Trivium - Vengeance Falls (2013)

Matt Heafy and friends have been transformed to be one of American popular metal band in less than a decade. Their riffs are made 'lesson' everywhere in guitar magazines, and their fame is in prospect to only heading forward. But after 2011's In Waves, the sign of so called musical-interest-changing-syndrome was transpired, that Trivium is going to left behind their epic-technically-riff aspect they used to known, in pursue to lighter and sweeter songs, to straightforward conquering the mainstream metal listener. Who sadly prefer to easier listening stuff. But yet now Trivium is back. Vengeance Falls called out as their sixth studio album. And we listened nervously to see if Trivium is going to transformed, and the result is ... they simply delayed the process.

There a lot of riffs that captured me in this album. Let's started with Brave This Storm, the opener track. The one-stringer alternate picking exercise in the intro is the proponent of simplicity, that successfully developed into a good song. The feel of modernity in the song are audible and show that Trivium top their game in this genre. Let's skip some of track and I just want to listed out the potential magazine's favorite riffs, this include No Way To Heal, Through Blood and Dirt and Bone, and No Hope For the Human Race, all are minor feel that fitted my power metal ears. Of the modern metal stuffs are Vengeance Falls. Which kinda crusade song to reach new listener from the nu-metal / electronic / industrial metal crowd. Same thing with Strife, nice intro composition with dual guitar riffs, and the song is mixing alternative metal and double pedal thrash metal intensity. Only two songs not begin with a bang, At the End of This War is a ballad intro, which again just a camouflage to heavier stuff later. Then Wake (The End is Nigh) begin with pseudo-alternative metal bass intro. A rock n roll stuffs in Incineration: The Broken World, a thrash metal ala Megadeth in As I Am Exploding and Misfits cover Skulls...We Are 138 fitted the end part and to bring more color to this exhausting riff orientated album.

Not much to brag in more. If you like riffs, Vengeance Falls still going to pleased you. The songs comprise more clean vocal lead, but still a couple moment of growling to accelerated the intensity. Categorical almost no metalcore in sight. Vengeance Falls is simply heavy metal in modern and unique Trivium version. The cheeky futuristic sci-fi album artwork also confirmed that the band heading to teenage crowd. Which is a stepdown compared to 'mature' In Wave album artwork style. Compared to old stuffs as in Ascendency (2005) and The Crusade (2007), Vengeance Falls is a compromise to younger listeners, but at least they put a lot of effort to maintained original fans with enough, well, riffs!

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

Trivium - Vengeance Falls (2013)
BUY IT HERE - AMAZON

1. Brave This Storm
2. Vengeance Falls
3. Strife
4. No Way To Heal
5. To Believe
6. At the End of This War
7. Through Blood and Dirt and Bone
8. Villainy Thrives
9. Incineration: The Broken World
10. Wake (The End is Nigh)
Bonuses
11. No Hope For the Human Race
12. As I Am Exploding
13. Skulls...We Are 138 ( Misfits cover)
14. Losing My Religion (R.E.M. cover)

Lineup:
Matt Heafy - Guitar, Lead Vocals
Corey Beaulieu - Guitar, Vocals
Paolo Gregoletto - Bass, Vocals
Nick Augusto – Drums
Record Label: Roadrunner Records

Trivium Vengeance Falls album review

Suicidal Tendencies - 13 (2013)

Remember Suicidal Tendencies? They are one of most energetic metal band that doing cross over genre, between thrash metal and other groove-based genres. They implemented element of punk, funky bass line, rap singing gone far with ska brass and whatever. This cross over thing gone quite mainstream in the middle of '90 and Suicidal Tendencies remains pioneer in this sense. With diverse style found on their music, the band actually pretty flexible in changing and improving their sound to met listener on that genre. With this, Suicidal Tendencies unafraid to give on more new album to carry on their fate. Titled as '13', this is their first output since 13 years ago, their 13th studio album and they won one more element than Megadeth's Th1rt3en for they released this album in year 2013. Founding member and singer Mike Muir is the only member from their earliest 1981.

The album has 13 tracks as well. It started with Shake It Out, as the titled suggested, the everybody-shake-groove metal tunes, full of energetic skate board time feel. With this we were giving a promising start that lead to optimistic continuation. Smash It! is heavier with that intro riff, then the groove come in and Mike Muir continue to impressed us that his energetic singing approach is not yet dim by the time. This Ain't A Celebration captured the bit of Offspring rap singing crossover metal in very fast and nice way. Of course we will need killer bass groove, and new bassist Steve Brunner successful building a background fill for God Only Knows Who I Am. Several good tunes in between, then Show Some Love... Tear It Down is another moshpit shout out in straightforward riffs and song structure. Cyco Style and Slam City are two songs that easily memorize for being a simple catch phrase for the song. And interesting is Till My Last Breath with twisted funky slab bass that really bring the emotion out.

I finished the album with good enjoying time. Song composition integrated nicely between music and the vocalist's singing style.  If you like technical funk bass and some great groove drumming, 13 is rich in this area. Both guitarist build up the melody needed for each songs. They are not over repetitive riff that usually annoy me in this genre, but the band composed good amount of licks and phrases to make the song rich. This is Red Hot Chilli Pappers, Offspring, Biohazard, feels that all come in as one package album to be enjoy. Not a bad comeback for the veteran Suicidal Tendencies run from twenty years ago. They come with excellent cover album artwork that really reflected the music inside.

