“A Thousand Suns”, by Linkin Park (Warner Bros.)

Linkin Park disappear further into the musical wilderness…

Well, it’s official: I have officially lost interest in the music Linkin Park produce. A Thousand Suns features not a single song that remains with you once it’s finished, and not a single hook that lodges itself in your brain. Each of the 15 tracks on here (which still, as a whole, only last 47mins) is over-loaded with samples and characterised by forgettable musicianship.

In case you think I’m just being a “hater” of a successful band, I should point out that both Hybrid Theory and Meteora are two of my favourite albums ever. I have no problem with bands being experimental, or trying new things. A Thousand Suns is a strange progression from Minutes to Midnight, which saw the band forsake originality to produce an album of mediocre, repetitive and short songs aimed at eliciting a two-to-three minute response from what were, for all intents-and-purposes, merely a single hook repeated a few times. But, at least on this album there were still songs. The only one that stuck out for me, unsurprisingly, was “What I’ve Done”, which adhered to the ‘classic’ Linkin Park-style. Every other song, as mentioned, was a single hook, repeated. [It’s doubly annoying that I paid for the special edition of MtM, which was expensive and not at all worth the money.]

On A Thousand Sons, the band has effectively disappeared. I don’t remember noticing any guitar riffs, or memorable drumming. The sheer number of samples was irritating and the only thing that stuck with me. A band that built their career on writing singles (the last one to please was “New Divide”, which featured on the Transformers II soundtrack, which bears no resemblance to the ‘music’ on this new record).

I am so disappointed by this album, that I’m angry rather than upset. I do not think this album is any good, and the music has zero redeeming features, overlaid with an air of pretentiousness that is simply off-putting.

I’m going to go listen to Hybrid Theory and Meteora, and remember a time when this band was leading the new wave of melodic-yet-heavy rock music.

“R’n’f’n’R”, by Slash & Friends

The new, highly-anticipated solo album from former Guns ‘n’ Roses guitarist

In all honesty, this album is fantastic. The sound is huge and varied. Each track has a guest singer, all ranging in quality and fame. Some of these songs are, of course, better than others, but stand-out tracks for me include “Watch This”, “Ghost”, “Back From Cali”, “Promise”, “Gotten”, “I Hold On” and “Starlight”. Particularly good tracks were ones where I hadn’t anticipated liking it so much: Ozzy’s track, “Crucify” is superb; Miles Kennedy continues to show why he’s one of the most under-appreciated vocal talents in rock on his two songs “Back From Cali” and “Starlight”; Kid Rock surprises on “I Hold On”, offering a slow-burning rock song; Ian Astbury is also on top form on “Ghost”, which reminded me of The Cult’s Beyond Good And Evil album.

To truly appreciate the quality of this album, however, you need to listen to it. So, thanks for Slash’s website, here’s a special player for the album:

Favourite Song of the Moment

Demon Hunter’s “Collapsing” (feat. Bjorn from Soilwork)

Three Days Grace: “Life Starts Now”

Frikkin’ Awesome Return of Under-rated Hard Rockers

I must make a confession to start: I absolutely love this band, so any review is automatically somewhat suspect. That being said, I shall try to be objective.

The band’s sound has a certain energy to it that is highly infectious. With each new album, they are honing their craft closer to perfection. Their eponymous first album had a couple of good songs, while the sophomore release, 2006’s One-X, had some truly awesome tracks like “Animal I Have Become” and “Riot” to name but two, cementing the band in the echelons of true players in the harder end of the radio-rock spectrum.

Life Starts Now grows on this progression, offering even more catchy tunes. Each song on this album is worthy of attention and repeat listens. The structures are clearly more designed for radio (“World So Cold” and “Someone Who Cares”, for example, are quite repetitive), but the songs do not suffer from this at all. Linkin Park’s recent output has suffered, as they now produce pretty uninspiring pop-rock/-metal that is simplistic and forgettable. Three Days Grace have at least managed to retain some of their edge and gruffness, while also enhancing their hooks and accessibility. The choruses are still huge, the vocals still arresting and varied, and the musicianship is confident and immediate.

