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.

Engel - "Absolute Design" (SPV)

Long awaited album from Swedish Scene darlings throws a bit of a curve-ball...

Back in early 2006, Engel released their song "Casket Closing" on their MySpace page and later on a free Metal Hammer CD. It was, simply put, absolutely killer. It had everything: soaring vocals, harsh vocals, chugging riffs, guitar hooks and a melody that would just not let go.

Then they released this album. And I scratched my head in confusion. Produced by Anders Friden (In Flames' vocalist and sometime producer extraordinaire), "Casket Closing" now sounds closer to 1980s disco than Melodic Death Metal. The vocals have been almost completely cleaned up, with extra pop-melodies layered on top, completely stripping the song of most of its edge.

The rest of the album also confused me. "Next Closed Day" is an excellent song that mixes Duran Duran with heavy guitars and yet another chorus that I can't help but warble along with. Really, it's an excellent song.

Now, elsewhere on the album, the band exhibits a diminished sense of originality. Vocals often bring to mind Static-X's angry outbursts (particularly on "The Hurrican Season", "Trial And Error" and "Propaganda"), and at other times songs feel like they're about to do something amazing but then give away the store to do something either weird or "eccentric".

There is lots to appreciate on this album (particularly the guitar-work, which is melodic and exemplary throughout the album), but after the truly excellent demo version of "Casket Closing" and the subsequent reinvention of the song and the band's sound, it can't help but feel a little like a let-down. I'd still recommend buying it (especially if you didn't hear the advance song), but also try to get the demo version, too. After the initial disappointment, I listened to this album constantly for a week, and it's now one of my favourites, filled with varying styles, ideas and textures that raise it above the level of many other melodic-&-heavy bands currently being touted as the next big things.

These guys could very well be big, given the chance. Do your part to help out, and buy this album.

Stand-out tracks: "Casket Closing", "Next Closed Day", "Propaganda", "The Paraclete", "Scythe"

http://www.engelpropaganda.com/ / www.myspace.com/engelmusic

Submersed - "Immortal Verses" (Wind-Up)

Another forgettable album

Submersed are another young band from the Wind-Up Records stable who continue to release albums that are, more or less, forgettable. Sure, there are some nice melodies thrown in there, the occassional guitar riff that catches one's ear, but other than that, it's completely forgettable. In fact, having listened to it a few times now, I can't recall a single song. At all. Like their debut, In Due Time (2004), there is one song that one notices; on this album it's "Better Think Again", which is track one. On their debut, it was "Hollow", which was track one. Sadly, Submersed are one of those bands that front-load their albums with their one or two best songs, and fill the rest with sub-standard songs (see also now-defunct Closure and Clockwise). It's a pity, as they occasionally do display flashes of inspiration and originality.

When compared with other albums on Wind-Up - such as Seether and Megan McCauley (both of whom have recently released very good albums) - it's a wonder people at the label don't wonder why they keep Submersed around.

More rocking than elevator music, but not rocking enough to make much of a dent, I really wonder whether anyone's going to notice or remember this album in a couple of months.

I have nothing more to say on the album. Check it out if you have nothing else to do.

http://www.submersed.com/ / www.myspace.com/submersed

Soilwork - "Sworn To A Great Divide" (Nuclear Blast)

Yet another heavy, melodic masterpiece from Bjorn & Co.

This will just be a quick review as, while an excellent album, if you know Soilwork’s previous material then there will be little on Sworn To A Great Divide that will be a surprise.

Soilwork are one of the best bands out of Sweden, along with In Flames and up-and-comers Sonic Syndicate and Engel (review coming soon). However, like these other bands, they have broken away from the ever-growing pack of Melodic Death Metal/Gothenburg scenesters and have forged ahead with their own blend of heaviness and melody.

In some ways similar to Scar Symmetry in that they mix not only melodic guitar lines with roared and screamed vocals, but also proper, clean vocals that are truly remarkable! The fact that they both come from the same throat makes it all the more impressive.

As hinted in the first sentence, this is Soilwork exactly as we would expect them to sound. While some have decided that this is a bad thing, I think that’s very far from the truth. With bands constantly trying to reinvent themselves or jump from one bandwagon to another (Avenged Sevenfold please stand up), it’s refreshing for a great, talented band to stick with what they know they do better than everyone else.

