Crossfaith - SPECIES (Review)

My association with band Crossfaith is EP Zion (2012). All the rest of their work I don't like. Yes, I can mention several songs from album Xeno, for example, Raise Your Voice, Devil's Party and Paint it Black - I listened to them with pleasure. But you understood my main point.

My Rating: 75/100 Best song: Truth Of Insanity

Earlier, I wrote my opinion about album “Ex_Machina”: I noted too much emphasis on emotions, which had a bad effect on the methods of solving artistic tasks. And now I am ready to express my opinion on EP “Species”. While listening, it seemed that they heard this criticism. This is a pleasant fact. However, not all so simple.

In the new album you can hear technical riffs, a wide variety of synthesizers, extreme vocal techniques (some segments with recitative). At first glance, it looks simple, but when you hear it - emotions begin to pour over the edge. However, for some reason it seemed to me that all five songs grew out of one idea. That is, there was one idea that was implemented in five different ways. I don’t know if this is true or not, but such a feeling is present. However, this time there were no trash and it’s nice to know.

Now about the vocalist - he is good. Here you can hear both pure and extreme vocal techniques. Such a variety is a pleasant fact. However, something here can also be noticed. For example, clean vocals in the refrain of the 3rd track - I think that such a sound is not suitable for such a song (although, for example, in the 5th track it sounds cool). But overall, the vocalist is very cool.

Instrumental parts are impressive. I don’t think that I will be able to write a lot, as there is a big bet on the general idea. But something is possible to highlight. For example, guitars sound interesting. This album has very technical riffs in a very low tuning (if I'm not mistaken, Drop B). More precisely, the guitarist is trying to portray technicality: I immediately realized how this is played. However, there are also slam (4 track) riffs. The rhythm section is very powerful. Here you can hear very intense drum loops. Even at an middle tempo, you can hear the drummer holding a hurricane rhythm. But one cannot say that the rhythm section is overloaded - it's noticeable that the drummer knows his job. And I would like to say that the drummer is the best band member. But no: in my opinion, this title belongs to the keyboard player. Here again, a big bet on synthesizers is noticeable - their number exceeds all conceivable limits. But there is also no overloading feeling - this is exactly what you need.

Will I listen to this album in the future? Perhaps yes - in general, the album is cool. This is a worthy work of professionals. Yeah, I can say that hiding flaws with help of emotions is a bad idea. And usually after such words I list a few bands that made such a bet and whose results were dubious. However, the level of training is felt even through similar methods. However, it's still noticeable that some of their methods have already been established and are not subject to revision. “Special, unique style” - a similar characteristic, although it's respected, but most often it's doubtful. Does this inspire respect in this case - everyone will decide for himself. In the meantime, I can say that the guys did a good job.

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.

Deviloof - Oni (Review)

And today I have powerful guys whose sound will be forgotten very soon. You can insert many words in intro, but today I have Deviloof with new album - usually there are no comments here.

My Rating: 77/100 Best song: Creepy

And this case is no exception. In general, about the album we can say that it's good. However, even here there are some uncomfortable moments, moreover, from the very beginning. Firstly, I don’t really like the fact that there is material that has already been released. Moreover, it's interesting that two previously released songs are at the beginning (2 and 3 tracks). Apparently, they wanted to achieve the maximum amount of emotions for the listener, but they did not come up with anything except to insert compositions that had already brought success. Nuff said. Secondly, I don’t really like the general idea of ​​this album: it looks a little awkward. Otherwise, I can say that album is good.

Composer's work is good. Here you can hear patterns typical for death metal and metalcore in a very low guitar tuning (if my hearing doesn’t fail me, then this is Drop A). Usually in such a framework, eastern bands try to repeat Nocturnal Bloodlust, but not these guys. There is a noticeable amount of labor. Moreover, not just piling on top of a large number of techniques, but a good result, which is nice to listen to. In general, there are no complaints about the composer - the sound of the album is very interesting and emotional.