Few albums have lived up to my expectations in the past couple of years, but it is safe to say that Life Starts Now has affirmed my confidence in Three Days Grace. They should have a long and successful career ahead of them. Songs such as “Break” (the lead single) and “Bitter Taste” are immediate singles, and if they don’t have you at least nodding your head along, then chances are you’re dead inside.

Highly recommended.

For Fans of: Shinedown, Soil, Drowning Pool, Sick Puppies, Finger Eleven

Vertical Horizon: “Burning The Days”

Long-delayed return of soft rockers

Vertical Horizon first attracted my attention with their 2000 release, Everything You Want. It was melodic, well-written and pretty uplifting soft rock music. Their follow-up album, Go, didn’t really register at all. Burning The Days takes more queues from the softer side of this already soft band, mixing the competent melodies with catchy tunes. The only problem is that they aren’t quite as uplifting as they used to be. The songs are good, but they come across a little more shoe-gazing that I would have liked from this band.

If you want something to chill out to, or to listen to with a girlfriend who’s scared of anything even remotely heavy or ‘hard’, then Burning The Days should fill the role.

For Fans of: Vonray, Our Lady Peace, Matchbox Twenty

Creed: “Full Circle” (Wind-Up)

The Mega-Selling Grunge Outfit of the 1990s Returns!

I was originally quite sceptical about this album. I always liked Creed (Human Clay, despite it being ‘uncool’, is one of my favourite albums of that period and this genre), so I was interested to see how they might fare after some time apart and with mended fences.

Scott Stapp’s solo album was… disappointing to say the least. The other members of Creed went off, along with Myles Kennedy (formerly of The Mayfield Four) to form the heavier, but still melodic and grungy Alter Bridge.

Full Circle opens with “Overcome” – a heavier take on the classic Creed sound, which serves as a suckerpunch for those who had forgotten what Creed’s original appeal was. “Bread of Shame” and “A Thousand Faces” follow this up with two more toned-down songs, each acting like a step down in intensity. This wasn’t entirely welcome, but the songs are very good, exhibiting some more interesting song structures (still straightforward, but not the standard Creed template that had become well-trodden by 2001’s Weathered). Thankfully, as became clear over the course of the rest of the album, the histrionics have disappeared, and Stapp seems to have got his ego mostly in check. Good for him. Mark Tremonti’s guitar playing is exceptional throughout, and it seems that he’s been able to bring over some solos from his Alter Bridge days, again making the album stand out from Creed’s previous output.

Overall, this is a welcome return from a band everyone loved to deride and hate. Just like Nickelback, who continue to produce songs that appeal to a broad demographic (aging music fans who came of age during the grunge years, for example), Creed’s place in the music world is assured. If you like your grunge straightforward and competently composed and performed, then Full Circle is an album that should appeal.

For Fans of: Alter Bridge, Nickelback, Pearl Jam, Breaking Benjamin, Cavo, Breaking Point, Big Dismal, Bush (not the presidents), Day of Fire, Red

Dead By Sunrise: “Out Of Ashes” (Warner Bros.)

‘Solo’ album from Linkin Park’s frontman and members of Orgy

Just as Minutes To Midnight wasn’t the Linkin Park album I had hoped for, Out Of Ashes was not the album I hoped it would be. Chester Bennington has one of the most versatile and powerful voices in rock today (perhaps ever?), and on this album and Linkin Park’s recent output it feels like he’s just churning out songs that lack the punch and impact of his earlier material. The power evident on Linkin Park’s 2001 debut, Hybrid Theory, and their sophomore release, Meteora (2003) is completely absent on this album. Yes, Chester’s vocals are still melodic and catchy, but there’s no bite, and little on here that really stands out.