The first few tracks start things off heavier than previous album Stabbing The Drama, but following that we are entertained by 11 more stunning blends of brash heaviness and sing-along melodicism. There’s no great variation in structure between the songs, but that’s not to say that they are all carbon copies of each other. The similarities allow the album to blend into a cohesive whole which makes it all the easier on the ears.

“Breeding Thorns” is a track that particularly stands out in my mind, mixing all the instrumental elements we’ve come to love from Soilwork, not to mention three different singing styles (roared, sung and something that falls in the middle of the two). It’s also impossible not to be lifted by this song. That, actually, is one of the defining things about Soilwork’s music: despite it being heavy and angry, each song has a distinct uplifting feel to it. It’s strange, but I love it. The album passes the goosebump test, easily.

Not the most expansive review, or even the most detailed considering how much I love the band, but every song on here is one that deserves attention. Soilwork are a band that doesn’t need flowery or poetic prose, they just need your attention. Sure, Sworn To A Great Divide is not the best album in the world, but this is as close as heavy music can gets to highly-consumable without being pop or Linkin Park.

Go buy this album. It works, on every level that an album should. It would also act as a perfect bridge for anyone who wants to delve deeper into heavier music but hasn't completely committed to it, yet.

www.soilwork.org / www.myspace.com/soilwork

Nuclear Blast All-Stars - "Out Of The Dark" (Nuclear Blast)

An exercise in modern metal, blistering guitars, and melodic screaming…

This album took my pleasantly by surprise. Following the considerable success of Roadrunner’s All-Star Sessions, I was concerned this might end up being a cheap imitation. On the contrary, however, it is actually a highly accomplished and polished collection of modern metal – true, it’s populated mainly by Scandinavians, but modern metal is something they do oh-so-very well.

While the songs all feature different vocalists, they manage to create a cohesive whole that makes it seem as if this could really be an album from a single band – no small feat considering the eleven (!) vocalists who took part in the project. The first two opening tracks, “Dysfunctional Hours” (featuring the ever-excellent Anders Friden of In Flames) and “Schizo” (featuring multi-talented Hypocricy’s Pete Tatgren), start things off with two fast-paced, expertly executed slices of melodic death metal, with the most melodic screaming I have ever heard.

Clean vocals make an appearance on “Devotion” and “The Overshadowing”, while retaining the heavier, coarser vocals to ensure the songs don’t disrupt the overall feel and punch of this album. Having said this, the middle of the album features the majority of “cleaner” vocals (i.e. little or no screaming), with “The Dawn Of All” proving to be an excellent rock/metal song, and one of Bjorn Strid’s most accomplished vocal performances, as well as the biggest and most sweeping song on the album. The bruising follow-up track, “Cold Is My Vengeance” re-ups the ante by packing a wallop, and Maurizio Iacono’s harsh vocals over furious drums and staccato guitars leaves us in no doubt that this is first-and-foremost a metal compilation.

While I was only expecting to like the songs which featured my favourite vocalists (the aforementioned Anders Friden and Pete Tatgren; Bjorn Strid of Soilwork on “The Dawn Of All”; the boys from Sonic Syndicate on “The Gilded Dagger”), every single one of these songs offered something to keep me interested and listening again and again, and could easily act as singles.

If ever you needed an introduction to Nuclear Blast’s heavier bands, Out Of Darkness is your ideal album. True to each vocalist’s sound, yet a cohesive whole, this is an excellent album, and does an impeccable job of both providing an excellent showcase for Nuclear Blast’s leading male vocalists, as well as a collection of kick-ass metal music.

Incidentally, Nuclear Blast’s female vocalists were catered for with the preceding NB All-Stars collection, Into The Light.

Highly recommended for even the casual metal fan, and an essential purchase for Melodic Death Metal and Metalcore fans the world over.

www.nuclearblast.de

Karnivool - "Themata" (Bieler Bros.)

A long awaited delight from Australia’s latest, greatest exports.

Karnivool’s Themata is an exercise in melody and sweeping soundscapes, eliciting an emotional response normally associated with classical music, rather than the rock genre. From the opening track “Cote” to the closing bars of “Change (Part 1)” the band have explored various methods and styles of melody, each creating unique songs yet at the same time maintaining a cohesiveness that makes Themata a thoroughly rewarding listen.

