Mendeed - "This War Will Last Forever" (Rising)

Mendeed are an interesting proposition. Blending many musical styles and elements usually attributed to Scandinavian bands - controlled speed, guitar melodies you can almost sing, coherent roars and screams, precise and enthralling musicianship and bucket-loads of writing talent, you might be surprised to learn that they're from Scotland.

If you popped the album into your stereo and pushed play, you'd probably find yourself checking the box again: yes, it is Mendeed's album, and not some instrumental, Celtic thing. Intro "All That We Have Become" is simply a sublime piece of instrumental music. It's certainly not metallic in any way, sounding like a cut from the Braveheart soundtrack, but it serves its purpose in lulling the listener into a sense of calm and security before the poundingly heavy "Beneath A Burning Sky" slaps us awake again.

At times sounding like Arch Enemy, and at others sounding like a Scottish Children Of Bodom (the Celtic music influences don't disappear completely after the intro), Mendeed offer a fresh take on a growing number of Scandinavian-metal-influenced bands who do not wish to travel the now-dulled path of Metalcore.

Perhaps the only let-down for this album is the production on the clean vocals, which sound suppressed and slightly muffled. A minor gripe, perhaps, but rather noticeable on an otherwise impeccably produced album.

I've been following the band since their debut mini-album, From Shadows Came Darkness (2004), and subsequent singles. With This War Will Last Forever, the band have come of age and fully grown into their roles of metallic masters.

Fast, melodic, furious and exquisitely put together, one can only hope this band gets the recognition they deserve. Judging by the swathe of excellent reviews they've been receiving in the music press, it's only a matter of fighting your way into the consciousness of the record-buying public.

Fall Of The Leafe - "Vantage" (Firebox)

This album came across like an unexpected curve-ball. Fall Of The Leafe's debut album, Volvere, was a darkly majestic, sweeping gothic affair. Vantage is rather different.

Eschewing the morbidity and gloominess of the Finnish Gothic Rock scene that spawned them, the band now sounds like they have much more in common with Pearl Jam at their most introspective than anyone else. This is most evident in Tuomas Tuominen's vocals, which sound almost identical to Eddie Vedder - only somehow deeper and more arresting.

This is by no means a bad thing, as the band have much more of an identity now than they did previously - despite the striking vocal similarity, Fall Of The Leafe do have a very unique blend of grunge, hard rock and gothic rock. The latter is far more understated than any other element, but there are some idiocyncracies that almost all Scandanavian bands have; an air of slight melancholy.

Like Pearl Jam playing Gothic Rock, or Sentenced playing Seattle Grunge... It's very good. One gripe: there's not much variation between songs, so it can feel like you're listening to one (very) long song, instead of 12 great rock songs. This is why I haven't picked out any specific stand-out songs to draw your attention to. But, despite the formulaic songs, I do find myself continuously drawn back to it. Perhaps this album is perfect for the argument against constantly changing styles and being overly varied on an album. It's certainly become one of my albums of the year.

If you're looking for something a little different, and unafraid to follow a path that isn't in vogue, then Vantage is an album you should pick up.

P.O.D. - "Testify" (Atlantic/WEA)

POD have come under a bit of an attack from the broader British music press. While it's true that their previous album, Payable On Death (2004) didn't live up to the success or overall quality of their break-out record, Satellite (2002), which yielded a bucketload of singles and general adoration over the pond.

Testify shows the band a little more confident, and not so self indulgent throughout. The song-writing is tighter and more focused, with most songs having solid structure and some good melodies. Being a POD record, it would be incomplete without some reggae influences and flavours (I'm sorry, but I refuse to write 'flavaz'), which again add to the songs, rather than detract - as they did in Payable On Death.

The two opening tracks - "Roots In Stereo" and "Lights Out" - are good, strong numbers to start the album with heavier guitars. "If You Could See Me Now" is a softer, more soulful number, never really taking off like, or having the same style as "Youth Of The Nation" (which appeared on Satellite). It's a good song that, despite the drop in pace, doesn't derail the album.

"Goodbye For Now" sounds like POD trying to produce an Incubus song - mixing in their own rap elements, with the sweeping melodies we got from Incubus' Morning View and A Crow Left Of The Murder. There's a certain amount of irony that one of the lyrics is "when will we see a new song..." (repeated).

Overall, then, the album isn't as bad as the press has let on - most giving it a paltry 1 or 2 out of 5, which is rather harsh. Yes, it doesn't break the mould of what we've come to expect from the band, but really this isn't a bad thing.

More like Satellite than Payable On Death, I can imagine that the album will probably do quite well. This will probably be predominantly because of the die-hard POD fans (or 'Warriors', as they rather pretentiously call themselves).

Ultimately, though, rap-rock has passed its prime, so this won't help the band set the scene alight again. Dated, but competently written.