The music, provided by Ryan Schuck and Amir Derakh, formerly (?) of Orgy, is ok, but again nothing special.

This promised to be so much more, but ended up falling a little flat. Well-produced and –performed flatness, but certainly flat nonetheless.

“Picture Perfect”, by Soil

An unexpected, superb album

I must say that I wasn’t as keen on the new incarnation of Soil after Ryan McCoombs gave up vocal duties (though, Drowning Pool didn’t improve a whole deal when they hired him, either).

Picture Perfect, then, was a wholly unexpected, brilliant hard rock album. True Self was disappointing, because it seemed that the band were trying really hard to carve themselves a whole new identity – which, in itself, is fair enough, because of the importance of frontmen/-women.

With this album, however, the band has found a happy middle-ground. Bringing back the more grungy elements of the Scars (2002) Redefine (2004) era, enhancing the gruff melodicism with new singer, AJ Cavalier’s different range.

“Tear It Down”, “Picture Perfect”, “Every Moment”, “Falter”, and “Lesser Man” are perfect exemplars of the band’s new sound, and it’s one that doesn’t change much throughout the album. Once again they sound unique, and the album is all the better for it. There are some more diverse elements and influences at play, which makes the album interesting throughout and ensures the listener doesn’t just think they’ve listened to one long song.

Overall, this is an excellent, grungy hard rock album. If anyone lost interest after Redefine, then Picture Perfect should hook you right back into the band’s orbit.

Excellent, and highly recommended.

“Amanethes”, by Tiamat (Century Media)

The latest gothic metal masterpiece from Sweden

Just a quick review of this, as it’s been out for a while. Tiamat write and produce some of the best heavy, gothic music available today. On Amanethes, their long-awaited ninth album, they blend together their earlier, gruffer sound with that of their previous two albums, Judas Christ (2002) and Prey (2003). From the moment “The Temple of the Crescent Moon” kicks off, you know you’re in for something special.

The mix of heavy, dark and melodic elements proves to be excellent, offering songs for most tastes in gothic and metal. Certain songs (e.g. “Until the Hellhounds Sleep Again”) nod more towards their later work, while others (e.g. “Raining Dead Angels”) have more in common with their earlier, heavier work. Johan Edlund’s vocals are more varied on Amanethes, re-introducing the harsher style of the band’s earlier work, alongside his superb ‘clean’ vocals.

The pace of the music is pretty varied, though predominantly unhurried. “Will They Come?”, for example, has a slow, funereal melody, reminiscent of much of the Judas Christ album.

I find myself preferring Judas Christ and Prey, though I admit this might have more to do with familiarity, rather than Amanethes being of lower quality. After five years, those two albums have become very familiar. No doubt, given time, I will come to like Amanethes as much.

Overall, this is a very welcome return for Tiamat, one of the most underrated metal bands working today. Anyone with a taste for dark, gothic, gruffly melodic music should own (at least) Tiamat’s three latest albums.

Discography: Sumerian Cry (1990), The Astral Sleep (1991), Clouds (1992), Wildhoney (1994), A Deeper Kind of Slumber (1997), Skeleton Skeletron (1999), Judas Christ (2002) and Prey (2003)

For Fans of: Moonspell, Sentenced, Fall of the Leafe, Poisonblack, Samael, My Dying Bride, Type O Negative

“No Regrets”, by Dope (Koch)

Latest album from Edsel and friends moves forward by looking backward

A new Dope album is a truly wonderful event in the music world. Despite the seemingly endless revolving-door of band members, Edsel Dope’s rock-steady leadership has seen the band stick to what it’s very good at – i.e. releasing heavy, gruffly-melodic hard rock-metal albums with a rather punk attitude.

The 16 tracks on this album are all brilliant, with the first 13 being simply amazing (the final three tracks on the album are bonus oddities; “Die, Bom, Bang, Burn, Fuck”, for example, is an amalgamation of a number of past songs in a live mash-up style). If you are familiar with Dope’s previous output, then you’ll be pretty sure of what you’re going to get on No Regrets.