Comparisons can be drawn with Boy Hits Car (especially on the best track on the album, “Themata”) and fellow Australians The Butterfly Effect and, at a push, Tool. In an environment filled with metalcore and emo clones, it’s refreshing to hear bands coming out with more individual sounds that defy pigeon-holing. The aforementioned title-track, for example, while kind-of-conventional in structure has some of the most emotional, melodic and soaring choruses that remain strangely understated. With vocalist Ian Kenney’s voice switching between a range of pitches and tempos, backed up impeccably by the instrumentalists in the band (particularly the oft-fuzzed-up guitars). Truly excellent stuff, and I would bet money that this could make an excellent single.

With a distinctive sound that runs throughout the album, while still retaining variation and surprises, Themata should have something for everyone, but at the same time might not be recommended for those who like simple, 1-2-3 music (i.e. pop music), with simple structures and so forth.

Difficult to describe, but well worth checking out, Karnivool is a band that you should look out for in the future as they prepare to release their next album (Themata was released some years ago in their Australia).

www.karnivool.com.au / www.myspace.com/karnivool

OneSideZero - "OneSideZero" (Corporate Punishment)

After six years in the wilderness, OneSideZero return to show everyone how it’s done. Again.

On 2001’s Is This Room Getting Smaller? album, OneSideZero dropped an album of immense melody and intense musicianship on a relatively unsuspecting music scene. Different from the vastly popular and over-populated Nu-Metal scene, they peddled more melodies in one song than many band of the day had on an entire album.

Now back with their eponymous sophomore release, it’s really like they never left. “Carry Your Gun” opens proceedings with a bang, blending all the elements we’ve come to treasure (soft, husky melodic parts and more angst-ridden verses). This would make a very good single.

One of the best things about this band is that they defy comparisons – there really is no one else out there that sounds like them. True, they have certain elements that might sound (if only read about) pretty standard, but when you actually hear Jason Radford’s vocals, how he is able to switch effortlessly from a clean, almost angelic sung vocal to a rabble-rousing cry for revolution (“Breath”) is refreshing to say the least. Think Tool if it was fronted by someone who could not only write a decent melody, but also stick with it for long enough for everyone to care, mixed with the instrumentation of Jimmy Eat World or Strata at their harshest. Perhaps not the best description, but that’s the image my mind conjures when I think about it.

While for a long time we only had lead single “My Confession” to whet our appetites in the lead up to OneSideZero’s release, the song is another microcosm of OSZ’s sound, with its rousing choruses and harsher middle-eight, if you like the single, you will definitely like the whole album. It has become a heavy-rotation song on my stereo and playlist (actually, it’s on there twice, to make it more prevalent).

It’s not all balls-to-the-wall metallic melody, though; “Levitation” brings things back to a more calm pace, a moment of calm respite after the three opening cuts.

While I wouldn’t go as far as to say the album as a whole is perfect, it has a clutch of near-perfect songs to make it a necessary purchase for anyone who loves metal, and also for those who are perhaps tiring of the metalcore and emo scenes. OneSideZero contains enough to hold the attention of devout fans of both genres, and they would benefit from getting their paws on this great album.

www.onesidezero.com / www.myspace.com/onesidezero

Funeral For A Friend - "Tales Don't Tell Themselves" (Mighty Atom/Atlantic/Warner Bros.)

Welsh superstars return with their most radio-friendly disc to date

"Into Oblivion (Reunion)", the first single and album opener, starts things off very much as they mean to go on: massive choruses, great instrumentation, hooks galore and tight playing and writing.

It must be said that I was originally sceptical about their new, more commercial direction - apart from "Into Oblivion", I had heard a couple of tracks on HMV's radio station (I spend a lot of time in there), and thought that the songs sounded just alright, rather than great. But, having listened to this album in its entirety, it certainly has a completely different impact as a single, cohesive body of work.

To put it simply, this is a very good album. True, it doesn't have the punky urgency or anger as their debut (2003's Casually Dressed & Deep In Conversation - one of my favourite albums ever), the band members have clearly grown as musicians, and the writing on Tales Don't Tell Themselves is more daring and they appear to have pushed the envelope more than they ever seemed brave enough to do. It's an effort that has certainly paid off.

