Children Of Bodom Halo Of Blood 2013

Of course I am fans of Children of Bodom in their power metal era. Follow the Reaper was seems like the ultimate blend between the two genres, power and death, which I pretty much favor the first one. As Alexi Laiho leading his band into more extreme / death and lessen much his 'power' elements, I was disappointing. This is not because the music afterward are lesser good, this is just a matter of taste. There just too many extreme death metal bands around that Children of Bodom just lessen his uniqueness. But who to blame, music is all about finding new journey and it is understandable for CoB to get into the direction they wanted. In all, the music after Blooddrunk album still on surface can identified with CoB sounds. Halo of Blood is  our latest package now, released in June 2013, the album is surprisingly tune down most of its 'modern' groove and suddenly sounds like European again.

Waste of Skin is the good way to marriage these two monsters. The intro is dictated by CoB modern riffing, but addition of melodic lick made these closer to earlier power metal concept. Second track is Halo of Blood, after some brutal drum intro this is a fast traditional death metal song. More melodic approach is in Scream For Silence. You want to listen something progressive then there is Bodom Blue Moon. Dead Man's Hand On You break in with slow acoustic music, deeper vocal then delved into heavy mellow ballad mood. All Twisted is a good filler with happy beat and familiar riff. Some words for One Bottle And Knee Deep, this is tasty catchy riff with elements of death metal dominated. Finally a bonus track is Japan's Loudness cover song, Crazy Night. Now this is a good cover for those who into Loudness, the theme and music of Crazy Night fit well to ended this album.

Solid album. Children of Bodom doesn't repeated their last Relentess Reckless Forever sounds, but rather made another turn of point. Halo of Blood can be that left hand crossing road where Blooddrunk is the straight path. It's sounds easier to listen, no neo-classical keyboard and guitar sweep battle for the sake of old times. Keyboards solos that making the third shred guy after the duo world rec-knowledge Laiho + Latvala is still amazing. Another interesting creation from Children of Bodom to listen in summer.

Metal Harem class: ******** eight stars out of ten

Children Of Bodom - Halo Of Blood 2013 
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1. Waste Of Skin
2. Halo Of Blood
3. Scream For Silence
4. Transference
5. Bodom Blue Moon
6. The Days Are Numbered
7. Dead Man’s Hand On You
8. Damaged Beyond Repair
9. All Twisted
10. One Bottle And Knee Deep
11. Crazy Night (Loudness Cover)

Alexi Laiho – Guitars / Vocals
Jaska Raatikainen - Drums
Henkka Blacksmith - Bass
Janne Warman - Keyboards
Roope Latvala - Guitars
Record Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Children of Bodom Halo of Blood album review

Galneryus - The IronHearted Flag Vol. 1: Regeneration Side (2013)

This is a self cover studio album by Japan neo classical power Galneryus. The record is to celebrate their 10th anniversary. After a successful 2012 album Angel of Salvation, Galneryus keep their one album per year productivity by releasing full studio album almost less than a year after, new album called The IronHearted Flag Vol.1: Regeneration Side. As mentioned, this is a compilation of materials from their first singer Yama-B, and current vocalist Masatoshi "Sho" Ono re-take the tracks.

Observed how metal community received Galneryus' J-Power Metal albums, the band seems consistently honored with high ratings. With this an album full of Galneryus best cuts is easily welcome collection. Most songs are great work of their past port folio. From neo classical shred right from opener Braving Flag, go to standard heavy metal numbers such as Shiver, these will give you brief idea how their ten years of works looks alike. Sho's vocal fit Galneryus styles, he is clean and high screamer, melancholy type fit those Asian J-Metal style. Yama-B on other hand is western heavy metal type, heavier and operatic. If you got Galneryus past catalog, just played it side by side. The arrangements not changed a lot and almost notes-by-notes re-cover. Check Fate of The Sadness for a '80 American speed metal flat song combined with Yngwie Malmsteen neo classic licks, or gone epic with The Flag of Reincarnation. My Last Farewell will sounds as one of anime soundtrack you familiar with.

Every songs are tight musical endeavor. Galneryus always a high skilled talented musicians. Their music is not for amateur to learn even though their power metal idea is simple.  As heavy as the music the song always singable with clear notes direction. The IronHearted Flag volume 1 is a collection of 'easy' listening neo-classical metal tunes. Best for re-introducing the band.

Check other review for Galneryus - 2012 Angel of Salvation , 2011 Phoenix Rising.