Edsel’s gravelly-yet-melodic singing style remains as strong as ever, with Virus’s guitar playing going up a notch – the power-chords are still there, but you’ll also find some interesting harmonics and solos throughout the album. The punky, snotty, anti-establishment attitude is still strong and it makes for a fast-paced album. If the music doesn’t get your blood pumping, then you might just be dead.

The music is a blend of what has come before. There are the more melodic moments that featured prominently on Life (2001), but equally the harsher, heavier and angrier elements of their debut, Felons & Revolutionaries (1999). The band has always mixed these elements, it’s true, but it’s possible that they’ve finally found the perfect mix, which coupled with their realization that sometimes shorter songs work better, makes No Regrets an exceptionally gratifying listen. I have no doubt that my neighbours both upstairs and on the same floor are already annoyed with my singing along to “My Funeral”, “Rebel Yell” and especially “Addiction” (which is ready-made for mosh-pits the world over).

Simply superb, and just what we needed in this depressing, serious time. Very highly recommended.

Best cuts (if I have to choose some): “No Regrets”, “My Funeral”, “Rebel Yell”, “Addiction”, “Violence”

Discography: Felons & Revolutionaries (1999), Life (2001), Group Therapy (2003), American Apathy (2005), No Regrets (2009)

For Fans of: Makeshift Romeo, Static-X, Five Finger Death Punch, Twisted Method, Motograter, Engel, Drowning Pool, Egypt Central, Burn Halo, HellYeah, Rev Theory

“Burn Halo”, by Burn Halo (Rawkhead Records)

Former Eighteen Visions’ singer releases one of the best rock albums of the decade

For anyone familiar with Eighteen Visions’ final, eponymous album, Burn Halo’s sound will come as a pleasant surprise. This is a straight-up rock album, with none of the emo or hardcore posing of Eighteen Visions. Songs like “Too Late To Tell You Now” and “Dead End Roads & Lost Highways” easily fit alongside songs by such bands as Shinedown, Black Stone Cherry, Foo Fighters and other more commercial rock acts. “So Addicted” has a snotty, punk-rock snarl throughout, reminiscent of Buckcherry or Papa Roach, and maybe Dope at their more commercial. This is not to say that Burn Halo are carbon-copies of the above bands; far from it. The band clearly have their own sound, and while James Hart’s vocals are still reminiscent of his previous work (though leagues ahead in terms of quality and variation), overall the music has more in common with Guns ‘N’ Roses, recent Avenged Sevenfold, and perhaps even Aerosmith than his previous cohorts in the emo/hardcore scenes. For this reason, this is one of the best albums recent in quite some time.

If you’re put off by the reference-heavy nature of this review, don’t be. Burn Halo are their own band, and their sound is their own, but the varied-yet-consistent quality of the songs allows them to mix with a broad spectrum of other contemporary rock acts, and should give them a massive appeal to the wider community of rock fans the world over.

In four words: Superb, addictive, original, essential.

A must for fans of: Papa Roach, Buckcherry, Avenged Sevenfold (post-City of Evil), Guns ‘N’ Roses

www.myspace.com/burnhalo

“Dark Horse”, by Nickelback (Roadrunner)

Chad Kroeger’s band of merry men release the best albums of their career

Nickelback has always been a band in a strange position. Lambasted and ridiculed almost constantly by the British music press, they consistently have bestselling albums. What’s the deal?

While you’re thinking about that, it must be said that Nickelback’s latest offering, Dark Horse, is simply superb. The more grunge elements have now been combined with a healthy dose of “rawk”, with the band writing and playing songs that are more tongue-in-cheek and also more fun.