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

Suicidal Tendencies - 13 (2013)
buy it HERE

01. Shake It Out (3:51)
02. Smash It! (3:46)
03. This Ain't A Celebration (3:32)
04. God Only Knows Who I Am (5:29)
05. Make Your Stand (5:54)
06. Who's Afraid? (4:08)
07. Show Some Love...Tear It Down (3:31)
08. Cyco Style (4:41)
09. Slam City (5:36)
10. Till My Last Breath (4:40)
11. Living The Fight (4:22)
12. Life...(Can't Live With It, Can't Live Without It) (4:36)
13. This World (5:07)

Mike Muir - vocals
Mike Clark - rhythm guitar
Dean Pleasants - lead guitar
Steve Brunner - bass
Eric Moore - drums

Suicidal Tendecies 13 Album Review

P.O.D. Murdered Love 2012

From the other side of metal, where mainstream popularity and dollars exist, here something to enjoy,  P.O.D. Murdered Love. It is the band's 8th album release. The album marked the come back of guitarist Marcos Curiel and also producer Howard Benson. This is also the band hard effort to return their root of rap-metal and nu-metal back in the 2000s as in album Satellite.

We quickly enter track Eyez, a straightforward opener. This is a signature P.O.D. rap and headbanging  metal song. Same thing to second song, Murdered Love which is thick in layered raps. Together with song West Coast Rock Steady, these three tracks are really the highlight of the album. P.O.D. collaboration with guest singers is great in these tracks. Beautiful is a break in the flow as a rather mellow tempo song. It is a modern rock song that display singer Sonny Sandoval in this area. Bad Boy has excellent ska-metal in it. Similar to Panic & Run except this one for a second almost sounds like the old school rock riff intro, that blend easily with ska rhythm in the verse.

As a Christian-base band, the lyrics are discussion about the faith. It's pretty extreme in some case, I Am where wording are explicit. Guitar works, nice to listen as in On Fire with the whammy bluesy feel. Production wise is top notch, Hollywood standard. If you like Red Hot Chili Peppers, skater rock, this is the perfect addition to your shelves. P.O.D. , aka Payable On Death, has complete the task to fill in for this year Nu Metal with awesome rap line in it.

Metalharem class: ******** seven stars out of ten

P.O.D. Murdered Love
buy it here

1. Eyez (featuring Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed)
2. Murdered Love (featuring Sick Jacken of Psycho Realm)
3. Higher
4. Lost in Forever (Scream)
5. West Coast Rock Steady (featuring Sen Dog of Cypress Hill)
6. Beautiful
7. Babylon the Murderer
8. On Fire
9. Bad Boy
10.Panic & Run
11.I Am

12. Find A Way (Japan Bonus)
12. Burn Down Rome (European Bonus)

Sonny Sandoval − lead vocals
Wuv Bernardo − drums, percussion, rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Traa Daniels − bass guitar, backing vocals
Marcos Curiel − lead guitar, glockenspiel, programming, backing vocals

Evanescence - Evanescence 2011

Evanescence released their third album in October 2011, self titled (or mirrored ..) "Evanescene".The album supported by rejoining guitarist Troy Maclawhorn. This album went quite complicated producing phase, went from producer Steve Lillywhite  and then producer for the second session, Nick Raskulinecz. So expectly, this album is higher.

I am not really listen a lot to Evanescence, they are "half metal" to me, (the other half, pop). But being a very commercial successful metal-format female band, Evanescence is a must hear. If only the music included a guitar solo, more double beat drum (instead of nu-metal like drumming) and thicker orchestration, Evanescence will probably easiest to enter the symphonic - gothic - metal realm. Especially with singer as charismatic Amy Lee (one of my favorite). But Evanescence play more in commercial friendly area, and they were very good on that.

Having said that, this album also great in tune. Mean, only by two or third listening, all songs will be familiar and enjoyable. The first track and their single, What You Want, is a great opener. Typical Eva sound and great stadium beat feel. More heavier on second track, Made of Stone, the vocal line are great and gothic. A bit setback is, after this point the rest of song quite sounds in the same beat. Until Erase This break in. And for the Deluxe Edition, additional songs added. But except End of the Dream, Never Go Back and Dissapear, you will need to reserve your ear to about ten of mellow songs with Amy Lee vocal as highlight of enjoyment.

So it is the third Evanescence album you can enjoy and you'll get a wide variation of Amy Lee singing. Overall a mellow pop ballad with layered distortion but few are very catchy songs as well.

Evanescence - (2011) - buy from Amazon

1. What You Want

2. Made of Stone

3. The Change

4. My Heart Is Broken

5. The Other Side

6. Erase This

7. Lost in Paradise

8. Sick

9. End of the Dream

10. Oceans

11. Never Go Back 

12. Swimming Home

Deluxe edition bonus tracks

13.New Way to Bleed

14. Say You Will

15. Disappear

16. Secret Door