Metal Harem class: ******** eight stars out of ten

Galneryus - The IronHearted Flag Vol. 1: Regeneration Side 2013
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01. Braving Flag (5:28) - from Beyond The End Of Despair...2006
02. Rebel Flag (4:23) - from The Flag Of Punishment 2003
03. Point Of No Return (6:10) - from Beyond The End Of Despair...2006
04. Fate Of The Sadness (6:56) - from Advance To The Fall 2005
05. My Last Farewell (5:06) - from Beyond The End Of Despair...2006
06. Shiver (7:12) - from Beyond The End Of Despair...2006
07. Quiet Wish (5:48) - from Advance To The Fall 2005
08. United Flag (5:50) - from The Flag Of Punishment 2003
09. The Flag Of Reincarnation (9:05) - from Reincarnation 2008
10. Silent Revelation (6:43) - from Advance To The Fall 2005

Junichi Sato, Drums
Syu , Guitars
Yuhki, Keyboards
Taka, Bass
Masatoshi Ono, Vocals (lead)

Magnus Karlsson's Free Fall 2013

Magnus Karlsson is guitarist for heavy metal band Primal Fear. He also can be found in several projects, notably in Allen/Lande and Kiske/Sommerville projects. This album is his debut as lead project with a new band simply called Magnus Karlsson's Free Fall. Taking that so many singers in debt for his help, he seems easy to get his payback. By inviting an eye rising number of good singer, this album surely need to check out.

All materials in this album are equal in term of quality and style. Free Fall as the introduction track make sure the listener that they are listening to a guitarist's solo album. Brief instrumental intro in thick orchestration started this song. The style is power metal and Russell Allen come alive again with this catchy tunes. Not less catchy is Higher, using the over familiar minor power metal riff, this song to feature Ralf Scheepers. Up to this point let's stop reviewing per track as I will use the same wording for every songs that comes in same formula. The other way Magnus ideas are in keyboard orientated melodic metal songs. The group of song fall into this approach are Heading Out and Ready Or Not. These two sung by Magnus himself, along with ballad-metal On Fire, which is actually surprisingly see Magnus' strong vocal as well. We also got super epic symphonic metal tracks, the most powerful is in Fighting. Our Time Has Come, Last Tribe, Dreamers & Hunters also can be described as the same symphonic metal. What else, Stronger is piano ballad, something sounds fit to Avantasia. Not My Saviour and Us Against the World are yet another power metal beat that use melodic keyboard intro instead of guitar.

You not going to disappoint with this project if your name is power metal. With bunch of world class singers, Magnus did not let them wasted. Instead the songs are well deserved to be sung by them. Compare to two multi singer projects we received in this year, Avantasia's Mystery of Time and Timo Tolkki's Land of New Hope, Magnus Karlsson's can go head to head with this different line up. Free Fall is one singer per song as opposed to those two which is gone as opera with multi singer per song. The instrument execution is out of discussion, they are just first class track, both Magnus and his drummer Daniel Flores. The cover artwork is best welcoming visual art to his album. Surprise yourself with this release.

Metal Harem class: ********* nine stars out of ten

Magnus Karlsson's Free Fall 2013
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1. Free Fall - feat Russell Allen (Symphony X, Adrenaline Mob)
2. Higher - feat Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear)
3. Heading Out
4. Stronger - feat Tony Harnell (Starbreaker, TNT, Westworld)
5. Not My Saviour - feat Rick Altzi (Masterplan, At Vance, Thunderstone, Herman Franck)
6. Us Against The World - feat David Readman (Pink Cream 69, Missa Mercuria, Voodoo Circle)
7. Our Time Has Come - feat Mark Boals (Iron Mask, Yngwie Malmsteen)
8. Ready Or Not
9. Last Tribe - feat Rickard Bengtsson (Last Tribe, Armageddon)
10. Fighting - feat Herman Saming (Last Tribe, Locomotive Breath)
11. Dreamers & Hunters - feat Michael Andersson (Cloudscape , Fullforce)
12. On Fire
13. Stronger (Acoustic) (Japan Bonus)

Magnus Karlsson Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Vocals on "Heading Out", "Ready or Not", "On Fire"
Daniel Flores (Mind's Eye, Full Force) Drums
Magnus Karlsson Producer
Daniel Flores Mixing, Mastering

Magnus Karlsson Free Fall album review

Megadeth - Super Collider (2013)