Next in line vocalist. Voice sound is very powerful and diverse. Lyrics are very hard to hear - this indicates the correct recording of extreme vocals. Together with rather hard lyrics, it gives a great picture. Here you can add only that the voice should not be worried.

Instrumental parts - not everything is so simple here. After word "deathcore" you usually represent very simple guitar parts with the second type of blast beat. But here everything is somewhat more complicated. Guitar parts are quite complex and diverse - it's nice to listen. Being a guitarist, I tried to repeat it, - it turned out with difficulty. However, you can say a little about guitarists. Bassist is hard to hear in the mix - low tuning affects. But the little that can still be heard is amazing. Bassist's parts are relatively complex, although not particularly original. And the other part of rhythm section - drums - sounds interesting. There is a very high intensity of drums, and the patterns are quite diverse. I would also like to mention additional instruments. There is nothing unusual here - synthesizer only creates the basis for sound of other instruments. However, there are not just three notes in sampler, but a thorough work on the atmosphere.

Well done guys - I can say that their album turned out to be good. However, they lacked a little courage: I would like more new material instead of those two previously released songs. And also the general concept could be made more interesting - I feel that they can do it. Well, they wanted to guarantee success - and they did everything for this. Not quite an interesting general idea, not all the material is original, and one can also say little about guitar parts - these are the three errors that separate them from the masterpiece release. In the meantime, I’ll just say “Good job.”

Nocturnal Bloodlust - Unleash (Review)

So, today I have a review on a very cool album. After name Nocturnal Bloodlust, everything usually becomes clear - this is a project of high-class musicians, where high professionalism is noticeable in every action. Therefore, each new album is a real holiday for ears.

My Rating: 71/100 Best song: ー

However, this was before release Whiteout EP, which was wasted. And after this it was necessary to recoup, that is, to release something really powerful. No sooner said than done. However, not quite done as desired. This album contains a fairly large number of strong emotions. However, when listening to it creates a feeling of incompleteness, as if something is missing.

Composer's work is not very difficult. I got the feeling that the composer hastily glued the songs from patterns that first came to mind. Most likely, this work did not quite like that, but still there is a feeling that the methods of solving artistic tasks are not very thorough. Here you can hear the patterns characteristic of the deathcore in a very low guitar tuning (if not mistaken, Drop G) and with rather diverse vocal parts. For this band, this is a typical picture. However, there is a very high emphasis on emotions, and not on diversity. And, so much so that you can select only the last track. Also separately I would like to highlight a very brutal brakedown in track 5.

Vocalist - everything is great here. Hiroyuki is a very big talent. Accordingly, the result of his work is a very interesting vocal sound and a very large variety of vocal techniques. The only awkward moment is that the lyrics are not everywhere worked out to the end. As if the songwriter had very little time.

Instrumental parts sound cool. In general, parts can hardly be called complex, but the sound is a pleasure. Let's start with guitars - they sound good. But I still wanted to hear something more complicated from the point of view of a guitarist. There are so many Djent riffs here that the Russian community even jokingly called the band Nocturnal Djentlust. Bassist is also good. Bassist is relatively well heard in the mix and this is a nice touch. It should also be noted slap on bass at the beginning of track 6 - this is the second track with slap on bass (the first was Desperate). Drummer is about the same here. Everything is pretty predictable, but the high intensity of drum patterns also sounds cool. Otherwise, there is nothing more to say about instruments.

Professionals of such a high level cannot do their job badly. Actually, the result speaks for itself - this album is cool. However, something prevented the guys and as a result the album turned out to be somehow one-sided. That is, there are a lot of emotions in the album, but at the same time the methods for solving artistic tasks are not very diverse. I can't even single out any one song from the album and call it the best. Well, after a misunderstanding called Whiteout, this work is like a breath of fresh air - you still feel a high skill level. However, now they sound worse than at the time of their first albums. I do not quite understand what they were hoping for? Hiding flaws with emotion? This is a rather controversial decision, since not all listeners have the same perception. And I know a lot of good projects (for example, IScream Never Ground, Bakudan Koukiatsu, Phantom Excaliver), which made a big bet on emotions and did not achieve a tangible result. So there is something to think about.

