be called diverse. There were high hopes for the ninth track, which lasts 9:44 - I assumed that there will be something progressive here. But I was wrong: here is just a little longer guitar solo.

Vocalist. Here we hear the standard structure of extreme vocalist parts - growl on verse, clean on chorus. And this is on all songs. Structure of vocal parts does't change - this is a negative point. With growl everything is clear, but clean is something interesting. Vocalist tries to portray opera singing. I can't say that it's done well. But this can be considered an adornment of album.

First instrumentalist who meets the listener is guitarist. But first I paid attention to keyboards. A very large variety of synthesizers. The main part of my rating I give for a keyboards. It's makes each composition unique. The only thing that's bad is that very quiet in mix. It was necessary to increase the volume. Such interesting parts for this instrument, but it's hard to hear. However, guitarist does the job well too. But guitar parts are monotonous. Crazy solos perfectly dilute this stream of boredom. Guitarist of this band is a very cool dude. But the bet on guitar did not justify itself.

I also can't call bassist parts very interesting. In the ninth track, bassist has a small melodic segment, but that's not enough. And drum parts are completely monotonous. For a drummer this album is a solid skank-beat. In the fourth, sixth and early ninth tracks, we hear a wide variety of drum parts. On this variety ends, but tracks in album are ten.

On one side, it's cool: higher speed - higher level of skill required. On other side, it's bad: not enough just to drive at full speed, road can be bumpy. Everyone will decide for themselves whether it's good or bad. But I decided this way: band has good abilities, but it's necessary to work seriously on composition structure. They do everything right, but a broader view is needed.

IScream Never Ground - New PV

In 2015 band Galmet began to change: hardcore influence became noticeable. The result - unusual release End To The Next. On the whole it turned out pretty good. But it became already noticeable that something is not right here. Next year released a strange release Unlimited World. Then everything became clear: it's the end. The end of the band that we loved. Fast-maded cover art and an abundance of synthesizers where they were not there before is a bad sign. It became obvious that band could not exist for long. Well, if you leave, it's only with your head held high.

But later Miki announced a new project IScream Never Ground. No, not ice cream. Nevertheless, they recently released PV.



Here we hear metal riffs with a lot of synthesizers. Something similar we heard in Unlimited World. And also we hear two voices: male and female. It reminds me of band Mechanical Teddy. But this is where the pop pattern is used. I can't say that such a combination is a good idea. But here is a good overall realization of the artistic task: 11 years of experience can't disappear without a trace.

A simple pattern and a lot of synthesizers: in my opinion if Galmet did not go into hiatus, they would look something like this.