Reviews
\r\nI was waiting quite impatiently for this new album by SINNER. You see the previous one still lingers in my mind and Black is an old time classic in my heart. And so yesterday when I got my hands on Crash & Burn I couldn’t keep myself. I feel there’s no introduction needed for SINNER the band of Mat Sinner who also plays in Primal Fear but has a history that dates back to the 80s. And maybe it’s just because of that that the music Mat writes is always with a 80s feeling in it. So let’s take it track by track.
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A tribute to Arnold Schwarzenneger? No shit! Reminds me of the day I first listened to Charles Bronson!(gods!).Anyway! What we have here is the new solo/side project of “our own man” Tim Lambesis (he comes from Greece) of As I Lay Dying. Thrash metal combined with some metalcore, short songs with catchy riffs that would certainly create some insane circle pits! Everything is played by Tim himself, although helped by friends such as Adam Dutkiewicz of Killswitch Engage and Nic Hipa of As I Lay Dying.
\r\nI have to admit that I was very curious to listen to this album. It is a real treasure when such a popular frontman returns to the band, for the whole “buzz” on one hand, and, on the other hand merely because Barlow has a voice which is hard not to be recognized from both fans and not fans of the group. Under such conditions, being casual and write music just for writing can not be justified. And I ‘m not referring to how much time it took them in order to finish the compositions of the album, but only to what I, as a listener, am listening to.
\r\nNow, this is the stuff I like listening to. Nice and brutal death metal, combined with some melodic riffs and brutal hardcore beatdowns. Whitechapel’s second full length goes one step further on what Job for a Cowboy and Black Dahlia Murder started. Razing guitars, sharp breakdowns and a cool mixture of brutal and high pitched vocals. Reminds me a lot of Cephalic Carnage, Cryptopsy, Darkest Hour and I even dare to say, swedish acts like At the Gates.
First contact with Misty Valley, an Athens - based outfit. Their musical directions focus in the early to middle 70’s with a more up to date production. In these four tracks, the boys unfold their blues influences, using blues forms with the guitar and bass in a leading role. Speaking of blues – rock, the lyrical themes couldn’t stray far from the opposite sex. Their compositions aren’t complex which makes the demo easy listening.
\r\nFor those who may not be aware of the band Elvira Madigan, it is one-man band and behind the whole thing is Marcus Hammarström. He manages everything on his own, from guitars, bass, vocals and drums, to layout and production. Essentially he presents us his personal vision through his music which is based on black metal paths, filtered with abundant haunting keyboard parts and samples that give theatricality and lyricism to such degree that they actually differentiate from the boundaries of one and unique musical scene.
\r\nOh my Goodness!!! Ι Cant stand such an amount of pain today… So here we have a group from Spain, Embellish and the CD I got in my hands is the re release of their debut album “Black Tears And Deep Songs For The Lost Lovers” plus some two re recordings and a videoclip.
I have to admit that I’m not the biggest fan of Lacrimas Profundere, but I consider their first three efforts “...And the Wings Embraced Us” , “La Naissance D’un Rêve”, and “Memorandum” as very good albums. But after the hearing of “Burning: A Wish” the band left me completely untouched.
\r\nI thought that since it’s summertime this album this would be a good chance to “slow down” a bit and relax while listening to something based on Rock paths. Well, it did take much effort before realizing that my estimation regarding the Rock term regarding this album was wrong. This kind of Rock, the Pop-rock with an essence of Hard Rock gets on my nerves. Some bands are trying to sound “fresh” and modern, while differentiating their style from what was established years ago as Rock, which at the end results in making you want to turn the Cd Player off.
There are not enough words to describe the British masters of Funeral Doom (Death / Doom). The only thing I can say after the hearing of “The Maniacal Vale” is that Esoteric have returned, so progressive, chaotic, misanthropic and twisted as never before. If “Epistemological Despondency” has been considered as their top moment by their fans, during the hearing of “The Maniacal Vale” they may change their minds.