“Something In Your Mouth” kicks the album off with a bang, and things don’t let up until the CD stops playing. Almost every song on here works on its own, and also as a whole album. Personally, I liked Silver Side Up (their break-out album), but Dark Horse is the first Nickelback album that I just stick on repeat, listening to it for most (if not all) of the day. The songs “S.E.X.”, “Burn It To The Ground”, “Next Go Round” and “Just To Get High”, in particular, hit all the right rock buttons: huge guitars and choruses, catchy hooks and an almost addictive quality that will get you singing along. Best of all, the songs have a clear continuity, but in no instance do you feel like you’re listening to something you’ve heard before – either on this album, or from any of their back catalogue.

Easily the band’s best album, and very likely one of the best album of the past decade (at least). This is fresh, rocking, addictive, but also nicely familiar, like an old friend who’s been away for a while, but is now back in the fold.

A pleasant surprise. Very highly recommended.

Best tracks: “Burn It To The Ground”, “S.E.X.” and “Next Go Round”

www.myspace.com/nickelback

“Save Me From Myself” – Head (DrivenMusic)

Korn’s former seven-stringer steps out on his own, with some interesting results

This album poses a bit of a quandry. On the one hand, there is a great deal to be happy and impressed by, but on the other hand, there are a couple of things that really irritate, thereby ruining one’s listening experience.

First off, let’s start with the good. Brian “Head” Welch is an excellent song-writer. The opening pair of songs, “L.O.V.E.” and “Flush” (heavier), are superb, as is “Home”, balancing the darker moments of Korn’s later catalogue with Head’s distinctive, husky, anguished  vocals – “dark, heavy, melodic, industrial menace” one might say. The choruses are great, and in many ways Head’s songs have the feel of how some Korn songs should have sounded, if they’d had a more conventional vocalist. Head’s distinctive guitar-tone rumbles throughout, showing considerable growth and that he continues to try new and interesting things, while still sticking with what he’s really very good at. There are even hints of older Coal Chamber on this disc (only better constructed and execute). There are equally a lot of interesting constructions (from choirs to synthesizers) and plenty of experimental instrumentation throughout the album, which creates a varied and surprising listen.

I don’t use the references to Korn lazily – Head was a major songwriter for that band, so there are understandable overlaps in style and substance. Given Head’s newfound Christianity, I was expecting an album that was nowhere near as dark and menacing as this one. In a way, this is a plus, as it allows him to explore a wider range of material and subjects (I am not one of those people who are automatically turned off a band because of their religious beliefs – I still hold Demon Hunter and Skillet among my favourite bands).

Now for the “bad”. I’m not sure if Head was aiming for a metal, latter-day Dark Side of the Moon, but Save Me From Myself is peppered with interludes and song-segues that pretty much ruin the flow of the album and irritate beyond compare. This, sadly, is the case between “L.O.V.E.” and “Flush”, where the sound of Head gagging is unnecessary, and the creepy-baby-crying at the beginning of “Loyalty”… well, it was just creepy, and annoying when it reemerges later in the track. This is a real shame, as the songs themselves are brilliant. Without these odd interludes, I would have rated this album much higher than I do.

An interesting new direction, with plenty of brilliance on display, but unless Head can reign himself in when it comes to “artistic flourishes”, then I can’t imagine many people will enjoy sitting through a whole album. Unless they are somewhat disturbed. Let me stress, though, that taken as individual songs, this is a great collection of songs.

Two of the Greatest Albums of 2008 (& All Time?)

The second half of 2008 has seen a wave of exceptional albums released by both established bands and newcomers alike. Here's a quick review of the two albums to have completely taken my breath away:

Sonic Syndicate returned this year with Love & Other Disasters which builds on what they gave us previously, showing an equal amount of growth and skill. Songs such as "Jack Of Diamonds" and "Encaged" show that the band can still rock like the best of them, while "My Escape" shows a softer side of the band (while not being wimpy or pop). An excellent example of modern metal done right. Easily one of the best albums of the 2000s, let alone this year.