Unfortunately, there is only so much that can be written about the album, other than it's really very well written and a very satisfying listening experience. Summery without being sickly, catchy as it needs to be, this is an album that will work very well with the top down, and cruising along in sunny California. Which just makes it so very weird that these guys are from Wales...

Other tracks that stand out are "The Great Wide Open", "The Diary" (nice additional female vocals), "Out Of Reach" (a heavier, faster track) to name but three.

A refreshing breath of fresh air from a band distancing themselves from the Emo crowd. Recommended.

www.funeralforafriend.com / www.myspace.com/funeralforafriend

Sonic Syndicate - "Only Inhuman" (Nuclear Blast)

Sonic Syndicate are a breath of fresh air for the Melodic Death Metal genre. Blending the driving, technically impressive and above all melodic instrumentation that we have all come to love from this genre, Sonic Syndicate take it yet another step further with their vocals, joining the prestigious ranks of In Flames and Soilwork as bands willing to utilise a more conventional singing style, along with their (readily understandable) screams and roars.

It’s hard to believe that they needed to join a competition to get a record deal, as the strength of their music is near-unparalleled. A nod from Anders Friden of In Flames fame won’t hurt much, either!

While a cohesive body of work, Only Inhuman comprises 12 unique tracks, mixing more melodic moments with heavier, fist-pumping metal. With the brothers Sjunnessen forming the back-bone of the band (Richard on vocals, Roger and Robin on guitars – and what amazing guitar playing!), Karin Axelsson providing bass duties as well as some vocals, John Bengtsson pounding the drums and further vocals provided by Roland Johansson, the band are able to provide a diverse sound that sounds fresh, urgent and so very, very catchy. While recognisably Melodic Death Metal, the band have managed to create a sound that remains very much their own, without paying overt homage to any of their influences. An admirable feat for a genre that has started to sound more and more formulaic and just a little stale (check out Dark Tranquility’s latest, Fiction, for sad proof of this).

From the opening bars of “Aftermath” to the closing notes of “Flashback” (and everything in between), Only Inhuman presses all the right buttons, never allowing the pace of delivery to drop. The songs are huge, anthemic and infectious. It’s almost impossible not to fall immediately in love with this band (and their strikingly beautiful bass player).

If you like heavy, melodic music, Sonic Syndicate are your new favourite band. Only Inhuman is as close to flawless as an album can get.

Stand-out Tracks: “Psychic Suicide”, “Double Agent 616”, “Callous”… I know I’ve said this before, but every single song on Only Inhuman requires your immediate attention. An essential 2007 purchase.

http://www.sonicsyndicate.com / www.myspace.com/sonicsyndicate

3 Mile Scream - "A Prelude To Our Demise" (Corporate Punishment)

Blistering metal for the new generation.

Following in the wake of multiple plaudits from peers and fans alike, 3 Mile Scream’s debut was a hotly anticipated release. It would seem that almost everyone in the heavy music world has been impressed by this band – including (most notably) Arch Enemy, God Forbid, Unearth, Byzantine, Kataklysm, and Unearth. Everyone who’s come in contact with the band seems to have something very positive about 3 Mile Scream. You can add MWRI to this growing list (even though we have nowhere near the pull of the aforementioned fans).

To begin with, ‘Scream’ is a good word to include in their monicker, and Matt McGachy can certainly do this with great aplomb! His less extreme vocals are also not bad, and add a great melodic element to the band’s sound. Unlike some bands, when you’ll be particularly impressed by a certain facet of the band’s sound, 3 Mile Scream appear to be one of those bands which manage to create a cohesive whole, with every member’s input being as equally important to the final product as the next. This is particularly evident on the first song proper on the album, “Mourning The Lost” which, starting as the band mean to continue, hits us with a sucker-punch of speed, brutality and tempered melodic moments that would make even the most cynical metal fan hit the repeat button. ("Confession" is another particularly fine song.)

As good as this album is, it’s not reinventing the wheel to any great extent, but the band do a very good job of providing their listeners with enough diversity and inspired song-writing to keep everyone interested from beginning to end. This is particularly evident on “Forced Entry”, perhaps my favourite song on the album (and could actually qualify for a single).