The generation of '80s metal bands we knew usually already passed their 'experimental' period and survived through our year 2013. For example, Metallica with  Loud - ReLoud - St Anger, Helloween with Chameleon, even Iron Maiden with Virtual IX kind of things. Megadeth, the common understanding is, their 'period' was in Cryptic Writings - Risk and The World Needs A Hero way back ten years ago. Yet, Megadeth looks like going to have their '2nd period' soon. Super Collider is their 2013 album, the 14th studio album so far, and yet another turn of musical changes. Dave Mustaine, David Ellefson, Chris Broderick and Shawn Drover are well preserved from the last studio album, and this make a trivia entry in Wikipedia as the "second album not to feature a lineup change from the preceding album, since Cryptic Writings". Oh, do you see the pattern? We need Megadeth to changed to avoid this 'period', gentlemen!

Ok, that first paragraph was actually based on previewed track prior to Super Collider released. After get the full album, there is actually good news around. Well folks, majority of the album still falls into that experimenta' things. Kingmaker is surely one of them, this opener is nowhere intense as the four previous albums opening. Kingmaker is safe and sound riffs with Dave gone melodic singing, rather than murmuring a pretext of war or injustice around the world. Still the song is entirely has Megadeth identity, feel like in the end of Youthanasia era, and actually this potential as hit for another few years in live setting. Super Collider is what we face palm-ing when we got the preview month ago. The song started with bluesy riffs and there Dave Mustaine lead the team performing in hard rock style, right in the second song of the album. Be patience, because the next Burn! is something a relief, after burning guitar licks in the intro we are back on the Megadeth tracks. Burn! is something more fit into 2000s Megadeth sounds. Still, yet still, the song is 50% blues thrash metal! If you manage to get the fourth track, Built For War, then the patience is somewhat paid off. Yes, this is what we, loyal fans, looking for. The thrash metal with Dave singing about war. Built For War see Dave sing with extra screams, things he seem rarely need to with previous Megadeth songs writing. Smile and let's continue. Off The Edge is Risk - influence track. Dance In The Rain is something interesting to be fair. The Dave speaking track is a welcome one, the song developed into nice dark and sad chorus. Then there is the ending improvisation that make the song not so easy to play by amateur. The Beginning Of Sorrow is alternative / grunge feel at the very first few second of intro. This is part of experimental tracks to take cautioned with. As weird as the next follow up, The Blackest Crow all the way with mandolin intro. Forget To Remember is a better melodic intro leading tunes. It is hard rock feel again. And do you hear David Draiman backing voices? One of new feature in this album that rare happened before. Don't Turn Your Back.. is trivial Gary Moore lick blended into double pedals beat. Cold Sweat is Thin Lizzy cover, again Wikipedia noted this as the trivial case where only happened back in So Far So Good era where Megadeth included cover song in main track list of album. In the limited edition, All I Want is one good bonus track with heavier riffs, sounds more fury in the song as what Dave should be. A House Divided on other hand is begin with a strange 'cowboy' minor intro brasses. The verses are done in mid tempo beat but then the chorus is heated up and gone slightly faster then.

For sure this is where Megadeth trying out their new ideas, in official album. To be fair, the album is easy and  memorable for wider hard rock / metal listener. Letting off Megadeth thrash metal label in Super Collider will probably give this album more acceptable to fans, who patiently wait Dave and David to play thrash metal for sure. Not an easy public relationship for the band to his loyal fans for now. Even where the band's keep a good contact with fans via social sites, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, something need to be praise for such great band. Some direct cry out is unavoidable and hopefully the band take a note on this reaction. Super Collider is where Megadeth trying new water, less heavier, but awesome guitar works are still there, interesting songs are exists, Dave Mustaine singing in his trade mark voices are still to be found. Counted this as 'bonus' CD, let's just enjoy it.

Metal Harem class: ******* seven stars out of ten

Megadeth Super Collider 2013
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01. Kingmaker
02. Super Collider
03. Burn!
04. Built For War
05. Off The Edge
06. Dance In The Rain
07. The Beginning Of Sorrow
08. The Blackest Crow
09. Forget To Remember
10. Don't Turn Your Back...
11. Cold Sweat (Thin Lizzy cover)

Japanese / Best Buy / other bonus tracks
12. All I Want
13. A House Divided
14. Countdown to Extinction (live)
15. Symphony of Destruction (live)

Dave Mustaine – lead vocals, lead, rhythm, acoustic and slide guitars
Chris Broderick – lead, rhythm, acoustic guitars and backing vocals
David Ellefson – bass guitar and backing vocals
Shawn Drover – drums, percussion