This year, Shinedown have given us The Sound Of Madness. I wasn't sure what to expect, as I'd been a huge fan of their first album, Leave A Whisper (2004), but was slightly underwhelmed by their sophomore effort, Us & Them (2005). When I first put this album in my CD player, though, I was blown away. The band have managed to create a sound that is wholly their own, but firmly within the darker reaches of hard rock. Heavy, super-melodic, with a healthy dose of bombast, I seriously doubt anyone could not like this album. Picking any one track to recommend would be impossible - the first two tracks form a pucnhy beginning with the driving, anthemic "Devour" and the huge title-track. But, even when the band are more introspective, they still create some moving ballads ("Call Me", "The Crow & The Butterfly" and "If You Only Knew"). Perhaps the song that exemplifies everything that the band has become is "Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide": mixing heavy guitars, a melodic hook (guitar and vocal) to die for, and enough power behind it to make anyone jump up and sing along... Truly amazing. Best album of the year, and certainly up there in my top five albums of all time.

If you only buy two rock albums this year, make it these two.

"Wasteland Discotheque" - Raunchy (Lifeforce)

Melodic, heavy, not the best but still pretty good...

I've been a fan of Raunchy since they released Confusion Bay (2004). With its mix of heavy-and-light elements it didn't present us with anything particularly new, in terms of style, but there was something about the way band wrote and performed that made them stand out among the others peddling the same or similar metal. Harsh vocals went hand-in-hand with more melodic, soaring choruses, all on top of ultra-melodic instrumentation.

The band's been going through a lot of label changes and line-up changes, but the band remains much the same as we've come to expect. Mixing Fear Factory-style industrial production with In Flames/Soilwork Melodic Death Metal, Wasteland Discotheque is a solid album. Perhaps not as good as the aforementioned Confusion Bay or the band's previous release Death-Pop Romance (2006), this album still contains plenty to keep you headbanging and ears open for more. But, with other bands out there doing similar things and better (specifically: In Flames, Soilwork, Sonic Syndicate, Scar Symmetry), it will be hard for Raunchy to get enough people to notice them, which is a shame.

If we gave grades, this would be a B- or C+. They've released better, but the album still has some redeeming features (almost Nightwish-esque use of keyboards, for example, is a nice addition). We'll have to see what they do next, I guess.

Choice cuts: "The Bash" (superb chorus), "The Warriors" (sinister verses, almost emo chorus), "Straight to Hell" and "Welcome to the Storm" (both of which bring to mind the style on Confusion Bay)

www.myspace.com/raunchy

Disturbed, "Indestructible"

Latest offering from David Draiman and his merry, heavy men

Disturbed have always held a special place in my heart. Their debut, The Sickness (2000) came out just as nu-metal was starting to bore me - its blending of the better elements of the genre and Draiman's quirky vocal tics, not to mention a healthy attention to melody grabbed my attention and I've remained hooked ever since.

As one of the only surviving band from that era maintaining a decent fanbase (probably a growing one, in fact), Disturbed have evolved their sound over the years, culminating in Indestructible, which blends all the heavier elements of The Sickness and builds on the melodic and bombastic elements that emerged on the truly excellent Believe (2002) and Ten Thousand Fists (2005).

On first listen, Indestructible sounded competent and melodic, but didn't fully grab me. Now that I've been listening to it for a good while, though, it can safely sit among Disturbed's other releases as another example of melodic hard rock done very, very well. The darker atmosphere of the album ("Inside the Fire") combine flawlessly with bombastic bounce ("The Night") making a varied and exciting album on all fronts.

If you're familiar with Disturbed, you probably won't be surprised by anything on here (that's a good thing). If you're new to Disturbed, you'll find an accesible hard rock album that you can both dance to and sing along with, without sacrifice of heaviness.

Highly recommended.

"Vengeance", Nonpoint (Bieler Bros.)