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.

Pulse of Humanity - SIGnAL (Review)

After I listened to the new album by Pulse Of Humanity, I wondered “what is skill”? Most of the peoples will say something like “skill is the ability to influence emotions”. A narrow aesthic circle will say "masters are not obliged to be understood by the majority." However, my words are difficult to fit into one sentence.

My Rating: 66/100      Best song: Dystopia / Utopia

itunes.apple.com

No, this album did not surprise me. Here you can hear fairly simple patterns with lots of synthesizer. But the main album feature is a wide variety of patterns. Needless to say that composer did a good job? I think this is superfluous. Composer has worked hard on diversity. Of course, there is still a long time to improve their skills. Nevertheless, the first thing that can be heard is a large number of sounds with not very high sound extraction intensity. That is, the listener's ears are constantly busy with something. There are no clever intro here. The album has just begun - right away Korg synthesizers and guitar on Drop A tuning flow into the listener's ears.

Vocalists perfectly complement this picture. Here you can hear two voices - male and female. Male voice is predominantly occupied by extreme technicians. Extreme techniques are quite diverse: here growling, screaming, pigsqueal and even guttural. Female voice uses classical techniques and is similar to discantus (it’s not even a coloratura soprano, which I like so much). However, you can also notice the use of vocoder in some vocal parts. Moreover, several tracks with a clear voice and several vocoders are used simultaneously. I never understood why vocoders are needed if skill can be expressed with a clear voice? However, sound designer here showed cunning and did not mixed up anything - this is a nice detail.

Instrumental parts are very intense, but not very difficult. The first thing to notice is guitar. Guitar parts are also not very difficult - only in track 3 you can hear an interesting riff. However, it's noticeable that guitarist also wrote the synthesizer's parts. This is noticeable in the structure of guitar and synthesizer parts - they complement each other perfectly. Synthesizers in this release are a separate topic that cannot be solved in one entry. Also with the help of synthesizers they tried to recreate an interesting solo in the style of Tom Morello in track 8. But it looks like cucumbers were added to ice cream. Rhythm section - there are a lot of pop patterns that scratching the ears. The rest - interesting sets of rhythms.

The whole album is a pile-up of many sounds in one pile, and the main part of composer's work was to make it sound as acceptable as possible. I'm scared to imagine the number of tracks in sequencer (if there are usually more than 50 of them) and butthurt of sound designer. Well, I can say that these guys did their job well. They play well on contrasts, on intensity and on unusualness. But they lack something of principle. It's difficult to explain rationally, it's at the level of shades of composing work. The best idea for the band would be not to pile up a large number of notes, but to work on compositions structure as a whole. Because the composer, instead of removing the excess from the music editor, could do something more useful.

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.

Crystal Lake - Helix (Review)

I compare very many Japanese metalcore bands to the Crystal Lake. And the reasons for this are quite weighty - this is one of few bands whose members demonstrate exceptional quality both in the performance and in the methods of solving artistic tasks. Recently, however, something has gone wrong.

My rating: 68/100   Best Song: Hail To The Fire

Now I begin to discuss specifically. The idea can not be called interesting, and with the implementation is not so simple. The first thing that I noticed is too simple naming. This is a very disturbing sign, given the previous work. But I will not focus on one thing, there are still many interesting things.

Composer's work - the situation is twofold. It's noticeable here that the composer did not initially plan to do something complicated. That is, he just did what he can do. However, there is not very good application of methods for solving artistic tasks. Because of this, the feeling of the album is ambiguous. For example, some songs are not quite original song “+81” is similar to song Live to Die (Nocturnal Bloodlust). The 10th track was not understood by me. And the last two tracks seemed to me the same and inserted only for the quantity.