Bob Findley
David Draiman – vocals on "Forget to Remember" and "Dance in the Rain"

Megadeth Super Collider album artwork and review

Christopher Lee - Charlemagne The Omens Of Death (2013)

What is this you asked? Well, legendary actor Christopher Lee already a familiar voices in metal. Together with Rhapsody of Fire and Manowar he told us stories about heroes and dragons as a guest narrator on those band's albums. Seeing this as new outlet for his talent, Sir Christopher pulled off his own creation. In 2010 album Charlemagne By The Sword and the Cross surprised metal fans. Although that absolutely generic symphonic metal copied by the maestro, the album did went quite well in marketing. So who to blame when a 'sequel' is released this year. 2013 Charlemagne The Omens Of Death is the title, marked Sir Christopher 91th anniversary  and is a collaboration with Richie Faulkner, who replaced KK Downing of Judas Priest fame. The guitar idol champion Hedras Ramos was hired to fill in the six string shoe. Unlike the debut, The Omens of Death switch to heavy metal sounds, in lieu to symphonic metal. Although Sir Christopher marketed this as heavy metal the true is this is majority power metal album with significant orchestration.

First, let us congratulate Sir Christo for his blessed, prosperous, adventurous 91st birthday. More over for this album since he again has a nice fun jamming with personalities of heavy metal world. For a quick start, the album comes with good music. The review is obvious, those tracks narrated by Sir Christo, and less sung by him, are the best one. We got the introduction The Portent, where narration is good and instrumental take the song afterward. The first half of album need listener to deal with Sir Christo's invented 'genre', since he brave himself singing baritone in all these tracks. Mostly are operatic story driven power metal song. Intro, riffs and musics are good, the vocal is in his own 'genre'. Just like what in a movie, the intense and excitement only grow more from each track to the end. Started from The Betrayal , the music actually turns good now. The best track is The Devil's Advocate. We can heard how the backing musicians works hard to cover Sir Christopher. The last two tracks, The Ultimate Sacrifice and Judgement Day do close the album with good metal tunes. The Ultimate Sacrifice is sung by guest vocalist and of course the last one is instrumental track!

One luckiest dude in the project is surely guitarist Hedras Ramos. This album almost like a solo for him, and actually his guitar works is what keep the album stay interesting. If you like history then The Omens of Death can be followed as the story gone almost too historical. With power metal as backing music, this album did better than the debut. The cheesiness of symphonic metal can be trimmed 40-50% by the music set in this album. Well, let's take this as a tribute for the great actor, Christopher Lee. The fame of Lord of the Ring, Star War and Dracula sure can bring metal music closer to mainstream. For now let's hope Sir to remains as narrator for more metal project.

Metal Harem class: ******* seven stars out of ten

Christopher Lee - Charlemagne The Omens Of Death (2013)
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01. The Portent (4:29)
02. Charles The Great (6:23)
03. The Siege (7:09)
04. Massacre Of The Saxons (5:41)
05. Dawning Of A New Age (4:40)
06. Let Legend Mark Me As The King (5:45)
07. The Betrayal (5:02)
08. The Devil's Advocate (4:54)
09. The Ultimate Sacrifice (5:09)
10. Judgement Day (3:41)

Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ - vocals
Hedras Ramos Jr - guitars
Hedras Ramos Sr - bass
Ollie Usiskin - drums
Richie Faulkner - arranger

Christopher Lee Charlemagne The Omens of Death album review

Dark Tranquility - Construct (2013)

Not really a Dark Tranquility listener here, but I found the album a good one with a blend of doom-ish feel into good death metal vocals. Construct is the new Dark Tranquility album, bringing this as the band's album number ten. They are called as Gothenburg metal also but quite versatile in doing the music it's between thin line to defined. For Broken Words is a nice opener, bringing us to darker mood for today. Works of instrumentation to company the vocals are done in creative ways. This is better in the second song, The Science of Noise, now comes with 'faster' beat. The running riffs can keep the interest alive and put curiosity to what happen in the next song's sections. Uniformity is more complex. The background piano motives and vocal's style changing make this a good gothic-doom-death metal tracks. The Silence in Between also has a good Paradise Lost feel intro. Not a bad song to call this the hit of the album.  Aphathetic finally comes with strong riffs and fastest drum works. Endtime Hearts is interesting tracks with slighly bits of industrial sounds. The album ended with overlong instrumentation None Becoming, that close the chapter with dark mood.