I’ve always had a soft spot for Nonpoint, ever since I heard “What A Day” from their 2001 debut, Statement. Blending the common nu-metal themes of the times with more eccentric and esoteric styles (latin, especially) and a whole load of personal character that has made them stand out from every other band before and after. They defy categorisation, and that might be their secret to success, leaving them free from being tarnished by any fleeting fad or “it” genre.

On Vengeance, Nonpoint haven’t broken their original mould too much, growing still in the direction exhibited on 2005’s To The Pain, which showed the band simultaneously going in a heavier and more melodic (some would say commercial) direction. After the success of their cover of “In The Air Tonight” (which feature in the Miami Vice movie remake), the band sound more confident to try new things.

Elias Soriano’s vocals are more husky in the opening numbers of Vengeance, the melodies less overt, but at the same time still there.

The pace of this album is actually pretty slow, despite the urgency that comes across occasionally in the vocals. The title track typifies this – the vocals are pretty urgent, but the instrumentation behind it is not especially fast. This is the perhaps the only thing I found a little disappointing (only a little, mind). I was hoping for something a little faster and urgent, but after accepting the slower pace, the album really started to grow on me. Whether it’s the anger of “March Of War” and “Wake Up World”, or the more introspective and considered “What I Do Best”, “A Way Out” and “Breathe” (the latter two are particularly excellent songs).

Often it feels like the band are throwing nods to their previous output, perhaps something for the long-time fans that might have been wary after their successful, aforementioned cover-single. The songs all blend nicely together into a cohesive whole, which makes it difficult to really pick stand-out tracks. Some won’t like the “vanilla” feel of the songs (to quote another reviewer), as if you’re not paying attention you could be made to think you’re listening to just one long song. But, if you do listen properly, you’ll be able to hear that Nonpoint have written a solid rock album. Perhaps it doesn’t meet their previous albums in quality or experimentation, but that shouldn’t disqualify it from your collections.

A surprisingly slow-burning album, that should translate well into the live setting, it’s clear that Nonpoint are a band that, while purveying their own take on hard rock, will continue to survive, long after their peers have faded away.

www.myspace.com/nonpoint

Destinity - "The Inside" (Lifeforce)

Quality Death Metal with occasional melodic flourishes

Destinity have produced a rather satisfying album with The Inside. Vocally heavy, instrumentally both heavy-as-hell and yet also retaining a certain musical flair and penchant for melodic guitar-lines, there is little doubt that this album should appeal to fans of both Death Metal and Melodic Death, maybe even some fans of symphonic Black Metal (especially if you like bands like Dimmu Borgir, and their later releases).

One interesting difference that makes Destinity stand out is their use of "clean" vocals. If you've heard the band Pain (side-project of Hypocrisy's frontman and producer extraordinnaire, Pete Tatgren), then you will have an idea of what the sung vocals are like. Used sparingly and to excellent effect, they add another dimension to an album that could otherwise have been subsumed by the ever-expanding stable of bands who try this sort of thing.

With hints of Dark Tranquility, Ill-Disposed, Arch Enemy, early Soilwork and other luminaries of the Melodic Death Metal scene, Destinity can be proud of the album they've written and produced, standing tall with their peers. Though I must say, having mentioned those stars of the Gothenburg scene, that Destinity do not peddle a well-worn knock of that sound. Sure, there are some universally used elements that crop up in all Melodic Death Metal, allowing identification with that genre, but Destinity add so many other elements that they almost (but only just almost) defy categorisation.

Heavy, technically excellent, and the know-how of to structure heavy songs, Destinity are a band to watch as they will no doubt grow in both confidence and skill as their careers develop. If you like these guys, also check out fellow Lifeforce stable-mates Deadlock.

www.myspace.com/destinity

Demon Hunter - "Storm The Gates Of Hell" (Solid State)

Metalcore Juggernaut keeps on rolling...