Vocalist is good. There is a very large variety of vocal parts. And in every vocal technique vocalist shows excellent performance. The only awkward moment - chorus from 3th track looks like a cry of despair. Perhaps this is used as a way to highlight something, but I do not find it appropriate.

Instrumental parts are not entirely predictable - this is a nice detail. It should also be noted that in some songs the high complexity of the instrumental parts, and in some - not very high. I can not say that a good idea, but there is diversity. Guitar parts are also quite complex, especially in tracks 3 and 6. There is a very low guitar tuning, if I'm not mistaken, this is a Drop G. Rhythm section is quite complicated - here are interesting decisions by the composer. I would like to say that there are no complaints about the rhythm section, but even here there are some strange solutions. For example, the use of a drum machine (I don't remember which tracks) looks strange.

Vocal and instrumental parts sound cool, but the methods of solving artistic tasks are a kind of mosh. It reminds me of a new release of band GYZE - it seems that it was released only so that the band would not be forgotten. As you have already noticed, the review is nominally neutral: the high level of the band's skill makes itself felt, but personally I don’t like such ideas and implementation. For me, this band has long been the benchmark of metalcore sound. Now I begin to doubt it.

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.

Dragdown - Danzai (Review)

And again Dragdown, and again we see a new release. This is their 5th release (4th release this year). Yes, it's single again. But content is the main thing.

My rating: 80/100



There is one track here, so I will be brief. Again single and now you can see one track. During this time, it was already possible to release a full-length. Well, this is better than quickie. Overall construction looks cool. Here you can again hear metalcore / deathcore with a small amount of melody and interesting main riff.

Composer's work is good again. He knows how to make it simple, but it's cool and in this release he also shows this ability. That is, the methods of solving an artistic task cannot be called very complex, but the accompanying shades testify in favor of the fact that composer knows well what he is doing. And the most interesting thing about composer’s work is that the whole track is an interesting idea here.

Vocalist is also good. More precisely, vocalists - this release can be heard two voices. Structure of vocal parts is quite predictable and it will not be possible to discuss this for long. The only thing you can add here is that vocalists have good abilities.

Instrumental parts are not very complicated. Main riff is fifths and scale. But then the composition is enhanced due to the complexity of the drum part. Track is divided into several parts and this is a good solution.

In the end, I wrote a little about this release. I have few words left for this release because it's hard to write a lot about one track, and also a lot has already been written in previous reviews. Well, they are going the right way. The fourth release for the year and I want to continue.

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.

Graupel - Bereavement (Review)

Band Graupel can hardly be called newcomers: three years is about the moment when it's already possible to say that the project has finally been formed. But it's one thing to form a project and quite another to use your potential correctly.

My Rating: 65/100

Source: graupel.bandcamp.com

I did not just remember it. From a young metalcore band, as is often the case, rough patterns were expected without concomitant shades. And now I see this album. I can not say that during the audition it's refuted. But here the situation is much more interesting than it seems. Overall impression after this album is somehow average. That is, a lot has been done here well, but most of this is a pattern that we have long heard in the West. Idea is very good, but implementation is weak. This is similar to the picture where the artist took large brushes with the idea that with their help he would draw small details.

Composer's work in this release can not be called very simple - here the compositions are arranged with knowledge of the matter. Also here you can hear that constructions of some compositions is changing. Of course, they are still far from the earliest Her Name In Blood - there the composer approached this issue thoroughly. And in this release it looks like a student's work. Yes, it can be called an interesting idea, but the lack of certain shades in the modification of designs simply destroyed the grandeur of such an idea. It's not enough to just change the bar size and tempo, you also need to understand why you are doing this. Well, can the composer come up with something else? No, interesting ideas end here.