Best cuts for me are The Science of Noise and The Silence in Between. Love the guitar overdrive / distortion sounds that versatile bringing the doom feel. Singer pulled his growl and clean voices with good shape. Atmospheric background string layered provided by keyboardist Martin Brändström also gives Dark Tranquility their unique sounds. Enjoyable album with a smooth blend in between doom and death metal style.

Metal Harem class: ******** eight stars out of ten

Dark Tranquility - Construct (2013)
Buy it Here at Amazon

1. "For Broken Words" 4:34
2. "The Science of Noise" 3:50
3. "Uniformity" 5:31
4. "The Silence in Between" 3:32
5. "Apathetic" 3:29
6. "What Only You Know" 4:01
7. "Endtime Hearts" 3:59
8. "State of Trust" 4:06
9. "Weight of the End" 4:56
10. "None Becoming" 4:31

 US bonus tracks
11. "Immemorial" 5:06
12. "Photon Dreams" 2:04

Personnel
Mikael Stanne – vocals
Martin Henriksson – bass guitar, rhythm guitar
Niklas Sundin – lead guitar, album artwork
Anders Jivarp – drums
Martin Brändström – keyboards

Dark Tranquility Construct album review

Anvil - Hope in Hell (2013)

There a couple of bands that you no need to afraid they will suddenly play a music not exactly what you expected. Anvil is one of them and perhaps one of extreme. They are consistent, playing well inside the Anvil 'sounds' and will not surprised you much. Even tough Anvil now won back their success and glory, they are still the same Anvil we once know back in '80 and '90. My favorite Anvil album is still Worth the Weight of the '90s, the new 2013 album just like newer version of it only without the '90s over extending guitar trails. Hope in Hell is their new works, together with new family member Sal Italiano the bassist, the eleven tracks is, surprisingly, the same Anvil music we knew for most of the time. Whether this is a compliment or criticism I think we leave it to the fans to judge.

Hope in Hell is the tradition album title for opener song. The Metallica's 'Puppet' riff is what heard for once. Of course Anvil riff is no where sounds similar to that and in fact leads to our Anvillian metal song. The song structure as we know are simpler compared to when they were young back then. Still the chorus '...Hope in Hell!" is too creative for Anvil fans (slightly sarcasm intended). Eat the Words is a good one, this rock n' roll metal light up the mood with energetic drums and deep voices singing. Through with You is a prove that Lips trying to battle each popular riff into this hand. As trivial as Smoke in the Water, the riff again, Anvilized into their sounds without problems. Lots of drum fill to enjoy, intro in Flying for example. Badass Rock n Roll is another stand out song, something should remind to Whitesnake / Rainbow now. Time Shows no Mercy again display the drum and bass creativity. Mankind Machine is heavier song with interesting un-Anvillian singing style. Hard Wired is so much fun hard rock song.

After more than fifteen studio albums, the trio seems enjoy the formula 'don't fix something unbroken' very well. There are some new energetic ideas in Hope in Hell, so it's not overly follow the template. In fact, the album is best released after their 'comeback' with many diverse tricks inside, compared to This is Thirteen and Juggernaut of Justice. The drum groove is one of thing to enjoy, Robb Reiner surely one that talented drummer, expert in drum fill that it hard to believe he rarely in top drummer list. Lips, as usual need only to get the riffs and the song flows naturally, he is the real master of riffs. Interestingly is the third man. Sol taking good care to maximum his extra space left by Lips in creative way. He is playing important rule by giving meaningful lower pitch rhythm for each song.  Good package for Anvil Pounder Union, their legion of fans club worldwide. This album will not 'offend' any die hard fans as well as easy to enjoy by newer enthusiast.

Metal Harem class : ******** eight stars out of ten

Anvil - Hope in Hell (2013)
Buy it Here at Amazon

1. Hope in Hell
2. Eat your Words
3. Through with You
4. The Fight Is Never Won
5. Pay the Toll
6. Flying
7. Call of Duty
8. Badass Rock n Roll
9. Time Shows no Mercy
10. Mankind Machine
11. Shut the Fuck Up

bonuses
Hard Wired
Fire At Will

Lineup:
Robb Reiner - Drums
Lips aka Steve Kudlow- Lead Vocals / Lead Guitars
Sal Italiano - Bass
Bob Marlette - Producer
Record Label: SPV / SteamHammer Records

Anvil 2013 Hope in Hell album review