Demon Hunter are one of the better purveyors of Metalcore at the moment. Some complain that they are too like Killswitch Engage, apparently having taken too many cues from that band's mega-hit The End Of Heartache (2004). I, on the other hand, think the opposite. I think Demon Hunter are one of the only bands out there, still producing Metalcore, that are actually worth listening to.

Having said that, Storm The Gates Of Hell is far from perfect. This is largely the fault of the scene and genre than any specific fault of the band's. The thing is, when Demon Hunter are at their most "commercial", they are awe-inspiring, oft jaw-droppingly good: their biggest hit before this album was "My Heartstrings Come Undone" from Summer Of Darkness (2004) - a melodic ballad that evoked a whole swathe of emotions in the listener, retaining minimal amounts of crunch and barely any heavy elements. I'd go so far as to say that much of Summer Of Darkness was perfect, or at least as near to perfect as this genre can get (check out lead single, "Not Ready To Die"). Follow up album The Triptych (2005) was good, but didn't live up to its predecessor.

With Storm The Gates Of Hell, we get a blend of all the best bits from Summer Of Darkness coupled with higher levels of ferocity, reminiscent of their eponymous debut (2002). But, while that may make some long-term, purist fans salivate with glee and excitement, the album again did not quite live up to my hopes.

On this latest album, Demon Hunter have written some songs that have none of the commercial elements that made them such cross-over successes. The opening, title-track is relentless and fast, but ultimately boring. It would work in a live-setting, if your intention was music-to-kill-others-by. Listening on a stereo at home, it sounds a little ridiculous. I'd go so far as to say it's a carbon-copy of almost every other non-commercial Metalcore band out there. A pity.

At the same time, the album has two of the best songs written in 2007, in my humble opinion. There's the ballad "Carry Me Down", which is even more melodic than "... Heartstrings...", and actually has a great uplifting effect on the listener. The second, near-perfect song, is "Fading Away" (the album's first single). This single perfectly displays that band's songwriting chops, perfectly juxtaposing the heavier and melodic sides of the band's personality and signature sound. I defy anyone to not spontaneously start singing along to this song. Ryan has some of the most powerful vocals in the Metal scene as a whole, and it seems criminal to not utilise them to their fullest. Truly amazing, his singing voice, and when used well in conjunction with his truly demonic roars, you get a real yin and yang effect.

Other songs manage to inject huge melodies into otherwise bludgeoning songs, including "Lead Us Home", "Sixteen", "Incision", and "I Am You".

Ultimately, this is a good album, but it suffers from the Metalcore affliction of containing a clutch of excellent or notable songs, and the rest being largely forgettable (and, as is invariably so, it's the "-core" heavy songs that are ultimately discardable).

www.demonhunter.net / www.myspace.com/demonhunter

Best Songs Of 2007

I usually get annoyed with end-of-year list articles, but for some reason I've been moved to write a short list of the best songs released in 2007. It's not in any particular order, and is far from definitive, but I thought I'd share my opinion with you. Some of them are singles, but others are gems that I thought I'd let people know about. Feel free to comment if you agree or disagree.

Soilwork - "Breeding Thorns"

Demon Hunter - "Carry Me Down" & "Fading Away"

NB-All Stars - "Dysfunctional Hours" (Anders Friden)

Sonic Syndicate - "Denied" & "Enclave"

Bruce Springsteen - "Radio Nowhere"

Funeral For A Friend - "Into Oblivion (Reunion)"

OneSideZero - "My Confession"

Apocalyptica - "I'm Not Jesus"

Finger Eleven - "Paralyzer"

Strata - "Cocaine (We're All Going To Hell)"

Seether - "Fake It"

Engel - "Next Closed Day" & "Casket Closing"

Korn - "Evolution"

Fuel - "Halos Of The Son" & "Again"

Black Stone Cherry - "Rollin' On"

I'm sure there are others, but these are the ones constantly on my MP3 player's playlist. Enjoy.