The rest members showed themselves well. For example, vocalist is good. But here it seems that vocal parts did not really work - they just created lyrics and told the vocalist "Burn!". Therefore, vocal parts are monotonous. Nevertheless, vocalist was able to show his abilities.

Instrumental parts - everything is predictable here. Instrumental parts can not be called very complex, and in other segments, they are not at all simple. Performance at the highest level, but you could come up with something more interesting. It's also noticeable that guitarists use only natural harmonics - here the pinch harmonics appear only once in 2 tracks. The rest is solid Western patterns, which there is no point in discussing. Yes, sometimes you can hear something melodic, but the rest is nothing interesting. But who really enjoyed it - so it's a drummer. Drum parts are very fast and it creates a great impression.

This release excellently shows one thing: how an interesting idea spoils just because the composer was too lazy to linger at music editor for another hour or two. From the album there was some ambiguous aftertaste. There is noticeable great talent, but the solutions are too standard. Yes, these guys are great. But they can do better. You just need something that will expand your eyes.

Her Name In Blood - Power (Review)

I know many projects that perish under the press of standard ideas. I have already enumerated such projects and will not repeat them. I'll just say that I recently got acquainted with the new album of Her Name In Blood. And this time everything will be quite simple.

My Rating: 59/100

I remembered it because here I see a similar path of development. More precisely, this can not be called development. Nevertheless, when I took off the headphones, I asked myself "what the fuck did I hear right now?". Here you can hear modern hard-n-heavy on hardcore rhythm section, a dropped guitar tuning (Drop C) and a very malicious voice. I would not say anything about general concept, but in fact they used to play metalcore / deathcore with non-standard ideas. You can also notice a very standard naming of tracks.

It's noticeable that composer's work became easier. Of course, this became apparent 4 years ago, in the release of 2014. But it's in this album that the composer is finally mired in mallcore patterns. Yes, it can not even be called "work" - it's just a simulation of activity. It seems that the composer did not have any ideas at all, but it's necessary to work. The result is very standard ideas.

Although this release is not so bad. For example, vocalist. Vocalist tries to portray diversity. Here we hear an attempt to escape from the solid growling into more classical techniques. I can not say that this is going well, but the attempt already indicates that he is not afraid to show his abilities.

Instrumental parts - everything here is very predictable. Here it will not be possible to find something interesting. Everything is so standard here that I don't even want to discuss it. But even with a great desire to do this will not work, as most of the impression is the work of sound designer and arranger.

I did not describe this album in great detail for one simple reason: the higher you climb, the more you fall. I can say that in this album a lot has been done correctly. But compared to DECADENCE and THE BEAST EP, it will seem like a total disappointment. Where is this enthusiasm, which can be heard in the early releases? Where are the constantly changing compositions and non-standard ideas? Where are the interesting shades in performance? Where? The album caused a lot of questions. Too many questions for a positive evaluation. And I believe that the project will not live long. If this is not the end, then it is very close.

Crossfaith - Deus Ex Machina (Review)

Usually band Crossfaith is associated with a lot of emotions. And it's no wonder - a simple material is easily served, if you grumble pathos face and wildly scream. It's good, if you are technically developing at the same time. It's bad, if you are increasingly exploiting this model.

My Rating: 69/100

Source: amazon.com

I remembered it because here you can see all the same pattern 6 years ago, but slightly modified. Here you can hear again the riffs characteristic of groove metal and metalcore with a lot of synthesizer. This idea is very risky, because success depends very much on composer and sound designer abilities. That is, if you try, as they say in Russia, to jump higher than your head, it will only get worse.

And in this release you can notice that there is a big bet on composer's work. But composer's work on medium level. Of course, it is worth noting the filigree arrangement of instrumental parts - a large number of difficult to place within 3 or 4 minutes. Also, changing the composition in tracks 4 and 6 is an interesting solution. But in general, I do not see the composer as something very complicated. Also there was not without frank hackwork (7, 8 tracks).