One might mistakenly slot them into the metalcore genre, but 3 Mile Scream have such a diverse pallet (including Thrash, Death Metal, Melodic Metal, and perhaps Hard Rock) that it might just be better to call them Metal (capital ‘M’, of course).

Furious, brutal, fast, in-your-face, technically impressive and occasionally melodic in all the right moments, A Prelude To Our Demise provides much for every heavy music fan.

Surely now the album is available, the praise will only snowball. Well worth checking out.

www.myspace.com/3milescream

Dimmu Borgir - "In Sorte Diaboli" (Nuclear Blast)

Dimmu Borgir return with another masterpiece to retain their Black Metal Throne.

This album turned out to be very different from what I was expecting, pleasantly so. Dimmu’s dark symphonic tendencies are still firmly intact, exhibiting the band’s continued growth and skill at both composition and execution of their dark and heavy style. This album grabbed my attention far quicker than their previous albums, and is far more ambitious than previous outings. It should certainly slake any fan's thirst for blistering symphonic black metal.

In the fashion of Satyricon’s Now Diabolical (Roadrunner, 2006), Dimmu have gone for a much bigger sound, as they have before, utilising the superior production skills of Fredrik Nordstrom once again. As is expected from the master of Fredman Studios, the production and sound quality is impeccable. There are hints of many bands, here, if you want an idea of who they’ve influenced: Children Of Bodom and, especially, Cradle Of Filth (though, Dimmu are far easier to like than Dani’s crew).

The problem with reviewing this album is that other than stipulating that it is a very good Symphonic Black Metal album, it doesn’t provide enough opportunities for effusive praise for either expanding or breaking any boundaries that the band have already set themselves. Needless to say, this is a very good album and should please former fans of the band as well as hopefully open up their music to a wider fan-base. Given Nuclear Blast placing high priority on promoting this album, this could well be Dimmu Borgir’s year.

A concept album, the songs blend brilliantly into each other, neither jarring the listener with sudden changes or going unnoticed. The clean vocals on opening track “The Serpentine Offering” are a nice addition.

Yet another example of a 2007 release that has lived up to the great anticipation that has preceded its release. Individual, heavy, orchestral and great – everything a black metal album should be.

www.dimmu-borgir.com / www.myspace.com/dimmuborgir

Ghost Machine - "Hypersensitive" (Corporate Punishment)

Ghost Machine, featuring members of the sadly-dead Motograter, have returned to our stereos with an esoteric, industrialised listening experience that is not entirely comfortable... Unlike with some bands, though, this is actually not a bad thing.

Intro track "The End" is truly creepy; with heavily industrialised instrumentation mixed with clean and helium-fuelled vocals, it could very well come straight from a horror movie.

In fact, that is a good analogy to run with, for Hypersensitive: it's the musical equivalent of the current stream of popular horror movies that are breaking cinema records at the moment. It's thrilling, exciting, different, but also rather unsettling.

The vocals are superb, mixing some amazing singing and distraught screams that only add to the despairing, suffocating atmosphere of tracks like "Sheltered". If you were fortunate enough to catch Motograter's eponymous release, then you might find that a lot of Ghost Machine's output sounds like the best parts of that album. The reason I spend so much time on the vocals is that they truly are the most striking element to Ghost Machine's sound - "Headstone" in particular showcases some exceptional singing blending hints of Tool's more normal moments, as well as sharing some elements with labelmates Onesidezero (new album out in June). However, these similarities are only in terms of style as, in terms of actual sound, Ivan's vocals are unique in pitch and delivery. Really quite amazing.

The music dips and soars throughout the album, hitting emotional peaks and wrenching troughs, never predictable but never sloppily put together. The songwriting is exceptional, as has become expected from Corporate Punishment's growing (and increasingly impressive) stable of bands.

The use of bizarre interludes is one of the devices the band has brought over from their days in Motograter. While for the previous band it was every other track, Ghost Machine rein themselves in a little bit more, making the album progress much smoother. Though, in truth, leaving out some of the more bizarre ones might have made this album gel better, and allowed the stream of soaring, emotive songs constant, rather than being interrupted by the occassional break in momentum. A minor quibble, but one nonetheless.