New Talent: Megan McCauley (Wind-Up)

This isn’t so much a review, as a preview of an amazing new talent on the rock/pop scene. You might have come across her songs on the Elektra and Fantastic Four soundtracks (both also released through Wind-Up Records). With the catchy hooks of Avril Lavigne and Evanescence – minus the ‘Goth’, backed up by a heavier guitar sound and a massive chorus that will get your blood flowing, “Die For You” is the perfect pop/rock song. Its somewhat darker subject matter is also another boon.

The only other tracks I’ve managed to get a hold of were “Reverie” (a softer, sad crooning number) and “Wonder” (another soaring chorus, coupled with a grungy, smokey verse). If you were after a female singer who doesn’t sound like a waif – something that is increasingly prevalent in the rock and metal genres, then Megan’s strong, powerful and sometimes forceful vocals should go a long way to pleasing you.

Her delayed debut album should be out sometime in early 2006. Something to keep an ear open for.

http://www.meganmccauley.com/

Charon - "Songs For The Sinners" (Spinefarm)

Ah, Finland. Where would we be without the magnificent Gothic Rock/Metal scene that seems to be part of the Finns’ genetic make-up? There are too many quality bands that have come out of that scene to name here, but without a shadow of a doubt, Charon are one of the top, if not the only band you really need to know from there, incorporating all of the best traits from the scene into one, handy, melancholy, and highly talented package.

Songs For The Sinners is their fifth album, and the band have remained true to their signature sound yet again! Whereas for some bands, this would be seen as a detriment, Charon have a sound so powerful, melodic and melancholy that it is hard not to get swept up by their huge choruses and the overwhelmingly dark atmosphere they manage to produce.

Often compared to Finland’s leading Gothic Metal band – Sentenced (R.I.P. 2005) – Charon are actually much better, never allowing themselves to be too drawn into the gloom, and always retaining a healthy amount of catchiness. They also bear some resemblances to Poisonblack, Fall Of The Leafe, Sinamore, and For My Pain.

JP’s vocals are so full of emotion that you’ll often find yourself covered in goose-bumps. His choruses are never quite as large or catchy as Charon’s most famous hit, “Little Angel” (Downhearted, 2001), which saw the band take a bit of a more commercial sound, before they returned to their sombre moods for The Dying Daylights (2003) and this most recent record.

Best cuts: “Rain”, “Ride On Tears”, “Gray”, and the superb opening track “Colder” (wonderful female vocals at the start and harmonising elsewhere).

If you are familiar with the work of HIM, but find that Ville and crew have gone too far down the commercial, pop-Goth route, then I strongly recommend any album from Charon for you, despite the relative difficulty in getting hold of their albums in the UK (thank for Amazon!).

http://www.charon.cjb.net/

Raunchy - "Death Pop Romance" (Lifeforce)

This third release from Denmark's Raunchy sees the band stepping further out of genre moulds, producing an even more catchy, infectious and gripping sound.

Compared to Confusion Bay (2004), Death Pop Romance is a far more assured, consistant piece of work. All the songs come equipped with the sort of catchy choruses that make bands like Atreyu and Linkin Park such fan favourites.

The arrival of new vocalist Kasper Thomas can be seen as a true turning point in the band's sound and no doubt - given time - success. His screams are far more powerful and coherent, while his clean singing is likewise superior to many in the genre. He does come across as similar to Anders Friden (vocalist with In Flames), at times, but this is no bad thing. Also, the melodic singing is much cleaner and... well, 'angelic' is the wrong word, but you get my drift.

There are so many huge choruses on this album! The band has clearly taken note of the success of their previous two singles, "Watch Out" and "I Get What I See", from Confusion Bay, both of which were focussed around crowd-pleasing, blood-pumping choruses.

They are described as 'Futuristic Hybrid Metal' by their label. Okay, I'll accept that as a tag. They have an industrial, busy element to their sound which does make them lean towards the territory of Strapping Young Lad - this is less pronounced than on Confusion Bay, which at times sounded so dense with all the elements blending into one powerhouse wall of sound.

But, now, I think the band has far more in common with In Flames and the increasingly (excellently) commericial Soilwork. It's good to know melodies are finding more and more purchase in the metal world.

Soaring, melodic, fast, heavy, and immediate. Excellent.

www.raunchy.dk

HIM - "Dark Light" (Sire/Warner Bros.)

This was bound to happen. HIM have produced an album that sounds pretty much exactly like everything they’ve released since their massive hit album Razorblade Romance (2000), which was, I admit, faultless. Razorblade Romance was my first HIM album, which I got when it came out. Since then, I’ve been eagerly awaiting everything the band releases, and have never been let down. Until now. Sort of…

This is the first HIM album where I’ve found myself skipping songs. Well, only one song, really: “Dark Light”. It’s just awful! Cloying, limp, poorly written, boring drivel. In my opinion, they should have left this off the album, and replaced it with the B-Side from the first single (“Wings Of A Butterfly”), “Poison Heart” (a Ramones cover).

On a completely different note, and while speaking of “Wings Of A Butterfly”; how amazing is this guitar riff? In fact, the whole song is certainly one of the best songs the band has ever written, not to mention the most ear-catching and likely to have you humming all day long. Love them or hate them (and isn’t that a long-dead debate in all the magazines…), you can’t deny that Ville Valo and chums certainly know how to write dark pop songs. “Killing Loneliness” fits into this category, too.