Vocal parts are very diverse. In addition to standard extreme / clean set, you can still hear the recitative (4 tracks). Vocal parts structures can not be called very complicated or unusual, but vocalist is good.

Instrumental parts - everything is predictable here. The first thing you can notice is a huge amount of synthesizer. A large number poorly compensates for the technical simplicity, but it's located in right places. Although if you listen, it's, most of all, a standard set from Korg Wavestation. Of course, there are also other FX that complement the structures in an interesting way, but this is not enough. Also here you can hear the guitar riffs on Drop B tuning. But you can only hear a complicated guitar riff in 2 tracks. In the rest - nothing interesting. Also worth noting is the very intense rhythm section. Even in areas where you can do with the usual patterns, drummer grinding as a machine. I don't know if it's a composer's idea or something else, but drummer shows himself well.

10 years ago it would be interesting. But in our time it has become something standard. While listening to this album you can wildly headbanging with beer, but it's hard to call "the art". I remember listening with pleasure to EP "ZION". But now I don't see something very surprising. Yes, work is good. But the only thing they've learned to do better in these 6 years is screaming louder and more pathos.

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.

Do you like my entries? You can make them better.

Paledusk - Blue Rose (Review)

Usually, the absence of change is considered a sign of absence of development. Really. And how else can you call a person who does not receive new knowledge and does not reflect on the events taking place? Nevertheless, it does not always happen.

My Rating: 69/100

This also applies to musicians. Repetition of a successful release is the composer's biggest mistake. Paying attention to several features, you don't think about what you can do wrong. Yes, i can say that this is not a simple repetition of the previous work. Here everything is done very smart - the main sound was left exactly the same as in previous album, while slightly changing some shades. Maybe I want to think so, because I really liked this project - I can not speak confidently.

Nevertheless, here we hear groove metal with a very large hardcore influence and non-standard ideas. I will not focus on the idea that this kind of music is quite complicated and in any case, guys are good fellows. I want to say that this project is based solely on composer's non-standard ideas. I don't mean a permanent construction change of composition, although it's also noteworthy and is a positive moment. I want to say something else. You can talk in two ways. First is to say a few words, and the interlocutor will guess what a logical connection is between them. Second - you can combine several literary techniques, thus transferring all shades of your mood and purpose. Approximately the same thing in this release. Here is an interesting combination of artistic techniques. Yes, I can write a little about it, since this element is executed excellently.

Vocal parts are monotonous. Yes, vocalist has good abilities. Yes, sometimes you can hear a whisper (2 track), narration (3 track). And also clean vocals became a surprise (7 track). But in general, vocal parts are monotonous. Also worth noting that there is some too simple voice timbral color. This reminds me of an office clerk who spent 8 hours sorting through paper (in comfortable conditions without harmful factors), and then came on stage and with the latest strength began to sing about how difficult it's to work. I think you guessed what I want to say.

Instrumental parts performed excellently. Studio work always sounds cool and this release is no exception. The first thing you can notice is extended range guitars (8 string), which give a characteristic djent sound. Usually from such music templates in style of Periphery are expected. But here everything is much more interesting. Yes, I expected more natural harmonics (they are performed only in 3 track). But in general, we can say that guitar parts are good. Rhythm section is also good - composer's good work again is felt. The only drawback - bass can not be heard, only vibrations from headphones are felt. Bass sounds like an octave lower (it's a extended range bass), but it's made quiet. Also here there are additional instriments. In 4th track, you can hear a synthesizer in the style of Korg's magical organs with a "cosmic" sound. It might be interesting if this continued throughout the composition. But this is only in beginning, and then - a simple piano.

Well, this release is very similar to previous. But it's done a little differently. This album excellently shows how to repeat albums so that they are interesting to listen. I don't know if you understood me or not, but I can say that a good band released a good album. I don't know how much this idea is enough, but this time idea was realized interestingly.