If you're after emotive, soaring and different music, in a rock world increasingly populated by Emo/Screamo bands, then I highly recomment you check out Ghost Machine's Hypersensitive. Something different to reinvigorate the genre.

www.ghostmachine.net / www.myspace.com/ghostmachine1

Mendeed - "The Dead Live By Love" (Rising Records)

Just a quick review for this one. The Dead Live By Love is excellent. Blending Children Of Bodom-style melodic death metal (minus the keyboards) with more soaring, melodic and ‘cleaner’ moments, this album packs the punch of Scandanavia’s best metal acts (think the aforementioned COB and the mighty In Flames), but adds extra flavours on top, making their music conform and yet also defy pigeonholing. It sounds fresh, yet familiar. "Invigorating" would be a good word to describe how this album sounds, as well as what it does for the genre as a whole which is getting a little stale.

The fact they band hails from Glasgow and not Sweden or the US is another head-spinner: who would have thought the Scots would produce such an amazing metal band, with a sound all their own? Mixing brutality, amazing musicianship and varied vocal styles (always melodic, even when David Proctor’s screaming) Mendeed might have produced an album that would win a few Metal Album Of The Year gongs, if only it wasn’t released so early – when have the awards ever really gone to an album released in the early months of the year? Like the Oscars, it’s always to the ones people can remember the most. So, all we have to do is get them to release a reissue (or enough singles) to keep them fresh in the ever-fickle minds of the metal massive.

I've followed the band since their first EPs, and it's very refreshing to here the band growing into such a formidable force! As musicians they are almost peerless (certainly in the UK), and as a band they have clearly grown more confident in their own abilities. If these guys were from the States, you'd see them filling huge venues. Let's hope the fact their British won't hold them back from the recognition and success they so clearly deserve.

A truly awesome album, with not a single bad track, if you only buy one metal album this year, make it Mendeed's The Dead Live By Love. (It's in stores today, so there's no excuse not to!)

http://www.mendeed.co.uk/ / www.myspace.com/mendeed

Re:Ignition - "Empty Heart, Loaded Gun" (Corporate Punishment)

After a rather disappointing Summer and Autumn, it warms the heart to finally be hearing some excellent albums coming out. At the top of the pile is definitely this debut from the Bay Area’s Re:Ignition. Unlike other highly anticipated albums of the year, Empty Heart, Loaded Gun surpasses all expectations.

Featuring two former members of Skinlab (Steve Esquivel on guitars and Snake on bass), the band is treading a different path from their former project. While Skinlab was adding more accessible elements to their music (check out 2002's ReVolting Room for some introduction of gruff melodies), Re:Ignition are a whole different, more melodic beast.

From the opening bars of “Short Memory” (a sure-fire hit if it was released as a single) to the final notes of the title track, which closes the album, your ears are not violated by a single bad note. Every single song on this album displays a passion, groove and overall song-writing skill that has been lacking in the rock/metal genre for some time. More than a fistful of these songs could easily be singles ("Head On" a particular favourite, sounding like a song Sevendust wish they wrote), and it would be a shame if the band weren’t given every opportunity to shine and reach as many people as possible.

Vocalist Dave Moore is, for me, the star of this album. Deep, melodic and groove-infused, his singing throughout this album is superb. From his more gruff moments (the doomy "Take What You Want") to the excellent, sweeping melodies of “Lies And Money” and the excellent “Spinning In Circles” (sublime pieces of music from every angle), there’s not a single bum note or bad choice of style. Think of a more passionate, less depressed grunge singer, and you’re getting close.

A difficult band to describe, as their sound is truly their own, Re:Ignition are a critic’s conundrum. Evoking the groove and atmosphere of Sevendust or Stereomud at their most soulful, while not sacrificing any of the muscle behind the songs, Re:Ignition have created the most accomplished metal record of the year. There are hints of a Soundgarden influence, but also a nod towards the Bay Area thrash scene that spawned them. Perhaps the greatest achievement of this album, though, is that Empty Heart Loaded Gun also has that rare quality that makes it an album for any occasion. As a result, it has been the only album I’ve listened to since I first got it one week ago.

My final opinion? This is the album of the year.

http://www.reignitionmusic.com/ / www.myspace.com/reignition