Apart from this stand out track, and the poorer one, the rest of the album is pretty much HIM-by-numbers, and is therefore only ‘okay’. Even then, they’ve made the album sound a lot weaker, toning down much of the bombast in favour of something they probably thought would sound like heartfelt angst… While “Under The Rose” and “Behind The Crimson Door” sound far too like a couple of other songs from previous albums.

Ordinarily, the lack of progression wouldn’t have been a problem, but the band are resting too much on their laurels and perhaps it’s time to up the ante! I don’t think a change in direction is a good idea (indeed, it would probably destroy their careers), but I think they’ll need to start doing something new to keep interests high, and keep the fans coming back for more.

http://www.heartagram.com/

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - S/T

This band comes to England from the US on a wave of critical acclaim. The more careful critics label them as a lo-fi treat, while the less careful ones regard them as the new Modest Mouse. This is particularly dangerous. For one thing, Modest Mouse are lo-fi pioneers. To make this comparison is foolhardy at best. Second, this band don't even come close to their hype.

CYHSY have elements of Modest Mouse in their sound, but first and foremost, they are your average, run-of-the-mill, lo-fi band (Schizo Fun Addict wannabes, anyone?). 'Over and Over Again' is an absolutely stunning track, but I personally think it's the best one by a long way. The rest of the album plods along in the same manner most standard lo-fi albums do. Whoohoo… You sound dreamy and ethereal. Great; but how exactly are you different from every other band in your genre?

Do yourself a favour and buy Death Cab For Cutie's new album instead. It's far better, and guaranteed to have much the same effect.

CMcG 7/10

The Strokes - "First Impressions Of Earth"

I'm not going to lie to MWRI fans. The Strokes represent everything that is bland about garage rock to me. To be honest, it almost feels like they want this effect. The first album sounded like a mediocre attempt at NY punk and the second was just drivel. In just two albums, the band became the point of reference for both the scene's greatest supporters and harshest critics.

For this reason, the Strokes needed to do something truly amazing with album number 3. It should have been their masterpiece. After 2 and a half years of writing the bloody thing, it needed to be perfect. Was it perfect? God no!

Just two tracks in, they descended into yet another samey riff, and from there, the album only picked up in sporadic moments. Does Julian Casablancas really need someone to extol the virtues of development as an artist? Unfortunately, where the one saving grace with the first two LPs was their merciful brevity, FIOE is a 52 minute piece of dirge.

I'm less than wowed for much the same reason I'm always less than wowed by The Strokes. Blah, blah, blah… Get a haircut and try actually being punk for once. BORING!

CMcG 6/10

Bleeding Through - "The Truth" (Roadrunner)

Bleeding Through have come a long way since their last album, This Is Love…This Is Murderous. As pioneers of the Metalcore scene, the band have thankfully gone some way to ditching their ties to it, forging ahead with a much more abrasive, gripping sound. Still, we have the thundering music and coarse vocals, but instead of sounding like plain old Metalcore, the band has managed to step out on their own, upping the ante considerably.

Brandan’s vocals have particularly improved a great deal. Firstly, his (predominant) roar bears more in common with Melodic Death Metal bands such as Arch Enemy and Dark Tranquillity, while his clean vocals are far less Emo. Speaking of his clean vocals; I’m a little disappointed. On occasion they sound less confident than before. Whatever the reason for this, there’s little doubt that live, he is still an imposing vocalist. However, on stand-out track, "Kill To Believe", his singing does sound very good.

With stellar performances from all members of the band, this is a treat to listen to. Guitars duelling with each other, crushing the senses, drums and bass pummelling our ears, and Marta’s keyboards adding extra dimensions to the band’s sound. Overall, the song-writing has greatly improved, with these cuts easily proving to be their best – not to mention heaviest – material. The songs are shorter, on the whole, which also gives the album a great pace that never lets up – at times, This Is Love… tended to get a little bogged down and distracted by longer tracks, sapping some of it of the frenetic energy these guys display in a live setting. With these songs, the mosh-pits at their shows will be bigger and better, not to mention irresistible.

It’s good to know that bands are finally deciding to pursue more individual paths in extreme music, as really the Metalcore scene was long overdue an overhaul and spring clean. For those who were fond of their old sound, do not despair! Bleeding Through are still recognisable as the same band, and have not completely rid themselves of their roots. This is a progression, rather than a reinvention.

If you’re looking for convincing, angry, frenetic and impeccable metal, then The Truth is an album you should look into getting your mitt on.

Although it is far too early to say for sure, I think Bleeding Through might just have released one of the best extreme metal albums 2006 will see (I’d be truly amazed if any Metalcore band managed to produce anything more immediate, individual and stylistically superb).

Bottled fury at its best, The Truth ensures that Bleeding Through will still be around after Metalcore has been relegated to the bargain-bin of music history.

www.bleedingthrough.com